FIC: Home Sweet Car (Torchwood 1/1)
Feb. 12th, 2009 10:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dru_evilista
Title: Home Sweet Car
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dru_evilista and qualli
Rating: T
Characters, Pairing: Ianto, Owen
Summary: Set just after Cyberwoman. Ianto is angsty and Owen finds out something about him. Owen is not pleased.
---
As usual Ianto was the last to leave, other then Jack of course. Jack never left. Just paced and brooded and watched Ianto like a hawk. Ianto cleaned up, checked on Myfanwy, fed the “prisoners” in the cells, turned off lights and got the hub shut down for the night, all without acknowledging the captain.
Ianto was the last one out at night and no one questioned why. They all just assumed it was his job. And some of it was. But really, Ianto just didn't want to leave.
Ianto finished fussing with the local brochures and locked the tourist shop behind him and headed across the plass to his car, wrapping his fingers around his thermos of coffee to warm them.
It was...pathetic. Utterly pathetic. His car. His home. He should find somewhere. He wasn't rich by any means, but he certainly made enough to find a flat. But he just couldn't seem to be bothered. He'd sold his and Lisa's house in London when he came to Torchwood Three and he'd been living in the basement with her, wanting to be with her.
Now she was... gone, and he just couldn't be bothered to find somewhere else to live. That would mean bringing their stuff out of storage. Sorting through and throwing away everything that belonged to Lisa. He couldn’t do that,so he slept in his car, and showered and changed in the hub before the others arrived. For a routine it wasn’t too bad.
He supposed he should be glad everyone ignored him, otherwise someone would have noticed he never left the hub at all before, and now was living in his car. Having anyone know that would be quite embarrassing.
He drove his car to a empty parking lot where he could park it for the night, and climbed into the back, pulling off his tie. He hooked it carefully over the rearview mirror, and then folded his suit jacket carefully, laying it on the driver’s seat. His shoes were placed carefully in the foot, and the thermos tucked under the pillow he had taken from the hub, under the guise of having it cleaned. He shifted until he was comfortable, and pulled his pile of blankets, these from the tourist shop and decorated with lions, over himself.
He let out a small sigh and stared up at the ceiling. A few years ago he'd been a happy, successful, on his way up in his career choice, in love, young man. He had even thought about children, perhaps. A cat at least. Now he was a tea boy. He cleaned, he made everyone coffee, he filed the paper work, he cataloged what came though the rift, fed Owen's pet weevils, got rid of bodies, gave Jack blow jobs. Whatever was required of him. He was there to keep things running smoothly and let the others ignore his existence until they needed something.
Only Jack seemed to remember the consequences of ignoring him. The others had slipped back into their old habits.
Maybe it would have been easier if Jack had just executed him for what he did.
He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. He'd have to be up early to get to the hub before the others. The sweep of headlights, and ambient sounds of the city slowly lulled him to sleep.
He jerked from the light dose he'd started to fall into, when something banged against the window. His eyes flew open and stared straight into the face of the last person he expected, or wanted to see. Doctor Owen Harper was standing out side his car looking right at him.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and scooted forward to roll down the window, his hands twitched to straighten a nonexistent tie. "Is something the matter, Owen?"
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"...sleeping? Or rather I was trying to sleep before you knocked." Ianto eyed his coworker. The older man was in jeans and an obscenely bright dress shirt, his hair artfully messy, and the scent of slightly too much cologne wafted into the open window. So that’s what Owen did in his off time.
"Why the fuck are you sleeping in your car?" Owen demanded irately, and Ianto blinked, pulling himself back into the conversation.
"My flat is being fumigated. I can't stay there so I'm spending the night in my car." Ianto replied smoothly.
"Have you never heard the a thing called a 'hotel'?"
“Yes.”
Owen’s head thunked on the car door. “I’m sure Jack would let you sleep with him.”
"My car is quite fine, thank you very much. Is there something you needed?"
Owen looked at him as if he were insane. "Ianto, you're sleeping in your car that's not normal. I was coming out of the pub and saw you pull up." Owen studied him and the interior of the car for a moment. "You look way to used to this, and too...settled and routine-y for this to be a one night thing. What's going on. What are you hiding now?"
Ianto kept his face impassive from long practice. "It's none of your concern where I choose to sleep. I assure you it has nothing to do with you, and does not affect you or anyone but my self."
Owen narrowed his eyes. "Are you- are you seriously living in your car? Fuck, if it's that bad, I'm pretty sure Jack'll give you a raise. I mean you’re still giving him a blow with the morning coffee right?"
Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately wanting to not have this talk. "Owen this is really not the time, or place for this conversation."
"Well too bad. I'm not going anywhere till I get some answers, so open the door and shove over."
Ianto stared at him and Owen made shooing motions for Ianto to move over. Ianto slowly did so feeling very confused.
"Ianto open the door." Owen spoke slowly, as if to a child.
"It's open. The lock's broken. Doesn't lock." Ianto muttered.
Owen’s eyes widened.
"...YOU'RE LIVING IN AN UNLOCKED CAR?! Are you fucking trying to get raped and murdered?!" Owen bellowed yanking open and door and getting in, closing it with a slam.
Ianto winced. "It's fine. I'm not a 15 year old girl, I'm a 26 year old Torchwood agent."
"Who's living in a fucking car! Now explain that, before I fucking decide to just drag your ass back to the hub and retcon you back to kindergarten. Maybe the second time though you can learn common sense!"
Ianto ground his teeth together, then took a calming breath. Owen didn't care. He just didn't want Ianto having any more secrets. Ianto couldn’t really blame him for that. Maybe he was looking for reasons to have Ianto retconned, or ....eliminated.
He'd tell him, the doctor would be satisfied, and leave him alone except for some extra mocking for a few weeks maybe. "I was with Lisa. She needed me. I didn't want to be far from her, so I was sleeping in the basement with her. I'm sure one of you must have found the cot and other things that were down there. Since then, I haven't been bothered to try to find somewhere else to live. That's the only explanation. Nothing more, nothing less. Not trying to destroy the world from the backseat. Now you know, so you can leave."
Owen stared.
Ianto settled back against the other door, pulling his blanket around him. "Could you please close the window? It's getting a bit chilly."
Owen continued to stare, but blindly reached over and rolled the window up.
Ianto did his best to ignore the other man, and make him self comfortable.
Owen kept staring.
Ianto sighed. "Are you planing to sit here all night? I have to be up early to get to the hub and open everything up." Ianto neglected to mention he also had to shower and change. Owen didn't need to hear that part.
When Owen didn’t answer Ianto reached over, tipping the doctor slightly and yanking the blankets out from under him. He seperated one out and handed it back. “I have coffee if you don’t mind drinking out of the lid. There’s some biscuits in the glove compartment.”
Owen actually looked concerned. "Ianto...have you considered getting help? I mean Torchwood is pretty fucked up, but there's gotta be a psychiatrist or two floating around one of the branches, right?"
"Owen..." Ianto sighed and shook his head. "I've tried therapy. Before I started working here. It did no good. I'm not crazy. I just... I'm just not ready. I-I really thought the next place I'd be moving into, would be with Lisa. I was sure I would be able to help her. She'd recover, be healthy and whole again and we'd find somewhere together. Get married and live the life we always wanted. A white picket fence, children, a dog and cat. It's only been a few weeks. I'm not ready to move on yet."
Owen reached out a hand then pulled it back. "Uh. Maybe you should stay at my place? I have a couch you could borrow for a few days or something. You can't keep sleeping in an unlocked car. You're going to get your self killed. Hell my parking garage is safer than here."
Now it was Ianto's turn to stare in disbelief.
"Don't give me that look. I'm still pissed at you for nearly getting me killed, but I'm your...co-worker. And your doctor and I have that whole annoying oath to help people crap. Either come back to my place, or I'm telling Jack you're living in a car."
"Jack lives in a hole in the ground. Like he's going to find it odd?"
"Ianto! A car! A fucking unlocked car! Even if you're not ready to move into a flat, you can't stay here. Sleep on the couch in the hub or something, but not here."
Ianto studied Owen. He'd never known the doctor to be concerned about him before. It was...vaguly creepy.
"Ianto fucking come on!" Owen slapped his hands on the cloth seat.
"....alright?"
"Good. You know where I live?” Owen waited for the nod, but got a negative head shake. “Follow me back then. I'll get my car." Owen said opening the door and climbing out
Ianto sat blinking for a moment as Owen stomped across the parking lot to his own car. Strange...very, very strange.
The End
Author:
dru_evilista and qualliRating: T
Characters, Pairing: Ianto, Owen
Summary: Set just after Cyberwoman. Ianto is angsty and Owen finds out something about him. Owen is not pleased.
---
As usual Ianto was the last to leave, other then Jack of course. Jack never left. Just paced and brooded and watched Ianto like a hawk. Ianto cleaned up, checked on Myfanwy, fed the “prisoners” in the cells, turned off lights and got the hub shut down for the night, all without acknowledging the captain.
Ianto was the last one out at night and no one questioned why. They all just assumed it was his job. And some of it was. But really, Ianto just didn't want to leave.
Ianto finished fussing with the local brochures and locked the tourist shop behind him and headed across the plass to his car, wrapping his fingers around his thermos of coffee to warm them.
It was...pathetic. Utterly pathetic. His car. His home. He should find somewhere. He wasn't rich by any means, but he certainly made enough to find a flat. But he just couldn't seem to be bothered. He'd sold his and Lisa's house in London when he came to Torchwood Three and he'd been living in the basement with her, wanting to be with her.
Now she was... gone, and he just couldn't be bothered to find somewhere else to live. That would mean bringing their stuff out of storage. Sorting through and throwing away everything that belonged to Lisa. He couldn’t do that,so he slept in his car, and showered and changed in the hub before the others arrived. For a routine it wasn’t too bad.
He supposed he should be glad everyone ignored him, otherwise someone would have noticed he never left the hub at all before, and now was living in his car. Having anyone know that would be quite embarrassing.
He drove his car to a empty parking lot where he could park it for the night, and climbed into the back, pulling off his tie. He hooked it carefully over the rearview mirror, and then folded his suit jacket carefully, laying it on the driver’s seat. His shoes were placed carefully in the foot, and the thermos tucked under the pillow he had taken from the hub, under the guise of having it cleaned. He shifted until he was comfortable, and pulled his pile of blankets, these from the tourist shop and decorated with lions, over himself.
He let out a small sigh and stared up at the ceiling. A few years ago he'd been a happy, successful, on his way up in his career choice, in love, young man. He had even thought about children, perhaps. A cat at least. Now he was a tea boy. He cleaned, he made everyone coffee, he filed the paper work, he cataloged what came though the rift, fed Owen's pet weevils, got rid of bodies, gave Jack blow jobs. Whatever was required of him. He was there to keep things running smoothly and let the others ignore his existence until they needed something.
Only Jack seemed to remember the consequences of ignoring him. The others had slipped back into their old habits.
Maybe it would have been easier if Jack had just executed him for what he did.
He closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep. He'd have to be up early to get to the hub before the others. The sweep of headlights, and ambient sounds of the city slowly lulled him to sleep.
He jerked from the light dose he'd started to fall into, when something banged against the window. His eyes flew open and stared straight into the face of the last person he expected, or wanted to see. Doctor Owen Harper was standing out side his car looking right at him.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and scooted forward to roll down the window, his hands twitched to straighten a nonexistent tie. "Is something the matter, Owen?"
"What the fuck are you doing?"
"...sleeping? Or rather I was trying to sleep before you knocked." Ianto eyed his coworker. The older man was in jeans and an obscenely bright dress shirt, his hair artfully messy, and the scent of slightly too much cologne wafted into the open window. So that’s what Owen did in his off time.
"Why the fuck are you sleeping in your car?" Owen demanded irately, and Ianto blinked, pulling himself back into the conversation.
"My flat is being fumigated. I can't stay there so I'm spending the night in my car." Ianto replied smoothly.
"Have you never heard the a thing called a 'hotel'?"
“Yes.”
Owen’s head thunked on the car door. “I’m sure Jack would let you sleep with him.”
"My car is quite fine, thank you very much. Is there something you needed?"
Owen looked at him as if he were insane. "Ianto, you're sleeping in your car that's not normal. I was coming out of the pub and saw you pull up." Owen studied him and the interior of the car for a moment. "You look way to used to this, and too...settled and routine-y for this to be a one night thing. What's going on. What are you hiding now?"
Ianto kept his face impassive from long practice. "It's none of your concern where I choose to sleep. I assure you it has nothing to do with you, and does not affect you or anyone but my self."
Owen narrowed his eyes. "Are you- are you seriously living in your car? Fuck, if it's that bad, I'm pretty sure Jack'll give you a raise. I mean you’re still giving him a blow with the morning coffee right?"
Ianto pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately wanting to not have this talk. "Owen this is really not the time, or place for this conversation."
"Well too bad. I'm not going anywhere till I get some answers, so open the door and shove over."
Ianto stared at him and Owen made shooing motions for Ianto to move over. Ianto slowly did so feeling very confused.
"Ianto open the door." Owen spoke slowly, as if to a child.
"It's open. The lock's broken. Doesn't lock." Ianto muttered.
Owen’s eyes widened.
"...YOU'RE LIVING IN AN UNLOCKED CAR?! Are you fucking trying to get raped and murdered?!" Owen bellowed yanking open and door and getting in, closing it with a slam.
Ianto winced. "It's fine. I'm not a 15 year old girl, I'm a 26 year old Torchwood agent."
"Who's living in a fucking car! Now explain that, before I fucking decide to just drag your ass back to the hub and retcon you back to kindergarten. Maybe the second time though you can learn common sense!"
Ianto ground his teeth together, then took a calming breath. Owen didn't care. He just didn't want Ianto having any more secrets. Ianto couldn’t really blame him for that. Maybe he was looking for reasons to have Ianto retconned, or ....eliminated.
He'd tell him, the doctor would be satisfied, and leave him alone except for some extra mocking for a few weeks maybe. "I was with Lisa. She needed me. I didn't want to be far from her, so I was sleeping in the basement with her. I'm sure one of you must have found the cot and other things that were down there. Since then, I haven't been bothered to try to find somewhere else to live. That's the only explanation. Nothing more, nothing less. Not trying to destroy the world from the backseat. Now you know, so you can leave."
Owen stared.
Ianto settled back against the other door, pulling his blanket around him. "Could you please close the window? It's getting a bit chilly."
Owen continued to stare, but blindly reached over and rolled the window up.
Ianto did his best to ignore the other man, and make him self comfortable.
Owen kept staring.
Ianto sighed. "Are you planing to sit here all night? I have to be up early to get to the hub and open everything up." Ianto neglected to mention he also had to shower and change. Owen didn't need to hear that part.
When Owen didn’t answer Ianto reached over, tipping the doctor slightly and yanking the blankets out from under him. He seperated one out and handed it back. “I have coffee if you don’t mind drinking out of the lid. There’s some biscuits in the glove compartment.”
Owen actually looked concerned. "Ianto...have you considered getting help? I mean Torchwood is pretty fucked up, but there's gotta be a psychiatrist or two floating around one of the branches, right?"
"Owen..." Ianto sighed and shook his head. "I've tried therapy. Before I started working here. It did no good. I'm not crazy. I just... I'm just not ready. I-I really thought the next place I'd be moving into, would be with Lisa. I was sure I would be able to help her. She'd recover, be healthy and whole again and we'd find somewhere together. Get married and live the life we always wanted. A white picket fence, children, a dog and cat. It's only been a few weeks. I'm not ready to move on yet."
Owen reached out a hand then pulled it back. "Uh. Maybe you should stay at my place? I have a couch you could borrow for a few days or something. You can't keep sleeping in an unlocked car. You're going to get your self killed. Hell my parking garage is safer than here."
Now it was Ianto's turn to stare in disbelief.
"Don't give me that look. I'm still pissed at you for nearly getting me killed, but I'm your...co-worker. And your doctor and I have that whole annoying oath to help people crap. Either come back to my place, or I'm telling Jack you're living in a car."
"Jack lives in a hole in the ground. Like he's going to find it odd?"
"Ianto! A car! A fucking unlocked car! Even if you're not ready to move into a flat, you can't stay here. Sleep on the couch in the hub or something, but not here."
Ianto studied Owen. He'd never known the doctor to be concerned about him before. It was...vaguly creepy.
"Ianto fucking come on!" Owen slapped his hands on the cloth seat.
"....alright?"
"Good. You know where I live?” Owen waited for the nod, but got a negative head shake. “Follow me back then. I'll get my car." Owen said opening the door and climbing out
Ianto sat blinking for a moment as Owen stomped across the parking lot to his own car. Strange...very, very strange.
The End
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