#scackson

Scott's the only person who actually stands up to Jackson. Lydia and him would play elaborate mind games when they fought; Danny tends to get sarcastic and avoidant; his parents almost never tell him he's wrong. Scott won't budge when he thinks Jackson's stupid. Which he does most of the time. He gives Jackson this look like he can't believe how pathetic Jackson is being right now. He stays cool

Jackson has never met anyone like that

He fucking hates it.

It always makes him escalate until Scott loses his temper and gets in his face

That pisses Scott off to no end.

But also makes him realize Jackson is sort of the only person Scott can actually lose his temper around without worrying he'll kill him. And it's not like he worries Jackson would think less of him. Like he gives a flying fuck what Jackson thinks. The guy's so annoying.

It's a weird sort of safety, knowing you can get mad.

They never talk about how they were both mind controlled and used as a weapon

They wind up practicing at the full size field at Jackson's house that he has the nerve to call "the backyard." Scott makes fun of Jackson by saying that having your own personal field to practice in has to count as cheating. Deep down though he kind of admires Jackson's conviction. He's annoying as hell but he does put in the work. As a player, he's reliable. That's worth something to Scott.

Jackson gets frustrated with how nervous Scott still is on the field. He always holds back. It's not a werewolf thing because he did it even before he got bitten.

Not that Jackson was looking at him.

Jackson has a decent sense of which teams will threaten them the most next year. He's got an internal dossier of each team's best players, things to watch out for. He tends to think of their own team, however, as Him + interchangeable support players.

Which pisses Scott off.

Scott conversely is much better at assessing their own team's strengths, and has a lot of ideas for how to make the team more effective and cohesive

They come up with some pretty good strategies for the team next year

They practice together for hours on end

Scott makes fun of Jackson's dumbass car until Jackson takes him on a thrill ride through some hairpin roads by the Preserve. Scott still thinks it's a douchmobile but he can't deny that was kind of a rush.

They both wind up grinning.

Jackson's not too bad when he's not being a complete asshole.

Unfortunately that's about one second per year

Jackson's always talking about what money can buy him: that car, new gear, some fancy vacation to Europe. His family goes to Switzerland to ski. Scott's never left the country. He doesn't even ski. It's obnoxious but makes Scott simmer from what he can recognize, deep down, is envy. Not about the bullshit Jackson likes doing but the freedom to do it. What Scott would give to be able to leave the country sometimes, after everything that's happened. And Peter back in town.

This is about Allison, Scott knows. Her summer in France. Jackson's just easier to resent.

And he does suck.

Stiles sulks outrageously about every second Scott spends practicing with Jackson instead of him. Scott invites him to practice with them but Stiles would rather eat puke. Puke, Scott

Danny conversely doesn't care at all about Jackson practicing with someone else. He thinks it's fine and normal. This makes Jackson sulk outrageously

Scott gets his dirt bike and Jackson makes fun of it for being a dinky piece of junk. Nothing like the Porsche.

But he can't help but notice that Scott bought the bike with his own money. He earned it. The Porsche was a birthday present.

"You think those roads are fun in the car," says Scott, "this thing's like flying."

Jackson isn't jealous of Scott's stupid cheap bike. He could buy one easy, he doesn't want it

It's like the bike is all Scott cares about. Jackson's car doesn't impress him, his house doesn't impress him.

Not that Jackson cares about impressing him

Scott's a weird little freak. How he convinced a smokeshow like Allison to date him is mystifying

For some reason, people like him. They go to the sporting goods store because Jackson can't stand watching Scott play with those gloves he shredded with his claws anymore and insists on replacing them. Scott has an invitation to a party by the end of it. It's bizarre.

He makes friends so easily. People find him and they don't want to leave

Jackson gets a little more tolerable as the summer drags on. He buys Scott some new gear with only a minimum of asshole comments. He makes him smoothies in his fancy kitchen that he says will "maximize performance." They taste like dirt but Scott's had worse.

Jackson laughs at something Scott says while they're drinking them and it comes out his nose. Then they're both laughing.

Jackson's surprisingly awkward. He doesn't have very many friends. Sometimes he seems lonely.

Which is his own fault for being such a tool

And yet

They never talk about the lasting fear of abandonment their parents imbued in them.

"I'm supposed to move to London soon," Jackson says with no preamble, deep in August.

"Oh," says Scott.

"My parents think I need a fresh start," Jackson says, even though Scott didn't ask.

"They're making you?"

"No." They wouldn't force him but Jackson can't come up with a good reason to stay. He did get kidnapped by his classmates and then die on the field. People leave the country for less.

They don't even know about the other stuff.

Only Scott really does.

The school in London is much better than BHHS. Private school, finally. Prestigious and expensive, everything he's always after.

Everything Scott doesn't seem to give a shit about.

"They play lacrosse there?" Scott asks one afternoon.

"No," Jackson admits. The one downside he can come up with. It doesn't impress his parents. They're confident he'll find another sport to enjoy, which is probably true. He only ever did lacrosse because it was what people here cared about. They'll care about something else there so he'll do something else. Shed his old skin.

Still a snake, deep down.

Besides, it's not like anyone wants him to stay. Danny will visit him in London. Everyone else on the team hates him.

Scott hates Jackson. But he'd gotten used to the idea of him being around. Him and his stupid car and his disgusting smoothies and his obsessions with things that don't matter. Scott's personal pain in the ass. Co-captain or whatever.

"Those strategies were built around you being there." Now Scott will have to redo them. That's the only reason he's upset.

Annoyed, he's annoyed.

"That's not my fault," Jackson whines.

"You said your parents weren't making you leave."

"What am I supposed to do, say no?"

"If you care, yes!"

"Care about you, you mean?" Jackson sneers. "You gonna miss me?"

"You are such an asshole!" Scott's face is hot. Jackson always makes him lose his temper. "I mean care about the team, you stupid selfish dick!"

He curses him out and leaves.

For the last week of summer, they don't see each other.

Jackson can go to London and explode for all Scott cares.

Scott is such a pain in the ass.

On the first day of school at BHHS, Jackson's there.

"For the team," is all he says.

Scott nods.