Nah, not much. *g* And I fear this is going to get longish. *shifty*
Canonically: Ianto is someone who managed to get under Jack's skin and he's not really sure when that happened either. Oh, sure, he could apply the time after Lisa's death as the beginning of things, but even that doesn't seem exactly right. After his suspension from the team, Jack warred with himself as to if he should keep Ianto on the team or Retcon him (hell, even death would have been an apt punishment for what he did). But in the end, Jack merely opened up to Ianto and tried to show him a bit more attention than forcing him into the role of Butler and 'Cleaner Upper of Messes When We Fuck Up'.
What should have been a few quick romps between the sheets eventually turned into more -- particularly once Jack returned from the Year that Never Was. As evidenced by his nervousness, Jack wanted to do this properly -- perhaps even start over from the beginning. Soon, Jack did the one thing he tried never to do: he let himself fall. So used to losing people, Jack tried to keep lovers at arms length to keep from the pain that would undoubtedly come at their death. And yet there was something about Ianto that pulled him in and kept him there. While Jack never said the words 'I love you', he intimated them on more than one occasion, either in his actions or offhand remarks [namely "loved people I never would have loved had I stayed where I was."]. He's a physical being, but it's actually saying the words that he cannot easily do -- saying it is that final step of giving himself over completely. It's why he still flirts as much as he does: it's the vain hope that it keeps him from tying himself to one person so that he doesn't break completely when they go. Jack simply doesn't realise how deep he's fallen for Ianto, or perhaps isn't ready to admit it.
When Ianto says the words as he's dying, Jack's 'don't' isn't that he doesn't want to hear it -- it's because he doesn't want to admit that he's screwed up and Ianto is dying by his hand. He wants Ianto to tell him when they're together, not because time is running out. He doesn't return the words because he doesn't want to say them just because Ianto is dying in his arms.
Taxon: [oi, this is getting long. *headdesk*] Jack... doesn't know what to think now that he's back in Taxon. It's hard enough realising that he was here once before but having another set of memories stripped from him isn't doing his psyche any good. Part of him worries that in some place outside of Cardiff, Ianto doesn't want him -- and is why he has kept his distance. Stupid, perhaps, but when it comes to matters of the heart, Jack never claimed to be a genius.
He is, though, glad to have Ianto here with him. The awkwardness of losing memories and all that is starting to wear off and Jack's venturing out a lot more (at last). In a place of unknowns, Jack is a bit more cautious in all things than he usually is but that cautiousness is also starting to leave him and seeing Ianto respond to him as he is helps more than words can say.
Canonically:
Ianto is someone who managed to get under Jack's skin and he's not really sure when that happened either. Oh, sure, he could apply the time after Lisa's death as the beginning of things, but even that doesn't seem exactly right. After his suspension from the team, Jack warred with himself as to if he should keep Ianto on the team or Retcon him (hell, even death would have been an apt punishment for what he did). But in the end, Jack merely opened up to Ianto and tried to show him a bit more attention than forcing him into the role of Butler and 'Cleaner Upper of Messes When We Fuck Up'.
What should have been a few quick romps between the sheets eventually turned into more -- particularly once Jack returned from the Year that Never Was. As evidenced by his nervousness, Jack wanted to do this properly -- perhaps even start over from the beginning. Soon, Jack did the one thing he tried never to do: he let himself fall. So used to losing people, Jack tried to keep lovers at arms length to keep from the pain that would undoubtedly come at their death. And yet there was something about Ianto that pulled him in and kept him there. While Jack never said the words 'I love you', he intimated them on more than one occasion, either in his actions or offhand remarks [namely "loved people I never would have loved had I stayed where I was."]. He's a physical being, but it's actually saying the words that he cannot easily do -- saying it is that final step of giving himself over completely. It's why he still flirts as much as he does: it's the vain hope that it keeps him from tying himself to one person so that he doesn't break completely when they go. Jack simply doesn't realise how deep he's fallen for Ianto, or perhaps isn't ready to admit it.
When Ianto says the words as he's dying, Jack's 'don't' isn't that he doesn't want to hear it -- it's because he doesn't want to admit that he's screwed up and Ianto is dying by his hand. He wants Ianto to tell him when they're together, not because time is running out. He doesn't return the words because he doesn't want to say them just because Ianto is dying in his arms.
Taxon: [oi, this is getting long. *headdesk*]
Jack... doesn't know what to think now that he's back in Taxon. It's hard enough realising that he was here once before but having another set of memories stripped from him isn't doing his psyche any good. Part of him worries that in some place outside of Cardiff, Ianto doesn't want him -- and is why he has kept his distance. Stupid, perhaps, but when it comes to matters of the heart, Jack never claimed to be a genius.
He is, though, glad to have Ianto here with him. The awkwardness of losing memories and all that is starting to wear off and Jack's venturing out a lot more (at last). In a place of unknowns, Jack is a bit more cautious in all things than he usually is but that cautiousness is also starting to leave him and seeing Ianto respond to him as he is helps more than words can say.
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