5
Jack was paying the bill, insisting on it and he was pleased to find Ianto happy to let him. Jack liked to be a provider, it was not a macho thing, more of a caring thing and Ianto seemed to realize and allow this as one of his flaws to be embraced.
"Hello there you gorgeous piece of eye candy" a voice purred and Ianto turned to find a man almost the same height as him, thin, blonde and with amazing cheekbones. Like… you could cut paper on them. Ianto did not smile, feeling the need to take a physical step back like he smelt bad.
"John. Ianto, this is John Hart, my ex-partner" Jack said dismissively.
"Partner?" Ianto raised an eyebrow "In which sense?"
"Yes… in everything" John purred a he tried to step closer again and find himself looking at thin air, It not there at all. He blinked and turned to find Ianto standing xnet to Jack ignoring him.
"Hey, I wasn't done talking to you eye can…" John started to cough, then choke on something and Jack went to help him only to find Ianto's hand on his arm holding him back. Then John took a deep breath and it was gone. He stared at Ianto, then said softly "What the fuck did you just do to me?"
"Oh come on… don't be a divvy. What could I do… magick ya? For Godsake man, you swallowed wrong" Ianto laughed as he turned and started to walk over to the door then turned back "Well? Come on Jack, don't keep me waiting."
Jack headed after him like a puppy called to heel and John watched with open confusion as he placed a hand to his throat. That had been… weird.
.
.
"Hello Missy" Ianto said as he stepped to one side to allow Alice into his apartment, her wave to her friend and friend's mother as they passed, pausing for polite conversation and his thanks for walking her home.
In the days since their meeting things were happening at an interesting pace. The babysitter had quit as the ex-wife was too scary, the said ex-wife was being very intense and so it had come to pass that Alice walked home with her friend from the floors below, was walked to Ianto's door and she stayed with him until Jack was off work. Ianto agreed to collect and watch the girls on the afternoons the mother worked late instead. A symbiotic agreement you could say.
Jack came and they ate together then he and Alice would go home. Each time they went to leave she would turn and remind him about the promise to go to the countryside next school holidays. To her immense excitement it was coming fast, the next weekend to be a long one with a four day holiday. They would finally go and tonight, as Jack hesitated in the doorway to say goodbye Ianto initiated a kiss. Warm, solid and comforting. Jack had needed it after a shitty day and had leaned into it with delight.
"There are only two bedrooms at my little cottage so… we will have to share" Ianto whispered, then closed the door to leave Jack staring at it with wide eyes.
Was that an invitation for cohabitation?
.
.
Ianto ws walking the Plass in a world full of bluster and fast moving people, like the tide. It was late afternoon and they were all moving from their places of business to their homes and he moved with them, thinking about things to come and it was with no surprise that he found someone falling into step.
"So we met again" John purred into Ianto's ear like they were spies passing off national secrets.
Ianto changed course and John had barely a moment to register it before he slammed it the sudden wall. He staggered back and stared at the brick wall he knew had not been there a moment ago, swinging to find he was not in the same area they had been walking moments ago.
How the hell had that shit happened.
The handsome man in the three piece suit? Nowhere to be seen.
John was confused as hell.
.
.
Ianto was watching Alice and her little friend play in the local playground and he felt the ground sort of drop or shift, like a boat as sea and he looked up as the birds erupted from the trees to take to the air. He started to walk confidently towards the girls "Ice Cream!"
As he had hoped, they abandoned the game to run over and snag his hand, a girl each side as they walked from the place without looking back, those left there unaware of the quiet alarm in his chest.
"I thought we were getting ice cream" Lilly said as she was buckled in.
"Maccas Drive-through" Ianto replied as he moved to check Alice's belt "we can get a flake too."
"YEAHHHHH YAYYYYY" the girls screamed with glee and Ianto turned the key, urged on by this weight descending and they were shooting along a side street when the earthquake hit, the car dropping as Ianto grunted and swung the wheel for an open car park.
"What's that?" Alice asked as she looked out the window.
"I think we are having an earthquake" Ianto said calmly "cool, right? Look at the power poles over there wobbling like dancers. What song would they dance to, do you think?"
The girls both giggled at him and made their choices of music, singing happily as they had no idea the destruction happening around them. Finally it stopped and Ianto felt his heart pounding in his chest.
"Well that will be the end of the power and the end of the bloody Maccas. Good thing I have ice cam at home right?"
"YAAAAYYYYY"