The Park, Tuesday Afternoon

[nomoresportscars]

Jackson had been exactly his usual age all through the weekend. Except for how his usual age had actually changed on Saturday. He'd turned seventeen. It had taken him until Friday morning to realize what the date was. He'd taken off almost immediately, not wanting to be around people. There hadn't been anyone at the graveyard in Beacon Hills, and that had suited him. His parents had stopped joining him on these visits a couple of years ago. Not because he'd told them not to come. Because he'd told them he didn't go there anymore. That he didn't want to.

But he did, and he had. And then he'd gone home, and spent the weekend with his parents, and Lydia (awkward), and Danny (less awkward), and ignoring texts from Scott about how he should talk to Derek (annoying). And today, he was finally back on Fandom. He'd gone and dumped his crap in his room, made a face at everything he could smell in there, and then walked out again. It was still too early for him to want to deal with Jim and his bullshit. He walked right into town, even though he had nowhere specific to go.

He ended up sitting on a bench in the park.

He also realized that when a squirrel creeped up behind the bench, he could smell it before he could see it. Huh. That might come in handy at some point.

[open place in town is open, as you well know! ETA for squirrels: Werewolf/kanima stuff in the Jackson/Jack thread NFB, please!]

Comments

[bitten_notshy]

After his chat with Stiles, Jack walked back toward his house. He was idly wondering if he should drop in on Emma at work or wait until she got home, when he smelled something that had his eyes dark and his back stiff before he properly registered he was reacting at all.

He swallowed it down once Jackson's face came into focus. Student. Not a threat. (Not a known threat, a voice in the back of his head insisted on adding.)

He sat down next to Jackson on the bench as if they were friends. "So," he said. "This is new, isn't it?"

[nomoresportscars]

Jackson's glance over was not a friendly one, surprising no one. He wasn't the greatest with people butting into his company at the best of times. When he'd smelled what he'd just smelled, he was worse.

This was not a squirrel. Nope. He eyed Jack with disdain. "What?"

Like he could pretend he didn't know what was going on.

[bitten_notshy]

"The lycanthropy," Jack said. He didn't sound terribly bothered about the lack of friendliness; he wasn't ready to embrace Jackson into some brotherhood of wolves himself. "You have to know I can tell. When were you bitten?"

[nomoresportscars]

Jackson glared daggers for a few more seconds.

Then he looked away and huffed out a dryly amused sound as he shook his head. When had he been bitten? He wasn't so sure that was information he was willing to divulge.

[bitten_notshy]

Well, this was going splendidly. Jack decided on the investigative tactic of talking until Jackson either said something or punched him in the face.

"I went home with Stiles last fall," he said in a lower voice. "I know his version of you was a -- kanima." He stumbled over the half-familiar word; it had been a long time since he thought of it. "What I don't know is how anyone gets from that to being a wolf, or if you turned into a wolf instead of a kanima."

Especially given that Stiles' version had died.

"So. Enlighten me."

[OOC: Should this be NFB?]

[nomoresportscars]

Jackson edited the post with a note glared at the squirrel that had been hanging around, until it got the right idea and skittered away.

"Not a whole lot to enlighten you on," he said after that, with a slightly forced shrug. "Was the kanima. Now I'm not. Done."

[bitten_notshy]

"Right."

There was obviously a lot more to it, but Jackson didn't seem inclined toward storytime. Jack let it go for the moment.

"Except for how you're going to have whole new problems in a few days. Have you planned for the moon at all?"

[nomoresportscars]

Jackson's lips thinned. "It's fine. I can handle it."

That would be a no.

[bitten_notshy]

"So you know the first time it happens, it can feel like someone setting you on fire and turning you inside out while you're burning?" Jack asked casually. "And you've found a place where you'll be able to go through it without putting an entire dorm at risk?"

That would be an 'I don't believe you.'

[nomoresportscars]

Well when he put it like that, it sounded horrible!

And yet Jackson, the eternal dumbass, still gritted out, "Look, it's none of your concern." Because sure, putting other at risk wasn't anyone's concern. "I can take care of myself."

[bitten_notshy]

"It wouldn't be my concern except for how, if you hurt someone, the hunters might not stop at coming after you," Jack said impatiently. "There are two other wolves, a few vampires, a coyote shapeshifter. Things could get bad very quickly if one of us fucked up."

Christ, he sounded as paranoid as Derek. And now he was going to add some hypocrisy to his paranoia.

"So please don't turn up with a fresh set of powers and no pack to keep an eye on you and expect me to wander on my merry way."

[nomoresportscars]

Wow, this island was full of freaks.

... That was actually a pretty complicated term. Jackson didn't think of himself as a freak. But vampires? Definitely. Still wasn't surprised to know they had those too.

"I'll handle it," he reiterated. "I'm not going to hurt anyone." That was the first statement out of his mouth that actually sounded like it had quite a bit of convinction behind it. Kanima trauma. "I'll get off the island if I have to, but I'll handle it."

[bitten_notshy]

That sincere note gave Jack his first reassurance Jackson was not, in fact, going to do anything that would bring out a mob with pitchforks.

"Good," he said. "Find a basement with a door that locks. Or a fenced-in field. The preserve's not terrible either. It's safer to be around other wolves, but..." He shrugged. "I'm not going to drag you off to Derek's house by the hair."

[nomoresportscars]

Yeah, the look on Jackson's face said just how much he would've objected to that last one. "Derek doesn't need to get into this."

... Derek was totally going to find his way into this, wasn't he?

[bitten_notshy]

Jack raised his eyebrows. "He's going to find out. Either you can tell him, or I can. I'm not keeping your secret."

[nomoresportscars]

"I'm not going to tell him."

Because he was an idiot. But as far as he was concerned, Derek was... not the most useful person ever. Apart from the bite, and he'd messed even that up.

"Neither should you."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack frowned and ran a thumb over his lower lip. "This isn't the kind of thing you keep from a pack mate," he said. "I know Derek's not the easiest person, but he'll only get harder to handle if he finds out by accident. And you can't keep him from sniffing you out forever."

[nomoresportscars]

"Well, I don't have a pack," Jackson informed him, snidely, "and I don't need one." Someone needed to explain to him about the werewolf hobos and what was likely to become of them. "So all versions of Derek can give me as much grief as they want. I don't care."

[bitten_notshy]

"That's exactly what I said eighteen months or so ago," Jack informed him sweetly. "I got the werewolf basics from a friend of mine, then went on home to handle it myself. Ended up eating a few cats before I realized I couldn't. Wolves are pack animals for a reason, Jackson. But if you need to figure that out on your own, so be it."

[nomoresportscars]

"Won't be much of a change from what I've been doing so far."

Okay, that was a huge lie, considering he'd had to be told he was the kanima. And would never had made it out of that mess on his own. But whatever. He stood up, having run out of patience.

(As if he had any in the first place.)

"Butt out of my business."

[bitten_notshy]

And with that charming statement, the slim chance Jack wouldn't tell Derek vanished entirely. A wolf who'd carefully considered the risks and chosen to stay outside the pack might have a chance, but Jackson showed no signs of being that thoughtful.

"As you wish," he said, enunciating each word very precisely. "I won't keep you. Have a good day."