Jack got in the SUV with a deep sigh, his back already twinging from lugging the transmitters out of the boot. They were experimenting with alien tech in collaboration with Torchwood 4, and while the set up required Tosh's technological genius, the main difficulty came from getting the things in position. Jack prided himself on his brawn but getting the three metal posts up the hill had left him feeling like he may have let himself go a bit.

"Well that was exhausting! Thanks again for coming with me Tosh"

"Just waiting on the recalibration in Scotland then, are we?" asked Tosh, "shouldn't take too long with the extra help they have up there"

"Ianto insisted on overseeing it himself" Jack rolled his eyes, "The man is a stickler for detail, it's helpful but infuriating"

"Ah but you love him anyway" Tosh grinned knowingly, clipping her seatbelt in ready for Jack to head back to the hub.

Jack turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "What?"

"You love him" she repeated casually as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I mean we've never said…."

"No. You love him" she insisted firmly, smirking as Jack shifted uncomfortably,

"Well I don't know what I'd call it. I definitely love spending time with him, he makes me laugh every day and we always have a good time together even if its weevil hunting and in bed he's just absolutely…."

"Okay I don't need those details!" Tosh laughed, holding her hands up to stop him sharing far too much about her friend's exploits, "But its more than that, isn't it?"

"Well yeah" Jack nodded, "He's important to me. I want him to always be safe and happy and I want to be the reason why. My stomach does this flippy thing whenever he smiles at me, he amazes me in work all the time how he can just handle everything thrown at him. I miss him when he's not here and the thought of losing him terrifies me more than…Oh god, I love him" his eyes widened as the realisation hit him.

Tosh grinned, "Really? You don't say!"

"No Tosh this wasn't supposed to happen! What do I do?"

"I can't believe it's taken me to point it out, it's so obvious!"

"Really?!"

"Well to me anyway, Gwen's still a bit in denial about the whole thing and Owen couldn't care less as you can imagine"

Jack laughed softly, "I'm completely in love with him Tosh" he sighed, "I didn't want to admit it to myself but I am"

"What about admitting it to Ianto?"

"Hell no, I can't tell him"

"Why not? Maybe he feels the same"

"That would be even worse" Jack murmured, "This wasn't supposed to happen. I can't let myself love him knowing I have to lose him one day, he'll die and I won't be able to follow him"

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't treasure the time you have with him"

"Oh I do treasure it, every single minute of it"

"Part of that is knowing how you feel about each other"

"maybe you're right" Jack considered, "maybe the moment will present itself"

The moment did in fact present itself the following week, but not necessarily in the way Jack had thought. They were stood in Jack's office, where they were both staring daggers at each other. Jack had stalked into his office on their return from the latest case, bellowing for Ianto to follow. Ianto had rolled his eyes and followed to find Jack leaning up against his desk with a thunderous look on his face.

"Running off into that warehouse was reckless, what exactly were you thinking"

"I subdued the Hoix and nobody was injured, I really don't understand the issue, Sir"

"You put yourself in unnecessary danger, the others were waiting in strategic points outside, we could've waited it out"

"Can I ask, if Owen or Gwen had run in to the building would they be having this same conversation?" Ianto asked, still staring at Jack defiantly,

"What?"

"They get themselves into far more reckless situations all the time, and yet I don't see them summoned to the office like a schoolkid" Ianto pointed out in annoyance, "It's like you still see me as the teaboy, not good for anything other than keeping you fed and watered and tidying up your shit"

"Not at all, you're a valued member of the team same as the others. I just don't want to see you get hurt in the field"

"And you don't trust me to be able to look after myself"

"Of course I do"

"So why am I any different to the others?"

"Because I love you idiot!" Jack yelled,

"You…. what?" Ianto spluttered, his brain struggling to catch up with what he'd just heard.

"I love you" Jack repeated quietly, "And I don't want to lose you, so stop throwing yourself into danger every chance you get"

"I… since when?" Ianto was still in disbelief that this was happening,

Jack sighed, "I think I've known for a while. I didn't want to admit it even to myself"

"Oh…. ok" Ianto looked down in embarrassment, and Jack's eyes widened as he realised how the younger man would've taken that comment,

"No that's not what I meant" Jack said quickly, "I swore I'd never fall in love again. To love and then lose a person over and over again, I just told myself it wasn't worth the pain. And then you, Ianto Jones" He reached out to take his hand with a wry grin, "you snuck up on me"

"I… didn't mean to" Ianto said nervously,

"I know, and that's what made it happen. You amaze me without even trying, and I don't want to deny it to myself any longer. I love you, Ianto"

Ianto smiled softly "I love you too, Jack"

Jack beamed, pulling the other man towards him to kiss him fervently. Ianto returned the kiss eagerly, clinging to Jack twisting his fingers into the back of his shirt. There was an inevitability of how this situation would end up, with Jack pulling Ianto's suit jacket from his shoulders while Ianto pushed him into his own desk with such force that the whole thing shook, the piles of paperwork teetering on the edge of it hitting the floor with a resounding crash.

The crash echoed throughout the hub as the others all looked up towards Jack's office before glancing to each other in panic.

"Oh god I hope they're not fighting" Gwen muttered, "I know both of them were pretty mad after that incident"

"To be fair, Teaboy was pretty badass in that warehouse" Owen admitted, "saved us all a lot of bother there"

"Yeah but Jack doesn't really want him in those situations does he" Tosh pointed out, "as soon as there's a possibility of him getting hurt"

"Ianto isn't technically a field agent I suppose"

"Jesus that's hardly important is it" Owen rolled his eyes, "That can't be a reason to fight"

"No, actually" Tosh grinned to herself, "I think they've just admitted the most important thing of all"