Ianto looked down at his shirt with a pout. He had wanted to do a clean shot, but he had been too eager apparently. He sighed and considered changing, but just as he was pulling his shirt from his trousers, he heard a gun cocking.

"Who the fuck are you?" an American voice snapped instantly and Ianto smiled.

Ianto raised his hands and slowly turned, with the cutest smile possible. Which seemed to work as the man pulled the security back on his gun. "Ianto?"

"The one and only!"

Jack stared at him open mouthed, then at the body on the ground.

"I'm starting to wonder if I'm really made for this job. How come you find me that easily? Even with your name I can't find anything on you."

"I'm good. And I should be the one wondering if you don't make it easier."

"Is he..."

"Totally dead, yup," Ianto shrugged.

"God, I'm happy to see you," Jack eventually exclaimed and gave him a tight hug. Ianto awkwardly patted his back. He looked so tired, way more than the last time, and even if he did seem relieved and glad that Ianto was here, he had this frown and look in his eyes that worried Ianto.

"Jack, how can I help you?"

"What?" Jack asked, finally letting him go. "You already helped Ianto. You being here..." he whispered, cupping his face. "Oh fuck I want you, Ianto."

Ianto wanted to answer, maybe say he was here for him if needed, or anything, but then Jack was kissing him and the world stopped spinning as Jack seemed to suck his life out of him. Or his soul. Or just the air in his lungs. Or the three. It felt like the three.

He responded but then the lips were kissing his jaw and neck, and nipping his ear, and he could only gasp. And moan, which he started to do when Jack started to unbutton his shirt.

"Jack..." He shushed him with another breath-taking kiss that left Ianto wondering what he was going to say a second earlier. Maybe not that important. Ianto groaned and switched their positions, Jack's head meeting the wall violently.

"Sorry," Ianto muttered before crashing their lips together. He eventually remembered what he was about to say earlier and put one hand on Jack's shoulder and his palm against the wall, pulling back from the kiss and preventing Jack – and maybe himself – from kissing him again. "We can't."

"I thought you..."

"No, I mean we can't do this while there's a dead man in the same room. Shit, we have to clean up everything."

"Will do. In about ten minutes..." Jack whispered and tried to kiss him again, but Ianto pinned him back against the wall, but was close enough to kiss him even though he hadn't meant to.

"I just shot someone, police could be here anytime soon," he said so he wouldn't give in.

"There's nobody around," Jack replied, suddenly putting his hand under Ianto's shirt which sent shivers down poor Ianto's spine.

"Unless there was. Fuck Jack..." He sighed, kissing him again. He nevertheless regained the control of himself quicker this time but only put his forehead against Jack's shoulder, resisting the urge to give in again. He didn't want their first time to be in a warehouse, messy and especially not with a body in the same room. "I want this as bad as you do, but right now we have to get out of here. They could be here."

He knew that would get Jack's attention, and it did. Jack pushed him away, suddenly suspicious.

"What do you mean they?"

"Jack..."

"Did they send you? Is this some 'I have to kill you but wanted to have sex before' bullshit?"

"No it's not," Ianto said but then stopped talking when Jack aimed his gun towards him for the second time that day. "Come on, Jack," he nervously laughed, because Jack wouldn't pull the trigger, right?

As Ianto felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart, he wondered if that was how betrayal was supposed to feel like. Was Jack really thinking he was some kind of a spy?

"I should have known..."

"Jack," Ianto tried, but Jack only reaffirmed his grip on his gun.

"I shouldn't have trusted you!"

"Will you let me fucking talk?!" Ianto eventually burst out, and Jack stupidly stared at him, taken aback by his reaction. "I did some dig up. Pulled some strings. Asked for a few favours people owed me. I didn't come here only to see you Jack, but can we please take this elsewhere?"

Jack seemed to consider it, and carefully put his gun back on its holster.

"It doesn't mean I trust you."

"For fuck's sake Jack, just shut up, I never asked for your trust," Ianto sighed.

They took care of the body and possible evidences, and Jack went to the person who had hired him while Ianto was just waiting in his car. When he got back, he handed a few bills to Ianto.

"What is that for?"

"You killed the guy. Just take it," Jack snapped. He really didn't trust Ianto any more and the difference could be seen. And heard.

"I don't want your money. Nor do I need it."

"You don't want it? Good," Jack shrugged and put it back in his coat. He started the engine without another word.

"I know where you live," Ianto said after a while.

Jack nervously glanced at him then back at the road. "I highly doubt that."

When Ianto said his exact address, Jack growled and changed his direction. No need to pay for a hotel if Ianto knew where he lived.

"You're a bad driver," Ianto said after a while, because it was too silent in the car. Jack just scoffed. "You are. We could have died ten times already."

"But we didn't, did we?"

"Well I could have had a stroke when you almost hit that car..."

Jack laughed and it was enough for Ianto who smiled proudly and looked at Cardiff from his window.


Ianto took his time to look at Jack's giant flat as Jack was in the kitchen. He came back with two glasses and gave one to Ianto who nodded and drank it.

"You didn't poison it, did you?" He asked with a small smile.

"Well I thought you'd hesitate more... But no I didn't," he added as Ianto opened wide eyes for a moment.

Jack put his untouched glass on the table and took his gun again. "How about we put everything on the table, and go talk on the sofa, far from this?"

Ianto nodded and slowly grabbed his gun, so Jack wouldn't think he would hurt him. As they both put theirs down, Jack turned, but Ianto took a knife from his belt.

"You didn't think I would have only one weapon, did you?"

Jack shrugged and took a weapon he kept on his left boot. He was impressed when he had everything on the table but Ianto was still putting different kind of weapons on it.

"What do you do with... are those throwing stars?"

"Yup. And you throw them. Just like knives, only quicker."

"I know how to use them but, seriously, are they of any use?"

"Not really."

"Why are you carrying that many weapons?"

"I'm moving," Ianto shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm here because I've moved in."

"You've moved in? Just like this? You're just... in Cardiff, now?"

"Yeah... No, not really. You know how this is."

"Your organisation moved?"

"Nope."

"You left?"

"Jack, do you want to work with me?"

"What? I'm not working for anybody. Certainly not you," Jack scoffed and shook his head.

"Not for me. With me."

"Everyone wants me dead, Ianto. Every organisation."

"Not Torchwood."

Jack stared at him for a moment. "You work for Torchwood?"

"Basically, yeah."

"What do you mean basically?"

"Yes I do. Heard of them?"

"There was a... what do you mean heard of them?! They're fucking huge Ianto, what the... you told me it was a small one!"

"I didn't. I said they had a small part in what happened with my Dad. That's not the same thing."

"Well I assumed it..."

"Do you want to or not?"

"I can't," Jack sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I promised myself I wouldn't... do this, any more."

"'This'?"

"Yeah, you know... Meeting people, getting attached, going to an organisation... screwing everything up."

"Meeting people?" Ianto scoffed. "Are you saying you regret meeting me or something like this?"

"I..." Jack started, let the word linger a bit too long, then shook his head. "Look, Ianto. You're young, gorgeous, really talented, but... but I can't do that any more. This life's dangerous. I'm dangerous. And now is a really bad time."

"Are you for real?"

"Ianto I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you..."

"A bit too late for that, don't you think?" Ianto said, angrier than he wanted to be. He felt tears prickling his eyes and he turned with a sniff. He hadn't meant to get attached to Jack, but he had.

"Ianto, I'm..."

"You being sorry won't change a thing," Ianto snapped, then sighed. "Fuck, I'm stupid. It's okay, I'll leave."

"Ianto, wait," Jack said and took Ianto's wrist.

He didn't turn around until Jack pulled at his wrist, and when he did, he took great care at avoiding Jack's eyes.

"What is it?" Jack asked, worry in his voice. "We've only met three times."

"I don't know, you tell me, you're the one who kissed me."

"And I would do it again. Because you're... funny to be around with and you're... cute. I don't know, okay? In a different time, I'd give us a try, but... not now. Not with our job."

"I... I don't care, okay?"

"Well, I do! I could die tomorrow, and I'm not going to let you live that."

"You're the only person that ever was nice to me," Ianto whispered, tears now running down his cheeks.
Jack frowned. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He eventually pulled at Ianto's wrist again to take him in his arms.

"People care about you... I know I do. That's why I should leave."

Ianto nodded and pulled back, wiping his tears with his sleeve. He then turned, without looking at Jack and went back to the living-room.

It was stupid. Jack was stupid. He didn't need protecting, he just liked Jack. And Jack liked him too, that was the worst part. They could try but Jack was too stubborn in his ideas and Ianto not enough. Not in this situation anyway. Giving up sounded like the right thing to do, for now. He just hoped Jack would ask him to stay at the last minute.

He took his time to take back all his equipment. He even checked his gun to buy more time. But Jack was just looking from the door frame, a frown on his face and his arms folded on his chest.
Ianto sighed once he was done and looked up, then quickly away. He took a deep breath and walked to Jack, trapping him between both his arms – which he rested against the wall – and leaning on. He could feel Jack's breath quickening and closed his eyes to fight the urge to kiss him.

Instead, he whispered what he had planned to tell Jack if he refused to join Torchwood, "There is a sniper on the opposite building, a burglar in your door, and two men waiting at the main exit of your building. They found you again."

"What?" Jack whispered back, confused.

Ianto took a deep, uneven breath and put nuzzled Jack's neck, breathing in the unsettling smell of Jack.

"Fuck," he whispered against Jack's ear and felt Jack shuddering and trying to straighten. "My advices are on this," Ianto managed to say, holding out a piece of paper. "The place's already rented for a few months, under another name. Please, go there, and I'll be gone from your life."

Jack looked down at the piece of paper and took it, then looked up and met Ianto's eyes. Ianto wanted to kiss him, but he knew he should pull back. Still, he leaned on, and his lips ghosted over Jack's.

"I should go," Ianto breathed out and that allowed him to snap back to reality. "Leave tonight," he added and finally pulled away.

He almost ran out of the flat and slammed the door behind him.


Ooops hello there it's been a long time! Anyway. I'll either finish this little thing next chapter or... or never haha Probably next chapter, though.

Mh. I'm sorry that's a bit confusing I wrote the first part soon after publishing the previous chapter but the rest a few days ago and I had stopped in the middle of a conversation (I always do that. Don't do that, kids, it's not a good way of writing.) so... well. I just hope it's okay. Also I was lazy so I didn't lose a lot of time on... well, writing, to be honest, like it goes in weird directions and everything. Time to finish this, I'd say!

Don't forget that reviews are the only thing that keep a writer writing, sometimes :)