(Untitled)

[hannah_salix]

Hannah had lied to her boyfriend. Twice. She'd lied. At the time she felt it was inconsequential, but it wasn't. Hannah knew that now. At dinner tonight, Stephen told her that he wanted her back, that he knew that she wanted to get back together with him. Which was the complete opposite of the truth

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[derek_bly]

"Hmm?" Derek didn't look up right away, finishing the end of his paragraph before turning his head toward Hannah. It was nice having her here. They'd gotten to a nice place. Well, everything had been nice since they'd started dating. They were often staying over at one or the other of their flats and there was a comfort level there. The making out had been great. The sex was even better. But mostly it was just having her around all the time. Being domestic. Derek had never appreciated that as much with his other girlfriends as he did with Hannah. Maybe it was the being friends for so long, or maybe it was just her.

[derek_bly]

He appreciated her words but the actions not so much. Derek pulled away, "Hannah, no. I'm serious." This wasn't a joke to him. He wanted her to want him not to treat it like a joke and say it just to shut him up.

Why wouldn't she just have said?

[hannah_salix]

"So am I," she replied, a little bit stung from the rejection. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at him. "I want to be with you," she repeated as she looked at him.

[derek_bly]

"Then why are you seeing him and not telling me?" he asked. "I told you when you first said you saw him that he was going to want you back." She hadn't believed him. "You always get back together with him, Hannah. How am I supposed to believe you don't want to when you're seeing him and not telling me?"

He was acting insane. He was being that bloke that no one liked. Or like Shannon when Hannah had crashed at his for awhile, expecting something to happen when it wasn't going to. But maybe Shannon hadn't been insane. Being on the other side now, Derek could see how frustrating it was. Never mind that Shannon had been wrong because he and Hannah had only been mates at the time. Hannah and Stephen had dated. For years. Off and on. Again and again. What made Derek so special that she wouldn't pick Stephen again? What if she was already cheating on him? Or planning to? It didn't even matter that Derek didn't think Hannah would do that to him. She could. And he already knew that not expecting it didn't mean it wouldn't

[hannah_salix]

"I'm telling you now," she insisted. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before, but I'm telling you now. And I'm not getting back together with him. I promise, Derek."

Not surprisingly, Hannah hadn't seen this fight coming. She should have, when you think about it. She supposed that it was exactly this reaction, why she didn't want to tell him. Hannah felt as though Derek wouldn't exactly see reason when it came to Stephen. And a voice in her head told her that obviously, he was right not to.

But Hannah was stubborn, she didn't want to see this any way but hers. Yes, she was at fault for not telling Derek about the other two meetings, but that was it. She had a right to see anyone she wanted, so if Derek was going to insist that she not see someone, that was not okay. Even if it was Stephen. She should be trusted enough to be able to see him a few times.

[derek_bly]

He wanted to believe her. He really did. But Derek had been oblivious before and he didn't know how not to feel threatened this time. There was so much more to lose with Hannah. It was scary, realizing that.

Derek hadn't gone into dating Hannah expecting any particular outcome. He'd been worried to ruin their friendship. Afraid she wouldn't want to take it there. But since then, he hadn't been worried. He didn't know where they were going but he liked being with her. He hadn't given any thought to what happened if they broke up. If it didn't work. He could lose her as a girlfriend and as a mate.

"I don't know what to say."

[hannah_salix]

"You tell me that you believe me, Derek. That it doesn't matter, about what happened before." She stared at him, trying to implore him to see things her way.

"You can't use my past against me, just because we used to be good mates, Derek. It doesn't work like that." Which might not be what she thought, if the situation were reversed. But at the moment, this was how she felt.

[derek_bly]

Derek stuttered before he was able to get a response out. "I- I'm not trying to!" he said defensively. What was she implying? "I don't know what you mean. Do you want me to pretend I don't know he wants you back? Would it be easier if I didn't know to ask?"

What that what she wanted? Him clueless?

"Hannah, I want to believe you. Of course I do. And I do-" Didn't he? "But you kept it from me which makes it seem like there's something else going on. I don't want to be that div again." Not with her.

[hannah_salix]

"Well you're not that div, not with me." Hannah said as she looked up at him. "And there is nothing going on, I didn't tell you because I knew you would react this way!" Which wasn't fair, she knew it wasn't fair.

"Can't... can't we just say I should have told you and leave it at that?"

[derek_bly]

"Well of course I am!" Derek didn't mean to yell. He was shaking a bit now and- How else was he supposed to react?

"I- I don't know, Hannah." He wanted this conversation never to have taken place. Derek looked around, not sure what he was after, only that he needed something to focus on. "Maybe...you should go. I have to get up early. I should be in bed." As excuses went, it was fairly pathetic.

[hannah_salix]

Hannah stared at Derek, shocked at his suggestion. Okay, this was obviously not something that he was going to just get over. She opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. He wanted her to leave. What else could she do?

"Alright then, I'll go..." Hannah said as she tried to meet his eyes.

She then picked up a few things that she'd brought over, making sure to bring along her bag. Hannah glanced at Derek, trying to gauge if she could change his mind. It didn't seem so, however, so she told him goodbye and apparated home.

[derek_bly]

Derek didn't look at her while Hannah left. He didn't like sending her away. Didn't like to be fighting at all. But he needed time to think. Or at least to calm down. Maybe he wasn't being fair but his emotions felt raw. He couldn't help that. If she left then he could be alone and just...think. Sort it out in his own head.

More likely he'd continue to worry. At least it wouldn't involve yelling at the girl he was in love with.