How It Should Have Been

How It Should Have Been

Jack had just woken, as soon they had gotten back to the hub. He had taken a bullet meant for Owen in the heart. It had taken time for him to heal, as the bullet had after all landed in his heart.

They had gone to retrieve Martha, after Martha had lost the contact lenses, meaning she had lost contact with the hub. And of course the situation at the farm had turned nasty.

Jack told everyone “I want you all to go home and get some rest. I’ll need you all in tomorrow morning early, to deal with the paper work and files for this case.” He obviously didn’t expect them to stay back at one in the morning doing paper working and filing, especially after the night they had all just endured.

Jack stood near his office door, and watched, as Owen and Tosh walked out of the hub. Tosh had said something, which had made Owen chuckle, and playfully shove her.

Jack sighed. He had never been so glad to take bullet for one of his team. He realised if he hadn’t pushed Owen out of the way of the bullet, and took it himself. Then they’d have been facing a whole and different scenario, one which would have not been so kind or ideal to neither Owen nor Tosh.

Outside the hub, Owen turned to face Tosh, and said, “It’s been one hell of a long night, and a shit one at that.” Tosh nodded, but couldn’t seem to look Owen in the eye, without her eyes wanting to fill with tears.

She was far too terrified to close her eyes, in less see Owen lying there on the cold cement, dead, lying in a pool of his own blood, instead of Jack. The images were flashing through her mind like crazy. She feared if she closed her eyes or slept, then the sheer horror of it all would swallow her whole.

She felt sick with fear, fear over how close she had come to losing Owen that night. She swore her heart had momentarily stopped, as she had seen that bullet heading straight for him. She had never been so glad that Jack had the ability that he did. She would forever be thankful for Jack.

Owen noticed that Tosh was deliberately avoiding looking him in the eyes. He lifted her chin with his right pointer finger. He forced her to meet his gaze, and instantly wished he hadn’t.

He was almost brought to his knees, by the anguish and the sheer terror in her eyes, as tears filled her big brown eyes, making them shiny and sparkling. He asked “What’s wrong Tosh? I realise tonight has been of the shit variety, but what is really bothering you?”

Tosh swallowed hard, and her voice cracked, as she answered. “I can’t close my eyes Owen, I’m terrified.” Owen’s eyes widened at hearing this, he asked “Terrified of what?”

She stifled a sob, as she answered, her voice raw with stark terror and anguish. “Oh god, every time I close my eyes, I see you lying there on that cement back at the farm, in a pool of your own blood. And you’re staring up at me with lifeless and unseeing eyes.”

Her skin had turned ghost white, and she was trembling violently. Owen felt like someone had punched him in the stomach, knocking the air right out of him. Owen paled, before taking her into his arms, without thinking twice about it.

He cringed in sympathy, as she let loose, and began sobbing brokenly. The sound of her sobs was causing an agony deep in his heart. Tosh sobbed “Oh god, I’m so scared, Owen. I don’t want to close my eyes or be alone.”

Owen made a snap decision, which he normally would not have made concerning Tosh. But Owen, he realised the situation called for it. He pulled back slightly, as looked down at Tosh’s tear stained face.
He told her “I promise you don’t have to be alone. You can come to my place. I’ve got some beer in the fridge. We’ll see what movies are playing on cable.”

Tosh shook her head, and stepped back from Owen. She said, “No, but thank you. I wouldn’t want to intrude or over step my bounds. We agreed to one date and only one. We never agreed, that you would have to baby sit me during my stupid female hysterics.”

Owen said sternly “Now Tosh, quit talking such bollocks. Your coming back to my place to watch a movie and drink beer, whether you like or not.” Tosh went to protest again, but Owen cut her off sternly, and said, “No Tosh, no buts.”

He added “Besides I’m not exactly feeling a great peace of mind myself, and not to particular on being on my own either.” He continued “Almost getting shot in the heart, knowing I would have been dead, it more then kind of leaves a bloody lingering impression, if you get my drift.”

He concluded “But, if you tell anyone, especially anyone on the team I said any of this, then I’ll deny it all, until I’m bloody blue in the face. That is right after I tell Jack, tell him that he should consider getting you some medical attention due to being delusional.”

Tosh spluttered, realising he would do what he said he would, and without thinking twice about it. If Owen Harper was anything, then it was a man of his word, especially if it helped cover his own ass.

Before she could protest again, Owen pulled her towards his car. As soon as she regained the ability to speak, Owen had already started the engine, and was driving away from Torchwood head quarters.

Once they reached his apartment, he parked the car, before leading her inside of his apartment. Tosh had probably been here two or three times, if that. Owen silently promised to correct that.

He led her into the sitting area, before turning on the large wide screen plasma TV. He then headed into the kitchen, and grabbed two ice cold bottles of beer out of the fridge, before opening them with a bottle opener.

He then headed back into the sitting area. He handed Tosh one of the beers, after taking the remote control off of the coffee table in front of them. Once he was sat comfortably on the coach he asked Tosh “So what do you fancy watching?”

Tosh replied “I honestly don’t mind, just nothing with violence and guns in it. I think I’ve seem enough of that to last me for a while.” Owen more then understood where she was coming from, and could hardly blame her. He secretly felt the same, not that he would tell Tosh that, of course. He had no intentions of telling her exactly how much tonight had shit him up.

In the end they had chosen a comedy, American Pie. Tosh flushed, and giggled occasionally, while Owen sniggered at some of the dirty one liner’s. Both had laughed when the character of Jim messed around with the apple pie.

Tosh moaned between giggles “Oh god, I may never look at apple pie the same again, at least not without seeing that” she gestured to the TV screen. Owen sniggered, and commented “Poor bastard. I remember some of the shit I got up to as a teenager, but never anything as pathetic as that.”

It was four in the morning by the time them movie finished. Both were still wide awake. The events from less then five hours previously still played on each others minds. They were never going to get any sleep at this rate.

Halfway through the second movie, they somehow found themselves snuggled against each other. Neither mentioned how they had gotten like that. It would have only turned awkward if they did.

During the movie, Tosh flushed and buried her face in Owen’s chest, for there on the screen was a steamy love scene between the leading actor and actress. Owen couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably, as he was hit with images of him and Tosh in place of the actor and actress on screen.

Owen looked down at her flushed face, and as if some invisible force was pulling the two of them towards each other, they met each other halfway. Owen quickly captured her lips with his.

He moved back slightly, so he had room to cup her face between his palms, and deepened the kiss. Owen plundered her mouth passionately with his tongue. Tosh whimpered, lacing her fingers through his soft brown locks; tugging on it gently, making Owen moan deeply in the back of his throat.

Tosh broke the kiss, and teasingly nibbled on his ear lobe, causing him to let out a moan, followed by a hiss, after she nibbled hard, before soothing the slight sting with the tip of her tongue.

Owen quickly pulled back, and asked “Are you sure about this?” Tosh nodded, and replied “Of course. It is something I would have done a while ago if I’d had even the smallest inkling that I wouldn’t have been rejected, and laughed at in the face.”

Owen had to resist the urge to not cringe. The more he saw the consequences of his discard of Tosh, more he felt a like the biggest bastard to ever grace the planet. He hadn’t always been like this. He had become what he had, after his fiancée Katie had died before they could even marry.

Owen felt he was finally ready to move on. Of course he was not going to dramatically change over night, it would take time. Time for the Owen Katie had known to return. But he would never be that young and naïve medical student again. He had seen far too much for that.

But he was going to try and be less of a bastard, to Tosh in particular. Owen was terrified to admit even to himself, that he wanted a relationship with Tosh. And maybe even perhaps get married and have children, if they ever survived retirement from Torchwood.

Owen wasn’t blind enough to think he and Tosh, along with Gwen and Ianto were forever going to be a part of Torchwood, hunting down aliens. Sooner or later, they’d start to age, become slower, and liabilities. They were human after all, and that is what happened to humans, they aged and become slower. That wasn’t the case for Jack.

Owen snapped out of his thoughts, and said, “Ok, as long as you’re sure this is what you truly want. Think about this, we have to work together. We can’t afford for things to turn awkward between us, as in our line of work it will get us both killed, and maybe our team.”

Tosh reached out with her left hand, and gently smoothed her hand against his cheek. He eyed her, with an intensity that took her breath away. She said, “I’ve wanted this for such a long time, Owen. I was willing, even if it was only once, and we never mentioned it again. It would have been more then enough and more then I could have ever possibly hopped for.”

Owen sighed, as he asked “Was that all you were ever expecting from me?” Tosh replied “I didn’t want to get my hopes up, only for them to be crushed. You’re not actually known for you love of relationships, and anything domestic. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

Owen nodded, realising she was right, as much as that little piece of truth just needled at him, and pissed him off. He then leaned forwards, and recaptured her mouth with his own.

He sighed, letting out a quite moan, as she wound her fingers in his hair, and opened her mouth underneath his, allowing him to slip his tongue past her parted lips. He could feel himself starting to harden.

He broke the kiss with one last teasing nip to her upper lip. He then stood, pulling her up with him, after using the remote control to turn off the TV. He then took her by the hand and led her towards his bedroom.