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m_findlowTitle: Nothing for free
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: M (minor bad language)
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes:
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: M (minor bad language)
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes:
Author notes: Written for Challenge 238 - Apple picking at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly
fandomweeklySummary: A quiet afternoon of avoiding paperwork turns into a minor adventure.
‘Hey Buddy!’ Jack called out. ‘You want this? You want to play some more?’ He waggled a bright orange frisbee in his hand and their black labrador naturally went ballistic at the sight of it being moved in such a tempting way, a far cry from when it was merely clutched at Jack's side, swinging gently a Buddy occasionally nipped at it on their walk home, trying to encourage Jack that playtime didn't have to be over so soon.
On this occasion however, Jack didn't need any encouragement, which was probably on account of the backlog of emails that awaited him when they got home, none of which he was enthused about having to respond to. There was only so much finger pointing and blame shifting that a person could take. These days everything was Torchwood's fault, from the increase in council taxes – purportedly by reason of rectification works needed to damaged city infrastructure, some of which was long overdue repair work rather than alien induced destruction – to Home Office security lapses on migrant boats out in the Bristol Channel. Honestly, what were they supposed to do with a giant alien squid that thought it was doing the right thing making sure the boats made it safely to shore? An afternoon at the park with their dog was the antidote to all life's administrative woes.
‘Haven't you had enough yet?’ Ianto asked, listening to the rustle of autumn leaves crunching underfoot as they walked. As enjoyable as it had been, he was keen to clear his own in-tray and enjoy a hot mug of coffee to warm up some chilled fingers. Should've brought gloves, he thought, having figured autumn's cold bite had yet to eventuate and been proven wrong.
‘Just a few more tosses,’ Jack implored. ‘I want this pooch tuckered out so he'll nap later.’
‘You mean so that you can nap later,’ Ianto teased.
‘After I'm all caught up, I promise.’ Jack bent his knees and prepared to fling the bright disc. ‘Go long, Buddy,’ he said, launching it high and long, watching a black streak of fur go bounding after it.
They followed the flight path and then Ianto cringed as he saw it skip the wall of the houses that backed onto the park and wedge itself high in a large apple tree. Brilliant. Buddy stopped by the brick wall fence and sat, looking up at it and wagging his tail, considering how he was going to reach it, however impossible that actually was.
‘Well, you've outdone yourself this time,’ Ianto said. ‘Guess who's going to have to buy a new frisbee now?’
‘I can get it,’ Jack insisted.
‘It’s a long walk around to the other side of that street. We don’t have all day.’
‘Who said anything about walking?’ Jack replied, approaching the brick wall and looking up. ‘I’ll just climb up there and grab it.’
‘Climb?’
Jack was already taking a running jump, grabbing a fistful of climbing ivy in one hand and the top edge of the wall with the other, boots scraping as he hoisted himself up onto the wall. He looked like a naughty schoolboy up there, and probably with a tear in the knee of his trousers to go with. Once safely up on the top of the brickwork, he edged over towards the tree and reached across, climbing into its branches to retrieve the frisbee. As it was tossed down, Buddy gave a bark of delight, fetching it in his teeth and heeling at Ianto's feet, ready for another round.
Ianto waited for Jack to clamber back down and when nothing happened he called out. ‘Jack?’
There was a moment’s pause, then the muffled words ‘There’s apples up here!’ Ianto peered up and spotted Jack in between branches, snacking on one. ‘Here,’ Jack said, tossing one down, where he only just caught it in time. ‘Try it.’
‘Jack, I don't think–’ Two more came flying at him and he only just managed to catch them both, but dropping the first in the process.
‘There’s tons up here,’ Jack called down, picking a few more and dropping them down over the fence.
‘Jack, get down from there before someone sees you!’ he hissed. Buddy barked as apples came tumbling down, thinking they were like tennis balls from heaven. ‘Shh!’ Ianto tried to hush the dog before it gave them all away.
‘You could make us apple pie,’ Jack said, taking a few more bites from the one in his hand before moving to another branch that probably shouldn't be holding his weight. ‘Take off your jacket and we can bundle them all in that.’
‘Jack, get down right now! You can’t be stealing people's apples!’
‘Who’s going to miss a few apples?’ Jack’s wayward toss nearly took Ianto’s head clean off but for some fast hands.
‘Oi!’ came a new voice, angry and Welsh sounding, followed by the banging of a door.
‘Oh, shit,’ Ianto swore.
‘What’re you doin’ up there?’
‘Uh, we’re just fetching our frisbee!’ Ianto called over the fence, glad he couldn’t see the man he imagined being seven foot, built like a rugby player and very mad. He threw a panicked look up at Jack who was frozen amongst the branches.
‘You’re knicking my apples, aren’t you? You thieving little buggers! I’ll have you!’
‘Jack!’ He might have been part chimpanzee for the speed at which he extracted himself from the branches, found the top of the brick fence and leapt down off it, landing in a crouch as the sound of banging from a potting shed erupted. Ianto didn't care if it was a broom, a gun or a bayonet. He grabbed Buddy by the leash and Jack by the collar. ‘Run!’
Jack ran, but not before scooping up as many apples as he could.
‘The police will be here any minute!’ came the threatening cry.
‘Yeah, but we won't be!’ Jack yelled back.
Ianto groaned. ‘Next time I'm just buying a new one!’
‘Hey Buddy!’ Jack called out. ‘You want this? You want to play some more?’ He waggled a bright orange frisbee in his hand and their black labrador naturally went ballistic at the sight of it being moved in such a tempting way, a far cry from when it was merely clutched at Jack's side, swinging gently a Buddy occasionally nipped at it on their walk home, trying to encourage Jack that playtime didn't have to be over so soon.
On this occasion however, Jack didn't need any encouragement, which was probably on account of the backlog of emails that awaited him when they got home, none of which he was enthused about having to respond to. There was only so much finger pointing and blame shifting that a person could take. These days everything was Torchwood's fault, from the increase in council taxes – purportedly by reason of rectification works needed to damaged city infrastructure, some of which was long overdue repair work rather than alien induced destruction – to Home Office security lapses on migrant boats out in the Bristol Channel. Honestly, what were they supposed to do with a giant alien squid that thought it was doing the right thing making sure the boats made it safely to shore? An afternoon at the park with their dog was the antidote to all life's administrative woes.
‘Haven't you had enough yet?’ Ianto asked, listening to the rustle of autumn leaves crunching underfoot as they walked. As enjoyable as it had been, he was keen to clear his own in-tray and enjoy a hot mug of coffee to warm up some chilled fingers. Should've brought gloves, he thought, having figured autumn's cold bite had yet to eventuate and been proven wrong.
‘Just a few more tosses,’ Jack implored. ‘I want this pooch tuckered out so he'll nap later.’
‘You mean so that you can nap later,’ Ianto teased.
‘After I'm all caught up, I promise.’ Jack bent his knees and prepared to fling the bright disc. ‘Go long, Buddy,’ he said, launching it high and long, watching a black streak of fur go bounding after it.
They followed the flight path and then Ianto cringed as he saw it skip the wall of the houses that backed onto the park and wedge itself high in a large apple tree. Brilliant. Buddy stopped by the brick wall fence and sat, looking up at it and wagging his tail, considering how he was going to reach it, however impossible that actually was.
‘Well, you've outdone yourself this time,’ Ianto said. ‘Guess who's going to have to buy a new frisbee now?’
‘I can get it,’ Jack insisted.
‘It’s a long walk around to the other side of that street. We don’t have all day.’
‘Who said anything about walking?’ Jack replied, approaching the brick wall and looking up. ‘I’ll just climb up there and grab it.’
‘Climb?’
Jack was already taking a running jump, grabbing a fistful of climbing ivy in one hand and the top edge of the wall with the other, boots scraping as he hoisted himself up onto the wall. He looked like a naughty schoolboy up there, and probably with a tear in the knee of his trousers to go with. Once safely up on the top of the brickwork, he edged over towards the tree and reached across, climbing into its branches to retrieve the frisbee. As it was tossed down, Buddy gave a bark of delight, fetching it in his teeth and heeling at Ianto's feet, ready for another round.
Ianto waited for Jack to clamber back down and when nothing happened he called out. ‘Jack?’
There was a moment’s pause, then the muffled words ‘There’s apples up here!’ Ianto peered up and spotted Jack in between branches, snacking on one. ‘Here,’ Jack said, tossing one down, where he only just caught it in time. ‘Try it.’
‘Jack, I don't think–’ Two more came flying at him and he only just managed to catch them both, but dropping the first in the process.
‘There’s tons up here,’ Jack called down, picking a few more and dropping them down over the fence.
‘Jack, get down from there before someone sees you!’ he hissed. Buddy barked as apples came tumbling down, thinking they were like tennis balls from heaven. ‘Shh!’ Ianto tried to hush the dog before it gave them all away.
‘You could make us apple pie,’ Jack said, taking a few more bites from the one in his hand before moving to another branch that probably shouldn't be holding his weight. ‘Take off your jacket and we can bundle them all in that.’
‘Jack, get down right now! You can’t be stealing people's apples!’
‘Who’s going to miss a few apples?’ Jack’s wayward toss nearly took Ianto’s head clean off but for some fast hands.
‘Oi!’ came a new voice, angry and Welsh sounding, followed by the banging of a door.
‘Oh, shit,’ Ianto swore.
‘What’re you doin’ up there?’
‘Uh, we’re just fetching our frisbee!’ Ianto called over the fence, glad he couldn’t see the man he imagined being seven foot, built like a rugby player and very mad. He threw a panicked look up at Jack who was frozen amongst the branches.
‘You’re knicking my apples, aren’t you? You thieving little buggers! I’ll have you!’
‘Jack!’ He might have been part chimpanzee for the speed at which he extracted himself from the branches, found the top of the brick fence and leapt down off it, landing in a crouch as the sound of banging from a potting shed erupted. Ianto didn't care if it was a broom, a gun or a bayonet. He grabbed Buddy by the leash and Jack by the collar. ‘Run!’
Jack ran, but not before scooping up as many apples as he could.
‘The police will be here any minute!’ came the threatening cry.
‘Yeah, but we won't be!’ Jack yelled back.
Ianto groaned. ‘Next time I'm just buying a new one!’
