1
It was not yet dawn, the little island seemed to slumber, bar those things that creep about in the darkness, and there were some of those here as there are everywhere no matter what they tell you, but Ianto was not afraid. This was his home after all. He had nothing to fear here, beyond the veil though … that weighted heavily on his mind with sleep a vacant friend.
Jack rolled and sighed, cuddling Ianto's pillow to his chest and Ianto took a moment to kiss his forehead, stroking his cheek until he settled more and then Ianto padded down the hallway past the closed doors and into the living room where Mica lay snoring softly. It sounded so sweet that he took a moment to drink it in, thanking the Gods for their help yesterday in getting them to safety, for giving him the strength to get it done and most of all for letting Jack in. The mist is a strange creature, like a sentient being itself, might not have liked his taste … if ya know what I mean but thankfully he and Ianto were already so finely entwined that it had accepted his uniqueness.
Ianto had pulled an old robe on, his good one on the end of the bed for the one that might forget otherwise and scare the wildlife. He knew there were things to sort out today, a full day of adjustments and arrangements, some demands and he hoped it would not come to his foot lowering on anything … or anyone. He knew he might be a bit possessive, already considering nearby houses that he wanted his team in …his team. His family. Huh. Yes. That sounded better.
He was at the water's edge, the soft waves formed from the breeze lapping at his toes as he discarded the robe and took a step in, humming softly to himself as he started to wade into the cool refreshing water.
The water seemed to undulate and swirl out further in the deep and he stopped to watch it dome then fall away as she rose to look at him.
"It's only me" he said softly, more like a sigh on the breeze "I come for your affections."
The lake considered and then settled, the water rippling from the site as she welcomed him and he slid in, letting the water caress his skin and embrace him. It was not cold like you would think, it was more like … room temperature ya know? Gentle and soothing like being back in a womb I suppose, if we ever could remember that feeling.
He let himself float, feeling those things in the water investigate, touch and stroke before flicking their tails and running away as if attacked by his soft giggles. Ticklish ya know. He felt himself washed clean, the outside world and all its worries flittered away but then he opened his eyes hoping to see the sunrise and instead witnessing a glow on the horizon where it should not be.
Somewhere, to the west of them in the far distance a piece of the world was burning. A township or maybe a roadblock had been attacked. By which faction, who could tell but clearly anarchy was still about. He hoped they were OK out there, that pocket of humanity would make it.
He rose from the water renewed and invigorated, his hand reaching to pull the robe around himself and he took a moment to stand on the shore, watching the mainland for signs of the glow getting nearer but like he had thought, it didn't.
He walked back towards camp, the way not as far as it had seemed last night with the path he took seeming to move through the rocks like they were also just mist. In this place, who knows?
He returned to the cabin where Jack was half awake, feeling in the bed for him and he slid in letting Jack grunt as he nuzzled into his neck like a lover would…well. They were. Right? Lovers? Ianto snaked his arms around him and pulled him in to rub his back gently, lulling him back to sleep.
Dawn chorus sounded, the mist became something tangible and solid around them as that special time of flux was over. Ianto closed his eyes as he visualised his house and knew his sister would be best in the double room next door to his with her back to the husband who wondered what his value was now, the next room along could hold the boys who slept like the dead. As children do, it wouldn't matter about the bellowing cows to be milked at dawn. He wondered if the house next to his that was so close might be vacant, might suit her? And Alice. Alice in the room with a light on he could see as he walked towards the camp, she was also pondering her place here and he knew he had to have a word with her at some stage if only to reassure her that she would be able to stand on her own feet, not in her father's shadow.
Jack did cast a large one after all.
Almost as large as Ianto's.
When he cast one at all.