Without you

No Episode Relation- The Tell (S1 E5)

After the two dropped Scott off, Derek parks up infront of the school next to Georgias car mildly annoyed.

The whole drive from the hospital he kept catching Georgia send him sympathetic glances, and when they dropped off Scott the looks became more frequent.

"What." Derek snapped, he didn't mean to but the constant glances the whole way from Scott's house were getting annoying.

"It wasn't your fault." Georgia says softy placing her hand into Derek's squeezing.

Derek scoffs, "What wasn't my fault?" he asks trying to avoid the conversation he knows is coming but his grip tightens on Georgia's hand unconsciously.

"All of it." She says barely keeping her voice above a whisper. "The fire. Scott getting bitten, Laura, Pa-," Georgia stops herself with an intake of air. "Everything with.. her." Georgia didn't have to specify who she was talking about, the woman who ended up ruining it all. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything when we were younger but I was fourteen, I didn't know your relationship was wrong." Georgia removes her hand from Derek's and runs her hands through her hair as he slumps against his seat. "That's not an excuse, I know that, okay? But you were so happy and you didn't want anyone to know. And I just- I thought that maybe- oh I don't even know." She sighs, tears threatening to spill and stinging her eyes as she plays with her hands on her lap. "That you being happy meant you would start talking to me again?"

Dereks head snaps up at her sniffles. "Talk to you again?"

"You were so quiet after what happened and I didn't know what to do! But then when you met her it was like I had you back, the boy that picked me flowers out of random gardens on the way home from school, the same boy that taught me everything I know about basketball and spent a lot of money getting me a necklace for my birthday just because I took an extra couple of seconds looking at it in the shop, that took me out with his friends, I missed you so much Der." Georgias body shakes but she quickly composes herself with a broken laugh. "And now I'm hearing how selfish this sounds."

Silence laps over for a few moments as Derek processes the words coming from the women beside him. "I didn't know you felt that way- and don't cut me off here-" His eyebrows raise as he notices Georgia's mouth begin to open in protest. "You are not in the wrong, you kept your mouth shut because I asked you to, and yeah I'm a little fucked but I can and I will be that guy for you again. Everything that happened was no one's fault but mine." Derek's body is turned to face her now, his two hands gripping her one.

"I feel like you've ignored my point here, I'm literally telling you it wasn't your fault either." Her free hand reaching up to cup his cheek and for a moment, just one moment, she could've sworn Derek leaned into her touch.

A smirk- no a shield, his shield from the pain- takes over his face. "Agree to disagree then. Go Georgie, get some sleep it's been a long day."

Georgia nods and pulls her hands back, turning to open the car door but a flash of something envelops her. Confidence? Familiarity? God, maybe even the crave for comfortability shes been wanting. And before she can second guess her actions, she's pressing a kiss to Derek Hales cheek and muttering. "Stay safe Der, Love you."

Derek's heart batters against his chest as Georgia leaves the car and he finds himself waiting until her own drivers door closes before responding, softly. "I love you too."

When Georgia slips into bed later that night after scrubbing her body raw in the shower, sleep takes over and her shoulders feel a little lighter.

~~~~~~~~~~

Georgia's day off has finally arrived. Though calling it a day off may be partly inaccurate as she spends most of it getting ready for Parent's Evening.