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"They'll know we're missing by now," Ianto said. His voice cracked and he swallowed, trying to moisten his throat.
Owen huffed. "Lot of bloody good that'll do us. How are they supposed to know where we are?"
Ianto didn't expect a miracle rescue. He'd just been thinking about Gwen and Tosh. He pictured them coming back to the Hub and finding him and Owen gone, their coffee cups still half-full on their desks. What would they think, especially with Jack leaving them so recently?
"We might not be in Wales anymore," Ianto said.
"It looks like Wales."
Ianto stopped and tried to catch his breath in a dignified manner. Putting his hands on his hips, he said, "How would you know? Thought you hated the countryside."
Owen turned around. "Look, let's just find our way home before it gets dark." Without waiting for a reply, he turned back and marched forward.
They'd spent over an hour already laboring up grassy hills, but there was never a road or farm on the other side.
For a bloke who drank every night and subsisted on pizza, Owen had considerable speed on Ianto. Maybe it helped that he was wearing lighter clothes. Ianto shrugged out of his suit jacket and draped it over his arm. It didn't help with the weight, but it was cooler.
Ianto's assumed they'd teleported. He'd been at his workstation when their latest piece of alien tech beeped. He and Owen had gone to investigate. Everything blurred, and Ianto remembered feeling like every atom in his body was being pulled by something. Then, he was sprawled in the grass.
"What time is it now?" Owen asked.
Ianto looked at his watch. "After five."
The sun was setting behind them, and Ianto's sweat was cold on his skin. And he had to piss, bad. He still had too much dignity to relieve himself out here. Five more minutes, he promised himself. Then he would.
Hearing the time, Owen stopped walking. He was ahead of Ianto, his face hidden, but his clenched fists and stiff neck said enough.
"Fuck!" Owen kicked at a small rock, sending it shooting across the ground.
"Owen—"
Owen spun to face him. "No, don't even talk. It's bad enough I'm stuck out here with you as it is."
Ianto stared back. Then he turned and walked away.
"Where are you going?"
"I need to take a piss."
*
When it got dark, they stopped. Ianto suggested it warily, expecting a fight, but Owen pursed his lips and nodded.
The days had been warm for early March, but now that the sun had set, the air was frigid. Ianto couldn't feel his nose, but he could feel it running.
"Where'd you learn to make a campfire?" Owen asked.
They were sitting on a patch of level ground. Ianto had gathered some stones and dry grass.
"Used to like camping," he explained. "Not exactly the conditions I'm used to, though." He was about to mention camping with Lisa but stopped, remembering that he still didn't talk about her casually.
Nearby, the grass rustled and Ianto saw a dark shape moving away from them. A badger, probably. The fire would keep any animals away, and provide at least the illusion of warmth.
When the campfire was ready, Owen pulled out a pack of cigarettes and some matches. He handed Ianto a match.
"Thanks. Got anything else useful?" All Ianto had on him was his watch and wallet. It was amazing how vulnerable he felt without his mobile or gun.
Owen felt in his pockets. "Got my wallet. My keys. And a condom."
Ianto shrugged. "Maybe we could use the condom to collect rain water."
Owen smirked. Ianto got the fire going and sat cross-legged. He tried not to look too cold.
After a few minutes, Owen said, "We'll be fine, you know. We'll be out of here before we die of dehydration, at least."
"Comforting. I was just thinking about if Jack were here. Wonder if he'd know what to do."
"Probably crack a joke about sharing body heat."
Ianto laughed. "Yeah." He paused, and added, "Look, I'm glad we're not alone, yeah?"
Owen paused, and said, "Yeah."