19
Jack said no.
Ianto could not believe it as he stood with his mouth open, staring at Jack.
Jack was drying his hair and straightened up to frown at him, "What. You come and tell me you want to spend the next year throwing yourself into hard graft, looking at some disgusting shit I never bring home from my work and expect me to go, sure honey. Sounds like fun."
"It's not all going to be on physical abuse" Ianto argued, "This is about helping them. Like I wish I had been helped. Like …"
"Like what!" Jack demanded, throwing the towel into the hamper with obvious anger.
"Never mind" Ianto said, not wanting to bring Owen into this.
"Right!" Jack nodded, "Never mind."
Ianto opened his mouth to retort but heard a noise, turning to find Walter standing in the doorway, half asleep with a look of woe.
"Baby?" Ianto was moving fast, cuddling his child as he moved him to the bed, checking his forehead as he did so, "Feeling yucky hon?"
"My stomach really hurts Taddy" Walter wailed, reverting to a small child with his huge brown eyes filling with tears.
"Did you eat anything different?" Ianto asked, climbing in with him to cuddle, "Can you remember anything you had at school?"
Walter groaned and wriggled in closer as Jack climbed in the other side.
"You two were fighting" Walter muttered into his Taddy's chest and Ianto glanced over at Jack.
"It's nothing Cariad" Ianto said softly, "I was just thinking of going back to school."
"But what about Ton?" Walter asked, "Who will take care of him?"
"Exactly" Jack huffed quietly and Ianto glared at him.
"He goes to preschool with Grandy, remember?" Ianto tried to argue, "I have my days to myself again."
"Well, what if one if us is sick?" Walter said defiantly, "Who will look after me?"
Ianto sighed as he gave in, feeling Jack's triumph radiating across the bed in waves.
Next morning Ianto called Walter in sick and left him sleeping in the bed.
He saw the others off to school with John and placed the flask down for Jack before moving back to the main room and settling with a book.
John retuned and looked at Ianto who was curled up with a blanket over his legs and the book over his face. He walked through to the kitchen where Jack was placing his mug in the sink.
"What's wrong with eye-candy?"
"Nothing, he's fine" Jack said as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and he turned to see Ianto standing in the doorway with the blanket in one hand, like Walter used to drag his cuddly.
Ianto stared at him for a few moments, then slowly turned and walked away with the blanket dragging behind him.
"Dude. He's pissed at you!" John said softly, "I've had that look enough times to know when I'm in the shit."
"He's just sulking, he's fine" Jack huffed as he grabbed the flask and stormed off.
John watched him go and looked for Ianto, finding him curled on the bed with Walter who was asleep.
Ianto was glaring at the ceiling and John knew it was best to retreat.
Something was definitely up.
As he wandered to to the back deck to watch the dogs he pulled out his phone. Ianto had a doctor's appointment yesterday.
Did Owen know what the problem was?
