Ficlet: Making A Splash
Apr. 10th, 2026 06:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Making A Splash
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 686
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Much to Ianto’s disgust, Jack has dragged him out on a Rift retrieval in the pouring rain.
Written For:
topaz_eyes’ prompt ‘Any, any, puddle jumping,’ at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
threesentenceficathon.Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
It was raining again, but it was Cardiff, so that wasn’t exactly earth-shaking news, not even a big enough deal to deserve more than a passing mention on the news outside of the weather forecast, which had incidentally assured everyone that it would be a dry night. Wishful thinking, obviously; Wales was traditionally a wet country, which was why the countryside was so green, and often also muddy.
At least outside of the parks the city was less inclined to muddiness, tending to just be wet, and grey, and dismal on a rainy spring evening like this. It wasn’t any kind of April shower either; it was bucketing down, and Ianto was silently cursing the Rift for deciding this was the perfect time to dump an unknown something out in Splott, because of course it was Splott; it was never somewhere conveniently close by when the weather was this foul.
At least Ianto had an umbrella, and wellies so his leather shoes wouldn’t suffer. He’d left them safe and dry in the Hub, which was where he wished he was right now, but… On the plus side, they’d been able to drive most of the way, until they’d reached a dip in the road where water was collecting to a depth that even the SUV was likely to struggle with, at which point Jack had uncharacteristically decided not to chance it, possibly because they’d only just got Torchwood’s official vehicle back after having the rear axle replaced.
He’d told Ianto they’d have to walk the last quarter mile or so, which was decidedly NOT what Ianto had wanted to hear, but no one had asked his opinion. If it weren’t for his Wellies, Ianto would have refused point blank to even step out of the car, but as it was, he didn’t have the handy excuse of not being properly attired for the weather conditions, so here he was, plodding disconsolately through the pouring rain, his brolly providing what shelter it could, and considering a variety of dire punishments to inflict on Jack in revenge.
It wasn’t so much that the rain bothered him, aside from it being cold and very wet, but he’d been up since five, and it had been a long, extremely tiring day. He’d been looking forward to going home, having something to eat, putting his feet up, watching bad telly, and maybe getting an early night, with or without Jack, although he knew what his preference would be, because who wouldn’t want Jack in their bed, given the opportunity? So much for that idea.
Instead, he was out here, plodding through puddles, tired, hungry, and wondering why Jack had dragged him along when really this was a one-man job. Grumpily, he stomped his feet as he walked, water splashing around him, then started to kick his way through the puddles, the way he used to as a kid, and when exactly had he grown up so much that he’d forgotten the simple fun of jumping in puddles? He was only twenty-five, that was too young to be so serious about everything, and if he had to be out here, he might as well make the best of things. It wasn’t like anyone would see him; only an idiot would be out in weather like this if they didn’t absolutely have to be. Which probably meant HE was an idiot, but maybe that was a fair assessment.
Jumping into the next puddle with both feet, making a very satisfying splash, he laughed. He’d been serious, grownup Ianto all day, just as he was every day, and why did he have to be a grownup all the time anyway? There was no law in existence that he knew of insisting that when you reached a certain age, you had to do everything the adult way. Jack certainly didn’t, and if a centuries old immortal could enjoy a second, third, or hundredth childhood, it certainly wouldn’t kill Ianto to embrace his inner child for a bit, even if it was only for one dreary, rainy evening. Who knew, it might even do him good.
The End
At least outside of the parks the city was less inclined to muddiness, tending to just be wet, and grey, and dismal on a rainy spring evening like this. It wasn’t any kind of April shower either; it was bucketing down, and Ianto was silently cursing the Rift for deciding this was the perfect time to dump an unknown something out in Splott, because of course it was Splott; it was never somewhere conveniently close by when the weather was this foul.
At least Ianto had an umbrella, and wellies so his leather shoes wouldn’t suffer. He’d left them safe and dry in the Hub, which was where he wished he was right now, but… On the plus side, they’d been able to drive most of the way, until they’d reached a dip in the road where water was collecting to a depth that even the SUV was likely to struggle with, at which point Jack had uncharacteristically decided not to chance it, possibly because they’d only just got Torchwood’s official vehicle back after having the rear axle replaced.
He’d told Ianto they’d have to walk the last quarter mile or so, which was decidedly NOT what Ianto had wanted to hear, but no one had asked his opinion. If it weren’t for his Wellies, Ianto would have refused point blank to even step out of the car, but as it was, he didn’t have the handy excuse of not being properly attired for the weather conditions, so here he was, plodding disconsolately through the pouring rain, his brolly providing what shelter it could, and considering a variety of dire punishments to inflict on Jack in revenge.
It wasn’t so much that the rain bothered him, aside from it being cold and very wet, but he’d been up since five, and it had been a long, extremely tiring day. He’d been looking forward to going home, having something to eat, putting his feet up, watching bad telly, and maybe getting an early night, with or without Jack, although he knew what his preference would be, because who wouldn’t want Jack in their bed, given the opportunity? So much for that idea.
Instead, he was out here, plodding through puddles, tired, hungry, and wondering why Jack had dragged him along when really this was a one-man job. Grumpily, he stomped his feet as he walked, water splashing around him, then started to kick his way through the puddles, the way he used to as a kid, and when exactly had he grown up so much that he’d forgotten the simple fun of jumping in puddles? He was only twenty-five, that was too young to be so serious about everything, and if he had to be out here, he might as well make the best of things. It wasn’t like anyone would see him; only an idiot would be out in weather like this if they didn’t absolutely have to be. Which probably meant HE was an idiot, but maybe that was a fair assessment.
Jumping into the next puddle with both feet, making a very satisfying splash, he laughed. He’d been serious, grownup Ianto all day, just as he was every day, and why did he have to be a grownup all the time anyway? There was no law in existence that he knew of insisting that when you reached a certain age, you had to do everything the adult way. Jack certainly didn’t, and if a centuries old immortal could enjoy a second, third, or hundredth childhood, it certainly wouldn’t kill Ianto to embrace his inner child for a bit, even if it was only for one dreary, rainy evening. Who knew, it might even do him good.
The End
