This was ready yesterday. (Actually, it was ready a few days ago when I posted chapter 20.) But then I came home after work and pretty much passed out. All day. Seriously. I slept all damn day. Like 11 hours. Creepy. Sorry it's on the shorter side. Chapter 22 will also be on the shorter side. (Much shorter.) But I didn't like the flow when I had them mushed together.

Raptor
Chapter 21: Finality

He runs through the jungle with elegant ease, his long claws scraping the dirt as he moves. Blue gains on him, the other raptors just a tail length behind her. He can hear them moving, hear them flowing as a team behind him. Owen slows and turns. He lashes out with his tail and Blue trips and tumbles on the ground. She rolls and collides with the others and they're soon all a mess of limbs and tails. Owen barks out a laugh as Blue growls loudly at him from the raptor pile. He turns back and he sprints forward, taking the lead again.

The sun is shining brightly through the trees above. Owen can feel it on his scales and it feels wonderful. He doesn't remember the last time he felt it, the last time he really let himself run like this. So he does just that. He runs. He runs and weaves through the trees and it's everything. He forgets about life for a few moments. And he just exists.

The sound of a motorcycle stalls him. The purr of the engine is familiar. He knows it. Because it's his. Why is his monocycle there? Who's on it? Owen slows again and turns. He lifts his head and lets out a yowl.

"Come catch me!" A voice calls out through the trees. That voice. That voice is sugar and honey and fuzzy socks on a rainy day and a cozy fireplace on a winter's night and a warm blanket on a chilly afternoon. It's like birthdays and holidays and Christmas and Valentine's. It's love and trust and adventure. It's everything. The tone of that voice, the very pitch and note, speaks to him more than it's words do, more than any words ever have.

Owen internally smiles and runs forward, towards the everything sound. He moves through the trees as the noise grows louder. Then suddenly, the motorcycle brakes from the trees. It weaves in front of his path, teasing him. Taunting him. Owen reaches out and snaps playfully at the spinning back wheel. But it pulls ahead and speeds off.

Owen screeches and lengthens his strides. He strains his muscles, catching up with the motorcycle. He pulls beside it and looks over. And it's Zach. His Zach. His mate. He looks older, his shoulders broader and his arms and back more defined. But the same effortless hair and bright eyes and lazy, bored smile. And Owen loves that smile, loves those lips.

Older Zach smiles at him with that loved smile. Then guns the throttle and speeds off.

"Zach!" Owen calls after him, the human voice ripping from his raptor throat.

"Owen!" Zach calls. "Wake up!"

Owen stops. He tilts his head and then turns slowly. Zach's voice is suddenly behind him. "Zach?" He calls again, his human voice sounds odd with his raptor vocal cords and he worries for a moment that his mate doesn't understand him.

"You're heavy." The voice says, almost angrily sounding. "Wake up!"

Owen spins around again as the jungle starts dissolving around him. He's dizzy and he closes his eyes. He throws back his head and yowls, loudly and long. What's happening? Where's his mate? Where's his girls? Where's his trees and his life and his everything?

And then suddenly, he was falling, like the ground had opened up beneath him. He landed with a hard thud, hitting something solid on the way down. He let out a groan and rolled over. What the fuck?

"Oh shit!" Zach's voice was above him. "I didn't mean to... I'm sorry!" The kid stammered nervously. Owen blinked and looked up, his eyes finally trying to focus. Zach was leaning over him, perched on the edge of his couch. "You were kinda... suffocating me..." Zach said awkwardly.

That did it. Owen's eyes snapped wide. He pulled himself up and pushed himself away. "Fuck..." He breathed out, shaking his head. He practically jumped up and turned away. Zach was in his trailer. Zach was in his trailer on his couch. Zach was in his trailer, on his couch, and apparently, Owen had just been suffocating him. Owen spun around, his hands on his head. "Shit, shit, shit." What had he done? What had they done? He closed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't remember anything. He couldn't remember anything after the plaza. When he had... had he... he'd attacked Zach. He'd grabbed the kid out of the crowd and pulled him out of sight.

"Owen!" Zach stood up quickly, worry on his face. "Hey..." He started softer.

Owen heard Zach shifting, heard him moving. "Don't!" Owen snapped, not turning to look at him. "Don't come any closer."

"Owen... nothing... happen." Zach said softly, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Owen stiffened slightly. He turned and looked at Zach, his eyes wide and nervous. He didn't quite believe the kid. Not after everything. Not after all of the hints. "Nothing?" He repeated softly.

Zach shook his head, his eyes still on the floor. "Nothing." He whispered.

Owen swallowed as he turned slightly, to the side. The dream was still lingering in his head, the raptor still in the forefront of his mind. And he was not happy. Not happy with the proximity of Zach, not when Zach looked so distressed. Owen felt the need to reach for the kid, to comfort him and wipe that distress from his delicate features. But he didn't move. "What uh... what did happen?" He asked.

Zach breathed in and exhaled slowly. "You didn't show up for dinner..." He started. "Aunt Claire said she hadn't heard from you... so I went to the raptor paddock... to apologize..." Zach shifted his weight nervously. "But you were drunk... really drunk. So I drove you home." He shook his head. "But I had no idea you lived so... in the middle of nowhere." He glanced up at Owen. "I knew I couldn't make it back by myself... and then you fell asleep..." He looked away again. "Sorta in my lap... but you are really heavy. Like... really, really heavy." He mumbled the last bit and scratched at the back of his neck. "I kinda fell asleep, too, I think. But then you started... like... rolling around and moving in your sleep and woke me up and... I pushed you..." Zach trailed off with a sigh.

Owen closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to concentrate. The last thing he remembered... besides Zach at the plaza... maybe... maybe he remember a bottle of bourbon. Actually, he thought maybe it had been the third bottle. Maybe he remembered the kid showing up. Maybe he remembered getting in the jeep with Zach. He definitely didn't remember practically sleeping in the kid's lap. "What time is it?" He asked a little hoarsely.

Zach glanced around quickly. His phone had fallen on the floor beside the couch. He bent down and picked it up. He fumbled for a moment before he was able to answer. "Uh... little after 9." He said.

If it was only 9, then there was no way something more had happened that me might not remember. Not with his place looking as it had when he left that morning. Not with both of them still fully clothed and Zach looking perfectly unrumpled. "Come on." Owen said with a deep sigh. "I'm taking you back."

Zach snapped his gaze back up and shook his head. "I don't think I can in the dark."

"I'll drive." Owen said evenly.

Zach shook his head again. "You can't drive."

Owen waved him off and turned for the door. "I'm fine."

Zach blinked for a moment and rolled his eyes. "Like 2 hours ago, you were rolling around on the ground outside."

Owen turned slightly. He might have remembered that. "I have like... a freaky high tolerance... and fast metabolism." He said with a shrug. "Like really fast." He tried to stress. "I'm fine. Woulda been fine at the paddock. You didn't need to help... but... thank you..."

Zach snorted. "You were outside, screaming at Blue and trying to climb inside. To kick her ass, you said."

Owen couldn't help when his lips twisted into a smile. He didn't remember that, but he could imagine him drunk ass self doing just that. "Yeah, okay. That would have been bad." Probably would have been really funny, if he'd woken up in the paddock. But also really bad. He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "Again, thanks. But now I have to get you back." He slid his hand into his pocket and frowned. "Uh... where are my keys?"

Zach fished them out of his pocket. He held them up and stepped towards him.

Owen stepped back. He shook his head and held up his hands. "Just... throw them here." Zach rolled his eyes and tossed the keys to him. Owen caught them and turned for the door. He opened it quickly and stepped out into the darkening night. He was reminded of the dream again as the night air hit him. And he felt the raptor brush up against his mind again, as if to also try to remind him. Because the motorcycle was right there. And Zach was right there. And the raptor could be right there. Owen shook the feeling away as he walked to the jeep. He fumbled with the keys for a moment, his hands shaking. "Get in." He mumbled.

Zach sighed deeply as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He walked around to the passenger door, giving Owen a wide birth as he did so. But his eyes widened as his gaze settled on the door. "Oh shit... I'm sorry Owen. I must have hit something."

Owen finally got the door unlocked and pulled it open. "What?" He asked as he hit the unlock button.

"There's a huge dent." Zach said.

Owen shook his head as he climbed in and shut the door. "Wasn't you." He mumbled.

"But..." Zach protested as he pulled the door open. He stood there and shook his head. "It wasn't there before." He argued.

"This isn't one of the stolen jeeps." Owen said with a sigh. "This is my jeep. That's my dent."

Zach tilted his head a bit. "Your... dent..." He repeated.

Owen nodded and put the key into the ignition. He turned the key and the engine rumbled. "I ran into it a few years back." He said like it was nothing. "Never got around to fixing it. Didn't really care."

"You ran into it?" Zach repeated. "With what, your motorcycle?"

"My head."

Zach's eyes widened and he let out a gasp. "What..."

"Just get in the jeep." Owen snapped, interrupting him.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The drive back was excruciating for him. Neither said anything the whole way but Owen could feel Zach sitting next to him. He could feel him in the space around him, could feel the shift in the air when Zach moved or breathed. Zach had opened the floodgates and Owen had let him. He had no clue how to close them. And what was worse... was he didn't want them to close. He feared it. Because after only a couple days, life without the kid seemed... unbearable. The very idea was completely abhorrent. And he swore, he could feel claws raking against his subconscious for even thinking about it.

Owen pulled his jeep to a stop near the back of the hotel. The employee parking lot. It was still rather congested with cars. But there were no people. He turned the jeep off and let out a sigh. He glanced sideways. Zach was staring at his lap and biting his bottom lip. And it was adorable. Owen gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white with the pressure. He looked away. "Zach..." The name caught in his throat for a moment and he paused. "What I said earlier today... at the paddock..." The words felt heavy in his mouth and there was a growl in his head at the words on his lips "I meant it. I can't do this." He shook his head. "I won't do this." He had to force the words from his mouth. And it felt like they were literally ripped out.

"Why not?" The kid's voice was soft. Delicate and nervous.

Owen eased his grip on the steering wheel. He flexed his fingers for a moment and then leaned back in his seat. "You're a kid!" He said with a sigh.

Zach turned towards Owen in the seat, pulling his leg up under him. He settled back down against the seat for a moment before his eyes narrowed into a glare. "Stop calling me a kid!" He snapped, his voice louder.

Owen snorted and shook his head. "Do you have any idea how old I am?" There was a hint of a laugh in his voice. Because the notion was ridiculous, despite everything that happened, despite the raptor in his head. Because this was not happening. Because it couldn't happen.

Zach shrugged nonchalantly, like it didn't matter. "You're old." He said. "So what? I don't care."

Owen's mouth dropped open for a moment. Because the answer pleased him, pleased the raptor. But he pushed it away. He shook his head, choosing to ignore the old comment. He wasn't that old. But to a 17 year old, sure, old. "How old?" Owen repeated.

Zach tilted his head a bit. "30?" He said the number so casually, no carelessly. Like it meant nothing, like it was no big deal.

Owen let out a laugh, loudly this time, and shook his head. "I'm 34." He said. "That's literally twice your age."

"Not quite twice. There's a few months in there..." Zach shrugged again. "It doesn't matter. I don't care. I... like you." He admitted softly. "I like you... a lot."

"You like me." Owen scoffed loudly and shook his head. "Zach, you just met me!" He snapped. He was arguing as much with himself as Zach. Probably moreso with himself, with his other half.

Zach flinched a bit from the sudden outburst but didn't look away. "So?" He said softly.

"You don't even know me!" Owen snapped angrily.

Zach leaned forward. "Then let me know you!" He snapped back.

Owen glanced sideways at him. Because those words... he wanted nothing more than to let Zach do just that. And he was seconds from admitting so. But he didn't. He swallowed down the words and then cleared his throat. "I'm dangerous." He said softly instead.

Zach stared at him for a moment. "I don't believe that." He said as he smiled and shook his head. "You can't scare me away."

Owen shook his head and leaned back against his seat with a heavy sigh. "I can't date a kid." He breathed out. And those words hurt. Because he wanted to. So bad. There was nothing in his life that he ever wanted more. He wanted Zach by his side, forever. But no.

Zach stilled. His eyes widened and dropped to his lap. "You... you thought about... dating me?" He asked timidly, his voice barely a whisper.

Yes, Owen wanted to scream. Yes, of course he had. Because the more he denied it and the more he fought it, the more he knew the answer was yes. There was something about this kid that he couldn't explain, that he couldn't let himself think of. But he shook his head again in answer. "No!" He said loudly, again more to himself than to Zach.

"Yes you have." Zach said, looking up at him. "You want to." He reached out and touched Owen's arm. Just a gentle touch of his finger tips.

Owen glanced down, watching as the kid slid his fingers along his skin. He closed his eyes and for a moment, relished the sensation. But he breathed out and shook his head. "Zach! Please go." Owen said it softly. His voice took on a pleading tone. "Before Claire or Gray or someone sees you. Please!" He begged.

"Owen..." Zach started.

Owen felt the pressure on his arm increase. And that was bad. Zach was holding onto him. And Owen was seconds from grabbing Zach. He touched his fingers to Zach's hand. He let them linger for a moment before prying him off. "It could never work. You're a kid. In high school." He shook his head and turned towards Zach, meeting his gaze for the first time. "Fuck it. The truth is, you're leaving in a couple weeks and I'll be here." He stated. "I'm stuck here. Forever, Zach."

Zach frowned for a moment. "Stuck?" He questioned. "Because of the raptors?"

Owen nodded his head. He was stuck because of the raptors. In a way.

Zach tilted his head for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'll come back when I graduate."

Owen smiled slightly. The kid was persistent and stubborn. Owen kind of liked that. And the raptor really liked that. "And do what?"

Zach shrugged again. "Whatever."

"You don't know me. At all. And you think you can promise to come back." Owen shook his head again and turned. He put his hands on the steering wheel and gripped it tightly again. "Get out."

Zach swallowed. "Owen..."

"Get out!" Owen said louder. Zach flinched and tore open the door. Owen made sure not to look, not to turn and watch him. Because every cell in his body was telling him to move, to go after Zach, to grab him and apologize and never let go. He really wanted to. Oh god, he wanted to. Owen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He leaned against the seat for a few minutes. What was it about this kid? All of a sudden, he could barely control himself.

Maybe he just needed to get laid... someone much closer to his age. His last time had been that waiter. He just didn't... 'date.' It was hard to explain to his girls. Charlie in particular would get upset with him when he came back... smelling of someone else. They didn't understand dating or casual sex. Hell... he didn't want them to understand. Wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with them.

He shook his head and started the jeep up.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Zach walked through the hotel in a daze. He hardly remembered getting out of the jeep and running. He hit the elevator button and stepped back to wait. The doors open and he stepped inside. He typed in his floor number and leaned back against the wall as it moved. He watched the numbers change and didn't really see them. He didn't really see anything. The numbers started swimming in front of his eyes and he closed them tight and breathed in deeply.

The way Owen had said no that last time... the finality in his voice... it felt real. It finally felt real. After all the times Owen had said no, don't, and stop... now it felt real. Now it felt like Owen meant it.

And Zach felt... he didn't know what he felt. Other than... weird. He was only 17. Should he feel so... weird about another person? Especially someone he'd just met a few days ago? That was almost twice his age? Owen's arguments ran through his head. Owen was right on every point.

Owen was older.

They just met.

Zach didn't know him.

Owen was dangerous.

Was he dangerous? How? In what way? The elevator slowed and pulled to a stop as the thoughts swarmed in his mind. The doors opened and Zach pushed off the wall with a sigh. He turned down the hall and walked towards their room slowly. He unlocked the door and walked in as quietly as he could.

But the TV was on and Gray was still up. "Hey." Gray said with a smile. "You're back."

Zach turned slowly to lock the door. He leaned his forehead against it and sighed. He wanted to cry. To scream and throw a fit. He wanted to crawl into bed and pull the blanket over his head and never come out.

"Zach!" Gray jumped off the bed and raced to him. "Are you okay?" He asked, reaching for Zach's hand.

Zach took a deep breath and pushed off the door. He looked down at Gray and nodded. "Yeah." His voice came out hoarse. "Fine."

"Owen okay?"

Zach looked away and nodded again. "Yeah. He's... fine."

"Did you guys fight or something?"

"Just go to sleep, Gray."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Author's Notes: They're being a little dramatic, aren't they? Gesh. I haven't even sicked the giant hybrid raptor on them yet. 8D THEY GET EVEN MORE DRAMATIC! 8D