"Does this look alright?" Jack asked. Ianto looked up from where he was standing in his shorts, ironing his dress pants.
"Looks good Jack. Did you want me to press your jacket out for you?" Jack looked at it.
"Nah, should be fine. Unless it'll keep you like that for longer." Jack let his eyes browse appreciatively over Ianto.
"Control yourself there." Ianto gave his trousers a light shake before pulling them on.
"But it's so hard around you." Jack smiled, slipping his arms into his suit jacket. He looked at his own reflection in the mirror. "Ianto? What the hell is this?" He pointed at the edge of cloth coming out of his pocket.
"Pocket square. Adds a nice bit of colour don't you think?" He grinned. "Matches your eyes."
" I think you're trying to impugn my masculinity Jones, with your pocket squares."
"Wouldn't dare." Ianto returned. He felt at ease. It was nice to be teasing with Jack. And for the first time in a long while, his confusion over what was going on between them….well….it didn't seem to matter much now. If they did….date…when they got back, well, that meant something. And if they didn't….. Ianto would deal with that blow at some other point. And at least he'd have a memory of what it actually felt like to wake up rested and sensible next to Jack Harkness.
Jack was leaning against the mantle, talking with Ainsley and Dai. Ianto relaxed into the seat he had taken. Jack looked handsome in his suit. He wore it well, in form and in stance. Ianto swirled the scotch in his glass around the ice.
"Can I sit?" Ianto looked up to see Gwenys. He stood in response and gestured to the settee.
"Of course." He sat back down after her. "You look lovely Gwenys." He said honestly. She smiled at him, her hands folding in the lap of her dress.
"You were always the gentleman Ianto." She looked at him for a moment. "Can I be honest with you?" Ianto frowned and nodded, trying to anticipate what she was going to say.
"I'll admit….When I came, accepted the invitation, for Christmas, I….I was hoping to see you."
"Gwenys…" Ianto started awkwardly, but she lent forwards, laying her hand on his arm.
"Ianto, I know that we're friends. I had hoped that maybe…you could see me as something more but-" She put her hand to his lips to stop him again. "But. You and Jack. You seem really happy. I'm glad for you." Ianto smiled behind her hand and pulled it down.
"I'm sorry I can't be who you want me to." Ianto said sincerely. "I wish I could."
"But you love Jack." Gwenys finished for him, smiling sadly. Ianto glanced over to Jack, who was being passed the baby from Ainsley's arms. He looked awkward, but pleased at the same time.
"Against my better judgment, I do." Ianto replied. She leaned forwards and pulled him into a hug.
"Good. Your judgment is far too sensible at times Yan." Ianto laughed.
Jack looked up at the laugh. He had been watching the interaction of the two people on the settee for a while, wondering if he should step in. He had been about to when her hand went to Ianto's lips, but he had suddenly found himself with an armful of squirming baby. But that laugh. He didn't want that girl making him laugh. That was Jack's privilege. Bad puns at work, lude jokes in the pub, teasing and sarcasm in his bedroom. It had taken him a long while after Lisa to feel safe making Ianto laugh again.
He jiggled the baby slightly as he watched them stand, and hug again, before Gwenys excused herself to go and help Bethan in the kitchen.
"I think we should put Gavin down before we start dinner Dai. It's almost half five." Ainsley decided, reaching her arms into Jack's as he returned the child to his mother.
"Night little guy." Jack smiled as they left, but when he and Ianto were left alone in the lounge, he turned his back to him, looking into the fire.
"Hey." Ianto said, drawing up beside him. "Just had a chat with Gwenys."
"Yeah. I saw." Jack replied shortly. Inside he winced at his own sharpness.
"Eh, what's wrong with you."
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"I just wanted to tell you that she said she was okay with us being friends."
"I'm sure she is." Jack continued. He had an uncomfortable, dishonest feeling in his stomach, but he couldn't help it when he thought of her fingers against his lips. Had anyone else been allowed to touch those lips. Had Ianto kissed other people since they had started shagging? It was possible. Ianto had a whole world above ground to find someone else to kiss when he wasn't in Torchwood. Maybe someone else to shag. They'd never said anything really, about exclusivity. His stomach curled in a way that was entirely unpleasant.
"Jack." Ianto tried to catch his eye, but he remained trained on the fire.
"Are you jealous?" Ianto's tone made it sound like a ridiculous concept. Jack felt a little ridiculous. "You're not serious are you?"
"No…" Jack scoffed, jamming his fingers down in to his pockets.
"You haven't anything to be jealous about Jack." Ianto still sounded incredulous.
"Don't I?" Jack looked up. He felt insecure and he hated it.
"No. You don't." Ianto told him. "There's no one but you." He said more quietly.
"Ianto-" Jack started.
"To the supper table everyone." Roger called from the kitchen.
"Coming." Ianto called back, not turning away from Jack. He was waiting. He needed a response.
"Just you." Jack returned.
The roast beef was set on the table, signaling the dinner to begin.
"Roger, will you start grace for us?" Bethan asked. The others reached around the table and grasped the hands next to them. Jack just followed along, grabbing Ainsley's hand and interlocking his fingers with Ianto.
"Bless this family that gathers here." Roger looked next to him, to Georgie.
"For what we are about to receive, let us be thankful." She turned to her sister, who rolled her eyes, but nonetheless dutifully recited.
"May the hand of a friend always be near you."
"Deep peace of the running wave to you, and of the flowing air." Lew began, looking to Tory. When she spoke, Jack noticed her faint Scottish accent.
"Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, and of the shining stars. Deep peace of the infinite peace to you."
"To old friends, and new loves." Gwenys looked at Ianto, who smiled at her softly.
"No matter where you live, brothers are brothers and sisters are sisters. The bonds that keep family close are the same no matter where you are." Aoife supplied.
Bethan squeezed the hand of her daughter.
"To hope, to love, to us all."
"Many years of happiness." Dai looked to Ainsley, who kissed him softly. She shifted slightly and her eyes caught Ianto's, noting Jack between them.
"A house full of sunshine, hearts full of cheer, a love that grows deeper each day of the year."
Jack looked between them, before realizing it was his turn.
"Oh…um….May home be wherever you find your rest." He said. Where had that come from. He'd said it before. The night of graduation from the Time Agent academy.
Everyone looked to Ianto, the last one to speak. He looked back at the faces around the table, and shot a sly grin across his face.
"Good drink, good meat, good God let's eat." The others all laughed and there was a loud scraping of chairs as everyone took their place. Cutlery clinked against the flatware and the conversation was boisterous. Jack watched as Ianto and his brother and sisters frequently set each other laughing hard enough that they had to put down forks and knives, and at one point, Aoife had wine up her nose. It only made the others laugh harder. He was starting to appreciate where Ianto's sense of humour came from, especially at the few wry comments his mother added, with a miraculously straight face. He was starting to appreciate a lot more things about Ianto Jones.
"Hey. Can we do something?" Ianto narrowed his eyes at Jack. It was half nine and everyone was lazing about in their jeans and jumpers, wearing new Christmas socks and the like.
"Maybe."
"No no, nothing like that. I promised I'd behave. As well as I can. Every Christmas I go out for curry. Can we see if anywhere's open?"
"Christmas curry?"
"It's delicious, come on. You can get them to mix red and green curry on one plate. It's festively delicious." Ianto grinned.
"Yes, fine. Let's go." Jack slapped him on the back and moved quickly to get their jackets
"Mum! Jack and I are heading out for a few."
"Alright dear. Don't forget your gloves. It's cold."
"Yes Mum." Ianto pulled on the jacket Jack passed to him and they headed out onto the front walk.
"See. I told you. Festively delicious."
"Yes well now I'm so full I might festively toss it all up." Ianto groaned.
"Hey. Is that Izzy?" Ianto scanned the direction Jack had gestured towards.
"Yeah. I think so."
"Whose she with?"
"Mum said something about a boyfriend."
"The boyfriend seems to be having a hard time with the whole keys in the door concept." Jack commented, as the boy fumbled around the lock on the driver's door. He frowned.
"In my professional opinion, I'd say that he's soused. Ianto. Ianto!" Jack jogged after Ianto, who had started across the street.
Ianto reached forwards and took the keys roughly from the boy's hand. He smelled strongly of beer and smokes.
"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ianto just marched over to the other side of the door.
"Izzy! What the HELL do you think you're doing."
"I'm going out with my boyfriend Yanno." She returned with a smarmy stare. "What does it look like."
"You're not going anywhere with him." Ianto pointed at the boy who looked undecided between trying to fight Ianto, and the problem Jack presented. "You're not getting in the car with him. He's bloody drunk Izzy. He could kill you both." Ianto shook her slightly.
"Let go of me!" Izzy shouted, pulling away from him. "You're not my dad! You're not even really my brother. Give Daren his keys back you bloody twat." Ianto stared her down.
"You will do as I say. You aren't getting in that car. The either of you." Ianto glared over at the boy.
"Make me." Izzy turned around and started to walk away. Ianto was about to follow her when Jack brushed by him. They were just out of range for Ianto to be able to hear what they said when Jack caught up with her.
"Hey." His commanding shout stopped her, and she turned around.
"What do you want." She sneered.
"Hey. Listen up young lady." Jack pointed his finger at her sharply. "You can play your 'I'm so misunderstood' games if you want to, but listen up. He may not be your real brother, but Ianto cares about you. Really actually cares, although I can't see that you're really giving him much of a reason to. So while you may think he's doing this to ruin your happy hijinks, he really is looking out for you. You want to get in the car with that idiot and drive yourself into a pole? Be my guest. But he is worried about you, so I can't let that happen, now can I. So why don't you suck up this fun little attitude you've got going on and go back inside. And apologize to him." Izzy stared down Jack for a long moment before she huffed.
"Fine." She spun around and grabbed her boyfriend by the arm
"We're going back inside. Come on Der."
"My keys! My mum'll kill me if-"
"You'll get them back tomorrow." Jack shouted as they disappeared into the lobby of the flats.
"Are you okay?"
"You know, I don't think I've ever been called a twat for years." Ianto said thoughtfully. Jack pocketed the car keys and they started back towards the house.