Sunrise
Title: Sunrise
Series: Something that starts with "S", part twenty-one (conclusion)
Characters: Jack & Ianto, Gwen, Martha, Rhys, Tom, OFC
Rating: R
Summary: What's so special about Thursday?
A/N: for horizonssing day 31.
Notes: the final tally for this Horizon's Sing generated series: Just under 56,000 words (whew!). Many thanks to the people that read each chapter as they were posted and kept me going on this exercise of creating a long-form fiction based on daily prompts.
"Ianto! If you expect me to wear this, you better get your very hot arse in here and tie this noose or you'll be the one explaining why I died- again!" Jack threw the uncooperative length of silk on the bed before turning to look in the mirror again. He felt naked without his greatcoat- Ianto had been adamant about that- but he could get used to this. The old friends of Ianto's father came through in spades; navy blue so dark it was nearly black with the finest grey pinstripes he'd ever seen. With Jack's favorite shade of blue shirt and a really nice pair of brown shoes; he had to admit Ianto was right. "I guess I do look good in a suit."
"Only you could harass yourself Jack." Ianto walked into the bedroom, looking like he'd only rolled out of bed, in track pants and a worn t-shirt. Of course the small, very fussy baby in his arms probably explained why he wasn't dressed as she was grabbing hanks of his hair with one hand and bunching his shirt in a death grip with the other. Jack smirked at the general disarray he saw, ever since the birth of Branwen, also known as the hell spawn, Ianto's attention to detail had gone through the window with several baby-spit soaked ties and one much loved blazer that accidently was used as a changing table. Ianto laid the baby down in the middle of their bed and retrieved the blue and silver tie before turning around to face Jack. "Stand still. This will only take two ticks." Ianto slid his fingers around Jack's neck, trailing the tie underneath his collar, then tugged Jack forward by the two silk handles and biting at his mouth, "maybe a bit more." Jack smirked into the kiss as he slid his hands up under Ianto's thin shirt, slowly dragging them across the warm skin and hair before running them around to pull Ianto closer.
"Mmm. I think I could get used to being dressed by a gentleman's gentleman if this is part of the process." Jack nipped at the stubble on Ianto's chin earning a gasp. Ianto bit Jack's ear surprising a squeak from him as he gave a wicked lick to his lips and began sinking to his knees. Jack smiled down at Ianto's evil glint as he slowly unzipped the flies of the trousers and rested his nose in the opening. It took all of Jack's self control not to grasp Ianto's head and press him deeper as the shudders past through him from Ianto's slowly exhaled breath. "Talk about the personal touch!"
Ianto chuckled against Jack's quickening erection and slowly began freeing it from the soft cotton prison. He smiled at the warm heat radiating next to his nose then extended just the tip of his tongue. Then dropped his forehead against Jack's groin as a very loud, crying infant decided she'd had enough time not being the center of attention. Ianto groaned into Jack's erection, "she's obviously been listening to Auntie Gwen on how to ruin the mood," before pushing himself back up and finishing the half-windsor for Jack and finishing it with a kiss. "Let me get little Miss Center-of-the-universe squared, then you two can bugger off Captain Dad." Ianto retrieved the fussing baby from the bed and headed out of the room. Jack remained standing there shaking his head and quietly laughing. "And don't open the suit bag, it's a surprise." Jack dropped his hands from the zipper and walked out of the room, only then noticing his flies standing open and his deflating erection hanging out.
"You know how much I like surprises Ianto, that's why I was checking." He walked to the nursery and suddenly had an armful of brightly red dressed baby and a bag slung on his arm. "Uhm, is this a hint?" Jack quirked an eyebrow as Ianto flipped a towel over his shoulder to protect the clean suit.
"Yes, you are leaving now. You two have an appointment with Martha and then I'll see you later." Ianto was frog-marching Jack towards the door.
"What are you planning for three hours Ianto? I mean, is this your excuse to have a wild party while the wife and kid are away?" Jack leered at him.
Ianto opened the door and pushed Jack out before yelling, "Martha! They're your problem now!" He smiled at Jack and gave him a kiss, "yup. A Wild party involving me, a bathtub and a hot double date with the hoover and washing machine. Now get a move on Captain." He kissed the baby on the forehead, "and you keep him in line young lady." Ianto waved at Martha as she was coming down the staircase before slamming the front door shut and locking the deadbolt and drawing the chain.
Jack just stared at the closed door for a moment, "cheeky brat," before turning his attention to Martha, "Dr. Jones, I believe you were expecting us?" Branwen chose that moment to make a noise somewhere between a burp and a hiccup. Martha grabbed his free hand and began pulling him towards her car.
"Come on, as your official whatever for the day, we need to go pickup your register forms and take them to the hotel. Tom's on rounds, but he'll get there right before we start. Gwen's covering the hub until then and Rhys is doing whatever it is Rhys does." She buckled the baby into the car seat while Jack made for the driver's side. "Oi! My car mister, get over there." Jack let out a grunt and moved to the other side.
---
"No love, its all quiet here," Gwen said to the phone as she flipped the pages of her magazine. "Yes I fed the weevils and the bleedin' pterodactyl; I even gave her half a bar of chocolate for leaving all of my fingers attached." She rolled her eyes as the list of questions continued down the line. "Ianto, everything is fine. The rift is quiet; iTosh reports that it will be at least a week before there's even a spike big enough for us to notice. I've already contacted UNIT, they'll cover this afternoon and evening and I made sure the office upstairs is locked. Now if you'd like me to go make an inventory of ever gram of sugar and coffee in the kitchen I will, but only if you hang up the phone and relax! I'll see you in 15." Gwen slammed the phone down, "I swear that boy will drive me to drink!"
"He is a bit high strung."
Gwen spun in her chair reaching for the gun under her desk, "whoever you are, come out!" Gwen sighted the person walking out of the shadows near the rift pool, and slowly lowered her gun in recognition. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Martha?" Gwen looked at Jack then it dawned on her. "You're. You're not supposed to be here."
Jack walked over to her, wearing the same black suit she'd seen all those month ago when they dealt with the Gelth. She had no idea if it was later the same day for him; or years because Jack just didn't change. "Sorry, I just have a favor to ask." The Jack from the future approached, "I need you to give this to Ianto tonight, before we leave." He dropped a blister pack into her hand that contained a single pill. "Its important."
Gwen eyed the pill then glared at him, "I will not retcon Ianto. What are you trying to take away from him? Hasn't he lost enough?" Gwen pushed him away, "he'd die for you and that child and you just keep taking and taking. Its not fair!" Jack pulled her into his arms trying to calm her, but she was working herself into a right rage and pushed away.
"Its not retcon, at least not like you know it. This," he pointed at the packet, "won't wipe memories; its just going to make sure the timelines stabilize. His memory is too concise, he'll try to stop us from doing what we've done and I can't allow that. We- I need Ianto whole."
Gwen looked at this Jack, really looked at his face. There actually were some new lines there; just tiny faint ones, but the eyes had changed. While her Jack always looked ready to face the dangers of the world; this Jack looked like he wanted to protect his world. She looked at the blister pack, and what it represented. "Can I know more?" Gwen looked at him; "you need to give me more if you expect me to help you do this. Ianto and I may have our problems, but I can't just scramble his memories without a good reason." She crossed her arm beneath her breasts and waited.
Jack smiled, and pressed a button on his cuff, a holographic wire mesh displayed in the air between them. "This, is the projected timelines from this point forward to my time if Ianto remembers fine details about the temporal intrusions of the past year." Jack pointed to a red line, "that's Ianto, you're green, Martha's yellow, Bran's light blue, I'm dark blue. Now, watch what happens as we move forward from this date. The lines began growing up and several branches began to split off in other directions; sometimes the lines merged, other lines terminated. Gwen gasped when she saw Martha's yellow line stop and even more branches shoot in other directions, but fell into her chair as she saw three small lines grow parallel to her own, only to come to a dramatic stop, along with her own line a mere second later.
"Does that mean?" Gwen didn't want to finish the sentence.
Jack looked at her grimly, "yeah. A line stops when the life terminates. But you need to see this." Jack blanked the image and started playing another, "this is what the timelines looked like before we muddled with them, and how they'll look again after that pill modifies his memories. She watched as the lines continued to branch and twist, but this time, neither she nor Martha blinked out, and her three parallel lines continued as did two new ones next to Martha. She then covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes grew big when she saw another line form next to Ianto. She looked at Jack and he just smiled an nodded, "much less of a headache that one."
"Oi! Button it Captain!" Branwen's voice blasted from his cuff. He chuckled, "she really hates when I say that." Jack schooled his face, and said calmly, "something related to Ianto knowing details will fracture the timelines, you give him that pill and it resolves. It won't make him sleepy, it won't cause confusion; it will just let the details go hazy over time and that's all we need."
Gwen put the blister pack in her pocket then looked back at Jack, "I'll do it. But I need you to answer a question for me Jack."
"Dad, he's on the lift, you need to get back now or we're toast." Branwen's voice issued from Jack's leather wristband. He pressed the activation button and began walking towards the rift storm.
"Jack? Does he make you happy?" Gwen yelled as he started to fade. Jack looked at her and smiled.
"Every day."
---
"And with your signatures, you are officially registered under the rules and regulations of the Civil Partnership Act of 2003. Congratulations to you both." The clerk collected the paperwork and shook both Jack and Ianto's hands before leaving the small reserved room.
"Well, that was all a bit anti-climactic." Gwen blurted as they all sat down for brunch, "are you sure this is a Torchwood function?"
Martha rolled her eyes and situated Branwen in the high chair, "really, I don't think that purple stain with ever come out of my wedding dress. At least it didn't burn away too much of the bridesmaid's dresses." She shot a smile at Tom who was giving her an incredulous look, "it was only a little scratch, and I put extra tight stitches in for you- you can hardly see the scar."
Rhys helped himself to a helping of bacon, "Oi, at least you don't have your mam asking for copies of the wedding videos to remind her of what happened."
Jack just smiled at the banter of the others around the table while he rested his hand on Ianto's. A corner of Ianto's mouth quirked up when Jack ran a finger over the ring residing there.
"Jack!" Gwen slapped him on the arm. "I asked you a question."
Jack shook his head, "what? Sorry, I was miles away."
She smiled, "I asked you why this was all you two did; I mean, a little administrator and brunch? Couldn't you come up with something better?"
Jack began to speak, but Ianto cut across, "this is what I wanted. Sign the paper and brunch at the hotel looking over the bay. It seems perfectly fine to me."
Martha looked at him, "but what about your family and friends? This should be a big special event." She gave Branwen another rusk to play with.
Ianto gazed down at his hand under Jack's, "all of my family and friends are right here; and a meal I don't have to cook or clean up makes it special enough." He noticed the sudden silence of the others and looked up, "sorry; didn't mean to embarrass you all like that." He went back to eating his meal as everyone else did.
Martha finally broke, "what I really want to know is." Everyone looked at her, "how did you manage to pick the one day when nothing goes wrong? I mean, I heard about Gwen's wedding with the shape-shifter, and well; I wish I could retcon large portions of my wedding day out of memory. But you two, you somehow get the one day when there's absolutely nothing happening? Its just not fair."
Jack smiled, "its Thursday."
"What?" Gwen spluttered.
Ianto rolled his eyes, before starting to explain as if talking to a very small child, "if you look at Torchwood records for decades, you'll see the pattern. Apocalypse always lands on Tuesday with repercussions on Wednesday; personal disasters are reserved for Friday and Saturday and mayhem usually ensues on Monday. The one day when nothing ever happens at Torchwood is Thursday, its as constant as Invasions on Christmas." Ianto took another bite from his plate.
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what about Sunday?" Tom was looking with some trepidation. Almost at once, both Gwen and Martha cupped their hands to their mouths to smother giggles while Jack's broke out in a huge grin. Ianto's blush slowly spread from his ears, down his face and merged with his red shirt.
"Personal day."
---
"Oh god, whatever it is, make it go away." Jack groaned and pulled the pillow over his head.
Ianto picked up the phone to see the called id, "yes Gwen?" His voice was still rough since he was mostly asleep. "No, no, its okay. We're just having a lie in." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he listened to Gwen go one, not missing the distinctly loud howls of an upset baby in the background. "The bottle didn't work? Did you try holding her? What about Rhys? Him too?" Ianto sat up, noticing the warm breeze coming from the open window. "Try giving her the stuffed airplane, that- oh, its in the wash. So, what soft toy did you give her?" Ianto nearly groaned into the phone. "I see, well; maybe it doesn't smell right being a new toy- why don't you try one of her toys that's been washed before. Sure. If that doesn't work, give Martha a call and she'll give her a check over." He rose from the bed and looked out as the sun rose and the breeze brushed over his skin. "Yeah, see you Monday." He flipped the phone shut and dropped it on the table.
Warm arms wrapped around him, "trouble with hell spawn? Do we need to call in an exorcist?" Jack kissed his bare shoulder.
"No, just Auntie Gwen and Uncle Rhys ignoring rule number one, again." Ianto turned around and pulled Jack's waist tight into him.
Jack groaned into Ianto's mouth as they pressed into each other. "Not again. Is she really that thick?"
Ianto nipped Jack's ear then ran his tongue around the shell, "apparently so; or she's just determined to introduce some girly things to our poor child." He kissed along Jack's throat then nipped at his shoulder.
Jack dragged his nails over Ianto's back before dipping to capture Ianto's mouth for another kiss, "you'd think after the projectile vomiting and the ruined blouse she'd get the idea. Even I bowed to the inevitable." He reached between them to place a firm hand over their erections.
Ianto shuddered at the warmth and contact. "Its not like it's even that hard a rule to remember." He grabbed Jack's shoulders to stabilize himself as Jack quickly worked their cocks against each other. "No pink bunnies."
---
Jack walked out of the bathroom, still dripping from his shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. Ianto was standing by the window, looking out into the garden feeling the last of the day's warmth. "What are you thinking about?"
Ianto turned to him and smiled, "just wishing that summer wasn't nearly over. I always miss the warm days, as infrequent as they are." Ianto walked to the bed and sat down.
Jack smiled at him, "well, summer is a state of mind, and I'm pretty sure we could warm the days up on our own pretty well." Jack kneeled down in front of Ianto and pulled open his trousers, "or we could just go south."
FIN.
Read the epilogue Stumble
Series: Something that starts with "S", part twenty-one (conclusion)
Characters: Jack & Ianto, Gwen, Martha, Rhys, Tom, OFC
Rating: R
Summary: What's so special about Thursday?
A/N: for horizonssing day 31.
Notes: the final tally for this Horizon's Sing generated series: Just under 56,000 words (whew!). Many thanks to the people that read each chapter as they were posted and kept me going on this exercise of creating a long-form fiction based on daily prompts.
"Ianto! If you expect me to wear this, you better get your very hot arse in here and tie this noose or you'll be the one explaining why I died- again!" Jack threw the uncooperative length of silk on the bed before turning to look in the mirror again. He felt naked without his greatcoat- Ianto had been adamant about that- but he could get used to this. The old friends of Ianto's father came through in spades; navy blue so dark it was nearly black with the finest grey pinstripes he'd ever seen. With Jack's favorite shade of blue shirt and a really nice pair of brown shoes; he had to admit Ianto was right. "I guess I do look good in a suit."
"Only you could harass yourself Jack." Ianto walked into the bedroom, looking like he'd only rolled out of bed, in track pants and a worn t-shirt. Of course the small, very fussy baby in his arms probably explained why he wasn't dressed as she was grabbing hanks of his hair with one hand and bunching his shirt in a death grip with the other. Jack smirked at the general disarray he saw, ever since the birth of Branwen, also known as the hell spawn, Ianto's attention to detail had gone through the window with several baby-spit soaked ties and one much loved blazer that accidently was used as a changing table. Ianto laid the baby down in the middle of their bed and retrieved the blue and silver tie before turning around to face Jack. "Stand still. This will only take two ticks." Ianto slid his fingers around Jack's neck, trailing the tie underneath his collar, then tugged Jack forward by the two silk handles and biting at his mouth, "maybe a bit more." Jack smirked into the kiss as he slid his hands up under Ianto's thin shirt, slowly dragging them across the warm skin and hair before running them around to pull Ianto closer.
"Mmm. I think I could get used to being dressed by a gentleman's gentleman if this is part of the process." Jack nipped at the stubble on Ianto's chin earning a gasp. Ianto bit Jack's ear surprising a squeak from him as he gave a wicked lick to his lips and began sinking to his knees. Jack smiled down at Ianto's evil glint as he slowly unzipped the flies of the trousers and rested his nose in the opening. It took all of Jack's self control not to grasp Ianto's head and press him deeper as the shudders past through him from Ianto's slowly exhaled breath. "Talk about the personal touch!"
Ianto chuckled against Jack's quickening erection and slowly began freeing it from the soft cotton prison. He smiled at the warm heat radiating next to his nose then extended just the tip of his tongue. Then dropped his forehead against Jack's groin as a very loud, crying infant decided she'd had enough time not being the center of attention. Ianto groaned into Jack's erection, "she's obviously been listening to Auntie Gwen on how to ruin the mood," before pushing himself back up and finishing the half-windsor for Jack and finishing it with a kiss. "Let me get little Miss Center-of-the-universe squared, then you two can bugger off Captain Dad." Ianto retrieved the fussing baby from the bed and headed out of the room. Jack remained standing there shaking his head and quietly laughing. "And don't open the suit bag, it's a surprise." Jack dropped his hands from the zipper and walked out of the room, only then noticing his flies standing open and his deflating erection hanging out.
"You know how much I like surprises Ianto, that's why I was checking." He walked to the nursery and suddenly had an armful of brightly red dressed baby and a bag slung on his arm. "Uhm, is this a hint?" Jack quirked an eyebrow as Ianto flipped a towel over his shoulder to protect the clean suit.
"Yes, you are leaving now. You two have an appointment with Martha and then I'll see you later." Ianto was frog-marching Jack towards the door.
"What are you planning for three hours Ianto? I mean, is this your excuse to have a wild party while the wife and kid are away?" Jack leered at him.
Ianto opened the door and pushed Jack out before yelling, "Martha! They're your problem now!" He smiled at Jack and gave him a kiss, "yup. A Wild party involving me, a bathtub and a hot double date with the hoover and washing machine. Now get a move on Captain." He kissed the baby on the forehead, "and you keep him in line young lady." Ianto waved at Martha as she was coming down the staircase before slamming the front door shut and locking the deadbolt and drawing the chain.
Jack just stared at the closed door for a moment, "cheeky brat," before turning his attention to Martha, "Dr. Jones, I believe you were expecting us?" Branwen chose that moment to make a noise somewhere between a burp and a hiccup. Martha grabbed his free hand and began pulling him towards her car.
"Come on, as your official whatever for the day, we need to go pickup your register forms and take them to the hotel. Tom's on rounds, but he'll get there right before we start. Gwen's covering the hub until then and Rhys is doing whatever it is Rhys does." She buckled the baby into the car seat while Jack made for the driver's side. "Oi! My car mister, get over there." Jack let out a grunt and moved to the other side.
---
"No love, its all quiet here," Gwen said to the phone as she flipped the pages of her magazine. "Yes I fed the weevils and the bleedin' pterodactyl; I even gave her half a bar of chocolate for leaving all of my fingers attached." She rolled her eyes as the list of questions continued down the line. "Ianto, everything is fine. The rift is quiet; iTosh reports that it will be at least a week before there's even a spike big enough for us to notice. I've already contacted UNIT, they'll cover this afternoon and evening and I made sure the office upstairs is locked. Now if you'd like me to go make an inventory of ever gram of sugar and coffee in the kitchen I will, but only if you hang up the phone and relax! I'll see you in 15." Gwen slammed the phone down, "I swear that boy will drive me to drink!"
"He is a bit high strung."
Gwen spun in her chair reaching for the gun under her desk, "whoever you are, come out!" Gwen sighted the person walking out of the shadows near the rift pool, and slowly lowered her gun in recognition. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Martha?" Gwen looked at Jack then it dawned on her. "You're. You're not supposed to be here."
Jack walked over to her, wearing the same black suit she'd seen all those month ago when they dealt with the Gelth. She had no idea if it was later the same day for him; or years because Jack just didn't change. "Sorry, I just have a favor to ask." The Jack from the future approached, "I need you to give this to Ianto tonight, before we leave." He dropped a blister pack into her hand that contained a single pill. "Its important."
Gwen eyed the pill then glared at him, "I will not retcon Ianto. What are you trying to take away from him? Hasn't he lost enough?" Gwen pushed him away, "he'd die for you and that child and you just keep taking and taking. Its not fair!" Jack pulled her into his arms trying to calm her, but she was working herself into a right rage and pushed away.
"Its not retcon, at least not like you know it. This," he pointed at the packet, "won't wipe memories; its just going to make sure the timelines stabilize. His memory is too concise, he'll try to stop us from doing what we've done and I can't allow that. We- I need Ianto whole."
Gwen looked at this Jack, really looked at his face. There actually were some new lines there; just tiny faint ones, but the eyes had changed. While her Jack always looked ready to face the dangers of the world; this Jack looked like he wanted to protect his world. She looked at the blister pack, and what it represented. "Can I know more?" Gwen looked at him; "you need to give me more if you expect me to help you do this. Ianto and I may have our problems, but I can't just scramble his memories without a good reason." She crossed her arm beneath her breasts and waited.
Jack smiled, and pressed a button on his cuff, a holographic wire mesh displayed in the air between them. "This, is the projected timelines from this point forward to my time if Ianto remembers fine details about the temporal intrusions of the past year." Jack pointed to a red line, "that's Ianto, you're green, Martha's yellow, Bran's light blue, I'm dark blue. Now, watch what happens as we move forward from this date. The lines began growing up and several branches began to split off in other directions; sometimes the lines merged, other lines terminated. Gwen gasped when she saw Martha's yellow line stop and even more branches shoot in other directions, but fell into her chair as she saw three small lines grow parallel to her own, only to come to a dramatic stop, along with her own line a mere second later.
"Does that mean?" Gwen didn't want to finish the sentence.
Jack looked at her grimly, "yeah. A line stops when the life terminates. But you need to see this." Jack blanked the image and started playing another, "this is what the timelines looked like before we muddled with them, and how they'll look again after that pill modifies his memories. She watched as the lines continued to branch and twist, but this time, neither she nor Martha blinked out, and her three parallel lines continued as did two new ones next to Martha. She then covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes grew big when she saw another line form next to Ianto. She looked at Jack and he just smiled an nodded, "much less of a headache that one."
"Oi! Button it Captain!" Branwen's voice blasted from his cuff. He chuckled, "she really hates when I say that." Jack schooled his face, and said calmly, "something related to Ianto knowing details will fracture the timelines, you give him that pill and it resolves. It won't make him sleepy, it won't cause confusion; it will just let the details go hazy over time and that's all we need."
Gwen put the blister pack in her pocket then looked back at Jack, "I'll do it. But I need you to answer a question for me Jack."
"Dad, he's on the lift, you need to get back now or we're toast." Branwen's voice issued from Jack's leather wristband. He pressed the activation button and began walking towards the rift storm.
"Jack? Does he make you happy?" Gwen yelled as he started to fade. Jack looked at her and smiled.
"Every day."
---
"And with your signatures, you are officially registered under the rules and regulations of the Civil Partnership Act of 2003. Congratulations to you both." The clerk collected the paperwork and shook both Jack and Ianto's hands before leaving the small reserved room.
"Well, that was all a bit anti-climactic." Gwen blurted as they all sat down for brunch, "are you sure this is a Torchwood function?"
Martha rolled her eyes and situated Branwen in the high chair, "really, I don't think that purple stain with ever come out of my wedding dress. At least it didn't burn away too much of the bridesmaid's dresses." She shot a smile at Tom who was giving her an incredulous look, "it was only a little scratch, and I put extra tight stitches in for you- you can hardly see the scar."
Rhys helped himself to a helping of bacon, "Oi, at least you don't have your mam asking for copies of the wedding videos to remind her of what happened."
Jack just smiled at the banter of the others around the table while he rested his hand on Ianto's. A corner of Ianto's mouth quirked up when Jack ran a finger over the ring residing there.
"Jack!" Gwen slapped him on the arm. "I asked you a question."
Jack shook his head, "what? Sorry, I was miles away."
She smiled, "I asked you why this was all you two did; I mean, a little administrator and brunch? Couldn't you come up with something better?"
Jack began to speak, but Ianto cut across, "this is what I wanted. Sign the paper and brunch at the hotel looking over the bay. It seems perfectly fine to me."
Martha looked at him, "but what about your family and friends? This should be a big special event." She gave Branwen another rusk to play with.
Ianto gazed down at his hand under Jack's, "all of my family and friends are right here; and a meal I don't have to cook or clean up makes it special enough." He noticed the sudden silence of the others and looked up, "sorry; didn't mean to embarrass you all like that." He went back to eating his meal as everyone else did.
Martha finally broke, "what I really want to know is." Everyone looked at her, "how did you manage to pick the one day when nothing goes wrong? I mean, I heard about Gwen's wedding with the shape-shifter, and well; I wish I could retcon large portions of my wedding day out of memory. But you two, you somehow get the one day when there's absolutely nothing happening? Its just not fair."
Jack smiled, "its Thursday."
"What?" Gwen spluttered.
Ianto rolled his eyes, before starting to explain as if talking to a very small child, "if you look at Torchwood records for decades, you'll see the pattern. Apocalypse always lands on Tuesday with repercussions on Wednesday; personal disasters are reserved for Friday and Saturday and mayhem usually ensues on Monday. The one day when nothing ever happens at Torchwood is Thursday, its as constant as Invasions on Christmas." Ianto took another bite from his plate.
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what about Sunday?" Tom was looking with some trepidation. Almost at once, both Gwen and Martha cupped their hands to their mouths to smother giggles while Jack's broke out in a huge grin. Ianto's blush slowly spread from his ears, down his face and merged with his red shirt.
"Personal day."
---
"Oh god, whatever it is, make it go away." Jack groaned and pulled the pillow over his head.
Ianto picked up the phone to see the called id, "yes Gwen?" His voice was still rough since he was mostly asleep. "No, no, its okay. We're just having a lie in." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he listened to Gwen go one, not missing the distinctly loud howls of an upset baby in the background. "The bottle didn't work? Did you try holding her? What about Rhys? Him too?" Ianto sat up, noticing the warm breeze coming from the open window. "Try giving her the stuffed airplane, that- oh, its in the wash. So, what soft toy did you give her?" Ianto nearly groaned into the phone. "I see, well; maybe it doesn't smell right being a new toy- why don't you try one of her toys that's been washed before. Sure. If that doesn't work, give Martha a call and she'll give her a check over." He rose from the bed and looked out as the sun rose and the breeze brushed over his skin. "Yeah, see you Monday." He flipped the phone shut and dropped it on the table.
Warm arms wrapped around him, "trouble with hell spawn? Do we need to call in an exorcist?" Jack kissed his bare shoulder.
"No, just Auntie Gwen and Uncle Rhys ignoring rule number one, again." Ianto turned around and pulled Jack's waist tight into him.
Jack groaned into Ianto's mouth as they pressed into each other. "Not again. Is she really that thick?"
Ianto nipped Jack's ear then ran his tongue around the shell, "apparently so; or she's just determined to introduce some girly things to our poor child." He kissed along Jack's throat then nipped at his shoulder.
Jack dragged his nails over Ianto's back before dipping to capture Ianto's mouth for another kiss, "you'd think after the projectile vomiting and the ruined blouse she'd get the idea. Even I bowed to the inevitable." He reached between them to place a firm hand over their erections.
Ianto shuddered at the warmth and contact. "Its not like it's even that hard a rule to remember." He grabbed Jack's shoulders to stabilize himself as Jack quickly worked their cocks against each other. "No pink bunnies."
---
Jack walked out of the bathroom, still dripping from his shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. Ianto was standing by the window, looking out into the garden feeling the last of the day's warmth. "What are you thinking about?"
Ianto turned to him and smiled, "just wishing that summer wasn't nearly over. I always miss the warm days, as infrequent as they are." Ianto walked to the bed and sat down.
Jack smiled at him, "well, summer is a state of mind, and I'm pretty sure we could warm the days up on our own pretty well." Jack kneeled down in front of Ianto and pulled open his trousers, "or we could just go south."
FIN.
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