Chapter Text
Skeppy groaned. With a grumpy frown, he stared at his ceiling while he laid on his bed.
He knew he had to tell him. If he wanted to stay with Bad, which he desperately did, then he would have to tell him the truth sooner or later. There was no way he could hide something this important from him for forever. But it was scary.
He loved Bad.
He loved Bad so much it was ridiculous.
There was nothing scarier to him than the thought of losing his best friend and boyfriend.
With a frustrated sigh, he sat up and grabbed his phone. He unlocked it to find a picture of him and Bad staring back at him, and his heart stuttered at how happy they looked. How in love. He smiled. Already, just from looking at an image of them, he felt the churning of his gut settle.
"Yo, Skep, we're heading out in a bit for the run. You sure you don't want to come with us?"
Blinking, Skeppy snapped back into the present. He looked at his doorway to find Vurb.
"Uh, what was that?" he asked.
Snorting, Vurb repeated, "I was wondering if you were sure you didn't want to come on the run."
Skeppy considered it for a moment.
Feeling restless, he got up and grabbed his jacket. "Okay," he said, chuckling at Vurb's pleased grin, "I'll come."
"Nice!"
At the usual clearing, Skeppy watched as his friends, his family, his pack shifted from humans to wolves. He felt the call to shift in his chest. The urge to run free was getting stronger and stronger but he resisted.
Pulling out his phone, he shot his boyfriend a few quick texts.
You, 16:14 p.m: heyy baby, out with the idots tonight so might not see your texts
You, 16:15 p.m: I love you <3
Before he could put his phone away it buzzed. He felt his heart flutter at the simple response from his boyfriend.
Baby<3, 16:15 p.m: okay, be safe and have fun muffin, I love you (っ^_^)っ<3
Vurb, currently a dark grey wolf, whined impatiently. He nosed at Skeppys leg, and he rolled his eyes. "You're so damn impatient," he laughed with a quick pat to his friend's head. He understood though.
It had been a while since Skeppy had taken part in a pack run. They were considered a bonding experience for packs, and both he and his friends had missed him being there.
He carefully placed his phone in the lock box, and then he threw his clothes off and shifted.
With a howl from Spifey, the group were off.
Later, after the run was over and some of them had shifted back, Skeppy leaned back against a tree with his legs stretched out in front of himself. His mind felt much clearer after running with his packmates. The emotional turmoil he had been feeling earlier that day felt nonexistent after all the adrenaline and dopamine coursing through him from the run.
He had Mega's head resting in his lap, and he absently brushed his fingers through his dark brown fur. The teenager was usually the least tactile of the group so it was a rare occurrence for him to seek out attention. Content, he watched the rest of his packmates. Both Vurb and Zelk had chosen to remain as wolves and were currently play fighting while Finn, back in human form, was egging them on.
"It was good having you with us again," Spifey commented as he dropped down beside him. "You've been pretty busy lately."
Skeppy sighed. "Sorry."
"No, don't worry," Spifey immediately assured, bumping their shoulders together lightly, "we've just missed you."
Smiling, Skeppy said, "I missed it too."
Despite Mega's usually grumpy demeanor, his current form gave him away as his tail started to wag lazily.
"What, you missed me too, Mega?" he cooed. He laughed at the playful growl the wolf let out, and proceeded to scratch behind his ears in apology for teasing him.
It was calm for the moment; or, at the least, as calm as things could get between a wolf pack after a run.
"So... I was thinking about telling Bad."
And with that all eyes were on him.
The previous content he had been feeling dwindled into nothingness. An uncomfortable pit of dread opened in his stomach, and he felt small under his friend's gazes.
"You're that serious about him?" Finn asked cautiously. He walked over to sit in front of him. With Zelk and Vurb hot on his heels. "Because that's not a decision to make lightly."
"Yeah," Spifey chimed in, "that's like... marriage level commitment for one of us."
"You think I don't know that?" Skeppy growled, eyes flashing dangerously.
Vurb growled back in warning. The noise broke off into an apologetic whine the second Finn settled a soothing hand on his head.
"We aren't trying to interrogate you," Finn said calmly.
Spifey nodded. "Yeah, man. We're not trying to stress you out." He bumped their shoulders together again but stayed leaned against him after. "We just need to talk about this as a pack."
Taking a deep, calming breath, Skeppy nodded. "I know, I'm sorry," he apologised. He smiled faintly at Zelk's supportive nudge to his leg.
"It's a big decision letting someone into our world," Finn said. "We don't want to scare you but it's something you have to be entirely sure of."
"I am," Skeppy said firmly, "I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him."
Vurb barked.
Skeppy scowled. "I may not be able to understand you at the moment but I know for a fact you just called me a simp."
Vurb's tail wagged, and both Finn and Spifey chuckled.
"Look, I've been friends with Bad for a long time and I've been dating him long enough to know... he's what I want in life," Skeppy said softly. "I don't want to hide who I am from him forever."
The others sobered up at his serious tone. With a comforting smile, Finn rested a hand on Skeppy's knee and squeezed.
"We consider Bad a close friend too," Finn reminded. "It's clear to see how in love you two are."
"Which I guess means we're good with you telling him about everything," Spifey added.
Relieved, Skeppy felt a weight fall from his shoulders. He smiled at them.
"When were you thinking of telling him?" Spifey enquired curiously.
"I don't know," Skeppy admitted. "I'm not sure how to tell him. I'm scared of his reaction."
Finn reached over and flicked him harshly between the eyes. With an irritated grumble, Skeppy rubbed at the spot.
"What was that for?" he muttered.
"Being stupid," Finn shrugged.
"What, I'm not allowed to be worried about the love of my life leaving me after he finds out I've been a supernatural creature this whole time?" He asked.
Spifey said seriously, "there's no way that's going to happen."
Skeppy frowned. He opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by Zelk's annoyed barks.
"Fine! But it's on you guys if he freaks out on me," he said, throwing his hands up in a show of defeat. His words had been joking but everyone caught the slight waver in his tone; this was something he was genuinely scared about.
The pack crowded close and offered comfort.
The conversation had not been raised again. It was clearly on everyone's minds though.
They treated Skeppy with more care than usual. Even Mega, as irritable and snarky as he tended to be, had been cautious with his treatment of the older boy. It was both appreciated and incredibly weird.
Skeppy was grateful he had such loving packmates.
Again, Skeppy was staring at his ceiling blankly.
He had been struggling to fall asleep. Restlessly, Skeppy had tossed and turned, and become increasingly frustrated by the way sleep continued to elude him. It had gotten to the point that Zelk, the only packmate he shared a wall with, had knocked on it pointedly to tell him to stop making so much noise.
Which left him staring at his ceiling and trying to ignore the thoughts racing through his head.
Sighing, he wondered if going for a walk would help. He was just about to pull himself out of bed to do just that when his phone buzzed. He grabbed it and switched it on, wincing slightly at the sudden brightness.
Baby<3, 3:06 a.m: I know it's late and you're probably sleeping but I just wanted to say I miss you
You, 3:07 a.m: was actually just thinking about you
You, 3:07 a.m: I miss you too :(
Baby<3, 3:07 a.m: wanna get breakfast together tomorrow?
You, 3:08 a.m: wanna just say screw it and come see me rn?
Baby<3, 3:09 a.m: I'm on my way <3
Skeppy grinned and his heart fluttered.
Rather than wait for his boyfriend to get there, Skeppy had grabbed his shoes and jacket and started making his way to Bad. He hoped they would meet each other halfway.
Staring at the floor as he walked, Skeppy tried to organise his thoughts again. It was hard finding the right time to tell Bad the truth. As if there was a right time. He wished there was some sort of guideline he could follow because it was stressful not knowing when or how to tell his partner his secret. It was even more stressful to think of losing him afterwards. He frowned, upset.
"Skeppy!"
Skeppy's head shot up immediately.
At the end of the road, swaddled in one of Skeppy's own hoodies that Bad had swiped last time he had slept over, was Bad, red-faced from the cold.
"Bad!"
Bad opened his arms with a small smile. Skeppy grinned and raced forward, nearly bowling them both over. They steadied themselves though, and hugged each other tight.
"I missed you," Skeppy whined, pressing his face to the human's neck and inhaling deeply. The combined scent of Bad, his biggest love, and himself from his hoodie was incredibly soothing to the wolf. "I missed you so much!"
Bad giggled adorably. "We saw each other just yesterday," he replied.
"What, are you saying you didn't miss me?" he pouted.
Bad immediately hugged him tighter. He turned his head to press a kiss to Skeppy's fluffy hair. "Of course I missed you," he murmured. "I always miss you!"
Skeppy smiled.
There was something that made him feel incredibly soft at those words. No matter how many times he heard his boyfriend missed him or loved him; those words always managed to instantly melt him.
Pressing quick, loving kisses across Bad's face, Skeppy felt his heart skip at the delighted giggles it caused.
Bad leaned away from the kiss attack, giggling breathlessly. "You're such a muffinhead," he murmured fondly.
"Your muffinhead," Skeppy reminded.
Bad leaned forward and kissed him. Against Skeppy's lips, Bad agreed, "all mine."
Skeppy's heart stuttered. He felt so unbelievably full of love in that moment. Beneath the twinkling stars and bright moon, Skeppy knew, if he didn't think so before, that Bad was it for him. His love, his heart, his soul.
"I love you so, so much," Skeppy said sincerely.
Bad blinked a little at the seriousness of his tone. But then he was flushing a brighter red and he buried his face into Skeppy's shoulder.
"I love you too," he said.
They stood like that for longer than was probably normal. Too wrapped up in each other to care about the cold or dark.
Eventually though, even with the natural heat Skeppy gave off, Bad started to shiver lightly.
"You want to head to that diner you like so much?" Skeppy asked.
It was a place they had been to on more than one occasion for dates, and the best thing about it was that it was open all hours. Well, that was Skeppy's favourite thing about it. He was pretty sure Bad just liked it because of the jukebox.
He felt Bad nod against him. They pulled apart and Skeppy threw his arm around Bad's shoulder, and Bad reached up and intertwined their fingers together. They made their way to the diner.
Slowly, things at the pack house settled back to normal, and even though they still shot him pointed looks the longer he went without saying anything to Bad, they started to act more naturally around him again.
He was still scared. But after their late night diner escapade a few weeks back, Skeppy felt more confident.
He was going to tell Bad soon. And everything was going to be okay.
"Finn! Dude, did you eat my cake?" Zelk yelled.
Even without supernatural hearing they would all be able to hear that. Skeppy, lounging on the couch lazily, glanced over to the kitchen where Zelk was stood glaring at the empty space on the counter he had left his cake.
"What? Why me?" Finn shot back as he wandered down the stairs to make his way to the kitchen.
"Because you said yesterday you were in the mood for cake!" Zelk replied, sounding irritated. "You clearly saw my cake on the counter and decided to take it!"
Finn rolled his eyes. "I don't like how you're blaming me just because I said that yesterday," he protested. "It could have been anyone in the house."
Skeppy's sensitive hearing could pick up the faint growling beneath each of their words. Briefly, his eyes flitted to the calendar and widened slightly at realising it was a full moon tomorrow. Which explained the way everyone's emotions had seemed more heightened than usual.
Sometimes that was good. It meant that when one of them was happy they were overjoyed. They felt so much more deeply the closer to the full moon they got.
Vurb theorised that it was probably something to do with the wolf being closer to the surface, and therefore they were feeling their human emotions overlap with the wolf's emotions. He had, of course, then finished off the suggestion by wondering if his wolf liked toes just as much as he did and promptly ruined the moment.
A slightly louder, warning growl snapped Skeppy back into the present.
It also meant that when they were angry it tended to be more intense than normal, and that meant they had to be careful.
"Guys," Skeppy called, watching them size each other up warily, "take a moment to cool off."
He knew Finn was usually the best at keeping his head. He and Vurb were usually the mediators of the pack. But sometimes even their mediators got a little heated.
Zelk spun to him with a glare. "Stay out of this, Skep!"
Finn growled louder. "Hey, don't take this out on him!"
Skeppy sighed. It was going to be a chore to defuse the situation. He would have preferred Vurb or Spifey or, honestly, even Mega to be here to help but the three had gone off on errands. Which left Skeppy.
Reluctantly, he switched off the TV and pulled himself from the couch. He made his way into the kitchen to find both his packmates tensed up.
Skeppy's ideal weekend did not include getting between two angry wolves. But it would be preferable if the two went their separate ways before things turned violent. That would not happen without intervention. Which Skeppy was notably bad at doing.
He positioned himself between them pointedly. "You both need to take a step back from this and cool off," he said firmly.
Finn's eyes, glowing unnaturally with how close the wolf was to the surface, glanced briefly at him before shifting back to Zelk. Zelk didn't even spare him a glance.
"It's not that big a deal, really, so it doesn't need to escalate any further," he tried, putting his hands out between them.
Zelk's outraged growl signalled that probably wasn't the right thing to say. Finn instantly growled back louder.
"Guys, no!" he scolded but it was too late.
Skeppy saw the shift happen. Before he could get caught in the crossfire, he jumped back, and then frowned as he watched both wolves tussle angrily.
"Guys! Come on, guys! You're going to break the house!" he complained.
Neither wolf paid him any mind as they continued to snap and snarl at one another.
"I do not want to be the one to get in trouble with the others later so knock it off!" he shouted.
It was clear they were too engrossed in their fight to care about potential reprimands.
Throwing his hands up, Skeppy knew the only choice left was to stay out of their way and let them hash it out. Let their wolves blow off steam and then handle the consequences after.
Ding. Dong.
Skeppy's heart dropped.
He looked at the wolves chasing each other through the house with concern.
The two of them were too lost in the shift to think rationally at the moment. And while the pack were used to this behaviour since it was natural for them, it would not be good for someone outside the pack to see something like this.
Ding. Dong.
"Stop it!" He ordered, feeling his own temper start to swell. He felt the itch beneath his skin signalling the wolf was stirring, and he forcefully pushed it down. "Guys, stop it!"
Ding. Dong.
A moment later the ringing of his phone sounded. Hoping it was one of the others, he rushed to pick it up but felt dread settle more heavily in his gut at the 'Baby<3' his screen displayed.
With a sigh, he pressed accept.
"Hey, Bad," he greeted.
"You sound stressed, you okay?" Bad asked immediately.
Skeppy looked over at the mess his friends were making in their chase. That was going to be a bitch to clean up. "Yeah, no, I'm fine," he lied, "just fine."
Bad made a humming noise. The same one he made when he wasn't convinced but also wasn't going to push.
"Okay, if you're sure..." he trailed off. Then he seemed to perk up. "I decided to drop by and give you some muffins I made earlier but it doesn't seem like anybody is home."
Skeppy's eyes widened. "Oh, you're at mine now?" he checked.
"Yeah, I-" Bad cut himself off.
Zelk had managed to get a harsh bite on Finn's tail and caused him to yelp loudly. Finn leaped onto the back of the couch and used it to jump away from the attack, causing the couch to topple over with a loud crash.
Skeppy winced.
"Skeppy, I don't want to alarm you but I think someone or something is in your house," Bad said slowly. "I'm hearing a lot of strange noises."
Skeppy winced again.
"I'm going to use the spare key to get in and see what's going on, okay?"
Before Skeppy could protest, he heard the door being unlocked. He looked over at Zelk and Finn who had at the very least stopped fighting each other. But, with a sinking feeling, both wolves, full of adrenalin and feeling defensive, were staring at the door. Their instincts were heightened and it was far too close to the full moon for them to rationalise.
At that moment, Finn and Zelk were not Finn and Zelk. They were two wolves preparing to defend their territory from an intruder.
For a brief, heart-stopping moment, Skeppy saw what was going to happen. His Bad, his precious and perfect Bad, was going to open the door and both his packmates, too blinded by instincts to think clearly, were going to rush to protect their den from the intruder. They probably wouldn't catch the scent on him marking him as Skeppy's until it was too late; his blood would be decorating their hallway before they could process the fact he belonged here the same way Skeppy did.
As the door started to open, Zelk and Finn, growling ferociously, leaped forward, but Skeppy was quicker. He launched himself at the door and forced it shut. On the other side he could make out Bad's angry, frustrated yells as he started to bang at the door. But that wasn't important at that moment. He stared down Zelk and Finn as he reached back to dead bolt the door.
From both outside the door and his abandoned phone's tinny speaker, he could make out Bad yelling that there was definitely someone in the house and that he needed to get home soon. He could hear the worry in Bad's voice, and as much as it tugged at his heart he could not afford to show weakness.
He had two angry packmates to deal with.
Honestly, if it wasn't the full moon tomorrow, he was pretty sure they would have just cooled off and moped in separate areas of the house by now. But they were hyped up on a dangerous mixture of adrenalin and moon madness.
"Finn. Zelk. Snap out of it."
He pushed as much authority as he could into his voice as he glared down at them. His eyes glowed and his teeth sharpened.
"He is under my protection," Skeppy snarled, "and you will have to kill me before you lay even a scratch on him."
Finn whined, shaking his head and blinking rapidly as though fighting to clear the fog from his brain. He started to shudder violently. Then, with another low whine, he was back to human.
That left Zelk. He continued to growl, hackles raised, as he stared, defiant, up at Skeppy.
"I love you, man," Skeppy said softly before he warned firmly, "but I will not hold back if it's to protect Bad."
Finn looked incredibly guilty as he moved to stand next to Skeppy and stare down Zelk. He softened his voice and crouched to be at eye level.
"I'm sorry, Zelk, okay, I'm really sorry."
While Finn worked his mediator magic, Skeppy kept himself poised for any signs of this not working. He would not hesitate to protect Bad.
Eventually, Zelk huffed, and padded away. His wolf had too strong a grip on him for the moment for him to shift back but it was clear the wolf had gotten bored with the current situation.
Skeppy sagged against the door with a sigh. He could still hear Bad's rapid, concern filled voice outside.
Finn cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry, man, I didn't... I wouldn't ever want to hurt Bad," he said. "Like, one moment I was just annoyed at Zelk and the next I'm hearing your voice telling me I'd have to kill you."
"I know," Skeppy sighed.
He knew. He understood. He was a Werewolf too; he knew how quickly things with them could escalate without them even meaning to.
"I know." Skeppy sighed again, dragging a hand down his face tiredly. He felt a little sick. "But sometimes our instincts make us dangerous."
The whole mess had been difficult to clean.
While Finn called the others to relay the situation, Skeppy had scooped up his own phone, and then settled himself in front of the door to try and calm down Bad. His boyfriend had been understandably upset with his sudden disappearance but had bought Skeppy's excuse of tripping "pretty badly" with instant concern. He felt awful lying to him but... what was another lie to the pile.
It took a while but when Spifey and Vurb arrived, prepared to do damage control, they managed to convince Bad to head home.
The second Mega walked through the door he took one look at him and signed, "you look like trash."
Skeppy nodded. He didn't have much to say to that.
Vurb and Spifey walked into the house. They looked at the mess, nothing too unusual for a pack of rowdy werewolves, and then looked at their friend's expressions and sighed. From what Finn had told them, it had escalated into something more serious.
Skeppy was not able to sleep that night.
His mind was too busy replaying visions of what would have happened if he had not been fast enough. Chest tight and body numb, he realised, with a sinking feeling that made him want to sob and scream, he was dangerous for Bad.
Things were tense the next morning. Neither Zelk or Finn seemed able to meet his eyes.
Everybody was on edge as they traveled to the clearing for the full moon run. It was normally a time of celebration; they gave themselves fully to the moon and let the wolf take over. But after the previous day's potentially close call nobody seemed in the mood to celebrate.
Skeppy's mind was adrift. He knew what he had to do but the thought was breaking him. He could feel his wolf scratching the surface, and he knew it wanted nothing more than to find Bad, make sure he was safe, and curl around him protectively. It was what Skeppy's instincts always wanted but after yesterday's events and his late night revelation his wolf had felt distinctly more desperate.
The pack shifted under the light of the full moon. With the transformation, their human fears and worries were taken, and they proceeded to run free like true wolves.
Skeppy whined, ears pinned back. He watched the pack frolick and play but knew something - someone - was missing.
For the next week, Skeppy mulled his decision over with a heavy heart. He knew Bad was it for him; the human was his entire world.
But, if it was for Bad's safety, then Skeppy would do anything. Even something that would hurt them both.
Skeppy had to break up with him.
It was the only way to make sure he wasn't hurt. He felt the wolf inside whine and howl, raging against his decision, but he had no other choice.
Somehow, in his love for Bad, he had forgotten how dangerous he was. How dangerous his world was. There was no way he could subject Bad to that.
He supposed it was good he had never gotten around to telling Bad his secret. Because it would have only put him in more danger.
You, 18:17 p.m: I need to talk to you
You, 18:17 p.m: can you meet me at mine?
Baby<3, 18:19 p.m: sure!! Be right there :D
Skeppy felt choked. He really, really did not want to do this.
He had forced the pack out and told them he had important things to discuss with Bad. It was clear they had assumed he was finally going to spill the secret. He probably should have told them the truth but he was too busy trying not to cry.
Shortly after his message, the doorbell sounded. It was time.
Skeppy opened the door.
Bad was bright eyed and smiley, and again he was swaddled in one of Skeppy's favourite hoodies. God, Skeppy loved seeing him in his hoodies. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into Bad's loving embrace but he pushed the urge down, and stepped back to let him in.
Bad's brows furrowed. He looked at Skeppy uncertainly as he followed him to the couch.
"What did you want to talk about?" Bad asked cautiously. He was starting to look anxious, and he buried himself further into Skeppys hoodie to seek comfort.
Skeppy frowned. "I think..."
"You think?" Bad prompted.
He screwed his eyes shut and swallowed past the lump in his throat. "I think we need to break up," Skeppy whispered in a rush.
"Oh."
Skeppy opened his eyes. His heart clenched at the sight of Bad, lips trembling and eyes glassy, but he swallowed down the words to take it all back.
"I see."
Bad stood up stiffly. He looked like he wasn't sure what to do with himself.
"Can I at least know why?" he asked with a wobbly voice.
Skeppy's wolf was whimpering desperately. His mind was abuzz with regret and pain and sorrow, and he wanted nothing more than to hold Bad close and remind him he was loved. So loved. But instead Skeppy pushed the need down and shook his head mutely.
"Right. I see."
And then Bad walked away out the door. Slammed it shut behind him. Broke down into sobs.
What was left of Skeppy's heart promptly shattered at the sound of Bad's cries. His own tears trailed down his face.
"So, how did he... wait, I smell salt. That better be from tears of joy," Vurb said as he walked through the door quickly followed by the rest of the pack. They took one look at Skeppy and knew it had not gone to plan. "I'm sorry he didn't take it well."
Skeppy sighed. "I doubt anyone takes break ups well," he croaked.
All of them paused.
"Excuse me?" Finn said. He looked a little queasy.
"Can you repeat that?" Spifey said, "because I'm pretty sure we heard wrong."
Skeppy shook his head. "I broke up with him."
Zelk furrowed his brows. "Why would you do that?" he asked, confused.
"To keep him safe," Skeppy said simply. "It's better this way."
Zelk and Finn shared guilty glances before staring at the floor shame-faced.
Mega walked up to Skeppy and shoved him angrily. Rapidly, he signed, "you are an absolute idiot! You broke both of your hearts for no reason." He bared his teeth in an angry growl before Vurb hauled him away.
"I did it to protect him," Skeppy repeated, sounding broken, "I can't have him getting hurt."
Vurb sighed sadly. "We understand."
As much as it pained them to admit, all of them knew that relationships between humans and the supernatural always came with high levels of risk. It was dangerous, and that was doubly the case in relationships where one party didn't have all the knowledge. That was why relationships between the supernatural and humans were so rare; nobody wanted their heart broken.
But the pack had been so sure that Skeppy and Bad, who had been friends for years before they started dating, would be fine.
Skeppy liked to hurt himself apparently.
His bruised and bleeding heart was never going to heal if he kept looking at photos, at messages, at videos of them together. Not that he thought his heart would ever heal regardless.
The pack had tried to support him - even Mega though only after he had made it clear how stupid he thought Skeppy was - but even their support was not enough. He tried to join them on runs but his heart wasn't in it. He joined them for movie nights and game nights but he zoned out for most of the time. He let them drag him out the house but spent most of his time moping and thinking about Bad.
Nothing they tried worked to help him feel better. He knew nothing but Bad could fix the ache in his heart.
"I'm worried about him," Spifey whispered to Finn and Vurb.
"The full moon is coming up," Vurb pointed out. "It's going to get worse before it gets better."
Sighing heavily, Spifey said, "yeah but it's already pretty bad."
"We just have to be there for him," Finn said. "That's all we really can do."
Skeppy listened to them talk among themselves from his spot on the roof. He had been hiding himself away up there a lot more lately, and simply listening to the pack as they went about their lives.
He jolted when he heard footsteps joining him. He turned to find Mega.
The teen settled himself next to him, bumping their shoulders together lightly, and then he signed, "they're worried about you. Wondering how the moon is going to affect you." He rolled his eyes. "There's no wondering. You're going to be even worse, and your wolf will almost certainly try to find Bad to make those sad feelings go away."
Skeppy frowned. "I can't let it do that."
Mega nudged him again more firmly. "You should."
"I might hurt him," he protested, "or if I don't someone in my life could."
Mega elbowed him harshly. "Idiot," he signed, "you've never hurt him before. Ever." Then, because he was a vindictive brat, he shrugged and added, "at least, you never hurt him before you broke up with him."
Skeppy's eyes flashed dangerously but he had no rebuttal. They both knew it was true.
"Just something to think about," Mega replied before disappearing back through the window.
Skeppy pursed his lips into a frown.
Staring up at the stars, he wondered if Bad was looking at them too.
As the day of the next full moon drew closer, Skeppy felt restless like never before.
He had always been pretty in tune with his wolf and its needs. He had never seen a point in denying himself what his most basic instincts wanted, and so he had never tried to deny his wolf's wants before. But it was hard when all his wolf wanted was Bad but Skeppy, as much as his heart longed to have him back too, knew it was too dangerous. He had broken up with him for a reason. To keep him safe.
Skeppy would rather die than let anything happen to Bad.
For a house full of werewolves, the day was surprisingly uneventful.
Mega was the only one not around. He was holed up in his room doing his own thing. The rest had scattered themselves in various spots downstairs. Zelk had claimed the armchair to work on his laptop. Sprawled across the couch lazily was Vurb. Focused on his phone, Skeppy was settled on the floor and leaned back against the couch. Finn was seated on the kitchen counter with a bowl of cereal despite the late hour. Spifey was puttering around the kitchen with a frown.
"Damn, we're out of coffee!" Spifey threw his hands up in frustration. "I can't find it anywhere!"
Finn mumbled, "I did put it on the shopping list." He gestured to the list stuck to the fridge, and sure enough scribbled at the bottom was a demand for more coffee. "I'm sorry, Spifes," he apologised.
Sighing, Spifey waved the apology off. "It's fine."
"I can run to the store and get us some now if you want," Skeppy offered.
Everyone froze and looked at him in surprise. It wasn't a secret that Skeppy preferred to avoid doing the chores until one of the others snapped at him for it.
"That would... that would be really helpful, Skeppy," Spifey said slowly. "Thank you."
Rolling his eyes, Skeppy huffed, "look, I know I've been insufferable lately. I just want to do something nice for you guys."
The atmosphere turned from relaxed weekend evening to uncomfortably awkward. Both Zelk and Finn avoided his eyes; they still harboured a lot of guilt for Skeppy's recent struggles even though he had been clear he did not blame them.
Vurb ruffled Skeppy's hair playfully. "Aww, Skeppy," he cooed. "How sweet!"
With that, the tense atmosphere was broken. They all laughed as Skeppy batted Vurb's hands away from his fluffy hair with playful growls.
Skeppy pulled himself off of the floor and shoved his phone into his pocket. "I won't be long, guys," he said before he grabbed his jacket, tugged his shoes on, and stepped outside.
Walking down the street alone, Skeppy took the time to order his thoughts.
He had been nothing short of a mess recently. It was difficult to move on - he knew that unequivocally his heart would always belong to Bad - but he had to at least try if not for himself then for the sake of the pack.
Their concern was touching and appreciated but he still felt guilty receiving it. He didn't feel like he was deserving of such care. Especially after some of the angry messages he had received from Bad's friends letting him know just how much he had hurt him.
But, taking a deep breathe to try and settle the anxious drumming of his heart, Skeppy knew he had to do better. For the pack and himself.
"No more thinking about it," he mumbled to himself sternly. He shook his head as though trying to dislodge the tumultuous thoughts. "You've got a task to do. Stop getting so inside your head."
He glanced around and noted he wasn't far from his destination. But then his brows furrowed.
Nose twitching, Skeppy's eyes widened at a familiar scent, and he froze in place. He looked around, eyes scanning desperately, and then landed on Bad a good distance away, talking to someone he had never seen before.
At the sight of Bad - his Bad, his beautiful and precious Bad - a whine slipped past his lips involuntarily.
They hadn't seen each other in person since the day of the breakup.
Skeppy felt paralysed watching Bad, still yet to notice him, talking with some stranger. There were so many thoughts swirling through his mind he felt light-headed, though that could also be from his sudden inability to breathe.
He wanted to be the one talking to Bad. He wanted to be beside him making him smile and laugh, and he wanted to be able to reach out and take his hand or reel him into a loving embrace. He wanted Bad's pretty eyes on him.
The fact that some stranger was the current centre of Bad's attention had his wolf clawing angrily to get out. It howled and growled, and Skeppy understood its anguish. Pushing those feelings down firmly, Skeppy accepted that this was his own fault. He caused this. There would have been no problems if he had just never gotten involved with a human in the first place; if he had just avoided falling in love.
But, heart constricting painfully, Skeppy knew he would never regret loving Bad. Not even for a second.
Deciding to head home before he did or said something to make things worse, Skeppy turned to go back. He wasn't sure if he was more upset or grateful that Bad hadn't noticed him as he slunk away, proverbial tail tucked between his legs.
He pulled out his phone and started tapping out a quick text to Spifey that he was on his way back since they were out of coffee. The white lie wouldn't hurt. It was starting to get late as evidenced by the increasing darkness, and after the emotional whiplash he had just went through Skeppy just wanted to get home and curl up under his covers.
Skeppy paused just before he pressed send on the text.
Something had changed. Being hyper-aware of Bad at all times, it wasn't hard to pick up the sudden shift in Bad's mood even as far away as they were. While before the human had seemed happy, there was something suddenly off about him that had Skeppy turning back. It was thanks to being a supernatural being that Skeppy could pick up the tremble in his voice, the fearful stutter of his heart, and the perspiration starting to drip. It all combined to suggest that Bad was uncomfortable, maybe even scared.
With that thought, he took off running.
He fired off a quick text to the pack about potential danger, and then focused his attention on getting to Bad. He was overtaken by his need to protect Bad. Nothing except Bad's safety mattered.
Racing after them as quickly as possible, Skeppy was thankful for his supernatural speed as it closed the distance between him and Bad quicker. He skidded around the corner to the dark alleyway they must have slipped into, and immediately felt his control snap.
The stranger, with a razor sharp smile, had Bad pressed to the wall with a single hand to his shoulder, and the other was being used to grip his hair tightly to tip his head back. Bad's eyes were squeezed tightly shut from the pain but even still there were tears leaking free from them. The scent of fear was cloying as it invaded Skeppy's nose, and he barely withheld from gagging. Watching Bad's distressed struggling made his insides roil with rage.
Feeling a mixture of trepidation and agitation, Skeppy studied the vampire restraining Bad. He wanted to claw them to pieces for even daring to think of hurting Bad.
Involuntarily, a growl vibrated through his chest.
"Oh, hello, little puppy," the stranger cooed, turning their head to where he was stood at the end of the alleyway. They looked amused as their blood red eyes bored into him. "You look angry, little puppy," they taunted, laughing at his snarls of frustration. "I hadn't caught your scent on him in so long that I was sure you were out of the picture." They pressed their face to Bad's exposed neck, breathing in deeply with a look of deep satisfaction. "No more dirty mutt stink. Only the delicious blood pumping through his veins."
Skeppy's mind was too clouded with instincts to think clearly. There was nothing but the primal need to protect his mate.
As the vampire, eyes still locked onto Skeppy, pressed their mouth to Bad's exposed jugular, Skeppy shifted. His hackles were raised as he advanced.
"Puppy wants to play?" the vampire laughed teasingly. "Okay," they said, eyes turning serious, "we'll play."
With that, they used the hand in Bad's hair to smack his head against the brick wall of the alleyway. The human slumped, unconscious, before the vampire tossed him aside carelessly.
Skeppy's rage magnified at the display. Moving with supernatural speed, he launched himself at the vampire. His jaws closed around nothing, and he growled at seeing the vampire dance away from him.
He chased after them but each time they slipped from his grasp.
There was a reason werewolves traveled in packs; their main threats were faster or stronger, or both. It was rare for a lone wolf to win against a vampire but Skeppy was fueled by the combination of his instinctual need to protect his mate and the closeness of the full moon.
With another ferocious growl, he leapt at the vampire and managed to lock his jaws around one of their legs. He bit in deep before shaking his head. Causing them to shriek as his teeth tore their flesh. Before he could wrench the limb off, they brought their other leg up in a swift but powerful kick to his side. He yelped, releasing the appendage in his mouth. They kicked him again, and sent him flying into the brick wall with another pained yelp.
"Disgusting mongrel," they hissed as he pulled himself up, "I'll gut you and your little human for that!"
Skeppy growled menacingly, preparing to somehow get between them and Bad.
"You won't touch either of them."
Skeppy's head snapped to the end of the alleyway to find the rest of the pack. All five of them, half shifted and clearly angry, stood at the end of the alley, ready to fight. Spifey's words had been cold despite the fire burning in his eyes.
"Skeppy, you okay, buddy?" Finn asked anxiously.
Skeppy whined, low and pained, before turning his attention to Bad, still passed out. His whining turned into a menacing growl.
The pack felt their own instincts taking over. The fact their own was hurt had all of them seconds away from an all out attack.
With hands shaky from anger induced adrenalin, Mega signed, "you're not going to hurt anyone ever again once we're through with you."
The vampire's eyes widened, seeing they were outnumbered significantly. "That's assuming you can even catch me," they hissed with false bravado, already slowly backing up.
Zelk's smile turned sadistic as he advanced after them. "I guess there's only one way to find out."
As the vampire turned and ran, Zelk and most of the others shifted to take chase.
For a brief moment Skeppy felt the instinct to join them in hunting down the threat before he pushed it away. He had more important things to worry about. He could trust the pack to take care of the vampire while he, and Vurb who had stayed behind, tended to Bad.
He padded over, sniffing around Bad's unconscious form with low whines.
"Hey, man," Vurb murmured, moving closer slowly. He crouched beside him next to Bad. Placing one hand on Skeppy's flank to attempt soothing him, Vurb used his free hand to carefully assess Bad's situation. Vurb turned to Skeppy, currently nudging Bad's temple with his nose anxiously, and said, "he's okay but we need to get him to a hospital."
Skeppy huffed, looking down at Bad with sad eyes.
"I'm going to call an ambulance. Can you shift back?"
While Vurb pulled out his phone and went about contacting nine-one-one, Skeppy concentrated on shifting back. He groaned. It was difficult forcing his wolf back; felt like trying to run through water but he managed it. Doubling over from the aching pain, Skeppy took a few moments to breathe and gather his bearings. The adrenalin was wearing off now that he was human again, and the mixture of exhaustion and pain was dizzying. After a moment, he reached into Vurb's backpack and rummaged for his spare clothes, and pulled them on hurriedly.
Looking down at Bad, he felt his chest constrict at the sight of him. "You'll be okay, Bad," he promised, taking one of Bad's limp hands between his own. He pressed his forehead to the hand in his grip, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. As tears started to fall, he whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm- Bad, I'm sorry. Please, you have to be okay."
Vurb gave them privacy as he waited at the alley entrance for the ambulance.
The moment they arrived, sirens blaring and lights flashing, everything moved too quickly for Skeppy to keep up. He refused to let go of Bad's hand for a moment, barely holding back growls when they tried to separate the two of them, until the ambulance crew gave up and loaded them both into the back of the vehicle.
"-eam! Dream, calm down!"
"I can't calm down, George! Our friend was in an accident!"
"We're all worried; he's mine and Sap's friend too. But getting worked up isn't going to help anyone."
Distantly, Skeppy registered the voices getting closer. His attention was too focused on Bad - laid on the hospital bed; still besides the slow rise and fall of his chest - to pay much attention to them. He'd not even gotten up from the uncomfortable plastic chair once since they had got there, not wanting to leave Bad's side.
The door flew open and for the first time since they had arrived at the hospital Skeppy's eyes left Bad. He looked at the door to find Bad's closest friends.
"What are you doing here?" Dream asked coldly, eyes critical.
Skeppy shrunk a little under the harsh attention.
George pushed Dream out of the way of the door to walk into the room. "Dream, now is not the time," he admonished as he stood next to Bad's bed on the opposite side to Skeppy.
Sapnap followed George, looking down at Bad with an upset twist to his mouth. "He looks so..." he trailed off, pushing his fist to his mouth to stave off any upset noises. George tugged him into a comforting embrace, looking at Bad with poorly concealed concern.
Dream had not moved from his place at the door. He continued to stare at Skeppy with anger radiating off of him.
"What happened?" George asked, looking at Skeppy for answers.
Clearing his throat, Skeppy said haltingly, "h-he was at-attcked. I found Bad unconscious and Vurb called the amb-ambulance."
"Why are you still here though?" Dream questioned.
Skeppy flinched. Quietly, he murmured, "I d-didn't want to leave his s-side."
"That wasn't a problem a few weeks back. Or, what, did you forget how you broke his heart?" Dream sneered as he advanced on Skeppy.
"Dream," George said weakly. "Now isn't the time."
Dream ignored him. He towered over Skeppy, still seated next to Bad and still gripping his hand tight, and leaned in close with a glare. "You don't get to break him up the way you did and then come crawling back like nothing happened," he whispered lowly. "You don't get to sit there and hold his hand, you don't get to look all 'kicked puppy'," Dream continued, words filled with venom, "you lost that right when you kicked him to the curb without even offering a reason."
Skeppy shrunk in on himself. "I know," he said, swallowing around the lump in his throat, "I know that I messed up and don't deserve to be by his side." His wolf was whimpering, and he squeezed Bad's hand to settle it. Settle himself. "But I'm not leaving until I know he's awake and okay."
Dream stared him down for a moment longer. Then with a scoffed, "whatever," he grabbed one of the plastic hospital chairs and dragged it to the opposite side of Bad's bed.
George and Sapnap, having watched the exchange anxiously, breathed small sighs of relief. It was good that things hadn't escalated further.
But the atmosphere was still incredibly tense.
While George, Sapnap and Dream talked quietly amongst themselves, Skeppy sat and stared at Bad. They didn't try to include him and he did not try to insert himself. They were all there for Bad and that was all that mattered.
Beaver Boy, 17:23 p.m: you've been at the hospital all night and day, you want me to bring you anything?
You, 17:24 p.m: no
You, 17:24 p.m: visiting hours are almost over and I doubt they'll let me stay another night so I'll be home soon enough
Beaver Boy, 17:25 p.m: if you're sure, text me when they're over and I'll come pick you up
Skeppy glanced at the messages before locking his phone and shoving it back in his pocket. He hadn't even realised how much time had passed until Spifey's first message.
They had arrived at the hospital late last night, and the hospital staff had only let him stay past visiting hours because of how harrowed he had looked anytime Bad was out of sight. He had not left Bad's bedside from the moment they had set him up in his own room, and that had been sometime past midnight.
Looking at Bad's face, Skeppy felt the urge to brush his hand over his features but held back. It wasn't his place.
"Dude," Sapnap said quietly, "you look like a mess."
Skeppy blinked, snapped out of his thoughts. He looked up to find Sapnap had dragged his chair to sit beside him. He glanced over at the other two to find them asleep; George's head on Dream's shoulder.
Skeppy offered Sapnap a tired shrug. "I feel like one," he admitted.
Nodding absently, Sapnap said, "you know, I was really surprised to hear about the break up. I mean... you two were, like, inseparable." He looked at Skeppy with a furrowed brow. "You two always seemed like you could make it through anything."
Skeppy sighed. He looked down at Bad, at his pale hand wrapped in Skeppy's tanned and trembling one, and pushed the urge to cry away.
"I don't mean to pry. I just- Bad, he was so torn up by the breakup," Sapnap continued, "and you never gave a reason. I guess I'm just wondering what happened."
Skeppy shook his head.
"Look, I'm not mad at you like Dream is since I can see you're also pretty broken up," Sapnap added. He placed a reassuring hand on Skeppy's shoulder, and squeezed comfortingly. "It's clear you still care."
"Of course I still care," Skeppy said firmly, voice serious despite the emotional undertone. "I never stopped caring about him. I never will stop caring about him." He took a deep, shuddering breath. His eyes filled with tears but he refused to let them fall. He opened his mouth to continue but snapped it shut at the sound of the door opening.
A sweet looking nurse stepped inside. "Visiting hours are over, gentlemen," she said softly. "You can come back tomorrow to see your friend again."
Sapnap went to wake Dream and George but he kept glancing at Skeppy curiously.
Skeppy leaned down next to Bad's ear and whispered, "I love you, Bad. Be strong." Then, scrubbing at his face to stop any stray tears, he hurried out of the room.
The second he walked through the door he ignored the rest of the pack's concerned inquiries, and walked straight up the stairs to his room. He face-planted straight into his bed.
And then he allowed himself to break down.
After a few hours, Zelk knocked at his door to check on him. He didn't give any indication that he'd heard Zelk enter but it didn't seem to deter him at all.
"I know you said you broke up to protect him," started Zelk tentatively, "but if you hadn't been there to protect him yesterday then things could have gone very differently."
Slowly, Skeppy lifted his head and looked over his shoulder to Zelk. "He was targeted by a vampire who probably only noticed him because my scent was on him," he protested weakly.
Zelk walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. "He was targeted by a vampire who probably noticed him because his blood is sweet," Zelk said. "He's just another meal to them." He looked Skeppy in the eyes with a serious expression. "Your scent on him was probably hiding his blood and deterring them from trying anything."
Skeppy sighed. "So, what, I put him in more danger by breaking up with him?" He questioned, clearly upset.
"Not anymore danger than any other human would be in," Zelk shrugged casually.
Skeppy's brows furrowed in thought.
He had thought that being with Bad had been what caused this mess, and had been feeling such self-loathing since the moment he had caught the scent of Bad's fear. He was blaming himself for what had happened but, like Zelk said, it was more likely that Bad had been safer with him. Even before they were together romantically, Skeppy had been sure to scent mark Bad. It had the dual purpose of soothing the deep-seated part of him that wanted to mark Bad as his and warned others not to try anything. It was a sign that there was someone out there that would not hesitate to fight for the human.
"Do you get where I'm going with this?" Zelk said.
Skeppy nodded. "Yeah... I get it. I tried to protect him by breaking up with him but it did nothing but break both our hearts."
Reaching over and ruffling his fluffy hair, Zelk reminded, "you can always fix it." He pulled his hand away at Skeppy's scowl. "It's not too late, Skep."
Skeppy's mind flashed back to Dream and Sapnap's words. The texts all three of them had sent in the days following the break up asking for explanations as to why Bad was such a mess.
Feeling guilt choke him, Skeppy shrunk back into his bed. "I think it might already be too late though," he admitted.
"Skeppy," Zelk sighed.
"I'd like to be alone please."
"Okay. Okay, if you need anything just let us know."
Baby<3, 00:01 p.m: I think we need to talk
Skeppy stared at the message with a pounding heart. There was a mix of relief at knowing Bad was finally awake and fear at what the message meant. As he stared down at the screen, anxiously tapping his thumbs against the sides of the phone, the little bubbles indicating Bad was typing appeared.
Baby<3, 00:13 p.m: I know you saw this
Baby<3, 00:13 p.m: skeppy please we need to talk
You, 00:15 p.m: when?
Baby<3, 00:16 p.m: tomorrow?
Skeppy frowned. That was the day of the full moon. He wasn't sure how smart an idea it was to meet with Bad on that day.
Baby<3, 00:19 p.m: please
Swallowing past his rising dread, Skeppy tapped out his reply.
You, 00:20 p.m: ok
Sitting in the familiar booth of their favourite diner, Skeppy bounced his leg restlessly as he awaited Bad's arrival. He had already downed three cups of coffee since arriving, and it had not helped alleviate his nerves in the slightest.
The bell above the door jingled and his head whipped towards it, eyes widening at seeing Bad walk into the diner. He headed straight towards Skeppy's booth and then settled himself across from Skeppy.
"You, uh, you look better," Skeppy mumbled to break the awkward silence that had settled between them.
"Thanks."
"Are you... are you feeling any better?" he enquired, genuinely curious. He wanted to know how Bad was doing now that he was out of the hospital.
Bad shifted, uncomfortable. "A little, yes. I'm still a bit sore but nothing I can't handle."
"I'm glad you're okay," Skeppy breathed. "I was worried."
Bad looked at him intently. "I heard some interesting things from Sapnap and George," he said conversationally. His expression was closed off but his eyes gave him away; beneath the discomfort, the curiosity and the frustration was hope.
Skeppy tensed. "Oh?"
Bad nodded.
"Like what?" Skeppy prompted.
"Well, according to them you didn't leave my side once. You held my hand and watched me right until the nurses kicked you out." Bad tilted his head, studying him closely. "Dream said it was just because you were the one to find me. That you felt obligated or something."
Slowly, Skeppy shook his head. He ran his hand through his hair nervously. "You know me better than that," he mumbled, "I don't do things I don't want to."
"Liar."
Furrowing his brows, Skeppy looked up at Bad with slight surprise. "Excuse me?"
"Liar," Bad repeated. "You do things you don't want to if you believe the outcome will be worth it."
The tone of Bad's voice was probing, and Skeppy shifted uncomfortably.
"Uhm, yeah, I guess." He coughed into his fist awkwardly. "If it's not worth it don't do it or whatever."
Bad leaned closer, watching Skeppy closely. "Exactly. What was worth it about breaking up when we both still love each other?" he questioned.
Despite the question being clearly rhetorical, Skeppy cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak. He snapped it shut again when Bad continued.
"I saw something strange that night," he said, wetting his lips nervously, "after I was th-thrown by that... thing, I wasn't fully unconscious."
Skeppy swallowed. His heart was starting to race and his leg started to bounce in time to its staccato rhythm.
Clearing his throat, he managed to say, "oh."
"I saw you there but... then you changed."
"You were pretty out of it, I mean. You took a blow to the head. Things probably. Uh. You know, probably imagined some things."
Bad frowned. "I didn't imagine anything." He stared at Skeppy unflinchingly. "There was something not human about that man. Did I imagine the strength that he used to pin me one handed to that wall? The way his teeth lengthened as they brushed against my neck?"
Skeppy bit his cheek to avoid growling, the coppery taste of blood flooding his mouth. It was a poor distraction. His mind flashed back to that moment; Bad's tear stained face as he struggled uselessly against the vampire's hold.
"I didn't imagine that," Bad said firmly, voice sure and certain, "and I don't think I imagined you."
"Bad-"
"No, Skeppy, I need you to be honest with me right now," Bad interrupted. He looked at him imploringly. "You know something that I don't. You always have. Now is the time to tell me."
Skeppy avoided his eye, staring at where his hands were clenched into trembling fists on the table top. Bad placed his hands on top of his, thumbs stroking over his tanned skin gently, and Skeppy slowly uncurled his fists to allow Bad to lace their fingers together.
"I need to know, Skeppy," Bad whispered.
"I was trying to protect you," Skeppy whispered back. He forced back the tears threatening to spill over and cleared his throat. "I didn't want you to get hurt because of me."
Bad squeezed their joined hands softly. Slowly, he said, "that's my choice to make though, sweetheart."
Skeppy trembled. "But my life is not safe for you," he sniffled.
"Skeppy, sweetheart, don't cry," Bad murmured, releasing one of his hands to cup his cheek and brush the tears trailing down his face. He still refused to meet Bad's eyes but he could feel Bad watching him closely.
"In all the years we have known each other have you ever hurt me?" Bad questioned. He waited for Skeppy to meekly shake his head. "No. You haven't. Not once." He took a deep, steadying breathe before he continued. "I still... don't know what exactly you are but I do know you're the only person I've ever wanted to be with."
Skeppy's eyes snapped to meet his; teary brown meeting hopeful green.
"You still want to be with me even... even after everything?" he choked.
Bad's lips twitched briefly into a small smile. "Yeah," he said simply. "There's never been anyone else for me but you."
"But I lied and hurt you and then you ended up getting sent to the hospital-"
"Skeppy," Bad cut him off, pinching his cheek sternly when he tried to continue. "You lied because you were protecting yourself. You hurt me with the break up, yes, but it's clear it affected you too." He made sure he had Skeppy's full attention when he said firmly, "and what happened to me that night was not your fault. You saved me."
"But-"
"Stop being a muffinhead," Bad groaned. "You saved my life, Skep. I think I owe you a thank you kiss."
Skeppy's face heated in a brilliant, bright blush. He rubbed his thumb over Skeppys cheek lovingly, and leaned forward across the table to brush a gentle kiss over his lips. It was only a brief touch but as Bad pulled back they both smiled widely with flushed cheeks.
"I love you, Skeppy," Bad reminded him firmly. "No matter what."
Skeppy reached up and gripped Bad's wrist, absently stroking over his pale skin, and said, "I love you too. So much it hurts."
"I want to be with you, Skeppy," Bad said seriously, "and for us to work I think we need to be honest about things. About who and what we are, and the worlds we live in." He smiled at Skeppy reassuringly.
Taking a deep, fortifying breathe, Skeppy squeezed his eyes shut and admitted in a whisper, "I'm a werewolf."
"Woah," Bad breathed. "Okay, yeah, that's- woah."
Skeppy blinked his eyes open slowly to find Bad looking at him with the same loving eyes as always. The dread that had been curling in his stomach for weeks started to disappear.
"Are you... are you okay with that?" Skeppy checked nervously.
"Skeppy," Bad laughed, leaning over the table again to drop a quick kiss to the tip of his nose. "I would have been okay with anything you just told me because I love you and I trust you." He smiled softly. "You mean the world to me, sweetheart, and I love you no matter what. This doesn't change anything."
Eyes welling up with tears, Skeppy squeezed Bad's hand desperately and admitted, "I was really scared, Bad. I didn't want you to hate me."
"Oh, baby," Bad sighed softly. "Never. I could never."
Skeppy rubbed at his wet eyes and sniffled. He felt so much weight that he hadn't even realised he had been carrying dissipate. It felt like he could breathe again, and he knew it was all because of Bad.
"You're probably going to get sick of me with all the questions I have now," Bad joked.
Skeppy shook his head. "I'd never get sick of you, dummy."
"Do you want to get out of here?" Bad asked.
"Please," Skeppy nodded.
They walked, hand in hand, down the street together. It felt so good to finally have Bad beside him again, and Skeppy kept losing himself staring at Bad with love-struck eyes.
Bad started to swing their hands between them while humming happily. Skeppy lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to Bad's, and murmured against his skin, "I love you."
"I love you too."
Then Skeppy's phone started to chime and he reluctantly opened it. It was a few messages from various members of the pack - all of which asking where he was and when he would be back. None of them seemed worried just yet but a few of them had reminded him that it was the full moon tonight, and that he needed to get back to head to the clearing.
Chewing on his lip thoughtfully, he stared down at the messages. He wanted nothing more than to stay with Bad now that they were together again - really, he had no desire at all to ever let go of him again - but he also knew it was important to the pack to be together on the full moon. There was a reason they travelled to the protected woodland to run free together. Keeping away from civilisation while shifted was important.
"What's wrong?" Bad asked quietly. He squeezed Skeppy's hand before letting it go, and stepped closer to loop both his arms around the back of Skeppy's neck. "You've got something on your mind." Absently, he played with the hair at the back of Skeppy's neck, and Skeppy smiled at the feeling.
"It's nothing bad," he assured quickly, squeezing Bad's hip softly, "I've just got some pack business." He stared down at the messages with a contemplative frown. "I know it's too much to ask of you right now but... would you ever be interested in coming with us for the full moon shift?" Skeppy asked nervously.
Bad thought about it for a moment. His brows furrowed and he pursed his lips, and then slowly he nodded. "I think so, yeah. I mean I want to be with you for the rest of our lives so... yeah, I'd be willing to join you for that if you would want me there."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Skeppy smiled brightly and then pressed a kiss to Bad's forehead.
"That means a lot to me, Bad," he murmured. "Thank you."
His phone chimed again insistently and he groaned, dropping his head onto Bad's shoulder. "I do need to get back to the pack now though," Skeppy said.
Bad turned to press a kiss to Skeppy's fluffy hair. He squeezed him in his arms, reluctant to let go, before he slowly disentangled himself. "I'm going to miss you," he said.
"I'm going to miss you too," Skeppy said back.
"But we're together and on the same page and... and we're not saying goodbye for real," Bad whispered.
Skeppy tugged him into another tight embrace. "Never. I am never saying goodbye to you like that again," Skeppy said hotly. "I love you so much."
Bad's hands curled into the back of Skeppy's hoodie, and he buried his face into his neck. "I love you too," Bad whispered, "so much."
Slowly, reluctantly, the two of them disentangled from one another and stepped apart. Their hands squeezed tight, reassuring and loving, before they dropped too.
"I'll call you when it's over with," Skeppy said.
Bad nodded, rubbing at his wet eyes. "I'll be waiting."
They bid farewell and started to go their separate ways. Halfway down the street, Bad heard footsteps thundering towards him, and he barely had a chance to turn before he was scooped up into another tight embrace.
"Wh- Skeppy!" Bad squeaked.
Skeppy peppered the side of Bad's face with loving kisses. "I love you so, so much!"
Bad giggled, "I love you too, you muffinhead."
Skeppy dropped him back to his feet and pressed one last, lingering kiss to Bad's lips. "Can I come see you after the full moon?" he asked.
Nodding eagerly, Bad replied, "of course. I'll see you tomorrow then."
Skeppy stepped back with a bright grin.
And then the two of them walked their separate ways again. There was going to be difficulties and changes in their relationship after everything that had happened. But they knew now that no matter what happened they would stay together; stand against their problems together. Both of them smiled to themselves knowing things would be okay.