I've missed Doctor Who and Torchwood.. So enjoy this little oneshot =) I suppose it's set just before the finale, but perhaps a little AU.
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Tosh sat at her desk in the quiet, empty Hub, frowning down at the alien symbols she was trying to translate. She was close to a breakthrough, she could feel it. She'd written out all the common roots, the symbols which occurred most often, the similarities with other scripts from that part of the galaxy - she'd been through all of the usual processes, so it could only be a matter of time before its secrets were revealed. She gradually became aware of a presence close by her. Looking up, she realised Owen was leaning against the column her computer was attached to, watching her. She smiled uncertainly, her eyes flickering back down to the papers spread across her desk.
"I thought you'd gone home," Owen accused.
"I thought you had," she countered.
"I was reading a bedtime story to Janice," he joked dryly, and Toshiko smiled. Owen seemed to hold her gaze for a moment. "You look even sexier with those glasses," he remarked, sounding almost nervous.
Tosh's eyes flicked between her desk and his face; she had no idea how to respond. When he was quiet for several seconds she went back to her translation awkwardly. Hang on...what if some of it was character-based and some of it pictoral? She sat up straighter in her seat, leaning over them intently. All her mind was focused on the symbols; this seemed to represent their home planet - this one was similar but was much plainer - was it, perhaps, the Earth?
"Have you done it?" Owen's words almost made her jump; she hadn't noticed, but he had moved around to her right and was leaning on his right hand on the desk. His left hand in his pocket.
"Nearly," she replied. "I think so, anyway. It seems to be partly character-based and partly based on pictures." She pointed at the symbols as she mentioned them. "I think this one represents their home planet, and this one is very similar so I think this one means Earth. I think these two in-between are travel and fear, because fear is up here as well after the picture which seems to introduce them, because it's the same as the one in the centre of their planet." She looked up at him, her excitement showing on her face.
Owen saw the passion on her face; her eyes were shining, her whole face was lit up…She looked beautiful. Why had it taken him so long to see it? She looked so passionate when she was doing something like this that she loved.
She'd stopped talking; uncertainty was taking over her face. Why had she stopped talking? He suddenly wanted that spark back in her eye. "Carry on," he said softly.
"That's all I've done so far," she said through a nervous half-laugh as she avoided his eyes. She was acutely aware of him watching her as she looked at the pictures, ruining her concentration. His proximity was daunting; he was almost touching her.
"Come for a drink," he requested suddenly.
Tosh paused, torn between wanting to push on for a breakthrough, wanting to go out for a drink with him, and too shy to be comfortable with it. "I'm really close to understanding this," she explained.
"Take it with you."
"What if somebody sees?"
"They'll assume it's some random code from the internet. Come on Tosh, I'm not even asking you to stop working, just come for a drink for Christ's sake."
"Alright," she said, nodding. She gathered her papers up into a pile and dropped them into her handbag, before walking over to the invisible lift with him.
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If I get chance I may write them while they're out, but it may be a while. Love y'all!