m_findlow

Title: Stuck by love
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Gwen, Ianto/Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 475 - Cupid's arrow at slashthedrabble
Summary: Ianto is having a hard time defining his relationship status.

'Doing anything for Valentine's Day?' Gwen asked, cupping the steaming hot mug of coffee. She was grateful for the thermos Ianto had packed, since their search for whatever had dropped through the rift had been thus far unsuccessful. A wreckers yard was the worst possible place to try and find something inanimate. They were going to be here all day at this rate, so now was as good a time as any to stop for a bit of lunch.

Ianto coughed awkwardly. 'Erm, we're not that kind of couple.'

'Oh,' she replied just as awkwardly. 'Sorry, I just assumed that, well, after Jack came back, that you...'

'No,' he quickly replied, downing his coffee and reaching for a towelette to wipe out the residue, setting the mug back on top.

'Sorry,' Gwen apologised. 'Forget I asked.'

'S'fine. Let's keep going, yeah?'

'Yeah.'

They traipsed around the yard for a while longer, trying to pick up signs of residual radiation, but the sheer amount of metal was interfering with their readings. There were plenty of leaking car batteries giving off false positives.

Ianto pored over bits of scrap metal, trying to pinpoint the signal on his PDA, and being rather rough-handed in his attempts. He was annoyed not by Gwen's question, but by his own response. What was it he'd said no to anyway? Yes, they'd spent time together, gone out for a few meals, some which might even be considered a date, being without interruption by the rift or weevils. That and they'd shagged more times than Ianto could count. That probably qualified them as something at least. He wished he hadn't dismissed Gwen so easily.

'Need a hand with that?' Gwen asked, seeing him trying to lift a particularly heavy section of car bonnet, taking the other side.

'Ta,' he said, feeling it come away. 'Jack,' he began, 'we...'

'Yes?' Those hazel eyes bored right into him and he knew he couldn't not say something.

'Um... So, we spend time together... a bit.'

'Uh, huh,' Gwen said, continuing her search so as not to feel like she was pressing for information.

'It's nice.'

'I'm sure it is.'

'But, we're not...' What? He wondered. 'I mean, roses? Chocolates?' He let out a little embarrassed chuckle. How ridiculous, he thought, reaching further into the pile of rubble as his PDA beeped more insistently. 'Almost there,' he said.

'Romance isn't everyone's cup of tea,' Gwen replied. 'I get that. Love comes in all forms.'

'It's not lo- Ow!' Ianto cried, pulling his hand back out, sporting a deep cut on his palm.

'You okay?' Gwen asked, inspecting the bleeding cut.

'Fine,' he said, pressing a handkerchief to it. 'Whatever it was, it was sharp.'

She reached in trying to be careful, finally gripping the side of something long and thin, pulling it out. 'It's an arrow,' she said, holding it up. 'That's what spiked you.'

'Huh,' Ianto said.

'Maybe it's a sign,' she teased. 'Cupid's arrow?'

Ianto scoffed. 'I don't think so.'