I do not own Torchwood or any of its characters. This is set during Everything Changes. It also has spoilers for Cyberwoman and Fragments.
*~*~*~*
"She's going to figure it out," Ianto said quietly as he picked up some things in Jack's office. He was clearly aware of Jack watching him as he did it. It didn't make him uncomfortable and he did know why the man did it. He just wasn't sure it was a good idea for office romance and the fact that his girlfriend was still alive. Barely, but alive.
"No she's not," Jack replied smoothly. "Takes a stronger mind than hers to break it."
"You're underestimating her," Ianto said as he put the used coffee mug on the dishes tray that he was carrying around. "Sure it took her a long time to find us and figure out how to get in, but most did not use the pizza route. At least from what I've read."
"You're going to go crazy reading the archives," Jack said as he sat up in his chair. He gently took Ianto's wrist, pulling him a bit closer. He smiled as Ianto didn't protest or pull away from what he was doing.
"Nobody goes crazy from reading," Ianto replied quietly, not really believing that he was going with the pull. He knew that he should stop it, but he didn't want to. He never wanted to say no, it was his morals more than anything else, but also the fact that he didn't know if he wanted more with Jack. "Jack," he said quietly.
Jack looked up at him, not letting go of his wrist. "What?" He asked quietly.
"We can't," Ianto whispered.
"And here I thought you wanted to," Jack said with a soft smile.
"Didn't say anything about not wanting to. Just that we can't," Ianto whispered.
"Why?" Jack replied quietly, not letting go of the Welshman's wrist. "If you're uncomfortable, just say so and I'll stop trying."
"I'm not uncomfortable," Ianto replied quietly.
"Then why no?" Jack asked quietly, not about to let go of the wrist until he got the answer he wanted.
"Just – we can't," Ianto replied quietly as he got his wrist out of Jack's grasp. He picked up the tray before popping his wrist back into place and picking up the bag of garbage as well.
Jack sighed as he sat back in his chair. He opened the file that was in front of him, grateful that Ianto hadn't noticed the name that belonged with it. He skimmed the part about Ianto's childhood, noting the part about his father that Ianto lied about, and reading the part about Torchwood One. He looked up as he heard Ianto move about in the Hub before closing the file. He put it in his file cabinet and then went to his bunk. He didn't want to be any less aggressive in his moves towards the Welshman, but at least he knew why Ianto was unwilling to do anything just yet. He forgot that humans had their mourning periods, longer than in this time rather than the time he was used to. He sighed and closed his eyes, just losing himself in the fantasies in his mind that would have to do for now.
/lj-cut