"….So I should be able to get that sorted in the next couple of days."
Owen looked up from the information he was imparting to find that Jack was taking absolutely no notice of him.
"Jack? JACK!"
The Captain brought his attention back to the medic.
"Er… yes, fine."
"Did you hear anything I said?" Owen asked, before realising Jack's gaze had drifted away again.
Following the gaze, Owen saw what had enraptured the Captain. He rolled his eyes and sighed. Ianto was moving around the hub, giving it a quick tidy up. Owen stood up and opened the office door.
"Oi, Tea-boy!" He called out. "Don't suppose you could pop out and get us some food?"
"No problem," the Welshman replied. "Pizza, Indian, Chinese….?"
"Whatever you fancy, Yan."
As Ianto left, Owen turned back to Jack. The other man was looking at him quizzically.
"Sorry Jack, but Ianto was distracting you," he told the Captain, "and I can't talk to you while you're deciding where to shag him next."
"Hey! It isn't like that."
"Oh?" Owen questioned, as he sat back down. "You're just in love with him then?"
To Owen's eternal shock and surprise, Jack blushed. It was a sight he never thought he'd be witness too. The Captain, acutely aware of his own embarrassment, looked away from Owen. Since his return from the Valiant, Jack had made a promise to himself to court Ianto properly. He'd realised, over the long and painful months he'd been away, that he had fallen hard for the young man. Admitting it out loud however, was something he hadn't been ready for.
"Yes," he conceded eventually, "I do love him."
"Does he know?"
Jack shuffled in his chair. He could talk about sex until the universe ended, but he was very uncomfortable talking about feelings, especially with Owen.
"We've been dating since I got back."
"We know," Owen huffed, somewhat impatiently, "but have either of you mentioned the L word?"
Jack suddenly stood up and, folding his arms, stalked over to the window. He stared at the rippling water below for what seemed like forever. Owen broke the silence.
"He loves you too, you know. I heard him and Tosh discussing it. He's afraid to tell you though, in case he's not enough for you."
The Captain turned to Owen.
"When did you become a relationship counsellor?" he asked, with a growl in his voice.
"For fucks sake, Jack!" Owen snapped back. "Since you returned, he's been happier than I've ever seen him. We just about held him together while you were gone. You are what he needs and vice versa. Ianto keeps you grounded and gives you the peace you look for. What exactly are your intentions, Captain Jack Harkness?"
"Are you his Dad now?"
Owen stared hard at Jack, daring the other man to deny everything he'd just told him. Jack turned back to the window, with his head bowed.
"He has had so much crap in his life," Jack almost whispered. "He deserves better than me. I can't give him a happy ever after. As for not being enough, I never thought I'd have this with anyone. I've loved before, but none of them knew me as well as he does. They didn't know my secrets and my pain."
"If he wanted happy ever after, he wouldn't have stayed at Torchwood. Suck it up and tell him where you stand. Now, can we finish this bloody briefing before the food arrives?"
Twenty minutes later, Ianto returned with his arms full of Chinese takeaway. He smiled as Jack welcomed him back with a wave and beckoned for him to bring the food to the office.
"Just one more thing, Jack," Owen said quietly, as he put an arm on the Captain's shoulder. "Ianto doesn't trust easily, but he trusts you implicitly. Don't you dare hurt him!"
He opened the door to allow Ianto access and took some of the bags from him.
"You'd better not have forgotten the prawn crackers, Tea-boy."
"How can I forget them, when they come free with everything else?"
Jack stood back as he watched Owen and Ianto unpack the food. He was surprised at how much the medic actually cared for their office manager. Not that Owen would ever let Ianto know that.
"Oi, Harkness! Make yourself bloody useful will you."
The End.