m_findlow

Title: The whole truth
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Rhiannon, Johnny
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,678 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for fffc May Special Daily Challenge - May 16th - Interview, Actor, Hair
Summary: It turns out truth really is stranger than fiction.

It seemed strange looking at the four of them sat around the table at a nice restaurant in the middle of town. Jack called it a double date. Ianto just called it facing up to the fact that his sister wasn't going to let him off the hook until he'd brought Jack over for dinner. This at least was neutral ground, and they didn't have to worry about the kids. Tonight was challenging enough without them thinking Jack was the best thing since sliced bread. Really, he just wanted to bed things down with Rhiannon and Johnny first. He'd never brought girlfriends over for dinner, so bringing a boyfriend was definitely new territory.

So far, so good at least he thought, slowly sipping a glass of red to take the edge off his nerves. Not that they didn't know Jack. Rhiannon had bled him dry for details over many a cup for tea, giving him the Welsh equivalent of the Spanish inquisition. Meeting him in the flesh however was a completely different story.

'You're quite good looking,' Rhiannon said, which made Ianto want to sink under the table and through the floor. 'I thought Tina was talking it up, you know, trying to make out Ianto was punching well above his weight.'

'Thanks a lot,' Ianto mumbled, though he was quietly and continually impressed himself at how he'd snagged a prize like Jack.

'How long does it take to get your hair like that?' she asked. 'And those teeth. Do you get them bleached?'

Jack shrugged. 'Just that way naturally. Blessed with a half decent mugshot.'

'Have you ever thought about interviewing for films or TV? You've got the looks for it.'

'It's called an audition, Rhi,' Ianto said, unable to stop himself from correcting her.

'Same difference,' she replied, brushing him off with her usual disregard. 'Not like you ever need to worry about that sort of thing.'

'Oh, I don't know,' Jack said. 'I think Ianto is good looking enough for the movies,' he teased. 'He could be the next James Bond.' Just thinking about Ianto in that sexy tuxedo, wielding a gun would make Jack go weak at the knees.

Rhiannon laughed out loud in a way that made Ianto only feel even more embarrassed. 'Him? You must be joking.'

Ianto sank lower still. James Bond impersonations were strictly off limits. He didn't even like Jack seeing them, having caught him out once or twice. It was just so impossible not to entertain fantasies every once in a while when he was in the armory. The only person who though he looked cool pulling a pose with a gun was him.

'I was in a movie once, actually,' Jack confessed

'Really? What was it called?' She sounded eager to Google it and find out if the local video shop had a copy. Ianto could just picture her curled up on the sofa with her cup of tea and two blocks of chocolate, ogling over him like some scene out of Casablanca.

'Oh, it was a lifetime ago,' Jack said, sipping from his glass of water. 'Real old black and white flick. It's not like these days, though. It's all special effects now. All we had was a little hair and makeup. It was all about the performance back then. Nothing else to disguise bad acting.' Ianto kicked Jack under the table, receiving an annoyed glance in his direction.

'Oh, I love all those new sci-fi films,' Johnny said. 'Transformers, Avengers, The Hulk. Mental how they do all that special effects stuff. I could have been The Hulk, you know.' He flexed an arm muscle as if to prove it.

'More like The Lump,' Rhiannon quipped. 'You can keep your shirt on, thank you very much.'

'What Jack means is it was one of those art house films,' Ianto clarified, trying to backtrack. 'The kind that don't get made on DVD. It wasn't that long ago. Just before we met, really.' He hoped it sounded genuine. How many times did he have to try and cover for Jack and all the stupid things he said? Jack just couldn't help himself though, talking about fifty years ago like it was just yesterday. This whole thing with having his family knowing he was seeing Jack was still a bit new. He didn't want to freak them out with some of Jack's more unusual qualities.

Jack reached across and grabbed his hand. 'That's not true, actually,' he said. 'It was a long time ago. 1938 to be exact.'

'Jack,' Ianto warned.

'No, we're not doing this,' he replied, giving Ianto a serious look. He didn't want Ianto lying about him. His sister and her family knew now that Ianto worked for Torchwood and what that entailed, having been dragged into facing the reality when the 456 had arrived on Earth. There didn't seem to be any point in keeping the rest a secret now.

'Rhiannon, something happened to me a long time ago, but it made me unable to die.'

She paused with her fork halfway to her mouth, pasta slipping off it. 'What, really, though?'

'You've seen what we're facing. Is it really that unbelievable? There's all kinds of technology and science out there that defies explanation.'

'What, so you can't die, like ever?' Johnny said.

'Ever,' Jack confirmed.

'He can, actually,' Ianto interrupted. 'And does so, often, in the line of duty.' If Jack was doing this it was in for a penny, in for a pound. He didn't want them thinking that this was some wondrous gift. It was a curse he had to live with. 'But he always comes back, just as he is now. He's never going to get old. He's going to have to watch all of us eventually grow old and die. That's what it means to live forever.'

'Ianto wants to spare you the truth of everything, but the reality is that I love him, and that means we should be honest about what that really means. It's not easy having to bear witness to someone dying, especially not over and over again. But truth is, I don't think I'd be able to cope if he wasn't there waiting for me. I'd have gone mad by now if it wasn't for him. '

Ianto grimaced a little smile but it was the tight squeezing of Jack's hand that reassured him that they were in this together, for better or worse.

There was a pause around the table as the words sank in. Then Rhiannon laughed. 'Yeah, alright, you got me. I almost believed you. Almost,' she qualified. 'You're almost as good an actor as he is, Ianto. You both had such straight faces I thought you were dead serious for a minute there.'

'It's true,' Jack said.

'No, it's okay, you can stop now,' she said. 'Did you have this all planned in advance, or did you just make it up as you went?'

Ianto looked across at Jack, seeing his confusion. Rhiannon was always so determined to get to the bottom of things but now that they'd been upfront about it, she thought they were having her on.

'Yeah, okay, so we thought you might believe us,' he said.

'Yeah. Almost,' Jack added, taking the lead. 'You started on about the whole film star thing and we couldn't resist. There's no movie, either. I'm not some film star from yesteryear. We just deal with aliens for a living and do all our own stunts.'

Ianto couldn't help but feel annoyed. It really did sound mad, he supposed. Aliens was one thing, but this really did take a bit of getting used to. He'd been shocked enough when he'd found out, and he'd been working for Torchwood for years by then. Perhaps they'd have to try again another time. He just hoped they wouldn't need to give her a real life demonstration.

'You two are going to be trouble, I can tell,' she said, giving Ianto a firm stare. 'Don't think I'm going to put up with your practical jokes.'

They shared an awkward look, feeling cornered.

'Don't look so scared,' Rhiannon said. 'I'm happy for you, honestly. I just didn't expect you'd be in cahoots already, trying to wind us up. I believe the whole aliens thing, but we're not completely stupid. Living forever and coming back from the dead? That's just mad.'

On the way home, Ianto heard Jack sigh from the driver's side of the car. 'That wasn't how I expected that to go.'

'It takes a lot to freak her out,' Ianto replied. 'But I thought this was guaranteed to throw her. I never expected she wouldn't believe it at all.'

'Sorry I stole your thunder,' Jack apologised. 'I just didn't want you to have to hide anything anymore. I do love you. I want things to be simple so we don't have to live with layers of lies and secrets. Life is complicated enough without all that.'

He looked across at Jack and smiled. 'I know. I appreciate it, really.' He still couldn't quite believe Jack had sat there opposite his sister and his brother in law and out and out told them he was in love with Ianto. He had enough trouble saying to Ianto's face.

'So, back to the drawing board, huh?' Jack said, staring out the window, wondering if inspiration might be out there somewhere. If the direct approach didn't work what was the alternative?

'Guess so,' Ianto replied. He supposed he should be happy that dinner went relatively without event. Dealing with his sister's lack of belief in the truth would have to be a problem for another day. 'I don't suppose you've got a copy of that movie by any chance, do you?'

Jack smiled. 'I kept the director's cut reels in one of my trunks. What's say you and me round off the evening with a bit of home movie viewing?'

'I'll get the projector, you get the popcorn. Even I won't believe it until I see the real thing.'