Ianto took a deep breath before stepping through his own front door. As he opened the door he was met with Jenny storming towards him, a look of clear frustration and disbelief on her face. He walked past her into the living room aiming to sit down and talk through this comfortably, but judging by the way she was following him this would not be an option,
"What the hell was that Ianto?! You just took off with all your friends and left me here!"
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just with work…"
"You work for the tourist office Yan! What possible emergency can have you shooting off at 10:00 at night?"
"Ok so this is going to be hard to explain, I just need you to keep an open mind"
"What are you talking about?"
"We don't actually work for the tourist board"
"What?"
"That's a cover" Ianto paused, "We work for a kind of special forces"
"Piss off" she scoffed, "what kind of special forces?"
"I… can I make you a coffee?" he asked desperately, trying to get his brain to focus on something familiar, something he could rely on. He still had no idea what to do, the Retcon practically burning a hole in his pocket as he considered that option.
"Ianto you better start making sense or I'm out that door"
"It doesn't make sense! What I do it makes… absolutely no sense at all really" he laughed bitterly, "but its my job, its my life and I love it"
"What the hell is going on Yan, seriously"
"I work for an organisation responsible for protecting the Earth against alien threat"
"Alien threat" Jenny repeated flatly, "I really didn't think you'd be capable of that level of bollocks"
"I know how it sounds, but it's the truth"
"You can't expect me to believe that"
"No, I can't" Ianto agreed, "But all I can do is be honest with you. For us to be together you need to know there are times I'll be running off with no excuse, I could be gone for days if the worlds ending… which happens far more than you know" he added at her sceptical look, "I can't explain exactly what it is I do, and I understand if its too much for you, but that's how it is"
"You're serious here aren't you?"
Ianto nodded,
"I... aliens though?" she sank down on to the sofa, finally deflating slightly, and he settled in the armchair across from her, keeping a polite distance. He still didn't know what he wanted to happen here. A part of his brain couldn't stop thinking about his exchange with Jack, what he'd heard him say over the coms. Did he even want to have a choice to make here?
"I've seen things you wouldn't believe, Jen" Ianto said, "I've almost died more times than I can count, I've lost people I love and I'm probably always going to be a little messed up. But I get to make a difference in the world, as part of that team I've saved lives. My team is my family and I love them"
Jenny sat silently for a moment, absorbing his words. She took a deep breath before asking the main question on her mind,
"so, what does this mean for us?"
"I don't know" he admitted, "I appreciate this is a lot to take in. I can't promise you I can always be there, that what happened this evening won't be a regular thing. There will always be secrets between us and things I can't talk about"
"This job… its dangerous?"
"It can be" Ianto nodded, "But its necessary"
"That's a concern of course, but I suppose there's people who work for MI5 and stuff" Jenny said, her naturally open mind considering, "Why the lie though?"
"If I'd started our first date with 'I catch aliens for a living' can you honestly say there would've been a second one?"
"Yeah ok good point" Jenny conceded with a chuckle, "This is so much to think about, Yan. But I think… I can deal with it"
"Take whatever time you need to think about it"
"Can I stay tonight?" Jenny asked quietly, "I kind of need to... not think for a while"
Ianto nodded mutely and she pressed her lips to his, pulling him from his chair and towards her by his shirt. His arms went to her hips automatically, his body responding to her instinctively even as his mind ran in circles, repeating Jack's words over and over 'I want him to choose me…choose me…' he pulled back slightly, blinking to clear his head,
"Its been a difficult day do you think we…"
"Please, Yan" she gasped, pulling him back towards her. He tried to switch his own thoughts off and just lose himself in the moment, if only for a little while. He continued kissing her with renewed passion, lifting her off her feet for her to wrap her legs securely round his waist. He carried her comfortably to the bedroom, depositing her on the bed and settling above her without ever losing connection of their lips. Her delicate hands deftly undid his belt while his crept up her t-shirt, gliding over her soft skin as she writhed beneath him. In mere moments they were naked and moving together, her nails digging into his back in passion as he buried his face in her neck. Ianto was desperately trying to keep his mind drifting back to Jack, the feel of his hands on his body and the rough kisses they'd shared. He pushed them from his thoughts as he threw himself into focussing entirely on the woman below him.
Afterwards, as they lay sweaty and breathless next to eachother, with Jenny gasping about how it was the best sex she'd ever had, Ianto could only nod in acknowledgment. He watched her drift off to sleep, thinking how easy this could be. To come home to her every night, to let himself fall in love with her and have that normal domestic life they were all supposed to crave. She was perfect for him in every single way, it looked like even down to accepting Torchwood and all that came with it. This should be the easiest choice in the world to make. Shouldn't it?