m_findlow

Title: The ice storm
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Rhiannon
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,335 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for badly_knitted's prompt "Any, any, Hailstones on the roof of a car/caravan, or greenhouse" at fic_promptly
Summary: Stuck in the middle of a storm, they have a family chat

Powering down the motorway, Ianto was beginning to think that the afternoon with his sister hadn't been all that bad. The weren't big on family get togethers but it wasn't every day that your great aunt turned ninety, and they were the only family left on their mother's side.

The trip down to Carmarthen has been pleasant enough, and he'd forgotten how green the cliffs were and how vivid blue the sea. He really needed to get out more and stop using work as an excuse to stayed locked away in the deepest darkest depths of the hub, away from sunlight and fresh air.

The entire time they'd been there, he'd stayed close to his sister, letting her do all the talking for both of them. Besides which, a lot of the faces there were complete strangers to him. They were the generation above him, most he hadn't seen since he was a boy, and those that weren't were distant cousins that he'd never met, half of whom were there for the booze, and half who looked to have been dragged there just like he had. On the whole though, the event was nice enough, and there was cake, and Jack had been complaining that he hadn't had a day off for weeks, so he supposed he was ticking everyone's boxes by going.

As they headed back east, the sky however became a roiling sea of black clouds which soon released a downpour of rain.

'Did you see that bloke who was with Aunt Gracie?' Rhiannon asked.

'The one who looked liked he'd stepped out of a Take That video?'

'He's got to be half her age! Where on earth would she have found a bloke like that? He's probably younger than you are. Fancy you dating someone her age?'

'No thanks,' he cringed.

'Well, mum always did say she was a bit, you know.'

He didn't, but he could fill in the blanks. Only mothers and daughters had those sorts of conversations. His had always been centered around his hair being too scruffy, or his choice of clothes, and whether he had made lots of friends since starting high school, and why didn't he invite them over for a cup of tea and a bit of cake.

Then the rain started to pelt down heavier, a cold wind whipping over the coastline, freezing it into hailstones.

'Slow down a bit,' she instructed him.

'It's fine,' he said, adjusting to the changing conditions. Jack was the one who always complained he drove like a nanna, and now he was being told to slow down.

The hail came down heavier and it drummed loudly on the roof of his car and smashed against the windscreen, the wipers ineffectually trying to flick it away. He hoped it wasn't scratching the paintwork; the car was reasonably new and barely broken in. A gift from Jack to replace the last one which had gone to God in less than ideal circumstances.

'I think you should pull over,' Rhiannon said.

'It's fine,' he reassured her.

'Ianto, you pull over now.'

Ianto rolled his eyes and flipped on the indicator, pulling them onto the side of the road which was nothing more than boggy grass and gravel. If they got bogged, he wouldn't be happy.

'Thank you,' she said.

He didn't feel gratitude, more like he was still her little brother being told what to do. 'Now what?'

'We could talk,' she suggested. 'You barely said two words the whole way down here and about as many at the party.'

'I'm not much of a talker.'

'Don't I know it. Still, there must be some news. Did you get a promotion or something?'

He frowned. 'No. Why?'

'New car,' she replied. 'A bit expensive on a public service wage, isn't it?'

'I don't go out much, and I work a bit of overtime. Saved my pennies,' he said, not wanting to divulge just how obscene his paycheck was. Torchwood did double and triple danger pay, plus overtime. He also didn't tell her about how much of it was getting dumped into a trust fund for his niece and nephew. He figured he wouldn't live long enough to spend it, but they might.

'So what do you do when you're not working overtime, then?'

'Sorry?' he said, struggling to hear her over the thunderous sound of the hailstones hitting the roof.

'I said, what do you do when you're not working overtime?'

'Nothing much. Chores, watch TV, go see a movie.'

'Seen anything good lately?'

'No.' He hadn't seen much of anything. He didn't know why they bothered going to the movies. Jack barely waited for the previews to end before he'd slunk down out of his seat, undoing Ianto's pants and taking him in his mouth. How he was supposed to concentrate on the plot of the movie after that was anybody's guess.

'What about dating? Met anyone nice?'

'Nope,' he said, hoping to end this conversation quickly. 'Too busy.'

'Too busy for dating?'

Now he wished the hail would come down even harder so get wouldn't be able to hear the inevitable lecture his sister was about to give him. She stared at him hard.

'Ianto, how long has it been since you went on a date?'

He stared at the steering wheel. He couldn't tell her about Jack. He also didn't want to have to make up a whole story about fictitious people he'd never dated, or people he was currently dating who'd be invited around for tea, who he'd have to suddenly break up with.

'Look, I know you took it by hard when you and Lisa broke up, but you need to move on. It's been what, nearly two years?'

'Three,' he couldn't help but correct her.

'Exactly. You can't just give up because of one bad breakup.'

He felt guilty about that particular lie. He hadn't given up, he'd given up everything and given it to Jack.

'Look at you,' she said pointing at the slim dark jeans and the casual burgundy shirt, cuffs rolled up to the elbows. You're young and good looking with the whole world ahead of you. The girls should be beating down your door if you'd only put yourself out there.'

He didn't want to put himself out there. He was looking forward to going home and having Jack beat down his door, so that he could remove his clothes inch by careful inch. He'd worn them knowing that they were Jack's favourite. It would be his reward for facing a whole day with his sister and their extended family.

'I've got everything I need.' He had Jack. What more could he possibly need?

'Everyone needs someone, Ianto. Even you.'

Before he had a chance to feel awkward about replying, the hail suddenly stopped and the sun began to break through a gap in the clouds. It was almost like God had decided to spare him.

'Looks like should make a break for it whilst the weather is good,' he said, turning the key in the ignition.

'Ianto,' Rhiannon said, forcing him to look at her.

'I'm fine the way I am, honestly.' It was the closet thing to honesty he could tell her.

'Just promise me you'll give it another chance, yeah? When you're ready.'

He had to hand it to his sister. She was nosy and pushy and ten kinds of annoying, but she did love him and worried about him. It was more than most did, except for maybe Jack. He loved her for it more than he could say.

'I will. I promise.'

'Just don't wait too long,' she added to her list of instructions. 'I don't want to find out you're dating some old bag like Aunt Gracie.'

He wanted to burst out laughing. How could he tell her he was dating a guy who was 170 years old?

'No promises,' he replied. 'You can't choose who you fall in love with.'