Owen watched the couple through the window of the small restaurant. He couldn't hear what they were saying but they were entirely too close together for him. What if Gwen was right and Ianto had a thing for Tosh? He had to find a way to stop it. It was wrong. He'd tried talking to Gwen but she'd just dismissed him, said she thought it was sweet that Ianto had a crush on Toshiko. They were cute together. So he'd gone to Jack. Jack would understand and help him. If for no other reason than he'd lose his part-time shag if Ianto found someone else. But he hadn't been concerned either.

i"Ianto asked Tosh out to dinner," Owen had told Jack just a few hours before.

Jack had looked up from the report he was reading and smiled that smile that always made Owen want to hit him. "I know. He told me."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Ianto is an adult. He can do what he wants."

"But he's your…you and he…"

"He's not my property, Owen," Jack had sighed. "If Ianto wants to go to dinner with Tosh it's his choice."

"You don't think it's a bad idea for coworkers to be…"

"I didn't say anything when it was you and Gwen, and as you've already said, Ianto and I have a…relationship, so no, obviously I don't have a problem with it," Jack had said, not even allowing him to finish his sentence. "Now if there's nothing else?"/i

So now he was out here alone trying to figure out how to stop this whole mess. He wasn't even sure why it bothered him. Jack was right; they were both adults and could do as they pleased. It wasn't as if Tosh had any reason to turn Ianto down. Owen had spent their entire time working together making it clear he wasn't interested.

center***/center

"How are you enjoying your dinner?" Ianto asked, leaning closer to be heard while still keeping his voice low. He could've spoken louder without disturbing anyone, but he'd seen Owen watching them from outside. He'd arrived shortly after they had, but hadn't come in. He also knew about the conversation Owen had with Jack. It seemed Jack had been right about Owen's feelings.

"It's lovely," Tosh answered, smiling nervously. This whole week had been weird for; her the chocolates all week, and now Ianto…The problem was, no matter what she said earlier to Owen and Gwen, she wasn't interested in Ianto. He was a wonderful friend but that was it, and if he thought any differently she had to put a stop to it now; she didn't want him to be hurt. "Ianto, this is all very sweet, but I thought you and Jack were…are…and if you've been leaving me the sweets, I think you should know…"

Ianto let her talk until her sentence trailed off in embarrassment before he spoke. "We are here about the sweets, but I didn't leave them, Jack did. And we are still together."

Tosh frowned, confused. Jack had left her gifts? Surely he wasn't…not that that would be a bad thing, but if he and Ianto were still…whatever they were—she was never clear on that—then it was a problem. She'd never hurt Ianto. But really she didn't want Jack either. "I don't understand."

Ianto smiled at her confusion. "Don't worry, I'm not here as a jealous lover. I'm here to help…to try to explain Jack's disastrous attempt to help you."

"I don't need help."

"Well, nonetheless, Jack has put this idiotic plan into action, and amazingly it seems to be working so we have to deal with it."

"What was his plan?"

"To make Owen admit he's interested in you."

"By sending me chocolates?"

"I did say it was an idiotic plan," Ianto pointed out. "However, Owen has been watching us for some time now, and he tried to get both Jack and Gwen to stop you from going to dinner with me."

"Really?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "He's here?"

"Outside, but don't look," he said, nodding toward the window. "You really have two choices now: We can continue with Jack's plan and see if we can make Owen come in here and admit he wants you…or we can leave and go outside and tell him what's going on."

"He'd be very angry that Jack did that to him," she pointed out.

"Okay, tell him a slightly altered version of what happened."

"I guess we should continue…I mean it makes more sense than trying to come up with a believable lie," Tosh said, smiling and leaning forward. "So what exactly helps next in Jack's plan?"

"Yes, well, planning isn't really Jack's strong suit," Ianto sighed. "He hadn't actually thought it through beyond sending you candy to cheer you up and make Owen jealous enough to admit his feelings."

"Okay, so we just wing it now?"

"Afraid so. Did you want dessert?"

center***/center

Owen couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't stay out here and let this happen. Ianto wasn't right for her. He'd hurt her when he went back to Jack. He couldn't stand out here and watch them laugh and touch and act like everything was perfect anymore. Taking a deep breath, he pulled open the door and made his way quickly to their table.

"Tosh," he said as soon as he reached them.

"Owen," she said, looking up in surprise. "Hi."

"I can't let this happen," he said, ignoring Ianto and focusing all of his attention on Tosh. "He's going to hurt you."

"No he isn't," she said calmly.

"He is. He doesn't love you."

Ianto raised an eyebrow in question, "And you do?"

Owen opened his mouth to speak and stopped. What was he supposed to say? He didn't love her, did he? Of course not. He'd loved Katie, and this was completely different. He didn't love Tosh. So then why was he interrupting her date like a jealous maniac?

"No," he said finally. "I don't love you. I…I'm just worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"And you really think I'd hurt her?"Ianto asked.

"No," he said, "Yes. I don't know."

"Then why are you here?" Tosh asked. "You've never paid any attention to me no matter what I did, not when you had Suzie and Gwen around."

"Look Tosh," he said after a few moments of silence. "I'm not in love with you, I don't even know if I can do that anymore, but I have noticed you, always have, it's just…we could go out, one date, no promises but we could try, see what happens."

Tosh looked over at Ianto, who was watching the exchange in silence. He smiled at her, "I'll just go home then," he said quietly.

"Thank you," she said, getting up and kissing his cheek. "For everything."

Owen watched them say goodbye. Ianto was giving up easily, which confused him but at the moment he didn't care. He was leaving and Owen had a date with Tosh. "Give you a ride home, Tosh? We can make plans on the way," he said as Ianto walked out without looking back.

"Sure," she said, grabbing her purse and following him out.

center***/center

"So I was right?"

"Yes, Jack," Ianto sighed. "You were right."

"I don't know why no one ever listens to me," Jack said, grinning. "Nearly two hundred years of life is bound to teach you something, you know."

"Fine, we are all horribly inconsiderate to question you on anything," Ianto agreed. "But you do realize how difficult everything here will be if he hurts her, right?"

"He won't."

"You better hope not," Ianto said.

The end.