m_findlow

Title: Breaking down barriers
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto/Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 481 - Wall at slashthedrabble
Summary: Renovations for Jack's bunker are well overdue.

'You ready?' Jack asked. Ianto tried to see the expression on Jack's face as he asked the question, but it was mostly hidden by the face mask and goggles he was wearing.

Ianto was similarly attired, complete with matching white coveralls that protected them from neck to toe. It was probably overkill, but there was no sense in taking chances. Who knew what was in that nineteenth century brickwork. It was well before the days of asbestos, but it didn't pay to be too careful. All around them Ianto could hear the subtle crackling of plastic sheeting as they moved. The whole room was decked out in plastic film, preventing its contents from what they were about to do.

Jack picked up a large and rather vicious looking mallet. Ianto didn't remember seeing ones that sinister in the hardware store. His own was much more run of the mill. Ianto could see the sparkle of excitement those blue eyes, even behind the goggles.

He leaned on his own, staring intently at Jack. 'You did double check we're not about to damage anything critical, didn't you? I don't want to find out we accidentally knock out a support column and have the whole hub come crashing down on us.'

'Double and triple checked,' Jack replied. 'Grabbed every known copy of blueprints for this place. There's nothing behind that wall except for empty space.'

Good. Hopefully it was still empty, and not harboring dead bodies, aliens, or some weird poisonous gases. Around here, even when you were sure, there was always the need to expect the unexpected.

Ianto slowly picked up the mallet and stared cautiously towards the wall.

'It's fine,' Jack assured him. 'Besides, this was your idea. Don't tell me you're having seconds thoughts.'

Yes, it had been his idea. Jack's bunker was the tiniest little place he'd ever had the pleasure to occupy. How they'd lived down here this long and not killed one another was anyone's guess. But, if he got tumbled out of bed and onto the floor one more time, he was going to make sleeping on the sofa a permanent fixture. For Jack. Just the thought of having enough room down here to put a proper sized bed for the pair of them was all the incentive he really needed. With that wall gone, it would be more than double its original size. Still small, but at least liveable.

'I'm ready,' he said, lifting the mallet.

'Okay, here goes nothing!' Jack cried, swinging hard at the brickwork, finding the mortar much weaker than expected. With one good whack, he'd knocked out a section of bricks nearly a yard wide. He squealed and laughed with delight, through the cloud of dust that kicked up spectacularly.

'Your turn, Ianto! Take a swing at that baby and picture the king size bed going in there!'

Ianto grinned behind his mask. The mess was going to be so worth it as he took a heavy-handed swing at the wall.