5
The party was about to start ad Ianto found Lorenzo staring at himself in the mirror with a look of despair.
"What's wrong Bug?"
"I don't look five" he answered as his fingers fiddled with the tunic. Ianto stood behind him and stared at their images and frowned, seeing the school uniform still on and the school tunic with the Jones pin looked…. Plain.
"You know, this is special. Maybe you want the suit Dylan placed aside from the wedding? He's grown out of it. If you have the suit I can change my tie so we match." Ianto offered and he watched Lorenzo's face light up. "Maybe that's something we should look at when my tailor is here next, some suits for you young men."
"We will be like the wedding photo?" Lorenzo asked and Ianto smiled, "Yes. Dylan had two made, one for when he was a bit bigger, it fits him now. We just need to choose a dress for Carley to match and me and Daddy will wear our wedding suits too. Lovely, the birthday photo would be perfect for my front entrance."
Lorenzo was making little noises of glee as Ianto went to get the suit that Dylan had not put out at all, relieved there was a second one as he had purchased at the same time as the first one been worried about food spillage. Lorenzo was still embarassed about clothing and a few things had been 'hand me downs' ... not.
"Here we go, I have three ties here to choose from. Red, blue or green" Ianto knelt with the ties and the little boy considered carefully.
"What colour will you wear Taddy?"
Ianto felt like he might burst, "Red. Daddy loves me in red."
Lorenzo nodded as he pulled the red one out and placed it next to the suit.
"Right, you change, so will I. Then we can do our ties together, you can learn how to the same way I did. My Grandpa taught me, you can learn too" Ianto kissed a little head and rose, "Then we can wrestle Carley."
"Gods save us" the little one sighed and Ianto laughed as he headed out to find Jack in the hallway talking to Andy.
"Hey babe, got it all going on out there" Jack leered, "Gods, you look sexy."
"I'm going up to change."
"Yeah?" Jack perked up.
"No, no time. Lorenzo wants me to help him get ready" Ianto soothed, "be a good boy and don't put anyone's eye out and maybe later I will reward you."
"Oooooo" Jack shivered, then kissed Ianto gently, "Lay out my clothes will you love? I'll go up and change while you guys sort the missus. Me and Dyls with matching ties?"
"Yes, and me and Lorenzo will match too. Her nibs will be the one who will be bright and fluffy, I hope" Ianto rolled his eyes. "You laid out the dresses right?"
"Love you" Jack said cheerfully, "good luck."
"Hang on, why are you doing Dylan and not the one who is more likely to bite?" Ianto called after him as Jack started to move away.
"Love you" Jack repeated inanely as he took off and Ianto snorted with mirth knowing full well Jack was avoiding the whole 'dress-up' thing with the little missus because he would give in and let her go bloody naked.
"You better mean that!" Ianto called after him and the laughter echoed faintly.
"Cheeky prick" Ianto muttered under his breath, a smile of affection as he headed up to change and lay out the suit and tie for Jack before he went down and did the same with Dylan's.
Blue ties for them.
He then went to Lorenzo who was looking at himself in the mirror with an intense frown.
"Lovely, right" Ianto knelt, "Watch what I do in the mirror here, copy me."
Ianto instructed and together they did their ties, Lorenzo proudly tightening his as Ianto declared him a natural.
"Now, just one thing more" Ianto said as he removed a watch from his pocket and tucked it into Lorenzo's little waistcoat pocket, a silver stopwatch like his own, just smaller.
"Oh Taddy" Lorenzo breathed with wonder as he looked at himself, the watch chain hanging jauntily, "I look like you."
"You look like a gentleman" Ianto agreed, "Handsome. Look at you, so big. I am so proud to have such a good looking son."
Lorenzo puffed out his chest, then deflated, "We have to do Carley."
"Gods help us both" Ianto said with a pat to his shoulder, "come on. Let's do the damage and get some ice-cream into her before the guests arrive so she doesn't try to nut someone."
Giggles as they headed down to perform some strange dance move called 'dress the mess' and she was already in her room looking suspiciously at the little gowns hanging along the old crib full of soft toys.
"There you are" Ianto knelt, "Which one do you think will look like Aunty Toshi? Hmmmm, do you think she will wear green today? Or red?"
Little eyes rolled to regard him, then she toddled over and looked at the white gown that had little multicoloured sparkles along the hem like it had been dipped in a rainbow of glitter.
"That one?" Ianto crooned "Wow. Daddy will demand a dance with you."
She nodded and then saw the shoes Jack had lined up, a soft growl starting in warning.
And they had been so close to avoiding a tantrum too.