Ficlet: Making Do
Title: Making Do
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto is starving but there’s hardly any food left in the house.
Word Count: 500
Written For: My own prompt ‘Any, Any, A tired looking lettuce,’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
Arriving home for the first time in almost a week, and knowing the cupboards were pretty much bare because he hadn’t stocked up since playing host to a hungry alien couple earlier in the month, Ianto went straight to the fridge in search of something quick and easy to eat. There wasn’t much of a choice; one wrinkled tomato, a small lump of cheese that had patches of blue and green mould on it, a yoghurt that was about to expire, and a very tired looking head of lettuce.
Starving hungry because he hadn’t eaten since breakfast at the Hub, about sixteen hours ago, he got the lot out, found the end of a loaf of stale bread in the breadbin, and after slicing the mouldy bits off the cheese, managed to cobble together a tiny grilled cheese sandwich and something that would pass as a side salad if you didn’t mind a lot of wilted lettuce. The yoghurt would do as dessert. If he was lucky and the Rift stayed quiet for a few hours, maybe he’d have a chance to nip to the supermarket in the morning and stock up on groceries. At least he wouldn’t have to go to bed without any supper.
The cheese smelled a bit like sweaty socks but tasted fine; the limp lettuce was heavy going though, it kept sticking to his teeth and the roof of his mouth. On the bright side, Ianto seemed to recall that lettuce contained a substance that aided relaxation; if that was true then it should help him get a good night’s sleep. It was probably worthwhile persevering with it even if it wasn’t a very substantial meal and he was still hungry when he’d finished eating. At least the yoghurt was nice.
Rinsing his dishes, Ianto made himself a cup of tea before realising the milk had gone off. Oh well, wouldn’t be the first time he’d drunk it black. He was just sitting down in front of the TV to drink his tea and watch the news when his front door opened and Jack came in.
“I knew you’d be hungry so I bought dinner to save you having to cook.” He held up a pizza box. “I know it’s only pizza, but…”
Dumping his cup of tea on the coffee table, Ianto jumped to his feet, weariness all but forgotten. “Gimme!” He grabbed for the box, flipped it open, and helped himself to a hot slice as Jack sat down beside him.
“I wasn’t sure if you would’ve already eaten.”
“Cupboards are bare,” Ianto told him, taking a big bite, determined that Jack should never know about the pathetic little snack he’d scraped together. “This is perfect. You’re a lifesaver.”
Jack smiled as he took a slice of pizza and shoved half of it in his mouth. He would never tell Ianto he’d seen him earlier through the kitchen window trying to make a meal of stale bread, mouldy cheese and a wilted lettuce.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: G
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Ianto is starving but there’s hardly any food left in the house.
Word Count: 500
Written For: My own prompt ‘Any, Any, A tired looking lettuce,’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
Arriving home for the first time in almost a week, and knowing the cupboards were pretty much bare because he hadn’t stocked up since playing host to a hungry alien couple earlier in the month, Ianto went straight to the fridge in search of something quick and easy to eat. There wasn’t much of a choice; one wrinkled tomato, a small lump of cheese that had patches of blue and green mould on it, a yoghurt that was about to expire, and a very tired looking head of lettuce.
Starving hungry because he hadn’t eaten since breakfast at the Hub, about sixteen hours ago, he got the lot out, found the end of a loaf of stale bread in the breadbin, and after slicing the mouldy bits off the cheese, managed to cobble together a tiny grilled cheese sandwich and something that would pass as a side salad if you didn’t mind a lot of wilted lettuce. The yoghurt would do as dessert. If he was lucky and the Rift stayed quiet for a few hours, maybe he’d have a chance to nip to the supermarket in the morning and stock up on groceries. At least he wouldn’t have to go to bed without any supper.
The cheese smelled a bit like sweaty socks but tasted fine; the limp lettuce was heavy going though, it kept sticking to his teeth and the roof of his mouth. On the bright side, Ianto seemed to recall that lettuce contained a substance that aided relaxation; if that was true then it should help him get a good night’s sleep. It was probably worthwhile persevering with it even if it wasn’t a very substantial meal and he was still hungry when he’d finished eating. At least the yoghurt was nice.
Rinsing his dishes, Ianto made himself a cup of tea before realising the milk had gone off. Oh well, wouldn’t be the first time he’d drunk it black. He was just sitting down in front of the TV to drink his tea and watch the news when his front door opened and Jack came in.
“I knew you’d be hungry so I bought dinner to save you having to cook.” He held up a pizza box. “I know it’s only pizza, but…”
Dumping his cup of tea on the coffee table, Ianto jumped to his feet, weariness all but forgotten. “Gimme!” He grabbed for the box, flipped it open, and helped himself to a hot slice as Jack sat down beside him.
“I wasn’t sure if you would’ve already eaten.”
“Cupboards are bare,” Ianto told him, taking a big bite, determined that Jack should never know about the pathetic little snack he’d scraped together. “This is perfect. You’re a lifesaver.”
Jack smiled as he took a slice of pizza and shoved half of it in his mouth. He would never tell Ianto he’d seen him earlier through the kitchen window trying to make a meal of stale bread, mouldy cheese and a wilted lettuce.
The End