Creepy Old Abandoned Mansion on Phoenix Way, Saturday Morning

[justlurkinghere]

Derek had actually had three puppies stick around in his house after Thursday. Not that he'd wanted them or anything, but they hadn't gone away.

Or left him alone.

And they kept eating his food.

But today? Today there was only one puppy left. In the middle of the night, two of the puppies had left to go find a better place. Possibly some sort of Alpha herd of teal deer. And that got Derek's abandonment issues all up in a tizzy.

Which was possibly why he was allowing that last dog to stay. Even though it looked like a genetic experiment between a dog and a ball of cotton. It was just so fluffy.

He stared down at the dog, trying to will it into being something more intimidating so that allowing it to stay wasn't such a chore. The dog attempted to gnaw on his jacket in response. Look, it was a puppy. Puppies are about as smart as a very hungry rock.

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Comments

[bitten_notshy]

"I think you need to scratch his belly," Jack said solemnly, managing to contain all but the twitch of a smile. "Could be worse. He could think he was alpha."

Also, if Derek didn't scratch the belly soon, he was going to. The dog was that damn cute.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek shot him a look showing just how cute he didn't think that was. But he did pick the dog up and tuck it under his arm.

To keep it from doing something stupid.

Oh god, it just looked so emasculating there.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack generally considered his poker face an essential asset. But something about Derek standing there in leather and stubble and a scowl, with a happy little purse dog who could have been made of cotton tucked neatly under one arm --

He couldn't help it. He laughed, staggering back to sit on some random piece of furniture so he wouldn't fall over.

[justlurkinghere]

"I hate you," Derek informed him, rolling his eyes as the dog barked along with the laughter. Because it hadn't heard laughter since living with Derek.

[bitten_notshy]

"Sorry," Jack said, and meant it. (Mostly.) "Don't hate me. You're just, um ... quite a sight with your new friend."

[justlurkinghere]

"It gets lost." That wasn't helping you, Derek. Not at all.

[bitten_notshy]

"Have you had to rescue him from the woods yet?"

That mental image wasn't helping much, no.

[justlurkinghere]

"The basement." STAIRS WERE HARD, OKAY?

[bitten_notshy]

Jack raised his eyebrows as he looked about, considering this. "Poor little guy. I think I would be afraid to go down in the basement here."

[justlurkinghere]

"It's just another room." And you were the thing that went bump in the night, Jack. "Better than some places."

[bitten_notshy]

"I know that." Oh, there went that slight, defensive edge of steel in Jack's voice. "I'm just saying, I doubt there's a cozy library with a year's supply of cognac at the foot of your stairs. Never mind, I'm being silly."

[justlurkinghere]

Derek gave him a mildly confused look for a moment before placing the dog back down to run around at Jack's feet. God, it was hyper.

"No. Just Christmas ornaments as far as I can tell."

Because that was a given in an abandoned house.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack smiled at the dog, grateful for the distraction. He started checking for a ball or stick he could toss to it.

"Wonder who lived here before you," he mused idly.

[justlurkinghere]

Or just give it fingers to gnaw on. Oh, that teething phase.

"Long gone," Derek replied, leaning against the wall due to lack of chairs. "Are you here for a reason?"

Wow, way to suck at politeness, Derek.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack shot him a fake-hurt look. "Just wanted to say hi," he said. "Since I didn't get to the bar this week. I wanted to make sure you got through the last day of being a girl okay, and see if you'd figured out what to tell your sister."

The puppy had seized his hand on his own; for a cotton ball, its teeth were surprisingly needle-like.

[justlurkinghere]

Yes, but Derek was not about to talk about that. Laura had laughed and laughed at his misfortune to have ladybits.

"She understands now," he said in that uncomfortable way all little siblings got when remembering the torment.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack arched his eyebrows at that but had mercy, and did not ask any more questions about it.

"Ah," he said instead. "In that case, I'll be out of your way as soon as your friend lets go of my hand." A pause. "Have you named him yet?"

[justlurkinghere]

"Joe," he said with a sigh. "There is someone in town you'll need to be careful around."

Ah, rip that non-awkward at all transition band aid right off.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack stiffened and didn't look up. "Who and why?"

He hoped it wouldn't be another high schooler.

[justlurkinghere]

"Barton. He's at the gym in town," Derek replied, arms crossed over his chest and gaze down on Jack. "He's not a hunter, but he's close enough. An archer at least."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack glanced up at that, sought out Derek's face. "Did he try to hurt you?"

[justlurkinghere]

"No. But I know when someone is trying to run me out of town."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack's eyes flashed with irritation as he processed that. "No," he decided. "He can't do that."

[justlurkinghere]

"I'm not leaving," Derek replied unnecessarily. "Not until you're more in control."

And not because this place wasn't bad to live. Annoying teenagers excluded.

[bitten_notshy]

"We might both get old and die on the island if we wait for that," Jack the pessimist said. "But thank you, anyhow."