#innigissimo

      ‘ kinda late for coffee, don’t you think? i mean.. unless you wanna stay up late. then it’s the perfect time. ’

      ‘ so, can i ask why you were all shaken up when you came in last night? don’t think i’ve ever seen you so nervous before, except that one time with jamie a long time ago. ’

      she always feels out of place in new york, even with family here and with a sort of invitation. it’s mostly the lack of trees and the lack of open space. the city was a fortress in itself, a place that was cold and harsh and it was certainly no place for a werewolf, let alone a pack. she’s not sure how jackson does it. finding the apartment is easy and she takes the stairs, shoving one hand in her pocket as she reaches the door. carter knocks lightly, rocking back on her heels and waiting. she could only hope that either her brother or hannah was home. head turns and face lights up when the door opens, a large grin on her face.

         ❝ hannah! it’s so good to see you! ❞ a small chuckle. ❝ figured i’d take a small break, like you mentioned. ❞

      ‘ here. fresh on me. ‘ hayden grins. ‘ sorry, they didn’t have any of those big danishes left, otherwise i would’ve split one with you. so, how goes marriage? ‘

      ❝ look, it’s not technically fall until we do this. hence me saying that we should take a break and why I took off today instead of dragging myself to that boring coffee shop. ❞ jackson’s currently got a grin on his face while he watches hannah, arms folded over his chest as he leans against the kitchen counter. his suggestion? carving the two large pumpkins sitting on their dinner table with two hot chocolates and a pumpkin pie. really he loved the fall. the colors of the leaves as they changed, the way the air cooled and how legends and stories seemed to come alive as the nights grew longer and darker. ❝ besides, consider today a regular ol’ couple day. is it too much of me to ask to spend one, nice day with my wife? ❞

      It takes Jackson a long moment to process the person standing before him. A person that should be long gone & dead, lost in the unwritten history of a long forgotten program that failed. Something he had, in another life, been a part of until he’d watched his friends and loved ones die and because of HIM, because HE COULDN’T LEAD THEM the way they thought he could. It’s why he’s frozen like a statue, all of the anger & rage flooding from his system almost instantly to the point that his weapon clatters to the ground at his feet. ❝ You aren’t real. You can’t be real. ❞ He states it as if it is a known fact to the universe, that this, here, now is impossible.

      ❝ This is--- - is fucked up. It’s fucked up because she’s DEAD and you aren’t REAL. ❞