MY SKIN

They knocked on the door. Gwen standing there calmly with pizza boxes in her hands while Andy shifted nervously watching everything around them cautiously. There were too many guys in hoodies hanging around the streets to his unease, why on earth did someone like Ianto live on an estate? Andy will never know.

The door opened and a man who looked very much like Ianto though taller and bulkier glared at him. "Ah hello Gwen, here for Ianto?" he asked friendly not acknowledging Andy at all.

"Yes sir, I had a feeling after today Ianto wouldn't be eating so I brought some pizzas over" Gwen said sweetly.

"Ianto hasn't left his room since this afternoon so it's very much appreciated, come in, come in" Ianto's father ushered them in and closed the door firmly. "You know the way Gwen" he said before heading back into the living room.

"Why is it that Ianto's Dad never speaks to me?" Andy complained in a whisper. "What have I ever done to him? I mean I've been polite and I've never done anything rude or criminal"

"Mr Jones thinks you're gay that's why" Gwen whispered as they walked up the stairs. "He's one of those macho men who like all sports, beer and boobs. Since Ianto hasn't really had an interest in any of those things..."

"But I'm not gay!" Andy protested. "I'm not even camp!"

Gwen snorted. "Sure honey whatever you believe"

Andy spluttered as they opened Ianto's bedroom door. "Ianto, tell Gwen I'm neither gay nor camp" he said flipping his blonde hair out of his eyes and putting his hands on his hips.

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "Hello, how are you? Me? I'm fine thank you for knocking" Ianto said sarcastically.

"Oh stop your whinging" Gwen said sitting on Ianto's bed and passing him a pizza box. "I brought you dinner"

"I'm not h-"

"Eat it or I'll force feed you" Gwen threatened.

Ianto's lips twitched in amusement. Once again his friends proved to be the most loving and loyal people there were. As the night continued he ate his pizza and helped Gwen tease an annoyed Andy who kept insisting he wasn't camp.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

"This little piggy went to market; this little piggy stayed at home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none. And this little piggy went... Wee, wee, wee all the way home..." Jack chanted in a sing song voice as he played with Alice's toes.

Alice giggled and squirmed on the floor; Owen rolled his eyes and grinned. "You're such a father Jack" he said teasingly.

"I know and I am very proud of it" Jack said scooping Alice up and blowing a raspberry on her stomach. "She's my pride and joy. One day she'll grow up to be beautiful as me"

Owen snorted. "Hopefully not as modest as you" he muttered.

"Play nice Owen Harper" Mrs Harkness scolded lightly as she ruffled Owen's hair. She then scooped Alice out of Jack's arms and tickled her chin. "Bath time for you young lady and maybe if you're very good Uncle Owen and Daddy will read you a bedtime story"

"Yay! 'Ncle 'wen!" Alice cheered.

"Don't get too excited duckie or you won't sleep and I can't take a grumpy girl to the shops when we got out finding your costume" Mrs Harkness warned gently.

"She's not going trick n treat" Jack said firmly. "I don't want my baby girl to get cavities before she finishes growing her first set of teeth"

Mrs Harkness laughed. "Listen to him being all responsible" she said to Owen with a wink. "Don't worry Jack it's only for a preschool party not too many sweets there"

She left the room giggling to herself while Jack looked thoughtful. "Speaking of Halloween" Jack said turning to Owen. "What are we doing?"

"I thought the usual. Go to mine with pizza and beer and watch horror films" Owen said with a shrug.

"Yeah but...well it gets a bit boring...lets spice it up" Jack said a mischievous grin on his face.

"How?" Owen asked suspiciously.

"Let's invite Gwen, Andy, Ianto and Tosh!"

"Oh hell no"

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

He really, really, really hates Jack Harkness. After he rejected Jack's idea the man kept insisting. They ended up arguing which quickly turned into a wrestle fight and guess who won?

"Hey Bookworm"

Yeah Jack Harkness won.

Tosh looked up slightly startled, she instantly looked relieved that it was him as her shoulders relaxed and she smiled weakly up to him.

"Hi" she murmured shyly.

Owen sat himself in the chair next to her, his knees accidentally brushing against hers causing her to blush. "What are you doing on Halloween?" he asked.

"Err...well...erm...nothing" Tosh admitted.

"Good, you, I, Jack and the three musketeers are going to have pizza, beer and horror films at my place then" Owen said satisfied. He saw a flicker of uncertainty and fright cross Tosh's face and his satisfaction died out quickly. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing" Tosh whispered looking down at her hands.

"Don't lie Toshiko, I told you if something is up you come to me. What's wrong?"

"I...i...i...never...really...well...watched a horror film before" Tosh confessed, her cheeks stained pink and her eyes wide with fright. "Or drink beer"

Owen bit his lip to stop a laugh. "Don't worry so much" he said patting her hand awkwardly. "You don't have to drink beer there'll be other refreshments and if you get scared you got us to cling on to, yeah?"

Tosh nodded. "Thank you" she whispered.

"No problem" Owen said with a shrug.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Adam looked up from the book he was reading to see Suzie and Bilius standing at his doorway. He sighed. "You're late, I thought you would come to yell at me last night" he said mildly as he looked back at his book.

"We're not going to bother yelling" Bilius said flatly.

"We just came to say we're cutting all ties with you" Suzie said just as flatly. "You got cocky and fucked things up and I want nothing to do with you"

"Anything to protect your chances of going to university or is this about your chances with your obsession?" Adam asked tauntingly.

"Shut up" Suzie snapped. "From now on you're nothing to us. There will be no MSN conversations, no debates, no meeting up outside of school and no phone calls. Our friendship is now non-existent"

"I wasn't aware we had one" Adam said coldly. "I thought all we had was an alliance against the rest of the school"

"Not any more" Bilius said.

Adam waited until he heard the front door to shut which took a while since Suzie and Bilius were taking their time on the stairs, chatting politely to his mother. The moment the front door shut he ripped his paperback book in half and whirled round to punch the wall.

He was all alone now.

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