A Time to Dine
Title: A Time to Dine
Rating: 15 tops.
Characters: Owen/Gwen, early Jack/Ianto, mentions Tosh.
Spoilers: None, if you know season one relationships.
Summary: In the midst of an argument Owen accidentally asks Gwen out on a real date. Awkwardness, fun and dancing follow.
Disclaimer: Torchwood belongs to the BBC, not me. Still. Dammit.
Authors' Note: Written as a request for a friend who specified “Owen asks Gwen out on a proper date in the heat of an argument. What happens on that date? Have a bit of fun.” This is the result...
Ianto was hiding in the archives. This was not unusual in itself. What made it more unusual was that Toshiko was also hiding in the archives, under the pretence of looking for a long lost piece of alien tech to work on. What made it even more unusual was that Jack was also hiding in the archives. He hadn’t tried very hard to make an excuse and his wandering hands had already received one slap from Ianto.
The reason they were hiding was still upstairs in the Hub. Gwen and Owen were having one of their now legendary arguments. When their affair had first started it was made obvious by shared looks and giggles when they thought no-one was looking. But apparently Owen had recently put a stop to it and tensions had risen ever since.
At first the other three Torchwood members had found their arguments strangely entertaining. They thought of it as something of a spectator sport, and would exchange smiles as they watched Gwen and Owen trade insults. At one point Jack had even suggested taking bets on aspects of their arguments.
But today the argument had escalated. Both sounded even angrier than normal, voices had been raised a level, and the hiding had started when things started being thrown.
Gwen ducked the last piece of surgical equipment that had been launched at her head. She hadn’t quite had time to identify the hard shiny thing as it had travelled towards her.
“Right that’s it!” Gwen shouted and ran back to the autopsy bay where the argument had started. She slammed down her hands on the metal table in the centre of the room.
“What the hell is going on with you Owen? What is your problem with me? You’re the one that broke it off, so why have you been so arsey lately?”
Owen stood still, shocked by Gwen’s questions. Damn her for asking all the right ones. He scowled at her, then with a deep sigh, his shoulders slumped and his face fell as his anger dissipated. He looked to the side unable to meet her gaze, and knowing that she would still be fuming with him.
I hate not being with you, okay.”
“But…” stammered Gwen. “You broke it off.”
Owen turned now to face her.
“I only broke it off because…” he paused, unusually unsure of himself. “Because I wanted more. I wanted more than a quick shag in the back of my car, or in the vaults. I wanted more than that with you alright?”
Gwen stared at him, wide eyed and stunned. “What exactly did you want?”
“Just once I wanted a date. A proper date, just you and me, no weevils, no rift…and no Jack.”
“A date?” Gwen said incredulously.
"Yes. Is it so difficult to think that I might want a date?” Owen raised his eyebrows at her.
Gwen stammered a bit. “No. Um, no. Of course not. A date? Really? Do…do you still want to?”
Owen looked unsure for a second, then rallied. “Yes. Yes I do.”
“Right then.” said Gwen, smoothing down her t-shirt nervously, trying to sound more sure than she felt and still trying to hide her surprise. “Right. A date it is. When?”
“Can you get out tonight?”
Gwen thought for a second. “Yes. I can do tonight.”
“Right then.” Owen confirmed, “Tonight it is. Meet me back here at half 7.” They nodded briefly at each other and went their separate ways, minds racing.
Neither of them noticed Jack’s head peering around the corridor. He had come up to see if it was safe to come out yet as Ianto was being no fun. But he hadn’t expected this. He grinned and dashed back down to the others in the achieves.
********
As he headed downstairs Jack suddenly decided not to tell the others what he had seen. They wouldn’t get why it was important. He loved both Tosh and Ianto dearly, but they were old fashioned in some ways and he knew they didn’t really understand Gwen’s behaviour. But Jack understood that sometimes you needed different things from different people. Gwen’s affair with Owen was not because she didn’t love Rhys, but because sometimes in life, and especially in Torchwood, you needed something more.
Jack resolved to help his two colleagues enjoy one night with each other that was about them, and not about Torchwood.
*******
The others didn’t notice the furtive glances that Gwen and Owen both kept giving the clock, waiting for 5.30 to come around. As close to a regular clocking off time as Torchwood ever had, 5.30 was it, and tonight neither of them would be offering to stay late to finish anything if they didn’t have to.
So when the police warning system went off just after 5, both of their hearts sank.
“Weevil sighting in town.” shouted Jack from his office. “Ianto and Tosh you’re coming with me.”
Four pairs of eyes turned to look at him quizzically as he strode towards them.
“Us?” said Ianto. “You normally prefer Gwen and Owen to go weevil hunting with you.”
“Then it’s about time the two of you got more practice in. Come on, get your stuff and I’ll see you at the SUV.”
He stopped when he reached the door, turning and looking at his watch almost as an afterthought.
“Gwen, Owen. It’s nearly the end of the day. Head home when you’re done. We’ll call if we need anything.”
Owen and Gwen nodded dumbly and buried their heads in their work, trying to pretend that they hadn’t already started surreptitiously packing away for the night.
As soon as the door shut behind the others, Gwen and Owen were rushing for their coats. The met at the door, a shy smile playing on both their faces.
“See you at 7.30 then.”
“Yeah.” Gwen replied. She made a move for the door, her head down and collided with Owen. He took a hurried step back.
“After you.”
Gwen gave him an embarrassed giggle and fled the Hub.
******
Gwen arrived next to the water tower at precisely half past 7. She knew it was precise because she had been walking around the Bay for the last twenty minutes, having arrived early, but refusing to look too keen. She wore smart black jeans, and boots with a higher heel than normal. She had on her usual leather jacket, which concealed a new top that accentuated her figure nicely.
She stood, trying not to wring her hands in anticipation, looking around for a sign of Owen. She didn’t have to wait long before she saw the doctor striding towards her. He was dressed simply, but looked stunning.
He wore a pair of black dress trousers with a smart white shirt, unbuttoned at the throat. He had a black suit jacket on over the top and reminded Gwen of the old fashioned films that finished with a man pulling off his bow tie at the end of an evening.
She grinned nervously as he approached. This was ridiculous. She thought. It’s just a date. A silly date. I’ve already shagged him loads of times and see him every day. Why am I nervous?
She only had to look at his face to know that he was feeling it too though. He gave her a warm and genuine smile as he reached her, but his head was slightly bowed to one side as if he was uncertain.
He put a hand on her shoulder and went to give her a kiss on the cheek. She misjudged which cheek he was aiming for and leaned in the wrong direction; the resulting clashing of noses leaving them both offering mumbled apologies and stepping back from each other.
Owen grinned at her sheepishly. “Shall we go?”
Gwen gave him a reassuring smile. “Lets.”
Owen crooked out an elbow towards her and she linked her arm through it, allowing herself to be led out of the Plass, in search of a taxi.
********
“Laser tag?” Gwen said incredulously, getting out of the taxi. “You’ve brought me to bloody laser tag?”
Owen grinned at her. “Thought you might like to spend some time shooting at something that wasn’t really trying to kill you.”
Gwen stared at him stunned for another couple of seconds, before letting a broad smile cross her face.
“Bring it on!” she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him, laughing, into the building.
Owen pulled out his wallet as they approached the counter.
“Can we get a private game?”
The teenager behind the counter looked at them both. Considering. They didn’t look like the normal type of people that came here. He was willing to bet money they wouldn’t be able to shoot for shit. But it was midweek and they were quiet.
“We’ve got a public game stating in five minutes, you can have a private game after that.”
“Okay.” He glanced at Gwen and a wicked smile played between them. “Can we join in the public game too?”
The teenager smiled at them and happily took Owen’s money. He was going to enjoy seeing their score when they came out.
Gwen and Owen quickly shrugged on the laser tag vests and laughed at their plastic guns. They were both playing for the blue team and they entered the gaming area with a group of about 20 youths.
The idea was to try and shoot as many of the other team as possible without getting shot yourself, and if possible shoot a special target in the opposing team’s home end. If you got shot your vest and gun were disabled for ten seconds. Unfortunately for Gwen and Owen there were rules too. No running and no physical contact.
Shooting the enemy and not getting shot was easy for the pair. They ducked and scurried - being careful not to run - through the synthetic smoke, dodging in and out of hiding places. Tiring quickly of this part of the game and hearing the shouts of other members of the blue team as they got continually shot and paused from the game, they huddled together to form a plan.
“I’m going for the enemy target.” said Owen conspiratorially.
“Roger.” said Gwen. “I’ll cover you.”
Gwen poked her head out of her hiding place and quickly dispatched the two red team members nearest her. And a blue team member. Oops. While she gave fire, Owen quickly - but not running - made his way to the next area of cover. Scanning the area around her, Gwen quickly moved to join him.
They repeated the manoeuvre a number of times, between them taking out every red team member they saw and quite a few of the blue ones too. By accident of course.
They quickly made their way into the enemy’s end of the game area. Gwen had doubled back on herself a couple of times, disorientating the other team, so they weren’t followed. They were now sheltered in the final hiding place before the red team’s home target. Owen peered out quickly.
“There are two of them guarding it.”
Gwen risked a quick look before flattening herself back against the fibreglass rock they were hiding behind.
“I know what I have to do.” Gwen said, her face serious.
Owen looked at her, shocked. He put a hand on her arm. “No Gwen. You can’t. It’s a suicide mission and you know it.”
Gwen gave him a thin smile. “This is about more than one person. The blue team is bigger than just me. It’s for the greater good.” She clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s been good solider. Now do what has to be done.”
Gwen leapt up from behind the rock and let out a volley of laser fire towards the two red team members. She managed to disable one of them quickly, while ducking the return fire from his companion.
She felt Owen move out from behind her and turned her attention to the other red team member, shooting her laser at him. Quickly, his pack too was disabled. She watched Owen dash past her and try to get within shooting range of the target.
Too late she saw the first red team member’s body vest light up, showing that he was able to fire again. She swung her gun towards him, but before she was able to fire the lights on her vest went out, showing that she had been shot.
She looked down at her vest, mouth open in disbelief, then up again, in time to see Owen take out the red team member and shoot the home target, ending the game.
Owen turned around, a victorious smile on his face, just in time to see Gwen, vest lights out, drop to her knees. He dashed to her side, catching her before she fell.
He held her in her arms, cradling her. She looked up at him, eyes wide.
“Did…did we do it?”
“Yes.” Owen said soothingly. “We did it. We won.”
Gwen coughed dramatically in his arms.
“Hold on Gwen. Hold on for me.”
“Can’t. Fading. It’s getting dark. So cold. So, so cold.”
Owen held her as she drew a shuddering gasp and her eyes fell closed. He tipped his head back and let out a plaintive cry to the heavens;
“Noooooooo!”
*********
Gwen and Owen stood next to each other, heads down trying not to smirk while the manager of the laser tag centre stared at them. The teenager that had taken their money stood next to him. The two Torchwood members felt like children hauled in front of the head-teacher.
“I don’t know how you managed to corrupt our software, but you’d better hope we can undo it. No-one has ever got scores as high as yours. It isn’t possible. This says you only got shot once, and that you didn’t get shot at all.” He pointed to Gwen and Owen in turn. “That just isn’t possible in laser tag. And that business at the end with the screaming. It’s just not acceptable.”
“And,” piped up the teenager, pointing at Owen. “I saw him running towards the target. I had told them that running was not allowed.”
A snigger escaped from Owen, which set of a chain reaction in Gwen, making her giggle.
“I don’t know why you’re finding this so funny.” said the manager. “This is a very serious allegation. I am going to have to ban the pair of you from laser tag and you will have to forfeit the private game you have paid for.”
“We’re very sorry.” said Owen, trying to keep a straight face, but not daring to look anywhere but at his shoes.
“Yes, we’re very sorry.” said Gwen, choking back another giggle.
“I should think so.” replied the manger. “Please give your vests and guns back to David and leave our premises immediately.”
Gwen and Owen managed to hold their laughter in for as long as it took to wriggle out of the vests, then they bolted for the exit. Once outside in the night air, they fell into other laughing. Holding onto each other tightly they laughed so hard they couldn’t breathe and when they could finally control themselves and stand unaided, both of their eyes were alive with tears.
"Drink?” asked Owen.
“I think we’ve earned it.” gasped Gwen, still recovering.
Owen hooked an arm around Gwen’s neck, pulling her close to him, and they set off down the road, collapsing into a fresh fit of giggles after only a few steps.
*********
Rogue weevils safely back in the right part of the sewer system and Tosh on her way home, Ianto was cleaning up the Hub as he did at the end of every day. He found himself staying later and later again recently. But for an entirely different reason than before, and one he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“Jack,” Ianto called. “I’m going to call Owen back in. There’s a ton of stuff left uncompleted here and we need it by tomorrow.”
Jack leapt up. “Uh, no, don’t do that. That was me. I told him to leave it because I want to do it. You know, see that it’s done properly.”
Ianto looked at him through narrowed eyes. He felt like he was missing something, and he didn’t like that feeling.
“You’re going to get all that finished by tomorrow?”
Jack gave the young man a flirtatious smile. “You’re welcome to stay and help me.”
Ianto returned with a small, pleased smile.
“Would be my pleasure sir.”
*******
Owen showed Gwen into the pub ahead of him. This wasn’t a particularly special pub, but it was quiet, so they could get a quick drink without too many disturbances.
Gwen went and sat in a table by the window while Owen ordered their drinks. He came back, settling a large glass of white wine in front of Gwen and a pint for himself.
Gwen smiled her thanks and took a sip of the wine.
“Mmm.” she said “This is one of my favourites.”
“I know.” replied Owen, “I do pay attention when we all go out you know.” He gave her a friendly smile she which returned.
“So, what’s after this? More random sports from childhood?” she teased. Gwen couldn’t believe that she had been nervous about this. She was having a great time so far. She had forgotten that Owen could actually be really easy company. And fun to be around.
“No.” He pulled a face at her sarcasm. “After this I thought we would go for dinner. It’s what people do on proper dates I hear. Will that make you happy?”
“That depends,” Gwen said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “on just where you are taking me. It had better be exclusive and expensive. I am a very exclusive girl you know.”
“Then Madame will be pleased to hear that I am taking her to the best restaurant in town.”
“That sounds simply divine.” Gwen said, affecting a posh accent.
*******
“Jack. There is a mountain of this to do. I hadn’t realised he was so behind. We could get Gwen in to help. Rhys is at rugby tonight so she’s probably at a loose end.”
“Um…” Jack hesitated, then rallied. “And let me be outnumbered by my Welsh employees? I don’t think so.” Jack spotted an unexpected opportunity. “Aren’t you happy being here just with me? Would you rather Gwen was here too?”
Ianto felt him self blush slightly. “No Sir, not at all. Quite happy without anyone else here.”
“Good” said Jack returning to his work. “Me too.”
Ianto tried to ignore just how happy that statement made him.
******
Owen and Gwen finished their drinks enjoying a light, easy banter, relishing the time to themselves with no interruptions. They were laughing and talking comfortably together and as they left the pub Gwen slipped her hand inside Owen’s and they shared a gentle smile.
Darkness had already fallen across Cardiff, but it was a dry, mild, still night. They walked in companionable silence for a while as Owen steered them back towards the Bay. Gwen had been wondering where Owen might take her. She wasn’t really one for super posh places, and she had jeans on. She looked at Owen again though, in his smart trousers and jacket and worried if she had underdressed. She nibbled her lip nervously. She really was having a lovely time and didn’t want to ruin it by not being dressed properly.
She soon found out that she needn’t have worried. Owen left her sitting on a bench overlooking the Bay, saying he was off to sort out the dining arrangements. Gwen watched in open-mouthed disbelief when she saw him crossing back to her with two open bags of fish and chips in his hands.
“Fish and chips?”
“The best fish and chips in town.” He smiled down at her, holding out one of the bags of chips.
She took it automatically, still staring at it in disbelief. Was this really his idea of a good date? “You said we were going to the best restaurant in town Owen Harper.”
“That’s Doctor Owen Harper, and that’s where we are.” Owen took Gwen’s hand, pulling her to her feet, and walked her over to the railing that over looked the Bay.
“This,” he said, releasing her and popping a chip into his mouth, “is the best restaurant in town.”
She stared at him, automatically picking at her chips as she listened.
He leaned his body close to hers. “Sometimes I think we’ve been down there too long and we don’t see this stuff anymore. We don’t take the time to look around us. We’ve stopped noticing the moonlight on the water, the sounds of the sea.”
He turned around now, leaning back on the railing, another chip going into his mouth.
“We’ve all seen so much that we don’t see the wonder around us anymore. Look at all these people wandering around. A bloody miracle each and every one of them. Even that student throwing up over there. And when was the last time you looked up, Gwen Cooper? Looked up and saw the stars. Not just to wonder where the last purple wobbly thing came from, but to just enjoy the look of them. Enjoy their beauty.”
Gwen stared at him, suddenly seeing a completely different man to the one that she had been working with all these months, and certainly different to the one who had accepted her into his bed to help scare away the monsters. But no. Now she thought about it, this was that Owen Harper. This was the one that needed the monsters banished from his head as much as she did. The one that just needed to look up at the stars every once in a while.
She spoke quietly, teasing Owen, but at the same time her voice full of understanding. “You’re just a big softy, you.”
Owen smiled back at her and turned back to face out over the Bay. He balanced his dinner between him and the railing so he could wrap an arm around Gwen’s waist, pulling her close. They stood together, eating their dinner and watching the moonlight dance on the gently moving water.
*******
Jack was sitting at his desk while Ianto prepared them both another cup of coffee. Looking at his CCTV monitor he saw two figures arrive and stand under the lights in the Plass, near the water tower. He tapped at his keyboard, changing the external CCTV images on all the other screens in the Hub, except his own, to a different camera. He also stopped this camera recording. He wouldn’t let anyone intrude on their moment.
He tapped a few more instructions into the computer.
Outside, Gwen and Owen stood slightly awkwardly opposite each other, not knowing where this was going next. They had finished their dinner, feeding the last of their meals to some very enthusiastic seagulls. They had started walking, and as if drawn by some invisible force, found themselves here, where they had started. Where so much had started.
This was the one part of the evening Owen hadn’t planned. And he had no idea what he was going to do next.
Suddenly all the lights in the Plass started to blink out one by one, until the only one still lit was the one directly above them.
Owen and Gwen looked around them, wondering what was happening. Before they could react any further, soft music started playing in the air, seemingly coming out of the water tower behind them. It was a 1940’s ballad that neither of them recognised, but could easily place the period.
“Jack” they both said, looking at each other with sudden understanding. This explained their early pass from work and their blessedly silent phones this evening.
“May I have this dance?” Owen asked.
Gwen smiled at him, took one of his skilled surgeon’s hands in hers and wrapped her other arm around his waist. She curled herself into his warm body and lay her head against the crook of his neck.
Owen pulled their joined hands against his chest and tightened his other arm around her, his cheek resting on her head.
They swayed together silently, in time to the music, tracing small circles under their own spotlight.
“This is it for us now, isn’t it?” Gwen asked softly.
Owen placed a soft kiss on her hair and nodded his head, pulling her a little tighter to him.
“I’ve had a wonderful date with you Owen. Thank you.” Gwen breathed into his body.
“I knew this couldn’t last forever” he whispered “but I just wanted one night like this. One night to just be us. A chance to say a proper goodbye to what we shared.”
They danced some more, taking comfort in each other’s closeness, holding on and letting go at the same time.
The music finished. Gwen titled her head up and met Owen’s lips in a soft kiss. They gently pulled apart.
“Goodnight Owen.”
“Goodnight Gwen.”
He took a deep breath as he watched her walk away from him, before he turned and headed home, feeling more loved and peaceful than he had in a very long time.
*******
Back inside the Hub Jack flicked off his computer screen, rising to go and claim his coffee, a contented smile on his face. Now, for a little while at least, he knew his team would be okay.