It was June 1st and that meant Ace's birthday. He'd been unprepared for Addison's birthday, but since he had had ample warning for Ace's he decided to get her something. The question was: what to get her?
There's not exactly shopping malls on Craphole Island.
He eventually decided to turn to the clothes box. It was, surprisingly, helpful. What did he find in the clothes box today? Pins and buttons. Lots of pins and buttons. Lots of pins and buttons in the same fashion that decorated Ace's coat. Excited by his luck, he took all of the best ones and wrapped them up in a colourful silk scarf.
Now it was just a matter of finding her. This took a bit longer than he thought it would but eventually found her by the TARDIS.
Ace's head snapped up, and she had to stop abruptly to avoid walking into a tree. She was talented, at that, especially with her rucksack over her shoulder. "Hey, Jamie." She tried not to look wary, tried not to even think about the whole birthday thing, even though he was one of the few who actually knew it was her birthday.
The Doctor had thought about it and though he knew it was Ace's birthday, he was fairly certain that she was not very keen on gifts and fuss and things. So instead, he had made her a small cake. That she could eat all by herself if she wanted to. He leaned against the TARDIS, smiling.
She'd not been expecting anything, and had re-shouldered her bag. She was thankful that it wasn't far to the TARDIS, but even so it still made her scars itch, made her legs ache. "This is well naff." She mumbled it to herself, stepping over a stick and rounding a tree, before stopping utterly when she saw the Doctor standing there. "Err- Hallo there, Prof- Doctor." She reddened at the slip, and then her eyes flicked down to his hands, and then back up at his face, hesitating.
... Even though it was her birthday, and he knew, she still didn't really put A with B.
He barely noticed the gaffe. "Hullo, Ace," he said, giving her an honest wide smile. "I did get the date right, didn't I? Happy birthday. The cake's for you."
Her eyes widened even more, and she looked back at the cake, then back up at him before nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, it's the right day." She bit her lip, and rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. "Thank you, Professor." She didn't even notice, this time. "I mean, it's been-" It'd been a long time. Birthdays didn't matter in the TARDIS, in as much that she usually had no idea what time it was in her relative timeline anyhow. And then before that, on Iceworld-
There'd been no one but herself, and she'd usually just work, and things, so it'd really been nine years ago, the last time anyone'd really said anything. "Thank you?"
Ianto was only prepared to look for Ace in a few places, but luckily by the TARDIS was one of them. So with little trouble, he located the birthday girl in question, a light smile on his face.
"Hello, Ace," he greeted with a smile. He was in a suit, which wasn't all that notable of a thing at all, jacket and all, hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers.
Ace looked up, not expecting to see Ianto at all - he didn't really have any reason to wander this way, and her brows knit. "Hullo, Ianto- were you looking for Jack?"
The thought that it might be because of her hadn't even crossed her mind, and Ace started searching through her pockets for the TARDIS key. "How're you, by the way?"
"No, you actually," he answered easily. He could remember the file on her quite vividly, since she was one of the more modern companions to the Doctor while still interacting within his time frame. He was always good at remembering numbers.
"I'm good," he said, wandering closer. "And how's your birthday been?"
Ace stared at him for about twenty seconds, something warring back and forth. She was glad he was here - she'd not wanted to spend her birthday by herself, and lord only knew what it would be like with her current situation with Jack, but...
There was the chance he felt he had to stop by, and... hrm.
"Oh. Well. Uh, good? And-" She shrugged. "It's a day." That is was- she was trying to act like it wasn't important, but then her face flickered into a smile. "Thanks for seeking me out, I suppose."
"Hrm?" She looked up, and had been tugging out the things from her rucksack, and she smiled when she saw him. It was a half-smile, her mouth quirking to one side - this might be a good birthday after all, because he was there.
Even though things were weird, and he didn't know, it was still okay. "Hey, Jack." She stood up, her head back as she looked up at him.
Comments 85
There's not exactly shopping malls on Craphole Island.
He eventually decided to turn to the clothes box. It was, surprisingly, helpful. What did he find in the clothes box today? Pins and buttons. Lots of pins and buttons. Lots of pins and buttons in the same fashion that decorated Ace's coat. Excited by his luck, he took all of the best ones and wrapped them up in a colourful silk scarf.
Now it was just a matter of finding her. This took a bit longer than he thought it would but eventually found her by the TARDIS.
"Hey," he called out, waving slightly.
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Oh, God. He thought that because she'd told him when, that he had to get her something.
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... Even though it was her birthday, and he knew, she still didn't really put A with B.
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There'd been no one but herself, and she'd usually just work, and things, so it'd really been nine years ago, the last time anyone'd really said anything. "Thank you?"
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"Hello, Ace," he greeted with a smile. He was in a suit, which wasn't all that notable of a thing at all, jacket and all, hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers.
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The thought that it might be because of her hadn't even crossed her mind, and Ace started searching through her pockets for the TARDIS key. "How're you, by the way?"
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"I'm good," he said, wandering closer. "And how's your birthday been?"
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There was the chance he felt he had to stop by, and... hrm.
"Oh. Well. Uh, good? And-" She shrugged. "It's a day." That is was- she was trying to act like it wasn't important, but then her face flickered into a smile. "Thanks for seeking me out, I suppose."
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"Hey, Ace," he said, walking up the ramp. In his hand, he had a sheet of paper, carefully folded into a flat package. "Started without me?"
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Even though things were weird, and he didn't know, it was still okay. "Hey, Jack." She stood up, her head back as she looked up at him.
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It'd been a long time, and she had gotten so used to there being nothing that... she expected nothing.
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