Jack choked on his bite of pizza, fighting back the panic and shock that the woman's statement brought.
"Excuse me?" He gasped. The woman simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
So that's where he gets it from.
"You heard me Captain. How long have you and Ianto been sleeping together?" The immortal sputtered for an answer, when the Welshman came rushing into the room, two armloads of shopping clutched to his heaving chest. He had ran. "Jack what's the matter?" The Welshman screamed through their bond.
"She knows." A mask of sheer terror formed on the Welshman's face, before he buried it.
"Mam, please tell me that you weren't interrogating my friend while I was out." Again the immortal was amazed by his lovers ability to act as though nothing had happened.
"No mab, I was simply trying to get to know him better." The woman tossed her son a knowing look, but mentioned nothing.
"Care to share Jack?" The faintest hint of fear was felt, but a wave of courage fell behind it.
"She asked-" The immortal looked at the woman, who nodded. "She asked me how long we had been sleeping together." Ianto sighed, sitting down on the couch with his plate of pizza, not bothering too take a bite.
"How did you figure it out." The Welshman asked, his eyes searching those of his mother.
"Well it isn't like you've been very discreet about it. That thing on your neck was a dead giveaway." Ianto reached up and rubbed it slightly.
"It didn't necessarily have to be him though. I mean it could have been a girl-" The glare the Welshman received was enough to stop that train of thought.
"Don't lie to me Ianto Gareth Jones. I thought you were better than that." Ianto hung his head, embarrassed, and more than a little guilty. Jack risked patting his lover's hand.
"Ma'am with all due respect, how did you know?" A touch of amusement flashed through the elder Jones's features.
"Well, Ianto hasn't shaved, which he always shaves. But as things go, not a dead giveaway that he's sleeping with you." The immortal looked over at his lover, and noticed now the stubble on his chin. He had never really noticed how attractive Ianto looked with it. The Welshman gave the captain a stern look. Obviously he had noticed Jack's chain of thought.
" You called him the one when you spoke to him." The immortal looked quizzically at Ianto.
"The one?" He muttered, Mrs. Jones shook her head.
"Yan? It's one in Celtic. Though you probably just mean it as a shorting of Ianto. Anyway, you guys have been extra careful avoid physical contact sense I showed up. Lord knows that I don't want to contemplate what happened before I showed up. Oh and I think the big thing here is your outfit." She pointed at Jack, who simply looked down at himself, confused.
"My outfit?" The woman laughed.
"You're wearing Ianto's clothes dear. I bought him those jeans last month." Jack looked down, blushing, and Ianto smiled. He hadn't noticed it before, but those were defiantly his jeans. Just a smidgeon to tight on the top.
"So I ask again, how long have you two been sleeping together?" The two men looked at each other, before Jack spoke.
"Nearly two years. We, er, we weren't serious until quite recently." The woman nodded, before turning again on Ianto.
"And why, pray tell, would you keep this from me mab? Your own mother and you convieniently leave out that you're in a relationship? Here I was not two days ago thinking that you would never get over Lisa, and I come over here and find out that you've got a live in!" Ianto was blushing furiously.
"Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi, but I didn't know how you would take it." The harch edge in the woman's voice left, and she grabbed her son's hand in his.
"Is that it? You were afraid of me?" Ianto nodded, and Jack felt his throat constrict.
"I didn't want you to hate him. I don't think I could choose between you and Tad and Rhi, or Jack." The immortal found himself moving from his chair to the sofa, and an arm wrapping around his lovers shoulder.
"Do you love him mab?" Ianto smiled.
"Yes." She turned her warm brown eyes on Jack, fixing him with a kind smile.
"What about you captain?" Jack laughed.
" While I do have quite a bit of affection for myself-" The woman smacked the immortal's arm reproachfully. "Yes I love him. More than anything." Ianto was crimson, the immortal's confession to his mother a bit more personal than he had wanted to share. The Welshman's mother leaned back, a warm smile across her face.
"There you are then! Mab, if he's good enough for you, then it's good enough for me." She wrapped her arms around the two men. Squeezing them in a bone crushing hug. Jack sat there with one arm around Ianto and the other one awkwardly resting on Mrs. Jones' shoulders. He could feel a surge of relief, and contentment flooding through his lover. A few moments passed like this, before Mrs. Jones pulled away, with tear filled eyes.
"Mam? Are you ok?" The Welshman whispered, a tentative hand resting on her shoulder. Jack shifted in his seat. He really didn't know what to do. It had been nearly 80 years since he had last had this conversation, and her parents hadn't been nearly as understanding. The woman smiled.
"I'm fine Yanny. It's just my mab, my son, is in love." Her face took on a stern aspect, before turning to Jack.
"Now, you listen to me Captain Jack Harkness. This man is not made of glass, nor is he steel. I would believe that you've already discovered what he can and can't handle." The immortal nodded.
"I would also believe that you and he have already gotten into a row, or two." The two men shared a look of embarrassment.
"That's what I thought, it also makes me happy." Ianto frowned.
"Why, of all things, does that make you happy?" The woman laughed.
"You never fought with Lisa." The Welshman winced; terrors of his late girlfriend still haunted him. Every reminder of her reminded him of his betrayal. Jack tightened his grip on his lover, trying to soothe that ache.
"Whatever she told you to do; you did, because you didn't want to anger her. I knew mab, I knew. Now, though, you have a voice. You have a say in what goes on." The immortal chuckled at this.
"Yea, Yan, you defiantly have control." The Welshman smacked his lover reproachfully.
"My mam is here!" He hissed, but the elder woman just laughed.
"Don't change on my account! I've seen enough with the Mayweathers." Jack looked startled.
"Mayweather? That wouldn't happen to be Gertrude Mayweather?" Mrs. Jones leaned back.
"Yes, and her wife, Olivia. Why? Do you know them?" The immortal smiled.
"Know them? They set up Yan and my first date!" The elder woman looked ruffled.
"They never told me about that. I know that they know who Yanny is; I talk about you all the time. When was this date then? Two years ago?" The Welshman blushed again.
"Last week?" Mrs. Jones looked disapprovingly at the two men."
"Let me get this straight. You're first date was last week. You've been shagging-"
"Mam!" Ianto shouted, surprised.
"Is fornicating better?" The Welshman blushed a deeper shade of red, and his captain sat perfectly still, not wanting to draw any more ire upon himself.
"For nearly two years. What took you two so long?" The woman didn't seem angry, simply exasperated.
"Well we, err, our relationship wasn't exactly, umm. We weren't serious at first." The immortal managed. "And then one thing led to another, we had a, umm, misunderstanding about exactly what he meant to me, and well, when certain things were brought to light, I realized exactly what he was." Mrs. Jones shook her head, sipping her now cold coffee.
"He dumped you didn't he." Ianto winced again, that wound still fresh. That seemed to convince her of it.
"Often times it takes losing something to realize exactly how precious it is." An uncomfortable silence followed that comment, as no one knew what to say.
"So, are you going to tell Tad?" Ianto said, after taking a bite of his pizza.
"No, I think it's best that you do it. And in person. I know you aren't fond of that, but I think that face to face is for the best." The Welshman paled, a wave fear gripping his chest. His mother's reaction had been a shock, but there would be no way that his father would be so kind. He had made clear multiple times exactly what his thoughts were on this topic. Jack sensed the dramatic change in his lover's mood, and turned to him, concerned.
"Is it that bad Yan?" The Welshman swallowed.
"Yes. And much worse." "Mam, you know as well as I do what will happen." The woman sighed, standing up.
"Yes. And I also know what will happen if he finds out from someone else. Just tell him, and –" Jack's phone rang, the sound making everyone jump.
"Sorry, it's Tosh." He whispered, and Mrs. Jones just waved him away. She turned to Ianto, and whispered.
"Mab, who is Tosh? Should I be worried?" She looked pointedly between the two of them, and Ianto's eyes widened.
"No! No, Tosh is one of our coworkers. Though if she's calling on our day off-"
"Yan. We have to go. I am truly sorry Mrs. Jones, but this is an emergency." The Woman simply shrugged.
"it's fine Captain. I hope everything is ok." She turned her gaze to Ianto.
"Remember what I said Yanny." She hugged him. Before pulling on her shoes. Jack finished his call, before rushing over and holding out the woman's coat.
"Thank you captain. I'll be seeing you all later. Give the Mayweather's my rearguards." She walked out the door, and Ianto fell back into Jack's arms.
"What is so bad with that we can't just go back to bed." The immortal stroked his Welshman's hair, before pulling back and kissing him chastely.
"They can't find Glib and Fall." The Welshman nodded, pulling away and grabbing his boots.
"Let's see if we can. Then we are coming home, and I am going to attempt tp avoid any other members of my family for the rest of my life." The immortal shook his head, slipping into his own shoes.
"it wasn't that bad. She seemed ok with us. I mean if she can put up with Gertrude and Olivia." He shrugged and Ianto rolled his eyes.
"Mam surprised me. Though when I tell Tad I don't want you there." Jack looked up at Ianto, startled."
"Why not?" The Welshman bit his lip, trying desperately to mask his fear.
"let's go help Tosh, ok cariad?" The Welshman snatched up his coat, rushing out of the flat.
Welsh Phrases: Mab = son Mam= mother Tad= father Mae'n ddrwg 'da fi = I'm Sorry