Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
With every pointed question she pulled herself in a little tighter, the smiling mask falling away. She didn’t know how to explain the sense of their closeness, and how it twisted her up inside. She’d no right to be jealous. She reached for the pen, but kept shaking her head.
Derek rested a hand gently on her shoulder and leveled her with a concerned look this time, not understanding what was happening.
Breathing sharply, she clutched the pen more tightly and wrote Derek’s name, and Isaac’s, close together. Putting a circle around them, she put her name as far away on the page as she could. With their names she put ‘pack’, and added ‘not pack’ to hers. Then she shoved it at him and bolted for the stairs.
Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
She shook her head, hard and sharp, hair lashing around her face. Nothing, nothing. Why did he ask that? She was smiling, wasn’t she? Imperiously she pointed to the page, still careful not to touch either man.
They were pack. She wasn’t.
“Oh no. You’re not the only one that gets to make demands around here,” he said with a look pinning her to the couch. “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Is something off around you?” he asked, trying to figure out what had made her change. He could feel it, the feeling of discomfort practically rolling off of her. Isaac could feel it as well, curling in on himself a bit as was his way.
With every pointed question she pulled herself in a little tighter, the smiling mask falling away. She didn’t know how to explain the sense of their closeness, and how it twisted her up inside. She’d no right to be jealous. She reached for the pen, but kept shaking her head.
Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
She kept the cheerful smile on her face, even as it became increasingly false-feeling. Isaac’s contentment poured over her, and the knowledge that it was someone else’s rasped at her. She wanted that, to belong, to be wanted — was there anywhere she was wanted? Go on, go on, she nodded, elbows and knees tucked close together, shoulders hunching, trying hard to lie to them.
Derek watched her and frowned. “What’s wrong?” he asked bluntly, hand stilling against Isaac’s head and making him perk back up to attention, looking sidelong at Summer to see if he’d done something.
She shook her head, hard and sharp, hair lashing around her face. Nothing, nothing. Why did he ask that? She was smiling, wasn’t she? Imperiously she pointed to the page, still careful not to touch either man.
Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
She hunched forward a little at Isaac’s sound, eyes flickering sideways. Reverting to the innocent expression, she nodded enthusiastically, bouncing again. She pointed to Derek, then Isaac, then wrote, ‘only two?’
Isaac murmured a soft apology at startling Summer though he leaned into the hand a little more as Derek rubbed his scalp. As Isaac threatened to basically purr, Derek chuckled at the paper. “Not just two. We’re actually a rather large pack, with not just wolves. I’m sure you’ll meet them all eventually,” he said with a smile.
She kept the cheerful smile on her face, even as it became increasingly false-feeling. Isaac’s contentment poured over her, and the knowledge that it was someone else’s rasped at her. She wanted that, to belong, to be wanted — was there anywhere she was wanted? Go on, go on, she nodded, elbows and knees tucked close together, shoulders hunching, trying hard to lie to them.
Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
Clasping her hands under her chin, she turned big green eyes up to his face, eyebrows lifted and mouth drawn together in an expression of pure pleading. Just for good measure, she looked at Isaac too and bounced a little.
Isaac stifled a giggle as Derek rolled his eyes very exaggeratedly. He relaxed back, one arm slung across the back of the couch beside her and his hand sliding into Isaac’s curls. When Isaac leaned into the hand and made a soft sound of approval, Derek grinned. “Well, pack is like family. But in this case, not related. It can be biological families, but this pack isn’t.”
She hunched forward a little at Isaac’s sound, eyes flickering sideways. Reverting to the innocent expression, she nodded enthusiastically, bouncing again. She pointed to Derek, then Isaac, then wrote, ‘only two?’
That just earned him another shrug. Even though she was tired, she didn’t want to sleep, not after being startled awake in the bathtub. Curling herself up even tighter, she just watched him, falling into a familiar alert mode with all senses open for danger.
Derek’s eyes narrowed, his patience running thin. “I’m going to leave you be so you can get some rest.” He nodded to himself and got up from the couch, walking off to his bed.
Hurt and confused, Summer curled up even tighter yet, bones creaking with how closely she wrapped her arms around herself. She didn’t sleep, staring into the dark and twitching at each little sound. Despite knowing there was no one else besides the two of them in there, she didn’t feel safe — she wasn’t sure how she’d displeased Derek but clearly he wasn’t happy with her. So she looked at the dark and waited for daylight.
She made a kind of facial shrug, accompanying it with the lift of a single shoulder. She didn’t know how to explain it to him, this conviction that if she wasn’t good enough, if she didn’t behave the way he wanted, he would withdraw his welcome. She still couldn’t figure out why he even cared.
Derek furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn’t figure out what the matter was if she didn’t tell him. “Would you like some space?” He asked, moving to get up from the couch. “I can leave you be so you can get some rest.”
That just earned him another shrug. Even though she was tired, she didn’t want to sleep, not after being startled awake in the bathtub. Curling herself up even tighter, she just watched him, falling into a familiar alert mode with all senses open for danger.
Derek was just walking by when Summer’s body pressed into his, going back against the wall with a confused expression. He was surprised by the kiss, though he could smell her attraction to him sometimes, it’s not like there wasn’t some toward her either. He just didn’t expect that. Though it didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy it. He watched her walk a few steps before striding out and catching her wrist gently, pulling her back and spinning her, kissing her again.
She turned her face in to his hand, eyes closing, and kissed his palm. Wrapping her hands around his wrists, she nodded and kissed his palm again, then turned to kiss the other palm. She slid her hands down his arms, and wrote against his skin, ‘keep going’.
Derek took in her calm and let her kiss his hands, focusing and catching what she traced into his skin. He smiled gently and let one hand slide down her side, the other sliding to cup her breast as he pressed forward to kiss her lightly.
She shivered slightly, making the smallest sound of pleasure, and kissed him back, more fiercely. Rocking on top of him, she yearned for more, but wasn’t sure what more /was/. After a moment, she slid off sideways into his hand, groping down his body.
Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
She narrowed her eyes at Isaac, consideringly, then nodded once, sharply, and got up, insinuating herself between them with a playful smile. ‘tell about the pack’, she demanded, feet kicking off the edge of the sofa.
Derek rolled his eyes at her demand. She just looked too sweet kicking her feet. She was tiny between them and Isaac was a little surprised as she jumped in, but he relaxed quickly. “Say please,” Derek teased with a smile and Isaac chuckled.
Clasping her hands under her chin, she turned big green eyes up to his face, eyebrows lifted and mouth drawn together in an expression of pure pleading. Just for good measure, she looked at Isaac too and bounced a little.
Derek was a little startled at the sudden hug and rush of emotion, though he caught her and tentatively patted her back soothingly, still a tad bit stunned at the force of her gratitude but glad he could help and make someone feel so thankful.
Reclaiming the paper, she wrote, ‘you don’t mind?’ and showed it to Isaac. She watched carefully as he read it for any sense of rejection, any possible suggestion that he would prefer she wasn’t there.
Isaac read the paper and then looked to Derek and then back at Summer. “Not at all,” he said softly in his deep but gentle voice. He was feeling a little cautious as well, but it was about how Summer was feeling about him, though more curiosity to it, accepting the situation.
She narrowed her eyes at Isaac, consideringly, then nodded once, sharply, and got up, insinuating herself between them with a playful smile. ‘tell about the pack’, she demanded, feet kicking off the edge of the sofa.