Ficlet: Exactly What I Need
Author: on_the_ground
Title: Exactly What I Need
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Stiles/Jackson
Character/s: Stiles, Jackson
Summary: Jackson has to pack for his trip to Chicago and has a conversation with his husband.
Content Notes: Fluff, nobody is dead, future fic.
Warnings: None
Submission Type: Ficlet
Word Count: 998 words
Prompt: #246 - Feelings
Author's Notes: The remaining 174 words will be added on AO3. This takes place between "A Matter of Trust" and "Son of Superman". This will be part of my series "All I Saw Was You." Thanks so much to my beta. By the way, the title comes from the ending which couldn't be posted.
Stiles gets out of the shower and enters the master bedroom barefoot, running a hand through his longer tousled hair and a brown towel wrapped around his waist.
He stops dead in his tracks as he looks around. He finds Jackson standing over where his suitcase is laid out on the bed and it’s not just the bed which is a mess, Jackson’s clothes are everywhere; he’s never seen the space in that condition before because his husband is quite the neat freak. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out.
Jackson looks at him and shakes his head. “I know. This is a nightmare.” He sighs. “A fucking nightmare.”
“What’s going on?” Stiles heads towards his closet where he selects some pajamas to put on.
Jackson looks around and sighs, resting both hands around his neck and closing his eyes for a moment.
“What do you think?” Jackson opens his eyes and looks at Stiles as he puts his pants on.
Stiles tries not to smile. He shouldn’t enjoy seeing Jackson freaking out.
“I don’t know. Are you having some kind of meltdown because you’re leaving tomorrow?” And because it’s the first time he’s going to be apart from the kids for so long.
Jackson snorts. “No, I’m not having a meltdown, thank you very much.”
“Whatever you say.” Stiles puts the pajamas top on.
“I just hate packing. Okay?”
“Yeah. That too.” Stiles nods.
“I fucking hate it.” Jackson repeats. “I don’t even know how long I’m going to be there. This fucking sucks.”
Stiles lifts some sweaters, from his side of the bed before sitting on it cross-legged.
“Look, there’s this thing called laundry service… I’m sure you’ve heard of it.” Stiles licks his lips and smiles.
Jackson lifts his eyebrows. “Really?”
“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t worry so much. Just pack what you need for a month and it will be okay. I know your suits take a lot of space but you shouldn’t take more than two suitcases… It would be crazy.”
“Oh shit.” Jackson runs his hands through his hair before removing clothes from the side of the bed next to Stiles and sitting down.
“Is there anything else?” Stiles rests his left hand over Jackson’s right one and intertwines their fingers.
“I mean, you still want to go, right?” Stiles would be really surprised if Jackson had changed his mind. He almost never changes his feelings about anything.
“Yeah, I do. Of course, I do.” Jackson nods.
“Then what?” Stiles insists.
“Nothing. I’m okay. Just tired, I guess. I wish I could just go to bed.”
“Sure.” Stiles says with sarcasm. “You’ve made the biggest mess I’ve ever seen you make... I know there’s something on your mind. So, what is it?”
“You’re relentless, you know that, right?”
“Really? Is this the moment when you pretend you don’t like it?”
Jackson snorts and licks his lips.
“It’s stupid. It’s… you know… when I put the children to bed… when I said goodbye…”
“What?” Stiles asks even if he can imagine what happened.
“Well, they asked me not to go. They looked at me with those big sad eyes and I felt…” Jackson hesitates, trying to find the words. “I guess I felt like I was being selfish. Like I was letting them down somehow… and what is really fucked up is that my wolf doesn’t want to go. I mean, I knew before tonight... of course, I did... I just…”
“Hey,” Stiles directs Jackson’s chin in his direction to make him look at him. “They’re kids, of course they don’t want you to go, they don’t like changes and they sure as hell don’t like the idea of not seeing you for a while but they’ll get used to it. And I can’t believe I’m saying this because I was also upset with you when you told me, but tell your wolf to suck it up, okay? Because you deserve this, this is your case and you have a job to do. So there, you’re going and that’s it. Don’t second guess it. And finish packing, for god’s sake.”
Jackson smiles but doesn’t say anything.
“What?” Stiles asks confused.
“Nothing. Just… I can’t believe all that came out of the same person who didn’t want me to go two weeks ago.”
“I never said that.” Stiles says in that defensive way he does when he feels falsely accused. “I said you should have asked me first which is totally different… And I still think so, by the way.”
“Aha…” Jackson raises his eyebrows. “Look, whatever you said and whatever I said back, it doesn’t matter. I’m not changing my mind and my wolf is definitely going to suck it up because it’s what I have to do and I’m going--”
“But?”
“But it’s being harder than I thought it would be. I thought it would be more simple, I guess.”
Simple? Since when is anything in this family simple?Stiles stops himself before saying it out loud.
“Yeah, well, it’s gonna be okay… and I wasn’t joking before, will you please end this madness and finish packing?” Stiles lets go of Jackson’s hand so that he can run it up along Jackson’s arm until it rests on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. Does he need to remind him that this is their last night together in god knows how long?
“I know. I know. I’m on it!” Jackson gets up and looks at the suitcase once again. “Which reminds me… I meant to ask you before… where is the Adidas t-shirt that you were wearing yesterday? And the one you had on before? I looked around but--”
“My t-shirts?” Stiles interrupts him, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes, your t-shirts. If my wolf is going to suck it up, at least I have to give him something. I need your scent if I’m going to make it through the nights, okay? So, where are they?”
Title: Exactly What I Need
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Stiles/Jackson
Character/s: Stiles, Jackson
Summary: Jackson has to pack for his trip to Chicago and has a conversation with his husband.
Content Notes: Fluff, nobody is dead, future fic.
Warnings: None
Submission Type: Ficlet
Word Count: 998 words
Prompt: #246 - Feelings
Author's Notes: The remaining 174 words will be added on AO3. This takes place between "A Matter of Trust" and "Son of Superman". This will be part of my series "All I Saw Was You." Thanks so much to my beta. By the way, the title comes from the ending which couldn't be posted.
Stiles gets out of the shower and enters the master bedroom barefoot, running a hand through his longer tousled hair and a brown towel wrapped around his waist.
He stops dead in his tracks as he looks around. He finds Jackson standing over where his suitcase is laid out on the bed and it’s not just the bed which is a mess, Jackson’s clothes are everywhere; he’s never seen the space in that condition before because his husband is quite the neat freak. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out.
Jackson looks at him and shakes his head. “I know. This is a nightmare.” He sighs. “A fucking nightmare.”
“What’s going on?” Stiles heads towards his closet where he selects some pajamas to put on.
Jackson looks around and sighs, resting both hands around his neck and closing his eyes for a moment.
“What do you think?” Jackson opens his eyes and looks at Stiles as he puts his pants on.
Stiles tries not to smile. He shouldn’t enjoy seeing Jackson freaking out.
“I don’t know. Are you having some kind of meltdown because you’re leaving tomorrow?” And because it’s the first time he’s going to be apart from the kids for so long.
Jackson snorts. “No, I’m not having a meltdown, thank you very much.”
“Whatever you say.” Stiles puts the pajamas top on.
“I just hate packing. Okay?”
“Yeah. That too.” Stiles nods.
“I fucking hate it.” Jackson repeats. “I don’t even know how long I’m going to be there. This fucking sucks.”
Stiles lifts some sweaters, from his side of the bed before sitting on it cross-legged.
“Look, there’s this thing called laundry service… I’m sure you’ve heard of it.” Stiles licks his lips and smiles.
Jackson lifts his eyebrows. “Really?”
“All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t worry so much. Just pack what you need for a month and it will be okay. I know your suits take a lot of space but you shouldn’t take more than two suitcases… It would be crazy.”
“Oh shit.” Jackson runs his hands through his hair before removing clothes from the side of the bed next to Stiles and sitting down.
“Is there anything else?” Stiles rests his left hand over Jackson’s right one and intertwines their fingers.
“I mean, you still want to go, right?” Stiles would be really surprised if Jackson had changed his mind. He almost never changes his feelings about anything.
“Yeah, I do. Of course, I do.” Jackson nods.
“Then what?” Stiles insists.
“Nothing. I’m okay. Just tired, I guess. I wish I could just go to bed.”
“Sure.” Stiles says with sarcasm. “You’ve made the biggest mess I’ve ever seen you make... I know there’s something on your mind. So, what is it?”
“You’re relentless, you know that, right?”
“Really? Is this the moment when you pretend you don’t like it?”
Jackson snorts and licks his lips.
“It’s stupid. It’s… you know… when I put the children to bed… when I said goodbye…”
“What?” Stiles asks even if he can imagine what happened.
“Well, they asked me not to go. They looked at me with those big sad eyes and I felt…” Jackson hesitates, trying to find the words. “I guess I felt like I was being selfish. Like I was letting them down somehow… and what is really fucked up is that my wolf doesn’t want to go. I mean, I knew before tonight... of course, I did... I just…”
“Hey,” Stiles directs Jackson’s chin in his direction to make him look at him. “They’re kids, of course they don’t want you to go, they don’t like changes and they sure as hell don’t like the idea of not seeing you for a while but they’ll get used to it. And I can’t believe I’m saying this because I was also upset with you when you told me, but tell your wolf to suck it up, okay? Because you deserve this, this is your case and you have a job to do. So there, you’re going and that’s it. Don’t second guess it. And finish packing, for god’s sake.”
Jackson smiles but doesn’t say anything.
“What?” Stiles asks confused.
“Nothing. Just… I can’t believe all that came out of the same person who didn’t want me to go two weeks ago.”
“I never said that.” Stiles says in that defensive way he does when he feels falsely accused. “I said you should have asked me first which is totally different… And I still think so, by the way.”
“Aha…” Jackson raises his eyebrows. “Look, whatever you said and whatever I said back, it doesn’t matter. I’m not changing my mind and my wolf is definitely going to suck it up because it’s what I have to do and I’m going--”
“But?”
“But it’s being harder than I thought it would be. I thought it would be more simple, I guess.”
Simple? Since when is anything in this family simple?Stiles stops himself before saying it out loud.
“Yeah, well, it’s gonna be okay… and I wasn’t joking before, will you please end this madness and finish packing?” Stiles lets go of Jackson’s hand so that he can run it up along Jackson’s arm until it rests on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. Does he need to remind him that this is their last night together in god knows how long?
“I know. I know. I’m on it!” Jackson gets up and looks at the suitcase once again. “Which reminds me… I meant to ask you before… where is the Adidas t-shirt that you were wearing yesterday? And the one you had on before? I looked around but--”
“My t-shirts?” Stiles interrupts him, raising his eyebrows.
“Yes, your t-shirts. If my wolf is going to suck it up, at least I have to give him something. I need your scent if I’m going to make it through the nights, okay? So, where are they?”