Title: Happiness
By: Jennie-x
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: G
Note: This is another random piece of fluff that I loved to write. It's happy – kind of, which for me who is a major fan of Ianto Angst was slightly hard to write. But like I said its random and its fluff so enjoy. :D
Summary: Jack wonders if Ianto is happy. Janto. Random fluff.

***

Jack watched the screen in front of him with a mixture of sadness and curiosity. Ianto and himself had spent the day visiting Ianto's mum, for Jack it was the first time meeting her and he didn't want to admit it to himself or Ianto for that matter, but he had been scared. Normally, he would never had even bothered getting worked up, or even going to meet his partners parents, but there was something about Ianto that he was curious about. He loved Ianto, and he knew there was nothing he wouldn't do for him. Ianto's mum was exactly what Jack hadn't expected. From the way Ianto held himself together at work, and at home, Jack had thought he came from a strict background, possibly religious, or even damaged. But his mum was lovely, she fussed over Ianto, telling him he was too skinny, he smiled at Jack and practically welcomed him into the family and the three of them had spent a happy afternoon reminiscing about their pasts, even Jack had chipped in a few slightly twisted versions of his childhood. His mum had handed Ianto boxes of home videos, saying one day he would want to look through them, and even if he didn't one day his children might. Ianto not wanting to make a fuss about the children thing, accepted the videos with a smile and put them in a box ready to be stored in the attic. But Jack was curious, he wanted to know what Ianto was like as a child, so he had crept out of bed and slipped one of the videos in.

"What did Santa get you Dai?" Ianto's five year old frame ran into the camera shot, he was bouncing around wearing cute red and green pyjamas that fitted with the Christmas scene around him. He sat cross legged on the floor amongst multi coloured wrapping paper, in front of him was a woman who was holding a bouncing toddler in her lap.

"Santa got me an action man." The young toddler chuckled as he brought the action man into the view of the camera. "What did Santa get you Yan-Toe?"

"Santa got me a football, a rocket, and a make believe space ship..." He continued the list with as much enthusiasm as he began with. "Want to play with the football with me Dai?" The young toddler nodded his head.

"Why don't you go and get dressed?" His mum asked, a cheery grin on her face. "Every one will be coming over soon, and we need to tidy the place up..."

"Yes mummy." Ianto giggled. "Got to be in ship shape like daddy always says," He looked over at the camera once again, where his dad was smiling at him behind the lens.

"That's right son, ship shape. Take Dai upstairs and help him get dressed?" Ianto nodded, and scooped the little boy up in his arms.

"Yan-Toe!" The little boy laughed as his older brother swooped him up into the air. "Yan-Toe!"

Jack couldn't help but laugh. There was something in the way that Dai, Ianto's younger brother said his name that made Jack chuckle. But Ianto didn't have a brother, it said so in his records. Jack finished watching the tape and couldn't help but grin. Ianto was an excited toddler, he looked through the tapes which weren't labelled at all and picked one at random. He smiled when he realised it was of a teenage Ianto.

"Dad." Ianto stated loudly. "Could you turn the camera off now?" The camera moved across as though it was shaking his head. "But it's embarrassing."

"I'm filing my sons fifteenth birthday party, how is that embarrassing?" The voice behind the camera laughed.

"Because I'm fifteen and having a birthday party," Ianto rose his eyebrow perfectly and his dad just chuckled.

"You're mum wanted to do something special," His dad said kindly. "And any way, you're friends don't mind. We're even letting you drink alcohol."

"Dad, we could have... never mind." Ianto grinned as the door bell rang.

"First guests, wonder who it will be?" His dad laughed again. Ianto shot him a look as he walked to the door.

"Happy Birthday!" Was chorused from the door step and Ianto was picked up in a group hug. Five boys, and four girls walked in all grinning holding presents in their arms. The camera followed Ianto intently as he stood with another boy talking casually.

"All grown up huh?" The boy smirked, his arm resting on Ianto's shoulder.

"Nearly catching up with you," Ianto replied with a smile. "So where's my present?"

"You can get it later," The boy winked.

"Ianto!" Ianto turned around to see his brother running into the room. At thirteen, his brother was almost as tall as Ianto. He had lighter hair, and brighter eyes.

"What?" Ianto asked. He shot his dad a dark look at the camera. "You're not supposed to be here."

"I wanted to come to your birthday party, mum said it would be okay." Dai smiled. "Happy birthday, Yan." Ianto sighed, giving into the look his little brother was giving him. "Can I stay? I wont be any..."

"Yeah you can stay. Why don't you go and get a CD yeah?" The younger boy nodded enthusiastically and headed upstairs.

"What's up with the little kid?" The same boy who had his arm on Ianto's shoulder before asked as he walked up to Ianto who was now talking aimlessly to a couple of girls.

"That little kid is my brother," Ianto stated. "And it's my party, he can stay if he wants."

"Here I thought we were all here to have a good time." The boy shot him a nasty look. Ianto glared at the boy and pushed him hard against the wall. "Ianto what the hell..."

"Get out." Ianto said loudly, every one had stopped talking and all stared at him. "If you want to have a good time go and hang around with people who give a damn. Don't come to my house, talking about my family like that, just leave." The boy looked completely dumbfounded, but gained control and pushed his way out of the room.

"Idiot." Ianto mumbled from the door, Jack looked up surprised to see Ianto awake as it was almost two in the morning. "What are you doing watching these, Jack?" There was no anger in his voice, only sadness.

"I just wanted to see what you were like as a little kid." Jack smiled. "Come and sit with me, you can explain to me what's going on. Unless you want me to stop?" Ianto nodded and sat next to him, Jack swapped videos again, this time having Ianto pick what one went on. "You know you should really label these sometime." Jack commented before pressing play.

"Isn't a bit cold to be at the beach?" Ianto asked sarcastically as he pulled his black hooded jumper around him tighter.

"I thought it might be nice." His dad smiled. Dai was sat next to Ianto, a green jumper wrapped around him.

"But it's cold." Ianto moaned. "Like really, really cold."

"Yeah well that's why we're starting a camp fire." His mum laughed.

"Next we're going to be singing," Dai laughed. Ianto and Dai looked at each other and then sent a warning look to their parents before laughing together; "We're not singing!"

"We're not going to sing, well probably not." His dad smiled, placing the camera on one of the boxes, so it was aimed at the two young boys. "Besides, I thought it might be good for us. A little bonding time."

"We bond every day." Dai laughed.

"At dinner and at breakfast." Ianto pointed out.

"No. At breakfast Dai is either still sleeping as he shovels food into his mouth, and you young man are mostly too hang over to eat, you just sit their feeling sorry for yourself. And at dinner, Dai spends most time texting his friends, and you're always off with John-Paul."

"Thought you liked John-Paul." Ianto raised an eyebrow and subconsciously pulled the jumper around him tighter.

"We do, he's good for you." His mum piped in. "But you spend too much time with friends and not enough with the family, so this is what we're going to do, bonding time."

"Sounds..."

"Fun." Dai finished. Both boys started to laugh. "Come on then, did you bring a ball or something? Because I'd rather run around chasing something then watching dad attempt to build a fire."

"In the boot." His mum laughed.

Jack looked over at Ianto who had moved closer to Jack, resting his head on his shoulder. "Dad was always trying to make us bond. Camping trips, cinema trips, even think he tried to make us go to Disney land at some point..." Ianto smiled sadly, and picked up another video from the box that was next to him and handed it to Jack.

"I'm scared," Ianto admitted as he fiddled with the microphone that was in his hands.

"You'll do great." His younger brother encouraged. "Come on. It's only a stupid talent show remember."

"Shut up. This stupid talent show has about three hundred people watching." Ianto looked behind the curtain again and shivered. "What if I fuck up?"

"You're my older brother, and if there's one thing I've learnt in my whole fifteen years of being your kid brother, is that you don't fuck up."

"I do." Ianto smiled.

"Nope your like the perfect son from a mail order catalogue or something. Besides, you can't chicken out now. John Paul is watching."

"Right... guess I'm up then." Ianto shivered with nerves as his name was called, and the people behind the curtain started to clap.

"Remember, no matter how much you suck. You'll always be my big brother." The camera moved hastily behind the curtain, and into a steady position as Ianto walked onto the stage.

With a nervous cough, a seventeen year old Ianto started to sing: "Everyday feels like a Monday there is, no escaping from the heart ache, now I want to put it back together because it's always better late then never..." He continued to sing, getting more into the song as the nerves left him gradually. "Everyday should be a new day, to make you smile and find a new way to fall in love..." He finished the song and was greeted with a huge round of applause, he smiled nervously before running back stage.

"Did you win?" Jack grinned.

"Third place." Ianto smiled. Jack looked down at his lover, his voice was hoarse as though he was holding back tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jack asked, his arms instantly wrapping around him tighter.

"Just... nothing." Ianto shook his head and buried his face in Jack's shoulder. Jack felt his young lover hold back his sobs, and gently coaxed him into crying. He knew he had to let them out, he was too good at keeping his emotions to himself.

"Tell me," Jack said gently.

"I miss them so much." He sobbed. And Jack understood.

"What happened?" Jack asked, rubbing his lovers back knowing it calmed him down.

"Car crash when I was seventeen." Ianto mumbled. "Dai and Dad... mum was so upset, she hardly spoke to me when it happened. Just kept on trying to get on with life without them. I couldn't stay there, I applied for University and just went. My Aunt told me it would be best, but I always felt guilty."

"You did what you had to, your mum doesn't hold it against you..." Jack could tell that he still felt guilty, he could see it in him before only now did he know what it was.

"I just... miss him. Being his older brother made me feel special." Ianto sat up slightly, rubbing his eyes.

"You'll always be his older brother. He'll always be your little brother, and that will always make you special." Ianto shook his head not believing what Jack was saying.

"I think about him every day Jack, it doesn't make me feel special. It makes my heart ache." Ianto wiped his eyes and stared at the floor.

"So John Paul huh?" Jack knew a conversation change was needed, he just hoped Ianto would appreciate it.

"Yeah. Second boyfriend." Ianto smiled at the memory. "We broke up before I went to University."

"Was he cute?" Jack smiled.

"Not as cute as you," Ianto sniffed, the tears in his eyes drying up slightly.

"Obviously." Jack giggled. "You seemed really happy in those videos."

"I was."

"What about now?" Jack asked.

"Sometimes." Ianto shrugged. "Sometimes its hard to be happy."

"I know." Jack squeezed Ianto's arms gently.

"In London, I thought I was happy. I was happy at University and then Torchwood came along and I think it has its way of slowly taking the happiness away." The words broke Jack's heart. "But Torchwood London was completely different, here, it's given me happiness." Ianto hid his face in Jack's chest again.

"I'm glad." Jack smiled.

"Mm.. me too."

***