53
Ianto knew Jack would have a blue Derongi if he knew they were doing it, but Gray was bored of the hub and the sun was shining.
Ianto took him up on the invisible lift while Jack was distracted by a Unit call and into the world above.
Gray held Ianto's hand tightly as he looked around in the world he had only seen through the window of the SUV while heading back and forth from the flat.
Ianto led him down by the bay, letting him watch the seagulls. With fish and chips in paper, they sat and threw what they couldn't eat, watching the gulls snatch their prizes as they screamed "mine" at each other.
Gray slid from the seat as Ianto sat with his mind wandering over the last few months. Ianto first became aware of his absence when he heard children laughing.
Ianto turned and looked in the direction of the laughter and saw Gray running with two small children, flying a kite.
Ianto held his breath as the girl stumbled, her small white skirt flying out around the thin legs as they pumped and Gray reached out to steady her, while still watching the kite.
"Ianto? Where are you?" Jack's voice crackled over the comms.
"Outside in the sun" Ianto replied, "Tosh can track us on the CCTV."
Ianto soon felt Jack approaching, the soft buzz of Jack's special being.
Jack slid onto the seat next to Ianto and watched the children.
"How long has he been at it?" Jack asked after a while.
"About an hour" Ianto grinned, "He's made an impression on the mother as well. Told me I have a delightful child."
Jack snorted and then smiled as Gray saw him and waved.
"We had it flying for almost ten minutes!" Gray enthused, "Can I have one?"
"Sure" Jack laughed, "We'll stop off at the store on the way to Ianto's tonight. We have the night off."
"Store?" Gray canted his head in a good impression of Ianto.
"Oh. Um, storage building" Jack said after thinking it through.
Gray was verging on hysterical as he ran from thing to thing, so excited that he wasn't actually taking it all in.
"Gray, come here please" Ianto said softly, "Please breathe for a moment and calm down. The toys aren't going anywhere."
Jack was putting the PlayStation in the trolley that he had obtained while Ianto was distracted by the jigsaw puzzles.
The SUV was groaning as they sped home, Gray babbling and Ianto asked Jack more than once if any sugar had been provided.
Gray insisted on dragging one of the bags up the stairs on his own, the constant thumping making Ianto grind his teeth until Jack winked and de-stressed the whole thing.
Gray began unending the bags as Ianto chastised him for the mess and Jack laughed as Gray's face lit up the room.
Gray found the one he was looking for, hooting as he examined the dragon kite kit.
"Put that one aside for the weekend" Ianto told him, "Aunty Tosh was really excited when I told her you had that, she would like to play with it too. Maybe Uncle Owen and Aunty Tosh can come spend the day and then have dinner."
"Oh please, Tellon" Gray huffed, "I wanna build something."
"So you don't want to build the cubby house in that bloody box your poor brother had to lug up here?" Ianto pointed to the box leaning against the wall.
"My house!" Gray crowed, stumbling over bags and boxes.
He grunted and pulled until he had it in the middle of the room and Ianto sighed as the argument about placement was sure to come next.
Jack solved it before it even happened, pushing aside a chair and clearing the corner of the room.
The cabin came unpainted and Ianto wondered if he was going mad. Jack laid the plastic table cloth he had purchased with small daisies on it and pulled the house into the middle.
"Once it's painted, we can scoot it back." Jack said as Gray cheered.
"Tellon? Will my bed fit in?" Gray asked as he shook the paint can like the man in the store told him.
"The air mattress will fit" Jack said quickly, "You can sleep in there sometimes, not all the time though, you are a growing boy and need a big bed."
Ianto found the paint brushes and lent down, "And I want cuddles sometimes, too."
Gray grinned up at Ianto with such love that Jack stopped fussing with the house and watched as Ianto leaned in and kissed Gray's forehead.
Jack was overcome and took a moment to get himself centred.
They were a family.
