Braeden is sitting at the table in Derek's loft dismantling her shotguns wearing only his t-shirt and socks,one leg folded beneath her knee when he asks her for the second time late one evening.

The city of Beacon Hills is seemingly quiet as cars park in their garages for the night. No supernatural beings to conquer, no mysteries to solves, no crises to advert just the stillness of a day drawing to a close.

Derek is lounging on the couch across the open space, watching her. Admiring the way she focuses on the guns, showing them close attention. Carefully examining each component of it. Secretly he loves the way her forehead wrinkles when she reaches a spot a little harder to clean.

His eyes slowly roam her body up and down appreciating every inch of her. From the rhythmic swing of her left foot dangling under the chair to her messy brown hair in a bun, soft curls barely visible. She drops the handkerchief she was cleaning with,leans over to pick it up and her hair falls out of place. "Shit."

Blowing out a deep breath, Braeden swats her hair behind her ear and continues sorting the magazines on the smiles because he knows how much she hates her hair in her face.

"Brae." He says calmly. Here goes nothing he thinks.

"Hmm." She doesn't look up.

He had a feeling she wouldn't. It would be easier to ask her again without having to stare into her beautiful hazel eyes. Easier to swallow the rejection if he didn't get lost in her gaze.

"I want to ask you something."

Braeden stops cleaning the barrel of her shotgun. She slowly puts it on the table and lifts her chin to look directly at Derek.

"Okay." She says skeptically. "Ask me."

She had a feeling where this was going and she wanted to get it over with.

He reclined further into the couch, stretching his arms over the back. "We've been doing this thing between us for a while. I like it. You like it. My place is big enough for the two of us so move in with me. We're better here together."

She closed her eyes. "Derek." She sighed. "We're not ready for this."

"We are." He said as he sat up straighter,staring right at her. "Trust me."

Running a hand over her face, Braeden stood up, pushed in the chair and walked toward the couch, Derek's shirt falling seductively off her shoulders. When she stood in front of him she dropped to her knees and took his hands in hers. They were sweaty and warm. She knew him well enough to know this was evidence of just how nervous this topic was making him.

She smiled at him as she said. "I do trust you. It was you who didn't trust me in the beginning remember?"

Derek intwined their fingers. "Well I've come a long way."

"You have, we have." She rubbed her thumb over his long slender hands thinking of how strong they are now when they used to belong to such a broken person before.

Shifting her weight on her knees, Braeden took a deep breath and pressed her lips together. He saw the change in her. The air began to feel heavy and threaten to constrict his airway. Derek's breathing increased as he readied himself for another "no." He would try not to look hurt this time, he promised himself. So he stared into her eyes for what felt like a century, searching for past lives they might have spent together. Eras the two of them fought dragons and civil injustices, side by side. Watching the historical events of the world take place around them while they formed their own world, just the two of them. Him and her. Danger and his Doll. Beauty and the Bronze. The Man and the Miracle. When he found all them in the irises of her brilliant brown orbs, he realized she had been talking to him. "That's fair, right?"

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Fair?" He blinked and raised his eyebrows.

Braeden cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips. She wanted him to understand why things like this can't be rushed. She let go of his hands and watched as Derek's eyes hardened into a cold gray. When he attempted to stand up, she opened his arms and slid into his lap. Instinctively Derek wrapped his arms around her waist to center her on top of him. His face was all hard lines but his eyes were softening by the second. Braeden placed both hands on his chest, her touch slowing his heaves to a complete stop. He never broke eye contact, neither did she. Eventually she felt his fingers flex on her hips and he dropped his eyes. " Derek." She whispered, caressing shoulders. "Look at me."

He squeezed her hips lightly and brought his stunning green eyes up to meet hers. She had his full attention.

"Hey" Braeden tapped his nose. "I don't want you to think that I'm not in this because I don't want to move in, that's not it. Derek, you have to understand that this whole relationship thing is new to me. I didn't do relationships before you."

A small grin broke out across Derek's face.

"Getting close to people wasn't in the job description. It was get in, get the job done, get out. And if I did it right leave everything behind to go after the next job. No connections, no ties, no trace of me left anywhere."

She moved her hands to cup his face. "What you're asking me to do goes against everything I have been used to for the past 5 years. It won't be pick up and disappear anymore, it'll be settle down and stay here. Build a life, here. A home. Something I haven' had in a long time Derek."

Rubbing her sides, feeling the soft cotton of the shirt in his hands He nodded. "And you're scared."

She looked down and then back up at him. She nodded.

"I get it. I understand how scary letting someone in can be, people you think you can trust and then they prove you wrong." His jaw set and skin cooled to the touched. He looked like he was remembering something that hurt. Something he had lived through but only barely escaped. Maybe it was a few years ago, maybe it was yesterday, Braeden didn't know. He wasn't much of a talker so all she currently knew about him she figured out. In his eyes right now, was a pain she wasn't sure she wasn't the cause of.

"Derek, I- I"

He cut her off. "Let me finish."

Oh no. He is not taking this as well as she thought he would. Did he really think that she couldn't be trusted? She thought they were past that. Braeden squirmed in his lap under his gaze even though she couldn't be entirely sure that he was looking at her so much as through her. She began to mentally prepare for the worst.

Derek spoke. "But I also know what it's like to lose someone. A lot of people actually. Listen to me when I say that when the opportunity to spend time with those you care about comes around, I'm taking it. Because I care Braeden. I care about you and I want you here. With me. So I can keep you safe, protect you."

"I don't need protecting." Batting her long eyelashes at him, she ran her index finger along his jawline. "I can take care of myself."

Derek suppressed his smile as he looked over Braeden's shoulder at the shotgun parts spread out on his table. "Yes, I'm aware."

She allowed herself to relax as she realized that he might be capable of keeping his word. Protecting her and her heart would prove to be a lot of work but Derek could handle it.

Rubbing circles into her back with one hand, Derek cupped Braeden's face gently with the other and kissed her. She moaned and felt him smile inside her mouth. He loved the taste of her lips and honestly would never tire of the sounds she made when he kissed her so when she pulled away he looked at her strangely.

"Wa- wa-ait, wait before I get distracted, I have to say this." She replied breathless.

Derek looked momentarily disappointed but perked up when Braeden pecked his lips.

She continued. " I'm not saying no to never moving in, I'm saying that I need more time. You were right when you said we were good here together but who's to say we will be good here together all day,everyday? I need time to make sure I want this as much as you do so this is not a no. This is, ask me again later. Give me some time D. That's fair, right?"

Derek leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Braeden closed her eyes.

"It's fair.." He said kissing her nose. "but I don't" Her pecked her chin "have to" and finally her waiting lips "like it."

"Wouldn't expect anything less." Braeden giggled.

They kissed each other like the moment was all they had. Each breath they took in between ravaging, smoldering hot, searing kisses was like trying to tear away a part of skin. Neither wanted to stop even though their lungs protested so they didn't. For the next hour, it was just Derek & Braeden the way they always were without a question lingering in the air.

Without an army of supernaturals to fight. Without complications that looked a lot like commitment.

They sank into each other as the sun began to rise in the early morning sky, falling asleep flesh to flesh. The only way they knew how, together.

Derek's eyelids fluttered open at the absence of a certain warmth he was used to. He reached for Braeden and she was gone. The only thing left in her usual spot was a note.

Confused and barely conscious Derek picked it up and his stomach sank. He was dreading reading the words. He thought that the worst had happened and that insisting she move in too soon pushed her away for good. It was too early and he really didn't want to hear her explain how their relationship was over but he took a deep breath and read it anyway.

Noooo! Don't you just hate cliffhangers? Personally I have a love/hate relationship with them. But what was in Braeden's note? Review! Tell me what you think! It gives me self-esteem I need to survive. lol The more people like this, the quicker the next chapter will be up! Until next time lovelies, be nice people! Muah!