Fic: At the Break of Day
Title: At the Break of Day (1/1)
Characters: Tosh, Jack
Word Count: 604
Summary: Following the events of Cyberwoman, Tosh seeks solitude. Sister-fic of When Morning Came.
Note: Written after Cyberwoman was aired, but I'm lazy and haven't got round to posting it until now. Oh, and spoilers for that ep, obviously.
At the Break of Day
Toshiko had been the first to leave after the ordeal involving Lisa, the first to step out into the pre-dawn gloom and breathe in the chilled salt air sweeping in from the bay. It was cold, and she longed to be immersed in her work, focused and able to forget about the rest of the world. Yet she felt rebuffed. It was nothing compared to how Ianto must have felt, she realised - but it was enough to chase her out of the Hub and into her favourite bar.
It was a place the team liked to frequent: small, stylish and somehow muted. No-one intruded on anyone else's conversation. No-one asked questions. It was a place to be solitary; a place to keep secrets. Yes, they liked that just fine.
Presently, Toshiko ordered a drink and hid with it in the far corner of the establishment. The lights were dim here, dim and moody, and she had found a seat where the music sounded most distant. Tosh succumbed to a minor flash of rebellion and kicked up her feet onto the upholstered seat beside her. She rested her head against the varnished wood of the booth, wrapping her arms around her, closing her eyes.
"Are you going to drink that?"
If his voice hadn't been so familiar, she might have jumped.
"No." She kept her eyes resolutely closed.
The sound of glass on wood could be heard as Jack slid the drink over towards him. He tested it and promptly grimaced.
"You're kidding!" he blurted. "No alcohol? After a night like ours?"
"I wanted to be sober in my wallowing," Tosh told him dryly. "The self-pity's not up to much, and the inflated ego is a zero, but you get great 'what if's to dissect on the logic side of things."
"I was never one for logic," Jack mused, then took a gulp of the drink despite his complaint. He lapsed into silence, considering it, and Toshiko finally opened her eyes. Jack gave a small, emphatic wave accompanied by a smile softened by the lamplight.
"How do you manage it?" Tosh asked him. The smile faded.
"How do any of us?" he countered, thumb circling the rim of the glass.
"Please, Jack." Don't put up a front. Not after tonight.
He sighed, clearly understanding the sentiment. "I manage it because I have to. And because I've seen more than you ever will."
Tosh considered whether to take offence at that, but his tone was weary rather than scornful. She wanted to ask more about it; instead she let it go.
"Alright," she said. Jack nodded his approval - appreciation? - at her acceptance of his answer. She was glad to get something right tonight.
Silence rested between them. Toshiko broke it with a sigh.
"I let you down, Jack."
"Stop it, Tosh." Stern look. Soft eyes. "Don't even get started."
She considered arguing and decided she was just too tired. Again resting her head against the hard back of the booth, she allowed the warm, faintly smoky air to lull her even deeper into exhaustion. They sat for a further fifteen minutes or so, unspeaking. Then Jack pushed the glass back towards her across the table.
"Half-full," he said as he stood. Toshiko nodded.
"Always look on the bright side of life," she replied, monotone, before she added with melody: "Do-doo, do-doo-do-doo-do-doo."
A grin tugged at the corner of Jack's mouth. "Now you're gettin' it." He grabbed his coat from the seat beside him. Over his shoulder he called, "Feet off furniture!" and disappeared out of the door.
"Spoil-sport," she muttered, and smiled.
End.
[mood|
dorky]
Characters: Tosh, Jack
Word Count: 604
Summary: Following the events of Cyberwoman, Tosh seeks solitude. Sister-fic of When Morning Came.
Note: Written after Cyberwoman was aired, but I'm lazy and haven't got round to posting it until now. Oh, and spoilers for that ep, obviously.
At the Break of Day
Toshiko had been the first to leave after the ordeal involving Lisa, the first to step out into the pre-dawn gloom and breathe in the chilled salt air sweeping in from the bay. It was cold, and she longed to be immersed in her work, focused and able to forget about the rest of the world. Yet she felt rebuffed. It was nothing compared to how Ianto must have felt, she realised - but it was enough to chase her out of the Hub and into her favourite bar.
It was a place the team liked to frequent: small, stylish and somehow muted. No-one intruded on anyone else's conversation. No-one asked questions. It was a place to be solitary; a place to keep secrets. Yes, they liked that just fine.
Presently, Toshiko ordered a drink and hid with it in the far corner of the establishment. The lights were dim here, dim and moody, and she had found a seat where the music sounded most distant. Tosh succumbed to a minor flash of rebellion and kicked up her feet onto the upholstered seat beside her. She rested her head against the varnished wood of the booth, wrapping her arms around her, closing her eyes.
"Are you going to drink that?"
If his voice hadn't been so familiar, she might have jumped.
"No." She kept her eyes resolutely closed.
The sound of glass on wood could be heard as Jack slid the drink over towards him. He tested it and promptly grimaced.
"You're kidding!" he blurted. "No alcohol? After a night like ours?"
"I wanted to be sober in my wallowing," Tosh told him dryly. "The self-pity's not up to much, and the inflated ego is a zero, but you get great 'what if's to dissect on the logic side of things."
"I was never one for logic," Jack mused, then took a gulp of the drink despite his complaint. He lapsed into silence, considering it, and Toshiko finally opened her eyes. Jack gave a small, emphatic wave accompanied by a smile softened by the lamplight.
"How do you manage it?" Tosh asked him. The smile faded.
"How do any of us?" he countered, thumb circling the rim of the glass.
"Please, Jack." Don't put up a front. Not after tonight.
He sighed, clearly understanding the sentiment. "I manage it because I have to. And because I've seen more than you ever will."
Tosh considered whether to take offence at that, but his tone was weary rather than scornful. She wanted to ask more about it; instead she let it go.
"Alright," she said. Jack nodded his approval - appreciation? - at her acceptance of his answer. She was glad to get something right tonight.
Silence rested between them. Toshiko broke it with a sigh.
"I let you down, Jack."
"Stop it, Tosh." Stern look. Soft eyes. "Don't even get started."
She considered arguing and decided she was just too tired. Again resting her head against the hard back of the booth, she allowed the warm, faintly smoky air to lull her even deeper into exhaustion. They sat for a further fifteen minutes or so, unspeaking. Then Jack pushed the glass back towards her across the table.
"Half-full," he said as he stood. Toshiko nodded.
"Always look on the bright side of life," she replied, monotone, before she added with melody: "Do-doo, do-doo-do-doo-do-doo."
A grin tugged at the corner of Jack's mouth. "Now you're gettin' it." He grabbed his coat from the seat beside him. Over his shoulder he called, "Feet off furniture!" and disappeared out of the door.
"Spoil-sport," she muttered, and smiled.
End.
[mood|
dorky]