Rhiannon was at the end of her tether when the door bell rang, the kids had been driving her up the wall, Johnny was still out at the pub and just theme she thought she had two seconds to herself the bloody door bell rang. Swinging it open she stated in an irritated tone, "Whatever your selling I'm not buy-" she stopped mod rant, "Ianto?"
"Hey sis, long time no see" he shuffled his feet, "If this is a bad time-" he was cut off by her almost crushing his rubs in what should have been a hug
"You daft sod, come in" it's not like he had a choice in the matter as she practically dragged him inside the house, "What're you doing here at half ten?"
Ianto sighed as he was forced into a wooden chair at the table, "I didn't know where else to go"
"You've not been evicted again have you?"
"What? No, of course not. You know that was only because I was a mess after the terrorist attack" canary wharf
"So?"
He ran a hand over his face, "My flat... Maybe I should just start at the beginning?"
"Take your time"
"I... met someone-"
"Who, when, where, how?" She riled off
"Okay, how about I tell you the whole story and you ask questions at the end?"
"Sure" she rolled her eyes, knowing she'd have to wait
"I met someone at work, I was pretty messed up after Lisa died and we had a sort of arrangement. Lately I thought we were moving forwards, we were going out on dates, actually talking to one and other, holding hands that sort of thing. Then I make the mistake of talking to them about it and turns out they have some pretty big and understandable commitment issues and have shut me out."
"Right" she nodded
"The thing is my flat is full of their stuff, I can't look at anything without being reminded of them. And... they're gone. They took off this afternoon and I have no idea if or when they'll be coming back and even if they do they've made it pretty clear they don't want anything more than a physical relationship"
"And you want more?" She asked to be certain
He rolled his eyes, "Of course I want more, I... I love them and I've never even had the courage to say it in case they freak out and run off and now look where I am"
"What was her name?"
Ianto debated with himself for half a second, "Okay... this is where it gets a little more complicated"
"How so?"
"Well... Don't freak out or make a mountain out of a mole hill but recently I discovered I'm actually not completely 100% fully and utterly strictly straight" he waited two seconds and blurted out, "His name was Jack"
"His... as in he... as in a man?"
"Yes" he drew out the word
"Your gay?"
"No" he hurried, "He is very much the only man I have ever... I like women he'd just an exception to the rule" he cleared his throat
"And he's gone has he?"
"Yeah"
"Good riddance, he was obvioucly a terrible influence on you. A nice girl, thats what you need, not some unreliable bender-" she never got to the end of her sentence as Ianto stormed out of her house, filled with fresh determination and more than a little rage.
He'd realised one thing and saw everything in perfect clarity.
He loved Jack Harkness. He hated Jack Harkness. He missed Jack Harkness and if he ever came back Ianto knew he would forgive Jack Harkness. He may be an unreliable and secretive knob but he was his unreliable secretive knob for as long as he could keep him and he wouldn't change him for the world.