29
Ianto was humming softly, his foot tapping to music only he could hear as he sat on the old sofa under the Torchwood name on the wall. Tosh kept stealing glances, still slightly unnerved by the raw power that radiated off him and the soft wink did nothing to soothe as Owen openly stomped around and poked at him, getting dry snarked responses that had Owen revelling.
The open familiarity had her wondering how long they had known each other, then watching Jack lean over to kiss his mate with such adoration that she knew she needed to know more than just the Doc being involved.
"May I have a word?" she asked as she got up the courage to slide onto the sofa beside him.
"Think of time like a piece of fabric. Your skirt here" Ianto spoke softly as he reached out and pulled at it gently, pulling a wrinkle into the woollen fabric, "This piece of thread leads from this but right now they are side by side, what happened in-between still happened but does not matter as you see the continuation, right?"
"You knew what I was going to ask" she scolded softly.
"You are intelligent, would have worked it out in time but I know you are also impatient" Ianto smiled, "We had an event that caused a fold in the fabric. The time between points erased yet those within remember. For you, who were near it is like a niggle."
"A paradox" she said as she pushed her glasses up in that sweet way, "You talk of a paradox."
"Yes little blossom, I do" he grinned, "I speak of both a time paradox and a verse merge. Two parallel universes also melted into one. Why you have a craving for the music in my water room. In the other Verse you were in a submarine. Music had that same underwater ping to it"
"And me and Owen?"
"Yes. You and Owen" Ianto sighed, "Both there and here in the in-between you found one another and must do so again. Know that you only hit him a few times."
As he had hoped, she laughed and accepted his explanation and rising to leave, pausing as she looked back, "And it had nothing to do with our own pet Doctor?"
"No, that is from yet another universe. I know people generally say there are ten but I feel there may be hundreds of alternate realities." Ianto shrugged, "Who knows, even the Doc doesn't know. I asked him."
"Well, he doesn't lie like the other one" Tosh agreed.
"Know that you are loved, always were" Ianto said as he smiled and watched her walk off with a spring in her step, then his smile faded at the edges as Gwen walked past and leaned over to ask Tosh something, her boobs on display.
He then saw Jack looking, his own face moving to a frown as he moved towards her, "Gwen, your boobs are trying to escape again. Please don't force me to make us all wear a uniform just to contain them. Ianto looks so lovely in a different suit each day, like a tease. I know Wednesday is usually purple day but the candyfloss pink was such a lovely surprise when he came out of the wardrobe. Look. Sexy beast."
"Stop it!" Ianto scolded, "You know I am starting to show. I need more clothes, some nice big ones."
"I know you like big ones" Owen chortled and Ianto turned to look at him as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yes Owen, I explained that I was touched but you would never be enough" Yan's snark came so naturally that Owen did a double take before roaring with mirth, leaning back and promptly falling of his chair.
Ianto rolled his eyes.
"I still can't believe you are with child" Gwen gushed happily, "It is so weird to see a man with a bump like that."
Jack felt a spike of anger at his mate being called weird. He was about to snarl at her when Rhys snorted as he lifted his shirt and smacked his belly, "Well this kind of sexiness only comes to some of us ya know!"
"And I am so lucky it all belongs to me" Andy said quickly as he stepped over to kiss Rhys, "All mine!"
Rhys shone as he slapped Andy's arse and then shot back to check the oven, something cooking that was driving Ianto crazy and it was getting harder to stop himself from peeking, then Jack saw him lick his lips and listened to the bond, feeling his hunger.
"What's for lunch Rhys?" Jack asked innocently and got a smile of thanks from his dragon.
"Bacon butties and cherry tarts" Rhys said distractedly as he fiddled with Andy's collar, "And I am trying a new recipe of flapjacks."
"Wonderful" Ianto sighed, "I really felt like fruit today. Hear that poppet? Uncle Rhys is gonna give you some tarts. Yeah."
They all watched Ianto rub his belly as he spoke to it and Jack cleared his throat so they looked at him before Ianto looked up as well, the knowledge in Jack's mind that Ianto would hate to find them all looking at him when he was doing something so private.
"Let's get some paperwork done and then yummy Rhys food" Jack said as he started for the office, "Gwen. Go change your top, last warning. Do it again and I will make you wear a burnt orange top with green polka dots."
"Sadist!" she yelled after him as she stomped off and Ianto hummed some more.
His dragon ears listening to the lovely music wafting around him.
