Teen Wolf Fic - Battered and Broken (R) 6/12
Masterpost - contains all story information
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5
Battered And Broken
by Moonbeam (luvsbitca)
Part 6
/ / / Jackson \ \ \
When the sheriff had called Jackson went out to pick up Danny and Derek to go and sit with Stiles. They had been mostly silent as Stiles was asleep when they got there. After they had been sitting there without speaking Jackson had to ask himself why they were keeping quiet when Stiles couldn’t hear but he didn’t ask the question knowing that Derek would get that look, the familiar one that told them all he was remembering that it was all his fault.
Jackson watched Derek watching Stiles. He recognised the look; it was the same way he used to have when he was looking at Danny. When he’d sat beside Stiles’ bed watching him, knowing how close he came and knowing how close Derek came he couldn’t stop thinking about Danny laying his own bed sleeping in the hospital. If it had been him, if Danny had been the one in surgery and almost dying he would have never known anything about how Jackson felt. He was worried about what his mother would say, he knew his father was okay with gay people but the idea of his own son, not his own son, not his blood, someone else’s son they were willing to take in and look after. He didn’t know how they would feel about him being gay, about him not giving them the things he knew they wanted. He wasn’t sure if he could ever be good enough, do enough, give them enough to show them how much he loved them and appreciated them saving him.
He knew there were things from him they wanted, expected, and he didn’t think he could give them all those things if he did what he really wanted, what made him happy. His aunt was a grandmother and sometimes his mum would look at her and her granddaughter with such longing that Jackson knew she wanted that too. He wouldn’t be able to give her that and he was the only chance she had. She always asked him if he’d met any nice girls, neither of them had ever asked him if he was gay and he knew it wasn’t what people expected from him. He was the captain of the lacrosse team, he’d played all through university and he dated girls, he liked women, and if something was missing from his life he had never made any sense of it. Danny had always been there and had always just been Danny. He’d never been attracted to ‘guys’ but Danny made him feel stupid and insane and so utterly comfortable he didn’t know how to ever leave his orbit. Kissing him had made so much sense, loving him was so easy but Jackson was scared.
The idea of him dying, of Danny disappearing from his life, thinking that all they had was something less than what it was made Jackson hate himself. Danny had always been his best friend, he had been there for Jackson through everything and Jackson couldn’t take a chance for Danny - it was pathetic. He had tried to be better since that night. He tried to be more open, more willing to be seen. He’d held Danny’s hand in the middle of the supermarket and Danny had looked at him strangely for a moment before Jackson had had to pull away to get some of the ice cream Danny liked. He had tried to say it, tried to say the words he’d never, ever meant in his life but he couldn’t work out how to even start with Danny looking at him, he’d only ever managed it when Danny was asleep and he knew he should be more courageous than that but it terrified him that Danny might think this was only about sex, that he might not actually feel anything deeper for Jackson.
He was determined, he needed to show Danny how he felt, say it and explain it and make it completely obvious because he wanted Danny to know, a part of him wanted the world to know, if anything happened to one of them.
“You should tell him how you feel.” Jackson said breaking the silence and startling Derek.
“What?”
“You are in love with Stiles, you should tell him.”
Derek shook his head.
“You almost lost him, what could be scarier than a world without him?”
Derek turned to look at Jackson with wide, scared eyes and he knew he’d made his point so when Derek turned back to watch Stiles again his hands clenched in his lap Jackson didn’t say anything more.
/ / / Sheriff \ \ \
After Jenny was in the car with Chris, Samuel walked back into the station to find Kendriks talking to O’Loughlin outside of the second interview room.
“Sheriff,” Kendriks said. “Will you accompany me for this interview as well?”
O’Loughlin didn’t even blink. “Mind if I watch from the observation room?”
“Of course not Mick, it’s a good idea.” Kendriks said before walking into the interview room.
“Callum Morgan?” Kendriks said as they both sat down across from the man who was glaring at them.
“Yes.”
“I am Deputy Sheriff Kendriks and this is Sheriff Stilinski. We have some questions for you regarding the explosion that occurred in an old barn on Derek Hale’s property.” Samuel settled back to watch the interview and allowed Kendriks to take the lead again.
“I know.”
“Were you there when the explosion happened?”
“I had been in the barn but I left to scout the area when Chris didn’t appear when he was meant to.”
“Chris Argent?”
“Yes. He had texted us earlier in the morning asking us to meet him and Derek out at that barn.”
“Did you see anyone that day, or anything that seemed suspicious.”
“I didn’t see anything. John sent Ben and I to have a look, see if something had slowed Chris down.”
“Did you see anything that made you suspicious?”
“No, there was nothing I didn’t even see the w-Derek and his group.”
“What happened when you came back?”
“I heard the explosion and came back but they were all dead so I left.”
“You left?”
“I needed to get back and check on Jenny, Derek’s group had already seen that there was no one alive, I checked but they were all dead.”
“You could have offered us some information,” Kendriks said a little of his annoyance showing in his tone.
“You had Derek and his pack to talk to you didn’t need me,” Callum said firmly and Samuel could see Kendriks shift in his seat and Samuel knew he was about to change topic slightly. Kendriks was good with interviews, he was proud of him.
“Did you have a previous relationship with Derek Hale?”
“We only met when my family and I came to town.”
“Did you get along?”
“No,” Callum frowned. “We had come into town looking for a man who hurt my aunt. She was killed five years ago and the man was never caught. We have been looking for him ever since.”
“What do you plan on doing when you find this man?”
“Call the police and make sure he never hurts anyone else.”
Samuel didn’t think about the lie at the start of that sentence knowing that hunters didn’t use traditional law enforcement. It didn’t sit well with him but he knew he’d be hypocritical if he said anything given he’d sat back and allowed Derek to take care of things that were beyond his abilities as sheriff on more than one occasion.
“So you mistook Derek for this man?”
“Yes, he shares some characteristics with that man and none of us actually saw him.”
“So you and John, Ben, Dean, Adam, Jimmy and Sam Morgan have spent the last five years chasing the man who killed your aunt?”
“Men, more than one.”
Kendriks looked at Samuel and silently asked for the sheriff to step in. Samuel sat forward. “That is a long time to spend chasing them.”
“They murdered her, Ben, John and Sam are - were her sons. They want to see the people responsible brought to justice.
“Do you believe that Derek is related to those people in some way?” Samuel asked taking over the interview.
Callum shifted in his seat. “Chris Argent assured us that he was a good person.”
Samuel nodded and changed topic waiting for the explosion. “Do you know of anyone in your family who knows how to make a bomb?”
Callum didn’t disappoint he was up and out of his chair before Samuel had finished speaking. “How dare you accuse them of setting that bomb when Derek Hale was the one outside of the barn when it went off? Only his little pack survived when my family was slaughtered.”
“Pack?” Kendriks asked just as Samuel spoke.
“It is a standard question; anyone who was there could have set that bomb.”
“And now you’re accusing me of killing my brother, my cousins?”
“Do you have the skills necessary to build the explosive that caused their death?”
“No.”
“Do you believe that Derek Hale does?”
“Who knows, he is awake as far as I know, why don’t you ask him?”
“Are you keeping an eye on him?” Kendriks asked.
“Why are you interrogating me?”
“We are not interrogating you but you seem to be very prejudiced against Derek Hale and that means we need to ask these questions to ensure that you can be ruled out of the people we need to look at,” Kendriks said stepping back in as the voice of reason. “We know you have lost family and all we want to do is make sure that the people responsible are brought to justice.”
Callum visibly relaxed at Kendriks words. “Chris Argent said he didn’t send the message to ask us to meet him, someone had to have done it, someone had to have asked us there. I don’t know if it was Derek or not but someone wanted us dead.”
“Do you think they wanted you and Derek Hale dead?”
“I don’t know. I cannot think of anyone that would want us all dead.”
Samuel could understand the sentiment, hunters would want to kill Derek and his pack and werewolves would want the hunters dead but no one would want them all dead.
“Have you heard anything while you have been here that made you suspicious of anyone?” Samuel asked.
Callum took the time to think for a moment before he spoke. “No, even when we first met Derek we didn’t have any problems, he was…quite polite.”
Samuel bit down the smirk at the description; he knew exactly what Derek’s polite looked like. “Have you made any enemies in your travels that could have followed you to town?”
“We haven’t seen anyone around town we know.”
Samuel recognised the avoidance and filled the question away for Chris to ask again when Callum would hopefully be honest.
“Do you know of anything else that could help us find the people responsible?”
“I don’t have a lot of faith in the police after my aunt.”
“Six people were murdered,” Samuel said. “We will do everything we can to ensure that they are found and arrested.”
Callum’s face twitched and Samuel knew he was thinking they wouldn’t give a crap about them, especially him knowing he was friends with a werewolf.
“Do you know of anything?”
“No.”
Kendriks shifted next to the sheriff at Callum’s tone. “We do not let people get away with murder in our town.”
Callum nodded. “I don’t know anything.”
“Okay,” Samuel said knowing they wouldn’t get anything else out of Callum. “If you think of anything or learn of anything please come and see us.”
Callum nodded. “Of course.”
Kendiks smiled. “Thank you for your help.”
Kendriks started the end of interview procedure and Samuel excused himself. He went back into his office knowing that they didn’t know anything more now than they had. They had cleared Jenny as far as Samuel was concerned but he was still suspicious of Callum. He knew he’d need to leave the rest of the investigation to his deputies but they would keep him involved as they went through. He waited for Kendriks to be finished so he could have a sit down with him and O’Loughlin before he went back to Stiles. He called Chris to tell him to go on without him, he was just outside but Samuel didn’t want to show his relationship with the man just yet in case.
/ / / Danny \ \ \
Danny let himself into Derek’s house and walked into the kitchen for a glass of water before settling in the study where he pulled up the logs for the sensors. He went back to a week before the Morgans came for the first time. He dumped out the logs from all the sensors and started searching through while the program he’d written one handed the night before searched through the code for anything worth noting.
Danny had been sitting there an hour when Jackson came in behind him and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck.
“Derek all sorted?” Danny asked.
“Dr Pierce organised a physical therapist who knows about us and when I left she was making Derek look human.”
Danny smiled.
“I brought lunch,” Jackson said sitting next to Danny. “Then tell me what I’m looking for and I’ll help.”
“This isn’t like the Matrix,” Danny said with a laugh. “There are no hot girls in the code.”
“Who said I was looking for hot girls?” Jackson pulled Danny around and kissed him soundly until Danny felt light headed from it. He wasn’t used to this, the open affection that Jackson had been showing him since the explosion. He liked it, God Danny liked it so much he wanted to pull Jackson down to the floor and show him exactly how much but he was scared. He had always expected things with Jackson to be slow but something seemed to have changed and now Jackson was trying more and doing more and Danny was terrified it would all disappear and he’d ache from the loss of it all. He wanted everything Jackson could ever give him but he was terrified of knowing how good it could be and losing it.
Jackson started pulling out of the kiss and ran his thumb along the line of Danny’s jaw. “What’s wrong? You disappeared on me.”
“Just thinking about what we need to be doing,” Danny lied and felt bad even as he said the words but he couldn’t work out how to say it to Jackson. He didn’t know how to explain the fear or how to say it without making it sound like he wasn’t happy to wait for as long as Jackson needed.
“Right,” Jackson handed Danny his container of chicken and salad before pulling his own burger out.
Danny watched him for a minute and couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward to kiss Jackson softly on the lips. “Thank you for lunch,” Danny explained. Jackson rolled his eyes and handed Danny a bottle of apple juice. Danny didn’t say anything more even as he warmed by the fact Jackson had brought him exactly what he felt like.
“So what am I looking for?” Jackson asked.
Danny checked a couple of things and then handed Jackson his laptop. “Check out the sensors from that morning.”
They ate and worked silently for a while, the warmth of their thighs pressed tightly together as they tried to find something.
“We were already out there by this time weren’t we?” Jackson asked some time later dragging Danny suddenly out of his concentration.
Danny blinked a couple of times and looked at the information in front of him. “Where is that?”
“The sensors near the lake,” Jackson said. “It can’t be Stiles, he didn’t trip any of the sensors coming from the house but this one tripped and then one near the barn that definitely wasn’t us.”
“Let me look at that,” Danny said pulling the laptop closer and hitting a couple of keys until a map appeared in front of him. He set it up for the sensor pings to occur in order with a flag giving the time. It took him longer to do than it would have normally, he couldn’t wait until his arm was good enough to be able to get rid of the sling. Danny could feel Jackson’s eyes on him but didn’t look away from the screen as the sensors that signalled the hunters popping up, then Derek running out and back, the whole pack going out and then spreading, then coming together. That was when the signal by the lake went off and the one closest to the barn in that direction flared moments after followed swiftly by another swinging out and around. Minutes later the signals from the house started again moving swiftly out towards the last one that appeared.
Danny realised with stunning clarity what had happened.
“Jackson look for the tablet I programmed for the sensors,” Danny said printing out the map.
Jackson started looking but Danny knew that he wouldn’t find anything, when he had the map with Stiles’ path marked on it he handed it to Jackson. “Stiles thought it was an ambush, he saw the two signals and thought that it was the hunters trying to catch us unaware so he set out to help. But that first signal, the one near the lake?” Jackson nodded. “I don’t think that had anything to do with the Morgans.”
Danny handed Jackson the map. “What?”
“Stiles took the tablet with him to track the sensors, I need you to go out and trace the route. See if you can find it. I’m going to need to look at the data. Then go to the sensor that was tripped near the lake and see if you can see anything.”
“You have an idea don’t you,” Jackson said studying the map.
“I think that the hunter was telling the truth when he said that the Morgans had been lured out there as well. I think that someone was setting us both up and they didn’t get what they wanted.”
Jackson’s face displayed his every thought as that idea sunk in. “If they didn’t get us too then we are still in danger?”
Danny threaded his fingers through Jackson’s. “I’ll look for anything I can while you’re out there.”
Jackson nodded and stood up. “Call the sheriff, he needs to keep an eye on Stiles.”
“We all need to be careful,” Danny pointed out trying desperately not to think about anyone else in his pack…or Jackson, being hurt.
“I will be,” Jackson kissed Danny before turning and running from the house.
While he was gone Danny looked through the rest of the data. He pulled up the information from around the barn for the day before. The computer program didn’t see anything unusual but there was a lot that was programmed to be ignored by the system and he wanted to check everything regardless of what it was. He didn’t spot it until he heard Jackson coming back in the door. He held up his hand to stop Jackson from talking as his eyes flicked between the screens checking the anomalies.
“I found something. I think someone might have been moving around unseen in the sensors. Look at this, see these figures, just shy of enough to trip them. They appear coming to the house, travelling from the lake to the barn and back. I think someone may have been able to work out how to get past. I need to write a program to get data from the rest of the archive.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t see it?”
“I believe you,” Jackson said. “But you know I’ve never been good at this type of thing.”
“What did you find?” Danny asked changing the topic.
“The tablet and the rifle Derek gave Stiles, they were on the ground and there was some dried blood, obviously Stiles’. They must have fought before Ben dragged him to the barn.”
“Here, I’ll plug it in and we’ll have a look.”
Danny pulled the tablet to him and placed it on the table. They set it up and Danny could see that Stiles had turned on the camera as he went through the woods. They could see his journey, him spotting Ben. Stiles had put the tablet down in a spot when Ben saw him and they could see the quick and dirty fight, Stiles holding his own but giving up before he was too injured and was led away leaving the camera behind for them…and the flash of a body.
“There,” Danny said pointing at the screen. He jumped forward in his seat and started tapping keys until the last twenty seconds played again, frame by frame so he could see the three frames that held the image of a woman. Thin and blonde, her face was hidden from them but it was obvious that she was tall and running.
“Is that Jenny?”
“No,” Danny hit the buttons to print the frames. “Scott said she was short and had black hair.”
“So who is she?”
“I don’t know but she was there and the hunter said that he was the only one of them there that wasn’t killed.”
“She’s coming from the lake,” Jackson said. “From where the tablet was it would have had to be from the lake.”
“We need to talk to the sheriff.”
“Do you think Stiles saw her?”
Danny frowned. “If he did, and she doesn’t know that he cannot remember anything…”
“She might come after him.”
Danny didn’t need to say anything else he could see the knowledge in Jackson’s eyes. The only question was how much they told Derek while he was still unable to really do much.
/ / / Stiles \ \ \
The day they released him from the hospital he was given appointments for physical therapy and a schedule of check-ups. He needed to come back in a week for another CT, he needed to come back in three weeks to have his cast off and there were appointments with anybody who was considered a specialist in hearing or skull fractures to try and work out what was causing both of his ears to stop working.
They were releasing him at eleven and at half past ten his hospital room was suddenly full of his entire pack. There were moments when he couldn’t work out how he would ever be able to get used to not being able to hear anything. There were moments in the middle of the night when he had finally convinced his dad to go home when he couldn’t sleep and would sit in his hospital bed crying. He had no idea how loud he was until one of the nurses came in and sat with him. He’d apologised, he was sorry, he didn’t want to disrupt anyone but she just held his hand and reminded him that he had people who loved him and he needed to let his emotions out. He was so glad Danny had thought to buy the whiteboards it made it easier for them all to interact. That night he’d cried until he had a headache and had fallen asleep. The nurse was gone the next morning, her shift over and he didn’t get a chance to thank her for a few days. She smiled at him as she took his blood pressure and suggested he talk to his dad.
Stiles did, he waited until everyone else had left last night and pulled one of the whiteboards over to himself. What if I never get my hearing back?
His dad had hugged him before he picked up his own whiteboard and started writing.
You might not but we will deal with it.
I’m scared. Stiles felt more comfortable writing the feelings down rather than saying them out loud.
We will do whatever we can Stiles. But if you don’t recover, if you’re deaf forever you will be able to get through it you are amazing son.
That night he cried again but this time his dad was the one who held him, he sat on the edge of the bed and tucked Stiles into his side like he had when Stiles was younger and after his mother died when he’d have a nightmare and she wasn’t there to sing to him while he drank warm cinnamon milk. He hadn’t been held by his father in a long time but that night as they laid there he felt more confident about his decision not to ask Derek to bite him, more sure that he would be okay because his dad was there to help him.
His dad didn’t leave all night but when Stiles had woken up his dad had obviously not slept.
“I’m okay Dad. Do you want to go home?”
I’m okay.
“Did you sleep?”
No. Stiles didn’t need his dad to say he’d spent the night watching over him. You’re coming home today and I want to be here for the doctors.
“You haven’t been sleeping enough while I’ve been in hospital.”
I’m fine.
“It’s been over three weeks, have you had a full night’s sleep since the explosion?”
When you are home I’ll sleep fine.
“Dad.”
Stiles.
Stiles smiled at him. “Okay, but tonight you are going to have to go to sleep early.”
His father smiled at him and nodded.
At just after eleven the doctor came and asked everyone to leave while he went through the final release information. Stiles wasn’t sure how much more information he could take. He needed to be careful of his ribs and head until they healed. He couldn’t drive, work, have sex, participate in strenuous activities or sleep on anything but his back for at least the next two months. By then his skull fracture should be less susceptible to an addition break and his ribs should be almost healed though he’d been told it would take at least six months for all the pain to go away. By then they should know if his hearing was ever going to come back. His dad listened to the doctor and he read all the whiteboards shown to him but he desperately just wanted to be out of the hospital and back into his old bed. His dad had refused to let him go back to his own apartment but Stiles could understand he really couldn’t have taken care of himself and he didn’t really want to be alone.
When the doctor was finished and the paperwork was all signed they moved him into a wheelchair and Stiles had to close his eyes. There was so much more pressure on his chest now. He’d had to go for walks around the hospital since he’d woken but they hadn’t put him in a wheelchair before. He wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to sit all the way to the car; it wasn’t pain so much as pressure and discomfort but it made him want to move and he knew it wouldn’t do anything. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and found Derek looking down at him. He didn’t say anything but he could see the sympathy in his expression before he stole Lydia’s jumper and balled it up. He stopped Stiles’ dad and slid the jumper behind Stiles’ back and suddenly Stiles could breathe a little easier.
“Thank you.”
They made it out of the hospital and into the car where Lydia fussed next to him sending Tom in their car alone so she could watch him the whole drive home like an animal in a zoo while Scott watched him from the front seat.
“You are all insane.”
Scott grinned at him and even without the whiteboard Stiles could tell what he wanted to say. That wouldn’t change, how well he knew the people he loved and that he could read them even if he couldn’t hear them. The thought made him more hopeful for a future where he couldn’t hear at all.
His father shepherded him inside and down onto the couch which allowed the rest of the pack to sit down around him.
Are you hungry? His father wrote.
“Not at the moment.”
His father nodded and sat down at one of the other chairs while they waited for the rest of the pack. Lydia was holding his hand and Stiles tried to ignore the fact he was tired after so little activity.
The rest of the pack arrived and settled before Scott held his whiteboard in front of Stiles. I picked up something and I wanted to show you.
Stiles smiled at him in encouragement and Scott handed over a movie case and a flyer. Stiles looked at the flyer first; it was for a sign language course.
I spoke to the woman and she does teach privately as well. She is willing to come and teach us all if you want to learn. I know you’re going to be okay but just in case.
Stiles looked at Scott who looked worried. “You all want to learn?”
Everyone nodded at him.
“Okay, we will then. Even if I get back my hearing it might be an interesting thing to learn.” Stiles handed the flyer back and looked at the movie, he looked over at Scott and smiled at him. “Really?”
Scott shrugged. Dude, this way none of us will understand.
Stiles nodded and handed over the case waiting for Scott to put the DVD in the player and come back. Lydia was frowning at him from her place at his side but he didn’t say anything until the title page came up and she shook her head.
Jackson held up his whiteboard. I’ve never seen this.
Stiles knew Scott was talking next to him but he ignored it able to predict Scott’s words - awesome movie, all subtitles and no one could understand what was being said.
Tom and his father made them lunch while they watched and no one said anything when Stiles fell asleep at one point his body half pressed into Scott. When Stiles woke up the movie was still on and everyone was watching except Derek who was looking at Stiles instead. He raised his eyebrow at Stiles in a silent question and Stiles just smiled at him sleepily before looking back at the movie. Soon after, they paused it to allow Stiles to stand and walk around. He still got a little light headed when he stood up but it felt better to be able to walk around instead of being stuck in any one position for long. He needed to recline but there just wasn’t enough space for everyone if he did. He went out the back and walked around on the grass for a while. It was the first time he’d really been outside since the accident and it felt lovely to be able to be outdoors. He felt someone behind him and turned slowly, Derek was standing at the doorway his cane in one hand.
“I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to you,” Stiles said even though he couldn’t see a whiteboard close. “How are your injuries?”
Derek shrugged but Stiles knew what that meant.
“If I can do anything to make it easier, you will tell me right? I…I can’t ever thank you enough for saving my life but if I can do something.”
The look on Derek’s face darkened for a moment and Stiles stepped closer, he reached out to wrap his hand around the fist holding the cane.
“I don’t care if I am deaf forever you saved my life and have nothing to feel guilty for, and don’t pretend that isn’t what you’ve been telling yourself because I know you too well and I know you have. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, thank you,” Stiles ignored the pain in his body to stretch up and press a kiss to Derek’s cheek. He knew he shouldn’t, he hadn’t explained to Derek how he felt but as he kissed him something tickled his brain as he felt the scratch of stubble over his lips. He lost the feeling as he pulled back but knew he couldn’t just keep kissing Derek’s cheek until he worked out what it was so he pushed the thought aside.
“Let’s go inside,” Stiles said reluctantly pulling his hand away; he loved the feel of Derek’s hot, smooth skin under his fingers. He thought for a second that if either of them were Vulcan they would have been making out with their fingers touching as they had been. Stiles realised when his back was to Derek that he might never again be able to really appreciate Star Trek if he couldn’t hear William Shatner’s voice but he pushed the thought aside, there were worse things. He kept reminding himself there were worse things.
When Stiles came back into the lounge room he found that Lydia was using Tom as a seat and the cushions had been rearranged so that Stiles could stretch out, he started to protest but Danny just rolled his eyes at Stiles and pushed him down onto the seat until he was comfortable, Scott sitting on the floor in the middle of the couch where they could still share comments as they watched the movie. Stiles’ dad left not long before the end of the movie to take a phone call and hadn’t reappeared when it had ended.
Jackson called everyone’s attention to him after the movie was over and they had been sitting in easy silence for a few minutes. He held up his whiteboard filled with writing.
I want to tell you all something. I love Danny and we are in a relationship.
Stiles could see the moment Danny stopped reading as joy and worry filled his face. Stiles looked at Derek knowing he’d have something to say, Derek’s face was a mask and Stiles couldn’t work out why.
Stiles could see Danny talking at Jackson, his face grim and his hands moving more than they ever did. Stiles knew that this was both Danny’s dearest hope and the thing he worried about. Danny had never said anything to Stiles in the times they had talked but he had been able to work out from what Danny didn’t say that he wanted Jackson to be honest with people about how they felt as well as being terrified about Jackson either never being able to or Jackson doing it and regretting it. Danny could handle them being a secret but Stiles knew he worried most about Jackson leaving him.
Stiles looked to Lydia next to him and she nodded and started writing.
Danny is asking Jackson why he said everything without asking.
Scott tapped him on the shoulder. Jackson said he didn’t want to hide anymore.
Danny said Jackson should have talked him first.
Jackson said he told his mum and dad last night too.
Stiles could see the hope on Danny’s face.
Danny asked if Jackson was serious about this.
“Danny,” Stiles said interrupting them. Danny and Jackson turned to him. “Jackson is choosing to do this, don’t be scared. He loves you and he isn’t going to run away now.”
Stiles saw Jackson say something to Danny and Danny drop his head before nodding. Jackson shook his head, grabbed Danny’s hand and they both left the room quickly.
Danny is so getting shagged in the back seat of Jackson’s car.
Jackson asked if Danny was really scared that he would change his mind and leave.
Stiles looked between the two whiteboards and smiled. “About time,” then he noticed the almost sad expression on Derek’s face before he realised he was being observed and smoothed his expression out. Stiles decided he needed to get to the bottom of that.
Soon after his dad started ushering people out when Stiles failed to hide his yawns. When everyone but Scott was gone they took him to the old study where Stiles’ old bed and a few of his other things had been set up. He thanked them even as he laid down and fell asleep immediately.
TBC...
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