That Certain Night (1/5)

[cen_sceal]

Title: That Certain Night

Author: Meabhair

Summary: AU – Ianto Jones turned down an interview with his ex’s company and decided on a better offer.

Characters: Ianto Jones, Rose Taylor, 9^th Doctor

Pairing: budding Rose/Doctor, prior Ianto/Lisa

Warnings: AU, un-beta’d, PG-13  

Spoilers: Season 1 New Who, pre Season 1 Torchwood

Disclaimer: This work is not intended for profit, and all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s). Torchwood is ©2006-present British Broadcasting Service Wales (BBC Wales).   Doctor Who is © 1963-present British Broadcasting Service (BBC). Copyrighted material is used without permission of the BBC. 

 

 

Chapter 1 of 5

As relationship therapy went, cleaning a coffee machine was not the most effective method going. Ianto snorted to himself as he sorted the different blends out, and began dismantling the machine. Most days, the routine soothed him, but his fight with Lisa was making it hard to take his usual quiet pleasure in having the shop just so. Just because he’d taken the job here didn’t mean that Lisa could keep putting him off, calling him whenever she felt like it, leading him along. 

Telling him that she’d let him know if or when she’d see him again when work ‘gives her a minute’ really does nothing to improve a man’s self confidence.   With a little more force than was needed Ianto snapped the grinds into the bin. Ben waved a packet of cigarettes at him as he headed towards the back to take a quick fifteen minutes. Ianto rolled his eyes, knowing that Ben’s idea of fifteen minutes was close to everyone else’s half hour and turned his attention to telling the inanimate object in front of him his woes. 

“That’s it. I’m nobody’s part time fling. Either she wants to spend time with me or not, but I’m not waiting around to be told if I’m good enough to spend time with, depending on better offers. Even worse, if work feels it is convenient. Sod that.”   Decision made, Ianto felt lighter, more in control of himself than he’d been in a while. For some reason, he’d been feeling uneasy since the interview in that strange office. Perhaps it was time to move on, back to Cardiff, perhaps to Australia. There was nothing to keep him in London, not really.

Ianto looked up, away from the large coffee machine he was cleaning as the bell over the door chimed softly. Usually it was quiet, a lull time between the lunch rush and the afternoon social circles and he had hoped for enough quiet time to properly refresh the coffee. A pretty blonde and an older man walked into the shop, heading towards the large cushioned chairs in the back. 

The blonde seemed to be teasing her friend, making gestures indicating either a dodgem car or possibly the attack of a rabid duck. Dumping the last of the grinds, and refitting the pieces back together, Ianto reached out for one mug and one mocha glass. Pouring boiling water into the teapot to scald it before spooning some loose leaf Ceylon tea into it and following it with freshly boiled water, Ianto placed it carefully on a tray. He poured some milk to begin steaming it and looked over to the blond walking towards the counter. 

“So, that’d be one tea, proper tea, not the tea-bag want-to be, and none of this flavoured business and a coffee. Now, I think you have the look of someone who’s looking for something a little richer than usual. Mocha?”

She blinked at him, before grinning “That’s a good guess, that is. Do I have a sign over my head, or what?”

“No,” Ianto answered absently as he reached over to get the chocolate for the coffee. “It’s just that I know everything. Says so on the bottom of the sign.”

He smirked at the look she gave him, but also noticed the dark look of the brooding man in the background. The smirk became broader as he decided to flirt a little more with the carefree girl in front of him. He’d have to get back into practice, Lisa had moved on so it was time to do so himself. After all, if he wasn’t going to see either again, what could it hurt?


Chapter 2 of 5