Just Imagine...

Three's Company, But Company is Nice

Gwen was tired.
Tired of the ache from the bullet holes in her side, tired after the long day and all the horrors she'd seen, tired of having to hide everything from Rhys. Just... tired.
She had to get out of her flat. She couldn't bear to sleep here with Rhys and his gentle worries, in a dark room where she knew she would wake up screaming from a nightmare and have to make up a story to cover up what had happened to her.
Bloody Fucking Torchwood, sometimes Gwen wished she'd never joined.
She told Rhys she'd been called out to work again and not to expect her home until morning, and seeing the concerned and disappointed look on his face broke her heart, but she couldn't tell him the truth. She hadn't been called out by her mysterious new job, she was leaving to spend the night with the one person she felt safe with now.
Owen.
That sounded ridiculous when she thought about it hard enough, but it was true. Out of everyone she could go to for a break, Owen was the best bet.
She and Sam weren't that close, Ianto was severely injured and didn't need to be bothered with her, Tosh likely wanted some time alone, and Gwen was pretty sure Jack never even left the hub - there was no way she was sleeping there. So, it was Owen or nothing.
Owen answered the door to his flat, shirtless, with a slightly surprised look.
"Gwen?" He asked.
"Can I stay here tonight?" Gwen said before he could ask why she was here, "please?"
"I... of course," Owen murmured softly, "is your wound okay? Do you need another bandage on it?"
"No, no, it's not that," Gwen whimpered, pushing past him and going straight to his living room to flop on the couch, "I just... I just... I couldn't stay there at my flat with Rhys and tell him nothing! I go through this shit every day, seeing things so horrible, so terrifying, that they keep me up at night! And I can't tell anyone."
"I know," Owen said gently, not moving from his place by the door, "I know. But... you could always tell me."
"What's there to tell?" Gwen scoffed tearfully, "you were there today. You saw what those people - those monsters - were doing! They were going to kill us, eat us, and then Jack comes in with his big gun and his big tractor and acts like it's easy!"
"I know." Owen repeated, an edge to his voice this time. He sighed loudly, slowly walking across the room to sit next to her on the couch.
Gwen gazed into his face as he stared forwards out the window, the twinkling city lights reflecting in his deep brown eyes.
"It's just the way things are in this bloody job," he said finally, "we just have to live with it."
"I can't!" Gwen exclaimed, tears suddenly spilling down her cheeks, "I can't do this anymore, I just can't bear it!"
She expected Owen to be unsure of what to do as she lapsed into sobs, but to Gwen's surprise, Owen leaned towards her and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her in a hug that was far from tentative. And that was exactly what Gwen had needed. She cried long and hard, letting out all the pain and fear and uncertainty dwelling inside her heart.
"I'm sorry," she hiccuped when she caught her breath, "I didn't mean to-" she broke off as Owen put a finger under her chin and tilted her head upwards to kiss her.
"It's okay, love," he whispered, "I don't mind."
Gwen found herself staring into his eyes again, unable to look away. Just when she thought they were about to kiss again, there was a faint knocking on the door.
Owen closed his eyes for a second, looking mildly annoyed, then got up to answer it.
"Stay here." He murmured, but Gwen didn't. After today, she wasn't letting him answer that door alone.
However, they both relaxed when Owen opened the door to find Tosh standing there with an overnight suitcase, biting her nails.
"Tosh, what are you doing here?" Owen asked, sounding just a little exasperated.
"I... I was lonely," Tosh stammered, looking as shellshocked as Gwen felt, "I was going to ask if I could stay the night here but I see you already have Gwen staying so I'll go somewhere else-"
"No, Tosh, wait," Gwen said as Tosh turned to leave, "it's fine. You can stay."
Tosh smiled gratefully, dragging her bag in the door as Owen gave Gwen an irritated look.
"This is not a three-person flat," he muttered, "that couch is barely big enough for you!"
"What about your bed?" Gwen inquired.
"There is no way I'm letting the two of you sleep in my bed."
"But is it big enough for three?"
Owen paused, then rolled his eyes with a sigh.
A few minutes later, he was sandwiched between Gwen and Tosh. There were two women in his bed, and he was having sex with neither of them.
Why didn't that bother him more than it did? It just felt... right. Safe. Comforting, after everything that had happened today.
The moment was shattered slightly by Owen's phone ringing.
Stupidly, Owen put a finger to his lips and shushed it, as if that would make whoever was calling him at this ungodly hour go away. It didn't work, and Owen gingerly reached over Tosh, who was already asleep, to grab it.
"Hello?" He mumbled.
"Owen, it's Jack," Jack's voice said urgently on the other end, "I just wanted to check in on you after today. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Owen grumbled, "I can't believe you called me for this. You could've woken up Gwen and Toshiko."
"Gwen and Tosh are at your place?"
Owen swallowed hard, feeling his face growing hot.
"So what if they are?" He demanded, "it's none of your business who's at my flat."
"Looks like I'm the only one who's alone tonight, then," Jack chuckled hollowly, "Ianto's at my parents' house, Gwen and Tosh are with you, and I'm..."
"Let me guess," Owen snarked, "a roof somewhere?"
Jack didn't bother to answer, he didn't have to. 
"How are Gwen and Tosh?" He pressed after a moment, "do you guys need anything?"
"No," Owen said firmly, and almost hung up before a thought occurred to him. "Jack," he said, "are... are you alright?"
This time the pause from the other end was longer, but the silence said everything.
"I'm great." Jack murmured.
They both knew it was a lie.