Chapter Text
They start a kind of routine after that. They go out, look for what they need under the raptors gaze and go back to the basement. Zach never thought he would say that, but at each day that passes he would feel more at easy around the raptors. He doesn’t turn his back to them and avoid as most as he can to go outside without Owen, but the girls – as Owen affectionately call them – doesn’t try to hurt him not even once, one of them, Echo he thinks, has even let him caress her. He took one of the caps that were on the ground and put it on his head to keep his hair from falling on his eyes, he still would kill for a long nice hot shower, but he is content with the fast sink baths he take.
They couldn’t let their guard down. The Indominus Rex still is in somewhere in the island, and Zach doesn’t know if he could scape her a second time. He still wakes shaking most of the nights with images of the Indominus, the raptors, his soulmate and Owen; the man didn’t tried to approach him after that first time, he usually stood on his side of the room watching while the boy trembled and whimpered, sometimes Zach could swear he started to walk to him or to say something, but stopped the moment the boy curled into himself. Looking at Owen is almost like a living nightmare, his face kind and open, encouraging Zach to thrown himself into his arms. He had come to terms that it’s not his fault, it’s not Owen’s fault that he looks exactly like Zach’s dead soulmate, but it hurts like hell to look at him, to see the features that haunted him for five years now with a voice and new expressions. Once he caught Owen looking at him with amusement and fondness, and he had started to press into the cut on his arm till the pain throbbed up his arm and distracted him from the pain inside. He thanks God for the grace that his aunt doesn’t spent time with them, otherwise he doesn’t know how he could handle to see them kissing and being a couple in front of him.
Today is one of the days where he wakes shaking, a scream ready to escape from his lips, he rocks back and forth till he stops seeing images of the Indominus’ jaw clenching behind him, her roar so loud that makes even his bones shake.
“I would do anything for a hamburger.”
“Me too.”
They had found cans of soup two days ago and had been eating that since then, just the thought of the soup makes his stomach turn into knots, but it’s not like they have much choice, the perishable food was already rotten when they started their incursions. Zach had almost cried in joy the day before when Owen handed him a chocolate bar.
“Maybe we should make a dinosaur barbecue.”
He murmurs, drying the dampness of his face with the back of his hand, Owen chuckles.
“And attract every carnivore in this island to here. A genius idea.”
Zach rolls his eyes.
“The genius is Gray, not me.”
“Is he?”
The boy nods, not sure if Owen is looking at him.
“Yeah, he is so smart, already skipped four years in school. He will probably be graduating with me.”
“What you think about doing in college?”
Zach shifts uncomfortably, fumbling with the hem of his shirt. He doesn’t want to admit to this man how much of a failure he is.
“I don’t know.”
“There’s plant of time for you to figure it out. I went to the navy because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I don’t recommend you to do that, but there is always an alternative.”
The man’s words easy something inside Zach’s chest and it’s like he can breathe a little easier, he offer Owen a small smile, even if he doesn’t know if he sees it.
“Yeah, I think there is.”
“What’s your favorite food?”
The question catches him unprepared. Zach thought Owen would fall silent, he takes a moment to answer.
“Pizza, a huge pepperoni pizza.”
He almost can feel the raptors’ trainer rolling his eyes.
“Typical.”
“What? Don’t tell me you don’t like pizza!”
The younger asks in disbelief.
“I like pizza, but it’s not my favorite food.”
Zach gives him a lopsided smile.
“And what it would be?”
“Barbecue.”
He nods, he already had thought of Owen as a barbecue man. It suits him.
“I like to cook.”
He doesn’t know why he says that, but it seems important to share things with this man, he looks so interested at the few words Zach exchange with him, always open to hear and to talk. Owen is a good person. Behind the hard Indiana Jones exterior he learned that the man is kind hearted, has a sense of humor, likes to get up early in the mornings and go talk with his girls, he scratches the beard of his jaw when he’s thinking and his nape when he’s distressed, he hates milk, he’s an actual child, always joking and teasing, making Zach laugh, he is warm too, the boy had learned that from the few times they had touched, his muscles are firm and look like steel beneath the tanned skin, his hands are big and calloused, and he feels like a fucking furnace. Sometimes Zach just wanted to curl against him, to just stay close, to feel again that warm sentiment spread on his chest like when he had hold him. Some nights he wakes with the feeling of Owen’s breath against his neck, lips brushing his skin and arms holding him tight.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
The boy nods, he can’t see Owen since the cap is hiding his face from view, but he can still sense his gaze upon him.
“It calms me. It’s something easy to do, you follow the recipe and everything goes ok. And the kitchen is always so warm and smells good. When I’m cooking is like nothing could go wrong, it’s easy.”
The man huffs.
“Tell this by yourself, every time I tried to cook something it burned.”
Zach laughs.
“How can you manage that?”
“I don’t know! It just is ok in one minute and in the next my kitchen is catching fire.”
He laughs again and the feeling is so good that he does it one more time, the boy wipes the tears from his eyes and smile at the man.
“I could teach you someday.”
God, what is he saying? This is a mistake, they can’t see each other after this ends and he opens his mouth to say that he was joking, but Owen is faster than him, his voice warm, making Zach’s heart skip a beat.
“I would like that.”
What is he supposed to say to that? The tenderness in the man’s voice makes his mind shut down, it’s just like one of his nightmares, but he wants so much to believe that that is real, that this man feels something for him too. He stands and walks to the door, he needs to breathe, needs to get out of here.
“Zach?”
The younger stops but doesn’t turn around, they stay quiet for what looks like an eternity but must have been just a few seconds, finally Owen sighs.
“Nothing.”
He walks out without looking back.
Echo is waiting for him beside the shop they use as hideout, she looks at the boy and tilts her head like she feels that something is wrong, he gives her a sad smile.
“Life sucks girl, you’re lucky that yours is pretty simple. Hunt, sleep and protect.”
She coos him and nuzzles his neck where the bruise Owen gave him is starting to fade.
“Yeah, I’m his. In more ways than I should have.”
Zach sighs and leans his head against the raptor’s neck, she stays quiet just letting him breathe her in, something that isn’t Owen, that isn’t their basement, she smells like leather and soil. Echo snaps her jaw and he lifts his head to see the other raptors looking at them from a few feet away. Since they had found their hideout the raptors usually stayed around, curled in the door of the shop or on the shops around, but they never seemed to go far away from them, what Zach is thankful for, it’s pretty much easier for them to hear if the Indominus is closer than it is for him or Owen, even if sometimes he wonders if the man is completely human. The girls step closer slowly, like afraid that Echo would snap to them and Zach runs his hands soothing down her neck, they nuzzle his hands and his neck like always and after a moment the four of them curl on the ground, they look expectantly at him and takes the boy a few seconds to understand what they want, he lies on the ground and rests his head on the warmth of Echo’s belly, their breaths lull him to sleep.
***
Zach buries his face into something warm and comfortable, he feels relaxed and easy just sinking into the arms holding him. Wait. Arms? He opens his eyes to the sight of a chest dressed in a dirty button up light blue shirt, Owen doesn’t seem to be having any problem carrying him the stairs down to the basement, he closes his eyes again and pretend that he is asleep when the man stops beside his sleep bag. The raptors’ trainer places him carefully in the cold bag, he can swear he feels fingers caressing his hair, the cap is gone and even if his eyes are closed he can see that it’s night. How long had he’d been out sleeping with the girls? The man stays sit beside him for a long time, he can feel his stare on his face and is grateful that the darkness would cover his blush, the boy stays completely still as Owen stands and walks back to his side of the basement. Zach can’t go back to sleep, he keeps staring at the ceiling, with a sigh he stands and goes grab a bottle of water, they had drank most of the water, so the ones left are in the highest shelves, he stands on the tip of his toes trying to grab a bottle but can’t reach it.
“Shit”
The boy mutters again, he doesn’t see Owen coming, but a moment latter he hands Zach a bottle of water.
“Thanks.”
He takes a long swig, Owen doesn’t step back, he stays closer, not uncomfortably closer, but closer than he usually do, the younger takes another sip, studying his shoes and says the first thing that comes to his mind.
“I’m happy you found your soulmate.”
“Hum?”
“Claire.”
“Oh, she’s not my soulmate.”
“But you were kissing her.”
He can feel Owen’s smile.
“People kiss for a lot of reasons. A person doesn’t need to be your soulmate for you to kiss them, you know?”
No, he doesn’t. Zach never felt like kissing anyone, not when he would be thinking about someone he would never have. When the silence prolonged for too long, he can say that Owen’s eyes widened a little.
“You never…?”
He shakes his head.
“Oh.” Owen rubs his wrist for a moment in the place where his clock should be. “I don’t have a soulmate, don’t have a clock.”
“I’m sorry.”
He really means that, Zach knows pretty well what is like to don’t have your other half.
“It’s ok, I think it’s better doesn’t having one than losing this person.”
Zach can’t say he disagrees, he hears Owen sighing but doesn’t dare to lift his eyes to see what’s bothering the man.
“Can you look at me?”
Owen seems so frustrated and Zach wonders if he is running his hand through his hair or scratching his nape.
“Why?”
His voice is small.
“I want to know what it’s like. I want to see you.”
He feels himself recoiling, arms bracing his torso to stop it from falling apart.
“Owen I…”
“Just once.”
His voice is so soft. Zach wonders if his soulmate would sound like that when he told him he loved him, when he murmured good morning and hugged Zach closer. He can’t resist too, because even if it hurts, his eyes want to drink in the sight of the man again. So he looks straight to Owen’s face and his breath stops. He’s just as beautiful as the first time Zach saw him, just dirtier and with the moonlight lighting him. He wants to throw himself into the man’s arms and forget that he is ruined beyond repair. For a moment while he stares into that bright green eyes, he feels like the world is right, like he is fully again, like he can breath and his lungs doesn’t weight a thousand pounds, like his heart doesn’t skip with pain but with joy, like he would laugh without a worry for the first time in five years. And then everything come rushing back and he makes a strangled noisy trying to catch his breath, he looks away and braces himself into the concrete wall behind him, his vision blur and he can’t breathe, his body starts to shake and he fall to his knees. He had plant of panic attacks on his life to know when he is having one, he knows he has to calm his breath but he just can’t. The air doesn’t seem to go to his lungs, dark spots start to dance on his vision.
“Zach.” Owen cradles his face, his pretty features contorted with worry. “Zach, you need to breath.”
He tries to tell him that he can’t, but just a whimper leave his lips. He’s shaking so bad that he thinks he is going to disintegrate into small pieces of himself, and that’s when Owen kisses him, warm soft lips pressing against his, Zach’s mind goes blank, he stares wide eyed as the man leans back and stares at him with worried eyes.
“Are you ok?”
The only word that leaves his lips is:
“Why?”
“I needed you to stop thinking, and I was not going to slap you.”
Zach thinks that maybe that could be better, he licks his lips and closes his eyes letting Owen’s hands ground him for a moment. Just a moment, he can give himself a moment. The man is running calming circles on his temples with his thumbs.
“Zach, look at me”
He takes deep, steady breaths before finally opening his eyes. Owen is staring at him with an unreadable look in his eyes, his face soft.
“Zach I…”
And then they hear it. A low roar coming from far away, like the sound of bullets being fired consecutively. They stare wide eyed at each other for a moment before scrambling to their feet and running outside. The girls are hissing and waving their tails angrily at the helicopter that lands in the middle of the street, guns pointed to them.
“Don’t fire!”
Owen shouts raising his hands to the men with the weapons, they don’t lower their weapons but they don’t fire too, what Zach thinks is a good sign. Echo walks forward till she is standing between him and the helicopter, he places his hands on her skin and tries to soothe her, she shrieks to a man that tries to step closer to Zach.
“Shh, it’s ok. They’re not going to hurt us.”
All the raptors have trained eyes on the men and Owen that stepped closer to talk with one of them. The boy studies their faces looking for someone familiar, but they’re all soldiers, the wind from the helices is throwing his hair on his eyes and he hides his face behind Echo’s neck. The men are looking at him like he is crazy, but he ignores them, the ground tremble beneath his feet and for a moment he thinks that is just his imagination, although when he looks up one of the men is staring wide eyed at something behind him, turning around he sees one of his nightmares staring back at him. The Indominus Rex stands at the end of the street, waving her tail slowly, like she’s thinking what she will have first for dinner, what probably she is. The raptors snarl and turn to her, snapping their jaws threateningly.
“Go! Go! Go!”
The boy hears one of the soldiers shouting and the helicopter rises to the night sky leaving them and three soldiers on the ground. Owen is by his side in one second, grabbing his arm and pulling Zach behind him, he looks at the girls before whistling. The raptors run straight to the massive dinosaur, the Indominus roar when Charlie and Delta sink their claws and teeth on her flesh. Owen drags Zach to one of the shops and the soldiers follow, weapons still aiming to the dinosaurs.
“Please, don’t shoot my raptors.”
The men don’t reply, eyes too wide and frightened to really pay attention to anything other than the fight in front of them. Blue jumps up and attacks the Indominus’ neck, Echo goes to her big feet. They’re all breathing hard, Owen’s hand grabbing the boy’s arm in a vice like grip, one of the men shoots and that’s when the Indominus spots them inside the shop, she roars and advances to them, Zach runs with Owen, leaving the build a second before she smashes it. One of the men screams and Zach looks over his shoulder to see the dinosaur throwing him up and swallowing in one go, she shakes her body to dislodge the raptors, Charlie and Echo roll to the ground but stands and attack her again. However, it’s time enough for her to bite Delta’s tail and throw her against a building, he feels Owen cringe beside him. Delta falls to the ground and don’t get up. They run to another shop, Zach can hear the helicopter above them. It would be a perfect, starry night if it wasn’t for the dinosaur trying to kill them.
“What are we going to do?”
One of the soldiers ask looking at Owen, he looks at them and then at Zach.
“We kill this thing.”
“How?”
Something crashes outside and the Indominus roar, Zach cringes and looks at the scene. The girls are still fighting against the massive dinosaur, but he can see that they’re becoming weary, he looks back at the raptors’ trainer when he sighs.
“I don’t know.”
“You have weapons. Shoot her!”
Zach exclaims.
“The containment team already tried that, doesn’t work.”
“Maybe another dinosaur could fight her?”
Owen shakes his head.
“There’s no other dinosaur big enough to…”
He trails off.
“What?”
“The T-Rex.”
A moment of silence involves them while the idea sinks in.
“I’ll go.”
The three men look at Zach, the raptors’ trainer is already shaking his head.
“No.”
Zach looks right into his green eyes and smile softly.
“The raptors need you here and I don’t know how to shoot.”
Owen opens his mouth again and Zach knows what he is going to say. The unsaid words hang in the air. You’re going to die.
“It’s ok.”
A loud crash makes all of them jump and Zach runs out of the shop before Owen can say anything, tears burn on his eyes at the sight of Echo lying bloodied on the ground, she is making small sounds and Zach wants so bad to run at her. Blue and Charlie are still fighting with the Indominus, Blue bites her snout and takes out a piece of flesh, the dinosaur roars angrily and shakes her head till Blue slips out of her. That’s when the Indominus spots him, he is motionless in the middle of the street and now the dinosaur is moving straight to him, if Zach wasn’t so terrified he would swear he saw recognition in her eyes, he turns and start to run. He can feel every time her big feet touch the ground, making it tremble beneath his feet, the boy looks around frantically to any place where he could hide. I’m going to die. Now the tears are running freely down his face, he sobs because he is afraid of dying, he is afraid of being alone, he don’t want to die before telling Owen that he loves him. Not because he looks like his soulmate, but for the man that he is, for all the times he made Zach laugh and the way he made him feel like he meant something. Even with all the hurt, he had never felt so in peace as when he was with Owen.
The Indominus hits him, he feels the ground be knocked out of his feet and his body flying, his side hits one of the bamboo shops, a shot of pain running on his side and his head, through his blurred vision he can see the massive dinosaur walking to him.
“Zach!”
He hears Owen shouting and stands, his legs trembling and every breath burn, the Indominus open her mouth to swallow him and then a shriek make all of them look to the side, Echo and Blue come running to the dinosaur, they jump on her and bites her back and eyes, he can hear the men shooting too, opening her flesh with bullets, but she is not going to let him go so easily, even with the two raptors on her she keeps walking to him, her eyes hungry and wild. From the corner of his eyes he sees something glistening and turns to see the Mosasaurus tank. Worked once, can work twice right? He keeps running and doesn’t stop when he reaches the fence that circles the tank, he jumps between the power lines and fall into the dark. The water is cold when he hits it, swallowing him easily, he comes back to the surface for air.
The Indominus hadn’t stopped before hitting the fence, and now it is half destroyed and the dinosaur is looking at him. Would she jump? Before he can really think, the Mosasaurus jumps out of the water and bites her neck, the Indominus try to fight against her but the sea dinosaur’s grip is unbreakable, the Mosasaurus drags the Indominus to the tank and the water swallow they both, a giant wave rising when they dive. Water hits Zach from all the sides, he coughs and slowly makes his way back to the edge of the tank, the boy can distingue Owen’s form there and swims to him.
“Zach?”
The man asks the moment he comes into view, Owen fall to his knees and drags him out of the water, pressing him tightly against his body.
“Thank God you’re alive.”
Zach is shaking from the cold and the adrenaline, he melts into the embrace and closes his eyes holding Owen’s shirt tightly between his numb fingers.
“The girls are ok?”
He can feel Owen’s smile when he presses a kiss to the crown of his head.
“They’re fine, all of them. We’re all fine.”
The boy sighs relived, a soldier appears by their side and Zach can hear the helicopter closer again.
“We gotta go!”
The man shouts to be heard, Owen stands and helps Zach to his feet, his arm always around the boy’s shoulders. They make their way to the helicopter and Zach can see the girls looking expectantly at them, he wants to go to them, to say something, to let them smell him, but the soldiers are looking impatiently at them, so he follows Owen and sits beside him, a blanket is put around his shoulders and he nods gratefully at the soldier. The boy lets his head fall against the seat and looks through the window the island getting small and small, till it fade into the night.
***
It’s almost dawn when they finally arrive on, wherever they are. Claire comes running to the helicopter, she is clean again and wearing perfect tailored white clothes. She gives Zach an awkward hug.
“Are you ok?”
He nods and she walks straight to Owen, holding his collar and putting him down for a kiss. Zach thinks he’s going to throw up, his chest clenches painfully and he looks away, the remaining soldiers give them an inquisitive look before turning questioningly to Zach.
“I thought you two…”
Before he can finish, Zach’s mother is throwing her arms around him and pulling the boy into a hug tight.
“Mom.”
Zach gasps in pain when she presses his injured ribs.
“Are you ok? Oh my God, what is this? What happened?”
She touches the cut on his forehead, tears running down her face, Gray comes running too and circles his arms around Zach’s waist burying his face into his older brother’s stomach, he smiles and caresses his messy sand colored hair.
“Hey bro.”
His father comes into view then and hugs him too. He closes his eyes and lets them support him for a moment, hissing only when Gray tighten his grip too much around him.
“What happened?”
He looks down at his baby brother’s blue eyes and smiles.
“I hit a wall.”
“Is the Indominus dead?”
Zach squeezes his eyes shut for a moment at the memory of her teeth so close to him.
“Yeah, the Mosasaurus ate her.”
“Wow.” Gray’s eyes shine with interest. “Really?”
“Yeah, you lose all the best parts. The raptors fought against her too.”
He chuckles at Gray’s disappointed face.
“This is not fair.”
Zach messes with his brother’s already messed hair.
“I can tell you everything latter, ok?”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Mr. Grady!”
Zach tenses at the sound of his mother’s voice and don’t turn to look at Owen, he doesn’t need to see him and his aunt interlaced like a happy couple.
“Thank you for keeping my son alive.”
There’s a moment when both of his parents shake Owen’s hand, but he keeps hugging Gray as an excuse to not look at him.
“Don’t need to thank, he did the same for me.”
Zach frowns. He did? What is Owen talking about?
“Did?”
Owen’s voice is soft when he replies.
“Yeah.”
***
Zach spends one hour in the shower, just letting the water run down his back, the liquid seeming to wash much more than just dirty and blood. The doctor that examined him said that he has three fractured ribs and that the cut on his head will heal soon; he had lost weight too, what was really expected since they just ate soup and protein bars for almost two weeks. His entire body had tensed when the doctor asked where his soulmate was, telling that having him or her around would help, Zach didn’t answer, he just showed the doctor his scarred wrist and the man had shut up.
He tried to ate, but after four bites of his beef and two of mashed potatoes he felt so full that he thought he was going to throw up. His mother talked to him, she spent two hours asking him what happened, how he was feeling, if he wanted anything, what she could do to help; he just told her that everything was fine and that he was going to be fine. Gray followed him to his room, sitting cross legged on Zach’s bed and asking question after question, spelling words faster than Zach’s exhausted brain could follow, finally he went to his own room and told Zach to sleep.
He tried. He really tried. His body felt drained and he could barely keep his eyes open even so his brain refused to shut down, he turned on the bed for half an hour before giving up and putting his headphones on. The music helped a lot, it put his body at easy and soon enough he was shaking his head in the rhythm of the calm playlist he had done. He knows why he can’t sleep: his room is too quiet, he grew used to sleep hearing Owen’s breathing in the other side of the room, his soft sighs, like he would snore sometimes when he was really annoyed, his presence, even when it made Zach’s chest curl with pain and couldn’t let him breath, he always knew that Owen was there, always at reach.
To where is he going now? Zach thinks with a sigh looking out of his window to the sight of a beach with white sand and calm waves. Probably he will live with Aunt Claire somewhere. Anywhere away from him. Maybe one day he will be a person good enough to be happy for his aunt and Owen, happy for them to have found each other. The boy lets out a humorless laugh. Who is he trying to fool? He will never be able to look at them and be happy. It’s funny because for the second time he lost the person he loves, when he never truly had any of them. He feels like ice is spreading on his chest. He is fucking afraid because he doesn’t want to be alone, even if he had been his whole life, always knowing that he would never have another person, but in these moments in the island, these precious moments when Owen’s warm laugh echoed through the basement or when his hands steadied Zach on this world, he hadn’t felt so alone. He hugs the blanket closer to his body, trying to banish the cold away, he hates cold.
There’s a soft knock on his door and he stands to open it, it’s probably his mom checking on him. Owen is standing on his doorway looking clean and like the most beautiful thing Zach has ever seen, he doesn’t divert his eyes this time, looking straight at the man’s perfect face. What harm it can do now? The ex-raptors’ trainer gives him a tentatively smile and lifts up a box of pizza like an offering peace, Zach quirks an eyebrow at him.
“What are you doing here?”
Owen shrugs.
“Thought you would like to eat your favorite food. Can I come in?”
Zach steps aside opening more the door to let the man in. Owen walks into his room with the confidence that follow him everywhere, he places the pizza on the table and look through the window.
“Your view is better than mine.”
The younger gives him a lopsided smile.
“I was the bait to the Indominus Rex, I deserve the better view.”
However, Owen doesn’t laugh his shoulders tensing under the white shirt he is wearing.
“You could have died. God, you almost died.”
He scratches his nape in that nervously way that Zach grew used to.
“It’s ok.”
“It’s not ok!”
The man shouts making Zach jump, he’d never saw him like this.
“If you died I would be as good as dead too.”
“Owen, what are you talking about?”
“I can’t stop thinking about kissing you, or touching you, or being around you or you.”
Zach’s heart skips a beat and he is sure he stops breathing in this exactly moment, the boy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Owen I… You… Please, don’t.”
“No, I’m not… God, I can’t stop thinking about you! Yesterday when I looked at you, when I really saw you.” He stops and looks right into Zach’s eyes. “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I can’t stop thinking about you and how much I want to kiss you and never let you go. But I didn’t say anything because I would never forgive myself if I hurt you. I was driving myself crazy in that fly, when you jumped into that tank I thought I had lost you.” Owen takes a deep breath before talking again. “There’s one thing I didn’t told you: five years ago I was in the navy and I died, my heart stopped for two minutes and then it started beating again, but that was time enough for my clock to disappear. I never thought I would find my soulmate, and when you told me your story I thought: What are the chances? But when I looked at you, when I saw your eyes. God, in that moment I knew you was the only person I would ever want in the world. You are the only person I want in the world. I didn’t say anything because I wanted to be sure, but I’m sure, God, I’m so sure.”
Zach’s heart is beating so hard he thinks it is going to jump out of his chest. He doesn’t know what to say. Owen is his soulmate, he is alive and he wants him. He is not alone anymore. He doesn’t think, he throws himself into the man’s arms and buries his face into his chest; Owen smells like the forest just after the rain, clean and fresh; his arms are strong and firm around the boy, holding him hard enough that’s not even a sheet of air can fit between them, but still carefully with Zach’s bruised ribs; he feels like all the cold leaves him, Owen is so warm that he is almost a furnace. His heart is jumping like crazy, a crazy and happy thing, the purest sentiment of joy spread on his chest, he feels so light that he thinks he could fly, a breathless chuckle leaves his lips and for the first time it doesn’t weight a thousand pounds, it’s completely free and happy. He’s complete and safe, for the first time the tears running down his face are from joy.
The man leans a little back and looks at him, Zach chuckles with watery eyes, Owen’s thumbs clear his tears away and he smiles softly at the boy, large hands cradling his face, he closes his hands around his wrists.
“I’m never going to lose you again.”
“You better don’t.”
They both chuckle and the ex-raptors’ trainer presses a kiss to his forehead, before leaning his own on Zach’s.
“God, you… I…”
He trails of and Zach feels a rush of emotions so strong that it’s almost painfully, must be the same feeling that is stealing Owen’s words.
“I know.”
He says softly, because he does. Owen doesn’t need to say anything, they’re soulmates, this is how things work. He leans into the man again, his tiredness finally picking up with him.
“Did you sleep?”
He just shakes his head, eyes already closing.
“I’m so tired Owen.”
“I’ll take care of you, ok?”
The boy nods and lets the man take him to the bed. The mattress is so big that five Zach’s could probably fit there easily. He curls into himself wondering what Owen is going to do, he doesn’t want the man to leave, but is not sure if he is allowed to ask him to stay; the question is answered for him when Owen slips behind him in the bed, he doesn’t touch Zach, maybe thinking that the boy needs more time to get used to him, but Zach had already waited too much for this man, he doesn’t want to waste any minute, doesn’t want to pass any unnecessary moment not touching him, feeling his skin, his warmth, his protectiveness. He turns and look at Owen, the ex-raptors’ trainer is watching him with an open face, his eyes saying that everything is ok, that Zach is allowed to do anything he wants; he slips closer, slowly getting closer and closer till his forehead is touching Owen’s biceps, he laces their finger together and marvel at the feeling of Owen’s calloused skin against his. Owen’s fingers are larger than his, covered with small pale scars, his sun burned skin is so dark against Zach’s pale one. He wants to ask Owen from where these came from, if they’re from the raptors or from the life he doesn’t remember, wants to know if Owen had ever missed him or wondered what he was like, if he thought about looking for him, if he likes his aunt, if he wants to go back to the island and see the girls.
But right now, he just sighs and closes his eyes. Owen is here, he is alive, they’re alive and the world could go to hell before anything tears them apart again.