Jack woke up early on Saturday morning and slipped silently out of the bed; leaving Ianto to sleep a bit longer. It was the twin's fifth birthday and he wanted to set their presents out in the living room for when they woke up. His hair stuck out at ridiculous angles as he walked barefoot across the landing to his children's bedroom door. On his way, he flicked the light switch to turn off the landing light which had been left on all night to help Bethan and Caden get to sleep. Jack leaned against the doorframe and watched his sleeping children. After a few minutes of observing, Jack turned away to gather the presents from his and Ianto's room and bumped into his partner.
"Hello Jack." Ianto grinned. "It's hard to believe that they're already five!" He voiced what was on both their minds.
"Yeah..." Jack started to trail off into thought what he remembered that the twins were early risers. "Are we going to put the presents out in the living room?"
"That sounds good; everyone can watch them open them. I think Rhiannon is home now too so that's somebody else to fuss over the little monsters." Ianto chuckled quietly.
Jack nodded at gestured towards their open bedroom door. Instead of carrying a pile of presents each and coming back for more, they took them down in the suitcase so it only took them one trip. Nerys woke up while they were sorting out which presents were Caden's and which were Bethan's. With all three people helping, it didn't take as long as it usually did. When both children's presents were clearly separated and their cakes were hidden in the boot of Jack and Ianto's car, Ianto offered to make everyone a cup of coffee.
"I thought you'd never ask." Jack licked his lips in anticipation. He briefly wondered if Ianto was taught how to make an outstanding cup of coffee before he left home or if it was a gift; he made a mental note to ask Ianto about it later.
Nerys and Jack surveyed the chaotic looking living room in silence while Ianto made them coffee. As Ianto brought a tray with three mugs on into the living room, Rhiannon walked sleepily down the stairs.
"Good morning everybody," Rhiannon yawned. She quickly rubbed her eyes and scanned the scene below her. "When are my niece and nephew getting up?"
"They shouldn't be long now. They usually wake up about half an hour after me and Ianto." Jack grinned up at Ianto's sister. They had met before but only once because every other time Jack and Ianto had been to visit Nerys, Rhiannon was at University or out with friends.
Rhiannon practically jumped down the last few stairs and sat on Jack's lap; giving him a squeezing hug. When Jack started to turn blue, she left go and went to give Ianto a hug.
"You've been away far too long, Yan." Rhiannon scolded.
"I know but I've been busy and I'm here now, aren't I?" Ianto explained. Although his sister was younger than him, he always done what she told him to do.
"Sorry I wasn't here for when you arrived. There was this huge party that I had to be at." Rhiannon launched into a story about how last night's party was the party of the year and she couldn't miss it for anything.
"I get it Rhi." Ianto chuckled when she started talking about something else completely.
"Okay, you could have said earlier, I was going to make some coffee after I explained that. Anyone want one?" Rhiannon never seemed to stop talking.
"No thanks Rhi, I've just had one." Ianto answered and held up his empty coffee mug as proof.
"Me neither," Nerys did exactly the same as Ianto.
"I'll have one if you're offering." Jack grinned when Ianto gave him a funny look.
"You haven't finished that one." Ianto pointed exaggeratedly at his mug.
"Yeah but by the time Rhiannon's finished making the coffee, I'll have finished this one." Jack rolled his eyes at Ianto.
Just as Rhiannon left the room, two sets of feet could be heard running across the landing. Caden and Bethan came running down the stairs shouting incoherently.
"Happy birthday!" Everyone shouted. The twins squealed and rushed over to separate piles of presents.
"This one says 'To Caden, happy birthday, love tad and daddy'." Bethan looked Ianto. Jack and Ianto usually led the twins to their pile of presents and they were confused.
"That pile's Caden's." Ianto took Bethan's hand and led her to the pile that Caden was inspecting. "Caden, your presents are over here." He left go of Bethan's hand and took Caden's. Once he had led both children to the right presents, Ianto sat next to Jack on the sofa. Taking Jack's hand in his own, he smiled at his partner and they watched the twin's open their birthday presents together; every now and then they shouted words of encouragement.
Nerys and Rhiannon went upstairs to get dressed while Jack and Ianto played with the twin's and their presents. They soon returned and started putting their shoes on.
"Where are you going?" Ianto put the Bethan's Barbie doll down and stood up.
"Just to the market. We go every Saturday." Rhiannon explained whilst clipping a piece of her hair off her face.
"We thought that you and Jack might like stay here, save you the hassle of getting the twins dressed." Nerys took her coat off the hook and put it on.
"Okay, when will you be back?" Ianto passed his mother her handbag from the banister railing.
"About 11." Rhiannon checked herself in the mirror and went to wait by the door.
"Why are you so interested Ianto?" Nerys asked as she opened the front door.
Ianto stepped over random presents on the floor as he didn't want the twins to hear what he and Jack had planned. Once he'd reached his mother he leaned forward so only his mam and sister could hear him.
"I've got a table booked an Italian restaurant in the town centre for 12:30. Could you make sure you're home by 11 so we can get ready. It's just Bethan and Caden don't know about the special cakes yet and we thought we could surprise them after a meal and they love pizza at the moment." Ianto grinned at their plan.
"Okay, we'll make sure we're back by 11 if you're paying." Rhiannon spoke for both of them. She then turned to the twins who were just starting to argue. "Me and your grandma are going out for a little bit, we'll see you later. Happy birthday!"
"Bye!" Both twins shouted after them and instantly forgotten their argument.
Ianto moved back over to his little family when his sister and mam left the house. He picked Bethan up and kissed her forehead lightly.
"I think it's time for two five year olds to get dressed." Ianto said matter-of-factly.
"After we get dressed will you paint a picture with me?" Caden asked Jack.
"I think we should do your pirate jigsaw." Jack didn't think painting was the best idea; especially if they were wearing their good clothes for the meal.
"But I really want to paint you a picture." Caden's bottom lip started quivering.
"We can paint pictures tonight when you're wearing your pyjamas. You don't want to ruin your special birthday outfit, do you?" Jack tried to make his son see sense.
"No, do you promise we can paint a picture tonight?" Caden sniffed a little bit but seemed happier that he would still get to do what he wanted.
Jack chuckled. "I promise, now let's go and get dressed and then we can try and finish your pirate jigsaw before your Auntie and Grandma get back." Jack gave the little boy a challenge. "It's got 250 pieces! Do you think we can do it?"
"Yes!" Caden jumped off the floor and started running up the stairs, eager to start his jigsaw.
"Tad?" Bethan was still in Ianto's arms.
"What is it Cariad?" Ianto turned his head to face the little girl in his arms.
"Can I wear my fairy princess dress?" Bethan looked at Ianto with big blue eyes and he couldn't possibly say no to her.
"Of course you can; as long as you don't spill anything on it, okay?" Ianto carried her up the stairs and into hers and Caden's bedroom. When they entered the room they saw Caden trying to reach the clothes in the wardrobe but failing miserably. Jack followed Ianto in the room and walked straight over to the wardrobe and instantly found Caden's birthday clothes.
"Here you go Sonny boy." Jack handed Caden the clothes and sat on the edge of the bed, ready to help him if he got stuck.
Bethan and Ianto searched through the wardrobe until they found the fairy princess dress that Jack and Ianto had bought for her last week. Ianto helped her zip it up and brushed her hair so it lay flowed nicely down her back. Jack styled Caden's hair with some gel he had packed especially for today. He looked over and smiled at Ianto. They were both thinking the same thing but Ianto managed to speak first.
"I think we need a photo." Ianto grinned at Jack who just sat nodding.
"Is that because I'm so pretty Tad?" Bethan pulled on his sleeve.
"Yes it is Sweetheart." Ianto laughed at how vain his daughter was, just like Jack.
Jack looked over at Caden who was surprisingly quiet; he saw that he was frowning.
"It's also because you're a very handsome young man." Jack pulled him closer and pressed a kiss to his forehead. A smile immediately spread across the little boy's face.
"Caden, could you go and stand next to Bethan." Ianto had planned ahead and had left the camera on the dressing table the night before. He turned it on and pointed it at the twins. Looking through the lens, he noticed that Caden was slouching. "Caden, stand up straight please." He checked again but both twins were now standing poker straight with their hands directly by their sides. It looked unnatural. Ianto was just about to ask them to relax when he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist. Jack rested his head on Ianto's shoulder.
"You two look like we're going to shout at you, relax a bit." Jack grinned at the children. They both loosened up a bit and started to smile. Ianto pressed the button just as Caden sneezed.
"Oh no! I'm going to look silly!" Caden ran to his Tad to have a look at the photo.
"It's okay Caden. I'll just take another one. Go and stand next to Bethan." Ianto pointed over to where Bethan was still standing. Jack's hands left his waist but he didn't move away from Ianto. "Smile!" Ianto said and the twins started giggling. He wasn't sure what they were giggling at but was happy with how the photo looked. He turned around to show Jack and saw him standing with a suspicious grin on his face. "I don't even want to know what you've done." Ianto shook his head and put the camera back on the dressing table.
"Caden, we had better go and start that jigsaw if we want to finish it soon." Jack held out his hand for his son and they made their way downstairs.
"Bethan, is there anything you want to do?" Ianto asked.
Bethan thought for a moment. "Will you teach me how to make coffee?"
Ianto chuckled. "Why do you want to learn how to make coffee?"
"Because Daddy always says that your coffee is the best thing he has ever tasted. I want to be able to make tasty coffee." Bethan explained.
"Okay then Cariad, I'll teach you how to make coffee but I'll have to help you with the kettle whenever you want to make it because the water is very very hot. Okay?" Ianto wanted to make sure his daughter wouldn't try to make it by herself later in case she got burned.
"Okay." Bethan held up her arms and Ianto picked her up and carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen for her first coffee lesson.