Fuzzy carpets really are the best thing, hands down. Especially when your face has been numb for about two hours.

Especially, when your sister has been yelling nonsense to you for an additional two hours.

Derek huffed another sigh, barely lifting his head from the cloud below him. One eye squinted open to look at her face, which was still fuming and scrunched up in annoyance.

"I get it, I should have taken the bus." he dropped his head back down into the fluff.

He had once again done the only thing he knew to do in a moment of anger, which was go to Tori's house. Not soon after Derek had launched his phone into the street, Rae had appeared for round two. She was bitter, angry, and hurt. With all those feelings building inside her there would be no stopping or thought process to anything she said. And Derek knew that. So why did what she said make him so incredibly angry, but more importantly, why did he listen?

'You will never find someone who will care for you more than I did. How could someone else love a person so selfish and angry every day?!'

That line was a perfect example as to why in the past Derek went back to Rae whenever he was alone. She was careful with her words, even in an irritated state of mind. She knew one of his greatest fears was to end up alone in the world, and she used it every chance she had. She was aware of how secretly self-conscious he was, about the way he was seen by another person. She learned what to say to convey her feelings, without ever saying she loved him.

'I gave you the best years of my young adult life, I wasted them to take the chance on you. And look what I got in return. Everything everyone murmured about you, nothing.'

But was it ever really love?

"Hey Simon, took you long enough to get here."

Derek sat up abruptly, eyes closed, ears twitching.

"Relax, I just said that to get you back to the real world." Tori placed a cup of coffee next to him, a small smirk on her face. The steam from the mug hit him in the eyelids, warming up his still frozen eyelashes. That was awesome.

Rae took her silent victory without her knowledge, he was drained. His migraine throbbed harder at the thought of her voice getting louder when he walked away. His shoulders tensed thinking of her following him for another two blocks, jacketless but still steaming. The walk itself should have cooled her down tremendously, but it did not.

'You stupid asshole!' she tossed a pebble from the street at him. 'I can't believe you yelled at me, like you have the right!' She kicked a can towards his feet. 'You aren't capable of loving another person, you're lucky I am still here!' She yelled across the street, watching him walk into his sister's apartment building.

Yeah. There was no emotional energy left in him tonight to see his brother. Was it his constant ON type personality or was it the fact Derek still has a tiny grudge against him about, well, his life in general?

"Could be both. . ." Derek grumbled to himself.

"What was that?" Tori whipped her head in his direction from the kitchen.

"Nothing." He grunted.

He heard her plate clang down. "What did you say?" she asked.

"It was nothing."

"I heard you say something, come again?" she walked out of the kitchen towards him, arms crossed and finger ticking.

"Nothing, damn. Mind your business sometimes Tori." He snapped.

Tori's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, you came here. I didn't ask you too. If you want alone time, then go the fuck home." she spat back.

He stared at her and she stared back at him, neither one blinking.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She responded, turning her back to walk to the couch. "I'm sorry you had a rough night."

Derek flopped down onto his back, wincing at the loud thud he caused. He stretched both his arms out, his hands reaching way past the fuzzy border. Maybe he should get one of these for his room.

"One out of many. More to come." They smiled small at each other.

"Want to watch a movie? The Devil Wears Prada?" Tori grabbed the remote from her coffee table.

"Whatever."

This was the normal routine, and it didn't seem like it was going to change tonight.

And for that, Derek was grateful.

Within seconds of Meryl Streep's first "That's all," Tori was fast asleep. He pushed himself off the floor and went to her living room basket, the one filled with different types of blankets and discarded socks Tori had lost in between naps. He pulled out her favorite crochet blanket and placed it over her gently.

He grabbed one of the larger quilts inside and laid it down below the high pile carpet. A makeshift pillow was made from the sweater he was wearing earlier and placed at the top. As he laid down, he really got to stretch out this time, without his skin hitting the cold hardwood floor beneath him.

This carpet Tori bought was only about half his size but curled into a ball Derek fit just fine. If he wanted to stretch out? A pallet would have to be made on the floor, for that good snap. With the carpet and the blanket both laid out, he now had a pallet made for his size comfortably. Derek was a lengthy guy, over 6ft (Maybe a good 6'4, but hey who really knows?), so popping his back was a must. His eyes were shut tight in a wince as he pointed his toes out and stretched his hands forward, a successful pop noise filling the room.

So much better.

With the second blanket he took drawn over him, he closed his eyes, drowning out Anne Hathaway's character change.

Tori's living room clock ticked rhythmically. His body grew much heavier when he realized the time was close to three in the morning. Dinner ended around eight-thirty; he didn't escape Rae / make it to Tori's place till twenty minutes past ten. In his defense the walk was meant to clear his mind and calm him down, but his plan was ruined when he noticed Rae not far behind him.

Derek blinked a few times, still curious as to where it all started to go wrong.

Rae really wasn't so awful, at first.

She was always the more aggressive type and at times Derek admired that. Her strength became his.

She taught him to move-on from things that upset him, how to properly cut a mango.

She made him smile more, so strangers wouldn't find him so frightening. (He can hear her saying, 'If you're not going to say anything to anyone at least smile sometimes, so you don't look like a gloomy serial killer.')

She taught him to stand up for himself without constantly resorting to anger, how to sleep with both eyes closed.

Derek shut his eyes. He took a deep breath in, slowly blew it back out. He shook his head.

Most importantly, she taught him the difference between love and comfortability.

His sister didn't question him when he showed up at her door that night. He assumed she could see on his face that he needed to be there right now, no questions asked. But maybe she was just worried. For Tori, it was probably the first guess.

She let him sleep for a couple of hours before kicking him awake at midnight to explain what happened.

The hardest part was to tell her the story, only because keeping her calm was a struggle.

Derek learned to keep it quick and to the point, no need to bring up anything that was said. Just what happened. Moments like these with Rae became common when they were together, there was nothing he felt tonight that she hadn't made him feel before. This is what he expressed to Tori, in return all she could say was: "So why deal with it now, then?"

Because change sucks.

Because the only two people you talk to in this world are your brother and sister.

Because maybe deep down inside you can't accept the fact that each drop of light that pops into your life, ends up turning into the darkest shadow that consumes you more. And in reality? You help it get that way.

Derek took in a sharp breath.

"You okay?" Tori's voice whispered out.

Whoops, he woke the bear. He tilted his head towards her direction. "Yeah."

"Get some sleep, Dog." He could hear the small amount of serenity she was trying to hide.

"Hmph."

When her snores started softly back up again, Derek looked up at Tori's popcorn ceiling. Each bump teasing him for being scolded by his sister.

He was grateful for her.

Again, Derek closed his eyes.

He imagined himself away from the loud bangs, shouting, and bus engines of this city. Autumn leaves filled his mind, the phantom smell of oranges and basil bringing him to steady breathing.

No longer was Tori's apartment visible, all he saw was the bright blue sky. Clusters of clouds were scattered. He could not hear the breeze blowing through the tree's, but he could feel it. The giant oak tree before him became his shade as he sat his back against it.

He always came back here whenever he would dream.

The only strange thing about this place? He was in the middle of a sunflower field. For miles they blossomed proud and brightly, swaying with the wind. He wasn't even a flower kind of guy.

Derek shrugged; he was a huge fan of sunflower seeds. Flavor or none.

A giggle filled his ears abruptly, his eyes widened, and he placed his hands over his ears.

He could hear nothing in this place.

Not the birds, the bees or even his own voice. Only his thoughts and himself ever exchanged words. The shock left the tips of fingers tingling and cold.

The giggle once again filled the silence and Derek felt himself smile.

"Chloe?" He heard himself call out.

**Are you guys alive out there? I know a lot is going on in the world right now, let me know if continuing this story would be helpful to pass the time.**

**For you and myself.**

**Also: Let me know what your thoughts are! What moments do you wish to see happen between Derek and Chloe? Is there a POV from anyone else you want to read?**