bk_forever | Ficlet: Well-Earned Rest

Title: Well-Earned Rest
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Owen, Team, OCs.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Torchwood’s had a busy day and Ianto is tired.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 175: Drowsy at

anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.

It had been one of those days, non-stop from start to finish. A bunch of belligerent aliens had decided, as they so often seemed to, that Cardiff was the ideal place to begin their invasion of earth, and although they’d failed in their attempt, they’d left the Torchwood team battered and bruised.

It could have been a lot worse though, Ianto mused, sprawled bonelessly on one of the sofas, his head tipped back against the cushions and his eyes closed, waiting for the painkillers he’d taken to do their job. Nobody had been killed or seriously injured; their bruises would heal, and their aching muscles would recover with a bit of badly needed rest.

Things had gone far worse for the alien invasion force. Five of their number had been killed outright while another seven, most of them suffering various injuries, had been taken prisoner to be handed over to agents of the Shadow Proclamation. The rest had made it back to their landing craft, hightailing it to their ship in orbit, only to be blown out of the sky. Alien laser weapons were very versatile, especially when set to overload. The ship had made quite a satisfying fireball, which was being dismissed as a solar flare thanks to its position in the sky.

The pounding in his head and the throbbing in various other parts was gradually easing, leaving Ianto feeling drowsy and content. Team Torchwood had saved the world. Again. With any luck, the majority of the human race would never need to know just how close their world had come to being taken over by some very nasty creatures.

Feeling the sofa dip beside him, Ianto reluctantly cracked his eyes open and turned his head to see Jack settling beside him.

“Everything okay?”

“Owen’s finished patching up the injured; they’re locked up in separate cells, far enough apart that they can’t talk to each other. It’ll be a bit of a nuisance at mealtimes, but it should only be a couple of days before they’re taken off our hands.”

“That’s good.”

“How’re you feeling?”

“Better. Sleepy. It’s nice.”

“That was a good idea you had, overloading the energy weapons and hiding them on the shuttlecraft.”

“Mm,” Ianto murmured. “Just glad they didn’t go boom before the shuttle reached the mother ship. Might’ve left quite a big hole in Pontcanna Fields if they’d exploded while it was still on the ground. Stupidly low bulkheads in there though.” He’d whacked his head on one while he was committing sabotage and narrowly avoided knocking himself out, hence the headache and some of the bruising. Miraculously, he wasn’t concussed.

“Small aliens make for low ceilings.”

“I noticed. What they lack in height they make up for in viciousness.”

“Not the fluffy, friendly kind of alien,” Jack agreed. He stood up. “Come on, let’s get you to bed. You don’t want to fall asleep here; you’ll wind up with a stiff neck.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Bed sounded like a wonderful idea.

The End