Jack sighed contentedly, leaning back against the sofa cushions.
“I can see my feet again! I’d almost forgotten what they look like,” he exclaimed, waggling them in the air. Glancing down his body, he added, “I can see other things too. I’ve missed my body. I look like me again. I feel like me again!”
“You never stopped looking like you.”
“Liar! I looked like I’d swallowed an elephant. I was all fat and lumpy.”
Ianto laughed affectionately.
“You weren’t fat, Jack, you were…”
“I know, I know. You know what the best part is? No more weird cravings! I don’t think I ever want to see another Mars Bar or pickled onion again.”
“That’s the best part?” Ianto raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, maybe not the best, but definitely in my top ten. What are you happy about? Besides the obvious.”
Ianto thought for a moment before answering.
“No more getting strange looks at the checkout.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Not your fault.”
“Oooh, no more getting up to pee a dozen times a night.”
Ianto laughed.
“No more sneaking meat pies when you’re out because you can’t stand the smell.”
“Oh Gods, I’ve missed meat!” Jack groaned. “What I’d give for a steak pie right now. With chips!”
“I think that could be arranged, I’ve got some in the freezer.”
There was silence for a while until Jack noticed that Ianto was showing no sign of moving.
“Um, Ianto? Food for your hungry husband?”
“In a minute, Jack. Just let me sit here a little while longer.”
Watching his husband, Jack’s face softened into a smile.
“You do realise you’re hogging the baby?”
Ianto looked up from gazing at his new daughter, cradled in his arms, to smile at Jack.
“You won’t be saying that when she’s waking us up at all hours.”
“Ah, night feeds, one of the joys of parenthood.”
They grinned goofily at each other.
“I’m a Tad!” Ianto’s voice was filled with wonder.
“You only just realised that?”
“It’s been a busy day, I’ve hardly had time to think until now. She’s so tiny.”
“She felt a lot bigger when she was kicking hell out of my insides. She has your nose. Cute as a button.”
“I was just thinking she has your chin.”
“The best bits of both of us. She’s going to be beautiful.”
“She already is. What are we going to call her? Now I can see her, none of the names we picked seem right.”
“She looks Welsh; fair skin and dark hair, just like you. She’ll probably have freckles too,” Jack decided. “She should have a Welsh name.”
Their daughter opened her eyes then, blue as the sea on a sunny day.
“Meriel,” Ianto said softly. “It means bright as the sea.”
Jack smiled.
“Perfect, just like our little girl. Hello, Meriel, I’m your daddy.”
At that moment, Jack’s stomach growled loudly and Ianto rolled his eyes.
“Sounds like I’d better get dinner. Here, you hold Meriel. Pie and chips, wasn’t it?”
Jack grinned as he took the baby. “Yes please! Come on, baby girl; let’s go watch Taddy make dinner. If you only knew all the trouble you’ve caused us. You’re completely worth all the cravings and waddling and not fitting into any of my clothes though,” he added as he got to his feet — easily, for the first time in months - and followed Ianto into the kitchen.
As Ianto started preparing dinner, he looked over at his husband and newborn daughter. Everything was changing, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The End
“I can see my feet again! I’d almost forgotten what they look like,” he exclaimed, waggling them in the air. Glancing down his body, he added, “I can see other things too. I’ve missed my body. I look like me again. I feel like me again!”
“You never stopped looking like you.”
“Liar! I looked like I’d swallowed an elephant. I was all fat and lumpy.”
Ianto laughed affectionately.
“You weren’t fat, Jack, you were…”
“I know, I know. You know what the best part is? No more weird cravings! I don’t think I ever want to see another Mars Bar or pickled onion again.”
“That’s the best part?” Ianto raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, maybe not the best, but definitely in my top ten. What are you happy about? Besides the obvious.”
Ianto thought for a moment before answering.
“No more getting strange looks at the checkout.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Not your fault.”
“Oooh, no more getting up to pee a dozen times a night.”
Ianto laughed.
“No more sneaking meat pies when you’re out because you can’t stand the smell.”
“Oh Gods, I’ve missed meat!” Jack groaned. “What I’d give for a steak pie right now. With chips!”
“I think that could be arranged, I’ve got some in the freezer.”
There was silence for a while until Jack noticed that Ianto was showing no sign of moving.
“Um, Ianto? Food for your hungry husband?”
“In a minute, Jack. Just let me sit here a little while longer.”
Watching his husband, Jack’s face softened into a smile.
“You do realise you’re hogging the baby?”
Ianto looked up from gazing at his new daughter, cradled in his arms, to smile at Jack.
“You won’t be saying that when she’s waking us up at all hours.”
“Ah, night feeds, one of the joys of parenthood.”
They grinned goofily at each other.
“I’m a Tad!” Ianto’s voice was filled with wonder.
“You only just realised that?”
“It’s been a busy day, I’ve hardly had time to think until now. She’s so tiny.”
“She felt a lot bigger when she was kicking hell out of my insides. She has your nose. Cute as a button.”
“I was just thinking she has your chin.”
“The best bits of both of us. She’s going to be beautiful.”
“She already is. What are we going to call her? Now I can see her, none of the names we picked seem right.”
“She looks Welsh; fair skin and dark hair, just like you. She’ll probably have freckles too,” Jack decided. “She should have a Welsh name.”
Their daughter opened her eyes then, blue as the sea on a sunny day.
“Meriel,” Ianto said softly. “It means bright as the sea.”
Jack smiled.
“Perfect, just like our little girl. Hello, Meriel, I’m your daddy.”
At that moment, Jack’s stomach growled loudly and Ianto rolled his eyes.
“Sounds like I’d better get dinner. Here, you hold Meriel. Pie and chips, wasn’t it?”
Jack grinned as he took the baby. “Yes please! Come on, baby girl; let’s go watch Taddy make dinner. If you only knew all the trouble you’ve caused us. You’re completely worth all the cravings and waddling and not fitting into any of my clothes though,” he added as he got to his feet — easily, for the first time in months - and followed Ianto into the kitchen.
As Ianto started preparing dinner, he looked over at his husband and newborn daughter. Everything was changing, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The End