Six of Cups {Jackson}

[Erik Stewart]

Sometimes Erik woke up and he didn’t want to do anything. He wouldn’t get up, wouldn’t get something to eat until way into the afternoon, wouldn’t get dressed and certainly wouldn’t go to class. Other times he did want to do something but he still wasn’t about to go to class. Erik had detentions upon detentions piled up on his back. A detention for this and for that and for all of his absences whether it be from class or other detentions and he was going to be in debt for as long as he lived, it seemed.

He ignored it all and went for a walk near the lake. He had left his rat snake DJ behind; people wouldn’t react as kindly to him as they would a dog. ’Don’t shit on my stuff,’ he’d told him, and while DJ couldn’t understand all of it Erik sensed he got the gist, for which he was grateful. Still, he missed the company.

Incidentally, Erik wasn’t thinking at all of Jackson that day. Those moments were getting fewer and farther between the more he was absent; in all actuality, Erik didn’t know where he’d gone or when, exactly, but he did know that the other boy had left somewhere. It was a shame. He had always liked Jackson and not only in the physical department; he couldn’t remember a single cruel word from him even if he’d noticed the way Erik’s face turned pink around him. He smiled around him and he remembered him as being warm even when Erik had on a scowl that could singe the eyebrows off someone’s face.

So when he saw Jackson turn up that afternoon, it was with some relief. Erik let a smile tug at his lips. The wind had drawn some strands of hair across his cheeks; he pulled it behind his ear. “Jackson?”

It was him, wasn’t it? He was close enough to see all his features now. He certainly looked like him. If it wasn’t, he would have been terribly embarrassed.

“Where ya been?” he asked.

[Jackson Haynes]

With Gabriel content at daycare, Jackson decided to go to the lake to walk and think. There was a point in his life where he had the opportunity to take all the time in the world for himself, but ever since Gabe came into his life, well, everything had changed. Without any modeling gigs going on at the moment though, Jackson decided it was high time for some 'me time'.

He had already gone down one side of the lake and was making his way back up to where he parked his car. Kiara was on his mind, and he didn't know what to do next. He didn't know if he should keep pushing until he pushed her completely away, or if he should give her space and hope that maybe she would want to see him at some point and not just Gabe.

Hands in his pockets, he almost didn't notice the other person on the beach. Jackson hadn't seen Erik in forever, and honestly, seeing him made Jackson smile fondly. He gave a little wave, approaching Erik, glad to see someone he not only knew, but seemed to be happy to see him.

"Had a modeling gig in Europe," he said, passing his fingers through his short hair. "Yeah, it's been a while, how've you been? How's school?" Erik was younger than he was, and Jackson was pretty sure he was still at Hammel.

"Hey um, are you busy right now?" Jackson was eager for some friendly, adult, company. "Wanna go get an ice-cream or something?"

[Erik Stewart]

The smile that tugged at his lips went by without him noticing. It was just a nice, clear day, and he hadn’t expected to see Jackson there, and it was all a pleasant surprise. The breeze whistled past his ear.

“You’re a model?” Erik said, eyebrows rising. “I didn’t know.”

He guessed that now was the time to add ‘I’m not surprised’ or however else people presumed to flirt, but instead he bit down on his lower lip and rolled it between his teeth. What was he expecting here, anyway? He always had to ask himself that, whenever Jackson rolled around. Besides, Erik had been around the block long enough to know that straight guys didn’t like the attention.

He thought to ask him if his modeling involved the whole reptile shtick, but Jackson followed suit with his own questions (which was, maybe, for the best). “How’s school?” Erik asked, then shrugged, looking around. “Does it look like I know?”

He smiled, one of his cheeks dimpling. “Haven’t been t’class in half a week.”

Erik wasn’t exactly proud of it but he wasn’t exactly ashamed of admitting it, either. He’d already made up his mind to drop out once his power training was done and he certainly hoped they’d let him. Wouldn’t be fair if he couldn’t, in his mind. Every other high schooler in the country was free to leave whenever they chose.

Then he blinked and perked up, letting himself mull over the offer; he reached down to pat the sides of his jeans to make sure he’d brought his wallet and sure enough, he could feel its shape against one of his pockets. Erik blinked and let himself smile, bashful, almost. “Hell, it’s not everyday a super model asks me out for ice cream,” he said, tucking hair behind his ear. “I’d like that.”

[Jackson Haynes]

Jackson shrugged, his high cheekbones only making his blushing worse. "Yeah uh... I've been modeling since high school. It's not a big deal." At least Jackson wasn't vain. Looking down, Jackson had missed every social cue Erik was unknowingly signaling. But even if Jackson had been looking, he was still an oblivious guy.

Jackson smiled back. "Huh. So you don't plan on graduating?" The last time he checked, you had to actually attend class and do work in order to graduate. Even if attendance wasn't perfect, it was probably a good idea in the long run. It was up to Erik in the end, but if didn't want to stick around Hammel, Jackson was going to end up asking what he planned on doing instead.

Glancing down again, Jackson gave a soft chuckle and continued on towards his car. "My treat," he said, his own hand going to his pocket to unlock his Chevelle automatically. Being a model had a lot of perks, and Jackson didn't always have friends to share said perks with.

Buckling in, Jackson pulled onto the road and clicked off the jazz music. "Anything interesting happen since I've been away?" He asked, slipping on his sunglasses, subconsciously checking himself out in the mirror to make sure his hair looked just right.

[Erik Stewart]

“Guess not.” The thought had occurred to him just this year, when he’d been told he wouldn’t graduate. That was not a surprise. Neither were his grades when he went over them: D, D, D, F, the occasional C. They were all well-deserved, and inevitable, but just the thought of playing catch-up left him with – well, nothing. Just complete apathy. Erik looked at all the years he’d fallen behind and figured that he might as well just Not. “Plenty ‘uh people don’t…I’ll figure it out.”

He didn’t put much stock in Jackson’s ‘modeling isn’t a big deal’ attitude; if someone paid you for having a face they could put in a magazine, then it seemed a pretty big deal to him. But he didn’t dispute it – not even when Jackson led him to a nice sleek car. He could have, but he didn’t. Erik slid his hands over the cool leather and thought, my ass it isn’t.

“You really don’t have t’do that,” he said, without looking up. “I got a job too. I can pay for a fuckin’ ice cream.”

It wasn’t meant to be defensive; his tone suggested that he was pretty okay with the situation, all things considered, and there was a smile in his voice and a little bit on his lips, too. His eyes scanned the interior and they would for a good while. He squinted at his reflection in the mirror, before turning his head to look out the window once the car began to roll. Jackson asked about ‘anything interesting’ but he remained turned away.

Erik was glad he hadn’t been around, suddenly. What would he think if he knew he’d pumped someone full of snake venom? Sent them off in an ambulance? Heard the way he’d screamed? What would he think about that?

“Not really,” he said.

Eager to change the subject, Erik sat up straight in his seat and finally looked over. “Kinda the same old shit,” he said. “You know. You get outta bed, you go t’class, and for what? You listen t’Betty over here talk about how many ways she passed out last Friday.” Erik sat and thought. “Oh, an’ I guess graduation’s comin’ up too. There’s all sorts of people on campus.”

[Jackson Haynes]

Jackson nodded. "Not everyone is school smart," he said like he was speaking from experience. And he was. Just like a child actor, Jackson had been recruited into the modelling business before he was done high school, and he wouldn't have had to finish if he didn't want to. But in the long run, it was probably for the best that he had - eventually you grew old and couldn't model anymore.

Laughing, Jackson shrugged. "Whatever Erik, if it's just icecream then let me pay for it." Jackson gave Erik a once over, deciding that he could definitely push him out of the way and pay for the both of them if need be.

Pushing the visor back, Jackson didn't mind the silence that ensued. He wasn't much for conversation anyways, and focused most of his attention on the road until Erik spoke up again. "Fair enough," he commented. He wouldn't be willing to enlighten Erik with half of the things he had been through this year.

"I take it you won't miss it," Jackson said, not reading into anything other than what had been said. He continued driving the car out of town, nearing the mountains. He too, was eager to change the subject. Hammel had been a place of a lot of pain for him. He was told he should be proud to be a meta, that he should embrace being able to change his skin on command. But he wasn't. Now he knew just enough to keep it at bay. No one had to know he was meta if he didn't want them to.

"There's this place a little ways up the mountain that has the best icecream. Nice view too," Jackson said, remembering one of his gigs being near the tippy top of the mountain with the shop he was talking about.

[Erik Stewart]

Erik looked over at Jackson’s face, highlighted by the light passing through the windows, and shrugged; he made a noncommittal noise, which neither denied or gave consent to free ice cream. He’d certainly done it before, but he still managed to be proud about accepting ‘charity’. Oh, well. He’d deal with it when it came up.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, placing his hands on his lap. “I won’t miss class.”

The place wasn’t exactly picture perfect, not for him, anyway, but he couldn’t exactly deny that he liked the security. Once he was out, Erik knew he was out. He’d have to find somewhere and he’d have to pay for it, too, and while he had a job now, it wouldn’t cover rent, and food, and utilities. Dorm life would become enviable quickly; he wasn’t too much an idiot to think otherwise.

“I’ve never been up there.” Erik usually never went where he couldn’t walk. He’d heard of the places up that mountain, though. It sounded like a date. He had tried to ignore it but it was there, at the back of his head, but for what good it would do he didn’t know. Did Jackson mean for it to sound like it was a date? No, of course not; he’d had a girlfriend, he remembered, might even have one now. Did Jackson realize Erik was gay? It was a little obvious – besides the fact he just ‘looked’ gay, there were rumor circuits going around that he was open to advances. But that was then and this was now. Jackson was no longer a part of those rumor circuits.

It was a little obnoxious of him to think it was all done on purpose, wasn’t it? He thought, as he looked over himself in the mirror. It was self-centered. It was plain dumb. Still he found some chagrin in his reflection…he hadn’t gone out today thinking he’d run into a high school crush who also happened to be a model. Erik’s hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail and his clothes were put together without any particular care. Erik ran his tongue over his teeth in a last ditch effort to check if there were something between them. He could feel a flush coming on, under his cheeks.

Erik realized he’d gotten quiet. He struggled to make up the difference. “It’s been – it’s been real shitty that y’left. You know? You should’ve told me you were leavin’,” he said, turning to look at him. “I mean, I figured you graduated.”

Erik remembered the first time he’d seen Jackson grow scales. He smiled. “Hey,” he said, “you wanna do that reptile thing?”

[Jackson Haynes]

“Really?” Jackson asked, not having to feign surprise. After living here for so long, one would thing that everyone would make the time to go up the mountains at least once. Yes it was a little touristy, but that didn’t make it any less intriguing to look at. As for making a round of icecream look like a date, well, no, Jackson hadn’t meant to do that. He wasn’t that cunning, it was just icecream to him. And Jackson didn’t see people as gay, straight, or anything in between; he saw Erik as his friend, and hadn’t caught on to any social cues indicating more.

Jackson hadn’t gotten dressed to impress either, it only looked that way. What with a kiddo to get to daycare and everything, he didn’t spend as much time as he would like to getting ready in the mornings. He had better things to do. But Jackson being Jackson, well, he just looked good even when he wasn’t trying very hard. At least, that’s what other people told him, something he had a hard time believing himself. He didn’t notice Erik’s self-conscious behaviour – nothing was out of the norm.

A pang of guilt surged through his chest. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely, “I’m not good with goodbyes.” He hadn’t been ready to say goodbye to anyone. He didn’t want to.

Usually Jackson would cringe at such a request, but he remembered that changing was something he and Erik had in common, something that had made them friends in the first place. So instead he chuckled and gave a nod. “For old times’ sake or something?” He teased, parking the car just outside the little icecream shop he had been talking up.

Changing wasn’t something he liked doing on purpose, but it would save him the molting process for a little while at least. Beneath his sunglasses, the skin on his face slowly peeled and gave way to green scales, growing like patchwork over his cheekbones and onto his neck. His fingernails too, were changing from rounded and groomed, to thick and pointy. He smiled, showing fanged teeth, lifting his sunglasses to show off the last change. “Satisfied?” He asked, eyelids blinking slowly over diamond pupiled eyes.

[Erik Stewart]

His apology only got a shrug from him. He took it in stride.

Erik hadn’t caught on that transforming wasn’t Jackson’s favorite thing to do; Erik thought it was the best thing he’d ever seen, so why wouldn’t Jackson think so, too? He watched the scales blossom on his face and smiled. He knew that they weren’t rough, but smooth and cool, like most reptiles’. When Jackson lifted his sunglasses, Erik brightened, completely forgetting in his enthusiasm that there were people out there who thought reptiles were gross or terrifying.

“I wish my eyes did that,” he noted.

He would’ve reciprocated, but turning into a nearly six-foot long venomous snake in such an enclosed space would have been a bad idea. He hadn’t fully gone through his training, and he couldn’t quite control himself; the water moccasin was an especially aggressive snake, known to hop on someone’s boat or kayak in an attempt to attack the unfortunate victim.

“Do they take pictures of you like that?” he asked. “With your eyes like that?”

Erik thought that was a great idea - who else could’ve pulled that off? – but he’d a fundamental misunderstanding of the fashion industry. His faded sleeveless and ragged jeans told it all.

[Jackson Haynes]

Erik was someone Jackson was at least okay with changing around. Not comfortable, he could never be comfortable, but Erik's reaction said it all. It was the complete opposite of horror. The look on his face was a combination of appreciation, interest, and joy. Which didn't surprise Jackson since their powers were so similar.

He gave off a laugh and replaced the sunglasses. "It took me a while to realize that mine did." Jackson would only look like a reptile and had some reptilian characteristics, but he could not actually morph into one.

Jackson shook his head no. "Not everyone thinks my transformation is..." He struggled for the right word. "Appealing." In fact, Jackson had spent most of his life being ridiculed for it, and feeling self conscious about it. Modelling was meant to hide the part of his life he didn't want people knowing about.

Clearing his throat, Jackson felt himself slowly morphing back to his every day self. "So, let's go get some ice cream." He let himself out of the car and approached the little shop with a lot of flavour choices.

He was eyeing a minty chocolate number as he spoke. "So what're you thinking of getting?"

[Erik Stewart]

In retrospect, the answer to Erik’s question had been obvious. Sometimes, in his reptile-induced excitement, he forgot that not everyone shared his enthusiasm, who balked at the sight of scales or forked tongue, even hated them. There was something odd about worshipping one side of Jackson and reviling the other, he thought. Why admire his rolling pecs and chiseled face if you were gonna call it all gross the minute he popped some slitted pupils? Where was the sense in that? Then again, the kind of people who opened magazines to look at models in Calvin Klein underwear were probably not the kind of people who appreciated reptilian transformations. Well, fuck ‘em.

“I think it looks cool,” was his response, and not a very articulate one at that, and probably not anything terribly unique.

The ice cream place was an idealistic looking building, with soft yellow paint and white windowsills, and a sign at the front. No doubt it was meant to look that way to appeal to the few tourists that milled about Vermont. It was pleasant up here, at least. There was a slight breeze despite the sun, perfect for ice cream…at least, so he thought; he didn’t eat a lot of it. While Jackson was looking at the minty chocolate, Erik’s attention was trained the other way. He pointed at the plain chocolate number. Erik had simple tastes.

“Thanks for payin’. I don’t have a lot of money t’spend,” he admitted. “I’m kinda a janitor.”

[Jackson Haynes]

Jackson wasn't sure where his self conscious attitude came from, but when his powers manifested, said attitudes only magnified. Despite the modelling gig, Jackson didn't think he was all that special. But after his powers came, he knew he was a freak. Hammel had told him otherwise, that he was special and unique, but he didn't see the point of it all. And honestly, he was jealous he couldn't have the mindset like those who were proud of who they were. For god's sake, he had a son and was worried he wasn't ever going to be someone the little man could look up to.

Managing a smile, Jackson felt himself blush at the compliment, an odd sensation after his transformation. People usually didn't display awe and wonder at his reptilian appearance.

But in the icecream parlour, Jackson took his mind off of himself. It was cheerful in here, and he knew that all you had to do to feel happy, was smile. The brain was just trained that way. "It's not a problem," Jackson confirmed, ordering a medium for each of them of their respective flavours. He was excited for his, and he watched the clerk scoop it out. "Oh, can I get that in a waffle cone?" The clerk stopped mid-scoop and turned around, getting the cone.

Jackson smiled sheepishly then glanced at Erik. "What does 'kinda a janitor' mean?"

[Erik Stewart]

He shrugged, a noncommittal half-smile on his face. “It means I go through the motions,” he sighed.

Who liked being a janitor? Nobody, probably – or else he’d be very surprised to meet one. But he needed it. He needed the money. It was a much more reliable, and less compromising, solution than living purely off of what Hammel offered with a little pandering to the locals of Pilot Ridge on the side. He hadn’t spoken to his parents in years, but he was still not an orphan in the eyes of the law; he couldn’t even take advantage of the little stipends afforded them. So he was relegated to work such as this. Even then, Erik knew he was lucky. The people at the LGBT center only gave him the job because they knew he was desperately in need of work somewhere, and also because he suspected they felt sorry for him: otherwise, he’d have never found a job. Erik didn’t have the right personality for the workforce. He was abrasive and moody and he always looked pissed off.

“It’s only part time,” he added, watching them fill up the cups. He didn’t ask for the waffle cone; a cup was fine. Besides, it’d melt all over his fingers. “I go on weekends. After class. That sorta thing. I gotta walk home real late all the time.”

[Jackson Haynes]

Jackson smirked. Now that was such an... Erik, reaction. "Rent's that tight, huh?" He teased. And Jackson, being who he was, wanted to help if he could. He gave Erik a once over, deciding he'd be a good candidate for modelling looks wise, but it probably wasn't something he'd want to do. Actually, Jackson was pretty sure Erik had never been excited over much of anything.

Getting their icecreams, Jackson meandered over to a small table for two, crunching loudly at his treat like a large child. It was a good description for the man, especially when it came to food. He might as well enjoy his fast metabolism while it lasted.

"What else are you doing?" Jackson asked between bites, trying not to make too much of a mess. Erik was way too damn introspective. "Between sorta being a janitor and sorta being a student."

[Erik Stewart]

Erik shrugged. Rent would be tough to meet on his salary, of course. He’d have to start working much more and much longer and he would also have to sacrifice human comforts and/or luxuries…besides his cigarettes, of course. He couldn’t let go of those. He could have been homeless and still smoking, somehow.

When was the last time he’d had some ice cream? Must have been a few months ago. He vaguely remembered the dance at the LGBT center – might have been one of his coworkers offered a free sample before or after the dance. It might have just been soda, though. Or a brownie. He liked to believe that he’d personally blocked the entire night and subsequent morning from his memory but that wasn’t quite true: he remembered a few things he wished he hadn’t, like the couples dressed up as Frozen characters and the tacky ass décor and Jackson – wait, no. Jackson wasn’t there, he reminded himself. Jackson wasn’t there because he wasn’t fucking gay.

Erik responded in time, daintily lapping at his cone. “Nothin’,” he responded. “It’s kind of surprisin’ that I got up this mornin’.”