canon au } { post-3a finale, of confessions and track records

[ooglyboogleys]

[♫ A Way Back into Love ~ Hugh Grant and Haley Bennett]



Dawn: [her energy is coming back slowly, but by the time he gets there she's looking a lot better than she did when he left. And, oddly enough, a lot better than him] Are you okay?

Derek: [hands her the coffee before flopping down on the loveseat across from her.] I'm healing. Giles figured that my healing wouldn't take well to all the magical attacks and I just need to take it easy for a few days.

Dawn: And you're actually going to take it easy. [this is her serious voice. You are going to listen.]

Derek: I feel like a truck rolled over me, backed up, and then got stuck on my ribs before rolling over me the final time.

Dawn: Yes. Definitely taking it easy.

Derek: Plus someone has to take care of you while you get your strength back.

Dawn: I am a fine. A few cups of coffee and I'll be good as new. [Though she is going to slowly sink into the seat next to him because standing? Not so fun right now.]

Derek: Uh huh. [it takes a moment, but he switches the hand he's holding the coffee in to let her snuggle up against him a bit.]

Dawn: [which is an offer she will totally take. He rode off to save her life. He's totally earned cuddling privileges. Though ... there still is that elephant they will eventually have to talk about. Soon.]

Derek: [they never need to talk about it. talking about it makes it real. Making it real means something bad is going to happen and Derek doesn't want to have something bad happen]

Dawn: [thinks that the bad thing that could happen would be nothing happening at all. She curls closer, tucking her head against his chest for a moment] Derek ...

Derek: [he looked down at her] Yes?

Dawn: [she looks up trying to figure out how exactly to say it.] About ... before ...

Derek: [looks away a bit, not really sure he wants to talk about this] Yeah?

Dawn: [yeah, that doesn't make her happy] Don't do that.

Derek: Do what?

Dawn: Try and avoid this.

Derek: I'm not. [totally is]

Dawn: [such a look]

Derek: [ sighs] What do you want me to say?

Dawn: I want you to say that you didn't just tell me that because you thought I was dying.

Derek: I did tell you it because I thought you were going to die. It doesn't mean that it's different now that you aren't.

Dawn: It is different. It means we could actually ... act on it.

Derek: You so realize I don't have the best history right?

Dawn: So what, you're expecting me to turn into a psycho and try and kill your pack?

Derek: Stranger things have happened.

Dawn: [she makes a face. Then hits him in the shoulder.]

Derek: Everyone I love gets hurt. I don't want you getting hurt, Dawn

Dawn: Derek, I get hurt whether you want me to or not. I'm the sister of the Slayer. I'm the Key. Hurt is in the job description. And you not wanting to be with me out of some fear that I may get hurt is stupid and short sighted and that hurts. But that's you doing the damage, so if you're okay with living with that then fine. I'll drop it. But don't expect me to go there again if you suddenly decide you're ready.

Derek: [ looks up at the ceiling] Dawn, I didn't mean it that way.

Dawn: Then how did you mean it?

Derek: I see it that the first girl I loved died because I was selfish. Second one killed my whole family save Laura, Cora and Peter. Laura died in an attempt to lure me back to town. Third girlfriend poisoned Cora and wanted to use me to help her take out the alpha pack and only then would she heal her. The alphas had me kill Boyd. And I felt helpless every time to be able to take care of the people I love most - even as an alpha. And if we make this real, I know something is going to crawl out of the shadows and come after you, and I won't be able to stop it. And you're Dawn. We joked in high school that you always managed to find your own share of trouble, and you do, Dawn, and I've always been able to help save you. What I feel I've felt for a long time, and if this is what my life is, I don't know if I could risk losing you on top of everything else.

Dawn: [purses her lips together] Ever think that maybe I can take care of myself? Or that I have an entire squad of Slayers to protect me? It's not all on you.

Derek: I know you can. Or well, the slayers can. Do you know anything about pack instincts though?

Dawn: A little.

Derek: You think I'm overprotective now? We do this, you not only become pack, but you're mine. There are some instincts I can't not turn off, and you're going to hate that.

Dawn: Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. But we won't know if we don't try.

Derek: [his fingers reach down to play with hers] I also don't like the fact you're sister can kick my ass and kill me if we have a bad fight.

Dawn: [she smirks a bit at that] She's given up on threatening my boyfriends. But don't expect her not to take my side.

Derek: And those Winchesters?

Dawn: Them I can't make any promises.

Derek: So basically we do this, risk is high that one of us is going to die.

Dawn: For Summers women, that's pretty much a normal relationship. And hey - at least we're not in any danger of you losing your soul. That already has you a step up from most of Buffy's boyfriends.

Derek: Yeah, but I'm not dating Buffy.

Dawn: No. You'd be dating me.

Derek: And what's your track record? Only fair since you know mine.

Dawn: Mmm. Well. I started out with a crush on Buffy's best friend Xander. Obviously, that didn't go as well as I would have hoped. Then I got whammied into falling in love with a guy because of his varsity jacket. And then my hometown turned into a crater. We moved to Beacon Hills, which you're aware of. Then I went to Berkeley, fell in love with a thricewise, cheated on a thricewise, got caught and got turned into a giant, a centaur and a doll.

Derek: ... A centaur?

Dawn: Yep.

Derek: Does Buffy have pictures?

Dawn: I'm sure there are some out there somewhere. Why?

Derek: Because I really want to see that.

Dawn: [smirks a bit] I was told I looked pretty hot.

Derek: For a pony, right?

Dawn: [and she smacks him again]

Derek: [laughs]

Dawn: [eye roll. But really she was pretty hot]

Derek: So does that make you my little pony? [smirking]

Dawn: No. It does not.

Derek: I think it does.

Dawn: I will smack you again, don't think I won't.

Derek: I've already been in a physically abusive relationship

Dawn: You keep making pony jokes and you'll find yourself in another one.

Derek: Does that mean I get to hit you back when you start making wolf jokes?

Dawn: I make those rarely ever. And I'm not a centaur anymore.

Derek: I figured that. You're missing two legs and a tail.

Dawn: So no pony jokes.

Derek: No pony jokes.

Dawn: Thank you.

Derek: Are you sure you really want me, though?

Dawn: [she looks at him for a minute, and then she takes a breath before leaning in to kiss him]

Derek: [his eyes opened a moment, then smiles and closes them, running a hand gently along her cheek]

Dawn: [she holds the kiss for a moment, before breaking the kiss and staying close] Believe me now.

Derek: [he thought a moment, and then leaned close to kiss her again without a verbal answer]

Dawn: [she hums softly into the kiss, pushing in closer and moving one hand to his shoulder]

Derek: [he gave a soft growl of approval, shifting his arms to help shift her more into his lap]

Dawn: [she follows his lead, sliding in closer and shifting one leg against his hip to get closer]

Derek: [kisses her a bit longer, then pulls back to look at her eyes, his own flashing blue in a moment of emotional vulnerability.]

Dawn: [her hand comes up a bit, threading her fingers through his hair] You okay?

Derek: [he nods a bit] Just a bit nervous. [the last person he did this with hadn't been that long ago, and he was still dealing with getting over that]

Dawn: We don't have to. I mean, we can slow down.

Derek: [blinks. Wait, was she thinking they were going to... oh god, this was going to take some getting used to] Um... it may help. Not too slow, just... still working on dealing.

Dawn: [she didn't think anything but they were making out and she's sitting in his lap.] Sure. Whatever you need.

Derek: But I am good with the kissing. We can keep doing this as long as you feel up to it.