14
Jack entered the coffee shop and let his eyes adjust to the darkness, removing his trademark aviator sunglasses to grin widely at those already gaping with awe at him. Yeah, he was THAT vain, but also THAT correct. How could you not notice that level of sex appeal coming close enough to lick? Everyone was fully aware that Jack Harkness was in Da House!
He walked to the back table and took a seat, not bothering to lift a menu as the waiter approached nervously; asking politely like Ianto had taught him "can I please have a chocolate milkshake and a melting moment?"
The waiter bowed, not knowing why as he had never done that before and he scuttled off with horror at his action to ask the cook what a fucking melting moment was. Jack ignored it, focusing on the one sitting at the table already, nervously wringing at the table cloth.
"So. She is back in the mental?" Jack asked.
"They said it will be a secure hold now, any more court proceedings to happen will be via camera and phone conferencing" Gray confirmed.
"And if she asks you to do something for her?"
"I will tell her no?"
"Gray. Look at me. This is your last chance to make this right. You fucked up, royally. You know this, I know this and Mom sure as fuck knows this. If you ever… EVER… endanger my family again I will step away and you will lose me. Do you understand? I will tell the world my brother died. Was snatched away by a monster and is gone forever." Jack said in a low tone leaving Gray with no confusion here "Ianto and our babies are off limits."
"I am sorry" Gray whispered, squirming now as the waiter returned with the milkshake in a large glass, the two little mouthfuls of a powdered cake on a plate and then departed, Gray's own coffee and donut still untouched.
"I love you Gray. I love you more than I can ever show but you hurt me. You hurt my family. Don't do it again, don't ever mistake my love for weakness" Jack rose and took the two cakes, popping them in his mouth in a show of gluttony that would have horrified Ianto. They were not malting moments but America did lack the things he liked about the UK's food. Lucky for him Ianto was an amazing cook and baker, the little butter cookies like shortbread but sweet filled with cream and dusted lightly with a sugary powder were to die for. He made them about once a month and let Jack eat almost all of them if he had a big day at the gym first. Gotta burn it to earn it.
Then he removed the straw, dropped it on the plate and chugged the milkshake like a sailor. The burp at the end was epic, Owen would have been jealous.
Finally Jack picked up the napkin placed by the plate and dabbed his mouth like a gentleman, seeing Ianto in his mind's eye nodding approvingly and with a flourish he flicked a cool crisp hundred note at the waiter who was now star struck "Keep the change sweet cheeks."
Jack swanked out of there, pausing pointedly to flick his wrist to open the aviator shades and slap them onto his face, turning back to grin at everyone as a single finger slid them up his nose to cover the wink they all got, then he was gone. He had practiced that move in front of the mirror for weeks before the first movie and knew his now trademark shades flick was as recognizable as Morgan Freeman's voice. Ianto called it the Harkness Slap. Ianto named everything ya know, even the vacuum cleaner had a name. Hell… the Toaster was called Timothy for some reason. Jack loved that about him, so playful and childlike sometimes. Cute.
Time to go home.
Gray sat in mute shock, having never noticed his brother's power before and as he sat there he knew this had not been a friendly family moment.
This had been a business transaction.
Jack placed down his terms and conditions.
If Gray fucked up… breached those conditions… terminated.
It did NOT feel good at all.
.
.
"Where did you get to?" Ianto asked as he looked up from the baking tray and Jack paused with wonder as the scent of melting moments assaulted his nostrils. Ahhhhh. See? Perfect. The boys were in the other room watching a DVD about dinosaurs, totally happy. A good day to be a kid. A good day to be a Jack actually. And this Jack The Lad was happy in the warmth of his lover, the flame on the candlestick, if ya will.
"I was just wanting one of those, been thinking about them all morning" Jack said as he settled on a barstool to try and pluck on up off the tray, so hot that it was still soft. Yum.
"I've not mixed the icing butter icing yet, took me ages to sort the stuff out in the cupboards so they made sense. My father was a slob, now don't annoy me" Ianto scolded, relenting as Jack looked at him with wide eyes, then sighing as he went to the fridge and got out the bowl of leftover whipped cream form the ginger snaps he had just made. Oh god. Jack sat and dipped melting moments into freshly whipped cream as Ianto pretended not to see the gluttony on display.
He knew that body was in mint condition, he had checked it himself not but a night ago with his tongue after all.
It's all about moments like this, right?
Jack chose this moment for his day, letting the previous conversation go as just flotsam and jetsam.
Everything was sweet.