He watched from the edge of the trees. After a few moments he grudgingly realized that he was too far away for a normal human to hear or see anything definitive. Derek however was close enough for his purpose. He wasn't here to see Jackson. Not exactly. This was what he reasoned once he was already staring at the field. What he'd reasoned before he got there…was not quite as clear. But he didn't want to think about that so he looked to the maroon figures again. Scott and Stiles were both seated on the bench. While Stiles had glanced his way a couple of times Scott remained blissfully unaware. Nothing had changed for the two of them Derek noted. But thinking of Scott would only frustrate him further. If the damn boy had any sense in his head he'd at least a vague idea of who the alpha was. Of course he didn't and he didn't appear to want to find out either. Derek wondered if that would change had the alpha killed his precious hunter girlfriend. She was most likely safe seeing as she was in a house full of hunters. For now at least. He sighed to himself and looked back to the players actually on the field. In another blink one was looking his way. Derek felt himself frown. He didn't have to guess which one it was. But part of him wished he didn't already know. There was still plenty of time for him to escape. Something kept his feet planted. Perhaps it was a vain hope that Jackson wouldn't actually leave practice. Perhaps it was just an unwillingness to move. Whatever it was, it left him standing there as Jackson approached, stripping off his helmet. Derek caught his breath before cursing himself. As if he'd never seen him before. Jackson had been marked last time Derek saw him too. But his mind didn't want to listen to reason. He hadn't known Jackson was marked at that point and apparently that made all the difference. He took a deep breath and steeled himself against whatever was about to happen.
Jackson stopped barely three feet away, shifting his helmet to the hand that already held his lacrosse stick. He regarded Derek silently for a long moment.
"What?" he finally demanded quietly, heart racing. Derek had no idea what to say. Jackson was scared and yet he still approached. Derek found himself wondering about this instead of answering. Jackson let out a quick breath, running his free hand through his hair. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" Derek repeated.
"Yes," Jackson snapped, "why are you here?" Derek smiled bitterly.
"That's a long story." A shrill whistle cut off what Jackson was about to say. "They're wondering what you're doing," Derek offered. "You'd better come up with something good."
"You can't hear that from here," Jackson said, disbelief edging his tone. Derek lifted one shoulder.
"Just a guess then." Jackson half turned back to the field.
"Stay away from me." Derek almost snorted. It wasn't entirely possible and he knew it. He was arguing with himself just like always. Part of him almost wanted to tell Jackson what was going on. But that was a bad idea. Not that he'd believe it anyways. By the time Derek reached the conclusion Jackson was already jogging back to practice. For the best he supposed.
"What are you looking at?" Scott questioned. Derek looked to him unwillingly.
"Nothing," Stiles answered, looking to his best friend. Derek faded back into the trees, forcing himself to walk away.
Derek walked for hours. The sun set and he kept going. He couldn't bring himself to go home. At first he told himself that he didn't trust himself to be alone with nothing to do. But that eventually evolved into needing to see Jackson. Just to be sure that he was alright. So the alpha spared him once. That didn't mean that he wouldn't try to use Jackson against him. The alpha knew Derek had marked him and he had left him alive. For all Derek knew he was planning something. It wasn't that he cared about Jackson. He didn't. Derek simply didn't want another death on his hands. Whether or not he disliked the arrogant teen did not enter the equation. No matter who he was he didn't want to be responsible for the boy's death. He went back to the school and began trailing Jackson's scent. It still lingered among all the others. But now, like Scott's, it stood out to him. Derek didn't allow himself to be grateful for it. He simply watched his feet moving down the road instead. It seemed like no time passed at all before he was standing outside the massive house that he knew Jackson lived in. He drifted closer, stopping halfway between the end of the driveway and the parked cars. Jackson teased at his senses. The smell of him. His heartbeat. The angry rock song he was listening to through headphones. Derek's breath caught as a silhouette entered the top left window. Jackson. He knew immediately. What were the odds that he would go to the window at the precise moment that Derek was plainly in view? Jackson didn't react outwardly but Derek caught the spike of his heart rate and the sudden stall of his breathing. He'd seen him. For the longest time Jackson didn't move. He simply stood and stared. Derek did the same. He had no idea what to do. Running would do no good. But then again standing here wasn't helping either. He wanted to get closer but that was just the wrong decision overall. In the end, he stayed where he was. He listened as Jackson's heart slowed to normal. An immeasurable amount of time later Jackson drifted away. His bed creaked as he sat, making another noise of protest as he lay down. Derek had seen him. He was safe. Still he could not convince himself to walk away. Derek wondered how much of this was the wolf…and how much of it was him.
A/N: Just a quick warning…I really have no idea where this is going. Right now I'm all for Derek/Jackson. Whether Stiles comes in there somewhere…idk. Have to see and find out. I don't really plan. My stories just kind of happen to me lol.