42
The next day Ianto seemed fine, talked normally and Jack thought it had all blown over. He did feel bad but that's how things go sometimes. Then he noticed Emma was with Alice again and when he asked, he found out that Ianto had left the island for another recon.
What?
Later that day he saw the boats returning and he went down to the docks to welcome them, surprised to find toddler things, food and another couple of cats in Andy's boat. Ianto was in good spirits, like his normal self but Jack did notice that there were no baby things. He felt weird about that and followed Ianto up to the house as Ianto carried a basket of toys and things for Emma.
"What do you think? These are all extra-sensory toys. Me and Owen went to a place he knew from before where they deal with special needs kids and such. She might like them. Owen wanted to make sure he had things for any and all eventualities. He has some idea that he and Toshiko will have a kid with Down Syndrome or something. God, he's such a Negative Nelly sometimes right?" Ianto laughed, as he crouched to place some toys where their … his daughter would see them when she entered the room.
In front of his desk in the corner.
"Ianto, do you mind us having your desk in here? I should have talked it over with you before the move and…"
"Jack. It's OK" Ianto said, this something that seemed to ruffle Jack now. It was something Ianto seemed to have on repeat as a standard answer to anything. Should make t-shirts.
Ianto sighed as he rubbed at his temples, then pinched his nose. "I have a headache, I am going to have a moment in my… ah… Emma's room."
Jack watched him go and wondered how to fix this.
.
.
The next day Ianto was gone again, this time with several boats and Jack was starting to worry as it was late afternoon before they returned. Toshiko said she did not know where they were going, Alice had Emma again and simply shrugged when he asked. He did not like being out of the loop and wondered if this was another form of payback.
By the time Ianto was on the dock Jack was ready to scold but then he paused as he saw the dark glasses and the tight clothing. Man, he looked fucking edible… or edibly fuckable. He rushed him home and they had some amazing sex, both left totally spent afterwards.
"Ianto?"
"Hmmmm?" Ianto hummed softly.
"Are you still angry with me?"
Ianto rolled his head to look at him and frowned "Of course not Cariad. It's fine."
Ianto kissed him and then he rolled from the bed, leaving Jack there without cuddles. Jack knew it was no fine… not fine at all.
.
.
"Ali love, you have Emma again?" Jack asked the next day as he watched his daughter walking towards him with the toddler on her hip, the little girl's hands moving animatedly as she tried to 'talk' too. Jack took a moment to watch them and he laughed.
"Is that right is it little miss? Taddy is playing in his rumpus room?"
Alice laughed along with him "that's what she calls it. His office."
Jack frowned as he turned to look back towards their home "No he's not."
"Not that one. The new one" Alice rolled her eyes as Emma pointed at the old visitor's reception area "The building there that was security and such. He's turning that into his office since you wreaked his."
Jack was gobsmacked, striding over to open the door and find shelving going up, boxes everywhere and to his horror… a bed in one corner. Fresh paint lingered and it was clearly being turned into a little living space.
"Jack?" Ianto rose from behind some boxes with surprise, his shirt covered in dust and cobwebs. He had been clearing out a back room or something clearly.
"What… what is going on?" Jack demanded, his hands flapping about as he looked around the specious lobby that once welcomed those from the helipad to be led to their dwellings and was now in disarray. Fake palms were along one wall and what appeared to be visitor logs stacked up to be taken away.
"Well… I needed an office. You were right that the kids need the space more so… I decided it best to separate the two areas. Work and home. This will be a perfect place for my office and archives." Ianto explained.
Jack looked a the bed again and the toys on the floor by it that showed Emma had been in here with him, then found himself asking "Are you leaving me?"
"What?" Ianto asked with confusion, then he looked at the bed and laughed.
"Ya fucking divvy. No! That's for Emma. When I am here, she can be here with me, that's her daybed ya twat. Oh my god, seriously? There is a crib there and a playpen to be assembled for the bub too. Jack… the light was too strong for me. That's why I was getting headaches. I can't be in the bright sunlight too long, you know that. I have always been sensitive to light. The Rumpus Room is too bright and hurts my eyes. Why Emma's room was perfect as my office but you took it away and… now I have to compromise. So, this is it. The skylights and entrance doors create a good amount of natural light but it's muted. Not full on bright like at home." Ianto shook his head as he went back to unpacking a box. Books.
Jack then saw the shelves against the back walls and more to be built waiting in kitset boxes.
"Archives. You are creating a little bolthole for yourself like you had back at the Hub, aren't you. You are making a little nest. Oh. Nesting" Jack finally got it and started to laugh at himself "I thought… I thought I had made you so mad with my first trimester fuckery that you were leaving me."
"I will not leave you, I may want to shoot you in the head a few times but resist for the sake of the unborn child. Jack, you were a prick before the baby" Ianto said deadpan, then knelt to open another box.
Conversation over.
Jack once again was reminded that he needed to think more and act less impulsively. The headaches, the bright light was making Ianto sick.
Why Owen took Gwen on the retrievals on a sunny day and Ianto had those dark glasses he loved so much for walking the Plass for lunch on those days.
How could he overlook such a thing?
What a twat.
