Bother Someone Else - Derek and Jackson

[bigkanimaoncampus]

Two weeks he'd been back. As much as Jackson tried to avoid getting dragged back into the mess of problems that saturated this town, he'd at least heard a few things already. He just refused to take part in them. He'd already snapped at Scott for even talking to him at school. He wasn't back to dive back into that mess. He had a plan. And he was sticking to it. This plan involved a distinct lack of Derek. That one altercation with Scott had involved threats upon telling the resident grumpy alpha about his return. The last thing he needed was judgmental glaring and getting thrown around under the guise of "training."

He was alone in his house that night. He'd been alone every night. He'd yet to explain it or bring any sort of attention to it, but his parents hadn't returned to the states with him. A towel around his waist, he emerged with a cloud of steam from the bathroom and headed for his bedroom. If anything, he looked exhausted.

Comments

l-leaves this here finally

[infelicitous]

The last person most of them wanted to see was Jackson and most of them knew that. After the chaos with the Kanima and the frustration of having a cocky werewolf on their hands afterwards, it had been a much needed break for Derek's own sanity. But distantly, he was aware of the gnawing ache in his chest that came with the separation and while he knew it for what it was, he buried it like he did most other things. It was the same feeling he'd had since Erica and Boyd left him. The one that came from separating himself once more for Cora. It was something he knew he would never be able to really explain to anyone - not Scott, not even his own Uncle. It was a feeling of abandonment and loneliness that came with having your own pack leave you. And even if Jackson wouldn't admit it, they were pack.

He'd tried for two weeks to keep himself away from Jackson, to give him time to see if maybe the other would come to him. But Derek knew that wouldn't be the case within the first few days. Some bitter part of him mused it was because Jackson was no different than anyone else who'd come and gone in his life. Derek countered it with the thought that whether or not Jackson wanted to be, they were part of one another's life and Derek was going to be sure Jackson could handle whatever Beacon Hills had to throw at him.

Finding a way to get to Jackson was easy. It always would be, he was sure. People like Scott and Jackson would never have that instinct about them to expect the worst even in the most calm and natural of circumstances. The sound of the shower in the distance and the ghost of a smell of artificial soaps lead him easily to Jackson's room and once he'd reached it, it was just a matter of waiting. The second he'd heard the click of the latch of the door, he stepped forward and away from the window he'd bee standing in front of. He tucked his hands into his pocket, leveling the younger werewolf with a careful stare.

"You don't look so good, Jackson."

[bigkanimaoncampus]

Having thought himself alone, in his own house, Jackson's guard was about as lowered as it could possibly. He wasn't on guard for anyone to step out, or even for anyone to see him. He didn't have to put up a front, or maintain those walls he always kept up that made people think he had it all together.

So when Derek spoke, he jumped. If not for a hand gripping his towel, it probably would have fallen to the floor. He took a few steps back until he collided with the frame of the bathroom door, struggling to get his usual facade back into place. Rather difficult when he was trying to build it out of the panic Derek always sparked in him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" He snapped, at last covering his undignified reaction with anger.

[infelicitous]

Derek had expected the reaction Jackson gave him. The sudden spike in his heartbeat, the obvious reflexive jolt of surprise - it was something he had seen too many times to not be able to predict. A part of him found it amusing even that Jackson had let his guard down enough to be startled in the way he had. Though, he supposed he hadn't made the kind of enemies Derek had to learn to expect danger in your own home.

The sudden anger, no doubt an attempt to cover his earlier surprise, was just as expected. He'd never placed any faith in the idea that Jackson might change, learn to react to the word with more than anger. He was glad he didn't, the last thing he wanted or needed was to disappointment himself more than he already had.

"Are you really that surprised to see me?" He wondered, arching a brow as he continued to watch the younger male. His eyes never left Jackson's face and beyond the small quirk of one corner of his lips, he did a good of keeping his amusement with Jackson's reaction to himself.