Author Note: This Fan Fiction was inspired by the song Oblivion by Bastille which I do not own. I also do not own any of the characters in this fiction. That in mind enjoy!
Sometimes Derek would do this. Wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep right away. In fact more often than not he was up for most of the night. If anyone ever questioned him about it he would tell them it was the wolf in him, but the truth was more than that. The nightmares of his life, they woke him up, and the thought of having another kept him awake well into the night.
Some times when the dreams were really bad Derek would roll over and just watch Stiles sleep. A strange sort of calm coming over him when he did. The steady human heart beat and slow breathing seemed to put his mind at rest. Grounding him back in what was real and reminding him with was only a dream.
Tonight though, Derek's calm was scared away. Stiles looked much older than he ever used to. Well into his twenties now the boy wasn't a boy anymore and he didn't look like it either. Stiles was a man. A grown man and he looked it. Everything about him looked the part, the age, that he was. It scared Derek. The werewolf was well aware that he, himself, would always look the same.
There was a point in every wolfs life when they just stopped aging. He'd reached it that age not too long ago. But, oh god, Stiles was going to keep aging. He was going to get gray hair and become rather week. He wasn't going to always be able to hop around like he normally did. Without trying to Derek started to picture it in his mind's eye. The image he got formed a large lump in his throat. One that hurt to swallow down.
Eyes turning to the light glow of blue, Derek looked over Stiles face more closely. He could see the slowly forming laugh lines, worry lines starting to show around the boy- mans- eyes and mouth. He had to look away after a moment, to stop himself from becoming more upset. If he wasn't killed by something, Derek was going to have to watch Stiles become old and die. As soon as that idea passed through his mind, Derek moved slowly and wrapped his arms around Stiles, drawing the boy close to his chest.
He held Stiles close and leaned his head on the others. Giving his temple a quick kiss and silently saying a prayer to god knows what, that Stiles would age gracefully, without a mistake, that he would die happy and safe, if he had to. Derek prayed that maybe Stiles would get away from him before this life Derek lead killed him to. That Stiles would one day publish that comic he had been working on for years, and that he would never again have to feel pain. But mostly Derek prayed that wherever Stiles ended up, whoever he was with, whatever he was doing, that he would be happy and safe.
Feeling his love wiggle in his arms slightly Derek moved one arm to wipe the tear from his face quickly. He hated to let Stiles see him like this. He was supposed to be the strong one. Big bad wolf, right? That was him. The protector, the fighter, the unstoppable force that would tear the world up for the ones he loved. That was him. That was Derek.
Stiles would never understand how week he made him feel.
"Bad dream, babe?" Stiles groggy voice came softly, drifting into Derek's ears like a swan's song. The deep sound of sleep still thick on the man's question. Though Stiles voice was normally deep as it was, much deeper then when they first meet.
Nodding his head slowly, carefully, Derek didn't trust himself to speak now. He was still hurting from the thoughts of Stiles being so old. Closing his eyes as they changed back into their normal hazel color, Derek felt Stiles arms work their way around his waist.
He felt soft lips kiss the underside of his chin.
Would Stiles lips always feel like that?
Would they always comfort him so?
Keeping his eyes closed was all Derek could do now. He wanted to look down at his Stiles but knew he would break down if he did. Knew he wouldn't be able to hold back if he even gave the man a glance now. He wished that he could. He wanted to break down now. Let it out. Give someone of the hurt that had started to attack his heart and mind with someone. But he was strong. Derek had to be strong. If he wasn't then what was he?
Hearing the sound of a light sigh from below him Derek managed to crack one eye open and stare at the wall across from him. Anything but Stiles. "Derek? Are you alright?" He asked, sounding rather worried as he shifted to look up at the wolf who held him so tightly. He had his ear pressed to Derek's chest and could hear his heart beating so fast in his chest.
Now Derek could feel those beautiful honey brown eyes on him. The gaze burning him for an answer. Not being able to hold back any longer, Derek looked down into those eyes. He could barely make out Stiles face in the darkness of the night. Even with his vision being as good as it was. If he could keep his voice steady, lie, maybe he would just go back to sleep.
Loosening his arms just slightly Derek cleared his throat quietly and nodded once more. Opening his mouth to answer yes. "No, I am not." He murmured, voice sounding more gravely then he had thought it would.
As soon as the words left his lips Stiles was moving. He leaned back with one arm to turn on one of two lights above their bed's headboard. As soon as the new light filled the room Derek wanted to hide his face. He knew his eyes were watery, blood shot, and his skin must have been more pale than normal, with tear streaks running down his cheeks.
Eye brow furrowing, Stiles sat up more and took Derek's face in his hands. "Babe, it's okay, I am here." He whispered leaning down and kissing the wolf's lips softly. Closing his eyes once more, Derek kissed Stiles back, tears sliding from his closed eyes. The kiss lasted a second before he was being pulled into Stiles arms, his head guided to the boy's shoulder. Arms wrapped around each other Stiles began to coo sweet nothings into Derek's ear, rocking them both slowly. "I am here, Derek, I am here…" He whispered on to the wolf.
The words providing both a warm comfort to Derek, and a hard question.
What would he do when Stiles wasn't there?