(Fic) Everything Looks Perfect From Far Away

[lullabelle]

Title: Everything Looks Perfect from Far Away
Author: _lullabelle_
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~600
Summary: Ianto and Jack have a chat on the Plass. Fluff ensues.
A/N: Written for the redisourcolor Challenge #6: Children. The phrase to use was, "Well, I wanted strawberry," and the words to incorporate were fairytale, sunscreen, and scarred. Thank you, heddychaa for the on-the-fly beta.




Ianto leans against the guard rail overlooking the Plass. Below him, a woman is chasing her four-year-old daughter with a bottle of sunscreen. The little girl is shrieking and grinning and dodging, the ribbons of her fairytale princess dress whipping around her. Even though her mother is yelling at her, brandishing the bottle of sunscreen at her like it is a remote control and she is desperately wishing she could hit 'pause', the girl just keeps dodging.

He feels Jack behind him, before he sees him. The way he's bent forward on the railing, he imagines Jack's gaze begins at his arse, and then travels up. He doesn't look when Jack's elbow is suddenly next to his on the rail, mimicking his position as he follows his gaze to the scene in front of them.

"She's fast," Jack says. Other passerby are noticing as well, their expressions ranging from amusement to why-can't-you-control-your-daughter.

Ianto gives a little grunt of acknowledgment. He doesn't know if he was ever that young. He'd always been such a serious kid. It wasn't until the last few years that he was regretting not doing more to earn the punishments he'd always received anyway. Rhiannon had always been the troublemaker in their family. He remembers the time he bought her the wrong ice cream cone on the walk back from school. "Well I wanted strawberry!" she'd screamed as she squashed the whole bloody thing into his hair. By the time they'd finished walking home, he'd smelt so bad that he was pretty sure even Rhi regretted doing it. Somehow, they'd ended up with equal punishment.

"Sorry, what?" he asks, realizing that Jack's been speaking, and he's been in his own world.

"Have you ever wanted kids?" Jack's tone is light, but the look he's giving is serious.

Ianto shakes his head. "No, not really. There was a time with Lisa where I could have seen it happening, but I've never really felt driven towards children." Realizing he's about to ask a potentially loaded question, Ianto hazards, "Have you?"

Jack grins, and the expression is more than a little sad, "Oh yeah." Noting the look of panic on Ianto's face, he quickly adds, "But not right now."

They're silent for a moment. On the Plass, the woman has finally managed to scoop up her daughter, whose joyful shrieks are sounding significantly less joyful.

"I wonder if she's looking for a job."

"Hm?" Jack asks. He's been looking at their hands. His are so much older, but Ianto's are the ones that are scarred. Some small white scratches on his right hand that he says are from a childhood fall where he'd tried to catch himself on a concrete rail. The small, shiny white burns on his left are from trying to dismantle a red-hot cyberconversion unit. He wants to take Ianto's hands in his for a closer look, but Ianto doesn't like it when he does things like that in public. It's not something Jack understands, not really, but it is something he tries to respect.

"The little girl. Give her a can of Weevil spray and send her after Janet. We'd never be outrun again."

Jack snorts.

Ianto's cell phone goes off. He checks the message and sighs. "Gwen's got a large spike in rift activity out in Grangetown."

"Let's take the lift," Jack suggests, standing up straight.

As soon as they're on the paving stone, Ianto lets Jack take his hands.

Comments

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

I like this. It's gentle, yet loaded. Nicely done.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thanks!

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Jack grins, and the expression is more than a little sad, "Oh yeah." Noting the look of panic on Ianto's face, he quickly adds, "But not right now."

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

THANKS YOU.

[heddychaa.livejournal.com]

I still think they should have a baby girl named Malcolm.


Srsly though I like this fic and think it is sweet and yet understated. Not nearly as schmoopy as it could have been given the "children" prompt. Also I love the ending so much ♥

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Lol, this is as schmoopy as I can possibly be without crying satire or inebriation. :)

And I'm leaning more towards Katherine Suzanna Lynn Harkness-Jones. But that's just me.

[iceshade.livejournal.com]

Naw, they're going to have a girl named River Song who falls through the Rift to the 51st century. trufax.

[welsh-scotsman.livejournal.com]

this is really nice; short but sweet with a darker undertone maybe? i liked the bit about ianto's hands and him not liking it when jack takes his hands in public but he allows it in privacy. really nice use of the prompt:)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thank you! :)

[withywindle01.livejournal.com]

Awww...this is lovely!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thanks. :D

[saintmaybe1121.livejournal.com]

I've really been enjoying your writing. You have a lack of sentimentality that appeals to me, but your writing is still gentle. I like that Ianto is the one holding back in their relationship in your story. You don't often see that, in this fandom, but I think it's an interpretation that squares with the character as we know him.

And I like that Jack's reaction could be taken any number of ways- that he's had kids and is nostalgic or sad about his current relationship with them (Alice) or that he wants them again but knows that Ianto doesn't, and is willing to give that up to be with Ianto. Kids, and whether to have them, are a complicated problem in adult relationships, and it's underexplored in a lot of fandoms.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thank you! I actually love writing Jack/Ianto because they're so understated, and there are so many ways to interpret them. I'm glad that's being reflected in my writing. Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed comment. :)

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

wow, not a lot happens, the only action a girl running and yet the conversation and memories mean so much

really enjoyed this

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thank you. :)

[ravenja1170.livejournal.com]

a very gentle, quiet story and yet so full of emotions, pensiveness and subtle "action". Wonderful!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thanks! I'm glad it worked for you. :)

[scifiangel.livejournal.com]

Some small white scratches on his right hand that he says are from a childhood fall where he'd tried to catch himself on a concrete rail.

I know you don't say it, but with some of the other things in the fic, I git the feeling it wasn't concrete that put the scares on his hand.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

;)

[azn-jack-fiend.livejournal.com]

This is awesome. And I have exactly the same take as saintmaybe1121, that Ianto has more commitment/intimacy issues than Jack. Given his background, it's only natural... I saw that difference supported pretty strongly in CoE Day 1.

I love all of this but I really love how you handle the kids conversation. The dialogue is so natural and flows so perfectly with what the characters are thinking.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thanks. I'm of the opinion that Ianto's kind of a basketcase when it comes to relationships, especially considering his prior experiences. I'm glad you liked this. :)

[remuslives23.livejournal.com]

Oh, that last line made me sigh happily I may have a fetish-bordering-on-obsession about men's hands and fingers. This is such a lovely moment for them. Understated, but the connection is clear. Beautifully done.

And I've always thought my youngest would make an excellent Weevil hunter. She'd either exhaust them with her never-ending energy, or she'd talk them to death.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Me too. I'm glad you liked it. :)

[alt_universe_me.livejournal.com]

Hooray for shmoop that's not too shmoopy!!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Huzzah! Thank you. :D

[iceshade.livejournal.com]

I love the way you write these two. It's a sweet slice of their life.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thanks! :)

[pecos.livejournal.com]

That was absolutely lovely, top to bottom!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thanks! :D

[lazy-8s.livejournal.com]

Lovely, bittersweet fic! Jack reflects on the sacrifices that Ianto has made for Torchwood, both physical and literal.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thank you. :D

[owensheart.livejournal.com]

AWww Ii like this, just a little look at the two of them in a more relaxed moment.

Great fic.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. :)

[jolinarjackson.livejournal.com]

This is a quiet one. I like it. There's so much sub-text.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Thank you. :)