Jack sat at his desk and looked down at his empty glass; it had been almost two hours since the others had left and he was alone again, sitting in his office in his solitary confinement. A gentle rapping on the door forced his eyes away from the glass and to the doorway. He hadn't expected to see him standing there, leaning on the door frame with his hands in his pockets, but he wasn't surprised. Ianto always seemed to be there when there was nobody else.

"Are you alright, sir?" he asked.

"I thought you had gone home hours ago," Jack said, "it's late."

"I didn't feel like going home. I've been watching you on the CCTV for about an hour and I didn't think it would be right to leave. You were in quite a state."

"I'm fine." Jack looked to the doorway and watched Ianto as he walked towards the desk. "You can go home, Ianto. The last thing I want is you feeling sorry for me."

"I don't. I just thought that you needed a friend."

"Friend?" he sighed. "I'm not even sure if I know the meaning of that word any more. Friends are meant to stay with you but nobody seems to stay with me for very long."

Ianto sat on the edge of the desk and looked at Jack who just stared down at his empty glass.

"I need chips," he said, walking over to the coatstand to retrieve Jack's military coat. Moving behind Jack's chair, Ianto pulled him away from his desk and held out his hand. "Hungry?"

"Not really."

"How about a walk then?" Ianto pulled Jack to his feet and handed him his coat.

"No thanks."

"Humour me."

Jack sighed and let his eyes meet the younger man's as he moved closer, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"We haven't talked in a while and I think it's time that we did."

It had been a long time since Jack had been out by the bay at night for fun; there was really only so much of the beauty that you could take in whilst chasing a Weevil along the walkway. He looked over at Ianto who walked beside him, picking at his chips as he gazed off into the distance.

"You're one hell of a cheap date," Jack said, diving his fingers into the bag and picking out a chip. "£1.50 and a walk along the bay.

"Sometimes the simple things are the best," Ianto mused. "People have a habit of overthinking things. They turn things into more than they need to be."

"That's human nature."

"And not just humannature, Jack, all life forms seem to do it."

"Maybe it's just part of nature full stop."

"Or nurture," Ianto added. "I'm pretty sure that it's learned behaviour."

"What makes you think that?"

"When we were kids we didn't over-think anything."

"True."

"Life drives me insane sometimes," Ianto said, leaning into Jack a little. "I don't see the need to analyse everything."

"You need to analyse some things."

"Of course. But take us, just now. We're walking along the bay with chips and there is absolutely nothing to analyse."

"So you don't think that we could analyse this?" Jack asked, stopping and motioning between them. "The fact that we're even speaking means nothing?"

"Not a thing."

"If you say so."

"I do."

They fell back into their silence for a while and walked along together. Ianto screwed the paper up from the chips and threw it on the bin, wiping his hands on his trousers. Jack broke the stride and walked over to the railings, leaning over to look at the calm bay; Ianto followed and stood beside him.

"I'm sorry, Ianto. I don't understand this,"

"What don't you understand?"

"You said you wanted to talk and we've just spent almost half an hour without saying anything important." he shook his head. "I don't understand why you brought me here."

"I just wanted to talk and walk and eat some chips," Ianto said. "We never talk any more."

"No, we don't."

"Why?" the younger man asked, turning his head to look at Jack who moved closer to him and bumped their shoulders together.

"That would be because I killed your girlfriend and now you hate me." Jack looked down at the water. "I look at you and know that's what you're thinking."

"That's not what I'm thinking," Ianto said quickly. He sighed, relaxing his gaze back onto the calmness of the water. "At least not all the time."

"So what are you thinking when I look at you?"

"Honestly?"

"Please."

"Most of the time I'm just wishing that you would stop looking at me." Ianto leaned on the railing, focusing his gaze on the reflections in the bay. "Your eyes feel so hot and burning all the time, sometimes it takes all my strength just to walk away."

"Okay." Jack stood still for a moment and watched him. "And what does that mean?"

"I don't even want to think about it. As soon as I stop looking at you I think of Lisa and I can't stop thinking about all the betrayals."

"My betrayal." Jack spoke softly. it was statement rather than a question.

"At first. And then it was my own betrayal. I brought her here, I put us all in danger and what for?"

"Love," Jack said. "You did it because you couldn't bare to be without her. I understand that, I've always understood."

"But she was already gone, Jack. I loved her and I couldn't let her go, even when I saw that she wasn't my Lisa. I betrayed you and I let you down. When you look at me I can't help but think if all that heat between us is hate."

"Ianto." Jack moved closer and placed his hand on his shoulder, turning him around to face him. "Hate doesn't exist between us. If it did you then you would have tried to kill me by now and I would have shot you when I had that gun pointed to your head."

"Why didn't you?"

"I couldn't bring myself to hurt you."

Jack put his hand on his face and pulled the younger man towards him, pressing their foreheads together. He could feel his heart beating, racing as though it were trying to break free from his chest.

"If it isn't hate, then tell me what you're thinking when you look at me that way?"

"No."

Jack let him go and started to walk again, waiting for a moment for Ianto to catch up.

"Why?"

"You don't need to know what goes on inside me. Some things are complicated enough."

"Only if you over-think it,"

"I don't even want to start thinking. When I think about it I get scared, and there's not lot that I'm scared of."

"But you're scared of me?" Ianto asked. "You don't need to be."

"But I am. I have to be strong, but when I'm with you I'm not. I forget to breath and my heart decides to go into overdrive. Something falls away from me and I'm left defenceless. The worst thing is that I don't even know why."

"You're over-thinking this."

"It's all your fault, I didn't even start to think about it until you started asking questions."

"So you prefer it when we don't talk?" Ianto asked, pulling him to a stop. "You like it when we avoid being around each other in fear that we'll think something we shouldn't?"

"Denial is a much more attractive option right now.

Jack tried to move away, but Ianto pulled him back and wrapped an arm around him, bringing his other hand to his face and kissed him softly. Jack held back for a moment before responding, putting his hand on Ianto's neck to pull him into a caressing kiss. He felt his breath run out and his heart quicken as Ianto moved his lips away. The kiss was over, but he could still feel Ianto's heat on his lips and taste him in his mouth.

"How did that make you feel?" Ianto whispered, still close enough that Jack could feel his breath on his lips.

Jack stood still for a moment and licked his lips before opening his eyes to look at Ianto who locked his gaze on him, his eyes begging.

"Jack-"

"Lost," Jack interrupted. "You made me feel lost."

Ianto pulled Jack so close there was no space for anything to pass between them, bringing him in for another kiss.

"Let me take you home," Ianto said, his lips brushing against Jack's as he spoke. "I'll make you lose yourself completely."