Title: Firecracker
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG
Table: 5
Prompt: 37, Playful
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own Ianto Jones or the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

"Ianto, come on! It looks beautiful out there."

Ianto smiled to himself as he picked up the two towels he'd collected and hurried to the control room of the Tardis. He'd never seen the Doctor so eager to go out to have fun before. Especially to a place like the beach.

But here he was, practically hopping from one foot to the other in his impatience to be off. For some reason, the Time Lord seemed to have decided that the beach was the place to be -- and that he really wanted to build a sand castle.

He was like a little firecracker at times like these, Ianto thought, smiling as he came into the control room and went to the door of the ship.

He was surprised that the Doctor had waited for him, but he had. The Time Lord was standing by the door of the ship, looking impatiently back into the control room and waiting for his boyfriend to catch up with him.

Seizing Ianto's arm, he led the young man outside, stopping a few feet away from the Tardis and taking a deep breath, pushing his hair back from his eyes and looking out at the imposing waves rolling in to the sandy shore.

Ianto looked over at his lover, a satisfied smile on his lips. He loved seeing the Doctor like this; so relaxed and carefree, even in the way he was dressed. He liked seeing the other man in jeans and a t-shirt, rather than in a suit.

He seemed to have taken on a much more relaxed demeanor since Ianto had been with him on a permanent basis, and the young man was thankful for that.

There had been times since he, Jack and Owen had brought the Doctor back from that sojourn with the Master when the Time Lord had seemed preoccupied, lost in his thoughts -- or just melancholy. Ianto always worried when he fell into those moods.

But fortunately, they'd seemed few and far between lately; the Doctor had thrown off the thoughtful mood and had become more like his old self. Though he was still given to periods of introspection, they didn't happen nearly as often.

It took him a moment to realize that the Doctor was carrying a bucket and shovel in one hand.

So, his boyfriend wanted to build a sand castle, apparently. Ianto's smile grew wider; that was one of the things he'd always enjoyed most about going to the beach when he was a child. Building sand castles was fun -- and even a bit therapeutic.

After all, he reasoned with himself, the Doctor spent a lot of time saving worlds. Maybe building a miniature one would be a new experience for him.

He wanted to laugh at that thought as soon as it blossomed in his mind. In all the centuries of the Doctor's life, how could he assume that the other man had never built a sand castle on the beach before this? Of course he had.

Still, it would be nice to be the first person that the Doctor had ever shared this with, he thought, a little wistfully. There were so many things that the Time Lord had already experienced; he wouldn't ever be the first person to share them with his lover.

But he would be the last, Ianto told himself firmly. Oh, all right, so the Doctor would probably have another lover after he was gone -- when he was in another body. That wasn't something to think about at the moment. This was a day for fun, for being carefree and young and silly.

Taking the Doctor's hand, he turned the other man to face him, smiling at his lover and pulling him close. "Come on. Let's go use that bucket and shovel and build the biggest sand castle this beach has ever seen."

The Doctor giggled at those words. He actually giggled.

Ianto blinked, surprised to hear such a sound coming from the Time Lord. He was almost sure that he'd never heard the Doctor make that kind of a noise before -- except for the few times Ianto had decided to tickle him in bed.

But he didn't have long to marvel at the sound; the Time Lord was pulling him along, down to the beach, as though he was searching for a proper place to begin making their castle.

He dropped the bucket and shovel by a mound of damp sand, shading his eyes and looking down the beach, then back over at Ianto. "Let's leave these things here for a bit and go walking," he said, his grip on his lover's hand tightening.

And with that, he was off, almost cavorting down to the waves. He'd rolled his jeans up to his knees before he'd left the ship, as though he'd anticipated running through the shallow water on the beach like a child, just as he was doing now.

With a smile, Ianto followed him; the Doctor certainly was a firecracker today, but he had no intention of snuffing out that flame. He loved seeing the other man like this, and he wanted to make the mood last for as long as he could.

All too soon, they would have to go back to life as they knew it, traveling amongst the stars, being on the lookout for whatever could cause problems in the galaxy. But for today, they could be children -- and he intended to enjoy every moment of it.

Running after the Doctor, he caught the Time Lord in his arms at the water's edge, pulling the other man to him and running a hand down his back.

It was a good thing the beach was practically deserted except for a few other couples, he thought, because he didn't want to shock anyone by kissing his lover passionately in front of them. Though he really couldn't care less what people might think.

Laughing, the Doctor leaned against him, breathless from the kiss. "We've needed this, haven't we?" he said softly, wrapping both arms around Ianto's neck and leaning against him. "I feel like a child again. We should do this more often."

"Indeed we should," Ianto agreed, kissing him again.

After a few moments, the Doctor tore himself away from Ianto's grasp, heading towards the waves again, windmilling his arms as he ran into the water. Ianto couldn't help but laugh as he watched, his heart feeling light, soaring in his chest.

Oh, his Doctor was a firecracker, all right. One that he hoped continued to burn for a long, long time -- one that would sparkle and cast his bright light around the galaxy for longer than anyone could even begin to imagine.

***