Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. Picture the candle going out.

Opening my eyes I take notice of 2 things. One the candle is still burning and secondly, I'm no longer alone in my room.

"Did I tell you to leave magic alone?" An irritated and gruff voice says.

"Maybe you did and maybe you didn't. How do you know I was trying to use magic, I could have been meditating."

I hear a scuff that almost sounded like a laugh, "Can't picture that," a dry quip directed at me, "Plus magic has a feeling to it that can be picked up by those who know what they are looking for. What are you doing with that candle anyway?" I hear the question, but I also can hear the sad worried tone to his voice.

"I don't want to say. Not unless I get it down. There's a plan tied to all of this."

I get to look before he points at me seriously, "No more magic, especially with fire."

I sigh and by the time I can open my eyes he's gone and my candle is left smoking. Stupid Sourwolf he put his stupid eyebrows.

I light the candle with a match before I find my spot across the room. I stare at it wishing for it to go out, but like all the other times' nothing happens.

"Mr. Stilinski, what brings you here?"

"I was going to ask a question on how to make it easier to put the candle out?"

"Did you perfect lighting the candle?" he asks as if it's obvious.

I just need to give him a look that he reads, almost as well as my dad or Derek.

"Magic… Energy is easier to create than destroy, Mr. Stilinski. The energy has to go somewhere or it'll either implode or explode."

I put a single candle in its usual place on my desk as I light it. I stare at it as I slowly take breaths of air. I think of the candle going out. I know it'd be easier to use water or air, but I already perfected that. This way seems a lot more important. After what happened to Derek on a few occasions I want to be ready. I have already looked into protection spells and runes to ward against almost anything.

I try to stay calm as I picture the fire going out, trying to push out the picture of Derek's face when the newly built Hale house is burnt to the ground. I remember staring at the wreckage shocked that this could happen to a man twice in his lifetime.

Derek deserves a home. He deserves every piece of safety and happiness in the world. Thinking of Derek's pain upsets me. There's a small explosion of energy as the candle goes out. I should be lucky it was small but really should have been expected. I feel like Longbottom failing at the simplest magic trick.

"Stiles," I hear Derke shout as he enters the room looking around before he looks at me. "Stiles," he sighs, "Why do you look like Longbottom?"

"The candle kind of imploded on itself," I mumble.

I hear Derek growl as he looks at me, "Stiles, what did I tell you last time."

"Not to play with magic, but Derek I was learning it to help you."

"Help me. How can you help me when you try to put out a candle you make it explode."

:" Implode," I correct.

"There's not a lot of difference as to what it'll do if that magic goes wrong. What would I do then?"

"But Derek I don't want to experience the pain of fire again. I wanted to know a faster way to put out any fire out. I don't want to see you get hurt again. I don't want to see fire harm you again. I want to do everything that is magically and humanly possible to protect you."

I see what almost looks like watery eyes as Derek stares at me, "Why?"

"Cause Derek you deserve all the happiness in the world for all the shit that you've had to go through in this life."

"Why do you care? I'm just an alpha for the pack aren't I."

"Derek, you are so much more than that. Look at everything you've done even though life has given you such a shit hand. You are a wonderful brilliant man who only thinks of others. You deserve everything in life. You've spent most of your life fighting for everything that you have. You've fought to be standing where you are, who you are. You could have let the Paige or the fire destroy you and you didn't. There is so much more to life than the constant fight to stay alive and keep what little you allow yourself. I want to be able to give that to you. You are a martyr that's for sure, but that's cause you think you can save people from pain. What will happen to those who are close to you?" I can't find the right words the ones that I've thought every single time I see him try to hide his smile by looking down or every time he frowned. Still, I need to get this all off my chest when I whisper, "What about me?"

I see a small shy smile grace Derek's lips as he looks down at my hands which have grabbed a hold of his like a cliche rom-com, "You care about me?"

"No, not at all. I mean why else would I think of not just what's on the outside for you, but the inside too. Why I picture a house with a large yard and kids and dogs running around it. Fuck. Why are you making me do all of this?"

I rub my hand over my face and into my hair pulling just a tad bit before I look at Derek again. " I know the unknown is scary. I may not have lost as many, but I know loss. I know how scary and painful it is. It's not easy letting people in again, but you can let it be done at your own pace." I look at the candle as it flickers to life before it is snuffed out again. "You know where to find me."

I exit my room taking a breath in and a breath out. Not for a spell, but for my peace of mind. I find dad sitting in his chair watching a game and I do something I haven't done since I was 6 I slid into the chair with him.

"Rough day," he asks.

I nod my head not need to tell him about Derek. He already deals enough of the packs bullshit after telling him the truth of the world.

"Boy troubles?" he asks and I nod my head into his chest, "Is it helpful for you to know that I'd help hid the body?"

I chuckle as I shake my head, "No… but the thought is what helps…"

"That Derek boy is lucky to have you think so much of him."

"Yeah, yes he is."

It's a couple of days until I find myself practicing with any sort of fire magic. It's not that I'm purposely ignoring Derek's wishes, but it's just I promised myself I'd be ready for anything. Not counting I dreamt of flames last night. It scared me. I don't like feeling that way anymore.

I look at the candle in front of me and focus on something different. I try to picture the energy from the flame going through me to the ground to put into giving life to the world. I keep my breathing as I do so.

I hear beeping. Ugh, and smell the disinfectant of a hospital. My head hurts a lil bit, but there's a feeling like it's all being pulled somewhere else.

"What happened?" I whisper running a hand through my hair.

"What I said would happen?" I hear a voice say.

I open my eyes waiting for them to focus on the figure at the side of my, oh shit, hospital bed. I feel the tears sting my eyes as I find Derek sitting there looking defeated.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper.

He shakes his head, "Why didn't you listen to me?"

"It's not that hard Derek. I'm sure you know why." I try to move and feel a twinge of pain go through my right shoulder area. "Fuck. Save the whole I told you so speech I'm sure you wrote. Just tell me what happened."

It looks worse for wear once he seems to breathe, "I don't know. I came in cause I felt an energy spike. It was different from the explosion," he held a finger to me, "implosion the other day. I ran to your house. I found you on the ground. The dead plants were alive and you were down on the ground with a burn under your right collar bone."

"Well, I should have figured another way to move that every. I just thought of what Deaton said the other day. That I've been having problems putting the candle out cause the energy from the flame needs to go somewhere. So I thought if I try to filter it and turn it into something good it wouldn't be so bad. Then maybe you would have a chance to grow."

I watch Derek sigh as he looks at me for the first time. I time notice of the rumpled clothes and hair, the slight smell of burnt hair, and how his eyes look red-rimmed and not cause he's the alpha.

"It scared me seeing you lying on the floor like that. It reminded me of a fantasy character that had been struck by a fireball. I thought I was gonna lose you, too. I don't think I can live through that."

"Losing someone else," I whisper.

He shakes his head as he slowly makes sure we're looking at each other, "You. Just you. If I lost you. I'm sure my world would truly be over. An alpha without its mate has no true reason to live even with a fully functioning pack that we have, because of you. Because you helped me stop being the Sourwolf that everyone saw and be the man that only you seemed to see in me."

I feel hope rush through me that maybe the looks and touches weren't just in my head. "What do you mean, Derek?"

"I mean," he takes a breath, "This was so much easier when you were asleep. What I mean is. Mieczyslaw 'Stiles' Stilinski is I love you."

I feel a smile start to pull on lips especially with Derek pulling the lil amount of pain from the migraine I have, "I love you, too... So how long did it take for you to get it right?"

"I will never tell."

I laugh as I place a hand on his rough cheek to lead it slowly to me giving him time to pull away before I kiss him. It's a simple little thing that burns deeply into my very being and I'm sure it's gonna be living there even after I am no longer alive.

Epilogue- 10 years later

"What does this one mean?" Laura, Derek and my oldest daughter ask pointing to a rune carved into the side of the house by the garden.

"It's to protect against fire," I hear Derek answer simply enough.

"Why? You're powerful enough to protect us and so is dad?"

"Some things are not worth giving it to chance, your father taught me that."

I smile as I pick a few more herbs for whatever spell is needed for tonight. I watch Laura next to her sister Macy as they run their fingers over the carvings. They'd done the same with my scars, being fascinated with them asking all kinds of questions. Derek looks up and I breathe in and slowly let the air out because even after all these years he still lights a special fire within me that no one else can. I may be able to put out any kind of fire, but this one I'll let burn within my very heart. My mate. My love. The very breath I breathe. We both are very lucky to have each other.

I make my way up to the 3 flames of my life and smile when Derke kisses my forehead.

"Mieczysław," I sigh when Derek uses my names. He mostly saves it when I'm in trouble or he's relieved.

"Why can dad call you that, papa?"

"Because your father worked on how to say it perfectly."

"How long did that take?"

"He's never told me, but I'm sure if you ask nicely maybe he'll teach you."