Torchwood: Fanfic: Getting serious

[m_findlow]

Title: Getting serious
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 759 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for badly_knitted's prompt "Torchwood, Jack/Ianto, Serious" at fic_promptly
Summary: Ianto didn't think they were that serious. The government had other ideas.

Ianto caught the frown on Jack's face as he quietly entered the office, bringing one last round of coffee for the day. 'Something wrong?' he asked, catching the way Jack's brow furrowed at the handful of papers in from of him.

'Just checking over my tax return,' he replied.

That took Ianto by surprise. He'd been doing Jack's taxes for years and not once could he recall Jack ever having bothered to check over the numbers himself. There were far too many zeroes involved, and the schedule of investment properties went on for pages.

Ianto took his seat opposite Jack's desk, setting down the two mugs. 'Is there a problem?'

'I'm not sure,' Jack said still frowning at the form, lost in the minute detail of some section he was reading.

Ianto tried to think what Jack could have issue with. He'd kept detailed records of Jack's bank accounts and shares, and he knew more about the comings and goings of his property portfolio than Jack himself. Had he made some glaring error, or was there some bank account Jack hadn't told him about, or God forbid, another house he'd bought on a whim?

'You left the spouse details section blank,' Jack finally said.

Ianto sipped his coffee and frowned. Of course he had. Just like every other year. 'I'm not sure I follow,' he said.

'Well, I was looking at the detailed instructions, and it says that you have to disclose your spouse's income details.'

'Uh huh,' Ianto said, waiting for the penny to drop. 'But you don't have a spouse.'

Jack looked up at him. 'Are you sure?'

'I think I'd know,' Ianto said, hoping that was the case. He didn't need any more earth shattering revelations about Jack's life.

'Well, it says here that a spouse is defined as "anyone associated by legal marriage, de facto relationship, including same sex, or any other person with whom you have a financial and or domestic interdependent relationship".'

'And?'

'Well,' Jack began, 'isn't that us?'

'We're spouses?' Ianto asked, not sure if he was following Jack's train of thought correctly.

'We live together, we sleep together, we spend pretty much every hour of the day together,' Jack replied.

'Only because Torchwood employs us twenty four seven.'

'Don't you think we have a, what did they call it? A financial and or domestic interdependent relationship?'

'Last I checked I wasn't financially dependent on you, unless you count authorising my paycheck, and does doing your laundry count as domestic interdependence?'

'Ianto, I think we're past you doing my laundry because I'm your boss.'

Well, yes, he supposed after the first couple of loads that was probably true. He did it because he wanted to, not because he had to.

'Didn't you put anything down on your tax return?' Jack asked.

No, he hadn't. He hadn't even bothered with the instructions for that section, setting it aside as not applicable. He'd never thought he and Jack were that serious. Yes, they lived in each other's pockets, but didn't expect Jack to pay for him in exchange for ironing his shirts. If they didn't have Torchwood holding them together, would they still be able to make it work? He wasn't sure he knew the answer to that.

Ianto's lack of response was answer enough for Jack. 'Well, I'm putting you down,' he said. 'I don't think there's any question that's what we are.'

'According to Revenue and Customs definition,' Ianto clarified.

According to any definition, Jack thought though he didn't say it out loud. He didn't know why it hadn't dawned on him sooner. He supposed it didn't matter what label you stuck on it. He'd had quite enough of labels over the years, but it still felt good taking a pen to the forms and putting Ianto's name on them. 'I'm gonna need a copy of your tax return to fill in the details,' he said.

'I can do it if you like,' Ianto offered.

'That's okay. I'll make sure I do it neatly.'

Ianto frowned. 'Now I'll have to have to amend my tax return to include yours, otherwise Revenue and Customs will be on my back asking me why I didn't report your income.'

'Could be worse things,' Jack replied. He thought it was actually quite a nice thing to be able to say Ianto was his spouse.

'Mind you,' Ianto warned him, 'if I lose my affordable housing rebate because you earn a squillion pounds, I might end up financially dependent on you after all.'

Jack laughed. 'Don't worry. I'd take good care of you.'

Comments

[bk_forever]

Well, Ianto, that's what you get for becoming involved with a squillionaire. I'm sure there are a lot of benefits to make up for missing out on your affordable housing rebate.

Cute!

[m-findlow.livejournal.com]

Jack will take very good care of him and at least Jack will always know Ianto didn't latch onto him for the money! ;)