Disclaimer: COE happened so it obviously doesn't belong to me.

A/N I've never written anything except Jack/Ianto before so hope this makes the grade for Owen/Ianto fans.

Dedicated To jack4ianto09 who suggested I write an Owen/Ianto fic.

TWTWTW

'Tosh...anything happening rift wise?' asked Gwen.

'Doesn't seem to be...looks like nothing predicted until tomorrow...fingers crossed' replied Toshiko.

'Right...I suggest we all go home..can you alter the rift alert signal to come through to me at home?' asked Gwen.

'Sure' announced Toshiko.

It had been seven weeks since Jack had left and the team had fallen into some sort of cohesive unit. Gwen took charge of day to day operations after it was agreed that Owen was needed to concentrate on the medical side of things. Toshiko lost herself in her beloved technology and tried to ignore the sometime squabbling for leadership. Ianto kept the whole place running behind the scenes having no desire to be in charge.

The team began to pack away for the night.

Gwen promised herself time alone with Rhys even if there was always the possibility of a rift alert.

Toshiko promised herself a glass of wine and an episode of Desperate Housewives to dull reality.

Owen promised himself a night of drunken debauchery with any willing female he could find.

Ianto promised himself he wouldn't cry.

They all had their ways of coping and the effort Ianto put into containing his emotions during the day left him unable to restrain his grief once he was alone. He waited until the others had left and then ordered take out. Having picked at his food and spent several hours fruitlessly wandering the archives he knew he could not put off sleep any longer.

Ianto felt bereft. He had taken a long time to recover after he lost Lisa. He took physical comfort from Jack and gradually the older man had become his anchor. He became the rock onto which Ianto could cling when his emotions threatened to overcome him. Jack had eventually replaced Lisa in his affections and Ianto had learnt to trust again.

Then Jack had left and Ianto was horrified and devastated. Horrified that Jack would desert them all and devastated that he had once again lost a lover. Lisa had not left him willingly so this new betrayal was worse and hit him harder.

He took himself to Jack's room, undressed and lay down willing himself to sleep. He had known it would not happen and he pulled one of Jack's shirts from its hanger and into the bed with him, breathing in his scent that still lingered in its folds. He began to quietly sob.

TWTWTW

As Owen re-entered the hub he was not a happy man. What was supposed to be an evening ending with a shag with some faceless and nameless female he would never willingly see again had actually turned into an evening of being thumped by the grunt of a boyfriend that the girl he had been chatting up had forgotten to mention. He had returned to the hub for a quick patch up job on his lip.

He went first to the kitchenette to grab some ice. Before he did anything to this injury he needed some relief from the pain and swelling. His journey towards relief was interrupted when he heard a soft sobbing sound.

He followed the sound to Jack's office having taken his gun out. Reaching the office his worst fears were confirmed and he put his gun away and hung his head in despair. As soon as he entered the room he knew the sound was Ianto crying in Jack's bed and he did not know how to deal with the knowledge.

He stood for a time listening to the soft sobs coming from the Welshman. Should he approach the man and offer support or would that just make things too weird tomorrow? He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another, eventually making up his mind and sneaking quietly away.

TWTWTW

The following day as Owen entered the hub Ianto looked up at him and rolled his eyes at the state of his lip.

'What happened Owen?' he asked.

'Argument with a door' he answered.

'You mean argument with a person who did not appreciate your personality?' smiled Ianto.

Owen looked at him and grinned.

'Ok...argument with someone with the intelligence level of a door' he said.

Ianto tutted.

'You need to get more control Owen' he said.

'So do you Ianto' commented Owen softly.

Ianto looked up at him sharply.

'What do you mean?' he asked.

Owen had determined the previous night not to mention that he had heard Ianto crying. It would serve no purpose other than to embarrass him and much as Owen enjoyed tormenting his teammate he recognised true grief when he heard it and would take no joy in exacerbating it.

'You still miss Jack...I see that Ianto...we all miss him, but you more than us...I see that you still don't sleep well...you stay here when you should be at home...I don't suppose you go out socialising with friends' stated Owen.

Ianto frowned.

'For someone who specialises in loathing other people you have certainly seen a lot' he commented, worrying about when he had let his guard down long enough for someone as blind to emotions as Owen to recognise all this.

'I'm your doctor Ianto...it's my job to notice such things..to make sure you're fit for duty'

Owen tried to cover his words with something Ianto would find acceptable. Owen was supposed to make sure the team were fit, it was ok if he noticed something that might affect Ianto's ability to do his job.

'I'm ok Owen' he said quietly.

The two men looked at each other. This would be a standoff. Owen would have to admit to hearing Ianto crying or accept his word that he was ok. He looked down and then back up at Ianto quickly.

'Come out with me for a drink tonight?' he asked.

'You asking me for a date Owen?' laughed Ianto.

Owen laughed with him.

'In your dreams mate...seriously just come for a drink...convince me you're ok' he continued.

Ianto thought. He had not been out socialising since Jack had left. He had barely left the hub except for missions, shopping and going home to collect clean clothes. It might be good to just get out for a while and it would have the added benefit of getting Owen off his back.

'Ok' he answered.

TWTWTW

'You ready Jones?' demanded Owen at the end of the day.

'Yup' answered Ianto 'let's go'

The two men set out for a local bar and ordered drinks when they arrived. Then they sat and looked at each other. They had never spent much time on their own and certainly not by choice in a social setting, neither of them knew what to say.

'Have you been here before?' Ianto asked.

Owen laughed.

'I hope that isn't an example of the quality of your chat up lines' he said.

Ianto raised an eyebrow.

'I wasn't aware I needed chat up lines with you...didn't realise it was that sort of drink' he announced with an amused air.

'It's not' sneered Owen 'yeah I've been here a few times...get a lot of office workers in here...come Friday night there are always girls looking for a good time'

'So' said Ianto looking around 'this is one of Owen's pick up joints'

'Yeah...I guess' said Owen.

Ianto raised a questioning eyebrow at the other man.

'Picking up women has become less and less fulfilling recently' admitted Owen.

Ianto thought about this for a moment.

'Why?' he asked genuinely surprised.

Owen considered his reply. He didn't like introspection and tried to avoid it. How much was he willing to share with this man? Despite working with Ianto for almost two years he really knew very little about him.

'I'm getting older...want more than meaningless shags...hate waking up with someone I don't know...sometimes want a hug' he looked up at Ianto from under his eyelashes hoping he hadn't just laid himself open to endless mockery.

Ianto watched him with surprise.

'Yeah..' he answered eventually acknowledging his sympathy with the feeling.

Owen smiled relieved.

'So...I told you something you will die if you repeat...how about you tell me something about you' he asked.

'I'm really very boring Owen...there's nothing to tell' smiled Ianto sadly.

'Well that's obviously not true' sniped Owen.

Ianto looked up at him surprised at the tone.

'You keep the sexual enigma that is Jack Harkness enthralled and you expect me to believe you are remotely ordinary?' asked Owen raising his eyebrow in amusement.

Ianto looked sad.

'I didn't keep him that enthralled Owen...he left remember?'

Owen was sorry he had bought up the subject. He was supposed to be cheering his teammate up not raising uncomfortable memories.

'I don't know why he left Ianto...but I'm pretty sure he'll come back for you' he said sincerely.

Ianto looked up at him, hope flaring briefly but dying just as quickly.

'I doubt it Owen...he's gone...the sooner we all learn to accept that the better it will be' he said sadly.

Owen nodded slightly accepting that a change of subject was called for.

'So talk to me teaboy...tell me something outrageous' he laughed and took a long swig of his drink.

Ianto copied him and prepared to share.

TWTWTW

Ianto and Owen had a good time the night before but they were both paying the price this morning and feeling the effects of one drink too many. The alarms sounded as Gwen entered the hub and Owen looked over at Ianto as they both grimaced at the sound. Ianto rolled his eyes and set about making drinks.

The week carried on much as normal with very little happening. Four days later Owen approached Ianto again. He had noticed that the man still looked tired and determined not to let up his observation.

'Ianto...you want to come out again tonight?' he asked.

'No' said Ianto.

Owen looked so disappointed that Ianto relented.

'I don't want to go out Owen...but why don't we take some beer to mine and order take out?' he offered.

Owen paused to consider this. Going out for a drink meant it would be easy to make excuses and leave if he became bored, going to Ianto's house made the arrangement seem more domestic somehow. But he had enjoyed the Welshman's company last time, he was witty, intelligent and much more entertaining than Owen would ever have believed. He had glimpsed what Jack must have been treated to regularly and he had had fun.

'Ok...sounds good...you got any good movies?' he asked.

Ianto leaned his head to the side.

'I have a lot of Bond films' he said.

Owen laughed.

'Oh you are such a cliché...I'll bring an action movie'

'Yeah...because that's not a cliché at all' smirked Ianto.

The two men smiled at each other.

'It's a date Owen' said Ianto with a wicked grin.

'Still in your dreams Ianto' snarled Owen but he smiled just the same.

TWTWTW

The doorbell rang and Ianto caught himself grinning at the thought of an evening with Owen. He shook the thought free and opened his door.

'I bought Die Hard' said Owen shaking the DVD case in front of Ianto.

Ianto rolled his eyes.

'That really is a cliché Owen.

'No... Die Hard is a classic' insisted Owen.

'If you say so...hope Chinese is ok' said Ianto indicating his coffee table full of food cartons and with two waiting plates and two bottles of beer.

'Perfect' smiled Owen.

The two sat down to watch and eat and were soon relaxing comfortably on the battered sofa with their feet on the now empty table.

By the end of the DVD they were finishing a third bottle of beer and laughing together as they rehearsed parts of the script, overacting the roles. Ianto insisted they watch a James Bond movie next and they moved closer together on the sofa.

They continued laughing and enjoying each other's company until Owen sprang awake just after midnight to find Ianto with his head in his lap snoring away. Owen's jerk to wakefulness stirred Ianto and he opened his eyes and sat up quickly with an apologetic glance at Owen.

The two looked at each other uncertainly for a moment and then broke into grins.

'I suggest we pretend we never saw that' said Owen.

'Saw what?' questioned Ianto with a smile.

'I should go' said Owen trying ineffectually to sit up and gather his thoughts.

Ianto looked at his friend.

'Stay' he said.

'I'm not big on sleeping on sofas mate' said Owen.

'Then stay in my bed with me' answered Ianto simply.

Owen looked at him warily.

'For God's sake Owen we're both grown ups...surely we can share a bed without jumping each other' Ianto argued.

'Suppose' admitted Owen.

'You've had a drink and shouldn't drive...you could stay on the sofa but it's not very comfortable...I promise your virtue will be safe if you share my bed' smiled Ianto.

'My virtue was taken long ago' grinned Owen.

'You had men as well as women in your bed before then Owen?' asked Ianto suddenly curious.

Owen looked from under his lashes, did he really want to share this with Ianto?

'Yes' he said eventually.

'Then I will have to ask you to respect my virtue' Ianto deadpanned.

'You have been thoroughly desecrated by Harkness' laughed Owen.

Pain passed momentarily across Ianto's face and Owen placed an arm across his shoulders.

'Come on' he said and urged the other man to the bedroom.

As they lay side by side in Ianto's large bed both facing the ceiling Owen felt compelled to ask.

'Ianto...you ever shared a bed with any other man?'

'Do you mean bed?...or body? Owen' asked Ianto.

'Bed'

'No'

Body?'

'No'

'Oh...night Ianto'

'Night Owen'

TWTWTW

Ianto awoke early the next morning with a warm body spooned into his and a hard erection pressed against his arse.

'Jack' he breathed.

'No' whispered Owen 'sorry...only me'

'It's ok Owen...wasn't properly awake..am now...and good morning to you too' he laughed pushing his arse back into Owen's erection and laughing slightly.

'Sorry' whispered Owen but he pushed his erection into Ianto slightly harder and kissed his neck gently.

Ianto froze.

Laughing about a morning erection was one thing kissing and urging it towards a body was quite another. He felt his own body responding to the contact and didn't know what to do. Owen wound an arm about Ianto's waist and felt the other man's breath hitch in response. He suddenly seemed to realise what he was doing, as he stopped and again whispered to Ianto.

'Sorry' and pulled away from the other man.

They both lay looking at the ceiling again.

'It's ok Owen...really' said Ianto.

'Yeah...we should get ready for work' whispered Owen.

'Yeah' replied Ianto.

'Ianto?...is this something we need to pretend never happened?' asked Owen.

'No' answered Ianto simply.

'Do we need to talk about it?' asked Owen.

'No' answered Ianto again.

Owen nodded and got up to shower.

TBC