Just Imagine...

Roses and Sneezes

AUTHOR'S NOTE: this fic was inspired by an art piece by @cozsheep on Tumblr and was written for the Torchwood remix fest!

Owen sniffed, wiping his nose on his sleeve again and trying not to sneeze. Usually roses didn't give him this much grief, but the bouquet he'd set on his desk was really making his allergies act up.
"You sure you don't want me to take those for now?" Ianto asked sympathetically as Owen angrily grabbed yet another tissue to blow his nose.
"I'm sure," Owen grumbled, "I'll be fine once Tosh gets here and I can-" he was cut off by a massive sneeze, which was really more of a tiny sneeze to anyone listening. 
Nearby, Gwen covered her mouth to stop herself from giggling and Sam's eyes sparkled.
"So... cute!" Sam gasped, cupping her cheeks.
"IT'S NOT CUTE!" Owen shouted, "is it so unusual for me to want to be a good boyfriend?"
Sam squeaked.
"HE SAID IT!" She exclaimed, bouncing excitedly.
"Would you stop doing that stupid thing with your face?" Owen sighed, "Ianto, I'm getting a headache, and not just because of Sam's babbling. Can you get me a coffee?"
"Of course." Ianto murmured dutifully, immediately heading for the coffee machine.
"So what prompted buying flowers for Tosh anyway?" Gwen inquired, sitting on the corner of Owen's desk. Owen scowled.
"None of your business," he said, "I can buy Tosh whatever I want."
"And no one said you couldn't," Sam murmured, arms folded across her chest, "by the Spirits, you must be pretty smitten if you're acting this defensive."
"SMITTEN?" Owen echoed angrily, then sneezed again.
"See what I mean?" Sam mused to Gwen, gesturing to Owen with one hand, "smitten with a capital S."
"Shut up, Sam." Owen muttered, wiping his nose with a used tissue.
"Hey, don't get mad at me, pal!" Sam objected, putting her hands up, "you're not alone. I remember the first time I got something for Jayjay. I was SO nervous."
"Oh really?" Gwen asked, curious, "what'd you get him?"
Sam suddenly blushed, averting her eyes and scratching the back of her neck.
"N-nothing special," she mumbled, "I just, uh... wrote him a poem."
The 'aww' that was about to come from Gwen was cut off as Owen burst out laughing.
"You wrote a poem!!" He cackled, "that's the funniest thing I've ever heard! Ianto, mate, get over here! You need to hear this!"
"Hey, shut up!" Sam exclaimed, blushing more, "it's not funny!"
"What's not funny?" Jack asked, stepping out of his office to find out what all the noise was about.
"Hey Jacksie..." Sam muttered, once again averting her gaze.
"Jack," Owen gasped, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, "guess what Sam gave Jay when they were-"
"One more word and I'll punch you where the sun don't shine." Sam cut him off.
"Oh, you mean the poem?" Jack spoke up.
"WHAT?" Sam demanded, "who told you??"
"Dada," Jack answered, "he showed it to me the night you were here running tests on the Tropical Variant Weevils with Owen and Tosh. Honestly, it gave me some mental images I really could've done without."
Owen was practically in stitches by now, falling down behind his desk. Sam covered her face with her hands.
"It's alright Sam," Gwen murmured reassuringly, patting Sam on the shoulder and biting her lip against a snicker, "we all did stupid things with our crushes when we were teens."
"Gwen, I was nineteen years old, two months pregnant, and a week away from poppin' the question." Sam groaned dryly.
"Oh..." Gwen said, giving Jack an uncertain look.
"Owen!" Ianto hissed, rushing back over, "Tosh is here!"
Owen immediately straightened up, forgetting about ridiculing Sam for a moment and grabbing the roses off his desk. Gathering himself, he walked to the cog wheel door to greet Tosh, holding the flowers behind his back.
"When I get home I'm gonna burn that poem." Sam muttered.
"Quiet!" Gwen murmured, "I wanna see Tosh's reaction!"
To Toshiko's surprise, Owen was standing before her with a smile when she arrived at the hub.
"Hi Owen." She murmured uncertainly.
"Hi Tosh," Owen replied, placing a hand on her shoulder and taking a beautiful bouquet of red roses from behind his back, "happy three-month anniversary."
Tosh was about to thank Owen and give him a kiss, when the moment was completely shattered by Owen sneezing again.