Title: More Than Meets the Eye
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 5
Prompt: 10, Coffee
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own Ianto Jones or the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

"You know, you make marvellous coffee," the Doctor commented to Ianto as they sat at the kitchen table in Ianto's flat, taking a sip of the hot brew that his lover had sat in front of him. "It's rather an art, you know, getting it just right."

Ianto made a face, shaking his head ruefully. "I should make good coffee, after all the time I spent at Torchwood merely being the teaboy. I thought for the longest time that I would never be looked at as a real member of the team."

The Doctor set down his coffee mug, frowning at Ianto's words. "Whyever would you think that, love? Jack always told me that you were invaluable to the team, right from the very beginning. I don't think he ever looked at you as anything but a full-fledged member of Torchwood."

The young man shrugged, looking down into his mug. "Jack might have felt that way -- but I never thought the others did. I was always looked at as being something less than they were."

"I don't believe that," the Doctor said softly, reaching out to place a hand over Ianto's. He could literally feel the young man's pain over the way he felt that he'd been regarded, and even a bit of resentment. "They've always appreciated you, Ianto."

Ianto snorted, shaking his head again. "Yes, they appreciated me. As someone who could make good coffee, and take care of the office, and clean up after anything happened around the Hub. I don't think I've ever been any more than that."

"That isn't true --" the Doctor began, then closed his mouth. It was useless to argue with Ianto; if this was the way he felt, then it had probably been building up for quite a while, and he didn't know enough about the Torchwood working situation to say otherwise.

"Yes, it is." Ianto sounded bitter, as though he'd been bottling things up for a long time and only now was allowing them to come out in words. "I'm sure they've been glad to get rid of me since I've been with you, Doctor. They never wanted me there."

The Doctor sighed, wanting to shake his head again but not doing so. "You know that Jack doesn't feel that way. He'd love to have you back."

"As a team member, or just as the office lackey and the resident teaboy?" Ianto's smile was bitter, not at all like the open, genuine smile that the Doctor was used to seeing. "Sometimes I think he's only ever looked at me in that capacity, even when we were together."

"Ianto, you know that's not true. And it's not fair to Jack." The Doctor frowned again, this time feeling that he had to speak up for the man who'd been a former lover to both of them. "Jack has always thought highly of you. He's said as much to me."

Ianto nodded, somewhat reluctantly. "Maybe you're right -- but he never said anything like that to me. Even when we were a couple, I never knew if he wanted me to be in Torchwood because I was sleeping with him, or because he really wanted me there."

"He wanted you there, Ianto," the Doctor said softly, twining his fingers through the young man's and giving them a gentle squeeze. "But at the same time, he worried about you. He didn't want you to be harmed. And I know exactly how he felt."

"You two both worry about me too much," Ianto admonished him, smiling slightly. "I'm tougher than I look, Doctor. I've had to protect you more than once, and you know that I'm capable of doing it. Don't feel that I'm made of spun sugar. I'm not."

"I know you're not, love." The Doctor squeezed his hand again before letting go and picking up his coffee mug again. "But I love you too much not to worry."

"Please don't," Ianto said softly, smiling at the other man. "I made the decision to be with you of my own free will, you know. And I was fully aware of the dangers that could be involved in life with you. That didn't change my mind, not for a second."

"Were my attractions that irresistible?" The Doctor couldn't help laughing, knowing just what his young lover meant. He'd felt the same way; even knowing that Ianto was involved in the dangerous work of Torchwood hadn't kept him away from the young man.

"Of course they were." Ianto's good humor was restored; he smiled over at the Doctor, reaching across the table to rest a hand against the Time Lord's cheek. "I couldn't have stayed away from you if I'd tried. Your charms were far too potent to resist."

The Doctor closed his eyes, turning his face to the side and nuzzling his cheek against Ianto's palm. He could almost feel the pendant around his neck glow more brightly, seeming to pulse with the rhythm of his heartbeats.

This was how things were meant to be, he said to himself, feeling more contented than he had in a long time. He and Ianto, here together. All was right with the world.

Well .... at least, for the moment. All too soon, he was sure that he would take the Tardis to some faraway place, with Ianto in tow -- and the two of them would get caught up in something that could be exceedingly dangerous. It was par for the course with him.

But he'd come to accept that -- at least for himself. He was still unsure about Ianto being with him so often, but this was where the young man wanted to be. And he'd discovered that he wanted Ianto with him more and more when he wasn't on Earth.

Maybe it was wrong of him -- and he certainly didn't want to throw his lover into the path of danger -- but he was finding that he couldn't deal with being away from Ianto for long periods of time. And if they were together, at least he knew where Ianto was and if he was safe.

And besides .... Ianto made a damn good cup of coffee.

The thought made him want to laugh, but he held it back. Ianto might be offended, after all, and he didn't want that. But still, it was nice to have someone around who had that particular skill. He wasn't so good at it himself.

He wished that Ianto had a different perception of how his colleagues at Torchwood saw him, but that was something he couldn't change right away. Maybe, in time, Ianto would come to realize that things weren't the way he saw them.

Yes, he was good at things like making coffee and taking care of the office. But he was also good at other things, too -- and he didn't give himself enough credit for that. The Doctor made mental note to bring up the subject again in the future, when it felt like an appropriate time.

The Doctor picked up his coffee mug, draining what was left of the liquid in a few swallows. He was feeling restless; he didn't want to sit here in the kitchen all day. Besides, there was something that was almost .... calling to him, telling him to get out of the flat for a while.

"What do you say to going out somewhere?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in question. "I know that Cardiff is hardly as exciting as going to another planet -- but I'm sure tht we can find something to embroil ourselves in."

Ianto smiled and drained his own mug, setting it down on the table and nodding as he did so. "Not quite as interseting as discovering a new place -- but then, there are areas of Cardiff that are new to you. And to me as well, even though I grew up here."

"Then let's go out and explore Cardiff!" The Doctor got to his feet, holding out a hand to his young lover. "I have a feeling that the day has a lot in store for us."

Ianto followed him to the bedroom, only to happy to fall in with whatever the Time Lord might have planned. Little did the two of them know that more adventure could await them in Ianto's home city than they might ever be able to find out amongst the stars.

***