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]

"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.