unhappy reaction Who: Liam, Audrey and Finn Where: their house When: wee hours
Finn had done everything he could for the storm. He’d worked his ass off at work because the lumberyard had been full of people needing firewood once the weather took a turn and then continued on after the rain started and the power started to flicker. When he got home he’d brought a haul with him pleased to see they both still had some leftover from his carry home and that someone else had managed to get some home as well. The power was out and thankfully his arrival at home had been met with silence, no one in the common areas of the house. He made sure a fire was going, the pantry had food stocked and the candles were out and accessible. Then he’d taken one for himself and gone up to his room and not come out. He knew he should have checked on his crew, made sure they were home and safe, but that might involve talking to them, talking to people and Finn hadn’t been ready for dealing with people at work. There was no way he was ready for dealing with people at home, the people who would really ask the questions he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer. He had no idea how things had gone so terribly awry with Avery, but he was sure it was his fault. That was certain, but just what he’d done was still a mystery. How could she have thought he didn’t care about her? He had. That was why he’d wanted her safe and happy and had been willing to do whatever she wanted to feel that way. Hadn’t that been obvious? Sleep hadn’t come and Finn hadn’t fought it. He’d just sat by the window, looking out it at the storm, wrapped in a warm sweater and a blanket. It was probably warmer downstairs near the fire, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave the safety of his room. Liam was still recovering. His head was killing him and after a while, even the fire's warmth wasn't enough to stop him from being overcome with its smell so he'd retreated upstairs and heard the closing of doors. The smell was different. It wasn't Audrey and it wasn't Eli, both smells he was pretty sure he could recognize now, so it had to be Finn. Heading out of his room, Liam went right for Finn's door and knocked on it, either harder than he expected or it was just louder now. "Finn?" He called, speaking up more now than he would have before.
Audrey had been keeping a close eye on Liam. Eventually she'd turned back into a person, and put clothes on again, though she'd opted for loose fitting, stretchy pjs, just in case. She heard what was going on, and ghosted into the hall as well, quietly watching. She'd retreat if it looked like she wasn't supposed to be a part of this, but she was going to be available, at any rate.
He might not have answered if it was anyone else. Though Audrey might have just let herself in to check on him, and Eli would have left, but Liam, Liam louder than usual, had Finn on his feet, leaving the blanket on the floor and crossing his room to the door. “Are you alright?” he asked as he pulled it open, eyes scanning the hall, catching a glimpse of Audrey, which made it worse. “Do you need something?”
Liam didn't know how to really answer that, but he ended up just nodding. He was fine. He was better than fine, despite the migraine, despite the overwhelming emotions, the sensory onslaught. Everything was new and different and vibrant again and when he saw Finn, all he could think of was how sad Finn seemed to be and how much he wanted Finn to be happy too, to feel differently. "I'm worried about you,” He said, opting to use full sentences now, something he rarely did. Something he would have done more in the past, before the world changed. He could definitely identify the smell of his friend now and he locked that away in his mind for future reference.
Audrey remained quiet, still trying to decide what it was she was going to do there. She didn't want to intrude, and got that maybe right now Finn wouldn't want to talk to her. He looked unhappy, though. Which concerned her, and that showed on her expression.
His eyes were on Liam first, his friend's voice bringing back an onslaught of old memories at the sureness of it. "I'm..." He started but hesitated, looking over at Audrey and he knew it showed in his face. "I'm well enough." He wanted to say something about Avery but how did he tell them? Not with how Liam felt about Audrey. Instead his eyes fell on hers hoping she'd understand. And he wanted to go to her, to talk to her about it and be close to her, but he knew he couldn't.
Liam felt strange, like there was much more in the air that he just didn't understand. So instead of trying to piece that together, he focused on Finn. It was easier to see that Finn didn't really look happy. He'd known Finn for most of his life, he knew when Finn wasn't happy. "I don't believe you," He said gently, watching Finn. "…Do you want to talk?"
“I can leave you two alone, if that's what you want,” Audrey said, offering. She didn't especially want to, but she would.
Finn shook his head almost immediately. He might need her to, but he didn’t want Audrey going anywhere. “No it’s fine. I’m fine. Avery…” he hesitated on the word, not knowing which one to use as his fantasy blocked out his normal memories. “She ended things. I’m afraid I upset her and I feel like I failed her.” He let out a sigh and after glancing at Audrey again, somewhat wistfully, he focused on Liam. “You’re speaking.” That was new, something different and something that wasn’t him that they could focus on.
Liam wasn't unaware of the way Finn looked at Audrey. It was a look he'd been sure of before, a look that Liam was positive Finn had toward Audrey earlier, but now it stirred an angry jealousy in his stomach that he was having a really, really hard time quelling. "Yeah, I'm talking. It's time for me to talk now." He watched his friend, trying hard to push past the jealousy back to moments before when he saw his friend was hurting. Maybe he'd looked at Audrey like that because he'd been hurting, maybe Liam needed to back off. Rubbing at his head, he closed his eyes for a moment, taking the time he needed before answering Finn. "..You don't fail people, Finn. You didn't fail her. She should know you're a great man. She's wrong if she doesn't."
Audrey was definitely thinking Liam was having a profound change with the werewolf in him now. That was a definitive statement, there. It wasn't his usual way of doing things or sounding, and she had to admit, she kind of liked it. Which was beside the point, and she focused on Finn, who definitely looked miserable. Poor guy. She could guess what happened. "I'm sorry to hear that, hon." Her tone was truthful, though unsurprised.
Finn wasn’t sure how to handle Liam. When was the last time Liam had been like this? Even now he felt more confident than Finn himself felt though that was circumstantial and his mind told him that even as he fought against that pang annoyance at what seemed like Liam’s negative reaction to himself. “It was inevitable wasn’t it?,” Finn told Audrey, though he focused on Liam instead, staring at his friend, which meant avoiding looking at the person he wanted to be looking at. “What happened to you?” he asked instead of touching on the part where Liam was saying he was a good man and Avery should know it. According to Avery he wasn’t anything close to it, and while he wanted to believe his friend, he was certain that Avery was likely the more subjective source. “Why is it suddenly time? After all these years?”
"You aren't suddenly just a good man, right now. You always have been," Liam said, watching Finn, his gaze softening a little. "You were the only one at school who cared about me. You cared about Hayley and my mom…You're my family, Finn. And you're the best man I know, always have been." He looked back down at his arm, bandaged up now, and figured that was what Finn must have been asking about when he wondered what was wrong with him. "…It's not wrong. It's good. It's a good thing for me."
“He's asking why it's suddenly your time to talk, hon,” Audrey provided, voice light. “He wants to know what's changed.” It wasn't her place to say, however, so she didn't fill in that blank, leaving that for Liam. But she kept her eyes on both boys, keeping her short distance as she observed the interactions. She really hoped this didn't go sideways.
Finn frowned, finally spotting the bandage on Liam’s arm and reaching for it. “Good thing? What’s this? What’s going on?” he asked, this time looking at Audrey. “What am I missing?” Because he was starting to feel that he was clearly missing something.
Oh. That. Liam definitely misunderstood that and now he was staring at his friend's hand on his arm, concerned that Finn wouldn't want to listen to this right now. After a moment, he took a breath and let it out in a sigh. "Gonna be a werewolf now."
“I turned him, at his request,” Audrey said, also putting out there that she was. She had her own bandage off, the wound having been healing fast enough that it wasn't bad enough to be covered up anymore. The healing factor was...well. Pretty spectacular. She didn't say more, though, quieting down for Finn to have room to react.
Finn was quiet for a moment, just looking at the two of them. It was slower processing, and then it was there, what they’d done. “You…” His eyes narrowed, looking at Audrey, not sure what he thought about that. Why had she done that? She’d hurt Liam? When had she become a werewolf? He looked between them again. “Why would you do that?” His voice was tight, as if he was straining to get keep his voice steady.
This was what he was scared of. He didn't want Finn to feel badly about this. The tightness in his voice made Liam worry more and he ended up frowning. "I wanted to do this. Wanted to make the change. There are lots of reasons, but I…think I needed it. It doesn't make not Liam. Doesn't make Audrey not Audrey or Eli not Eli. We can all protect you too, Finn." He wanted desperately to suggest that Finn should join them but he wasn't sure it was appropriate. Finn should make that decision on his own. "And we're all still a family, forever."
Audrey held her arm out to show Finn the nearly healed up bite from Eli. “We'll heal faster,” she said. “Our senses are sharper, we'll be able to turn into wolves, to be better at protecting ourselves and each other,” she continued. “To me, it made sense,” Audrey stepped closer to the boys. “It felt like the right thing to do. It felt like what I wanted, for me. Eli seems like he's okay, being a wolf is...” she trailed off, with a smile. “Indescribable. But it just was something that for me, was the direction to take. Liam decided it was for him too. If you decide you want to be part of this too, then you can be. If you don't, it will still be okay, because you're still one of us, no matter what. It's...I always felt like this but it's like it's been amplified?” she attempted to explain. “With the werewolf input I guess, it's now more than us being our own family, we're bonded tighter.”
“You did this so you could protect me?” Finn asked, hearing his voice rise louder than he liked it to. "Is that what this is? I need protecting?" He didn't want to yell at them, but they had all but taken everything away from him. "That's my job. We aren't a family. No one told me about this. You just decided! Like it's not a big deal that you're altering who you are. You're a different…species! You tell your family about that before it happens unless you almost die in the process!" He looked at them and took a step back, shaking his head and dropping Liam's arm. They were smiling. They were happy about it. They'd been so afraid they'd locked Eli in a cage. Eli had asked Finn to kill him in case something happened and now they wanted to be the same thing? "So what do I do now? Just…sit back and let you take care of me? How am I supposed to do that? Did nothing I do before now prove that I could? Or have you just decided that I'm too damn broken to be of any use?" It hurt. It hurt deep down. They were bonded, but he was alone. And no one had ever asked him. They hadn't even told him. "I'm not one of you! Isn't that blatantly obvious?! You're something different! I'm not. I'm not…I don't even know what to think."
He took another step away from them, hating that he was loud, that he was saying such things. He felt like he'd been ambushed, patronized, and made useless. And despite the anger rippling in him, he felt the sadness too and as soon as the sadness surfaced, he was choking on it, swallowing a sob and closing his eyes. Why was he even here? Maybe he should just leave. Leave them alone. They obviously didn't need him anymore. At least once they’d come to the dome he had them, he took care of them, and now…he didn't even have that. Couldn't he have died in battle like a real hero? Instead he was left to wither away, become useless and eventually obsolete.
"Finn…" Liam spoke gently, slumping a little when Finn attacked. It was hard to hear his friend yell at him like that, and he was realizing that maybe he wasn't Alpha material. His immediate instinct was to make sure that Finn was ok, to try and calm him down, not buck at his anger and throw some of his own back at him. "Protecting each other if all of our jobs. It doesn't always fall on you. It should fall on all of us…"
When Finn took steps back away from them, Liam followed. He couldn't let Finn leave on this note. He needed him to know that Liam still loved him, that everyone still loved him, even if he was going to push away from him. It would break Liam's heart to have Finn pull away, but he had to try. So he stepped forward and went in for a hug, knowing it wasn't exactly the smartest move but he had to try it. "We never meant to hurt you," He said softly. "We're sorry we did. We love you, Finn."
“Finn,” Audrey said, taking a different track. “This isn't about you. It was our decision, and we made it because it was what felt right to us. I understand you being upset we didn't discuss it all together, but it's very, very personal. It's not meant to be offensive. But for me? It wasn't a committee decision. It was mine. I take ownership of it. If anything goes wrong, it'll also be on me, because it was my decision and mine alone.” She paused, then continued. “And Liam's right. It is not your job to protect everyone. We all protect each other, because we're a family, and that's what we do.” She stepped closer. “You need to stop centering everything on yourself. I know you're taking this personally, but...try to look at it from outside you, kay?” she asked, gently.
Finn didn’t move away from Liam immediately. He couldn’t do that because it was Liam, but as soon as he could he stepped back again. “If it’s not my job what other point do I have? I have no point. I can’t even function in relationships like you so badly want me to Audrey.” He shook his head, then drug fingers through his hair. “I don’t care if it’s a personal decision, but you should have talked to me. I’m sure Eli is fine now, but he asked me to kill him Audrey! If something happen, he asked me to kill him! That’s how scared he was. That wolf? Which looks like what he became? It ripped him up! I was covered in his blood. That’s the part that I could have told you. Do you want Liam turning into something that can do that? I don’t! I don’t want you turning into one of those things!” Pain twinged across his forehead, another migraine making a play at taking over and making his day worse. “I am trying not to center this on myself. I just can’t see why you’d do it.” Did they remember none of the stories? The word was supplied by the non-fantasy part of his mind, the part that was filtering through. That if it was like the movies, like the stories, then it was bad.
Liam was frowning, trying only to be somewhat hurt when Finn pushed away from him. He didn't want to hear Finn yell at Audrey for this. "I made the choice too, Finn," He said, looking back at Audrey. He wondered if he should mention that he'd seen Audrey transform and it hadn't been frightening like the way Finn was suggesting it was. He ultimately decided against it, though, thinking it was Audrey's place to tell him, not his. "You're not useless, Finn. We can now all just share the burden of protecting each other..."
When Audrey spoke again, it was with a light note of authority in her voice. “Finn, stop that. You know damn well that we love you and need you just because you're you. You don't punch a clock with us, we aren't your job. We're your family. And if you cannot take a moment to recall that very important detail, then I will happily remind you. If you don't have a point, do the rest of us? Do all of us have to bring something specific to the table never to be altered? No. We're us. We accept each other for who we are, the good, the bad, everything in between. You know that, Finn. I know you do. As for angry beasts...we can control it. Eli turned into a wolf to bite me at my request. I turned into a wolf to bite Liam. We don't become rampaging monsters. I'm still me, when I turn. I understand your fear, with what you saw, what you went through – but we aren't whatever it was that got Eli.”
“I don’t see why you would Liam. You were going to get better.” Liam didn’t need this to get better, did he? Is that really what it took? For all of them? Finn felt his legs go weak, sitting on the edge of his bed because standing just didn’t seem like an option any more. He didn’t like the authority in Audrey’s tone either. It wasn’t strong, but he felt like he was being lectured, which reminded him of his father, clear as day, the man was there and Finn felt that same pressure to be better, something he hadn’t remembered or felt in a long time. It left him swallowing his emotions, trying to push away the tears that he so badly wanted to cry, just to appear stronger. “I don’t feel needed because I’m me. I feel like me isn’t what anyone wants.” The words were quiet, more than just this conversation feeding into the feeling and as soon as he’d said it he wished he hadn’t. He wanted to tell them that the wolf that got Eli was smart, not just some beast, but he kept his mouth shut about it. They didn’t want to hear it and what good would it do when the decision had been made. “Whatever makes you happy, then fine.” The Ranger in him hated giving over the consension, but it was the real Finn speaking now. He couldn’t fix it. It was done. If it made them happy, fine, he just didn’t feel like it would make him happy.
Liam hadn't felt so guilty in a very long time. He hated seeing Finn this way and even though he'd been talking more earlier, he didn't know that now was the time to keep doing that. So instead of really saying anything, he headed to the end of Finn's bed and sat on the floor there, taking off his bracelet from Hayley and putting it by Finn's hand. It always helped him feel grounded, feel settled, and maybe it would do the same for Finn right now. Looking back at Audrey, Liam tried to catch her eyes and see if she'd join him to sit with Finn in silence, because even though he felt like he was better, he still wasn't sure what words would make this better right now. After a moment, he looked up at Finn and mustered a small sentence up, hoping it wasn't too much for his friend right now. "We love you, Finn," He repeated.
Audrey met Liam's gaze for a moment, the scenario washing over her and leaving a rancid swirl in her stomach. Liam had been confident, he'd opted to do this, he'd come out of this looking like he was standing taller, speaking his mind, and just like that, Finn got upset and Liam was back to his old self. Sitting on the floor, silent. In that moment, she resented the hell out of Finn. He was going to sit there, and cry 'poor me', ruin this for the both of them, take away what they had found such a positive thing, and suck the wind from Liam's sails. His weak 'whatever makes you happy' was both untrue, in her estimation, as well as too late to turn anything around. She hated that his issue was his 'job' being taken away, like anyone actually getting stronger or building themselves up was a mortal insult to him. Like he couldn't handle them not being dependent on him. None of it showed on the surface. Instead, she nodded at Liam's words. “We do. I'm going to get everyone hot chocolate,” she added. She needed a minute.
Finn saw it too though. He saw was Liam was doing, going back to how he’d been. And while he understood that better, Ranger Finn was locked away for a moment and the real Finn didn’t like that. He’d liked seeing his friend, the one from before, again. So while he didn’t know what Audrey was thinking, he found himself backtracking to keep from silencing Liam again. Maybe he wasn’t good enough for Liam either. That was the hard part, feeling like with it all, Eli and Audrey now had a deeper bond to his friend, his best friend, than he did. Staring at the bracelet for a moment Finn took it and handed it back to Liam. He didn’t deserve it. He should have saved her too. It was part of who Liam was, not part of who Finn was. “Don’t go,” he told Audrey, looking at her, worried if she left she might not come back. He ran his hand over his face. “It’s fine. I’m sorry I yelled.” He took a deep breath and patted Liam’s shoulder. “It’s good to hear your voice again.”
Liam didn't want to lose his voice again. He liked it. He'd felt more normal than he had for a long time, but it still got to him that Finn was so upset about this change. But the more he sat there, the less he wanted to stay silent. He was different now, he felt stronger than he had ever before, and he didn't want to lose that. He just needed to prove to Finn that he was still the same Liam, just more like himself from before this whole mess.
He pushed the bracelet back toward him again, hoping Finn would take it this time. Hayley would want it. "It's good to talk again. I missed it," He said, looking back at Audrey. "Wanna come downstairs with me and we'll make a fire up while Audrey makes hot chocolate?" Maybe that would be better, giving Finn something to do with his hands rather than just sit there and wallow? It always helped when they had actions to complete, right?
Audrey nodded at that suggestion, thinking it was a good one. “See you down there,” she said, turning to head out of the room so she could get hot chocolate set up.
Finn watched Audrey go, feeling defeated and it showed. “I shouldn’t have yelled.” He wondered if Audrey was upset with him. She tended to leave when he upset her. He glanced at Liam taking the bracelet, but only because Liam didn’t seem to give up on it. “Does it really make you feel better?” He got up, but slowly, as if he didn’t trust his legs.
Liam moved when he did, offering an arm out to Finn in case he needed it, though not his bandaged one. After a moment, he nodded, and the smile on his face was there and pure and real. "Yes, it does. I mean, I have a migraine right now and it sucks, plus there's all this crazy strange heightening of senses. But now I know what you smell like and I can pick that smell out of a crowd. And I'll know where you are and if you're hurt and I'll be able to get to you. And I can do the same for Audrey and Eli too. I just…I feel strong again, Finn. And I haven't felt like that since before…before Hayley and Mom died. I missed it. I missed feeling like someone my family could depend on and I finally feel that way again."
Finn didn’t take the hand. He didn’t need it. Not now. He was fine on his own, though he was starting to feel like he needed to eat something, especially when he wasn’t sure when the last time he had. “That’s good,” he said, nodding. It was good for Liam. Liam deserved to feel like that, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t jealous. Finn felt useless again compared to that. But he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t fit into this part of the story maybe? “You were always strong.” Liam did things the others couldn’t. It wasn’t always a matter of sheer force. He’d been as vital to the party as the rest of them had. The party doesn’t exist. Eli had said that or something close to it when he was hurt. That it didn’t matter. And part of Finn wanted to cling to it, but he felt stupid clinging to it.
Liam was quiet for another moment while they slowly walked toward the hallway. Looking back at Finn, he watched his friend before speaking. "Finn…Do you think this means you aren't my brother anymore? Because I don't think so. You'll always be my brother, no matter what I am, what you are. We're the same people still." He hadn't felt like Finn wasn't his brother when he stopped being regular Finn and started being Ranger Finn, and Liam didn't think he'd ever feel like Finn wasn't his brother. He just needed to figure out a way to try and make this transition smooth for Finn too, because he did feel guilty now that he hadn't talked to Finn about it first.
Finn hesitated, then nodded. “Among other things, yes.” He was concerned about that. Like they all weren’t his like they had been. “I haven’t been feeling...well. Avery said some things that hurt, especially when I thought I was doing the right thing.” And he was still caught up in Audrey, in kissing her, in touching her, but Finn couldn’t say that part. And he could say that his feelings mattered now. Was it the same? He still felt that way about her, but he wasn’t sure she’d be as interested in him when he wasn’t like her.
There were lots of things going on with Finn that Liam hadn't known about, and it just added to the guilt that he was feeling now. He needed to be a better friend. He'd left Finn alone to deal with too much and he hated himself for that. But he wouldn't do that again. He wouldn't leave his best friend behind anymore. "Well, you can take that worry off your list. The only way you aren't a part of this family is if you decide not to be. Nothing has changed in the way that we all feel about you. And I'm sorry that Avery hurt you, but she obviously doesn't deserve you if she did."
Finn tucked his hands in his pockets as they headed towards the living room and shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s right. Maybe she was right and I just used her. I hadn’t thought of it that way.” He shrugged a little. “What would I know? I can’t even remember what my favorite color is.” Or could get his entire mind to agree on one color. He didn’t comment on not being part of the family. That he’d have to come to terms with on his own.
He didn't like not having an answer for being a part of the family. It hadn't really been a question to begin with but he had thought there'd be some reaction to it from Finn. And a panic was starting to spread through him that Finn would choose to leave them. Heading for the fireplace, Liam knelt down and started the process of building up a fire. "If you think you're in the wrong with Avery, then you learn from it and you move on. But not all change is bad."
Needing something to do, Finn reached for new logs, waiting until Liam was ready to hand them over. “It’s not the change. It’s the consequences of the change.” He wanted to be wrong, to not have distant and intangible memories of something here being bad, but he couldn’t let it go yet.
"There are good things that come with a change too, Finn. Not everything that changes always leaves bad things in its wake. I know it's felt like that for a while, but I think maybe we were so scared of all the bad things that we all forgot to look for the good things too. I think it's time we try to find the good things now," He said, taking the logs from his friend and placing them in the fire gently. “Do you think you could try, sometime, to look for the good things too?”
“We looked for good for so long.” And they’d had looking for it beaten out of them. Finn sighed and sat back, finding a place on the floor near the couch to watch the fire. “I can try I suppose.” It just might not be easy.
"You won't be alone. You have us, all trying for the same thing, all wanting the whole family to find something good," He promised, reaching out to put a hand on Finn's shoulder. "And I know one thing that's really good. Hot chocolate."
Audrey had been true to her word, getting them all hot chocolate. She used milk when she made it, instead of water. Silently coming back into the room, she handed the guys their mugs first, then sat down a slight distance away from the both of them, where she could see them both easily. It was a little behind them, really, farther away from the fire.
Finn wasn’t sure what good it was they were looking for, but that wasn’t new, he was usually the one grasping at straws. He looked up as Audrey came in, taking his mug and frowning when she sat down farther away from them. “You can sit here,” he said softly, motioning to his space. “It’s warmer.”
Liam took his mug as well and after a moment got up to move back to Audrey. "Come to the fire. Let's sit as a family?" He suggested, hoping he could sent her these subtle hints that he thought his talk with Finn had gone well and that it was probably ok now for all of them to sit together again, but he couldn't be sure she'd catch it.
Audrey did pick up on things, and went to sit closer, between the boys – which had actually been what she'd wanted to avoid. She was aware of the circumstances, and that there had been nothing at all done to address anything. It was her own personal elephant in the room.
Finn couldn’t help that the wistful look was back once she was closer, or that his hand went out to graze along her arm. He shouldn’t, but it felt like he needed to, even if only for a moment before he pulled it back. “Hot chocolate’s good,” he said, if only to say something that wasn’t everything he wanted to tell her and ask her about.
Liam saw that. He saw the way Finn watched her, the way he touched her, and it had that jealousy firing up in him again. It was rough and hard to swallow and he was torn between snapping at Finn and trying to respect that maybe something was going on or maybe Finn just wanted some contact or reassurance or something. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and then stood up. "I think I'll…go find us some snacks. Do we want snacks?" He asked, though he was looking at Audrey to see if he could gather a hint from her, whether or not he should leave or stay, to see if maybe she wanted to talk to Finn alone too. Maybe it would help him figure out how to keep himself from barking at Finn after what he'd thought was a successful conversation.
“I don't,” Audrey said, reaching up to snag Liam's pinky finger, tugging it so he'd sit back down. She looked at Finn, then at Liam, and just...felt like there was no way this could end but with destructive madness. Her eyes went to the fire and stayed there. “Finn,” she said. “Would you like to see me as a wolf?”
Finn was confused by Liam leaving, relieved that Audrey stopped him. He was tired of people leaving. Her question had him looking up at her, surprised. "I...I guess?"
Liam sat down after he was tugged on by Audrey, but the offer to show Finn her wolf form had Liam perking up. “It’s really cute,” He said, grinning a little more at Audrey. “She’s a cute wolf.” Finn should definitely see it, because it had been so pivotal for Liam to see her like that and see her happy.
Audrey smiled at the compliment, then quietly got up to duck into the next room quickly. She tugged her clothes off, leaving them in a neat pile on the counter, then shifted, padding back into the room to go back to her place between the boys.
Finn half got up when she left, not sure what to make of it or entirely certain he wanted to see it. What would it mean? And a cute wolf? How was she cute? Was that just a werewolf to werewolf thing? He sat back down before she came back though, eyes looking over his shoulder until she was there. He couldn’t help the way he tensed, fear rising faster than it should have, despite knowing it was Audrey, he remembered being attacked. He still had marks on his chest where the he’d been clawed up and it was healing. But there she was and all he could do was stare. “You said you’re you…”
Liam had hoped the reaction would be a little better than that. He wanted Finn to see that she was really cute like this, that she was happy and bouncy and seemed like she was having fun. But he didn't sound like he did, so instead of waiting for it, Liam reached for Audrey when she came closer and started scratching behind her ear again. "She is her. She's still Audrey."
She made an appreciative sound when Liam scratched behind her ear, and she nudged into him a little. She nuzzled at his cheek and neck slightly, then turned her attention on Finn, trying to make eye contact with him. She batted the floor with one paw, trying to beckon him closer.
Why was he jealous of that? It ate at Finn to watch it, to see the two of them of them together like that. He hesitated, fighting back the fear which was stronger than usual. He’d barely remembered being afraid that night, but now he was feeling it all over again. Taking a deep breath, he went where she motioned, hesitant still, holding out a hand to her, slowly touching the course fur at the back of her neck and trying not to think of almost beheading the wolf that had bit Eli.
Liam smiled at Audrey's actions, laughing when she nudged him again. It was nice, it felt right, and he liked being able to share moments like this with her. He did have to think that even if he knew how to change right now, he wasn't sure he would. It seemed like Finn might need one of them to be human right now. Maybe someday Finn would like to see his wolf form. "See?" He asked when he saw his friend hold his hand out. "Audrey's nice."
When Finn touched her fur, she leaned lightly against his hand, then nuzzled his cheek too, light, and ready to pull back should he not like that at all. She wanted to be as non-threatening as possible.
“Audrey’s always nice,” Finn corrected, eyes glancing at Liam just as Audrey leaned into his hand. Then she was nuzzling his cheek and though it surprised him, he only froze for a second. He looked at her, trying to catch her eyes, trying to figure it out. His pretty Audrey. Like this. “Does it really make you happy?” he asked voice barely a whisper, hand in her fur again, trying to understand, trying to see the girl there, in all of it.
She made eye contact, and did her best to nod, which was a little awkward in wolf form, but she managed. She was happy. She felt oddly content for the first time in what seemed like ages. Like it was just what she'd needed. And, if Liam's behavior was any indication, it seemed like the same for him.
Finn watched her eyes, watched her nod, and wound up nodding, trying to swallow a sigh. He didn’t want them to hear that. But he could nod and lean in closer to to her and despite it being a little weird, it was comforting as well and that outweighed the rest. “Okay.”