So before you read this go and read my fic Screaming In The Dark, which is you could say the prequel to this! I was in town today and I thought to myself that I've told this story from Derek's side, so why not tell it from Stiles' point of view! Rated T for swearing just like the other one. This is just a quick thing I wrote so if there are any spelling mistakes or continuity errors, don't shoot me.


Some say that if you're in a coma, you don't hear or feel anything. Others say that you are completely aware of your surroundings; you're able to hear different voices and feel different objects. The rest say you're in this dream like state that can last for years in your mind, but only a few days in reality.

Stiles is the second. He can hear the buzz of the monitor, and the slow laboured breathing of Derek. He can hear his dad shout at the nurses and cry in despair. He can feel Erica's warm flesh cascade down unto his as she hugs him. Whilst he just lies there. He's trapped in his own body. Trapped in the dark. He feel claustrophobic and scared, but at the same time tranquil. It's peaceful and he has his thoughts to himself. He knows in his mind he's going to be okay, it's just whether his body wants to wake up from the trauma it's had. And that's the worrying part.

All he'd done was swerve to avoid hitting that stupid stray dog. But he'd hit a pothole and his jeep overturned three times, landing on its side. Stiles thought it was a miracle that he'd gotten out with a few bumps and bruises. He remembers calling Derek and telling him not to sleep just yet, but to come out and get him because he crashed his car. He remembers feeling embarrassed and dizzy, his head light as he leant against the crumpled jeep. He remembers seeing the lights of Derek's car almost blind him and give him a headache as he reaches up to shield his eyes. He remembers the fast movement making him black out and fall into Derek's arms as his body went limp.

It was black after that. Black for what seemed like days, but was only in reality a few hours.

He wakes up. Of course he can't see anything, but his hearing is perfectly intact. He knows he's not breathing by himself, the tube stuck down his throat at an awkward angle is uncomfortable, but he gets used to it. He hears crying, and immediately it breaks his heart to know his dad is by his side. His hand is joined with the Sheriff's as he hears his dad talking to him, saying phrases over and over again such as "please wake up Stiles, I need you" and "I can't let you die on me, not after your mother" and this tears his heart into two because he knows that if his body gives up the fight his dad will be all alone. He wants to scream out and cry waterfalls but his body won't let him and this only frustrates him further.

The crying stops after a while and his hand is cold as it lays there still by his side. He hears the beeping of the monitor and the slow laboured breathing of Derek. Of course Derek would be there, of course. Stiles wills with all of his might for his hand to move, to even lift a finger so Derek knows he's okay. I'm here Derek! I'm here, I'm alive I swear. But nothing comes out, nothing moves. He wants to curl up into a ball and cry against Derek. He wants to hug the wolf and tell him thank you for being his very own guard dog, but he's completely fine. He just needs his own lazy body to wake up first. Mentally I am okay Derek I swear. If only you could read minds.

A few days pass and Stiles slips in an out of a dream like state. One time he dreams about his mother, and they are sat in a field in the middle of nowhere at night and his mother is teaching him about the stars and the planets. They're both looking up and grinning as his mother reaches up and points each star out, slipping in a fact every now and again and making Stiles laugh because he forgot how clever she was. He dreams about himself and Derek in the future, surrounded by werewolf pups and he laughs to himself (if he could laugh to himself) because the whole scene is entirely ridiculous but somehow he wants that to happen. He dreams about Erica and Boyd getting married and Scott losing the rings beforehand like some cheesy black and white 50's comedy, only to find them again just before the pair say their "I do's". And finally he dreams about his and Derek's wedding. Stiles is looking in front of him at Derek dressed in a sleek black tux and his heart swells and his eyes water as he realises that he's going to spend the rest of his life with this man. They're paired and they're mated and they're in love.

But they're just dreams, Stiles thinks to himself. If his body doesn't want to get it's ass into gear, none of this will happen. He'll just be another body in the ground that people come to visit from time to time and reminisce stories about how Stiles was an idiot. He tries to move his fingers again and his brain hurts from the varied attempts but nothing seems to work. Nothing at all and it angers him and frustrates him and he feels like giving up.

But the problem is he's not even worrying about himself, not really. He's worrying for Derek because he knows Derek hasn't moved in days. He remembers Erica telling him to go and shower because "Stiles wouldn't want to wake up to a stench like that", and in his mind he is laughing because Erica knows him so well.

His mind fails and goes into a dream like state once more. He sleeps inside his own mind for what seems like years, and when he comes around he hears two voices. The two voices that are most important to him right now and they are talking about him. But in a good way, and his heart just about explodes from the fact they're bonding.

He hears Derek talk about how when Stiles wakes up, he wants to take them away somewhere across country, maybe New York or somewhere quieter where they can just spend the weekend together as Stiles deserves a break. Hell yeah I do he thinks. He laughs inside his mind as he hears his dad is reluctant and he feels warmth cascade through his body knowing his dad is always there to look out for him. He wants to reach out and hug Derek for making such an effort, but at the same time he wants to slap him for wanting to spend so much money. Stiles never wants to make a fuss. He never wants money spent on him; he's not a charity case. But in his mind he sighs a heavy sigh as he knows that Derek is even more ignorant than he is, and Derek will win, just like he always does.

He hears them both call him an idiot and he wants to scowl and wake up and tell them that he's here, he can hear them! But of course his body disobeys and he just has to lie there and hear them laugh about him and call him stupid little names that are petty and are meant to be taken lightly but Stiles sees red. He'll be having words about this with Derek when he wakes up. If he wakes up.

From what the nurses tell him, it's the eighth day of his coma. He overhears the lovely nurse called Amy something-or-other tell Derek that he should go home and sleep because he looks awful. Derek growls, a low rumble erupting from his chest and he feels the nurse's shoes pitter-patter on the floor as she hot-foots it out of the room and the two of them are left alone once more. He can tell it's night. He doesn't know why, but he can tell.

He hears the squeak of the chair and his hand is being picked up by Derek's as he intertwines his fingers with his. Stiles wants to wake up and hug him and tell him everything will be okay as Stiles realises that this is the first time Derek has touched him in eight days. He fears to himself that Derek has had enough and he's saying his goodbyes but he doesn't want Derek to leave, not yet. He can feel himself so close to the edge of waking up, he just needs to make that jump and open his eyes or move his fingers but his body won't allow him. Not yet.

"Please Stiles," comes Derek's desperate voice and Stiles wants to weep because he's trapped inside his own mind, he can't comfort the wolf that is in so much pain. He hears Derek repeat this over and over again, he feels his tears slipping down and making his own hand wet as Derek rests his head on the joining hands. "Please wake up. Do it for me, for your dad, for Scott and the pack. Please. I just need to see you once more. I need to hear that stupid voice of yours and I need you to tell me you love me because I hate myself. Please Stiles."

He hates himself? Why does he hate himself? This is none of his fault and Stiles is angry again. He wants to slap Derek upside the head and tell him to shut up. He wants to stop Derek's mouth with a kiss and he wants to rest his head in the nook of Derek's neck and inhale his musky scent as he feels Derek's arms wrap around his waist. He wants all of this, he wants to wake up, he just wants to wake up.

That's when he feels his own fingers move. Just slightly at first, but when Derek heaves a dry sob they move more and he can move his entire hand now. His arms regains feeling as he lifts it up slowly and moves it so it rests in Derek's hair and he pulls lightly as if to say "Derek I'm here, look I'm alive." He daren't try speaking because he worries this is all another dream, he worries that he's on the verge of death and this is his mind's way of saying goodbye to the world.

But Stiles can definitely move now and this scares him. He hears the monitor connected to his pulse rate increase rapidly and he knows that this is no longer a dream. He focuses his attention to his own eyelids which feel heavy and tired and he almost laughs because he's been in a coma for eight days, why would he be tired? But they open and at first the room is completely blurry but they eventually adjust. He doesn't even look around the room, he just turns his head straight to Derek and he wants to cry out in pain because Derek looks utterly awful. His clothes are tattered and dirty and his hair is all tousled as if he's been pulling it out in angst and shame. Stiles moves his hand slowly to Derek's shoulder and he shakes him three times, but the alpha doesn't move. He just stays there and cries and Stiles hand rests on Derek's shoulder in a feeble attempt to stop them moving. Stiles grasps the fingers that are holding his own and he grasps tightly and this rouses Derek. He watches Derek go stiff beside him and Stiles squeezes and pulls some more.

"Derek," he finally manages to croak and he almost sobs with joy that his own body is responding so well to his needs. "Derek, I'm awake, look." Stiles grows more confident and he releases Derek's fingers and he moves his own up to the alpha's chin, pulling slightly so now Derek is looking at him face to face. Stiles smiles slightly and his lips crack because they are so sore and chapped, but Stiles doesn't care. He doesn't care that the smallest drop of blood has formed on one of his lips, he just uses his tongue to wipe it away and he smiles some more. Derek doesn't seem to think this is real and Stiles feels Derek restrain against his fingers and Stiles has had enough, he's awake God damnit! "Derek please look at me," he tries for a final time and he coughs slightly as his throat hurts as it's dry and cracked. But Derek looks at him, his efforts have paid off. And Derek cries and he cries with Derek and they both hold each other's hands and sob for a while, sob for the happiness and sob because Stiles is finally awake. Stiles pulls Derek down on top of him and Derek gently complies and they're hugging and cradling each other and crying some more. Stiles feels Derek nuzzle himself into Stiles' neck and he knows this is for comfort and although Derek's stubble is rough and grainy against his skin he doesn't care because he is in Derek's arms once more.

Derek finally pulls away and sits down on the side of the bed and Stiles feels strong enough to talk. "Funny how I've just woken up from a coma and I'm the one comforting you," he says and he smiles because Derek laughs and Stiles wants to cry with happiness once more because the alpha is laughing and he knows this is a huge thing because he sees Derek's eyes water and he wants to wipe away the stray tears with his fingers or his tongue.

"How long has it been?" Stiles asks finally and he watches as Derek inhales and exhales slowly, leaning in so his nose is centimetres away from Stiles'.

"Eight fucking days," Derek says and Stiles secretly congratulates his body and mind for hearing and working out the time correctly, "eight fucking days."

He watches the pain in Derek's eyes and the tenseness in Derek's shoulders and he notices that Derek looks sad, and angry. He pieces the puzzle together in his mind as he brings that night back to the front of his memory. About how Derek didn't want to go out because he was tired, and not even Stiles could twist his arm.

Derek thinks this is his fault.

"It's not your fault," Stiles says eventually. His voice is slow and calming but he gets irritated as the ignorant wolf begins to shake his head and tell him otherwise. "It's not!" he says once again and his voice is firm and Derek stops all movements and just sits there and watches him for a while.

"I guess you'll just have to come out on every date with me from now on," Stiles says and the big bad werewolf laughs again and wrinkles his nose slightly as he shifts and stands up.

"I guess so," the alpha replies and he sees Derek shuffle slightly and crouch down.

Derek looks absolutely exhausted. "Move over so I can get into bed with you," he watches Derek say and before he's even finished his sentence Stiles is moving over very slowly to the other side of the bed. He moves his legs first and is elated when they're moving and complying with his brain. He then moves the rest of his body and he almost laughs as Derek just plonks himself beside him and moves an arm behind Stiles so Stiles is now using Derek's chest as a pillow. The beeping is distant as he closes his eyes and listens intently to Derek's heart beat, which has increased slightly but is still steady. "It'll be nice to lie down, that chair has been killing my back." He hears Derek say and giggles but is sad because Derek had spent eight days in that chair for him. Eight days. He can't think how to repay Derek for being so protective and loving but he knows he's going to have to, he figures he'll cook dinner or perform some sexual favour and Derek will be right as rain once more. He smiles against Derek's chest and Derek hugs him closer. Everything is going to be okay after all.