Back to December

Swallowing My Pride

          Sweat beads formed within Stiles' palms, the obnoxiously prerecorded ring dinging it's usual wait. This was very bold of him, Stiles would never do such a thing if he thought he could survive without it- without him. Derek was all the boy had even if he wasn't there. Stiles needed to make this right- he needed Derek back.

"Yeah?" answered an all too familiarly hurt voice. For a moment, Stiles said nothing, his throat clogging with all the regret he attempted to bury, "Hello?" the wolf greeted again.

"Derek?" Stiles uttered, practically hearing his heart drop. Pure silence echoed through the receiver, Stiles closing his eyes in hope.

"Stiles?" he finally asked, a croak of sorts whilst the tone drown in pain.

Stiles nodded, almost unaware that Derek couldn't see him. This just felt so unreal, "Yeah, it's me."

He knew that wasn't necessarily a good thing for Derek, but simply hoped his wolf would hear him out. Seeming to in a partial sense, Derek replied, "I never thought I'd hear from you again."

"I know." Stiles said immediately, a gentle and much less aggressive tone than the last time they spoke, "I'm- I don't mean to bother you I just..." he trailed off, lips pressing together in hopes that it would bring the words past them.

"You what?" asked Derek softly and in the same tone he always used to calm Stiles.

"I need- we need your help." he lied, simply wanting an easy way to get Derek back to Beacon Hills.

"Who's we?" asked Derek, making sure to account for any deaths within the group.

"Allison, Lydia, Isaac and me." replied Stiles, knowing there were hardly any of them left.

He swallowed, "What could I possibly help you guys with?"

"There's this thing," Stiles began, spouting nonsense he made up as he went, "this creature, I guess, that can dissolve itself."

"Dissolve?" repeated Derek in disbelief, "I've never heard of anything like that."

That was too simple, try again, "You still got that mythology book- the one you took from Peter?"

"Yeah," affirmed Derek, recalling their togetherness during the discovery of that book, "but I don't remember something dissolving in it."

"Doesn't matter." Stiles assured him, bold tone withering away like a dusted memory, "Any chance you could bring it?"

Derek's eyes sealed shut, remembering a time he would have done anything for this boy. Now, it only appeared as though he was being used, "I don't think-"

"We could meet?" the boy suggested, "Or I could come to you- wherever you are, that is."

"I'm in Oakland now." said Derek, seeming to imply nothing more.

"That's a change in scenery." Stiles remarked and, through he couldn't see it, Derek smiled, "Anyway," Stiles began after the blipped silence, "can you meet me- us?"

"I guess." Derek agreed blandly, "Where?"

"San Jose?" Stiles shrugged, "That's about equal distance, right?"

"About." Derek agreed, "When?"

"Today?" Stiles' body tensed with hope- insecurities as well, "If you can't-"

"It's fine." Derek said, getting back into the habit of granting Stiles' every wish, "I'll leave in a few minutes."

"Okay, me too." Stiles nodded, grateful that even after everything he did, this wolf never disappointed him, "Thanks, Derek."

          There was a click, the alpha seeming to not take Stiles' gentle tone all that well. It reminded him of too much- made him want too much again. Meanwhile, Stiles sighed in relief, thinking that maybe he could right his wrongs of December.

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I totally warned you about the whole short chapter situation...

Next chapter will be another flashback.

You probably get the sitch now, but I might just keep pointing it out anyway cx.