could've been worse than you would ever know ; ( scene, for capnhotness )

[coffee_cult]

One week and a significant dip into his finances later, Ianto Jones returns to Cardiff, and he doesn't come alone. A small retinue of movers comes first, maneuvering furniture down Edwardian-era hallways that were never meant to hold such large furniture as twenty-first century terms of interior design dictate. With canine-Jack on their heels,

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[capnhotness]

Compared to other, much more catastrophic, events in the history of Jack's time with Torchwood, cleaning up after the collision of their own universe with a parallel one is relatively easy. The Hub hasn't been damaged or nearly destroyed - as with Abaddon or the Master, respectively - and apart from the requisite filing and paperwork (all the more difficult without Ianto), Jack has very little to do or recover from in the week following the conclusion of the entire convoluted incident. He gives Ianto space - a hundred and fifty miles of it, actually - and whatever time his husband needs, instead making himself useful (or something like it) in Cardiff

[coffee_cult]

The clatter on the floor of canine Jack jumping from the bed is what alerts Ianto enough to remove the speakers from his head. He leaves them dangling around his neck, music still piping through, and carefully hangs the tie rack up in the closet before leaving the room. Navigating the house is still a challenge for Ianto, making sure he turns in the right direction to reach the stairs, but a few seconds later has him descending them. It's an ironic turn-about of man following dog, though Ianto manages to catch up with canine Jack on a landing and scoop him up so that he doesn't spoil the surprise. Then he pads the rest of the way down, much more quietly, in socked feet.

Ianto can't help a smile as he spots Jack at the bottom of the stairs, and he quickens his pace to meet his husband there. He hastily deposits the dog back down on the steps with an indignant yelp and leans across the banister to grab Jack and greet him with a heartfelt kiss.

[capnhotness]

While he hears a bit of scuffling upstairs, Jack doesn't identify it as a canine sound, though it is distinctly different than the not entirely feline noises that Zaphod makes (whenever the Gallifreyan kitten chooses to make any whatsoever). There isn't an answer from Ears, which he finds strange but not entirely alarming, and Jack simply waits at the bottom of the stairs as he follows the sound of footsteps overhead and anticipates someone, perhaps his Gallifreyan lover, to appear on the upper landing

[coffee_cult]

Given a long enough timeline, Ianto might actually hazard leaping the banister, but while he might be able to fit into trousers he wore when he was eighteen, he doesn't quite have the agility anymore. He does, however, take an inordinate amount of pleasure in Jack's obvious - dumbfounded, even! - surprise, and leans against the banister when they've pulled apart, looking far too self-satisfied.

"Hi," Ianto greets in return, unable to stop his smile from turning into a little bit of a sneaky grin. "Hope you don't mind I let myself in."