Chapter 15:

Jack trudged home alone, wondering what he'd done that had Ianto avoiding him all day long. They'd walked to school together with the rest of the group, but everyone had seemed tired, Owens especially snarky attitude was making morning conversation tedious so they mostly avoided it. Ms. Noble was back, which was a relief, but also meant that he and Ianto hadn't been able to talk during music class. They hadn't even been able to pass notes during Maths because they were assigned group projects and ended up sitting on opposite ends of the class room.

At lunch Ianto and Lisa had been frantically studying for their history test next period and the rest of the table had been roped into a conversation with Owen who announced he was having a party this weekend. His mum was going away with her boyfriend for mini holiday and he'd have the flat to himself. It would be the first party of the term, and Owens parties were notorious for having beer, booze and bud. Jack had been to a few of them in the past, it was always fun, Owen never invited too many people so whoever showed up would have a few drinks and watch movies or play video games or whatever. Pretty low key in spite of the alcohol, and Jack was looking forward to going with Ianto this time. If he ever got the chance to ask him that is.

He wouldn't exactly say that Ianto had been going out of his way to avoid Jack all day, just that he wasn't making any effort to spend any time with him alone what so ever. When the final bell had finally rung, Jack had been looking forward to walking home with Ianto and finally getting some time alone with him. He loved their friends, really he did, but he wanted his boyfriend all to himself for a bit. Ianto had seemed properly apologetic when he'd told Jack that he needed to stay after school to practice with Lisa for the seating test, giving him a quick kiss before he disappeared down the hallway. But Jack couldn't help feeling a little hurt at being brushed off so easily.

Scuffing his trainers on the sidewalk childishly, Jack turned left at the last minute, heading to the park instead of home. It was a nice day, and even if Ianto didn't want to enjoy it with him, Jack was going to take advantage of the sunshine.

Lisa bit back a grimace as Ianto hit three more notes out of tune in a row. When they'd played together last week he'd had the piece down near perfectly, but today he seemed lost. Studying her friend closely, she frowned when she noticed Ianto readjusting his shoulder strap for the sixth time since they'd started, and peering closer Lisa took in the circles under her eyes and the tightness of his jaw.

"Ianto this has to stop!"

She said suddenly, startling her friend with the earnestness of her voice. Ianto smiled apologetically, slowly lowering her viola to rest on his knee as he tried to adjust his posture discreetly.

"Sorry Lisa, I know it sounds bloody awful—I just can't concentrate today."

Rolling her eyes in a manner she'd picked up from him, Lisa responded curtly,

"Not the playing, this—" she said, gesturing vaguely to where he was sitting stiffly in his chair. Ianto gave her a carefully blank look and Lisa barely resisted the urge to grind her teeth, a definite 'no no' from the list her orthodontist gave her last week.

"You're hurt Ianto. He hurt you again—and I thought you said it was getting better?! You have to tell someone, please."

Ianto thought he heard the door to the class room click open and furiously hissed at Lisa to "shh" before somebody hears her. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention back to his friend,

"It was better! It was bloody fantastic until I got home from school yesterday, but its fine Lisa, honestly. It was just a one off, things are fine."

Lisa's eyes narrowed in disbelief and hurt as Ianto lied to her face.

"That's what you say every time Ianto! I'm not an idiot so don't treat me like one. Don't lie to me. Things are not fine, he's hurting you. It's not fine."

Shoulders slumped in defeat; Ianto slunk down in his chair feeling thoroughly ashamed for lying to his friend and for avoiding Jack and even Tosh. His chest felt tight and it had nothing to do with his bruises.

"I'm sorry Lisa. I know you're not an idiot, and I didn't mean to lie to you it just—it's automatic. But I'm sorry, you're my friend and you deserve the truth. I do trust you, it's just really hard, you know?"

Lisa sighed, still feeling angry but willing to set it aside.

"I know Ianto and I'm sorry too. It's not really your fault is it? I just don't like seeing you hurt, and neither do Tosh or Jack, even Owen. Rhys and Andy too, we all care about you, and we're worried that's all. You do know that you can always come to mine or Tosh' right? Jack's too I imagine. You don't have to stay with him when he's drunk. It's not safe."

Ianto nodded, relief flooding him when Lisa pulled him into a gentle hug. She understood, and she would keep pushing him because she was Lisa and that's what she does, but she'd back off when he needed her too. Maybe Jack would understand too. Of course Jack would, he was amazing like that. He hadn't seemed to be put off by it the other night, even if it was obvious he was concerned. Ianto felt like an idiot for avoiding him all day. If he hurried, he might be able to catch up to his boyfriend before he got home.

Gwen jumped about a foot in the air when Ianto's voice sounded next to her, just on the other side of the door. She'd been so preoccupied with what she'd just overheard that she'd completely missed the sounds of him packing up and walking toward the exit. Hastily ducking into the far corner, knowing that the door should hide her from view unless anyone looked too closely, Gwen held her breath as Ianto stepped out into the hall, calling a quick goodbye over his shoulder before taking off.

Quickly scurrying away, music books forgotten for the second time, Gwen walked briskly, intent on being far away before Lisa could spot her loitering by the music room. Her mind was racing. Ianto was being abused at home, by his tad, and everyone knew but no one had told her anything. That explained why Jack and others kept him around their group despite his serious lack of social skills and overall awkwardness. They obviously felt sorry for him and were trying to protect him. That was so honorable of Jack; protecting his little friend like that.

For a moment Gwen idly wondered why no one was doing anything to help poor Ianto, and then dismissed the thought, deciding they obviously didn't know what to do. Lucky for them, Gwen did. This would be perfect. Jack obviously cared for Ianto a lot, like a younger brother or favorite cousin Gwen imagined, and if Gwen were to help Ianto, Jack would not only be impressed and grateful to her, he would worry about his friend less and have more time for Gwen. Absolutely perfect. The best way to help Ianto was to tell someone who actually could help him. She'd tell an adult what was going on and they'd protect him from his tad and then Jack would be free to date Gwen.

She'd have to make an effort to be nicer to Ianto so Jack would know she had his best interest at heart. Poor kid, he was weird but no one deserved to be hit. Least of all by their tad.

Tosh glanced up from the school computer when Lisa collapsed heavily into the chair next to her.

"How'd it go then?"

The expression on Lisa's face was answer enough and Tosh gave her a quick hug.

"At least you tried. Ianto is stubborn and doesn't like to ask for help. He knows we're here for him, there's really nothing else we can do."

Nodding grimly in resigned agreement, Lisa leaned her head on Tosh's shoulder as she wracked her brain for something, anything they could do to help their friend. With a sigh she gave up for the moment, promising herself she'd work on it later. There had to be something they could do. If only she hadn't promised not to ever tell an adult after what had happened in primary.

...

It had just passed the one year anniversary of Ianto's mam's death when he came to school one day sporting a black eye and a limp, holding his body awkwardly like every breath was painful. Their teacher had noticed and sent him off promptly to the nurse, an older lady with a kind heart and misdirected good intentions. She was only doing her job, reporting suspected abuse was protocol in these situations. She had no way of knowing.

Ieuan was blessedly sober when the two social workers showed up to his house one Saturday morning; he greeted them pleasantly enough, hiding the fact that beneath his smile he was seething. Inviting them in, Mr. Jones let them poke around the house, helpfully pointing out the cleanliness of everything, waving off the near empty cupboards saying payday was Sunday and they'd restock then.

He kept his smile firmly in place as he led them upstairs to his son's room and knocked on the door. They asked to speak to Ianto alone, and after giving his son an unreadable look Ieuan retreated back downstairs to switch on the telly.

Back in his room Ianto was petrified with fear. He managed a small smile, assuring them that things were rough since his mam died but they were doing alright. Rhiannon was on a study trip until Monday, but she was alright too. Everyone was ok; nothing was wrong, he'd got the black eye in a rugby game and hurt his leg spilling off his bike.

They bought it, appeased by the clean home, Ieuan's charm and both children's good grades. Five minutes after they'd left the front door slammed loudly as Ieuan headed off to the pub, returning several hours later drunk and high off adrenaline and rage. Ianto had been in the small back yard on that stupid swing he'd put up when Rhiannon turned three. Pissed beyond reason in both senses of the word, Ieuan had started yelling at his son, calling him names and cursing him for tattling and trying to get his own father into trouble.

Grabbing onto the chains of the swing Ieuan pulled his son up until they were eye to eye and shook him forcefully, shouting about cops and foster care with people who were worse than him on a bad day. He told Ianto that his stunt was especially selfish, saying it would hurt Rhiannon more than it would him. Was he really so selfish that he'd make it so his own sister had to go into care? And would probably end up getting molested by some pervert all because Ianto couldn't take a little discipline?

As his voice grew louder Ieuan began to pace, moving behind his son to push the swing in time with each punctuation, making it lurch and dance on the chains from where it hung on a tree branch. By the time it happened, Ieuan could no longer see straight. He was so angry and so damn drunk that he didn't notice at first; didn't see Ianto fall, or hear him land on the ground with a sickening crack! It wasn't until he was nearly hit in the face by the empty swing that he realized what happened.

When Ianto came back to school on Monday with crutches, his leg in a cast, eyes downcast and begging them all to promise, Lisa understood. It wasn't safe to tell anyone.

With a grin that threatened to split his face in two, Ianto jogged across the grass toward the playground. He'd spotted the familiar blue coat hunched dramatically, from its perch across Jack's shoulders where he was sitting atop the monkey bars. Jack loved to climb, he'd always been getting into trouble in school for climbing trees in the yard and 'misusing' the playground equipment, apparently you're not supposed to climb up the slide or atop the monkey bars, or anything else remotely fun.

A voice sounding close to her ear startled Jack from his brooding thoughts and he nearly fell before catching himself when turning his head toward the sound revealed Ianto's smiling face not six inches away from his own. Damn Welshman with his damn stealthy-ness.

"Ianto, you startled me! What're you doing, I thought you were practicing with Lisa?"

The younger boy shrugged awkwardly around a sheepish smile.

"I was, but—I'm sorry."

Jack was mildly confused.

"Uh, for what? I mean, why are you sorry?"

"For sort of ignoring you most of the day, I'm not mad at you or anything. It was just—just an off day."

Smiling again, a bit weaker this time Ianto mentally berated himself for chickening out. Still, just because he wasn't actively avoiding Jack to try and hide, didn't mean he had to actually go and say it, right? Ianto pacified himself with the decision that if Jack outright asked, he wouldn't lie. But he wasn't going to start that particular conversation either.

'Hey Jack how's it going? I'm doing alright, but my tad kicked the shite out of me when he was drunk last night…' Yeah, Ianto didn't see that going over well at all.

They did as much of their homework together at one of the picnic tables as they could, trying to soak up all the UV rays that they could on the unusually sunny day. In between assignments and several breaks to snog, Jack finally got the chance to touch bases with Ianto about Owens party.

"Do you want to go to Owens' party?"

Ianto shrugged, wincing at the small stab of corresponding pain and answered,

"Sure, why not? I haven't missed one of them yet. Should be good, yeah? First party of the year and all. Hey, if you bring your controllers four people can play Xbox instead of just two."

Jack cleared his throat awkwardly,

"I meant to ask if you wanted to go to Owens' party with me".

"Yeah, alright. I mean, great!"

Ianto knew he must look like idiot, grinning like that because Jack wanted to go to Owens party with him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not when Jack was smiling too. Impulsively, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Jack's lips, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck and drawing him into a hug. This part of his life was perfect.

TBC