A/N: Some more wrong order in nature of things.

No spoilers

Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian

Ianto sat there thinking about the evening. It went well, as Jack said; in fact he felt comfortable enough to just be himself, grumpy and ironic, interested, amazed and unfazed by whatever came to pass. And there was that moment when Jack returned with a Weevil all torn up and covered in blood, it was frightening just how much he was scared for him in that moment. He had just turn in the alley beside him, but then he said that he'd stayed alive just because Ianto had his little outburst that morning and everything in him just unwound. It was like he'd told Ianto he had a claim on him that his word counted. That left him uncontrolled and hungry; he just wanted to press himself into Jack. But then that old lady spoke up and he lifted his control back up. He wasn't really bothered by her, but the moment was gone and was replaced with a lighter mood. The movie left Ianto feeling exposed and raw, it was just overwhelmingly real, so sad but beautiful.

Now he sat there unwilling to pretend and play it casual, but reluctant to take that step and maybe push Jack away.

"So, we will do that dessert thing some other time?" Jack spoke up trying to sound casual.

"Why did you leave me?" Ianto spoke up quietly looking straight forward.

Jack paused for a moment and Ianto could feel how his mood changed, how his mind worked trying to find an easy answer.

"Well I had to find the Doctor..." He started but stopped when Ianto looked at him seriously.

"That is not what I asked. I know that, I understand that, I asked, why did you leave me?" Ianto maintained eye contact; now that he got into it he didn't wanted half answers. "That happened long before you ran off yelling 'Doctor' across the Plass and disappearing into thin air. We had something, not very defined, or discussed, but there was something, and you ended it. Why?"

Jack looked sad for a moment and he looked away like it hurt him. Ianto was always amazed when that happened it was like Jack's carefree front was removed and Ianto could see his deeper emotions.

"Because you started to care" said Jack with a sigh and Ianto frowned.

"Care? I don't understand. I was so detached and undemanding, that wasn't even a relationship it was hardly a fling. Just sex really, nothing was asked of you. How did care come into that, and I never showed any of it." Ianto couldn't help but show his frustration, he really was as withdrawn as possible, if that made Jack run how it would ever work? Nobody could be less burdening than that.

"When I disappeared and you ended up in the hospital you called me countless times, without pause, for hours." Jack looked at the window holding firmly to the steering wheel.

"Sorry for caring, you'd just been trapped underground of some police station, and come to think of it, you probably were just burned alive; really there was nothing to be afraid of. If that is what you're after, sorry I can't do that, I would be worried for my cat if it went missing, I can't care less then that" Ianto pushed the door open and Jack grabbed him by his wrist. His grab was so hard that it bruised Ianto.

"Damn it Ianto" Jack growled "I don't want you to care less, I just didn't want for you to get attached to me. There are so many people that could make you happy; I'm not good at that. I just thought that I've managed to get out in time, before we got in too deep. I'm just..." He trailed off.

"A drifter that can't die and is just passing through" Ianto said quietly and added "just passing time while he's waiting for his Doctor."

"Well yeah" Jack let go of his wrist and Ianto felt aching while he watched the deepness of Jack's sorrow. Jack leaned against the steering wheel. "An accurate description, nothing is left behind a curtain with you Ianto Jones." He smiled sadly.

"What changed?" Ianto asked softly.

"I've changed, years have changed me, running with the Doctor was thrilling and exciting, new horizons, new people, new danger, new suffering, new crazy and new deaths, but I just wasn't so careless like I used to be. Running away just wasn't my suit anymore..." Jack trailed off looking in the distance thinking about the past. Ianto knew this was the moment; he could get out of the car now and Jack wouldn't pursue him. He would accept that as his own loss and move on; Jack knew how to do that.

"But what made you to come back for me, not the team, me" Ianto asked precisely wanting to know the answer, Ianto accepted his own feelings towards Jack, but he wasn't comfortable with the possibility that they were shown. "A few missed calls aren't really much."

Jack turned his head and looked at Ianto with piercing eyes, gazing at him appreciatively.

"You're so beautiful, do you know that?" His smile appeared as Ianto blushed. "Just sex? Hardly a fling? If that is what you do when you don't care, I want to see how it looks when you do care. Come on Ianto you've spoiled me, no one ever took care of me the way you do, not even my wife, deceased, a long time ago" he added quickly. "I know that it started because of Lisa, to cover your tracks, but really. You took care not only of my coffee, meals, clothes, space, time for God sake, not to mention holding my coat all the time, handing me things, doing something before I've thought of it, but you were always there. And all that lasted over a year, you've surrounded me and I must say you looked awfully good at it; always suited up, with the best smile, never any complaint, just ironic comments from time to time that helped steer me in the right direction. And then you added great sex into the mixture, yeah you gave me no reason to come back." Jack finished with irony and Ianto smiled.

"I knew you'd come back for the coffee" Ianto poked him and got out of the car. "Let's make this dessert better."

"Better?" Jack got out of the car. "Five star restaurant, and you'll make their dessert better?"

Ianto rolled his eyes.

"If you like your Palatschinken cold and dry then you can eat them that way."

"No, I wouldn't dream of it, you do your magic" Jack said as he held the door.