5
"You were right" Jack said as he watched Ianto fuss with the corner of the blanket he had laid on the grass, "His birthday at the end of the month would have been too long. That little puppy is smitten too. A perfect gift. This means for his birthday we can get him that camera."
"Yes Cariad" Ianto said absently as he finally stopped smoothing the cloth and turned to face him. There had been a lovely amount of food, professionally packed and presented in little containers that had cost gods knows what but really, Ianto would have been happy with just a card.
All afternoon he had wanted to go home, wanted to sit and watch the little boy gush but for some reason Jack was determined to be here under this tree in the park.
"I first saw you here" Jack said after a while, Ianto looking at him with surprise. "You were walking with Owen and I wondered who you were, my meeting with Owen almost due as I shot through here. I saw you again and was so … surprised to find you were a child minder. I really thought you worked in a coffee shop or deep on the stacks of some Legal Company's archives."
Ianto laughed softly, "Was that the day I tripped over a duck? Gods, I was so flustered. A child had been injured and I was worried about a lawsuit even thought it was the father who dropped him."
Jack was fumbling with something but Ianto was busy watching the swans majestically gliding on the water, the mild day not unpleasant and he turned to thank Jack for his kind idea of a picnic when he saw what Jack had been doing, his mouth going dry as he stared at the little black velvet box in the palm of Jack's hand, the thin band with a central line of tiny white diamonds around it was definitely a surprise.
"Jack?"
"I know this is fast, but I also know this is real. This is what I want, you are what I want. Need. Love. Ianto, please accept this, please let me have one more piece of happy." Jack was removing the ring as he spoke and the little ring seemed to wink, "It fits against the plain gold band I got as well. When you wear them both they will look like one ring, this little line of gems are a bit blingy for you but you know …well…an engagement ring should have diamonds, right?"
Ianto was still shocked, the ring now pinched between Jack's fingers and he finally realised the silence was stretching too long, Jack's smile wavering.
"Oh Cariad" Ianto swallowed thickly, "Yes. Gods, yes."
Jack fumbled with Ianto's hand, sliding the thin band on Ianto's ring finger and then he leaned over and kissed it, kissed the hand, wrist, then moving to kiss Ianto on the lips gently at first, then with more urgency.
Jack held Ianto against him, thanking him for making him happy and Ianto held out the hand to wriggle his fingers and watch the ring glint in the sunlight. He found it to be light, pretty and perfect. Exactly what he would have chosen and it showed how much time Jack had spent choosing.
"Perfect" Ianto sighed and Jack grinned happily.
They headed home and Ianto went straight to the main room where Dylan and Andy were watching TV with wide eyes and a slightly crushed Puppy as the alien things rampaged across the screen, then both laughing as the alien exploded.
"Hey" Ianto sat and watched Dylan's head turn as the little boy smiled.
"Hey, did you have a nice time?" Dylan asked.
"Yeah. Lovely foodage" Ianto nodded.
"And the present? Did he get you a gift?" Dylan asked, "Or was the picnic the gift?"
Ianto silently held out his hand and Dylan looked at it with confusion as Andy glanced over and then let out a crow of glee, "Bloody hell! He proposed?"
"Yeah" Ianto smiled happily, "Looks like I am gonna get myself a husband."
"Holy heck. Wow, I mean….wow. You set a date?" Andy was gushing now as Dylan finally got the ring and seized the hand and pulled it so close that Ianto was reminded of a Yiddish Jeweller checking the carrots with a sniff.
"We have not set a date, I think some time to settle in first. This is a wonderful thing and all I need for now to know we have a future as a family. Let's get through some more milestones first, yeah? Besides, Dylan's Birthday is the next big thing I want to focus on. Just a few weeks away."
Dylan was still holding the hand and he suddenly burst into tears, throwing himself into Ianto's chest.
"Hey, sweetling, what's wrong!"
"Nothing" came the muffled reply, then a sob, "I am so happy."
"Awww" Andy crooned, "We are all happy munchkin."
"We all wanted a happily ever after here."