Original Story- Cat Person-Dog Person 5/6
Title- Cat Person-Dog Person
Rating- PG-13
Genre- slash, romance, angst, drama
Warnings- angst, adult in a relationship with a teen, UNBETAED CONTENT
Summary- Scott is seen as the bad kid of the school, but he's never actually done anything to deserve it. There's one teacher in the whole school who sees past his reputation, Jack Carter, and Scott has fallen completely in love with him. Butthere's one problem: Scott is a cat person, and Jack is a dog person! If they aren't compatable, can they ever be together?
A/N- my first ever long slash piece!
It wasn’t the alarm clock that woke Scott, nor did he wake when Jack reached over him to turn it off. It wasn’t until Jack actually pulled away from him that Scott woke up. He sat up and looked at Jack with squinted eyes, not entirely sure where he was or what was going on. Jack pushed him back down and told him to go back to sleep. So he did.
Scott woke again later, a little more lucid. His first thought was that there was no noise, so he didn’t know what had woken him this time. His second was wondering where Jack had gone.
Scott got out of the bed and looked around. He hadn’t really taken the time to study Jack’s room last night- he’d been too busy watching Jack undress. The room was a pale cream color, warm, and open, with lots of windows that had gauzy curtains that let light in and would only let a person see through if they were within a foot of the fabric. Upon inspection, Scott found that a hedge outside the window prevented anyone outside getting that close. It was still dark outside, and Scott wondered what time it as exactly, but was too occupied with the rest of the room to look at the clock.
There was a closet with long accordion doors like the one in the guest room, and a dresser of light-colored wood. There was a mirror over the dresser, and papers and books scattered over its surface, like most other flat surfaces in the house. Scott went over to investigate and found that, rather than tests to be graded as he’d thought, these papers seemed to be bills of some sort.
‘He keeps his work outside of his room, but lets taxes and bills come in,’ Scott noted, amused.
At that moment the door to the bathroom creaked open, making Scott jump and then turn, wide-eyed and with the look of a dog caught tracking mud in the house. He was afraid of being yelled at for looking at private papers - social security numbers, credit card numbers, those weren’t things anyone wanted a delinquent kid looking at!
But Jack was standing in the bathroom doorway, clad in nothing but a towel, with his hair dripping wet. Thoughts of guilt dribbled out of Scott’s ear, all remaining thoughts following. He stared at Jack, having the presence of mind only to try to keep his jaw from hitting the floor.
“Oh, you’re up,” Jack murmured, and Scott’s brain took so long to process the words that it was only after a minute or so had passed that he finally nodded dumbly. By this time, Jack had gone over to the closet and was no longer watching him. Scott, regaining some mental functions, placed the bill that was still in his hand on the dresser.
“You should go get your clothes,” Jack told him. “I’ll make breakfast, okay?” Scott mouthed a response, his throat dry, and took one last look at the half-naked Jack before fleeing the room, worried that if he stayed much longer he’d forget to breathe and pass out.
Once he’d left the room and his brain was working at full power again, Scott considered that it was pretty ridiculous to be so stunned by seeing Jack half-naked when the two of them had been spooned together all night. Or part of the night, anyway. He still didn’t know what time it was, or how long he’d actually slept.
‘Must be around five, if we have to leave by six,’ he thought. ‘Ugh. From two to five. I’ll be falling asleep sitting up before school’s out. No, forget falling asleep, I’ll be comatose!’
Scott went back to the guestroom and looked in. He hadn’t spent the night there. He smiled, wondering if he would tomorrow night, or if he’d sleep with Jack again. Scott dug through the things he’d brought in search of some clothes that looked half-way decent, for school, and threw them on. He wished he’d thought to bring some of the clothes that really showed off his body, but most of those weren’t very comfortable. And anyways, when he’d been packing, he hadn’t had anyone to look good for. Back then -Scott smiled, amused that he thought of two weeks ago as a completely separate time period- back then, he hadn’t known that Jack thought about him, though he’d still been in love.
A little later Scott, dressed, wandered into the kitchen carrying his socks, shoes, books. He dumped them on the floor by the couch and went to stand next to Jack. The older man had dressed in a pair of slacks and a button down shirt, as teachers always wore, but the shirt was open and the tie was simply hung around his neck. He wore only socks on his feet, and his dark brown hair was still disheveled. Jack was frying eggs, two over easy.
“How do you like yours?” Jack asked as he slid the two in the pan onto a plate and selected another from the carton.
“The same,” Scott answered, and after taking another minute or so to admire Jack, he went to the refrigerator to look for something to eat with the eggs. He found cheese to go on the eggs, and orange juice, and he pulled out an apple, just because he was hungry.
Scott tried to set these on the kitchen table -tried, because there was no room there for all the papers- then remembered where he’d eaten last night and went over to put them on the coffee table. While he was doing this, and getting a glass, pouring himself orange juice, washing the apple, Jack finished another pair of eggs and slid them onto a plate for Scott. He set the frying pan in the sink and brought the two plates over to the table.
The two of them sat down next to each other on the couch and Scott, uncertain of whether he was more interested in food or Jack at the moment, alternated between large bites and sadly unsubtle glances. At one point, his hunger overcame him, and he gobbled down the eggs without looking up. It was then that he got the feeling he was being watched, and he looked up, just as a glob of runny yolk missed his mouth and slid down his chin to stop, dangling. Jack was watching him, smiling a bit, his food untouched since Scott had last looked at him.
‘Smooth, Scott,’ he thought, grabbing a napkin and wiping his chin. Jack tried to smother a laugh.
“Scott,” Jack began, when he’d stopped laughing and Scott had recovered form the humiliation sufficiently enough to talk. “Have you thought about what I said, coming to live with me?”
Scott blinked, startled by the question, and then remembered that he’d never given Jack a straight answer. At that time, he’d still been worrying about the pets.
‘Speaking of pets,’ Scott looked over at Roussi, who had swatted both dogs out of her way and was proceeding to eat their food while the watched on, Honey looking rather offended, while Coffee looked cheerfully confused, which Scott was beginning to believe was normal for her.
“Well,” Scott said, smiling mischievously to match the look Jack had given him when nibbling at his neck the other night. “I guess I’ll stay, but only because Roussi seems to love the dogs so much.”
And Jack, thankfully, understood Scott’s grin, and wasn’t hurt by the statement. He grinned back. “Well, I guess it’s good for me, then, that they’ve become such good friends, because I don’t think I could stand it if you left now.” Still grinning, he slowly reached out and ran his hand over Scott’s shoulder, and the teen shivered.
‘That’s the look he gets when he’s going to do something that’ll make me melt,’ Scott realized. ‘Good thing to know, for when things get… more intimate.’
“It’s good for both of us,” Scott said. Jack leaned closer, one hand braced on the table, and Scott thought Jack was going to kiss him, but then the older man broke eye contact and glanced past him at something.
Jack immediately pushed away. “It’s almost time to leave.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After the failed kiss, Jack rushed around the house gathering his things and brushing his teeth, and Scott came to his senses with just enough time to brush his teeth, before Jack was yelling to him from the door. He caught up with Jack in the driveway, the man putting Scott’s things onto the floor before the passenger seat. Jack straightened up and turned to Scott as he approached.
“You know you’re going to all your classes today, right?” he asked, playing the roll of teacher now, or perhaps parent/guardian.
“Today and every day after today, if you have anything to say about it,” Scott replied knowingly. It wasn’t like he’d really expected anything less.
“Good.” Jack nodded. “With luck we’ll get you into a good college yet!” At that, Scott’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. College?!
He’d missed most of his classes this year, and even if he’d shown up more often than not before, he just couldn’t hack it! He got stuck, and got left behind. It wasn’t that he wasn’t smart, Scott had defended himself to his parents a thousand times when they’d actually been paying enough attention to ask about it, it was just that he struggled with things and no one ever took the time to explain them. If they would, he’d get it.
But up until he’d gotten into Jack’s class last year, no one had ever given him that sort of effort. He’d been practically flunking out of all his classes. He’d be lucky if he got accepted into any college, much less a good one!
Jack must have seen the doubt on his face, because he put his hand on Scott’s shoulder and forced his chin up with the other. “Listen, Scott, I know you’re smarter than anyone gives you credit for. People have been telling you for a long time that you’re not smart enough, and maybe you’ve started to believe it. But I know that if you just get a little help, you can ace all your classes. I’ll help you. Come on. You can’t just live with me the rest of your life!”
Scott, who had been growing more and more excited, deflated with the last comment and looked away. So maybe it wouldn’t be a life-long relationship, but did Jack really have to look at it planning for it to end?
“Oh, no! Hey!” Jack tried to make Scott look at him again, but the teen obstinately turned his head in the other direction. “Scott… Listen, I’m not saying it like that. Come on. I’ll always love you. I just want you to be the best you can be, and that includes getting a job and making something of yourself.” Jack hugged him.
“If you still want a poor high school teacher even after you’re become president of some fortune five hundred company, I’m all yours.” Scott snorted, but hugged Jack in return.
“I love you.” Jack murmured. “I always have and I always will.”
“Always?” Scott asked, because he just couldn’t let anything go. “Since when?”
Jack flushed and for the first time, he was the one to look away, embarrassed. “Since you started coming here. I saw you sitting by yourself and I felt sorry for you. I asked the other teachers who you were and none of them even knew your name. I knew you were all alone and it made me want to go up and hug you. As more time passed, people started looking at you like they expected you to do something wrong. If something happened, you were always the first one suspected, no matter how many times in the past you’d been proven innocent.” The reminder of how badly he’d been treated was cutting, but Scott was more interested in watching Jack, who was scuffing his feet on the ground and mumbling a bit.
“Just say…I’ve got a thing for lost causes.” Jack shrugged, looking really uncomfortable confessing this. “I adopt strays; I buy a house that’s falling apart. It took me forever to get to the point where I could sell that old car that barely ran. I just like to make things right again. That was what first made me take interest in you.”
Jack raised his head and looked Scott in the eyes. “But when I had you in class, I learned more about you, and I saw how determined you were, and how kind. I remember, when the other boys were hiding Renee’s books, you found them for her. She really likes you, you know. Bit of a crush. Unfortunately for her, I had one too by that point.”
Jack leaned down until their foreheads touched and, although the look had started out intense, his expression softened and soon both of them were standing, touching noses and foreheads, grinning as they had last night, just glad that they had admitted their love for each other and been accepted. Scott wondered if they were going to kiss, but then remembered the last time he’d thought that, and what had happened.
“Don’t we need to leave?” he asked, and Jack glanced at his watch.
“Nah, we’ve got time. I just wanted to hurry so I could be sure we would.” With that he tilted his head to the side and sealed his lips against Scott’s.
This time Scott was the one to slide his tongue along Jack’s lips asking for entrance. Jack opened his lips and let Scott’s tongue explore his mouth. With an eager moan, the teen delved his tongue into the hot cavern, exploring teeth and tongue. Jack tasted faintly of toothpaste, and Scott knew he probably did too, but it didn’t detract from the passion. Jack tasted amazing, an indescribable flavor that Scott couldn’t get enough of.
The two broke apart for air and came together again, with Jack taking the lead this time. The older man took advantage of his greater height and leaned Scott back against the side of the car, gently attacking his mouth. Scott’s knees went weak and his weight fell against the car, Jack’s body pressing against him the only thing keeping him from sliding down it.
Jack’s mouth was pressing against his with almost bruising force, their teeth clashing and lips sliding. It was the hottest thing Scott had ever experienced in his life. It felt like his entire body was on fire. His fingers curled in Jack’s shirt and his toes curled in his shoes. He was running out of air, but he couldn’t care less.
Jack was the first to pull away and Scott’s head fell back to thud against the roof of the car. The world spun before his eyes and he gasped for air. Jack leaned forward and rested his cheek against Scott’s. The panting teen took a moment to appreciate the fact that Jack wasn’t kissing him again but letting him catch his breath. When he had caught it, Scott sighed heavily and let his body relax against the car, breathing evenly.
Jack raised his head to look Scott in the eyes and then gently licked and nibbled at the teen’s lips almost apologetically. He pulled away again, looking sheepish.
“Got a little rough there,” Jack said. “I’m sorry.”
‘That was way more intense than anything I’ve ever felt,’ Scott marveled. ‘It was so… mature. Adult-like. And way over my head. What have I gotten myself into? Well, I guess it’s a little late to wonder that.’
Jack hummed softly and gave Scott a quick peck on the lips. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Scott said. It felt really good to say. Jack pulled him away from the car and helped Scott into the passenger seat. Jack got in on his side and they drove off.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They pulled into the school parking lot, half an hour before classes started. Jack got out and fetched his things from the back, and Scott stood listlessly by his door, watching Jack.
“Why don’t you go inside?” Jack asked. Scott shook his head and looked at the ground. “Hey, come on. It’ll be fine. If you want, I can send out an email to all of your teachers and tell them you’ll show up today.”
“I’d rather you just teach me everything,” Scott mumbled.
“Well, you won’t have all teachers you like in college,” Jack responded. Scott only sulked more.
‘He’s so sure about this college thing. I know I’ll never get in.’
Scott followed Jack like a puppy, all the way into Jack’s classroom where the teen stood, staring blankly at the walls he’d seen a thousand times before. In truth, he was wondering at how different the room was from Jack’s house. Cleaner and much more organized. But it looked like he was just staring randomly about.
It must have looked like that to Jack, because the older man came up and put his hand on Scott’s shoulder. When the younger man turned to him, Jack seemed as though he was about to say something, but got distracted by something else.
Jack reached out and ran his thumb over Scott’s lower lip, his expression one of pain. “What’s wrong?” Scott asked hesitantly, Jack’s thumb still resting on his lip as he spoke.
“Bruised,” Jack muttered. He ran his thumb over Scott’s lip again, and then leaned in for a quick kiss, his tongue swiping along the inside of Scott’s lip, the place where it had been scraped against his teeth as they kissed before.
They separated after just a fraction of a second, with a smacking sound, and Scott stared at Jack.
“I hurt you. I made you bleed,” Jack said, his eyes darkening.
“It’s not your fault,” Scott said instantly. That wasn’t true; it was Jack’s fault. He just didn’t care about it.
“I need to be more careful with you,” Jack murmured.
The two stood in silence for a moment, a strange and awkward silence that was slowly driving Scott insane. The look in Jack’s eyes grew progressively darker, and Scott knew the man was blaming himself, and questioning himself. At length, he decided he couldn’t bear to see the expression on Jack’s face anymore.
‘Getting better at decision-making. Being around him even just a little has changed me so much.’
Scott reached his hands around Jack’s neck and pulled the older man’s head down so they were nose-to-nose and forehead-to-forehead once more. From this position he spoke, feeling Jack’s warm breath on his lips.
“You won’t hurt me,” Scott said. “You don’t want to hurt me. I know that. You know it. But I also know that you won’t. Ever. You never would. You need to realize that too.”
“You trust me so much…,” Jack said, and Scott knew he was going to add something about the short length of time they’d actually known each other.
“A week ago, a day ago, I would never have dared to touch you or even talk to you,” Scott said. “Last night I got close to you so I could sleep. This morning I kissed you, not the other way around. Just now, I reached out and made you look at me. I’ve gotten more impulsive being around you, and I believe that you will get more cautious being around me. We complete each other.”
“Besides,” Scott leaned up and kissed Jack quickly. “Even without that, I don’t think you have that little self-control, that you would ever be able to hurt me.”
“I love you,” Jack murmured, his face splitting into a wide grin.
Scott grinned and found himself laughing. “I love you too.” Jack laughed and kissed him quickly again before holding Scott at arm’s length.
“What was it I was going to say?” Jack mused. “I forgot.”
“Something school-related, I’ll bet,” Scott replied.
“Yes, that was it.” Jack picked up a piece of paper that had just come from the printer. “I’ve got your schedule here. I’ll send out an email to all your teachers -don’t complain, it won’t stop me- and I’ll go with you to your first class. I want you to take notes and follow in the book. If you don’t understand something, ask the teacher if you feel comfortable. If not, tell me after school, and we can work on it together.”
Scott nodded to every command, knowing that he couldn’t argue.
“And Scott, please, try to get a long with some of the other students?” Scott looked up in surprise and saw that Jack was almost begging. “I know you think all the students and teachers hate you, but I know that if you make an effort, you’ll find some that actually like you.”
“Like who?” Scott muttered under his breath, but Jack heard it anyway.
“Like Renee. She likes you a lot.” Scott rolled his eyes; if she did, she was the only one. “And Renee knows everything that goes on. She can tell you others whom like you.”
“I don’t think so.”
Jack came over and put and arm around Scott’s shoulders. “Hey, you thought I’d reject you outright, and look how wrong that idea was. Just try it, okay? Promise me.”
“I promise,” said Scott, who could do no less.
“Good.” Jack nodded decisively. “Now, come on, I said I’d take you to your first class.”
“You’ve already sent out the emails?” Scott asked, half resigned, half amused. “Before you even told me?”
“You would have said no, and I’d have done it anyway,” Jack reasoned, and Scott laughed out loud. They wove their way through the halls, still conjoined by Jack’s arm around his shoulders, and the teachers and students who were already there watched them with the odd-expressioned attentiveness of gawkers at a circus.
Scott should have been embarrassed, but he couldn’t have been happier.
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