AN: The Return of Gwen… dun dun duuuuuunnnnn…
Please review x
With their late shift finishing at midnight Owen and Ianto weren't due to begin work again until noon so were still catching up on their sleep when the rest of the team assembled in the Hub at 8am that morning. Tosh was already in, tapping away at her keyboard, and Jack was loitering on the gantry overlooking the work area when the cog door rolled open and a rather reluctant and nervous Gwen walked cautiously in.
"Good Morning Gwen – welcome back." Jack called jovially.
Gwen smiled up at him. "Morning Jack." She called. "How are you?" She asked.
"Excellent thank you. You?" He asked.
"Good to be back." She replied.
"There's a pile of stuff on your desk. Get to it." He smiled down at her before retreating to his office. Gwen walked over to her desk and placed her bag beneath it and hung his coat over the back of her seat.
"Hello Tosh." She called gently to her co-worker.
"Morning Gwen – good to see you." The technician smiled across at her.
"Are the boys not in?" Gwen asked looking around for any sight or sound of Ianto or Owen.
"They were on late last night so they're not in till noon." Tosh explained.
"How are they?" Gwen asked.
"Nauseatingly in love." Tosh remarked with a smirk.
Gwen chuckled softly. "Thought as much." She replied before setting her attention to the work on her desk.
The morning flowed quickly. There were no rift alerts or incidents but the team all had plenty work to keep them occupied, and Jack noted that the mood was already better than it had been before Gwen's suspension. He just hoped it would continue after the arrival of Ianto and Owen. As the clock rolled around to noon and the cog door opened with its traditional fanfare Gwen turned in her seat and offered the two men a small nervous smile.
"Welcome back." Ianto said with a smile as he walked in hand in hand with Owen.
"It's good to be back." She replied gently.
"How are you?" Owen asked as he took his coat off.
"I'm good." She nodded. "You?"
"Great thanks." Owen smiled.
Ianto deposited the paper carrier bag he was holding on Owen's desk. "I brought cake!" He called loudly, and the team broke into laughter as Jack's office door opened quickly.
"Cake?" Jack echoed.
Ianto nodded. "They're just cupcakes, but they are in honour of Owen's birthday." He explained as the team gathered eagerly.
"Your birthday?" Tosh asked confused.
Owen nodded. "I'm afraid so." He admitted.
"You never mentioned it before." Jack commented.
"Jack you read his personnel file. It was on there." Ianto pointed out.
"I was meant to read those?" Jack smirked.
"Happy Birthday Owen." Gwen said with a soft smile.
"Thank you Gwen. Now please can we all eat cake and get to work and stop letting Ianto make a fuss?" He asked with a gentle embarrassed whine.
"I'll go make coffee." Ianto conceded, pecking a soft kiss to Owen's cheek as he left. Jack helped himself to a cake and Tosh followed suit before they each retreated to their respective desks.
"Cake?" Owen asked offering the bag to Gwen, who took one with a nod of thanks.
"I'm sorry." She said simply.
"It's okay. Really." Owen replied.
"I'm glad you two are together and that he's fussing over you. You both deserve it." She added before wandering back to her desk.
Owen delved into the bag and plucked out the penultimate cupcake and set it on his desk as Ianto returned with a tray of coffee's, distributing them amongst the girls before approaching Owen's desk. Setting a coffee down beside the cake Ianto took a candle from the tray and poked it into the icing peak of the cake before lighting it with the lighter from his pocket.
"Happy Birthday Owen. Don't forget to make a wish." He said simply before picking the tray up and walking off to Jack's office.
Owen grinned as he settled into his seat and admired the cake with its small flame. Taking a small breath he closed his eyes as he released it, extinguishing the candle with ease. Opening his eyes he glanced up the metal steps in time to see Ianto head into Jack's office, with a final smile and wink for Owen as he did.
"Wish granted." Owen murmured to himself as he plucked the spent candle from the cake and removed the cupcake from its paper case. Taking a large bite from the side of it he glanced sideways as he heard giggling from his female co-workers. "What?" He asked through a mouthful of cake.
"I take it Ianto isn't with you for your table manners?" Tosh remarked as she rolled her eyes at the sight of Owen with pink icing smeared around his mouth.
Licking his lips and gathering up all the rogue cake and icing Owen smiled. "Thankfully not." He replied. "I take it they need some work before tonight?" He asked.
"Tonight?" Tosh asked.
"I'm taking him to that posh French place in town. I wanted to do the whole wining and dining thing for him. I realised the other day that we haven't been out on a date yet." He replied.
"Surely you've wined and dined people before?" Gwen asked.
"People yes. Ianto no. I'm scared I'm going to make a complete twat of myself, and him." Owen admitted.
"Do you own a suit?" Tosh asked.
"Of course I own a suit." He replied. "Why do I have to wear it?" He asked in surprise.
Gwen sniggered. "Wear the suit. I know you live together, but pick him up from the door. Bring flowers. Make a bit of a fuss of him." She suggested.
"I can do that." Owen nodded cautiously.
"Maybe practise not looking petrified." Tosh offered. "Remember how he loves you and is living with you?"
Owen smiled and nodded. "I remember." He said softly as Jack's office door opened and Ianto walked out, causing the Hub to fall silent.
"What?" Ianto asked confused as he walked down the steps and into the main Hub area.
"Nothing. Thanks girls." Owen said cryptically as he turned his attention to his monitor.
"Thanks girls is never going to be good." Ianto commented.
"Coward." Gwen remarked with a smirk as she too concentrated on her screen.
"Fine." Ianto replied as he approached Owen's desk and removed the final cake from the bag. "Be good." He called as he wandered off down to the archives, leaving a happy and content team in his wake.