Fandomweekly Challenge 239 - Arm in arm
Jan. 3rd, 2025 12:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
m_findlowTitle: Arm in arm
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Coat
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes:
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Coat
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes:
Author notes: Written for Challenge 239 - Autumn nights at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly
fandomweeklySummary: There are certain things to look forward to as the days get colder.
‘You'll be needing your coat this evening,’ Jack idly mentions as he waits for Ianto to finish dressing. It's been a long day but there's still time for a nice hot shower and some fresh clothes before they head out onto the streets again.
‘Probably,’ Ianto agrees, tugging his vest and smoothing down the front, silk tie tucked neatly inside it, checking both are perfect in the reflection of the floor length mirror. ‘It's been mild so far this autumn, wouldn't you say?’
Jack nodded. ‘Definitely not what we've come to expect from Cardiff in October,’ he commented. ‘But I promise you it's nothing to do with the rift.’
Ianto slipped his arms into his suit jacket. ‘Suppose we should count ourselves lucky then on both counts. I always hate it when the rift meddles with our weather.’
He reached across the bed and picked up Jack's greatcoat, dutifully holding it out so that Jack could slide into it, letting Ianto make sure the collar was just so. Anyone else might have considered it henpecking, but Jack had come to include it on the list of endearments. Ianto lavished almost as much love and attention to Jack's coat as he did the man wearing it. Jack's body gave off a brief tingling of delight as the coat settled into place on his shoulders, right where it belonged.
Coat also tingled momentarily, having been listening to their relaxed conversation. First cold day of autumn! First cold day of autumn! It shuddered with excitement at the prospect. Whilst Jack rarely went a day without Coat by his side, sharing their adventures, today would be the first day in a long time since Ianto had brought his own coat out of the wardrobe. Not long now! Coat fizzled with anticipation. It had been a few seasons now, but Coat had become besotted with Ianto's own coat in much the same way that Jack was besotted with his lover. The difference was that Jack didn't put Ianto in a cupboard for five months of the year. That separation was hard to handle, but it would be worth the wait.
Coat watched as Ianto reached into the wardrobe, plucking out the knee length overcoat, and dusting off the shoulders. The deep charcoal was just as Coat remembered it and its heart fluttered to see it again. Ianto put it on with practised ease, doing up the double row of buttons. Gosh but the pair of them looked smart standing there.
‘Shall we?’ Jack asked, holding out an arm.
‘Let's,’ came the reply as Ianto looped an arm through Jack's.
Coat's fibres were literally standing on end as it embraced its long lost lover. “I've missed you,” it said, unbeknownst to either of the two men. Ianto's coat didn't reply, but nor did Coat expect it to. It hadn't travelled the length and breadth of space and time like Coat had. It didn't have a sentience of its own, and yet Coat didn't love it any less. It adored Ianto and had spent many years arm in arm with the man, or wrapped around his body, keeping the pair of them warm, but now they were two sets of lovers reunited once more. Coat quietly prayed that winter would be long and hard, delaying any need for its soul mate to be put away anytime soon. It looked forward to long nights of being hung together, wrapped up in each other. For now though, just having its sleeve wrapped around Ianto's coat arm was enough.
In the twilight of dusk it was still light enough to walk the streets, though the chill in the air was noticeable. Jack had been right about needing coats this evening. Still, it didn't stop the streets from being filled with other people as well, though Coat could only remark at the strangeness of their attire. Mostly it was children, though some groups of families were also out, but they were not the sort of normal humans it saw on a daily basis. These were much more like the kinds of alien creatures it saw on almost as regular a basis. Some had strange coloured skin, or funny protrusions on their heads. Some appeared to have wings or tails and others were just plain odd. “Have you seen these before?” it asked its companion, wondering, or perhaps hoping, tonight might be the night when it finally replied in kind.
‘A decent turnout this year,’ Ianto remarked, as if he had heard Coat's question.
‘Halloween,’ Jack remarked. ‘The one night even the aliens are too scared to come out.’ Ah, Coat now realised. That made sense. Humans were such funny creatures.
‘Long may it stay that way,’ Ianto said. He clutched Jack a little bit closer as they strolled, taking it all in. ‘I was surprised you didn't beg to partake.’
Jack shrugged. ‘Every second year is enough. This is nice, just watching it all unfold, spectators to the human imagination.’
A kid on a bike with a red and blue costume pulled up beside them. ‘Who're you supposed to be?’
‘Captain Jack Harkness. Royal Air Force.’ He gave the boy a grin and a salute.
The boy squinted at him. ‘Your costume is rubbish.’
Coat bristled around Jack, incensed. ‘Hey, this happens to be the genuine article,’ Jack replied. ‘Military issue, 1939. Survived World War Two. Twice.’
“Three times!” Coat reminded him, if you counted four days spent stuck in a time shift down near Limehouse during a prolonged bombing raid.
‘It's still rubbish.’ He turned to Ianto. ‘And what are you?’
‘Torchwood agent,’ came the deft reply. ‘We both are.’
The boy guffawed. ‘Are you having a laugh? You don't look anything like Torchwood.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Jack challenged.
‘Yeah,’ the boy replied. ‘I've met them.’
‘We'll try harder next year,’ Ianto promised, drawing Jack away before an argument could ensue. Coat was still fuming almost as much as Jack. ‘Leave it,’ Ianto told them both. ‘Let's just enjoy the night.’
‘You'll be needing your coat this evening,’ Jack idly mentions as he waits for Ianto to finish dressing. It's been a long day but there's still time for a nice hot shower and some fresh clothes before they head out onto the streets again.
‘Probably,’ Ianto agrees, tugging his vest and smoothing down the front, silk tie tucked neatly inside it, checking both are perfect in the reflection of the floor length mirror. ‘It's been mild so far this autumn, wouldn't you say?’
Jack nodded. ‘Definitely not what we've come to expect from Cardiff in October,’ he commented. ‘But I promise you it's nothing to do with the rift.’
Ianto slipped his arms into his suit jacket. ‘Suppose we should count ourselves lucky then on both counts. I always hate it when the rift meddles with our weather.’
He reached across the bed and picked up Jack's greatcoat, dutifully holding it out so that Jack could slide into it, letting Ianto make sure the collar was just so. Anyone else might have considered it henpecking, but Jack had come to include it on the list of endearments. Ianto lavished almost as much love and attention to Jack's coat as he did the man wearing it. Jack's body gave off a brief tingling of delight as the coat settled into place on his shoulders, right where it belonged.
Coat also tingled momentarily, having been listening to their relaxed conversation. First cold day of autumn! First cold day of autumn! It shuddered with excitement at the prospect. Whilst Jack rarely went a day without Coat by his side, sharing their adventures, today would be the first day in a long time since Ianto had brought his own coat out of the wardrobe. Not long now! Coat fizzled with anticipation. It had been a few seasons now, but Coat had become besotted with Ianto's own coat in much the same way that Jack was besotted with his lover. The difference was that Jack didn't put Ianto in a cupboard for five months of the year. That separation was hard to handle, but it would be worth the wait.
Coat watched as Ianto reached into the wardrobe, plucking out the knee length overcoat, and dusting off the shoulders. The deep charcoal was just as Coat remembered it and its heart fluttered to see it again. Ianto put it on with practised ease, doing up the double row of buttons. Gosh but the pair of them looked smart standing there.
‘Shall we?’ Jack asked, holding out an arm.
‘Let's,’ came the reply as Ianto looped an arm through Jack's.
Coat's fibres were literally standing on end as it embraced its long lost lover. “I've missed you,” it said, unbeknownst to either of the two men. Ianto's coat didn't reply, but nor did Coat expect it to. It hadn't travelled the length and breadth of space and time like Coat had. It didn't have a sentience of its own, and yet Coat didn't love it any less. It adored Ianto and had spent many years arm in arm with the man, or wrapped around his body, keeping the pair of them warm, but now they were two sets of lovers reunited once more. Coat quietly prayed that winter would be long and hard, delaying any need for its soul mate to be put away anytime soon. It looked forward to long nights of being hung together, wrapped up in each other. For now though, just having its sleeve wrapped around Ianto's coat arm was enough.
In the twilight of dusk it was still light enough to walk the streets, though the chill in the air was noticeable. Jack had been right about needing coats this evening. Still, it didn't stop the streets from being filled with other people as well, though Coat could only remark at the strangeness of their attire. Mostly it was children, though some groups of families were also out, but they were not the sort of normal humans it saw on a daily basis. These were much more like the kinds of alien creatures it saw on almost as regular a basis. Some had strange coloured skin, or funny protrusions on their heads. Some appeared to have wings or tails and others were just plain odd. “Have you seen these before?” it asked its companion, wondering, or perhaps hoping, tonight might be the night when it finally replied in kind.
‘A decent turnout this year,’ Ianto remarked, as if he had heard Coat's question.
‘Halloween,’ Jack remarked. ‘The one night even the aliens are too scared to come out.’ Ah, Coat now realised. That made sense. Humans were such funny creatures.
‘Long may it stay that way,’ Ianto said. He clutched Jack a little bit closer as they strolled, taking it all in. ‘I was surprised you didn't beg to partake.’
Jack shrugged. ‘Every second year is enough. This is nice, just watching it all unfold, spectators to the human imagination.’
A kid on a bike with a red and blue costume pulled up beside them. ‘Who're you supposed to be?’
‘Captain Jack Harkness. Royal Air Force.’ He gave the boy a grin and a salute.
The boy squinted at him. ‘Your costume is rubbish.’
Coat bristled around Jack, incensed. ‘Hey, this happens to be the genuine article,’ Jack replied. ‘Military issue, 1939. Survived World War Two. Twice.’
“Three times!” Coat reminded him, if you counted four days spent stuck in a time shift down near Limehouse during a prolonged bombing raid.
‘It's still rubbish.’ He turned to Ianto. ‘And what are you?’
‘Torchwood agent,’ came the deft reply. ‘We both are.’
The boy guffawed. ‘Are you having a laugh? You don't look anything like Torchwood.’
‘Oh yeah?’ Jack challenged.
‘Yeah,’ the boy replied. ‘I've met them.’
‘We'll try harder next year,’ Ianto promised, drawing Jack away before an argument could ensue. Coat was still fuming almost as much as Jack. ‘Leave it,’ Ianto told them both. ‘Let's just enjoy the night.’
