14
Ianto's voice mixed with Jack's as they sang Halleluiah, everyone joining in with delight as Mica settled next to Ianto on the piano stool to show that she had learned a few of the notes.
Then they settled the kids to sleep. Ianto sat for a long time on Mica's bed rubbing her back as he pondered the evening. Had he really entered this family? Had they really welcomed him after all the weirdness? Then Ianto remembered that envelope he had opened and closed again, looking over at it with a frown.
Finally he knew he could not hold it off any longer, walking over to open it. He looked at it for a long time then sighed, tapping it against his leg before he headed into the other bedroom to find Jack on the bed reading.
"Jack… can you have a look at this and give me your thoughts?" Ianto asked, handing it over.
Jack looked at him with surprise, accepting the envelope and removing the letter. It was from Johnny's lawyer demanding the kids. Visitation. "Prick."
"I know. Nothing all this time and now… I wonder. Do you think he had a new girlfriend and is doing all this to impress her? Do the poor me act?" Ianto pondered. Finding out that Rhiannon and Gray had died for nothing, well… nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time seemed worse somehow than having a clear-cut robbery or something. How do you measure that, your anger, loss and deep regret? The last thing they need is a challenge to further add fuel to the fires of sorrow these kids are still trying to swallow down.
"Makes sense. This time of year, making out he's the hard done by father denied his kids… a great way to get some poor single mother to take him in for the holidays. He signed them away, he knows this… clearly whoever he is trying to diddle doesn't" Jack agreed as he stood and walked over to Ianto "Some people."
"I know. Throw kids in the mix and people get all mushy" Ianto rolled his eyes then grinned "speaking of mushy… did you get the toy?"
"Toy?"
"The bloody toy David asked for, the drone thing"
"Yeah, yeah. Got one for me to so it can be something we do together. Fly them in the park or something. Man bonding." Jack nodded. The way Ianto had flapped his hand around was so cute, he was so sweet when pissed.
"Great, I got the chemistry set Mica wanted. Made sure nothing in it can actually blow us all up" Ianto assured Jack stepping closer so they were standing so close they could feel one another's breath "and I got you something too… if you are lucky."
"Oh?"
"hmmmm.. who knows. Maybe" Ianto said coyly then flounced off, making Jack laugh as he watched Ianto leave.
Cheeky that one.
.
..
.
Ianto woke to the sounds of screaming. Apparently it was Christmas and the kids wanted to go do gift opening.
"Now… you know the rules. One gift now, the rest later!" Jack said as he struggled to get them into robes, Ianto about to scold when he saw the snow outside.
"OH MY GOD IT SNOWED!" Ianto said and now the kids had a new focus as they argued about playing outside once their one only morning gift was opened.
"Cut it out!" Ianto scolded without any way of actually controlling the kids who…. Ran outside with screams of glee, the other kids in the house following them as they rampaged in the garden. Soon parents were chasing kids as dogs entered the fray and tripped one of two, snow flying as everyone yelled and argued.
"GIFTS!" Ianto roared loudly, his teacher's voice great as the kids all remembered their first thoughts, running inside where Jack's mother was ready for them by the tree.
"One only!" she said as she policed the gift choosing and then everyone settled to watch the kids open their gifts, Ianto not there. Jack rose to search for him and found him getting warm clothing for the kids.
"Hey"
"God, ya scared the bejesus out of me" Ianto laughed "They will want outside again. Getting them clothes."
"Let's get dressed and go out with them. The others will not want to get cold plus there is the meal to sort. We can stay out of the way with the kids" Jack suggested. "Mom hates too many helpers in the kitchen."
"What. Unpaid babysitting?" Ianto gasped.
Jack laughed "Oh… what do you want as payment?"
"A dance" Ianto finally said "I want to dance with you. I've not danced with someone in so long… well… unless I count your mother. She was leading ya know!"
"Ah yes … mom. She loves to dance." Jack smiled, "That meant a lot to her that, really thawed her to you."
"I hope so. I really want this to work" Ianto frowned and Jack saw the vulnerability there, stepping in even closer so they were now in kissing distance. Seemed natural ya know. To steal one.
"Oi!"
"Haha… you snooze, you lose" Jack laughed, slapping Ianto's butt and taking off as Ianto stood there totally perplexed now. This man is so… infuriating. He didn't know if he wanted to shag him or beat the shit out of him.
Frustration burned.
Yeah…. Ianto knew what he really wanted.
But it might complicate things if he didn't want the same. What if this was just him flirting, playing? Eggnogged out? What if Ianto does give him his heart only to find that WHAM song playing about Last Charismas or whatever.
Ianto had a lot to think about.