Jack perhaps ought not take comfort from that statement, but it would be a lie to say he didn't, just a little. He understood that need. And it really was a need. It wasn't just a passing desire, it was something deep inside. Or at least that's how it was for him.

The movement spurred Jack slightly, and he gripped him just that little big tighter. He turned his head and pressed his lips just gently to the Doctor's forehead.

"You know the last few years," he said in a whisper. "What I'd do, if I felt like this. I came and talked to you. I'd sit there holding your hand and just... talk."