Teaboy in a Box
Title: Teaboy in a Box
Author: jerbearthompson
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Characters: Ianto/Jack
Length: >1k
Summary: ‘You’re stuck?’ Ianto Jones, trapped in a cardboard box.’
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
If there was one thing Captain Jack Harkness never thought he’d see, it was the sight of one Ianto Jones sitting cross-legged in a large cardboard box marked “FRAGILE”. And yet, two steps out of his office on this lovely morning and here it was, right before his very eyes.
‘Ianto?’ he asked hesitantly.
‘Oh, good morning, sir.’ Ianto seemed mildly confused as he stared up at Jack from the box. ‘Coffee is in the kitchen. Black, no milk, no sugar.’
‘Yeah, thanks.’ Jack nodded but made no move to go and retrieve it.
‘Anything else you require?’ Ianto asked uncertainly.
‘Not right now.’ Jack carefully sat himself down in front of the box. ‘Ianto, are you okay?’
‘Yep,’ the man replied shortly, cheerfully nodding his head.
‘Alright, good.’ Jack searched his brain for a different way to word what he was trying to say without being too obvious. Oh, screw it. ‘It’s just, you’re sitting in a box, is all.’
He could have sworn he saw the faintest sign of a blush on Ianto’s cheeks.
‘I know, sir. I seem to be, um, stuck.’
Jack being Jack, he didn’t even try to hide his smile, which widened into a toothy grin until he was positively beaming.
‘You’re stuck? Ianto Jones, trapped in a cardboard box. Oh, glory be the day!’
‘Not really the time, Jack.’
Jack just chuckled softly. ‘How’d you manage that, then?’
‘Well, long story, actually.’
Jack leant in close. ‘I’ve got all day.’
Ianto looked around nervously, expecting someone to burst into the hub at any second, ready to start the day. No, he told himself firmly, still too early, surely.
‘I came in to work and… there was this box,’ he began, his voice high and uneasy. ‘No one was here, and I remembered… when I was a child, sir, my brother and I… we… liked… boxes.’
He was trying to focus on anything but the captain, and Jack wondered briefly how he’d react if he ever asked him out on a date. He might actually have to try, not necessarily to see his response.
‘…weak moment.’
Jack’s attention clicked back to Ianto.
‘So I sat in it, and now I’m stuck.’
Jack took the opportunity to peer over the edge of the box. He certainly didn’t look stuck. His body wasn’t even touching the sides of it. In fact, it almost looked as though one could fit another person inside, at a squeeze.
‘And… you’re sure?’ Jack asked, confounded.
‘Yes, I can’t move. Get me out, please?’ All Ianto could do was stare up at Jack with large blue eyes, pleading.
Jack waved an experimental hand inside the box. All seemed as it should. ‘So this… alien box… is holding you captive?’ he asked with a wicked grin.
Ianto’s attempt at a glare turned out to be more like a pout.
‘Let me see.’ Jack hauled himself to his feet, lifting one boot over the side of the box.
‘Jack, don’t,’ Ianto warned.
‘Ianto, it’s a cardboard box. Honestly, what’s it going to do?’
Jack settled into a sitting position, the size of the box pressing him into Ianto’s side. He tried to shift his legs so it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable but… he couldn’t.
‘Oh.’ Jack smiled sheepishly.
‘Oh,’ Ianto echoed sarcastically, before muttering under his breath, ‘please let Owen be sick today, please don’t let the bastard come in.’
‘Well, what do you know.’ Jack twisted his neck experimentally, the only part of him with free reign. ‘Stuck in a box, who’d have thought.’
‘Jack,’ Ianto sounded exasperated. ‘How are we going to get out?’
Jack shrugged. Or tried to, but it turned out more as a little bob of his head. ‘I don’t know. Guess we’ll have to wait until the rest of the team arrives. Get Tosh to run some scans, it’ll be okay.’
Ianto sighed and rested his head on Jack’s shoulder. ‘That could be hours, still. You twpsyn, Jack! I told you not to get in!’
Idiot, Jack’s head translated the word for him. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly. He meant it. ‘It did look inviting, though.’
He didn’t see but he could have sworn Ianto rolled his eyes.
‘So, what do we do to pass the time?’ the younger man asked slowly.
Jack thought for a moment. ‘Can I kiss you?’
Ianto looked up sharply, frowned, then smiled.
Author: jerbearthompson
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Characters: Ianto/Jack
Length: >1k
Summary: ‘You’re stuck?’ Ianto Jones, trapped in a cardboard box.’
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
If there was one thing Captain Jack Harkness never thought he’d see, it was the sight of one Ianto Jones sitting cross-legged in a large cardboard box marked “FRAGILE”. And yet, two steps out of his office on this lovely morning and here it was, right before his very eyes.
‘Ianto?’ he asked hesitantly.
‘Oh, good morning, sir.’ Ianto seemed mildly confused as he stared up at Jack from the box. ‘Coffee is in the kitchen. Black, no milk, no sugar.’
‘Yeah, thanks.’ Jack nodded but made no move to go and retrieve it.
‘Anything else you require?’ Ianto asked uncertainly.
‘Not right now.’ Jack carefully sat himself down in front of the box. ‘Ianto, are you okay?’
‘Yep,’ the man replied shortly, cheerfully nodding his head.
‘Alright, good.’ Jack searched his brain for a different way to word what he was trying to say without being too obvious. Oh, screw it. ‘It’s just, you’re sitting in a box, is all.’
He could have sworn he saw the faintest sign of a blush on Ianto’s cheeks.
‘I know, sir. I seem to be, um, stuck.’
Jack being Jack, he didn’t even try to hide his smile, which widened into a toothy grin until he was positively beaming.
‘You’re stuck? Ianto Jones, trapped in a cardboard box. Oh, glory be the day!’
‘Not really the time, Jack.’
Jack just chuckled softly. ‘How’d you manage that, then?’
‘Well, long story, actually.’
Jack leant in close. ‘I’ve got all day.’
Ianto looked around nervously, expecting someone to burst into the hub at any second, ready to start the day. No, he told himself firmly, still too early, surely.
‘I came in to work and… there was this box,’ he began, his voice high and uneasy. ‘No one was here, and I remembered… when I was a child, sir, my brother and I… we… liked… boxes.’
He was trying to focus on anything but the captain, and Jack wondered briefly how he’d react if he ever asked him out on a date. He might actually have to try, not necessarily to see his response.
‘…weak moment.’
Jack’s attention clicked back to Ianto.
‘So I sat in it, and now I’m stuck.’
Jack took the opportunity to peer over the edge of the box. He certainly didn’t look stuck. His body wasn’t even touching the sides of it. In fact, it almost looked as though one could fit another person inside, at a squeeze.
‘And… you’re sure?’ Jack asked, confounded.
‘Yes, I can’t move. Get me out, please?’ All Ianto could do was stare up at Jack with large blue eyes, pleading.
Jack waved an experimental hand inside the box. All seemed as it should. ‘So this… alien box… is holding you captive?’ he asked with a wicked grin.
Ianto’s attempt at a glare turned out to be more like a pout.
‘Let me see.’ Jack hauled himself to his feet, lifting one boot over the side of the box.
‘Jack, don’t,’ Ianto warned.
‘Ianto, it’s a cardboard box. Honestly, what’s it going to do?’
Jack settled into a sitting position, the size of the box pressing him into Ianto’s side. He tried to shift his legs so it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable but… he couldn’t.
‘Oh.’ Jack smiled sheepishly.
‘Oh,’ Ianto echoed sarcastically, before muttering under his breath, ‘please let Owen be sick today, please don’t let the bastard come in.’
‘Well, what do you know.’ Jack twisted his neck experimentally, the only part of him with free reign. ‘Stuck in a box, who’d have thought.’
‘Jack,’ Ianto sounded exasperated. ‘How are we going to get out?’
Jack shrugged. Or tried to, but it turned out more as a little bob of his head. ‘I don’t know. Guess we’ll have to wait until the rest of the team arrives. Get Tosh to run some scans, it’ll be okay.’
Ianto sighed and rested his head on Jack’s shoulder. ‘That could be hours, still. You twpsyn, Jack! I told you not to get in!’
Idiot, Jack’s head translated the word for him. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said quietly. He meant it. ‘It did look inviting, though.’
He didn’t see but he could have sworn Ianto rolled his eyes.
‘So, what do we do to pass the time?’ the younger man asked slowly.
Jack thought for a moment. ‘Can I kiss you?’
Ianto looked up sharply, frowned, then smiled.