MY SKIN

"Wahoo! Exams are over!" Andy cheered as he ran into the common room and threw himself onto a spare sofa. "I'm knackered!"

"Aren't we all" Owen said yawning. "So glad that's over, Tea-Boy where's our coffee?"

"If you say please and thank you, you may have it" Ianto said grumpily as he poured hot water into several mugs. "Have you thought that I might be tired too?"

"You're a superhuman, you don't get tired you just make all of us feel inferior" Andy joked as Ianto handed him his coffee. "But thank you for caring"

"Thanks Yan" Gwen said warmly as she took a sip from hers. "Can you believe this is our last coffee in this room?"

"A bit hard to believe" Jack said.

"Hey, I reckon we should spray paint something on the wall as a leaving message" Owen said snickering.

"Immature prat" Gwen muttered rolling her eyes. "Put your free time in preparing for Uni, have you decided where to go?"

Owen looked a little uncomfortable. "I got a confirmed place" he said awkwardly.

"That's brilliant, where?" Jack asked excitedly.

"Edinburgh" Owen muttered.

Everyone stared at him in silence. Andy, Ianto and Gwen in a mix of sheer shock and happiness, they were happy for him but were shocked that he was actually smart enough to get into such an important school. Jack looked a bit upset, happy and surprised, he didn't want Owen to leave but he was happy for him and was surprised that Owen got into the school he wanted most.

Tosh was an expression of pure joy. "Thank god" she whispered. "I was worried that I would be alone"

Owen looked a bit taken back but smirked. "Well you need someone to make sure you don't end up in trouble" Tosh blushed lightly but kept on smiling. "So you losers staying here in Cardiff then?"

"Yeah, Andy, Ianto and me are doing Cardiff Uni full time while Jack has applied to go straight into training" Gwen said clutching Jack's hand. "Until then it's waiting at the hospital until Alice wakes up"

Owen nodded grimly. "I'll drop by every so and so. I plan to spend the summer volunteering at the hospital"

"Excuse me you guys" a deep voice said from behind Owen.

"Jesus!" Andy said sitting up and spilling hot coffee down him.

Tosh's eyes widened and Ianto, Gwen and Jack schooled their expressions into polite smiles while Owen looked horrified.

"Just wanted to remind you that the school prom will be at the Thistle hotel from seven o'clock till late on July the twelfth. It's a masquerade theme so remembers masks" Janet said ignoring Andy's reaction to her.

"I hope you get a mask that covers your whole face. We don't need to have nightmares on our special night" Owen said without thinking.

"You're so mean!" Janet wailed before running out in tears.

"Smooth Owen, very smooth" Jack said dryly.

"Heartless bastard" Gwen muttered.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

"I think you should go to this prom" Mrs Harkness said suddenly later that evening as Gwen helped her wash the dishes. She met Gwen and Jack at the hospital and after two hours of sitting with Alice she dragged them back for some dinner, declaring that just because the exams were over didn't mean they can stop living. "You two need to have some fun and Alice is stable. She hasn't change for the past three weeks and unless our most wanted miracle happens she won't. You two kids go out and have some fun while I stay with her"

"Mum, I feel guilty as it is lea-"

"That's an order! You have fun or I won't ever let you see Alice again" Mrs Harkness said sternly. "You should be treating Gwen with the love and respect she deserves. Don't look at me like that dear, you've been wonderful as it is with being accepting of Alice and visiting her all the time in hospital and I think a night out is what the pair of you need"

Gwen blushed lightly and Jack smiled weakly. "Well..." Jack stood up and dramatically went down on one knee. "Gwen Cooper, the love of my life would you do me the honour of going to the prom with me?"

"All right" Gwen said giggling.

Mr Harkness had the unfortunate timing to walk in at that precise moment. "He's proposing?" he yelped. "My god she really is pregnant!"

"Dad!"

Bilius passed the large white box to Suzie just outside her home where the TV was blaring loudly and her father was drunkenly shouting at the footballers. At least he wasn't out here having a go at Suzie. Suze opened it slightly and peeked in, she then promptly shut it with a satisfied smirk.

"Thank you Bilius. It's perfect"

Bilius had no need to ask her what was in the box. He knew already. It was a beautiful prom dress in a deep green colour that would suit her wonderfully. He noticed that Suzie had already had her hair done for the occasion, it was shorter, the curls wavier than curly, and was a darker shade of brown. Made her look better than before but unfortunately it made the fact she had a black eye far more obvious than before.

Suzie caught him staring and glared at him. "Don't pretend you care" she spat out. "I know you don't care for people"

He blinked and pursed his lips together. "I care" he told her. "More than you think"

Suzie shrugged dismissively. "Doesn't matter. In a few weeks I'll be gone and, free from this place after all who would be free themselves must strike the blow. Better even to die free than to live slaves"

"Fredrick Douglass" Bilius said immediately. "But remember Suzie, We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home"

"Edward R Murrow" Suzie said with a blank facial expression. "Not the best quote you could have come up with"

"I'm not clever as you"

Suzie smiled. "Well goodbye Bilius"

"Goodbye Suzie Costello"

Andy and Ianto were celebrating the end of exams on their own in a pub. Gwen and Jack were busy being concerned parents, Tosh didn't like alcohol and Owen didn't want to hang out with them. Emma and Carys was also out with their boyfriends from other schools leaving them alone.

"I reckon we should go to the prom together" Andy said as casually as he could.

Ianto frowned. "I don't think it's possible. Jack and Gwen would want to go as a couple on a date and Owen is obviously dying to work out how to ask Tosh. Also Emma and Carys have informed me earlier they'll be going with their boyfriends"

"Err...i didn't mean as a group of friends" Andy muttered blushing brightly. "I meant you and me on a date"

Ianto stared at him blankly.

"Look don't take this the wrong way mate, but I've fancied you mad for months and then somehow it grew into something more...deeper. I know you got a thing for Jack but well you can't pine for a guy who's interested in your best friend. It never ends well. you don't have to say yes at all, we could all just put this down to the drink and forget it ever happened if you want but I really, really would like to go to the prom with you and admit it to someone other than Gwen...I'm gay"

Ianto remained blank. Staring at Andy with empty eyes that made him feel uneasy and desperate to run out of this pub and hide under his bed for the rest of the century.

"So...What do you say?"

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