Fic - Five People Owen Harper Never Fell in Love With
Title: Five People Owen Harper Never Fell in Love With
Author: szm
Rating: G
1. Gwen.
Owen didn't love Gwen. He had sex with Gwen because he could. Because she had Rhys and he didn't have Katie. Because she was obviously besotted with Jack and that gave Owen some perverse satisfaction.
But he did like her, does like her. Okay she feels too much and is determined that everyone else do the same, but she's strong. Owen doesn't have to worry about her; Gwen Cooper is one of those people who'll cry for a bit but then be fine. Better than fine, come out fighting even. The rest of Torchwood Three scar too easily. Even Jack.
Since she stopped having sex with him he likes her more. He’s not quite sure what that says about him.
2. Jack
Owen has decided that very few people actually love Jack. Ianto does, that’s obvious to anyone with half a brain. Gwen does, although she doesn’t quite know what to do with it especially since she figured out she loves Rhys more. (And honestly until Owen met Rhys he would have bet the other way.)
Most people though are like Owen. Jack becomes this massive thing in your life. The point at which everything changed. Then you can’t decide if you’re grateful for him, or if you hate him, or if you kind of want to be him. And god if he isn’t the most annoying person in the world, mostly when he knows he’s right and is being smug about it.
Hero worship, he guesses is the closest term he can think of. If your hero ever made you want to shoot him.
Yes he has thought about sex with Jack. Because he’s Jack.
3. Suzie
Owen was a hell of a mess when he joined Torchwood and looking back on it maybe Suzie took advantage of that. Mostly she was just as far away from being Katie as it was possible to be, and that was enough.
But Owen never really knew Suzie at all.
4. Ianto
Owen didn’t pay any attention to Ianto until Ianto shot him He didn’t want to sleep with him and he wasn’t a threat. Besides the glaring exception of the Lisa incident, of course. But Owen wrote that off as a one time thing. Too many romance films, not enough brains.
But then Ianto shot him. Didn’t threaten or plead. Just did what he had to do.
Then Jack left and everyone expected Ianto to fall apart. But he didn’t. He carried on. Kept Torchwood functioning, fed the pterodactyl, made coffee, became a field agent because they needed one. Was a friend to Tosh, support for Gwen, and stopped Owen from going off the deep end.
Without Jack around, and with everyone having seen that kiss before he left, Ianto stopped hiding. Owen was shocked to discover he liked Ianto. He had a wicked sense of humour and was clever enough to keep up with Tosh (and Owen) in conversation. When Owen was a sarcastic bastard Ianto just bitched straight back.
Ianto was a worthy adversary. And Owen needed that, sometimes more than he needed a friend. Ianto got that.
5. Tosh
Owen never fell in love with Tosh.
He loved her. But he didn’t realise that until he was dead. He can’t pick a moment when his feeling changed. Didn’t really notice her at first, in an office that has Jack and Suzie who would notice Tosh? She was even more shy back then. Hiding in corners, as if she was afraid to draw to much attention to herself.
So Owen carried on blissfully unaware that he loved her. Unable to understand why he hated the day’s Tommy would come out of cryogenic suspension. Even though he liked Tommy. Why he just felt better when she was around.
And he’s never ever understood why she loved him.
Owen didn’t fall in love with Tosh. It was always just there. Owen was just too damaged, and hurt, and scared, to see it.