Suits and suspenders - janto teacher au

Voicemail

Ianto nursed a bottle of beer. His sixth bottle actually. There was no way he was going out to a bar or a club alone again... not after... anyway... he hadn't heard from jack in a while and the sleepover party was drawing near. He didn't know why they called it a sleepover party there was the option for the kids to sleep but... there were activities going on all through the night which HE had to help run. He didn't know if he was going to make it through that night without someone to make him smile. Sure... tosh was going to be there but he sort of wanted jack... just a little bit. He would like to say that he wasn't mad at jack anymore but the truth is he was never really mad... just hurt. He should probably stop drinking, he thought as he cracked open yet another bottle, he had school tomorrow. He still tossed the lid across the room and raised the bottle to his lips.

Ianto woke the next day with a groan... how much had he actually had last night .... he remembered his seventh bottle.. just about ... he thinks. He picked up a half empty bottle by his bed, gagging at the smell and poured it down the drain in the bathroom. Never again. Which, knowing him, probably meant very soon. He made his coffee blearily, not quite sure how he meant to focus or dress himself that day. He managed to get to the school somehow... he was still probably over the limit from last night but to be honest he didn't care. He stumbled up to his classroom, groaning when tosh appeared in his doorway, "what?!" He barked at her. She handed him a stack of tests "you haven't forgotten about the test you're setting today right? You left them in the staff room...". He took the stack of the tests with a tired yawn "uhm... no I was just sorting our myyyyy.... laptop" he murmured. Tosh narrowed her eyes at him "you look awful... are you drunk or .. hungover" ianto laughed harshly "probably both" he exclaimed, turning to his desk. Tosh gave a small smile before she left the room "please look after yourself ianto" she murmured, not sure if he even heard her.

His first class did their test without any hassle. They knew something was up with their teacher... maybe he didn't feel well. They stacked their papers up at the front of the class when the bell rang and left the room in silence. Ianto was slumped at his desk with his head in his arms, no student knew whether he was crying or sleeping but none of them really wanted to find out.

Ianto had to be alerted somehow ... his next class was a year seven class and he had to actually teach them. It was Owen who was sent to rouse ianto, slipping into the classroom past the students in the corridor. He sucked in a breath, ianto looked awful... even Owen felt the need to be gentle with him... as if ianto would shatter if he was yelled at. "Ianto mate?" He tried softly, reaching out a hand to gently shake the Welshman. Ianto shifted with a sleepy snuffle that was oddly childlike as he lifted his head, blinking and looking dazed "where'm I" he mumbled. Owen raised his eyebrows "you're at work mate... got a year seven class to teach ... maybe you should go home during break ... after this lesson I don't think you're" he paused, trying to be tactful "quite up to a full day". Ianto nodded "yeah" he mumbled "think I fell asleep" he told himself as Owen patted him sympathetically on the shoulder before exiting the room.

Ianto wasn't too sure about a what happened in the next class he taught but ... he did know one thing. He lever heard a few year sevens talking, a boy called tommy in fact, "me and joe saw mr harkness in the shop and he said he might be going out of town". Ianto had frozen on the spot. Jack was ... going ... away?

Perhaps that was why he was currently driving home with tears pouring down his cheeks. No that was stupid. He was upset because... he felt ill yes that was it... maybe.

He pulled out his phone as he fell into his flat... he was on autopilot, he didn't really know what he was doing until he heard the phone go to voicemail. "Um hi jack s' me just wanna day ... miss you and you're being dramatic so don't go away please ... thank you bye bye see you soon... I hope" he mumbled into the phone, aware that he sounded rather broken and a bit desperate. He trailed off to bed, tiredness finally overtaking him and willing him to just close his eyes and forget about the world. Yes... that sounded extremely nice to ianto at that very moment. Just pure ignorance of the world and rest.

To say Jack was surprised when he saw that ianto had actually left a voicemail was to put it mildly. He stared at the phone, knowing he hadn't answered the phone for a reason... so why did he feel the sudden urge to listen to the voicemail. Well... It's not like it could hurt too listen... right?

Tears streamed down jack's face when the voicemail ended. He had forgotten what Ianto's beautiful welsh accent sounded like. But the man had sounded broken, and it was jack's fault. Ianto had told him not to go away ... how did ianto know he was even planning on going away... unless... tommy or joe! The little shits. Well that just proves it doesn't it... jack really was a curse on everyone ... he didn't want to hurt Ianto any more so maybe ... maybe it's better if he leaves. Ianto had told him he was being dramatic... was he ... was he really? Maybe he was but it was all to save ianto and, as jack was slowly realising, he would do anything for ianto. He glanced down at the tickets in his hand. Back to the states soon ... Florida this time. New start... again.. just what jack needed ... right? .... RIGHT?!