Basement, Derek & Mike's Totally Normalish House, Late Tuesday Afternoon

[bitten_notshy]

It was the last night of the full moon, which meant Jackson and Derek were free of werewolf issues for another month.

Jack, however, was not. He morosely chewed on a sandwich as he waited for the moon to rise. He'd come to love having a pack (even though some days he wouldn't admit it), but there was definitely a downside to being a different breed from the others.

[OOC: Open to whoever might be in the house!]

Comments

[justlurkinghere]

"Eat," Derek said, walking by him to raid what little was left of the pizza from the weekend. "You'll need the energy."

[bitten_notshy]

"I'm surprised you want me to have energy," Jack remarked -- though he was making steadier progress on the sandwich either way. "Is the basement door clawproof now?"

[justlurkinghere]

"As much as it'll be," Derek replied once he was done digging for food. "You need it for the change."

Look at him noticing things!

[bitten_notshy]

Jack licked a shred of roast beef off one finger.

"Probably." A pause. "It is getting easier, you know. A little."

He meant it. He couldn't bring his curse under complete control, but he'd learned how to cling to some shred of his human mind -- enough to stop him from trying to kill anyone, at least, if not enough to spare Derek's poor basement door.

[justlurkinghere]

"It takes time. Jackson isn't exactly winning any awards," Derek replied, looking down at the floor.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack snorted. "That's not exactly a flattering comparison," he said. "... and now I almost wish there were awards."

[justlurkinghere]

"I'm not getting you gold stars," Derek informed him seriously. So, so seriously. "It would be easier if--"

Laura was here.

"--Laura could turn into a wolf like you."

[bitten_notshy]

"Maybe a plaque with my name engraved?" Jack asked. "Most improved wolf? Sleekest fur?"

He cut his eyes toward Derek. "I remember that. From --"

Her corpse. He wasn't saying that.

"Before."

[justlurkinghere]

"Not even a trophy." He was a harsh fake alpha, man. Derek exhaled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Back home, being able to change like you was looked at as a gift."

[bitten_notshy]

"Maybe a nice ribbon collar?" Jack asked. "And -- I suppose I'd feel very lucky. If I was from Beacon Hills."

Which he wasn't, hence the brittle edge in his tone.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek frowned again, eyes firmly elsewhere. "It's--"

Wow, was he ever bad at this. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking about things he'd really rather not.

"--only alphas can. And even then it's rare."

[bitten_notshy]

And now it was Jack's turn to frown. Derek didn't talk when he didn't have to very often; he knew that if he blew this off (which was tempting) the topic might not come up again.

"So your sister was strong," he chanced. "I wish it meant that for me. As far as I know it's universal in my world."

Not that there were many lycanthropes at home to ask, really. Or any.

[justlurkinghere]

"Our mother was strong," Derek said quietly. "Laura took after her."

And Derek's life was just made of horrible, horrible things.

"She was respected for what she could do. It can be like that for you too."

[bitten_notshy]

"What did they do with it?" Jack asked. "Human intelligence in a wolf body -- if I could ever manage that, I know it would be powerful."

[justlurkinghere]

"Led," Derek replied with a shrug. "Packs would come to her sometimes. For advice."

[bitten_notshy]

"Give me another decade or so and I'll get there," Jack promised, then gave Derek a careful look. "You must miss her."

[justlurkinghere]

"Laura was a lot like her." Or she'd had to act like her to make it through the time after the fire.

And admitting he missed her was like ripping himself open again.

[bitten_notshy]

And now Laura was gone, and -- Jack was perversely glad his family had bowed out before he was old enough to miss them.

He made a little noise that was meant as sympathetic.

"I could try not to complain so much about the shifting," he said, then, to be a brat, continued: "Especially if it means I outrank you."

[justlurkinghere]

"I can still kick your ass," Derek replied, a tiny fraction of the tightness in his face easing.

[bitten_notshy]

"One of these days I'm going to ask you to prove it," Jack said, glancing out the window to see the darkening sky. "Not much of a fair fight tonight, though."

[justlurkinghere]

"When you get it under control, we'll see." There. Something to look forward to, Jack.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack almost smiled at that. "You think that's going to happen?"

He hoped so.

[justlurkinghere]

"I think so." Then again... Derek.

[newroutines]

"Still here, huh?" Mike asked as he sailed in, back from work on the mainland. There was no surprise in his voice. He was familiar with how this thing worked by now. It was more like a greeting. "That Jackson kid couldn't get outta here fast enough this morning."

[justlurkinghere]

"He's a real people person," Derek deadpanned.

[newroutines]

"I've gathered." Mike wasn't terribly impressed. He couldn't exactly be annoyed at the kid, either, though. Kid had a rough time of it. "To each his own, I guess."

[justlurkinghere]

"He's safer here," Derek grumbled, at least trying to make it up to make by offering him a sandwich.

IT WAS FULL OF PAIN AND TRAUMA.

[newroutines]

Mmm, tasty.

He accepted the sandwich with a shrug. "Hey, as long as he's not about break out of there in the middle of the night, he's welcome to crash."

[justlurkinghere]

"He won't." Because Derek would smack him so hard, his dead parents would feel it.

[newroutines]

Hey now, Jackson's parents had never done anything to deserve that! Jackson, on the other hand...

Mike shrugged again. "Then it's cool. Maybe one of these times I'll actually get him to grunt out an actual greeting on his way out. Think that's about the only thing I can teach him."

Unless he decided careers in stripping and/or furniture building were optimal choices.

[justlurkinghere]

"Don't hold your breath," Derek replied with a huff.

[newroutines]

"Wasn't about to." Since he'd met Jackson. "It's just nice to have a little hope in your life."

[justlurkinghere]

OH, MIKE. YOU KIDDER.

"You hold onto that for me."

[newroutines]

"Someone has to," Mike retorted. "Might as well be me."

[justlurkinghere]

Damn right.

"Thanks," Derek muttered awkwardly. "For helping me."

THIS IS TERRIBLE. HE WAS NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN.

[newroutines]

Mike just looked like it was no big deal. And with his sense of what was right, it really wasn't.

"Anytime, bro."

[justlurkinghere]

Well, considering Derek felt he needed to threaten teenagers into helping him...

Mmmm. Smells like crippling self worth issues.

Derek nodded, glad this wasn't going to be a thing.

[bitten_notshy]

"I can't tear myself away from you that fast," Jack said lightly. "Besides, I've still one night to go. Hopefully it'll be quieter."

[newroutines]

"Hell of a lot roomier in the basement at least," Mike replied, just as lightly. Getting juice from the fridge. "You got uh, everything you need down there?"

[bitten_notshy]

"Bowl of water, raw meat, nice strong door, bed for when I fall asleep," Jack ticked off. "It should be fine, unless you want me to get a muzzle this month."

[newroutines]

"Nah, I don't have any requirements." He wasn't the one shifting every month. He could deal with whatever side effects there were. "Long as the door holds, I'm good."

[bitten_notshy]

"I hereby promise to do my best not to try to get up the stairs," Jack deadpanned. "You've been here most of a year, haven't you? I suppose this must all be routine for you."