Blue & Gold - PG-13 - Chloe/Derek - Chapter 13 [b]
Title: Blue & Gold
Series: Unbalanced (1 of 3)
Category: Teen Wolf/Smallville
Genre: Romance/Drama
Ship: Chloe Sullivan/Derek Hale
Chapter Rating: PG-13/Teen
Overall Rating: NC-17/Explicit
Word Count: 6,195
Summary: The day Chloe was born, a prophecy was made and her destiny was laid out for her. "The White Wolf. Bound to the Broken Boy. Destined to meet a Demon Wolf. The hells will rain pain like no other, but she will survive. She will fight. And when the day comes, she will bring order again."
[Return.]
When she finally decided to talk to Bo again, she was feeling nervous. He'd stopped actively avoiding her and she'd dropped the routine of staying out of his way. They hadn't spoken though, instead just sharing space and keeping to themselves. The tension was thick and she wasn't sure how much more if it she could take. Telling herself it was better to just rip the band aid off, she finally made her way to his room one night after dinner. Their parents had taken the younger kids into town for ice cream, leaving just her and Bo. Chloe was half sure it was her dad's idea, an attempt at making them communicate, and while she'd usually be irritated by the interference, this time she kind of appreciated it.
She found Bo sitting on the porch, watching the sun set in the distance. He had a mug of coffee in his hands, curls of steam reaching up in the air, dancing. "Can we talk?" she asked, jumping in head first.
He glanced at her, his lips pursed. "What's there to say?"
She sighed. "Come on, Bo. You can't hate me forever."
"I don't," he muttered.
Her brow furrowed.
"I don't hate you, I just… I'm tired of being jealous of you." His eyes dropped to his cup and he glared down into the dark depths. "I'm tired of you showing me up and I'm sick of feeling like I'm the bad guy just because I know what I want."
"Who said you were the bad guy?" Arms crossed over her chest, she leaned against a support beam. "You should want to be alpha; it's what you've been training for since birth. It's not enough to just want it; you have to show them you're worth it."
"You don't think I try?" He snorted, glaring up at her. "You ever think maybe I just got tired of trying so hard? Working my ass off, only to watch my little sister show me up without even breaking a sweat."
"I never tried to. I-"
"Yeah, I know," he interrupted, his eyes wide. "But that just made it worse."
"Bo-"
"Look, you're never going to get it, all right? You want me not to hate you? Well, I don't. I can't. You're my baby sister. I just… This was mine, okay? This was supposed to be just mine and you're taking it."
"I'm not." She shook her head. "I told you, you just have to show them that you can do it and they won't-"
"Yeah, and who suggested that? Huh? Who came up with giving me another chance?"
She frowned. "Who cares? The point is-"
"I care!" he yelled, standing from the bench and walking toward her, his shoulders hunched angrily. "'Cause if you suggested it, it means they already know. They know I can't do it and they're just trying to make you feel better. They're trying to make it look like it was a difficult choices, when it isn't."
"So make it a hard choice!" she shouted back, meeting his aggressive stance, even as she had to tip her head back to meet his stony gaze. "You want to be pissed at me for showing you up, then put up a real fight. No more being lazy, no more just scraping by. If you want this, prove it. Because it doesn't matter if they've made up their minds now, this is your opportunity to change it. So either do something about it or get over it." With that, she turned on her heel, leaving him behind as she hurried into the house.
Her anger was making adrenaline course through her veins. She felt wired, ready to attack, and she hated that there wasn't a real target for the outlet. She couldn't take on Bo, not feeling this way, not with him so angry at her; it would only end in bloodshed. Not death, they were too controlled for that, but they'd both walk away injured.
Climbing the stairs to her room two at a time, she threw herself down on her bed and put her pillow over her head to scream, trying to get out of her frustration. It helped a tiny bit, but not nearly enough. Eventually, she turned onto her side and checked the clock. Derek wasn't due to call for at least two more hours. She knew he'd be just getting back from basketball practice, which meant he'd be setting the table or overseeing as one of his siblings did it, so she pulled her hand back from the phone, even as her fingers twitched. She could wait. And besides, she probably needed to calm down, otherwise she'd rant and rave to him about how much of an ass her brother could be. She was tired of the pity him act. She understood why Bo was upset, but it was no excuse. He had an opportunity, so he'd better take it.
…
Derek stacked the dishes on top of each other and carried them to the sink, where hot water was filling up the basin, topped with a cloud of white bubbles.
"You want some help?"
He looked up, slightly surprised to see his mother there, rolling up her sleeves. "You made dinner. I can do these."
She smiled and squeezed his shoulders gently before moving to his side and hip-checking him out of her way. She handed him a towel before she set to washing the stack of plates he'd put on the counter. "So, I got an interesting call from Moira today."
He paused as he wiped down a dripping mug. "Yeah?" he asked, staring purposely at his hands.
"Yeah." She focused on the task for a few moments, smiling when his frustration became clear.
"Well?" he asked impatiently.
She looked over at him, her hair falling over her shoulder. "Chloe and Sam will stay with us over spring break… Chloe's expected to train every day with me and Laura." Before he could get too excited, she added, "And you two stay in different rooms at night. She'll stay in Laura's room. We'll set up a spare bed."
"We have guest rooms," he reminded.
"We do. But there's no one in those guest rooms to keep you from sneaking in. So, she'll stay where Laura can keep an eye on her."
He rolled his eyes. "We're not going to do anything with all of you here."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Be that as it may… I'd rather not take the risk."
He nodded shortly, focusing back on the dishes.
A few minutes passed in comfortable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until the dishes were nearly finished that she asked him, "You really like her, don't you?"
He turned to look at her, a little surprised. "Yeah. I do."
She watched him carefully. "And the tugging in your chest… You still get that?"
He shrugged. "Sure."
She watched him, waiting for him to elaborate.
Sighing, he said, "When we talk on the phone, when I can hear her heart…" He smiled to himself. "Sometimes just when I think about her."
Talia took a deep breath and smiled uncertainly.
He watched her, gauging her face, his eyes washing over her expression critically. "You think we're like you and dad were."
"I… think you're seventeen." She took the dish towel from his hands and dried her own. "Make sure you get your homework done." She leaned up to kiss his cheek before she left him to his thoughts. He stared after her, his brow furrowed.
"There was a ritual, you know? Centuries ago…"
Peter's voice startled him and Derek whirled around to see his uncle sitting at the dining room table, a smirk playing at his lips. Not bothering to explain, or comment on his nephew's lack of attention, he instead continued with his tale.
"When he was ready, a wolf would go on a journey, no set destination, he'd just wander the world. Days, weeks, months, sometimes years. And he wouldn't stop wandering until he felt it."
"Felt it," Derek repeated.
"It was said that each wolf had a mate, that the string of fate would tie itself around each of their hearts, slowly pulling them together. And when they found each other, it would knot itself, keeping them close, promising that this was their fit. The wolf that would love them more than any other, and who they would love in return like they couldn't anyone else." He stood from his seat and walked toward Derek, his head cocked, watching him curiously. "Over the years, the tradition faded, it became more like legend. Very few wolves ever really feel it and it's considered a high honor if they do."
"Mom and dad…?"
He nodded. "Your mother was gifted with a number of things; she found her soul mate, became alpha, and is a true shifter… She's revered."
"She deserves it," Derek said without hesitation.
Peter smiled, but it was less genuine and more strained. He turned his back on Derek and started to leave, but not before calling over his shoulder, "Do you know why it faded into obscurity?"
Derek shook his head.
"Fate is fickle." He frowned, his nose wrinkled. "It had a habit of bringing soul mates together only to tear them apart." He looked back at him, an insincere smile reaching out to his nephew. "Let's hope you and Chloe don't follow the same tradition."
Brows furrowed, he stared after Peter's retreating form before turning around, leaning his back against the counter, and frowning. His heart stuttered a little, worry making his stomach twist in knots. Putting away the last of the dishes in a hurry, he quickly left the kitchen and made his way up to his bedroom, digging out his phone as he went. He closed the door behind him and took a seat on his bed, hitting 3 on his speed dial before he sat back, tapping his fingers on his knee impatiently.
The phone didn't usually get a chance to ring, but this time it rang and rang and rang. His heart lodged itself in his throat; the foreboding feeling of his uncle's words was making him antsy. What if something did happen to her? He'd be too far away to do anything to help her. He'd get a phone call after the fact, telling him she was gone, that it had been hours, maybe days, since she'd died and he'd had no idea. He didn't like that. It made a lead weight settle in the pit of his stomach, his heart constricting. His hand balled into a tight fist, fingers squeezing so tightly they hurt.
He wanted her there. He needed her there. And suddenly spring break felt too far away.
"Hello?"
He breathed a sigh of relief, the weight of everything fading away as soon as he heard her voice. "Hey," he said back.
"Are you okay? You sound weird…"
He cleared his throat, nodding his head despite knowing she couldn't see him. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just… I missed you."
He could hear her smile in her voice. "We just talked last night."
Dragging a hand over his face, he laid back against the bed. "I know, it just… feels like a really long day."
"Yeah? You wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head. "No. I just… I just want to hear your voice…" He licked his lips. "How was your day?"
She sighed. "Where to start…"
Closing his eyes, he unfurled his fist and let his hand fall to his chest as he focused on the sound of her voice, the faint staccato of her heart echoing in his ears.
Funny… When he tapped his fingers in tune with her heartbeat, and it matched his own. What were the odds?
[Next: Part XIV.]
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for how long it took to update this, I've just been really busy with a few other projects! A lot of sibling stuff int his chapter, but some nice Derek/Chloe to end it off. How do we feel about what Peter had to say? Thoughts?
Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter: moonstar_sfu, purple_moon123, Rehana Motilall, phoenix_173, msariba and ghaziak, I really appreciate all of your on-going support!
Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review; they're my lifeblood!
- Lee | Fina
Series: Unbalanced (1 of 3)
Category: Teen Wolf/Smallville
Genre: Romance/Drama
Ship: Chloe Sullivan/Derek Hale
Chapter Rating: PG-13/Teen
Overall Rating: NC-17/Explicit
Word Count: 6,195
Summary: The day Chloe was born, a prophecy was made and her destiny was laid out for her. "The White Wolf. Bound to the Broken Boy. Destined to meet a Demon Wolf. The hells will rain pain like no other, but she will survive. She will fight. And when the day comes, she will bring order again."
[Return.]
When she finally decided to talk to Bo again, she was feeling nervous. He'd stopped actively avoiding her and she'd dropped the routine of staying out of his way. They hadn't spoken though, instead just sharing space and keeping to themselves. The tension was thick and she wasn't sure how much more if it she could take. Telling herself it was better to just rip the band aid off, she finally made her way to his room one night after dinner. Their parents had taken the younger kids into town for ice cream, leaving just her and Bo. Chloe was half sure it was her dad's idea, an attempt at making them communicate, and while she'd usually be irritated by the interference, this time she kind of appreciated it.
She found Bo sitting on the porch, watching the sun set in the distance. He had a mug of coffee in his hands, curls of steam reaching up in the air, dancing. "Can we talk?" she asked, jumping in head first.
He glanced at her, his lips pursed. "What's there to say?"
She sighed. "Come on, Bo. You can't hate me forever."
"I don't," he muttered.
Her brow furrowed.
"I don't hate you, I just… I'm tired of being jealous of you." His eyes dropped to his cup and he glared down into the dark depths. "I'm tired of you showing me up and I'm sick of feeling like I'm the bad guy just because I know what I want."
"Who said you were the bad guy?" Arms crossed over her chest, she leaned against a support beam. "You should want to be alpha; it's what you've been training for since birth. It's not enough to just want it; you have to show them you're worth it."
"You don't think I try?" He snorted, glaring up at her. "You ever think maybe I just got tired of trying so hard? Working my ass off, only to watch my little sister show me up without even breaking a sweat."
"I never tried to. I-"
"Yeah, I know," he interrupted, his eyes wide. "But that just made it worse."
"Bo-"
"Look, you're never going to get it, all right? You want me not to hate you? Well, I don't. I can't. You're my baby sister. I just… This was mine, okay? This was supposed to be just mine and you're taking it."
"I'm not." She shook her head. "I told you, you just have to show them that you can do it and they won't-"
"Yeah, and who suggested that? Huh? Who came up with giving me another chance?"
She frowned. "Who cares? The point is-"
"I care!" he yelled, standing from the bench and walking toward her, his shoulders hunched angrily. "'Cause if you suggested it, it means they already know. They know I can't do it and they're just trying to make you feel better. They're trying to make it look like it was a difficult choices, when it isn't."
"So make it a hard choice!" she shouted back, meeting his aggressive stance, even as she had to tip her head back to meet his stony gaze. "You want to be pissed at me for showing you up, then put up a real fight. No more being lazy, no more just scraping by. If you want this, prove it. Because it doesn't matter if they've made up their minds now, this is your opportunity to change it. So either do something about it or get over it." With that, she turned on her heel, leaving him behind as she hurried into the house.
Her anger was making adrenaline course through her veins. She felt wired, ready to attack, and she hated that there wasn't a real target for the outlet. She couldn't take on Bo, not feeling this way, not with him so angry at her; it would only end in bloodshed. Not death, they were too controlled for that, but they'd both walk away injured.
Climbing the stairs to her room two at a time, she threw herself down on her bed and put her pillow over her head to scream, trying to get out of her frustration. It helped a tiny bit, but not nearly enough. Eventually, she turned onto her side and checked the clock. Derek wasn't due to call for at least two more hours. She knew he'd be just getting back from basketball practice, which meant he'd be setting the table or overseeing as one of his siblings did it, so she pulled her hand back from the phone, even as her fingers twitched. She could wait. And besides, she probably needed to calm down, otherwise she'd rant and rave to him about how much of an ass her brother could be. She was tired of the pity him act. She understood why Bo was upset, but it was no excuse. He had an opportunity, so he'd better take it.
…
Derek stacked the dishes on top of each other and carried them to the sink, where hot water was filling up the basin, topped with a cloud of white bubbles.
"You want some help?"
He looked up, slightly surprised to see his mother there, rolling up her sleeves. "You made dinner. I can do these."
She smiled and squeezed his shoulders gently before moving to his side and hip-checking him out of her way. She handed him a towel before she set to washing the stack of plates he'd put on the counter. "So, I got an interesting call from Moira today."
He paused as he wiped down a dripping mug. "Yeah?" he asked, staring purposely at his hands.
"Yeah." She focused on the task for a few moments, smiling when his frustration became clear.
"Well?" he asked impatiently.
She looked over at him, her hair falling over her shoulder. "Chloe and Sam will stay with us over spring break… Chloe's expected to train every day with me and Laura." Before he could get too excited, she added, "And you two stay in different rooms at night. She'll stay in Laura's room. We'll set up a spare bed."
"We have guest rooms," he reminded.
"We do. But there's no one in those guest rooms to keep you from sneaking in. So, she'll stay where Laura can keep an eye on her."
He rolled his eyes. "We're not going to do anything with all of you here."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Be that as it may… I'd rather not take the risk."
He nodded shortly, focusing back on the dishes.
A few minutes passed in comfortable silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until the dishes were nearly finished that she asked him, "You really like her, don't you?"
He turned to look at her, a little surprised. "Yeah. I do."
She watched him carefully. "And the tugging in your chest… You still get that?"
He shrugged. "Sure."
She watched him, waiting for him to elaborate.
Sighing, he said, "When we talk on the phone, when I can hear her heart…" He smiled to himself. "Sometimes just when I think about her."
Talia took a deep breath and smiled uncertainly.
He watched her, gauging her face, his eyes washing over her expression critically. "You think we're like you and dad were."
"I… think you're seventeen." She took the dish towel from his hands and dried her own. "Make sure you get your homework done." She leaned up to kiss his cheek before she left him to his thoughts. He stared after her, his brow furrowed.
"There was a ritual, you know? Centuries ago…"
Peter's voice startled him and Derek whirled around to see his uncle sitting at the dining room table, a smirk playing at his lips. Not bothering to explain, or comment on his nephew's lack of attention, he instead continued with his tale.
"When he was ready, a wolf would go on a journey, no set destination, he'd just wander the world. Days, weeks, months, sometimes years. And he wouldn't stop wandering until he felt it."
"Felt it," Derek repeated.
"It was said that each wolf had a mate, that the string of fate would tie itself around each of their hearts, slowly pulling them together. And when they found each other, it would knot itself, keeping them close, promising that this was their fit. The wolf that would love them more than any other, and who they would love in return like they couldn't anyone else." He stood from his seat and walked toward Derek, his head cocked, watching him curiously. "Over the years, the tradition faded, it became more like legend. Very few wolves ever really feel it and it's considered a high honor if they do."
"Mom and dad…?"
He nodded. "Your mother was gifted with a number of things; she found her soul mate, became alpha, and is a true shifter… She's revered."
"She deserves it," Derek said without hesitation.
Peter smiled, but it was less genuine and more strained. He turned his back on Derek and started to leave, but not before calling over his shoulder, "Do you know why it faded into obscurity?"
Derek shook his head.
"Fate is fickle." He frowned, his nose wrinkled. "It had a habit of bringing soul mates together only to tear them apart." He looked back at him, an insincere smile reaching out to his nephew. "Let's hope you and Chloe don't follow the same tradition."
Brows furrowed, he stared after Peter's retreating form before turning around, leaning his back against the counter, and frowning. His heart stuttered a little, worry making his stomach twist in knots. Putting away the last of the dishes in a hurry, he quickly left the kitchen and made his way up to his bedroom, digging out his phone as he went. He closed the door behind him and took a seat on his bed, hitting 3 on his speed dial before he sat back, tapping his fingers on his knee impatiently.
The phone didn't usually get a chance to ring, but this time it rang and rang and rang. His heart lodged itself in his throat; the foreboding feeling of his uncle's words was making him antsy. What if something did happen to her? He'd be too far away to do anything to help her. He'd get a phone call after the fact, telling him she was gone, that it had been hours, maybe days, since she'd died and he'd had no idea. He didn't like that. It made a lead weight settle in the pit of his stomach, his heart constricting. His hand balled into a tight fist, fingers squeezing so tightly they hurt.
He wanted her there. He needed her there. And suddenly spring break felt too far away.
"Hello?"
He breathed a sigh of relief, the weight of everything fading away as soon as he heard her voice. "Hey," he said back.
"Are you okay? You sound weird…"
He cleared his throat, nodding his head despite knowing she couldn't see him. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just… I missed you."
He could hear her smile in her voice. "We just talked last night."
Dragging a hand over his face, he laid back against the bed. "I know, it just… feels like a really long day."
"Yeah? You wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head. "No. I just… I just want to hear your voice…" He licked his lips. "How was your day?"
She sighed. "Where to start…"
Closing his eyes, he unfurled his fist and let his hand fall to his chest as he focused on the sound of her voice, the faint staccato of her heart echoing in his ears.
Funny… When he tapped his fingers in tune with her heartbeat, and it matched his own. What were the odds?
[Next: Part XIV.]
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for how long it took to update this, I've just been really busy with a few other projects! A lot of sibling stuff int his chapter, but some nice Derek/Chloe to end it off. How do we feel about what Peter had to say? Thoughts?
Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter: moonstar_sfu, purple_moon123, Rehana Motilall, phoenix_173, msariba and ghaziak, I really appreciate all of your on-going support!
Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review; they're my lifeblood!
- Lee | Fina