It's just after midnight when Jackson becomes a drunken mess. His hair is sticking every which way and he can feel his eyes beginning to droop. He stumbles out the front door and takes off into the night. The blonde's legs felt like cement blocks and he knew he was in trouble. He knew he shouldn't have drank this much, but the guilt of his actions from hours before still continued to eat away at him. Jackson takes a sloppy gulp of beer from the bottle that he held in his sweaty palm. Tonight was horrific. All the things that could go wrong, did. He didn't want to reflect on the things that had caused him to drink till he throws up, but the disapproving look on his parent's faces was etched into his mind. No matter how much he drank, he couldn't forget the things he said. Today was one of the most important days of his life and he had fucked it up completely.
Their biggest lacrosse game was today, it was against the undefeated players from Evansville High. The crowd was pumped and Jackson can still remember his ears ringing from the shrieking of the fans. Everyone on the team showed up, no one was sick. Coach was constantly hammering the boys with fear, making them more nervous than ever, just like he always did. Jackson cringes when he thinks about how he had saw Lydia with the captain from the other team. The copious amounts of alcohol causes the guy's name to slip from his mind. Jared? Jake? Jordan? Ah, hell. It wasn't important anyway. What was important was the fact that the captain had been shoving his tongue down Lydia's throat whenever he had the chance. He's not jealous, really, he's not. He just doesn't like it that Lydia's shoving her new boyfriend in his face. Or was the term 'boy toy' more like it? He knows that she didn't really like this guy. He could tell from that look on her face whenever he talked to other team members. She was only in it for the sex and the distraction. Lydia wasn't over him, yet. Jackson still knew that and yeah, he felt bad. But she was practically dragging him around on a leash when they were dating. He always had to do what she said or risked losing her. Unfortunately, the risk was more of a gain, really. Jackson was whipped, he's ashamed, but he admits it. Now's his time to break free, do anything he wants to do and not take shit from anybody. It was only a few days after he had dumped her that he realized he didn't have anyone else. Despite being the captain of the lacrosse team, no one was really interested in him. He knew he came off as a douche sometimes, but he thought that there had to be someone out there for him. Someone who wanted him.
Anyway, that was just the tip of the iceberg that had sent Jackson spiraling downwards into his drunken state. Not only did he have to deal with the man slut that was all over his ex, Scott had decided to become a fan favorite. All his team mates that were once following Jackson's every command, had left him to chat with McCall. If his team mates completely ignoring him wasn't enough of a reason to hate Scott tonight, the fact that he had scored all of the points during the first half of the game had Jackson raging. During their short break, he saw Scott walk up into the stands to talk to Allison. He saw them sharing little kisses and smiling. He almost felt jealous of the fact that he didn't have that relationship with anyone... almost. The other players were getting drinks and giving each other high fives due to the fact that they were ahead by ten points. Jackson casually strolled up to them, but they paid him no attention. Everyone was too busy celebrating on their advance.
"We haven't won, yet!" He snapped. The guys turned to look at them, some wearing frightened expressions because of his outburst, others were clearly annoyed. They quietly went back to talking and ignoring him. Jackson spotted Danny between Ryan and Mike. He walked up to them, expecting them to move. When they didn't, he gave them a glare. You know the phrase 'if looks could kill'? Well, judging by the hateful stare he had just given them, he wouldn't have been surprised if they dropped dead right then and there. Danny grinned when he saw him. Jackson would've been lying if he said his heart hadn't skipped a beat. He should find that weird, but shrugs it off as being happy that someone's actually glad to see him.
"We're going great!" Danny exclaims. "We might actually win this thing!" Jackson doesn't give his best friend a snarky remark like he did with the other players. It doesn't matter that he was pissed off right now, he would never take it out on Danny. He doesn't deserve it, even if everyone else does.
"Yeah, but I have a feeling McCall's gonna break soon" Jackson replies hoping that Danny will understand what he's getting at.
"Why would he break?" Danny questions. He's genuinely interested in what his friend has to say. Jackson would have taken a moment to dwell on how great it felt to not have someone brush you off, like nothing you said was important. But he's in the middle of a plan, a plan that will make him the star of the game, instead of Scott.
"Well, he's gotten us every single point and he's barely given anyone else the chance, yet. You'd think he'd be tired by now, but instead of focusing on the game he's over there making out with Allison" Jackson jabbed his thumb behind him to the stands where Allison was snuggling up to Scott.
"He doesn't look tired to me..." comes Danny's reply. Even though he didn't say it, Jackson can tell he's not buying the bullshit. He shrugs and decides to try and get Danny to go through with his plan anyway.
"Look, I'm the captain here. I should be the one everyone's focusing on, not him. I can't have my chance to impress everyone if he's always got the damn ball" Danny's not shocked at Jackson's selfish remark. He knows where this is heading and even if he doesn't want to go along with whatever his friend's crazy plan is, he'll do it. He always does.
"What do you want me to do?" The goalie asks. Jackson's smile is nothing short of sinister as he leans closer to the taller boy.
"I want you to get the other players to give the ball to me" He says in a hushed tone. "They won't listen to me because they all hate me. Everyone loves you, Danny. They'll go along with it if you tell them to" Jackson noticed his smile and wondered what he had said that made him so happy.
"Everyone... loves me?" He asked in a cheerful tone. Jackson feels a slight blush rise to his cheeks before he nods.
"Okay... I'll do it" Danny agrees. Jackson pulls Danny in for a one armed hug and mumbled a thanks. He watched as Danny left to fulfill his devious plan. A few minutes later the buzzer sounds and everyone takes their places on the field.
Jackson grimaces as he remembers every little detail from earlier. The result of these thoughts caused him to take another swig of his beer. He was surprised to already find himself in the woods. How long had he been walking? Oh well. He thinks he can see the outline of a house, but it's too dark to tell. He nearly trips over a root and curses at himself. Why did he have to get Danny to go along with his crazy plan? Why did he have to ruin the night? Why was he such a fucking screw up? Jackson takes a deep breath and allows himself to think about what happened earlier. He knows it's terrible and will cause him to drink even more, but it's too hard to try and keep the thoughts out.
The final buzzer sounds as fans from the crowd began to scream and cheer in victory. The problem? Beacon Hills had lost. During the second half of the game, no one passed Scott the ball. They all avoided him as if he had some mad disease that would kill them if they were even within a foot of him. No one even bothered to guard him anymore. Instead, everyone focused on the other players. Especially, Jackson. Every time he got the ball he got blocked by the other team. He just wasn't quick enough to ditch them. Even though Coach was yelling at him to pass the ball to Scott, he just couldn't do it. He wouldn't do it. The rest of the game went on like this. With him disappointing everyone. After the game, the Beacon Hills team sulked to the stands to find their family and friends. Jackson had caught Danny's attention for a moment, before he walked off the field. He looked upset, maybe even a little bit angry. The captain swallowed nervously, feeling guilty for ever having to drag his friend into his stupid, selfish plan. Suddenly, Jackson hears a familiar voice call out his name. He turns to look at the stands and his jaw drops in surprise. His parents were here, well, his parents that had adopted him anyway. Never had they came out to one of his games, they were always too busy with their work. They look disappointed in him. Embarrassed... ashamed. His dad gives him a stern nod before following his mom out to the parking lot.
Fuck. Jackson curses mentally. Out of all the games they could've came to, it had to be this one? It had to be the one that he had fucked up? That he had ruined? He's not sure what hurt more, the fact that the only game his parents ever came to was the one he lost, or the look in Danny's eyes after the game. When he got home his parents basically pointed out everything wrong that he did during the game. They told him how he should've passed the ball to someone else, how he shouldn't have hogged it. Every word was like a bullet to his chest. He could feel his eyes watering up and before he knew it, he was calling them every name in the book. Jackson completely went off on them. If he could take it all back, he would've. But he couldn't, so he gets drunk instead.
All those mistakes had led him to where he is now. He stumbles up the steps of the burnt down house and let's himself in. It's too dark to see anything, so instead of looking for the person he wants to see, he just calls him out.
"D-Derek! Are you here?" His words are slurred, but he knows Derek had heard him, knows that he's lurking in the shadows somewhere.
"What do you want?" Comes a deep voice. Jackson drops his bottle at the sound and it crashes to the floor. He looks down at it and debates whether he should apologize or not. When he glances back up, the dark haired werewolf was glaring at him, like he always does. Derek looks down and sees the broken glass on the wooden floor, but his expression doesn't change.
"I-I want to be like you" He said and sniffled. When did he start crying? He can now feel the warm tears slide down either side of his cheeks. Derek gives him an incredulous look and crosses his arms.
"Why?" The older man's voice is sharp and tinged with annoyance. Even though he's drunk, Jackson knows not to beat around the bush or Derek's gonna snap.
"I wanna feel... invincible... powerful... I need to be like you, like Scott. Please, I need this so badly" He knows he's practically begging, but at this point he could care less. He impatiently waits for Derek's reply.
"No" was the only words that left the wolf's mouth. Jackson could feel himself getting angry. What was his problem? All he had to do was bite him, damn it!
"I said please" He repeated loudly. Derek had turned away from him and started up the stairway to the second floor.
"And I said no" Derek stopped dead in his tracks when Jackson replied.
"You asshole! All I want is the fuckin bite! It's not like you have anything better to do with your life than brood and act badass even though your lonely as hell! You have nothing, Derek! Nothing! Why won't you help me?" While Jackson was spitting these words out, the alpha turned around to stare at him.
"I'm not going to change you so you can go around causing trouble for everyone. Now get the hell out of here before I throw you out myself" Jackson shudders when Derek growls at him, but there's no way he's backing down.
"Fuck you! Damn it, just fucking bite me!" He cries out as chokes on his tears. One minute, the wolf was on the stairs, and the next he was gripping the blonde boy's throat and shoving him against the wall. Jackson struggled to break free from his grip, but it was no use. Derek's eyes were bright red and his teeth were beginning to extend. He can feel the claws scratching at his throat and his blood slowly trickling down.
"I have nothing? Look at you, you're pathetic! You come here crying and begging for me to change you. You're obviously drunk. I can't change someone who has no control over their emotions. You would go insane, you would kill innocent people. I'm not going to let that happen just because of some stupid jock who thinks that his life is a hellhole" Derek's voice was so deep it chilled Jackson to the bones. His eyes were shut tight, he couldn't bare to look into those piercing red eyes. He could feel the claws digging deeper and deeper into his skin. It hurt so damn bad. If he could yell, he would scream for mercy. The next thing he knows, he's being tossed through the air. He screams as he hits the ground with a loud thud. No doubt that he's going to be bruised and aching tomorrow, that is, if he survives the night. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. Jackson thought that Derek would understand. Scott was a nobody before he became a wolf, and now he has everything! He laid on the ground in pain as the alpha loomed over him. Jackson knew that he could never bother Derek again, if he did, he would die on the spot. The look in the older man's eyes said it all. While Jackson tried to sit up, Derek went upstairs. He wiped the tears off his face and took deep breaths. Damn it, where is he supposed to go now? Surely, his parents would hear him if he walked through the door. He can't sneak over to Lydia's. Fuck! ...then it hit him.
He walked out the door of the charred house, clutching his side. His other had was on his neck, it wasn't bleeding too badly, he would live. He sighed as he tried to find his way out of the dark woods, using the moonlight as a guide. Instead of walking towards his house, he turns and begins to head to a place that he knew all too well. A place where he would be welcomed, no matter what. It took about 30 minutes to get there, longer than usual. That's a given though since he's not completely sober and he's in so much pain. When he reaches the light blue house, he notices that the lights are out. He doesn't want to disturb him, but he has no where else to go. No one else to help him. The car isn't in the driveway, it never is. His parents were always out for business, it was the reason they both bonded so much together. He reaches for the cool knob and gently turns it. After walking in, Jackson shuts the door quietly, not wanting to wake him. He takes off towards the living room, but bumps into a wall.
"Ahh! fuck!" he yells as he grabs his side. He can hear foot steps running down the steps. There's a flicker of light, and then Jackson passes out. When he awakes, he's laying down on a bed. Quickly, he sits up which causes his head to spin. Jackson winces. He can feel something on his neck. He realizes that it's bandage strips. Danny fixed him up. Jackson wants to smile and thank his friend, but he just can't find the right words.
"Whoa, calm down. You need to rest" comes the soothing voice of his best friend. Danny tries to gently push Jackson down, but the blonde doesn't let him. He's about to apologize for the game and for sneaking into his house, but then the memories of the horrible day returns and he's crying again. Danny places his warm hands on his shoulders, forcing Jackson to look at him.
"Hey, Jackson. It's going to be okay? Everything's going to be fine. I'm here for you" Jackson smiles through his tears and leans into Danny's arms, his tears leaving wet spots on his friend's red shirt.
"I-I'm sorry, Danny" Jackson mumbles into the dark haired boy's shoulder. Danny feels his heart shatter into a million pieces. He's never seen him cry like this before and he's got those weird scratches on his neck. He knows not to ask questions about it though, Jackson will tell him what happened when the time is right. The last thing he wants to do is push him while he's all worked up like this.
"Sorry for what?" Danny asks, clearly confused as to why he was apologizing.
"I made us lose the game. I made you go along with my stupid plan. Oh god, Danny. I'm so sorry" Jackson feels terrible for everything. He hates having to keep his feelings locked up like this. It's torture. He feels so relieved knowing that he could tell his best friend anything. He feels himself slightly relax when Danny wraps his strong arms around him.
"Shh... It's just a game, Jackson. It's nothing, okay? You don't need to apologize for anything.. shh.." Danny whispered into the blonde's ears, trying to calm him down. Then everything's nearly quiet for a few moments. Danny's rubbing slow circles on Jackson's back while he cries onto his shoulder. Jackson feels like he could stay in Danny's arms forever. It's a little strange, but it's true. He yawns when he thinks about how late it probably is. He's stopped crying by now, but when Danny pulls back, he feels like he could start again.
"You're tired" It's not a question, but Jackson nods anyway.
"Here, I'll get you some clothes to change into" Danny gets up, even though he'd rather hold his best friend in his arms again. He shouldn't, but he wants to so damn badly. He grabs a white tee and a pair of black shorts. Jackson eagerly takes the clothes and stands up. He's too exhausted to go to the bathroom and change. Not like it matters if Danny sees him, anyway. He slowly strips off his shirt that is stained with blood and beer. He hears Danny gasp. When he turns around he sees something in the taller boy's eyes, something that made his heart swell. He cares for him so much. Even if Jackson makes stupid makes, Danny still cares. Jackson's never had someone look at him like that, look at him like he's broken. No one ever see's past his jerkish ways. No one, but Danny. Jackson quickly slips the white shirt on and proceeds to take off his pants. He looks up to see that Danny had his head turned. When he was all changed he climbed onto the bed and yawned again.
"I'm going to go sleep on the couch, okay? You come down there and get me if you need anything. Don't be afraid to ask" Danny manages a small smile, but Jackson can see that he doesn't want to leave.
"Please, stay..." he whispers and Danny gives him a sad look. He wants to lie down with him so badly, Jackson can see it. He doesn't want to leave him alone, but it's okay, because Jackson doesn't want to be left alone anyway.
"Please..." he whispers again and this time Danny closes the door. He flips the light off and the room becomes illuminated by the moon from the windows. Slowly, he crawls into the bed and lays down next to Jackson. Laying in bed together wasn't weird for either of them, they had done it many times before when they were little kids. Danny closes his eyes, even though he knows he can't sleep. He's laying on his side, facing Jackson.
"Danny..." Jackson says quietly. "I can't sleep..."
"Me neither" Danny replies as he opens his eyes. Jackson is mirroring his position. Both of them were just staring at each other, not quite knowing what to say. That is, until Jackson spoke up.
"I-I'm sorry, for bothering you. I just had nowhere else to go. I couldn't have let my parents see me like this, and Lydia wants nothing to do with me now that she's dating someone else..." He trails off, waiting for Danny's reply.
"It's fine, I'm always here for you and I'll be here for you no matter what. Wait.. why aren't you dating Lydia anymore? Did she... break up with you?" The goalie feels stupid for asking, but he doesn't want Jackson to apologize anymore. It breaks his heart every time he does.
"No, no. I broke up with her... our relationship.. it wasn't working.." Jackson answers. He's not offended that Danny had assumed that.
"Oh, so you're dating someone else then?" Danny mentally kicks himself. He should just lay off the subject. Jackson probably doesn't want to talk about it right now.
"No... why?" Jackson's curious now. Since when was his best friend interested in his love life? Could he...? No. Definitely, not. He's just making small talk. Danny rolls onto his back, not daring to look the captain in the eyes, afraid that he'll give something away.
"I was just... curious.." was his reply. Then the room is near silent again. The only sound was their steady breathing. The next words were out of Danny's mouth before he even had a chance to think it through.
"Do you like anyone right now?" He can feel Jackson's eyes on him through the darkness, and decides to roll over to his side again. It takes the blonde a while to come up with an answer. Does he have feelings for anyone right now? He was about to say no, until he looked into Danny's eyes. When he thinks about it, he might be starting to feel something for his best friend. It's wrong, but he can't help it. Have these feelings always been there? The day has already been horrible and though he's afraid of rejection, Jackson replies with an honest answer.
"I think I may have fallen for someone..." Danny feels his heart begin to race and he glances up at the ceiling. What if Jackson was talking about him? He takes deep breaths and thinks about it. Could this be the moment? The moment they finally get together? Oh, god. Danny feels like he's about to hyperventilate when he turns to look at Jackson and finds their faces inches apart.
"Who is it?" Danny asks breathlessly. Jackson leans forward and breathes out 'you' before brushing their lips together gently. It takes a moment for him to react, but Danny reaches up and cups Jackson's cheek with his hand. His thumb slowly slides across the smaller boy's jaw. They've both kissed other people before, Jackson more than Danny, but never before had it felt quite like this. There wasn't that cheesy moment of sparks behind the eyelids or anything like that. No, there was just raw emotion. All the things Danny had wanted to say to Jackson before, but never could. All the feelings for his best friend that Jackson had found hidden deep within him. Everything was there. It wasn't lust driven, just filled with intense passion. When oxygen became a problem, they slowly pulled back.
"It's always been you, Danny. I'm so sorry it took so long for me to say this. I was blinded by my selfishness... I'm sorry" There he goes apologizing again, but instead of Danny's heart breaking, he could feel it swell. Never before had he heard anything more wonderful in his life.
"You were always there for me, always there to help me out. No matter how many times I was a jerk to people or to you. You never asked questions, never turned me down. How did I ever get so lucky to have a best friend as amazing as you, Danny?" The dark haired boy can feel his eyes tearing up. He's waited so long for this moment, for Jackson to realize that he was perfect for him. It was a long wait, but it was worth it. He replies by kissing Jackson on the temple and stroking his cheek some more. And then, Jackson smiles. It wasn't one of his devious smiles. This one was truly genuine, and it was all because of Danny. Jackson brought their bodies closer and intertwined his legs with his best friend. He laid his head on Danny's shoulder, feeling the stress from tonight slip away. For the first time that night, he didn't regret anything that had happened earlier. Why should he? All the terrible things had lead him to Danny, lead him into his arms. It was everything he's ever wanted. Yawning for the third time that night, he finally closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth from the body resting next to his.
"Danny, you're an amazing friend..." he whispers quietly.
"I believe you mean boyfriend..." Danny jokingly says and closes his eyes. Jackson laughs softly.
"You know, I've always loved you, Danny. I just didn't realize it until now" Danny smiles at the comment, it almost sounds too good to be true.
"Always?" He asks.
"Always" Jackson replies before falling asleep in his boyfriend's arms.