Slashthedrabble Challenge 586 - Thicker than water

[m_findlow]

Title: Thicker than water
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 586 - Delight at slashthedrabble
Summary: Ianto refuses to believe that any meeting between his family and Jack could ever go well.

Jack couldn't help but notice the grumpy, sullen man that was sitting in the passenger seat. Ianto was often quiet and adept at hiding his real emotions but tonight Jack could tell that he was upset over something.

‘Ianto, what's wrong? You haven't said a word since we left your sister's house.’ Considering it was the first time Jack had been around to meet all the family at the one time, Jack had thought it had gone quite well. He'd met Rhiannon before, since Ianto had subjected him to some unspoken rule that he required his sisters approval before bringing any suitor around for dinner properly. Jack was sure that this was some rule Ianto himself had made up and had absolutely nothing to do with his sister wanting to vet whoever Ianto happened to be dating at the time.

‘Well, that's it now, isn't it?’ Ianto replied, which made even less sense to Jack.

‘What's what?’

Ianto folded his arms across his chest and stared out through window to avoid looking at Jack. ‘You, me, my family…’

‘Uh… That's a good thing, right?’ Gods, but he wished Ianto would just say what he meant sometimes! He'd had to fight like hell to keep Ianto by his side. Tonight should have been the happy step forward in their lives. That how Jack would have described it. ‘I thought it went well.’

‘Oh, yes, they all loved you. You just turn on that Jack Harkness charm and everything is wonderful. You're the perfect one. It's everyone else that's rubbish.’

Jack sighed and gripped the steering wheel. ‘Ianto, I found your family perfectly delightful. They're just so Welsh.’ He received a snort in reply. ‘No, seriously. They're great. I love them already. The kids are adorable, Johnny is hilarious and your sister, well, I can see that the stubborn streak is a Jones family heirloom.’

‘Stubborn isn't all my sister is,’ he moped. ‘She's bossy, opinionated, nagging…’

Jack smirked. ‘Oh, and you're not?’

Ianto sighed. ‘I'm just saying you don't have to pretend to like them. We can avoid going there.’

Jack shook his head. ‘Ianto, do you realise how insane you sound? I want them in our lives. For three first time in a long, long time I finally feel like this place is my home, and that I have some kind of family here. You don't appreciate what it is to belong somewhere because you always have. You think families are boring and annoying. But they love you and they'll always have your back, no matter what. Just like I've got yours. I just hope that one day I can say your family will do the same for me.’

Jack noticed the tension go out of Ianto's body. ‘I think they already do.’

‘Ah, so it wasn't just my imagination that everything felt like it just clicked.’

‘Who would've thought that my working class Welsh family would be so progressive and accepting.’

‘Now you know just how lucky you are.’