Maybe STILES wouldn’t have caught up on the slight change in the werewolf’s stance if he stood here, teary eyed and shaking, begging for Derek’s help, but the nogitsune was more than aware of it. Derek Hale had always been the most difficult one to fool. (Unless you put a pretty woman in front of him who pretended to love him. Pathetic.) Scott never listened to his instincts, always determined on the possibilities of saving EVERYONE.
Based on nothing but a gut feeling, Derek was already more attentive than ANY of them had been at the peak of all of this. — The nogitsune had been resting, collecting as much energy, feeding on the chaos within this boy and in this town. They had weakened him, but a part of him never would Stiles’ soul and heart, this was NEVER going to end.
A sob escapes parted lips, he tries to hide it by pressing his hands to his mouth before wiping the tears off his cheek and taking a shaky breath. “I…”, a pause. Poor little stiles, so close to a panic attack and so bad at controlling his feelings. So human. So weak. So delicate… Claiming that he had a bad feeling or that someone was hurt wasn’t going to be enough; not when all of Derek’s senses seemed to be on alert already - but the nogitsune had a much better idea than lying.
“ I think… I think it’s back. I don’t even remember how… — I don’t know if this is REAL… ”
as stiles begins to sob, derek has to fight hard not to show visible signs of discomfort. it’s not often he’s confronted with someone crying ---- ESPECIALLY not the boy who so often becomes everybody else’s relief, offering a stupid joke or clever remark at just the right moment to help the others --- and as a result, he has no idea what to do. instead of discomfort, however, he allows the telltale signs of confusion to take over his features, his furrowed brow and wrinkled forehead make that clear.
his first instinct is not forgotten, merely shelved, as another instinct takes over in the face of the bawling boy; derek’s feet take him a few steps closer towards stiles, though he has no forethought on what to do next. his gaze still rapidly scans the boy’s features for any clue to help him solve this puzzle as he listens for the trembles in stiles’s breaths. his foot twitches to take another step to close the gap, but the words that permeate the space between them stops derek in his tracks. he tries to listen to the heartbeat, tries to find a blip or a tell that this is a lie or a joke, but stiles’s heart is hammering so quickly, it’s difficult for the wolf to even hear himself think.
“ ------------------ what ?? ”
his own heartbeat sounds loud and thick in his ears as he truly takes in the meaning of what stiles is saying. if IT’S back... they only JUST managed to beat it last time; derek’s not sure that scott would survive watching his best friend go through that again. ( derek’s not sure stiles WOULD get through it a second time. ) almost immediately, the former alpha flits back to his first instinct; defence. he surveys the emotions within stiles, tries to pinpoint the scent that is so distinctly not stiles, and he desperately tries to prove to himself that stiles is LYING.
“ stiles. what are you SAYING ?? ------------ does scott know ?? ”
