It had taken weeks to get around to that second date. Not that they hadn't tried. Several "rift permitting" dates had been planned, and missed. Because the rift hadn't permitted. And those nights had been spent chasing Weevils, saving the Earth, and occasionally falling into each others arms at the Hub, after. Not completely unsatisfactory, but it hadn't taken things out of the realm of 'dirty little secret' yet. Which, Jack had come to realize, wasn't going to be nearly enough for him. Not this time. So when date night finally arrived, he'd insisted on picking Ianto up, against all protests. And if he'd taken that as battle lines being drawn, so be it.

Stalemate, to begin with. Ianto had been waiting outside the building, even though Jack had purposely arrived early. Probably monitoring his GPS, clever little bugger.

"Where to?" Jack asked, kissing Ianto's forehead before he'd even gotten his seatbelt on. The forehead kiss thing had been working pretty well, though Ianto was yet to offer one.

"Sushi bar near the docks," Ianto replied. "Told you I should have driven. It's not that far from the Hub."

"Handy," Jack commented, raising his eyebrows.

"One track mind," Ianto grumbled.

Jack let that pass. It wasn't his choice the only place they were ever alone together was the Hub. But launching an attack was hardly going to help.

They had a booth. In a corner. A dingy corner. Jack wondered whether Ianto had sneaked in earlier and broken the bulb in the light over their table himself.

"Hairy fish last time," Jack said, breaking the silence. "Raw fish this time. A pattern."

"Hardly," Ianto replied, eyes down, seemingly intent on getting the right amount of wasabi onto his tuna.

"Are you actually planning on looking my way tonight, or are we doomed for a repeat of last time?" Jack asked.

"Something wrong?" Ianto asked, raising his eyes innocently.

"You tell me," Jack demanded. OK, so he was launching the attack anyway. "You asked for patience. It's been weeks. And…and…damn it, I'm sick of this. I've done the dirty little secret things plenty of times, but you know what? It doesn't work with someone I actually care about. And respect. And want respect from."

Ianto flinched at the anger and hurt in Jack's tone. Sobering. Jack kept his feelings to himself to the extent you could almost forget he had any. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"Stop apologizing," Jack hissed, frustrated, "It doesn't help."

Ianto spread his hands in a gesture of defeat. "What would help, Jack? I do respect you. You must know that."

"You could start," Jack said, "By telling me what the problem is. That's the normal practice for sorting out issues, or so I've heard."

"Normal," Ianto repeated. "I'm not normal, that's the crux of it."

Jack laughed. "You're in good company then. I have it on good authority that I'm not just abnormal, but impossible."

But Ianto wasn't laughing. Not even smiling.

"Exactly how are you not normal?" Jack pressed. "Given the crap Torchwood put you through; you're probably the sanest person I know."

"I have my doubts about that," Ianto said, "And I'm not…"

"Not what?"

"I'm not gay," he said, pushing the words out through gritted teeth. "I don't even notice any other men. But, hell, I can't be straight either. Not anymore. Not when I can hardly stop looking at you….It doesn't make any sense…...It's not…."

Jack took both his hands firmly, not letting him pull away. "Look at me now, Ianto."

Ianto's eyes raised to meet Jack's. The confusion in them was painful to watch.

"I wish I could help you with this," Jack said softly. "But I can't. I don't understand the labels you hang on each other this century. Though I suppose," he added reflectively, "it's improved since last century. Weren't even supposed to be with someone who had a different skin color, for most of it."

Ianto had given up trying to get his hands free. And was starting to realize he didn't want to. The firm grip was reassuring, an anchor in the confusion. "Is there a point you're trying to make?" he asked.

"Labels," Jack repeated, "Don't mean anything. Gay, straight, they're just tags. What does it really matter? It's the person inside the body that counts. No matter what gender it happens to be."

"Liberal thinking," Ianto said, managing a smile. "Goes for alien bodies too, I assume?"

"What it comes down to," Jack said, refusing to be deflected, trapping Ianto's eyes with his own, "is that I'd love you no matter what body you were wearing."

Ianto fell back against his seat, ripping his hands free. "Don't." he said hoarsely.

"Don't what?" Jack asked.

"Just don't" Ianto stammered.

"Don't say it," Jack demanded, "Or don't feel it?" And this time he let the silence drag out. Preparing himself for 'don't do either.'

"Don't say it," Ianto answered, finally.

"OK, I won't" Jack agreed. "At least, not until you do. Deal?"

"Deal," Ianto agreed. And this time it was his hands that reached across the table.

"But I'll still think it," Jack added.

Ianto squeezed his hands.