Slashthedrabble Challenge 596 - Thicker than water

[m_findlow]

Title: Thicker than water
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Johnny Davies
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 596 - Acceptance at slashthedrabble
Summary: Ianto didn't expect his own family to be so understanding about how complicated his life has gotten.

The number calling Ianto was unfamiliar and that alone set a flight of butterflies whirling through his stomach. Virtually no one had his new phone number. It was all he could do not to simply answer it and say Jack's name, hoping it was him calling to say he was back and where the hell was Ianto.

'Hello? Ianto Jones.'

'Alright, bute? It's Johnny.'

'Oh.' He realised just how rude his disappointed response must sound and tried to brighten it by adding: 'Hi.' And then: 'Um, how'd you get this number?'

'Oh, Rhi gave it to me.'

Of course she did. Probably stuck it on a flyer and posted it round the entire estate by now. 'Why?'

'Cause she says you were being a right twat and not answering her calls.'

'She's only calling to ask me round for dinner. God, she's worse than Mum.' She wasn't half her mother's daughter for all the years she spent denying it. No one nagged him about popping round for tea like their mum had, and now Rhiannon was on the same warpath with him.

'No disrespect to your old mum, Ianto, but when she and Rhi used to kick off… I'd have rather been anywhere else. Anywhere. Only thing worse was when she was having a go at me.'

Ianto smirked. 'Welcome to the family.' Then he sighed. 'So, this is you wording me up that I'd better turn up for tea?'

'Don't shoot the messenger, mate. She's worried about you all alone there in London.'

'There's twenty million people in the city. I'm hardly alone.'

'You know what I mean. We miss you.'

'You? Miss me? You're not, you know…' He didn't want to say the word gay. It didn't feel right. That wasn't what he was. For all the difference it made to some people.

'You had the government trying to blow you up for bloody Christ's sake. I don't reckon it was because you were shacked up with a bloke. And if it was, me and the boys would back you up and punt the bastards all the way back to their posh bloody gaffs. You and me, we're family. I married that crazy sister of yours and you come with it. Not going to let you just sit there forever in some empty apartment waiting for what's his face to turn up. Rhi didn't even want you leaving Cardiff but I told her it's not your choice to make, love. If Ianto wants to go to London and teach those toffee arse bastards how we get things done, then let him.'

Ianto didn't know how to respond. He hadn't expected this, least of all from Johnny. 'I don't know what to say.'

'Say you'll come over for tea, then. God knows you need a bit of normal.'

'Thanks.'

'Doesn't mean I'm not going to take out the kneecaps of that boyfriend of yours if he ever shows his face here. He's picked the wrong family to mess with.'