14
News spread like wildfire and by the next morning Vic found himself in a land of silence.
Whispers and growling in the air woke Ianto and he lay in the bed as he listened to the village make its own mind up and sighed.
This is not what he wanted, discontent in camp could mean lapses in judgement.
Vic was also finding the village's opinion of him a little unnerving.
He entered a room, silence.
People calmly gathered themselves and walked out not making eye contact.
He walked down the street, silence.
People calmly crossing the walk adjacent to him as if he stank.
He asked for a cup in the kitchen, silence.
Nainny pointed, then scooped up the children and sent them out for vegetables from the garden.
He finally sought out the last person he wanted to speak to.
Ianto was kneeling by the SUV, checking the tyres as the shadow fell over him. He had heard him approach and had his scent memorised so he simply reached for the pressure gauge.
Vic cleared his throat and Ianto glanced in the side mirror. The man looked broken and Ianto frowned again, annoyed that it would fall to him to fix.
"You know what's going on?" Vic asked and Ianto snorted then cocked his head and listened to the wind.
"Jack and Ifan are arguing over the next recon date, Owen and Tosh are moving furniture in the baby's room, several people are preparing lunch and your wife is …" Ianto sighed.
"My wife?"
"Crying by the well" Ianto pointed.
Vic took a few steps and then looked back at Ianto.
"She loves you. Or she wouldn't forgive you" Ianto leaned back against the warm metalwork, "She keeps letting you slide, letting you slide. When you beat her to death, she will still be whispering your name with her last breath."
Vic stared at Ianto was a sickening dread.
"My mother took almost forty minutes to die, sucking air and blood as her smashed and unrecognisable face still turned towards his voice" Ianto told him.
"How old were you?"
"Four" Ianto smiled, "I hid under the table and had the perfect spot to watch her bleed out. My Tad cried when he realised what he had done. I was too injured to help, he had beaten me when I had tried to protect her. Imagine your children cowering over your wife's body as you smash them with a tennis racket. Can you do that? Because I think you can."
Vic wanted to vomit but his gaze was caught, unable to look away from the swirling pools of silver.
"If you ever touch her in anger again, I will tear your throat out with these fangs" Ianto rose and stood toe to toe, "The last thing you will ever see is your own flesh in my jaws."
Vic swallowed.
"Now go, comfort and apologise." Ianto waved his hand, "Don't fuck up or the bogeyman will come."
Victor stumbled as he was released and Ianto grinned.
"Victor" he snarled, "For I am he."
Of that fact, Vic had no doubt.