Ficlet: Clothing (Not) Optional
Title: Clothing (Not) Optional
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto is insisting Jack get dressed while Jack would prefer not to.
Word Count: 477
Written For: m_findlow’s prompt ‘Torchwood, Jack, “If I had my way, I'd never wear anything”,’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
“Come on, Jack, stop messing about! Hurry up and get your clothes on! We’re going to be late if you don’t get moving!” Ianto was already dressed, and busy making the bed, but having showered and shaved, Jack was still wandering around the bedroom naked.
“Do I have to? Clothes just get in the way and restrict movement. If I had my way, I'd never wear anything.”
Ianto just raised an eyebrow. “Not even your coat and boots? You’d get awfully cold. This is Cardiff, not the tropics remember? I can just picture you striding down the street in six inches of snow, barefoot and blue with cold. I know blue is your colour, but Hypothermia isn’t a particularly attractive shade. Then there’s the risk of sunburn on the occasional hot day, not to mention sharp stones, and all the unpleasant substances you could step in with your bare feet, and that’s not even taking into consideration that embracing public nudity is liable to get you arrested. There are laws against indecent exposure.”
“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point!” Jack grumbled. “I’ll put clothes on if you insist.” Jack started digging through the wardrobe, pulling out shirt and trousers and tossing them on the bed before going to get a t-shirt and underwear out of the dresser drawers.
“Wise decision. The rest of the team and the general public thank you.”
“What about you? Do you thank me too?”
“I appreciate you not risking getting us both arrested.”
“That’s it?”
Ianto looked Jack up and down with open appreciation. “I never said I object to you being naked, at least not in principle and in the privacy of our own home, but I do find you less distracting when you’re dressed. What you wear or don’t wear in private is entirely up to you.”
Jack paused in pulling on a sock. “So if we were staying home, you wouldn’t mind if I didn’t bother with clothes?”
“Provided we weren’t expecting visitors, and that you didn’t stand around in front of the windows, answer the door, or go out in the garden in your birthday suit.”
“I’d still have to get dressed to go outside?”
“Of course. Can’t have you flashing your bits at the neighbours; someone might see you and complain.”
“Even if it was a really, really hot day?”
“In that unlikely event, minimal clothing requirements for the garden in hot weather would be either shorts or swimming trunks, and plenty of sunscreen.”
“How come you never told me any of this before?” Jack asked, buttoning his shirt.
Glancing back over his shoulder as he left the bedroom, Ianto grinned. “You never asked.” He disappeared, heading downstairs to make coffee.
“Huh,” Jack muttered to himself as he fastened his braces. “And all this time… Well, just wait until the next time we have a day off!”
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto is insisting Jack get dressed while Jack would prefer not to.
Word Count: 477
Written For: m_findlow’s prompt ‘Torchwood, Jack, “If I had my way, I'd never wear anything”,’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
“Come on, Jack, stop messing about! Hurry up and get your clothes on! We’re going to be late if you don’t get moving!” Ianto was already dressed, and busy making the bed, but having showered and shaved, Jack was still wandering around the bedroom naked.
“Do I have to? Clothes just get in the way and restrict movement. If I had my way, I'd never wear anything.”
Ianto just raised an eyebrow. “Not even your coat and boots? You’d get awfully cold. This is Cardiff, not the tropics remember? I can just picture you striding down the street in six inches of snow, barefoot and blue with cold. I know blue is your colour, but Hypothermia isn’t a particularly attractive shade. Then there’s the risk of sunburn on the occasional hot day, not to mention sharp stones, and all the unpleasant substances you could step in with your bare feet, and that’s not even taking into consideration that embracing public nudity is liable to get you arrested. There are laws against indecent exposure.”
“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point!” Jack grumbled. “I’ll put clothes on if you insist.” Jack started digging through the wardrobe, pulling out shirt and trousers and tossing them on the bed before going to get a t-shirt and underwear out of the dresser drawers.
“Wise decision. The rest of the team and the general public thank you.”
“What about you? Do you thank me too?”
“I appreciate you not risking getting us both arrested.”
“That’s it?”
Ianto looked Jack up and down with open appreciation. “I never said I object to you being naked, at least not in principle and in the privacy of our own home, but I do find you less distracting when you’re dressed. What you wear or don’t wear in private is entirely up to you.”
Jack paused in pulling on a sock. “So if we were staying home, you wouldn’t mind if I didn’t bother with clothes?”
“Provided we weren’t expecting visitors, and that you didn’t stand around in front of the windows, answer the door, or go out in the garden in your birthday suit.”
“I’d still have to get dressed to go outside?”
“Of course. Can’t have you flashing your bits at the neighbours; someone might see you and complain.”
“Even if it was a really, really hot day?”
“In that unlikely event, minimal clothing requirements for the garden in hot weather would be either shorts or swimming trunks, and plenty of sunscreen.”
“How come you never told me any of this before?” Jack asked, buttoning his shirt.
Glancing back over his shoulder as he left the bedroom, Ianto grinned. “You never asked.” He disappeared, heading downstairs to make coffee.
“Huh,” Jack muttered to himself as he fastened his braces. “And all this time… Well, just wait until the next time we have a day off!”
The End