Chapter Nineteen.
Ianto reached the bottom of the box and huffed. He knew he had packed the good coffee in there somewhere. He could have sworn he had packed it with the machine. He stood and stretched hearing his back creak and then he saw it. Laughing he picked up the flask and pulled out the small pack of coffee beans. The bag in his hand he looked around; now where had he packed the grinder?
Pulling off the strip of tape off the box labelled 'kitchen things' he began to unwrap each item in a search for a mug. This was not the mug box; it was filled cutlery and other essential kitchen utensils along with knives.
Moving to the lounge he shifted boxes. 'Why is it always the one on the bottom?' he said to himself as he moved each box in term.
In true 'Murphy' style the box containing the mugs was on the bottom. As he went to lift it he realised why. It was heavy, filled with crockery. Opening it he took out the plates first.
One of the many things about this kitchen that was 'fortuitous,' he thought as he placed the plates in a plate rack that was part of one of the cupboards, was that this kitchen felt like it had been designed with him in mind. It was as if someone had measured the height of his hip and the length of his arm. If he thought about it, and he had, everything about this flat reflected his tastes, from the colour of the bench tops, size of the bath down to the polished floors.
Returning to the box on the floor of the lounge he reached in and pulled out the next item from the box. Unwrapping it, he smiled. It was one of his special mugs, one of a pair David had given to him. This and its brother needed to go somewhere special. He walked into the kitchen, looked around, and spied a nook. He hadn't seen it before but it was clearly somewhere to display important objects. He lifted the small protective window and carefully placed the mug in. 'Perfect' all it needed was its mate and they would be safe and sound with no danger of them being knocked off or damaged ever again.
Reaching into the box he now found the other. As he was pulling off the bubble wrap he heard a soft knock that was followed by a stronger, more insistent, one.
Mug in hand he walked to the door. Unchaining the door he found the first and only flaw there was no spy hole.
Opening the door he fumbled and the mug nearly slipped from his hand. A quick movement and he caught it. He blinked and stared felt his heart beating wildly in his chest.
"Hi, I heard you were up and about and thought this would be a good time to introduce myself. I'm Jack Harkness. I have the flat upstairs." Jack held out his hand.
"Jones, Ianto Jones," replied taking Jack's hand and shaking it, feeling like he was caught in some surreal alternate reality.
"I'm sorry," Ianto said after an awkward moment had passed as he recovered. "You reminded me of someone I knew, know...in fact it's like seeing double," Ianto stammered out as a thousand questions began to race through his mind.
"Wow, I guess the rumour that everyone has a double is true," Jack joked.
"Nice mug," Jack stated referring to the object in Ianto's hand. "That's rather a unique design."
Ianto rolled the mug between his hands. "It's one of a pair; gifts from my nephew," he said. The aroma of hot coffee began to fill the doorway. "I just put on some coffee, would like some?" Ianto offered.
"Love to, if you have a plate we could share these." Jack indicated the brown bakery bag he was carrying.
Ianto moved aside to allow Jack to enter.
"Have you lived here long?" Ianto asked as Jack closed the door.
"Just a few weeks. I moved in just after the renovations were finished. I've started up a security company. I have some expertise in that area, mostly consultancy. Thought Cardiff would be a good place to start, iron out any difficulties then expand." Jack noted the look on Ianto's face which suggested he was confused but intrigued as to what was going on. "The real reason I moved here was to be close to my son." Jack pulled out a photo from his wallet and handed it to Ianto. "He's three, nearly four."
Ianto looked at a photograph of Bevan. "That's amazing. I've got a son to same age. Bevan."
"Small world. I've always liked that name," Jack said.
"It's so good to see you Jack," Ianto said as he handed back the image.
"Someone very important told me that fresh starts sometimes need to start from the very beginning."
Ianto felt his throat catch as he recalled his wish. He took a moment to just look at the man now he had recovered from the shock. Jack was different. Gone was the coat, suspenders and boots replaced with jeans, tee-shirt, trainers, newspaper under one arm and bakery bag in the other. It took every ounce of control he had not to throw his arms around him.
"Let me find a plate for those." Ianto took the bag headed for the kitchen. "How do you like your coffee?" Ianto played along as Jack joined him.
"Black with one sugar."
Ianto headed back to the crockery box and rifling through the half unpacked box Ianto found the mugs he was looking for. Quickly rinsing them out he poured coffee into both. He decanted the contents of the bakery bag onto a plate and placed it next to Jack.
"Now sugar," Ianto opened the pantry door and, taking out a large storage jar of sugar, poured some into a cup. "Sorry I'm not sure where the sugar bowl is."
Jack smiled as he heaped in a good spoonful.
"Have you met the owner of this place?" Ianto asked as he picked up his own mug.
"Yeah, he showed me through. Older bloke spoke with a Midwest American accent. Did a great job on refurbishing this place, don't you think?"
"I was thinking just this morning this flat could have been made with me in mind," Ianto pointed out.
Jack snapped his fingers. "You know, I have the same feeling myself."
"Must have cost a fortune," Ianto said.
"Well if the job's worth doing, you might as well do it well."
"Where is he now?"
"Gone. I got the feeling he was looking for a life to live and he said something about wanting to see if wishes really did come true."
"To wishes." Ianto raised his mug.
"To dreams coming true," Jack replied and they tapped mugs.
"That is some hutch," Rhys said as Bevan very carefully placed 'Racer' on top of a large bed of hay, content to share the carrot with the other guinea pig, 'Mimi'.
"I drew a picture and then Daddy made it. We both worked at it together." Bevan shut the lid and pushed the bolt across the nesting area. "We had to buy lots of wood, and nails and wire and things."
"Nice plaque." Rhys pointed out the flat wood with the words 'Racer and Mimi" burnt in with a large degree of squiggles that looked like Bevan's handiwork.
"Yes, Daddy helped me make it," Bevan told him seriously then bit his bottom lip. Rhys knew something was going on because Bevan was holding onto some big secret. It was part of a very special big happy surprise which made him so excited he could hardly contain himself.
Rhys watched with Bevan as Racer and Mimi began to explore their new home.
"So when is this huge surprise you keep talking about supposed to happen?" Rhys asked Bevan.
"Today."
"Well, that's a relief. I'm not sure you can hold in in my longer before going pop," Rhys teased and Bevan laughed
"It is a great big secret and I will go pop."
"That's because you're also full of fizzy drinks." Bevan belched on queue.
Ianto watched Bevan and Rhys as he freshened up the snacks and wondered if he should get out the salads now that the meat was well on its way to cremation. He looked across at Johnny who lifted up his hand indicating five minutes.
"So is this big surprise someone you've met then?" Ianto looked up as Rhiannon joined Ianto and together they headed for the kitchen.
Reaching it he pulled open the fridge and pulled out the coleslaw, potato, and pasta salads.
"My friend Susan was out having her anniversary dinner at that posh Italian place." Rhiannon took two of the salads
"Really," Ianto looked around to see if there was anything he had missed.
"Said she saw you."
"Did she?" he said trying to keep the surprise out of his voice.
"You were with this bloke, handsome like he could be a film star, like an escort."
"Yes, I was having dinner with a client."
"Fancy sort of place to take a client. Anyway, Susan said it was intimate, no way anyone was getting their feet under that table, no way."
Ianto pretended to check over the contents of the salads, then opened the fridge, gazed into it then shut it again. Taking a breath he turned to face her.
"Is he nice?" she asked amused, at Ianto's discomfort.
"Yeah," Ianto agreed
"So who is he? Do we know him?"
"We're taking it slow, getting to know each other."
"Well, from what Susan told me there was nothing slow about this. It was like no-one else in the Universe existed: candlelit dinner, holding each other's hand, whispering to each other, at one point the other bloke kissed the back of your hand, right romantic…" She ran out of words.
Ianto let out a breath. "Okay, it might be a lot more serious than I letting on, but it's happened so quickly, I didn't want to say anything. We are taking it slow."
"Does he know about Bevan? He's okay you've got a four year old?"
"He's met Bevan. He lives next door."
"He's what?"
"He's the other tenant and he has a son the same age."
"So where is he then? Or are you worried we might eat him alive?"
"No it's not that..."
"We are well over the gay thing," she explained as a huge grin started to grow on her face. "I bet its meeting your possible in-laws. It can be a bit daunting," Rhiannon rattled off and they headed back to the garden.
"See, this is why I haven't said anything because you always read too much into things. One dinner, and in your mind you are already sending out the wedding invitations." Ianto placed the salads he was carrying onto the table.
"Wedding …." she stopped and laughed at the look on Ianto's face "So he is coming?"
"Be here very soon." Ianto looked up to see Bevan running across the lawn.
"Daddy!" Bevan launched himself.
"My tiger," Jack said, scooping him up in his arms.
"Am I too late? Have you had cake yet?" Jack asked everyone.
"Daddy's here! Daddy Jack is here."
With everyone in the garden stilled and in shock Jack strode over to Ianto with Bevan firmly clamped around his neck.
Reaching him Ianto put his arm around Jack's waist.
"Everyone," Ianto announced "I would like you to meet my boyfriend."
Rhiannon looked confused. "But it's Jack!" Jack winked at her. "So you're saying he's the other tenant? The one you're dating is Jack, as in Jack Harkness?"
"Yes"
"Bevan, is this your big surprise?" Rhys asked.
Bevan nodded. "Daddy lives door next to Daddy. It was real hard, to keep the secret, but they both said just to say Daddy helped and that would not be telling fibs."
"So are you back to stay?" Johnny asked, placing a plate of hamburgers and sausages onto the table.
Ianto put his arm around Jack. "Yes I am." They both reached in and kissed gently.
"Stay, like in really stay?" Rhiannon repeated Johnny's question.
"As long as Ianto will have me." Jack looked at Ianto who leaned in and kissed him.
"And this flat, and everything. That was you?" Rhys found his voice and Jack smiled, nodding.
"I'm hungry," Bevan said, leaning out towards the table before either could reply.
"Right everyone, I think we've had the surprise of the day. Grub's up and as always birthday boy is first," Ianto announced and placed a sausage into a slice of bread, added sauce, and handed it to Bevan.
"Shock is that what you call this. I need beer to recover from this," Rhys picked up his bottle and drained it the last drop.
"You are a sly one," Rhiannon said as the cleared up the table in the garden, now a ruin of scattered paper plates covered in crusts and half-eaten sausages and burgers.
"We figured today would be a good day."
"When did you find out?" Rhiannon asked Ianto.
"Day after I moved in. There was Jack, Sunday newspaper under his arm, bag full of buns in the other."
"Why all the secrecy? Were you worried we would see him off?"
"No, you've had already given him a seeing to and normally that does the job."
Rhiannon punch his arm. "OW!" He rubbed the top of his arm.
"But you have a history, Bevan..."
"It's different this time round."
"But how? The past is the past," she pointed out.
We're on equal footing."
"But…
"Fresh start. We still have a lot to work through but there's real wisdom in just letting go and allowing yourself to move forward."
"And what if he hurts you again?" They both looked across to see Jack talking to Rhys, beer bottle in hand, having a deep conversation, which from the drift was a discussion as to why rugby was a man's game.
"Oh, I'm sure he will, and I'll hurt him. We will say spiteful things in the heat of the moment, and get steaming mad with each other. It's just…. before Jack and I never had a good foundation to build anything on. We were at Torchwood; he was my boss. It was hardly healthy, so much between us was unsaid, both of us hurting, yet neither of us had the ability to talk to each other. If ever there was a pair of wall builders it was us. The walls we built were so high and thick neither of us could reach the other This time we are making sure we have a foundation, that even if parts get torn down and have to be rebuilt or get re-modelled we are still grounded. We have to keep focused on how we feel for each other and be prepared to stay and face the future together."
"So Susan was right."
Ianto smiled "We're taking it slow. A real relationship; talking, spending time together, finding out who we really are."
"You live next door to each other. How is that going to work?"
"That's part of our new understanding. Both of us need our own space."
"The pair of you...a strange pair, both playing at normal. And you're both sort of playing rewind, going back to the start," Rhiannon said
Ianto looked across at Jack who, seeing he had caught Ianto's gaze, threw him a thousand watt smile. Ianto smiled then put a hand on his sister's shoulder, "Well, Sometimes the end is the beginning."