Because
Title: Because
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Jack Harkness
Rating: 15
Words: 1257
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Characters belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for love_bingo prompt "sexuality".
Jack and Tosh looked up from their in depth conversation about Tosh’s rift calculations as the alarm blared and the cog door rolled open to reveal Owen even later than his normal slightly tardy efforts. Jack was about to make some comment about his time keeping when he noticed Owen’s appearance and stopped in his tracks.
“Owen!” Tosh exclaimed, “what happened?”
“Nothing.” The surly medic said, heading down to his sanctuary in the autopsy bay, “I could really use some coffee, Ianto,” he called.
“Owen,” Jack shouted, his voice showing he was in full command mode and not to be ignored. Owen paused and turned to face his colleagues. His lip was split, and he had one hell of a shiner on his left eye. His right hand was bruised and swollen and he was walking a bit too carefully, probably trying to hide a few bruised ribs.
“Did that weevil give you a hard time? You should have called,” Jack said.
Just as Owen had been about to leave the previous night a call had come in that was a possible weevil sighting. It was on Owen’s way home so he volunteered to check it out and Jack had let him. The captain was now feeling the guilt of letting him go unsupported.
Owen shrugged, then winced at the movement. “I’m fine.” He said, starting down the stairs.
“I want a full report on my desk by lunchtime Owen.” Jack called after him, before turning back to Toshiko.
***
Ianto climbed down the steps to the autopsy bay and Owen wondered, not for the first time, how the young Welshman could move so quietly. Everyone else clattered down the metal steps but Ianto manage to glide. “We’re taking a vote on lunch. Pizza, Chinese or Indian? Also, Jack wants that report from last night.”
“Chinese. Chicken chow mein. And I haven’t done the report. It wasn’t the weevil. When I got there it was long gone, if it had even been there.”
“So what happened then?”
“Nothing.”
Ianto raised his eyebrow.
“Just a fight.”
Ianto rolled his eyes.
“Don’t give me that look. I was defending someone’s honour.”
“Well you’d better come and tell Jack.”
“It’s none of his damn business!”
“You were late to work this morning and you are not fit for active duty today.”
“Fine,” Owen said throwing down his gloves and taking off his lab coat and following Ianto up the stairs.
Ianto diverted to the main area to tell the girls that he was calling for Chinese and to get their orders, whilst leaving Owen to carry on up to Jack’s office to give his report.
***
“You got that weevil report for me Owen?” Jack said, without looking up as the door opened.
“Yeah, about that… the weevil had long gone by the time I got there, if there had even been a weevil at all.”
“So how….?” Jack asked, indicating Owen’s bruised face.
“I was in a fight. At a bar.”
Jack’s face took on a disappointed look, but before he could open his mouth to say anything Owen spoke again. “I was leaving the club when I heard a commotion around the back. There was a young guy on the floor and four others attacking him and shouting homophobic things at him. I stepped in to pull the bastards off him.”
“You took on four men?” Jack asked, impressed.
“Well yeah, I couldn’t let them get away with it. A young girl came out of the club just after me. She was just a kid really, probably not old enough to be in the club but she was great and called the police and an ambulance then went and fetched a bouncer who helped me. Two of the men needed hospital treatment. One had a broken jaw.” Owen unconsciously rubbed his bruised hand and Jack huffed out a laugh.
“The victim also needed to go to the hospital.”
Jack’s grin faded.
“I checked him over when the police had the other men secured, and I’m sure he will be fine, but he had received quite a beating and had been kicked viciously in the kidneys. I suggested to the paramedics that he should have a scan to check for internal bleeding, just to be on the safe side. He’s lucky we pulled the other men off him when we did. They are lucky too. If we hadn’t got there in time they could be looking at charges of GBH or even murder, instead of just the assault charges they are currently facing.” Owen turned and walked to the door before Jack could ask him any more questions. He paused with his hand on the handle, “I hope they get put away for a long time. Scum like that don’t deserve to walk the earth!” he spat. Owen flung the door open and left the office, passing Ianto on the stairs.
Ianto closed the door behind him as he entered the office. He perched on the edge of the desk with a thoughtful look on his face, “how do you cope with living in this time?”
“Huh?” said Jack.
“You’re from a time where it sounds like everyone is a lot more tolerant. There are no labels and people are free to be who they are. How can you put up with our attitudes in this time?”
“You heard Owen then?” Jack asked, pushing his chair back and tugging at Ianto, inviting him to sit on his knee. Jack wrapped his arms around the Welshman. “That’s the reason. Because there are people like that lad who are brave enough to come out about their sexuality, despite the bad reception that news might get.”
“But doesn’t it bug you?” Ianto asked, “Living in a time where phrases like ‘he was brave to come out’ are a normal thing to say. In your time coming out isn’t a brave thing to do, in fact it isn’t even an issue at all. It is just an accepted fact that some people prefer the same sex while others prefer the opposite.”
Jack got a faraway look in his eyes as Ianto’s words brought back memories of home.
He snapped out of it.
“But that’s just it. That’s why I like this time. The twenty first century is when everything changes. Attitudes are starting to change, people are starting to realise that people’s sexuality isn’t a choice, it just is.
I like this time because there are people like Owen who won’t put up with some people’s attitudes and who aren’t afraid to stand up and fight for people like that young lad.”
He pulled Ianto’s head down and kissed his forehead, “Because there are people like Tosh who are so sweet and clever and accepting, seeing the good in everyone.
Because there are people like Gwen who are so open and compassionate and human.”
He kissed the tip of Ianto’s nose. “And because there are people like you who always do what they believe is right and who aren’t afraid to love.”
Jack threaded his hands in Ianto’s hair, and gazed into his eyes, “And because for every bad person out there, there are a dozen more good people, and I can see that good is winning. It’s not always easy and there are set backs but I’ve seen the world progress and grow over the last century or more and things are heading in the right direction. Love always wins in the end.”
Ianto closed the distance between them and claimed his Captain’s lips.
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Ianto Jones, Owen Harper, Jack Harkness
Rating: 15
Words: 1257
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Characters belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for love_bingo prompt "sexuality".
Jack and Tosh looked up from their in depth conversation about Tosh’s rift calculations as the alarm blared and the cog door rolled open to reveal Owen even later than his normal slightly tardy efforts. Jack was about to make some comment about his time keeping when he noticed Owen’s appearance and stopped in his tracks.
“Owen!” Tosh exclaimed, “what happened?”
“Nothing.” The surly medic said, heading down to his sanctuary in the autopsy bay, “I could really use some coffee, Ianto,” he called.
“Owen,” Jack shouted, his voice showing he was in full command mode and not to be ignored. Owen paused and turned to face his colleagues. His lip was split, and he had one hell of a shiner on his left eye. His right hand was bruised and swollen and he was walking a bit too carefully, probably trying to hide a few bruised ribs.
“Did that weevil give you a hard time? You should have called,” Jack said.
Just as Owen had been about to leave the previous night a call had come in that was a possible weevil sighting. It was on Owen’s way home so he volunteered to check it out and Jack had let him. The captain was now feeling the guilt of letting him go unsupported.
Owen shrugged, then winced at the movement. “I’m fine.” He said, starting down the stairs.
“I want a full report on my desk by lunchtime Owen.” Jack called after him, before turning back to Toshiko.
***
Ianto climbed down the steps to the autopsy bay and Owen wondered, not for the first time, how the young Welshman could move so quietly. Everyone else clattered down the metal steps but Ianto manage to glide. “We’re taking a vote on lunch. Pizza, Chinese or Indian? Also, Jack wants that report from last night.”
“Chinese. Chicken chow mein. And I haven’t done the report. It wasn’t the weevil. When I got there it was long gone, if it had even been there.”
“So what happened then?”
“Nothing.”
Ianto raised his eyebrow.
“Just a fight.”
Ianto rolled his eyes.
“Don’t give me that look. I was defending someone’s honour.”
“Well you’d better come and tell Jack.”
“It’s none of his damn business!”
“You were late to work this morning and you are not fit for active duty today.”
“Fine,” Owen said throwing down his gloves and taking off his lab coat and following Ianto up the stairs.
Ianto diverted to the main area to tell the girls that he was calling for Chinese and to get their orders, whilst leaving Owen to carry on up to Jack’s office to give his report.
***
“You got that weevil report for me Owen?” Jack said, without looking up as the door opened.
“Yeah, about that… the weevil had long gone by the time I got there, if there had even been a weevil at all.”
“So how….?” Jack asked, indicating Owen’s bruised face.
“I was in a fight. At a bar.”
Jack’s face took on a disappointed look, but before he could open his mouth to say anything Owen spoke again. “I was leaving the club when I heard a commotion around the back. There was a young guy on the floor and four others attacking him and shouting homophobic things at him. I stepped in to pull the bastards off him.”
“You took on four men?” Jack asked, impressed.
“Well yeah, I couldn’t let them get away with it. A young girl came out of the club just after me. She was just a kid really, probably not old enough to be in the club but she was great and called the police and an ambulance then went and fetched a bouncer who helped me. Two of the men needed hospital treatment. One had a broken jaw.” Owen unconsciously rubbed his bruised hand and Jack huffed out a laugh.
“The victim also needed to go to the hospital.”
Jack’s grin faded.
“I checked him over when the police had the other men secured, and I’m sure he will be fine, but he had received quite a beating and had been kicked viciously in the kidneys. I suggested to the paramedics that he should have a scan to check for internal bleeding, just to be on the safe side. He’s lucky we pulled the other men off him when we did. They are lucky too. If we hadn’t got there in time they could be looking at charges of GBH or even murder, instead of just the assault charges they are currently facing.” Owen turned and walked to the door before Jack could ask him any more questions. He paused with his hand on the handle, “I hope they get put away for a long time. Scum like that don’t deserve to walk the earth!” he spat. Owen flung the door open and left the office, passing Ianto on the stairs.
Ianto closed the door behind him as he entered the office. He perched on the edge of the desk with a thoughtful look on his face, “how do you cope with living in this time?”
“Huh?” said Jack.
“You’re from a time where it sounds like everyone is a lot more tolerant. There are no labels and people are free to be who they are. How can you put up with our attitudes in this time?”
“You heard Owen then?” Jack asked, pushing his chair back and tugging at Ianto, inviting him to sit on his knee. Jack wrapped his arms around the Welshman. “That’s the reason. Because there are people like that lad who are brave enough to come out about their sexuality, despite the bad reception that news might get.”
“But doesn’t it bug you?” Ianto asked, “Living in a time where phrases like ‘he was brave to come out’ are a normal thing to say. In your time coming out isn’t a brave thing to do, in fact it isn’t even an issue at all. It is just an accepted fact that some people prefer the same sex while others prefer the opposite.”
Jack got a faraway look in his eyes as Ianto’s words brought back memories of home.
He snapped out of it.
“But that’s just it. That’s why I like this time. The twenty first century is when everything changes. Attitudes are starting to change, people are starting to realise that people’s sexuality isn’t a choice, it just is.
I like this time because there are people like Owen who won’t put up with some people’s attitudes and who aren’t afraid to stand up and fight for people like that young lad.”
He pulled Ianto’s head down and kissed his forehead, “Because there are people like Tosh who are so sweet and clever and accepting, seeing the good in everyone.
Because there are people like Gwen who are so open and compassionate and human.”
He kissed the tip of Ianto’s nose. “And because there are people like you who always do what they believe is right and who aren’t afraid to love.”
Jack threaded his hands in Ianto’s hair, and gazed into his eyes, “And because for every bad person out there, there are a dozen more good people, and I can see that good is winning. It’s not always easy and there are set backs but I’ve seen the world progress and grow over the last century or more and things are heading in the right direction. Love always wins in the end.”
Ianto closed the distance between them and claimed his Captain’s lips.