Ficlet: Not His Job - Follows ‘Torchwood’s Dragon’
Title: Not His Job - Follows ‘ Torchwood’s Dragon’
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Herman.
Rating: G
Word Count: 710
Summary: Now that there’s a dragon in the Hub, Ianto should have expected he’d be the one having to take care of it.
Spoilers: Nada.
Written For: classics_lover’s comment_fic prompt ‘Any, any, unexpected pet dragon.’
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.
Herman had been residing in the Hub for over a week now, and while Ianto had admittedly grown rather fond of the dragon, enjoying the undemanding company as he went about his daily tasks, he couldn’t help but feel he was being taken advantage of. Jack was the one who’d found Herman and adopted him, but so far he wasn’t doing much of anything to provide for his new pet.
“No offence to you, Herman, I’m perfectly happy to have you hang out with me, I like having someone to talk to, but I’ve had enough of Jack shirking his responsibilities. You’re supposed to be his dragon. I already have more than enough work of my own without doing his as well. Come on, it’s time we had a few choice words with him.”
“Rowr,” Herman agreed genially, following a resolute Ianto up to Jack’s office.
Jack looked up from his paperwork as Ianto entered, Herman trailing companionably along behind him.
“Ianto! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Did you bring coffee?” He looked hopefully for the tray bearing his familiar blue and white mug, disappointed not to see it.
“Not this time.” Instead of walking around to perch on the corner of Jack’s desk, Ianto stopped in front of it, frowning. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”
“Me?” Jack had the innocent look down pat.
“Yes. You.”
Jack wilted under Ianto’s stern disapproval. “Oh. What did I do now?”
“Nothing that I’m aware of; it’s what you haven’t done that’s the problem.” Ianto continued to glare at his lover, hands on his hips. “You can’t just take in a pet and then leave it for someone else to take care of! Herman’s your dragon, you’re the one who found him and insisted we keep him, so how come I’m the one who has to feed him and clean up after him?”
For a long moment Jack simply stared up at Ianto, turned to look at Herman, sitting quietly near the door, then back to Torchwood’s GSO again.
Ianto raised a questioning eyebrow. “Well? I’m waiting. Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”
“But you’re Welsh, and I’m not!” Jack finally protested. “Don’t the Welsh have an affinity for dragons? You’ve even got one on your flag!”
Ianto rolled his eyes. “Yes, of course, because everyone in the history of Wales has been taught the fine art of dragon care from infancy; it’s an important part of the school curriculum, with exams and everything.” Sarcasm fairly dripped off him.
“There’s no need to be snippy about it!” Jack grumbled.
“How do you expect me to react? Dragons are supposed to be mythical creatures, but you brought one home and now you expect me to care for him on top of my other work!”
“I just thought you’d have a better idea of what he needs than I do.” If there were medals for pouting Jack would have taken gold every time.
“Well I don’t! I’m as much in the dark as you are!”
“Maybe so, but you seem to be doing an excellent job. I think he likes you.”
“I like him too, but that’s hardly the point!”
“And he looks really healthy.”
Ianto looked at the dragon, with his plump body and glossy orange scales.
“Rowr,” Herman agreed, stretching his wings to show how supple and unblemished they were; baby oil was doing his skin the world of good. It wasn’t doing a bad job on Ianto’s hands either; they’d never been softer.
Once again he could feel himself losing the battle.
“The least you could do is help with the feeding and cleaning, maybe oil him once in a while. I shouldn’t have to do everything.”
Jack sighed. “Well, I guess I could take him walkies more often.”
“What? You’ve been taking him out of the Hub?” Ianto stared at his lover in horror, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. Then again, it was Jack, so…
“Only after dark! He’s very well behaved, except he likes chasing cats.”
Ianto groaned, raising his eyes heavenwards in silent prayer. “He thinks it’s a good idea to take a dragon for walks! There’s just no way this is going to end well.”
The End
Sequel: ' Walkies'
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Herman.
Rating: G
Word Count: 710
Summary: Now that there’s a dragon in the Hub, Ianto should have expected he’d be the one having to take care of it.
Spoilers: Nada.
Written For: classics_lover’s comment_fic prompt ‘Any, any, unexpected pet dragon.’
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.
Herman had been residing in the Hub for over a week now, and while Ianto had admittedly grown rather fond of the dragon, enjoying the undemanding company as he went about his daily tasks, he couldn’t help but feel he was being taken advantage of. Jack was the one who’d found Herman and adopted him, but so far he wasn’t doing much of anything to provide for his new pet.
“No offence to you, Herman, I’m perfectly happy to have you hang out with me, I like having someone to talk to, but I’ve had enough of Jack shirking his responsibilities. You’re supposed to be his dragon. I already have more than enough work of my own without doing his as well. Come on, it’s time we had a few choice words with him.”
“Rowr,” Herman agreed genially, following a resolute Ianto up to Jack’s office.
Jack looked up from his paperwork as Ianto entered, Herman trailing companionably along behind him.
“Ianto! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Did you bring coffee?” He looked hopefully for the tray bearing his familiar blue and white mug, disappointed not to see it.
“Not this time.” Instead of walking around to perch on the corner of Jack’s desk, Ianto stopped in front of it, frowning. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”
“Me?” Jack had the innocent look down pat.
“Yes. You.”
Jack wilted under Ianto’s stern disapproval. “Oh. What did I do now?”
“Nothing that I’m aware of; it’s what you haven’t done that’s the problem.” Ianto continued to glare at his lover, hands on his hips. “You can’t just take in a pet and then leave it for someone else to take care of! Herman’s your dragon, you’re the one who found him and insisted we keep him, so how come I’m the one who has to feed him and clean up after him?”
For a long moment Jack simply stared up at Ianto, turned to look at Herman, sitting quietly near the door, then back to Torchwood’s GSO again.
Ianto raised a questioning eyebrow. “Well? I’m waiting. Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”
“But you’re Welsh, and I’m not!” Jack finally protested. “Don’t the Welsh have an affinity for dragons? You’ve even got one on your flag!”
Ianto rolled his eyes. “Yes, of course, because everyone in the history of Wales has been taught the fine art of dragon care from infancy; it’s an important part of the school curriculum, with exams and everything.” Sarcasm fairly dripped off him.
“There’s no need to be snippy about it!” Jack grumbled.
“How do you expect me to react? Dragons are supposed to be mythical creatures, but you brought one home and now you expect me to care for him on top of my other work!”
“I just thought you’d have a better idea of what he needs than I do.” If there were medals for pouting Jack would have taken gold every time.
“Well I don’t! I’m as much in the dark as you are!”
“Maybe so, but you seem to be doing an excellent job. I think he likes you.”
“I like him too, but that’s hardly the point!”
“And he looks really healthy.”
Ianto looked at the dragon, with his plump body and glossy orange scales.
“Rowr,” Herman agreed, stretching his wings to show how supple and unblemished they were; baby oil was doing his skin the world of good. It wasn’t doing a bad job on Ianto’s hands either; they’d never been softer.
Once again he could feel himself losing the battle.
“The least you could do is help with the feeding and cleaning, maybe oil him once in a while. I shouldn’t have to do everything.”
Jack sighed. “Well, I guess I could take him walkies more often.”
“What? You’ve been taking him out of the Hub?” Ianto stared at his lover in horror, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. Then again, it was Jack, so…
“Only after dark! He’s very well behaved, except he likes chasing cats.”
Ianto groaned, raising his eyes heavenwards in silent prayer. “He thinks it’s a good idea to take a dragon for walks! There’s just no way this is going to end well.”
The End
Sequel: ' Walkies'