He had never looked at her before; not in the way she had wanted him to at least. They had worked together for five years, side by side, till all hours of the night, and she couldn't help the feelings she had for him. She couldn't call it love. She wouldn't. You can't love Owen Harper, because he could never love you back.

Every day, she was forced to stand by and watch him go through woman after woman. He never stayed with the same one for more than a couple of days, and usually no more than one night. One night stands, that was his thing. Granted, it was hard for anyone to keep up a normal relationship with this job, but for him it was fun. He enjoyed the bar scene: picking up women too drunk to walk straight, taking them home to his flat, and then kicking them out in the morning. It was like a game to him.

Tosh knew this all too well. She had berated herself many times for being stupid enough to develop feelings for Owen, but it never helped. She couldn't help caring for him. She would watch him as he worked. He often licked his lips when he was examining a fresh alien body,, and she wondered how it would feel to be able to kiss those lips, to have them pressed against hers. She thought it would be the most wonderful thing in the world.

She didn't mind when he made fun of her and her computers, as long as he talked to her. As long as he noticed her. Somehow, she always kept up the hope that he would one day look at her the same way she looked at him. It was a foolish hope. She knew he never would . . . Never could feel the same way about her. He barely looked at her at all.

Until today.

At first, Tosh thought she was imagining it. Seeing what she wanted to see because she had been dreaming about it for too long. But then it continued happening. He kept looking at her, glancing quickly in her direction when he thought she wasn't looking. She was so confused. She had no idea what to make of this. Once, they made eye contact, and he smiled at her. At this, Tosh blushed and looked away quickly, smiling down into her keyboard. Could this really be happening? After waiting so long, could this be true?

Tosh got up and walked to the archive room to file something away. Normally, Ianto does this, but he was kinda busy shagging the captain, up in his office. Every one knows not to disturb them if the office blinds are drawn. Gwen made that mistake once and it almost scarred her for life. Made a great inside joke for the rest of them though; they mocked her for months after that little incident.

She typed in her key code and disappeared behind the file room door, closing it behind her. It was going to take forever for her to find the one box she was looking for out of the millions of others lining the shelves in the room. She jumped suddenly when she heard the door slam closed. When she poked her head around the shelf she had been searching through to see who it was, she was surprised to see Owen.

"Hey," she said shyly, "need something filed?"

"Yes. I mean . . . I mean, no," He stammered. "I've been hoping to get you alone all day."

"Why?"

"I think you know why." He took a step towards her.

"No . . . I really don't. I'm quite confused right now, Owen." Tosh began to blush profusely.

He continued to step towards her, slowly. They were inches apart now. She could feel his soft breath on her skin. She could barely breath; her chest felt tight. He was so close. Too close. She couldn't think.

Before she could even blink, he had closed the small gap between them and kissed her. When their lips met, her eyes widened in surprise before closing tightly as she leaned in to the kiss. One hand on her waist, Owen raised the other to tangle his fingers in her long, dark hair. Tosh wrapped her arms around him, pulling him even closer. Then she pushed him away. When she looked at him, his eyes were full of confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stroking her face with his hand.

Reluctantly, Tosh grabbed ahold of his hand to stop the stroking. "I know you, Owen. You don't care for people; you don't have relationships. I don't want to be just another woman in your long line of conquests."

"You don't understand, Tosh," Owen began. You're not a conquest. You're not the same as them. I know it took me a long time to realize it, and I know I hurt you in the process but I care for you . . . deeply."

"Owen . . . no matter how much I want to, how can you expect me to believe that you've changed, just like that, after more than five years of one night stands?"

"I know, I know. I was a complete ass before. But when you almost died in that weevil attack last week . . . When I almost lost you, I couldn't bare the though of it. I need you, Tosh. I want you." And he kissed her again.

Tosh sank into the kiss before regaining her strength of will and pushing him back once more.

"Prove it," She said simply. And Owen disappeared, back into the hub, with a determined look on his face. He had never before wanted anything in his life more than he wanted this.