Ficlet: Good Weather
May. 9th, 2025 06:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Good Weather
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 812
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: It’s a beautiful spring day in Cardiff, so why spend it stuck down in the Hub?
Written For:
toomanyghosts’s prompt ‘any, any, taking advantage of the nice weather’, at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
threesentenceficathon.Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
Warm, sunny days in Cardiff were few and far between at this time of year, which made it all the more important to enjoy them when they happened, so Ianto made a point of doing just that, whenever work permitted. He was busy taking in the view and breathing deeply of the fresh, salty air when he sensed someone approaching at a rapid pace, and he smiled slightly. There was no need for him to turn to see who it was; there was only one person who cast a shadow precisely that shape, it was instantly recognisable, and besides, the scent of those fifty-first century pheromones was a dead giveaway.
“I was looking for you in the archives!” Jack complained, joining his lover at the railings overlooking Cardiff Bay. “What’re you doing out here?”
Ianto did turn then, looking at Jack, one eyebrow raised. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t live down there, and I’m not required to be down there whenever you decide you want my attention,” he pointed out.
“I know that, I never said you were, but any time you have a few spare minutes, that’s where you always go.”
“No, Jack. That’s where I go if it’s cold, or windy, or raining, or otherwise unpleasant out, which it quite often is, I’ll grant you, but why would I want to be in a windowless, poorly lit warren of rooms, far underground, on a day like this?” Ianto gestured to indicate the flawless cobalt blue sky overhead, and the bright sunshine. “Or did you somehow not notice it’s a nice day?”
Jack didn’t answer that, mostly because until he’d actually come out here, having tracked Ianto’s phone, he really hadn’t been aware that the weather was so good. That was the problem with spending so much of his time in an underground base, where the light of day seldom shone unless someone was using the invisible lift; surface conditions tended to go unnoticed, unless he had to go outside for some reason, and then the weather was usually disappointing, or just plain bad.
“So you just decided to come out here without bothering to tell anyone? What if something had happened?”
Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Ianto merely gave Jack the kind of look reserved for people who’d just demonstrated a regrettable lack of basic common sense. “I’m in full view of the CCTV cameras, I have my phone, and I’m wearing my earpiece. I’m easy to reach in the event of an emergency, or someone needing coffee so desperately they can’t wait until I come back in, and from here I can see anyone heading for the tourist office.”
“Oh. Right. So this is you making the most of the good weather, is it?” Jack leaned one elbow on the top railing, studying Ianto with undisguised interest, as if he’d discovered a fascinating and previously unguessed at facet of his lover.
Ianto gave a wistful sigh. “No, not really. This is me standing in the sunshine WISHING I could make the most of the good weather. There’s a difference.”
“Ah. Well, who knows, maybe you could. Maybe we both could, you know, if you’d like. I mean, there’s nothing much happening right now, and from the look of things, the Rift’s likely to stay quiet for at least the rest of the day, which is why I was looking for you in the first place. So, how about it?”
The eyebrow went up again as Ianto considered Jack’s question. “How about what, exactly?”
“Well, we could pick up something to eat and go to the park, enjoy the sunshine there surrounded by grass and flowers and trees instead of concrete. That would be nicer than just standing here, watching out for stray tourists, wouldn’t it?”
“And what will the stray tourists do if I’m not here to help them?”
“Go somewhere else? They have to anyway when the tourist office is closed.”
“That’s true.” Ianto smiled. “Okay, why not? Let me just put the Closed sign up and lock the door. And you should probably let the others know we might be gone for a while. Wouldn’t do to have them start worrying and come looking for us.”
Jack pulled his phone out. “I’ll tell them to finish whatever they’re working on, and then if everything’s still quiet, they can take the rest of the day off. That should just give us enough time to get away.”
“Excellent idea. I’ll be right back.” Ianto jogged down to the Tourist Office, checked inside, locked up, and was back beside Jack before his lover finished his phone call. “Ready?”
“Lead the way!” Jack slipped his phone back into his pocket.
Smiling, Ianto set off across the Plas at an unhurried pace, Jack walking beside him, both of them looking forward to making the most of the good weather.
The End
“I was looking for you in the archives!” Jack complained, joining his lover at the railings overlooking Cardiff Bay. “What’re you doing out here?”
Ianto did turn then, looking at Jack, one eyebrow raised. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t live down there, and I’m not required to be down there whenever you decide you want my attention,” he pointed out.
“I know that, I never said you were, but any time you have a few spare minutes, that’s where you always go.”
“No, Jack. That’s where I go if it’s cold, or windy, or raining, or otherwise unpleasant out, which it quite often is, I’ll grant you, but why would I want to be in a windowless, poorly lit warren of rooms, far underground, on a day like this?” Ianto gestured to indicate the flawless cobalt blue sky overhead, and the bright sunshine. “Or did you somehow not notice it’s a nice day?”
Jack didn’t answer that, mostly because until he’d actually come out here, having tracked Ianto’s phone, he really hadn’t been aware that the weather was so good. That was the problem with spending so much of his time in an underground base, where the light of day seldom shone unless someone was using the invisible lift; surface conditions tended to go unnoticed, unless he had to go outside for some reason, and then the weather was usually disappointing, or just plain bad.
“So you just decided to come out here without bothering to tell anyone? What if something had happened?”
Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Ianto merely gave Jack the kind of look reserved for people who’d just demonstrated a regrettable lack of basic common sense. “I’m in full view of the CCTV cameras, I have my phone, and I’m wearing my earpiece. I’m easy to reach in the event of an emergency, or someone needing coffee so desperately they can’t wait until I come back in, and from here I can see anyone heading for the tourist office.”
“Oh. Right. So this is you making the most of the good weather, is it?” Jack leaned one elbow on the top railing, studying Ianto with undisguised interest, as if he’d discovered a fascinating and previously unguessed at facet of his lover.
Ianto gave a wistful sigh. “No, not really. This is me standing in the sunshine WISHING I could make the most of the good weather. There’s a difference.”
“Ah. Well, who knows, maybe you could. Maybe we both could, you know, if you’d like. I mean, there’s nothing much happening right now, and from the look of things, the Rift’s likely to stay quiet for at least the rest of the day, which is why I was looking for you in the first place. So, how about it?”
The eyebrow went up again as Ianto considered Jack’s question. “How about what, exactly?”
“Well, we could pick up something to eat and go to the park, enjoy the sunshine there surrounded by grass and flowers and trees instead of concrete. That would be nicer than just standing here, watching out for stray tourists, wouldn’t it?”
“And what will the stray tourists do if I’m not here to help them?”
“Go somewhere else? They have to anyway when the tourist office is closed.”
“That’s true.” Ianto smiled. “Okay, why not? Let me just put the Closed sign up and lock the door. And you should probably let the others know we might be gone for a while. Wouldn’t do to have them start worrying and come looking for us.”
Jack pulled his phone out. “I’ll tell them to finish whatever they’re working on, and then if everything’s still quiet, they can take the rest of the day off. That should just give us enough time to get away.”
“Excellent idea. I’ll be right back.” Ianto jogged down to the Tourist Office, checked inside, locked up, and was back beside Jack before his lover finished his phone call. “Ready?”
“Lead the way!” Jack slipped his phone back into his pocket.
Smiling, Ianto set off across the Plas at an unhurried pace, Jack walking beside him, both of them looking forward to making the most of the good weather.
The End
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-09 09:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-09 10:10 pm (UTC)Thank you!