Derek is a little uncomfortable thinking about what Stiles is up to in the Arizonian outskirts. Its' not that he doesn't trust his boyfriend, but he's only human. He finds a surprising way to take his mind of it. Allison and Scott talk about the house and decides to go there late at night. Isaac has an unwanted encounter in the restroom at 'Jungle', but gets 'saved' by a friend. Stiles is still pissed about Christian's lack of self-insight. He calls Derek, and gets a surprise. Not sure how to deal with it, he chooses to not let it bother him. Allison and Scott get a little creeped out as they walk though the Hale-house. They decide to let it slide, not knowing that a uninvited guest had been there.
(In a recent episode, we learned that werewolves can't get drunk, but in my universe they can. It takes a good deal of alcohol though.)
It was the weirdest conversation ever. Derek stared at the phone for a whole minute after he and Stiles hung up. He wondered what could have happened up there in the mountains, and he worried. He had no reason not to trust Stiles, but the way he kept repeating that he missed him and that he loved him unconditionally was highly suspicious.
He wondered if it could have anything to do with the guy he'd talked about earlier. It wasn't very likely that Stiles had hooked up with him, but there was an uncertainty tickling Derek's mind.
Stiles would be back home tomorrow night and he would probably reveal what had happened. He would know that lying wasn't an option. Derek could easily detect a lie.
He didn't want to be jealous. He trusted Stiles. There were no reason to sit there and think about it; it'd just drive him crazy. 'But what if something went down that Stiles had no control over?' 'What if he fell for this guy, but tried to push it away?' 'What if less than pure thoughts about the Arizonian caused Stiles to panic?' The thoughts that went through Derek's head was not welcomed.
He ascended the stairs and entered the loft. It was quiet. Isaac and Alex was probably in bed already, and Derek was happy about that. He knew they would have been able to see that he was a little disturbed. He was surprised that he didn't even hear some heavy breathing from the room, but didn't think much of it.
A small bowl of salad and a plate with lasagna was sitting on the counter. They were loosely covered with saran-wrap. A note was lying next to it. 'We're at 'Jungle'. Have a nice meal.:)' Derek tossed the note and put the lasagna in the microwave-oven. The uneasiness he felt would probably go away with a decent meal. He hadn't eaten much all day, and the thought of the food made his stomach growl.
A half hour later, he was leaning back on the couch with a drink in his hand. It was hard to relax. He couldn't help thinking about what could have happened up there in the Arizonian wilderness, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to get any sleep. With a shrug he got up and grabbed his jacket. He had to find something better to do than feel sorry for himself.
-o-o-o-o-o-
"Did you see the room?" Allison and Scott were cuddled up on the couch in the McCall's living-room. She hadn't noticed if Scott had been upstairs in the Hale-house when they were there that afternoon, and she didn't think he'd got the tour. "What room?" Scott was lazily playing with her hair as he tried to focus on the movie they were watching.
Allison had been too indulged in her own thoughts to pay attention to the screen. It was an old film, made before any of them were born. Scott had a thing for Robin Williams and had chosen the movie, and she'd had no reason to object. "My room, our room. Derek's invitation is for real. He wants me to move in."
Scott was still staring at the TV, but she could feel that his hand stopped moving for a second, before he again tangled his fingers into the tresses. "Hmm, really?" It took almost a minute before he reached for the remote and paused the movie. A frozen picture of an unfamiliar actor stared at her from the screen. "Did Derek ask you again?" Scott turned his head slowly towards her.
Allison sighed and looked down on her lap. "No, but... Alex showed me my room." She clenched her hands together before she threw a quick peek at Scott. "They didn't tell you?" She did wonder why nobody had said anything to Scott about it, but then again, she hadn't mentioned it either.
"So he really meant it? Derek wants you to move in there? What about me?" Scott grabbed her hands and caressed them gently. Allison sighed again. "Didn't you hear me? Our room. It's our room." She drew her breath and turned to face Scott properly. "I don't know what to make of it, but my dad is in on it. He wants me to do it."
Scott stroke her cheek and smiled. "I'm a little disappointed that you didn't mention this earlier, but it's okay." He got up from the couch. "Show me, let's go there."
-o-o-o-o-o-
Isaac felt very awkward on the dance-floor, but he didn't want to let Alex out of his sight, so he had to be there. Hanging at the bar wasn't really an option regardless. He didn't have too much money on him, and dancing was cheap. It was also the little worry that he could get carded. He still had the fake ID, but it wasn't that good.
He tried to move in sync with the music, but it was crowded, and he got constantly bumped into by other people. He wasn't sure if it was by accident or not, but it threw him off beat every time. Alex didn't seem to have any problems keeping the rhythm going no matter what.
This time, they were more appropriately dressed for the occasion. Alex was wearing a tight-fitting light blue T-shirt and Isaac himself wore a sleeveless, black button-down. He regretted his choice when he looked at the rest of the clientele. Everybody else seemed tanner and more toned than him. He should have covered up. He would have felt more comfortable in a big bulky sweater, even if he risked dying from heatstroke.
Assessing the crowd more closely, he realized that he wasn't the only one with a less than perfect body, but it didn't matter. Looking at Alex he still felt inferior. Guys were constantly rubbing themselves against his boyfriend; touching him in ways that for Isaac was totally inappropriate. The worst part was that Alex didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. He flirted shamelessly with everybody, even the girls that occasionally came within reach got a wink and a seductive smile from him.
Isaac needed to pee, but was reluctant to leave Alex behind. After a while it was impossible to wait any longer and he gestured towards the restroom, hoping that Alex would follow him.
It didn't happen, but Isaac had to go, so he rushed into a stall and tried to hurry. As he washed his hand afterward, a guy came in. It was the same guy that had bought a drink for him the last time they were here and Isaac hoped he wouldn't be recognized. "You came back. Nice." The man stopped right behind him and leaned in. "How about a little fun." He reached his hand around and ran it over Isaac's crotch.
Isaac knew he could overpower him, but he didn't want to create a scene, so he pushed the hand away gently. "Sorry, no." He grabbed some tissue and wiped his hands as he tried to scoot away, but the man was determined. "Don't be silly. No strings attached, just some fun." He pushed his pelvis forward and wrapped his arms around Isaac's waist.
It angered him that the guy couldn't take no for an answer, and Isaac felt that his claws was coming out. He tried to hide his hands as he fought against it. "Please let go. I'm not interested." He managed to keep his voice steady, but it wasn't easy. A sloppy kiss on his neck made him squirm, and he was about to lash out at the guy, but only extreme willpower prevented him from doing so.
He sighed in relief when he heard the door open, and hoped that the guy would let go now that they got company. Another kiss told Isaac that his suitor wasn't bothered by the interference, and he exhaled slowly to calm himself down. He could injure this guy seriously if he couldn't control the turn. "I don't want to hurt you. Please walk away." He tried to come loose, and he could hear the guy chuckle a little as he tightened the grip to prevent Isaac to move away. "Hurt me? I think not."
Then, suddenly, and for no apparent reason whatsoever, the guy let go. Isaac turned around and watched as Derek shoved him up against the wall and pushed his forearm against his throat. "Didn't you hear him? He asked you nicely." Derek loosened the grip and grabbed onto the guy's shirt before he pushed him towards the door. "Get out!"
Isaac stared at Derek wide-eyed. "What are you doing here?" He was a little embarrassed about having to be saved, but the surprise of meeting Derek at this place overpowered that feeling. "I didn't think this was your kind of venue."
Derek shrugged and entered a stall. "I was bored and wanted to hang out with you guys." He closed the door to the stall and Isaac waited until he was done taking a leak and didn't say anything. Derek came out and walked over to the sink. "Where's Alex?"
Isaac realized that he'd been gone for a while now and he got a little impatient. "Dancing, I guess?" He moved towards the door. "You didn't see him?" Derek wiped his hands as he shook his head. "No, but I didn't look around either. The dance-floor was pretty crowded so I probably wouldn't have spotted him even if I tried."
As soon as they came out from the restroom, both of them panned the area to look for Alex. Isaac was on his way to enter the dance-floor when Derek pulled on his shirt and pointed towards a table near the bar. Alex was sitting on a small couch with a drink in his hand. A girl in a sequined dress sat next to him with her arm wrapped over his shoulder. The armrests of the couch were occupied by two young men. Three other people were sitting on small stools on the other side of the table.
When Alex spotted them he got up and waved them over. He gestured for the girl to scoot over and managed to make room for Isaac on the couch. It as a tight squeeze but Isaac didn't want to sit any other place than next to Alex.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Stiles was so pissed that he couldn't sleep. He was twisting and turning in his bed, unable to get comfortable. He knew he hadn't been fair to Christian. The guy was damaged and couldn't really help himself, and Stiles was angry because he let it get to him.
If the guy wanted to live a lie, it was none of his business, but he couldn't help wanting to save Christian from that fate. Clenching his hands into fists, Stiles cursed silently at himself, because he was unable to let it go.
Even if the stay there at his aunt and uncle's place had been okay, he'd been a little bored the whole time. He had missed Derek so much, and he'd also missed the rest of his friends. The fact that he'd nobody to talk to about the werewolf business and his own problems regarding that, had been tough.
The only little excitement he'd experienced was trying to find out if Christian was as queer as he'd first suspected. Stiles knew it was slightly creepy, but it was something to occupy his mind with. He'd also payed close attention to how Linda acted around the guy, and he'd noticed that Christian seemed to find it a little uncomfortable.
In the car, when Stiles got a chance to talk to him alone, he'd thought it would be a breeze to get him to understand that there wasn't anything wrong with him. That had so not been the case, and he'd worried that he'd got it all wrong.
When he finally got the clear confirmation that Christian was into guys, but that he was fighting it tooth and nail, Stiles felt so sorry for him for a split second. It was only until he started ranting about prayers and savior.
Totally unable to relax, Stiles slipped out of bed and snuck out of the room. He needed some sanity and decided to call Derek again. His boyfriend could be fast asleep by now, but it wouldn't matter. Tiptoeing through the house, he decided to get a drink and go to sit on the porch. The bedrooms were at the back of the house and nobody would be able to hear him from there.
It took a while before Derek replied, and Stiles was about to apologize for waking him up, when he heard loud music in the background. "What's going on? Where are you?" The sound of techno-pop was surprising. He wouldn't have expected Derek to play that kind of music at home.
"Uh, I, we're at a club." Derek's voice was barely audible. "Me and Isaac and Alex, we, uh, went out." Stiles found it extremely disturbing, and it did not help on his state of mind. How could Derek go out and have fun without him? Stiles took a couple of breaths to calm himself. It was just silly to get angry about it. "Oh, where? Didn't think a club was your cup of tea."
After a slight hesitation, Derek cleared his throat. "Jungle, we're at Jungle." Before Stiles got a chance to say anything, Derek continued. "It's not, uh, my cup of tea, to use your words. I kind of hate it here."
Stiles smiled to himself, because he liked the fact that Derek didn't have too much fun. A split second later, he got embarrassed by his own thoughts. He wasn't being fair. "I'll be home tomorrow night and can comfort you." He was still a little disturbed, knowing that Derek probably was surrounded by a multitude of handsome guys. "I just couldn't sleep. I miss you so much."
Derek chuckled a little. "I know. You told me less than two hours ago. I miss you too." He paused for a second. "Did something happen? You sound a little distressed." Stiles knew that it would be impossible to hide the anger he felt, but hearing Derek's voice had helped somewhat. "I'm fine, I'm just being stupid. Please don't have too much fun without me."
He could hear Alex' voice in the background. "Derek! Come on, don't be such a party-pooper. Cheers Stiles! Come back soon." Derek sighed and it sounded like there was a small altercation on the other end of the line. "Sorry. Alex is seriously drunk. Everybody is buying him drinks and Isaac is pissed out of his mind."
Stiles could see it before him. Alex could be quite flirtatious when he was sober, and a drunk Alex was probably a hundred times worse. "I guess you have your hands full then?" He trusted Derek completely and knew he had nothing to fear. He was still a little annoyed that he'd gone out to party, but decided to let it slide. "I'll let you go. Love you and see you tomorrow."
-o-o-o-o-o-
It was dark in the woods. The almost full moon could have lit up the area, but it was hidden behind a thick cloud-cover. When Allison turned off the ignition causing the headlights to go out, the darkness surrounded them as a blanket. Even werewolves needed a minimum of light to see anything, and in here they could barely make out the outline of the house.
Allison picked a flashlight out of the glove-compartment and exited the car. With the beam from it guiding them, they walked towards the house. "Maybe this was a bad idea." Scott whispered as they took the few steps up on the porch. He could hear Allison scoff, but she didn't say anything at first.
They walked through the opening of the front entrance and she let the beam pan the room inside. "It was your idea. Are you scared?" She emitted a small giggle before she turned off the flashlight. The darkness was complete. Scott could feel that Allison was about to move forward and he grabbed her arm. "Careful! The stairs to the basement are not covered, we can fall in."
She stopped short and turned the light on again. "I forgot." She directed the beam towards the make-shift staircase. "Let's go."
Half way up, they both got startled when they heard a rustle from somewhere behind them. Scott was unable to detect if it came from the outside or the inside of the house, and he grabbed on to Allison's arm. "What was that?" He turned and took a step up as he stared into the darkness. Allison turned also and they ascended the stairs backwards as she let the beam run over the interior of the ground floor.
"Probably an animal. Anything can get in here." She didn't sound convinced. "I can't detect any unfamiliar scents." Scott drew his breath through his nose, and concentrated on trying to distinguish between the different smells that entered his nostrils. He recognized pine, animals, a faint whiff of meat from the outdoor stove. Allison's perfume almost overpowered it all, but there was a vague scent of something different in the air.
"Hang on, there's someone out there." He drew his breath again, and tried to focus on the unfamiliar pheromones he'd discovered. For about two minutes, the two of them just stood there at the top of the stairs, sucking in air. It was almost completely quiet around them.
"Maybe the night is playing tricks on us. I can't smell it anymore." Scott grabbed Allison's hand squeezed it gently. "There could have been a lingering scent of anyone who've been here during this week." He didn't truly believe his own words, but with nothing to go on, he decided to go with that.
Allison seemed satisfied with that explanation, and she pulled him with her towards a room in the corner. "This is it." She was whispering and Scott realized that she too was slightly nervous. She pointed and explained as she constantly threw glances towards the hall.
Half a mile away, at the outskirts of the woods, a werewolf was leaning on a tree. He was panting heavily as he sunk down on the ground. It had been an extremely close call. Curiosity had almost got him caught.