Slashthedrabble Challenge 618 - If you need to ask

[m_findlow]

Title: If you need to ask
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 618 - Answer at slashthedrabble
Summary: Jack and Ianto find themselves skirting around the obvious answer to a simple question.


Ianto dropped his keys on the sideboard with a tired sense of relief. Finally back in his own home, surrounded by his normal life, such as it was. Surely anything had to be better than that cookie cutter nightmare Serenity Plaza. Thank God the whole thing was now burning. Hadn't he just been waiting for the opportunity to raze the place to the ground?

'Home sweet home,' Jack said, bustling in behind him. 'Well, I mean, your home. Not mine, obviously.'

Ianto found the comment odd. After spending weeks living together in a false pretence of domestic bliss, he imagined Jack couldn't wait to get out of here. Their time together hadn't been the happy time either of them had imagined it might be. There were so many things that separated them, Ianto's insistence that everything be neat and that they share chores, Jack wanting to still live like a bachelor, leaving a wake of mess behind him for someone else to pick up. They made a great team at work but maybe beyond that they weren't as good together as he thought.

'So…' Jack began, hands thrust deep into his coat pockets, something Ianto had missed when they'd had to stick to normal civilian clothes. 'Guess I should leave you to it. See you tomorrow.'

Jack made to turn and leave but Ianto grabbed his sleeve. 'You don't have to go. I mean, now that we've been living together for a bit… we don't have to go back to exactly how things were before.'

Jack gave him a curious look. 'Are you suggesting I move in?'

He had been, right up until that moment Jack asked him the question. Now he wasn't so sure he wanted the answer, or what the answer should even be. Would it be so bad if they didn't have to pretend to be something they weren't? It didn't have to be all neat lawns and car washing on a Saturday morning. They could catch aliens, save the world and fall into bed at the end of it all, couldn't they?

'Was living together so terrible?'

Jack's head tipped sideways, considering Ianto's comment. 'You were the one who said you weren't happy. I didn't want to presume.'

Ianto regretted saying that. He'd been unhappy that he was the one having to sacrifice. Jack still got to do normal Torchwood stuff. Ianto's days were filled with cooking, cleaning and being nice to people he thought wouldn't hesitate to stab him in the back. It was awful. Even having to pretend to be all lovey-dovey with Jack for the sake of keeping up appearances was stomach-churning.

'That was Ken and Ivan. I just want us, Jack and Ianto. We're allowed a little bit of normal as well, aren't we? Not too much, mind you.'

Jack chuckled. 'Normal is so overrated.'

'It's definitely not us,' Ianto agreed.

'Yes.'

'Yes, what?'

Jack rested his hands on Ianto's shoulders. 'Yes, I'll move in with you. I thought you'd never ask.'