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pixieungerstories · 6 years ago

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Housemates - 5

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Vinny was arguably too young for him. Derick had become a werewolf in the early days of punk. He had been working at a bar and there was an accident. Now it was more than 50 years later and he was still at the same bar, or at least the same location.

He owned it now. No one knew that. He had a manager handling almost everything. He was still on the floor as a bartender and kept a really close eye on the books.

A big part of the attraction from renting from Bazur was that he wasn’t the oldest person in the building. Eventually, it would be him and the living statue after everyone else had passed on. At least the bar kept him young and current. He didn’t really get on with the local packs. They were too old fashioned around a few things he felt strongly about. He could see the attraction to having a family who wasn’t going to die on you. But there were some things he couldn’t be bothered to put up with.

Vinny was cute, but she also had zero bullshit tolerance. It gave them a lot in common. Derick nearly choked when he was listening to The Clash version of “I Fought the Law,” and she came in and asked if it was a remake of that old Green Day song. He appreciated most of the music she listened to. And it was one more vote against letting Tristan play country on the stereo.

After the first week of figuring out schedules, they started running together every morning. That was nice. It meant that he stopped getting reported as a stray and she didn’t have to worry about assholes commenting on her running pants. And, damn, her ass really did look good in those tights.

From morning runs it didn’t take long to ease into breakfasts together. Derick always cooked eggs. Vinny generally had cereal with added fruit or yogurt with added nuts. He started making her an egg, then two and talking about getting more protein in. She started out just humouring him before admitting that she wasn’t as hungry by coffee break any more.

The way he saw it, it was on him, Kogan and Bazur to help her settle in. Thea was useless around her. No one trusted Kevin to be alone with her. Dren was just too damn busy. Tristan would accidentally sprinkle double entendres into the conversation, then be mortified when he realized what he had said. Even if what he said was so obscure that she likely didn’t get the reference.

And Derick was fine with that. Tristan really was, as far as he was concerned, the competition. Nether Kogan nor Bazur was going to make the first move and Vinny wasn’t about to throw herself at them. Derick, meanwhile had long term goals with this arrangement and having Tristan get there first was not part of them.

Wednesday at dinner he opened with, “Hey, Vinny? We used to have movie night on Thursdays. Dinner in front of the TV. Think you could stick around and join us for that?”

She blinked, clearly taken aback. “Um… OK. Something that can be eaten on the couch then?”

“Or we could order take away so you can have a night off.”

She looked a little confused. “I thought the point of having me here was so that you didn’t have to eat take ways all the time.”

Kogan rumbled at that, “One night a week isn’t all the time. ‘Sides, it will make it easier on you when you head back to school. I promised your mom that we wouldn’t let your grades slip.”

Derick mentally rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, ok,” Vinny agreed. “What movie?”

“We take turns picking,” Bazur explained. “Is there something you want to see?”

Vinny shook her head, “I’m not going first.”

Dren cleared his throat, “Don’t go giving away my turn just so you don’t have to watch The Life of Pi.”

Vinny blinked. “What?”

Dren shrugged and went back to slowly absorbing his food, “Bazur doesn’t always like my picks, but if I can put up with his period dramas, he can put up with-”

“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies doesn’t count as a period drama!” Bazur protested.

Tristan snorted, “I agree to disagree.”

“What kind of movies do you like?” Vinny asked.

Everyone started to laugh.

“What?” she demanded.

Kogan cleared his throat, “He likes chick flicks.”

“Romance,” Tristan corrected. “Nicholas Sparks style of thing.”

“Huh,” Vinny said, sound slightly baffled.

Derick watched Tristan brace for the comment about romance not really pairing with his rodeo back ground. It never came. It took a moment for the minotaur to wind down.

“Any way,” Vinny continued oblivious, as she got up and took her plate to the sink, “I have to rush to make it to work on time. Skipping cooking tomorrow, got it.” She finished scrubbing her dish and put it in the drainer. Then dried her hands on the towel. “Supper tonight is Boeuf Bourguignon,” she pulled a crock out of the new fridge and set it on the counter before digging out the slow cooker base, “It just needs to stay on low and it will be ready to go at six. I’m baking buns to go with it. See you at five!”

And with that she picked up her purse, walked out the front door and promptly missed her bus. Kogan laughed and picked up his spare helmet off the hall tree. “Let me,” Derick requested, “I’ll drive her.”

Korgan shrugged, and tossed the helmet to the werewolf. “Watch the speed limit. The rest of traffic doesn’t have your reaction times,” Kogan warned. “And neither does your passenger,” he added.

“Got it.” Derick opened the door just as Vinny got back to the house. “Come on. I’ll give you a ride.”

Vinny smiled up at him, “Thanks!”

Yeah. That was worth it.

——

Derrick saved Vinny a spot on the couch. Next to him. Kevin was currently an egg chair. The pizza was great, the movie was eventually not bad, in the meantime Vinny settled in against him. She was warm and soft and she smelled good. She was comfortable here.

That was surprising. It had taken so little time. They were monsters. However much humans preached inclusiveness, it hadn’t been achieved yet. They barely tolerated each other. Monsters, non humans, others were only as tolerated as they were useful. Driders worked in construction, gelatinous were frequently ended up as sex workers, even if Dren had spent years at school until he was overqualified to work as a therapist for people with sensory processing disorders. Tristan had used sex work to pay for his degree because minotaurs couldn’t get other jobs. Werewolves were seen as diseased, it was only the transient nature of bar patrons that kept him employed.

Orcs worked as soldiers because they were good at following orders. And at killing.

And Derick was half convinced that more than half of Kevin’s issues were that he was generally considered furniture. He had no legal status.

Gargoyles were the history keepers. People paid extra to hire a real estate agent that could remember the history of a building. But they didn’t want them participating in society otherwise. And really, the only reason that they were all living in this house was that no one would rent to a single male non-human. Except another non-human. Even then, most were speciesist. Any other werewolves he had met considered humans to be prey.

Kevin just flat out left movie night at the first killing. By the time they got to the horrible ending, everyone was thoroughly uncomfortable.

Derick stood up and stretched, “Well, I feel morally superior for having watched that.”

Vinny shook her head, “I knew the ending. I just feel emotionally drained.”

Kogan coughed, “My turn next. I always pick comic book movies. Have you seen the first Deadpool?”

Vinny snorted, “Am I going to get to see the second?”

Kogan nodded, “Next week, myturn.”

Vinny nodded and yawned and stretched.

“Can I walk you home?” Derick asked. She blinked at him in confusion. “In case you get lost on the way upstairs, I mean.”

Vinny laughed and nodded and took his arm.

“God, I miss this.”

“And what is that?”

“Women who treat me like people,” he said simply. There was probably a better way to dress it up, but he couldn’t quite think of one just now. Maybe he should have taken the time because she stumbled on the steps at his words. His faster reaction time meant that he had a steadying hand at the small of her back before she could fall backwards down the few steps they had climbed.

He expected the flinch. It still stung when it happened.

“Whoa! How did you move that fast?”

“Practice,” he teased. Then as he started to pull his hand away, he felt her arm come across his back and up onto his shoulder.

“Good thing you decided to walk me home. Who knew this was such a dangerous area?”

He smirked; she laughed.

The third floor landing was freezing. “Shit. I know Bazur sometimes forgets to close the window, but he was downstairs with us all night.” He sniffed. “Smells like rain,” he said uneasily.

Vinny noticed. “Afraid you will melt?” she teased.

Derick blushed and pulled away. She caught his hand and pulled him in for a kiss. To his shock and horror he was too unsettled to even enjoy it.

Her face fell and she took a step back. “Wow, that was awkward. I… I’m sorry I overstepped.”

He didn’t move his hands from around her waist. “I really don’t like thunderstorms. It isn’t you. That was nice and if you try again tomorrow, I promise I won’t be distracted. I just really, really don’t like storms.”

She cocked her head and frowned at him, “My Nonna had a dog that would hi-”

Now he stepped back. “Don’t do that. I am a person, not a dog.”

She shifted awkwardly. “I’m sorry. I just thought… Well, it was the only time Baxter ever slept on her bed, was during thunderstorms. I have a big enough bed for both of us while you are… changed. I thought… I’m sorry. You’re right you are an adult. I’m sure you have this.”

Derick blinked. There was no way he could be understanding this correctly. “You are offering to let me sleep with you?”

Now she was embarrassed. She looked at the floor. “I’m not offering to have sex with you. Just… I … yeah. You can sleep in my room if you want.”

At that point, there was flash of light followed immediately by a crash of thunder that rattled the window. August storm season was officially upon them and Derick had kicked it off with an undignified yelp in front of his crush.

Vinny opened her door. “It’s up to you. But you are sleeping on top of the covers, whatever form you are wearing.”

He followed her into her room. He watched as she closed the windows. He could smell Kevin, but couldn’t see him. Vinny pulled a night shirt out from under her pillow. “I’m going to brush my teeth.”

Derrick watched her leave. He was stripped and changed and trembling by the time she got back.

Vinny looked at him, then closed the door. She crawled into bed then patted the spot next to her. “Come on then.”

#exo #exophilia #terato #monster #mimic #werewolf #slime #gargoyle #minotaur #orc #drider

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