Just Imagine...

Sam Ryder Knows The Truth

"Well this is unprecedented," Ianto commented as he, Tosh, and Sam sat around the coffee table in the break area and Owen casually rolled back and forth between them and his desk. "The fiancé finding out."
He cast a glance up to where Jack was standing outside the hothouse door, watching them with a gentle smile.
"Probably because we're all sad and single." Tosh murmured with a small laugh, clearly making yet another desperate attempt to get Owen's attention.
"Uh, speak for yourself there, missy," Sam spoke up, waving her left hand in the air to show off her wedding ring, "I'm not sad and I'm definitely not single."
Ianto fought a laugh as he took another swig of the beer in his hand, giving Jack another look.
Jack winked cheekily.
"Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration." Tosh said, abashed.
"You sad, Tosh?" Owen asked, with just enough genuine worry for him to actually sound at least mildly concerned.
"Well, n-not really," Tosh stammered awkwardly, clearly blushing and tucking a strand of her hair behind one ear, "just... single."
"Keep your head up, Tosh," Owen said, "we're better off without all that hassle anyways."
Sam turned to Tosh with a look that clearly said 'can I please beat him up for you?'.
Tosh fidgeted awkwardly, not giving up.
"Maybe the answer is to go out with someone who knows what you do?" She suggested.
"Look around you, Tosh," Owen laughed, "only we know what we do."
Ianto raised an eyebrow at Jack as if to say 'is he seriously that daft?'. Jack just shrugged, biting his lower lip to keep from laughing as Sam practically stared lasers at Owen.
Tosh seemed to deflate slightly, picking up her wine glass and taking a large sip.
"Owen," Jack called before Sam could let out the lecture brewing inside her, "c'mere, I wanna talk to you."
"Is he actually that much of an idiot?" Sam demanded as soon as Owen was out of earshot, "or is he just being mean now?"
"Sam, don't get upset, it doesn't matter." Tosh muttered, staring into her glass.
"It does so!" Sam protested, "your feelings matter, Owen's feelings matter, so why the hell aren't you two a thing yet?!"
"It's not that simple, Sam-"
"Sure it is! Tell Owen he's being a hammerhead!"
"Sam... I said don't get upset."
Sam gave a loud sigh of frustration, bouncing her knee as Tosh took another sip of wine. Then Tosh pressed two fingers to her lips with a small laugh.
"Hammerhead?" She echoed.
Sam quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Yeah," she said, "somebody musta hit him on the head with somethin' to make him that oblivious."
"I'm not sure he's being oblivious, Sam." Ianto chuckled.
"Then what the hell is he doing? The chicken dance?" Sam responded, "I mean, C'MON! How much clearer can Tosh be without holding up a sign that says 'I have a crush on you, Owen!' in big red letters?!"
"Owen," Jack murmured as he shut the hothouse door behind him and folded his arms over his chest, "is the workload here too much for you?"
Owen frowned.
"What?" He asked.
"Well I just overheard you saying that dating is difficult for you with this job."
"I didn't say that, mate. You're hearing things."
"Okay, but you implied it."
"I didn't imply anything, I'm just tired of spending all my time away from here trying to make things work with someone who will never understand."
"Then why don't you take Tosh's advice?"
"What, glob onto one of my coworkers like you and Ianto? No thanks. I tried that before and it didn't work out either. Besides, there's no one here I could be with anyway."
Owen had walked over to the window now, staring down into the break area where Ianto and Tosh were laughing at whatever it was that Sam was ranting about.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked, putting his arm around Owen's shoulders and finding his gaze wandering past Tosh's pretty smile to Ianto's sparkling blue eyes as he covered his mouth, blushing.
"I am," Owen said sternly, "there's no one."
His eyes betrayed him as they locked onto Tosh's face with just a touch of longing before he forced himself to look away, but not before Sam looked up and smiled knowingly.
That definitely made a lot more sense.