triskehale | closed; thomas

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closed,
thomas

closed; thomas

Truthfully, Derek doesn't how good of an idea it is to spend so much time with Thomas. It seems like sort of a dangerous, painful road to go down, but then again, Derek isn't known for his fantastic decision making skills.

Thomas is so different that Stiles in so many ways, and Derek likes him for the person that he is dependent of what he looks like, but sometimes Derek looks at him and forgets that he can't reach out and touch him, pull him in. It's confusing, and painful, but Derek pushes past it. Thomas deserves better than to be brushed aside because he looks like the person that Derek was in love with, and he can handle it.

Derek gets up early on Friday morning and puts on running pants and a white tank, and then feeds his cat before pulling on his sneakers. He grabs two protein bars and two bottles of water, throwing them in a plastic bag before heading out the door. He makes it to the Bramford building in no time flat, not even working up a sweat. Once inside, he takes the stairs and then lets out a breath before stepping up to Thomas' door and knocking on it.

This will be fine. Totally, completely fine.

Probably.

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Thomas thought about it for a second before he shrugged one shoulder. Shaking his head, he said, "I don't have a clue."

The one thing he really wanted was the one thing that winning a race wouldn't get him. Bringing that up right now would skew the mood and Thomas didn't want to do that. Not right now. He could do that later when he was on his own and wouldn't wreck anyone else but himself.

"What's a good thing to ask for?" he asked quizzically. "What do you want if you win?"

Or when he won, that was.

"I don't know either. We're pretty bad at this, aren't we?" It's no secret that Derek isn't really all that great at taking care of himself, or being selfish. He looks over at Thomas and cocks his head to the side curiously. "If I win, I get to tell you a secret about me. And you have to really think about it before you react."

It's an odd request, he's sure, but he finds that he wants Thomas to know that part of him. Thomas might freak out or decide he doesn't want anything to do with Derek anymore, but still. He wants him to know.

Derek's proposal made Thomas pause for a moment. He'd expected something different, if he was honest. Maybe Derek would have wanted to be treated to dinner or for Thomas to sing and dance and make a fool of himself. Instead, Derek's offering to reveal something about himself even if he won. Thomas thought it was supposed to be the other way around but he isn't going to argue either.

"All right," he finally said, nodding. "Same for me. If I win -- " Which he'd only do if Derek let him. " -- I'll tell you a secret about me."

There were plenty of those to go around.

Derek is tempted to let Thomas win, just for that. There are all sorts of things that he's curious about when it comes to Thomas. but he supposes that can wait. "Deal."

He's a little nervous, just because he knows that he and Thomas have been forging a bond, and he doesn't want to ruin it. But it does feel important that he let Thomas know him, all of him, and the wolf is a very vital piece.

Derek nods and then slides one foot back, getting into position. "Ready?"

Thomas took a deep breath and nodded.

The only races he'd run in the past few months had been races against Walls. He and Minho, out in the Maze, running against time and trying to make it back to the Glade before they were trapped beyond the Walls with nothing but the Grievers for company.

"Ready," Thomas confirmed with a brief nod of his head. He mimicked Derek's position and rubbed his hands together. "I'm good to go."

His heart was already pumping and the adrenaline was surging. Win or lose, he already felt good.

Thomas' heart is speeding up next to him, and he smells excited and anticipatory. Derek smiles and then counts down from three, pushing through his heel once he says go. At first, he keeps pace with Thomas, who is exceptionally fast for a human, and he even lets him fall ahead a few times.

It's just a little over half a mile to the cove and Derek pulls ahead just before the break in the treeline, hopping gracefully between two pines to find himself on a small, rocky beach. It's blocked in by two tall cliff faces, creating a small, private bay where the ocean comes through. Derek slows once he reaches the smoother sand, tipping his head back and taking a deep breath of the salty ocean air.

For a fleeting moment, Thomas actually thought he was going to win. When Derek had fallen behind, Thomas had almost faltered and turned to stare at him like this was all crazy. He hadn't expected to be the one that would have to tell a secret. He hadn't prepared for that.

Then, it all changes. Derek breezed by him and Thomas tried to speed up, to keep pace but couldn't keep up. He managed to keep Derek's broad shoulders and dark hair in his sights but every single time he got closer, Derek pulled further away.

By the time the salt of the ocean hit him, he was panting and sucking in great gulps of air. He came to a stop, legs feeling wobbly and unstable. The last time he'd run that fast, he'd been drawing the Griever away from Alby in an insane attempt to save both their lives.

"You're fast," Thomas panted, hands on his hips. "Shuck, you're a fast shank. You barely look tired."

Thomas' odd slang makes Derek chuckle, and then he bites his lip as he looks at him thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's part of what I have to tell you."

There's a big flat rock near the water's edge and Derek wanders over to it, pulling himself up onto the sun-warmed surface and stretching his legs out, turning his gaze over to Thomas as he approaches. "Do you remember your first day here, when I told you that not everyone here was human?"

"I remember," Thomas said as he followed behind Derek. He kicked up sand idly as he went, watching it cling to the bottom of his pants before falling off when he took another step. "

"What about it?" he asked, moving until he was standing in front of Derek. His legs begged him to sit down but he didn't. He needed to cool down and he didn't want to be looking up at Derek while he talked.

"Well," Derek starts, brow furrowing slightly before he looks up to meet Thomas' gaze. It throws Derek for a moment and he swallows hard. He never got to show Stiles this spot, so seeing that face here is an entirely new experience. "I'm one of the not human ones. I'm a werewolf."

He lets out a breath and watches Thomas, waiting for his reaction. It's then that he realizes that Thomas wouldn't even know what that was. Everyone he's told has at least had some idea of what a werewolf is, or at least shapeshifter lore. He's never had to explain that part before. "It means that I'm part man, and part wolf, I guess. A shapeshifter."

Thomas said nothing for several seconds. His expression remained blank, stoic. Honestly, he wasn't sure how to react. Not yet. He can tell that Derek is absolutely serious and, even if he wasn't, Thomas would have been a little ticked if he'd joked around like that.

But, he knew Derek wasn't joking. Thomas swallowed and straightened up, moving his body because the right words were escaping him right now. He didn't run away though.

"H - how did that even happen?" he stammered, peering closely at Derek like he'd be able to see the wolf side just by that. "Did someone make you this way? Did WICKED?"

Suspicion. It reared up and grabbed Thomas by the back of the neck, shaking him like that might help him see what this was, what kind of Trial he was in.

"I was born a wolf," Derek explains calmly, glad that Thomas is at least staying to hear him out. "Wolves can be made, but I'm not sure what WICKED is. Not in that context, at least."

Thomas says it like it's a thing, an entity, rather than an adjective, and Derek isn't sure what to say. He swallows hard and waits patiently, letting Thomas try to process it. "I just wanted you to know. I can show you, if you want."

"Show me?" Thomas repeated, swallowing thickly. He wanted to believe Derek, wanted to think he had no idea who WICKED was but that suspicion had snaked its way around his spine, squeezing until Thomas bent over, hands on his knees.

"I -- " He didn't know what to say to that offer. He wanted to see. He did. But he didn't. There were so many questions rattling around his head. "You...all right."

He needed to see. Derek had trusted him with his secret so Thomas wasn't going to run. He'd listen, he'd see and then he'd decide. "Show me," he requested quietly.

When Thomas bends over, Derek wants to reach out but he knows that wouldn't be the best idea. Instead he just waits for Thomas to ready, and he looks at him earnestly. "Just remember, I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

He waits a beat and then lets his irises go red, and then holds out his hands so Thomas can see as his nails grow into sharp claws. Then he slowly opens his mouth, letting his fangs extend. He lets the change stop there for now, one step at a time. He looks at Thomas calmly, watching him with glowing red eyes.

"I'm still me," Derek tells him, words slightly muffled by his fangs. "There's just more to me than you thought."

"Shuck me," Thomas whispered, sound both awed and shocked all at once. Seeing the change actually happening in front of him leaves him wide eyed and open mouthed, breath puffing out in short, stilted exhales.

Thomas wondered if it hurt, how Derek was changing. He wondered how someone could be born like this and not created. And he wondered if Derek was telling the truth when he'd told Thomas that he wasn't going to hurt him.

Thomas swallowed again and steadied himself, hands at his sides and eyes glued to Derek's transformation.

Derek can't help but to smile a little at the slang, and he watches Thomas curiously as he looks him over. "This is just the first phase. There are two more. Just remember, you're safe."

He takes a breath and then lets the beta shift come over him, feeling his brow rippling and hair sprouting along his jaw. He stays as calm as possible to reassure Thomas, blinking a few times and looking at him. "This is called beta shift, and it's all that most werewolves can do, where I'm from at least."

Derek hopes that by being calm and taking to Thomas while in this form, it'll help him realize that this is still him under the fangs and fur. "But I'm an alpha, so I can take it one step further. I can take the form of an actual wolf."

If it's at all possible, Thomas's eyes widened even further. He can't help but think of the Grievers and the disgusting arms that grew from their blubbery bodies. The difference is that he'd never seen the Grievers change. They'd just been grotesque masses of rippling flesh, hell bent on killing anyone they came into contact with.

Derek was talking to him, reassuring him and while the claws looked dangerous, Derek wasn't making any move to lunge towards him.

"Alpha?" he repeated, looking up at Derek in both wonder and trepidation. "Are you gonna do that too?"

Curiosity gnawed at him and he found he wanted to see it all.

For a moment, Derek swears that Thomas looks at him as if he were a monster. It cuts Derek deeply for some reason and he swallows hard, letting the shift fade away until he's back to looking like a human, eyes pale and hazel and fingertips blunt.

"I can," Derek says quietly, looking back at Thomas with a furrowed brow. He seems more curious than anything, which is better then him running away in fear. Still, he doesn't know how Thomas feels about it all, or if they'll still be friends after this.

He takes a breath and slides off of the rock, pulling his tank off and laying it down on the rock. After that, he toes off his shoes and puts his socks in them, setting them next to his shirt. All that's left now are his pants and underwear, and he hooks a thumb back towards a taller rock before looking at Thomas. "I'll come out from there."

Derek goes behind the rock and sheds the rest of his clothing before taking a deep breath and shifting completely. His paws dig into the sand and he steps out from behind the rock as a big black wolf, eyes glowing red as he shakes out his thick fur.

He pads over to Thomas and stops a few feet away, sitting down on his haunches and thumping his tail against the sand once, watching him curiously.

If Thomas hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that the wolf in front of him was actually Derek. Thomas hadn't laid eyes on many (or any) wolves that he could remember but he retained the knowledge of what they should look like and his mental image matched pretty closely to what Derek looked like right now.

"You're still shucking big," he noted, licking his dry lips and taking a few tentative steps closer. He had to trust Derek here and believe that he wouldn't get hurt. Derek wasn't a Griever. His sole aim in life wasn't to kill. If Derek had wanted to hurt him, Thomas knew he'd be dead by now. He couldn't fight Derek off in human form let alone as wolf. "Show off."

The light teasing slips out before he could stop it but Thomas didn't care. He was closer to Derek now, able to see the thick fur up close and how red his eyes were. "Wow, man. That's...that's intense."

Derek lets out a huff at the teasing, but it does make him relax a little. Thomas comes closer and Derek doesn't move at first, not wanting to spook him, but then once he's close enough Derek leans forward and presses his head up under Thomas' hand.

There's that deja vu again, that momentary ache, but he ignores it. He lets Thomas feel the softness of his fur and see for himself that Derek isn't going to hurt him.

Thomas's questions wanted to fly out of him. He wanted to pepper Derek with inquiries about the hows and whys and whats that he knew Derek would both tolerate and then answer.

But, he saved those questions for later. Even if Derek could answer in his current form, Thomas found that he didn't want to break the strange quiet that had enveloped the two of them. It was easier not to think too much about this, to inhale deeply and push down any lingering feelings of suspicion and paranoia that this was all a WICKED machination.

He closed his eyes and let himself feel. The fur was softer than he would have expected and Thomas curled his fingers against the soft hair, scratching Derek's head and then stepping closer to move his fingers down his neck. He could feel the strength there and knew that, if someone crossed Derek in this form, they'd regret it.

It's strange to have Thomas' fingers in his fur. He doesn't really let people touch him like this. Kate and Allison mostly, and Neil the one time. This feels personal and intimate and the thing is, he knows what it feels like to have those fingers twisting into his fur. For a brief moment, it's almost too much. He almost pulls away from Thomas' touch because he wants more of it, doesn't want it to stop, and part of that terrifies him.

But he takes a breath and lets Thomas satisfy his curiosity, keeping his chin tucked so Thomas can't touch the vulnerable inside of neck. He turns his head to press his cold, wet nose to the inside of Thomas' wrist, scenting him a little. It's so different than Stiles, and he takes comfort in that.

He can sense Thomas relaxing incrementally and Derek lets out another huff, ears perking up in the cool breeze.

Thomas kept his fingers in Derek's fur, watching his pale skin disappear into Derek's black fur before reappearing again. He sighed and closed his eyes again. The tension in his shoulders bled away and the doubt and fear he'd initially experienced released its hold on Thomas's emotions.

"Sorry for how I reacted when you told me," Thomas said apologetically. "You told me about this but I guess I wasn't really prepared."

Thomas couldn't be sure if Derek was with WICKED, if this was all part of a Trial that would soon turn deadly, but he did know that Derek had trusted him with this and Thomas was touched by that.

He isn't expecting the apology and he cocks his head slightly, looking up at him. It was a fair response, Derek supposes, and he doesn't hold it against Thomas. He just gets up and butts his head against Thomas' hip, circling around his leg once before heading back behind the rock and out of view.

It could have gone a lot worse, he thinks as he shifts back and rolls his shoulders, looking out at the waves as he takes a breath. He pulls on his underwear and then his pants, and he steps out from behind the rock and gives Thomas a tentative smile. The wind ruffles his hair, feeling cool on the bare skin of his chest and back, and he comes back over to sit back on the rock again.

"That's about it," Derek says after a moment, looking Thomas over. "You can ask questions. I'm sure you have some."

Yeah, he had a few. Or about a thousand. He probably wouldn't ask Derek each and every question that was running through his head. Maybe over time, if Derek was amiable, he'd ask. For now, he was going to try and ask the questions that he was most curious about.

"Does it -- " He stuttered and trailed off, looking Derek up and down like he'd be able to see traces of the wolf he'd just been. "Does it hurt at all? When you change like that?"

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