Thank you! The slowly-growing intimacy and ability (and desire) to trust each other is the entire point of this fic. I didn't want it to be too abrupt; I wanted to show how they get to where they'll end up at the end, so you buy the changes.

And to think I'd considered cutting out that part! I confess I quite enjoy opera, and I thought it rather fit Jack's personality to enjoy it too... or maybe I'm projecting, heh. The original conversation about opera was a bit longer, but I didn't think it really fit the story, so it got condensed into a throwaway bit of humour. =D And on a totally un-fic-related note, are there any operas you'd recommend I try and watch? My all-time favourite's still Offenbach's Orphée aux enfers (which is why that's what Ianto and Jack went to see back in Part Six!).