I have no idea why this took nine million years to write. blame school + general emotional exhaustion.
ship: boyd x cora x ericafandom: teen wolfrating: general word count: 836notes: Cora is agender and uses sie/hir pronouns :)
Sure, Boyd is surprised when he wakes up to find Cora curled up in Derek’s lap, whispering quietly. And maybe he’s a little hurt, too, but…well, promises made in a bank vault aren’t always meant to be kept, right? So Cora doesn’t really love them, or sie loves Derek more, or—he doesn’t know. It doesn’t matter. Sie’s hir own person and he’s going to respect that. At the very least, he knows he and Erica are solid, so—this is fine.
As though summoned by his thoughts, Erica stirs next to him, and then startles into full awareness, almost on hyper alert. Her hand seeks his out immediately and she carefully raises herself until she can look around the room. She’s cautious now, where she was once reckless and bold.
He gets that, too.
They’re in a loft on a very comfortable bed (frankly it could use a few more pillows, but the mattress is excellent and the comforter is soft. Anyway, everything feels better than sleeping on rocks). The place is decorated sparsely, if it can be called decoration—all he can really see is a table and some chairs.
That’s something he can trust, too. Derek will always be Spartan.
He knows when Erica sees Cora because she grips his hand hard enough to make the bones crack together. She lets out a small whimper.
He rubs the back of her palm with his thumb and waits until she slowly releases him. “What is it?” he murmurs.
She shakes her head, mouth tight in a frown.
“We made it,” he reassures her. Sure, they’re right back where they started—confused about their abilities, clinging together while Derek stays stone-faced and silent.
And Cora…well, sie was never theirs in the first place.
It’s no surprise to him that Erica isn’t satisfied with that answer, and if he’s honest with himself, he isn’t either. It hurts that Cora is curled up in the lap of someone that honestly frightens Boyd. Derek has no clue how to wield his power. That’s been clear ever since Boyd’s first training session. That Cora would pick someone like that over the two of them, after the bond they forged in the vault—well, he can’t exactly be upset with Erica when she snarls, “You lied to us!”
Cora startles. “You’re awake,” sie gasps, stumbling out of Derek’s lap. “I’m so glad. Deaton said you were okay but I wasn’t sure.”
Almost methodically, Boyd notes that Derek must be on better terms with the vet, or maybe Scott was involved—he doesn’t have enough information. He focuses in on Cora instead.
“We aren’t okay!” Erica yells, and, well, maybe she’s not totally cautious now. He can’t blame her.
Cora, for hir part, looks taken aback. “I just meant—you’re awake—your physical wounds won’t last and you’re in control again—“
“And you’re cuddling up with someone who abused us,” she hisses.
Maybe it’s a strong word for Derek’s method of training, but Boyd stays quiet. He kind of agrees, and his hurt is making him bitter. He doesn’t feel like diffusing this situation. He wants Erica to claw out all the wrong things and to escape Beacon Hills, to go anywhere but here, as long as Erica is with him.
He wanted Cora to come, too. But that doesn’t seem to be an option now.
“What are you talking about?” Cora asks, looking up at Derek. “Derek, what does she mean?”
Derek is frowning, but awkwardly. “I didn’t—“
“We’ve had three months to think it out,” Boyd says, finally breaking his silence. “It was abuse.”
“It was to protect you!” Derek insists.
Erica snorts. “Okay, Mother Gothel.”
At his confused look, Boyd explains, “Tangled.”
Derek’s face doesn’t clear, but that’s no real surprise.
“This isn’t the point,” Erica snaps, turning her attention back to Cora. “You lied to us.”
“About what?” sie asks, confused. Sie walks closer to the two of them, arms starting to stretch out to them. “I never lied. I love you. I love both of you. I didn’t know Derek was your alpha so it didn’t seem relevant to mention that he’s my brother.”
Boyd can't help it. He laughs. It’s completely unexpected, but now he can see it. Cora has the same frown lines and the same coloring—fuck, even the same nose, if he squints.
“Seriously?” Erica asks, looking hopeful rather than hurt for the first time since waking up.
Sie nods, coming forward to pull Erica into hir arms. Sie grins at Boyd over Erica’s shoulder hopefully.
Of course. Cora had mentioned sie was looking for Laura Hale, but she’d never mentioned Derek. Their last names had never even come up. Sure, sie knew his full name was “Vernon Boyd,” but that’s just because Erica might call him by his full name to tease him.
He laughs again, and wraps his arms around both of them. Maybe at some point they’ll get better at communicating. But for now, he’ll take this.
