21
John sat in the chair and watched Jack move to the bed, then settle in for sleep.
"How did he do that?"
"Do what?" Jack said as he stared at the wall.
"Disappear in the dark" John pointed at the screens, "He was there kissing you then he vanished"
"Oh come on John, you of all people know that a man can be a ghost when he wants to be" Jack snorted with fake bravado, "after all, you've smoked me enough times."
John felt the sting of the reminder and moved to his cot, then looked at the screens again with the sudden departure of the man unnerving. He hadn't appeared in any cameras until back in the house where he just appeared in the kitchen making a bloody sandwich for a child with a pot on his little head like it was a helmet.
It was freaky.
Ianto … not the child.
"He knows where the cameras are ya tosser, he put them up remember" came a mutter from the bed, "Stop huffing and get some sleep. Ianto likes messing with you."
That made sense.
John could accept that as he drifted off to sleep.
.
.
.
.
John looked up from the hammering to find Ianto standing in the shade of the house, close enough to touch and he squealed in a most unmanly way as he leapt back, Ianto's' head cant making him look even more like a fucking Vampyre or something.
"Sorry Captain Hart" the melodic voice purred, "I did say your name, you seem so focused."
"Yeah, well …" Jack swallowed down his beating heart and straightened with bluster to hide the shaking, "I like building."
"And you are extremely good at it" Ianto nodded turning to look up at the piece of walkway already raised and in place on the roof of the house, "That looks quite decorative, not just necessary. I like it very much."
John blinked as he found himself interested in this strange man, "Well, the kids know things are needed but we can at least make it seem normal, right? No need to scare them. Jack said there are about ten but I never see …"
"There are two Vampyre in the attic" Ianto said gently, "You may encounter them while on night duty but they keep to themselves. Twins. Sweetlings really, but a little apt at being beasts too. Six? No … had their seventh birthdays a few months ago."
"Can they really fly?" John asked with real interest now as he wondered if that was human years or Vampyre, who count differently ... seven human would be seventy of it had been Vampyre speak.
"Yes" Ianto said with his face changing, "Like little fledglings though, not very well. One day they will transform to Ravens or Crows and be able to fly but for now … your lovely walkway to the ground would be achievable but not from the ground up."
"So, gliding more" John nodded "Little birds."
"Yes, best way to think of my little chicks" Ianto reached out to place a plate of something down, "Sweet, cute and liable to peck at you."
"Ta" John reached for the sandwich and took a bite, moaning as the flavour exploded in his mouth.
"Grow the radishes meself" Ianto smiled, "Funnily the Others don't care about the gardens. Never trample them. I wonder if it is the human remnants in the back of their minds telling them so. I saw one stop to smell a flower once."
John considered as he chewed, "I never stop long enough to study them, I usually shoot and run like a motherfu….er … mad thing."
The child that had been hiding behind Ianto slid around the legs, little blue almonds boring into him, almost black as they seemed to swirl with colours around the rims.
"One licked me" Winkle whispered, "Their tongues are really fuzzy."
"Are they now" John smiled as he knelt and looked at the child, a dirty face to show food had already been consumed by this one. Of course he fed the babies first. As it should be.
"Some are different" Winkle whispered, "Like they remember things."
"You know, I had a pet Ferbit as a child" John said happily, "Orange with green eyes and weird rabbit ears. Don't know why it grew the ears, none of the others in the cage had them when I was allowed to pick one out. I liked him because of those ears. Daring to be different."
"I'm different" Winkle agreed.
"Yes" John nodded, "Definitely a good pick from the litter, yeah? I would pick you too."
Winkle shone with delight as Jack walked over, "Oi, that's mine too!"
John laughed as he leaned over and kissed a little blue cheek, then rose to stuff the sandwich in his mouth and resume hammering.
John was starting to see the attraction to this place. As Ianto led Jack inside he found he was also taken with him.
The Vampyre hybrid.
Interesting creatures those.
He had a touch in the blood himself.