[Ficlet] Sticky Fingers
Author: tryslora
Title: Sticky Fingers
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Derek/Jackson
Character/s: Derek, Jackson, some OCs
Summary: Toby toasts marshmallows, Derek’s uneasy from the fire, and Jackson helps.
Warnings: fluff and minor angst
Submission Type: ficlet
Word Count: 999
Prompt: #67 - Marshmallows
Author's Notes: Er. I set out to write fluff, then there was fire and minor angst, and well. Yes. This. It’s a part of the And Omega Makes Family series, but it can be read on its own as long as you accept that Derek and Jackson have a son!
Derek flinches every time the fire crackles; Jackson sees the way his hand flexes, not quite reaching out for their toddling son. He captures that hand, wraps his fingers around it and holds on, murmuring soft enough for werewolf ears only, “Don’t worry, Toby’s safe with Jordan and Elisa has her eye on both of them. She’s not going to let them play with pointy sticks without staying close.”
“I am not afraid of a campfire,” Derek mutters.
Jackson doesn’t answer that, because they both know it’s a lie. Instead he squeezes his husband’s hands, feels the way their rings knock together when he does and that makes him smile.
“You guys are too damned cute.” Mara flops down on the ground next to Jackson, shaking her head. “Newlyweds. Can’t keep your hands off of each other, can you? Mike was like that with me, and then we had three kids and look at us now.”
“Now Mike’s a jungle gym,” Jackson observes. The older man is buried under a pile of the elder siblings that are here with the other five toddlers that are part of Toby’s room at the daycare. The others are all there full time, but the parents happily adopted Derek and Jackson into their midst, despite Toby’s three-days-a-week part time status.
“It happens,” Derek says quietly, his voice rumbling. “My Uncle Sam was the one who let us climb all over him when I was small.” The words seem to come easily, but Jackson can feel the tension in his hands where they are still linked. “Some guys are just like that.”
“I can’t imagine your Uncle Peter doing that,” Jackson says dryly. It’s the first time he’s heard of Sam-the first time Derek’s really said anything about the family he lost.
Derek gives him a look. “I can’t imagine we’d let Peter do that.”
“He’s the creepy uncle,” Jackson says as an aside to Mara. “We think he had a thing for my ex-girlfriend. When I was still dating her.”
“Creepy,” Mara agrees.
“He’s not around anymore,” Jackson assures her.
Toby’s laugh draws Jackson’s attention. He can pick his son out of a crowd, and he knows it’s partly being a parent, and partly the way his wolf just knows. He spots Toby and Jordan by the side of the fire, hunkered down in a crouch with Elisa’s arm around them both, waving a stick with a marshmallow on one end. Toby rambles on in nonsense words too quickly for Jackson to be able to guess what he means.
Derek flinches again.
“I think our son is about to get sticky and sugared up,” Jackson murmurs. “First roast marshmallow. We should probably be taking pictures.”
“Don’t worry, Elisa brought her sister to take pictures.” Mara pats his arm. “She’ll bring in a disk on Monday. Just enjoy.”
“I should go get-”
“He’s fine.” Jackson cuts Derek off gently, but at the same time, he stands and uses their linked hands to pull Derek to his feet. His expression softens when Derek’s nostrils flare, and he leans in to kiss him. “Don’t worry, we’ll go help him out, okay?”
They thread their way through the gathering to where Elisa is crouched with Jordan and Toby, carefully helping them wave their marshmallows vaguely near the flames. She looks up with a bright smile. “Hello, you two. Jordan and Toby are inseparable, as always. We got pictures of them, so when they’re in high school they can use them to embarrass each other.”
“Danny still does that with me.” Jackson makes a face. “My best friend since we were little. Who is now dating my best friend at school, so I get to embarrass them both.”
Elisa shakes her head. “I keep forgetting just how young you both are.”
“Derek’s old.” Jackson smirks at the glare that gets him. He drags Derek down to the ground with him, kneeling behind Toby on damp earth warmed by the fire. Toby laughs again and happily shows them the stick before shoving it into the flames.
It catches on fire in a swift scent of burnt sugar and a bright flush of heat. Toby shrieks.
Jackson quickly catches his hand and brings the marshmallow close so he can blow out the flames, leaving the sugary treat blackened. “Don’t think that one’s good anymore, buddy,” he says, trying not to call attention to the way Derek’s heart is stutter-stepping, breathing rough and ragged.
When Jackson reaches to take the marshmallow off the stick, Toby whines. “Da! Mallow!” Jackson sighs.
“Did you make it for me?” he asks. Toby nods emphatically.
“Give me that.” Derek wraps one arm around Toby, holding him securely as he reaches for the stick with his other hand. He swipes the marshmallow, sticky sugar strings stretching as he pulls it free and holds it out.
Jackson isn’t going to miss this opportunity, not when it’s presented so nicely. He wraps his fingers around Derek’s wrist, pulling his hand closer as he opens his mouth and gently takes the marshmallow. There are crisp bits and an explosion of sweetness. The burnt part is almost too much to his wolf-enhanced senses, but it’s worth it because he can swipe his tongue along Derek’s fingers, slow and gentle before Derek withdraws. Jackson smirks at the smoky expression in his husband’s eyes.
“There are children here,” Elisa murmurs, almost laughing.
“Another! Da!” Toby pats Jackson’s hand and grabs for Derek.
“Think you can help our son roast another marshmallow?” Jackson raises an eyebrow. “I’ll help clean your sticky fingers.”
“I’ll hold you to that when we get home.” Derek’s voice is soft, almost too low to be heard, and Jackson grins.
It’s going to be torture, but it’s worth it to see his husband and son smiling by the campfire, Derek finally at ease despite the pops and crackles and smell of smoke.
It’ll be even more worth it after they get home.
Title: Sticky Fingers
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Derek/Jackson
Character/s: Derek, Jackson, some OCs
Summary: Toby toasts marshmallows, Derek’s uneasy from the fire, and Jackson helps.
Warnings: fluff and minor angst
Submission Type: ficlet
Word Count: 999
Prompt: #67 - Marshmallows
Author's Notes: Er. I set out to write fluff, then there was fire and minor angst, and well. Yes. This. It’s a part of the And Omega Makes Family series, but it can be read on its own as long as you accept that Derek and Jackson have a son!
Derek flinches every time the fire crackles; Jackson sees the way his hand flexes, not quite reaching out for their toddling son. He captures that hand, wraps his fingers around it and holds on, murmuring soft enough for werewolf ears only, “Don’t worry, Toby’s safe with Jordan and Elisa has her eye on both of them. She’s not going to let them play with pointy sticks without staying close.”
“I am not afraid of a campfire,” Derek mutters.
Jackson doesn’t answer that, because they both know it’s a lie. Instead he squeezes his husband’s hands, feels the way their rings knock together when he does and that makes him smile.
“You guys are too damned cute.” Mara flops down on the ground next to Jackson, shaking her head. “Newlyweds. Can’t keep your hands off of each other, can you? Mike was like that with me, and then we had three kids and look at us now.”
“Now Mike’s a jungle gym,” Jackson observes. The older man is buried under a pile of the elder siblings that are here with the other five toddlers that are part of Toby’s room at the daycare. The others are all there full time, but the parents happily adopted Derek and Jackson into their midst, despite Toby’s three-days-a-week part time status.
“It happens,” Derek says quietly, his voice rumbling. “My Uncle Sam was the one who let us climb all over him when I was small.” The words seem to come easily, but Jackson can feel the tension in his hands where they are still linked. “Some guys are just like that.”
“I can’t imagine your Uncle Peter doing that,” Jackson says dryly. It’s the first time he’s heard of Sam-the first time Derek’s really said anything about the family he lost.
Derek gives him a look. “I can’t imagine we’d let Peter do that.”
“He’s the creepy uncle,” Jackson says as an aside to Mara. “We think he had a thing for my ex-girlfriend. When I was still dating her.”
“Creepy,” Mara agrees.
“He’s not around anymore,” Jackson assures her.
Toby’s laugh draws Jackson’s attention. He can pick his son out of a crowd, and he knows it’s partly being a parent, and partly the way his wolf just knows. He spots Toby and Jordan by the side of the fire, hunkered down in a crouch with Elisa’s arm around them both, waving a stick with a marshmallow on one end. Toby rambles on in nonsense words too quickly for Jackson to be able to guess what he means.
Derek flinches again.
“I think our son is about to get sticky and sugared up,” Jackson murmurs. “First roast marshmallow. We should probably be taking pictures.”
“Don’t worry, Elisa brought her sister to take pictures.” Mara pats his arm. “She’ll bring in a disk on Monday. Just enjoy.”
“I should go get-”
“He’s fine.” Jackson cuts Derek off gently, but at the same time, he stands and uses their linked hands to pull Derek to his feet. His expression softens when Derek’s nostrils flare, and he leans in to kiss him. “Don’t worry, we’ll go help him out, okay?”
They thread their way through the gathering to where Elisa is crouched with Jordan and Toby, carefully helping them wave their marshmallows vaguely near the flames. She looks up with a bright smile. “Hello, you two. Jordan and Toby are inseparable, as always. We got pictures of them, so when they’re in high school they can use them to embarrass each other.”
“Danny still does that with me.” Jackson makes a face. “My best friend since we were little. Who is now dating my best friend at school, so I get to embarrass them both.”
Elisa shakes her head. “I keep forgetting just how young you both are.”
“Derek’s old.” Jackson smirks at the glare that gets him. He drags Derek down to the ground with him, kneeling behind Toby on damp earth warmed by the fire. Toby laughs again and happily shows them the stick before shoving it into the flames.
It catches on fire in a swift scent of burnt sugar and a bright flush of heat. Toby shrieks.
Jackson quickly catches his hand and brings the marshmallow close so he can blow out the flames, leaving the sugary treat blackened. “Don’t think that one’s good anymore, buddy,” he says, trying not to call attention to the way Derek’s heart is stutter-stepping, breathing rough and ragged.
When Jackson reaches to take the marshmallow off the stick, Toby whines. “Da! Mallow!” Jackson sighs.
“Did you make it for me?” he asks. Toby nods emphatically.
“Give me that.” Derek wraps one arm around Toby, holding him securely as he reaches for the stick with his other hand. He swipes the marshmallow, sticky sugar strings stretching as he pulls it free and holds it out.
Jackson isn’t going to miss this opportunity, not when it’s presented so nicely. He wraps his fingers around Derek’s wrist, pulling his hand closer as he opens his mouth and gently takes the marshmallow. There are crisp bits and an explosion of sweetness. The burnt part is almost too much to his wolf-enhanced senses, but it’s worth it because he can swipe his tongue along Derek’s fingers, slow and gentle before Derek withdraws. Jackson smirks at the smoky expression in his husband’s eyes.
“There are children here,” Elisa murmurs, almost laughing.
“Another! Da!” Toby pats Jackson’s hand and grabs for Derek.
“Think you can help our son roast another marshmallow?” Jackson raises an eyebrow. “I’ll help clean your sticky fingers.”
“I’ll hold you to that when we get home.” Derek’s voice is soft, almost too low to be heard, and Jackson grins.
It’s going to be torture, but it’s worth it to see his husband and son smiling by the campfire, Derek finally at ease despite the pops and crackles and smell of smoke.
It’ll be even more worth it after they get home.