Drifting
Title: Drifting
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Rhys Williams, Bannana Boat, Andy Davidson, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper
Rating: PG-13
Words: 1262
Spoilers: S1E6, S2E1 (but only if you squint)
Disclaimer: Characters belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for hc_bingo prompt "Cages".
Rhys’s phone buzzed on the table in front of him and he reached for it with a smile. Gwen was going to text him when she got off work and he was going to take her out for dinner. His smile dropped as he read the text.
Sorry. Got to work late. Don’t wait up. X
Rhys gripped his phone tightly and for a brief second contemplated throwing it at the wall across the room. Instead he took a deep breath and slowly released his grip, turning his phone over to look at it and scroll through the contacts, thumbing the button to call Banana.
“Hi mate, fancy a drink tonight?” Rhys asked with forced jollity.
“Always. But I thought you were seeing your Missus for your big date night tonight?”
“Change of plans. See you at the pub in fifteen?”
“Sure.”
Rhys ended the call and pushed himself up out of his chair. He grabbed his jacket and wallet and walked briskly to the pub.
He was already well into his second pint by the time Banana arrived. He downed the drink quickly and ordered them both another pint which they took over to a quiet table near the door.
“So what happened to Gwen then?”
“She cancelled. Had to work.”
“Bummer. Least you get to come out with me though.”
“Yeah…” said Rhys despondently.
He sat looking at his now empty pint glass as Banana prattled on about nothing in particular. “Come on, it’s your round,” Rhys nudged him. Why did he always have to prod Banana to part with any cash?
“Alright,” Banana agreed, picking up their glasses and grinning at a couple of girls as he danced around them on his way to the bar.
“Alright Rhys?” a voice startled him out of his thoughts, “how are you mate?”
“Andy. I’m good thanks. How are you?”
“Can’t complain. You here with Gwen?”
“No she’s working. As always. Never bloody see her these days since she started that special ops job.” The alcohol was beginning to loosen Rhys’s tongue.
“Yeah, that Captain of hers works them too hard.” Andy commiserated. “Anyway, have a good night,” he said raising his glass in salute and making his way to the table where his friends were waiting.
Banana arrived back at the table and placed Rhys’s glass in front of him. “Those two birds are a bit of alright,” he said nodding in the direction of the girls he had danced with on the way to the bar.
“Yeah, not bad,” Rhys answered distractedly.
“What do you say? Wanna go dance with them?”
“Not really. I have a fiancé.” Rhys reminded him.
“She’s not here.”
“That’s not really the point.”
Banana went back to staring at the girls with skirts just that little bit too short and heels they could barely walk in.
“Not that I even feel like I have a girlfriend half the time. I never bloody see her these days. She’s always working and when she does come home she’s tired. I’ve not been this long without sex since I was a teenager.” Rhys huffed out a laugh and took a swig of his drink. “And I can’t say anything to her. I feel trapped because I’ve spent all the years I’ve known her telling her she’s special and she can do whatever she wants if she sets her mind to it. I fell in love with an idealistic young copper who wanted to save the world, or her corner of Cardiff at least. And now she’s got this really important job where she actually can make a difference, and I should be happy for her. But it’s changed her, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” Banana commented absently, distracted by one of the girls blowing a kiss to him.
Rhys took another drink before continuing, “and I can’t bloody say anything. I just feel like I’m trapped in a cage that is getting smaller and smaller every day. I can’t see a way out. I still love her. I know she’s still the same old Gwen underneath but she’s just so busy and distracted by all this really important top secret work. She never asks me how my day was anymore. I know I only work at a haulage company, it’s not important. Not compared to her work. But it’s my job, it’s what pays the bills, and I’m good at it. I have challenges to overcome and decisions to make and office banter to tell her about. She used to like hearing all that stuff, now it’s just beneath her.”
Rhys had more of his drink, “but I encouraged her to follow her dreams to do what she wanted. I just assumed I’d be right there with her. I never realised that I would be stood on the side-lines, getting further and further away from the action trapped in my little cage unable to find the words to break through to her to get my Gwen back.”
He finished his drink and looked up at his mate who was still staring intently at the girls. “Did you listen to a word I just said?”
“What? Yeah, Gwen’s working late again. Are you going to come and dance or do I have to entertain both of the lovely ladies?”
“You go ahead, knock yourself out.” Rhys watched his friend leave and shook his head. Surprisingly he did feel a little better. It was good to get all of that off his chest, even if Banana didn’t listen.
*****
Andy left the pub and nearly walked into Jack and Ianto as they were about to enter.
“Jack, Ianto,” he greeted them.
“Hi Andy,” Ianto nodded. “How’s things.”
“Yeah, not bad. Just seen Rhys in there. He tells me Gwen’s working again. You work her too hard Jack, give her a night off once in a while, yeah?”
Jack laughed, “Well you know, now she’s working for Torchwood she has to actually do something. Not like you coppers!” his friendly smile took the sting out of his words and Andy laughed along with him. Ianto just shook his head.
“Good night lads,” Andy smiled and continued on his way home.
Ianto put his hand on the door of the pub, but Jack’s hand on his shoulder stopped him from opening it. Ianto looked up with a puzzled expression as Jack guided him away from the door. “Why would Rhys think Gwen is working tonight?” Jack asked, but before Ianto could formulate an answer Jack continued, “Call Owen. Tell him you don’t know where I am and you need help catching a weevil in the park.”
“Ok….” Ianto said, still confused but making the call anyway.
Jack waited until he had finished then asked, “So, is he going.”
“Yeah he’s on his way now.”
Jack gave Owen two minutes to shove Gwen out of his apartment and then he sent the Welshwoman a text message;
Meet me at Dempsey’s on Castle Street. I need to talk to you. X
“What are you doing?” Ianto asked.
“Gwen’s not at work. She needs to talk to Rhys.” Jack explained.
The men waited across the road from the pub in the shadows where they could see the doorway, but couldn’t be seen. When Jack saw Gwen approaching down the road he disengaged himself from Ianto’s embrace and sent a quick text message.
Don’t let it drift.
Gwen’s phone beeped and she fished it out of her pocket. They saw her puzzled expression as she pushed open the pub door.
“Come on,” said Jack, “let’s go home.”
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Rhys Williams, Bannana Boat, Andy Davidson, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper
Rating: PG-13
Words: 1262
Spoilers: S1E6, S2E1 (but only if you squint)
Disclaimer: Characters belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for hc_bingo prompt "Cages".
Rhys’s phone buzzed on the table in front of him and he reached for it with a smile. Gwen was going to text him when she got off work and he was going to take her out for dinner. His smile dropped as he read the text.
Sorry. Got to work late. Don’t wait up. X
Rhys gripped his phone tightly and for a brief second contemplated throwing it at the wall across the room. Instead he took a deep breath and slowly released his grip, turning his phone over to look at it and scroll through the contacts, thumbing the button to call Banana.
“Hi mate, fancy a drink tonight?” Rhys asked with forced jollity.
“Always. But I thought you were seeing your Missus for your big date night tonight?”
“Change of plans. See you at the pub in fifteen?”
“Sure.”
Rhys ended the call and pushed himself up out of his chair. He grabbed his jacket and wallet and walked briskly to the pub.
He was already well into his second pint by the time Banana arrived. He downed the drink quickly and ordered them both another pint which they took over to a quiet table near the door.
“So what happened to Gwen then?”
“She cancelled. Had to work.”
“Bummer. Least you get to come out with me though.”
“Yeah…” said Rhys despondently.
He sat looking at his now empty pint glass as Banana prattled on about nothing in particular. “Come on, it’s your round,” Rhys nudged him. Why did he always have to prod Banana to part with any cash?
“Alright,” Banana agreed, picking up their glasses and grinning at a couple of girls as he danced around them on his way to the bar.
“Alright Rhys?” a voice startled him out of his thoughts, “how are you mate?”
“Andy. I’m good thanks. How are you?”
“Can’t complain. You here with Gwen?”
“No she’s working. As always. Never bloody see her these days since she started that special ops job.” The alcohol was beginning to loosen Rhys’s tongue.
“Yeah, that Captain of hers works them too hard.” Andy commiserated. “Anyway, have a good night,” he said raising his glass in salute and making his way to the table where his friends were waiting.
Banana arrived back at the table and placed Rhys’s glass in front of him. “Those two birds are a bit of alright,” he said nodding in the direction of the girls he had danced with on the way to the bar.
“Yeah, not bad,” Rhys answered distractedly.
“What do you say? Wanna go dance with them?”
“Not really. I have a fiancé.” Rhys reminded him.
“She’s not here.”
“That’s not really the point.”
Banana went back to staring at the girls with skirts just that little bit too short and heels they could barely walk in.
“Not that I even feel like I have a girlfriend half the time. I never bloody see her these days. She’s always working and when she does come home she’s tired. I’ve not been this long without sex since I was a teenager.” Rhys huffed out a laugh and took a swig of his drink. “And I can’t say anything to her. I feel trapped because I’ve spent all the years I’ve known her telling her she’s special and she can do whatever she wants if she sets her mind to it. I fell in love with an idealistic young copper who wanted to save the world, or her corner of Cardiff at least. And now she’s got this really important job where she actually can make a difference, and I should be happy for her. But it’s changed her, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” Banana commented absently, distracted by one of the girls blowing a kiss to him.
Rhys took another drink before continuing, “and I can’t bloody say anything. I just feel like I’m trapped in a cage that is getting smaller and smaller every day. I can’t see a way out. I still love her. I know she’s still the same old Gwen underneath but she’s just so busy and distracted by all this really important top secret work. She never asks me how my day was anymore. I know I only work at a haulage company, it’s not important. Not compared to her work. But it’s my job, it’s what pays the bills, and I’m good at it. I have challenges to overcome and decisions to make and office banter to tell her about. She used to like hearing all that stuff, now it’s just beneath her.”
Rhys had more of his drink, “but I encouraged her to follow her dreams to do what she wanted. I just assumed I’d be right there with her. I never realised that I would be stood on the side-lines, getting further and further away from the action trapped in my little cage unable to find the words to break through to her to get my Gwen back.”
He finished his drink and looked up at his mate who was still staring intently at the girls. “Did you listen to a word I just said?”
“What? Yeah, Gwen’s working late again. Are you going to come and dance or do I have to entertain both of the lovely ladies?”
“You go ahead, knock yourself out.” Rhys watched his friend leave and shook his head. Surprisingly he did feel a little better. It was good to get all of that off his chest, even if Banana didn’t listen.
*****
Andy left the pub and nearly walked into Jack and Ianto as they were about to enter.
“Jack, Ianto,” he greeted them.
“Hi Andy,” Ianto nodded. “How’s things.”
“Yeah, not bad. Just seen Rhys in there. He tells me Gwen’s working again. You work her too hard Jack, give her a night off once in a while, yeah?”
Jack laughed, “Well you know, now she’s working for Torchwood she has to actually do something. Not like you coppers!” his friendly smile took the sting out of his words and Andy laughed along with him. Ianto just shook his head.
“Good night lads,” Andy smiled and continued on his way home.
Ianto put his hand on the door of the pub, but Jack’s hand on his shoulder stopped him from opening it. Ianto looked up with a puzzled expression as Jack guided him away from the door. “Why would Rhys think Gwen is working tonight?” Jack asked, but before Ianto could formulate an answer Jack continued, “Call Owen. Tell him you don’t know where I am and you need help catching a weevil in the park.”
“Ok….” Ianto said, still confused but making the call anyway.
Jack waited until he had finished then asked, “So, is he going.”
“Yeah he’s on his way now.”
Jack gave Owen two minutes to shove Gwen out of his apartment and then he sent the Welshwoman a text message;
Meet me at Dempsey’s on Castle Street. I need to talk to you. X
“What are you doing?” Ianto asked.
“Gwen’s not at work. She needs to talk to Rhys.” Jack explained.
The men waited across the road from the pub in the shadows where they could see the doorway, but couldn’t be seen. When Jack saw Gwen approaching down the road he disengaged himself from Ianto’s embrace and sent a quick text message.
Don’t let it drift.
Gwen’s phone beeped and she fished it out of her pocket. They saw her puzzled expression as she pushed open the pub door.
“Come on,” said Jack, “let’s go home.”