dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

She tried to fight against his hold, the same way she tried to fight against knowing his sincerity, but both were too strong to resist. Exhausted and miserable, she let him cradle her, and lulled by his warmth and words drifted back to sleep.

Derek didn’t move when she fell asleep. It was actually kind of soothing for him to be taking care of someone besides himself. He laid back on the couch and let her sleep for as long as she wanted, drifting off into his own dreams after some time had passed.

Summer didn’t know how long she slept, held against Derek’s chest, but when she opened her eyes again the room was bright. It had been a long time since she’d been able to sleep that well, but even as she woke up she remembered her decision from the night before.

As carefully as she could, she slipped away from Derek, trying not to wake him, and crept toward the door. Best if she just vanished, and he forgot she existed. 

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

She shook her head, clinging harder. /Nothing/ was okay. She didn’t even know if she was dreaming or not. Probably — Derek would never let her this close in the waking world. She was going to have to leave the one place that seemed to offer any safety, go back out into fear and danger.

She didn’t even realise how much of her fear and heartache she was broadcasting for him to feel. She hunched her shoulders up around her ears and started to cry, silent and ragged.

Derek furrowed his brows together as he didn’t know what to do. He was in over his head and not good with this sort of thing. He quickly pulled her out of the hunched position she was in and forced her to rest against his chest. He cradled her small frame into his larger one. “Shh, you need to relax. Nothing will get you. Not while I’m around. I promised, remember?”

She tried to fight against his hold, the same way she tried to fight against knowing his sincerity, but both were too strong to resist. Exhausted and miserable, she let him cradle her, and lulled by his warmth and words drifted back to sleep.

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

She nodded jerkily, but hesitated to let herself lean into the comforting touch. She hadn’t forgotten his reaction earlier. Part of her was convinced this was still part of the dream, though at least that meant it had turned from nightmare to something more innocuous. But Derek had been confusing before she fell asleep — it was okay for him to offer comfort, to read to her, but it wasn’t okay for her to seek it? She frowned and bonked her head on her knees.

Of course, dreaming or not, it didn’t really matter. All her short memories were nightmares. She shivered again and gave in to the arm around her shoulders, turning to bury her face in his chest.

Derek let her get close to him this time, figuring that she just needed the comforting touch to calm down. His little sister had been the same way when she was younger. She would always crawl into his bed in the middle of the night after a bad dream, waking him even when she tried not to. He patted the young woman’s back, softly rubbing circles into the fabric that was there. “Everything is okay. You should get some more sleep.”

She shook her head, clinging harder. /Nothing/ was okay. She didn’t even know if she was dreaming or not. Probably — Derek would never let her this close in the waking world. She was going to have to leave the one place that seemed to offer any safety, go back out into fear and danger.

She didn’t even realise how much of her fear and heartache she was broadcasting for him to feel. She hunched her shoulders up around her ears and started to cry, silent and ragged.

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

In the thick of her fear, the first angry thought was, ‘how the hell am I supposed to answer you?!’ She fought the blanket off, pushing herself up against the couch. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she shivered, eyes wide in the dark. In a strange place, in the dark, afraid, she couldn’t move, couldn’t go to his voice.

Derek moved over to the couch and sat next to her, arm wrapping around her. “Bad dreams?” he asked, rubbing her shoulders softly. “I know you can’t tell me but don’t worry, I’m here. Nothing is going to get you, I promise.”

She nodded jerkily, but hesitated to let herself lean into the comforting touch. She hadn’t forgotten his reaction earlier. Part of her was convinced this was still part of the dream, though at least that meant it had turned from nightmare to something more innocuous. But Derek had been confusing before she fell asleep — it was okay for him to offer comfort, to read to her, but it wasn’t okay for her to seek it? She frowned and bonked her head on her knees.

Of course, dreaming or not, it didn’t really matter. All her short memories were nightmares. She shivered again and gave in to the arm around her shoulders, turning to bury her face in his chest.

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

It took a long time for her to warm up enough to fall asleep. She drifted, listening to his warm voice, until finally she slept.

She didn’t know what time it was when the nightmare woke her up; it was dark. She thrashed, still caught in the haze of the dream, and hit the floor hard. Her heart pounded, and she wished she could scream.

Derek made sure she was asleep before he headed to bed. It had been a long day and he planned to pass out the moment his head hit the pillows on his bed. He hadn’t been asleep long when he heard the thump on the floor, the beating of her heart flooding his ears. “What’s wrong?” he asked, slight panic in his voice. “What is it?”

In the thick of her fear, the first angry thought was, ‘how the hell am I supposed to answer you?!’ She fought the blanket off, pushing herself up against the couch. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she shivered, eyes wide in the dark. In a strange place, in the dark, afraid, she couldn’t move, couldn’t go to his voice.

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

With a little sigh, Summer curled herself into the pillow, giving him a small, false smile back. She felt cold from the inside, and hunched her shoulders around her ears, watching Derek with sleepy eyes. She’d let hope get the better of her, she thought, and decided to leave in the morning. She wouldn’t stay where she wasn’t wanted.

Derek grabbed his book from the table and sat on the edge of the couch where she was laying. “I’ll read you to sleep,” he said simply. It was something he had done for both of his sisters when they were going through something. He started off the chapter, getting lost in the words as he tried to get her to comfortably fall into her dreams.

It took a long time for her to warm up enough to fall asleep. She drifted, listening to his warm voice, until finally she slept.

She didn’t know what time it was when the nightmare woke her up; it was dark. She thrashed, still caught in the haze of the dream, and hit the floor hard. Her heart pounded, and she wished she could scream.

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

She blinked up at him, confused at his pulling away. It was far more than simple physical movement. After a brief pout, she flopped over to the arm of the couch instead, tucking herself up tightly so she didn’t touch him anymore. 

Derek sighed and got up from the couch to get her a blanket. He came back with one of his and a pillow. Apparently he didn’t really have extras like he thought. He wrapped her like a burrito and placed the pillow at the end of the couch. “There you go,” he said with a small smile.

With a little sigh, Summer curled herself into the pillow, giving him a small, false smile back. She felt cold from the inside, and hunched her shoulders around her ears, watching Derek with sleepy eyes. She’d let hope get the better of her, she thought, and decided to leave in the morning. She wouldn’t stay where she wasn’t wanted.

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

With a slight, happy sigh, she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. It took a little wriggling before she was comfortable, and then she closed her eyes and radiated general contentment at him.

Derek froze, feeling his muscles tense immediately. He did not sign up for snuggling and the only people he ever really let get this close to him was his family. He shifted away from her, tilting his head. “Ahh, I can get a blanket if you would like.”

She blinked up at him, confused at his pulling away. It was far more than simple physical movement. After a brief pout, she flopped over to the arm of the couch instead, tucking herself up tightly so she didn’t touch him anymore. 

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

Stomach full, comfortable and safe for the first time in weeks, she caught herself zoning out again, watching him move around the kitchen with only a vague awareness. When he spoke again she started, bumping against the table. She put a hand over her heart to try to slow its rapid beating, and slowly, dazedly shook her head.

The couch seemed to cradle her, encouraging her to relax, though her thoughts still whirled madly. She managed to lift one hand, and beckoned to Derek, wondering if he would come and sit with her, maybe let her lean against his side a little.

He was a little amused when she ran into the table, his eyes lighting up. He didn’t think he would scare her, but figured she was probably tired and needed her rest. His head tilted when she asked him to come over, hesitant to join her at first.

He did so anyways, walking to the couch and sitting next to her. “What is it? Is something wrong?” He figured she needed something. “I can get a bath ready for you, if that’s what you want?”

With a slight, happy sigh, she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. It took a little wriggling before she was comfortable, and then she closed her eyes and radiated general contentment at him.

dalphahale:

iamthefirechild:

She narrowed her eyes and crinkled her nose at him, disdainful of his doubt of her, and went back to writing. Shoes. He would let her stay with him, but for how long? Her gaze slipped out of focus as she wondered what she would do with her time — after all, if he was planning to feed and house her, the time she’d spent every time taking care of those needs would be free time. 

She supposed she could spend the time trying to recover her memories. The more she tried to think ahead, the more questions she discovered, and Derek had already refused to answer questions. She frowned worriedly down at the page, flicking her gaze up to watch him through her eyelashes.

Derek came to the conclusion that she liked to write a lot. He watched her closely, still eating his steak. She seemed to drift away from the pad in front of her, but he made a mental note that she would also want shoes.

He raised a brow when he looked back at her and shrugged his shoulders before he picked up both their plates and brought them to the sink. “Would you like anything else?”

Stomach full, comfortable and safe for the first time in weeks, she caught herself zoning out again, watching him move around the kitchen with only a vague awareness. When he spoke again she started, bumping against the table. She put a hand over her heart to try to slow its rapid beating, and slowly, dazedly shook her head.

The couch seemed to cradle her, encouraging her to relax, though her thoughts still whirled madly. She managed to lift one hand, and beckoned to Derek, wondering if he would come and sit with her, maybe let her lean against his side a little.