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fandomweekly2024-10-27 02:18 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2024-10-27 02:18 pm
Entry tags:
[#239] Family Time (Torchwood)
Theme Prompt: #239 – Autumn Nights
Title: Family Time
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: G
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Autumn evenings are perfect for family time, but right now Ianto is busy trying to get the family’s costumes finished in time for Halloween.
Spring would always be Ianto’s favourite time of year, with the days lengthening, the trees blossoming, and the daffodils coming into bloom, but he couldn’t deny that autumn had its own attraction. When the sun set early, it was good to cuddle up with his husband and kids on the sofa after a hot dinner and watch a family movie, or gather around the coffee table to play board games, do jigsaw puzzles, build Lego castles…
In spring and summer, the kids always wanted to be out in the roof garden, playing on the swings and the slide, bouncing on the trampoline, chasing each other around the flower beds, or helping their parents with the gardening. Autumn evenings were more relaxing, especially when it was windy or wet outside.
Now the end of October was approaching, and the kids were getting more and more excited with every day that passed, knowing Halloween was just around the corner. Jack had already stocked up with far more candy than they’d need, no doubt hoping he could take the leftovers to work with him and overindulge there. Ianto had found the stash and hidden it somewhere safe weeks ago, so that neither Jack nor their kids would eat it all before the big day. That had happened three years ago, and Ianto had wound up making a last-minute dash to the shops to buy more before doing the annual Trick or Treat in the Tourist Office. These days, he took sensible precautions.
The older kids were all looking forward to going over to Auntie Rhi’s and then heading out and around her neighbourhood, knocking on doors and asking for candy. It was one of the highlights of their year, and Ianto sometimes thought they liked it better than Christmas or their birthdays. Meriel was thirteen now, and the twins were six. Rhosyn was just over a year old, so still a bit young to join in, but Jack was talking about dressing her up anyway, as a pumpkin.
Gareth and Jenna had both said they wanted to be pirates. With that in mind, and wanting them all to coordinate their costumes, Meriel had decided she would be Princess Buttercup from the Princess Bride. Ianto was going as Westley, in his Dread Pirate Roberts costume, and Jack was donning a wig and a fake moustache as Inigo Montoya. He’d been practising with his plastic sword every day, battling the twins. Ianto had tried pointing out to his husband that there weren’t any pumpkins in the Princess Bride, but had so far failed to change Jack’s mind on the matter. When he set his heart on something, Jack could be more stubborn than a whole herd of mules.
In the meantime, Ianto had been spending every spare moment working on their costumes, wanting them to be as authentic as possible. Rosie could be a pumpkin next year, when she’d be more mobile. This year, she was going to be a cute, fluffy teddy bear. Okay, there weren’t any teddies in the Princess Bride, but she already had a furry winter one-piece with a hood, so all he had to do was sew on a pair of ears to match. Maybe they could pretend she was one of the ROUS. That might convince Jack.
“Taddy?” Jenna was standing in the doorway to Ianto’s combination home study and workroom, where he kept his sewing machine.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Daddy says to tell you dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
“And can I have a parrot on my shoulder?”
“At dinner?” Ianto raised an eyebrow.
“No, Taddy, for my pirate costume!”
“Oh, that.”
“Gareth’s having a hook for a hand.” It was rubber, but Gareth thought it was cool anyway.
“I thought you wanted an eyepatch.”
“I do, but I want a parrot too. Please, Taddy?”
“I’ll see what I can do, but I’ve never made a parrot before.”
“Well, just try your best.” With that, Jenna turned and ran back down the hallway.
“Try my best? Gracious of you.” Ianto chuckled, turned off his sewing machine, and stood up, making his way out into the open-plan living room.
After dinner it would be family time. While they ate, they’d all vote on what they wanted to do this evening, and later, when the three youngest were tucked up in bed asleep, Ianto would return to his workroom and do some more work on their costumes. There wasn’t too much left to be done, mostly just the finishing touches, but sometimes those were what took the longest.
Dinner eaten, dishes washed, movie watched, and kids bathed and tucked in, Ianto and Jack returned to the living room, flopping onto the sofa. Meriel was lying on the floor, reading a book, her head resting on Nosy’s coils. The Fluff was reading too, but on a tablet, which was easier for it than trying to hold a book open.
“Did you hear that Jenna wants a parrot?”
Jack’s head shot around, and he stared at his husband in horror. “A real one?”
“No, twpsyn. She wants me to make her one to sit on her shoulder as part of her costume.”
Jack let out a relieved sigh. “That’s okay then.”
“Oh, thanks. How am I supposed to make something resembling a parrot when there’s only a week until Halloween? Am I supposed to spend every evening slaving over my sewing machine, constructing a parrot, while you and the kids are playing games?”
“I’ll knit one!” Jack beamed at Ianto.
“You’ll knit a parrot?”
“Why not? You’ve done everything else for the costumes, I think I can manage something parrot-ish. I’ve knitted pumpkins, and bats. How much harder can a parrot be?”
“Well, okay, but don’t make it too big or heavy. Can’t have it falling off all the time.”
“You can sew it to the shoulder of Jen’s costume, that way it should stay put. I’ll get my wool. Autumn evenings are perfect for knitting.”
The End
In spring and summer, the kids always wanted to be out in the roof garden, playing on the swings and the slide, bouncing on the trampoline, chasing each other around the flower beds, or helping their parents with the gardening. Autumn evenings were more relaxing, especially when it was windy or wet outside.
Now the end of October was approaching, and the kids were getting more and more excited with every day that passed, knowing Halloween was just around the corner. Jack had already stocked up with far more candy than they’d need, no doubt hoping he could take the leftovers to work with him and overindulge there. Ianto had found the stash and hidden it somewhere safe weeks ago, so that neither Jack nor their kids would eat it all before the big day. That had happened three years ago, and Ianto had wound up making a last-minute dash to the shops to buy more before doing the annual Trick or Treat in the Tourist Office. These days, he took sensible precautions.
The older kids were all looking forward to going over to Auntie Rhi’s and then heading out and around her neighbourhood, knocking on doors and asking for candy. It was one of the highlights of their year, and Ianto sometimes thought they liked it better than Christmas or their birthdays. Meriel was thirteen now, and the twins were six. Rhosyn was just over a year old, so still a bit young to join in, but Jack was talking about dressing her up anyway, as a pumpkin.
Gareth and Jenna had both said they wanted to be pirates. With that in mind, and wanting them all to coordinate their costumes, Meriel had decided she would be Princess Buttercup from the Princess Bride. Ianto was going as Westley, in his Dread Pirate Roberts costume, and Jack was donning a wig and a fake moustache as Inigo Montoya. He’d been practising with his plastic sword every day, battling the twins. Ianto had tried pointing out to his husband that there weren’t any pumpkins in the Princess Bride, but had so far failed to change Jack’s mind on the matter. When he set his heart on something, Jack could be more stubborn than a whole herd of mules.
In the meantime, Ianto had been spending every spare moment working on their costumes, wanting them to be as authentic as possible. Rosie could be a pumpkin next year, when she’d be more mobile. This year, she was going to be a cute, fluffy teddy bear. Okay, there weren’t any teddies in the Princess Bride, but she already had a furry winter one-piece with a hood, so all he had to do was sew on a pair of ears to match. Maybe they could pretend she was one of the ROUS. That might convince Jack.
“Taddy?” Jenna was standing in the doorway to Ianto’s combination home study and workroom, where he kept his sewing machine.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Daddy says to tell you dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
“And can I have a parrot on my shoulder?”
“At dinner?” Ianto raised an eyebrow.
“No, Taddy, for my pirate costume!”
“Oh, that.”
“Gareth’s having a hook for a hand.” It was rubber, but Gareth thought it was cool anyway.
“I thought you wanted an eyepatch.”
“I do, but I want a parrot too. Please, Taddy?”
“I’ll see what I can do, but I’ve never made a parrot before.”
“Well, just try your best.” With that, Jenna turned and ran back down the hallway.
“Try my best? Gracious of you.” Ianto chuckled, turned off his sewing machine, and stood up, making his way out into the open-plan living room.
After dinner it would be family time. While they ate, they’d all vote on what they wanted to do this evening, and later, when the three youngest were tucked up in bed asleep, Ianto would return to his workroom and do some more work on their costumes. There wasn’t too much left to be done, mostly just the finishing touches, but sometimes those were what took the longest.
Dinner eaten, dishes washed, movie watched, and kids bathed and tucked in, Ianto and Jack returned to the living room, flopping onto the sofa. Meriel was lying on the floor, reading a book, her head resting on Nosy’s coils. The Fluff was reading too, but on a tablet, which was easier for it than trying to hold a book open.
“Did you hear that Jenna wants a parrot?”
Jack’s head shot around, and he stared at his husband in horror. “A real one?”
“No, twpsyn. She wants me to make her one to sit on her shoulder as part of her costume.”
Jack let out a relieved sigh. “That’s okay then.”
“Oh, thanks. How am I supposed to make something resembling a parrot when there’s only a week until Halloween? Am I supposed to spend every evening slaving over my sewing machine, constructing a parrot, while you and the kids are playing games?”
“I’ll knit one!” Jack beamed at Ianto.
“You’ll knit a parrot?”
“Why not? You’ve done everything else for the costumes, I think I can manage something parrot-ish. I’ve knitted pumpkins, and bats. How much harder can a parrot be?”
“Well, okay, but don’t make it too big or heavy. Can’t have it falling off all the time.”
“You can sew it to the shoulder of Jen’s costume, that way it should stay put. I’ll get my wool. Autumn evenings are perfect for knitting.”
The End