1

"Three?" Dylan asked as Ianto looked over the top of his glasses.

"Why?"

"Boys, girls and Grups" Dylan said patently, "Carley should get her own one ya know. And Aunty Toshi will be here right? You know, we need to find Car-Car some friends."

Ianto lowered the book and removed the glasses, pulling his feet up under himself as he leaned toward the little man on the floor, "Tell me again, you have my complete attention."

"A cake for the birthday boy" Dylan said slowly as he counted on his fingers, "Orange and purple. Mad colours and something shooting out the top on springs or something. Enzo likes stuff like that. We will go nuts and you guys need a cake for your cuppa and Grup talking thing. Then Carley. Three cakes Taddy."

"I see" Ianto blinked slowly as he considered a way to appease the Birthday Monster's madness "How about a cake that is three tiers? The top tier can be his madness one as it has bits out the top, we lift it off for him to cut. The middle one can be Carley's, the pink will go with the purple that will be in the top. Then we lift that off for her. The bottom one can be plain colours, like marble swirls or something so us Grups can have some and it means there will be leftovers for the next day."

"Ooooo" Dylan considered that one. "Purple with orange bouncy things. Pink and glittery … maybe silver balls, she like picking them off and flicking them … then the bottom one … what sort of cake?"

Ianto blinked again, telling himself it was important to nurture, to help not scold.

"What is his favourite cake?" Ianto asked.

"Chocky."

"What is her favourite?"

"Choc…no. She liked that orange one you made the other day. Went nuts. Orange cake would look cool inside the pink icing too I guess." He wriggled in his seat, "Banana bottom?"

"Yes … or fruit maybe? Don't forget Grups like fruit cake." Ianto smiled as he considered his lovely boy, "Or we could go mad"

"How?"

"The bottom layer can be fruit cake right? A solid colour like the purple. Then we can have a tall thin one that is orange cake with orange frosting. Then cupcakes made of all flavours that sits around the tall one. Everyone can get their favourites, then there will be the tall one to cut and eat. The bottom one can be for the next day. Like … official Birthday Afters."

Dylan stared at Ianto for a long time and he wondered if he had gone too far, then the boy exploded, "Oh my gods. Why is this not a thing? Why are not all cakes like that? Oh my gods!"

Ianto smiled as he leaned back and picked up his book again, Dylan now muttering as he searched for his pen and paper, Ianto's lists something that had taught him to be prepared. He began to draw his own image of the cake and Ianto mode a noise, "Quick, they're coming."

Dylan made a production of packing everything into a box with "Enzo's Day" written on it in his scrawl as Lorenzo made a show of trying to look then he walked over and stared at Ianto until the book went away and the lap was shown to be available.

"Taddy, I need" Lorenzo said as he snuggled in.

"Need?" Ianto crooned, "Need what love?"

"Dunno but you always do" Lorenzo's voice was a mumble as Ianto cuddled him and Ianto felt the overflow of affection as he took the little boy's face, peppering kisses all over it and the little boy started to giggle then sighed softly as he relaxed into the embrace.

"Better?"

"Thank you Taddy" he smiled as he reached out to touch Ianto's face, "That was just right."

"Good, because so are you" Ianto assured him, cuddling him close again as Dylan did a weird walk from the room with a thumbs up to show Ianto had distracted Lorenzo for him.

"Is he gone?"

"Yes love, gone to hide it."

"Under the bed again, no imagination"

Ianto resisted the urge to giggle at the little one's calm comment, setting for more kisses as the little boy giggled and wriggled in his lap.

"Little bugger" Jack said as he entered with Carley under an arm. "You were right. She does fit out the doggie door."

"Only for a little while and it is clement weather" Ianto said calmly, "At night we will lock it anyway, I don't like the idea of Valentine out there in the dark."

"Babe, nothing can get through that fence, there's nothing that would hurt him" Jack sat and let the baby do her dancing thing on his legs, her arms around his head like she was trying to smother him.

"I know that Cariad" Ianto smiled as the little bum wriggled again with glee, "But you know I don't like what I cannot see."

Jack grunted through the baby mask.

Carley decided on a song and for the next five minutes screamed it loudly, something about flowers I think … there was definitely 'pretty' and 'mine' in it. Come to think of it … might of been about Daddy.