The phone beeped on the coffee table: a shrill, insistent sound guaranteed to get one's attention. That is, however, if one was within hearing distance. Luckily for Danny, he wasn't... for now, anyways. Instead, he was in the shower, having just gotten in from his evening run. His parents were away for the weekend for once and that gave him some much-needed time alone. Which was good because he needed to think, to process some of the things he'd found out in the last few days.
Scott McCall was a werewolf. So was Derek Hale, or Miguel as Stiles had introduced him to Danny the first time they'd met. To think that he'd been ogling on a dangerous and volatile werewolf that whole time in Stiles's bedroom, one that could have jumped and slashed his throat at one wrong move...
Yeah, a little more danger than Danny usually preferred.
There were others too, Erica and Boyd and the Lahey kid, Isaac – also werewolves. Isaac was an odd one: a quiet shy guy who looked much younger than he was, a good lacrosse player but always staying in the sidelines, never putting himself forward. Danny couldn't help but notice the clear blue eyes and the cute dimples which showed whenever he smiled – it wasn't often but still – he really was too cute to ignore. Danny had caught a good look at the body under the faded t-shirts and worn jeans now and then in the locker room; the boy was skinny but well-muscled. Maybe he should get to know the guy a bit more. After all, he seemed nice, except for the werewolf bit. That was...yeah, a little hard to swallow, still.
Speaking of which, there was something weird going on with Jackson, too. Lately, he had been snappy and evasive when questioned. Not that Jackson was a bucket of sunshine on a normal day, far from it. He was the type to always strive for the best in everything he did – and usually achieving it – and didn't take kindly to any type of criticism. But for the last couple of weeks things had been weird. And a lot of it seemed to be because of McCall. After Scott had shown remarkable improvement in his game, a fact that Danny now knew to be due to him being a werewolf, the Coach had named him co-captain alongside Jackson. That hadn't gone well and seemed to be when things changed with Jackson and not for the better. As much as Danny tried to convince himself that that was all there was with his friend, jealousy and anger mingling over being sidelined, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something else was going on. And that Scott and Derek knew at least some of it. It hurt, more than Danny liked to admit that Jackson didn't confide in him. That Derek fucking Hale knew more about Jackson's business than he did.
They'd been best friends since forever, from the first day of second grade, at the very least. And later, when fourteen year-old Danny discovered he liked boys, Jackson had been his biggest supporter (and first crush, though Danny would rather die than ever reveal that to his friend). Then again, maybe... maybe that crush had never really gone away, though Danny kept telling Jackson that he wasn't his type. Which was totally a lie, Danny couldn't think of anyone more his type than Jackson, but he wouldn't jeopardize their friendship just for a chance at something more and end up losing a friend.
All the while, the phone kept ringing, finally alerting Danny to its presence. The familiar trilling of the Mission Impossible theme telling him that the caller was Jackson. With a sigh, Danny picked up the phone, wondering what trouble his friend had gotten himself into this time. The only time they seemed to hang out these days was when Jackson needed Danny to pick him up from somewhere. Which he always did without much argument, it didn't even occur to Danny not to.
"Where the hell have you been?! I've called like five times already!" Jackson snapped before Danny managed even a 'hello'.
So it was going to be one of those nights. Danny sighed internally, trying to keep his tone level when he replied, no point rising to the challenge in Jackson's tone. He'd learned long ago that you got further with Jackson by keeping your opinions to yourself. Still, he was taken aback at the commanding tone; it was not like Jackson to snap at him quite like that.
"Having a shower, Jackson. What do you want?"
There was a moment's pause before Jackson continued, a little calmer and sounding almost apologetic.
"I...I had a fight with Lydia and need a ride... Come and pick me up?"
Nothing unusual then. Lydia and Jackson fought like cats and dogs all the time, in the year or so they'd been together they had broken up and made up again at least on a monthly basis so this was nothing new. And Danny was the one Jackson always called. And Danny always came through.
"Fine. Give me a chance to get dressed and I'm on my way. Where are you?"
"At the bowling alley. Thanks. And, Danny?"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry I shouted."
"No big deal... really. Try not to get into any further trouble, OK?"
"Just get here as soon as you can."
Danny stared at his phone for a good while after Jackson had rung off, trying to make sense of the situation. While it was not unusual for Jackson to call him at three am for a ride home from a party when he had too much to drink, he hadn't sounded drunk. Had there been a fight? Jackson did have a temper on him and a bit worse than usual lately and Danny didn't doubt for a moment he would come on top in any fight just…well, if the fight was over Lydia the other guy would be in a pretty bad shape. For all their bickering and the on-off nature of their relationship, Jackson seemed to have real feelings for Lydia was very protective of her.
With a frown Danny tossed the phone on the bed while he dried himself off and looked for clothes to wear, best not to think of the worst. This was probably nothing more complicated than a case of hurt feelings and too much pride. At worst Jackson was maybe a little drunk, which would explain why he didn't drive home himself.
As an afterthought he grabbed a spare hoodie from the drawer, the night was chilly and if Jackson had been out on a date with Lydia, he wouldn't have bothered with a coat.
It was no surprise to see Jackson sitting on the curb at the parking lot of the bowling alley, arms draped over his knees with a bottle in one hand. Neither was the sight of him wearing an open necked shirt with rolled-up sleeves and no jacket, his head hung low. Without a word, Danny dropped the hoodie onto Jackson's lap and sat down next to him. Jackson didn't acknowledge his presence other than pulling the hoodie over his head and nodding his head in way of thanks.
"So. We gonna sit here all night or will you tell me what happened? It's more than the usual fight, I know you well enough to tell that much."
Jackson didn't reply straight away, only took another gulp of scotch while looking every which way but towards his friend. Danny just accepted it and waited - he knew better than to poke too much. Jackson would talk when he was ready and they sat in the dim glow of the bowling alley, wreathed in shadow and quiet for good ten minutes until he finally spoke.
"I broke up with Lydia. Like for good. I just... I couldn't do that to her. So I told her it's over this time. And well... yeah, she didn't take it well." Jackson chuckled, as though amused by the memory, and rubbed his jaw. In the poor light, Danny hadn't noticed the red mark there earlier - it seemed like Lydia had not taken kindly to being treated like so much excess baggage.
"So... um, what prompted you to this particular idiotic decision then? Something happen?" Danny said after a moment's silence when it seemed Jackson would not continue, he would have to drag out every word.
"Found out she had been kissing McCall in the coach's office before the game. And she lied to me about it. And I…it hadn't- it hadn't been...aarrgh!" Jackson hurled the bottle across the empty parking lot with surprising strength until it hit a lamppost where the glass shattered into little pieces, spraying whiskey all over the place.
"Oh Jax." The old nickname came easy to Danny when it was just the two of them. "I'm sorry, man. That's literally the last thing I expected to hear." He looked, really looked at the boy sat next to him: fists balled tight, teeth clenched, and chest heaving like he'd just ran a mile - dangerous, very dangerous. "Hey...hey, come on. Let's, um... let's get out of here. I'll take you back to mine. Hell, I'll even help you get more drunk if that's what you want, but I don't think it's good for you to just sit here. My parents are away so if you need a place to crash, the sofa's all yours." He took another deep breath. "Come on, Jax. Let me drive you back."
Danny stood up and reached out his hand to help Jackson up, half-expecting it to be slapped away but after a moment's hesitation Jackson took the offered hand and pulled himself up.
The ride back was quiet, very quiet. Every now and then, Danny had to glance over at Jackson just to make sure he was okay. Slowly, ever so slowly, Jackson seemed to relax, at least settling into the seat and uncurling his fists. Danny's own death-grip on the wheel eased too at the sight of his friend's anger leaving him. By the time they pulled up outside Danny's house, it looked like Jackson might be ready to talk.
"So…you going to tell me what's got you so wound up? You looked like someone looking for a fight back there and, considering all the times you and Lydia have broken up before, I'd hazard a guess that something else is eating at you."
Of course, Jackson didn't reply straight away. He instead stared out the window and played absently with the frayed cuffs of his borrowed hoodie, his eyes empty. Danny bit back further questions: if Jackson was not in the mood to tell him what was really going on, he wouldn't ask. Although, he did hope Jackson would in the end; he was getting worried and more than a little hurt about the constant avoidance.
It took Jackson another minute to reply, the words coming out short and angry."You know the deal with McCall and the others? The werewolf business?"
Danny nodded. Well, he knew the others were werewolves but that was about it, but he got the impression Jackson wasn't really interested in the depth of his knowledge.
"I…I wanted it too, to be stronger and faster and better; there's no way I could compete with McCall and Lahey, both being special like that. I mean, Coach has already made McCall into co-captain for fuck's sake! You really think he'd keep me on next season the way things are if I don't get the same chance?Since it's going to be like that, I got Derek to agree to make me one, too…It's just... well, you know, things haven't worked out the way they're supposed to. And the whole Lydia thing was just too much; I couldn't risk her finding out. And…" Jackson pause with his bottom lip caught between his teeth, worrying it to and fro as if uncertain whether or not to continue. So lost in thought, he failed to notice Danny's widened eyes at the confession. "And I…I've- damn this is harder than it should be…the things is Danny, there's someone else. And I'm not that much of a jerk that I would string Lydia along like that."
Once again, Jackson stared off into the darkness as if determined to look everywhere but at Danny, making him think that Jackson was somehow upset with him over something. If that was the case, then nothing made sense. After all, they'd hardly talked in the last few weeks... unless, was that it? Was his friend angry because Danny hadn't been there for him? Had he wanted to talk about the whole werewolf issue with Danny and because he hadn't been around, had gone about it anyway and now regretted it?
And the whole ordeal about Lydia…Danny couldn't help but be relieved that she was no longer Jackson's girlfriend. Not that she was stupid or had objected to Danny and Jackson's friendship, quite the opposite. Danny had long suspected that Lydia was way smarter than she let on and sometimes he'd caught her looking at him speculatively, like she knew what he was really thinking about Jackson. But that Jackson had someone else…that was another matter. Danny had never known his friend to cheat on Lydia or anyone else he'd been involved with, this was skirting dangerously close – another worrying development.
The silence stretched between them, Jackson having finished talking waited for Danny to say something – anything – but Danny could not collect his thoughts into anything resembling coherence. As Jackson renewed his assault on the already-torn sleeve, Danny acted without thinking and laid his hand on Jackson's, stilling the restless fingers. Though it happened much less now that they were older, when they were little Danny could always calm Jackson with a touch. Even now, something minute relaxed in Jackson and Danny breathed a small sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry Jax, that's a whole lot to take in at once. I don't really know what you want me to say…I'm sorry it didn't work out with Lydia; though from the sound of it you've kinda wanted to end it for a while now?" Jackson nodded mutely and Danny gave the hand under his a reassuring squeeze.
"And this werewolf thing…it's your obsession with always being the best at everything that's got you in this mess. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, honestly, I just want my friend back. You've been avoiding me at school and not answering my texts and now this. I've been worried. You're my best friend Jax, but lately it's felt like I might not be yours anymore."
As if Danny needed further proof that his friend was not himself, when Jackson finally turned to face him his cheeks were wet with tears. Jackson never cried. Danny felt something tighten inside his chest at the sight, how he wished he could reach out and just hold Jackson until he was alright again but that was a line he couldn't cross.
"There's something wrong with me Danny, the bite didn't take like it should. Derek says he doesn't know what's causing it and there's nothing he can do. Like the time in chemistry when I had the nosebleed? And when I had to leave early from practice and didn't come to school the next day? I didn't become a werewolf at full moon, I just got sick. I didn't want to tell you cause I didn't want you to treat me different...you're the most important person in the world to me Danny, and Derek and his pack are up to some dangerous shit and you might get hurt and that would kill me, it really would."
Jackson was talking fast now and there was a strange intensity to him. Danny swallowed back his reply, unsure where the conversation was going but no way was he going to interrupt Jackson now, he had the feeling he would find out a whole lot more than just the failed werewolf thing tonight.
Jackson shifted in his seat so he was facing Danny and turned his palm so he could take hold of the other boy's hand, making Danny's heart race and mouth turn dry all of a sudden.
"I know Danny. I've always known how you feel about me." Jackson spoke quietly looking at their entwined hands and ran his thumb lightly over Danny's knuckles. "It's never bothered me, you're my best friend and well, it seemed to be enough for you so I never said anything. And then...then Lydia- we argued and she went on about how I would do anything you asked but not what she wants and how unfair it is and I need to choose between you two or else..." Jackson let out a self-deprecating laugh and shrugged, "it was an easy choice. What I'm trying to say," he continued, noticing Danny's shocked and disbelieving expression, "I- I think I feel the same about you. I'm only sorry I never noticed it until now and that it took so long..."
"Jax that is so not funny and if this is your idea of a joke it's a fucking bad one." Danny could barely make the words come out, his throat was too tight and his heart was racing too fast and was Jackson serious? This had got to be a dream, he would wake up and everything would be the same, Jackson would go back to being his old irritable self and Danny would be left with nothing but daydreams. This could not be real.
But Jackson didn't laugh or let go of Danny's hand, instead he leaned in closer and before the other boy could so much as protest, kissed him.
It was by far the last thing Danny had expected. Not that he objected to being kissed in general and Jackson was really good at it but…this was Jackson.
The kiss went on far longer than Danny had dared to hope for but eventually Jackson drew back and Danny braced himself for the inevitable rejection. Instead Jackson flashed a smile, the first real one Danny had seen in a long time and there was something new in his eyes. For the first time in probably months he looked...happy.
"If you didn't mean what just happened, you best leave now." Danny wanted, desperately, for the kiss to have meant something but he wanted also to give his friend a way out. If Jackson left, it would probably mean the end of their friendship and he would go home and get drunk and in all likelihood cry into his pillow like a girl.
"I did mean it. And I do. You want me to say it? I like you Danny, more than just a friend. And I would very much like to do that again, with you, and I don't fucking care about school and parents and werewolves or any of that shit, I just want...I don't even know what I want except be more than just your best friend."
Danny could still scarcely believe this was happening but he wasn't about to let this one slip away. He raised his free hand to trace the line down from Jackson's temple down to his jaw, the wonder of being allowed to do this for real making his head spin.
"Guess I want that too...want to stay the night and we'll talk about it? I won't blame you if you change your mind in the morning when you've sobered up, I promise."
"I won't change my mind, not about this. About you. " As if reading Danny's mind and knowing what he worried about the most, Jackson leaned in for another kiss, slower and more thorough than the last one, the kind that left Danny panting and flushed and wondering just how fast they could get in the house and continue exploring just how good Jackson was at this kissing business.
And maybe…maybe this would not be a dream in the morning