I'M BAAAACK!
But that's okay because I have another chapter. w00t, yes?
Disclaimer: Okay look, I do not own them. I do this because it is entertaining and I'm already tired of waiting for The Reckoning to come out. Okay officer? Now get the hell out of my house!
Foolish
Chapter Two
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Dark skies surround me
Leave me feeling so alone
Destiny unknown
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"Did you just burn hot chocolate?" Derek asked, leaning over Chloe's head and peering down at the black tinged and very hot looking mud-colored substance in her coffee cup. "Is that even possible?" Chloe was blushing and avoiding eye contact. Derek had already eaten his breakfast, a few tasty bagels, but Chloe had wanted something a little more…extravagant than just toast.
She wanted hot chocolate.
Andrew had warned them to be careful around the microwave because it was touchy and Derek had, kindly, reminded her of this fact. She had just laughed at him and said that he worried too much.
Now, here they stood; two people out of the billions on the planet. The only difference was that one of them was right and feeling rather smug about it, while the other was mortified, with a slightly smoking cup of molten sludge in front of them.
"Okay, okay. You told me so. I know." Chloe said glumly as she carefully tipped the cup upside down over the sink. They both made disgusted faces when it didn't come out right away and Chloe had to shake it a bit. It slid out in one large jello-y goop, landing in the sink with a wet slap.
Derek cleared his throat and turned away to hide his slight gag. Chloe gave him a look out of the corner of her eye as she picked up a fork and poked the goop down the drain. It was fairly quiet in the room as Chloe turned on the garbage disposal and it whirred loudly, the blades scratching against each other with a sound only Derek's sensitive ears could pick up, causing him to wince.
Chloe flicked the switch and the metallic screeching stopped. Derek relaxed. Chloe turned to look at him. "So, um…" she balled up one of her hands and brought it to her mouth, clearing her esophagus loudly. "What else is there for breakfast?" She finished looking up at him shamefacedly. Derek let a small chuckle bounce around his chest.
"There was some fruit, a couple of bagels are left," He went to the fridge and pulled it open, cold air flying out to meet him. He bent at the waist and looked into the appliance. "Something that Eggo made. It might be some waffles. I think. Dunno. They look sorta old." He glanced over at Chloe who was bent down next to him. She met his gaze. "I wouldn't eat them if I were you. They smell like they're freezer burnt."
Chloe shook her head. "An apple sounds real good right now." She said. Derek reached into the fridge and grabbed an apple. He tossed it to Chloe who made a few yipping noises as she struggled to catch it. It slipped from her fingers and she bent to catch it the same time Derek did.
Derek cracked his chin on the top of her head and he bit his tongue. He grunted and shot back up again rubbing his jaw while Chloe crouched on the floor holding her head. The apple lay forgotten on the floor, wobbling back and forth, tauntingly. Derek knelt down swiftly to look at Chloe, a sudden panic grabbing his heart when he knew that she should be fine. Normally that wouldn't hurt her.
He wasn't normal. For all he knew, he could have just given her a concussion with his chin. "Chloe?" he asked trying to get her to look at him. She did and offered him a shaky smile, eyes watering. He frowned and grabbed onto her chin, gently tilting her head down so he could look at the injury site. It looked fine…
"Derek, I'm okay." Chloe said tapping her fingers on the floor, her short nails making clicking noises. He released her chin and she looked up at him, any trace of watery eyes gone, a reassuring smile in place. "Really, I'm fine."
Derek couldn't deny the feeling of relief. His wolf side was happy. Real happy. It was ridiculous how happy the wolf was. The only thing that Derek could think as he sat back against the counter, watching Chloe pick up the apple and wash it off in the sink, was that he was so glad that he was in control right now, not the wolf because he didn't know what he would have done otherwise.
He was shaken from his thoughts by a crisp snapping noise as Chloe bit into the evil fruit. He looked up, the sweet smell of the juice wafting from her now. Derek inhaled deeply. God it smelt so good…
"…You sleep?" She asked looking at him expectantly. Derek blinked. He had no idea she was even talking.
"What?" he asked making sure to look at her face and not at her lips, which were shimmering slightly in the light due to the apple juice. His own mouth was watering now in reflex to the scent. Chloe cocked her head to the side.
"I asked you how you slept." She informed him before taking another chunk of the apple off with her teeth. He blinked again. There was almost no sound in the kitchen aside from the sound of Chloe chewing and the breathing of them both. Then he remembered he had to answer. Duh.
"I slept fine." He answered, standing up and towering over her again. Her eyes followed him all the way up. It always surprised him how small she seemed compared to him. Most people were, but with Chloe, she was especially small for some reason. He glanced at the clock on the microwave of doom and saw that it said it was only six thirty. This then caused him to wonder why she was up so early. "Why are you up so early?"
She chewed slower and looked out the window past him. Then she shrugged, her chewing pace resuming. "I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep." She replied simply. Derek was quiet. She wasn't being truthful. If she didn't want to tell him then it wasn't his problem. He knew that, but…
He wanted to know.
"That's not what happened is it." He did say it like a question. He stated it. Chloe blushed lightly at being caught and turned to grab a napkin and wipe her lips off. He waited patiently.
"It's not. No." She told him sheepishly. Derek leaned himself back against the counter and peered down at her through his hair, dry now. He gestured for her to continue when she got a distant look on her face. Chloe nodded and said; "It's just… There's a ghost in the room next to mine. She wouldn't stop crying, even when I tried to talk to her. I could find her, I could just here someone crying."
She looked at the floor and fiddled with the apple stem, a dark cloud seemingly descending over her head, the smile that had been on her face evaporating faster than water on a hot day. Not for the first time, Derek felt glad that he wasn't a necromancer.
Not that he was happy with being a werewolf, but he was glad he didn't have to deal with dead people or see the things she had to but never should have. He felt bad for her, but didn't want to give her pity. He tilted his head to the side looking down at her, uncrossing his arms from in front of him and pushing off the counter.
"Hey, Chloe." He said. She looked up at him. "It's okay. Don't worry. We can just get you another room." There was a grateful light in her eyes and she smiled a smile that had the corner of his mouth twitching. He looked away from her eyes and say that she had a clump of dust in her hair. A twinge of annoyance spiked up suddenly at the sight of this insignificant speck along with the question as to where the heck it came from. Then there was the strongest urge to reach up and flick it off…
Almost on its own accord his hand reached up. Derek stopped it when Chloe looked at him and asked him what. He had to practically force his hand down. "You have some dust in your hair." He said after clearing his throat.
Chloe said; "Oh." And ran her fingers through her hair, each time asking him if she got it out and each time missing it, his annoyance growing. Finally, he let the wolf have its way and he reached up and gently grabbed onto the dust, pulling it off and running the strand of hair through his fingers.
"It's gone now." He said awkwardly. Chloe reached up and held onto the hair he had touched while he stood there stupidly with a piece of lint in his fingers. They looked at each other. Her liquid eyes consuming.
Suffocating.
The wolf inside him was itching. He wanted to dominate. He wanted Chloe, or wanted "That bitch." The wolf knew he could do it. No one else was awake and according to the scent coming off of her she wouldn't mind if he did. Andrew wouldn't be a problem. He was probably upstairs in the library. The wolf egged him on. Derek's control was dangerously close to snapping and her eyes…
She looked away, cheeks tinted slightly. Derek took a step away from her, cleared his throat again, and walked the long way around to the garbage can while the wolf was practically howling with anger. He tossed the lint ball into the trash and stood there taking deep breaths and shoving the wolf back into place.
"Leave me alone." He said under his breath. The wolf grumbled and then was silent. Derek sighed in relief and turned to her again. She was finishing off the apple and wiping off her face with the, now dirty, napkin. Derek hoped the wolf would stay silent so that they could have a simple conversation without any stupid interruptions…
There was a loud thump from upstairs and Derek automatically knew that Simon was awake. He tilted his head to the side and listened just to be sure that it wasn't just Andrew dropping a book… or ten. A garbled cuss at stubbing his toe on the wall confirmed that Simon was among the living. And that he was hungry.
That meant that he would be in the kitchen soon and that Derek would no longer be needed for Chloe entertainment. That he could get away from her and her intoxicating smell before the wolf came back and did something horrible to her.
That, and the kitchen seemed to be a disaster point for him today.
Simon stomped his way down the stairs and burst into the kitchen, smiling and slapping him on the back on his way to Chloe. Or the refrigerator.
Probably both.
He told Chloe good morning and she smiled and said good morning back. Then they began to chit chat about things that they chit chatted about. It was… distracting.
He turned and left the kitchen, needing some place to cool his head.
Was it good? Or too short? I can make them longer if you want.
Review please!
