triskehale: (torn apart)
triskehale ([personal profile] triskehale) wrote2016-03-20 08:38 pm
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For as much time as they spent looking and waiting and planning, it all happens so fast. They're already to fight for the people they care about, and Derek can barely make himself himself hold back long enough to follow the plan.

But then they're inside and Derek tears his way through people trying to fight him off, claws and fangs out and put to good use. The place reeks of pain and misery and fear, and Derek lets out a roar as he throws a guy coming at him aside like the ragdoll. The lights flicker and dim, and they all keep fighting.

Once it's over, once they've won, Derek inhales deeply and rushes towards the familiar scents. He's led to actual cells and he has to bite back a growl. He sees Luke first, but Reid is already rushing towards him so Derek nods at him and then keeps going.

"Barry!" He calls out, tracking him down and skidding against the floor as he runs up to his cell. He wraps his fingers around the bars and chokes on a breath when he spots Barry slumped in a corner, looking beaten up and weak with something around his neck. "Barry, I'm here."

Derek looks around to try and find a weakness in the cell structure and then slams his heel into the lock as hard as he can to try and break it. He grabs the bars and pulls as hard as he can, letting out a frustrated yell before it finally opens and he can squeeze inside.

"Hey, hey, it's me," Derek says as he gets on his knees in front of Barry, reaching out and retracting his claws to cup his cheek as gently as he can. "I've got you."
thescarletspeedster: (Wrecked.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-21 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
It's not the first time the detention center has erupted in noise. Over the days he's been held here, there have been many fights, planned or spontaneous in the hallways, shouts and screams from other prisoners, Barry's own voice among them when he spots one of the little ones dragged by, but it's nothing like this.

The silence that follows is almost as deafening, and Barry turns his body towards the door of his cell. One way or another, this feels like an end, and it's not until he sees Derek's anxious face through the bars that Barry lets himself believe it will be a good one.

"Hey," he tries to say, but his voice seems to have abandoned him with the last of his strength, and Barry only manages a wobbling smile. The bars to his cell give with a thunderous noise, and then Derek is there, not a dream or a hallucination but flesh and blood. Barry's cheek aches beneath Derek's hand, fractured in one of the fights so numerous that Barry's lost count, along with half his ribs and maybe his arm, but his smile holds. "Nice...to see you."
thescarletspeedster: (But.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-21 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
Derek presses a kiss to his forehead, and Barry feels his eyes grow hot. There have been moments stolen here and there, small kindnesses exchanged between fellow prisoners, but nothing as tender as this. Barry chokes down a sudden sob, gasping when the pain suddenly begins to leave him. He's lived with it for so long that it's a shock to feel it gone, and Barry sags, almost as if that constant agony was the only thing keeping him upright against the wall.

"Don't think so," he admits, watching Derek anxiously for an echo of his own pain, but it seems to have faded. "They don't feed me much."
thescarletspeedster: (Upset.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-21 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
"Just you," is all Barry manages in answer, too disoriented by the sudden change in elevation to do more than drift in Derek's arms. He begins to perk up, however, when the first breath of fresh air he's breathed in days gusts over his cheeks.

Gaze focusing, he reaches for the bar Derek has with trembling fingers, managing to get it to his mouth for a bite he wishes were larger. If he had the strength for it, Barry would make a Julie of the Wolves crack about the very specific parameters he has for Derek feeding him, but it's all he can do to chew. "Wait," he says after that first swallow, attempting to sit straighter. "Are all the others out? There were kids, Derek."
thescarletspeedster: (Unsure.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-21 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
Barry closes his eyes for the journey, choosing for the moment to believe that everyone is out, that all those desperate voices he heard echoing down the line of cells are somehow also on the other side of it. When he's strong enough, Barry plans to run to every one of their homes and check in on them, but now Derek is looking at him like he's been gutted, and Barry's stomach dips.

"Hey," he says, fighting the cushions for a moment to sit up, but in the end Barry settles for holding onto Derek's hand with both of his own. "I know. I mean, I hoped you were. I don't...actually know how long it's been," Barry admits. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt in the rescue?"
thescarletspeedster: (Unsure.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-22 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
Barry nods, unable to speak for a moment under the weight of Derek's gaze. He knows he's loved at home, Joe and Iris and even Cisco and Caitlyn, but no one looks at him like this, certainly no one cares about him quite like Derek does. "I hate that I made you afraid," Barry whispers, feeling his eyes grow hot again. He's just so tired, and now that he's on the other side of it, Barry's lost the energy it takes to keep it from getting in - the pain, the fear and the creeping despair, the disgust at his own body, caked in sweat and dirt and blood as it is.

"I don't remember the last time they hosed me down," Barry admits, wondering how Derek's poor nose can handle it.
thescarletspeedster: (But.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-22 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
Barry knows Derek would never judge him, and there's not an ounce of pity on his face when he strips Barry down, but still Barry has to fight not to curl in on himself. He's always been thin, but now he feels truly pathetic, starved down and mottled in bruises. It doesn't stop him from moaning gratefully when the water starts, and he rests his head against the shower wall and lets Derek direct the spray as he wishes.

He's held himself together well, but in those long days, Barry hadn't been certain he'd ever have this again. "I'm okay," he promises, for he knows what kind of sight he makes when tears begin to slide down his cheeks with the water. "I'm just tired."
thescarletspeedster: (Quiet.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-23 06:12 am (UTC)(link)
"It does," breathes Barry, scraping his tongue over his teeth in wonder. Derek's taken his pain, and he knows it's the only reason he's standing upright, so Barry is careful of his ribs, accepting the water with his good hand. He rinses his mouth and gets a little dizzy watching it swirl down the drain, so Barry looks back at Derek instead.

He very carefully doesn't look at himself in the mirror. "Bed now?" he asks, eager for the false protection of Derek's comforter. God, it feels good to be here. It's not Barry's place, but it's Derek's home, and in these short months Barry's come to think of him in much the same way. Barry smiles a little. "You know, this isn't exactly how my shower fantasy with you goes."
thescarletspeedster: (Earnestly.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-25 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
Barry looks over at the wolf and makes a little sound, pulling it close with his good arm. He pushes his cheek against it and inhales, smiling sadly. "It smells like you now," he says. The sheets and the pillows do, too, and Barry nearly tears up again, so grateful to be somewhere so safe and warm after so many hard, white walls and cruel faces.

"You don't know how good it feels to be here," Barry breathes.
thescarletspeedster: (Interested.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-25 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
Derek's not gone long, but Barry's half-dozing when he returns, his mouth still downturned for the heartbreaking sight of Derek's wet eyes. He groans for the smell of the soup though and sits up, eyeing the tray eagerly. Soup and toast and crackers? He's so famished that even the crackers smell amazing, and it's only the fracture in his arm that keeps him from lifting the bowl and pouring soup down his throat.

"Thank you," says Barry like Derek's just offered him life itself, and dunks a piece of toast into the soup, pushing as much as will fit into his mouth. "How'd you figure out where we are?" he asks as he chews.
thescarletspeedster: (Distraught.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-25 05:02 am (UTC)(link)
"Derek," says Barry, pausing his ravenous consumption of the toast to touch Derek's hand. "I can vibrate through solid walls. If it was just a question of wanting it, I could've gotten myself out. But these people were smart."

Barry's hand tightens around Derek's as a shudder passes through him. "They knew how to counter our abilities. Just like they knew how to work around someone like you. I know you did everything you could."
thescarletspeedster: (Unsure.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-25 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
"I didn't mention that?" asks Barry, glad to see Derek looking something other than guilty. "I can do a lot of things," he says with a grin, but it falters when he remembers just what he'd been made to do with them.

"Do you, um," he says, dropping his gaze. "Did you guys figure out what they were doing with us in there?" he asks, hoping he doesn't have to say it.
thescarletspeedster: (But.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-25 05:36 am (UTC)(link)
Barry pulls the soup closer to him, eating several bites with unfocused eyes. He knows Derek is giving him an out, and he wants to take it, but he can't. It feels like all those awful memories will swallow him if he does.

"They made us fight," he says, pushing a cracker into the soup until it's mush. "To test our limits. They made us fight each other, and sometimes people they'd given powers with some kind of..." Barry shrugs. "Tonic. It glowed, so you could be super sure that it was evil."
thescarletspeedster: (Amenable.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-25 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"I survived Zoom," says Barry with a tired smile. "It doesn't get much worse than that." He closes his eyes for the kiss to his forehead. Derek is always so gentle, even when Barry isn't battered or weak. It's just his way, and Barry's smile softens.

"I believe you," he says, squeezing Derek's wrist. His voice is nearly lost to a rumble from his stomach, and Barry groans, beyond grateful that this time, more food will actually come. "Can I do a sandwich now?"
thescarletspeedster: (Hey!)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-26 06:32 am (UTC)(link)
"Hey," Barry laughs for his lost cookie, but most of his protest is lost to the sandwich already in his mouth. "Double meat," he says, muffled. "Nice." He can't tell if it's seeing Derek, being somewhere clean and safe, or the food, but he does feel better. Barry rubs his fingertips together and is rewarded with a tiny spark.

"We're on the right track," he says, tucking into a chocolate chip cookie with a groan. "I'm sure I'll be back to normal in a day or two. But how is everything else?" Barry asks, turning towards Derek in the bed. "Nothing happened to Semele's?"
thescarletspeedster: (Earnestly.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-28 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
The smile Barry had worn for the nickname slips from his face, and he reaches to squeeze Derek's hand. "I'm sorry," he says again. He knows it's not his fault, but Derek's already been through so much. He hates to be another reason for pain, but all he can do now is try to make it up to him.

"You should call," he says. "Or, I'll probably be mobile by tomorrow. We can go together, make sure it hasn't become Eric's new pie empire in your absence."
thescarletspeedster: (Amenable.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-29 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
Barry smiles softly, closing his eyes as he accepts the kiss. Up close, Derek smells like the chocolate cookie, and Barry valiantly wishes he had the strength right now to forget his food and just burrow into him. But his stomach rumbles again, and Barry works his way through the rest of the sandwich, finishing it off with the cookie.

"All day in bed sounds pretty good," he admits, his gaze cutting sideways. Like anyone would turn down a day spent in bed with Derek Hale. Even if all they do is cuddle and watch television, it's still the best deal Barry's ever heard. "At home, I just watched movies all day when I felt rotten. I've never taken a sickday with a werewolf before."
thescarletspeedster: (Grin.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-30 11:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yes," says Barry in a drawn out moan, "Steak time." He watches Derek go, leaning against the pillow at his back. He drifts a little - his bones are knitting, he can tell from the itch deep beneath his skin, all his new energy diverting to the process to leave him sleepy eyed and quiet. But Barry groans again as smells begin to drift into the bedroom, the scent of rendered fat and hot potatoes its own kind of torment until Derek returns with a tray.

"It looks amazing," says Barry with feeling when Derek lays the tray in his lap, wishing for a moment that he was the one with werewolf teeth so he could sink them directly into the meat. But Barry picks up his silverware and makes himself go slow, eyes rolling back for the taste of steak after so many days of crumbs.
thescarletspeedster: (Advice.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-31 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
Barry grins around his mouthful, but Derek doesn't seem to be joking. "Wait, for real?" he asks, cutting himself another piece that can only very generously be called bite sized. "What does that mean? Is there meat only werewolves can eat?"

His brow furrows with vague worry, but Barry's thoughts keep turning back to the other pies. "What kind are they?"
thescarletspeedster: (Sideways grin.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-31 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
Barry's eyes widen. "Wolf nip," he repeats, all thoughts of other pies for the moment forgotten. "Maybe you should have some now. You've had a hell of a day." Barry grins and eats more steak, his smile turning mischievous despite his exhaustion. "Doesn't catnip make cats kind of horny?" he asks. "Have you actually tried this stuff out before?"
thescarletspeedster: (Little grin.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-31 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
"What can I say, I'm fast," Barry replies, resting his cheek against Derek's hair until the siren call of his last bites of steak prove too much to resist. He eats them quickly and settles back, wishing he could do more right now than shiver pleasantly for Derek's kiss.

Stretching out his arm, he tests the bend of his fingers, pleased to find that the worst is already healed. The same seems to be true of the fractures he could feel in his cheekbone, but his ribs are still painful each time he breathes. "Maybe tomorrow," Barry says, his lids sliding to half mast. "Or the day after."
thescarletspeedster: (Earnestly.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-31 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
Barry can't help a gasp, leaning back against the headboard as Derek pulls the pain from his body, draining it as neatly as an opened tap. "Does that hurt you?" he asks, even sleepier now that he doesn't have the pain to distract him, but Barry turns his head to stare earnestly at Derek.

"If it does, you don't have to. I promise I can take it. I just look like you could snap me in two."
thescarletspeedster: (Amenable.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-31 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
"I've had a long week," says Barry, relaxing when he's reminded that Derek only feels it for a second. He'd still prefer Derek not hurt at all, but Barry's not about to complain about being able to draw a full breath.

"I'll probably sleep a lot," he warns, given that Derek isn't Caitlyn, who's been through this with him so many times before. Barry's mouth tugs in a sad smile. "Sleep and eat, actually. It's the price of accelerated healing."
thescarletspeedster: (Hopeful.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-03-31 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"Good," says Barry softly, picking up the tray to set it on the bedside table. His mouth will be disgusting in the morning after all this food, but Barry can't bring himself to leave the bed now that he's full and content with Derek beside him. Barry shifts lower until he's horizontal on the sheets, pushing closer to Derek's warmth.

"Then let's sleep," he says. "The sooner we do, the sooner waffles happen." Barry brushes his nose against Derek's shoulder, his arms feeling oddly empty. "Can I be big spoon?"
thescarletspeedster: (Maybe.)

[personal profile] thescarletspeedster 2016-04-01 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
"Nobody cuddled this?" asks Barry incredulously as he turns on his side, careful of his ribs. He shifts in close to Derek, curling his body around him and sighing for the warmth. "Everyone else in your life is insane," he murmurs as he rubs his nose against Derek's nape, tucking his face into the crook of his neck. He slides one arm around Derek's middle, indulging in a quick brush of fingertips against his ridiculous abdomen before his hand relaxes.

"Good luck getting away," Barry yawns.