Ficlet: An Ordinary Life
Title: An Ordinary Life
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, Ianto, OCs.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack is envious of Gwen’s ordinary life, but maybe he and Ianto could have their own version…
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 512 - Ordinary (Or Not) at slashthedrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
“I look at Gwen and I get envious,” Jack admitted, flopping down beside Ianto on the battered old sofa beneath the Torchwood sign. “She gets to have everything I don’t, an ordinary life. I want what she has; a finite number of years to live, a home, a husband, a chance at raising a family with him, and growing old together, looking back in their twilight years at all the things they’ve done while they sit in matching rocking chairs, holding hands… You know the worst part? Most of the time I don’t think she even appreciates what she’s got, how lucky she is.” He subsided with a sigh. “I’d trade places with her in a heartbeat.”
“Got a secret crush on Rhys, have you?” Ianto teased.
Jack threw his lover a glare. “Funny.”
“I thought so.” Ianto fell silent for a moment, sipping his coffee. “Maybe you can’t have all of it, I suppose the growing old with someone bit is out due to an inconvenient shortage of immortals, but you could at least have the home, if you wanted. I mean, you don’t have to live in the bunker under your office; you have an alternative.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
Ianto shrugged. “I know there’re nights you have to stay here, when the Rift’s acting up, but you already spend a couple of nights a week at my place. Moving in wouldn’t change things much…” He trailed off. “What d’you think?”
“I think I’d like that a lot.” Jack smirked suddenly, needing to alleviate the air of seriousness that had settled over them. “Can we have matching rocking chairs when you start getting older?”
An elbow dug into Jack’s side. “Don’t push your luck!”
OoOoOoO
Many years later, Jack sat beside Ianto on the swing seat on their back porch, looking out across their garden.
“This is better than matching rocking chairs,” he said, wrapping one arm around Ianto, sipping from the coffee mug in his other hand.
“I have to agree; much cosier. What about the rest of your ‘ordinary life’ fantasy?”
“Hm,” Jack hummed thoughtfully, looking around himself. “I have the home, the husband, the family… Tessa, don’t bite your brother, he doesn’t like it!” He frowned. “Where was I?”
“Family.”
“Right. Been there, done that, got the kids, the grandkids…”
“And the great grandkids, even a great great on the way.”
“When is Evie due? I’ve lost track.”
“Officially six weeks, but she’ll be early, just like her mother and grandmother, you’ll see.”
“Sure of that, are you?”
“Have I ever been wrong?”
“Not that I can remember.” Jack pressed a kiss to Ianto’s cheek. You still know everything.”
“Like the best wines, I get better with age.”
“No argument from me. I don’t envy Gwen anymore.”
“Glad to hear it. Happy Anniversary, Cariad.”
“Happy Anniversary.”
A hundred years of marriage: Their life was far from ordinary, but in Jack’s opinion, ordinary was overrated. What they had was so much better.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, Ianto, OCs.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Jack is envious of Gwen’s ordinary life, but maybe he and Ianto could have their own version…
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 512 - Ordinary (Or Not) at slashthedrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
“I look at Gwen and I get envious,” Jack admitted, flopping down beside Ianto on the battered old sofa beneath the Torchwood sign. “She gets to have everything I don’t, an ordinary life. I want what she has; a finite number of years to live, a home, a husband, a chance at raising a family with him, and growing old together, looking back in their twilight years at all the things they’ve done while they sit in matching rocking chairs, holding hands… You know the worst part? Most of the time I don’t think she even appreciates what she’s got, how lucky she is.” He subsided with a sigh. “I’d trade places with her in a heartbeat.”
“Got a secret crush on Rhys, have you?” Ianto teased.
Jack threw his lover a glare. “Funny.”
“I thought so.” Ianto fell silent for a moment, sipping his coffee. “Maybe you can’t have all of it, I suppose the growing old with someone bit is out due to an inconvenient shortage of immortals, but you could at least have the home, if you wanted. I mean, you don’t have to live in the bunker under your office; you have an alternative.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
Ianto shrugged. “I know there’re nights you have to stay here, when the Rift’s acting up, but you already spend a couple of nights a week at my place. Moving in wouldn’t change things much…” He trailed off. “What d’you think?”
“I think I’d like that a lot.” Jack smirked suddenly, needing to alleviate the air of seriousness that had settled over them. “Can we have matching rocking chairs when you start getting older?”
An elbow dug into Jack’s side. “Don’t push your luck!”
OoOoOoO
Many years later, Jack sat beside Ianto on the swing seat on their back porch, looking out across their garden.
“This is better than matching rocking chairs,” he said, wrapping one arm around Ianto, sipping from the coffee mug in his other hand.
“I have to agree; much cosier. What about the rest of your ‘ordinary life’ fantasy?”
“Hm,” Jack hummed thoughtfully, looking around himself. “I have the home, the husband, the family… Tessa, don’t bite your brother, he doesn’t like it!” He frowned. “Where was I?”
“Family.”
“Right. Been there, done that, got the kids, the grandkids…”
“And the great grandkids, even a great great on the way.”
“When is Evie due? I’ve lost track.”
“Officially six weeks, but she’ll be early, just like her mother and grandmother, you’ll see.”
“Sure of that, are you?”
“Have I ever been wrong?”
“Not that I can remember.” Jack pressed a kiss to Ianto’s cheek. You still know everything.”
“Like the best wines, I get better with age.”
“No argument from me. I don’t envy Gwen anymore.”
“Glad to hear it. Happy Anniversary, Cariad.”
“Happy Anniversary.”
A hundred years of marriage: Their life was far from ordinary, but in Jack’s opinion, ordinary was overrated. What they had was so much better.
The End