The First

Inspired by: Just Say Yes - Snow Patrol

Jack sat perched on the edge of his old office desk, eyes tracking the young man working silently around the floor of the Hub, his fingers drumming a silent beat into the dense wood. He watched as he bent down with grace to pick up pieces of crumpled paper, leaned to collect dirty plates from worktops and stretched to wrap his lithe fingers around used coffee cups. Jack studied him, watching his hands move diligently over cluttered surfaces and smiling gently at the cute frown etched onto his face.

He shifted slightly, folding his arms into his chest and wondering whether he should pursue Ianto or let him finish his duties, as he had done for the past week. Jack sighed to himself; why was he restraining himself? He usually found it no trouble whatsoever to go and shamelessly flirt with someone - or something - that took his fancy. So what was stopping him from reaching after his desires?

Ianto chose that moment to look up curiously at Jack, who suddenly froze at being caught seemingly stalking the obliviously seductive archivist. With a brisk motion, Jack gestured for Ianto to come upstairs and join him in his office.

Ianto abandoned his duties within a second and quickly strode up the metal stairs to the room. Leaning slightly on the polished metal door frame, he raised a questioning eyebrow towards the Captain who had moved to lean against the wall.

"Are you nearly finished?" Jack straightened his posture slightly while shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers. Ianto replied with formality and respect lacing his words, purposely ignoring his peculiar behaviour.

"Nearly. Is there something you would like me to do, sir?" Jack paused in thought and looked at Ianto, internally exploring his options. Ianto shuffled unconsciously and his eyes darted to various things in the office as the intensity of his gaze became too much - an empty coffee cup begged to be whisked away from the wooden desk and cleaned with the utmost care, before it was tainted with the aromatic yet devilishly staining beverage.

Ianto looked up as Jack took in a breath, as though he was going to say something. Unfortunately for Ianto, Jack remained silent after appearing to have changed his mind about needing Ianto at all.

Feeling slightly dejected, Ianto moved to pick up the cup and the few scraps of used paper that were lying around before glancing at his boss, noticing that his eyes were following him around the room. Slightly nervous, Ianto made his way towards the door, still aware of the lingering stare.

"I'll be heading off now, if you don't need anything," he threw over his shoulder, not wanting to turn around and face his boss for fear that he may still be watching him. He heard a small noise that might have been passed as a dismissal, or something along those lines.

His feet clicked quietly against the grooves in the metal of the platform as he made his way swiftly down the staircase and into the kitchen, throwing the ball of crumpled paper into a nearby bin liner with perfect accuracy as he passed.

Picking up several other mugs lying around, he dumped them all in the sink, watching as they sank into a sea of frothy lime-scented bubbles. The warm water was soothing on his hands as he scrubbed away the day's coffee from them. He placed them one by one on the rack before turning to dry his hands on the towel, the water being absorbed from them like a sponge.

Replacing the damp cloth on a hook, Ianto turned only to jump slightly at the man leaning in the doorway. He would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed how strange his boss had been acting over the past few days, and he would be lying even more so if he said that he had been oblivious to the constant passes he had been trying to avoid. He had simply blamed it on the fact that Captain Jack Harkness had a reputation for flirting with anyone and anything, and had chosen him as an outlet during the day.

"You have no idea how good you look in that suit, do you," Jack said it as more of a statement than a question, one that threw Ianto. He wasn't expecting him to be so direct. Setting his mask in place, Ianto briskly replied.

"Wouldn't want to look untidy, sir," Ianto shifted uncomfortably as he felt the Captain's gaze travel up and down the length of his body appreciatively. It was only too obvious as to what he was thinking.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've thought of what lies underneath it," Jack replied smoothly, locking his sparkling blue eyes with Ianto's shocked ones for what felt like the first time that evening.

Jack moved closer. Ianto stepped back.

"Just taking it off, piece by piece, until…" Jack paused as he reached Ianto, fingering the tie around his neck, pulling it loose from the suit, "And those beautiful Welsh vowels…" Jack murmured, deep in thought.

Ianto's cheeks covered themselves with a splash of subtle pink - he would be cheating himself if he said he wasn't enjoying this in the slightest. He swallowed and Jack's eyes were drawn to his throat, then to his jawbone, tracing his lips, before looking into his eyes, reading him.

Jack pulled gently on the tie and Ianto moved forward without hesitation. He could almost taste Jack, he was so close. The distinctive scent of the rich coffee Ianto was famous for and the unique flavour that was just Jack drifted past his lips and over his tongue, teasing and tantalizing him.

Ianto quickly pulled his mask back up from where it had slipped before smirking slightly, though it didn't quite cover the desire in his eyes. Was Jack really just shamelessly flirting, or was there a bigger motive?

"Must be desperate, sir," Ianto whispered huskily, watching as it had the desired effect on his boss. A slightly glazed look came over him and Ianto kept his eyes locked onto the man's in front of him. "Or wanting a challenge?"

A grin ghosted over Jack's lips as he shook his head very gently, it could have been easily missed if they weren't so close, millimetres apart. He moved his lips to brush against the shell of Ianto's ear, teasing him with his lips.

"Just say yes," Jack breathed, want laced through his standing command.

Without warning, Ianto pushed away Jack's body with a jerk, fingers splayed on his chest, panic evident in his eyes as a sudden flash of a beautiful woman littered with metal plates appeared before him, and a feeling of guilt brewed in his stomach. With a grimace, Ianto noticed Jack's face was overcome with worry - since when had he worried about things like this? People like him?

Ianto quickly pulled himself together again once more, encrusting himself in a steely exterior and brushing off the look Jack was giving him. He made his way towards the door. "If you want someone tonight, go somewhere else."

"And if I just want you?"

Ianto paused halfway through his dramatic exit. He turned before he knew what he was doing.

"I'm not available."

Jack had Ianto pressed against the wall before he himself knew what he was doing. Ianto squirmed and struggled as Jack ran his arms around his waist, strongly pulling theirs hips together and pushing their foreheads against one another. He held Ianto close to him with ease, his body quickly stilling as Jack buried his nose against his neck, exhaling sweet breath onto his flushed skin.

Ianto's mind screamed at him that this was wrong, that he was betraying the one he loved, that he should push him away and run and never look back. But something else in him was pushing at his senses, telling him to take everything Jack had to offer without any qualms.

Both he and Jack were breathing heavily, evidently aroused in their close proximity. Ianto fought against his wants and desires, trying not to give in to what his heart yearned for - he knew it was not right. It was not fair.

"I can't…" Ianto sighed against Jack's heated flesh, the soft skin of his neck grazing his parted lips. It took everything he could muster to not sweetly kiss what stood before him, in all his seductive glory. "I can't say yes." He felt Jack tense up against him in response to his gently spoken words. Ianto ran a hand down the soft fabric of his shirt, imagining what it would feel like if he weren't wearing one.

"But I want you," Jack's reply could have been mistaken for a hopeless whimper, like he would be lost if he let go of the young man he was clutching onto at that very moment. Ianto was startled; he had never observed a side of Jack's personality that was like this.

Flirtatious; yes.

Overly optimistic; no doubt about this one.

Trying to bed everything; we all see it on a daily basis.

Lonely? Like a child? Pleading? It took all of Ianto's strength to force the next few words out of his throat.

"I'm a taken man, sir," Ianto stopped as he felt Jack almost flinch against him, tightening the grip on his hips. "You'll have to try harder for me." His voice was almost cracking as he finished, trying to persuade his heart that he was doing the right thing for himself; for Jack; for her.

Ianto moved his hands to Jack's, holding them for his own selfish comfort before sliding them off of his body. In fear of changing his mind, Ianto didn't meet the Captain's eyes as he departed from the room without a second's notice.

Blinking away unshed tears, he grabbed a few personal items from Tosh's desk as he passed on his way to the exit. He became aware of the hurried sound of Jack's shoes against the floor, no doubt following him.

"Will I ever have a chance?" Jack's voice reverberated around the structure of the hub, unsettling Myfanwy, a reminder of the reason why Ianto was here in the first place. Ianto had not been able to erase the memory of Jack and he working together to catch the prehistoric dinosaur, and had found this fact quite unsettling at the time. Betrayal developed once more in his mind as he turned to face Jack for the final time that evening.

Meeting Jack's questioning eyes, he found himself unable to answer the lingering query. With a look that could have meant anything, Ianto turned with a flourish and left in a midst of wailing sirens and flashing lights, leaving the Captain to interpret the departure at his own will.