Chapter Text
Curt woke up.
What was the last thing he remembered. . .?
Curt tried to push himself up, wincing in pain, hoping it would job his memory, when a voice cut through his thoughts.
“Careful, love. You’ll pull a stitch.”
Owen.
Curt’s eyes flew open, and he tried to jump out of bed.
Owen made his way to the bed and pushed him back down gently- though he did at least help adjust Curt into a sitting position.
Curt reached out and tentatively touched him. He needed to feel him, to be sure Owen was really here. “Am I dreaming?” He croaked.
“You’re quite awake, love. Though I can see why you’d think otherwise.” Owen sat down on the edge of the bed, taking Curt’s hand in his.
Curt wet his lips, mouth dry. “I thought you were dead.”
“I know. I thought you left me.” Owen’s words were blunt, but he spoke gently- a skill he’d perfected back in ‘55.
Curt jerked back in horror as if he’d been slapped. “I would never-”
“I know.” Owen squeezed his hand to soothe him. “It’s. . . It’s hard to explain why, Curt, I don’t even understand it, but when I was lying there at the bottom of the compound, I forgot about the promise we made.”
Curt remembered that promise- the promise that if one of them was dying, to not go back. To save themselves. It had been Owen’s idea, since he knew that Curt was likely to risk everything to save him.
Owen raised Curt’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “It wasn’t until I saw you here, begging me to take you to the afterlife, that I had some sense knocked into me. Can you ever forgive me?”
Owen looked so apologetic, Curt couldn’t help but melt inside. He threw his arms around his partner- his living, breathing partner and ignored the stinging pain at his side as he did so. “Oh, Owen. . .” He buried his face into Owen’s neck, pressing a kiss against his skin. “I’m just happy you’re alive.”
Owen wrapped his arms around Curt gently, rubbing his hand up and down Curt’s back. “I love you so much, my darling.”
Curt closed his eyes and breathed Owen in. “I love you too.”