Hello to you! It's been a while since I've posted a story! This is a Halloween story I'm working on, and I've decided to post the first chapter a little early. Updates will be regular around October! This is a werefox AU, and I hope you all enjoy!
Petrichor: A pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.
The Secret and The Wolf
The crisp smell of dead leaves and burning wood is in the air on Jake's walk to school, and it's the beginning of the day but he's already daydreaming about when he can sleep again. He's getting over a cold, is still sniffling a bit, but all in all he's glad he can finally go back to class since he's missed three days. It's Friday, which means all he has to do is last until the end of the day, and then he can go back home and curl up in bed until Monday if he wants to. His grandmother tried to force him to stay home again today, but he actually likes school. He's not exactly smart, and his grades definitely show it, but at least at school he gets to see his friends and mostly fits in. He loves his grandmother more than anything, but sometimes being around her and her abilities depresses him.
"Jakey!"
Roxy runs up to him, the heels of her boots clacking on the sidewalk. She's waving frantically, though he's clearly looking at her. He smiles and shakes his head, holding his arms open for her inevitable death-squeeze. Sure enough, she launches at him, giggling into his neck as he twirls her.
"Dude, I fuckin' missed you!" she announces. "I wanted to visit to see how you were but I also didn't wanna get your nasty sneezes, y'know?"
"Roxy, you texted me almost every minute! You knew how I was!" Jake laughs, setting her back down. She grins up at him.
"You didn't always answer me 'cause you were too busy sleeping and stuff. Plus I totally missed your cute face! And it's not just me who missed the cuteness that is Jakey Fuckin' English. You wanna know who else was all in a tizzy? Di-Stri, the enigma himself. He was totes missing your cute face."
"Yes, I'm sure he was," Jake says, sure she's exaggerating. The only time he even sees all of his friends at school is lunch, since they're all in honors and AP classes. The only honors class he has is literature, and that's because he's always been an excellent reader. Even so, he only shares that class with Jane, because Roxy and Dirk are both in AP literature. Jake tried to get in the AP class and was promptly told by the counselor that he almost definitely wouldn't pass. Jane said she didn't take the class because it would have been torture to have so many AP courses, but Jake sometimes wonders if she was just trying to make him feel better by turning it down.
"He was. Lunch is weird without you. It's mainly me trying to liven things up, him sitting there like a stone, and Janey eating some fuckin' gourmet shit and not wanting to share it unless I promise to eat 'civilly' and I'm like, 'what the fuck even is civil eating'? Needless to say your lack of presence was like a lost limb. We're legless without you, Jakey." Roxy smiles at him as they continue walking down the sidewalk. "Also, when do you think is gonna be a good time to drop the bomb on Di-Stri that you're pretty much head over heels for him?"
Jake sputters indignantly, tripping over himself. He looks around wildly to make sure no one heard.
"Shush, you! I am not head over heels for anyone! I am firmly very much not harboring any feelings for him, and I wish you would drop it!"
"Yeah, okay. Since this is opposite land lemme just say I'm totally straight and did not spend most of this week face-first in Janey's chest," Roxy says, waving her hand at the blush that spreads across his face. "You've gotta come to terms with it, Jakey. You're so in love with the guy that it's painful to watch. And plus, newsflash, he loves you too. I don't see what the deal is."
Jake refuses to comment because he knows Dirk extremely well and he doesn't think Dirk loves him that way. There have been a few times he thought they'd kiss, but nothing ever happened. He's long since accepted that he loves Dirk, and Dirk most likely doesn't love him back.
They walk to the front of the school where Jane is waiting, two coffees in her hands. She smiles at both of them and hurries to greet them, accepting a kiss from Roxy as she hands her the other coffee.
"Jake, it's so good to see you!" Jane smiles, pulling him into a one-armed hug. "Are you still sick?"
"A little," he admits. "But Gramma says it's probably not contagious anymore, so there's that bit of good news." He yawns widely and frowns a bit. "Mostly I am just extremely tired."
"You should've stayed home another day. It's almost the weekend anyway!" Jane says. "But I can see why you'd want to come back. You've missed the entire week, almost!"
"Don't remind the poor dude about his academics when his nose is as red as Rudolph's," Roxy admonishes. "You can just catch up when you're better," she says when she looks back to Jake.
"It's alright, trust me. Gramma wouldn't have let me come today if I were still too sickly. She's pretty stubborn about health and whatnot." He looks around. "Where's Dirk?"
Jane and Roxy exchange a knowing look that Jake is sorely tempted to smack them for.
"I think he's inside already," Jane says. "I haven't seen him because I was waiting for Roxy out here."
"Speaking of which, this coffee is like, the raddest thing I've had. You get all the girlfriend points for this," Roxy announces.
"It's pumpkin spice!" Jane says, looking pleased. "It's the season, after all."
Jake grins and leaves them to their affectionate gestures, not wanting to be a third wheel. They're good at remembering to include him, but seeing how close they are reminds him of all the things he wants to do with Dirk sometimes, and while he knows they would never mean to hurt him, sometimes they do, and it always makes him feel miserably guilty later on for even allowing himself to get mildly upset at such a silly thing. He decides today, he's in too good a mood to be affected. After all, it's almost the weekend! And like Jane said, it's the most festive season of the year, extremely close to Halloween!
He marches towards his locker, smiling at a few people who greet him in the halls, asking where he'd been. By the time he makes it to his locker it's close to time for the homeroom bell to ring, and he's rushing, wishing he'd woken up just a little sooner. He runs down the hall and makes it just in time, settling in his desk. He looks up when Jane rushes in, looking flushed and windswept as she hurries to her desk, mumbling apologies to their unconcerned teacher, who is really only there to take attendance anyway before they make their rounds to first period.
The senior class is divided into two homerooms, students with last names A-L, and then M-Z. Roxy and Dirk share a homeroom, and Jake has no doubts in his mind that Roxy is bragging to Dirk about the coffee and kisses she got from Jane this morning, and Dirk is probably sitting there with a mildly interested quirk to his brow. Jake can see him clearly in his head, and he groans because he actually does really wish he'd seen Dirk before homeroom. Now he won't see him again until lunch, which seems ages away.
The morning drags on, and in every class he receives make-up work, much to his chagrin. He'd hoped the load wouldn't be quite as massive, and he wonders exactly how much work his friends would receive if they missed their AP classes. By the time he's trudging into honors lit, his last class before lunch, he's feeling worn out and ready to sleep for three entire days.
"Oh, Jake," Jane says, moving to him, feeling his forehead. "You don't feel warm but you look awful! Are you sure you shouldn't call it a day?"
"I'm fine," he assures her, because he is. It's just that his body is still exhausted from fighting off his cold, which really was less of a cold and more of the flu, though he refused to acknowledge that at the time. He's going to feel sluggish for a few days, it's just part of the process.
Jane frowns at him and takes her seat in front of him, and Jake almost cries when he sees how much work he's missed in this class. He has to read two short stories, complete the tests at the end of both stories, and write a paper on the lesson in this particular unit. Technically, he's known about the essay since Tuesday, but like hell he was working on it while he was crying in bed, and now it's due by Monday morning. He puts his head down and feels sorry for himself until the bell rings.
I can help with the story reading," Jane says, rubbing his back as they make their way to the lunchroom. "I read both of them last night; they're really short."
"The reading isn't the hard part!" Jake says. "It's the essay writing. I hate essays. Why are those even a frigging part of literature? Essays are an English thing!"
"English as in the class, the language, or you?" Jane asks, and when he huffs at her she giggles. "I know it's a lot, especially on top of your other classes, but you've got time to work on all of it! You can finish the things for lit tomorrow night, and spend all day Sunday on your other tasks. You can do it."
He wants to say he can't, because he's feeling dramatic and weak, but Jane isn't the person to pull that with, because she'll demand he take more medicine and then stay at his side, nagging him about the projects until she knows they're done. He's silent at her side as she leads him to the lunch table, and once they reach it he sits, putting his head down in his arms and closing his burning eyes. It feels so good that he doesn't want to lift his head when Jane worriedly asks how he's feeling.
"'M fimmme," he mumbles.
He feels her sitting across from him, as she always does. Roxy sits beside her, and Dirk sits beside him. They're all lucky enough to have the same lunch period, especially because the next lunch period often runs out of the desserts when the cafeteria actually serves them. Jake almost always brings his lunch, but today he didn't bother, knowing he wouldn't be able to look at food without feeling gross. He looks over at Jane pulling out what seems to be something wrapped in a green tortilla. He eyes it warily.
"Is that...rotten?" he asks, and she scoffs.
"It's spinach flavored!" she informs him, biting into it. "I made grilled chicken and vegetables last night and made it into a wrap! Would you like a bite?"
"Ughhh, no thank you. I'm sure it's grand, Janey, but my stomach is still feeling a bit of stage fright when it comes to food."
"You have to eat!" Jane says loud enough that a few people turn to look at them. "Starve a cold, feed a fever!"
"Yes, Gramma," Jake says sarcastically, and she reaches over to swat at his head. He grins at her before resting his head back on the table, closing his eyes again. He's almost asleep by the time a different pressure is in his hair, and he knows it isn't Jane.
"You asleep?" Dirk asks him in a gentle voice, petting his hair.
"Ngh," Jake responds, and Dirk's hand resumes its petting.
"You could've warned me you were coming back to school today," Dirk says. "When you texted last night you just said it depended, and then Roxy messaged me saying she thought you were dead."
"He literally sent me an indecipherable language!" Roxy defends from across the table. "It was concerning!"
"Oh yes, I meant to explain that I fell asleep on my keyboard last night," Jake says apologetically. "It was very sweet of you to check with me on Pesterchum, but I could barely focus on the screen." He yawns and puts his head back down, discreetly scooting closer to Dirk and his magic fingers. "Mmmm..." he manages while Dirk pets him. "Feels good..."
"Yeah?" Dirk asks, threading his fingers in Jake's hair slower, his fingertips dragging at Jake's scalp, and Jake has to suppress a shiver.
"Are you gonna feel good enough to go to my party tonight, Jakey?" Roxy asks, her mouth full of what seems to be Jane's green lunch. He looks up at her to see her wink playfully, her eyes looking to Dirk and then back to him.
"Party?" Jake asks, sitting up. He's glad when Dirk merely moves his hand down to his back, still rubbing its soothing circles. Dirk is generally very touchy with him, and stale hope flutters in his chest at the look on Dirk's face: slightly worried and protective, like he wishes he could shrink down and fight the germs out of Jake's body himself.
"Don't be crazy, Rox," Dirk says. "The poor guy looks like death, just let him sleep."
Jake huffs, offended, the hope in his chest fluttering right off a fucking cliff. "I do not!"
"Smooth," Roxy grins, and Dirk shoots her a desperate look. "I mean—uh. You do look rough, Jakey. We just know you so well, it's kinda hard to miss when you aren't feeling good. But it's a Halloween party! You gotta come! Can't you just...I dunno, take medicine or something? Halloween is your favorite and I'd hate to celebrate it without you!"
Halloween is actually on Wednesday of next week, but Roxy insists on having the party during the weekend, which is pretty understandable. Most of their classmates will be busy with other things Halloween night. The four of them will probably gather for scary movies at one of their houses, as always.
"I forgot all about it!" Jake says, a little guilty at Roxy's disappointed expression. "I—I'll take something and go. How could I not? Not even the flu can stop an English from celebrating Halloween!"
"Hell yeah!" Roxy smiles, giving him a high-five over the table while Jane and Dirk both shake their heads.
"You should sleep at home," Dirk says.
"Are you coming over tonight?" Jake asks him, disregarding his advice. They usually still sleep over at each other's houses on weekends since they hardly see each other during the week. Sometimes Dirk cuddles him in his sleep, and Jake is still optimistic enough to hope it means something.
"I was planning to, yeah," Dirk says like it's common sense. "But you're gonna pass out as soon as you hit the pillow."
Jake smiles, pleased at his answer, and he watches listlessly while Dirk chews a sandwich and shares Jane's chips with Roxy, who was most definitely a vulture in another life, seeing as how she always scavenges for food no matter how big her lunchbox is.
The day finally comes to an end after his math class, and he's so ready to go home he can barely stand it. He's actually dreading tonight, because while Roxy is outstandingly popular, a beautiful and wealthy socialite, he is most definitely not popular in any way at all, and will most likely be spending the night either joined at the hip with Dirk, or asleep on Roxy's couch.
"Dude, wait up!" Dirk yells after him, and he turns in surprise.
"Roxy's party isn't until much later!" Jake says like it's information Dirk wasn't already aware of.
"Yeah, but I thought—y'know. I haven't seen you in forever since you were practically dead," Dirk says in his usual monotone, but Jake's known him long enough to see past it.
"Are you trying to say you missed me?" he asks mischievously, and Dirk gives him an offended look. Deciding not to press his luck, he simply starts walking to his house while Dirk trails behind him. "I'm not going to be very entertaining, I'm afraid," he continues. "I was actually most looking forward to the prospect of napping."
"Well you are pretty much swaying on your feet," Dirk says. "You sure you shouldn't just stay home tonight? I mean, I know you're like the guru of Halloween and all, but it doesn't take a genius to know you still feel like shit. And since I am a genius, I'd say that makes me know it twice as much."
"I'm tired of lounging around!" Jake chirps, though he's very much looking forward to his continued lounging, especially if Dirk will be right there in the bed with him. They sleep over at each other's houses all the time, a remnant of their childhood. Jake is very aware most best friends don't still share a bed, at least, most male best friends, but Dirk has never had a problem with it, and Jake certainly isn't going to find one. "If I find myself feeling ill, I can always rely on you to get me home."
Dirk doesn't respond, but he looks very pleased with himself as they continue walking to Jake's house.
Jake's grandmother is at the stove, pulling out something that smells delicious, and Jake is suddenly starving and wishing he ate lunch. He moves to her side and examines what she's making.
"Pumpkin bread!" he exclaims, feeling emotional about it. She turns to smile at him and kiss his forehead.
"That's right. And I was thinking I could make your favorite soup for dinner? You haven't been eating!" She sees Dirk lingering by the doorway and smiles happily at him. "And there's my other missing grandson!" She hurries over to him and pulls him down so she can kiss his cheek. Jake laughs at the look on Dirk's face as he pokes at the pumpkin bread.
"Can I cut into this now?" Jake asks, his stomach growling in approval.
"Of course, but just be careful. I don't want it falling apart. It's still hot."
Jake cuts a big piece for himself and one for Dirk, bustling to get plates out of the cabinet while his grandmother catches up with Dirk. It's an odd occurrence for her not to see Dirk almost every day, just as it's odd for Jake to not have seen Dirk's older brother for almost a week. He knows Dave will probably grill him about his whereabouts later in a much less motherly fashion. Dirk and Jake have practically been inseparable since they were in diapers, and they spend more time together than apart.
He sits at the table while Dirk babbles about robotics to his grandmother, both of them using so many big words Jake doesn't dare try to follow. Dirk lets his backpack fall to the floor as he moves to the chair beside Jake, eagerly biting into his bread and continuing his rant while Jake's grandmother listens intently, nodding at intervals. Jake follows his lead and bites in, savoring the taste while trying not to think about Roxy's party and how he wishes he'd told her he didn't want to go.
"Jakey!"
"Huh?" he asks, turning to look up at his grandmother, who is giving him a firm stare.
"Dirk says you're going out tonight?"
"Oh, yes. Roxy's Halloween party," he replies. "I'm not planning on staying long, but Roxy gets offended if we all don't make an appearance."
She's still staring at him and he shrinks under her gaze.
"I think it's for me to decide if you're going out!" She informs him at last. "You've been holed up for days, practically delirious, and all of a sudden you think you're well enough to party all night?"
"I—my fever is gone! I thought that meant I was well! And I wasn't going to stay all night! Just an hour or two, I promise!" Jake says, giving Dirk a helpless stare.
"He'll be with me, Jade," Dirk says helpfully. "You know how stubborn he is."
Jake's grandmother smirks in response, and Jake huffs.
"Excuse you! I am not stubborn!"
"Yes, you are. It's a trait you get from me," Jade says, smiling at him. "You can go, but you're not staying late! I don't like the thought of you out after getting over the flu."
After devouring the bread and enduring more medicine and being prodded at, he trudges upstairs, flopping face-first into his bed with a happy sigh. He can hear Dirk talking with his grandmother some more downstairs, and it's actually a pleasant background noise that helps him drift off in a deep and much needed sleep.
He wakes up much later, very warm and comfy, and it takes only a moment to realize he's not alone anymore. Dirk is sprawled out beside him, reading in a huge book, and he looks over when Jake shifts.
"Man, you were gone," Dirk says. "It was storming outside and the thunder was shaking the whole house. You didn't bat an eye."
"I was dreaming about a haunted house," Jake says with a yawn. "But it was haunted by gremlins...and it was like Ghostbusters but with gremlins."
"Sounds like a usual Jake dream."
Jake swats him and sits up, rubbing at his eyes. "What time is it?"
"Almost 8. But don't worry, you got time for the party. Like Jade said, it's probably gonna go on all night," Dirk says.
Jake looks between the blinds and sees it was pouring rain a short time ago. There are puddles in the street, illuminated by the streetlamps overhead, still rippling from what seems to be a light drizzle.
"Has she called yet?" Jake asks, knowing Dirk will automatically know which of their friends he's referring to.
"Nah, she's all occupied with her party for now. But she'll probably call in the next hour."
"Right. We should save her the trouble and get going now." But even as he says it he smells the soup cooking from downstairs, and when he hurries out of bed, it's not to leave the house, but to stuff himself with as much soup and bread as he can.
By the time he and Dirk are making their way to Roxy's house, the drizzle of rain has increased to a steady sprinkle, and they're both wearing their hoods. It's still mostly warm out, but the chill of autumn is in the air, and the brisk wind blows right through Jake. He's glad Roxy lives so close to him. It's only a fifteen minute walk, and while they could have taken Jade's car, he much prefers walking alongside Dirk, especially since he's been holed up in his room the past few days. Dirk shakes his head as Jake splashes in a puddle.
"You're gonna get sick again."
"Oh, shove off!" Jake says. "Rain doesn't make you sick."
"Yeah, okay. You remember that when your fever comes back and you're locked inside for four more days."
"I'll infect you this time and you'll be stuck inside with me!" Jake huffs.
"That's mature."
"That's biological warfare," Jake says, nodding at his own words. "You'll be an upset and sniffy mess, and I, having gone through it before once already, will be perfectly used to the illness."
"Oh my god, you are literally the most ridiculous person I know," Dirk says, but he's grinning.
"Ridiculously brilliant!" Jake informs him.
Roxy's house which is basically a mansion, is almost vibrating from the deep sounds of the rumbling bass up ahead, and Jake is dreading this even before he sees the throngs of people both in the yard and pouring into the house. He's not one for crowds, and he's definitely not one for music this loud. Both of them together has him on edge, and he's grabbing at Dirk before he can think better of it, a bad feeling in his gut.
"It's okay, man," Dirk says gently, knowing of his social anxiety better than anyone. "We won't stay long. Just stay close to me, alright?"
Jake snorts because where else would he go? He holds tightly to the back of Dirk's shirt, staying as close as he can without stepping on his best friend as he's led into the house in search of Roxy and Jane. They find the girls in the dining room where all the food is, Roxy stuffing her face with cheese cubes. She smiles and waves as Dirk and Jake make their way over to them and the refreshment table.
"You're looking a little better, Jakey," Roxy says, pinching his cheek. "And of course neither of you wore a costume." Roxy is dressed as a cat, and Jane is wearing what looks to be a sleuthing detective coat, a fake mustache on her face.
"I'm most certainly feeling a little better," Jake replies, not straying from Dirk's side. "I didn't have time for a costume! And you know Dirk usually refuses."
"Here, try this!" Jane interjects, giving him what looks to be a miniature cake. "I tried making petit fours! I think they turned out alright."
"Oh, listen to her. They turned out totally awesome and I'm making her hide them from all the asses here that won't appreciate them. I never know why you go out of your way to make such good shit for these parties! They'll be devoured in one bite." Roxy grabs one and eats it daintily as if to emphasize her point, and Jane gives her a fond look of bewilderment.
Jake reaches for one and is captivated by the little thing. It's so delicately crafted, and Jake has no idea how Jane and her father manage to do such wonders in the kitchen. Jake's grandmother is a great cook, but she isn't one for such masterpieces. Jake isn't complaining, because he can't cook more than a canned pot of soup, and he knows for a fact Dirk and Roxy are so smart that they're practically useless at anything that doesn't have to do with complicated math and technology. He once caught Roxy watching Jane work for hours on a very complicated souffle, a dumbfounded look on her face like she was watching someone disarm a bomb.
"This is fantastic!" he exclaims as he bites into the cake, almost eating it in one bite like Roxy was saying, but it's kind of hard not to! It's so good! Roxy laughs at him as he grabs another.
"You're such a wild animal, Jakey. Terrified of crowds and people till they feed you." She grins as he tosses her a glare, and he pops the cake into his mouth, chewing hurriedly so he can give her a piece of his mind!
"I'll have you know most everybody here could feed me something and I still wouldn't like them one bit! It takes more than a bit of food to win this English over!"
"I dunno, dude, I heard we bonded because you were trying to share my juice-box with me," Dirk says.
"Lies! We bonded because your brother paid my grandmother to babysit you!" Jake defends, stopping himself from eating more. He's already eaten a lot in a short amount of time, and he doesn't want to get sick.
"Yeah, but lots of sharing went along with that," Dirk says. "I'm sure food was a prime factor."
Jake ignores him and looks around at all the faces in the room. He knows some of them from school, though a lot of these people are from Roxy's AP classes.
"Don't make that face, Jakey," Roxy says as Jake eyes the punch, frowning because he knows she's probably spiked it. "It's a holiday party, and holidays are perfectly normal to get drunk for."
"If anyone throws up in your house, your mom will flip the fuck out," Dirk tells her. "And does she know you're in her liquor stash again?"
"It's not like I'm drinking it!" Roxy hisses, throwing her hands in the air. "I told y'all I don't care about that shit anymore. The most I get is a glass of wine every now and then okay? Besides, Mom still drinks like a fish, so I doubt she'll notice more of her booze is gone when she gets home."
Roxy had a major issue with alcohol when they were younger, starting when she was only thirteen years old. She had all the time in the world to drink without getting caught because her mother was never home, was always off promoting some book. Her mom is a world famous author and psychiatrist, most of her books explaining mental illnesses, but Roxy swears she has a secret pen-name where she writes nothing but gay wizards defending the world. Roxy got to the point where she was showing up to school drunk, and Jake was planning on rallying his friends into giving her an intervention, but miraculously, Roxy stopped on her own. She always said it was because she realized she had a problem and just wanted to quit, but not long after she sobered up, she and Jane were dating, so Jake has always wondered if Jane was the reason Roxy quit.
Jane waves her hand through the air, not bothered by the alcohol in the least. "If they get trashed, that's their fault. It's not like any of us are going to drink it." She smiles at Roxy, who visibly calms in response. "Besides, Rose is gone for the night, so we can clean any messes before she gets home."
"Yeah," Roxy says, nodding at Dirk, who sighs in response.
Jake stays at Dirk's side for the rest of the night, which is pretty short, considering. There are a lot of people at the party, some of them getting too drunk to function, but luckily no one gets sick. Roxy has to shoo a couple out of her bed who were trying to desecrate it, and she huffily locks everyone else out of her room. In no time at all everyone is mostly either dancing drunkenly to the music or falling asleep on whatever surface they can lean against, and Jake is ready to go sleep for a thousand years if he can. He isn't really friends with anyone here aside from his usual group, and he doesn't want to rain on Roxy and Jane's festivities just because he's not feeling his best. He tugs on Dirk's shirt.
"Are you almost ready to make an exit?" he asks sleepily, yawning a bit. Dirk nods.
"Been ready since we got here. C'mon." He leads Jake back to the door, waving lazily to Roxy and Jane, who probably won't even notice their absence.
As soon as they're back outside, Jake is much happier. It still smells like rain, though the clouds are starting to disperse, tiny stars glowing at them between the cracks. He marvels at the sky as he splashes along.
"I think it's a full moon tonight," he muses, and Dirk glances up lazily before nodding.
"Probably. Man, I'm so tired. Didn't fuckin' sleep much last night since I was working on Squarewave's coding, and then had to be awake all day for school."
"You could have napped with me!" Jake says, flushing as soon as he says it. He thinks it sounds strange out loud, but Dirk just shrugs at him.
"I'm not like you. If I sleep during the day I can kiss any chance of sleeping at night goodbye."
Jake frowns, secretly grateful he doesn't have Dirk's sleeping problems. He can put his head on a pillow and be out in minutes, but Dirk might be up all night depending on what he's thinking about and whether he has to put his ideas into immediate action or not.
They walk through the silent and dark streets, and Jake is glad he lives close to Roxy. The trees are eerily rustling in the wind, illuminated by the emerging moon, and Jake very much wants to be home. He's always wary on nights of the full moon, knowing anything could be lurking in the shadows, and if he had known it was a full moon night he'd have insisted on taking the car. Dirk is blissfully unaware of these things, like all humans are, and Jake sometimes wishes he could tell Dirk about his concerns, but he knows that could get them in a lot of trouble.
He jumps when he hears leaves rustling in the woods, instinctively moving closer to Dirk, though there really isn't much he could do if they were to be attacked. They're extremely close to his house now, and he knows beings from Derse usually don't invade the human world, but they are known to be bolder around Halloween because the humans often mistake their appearances for costumes. There are protective spells on his grandmother's house, and he's antsy, moving faster, anxious to get there.
"Dude, slow down," Dirk huffs, jogging to catch up with him. "I'm ready to go the fuck to sleep too, but your house isn't going anywhere."
"I just really want to be home!" Jake says, pulling Dirk along. "I feel worse than I thought I did. I just need medicine and my bed!"
Dirk hurries a bit at the news that Jake doesn't feel well, and Jake smiles to himself in spite of things.
Jake's house is visible when the cracking sound of sticks and leaves gets closer to them. Dirk is seemingly unbothered by it, probably assuming it's an animal of some sort, and it very well might be, but Jake is still keeping a close eye on the outskirts of the woods. He's staring into the dark blackness between the trees when he sees it: a large black shadow with bright yellow eyes, leering at them. It's definitely not a human.
"Dirk!" Jake shouts, pulling his friend faster to his grandmother's house. They're so close—so close! But the growling noise is unmistakeable, and as soon as Dirk sees the massive black creature, he freezes, moving into a protective stance.
"Holy—is that a wolf?" he asks, completely bewildered as the beast lunges towards them, and Jake is tugging at Dirk's arm insistently.
"There's no time, Dirk, come on!"
But the wolf is already upon them, baring its teeth and showing them its frightening maw. Its hackles are raised, eyeing them like it wants them as its next meal, and Jake knows from the size and energy that this is no ordinary wolf. He wishes very much that he was magic right about now, but unfortunately for him, and for Dirk, he was never able to get a single spell to work for him.
"Shit, shit, fuck," Dirk is hissing under his breath, and Jake can hear his mind running a thousand miles a minute. "Are you supposed to fight wolves? Are you—will playing dead work? Is that a thing?"
"No," Jake says softly, taking Dirk's hand and slowly backing away. "Not this wolf, Dirk."
The wolf has its eyes trained on him, knowing that Jake recognizes what it is somehow. It crouches, ready to pounce, and Jake knows there's nothing he can do to stop it. In an instant, the wolf lunges for him, but before he can do anything, Dirk jumps in front of him.
"DIRK!" Jake screams, horrified as his friend is mowed over like he weighs nothing. Dirk is fighting the beast to the best of his ability, holding its face away by gripping into the fur on its neck.
"Jake—shit—fuckin' RUN!" Dirk growls, trying to kick the thing off of him. Jake looks around wildly for something he can use, and he has a large tree branch before he can think better of it, lifting it and whacking the wolf with as much might as he can muster. The thing stumbles off of Dirk, dazed from the blow to the head, and it's suddenly roaring at him, ready to pounce again. Dirk is scrambling to his feet, and Jake crouches, ready to fight, but then something flashes past them, a bright green light that hits the wolf in the face, causing it to yelp wildly in pain, falling over itself as it scampers away, its tail between its legs.
Jake stands, panting as the adrenaline causes his heart to beat wildly, and he drops the stick with shaky hands, turning to Dirk, who is cradling his shoulder, blood pouring through his fingers.
"Fuckin' wildlife, man...shit's insane," Dirk hisses through clenched teeth, looking into Jake's horrified eyes. "You think this needs a rabies shot?"
Jake hurries to Dirk's side, not having to turn to know it was his grandmother who saved them.
"We need to get him inside now, Jake," she says urgently, hurrying to them with a speed she doesn't look like she should possess anymore. "That bite is fresh and we have to act now!"
"I know, Gramma, I know," Jake says, wiping at his eyes as he sees the blood gushing from the bite wound. "Just—here, Dirk, lean on me?" He supports Dirk's weight, half carrying him to the house as Dirk breathes loudly, moving with increasingly sluggish steps.
"How'd...you get the wolf to go away?" Dirk slurs. "Wh-what was that light? What..."
"Shhhh, dear, you'll be okay," Jade says, helping to support Dirk's other side as he becomes a dead weight.
When they burst into the house, Dirk is unconscious, his body already succumbing to the fever that's fast moving. Jade hurries to her cabinet, getting out the needed ingredients for a potion while Jake hovers over Dirk, holding his hand and kissing his fingers, knowing Dirk is too far gone to feel it.
"Please, stay with me," he whispers, nuzzling at Dirk's hand, his eyes blurring with tears. "I should have been able to protect you but I...I'm a failure at these things. I wish I could have stopped it."
"Jake, we need—oh." Jade walks to his side and leans over, kissing his mop of hair. "He's going to be alright, Jakey. We're going to give him the help he needs not to turn into one of them."
"I was so useless...I..." Jake stammers.
"Shhhh. Here, hold this," she hands him the hurriedly thrown together potion. "I need to heal his wound first and stop the spread of the poison."
She says an incantation Jake has heard her use many times when he hurt himself as a child, quickly mending the holes in Dirk's shoulder with a light from her hands. In the next instant she's directing him to hold Dirk down as she pours the still bubbling potion down his throat. Jake doesn't see why he's holding Dirk against the couch, not at first. But then Dirk's eyes shoot open, and he arches, his face scrunching in complete agony.
"Hold him down, Jake!" Jade shouts over Dirk's screams.
"We're hurting him!" Jake panics, still doing as she says and using all his weight to keep Dirk from running off the couch or lashing at them. Dirk's legs are kicking wildly at the air, but he can't stop them from the angle he's sitting at to hold Dirk's upper-body down. Jade quickly maneuvers to the end of the couch, holding his legs still.
"It would hurt him a lot more to let him go untreated!" Jade says, barely audible over Dirk's continued screaming. They hold him down until his movements cease into twitches and jerks, his eyes already closed again. Jake and his grandmother both ease off him gently, panting as silence descends upon the house.
"There's no cure for it though," Jake whispers. "We—we can't save him completely...right?"
Jade brushes her hair back with a sigh. "We can't stop the transformation completely. But he will be sane during the nights of the full moon. And as long as he's docile, I don't see why he can't have a mostly normal life."
"This is all my fault," Jake says miserably. "I should have done something, I—I should be able to do the things you do, but I can't."
"You'll make your own path, Jakey," she says, gently petting his hair. "And...so will Dirk."
"Do...you think he'll turn completely into a wolf on the next full moon?" Jake asks, observing as Dirk whimpers in his sleep, his brows furrowing.
Jade doesn't answer him for a long while, simply watching as Jake kneels beside the couch and pets through Dirk's hair, murmuring comforts until Dirk's twitching stops, like he's straining to listen to Jake in his sleep.
"We'll have to wait and see," she says at last.
Jake frowns up at her, not liking the sound of that at all. Together, they manage to get Dirk up the stairs and to Jake's bed, where Jade helps pull off his blood-soaked shirt and jeans. Jake doesn't feel much aside from sadness, even at the sight of Dirk's uncovered skin. Dirk's life might be ruined. In a month, when Dirk changes, they're not going to have anything to tell him but the truth.
"Jakey," his grandmother sighs. "You're too worked up. You know there isn't anything to be done now. We have time to think of something."
"No we don't," Jake says, covering Dirk with the blankets.
She shakes her head at him and leaves the room, bustling about in the cabinets downstairs before he hears her coming right back toward his room.
"Here," she says to him softly. "Drink this, it'll help you sleep. You can't be up all night with worry; you're still getting over the flu."
He takes the potion from her and drinks it listlessly, certain he'll stay awake despite it because his stomach is so knotted up with dread. She kisses his forehead and leaves the room again, and he shrugs off his own bloody clothes, replacing them with his night clothes. As he flops onto his pillow beside Dirk, he stares at Dirk's sleeping face, scooting closer. Dirk is knocked out anyway, it's not like there's any chance of him waking him.
"I'm sorry..." Jake says quietly, thinking of how Dirk's life is going to be changed forever. He puts his forehead against Dirk's, tears welling in his eyes. Dirk makes a tiny noise in his sleep, shifting so drastically for a moment that Jake thinks he's woken up somehow, but Dirk merely wraps an arm around Jake, pulling him closer, still very much asleep. Jake hugs him in return, trying not to cry and failing miserably. His eyes grow heavier until he can't keep them open anymore, and he feels the potion pulling him into blissful unconsciousness, Dirk's heart beating steadily and comfortingly against his cheek.