It as Miss Marriot’s birthday. Ianto and his mom had been invited over for dinner by Miss Marriot’s aunt/grandmother/lady. Ianto had brought a potion with him that he thought that it would be super fun for him and Miss Marriot to try out. It was going to make their voices sound high-pitched and that was the sort of thing that only Miss Marriot would appreciate.

After dinner, they went to the drawing room. Miss Marriot’s aunt/grandmother/lady and his mother went to the next room to look at a painting or something, giving him some free time with Miss Marriot.

“This will change the way our voice sounds!” Ianto said enthusiastically, showing her the vial which he had previously taken out of his pocket.

For her birthday Etsy had received a new dress, that she was now wearing, and various other things that she was sure would be great fun, but getting to see Mr Lloyd was surely the best part. Great Aunt Parmenia had spent all breakfast lamenting over having been burdened with orphans for so long and then one of the cats had gotten out, which had put the whole staff in a bad mood too. But Mr Lloyd was always so happy and cheerful!

Etsy looked at the little vial her guest was holding out. “Is it safe?” She asked briefly before shaking her head. Of course it was! And it was giong to be fun! “Do we drink it, or what?” She laughed.

Ianto had gotten it from a safe enough place because he didn’t have drug selling friends. Because he was a sweet summer child. In all honesty, he probably would realize it if someone did try to sell drugs to him. But he also didn’t frequent in shady establishments where he could meet with dangerous people.

“It’s perfectly safe!” he assured her. And, just to prove his point, he opened the vial and took a sip of it. His voice came out squeaky, as if he had consumed helium: “See? I’m not dead!”

Ah, well, if Ianto said it was safe, then it had to be! He’d got her back safe from the middle of nowhere in Wales, after all after he’d crashed the flying carpet, so one little potion couldn’t hurt!

Not to mention it was funny. Etsy took a sip of the potion whilst giggling. “We sound like mice!” She laughed, beaming from ear to ear as her voice came out squeaky. They should lace all the punch at parties with this potion. Think of how happy that would make everyone! Who could be serious when their voices sounded like that?

Ianto giggled at her comment and the sound of his giggle made him giggle more. But at some point he had to stop giggling because his stomach started hurting.

And then he suggested: “We should sing something!”

Etsy covered her mouth with her hands in an attempt to smother the giggles escaping, but it didn’t work and instead made a sound rather like a snort that set her off into more peals of laughter till her sides ached.

“Like what?” She asked through her giggles, trying to contain herself as her voice came out squeaky again.

Now that she actually asked, Ianto wasn’t sure. His eyebrows furrowed and he stared into his lap before inspiration overcame him and his face lit up again.

“Twinkle twinkle little star!” he exclaimed and even clapped his hands together. “How I wonder what you are!” At that, he clasped Miss Marriot’s hands and started moving them left and right as he continued to sing: “Up above the world so hiiiigh!”

“Like a diamond in the sky! When the blazing sun is gone, when he nothing shines upon, then you show your little light, twinkle, twinkle, all the night!” Etsy squeaked along, grinning.

She didn’t know any popular songs because she was a hipster but nursery rhymes, she could do. She did have little sisters, after all!

“Then the traveller in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark, he could not see which way to go, if you did not TWINKLEEEEEEEEE so,” Ianto continued. While still rocking her hands in his hands.

After another verse and overcome with emotion, Ianto said: “I wish we could sing like this forever!”

Etsy sang along, still smiling wildly and giggling, rocking her hands in his and frankly ignoring the fact that the giggling/corset combo wasn’t exactly comfortable.

“I wish we could too!” She exclaimed. She was having such fun! Why wasn’t everything in life so enjoyable?

“We should like, get married!” Ianto said. Which was a totally random suggestion but now that he actually said the words he realized that he would actually like that. “For real!”

Her eyes widened a little and she broke into a wide smile at Ianto’s words. “Yes!” Etsy beamed, face lighting up. “Yes, yes, we should!” Why shouldn’t they? There was no one’s company she enjoyed more, and Great Aunt Parmenia was always going on about her getting married, so she couldn’t object either!

“I don’t actually have a ring but you can keep the bottle until I get you one!” Ianto said enthusiastically. This was so exciting. New things! It was unreal. He was proposing to a girl. If it was modern day he’d take a selfie.

HOMG THAT WAS SO CUTE

Etsy giggled and took the bottle. Oh, she couldn’t wait to tell everyone! She was so happy and really it was rather fortunate instagram wasn’t a thing back then otherwise there would have been spam of pictures of the bottle and them grinning and so much soppy shit everyone would have unfollowed her. Oops there goes the fourth wall. “I’m so happy!” She exclaimed, because it felt weird to not say anything else.

“Me too!” Ianto exclaimed and giggled. “OH! We should tell Mama and your aunt!” His mom would be so happy. Or more like “wtaf I left the room for a minute and you fucking proposed to a person”. But she’d be happy too because she liked Miss Marriot.

“It wouldn’t do to forget to tell them!” She exclaimed in agreement. Romeo and Juliet hadn’t done that and look how that had ended. yes that was literally all she got from that book “Everyone shall be so happy- but not as happy as me, I’m sure!”