m_findlow

Title: Don't open 'til Xmas
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Ianto
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Prompt 12 - All Wrapped Up at adventchallenge

It was the clanking sound that caught Ianto's attention, emanating from Jack's office. It was late, so there didn't seem to be any particularly good reason for the noise. Getting up from his desk, he went to check what Jack was up to, trying to avoid being strangled by the strings of lights hanging all the way.

He came to lean in the doorway. 'What are you up to in here?' he asked.

'Solving a problem,' Jack replied, setting down a spanner on his desk.

'What is that?' Ianto said, spying the long metal machine that took up most of that length of the desk.

'It's a packaging machine, only I've made a few little adjustments so now it wraps presents.'

'But I like wrapping presents,' Ianto replied.

It was actually one of his favourite parts of Christmas, covering up the surprise of the gifts in beautiful wrapping, perfect hospital corner folds, and lots of elegant bows and ribbons.

Jack groaned audibly. He couldn't think of anything he hated more. And that was saying something for someone who adored Christmas as much as he did. Wrapping was just so tedious. What was the point in spending all that time on wrapping them up when you were just going to tear it all off in two seconds anyway?

'You always complain I use too much tape,' Jack argued. 'This'll fix that. No more telling me it'll take you until New Year to get them open.'

Jack gave him a look that was somewhere between stubbornly determined and pleading.

'Right, well come on, then. Show me this amazing new machine that's going to put me out of a job.' Secretly he hoped it did a rubbish job. No one wrapped presents like he did. It was an art form, not a task for some robot. It was like saying you could get a machine that could paint the Mona Lisa.

Jack grinned like an excited five year old, inserting a roll of red and gold wrapping paper somewhere inside the complex mechanics. Ianto watched on, skeptical.

'Okay, now all we need is something to wrap,' Jack said, looking around and pulling over a steamer trunk. 'I just hit this button here, and...'

The machine reached out with long arms, pulling the item forward. Paper spewed out as it turned the trunk, covering it completely, taped and bowed, looking every bit the pristine gift. But it didn't stop there, grabbing the chair and wrapping it too.

'I think you should turn it off, Jack.'

'Yeah.' He reached across, but just as he did, the device grabbed him too.

'Ianto, a little help?' He grabbed Jack's hand trying to pull him free, but only served to conjoin them as the machine covered them in shiny paper, tying them tightly with ribbon, before finally coming to a stop.

'Great. Now who's going to unwrap us?' Ianto muttered, hugged around Jack.

'Who wouldn't want to unwrap us?'

'Yes, but won't they wait until Christmas?'

'I wouldn't.'