truth plot

[hates_nature]

Owen had felt weird before here on the island. Those were usually days when he woke up as a woman or in his fiancee's body or something equally inane. Today, he half expected to sound like a duck or something when he woke up

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[theunascended]

Conversations that Daniel didn't want to have always seemed to happen in the laundry room. On the one hand, he did want to talk to Owen and on the other, he really wasn't sure he wanted to get in another argument. Especially when the same theme seemed to keep popping up.

"Hey," he said softly, walking past Owen to sort through his own laundry.

[hates_nature]

The laundry room seemed a pretty fitting place to sort through dirt like what was lurking between Owen and Daniel. Owen perked up and folded the bag he'd carried everything in to rest on top of the machine. "How's the hand?" he asked, finding it odd that it came out as genuine concern and not biting sarcasm.

[theunascended]

Daniel shrugged. "It's okay. By your estimation, I should have the cast off next week, sometime. I figure you could take care of it." He glanced up at Owen. "Would you rather I asked Rob? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

[hates_nature]

Owen thought about this for a moment. The tension between them wouldn't resolve itself in a week and if it did, he'd be in bigger trouble than would be worth it. "Ask Chase," he said simply, leaning back against the rumbling machine.

[theunascended]

"I see," Daniel said softly, closing his eyes briefly. "Owen, I'm sorry. Maybe Jack was right. I shouldn't have pushed." There was a 'but' on his lips that he didn't say. No making excuses for himself.

[hates_nature]

"No," Owen said simply. "Jack was right and you shouldn't have pushed." He sighed and carded a hand through hair that badly needed to be cut. "But I do forgive you."

[theunascended]

"You always do," Daniel murmured. He tossed a handful of clothes into the washer, not caring whether they were darks or lights or needed special care. "Why?" He wasn't expecting an answer now any more than he probably should have expected an answer then.

[hates_nature]

"Because life's easier if you don't dwell on things? Because people forgive me my mistakes? Because you're my friend and I love you like a brother?" Owen blurted out before he could stop himself.

[theunascended]

Daniel stopped, turning to Owen slowly. "I'm not entirely sure whether to be touched or confused. Extremely confused. Because you made it pretty clear you wanted to..." He hesitated, taking a slow breath in. "That you wanted to sleep with me. Where does that fit in?"

[hates_nature]

"Sex and love aren't mutually exclusive to me. Just because I love you in one way doesn't mean I can't turn around and want to sleep with you. We're not actually brothers, Daniel, it's not incest, it's just fucked up." Owen shrugged. It made perfect sense to him.

[theunascended]

"I know, Owen," Daniel said softly. He did, too, thinking about Mitchell. About Jack. "Just...why didn't you tell me? I don't want to screw this up any more than we already have." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

[hates_nature]

Owen winced as he fought back another wave of the pure unadulterated truth. "Because I can't always have what I want and I can't afford to have the information out there lest it get back to Tosh," he said. Really, he would've preferred to have grunted and shrugged and ignored everything in favour of staring at his laundry timer.

[theunascended]

"You really think I'd tell her?" Daniel asked, staring at Owen. "Because it wasn't until later that Jack showed up and we were alone before that. Or near enough." He snorted. "She'd gut me just for spite, let alone..." He trailed off, not saying because it was that he wanted it, too.

[hates_nature]

"I'm not afraid you'd tell her!" Owen snapped. "I'm afraid I'd tell her."

[theunascended]

"Why would you tell her?" Daniel said, gritting his teeth. "It was two kisses." The words sounded hollow to Daniel's ears. They weren't just anything and he knew it. They meant something. He just wasn't entirely sure what.

[hates_nature]

"Because I can't seem to tell anything but the truth at the moment," Owen said, throwing his hands up in the air.