[ Hey, luckily they're going to the nearest Organic Supermarket because in a shit hole like Detroit, these tend to be the quietest food places around. The drive is fairly short and painless. ]
I'll steer you clear of the lobster tank, how bout that?
[ He shudders at the thought. ] Oh god, please. I don't wanna think about what I'd do. [ He'd climb right in it is what he'd do.
Gavin gets out of the car and shoves his hands in his pockets. Okay, dude... chill. It's a grocery store. One that's very similar to the obnoxious ones his parents took them too but still.
It's not a big deal. Grocery stores have always been loud and distracting and the bane of any and all entertainment anyway. It's fine. He's fine. It's fine!
He's already sweating. Have a big doe eyed look, Hank. ]
[ Hank gets out of the car and catches Gavin's scared, deer-in-headlights look. It's just a grocery store, but it's also Gavin's first time out in public since being turned.
Hank reaches over and puts a hand on Gavin's shoulder, offering his support. It's not quite holding hands but it's a close thing, and he doesn't plan to move it from there. ]
We'll just grab a couple things and go, okay? Jerky and meat. That's all we need.
[ He jumps a little at the sudden hand on his shoulder but it's... nice? It feels comforting, warm. Grounding. Maybe it's just part of the Thing, but it helps.
Gavin wipes at his brow and nods, taking another deep breath. It isn't that he's scared of being overwhelmed... he doesn't want to hurt anybody. Or scare anyone. Shit.
No, nothing's gonna happen. Hank's here. It's fine. He leans into his hand and shoves his hands back into his jacket. ]
[ Hank's responsibility extends to this too. He won't let Gavin hurt anybody. He knows what it's like, so he knows what to look out for. ]
You got it. [ He squeezes Gavin's shoulder reassuringly, nodding. ] And hey. If you start to feel like... If you feel like you're not ready or like something's gonna set you off, then you just let me know. There's no shame in that, we'll just leave. It's not like we can't have groceries and shit delivered.
[ That's a good attitude to have, honestly. Hank has to say he's a little impressed with Gavin's commitment -- but then he clearly didn't know Gavin all that well before this.
They make their way to the entrance and Hank leads them to the shopping carts. Obviously with his hand on Gavin's shoulder, Hank's not gonna be the one holding the cart. ]
Here, maybe that'll help. Focus on driving the cart.
[ 'Here kid, play with this toy car for a while.' Which is... reductive and he's pissy that something actually seems hard, which he's never particularly handled well on his best days but.
In, out. It's fine. It's loud, but he's been in literal shoot outs before. Those were loud. And he was fine.
So Gavin nods again, not wanting to risk speaking, and starts to push the cart. At least the deli isn't far, thank fuck. (A dude on the phone nearby has an incredibly irritating voice, holy shit.) ]
[ Saying "you get used to the noise" isn't really going to help Gavin here, so Hank just doesn't. He guides them well over to the deli, ordering the largest cuts of meat he can possibly get away with. ]
We're having some company over. Lots of company.
[ He smiles, not really caring much besides stocking up and getting out of there. He squeezes Gavin's shoulder again, he's sure being around all the food can't be easy in his state. But the maybe with a distraction, he'll feel a little better. ]
Do you guys make your own jerky, or is it all that packaged stuff?
[ He looks distracted, but he's holding up. His eyes are a little glazed over, the smells of the meat an interesting sort of experience. He's not hungry but he's hungry. It's very odd; can you be existentially hungry? He guesses so.
He leans into him a little at the squeeze. Oh, wow, he really wants to just press his nose against Hank's neck right now. Not gonna do that!! It's also really hard to not start doing that damn purring thing!!
Think about something else. Like that that time Eli tricked him into eating glue to test his reaction. Oh, ew, that was gross. Oh hey it worked.
Oh Hank's talking about jerky now, which knocks him out of his little internal conversation. His hands feel very sweaty. ]
[ Thatta boy, Gavin, you're doing so well. Hank is proud. You can purr-growl all you want one you get home, no sweat.
The deli guys point them towards the jerky and Hank kind of guides them toward the aisle. Just one more thing on their list and they can check out. They're doing so well. ]
[ He let's out a shaky breath and nods. Gavin closes his eyes for a second and inhales slowly, swallowing with a bob of his throat. He rolls his shoulders. ]
Yeah, I'm fine. It's fine. [ His voice is a little rickety, but he can at least speak now. It's loud and overwhelming but it's kind of starting to turn into white noise in the back of his mind.
Nothing's making him angry at least, so that's a good sign. Hank's hand is definitely helping that. So he looks at the jerky. ]
[ He's still just kind of in a forced autopilot daze as they head back to checkout. Everything just... numb. And that's fine. Yep, Hank pays. Oh, he should give him money later...
Soon enough he's siting back in the passenger's seat with a bag of jerky in his lap. He rips it open and starts to nibble on it. ]
[ Hank takes care of everything, as promised For their first outing, it went super well. ]
Nice job in there. [ He pats Gavin's thigh, smiling proudly. Gavin looks so damn cute chewing on that jerky, christ. Is this a werewolf thing? It's gotta be. ] You deserve that. I'll take us home.
[ Chewing on the dried meat instantly relieves a good chunk of his anxiety. God, how fucking weird?
He turns and looks at Hank, a brow raised. He swallows that chunk of jerky and licks his lips. ]
I'm not a grade schooler. [ Oh good he's grumpy, so you know he's feeling better. His cheeks get a little pink. ] But uh, thanks. For keeping me grounded in there.
[ Yep, glad to hear you back to your bratty self, Gavin. ]
Sure, but you just got turned the other day, so the fact that you went somewhere with fucking people in it and didn't growl at anybody is a pretty big win, man.
[ Look at him, giving Gavin praise!! Ridiculous. He shrugs, waving off Gavin's gratitude with a hand off the steering wheel. ]
[ He chomps down on more jerky to stop the growl-purr. Praise!! Of course he should be praised he's fuckin' good at everything he does but... this kind of praise seems like a warm blanket being tucked around him on a chilly day. Fuck. ]
Maybe I'm a natural. [ He's croaky. ] I was too overwhelmed to be growling anyway.
[ Aaaaahhhh it's super cute. It makes Hank want to lean over and mess with Gavin's hair and just touch him to keep him close and there. Hank does in fact do this once they reach a stop light. How the fuck is he supposed to not find Gavin super endearing when he makes noises like that that send his protective instincts into overdrive?? ]
[ Aaah what the fuck! Gavin lights up like a Christmas tree, bright red all the way up to his ears. The Puppy Feeling is cooing, wanting more attention, wanting... Wanting. ]
W-What're you— [ It's a weak protest, voice all soft and fluttery. His eyes flash amber for a second. ] I-I don't know why I'm doin' it, alright?
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Weird jerky flavor shit? Or just weird shit in general that could make me go all Teen Wolf in the supermarket?
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[ Hey, luckily they're going to the nearest Organic Supermarket because in a shit hole like Detroit, these tend to be the quietest food places around. The drive is fairly short and painless. ]
I'll steer you clear of the lobster tank, how bout that?
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Gavin gets out of the car and shoves his hands in his pockets. Okay, dude... chill. It's a grocery store. One that's very similar to the obnoxious ones his parents took them too but still.
It's not a big deal. Grocery stores have always been loud and distracting and the bane of any and all entertainment anyway. It's fine. He's fine. It's fine!
He's already sweating. Have a big doe eyed look, Hank. ]
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[ Hank gets out of the car and catches Gavin's scared, deer-in-headlights look. It's just a grocery store, but it's also Gavin's first time out in public since being turned.
Hank reaches over and puts a hand on Gavin's shoulder, offering his support. It's not quite holding hands but it's a close thing, and he doesn't plan to move it from there. ]
We'll just grab a couple things and go, okay? Jerky and meat. That's all we need.
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Gavin wipes at his brow and nods, taking another deep breath. It isn't that he's scared of being overwhelmed... he doesn't want to hurt anybody. Or scare anyone. Shit.
No, nothing's gonna happen. Hank's here. It's fine. He leans into his hand and shoves his hands back into his jacket. ]
Yeah, yeah. Short trip. Let's go.
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You got it. [ He squeezes Gavin's shoulder reassuringly, nodding. ] And hey. If you start to feel like... If you feel like you're not ready or like something's gonna set you off, then you just let me know. There's no shame in that, we'll just leave. It's not like we can't have groceries and shit delivered.
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He nods. ]
Yeah, I know. But I don't wanna keep being scared and make it worse than it is. I'll be fine once I'm in there, I know it.
[ With that, he straightens up and stars to walk towards the entrance. ]
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They make their way to the entrance and Hank leads them to the shopping carts. Obviously with his hand on Gavin's shoulder, Hank's not gonna be the one holding the cart. ]
Here, maybe that'll help. Focus on driving the cart.
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In, out. It's fine. It's loud, but he's been in literal shoot outs before. Those were loud. And he was fine.
So Gavin nods again, not wanting to risk speaking, and starts to push the cart. At least the deli isn't far, thank fuck. (A dude on the phone nearby has an incredibly irritating voice, holy shit.) ]
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We're having some company over. Lots of company.
[ He smiles, not really caring much besides stocking up and getting out of there. He squeezes Gavin's shoulder again, he's sure being around all the food can't be easy in his state. But the maybe with a distraction, he'll feel a little better. ]
Do you guys make your own jerky, or is it all that packaged stuff?
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He leans into him a little at the squeeze. Oh, wow, he really wants to just press his nose against Hank's neck right now. Not gonna do that!! It's also really hard to not start doing that damn purring thing!!
Think about something else. Like that that time Eli tricked him into eating glue to test his reaction. Oh, ew, that was gross. Oh hey it worked.
Oh Hank's talking about jerky now, which knocks him out of his little internal conversation. His hands feel very sweaty. ]
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The deli guys point them towards the jerky and Hank kind of guides them toward the aisle. Just one more thing on their list and they can check out. They're doing so well. ]
Almost there, see? Ain't so bad.
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Yeah, I'm fine. It's fine. [ His voice is a little rickety, but he can at least speak now. It's loud and overwhelming but it's kind of starting to turn into white noise in the back of his mind.
Nothing's making him angry at least, so that's a good sign. Hank's hand is definitely helping that. So he looks at the jerky. ]
The teriyaki flavor sounds good.
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He chuckles at their options. He would not have expected there to be teriyaki beef jerky. ]
Alright, teriyaki sounds good. [ He pats Gavin's shoulder and tosses some in the cart. ] You want anything else? Don't hold back for my sake.
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[ He's not really feeling his usual food cravings anyway. Maybe that appetite will come back after the full moon but it's very... basic right now.
He wheezes. ] I think I'm gonna need a nap though.
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Alright, then we'll check out and head home so you can sleep. Easy peasy.
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[ He's still just kind of in a forced autopilot daze as they head back to checkout. Everything just... numb. And that's fine. Yep, Hank pays. Oh, he should give him money later...
Soon enough he's siting back in the passenger's seat with a bag of jerky in his lap. He rips it open and starts to nibble on it. ]
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Nice job in there. [ He pats Gavin's thigh, smiling proudly. Gavin looks so damn cute chewing on that jerky, christ. Is this a werewolf thing? It's gotta be. ] You deserve that. I'll take us home.
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He turns and looks at Hank, a brow raised. He swallows that chunk of jerky and licks his lips. ]
I'm not a grade schooler. [ Oh good he's grumpy, so you know he's feeling better. His cheeks get a little pink. ] But uh, thanks. For keeping me grounded in there.
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Sure, but you just got turned the other day, so the fact that you went somewhere with fucking people in it and didn't growl at anybody is a pretty big win, man.
[ Look at him, giving Gavin praise!! Ridiculous. He shrugs, waving off Gavin's gratitude with a hand off the steering wheel. ]
It's nothing. Just doing what I can.
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Maybe I'm a natural. [ He's croaky. ] I was too overwhelmed to be growling anyway.
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Yeah, it gets easier with time. [ Right. A natural. ] You get used to everything being... a lot. Till the unimportant stuff is just white noise.
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He can't stop it now, he faintly growl-purrs. Sigh. No point in trying to hide it, he guesses. Hey this jerky is really good!! ]
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You're really enjoying that, huh?
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W-What're you— [ It's a weak protest, voice all soft and fluttery. His eyes flash amber for a second. ] I-I don't know why I'm doin' it, alright?
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