Fanfic: Torchwood: Laughter is the best medicine

[m_findlow]

Title: Laughter is the best medicine
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 522 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for m_findlow’s prompt "any, any, laughter is the best cure" at fic_promptly. Written as a sequel to the chickenpox trilogy at TW100, for the prompt "Spotted". Blaming badly_knitted for this one, it was only meant to be a drabble because I didn't have time to write more, argh! ;)
Summary: Jack discovers a cure for chickenpox

A spotted Jack could not accompany the team on their latest outing, still confined to bed with the chickenpox.

Ianto had left Colin to keep Jack company, for what it was worth. In all likelihood, they probably wouldn't last more than five minutes together.

Jack had partly gotten over his fear of spidermice, but their relationship was still on rocky ground. It often didn't help that Colin was regularly underfoot, or somewhere that Jack least expected him to be, still causing him to be startled by the sudden appearance of a furry black creature with eight legs, whiskers and a tail.

When the team returned, Ianto headed down to check on Jack. He expected Colin to be out in the hall amusing himself, or else sulking somewhere, having been quickly dismissed by Jack. He'd tried to hard to get Jack to like him. The rest of the team though Colin was beyond cute, and were often caught out feeding him things they shouldn't, or paying him special attention when they should have been busy at work. Everyone that is, except Jack. Jack's idea of special attention usually involved a box, cage, or similar contraption that would keep Colin out of his way. Luckily, Colin took it all in his stride, and was determined to win him over. But Ianto supposed that a hundred years of irrational fear was going to take some time to get over.

What he didn't expect was to hear Jack laughing uproariously. It was so loud that it floated all the way down the hallway to Ianto's ears. He loved the sound. Jack must be feeling better, he thought, but what on earth could be causing it?

He walked in to find Colin sat in Jack's lap, both of them still laughing. Unexpected indeed.

'What's going on? Are you friends now?'

Jack wiped the tears from his eyes as he tried to compose himself enough to answer Ianto's question.

'Oh Ianto, Colin does the funniest impression of you. Watch this.'

Colin strutted across the bed, stopped, turned to face Jack and huffed, garbled something that sounded annoyed and threatening, and then stomped off.

Jack fell into another peal of laughter, and Colin squeaked amusedly along with him.

'Oh, I could watch that for hours!' Jack gasped in between laughs, tying to catch a breath.

Ianto wasn't sure whether to be pleased that they'd finally found some common ground, or annoyed that they were having a laugh at his expense.

'Does he do other impressions?'

'Nope. Just you.'

'And you've spent all afternoon watching that?'

'Mmm hmm,' Jack said, trying not to think about it, lest he set himself off again.

'I thought we were friends,' Ianto said, directing the comment at Colin.

Colin squeaked back something, and Ianto could tell he was still being mocked. Jack laughed.

'I need coffee,' he grumbled, 'And since you seem to be feeling better, I don't seem to be needed here,' he added, walking out of the room.

Jack and Colin were almost oblivious to his departure, still laughing. His exit was identical to the one they'd been amusing themselves with for several hours.

Comments

[bk_forever]

Colin is clearly quite an intelligent little creature. I'm glad he and Jack are getting along now, even though it's at Ianto's expense. He really needs to learn some other impressions, perhaps of Gwen or Jack next... He probably has Ianto down so well because of spending so much time with him.

I'm quite happy taking the blame for this, it's a hoot!