m_findlow | Torchwood: Fanfic: Beware, it bites

Title: Beware, it bites
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Owen, Jack, Gwen, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: M (language)
Length: 557 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for m_findlow's prompt "Any, any, The awkward moment after a cute animal bites" at fic_promptly
Summary: Owen isn't making friends with their newest arrival.

'Ow! Motherfucker!' Owen cried out, rather more loudly than he'd hoped.

'Hey! Language!' Jack yelled out.

'Oh yeah, because you've never sworn around here!' Owen retorted, shaking his hand to distract himself from the pain as he mounted the steps of the medical bay. 'And no one else around here ever swears, either,' he decided to add, seeing Gwen and Ianto both staring at him from their respective desks. 'Just because you do it in Welsh, don't think I don't know that's exactly what you're saying.'

Jack leaned against his doorway, folding his arms across his chest. 'So, what's the big problem, anyway?'

'My big problem happens to be small,' Owen replied. 'Also pink and fluffy, with the sharpest bloody teeth I've ever seen. I thought you said these things were harmless?'

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. 'The Grimble?'

'Yeah. Little bastard bit me.'

'Must be that lovely bedside manner you have,' Gwen quipped, chewing the end of her pen as she grinned at him.

'Bite me, PC Cooper.'

She smirked. 'Don't have to. Apparently everyone else around here already has.' Owen sneered at her.

'Are you upsetting our newest resident, Owen?' Jack asked.

'I wasn't doing anything! I was only giving it a basic check.'

'Well, you must have done something. I've never met a Grimble that bites.'

'Oh, yeah,' Owen snarled. 'Because it was just fine when Gwen pulled it out of the sewers, when Tosh gave it a bath, and Ianto gave the thing a bloody blow dry, but I set it on a bunch of scales to weigh it and it apparently takes offense at people knowing it's put on a pound or two.'

'Always a possibility, Owen,' Jack said, unable to suppress his own smile. 'Where'd it get to anyway?' he asked, leaning over that railing and looking down into the cluttered area full of all kinds of sharp objects a little alien creature might hurt itself on.

'I dunno. After it bit me I really couldn't give a toss. Look at it,' he said shoving his finger in Jack's face. It was slightly swollen and very red.

'Didn't even break the skin,' Jack observed, narrowing his eyes at the paltry wound. 'What kind of doctor do you call yourself, huh?'

'One that's pissed off he can't get any patients that would just behave.'

'Some days I think you must have gotten you medical degree out of a Weeties box.' Jack began whistling as he stared down into the medical bay until a tiny ball of pale pink fur began hopping across the floor, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. It wasn't quite big enough to be able to jump from one step to the next, waiting patiently for Jack to come down and pick it up. He scooped it into his palm, just about the right size to contain the tiny creature which was no larger than a grapefruit and about the same shape.

'Was Owen being mean?' Jack cooed, rubbing the tip of his finger under its furry chin. It purred back for a moment before it moved quickly and sunk its tiny little teeth into Jack's finger. 'Ow! Goddamn it!' he swore, sticking his finger straight in his mouth.

'See?' Owen smirked. 'Told you so. And watch your mouth. Apparently language like that isn't tolerated around here.'

Torchwood: Fanfic: Beware, it bites

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