Ianto's touch hesitates slightly as John tenses, but he doesn't pull away. The point is the contact, an attempt to anchor his words in a way that they might not stick otherwise, so he shifts his touch as the other man moves to stand again, but he doesn't pull away. He doesn't quite know how to do these things -- his experience with touch is really only with Jack. With Lisa. Lisa who he'd thought he'd be married to one day. Jack who was always crossing the line in some way or another. But he can certainly try. Ianto may not be able to see John's eyes, but John can certainly see his, and he should be able to see the worried expression in them. For him.

"You do know what impossible means, don't you?" he asks, softly. Squeezing his hand on John's arm, the corners of his lips turning in a slight smile to show he doesn't mean to be too harsh in his words as he continues, "Or am I going to have to fight you on that as well?"