Love Though Any Time (18/?) Torchwood NC-17
Chapter Seventeen
Ianto
I slowly walked up to Jack’s office with three cups of coffee. Today I knew that I had step carefully around Jack as he was in a foul mood. Martha and James were also in there, but strangely James was in a happy mood as he was singing I’ve got you under my skin when he got here. I entered the office and could feel the slight tension between all of them. Without a word I popped down the coffees and left the office, feeling quite tense.
“Hey Ianto, do you want a chocolate scone?” Gwen asked from her workstation. I walked over with the tray still in my hand and picked up a chocolate scone from the table.
“Who brought these in?” I asked with a smile.
“Martha, she also brought in a custard tart for Jack,” Gwen replied biting into a scone, “Jack’s angry isn’t he?”
“What’s makes you ask that?” I asked before biting into the chocolate scone. I heard Gwen swallow before answering.
“You seem tense that’s all,”
I shrugged, “Well it’s pretty tense in the office at the moment,” I explained before we heard yelling coming inside the office. “I told him he shouldn’t be angry with James.”
“Well he is,” Gwen said, “The strange thing is I’m not,” She added with a frown, “I know I shouldn’t be as people make mistakes.”
“Yes but with Jack, James is the man who said he loved him,” I replied putting the tray down on to the desk next to Gwen’s, “I sort of told Jack to spend time with him, I think I’m starting to regret it.”
“Why I’m sure Jack behaves himself,” Gwen replied with a smile, “So what’s the problem?”
“You know how many times James has confessed to me that he’s kissed him?” I asked rather bitterly, “I don’t hold a grudge since I like him, I probably should be the one spending time with him.”
“Wouldn’t hurt, I suppose,” Gwen agreed with a smile, “Do you want to go for a walk?”
“That would be nice but I need to do some filing,” I explained, “Tell Martha, she should bring scones in more often.”
Gwen laughed and went back to looking at the computer screen. I finished my scone before heading off towards the archives.
Two hours later I emerged from the archives to find James sitting on the couch by himself. He seemed to be deep in thought but looked up suddenly and saw me.
“Oh hello Ianto,” He said with a slight smile.
“Hello, are you alright?” I asked, not quite sure if I should be bringing up the talk with Jack.
“Yes, got yelled at, but it’s the only thing I’m good at I guess, getting into trouble.” He replied running a hand through his light brown hair.
“I don’t know, your computer skills are great,” I told him and sat down next to him.
“Well not as good as Toshiko, there are a few programmes I still need to work out,” He replied with a laugh, “I’m sure that I’ll crack them one day.”
I looked at him and saw that he seemed to be more happy than actually ashamed about what he did. I put a hand on his shoulder and started to massage it. He looked at me and smiled.
“So how are you?” He asked. I shrugged my shoulders.
“Alright I guess, James I don’t care what you did,” I replied, trying to reassure him, “You seriously was depressed and on a high,” I went on but he shrugged his shoulders and sat back.
“I’ve been alone for a long time then this handsome pilot comes storming into my life, making me quite happy for the first time in my life,” James began quite sadly, “Then he tells me that he doesn’t deserve me, that he’s not sure if it’s alright to love me.”
“Do you want to go to the pub?” I heard myself ask, “I mean you don’t have to or anything it’s just....”
James chuckled, “I would love to as I feel like a strong drink.”
I smiled, “I’ve noticed that you and Emmett were flirting, maybe you want to talk to me about what happened.”
“I’ve told Martha but if you want to hear it then, alright let’s go to the pub.”
James left to go get his jacket while I told him that I would wait in the fake tourist office. A few minutes later we were walking across the Plass towards our favourite local pub that all of the Torchwood staff went to.
Emmett
I was making lunch in the kitchen when I heard a knock on the door. I put down the knife I was spreading the peanut butter with and headed towards the door. A young man around James’ age with short chocolate brown hair wearing a green t-shirt and jeans stood outside the door.
“Oh, I must have a wrong apartment; does a James Elton live here?” He asked rather confused.
“Yes he does,” I replied, “I’m his new housemate, Emmett Kingston.”
He nodded, “Oh ok, I’m Damien Mayer, his best mate, is he here?”
I shook my head, “No he’s at work, not sure when he will be home though,” I replied with a slight smile.
“Ah ok, it is alright if I wait as that is what I usually do?” He asked with a smile, “I won’t get in the way or anything.”
“Oh no I was getting lunch anyway,” I answered quite confused but excited, “James has told me a lot about you.”
“Oh has he? Did he explain how we met?” He asked with a laugh.
“Yes, something about him flirting with you in a nightclub?” I said trying to remember what James had told me.
“Yes, well it’s was a gay nightclub, I was there with another mate and I guess James must of thought I was gay,” He replied with a smile, “I’m not, married now to a beautiful woman.”
I nodded, “Were you alright with it?”
“Well yeah, since my mate I was with is gay, though of course James is bisexual,” He replied with a smile, “It wasn’t like it was illegal or anything.”
I smiled, “Is peanut butter alright or.....”
“Does James have any vegemite in the fridge?” Damien replied which really confused me, “Oh I look myself shall I?” He added when he saw my confused look.