m_findlow

Title: Plus one makes two
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Ianto
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 8 - Bash at anythingdrabble
Summary: Jack needs a date for a very special occasion.

'That looks like a very smart invitation,' Ianto commented as he brought coffee into Jack's office, spotting the gold and white envelope. 'Wedding?'

'Even better,' Jack replied. 'It's an invitation to a birthday party.'

'Might I ask whose?' He didn't like to pry, but Jack seemed to have very few friends, and even less that might organise an event with such opulent stationery.

'Our good monarch and Queen of England.'

'Ah, of course,' Ianto said. 'The big one-zero-zero. I wonder if she writes herself a letter?'

'Yup. Should be quite a bash. If anyone knows how to put on a cracking shindig, you can count on the Royals.'

Ianto could just imagine. He still remembered all the fuss when Diana and Charles had gotten married. His mum had taped it, and years later he was parked on the couch next to her whilst they ate egg and lettuce sandwiches, chocolate chip biscuits and mugs of tea, watching the whole thing as if it were happening live instead of years past.

'There won't be another event like that for a generation,' his mum had said, dabbing her eye with a handkerchief as the royal carriage carted the happy couple down the streets full of well-wishers. He remembered her crying again, watching footage of the funeral procession just a few years later.

'There's just one problem,' Jack said, interrupting his thoughts.

'What's that?'

'The invitation says Jack Harkness, plus one. Currently I'm one short of a plus one.'

'Oh. Well, I suppose either Gwen or Tosh would be delighted to go.'

'I suppose they would be,' Jack agreed. 'Only I was thinking of someone else. Fancy pulling out the old tuxedo?'

'Me?'

'Why not'

'Well... I suppose... I mean, it's just in a purely professional capacity, right? Two work colleagues. No one will have an issue with that, will they?'

'It's fine. Liz already knows about us. Bit of an oversight not having your name on the invite. S'pose some admin person wasn't to know.'

'The Queen...' Ianto began, 'knows about us? As in us, the couple, us?'

Jack shrugged. 'Of course. She's nosy when you get her on the phone.'

'But... my sister doesn't even know about us! What did you do? Stick it on Facebook? In a relationship?' he said, making quotation fingers.

'Don't be silly,' Jack replied. 'I don't even have a Facebook page.'

Neither did Ianto, but if he did, it was more likely to say "It's complicated".

'I... I don't know what to say.'

'So , say yes, and then I won't have Liz bashing my ear every time I see her, wanting to know when she's going to meet you. "I'm not going to live forever," she keeps telling me.' He scoffed. 'Liar.'

'So, if I said yes, we'd be going as a couple?'

'If you're okay with that. Just a word of warning, though.'

'What's that?'

'Don't ever get into a challenge with Prince Philip. He can drink any man under the table, including me.'