Coffee-Stained Invitation
Title: Coffee-Stained Invitation
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, OFC
Warnings/Spoilers: Crack-ish, not to be read whilst eating/drinking :P
Summary: Ianto has a conversation with his mother...
A/N: Written for becky_da_wolf's birthday
"Mam?" Ianto twisted his hands together nervously as he watched his mother study the card in her hands with a fierce intensity.
Finally she sighed and laid the card on the table between them. Ianto cringed inwardly as one corner landed in a small coffee spill and a dark stain began to creep across the cream coloured surface causing the delicate gold lettering to stand out even more. His mother seemed content to live in a state of comfortable disorder and Ianto found it harder to resist the urge to tidy up after her every time he visited. She was getting to be almost as bad as Jack.
"Ianto..."
Ianto felt his chest tighten in anxiety at her weary tone and the words bubbled forth before he could even think to hold his tongue. "Mam, I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted, I know you hoped... but Jack... Mam if you'd just come and meet him, I won't bring him here if you don't want, I know the neighbours would... but come to dinner or something, please, I know he comes across a bit... but really he's just... he's the most... Mam, I love him." He paused, the words still taking him by surprise, even now. "I love him." He repeated in a desperate, pleading whisper.
"Oh Ianto."
Ianto studied his clasped hands and braced himself for his mother's disappointment.
"Ianto look at me." His mother's stern tone had Ianto raising his head automatically, though it took him a little effort to meet her gaze. She sighed and when she spoke again her voice was softer, sadder. "You're right, of course you're right. When I thought about your future I imagined, oh, I don't know, a nice local girl, two point four kids," she paused, "a job which actually let you come home to them at night." Ianto felt the corners of his mouth twitch in response to his mother's own wry smile. "But look at you Ianto," she continued, reaching across to take his hands in hers, "these last few months there's been a light in your eyes again, you smile, you laugh, and Lord knows there's been times I thought I'd never hear that sound again." Ianto closed his eyes briefly against the rush of memories, his Tad, Lisa, but his Mam was still talking, "You're happy Ianto, and if that's this Jack's doing then, then he could be a three eyed slug from the planet Zog for all I care!"
"Mam!" Ianto's indignant squawk wrought an infectious giggle from his mother which in turn had them both dissolvong into breathless laughter.
"Oh I know, I know," Ianto's mother said as she caught her breath, "you've always had impeccable taste." She took a breath and reached out to brush an errant lock of hair from his forehead, suddenly serious again, "But my son is happy, whatever else I may have thought I wanted for you Ianto, none of it is important compared to that." She smiled, and Ianto all but grinned back at her as a tide of relief washed through him. "So stuff the neighbours! I want the both of you here for Sunday lunch as often as you can manage, and," She plucked the coffee-stained invitation from it's puddle, "I would be delighted to attend your Civil Partnership!"
[Fin]
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto, OFC
Warnings/Spoilers: Crack-ish, not to be read whilst eating/drinking :P
Summary: Ianto has a conversation with his mother...
A/N: Written for becky_da_wolf's birthday
"Mam?" Ianto twisted his hands together nervously as he watched his mother study the card in her hands with a fierce intensity.
Finally she sighed and laid the card on the table between them. Ianto cringed inwardly as one corner landed in a small coffee spill and a dark stain began to creep across the cream coloured surface causing the delicate gold lettering to stand out even more. His mother seemed content to live in a state of comfortable disorder and Ianto found it harder to resist the urge to tidy up after her every time he visited. She was getting to be almost as bad as Jack.
"Ianto..."
Ianto felt his chest tighten in anxiety at her weary tone and the words bubbled forth before he could even think to hold his tongue. "Mam, I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wanted, I know you hoped... but Jack... Mam if you'd just come and meet him, I won't bring him here if you don't want, I know the neighbours would... but come to dinner or something, please, I know he comes across a bit... but really he's just... he's the most... Mam, I love him." He paused, the words still taking him by surprise, even now. "I love him." He repeated in a desperate, pleading whisper.
"Oh Ianto."
Ianto studied his clasped hands and braced himself for his mother's disappointment.
"Ianto look at me." His mother's stern tone had Ianto raising his head automatically, though it took him a little effort to meet her gaze. She sighed and when she spoke again her voice was softer, sadder. "You're right, of course you're right. When I thought about your future I imagined, oh, I don't know, a nice local girl, two point four kids," she paused, "a job which actually let you come home to them at night." Ianto felt the corners of his mouth twitch in response to his mother's own wry smile. "But look at you Ianto," she continued, reaching across to take his hands in hers, "these last few months there's been a light in your eyes again, you smile, you laugh, and Lord knows there's been times I thought I'd never hear that sound again." Ianto closed his eyes briefly against the rush of memories, his Tad, Lisa, but his Mam was still talking, "You're happy Ianto, and if that's this Jack's doing then, then he could be a three eyed slug from the planet Zog for all I care!"
"Mam!" Ianto's indignant squawk wrought an infectious giggle from his mother which in turn had them both dissolvong into breathless laughter.
"Oh I know, I know," Ianto's mother said as she caught her breath, "you've always had impeccable taste." She took a breath and reached out to brush an errant lock of hair from his forehead, suddenly serious again, "But my son is happy, whatever else I may have thought I wanted for you Ianto, none of it is important compared to that." She smiled, and Ianto all but grinned back at her as a tide of relief washed through him. "So stuff the neighbours! I want the both of you here for Sunday lunch as often as you can manage, and," She plucked the coffee-stained invitation from it's puddle, "I would be delighted to attend your Civil Partnership!"
[Fin]