cerhadivision | Isla Sorna

Isla Sorna

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bluebetabitch

When you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.

They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.

And then there's Blue and Omega.

The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.

Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.

If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.

For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.

Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.

For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.

Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.

Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.

"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"

Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.

"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.

Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.

"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."

The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.

Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."

The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"

"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."

The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.

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He follows her lazily out of the water; now that they're actually in it, it seems like a shame to leave so soon. Fortunately it's warm even at night and their skin dries quickly with only the barest chill, and Omega slides back into his own clothes with little more than a wrinkled nose for the less pleasant feeling of wet skin inside dry clothes. Taking a shower himself wouldn't be the worst idea.

And he doesn't see it coming, but the second she guides him, he goes -- it seems to happen in one graceful motion that she pulls him down to her, and his eyes close the second their lips touch.

Bracing an arm against the tree above her head, Omega answers the kiss without hesitation, not even the caution of wanting to avoid another incident should she get overwhelmed. He's not the one in control here. Blue decides what happens, how hard his mouth presses to hers and how deep the kiss becomes, and she can tug him closer or push him away but he won't stop until he doesn't have a choice. But he does steal one thing for himself: a slow caress down the side of her body, trailing from her arm to her waist.

She'd gone so long without this. Without him. And it almost broke her heart, how quickly and eagerly Omega answered her plea for affection. Blue stroked his cheek, sliding her fingers back into his wet hair, and parted her lips for his, sighing softly into his mouth. There was no threat of him in this. He had never touched her thus, so perhaps she might find some solace in sweet kisses stolen beneath the moonlight and the pines.

His hand at her side made her shiver, a brief ripple of flesh, the rest of her envious of just that simple touch. Blue longed to drown herself in him again, but the waters before had been warm, crystal clear and so inviting; now they were dark, freezing cold and thick as tar. A small snarl of memory threatened in the back of her mind, but she gave a snarl of her own and shoved it back in its cage, the hand in her mate's hair tightening until her arm looped around his shoulders, wanting him closer.

The tree's bark was slightly rough against her back, but it did much to keep her focused on Omega; his lips so soft and gentle against hers, the muted, entirely human sounds that she so loved emanating from his chest, and the sweet slip of his tongue with hers, a sinuous plea for everything she might be willing to give.

She could--should--ask for no more than this.

He expects no more than this. She'd been willing before, even eager, but her own mind had betrayed her without warning. He doesn't know how much of that was his fault, but he knows he triggered it, one way or the other... so he lets her lead this time. Being able to kiss her like this -- an unbelievable pleasure granted more than once since this trip began, after entirely too long without it -- is like water to a man dying in the desert.

Her snarl would have pushed him away, but before he can react she moves her arms to hold him closer to her. Omega's heart steadily begins to race, kicking a beat faster with every plush caress of her lips against his. He loves the hell out of her. She can't deny him anything enough to compel him to leave her; he's lived that life already, an empty hell without her in it, and he'd take mere glimpses of her from a distance over losing her completely.

But he hasn't lost her yet. InGen wasn't stronger than them. Heat slowly spreads through him, but there is a strange thrill in self control: every time he denies himself for her sake, he proves that he's better than what he used to be. And that's what Blue wanted. Omega's claws flex above her head, tense and silent, but he brushes her cheek with fingers that are nothing but gentle.

Her snarls smoothed into soft purring, tipping her cheek into his hand as he kissed her soundly, breathing him in in deep, greedy droughts. Blue finally managed to put both of her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer and instinctively molding her body against his. The feel of him against her was wonderful, making her moan into his mouth and arch just enough to feel all of him.

But this wasn't fair, not in the least. She had no right to stoke those fires within him, unless she was willing to stand within their flames and be consumed by the inferno. ...and she knew she couldn't, not right now. InGen had marred that perfection, left icy fear in her veins as their ultimate revenge.

It hurt, it hurt so much, but Blue forced herself to ease back after a few breathless moments, sliding her arms from around Omega's neck down his arms, holding on to him for silent support. She couldn't help licking her lips, eyes half-closed, savoring his unique taste. All hers. Forever and always. The thought brought a slightly swayed moan.

"...mmmm..." Blue burrowed into Omega's chest, human vocals becoming the sensual purr of a contented raptor. "...I love you..."

This is dangerous. Omega can feel himself slipping. When her arms slide completely around his neck, he drops his own to her waist, encircling her, and he doesn't even pull her closer but then her body is pressed against his anyway. The soft curves that he knows so well -- her hips, the small of her back, the push of her breasts against his chest -- are beloved and torturous. She moans against him, and Omega nearly shoves her back against the tree.

He can't stop kissing her on his own, he doesn't have that kind of strength. it takes everything he's got not to lift her up and wrap her legs around him, whether they manage to get their clothes off or not; he struggles to keep his body from responding to her, a near-impossible feat when she finds so many little ways to be absolutely merciless.

Stop, he wants to beg her when she finally lets him breathe (a cruelty of its own), that little glimpse of her tongue against red lips and her soft little moan nearly sending his heart through his ribs. God... he wants her so bad, he feels like an animal.

But an animal would just take her, not pull himself together to slide his arms around her, nuzzling his answer into thick black hair still wet from the river.

At least she could handle his affection now. And, even though she shared his frustrations--in some part--there was still a long road ahead, for them both. Blue sighed, her melancholy creeping back. But that was okay, too. She indulged herself in her mate's warm, strong embrace for several long minutes, then stirred and withdrew just enough--just enough to leave her longing for what she simply couldn't give. Not right now.

But she kept one of his hands tight in hers as she led the way back to the highway and their hotel, only a couple of miles away.

The night clerk gave them both a startled look when they arrived, but was intelligent enough not to comment; Blue swept right on past the front desk and punched the UP button on the elevator. The car dinged open a few moments later and up two floors they went, she flicking on the lights as she carded open the door.

"You want a shower?" She'd already had one earlier, and it was only fair to offer it first, in her view. But Blue felt like biting out her tongue when she heard her own voice add, "I can wait."

He wouldn't have cared if they walked to the other side of the earth, as long as she kept her hand in his. Instead it's back to the hotel, for him a liminal space made bearable only by her presence, more precious to him now for how violently it was taken away.

The door closing behind them seals them off from the world, but they don't belong here; how is Omega supposed to rest after following her into the woods, seeing her glow in the moonlight, feeling her warmth beneath his hands? God, she's so beautiful, and her kisses lit a fire in him that won't be easy to put out.

Which is why it's a goddamn awful idea for him to say, "Or you can join me."

He'll be good. He was good out there in the water, and he's not going to fuck it up now.

In the process of pulling off her boots, Blue paused. Mostly because her fingers were trembling and she'd clumsily tied a knot in the laces of one. But also because the rumbled offer from across the room all of a sudden had her belly writhed into knots.

God, that was such a horrible idea...but she wanted to, how she wanted to! Memories flooded her eyes, remembered trysts back home, enveloped in the steaming water and Omega's long arms, the tile cool against her heated back and her skin tingling all over because nearly every inch of it had been treated to the wicked machinations of her mate's delicious mouth.

A minute shiver stole over her; the room was suddenly far too cool.

Blue finished with her boots by simply toeing them off abruptly, letting them fall unheeded on the thinly carpeted floor. Peeling off her socks and flinging them likewise, she snatched a forgotten pillow and locked her arms around it, squeezing her eyes closed.

She bit at her lip, striving hard to keep her voice level. "--I can't. " She loathed the words even as she said them. "--'s not fair."

Edited 2017-06-21 04:59 (UTC)

That's the reaction he knew he'd get, even if he didn't want to admit it to himself. He wants to wrench that pillow out of her hands and throw it out the window. Hell, he wants to pull her down to the bed and strip them both and prove to her that there isn't a single inch of her that isn't his, no matter whether some disgusting, dead son of a bitch thought he could change that. But even when he comes close to her, he doesn't try to take hold of her. Not yet.

"Blue--" His voice comes out tighter than he thought it would. It isn't fair, to either of them. It's likely a terrible idea. But he just can't stop himself. "I won't touch you any more than you want me to."

Hell, he'll stand on the other side of the tiny shower with his face to the wall if she tells him. That might even be better for them both. But he's willing to bet it's not what either one of them wants.

She opened her eyes to see Omega right in front of her, and she tightened her arms around the pillow, strangling it nearly to death. She refused to cry, to sob, but the look of abject misery on her face suggested doing so was a near thing. Her talons pierced the thin case to keep from reaching out for him. Again.

Blue shook her head, still-damp hair falling across her shoulders, down her arms. "I want you to, that's the problem!" She hitched her knees up between them, one more barrier to overcome. "And it's so unfair--for you--because...I-I--I just can't. I can't." Another hard shake of her head. "I just can't."

Now, she sniffled. And hated herself for it. "Y-You don't d-deserve this, O-Omega. You've--c-come so far from...there and worked so hard t-to be b-better..." Blue finally shut up, biting her lips bloody to keep from again dissolving into a pool of worthlessness.

No, damn it, no, that's what he can't take, her crying because of him, her misery returning because he doesn't know how to be the right thing for her.

He won't try to break through her barriers, but he can't stay away from her. Not anymore. Omega collapses in front of her, dropping his hands to hers and his head to her knees, unable to catch a breath through the tight clench of bared fangs. It's too much. He could keep himself away from her, if he had to... but he can't stand being helpless.

"I did it for you," he bites out through the knot in his throat, hot and frustrated and anguished. "I wouldn't have done it for anyone but you. I want to be better for you, Blue, always, I--" He struggles, and shakes his head, forehead pressed to her knees. "I don't deserve you. But I can't give you up. I won't. Because I'm selfish -- I want everything you give me, I don't ever want to live without you."

Omega lifts his head, eyes bright with fire behind them, nothing but the savage truth whether she'll hear it or not. "If I lose you, my life is fucking worthless."

Blue gripped Omega's hands back, just as hard, the strength of their fingers turning her knuckles white. The words drug through his clenched teeth tore at her heart, pulling silently hitched sobs out of her own throat. When he dropped his head to her lap, she pulled one hand free to sink it into his hair, holding him with fingers clenched in the thick strands. That hand slid to his cheek when he looked back up at her, and the blaze behind those eyes nearly burned her, so palpable was it.

She stared back at him, immobile in the focus of that intensity. "...you won't lose me," she finally managed to whisper, cupping his cheek with her fingers curving around the strong line of his jaw. "I'm yours. Forever and always." It was the truth. "I don't know what I would do, if you weren't here." Blue bit her lower lip. "And I want you with me. No matter where we are, wherever we go, I want you."

Lowering her forehead to his, she inched forward a little, taking one of his hands in hers and very slowly and deliberately pressing his palm to her abdomen, sliding his fingers beneath hers under the waistband of her shorts, where a shiny new scar ran vertically beneath her navel. She chewed on her lip some more. "...this is what...what he did to me," she whispered raggedly. "It hurt so much...and I couldn't stop them...couldn't stop him."

Her talons tightened against Omega's skin, but she was careful not to pierce flesh. "I wanted to kill them all," she grated in a rough voice. "--but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. I'd have died there, if you hadn't come for me." She tensed involuntarily, but kept his hand pressed to her flesh, her breath coming a little faster.

As soon as she touches his face, he nuzzles into her hand with eyes that close tight and teeth clenched beneath her fingers. This is a dark, familiar feeling, when his emotion threatens to rise over him like a tidal wave, wiping out everything else in its path. But she keeps him above water. She is his. Omega catches her hand and holds it to his face, fingers curling tight around her palm.

When she takes his hand in turn, he gives it to her willingly. Anywhere she goes, anywhere she wants him to go... but to his surprise, she's guiding him to touch her, and Omega almost freezes against her hold -- not to resist her, but out of fear of what will happen if he does this. God, he wouldn't resist, he wants to touch her so bad. But what if it hurts her...?

Oh. The scar.

He didn't know what the surgery was for but Dr. Gwen said it was urgent. Blue was already in bad shape, and Omega trusted the doctor to do the right thing to help, and it had never occurred to him afterward to ask. Because what did it matter? But now his fingers slip gently over it, the first time she's let him touch it when she's only very recently let him touch her at all... it twists his heart in anger that InGen left scars on his mate too.

But that's not what she says. She says 'him'. Not them. Him. There are only so many things she could mean by that, pressing his fingers to an abdominal scar, and it could mean the torture that he put her through, but different pieces fall into place and Omega's eyes turn wide and sharp and cold.

"He did this to you?" Omega whispers, in a voice gone dangerously soft.

"He hurt me," she whispered. "And he let them hurt me, too." Blue dropped her forehead to Omega's shoulder, not wanting to relive those hellish days, but knowing she had to. If she was ever going to truly heal.

When she managed to speak again, her voice was unemotional, wooden. "He made them do it to me. Injected me with your DNA and it...took." Or so Dr. Gwen had told her. The doctor had been over ninety percent sure, she'd told Blue, that the fetus had been Omega's offspring. And although she'd been terrified, Blue had been exceedingly grateful. Because the alternative...was simply unthinkable.

"That's what he wanted out of us," she whispered harshly. "Remember that night we first met?" A shiver coursed over her. "We weren't his great project, he was getting ready to engineer the perfect hybrids--our offspring." Blue lifted her head as if it weighed a thousand pounds, and looked her mate in the eyes; hers were glassy and sad, a distinctive contrast to the diamond-hard blue that looked back at her.

"Yours and mine."

If there was anything else underneath his hand now, his claws would be digging into it -- even solid rock would crumble in his talons now, so great is the fury that pours like molten lava over every bone in his body.

No, he's touching his mate now, her body warm and soft and scarred, her head on his shoulder, and Omega himself is as still as stone against her. If he moves, he'll fly apart, and the volcanic eruption will burn down everything in his reach because he's too late to rain hell itself on the people who did this to her. Blue isn't strong enough right now to stop him. Do it, hisses the blackness buried deep inside him, slithering up through the splintered pieces inside him. Kill them. All of them. Tear the whole world apart. Do it for her.

But that's not what Blue wants, and Omega can't lie to himself about it anymore. Perhaps if InGen was within their reach -- or if Hoskins was still fucking alive -- she'd let him wreak unstoppable havoc on them for daring to lay so much as a hand on her. Instead he missed his chance, and he has to lock himself in place here with her, all the hate and anger he's capable of shrieking inside him against the walls she built.

Yours and mine. Omega recoils from the very thought. Hoskins's plan to breed them was no secret; the sick fuck used to brag about it like it was some reward the boys would receive for the highest scores. But Omega fell for Blue on his own. And they've been careful ever since, because while Omega may not know for certain how Blue feels about it, what he does know is that he'd rather have his DNA die with him than be used against his will anymore.

Knowing that it let them use her... is a single breath shy of being more than he can take.

Omega doesn't speak. There's nothing but venom and fire in his throat. But somehow, he finds a way to move; toward her is the only direction that makes sense. He only leans forward, until their foreheads touch, and a glimpse of his fangs shows in a curl of his lip but he stays where he is, with her, deadly to anyone else.

She was simply too exhausted to cry anymore. The hurt in her heart was immense, along with the absolute unfairness of everything. Hoskins was dead, and still he haunted them, haunted them with his ghostly presence, reaching out even from the grave to remind them that they were just animals.

Blue felt Omega's rage, thrumming so hotly beneath his taut skin; she felt him trembling every so slightly against her. She knew if she released her grip, he'd very likely explode into a murderous rage, unable to stifle such vibrating fury. She placed a hand to his cheek, the other tightening fingers around his, endeavoring to keep him together.

"...m'sorry," she murmured against his lips. "But I needed to tell you...why, I guess." And she needed to redirect him--Blue knew she was the only one who could. So she stroked his cheek, slipping fingers into his hair, and took a deep breath, trying a tentative little smile.

"C'mon." Her lips touched his, the softest kiss. "Let's go take a shower."

Her touch is cool against his skin, enough of a balm to keep the flames from burning out of control. It's still impossible to move without her guidance, if he doesn't want to break apart into something savage and unstoppable... but she keeps him with her, in body and in mind. Her beckoning would have lifted his heart into the air just minutes ago. Now he can do little more than nod.

It's nearly impossible to take the first steps on his own. His own body wants to race in the opposite direction, toward something he can kill or rip apart. But then she kisses him, soft and sweet.

Some of the solid rage inside him begins to dissolve, like sand falling into the ocean.

Now, he can obey her, and bring her there under his protection. He's never a danger to her, ever, no matter how dark and hateful he is at his very worst, and now he knows better than to leave her side. All that anger will have to go somewhere. It's been a long time since he's had to fight it back, and even longer since it roiled so powerfully in his chest -- has it ever been this bad before? But he can wait for a better time. She's more important. Than anything. Always.

Omega rises from the bed, keeping both hands on her at all times, for his sake as well as hers. He guides her to the bathroom so that she doesn't have to lead him (for the hundredth or the thousandth time) and turns the water in the shower on. As it grows hot, he strips down from his clothes for the second time and then, with his whole attention nowhere else, helps Blue do the same.

Focus on the now. There is no danger here. This is real. These and more mantras kept playing over and over in Blue's ears, refusing to let her sink back into the recesses of memory, where lurked demons with sharp teeth. She followed Omega into the bathroom, which was reasonably sized for this sort of place, and wiggled out of her damp shorts, straightening to allow Omega to peel her out of her tank-top.

For some reason, the steam already rising from the hot running water kept her from feeling too...exposed, and Blue gingerly stepped into the bathtub, immediately ducking her head underneath the spray. But she didn't hesitate to turn around the instant she felt movement behind her, sliding her wet arms around Omega's torso and burrowing into his possessive embrace.

She had to keep him safe. Contained. Out of reach from the demons in his own head, always ready and willing to sink their poisoned fangs into him and drag him back into that pit of black despair and boundless rage. And if that meant doing her damned best to face her own, then so be it. She would face them, then.

For him.

It doesn't just disappear. It's never really gone. But having his mate in his arms is always enough to keep even the most vicious impulses restrained. He needs that now -- and he knows she needs him to be the better creature, not the monster he was before she found him.

Omega holds her close, with nothing harsh or cruel in his touch, standing with her in heavy clouds and running water. He tucks his head just so against hers, and with immense determination puts everything else out of his mind but the moment they're sharing now. No InGen. No Hoskins. They belong better in hell than they do here and Omega won't dignify their smoldering ashes with another thought now. He even finds enough gentleness in his own hands to slowly stroke her hair.

He'll never really be free of his demons, but they exist at her beck and call. And he is more than satisfied with that.

The warm water felt so good on her bare skin. The river water had, too, but there was something soothing about standing here in the shower with her mate's arms close around her, keeping her safe, protected. Blue knew she probably shouldn't have divulged all of what she had so soon, but she'd been unable to keep it in, if only for her own sanity's sake. Besides, the doc had always told them it was best to purge an infected wound so it could begin to heal.

Blue just wasn't sure how that worked in this sort of circumstance, but at this point, she was more than willing to give it a try. For both her and Omega's sake.

She felt him begin stroking her hair, smoothing the length of it all the way down her spine, and an involuntary purr began down in her throat; she couldn't help purring in quiet contentment whenever he touched her thus. Blue nuzzled at Omega's throat, silently willing him to be calm, soothing his ire with soft, slow strokes of her nose and mouth, just bare caresses wafting across his skin.

This, she could do. This was necessary, and not for her. She felt no fear in this. The scar on her abdomen hitched but Blue ignored it, focusing instead on the steady and sure beat of her mate's heart, solid beneath her cheek.

This is going to be difficult to put behind him. Omega has learned to let little things go, and to weather the greater grievances without whipping up into a storm of his own. This is different. His own mind violently rebels from what she's told him, but sooner or later they both have to accept it. And it will never happen again.

He can feel her breathe, slow and easy; he barely feels the water compared to the beloved sensation of her body against his. Everything about her is hypnotic to him, calming in all the ways he needs, ways he could never find in anyone else. It's all right. For now, it's all right. They're together, she's safe, and she'll be whole again soon. If it means him following her to Montana, or Costa Rica, or to the bottom of the ocean, he'll do it. If it means holding her under the spray of water until the sun comes up, he'll do that too.

To finally be able to hold him like this...was bliss. Blue soaked up both the heat from the water and from Omega's body, purring into their shared quiet. She thought she just might actually stand here until sunrise, but surely the hot water would run out before then.

She did, however, indulge herself a few more minutes of tender affection, then stirred enough to lick the water from her lips and gaze up at her dark, silent mate. The soap she'd used earlier--brought from home--was still within reach, so Blue lathered her hands and slowly began to drift them over Omega's scarred skin, fingertips familiar with each mark.

Reaching up, she washed his neck, his cheeks and even ran her sudsy hands through his wet hair, a little smile finally emerging as she did so. Resoaping her hands again, she pulled at him slightly, urging, "Turn around, and I'll wash your back."

As her hands begin to slide over his body, he closes his eyes, without thinking. Somehow his wilder moods make him more sensitive to her touch, and she leaves a trail behind of more than soapy bubbles. It's not lust or that kind of desire. He just feels her ownership written on him all over again. When she makes her way into his hair, his head tilts down and touches hers, eyes still shut.

His hold on her relaxes slightly, palms coming to rest at her waist instead of his arms staying locked tight around her, but when she tugs at him, he resists; he nuzzles her just a little, and although he doesn't kiss her, he tilts as close as if he wants to.

"I don't want to let go of you."

His nuzzle tickled, making her duck her chin in response, but she simply gave a soft little laugh and gave in. "All right. I can reach most of you from right here, then." So Blue continued her methodical work, rubbing her wet soapy hands down Omega's back and sides, still cradled in the circle of his arms. It wasn't as thorough as she'd have preferred, but it was acceptable enough, if only to get the river residue off of his skin.

That she could stand here with him and not be afraid was monumental; Blue did hear the hiss of her own personal demons lurking in the back of her mind, but she replaced their noise with the soothing sound of the shower, and switched the cold chill of metal chain for the warmth of her mate's arms, twined so protectively around her.

When he was soaped to her satisfaction, Blue grinned slightly and offered him the small white bar, saying, "Now it's your turn." She nibbled at her lip, adding, "...if you want," in a tiny voice.

If he wants? How could he not want? For a moment, he wants so much that he doesn't actually take the soap from her; instead, his hands run slowly up her back until he can take her face between them, and tilt it back toward him. He still doesn't kiss her, not after he told her he would only touch her the way she wants him to, and she's only given him this much so far. But his eyes drift shut again for a moment or two, as the water and her scent dissolve more of him away.

Then he reaches out without opening his eyes and curls the soap out of her hand.

He rolls the bar between his palms, and then begins to run them very slowly over her body. He keeps the soap in one hand and rubs it over her back in small circles, almost a massage; spread fingers and a flat palm stroke the suds across her collarbone and down her arms. Every caress is reverent, and he takes great care not to touch her in a way that might suggest more, but he keeps his head tilted down toward hers, enveloped in their own little world.

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