52
"Curt? Go a sec?"
"I have three children to get ready for school and a fourth to wrestle into clothes so she can come with us since Maisey is MY child. No. Later"
Walter nodded and retreated, heading instead to the other one he had to apologise to. He found his father up and fully dressed, of course, in his office with things littered about, his glasses perched on the end of his nose as he read something, looking up as Walter entered and placing the paper down politely.
"Tad? Got a sec?"
"Yes" Ianto motioned for him to sit and he did, then Ianto started to talk calmly "I'm giving you a mulligan on last night. One. Just one. Ever speak to me like that again and there will be some severe consequences young man! You screwed the pooch. Yeah? I mean … really … no condom sort of screwed."
Walter grimaced and nodded.
"This Dale … whoever he is … you know Curt has met him. Went to your trailer the other day to remind you about the lawyer meeting and he was there sprawled on your bed like he owned the place. Told Curt he was in the way and you didn't need his distractions right now. You have an agreement that Curty reads ALL the scripts and there are no secrets. No nudity and no sex scenes. You agreed with him, me and your agent. We wanted to keep your image clean for the kids who adore you. A kissing scene? With someone Curt is starting got see as a rival? He does not think you are stepping out. He trusts you but … still. It hurts that you are spending more time with someone else than the one who does crave your kiss."
Walter sighed "It's worse."
"How worse?"
"Last night I misspoke. I sort of said that Curt wanted the four kids. I didn't mean it like that but it sort of came out like he was the one who brought them home from the pound one day or something and surprised me. You know how protective he is … he has gone full blank on me."
"I left your father. He heard him tell someone on the phone that Stephen was his only true son … a son I knew nothing about … and I stormed into the room and punched him right out of his chair… stone cold out to it. Left him there on the floor and that's when I left him. He hadn't meant it the way it had come out, his mouth was getting away from him and he had meant his only biological … it didn't sound like it. I only heard him cheapening you and your siblings. I laid him out cold. Then left him. Why we had a Christmas as Uncle Idris' one year" Ianto warned "Do you want to lose Curty? Is he packing in his head now? Considering options? Like ... going away with the kids for a while to let you have your own space? If he does say that… be warned. Your marriage is in trouble."
Walter was horrified now as he knew the Lake House was an option for Curty to run away from him.
Gods.