Fated [BlueAmbient & crypticpieces]

Brennan smirks at his victory, sticking out his tongue at the human. He wades over, eyes searching to make sure Liam is actually okay. When the shorter man quips about Brennan being respectful, the werewolf sighs, his smile softening.

"I meant respectful as in self-control, Liam. This," Brennan makes a vague gesture between them. "Is nice. It's when you tease me without realizing, when you're soft, that makes it difficult." Brennan rubs the back of his neck, bending his knees to be on the same height level as Liam. "My reactions to you, they're not something I can always control."
 
The look of amusement faded but didn’t entirely disappear. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that information. Should I be mean to you? I’ve been trying, you just…” He made a soft sound, resigned to not finishing the thought. Brennan had made it difficult to be mean, to keep fighting with him, and Liam was beginning to suspect it was because it wasn’t in the wolf’s nature to be combative or hostile, which made viewing Brennan as just a little work project harder than it needed to be.

“Like having a total disregard for personal space? Yeah, I noticed that you’re not good at taking ‘knock it off’ for an answer.” The first morning when he had been trying to wash dishes had been a good example of completely ignoring Liam’s personal space. Never mind that Liam didn’t acknowledge personal space when he slept. “And I don’t tease you without realizing. I know what teasing looks like, unless the werewolves are making their own dictionary and decided to redefine the whole word.”
 
Now Brennan just looks amused, a half smile on his face. "Considering werewolves don't really have modesty, the personal space thing shouldn't surprise you that much." He then holds up a hand listing off things on his fingers. "As for teasing, anything from gentle touches, that conceited little smirk you do, inviting me to bed even though you didn't mean it that way, straddling me."

Brennan chuckles, but the sound is almost sad. He backs up, moving to the edge where he can comfortably crouch and lean his back against the wall. "I can't explain it any other way, Liam. Everything about you just makes me want to.. Anyway, I'm just going to enjoy what little time I have with you, before I have to figure out how to create defenses.." Brennan's voice trails off, and he sighs heavily. The tension is back in his shoulders as soon as the thought comes to the front of his mind.
 
“Smirking—” Liam blurted, but his gaze shifted sideways and he rubbed at his cheek instead of arguing that he couldn’t be held accountable for what his face did, and he certainly wasn’t going to argue that he’d said something and done something that could be teasing. When Brennan moved, Liam turned his full attention back. Even if he didn’t want to, he felt the momentary pang needle its way into his chest that they’d go back to fighting soon enough.

Liam drifted closer to the edge. When he was beside Brennan, the hunter turned and propped his elbows up on the bank, leaning back. After the little list, he was careful not to come into contact with the wolf because it wouldn’t have been fair. Not that fairness had really been a factor before.

He had intended to carry on the conversation or try to convince Brennan that moving the pack was the best option despite the issues that would prevent a move. The words didn’t come out. After several minutes, when he couldn’t rally, Liam heaved himself out of the water. “We should go back before they start to think you let me kill their leader.” Liam sacrificed his shirt for a makeshift towel so he could at least get the jeans back on without struggling, and while he wrung out the shirt, which wasn’t terribly damp, he left it off.
 
Brennan sits quietly, just watching Liam. Moments like this, when he can pretend that things could work between them, are his favorite. When Liam pulls himself out of the water, Brennan turns, standing. Unashamedly, he watches Liam attempt to dry off with his shirt. The shorter man's words make him chuckle. "If they were worried about that, they'd have sent a patrol already."

Brennan joins Liam up on the grass, but doesn't immediately dry off. Instead, he tilts his head slightly, thinking. After a moment, he grins. "Liam, you said you trust me a little. Do you want to try something no other hunter I know of will ever have the chance to do?" He pauses, picking up his own clothing and folding it into a tight bundle with the ease of practice.

"I won't be able to talk, so you'll have to let me know how you're doing. I promise I won't let you get hurt." After another pause, Brennan shifts forms. Red fur sprouts from his skin, his face stretches. A tail extends from the bottom of his spine. Then his features change further, all with the faint sound of cracking and grinding bone. Finally, a red wolf stands before Liam, four feet at the shoulder.

Brennan shakes, his fur damp with water despite the transformation. He walks up to Liam, briefly pressing his nose to the man's hip. Then he lays down sideways to Liam, looking at him, then gesturing with his head for Liam to get on his back.
 
Liam looked over to Brennan at the question, waiting for the grand reveal. He didn’t expect Brennan to shift, and the sound of bone realigning made him flinch. He’d seen werewolves shift before, knew that sound came with it, but it was still unnerving. Liam had forgotten that he needed to keep blinking and simply stared. It was only the cold of the wolf’s nose against his warm skin that made him suck in air and snap out of the distracted state.

That Liam had quietly decided that he was going to be careful not to come into contact with Brennan had slipped right out of his mind, although he still hesitated because Brennan was right, it wasn’t something hunters did. Still, Liam went. “This is crazy. You know that, right?” he asked quietly, putting one leg over the wolf’s back after setting his hands carefully down into the damp fur.
 
Brennan holds perfectly still while Liam gets himself set, them stands up smoothly. He huffs softly at Liam's words, turning his head to nudge the man's leg. Then he pads around the clearing, giving Liam a chance to get used to the movement. When he's sure Liam has found his balance, Brennan pauses to pick up his bundle of clothing in his teeth, then makes his way through the willows.

Back on the trail, Brennan sets off at a smooth, leisurely walk. He's not in any rush to get back to the pack house. His intention is to give Liam every chance to understand that they're not dangerous, even in wolf form. He also enjoys the surge of happiness, being able to give Liam a new experience.
 
The moment Brennan moves to get up, Liam tightens his grip and clamps his legs down around the wolf. He’d never been on a horse, never mind an oversized dog. “Jesus,” he breathed, huffing out a breath. By the time the pair had left the clearing, Liam was starting to sit up rather than pressing flat against Brennan’s back. Despite the initial fussing and uncertainty, the hunter still wasn’t nearly as bent out of shape as he’d been in a room full of wolves.

Liam still held tightly as though he expected to tip off at any moment, but he didn’t work up the nerve to look around and not be entirely focused on the way Brennan moved. A few minutes later, Liam was absently petting the still damp fur. It probably wasn’t hard enough to really notice, but it was still a comforting little gesture for the hunter that managed to keep him grounded. “This is a weird thing,” he commented, looking up at the trees and their leaves. “Nice, but weird. It’s better than you trying to drag me through the woods,” he added with the upturn in inflection that indicated a smile.

Weird as it felt, it was nice: a nice thing he wouldn’t be able to tell anyone about. Liam was already in over his head. He knew all the things he’d done that would be problems for the hunters. Liam leaned down, pressed his cheek against the red fur, arms going as far around the wolf as possible. It wasn’t quite a hug. It didn’t count as that. “I’m going to pray no one’s in the kitchen when we get back,” he said without lifting his head, “I’m going to starve to death if I have to keep eating with the whole pack, and since we’re not fighting..." He tugged a patch of Brennan's fur for emphasis. "I might be able to actually finish something.”
 
Brennan is deeply enjoying the peace of walking through the woods with his mate on his back. He can feel when Liam relaxes. The petting is felt and enjoyed, his tail swaying slightly behind him. His ears are turned back to listen to Liam speak.

Brennan makes a soft crooning sound as Liam leans forward to wrap his arms around his neck. No doubt the man is tired. They'd spent nearly two hours at the hotspring, the heat of which is sure to cause drowsiness. At the mention of the kitchen, Brennan huffs softly, though he knows it probably doesn't mean much to Liam. Brennan would love to be able to share with Liam the sense of camaraderie he gets from being around his pack. But the man needs to eat a proper meal, and shouldn't have to worry about a panic attack each time he wants to eat.

Brennan leaves the cover of the trees without stopping, perfectly happy to carry Liam across the yard. He also doesn't stop as he climbs the steps, and the timing is perfect, as a brunet woman opens the front door on her way out. She lets out a little sound of surprise, but steps aside with a smile to let Brennan and Liam in. There's silence in the living room as people turn to see what's going on. Brennan turns into the kitchen, which is indeed thankfully empty. Here, he lays down for Liam to get off.
 
It’s only the sound of the woman at the door that made Liam sit up. The look he gave her wasn’t meant to be so surprised, but he had sort of forgotten that other people actually exist and they tended to come to certain conclusions. The interest from the living room made Liam flatten himself back out against the wolf’s back until they were in the blissfully quiet kitchen.

Liam carefully got up, glancing once to Brennan and once out toward the rest of the house. He couldn’t see anyone, but he did feel he’d managed to check off another thing he shouldn’t have been doing. His lips pressed into a line and he pulled the shirt back on, even though everything about him is still a little bit wet. “They’re going to think we’re getting along,” he pointed out as he searched around for something he could quickly make and shove into his mouth. "We are," he amended, "kind of. But..." Liam managed to find bread, cheese, and butter, which he didn't hate the idea of. "Are you sure we can't go back to the part where I'm mean to you?"
 
Brennan huffs out a laugh at Liam's words. He takes a moment to shift back to human form, rolling his shoulders. One hand rubs his jaw as he unfolds his clothing bundle and pulls on his sweats. Knowing where things are, Brennan locates a container of left over roast beef, setting it on the counter next to the beginnings of Liam's sandwich. "I don't like that idea. And somehow, I don't think you do either."

Brennan speaks softly, standing close to Liam. His hand settles on the man's lower back, and he leans down to brush his nose against Liam's damp hair. "Is it really so bad? Being close to me?"
 
Liam snorted at the idea that he wouldn’t appreciate being less than nice to Brennan, but he didn’t argue. The touch to his back made him pause for a fraction of a second, a hiccup in otherwise assured movement. It was Brennan definitively back in Liam’s space that made the hunter turn and set the palm of his hand over the wolf’s mouth, mostly to keep him from saying anything else for at least a little while. “I’m either going to lie to you or we’re going to fight.” His head tilted faintly. “Or both, I guess.”

“Regardless,” he continued evenly, “I’m more interested in eating than I am in doing either of those things, so can we talk about something harmless, like the weather?” Abruptly Liam’s brow furrowed and he managed to look more bothered than he’d been about the questions. “Do you know when I’m lying to you? I realize that’s probably a crazy question, but you don’t seem capable of minding your own business about what my heart’s doing when we’re around your pack so…” He hadn’t moved his hand because he wasn’t quite ready, at least not before adding, “And that’s all I want to know before we talk about the weather.” Only then, when it seemed relatively safe, did Liam drop his hand.
 
Liam's hand over Brennan's mouth makes him want to lick his palm, but Liam is talking again, so Brennan listens. When asked whether he knows when Liam is lying, Brennan is inclined to say yes, if only to get Liam to be more honest, but in reality, not always. Honesty is best, if I lie to him, it'll lessen the chances of.. well, everything. Then Liam speaks of changing the subject to the weather, and when his hand starts to move, Brennan gives in to his playfulness, his tongue darting out to lick Liam's palm just before he fully pulls it away. Brennan grins.

"To answer your question, not entirely. Whether or not I can tell someone is lying depends on their state of mind. If they're calm, truly calm, they can lie easily without detection. But if that person is nervous about the lie they're telling, their heartrate increases. Other strong emotions can also increase heartrate, such as anger, desire, and panic." Brennan ends his explanation there, then turns his body to lean his butt against the counter nearby. "As for the weather, it's going to rain tomorrow. Most of the pack will be indoors, so it's going to feel crowded in the rest of the house. I have duties to attend to before Eli bites my head off, and I know you don't want to stay in the bedroom, so you could hang out in the study with me."
 
Brennan putting his tongue against Liam’s hand made the hunter’s expression twist in some uncertain, surprised way. The look didn’t register as anything definitive, other than he hadn’t been expecting that. He gathered the mismatched assortment of feelings into one sharp look before he jerked himself back around to return to making the sandwich he had been intent on before getting completely derailed by the wolf.

Being able to lie to Brennan then meant Liam did have to be aware enough of his own heart, which most humans weren’t unless it became very obvious. As he considered the information, he worried his lip while he buttered two pieces of bread and set meat and cheese between them. “You’re right,” he said without looking up. “I don’t want to stay in the bedroom. And I could hang out with you.” The faint tug at the corner of his mouth preceded the question: “Do I have other options?” It was only then that Liam looked up at Brennan. The question most certainly was a push to see how long his leash was and if Brennan did actually trust him.
 
Liam's expression makes Brennan chuckle. He folds his arms over his chest, turning his head to look at the shorter man. He's distracted, then, by the way Liam is chewing at his lip. Don't do that, you make me want to kiss you. Why is it that everything you do is so cute? It makes keeping my hands to myself that much harder.. Brennan is brought out of his thoughts when Liam speaks again.

Brennan seems to think for a moment after Liam asks about other options. He silent for a few seconds, then sighs softly. "You can go wherever you want in the pack house, but I would prefer you stay inside, Liam. I know you don't want to be here around my packmates, but.." Brennan trails off. It doesn't matter how many times he repeats it, only time and observing has a chance of convincing Liam. "Please, just stay inside tomorrow?"
 
Only when he looked back to his sandwich did the smirk break into a grin, although Liam was quick to muffle the look by taking a bite of the food. As he chewed, he turned and leaned back against the counter, mimicking the way Brennan stood. He cast a sideways glance at the other man. Liam had imagined answering after that first bite, but he took another and turned his attention up to the ceiling as though he were considering the request. In all, it took him a couple minutes to get around to saying, “I’ll stay with you.”

Another bite and he turned back around to set the sandwich down long enough to put everything that had been taken out to make the food back where he found it. “As long as you’re actually working and not badgering me about—I don’t know—the pack and the hunters and…” Liam trailed off and stared at Brennan before he closed the refrigerator and returned to his sandwich. “At least,” he started anew, “I’m pretty sure I’m not going to try to stab anyone with a fork if you’re in the same room.” That made Liam feel uncomfortable and he scowled at the sandwich and the next piece was torn free with his fingers and shoved in his mouth.
 
Brennan doesn't miss the attempt at hiding a grin, but he doesn't say anything about it. But he does smile when Liam says he'll stay with him. It makes Brennan's heart leap in his chest to hear Liam say those words, even if it's not meant the way Brennan wishes it were. "I will be working, Liam. Eli, while not my beta, is one of my two best friends. Yet at the same time, he often scares me more than Sam does. Eli is cunning, and he's really good at setting traps, and blackmail." Brennan shakes his head as though he's had experience on the receiving end of both.

When stabbing with a fork is brought up, and Liam scowls, Brennan tries to lighten the mood with humor. "Hey, that sandwich didn't do anything wrong to you. In fact, I'm pretty sure you just ripped off it's head." Brennan grins, tilting his head to try and get Liam to look at him. "Maybe I should make another one that can try to avenge the one you're eating."
 
For a second, Liam’s head tilted in consideration of Eli, but his attention drifted back to Brennan. Any trace of the would-be smile was shoved down, although something light hearted lingered around his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.” But then, he added, “I mean you absolutely should make something to eat because you decided to come after me—foolish—rather than eat your breakfast like some rational person.” Liam also felt the urge to nudge the wolf, but he had convinced himself that even that was crossing a line, not that he really understood where the line was. “It did turn out alright though,” he admitted.

“Is Eli going to bite your head off because you need to focus instead of spending your time entertaining the hunter? There’s plenty of time left in the day. You could be working.” His voice grew quiet, but the subtle sing-song quality was intended to be mockingly enticing toward the task. “And Sam’s just going to let you disregard all your responsibilities for a week? Well, less than a week now.”
 
Brennan smiles almost sadly when Liam doesn't seem to take to his humor, but at least the tension seems to have dropped. He pushes off the counter, crossing to the pantry and digging out a home-baked muffin and three pepperoni sticks. When he returns, he stands in front of Liam instead of leaning next to him again. "I'm no stranger to not eating, Liam. One missed breakfast here and there isn't going to make me starve."

Brennan bites into the muffin, chewing slowly. When he swallows, he unintentionally tilts his chin up slightly. In doing so, it's easy to see the muscles in his throat moving as he swallows. "Sam may be my beta, but he hates paperwork just as much as I do. Lucky for him, he's not the one that has to make sure all our finances are looked after. As for working today, you needed out of the house, and now, well, Eli's supposed to be on patrol this afternoon, so he's not here to scold me."
 
The argument that a missed meal here or there wouldn’t do much harm was true, but it still bothered Liam, who leveled a fixed stare at Brennan. “That’s hardly the point. And a muffin and whatever those sticks are…” Really, the hunter hadn’t been thinking but of the well being of the wolf that his organization was going to inevitably try to kill in five days… At least until he paid too much attention to Brennan and the details of him. By the time his mind had started to slide somewhere it didn’t belong, Liam startled himself into looking toward the hallway.

“I was perfectly capable of getting out of the house on my own.” Only after several seconds of scrutiny at the vacant space did he glance back to the man in front of him, looking mildly harassed at his own thoughts rather than anything Brennan had intentionally done. “And now that you’re having the most questionable combination of food, what do you plan on doing on your last day before Eli comes to get you back in line?”
 
Brennan rolls his eyes at Liam's jab toward his choice of snack, waving one of the sticks in the man's face. "It's pepperoni, Liam. You know, from the human grocery store?" He's teasing, a light smile on his face. He ignores the comment about Liam getting out of the house on his own. "As for what to do for the rest of today.." He trails off, shrugging.

"We could watch a movie, or head to the basement and see if the gaming TV is occupied. Bet I could whoop your butt at Mario Kart." Brennan grins, then takes another bite of the pepperoni stick. Almost as an afterthought, he offers the last two inches of it to Liam. "Want some?"
 
Liam batted said stick-shaped food away. “Yeah, I figured out that much.” Despite the harassed tone, he was trying to shove a smile down. Even by the time Brennan was offering what was left, Liam still managed to look more amused than annoyed. He shook his head faintly. “I don’t know how you manage as a functional adult.” The hunter was increasingly aware of the problem they were creating because it had suddenly occurred to him that he would have to ensure Brennan did eat like a normal person, which caused his whole brain to flip off like he’d thrown a mental breaker.

He frowned, bit down hard on his lip to get himself back on track, and moved to leave the kitchen. “You couldn’t,” he announced at the idea that Brennan could beat him at the game, “but let’s watch a movie. Before dealing with your chaos-eating, I was tired. It wouldn’t be fair if I fell asleep and beat you anyway.” Liam paused and glanced back. “But don’t think that’s letting you off either. We still have days, and I won’t be tired for all of them.”
 
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