twas the night before christmas (set on 12/24)

[triskehale]

This time of year is especially hard for Derek. Part of him wants to just keep to himself, to disappear for awhile, but that won't solve anything. It won't make him feel any better. So he does his best to keep moving forward, and he seeks out the people who make him feel good.

It's Christmas Eve, and Derek heads out into the chill to bring Bitty's gift to him. It's neatly wrapped, and he's pretty excited to give it to him. He thinks it'll go over pretty well, and he has a small smile on his face by the time he knocks on Bitty's door.

"Open up," he calls out, "Santa came early."

Comments

[triskehale]

Derek laughs fondly as Bitty is suddenly hugging him, and he cups the back of his head as he holds him close. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad that you like them."

They were expensive, but Derek is doing well. He makes decent money with the bar and the truck, and he's still getting his allowance from the city. He doesn't spend too much on a regular basis, so he has a decent nest egg built up in his savings account. It was all to easy to make a dent in it for gifts for his friends.

He squeezes the back of Bitty's neck and lets out a breath, feeling a sense of peace and satisfaction that can only come from making someone important to him, someone in his pack, so happy. "You'll have to let me know when you try them out. I'll come watch."

[puckandpie]

"Oh goodness, no you will not," I tell him, wiping a hand furiously across my eye as I pull away to drop down onto the couch again, staring at the box. "I haven't been able to really practice in over a year. You can see me when I might not make an absolute fool of myself. I'm not sure my muscles even work properly any more and I'm not nearly as flexible as I used to be."

It's occurred to me that here, in this place, I could start practicing again. There's no scholarship to worry about, no Coach. I really could just... take up figure skating again. There's nothing to stop me.

Nothing but me.

I rub at my face again, rough as I suck in a breath, and quickly push up to my feet. "Do you want your last one now?" I ask, heading for the kitchen. There's still a part of me that wants to cry, but I'm not gonna do it here. Not in front of Derek of all people. "It obviously won't come even close to being as amazing as what you've given me, but I hope you like it. It's a special recipe."

[triskehale]

"Okay," Derek agrees, chuckling deeply. "You can get some practice in first, but I want to see you use them, if you'll let me."

He can smell the tears rimming Bitty's eyes, but he doesn't draw attention to it. It's an emotional gift, and Derek doesn't want to embarrass him. He just nods when Bitty gets up, turning to watch as he heads for the kitchen. "God, yeah. What's in that? It smells incredible."

[puckandpie]

"Maybe someday," I tell him, purposefully vague. I'm not sure if he actually wants to see me skate or if he's just saying it to be nice and I honestly have no idea if I'll ever feel good enough to show him anyway. I hadn't been lying to him; it's been well over a year since I last even tried practicing in actual skates. I almost never do stretching exercises anymore and I don't have Katya here to coach me. Even if I practice every single day, it's going to take months and months before I feel like I'm even half as good as I used to be, I think.

But maybe that's not the point.

Whatever the case, I can't think about it now. Right now I need to focus on serving up pie for Derek and that's exactly what I do, carefully cutting out a slice and setting it on a plate before carrying it back into the other room.

"I found it in a cookbook while I was researching pies for your Thanksgiving dinner. It's supposed to be just for werewolves. It's mostly various meats and veggies and some interesting spices. I've been experimenting with it a little, trying to hone it to your tastes, but if anything is off, tell me and I can try it again later."

[triskehale]

"A werewolf pie," Derek repeats, raising a curious eyebrow as Bitty hands him the plate. He has no idea what all would be in a werewolf pie, but it doesn't smell like anything that could hurt him. In fact, it smells delicious. The crust is crumbly and flaky and the meat looks juicy and tender, and Derek's pupils dilate slightly as he takes the fork and cuts himself off a bite.

And then he eats it, and it's like his mouth has a tiny orgasm. His eyes flare red for a moment, and he shows a hint of fang as he chews. This is amazing, possibly the best thing he's ever tasted, and he looks up at Bitty in awe. "Oh my god."

[puckandpie]

Derek's eyes flash red for just a second, just long enough for me to feel that familiar thrill under my skin and know that he really does like it, that his reaction is genuine and not to spare my feelings. I think I even see his fangs drop a little.

"It's good then?" I ask, though I'm pretty sure I already know the answer. "The whole pie is yours, but it comes with the promise of me baking another one later if you ever want it. Just say the word."

[triskehale]

"The word," Derek says instantly, curling his arm protectively around the plate like someone might try to take it from him. The meat is delicious, and he can't identify all the spices but they're incredible. Eating this pie makes him feel relaxed, and a little like he wants to roll over and get a belly rub.

He looks up to give Bitty a wide, easy smile, licking sauce from his fangs before he digs in for another bite. He doesn't really stop until the slice is all gone, and then he gives the plate a sad little whine that he would probably be embarrassed about if he hadn't just eaten such delicious werewolf pie.

[puckandpie]

It's hard not to laugh at his reaction. He curls his arm around the plate even, like a puppy trying to protect his food. He finishes in record speed, almost looks sad when it's all gone and I just. Goodness. This boy.

Right now, right in this second, that smile is almost enough to convince me I stand a chance.

I disappear into the kitchen before I let it get out of hand, grabbing the rest of the pie off the counter and, settling it down in front of him. "I honestly didn't think you'd eat the whole thing in one sitting, but you absolutely can if you want. I'm so glad you like it! I was a little afraid it'd just taste like a mess. I mean, I tried a little myself and it didn't seem all that special. I suppose that recipe knew what it was talkin' about though."

[triskehale]

"I suppose it did. Between whatever the hell is in this and you making it, I never stood a chance," Derek tells him, eyes widening when Bitty brings out the rest of the pie. "I want to eat it all, but I also don't want it to be gone."

He settles for cutting himself another (big) slice, and curls up on the sofa with the plate against his chest as he eats. "Want to try the skates on and make sure that they fit as well as that jacket?"

[puckandpie]

I'm absolutely reading way too much into that statement, I know that much even when it hits my ears and makes everything inside me go warm. I know he's just complimenting my cooking, but it feels like so much more.

Get ahold of yourself, Bittle. Goodness.

My eyes fall back to the box on the table, skates gleaming and I let out a shaky breath before nodding. "I'm a little afraid to mess 'em up already," I confess, but I take a seat on the couch beside him all the same and reach out to pull the right skate out, my fingers reverent over the leather of the boot. Carefully balancing the blade in my lap, I pull the laces aside enough to slip my foot in, completely unsurprised to find it fits like a glove. It's still, of course, from lack of use, but I can already tell it fits perfectly. "Did you steal my skates when I wasn't lookin' to find out the size?" I ask, glancing over at him with a small grin.

[triskehale]

"They're meant to be worn," Derek assures him, watching him as he takes them out of the box. He smiles at the way that Bitty touches the skates, and he knows that he made the right decision in getting them. It seems to fit so well and Derek grins, cutting a sly look over at Bitty. "I might have. So you like them?"

It's a dumb question. It's obvious that he likes them, and Derek is glad to have made him so happy. Worth every penny.

[puckandpie]

Slipping my left foot into the other skate, I glance up at Derek with a smirk. "That, Mr. Hale, is possibly the dumbest question anyone has ever asked me, and someone once asked if I'd ever heard of Beyonce. Of course I like them, you sill wolf. I love them."

Once both skates are laced up, I stretch out my legs, admiring how they look, all sleek and gorgeous, the blades sticking out proudly. I don't stand, afraid of dulling them too soon, but they sure do look nice.

"And they fit perfectly," I say, giving him a small smile. There's still a weight in my gut, still an ache from missing my family and from dinner yesterday with Simon, but it feels a little less overbearing now. I feel warm.