centerEpilogue /center

Jack grinned around a mouthful of sandwich as Ianto dropped off his last round of coffee. Ianto smiled at the sight, and then shook his head with a laugh. Jack swallowed what looked like a painfully large mouthful.

"What?"

"After all this time, I just thought you'd have learned some table manners, sir. You were alive during a large period when they were important."

"I can do manners." Jack protested while reaching for his coffee.

"Your conduct in the bedroom says otherwise" Ianto chuckled then froze. Jack's cup was halfway to his face; he was looking at him intently and looking unsure. What was he suppose to say? Ianto gave a polite smile. "I'm heading out now, Jack. Have a nice night." Ianto said.

Jack took a sip from his coffee. What had happened? Jack shook his head and went back to his dinner.

Ianto went home and frowned. What the hell had he been thinking when he said that? He had wanted something quick and simple when he'd left but he didn't think it was such a good idea now. It was nearly a year since he'd returned to work but his ulcer was still there, slowly getting smaller but present. He'd done a lot of damage to his stomach: it was a timely process to heal.

Ianto walked past the kitchen and walked into the living room. His eyes scanned the shelves. It was littered with new photos. Him and the new team, him and his family, his family, Andy and his new girl, Tosh and Owen. Jack was in some of these pictures, but in the background. He hadn't burned the old snapshots to ash like he'd planned but he hadn't brought them out.

He sat down and rubbed his temples. He needed to think. He grabbed his cell the dialed.

"Harkness."

"Jack, I'm taking a personal day off tomorrow." Ianto said into the phone. "I mean, is that possible?"

"Yes, yes. Is everything all right?" No, not by a long shot.

"Yes, just have to sort something just popped up. I'll be there in two days."

"Okay, call if you need anything." He hung up. Ianto turned on the telly. He needed to think about this and what it meant but not now. Right now he needed to pretend none of it had come up and get observed watching some crappy drama.

In the morning Ianto knew it was futile to lie to himself. He wanted Jack, even after everything. He still loved the bastard and Jack was trying so hard to show him he wasn't completely a monster. He was trying to be a better man.

Fuck. He had heard rumors among the staff that Jack was getting help but Anthony, Willard, and Tanaka were mum about it. The doctors weren't as open mouth as Owen had been but really it wasn't' a fair comparison. Owen was part of a tight knit group of people; he wouldn't reveal extremely personal information (like that STI test Ianto took after Jack left as a precaution even though they'd used protection and a year later when Ianto was having doubts about Jack when they were 'serious') but everyone knew when or if you were injured in the line of duty, usually. It wasn't so much that Owen was a doctor but that Owen was their doctor and friend.

These medics were doctors first and friends second in nearly every matter.

He sighed. Why couldn't he have gotten over him? He had dated Cecilia but that had ended in a mutual break up. He shook his head.

Could he do this again? Was he really so weak to fall into Jack's bed again? Ianto wanted to throw his cup into the wall and watch it shatter but suppressed the childish impulse. He needed to think about it, more than one day

It took him a month to decide. After Ianto realized that Jack was slowly creeping into his life again (not by conscious choice on either part it seemed) it seemed like this was most likely a natural result of it. He and Jack spent a lot of time together: business lunches that had become casual, coffee breaks, outings that were more like supervised dates than anything else (poor Andy usually was stuck between the two and Cecilia had furthered the distance but she was now in the past).

Jack never pushed. All of it was his fault. Ianto hated being weak after last time. Still it was stupid to deny it.

A month after his stupid little joke, Ianto asked Jack out.

"What?"

"You heard me." Ianto looked at him unapologetically. There was nothing to be sorry for. He was a stronger person now than he was before. He had a life and friends outside of Torchwood that would support him if Jack ever tried to drag him into his own dark places because of some extreme trauma he'd experienced.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I…I want to, Ianto."

"On my terms." He refused to do any less.

"Of course." Jack said looking at him and really seeing him.

"No sex." Not yet at least. Jack nodded quickly.

"Good. We have a date this Friday, Rift permitting. Wear something nice but casual. No coat."

Jack nodded. Ianto left. Jack felt hopeful and prayed that he didn't screw it up this time in any way. Things were in Ianto's court for once and he would keep it there.

center Fin /center