Jack hadn't known that Ianto had planned anything special, of course, for that was the nature of a surprise. Jack took for granted their arrangement, his and Ianto's. He took for granted the idea that he and Ianto had dinner together every night and that it was something that he really honestly did look forward to. It's just been so long since he's been in a relationship, or anything that might be honestly defined as that. It really does slip his mind that he might need to check in with Ianto before making plans of his own. Ianto is an independent guy himself, after all. They have meals on their own all the time, when one is working. Of course, neither of them is working now...

Jack is, instead, chatting up a very beautiful woman over a tumbler of whiskey at the space bar, and really honestly enjoying himself. Not that he wouldn't be with Ianto. He loves any and all time with Ianto. Hell, it isn't even like he's particularly hiding what he's doing from the other man right now. It honestly slipped his mind to check in. He hadn't known that he would be missing anything. Hadn't thought it would matter. How little did he know. Jack Harkness is really bad at this relationship thing, after all. It's a wonder he's gotten this far so smoothly without disappointing the other man in some way or another.

Jack stops his conversation with Luthien when he spots Ianto from across the room. It doesn't occur to him that Ianto might be looking for him for any reason other than to just look for him. Certainly not because he might have missed anything himself. He hasn't heard from him beyond the earlier text about when he was getting off work, after all. There's no hint from the start that anything is awry. And Ianto's still far enough away that he doesn't notice the other man might be upset about anything.

He excuses himself to Luthien and stands, waving Ianto over with a smile. Someone is oblivious as to the situation brewing in front of him, and his name would be Captain Jack Harkness.

Okay, so that is a warning sign. Not only does he not join them, but the look that Ianto shoots him is pure acid. And that is definitely not good. He shoots Luthien a look of apology and without wasting another moment is off across the floor and after Ianto.

"Ianto? Hold on a minute. Ianto, wait!" He manages to catch up with him just outside the space bar, reaching to grab his arm and keep him from running away any further. He's only just a little out of breath and looking very confused, and he really honestly doesn't understand that look Ianto gave him, or is still giving him for that matter. "Ianto?"

Uh oh. Jack doesn't know what he expected Ianto to say to him here, but whatever it was, it wasn't this. Ianto is quite obviously upset with him. Hell, he's not only upset, he's hurt and angry, and this is all taking Jack completely out of left field. Had he intended to do any of that? Absolutely not. It seems like somehow he's ballsed it up, though.

"I..." If there's one thing to have Jack stumbling over his words, it's an angry lover. And not just any angry lover, but his angry lover, angry at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that... I mean, we were only having a drink." He shakes his head, spreading his hands in front of him in a defensive and placating gesture. "I didn't think that you...would care." Which sounds pretty horrible, in retrospect. Oh well.

The time away hasn't convinced Jack to be angry at Ianto, though it has put a lot of questions in his mind, and set him down a downward spiraling train of thought that is doing him absolutely no favors. Without Ianto there with him, without Ianto in his bed and in his life, he is left alone to his own thoughts, which has never really been good for him. So the state of mind that Ianto finds Jack in, when he finally tracks Jack down in the shuttle bay several days after their argument, after several days away from each other, is sober. Depressive is perhaps not quite the right word, but. He knows that Ianto is too good for him. He's known it for a long time. He should have known that he'd eventually do something to screw it up. It's what he did, after all. He had a near perfect track record of ruining everything that meant the most to him, after all.

He thinks about being petty, about lashing out about whether Ianto's sure he wants to talk, considering how avidly he'd been avoiding him up until this point, but he holds his tongue. He wants to make up with he other man. He needs Ianto to forgive him, selfishly. So instead he nods, his eyes guarded as he responds, "...yeah. Sure." He motions to the spot beside him, although he has no idea whether Ianto means here or what.

Jack curls his fingers around Ianto's, treasuring the gesture for the peace offering that it is. It helps. Reminds him of more than a few occasions where Ianto had come to join him on some rooftop or another in a similar fashion back in Cardiff, and that comforts as well. Even if he's not certain that he truly deserves it, right now.

He looks down at their hands and shakes his head at Ianto's words. He's not sure that he deserves the apology either. He was thoughtless, and it hurt someone he cares about deeply. Someone he loves. He can offer all the excuses in the world but that fact still stands. "...I didn't mean to hurt you," he says, after a moment of silence. "I would never mean to hurt you." He takes in a breath before letting it out slowly. "Guess you could say I just have a natural talent for it, even so."

Communication. A word representing a concept that Jack is almost as bad at as he's bad at relationships. Or perhaps that's why he isn't in the first place. Communication means opening yourself up in ways that Jack has honestly never been comfortable with. He's been hurt one too many times to ever truly open up, without at least a little hesitation, without a small voice inside of him trying to convince him how much of a bed idea whatever he might say was going to be.

"I would never ask for much," he says, because even the idea of it is making him uncomfortable, but he'll talk. He owes Ianto this much, especially now. "Certainly not anything you can't give. And I..." Damn, this isn't easy though. "Anything I have to give is yours." It doesn't answer Ianto's questions. But it's at least a step in the right direction at least, he knows.

He shakes his head for a moment, before he raises his head to look Ianto in the eyes, returning his gaze. He has realized that they've never talked about exclusivity. They don't really talk about much of anything to do with the pair of them. And he hadn't thought that there was much of an issue with that. Ianto hadn't seemed to have an issue with that, at least. But it was true. Two days ago, it proved that there are things to address between the pair of them, whether they like it or not.

"We never talk about a lot of things," Jack points out, before his gaze falls. He can't look Ianto in the eyes while he continues. "Maybe that's my fault." No, it probably is his fault. He pauses for a long moment, his eyes fixed on their hands, since he can't quite bring himself to look at those eyes again just yet. "...I'm not good at this, Ianto. But I'm willing to try. For you. So." He takes in another deep breath. "Whatever. Whatever you need. Definition, boundaries. I. I can try."