[John grins as he says it, shifting up to nuzzle Jack's temple. Ianto bumps his head against the other side of Jack's in agreement.
They know he's not okay, but he's not upset.
Ianto scoots so he can prop his head up in one hand and keep his hand comfortably on Jack's stomach. There's a strangeness to the curve he presses his palm against absently--and he wonders if John remembers when the baby will start kicking. Maybe he's feeling a tiny foot...]
Feel like sharing? You have so few good dreams--s'ok if you want to keep it to yourself. You're allowed.
[John agrees, emphatically, by setting his head on Jack's shoulder, and reaching across him to run his fingers along Ianto's forearm as far as he can reach without moving from his spot.]
[Jack rolls his eyes at John's comment, but he's still smiling. He's not sure if he'd have even considered sharing this memory at another time--knowing how John in particular feels about the Doctor, even if that rage has tempered, he'd hesitate on mentioning anything where he was involved even if Rose was too--but for some reason, now, he's actually mulling it over. Figuring how to explain it without going into too much detail about the danger his then-mortal self had been in during the whole ordeal.
It's something about the weight of Ianto's hand against his stomach--having a distinctly different body shape and musculature from the majority of people capable of being in his 'situation', not to mention never letting it reach this point before, has made it rather difficult for him to decipher if anything he's felt in the last week or two is anything more than the occasional lingering stomach upset or his organs getting shoved out of position as the baby grows,-but he'll save discussing that matter for after he's told them what he can. What he wants to, and is pretty sure he's sorted out at least one reason.
He takes another moment to figure out where to start, before tipping his head against John's with a softer smile.]
It was back when I was traveling with Rose. [he starts, softly. He knows by then that both of them know that also means 'and the Doctor', even if Ianto's only heard about Rose which is a damn shame.] Just a bit after we met, we wound up in this little village in Russia, sometime in the late 20th or early 21st century, can't quite remember now. Got sucked in by the usual alien bollocks, ordinary day for me even then. Maybe wouldn't have remembered it much after all this time but…
[he swallows, though his smile doesn't dim and his eyes are still dry, voice still soft but not constricted by emotion] There was this girl. Valeria. 'Bout the age Rose was, maybe a little younger--nineteen, I think. But she didn't look it. The stuff that was going on…pretty much in an instant, she'd gone from looking like any teenage girl, to--someone's great-grandmother. Worse, because…she was virtually catatonic. She could walk, if you helped her along, but she couldn't talk or do anything for herself. If you sat her down somewhere, she'd just stay there, no matter what hell was breaking loose around her. When we found her, I went off the military guys we'd run into, following them to where they said the whole--thing had gone down, and they tried to tell me to just leave her for dead. Give you three guesses to how that went, first two don't count.
[The unspoken presence of the Doctor in this story…Ianto has to glance over at John.
Yep. His gaze has grown distant, his arm sliding across Jack’s chest—and a muscle in his lovely chiseled jaw is twitching. At least holding Jack seems to be a good touchstone, leaving him otherwise relaxed in his spot burrowed against Jack’s side.
Meanwhile, as Jack speaks—yeah, hearing about the Doctor makes him mad, but he’s more focused on the time. He’s pulled back to his own dealings with the Russians, both in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and picturing Jack in any piece of that hellscape upsets him.
Especially when he talks about the girl, Valeria. Thankfully, Jack gets mouthy and makes John smile.]
Black eyes? Or broken bones?
[Ianto huffs a laugh at that.]
Maybe he addressed the situation in a calm, level headed—shitebollocksyoubastard!
[John just grins, one leg thrown across both of Jack’s so he can press his frigid toes against Ianto’s calf, as Ianto flinches away cursing a blue streak.]
[Jack doesn't have to look at John's face to know that just the barest facts of the story so far are getting to John. He expected that, which is a good part of why he's going to avoid anything that isn't necessary. Still, he doesn't get the chance to get hung up worrying, and he can't help laughing as he realizes what John's done to Ianto. It's a short, soft laugh, but genuine. Which, he hopes, will reassure both of them a little more that despite--everything about that day, it really isn't a memory that hurts nearly as much as some that are superficially a lot less tragic.
After a moment, he clears his throat]
Neither, at that moment. I just got her to her feet. Another guy who got smart at me, made a comment about my taste in 'older women'? He got a verbal assault I wish I'd been able to record. Not that I didn't want to break his nose, but unfortunately needed him around. And he did help me later, when we had to evacuate the town and…
[he draws in a slow breath, as he fully acknowledges a good part of why he's thinking of Valeria now. But having John and Ianto pressed against him keeps that rage and sorrow from pulling him under]
Her father left her behind. [he says, only a little of that remembered anger slipping into his voice] On purpose. Didn't see the point in taking care of her, the way she was, so he thought it would be better to leave her for literal monsters . So of course I went to get her. Which involved a couple brushes with tentacles that were a lot less pleasant than most I've had, and getting my shirt a little singed. Would've been worse, but Rose saved our hides by getting into a damn bulldozer.
[He knows John will appreciate that image, and won't be at all surprised by it either.] Couple assholes still took her captive to get at me, but we got it all sorted. Besides…fixing what happened to her. Couldn't do anything about that. But at least her father realized what a selfish ass he'd been, by the time we had to leave. Hope he kept his word that he'd take care of her, for however long he had to.
[John smiles at Jack when he mentions Rose and the bulldozer—yeah, that’s her. It’s so painfully Rose that it aches, and even knowing she’s alive and okay isn’t enough for a couple seconds. Not when he can remember the carnival in the Dreamscape, teaching her to beat the rigged shooting gallery and going swimming after…
They both understand the part that’s hitting Jack hard in the here and the now—but Ianto not only beats John to the punch, he improves on the suggestion John was about to make.]
Valerian Jones. That should be the baby’s name—Jones is common enough to protect her, and we can change the pronunciation later. Silent ‘n’ if she truly is a girl, pronounce it if we end up with a son, and ‘Val’ is a good gender neutral option. John can pick the middle name.
[Of course Jack's not shocked they both pick up on why he's thinking of Valeria now, his subconscious is no more subtle than he is. But he is a little surprised by how quickly Ianto goes a step further with it.
He blinks, mulling it over for just a second before he tips his head to grin at Ianto, much closer to his usually bright smile than the faintly-dazed one he'd had when he first woke up thinking of that poor girl]
Better than the first thing that came to my mind, considering I remember when Vivian was still a fairly common name for boys and that's a little more difficult to twist about in this century, if it comes to that.
[then he turns his gaze back to John] Any thoughts?
[John loves it--of course he loves it. Granted, he'd wanted to suggest Bridget more than once, but he's not sure if that would hurt Jack or not.
He thinks, briefly, of his mother, or of Co--but some small part of him doesn't want to leave his mark on this baby. Jack and Ianto are better men than him, he'd only taint the kid with--
Ianto suddenly reaches over and flicks him in the forehead, making him wince.]
Stop it, John. Whatever you're specifically thinking, stop it. You're not getting down on yourself, not while we're naming the baby.
[Jack notices that brief moment when John's mind goes to a place he's pretty familiar with, even if he doesn't know the exact lay of the land in this case, but it doesn't last long enough for him to actually get that worried, thanks to Ianto.
Then that darkness leaves John's face, which would lift Jack's spirits no matter the reason, but… He grins right back, feeling none of the sorrow he might have in another moment at the reminder of two girls he'd never see again.]
Sounds fantastic. [he leans in to kiss John, brief and almost-chaste, then turns to do the same to Ianto.]
[John and Ianto both kiss him back, then impulsively Ianto shifts to lean down and kiss Jack’s belly.]
Well hello to you, Valerian Rose, my sweet little—
[His lips just press to the spot his hand had been before, then jerks back like he’s been burned, fingers flying to his lips. John is immediately on alert, eyes wide.]
Ian?…
[Ianto blinks, then scowls at Jack’s stomach, pointing accusingly at the small distortion to the bulge of Jack’s stomach.]
Our unborn bloody daughter kicked me in the face. Right in the mouth.
[Jack manages to suppress his smile the moment he realizes what's happened, but gives up on even trying once Ianto practically glowers at his stomach.
Grinning, he turns to John] Guess you should take that as a warning [he says, half-laughing] And at least that confirms I've felt her poking around a couple times over the last week or so.
[John's eyes are wide, could be called frightened if not for the massive grin stretching even his perpetually crooked mouth wide. Reaching out, he lays a hand over the spot where Ianto had pressed his mouth, and after a minute his breath catches.]
Holy shit, that's a foot. [He breathes the words reverently, staring at his own hand.] That's a little goddamn foot right there...
[Ianto settles back to tuck himself against Jack's side, head propped in his hand again with a smile of his own.]
Getting beat up by my own unborn child is almost worth it to see John here get sappy over baby kicks.
[John flips off Ianto good-naturedly, then leans over to press a kiss of his own to the tiny swell of a foot pressing against Jack's belly.]
Watch. She's gonna be a swimmer like Ian, with legs like that.
[Jack laughs softly at Ianto's commentary and John's silent response, but is otherwise silent as he watches and feels John and their daughter really interacting with each other for the first time. He honestly hadn't thought about the possibility of anyone else being able to feel any of the strange fluttering sensations he'd been experiencing for at least a few more weeks, but considering Owen's comment about her being a little ahead of schedule compared to most babies in the 21st century it makes sense.
It's still surreal, and makes it all feel that much more wonderfully, terrifyingly real.
John's commentary keeps him from even coming close to falling into fear and melancholy, though, and he grins as he reaches to idly brush some of those dark waves away from John's forehead.]
'Least you two aren't going to be getting the full impact of her testing out all her parts. Can't say I'm too excited to find out what it's like to get kicked in the ribs from the inside once she's got a bit more weight to put into it. [but he's still smiling as he says it, so…yeah, he's not exactly upset by the prospect either.]
[Jack had been about to make some comment about how he's pretty sure Toby will volunteer herself to help out with that plenty, given how he's seen her acting with Zia, and the fact she's been willing to help with just about anything if it doesn't involve cooking or getting submerged, but then Ianto's kissing him and--
Well, he doesn't lose all language, but quite a lot of it. Pretty much anything unrelated to getting either or both of his boyfriends to have their way with him, honestly. He'd thought it was pretty much impossible for his sex drive to increase past his usual baseline, but the last couple weeks have really proven him wrong on that count.
He manages a breathy laugh as he returns Ianto's kiss.]
I'd ask if you really wanna make that promise considering, but I've got enough firsthand experience to know you're not all talk. [he tips his head to look at John again, grinning] But I know both of you can give my creativity a challenge in that department.
[John grins, and it sets off a flutter in the pit of Ianto's stomach--equal parts fear and anticipation.
He just sits and watches as John takes a turn, bowing his head to kiss Jack, slower and softer than Ianto--and absolutely filthy, making Ianto's breath catch imagining John using that gorgeous tongue to open him up for a nice, long, slow fuck.
John breaks the kiss, running a hand through Jack's hair with that same scary yet exciting smile.]
Y'know, we have ourselves a real bossy dom here in ol' Ian...what would you say if I told you I had half a mind to make him beg 'n let you watch me do it?
[...and just like that, Ianto's mouth goes bone dry as he looks between the pair of them for all of three seconds before leaning across Jack to grab John by the hair and kiss him breathless.]
[Jack moans into John's mouth, and when the kiss breaks he tips his head into the fingers raking through his hair as he catches his breath, lips parted and glistening as he looks up at John. His breath is taken away all over again at John's proposition, and he's still trying to formulate a response when Ianto pulls John in for a very hot kiss of his own.
That renders Jack speechless for several more long moments before he licks his lips, swallowing a couple times before he can trust himself to actually say something mostly-coherent]
I'd say that I'd like to see that very, very much. [he finally manages, voice clear if rough with desire]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-03-28 07:49 pm (UTC)[John grins as he says it, shifting up to nuzzle Jack's temple. Ianto bumps his head against the other side of Jack's in agreement.
They know he's not okay, but he's not upset.
Ianto scoots so he can prop his head up in one hand and keep his hand comfortably on Jack's stomach. There's a strangeness to the curve he presses his palm against absently--and he wonders if John remembers when the baby will start kicking. Maybe he's feeling a tiny foot...]
Feel like sharing? You have so few good dreams--s'ok if you want to keep it to yourself. You're allowed.
[John agrees, emphatically, by setting his head on Jack's shoulder, and reaching across him to run his fingers along Ianto's forearm as far as he can reach without moving from his spot.]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-28 08:15 pm (UTC)It's something about the weight of Ianto's hand against his stomach--having a distinctly different body shape and musculature from the majority of people capable of being in his 'situation', not to mention never letting it reach this point before, has made it rather difficult for him to decipher if anything he's felt in the last week or two is anything more than the occasional lingering stomach upset or his organs getting shoved out of position as the baby grows,-but he'll save discussing that matter for after he's told them what he can. What he wants to, and is pretty sure he's sorted out at least one reason.
He takes another moment to figure out where to start, before tipping his head against John's with a softer smile.]
It was back when I was traveling with Rose. [he starts, softly. He knows by then that both of them know that also means 'and the Doctor', even if Ianto's only heard about Rose which is a damn shame.] Just a bit after we met, we wound up in this little village in Russia, sometime in the late 20th or early 21st century, can't quite remember now. Got sucked in by the usual alien bollocks, ordinary day for me even then. Maybe wouldn't have remembered it much after all this time but…
[he swallows, though his smile doesn't dim and his eyes are still dry, voice still soft but not constricted by emotion] There was this girl. Valeria. 'Bout the age Rose was, maybe a little younger--nineteen, I think. But she didn't look it. The stuff that was going on…pretty much in an instant, she'd gone from looking like any teenage girl, to--someone's great-grandmother. Worse, because…she was virtually catatonic. She could walk, if you helped her along, but she couldn't talk or do anything for herself. If you sat her down somewhere, she'd just stay there, no matter what hell was breaking loose around her. When we found her, I went off the military guys we'd run into, following them to where they said the whole--thing had gone down, and they tried to tell me to just leave her for dead. Give you three guesses to how that went, first two don't count.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-29 03:29 am (UTC)Yep. His gaze has grown distant, his arm sliding across Jack’s chest—and a muscle in his lovely chiseled jaw is twitching. At least holding Jack seems to be a good touchstone, leaving him otherwise relaxed in his spot burrowed against Jack’s side.
Meanwhile, as Jack speaks—yeah, hearing about the Doctor makes him mad, but he’s more focused on the time. He’s pulled back to his own dealings with the Russians, both in Vietnam and Afghanistan, and picturing Jack in any piece of that hellscape upsets him.
Especially when he talks about the girl, Valeria. Thankfully, Jack gets mouthy and makes John smile.]
Black eyes? Or broken bones?
[Ianto huffs a laugh at that.]
Maybe he addressed the situation in a calm, level headed—shitebollocksyoubastard!
[John just grins, one leg thrown across both of Jack’s so he can press his frigid toes against Ianto’s calf, as Ianto flinches away cursing a blue streak.]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-29 03:51 am (UTC)After a moment, he clears his throat]
Neither, at that moment. I just got her to her feet. Another guy who got smart at me, made a comment about my taste in 'older women'? He got a verbal assault I wish I'd been able to record. Not that I didn't want to break his nose, but unfortunately needed him around. And he did help me later, when we had to evacuate the town and…
[he draws in a slow breath, as he fully acknowledges a good part of why he's thinking of Valeria now. But having John and Ianto pressed against him keeps that rage and sorrow from pulling him under]
Her father left her behind. [he says, only a little of that remembered anger slipping into his voice] On purpose. Didn't see the point in taking care of her, the way she was, so he thought it would be better to leave her for literal monsters . So of course I went to get her. Which involved a couple brushes with tentacles that were a lot less pleasant than most I've had, and getting my shirt a little singed. Would've been worse, but Rose saved our hides by getting into a damn bulldozer.
[He knows John will appreciate that image, and won't be at all surprised by it either.] Couple assholes still took her captive to get at me, but we got it all sorted. Besides…fixing what happened to her. Couldn't do anything about that. But at least her father realized what a selfish ass he'd been, by the time we had to leave. Hope he kept his word that he'd take care of her, for however long he had to.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-29 04:07 am (UTC)They both understand the part that’s hitting Jack hard in the here and the now—but Ianto not only beats John to the punch, he improves on the suggestion John was about to make.]
Valerian Jones. That should be the baby’s name—Jones is common enough to protect her, and we can change the pronunciation later. Silent ‘n’ if she truly is a girl, pronounce it if we end up with a son, and ‘Val’ is a good gender neutral option. John can pick the middle name.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-29 04:51 am (UTC)He blinks, mulling it over for just a second before he tips his head to grin at Ianto, much closer to his usually bright smile than the faintly-dazed one he'd had when he first woke up thinking of that poor girl]
Better than the first thing that came to my mind, considering I remember when Vivian was still a fairly common name for boys and that's a little more difficult to twist about in this century, if it comes to that.
[then he turns his gaze back to John] Any thoughts?
no subject
Date: 2024-03-29 05:18 pm (UTC)He thinks, briefly, of his mother, or of Co--but some small part of him doesn't want to leave his mark on this baby. Jack and Ianto are better men than him, he'd only taint the kid with--
Ianto suddenly reaches over and flicks him in the forehead, making him wince.]
Stop it, John. Whatever you're specifically thinking, stop it. You're not getting down on yourself, not while we're naming the baby.
[John laughs a little, then sighs and...
...well, shit. He's a fucking moron.
Grinning, he meets Jack's gaze.]
Rose. Valerian Rose Jones.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-30 03:05 am (UTC)Then that darkness leaves John's face, which would lift Jack's spirits no matter the reason, but…
He grins right back, feeling none of the sorrow he might have in another moment at the reminder of two girls he'd never see again.]
Sounds fantastic. [he leans in to kiss John, brief and almost-chaste, then turns to do the same to Ianto.]
no subject
Date: 2024-03-30 04:03 am (UTC)Well hello to you, Valerian Rose, my sweet little—
[His lips just press to the spot his hand had been before, then jerks back like he’s been burned, fingers flying to his lips. John is immediately on alert, eyes wide.]
Ian?…
[Ianto blinks, then scowls at Jack’s stomach, pointing accusingly at the small distortion to the bulge of Jack’s stomach.]
Our unborn bloody daughter kicked me in the face. Right in the mouth.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-30 04:44 am (UTC)Grinning, he turns to John] Guess you should take that as a warning [he says, half-laughing] And at least that confirms I've felt her poking around a couple times over the last week or so.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-10 08:29 pm (UTC)Holy shit, that's a foot. [He breathes the words reverently, staring at his own hand.] That's a little goddamn foot right there...
[Ianto settles back to tuck himself against Jack's side, head propped in his hand again with a smile of his own.]
Getting beat up by my own unborn child is almost worth it to see John here get sappy over baby kicks.
[John flips off Ianto good-naturedly, then leans over to press a kiss of his own to the tiny swell of a foot pressing against Jack's belly.]
Watch. She's gonna be a swimmer like Ian, with legs like that.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-10 11:33 pm (UTC)It's still surreal, and makes it all feel that much more wonderfully, terrifyingly real.
John's commentary keeps him from even coming close to falling into fear and melancholy, though, and he grins as he reaches to idly brush some of those dark waves away from John's forehead.]
'Least you two aren't going to be getting the full impact of her testing out all her parts. Can't say I'm too excited to find out what it's like to get kicked in the ribs from the inside once she's got a bit more weight to put into it. [but he's still smiling as he says it, so…yeah, he's not exactly upset by the prospect either.]
no subject
Date: 2024-04-11 01:35 am (UTC)[John is still smiling when he says it—despite the fact that Ianto throws a leg across Jack’s to kick him, which just makes John laugh.]
Oi! I’ll thank you not to promise out me changing nappies.
[John raises an eyebrow with a smirk.]
It’s not too far along for sex, y’know. I make Jack the right promise and he’ll help me pin you down.
[Ianto just laughs, leaning down to kiss Jack soundly.]
Whatever he promises you, I’ll do it harder and dirtier.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-11 02:12 am (UTC)Well, he doesn't lose all language, but quite a lot of it. Pretty much anything unrelated to getting either or both of his boyfriends to have their way with him, honestly. He'd thought it was pretty much impossible for his sex drive to increase past his usual baseline, but the last couple weeks have really proven him wrong on that count.
He manages a breathy laugh as he returns Ianto's kiss.]
I'd ask if you really wanna make that promise considering, but I've got enough firsthand experience to know you're not all talk. [he tips his head to look at John again, grinning] But I know both of you can give my creativity a challenge in that department.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-12 08:06 pm (UTC)[John grins, and it sets off a flutter in the pit of Ianto's stomach--equal parts fear and anticipation.
He just sits and watches as John takes a turn, bowing his head to kiss Jack, slower and softer than Ianto--and absolutely filthy, making Ianto's breath catch imagining John using that gorgeous tongue to open him up for a nice, long, slow fuck.
John breaks the kiss, running a hand through Jack's hair with that same scary yet exciting smile.]
Y'know, we have ourselves a real bossy dom here in ol' Ian...what would you say if I told you I had half a mind to make him beg 'n let you watch me do it?
[...and just like that, Ianto's mouth goes bone dry as he looks between the pair of them for all of three seconds before leaning across Jack to grab John by the hair and kiss him breathless.]
no subject
Date: 2024-04-13 10:39 pm (UTC)His breath is taken away all over again at John's proposition, and he's still trying to formulate a response when Ianto pulls John in for a very hot kiss of his own.
That renders Jack speechless for several more long moments before he licks his lips, swallowing a couple times before he can trust himself to actually say something mostly-coherent]
I'd say that I'd like to see that very, very much. [he finally manages, voice clear if rough with desire]