Ianto stayed outside as much as he could after his discussion with Tosh. When she sent him a text to say that Jack was worried and coming, alone, he replied and asked her if they could go out, with Owen. When Ianto walked back to his flat, Owen was waving at Tosh in front of the building, and Ianto nodded to the man who chose to stay silent. Ianto tried not to run, but he did anyway, and opened his door to find Jack preventing Myfanwy from eating the wires. Ianto frowned, because she usually wasn't a problem, and carried her as she tried to run away.

"Sorry sweetheart, I'm calling it an early night," he said and locked her in her closet. She protested and tried to open the door, but quickly calmed.

Ianto was grateful for her not making a fuzz, and motioned Jack to sit in the couch.

"Is there a problem?" Ianto asked, slumping on the couch with two beers. Jack refused his.

"I don't know, is there?" Jack replied.

Ianto frowned then rolled his eyes. "Well, you tell me."

Jack opened his mouth, then shook his head. "This won't get us anywhere."

"Agreed," Ianto nodded, taking a long sip.

"Is it because I said we were together?" Jack asked, clearly unaware of what was wrong.

"No."

"Because I meant it. Sure we don't... er..." Jack stuttered. "Ianto, do you want to get out of all this some night? Like, a movie, a dinner... I mean, something, during when we wouldn't think of... this," he said, pointing at the computers.

Ianto stared. They hadn't really talked in a few days, and Jack was back to... What? "I... It sounds like a date." Ianto cleared his throat, looking away.

"Depends. Was it a yes?" Jack smiled, and Ianto almost fell for it.

Not that he didn't want it, of course it was a yes, but not right now. Not when he had questions and no answers and more questions.

"Were you planning on telling me that John was a hit man?" Ianto blurted out, not knowing what to answer otherwise.

Jack looked at him, his mouth opened, then he swallowed and frowned. "How do you know that?"

"Why didn't you tell?"

"I... don't know," Jack said, running his hand through his hair. "Look, Ianto... You've been here a long time, but... We don't only receive tips from Gwen, or she wouldn't be helping us. We're helping her catch people, sometimes. Big people. The type of people you don't mess around with, and more than once we had to deal with some pissed off assassins. It doesn't happen often," Jack added quickly, clearly nervous. "But it does. John's here to protect us from that."

"How?" Ianto managed to get out, not knowing what else to do or say.

"He kills them before they can kill us. That's why Gwen doesn't know John, and John doesn't know Gwen. He hates police, and she would disapprove, but she can't protect us the way John does."

Ianto stared at his hands, fully taking in the information, then he jumped on his feet. "Do you mean that someone is targetting us, right now?" he whispered, as if it would change something, but was clearly angry.

"No," Jack said, standing to put a hand on Ianto's arm. "Okay, maybe," he rectified when Ianto glared at him.

"And you let me into this?!" Ianto snapped this time, freeing himself from Jack's hand. "I let you use my flat but you weren't even honest this whole time?!"

"Ianto, calm down," Jack said.

Ianto scoffed, and turned to walk away, but Jack grabbed his arms and pulled, pressing their bodies together. He tried to get away, but Jack could be stronger than him, and he held on Ianto so tightly that Ianto yelped.

"You're hurting me," he said, pleading him to let go, but Jack was staring at the window.

"Don't move," he said. "John told me they were close. I'd avoid the windows if I were you."

"Jack..." Ianto begged, his eyes filling with tears as his arms hurt him.

Jack looked at him and finally let go, his expression softening. "I'm sorry!"

"I didn't sign up for this," Ianto sighed, slumping back in the couch and rubbing his aching arms.

"I know, I'm sorry, but..."

"What?" Ianto said, looking up at Jack who was avoiding his stare.

"But you were good," Jack admitted, sitting back next to him. "And I fancied you a bit. And before I knew it, we were all here, and you and I... were fine. So I buried some things under the rug and hoped it wouldn't catch up with me, with us. That was stupid. I'm sorry."

"Are you?" Ianto said, pressing his hand against his arm as the pain started again.

"What? Sorry? Yes. Not to have stolen that stupid wallet that day, or to be here, or with you, but because I dragged you into this without telling everything. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It's okay," Ianto said, stopping his useless massages even though it still hurt a lot.

Jack sighed and looked miserable, Ianto had to give him that, at least. He really was sorry.

"What's a life without taking risk anyway?" Ianto smiled, nudging Jack.

It wasn't that he liked being lied to – or used, one might say – but he knew he was too deep in it, already falling for Jack, to back off now. And he liked his life, with Jack and the team. And, to be honest, Ianto wasn't about to start a fight when he could possibly die in a few minutes, with a wrong movement.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked after a while, ignoring Jack's eyes full of admiration and fondness.

Jack shook his head and took his phone out. "Wait for John's text."

"What if they come by the door?"

"John's rather talented," Jack shrugged.

"But if..."

"It's trapped," Jack admitted in a sigh. "If someone tries to come in, there's an alarm."

"How is that helping?" Ianto asked, blinking a few times.

"Makes them think the police is coming."

"Oh." Ianto nodded. "That's clever."

"John knows what he's doing," Jack said, looking around.

"What if I'm hungry?" Ianto finally asked.

"Here," Jack said, taking sandwiches and water bottle from the bag Ianto hadn't realised was on the table.

"It sounds like you're used to it," Ianto said, his voice flat.

Jack shrugged, leaving something unsaid, but Ianto didn't push, noticing the sadness in his eyes.

"It isn't quite the dinner I pictured when you mentioned one," Ianto chuckled as he took one of the sandwiches, smiling when he saw it was his favourite.

"Was that a yes?" Jack asked, straightening on the couch, hope painted on his face.

"Yes," Ianto said.

"Great," Jack grinned, looking at Ianto's sandwich, as if not daring to do or say something.

Ianto put back the food on the table, not hungry, and sighed. "What are we supposed to do in the mean time? Can't we help John?"

"No, he works alone," Jack shook his head. "And you don't want to see him working. I have a cards game if you want."

Ianto stared in silence, and Jack kept his hand on his pocket, but didn't take the cards out, waiting for a sign that he could go. Ianto didn't say anything but leaned on to kiss Jack.

Ianto had missed Jack. It was as simple as this. He had avoided him for too long, and now they were supposed to wait while people wanted to kill them, and Ianto wanted to kiss Jack. Of course, he guessed no one was actually waiting for them to walk in front the window, but he understood that it was a possibility.

And he didn't want to die, he realised as they were kissing more and more eagerly. Not that before that he didn't want to live, but he realised, in that moment, that the idea of dying terrified him. He had found something good and he was afraid of leaving it, he was afraid of the people that would be left behind. He was afraid of dying.

Jack pushed back only when he was lying underneath Ianto, his chest bare and Ianto working on his pants.

"Wait," he breathed out, holding Ianto's hands.

He stopped when he spotted something on Ianto's skin, but Ianto didn't know what and he leaned on for another kiss, but Jack shook his head.

"Are you sure about this, now? We could..." Jack stopped when Ianto rocked his hips against him. "Die," he moaned to finish his sentence.

"Precisely," Ianto breathed against his ear, and Jack let his hands go. "And you said not to worry," Ianto added, finally winning his fight against Jack's pants, and Jack had to kiss that triumphal grin away from Ianto's face, his protests long forgotten.

Oh my god, I am so terribly sorry I haven't updated sooner. it's entirely my fault, because I started publishing at the worst time, I had a lot of things to do in real life and that includes dealing with a lack of motivation in... pretty much anything, but especially writing. So I couldn't write anything and I totally forgot to update. I'll try to be more regular, especially now that I'm back to writing. Also, re-reading this chapter, I wonder if that's really where I wanted to take this story. But let's say it was.

As usual, don't hesitate to leave a comment, that would be very nice :D (And would motivate my lazy brain, probably... Oops.)