The rest of Christmas Carol and the second movie, an animated movie about Christmas in a zoo, had gone…well. Jack thought for a moment. Ianto had slowly relaxed, letting himself lean his weight against Jack in the same way he did when they laid together in Jack's bed below his office. During the second movie, he had noticed the way that Ianto blinked drowsily.
"Tired?" He and said quietly, tucking his chin down to look into Ianto's face.
"Hmmm." Jack had felt the hum of his response reverberate against his chest. "Too much driving."
Jack's hand had moved to trail lightly through the hair at the back of Ianto's neck. He had discovered not long ago that it was a sensation Ianto enjoyed when he was drifting close to sleep.
Jack found himself watching Ianto from the corner of his eye. His mouth was silently murmuring the lines form the children's movie.
"This was my dad's favourite film from when he was a kid." Ianto said without shifting. "I've watched it every year since I can remember." Jack smiled. "And stop staring at me." He'd laughed at that, and the others had shushed him.
"Alright. Two movies is plenty. Time for bed." Bethan announced. It was amusing and strangely comforting for this woman to be directing her grown children to bed on Christmas Eve. Roger shook Georgie slightly to wake her up.
"Mnot tired yet." Georgie mumbled.
"Come on squirt." Izzy rolled her eyes. She hadn't been home in time for supper. She had only gotten home half an hour ago. She took her sister by the shoulders and directed her to the stairs. The rest of the kids stood, passing by and saying good night. Ianto and Jack were waiting at the back of the small pack.
"Oh, Jack." Ianto turned, his hand falling against Jack's chest. Jack felt his own hand lift to cover it. "If you want to have a shower, you should probably have one before we go to bed. Church service is at 8:30."
"Okay. I'll see you upstairs then." Jack leaned in and kissed Ianto's cheek. Their hands fell away from Jack's chest and trailed against each other as Jack backed away slowly, a soft smile on his lips. Ianto leaned back against the doorway and watched him climb the stairs. Bethan and Roger passed by him, her hand gently running over her son's arm as they passed. When they too disappeared, Ianto shook his head softly at himself, a sad smile flitting across his mouth. He flicked the wall switch off and moved to the couch, staring at the colourful glow the Christmas tree gave off in the dark.
He worried at his lip with his teeth absently, hearing the front door open and shut, the stamping of boot and quiet murmers. He let them all pass by without really paying any attention.
"What are you doing up late moping in the dark?" Ianto looked up, letting his eyes adjust to the shift in light.
"H'lo Ainsley." Ianto smiled faintly. "Where's Dai?"
Ainsley reminded Ianto more and more of their father every time he saw her. It might be why he managed to see her the least of his brothers and sisters. That or the fact that she lived in Spain right now.
She moved over to the couch and sat down, facing him. She pulled a pillow onto her knees and patted it gently. Ianto resisted, but eventually let his head fall onto the cushion.
Ainsley patted his hair in a motherly way.
It was soothing, and she had done it often for Ianto when he had been younger, dealing with what he felt for girls and other boys, trying to decide where to go for uni, trying to cope with their father's sudden passing. Ainsley just seemed to know whenever Ianto was feeling particularly unsettled.
He still remembered what had happened when he told his family that Lisa had died. They thought she was in a coma, away for special treatment at a hospital in London. When he had really truly lost her, he'd had to tell them something. After he'd called and left a stuttering message on his mum's machine, they had been worried because he hadn't answered any of their calls or messages for weeks.
Ainsley had shown up at his flat at ten at night. She hadn't said anything, just pushed him to his bedroom and pulled out a clean set of pyjamas and gone to the kitchen, tidying while Ianto changed. When he shuffled out, she was sitting on his couch, with a mug of tea on the table beside her and a cushion leant against the side of her legs. Ianto had curled up on the couch and cried for hours as she had gently run her hands over his hair.
"Dai's up putting the little one to bed." She said softly, speaking of her and her husband's year old son Gavin. "Mum said you brought someone for Christmas. New boyfriend." Ianto nodded slightly. "What's his name?"
"Jack." He murmured.
"What's the matter then?"
Ianto just shrugged, but Ainsley interpreted that and the heavy sigh he let out.
"I see."
They both sat for a minute, Ianto turning onto his side, and watched the Christmas tree lights meld with the faint glow left in the fireplace. Steps came down the staircase.
"Hey Ianto. I'm done in the shower. Are you coming up to bed?" Jack was standing in the doorway, his trousers and t-shirt on, braces hanging down.
"I'll be up in a minute Jack." Jack nodded.
"Should I leave the light on?"
"No, go ahead and turn it off." The sound of Jack's bare feet padding down the hardwood floor of his mother's house was infinitely strange and even more so, comforting.
Ainsley smiled down at her youngest brother. He was almost ten years younger than her. She'd helped to raise him when her parents had been occupied at work and with Lew and Aoife. And now he was in love.
"Go on up to bed Ifan." Ianto looked up at her and nodded. He sat up, and gave one last look at the Christmas tree, finding a certain gift that was poorly wrapped and hidden between other packages.
"Goodnight Ainsley." He stood, giving her a smile as he passed into the hallway and up the stairs.
Ianto climbed the stairs up to his old bedroom as slowly as he could manage. As he pushed the door open, the wedge of light revealed Jack lying on his side in the bed, one arm folded under his head.
"Hey." Jack's voice had the heavy, rough tone that caught Ianto in his gut. He turned away, looked for the fold-away camp bed that ought to have been against the wall somewhere.
"I think I'm going to sleep on the cot." Jack's head pushed up on a more acute angle.
"Why?"
"We've never slept in a bed together without shagging Jack. I don't really feel comfortable doing it right next to my twelve year old sister's room."
"We don't have to. Not tonight. We can just get some sleep." Jack replied, watching Ianto look in the closet where their suits hung.
"I think it's better if I we don't tempt fate." Ianto insisted.
"What, are you afraid of me?" He spun around from the closet.
"No." He was terrified. Not of sex. That he could handle with jack. It was the closeness that was unbearable. Ianto stood, his chest lifting and falling. Jack propped himself up on his elbows, trying to muster an expression that matched the unusual sincerity he felt..
"Ianto. Come to bed."
Jack knew he'd won as soon as Ianto took one hesitant, barefooted step towards the bed. He pulled back the sheets to let him slip in. It was Jack's turn now. Ianto had taken his step.
Ianto crawled into the bed, watching Jack for any cues as to what he should do. He laid on his back, his arms falling to the side. Jack reached over him and pulled his arm back with him. Ianto let his fingers grasp momentarily onto Jack's shirt where they fell. Jack let his own hand caress the side of Ianto's face, smiling at his wariness.
"Come to bed with me." Jack whispered, smiling. He let one arm reach up to Ianto's shoulder and leaned his head onto the other man's chest.
Ianto let out his breath in a tight jerk, before smoothing it out into a deep exhalation. As his chest shifted, he felt Jack's head dip. Though he could only see the dark top of his head, he felt Jack's lips press against the soft cotton that covered his collarbone.
He couldn't help it. Ianto brushed the hair from Jack's forehead and pressed his lips against it.
"Good night Jack."