Ianto and Sharon | Backdated to Feb 15
Feb. 15th, 2015 07:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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om_mainIanto decides to have a quiet afternoon in his room with a good book. Sharon, after trying and mostly succeeding in finding him, joins in.
Sharon transformed into a cat and went to find the shirt Ianto had left. After that it was only a matter of tracking the scent down the hall until she was outside a room where it was coming from most strongly. When she pushed her way into the room she expected to find the person she was looking for. Instead, she found nothing.
Wait, what?
She looked around in confusion, trying to figure out how she'd lost him. The trail ended too abruptly. Had he doubled back? She debated turning around and trying again.
Ianto looked up from where he was sitting cross-legged on his bed when the door he'd left partially ajar opened. And then he looked down to see a perfectly adorable purple cat slink into the room. His smile became a little sad when Sharon, it had to be her unless someone had played a particularly mean trick with hair dye on another cat, looked around in confusion. He put his book to the side and tried, "Ah, Sharon? I'm up here."
She startled when a voice came seemingly out of nowhere. And wait. There he was. She stared quizzically up at the bed. Before he could fade back to wherever he'd been she jumped up on to the bed and put a paw on his leg. Right. Couldn't disappear so easily now.
Ianto was a little startled by the touch, but wasn't adverse to it at all. His fingers twitched a little with the urge to pet her, but that might be rude. Instead he just curled his hand into a loose fist on his thigh. "Hello, there. I see you found my room alright. That's good to know, thank you."
Normally he might ask her something about herself, but, well, how would she answer him?
She leaned to sniff at the hand he restrained from offering, giving him a cheek rub.
Oh. Well. Ianto uncurled his fist and slowly reached towards her. "If this isn't alright, let me know." Hopefully in a way that didn't involve claws or teeth. He ran his thumb across the top of her head to her neck before lightly scratching at the fluff behind her ears just like the old neighborhood strays used to like.
She nuzzled encouragingly. Apparently, upon finding the new boy, her plan was to greet him affectionately. The hide and seek portion of their meeting was over.
Relaxing now that he knew he (probably) wasn't going to get attacked, Ianto started to scratch a little more firmly, counting out five second intervals before throwing in a full-body pet. "Well, let me know if you change your mind. Or if you want to talk." Never one to be uncomfortable with silence but wanting to distract himself from the fact that he was essentially petting a girl, he reached for his book with his other hand. "Or I could read to you, if you'd like?"
She perked up at that and then gave a very obvious nod, if he needed people cues. Sharon snuggled up against him. Reading was always nice. His voice was also quite nice. She talk later. She'd have to change first, and what if she lost him again once he was out of sight?
Smiling fondly - and utterly confused how this had happened - he turned back to the first page of the book. "I hope you like the choice, I was feeling a little homesick and it felt appropriate. Right," Ianto cleared his throat and wished he'd thought to get a glass of water.
"Chapter one. Until he was four years old, James Henry Trotter had had a happy life..."
*****
The giant peach was just about to encounter the shiver of sharks when Ianto's voice finally gave out. Reluctant as he was to disturb the currently-purring Sharon, he admitted defeat and grabbed a piece of paper from the nightstand to keep his place, smirking as he saw it was covered in Daniel's hieroglyphs. "Sorry, Sharon, but I'm going to have to go get some water from the kitchen before I can continue."
She stirred from her cuddling pile and blinked up at him, then gave a tiny nod. Sharon leapt off the bed and headed out the door, disappearing around the corner before he could follow.
Ianto blinked bemusedly for a second before sighing. He was a little disappointed as he trekked to the kitchen; it had been nice to have undemanding company. Well, as undemanding as a cat could be when it wanted petting.
He paused as he opened the door to the refrigerator, shaking his head. No, she was a girl. Not a cat. It was just difficult to remember that, and whenever he did Ianto started to feel flustered and a bit confused. Had he technically had a girl in his bed?
A few minutes later the girl in question wandered into the kitchen. She'd be hard not to recognize. Same eyes, same purple tail and hair. She had stashes of clothes all around the school and often left things in Steve and Cecil's room. She'd tugged on a simple grey dress that fell to her knees and then an oversized blue sweater, clearly Steve's.
"Ianto?" she said, looking around decisively now that they were in a different room.
Jerking his attention away from the cup of tea he'd eventually decided to brew, Ianto stared wide-eyed at the girl. Knowing intellectually that he had been reading to a girl, and actually seeing the girl in question were two quite different things. He clanked the mug down on the counter harder than intended and said in a slightly raised voice, "Hello, I'm over here."
She smiled as her focus settled on him. "Hello," she said. Sharon went to sit next to him.
"Hello." He winced. "Again, that is. For the third time, really." How could he explain that he'd just been rather distracted by her still having a tail?
"You have a very nice voice," Sharon said, and she tapped his knee with said tail.
"Oh," Ianto stared down at her tail. It was... really cool, actually, that she could control it like that. He looked back up at her with a slightly embarrassed smile. "Thank you, I'm glad you like it, since I had to listening to me for so long. I hope you liked my book choice."
"Yes," she confirmed. "Will you finish soon? Doesn't have to be today, but I'd like to hear more." Books were better when read by sonorous voices, or shared while lovingly curled up. She could finish the book quickly herself, but where was the fun?
Ianto hummed, half thinking and half testing his throat. "I don't think I could finish today, but if you wanted I could get a bit farther. And I'll probably want to finish it in the next few days, depending on how much homework they give us here." His eyes crinkled with the smile he directed towards her at that. "Have you read James and the Giant Peach before?" He'd feel a bit guiltier if he was withholding the ending from her.
"I haven't. We can read again tomorrow?" She smiled imploringly.
"Ah, yes, of course." He hoped Daniel wouldn't mind. And that he didn't have any allergies. "Are you free later on?"
She nodded, pleased.
"Well, you can stop by the room whenever I'm in. I can leave the door open for you when I'm available." While Ianto was generally pleased not to find someone who insisted on endless chatter, he was curious about Sharon and wanted to take advantage of her having human-shaped vocal cords at the moment. However, he was too British to overlook the essential conversational crutch that she was lacking. "For now, though, can I offer you some tea?"
Sharon chuckled warmly at that. She recognized the universal need for hospitality, like Rahne. "Tea is nice. With milk, please?" Because he was very sweet and if he wanted to feel useful she wouldn't stop him.
He strode over to the kettle on the stove, missing the electric kettle that he'd left at home. He knew exactly how long to heat the water in that to get the perfect steeping temperature. He'd only just boiled this water, so hopefully it was at a good temperature still. "Is PG Tips alright?" It wasn't one of the fancier teas he'd seen in the cupboards, but it had reminded him of home.
"Yes? Tea is new. I like most of it."
Ianto popped the tea bag into the water and started counting. Based on her wanting milk, he didn't think she'd like it to steep much longer than the recommended time. Grabbing said milk, he turned to her with an amused smile. "It's so strange to me that Americans don't seem to grow up with tea."
"Cats don't really drink tea," Sharon corrected. "People might. Couldn't say."
Ianto was so caught up in thinking through the implications of that statement, he almost didn't pull the tea pyramid out in time. Placing the mug in front of her with the carton of milk, he replied, "Well, I reckon tea would taste quite different to a cat, probably not very good. Though I once found a box of catnip tea in our cupboards back home."
"Huh. Weird to steep," she said thoughtfully. "Rahne makes tea a lot." She poured a healthy portion of milk into the tea, potentially ruining its intended state. "Thank you."
Ianto nodded and put the milk back in the fridge. "Rahne?"
"Roommate. She's from not here also. Red hair. Very pretty. Can't miss her." Sharon sipped the tea and purred soft approval.
His mouth curving up into a content, somewhat smug, smile at her liking the tea, he asked, "She's not from New York? Or not from the US?"
"US. She judges the tea also. So does Diaval. Tea snobs? Is that the word?" She tilted her head, lips curving with a smile.
"I'm hardly a tea snob, though that's the right term, yes." Pulling his mug up to his nose he took a deep sniff. "They'd probably be horrified by this tea, then. But it's what we would buy when it was on sale back home, so." Taking a sip he let out a happy hum. "For me, tea is... comfort and welcome, more than anything else."
Sharon nodded. "That's why Rahne gives me tea. Makes her feel better. If she doesn't know what to say she clicks kettle. People have strange rituals." She shrugged. "But guess we all do things to make us better."
Ah. Maybe Rahne was British, then. Sure, it was just a stereotype and Ianto knew several people who didn't fit it, but he knew many others who did. "Is your comfort in relaxing as a cat?"
She tilted her head, considering that. "Spending time with people, I guess. Maybe. It's new."
Ianto nodded. "It's good to try new things." Like inviting a cat-girl into his room and reading to her. That had turned out well.
She poked him with her tail. "If you want to meet new people I can introduce. Maybe at dinner. If you want."
Meeting people wasn't something Ianto particularly enjoyed - it was stressful trying to keep himself composed constantly - but he knew it would be important to build connections. "I'd like that, thank you."
She smiled warmly. "Nice people only. Promise."
Matching her smile, Ianto nodded. "I'll look forward to it."
Sharon transformed into a cat and went to find the shirt Ianto had left. After that it was only a matter of tracking the scent down the hall until she was outside a room where it was coming from most strongly. When she pushed her way into the room she expected to find the person she was looking for. Instead, she found nothing.
Wait, what?
She looked around in confusion, trying to figure out how she'd lost him. The trail ended too abruptly. Had he doubled back? She debated turning around and trying again.
Ianto looked up from where he was sitting cross-legged on his bed when the door he'd left partially ajar opened. And then he looked down to see a perfectly adorable purple cat slink into the room. His smile became a little sad when Sharon, it had to be her unless someone had played a particularly mean trick with hair dye on another cat, looked around in confusion. He put his book to the side and tried, "Ah, Sharon? I'm up here."
She startled when a voice came seemingly out of nowhere. And wait. There he was. She stared quizzically up at the bed. Before he could fade back to wherever he'd been she jumped up on to the bed and put a paw on his leg. Right. Couldn't disappear so easily now.
Ianto was a little startled by the touch, but wasn't adverse to it at all. His fingers twitched a little with the urge to pet her, but that might be rude. Instead he just curled his hand into a loose fist on his thigh. "Hello, there. I see you found my room alright. That's good to know, thank you."
Normally he might ask her something about herself, but, well, how would she answer him?
She leaned to sniff at the hand he restrained from offering, giving him a cheek rub.
Oh. Well. Ianto uncurled his fist and slowly reached towards her. "If this isn't alright, let me know." Hopefully in a way that didn't involve claws or teeth. He ran his thumb across the top of her head to her neck before lightly scratching at the fluff behind her ears just like the old neighborhood strays used to like.
She nuzzled encouragingly. Apparently, upon finding the new boy, her plan was to greet him affectionately. The hide and seek portion of their meeting was over.
Relaxing now that he knew he (probably) wasn't going to get attacked, Ianto started to scratch a little more firmly, counting out five second intervals before throwing in a full-body pet. "Well, let me know if you change your mind. Or if you want to talk." Never one to be uncomfortable with silence but wanting to distract himself from the fact that he was essentially petting a girl, he reached for his book with his other hand. "Or I could read to you, if you'd like?"
She perked up at that and then gave a very obvious nod, if he needed people cues. Sharon snuggled up against him. Reading was always nice. His voice was also quite nice. She talk later. She'd have to change first, and what if she lost him again once he was out of sight?
Smiling fondly - and utterly confused how this had happened - he turned back to the first page of the book. "I hope you like the choice, I was feeling a little homesick and it felt appropriate. Right," Ianto cleared his throat and wished he'd thought to get a glass of water.
"Chapter one. Until he was four years old, James Henry Trotter had had a happy life..."
The giant peach was just about to encounter the shiver of sharks when Ianto's voice finally gave out. Reluctant as he was to disturb the currently-purring Sharon, he admitted defeat and grabbed a piece of paper from the nightstand to keep his place, smirking as he saw it was covered in Daniel's hieroglyphs. "Sorry, Sharon, but I'm going to have to go get some water from the kitchen before I can continue."
She stirred from her cuddling pile and blinked up at him, then gave a tiny nod. Sharon leapt off the bed and headed out the door, disappearing around the corner before he could follow.
Ianto blinked bemusedly for a second before sighing. He was a little disappointed as he trekked to the kitchen; it had been nice to have undemanding company. Well, as undemanding as a cat could be when it wanted petting.
He paused as he opened the door to the refrigerator, shaking his head. No, she was a girl. Not a cat. It was just difficult to remember that, and whenever he did Ianto started to feel flustered and a bit confused. Had he technically had a girl in his bed?
A few minutes later the girl in question wandered into the kitchen. She'd be hard not to recognize. Same eyes, same purple tail and hair. She had stashes of clothes all around the school and often left things in Steve and Cecil's room. She'd tugged on a simple grey dress that fell to her knees and then an oversized blue sweater, clearly Steve's.
"Ianto?" she said, looking around decisively now that they were in a different room.
Jerking his attention away from the cup of tea he'd eventually decided to brew, Ianto stared wide-eyed at the girl. Knowing intellectually that he had been reading to a girl, and actually seeing the girl in question were two quite different things. He clanked the mug down on the counter harder than intended and said in a slightly raised voice, "Hello, I'm over here."
She smiled as her focus settled on him. "Hello," she said. Sharon went to sit next to him.
"Hello." He winced. "Again, that is. For the third time, really." How could he explain that he'd just been rather distracted by her still having a tail?
"You have a very nice voice," Sharon said, and she tapped his knee with said tail.
"Oh," Ianto stared down at her tail. It was... really cool, actually, that she could control it like that. He looked back up at her with a slightly embarrassed smile. "Thank you, I'm glad you like it, since I had to listening to me for so long. I hope you liked my book choice."
"Yes," she confirmed. "Will you finish soon? Doesn't have to be today, but I'd like to hear more." Books were better when read by sonorous voices, or shared while lovingly curled up. She could finish the book quickly herself, but where was the fun?
Ianto hummed, half thinking and half testing his throat. "I don't think I could finish today, but if you wanted I could get a bit farther. And I'll probably want to finish it in the next few days, depending on how much homework they give us here." His eyes crinkled with the smile he directed towards her at that. "Have you read James and the Giant Peach before?" He'd feel a bit guiltier if he was withholding the ending from her.
"I haven't. We can read again tomorrow?" She smiled imploringly.
"Ah, yes, of course." He hoped Daniel wouldn't mind. And that he didn't have any allergies. "Are you free later on?"
She nodded, pleased.
"Well, you can stop by the room whenever I'm in. I can leave the door open for you when I'm available." While Ianto was generally pleased not to find someone who insisted on endless chatter, he was curious about Sharon and wanted to take advantage of her having human-shaped vocal cords at the moment. However, he was too British to overlook the essential conversational crutch that she was lacking. "For now, though, can I offer you some tea?"
Sharon chuckled warmly at that. She recognized the universal need for hospitality, like Rahne. "Tea is nice. With milk, please?" Because he was very sweet and if he wanted to feel useful she wouldn't stop him.
He strode over to the kettle on the stove, missing the electric kettle that he'd left at home. He knew exactly how long to heat the water in that to get the perfect steeping temperature. He'd only just boiled this water, so hopefully it was at a good temperature still. "Is PG Tips alright?" It wasn't one of the fancier teas he'd seen in the cupboards, but it had reminded him of home.
"Yes? Tea is new. I like most of it."
Ianto popped the tea bag into the water and started counting. Based on her wanting milk, he didn't think she'd like it to steep much longer than the recommended time. Grabbing said milk, he turned to her with an amused smile. "It's so strange to me that Americans don't seem to grow up with tea."
"Cats don't really drink tea," Sharon corrected. "People might. Couldn't say."
Ianto was so caught up in thinking through the implications of that statement, he almost didn't pull the tea pyramid out in time. Placing the mug in front of her with the carton of milk, he replied, "Well, I reckon tea would taste quite different to a cat, probably not very good. Though I once found a box of catnip tea in our cupboards back home."
"Huh. Weird to steep," she said thoughtfully. "Rahne makes tea a lot." She poured a healthy portion of milk into the tea, potentially ruining its intended state. "Thank you."
Ianto nodded and put the milk back in the fridge. "Rahne?"
"Roommate. She's from not here also. Red hair. Very pretty. Can't miss her." Sharon sipped the tea and purred soft approval.
His mouth curving up into a content, somewhat smug, smile at her liking the tea, he asked, "She's not from New York? Or not from the US?"
"US. She judges the tea also. So does Diaval. Tea snobs? Is that the word?" She tilted her head, lips curving with a smile.
"I'm hardly a tea snob, though that's the right term, yes." Pulling his mug up to his nose he took a deep sniff. "They'd probably be horrified by this tea, then. But it's what we would buy when it was on sale back home, so." Taking a sip he let out a happy hum. "For me, tea is... comfort and welcome, more than anything else."
Sharon nodded. "That's why Rahne gives me tea. Makes her feel better. If she doesn't know what to say she clicks kettle. People have strange rituals." She shrugged. "But guess we all do things to make us better."
Ah. Maybe Rahne was British, then. Sure, it was just a stereotype and Ianto knew several people who didn't fit it, but he knew many others who did. "Is your comfort in relaxing as a cat?"
She tilted her head, considering that. "Spending time with people, I guess. Maybe. It's new."
Ianto nodded. "It's good to try new things." Like inviting a cat-girl into his room and reading to her. That had turned out well.
She poked him with her tail. "If you want to meet new people I can introduce. Maybe at dinner. If you want."
Meeting people wasn't something Ianto particularly enjoyed - it was stressful trying to keep himself composed constantly - but he knew it would be important to build connections. "I'd like that, thank you."
She smiled warmly. "Nice people only. Promise."
Matching her smile, Ianto nodded. "I'll look forward to it."
