Tied to You Through Wicked Dreams

[triskeles_spark]

It had been a rough day. One of those days where you could almost feel your life veering off the rails, sparks burning orange behind your lids every time you blinked. It was one of those days. Between Scott talking about wolves and that weird stunt with smelling the gum in his pocket, things had just been a little bit off. And then there was the body that Scott swore he found, and Derek Hale showing up... Stiles recognized him, though it had been how many years since they'd last seen each other? He didn't remember their first meeting very clearly, but he'd been young, nine or ten and with his nose in the new Incredible Hulk comic book, as their parents had talked very seriously about something. Derek had given him something that was probably still buried somewhere amoung his Star Wars and Star Trek and Avengers and X-Men and other sundry geek and sci-if and fantasy knick-knacks.

Then, he'd gotten home just in time to overhear from his father that the fiber analysis had come back, and there were animal hairs on the body. Wolf hairs. So much for his insistence about wolves having not lived in California for decades. It had him thinking back to the jokes he'd made early about lycanthropy, though he shook his head and tried to banish the thought. He was slumped in his computer chair, spinning from side to side and nibbling on the end of a pen with worry.

Stiles had absolutely no awareness of the connection between him and Derek, let alone anything like betrothal. He thought he just remembered him because of being with his father after the fire, because of those sad green eyes. And, well, he could ever forget that jawline?

Derek had his work cut out for him, to put it mildly.

Comments

[haleicious]

It had been years. Rationally, he knew that Stiles had been young, probably younger than he was, and certainly less interested in the whole thing than he was. It was likely that he wouldn't remember the details of that night, that he might not have recognized the way it had felt and what it all meant.

Derek hadn't been so sure about it, wondered if somehow his parents had been wrong about Stiles. His parents told him to give it time, that they knew they were right and he would be, too, when the time came.

It had been strange. Stiles had been so disinterested, hardly even caring when he pressed the little silver charm into Stiles' hand while they're parents talked at the table in the other room. He'd been more interested in the book he was reading, and Derek wasn't sure if this was how it was supposed to feel.

These years had been difficult. He didn't feel anything like the bond some carried between betrothal and committal. He felt… nothing at all. Nothing, that is, until that night in the woods when he'd seen him again, the first time in how long?

He'd changed, and Derek realized that he must have, too, in that time. He must look so different, and yet he knew that Stiles recognized him, heard his voice lilt up as he told his friend That's Derek Hale. He hadn't realized until then how it would feel to see him again, that it wouldn't be some uncomfortable meeting of strangers, but that there would be something there. Some connection, however awkward it might be, that made him want to come closer.

He'd stayed close, after, following Stiles home that night, but he hadn't come in, hadn't come up to his window. He'd waited, just a few days, needing time to sort out his feelings about it, but he couldn't stay away tonight, not after having caught sight of Stiles earlier and how upset he looked, how shaken.

Stiles' bedroom window was open, and maybe he should have knocked, but he didn't. Instead, he just came in, standing just inside the window, watching Stiles from across the room. He didn't come close, didn't try to touch yet; he kept his distance.

"Are you alright?" he asks, voice low and full of concern.