Title: Mental Sparkles and a Dog Named Wolf
Author: Starhawk (StarAndrea)
Chapter Rating: M
7) Apparent Weightlessness and Artificial Gravity
He couldn't actually remember when Jungle Karma Pizza opened in the morning, but he had the number in his cell and he thought someone might pick up if he called the kitchen. RJ or Jarrod, it wouldn't really matter which. As long as someone came to the door and let him talk.
When the wolf appeared next to him in the courtyard, Casey knew he was golden.
He also knew he shouldn't be doing this. Kevin hadn't come back last night, and Casey was running on fumes. He wasn't going to school--he'd be a magnet for every fleeting thing, and they would all blow up into something inevitable and unmistakable. He shouldn't be here either. RJ probably couldn't even help him.
And if he could, their little flirtation would be over two days after it began. RJ wasn't ready for that, but Casey wouldn't be able to help it. Really, though, how fun could he be? He was just another guy with weird friends and an exotic pet he wanted to hide from the authorities. A one-time boost was probably as good as it got. If that.
"Greetings," RJ said, opening the door in front of him. Casey blinked at him, a little fuzzy, and he added, "You looked like you were having trouble deciding whether to come in or not."
"Wasn't sure you were open." Casey could feel the wolf pressed up against his leg, and that reminded him he should be patting it. His hand found the wolf's head, fingers scritching absently, and RJ was pointing at something.
The "open" sign.
"Are you all right?" RJ's voice sounded funny, and Casey wasn't sure what the question meant but he could feel the wolf's sharp focus like fresh air on his face. He turned toward the animal instinctively, stopped only by RJ's hand on his arm. "You look tired."
Casey looked down at his hand, then frowned up at his face. "Sorry, what?"
RJ was worried. Already. Casey hadn't even said anything, and RJ was worried about him. It felt good. And when RJ said, "Come in," without taking his hand off of Casey's arm, Casey followed that feeling like a moth to a flame.
A very large, flame retardant, light-eating moth.
"You did... sleep last night?" RJ was asking. His tone was light, but the wolf was still pressed up against Casey and he had to take an extra step to keep his balance. RJ's hand tightened on his arm--
Something sparked in his head. Something like waking up, like when the alarm went off and he knew he was late. He wasn't even aware of turning into RJ, of grabbing hold of his shirt, but he knew he was leaning into him when he demanded, "What did you just do?"
Fear. RJ was afraid. But not just afraid, and the fear wasn't of Casey. He was shocked. He was excited. A dizzying flush of response radiated from the calmest man on earth and Casey pressed closer, kissing him hungrily. Keep going. Don't stop. Show me what you've got.
He felt hands on his shoulders, felt himself not being pushed away, felt RJ kissing him like he'd just found the thing he was looking for. Who knew what that was about. Who cared. He needed more, he needed something to fill empty reserves: alarm or fear or anything else. Anything else at all.
"You're not normal," Casey whispered, careful to keep his tone from giving everything away even as his teeth grazed RJ's lip. "You and your wolf--" He ran his fingernails over shoulderblades covered only by a thin t-shirt. "What do you do, double-team the non-magicals?"
Sure enough, RJ's fear spiked. But he liked the petting; he liked teeth, and the scratching made his whole body tremble. He was breathing hard, one little sliver of very noticeably absent focus poking at Casey as the man tried to stay quiet. Tried not to make any noise. Tried not to shake and failed, concentrated harder...
Drawing his attention away from Casey.
"I'm not normal either," Casey breathed in his ear. Fingernails bit into RJ's back and a tiny whimper made it past his guard. "You can keep your secrets, RJ. I just want you."
That was what he wanted to hear. It wasn't fear that surged in RJ's mind now. His thoughts were everywhere--into everything about Casey, from his hands to his mouth to how his hair would feel under someone else's fingers. Fear was fast and creepy, if terribly strong, but this...
This was desire. Casey pushed him harder, backing RJ into a table, lifting both hands to his face instead when a flash of irritation let him know this wolf didn't like to be cornered. Casey forced his fingers to be gentle in the too-long hair, leaning in to let his teeth graze that mouth again.
And RJ arched against him. He was panting, so close to a moan that Casey bit his lip without thinking. RJ shuddered, silent except for his breath, but Casey could feel the heat raging in his mind. He could feel the concentration, the confusion, the overarching sense of fuck everything, I just want this.
He'd be an amazing lay. Casey should have backed off as soon as he realized, should have made nice and apologized and pretended chagrin, because RJ didn't just want him. RJ was willing to want him. RJ had emotions like the sun under that absent-minded exterior, and right now they were burning so bright Casey couldn't look away.
He was hungry. He was so hungry; he couldn't back off. Even the promise of more later if he didn't alienate RJ now wasn't enough to make him stop because he had this now. He had RJ's undivided attention. He had lust and love and protection, recognition, fear for him when a bell sounded somewhere and RJ turned his head, cupping the back of Casey's and pressing it against his neck.
Casey kissed his skin, breathing in warmth and ferociousness as RJ snarled. He liked it. He liked the vibration and the pressure against his back as RJ pulled him closer, startlingly strong. He didn't know what RJ thought the threat was, but he liked being defended and he heard the wolf growl and then Jarrod's voice--
Casey stiffened. He should have known Jarrod was there. He should have been able to tell. He was too out of it tonight--today--to be risking a long-term hunt with an idle attack like this.
On the other hand, he hadn't known it could be a long-term hunt until RJ had lit up like a feast of fire under his hands. He should have kissed him last night. He should have walked him home last night, come inside, and made out with him like this. Just sleeping with RJ probably could have kept him going all day.
"It's fine," RJ was saying. "Casey--"
He'd thought RJ was talking to him, until he said his name and his voice softened. "It's fine," RJ whispered, "it's okay." Then, abruptly, he growled, "Don't. It isn't his fault."
"Then take it out back," Jarrod's voice said evenly. "The restaurant's open, RJ."
The bell. The one on the counter. Jarrod must have hit it when he came out of the kitchen. On purpose, to let them know he was there? Casey hadn't noticed. More than that, he hadn't been aware of the mental crackle until Jarrod's anger made the room light up. RJ obviously felt it too, hackles up as he moved to defend Casey: physically and verbally.
Awesome.
"Sorry," he muttered, letting his forehead rest on RJ's shoulder for a moment. The energy in the room was ridiculous. Two people shouldn't be able to do that, not unless they had serious history. He tried to sound embarrassed as he pulled away. "I'll go."
"No," RJ said sharply. "He has a spirit, Jarrod. I must have... triggered it. Accidentally. The fact that it made him kiss me instead of knock me down means he's more trustworthy, not less. I'd appreciate it if you would... back off."
"He's not exactly apologizing," Jarrod pointed out.
Casey didn't know what they were talking about but he recognized someone trying to make excuses for him when he heard it. "I'm sorry," he repeated, pulling away. RJ released him reluctantly, and Jarrod's focus had cleared his mind enough that he could see what was happening.
Jarrod didn't have a problem with him unless he went too far. RJ liked it when he went too far. RJ owned his place of employment, but Casey reported to Jarrod. Most personal power struggle ever and here he was, in the room with two people who were not only facing off... they were facing off over him.
After a night of frustration and a lot more isolation than he'd counted on, he couldn't have asked for a better start to the day.
"Sit down," RJ said quietly. "We need to talk."
They definitely didn't. RJ was calming down almost preternaturally fast, which was annoying to Casey and apparently reassuring to Jarrod. Which was even more annoying to Casey. Why was everyone around here so quiet?
"You want help?" Jarrod was looking at RJ, not Casey, and Casey didn't know whether he should be offended by the question or not, since he had no idea what it meant. Jarrod was just as weirdly fast to come down, and Casey wondered if it had something to do with the way their energy flared.
"I can't stay," Casey blurted out. He would come back if he could, because they were great when they were on. But if this was even remotely salvageable he couldn't stay now, because trying to wind them up again--and he would, instinctively; he wasn't that satisfied--would pretty much guarantee that it wasn't. "School."
He saw RJ glance in the direction of the clock, saw Jarrod frown, and felt the wolf press up against his leg when he tried to slip away. He curled his fingers around the wolf's ear, patting the back of his head. He deliberately didn't look at RJ.
"Don't do that," Jarrod said sternly, and Casey lifted wide eyes in his direction. When their gazes met, Casey held up his hands. Interesting. Jarrod knew, then, about RJ's connection to his "dog."
"Jarrod." RJ's voice was uncompromising. "It's all right."
Casey would have loved to see another showdown, but he wasn't trying to break them. He wanted the heat that came from friction, not the cold of cracking. He obviously didn't have enough control to keep them on that edge, though, so either he let it explode or he made himself scarce.
"I'll--" He pointed toward the door. "I have to go. I'll... see you this afternoon."
"Casey." RJ stopped him before he could sidle within reach of freedom. "I--your..." He paused, frowning. He seemed aware that he wasn't actually saying anything, and it confused him as much as anything Casey had done. "Will you--are you sure you're not a cat person?"
Casey blinked.
RJ came over to the door, hand lifted as though to stop him. Or say something. Or... touch his face. He laid his hand on Casey's cheek and just stood there for a moment, staring at him. Casey had the uncomfortable feeling that RJ might be looking deeper into him than he really wanted him to go.
"Have a good day at school," RJ said at last.
Casey managed a smile. "Make me some pizza."
RJ had to stop the wolf from following him out the door.
