Part 5: Mate
It was February. Only a few days until Valentine's Day. Chloe and Derek were still going strong. But, they'd been going out so long, Derek was itching to talk about the future. He knew that Chloe was his mate, which meant that she was the only person he was ever going to love. While it would be tortuous to ever be separated, he feared holding her back by telling her this information. She had talked about going to NYU for screenwriting. He would be glad to apply to the physics department at NYU, but didn't know whether or not Chloe actually wanted to continue their relationship in that direction. He knew he still had time, they'd have at least one more year together in school, but what if she did end up saying no? What if she didn't want to continue their relationship after high school? How would Derek be able to cope?
Regardless, he also knew that he needed to plan the best Valentines for Chloe.
He had almost everything ready. They were going to have a date in the woods behind her house. He had a quilt that he bought at one of the local shops laid out with a picnic. The basket of food was secured shut so no animals would get into it while Derek was away to pick Chloe up. Not that it was very far, but he hadn't told her what he had planned. Derek jogged to Chloe's back door and stopped right before opening it. He looked himself over. For once he wasn't covered in baggy clothing, he decided to dress up just a little bit. He had a black button up long sleeve, the only amount of coverage he needed in the February chill air; his body's warmth like a personal heater. He knocked softly and opened the unlocked door, figuring Chloe may not hear him.
"Coming!" he heard from the top of the stairs. Steve was sitting at the dining table on his laptop. He looked up at Derek and nodded in acknowledgement, no doubt focused on whatever work he was doing.
She came down the stairs, and Derek stared in awe at how amazing Chloe looked as she descended the steps of her house. She was wearing a black long sleeve dress. The dress flared out at her waist resembling almost like a tutu. Her black leggings were torn and she wore black Doc Martens. Her hair was clipped back and she had on silver eyeshadow with what seemed to be a clear gloss.
"Woah." Derek breathed out. He hadn't realized he could be so attracted to someone so punk. But he could suddenly see their kids wearing old band t-shirts and spiking their hair up like the 90's kids used to.
Chloe smiled brightly seeing Derek already in the house. She bounced down the stairs in glee, wrapping her arms around Derek's neck and kissing him gently on the lips. Steve cleared his throat and stood from his seat.
"Have her home before ten."
"Of course."
Steve smiled, clapped his hand on Derek's back and gave a little nod.
"So, where are we going?" Chloe asked.
"We are actually exiting your back door."
"Ooohhh!" Chloe smiled and arm in arm they walked out the back and headed into the woods.
She gasped in excitement at the adorable picnic that was prepared. They sat together and Derek brought out all of the snacks, sandwiches, and apple cider. "This is amazing." She said and gave Derek another kiss.
"Chloe, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. I hope you know I appreciate how much you've been by my side. And I'll always have your back."
"And I, you. Thank you so much for this."
"And then this is your gift."
Leaning up against a tree was a frame, no doubt another painting, Chloe mused. She loved the last painting that he had made for her, and was glad to see he had made another one. She could get used to being his muse. He handed her the wrapped frame and she began to wrip the plain brown paper apart.
Chloe began to tear up looking at the amazing painting. It was her mom. A beautiful portrait that had a cloudy night sky behind her. Her face was soft, a gentle expression on it. No doubt loving eyes looking upon her daughter. Chloe couldn't help the tears that flowed from her face, no doubt rubbing and ruining her makeup. Derek sat with her for a minute, holding her in his arm. He knew she would like it, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. After all, she was crying a lot more than he expected.
After Chloe finished her good cry she lifted her lips up to Dereks, kissing passionately. They sat like that for a moment, leaning into one another. Derek pulled back with a toothy grin. "As much as I love this, we should probably eat this before the animals steal it from us."
Chloe giggled before they began digging into their food. She was taking a bite from her sandwich when Derek had finally worked up the courage to ask her some questions.
"How's everything going?" Wow, definitely a deep conversation starter.
"Good. I have that project I still need to finish that's due on Monday. Ugh! But, I'm almost finished with the play I'm going to be presenting. All I need are some actors and then we can rehearse!"
"That's awesome. I can't wait to see how it all comes together at the end of the year." Derek munched down on a cookie, swallowed and attempted to continue. "So… I wanted to ask you… I feel like we should talk about us, and what that looks like."
Chloe paused, pondered it and then nodded. "Yeah. Okay."
"I… love you Chloe. Like, a lot. I know we haven't really talked much about what it'll look like this summer, or when we graduate. I know we haven't even finished the year yet, I just wonder. And… I feel like I need to admit something to you."
Chloe nodded, waiting anxiously for what Derek may have to say.
"You are… my mate. So, for werewolves, when we mate, that's it. It's the only person you can ever see yourself with, it's the only person you can ever love. I've heard some people that end up being mates, they still don't work out. If you wanted to leave me, it's not like I'd stop you. It would just be very hard for me. I realized you were my mate a long time ago, but I didn't want to put any pressure on you or on our relationship."
"Oh. Wow. Well, I love you too, Derek. I want to be with you. I want to make this work. We can go to school together or… near each other? I know you want to study physics, you just never said where."
"Yeah, I'm okay with anything, honestly. I just really don't want us to be apart."
"Okay, well, we can apply to different schools in New York together. Have you thought of getting scholarships?"
"Well, we can sit down and talk about how many schools and which school we want to apply to, and then I can see what scholarships I can get. I know my grades are above par."
"Except for English!" Derek just rolled his eyes. "So, I have a question. What happens now that I know I'm your mate?"
"Well, at least you can understand why I get jealous or a little territorial sometimes. I know it's not the greatest look, but that's just the wolf coming out. There's also a way to seal the deal. If two people are mates, the wolf can… bite the other person while-" Derek couldn't help the blush on his face as he continued, "while having sex. That makes it so they are more in-tune with each other. I've heard they can feel each other's feelings, or something like that. It's the only time a bite won't change you."
Chloe suddenly recalled the terrible evening when they had a run in with the other wolves. She had told Derek bits and pieces of what had happened, but she recalled Liam saying something like that before he tried to touch her. Derek noticed she was looking down and tried to appease her. "We don't have to do that! I am perfectly fine with how things are."
"No, it's not you. I just… when we went skiing, that night? When Liam tried to… he said he wanted to bite me during… and now I kind of understand why? I guess?"
Derek felt a growl in his chest, but did his best to hold back. Liam was lucky he had a brother to hold him back or Derek would have probably torn him into pieces after what he did to Chloe. They ended up leaving the vacation earlier than expected, because they didn't want to risk running into them again and causing a public fight. It had been hard to explain to brian and Maddison, but they eventually got over it. In the end, Simon and Maddison weren't dating anymore, so it's not like Derek really had much to worry about when it came to her opinion.
"Like I said, we don't have to do that. If we do, there's no taking it back, you know? If you ever did decide to leave me, we'd still be connected like that."
"Well what if I want to?" Chloe asked with a mischievous grin.
Derek could feel his whole body tingle and increase in warmth. "You can't tease me like that."
Chloe rolled her eyes and crept towards Derek. "You are everything I want and more. I would love to be mated to you."
She was on all fours in front of him and reached her face up to kiss him on the mouth. Derek swallowed the chunk of food he was chewing and returned the kiss, his hand resting on the back of Chloe's neck. They kiss passionately before Chloe falls against Derek's chest, taking a deep breath, and smelling his deodorant and shampoo, and feeling completely comfortable.
"This is what I want." Chloe murmured, and Derek couldn't be happier.
"Alright, spill the tea. Something changed between you guys. First there was that weird vibe you had after winter break, and now it's like your aura is screaming sunshine and rainbows. And you don't do sunshine and rainbows."
Nate and Chloe were sitting in the downtown cafe, sipping on iced coffee, their homework spread out at the table they were sitting at.
"It was the best Valentine's ever. And you won't believe what he told me."
"What? Just tell me, it's not like you need to keep me wanting."
"He told me I was his mate, that I was the only one for him, and that if we mated, we would be in-tune to each others feelings and connected forever."
"Holy shit. That's kind of a lot, right?"
Chloe nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I know we are just in highschool. But, that is his biology. Being a wolf means you only find one mate. For some people they can go their whole life not knowing who it is, or know who it is and have to be okay with them being with someone else. Derek and I found each other, that should mean something, right?"
"Well, I don't want you jumping in so quickly. I fully support you two, you know that. But, this seems like the step after marriage or something. Although, maybe its different since you're both supernaturals. Who am I to say if it works or not."
"I appreciate your opinion though. You are my best friend! If Derek and I get married, you'll be my best man."
"Yas! I knew it. I can't believe we are talking about marriage! Chloe you are so much different than before. Both you and Derek were different, but I'm glad to see you so happy. Plus, you'll be officially dating for six months next month! Are you going to do anything?"
Chloe shrugged while scribbling an answer on a homework sheet. "He planned Valentines, so I should do this, right? He painted me this beautiful picture of my mom. I started balling. I haven't even really given him much of any gift, so I need to do something really good."
"What does he like?"
"He likes his art, maybe I can get him a new set? No, he gave me something that he made that was deeply personal. I need to dig deep." Chloe continued to ponder what she could possibly get for him.
"Well, if you end up needing help with anything, let me know. I would love to do a flash mob and then you invite him to Prom or something." Chloe just laughed and rolled her eyes at her best friend. "Either way, you both are coming to my birthday, right? If you are not there, I might actually just murder you both."
"We will be there! I already have your present!"
"Don't tell me!" He yelled at her, making others in the cafe look in their direction. They laughed and then continued their work.
Meanwhile Derek was jogging around his neighborhood, something he had gotten used to for his regular work out. His face and body were finally becoming aligned. His acne had completely disappeared, revealing his youthful, but sharp, features. He had a headband to keep the hair off of his forehead, a grey hoodie with no sleeves and long basketball shorts. While he was more confident in his body, his style hadn't changed all that much. He was even asked if he would try to dress more like Chloe so they looked similar. Derek could not imagine him looking good in that kind of clothing. He didn't really need any of that extra stuff. Besides, who was he trying to impress? He already had the best and most understanding girlfriend in the world. Somehow he had been able to get her attention even when his face looked like a pepperoni pizza, he wasn't too worried about how he dressed.
He was listening to music on his headphones when suddenly a call blared loudly, making him flinch. Since he had superior hearing, he always kept the volume pretty low when he wore headphones, and it made it uncomfortable when it was raised. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Derek Bae?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"Hello! My name is Hector, I work at Space X. Your name was submitted by one of your teachers to intern at Space X for the summer! We wanted to say we are amazed at your grades and ability in physics. We think you would be a great fit here."
Derek froze. Was this really happening? "Uh, wow. Okay. But, that's like in California, right?"
"Yes. We would be happy to pay for your flight, and we have an apartment that you'd be sharing with the other interns."
"Okay, okay. This is a lot for me, right now."
"Yes, of course. Why don't you talk with your parents and call me back at this number. We hope to hear back from you soon!"
Derek hung up the phone and squatted down, breathing heavily. He had just professed to Chloe how much he wanted to stay with her, and now he was being offered to move across the country to an internship of a lifetime. He decided to play his music and jog back home so he could talk to his Dad about what to do.
"Hey Derek." Kit was home cooking dinner when Derek arrived home from his afternoon jog.
"Dad, can I talk to you about something?"
"Yeah, what's up, buddy?"
"I got a call during my jog, it was from Space X, they want to offer me an internship for the summer."
"What! That's amazing, Derek! We should celebrate."
"Well, I don't know if I want to take it."
Kit stepped away from the pan and looked at Derek, and he saw a teenager, confused. It was somewhat refreshing to see him this way, because Derek was always the type of kid who did everything on his own, and rarely asked for advice.
"Well, why don't we sit down and talk about this for a bit." Derek nodded, exhaling the tension out of his shoulders. They sat together at the dining table and Kit motioned for Derek to explain.
"On Valentine's day… I told Chloe that she was my mate."
"Oh. Okay. I didn't know you realized it."
"After the whole issue during winter break, I just couldn't ignore it. I told her I wanted to try to get into the same college so we could be closer, and now I'm being offered an internship in California! I feel like I'm being unfair to her. Honestly, I don't know if I can handle being so far away from her."
"Well, Derek. I don't want someone else to get in the way of you having a bright future. But, I guess I don't really understand what it feels like to be far away from your mate. It's going to be a tough decision, but whatever you end up choosing, I know that Chloe will be supportive. She's a great girl, and I don't think her feelings are going to get hurt because you got an amazing opportunity!"
"What opportunity?" Simon asked halfway down the stairs.
"Your brother got offered an internship at Space X for the summer! I'm thinking I save this dinner for later, and we take you out to eat for a celebration!"
"Woah, that's awesome, Derek!"
Ever since winter break, Derek and Simon were starting to be on the mend. It was slow; they were on speaking terms and started playing video games together again. However, Simon had still yet to see Derek in his wolf form, not being included on the nights he had to change. That was something that still got to him.
"Wait, are you thinking of not taking it?"
Derek chose not to say anything. He wasn't ready to talk more about the situation, especially since he hasn't told his siblings that Chloe was his mate.
"You're joking, right? You're not going to go for some girl? That fucking stupid!" Simon yelled angrily at Derek.
"Language, Simon. It's not your decision. Now, lets just be happy that Derek was chosen, and have some family fun."
Simon grumbled, but didn't continue his expression, knowing it was only going to cause more of a problem and most likely an argument if he did.
After the whole family went out to eat and came back home, Derek was hunched over his desk doing homework while Simon played on his switch. Deciding to take a leap, he turned off his game and faced Derek. "Hey, can we talk?"
Derek was hesitant, he didn't want to be lectured on what he should or shouldn't do from his brother, but they used to tell each other everything. Deep down Derek missed having his brother around and supporting him. "Yeah, what's up?"
"What's so great about Chloe? I just don't get it. You have this amazing opportunity, and you're seriously considering not taking it because you don't want to leave Chloe behind? She'll still be here, you know. If she likes you as much as you like her, then she can survive with you going to Space X for one summer."
"It's not just that." Derek sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Chloe… I love Chloe. She's the best thing to ever happen to me. I haven't told you this because I didn't know how you'd react. You've been such a dick since we've moved here, and you have this vendetta against her. But… she's my mate Simon. My wolf, my mind, my heart, are all screaming at me every day to just bite her and make her mine. It physically hurts me to be away from her for too long. She went out of town with Nate for a weekend to go to some concert and I felt like I was going to lose my shit."
Simon vaguely remembered Derek being a little more on edge than usual when Chloe had gone out of town with her best friend. Simon hadn't thought much of it, Derek's moods can often swing and it could be dependent on how often he'd been changing or if a change was needed soon.
"Hey, man." Simon said, attempting to soften up. "I didn't know all that. I'm sorry if I assumed. But, hey, maybe Chloe will want to go to California with you?"
Derek paused. "Oh, I hadn't even thought of that."
"Yeah, I mean. She's got money, she might be able to just go out there with you."
"That's actually not a bad idea."
"And for the record, I don't hate Chloe. I think I'm just jealous because you spend so much time with her now. Plus, she's seen you as a wolf! I have yet to see that."
Derek leaned back, pondering what Simon had said. "Alright. Next time, you can come. I just felt weird inviting you. Afterward Chloe and I usually hang out at her house so…"
"Okay! No need to elaborate. Maybe just go one night without being all over each other so I can be a part of the wolf experience, okay?" Derek laughed and nodded.
The next day was a Friday, which meant that Chloe and Derek were going to have a movie night at her house. Derek had been nervous all day to talk to Chloe about the internship, and it was becoming really obvious. He had refused to talk much at all during their one shared class and was even quieter during lunch. After school he got into her car and his leg wouldn't stop bouncing. Finally, Chloe couldn't help but ask.
"Hey, what's up?"
"What?" Derek tried to deflect. "What do you mean?"
"You've been acting weird all day. You changed not that long ago so I don't think it's that. Just tell me what's going on?"
"Okay, I'm sorry. I know I'm acting weird. It's just… I got accepted to an internship for the summer."
"What?! Derek, that's awesome! I didn't know you applied anywhere."
"I didn't? I guess a teacher nominated me and I got it. It's at Space X."
"That's crazy awesome. You said yes, right?"
"Well… It's in California."
"Oh… Well, we can make it work. Derek, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. You can't say no."
Derek sighed, the weight of not knowing how she would react finally off his shoulders. "Thank you. I want to say yes, but I was just nervous."
"Did you think I would tell you not to go?"
"No? Yes? It's hard for me to know how I felt about it. I knew you'd be okay with it, but I think I'm not? I just can't imagine being away from you that long."
"Oh, okay. Is it the mate thing? I know it's hard being apart, is there anything I can do to help?"
"Well, what do you think about spending the summer with me in California?"
"Oh, wow. Uhm, I'd have to think about it and ask my dad. But, it's not like I really have any summer plans yet."
Derek's heart swelled. It wasn't a yes, but it also wasn't a no. It was the best thing he could hope for. While Chloe was setting up the movie he decided to call back and accept the internship.
"So, where are you going to be staying?"
"They said that they have an apartment that other interns are going to be living in, too."
"Have you thought about changing?"
Derek nodded. "Yeah, it'll be harder to find a spot, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. It gets less painful each time, and it goes by quicker. Maybe by then I'll have a little more control over it."
"Well, I'm glad that this is happening for you. You are going to learn so much, and have so much fun. Plus, you'll be in California!"
"I don't know. I'm nervous to be by myself."
"Well, even if for whatever reason I don't go out there for the whole summer, you know I'll come and visit you."
They sat together on the couch, hugging each other gently. Derek couldn't be happier to have such a wonderful person in his life, and didn't know what he did to deserve her.
Chloe was nervous. She knew she shouldn't have anything to worry about, but it was California. There'd be a time difference, he'd be around pretty girls that were just as smart as he is. What if he found out she really wasn't his mate? What if everything was just because it was his first love, and he'd find someone else and get over her. Chloe was so happy with Derek, she didn't want anything to get in the way of that. But, she also wasn't sure how her dad would feel if she left for California to be with her high school romance. It was a lot to think about, and it was going to be a stressful conversation with her father.
Chloe inevitably decided to hold off on talking about it with him until he came back home. She felt it wasn't polite and wouldn't help her in any way if she tried to do it over the phone or even through video chat. He was supposed to be back for her birthday, and she would do it then. She also made sure to tell Derek of her plan, so he didn't feel like she was purposefully waiting because she actually didn't want to go.
A month went by and Derek and Chloe were celebrating their 6 months of dating. Chloe had promised Derek that she was going to plan everything out since it was usually him doing the planning when it came to their dates and relationship. Chloe was extremely excited.
She decided she was going to cook. She bought a ton of ingredients to make some of his favorite dishes. It wasn't very hard to please Derek with food, as he ate pretty much anything you put in front of him. She ended up making pasta with garlic butter shrimp, a taco salad, steamed broccoli with cheese, and cupcakes. She was sweating badly when she was preparing everything in the kitchen. Time had gone by very quickly and before she knew it, her alarm was going off to get ready. She finished the final touches, making sure everything was ready and set up before Derek came over and then bounded up the stairs to shower and get dressed.
After the shower, Chloe pulled her hair back into a ponytail, allowing one strand of hair on each side of her face loose to frame it. She applied sharp eyeliner wings that almost completely covered her eyelids, applied bright pink blush and bright red lipstick with a black liner underneath. She had on a low cut black crop top that hung just barely above her belly button and high rise black skinny jeans. She decided not to bother with shoes, opting for socks since she didn't plan them leaving the house at all for this date.
Chloe checked her phone to see that Derek had already texted that he was on the way, and as if by magic the doorbell rang, signaling his arrival.
Running down the stairs she did her best not to trip entirely on the last step. She opened the door to see Derek. He had on a blue T-shirt. He had begun to wear things more his size, rather than opting for anything super baggy. Chloe ended up helping him find shops online that would have clothes that fit his body size a bit better. He also wore black pants, and Chloe couldn't help the twist in her stomach at seeing how attractive he was even in casual clothing. Suddenly, she felt worried about him going to California and realizing that she wasn't all that cool or interesting, and that maybe he'd made a mistake in thinking that she was his mate. She brushed that aside and welcomed him in with a hug and kiss, pulling him to the kitchen where the food was prepared.
"Woah."
"I know, it's a lot. But, I also know you eat a lot. I hope you like it."
Derek could feel his mouth salivating at the sight and smell of the tasty food. He was known to eat a lot, and she was prepared for that with the large amount of food sitting at the table. They sat down and chowed down, barely talking between bites. They casually talked about how things were going in their lives. Derek mentioned that he was inviting Simon to the next change, which would be happening pretty soon. Chloe understood, but couldn't help the small pain in her heart. Changing was something they shared together, a moment in time where nothing else in the world mattered but the two of them in their truest forms. But, she also understood that Simon was Derek's brother, and made sure not to show it in her face or her voice that it affected her.
"Alright, before we dig into the cupcakes. I wanted to give you your gift!"
"Great, than I can give you my gift too."
Chloe scowled. "You got me something? But this was supposed to be for you!"
"It's our 6 months, it'd be rude if I didn't get you something."
"Okay, but it better not be some crazy super personal painting. Because that's just unfair. I don't have that kind of talent."
Derek couldn't help but chuckle. "No, it's not. But, you show me your present first." His hand clenched around the box in his pocket, and he couldn't help the sweat that pooled at his forehead, getting more worried by the second about how she'd react to his gift.
"Alright, I will go first. But if you have a better gift than me, I'm going to be mad!" Chloe teased. She didn't see him bring anything with him, so she had no idea what her present could be. Chloe stood from the table and pulled a medium sized box out of the cabinet that was wrapped in blue wrapping paper. "Hey look at that, the paper kind of matches your shirt." Chloe smiled, loving the happy coincidence. Somehow, it just made the moment feel more special.
She handed him the box and he took it in his large hands. There was a card on top. It was handmade. Construction paper, messy glue spots with glitter and stickers. It was the cutest thing Derek had ever seen or had ever been given. He almost didn't need whatever was in the box once he read what was inside the card.
You've put me back together way better than I put together this card. But, this was put together with just as much care.
Happy 6 months, I love you.
Chloe
Derek reached his hand out and caressed Chloe's. She was smiling brightly and Derek felt his heart tighten. Something deep inside of him felt warm, content. He didn't know if he could ever be happier than in that moment. It was almost as if him and his wolf became one, and suddenly Derek saw Chloe how he would see her when he was in wolf form. Like she was a glowing magnet, pulling him towards her.
"Hurry up and open it!" Chloe yelled as Derek just kept staring at her and rereading the card. It was cute, but she wanted him to see what she got him!
He tore the paper and there was a box. It had a picture on the outside. He looked closely and realized it was a light display.
"It's an accurate star display. We can turn off the lights and do stargazing inside! I know how much you love physics and space and all that. And with you going to Space X and everything, I thought… well, I don't know. Maybe because of all the lights you wouldn't be able to see the stars like you can here."
Derek smiled. The most genuine and heart warming smile Chloe had ever seen. Sure, she'd seen him smile. But not like this. He loved her, and she could always see it in his eyes. She didn't need crazy looking smiles all of the time. She saw it in how much he took care of her, how much he hugged her and how tight he held onto her. But this gift made him bright. His green eyes glowing, his smile the widest it's ever been. Chloe couldn't help but take a deep breath. Both from the overwhelming sight of Derek's happiness and the weight lifted off her shoulders knowing she did well with her gift.
"It's my turn now." Derek said. His voice sounded hoarse and nervous. Chloe noticed his smile faltered, seemingly succumbing to nervousness. She tried to imagine his smile one more time, taking it in for her memory, keeping it with her to think about whenever she needed uplifting.
Derek shoved his sweaty hand back into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Chloe went tense. There were only a few things that could come in small boxes that could fit in pockets. Even if it were boy pockets.
He handed it to her and she took it. Observing the small box with a black bow on top. She took a deep breath before opening it. Chloe gasped at what was inside.
A black onyx ring. It was beautiful. Chloe pulled it out of the box and it fit perfectly on her ring finger. "What…"
"It's just… I wanted to give you something that meant something… to us. Do you like it?"
"I love it!" Chloe jumped up and ran around the table to give Derek a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sat in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly as she peppered him with kisses, leaving small smudges from her lipstick. It didn't bother him, though. It never did.
"Best, 6 months, ever." Chloe rasped out.
"There will be so many more months. Years. It'll be us. You are all I want Chloe. Forever."