#also the new Homesong ch. is coming i swear!!! I'm just about halfway done with it

[luci-cunt]

Pad Thai / Fuck Off

[ @moonsandstarsaregay​ I’m sorry this took so long but tada! here’s your ficlet, just a lil mini from Carter’s POV. WARNING: RAVENSONG SPOILERS! but just barely :D <3333333

This is Homesong canon btw so it’s not exactly like the actual books.... there’s a bit of a..... twist >:3 you can also read it on AO3!

Enjoy!!!]

------------

Contrary to the apparently popular belief, Carter did actually take his position as mayor seriously. 

So jot that one down, Joe.

If he didn’t he might actually get more sleep in his actual bed, but as it was it felt like he spent most nights slumped over the desk in his office. Well, that was actually only part of it, and most nights Carter had the forethought to move to the couch by the door. In all honesty he didn’t mind sleeping at the office, in fact he did it regularly because he didn’t mind it. 

Living in the same house with your mom and your brother and your brother’s boyfriend and the weird wolf that won’t stop following you around is--shockingly--not all peaches and cream. Besides, his office was sick, the couch was the most comfortable thing he’d ever owned and he had an entire wall of windows he usually kept all the way open so he could pretend like he was outside. 

Sometimes he missed living on his own--how it had been when he was in college--but that hadn’t exactly been alone, which was the problem. Carter couldn’t stand the idea of living completely alone, even just moving in with his roommate--a guy named Joshi--had been like getting dunked in ice water after living with his family--his pack--for his whole life. 

But even that he was sure he could get used to, no--that wasn’t the real reason why he refused to get his own place. 

Before he hadn’t quite been able to pin down why it had felt so weird to think of moving out, and then it had hit him when Kelly moved. 

He didn’t have a mate. 

Both his brothers and his Uncle had all lived in the house until they found their mates. Technically Joe was still living in the Bennett house but he’d moved in with Ox first and then moved back in to leave the house to Kelly and Robbie later. Even Mark hadn’t left until Gordo finally let him move in. 

Carter just... didn’t have that. 

Instead he had his office, and the wolf that wouldn’t leave him alone. 

Speaking of… 

“Get your fucking nose out of there,” Carter snapped, kicking the mini-fridge door closed to stop the wolf from eating the thai-food leftovers he was saving for lunch. The wolf growled at him, nosing it open again so that Carter had to stop what he was typing on his laptop to hold the door closed with his foot. “I said cut it out, peanuts make you gassy as hell and I’m not dealing with that,” he said. They stared each other down for a moment, and Carter held up a finger. “You get in there and I’m kicking you out.”

The wolf huffed a breath like a laugh and then used his paw to shove Carter’s foot away. “Fucking cunt--” Carter said as he left his desk to tackle the wolf. They rolled over the fancy rug that had been a gift from some official Carter couldn’t remember the name of, both snarling and growling at one another loud enough that Cynthia--Carter’s secretary--could probably hear them. He could imagine her rolling her eyes and turning up her radio in the room next to him, but she was more than used to this by now. 

Eventually Carter managed to get a grip on the wolf’s middle and he shoved him into the couch, scrambling over and planting himself down in front of the fridge. The wolf jumped up, growling as he stalked over. 

“I told you to fuck off, and look--now instead of writing important emails I’m playing fridge guardian,” he said, scowling back at the wolf, who blew an annoyed breath out his nose into Carters face. “Wow, you’re so persuasive,” he mocked. 

There was a pause, and the wolf sat back and seemed to melt as it shifted, and then Gavin was sitting in front of him. His face scrunched in a pout and long, tangled black hair spilled over his shoulders. 

“Ass,” he said. Carter flipped him off. 

The first few times that Gavin had shifted out of the timberwolf Carter had thought he was being haunted. It started with little things, like books moved around and cups emptied when he swore he’d left them full. He hadn’t really thought much of it--maybe it was the stupid-white-person part of him but if his office was haunted that just made it so much cooler. 

Except then the things had gotten more noticable. If he fell asleep at his desk he’d wake up with one of the stupidly oversized couch cushions under his head, and the windows would open and close themselves while he was sleeping. He’d first suspected Cynthia, but she’d just given him a weird look when he brought it up. 

He didn’t catch on until one day when a bat flew into his windows and woke him out of a dead sleep and he’d caught Gavin before he could shift back. After that he was still reluctant to shift out of the wolf, but he’d stopped doing it in secret when Carter promised not to tell anyone he’d seen it. 

He didn’t actually talk to Carter until about a month after he started shifting out enough that Carter kept a spare pair of sweatpants at the office. He spoke oddly, like he’d never actually been taught how to. It had taken some getting used to but now Carter hardly noticed. 

“Not wolf,” Gavin said, pointing to himself and then the fridge. 

“Yeah well, I lied, I just don’t want you eating it because it’s mine,” Carter said, making Gavin’s scowl deepen. 

“Hungry.” 

“We literally just ate.”

Gavin shook his head in frustration. “Stupid ass,” he said.

“Right, because you’re a real Einstein,” Carter said, he pushed himself up enough to grab the sweats out of a drawer in his desk and toss them over. “And put some pants on--” 

Gavin rolled his eyes, mockingly quoting, “Man of position, blah blah,” as he did. 

“I’m the mayor, naked people in my office is frowned upon,” Carter said. “And not nearly as hot as it could be--you should grow tits.” 

Gavin flipped him off but pulled on the pants and laid on his back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. After a moment Carter leaned his head back so it bumped against the fridge. 

“You still haven’t given me an answer, you’re like a fuckin’ fortune cookie written by a beetle.” 

Gavin wrinkled his nose. “Bugs are not good,” he said.

“Thank you for that wonderfully insightful answer, give me four to seven business days to process it properly and get back to you o-wise one.” Gavin pushed himself up so he could glare properly, Carter squinted at him. “You know what you are?” 

“No, please--tell,” he said flatly.

“An STD,” Carter said, leaning back again. “You just won’t go away.” 

Gavin frowned and shrugged like he did when he didn’t understand something. 

“A disease you get from fucking,” Carter explained. 

“So you had fun getting me?” Gavin said, with a grin. 

Carter rolled his eyes. “You were trying to kill us, I almost killed you.” 

“Yeah,” Gavin agreed, laying back down. Carter waited for him to explain more, but he didn’t. He breathed a laugh despite himself. 

“I think you’re the only one who manages to actually piss me off so much,” he said. 

“Lucky me.” 

“Beetle.”

“Man-baby.”

“Well that one’s new, where’d you get it?” 

“Mark.” 

“When were you hanging out with him?” 

“My business.” 

“Oh fuck off, like you give a damn about privacy.” 

“You are stupid, it’s different.” 

“No, actually it’s not--I managed to survive almost three decades before you showed up, I think I can make it a couple of hours without supervision.” 

“Wrong.” 

“Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve fucked anyone. Hard for that to happen when I’ve got the worlds biggest, dumbest ankle monitor glued to my leg at all times! No--you don’t get to look smug about that, your possessiveness is not cute in any world. Don’t shrug at me--I will skin you and use your pelt for aftercare.” 

Gavin growled at him, eyes flashing violet, but it wasn’t nearly as intimidating while he was human. Hell it wasn’t even that intimidating when he was a wolf. It was a little surprising when Gavin suddenly lunged at him, successfully knocking him over and sitting on his chest so he could rifle through the fridge. 

“Hey! I just said--god how the hell do you weigh so much get--off--fucking--!” He groaned and stopped struggling as he realized it was useless, Gavin grinned down at him and slurped noodles obnoxiously. 

“I cannot stand you.” 

“Yum,” Gavin said as he dropped a peanut on Carter’s face. Carter smacked his hand away, and then sobered a bit. 

“Are you actually ever going to explain anything? Because if you’re just going to keep being cryptic let me know so I can rub it in your face when you finally crack.” 

Gavin chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “No explanation,” he said, then he grinned. “My business.” 

Carter scowled, reaching up and flicking his forehead. “Ass,” he said. 

“STD,” Gavin corrected, already focusing back on the stolen pad thai. 

“At least tell me why you won’t shift in front of anyone else,” Carter said. Gavin’s jaw clenched, “You stole my lunch, you owe me,” Carter pointed out. 

“Hard,” Gavin said after a moment. “Too many things, easier to handle as the wolf,” he went on. “And, it’s bigger--better teeth.” He bared his teeth to prove his point and Carter rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, it’s way harder to rip out throats as an omnivore,” he said dryly. 

“You don’t like the wolf because I can drag you,” Gavin said with a laugh that made Carter roll his eyes. 

“You caught me,” he said, forcing himself to keep his mouth shut to keep the rest of his thoughts in his head. 

“Stupid,” Gavin said, smiling dopily. 

Carter opened his mouth to retort, but he and Gavin heard the sound of Kelly talking to Cynthia outside. Gavin dropped the box of pad thai and shifted before Carter could blink, and he scrambled up, growling and brushing noodles off the front of his shirt. 

“Fucking asshole,” he snapped, tossing the box at Gavin’s head. He just made a whining noise almost like a laugh and then jumped on the couch as Kelly opened this door while knocking. 

“I picked up a sandwich from Oasis, Robbie ate a few bites but--” Kelly cut himself off as his eyes landed on Carter, who was picking himself up off the ground and glaring down at his stained shirt. “Did you trip?” he asked, unsuccessfully hiding a laugh. 

Carter glared. “Something like that,” he bit out with a significant look towards the wolf on the couch, who was pretending to be sleeping. 

“Well, I’ve still got a few minutes of lunch--Tanner dragged Robbie back to the shop because apparently Gordo set the computer on fire, want me to grab you a shirt?” Kelly asked, still smirking.

“While you’re at it grab me a knife and a tanning rack,” Carter said. “Cynthia!” he called, and she poked her head in the doorway, one brow raised. She scanned the office and followed the trail of noodles from Carter’s shirt to the empty box on the floor by the couch and gave him a flat look. 

“You don’t pay me enough to clean up after you,” she deadpanned. 

“Fuck off,” he snapped, “Just get me a broom or something.” 

“That’s carpet,” Kelly said, dropping the tinfoil wrapped sandwich on Carter’s desk. 

“I didn’t ask you, did I?” 

“Your office is going to smell like peanuts for the rest of your life.” 

Cynthia wrinkled her nose and then wheeled away. 

Carter glared at Kelly. “Weren’t you getting me a shirt?” 

His brother laughed, already turning to leave. “Have fun scrubbing!” he called over his shoulder. 

“As soon as I’m done with this asshole I’m coming for your ass!” Carter snarled back. He turned to the wolf on the couch, who was watching him with one eye open. Carter jabbed a finger at him. “That’s not an empty threat, if this shit doesn’t come out you’re the replacement carpet.”

Gavin just closed his eye and curled up more. 

It made Carter wish he could actually follow through on his threats.