Chapter Text
Hayden woke up in the middle of the night. His bladder demanded release and he couldn’t argue with that. Unfortunately he was warm and cozy in bed with his wife who was sound asleep.
He had wanted to resist it but you can’t resist it for long.
Hayden groaned in annoyance and slowly got up, rubbing his face with his hand and yawning. Him and his family had decided getting away from the city and and getting one of those fancy cottages might be a nice idea.
It reminded him of Shane’s cottage, which only made his heart twist in his chest.
It had been a few years ago but it still felt like yesterday when he heard the plane had crashed. Him, Ilya and the rest of the team were never found. Hayden supposed at least they weren’t alone. They were together for always. It angered him in a way that they never got the full life they were supposed to have. It was fucking bullshit. Hayden would fully admit that now, the Russian had grown on him and that he missed him as much as Shane.
Hayden frowned as he released a scent of distress and hoped Jackie wouldn’t wake up. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her up in the middle of the night on their holiday because he couldn’t help but think of his dead best friend and his husband.
His stomach growled after he was finished in the bathroom because of course it did. The day had been a long one and no one, not even David or Yuna could bother to cook anything when they got in. Still, there was a fridge full of food now.
Hayden headed down to the kitchen, briefly making sure his kids were still asleep. He cracked open the fridge and found some pasta salad that Jackie had packed for the trip. Hayden couldn’t help but chuckle as he noticed a smaller container of it with his name on it. Jackie knew he loved that salad and that he’d likely be eating it at a weird hour.
He stared out at the massive yard over looking the lake, forest bordering the edge. It really was beautiful. Hayden looked over at the communal garden that the rest of the properties shared and saw something.
Someone.
Two Someone’s.
His eyes widened.
There, out in the garden, picking vegetables was his best friend and his husband. Alive.
His heart pounded against his ribs. Maybe he’d fallen asleep on the toilet.
But he rubbed his eyes again.
They didn’t disappear.
Against his better judgement, he slowly opened the sliding door and stood on the porch.
They looked up at the noise.
At Hayden.
And then Ilya growled.
A deep, Alpha growl. An Alpha that would protect his Omega with his blood. Shane looked up and stared at him.
“Shane…” Hayden practically whispered into the night.
Ilya sniffed the air and growled. He sniffed the air again. His face became a mixture of confusion and amusement.
Shane continued to stare and sniff the air.
Hayden realized they were feral.
Years of being, he supposed, lost in the woods, they had succumbed to their primal nature. A survival instinct that never went away.
They both had shorts on.
And then he noticed.
Shane’s distended belly.
He was fucking pregnant???? In the woods????
Ilya got closer and closer.
And closer.
Until he was nose to nose with Hayden.
He exhaled.
And then sniffed Hayden’s scent gland.
Ilya looked puzzled.
He sniffed again.
Hayden didn’t dare move.
He sniffed again.
Something.
“15.” Was all Ilya said before turning towards Shane. Shane slowly crept up and sniffed him. A wave of vanilla and lavender filled Hayden’s nose.
Shane’s scent.
“I’m your friend Shane..Hayden…Hayden Pike…”
Shane stared.
“Hayy..den..” Shane repeated carefully.
“Yes ! Shane! Hayden!”
And then Shane licked his cheek.
Hayden wasn’t sure if she should be delighted, disgusted, shocked or all three.
“Ok.” Was all Ilya said before the pair ambled back into the forest.
Hayden scrambled back into the house, shutting the sliding door. He hurried back up the stairs and back into the bedroom. Hayden, against his better judgement, nudged Jackie awake.
“Hayd…wha..” She said sleepily, looking at her distraught husband. “Oh my god! What happened? Are the kids okay?”
“Shane and Ilya…” Was all he could get out.
Her face fell. “I know babe…”
“NO! No! They’re alive!”
“Babe…it was just a dream..”
Hayden tried to collect himself.
“No! They are! I saw them! In the garden! They’re feral! They survived !”
Jackie tried to take this information in at 330am.
“You saw them?”
“Yes! I was downstairs. I got hungry and thank you for the container of pasta salad by the way but I fucking saw them! Shane licked my cheek..”
Jackie can’t help but giggle at that.
“It was so weird Jackie..”
“Do you think..the rest of their team is alive?”
“I..I don’t know..I just saw them…but I mean..they smelled like others so I wouldn’t be surprised..” Hayden paused. “And then Ilya said 15 at me..”
Jackie giggled more.
“Shut up.”
“Hey! Our friends are alive! I’m allowed to giggle at that!”
They both looked at each other, truly grasping the words she’d said. They both sobbed in each other’s arms in relief.
“Should we…”
“No I don’t think we should tell the kids or David and Yuna yet.. I want to see them first..We don’t even know if they’ll come back..”
“I mean they knew the garden was there so they might..”
Jackie nodded.
**************
Shane and Ilya headed back to base camp. They chittered at each other.
Shane:What…why familiar…
Ilya:Don’t know…
Shane:Smelled right…
Ilya:Yes..familiar..annoying..
Shane giggled.
They were greeted by the rest of team, making points to nuzzle and scent each other.
Bood:New smell??
Ilya:New old smell maybe???
Shane wracked his brain. There was something about that man. Something to do with the before if he could even remember the before. The before was blurry and confusing. Cold and noise and loud voices.
Something…