Fic: Stargazing
Title: Stargazing
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: G
Word Count: 883
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: When Jack wakes up alone, he finds his husband outside, watching the stars in the moonlight.
Written For: Challenge 280: Whisper at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
The faintest whisper of silk against skin alerted Ianto to the fact that he was no longer alone in the moonlight dappled roof garden. He wouldn’t have heard it at all if the night hadn’t been so quiet. Not a breath of breeze stirred the air and for once he couldn’t even detect the ever-present hum of distant traffic.
“What’re you doing all alone out here?” Jack’s voice was uncharacteristically hushed in the stillness. “I woke up and you were gone.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” Ianto replied, his voice just as low. “The moon was too bright.”
“You could’ve just closed the curtains.” Jack was right behind him now; Ianto could feel the warmth radiating from his husband’s body.
“Why would I want to do that? It’s such a beautiful night.” Ianto’s breath hung on the air in clouds of vapour with every whispered word. “I wanted to be out in it, to really feel it. Just look at the stars! They seem so close I almost feel I could reach out and hold them in my hands, maybe borrow one for the top of our Christmas tree.”
Jack chuckled, his breath warm against Ianto’s ear. “That wouldn’t work; they’re nowhere near as small and delicate as they appear.”
Ianto huffed mild annoyance. “I know that. If you’re determined to spoil this for me you can just go back inside and leave me in peace.” His voice still hadn’t risen above a whisper.
“Sorry. I’ll be quiet.”
“That would be a novelty.” Ianto glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “Why are you wearing one of the bed sheets?”
“Because someone made off with my coat.”
“Oh. Right.” Ianto glanced down at the heavy blue-grey folds of wool wrapped around his body over his pyjamas and slippers. “I thought I should wrap up. It’s cold out here.”
That was an understatement; frost was forming on every surface, like the world was coated in diamond dust, sparkling beneath an almost full moon.
“I noticed.” Jack pulled the silk sheet more closely around himself and shivered slightly. He’d been fine when he’d first stepped outside, still warm from being in their cosy bed, but he was beginning to feel distinctly chilly. Not that the cold could really harm him; even if he froze to death he’d be back to normal within a few minute. One of the benefits of being immortal.
“You’d have been better off with the duvet.”
“Mm, probably.”
“Want to share your coat?”
Jack shook his head. “I’d only make you cold too. I’m fine for the moment.”
They fell silent again, breathing in the chill night air, relishing the stillness and the sense of peace. They spent so much of their working lives, both day and night, rushing around Cardiff they rarely got the opportunity to just stop and appreciate their surroundings.
A whisper of sound from overhead drew their eyes upwards to where a large, shadowy shape blotted out the stars with her wings. Myfanwy glided past, so close they could feel the slight disturbance she caused in the still air. Reassured that all was well with her friends she tilted her wings, banking sharply, and headed out across the city towards Cardiff Bay.
“I hope no one else is out stargazing,” Ianto murmured, his eyes following the pteranodon until she was out of sight. “I’ll have to check social media in the morning for photos and reports of a giant bat flying over the city.”
“Speaking of morning, shouldn’t you try to get some sleep before then?”
“I suppose so.” But Ianto still made no move to go inside.
“Waiting for Christmas?”
That drew a soft huff of laughter. “Twpsyn. If you must know, I was hoping I might see a shooting star with the sky so clear tonight, but I think the moon’s too bright.”
“I should’ve known. Geminids isn’t it?”
“Supposed to be.”
“Well, maybe we can try again tomorrow night.”
“Might not be as clear then.”
“Don’t be such a defeatist.” Jack pressed a light kiss to the tip of Ianto’s cold nose. “Come on, let’s get back indoors before we both catch a chill. The meteor shower won’t be at it peak until the day after tomorrow. Rift permitting we can wrap up warm and spend a few hours on the roof of one of the taller buildings. Might have a better chance of seeing something from higher up.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Ianto reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled back towards the French doors and into the cosy interior of their flat, throwing one last glance at the star-speckled sky over his shoulder.
Jack didn’t say a word as he hustled his husband back to their bedroom, abandoning the sheet on the floor and tugging the heavy duvet over them both; he was too deep in thought. Not that Ianto appeared to notice; he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillows.
“Goodnight, my love,” Jack whispered, draping one arm over his husband and spooning him from behind, smiling to himself. At last he knew what he was getting Ianto for Christmas: an astronomical telescope. If anyone deserved to see a shooting star it was Ianto, and Jack would do whatever it took to make sure the man he loved got his wish.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack.
Rating: G
Word Count: 883
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: When Jack wakes up alone, he finds his husband outside, watching the stars in the moonlight.
Written For: Challenge 280: Whisper at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
The faintest whisper of silk against skin alerted Ianto to the fact that he was no longer alone in the moonlight dappled roof garden. He wouldn’t have heard it at all if the night hadn’t been so quiet. Not a breath of breeze stirred the air and for once he couldn’t even detect the ever-present hum of distant traffic.
“What’re you doing all alone out here?” Jack’s voice was uncharacteristically hushed in the stillness. “I woke up and you were gone.”
“Couldn’t sleep,” Ianto replied, his voice just as low. “The moon was too bright.”
“You could’ve just closed the curtains.” Jack was right behind him now; Ianto could feel the warmth radiating from his husband’s body.
“Why would I want to do that? It’s such a beautiful night.” Ianto’s breath hung on the air in clouds of vapour with every whispered word. “I wanted to be out in it, to really feel it. Just look at the stars! They seem so close I almost feel I could reach out and hold them in my hands, maybe borrow one for the top of our Christmas tree.”
Jack chuckled, his breath warm against Ianto’s ear. “That wouldn’t work; they’re nowhere near as small and delicate as they appear.”
Ianto huffed mild annoyance. “I know that. If you’re determined to spoil this for me you can just go back inside and leave me in peace.” His voice still hadn’t risen above a whisper.
“Sorry. I’ll be quiet.”
“That would be a novelty.” Ianto glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “Why are you wearing one of the bed sheets?”
“Because someone made off with my coat.”
“Oh. Right.” Ianto glanced down at the heavy blue-grey folds of wool wrapped around his body over his pyjamas and slippers. “I thought I should wrap up. It’s cold out here.”
That was an understatement; frost was forming on every surface, like the world was coated in diamond dust, sparkling beneath an almost full moon.
“I noticed.” Jack pulled the silk sheet more closely around himself and shivered slightly. He’d been fine when he’d first stepped outside, still warm from being in their cosy bed, but he was beginning to feel distinctly chilly. Not that the cold could really harm him; even if he froze to death he’d be back to normal within a few minute. One of the benefits of being immortal.
“You’d have been better off with the duvet.”
“Mm, probably.”
“Want to share your coat?”
Jack shook his head. “I’d only make you cold too. I’m fine for the moment.”
They fell silent again, breathing in the chill night air, relishing the stillness and the sense of peace. They spent so much of their working lives, both day and night, rushing around Cardiff they rarely got the opportunity to just stop and appreciate their surroundings.
A whisper of sound from overhead drew their eyes upwards to where a large, shadowy shape blotted out the stars with her wings. Myfanwy glided past, so close they could feel the slight disturbance she caused in the still air. Reassured that all was well with her friends she tilted her wings, banking sharply, and headed out across the city towards Cardiff Bay.
“I hope no one else is out stargazing,” Ianto murmured, his eyes following the pteranodon until she was out of sight. “I’ll have to check social media in the morning for photos and reports of a giant bat flying over the city.”
“Speaking of morning, shouldn’t you try to get some sleep before then?”
“I suppose so.” But Ianto still made no move to go inside.
“Waiting for Christmas?”
That drew a soft huff of laughter. “Twpsyn. If you must know, I was hoping I might see a shooting star with the sky so clear tonight, but I think the moon’s too bright.”
“I should’ve known. Geminids isn’t it?”
“Supposed to be.”
“Well, maybe we can try again tomorrow night.”
“Might not be as clear then.”
“Don’t be such a defeatist.” Jack pressed a light kiss to the tip of Ianto’s cold nose. “Come on, let’s get back indoors before we both catch a chill. The meteor shower won’t be at it peak until the day after tomorrow. Rift permitting we can wrap up warm and spend a few hours on the roof of one of the taller buildings. Might have a better chance of seeing something from higher up.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Ianto reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled back towards the French doors and into the cosy interior of their flat, throwing one last glance at the star-speckled sky over his shoulder.
Jack didn’t say a word as he hustled his husband back to their bedroom, abandoning the sheet on the floor and tugging the heavy duvet over them both; he was too deep in thought. Not that Ianto appeared to notice; he was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillows.
“Goodnight, my love,” Jack whispered, draping one arm over his husband and spooning him from behind, smiling to himself. At last he knew what he was getting Ianto for Christmas: an astronomical telescope. If anyone deserved to see a shooting star it was Ianto, and Jack would do whatever it took to make sure the man he loved got his wish.
The End