kollo_rpg | Summer 7 - action; closed to Jack and Ianto

[Suddenly, they're both looking directly at him for an opinion and he abruptly starts to look a little cornered. Until this moment, he honestly thought he had no strong opinion one way or the other, and if Ianto had phrased it more as asking him to join them and less as assuming he wouldn't want to, he might have swung towards that and accepted.

However, not only does he have Ianto assuming he doesn't want that but he also suddenly has Spike pointing out his caginess in revealing what he actually wants here (not to mention asking even more pointedly about things that he really, really doesn't want to get into right at this moment in time) and suddenly all he can think about is how he really isn't ready to be thrust back into an intense threeway relationship again. It isn't even really because he wants to sleep around here, because honestly most of the people he's met here are way too young to even consider in that light and none of them have really struck him that way anyway. It's more about the similarities with how things were with Saavi and Taiana and that... it's just too much.

So he sits there staring between the two of them for a moment and then deliberately leans back in his seat, waving a negligent hand towards them.]

I'm fine. You two get your cabin together, but I think I'll just stay where I am for the moment. To be honest, I've kind of taken my housemate under my wing a bit and I'm not sure she even has anyone else here to talk to. I don't want her to feel like I'm abandoning her. Seems like virtually everyone else in her life has.

[Which is definitely a genuine reason, even if not the most important one.]

((OOC: Sorry, guys - he seems to have reverted to his old self after all that time away from them! Or maybe he just feels a little ganged up on. One of them at a time would probably be okay, but both at once just seems to be too much right now!))

[Christ, he’d forgotten how hard this balancing act can be. Ianto isn’t an idiot. Between his sudden reluctance now and the fact that he clearly wasn’t ready to talk about something yesterday Ianto knows Jack is going through things of his own. And if there’s one thing he knows about Jack it’s that he can’t be forced to share anything he doesn’t want to. He’ll open up when he’s ready, which might honestly mean never but badgering him isn’t going to change anything. If he needs space it’s best to let him have it, and maybe they can get him to start coming around on a regular basis until he’s moved in without realizing it. Based on the stubborn set of his face it’s the best they can hope for right now.

He reaches across the table to give his hand a gentle squeeze.] You know it’s your cabin, too. Any time you want it. [And by it he for once means more than just sex, although that’s certainly included in the offer. But it’s everything that their relationship entails, even if it’ just means talking.]

((I would expect no less from him! XD))

[ Spike's quiet, hanging back a bit to observe rather than be too involved in the discussion, so of course he notices it. He's spent so much time watching Jack, prying into the way he thinks, what makes him tick, and it's blatantly obvious that something is up right now.

He also knows that calling it out now, here, is really not the best way to go about it. Maybe later they can spend some time just the two of them, have a drink or two, spill the beans in a more relaxed setting. ]

Alright. [ He shrugs, nonchalant. ] As you please.

[He wants to open up to them, wants to talk about Saavi and Taiana and share the fun he'd had with them and then tragedy of losing them. It's a part of why he came here in the first place, to try and heal himself in a better way than he has in the past. But he needs to feel comfortable with all three of them being together again first. This three-way thing is always tricky, especially after a period of it only having been two of them, and he just needs some time to re-adjust, that's all.

And definitely, talking to either of them one on one would be easier than facing them both, like this.

His fingers curl around Ianto's when Ianto reaches across to him. He swallows, looking down at their joined hands for a moment, realising he's clinging more than he intended to, and he forces himself to let go and look up at them both with a slightly watery smile.]

Thanks. [He takes a sip of his coffee and his smile widens appreciatively at the flavour. He's missed that!]

And obviously you're both always welcome over in Moose too. I just think perhaps I should let you have your space a bit while you're getting used to having me around again.

So. Do I get to see your room here, Ianto? Probably best to know which one it is, even if you are planning to move!

[They can leave it for now. He’ll try to get Jack to open up later. At the moment he’s content to return the squeeze of Jack’s fingers before releasing his grip. If he’s honest Spike might even be a better option to get him taking. He’s good at that sort of thing and he shoots him a quick, fond glance to where he’s loitering off to the side of the conversation.

Upstairs to the left. I’ve actually enjoyed the company of both my roommates which oddly enough is more motivation to move out. I’d feel a little guilty about disrupting them with some of our more, shall we say energetic activities.

[ Don't worry, he's got this. Already kind of planning for a get-together in a couple of days — they have other things to talk about and maybe Ianto's practical planning habits have rubbed off a little bit, okay?

He snorts at the comment. ]

Right. Wouldn't want to get kicked out for disturbing the peace.

[He'll look forward to that, then, Spike. He might not even end up being surprised if he spills to Spike first, given how much more demanding Spike is about such things!

For now, he just grins and gets up to head for the stairs, taking his coffee with him. He's curious to see more of the cabin, but he's not leaving Ianto's delicious coffee behind!]

That actually makes a lot of sense. Who else lives here? I haven't really grasped where anyone else lives yet!

Noel and Miles. I believe I they’re both fairly new to this place as well. [Ianto stands up to follow Jack upstairs. Not that theees much to see in his room. Aside from clothes, a few treasure possessions and his ever present diary he didn’t pack much so the room looks more or less the same as it did when he arrived.]

I’ll admit I haven’t gotten out much to meet people yet, but it sounds as though they have plenty of excuses to socialize here.

[ Spike is less interested in housemates and doing the grand tour, and far more keen on having a smoke. This place is peaceful and that kind of stresses him out still. ]

I'll be on the porch, pet. [ He calls up, before sauntering outside. ]

[Well, that lasted a long time, all three of them. Perhaps it's not going to be as easy as he hoped, fitting all three of them together again. Still, perhaps it's best to ease into it gradually and, anyway, he can't deny Spike his space. And after all, Spike's not going to be very interested in viewing Ianto's room considering he's presumably already seen it.

...In fact, he might subconsciously have asked to see Ianto's room in a bid for a little more privacy. Who knows?

In any case, he nods and lets Spike go for a bit.] Don't think I know who Miles is but I met Noel on my first day. Interesting guy. Also kind of cute! [Flinging a flirtatious grin over his shoulder as he reaches the landing and turns to the left to peer curiously into Ianto's room. Yeah, he's not expecting much in the way of belongings or personalisation as yet. He just kind of wants to see it.]

[Ianto isn’t particularly surprised when Spike excuses himself. It always takes awhile to find the balance between the three of them on the other occasions when Jack has come back after being on his own for a bit. So he just nods to him as he heads outside before following Jack.]

Everyone here has been quite friendly so far. I’ll admit I haven’t gotten out much yet. Still getting used to being away during the day.

Edited 2018-11-15 22:02 (UTC)

Yeah, everyone I've met is nice, though a lot of them are a bit reserved. They all seem rather reluctant to give much away, you know? [Pot, kettle.] I feel like I'm having to tread very carefully with everyone so far!

[He quirks an eyebrow at the daytime comment, his conversation with Spike outside still looming large in his mind.] Might as well adjust to daytime again while you're both here, eh? Make the most of the daylight while you can!

I think that’s the plan. It may just take a day or two. [Funny how his transformation seems to be hanging over all of them. None of them can avoid bringing it up even if they don’t have a date set for it. He wouldn’t be surprised if he knew about their conversation on the porch, even if he would have been caught off guard by how serious it became.] I will miss it, I’ll admit.

[Jack was a little caught off guard by how serious it became too! Perhaps it's all a part of that "Spike being easy to talk to" thing?

He gives Ianto a rather curious look, with an awful lot of different, warring emotions in it.]

I'll miss it too. [Softly, almost wistfully. He shakes his head like a dog coming out of water, as if to try and shake off all the unwanted emotions that are far too close to the surface.] Sorry. I know I don't have much right to say anything about your choices these days but, you know. I will miss you being human.

[It doesn’t really seem the right time to discuss the details of his transformation even though it does need to happen soon. For now he wants just a few days of vacation before getting into it. Still Jack’s comment gets a small, sentimental smile out of him.]

Better make the most of it while we can then.

Yeah. [He glances out of the window, at the heavy clouds and dark sky, and quirks a wry smile.] Shame we don't have the right weather to get out in the daylight for that tour I promised you today! Looks like it's going to start tipping down any time!

[And, to be honest, he's not really sure what to do instead. Once upon a time, there would have been such an obvious solution that neither of them would even have had to think twice about, but that doesn't feel any more right, yet, than talking about the things they need to talk about. It leaves him feeling uncomfortably unsure around Ianto, and he doesn't like that, after the closeness they'd built up when he was last around.

The fact that it's his own fault for not having been around doesn't really help.

He gives a rather helpless gesture around at the cabin, the island, everything.] This all feels rather weird, doesn't it? I'm not really sure how to work this!

[Unlike Jack Ianto’s taking all the awkwardness in stride. Then again unlike Jack he has changed in five years. Easier to grow and mature when you’re not a fixed point in time. Plus he’s been able to think about their relationship a lot while he was away, consider how it could still work or fit together. Maybe they’re not quite where they were before but they’re not too far off and he’s confident they can get back there. So his smile and the way he laces his fingers through Jack’s to give his hand a squeeze are quite a bit more relaxed than Jack seems to be just now.]

Give it a day or two. We’re all just finding our feet again. It’s been awhile and we’re also getting used to this place. Things will be back to normal before you know it. Tell you what, why don’t you give me that tour when you feel up to it? Make it a day out for the two of us and see what happens.

[A big part of the problem, if he'd only let himself acknowledge it, is that he's aching for intimacy, for the comfort not necessarily even of sex but just being held, connecting with someone physically - but he knows that as soon as he lets himself do that it's all going to come flooding out. Even just feeling Ianto's hand slide into his own feels quite overwhelming, with all the tacit understanding and reassurance it conveys, and he has to blink a bit to stop the tears that prick ridiculously at his eyes. He's just not ready yet, and there's a part of him too that doesn't want to burden Ianto and Spike yet either, so soon after they've arrived here for a holiday.

He nods at Ianto's suggestion, giving his hand a squeeze and then letting him go before he ends up making a fool of himself.]

Yeah, that sounds good. [He forces a smile.] We could go down to the beach, perhaps - take a picnic, make a day of it!

[It’s tempting to push, to try to get Jack to open up but he doesn’t. Jack made the decision to distance himself when he started traveling. He’s the one who will need to decide when it’s time to change that and come back to them. So he returns the smile, both of them pretending everything is fine.]

That sounds lovely. I’ll look forward to it.

[Yeah, it's probably not quite time yet. Jack's surprised himself by how glad he is that Spike and Ianto are here, considering how long he's put off going back to them, but he's still going to need just a little longer to come to terms with that and just, well, feeling ready to deal with things.

He gives Ianto a grateful smile, thanking him for being understanding and not making a big thing about it. He hadn't realised how much he values that.]

Good. Well, I should get out of your hair, let the two of you settle in. We can pick up again in a day or two.

[Before he does though, he steps in to press a soft, tender kiss to Ianto's mouth. Not too long, because he doesn't want to unleash unwanted emotions, but long enough to convey just how much he values Ianto's understanding and lack of pressure.

Then he steps back with a quick smile.]

I'll catch you later. Thanks for the coffee!

Summer 7 - action; closed to Jack and Ianto

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go on without me for a bit!

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