A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and reading this story. I only hope that you've enjoyed it so far, and that it meets up with expectations for I and J. Merry Christmas.
"Ianto, time to get up dear. We have to leave for the church in half an hour."
"Thanks Mum." Ianto mumbled loudly enough to be heard through the door. "Jack." Ianto ground the heel of his hand into his eyes, trying to wipe away the sleep there.
"Hmmm. Yeah, I'm up." Jack returned, his eyes still shut. Ianto groaned quietly, stretching out his legs and toes. One eye snapped open.
"Nice hair." Ianto pulled the pillow out from beneath himself and thumped it overtop of Jack's face.
"Yes well, you need to brush your teeth. Fifty first century pheromones apparently don't make up for morning breath." Ianto pushed himself up out of bed, smiling widely. He couldn't help it. He looked into the mirror over the set of drawers. Jack was right. One side of his hair was plastered flat, and the other stuck out wildly in several directions.
"Fine." Jack pushed the pillow aside and rolled out of bed. He grabbed his toothbrush from his pack. Ianto was trying to straighten out his hair somewhat when Jack came up beside him. His arm wrapped around Ianto's waist and he pressed a loud kiss against Ianto's cheek.
"Merry Christmas." Jack grinned as he spun back around and backed out of the room.
Ianto was a little disgusted with the width of the grin on his face when he looked back at the mirror.
They were downstairs in the foyer, waiting for Aoife and Ainsley to come downstairs when Ianto noticed.
"Jack." He lifted his hands up to straighten Jack's tie and fasten the collar button that had come undone. "There." His hands smoothed out the lapels of Jack's greatcoat.
"Hmm, you need some straightening too." Jack returned, raising a challenging eyebrow.
"I do not." Ianto retorted, standing taller, pressing his shoulders back. Jack took his tie, tugging it out slightly from his waistcoat and pulled him into his chest.
"Give me a minute then. I'll see what I can do." Jack murmured, a wicked smile reaching his eyes.
"You two are going on like you only just started going out. Have some decorum, you old fogeys." Lew teased, looking up from tying the laces on his dress shoes.
"Guess the spark's still alive." Aoife commented, appearing with Ainsley behind her. "Shall we?"
When Lew had commented, Jack looked suddenly serious. Was that what this was? Had he and Ianto started…… Could they really be…something… without saying anything?
"Ready?" Jack snapped his attention back to Ianto. He was standing, holding out his hand. Did they really need to display themselves more after that? He was surprised Ianto wasn't madly rubbing his ear at him actually. Unless…
"Yeah. Let's go." He took Ianto's gloved hand and followed him out towards the car.
Ianto had a beautiful singing voice. Jack wasn't really surprised. He'd always thought that Ianto's voice had a certain charming melodic nature to it. Something about the mix of his Welsh accent, and tempo, and the slightest bit of a lisp that Jack had noted in some of his words. He looked up at the choirboys at the front of the church. Ianto had probably once been one of them.
Ianto was a little jealous of Jack's voice. It was strong and sure and never seemed to miss a note. It didn't waver like his did when he lost track of the words. But Jack's finger was tracing along in the hymnal, and it was easy to keep track of where they were, heads bent together over the book and overtop of Georgie's head. She had managed to insist upon sitting between them for the service.
They thanked the father as they passed out the doors, and then all the siblings were rushing down the church steps.
"Come on Jack!" Ianto shouted over his shoulder. "Last one home and back in pyjamas has to clean up the wrappings." Jack broke into a jog to catch up with Ianto. When he did, Ianto pressed the keys into his hand with a daring look.
"You drive." Jack didn't think twice before jumping into the driver's side.
"Buckle up." He said, shifting into gear and taking off.
"Where did you learn to pull a handbrake turn like that!" Ainsley's husband Dai was exclaiming as they piled into the front door. Jack and Ianto laughed as they ran up to the bedroom. Ianto was already hopping on one foot, pulling off his dress socks. His jacket and waistcoat were undone in a flurry of buttons and tossed onto the bed.
"All the practice is paying off eh?' Jack joked, stripping off the uncomfortable tie and fine dress shirt.
"Shut up and strip. I'm not going to help you if you get stuck cleaning up wrappings for twelve."
"If we weren't in a hurry that talk would have you on that mattress fast than you could blink." Jack warned, grabbing a thin wool jumper from his bag and tugging it over his head. Ianto was already in a pair of jogging pants he had rolled up and a long and short sleeve tee layer one over the other.
"Come on!" He pushed the door open. "That can wait till we get home."
Jack didn't care if he had to clear up the wrapping paper for the whole neighbourhood just then. Home. He grabbed Ianto and pushed him up against the doorway, his lips crushing in. The only response was muffled surprise that was followed by Ianto clasping his hands over the back of Jack's head.
"You're amazing." Jack whispered, almost not wanting to say it out loud. Ianto's hands slipped down, questioning in his eyes. His thumbs glanced over the edge of Jack's mouth.
"Why?"
"I'll tell you when we get home." Jack replied. "Let's go."
They thumped down the stairs, only to hear footfalls behind them. They both touched the doorframe to the lounge, the safe point, just before Gwenys slapped Aoife's hand away to reach it first.
"Aoife. You again!" Lew crowed, wrapping his arm around a red haired girl beside him. "I had to meet Tory at the door and I still beat you.
"I've short legs! It's not my fault." She protested.
"How are we going to fit everyone in the lounge at once?" Georgie interrupted. They stared at the room for a few moments.
"Here." Lew grabbed Tory by the waist, sitting in one corner of the settee and pulling her onto his lap. "Ainsley and Dai can have the rest of the couch for Gav. Mum and Rog, love seat. Izzy and Georgie, you two split the ottoman, Aoife and Gwenys, rug in front of the fireplace. Ianto and Jack can share the armchair. Ta da!" He grinned, wrapping his arms snugly around his girlfriend's waist. Ianto looked at Jack.
"Go ahead."
"Nah, take the chair."
"Where will you sit then?" Ianto questioned. Jack just steered Ianto into the armchair and sat himself down on the floor, leaning against the chair between Ianto's legs.
Jack grabbed Ianto's hands and pulled them together around his own shoulders. He looked sideways and smiled at Ianto. He felt a warm press on his heart that was far from physical when his own arms dropped, and Ianto's stayed around him.