17
Jack had chosen a horse to love on like a damned pet dog, crooning while he groomed her. The horse standing there obediently.
Ianto turned from the kitchen window where he had been watching the love fest to focus on the dog sitting by the door. "well? What are you going to do today missus? Jack seems enamored by that horse and I want to thoroughly clean out this place. So dusty and musty. It's been a few years and I need to make a list of supplies we need too."
She stared back at him silently.
"How about you go upstairs to the attic space and see if the camping gear is up there, or if it's in the main house's attic. Jack might like sleeping under the stars, a little camp fire and some fishing in the river for our dinner." Ianto talked as he started pulling things out of cupboards and turned to find the space empty, the dog gone.
When he heard the faint clacking of claws on the back stairs he was satisfied that she liked that idea too.
He found many things he didn't know they had and a few things he didn't want… making a list of what they didn't have. He tuned to find some sleeping bags on the floor and a camp stove. "Oh wow… were the gas canisters there?"
The dog gave him a steely look and he snorted like she had spoken "Right. Sorry… I will add them to the list. Might be in the main barn up there by the house."
She rose to wander off and he knew he would soon have the answer if there were any canisters on site or not. She would be relentless, her Brian full of marshmallows on sticks. She did like camping. Been a while. Huh. Ianto found himself grinning as he went over some of his childhood memories.
"See this? I carved this when I was a kid" he held up a little fawn, asleep in the clover. It fitted in the palm of his hand "I was so proud of it but when I showed it to Rhiannon she scoffed and said it looked like a dog."
She looked at it and screwed her nose up like she didn't agree with that. Rhiannon was a bitch. Ianto snorted with amusement, placing the little fawn back in the box he was rooting around in. He then added softly "You do a dog so much better sweetheart."
Janet grunted like she was agreeing, pulling at a box with interest and Ianto moved over beside her "Oh wow. These are sock puppets. Look."
He placed one on his hand and she sat back, watching as he put on a show with them, the dog chuffing softly like it was so amusing. Ianto then found what he was looking for "Here darling. Help me get these things downstairs. I need a flatbed I think, for this to all work."
She took off with one of the boxes in her mouth, Ianto sighed as the thumping told him she had thrown it down the stairs. Of course she did. Cow. Ianto went through the inventory in his head, finding nothing in that box that was breakable.
He finally headed down to find her sitting in the doorway to the living room with her mouth open and tongue lolling as she laughed at him. He looked at the mess "I see. This is what I get for asking you to do some boring menial task is it?"
She rose magnetically and sashayed…. Away.
"Cheeky bitch" Ianto muttered to himself, shaking his head as he started to pick up the mess strewn about the landing.
"What happened here?"
Ianto looked up from the floor to find Jack in the doorway with the dog winding around his legs lovingly.
"That cow tipped this box down the attic stairs, look at it all."
"CAMPING GEAR!"
Ianto sat back on his heels and watched Jack gathering things up like a zombie apocalypse was about to start, his glee clear as he rushed off with an arm full.
Then his head appeared again "Did you say something about a flatbed?"
"Yes, this is a blowup mattress, we can set a bed on the back of the truck and go camping in style."
Jack stared at him and then frowned "but… there isn't a roof."
"This time of year, the sky is amazing at night. Come on, you want to see the lights, we need to have a nice bed under them." Ianto smiled "We can lay there looking at where you came from, the places the Doctor took you… just see how small and insignificant we are… feel the peace in being… well… a speck."
"Ianto Jones, you take that back" Jack said firmly "There is nothing insignificant about you young man!"
Ianto stepped into his embrace, kissing him softly, and then whispering "Get me a flatbed then."
"Yes my love" Jack grinned.
They were going to sleep under the stars.
Their first romantic date.