10
Ianto was sitting in a deckchair under the shade cloth watching the gulls circle around the point, the rising air allowing them to coast with their wings wide as they enjoyed the warmth of the day. His eyes were closed and although he heard a crunch of gravel he decided to ignore it, the laughter of the gulls far more enjoyable than whatever his sister-in-law was about to impart.
"I've been calling you" she said as she chose a seat and plonked down next to him, "Where are the sprogs?"
"Down at the point with some other kids from the town, they are doing some beachcombing thing" Ianto replied "I am trying to de-stress so don't come here with all that…negative frown … I don't have to even look at you to know is being directed at me right now."
"Your agent is going ape-shit trying to get hold of you, not to mention the studio" Rhiannon scolded gently, "Apparently the pilot went over well, they are trying to get you so you can come on and shoot some more."
"Nope"
"Ianto…"
"No Rhia" Ianto snapped, then sighed, "Sorry love, don't mean to take it out of you just…I can't."
"What if they don't pay you?" Rhia asked and Ianto snorted.
"Already checked that, the first three episodes have been paid for, this is the only one not. So, if they refuse then fuck them, I still got what I need." Ianto shrugged.
"Sweetie, you really need to touch base, if only to close things out" she said softly, "How will you ever get another casting job?"
"I won't" Ianto finally turned his head to look at her, "Kayla…she….she had faith in me. She encouraged the acting. Maybe it should go with her. Maybe I need to start fresh, all of it. Everything."
"Oh love, you don't mean that. You don't quit. That's not you. That's not the father you want to be for your babies. You don't quit" Rhiannon sand softly, "You didn't quit then, don't quit now."
Ianto sighed as he let his head fall back, knowing she was right, knowing he had to go back to finish that fucking episode.
At least it would only be that one last thing.
Right?
.
.
.
.
.
Ianto sat in the agent's office feeling numb as he stared at the contract.
"They love you" she was gushing, "They fucking love you. They want more T-Boy. You have a contract here for the rest of the season, for twice the original amount. Can you see that? Jesus wept, twice!"
"No Larissa" Ianto said softly "I can't, I just…can't."
"Oh yeah, there was this too" she flicked and envelope at him and walked towards the door, "I will give you a few minutes to think this over then we will talk, OK? I needa pee."
Ianto opened the envelope and looked at the letter.
.
.
Dear Ianto
I am sorry for taking advantage of you. It was a whim that I should have ignored but the feelings that I have for you have become more intense since we started working together. I understand that you do not feel the same and I can only apologise and promise that I will behave. Well, mostly. Please come back and work through this with me, you most probably did not watch the Pilot. It was epic.
You were epic.
Jack
.
.
Ianto sighed. Found himself sniffing the paper and then snorting at himself for such a weird action. He was still pondering that strange compulsion while he read the contract when his agent returned, "So?"
"OK" he sighed, "I want promises though, I am not just walking into a shit storm and I want you to read that contract again. Make sure I can bow out if it gets too hard."
"Deal!" she grinned excitedly.
Ianto rose and walked over to the window to look out over the city, wondering if he was going to regret this. Not the first time he had decided on something too tough to chew but he would be damned if he was going to walk away. Rhiannon was right, he had to see it through.
For the kids.
.
.
.
.
.
Owen was the first to see him as he entered the set, the loud whoop echoing as he took off towards him, "Hey T-Boy, where the hell have you been, did you get that cold you were whining about ya twat? Come on, it's been fucking boring, this episode sucks, come on. Come play XBOX in my trailer, gods I really thought I would be stuck with these people."
"Owen, Jack kissed me" Ianto hissed.
"So?" Owen shrugged, "He's Jack. He kisses everyone. Let it go, it's not like it was bad, right?"
Ianto smiled as he nodded and agreed, heading for the machine that Owen was not so subtly pushing him towards and as he turned it on the start heating the water Owen leaned over the banister to call down, "OI COOPER REAL COFFEE!"
Ianto laughed softly as he primed the first basket, tamping as Owen started to dance excitedly like a child waiting for a cone.
Ianto looked over and saw Jack hovering, his hands in his pockets and he made a begging gesture with his hands that had Ianto nodding gently.
OK.
Ianto walked down to his position and took a breath. He went back over the script in his head, knowing it was only a small part this time so he took another deep breath and waited.
"What do you have there?" Jack said softly as he walked over from behind, his hand resting on his shoulder and Ianto pulled away slightly, annoyed that he was again in his personal space.
"Strange kind of weather patterns" he said and he felt Jack's hand drop, then felt strangely bereft.
He sat back and watched the rest of the episode start to play out and then was relieved when they called for the final set scene of the day to be the meeting room debrief.
As Gwen strutted her stuff, showing the script had been memorised word for word Ianto swung in his chair wondering how he would ever last in this job, these tedious wee scenes. Silly how he had dreamed of more.
"Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild with a Faery, hand in hand, for the world's more full of weeping than you can understand" Ianto said suddenly, making them all turn.
"What's the name of that!" Jack demanded, "What is that poem called?"
"The Stolen Child" Ianto answered and watched Jack motion at the producers for some reason.
Then he realised he was not the only one who had renegotiated their contract.
Jack was a producer?