That was certainly the case, Jack knew, though it helped to hear Ianto say it. Even being this 'popcorn society' as Jack affectionately called it, Jack still had a certain fondness for the 21st century human. They were a resilient bunch to be sure and Jack admired them for it. "If you consider the apparent side-effects to be a step-up that is," Jack pointed out. His face broke into a grin, a certain heat entering his eyes as he looked up at the man perched on the edge of his desk. Didn't matter if things existed between them or not. Jack would always have a weakness for the category of 'Welsh geek', present company definitely included. "That is saying something," Jack replied, drawing his lower lip into his mouth. "I do have excellent methods of persuasion at my disposal." And, no, not all of them were sexual. Really.
There was a feeling beginning to settle in the pit of Jack's stomach that said they were plucked from two different times. It had already existed, yes, but now the feeling had been given a voice. Ianto seemed to know more than Jack did (not uncommon nor unwelcome, just strange), but also not parting with the information either. The hand over his was comforting as Jack's mind sought to find memories he knew didn't exist. The whole idea of transferring memories via osmosis was still a few centuries off. Shame it didn't exist now -- Jack would have given anything to know what was in Ianto's mind each time the hand over his tightened ever so slightly.
The longer they sat in silence, one thing became rather clear to Jack. It wasn't the desire to see things that weren't there in regards to them, Jack knew with fair certainty. Jack had always been able to read Ianto, even from the first time they had met. Granted, he hadn't seen the cyberwoman incident coming so he was no mind-reader, but he knew Ianto was grappling with something. It was the something, however, that Jack couldn't figure out. What was this place? The source of endless puzzles for Jack that seemed to have no solution, sent here to annoy the piss out of him? Rift was having a wonderful lark with this. Frustrate Jack Harkness to the ends of the universe and back, the epicentre for frustration coming in one Los Angeles. Fantastic. Or was it something else? Something that had existed between the two of them?
"Vagueness doesn't suit you, Ianto," Jack chided softly, rising from his chair. "And, yes, it does help to know. Last thing I remember was Tosh trying to speak to Tommy. I assumed something either went very right or very wrong when I landed here. Glad to know it was the former, though not exactly sure why something going right would flip me away from Cardiff. Or you, for that matter." He stood, placing his hands on either side of Ianto's hips, resting against the desk. There really was no such thing as 'personal space' when it came to Jack. "Not looking half-bad? That's almost an insult," Jack teased lightly. "And here I was going to compliment you on looking good in a suit. But there goes that, no matter how many times you say it's harassment." Jack paused, drawing his lips into a line.
"There is, however, something you left off. Did I ever get that date you agreed to?"