The golden sun.
International rescue, finally get a moment of peace, barbecue is pulled out, scott is napping, two tracys dunk eachother, but John can't find Zayne
———————
The smell of the barbecue was thick in the air, now being used on a low heat to toast marshmallows, as the sun steadily settling low on the horizon, casting the sky in a golden glow
Alan had shoved Gordan into the pool and Gordan proceeds to chase his baby brother to and quote 'drag him into the depths'
John smiled, watching them both for once act like they dont save people everyday, just enjoying the peace for once, he glanced around, brow farrowing as his gaze didn't find who he was looking for
Where was Zayne?
He was here a moment ago, laughing and sharing stories between the barbecue and throwing both Gordan and Alan into the pool
He stood from the lounger, Scott barley shifting from his 'not a nap' position beside him, he quickly nodded back off with a barley legible grumble
"Eos, Where's Zayne?" He mumbled into his wrist watch
"Give me a moment.." his ai companion chimed "Mm...he's towards the beach-"
"The beach?"
Why the beach? Why away from everyone?
He glanced around, before heading down towards the steps towards the little beach below.
He saw the man in question, waves crashing down just missing his sat position on the sandy bank, gaze locked into the horizon, sun almost making his appearance softer, heavily lost in thought...
Hes seen that look before, on Scott specially when he thought of their dad
He sighed, guessing the gathering must of courses something
He settled down onto the sand the wind tosseling with Zaynes dark hair
"Zayne?"
"Mm?'
Green eyes flickered towards him
"I was wondering where you got to" John tried to give a smile, towards the other astronaut
"Sorry...I just..." John watched his brows furrow as he tried looking for the right words
"I..I don't know...I just needed some space"
He inched closer
"Thinking of your dad?"
A sigh, shoulders dropped as if finally collapsing under the weight they carried
"What gave it away?"
"Same look Scott has when he's thinking of ours"
A half smile flickered across the darker haired man
John inched his fingers into Zaynes tracing the rough palms with his own, feeling the faint traces of scars against his flesh, so many of doing jobs alone, no one to lean on
"So talk, heard I'm a good listener, Zee..."
A deep sigh, fingers closing around Johns
"Just...the station...the team...the reports...the models that nyx and I have went through to understand what may have happend...the second we getting somewhere a screw from the station randomly shows up in Antarctica and where back to square one"
John half chuckled
"Thats specific...that.." the look on Zaynes face proved it was a true story "Ah..."
Zayne bowed his head hair falling in his eyes
"We still don't have that closure...what truly happend up there..." He whispered
John inhaled deep, feeling his heart ache for the man before him, he wrapped an arm around his shoulder combing a hand through his dark locks
"I know how it feels..."
"Mm?"
"The 0-X incident...looked at the reports...scanned every detail...thinking maybe there gotta be a way our dad has lived..."
"When did you stop?"
John smile shifted, eyes now on the green ones that have been haunted by what happend
"Guess...I never did...depleted everything read every report...with no wreck...I just stopped..."
Zayne blinked nodding slightly leaning in closer to John
"You miss him John?"
"Every day...just...just how you grow with that grief..."
Zayne half smiled leaning into the other astronaut, exhaling a heavy breath
"Damn nerd"
John half laughed at the insult, knowing well Zayne never meant it
"Course, I am, reminding you your not alone no more, you have me"
Zayne smiled the softness steadily returning in those green eyes
"Thank you..."
"For what?" John smiled
"Just...letting me talk myself out of my own mind"
John cupped Zaynes cheek
"Your always too hard on yourself" He smiled, rubbing his thumb into his cheek bones
"You say that every time"
"It's about time you noticed, will it stay in your head that I'm right and ease up?"
Zayne sighed forgead resting against John's
"Guess I just have to try"
John smiled his other hand tangling in soft dark locks
"Good" his Teal eyes lost in Zaynes green "come on, Virgils got smores and I rather have some before the terrible duo gets there mits on them"
He kisses Zaynes forhead helping him to get up, dusting sand off as Zayne followed the other back up to the others
———
John looked at the data, the FAB in the hologram, his eyes wide
It can't be, right?
"D-dads out there?" He looked at Scott who was just as suprised seeing their message delicately spinning in the code cluster
It couldnt be?
Right?
But the 0-X just proved it so, the new angle from the escape capsule, and the SOS from Braman picked up while in deep space
It all connected
Their father could still be alive deep in space
The 0-X successful launch
Realisation slowly set in, which made his stomach flip
How was he going to tell Zayne this?















