I've always loved their friendship ;)

Written for Torchwood Fest, Day Ten: "Rivalry"

Day Ten - Rivalry

Ianto was going through some files when Owen tapped his fingers on his desk. He looked up, acknowledged the man's presence with a nod, then got back to his work.

"Okay the girls went home, how about we head to my local?"

"What?" Ianto asked, frowning.

"Well do you want to come? You're always here, just chill for one evening. The world's not going to end, and you can set an alarm on your PDA. Come on, I just want to grab a drink. Is that bad?"

"With me?" Ianto said sceptically.

"Yeah, with you."

"Why?" he asked, genuinely surprised that Owen would think of him to hang out. They weren't in the best terms and if Jack leaving without a note had forced them to work together a bit more, Ianto still had shot him less than a couple of weeks before, which Owen never hesitated to remind him.

"God, just accept," Owen sighed. "I'm fine if you don't come but I thought we could... Oh, forget about it."

"No, it's okay. It might do me some good to leave the Hub."

Ianto hadn't said it to anyone, but he slept at the Hub since Jack had left. He didn't want anything to happen while everyone was out, and he didn't sleep much anyway, so a quick nap on the couch before the other arrived in the morning allowed him to keep going for the day.

He turned off the Hub for the night and walked out with Owen, both silent. Ianto really had no idea why Owen had thought about him, of all people, to hang out with, and wondered if he had ulterior thoughts, but he couldn't think of what.

They were silent for a part of the night, drinking an entire pint before Owen eventually spoke. "So, how are you holding?"

"Who's asking?"

"I don't know," Owen answered and it seemed honest. The silence that followed was awkward and Owen sighed. "I feel like we have a problem communicating."

"Maybe because we're both not much of talkers."

"No, I mean, really."

"I don't know, Owen. Maybe because we're the two guys in the team."

"Why would that be a problem? And there's Jack."

"Jack's different."

"True. But still, why is it a problem?"

"Because you need to..." Ianto began, but didn't quite finish his sentence.

"I need to...?"

"Feel superior," he shrugged. "You're just like this. I'm not saying that I mind or that it's wrong, but it doesn't help."

"Well you're not helping either," Owen grumbled. It wasn't an argument at all but it was Owen, Ianto didn't expect more.

"Meaning?"

"I don't know, looking good in those damn suits."

"Are you jealous?" The thought seemed absurd.

"Of you? No," Owen scoffed.

"And you got Gwen, you shouldn't even think of me as concurrence. I wouldn't do that."

"You got into Jack's pants."

"That's not something good. He ran off."

"Well Gwen's in a relationship. You shot me."

"You disobeyed direct orders."

"You hid someone for weeks."

"I loved Lisa."

"Loved? You cheated on her."

"Love. I never cheated on her."

"Are you sure? Anyway, my shoulder still hurts. And that cyberwoman knocked me off."

"I don't know. Poor boy, you need a kiss?"

"Fuck you," Owen grumbled, breaking their verbal sparring.

"Don't play the 'whose life is more miserable?' game, you'd be surprised," Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Secrets to hide?"

"Not really. You?"

"None."

"Why are we doing this?"

"Team bonding. I was engaged once," Owen said. That one threw Ianto off. He knew most of Torchwood employees' life, but Owen had never talked about this directly. "She died," Owen added when he saw that Ianto wasn't answering.

"Lisa died. Twice, in a way."

"She had an alien in her brain."

"I fought during the Canary Wharf battle."

"I helped survivors out of Canary Wharf."

"You didn't help me."

"You were too busy betraying your country."

"I was one of the twenty-seven survivors."

"You still ran away."

"We're eighteen survivors now."

"But you survived and found a new life. Are you happy?"

"So all of this to ask me that?" Ianto smiled.

"Not really. Are you?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I've got an annoying colleague, a lover that's gone, and a confused mind to make work. I also have to keep running the Hub while Gwen and the same annoying colleague I already mentioned – that's you, in case you were wondering – are fighting over who would lead when this isn't the question."

"What's the question then?"

"Questions. Will Jack come back? When? Can we keep running Torchwood without him? Do we need to hire someone new? How to share the job so everyone still work efficiently? Who should be the leader because we still need someone with a stronger vote in a matter? Was Jack hiding anything we should know about? Should we establish turns to watch the Hub? Do we say that Jack is gone? Do we wait? If so, how long? Can I keep lying to the Queen forever? To UNIT? Should I keep going, or have you had enough?"

"Bloody hell, you're working too hard..." Owen stuttered, in awe.

"I'm trying to keep the Hub running. While you're arguing over who deserves to command."

"And what do you think of that particular matter?"

"Tosh is competent, but not a leader. You're too stubborn and disorganised to be the boss. You'd rely too much on each of our advices, only to ignore them in the end. Gwen is too stubborn and wants to know too much, but at least she's able to lead and doesn't ignore our opinions. Well she sometimes does, but not as much as you," Ianto shrugged. If Owen had decided to be honest, he would be too.

"Fair enough. You could make a great leader."

Ianto smiled but shook his head. "I don't want it."

"So we should let Gwen lead?"

"Not lead all by herself. We're a team. But basically, yeah, she could lead."

"That's smart."

"It hadn't crossed your mind?"

"Not really..."

"Oh my God Owen, you're worse than I'd have thought."

"Humpf. I was shot, I'm still confused sometimes."

"Will you ever stop?" Ianto rolled his eyes. "You're worse than a five years old."

Owen didn't answer but sipped at his new and third pint, whereas Ianto had stopped drinking. After a moment of a more pleasant silence than before, Owen looked at Ianto again.

"Okay. But my father died when I was twenty-two."

"I was seventeen," Ianto rolled his eyes, not even knowing why he was picking up on Owen's stupid game. "And my mother died a few months ago."

"Oh fuck it," Owen dramatically sighed. "Well you've got a shittier life than me, happy?"

"Very," Ianto answered ironically. "I'll be heading home now if you don't need me," he continued, standing up.

"Did you love him?" Owen nevertheless asked before he could walk away.

Ianto knew the question had been burning Owen's lips for a while now, and he almost ignored him, but chose to answer. "Maybe I do," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry he left."

"It's none of our fault. I'm fine, Owen."

"Yeah like I cared," Owen scoffed in his drink. "See you."

"Good night," Ianto smiled politely.

For the first time in a long time, Ianto actually went back to his flat alone, where he slept but didn't rest. And he tried to appreciate Owen a bit more, and Owen tried as well, even if none of them said anything, and maybe their team-working improved a bit.