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Susan loves watching Ianto when he draws. His face scrunches up in an adorable fashion as he focuses his attention wholly on his subject and sketchpad. Elegant fingers wrap loosely around his pencil, hand flashing back and forth as he sketches, the scent of graphite heavy in the air, the skritch-scratch as he moves across the paper – this is how she'll always remember him.
"You're dropping your chin Susan, raise it a bit?" he asks her as he looks up at her with a small frown.
"Sorry Yan." She lifts her chin, smiling softly at his small grunt of satisfaction. "I think Grandfather is warming towards Mr. Chesterton and Miss. Wright, don't you agree?" she asks, curious as to what he thinks, what he feels through his shields.
"If by warming up you mean no longer snarling in distaste or commenting on how primative they are, then yes, the Doctor seems to be improving."
Susan laughed. "He's not that bad, is he?"
"Susan." Ianto looked up and met her eyes. "Your grandfather has made it abundantly clear that he finds humans quite trying and is only allowing us to travel with him instead of dropping us off like a stray cats because he doesn't want to upset either you or the TARDIS. I'm surprised he even came to find me, he dislikes humans so."
She smiled weakly. Her grandfather did not share her love of the 20th century Earth as she did. "Oh Yan, you know he likes you," she said instead, hinting that she knew he had felt the Doctor's emotions towards him on at least one occasion.
"Well, yes, but I'm more advanced, or so he has said often enough. Besides, the TARDIS loves me," Ianto replied with a wicked grin. He bent his head and peered at his sketch. "Just a bit longer and then we can go and find the others. Where do you reckon they're at?"
"Probably the kitchen. It is about time for breakfast – or at least it is in London."
Ianto finishes the drawing and places his pencil on the table before flexing his fingers to loosen the tense muscles. He stares critically at what he has produced before nodding with contentment. "I quite like how this turned out," he tells Susan as he turns the pad towards her to view.
"Oh that is lovely!" she tells him. "Let's find grandfather and Mr. Chesterton and Miss. Wright."
Laughing as he is dragged through the corridors of the TARDIS, he holds onto the pad with one hand, his other caught in Susan's grip. He is so happy here, on the TARDIS with Susan and Mr. Chesteron and Miss. Wright and even the Doctor, whose gruff exterior and sharp comments can't fool his gift. The Doctor might not be particularly pleased with his guests, but he has certainly warmed to them. Ianto likes being on the TARDIS, likes his companions and while he misses his family, he knows he will return to them in time. But this, this is an adventure of a lifetime and he has no desire to end it before he must.
Susan is correct and they eventually find the others in the kitchen. The Doctor sits in his corner, cup of tea in his hand as he scowls at Mr. Chesterton and Miss. Wright. They look up as the two come barreling in, Susan acting more like a teenager than they have seen her do so before.
"Good morning, Susan, Ianto. A spot of breakfast?" Miss. Wright offers with a smile.
"Thank you Miss. Wright," Ianto says even as Susan takes the pad from his hand to show her grandfather.
"Look grandfather, look at Ianto's sketch!"
Ianto bites his lip with sudden nervousness. Drawing has been private for him, something he knows how to do, but not something he shares with others; his family is well used to his drawing but they usually pat him on his head and say "it's very nice" but not much else.
The Doctor peers at the pad, lifting it from her hands after putting his tea to the side. While he knew that Ianto liked to draw, had brought and continued to buy supplies, he had never truly examined any of his drawings. But this, this showed a high degree of talent, more than he had expected. Susan was beautifully captured, looking ethereal and relaxed and happy.
"Very nice Ianto," he complimented gruffly, passing it to Mr. Chesterton and Miss. Wright to view.
"I didn't realize you were so talented!" Miss. Wright exclaimed. Mr. Chesteron nodded his agreement. Ianto had managed to capture the otherworldliness that had first captured Barbara and his interest in Susan.
"This is wonderful Ianto. Really. I would like to see more, perhaps after breakfast?" suggests Mr. Chesterton.
Ianto smiles shyly and nods before accepting the sketchpad from Miss. Wright. He places it on the counter, far from the food.
Susan grins at their response. She has been trying to get Ianto to share his drawings for months and this is the first time he's been willing to do so. She puts some food on his plate and turns to her grandfather. "Where are we going next grandfather? I think Tre'vani would be lovely – there is so much Ianto could draw and I'm sure Mr. Chesterton and Miss. Wright would also enjoy it."
The Doctor looks at his granddaughter, her hopeful expression and the curious ones of his Companions. He nods slowly. Tre'vani would be a lovely trip, one that would hopefully not include cavemen willing to kill for the secret of fire. "Tre'vani sounds like a good idea Susan."
The others share a smile around the table as they begin to eat their breakfast. The Doctor looks at the humans who have befriended his granddaughter, who have pushed him to accept them and who have slowly changed his opinion on humans of the 20th century. And he realizes that maybe the TARDIS was right to insist on helping Ianto, on staying in 1963 London. Susan is happier than he's seen her in many years and TARDIS practically sings as she travels through the Vortex. Maybe its time he change and get to know these humans.
He moves to join Susan and the others at the table. Breakfast was as good a place to start as any.