'Who's the eye candy.'

Tosh sighed as she handed Owen a five pound note. 'You're terrible John, what happened to "I've changed Tosh"?'

Owen grinned as he shoved the money in his pocket. 'I told you Tosh my love, he.' Pointing at John. 'Is never going to change.'

'Those sexual harassment lectures are a waste of time Tosh. They never teach me anything new.'

'This is why we don't let you interview anyone, you know that don't you.'

'Oh please. You don't think Jack's just as bad?' He dropped into a chair and planted his feet on the desk. 'There isn't a pony alive that man wouldn't ride, you forget, I've known him a lot longer than you.'

'You were in the army together weren't you?'

'Something like that my sweet little Toshcicle.' He jumped. 'Ow.'

Tosh glared at him as she swatted him with a rolled up newspaper. 'You're lucky I don't have a gun.'

'I'm hurt Tosh, deeply hurt.' He glared at Owen. 'Oh shut up will you.' He looked back at their newest team member. 'The view around here has definitely improved, I need to go away more often.'

Owen smiled at him. 'I say that to Tosh all the time.'

Ianto could feel eyes on him, he couldn't hear what they were saying although Jack had warned him about John Hart. He just wanted to get on with his life. Why else would he have taken this job, the hours were going to be awful at times, although it had been okay so far, and the job well beneath his abilities. But it was a job, even if he still wasn't really sure what they did. Jack had said they were consultants, but he hadn't elaborated on what that actually meant. Or why he had a team consisting of a medic, a computer expert, an ex army sergeant and John Hart.

He'd needed a job, one that promised to keep him busy so he didn't have time to think about everything he'd lost in the last twelve months. Why he would want to take a job as a glorified personal assistant had been the subject of much musing between his mother and sister. None of it mattered, none of it could. His was a world absent the sun.

Which was why two weeks ago he'd started a job as the office manager slash PA. The money was ridiculously good and he had a flat in walking distance of the office. Nothing else mattered. So he'd spent the better part of two weeks getting his head around the black hole Jack referred to as the 'archives'. A glorified dumping ground for incoherent paperwork shoved into a storage room in the corner of the warehouse. He wasn't even halfway though the piles of papers and he'd found entire document boxes filled with receipts for pizza and assorted takeaways. Including a petrified pizza.

Getting this office into shape was going to take time, he'd told Jack he was up to a challenge. He looked up as a shadow fell across his desk.

'Ianto Jones, time to meet the rest of the team, sort of.'

He straightened his already straight tie as he stepped around his desk and followed Jack.

Jack grinned, this was possibly the best dressed one yet, with the exception of himself of course. It seemed Ianto Jones was already making an interesting addition to their little team. 'Tosh you already know, and Doctor Owen Harper you met when you had your physical.'

'Oh man, I missed the physical too.'

'Yes.' Jack smiled at John. 'Ianto is our new man Friday.' He looked at Ianto. 'This is John Hart, I mentioned him earlier I believe.'

'He never lets me have any fun, not any more.' He shook Ianto's hand and gave him an appreciative leer for good measure. 'I like the pretty ones.'

'John, what did I tell you about sexual harassment?' Jack warned.

'You never used to mind when I was harassing you.' He muttered before throwing himself back into his chair and pouting. 'It's my company too.'

'On paper, I brought you out years ago.'

'And yet I'm still here.'

'Not my fault the clients like you.' Jack snapped back to what he was doing. 'Sorry Ianto, it's a long story. Perhaps you could step into my office, I have some dictation I need you to do.'

Ianto followed Jack, ignoring John who waved a creepy little half wave at him. It looked not unlike the older women who used to drink in the university bars when he was a student. All John was missing was black skin tight pants and a leopard print top.

John turned to Tosh and Owen who were watching him. 'Dictation, is that what he calls it now.'

Tosh sighed softly, she'd really enjoyed the last three weeks John had been away working on a case with Suzie. Jack had not only managed to employ a decent office manager but she'd actually gotten some peace for a change. Owen looked at her and nodded. He was just surprised this one was still here after two weeks, even without John around that had to be a new record.

'Ianto, I've told you, don't have to call me Sir.'

'Habit I'm afraid, Sir.'

Jack grinned. 'I could get used to it.' He raised his voice so they could be overheard. 'Some respect is nice for a change around here.'

Owen snorted. 'You want respect get a dog.'

Jack kept grinning. 'Well I guess you can call me Sir if you like. I've sort of gotten used to it.'

'Very good Sir, and where do you want me to start?' He followed Jack into his office, the door closing behind them. 'I know I've been here two weeks already but I still don't understand what you actually do here at Harkness Hart.'

'Now you ask. We do what's needed. Background checks mainly, review security systems, private investigations, we even find the occasional missing person and or pet. Sometimes we work with the local constabulary, stuff like that.'

'All perfectly legal of course.'

'You've got the paperwork, we aren't gangsters or mercenaries Ianto. Now, about those letters.'

John looked up from his reports and frowned. 'Where's eye candy?'

'You know he has an actual name right.'

'Yes Owen, I know he has an actual name, but I think eye candy suits him. So tell me all about him boys and girls.'

Tosh exchanged a look with Owen. 'You know he wont shut up until we tell him.'

'I know.' Owen gave an exasperated sigh. 'There isn't much to tell, he's Welsh.'

'I got that from the gorgeous accent you English git, I want details.'

Tosh joined in. 'There aren't many, he's in his mid twenties, he always wears a suit and tie, grey or black. If he didn't have blue eyes there wouldn't be any colour at all.'

'See.' John glared at Owen. 'This is what I wanted, details.'

'Fine, you got them, that's pretty much all we know, he was working for a museum until he moved back to Wales.' Owen turned back to the files he was reviewing.

'But that isn't very much information, come on boys and girls, we find information out for a living.'

Tosh shrugged. 'That's pretty much it.'

'You can't tell me that in two weeks you haven't found out anything else about the man.'

Owen and Tosh both shrugged their shoulders and turned back to their computers.

'You two have just gotten creepy since you started shagging, you know that don't you.' John muttered to their backs as they ignored him. He shook his head, if they weren't going to tell him, he had other ways of finding out.

Ianto looked around the kitchen, he had a flashback to his first day when he had stared in horror at the shelf by the kettle. Instant coffee. Now there was a proper coffee machine, he'd found it this morning. It had been gathering dust in the archives and they were drinking instant coffee. He put the kettle on while calculating what it would take to get it into working order. He'd asked Jack about it as he delivered his coffee.

'That thing, it sort of came with the place, do what you want with it. Just keep your receipts.' He grinned, he liked this one, hopefully Ianto was going to stick around longer than the last few office managers. He knew it wasn't always down to John that they kept leaving. The hours could be really anti social and it wasn't the sort of job you could talk about down at the local pub.

But surely that wasn't the only reason they never stuck around long. He shelved the idea for latter review as he looked at the tray. 'You aren't a coffee drinker? It's been two weeks and I've only seen you drink tea.'

Ianto gave Jack a tiny little smile. 'Instant. Coffee. Sir.'

Was that a flash of colour in Ianto's grey suited world? 'I take it you aren't a fan then.'

He shook his head, as if he'd drink instant coffee. Jack grinned as he watched Ianto walk away, there was something about him he couldn't ignore.

Ianto was looking though the papers on his desk when Tosh appeared at his side.

'Um, Owen's taking me out for lunch, it's sort of an anniversary.'

He tried not to be obvious as he looked at his watch, at 10am he had to wonder where Owen was taking her if he needed to leave now.

'I just thought I'd remind you, since I forgot before, that I have software to check your computer to see what you are looking at or downloading online, so if you don't want me to know, don't do it.' Tosh looked over at John and frowned. 'Unfortunately what has been seen can not be unseen so please don't spend your time looking at porn.'

Ianto rolled his eyes before smiling at Tosh. 'I don't think you have to worry about me.'

'Good, anyway, as you know, I'm in your phone contacts so if you have any technical problems just give me a call.'

Owen stepped up beside Tosh and grinned at Ianto. 'I'd rather you didn't run into any technical issues just yet, if you don't mind.'

'I think the only issue I'm running into is your awful coffee.'

'It's not the coffee I'd be watching out for. Awff.' He glared at Tosh. 'Oi, that was my foot.'

'Come on, lets get out of here before Jack thinks of something we should be doing.'

Owen grinned at Ianto as he walked away with Tosh. Leaving Ianto wondering what he might have said before interrupted. He watched Owen say something in her ear, whatever it was she shoved him before looking back a moment. And then they were gone, leaving him alone with John leering at him from across the room. He sighed softly, he'd typed Jack's letters and given them to him to sign leaving him free to look at the coffee machine, He was going to need coffee to help him with his filing.

John looked up and Ianto was gone, he couldn't see Tosh or her English git boyfriend either. He was reasonably sure they weren't having a threesome in the parking garage, they'd said no when he'd suggested it last time. So where had the pretty gone? He decided to look around and see what he could find. Walking into the kitchen he thought all his Christmases had come at once. His jaw dropped and time seemed to stand still, even the clock was frozen half way between tick and tock.

Ianto had his jacket hanging over the back of a chair and his shirt sleeves rolled up past his elbows. If the man's forearms were anything to go by, the suit was one Christmas present wrapped in grey pinstripe he needed to unwrap. 'Hellllooo gorgeous.' The man was a walking commercial for the benefits of joining a gym, and that was just his arms. John shook his head like he was auditioning for a shampoo commercial. The things he could do with that body.

Ianto looked up from the coffee machine and frowned. Jack had warned him about John, what he hadn't mentioned was how to impress upon him his lack of interest. He wondered if a direct approach would work before sighing softly. He wasn't sure even mace would work. 'You know Jack warned me about you.'

'He would, he hates me having any fun.'

'I'm sure that's the only reason.'

'Is that sarcasm eye candy?'

'No. It's a coffee machine.'

'So straight eye candy.'

'Would it help if I said I was?'

'Not even if I actually believed you.' He leaned against the wall as he watched Ianto. 'This is my sexy pose, you like?'

'Nope.' He looked John up and down and shook his head. 'You could make yourself useful and wash the dishes.'

'That wouldn't be nearly as much fun as this.'

Ianto shrugged, as long as the man stayed over there it didn't really matter.

'So, eye candy, seeing anyone?'

He shook his head as he concentrated on stripping the coffee machine apart and cleaning it.

'I'd like to see you.'

'I would never have guessed.' Ianto pursed his lips and blew dust of the cog he was holding before wiping it clean with a rag.

John sighed suggestively, wishing Ianto would blow his way. 'You blow so beautifully.'

'So I've been told.' Okay, he'd admit it, that had been deliberate. And he was fairly sure he'd found the problem with the coffee machine. He extracted a petrified piece of what he really hoped was toast from the inner workings of the jigsaw that was the coffee machine. Now he just had to put it back together and make sure it actually worked.

At least he still had an emergency stash of beans and the coffee grinder he'd been given as a farewell gift from the museum. This was as good a time to try it out as any, he was getting sick of drinking tea. He looked up at John who was lounging against the wall like a bored prostitute. 'Sorry, did you say something?'

'Well yes actually. Luckily for you I like a pretty face so I can over look the fact that you didn't hear a word I just said.'

'You haven't said anything I've wanted to hear.'

'So witty, not just a pretty face are you.'

Ianto shrugged as he started reassembling the coffee machine. 'So I've been told.' He had more important things to worry about than John Hart, he needed to save these people from instant coffee.

John sighed, eye candy wasn't playing ball, time to step up his game. 'What are you doing eye candy?'

Ianto frowned, wasn't it obvious? 'I'm fixing the coffee machine.'

John pointed to the jar on the shelf. 'Coffee, eye candy.'

He didn't look up as he shook his head. 'Only on a technicality, and I wouldn't brag about it.'

'It's not bragging if it's true, gorgeous.'

Ianto pointedly looked him up and down again, his smile at it's enigmatic best. 'I'm sure you're right.'

'You could always find out for yourself.' This was starting to work out better than he'd hoped.

Ianto stepped up to John, still smiling as he leaned in to speak softly in the man's ear. 'And yet I wont.' Before walking away.

'I like a challenge Ianto Jones!' He called out as he stood in the doorway, ostensibly to admire the man's arse in his well fitted suit. 'You left your jacket...'

Ianto ignored him as he reached the box sitting under his desk before returning to the kitchen with a coffee grinder and the beans. It was a special blend of his own design and he'd know if he had fixed the coffee machine once he tried an espresso or, if further calibrations were needed.

In the madness of the last year, coffee had been his one constant, and he was not drinking instant. He'd sleep with John before that happened, and hell would have to freeze over first. He thought about what Jack had told him about the man. Morals of an alley cat and about as fussy sprung to mind, and that he'd try it on and wasn't without merit, if one was interested. The only thing that interested him right now was good coffee. John he found right were he'd left him, standing in the kitchen doorway, hands on hips, pouting.

'You came back, did you miss me?'

'No.' He moved past John, towards the coffee machine.

'Cold Ianto Jones, so very cold.'

He smiled at John. 'You have no idea.' It was a smile devoid of warmth.

'I'd like to know eye candy, I really would.'

Ianto ground the beans before putting the coffee machine though it's paces. He found he was enjoying the banter with John and wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd felt so normal. In so much as John hitting on him was normal, although he was starting to appreciate that around here it probably was.

John watched him preform magic, the smell of fresh coffee filling the space between them. The man moved with an unconscious grace that whispered hints of what he might be like in bed. Strong clean lines even the suit couldn't hide that only served to inflame desire. John liked what he saw.

'Ianto!' Jack appeared in the doorway, drawn by the smell of coffee wafting though the building.

John pouted. 'Hay, that's my line.' Greedy eyes following the espresso cup now filling under Ianto's gentle touch.

'What's that?' Jack indicated the cup.

'Coffee Sir.' He sipped slowly, savouring the taste and texture, checking it against his memory.

'You fixed it, it works?'

Ianto nodded as he filled another cup, this one he handed to Jack.

Jack took the cup and sipped, his eyes closing as hot coffee hit taste buds and the smell filled his nose, filtering into his brain. 'Oh god, Ianto!'

'Hay, I want that too.'

Ianto rolled his eyes at the petulant pouting and handed over another tiny cup.

'Come on, super size me baby.'

'You couldn't handle it John.' Jack grinned at Ianto.

John felt his eyes glaze over as he emptied the tiny cup in one gulp. 'Mummy.'

'How did you do it Ianto?'

'It's just coffee, Sir.'

'No, this is hardly just coffee.'

He shrugged. 'But it's just coffee, I used to work in a coffee shop, it's in my resume.'

'So unassuming.' Jack grinned. 'But please tell me you have more of those magic beans.'

'I have my sources Sir.'

'I could kiss you.'

'Hay, that's my line.' John glared at Jack. 'I called dibs.'

Ianto sighed softly as he turned back to the coffee machine before looking at Jack. 'He doesn't get better does he.'

'Sorry Ianto, no.' He paused. 'I can send him somewhere, away, again, if you want.' His voice a stage whisper.

'I heard that.'

Ianto shook his head. 'I've met his type before.'

'Really, and what type is that.' John taunted.

'All mouth and.' He looked pointedly at John. 'No trousers.'

'Hay, that's not true, tell him Jack, it's not true.'

Jack just grinned, he'd never seen John get, quite as good as he got, before now. 'I wouldn't say he was all mouth.'

'Hay.' He glared at Jack before storming away.

Ianto picked up the discarded espresso cup as he looked at Jack. 'You and he have quite a history then.'

'Me and half the adult population of the city.' He smiled a faintly nostalgic smile. 'We go a ways back, and yeah, we had our fun. But that was a long time ago. You?'

'I'm confident I've never had anything with him, nor do I intend to.'

'Never say never, the office Christmas party can get pretty wild.'

'I'll keep that in mind Sir.'

'What's your story Ianto?' Jack leaned against the bench as he watched the serious young man.

'My story?'

'Your story. I mean, I can tell you're Welsh and all, but why Cardiff? Why move here from London?'

He took a measured breath before giving Jack a tiny peek into his past. 'Too many memories there.'

'What kind of memories?'

'The kind I don't want to have any more. But I have work to do, if you will excuse me Sir.'

'Of course.' Jack watched Ianto pick his jacket up and walk away. He'd put the feelers out, looked into the man's background, of course he had. But by all accounts Ianto Jones was an unremarkable man, living an unremarked life. Moved to London about six years ago to go to university, worked his way though the holidays and stayed in London when he graduated.

He was good at what he did, people spoke highly of him and he was responsible with his money. Beyond that he was a blank canvas. Single, he eschewed social media and didn't even own a pet. So yes, Jack wanted to know his story and he was determined to find out what it was.