Title: Imperative
Author: Leela (leela_cat)
Pairing/Characters: Adam Lambert/Tommy Joe Ratliff
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 6x100
Content/Warning(s): Werewolves
Author's notes: Written for glam_100, prompt #084: howl. Many thanks to @aislinntlc for the preread.


Tommy leans against the wall next to the window and listens. His head is bent, and his bangs cover his face, making sure that he can't see outside. He rubs a hand over his sternum, pressing down occasionally, trying to make the ache stop.

Nothing works. Nothing ever works on nights like this.

Nights when he can hear Adam howl for him. Nights when he's locked inside this room, kept from Adam, from his mate.

Nights when their families, their friends, try to protect them from their instincts, from their needs, because they can't, they shouldn't, they mustn't do this.

∞

Not yet anyway. Not before Tommy's shifted on his own. Not before he's challenged and won.

Adam's howl grows closer. The ache in Tommy's heart turns into needle-sharp spikes that race outward, feel like they're slicing through his skin from the inside.

Gripping onto the wall, Tommy squeezes his eyes shut and bites his lower lip. He can't, he won't, scream out for Adam.

The pain becomes flame-tipped, edged with fiery heat, and Tommy falls to his knees. He wraps his arms around himself and bends over, almost touching his forehead to the floor.

And still Adam calls for him.

∞

Air scrapes its way in and out of Tommy's lungs. His chest heaves as he fights for each rasping breath. His fingers and toes curl, digging pointed claws into his flesh. The scent of blood tickles his nose, makes him sneeze, and the agony prickles his eyes with almost-tears.

"Fuck," he growls, elongating the vowel until it seems to merge with Adam's cries.

It's way beyond too much, and it's gone so far that he's not going to be able to stop it this time.

His body convulsing, bones snapping, tendons stretching, changing, Tommy throws back his head and howls.

∞

Adam's voice wraps around Tommy's, pulls him to his feet. Shaking with pain, barely able to stand, Tommy falls to the floor. He takes a deep breath, grits his teeth, and pushes himself up again.

Tommy manages one staggering step and then another. He's backing away from the window. It's a small distance further away from Adam, who keeps moving closer, who's almost near enough to smell, to touch, and not just to hear.

His head down, refusing to look, to think about what he's about to do, about the dizzying height, Tommy starts to run.

And then he jumps.

∞

Glass and wood shatter around him, spraying shards outward, catching in his fur. He lands on four paws, just managing to stay upright.

He can hear voices behind him, people yelling, someone screams, but the words make no sense. They're just sounds, loud noises that hurt his sensitive ears, make him want to get away from them. He shakes his head, hears a quiet whuff.

Mine!

The thought, the feeling swamps Tommy, from inside and outside, from himself and from Adam. He uses it to push himself forward, until he's standing in front of the big black and red wolf.

∞

Not moving, not making a sound, Adam watches Tommy. He's clearly just going to wait and see what Tommy does next.

Fucker, Tommy thinks, I've fucking done enough. He whines and lets himself fall to the ground at Adam's feet in an uncoordinated sprawl.

When Adam barks, Tommy twists his head so he can look up. Adam comes to stand over him, nuzzling into the curve of Tommy's jaw, licking at the underside of Tommy's chin. Tommy stretches his neck, encouraging him.

Adam bites, clamps down, teeth piercing through fur and skin, and Tommy cries out as the pain disappears.


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