Around noon on Wednesday Scott pulled into a small parking lot with a huge black truck in it that seemed to shrink everything around it. Off to one side was a small little cabin with a sign that read 'Main Office', it was a small little cottage style cabin decorated in dark browns and greens like the forest around it, white crown molding bordered its edges and made the cabin look like a frosted gingerbread house. Around the front was a small trail that led behind the office and which dove deep into the woods and then forked away into six different trails. The scattering of cabins were called The Witch Wood Cabins and Camping Grounds, named after the woods that surrounded the lake, which itself was named Lago Dulce. The area was thickly wooded and the cabins could only be found down a dirt road that bumped and dipped for miles before finally pulling into the front of the main office.
Scott pulled Derek's Camaro next to the familiar looking truck and killed the engine. Danny was asleep in the passenger seat, lightly snoring and curled up, in what Scott could only assume was a painful position next to the window. Scott pulled out his cell phone and dialed Derek's number, it went straight to voice mail, 'He must have it off'' thought Scott. He climbed out of the car and walked to the front desk. The office was small, really small, there were only a few feet from the door to the front desk, most of the space was on the other side of the counter and was occupied by a giant desk, a refrigerator, a television, and then stretched on past a door way into other rooms.
Scott stood there for a few minutes before walking to the counter and looking around it. There was no bell on the counter, or above the door, and nothing to announce his presence. "Hello…" he called out and waited for a response but got none. He sighed in frustration before walking out of the office and back to the car, he checked on Danny through the window but he was still asleep. Scott stood and stretched, the drive had been a long one, Derek said the lake was only four hours away, which was true, if you already knew how to get there, but Scott hadn't, and it took him literally forever to find it, even with the GPS map on his cell phone.
Scott walked down the trail behind the main office, when he reached the fork in the road he looked down each path in the hopes of seeing anything that would tell him where the fuck Derek was. Luckily there were signs that said which trial led to which numbered cabin. Derek had told Scott which cabin they were staying in…Scott just couldn't remember which on he said it was. He knew Derek liked privacy and knew Derek had rented out two cabins, that probably meant he rented out one of the far cabins with no neighbor on one side rather than the middle ones which had neighbors on both sides…maybe. He sighed and took the farthest right trail.
Scott walked for several minutes down the quite lonely trail, he looked down as he walked and followed the trail of broken light made up by the leaves in the trees, they gave the illusion of stained glass that swayed and swirled when the wind blew and changed the ground beneath Scott's feet. He could hear the birds chirping and the strange sound of twigs snapping and was reminded how far from civilizations they were. Scott never understood why people went camping, it was creepy, a person alone in the woods surrounded by the unknown…
He finally crested over a small hill and came into view of a small cabin. It looked like the gingerbread main office and was surrounded by a small patch of bright flowers, 'probably planted to cheer up the creepy woods' thought Scott. He walked up to one of the windows and looked inside, his view was that of the whole cabin the kitchen, living room and bed rooms were all one space, and while it looked a bit like a motel room, it had a cozier more home like feel, it wasn't bad. On the bed closest to the door Scott could see Derek, he lucked out. He knocked on the front door and waited, then knocked a bit louder and heard someone stirring inside. The door slowly creaked open and Derek's sleep mussed head peered through the small opening. He scowled when he saw Scott, closed the door and stepped out a few minutes later.
"Your late," were the first words out of Derek's mouth and like usual Scott felt thoroughly chastised, "Don't worry about it though, I bet you got lost," as Derek talked he walked down the path back towards the parking lot, "we got lost too, for like hours, we didn't make it back here till this morning," Derek opened his mouth in a large yawn and then smiled privately.
Scott was surprised to see him so calm, he was usually all wound up and angry, but here he seemed…happy? He even looked lighter, brighter, his tail flicked left and right where it hung behind him, usually Derek kept his demonic aspects hidden from view, Scott was suddenly not as afraid and also more so. They finally made it back to the parking lot, Danny was still snoring and slowly drooling on the window.
"I thought I told you to come alone," said Derek giving Scott an appraising look.
"No…you said be careful I wasn't followed,"
"Did he tell anyone where he was going?"
"…I don't know," and it was true, he had no idea if Danny let anyone know he was leaving.
Derek just hummed and walked over to his car, checked out the body, the paint job, the tires, and rubbed his thumb on certain places on the windshield, but if he saw something wrong he didn't say. He then opened the trunk and helped Scott pull out the things he'd brought along, Danny's two bags of clothes, and Scott's one, plus the massive bags of junk food Scott had bough at a gas station on his drive over. Scott knocked on Danny's window and the boy flinched awake, he shook his head and yawned wide before stepping out of the car. Danny looked around and blushed when his eyes landed on Derek, the demonic had always been his go to fantasy guy, tall dark and incredibly muscled, and the man had seen him drooling, and that was embarrassing as fuck.
"Hi," was all Danny could think of saying as he blushed furiously. Derek hadn't noticed, Scott had and scowled, he shot Danny a look and the other boy rolled his eyes, he had no interest in the man…he just thought he was hot…extremely so.
With bags in hand the three men made their way back down the trial, when they reached the fork, rather than going to cabin number six, Jackson's cabin, they went to number five, Scott's cabin. The trail was very much the same and if one was careful and observant they could even see the other cabins through the trees, they were far away enough to offer privacy, but not so much as to make the place seem deserted. No one spoke as they walked Scott anxious and suddenly nervous, he never thought he would have to compete with Derek for Danny's attention. Danny could tell that Scott had gone to his dark place, he'd been around Jackson enough to know when someone did…and for the first time in a long time Danny was reminded that he and Jackson had once been best friends, had shared everything with each other, and Danny couldn't remember when that had stopped. It might have been when Jackson turned sixteen and never came into his spiritual being, it might have been when Danny started spending more time with Scott's group rather than Jackson's group, or it might have been when he chose sex with Scott over friendship with Jackson.
They made it to the cabin, Derek had left the windows open when he stocked it with food and the inside was pleasantly cool and cozy compared to how stuffy it had been when Derek first opened it.
"So are you two sharing a bed or what?" Derek shot each boy a sly look and crooked smile. Each boy blushed, but didn't respond. Derek huffed out his humor and threw the bags of junk food on the kitchen table while Scott and Danny placed their bags of clothes on a bed.
"You should unpack, I'll go wake the Jackson and Stiles and then we can get something to eat."
"What are they doing here, for that matter what are we doing here Derek, not that I'm not glad you called me or anything…it just so sudden."
"Think of it as a vacation," was all Derek said and smiled, to Scott that was the creepiest thing the older man could have done, Danny thought he looked incredibly handsome.
The two boys unpacked their bags while Derek trekked the small wooded area between each house. Derek was actually glad Scott had brought someone to keep him busy, he wanted to spend the time with Jackson. Stiles was still there but the two boys had grown close fast and Derek didn't want to come between that. As he approached the small cabin Derek could here noises from within.
"Just do it before Derek gets back I don't want him to stop us or anything,"
"Jackson I don't think…I mean what if I hurt you, what if I do something wrong—"
"Jesus Stiles you act as if this were your first time just do—OWWW, what the fuck dude!"
"You said just do it!"
"Yeah but slow come on…this doesn't feel too bad though…after the initial shock."
"Shut up, don't move, don't even breath, I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing."
Derek took a deep breath and slowly opened the door, Jackson was sitting on his bed shirtless, wings spread high and wide. Stiles sat behind him and was slowly rubbing his hand in circles around Jackson's wing joint, his hand was glowing a bright green.
"What are you doing…" Derek felt awkward, he really didn't know what was going on, for all he knew it was some weird angelic thing.
"Jackson asked me to heal his pulled wing muscle, now stop talking I need totally focus—and holy shit I'm hungry."
Stiles pulled his hand away and tapped on Jackson back before getting off the bed and washing his hands in the kitchen sink. Jackson stretched his wings and flapped them, Derek felt the strong gust from where he stood. He walked into the room while Jackson tested out his muscles and their renewed range. Derek didn't want to pass over a shirtless Jackson, so as the boy stretched his wings high up and out—Jackson had actually caught Derek looking and decided to encourage the lustful gaze—Derek pounced and trapped Jackson beneath him before attacking the boy's mouth. Stiles snorted and stood awkwardly in the room before deciding to hide out in the bathroom while the two went at it.
It was a knock on the door that finally tore the two apart. Derek rose and called Stiles out of the bathroom before opening the door for Danny and Scott, Jackson wiped the saliva off his mouth while he pulled a shirt out from one of the dressers he'd stuffed them in. Jackson pulled the shirt over his head before struggling to stuff his wings into it, all pre-made wing holes were too small and Jackson had to cut them larger to accommodate his new appendages. Danny and Scott watched as Jackson twisted and turned but failed to get his wings through the shirt.
"Stop, your gonna pull another muscle and I'm not going to heal it if you do," said Stiles with that annoyed look on his face, the one that told Jackson that there was no way they had become close friends, especially when he acted the way he did, it was the same look Danny used to get…
"I know, shut up…Derek…mind giving me a hand…" They both briefly looked at each other before Derek walked up behind Jackson and helped the wings through the shirt, Jackson could finally finish rolling it down his body, both men were blushing shyly. Stiles was the only one who realized that something important had happened; it wasn't that Derek hadn't touched Jackson's wings before, shit the things Jackson had told him Derek had done to his wings gave him…ideas…for days…No this was different for the fact that it was the first time Jackson had asked Derek to touch his wings in public, and for angelics that was huge, it was the same as a public announcement of love, Jackson knew that, Derek knew that.
"So," started Jackson hoping the burning in his face would go away, "what are we eating?"
Derek smiled, his own face taking on a slight shade of red, "Well I think I saw—"
"NO," interrupted Stiles, "this is my lake! I know the area, I decide were we eat!" No one spoke after Stiles' temper tantrum, except for Jackson, he snorted and laughed, hard. Stiles shot him a scathing look but that didn't stop Jackson.
"So where do you wan to eat then bitch, I'm hungry,"
"There's a small restaurant like half an hour from here, its great. It's like a diner but better."
"Well…I guess it's decided. We can take my car," said Derek as they all walked out of the small cabin.
When they reached the car they realized that that wasn't going to work, Jackson's wings wouldn't fit.
"Just put them away," said Scott and Jackson gave him a look, the one that said he couldn't believe how stupid Scott was. Jackson did try and for a second it worked, his wings disappeared, only to reappear painfully. Jackson cringed and Derek gave Scott a dirty look.
They all piled into Jackson truck, three in the front, and Jackson and Stiles in the camper. Derek set off back the way they came as Stiles gave him directions through the small window in the back. He found the restaurant easily enough, there were signs for it running all along the road. Everyone piled out and looked at the small diner, it was called Tina's and had that strange 1950's feel to it.
They entered and sat while the waitress pulled out menus. She was a young girl who kept staring at Jackson with hungry eyes, Jackson for his part hadn't noticed, people always seemed to look at him that way. Derek had noticed and when the girl turned to him he glared and the girl fled. An awkward silence fell across the table as the four guys waited for their food. Stiles was kind of angry thinking that he had to spend the next week with two fucking couples, it sounded like the worst torture, though Jackson was doing his best not to couple off with Derek constantly, which he was absolutely grateful for. Scott was busy trying to figure out how he could get Danny to forgive him, yes he'd handled the break up wrong, and yes he had essential cheated on Allison with Danny, but he was in love with the boy and not with Allison, wasn't that enough? Danny wished he hadn't fucked up so bad with Jackson, they had been through too much to let their friendship peter out just because they were pulled in opposite directions. No, that hadn't happened, the truth was Danny had fled in the opposite direction and didn't care if he left Jackson behind. But, seeing Jackson and Stiles together, BFF's and shit, it made him disgustingly jealous. It should have been him, but it wasn't, and he had no one to blame but himself. Derek wanted to keep his soon to be husband safe, and he had no clue how to do it. Derek wanted to know what was going on in his town, and didn't know how to do it…and he still had a certain question he still had to…pop, and didn't know how to do it.
Jackson too was thinking of his town, he thought of the poor sheriff with too much on his plate, he thought of the hospital and how well it ran, and realized that there was something there. The hospital was privately run, oddly enough, there were no public ones around Beacon Hills, it used to be public but for some reason it wasn't anymore. Jackson knew what was happening but really couldn't believe it, for some reason or another, public facilities around town were denying spirituals positions of any kind, it just so happened to be most obvious at the police station. The hospital had gone private in an attempt to keep the towns meddling fingers out, it allowed them to keep their staff and all the spirituals but also made it exceedingly expensive to run. The spiritual families around Beacon Hills often held fund raisers to keep its doors opened and so far it had worked, but who knew for how long. Jackson mulled over all this as their food was brought out and everyone dug in.
After the meal all four spirituals walked out of the diner sate and ready for something else. Stiles suggested heading back to the cabins and taking the short hike to the lake, this way they could know the way for when they decided they wanted to go swimming. The ride back was faster, since Derek had already memorized the way, they spent the time listening to the music on Jackson's ipod since Derek and Jackson shared the same taste. They split up at the cabins since Scott wanted to change his shirt, he got ketchup all over it, and Stiles and Jackson wanted to use the bathroom. Derek and Danny waited for the two on the trail that led off to the lake, it was awkward, both were painfully aware of it.
"So…Scott really likes being part of your family…He loves using your last name when we go out, like at the magic shop and stuff…" Danny wished he'd kept his mouth shut, he sounded like an idiot. Derek smiled at him though, he was going out of his way to be friendly to him and it just made Danny find him even hotter.
"Well I'm glad…I just wished he tried to be a bit…harder. He seems completely content on being average, there's nothing wrong with that, but I know he could do so much more. "
"That's true, he barely knows how to handle normal things, when a challenge appears he seems to just flail around and hope for the best, it normally works out okay for him though…"
Derek turned to him and gave that strange smile, the I-know-more-than-you-think smile, "Is that what he's doing with you, trying to win you back but failing miserably."
Danny blushed, so they were obvious, great, "Well…I like him, I do, I have for a long time. But I think the way we started our relationship was all wrong, we—I mean he was dating Allison, and I knew, but I didn't care, because the sex was great..." Danny felt like the biggest idiot saying that, but it was true, he'd stuck around for the sex, the feelings came later, but they came without a doubt. Danny always thought it was impossible to separate sex from emotion, especially if you have it with the same person over and over gain, it was why he stuck to one night stands, though the pickings in Beacon Hills were always slim, thank god for the internet.
"We got drunk one day, and like drunk people do, we made a rash decision. So we slept together and we said that as long as it only happened once no one needed to know,"
"Except it didn't happen only once did it?"
Danny huffed, "No it didn't, and before I knew it we were basically dating. Except without the dates or the PDA and all the stuff I love but Scott was unwilling to do, yet. Then one day he just breaks up with Allison and used me as like and accusation or something. I hated it, all the attention I got, people couldn't believe I would do something like that, come between a couple…and neither could I…"
"Well…I know a thing or two about starting a relationship wrong," Derek shook his head when he remembered the weird way he and Jackson had seduced each other, " if you're able to just talk and get all pretenses out of the way you might find yourself willing to try again. Once the bullshits laid bare it becomes easier to try for real, towards a relationship…" Danny smiled at Derek, he didn't really understand but thought maybe he was right, maybe he and Scott could still work things out and be happy, maybe.
Finally, when everyone was ready, the four spirituals made their way down the trail towards the lake. The sun was still high and the day was hot, hotter than they were used to, their home town tends to be cold and they were dressed accordingly, except for Jackson, he was too annoyed trying to cram his wings through his clothes that he didn't bother layering. They walked down the path and shed clothes as they went and finally fifteen minutes later made it to the dark waters of Lago Dulce. It was huge, it was cool, and it was beautiful.
They mulled around its muddy edges in silence while they stared out at the large expanse of water. The water was perfectly still and shone like a mirror reflecting the world back at them, upside down. Jackson went to Derek and without thinking about it, if he thought about it he wouldn't do it, so he didn't, he just grabbed Derek's hand and interlocked their fingers. Derek squeezed his hand hard and Jackson felt himself relaxing, the other three boys were busy skipping rocks across the water and seeing who could throw it farthest. All of Danny's rocks kept sinking the instant he threw them, Scott's skipped twice before sinking beneath the water, Stiles was the only one who knew how to do it, he showed the others how to hold the rock so that when they threw it the rock would spin and skip far.
Jackson looked at Derek and for the first time in a long time, just allowed himself to study the man's face, the angular bones and dark shading of hair. Jackson really thought he was amazing looking, rugged and manly, and yet Jackson knew he was gentle and kind. It was a strange dichotomy, Derek's angry and cruel outside and his kind and loving inside. It reminded Jackson of himself, his kind looking and beautiful outside and his dark and damaged inside. Jackson laughed to himself feeling a tinge of his inner darkness taint the world around him, he was so happy, he realized, or at least he had been. He was with his friends in a place far from the "real world", a place were they could finally just be themselves and enjoy each other without being afraid of being judged or bothered or anything really…Jackson didn't deserve it, at least he felt he didn't…but only sometimes, when he was at his darkest…He felt the brush of Derek's fingers on the inside of his hand and with that he felt his dark thoughts vanish from his mind. He and Derek were good, and now they would finally get to spend some time together, finally.
When the sun set, they all walked back to the cabins, Danny and Scott ran ahead as Scott chased Danny, they had their ephemeral parts out, Danny's wings flapped behind him as he ran and his halo shone bright and strong. Scott's stubby horns were out, his tail swished behind him as he ran. Jackson had an arm thrown over Stiles' shoulder, he was happy, and he wanted to share it with everyone, they were laughing now, Jackson told Stiles he was in love with Derek and Stiles asked Jackson if he was drunk, Jackson said he was, on love. They laughed at how ridiculous Jackson sounded. Derek brought up the rear and watched his mate shine with happiness, his halo cast a bright orange light across the whole forest and lit it like a miniature sun. Derek couldn't believe how beautiful he was.
When they reached the branch in the trials that led to each cabin the group parted, Derek, Scott, and Danny to one side while Jackson and Stiles went to the other.
"So…there's food in each cabin so we can have breakfast there, then I think we can spend the day at the lake does that sound good?" Derek asked and everyone agreed. Danny and Scott waved at Jackson and Stiles and started down the path, Derek turned but Jackson grabbed his hand.
"You haven't properly said good bye to me," said Jackson a suggestive tilt to his voice.
"Oh," said Derek, "what did you have in mind exactly," he wrapped his arms around the by and pulled him close, Jackson smiled before leaning in and pressing his lips against the older mans. The kiss was far too short for Derek, it left him frustrated and hungry, and the worst part was he knew that was exactly what Jackson wanted. Derek growled and Jackson laughed before throwing an arm around Stiles and walking away. Derek turned around and ignored the shocked look on Scott and Danny's face, but couldn't keep the smile off his own face.
"What the fuck was that!?" Called Scott from somewhere behind Derek, the older man just ignored him, he was thinking of the things he and Jackson could do, all the places they could go to be alone and enjoy each others company, Derek laughed, yes, he wanted to 'enjoy' Jackson's company more than anything. He reached the cabin and unlocked the door before walking in and grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge.
Scott ran in after him and just stared with his mouth hanging open. Danny entered behind him and closed the door, he too looked utterly confused. Derek couldn't help the strange sort of amusement that brought him, again this was another example of Jackson controlling everyone and everything around him. Derek didn't know what he was trying to tell which boy, but he thought maybe he just wanted to show them he was happy.
Stiles dreamt of water that night, he dreamt of his mother dipping him into the lake as a child, she held him across the chest and slowly lowered him and raised him, bounced him on the crystalline surface, this was before then, before she was…Clang. Stiles remembered how she laughed, they way it rang around the forest, made the light brighter, and the air lighter, Stiles always laughed back with pure joy, something he wasn't sure he was capable of anymore. Clang. He dreamt of his father dressed in black and crying, clutching an empty bottle. They were in their house, in the kitchen, the room was dark, his father looked at him and his face contorted, he let out another anguished sob, in sadness and hatred, Stiles always felt his father blamed him for his mother's death. Clang. The shadows from outside stretched in through the window and made a grab for Stiles, he ran, stumbled up the stairs and hit his head, and fell into his room. He breathed and stared up at the ceiling and watched as the sun rose from outside, he cried. Clang. Stiles opened his eyes and saw Jackson, they were still new friends then, were still learning about each other, Stiles was always surprised by things he learned about the angelic, how much in common they actually had, he and Jackson were solid now and Stiles cherished his friendship. He remembered Jackson had taken him to the school he worked at; the kids went crazy when they saw his newly manifested wings, they touched and prodded and pulled, and Jackson just laughed and chased them and picked them over his head, his halo shone so bright, a crown kissed by the sun, and for a brief second Stiles had been reminded of his mother, and together they laughed and played. Clang. Stiles' dreamed warped, it twisted and pulled around itself and suddenly he was trapped in the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. He watched as someone slowly sealed him off behind a wall, brick by brick, until all that was left was the tiniest source of light which died when the final brick was shoved into place. Stiles watched as a fucking orangutan lurched towards him, and pounced and trashed and ripped at his flesh, his wings, Stiles couldn't get away until he landed on the ocean, there, a man cried for his wife, oh his poor Annabel Lee, Stiles felt the ground beneath him suck him under and push him out beneath a house, there above him, the slow trickle of blood from the still beating heart. Clang. He ran up the stairs, through a dark house, as he reached the front door he heard the cry of 'nevermore'. He pushed the door open and all he heard was the tolling of the bells, alarum bells, what a tale of terror now their turbulence foretells! CLANG.
Stiles opened his eyes as the dream disappeared. He was in the cabin alone, Jackson's bed was made and empty, Stiles groaned when he heard it again, Clang. He got out of bed and saw on the kitchen table, his breakfast. He noticed the note next to the plate, "Hey bitch, come out side and watch me kick Derek's ass!" Stiles chuckled and grabbed his breakfast. Outside he walked a few feet into the woods, all he had to do was follow the sound of steel on steel. He found the couple in the center of the woods, inside a clearing. They were going at each other with all their strength, Jackson swung his long sword around him while Derek tried to break through his defenses. Jackson had his dark cloak thrown on the floor and his silver armor shone in the light and blinded Stiles. His huge black wings constantly moved, they helped Jackson keep balance as he swung his sword and danced around the clearing. Derek raised his hand and the ground burst into thick mud, Jackson started sinking into it, he struggled and Derek ran straight at him, Jackson flapped his wings and a wave of mud hit Derek straight in the face, knocking him back. Jackson flapped his wings downward and launched himself into the sky, Stiles watched amazed, as Jackson jumped out of the mud and landed in front of Derek just as the man wiped the mud off his face, Jackson swung, Derek caught the sword on the long teeth of his own sword and they wrestled.
Both men were huffing and puffing, Derek had a deep scowl on his face, Jackson had a sly grin on his. "Want to see my new trick," asked Jackson waggling his eyebrows at the older man, Derek's tail whipped out and wrapped around the boys neck. Jackson let it happen, he brought his hand up and then down right across the blade of his sword breaking it two. He grabbed the other piece and brought it straight across Derek's tail, the older man hissed and pushed Jackson away. Jackson spun and in his hands he held his twin short swords, Heaven and Hell he called them, Jackson danced.
Derek was pushed back as Jackson's light speed blows rained down all around him, Stiles could see the small nicks and cuts as blood slowly oozed out of them. Derek turned to magic again, he summoned a blaze of fire into his hands and sent a stream shooting straight at Jackson, Stiles was reminded of a flame thrower, it hit Jackson square in the face, and he didn't even flinch. No, Jackson caught fire, his cloak disappeared off the ground and reappeared on him and it blazed. Jackson's wings caught fire along with his halo and his attacks never relented. Derek summoned more fire and blasted it everywhere, Stiles heard someone behind him gasp. Scott and Danny had come straight from bed, their hair was disheveled and they only had pajama bottoms on.
Suddenly Stiles felt a heat wave crash over him, he raised a small magical shield with his hybrid grace. Derek had turned the ground to molten lava, Jackson's armor slowly began to glow red, he raised his wings up high and with on solid flap he launched himself into the sky. Jackson flew high and with a powerful gust from his wings and a little grace, Jackson cooled the lava to black ash. Derek leaped and swung his sword Jackson just flew higher. Stiles couldn't turn away, angelics couldn't fly, that's what they had been told all their lives, the last flying angelics had died long ago…
Jackson dove and kicked Derek right in the center of his chest and sent him flying against a tree, Jackson was there suddenly Heaven and Hell were held against Derek's throat, crossed in an X trapping the mans head.
"Your dead," said Jackson and dove in for a kiss, never releasing his swords or the man's head, he dominated, he won, that was his right. Stiles tried hard not to notice the way Derek's tail curled around Jackson's thigh and squeezed, or the tiny little drop of shiny oil that appeared on the surface of Jackson's feathers. Instead, he turned his head and saw the awkward way Scott and Danny stood around, Stiles realized that seeing Derek and Jackson together was a vision of the way the two boys could be.
Jackson finally removed his swords from around Derek's neck and remade his long sword, God's Wrath. Finstock told Jackson that all the best swords men named their weapons, so Jackson agonized over what to name his, he was happy with what he came up with, of course he hadn't told anyone.
Derek laughed and allowed his armor to fade away, Jackson did the same. Then Jackson lifted his hand, and with a small amount of grace, remade the forest around them, he called on nature and allowed it to blossom like it never had before. The ash from the lava made the best fertilizer and strong trees and flowers sprouted from the black ground, lush green grass grew out as well.
Jackson turned to Stiles, "See, told you I'd kick his ass." Jackson nodded, as if that was the only possibility, Derek just smiled and shook his head, Danny and Scott were at a loss for words.
"Alright everyone get dressed, I'll make some sandwiches and bring a couple of the things Scott brought and we can spend the day at the lake," said Derek as he walked towards Scott. Jackson threw his arm around Stiles and walked away, Derek watched them go with a smile on his face. The fight had been completely exhilarating and fucking sexy as hell, he shook his head to clear his thoughts and walked through the woods to get back to the cabin, the other two boys followed close behind.
"So…are you ever going to tell me what that's about," asked Scott, he was pissed and he wasn't really sure why. Maybe it was seeing Jackson fight like an expert swordsman, or his full set of arm, or the way he did magic as if it were the simplest thing in the world, or the fact that once in his life Scott thought he was amazing and was once again out shone by that fucking jock…So maybe he was a little bitter, but Jackson was an ass, he didn't deserve it, not the way Scott did. Then again Scott never studied like he knew Jackson did, and he never practiced his swordplay, like the hours he knew Jackson put in, or that fact that Jackson's angelic powers had been sealed away and released so suddenly he almost died…'Shit', so Scott didn't really have a leg to stand on but…he deserved it more, didn't he?
"He can fly…" Danny was stunned, his mother had told him stories, made him promise never to repeat them, and Danny never had, not even to Jackson. She told him that long ago angelics didn't have to take the jobs they were forced into now, they didn't have to be doctors, or priest, or therapists, no, she said that long ago there were a group of angelics that roamed the land cleansing the earth of everything that was evil and full of sin. They purified the land, she said, and each one of them had a special talent. Some of them could forgive all mortal sins, other could pass judgment on a human soul and send it either to heaven or hell, cure all mortal illnesses, and even give prophecies from God himself. She said that these angelics were born from real angels, the archangels themselves, that they could fly and feel Gods heavenly presence. Danny had always thought his mother was a religious nut, though she never stopped loving him, never bat an eyelash at his coming out, she even seemed to have expected it…
The water was cold when Derek jumped in, but the day was hot and that made the cool waters exquisite. Scott and Stiles were busy splashing each other as hard as they could, Danny swam far into the center of the lake and dove down beneath its mirrored surface and disappeared. Jackson sat on the edge of lake watching them, because of his wings he couldn't get in the water, but he could wet his feet. Derek hadn't wanted to leave him but Jackson insisted, practically forced Derek into the water. The older man swam a few laps before he got bored. He swam back to the muddy edge and to Jackson.
"You know you don't have to be here because of me,"
"I know but I got bored of swimming laps,"
"Go play with Scott," said Jackson and smiled, Derek rolled his eyes before sitting next to the angelic. The two watched the other boy's rough housing and playing. Danny would swim beneath the surface and grab one of the boys and pull them down, Scott and Stiles were busy trying to wrestle Danny to the surface. Jackson stretched his wings and allowed them to settle over Derek's shoulder. They stayed for hours and ate Derek's huge sandwiches, the man stuffed as much meat as he could between the two slices of bread and they were almost impossible to eat. They ate Scott's junk food and drank all their soda that first day, they decided that tomorrow they would visit the small town near the lake and do some shopping. It was a tourist town, though Stiles didn't remember why.
Jackson decided that he had the best idea in the world, "Hey Stiles…want to know what its like to fly…" Stiles looked at the boy and frantically shook his head. Jackson grabbed Stiles around the chest as hard as he could before he launched himself straight into the sky, Stiles screamed. And when Jackson dove towards the lake he whooped. When he landed Scott and Danny were there and Jackson felt he had to give them a ride as well, which he did. He saved Derek for last, he launched into the sky as hard as he could and when he saw the lake shrink below him he bent backwards and dove.
When the sun had set and the woods grew dark they set back to their cabins, Danny and Scott were holding hands and Stiles actually didn't care, that made him smile. Derek and Jackson padded behind them and when they reached the fork in the trail they leaned in and kissed. Tomorrow they would head to the tourist town and enjoy any sights they had to offer and Derek couldn't wait, because he had a plan, he would make this the best vacation Jackson had ever had and on Tuesday, before they left, Derek would ask Jackson to marry him, and everything would be okay, because it had to be, it just did.