buttononthetop | Fic: Schmoop Bingo I25

Title: Little One

Rating: PG

Warnings: Mpreg

Spoilers: None (in accordance with Schmoop Law Section 27 Paragraph A Subparagraph 1 – the entire team is alive – really alive not dead-alive – so nothing from Reset on ever happened)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary:

schmoop_bingo Prompt I25: Pregnancy

Notes: This one owes its entire inspiration to the gorgeous Unexpected Blessings series by

teachwriteslash - no way I could have even THOUGHT about writing Mpreg without reading this. Thanks as always to my amazing beta and wonderful friend

thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

Little One

Ianto rolled over and looked at Jack, sleeping so soundly next to him in their bed. He was curled on his side with his arm resting protectively on his swollen belly. Ianto swallowed hard. He still couldn't believe a child was in there - their child, growing inside his lover's body.

When Jack had told him about the baby, all those months ago, Ianto had been sure it was a mistake, a joke, anything but real. He told himself he'd handled the news better than most people would have, but in his heart he knew he'd disappointed Jack by not being immediately overwhelmed with happiness. Even with all the things he'd seen during his years at Torchwood, it had taken him a while to wrap his 21st Century mind around that fact that he'd gotten Jack up the duff – a lot longer than he thought it would, than Jack thought it would. The turning point had been Jack's first check up when they'd heard the baby's heartbeat. The moment Owen had turned on the monitor and the rapid wooshing sound filled the medbay, Ianto felt his own heart speed up. He'd reached for Jack's hand and twined their fingers together, squeezing tight. Jack had let out a soft little sob and clung to him, everything decided in that one precious second when they weren't even looking at one another – neither of them could take their eyes off the screen and their child.

The next few months had been hard. Jack's mood swings, Gwen's endless advice that always began with, "Well, when I was pregnant…", Owen's clinical fascination with everything happening to Jack (even though he was under strict orders about never telling another soul about it), Tosh's bittersweet happiness for them that was tempered with her own disappointments, Ianto's own insecurities about the future and being a father – all these things wrapped around whatever the Rift felt like spitting out at them that day was enough to make the sanest of men a little crazy. But things were finally starting to settle down. Jack's due date was almost two months away and he'd finally allowed Ianto to start making adjustments to the flat, buying nursery furniture and toys and books. He'd been adamant that nothing of that sort go on until the last trimester – something about bad luck and tempting fate – and Ianto knew better than to push it. Now that the flat was full of pieces of the crib and stray stuffed animals, it was hitting home harder than ever that soon there would be baby in their lives.

Ianto looked down at Jack again, smoothing the dark hair away from his face. He kissed Jack softly on the forehead and let the feelings of love and awe and terror that always hit him when he saw his lover these days wash over him again. He let his hand rest softly on Jack and wondered for the umpteenth time if he would be a good parent, if he could handle everything, if – he jerked his hand away and looked at it. He looked back at Jack's belly and a dazed grin spread over his face. It was the first time he'd been able to feel the baby move and for a moment he thought he must have imagined it. All his fears melted away leaving only pure and complete love in its place as he put his hand over the baby again and waited. Sure enough, a few seconds later there was another push, another kick.

"Hello, little one," he whispered.