AN: I eternally apologise for the delay and I promise to try better...
Please do keep reviewing x
Owen woke the next morning feeling more positive than he had in a while. As he sat up slowly in bed he heard a clattering noise coming from the kitchen so crept out of bed and made his way to the door. He wasn't the sort to keep baseball bats under the bed for these situations so he decided to just go out and face whoever was out there. Tiptoeing into the hall he peered down it and smirked when he spotted the intruder.
"Morning." He said, his voice still thick with sleep as he padded barefoot into the kitchen.
"Hey." Ianto looked over his shoulder at Owen, his eyes widening at the sight of him in just pyjama trousers.
Owen smiled. "Dare I ask how you got in?"
"I'm very resourceful." Ianto smirked. "No really I found your spare key outside. Hope you don't mind. But I wanted to make you breakfast." He explained.
"And you couldn't just knock on my door?" Owen teased.
"Tried that. For about twenty minutes. Then I let myself in." Ianto pointed out.
"Oh." Owen said simply. "Guess I slept well."
"So how are you feeling this morning?" Ianto asked going back to making two coffees.
"Good." Owen replied through a yawn. "You could have just stayed over." He commented.
"Hardly in keeping with the going slow." Ianto pointed out.
"I have a sofa." Owen remarked.
"Next time." Ianto conceded, handing Owen a mug.
Owen took a sip. "So." He said.
"So." Ianto echoed.
Owen grinned. "Right I'll get dressed then. What's for breakfast?"
"Coffee." Ianto replied.
"And then I'm taking you out for breakfast." Owen said.
"Owen?" Ianto said as the other man turned to leave.
Owen looked back and Ianto stepped forward and kissed him softly. "Morning." He smiled.
Owen grinned. "Good morning." He replied before disappearing back into his bedroom to dress, leaving a happy Ianto drinking his coffee.
The two men had spent the previous evening as they usually did, relaxing on the sofa with a few bottles of beer and chatting about anything and everything. The only difference was the Owen spent most of it nestled in Ianto's arms. They'd decided to spend half term together, taking trips to the city and the Beacons, giving Ianto chance to show off his home country. Ianto was keen to take things as slowly as Owen needed but he also wanted to spend as much time together as they could so he could show the Londoner how good they were as a couple. It was early days, but Ianto had spent the night wondering at what point things changed for Owen, and how long he'd spent working himself up to kissing him.
As he stood there with a small contented smile on his face Owen walked back in. He wandered over to Ianto and took his cup from him, setting it down on the bench. He then pulled Ianto's arms around himself, burying his face in his chest.
"Missed you." He commented as he slid his arms around Ianto's waist.
"You were gone five minutes." Ianto smirked as he planted a kiss on the top of Owen's head.
"Last night." Owen clarified.
"There's no rush." Ianto said gently.
Owen nodded. "I know."
"Come on - let's go get breakfast. There's a great cafe I know." Ianto suggested easing himself out of Owen's hold.
Owen nodded and the two men made their way out the apartment.
TORCHWOOD
Half term flew by in a haze of trips to the Beacons, visits to Cardiff, and school work. Ianto and Owen spent the majority of the week together, enjoying each others company, getting to know one another and just hanging out. In the safety of each others homes they were an obvious couple - affectionate touches and hugs were shared, kisses exchanged and they spent most evenings nestled in each others arms on the sofa. When they were out though they looked like two mates. Owen seemed to be consciously maintaining a gap between them and any contact that did occur was accidental. Ianto tried not to let it get him down, knowing that Owen needed space and time, but the marked contrast in his behaviour was beginning to take its toll.
"So..." Ianto began one day, "We are in the middle of the woods, we haven't seen anyone for about an hour, and you're still way over there." He said with a small smile.
Owen stopped walking and looked over at Ianto. "Way over here? You mean what? A few feet away?" He asked confused.
"I mean further away than you would be if we weren't out in public. And I use that term loosely in our current location." Ianto smirked, hoping to keep the conversation jovial.
"What do you want from me?" Owen asked.
"I want to feel like you want to be with me. Even if there's the chance another human might see us." Ianto pointed out. "I'd accept handholding. Hey maybe even a kiss. I'm not really a fan of this exclusion zone you have going on." He said, his voice turning angry.
"Exclusion zone?" Owen echoed incredulously.
"Look Owen, I know you need time. I know we're taking things slowly. I get it I do. And I'm doing the best I can... but... I feel like we're in hiding. I just don't know what it is we're hiding from." Ianto explained, his voice softening.
Owen bowed his head a little. "We're not hiding. I promise. I just... sometimes I feel like I'm cheating on her. I feel like if someone sees us together... then it'll be real... and somehow I'll be cheating on her. And I know she's gone. I do. And I know that nobody around here even knows her. But I just feel guilty... like I'm hurting her. When actually I'm just hurting you." He admitted somberly.
"Is it too soon?" Ianto asked carefully.
"I don't know." Owen admitted gently. "I really like you... I'm so attracted to you... I so want to be with you... I miss you like crazy when one of us goes home every night... I just... I guess I need to let her go. And that's just proving harder than I expected."
"It's never going to be easy Owen. But I don't want you to feel any pressure. I just... I need to know I'm not wasting my time here." Ianto explained. "There's nowhere else I want to be right now... but I don't want to be here if its not what you want."
"I want you." Owen confirmed.
"Then that's all I need to know." Ianto smiled softly.
"I'm sorry." Owen apologised.
"Don't be." Ianto shook his head.
Owen walked over to Ianto and held out his hand.
"Sure?" Ianto checked.
"Without a doubt." Owen confirmed with a smile. Ianto took hold of the proffered hand and grinned as Owen tugged him close and kissed him. "Thank you." Her murmured.
"What for?" Ianto whispered.
"Being here." Owen replied before they kissed again.