This chapter contains the 'moment' mentioned in Hungry Heart (last chapter). Extreme fluff. Sweetness levels equivalent to fairy floss.

It was just an ordinary moment, at the end of an extraordinary day, but it changed everything.

Ianto supposed it was far too ordinary to be the change Jack kept warning them about, which was just as well, because he wasn't sure whether he was ready.

And he didn't care. At least he thought he didn't.

-XXX-

It began with two men sitting on the couch in Ianto's flat, comfortably entangled, both in their own way processing the events of the day.

Ianto nudged one of the couch cushions with his foot. "I'd like to take this with us," he said hesitantly. The uncertainty didn't really relate to the almost-new piece of furniture, which he'd bought when they'd both gotten sick of being cramped up on his old two-seater. It was more that he was strangely reluctant to pursue Jack's suggestion that they move into a new place together. Talking about it would make it real. Talking about it would, moreover, give Jack a chance to renege.

Jack nodded idly, eyes following the hand tracing a path along Ianto's arm. "I like this couch," he agreed. "Maybe we should get a matching armchair or two, 'cause the living room's pretty big. We'll need more stuff to fill it. Hell, we might even have guests sometimes."

Ianto's heart swelled agreeably. Jack's hand twined itself through his own, then squeezed, unexpectedly firm after the gentle stroking.

"I had no right to talk that way, though," Jack muttered, his eyes still fixed on their entwined hands.

Ianto's heart shrank back to its normal size, possibly somewhat smaller.

"Impulse," he suggested, trying to keep his voice firm. He wasn't disappointed, he really wasn't. He'd expected something like this to happen when he raised the issue, after all. And he wouldn't hold Jack to an impulsive offer. They'd been quite happy living separately all this time. It didn't have to change. This wasn't a step backwards, however much it might feel that way.

"So…..It's probably too late to call the agent back….um… Evie, wasn't it?"

Jack turned to him with a frown. "What's it got to do with her?"

Ianto blinked. "OK," he said, defeated, with a heart that no longer had any idea what to do, except keep beating until Jack chose to enlighten him as to what was going on in his immortal head this time. "Let's just admit I've got no idea what you're talking about, shall we? Again."

"I got all possessive," Jack explained, returning his gaze to its inspection of their hands. "I shouldn't have done that, should I? I made it sound like I own you or something…...And we haven't even said anything about being exclusive…..I've got no right to expect…"

Ianto swallowed, the pounding in his head drowning out the rest of the babble. He'd liked knowing Jack was jealous of the attention the agent had showered Ianto with during their inspection of that flat today. Jack obviously expected him to be annoyed by it, instead. Ianto sighed. He supposed it was naïve to assume that Jack's offer to co-habit implied an offer of fidelity, too.

He should have known better, really. It wasn't the first time they'd bumped into something like this, and Ianto thought he'd taught himself to stop assuming these relationship milestones meant the same to Jack as they did to him. Obviously he hadn't been as successful as he'd thought, after all, if the way his stomach seemed to be trying to relocate into his socks was any indication.

"But I hate the thought of you being with anyone else," Jack continued fretfully. His hand tightened around Ianto's. The forced chuckle he produced was a rueful, ragged imitation of Jack's usual joyous laugh. "Guess I can't brag anymore that 51st century humans have evolved past jealousy, huh?"

Ianto smiled at him, or tried to. He doubted it was any more convincing than Jack's laugh, especially given the concern creasing Jack's face as he finally looked up.

"But I don't want to have to share you, Ianto," Jack said, eyes flicking between face and hands so quickly Ianto might have become dizzy if he wasn't already so confused. "And I know I can't ask for that from you unless I'm willing to give it, too. So…if that's what you want….I mean, if that's what it'll take…..."

Ianto smiled again, somewhat painfully this time. Temptation dangled within reach. All he had to do was agree. With a single word, Ianto could make Jack promise fidelity in return for his own. Jack didn't break his promises. With this one small piece of manipulation Ianto could quiet his own demon of jealousy forever.

But not the demon of guilt. Ianto knew he wouldn't do it. That he couldn't do it. He wanted this, oh, how he wanted it, but not like this. He didn't want to trap Jack into a vow he'd probably regret, just to obtain something freely given long ago, whether Jack knew it or not.

"There hasn't been anyone else since you came back, Jack," Ianto said sincerely.

Jack's smile was blinding. "Really?"

Ianto nodded. He'd followed his conscience. He'd made Jack happy. That was worth a small sacrifice, wasn't it? Only, Ianto already doubted that the knowledge of his own virtue would keep him warm when Jack was off shagging his way through Cardiff. Especially when he came home to their bed smelling like an alley cat afterwards. Still, done was done. Jack's smile was real, now. And now was what mattered, surely?

"You don't really leave me the time for anyone else," Ianto added, in an attempt to haul them out of the patch of emotional quicksand they'd stumbled into. "Or the energy."

Jack smirked. He might even have been gloating as he pulled Ianto onto his lap. "Good to know," Jack mumbled into his ear. "I do try my best."

-XXX-

"You do realize we've just negotiated another cultural clash, don't you?" Ianto asked eventually. They were still entwined on the very same couch, and were even, somewhat remarkably, mostly clothed. Ianto concluded there was something on the television Jack wanted to watch.

"Hadn't noticed," Jack admitted. "Guess I wouldn't, huh? Wanna tell me about it?"

Ianto hesitated, wondering why he'd dragged it back up. He suspected he wanted Jack to acknowledge the sacrifice, which kind of invalidated the gesture. Still, Jack was looking at him expectantly. Ianto heaved in a deep breath.

"Generally, when two people decide to move in together, there's an implied intention of ….um…..faithfulness. Fidelity."

"Monongamy," Jack concluded. He laughed. A tiny, humorless laugh. "I suppose I should've known that. Only, the last time I moved in with someone it was the era of free love, and the time before that, she expected me to marry her before we could live together. And on Boeshane…" he paused, eyes distant, already losing himself in memories.

Ianto tensed. Jack rarely mentioned his home planet, and it had become a point of pride, or trust, or some other equally nebulous principle, that Ianto didn't push for details.

"On Boeshane," Jack continued, when he'd snapped back to the present, "Communal living was fairly common. People didn't generally get a house of their own until after they had kids together. Sometimes not even then. Plenty of people never left the original dormitories set up during colonization. Living in the same house didn't mean much."

"What did, then?" Ianto asked, taking the unusual flow of information as encouragement to indulge his curiosity. "I mean, did anything? Did anyone?"

Jack smiled at the wistful tone Ianto was trying so hard to conceal, and tugged his Welshman more closely into his arms. "Yep. My parents, for example. They declared for each other. Before they had me, even. A declaration like that was…kind of a ritual, I suppose. One of the few we had." Jack frowned lightly, lost in thought. "I guess the closest thing you'd have here is marriage, only there wasn't a big ceremony or anything like that. It wasn't legally binding, either. Just a private agreement followed by an announcement to your family."

Ianto nodded and clambered off Jack's lap. On screen, another sitcom started. Canned laughter echoed back from the walls. Jack squeezed the hand he still held and turned his head towards the television. Ianto didn't hear a word, didn't see an image.

"I haven't, either," Jack said, after a pause. Ianto looked at him with an air of enquiry, wondering what he'd missed that Jack obviously considered worthy of commenting on.

"Been with anyone else, I mean," Jack elaborated, watching Ianto's face intently.

Ianto's double-take was almost comic. "You haven't?"

Jack squeezed a knee in reproof. "Don't sound so surprised," he chided. He fumbled for the remote, and the resulting silence seemed to echo off the walls.

"As a matter of fact, Ianto Jones, I haven't so much as touched anyone since John, the night I got back, and that was only ….well, a snog, Gwen would call it. And since I hadn't even asked you out yet, it doesn't count."

Ianto blinked at him. "But I didn't think….and I didn't want to ask. I mean, you've never said…so I thought…." Evidently they were taking turns at babbling, tonight.

Jack glanced at Ianto, a quick, sideways flicker which from anyone else would be called shy. "I wanted to prove to myself I could do it before I said anything," he confessed. "I wasn't going to make you any promises I couldn't keep. I thought I'd have to work at it…" at which he paused for a nervous chuckle. "Sounds like one of those twelve-step programs, doesn't it? But…..but it was easy, Ianto. I don't want to be with anyone else."

Ianto's throat closed as an unusually serious pair of blue eye connected with his own. "You kissed Martha," he pointed out, before they both choked beneath the weight of sentiment.

Jack sniffed. "She kissed me. And it was a friendly kiss, totally unworthy of the snog category."

"So there's levels, are there?" Ianto teased, in an effort to claw his way back to equilibrium. "Perhaps you ought to show me the difference. Just to clarify things, you understand. Wouldn't want there to be any confusion."

Jack's eyes twinkled. "Sounds like a plan."

Ianto began to rise from the couch, a hand dangling a hand invitingly behind him. "Shall we?"

"Not yet," Jack said, grasping the offered hand but resisting the tug on his own. "Not until I've convinced you I meant what I just said," he continued, his voice firming. "Because I have to say, Ianto Jones, you don't sound very convinced."

Jack pulled Ianto back onto the couch, and then turned so they faced each other properly. His face creased into determined lines, somehow making him look both older and almost adorably young. "I don't remember the formal phrasing of the declaration, but…." Jack heaved in a huge breath.

Ianto saw sweat break out across the older man's brow, and his heart twisted as he steeled himself for a final attempt to prevent Jack making a promise he might regret. His finger felt heavy as he laid it over Jack's lips.

"You don't have to do this," Ianto said softly. "There's no one else. There won't be anyone else. Only you."

Jack took the finger into his mouth, nipping teasingly at the end. "I want to," he murmured around it, before withdrawing the digit and taking the hand attached to it firmly between his own.

"Both hands," he murmured. Ianto watched, eyes wide, heart hammering, stunned by the intensity in Jack's face as he examined their joined hands, then carefully rearranged the placement of their entwined fingers. "I'm pretty sure that's right," he announced, radiating satisfaction.

When Jack looked up, his smile faltered at whatever he saw on Ianto's face. "You are OK with this, aren't you Ianto?"

Ianto gulped. "If you're sure," he said, still hesitant. "I mean, it's obviously a big deal for you, Jack, I …."

Jack raised their joined hands to his lips. "Moving in with me is a big deal to you, too," he countered. "Are you sure?"

Ianto ran his tongue rapidly over suddenly dry lips. Was he sure? Gwen's face drifted through his mind, trailing questions in its wake. But Gwen was married now. She'd chosen Rhys. Maybe, tonight, Jack was making his choice. And Ianto would be lying to himself if he pretended he hadn't already made his own. All he had to do was admit it to Jack.

Their eyes met, held, until both sets watered from the strain. Ianto felt the strange sense of time stopping, as the universe, or at least his little slice of it, stilled in anticipation.

They had the potential to stuff this up big time, he had to accept that, too. But it would be a spectacular stuff-up. And hey, it might even work.

Ianto's fingers tightened in their complicated arrangement around Jack's. "Hell yeah," he said, suddenly reckless – and loving it.

Jack smiled at him. An angel's smile below a devil's eyes. "Only you," he murmured. "I like the sound of that. Let's use it, huh?"

Ianto nodded, just the tiniest dip of his head, afraid to break eye contact in case the moment broke with it.

"Only you, Ianto Jones, for as long as you want me," Jack said, with a depth of sincerity that banished any lingering doubts.

Ianto swallowed around the lump in his throat and delved for words to express the turmoil of emotion inside him. This, he thought, was why there was such a thing as traditional vows. "Only you, Jack, for…..for…."

"The rest of you life, and it'd better be a long one," Jack finished.

-XXX-

Later, much later, tangled beneath the duvet instead of on the couch, Ianto released a muffled, snuffly laugh.

"What's that for?" Jack asked, opening a single, sleepy eye.

"It's just occurred to me that, possibly the first time ever, we're actually on the same page with….this."

Jack lifted his head from its resting place on Ianto's shoulder. "Not really," he disagreed.

Ianto frowned at him. "Why not? We've got the moving in together sorted, we've done your declaration…..what else?"

"We're supposed to announce it," Jack told him. A fresh frown grew. "To our families…..."

Ianto smiled softly. "I suppose the rest of the team will need to know our new address," he suggested. "And my sister."

Jack settled back down, more content than he could remember. "That'll do."

While I haven't seriously considered just where this storyline fits, you've probably noticed references which imply late S2. Technically, this means Owen is undead, but this little world is far to sweet to accept something like that, so please forgive the variation from canon.

Hope you enjoyed it anyway.