Grayson (hairtriggermood) wrote in worldsapart_ic, @ 2019-02-27 14:14:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | billy crowley, grayson wilder |
Who: Grayson Wilder & Billy Crowley
What: Welcome to LA?
When: 21st Feb
Where: Somewhere in LA
Rating: Low
Warnings: n/a
Grayson felt like he'd been running forever but then he needed to put as much ground between himself and his home town due to the fact he was basically a wanted man. He never lingered anywhere too long, was always moving on within a few days or a week at a push, but this time? Well, this time he'd been caught short by the full moon.
He didn't remember a whole lot save for the fact he must have gotten too close to the city limits because he distinctly recalled being hit by a car before everything sort of went black up until the point he jolted awake, naked, covered by a blanket and in what looked to be a cage of some sort.
What the fuck?
The young wolf twisted within the confines of his cage and swallowed back the sudden unexpected fear of small spaces because well bad memories though stopped when he realised he was not alone. His eyes tracked the space around him before they came to fall on another man, one who smelt... very different and honestly Grayson had no idea what he was because it was definitely a what more than a who.
Billy pushed off from where he'd been leaning against the truck. The others had all filtered off to go back home after the full moon to their partners or friends, but since Billy had precious few friends and no one to go home to he always stuck around to kick the werewolves home.
This morning there was one left behind that had taken a little longer to wake up than the others. He'd been one of the last caught, too, limping and wounded they'd still had to tranq him. Billy had been the one to check out the unconscious wolf's wounds and pour hydrogen peroxide on them to clean them and make sure nothing was too deep and would require medical attention.
"Morning sunshine," he greeted. The others cages were empty, the wolves having roused and grumbled away. He pulled a blanket off the top of the cages and stepped into the truck, unlatching it and holding the blanket out. "C'mon, I wanna check your leg before you head off for the day."
Grayson was aware of a dull throbbing in his right leg and upon closer inspection he could see bruises but should have been worse considering he definitely remembered colliding with a car. He also had a headache, low and pounding, and he knew that wasn't because of the full moon so put two and two and figured it had something to do with his predicament.
"Where am I?" He asked, clearly wary and mistrustful, even as a blanket was held out.
"Outskirts of LA," Billy offered, holding the blanket out again and then retreating out of the truck so that the young werewolf could move without feeling crowded. "C'mon, kid, take the blanket and we can talk once you're not naked anymore. You're safe, you didn't hurt anyone. Looks like you got hit by something, but you've not broken anything."
Grayson's jaw tightened as he was highly aware of just how vulnerable he was right now. Naked, bruised and feeling like he had in fact been hit by a truck. Hopefully his shit was still where he'd stored it as the change had begun or he would literally have nothing, not even clothes. Fuck, this was all so fucked up.
He hesitated for a long time before he finally took the blanket as the other man stepped out of the truck, giving him space to get out of the cage and wrap up what little dignity he had in the blanket.
"I'm Billy," he offered, arms folded as he leaned his shoulders against the back of the truck, sensing the guy climbing out of the cage. "Don't worry, no one's gonna hurt you. I can drop you off somewhere if you need?"
Grayson shot a dark look in the direction Billy had gone. He wasn't worried about anybody hurting him more about what the fuck was going on and why he'd woken up in a cage surrounded by a ton of scents with a headache the size of an elephant.
Regardless he made sure the blanket was firmly secured in place before he clambered out of the truck.
"I gotta pick up my shit."
Billy waited patiently for the young wolf to emerge and just tipped his head. "I figured as much, guessing you got caught short when the sun went down?" He drew a breath and rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb. "Where's your pack?"
"I don't have one," Grayson admitted with a lift of his shoulders. "Never had one." He was pretty sure that the wolves that had attacked them for trespass along with larceny hadn't intended on turning him. They'd killed all his other friends after all, he was apparently the "lucky one" though the scaring on his back and pretty much down the entire length of it and down over his ass begged otherwise.
"Shit," Billy muttered, rubbing a hand through his hair. "That sucks. C'mon, hop in the front and I'll give you a ride to where your stuff is. I got water and painkillers in the front of the cab, so you can take something to ease the post-moon aches" He stood and stretched his arms above his head. "You got a name?"
Grayson eyed the other man suspiciously as it was clear from how he held himself and how he kept a fair distance between himself and the other that he did not understand or trust what the guy's motivation was. Nobody did anything just because, they always wanted something and Grayson wasn't too proud to admit that he had done some really fucking questionable things just to survive.
"I just need some clothes and I'll be good to go," he insisted. "And uh, it's... Grayson."
"Nice to meet you, Grayson," Billy said with a small half smile, noticing how skittish and uncertain the wolf was. He took a breath, held out his hand. "I'm Billy."
He was doing his best to keep his body language non-threatening and open. Since there were no slurs being thrown his way he thought either the id didn't know anything about vampires or he didn't have an issue with them.
"You got your clothes stashed somewhere? We picked you up about four blocks from here, so I'll give you a lift back over."
Grayson's eyes flicked between Billy's face and Billy's hand a couple times before he finally reached out to take it but it was clear he was very reluctant to initiate physical contact. He couldn't help but notice as his hand made contact with Billy's just how cool the other man's skin was. Huh, weird.
"Uh, yeah," he said with a nod. "And I figure if you picked me up from about four blocks from here then that must be where they're at."
Billy smiled a little as the kid took his hand and shook it. Okay, good. That was a start, at least. He didn't know where the kid had come from or what kind of life he'd had but he recognised the wariness of someone who'd been made to feel like they couldn't trust anyone regardless of what badge they might be wearing.
"C'mon, hop in the front." Once the handshake was over, Billy moved to shut the large doors of the truck, securing them with a latch and then made for the cabin to climb into the driver's seat, waiting for Grayson to join him. "You got somewhere in mind for breakfast after grabbing your stuff?" He had said he had no pack and he looked like he could use a good meal, Billy was reluctant to just drop him off and abandon him.
Grayson was still really reticent to accept Billy's help and might have been at more of a disadvantage if he was still human but honestly this wouldn't be the first random whose car he'd gotten into. Besides he was kind of naked and really fucking sore so he would have a hell of a time getting back to his stuff in the state that he was in.
He took a breath and then clambered into the cabin while doing his best to make sure he didn't expose any more of himself than he already had. "Uh, no. Gonna grab my stuff and work out my next move from there."
Billy didn't watch Grayson get into the passenger seat since sometimes it was hard to cover ones dignity when covered in little more than a blanket. He just started the engine, feeling the truck rumble to life beneath them.
"Well, there's a pretty good diner not too far from here, I was thinking of swinging in to grab some coffee, I can drop you off there if you want after you've got your stuff? I'm guessing you're new in town?"
"Yeah, just drop me off at the diner and I'll get out of your hair." Because honestly Grayson figured the sooner he did that the better for everybody involved. He didn't really do charity as despite his shitty luck he still had his pride even if he had to bend it on occasion in order to survive.
He tipped his head back and closed his eyes momentarily before the throbbing in his leg pulled him back.
"What gave it away?"
Billy nodded his head, taking a left at the end of the road and taking them back in the direction of the patrol. He had a good memory for streets, but he'd been in LA for over thirty years now so he supposed it made sense that he knew it well, even though it kept changing, expanding.
He rubbed the back of his neck and stopped at a light.
"Generally those that've been here for a while have somewhere they go to turn. Plus, you have no idea who we are which tells me you're probably a newly turned, too? Or at least you were left to work this shit out on your own."
Yeah, that was definitely one way of putting it but then again you couldn't really expect the wolves you'd just stolen from and murdered the only friends you had in the world to teach you the ways.
"Kinda figuring this shit out on my own," he affirmed as he felt the scars on his back throbbing the same way they had on the day they were inflicted. Phantom pains or whatever.
"Bollocks to that," Billy grumbled. "That's irresponsible, turning someone and then not helping them, regardless of the circumstances of the turning." He believed that about vampires too; even if it was an accident. There was a requirement for the guilty party to take responsibility for their actions. "How long've you been turned?"
He flicked the indicator on. "If you don't mind me asking."
"Four years give or take," Grayson offered. He didn't mind answering that question as it wasn't like Billy was digging for the reasons behind how and why he'd been turned because that's when he'd start to get cagey about the details.
He flexed his hands around the blanket and it was clear that he was not in any way relaxed, watching every single thing.
Billy drew in a breath, "And you've been on your own the whole time?" It was a miracle that he hadn't started feeling the madness creeping in. And a miracle that a new wolf, turned and alone, hadn't ended up causing serious harm to someone.
Grayson nodded his head. "Yeah, but hey, shit happens." And it did, quite a bit. Honestly though he did have these moments where he felt like his skin was too tight and there was something crawling under it which might explain why sometimes he scratched himself raw. Of course Grayson being new to this whole being a wolf thing had no idea what that meant or why he felt that way, it was just sort of an everyday occurrence for him.
"That's a raw deal, Grayson," Billy said honestly. "There's a lot of werewolves here, though, so you'll meet a few sooner or later." It was sometimes hard to walk through the city without tripping over them. He hoped that the kid found some, or at least maybe already knew some.
He stopped at another light. "You probably don't want or need me to tell you this but you'll wanna think about finding a pack - or at least some werewolf friends - sooner rather than later. For your own sake more than anything. You guys aren't really meant to be alone."
"I do better alone," Grayson fired back defensively "I mean just because I got turned against my will doesn't mean I wanna sign up to wolf friends 'r' us." Little did he know the risks involved of going it alone for too long. "And pack is like what family? If so, fuck that. I already had a family, no thank you."
He didn't really know how he felt about running into other wolves especially as he had no idea how to communicate with them as he suspected they didn't speak the same language.
"You might have done before your turning," Billy said patiently, unfazed by being snapped at. "But- you know what, no one say you have to join one but at least try to get to know some of the other werewolves." He didn't want to have to be responding to the call of a feral werewolf only to find that when they put it down the body morphed back into this kid.
He shrugged. "Can't really tell you much about what a pack is, since I'm not a werewolf. I wouldn't wanna explain it incorrectly."
Whatever. Grayson didn't need anyone let alone an entire group of people who were obligated to help him just because he was a werewolf now. Fuck that noise. He was fine, on his own, had been that way for a long time now and he wasn't going to change anytime soon if he could help it.
"I'm in no rush."
Pulling the truck to a stop, Billy stuck on the hazards and hopped out, flicking the sign just inside the windscreen that read CPD OFFICIAL so they didn't get a ticket. Unbuckling his belt, he leaned forward, "We picked you up just down there," he said, "but it was a bit into the night. You need a hand hunting down your stuff?"
Grayson eased out of the truck and landed barefoot and immediately was able to pick up the scent of items that belonged to him. "I'm good, I got the scent." And with that he vanished off into the darkness where sure enough he unearthed a rucksack which contained all his possessions, not that there were many. The blanket discarded and Grayson was tugging on underwear, torn jeans, t-shirt, hooded sweatshirt along with some very battered old converse and immediately felt better not being completely and utterly naked.
He did however collect up the blanket and as he slung the strap of his rucksack over his shoulder he headed back to Billy.
By the time he was finished dressing, Billy was just waiting, perched on the step of the passenger side of the truck with the door still open. One quick look was all he needed to see that the kid wasn't as put together as he was trying to prove that he was; the sneakers had seen better days for sure and there was something about the way he carried himself that reminded Billy of a runaway.
Of course, Grayson was too old to be a teenage runaway but it didn't sit well with him to just dump him at a diner and leave. Still, he couldn't do much more; he didn't want to spook the kid, after all.
"Alright, hop back in. Let's get to Jack's and I'll get outta your hair."
Grayson slid back into the truck and rested his bag on the ground at his feet before resting the blanket down on the space between him and Billy.
"Pretty sure it's the other way round but alright if you insist."
"Yeah, I insist," Billy said, buckling himself back in and setting off towards Jack's, falling quiet and waiting to see if the werewolf wanted to ask any questions or start conversation. Or if he just wanted to sit quietly.
Quietly. Definitely quietly.
Grayson cast his gaze out of the window and just watched the lights of Los Angeles' pass them by as he tried to wrap his head around the fact he was in another city facing another long journey of trying to figure out his next step.