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ejunkiet · 1 year

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anyone got any sheep?

A very belated gift for the incredible andy (@andr0leda) who requested a pack bonding session, which turned into the infamous Shaw Pack Gaming Night. >:3 <33

redacted audios: sam/darling, rated teen.

READ ON AO3.

The Shaw Pack get together for game night.

“You’re just in time. We were thinking of taking out Catan.”

anyone got any sheep?

The tick of the engine cooling is the only sound as Sam’s truck sits in David’s driveway. He doesn’t ask, doesn’t push - just watches them with his silver eyes gleaming in the streetlight, steady and calm, an anchor in the storm of emotion swirling inside their chest.

Nerves. Anxiety. Frustration.

“You don’t have to go in alone. I can call William, I’m sure there’s somebody else that can help with the planning-”

He stops as they shake their head, the movement sharp. “No.”

“I can handle this. It’s just-” They cut themself off with a low growl, and fuck. This shouldn’t be this hard. Sam doesn’t question it, just reaches out, palm raised, a request. A choice.

They take it, and he lifts it to his mouth, brushing his lips against their knuckles.

“I know, darlin’. You don’t need to say it.”

The touch sends shivers of heat through them, alongside the cool brush of his breath against their skin. His hands are soft, softer than they’d thought they’d be when they first met. When he’d found them in Solaire territory, he’d been all rough edges and worn flannel, untamed scruff lining his cheeks and throat.

He’s changed a lot since then but his shaving habits haven’t. They like the feel of it, the scratch of it when they kiss him, and when he kisses them back. It appeals to something baser within them, the wolf, the same way they like the graze of his fangs, sharp and pointed in more ways than one.

The squeeze of his hand brings them back into the moment, and they return his grip.

“Go. I’ll be fine.”

“Let me know if that changes.”

His voice is as soft as his eyes, and so serious they can’t help but crack a smile, leaning over the broken cup holders to meet his mouth in a kiss. He tastes like the coffee they’d shared that evening, dark and bittersweet, and they linger in the moment, the warm sweep of his kiss, before drawing back.

His hand rests against the curve of their cheek, the pad of his thumb tracing along their skin as they lean into his touch, feeling some of that tension fall away.

“I will.” They twist their head to place a kiss against his palm. “Same goes for you, cowboy.”

He huffs out a laugh, low and rolling, and it warms that spot inside of them that he’s gone and claimed as his own.

“If seating arrangement plans get bloody, I’ll be sure to let you know.” He holds their gaze and his eyes are like melted honey, glimmering under the streetlights. “Take care, darlin’.”

–

A few minutes later they find themself on their alpha’s doorstep, their hands flexing awkwardly at their sides as they consider the large festive wreath that adorns the door and wonder if they’re making a huge fucking mistake.

They don’t have much time to consider it before they hear the sound of approaching footsteps, the latch catching as it’s pulled back, and the door is opened.

It’s not David that pulls back the heavy wooden door though, but his mate, all bright eyes and manic energy, a smile teasing at the corners of their mouth as they take them in.

They look like the cat that just got the canary, and that spells trouble.

“You’re just in time. We were thinking of taking out Catan.”

Oh god. “I have to go.”

They take a step back, fully prepared to hit the road, pretending as if they hadn’t just heard the sound of Sam’s truck making its way back down the street. This was a quiet enough neighbourhood, they were sure they could shift without getting noticed and make a discrete exit-

Laughing as if they can see just what they’re planning to do, David’s mate snags them by the corner of their sleeve and reels them into the warmth of the house.

“Come on. I picked up some of those snacks you like.”

Between the promise of food and the heat from the house, warming their chilled fingers, they take their life between their hands and follow David’s troublemaker through the door.

–

The scene that awaits them inside is domestic, to say the least. The decorations from the solstice party are still up, the same ones that Darlin’ remembers from when the pack were kids. They’re glad that David kept them, even after everything that happened.

The alpha himself is in the kitchen, plating something that looks goddamn delicious, and they bite their lip to smother a smirk as his mate dances up to him and steals a bite, perching themselves on the countertop beside him.

“Looking good, hot stuff.”

He rolls his eyes, his hand finding their waist and pulling them in closer. Darlin catches the way his voice softens when he calls them a menace though, before his dark eyes meet theirs, gentler than they’ve come to expect from him. “I’m glad you could make it.”

They shrug, fighting the sudden awkwardness of intruding on the moment. “Thank you for inviting me.”

David’s brow raises at that, and he lets out a soft breath. “Of course we invited you. You’re Pack.”

Their heart skips a beat at that, and it feels heavy in their chest, unwieldy, like it always does at the reminder. He notices, as of course he does, and he watches them for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. They know what he’s thinking. The questions he wants to ask, but keeps holding back. The questions they wish he would just ask them, already.

The moment breaks as his mate leans into his side, and he glances down to meet their gaze.

“Why don’t I help you finish up?” Their gaze flicks over to Darlin, their green eyes glittering as they crinkle into a warm smile. “The others are in the main room. We’ll join you in a few minutes?”

Grateful for the out, they nod, taking a step back towards the door. They can see the way David’s mouth twists, as if he wants to say something, but won’t. “See you later.”

It’s a relief when they leave the two of them in the kitchen, heading over to the main room where the rest of the party has gathered. Only a handful of the pack had been able to make it tonight, with Amanda spending the holiday with her folks, and the rest were either on a job or at home with their families.

Asher is seated on one end of the sofa with a switch controller, apparently brawling a cursing Milo on Smash, who’s crouched on the floor at the other end between his mate’s legs as they run their fingers through his hair.

The soothing action doesn’t calm Milo down any, and he throws down the switch controller with a final curse. “Ash, this doesn’t mean shit. You cheated, you fuck.”

Ash barks out a laugh, his head falling back on the sofa until he notices Darlin standing in the open doorway, and his face lights up, like he just won something.

“Holy shit, you made it!” He leans over the back of the couch and yanks a bottle out of a six pack, tossing it over. They catch it easily. “Where’s Southern spice?”

“Sam had a meeting he couldn’t miss. Clan stuff.” They examine the label of the drink, wrinkling their nose at the brand. Hard cider. Christ. “Besides, I think he’s still licking his wounds from the last time we played Smash together.”

He laughs again, a wicked smile curling his lips. “We weren’t that mean, were we?”

Milo snorts, shaking his head. “Do you even need to ask that question, Ash?”

The comment earns him a pillow aimed directly at his head, which Milo catches easily, grinning. He tilts his head up with a smirk, catching the eye of his mate. “You wanna join me, sweetheart? I got a spare pillow an’ everything.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Ash turns back to Darlin, resting his chin on the back of the sofa. “I think that’s all of us, then.”

Crossing the distance between them, they take the seat beside him, curling their knees under their body as they accept a free switch controller from him. “Where’s your mate?”

His lips twist as he exits to the game’s main menu, flicking through the options. “They’ve got a deadline coming up, and they can’t make it until later.” His expression brightens then, and he turns in his seat, a wide, mischievous grin playing on his lips, and god, he hasn’t changed since they were teens. “But that means we’re all here. Should I get the big guy?”

“That won’t be necessary.” The familiar rattle of the box is all the warning they get before David places Catan on the table between them, complete with expansions and additional player extensions, and shit, it has been years. “We’re ready.”

Board game night. The entire reason for the party in the first place.

Angel is beside him, holding a tray of snacks, their eyes bright and excited as Darlin lets out a snort, glancing up to meet the alpha’s gaze. “I can and will kick your ass at this. You could never beat me in the past.”

His dark eyes narrow, even as his mate lets out a loud cackle, placing down the snacks before dropping into the free spot beside Stealth. “We’ll see about that.”

–

It’s a long night. The first game of Catan ends up being two hours long, and the competition is fierce - but even with the combined powers of the alpha and his mate, they can’t change the inevitable outcome.

It’s with a grim satisfaction that Darlin reminds the group that they are the master of this game, no matter how many years it has been.

Angel is unfazed - amused, even - as they make quick work packing the board away, the light catching on the intricate silver design on their ring finger. Darlin finds their attention drawn to it throughout the night, the reminder that - for some, at least - life had moved on.

David looks - happy. Happier than they can remember him being in a long time.

“Train game next?”

Asher snorts from the sofa, where he’s curled around his mate, their fingers in his hair. He’d given up on Catan about halfway through, ceding his positions on the board to the more competitive members of the pack. “I thought we were done with the bloodshed.”

Angel ignores him, their bright eyes on Darlin, who is on their third hard cider and has only just gotten used to the taste. “Which edition?”

“Europe.” David’s tone is gruff, as if the question itself is an insult. “Or Rails and Sails.”

They let their grin widen, showing a glimmer of canine. They’re good at this too. “Either works.”

Asher shakes his head, although his expression is amused. “We’ll sit this one out.”

–

David wins the next game, although it’s a close one, and by the end of the night, he and Darlin have drawn even. It’s only with the intervention of the pack’s beta that they leave it there, helped by the fact that Asher’s mate is asleep in his lap.

“You guys can have your grand showdown the next time we do this,” he reasons, his voice hushed, and Darlin shrugs, uncaring either way. David agrees with more reluctance, a tension in his jaw that reminds them of when they were kids, and it’s good to see that some things haven’t changed.

By the time Darlin gets an uber home, they’re exhausted. There’s a missed call waiting in their phone notifications, Southern Spice from the caller ID - and that means that at some point during the night, Asher must have gotten hold of their phone to change Sam’s contact. Dork.

Sam hasn’t left a voicemail, or any other message, which means that it was likely nothing important. Just checking in.

They call him back, leaning against the counter top as they wait for the call to connect.

“Hey, Darlin’.” His voice is a low rumble, warm and deep, although they can hear the soft murmur of conversation around him, before it’s muffled by footsteps and the click of a closing door. He must have stepped out of the meeting to take the call. “How was it?”

“It was - good. You would have liked it.” They lean back against the kitchen counter, and they’re smiling despite themselves. “I beat David at Catan. You should have seen the look on his face.”

His laughter is a low rumble down the phone line, warm and familiar. “Well, shit. That sounds like it would have been a sight to see.”

“Next time,” they say without really thinking about it, and then their grip tightens on the phone until the case creaks. Shit.

“Next time,” he agrees, easily, as if it’s nothing. “I’ll look forward to it.”

Their heart is beating a sharp staccato inside their chest. They glance at the clock on their mantle, at the hour hand inching towards three o’clock. “I’m guessing you won’t be able to make it back tonight?”

He lets out low hum. “Unfortunately. We’re not even halfway through the schedule yet.” The sigh he lets out is almost a groan. “But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” they agree, their voice soft. Their cheeks are burning, and they’re glad he can’t see it, even as much as they wish they could see him.

“Sleep well, darlin’. I’m glad you had a good night.”

Beep.

#redacted asmr #ej writes redacted #redacted darlin #darlin/sam #THANK YOU FOR THE PROMPT ANDY #this was FUN #but happy holidays everyone :D #redacted audio #writing

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