Derek turned to him then, his green eyes catching the light from the lampposts. “You won’t.”
Stiles swallowed, feeling the weight of Derek’s gaze. “It’s just…it feels like I’m stuck. Like, I’m carrying all this stuff from back in Beacon Hills, and I don’t know how to put it down. And you—you’ve been so quiet, and I don’t know if it’s because of me or because of everything.”
Derek’s expression softened, and he looked back at the pond. “It’s not you, Stiles. It’s just hard to let go of the past. But I’m trying. I’ve spent so long holding on to the pain, the guilt. It’s familiar. But now I think it’s time to let it go.”
Stiles nodded, his chest tightening. “Yeah. Me too.”
They stood there for a while longer, the snow falling softly around them, blanketing the park in silence. Stiles found himself relaxing, the weight on his chest easing slightly. He glanced at Derek again, the faint glow of the lights catching on the sharp lines of his face.
“You’re not alone, you know,” Stiles said quietly. “Whatever you’re dealing with, you don’t have to do it alone.”
Derek’s lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile. “Neither do you.”
Stiles felt a warmth spread through him, chasing away some of the cold. He wasn’t sure what it meant—this thing between them—but for now, it was enough to know they were in it together.
As they turned to leave, walking side by side through the snow, Stiles glanced back at the pond one last time. The ducks were still huddled together, their reflections rippling in the water. And for the first time in a long time, Stiles felt like he wasn’t drowning.
Re: Reflections in the Snow (Teen Wolf, Derek + Stiles) 2/2
Stiles swallowed, feeling the weight of Derek’s gaze. “It’s just…it feels like I’m stuck. Like, I’m carrying all this stuff from back in Beacon Hills, and I don’t know how to put it down. And you—you’ve been so quiet, and I don’t know if it’s because of me or because of everything.”
Derek’s expression softened, and he looked back at the pond. “It’s not you, Stiles. It’s just hard to let go of the past. But I’m trying. I’ve spent so long holding on to the pain, the guilt. It’s familiar. But now I think it’s time to let it go.”
Stiles nodded, his chest tightening. “Yeah. Me too.”
They stood there for a while longer, the snow falling softly around them, blanketing the park in silence. Stiles found himself relaxing, the weight on his chest easing slightly. He glanced at Derek again, the faint glow of the lights catching on the sharp lines of his face.
“You’re not alone, you know,” Stiles said quietly. “Whatever you’re dealing with, you don’t have to do it alone.”
Derek’s lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile. “Neither do you.”
Stiles felt a warmth spread through him, chasing away some of the cold. He wasn’t sure what it meant—this thing between them—but for now, it was enough to know they were in it together.
As they turned to leave, walking side by side through the snow, Stiles glanced back at the pond one last time. The ducks were still huddled together, their reflections rippling in the water. And for the first time in a long time, Stiles felt like he wasn’t drowning.
He had someone beside him now.