12

Ianto was waddling… sorry… walking slowly along the path towards the seat he preferred of a morning, the faint laughter of children drawing him nearer. The rustling in the nearby bushes did not startle him as he expected a child to leap out at him, something Rane had done more than once.

He prepared to be 'scawered' but instead found himself face to face with someone he did not know.

Did not know at all, and yet there was something familiar about this man. His clothing. His ceremonial garb. Oh yes. This man wore the guard's uniform of a Seltherat.

Ianto froze, momentarily stunned as the man stared back, then let his eyes drop to the large stomach Ianto was instinctively cradling in his hands. That was all the time it took for Ianto's brain to engage and his anger to flare, stepping back as he took a deep breath to roar for help.

But it was not needed, the downdraft almost knocking them both off their feet as a dragon designed at speed, her wings out and her mouth open, the man enveloped in mere moments and as she swung to push back off the man's lower half was left to twitch and bleed all over the path.

Several dragons flew low, searching for any more morsels. Luckily it seems, this was a lone wolf. After a lamb and finding a dragon instead.

Ianto stood with a hand now over his heart, the pounding there making him feel sick. Goddess on a Dragon… that had been…. Fuck. Ianto moved to the small stone wall along one side to sit and let his heart calm, his hands shaking as he went over how quickly that had happened and how easily he had placed himself in that position.

A daily routine, without fail. No guards, no weapons of defence. Clearly, the fools never looked up, never noticed the shadow as the sun was blocked occasionally by the huge dragon that followed above, her watchful eye on her beloved Human King.

Ponding footfalls had him raising his head to see Jack running towards him, his face pale and his fear clear as he skidded to a halt, "baby… are you OK. I saw… I felt… than then… whoosh and blood was falling… was it guts… oh yuck. I just ran through a man's innards?"

Jack was looking at his boots with open disgust and Ianto finally started to laugh, relieved to find himself fine after all.

"Someone… clean this mess up and spread some fresh stones or something… cover the spot so the children passing do not see" Gray demanded as he looked over the scene.

Ianto coughed as he lent forward and tried not to throw up, a hand on his back to soothe that was not Jack's making him glance up. Rose was pale, her eyes sliding to the massacre area nearby and Ianto felt abhorrent for her shock, rising to straighten up and offer her an arm "Come on my love. Let's go to the creek and wash the soles of our shoes clean."

She nodded looking back with distain as Ianto walked more calmly than he felt, leading her away from somewhere she should never be. Not this sweetling. A soft, delicate flower his own child will NEVER be. Oh no, the one stirring in his gut and causing the upset was angry. So angry. She did not know fear, only righteousness.

As a little Dragon Queen must.

And whoever was behind this had Ianto's attention.

.

.

Ianto stood in the doorway of the War Room looking at the man draped across the map table like some sort of concubine, one long thigh high boot planted on Jack's chest as he taunted him. Jack was laughing as he held the heel of the boot and called the man a… rapscallion? Seriously?

Ianot stepped into the room, everyone feeling the temperature rise a few bars as he announced his presence silently. As the maps the man was laying on fluttered as if a breeze was interfering, the man lolled his head to look over at Ianto.

Handsome. Tall like him and Jack, his hair a softer colouring, his cheekbones were so sharp they could kill, and his eyes held a devilment to them that made Ianto's youngling shift inside of him. She was on alert. As was he. He felt… dangerous.

"Ianto!" Jack seemed unaware of the change in the room even as others moved to the walls like it was all gonna explode up in here. "This is John Hart. An old family friend. He is named after Dad, really… not a good John though, are you, ya fiend."

Ianto watched as Jack gushed, then to his horror Jack let his hand slide up to cup the inner knee of the man. An intimate gesture, one that told Ianto several things at once. This man was a lifelong friend. This man was also a onetime lover. This man was dangerous. This man was trouble.

Ianto lifted his head defiantly, letting his chin jut out as he stared him down and John made a noise in the back of his throat rolling off the table with his boot flying over Jack's head, to land like a cat, stalking over to stare into the face of the one who seemed to openly challenge.

You are a saucy little minx, aren't you" he purred, looking down to notice the bump "And a fat one. Tell me… rubbing against that bump when fucking… or being fucked by you… is that something you are trained for?"

Jack gaped with horror, stepping towards them and his hand reached out to grab for John's collar but there was no need. Ianto calmly thrust his hand forward and up as is swatting away a fly, catching Jonh under the chin and sending him flying with more strength than one might expect from another, the force of John hitting the far map table making it grind back against the wooden floor.

"If you must know… my beloved and I both like to give as well as receive but if you ever… and I mean EVER try to take what imine, or give him what he only needs form me… I will eat your heart on a silver platter" Ianto growled the voice such a low timbre that it made your bones rattle, the man on the floor slack jawed as Jack stood frozen in place.

A dragon had spoken.

"Oh my…. Eye Candy!"

John was entranced.