9
It was quiet, everyone having gone to the town enter for the fireworks leaving Ianto and Stephen alone in the cottage. Jack had wanted to stay too but Babbit's grilling had made it clear that it was a family event. Babbity had accepted Ianto staying back but not both parentals. Then the worry of leaving poor Stephen behind with his poor leg and stuff.
Stephen was still quiet, his shock at things moving so quickly and yet so slowly at times something Ianto knew would take time to get over. He chose words carefully, remembering his own loss, the scary time after his own mother was gone and tried to treat Stephan as he would have liked to have been. Mostly, how he HAD been by his loving fathers.
"Uncle Ianto?"
"Yes Stevie?"
"Are we going to be OK?"
"As long as we hold on tight and keep our helmets on… we should survive the fall" Ianto replied "I mean... maybe we need bobble hats all around?"
Stephen snorted. Not a laugh but a snort was good, a first step towards a laugh right?
"You know when I was… thirteen... fourteen… I snuck out New Year's Eve go to a bonfire my mates we feeding in the old Block. I knew it was wrong, I knew if the olds found out they would be angry but at the same time… I felt like it was a rite of passage to go to the New Year Fire. Leaving there, having to accept a new home and a new place in life… was hard" Ianto laughed softly and added "Of course I felt like I was a fucking rock star!"
Stephen grinned softly as Ianto cursed like it was no big deal. Two fellas talking. He liked that.
"What happened?"
"Well, the bonfire turned out to be more drama than intended, some of the things burned came from places like… ah… a police phone box and… maybe a police car was driven into the blaze… and no… I can not confirm or deny Skiddy stole that… but it was epic. Next morning I was half dead still, trying to make out I was in bed all night while my Tad read the articles from the morning papers about the chaos as my Daddy gave me that Eye thing he does. You know the one, I give it to your father all the time."
"What happened?" Stephen begged, assuming something did.
"Well, the silly buggers took photos"
Stephen giggled softly, then fell back "Bloody twats!"
"Yep, and my fathers knew. They knew and still didn't let me off the hook. I spend days bricking it, thinking I had them fooled and every time someone called around I was sure they were about to blab on me or it was the cops!" Ianto sighed.
"Wow, I bet your balls were sucking up into your belly" Stephen said, thinking that sounded very grown up and Ianto had to grin at the boy's choice of words.
"Well, my arse was puckering so much I felt it in the back of me throat I reckon."
Sten finally laughed, then snuggled against him "But they forgive you."
"Yeah, family."
"I like this family."
"And I am glad you are part of it sweetie."