Thanks for the reviews. This is a shortish chapter to get us to the next part of the story. Enjoy!
"What happened? Why are you like this?" I put away my gun which I realised I was still holding and stood looking down at him.
"Don't know," he sighed. "I was in my bunk, not asleep just remembering how very ... good we were last night," he smirked which looked rather obscene on his young face, "when I heard something. I came up here and - wham! - knocked out. When I woke up I was like this."
"Have you checked the CCTV?" Now I know it was rather obvious question but the look he gave me did not have to be quite so patronising.
"Of course I looked at it. There was some sort of glare and I need Tosh to sort it, probably Owen too, but I was not going to get either of them in while I had nothing to wear."
Incredibly he looked shy, just like I remembered being at that age. There was one summer holiday when my mother, sister and I had gone to the coast with my aunt and her two daughters for the week. I was the only male in the party and my mother had insisted on changing me into my swimming gear on the beach in front of my cousins who were teenagers. It was mortifying to be seen in my birthday suit and I can still remember their giggles and snide comments. However, the idea of Jack ever being shy was so novel that I couldn't help but smile.
"It's not funny!" he snapped. "Tosh would be embarrassed and well, you saw the size of my cock. If Owen sees that I'll never live it down." I do believe he actually blushed, Jack Harkness blushed!
"But it's okay for me to see you ... in all your glory?" I asked.
"You I can trust," he said in such an off hand manner that I took it as a rare compliment. He wasn't trying to flatter or to impress. He meant it. "But I should have realised you're an imbecile that would need precise instructions about what to buy. I need shoes!" he said pointedly, waggling his feet about. So much for the compliment!
By now he was on his second muffin, a chocolate chip one this time. His mouth was ringed by blueberry and chocolate and he looked very young. Without thinking, I stepped forward, took hold of his chin with one hand and wiped his mouth with a tissue. It was only when I'd finished that I realised what I'd done. I looked into his eyes and was relieved to see them dancing with amusement.
"Sorry," I muttered, stepping back.
"'S okay," he said. "That's why I trust you. You aren't making a fuss and you're not making fun. You're dealing with the situation as best you can and that's what I need right now." He put his small hand on mine and smiled and the grin was the first physical similarity I'd seen to the adult Jack I knew and loved. I was pleased, embarrassed and moved by his words. I hope I expressed all that in my smile, I tried to.
"It seems you've retained your adult mind and your memories," I said.
"Yep, just the body has changed," he replied. "Means I've got all sorts of plans for that lithe body of yours that I can't do anything about just yet," he smirked again.
"Don't do that," I said, closing my eyes. "You look like one of those boys trained to seduce older men." I opened my eyes and looked at him, registering the slight hurt in his face.
He shrugged, "I don't want that. Thanks for the heads up. No more innuendoes until I'm a big boy again." The innocent look on his face could have graced an angel.
"Stop it, Jack."
He grinned and we shared a moment of understanding. He'd stop playing the young coquette and I'd keep him in check. "I need shoes, Ianto," he reminded, waggling his feet yet again.
"Well, I can't buy shoes without your feet, they need to fit properly," I replied. Somehow I had to get him from the Hub to the superstore without his feet touching the ground. While I might be able to carry him he didn't look a lightweight. Did I mention he was stocky? He was verging on fat – I'd have to watch the muffins. Then I had a thought. "We'll use these," I said, moving to my store cupboard under the coffee machine in the alcove. I took out a couple of black sacks and with a bit of creative thinking and liberal amounts of duct tape I fashioned some coverings for his feet. He had been suspicious of the whole experiment but hadn't interfered. His feet looked odd and the coverings would not keep out cold or wet for long but they'd have to do. "Let's use the SUV, it's closer than my car."
Jack slid off the couch and tested his new footwear. He picked up his beloved greatcoat but realised he'd never be able to wear it. He took something from the pocket and handed me the coat. I hung it up while he carried on, picking his way to the garage being careful of where he trod and making a kind of rustling noise. We got to the SUV. I saw then what he had in his hand, his wrist strap gizmo. It was too big to stay on his wrist so he stuffed in his jeans pocket before he climbed into the vehicle.
More shopping in the next chapter. I love reviews ....