Ianto had been looking for Jack everywhere. He had arrived at the hub very early to check on Lisa, and in the meantime he thought he might had as well started working. He had some files to show to him, registering some peaks in the week rift activity, but he was nowhere to be found.
He was very close to just giving up and going back to the central hub. This place was huge and he had been there for just a couple of months; he had no idea where he was going. There was a huge chance he could end up lost in the tunnels, and those didn't look comfortable or friendly at all.
But then he suddenly remembered there was a place he hadn't looked yet: gym. It was a little room right next to the armory that was set up as a very rudimentary work out station. Maybe Jack was there. With a body like that, he had to stay fit in some way. It was worth a shot.
He was right. He could hear noises coming from the room: the rhythmic clattering of metal and someone's steady breathing. Jack was definitely there. Ianto smiled with relief at the idea that his quest was over. He walked in, eyes fixed on the files in his hands.
"Morning s..." the word died in his mouth the moment he took his eyes away from the papers and saw Jack. He felt a wave of heat starting from his stomach that reached every single cell of his body.
Jack was hanging from a metal bar, doing pull ups. He was shirtless, every single muscle on his back flexing while his strong arms pulled him up and down again. His pants hung low on his hips, revealing the small of his back. Drops of sweat were making their way against his skin.
Ianto couldn't move. He couldn't even think straight. He knew he should made himself noticed. He should said something. But his mouth was suddenly ridiculously dry.
Jack let go of the bar and jumped down gracefully. He took a towel that was right next to him and turned around, locking eyes with Ianto.
"Oh, I didn't see you there," he said with a grin that implied the exact opposite. He started drying himself with his towel in a way that was more deliberately sexy than natural. "Did you need something or did you just came in for the show?"
Ianto tried desperately to regain his self control, but it wasn't easy when he couldn't stop staring at Jack's flat stomach and defined muscles and damn, those pants were just so low.
"Yeah, I..." he tried to say, but he had to stop again. Jack had lowered himself to the floor and started doing push ups, looking at him with half a smile every time he got up. By now, Ianto had no doubt he was doing that to show off. The only thing he wasn't sure about was if he was doing it to impress him or to embarrass him. Or both.
On his second or third week of work, Owen had asked him if he thought Jack was gay. He had replied that he didn't care. That was a huge lie. Ianto had actually asked himself that question a lot of times since he first met him. He wasn't stupid. He could tell Jack was flirting with him. Surprisingly, he found himself enjoying it and actually flirting back. A lot. The line between friendly banter and wanting to rip each other's clothes off was pretty thin in their relationship, and Ianto wasn't really sure anymore what side he was on.
Strangely, realizing he was attracted to a man hadn't be as shocking to him as he thought it should have been. It was a bit weird, and definitely unexpected, but it also felt natural. He had just simply and rationally accepted the fact that there was no denying that he was attracted to Jack. Especially not right now, when all he could think about was how it would feel to touch that ass.
He shook the thought away and tried to remember why he was there. "I have some files I think you should see, sir."
Jack stood up and moved closer and closer to Ianto, who tried desperately not to stare at any part of his body, ending up looking at a crack in the wall, his body so tense he looked like a man waiting to be executed.
Instead of taking the files away from Ianto's hand, like any normal person would have done, Jack moved behind him and started reading them from over his shoulder. Ianto could feel Jack's bare chest pressing slightly against him, his hand squeezing his shoulder a little. He could smell that incredible smell he still had a hard time believing was natural.
Normally, if it had been anyone else, Ianto would have instantly stepped away. He was a private person, very jealous of his personal space, not particularly keen on intimacy. But this was Jack Harkness, and he had already made him question everything he thought he knew about himself.
He was feeling lightheaded and powerless. He could feel his body reacting to Jack's. He had to close his eyes and breath in.
"Those are pretty interesting," Jack said, his warm breath sending chills all over Ianto's neck, his lips almost touching the sensitive skin behind his ear. He took the files from his hands and threw them on a chair. "But there's something else I'm more interested about right now."
With one smooth move, Jack made Ianto turn around to face him, one arm around his waist, pulling him closer.
They stood there, their bodies pressing against one another, without speaking. Ianto could see there was a silent question in Jack's eyes, waiting to be answered. Waiting for him to do something. Anything. He knew he could put a stop to this at any moment. All he had to do was take a simple step back. Just one step. Yet, he didn't.
Jack's gaze was getting so intense, Ianto had to look down, almost scared he was gonna burn. This way, his eyes ended up fixing on Jack's lips, and that didn't help much. All he could think about was how he wanted to kiss them, just to know how that felt.
He had unconsciously put both his hands on Jack's chest, his palms feeling his warm, bare skin.
It was then that he truly realized how much he wanted this, and he decided to just go for it. He kissed Jack. It was a tentative, shy kiss. Closed lips barely touching. That was enough to make him tremble a little.
But Jack wanted more than that. He started to pull him even closer, pressing harder against his lips, his hand now placed firmly on the back of Ianto's head.
He could now feel Jack's tongue against his own, and it felt so much better than he could have ever imagine. He let go of every little bit of resistance he had left and just give in to that kiss, kissing him back with hunger.
He had never been kissed like that before. A single, heartbreaking thought formed into his head: Lisa.
A pang of guilt went through his stomach as he pulled away from Jack in a rush. What was he doing? Lisa was still alive. She needed him now more then ever. How could he have done this to her?
Disappointment and confusion were written all over Jack's face as Ianto moved away from his arms. Ianto had to look away, scared he was just going to give in again. He was so beautiful.
"I'm sorry," he said, collecting the files he had brought in what felt like a million years ago. He rushed out of the door, knowing that Jack's eyes were following him. He didn't care. He had only one thought in his mind: this could never, ever happen again.