Work Text:
“Tosh, get me any info you can on the Wolf Bar,” instructed Jack Harkness, coming up from the interrogation room, with Gwen in his wake.
“It’s a rock and alternative bar on Womanby Street,” said Ianto, before Tosh could even begin.
“You know it?” asked Gwen, sounding astonished.
To her, Ianto didn’t seem like the kind of man who would frequent that sort of establishment. He was well dressed, quiet, and could speak well. She could see him at a wine bar maybe, but not a place full of metalheads.
“Of course,” the Welshman replied, knowing that she had once again made an incorrect assumption about him.
He’d been into the metal and alternative scene since his early teens, and had faced prejudice like Gwen’s many times. People got it into their heads that he and his peers were aggressive, destructive, and of low intelligence. While he couldn’t deny he caused a little trouble in his youth, it was no different to kids from any other social group.
He realised that everyone was looking at him expectantly.
“I don’t get there as often as I’d like these days,” he said with a shrug. “But before I went to London, I was in almost every night.”
“Perfect!” enthused Jack, clapping his hands together. “Since you know the place, you can come with us.”
“I… I’d rather not, Sir.”
The captain narrowed his eyes. The others often pushed back at his orders, but it was rare for Ianto.
“We can use your knowledge,” Jack told him, not unkindly. “You’re coming.”
With that, he headed to his office.
Ianto chewed on his bottom lip as he watched him go, wondering whether to say anything about why he didn’t want to go. Almost every moment of his life involved Torchwood, so those rare times and places that weren’t touched by his everyday weirdness, were exceptionally precious. Making up his mind, Ianto went after Jack. Before going in, he knocked on the doorframe.
“Can I explain, Sir?” he asked, as Jack beckoned for him to sit down.
He noticed that Ianto was nervous, and was picking at the skin around his fingers.
“Go on,” he prompted.
“I have… I have very few friends,” the Welshman began, failing to hold eye contact with his boss. “Especially now.”
Both of them knew he was referring to Canary Wharf, but neither wanted to voice it. Ianto had lost everyone that day.
“I still hang out will a couple of people from school, and we like to go to the Wolf Bar,” Ianto continued. “I love the music, the atmosphere, the people, I…”
He trailed off, as he tried to find to courage to admit his feelings.
“…fit in there,” he finished.
Jack leaned back in his chair and carefully regarded the younger man. His whole demeanour told Jack all he needed to know.
“I get it,” he replied, “You feel safe, comfortable, and accepted in the Wolf Bar. Something you don’t get anywhere else.”
Ianto nodded, with his eyes fixed firmly on the floor. He hated revealing aspects of his personal life, and was feeling incredibly vulnerable.
“And if you go in as Torchwood,” Jack continued, “You’ll lose the trust of the people you feel safe around.”
The younger man nodded again.
“Even though they won’t know what’s happening, it’ll be seen as me bringing the authorities in. I’ll lose my only means of temporarily forgetting about everything.”
He finally looked up and was surprised at the soft smile on Jack’s face. It was one of understanding.
“I love this job,” Ianto went on. “But I have a helluva lot of baggage weighing me down. Drinking and headbanging with my mates pushes that aside for a while. I can just be Iant, local metalhead, and not Ianto Jones, Torchwood agent.”
“Iant?”
“It’s what my mates call me.”
Jack sighed. As much as the Welshman’s presence would be useful, he couldn’t bring himself to take something else away from him. Especially a place which allowed him relax and have fun.
“Okay,” he relented. “You can sit this one out, other than to work with Tosh on the layout of the building.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Ianto replied, visibly relieved. “I know it’s stupid…”
“No, it isn’t,” Jack cut in. “We all need something to take us away from the horrors of life for a while.”
Ianto stood up, and Jack marvelled as he watched the young pull himself to his full height and put his composure back into place.
“Thank you,” the captain said softly before Ianto left.
“What for?”
“Opening up, and standing up for what’s important to you.”
Ianto flashed a smile.
“What do you do to forget everything?” he asked, not really expecting an answer.
“I have things,” Jack answered vaguely. “Ogling hot Welshman in well-fitted suits is a favourite.”
He was rewarded with a patented Jones eyeroll, and laughed. Ianto smiled and went to see Tosh. As he did, he felt the weight of the stopwatch in his pocket. He glanced back towards Jack, and an idea formed in his mind. Maybe he and Jack could find a way to help each other forget the world for a while.