Fire.
Fire is everywhere. Burning him. Taunting him. Smoke fills his nose and mouth. Anytime he tries to scream for help, flames push down his throat. He spins in the cage he, constantly looking for a way out, but there is none. He doesn't dare approach the walls of fire, he isn't stupid, but he is becoming desperate. The only thing that helps is a glorious scent. When it swept into the cage, the flames would subside and the heat would die. It was strong enough to even smother the smell of ash. Sometimes when the scent came it would be followed by a voice. Though he could never understand what it was saying, its as if he was deep underwater, straining to understand. He always welcomed the scent and noise, promising to one day escape and find the source.
Now, as the scent fills the cage, he can tell there is something different. He can pick up on emotions, something he hasn't ever been able to do before. The scent is powerful, overwhelming as pure panic leaks out of it. This person, his person is in trouble. Desperately he spins around, looking for an escape that isn't there. There has to be a way out, he has to help his person. As the panic rises, he doesn't think as he throws himself against a wall of fire. The flames don't burn, so he does it again. Again and Again. Until-
Derek's eyes snap open, widely roaming what he recognizes as his bedroom until they land on a figure. A slender man facing away from him, hair damp and skin covered in ink. A pair of ball shorts is the only piece of clothing he has on. Every muscle in the man's back seems to quiver. A rank scent fills the air, something powerful and dangerous. Though he can smell it, that glorious scent. Its here, somewhere among the scent of decay.
Derek tries to speak, but something is shoved down his throat. A choked gasp escapes him as he panics slightly. The man turns, whiskey orbs meeting his before widening with shock. Derek chokes again and then the man is hovering over him, tears leaking down his face.
"Easy. Its the feeding tube." He says, voice raw. "Hold on a sec. Okay, cough for me."
Derek follows his instructions. Relieved once the damn thing is removed from his scratchy throat. He notices the decaying smell is starting to subside, allowing his favorite scent to bleed into the air more, though he still can't tell where it is coming from.
"Better?"
Derek nods. The man just takes him all in, more tears spilling over his cheeks. Derek does the same. His build is slim, but he is packed with smooth muscles. What catches his eye the most is all the ink. Varies symbols that he has no idea on what they mean. That is until he sees two vary distinct tattoos. An arrow on the man's forearm with A.A. sketched in the middle and a triskelion on his left pec. Just like the one on his back. For someone reason the sight of his family symbol has his wolf preening with pride. He frowns in confusion at the emotion.
His eyes are roaming back up to meet the man's eyes when they catch on a scar. Not just any scar, but a pale half crescent right at the crook of his neck. The pale line cuts right through one of the inked symbols. A mating mark. This man is claimed by a werewolf. Derek's eyes snap up to those whiskey brown, a small whimper leaves him. His wolf not liking the idea that this man is claimed by someone else.
The man smiles at him, tears falling onto Derek's bare chest. "Hey, Sourwolf."
Derek swallows. Sourwolf?
The man frowns slightly. "Come on, Derek. You can't just wake up and not talk to me. You can speak, right?"
Derek cocks his head to the side. Maybe the man doesn't know him if he thinks he is mute. He opens his mouth to say something when the scent of blood hits him. He starts to sit up to search for the source, but a bandaged hand gently pushes on his chest.
"Easy, you're still hooked to the machines."
Machines? That's when he notices them. The beeping, the tug of the IV in his hand, the stickers on his chest. How had he not noticed them earlier? Had he really been that focused on the man and... that scent. He still needs to find the source of that scent.
The man lifts his bandaged hand and Derek whines. He's hurt. He can't stop himself from lifting his own hand to gently caress the bandage.
"Its okay. Nothing major."
Did someone hurt him? Derek's eyes scan the room a quiet growl rumbling from his chest. Soft fingers against his cheek has him looking back at the man.
"No one hurt me. I promise." He studies Derek's face. "Do you think you can get the wolf to ease back?" Derek frowns. "Come on, Sourwolf. Let those eyes fade. Let me see those gorgeous green."
Derek blinks. Then blinks again. Willing the red to fade away. He hadn't even realized they were flaring with his status.
The man smiles. "That it. God I've missed the sight of those."
Again confusion hits Derek. Does he know this man? "W-" Fuck his voice is hoarse. "W-Who are you?"
He watches as hope and anything happy on the man's face shatter. His wolf whines, but Derek is able to control himself from making the noise audible.
"You don't know me?" More tears spill down the man's face. Derek shakes his head? "What do you remember?"
Derek frowns. "I came home after a long day of work to find..." He looks up at the man. He's claimed, he has the hale symbol, and he obviously has been taking care of Derek. Even though he doesn't know why he has needed this extensive care, he knows the pack wouldn't let just anyone around him. This man could be trusted. "To find that Malia had run away to God knows where."
His cousin was always a free spirit. He had been trying to teach her the ways of the company over the last few weeks, so that she could take over if anything happened to him. He guesses she'd rather run away instead of take on any responsibility. Fuck, he needs to start looking for her.
The man opens his mouth several times, before snapping it shut and standing. Derek hadn't even realized the man was practically on top of him, before his body heat was gone. Why were his senses so dull around this man?
"Who are you?" Derek asks again.
"My name is Stiles." His eyes seem to burn into Derek's soul. "You really don't know who I am?"
Derek's eyebrows furrow together. He can't recall a single thing about this man, though his wolf reacts strongly towards him. Almost possessively, but that can't be. This man is claimed and Derek is not mated.
He slowly sits up, the man, Stiles', allows it, but keeps an eye on his movements. Even helping to remove all the wiring and IV before powering down all the machines.
"Should I know you?" He knows as soon as the words leave his mouth that its the wrong thing to say.
Pain crosses Stiles' face before he starts to head towards the door. "Let me go get someone."
The very thought of Stiles leaving him alone, even if he is a stranger, has him whining in distress. He has no idea why his wolf is so close to the surface, but he doesn't care. Stiles can't leave him.
Stiles stops, eyes meeting his. "I won't leave, just... hold on." He pokes his head out of the door. "Lydia!" He calls.
Footsteps near the bedroom. Derek growls softly, he doesn't like a lot of people in his room. Yet... he has been completely fine with Stiles' presence.
Stiles glances back at him. "I know, but she is going to help you."
Again Derek frowns. Stiles seems to understand exactly what his growls mean. Do they truly know one another?
"What is it?" Lydia's voice brings Stiles attention back to the hall.
Stiles doesn't say anything, just opens the door allow her to see in the room. Tears spring into her eyes as she swiftly makes her way to Derek's side to pull him into a hug.
"Derek. Its... Its so good to see you awake." She sobs.
Derek awkwardly hugs her back. "Lydia, what happened?"
She pulls back from him, glancing to Stiles, who is now leaning against the dresser. Her eyes fall to his hand. "What did you punch this time?"
Stiles doesn't even look at the bandage hand, even as blood begins to seep through the bandage. "Its not important right now. Talk to him... he knows you."
Her head whips back to Derek as her eyebrows raise. "You don't know Stiles?"
Derek swallows as he again studies the man. His wolf whimpers at the distance between them, but again there is nothing familiar about him. "No." Another tear leaves Stiles' red rimmed eye. Derek looks back at Lydia. "What happened to me?"
Lydia's lips become a thin line. "There was a... fight and you got hurt. Derek, you've been in a coma for a month."
Derek sucks in a quick breath. That can't be right. It can't be. "A month? What the fuck happened?"
Again Lydia glances at Stiles. "The pack was attacked. Theo, the man who attacked us, blasted you with some kind of spell. You haven't been awake since."
A growl rips out of Derek's throat. His pack was attacked?
"Don't worry. Theo is dead. No one was hurt during the fight, but you." Stiles' voice soothes him, even with the edge.
"You were hurt." Lydia says softly.
"I'm fine." Stiles grumbles.
Though Derek's eyes fall on the healed but fresh scar on the man's rib. It looks like it was nasty. There were other smaller puffy pink lines among the visible skin. His eyes couldn't help but snag on the bandaged hand. He had punched something? And from the sound of it he done it often. His eyes met Stiles'.
"I'm fine." He says again.
Then the words hit him again. He's been in a coma for a month. "What about the company? Who's been running it? Please tell me Peter hasn't gotten his hands on the control."
Stiles growls, though human, at the name. "That bastard needs to mind his own goddamn business."
Lydia's brows shoot up. "Is he the reason for earlier?"
Stiles nods. "Him and a few other things. I'll explain everything tomorrow. I promise."
Derek's frustration starts to grow. "Lydia the company."
"Stiles has been running it. He's been doing a pretty good job at it too."
A bark of laughter leaves Stiles. "Thats a load of bullshit, I've failed everyone." A pulse of power leaves him, filling the air with the decaying smell again.
Lydia doesn't even flinch as her mouth opens to say something, but Derek growls at the static in the air, at the danger. "Who are you?"
Something like panic enters Stiles' eyes. "I told you, I'm Stiles."
"No. Who are you? Why are you here?" Derek doesn't like the idea of Stiles, someone who is dangerous, running his company, for whatever the reason that he is.
Stiles glances at Lydia who only shrugs. "He deserves to know."
Stiles eyes meet his again. "I'm the pack druid. I was also the emissary, but I let Lydia take that responsibility over this past month. Today proved it was the right choice for our pack." Another pulse of power leaves him.
Derek snarls at the energy. Lydia places a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Stiles swallows. "Sorry. Its been really hard to control lately."
He needs to be on his feet. Stiles is dangerous. His control is clearly lost and he is in his mansion, close to his pack. He needs to get him away from here, even if that brings on a fight. Stiles eyes seem to pick up on his body language as he starts for the door.
"I'm not going to hurt you or anyone here." Stiles croaks.
Derek doesn't understand. He doesn't understand who this man is. Why his wolf is distressed at the sight of the man trying to leave again. Why he is even allowed around the pack if he is out of control. Why he is running the company. He doesn't understand the emotions leaking off of Stiles. Or why he is suppose to remember him, the pack druid. HE. DOESN'T. UNDERSTAND.
"Stiles, don't run. Please." Lydia rises from the bed, acting as if she is talking to a spooked animal.
"I'm just freaking him out."
"So? You are meant to be here for him. Its part of your job."
"That's just going to freak him out more. Its better if I leave."
"How did that work last time? When will either of you learn that leaving is not the answer to the complications between you two?"
Derek snarls, frustation reaching its breaking point. The attention of the two is drawn back to him. "Just fucking tell me."
Stiles stares at him for what seems like hours before tapping the mating bite. "This mark. This is your mark."
Derek's heart stops. "T-That can't be possible. You'd be a wolf."
Stiles' smile doesn't meet his eyes. "Magic can do some amazing things."
Derek looks to Lydia who only nods. "What the fuck happened?" He can't keep the growl from his voice.
How does he have a mate he doesn't even remember? This man is just a complete stranger, he can't be his mate. On top of that he was in a coma for a month. A fucking month with this stranger running the company and Malia missing. Its all too much. His breathing becomes sharp, pulling in the smell of decay even more. He can't be here any longer. He needs to shift, to run. He has to clear his head.
A hand is placed on his shoulder, the touch alone soothing him. He takes a deep breath and that scent, that amazing scent, fills his nostrils. A sense of calm washes over him as he grabs at the body beside him, pulling it onto his lap. Burying his nose in the crook of the neck, he breathes in the glorious scent that kept the flames at bay. Strong arms wrap around him as fingers start to comb through his hair. The smell of decay seems to leave the room completely as he continues to breath in the scent. The body he is holding lets out a sob, causing him to sit back to see who he is holding.
Stiles only smiles back at him as fresh tears slide down his cheeks. "Sorry, I've just really missed this."
Things start to click into place. The scent that calls to him. The comfort Stiles provides. The way his wolf reacts to him. The possessiveness. This man in his arms is his mate, there is no doubt about it. Derek may not remember him, but he can't deny it. So without a word, Derek pulls his mate flush against him and holds him tightly.
A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed a strictly Derek point of view. I think I might make the chapter a split between Stiles and Derek, but I'm not sure yet. Anyway two great things happened this week! A Court of Wings and Ruin came out and it is FUCKING AMAZING. If you read it you know the emotional joy and pain it brings. If you haven't yet, you should. If you have no idea what I am talking about then read A Court of Thorns and Roses and join the fandom and heartache that Sarah J. Maas. The other great thing is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! It made me cry because I was laughing so hard and then it made me cry because it broke my heart. But Baby and Teenage Groot is amazing! Ya'll need to watch it! Well those are my thoughts. Finals is this week so.. wish me luck! I love you all. Thank you so much for reading. YOLO. Until Next Time.