"I'll make myself a coffee. Do you want one as well?" Ianto's voice sounded through the flat, somewhat muffled by the towel he used to rub his hair dry on his way from the bathroom to the kitchen. When he got no answer, he stopped in his tracks and took the towel down, thinking he might have not heard Jack's response. "Jack, coffee?"

"Mhm."

Ianto shook his head, smiling. Jack seemed to be distracted once again, his mind in another world. If Jack didn't pick up on his coffee offer, he definitely was lost in his thoughts again. That happened quite a lot since they found out about him being pregnant three months ago. Taking his lover's mumbled reply as a yes, though, Ianto continued his way to the kitchen and prepared two mugs of his special blend.

When he stepped into the living room a few minutes later, he stopped at the sight of Jack, a smile spreading over his face. The older man was standing in front of their Christmas tree, staring into the chaos of pine needles, tinsel and already draped ornaments, while both his hands were stroking circles over his belly.

Ianto put the mugs down on the dining table and slowly stepped behind Jack, snaking his arms around the other man's waist, cradling the steadily moving hands in his own. After pressing a kiss on the base of Jack's neck, he put his chin on his lover's shoulder, his thumbs gently caressing the now stilled hands and the belly beneath.

"Hey." Ianto tightened his embrace a bit when he felt Jack leaning back into him.

"Hey."

"I see you've started decorating the tree." When he got no response, Ianto tilted his head a bit so he could glimpse at Jack's face. "Jack? Everything alright?"

"Hm?"

Suppressing a chuckle, Ianto turned his lover around and put his hands to Jack's face, trying to get Jack to focus on him. "I've asked you, if everything is alright."

"Yes, of course. All's fine."

"So, do you wanna tell me to where you've zoomed out again?"

"Hm?" This finally seemed to get Jack's attention as he was frowning at Ianto now. "What do you mean?"

"You were staring at the tree as if that thing is the most interesting tree you've ever seen. You didn't even answer me, when I asked you, if you wanted coffee."

Jack's head perked up. "Coffee?"

Laughing, Ianto gave Jack a quick peck on the lips. "Yes, coffee. And don't worry, I figured you'd want one. The mugs are on the table. Now, what were you thinking about just now?"

"Nothing."

"Jack..." Looking sternly at his lover, all seriousness melted into a warm smile when Jack looked at him sheepishly. The pregnancy and consequently the hormones flooding Jack's body had a strange effect on the Captain. Sometimes he was as flamboyant as ever, other times he was bitching and exploding at minor, unimportant stuff and sometimes, just like now, he was shy and quiet, almost the complete opposite to who everyone knew as the person Jack Harkness. Or rather Harkness-Jones now, Ianto reminded himself. Their CP was already three month old, but Ianto was still amazed by it and sometimes forgot that they shared a name.

"It's silly." Jack averted his eyes and tried to look down, but Ianto wasn't having any of it and held his face firmly in place.

"Jack, I need to know if you don't feel well. I could call Andres."

"No, no! It's nothing like that, I feel fine." Smiling at Ianto's doubtfully raised eyebrow, Jack added: "Honestly, I'm okay. We're okay." Glancing down at his belly, Jack resumed rubbing his hands gently over it.

"So what was it then that had you distracted enough not hearing me talking about coffee?"

"I was just thinking about what Christmas would be like next year." Jack reached up and pulled Ianto's hands down to his belly. "This is the last Christmas we will spend alone for a very long time."

"And that scares you?"

"No, it's just a weird feeling. I've spent Christmas alone for so many years. Now I have you and in a few months these two troubles here." Jack tapped lightly on his belly and looked at Ianto.

"And is this a good weird feeling or a bad weird feeling then?"

"Oh, definitely a good weird feeling," Jack chuckled and pulled Ianto in for a kiss.

"Good." Smiling at Jack, Ianto stretched his arm out and picked a string of tinsel from the tree. "As that's sorted out, maybe we should finish decorating." Draping the tinsel over Jack's ear, he grinned satisfied. "Very nice."

"Brat." Plucking the tinsel from his ear, Jack placed it back on the tree. "What about you?" He suddenly asked in a serious voice.

"What do you mean?" Ianto had squatted down next to the box with the Christmas decorations and was rummaging around, looking for ornaments to put on the tree.

"Are you worried? What are your feelings?" Jack took a blue Christmas ball ornament from the young man, who looked up at him with a pensive frown.

"I haven't really thought about it. But no, I'm not worried, not about our future with the troubles." Ianto reached up and took Jack's hand in his to pull him down to the floor to him. Smiling, Jack placed the ornament on the tree before joining Ianto on the floor, letting himself be arranged with his back to Ianto's chest, the young man's arm coming naturally around his body. "I'm worried something happens to you before the troubles are born, but I will do everything I can to keep you three safe." Ianto pressed a kiss to Jack's head. He had just said out loud his worst fear. The fear that Jack would die while he was carrying the twins was always at the back of his mind.

"I know you will. And I will do anything to make sure that these troubles are safely born into this world." Jack shifted and turned his head to look at Ianto and pulled him in for a gentle kiss. "Are you thinking of the future when they are born? When they cry through the nights, stealing the few precious hours of sleep? Changing nappies and clean up the kitchen after they've thrown their baby food across it?"

"Every waking second, although I think more of the joy of having kids in my life, of caring for them and loving them and be loved in return. I had never expected to become a Tad or have a family after Lisa." Ianto looked at Jack. Mentioning Lisa still felt like betrayal, even after the three years since her death. "You gave me both. Thank you."

"I could say the same, Ianto. And if you say thank you, then I will say it as well. Thank you for giving me a family."

Hugging his lover close to his chest, Ianto suddenly started to chuckle. "Oh, listen to us. When did we turn into sappy twats?"

"Is it really sappy to speak the truth?"

"No, I suppose not." Ianto smiled when Jack turned in his arms and started to crawl over him, pushing him back to lie down on the floor in the process. "We will need two more stockings next year."

"We will need a lot of new things next year." Now straddling Ianto, Jack smiled down at the young man. "The troubles will need cots and clothes for starters." Gently stroking his hands, over Ianto's chest, Jack seemed to be lost in his thoughts again. "What do you think about moving?"

Blinking a few times, Ianto wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. "Excuse me?"

"Moving. What do you think about it? I thought of maybe buying a house. The twins will need their own rooms and your flat has only a small guestroom. What?" Jack frowned when he couldn't decipher the smirk on Ianto's face and shifted uncomfortably. "It was just a thought, we don't..."

"Jack." Ianto propped himself up on one elbow and reached out with his other hand to press a finger over Jack's mouth to silence him. "It's a wonderful thought and I agree with you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you, but you have to admit that it's strange to see you that domesticated." And again that sheepish expression Ianto started to adore flickered over Jack's face.

"I blame the hormones," Jack pouted.

"You blame everything on the hormones lately," Ianto chuckled. "What will you do once the troubles are born?"

"I'll blame everything on them," Jack said after a moment of consideration. "Oh, and on you of course."

"Me?" Now it was Ianto's turn to pout.

"For domesticating me."

"If you say so."

"The pregnant parent is always right."

"U-hu." Ianto bit his lip to stop himself from bursting out in laughter.

"And you should be nicer to me or I will get all moody again."

"Ah, and we can't have that now, can we? Let's see what we can do to keep you happy then." Smiling, Ianto pulled Jack down for a kiss, loving the feeling of Jack's weight on him.

The neglected coffee had long cooled down, but neither man cared as they kissed passionately under their Christmas tree, enjoying the last Christmas they would spend without kids.