Weredad but instead of Marinette saying she has a crush on Chat, she blurts out she has a crush on Ladybug and the rest of the episode is Chat's reactuon (how would he react to someone he knows and is semi close-to having a crush on his Lady?), Papa Dupain's reaction, and the hijinks and hilarity that ensue from there. All the while, Mari is about to die and Tikki is wheezing in the corner because this is fundamentally the best and most foolproof cover ever. who on earth would suspect Mari???? Not even to MENTION the fact that Papa-Dupain WILL make a campaign to destroy Chat because his daughter is fighting against a Superhero??? She needs the backing to destroy him in her quest for love.
Better yet: Make it a season-long gag.
Alya keeps asking her whether she would prefer to date Adrien or LB and Mari dissolves into a puddle of embarrassment and mild amusement and Alya takes this as Mari being a Bi disaster and suddenly all her weird tendencies during akuma attacks have an explanation.
Running off during Akuma attacks? Watching her crush from a distance.
Acting awkward whenever Ladybug is mentioned? BI DISASTER.
It gets to the point where the entire school is organizing a campaign to get Mari and LB to meet up.
Marinette kicks down Master Fu's door begging for the mouse miraculous after almost 2 months of shipping wars.
While Ladybug was trying to restrain Gigantitan, and was trying to deal with Chat not only being an annoyance, but with his “flirting”, Sabine peeked her head from the bakery to see how far the heroes are doing.
Just as she saw ladybug lose concentration because of Chat, and a huge piece of steel was flying and ultimately crashed into her daughter’s room, destroying it.
It took her a second to process what just happened, but when she did, she paled.
No, no, no, no!
Her daugher was there!
Please tell her that her precious daughter is fine!
In her emotional state, she barely recognized Chat’s laugh,and Ladybug’s scream telling him to stop playing around and be serious.
“MARINETTE!!”
Her sorrowful scream echoed in the bakery, and she ran along with a pale and worried Tom to their daughter’s room, hoping that their daughter is not only alive, but fine and unhurt.
They didn’t find her.
No matter how much they tried, they found nothing other than their daughter’s possesions, almost all of them destroyed, and steel and shattered glass, with the only thing salvageable being a necklace that they gave to Marinette as a birthday gift a year ago.
“No, please let her be fine somehow.”
They broke down, unleashing their grief along with their tears.
And after grief, the rage made it’s appearance, and grew, reminding them of who was the one responsible for this.
The vision of an irresponsible “hero” hampering his partner’s work, and having the audacity to laugh at their daugher’s suffering, making their hate swell within their hearts.
They didn’t recognize, in their sorrow and rage, that everything was restored.
And even a minute later, they didn’t recognize when a black feather and a black butterfly entered into their daughter’s necklace tha they both were holding.
“What do we have here? Parents who desire to avenge and protect their child?” a feminine voice was directly heard in their minds.
“We’ll give you the power to do so, but in return, bring me the miraculouses! Do we have a deal?” a masculine voice talked this time.
“MAMA! PAPA!”
They now recognized that their daughter was in front of them. Alive.
Her face worried and scared.
Seeing her alive again after this almost made them content and happy enough to snap from Mayura’s and hawkmoth’s control, had it not been for one nonchalant voice.
“Uh, did I appear at a bad time?”
Fury clutched their hearts once more.
The sight of Chat, smiling so casually, as if he was innocent, with an infant held on him.
How dare he come so happily, after he laughed at their sweet daughter getting hurt!?
This time, they couldn’t muster the power to refuse.
When the purple bubbles disappeared, a purple-pink shadowy figure was in the place of Tom and Sabine.
“Oh, no…”
Marinette paled, seeing her parents under the control of the supervillain, and quickly took August from a shocked Chat, her insticts as a hero telling her that the kid will be a little bit safer with her.
“We are Parents’ Wrath! And no one will harm our daughter!” the being declared pointing at Chat, it’s voice sounding as if both her parents were talking at the same time.
Parents’ Wrath quickly went after Chat who made a hasty escape, leaving marinette who was a little confused by how fast the entire situation escalated.
Weredad AU where Chat Noir says just the right thing to Tom Dupain just in time to prevent his akumatization. These heartfelt words leads to Tom shipping Marichat even harder, causing friction between him and his wife, a staunch Adrienette shipper.
And so starts the Shipping Wars of Tom and Sabine.
“Our daughter’s boyfriend is coming over for lunch tomorrow! Do you realize - Marinette has a boyfriend?!” Tom was practically thrumming with energy as he zipped around the bakery, making all the necessary preparations for tomorrow. “And he’s a superhero on top of that! She’ll be safe with him. Very important, given everything that’s going on in Paris these days.”
“Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself a little?” Sabine looked concerned as she took a sip of her tea.
“Hm? What do you mean? This is great news!”
“Maybe, but remember that Chat Noir hadn’t said anything before we arrived. We have no idea what he feels about any of this.”
“So? How could he not love Marinette? What isn’t there to love about her?” He shook his head. “No, we just need to make sure that he feels welcome here. Marinette can do the rest, no problem.”
“Tom…”
He took his wife’s hands in his and stared hopefully into her eyes. “Trust me, honey. This is going to work out beautifully.” Going back to his preparations, he continued, “I even have a few conversation starters lined up. I understand the whole secret identity thing, but there are some things we should know before things get too serious between those two.”
Sabine sighed. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up too high. Chat Noir’s love for Ladybug is well known, after all.” She took a sip of her tea. “Besides, what about Adrien? He is a sweet boy and Marinette has been infatuated with him for ages now.”
“Well, apparently not anymore.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “That’s not even speculation by me. I’m just going off what I heard - what we both heard.”
“Sweetie, love like that doesn’t just go away overnight. Maybe it was just a heat of the moment thing? Maybe Chat Noir saved her just before we got there and-”
Arms crossed, Tom shook his head. “No way. I could practically feel the love crackling in the air. If you had heard it as clearly as I did, you wouldn’t have any doubts. You’ll see when they are together tomorrow. Sparks will be flying.”
With another cautious sip of her tea, she replied, “Tomorrow it is then.” Placing the empty cup on the table, she rose and left the room. Already, she knew it was going to be a long day tomorrow and she needed as much sleep as she could get.
------------------
Tom watched in horror as Marinette ran up to her room, crying. The sound of her over the top wailing seemed to come straight from her heart and shattered his own. Needless to say, the brunch hadn’t gone at all as planned. Even without turning around he could hear the sad deflating of the souffle. Sabine patted his arm consoling.
“Um… sir?”
Tom’s eyes narrowed and one fist clenched as he turned around to the feline-themed superhero. How he even thought he was a good match for his daughter he would never know. Then he met Chat Noir’s eyes and was shocked to see genuine shame.
“I really am very sorry about. Marinette is an amazing girl - talented and brave. Or, um-” He rubbed the back of his neck. “At least that’s the impression I’ve gotten from our few runs ins. Anyway - she’s amazing, but I love Ladybug. Sorry, again.”
“Oh, honey,” Sabine said, putting a hand on Chat’s shoulder. “Never apologize for how you feel. We don’t choose who we fall in love with.”
With a deep sigh, Tom agreed. “Sabine is right, son. I know you didn’t mean to hurt Marinette.” Tom felt sympathy for the hero when he visibly flinched at that. “She’ll feel better after some time to herself. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of her.”
Chat Noir nodded and dragged himself out the front door dejectedly.
“Well… that’s over with. I hope you see what I meant now, Tom?” After a pause, Sabine looked back at him curiously. “Tom?”
“You know… he seemed awfully concerned about her.”
“...What?”
“And he also knew a lot about her despite having barely met her.” Tom leaned against a wall, staring off into space in thought. “She seemed to leave quite the impression on him, as a matter of fact…”
“Tom.” There was a warning edge to her voice. “No. Don’t do this. Leave it be.”
“I just think these two might really be made for each other.” Tom began pacing, his hands idly clearing the table from the disastrous brunch like so much water under the bridge. “Maybe if we gave Chat Noir more time to get to know Marinette… Oh! What if we-” He looked back at his wife and froze at the Look she was giving him.
“Did you not hear a word that came out of that boy’s mouth? He loves Ladybug! Besides, Marinette is in love with Adrien, in case you forgot.”
“Feelings can change. It happened with Marinette already, why not with Chat Noir? Especially after all those times he’s gotten rejected by Ladybug.”
Sabine took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Listen. We don’t know how Adrien feels, and Marinette is clearly torn between two boys. Adrien is still the best option for Marinette, at least partially because his heart is unspoken for.”
Tom crossed his arms and huffed. “We’ll just have to see how the cookie crumbles. You’ll see - Chat Noir will make a far better boyfriend for our Marinette than Adrien.”
Loved this episode actually but I feel like it could have been better so here are my changes!
Ahem! So it starts basically the same but we cut out the creepy line about Adrien's lips when LB hits the billboard because I am sick and tired of Marinette's crush being written like a creepy stalker crush. Sick. Of. It. A lot of episodes have the potential of being the one that Chat learns that there is a time and place to flirt, more so when a Lady has specified on numerous occasions that she is not interested in you, but I think this one can pack a lot of weight into it.
The weight? Marinette being hurt, or at least the thought. This goes back to my Silencer AU a bit, like the reason he went numb and panicked then was because what happens in this episode. I found it weird that Chat wouldn't at least be a little worried that the giant donut thing crashed into Marinette's room, Ladybug is freaking out because she can hear her dad shouting for her in the house that keeps getting wrecked because Chat thinks it's the perfect time to flirt and ask her out or try to steal a kiss. Battle goes about the same but when the Miraculous Ladybug Cure goes out, Tom doesn't find fake Marinette but he does see the empty bed and panics.
Meanwhile Ladbug is hugging baby August to her and trying to keep her voice happy to not scare him but she's scolding Chat on his behavior and asking if he thinks this is a game, if he thinks the family that lives there isn't important? She passes baby August to Chat and tells him to take August home, she feels bad about the cold tone but she's seriously pissed. Chat finally let's the battle play out and he nearly drops to his knees at the memory of how wrecked the bakery and house looked moments ago and that Marinette and her parents probably got hurt.
So he leaps up to the balcony where he sees Marinette in her pajamas looking at him and August in worry, he misreads the worry as her being worried about him and Ladybug rather that the actual worry that he saw her talking to Tikki. Even though he's still holding baby August he rushes to hug Marinette and see if she's okay, that's around the time Tom realizes Marinette's not in her bed but he hears voices on her balcony and sees Chat hugging her and he still jumps to conclusions that they are in love and invites Chat to brunch, Marinette only agrees because she feels guilty about worrying her dad but she does try to tell him they are not in love.
Lalalalala next day! Marinette is still convinced Chat won't show, but Adrien believed Tom and thought that Marinette was in love with him so he only goes to reject her, like the actual brunch goes. Only Marinette is still trying to tell her father she doesn't love Chat while Chat is trying to do the same with her. Finally he confesses like in the episode, only this time Marinette doesn't have to pretend to be upset because she is, she snaps at Chat Noir that she wasn't in love with him and she can't believe he would jump to that conclusion, her parents try to tell her it's okay to be upset but she doesn't need to deny it. She gets more mad and snaps again that she had heard the fight and had seen Chat flirting and not fighting and how she could've died because of him (not true but she is really angry and the stress is getting to her) she ends her rant with, "I thought I could trust you with my life Chat, like with Evillustrator, I thought you were my friend, I thought wrong."
She doesn't have to fake her tears. Tikki thinks it was harsh but she understands it needed to be said, but she does scold Marinette for the way she did it. Tom finally sees what was going on and is pissed off that he trusted the life of his daughter to Chat, he thought Chat would protect her, but he realizes he can't trust anyone to do that, not even the heroes of Paris. Chat leaves and Tom gets akumatized into Weredad. Instead of the vine prison, Marinette's room turns into a tower covered in the vines.
The vines do spread everywhere close by basically and if the thorns are touched, people fall into a deep sleep. The vines start to grow and spread though, rather than just staying in the area. The inside of the tower in like the endless staircases from the Labyrinth. Her and Tikki still can't find one another so Marinette tells Tikki to tell Master Fu while Marinette tries to find a way out.
Chat is still fighting with Weredad after he promised Sabine he would do better and he would start by saving Marinette and earning her trust back. Tikki has to inform him that Ladybug is put of commission because she accidentally got touched by one of the thorns but that she was there to help and purify the akuma. Chat is distressed but he will fight however long he needs to. The crowd of people that have gathered (friends and family of Marinette and her parents who are worried) to watch and there are some who read the plaque at the bottom of the tower before trying to free Marinette themselves. The whole class (except Lila) tries but end up being put to sleep, Luka tries, Jagged Stone tries, even Fang tries but they all end up asleep. Alya would try but she's livestreaming and begging Ladybug to help her bestie please!
Marinette does end up finding the rose herself again after nearly getting touched by thorns, the tower vanishes and they're free falling like before. Tikki finds Marinette and the akuma and goes to purify it. The ending happens the same basically expect all of Marinette's friends and family rush into the bakery after the cure is sent out to check on her. Chat checks on her then and later on at night and they have a long conversation about being a hero and about his actions towards Ladybug. Marinette in turn confesses to liking a boy like that but having decided to try and move on and just bring his friend above anything else.
Chat admires that and tries to figure out who the boy is but figures out that Marinette is stubborn and won't tell, the episode ends with Chat shyly asking if they're still friends and when Mari agrees he cries and they hug and the end!
Summary: Life on the streets as a werewolf isn't very easy for Jack. Turns out that living with a family pretending to be their dog is even harder. Some secrets are just impossible to keep.
Note: Based on this prompt from linddzz's werewolf AU.
Read it on: AO3 or here:
When Jack wakes it’s very early morning and he’s not entirely conscious yet. The first and most prominent thing he’s aware of is warmth. He can feel soft fabric on his skin and there’s a source of heat behind him which he turns to, not thinking twice about snuggling into it. It shifts and then there’s more warmth curled around him. With a content sigh he drifts back to sleep.
Jack wakes properly some hours later and there’s a few things of note. He’s in Kozmotis’ bed, under the sheets, naked and Kozmotis is nowhere in the room. He can’t remember what happened last night after turning and he’s not sure whether to start feeling dread or not.
Just as he’s pushing himself up into a sit, scrubbing at his eyes, the door opens and Kozmotis enters with a tray in his hands. All his apprehensions go forgotten at the sight of food, instantly perking him up because breakfast in bed.
“Hey,” he greets with a grin on his face that he’s sure must look stupid but can’t help.
“Good morning.” Kozmotis greets, setting the tray down on the bedside table and then sitting down on the edge of the bed after Jack’s tugged the blanket up a little further to ensure maximum coverage.
After making sure the blanket won’t slip too much, Jack makes a grab for the cup of coffee on the tray to take a sip. Too much sugar, more milk than coffee; exactly how he likes it. Kozmotis must have noticed and remembered. It makes him smile and try as he might, he can’t quite ignore the warm flutters in his gut.
“Has anybody ever told you you’re a saint? Because you are.”
“Some would beg to differ.” Kozmotis looks amused for a moment before it turns to something akin to concern. “How are you feeling?”
“Hm? I’m fine,” Jack replies distractedly as he busies himself with grabbing the tray to move it into his lap. He can feel the fabric slipping down and exposing more of his hip as he leans over and from the corner of his eye he can see Kozmotis hurriedly looking away. Interesting. But he gets more preoccupied as to why Kozmotis would ask that. “Why? Did I— did I do something embarrassing?”
“No. Unless you find sleeping at the end of the bed again embarrassing.”
Well, that’s a huge relief. Assured, Jack shoves the sandwich in his mouth while Kozmotis is still staring at the wall, brows drawn together.
“It’s just that … it looked painful.”
Jack pauses halfway through a bite. “You didn’t look away, did you?”
Kozmotis’ guilty grimace says enough.
“Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it looks.”
Kozmotis looks back to him skeptically and Jack offers a toothy grin around his sandwich that appears to be convincing enough.
“Good. That’s good.”
They fall into a silence after that, one that’s not entirely awkward or oppressive, while Jack finishes eating his breakfast. When he’s done, Kozmotis stands and moves to pick up the tray.
“Jackson Overland,” Jack murmurs just as Kozmotis bends over, making Kozmotis halt and glance up at him.
“Pardon?”
“My name. That’s my name.”
Tray in hands, Kozmotis straightens slowly while looking thoughtful. The expression on Jack’s own face is uncertain and subdued as he watches Kozmotis.
“Jack Frost does suit you better,” Kozmotis says eventually with a small smile.
“Yeah, I think so,” Jack replies, returning the smile with a relieved one of his own.
“I’m going out for groceries in thirty minutes if you want to come with. I’ll put your clothes right outside.”
“Yeah, sure. Thanks, for the breakfast too.”
-
The rest of the day proceeds as usual, wonderfully ordinary, save for the slight tension that hangs between them. Neither of them bring up the topic of last night and Jack feels they probably should talk about it. He can swear, this time for certain, that Kozmotis’ eyes linger on him occasionally and he seems to be keeping Jack at arm’s length. Jack can’t tell if it’s because Kozmotis finds the whole situation awkward or because of the attraction being mutual after all.
Come nightfall, Jack grows more certain which it is.
His senses grow stronger than usual as the night progresses and he can smell the subtle things he wouldn’t otherwise pay as much attention to that much stronger. Jack’s sure then.
Once Seraphina has been put to bed, Jack makes his move the moment Kozmotis sits back down on the couch. With the full moon making him bold and amped up, he doesn’t even hesitate. Without preamble he drops himself into Kozmotis’ lap, enjoying the way Kozmotis freezes and his eyes widen comically.
“About last night,” he starts, his lips quirking into a smirk that make Kozmotis swallow hard.
“Jack, I don’t— ” Kozmotis’ tone is strangled and he can’t seem to utter anything else when Jack leans forward, burying his face in the crook of his neck and breathing in deeply.
There’s undoubtedly the scent of arousal.
“You do. I can smell it, y’know.”
“Jack.” Kozmotis’ voice has gained some shaky certainty and there are hands on Jack’s arms, gently pulling him away far enough so that Kozmotis can look at him. “You’re too young.”
“I’m legal,” he replies promptly, carrying on before Kozmotis can interject. “But you must have already discovered that when you looked me up.”
There’s a guilty downcast flicker of Kozmotis’ eyes that tell Jack he’s right. He pretty much expected it the moment he told Kozmotis his real name. He does have a small rap sheet for petty theft and vandalism, no doubt that’s the first thing Kozmotis checked for.
“It’s fine and if you don’t like me because of what you’ve seen then I understand, just tell me so.”
It’s edging into territory that’s too uncomfortably personal, making Jack break eye contact by glancing down until Kozmotis moves one hand from his arm to his cheek, drawing Jack’s attention again.
“Jack, your initial deception aside, you’ve been nothing but good to Sera and me.” There’s something firm yet gentle in Kozmotis’ expression though it falters a few seconds later. “And yes, you are a very attractive young man.”
That makes Jack grin and he seizes that moment as an opportunity to shift the conversation to something more light-hearted.
“Is that why you let me stay? Because you think I’m hot?”
“No, it was fatherly instincts, remember?” Kozmotis doesn’t even miss a beat. It’s impressive.
“I don’t believe you one bit.”
Jack leans in for a kiss and although Kozmotis is hesitant at first, he kisses back soon enough. The kiss is decidedly more heated than the one shared the previous night and to Jack’s disappointment he has to pull back far too quickly for his liking when the tingling at the base of his spine and the itching of his skin grows too intense.
“I need to change,” he whispers breathlessly. “But now I really don’t want to.”
“It’s fine, Jack.” Kozmotis moves his arms around him, simply holding him, and it’s a bit steadying. Just not calming enough when he’s still straddling Kozmotis’ thighs and with the scent of arousal in the air.
“If you promise not to maul anyone, would it help if I let you out?”
“I’m not really the mauling type,” Jack snorts and then pauses to consider it. “But yeah, maybe? Just boot me out if I don’t move my wolfy ass.”
Kozmotis nods and Jack steals a last, quick kiss before moving away.
-
Jack wakes the following Saturday morning with a vague recollection of the woods and the thrill of running and chasing things freely. There’s the notion of it having been exhilarating and that has him waking up feeling at peace. He only feels more so when he finds himself in Kozmotis’ bed, under the sheets, with Kozmotis in it, his eyes opening when Jack shifts.
Either he’s still feeling overly confident because of the full moon or the contentedness is getting to his head, whichever it is, he’s pushing himself up and leaning over to mutter a greeting against Kozmotis’ lips.
“‘Morning,” is the returning soft, sleepy rumble against his lips, almost making him giggle. Jack doesn’t think he’s ever felt this happy before in his life. It makes his chest feel tight and his heart hurt in a good way. As much as he’s tried not to get his hopes up, it’s impossible not to feel hopeful now.
Kozmotis slips an arm around his waist, pushing him back down on his side as he turns to face him. Kozmotis’ eyes rove over his body so blatantly that there’s no mistaking it this time and it makes Jack’s breathing hitch in his chest. Eventually Kozmotis’ gaze meets his, looking contemplative, and Jack remembers how to breathe. There’s a moment of silence until it’s finally broken by Kozmotis.
“If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this the slow, old-fashioned way.”
Jack’s pretty sure his heart skips a beat. Possibly several.
“What, like dinner and a movie first?”
“Exactly.”
Somehow that doesn’t surprise him at all. Kozmotis seems like the type to be all gentlemanly and old-fashioned. It’s endearing, if not also slightly disappointing and frustrating considering he’s already naked and very much willing in Kozmotis’ bed.
As if he’s reading his mind, Kozmotis rolls over and grabs something from the bedside table that he presses into Jack’s arms. His pyjama bottoms.
Jack shakes his head fondly with a chuckle, but he wriggles himself into them obligingly. A chance is more than he could have ever hoped for. Dating Kozmotis definitely gives him a chance and then some.
But that does make him wonder and he finally has to ask the question he’s been dreading to ask the most.
“So … I can stay? Even if it doesn’t work out?”
“For however long you want to.”
There’s such sincerity and tenderness on Kozmotis’ face despite Jack already voicing doubt aloud that it makes Jack’s heart leap in his chest. He doesn’t bother resisting the urge to throw his arms around Kozmotis, holding tight and hiding his face in the crook of his neck.
“Just so you know, that means forever and now that you’ve said that, you can’t get rid of me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Imagine the fit Seraphina would have.”
Jack gives a watery laugh and doesn’t budge, working on getting his composure back while Kozmotis runs a soothing hand through his hair and presses his lips to Jack’s forehead.
They stay like that for a while, neither willing to move, until there’s the sound of tiny hurried footsteps in the hallway and Seraphina bursts into the room.
Kozmotis sits up abruptly, looking mildly mortified as his daughter’s eyes widen when she spots Jack and dramatically points at him.
“You got to sleep in daddy’s bed! No fair!”
Jack can see Kozmotis’ shoulders sag in relief, but he’s only aware of that for a brief moment because he’s too busy laughing at the sheer affront on Seraphina’s face.
“Well, maybe next time you should beat me to it then.”
“I will,” she says with stubborn determination. An expression that doesn’t last long when Jack tosses a pillow at her. With an indignant shriek followed by laughter, she grabs it and chases after him when Jack darts off the bed.
Kozmotis watches on with the classic put-upon-dad look, though it does nothing to hide the fondness that lingers in his eyes and quirks his lips up in the slightest.
Jack knows then he found the home and the family he’s always been looking for. People to call his pack.
Summary: Life on the streets as a werewolf isn't very easy for Jack. Turns out that living with a family pretending to be their dog is even harder. Some secrets are just impossible to keep.
Note: Based on this prompt from linddzz's werewolf AU.
Read it on: AO3 or here:
By the time he hears the front door being unlocked and the sound of Sera’s voice excitedly regaling her father with tales of the day, Jack does feel nervous again. He doesn’t know how she’s going to react to a missing dog and a strange teen in the kitchen, but he’s about to find out.
The door unlocks and only a few seconds later, Seraphina comes bounding into the kitchen despite her father’s protests that she wait, quickly followed by an anxious-looking Kozmotis . Her eyes land on him, going wide and—
“Frosty!”
Jack is too shocked to do anything other than automatically kneel down and catch her as she all but flings herself at him, leaving a gawking Kozmotis in her wake. Him and Kozmotis exchange equally dumbfounded looks while Seraphina hugs him with easy familiarity.
“Er, Sera honey, you do know that’s not the dog, right?” Kozmotis eventually stammers out.
“I know he turns into a boy,” Seraphina says matter-of-factly, pulling back with a bright smile.
Jack promptly realises she must have seen him turn on one of those occasions he’d fallen asleep and had to turn just as the family had gotten back from a trip. It’s a revelation that should maybe be more dreadful, but with Seraphina smiling at him so carelessly, he can only smile back.
She reaches out and puts her hand on Jack’s head. His heart swells at the gesture, that tiny hand ruffling through his unruly, abnormally white hair the same way it would through fur. There’s total acceptance in that simple act.
He watches her in awe as she looks over her shoulder at her father and notices the expression on his face.
“Daddy, can we still keep him?”
Without meaning to Jack peers around Seraphina to see Kozmotis’ reaction, trying and failing to keep the hopefulness from his face when their eyes meet. Kozmotis is wearing that troubled frown again until he sighs and looks away.
“He can stay for now.”
Jack could leap for joy, a few more days with a good roof over his head isn’t something he’s going to pass up on. Especially not when it means being around the Pitchiners for a little while longer.
“But he’s going to stay like this.”
“Aww, but—” Seraphina pouts.
“No buts. Now you still need to tidy your room so go do that and then you can play.”
When Seraphina turns back to him, Jack gives her an encouraging ‘go on’ and that seems to cheer her up. Once she’s gone after a last ruffle of his hair, he rises to his feet, looking to Kozmotis with gratitude.
“Thank you.”
Kozmotis shrugs uncomfortably. “You make her happy.”
That means more to Jack than he could ever possibly put in words.
-
Life with the Pitchiners resumes almost like normal. He’s given the guest bedroom and he eats with them at the dinner table. Seraphina still excitedly chats to him as if nothing’s changed, refusing to call Jack anything other than Frosty. The only difference is that he can talk back and Seraphina soaks up the attention happily.
In return for Kozmotis’ hospitality, Jack helps with chores as much as he can and that seems to help Kozmotis warm up to him faster.
Jack remains unaware of what Kozmotis might be planning to do about him and he doesn’t dare ask for how long he’s allowed to stay for fear of the answer. The subject is never brought up and Jack’s happy to keep it that way if it means he can stay for longer.
It’s rather nice being human and getting to use opposable thumbs around the house. It’s a definite improvement. Only there’s a downside too. As someone in their late teens, he still suffers from a case of raging hormones and he’s feeling that a lot more acutely now that he’s wandering around the house on two legs. His attraction to Kozmotis only grows and that’s bad news.
It doesn’t help that he’s slowly gaining Kozmotis’ trust which in turn apparently makes Kozmotis more comfortable around him. In the beginning there was a lot of wariness, understandably so, and Jack didn’t blame him one bit. That’s starting to fade and Kozmotis behaves casual and relaxed around him more often. He remains reluctant to leave Seraphina alone with Jack, though even that is starting to ease off.
It’s not as if Jack’s very purposely trying to endear himself to Kozmotis, it’s more like he can’t help it. Although Kozmotis doesn’t like being interrupted when he’s working, whenever Jack slips into the study with a cup of coffee after spotting Kozmotis rubbing his temples and looking fed up, Kozmotis always has a tired, grateful smile for him. It's a smile he wants to see as much as possible.
It’s the little things similar to that that appear to win Kozmotis over the most. Helping out with cooking and doing the dishes, convincing Seraphina to go to bed when she doesn’t want to go, all that leads to quiet moments where they can sit together in comfortable silence without having to force anything. Kozmotis doesn’t pry either, Jack figures he’s opting for the ‘wait until he comes to me’ sort of approach and he appreciates it greatly.
But he’s not so sure if he should go for it.
On one hand he does want to open up to Kozmotis, on the other he’s already gotten way too attached and over invested. His growing attraction isn’t helping matters at all. He feels he should leave before it gets any worse and yet he doesn’t want to now that he finally has a sense of family. Logically he knows, the sooner he leaves, the lesser the heartbreak. Kozmotis said it was only temporary with that 'for now', hadn’t he?
It’s a thought that grows more pervasive the closer he gets to the full moon. More often he finds himself staring at Kozmotis, especially when he’s rolled up his sleeves, and wanting to sneak out the guest room and slip into Kozmotis’ room at night. He misses sleeping at the end of Kozmotis’ bed, feeling his warmth and falling asleep to his steady breathing. Although his imagination leads him to far less chaste places and more into the ‘pinned down and naked’ kind of places nowadays.
The full moon drawing near only makes it worse. His wolfy side plus hormones equals disaster. He can’t control himself on the full moon and he has no doubt that having so many repressed desires will make them come to the surface. The last thing he wants is to be humping Kozmotis’ leg and knowing his luck, his wolfy self would do exactly such a mortifying thing.
He really should leave.
He doesn’t.
-
By the time it’s the first night of the full moon, he hasn’t been able to get himself to go. That leaves the only option of resisting the change which is rather excruciating. Still, Jack finds that preferable over disgusting the hell out of Kozmotis and potentially losing his home sooner rather than later.
It’s hard to hide his pain, however. And long after Seraphina’s been sent to bed and the night has truly fallen, leaving only the two of them on the couch watching TV, Kozmotis notices. It would probably be hard not to with how pale Jack has gotten. He’s sweating profusely and gritting his teeth, restlessly shifting every few minutes.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s the full moon,” Jack replies in a trembling voice, failing to sound casual.
“So shouldn’t you be a wolf by now?” It’s the first time Kozmotis has addressed his wolf side after Jack’s ‘coming out’ and Jack would be proud of him for sounding so casual about it if he wasn’t in so much pain.
The ache permeates through his very bones, his skin itching and feeling far too small to contain him. It takes tremendous effort not to give in and change and talking makes his concentration waver.
“You said to stay like this.” Jack, by some miracle, manages to smirk briefly to show that he’s mostly joking. Kozmotis looks affronted regardless and that almost makes him want to laugh. The only thing that slips past his lips is a quiet groan of pain, making the affront on Kozmotis’ face change to concern. There’s a hint of fear in the air too, Jack can smell it. Whether it’s Kozmotis’ or his own is hard to say.
“I didn’t mean— Does it hurt? Not changing?”
“Yeah, kind of a lot.” The full moon is close to reaching it’s peak, Jack can feel it and in an explosion of the pent-up restless energy, he gets up to pace around the room.
Kozmotis rises slowly from his seat, watching him in both wariness and concern.
“So just change.”
“I don’t want to,” Jack snaps without meaning to, growing ever more agitated in his pacing, and quickly shoots Kozmotis an apologetic look in time to see Kozmotis’ questioning one. “I can’t control myself during a full moon.”
“So you’ll … hurt people?”
“No, no, I’ve never done that. It’s just …” Jack breathes harshly through his nose, reduced to moving back and forth like a caged animal. “I don’t like not being in control of myself.”
It’s a weak excuse, but he’s not about to tell the truth that he fears he’ll jump Kozmotis. It looks like a good enough excuse considering the sympathetic expression on Kozmotis’ face so he leaves it at that.
There’s not much room for coherent thought to explain any further either way. Not when the pain intensifies and shoots up his spine, halting him in his steps and making him double over, gagging at the agony. He’s only faintly aware of the sound of movement before there’s suddenly warmth on both his shoulders. Hands. Kozmotis’ hands.
“Jack, it’s fine.”
He looks up to meet Kozmotis’ worried gaze and he can only shake his head because no, it’s not okay. Kozmotis squeezes his shoulders and Jack finds that the touch is oddly steadying and helping him focus through the haze of pain. His skin feels oversensitive under his shirt and Kozmotis’ hands are like brands of heat, pulling all his focus toward the points of contact. He’s hyper-aware of Kozmotis’ proximity and although he was expecting to get more agitated because of it, he only feels comforted.
“Can I help?” Kozmotis’ voice has gone all soft though Jack can hear it just fine. It has that frantic edge to it that makes an appearance whenever Seraphina falls and doesn’t get up right away. Kozmotis is genuinely worried and fretting over him. Jack is touched. Would be more so if he wasn’t currently trying to keep it together while also considering the question.
He’s never had anyone around to help him through the change before so he has no clue what might help.
The physical contact seems to work, only it’s not enough. An idea does occur to him. He’s just not sure if it’s something he can ask of Kozmotis. He’s seen the way Kozmotis sometimes looks at him though. Either because Kozmotis knows of Jack’s attraction or maybe because he feels the same. The latter is doubtlessly Jack’s wishful thinking, but if Kozmotis already suspects then ...
“Could you— maybe— this is a stupid thing to ask,” Jack babbles and Kozmotis remains patient, gently squeezing Jack’s shoulders again and Jack has to resist the urge to bury his face against Kozmotis’ chest and whine. Instead he just blurts his request out.
“Could you kiss me? I just … I need to- focus. Something to focus on? It’s fine if you don’t—” Words are getting too hard and Jack falters, starting to feel far too flustered to continue. He doesn’t even have the presence of mind left to feel embarrassed, only to silently plead with his eyes for some form of distraction.
He must look desperate and frazzled enough because after a moment of bewildered staring, Kozmotis leans in.
Even though Jack can see it coming, he’s too surprised to be prepared for the actual touch. There are warm lips pressed softly against his, sending a spark of sensation from the point of contact throughout his whole body like an electrical current. Everything goes still in his mind and the pain is forgotten. After a stunned beat, Jack closes his eyes and leans into it. He can feel Kozmotis’ hands slide from his shoulders to his back, fingers massaging soothingly.
It makes Jack whimper against Kozmotis’ mouth, tension leaving his body so swiftly that he has to steady himself with his arms on Kozmotis’ chest to keep himself from sagging against him completely. It’s very simple contact, just a press of lips, chaste, and it doesn’t become anything more than that.
Jack’s not sure for how long they stay like that, when Kozmotis breaks the kiss it doesn’t feel like nearly long enough. He’s left feeling dazed and yet peculiarly calm. It’s as if someone’s pressed a mute button on everything he was feeling previously. When he chances a glance up, there’s an intensity in Kozmotis’ eyes that makes him look away again, smiling weakly.
“Thanks, that … that helped,” he murmurs gratefully and he can see Kozmotis nod in his peripheral vision. There’s an abrupt pressure in the back of his neck, reminding him of his predicament. He can’t resist much longer nor does he want to now. “I’ll, um, change. You might want to look away.”
With great reluctance he steps back out of Kozmotis’ embrace. The moment he’s out of his arms, the change hits him like a freight train and he doesn’t have the time to see if Kozmotis turns away or not. It’s a frantic scramble to get out of his clothes before they can tear as he changes and the last thing he remembers is falling down on all fours before blacking out.
When he comes back to awareness, everything feels still and pleasantly fuzzy. There are fingers scritching behind his ear and the familiarity of the gesture is profoundly reassuring. He leans his head into it instinctively.
“Come, let’s go to bed.”
Those words are very familiar too as is the voice.
The owner of the voice starts moving and Jack follows after, up the stairs and into the room that smells the most recognisable. With a quick hop he’s on the bed, turning three times before lying down on his usual spot. There’s rustling on the other side of the room that the wolf pays no heed to. A moment later there’s a soothing hand moving through his fur a few times before the mattress dips.
Summary: Life on the streets as a werewolf isn't very easy for Jack. Turns out that living with a family pretending to be their dog is even harder. Some secrets are just impossible to keep.
Note: Based on this prompt from linddzz's werewolf AU.
Read it on: AO3 or here:
"This isn't what it looks like!" He blurts out and then regrets it, cringing, because he has no idea what this even looks like. " ... Or maybe it is? I don't know."
Kozmotis narrows his eyes, shifting the grip on his gun menacingly and prompting another hurried response.
"But I can explain!"
Before anything else can be said by either of them, Seraphina’s voice calling for her father cuts in from the hallway. They both freeze, staring almost comically at each other with the same dread on their faces. Kozmotis snaps out of it first, moving off the bed and tucking the gun into the back of his pyjama pants before pausing to point a finger at Jack in a threatening gesture.
“Stay put.”
Jack can only nod wordlessly while his mind races to think of a way out. The window is starting to look mighty appealing. The drop probably wouldn’t hurt him at all. He might have gone with that hare-brained scheme the moment Kozmotis slipped out the door if it weren’t for Seraphina’s voice pulling him from his panicky thoughts.
“Where’s Frosty?”
“Frost is— still asleep. Let’s let him sleep in a little, okay?”
He can hear Seraphina’s protests even as she’s ushered down the stairs by her father. He knows her father’s words won’t deter her for long.
It occurs to Jack and his guilty conscience that he at least owes Kozmotis an explanation. Plus he wants to be able to say goodbye to Seraphina in some way. It’s those realisations that keep him from jumping out the window.
Rather than fleeing, he gets off the bed and moves to one corner of the room to change into his wolf form again. Not a moment too soon, because as expected Seraphina steps into the room soon after, having gone behind her father’s back if the panicked yell from downstairs is anything to go by.
“SERA!”
While Seraphina gives him the routine morning hug and he wags his tail in greeting, Kozmotis bursts into the room. The look of panic on his face is replaced by something unreadable when he spots the two of them.
“See daddy? He was already awake.”
Jack flattens his ears against his head a little, trying his very best to look as apologetic as possible with his wolfish features. Although he’s not sure if it’s working, Kozmotis sighs and lets his tense shoulders sag after a beat all the same.
“Yes, sweetheart. Why don’t you finish your breakfast and we’ll be down in a minute.”
The use of ‘we’ seems amendable enough for her and after a last ruffle of his fur, she skips out of the room, leaving Jack to look submissive on instinct. Doubly so when Kozmotis reaches for his gun. Fortunately it’s only to place it back in the drawer of his night stand though that doesn’t ease the tension that much when Kozmotis turns and frowns at him. It feels like an eternity in which he’s scrutinised before Kozmotis finally looks away.
“Turn away.”
The clipped tone is enough to get Jack to do so without question. He doesn’t have to wonder for long anyway as the familiar rustle of fabric behind him speaks for itself. He glances over when Kozmotis is finished getting dressed and he’s met with a contemplative look. It’s not a bad look, certainly much better than the fearsome scowl, but rather unnerving in its stillness. Kozmotis eventually makes a motion for Jack to follow as he turns to leave the room.
Jack realises that Kozmotis won’t be allowing him a chance to escape by keeping him close and well …
Fair enough.
The morning resumes like any other, save for the suspicious glances Kozmotis keeps throwing him and how Jack keeps himself a lot more subdued than usual because of it. He wags his tail only enough not to worry Seraphina. The walk to school is normal and Seraphina’s goodbye hug breaks his heart as he figures it will be the last time he gets to enjoy her affection. He doesn’t really get the time to dwell on it.
The walk back is hurried, Jack has to trot to keep up with Kozmotis’ brisk pace. He doesn’t even look at Jack the whole way through which does nothing to ease the tense atmosphere. It almost makes thoughts of fleeing tempting again. Not that he could if he seriously planned it, Kozmotis has an iron grip on the leash and he locks the door the moment they’re back inside the house and the leash is off.
Without even a glance at him Kozmotis moves upstairs, again motioning for Jack to follow. Jack can only watch nervously as Kozmotis rummages through his closet, grabbing a few items of clothing before he’s ushered out of the room and into the guest bedroom. Kozmotis puts the clothes down on the bed with a curt nod at him.
“Put those on.”
And without further ado, he leaves the room though Jack can still hear him standing in the hallway.
Nothing for it then.
It’s only when Jack has turned back that anxiety really strikes. It’s with slightly trembling fingers that he puts on the clothes laid out for him. At least the clothes work a bit soothing. They’re too big, of course, but they’re comfy and they smell of Kozmotis and he can’t help but be comforted by that.
He tries not to stall too long once he’s done even though his heart is pounding so loud he’s certain that Kozmotis can hear from the other side of the door. He’s not quite sure why he suddenly feels so anxious, Kozmotis wouldn’t kill him or anything. Probably.
He takes a deep, steadying breath before gently knocking on the door and opening it, keeping his head down and glancing up uncertainly.
Kozmotis turns around from where he was presumably guarding the door, giving him a long, hard look before he finally speaks.
“I need a drink.”
-
“... A werewolf.”
Kozmotis had stayed remarkably still and quiet throughout the explanation. Now that the information seems to truly sink in, he’s become a flurry of movement. There’s restless pacing and wild arm gestures and more than once Jack has to reach over and move Kozmotis’ glass of whisky to keep it from being knocked over, even managing to get a sip before the glass is snatched away from him.
All in all it’s not that bad a reaction. There are no guns being pointed at him or any signs that violence is about to occur. Kozmotis is pacing on the other side of the kitchen table and making no move to come to the side Jack is sitting at, which to Jack is a big plus. There’s no threat and Jack is a lot more at ease. Having finally fessed up also feels strangely relieving. The only guilt remaining now is for the agitation he’s obviously causing Kozmotis.
Kozmotis who abruptly stops in his pacing to look at him.
“What’s your last name?”
Jack blinks at the sudden change of subject, taken off guard. He’d hoped he would get away with only having said his first name and Kozmotis getting too preoccupied with the whole werewolf thing to bother with anything else. No such luck, apparently.
“... Frost.”
Kozmotis narrows his eyes, clearly not believing the lie.
“What’s your real last name?”
“Frost works just fine,” he insists stubbornly.
Kozmotis gives him a look of exasperation, throwing his arms up for the tenth time before he continues pacing. Jack considers the subject dropped though he’s wary when Kozmotis stops again.
“We gave you a bath.”
“It was a nice bath?” Is all Jack can offer in return.
“Oh, well, good to know someone was enjoying it.”
“So were you.” It’s not the right thing to say, most likely, yet Jack can’t help himself. It’s the truth, Kozmotis had looked like he was enjoying himself if only because of his daughter’s happiness.
Kozmotis scowls and looks away, going silent as he contemplates … whatever it is that’s on his mind, Jack is having a hard time keeping up with the odd jumps in the conversation.
“No wonder you never ate the dog food ...”
It’s a quiet mutter that’s probably more to himself than Jack. Jack decides to cut the whole discussion short there before Kozmotis can start moving on to whatever other realisation occurs to him.
“Look, I’m sorry about all this, okay? I’ll leave and you won’t ever have to deal with this crazy shit again,” he says as he slips out of the chair.
“No.”
Kozmotis suddenly does move to Jack’s side of the table and although Jack stands his ground, he tenses as Kozmotis looms over him with a stern expression. It causes flutters of nervousness in his stomach, but Jack hides his fear behind a frown and a defiant jut of his chin.
“Excuse you?”
“You’re not leaving until you’ve either told me your real name or where you live.”
Despite knowing that he owes Kozmotis at least that much, in the face of that authoritative tone that little fact goes forgotten.
“No, I’m not telling you!”
“Fine,” Kozmotis says so abruptly that it throws him off entirely. Jack can only stare in confusion as Kozmotis walks away, grabbing his coat and his car keys. “Then you’re going to show me.”
-
It’s with great reluctance that Jack finds himself sitting in Kozmotis’ car. The threats of being turned over to the authorities having worked well in Kozmotis’ favour. Beyond giving directions in a snippy tone, he doesn’t speak and fortunately Kozmotis stays quiet as well.
It doesn’t take long at all before they reach the abandoned house that Jack has claimed as his temporary ‘home’ on the outskirts of town. He can feel Kozmotis’ eyes on him when he tells him to stop the car and he resolutely doesn’t look at him. He doesn’t want to see whatever look of shock or pity might be on Kozmotis’ face.
Without a word he leaves the car and walks into the house, his gaze solemnly on the floor until he reaches the makeshift bedroom with the ratty mattress on the floor. Only then does he spin on his heels to face Kozmotis, spreading his arms in a mock gesture of display.
“Well, tadaa, here it is! My home. Are you happy now?”
There’s a troubled look on Kozmotis’ face as he glances from the mattress to the small pile of clothes next to it and then to Jack. It makes Jack queasy. Any moment now that look is going to turn to pity or disgust and he doesn’t want to see it.
“Now that you’ve taken me home, you can go.”
He has to resist the urge to just physically push Kozmotis out the building as the guy just turns away, still frowning and running his hand through his hair like he’s deeply thinking something over. Jack doesn’t get a chance to repeat himself like he wants to as Kozmotis suddenly seems to have made up his mind, looking back to him resolutely.
“No. This won’t do. You’re coming with me.”
Jack balks.
“You said no authorities if I did this.”
“I’m not taking you to the authorities.”
“Oh ...” Jack breathes in relief. “Then where?”
“Back home.”
Jack can’t really object to that though he has no idea what Kozmotis is planning. It can’t be anything too bad seeing as Kozmotis insists on buying him a new set of clothes on the way back despite Jack’s protests. In the end he doesn’t get too much of a choice, Kozmotis’ clothes are way too big for him and Kozmotis refuses to go back and let Jack fetch the clothes he forgot back in the abandoned house.
When they get back, he’s told to change and make himself something to eat while Kozmotis disappears into the study he uses for work. Jack does as told and any notion of escaping has left him by now. He feels an odd mix of confused, wary and yet hopeful despite better judgment.
He’s on his third ham sandwich when Kozmotis reappears to join him in the kitchen. The troubled frown seems to be permanently set on his face, though it seems lesser than before. As Kozmotis seats himself, Jack finally blurts out the question he’s been meaning to ask the most.
“Aren’t you mad? For … y’know, deceiving you and all.”
“I am mad,” Kozmotis says with such sudden intensity that it makes Jack flinch. He softens again a few seconds later. “But I understand too.”
Jack’s not sure what to say to that, the feeling that he somehow needs to explain and justify his actions remains.
“I was just … ”
“Desperate?” Kozmotis raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Jack nods meekly. “It’s really kind of pathetic.”
He forces a weak laugh, earning him a headshake from Kozmotis.
“We do what we must to survive,” Kozmotis says.
Jack would protest that it’s not quite the case here, but the sober, almost melancholic look on Kozmotis’ face keeps him from voicing the thought aloud. It might have something to do with Kozmotis being a former soldier and so Jack decides not to pry.
“I’m really sorry. Thank you for— well, everything. You’ve been really cool about this.”
Kozmotis makes a noncommittal noise, only briefly glancing at Jack before he stares contemplatively at the wall.
“Is it your fatherly instincts taking over?” Jack jokes to try and diffuse the lingering tension.
Kozmotis’ lips quirk briefly and Jack considers that victory enough.
“Be glad they did.”
Jack is. They lapse into a silence that isn’t altogether unpleasant. Kozmotis seems to be deep in thought while Jack finishes his sandwich and simply tries to enjoy the company while he can. He doesn’t dare interrupt Kozmotis’s thoughts. The existence of supernatural creatures does tend to be a lot to take in.
It’s Kozmotis who eventually breaks the silence with a heavy sigh.
“God, how do I even tell Sera ...”
“You could tell her the truth?” Jack suggests and the look he’s leveled with tells him it’s not an appreciated suggestion. “Look, I’m just saying, kids believe a lot easier. But I can change back to—”
“No. You’re not going back to that.”
Jack shrugs his shoulders helplessly, not having any other suggestions to offer.
“I’ll figure something out.” Kozmotis sighs before glancing to the clock. “I’ll go pick her up. You just stay put and don’t change into ... just stay as you are.”
Jack nods, wishing he could be of more help. Perhaps telling a little girl werewolves exist might not be the best idea, but spinning it into something less scary should be doable, right? He has no clue what Kozmotis intends to do and he tries to leave it to him and not worry too much.
Summary: Life on the streets as a werewolf isn't very easy for Jack. Turns out that living with a family pretending to be their dog is even harder. Some secrets are just impossible to keep.
Note: Based on this prompt from linddzz's werewolf AU.
Read it on: AO3 or here:
Kozmotis and Seraphina Pitchiner, as it turned out, made a family of two. Most would probably consider that lacking, but not Jack. When he returned a lot less furry the next day out of concern for the girl to peek inside the window, he’d seen how happy they were. For all the lack of a mother figure, they were probably the happiest family in the neighbourhood.
He should have left it at that and he would have if it weren’t for his werewolf side getting other ideas.
Next full moon had him sitting on the Pitchiner’s porch. Which still was innocent enough and obviously nothing came from Kozmotis walking him around the neighbourhood trying to find his ‘owner’, but the company had been nice. It was more than what he got as a human during the day when nobody cared about some punk kid out on the streets, Kozmotis included. People simply cared more about what they perceived to be a white, large, thin-looking stray dog.
It would have been fine if it had stayed a monthly occurrence when he couldn’t control his wolfy side as well as usual. That was excusable. It was harder to find excuses when he started purposely shifting during the day just so he could walk Seraphina home from school and peeking into their window more and more often. He could argue that it was for her safety because she tended to be wild and reckless. That he’d merely gotten attached to this cute little girl so full of life and by extension her dad. Or he could even just admit to himself that he’s desperate. That he craves the affection they show him and that he’s so unused to. Those could be considered excuses, however flimsy they are.
But now he’s sitting in their living room with tiny arms wrapped around his furry neck while Seraphina pleads with her father and Jack knows he’s gone too far. He’d only meant to bring her home from school again, drop her off by the porch and receive a hug or a pat on the head as usual. It’s not his fault she ushered him inside.
“Can we keep him? Please, please, please?”
He should leave before this gets any worse than it already has.
He doesn’t want to. To his own embarrassment, he wants Kozmotis to say yes.
Being a dog wasn’t bad, he reasons. Most dogs have good lives. At least this way he was part of a family. People he could maybe call his pack. For as long as he could remember, all Jack wanted was to belong. Being a werewolf who lived on the streets didn’t make that easy though. All he had right now was an abandoned building deemed his momentary ‘home’ on the outskirt of the town.
If Kozmotis says yes, he’ll have a better roof over his head and he’ll be well fed. More than that, he’ll have more of their affection and praise. Never mind that he would be a shame to werewolves everywhere. It would be worth it. Maybe it is tricking them a bit, but it can’t be so bad when they like his furry side so much, right? He can pretend to be a dog just fine.
So instead of leaving as he should, he stays where he is watching Kozmotis closely while his tail swishes back and forth slowly.
He’s gotten somewhat familiar with the way Kozmotis’ eyebrows furrow and his mouth does an odd little twist as if he’s fighting the urge to smile while trying to look stern whenever he’s dealing with Seraphina’s pleas. It means he’s likely close to caving and Jack can’t stop himself from hoping despite himself.
“Please, Daddy? He’s been so good, but he’s always alone and always looks so sad, we could make him happy!”
It’s like an unexpected jackknife to the heart and Jack’s not sure whether to curse or bless children for their ability to perceive so much. He wags his tail and turns his head to lick the side of her face, causing a brief giggle before she’s burying her face in the side of his neck. She knows exactly what she’s doing when she continues to turn her head just slightly, peeking past his fur with an innocent eye. Jack couldn’t be more fond of her in that moment if he tried.
“Please?”
The expression on Kozmotis’ face crumbles and it signals his defeat even before he sighs and speaks.
“.... Fine. But he needs a bath and a name.”
The shriek of laughter so near his ear is deafening, but Jack can’t bring himself to care. Seraphina’s excitement is infectious and before he knows it, he’s up on all fours and jumping with her as she bounces up and down on the spot with outstretched arms in an odd little victory dance.
Logically he knows that this isn’t a farce he can keep up forever. He can pretend all he wants, he’ll never be an actual dog or even a wolf. He’s a werewolf and he can’t always control his changes, especially when sleeping. As good as he is at shifting at will, that’s not something he’ll ever be able to teach himself. He’s bound to fail.
For now, Jack ignores that voice of reason in the back of his head, celebrating with Seraphina by chasing her around the room while Kozmotis shakes his head at himself. He’ll figure something out. This is a chance for something better for him, as embarrassing and pathetic it may be, and he doesn’t want to lose it so soon.
-
Bath time falls to the more embarrassing side of things though Jack would be lying if he said it wasn’t enjoyable. The strong scent of the baby shampoo in his nostrils is worth enduring for the fingers meticulously kneading his fur, massaging the stuff in. Kozmotis has his sleeves rolled up, revealing nicely toned muscles, and it’s a sight Jack can certainly appreciate. He’d thought of the man and his angular features as handsome from the moment they met, but Kozmotis was quickly moving from ‘rather attractive older guy’ into Hot Dad territory. Probably not the most appropriate thing to think. Then again, nothing about Jack’s current situation could be deemed appropriate so it’s not like it matters. He can enjoy the view (mostly) guilt-free.
Seraphina’s there too, playing with the bubbles and occasionally giving her dad a hand while pondering names out loud.
“Mr. Dog?”
It’s what she’s been calling him so far, at the lack of a proper name to call him. Kozmotis hums low in his throat in thought, making Jack’s ears twitch toward the pleasant sound.
“I don’t know. Would you want to be called Ms. Girl?”
Seraphina wrinkles her nose endearingly and shakes her head.
“Snowy?”
Cliché. Luckily Kozmotis seems to think so too and even Seraphina herself looks dubious about her own suggestion.
“If we’re going with a winter theme, how about Frost?”
Kozmotis’ suggestion seems like it’ll be the most inoffensive and least embarrassing one so Jack wags his tail in approval. Seraphina appears to catch on because she suddenly grins at him and nods vigorously.
“Frosty!”
Still better than Snowy, he figures.
“Frost it is then.” Kozmotis says with a laugh.
Once rinsed and dried off (while making sure the other two occupants of the bathroom get thoroughly drenched to Seraphina’s delight and Kozmotis’ spluttering protest) Jack’s new ‘owners’ leave to get supplies and dinner, leaving Jack to his own devices with a warning to not get on the furniture.
It’s an opportunity to nose around that he doesn’t hesitate to take. It’s tempting to shift back to human form if only so he can look inside places better, but Jack refrains. He has no idea how long they’re going to take and shifting back and forth is neither a quick nor painless process. Granted, it’s not nearly the painful agony it used to be, the shifting of bones and skin still doesn’t remain a pleasant experience. As good as he’s gotten at shifting at will, it doesn’t speed the transformation up one bit. Plus he doesn’t fancy wandering around the house naked very much either.
Better to stay on the safe side.
A tour through the house alone tells him plenty anyway. From photos and medals he can tell that Kozmotis either is or used to be a military officer of some sort. There’s what appears to be a small memorial table tucked in one corner of the living room that answers the question of where Seraphina’s mother is. A saddening discovery he tries not to linger on.
He doesn’t dare open any doors and thus contents himself with exploring the kitchen before settling down by the couch. He ignores thoughts of how this could be his last chance to back out before any irreparable damage is done, so to speak, and instead waits for Kozmotis and Seraphina to get home.
When they do, the smell of chinese food that wafts in with them is nearly overpowering. It’s distracting enough that he barely pays attention to the blue collar that Seraphina fastens around his neck. Naturally the bowl with dog food that gets set up for him goes ignored in favour of joining the Pitchiners at the dinner table with his best puppy dog eyes.
The look Seraphina shoots between her plate and the wolfish creature sitting on the floor next to her suggests that she’s about to cave almost immediately. She probably would have if it weren’t for her dad speaking up.
“Don’t give him anything, Sera.”
“But—”
“He has his own food.”
Yeah, right. Jack’s not quite ready to sink that low just yet when there’s the option of something more appealing right there. He stays right where he is despite Kozmotis’ attempts to shoo him off. It’s worth it for the pieces of chicken Seraphina slips him whenever her father looks away.
Even better is when, for all his previous disapproval, the moment Seraphina is out of the kitchen, Kozmotis lowers a plate with scraps to the floor reluctantly. Jack makes sure to nudge his hand with a wet nose and whine gratefully before he scarfs it all down. Although he tries to savour it, it’s the best meal he’s had in days and it’s gone within seconds much to Kozmotis’ mild amusement.
With his hunger quelled somewhat, he goes to find Seraphina in the living room, watching TV. When he lays down, she slips off the couch and sits down on the floor next to him, tossing one arm across his shoulders. She’s a small, warm weight leaning against him, tiny fingers playing idly with his fur. Kozmotis joins them soon enough after a shower, settling on the couch, and Jack finds himself feeling a sense of family. It’s a taste of what he’s longed for for so long and it comes with that bittersweet happy-sad feeling that he can’t describe with words.
If he were human, he might have cried. Or done something equally embarrassing.
As it stands, he soaks in the experience. Trying to commit every little detail to memory, from Seraphina’s wild hair tickling his ear whenever she turns her head to the smell of Kozmotis’ shampoo, so he has something to remember when inevitably he has to leave. He doesn’t hold the illusion he can keep this farce up forever.
But for now, the loving company is something he feels he could get used to.
A feeling that only grows stronger when he follows them up the stairs to Kozmotis’ chagrin when it’s Seraphina’s bedtime. He soon discovers that Kozmotis’ voice can be very soothing. A smooth, low timbre as he reads Seraphina a bedtime story. Combined with scratches behind his ear that Seraphina gives him absentmindedly, it’s almost enough to make him nod off.
He could definitely get used to this.
Jack follows Kozmotis around for the rest of the evening, even when he goes to bed. Partly because he’s being cheeky after Kozmotis tried sternly telling him not to get on the couch before realising he was “talking to a dog” and mostly because Jack’s trying to see how much he can get away with. Despite muttered protests, Kozmotis allows him into the bedroom.
What gets a much more notable reaction is when Jack hops onto the bed after Kozmotis slips under the cover.
“No.”
It’s a formidable, stern expression, Jack will give him that. No doubt he’s had plenty of practice with a certain unruly little girl. Unfortunately for him, Jack’s not that easily dissuaded. All it takes is for him to tuck his tail between his legs, flatten his ears and whine pathetically before Kozmotis’ scowl turns into an expression of weary defeat. It’s with an exasperated sigh that he flops down and flaps his hand dismissively at Jack.
“Fine, but stay at the end of the bed.”
A bed is a bed, Jack isn’t going to be picky about it when he hasn’t slept in a proper one for so long and so he takes his victory triumphantly. It’s only after he’s curled up comfortably that he realises the problem a soft cosy bed is going to pose.
Sleeping is dangerous. He could easily shift back and not notice at all if he’s asleep deeply enough. He doesn’t have a way that can help him wake up before Kozmotis does. He’s going to get caught if he stays here, but now that he’s made himself comfortable and Kozmotis has settled, he can’t summon the will to move away. It’s not like he won’t be caught if he sleeps in another place in the house so ultimately it doesn’t matter. He should just avoid deep sleep.
Which isn’t a feasible lasting solution, he’s well aware. Still, it will have to do.
He dozes through the night, the warmth and the rhythmic breaths of the body near him making it difficult not to be lulled into a deeper sleep. He manages not to give in. Somehow.
Morning is announced by a blaring alarm, startling Jack out of a light slumber. He doesn’t budge when Kozmotis slips out of bed and turns it off, immediately going back to feeling drowsy. Not just that, he feels content and that’s something he hasn’t felt in ages. The contentedness is amplified when Kozmotis briefly wanders back to scratch him behind the ears and Jack basks in the feeling. As great as Seraphina’s enthusiastic affection is, Kozmotis really is the one who gives the best ear scratches ever.
Jack’s content to go back to dosing right up until Kozmotis starts stripping out of his pyjamas. His brain screeches to a halt and his eyes widen, staring without meaning to. He gets a prime view of a bare chest, lean muscles and then a toned back as Kozmotis turns. Jack’s brain kickstarts again with the thought ‘oh no he’s really hot’ that’s quickly followed by ‘this is extremely inappropriate’ even for him. He needs to … move or leave though some part of him wants to stay and watch because hot damn, was that a scar?
No. Bad Jack.
He musters enough will to turn around, curling up with his back turned to the ridiculously attractive figure behind him.
It doesn’t really help.
There’s the rustling of fabric behind him and no, no, no, this is too wrong.
Jack bolts off the bed, making a beeline for the door that doesn’t budge when he presses his weight against it. Getting up on his hind legs to open the door isn’t an option because the door has a stupid doorknob that he can’t turn with his paws so he just sits starkly in front of the door, muzzle pressed against the wood.
Kozmotis laughs behind him and that really doesn’t help.
“What, you want out?”
Jack doesn’t move a muscle as he hears Kozmotis’ footsteps behind him, keeping his gaze firmly trained on the grains of wood. If he were human, no doubt he would be flushed with embarrassment right now. He only moves when Kozmotis reaches for the doorknob, shuffling backwards without breaking his intent gaze on the door.
Once it’s opened enough for him to slip through, he doesn’t hesitate for even a second, fleeing downstairs and into Seraphina’s excited embrace as she runs from the living room to greet him.
-
Aside from similar awkward escapades happening whenever Kozmotis decides to strip in Jack’s presence (including the time Kozmotis ignored his pleas to be let out and he ended up attempting to crawl under the bed, getting himself stuck) and discounting the fact that their dog is actually a werewolf pretending to be a dog, life with the Pitchiners is wonderfully ordinary. It’s the kind of ordinary that he’s seen often when glancing through windows and to Jack it’s a novelty to be a part of it. There’s still a hint of guilt that keeps niggling in the back of his mind that he staunchly ignores. It’ll be worth it for the experience, that’s not something that can be taken away from him even if he gets caught and thrown out.
This way he gets to know the family he’s come to care about better.
It turns out that Kozmotis is still very much a military man, just one that’s retired from the action and now does paperwork at home. Which means that he gets to spend a lot of time with the man and lucky for him, Kozmotis happens to like long walks. He also gets to come along whenever Seraphina’s brought to school and picked up. Apparently Seraphina had walked home alone at her own insistence, wanting to be ‘tough and independent’, but now that Jack comes along, she lets her father pick her up from school again. Much to his relief and her classmates’ excitement.
The only time he’s alone is when Kozmotis briefly goes out to do errands. It’s a nice change of pace for once. Not that it’s always convenient. He uses the time that no one’s home to try and catch up on the sleep he’s missing out on at night and more than once has he woken up as a naked human, only barely able to change back to his wolf form in time not to be discovered.
The pretense isn’t going to last.
And it doesn’t.
Jack manages a whole week (a miracle by itself) before he messes it up on Sunday night by actually falling asleep. He’s woken up the next morning not by the usual alarm clock, but a rush of movement jolting him and a sharp click. He stretches himself before sleepily glancing up to the other end of the bed. What he sees shocks him into full alert awareness instantly.
Jack finds himself staring wide-eyed down the barrel of a gun that’s being held by Kozmotis who has a very serious scowl on his face of the likes that Jack hasn’t seen before. It’s frightening as much as it is confusing.
He only realises why the gun and scowl when he glances down and sees skin. Bare skin. He turned back in his sleep and now he’s curled up on the other end of the bed as usual, wearing nothing but the dog collar. Except now he’s a buck ass naked human.
