The Preserve | Friday Morning

[robinonadderall]

Being out paced by Greenberg at his last cross country practice made it glaringly obvious that Stiles was in no way ready for any kind of track meet whatsoever. So there was minimal bitching when Derek dragged him out into the woods to run. Well, Stiles tripped mostly, but Derek was running. And occasionally doing werewolf parkour. Show off.

"Man I am so pissed I missed Sharknado last night!" Stiles said, using what remaining air he had to whine. "All because Lydia wanted to Skype! And not even to sexy Skype like I hear is all the rage with the kids these days. And she wouldn't let me log off even when I said there was a Sharknado emergency! And, yeah, I could find a stream but I'd be missing the full big screen Sharknado experience--"

Why did you even want to hang out with this guy, Derek? He was annoying and he hadn't even started singing yet.

[For grumpy werewolf guy who surely has a wonderful singing voice]

Comments

[justlurkinghere]

"Stiles." Oh god, the headache he was getting from this rant. He didnt get headaches except when he was around you and your idiot friends, Stiles!

Okay, and around Pinkie Pie. But that was because of glitter.

[robinonadderall]

"--how does someone not understand the importance of Sharknado? It was a historical event, I told Scott to not contact me during it unless he was leaking black blood from all orifices." He was on a roll here, shh. "Which brought up some terrible imager--oof!"

There, he tripped again. That should keep him quiet for a couple seconds.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek snagged him by the back of his shirt for hauling back onto his feet, looking possibly more amused by the tripping than he ought to. It was the little things in life that you had to cherish, you know.

"Hey there little red riding hood, you sure are looking good," he sang for some inexplicable reason before looking horrified.

[robinonadderall]

"Uhhhhhhhhhhh." At least Stiles looked more confused than horrified? "What?"

[justlurkinghere]

Just shut up and stop listening then! And stop wearing red to make the song applicable!

"You're everything a big bad wolf could want." How about a no? Because now Derek was managing to sing through gritted teeth as he dropped his hold on Stiles' shirt like it was on fire. "Little red riding hood, I don't think little big boys should, go walking in these spooky old woods alone."

[robinonadderall]

So this was new. And weird. "I didn't think you'd go for the cliche's, man."

Oh just wait until you started singing, Stiles.

[justlurkinghere]

His lips said yes, but his eyes promised a violent, messy end.

"What. The hell."

[robinonadderall]

Stiles had to agree with that action. He actually wasn't really processing what those lyrics had to do with him because the idea of Derek singing was hard for his brain to comprehend.

Of course as soon as he tried to mention this he started singing instead. "Hold on, to me as we go, as we roll down this unfamiliar road. And although this wave is stringing us along, just know you’re not alone, 'cause I’m going to make this place your home."

Whelp. He was gonna go kill himself now.

[justlurkinghere]

Well, it was really the only option.

Derek stared at him for that like he hadn't just been singing either. "Say, say my playmate wont you lay hands on me? Mirror my malady. Transfer my tragedy."

[robinonadderall]

Wait. Wait a second. Was Derek talking about Stiles touching him? Or was that a metaphor? He was choosing to go with metaphor.

"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you--" Oh. Oh no. "Been here all along so, why can't you see you belong with me?"

That...was also a metaphor.

[justlurkinghere]

They were all metaphors! Because madness lay the other way. Lovecraftian style madness.

"Got a curse I cannot lift, shines when the sunset shifts," Derek continued, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "When the moon is round and full, gotta bust that box gotta gut that fish."

... Well, the last part was pretty metaphorical.

[robinonadderall]

Well Stiles hoped that was metaphorical. Since this was all metaphorical. Or completely random even. There, that was even better.

"And when the world is on its knees with me its fine, and when I come to the rescue I get nothing but left behind--" That he didn't mind singing 'cause it was true. "--Everybody seems to be getting what they need where's mine? 'Cause you're what I need so very, but I'm anything but ordinary."

Oh goddammit. Stiles just lifted up the edge of his hoodie and put it in his mouth 'cause surely that would stop the singing. And he tended to put stuff in his mouth when he was nervous anyway.

[justlurkinghere]

Well, at least it got Derek off the hoddamn wolf themed songs! He'd be grateful for that some other time.

When he wasn't being more honest about his weird emotions.

"Words like violence
Break the silence
Come crashing in
Into my little world
Painful to me
Pierce right through me
Can't you understand
Oh my little girl."

...they were going to ignore the 'girl' thing.

[robinonadderall]

The hoodie thing didn't help the singing, it didn't help at all. He just spit it out and kept on singing his little heart out. "Yellow diamonds in the light, now we’re standing side by side. As your shadow crosses mine, what it takes to come alive. It’s the way I’m feeling I just can’t deny, but I’ve got to let it go."

Stiles was grateful whatever weirdness was going on picked this Rihanna song rather than, say, S&M or Rude Boy.

Both of which would be applicable to Derek if he was honest with himself.

[justlurkinghere]

Well, at least he picked the lesser of the Rhiannon evils. Derek, on the other hand, was still blurting out his issues. Oh god, why. He was such a sad sack.

"Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable."

We get it, you have trust issues.

[robinonadderall]

You want some Stiles issues instead? Have some Stiles issues instead.

"Ever since I was eight or nine
I've been standing on the shoreline
Always waiting
For something lasting
Lose your hunger, you lose your way
Get confused and you fade away

Oh this town
Kills you when you are young
Oh this town
Kills you when you are young

I'm not the boy I used to be
This town has got the youth of me
All eyes turn hollow
From the work of sorrow"

[justlurkinghere]

Oh, low blow on the feeling scale. Low blow.

"Charge me your daily rate, I'll turn you out in kind. When the moon is round and full gonna teach you tricks that'll blow your mongrel mind. Baby doll I recognize, you're a hideous thing inside. If ever there were a lucky kind it's you, you, you, you--" Derek sang back. Helpfully. "My mind has changed my body's frame but god I like it. My hearts aflame, my body's strained but god I like it."

[robinonadderall]

Well at least that was sort of positive? Maybe?

You have always worn your flaws upon your sleeve, and I have always buried them deep beneath the ground. Dig them up, let's finish what we've started. Dig them up, so nothing's left unturned," he sang. "All of your flaws and all of my flaws when they have been exhumed, we'll see that we need them to be who we are, without them we'd be doomed."

Also sort of positive? Positive and staying away from declarations of love, good. Let's stay on that track.

[justlurkinghere]

Positive thinking! They might just get through this bullshit singing thing.

"Mind strong, body strong. Try to find equilibrium. Head straight, screwed on. Been screwed up for too long." Why was he swaying to this? Oh god, was dancing next? "I don't want to lean on the waves. I watch the storm evaporate. I think of you in starry skies. I keep you so alive."

[robinonadderall]

Oh great, now Stiles was swaying. He blamed you for this, Derek! And stop singing about thinking of him in a romantic setting!

"You only come out late at night, just like an animal in the moonlight. You're wrapped up tight in mystery, you've got me so fogged in that I can't even see." Okay, maybe he didn't have a right to complain anymore. "My friends say I'm caught up in fairy tales and dreams, and I confess, with you it feels like make-believe. ‘Cause you're a fantasy, you're just a fantasy, yeah. You're a fantasy, darling to me."

And back to wanting to die.

[justlurkinghere]

Maybe it was the stars by the burned out hull of the Hale house, huh. Now how's that for romantic? Dead family members really set the mood.

And the swaying was more like a predatory stalk now. So at least there was that. "If you could only see the beast you've made of me. I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free. Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart, drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart."

Romantic?

"My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in. You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl." Really, he was just glad he wasn't actually demonstrating the howling. "My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in. You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to--"

Whelp, spoke too soon on the howling. Though this one managed to sound like an actual wolf howl instead of the gorilla noise they were so find of.

Mmmm. Cliche city here.

[robinonadderall]

Stiles stepped back from the predatory stalk (in a surprisingly graceful manner, as one does in musicals) until he felt a tree hit his back. Which was good, he needed the support, 'cause he went a little weak in the knees when Derek actually howled.

Whether this knee weakening was from flattery or shock that this was his life was yet to be seen.

Speaking of Florence-- "And is it worth the wait, all this killing time? Are you strong enough to stand, protecting both your heart and mine? My love has concrete feet, my love's an iron ball, wrapped around your ankles over the waterfall. I'm so heavy, heavy in your arms."

[justlurkinghere]

Lets go with shock for their own sanity.

"Who is the betrayer? Who's the killer in the crowd? The one who creeps in corridors and doesn't make a sound."

Well now, that could have a lot of meanings.

[robinonadderall]

Hey, they've got a duet going now! Wait, was this better or worse?

"This will be my last confession, I love you never felt like any blessing. Whispering like it's a secret, only to condemn the one who hears it with a heavy heart."

Why couldn't they just jog like normal people?!

[justlurkinghere]

Worse! So much worse! Oh god.

Derek inhaled sharply at that, taking a very careful step away from him. "Let it out, let it all out. Say what's on your mind. You can kick and scream and shout and say things that are so unkind."

[robinonadderall]

Oh great, now you've made him feel bad with your singing, Derek.

"I know it's not over, baby I worked this out for sure. It's gonna be colder, now you've forced open the door. I know you better than I ever have before, I know you," he sang. "I know you're a fighter, but you never fought for me when I was a shelter. So you're not heading home to me. We could be closer, we could be closer, we could be."

[justlurkinghere]

Well don't use the L word around him!

And he made that weird 'I swallowed a lemon' pinched face before gritting out, "Can't bear to face the truth. So sick he cannot move. And when it hurts he takes it out on you."

Accurate.

"And lately I'm not the only one. I say never trust anyone. Always the one who has to drag you down. Maybe you'll get what you want this time around."

[robinonadderall]

Like he could help every other song used the L word!

"Here we go again, I kinda wanna be more than friends, so take it easy on me. I'm afraid you're never satisfied." Oh look, outlying issues from crushing on Lydia for ten years. "Oh oh, I want some more. Oh oh, what are you waiting for? Take a bite of my heart tonight."

Stiles could get in on the animal motifs too. He was about three seconds from running away like a scared bunny, even.

[justlurkinghere]

Always with the biting here!

Derek looked stricken at that. Because everyone was a cornered animal in this preserve!

"Pick you up, let you down
When I wanna go
To a place I can hide
You know me, I had plans
But they just disappeared
To the back of my mind

Oh can it be
The voices calling me
They get lost
And out of time
I should've seen a glow
But everybody knows
That a broken heart is blind."

[robinonadderall]

This time it was Stiles' turn to look stricken. This was all very, very confusing and the last thing he wanted to do right now was sing about his self-esteem and rejection issues. Especially when he wasn't sure if Derek meant anything he said.

So instead he did his very best to keep his mouth shut and push his way past Derek before singing anything else.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek kept his hands clenched, arms stiff at he sides as he let Stiles run off like a music video of Taylor Swift without a word. Because it was better that way.

"Hello darkness, my old friend." A beat. "Goddamnit."

His life was terrible.