Fic Series Helping : Strange Behaviour
2nd part of my series, Helping, follows on from Buddy Falling
Title: Strange Behaviour
Fandom: TW spoilers for season 2.
Characters: Jack and Owen, Ianto, Tosh and Gwen.
Series/Sequel: Series- Helping/ Sequel to ‘Buddy Falling’
Summary: Dynamics have changed, what do the others think is going on?
Strange Behaviour
The next morning Jack drives himself and Owen to the Hub in the SUV. They’ve spent the morning mostly in silence. Only mostly because there had been loud and x-rated exclamations when they had inadvertently had a mental conversation when they first woke up.
Since then they were still talking in their heads, thoughts being quicker than words, but were both steadfastly pretending it simply wasn’t happening.
Ianto is already pottering about in the kitchen, readying the morning’s first dose of industrial strength coffee for the masses, when they arrive. He is alarmed to see them arrive together and immediately inquires if there was some kind of emergency.
Jack looks surprised at the idea and Owen snorts.
“Not really. Just an awkward night.”
Jack gets a quick flash from Owen of Jack elbowing him in his sleep and laughs out loud. He also gives Owen a playful shove in the direction of his desk.
Ianto quirks an eyebrow at this but decides to shrug off the weird behaviour to the fact that Jack has always been weird. Even more so since he got back.
Through the morning and afternoon the other three members of the team notice a new closeness between their Captain and their doctor. They anticipate each other but at the same time seem to need to constantly reassure themselves about the other.
As evening approaches Gwen drags Ianto and Tosh out for a drink, to discuss the strange behaviour. Leaving Owen at work on an autopsy and Jack at his paperwork, both inexplicably giggling away at themselves every couple of minutes.
“Okay.” Gwen starts the second they sit at their table. “So, what the bloody hell is going on with Jack and Owen?”
“Like any of us know. If we did we wouldn’t be here.”
“Or be completely freaked out and somewhat terrified.” Tosh nods at Ianto’s addition to her comment. He continues, “It’s almost like they’ve been through some horrific trauma together. Only there’s not been one, then again they did arrive together-”
“They what?” Gwen leans into Ianto’s personal space, obviously wanting more details but he rolls his eyes.
“It’s not like they came in with a neon sign over their heads, ‘We Just Had Sex’!”
“Are you sure? You and Jack usually do.”
Ianto ignores Tosh’s smirk and her comment. Smiling, Gwen brings the conversation back on topic, “So, what were they doing together?”
Ianto frowns as he thinks back on the morning, “They didn’t actually say.”
“So, last night? We all agree they were normal, for them, yesterday, so whatever it was happened last night.” The other two nod at Tosh’s assertion.
“Right, but was it just sex?” Gwen asks.
Tosh asks a question, with a sly smile, “I don’t know, I guess it depends- is sleeping with Jack or Owen that ‘traumatic’?”
Gwen and Ianto share a stunned moment of silence, before both throwing peanuts at a laughing Tosh. Their intense discussion devolves into teasing each other about their taste in partners. Or, more accurately, the disasters, big and small, they’ve all witnessed.
It’s more than half an hour later when Ianto brings them once more back to the original topic of conversation. “We could always try asking them.”
The girls exchange a look and Gwen nods as Tosh ventures, “It would be a novel method.”
“Especially as, for a secret organisation, we suck at subterfuge.”
Ianto and Tosh nod in agreement with Gwen, grabbing their coats the three of them head back to the Hub. They hope to catch the two strangely acting man still at work when they go straight downstairs.
They find them in the autopsy bay, they’re talking intently so Ianto and the girls approach quietly. Not wanting to disturb them, or lose the chance to eavesdrop.
Jack has his back to them, perched on some undoubtedly expensive machine, while Owen is still cutting into an unknown species of alien with a disturbing gusto. The three younger members of the team rethink their original intention of saying hello when they realise the topic of Jack and Owen’s conversation.
“I’m telling you Jack, they were staring. All day.”
“Well, you were acting weird-”
Ianto and the girls quickly duck out of sight as Owen turns to glare at Jack. “I was acting weird? You were the one who kept running out of your office to tease me!”
Jack smirks, “You kept having ‘dizzy’ spells.”
Gwen, Tosh and Ianto are confused, both by the fact that while they remember Jack’s over-attentiveness to Owen all day, they don’t recall any teasing. And there is the redness of Owen’s face.
As Jack mentioned “‘dizzy’ spells”, he had blushed bright red and ducked his head in obvious embarrassment. “That’s… Hey! Stop it.”
Now their confusion is trebled, they don’t have a great view but they know Jack hasn’t moved an inch and certainly didn’t say anything.
“Sorry.” Jack says, obviously not, “But if you’re worried we could always just tell them about your-”
“No! Okay, so I guessed we’re agreed. This stays our dirty little secret.”
As Jack responds he walks to Owen’s side, putting his arms around him. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking when I suggested we tell them.”
“Yeah. I, I will tell them… eventually, but only if you do too.”
“Ha! That’s not gonna happen.”
“Then I guess we both keep our secrets.” Jack sighs, nods and shakes his head. “They could still find out. They are pretty nosy.”
Owen’s turn to sigh, “I’ll deal with that, if and when.”
“Meaning you’ll run and hide?”
“Yip. And you’ll help- I’ve got dirt on you.”
In worried shock, Ianto, Tosh and Gwen retreat from the Hub in silence.