Becoming the Luna

Dream sits cross-legged in his room, too strung up to fall asleep and unable to concentrate on the television.

His mom had been estatic to see him and was quick to relay that the entire issue had blown over, he had already informed Hayden that he would be leaving soon.

There was no need to remain at the Pack House when he didn't need to be, he felt like a freeloader.

It wasn't like he was working here like Darian but no, he was just living in a house that wasn't his and eating food that he didn't buy.

It was easy to chalk it up to his friend's hospitality but he didn't want to take advantage of that.

He eats his third muffin that he had swiped from the bakery and sighs forlornly, it was unlike him to feel like this, empty like he was missing something.

Jennie had been relieved to see him and he kept her company at the bookstore, filling her in on Apple's delivery.

The bookstore was brimming with customers though and his scent kept dragging unwanted attention his way so he didn't stay there long, running back to the safety of the bakery.

The nights are cool so he's in a slightly baggy sweater and sweatpants, trying to bore himself to sleep with the television or even better eat himself to sleep with the muffins that he keeps going through like they were made of cotton.

He's so distracted that he barely hears his phone go off, reaching over the mini pillow fort he had made to grab the device off the far end of the table and unlocks it, peeking into his phone.

Who would be giving him a notification so late?

He checks and sees that it's a text from an unknown number and has half the mind to just toss his phone to the side, expecting it to be nothing more than spam.

But something makes him tap on it, maybe it's boredom or something else.

He wishes he had just thrown the phone when he does, he actually considers doing so even after reading through the text, hopefully his phone would connect with the wall and save him from having to reply.

It's Dale, inviting him to come night watch with him and he has so many questions.

Like for one, why is he in his Pack House so late at night and two, who randomly invites other people to look at the stars or whatever with them.

He's already swiping up his keypad, about to text back some snappy reply when the demon on his shoulder reminds him that he's lonely and bored and that this might just be the perfect ancedote to his slowly developing insomnia.

He refuses to question how meeting up with Dale which already sounded like a bad idea by the way was the solution, mind made up in a split second as he quickly texts back.

"Sure, where are you?"

Dream let's out an explosive curse as he stands up to find his shoes, what in the hell is he doing?

By the time he checks his phone again, Dale had already responded and he's relieved that the balcony the other had chosen was located not far from his apartment.

And even better he wouldn't have to sneak past Hayden's and Virgil's apartment either.

Quietly, he slips out the front door and clicks the door shut, dropping his phone down the front pocket of his sweatpants.

There had better be shooting stars to make up for this fatal fluke but it's not his fault, it's pretty late and he's bored and alone and just looking for company, that wasn't a crime now, was it?

He finds Dale leaning over the railing, hands settled on the carved, wooden support as he stares into the woods.

Dream quietly slips beside him, a huge potted plant on his other side, releasing a sweet scent into the night.

"You came." Dale murmurs quietly after a short tense silence.

Dream tries to build up walls against the tone of Dale's voice, too many symphonies of emotions threading those two words.

"Yeah." He replies thickly, clearing his throat. "Although I thought we would be stargazing or something, not watching pine trees dance in the night breeze." Dream tries to say snappily but it comes out softer than he intended, making it seem like he just recited a poem.

Dream senses more than see Dale turn to glance at him, wondering what the Alpha saw.

"Do you mind?" Dale asks, still watching him.

Dream tries to ignore the eyes a similar shade to the dancing trees peer at him as he glances down at the wide expanse of forest, it was so easy to forget how high up they actually were.

"No." He replies kindly, relishing how easy it is to not be mean to the dark haired man, doesn't mean he's taking the easy road though.

Another silence, this one softer than the first.

"My mom is leaving tomorrow." Dale speaks up. "I just thought to... to ah... to let you know?" He ruffles his hair nervously.

The soft glow of the florescent lights placed outside hit them and only one word slips into Dream's head at Dale's nervousness, cute.

"That's fine, thank you." Dream smiles a little, touched that Dale would go that far just to keep him from being lynched by a bunch of power hungry females mobilized by his homophobic mother.

Dale beams at this. "Thank you too." He responds estatically.

Dream can't help but laugh at this, throwing his head back slightly. 

"The stars aren't even many out." He says after his tinkling laughter dies down, keeping his head angled up.

"It's too cloudy for that." Dale admits sheepishly. "That's why I didn't ask to come watch the stars."

Dream studies him with an inscrutable look, there wasn't any moon so it was darker than usual. "Watching the pines aren't bad either."

Keeping the second half of his sentence to himself, that watching the pines with Dale was also not bad at all.