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fandomweekly2022-05-14 02:53 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2022-05-14 02:53 pm
Entry tags:
[#136] Guiding Light (Torchwood)
Theme Prompt: #136 – The North Star
Title: Guiding Light
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Out in the Brecon Beacons at night, Jack and Ianto take the opportunity to do a bit of stargazing.
The Brecon Beacons wasn’t the safest place to be after dark, mostly because the lack of lighting made the uneven ground treacherous. No one would want to fall off an unseen cliff in the middle of nowhere because they didn’t know it was there until it was too late. Nevertheless, there was no denying that seen from out there the night sky looked more beautiful than it ever did faded out by Cardiff’s ever-present light pollution. Twinkling stars filled the firmament as far as the eye could see in every direction, tiny, scattered jewels that in reality were massive stars slowly burning themselves out in the vacuum of space.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ianto was sitting on a rock, leaning back on his elbows as he scanned the heavens for shooting stars. There wouldn’t be any, it was the wrong time of year for a meteor shower, but there was always the slim chance he might catch sight of a passing spaceship.
“Very beautiful,” Jack agreed. “Almost makes me glad we’re stuck out here.”
This hadn’t been how they’d planned on spending their evening. They’d been practically on their way out the door, planning to pick up something for dinner and have a lazy evening in, when the alert came through that had them speeding out of the city to deal with lost tourists of the alien variety. They might even have made it back to Cardiff before the chippie closed if not for a couple of unfortunate errors of judgement.
At this time of year it stayed light until past nine in the evening, and they’d arrived on scene at just after eight, hiking up into the hills where they’d sorted out their accidental visitors’ navigation issues and sent them on their way. By that time, it was rapidly getting dark, and that was when Jack realised he’d left his torch in the SUV. Ianto had his though, so all should have been well, only...
“If you hadn’t dropped my torch into that ravine, we’d be settled in front of the TV by now, eating fish and chips,” Ianto pointed out mildly.
“I didn’t do it on purpose! My foot slipped and I let go of the torch to grab hold of something, otherwise I’d be at the bottom of the ravine too.”
“I wasn’t blaming you, just stating facts.” Ianto offered the bag he was holding to Jack. “Trail mix? Or would you prefer an energy bar?”
Jack took a handful. “No, trail mix is good. Thanks. Good thing you grabbed the backpack out of the boot.”
“Never go hiking without basic supplies; that’s just common sense. Water, food, first-aid kit, there’s even a thermal blanket if it gets chilly later.”
“Shame there isn’t a torch.”
“There was.” Ianto pointed towards the ravine. “It’s down there.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“At least it’s a clear night, perfect for stargazing. See over there, just above the horizon? That’s Polaris, the North Star, beloved of travellers, and one of the most useful aids to navigation at night. Find it and you know you’re facing north.”
“Not so good on cloudy nights though.” Jack shifted closer to his lover, dipping his hand in the trail mix again. “A compass works better.”
“If you happen to have one.” Ianto flicked his gaze Jack’s way. “Which I do.”
“Of course you do.” Jack grinned, teeth a white flash in the faint light from the rising quarter moon.
“Never leave home without it. Who knows when the Rift might scoop me up and dump me on a distant planet?” That had actually happened to him once, but the Doctor had stumbled across him by chance on an uninhabited world and brought him home.
“Don’t remind me! I’ve never been so worried in my life.” Jack’s arm snaked around Ianto as if to make sure the Rift didn’t steal him away again, even though it didn’t come out this far.
Silence fell as they munched trail mix and enjoyed the closeness. When the bag was finally empty, Ianto folded it carefully and put it in his pocket.
“When I was a kid, dad used to bring us out here camping in the summer holidays. Mam and Rhi would disappear into to the tent as soon as it got dark, but I’d sit by the fire with dad, and he’d point out the constellations to me. I thought he was amazing, he knew so much, but when I got older I realised he was making it all up: The two-headed lion, the wolf with three eyes, the tree...” Ianto trailed off, chuckling. “When I was eleven, he gave me a book on astronomy for my birthday. I read it from cover to cover, memorised all the official constellations, used to sneak out of bed on clear nights, go out in the garden, and try to find them in the sky. Um...” Scanning the sky near Polaris, he pointed. “That’s my favourite; Draco, the dragon.”
“How very patriotic.” Jack sounded amused.
“Shut up, you.” Ianto dug his elbow into Jack’s ribs.
“Ooof! No fair!”
“You asked for it!”
“So...” Jack rubbed his side. “You still remember any others besides Draco?”
Ianto snorted. “Photographic memory, remember?”
“Right, stupid question.”
“Don’t you though? You’ve been on earth for over a century. All the time you’ve spent on rooftops, looking at the sky, I’d think you’d know the stars better than anyone on the planet.”
“I’ve seen the stars from hundreds of worlds, and they all have so many names it’s impossible to keep track. The constellations seen from earth look completely different from other worlds. You couldn’t navigate by earth’s North Star on any other planet.”
“But there’d be other stars used for navigation elsewhere, wouldn’t there?”
“Some places, yes, but I don’t need them.”
“Let me guess; you use your wrist strap.”
“Sometimes, but not anymore; all I need is you. You’re my North Star; wherever I go in the universe, I know you’ll always guide me home where I belong.
The End
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