A/N: Hi again! So sorry for the long wait! Had to move apartments, and found myself without internet access for a week or so - I know, the horror! All sorted now though :) Time to celebrate with an update! And I have to say, thank you so much to ALL of you who read and reviewed Tosh's piece! It was so inspiring to hear all your lovely comments, I was really overwhelmed by the enormous response! I really hope that I can keep living up to it! I'm also glad to hear that some of you listened to the song from which this is inspired... it's so beautiful! I had a load of fun writing Owen's point of view, oh if I could get inside his head... And I forgot to mention last time - if you hadn't worked it out, each chapter will be structured into two pieces, from two different episodes. The first part will be a moment where the character first notices Jack's affection for Ianto, and the second part will be where they are absolutely sure :) So, without any further rambling... Part II: Owen contains spoilers for 2x01 "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" and 2x09 "Something Borrowed". Enjoy! :)


I Won't Send Roses

And should I love you
You would be
The last to know

I. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Owen wasn't stupid.

First of all, he was Dr. Owen Harper – emphasis on the Dr. It could raise anyone's opinions in a heartbeat. But he was much more than that – he was, after all, working with bloody aliens. Oh, and he got to save lives – but in this job, if he wanted to be accurate, and not at all boastful... he got to save the entire world.

Admittedly, Owen wasn't the most observant of people when it came to things like... love or whatever. But he wasn't completely blind – he'd been around the block enough to know the signs of someone having sex.

And even Owen could spot the sexual tension between Jack and Ianto.

It was there, behind all of the knowing looks that Jack sent Ianto's way, thrown into the small touches that they shared. All of the things that Owen did when he was trying to pick someone up – if he could be bothered putting such an effort into it. Alcohol – or that alien spray – worked perfectly adequately. But Owen didn't really want to concern himself with the sexual politics of Torchwood – not anymore, anyway. After Suzie, after Gwen... after Diane. He didn't need all that.

And, something which went hand in hand with sex – for Owen, at least – was the bitter taste of the break up.

While Jack was gone... someone who didn't know Ianto wouldn't have noticed any changes. He still kept the place running perfectly, kept himself looking immaculate, and even picked up the tricky, extra work that Jack usually dealt with.

But Owen could see it. The whole team could. When Owen tried to slip back into their usual witty exchanges – okay, maybe it was a bit of a weird way of trying to cheer Ianto up – he just knew that Ianto's heart wasn't fully in it. His dry retorts were forced, the practiced eyebrow and smile had become painful. Well, Ianto was certainly trying, but it just wasn't the same.

Maybe Owen did feel sorry for Ianto. The tiniest bit.

That, and – although he'd have to be threatened with every single alien virus he'd encountered to ever admit it – Owen had developed a new respect for Ianto. When... when Diane had left, Owen had shut down. Completely. Didn't even care if he was mauled by a weevil. Was 'off', Ianto had put it rather generously. But Ianto... he kept going, kept working. Somehow.

And then Jack came back.

Sauntered back in, as if he'd never left.

His casual remark of "Hey kids, you miss me?" was thrown at them, but they were too frozen, too stunned to answer. Was it just Owen, or had Jack looked directly at Ianto, for the briefest moment, when he'd spoken? Owen watched as Ianto's work mask slipped into place immediately, a signal to them all that they still had a job to do – there was still blood covering Owen's hands.

Jack's next try at a conversation – "How did you manage without me?" – went similarly unanswered, at least with words. Owen let out a noisy breath and gave Gwen 'the look', before gathering his medical kit together. Arrogant bastard. He wasn't even doing anything useful. As if Jack could read Owen's thoughts, he stepped over to the Blowfish and raised an eyebrow at Ianto.

"Ianto. Want to help me carry this punk to the SUV?"

The air around them stumbled as Ianto flinched, his back straightening uncomfortably, and – silence. Whether Ianto didn't want to speak, or couldn't – Owen suspected a bit of both – there was no chance of Jack getting an answer. Oh, Tea-boy would owe him for this one.

Brushing past Ianto lightly, Owen made his way over to Jack and jerked his head at the Blowfish. Jack swallowed and cast his eyes down to the Blowfish's slimy, black brains staining the carpet.

Together they hauled it into the boot of the SUV, leaving a blotchy trail of black blood behind them.

There was no way in hell that Owen was letting Jack drive the SUV back to the Hub, and he was pleased to see that Gwen was being equally as stubborn in refusing to give up her front seat. Owen caught Ianto's eye, could sense the silent thanks being sent to him, and he gave him a short nod in return. Ianto then went on to plead with Tosh, using a series of complicated hand gestures – and his eyes really could be very puppy like – for her to sit between him and Jack. He must have won her over eventually, because Owen found himself staring at Jack through his rear vision mirror, sitting in the back seat behind him in the SUV, next to Tosh.

Jack wasn't returning his gaze, however. His eyes were continually flicking to his left, over the shorter Tosh – where Ianto was just as steadily ignoring him. Owen smirked quietly at Ianto's silent treatment, but somehow, it wasn't as sweet a victory as it should have been. Jack had completely lost his earlier arrogant swagger, which should be a good thing, but it was Jack that they were talking about – and a passive Jack was completely disconcerting. It had been snatched away from him, as quickly as the life had been snatched from the snarky Blowfish, and seemed to have left Jack in a pool of sinking realisation. All over a little lovers' tiff.

Owen couldn't miss the slight worrying of his bottom lip, or the flash of desperation in Jack's eyes before he finally turned himself away from Ianto. For the briefest moment, Jack penetrated Owen with a stare that was utterly unreadable – because honestly, when had Jack ever looked that anxious? – before he simply turned to look out the window.

Pure genius, really.

It was then that Owen vowed to try to be nicer to Ianto – because anyone who brought Captain Jack Harkness down that quickly without even saying anything was someone worth keeping around. That, and he was less likely to be put onto decaf.

What Jack didn't see was Ianto's reactions – albeit, he was a lot more subtle. Under the pretence of looking at Tosh's portable Rift Monitor, Ianto let his eyes wander over to Jack, showing even less in his expression than Jack. Owen rolled his eyes. God, they were worse than women. Shrugging all of their romantic problems away, Owen decided to celebrate his last time of driving the SUV for a while – a given, now that Jack had returned – by breaking a few speed limits.

After all, they were Torchwood.


II. Something Borrowed

It was all a normal day at the office for them, really. Seeing a fellow team member suddenly and unexpectedly impregnated – by an alien – before crashing a wedding, trying to stop said alien's mate from tearing apart the whole congregation, and after blowing the Nostrovite into a million pieces, finally celebrating the previously interrupted wedding, as if nothing had ever happened.

Yep, just another day.

For Owen, especially, there was something just so comforting about the whole day having gone to hell – it felt like old days. Before... before he died. During the mad rush of blood and guts and murderous aliens and less than 100% reliable alien technology – during all of this, he was almost able to forget that he was dead.

And Tosh – quietly accepting his offer of a dance, treating him just as she always did. Owen didn't even care that much when he suggested he buy Tosh a drink, knowing full well that he would never be able to buy himself a drink ever again. The blinding smile on her face made it worth it.

Standing together in amiable silence next to the bar, Owen turned his eyes back onto the dance floor. There was Jack, with Gwen – no surprises there. Of course Jack, with his firm macho and traditional mindset, would be first in line to snag Gwen from Rhys. And – was that Ianto? Owen snorted. What on earth did Ianto want to dance with Gwen for? Not that Owen could speak, but Ianto didn't particularly seem like the dancing type.

But – ah. That explained it.

Ianto was dancing with Jack.

Owen felt a soft smile sliding onto his face before he quickly hid it. He had to hand it to Ianto – he really did have balls. Dancing, in front of everyone, when he hated to do so much as flirt with Jack in the team's presence.

However, the fact that Ianto was actually brave enough to go up to Jack and dance – not to mention interrupting Jack's dance with Gwen! – wasn't even the most surprising thing to Owen.

No.

The most surprising thing... was Jack.

One of Jack's hands was cradling the small of Ianto's back, and the other clutched Ianto's own hand close to his chest. Matching this was the way their cheeks brushed against each other's, and how Jack's foot was nudging between Ianto's ever so slightly...

It was the perfect picture of... affection.

They graced slowly around on the spot, effortlessly in sync with both the music and each other. Jack's eyes were closed, his lips trembling into an achingly beautiful smile. It was completely mind-numbing to see such nakedness in his expression that Owen couldn't do anything but stare at them. Beside him, he sensed that Tosh was watching too.

The spell broke somewhat when Jack pulled his head back fractionally to press a light kiss on Ianto's forehead. Owen, who usually made a point of feigning disgust whenever Jack showed any romantic public displays, didn't look away – it wasn't a kiss of lust, or even anything remotely sexual.

It was... the exact opposite.

Owen shook his head and blinked, and decided he should really be annoyed at Jack and Ianto for making him feel compelled to watch them. But he couldn't muster the feeling. Instead, Owen turned to Tosh, and shared a knowing smile with her.

"Looks like someone's drunk some liquid courage tonight, then," Owen commented with a grin. Tosh gave him an exaggerated "Tut!" and didn't bother concealing her own smile at the sight of the pair. It was one of her secret smiles, like when she'd figured out something technologically brilliant. Owen wished he'd paid more attention to her smiles.

He made do with paying for her drink.

Tosh took her drink with a different smile – of thanks – and took a small sip.

"Almost makes you jealous, doesn't it," Tosh said softly, without any trace of jealousy. Without any remorse, even. "To see what they have."

Owen let his eyes flick back quickly to Jack and Ianto – back to their perfect dancing – and he gave an amused eye-roll. Jealous of the Tea-boy and the Captain... who would have thought.

On another day – a day where Owen would most likely have been injected with high doses of oestrogen, for all the soppiness of it – Owen might have admitted that seeing Jack and Ianto together gave him hope. Hope for the world. Hope for him.

But, of course, such a day would be unlikely to occur, and so Owen kept that particular errant thought to himself. It must be all this wedding stuff, getting to his head. He did have a reputation to uphold, after all.

Instead, he just contented himself with a certain piece of knowledge.

Because Owen knew, then.

Knew that however rare it was to see Jack holding onto someone as if that person were his lifeline – his whole life – it did happen. Knew that amongst all the darkness that the Rift sent their way, somehow, impossibly, Jack still had it in himself to connect and melt and fuse with someone.

Owen knew that Jack loved Ianto, even if it was only visible as often as one woke up and found themselves nine months pregnant.


-End.

How did you like that? Now that I've had my fun with Tosh and Owen, who shall be next... :D