(no subject)

[jianhuo]

It's become routine, the way Derek comes home with Saffron after they've closed up the truck at the end of the lunch rush. He keeps a few of his things at her place, goes there on occasion to freshen up and come back to civilization for a bit. He knows she'll insist on feeding him, which Saffron is sure doesn't exactly hurt his motivation for visiting, and she's made sure to make it clear to Derek that her door is always open to him without pushing for more than he's comfortable with. He's become a dear friend, one of her best friends in the city, and she just wants him to know she's there for him.

They walk to her apartment after the truck is parked, since it's not far. It's cold out, but not unbearably so, and Saffron's got her arm hooked through Derek's elbow, partly to make sure she doesn't slip on a patch of ice and fall on her ass. "So what can I make you today while you wash the smell of ribs off you, honey?" she asks, glancing up at him with a smile.

Comments

[triskehale]

Derek keeps one hand in the pocket of his leather jacket while they walk, his arm bent out so that Saffron can hang onto him. In truth, he enjoys the contact. She's the only one that really touches him these days. It's becoming habit, him walking with her to her place after the lunch rush and eating her food while he spends him with his cat.

He is so grateful to Saffron for all she does, and of course he never says it out loud, but he would like to think she knows. "You know I'll eat whatever's put in front of me, especially if it's you making it. But maybe something with potatoes?"

[jianhuo]

"I can do potatoes," Saffron replies, already running through the possibilities in her mind. Maybe a shepherd's pie, that's nice and hearty. She doesn't think Derek will mind a bit of a wait while it cooks, since she knows he'll want to spend time with Jinx. It's nice having the cat around, but Saffron knows they miss each other, even if neither of them are all that demonstrative about it. "I was a little surprised at how busy we were today, given how the weather's been."

[triskehale]

"Yeah, I think adding the hot chocolate and the stew was a good choice. People like something warm they can hold in their hands." Derek nods a bit and lets go of her so she can unlock the door. He stomps off his boots before following her inside, trying not to appear eager as he looks around for Jinx. He hears the jingle of her collar as she comes trotting down the hall and Derek quirks a small smile as he bends down to scratch her behind the ears.

It's a kind of irony that Derek has come to expect in his life that he's a werewolf that's forged a deep bond with a house cat. Jinx meows and puts his paws on her knee, so he scoops her up and holds her in one arm, letting her big fluffy tail curl around his bicep. She purrs and Derek takes comfort in the sound.

"Thanks again for taking care of her," Derek says quietly. "She seems happy."

[jianhuo]

"Of course," Saffron replies, looking at Derek and his cat with a fond expression as she takes off her outer layers, hanging up her coat and scarf and pulling off her boots. "She's been no trouble."

[triskehale]

Jinx meows and bats at Derek's face in a way that makes him smile a little, and the cat looks wholly unimpressed when Derek flashes his red eyes at her. He rolls his eyes and sets her down before taking off his own leather jacket and looking over at her. "So, aside from your killer food, how are things with you?"

[jianhuo]

"Things are great," she says. "Not much new happening, but sometimes that's not a bad thing." Derek knows about Church, of course, but she wants to be careful not to start talking about him too much to avoid seeming insensitive. "I've been toying with the idea of teaching a class over at Off the Wall. Just a couple of days a week, since I'm busy enough already as it is."