Red Riding Hood

Chapter Thirteen

It had been two weeks and Derek hadn't left Cora's loft. He was scared, ignoring all of Stiles' messages. Stiles had tried coming to the loft but Cora had glared at him and told him to leave her brother alone. All she knew was that Derek was hurt and it was most likely Stiles' fault.

Derek didn't know what to do. He wanted to see Stiles, but he couldn't. He didn't want Mistress to get him again. Derek knew he was being unfair, but he couldn't help it.

The third week Stiles demanded to be let in. Cora must have let her guard down because the next thing Derek knew Stiles was knocking at his door.

Stiles entered the room, uninvited, and Cora yelled at him to leave the door open. Derek huddled under his bed covers like he had for the past few weeks. He hadn't taken a shower in days and his hair felt like a greasy batch of fries.

Stiles' eyes were wide with worry as he cautiously made his way to Derek's bed. "Hey," he whispered as if not to scare him.

"Hi," Derek responded just as quietly.

Stiles kneeled down by the bed and brushed Derek's messy hair from his eyes. "If it's me," he whispered, "please tell me."

Derek could feel tears welling in his eyes. He shook his head no and then shook his head again. This had practically nothing to do with Stiles but at the same time it was all about Stiles.

Mistress only wanted him, not Stiles. But Stiles was the only thing keeping Derek from her and he didn't want to know what she would do to him. Derek was afraid for Stiles more than himself. He could never let the man he had fallen so deeply for, be in harms way. He just couldn't.

So Derek cried. He cried like he was stuck in Mistress' basement again and he cried like every time she had flayed his skin off with a whip. Derek cried for Stiles above all. The man who hadn't known what he was getting himself into leaving his number at that hospital.

Exhaustion took over at one point and when Derek woke up, his eyes were crusty with dried tears but he felt warm, warmer than he had been in a while. He took a deep breath from his nose and he could smell Stiles' unique and natural sent. He smelled like warm cider and home. Home.

Derek had been thinking about home a lot lately. About how Stiles' sheets felt good on his back in he mornings and maybe scratchy legs rubbing against his own wasn't so bad after all.

Blunt fingernails danced across his head and Derek burrowed himself further into Stiles. This was home, the warm feeling he got in his chest every time the man encased him in his embrace. Derek couldn't fathom how long he had spent avoiding this. Stiles was like a drug and Derek had been going through withdraws without him.

"I think it's time to get you in the shower," Stiles whispered into his dirty hair. "But first I need to know, can I stay or should I go? I don't expect you to talk about whatever it is bothering you yet but I at least need to know if it's alri-"

Derek cut off Stiles' rambling by crashing their lips together. He needed him here and Stiles was right, he wasn't ready to talk, but he also wasn't ready to part from the man either. "Stay," he whispered.

+++

Stiles and Cora were making small talk over coffee when Derek emerged from the shower feeling like a new man. Cora was glaring at Stiles and Derek could only imagine what the conversation was about.

"Whatever you do, if you hurt him again, I will personally find you and cut your balls off," Derek overheard Cora threaten.

Stiles' eyes went wide and Derek decided it was a good time to step in. He took the seat closest to Stiles and leaned into his boyfriend. At least he hoped they were still boyfriends after Derek's silent stunt.

"You look much better. How do you feel?" Stiles asked, running his hand through Derek's now clean hair.

"Better." Derek turned into the hand and nestled his face into it. "Can we talk?" he whispered. It was time to come clean.

A/N: OMG is this an update?! It has been so long and I am so sorry for not updating sooner. Life happened and it got in the way. I'm all of a sudden feeling much more inspired about this story and I'm hoping to get another chapter out either this week or the next. Also be on the lookout for another chapter of Bonded if you read that. Thanks for reading!