3
They found a tent frame that would fit over the bed and Dylan went insane once he realised Ianto was turning his room into a camp site, the wall coverings of thick woodland going down well as Dylan crowed and danced about. Jack was the one who found the fake campfire lamp for the floor by the bed, then something that had Ianto showing rare humour in public as he roared with mirth and could only point at the fake bear rug that was in fact a huge teddy bear laid out.
Dylan then spent the next few hours in his room rearranging things and standing back with a critical eye before moving stuff again. The lamp had not only caused a change in the room but a change in the men as well with Jack determined to clear the air about something Ianto didn't even know was an issue.
Ianto stood looking at Jack with open confusion "Come again?"
"I know you mean well, that huge heart of yours but I would rather know who is coming here to see Dylan. Deidra and I have a … strained relationship at times and I might have liked to know your intent here before you just invite her into what was a nice quit Sunday afternoon I had been hoping to spend with Dylan before he's off to school again." Jack explained, "We always had a 'No Visitors' rule on Sundays and Deidra knows this. I can't help but feel like maybe she just exploited it knowing you would not have the same rules."
Ianto tried to see it from Jack's point of view even as he felt his ire rising, "Jack, I didn't invite her. She simply came and I am not accustomed to closing the door on people, especially when I knew she had a gift for Dylan. He was happy, it has created a lovely afternoon and he is now happier than he would have been otherwise. If this was a rule why did you never speak of it? It was not in the handbook for your child."
Jack caught it.
It was slight, it was a slight hint but he caught the anger in Ianto's voice. Also the hurt and he slumped as he went back over his words and found them harsh, "Ianto, I didn't mean that as a complaint. I know she is good at putting people on the back foot. Sorry. Please, I know you have Dylan's best interests at heart and trust you and the decisions you make. I just mean… with the past between me and that woman, I was slightly miffed."
"Whatever is between you and 'that woman' as you refer to her, it is not something that is of consequence to your son" Ianto's anger was thrumming as Jack regretted his words, seeing the hurt in Ianto's reply, "Dylan is happy to see her, she has done nothing to upset him and as his mother is gone I would have thought you wanted her family still in his life. But as you say, he is your son."
"Ianto!" Jack sighed but the man had already flounced from the room and Jack was left with his arms spread in surrender to an empty room. "damn it."
Ianto went out the French doors to the large patio area in the back of the living space. He stood looking at the old bird bath that was full of leaves and decided some garden work might burn off this anger in his gut. Jack found him there scooping the mess from the bird bath into a bucket.
"I'm sorry. I was a douche and I apologise" Jack said quickly before he could get it wrong, "I am still learning here, please forgive me Tiger."
Ianto looked at him sideways, still scooping and Jack reached out to seize his hand, "You've not got gloves on. Shit, is that a spider?"
Ianto looked down to see not only a large spider in the leaves but a red welt on the side of his hand. He drew it back and then the pain hit, a soft exclamation as he shook his hand with shock.
Jack fumbled with his phone, taking a photo of the spider then pushing Ianto towards the door, "Come on. Hospital now. Just In case come on. DYLAN!"
Ianto had a cold flannel over the bite as he frowned at it, "It's starting to throb."
"It's OK, might be an allergic reaction. A shot of something and you are fine" Jack said with more confidence than he felt as he took off, not even waiting to check if his son was buckled in.
Dylan looked between the seats at Ianto who was growing pale as the pain intensified and he knew something bad had happened.
He wondered if there was anything he could do to help, hating to see Ianto upset.
Jack simply drove like a madman.
.
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I put Dylan at about 4 ... just starting the school thing which is why he's not there every day. Maybe three days a week or something, the upcoming birthday will be the big 5.