m_findlow

Title: Roughing it
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Tosh, Owen
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 748 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for oneill's prompt "Any, any, gas station coffee" at fic_promptly
Summary: Getting away from it all is nice, but there are a few concessions that have to be made.

She should have bought tea, she realised, standing there and watching as the machine buzzed and whirred into action. It was such a force of habit, mentally knowing what she needed and simply going for it without considering the repercussions.

She watched as the thin brown liquid began dispensing into the cup. It should have smelled like coffee but instead it was nondescript. It didn't have any of the hallmarks of the coffee she'd come to rely on daily. She'd watched it being made a hundred times, carefully, artfully, like it was so much more than just a beverage. It was thick and black, and the bitter scent of it got stuck in her nose, allowing her a preview of what it would taste like. She'd been spoilt, no question, and now she was forced to bend to the will of the ordinary, everyday folk, who weren't nearly as lucky as she was.

She looked around the store, hoping there was no one there who could see her, though knowing it was foolish for her to think that. They were miles from anywhere, and the only other person in the store who knew her was Owen. It was just that brief moment of embarrassment at being caught buying instant coffee, even if Owen had told her to buy it. Even if she never said a word, she was sure that the guilt and then shame if it would be indelibly etched on her face, so that when they got back, everyone would know. It was like treason, or perhaps adultery. Drinking another man's coffee. Well, not even a man, just a machine. It still felt wrong, as she placed the second up under the spout, clipping a plastic on the first one to preserve what little heat it contained. She wouldn't even enjoy it, and that was the worst part. They'd only pulled up at the service station to refuel and grab something to eat.

'Grab us a coffee, Tosh,' Owen asked. 'Gagging for one.'

She'd paid for two without thinking. She did that a lot these days. She bought two of everything, always bringing one back for Owen, whether it was a muffin, a chocolate bar, or a pair of socks. Habit had built up inside her to automatically assume if she wanted or needed something, chances were Owen would too. She didn't quite have him trained to reciprocate yet, but all in good time. Just being together was enough for now.

She spotted Owen walking towards her.

'I've got sandwiches and a packet of crisps,' he said, holding them up. 'You want the egg and lettuce or the ham and cheese?'

'Whichever is left,' she replied, though already knowing he'd bought the egg and lettuce specifically for her. He'd wait until they got back to the car to deconstruct his own sandwich, stuffing the crisps inside it. She'd never even heard of a crisp sandwich until she'd met Owen, who happened to be a serial crisps sandwich eater. He'd since conned Jack and Gwen both into joining him in the habit, whilst she and Ianto preferred to keep their crisps on the side of the plate, where they rightfully belonged.

'Coffee?' she said, passing over the paper cup as the machine finished dispensing the powdered milk into her own. She added a sachet of sugar swirled it around with a wooden stick, before capping it.

Owen shoved the bag of crisps under his arm and took the coffee, sucking down a large mouthful. 'Jesus, that's bloody awful,' he said, pulling a face.

'I know,' she said.

'Much as I dislike work, the one part about being on holidays which sucks is the lack of decent coffee.'

She had to agree, although their vacation would be over far too soon for her liking. It had been nice just spending some proper time together, even if that meant a few little sacrifices. She didn't want to break Ianto's heart by admitting that she'd rather go the rest of her life without coffee than she would Owen. She was pretty sure he'd understand of it ever came down to that.

Owen set the coffee down on the small bench beside the machine and tugged his wallet out of his back pocket.

'I thought you'd already paid for the sandwiches?' Tosh asked.

'I did, but here's a fiver for some hot chocolates. Don't want Teaboy getting a big head, but even I have my limits on what passes for coffee.'