For writers_muses: 119.1.D Christmas
ooc: Companion piece to this post. Because sometimes, in the course of a year, everything changes.
Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.
At five forty-five on Christmas Eve, Owen appeared at the top of the autopsy room steps. "I," he announced, pulling off one blood-stained plastic glove and then the other, "hate Christmas." He paused to wrap both the gloves in his apron, and then tossed the whole thing onto the sofa, where Gwen was settled with several folders. "But probably not more than that guy, and to that I say: cheers. Anyone wanna buy me a drink?"
"You wouldn't even enjoy it," Jack called from inside his office. "But go home."
A few seconds later, the man himself appeared in the doorway, his braces hanging down loosely. "That goes for all of you. Enjoy your turkey and your giftwrap. I'll see you all on Boxing Day."
"If you're sure," Toshiko said, adjusting her glasses. She smiled a soft smile as she glanced at Jack, perhaps slightly embarrassed, perhaps simply eager to continue her current projects. "I don't have any plans."
"You can have some of mine," Gwen offered, her gaze swinging from the back of Tosh's head to Jack. "Williams family Christmas. Big to-do, only Brenda'd probably be pleased if Rhys brought someone else this year."
Jack laughed, showing his teeth, but something about it was forced.
"Come on, Tosh," Owen said, tapping on Gwen's desk with a pen he'd found there. "Buy you a drink. I may be dead, but at least I'm handsome. Better than nothing."
Ianto, watching, saw Tosh's very slight pause. Saw her start to say no, then gather all of her courage and nod. He also didn't miss, when Owen disappeared back downstairs to get his coat, the way she looked like she'd finally got something she'd always wanted.
"Order something expensive," Ianto called over to her. She just ducked her head--and this time she was definitely embarrassed and pleased.
Behind her, Gwen laughed as she traded a stack of file folders for her handbag. "Merry Christmas, Ianto," she said through her grin. "You too, Tosh." To Jack, she waved.
Warmly, Ianto replied, "Merry Christmas," and couldn't help but add, "Say hello to Brenda for us."
Gwen's face was worth it. She continued to chuckle to herself as she left.
"Do you have any plans, Jack?" Tosh asked, quietly but very much in earnest, once the door had closed.
For a moment, Jack was silent. Then, he sighed. "Someone has to watch the skies," he said, but it was with a smile, more real than the last and somewhat enigmatic. "But I'll make sure to have glass of egg nog for you."
Owen reappeared, and as he did Tosh stood and pulled on her own coat. He stopped by her workstation and, to Ianto's surprise, he offered his arm in a rather gentlemanly fashion, and she took it. Another smile. "Well, merry Christmas."
As they made their way to the cog door, Owen raised one hand without turning around. "Later!"
The door rolled shut and the sirens quieted. Jack stayed where he was, leaning against the doorway to his office, watching the space his team had occupied only moments before. For a moment, Ianto stayed too, and for a moment the clack of his keyboard was the loudest sound in the Hub.
"I thought I told everyone to go home," Jack said from behind him--directly behind him--once the moment had passed.
"You did." Ianto spent another few calculated, careful seconds typing before he turned. Jack, barely inches away, was watching him intently. Waiting? Asking? "I, uh, I haven't got any egg nog," he started, and he smiled, once, too tightly thanks to nerves, "but if you wanted..."
He had expected hesitation, had expected momentarily shuttered eyes. Both of these, he got--and behind them hope? "Your sister..."
In response, Ianto took a deep breath and tilted his head away. "Tomorrow," he said. "I'll phone."
"Okay," Jack breathed, as though something were settled, and Ianto shifted closer. The second time, an answer: "Okay."
Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.
At five forty-five on Christmas Eve, Owen appeared at the top of the autopsy room steps. "I," he announced, pulling off one blood-stained plastic glove and then the other, "hate Christmas." He paused to wrap both the gloves in his apron, and then tossed the whole thing onto the sofa, where Gwen was settled with several folders. "But probably not more than that guy, and to that I say: cheers. Anyone wanna buy me a drink?"
"You wouldn't even enjoy it," Jack called from inside his office. "But go home."
A few seconds later, the man himself appeared in the doorway, his braces hanging down loosely. "That goes for all of you. Enjoy your turkey and your giftwrap. I'll see you all on Boxing Day."
"If you're sure," Toshiko said, adjusting her glasses. She smiled a soft smile as she glanced at Jack, perhaps slightly embarrassed, perhaps simply eager to continue her current projects. "I don't have any plans."
"You can have some of mine," Gwen offered, her gaze swinging from the back of Tosh's head to Jack. "Williams family Christmas. Big to-do, only Brenda'd probably be pleased if Rhys brought someone else this year."
Jack laughed, showing his teeth, but something about it was forced.
"Come on, Tosh," Owen said, tapping on Gwen's desk with a pen he'd found there. "Buy you a drink. I may be dead, but at least I'm handsome. Better than nothing."
Ianto, watching, saw Tosh's very slight pause. Saw her start to say no, then gather all of her courage and nod. He also didn't miss, when Owen disappeared back downstairs to get his coat, the way she looked like she'd finally got something she'd always wanted.
"Order something expensive," Ianto called over to her. She just ducked her head--and this time she was definitely embarrassed and pleased.
Behind her, Gwen laughed as she traded a stack of file folders for her handbag. "Merry Christmas, Ianto," she said through her grin. "You too, Tosh." To Jack, she waved.
Warmly, Ianto replied, "Merry Christmas," and couldn't help but add, "Say hello to Brenda for us."
Gwen's face was worth it. She continued to chuckle to herself as she left.
"Do you have any plans, Jack?" Tosh asked, quietly but very much in earnest, once the door had closed.
For a moment, Jack was silent. Then, he sighed. "Someone has to watch the skies," he said, but it was with a smile, more real than the last and somewhat enigmatic. "But I'll make sure to have glass of egg nog for you."
Owen reappeared, and as he did Tosh stood and pulled on her own coat. He stopped by her workstation and, to Ianto's surprise, he offered his arm in a rather gentlemanly fashion, and she took it. Another smile. "Well, merry Christmas."
As they made their way to the cog door, Owen raised one hand without turning around. "Later!"
The door rolled shut and the sirens quieted. Jack stayed where he was, leaning against the doorway to his office, watching the space his team had occupied only moments before. For a moment, Ianto stayed too, and for a moment the clack of his keyboard was the loudest sound in the Hub.
"I thought I told everyone to go home," Jack said from behind him--directly behind him--once the moment had passed.
"You did." Ianto spent another few calculated, careful seconds typing before he turned. Jack, barely inches away, was watching him intently. Waiting? Asking? "I, uh, I haven't got any egg nog," he started, and he smiled, once, too tightly thanks to nerves, "but if you wanted..."
He had expected hesitation, had expected momentarily shuttered eyes. Both of these, he got--and behind them hope? "Your sister..."
In response, Ianto took a deep breath and tilted his head away. "Tomorrow," he said. "I'll phone."
"Okay," Jack breathed, as though something were settled, and Ianto shifted closer. The second time, an answer: "Okay."