So an awkward conversation between two brothers as some secrets are revealed. There is a slight amount of language in this chapter as Ianto is a bit overwrought.

Mirror Image – Chapter 6

Ianto was still sitting on the bench some time later trying to collect his thoughts and make some sense of things. He wanted to go back, he so wanted to go back but he couldn't face the staff on reception; he had no idea which room Jack was in and there was no way he wanted to ask for that information, now it was gone midnight.

'Come on,' he said to himself, 'it's not the end of the world if you don't see him again – so why did it feel like it was? Surely he'd still be there tomorrow. He said he'd be around for a while.' His thoughts were interrupted.

'Ianto it is you and that's my Armani suit you're wearing. What the hell are you doing sat here at this time in the morning?' Ifan was stood with his hands in his pockets, looking down at his twin.

'I could ask you why you're wandering around the Plas at this time too but I know I won't get a straight answer, so I won't bother,' Ianto replied, looking up at his brother.

'Have you been crying? You haven't had another row with Lisa surely. I thought you two were all sorted.'

'We are; it's not that Ifan, it's complicated and I don't know what to do. I've gotten into something and I'm out of my depth.'

'Just give me a minute,' Ifan said. 'I've just got to make a call and then we'll go back to my flat.'

Ianto watched Ifan walk over to the water tower. He heard only a few snatches of conversation coming across the silent Plas.

'Yeah it's me. Sorry bit of a family crisis. I've just found Ianto out here on the Plas. Something's happened; I'm taking him back to the flat so not tonight. Yeah, me too.' He walked back to Ianto.

'Come on let's get you home.' Ianto stood up. 'Oh I see you're wearing my red silk tie as well. Just as well I have a spare then,' he thought; the spare he'd left attached to Jack's bed earlier that evening.

A little time later Ianto was sat on Ifan's sofa sipping the coffee his brother had made.

'So if it's not Lisa or the kids what is it then? It can't be the end of the world or I'm sure I would have heard.' Ianto gave him a puzzled look.

'Sorry, ignore me; it's been a long day.' Ifan thought it was a good job Jack and Owen had tackled the weevil, otherwise he'd be covered in blood and that would have been much harder to explain than being in the Plas at midnight.

'Ifan you're my closest friend, as well as my brother and I know you won't judge me but ….' He put his head in his hands, afraid to continue.

'Come on Ianto spit it out; whatever's happened I won't judge you, I never do. I kept quiet when you married Lisa, even when it was against my better judgement.'

'Yeah I know but this is different; I'm not sure you'll understand this one. Hell I don't understand it either.'

'Ianto I'm getting worried now. What is it? My mind is filling in allsorts of blanks.'

'Ifan you know we're twins.'

'Well yes the faces sort of give that away.'

'Don't, I'm trying to be serious and you're not helping.' Ianto swallowed hard and continued. 'Ifan over the last few years I've never seen you with a woman and you've never mentioned anyone.' Ifan wondered what was coming next. 'Had Ianto seen him with Jack? No Ianto had said that this was something about him.'

'You know my job Ianto, it's pretty full on. There's no time for a social life really but this isn't about me is it?'

'No it isn't, but anyway as I've never seen you with a woman, I was wondering if …. if… if you' ever had feelings for a man and if you did, have you ever acted on them? There I said it.'

Ifan stopped in mid swallow. 'Ianto MUST have seen him and Jack. Bloody hell,' he thought, 'how was he going to explain that?'

'Where's this coming from Ianto? You were the one out there crying. I doubt that you were doing that because you thought I was gay.'

'No you're right, it's just that I've met someone and I like this person a lot. We went out tonight but it was a disaster.'

'So you took out some woman and what, you couldn't do the deed and so now you think you're gay and that I must be too.' Ianto turned to face his twin for the first time. There was no mistaking the annoyance in his voice.

'Ifan listen, the person I was out with tonight is a man. We had dinner at St David's. I went back to his room. We kissed then I panicked and ran out. That's how I ended up sat on the bench in the Plas.

'Ah,' Ifan replied.

'Ah, what the hell is ah supposed to mean?' Ianto replied. 'I've just told you that I kissed some bloke and all you can say is ah.'

'Is this the first time you've kissed another man?' Ifan asked.

'Well of course it is. Do you think I make a habit of this? If I did I wouldn't be in this state now would I. I've blown it Ifan. That's it, he'll never want to see me again.'

Ifan suppressed a smile at the blown it comment, considering what he and Jack were doing earlier that evening. Why did chasing weevils make Jack so horny?

'Ianto its okay, we all make mistakes. Do you want to see this man again If he's that special surely you can contact him, unless he walked straight out of the hotel, which I doubt.'

'I have his number and he has mine but I know that's it. Why would he want to see me again after the show I made of myself? Ifan I've never even looked at a man in that way before but from the moment we met in the café on Saturday morning when you didn't show, something clicked. We've been out together all day. He offered me dinner and I wanted to go back to his room. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to do a whole lot more. I feel like I've fallen a long way so quickly and I'm having trouble holding on.'

Ifan looked at his brother. He knew they were twins but it was like hearing himself talk about the first time he'd met Jack and how he'd felt. What was he going to tell his brother?

'Look Ianto perhaps it wasn't meant to be after all. Just put it down to experience and move on. Just because you fancied this bloke doesn't make you gay.'

'I know Ifan but I want to see him again. I need to try to explain why I ran away that I do like him and that I wanted to but I just couldn't then; it was too much, too soon. I wasn't ready so I ran. Ifan my head is all over the place. I can't tell you how it felt when he kissed me. I've never felt anything like that, not with Lisa, not with anyone. I don't think I've ever felt so alive. When I thought what else I wanted to do with him, what I wanted him to do with me then I panicked. Ifan I wanted him to fuck me then and there. Do you get it? I felt so empty and I wanted him to fill that gap, that need. What the hell is happening to me?'

The tears started to flow. Ifan put his arms around his brother and let him cry. Now he didn't know what to do. Should he tell Ianto? Would that make him feel better? He wouldn't have to tell him about Torchwood or really about Jack, just that he was in a relationship with a man he worked with. He had to say something; his brother was falling apart. Ifan had always known that he was gay since he was too young to remember. He'd never told Ianto or anyone so perhaps the time had come to bite the bullet but he didn't want to make this about him. Ianto eventually stopped crying. Ifan took a deep breath and held his brother by both arms.

'Ianto look at me. I understand what's going through your head.'

'How can you?' Ianto asked. 'God I'm such a mess. You can't possibly understand.'

'I can Ianto because I'm gay. I always have been. I've been in a relationship with my boss for nearly two years. He head hunted me because he fancied me or so he said. I always said that it was my arse he was hunting not my head. So I do know Ianto. I'll never forget the first time I saw him stood there with his hands in his pockets and his greatcoat blowing around him. He had the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.' Ifan stopped talking when he saw the astonished look on Ianto's face.

'What! Why didn't you ever tell me? I've always wondered but … Ifan I didn't think that we had any secrets. I tell you everything; I've told you this. Is there anything else I need to know?'

'Look Ianto there are lots of things I'd like to tell you but some I just can't.'

'So do I get to meet this boss of yours then?'

'I don't know Ianto. I don't think that he'll be pleased that I've told you. He knows I have siblings but he doesn't know that we're identical. Somehow I've never wanted to tell him that.' Ifan zoned out for a moment. 'Anyway this doesn't deal with your situation. Ianto if you think that there is something with this man then don't give up. He'll probably have realised that you've never been with a man before. Sleep on it and then try to contact him in the morning.'

'Yeah I will. Thanks Ifan but I still wish you'd told me before. I wouldn't have cared.'

He went into the spare bedroom and lay on the bed. He imagined Jack's hands touching him again. He felt Jack's lips on his. His body responded and he touched himself. He thought of Jack as he lay back on the bed. Jack was all he could think of and he nearly shouted out his name. Later, while sleeping, Jack occupied his dreams. He woke with a jolt as the alarm on his phone vibrated. There was a message.

'Mt me usual place 8.30 Jack.'

When he got up he found Ifan was gone. There was a note on the desk.

Sorry had to go to work. Can't keep the Captain waiting. Ring me later to let me know what happens. Remember it's sometimes worth catching that curve ball!

Ifan

Ianto got ready and he didn't think Ifan would mind if he borrowed some more of his clothes. He chose carefully, although he was surprised to find that Ifan had such a tight fitting pair of black jeans. To this he added a purple shirt and black waistcoat. He swallowed his coffee and left Ifan a note.

Thanks for last night. I'm off to see him now. I'll ring you later with the details and I'm hoping that there will be some. Wish me luck.

Ianto