"Yes, excellent," Jack said into his phone. "My friend and I will be by in about… half-hour?"
Jack hurried along, though Ianto saw no need to. They had plenty of time for their appointment. Likely Jack was so used to always being in a hurry, he knew no other speed. For a while, Ianto kept up without saying anything, but it finally got to him and he couldn't hold it back any more.
"'Friend,' eh?"
Jack barely slowed. "Well, we are, right? I mean, certainly not enemies."
Ianto's silence was almost stony before he let out a sigh. "Not what I meant."
At that, Jack did stop and turn to Ianto. "We are friends, yes?"
Ianto nodded once. "Certainly not enemies, as you say. I just thought I was perhaps a bit more by now…."
"Ianto, I'm not being funny when I say this, but – what is more than a friend? I know what you're talking about, but, Yan… there aren't a lot of people I call a 'friend.' It's not a progression or hierarchy, to me at least. I would never say someone I call a lover is more important than a friend. Let's be honest, you sure as hell don't have to be friends to be lovers, or even married. But you can be friends as well as lovers, partners, whatever. And the friendship still has to come first in that case.
"You, Yan… you know me in ways no one else on this planet does. And I think it's safe to say you know things about me that no one else in the universe does, full stop. So, yes, you're my friend. And as far as I'm concerned, there is no higher honour. Not if you were the Lord President of the High Council of Time Lords could you be more important than being my friend. Somebody like me…? Friends, real friends, aren't easy to come by. And, incidentally, yes, we are friends, and maybe not 'more than,' but always 'more besides.'"
Ianto looked at Jack like he'd just entrusted Ianto with the deepest secrets of the universe. Ianto stepped closer and slowly reached up to touch Jack's cheek. "Thank you," he said, leaning in for a kiss.
"No, Ianto, thank you," Jack said, cupping Ianto's neck and pressing his forehead to Ianto's before kissing him intensely but almost chastely. Jack let his hand trail down Ianto's suited shoulder and arm till he reached Ianto's hand and grasped it, continuing on down the road.