Burning Slowly

Chapter 30

Derek blinked sleepily as the sky lightened. Stiles was a warm weight against his side. He could feel hot even breaths through the thin shirt he was wearing. He thought Stiles might have been drooling on him because his shirt was a little wet too. He yawned and looked down at the top of Stiles's head. Stiles turned his face away from the light and buried it in Derek's shoulder making a protesting sound as he did.

"You awake?" Derek knew that he was, but he also knew Stiles could be dangerous when waking up.

"No," Stiles grunted. He tightened traced small circles on Derek's stomach.

"If you were awake we could go back to the house and get that shower," Derek said. He chuckled when Stiles made an interested noise against his skin. "Let's go," he said as he got to his feet and pulled an only mildly enraged wolverine with him. They were coated with sand.

Stiles curled his arms around Derek's waist and said, "I don't think I'm ever going to get all this sand off me."

"I can't wait to try my hand at it," Derek smiled at the scandalized look Stiles gave him. He brushed some of the sand away from Stiles's pink face. Derek turned Stiles in his arms so they stood facing the oncoming sunrise. Neither of them said anything, but Derek kissed the back of Stiles's head when he grasped Derek's arms that were wrapped around his waist.

"This is perfect," Stiles said.

Derek smiled against Stiles's hair. After the sun had pulled itself free from the ocean in the distance he said, "Ready?"

"Yeah. I think I am."

They walked west back towards the house, when Stiles tentatively reached out to hold his hand as they went, Derek just let him do as he pleased, and gently squeezed. They left footprints in the sand behind them, Derek occasionally sniffed at the air out of habit. When they neared the location of the bonfire he had met with Lydia at the previous night he emitted a low growl that made Stiles jump.

"What is it?" Stiles's glanced around for whatever had put Derek's hackles up.

Derek narrowed his eyes as a jogger came around the bend. The guy had blonde hair, terrible blue eyes, and the most infuriating smile he had ever seen. The jogger stopped as he saw them together holding hands.

"Oh god," the blonde said. Recognition flickered in his very wide eyes as he looked at Derek.

"One," Derek said.

"But, Derek. I don't think—"

"Two..." Derek tried not to grin as the young man turned and fled north towards the street, falling when he reached the base of the hill. Even in the distance he had covered, Derek could see the look of panic on the guy's face as he scrambled up to his feet and cast a glance back in their direction. He could smell the satisfyingly acrid stench of fear that leaked from the blonde's pours.

Stiles snorted. "Was that really necessary?"

Derek pulled his hand free of Stiles's grip and wrapped the arm his arm of Stiles's shoulders. "Yes"

Stiles lips turned up in a goofy grin. Derek loved it. They continued west and eventually made it back to the house. Derek opened the door quietly, the two of them stepped lightly as they went up the stairs. They didn't want to disturb the other members of the pack. They walked down the hall to their room making sure to keep in contact with each other as they went.

In the bathroom Derek couldn't help but notice that Stiles was practically quivering with anticipation. Stiles fussed and complained when Derek made him hold his shirt up so that he could remove the old bandages from his side, clean the wounds, and then apply more fresh water resistant bandages. The cuts in Stiles's hands looked to be healed enough that he decided to leave them unbound while they were in the shower.