Just Imagine...

Under Control

Sam was already irritated when Ianto and Owen arrived back from the Brecon Beacons. Ianto could tell by her posture. She was alone in the hub, furiously trying to sharpen a pencil and growling in anger under her breath.
"Everything alright there, Sam?" Owen asked, amused. Ianto bit his tongue, already knowing what was about to happen.
"Obviously not," Sam snapped, "I can't get this stupid pencil to sharpen and you laughing at me doesn't fucking help!"
"That's a nice way to greet us." Owen muttered.
"Owen," Ianto began cautiously.
"Well I'm sorry if I'm not fucking perfect!" Sam shouted, standing up suddenly and tossing the pencil and sharpener aside so they clattered across the floor, "I hardly got any sleep last night because Alexa was sick and I'm just trying to finish the files that IANTO ASKED ME TO FINISH BEFORE YOU LEFT SO I WON'T LET HIM DOWN, BUT I GUESS I HAVE TO STOP AND THROW A WHOLE PARTY BECAUSE YOU CAME BACK! WHOOP DEE-DOO DAISY!"
"This is the problem with you, Sam," Owen said angrily, "you get mad. You get so mad all the time over nothing."
"OH YEAH, LIKE YOU DON'T!" Sam spat, "at least I'm trying to work on myself, WHICH WOULD BE A LOT EASIER IF YOU PEOPLE JUST LEFT ME THE FUCK ALO-" she cut herself off, biting her lip, closing her eyes, and clenching her fists close to her chest. Then she sucked in a long breath, slowly uncurling her fingers as she exhaled and relaxed every muscle in her body. She forced a pinched smile. "Everything's fine." She said, sounding like she was having a difficult time keeping the anger out of her voice.
"Erm..." Owen said uncertainly.
"That was... disturbing." Ianto murmured.
"Oh for the love of the Spirits, I'm doing my best." Sam sighed, defeated, as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"We know you are," Ianto added hurriedly, walking across the hub to pick up Sam's pencil and sharpener, "and we're glad you are. You've taken some great strides with your anger management, a few weeks ago you wouldn't have been able to stop yourself from yelling like you just did."
"What's got you acting like the team psychiatrist?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Cuz he's been doing the same shit to me for the past week," Owen groaned, "do you know how to turn him off?"
"No, but I know who can turn him on." Sam murmured, winking, and Owen actually laughed as Ianto went stiff.
"Shut up." He mumbled, setting the two items back on Sam's desk.
"Oh what? You're allowed to poke around in our heads but we can't poke around in yours?" Sam scoffed, "may I remind you that you're twenty four years old and still dealing with emotional issues of your own."
"What are you, my parent? Are you going to call me 'young man' next?"
"I can, if you want. Or I can leave it to Jack."
Sam smirked triumphantly as Ianto quivered with rage.
"Question, Ianto," Owen spoke up before he could murder her, "do you call Jack 'big' to his face or do you just describe him like that to other people?"
Sam burst out laughing as Ianto's icy cold glare turned to Owen.
"I've never seen someone's face turn quite that red," Owen commented, unfazed, "but I can't tell if you're blushing or if you burst a blood vessel."
"Fuck you both." Ianto seethed, turning to walk away (and definitely not to go cry in the archives).
"Hey, Ianto, c'mon," Sam said, quickly following him and seeming to sense that they may have gone a little too far, "we were just kidding! We're both happy that you're with Jack, we didn't mean to hit any nerves."
"I dunno if I'd say 'happy'-" Owen began, then broke off as Sam shot him a pointed glare.
"If you're supposed to be my friends, why do you keep bullying me?" Ianto demanded.
"No, not bullying! Teasing!" Sam protested.
"It's how idiots show affection." Owen put in.
"Yeah!" Sam exclaimed, then frowned. "Wait a minute-"
"So you're doing it because you like me?" Ianto asked.
"Ianto I already answered that question once," Owen sighed, "don't make me do it again."
"Of course we like you!" Sam said, putting her arm around Ianto's shoulders, "but if you don't like us teasing you, we'll stop."
"No. That's okay," Ianto murmured, smiling, "I think I get it now."
"Good," Owen chuckled, "because there was no way I was gonna stop!"
Sam and Ianto just stared at him, both smirking.
"Don't look at me like that," Owen said, "I feel like this is about to turn into a group hug and I don't like that."
"Don't care, get over here." Sam said, running at him.
Ianto burst out laughing as he watched Sam chase Owen in a full lap around the hub before finally catching him and lifting him off his feet.
"Oh yeah, there's another thing you guys need to know about me," Sam murmured as Owen struggled in vain to get out of her hold and eventually gave up, "I'm a hugger."