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Eleven.
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Cedric Diggory: "Hufflepuff's are particularly good finders!"
Albus Dumbledore: "What the hell is a Hufflepuff?"
A Very Potter Musical.
"Jack! Just fucking lay off okay?" Owen yelled and Jack froze instantly, removing his hand from Owen's back.
"Umm… Sorry." He said, confused as to what exactly the issue was.
Owen clenched his fists, "I just… I just need some space okay? You're so… In my face. Just give me some space." He growled before turning and stalking off, down to the med bay. Ianto, who'd looked up at the commotion, gave Jack a worried look but turned back to his work.
Tosh, however, walked over to Jack, "What's Owen screaming about now?" She asked, her tone amused as she pulled Jack down the corridor, heading in the direction of the hot house for some privacy.
"He wants some space. Apparently I'm in his face, whatever that means." Jack explained, his face twisted with confusion, Owen had been fine all morning, maybe he was just tired? Or that alien poison wasn't completely out of his system… Oh god. "Tosh! What if -"
"You've been a bit full on this morning Jack." Tosh interrupted before Jack could go into a full scale panic attack, her expression was calm as she placed her hand on Jack's arm, "Following Owen around, checking he's okay…"
"He could have died yesterday!" Jack defended, what was wrong with wanting to keep an eye on Owen exactly?
"I know… But Owen's not really comfortable with that much emotion being displayed, you know that."
Jack winced, knowing the woman was right, he'd been so obsessed with making sure Owen was okay that he hadn't noticed how uncomfortable he was making the man, "I should go apologise right?"
"Maybe in a bit." Tosh agreed, leaning against the wall, "He's happy you care Jack… It's just Owen's a bit… Emotionally retarded."
"Toshiko!" Jack snapped, "That's a horrible thing to say!"
"It's true though." Tosh shrugged, "He can't cope with people caring…"
Jack gave a small nod, unable to deny the truth, "Last night… After he got bitten… He said, or nearly said, that he loved me."
Tosh's eyes widened in surprise before she frowned, "Nearly said?"
"I stopped him."
"Why?" Tosh demanded, her tone furious.
Jack blinked, that was a pretty good question, "I guess because… He only said because he thought he was dying, and I didn't want to even admit that that was a possibility." He murmured, "I do care about him Tosh, and if he were to say it now then…"
"Would you say it back?"
Jack frowned, "I don't know. Maybe not, probably not. I find it difficult to say. It doesn't mean I don't feel…" He trailed off, did he feel it? Of course he did… He loved Owen, was in love with Owen… "It's not easy Tosh… I always lose them. Bringing proper emotions into it, it hurts more… Sometimes it's easier to kid myself that it's just physical, no strings attached…"
Tosh looked at him sympathetically, "I can't imagine what it must be like…" She murmured before smiling, trying to lighten the mood, "Guess you and Owen make a good couple then, if you both struggle with emotions."
Jack chuckled lightly whilst thinking that Tosh was wrong, he could deal with emotions, it was just knowing that, ultimately, those emotions would lead to pain that was the issue. And Owen was alright with emotions too, it was just that he was so used to being independent… And a whole childhood of having that bitch of a mother tell him he didn't deserve love and friendship probably hadn't helped, Jack thought darkly. Okay so Owen needed his space at times, but he could also be incredibly needy, like the other night when he spent hours fishing for compliments, wanting to know why Jack wanted him. Or the numerous times after work when he tried to subtly, tried to being the operative word, subtlety was not Owen's strong point, see if Jack thought he'd done a good job. And then there were all the times when he would ask Jack if he trusted Owen… If he thought Owen was good at this… Or could Owen ever do that? Jack thought that Tosh understood Owen, thought she'd spent so long watching him, wanting him, that she knew exactly how his mind worked but apparently not, but then again did Jack himself understand the man? After all it was him who had upset Owen just now… Jack was yanked from his thoughts as one of the alarms went off and he and Tosh raced back into the main room.
"There's a giant rift flare, covering the whole city. It didn't show up on the predictors though." Ianto explained with a frown. Jack nodded, storing that information away, the rift was becoming more and more unpredictable lately, big flares coming out of nowhere and then quieting down for weeks at a time. Like now, they'd already had a big flare yesterday, that would usually mean they weren't due another for months.
"Nothing much we can do if it's the whole city." He pointed out, "And the police will still be on alert from yesterday so…" Jack shrugged, "We just wait I guess. And run CCTV scans for Weevils as usual." He added, the creatures could feel the rift somehow, sense it in a way and when a big flare happened they got rather upset, running above ground, attacking people. Jack watched as Tosh and Ianto begin to input the codes for the CCTV, then he turned and followed Owen down to the med bay. "Sorry about this morning, I guess I was worried, I shouldn't have crowded you though." Jack murmured, "I'll lay off."
Owen looked up, "I'm sorry I yelled." He said as he sliced open a Fredghakn.
"That's okay. Although you could have told me to back off sooner, not let it get to the point where you were that tense." Jack said gently, watching with disgust as Owen used a scalpel to lift up the creatures intestines for a better look.
"Didn't want to upset you." Owen's voice was quiet as he sliced off some of the gunge inside the Fredghakn and put it into a small container to run tests on later.
Jack gave a small smile, "You getting upset by putting up with something you don't like just so you don't upset me… That's what upsets me." He said, hoping that made sense because it sounded stranger out loud than it did in his head.
Apparently Owen knew what he meant though as he said, "I'll bear that in mind."
"So… Maybe I can come to yours tonight? If it's not too… In your face." Jack smirked.
Owen rolled his eyes, "No flirting over dead alien bodies Jack." He snorted, "But yes, you're coming over to mine. We're going to the pub with Jones first though, I owe him a drink and he owes me a story."
"A story?"
"Hmm, after you fell asleep on me last night he started to tell me about some major thing they did at T1 to annoy Hartman." Owen explained as he removed the Fredghakn's heart, "But I passed out before he finished."
Jack pulled a face, "Poor you." He said absently, watching as Owen continued to dissect the creature on the table, "Anyway… I'll leave you to it."
"For someone who's lived so long you don't half get queasy about small things." Owen laughed as Jack bounded up the steps, "Oh and ask Ianto about the Pub, I forgot."
"Yes Sir!" Jack mock saluted and then headed over to Ianto before Owen could give a smart reply.
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"Argh!"
Ianto rolled his eyes and chucked an empty coke can into the bin, watching as Jack looked under Tosh's desk, "What's wrong?"
Jack pulled a face, "Can't find my keys."
"Hufflepuff's are particularly good finders." Ianto said distractedly as he tried to balance several thing at once.
The comment made Owen laugh, "Tea boy! You're awesome!"
Jack frowned, "What the hell is a Hufflepuff?" He asked, which for some reason sent the two men into hysterics, proper rolling on the floor laughing hysterics. Jack contemplated asking what on earth was so funny but decided against it as he finally located his keys, "Are we going to the pub or what?"
"Pub!" Owen grinned, sitting up properly and wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Sounds good to me." Ianto agreed, "Who's watching the Hub?"
Jack pulled his coat on as he replied, "I am. I'll stay sober. It's Gwen's hen night so I don't want to disturb her and Tosh."
"Do you need me to stay sober too?" Ianto asked.
"Nah, I'll cope." Jack smiled, "Come on." He added, clicking his wrist strap a few times to re-route the rift alert. They went to the usual pub, nabbing the usual seats in the corner.
"To tea boy!" Owen said, holding up his glass, "For sorting the archives so well he can find an antidote when needed."
"Ianto." Jack smiled, clinking his glass with Owen's and making Ianto blush.
The Welshman gave a small smile, "You realise if you'd kept your archives in a suitable state in the first place you would have been able to find anything you needed." He pointed out.
"Oh shut up and accepted the praise." Owen laughed, flicking a beer mat at Ianto. "So we meeting this Scott of yours at the wedding?"
Ianto looked away, ducking his head, "We broke up." He muttered.
Jack blinked, he hadn't been expecting that but now that he thought about it, it made sense, what with Ianto dodging phone calls last night and what Tosh had said about them looking like they were rowing, "That's a shame. Maybe you'll figure it out?" He said, moving to take Owen's hand as he noticed the mild look of panic in the man's eyes, evidently Owen believed that Jack would ditch him now that Ianto was single again.
"I don't know." Ianto said quietly, fiddling with his glass, "I doubt it."
Jack felt Owen's hand tense under his own and he squeezed it gently, "What happened?" The medic asked, his voice sounding sympathetic but Jack could make out the under currents of worry.
"Just… Stuff. Never mind, another round?" Ianto asked, already standing up and grabbing the glasses.
Jack waited until the man was out of earshot, then he turned to Owen, "I'm not going anywhere." He murmured, kissing the man softly, "I'm with you, I want to be with you."
"But Ianto's single now…" Owen mumbled, chewing on his lip and looking surprisingly young.
Jack sighed, holding Owen's hands in his own. "Yes. Look I won't deny I want him… There's a lot of unfinished business between us and if he and Scott had broken up a few months ago, before you and I got serious, then I would probably be onto him like a shot. But you mean a lot to me Owen, I'm not giving you up."
Owen wrinkled his nose slightly, "But you'll always want him."
"You knew that." Jack pointed out gently.
"I guess… It's just easier to deal with when he's committed to someone else." Owen said quietly.
Jack moved to kiss Owen's head, wishing he could do something to make the man less insecure. "I'm not going anywhere." He repeated quietly as Ianto walked back over with more drinks.
A few hours later and Jack was starting to worry, whilst drunken Ianto was cute he did say some strange stuff, the main gist of it seemed to be that people always said they would change and yet they never did. "Some people do." Owen argued drunkenly, leaning against Jack's shoulder to keep himself steady.
"No. They just hurt you again." Ianto mumbled, jumping as Jack's phone rang, "Whassat?"
"That's my phone." Jack chuckled, "Hello?"
"Jack, It's Gwen, look there was something in the bar, I'm not sure what but we're following it now, we'll need your help."
"Where are you?" Jack asked, noting down the address quickly, "I'm on my way." He promised before hanging up. "Can you two get yourselves home?" He asked Owen and Ianto.
Owen gave a nod, "Yes boss." He slurred, kissing Jack quickly as Jack grabbed his coat.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Jack smiled, kissing Owen back before pulling away and smiling at Ianto, "See you."
"Night Jack." Ianto mumbled in reply and Jack gave a sad smile, wishing the man didn't look so unhappy, wishing there was something he could do about it.
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Jack slumped against the door as he knocked on it and so, when it was finally opened, he almost fell through it. "Jack." Owen said tiredly, with an almost perfectly arched eyebrow.
"You left."
"You were brooding. Thought you wanted space." Owen shrugged, "Come in." he added as an afterthought, walking down the hallway and to the living room. Jack closed the front door and followed the man, Owen was sat on the sofa by the time Jack reached him, he was slumped down, his legs spread out and his head dropped backwards against the cushion.
Jack sat next to him, "Sorry." He mumbled quietly.
Owen looked at him for a moment before yawning, "Nothing to be sorry for."
"I was an arse today…" Jack said, feeling guilty, "It's just weddings… They bring back memories."
"I know." And for the first time Jack noticed the sadness in Owen's eyes, then he remembered that Owen had been engaged to Katie, they'd probably been planning the wedding, not that it would have been anything like today's of course… But then again most weddings weren't like today's… Torchwood speciality.
Jack cleared his throat slightly, "I can go if you want… I didn't mean to intrude I just…"
"No, stay. I want you here." Murmured Owen, moving to wrap himself around Jack, "I miss her." He whispered after a while, "God knows how you manage Jack because it nearly kills me to have only lost a few people…"
Jack sighed, "The sad truth is you get used to it. It still hurts but… You're expecting it so at least it's not a surprise." He said bitterly, sighing again as Owen turned to look at him with a frown, Jack really didn't want to discuss this now, he didn't need a deep meaningful conversation.
Owen, beautiful perfect Owen, seemed to sense this and smiled, "I'm starving, have you eaten yet?"
"Nope."
"Chinese then?" Owen asked, already dialling the number. Jack flicked the TV channels as Owen gave their order, he felt strangely domesticated and yet equally as strangely okay with it. They watched old sit coms as they ate, happily chatting about everything and nothing, with Owen occasionally laughing and shoving Jack's foot off his leg as the man tried to slide it up, "No footsie when I'm eating! So not hygienic!" He chuckled putting the plastic container of food down and picking up his glass of beer.
Jack smiled, "You really are something special." He murmured, "You know I'm proud of you… You've come so far since this time last year…"
Owen flushed, ducking his head and scowling at Jack, "Shut up." He grumbled and Jack laughed, moving to kiss him. "Greasy lips." Owen complained, climbing off the sofa as his phone rang. Jack's eyes followed the younger man's arse as he walked over to pick it up, "Hello? Ianto… What? Are you okay? We'll be there now… What? Okay, okay, no Jack. I'll be there now. Just sit tight." Owen hung up the phone, turning to Jack with wide eyes.
"What's going on?" Jack asked, "Why doesn't he want me?"
"I don't know, he says he's hurt. Says it's personal. Look Jack I better go yeah… I'll call you as soon as I know what's going on." Owen promised and before Jack had a chance to argue he was gone, the front door slamming shut behind him.