for kate

[triskehale]

"Look, I know you're mad that I haven't been home much," Derek says, sputtering a bit when he gets whacked in the face with a bunch of fur. "But this isn't helping anything."

Jinx settles herself more firmly on her perch on Derek's shoulder by digging her claws into his skin, and he winces slightly. Derek has been incredibly busy lately, what with the truck and getting Semele's ready, along with out running around the streets at night in case anyone needs help. It leaves him tired, and also leaves him with a very clingy cat. She meows and butts her head against Derek's temple, wrapping her fluffy tail around the back of his neck as she sits on his shoulder. "Are you a cat or a parrot?"

Jinx meows and looks down at the stove, sniffing and pawing at Derek's face. "Yeah, you'd think you'd get some of my bacon, but you'd be wrong." She lets out a low reow and headbutts him again. "Okay, you'll probably get some of my bacon."

The puff starts chirping and bouncing in its cage, and Derek rolls his eyes. "Fine, everyone gets bacon."

While the bacon cooks, Derek goes over to undo the latch on the puff's cage. He lifts it out and sets in on the floor, growling in warning when Jinx goes tense and sticks her tail straight out. "Remember what I said? We don't kill pack members."

She lets out a little mewl and Derek rolls his eyes, but she doesn't abandon her post on his shoulder, swaying easily when he moves. Derek would deny how many one-sided conversations he has with his pets until his dying day, but the truth is that they help. For all he likes the cabin being so secluded, it's incredibly lonely. Derek has friends, but he's lacking in true companionship. In pack. Jinx helps with that. She keeps him company and cheers him up, and he can always get a read on her moods. He's glad that she chose him that day, and he turns his head to give her a nuzzle before transferring the bacon to a paper towel and turning off the stove.

Just as he's getting ready to assemble his lunch, he stiffens because he hears someone approaching the cabin. They're still a little ways off, but they aren't trying to keep their arrival a secret. Derek frowns, because he doesn't often get visitors, and then he wipes his hands on a rag before going to open the door with Jinx still on his shoulder. She's as fearless as ever, and part of that is because she knows that she's under Derek's protection.

"Kate," Derek says in vague surprise, cocking his head as she comes up onto the porch. Jinx flicks her tail irritably and wraps it more solidly around Derek's neck, regarding Kate with cool golden eyes. "You're just in time for lunch. Come on in."

Comments

[everyonetakes]

She feels seriously bad about this whole thing. It had been her idea and she'd thought, even if it didn't go anywhere, at least they'd get a date out of the deal. She was sort of hoping they'd both get laid, too, because she's pretty sure Derek needs it and Mindy probably hasn't slept with anyone since the hot bookstore owner, but now she has no idea what's going on. She doesn't have any details, she just knows that Mindy doesn't think the date is such a great idea anymore and whatever that means, she figures she at least needs to tell Derek.

Maybe he hasn't even been looking forward to it, maybe it's not a big deal at all.

But she knows she needs to tell him anyway. Either way, it was her idea and now she's got to deal with the rest of it. Even if she really, really doesn't want to. She likes putting things together and then letting people deal with the rest of it, but she can't do that now. She owes him, he's her friend.

"Cool," she says when he lets her in the house. The cat sitting on his shoulder gives her a look and she wrinkles her nose in return, staring at it. Cats are fucking weird, she's never really liked them, and clearly this one doesn't like her either. Which is fine by her. "What's for lunch?"