18
The breeze was slight as laughter filled the air, snow fall starting as Jack fumbled with the Christmas lights on the patio of the new house.
They had decided on a fresh start in another part of town, closer to Jennifer's work as well as Ianto's. Yeah, she was their boarder now. She was also pleased to find both men could cook and were insistent on an equal share of things around the house, the idea of coming home after a late shift to a hot meal almost leaving her in tears a few times.
The three boys were like brothers now, their demands to share a room finally met as the huge second living room was now theirs with three beds against walls and the middle of the room full of toys Ianto constantly scolded for.
"What's the time" Jack called out as he straightened up and grinned at his lover.
Ianto pulled an antique gold watch from his pocket and swept his thumb over the engraving that spoke of undying love and pushed the button to open it, looking down and calling back "Two thirty Cariad."
"Right!" Jack straightened up and asked "what do you think?"
"It better not be shaped like a dick!" Ianto warned as he stepped out to walk towards Jack, the slight limp the only reminder of the previous year's fears. One year on, Christmas looming once more but this time with hope and promise on the wind.
Ianto stepped in close to his fiancé, the pocket watch engagement gift still warm from his hand now in his pocket as he looked up and smiled "Lovely Cariad. Lots of blue."
"I like blue" Jack agreed with a grin.
"Right… Jennifer will pick the boys up, change them and meet us there at the court house right?" Jack swung to face Ianto with eager glee that had Ianto smiling softly.
"Yes. You and I go in and do the necessaries, and then we come out and get photos with the boys and… of course the baby." Ianto nodded reaching out to stroke Jack's cheek "then we can really start to panic."
"Panic?"
"Jack… it's been a year since all this kicked off. In that time we got engaged, bought this huge house, bullied poor Jennifer into a lifetime of our madness and now in less than an hour we will have a new member of the family."
"Yeah… a girl" Jack gushed, his hands flapping as he started to dance around the garden in low swoops making stupid noises that had Ianto wanting to slap him silly.
"Cariad!"
"Sorry love. I am just so excited" Jack said with glee, the phone call from Ianto's 'woman' to ask if there was room for another baby as one of her 'sisters' had slipped up had been unexpected and ever so welcome.
"I just don't like the name Juniper. Really.. she is not a berry ya know" Ianto stated to same old argument the men had been having for the last month, full of bullshit and bluster as they both knew they were going to call her Grace. It was a fun argument though, with slaps, pushing and kisses.
"And then… the wedding!" Jack said with open glee "Oh man… such a great year coming."
"Yes, god help me. Knocked up before I am even wed. What will people think" Ianto deadpanned, then smiled as he stepped in close and kissed Jack with passion "But I don't care. Fiddle-de-dee and all that jazz."
"Oh… I know what Dee thing I want to fiddle" Jack leered, "Do we have time?"
"Jack!" Ianto looked scandalized "You want to get our new daughter with… smut all over us?"
"Smutty smut McSmutiness" Jack pulled Ianto back in and bit his neck "A quick one? A shower one? Two birds with one stone?"
"God. OK… just… don't try that weird thing with the ledge this time. I almost broke something laughing when you fell over!" Ianto warned as he slapped Jack's arse then he ran inside as fast as he could with a limp and snow on the ground.
Jack let him have a head start, more fun catching him that way.
Jack looked around his home one more time as he pulled his shirt from his jeans before chasing his lover inside and knew without a doubt that he was a lucky man.
That no longer wore a mask.
.
.
.
Thanks for reading, merry Christmas my friends. xxxx