l - teen wolf imagines

Derek- Something To Stay For

Derek Hale jogged up to Scott's front door and knocked loudly. He knew Scott's mom wasn't home because her car was gone, but there was one he didn't recognize in the driveway. He felt a little weird about bursting in there and asking to talk to him with someone else there, but he planning on leaving town with Braeden soon, and he felt like he owed Scott an explanation.

There was really no reason for him to stay in Beacon Hills. He wasn't an alpha anymore, and now that Scott was there to protect the town, it didn't really need him. Not that he had done much protecting while he was there anyway, but he had still tried.
He could heard voices coming from inside, and then soft footsteps padding up to the door. Derek expected Scott to be standing there, but when the door swung open, it wasn't the Alpha at all. There was a young boy standing in the doorway, and he couldn't have been more than five or six.
"Hi," he said, looking up at Derek with wide eyes.
Derek stared at him, dumbfounded for a few seconds. "Uh...hi. Is Scott-"
"Ben!" a voice cried suddenly.
Derek watched as you darted out of the kitchen, a dangerously protective expression on your face before you actually realized who was at the door. "Ben, I told you not to-Derek."
Derek blinked as he took in every detail of your face. It had been years since he had seen you, years since he had heard anything more than a few snippets about you. He always made a point to ask Scott about you when he got the chance, but seeing you in person was an entirely different matter.
"Y/n," he breathed. "Long time no see."
"Right," you remarked. "Scott told me you were hanging around, but I guess we just never crossed paths."
Derek nodded and glanced down at the boy, who was walking over to you. You flashed him a stern look and knelt down so you were eye level. "Ben, I thought we agreed we wouldn't open the door unless I was with you. You never know who it could be."
"But I can protect myself mom," he protested.
"So can other people," you told him firmly. "And sometimes those people can be bad. Do you understand?"
You flashed your eyes at him, a bright, familiar yellow that Derek had missed seeing. Ben nodded and hung his head, but you reached out and brought him into a tight hug. "I love you, buddy. I don't want to scare you, I just want to keep you safe."
"I know," he mumbled into your shirt. "I love you too, mom."
"Now go make sure Uncle Scott doesn't burn himself, okay?" you asked.
"Hey, that was one time!" Derek heard Scott call out from the kitchen.
Ben pulled away from you and yelled back into the kitchen "It was twice Uncle Scott!"
You laughed softly, and Derek felt his lips turn up. "Now go on."
"I can't meet your friend?" he asked, a disheartening tone to his voice. "He's a werewolf too."
"Ben," you groaned. "That's not polite. You know that. Go ahead, okay? I'll be there in a
minute."
Derek watched Ben run off into the kitchen, and you rose to your feet with a sigh. You walked over to Derek, sticking your hands in the pockets of your jeans. "I'm sorry. I get a little distracted sometimes. I know I'm not the best mom, but I do try to keep him safe."
"I'm sure you're a great mom," Derek told you sincerely.
You smiled. "Thanks, Derek. Did you need something from Scott? We're just cooking dinner. Our mom is working tonight and I thought it would be a good idea to have some family time...and to make sure Scott doesn't burn down the house."
"He's a lot more capable than you'd think," Derek told you. "He's saved my life a few times."
"He mentioned something like that," you said. "You and this town have been through a lot. The things Scott told me...well, I'm half convinced New York was safer than this place."
"We managed," he said with a shrug. "We definitely could have used your help, but maybe it's better that you weren't here."
You nodded. "Well, I'm back now."
Derek blinked. "For good?"
"For good," you confirmed. "We're staying here for now, but we're gonna try and find an apartment soon. As soon as I can get a job."
"Oh yeah, how's the photography coming along?" Derek asked you.
"There was a lot of competition in Queens," you told him. "But I'm thinking that we might have some better luck here. If not, I'm sure there's a job opening somewhere. With all the people that die in this town, I'd be surprised if I couldn't find one."
Derek nodded. "You got that right. Is it just you and Ben?"
"Yep," you said curtly.
"Oh," Derek said. "What happened to-"
"He's out of the picture," you said quickly. "For good."
"Oh god, I'm sorry," Derek told you, shaking his head. "That's not any of my business."
"It's okay," you assured him. "He's Ben's father, but he wasn't a very good person. He's barely going to remember his dad, but I'm okay with that. I'd rather he left no mark on him at all."
Derek nodded. "Sometimes you end up with the wrong person. I know that from experience, but there's always a way to come back from that."
You nodded. "I'm just trying to do right by Ben, you know? Part of me wishes I never followed that man out of this town. Maybe I should have just stayed with you. Remember how close we used to be?"
Derek did remember. He remembered meeting you at Beacon Hills Elementary in third grade, and being best friends ever since. He remembered telling you his secret in middle school, and how, when you were fourteen and caught under the collapsed roof of a shed you had been told not to mess around in, he had begged his mother to bite you so that you wouldn't die.
Most of your bones had been crushed, and you had lost a lot of blood, and Talia knew that you wouldn't survive. She obliged and bit you there and then, and ever since you had been a werewolf. You kept it a secret from your mom until long after your brother was bitten, and it wasn't until he told her for you that you realized she knew.
You had skipped town with your boyfriend shortly after the Hale fire, because he was convinced it wasn't safe, and it had taken you years to realize that you could do a lot better. Ben had come into the picture a little before that, but now that he was getting older, you had decided that you didn't want that in his life.
You explained all of this to Derek, who nodded solemnly. You had been his best friend for years before the fire, and he was beginning to realize how much he missed you. Those feelings were easy to ignore and push away at times, but not when you were standing in front of him in Scott's living room.
"You probably don't wanna hear about any more of my drama," you remarked when you finished explaining everything. "You had something to talk to Scott about, right?"
"Uh, you know what?" Derek asked. "It can wait. I'm actually not really sure what I wanted to say."
"Oh," you said. "Well, do you wanna stay for dinner?"
Derek frowned. "I would, but I have to go meet someone. It shouldn't take long. I can come back later if you want to catch up."
You smiled. "I'd like that."
"Cool," Derek said with a smile. "And, Y/n? I still have the apartment building. I live on the top floor, but there are plenty of empty units. I can get you one for a fair price."
You blinked. "That...that would be great."
"Just let me know when you want to move in," he told you, turning his back and pulling the door open.
You smiled as he headed out the door, thinking about how good it was to see him again. You had left Beacon Hills thinking it was a hellhole with not much there for you, but now you were beginning to see that it was whatever you made it out to be. Maybe being back wouldn't be so bad after all.
Derek smiled to himself as he walked out to his car. He had initially come to tell Scott he was leaving, but now he wasn't so sure. And as he walked down the driveway, it occurred to him that he might have found something to stay for.