darkest timeline } { of brain breaks and gaining confidence

[braveandstupid]

Elena: [and in she swans from her day at the hospital, flashing them both a smile as she makes her way in] Hey. How are you guys doing?

Derek: My brain is about to explode.

Elena: Then it sounds like my timing is perfect to give you a break.

Derek: Yes, please. [looks over at Caroline] Not that I don't appreciate your company, of course.

Caroline: Not at all. I actually have a dinner date, so you guys are free to hang out here.

Derek: Awesome. [and he will get up and stretch]

Elena: How do you feel about pizza?

Derek: I was just about to suggest that.

Elena: I'll order while you guys wrap up.

Derek: [and he will get the books cleared and packed away, thanking Caroline again and letting her go get ready for her date]

Elena: [and Elena showered at the hospital so she'll order them a couple of pizzas and then go change into comfy clothes as she comes back] So what are you in the mood for, movie wise?

Derek: Something brain numbing. I don't have it in me to do anything intellectual

Elena: Dumb comedy it is. [and she'll go perch on the couch and start sorting through netflix]

Derek: [and he's going to refill his water glass from earlier] Do you want me to bring you something to drink?

Elena: Soda? I think there should be something in the fridge.

Derek: [and he will return with the glass and a soda for her, sitting next to her on the couch] So what did you decide on?

Elena: The Other Guys?

Derek: I don't think I've heard of that.

Elena: It's got Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell.

Derek: [just shakes his head.] But I'm up for it.

Elena: Well, it's ridiculous so definitely falls under the mind-numbing category. [Mark Wahlberg is a peacock, and you gotta let him fly.]

Derek: [and as he watches it he will enjoy it, laughing in all the right places]

Elena: [and so will Elena, and they will eat pizza, and at some point Elena will settle closer but not too close]

Derek: [he feels her getting closer and he will hesitate a moment, and then lift his arm and put it around her shoulders, inviting her closer]

Elena: [and she'll glance up at him to make sure, before she goes to settle in, resting her head against his shoulder]

Derek: [and she will feel him relax more and more as the minutes go by, eventually his fingers brushing along her shoulder]

Elena: [and that gets her to relax too, letting her hand rest against his chest as she gets comfortable]

Derek: [and the humor of the movie makes it hard to be tense, and he will just enjoy it, and her closeness]

Elena: [and Elena loves a good cuddle, so she'll just take advantage of it and won't push any further than that]

Derek: [and of course the movie will come to an end, letting them just enjoy the snuggle during the credits.]

Elena: [glances up] Want me to try and find another one?

Derek: Yeah. I don't feel like moving at the moment. [he is quite content where they are]

Elena: [smirks as she reaches over for the remote and starts flipping through movies again]

Derek: [and he will watch, having heard of barely any of these movies]

Elena: [and she will chat with him about each of them until she picks another dumb comedy]

Derek: [and he will start to lean into her a bit more, slouching and pressing his head on top of hers]

Elena: [notices and keeps herself close, letting her fingers brush against his chest]

Derek: [and he's just nice and comfortable, to the point where if he was a cat he'd be purring]

Elena: [and eventually she'll shift over to try and reach for her soda and she's just really close] Sorry, I just wanted to get my ... [points to the glass of soda]

Derek: [and he will sit up a bit] Yeah, sure. Sorry.

Elena: [shakes her head] No, not your fault. I just didn't want to push you.

Derek: I do appreciate not being pushed out of the way between you and your soda.

Elena: It's an intense love affair, but I do prefer you just a little more than it. [teasing]

Derek: Just a little more?

Elena: I think that's a fair assessment. Unless you think I'm missing any arguments you want to make in your favor.

Derek: You can't cuddle with a can of coke.

Elena: No, that is true.

Derek: And it will get sticky and flat.

Elena: Well, depending on the kind of cuddling we're doing, things could still get sticky.

Derek: [and those are his ears turning red]

Elena: [and her grin widens a bit] Sorry. Couldn't help it.

Derek: [shakes his head] I swear I'm not trying to be a blushing virgin over here.

Elena: [tips her head to the side] Have you done this before?

Derek: The flirting? Not since I was seventeen.

Elena: And more than that?

Derek: More recently, but very different circumstances. [and his eyes get that distance look, remembering the past]

Elena: [notices that and her hand comes up, drawing her thumb against his cheekbone] Do you want to talk about it?

Derek: [he thinks a moment] It's a lot of baggage to unload that's all interconnected.

Elena: I have the time, if you want to tell me. Or we could just take it one thing at a time.

Derek: [he had been talking about opening up with people about what had happened to him, and he had started to be more open with his sisters when they asked questions. But Elena didn't know anything, not even the basics that Laura and Cora knew. He'd have to start at the beginning, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready to tell her. Which meant he needed to find a way to] How much do you know about hunters?

Elena: [she shifts up to put a little distance between them, so that she can look him in the eye more and take this seriously] I know they can suck. A lot.

Derek: Where I come from, there's an old family of hunters. The Argents. My family had a cold war going on with them.

Elena: I've heard of them. There was a guy ... Chris Argent, I think? Who would work with the founding families sometimes.

Derek: [nods] that's them. It was Chris' father, Gerard, who ruled the family. Remember what I told you about Paige?

Elena: [she nods] Yeah, I remember.

Derek: They didn't take that well. They wanted to kill me, and my mom tried to find peace. It ended up costing her her life, as well as most of my pack.

Elena: [her face softens and she reaches over, resting her hand on his arm gently, and just stroking it with her thumb while she listens to him talk, not wanting to interrupt]

Derek: One of the ways my mom tried to keep the peace was volunteering my younger sister to stay with them as a ward. I don't know what they did to her for the year she was there, but it really changed her. Then, when my mom died, I tried to break her out, but got caught. I didn't want her to suffer, so I took her place.

Elena: How long were you with them?

Derek: Seven years.

Elena: That's a long time.

Derek: That's why I don't know a lot about current events or pop culture. Why I didn't finish high school.

Elena: [she nods, because that does provide some context there]

Derek: When they first had me... they experimented on me. Used me to learn about werewolf limits on different types of... [he tried to think of a better word, then sighed] They tortured me. First to make me pay for what I did, then to break me. After that, They made me teach their younger members how to fight and hurt werewolves. I've been nearly killed over a few hundred times in those years.

Elena: [yeah this is awful, and it shows on her face] How did you get away?

Derek: The last Argent I "trained" was Allison Argent. Chris' daughter. She was the first one nice to me. My sister says it was Stockholm Syndrome, but I thought she cared about me. When Gerard found out that Allison and I had become intimate, I don't know but his others children dragged me out and were going to kill me, but Allison appeared and then this woman, Braeden, and I was able to escape. By then my family had been here for years, so Braeden smuggled me across the country here.

Elena: Stockholm syndrome doesn't invalidate your feelings. It just makes them more complicated.

Derek: My sister had a PI check up on Allison. I thought maybe... but she's already moved on with another guy. A hunter. Like I never existed.

Elena: That must have hurt.

Derek: [nods, licking his lips] Yeah. And she was my first... after Paige.

Elena: [she nods, before shifting to face him more] My last boyfriend ... his brother is the alpha that turned on my banshee powers. Damon killed Tyler's dad to steal his powers, and then he bit me in the same twenty-minute window. I still ... [she takes his hand and moves it to her side, so he can feel the raised teeth marks Damon left behind] That wasn't the bad part though. The bad part was that when an alpha bites a banshee, there's a bond there. And Stefan knew about it, and knew that Damon was using it to manipulate me, and he just ... let it happen. He didn't even tell me what was happening. I had to find out from Tyler.

Derek: [his fingers feel the marks, and then his thumb traces along her neck gently] How did you escape?

Elena: Elijah did a spell that severed the connection. And then Tyler killed Damon. Elijah said we had to do one before the other, otherwise even when he was dead I would never be free of him.

Derek: That's good, then. Free of him, and able to move on.

Elena: [she nods as she reaches one hand up to brush against the side of his face] So if you had a spell to set you free, what would it be? Metaphorically speaking.

Derek: A confidence spell. [he nods] I'm so tired of being scared of everything. I've spent the last near ten years of my life afraid. Seven years knowing that the next day could be the one that kills me.

Elena: And what do you think would give you that?

Derek: I don't know. Maybe a mouse giving me a feather, telling me I can fly?

Elena: [she considers for a minute, before turning to face him, drawing one hand against the side of his face, and leaning in to kiss him softly. It's not hard or forceful, and if he pulls away she'll let him, but sometimes there's nothing that boosts someone's confidence more than being desired. And Elena's been wanting to do that for a while]

Derek: [and there's a moment where he might pull away. He's just talking about a lot of painful memories, putting him on edge. There's a quick intake of breath, and then hesitantly he will kiss her back, completely unsure of himself]

Elena: [she's ready to let him go, but when he starts to respond, she just leans into it eagerly, not pushing it beyond kissing but leaning in and getting comfortable]

Derek: [and he will relax a bit because he does trust Elena, and he will shift to let her get closer. His kissing will be more active as time goes on, becoming more confident in himself doing this]

Elena: [there it is. Eventually she will wind her arms around his neck and lean into him, keeping the kiss for a moment, before she pulls back and looks up at him] Did that help?

Derek: [and there is a smile, and to answer her he will lean in and initiate the kiss, more sure of himself in it]

Elena: [and she grins into it, and they're just gonna make out for a while, no getting handsy (yet) but her fingers may run through his hair a bit]

Derek: [which will set him off with a soft murring noise from his throat, like a mix of a growl and purr, and his hands will slide along her back, keeping her close]

Elena: [yes, that's a good noise, and she sinks into his hold a little more, continuing with her fingers in his hair]

Derek: [and since he doesn't really have any control over that, she will eventually feel a growing hardness against her coming from his lap]

Elena: [she does, but that isn't permission for anything, so she doesn't push any further, waiting for him to tell her what he wants. but her body does respond in kind, because she wants it too, and it has been a while]

Derek: [god he wants it. He really does. He can smell her body reacting and there's a soft whine of indecision]

Elena: [and eventually she breaks the kiss and looks up at him] Do you want to come to my room with me? [she tries to phrase it so she's not saying they have to stop, but the change of venue still implies more than what they're doing now]

Derek: [he takes a deep breath, then nods. He wants to be affectionate with someone. It's part of the core of who he was, who he is at heart.]

Elena: Okay. [and she pushes up onto her feet, before holding out a hand for him to take. She still wants to make sure he's choosing each step of the way and he's not rushing into anything he's going to regret]

Derek: [he will reach up and take it, giving her a small smile as he stands up with her]

Elena: [and she will pull him back towards the bedroom that he's never actually been in. It's fairly simple with a desk and a dresser and ... some laundry that she hasn't put away yet, but the bed is clear which is the important thing. She lets go of his hand once they slip through the door, going to inch back into the bed and leaving it for him to close the door, not wanting him to feel trapped if he doesn't want to be]

Derek: [he actually feels safer with closed doors that he can have control over, so the door will be slowly closed. He will then follow her to the bed, biting his lip as he quickly takes the room in]

Elena: [she'll let him get used to things, and she settles next to him] Should we have some ground rules?

Derek: Ground rules are good.

Elena: We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. There's a lot of in-betweens when it comes to stuff like this so if there's stuff you don't like, or you want to stop because it's too much, all you have to do is say so.

Derek: Same for you. I don't want to do something that makes you uncomfortable.

Elena: I think my one hard line is no teeth? At least for now.

Derek: Done.

Elena: What about you?

Derek: [he thinks a moment] No holding me down or tying me up.

Elena: Okay. I'm not really into that anyway.

Derek: Good.

Elena: And we don't have to rush into anything right now. We can just ... start light and see where we go. And if it's too much, we can always stop.

Derek: Okay. I can do light for sure. [they already were]

Elena: Good. [Elena smiles before leaning in to kiss him again, soft and slow, before slowly tipping back against the pillows]

Derek: [and he will kiss her back, following her down until he is leaning over her]

Elena: [for now she'll keep it at just kissing, her fingers brushing over his back gently in slow circles]

Derek: [and his fingers will return to her hair, stroking through the silkiness before starting to go lower again]

Elena: [she leaves herself open, letting his hands wander wherever they want to go. she's excited, and she wants his hands to wander, but she tries not to force it too much and just let him go where he wants to go]

Derek: [and he will do so, fingers tracing down along her ribs before running along her stomach and the edge of her shirt]

Elena: [her breathing hitches when she feels his fingers brush the small patch of skin between her shirt and her pants, her body arching up just a little into the touch]

Derek: [he hesitates, his fingers toying along the edge of the fabric, and then he takes charge and slips under her shirt to touch her skin with his whole hand. She is so warm]

Elena: [she hums, a pleased noise slipping from between her lips, adding a little positive reinforcement to his touch. Honestly, it's been so long since someone else has touched her that it's almost more of a moan. Her hands start to mimic the path he takes with her against his back, but stays above his shirt until he tells her otherwise]

Derek: [his fingers will take their time, memorizing each inch of her skin as they slowly slide upwards]

Elena: [she lifts to meet the press of his hand, making happy noises as his hand slides upwards, and another moan as he fingers brush the curve of her breast]

Derek: [he knew those sounds were good, and it did help build his confidence more. Enough that he doesn't hesitate to cup her breast and massage it]

Elena: [and that gets more happy noises from her, arching up into his touch with a gasp. Her hips press up to meet his, rocking gently for a little bit of friction between them]

Derek: [he groans at that, his hips instinctively pressing back down against hers.]

Elena: [she hums as he does that, sliding her hands down a little further, before pushing a little further, slipping under his shirt and pressing her palms against his lower back]

Derek: [there is an intake of air, his stomach flexing in at the touch. But then he shifts to push into her hands, letting her know she can touch him as he deepens the kiss]

Elena: [she takes that cue for what it is, softening her touch and letting her fingers trail upwards, tracing small shapes against the planes of his back as she leans into the kiss. she holds that kiss for as long as she can before her head falls back, needing to catch her breath a little, but exposing her neck to his lips]

Derek: [as she explores, she will feel the ridges from burns and cuts that never healed right, even with his healing ability. It was either wolfsbane, mistletoe, or electricity--seeing how long and how much he could heal under those conditions. Puckers from bullets. Whip marks. The life of a slave written on his flesh]

Elena: [It isn't as though Elena doesn't have her own fair share of scars, good and bad. She doesn't linger on them long, just takes them in and continues to slide over his back. Then their arms are getting tangled with her shirt and she pushes back] Wait. [she pulls back] Do you want me to ... [and she gestures to her shirt] It might be easier.

Derek: Only if you want to.

Elena: [she nods, before stripping her shirt off and over her head. She leaves her bra on, but lets it fall to the side as she lets him take a moment to look]

Derek: [and he will watch her, then caress her breasts with both hands, leaning forward to kiss her neck]

Elena: [she closes her eyes as she leans in to his touch, before shifting to lean back against the bed again, giving him space to move back over her]

Derek: [no, he's pretty much focused on those breasts now, kissing down her shoulder until his lips barely touch the flesh above her bra, his hands guiding them to his kisses]

Elena: [and she arches up into his hands, happy noises falling from her lips at his attentions, leaving it up to him whether more clothes come off or not]

Derek: [he's getting back into the hang of this, and his hands will slide around to find the bra snaps and remove it, letting the fabric fall away so his lips could wrap around one hard nipple]

Elena: [and that gets him more happy noises out of her, one hand sliding up and running her fingers through his hair as she leans back and enjoys it]

Derek: [and he is going to just take his time kissing, sucking and nipping her breasts before leaning back up to kiss her again]

Elena: [and she eagerly kisses him back, fingers sliding through his hair and then down to his shoulders gripping his shirt lightly as her hips press back against him again]

Derek: [he will pull his lips away, trying to catch his breath] My body... it's not pretty to look at.

Elena: [she nods, because she understands] I don't care. I just want you.

Derek: [he nods, and he will push back to grab his shirt and pull it off. The front is the same as the back, hidden under the manly growth of chest hair. However down at his hip, she will notice a fluer de lis branded where his pelvic bone started]

Elena: [and she takes it in, letting her hands trail over the front of his chest for a moment, not lingering on any particular mark. She just takes it all in before pushing up onto her knees in front of him and leaning in to kiss him again. This time soft and slow, a bit more tender than the eagerness earlier]

Derek: [he will kiss her back, gentler. More meaningful at her acceptance of all of this than anything else. He pulled her in, handing holding her arms to keep her close in the moment]

Elena: [and she'll just keep that pace, staying close and holding the kiss, before breaking it with a soft hum] If we're going to keep going, I may ... need to go get something from Caroline's room. [aka she does not have condoms on hand, it's been a while since she's needed them]

Derek: Do you want to?

Elena: I do. But only if you want to too. We could leave it here, or we can do other things ... we don't have to go all the way there.

Derek: I do. I trust you. [he gives her a smile, stroking her face]

Elena: [she smiles in return, leaning in to kiss him one more time before nodding] Then you get comfortable, and I will be right back. [and she will quickly grab her shirt, just in case, and head into Caroline's room to raid her stash]

Derek: [and not knowing what to do while he waits, he decides to make things easier and takes off his jeans, folding them and putting them with his shirt on a desk chair. He then sits on the edge of the bed in his boxer briefs, waiting for her to return and trying not to feel self-conscious of his scars]

Elena: [it doesn't take long. she comes back in a few minutes later, closing the door behind her and flashing him a smile as she does] Hey.

Derek: [he might look a bit nervous, building up his doubts in his head, but he gives her a smile] Hey.

Elena: [she sheds her shirt again, also kicking out of her pajama pants and placing the condoms on the nightstand next to the bed] If you want to stop or change your mind, just tell me, okay?

Derek: [nods] I will. Same with you. If you change your mind.

Elena: Good. [and she'll lean in to kiss him again, one hand coming up to brush against the side of his face]

Derek: [and he will kiss her, guiding her back to the bed, leaning over her]

Elena: [and she will settle comfortably beneath him, her hand running over his shoulders to keep him close]

Derek: [and he is remembering how to do this, so he takes his time, slowly kissing his way down her neck, chest, breast...]

Elena: [and she doesn't try to rush him, encouraging him with the appropriate happy noises and her fingers dragging lightly against his skin]

Derek: [and he will keep going down, kissing along her stomach.]

Elena: [and her breath catches as she realizes he's going lower, and her heartbeat starts to pick up a little]

Derek: [he hears that upbeat, knowing that it was a good thing. But he's not going there just yet and instead kiss along her hip and thigh]

Elena: [and she will just continue to let her fingers brush over him, and sliding up into his hair, letting her fingers card through it gently]

Derek: [and he will get close to where he knows she would enjoy his kisses, then hesitates. What if he was bad at this? What if he screwed up...]

Elena: [her fingers slide through his hair gently, and she is impatient, but she doesn't want to push him to something he's not ready for] You don't have to do anything you don't want to, remember?

Derek: I'm just worried I'm going to be bad at this.

Elena: Would it help if I tell you what I like? Or would you rather find out yourself?

Derek: I can try, but if it doesn't work for you, tell me?

Elena: I will. [and she slips her fingers through the elastic to pull her underwear off her hips and onto the floor, giving him room to move closer] Take your time.

Derek: [and he will, kissing his way up her thigh, taking in her scent now that the underwear was gone. When he gets to that point, he leans in to gently kiss her soft mound]

Elena: [she shivers a bit at that, leaning back and letting him take his time to learn her body and making sure she's vocal about the things she likes]

Derek: [which will help him make her very happy, while also making him not feel like he's an idiot]

Elena: [yep, this is a good system, she's going to keep using it, and when she's starting to get close, her fingers will tug through his hair a bit]

Derek: [and he will look up at her] Did I do something wrong?

Elena: [she shakes her head] No, I'm close. Sorry.

Derek: [Oh.] No, don't be, That's good.

Elena: [she nods] You're doing very well.

Derek: So um, I guess I need...

Elena: [she nods as she reaches one arm back to grab one of the condoms off the dresser] One of these?

Derek: Yeah. [and he takes it, knowing how to put it on but the maneuvering while in his current position isn't the easiest]

Elena: [and she shifts a bit to help him, because she's very flexible. One hand moves down to help him, brushing against his hip to help steady him]

Derek: [and he laughs softly] I'm sure this is so sexy right now.

Elena: [she grins] Here. Let me. [and she takes the condom from his hand, reaching for the condom and slipping a hand in between them to brush against him gently]

Derek: [groans] That feels better on my end. [smiles]

Elena: [grin widens] Good. [and she'll increase the pressure a little, her hand dragging against him in slow, even strokes, before moving to slip the condom over him]

Derek: [and he will be hard and ready for her, leaning in to kiss her to show he's ready]

Elena: [she kisses him back, one hand coming up to rest against his cheek gently, before shifting her hips and pulling him in closer, gently guiding him where he needs to go]

Derek: [and he will go the rest of the way, his hips pushing against her as he slides in with a deep moan]

Elena: [she moans as well, lifting her hips to meet him as best she can, her fingers curling against his shoulders. it's been a while since she's done this, so it's a bit of a tense slide but it feels so good that she just wants it to last as long as possible]

Derek: [once he's fully inside of her, he stays there a moment, just kissing her and relishing the feeling of being that close to someone again. To not be afraid that he would get caught, or risk punishment for having an intimate moment. Parts of him still think he's 17 in a way from being held captive, and yet sometimes he felt way too old. This was a 17-year-old moment, nervous, but not afraid. Just wanting to stay in it, hold onto it]

Elena: [she doesn't intend to rush him, just lets him take that moment as he holds the kiss, enjoying being in this space with him. As she breaks the kiss to catch her breath, she looks up at him and moves one hand to brush her thumb against the corner of his jaw] You okay?

Derek: Yeah. I just... I haven't been like this in awhile.

Elena: Neither have I. [she smiles softly] It's nice.

Derek: It is. [and he will move just a bit, pulling out and pressing back in]

Elena: [and that gets a soft pleased noise from her, her hips rolling to meet his touch]

Derek: [and that is all the encouragement he needed to keep going, his kisses getting deeper as his confidence grows]

Elena: [she moans softly into the kiss with each stroke, doing her best to meet each press of his hips and letting her fingers drag against his back lightly as they go]

Derek: [he's going to just close his eyes, letting his other senses take over. Feeling her body against his, her scent as it combines with his, the soft noises she makes on each thrust and withdrawal...]

Elena: [and she curls into him, meeting each of his movements as best she can. It feels good, to be with someone like this again, to just lose herself in the moment like she hasn't in so long. eventually it starts to be too much and the work he started earlier starts to pay off, pushing her closer and closer to a crest she wants to fall over with him]

Derek: [he starts to speed up as he feels that urge too, and his eyes open, glowing in bright blue at her, not icy at all, but like staring into a clear sky]

Elena: [she meets his gaze, completely comfortable and completely trusting beneath him, and a few strokes later she's falling over the edge, arching up and relaxing into a quivering mess beneath him]

Derek: [and her peak takes him with her, thrusting in hard as he bit his lip, keeping his instincts in check, and when he relaxed he stretched out over her, burying his nose in the crook of her neck and shoulder]

Elena: [she sighs as she relaxes under him, letting her fingers trail against his back as she soaks up the closeness. as things start to loosen and relax, she turns, brushing a kiss against the corner of his jaw softly]

Derek: [he will turn his head to kiss her, not sure if he should slide off her or not, since he isn't really built and heavy]

Elena: [nope, she's good for now, but eventually she breaks the kiss and looks up at him] Do you want to stay? [she's not expecting him to say yes, because she knows how not safe this place must feel to him, but she still wants to ask]

Derek: [he thinks about it a moment, then nods] Yeah, I think I'd like that.

Elena: [and that makes her smile wider and she nods] Okay. [and then she leans in to kiss him again, planning for some soft, gentle make outs until they both drift off to sleep, or he pulls away to clean up]

Derek: [which he will eventually do after a moment, before returning to the bed and pulled her into his arms to sleep]

Elena: [and they will both drift off together, happy, cozy and cuddly. his sister and Caroline will be so pleased]

Derek: [after the heart attack she will probably have when he doesn't call or come home that night >.>]

Elena: [Laura will try and treat him like an adult and not worry until he's been gone super long. as long as he appears in the morning, she won't call her cop boyfriend and worry at him]

Derek: [Well, he will probably not stir until Elena does.]

Elena: [which will be a little early, as she still has to go to work today. Her alarm will go off and she'll groan, before burrowing further into him]

Derek: [and for a moment he jerks before her scent and his memories remind him where he is and he will bury his nose in her hair] Too early.

Elena: I know. [she pouts] But unfortunately I have to go to work.

Derek: Your hours suck.

Elena: Agreed. I would much rather stay here.

Derek: I guess I should let you go so you aren't late.

Elena: Probably. Though I'm pretty sure Caroline's in the kitchen, so I'll leave it up to you if you want to wait her out or not.

Derek: My stuff is still in the kitchen. She knows.

Elena: Yes, but you don't have to actually deal with her.

Derek: Might as well do it now and not the next time where we may be with other people.

Elena: Fair enough. Do you want to shower?

Derek: Yes. I live in a house of werewolves, so that is a definite.

Elena: Then I will distract the blond while you do that. And make coffee.

Derek: Mmm, coffee. I knew there was a reason I liked you.

Elena: [she leans in to kiss him with a smile] Shower's across the hall. Let me know if you need any help.

Derek: I will. [and he will get up and look for his clothing to pull on long enough to get across the hallway without baring himself to a blonde by accident]

Elena: [and she will throw on her pajamas and make her way out to help with this distractions] Morning, Caroline.

Caroline: I am not going to say anything because I know wolf ears are present, but we are so walking to work together.

Derek: [NOPE SHOWER IS ON LALALALALALALALALA]

Elena: I will take you up on that.

Caroline: Good. [she pauses as she moves closer to her friend] But you're good?

Elena: [her smile widens and she nods] I'm really good.

Caroline: [smiles in return] Good.

Derek: [and eventually he will come out, dressed all except for his shoes, rubbing his hair with a towel] Shower's free.

Elena: That's my cue. Coffee's on the counter. [and off she will go, leaving Derek alone with Caroline who's just going to greet him with a bright knowing smile]

Caroline: Hi there.

Derek: Hi. [and he will go to get his coffee, acting as if nothing major happened]

Caroline: [oh she's just going to sit there and keep watching him, sipping her coffee]

Derek: [making his coffee, stirring slowly before looking over his shoulder] You can just ask, you know.

Caroline: Oh, none of my questions are actually for you. I'm just enjoying someone else's walk of shame for once.

Derek: [turns and looks at her, a rare smile on his face] Nope, no shame. There is no shame here at all.

Caroline: That is a very good answer.

Derek: [and his smile will grow as he looks down at his cup. There may be a hint of a blush on his cheeks, and that dimple is showing]

Caroline: [and that makes her smile as she leaves her coffee cup in the sink] I have to go get dressed, but I guess I'll be seeing you around a lot more.

Derek: Yeah, I guess so. You don't mind, do you? [he wants to make sure Caroline is okay with him and Elena taking the next step. Caroline is Elena's bff, and he wouldn't want to become a problem between them]

Caroline: Mind? I have literally been waiting for this to happen since she ditched her own party to fall asleep with your cat. This is like the season finale hook up on my favorite show.

Derek: [yeah, now those cheeks are bright red as he rubs the back of his neck]

Caroline: [and she laughs, before turning back to her bedroom] See you later, Derek.

Derek: See you later, Caroline.

Elena: [and she will disappear and eventually Elena will emerge from the shower] Everything okay?

Derek: Oh yeah. Perfect.

Elena: Good. Now, I hate to kick you out but since we both have to go to work, I kind of have to kick you out.

Derek: No, I get it. I should get home before my sister has her policeman friend come pick me up.

Elena: Fair enough. [and she will let him gather his stuff before she walks him to the door] But I will text you later when I get a break?

Derek: Ok. I should be through the sisterly inquisition by then.

Elena: Hopefully it won't be too excruciating.

Derek: Probably won't. The worst will be from Barry about how I wasn't there to feed him last night.

Elena: Oh, well, I'm sure he'll forgive you if you give him some quality time.

Derek: I'm sure. [and he will toss his backpack over his shoulder and step close] You have a good day at work.

Elena: You too. [and she'll lean in for a quick kiss before she goes]

Derek: [and she will get that kiss, and off he goes home]

Laura: [where Laura will be chilling with Barry, reading the news on her laptop when he gets home]

Derek: [well, so much for sneaking in. He'll just hang up his jacket and kick off his shoes like nothing happened] Hey, you're up early.

Laura: [she shrugs] Not that early. [glances over at him with an amused look] You're coming home late.

Derek: I was studying for the GED.

Laura: All night long?

Derek: No, but we got some pizza and it was late and Elena offered to let me crash there.

Laura: Uh-huh.

Derek: What?

Laura: No, just ... you must have felt really safe there.

Derek: Elena makes me feel safe.

Laura: That's really good, Derek. [a pause as she looks back down at the newspaper] And it's good if she makes you feel other things too.

Derek: Uh huh.

Laura: I'm just saying. It's nice to see you being a real boy and doing an early morning walk of shame.

Derek: Oh my god, really?

Laura: I mean that as a compliment, it's healthy and a sign that you're healing.

Derek: It's still awkward.

Laura: That's also healthy. But you didn't think you could walk in here smelling like a floral explosion and not expect me to draw the appropriate conclusion.

Derek: Would you have rather I not take a shower?

Laura: Absolutely not. I expect you to always shower.

Derek: So, deal with the floral scent.

Laura: Happily.

Derek: [sighs] Did you feed Barry?

Laura: I did. Don't worry, he was in good hands.

Derek: Good. I'm going to go crash for a bit more.

Laura: See you later.

Derek: [and he will just head on up and go into his room, looking for his cat]

Barry: [had been on the couch with his sister, but he will follow Derek upstairs and jump up on his bed]

Derek: Hey buddy. Sorry I didn't come home last night. [and he will pet his cat]

Barry: [and he will curl up and purr because yes you were absent and now you must make up for it]

Derek: [and he will curl around him, snuggling a bit until the purrs lure him off to sleep]

Barry: [yay naps time]

Derek: [and he will still smell like a fresh meadow when anyone comes to bother him later]

Laura: [will give him his space unless it looks like he's going to be skipping multiple meals]

Derek: [no, just breakfast and he'll wake back up around 11-ish]

Laura: [well she'll be coming back in with groceries if he wants to hang out with her]

Derek: [he will, padding down in bare feet looking for coffee and helping her unpack the groceries in the process]

Laura: Hey. Have a good nap?

Derek: Mmmyeah. [his hair is sticking up in weird ways]

Laura: Want some lunch?

Derek: Please.

Laura: [goes to fix him a sandwich] Also despite the sisterly teasing earlier, I am really happy for you.

Derek: You know, the fact you're happy about me getting laid is still awkward.

Laura: Oh, come on. It is a healthy, normal thing, and we are both grown adults. [a pause as she pulls out the bread] I'm happy that you feel safe enough with someone to be open with them in that way. Can I be happy about that?

Derek: [sighs] Yeah, you can be happy. [he's going to hold onto his coffee, thinking a moment] Do I act as an adult?

Laura: How do you mean?

Derek: Sometimes I still feel like an awkward teenager.

Laura: Well, you have a little arrested development, but that's normal for someone in your situation. Reacting in adult ways to adult things takes time and practice.

Derek: Mmm. [sips his coffee]

Laura: [places the sandwich down next to him, before moving to sit on the stool next to him] Are you worried about it?

Derek: Sometimes.

Laura: Well, you don't have to do all of the adult things at once. You can just take on the ones you're ready for.

Derek: I just don't want to be a burden on everyone.

Laura: You're not a burden. Ever. [she reaches over and places a hand on his arm] Frankly, we've still got ten years to make up for, so I'm happy to keep you here as long as you want to be.

Derek: [raises an eyebrow] Making up for ten years?

Laura: When you were stuck in an Argent compound and we couldn't actually talk or do anything?

Derek: I remember that. Why do you need to make up for that time?

Laura: Because .... I don't know. It's an alpha thing, I guess. What I'm trying to say is that I'm in no rush to have you out of arm's reach.

Derek: I'm not in a hurry to leave.

Laura: Good. Then stay as long as you want.

Derek: So, what do you want to do today?

Laura: I don't know. Feel like going on an adventure?