Four Torchwood drabbles, the Underwear series. How Gwen leaves Rhys.



Owen turned towards Gwen, watching her quietly. She was out of breath, still recovering from her orgasm. Owen smirked inwardly at the memory of her face when she'd come.

"Do you miss it?"

She turned heavy-lidded postcoital eyes on him. "Miss what?"

He smiled ruefully. "Being in a happy relationship."

She frowned. What makes you think I'm not happy?"

Owen shrugged one shoulder, stroking her arm with the knuckle of his forefinger. "You're here."

For that, Gwen had no answer.




"Leave Rhys."

Gwen smiled, assuming Owen was having a laugh. "Right, okay," she said, glancing over at him.

Owen wasn't laughing. "I'm serious." He said it, though he hardly thought it needed explaining, given the look on her face.

"Owen...I can't."

"You're not happy with him."

"I--" She had to scrabble for an argument. "I've been with him four years."

"You're not happy with him," Owen repeated, slowly.

"I can't throw him away because of a rough patch!" Gwen was getting agitated, which Owen knew meant he was getting somewhere.

"Because of Torchwood." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes," Gwen answered without thinking.

"Torchwood gets inside you, love. It'll never be out of you. You're not going to recover."

"I don't know that." But she did and so did Owen. He didn't even say anything, only staring at her with the impenetrable eyes. "I'll think about it." He continued to stare.

Gwen parked the car on the side of the road and turned it off, turning to look at her clandestine lover. "Owen, what do you want me to say?"

Owen thought it was simple. "Say you'll leave Rhys."

It was simple. Gwen stared him down until she couldn't take the eye contact anymore. "I'll think about it," she said, turning the car on and pulling into traffic. But the damage was done and Gwen would be tortured until she did as Owen had asked of her, hating him a little for being right.




"Where would I go?"

Owen looked up. Gwen was standing in front of his desk, fists planted on it. She was staring at him with those big eyes, flashing with anger.

"What?"

"Where would I go? I can't very well ask Rhys to move out and I'm not going to live here like Jack and Ianto. So where would I stay?"

Owen gave Gwen his patented you're-a-fool look. She rolled her eyes and turned, walking away.

"Stay with me," he called.

She turned to look at him. It had been a risk for him to shout that across the lair where anyone could hear, not to mention the fact that coming from Owen it was like a marriage proposal. She looked into his eyes, questioning and seeking.

He nodded slightly.

After a long moment, Gwen's expression unreadable, she nodded once and turned away, back to her own desk.




After work, Owen found himself slammed up against the door of his car and snogged nearly senseless, not even realizing who it was until Gwen pulled back, rubbing her thumb over his lips. Owen had to resist the urge to bite, knowing where it would go from there, then noticed her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shiny and dilated. She looked excited, then he caught a whiff of her breath.

"Have you been drinking?"

"A bit. Just one or two. For courage, you know." She beamed.

Owen stopped, not daring to hope. "Courage?"

She kissed him again briefly. "I'll be over later," she said, then pulled away and went to her own car. Owen watched her go then got in, thinking of which drawer to clean out and what he could do to make more room in the closet.