Gwen was waiting for him after everyone else had left for the day, leaning casually against the Hub's entrance gate. She had her ankles crossed, her arms too, and her gaze lazily followed Myfanwy as she soared about overhead. Torchwood's newest was the very picture of nonchalance.

Jack didn't buy it for a second.

"Should I be worried?" he asked, strolling forward. Gwen's head snapped like he'd startled her and Jack didn't buy that either.

"Worried?"

"That one of my employees is waiting to get me alone." Jack grinned. "Unless you're looking for a discussion of the horizontal variety."

"That's funny, because if the CCTV is to be believed, you and Ianto prefer everything but a horizontal position."

"Such are the drawbacks of a busy job and too few beds. Remind me to order beds, would you?"

"Not a chance."

Stepping aside, Gwen revealed Jack's coat draped carefully over the gate's rung. She tossed it to him with a grin of her own.

"C'mon," she said.

"Where to?"

"Surprise."

Jack paused dramatically. "Do I need my gun?"

"I'm gonna need a gun if you don't get your butt through that door."

Jack went—but slowly, giving Gwen a real good look at the butt she seemed so eager to kick.

"Honestly," he heard her mutter.

Over the years Jack had gotten good at recognizing peaceful moments when they came along and he'd gotten even better at treasuring them. So surprises aside, the trip was already perfect when he got to relax into the passenger's seat, Gwen at the wheel, his aching feet propped up on the dash.

"Put your feet down, you animal."

Almost perfect.

"Seriously, Gwen." Jack yawned. "Where are we heading?"

"You'll seriously see."

"Are you kidnapping me?"

"Nope."

"A pity."

Jack drew squiggles on the window as Gwen kept her hands at the proper ten and two positions. They both sniffled as their bodies adjusted from cold, rainy air to the car's stuffy heat. Jack yawned again.

"… are we there yet?" he asked.

"No."

"Are we there yet now?"

"You're five."

"Close—a hundred and five, but I can see how my boyish good looks might throw you off."

"Oh shut it already."

Gwen cranked on the radio and Jack did just that—shut it. He put his feet back up on the dash though too. Gwen glared and Jack was suddenly so damn thankful that he could recognize that as an endearment, he put his feet back down again without being asked.

Together, they hummed along to the music.

"Here we are."

Gwen spoke barely ten minutes later, right around when Jack was closing his eyes and unclenching his limbs. To most it would have looked like he was drifting off to sleep. Truthfully, relaxed and warm was the closest he got to sleep nowadays and he was pretty reluctant to pull himself out of it. Especially when their destination didn't seem to include food, or sex, or some mysterious quirk of the universe.

Jack blinked at the building through his foggy window. "A department store?"

"You got something against department stores?"

"Well no—no, no, no—I have rather fond memories of a Bed Bath & Beyond back in the states where I… Gwen?"

He'd thought that comment had sounded oddly defensive. Jack turned to find Gwen fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie, zip-ziping up and down with her eyes glued straight ahead. It was a nervous tick she'd probably picked up from Tosh (who liked to do the same with the zipper of her purse). Jack gently covered Gwen's hand with his own. This time she really did startle.

"What's wrong?"

"You know we've got a guest bedroom in that apartment of ours?" She asked instead, still looking forward.

"I didn't actually."

"Well we do. It's not much I'll admit, just room enough for a bed and another piece or two, but it's decent by most standards. Cozy even. I've always thought so at least. I like it."

"That's great." Gwen was babbling and Jack squeezed a bit to try and ground her. Slowly, she drew in a deep breath and turned, giving him a tenuous smile.

"Right. So it's like this. The whole thing's probably a bit daft of me but… well. It's not like we're gonna be using the room a lot anyway, huh? Rhys and I have our own space and even if one of us gets pissy, the other always ends up on the couch. My mum and dad book a hotel whenever they visit and Rhys's mum won't be visiting much if we've both got anything to say about it. Our friends…" Gwen took another breath. "C'mon, Jack. Rhys' mates are the type to crash on a park bench somewhere, drunk off their asses, and I've just got you lot… how many people you figure are actually gonna sleep there?"

"None?" Jack laughed. "So what? Do whatever it is you normal couples do with extra space. Turn it into an office, or a craft room, or a freaking sex dungeon—minus the basement bit. Hell, save it for when you two have kids." His hand strayed to Gwen's stomach. "Is that what this is? You want help picking out baby furnishings?"

Gwen snorted. "I've seen how you decorated that office of yours. No, Jack." Her face grew serious. "It's for you."

"What is?"

"The room." Gwen whirled in her seat, taking his hands this time. "The guest room is yours, okay? An actual bedroom where you can go and…" she shrugged. "I don't know. Do whatever you need to do. Whatever you want to do. It's a private space, Jack. Fuck. You can't stay in the Hub twenty-four seven. You don't even have a place to sleep there."

Jack pulled away. "I don't sleep," he snapped.

"I know! Just—" Gwen threw up her hands. "It's not…"

"What?"

"Not…"

"Normal?"

"Oh nothing we do is normal, don't start with that."

With a huff Gwen sat back and Jack was left staring out the window again. A room? He only realized he was making fists when his knuckles cracked in the otherwise silent car. Jack slowly unfurled his fingers and watched as the skin tightened against his bones.

A room?

"And what does your fiancé think about this little arrangement?" He said. It didn't come out kindly.

"Rhys agreed." Jack's head snapped back to look at Gwen again. "Oh I know." She nodded. "No one was more surprised by that than me. Even said it was a decent idea after some talking through because… well, because Tosh has her library, Jack. And Owen's addicted to ridiculous soaps on that flat screen of his. Even Ianto leaves at the end of the day and god knows he's the only one who spends as much time in the Hub as you." Gwen drew out a key from her pocket, practically shoving it at him. "We all have our space. We just want you to have somewhere to come home to."

Feeling numb, Jack took the key and shuddered when the cold metal first touched his skin.

"You realize I have more than enough money for a place of my own?" He murmured.

"Not the point, Jack."

"And you…" He cleared his throat. "You're sure about this?"

Gwen gave him a withering look. "Would I have dragged you all the way out here for drapes and shit if I wasn't?"

Jack gave a startled laugh. "Well then." Shaking his head he tossed the key, caught it, and slipped into his coat with far more reverence than his actions suggested. Leading the way he stepped firmly out of the car and into the rain.

Jack leaned on the hood and watched as Gwen rose hesitantly to join him. She let the zipper of her hoodie drop.

"You're astounding, you know that?" He asked.

"I do." Gwen slipped her arm through his. "Don't mind the reminder though."

"I'll work on reminding you then."

The set off towards the store with one half of Jack holding onto Gwen, the other half holding onto her gift.

"Drapes, huh?" he asked.

"And anything else you want. You can paint it, get new furniture… it's your room, Jack."

"My room." Grinning, he held up a finger. "Roomies, huh. Does this mean I get to listen in on you and Rhys having sex?"

"…"

"I mean, you can listen in whenever I bring someone back too, if you want. It's only fair."

"Fair," Gwen growled as she shoved him through the door. Jack went, laughing. "What we're buying is some soundproofing."

(And then we're going home.)