Gwil's Guide to Growing Up Torchwood: Year 2, Chapter 6

[amuly]

Title: Gwil's Guide to Growing Up Torchwood: Year 2, Chapter 6
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Word Count: 1,553
Rating: PG
Summary: When a seven-year-old boy falls through the Rift, Ianto and Jack decide to adopt him. This is the story of his life at Torchwood.
Chapter Summary: Jack and Ianto purchase a house as a front for Gwil, in preparation for the school year.
Warnings: fluff incognito: it seems like it's going to be angst, but it's not!
A/N: Okay, my updating schedule is just all over the place. Whatever.

Previous Chapters:
Prologue
The First Year:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
The Second Year:
1, 1.PWP, 2, 3, 4, 5

 

 

Ianto pursed his lips as he stared at the lovely little three-bedroom, two-bath home. It was in a good school district – the absolute first filter he had put all the homes through, since that was the reason for buying a home in the first place – fairly new, and in good shape. All the electrical outlets were in place, there wasn't any obvious water damage, the garden and lawn were both lovely and well-kept. It was a home worthy of being lived-in, much less good enough to use as a front for their rooms in the Hub. It was the sort of home he might have imagined him and Lisa living in, a few years down the line.

“I don't know.”

Jack groaned, loudly and emphatically, from his spot sitting on the front steps. “Iaaan-tooo.”

Ianto's eyes flickered around the exterior, ignoring the estate agent standing by her car, jabbering away on her mobile. “That tree could fall in a storm.”

Jack threw his hands up in the air, before pushing up off his thighs and standing. “Then I'll have it removed. Ianto, this is the fifth house I've seen: and I know you've looked at a dozen more without me.” Ianto opened his mouth to protest, but Jack just gave him one of his expectant, are-you-really-going-to-deny-it? looks, so Ianto closed it, pressing his lips together tightly. Jack was right, after all.

Getting one of those private, concerned expressions on his face, Jack edged closer to Ianto, turning slightly away from the estate agent. “Is something wrong? Something about Gwil, or Torchwood...”

Ianto shrugged noncommittally, eyes still flickering over the quaint little house. Maybe the house had some bad Rift history? He could check the records, though he doubted there was actually anything wrong with this one. Only two of the other houses had come up in the records when he queried. But he couldn't exactly turn down yet another house just... because...

“Hey.” Jack's sharp tone startled Ianto out of his reverie, forcing his gaze to the stony face of the other man. “Don't do that.”

“What?”

“That refuse-to-say-anything thing,” Jack waved his hand around. “I can't fix it if you don't tell me what's wrong.”

“Oh, because you're so forthcoming about what's bothering you when you're in a mood,” Ianto snapped back. Immediately he regretted the words, as the stony look on Jack's face turned briefly murderous, then blank. The blank expression was the worst of all.

“Reached a decision, yet?” The bubbly voice of the estate agent cut through the tension roiling between the two men like a pot of fresh coffee. “I don't mean to rush you, but there is another couple interested-”

“We'll take it.” Jack broke eye contact with Ianto as he spoke, turning to the estate agent. “It's perfect.”

With one last look, Ianto turned away from Jack and toward the house. Jack would be the one signing the papers, anyway: he was the one actually buying the place. Tension all through his neck and shoulders, feeling like some sort of atlantes figure, Ianto walked slowly up the steps to the front door, swinging it open. He stared into the interior of the house: an interior no one would ever see, so long as they set up the teleport properly.

“Thoughts: go.” Jack slipped up behind Ianto: not quite touching, but a solid, warm presence, impossible to ignore. Everything about Jack was impossible to ignore, Ianto thought fondly.

So he complied with the request, saying the first thought skimming the surface of his tumultuous mind. “It's sad. This poor little house won't ever get to be a real home – see a real family live in it. It'll just stay empty. A facade.”

Jack moved closer, still not really touching, but there was the whisper of his coat edges against Ianto's suit jacket as they breathed together, staring into the perfectly lovely house. “If...” Jack stopped, and Ianto waited. He always waited, when Jack spoke like that: serious. Quiet. “If you wanted to, you could live here. You and Gwil.”

Abruptly Ianto stepped away from Jack, fear gripping his heart. He scanned the room, counting the outlets – one, two, three, four – in an effort to calm himself down before speaking. “What about you?” he asked outlet number four, refusing to look at Jack, lest the fear and – pathetic, silly, needy – desperation show through his eyes. “You'd have to stay at the Hub. Remote monitoring and Rift-prediction programs only go so far.”

There was the muffled sound of Jack's boots on the carpet, and a blur of grey as Jack's coat moved through Ianto's peripheral vision. Then Jack's hand was on his shoulder, nudging him, forcing Ianto to turn and face him. “I'd... yeah. But we could set the teleport up in the house, say in the back of your closet or something, and we'd be able to-”

Jack stopped speaking abruptly as Ianto made a choked-off noise and turned away. He stared fiercely at outlet number two, willing down the anger and betrayal that were worming their way through his system. “This is...” Ianto tampered down the urged to punch the wall. Wouldn't do any good, and would probably bust up his hand. “Is this because of Owen?” he finally managed to growl out. With a flash of calm anger, Ianto managed to turn around, staring down Jack in challenge. “Reputation called into question, so you're trying to reassert it? God forbid Captain Jack Harkness be spoken of in the context of a relationship.”

For a split second, Jack's face registered pure shock and confusion. Ianto faltered in his tirade, realizing too late that he had read Jack all wrong. Then the bafflement turned to anger, and Jack rounded on Ianto. “I was pissed at Owen for you, you big idiot! He was calling you my wife, I thought you'd...” Jack waved his hand at Ianto helplessly, “I don't know, take offense!”

Ianto was incredulous. Hands on his hips, he raised an eyebrow at Jack. “And, why exactly would I take offense? Which one of us takes it up the arse, more often than not?” As Jack's mouth fell open in a light-hearted protest, Ianto rolled his eyes. “And I know, it doesn't matter. But honestly, Jack: Owen gives me shit all the time. It's just him taking the mickey.” He leaned into Jack, wry smile twitching at his lips. “Honestly, Jack: I don't even hear eighty percent of what falls out of that man's mouth.”

There was a long moment as the two men stared at each other, brows furrowed and hands on hips in identical postures of bafflement. Then, very slowly, a chuckle started in Jack's chest. That was all it took to open the floodgates, and moments later Ianto was clinging to Jack as they laughed, tears streaming down both faces.

“Wait, wait.” Jack pulled away from Ianto, wiping at his face as he tried to stop laughing. “Where are we living?”

Ianto shrugged helplessly. “I thought you were kicking me and Gwil out of the Hub.”

Jack laughed boisterously, clapping at Ianto's shoulder. “I thought you wanted to move out!”

Ianto groaned, pressing his forehead to Jack's shoulder and shaking his head slowly. “We really must learn to actually talk to each other once in a while, Jack. All these miscommunications are getting exhausting. I'm too old for this.”

Beneath his forehead, Jack rolled his shoulder gently. “Hey, you think you're too old.”

Ianto snorted indelicately. “Why do I have the feeling lesbians never have these problems?”

Above him, Jack mused as he stroked small circles into Ianto's back: “Yeah, but they get a double-dose of PMT every month.” Ianto could feel Jack's face brighten, breaking out into a grin with his next sentence: “And we have penises. So, you know. There's that.”

Jack's wrist strap chose that moment to go off, signaling a Rift spike and interrupting Ianto's vague musings on the benefits and deficits of various sex organs. The two men split apart immediately, Ianto going for his PDA, Jack fiddling with his wrist strap. They groaned synchronously as they stared down at their devices. Jack was out the door to their new facade-home just a step before Ianto, who took a second to grab the key from Jack and lock it up, before both piled in to the SUV.

Just before they pulled away from the curb and as Ianto was pressing his comm to coordinate with Tosh, he felt a hand on his neck and a small tug. He turned, letting Jack pull him into a quick kiss. When he quirked an eyebrow at the other man, Jack just smiled and said: “Congratulations on the new house.”

Ianto rolled his eyes, but smiled back as warmth filled his chest. It was only as he turned his attention back to his comm and PDA that his eyes skittered over the calendar date, plummeting his heart into his feet.

There, in great big red letters, less than a week away, read: First Day of School.


Continue onto Chapter 7.

 

Comments

[analia-the-1st.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Boys. This communication issue is going to cause them a lot more trouble if they don't straighten it out.

I bet Ianto's going to be a right mess when Gwil goes for his first day of school.

[xkayxvenx.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh...I wonder if the whole relationship problem can really be over in two sentences? I don't think so...Can't wait for the more in depth is it going to become more when they move into the house? Hmm.../ponder

Oh gosh the first day of school is one of my favorite thing to read in kid!fics. The way one parent is all worrying and the other is like, 'Come on they will have FUN!!!!", but they are secretly worried as well.

[rellan.livejournal.com]

If they're gonna have a teleport anyway, why not live at the house??

They could still zap to the hub when necessary while actually living in a home.

Oh, boys!

[footprint-23.livejournal.com]

See how well proper talking works. Poor Ianto and his separation anxiety. Awesome stuff!

[jedimonkeyspock.livejournal.com]

awesome update! silly boys not talking about junk. plus LOL, "we have penises". can't wait to read about Gwil's first day of school.

[beesandbrews.livejournal.com]

I was wondering when Owen's baiting was going to come up.

[kausingkayn.livejournal.com]

Stupid boys, always arguing because they don't talk, lol. Something dramatic may happen because of it...yay!

And the first day of school! AAAAH! The way you wrote that I heart the dun dun dun in the background. I can't wait for this chapter! <3

[deathproof2010.livejournal.com]

Oh so lovely and these misunderstandings- HAHA!
But NOOOO First Day of School is right ahead... How will it go with Ianto and his "fears"?

Can't wait for ...well, monday I guess?!:-D

[ladyrose1985.livejournal.com]

Okay, I really don't like kidfics. And I didn't expect to like this one. But I absolutely LOVE it! Please keep updating.

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

*giggles* oh man... brilliant