Chapter Text
The night air was cool as Dick jogged up Currahee. He lost himself in the steady rhythm of boots against the ground. His breathing was even. He had run this hill so many times, it was all second nature.
He was brought out of his zone by footfalls on the path behind him. Slowing, he looked over his shoulder and made out the silhouette of a fellow trooper and officer - Ron Speirs. A human would have been hard-pressed to see him clearly at this distance, but being a werewolf, Dick could see fine in the moonlight and shadows.
Waiting for the other werewolf to catch up, Dick nodded to him in acknowledgment. Ron tipped his head in turn. They never said a word, instead continuing on the trek up Currahee.
Once they had reached the top, Dick paused to take a deep breath, filling his lungs with air and letting it out slowly. Beside him, Ron did the same, looking out from their vantage point over Toccoa.
“I thought all the Dog boys had passes,” Dick commented.
Most other companies got their passes regularly. Not Easy though. It was a small miracle that no one was revoked this particular weekend. Dick had never seen the Easy boys move so fast, disappearing from Toccoa before Sobel had the chance to change his mind.
Ron shrugged. “I felt like staying on base.”
“And going for a run.” Dick stretched his arms up, easing his nicely warmed muscles.
“A little birdy told me you spend your passes up here, so I thought I'd join you.”
“Oh?” Dick didn't bother hiding his curiosity. “Why’s that?”
Ron just gave him a little smile, something rarely seen. He then busied himself looking at the view.
Ron had been an enigma since training had begun. As a fellow officer, Dick had spent some time with him. There was a lot more to Ron than met the eye, but he kept to himself, even amongst the officers who socialized across company lines.
No, Ron was a lone wolf that seemed more than content at not forming pack bonds with his company. Dick, on the other hand, had finally earned his spot at the top of the pecking order in Easy.
Dick knew just because he was an officer that he wouldn’t automatically be accepted as Alpha by the other werewolves in the company. It was the way things worked. He had to prove himself. There were still some of the wolves - like Guarnere, Toye, and Liebgott - who seemed to follow him more begrudgingly than anything, but follow they did all the same. They just needed some more time.
Pack bonds were another thing that required time. Most of the wolves came from strong home packs, and accepting each other as both comrades and pack would take some getting used to. But even then, Dick could see those bonds growing. They were starting to care for each other as brothers - even the non-wolves - and at least part of that was because of Sobel.
“Sobel’s a real genius.” Dick huffed air through his nose, shaking his head as he thought of Nix’s words. Dick was fairly certain that wasn’t exactly what Sobel had in mind by riding them as he did. What the very human commander of Easy Company didn’t seem to realize was that wolves followed their own.
“What?” Ron’s voice drew him back. He was sitting on one of the large rocks that spanned the summit of Currahee, watching Dick carefully.
“Just thinking about Sobel,” he admitted, going to sit on the rock next to him.
Ron scoffed. “Nixon tells me stories.”
Dick raised a brow. Well, he supposed he knew who tattled about how Dick ran Currahee in his spare time then. The man in question was off base even quicker than any of the others had been. And no doubt Nix would stumble into their shared barracks at the last possible moment, smuggling booze in with him.
“We ended up picking the same smoking spot,” Ron explained with a shrug.
“Ah, the infamous middle-of-the-night smoke break.” Dick knew that Nix tried to be quiet when he snuck out, but Dick’s wolven hearing picked it up anyway.
The pair fell into a companionable silence. There wasn’t much to talk about these days except training and war. It was broken up on occasion by someone getting news from home, but even then it tended to be nothing too exciting.
Ron cleared his throat and Dick looked over at him. The other werewolf wasn’t looking at him though. “I, uh, may have had an ulterior motive to following you,” he admitted.
Dick tilted his head, leaning back onto his hands. “Yeah?”
Ron looked at him then, an expression of uncertainty on his face. Well, that didn’t sit right at all. Ron always looked so confident, carrying himself with an Alpha’s baring. Hell, Dick was pretty sure every wolf in Dog Company rolled over and showed belly - literally - the first day of boot.
“Ron?”
Instead of answering, Ron reached into his light jacket and pulled something out. The moonlight hit off the cream-colored scarf. Ron held it out to him in offer.
Dick let out a little breath of surprise, eyes going from the scarf to Ron and back again. He reached out slowly to accept it, fingers brushing Ron’s briefly.
The scarf was silk, and finely made too. Closer now, Dick could see that it wasn’t just cream, but had a fine pinstriping of light blue.
“I thought it matched your eyes,” Ron said quietly, looking away as a flush traveled up his neck.
Dick smiled softly, bringing the scarf up to his nose. He could smell Ron’s scent on it from a distance. Right under his nose, it was downright overwhelming. Dick could have gotten drunk on it - spice and smoke and pine. Dick’s eyes fluttered shut, having to pull the scarf away so as to not get lost in it.
When he opened his eyes, Ron was watching him closely. He was waiting on baited breath for Dick to give him an answer. The scarf wasn’t just any gift; it was a courting present.
“I never knew you were interested,” Dick commented, fingers rolling over the fabric.
Ron licked his lips, biting at his lower one a moment before nodding. Words seemed to escape him. Or perhaps he was wound so tight that his vocal cords wouldn’t work.
“You should know,” Dick mentioned, looking back at the scarf, “that I’ve been courting someone myself.”
“Nixon,” Ron guessed. Dick nodded. After a minute, Ron managed, “Does that mean…?” He cleared his throat to try again. “Does that mean you don’t accept?”
Dick shook his head. “No, nothing like that.” He smiled over at Ron. “I just wanted you to know. In case…” Well, he didn’t have to say it.
Polyamorous relationships were not unheard of among werewolves. Whether that was one wolf in a relationship with multiple people, or a group all together, werewolves were a more liberal breed than humans.
Still, it was common for wolves to be possessive of their partners and having such a relationship wasn’t an option. It also wasn’t unusual that wolves would fight off other suitors. Thankfully, despite what some might say, Dick didn’t think that Ron was the type. Unless it was unwanted attention perhaps.
“If you want to keep courting him, I’m fine with that.” Ron smirked a little. “I promise not to rip his throat out in the middle of the mess hall.”
That startled a laugh out of Dick. Ron’s smile only grew.
Dick started to wrap the scarf around his neck, watching as Ron’s eyes followed the motion. Ron’s scent filled his nose and Dick’s eyes fell shut again. It was really the perfect courting gift.
It made Dick think of his attempt at courting Nix. “I don’t even think he knows,” Dick admitted. “Either that or he’s not interested and doesn’t want to say anything.”
Dick opened his eyes, noting Ron was frowning. “I doubt it. Nixon seems rather attached to you.” It wasn’t said with jealousy, just stating a simple fact.
“Maybe.” Dick certainly wanted to believe that was the case at least.
Ron leaned over, looking a little playful then. His smile was soft, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Care to run?”
Dick’s lips curled up. He knew what kind of run Ron was referring to. “Alright.”
Ron shifted into his second form. Dick had seen it on a number of occasions - Ron was one of those wolves that seemed to prefer being a beast to man - but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a sight to behold. Fur as black as the night itself shimmered over a large, muscular frame. Ron’s tail swayed lazily, looking for Dick to join him.
Letting the change take him, Dick shifted seamlessly. In wolf form, he was all lean lines and long legs, though still not quite as large as Ron - or even Guarnere. Opposite of Ron, his fur was white, long and rather soft. As he snuffled his nose into Ron’s ruff, he found that Ron’s fur was as nice as the silk scarf he’d been given.
Ron nuzzled him in turn, just for a moment as not to overstep - they were courting after all - before nudging him. Ron wagged his tail, muscles bunched and poised to run. Dick yipped, knocking his shoulder into Ron’s and taking off in a run back down Currahee.
* * *
When Monday came around, it was back to business as usual for the camp and Easy Company. That meant Nix was sitting across from him at officers’ mess. At least Nix was sober.
As they were talking, Ron came into the mess. He greeted Dick, but when Ron went to grab his own food, rather than sit with Dick as he had over the weekend, he went to sit off by himself as usual. Dick would have felt put out had Ron not looked up at him, glanced to Nix and back, and gave a knowing little grin.
Dick couldn’t help but smile in return, averting his gaze to his food. Ron was giving him time alone with Nix. It wasn’t necessary - and he planned to tell Ron he was more than welcome at meals with them - but the thought was nice nonetheless.
* * *
Easy was standing in front of their barracks for inspection, everyone looking especially sharp. They wouldn’t give Sobel any valid reason to revoke their passes, especially after having the weekend off as they so rarely did.
They snapped to attention when Sobel came through. He did his usual hot air and bluster to all the enlisted men. Trying to find anything meant nit-picking, of course. Today though it seemed to just be a lot of talk about how, since they’d had such an easy few days, they should enjoy running Currahee.
Then Sobel came to the front of the formation and he stopped in mid-sentence. “Lieutenant Winters!” he snapped. “What is the meaning of this?!” Sobel stood in front of him, scowling.
“Sir?” It was pointless to play dumb. He already knew that Sobel would notice. Dick supposed some part of him hoped that Sobel wouldn’t.
“Why are you wearing non-regulation clothing?” Sobel demanded. “If that isn’t bad enough, then one of my own officers has to be guilty of such blatant disregard for regulation? You’re supposed to be an example to this company, instead-”
Sobel made a mistake by reaching up for the scarf. Dick’s hand flew out, snatching the man’s wrist. He met Sobel’s startled eyes, lowering his brows. Somehow, Dick kept the growl from his voice.
“Under Article Five, Section D, Subsection Thirteen, in regards to werewolves and courting rights, a wolf may wear or display their courting gifts so long as it does not interfere with military operation.” He let Sobel’s wrist go with a glower. “I’m well within my rights… sir.”
A hush fell over the company. Not only had Dick just put Sobel in his place, but the news that someone was courting their Alpha, well…
Sobel cleared his throat, muttering something about Dick being correct before moving on.
Dick glanced over at Nix, finding he looked rather shocked himself. There was something unreadable in his gaze though. Dick lifted a shoulder, his wolf feeling a pang when Nix looked away from him.
“Change into PT gear,” Sobel barked, trying to re-establish himself and save face in front of the men. “We’re running Currahee!”
* * *
That evening, after blissfully being allowed to go to their barracks to sleep like a normal company, Carwood knocked on the frame of the open door to Dick and Nix’s shared quarters. “Ah, Carwood,” Dick greeted. “Come on in.”
Nix was nowhere to be found when Carwood looked around. “Sir, if it’s not a bother, I was hoping to talk to you.”
“Of course.” Dick motioned for him to continue as he put aside the letters he’d been writing.
“Well, you said we could come to you with any questions about wolves,” Carwood prompted, stepping up closer to the bed, hands clasped behind his back.
“I did.”
It was one of the first things Dick had done when he addressed the men. He was the only werewolf officer in the company, and he wanted all of the humans to feel free to come to him with any concerns or inquiries. While his fellow officers received special training in wolf behavior and such, the enlisted men didn’t.
While werewolves weren’t uncommon, there were plenty of people out there that didn’t really understand them. Wolves tended to stick to their own neighborhoods, forming pack bonds. Some of the men had never even met a werewolf before joining up with the troopers. And with a good number in their company being wolves, well, there was bound to be questions.
“I wanted to ask about courting, sir,” Carwood said.
That wasn’t what Dick expected. “Honestly, I thought you were going to tell me that Guarnere had shifted and was ripping up all the pillows.”
Carwood gave him a wry smile. “No, sir. Just that one time.”
Dick returned the smile. It was a joke of course. But the other wolves in Easy liked to tease Guarnere about being feral. Not that Liebgott was one to talk.
“What is it you’d like to know?” Dick prompted. He supposed he wasn’t surprised to have it come up after the rather blatant announcement to the pack that morning. Though Dick had rather expected the humans of their company to simply talk to the wolves about it.
“I understand that it’s customary for wolves to give gifts.”
“It is. They’re usually small things. It’s a way for wolves to show off their skills, prove they can provide for an intended, and how well they know them by giving them things they would like.” Dick’s lips ticked at the corners. “It’s a bit old-fashioned, admittedly, going back to more wild days. But most wolves still hold to tradition.”
Carwood nodded. “And wolves court humans sometimes, don’t they?”
Ah, that explains it. Carwood must have received a gift of his own. Dick couldn’t help the little smile on his lips. “Yes, they do. Our wolves, they feed on instinctual behavior, and courting is one of the most basest of these instincts. So, even though some humans don’t understand it fully, a wolf interested in them will still make overtures of courting more times than not.”
Carwood nodded again, teeth against his lower lip as he looked at his feet a moment. “What about humans courting wolves?”
That only served to confuse Dick then. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking on Carwood’s part that one of the wolves court him? Dick wondered just who Carwood had his eye on. Whoever it was would be infinitely lucky to have him for a mate. Admittedly, Dick had been tempted, especially after it seemed that Nix wasn’t interested.
Carwood was strong and capable. He was intelligent, with a cunning that would serve him well in the army. It didn’t hurt that Carwood was also very handsome, with a smile that seemed to light up a room. Yes, whoever it was Carwood fancied would be very lucky indeed.
“There’s nothing to say a human couldn’t,” Dick assured after a moment. “It wouldn’t be expected, naturally. But I think any wolf would be flattered - and impressed - for a human to make such a gesture.”
Carwood licked his lips, nodding once more. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate you taking the time.”
“It’s no trouble, Carwood,” Dick assured.
Carwood offered him a little smile before going to leave. At the door, the man paused, turning back around. “Sir?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t mean to be out of line, but… your scarf.” Carwood nodded towards the fabric still wrapped around Dick’s neck. “It’s just, the wolves were saying… They were talking about it being from Speirs.”
Naturally the wolves had caught it. Ron certainly hadn’t been shy about putting his scent into it and it was one that was rather unique with it’s potency and wildness.
Someone stepped up behind Carwood then. Nix. He was looking between Carwood and Dick questioningly, and Dick wondered if he had caught the question. Carwood apologized and moved out of the way.
“Don’t worry about it,” Nix replied, going over to his bed across from Dick, but the werewolf could tell he was paying attention.
Dick offered Carwood a reassuring smile. “Since you find yourself at a disadvantage, yes, it is in fact from Speirs.”
Carwood nodded, thanking him again before excusing himself.
Dick went back to writing his sister, not all that surprised when Nix spoke up. “What’s from Speirs?”
They were both aware that Nix already knew, but Dick answered him anyway. “The scarf.”
“Oh.”
After a moment, Dick looked up to find Nix taking a swig from his silver flask - the same one Dick had given to him as his first courting gift.
“So,” Nix ventured, “courting, huh?”
“Courting,” Dick agreed.
It was too bad that it seemed only one of them actually understood to what extent that meant.