When Derek heard a car coming down his driveway his chest tightened up. He nearly wished he had a gun to defend himself. Not that he really needed it… Still. It was the principle of the thing. He glanced out a window only to freeze in shock. There was only one silver Porsche in town and it certainly didn't belong to a hunter. He was half to the door before he stopped to consider his actions. He didn't know why Jackson was here and he doubted it was anything good. Derek paced back to the window and watched as Jackson climbed out. It was when he saw the dark maroon all over his shirt that he ran out the door. Launching himself off the porch he stopped barely two feet away.
"What happened?" he demanded, "Are you alright?" Jackson closes his eyes and tore a hand through his hair.
"I need you to tell me what's going on," he said very softly. Derek took half a step back, realizing the blood covering Jackson's chest and arms was not human.
"What happened?" he asked, forcing his voice softer. Jackson was silent for a moment, glancing back to his car.
"It killed my dog." He took a shuddering breath and looked to the ground.
"Don't cry."
Derek closed the distance between them on pure instinct. No thought process could have stopped it.
"I'm not," Jackson choked out as he yanked him into a hug. Derek was almost surprised Jackson let himself be hugged but then he supposed he really needed it. "I'm not crying," Jackson maintained, voice strained.
"Shhh," Derek murmured, "it's alright. I've got you." Derek couldn't tell how long they stood there. Time seemed to slow and pulse oddly as they stood together, wrapped in each other's arms. "Did you want to come in?" he offered eventually. "It's not much," he added ruefully. Derek stepped back and Jackson nodded slowly.
"I couldn't think where else to go," he explained before following him in. It was wrong but Derek was glad he'd had nowhere else to go. Or maybe he was glad that Jackson, in a way, had wanted to come to him. Derek led him to the bathroom upstairs that he'd begun repair work on. He gestured to the sink before going to grab towels and clean shirts. When he came back Jackson was seated on the counter, arms resting beside him as if he'd simply let them drop there, too tired to do anything else. His head was leaned back against the wall, expression tight with pain.
Derek set the towels on the other side of the sink before crossing to him.
"Tell me about him," he said softly. Derek vaguely remembered a therapist or social worker telling him after the fire that talking about things helped. He had never really had the opportunity to talk to anyone so he wouldn't actually know. But it was the only thing he could think of. He slipped open the first button of Jackson's shirt as Jackson inhaled deeply.
"His name was Fang. I've had him since I was six." He took another deep breath and Derek froze his hands before forcing himself to keep going. There was so much pain radiating off of Jackson that all he could do was try to fix it. "My parents got him for me from the pound a week after they adopted me." Derek finished with the buttons and slid the shirt from Jackson's shoulders, moving him as gently as possible. "I think maybe they knew…how displaced I felt." Derek got a corner of a towel wet before moving back and wiping away the blood. Jackson had somehow managed to get some smears all the way up to his neck, as well as his arms. "That dog carried me through a lot," Jackson admitted, eyes still closed. Derek winced, realizing for the first time that Jackson must have cradled him to get this much blood on him. And the dog must have been split open. His hands clenched in the towel.
Derek forced himself to focus on cleaning Jackson up. At this moment it was all he could do. "I just don't understand why," Jackson said. "It had to be because of me. He was under my car. It had to be because of me." He lifted his head and looked to Derek, eyes watering. "Why do I always have to fuck things up?" If Derek knew who the alpha was he'd rip him in half. Then let Jackson take a few swings. He took Jackson by the shoulders, letting the towel drop to the floor.
"This is not because of you," he murmured carefully. "This was a warning to me." Jackson's face twisted in confusion as the first tear slipped out.
"What?"
"The werewolf that has been killing people wants me to know that he can get to you whenever he wants. This is the way he chose to tell me that." The only reaction from Jackson was a slight spike in his heart rate. Derek guessed he'd already mostly known what it was. What he was.
"I don't understand," Jackson said, swiping at his cheek. "Why is he going after me to get to you?"
"Because you're mine." Jackson's face crumpled slowly and he leaned forward, tucking his face into Derek's neck before sliding his arms up Derek's shoulders and hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry," Derek said, kissing his hair. "So sorry."
Jackson's hands clenched in Derek's shirt and his shoulders shook. He didn't say anything. Derek held him, toes curling as wave after wave of emotion swamped him. Fear, anger, regret, pain, frustration, and helplessness. A very small voice in the back of his head said that the bond was getting stronger. If Jackson could broadcast his emotions already… Derek couldn't bring himself to step away. Jackson needed someone at least and he was the only one here. Being this close to Jackson certainly wasn't going to help the whole marked problem but Derek pushed the thoughts away. At the moment the lines had blurred away. Jackson was his. He needed him. That was all that mattered. Derek kept Jackson pulled tightly against him, even when his emotions settled and his tears dried away. "Tell me what I can do," Derek let out.
"I guess we need to," Jackson took a deep breath, "need to bury him." Nodding in agreement Derek stepped back. He grabbed the towel from the floor and cleaned the rest of Jackson's neck before offering it to him. Jackson cleaned his arms slowly before sliding from the counter. Derek handed him a clean shirt and neck flushed, Jackson slipped it on. Flickers of embarrassment followed by a spike of arousal and a wave of guilt hit Derek. He wanted to ask but decided against it. Part of him was sure Jackson wouldn't appreciate the emotion stalking as it was.
Derek grabbed the shovel from the back porch and met Jackson in the front yard. His eyes were rimmed red and he still looked miserable but Derek wasn't getting any emotions from him so he guessed that Jackson was calming down.
"There's a nice place this way," Derek said, tilting his head. Jackson clutched the white towel closer and nodded. The tiny clearing wasn't far and Derek paid close attention to Jackson's breathing and heart as they walked. Breaths were shallower than normal but his heart rate was normal. Derek was fairly sure he'd come out of all of this okay. He hoped so. "Wherever you want," Derek offered, turning when they arrived. Jackson seemed to consider for a moment before walking closer to an oak tree and setting down the towel. He turned and held out his hand.
"Give me the shovel," he let out. Derek wanted to point out that he could dig a hole easier and faster but instead he handed it over. Jackson bit his lip before he started and Derek leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. Jackson wasn't broadcasting enough for him to keep himself in control and the way that the muscles in his back and shoulders were moving was not helping either. It was wrong on so many levels but Derek couldn't help it. The wolf inside didn't care what was happening. It wanted to mate. Fists clenched, Derek tried in vain to distract himself.
"Derek?" Jackson questioned. Derek's eyes snapped open.
"You okay?" he asked immediately.
"Yeah," Jackson said, shifting the shovel. "I'm done." He examined Derek's face for a moment. "Are you okay?" Derek nodded once.
"I was just somewhere else."
"I'm sorry," Jackson blurted quickly. For a second Derek thought he was apologizing for being so damn attractive but that couldn't be right.
"For what?" he asked.
"You know…" Jackson mumbled, "everything." Derek frowned.
"This isn't your fault."
"Hm," Jackson let out, neither confirming nor denying. He passed Derek and headed back towards the house, shovel over one shoulder. Derek followed him, debating what he was supposed to say. The whole thing was so complicated it was getting tiresome. Worse still he actually was coming to care for the boy and that had nothing to do with the mark. But it was a lot for Jackson to take in. Maybe he needed some time. Maybe Derek needed a reality check. Him trying to have any kind of relationship was ridiculous in the first place. Not to mention it was with a human. A male human. Bound for life? Didn't sound good. He hardly knew him. And if Derek made the second mark, as in bit him while they mated, it was all over. Not to mention…he had an alpha to kill and a pup to train.
Jackson leaned the shovel against a tree and got into his car without another word or glance spared. Derek watched him drive off as the internal war continued. He didn't even know what he wanted. Not that that really mattered because he most likely had to do the opposite of that. He went inside and got rid of Jackson's ruined shirt before cleaning up the bathroom and heading back downstairs. He worked out until his entire body ached which wouldn't last long but took a long time to be achieved. Derek walked back upstairs slowly. He turned on the shower and his hands were literally at the hem of his shirt, ready to pull it off, when it occurred to him to be worried. Jackson had been broadcasting left and right and then he just stopped? And what was that right before he left? Apologizing? For what? Derek was on the road before he realized that he'd left the shower on but it hardly mattered at this point. He drove to Jackson's house but of course he wasn't there. Next was the school. He peeled to a stop right in front of the building just in time for people to start flooding from the doors. He waited before realizing that Jackson had practice. He wouldn't be coming out. Cursing, Derek pulled into a visitor spot before jogging towards the practice field.
Jackson wasn't on the field. He stood on the edge of it. A red headed girl was wrapped all over him. Derek's stomach dropped but he still searched Jackson's face, needing to make sure he was alright. Jackson smiled softly and the girl planted a kiss on his cheek before slapping his butt. Jackson tugged on his helmet and jogged onto the field. Derek couldn't help but feel used. And stupid. Of course Jackson had a girlfriend. All Derek had done was intrude on a life already in progress. He took a deep shuddering breath and left before Scott or Stiles could spot him. Jackson, he was sure, was all too indifferent to his presence. At least it hadn't gone too far. It was the only consolation Derek could come up with. After all he'd gone and launched himself head first into what had been a mistake in the first place. Hadn't he learned that feelings only fucked you up?
A/N: Bam! I'm proud of myself. :)
Hopefully this wasn't too confusing? The whole mating thing is a bit complicated in my head and if I tried to actually explain it I think it wouldn't go well. If you have any questions go ahead and ask and I will try my best!
