28
The house was silent, everyone abed. Except for the two men now in the bedroom upstairs that had been garnished with a little toy dragon on the floor that Ianto had picked up to reverently place on the single bed in the corner of the room.
"So … you didn't get a bigger house?" Jack asked.
"He lives next door with his guardians … Easier to say it's babysitting. To keep him hidden. A full time room… well. Harder to pretend it's OK to give him back all the time." Ianto didn't look at him, now straightening books in the little bookcase instead.
"Ianto… you gave up so much to hide him from me…"
Ianto snorted and rose to face him "I gave up so much to try and save him. This is not about you, or even me. I tried all I could think of to … Christ. To keep him safe from you, me … this world. The worlds I visited seeking guidance, cures… sometimes I think … you. I don't know."
"Me?"
"Jack… you might have broken my heart but those pieces all still beat for you!" Ianto sighed slumping on the bed to look at his now empty hands "I love the bones of you ya bastard."
"You've seen them" Jack grinned, then cleared his throat "Sorry. Levity is my stupidest shield. Ianto … God. I can't change what has happened, I don't know if I should if I even could. He's perfect. Perfect and he might not have turned out so grand if I had a spot in his life …"
"Don't say that" Ianto rose to face him and Jack sighed, reaching for Ianto before letting his hands drop again. No. Can't touch him. He will shy like a horse.
"Ianto. We are here. Now. This is the US we need to talk about. Right?" Jack asked.
"Is there an US?"
"I want there to be. Days. Weeks. Dare I ask for years?" Jack canted his head "Ianto…"
"I'm tired. Too tired to fight and too tired to shag. Come on, let's get some sleep and check the site tomorrow for seepage. Check the progression of the Decay and … give it time." Ianto said as he turned to fold back the bedding.
"Time. We have that" Jack agreed, hopeful that this might be one of those slow boil things… cant' push it and watching a pot come to the boil doesn't get you anywhere. Best let it go. It will do it's own thing. Right?
"Yes" Ianto whispered and Jack wondered if the answer was to the question spoken out loud or the thought.
Ianto looked at Jack and said again "Yes."
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Gwen rang at four in the morning. She was having Braxton hicks and was craving that sweet and sour chicken thingee form that Chinese place over at the place next to the bookies. Rhys had left already for a pick-up in Scotland. Jack went to roll for the bed before remembering where he was and he said softly that he was out of town and she needed to call Andy.
He closed the call and flopped back to find Ianto laying there watching him with raised eyebrows.
"Gwen" Jack said by way of explanation.
"When did you become her go-to guy?" Ianto asked with amusement.
"When she realised Rex was an arsehole that would never yield" Jack muttered as he buried his face into the pillow.
Ianto's soft laughter soothing him back to sleep
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.
Jack woke to a little body in the bed, now glad nothing … cheeky… happened as he opened his eyes to what his son snuggling into Ianto with such affection that Ianto opened his arms to embrace him without even waking up.
Then Rhiannon was calling the child and he was wriggling out as Ianto groaned and rolled to let him escape.
"He reminds me of my brother" Jack said after a while "Gray used to cuddle me like that."
"You never talk of him."
"Well … so many bad memories of him … not very many worth it. Right? Toshiko and Owen deserve our thoughts more" Jack rose and padded to the bathroom, returning to find Ianto sitting on the side of the bed and clothing laid out for him. His size of course.
"It wasn't your fault."
"No" Jack huffed "But it doesn't make it any better"
"And yet… here I am."
Jack laughed as he threw a pillow at Ianto and they dressed quickly, heading down to find breakfast waiting.
"By the gods Rhiannon, you are a grand cook" Jack said around the food as the kids watched with wide eyes. Jack then took a slice of bread, folded it in half, mopped up the bacon grease and shoved the entire thing in his mouth while Ianto cleanly ate with a knife and fork.
"Bloody hell" Rhiannon finally spluttered "Now I see where he gets it from!"
Jack froze to look at her, then down the table where the little one was cramming a bacon butty into his gob while also trying to fit his glass of milk.
Jack tired not to laugh, didn't want to choke.
OK.
Clearly everyone could see this child was his.