[#046] A FOOL AND HIS GOLD (TORCHWOOD)

[m_findlow]

Theme Prompt: #046 - Fool's gold
Title: A fool and his gold
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Ianto wishes that Jack would just be grateful for what he has.



'Idiot,' Ianto muttered, kicking the wall with the toe of his boot in annoyance. 'Don't worry, Ianto. It'll be fine, Ianto. I'll treat you to a month in the Maldivian Cluster afterwards, Ianto,' he ranted.

Jack snapped his fingers angrily at his lover. 'Hey! This is so not my fault.'

'Well, it's no one else's! Iesu mawr,' he muttered, running his hands through his hair as he paced the narrow space.

Jack knew he was in trouble when Ianto started cursing in Welsh.

'Convicted of a felony on a non-shadow proclamation world, without right to a trial. Not how I imagine we'd spend our first hundred years together.'

'We haven't been convicted,' Jack corrected him. 'Getting arrested is just a little snag in the road.'

Ianto snorted and sank down onto the hard stone bench, arms folded and looking in the opposite direction, avoiding Jack.

Ah, the silent treatment. Jack knew that one well. That came after the Welsh cursing. Things would have to turn a complete one-eighty if he expected forgiveness any time soon. In fairness, there'd been a time when that might have been him, and it was another wayward Time Agent from his past telling him that getting arrested was no big deal. My how times had changed...




'This is nice,' Ianto said, strolling along the foreshore, his hand clasped in Jack's. 'A beach with real sand and water that doesn't freeze.'

Jack chuckled. 'Really kills off the British beach holiday, doesn't it? Once you've had the real deal, there's no going back.'

They proceeded further up the beach, finding a spot to sit down and enjoy the rest of the magnificent sunset. Ianto brushed the sand into a neat circle before sitting, whereas Jack just plonked himself down without preamble.

'Ow!' he cried, jumping back up and massaging his assaulted buttock.

Ianto smirked at him. 'Ever heard of the phrase "look before you leap"?'

'I prefer to leap, and then look to see what the hell just tried to skewer one of my best features, ' he replied, brushing a hand over the spot, searching for the offending item. Something sharp graced his fingertips and he wrapped a hand around it.

'A stone,' Ianto said, looking at the object in Jack's hand. 'How very surprising to find one of those on a beach,' he said, sarcasm anything but subtle.

Jack squinted at it and looked closer. Then he held it up to catch the setting sunlight. It was slightly dirty, but even still, the sunlight glittered yellow through it, spearing out into shades of red and green as it hit his face and hands. He cocked his head and admired it from a different angle before a smile spread all over his face.

'Oh, baby, baby!'

'What is it?'

Jack laughed. 'This isn't just some stone, Ianto. It's a diamond.'

Ianto scoffed. 'Rubbish. You don't just find diamonds on the beach. And you certainly don't sit on them.'

'I'm serious! We're in just the right part of the galaxy, but even so, they're rare.' He could tell from the skeptical look on Ianto's face that he was going to take more convincing. 'Created through millions of years of pressure underground,' Jack explained, 'and then only uncovered as the sands on the planet shift and move finally bringing them to the surface.'

He handed it to Ianto for a closer look. 'A nice trinket,' he said, as the sunset glinted through the slightly dirty facets.

'Are you kidding? We're gonna sell it. Something this size would be worth a fortune.'

'We don't need money,' Ianto reminded him.

'You've missed the point,' Jack said, taking it back from him.

Ianto rather thought it was Jack who'd missed the point.




'I don't like this place,' Ianto muttered. 'It feels dodgy. It's not even on our star maps.'

'That's because it is dodgy,' Jack replied. 'The ship is programmed only for Unified Proclamation planets. If you wanna go off the beaten track you've got to know where you're headed.'

'So, we couldn't find a reputable place to sell your rock?'

It was Jack who rolled his eyes at Ianto this time. 'Trust me. Places like this survive because of good trade. I've been here loads of times and never had a problem.'

'A first for everything,' Ianto muttered casting a disparaging look at some of the planet's clientele.

'Ianto, I'm gonna spoil you rotten once we get paid,' Jack promised. 'Anything you want in the whole universe, you just say the word and it's yours.'

Not being here in the first place sprung to mind, but he said nothing, following Jack as he swept his way through the door. It looked more like a pawn shop than a jeweler's as Jack proceeded to the counter. A small man sat there, looking up as they entered.

'Buying or selling?' he asked.

'Selling,' Jack replied, handing him the stone.

'Let me take a closer look,' the man said,

'No problem. Take you time,' Jack said, winking at him.

The man shoved a magnifier in his eye, peering into it as he disappeared behind the curtain.

'He can't tell straight away?' Ianto asked.

'He's gotta be sure.'

Ianto narrowed his eyes. 'What do you mean, he's got to be sure?'

'Okay, so there might be a similar stone that's basically worthless, but seriously, what are the chances?'

'Time agents!' Ianto huffed. 'You're all the same. Cocky as hell.'

'Maybe later I can show you just how cocky I am?' Jack suggested, leaning in against him, nuzzling his neck. Ianto was having none of it.

'Just curious, though. What happens if it's not valuable like you think?'

Jack shrugged, nonchalant. 'You get a really sparkly paperweight.'

Then a burly man appeared over Jack's shoulder, grabbing him forcefully by the arms.

'Hey!'

Ianto didn't have time to react before another burly man grabbed him, slapping thick metal cuffs on his wrists.

'Or someone gets arrested,' Ianto replied, looking back and seeing the jeweler looking very annoyed.