Seeing as I'm actually not American, I hope I've got most of the details about Independence Day down okay.
Firework Issues
Jack walked wearily through the halls of the base, relieved that New Tech PD was responsible for keeping an eye on the potential for trouble tonight. Unless of course, said trouble was alien in nature, in which case they'd be called in. The people of New Tech city seemed to have decided they weren't going to let Gruumm spoil their Fourth of July celebrations, and if anything the firework displays were bigger than usual as well as being more extravagant. There was a defiant, desperate edge to everything though, another reason he was glad he wouldn't have to be out tonight.
The firework display the city had put on had seemed to go on forever and while it had been fun, there was only a certain amount he could take, and anyway, it had felt wrong, not having all the members of the team there. Z, Bridge and Syd had all been there, but Sky had been absent, not that Jack was surprised. Not only did Sky have a tendency to keep to himself, but tonight was full moon and he'd most likely be out running or something.
Suddenly realising where his feet had taken him, Jack hesitated by Sky's door. Sky probably wouldn't be there. Still, he stuck his head inside just in case. Nothing, the room was empty. Just then though, there was a faint scrabble at the window and the by now familiar blond wolf scrambled inside, just as another volley of fireworks went off. Jack frowned and stepped fully inside the room. When Sky went out running he didn't usually come back this soon, so something was obviously wrong. Hurriedly he strode across the room and snapped the window closed, examining the area for anyone who might have followed Sky back here. Satisfied there was no one there, Jack turned back to find Sky curled up next to his bed, whimpering slightly and he frowned again, flashing back to when he'd first found out Sky was a werewolf, the other man collapsed on his floor, a frightening amount of blood coming out of him.
"Sky, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" He fought down the surge of fear that thought provoked and he moved quickly over to where Sky was curled up. He tried in vain to do a brief examination, Sky not co-operating as he flinched every time a firework went off. That was when realisation sank in. Sky wasn't hurt, it was just the fireworks getting to him, and Jack sank back onto his heels in relief. "You don't like fireworks, is that it?" A volley of fireworks went off again and Sky whimpered, head ducking between his front paws. "Okay. It's the fireworks." Sitting down and making himself comfortable, Jack ran his fingers through Sky's fur soothingly, fingernails digging in a little, just the way Sky liked it. Slowly the shaking stopped, replaced with small flinches every time a firework went off. "Hey, it's okay. I won't let the big, bad fireworks hurt you."
Sky snatched his head off Jack's knee with a faint growl and Jack looked down in surprise to find Sky glaring at him. "Okay, that was patronising," he said, holding up his hands in innocence. "Won't happen again." Sometimes it was easy to forget it was Sky in there, and that he wasn't a pet that needed soothing, although it was a slip that didn't happen very often. Apparently mollified, Sky rested his head back on Jack's leg and Jack resumed his petting.
After a barrage of firework explosions left Sky pressed against him and shivering all over again, there was a quiet lull, and Sky took advantage of it, getting to his feet and grabbing his clothes off the bed before padding into the bathroom. A minute or so later he came out again, human once more and tugging at the ends of his t shirt. He didn't say anything, just resumed his seat next to Jack and rested his head on Jack's shoulder. Sky was usually a lot more tactile just after a Change and displays of affection that he would have spurned most of the time were given freely.
When another set of fireworks made the other man flinch Jack hesitated, then cautiously ran his fingers through Sky's hair, much as he had before. When there was no protest and Sky actually leant deeper into him, Jack relaxed a little. There was a part of him that worried about this, that knew he shouldn't be doing this, that knew he shouldn't be here, full stop. This was dangerous, there was no other word to describe it. At times like this, when it was just him and Sky in Sky's room, just after a Change, things were different. It was something they never spoke about, by mutual consent, but it was something he couldn't describe, not well. Times like this, the masks they both hid behind might as well not have existed the way they shattered, leaving them both exposed and vulnerable, and there was an intangible tension that hung in the air, a potent force that seemed to pull them together.
Times like this, Jack could acknowledge, even if only to himself, just how good it felt to touch Sky like this; soft, gentle touches that neither of them would be comfortable with outside this room. Times like this Sky could let himself be weak, let his defences down around the one person he trusted not to take advantage of him while he was so open. Times like this worried Jack more than he could ever have imagined, times when it felt as if it were only a matter of time before something happened that would change things between them, in a way that meant there was no going back. Part of him feared that change while the other part wanted to embrace it, take it into himself and let it change him. Torn, he fought to keep things as they were, at least for the moment. Things were changing between him and Sky regardless, slowly but inexorably, and he had no idea what to do about it.
Eventually he stopped toying with Sky's hair and simply let his arm rest along Sky's shoulders, their heads leaning against each other in companionable silence, one of Sky's hands resting on Jack's leg. Even the fireworks couldn't interrupt them, the bangs and whistles seeming far away while he and Sky sat safe in this one timeless moment.
When Jack woke the following morning it was to find the two of them wrapped around each other, Sky with an arm round his waist, keeping him firmly where he was, while he had a hand resting on Sky's hip. Heads still leaning against each other, their legs were all tangled together and they were lying down as opposed to sitting with their backs against the bed. Despite everything, Jack was feeling very comfortable and not inclined to move, even if he could simply phase out of this tangle without waking Sky. It didn't matter though, as Sky woke a couple of minutes later anyway, extremely embarrassed by the situation they found themselves in and reluctantly Jack let himself get disentangled from the Jack-Sky pile.
"So," he said into the awkward silence. "Don't like fireworks, huh?"
Sky shook his head. "They hurt my ears," he replied, fingers ghosting over one in a completely automatic gesture. "It's not so bad if it's not full moon, but if it is…"
Jack nodded. "Gotcha." Another downside to sensitive hearing. "I should go," he said unenthusiastically. "We have to be on duty soon."
Sky glanced at the bedside clock and wrinkled his nose slightly in agreement. "Yeah, we do."
Half-heartedly getting to his feet, Jack headed for the door. "See ya in a bit."
"Yeah, see you later."
The door closed behind him, closing on yet another encounter they wouldn't talk about. Jack just hoped there wasn't anyone around to see him coming out of Sky's room early in the morning, that was the last thing they needed right now.