#torn n jak are so important to me they are weirdo friends. to me <3

[zehecatl]

They call him dog, more often than not.

Jak doesn't mind. Doesn't give a shit, because he's been worse than some loyal pet, and dogs bite, like him, so maybe it's a fitting enough thing to be called. Better than monster, or freak, or murderer.

Torn doesn't like it.

He's fucking obvious about it, bristling and glowering whenever he hears the word whispered, hushed. It's funny. Cute.

"It's true," he says, one day, when a single touch might snap Torn in half. Snaps his teeth, fangs against fangs.

Torn glares at him, then. Looks put out, annoyed, like Jak is being purposefully dumb, which, maybe. He could dig down, could peel it apart and find the sore spot Torn is gnawing at, but this is easier.

Quicker, too.

He raises his eyebrows. Spreads his palms out, fingers splayed. Goes "woof."

He knocks Torn's knife aside with the back of his palm. Laughs. Avoids the hand going for his throat, and flips over- feels the crackle of dark eco roaring through his veins, feels the spark of it between his claws.

The side of Torn's foot catches him, and he spins across the floor, gets his hands up just in time to nick claws across scarred skin, as Torn pins him down.

"You're impossible," Torn says, palm warm across his collar, and Jak could tear his throat out, could dig his claws in. Could kill him, could do it, just like this-

"You're not some fucking animal, Jak."

His arm drops.

Jak thinks he might have flinched, hard. Feels an ache in the back of his head.

"Shut up," he croaks, throat locking up, breath hitching. He feels small. Torn's barely got any weight on him, and still he feels trapped.

Torn leans back. Easy as that. Removes his palm, his weight, and lets Jak turn sideways, lets him curl up on the floor.

He doesn't leave.

Sits down beside him, instead, legs touching, just so, so Jak knows he's here. It's infuriating.

(it helps)

Torn doesn't say anything. He sits there, on the dirty floor, and lets Jak dissociate through a panic attack, because apparently he knows to do that. Apparently he knows Jak well enough to hit him where it hurts, just to get the fucking sick out.

He hadn't even realised it was starting to rot.