Within a week after the incident with Alan disciplining Wu Raja decided to conspire with Blue to help encourage Harry and Owen to further their relationship. The pack-familiar bond had quickly advanced them past the hand holding stage to the cuddling stage but they'd only kissed a few times. Both familiar and beta were getting frustrated with the slow pace since both their species didn't generally have long courtships. Shiva agreed with them and cheerfully helped the duo to open the exit to the paddock.
"They're loose!" one paddock worker screamed as he caught sight of them just outside the paddock before bolting away in a panic. The scream sent most of them running either too the commotion or away. The pack was pleased to note that Barry, Harry, and Owen all came towards them rather than trying to find some place to hide where they wouldn't be eaten.
"Girls? What are you doing?" Owen asked suspiciously, ignoring Raja's indignant squawk as the only male reptile currently in the group. The raptor trainer could clearly see the small proto-dragon's smug look, despite the indignant noise, as he rode proudly on top of Shiva's head.
"~Should we tell them?~" Echo asked slyly.
"~Why? We can get the big one they call king that smells sort of like Shiva to help,~" Delta said giving a raptor laugh and thoroughly spooking the human employees who hadn't run.
"Why would you involve Rexy?" Harry asked with narrowed eyes only to jerk back as the pack darted forwards and pick the two humans up by the backs of their shirts.
"Not again," Harry moaned, ignoring Owen's huff of amusement as they were literally carried away by the pack into the forest. Had anyone thought about it they would realize the pack was obviously making a straight line towards the T-Rex paddock.
Between the speed of the raptors and the sharp teeth of the ones carrying Owen and Harry the collars of their shirts eventually gave out. This sent the two humans tumbling and the pack quickly back tracking to collect them again. Shiva was the first to reach them having been trailing slightly behind the raptors. The scolding she gave them for escaping was both enthusiastic and embarrassing for the two men. Their distraction of paying attention to Shiva allowed the rest of the pack to surround them before they could even get to their feet.
"~You're not supposed to fall,~" Echo informed them huffily.
"~We can make them ride but it will probably feel strange,~" Raja said thoughtfully, eyeing the two humans just getting themselves back onto their own two feet.
"Or you could tell us where we're going and we could have taken one of the jeeps," Owen said pointedly.
"~Lady Rexy has called for your presence,~" Raja informed them haughtily, earning a snicker from the rest of the pack.
"And why does that need the entire pack?" Harry asked suspiciously. "The bond is mostly settled so we should be able to go farther apart now."
"~You are both acting like this is your first attempt at courting and you're taking too long. We will see the big dangerous one that smells partly of Shiva,~" Blue declared imperiously.
That was the signal for at least one raptor to grab another part of their clothing and pick them up again. Harry wound up hanging by the back of his trousers and the belt holding them up while Owen was carried by the next lowest part of his vest and shirt. The raptors gleefully raced over the ground towards the T-Rex paddock, stopping once in a while only to get a better grip on rapidly shredding clothing. The two humans tried to protest but weren't given much of a chance or choice in the execution of the pack's plan. Shiva gleefully trotted along behind them, smugly helping to keep the two human pack members from running away whenever the raptors lost their grip.
By the time they reached the paddock the two were barely clad in rags, much to the shock of the human visitors and employees. The pack skillfully used this shock to get into the T-Rex paddock and it was up to Shiva to call Rexy from further inside the paddock for a visit. Harry thought that the baby T-Rex sounds Shiva managed to make were adorable even as the sound summoned Lady Rexy to investigate her visitors.
When Rexy caught sight of them she stopped short and tried to figure out why a very calm raptor pack trailed by some white Tyrannosaurus-like infant was in her territory and carrying two humans. Taking a step closer the scene made a bit more sense, in the fact she recognized that one of the humans was actually Harry. Though still confused about the shredded clothes and the clearly exasperated looks on both humans she was intrigued. The ruckus that the humans just outside her territory were making added to her need for answers. Then the Blue spoke to her, explaining their predicament, not letting either human get a word in edgewise.
"This is one of the reasons why I didn't try and take you for a drink or something," Owen said ruefully. "I knew that until things either settled down or we got half a moment to ourselves to simply take stock you'd either shoot me down or something else would happen."
"Welcome to my life, expect insanity around every corner. Don't worry too much if its the appropriate time to tell me something because things might just go sideways or get even weirder before you get another chance," Harry said equally rueful.
"Is that a yes? To get a drink or something?" Owen asked hopefully.
"If we can get free of the pack long enough to get that drink and unwind a bit," Harry agreed wholeheartedly. Raja turned around on Blue's head and hissed at them in exasperation.
"~I will watch the pack. We will visit with Lady Rexy while you preen yourselves and spend your courting time together. Be back by the next mid-sun or we will come find you. Until then... go courting and try not to get into trouble,~" Raja ordered them in clear irritation. The small familiar quickly rounded up the pack and led them over to stand next to Rexy, who in turn led them further into her territory. The dinosaurs quickly disappeared into the trees leaving the two humans in almost less than rags in front of the viewing window in the false log that was filled with guests and fellow employees.
"I vote we go while we still have the chance," Harry said forcefully.
"Oh, yes, I totally agree," Owen said hurriedly as they bolted for the human sized exit from the paddock.
"I told you those things are vicious. They need to be put down!" a female park employee said spitefully.
"Viv, you think anything that eats meat needs to die," Owen said in a long suffering tone. "My girls aren't going anywhere and if you try to get them killed again I'll feed you to them. Also, before you make a crack about our attire they were being really gentle and playful. It was very courteous of them not to get their teeth or claws caught on us when playing this new game before joining Rexy for a snack while we get cleaned up."
Harry was blushing the entire time as Owen unconsciously had his hand on the smaller man's waist and led him towards the locker room for the park employees inside the Hammond Creation Center next door. Neither noticed the way Owen carefully put his bulk between Harry and the rest of the crowd. The kids between 5-8 and over 12 noticed how they were acting resulting in a combination of giggling from the younger ones and smirks from the older boys as the pair quickly exited the area.
Another employee, less spiteful than Viv, was kind enough to run to one of the shops and snag them each a new set of clothing to put on. Lowery demanded an explanation before he'd release the electronic lock on the door and let the employee bearing replacement clothing in. Harry was the first to crack and admit that their pack had decided to ask Rexy to help them go on a date. Owen took over and explained that the two of them had gotten around the dinosaurs insisting on arranging it by admitting that they'd been waiting for the next dino disaster or Vic to be caught. This had prompted the pack into letting them go with orders to go on a date and be back by lunch tomorrow.
Laughing his arse off Lowery let the patiently waiting employee into the room and promised to watch the dinosaurs during their sleep over with Rexy. The two victims of Dino Blind Dates Inc. eventually wound up wearing matching logo track suits in gray with Rexy and Fern pattern t-shirts to go underneath respectively. Thankfully, their boots and socks hadn't been used as handles like the rest of their clothing. Equally thankfully, Harry still had his wand in a dragon hide sheath that was snugly fastened to his left arm and originally hidden under a long-sleeve shirt charmed cool.
The cooling charm had been a simple feat that immediately made him the envy of most of the park employees in the know. Harry had offered to charm a few things for other people but Lowery had reminded him how much they relied on tech to keep everyone else safe. As the only nominal employee who could use magic when the technology failed it wouldn't have been safe for anyone else to be carrying around anything magical and risk shorting something important. Harry had reluctantly agreed and from then on tried to stick with short-sleeved shirts so he at least looked like he wasn't using cooling charms.
Once Harry and Owen were again dressed appropriately for public viewing they happily headed for the restaurant section set up near the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo. They were both thankful that it was within walking distance since the impromptu trip overland through the park via raptor had made them temporarily uncomfortable with leaving someone else in control of their movements.
They found themselves in line at Yoshinoya. It wasn't as posh as Nobu but then neither had called ahead for reservations or were wearing appropriate clothing to eat at the expensive sushi place. Harry was just happy he had time to spend with Owen without any life threatening idiocy. Owen thought it was the perfect time to see what taking care of the smaller wizard would do to how they worked together. He'd seen the strong Harry and now he wanted to see the young man without the need to be strong.
"I'll pay," Owen said once their meal was dished up and rung up, only waiting for payment and them to grab the bowls of food.
"That's not necessary," Harry said, unable to fight back the blush that quickly started burning in his cheeks.
"I insist," Owen told him firmly, paying before he could try to object again.
"Thank you," Harry said shyly.
Owen nodded happily and led him towards a semi-secluded spot near the Mosasaurus' lagoon. They quickly snagged a nearby bench to eat and people watch from, enjoying the cool breeze off of the water and occasionally seeing the ancient water dweller breech the surface just because. The next several hours were spent people watching and in quiet conversation. Since they both knew the pack would do something even more drastic if they didn't at least check to see if they were compatible as life partners literally everything was discussed. Once in a while some random person would overhear part of their various conversations and give them weird looks or an offended scowl, neither paid the obvious sheeple any mind.
Their discussion took hours and by the time they were wrapping up it was well past supper time and both of them were hungry again. Owen insisted on paying for supper but agreed to let Harry pick the vendor. They ate at Winston's Steakhouse before heading for Ben & Jerry's for desert. Owen stole a kiss at one point and Harry didn't let him get away, dragging the other man back down for a proper snog. Afterwards they both agreed to keep dating but that it was also too soon, bond or no bond, to have sex since both of them wanted a long term relationship and not a one night stand.
The many vendors watched them with indulgent amusement as they ended their date with a slow wander down the street back towards Rexy's paddock. From the lack of interruption to their impromptu date they figured nothing had gone wrong with the pack's visiting Rexy. The moonlight shined brightly as they checked on their kids (ie. pack) before bunking down in the employee lounge in the Hammond Creation Center for the night.