HobNobs and Hand Holding

[jooles34]

Title: HobNobs and Handholding
Author: Jooles34
Sin: Gluttony
Characters: Gwen. Also Ianto, mentions of the team
Word count: 1640 
Rating: PG 
Spoilers: Poss for Something Borrowed
Warnings: This is very, very silly
Disclaimer: Torchwood does not belong to me
Summery: It started with a packet of HobNobs.
AN: I have a very particular, weird to some, thing about Gwen and Ianto having a quiet, but good friendship. It has spilled out here somewhat.

 

 

Gwen lay on the table in the medical bay staring upwards. Her arm lay resting across her stomach, a gentle throb coming from under the bandages where the what-ever-it-was had bitten her.

Owen worked beside her, examining his diagnosis equipment with a steady, professional eye. If Gwen moved her fixed gaze from the high roof above her she would have met the concerned eyes of Ianto, Tosh and Jack looking down at them both from the railing. But she didn’t. She just kept looking up.

Ever since the incident with the nostrovite Owen had insisted that anyone bitten by an alien had an immediate tox-screen, body scan and parasite scan.

As Gwen lay back, staring up, she wondered how the hell it had got to be her again? It wasn’t like she went around fling-flanging her arms in the face of hungry aliens, but there was no mistaking the fact that is was her lying her, again, waiting to see what, if anything, was growing inside her this time.

Owen’s machine beeped and the doctor pushed himself along the floor on his chair to peer at his monitor. Apparently satisfied he pressed a button that displayed the results on the wall. 

While four pairs of eyes turned to look at the image, Gwen kept her gaze level in the middle distance above her. 

“Basically,” said Owen “You’re going to be fine.”

Gwen let out a rush of breath and, blinking, allowed her focus to come back to the room.

“Thanks Owen.” She turned her head to look at him. “Wait, what do you mean basically?”

“There is a small amount of poison in your blood, but it’s actually quite harmless. It has sent your metabolism through the roof, but you should be back to normal in 24 hours.”

“What does it mean?” But Owen was already walking away from her, the job done in his mind.

“It means you can eat whatever you like for a day.” Gwen looked up to see Tosh grinning down at her.  Gwen sat up, swivelling so that her legs were dangling off the table.

“Is she right?” she asked Owen.

“Your hyper metabolism will burn off pretty much anything you eat immediately. If we were looking at more than a day you’d have a problem, as it is you’ll be fine.” He didn’t even turn to look at her as he answered.

Gwen looked up at the three smiling faces above her. “I can really eat whatever I like for 24 hours and not put any weight on?”

“I guess so.” said Jack with a laugh.

Gwen jumped off the table and ran towards the stairs.

“Ianto, where do you keep those biscuits? You know, the good one. The chocolate covered HobNobs I always say ‘no’ to?”

“They’re next to the coffee machine. Why? What are you…”

Gwen was already running full tilt towards the coffee machine when she heard the realisation cut into Ianto’s voice and his footsteps start to follow her.  Reaching the coffee machine she saw a brand new packet of the biscuits sitting there. She grabbed them and wrestled briefly with the packaging before tearing it open.  She pulled out one of the crumbly, chocolaty biscuits and in two bites crammed it into her mouth as Ianto skidded to a halt in front of her.

Gwen let herself fall back against the wall her eyes rolling back in her head.

“Oh, god these are good.” Crumbs fell indelicately out of her mouth as she spoke and she pulled another biscuit from the packet, quickly devouring it too. She moaned around the oaty chocolaty-ness in her mouth.

She was aware of Ianto standing in front of her looking concerned, but couldn’t tell if he was worried about her or his biscuits. She racked her brain now. Twenty-four hours; could eat anything she wanted. What could that mean?

Suddenly it came to her. She ran through the Hub, grabbing her jacket as she moved.

“I’m going shopping, I’ll be back soon.”

Gwen heard Ianto’s footsteps behind her again, but ignored his plaintive shout of “But you’ve still got my HobNobs.”

Stopping at the door, she turned to look at Ianto; he was stood silently with his hand held out to her.

“You’re right Ianto, yes, good thinking. I’ll need someone to help me carry. Thank you.” Beaming at him, Gwen grabbed Ianto’s outstretched hand and pulled him through the door with her, ignoring his surprised look with a sly smile of her own.

Gwen pulled Ianto to her car, letting go of him to climb into the driver’s seat. Ianto climbed in next to her.

“Where exactly are we going?”

Gwen stuffed another HobNob into her mouth. Crumbs escaped her lips as she spoke, putting the car into gear.

“There’s a bakers near my flat. Walk past it everyday, never get to go inside. Today that bakers is mine.”

Gwen grinned through her biscuit as Ianto finally smiled at her.

**********

Gwen, Ianto and an empty packet of HobNobs pulled up outside the bakers, Gwen dashing inside. Spreading her hands on the glass counter she stared at the goodies behind the cool barrier.

“Can I help you love?” said the nice lady behind the counter.

Gwen pointed at the chocolate éclairs. “Is it real cream in there?”

“Yes love.”

“Okay. I want one of those.” The woman picked one up and went to put it in a bag.

“No, I mean now. I want one now.” With a flustered look the woman leaned over the counter and allowed Gwen to pluck the éclair straight from her tongs.

Gwen looked at the éclair almost reverently for a second before biting into it. She luxuriated in the soft pastry first, then the cream exploded into her mouth, its sweetness tickling her tongue. She moaned loudly and slumped against the counter. Then the chocolate hit her taste buds eliciting another moan from her and a slightly concerned look from Ianto.

She swallowed and turned the woman again. “Six of those in a box.” She took another bite, her eyes rolling back in her head. “Make it twelve.”

As the woman set to work filling boxes with chocolate éclairs Gwen turned her attention to the real reason she had chosen this shop. This baker was well known for their heavenly cupcakes.

The cupcake display was a cacophony of colours, icing swirls and sugar flowers. Gwen’s eyes watered as much as her mouth to see such a sight and know what she could do next.

“How many different flavours have you got?”

“Well, there’s strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, choc/orange dream…”

“No, not what are they; how many are there?”

“Um,” the woman was flustered again. “Ten.”

“Right, then box up one, no, two of each. Three of that one.” Gwen pointed at a chocolaty looking cupcake with chocolate icing.

She felt Ianto move close beside her and he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

Gwen turned to see a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. She beamed at him again.

“You’re a bloody genius, you are. You stay here while these are boxed up and I’ll meet you back at the car.”

Gwen went to leave, before turning quickly around again. She pointed back to the bakery counter of cakes and pastries, her face serious. “And give me one each of everything in there."

In less than two minutes Gwen had left Ianto and run round the corner to the Kripsy Kreme that her friend had so helpfully reminded her was there.

Within another minute she was once again peering into glass fronted counter, talking to the young man behind it. This time she was speaking around an original glazed ring doughnut that she was only supposed to have once she had bought something, but one look at her face had convinced the nice young man to give it to her early.

“You do boxes of twelve right? Okay, I’m going to need two of them with a mix of everything.” She waved her hand over the glass to indicate how serious she was about the ‘everything’, before pausing and pointing at the strawberry filled original glazed. “Especially them. Lots of them.”

With her order complete Gwen left the slightly startled young man and headed back to the car. Ianto was leaning against the passenger door, a stack of boxes balanced on the roof.

Gwen looked between the boxes in her hands, the boxes on the car and Ianto.  Shifting the doughnuts in her arms she plucked her car keys out of her pocket and tossed them to Ianto.

“You don’t mind driving do you?”

******

A short while later an icing sugar covered Gwen, Ianto and a large stack of white bakery boxes made their way through the Hub to the amused looks of the rest of the team. 

“I’ll be in the boardroom.” she called. “For a while.”

*******

Two hours later Gwen lay with her head on the boardroom table, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Part empty boxes were spread around the table.

Gwen heard the door slide open and footsteps approach her. Without moving she opened her eyes and saw a cup of coffee and a bottle of water be placed on the table in front of her.

“How are you doing?” Ianto asked.

Gwen closed her eyes again. “I am very full, and I feel quite sick.” She allowed a happy smile to play across her face. “It’s bloody brilliant.”

She heard a soft chuckle from behind her and a gentle hand smoothed over her hair briefly. The sound of retreating footsteps and the door closing told her she was alone once again.

Gwen’s smile got broader as she reached out one arm to curl protectively around the nearest box of cakes.

“And I’ve still got 20 hours left.”

 

 

 

Comments

[thrace-adams.livejournal.com]

Oh this made me chuckle. Brilliant - I wish we all could have a day like that :)

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

Thank you :o) This is in fact my ideal day... Icing and Ianto...

[aviv-b.livejournal.com]

Oh Gwen - I know how you feel. That's why you never leave a box of pastries near me - they'll be gone by the end of the day. This was a Yummy story (goes to eat protein bar for breakfast - bleh).

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

Thank you, glad you thought it was yummy. I have been fighting Krispy Kreme cravings since writing it...

[chryssalys]

I so want this! Ooh, that'd be a brilliant day.

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked, thanks for commenting

[tonjavmoore.livejournal.com]

Can I get some of that poison?

Nice!

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

Thank you! and if you find the poison, let me know...

[iceshade.livejournal.com]

God I love this fic, I was giggling the whole way through, you go Gwen. And, like everyone else, any chance I could get ahold of that poison? (You could rule the world if that stuff really existed)

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

Wow, thank you so much. I'm starting to think this fic would have been better suited to envy...

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, I may hate cream, but yeah, what a nice day

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

I admit, I don't like cream but everyone I know craves chocolate eclairs so they went in. Give me the strawberry dougnuts anyday. Thanks for commenting.

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

ah, but I HATE the choux pastry in eclairs too... yep, give me a donut or a danish instead

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lullabelle_/]

Oh, this was wonderful. I think you nailed the sin part of the prompt - overeating for the sheer joy of eating is, supposedly, bad (but hell if it isn't fun) and I love that she drags Ianto into her shenanigans. I was giggling all through this. :D

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

*girlie handclap* Yey. Thank you so much, I'm really pleased you liked it. And thank you for liking it for the same reasons I liked writing it.

[remuslives23.livejournal.com]

This is my perfect day! Sweets and Ianto... YUM! This is brilliant, and now, I'm hungry!

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

Lol,thank you for your comment, glad you liked it. Got mad cravings while I was writing it!

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

It wasn’t like she went around fling-flanging her arms in the face of hungry aliens

Fling-flanging! I like that!

This is a really clever use of the prompt; the aliens are Torchwood-y, you know, instead of this being about a group of people who work in an office, it's very Torchwood-specific.

[jooles34.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Glad you liked fling-flanging; I was stupidly pleased with myself for getting that in, lol.

Thank you so much for your comments. That's a really interesting point that you've made and I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure how much I consciously try to do that. But it is a really good point and one I’m definitely going to be putting more thought into in the future.