'Hello Mills.'

'Toes.'

He held the phone away from his ear as her joyful squeal echoed around his brain.

'So, how did it go with Captain Handsome?'

Ianto sighed.

'Oh dear, what happened?'

'It was incredible Mills.'

'Normally people that have experienced something incredible sound happier about it.'

'Yeah, so why did he lie to me when he woke up, he told me he had stuff to do back at the office.'

'Oh.'

Ianto heard Mills sigh. 'What happened.'

'I woke up before he did and couldn't go back to sleep so I went and started unpacking some paintings and photos and looking though things.' He heard her shift the phone.

'Hang on, so, he found you looking at what, photos of Dylan?'

'Yep. He sort of froze me out. And then I got a text from John saying the guy would bail after sex.'

'Toes, honey, John is a very jealous man.'

'He was also right.'

'Oh honey, I'm sorry. I'm sure there's a logical explanation -.'

'So why?' Ianto cut her off. 'Didn't he stick around to find out what it was?'

Mills sighed softly. 'Men are complicated creatures Toes, don't interrupt me to say you aren't because it wouldn't be true. Otherwise you'd be talking to him and not me.'

'I guess.'

'So why were you looking at pictures of Dylan when you had a real live honest to god man who happens to be crazy good looking and just as crazy about you, in your bed?'

'I needed to say goodbye.'

'Isn't that what a funeral's for?' She paused before speaking again. 'You did not just roll your eyes at me.'

He grinned. 'Maybe I did just a little.'

'Okay so did you tell him or did you let him lie to you and walk away.'

'I might have sort of suggested that he should probably leave.' He heard her sigh.

'And what, are you moping about now instead of having fabulous naked times with the man.'

'I, yep.'

'Well it wasn't a question but I'm glad you can admit it. So what are you going to do about it?'

'I might go for a run.'

'Does this run happen to take you past his window?'

'Nope.' He frowned. 'Hang on Mills, someone's knocking at my door.'

'Well it isn't me honey, I'm in my flat in London.'

Ianto opened the door and groaned. 'I'm going to have to talk to you later.'

Mills heard a voice in the background as Ianto hung up.

'Eye candy!'

Ianto stood in his door and folded his arms across his chest. 'What the fuck do you want?'

'Touchy eye candy, home alone are we? Well aren't you going to invite me in?'

'Nope.'

'So much for Welsh hospitality.'

'The English rubbed off on me after six years.'

'We are in a mood.'

'What are you doing here John?'

'I thought I see how the happy couple were doing but I'm pretty sure I saw Jack slink off with his tail between his legs.'

'You stalker.'

'Language eye candy. I prefer the term admirer-er. And I'd really like to admire you some more, preferably inside.'

'No.' Ianto shut the door and locked it as he walked towards his bedroom. He changed into running clothes and ignored the knocking on his door. Tucking keys, wallet and cellphone into a zipped pocket he turned his i-pod on and went out the back door, ducking out the gate of his garden and running along the side alley by the flat. Volume loud enough to block out the world around him he ran. His feet beating a steady rhythm even if his heart wasn't in the run.

Perhaps it wouldn't have mattered who he'd had sex with for the first time since Dylan. Perhaps he would have still felt guilty and giddy all the same and maybe he should have just fucked John and got it out of his system. Instead of sleeping with Jack who he really quite liked. Of course, one didn't usually throw someone out after sex if you liked them. But the man had lied to him. He'd taken such a chance and now he felt even more alone than before. He'd lain Dylan to rest so even he was less available to him now. And Jack.

He faltered, he was imagining things, seeing blue eyes and dark hair everywhere. Along with the jaw line. It was simply magnificent as jaw lines went. He faltered again, missing his step and losing his rhythm, he decided to turn around and head back to his flat, surely John would be gone by now and he could get on with his life. He turned back and found his stride again until he got to his front door and stopped cold.

Jack decided he couldn't sit in the park sulking, he should man up and go back to Ianto's flat and talk to the man until they sorted this out. He liked the guy, really, really liked him... Jack sighed softly. He'd fallen in love. Like was such a washed out emotion compared to how he felt around Ianto. It was like buying black paint and getting grey. And he was damned if he was going to let the ghost of anyone get in his way. What he wasn't expecting was John standing on the doorstep knocking on the door.

'Come on eye candy, let me in.' John jumped as a hand tapped him on the shoulder, he spun around. 'Hello offi- oh.'

'Morning John, perhaps you could explain what your doing on Ianto's doorstep?'

John smirked. 'Apparently the same thing you are, trying to get into eye candy.' He looked at Jack and tilted his head. 'Although I'd say you already did, which makes it interesting to see you on this side of the door.' He stood back and folded his arms across his chest not even trying to hide his glee at the turn of events. 'Kicked out of the bed already were you? I knew he liked me best, he just hasn't realised it yet.'

A Welsh voice cut the space between them. 'Oh I don't believe it.'

Both John and Jack spun around.

Ianto held his hands up. 'You,' he looked at John. 'Need a hobby, or a better one than annoying me. Persistence is not in your favour here John, fuck off.' He turned to Jack. 'You and I need to talk but I'm not sure now is the best time.'

Jack shook his head. 'I don't see any point in waiting for what I want Ianto. Not this time.'

John grabbed Jack's sleeve. 'Hello, what about me?'

Ianto sighed as he walked away, there was the bakery Jack had taken him to for lunch the other day. He could get himself a danish and with a bit of luck one or both of them would be gone when he got back.

John and Jack turned as one, watching Ianto walk away, until John glared at Jack.

'Look what you did, you chased away my eye candy.'

'He's not your eye candy, he's not your anything. He's my lover.'

'He's your office manager, and I'd have thought by now you'd have learnt your lesson about sleeping with your staff.'

'No, I just learnt my lesson about sleeping with you.'

'Well.' John pouted. 'He's hardly yours just because you fucked him. He clearly threw you out.'

'You sent him a text saying I'd run away.'

'You always do.'

'Oh my god. That's not true.'

'Oh really?' John stood closer to Jack. 'So the last dozen times we slept together, that wasn't you who kept sneaking out when you thought I was asleep.'

'Ah.'

John poked Jack's chest with an accusing finger. 'Ah. That's your fucking answer, ah?'

Jack pushed him away. 'You ever stop to consider why I might feel the need to leave before you woke up?' He watched the tiny wheels in John's head spinning, his expression puzzled. 'Apparently not. Let me tell you why.'

'Oh this should be good.' John muttered as he folded his arms across his chest. 'Please, enlighten me.'

'I was ashamed.'

John cut in. 'Of me?' Bristling as Jack cut him off.

'No. Me.'

'What?'

Jack sighed. 'Was I ever enough?' His voice soft, raw, broken.

'What are you on about Jackie?'

'I hated myself because I couldn't hate you. Every time you broke my heart I kept crawling over whatever broken dreams I had, to come back to you. I thought maybe if I loved you enough you'd love me back.' His hands shoved into his pockets as if unsure what to do with them.

'What are you -.'

'On about Jackie?' He finished John's sentence before he began listing names, counting them off on his fingers with John grinning at his conquests. 'And you just smirk about it like it's okay. Fucking your way though the Cardiff white pages while we were together was not okay!

John threw his arms out wide. 'But it would be a shame not to share this.'

Jack shook his head, he was beyond seeing the funny side. 'Did it occur to you that I maybe hoped I could be enough. I thought we were committed to a relationship, together, just the two of us.'

'I never said I was a monogamous man Jackie.'

Jack's voice iced over. 'That's a fucking lie.'

John shook his head.

'No? What about the barn we got stuck in during that storm in Kent?'

'The barn didn't promise you fidelity.'

'No but you did. A promise you took less than twenty four hours to break.'

'Oh, you knew about that.'

'I. Always. Knew.'

'You weren't supposed to -.'

'What? To find out? Well isn't that a surprise.' Jack paced around John, oblivious to the world around them. 'So it comes back to my earlier question. Was I ever enough?'

John sighed. 'I did love you, I still do.'

'But was it enough?'

He shook his head. 'No.'

John blinked, he hadn't seen it coming. Although if he'd really been focused on Jack's body language, given how well he did know the man, he shouldn't have been surprised to find himself sitting on the ground seeing stars. He hadn't anticipated how much it would hurt either as he checked his face to make sure nothing was broken. His eye already starting to swell shut. 'That's one hell of a right hook Jackie. You've been working out. Although if you've mussed up my pretty face...' He pulled himself to his feet and felt his head swimming with the effort.

Jack cut him off. 'I don't think there's anything left for us to say to each other John.'

John looked at Jack and nodded. 'Maybe your right. I'll be going then, but, um.' He sighed. 'Do I still have a job?'

'For now.'

He held his head as he tried to nod again and gave it up as a bad idea. 'I do love you Jack.'

'But it isn't enough, not any more. It's a case of way too little and much too late.'

'And eye candy? Are you in love with him?'

'I think I could be.'

'But is he in love with you?'

'Do you care?'

'Of course I care, what do you think this has all been about?'

'Do you have any idea how fucked up that sounds? And it doesn't matter because I know I can love someone else so I know it wasn't me that was broken.'

'You think I'm broken?'

'You think your aren't?'