Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly: For Haled

[sassiopath]

This was a bad idea. Peter was pretty sure of this. Even if it was just Derek crashing there a few days, it meant them living together. In the former home of a woman he'd killed. Somewhere deep down, he knew this was a bad idea.

Yet he'd invited him nonetheless.

Unlocking the door, he made sure everything was clean and neat. It was all elegant in white and grey and oyster with a fireplace where earlier he'd built a fire, a massive desk tucked into one corner and a rather expensive computer set up that hadn't come with the place when he'd "inherited" it.

Comments

[haled]

"Yeah, I know that." That wouldn't stop him from claiming he wasn't bitter about things. But getting settled and giving himself more of a life was a much better option than sitting down and talking everything out with someone. There wasn't a single person he'd actually consider for that.

And, it didn't fail. They always circled back to the way things were. It was another reason they'd never really be able to move past things to become anything close to friends. "I know it's a part of life, but it's not something I want right now. I'm thinking about getting a job instead."

[sassiopath]

There really did need to be more therapists that specialized in the supernatural and the extraordinary. Who else could they turn to with their psychosis? It was an untapped resource though did nothing to help Derek, or even Peter, now.

That was a new answer that Peter hadn't counted. "Oh? Doing what," he asked. "Not in the insulting you can't do anything but what are you considering?" He realized just how harsh those words had sounded.

[haled]

It wasn't like Derek honestly would've considered talking to a therapist if he couldn't even bother to confide in his own pack. But, Peter probably could've used a therapist. It might've made some improvement for him.

"I haven't decided yet." Derek didn't overthink the way the question had sounded. "I'm considering delivery or being a mover. At least temporarily. Heavy lifting is something I can do without a problem."

[sassiopath]

The sad part was, neither of them were much into trusting others. It wasn’t likely they would ever find that kind of faith in another. All because of the same woman.

He chuckled at that. “Always a standard fallback,” he said with a nod. “You could try online work. I do editing.”

[haled]

"I think getting a life and staying in my apartment to work would go against each other," he stated, nodding back at Peter with some amusement.

"I'll get a job that gets me out more." Derek would get a newspaper and check the want ads for something. There had to have been a couple of places around Beacon Hills that needed someone like him.

[sassiopath]

"It depends on how you handle it," he admitted. "And this is giving you levels and layers. I can't just thrust you out into the sunlight, can I?" It was an honest question, and one of amusement as well.

He considered that. "Don't work at the school. That's only going to make you creepier."

[haled]

"Oh, so I should get used to interacting with people online then shift to in person?" Derek sounded amused by that. He wasn't as socially inept as most of the people around him thought, but he didn't bother trying to correct it so much.

"I didn't plan on working at the school. I'm around teenagers often enough."

[sassiopath]

"It would work if you ever shift to in person. It was a nice try when I started but I've never... shifted to in person," he admitted, acting as if it was nothing, dismissing it as nothing.

"Aren't we though," he said with a sigh. "We need adult interaction."

[haled]

"Do you want to shift to in person?" he asked, leaning slightly so he was resting more of his weight against the arm of the couch. Derek did wonder if Peter was waiting until he felt more in control of himself for that, supposing there was a way for him to feel more in control.

"Adult interaction that isn't just with each other."

[sassiopath]

"Given I'm technically supposed to be covered in burns unless I have my name changed, then I don't have much choice for that." Peter Hale had been pulled from that fire a charred mess, after all.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it? Except most in town know us."

[haled]

"But changing your name is an option."

Peter's next point made the option of changing his name somewhat pointless, though. "Does that mean we're stuck with just the company of each other until the teenagers grow up?"

[sassiopath]

"No, not to me it isn't," he said, expression going from animated to flat in a moment. "I'm a Hale, Derek. Just because we're all that remains doesn't mean I'm giving that up."

His name, that birthright, had always meant so much to him. This change wouldn't take that away from him.

"Boy, make it sound more horrible," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

[haled]

Derek understood that. Even when he'd left Beacon Hills and gone across the country, he'd kept who he was. It was something he wasn't willing to let go of and he was even less inclined to with just the two of them left. He just nodded his understanding because he would've refused the option as well.

"Come on." He watched Peter roll his eyes, resisting letting it catch on. "Like you want your only real adult contact in person to be me. Having each other isn't a problem. It's not having anybody else that is."

[sassiopath]

At the nod, he realized that Derek got it. "So that leaves me with online and socializing in ways that didn't know me before."

Which hadn't been that hard. He hadn't been entirely social before. Instead he'd been there for his family as much as he could. All for the sake of the pack.

"Derek, most of my contact before was family. Just a lot more family than one person."

[haled]

He did imagine that socializing on the internet was a lot easier than doing so in person and risking recognition. While Derek wondered what the reaction to Peter's miraculous recovery would be, he honestly didn't want to find out.

"I know that. But there were still more of us back then." And, if he thought about it, the two of them hadn't spent a whole lot of time together. Sure, Peter had taken care of them, but Derek didn't recall all that much bonding time for the two of them.

[sassiopath]

"That isn't something we can change," he said, looking away. Yet his tones had tensed, tightening and more than a little bit upset at the thought of it all. He'd lost nearly everyone but two people, and one of them he'd killed. The other had killed him.

"So get out. Make friends."

[haled]

"I know." Derek didn't push. He knew what Peter was thinking about. Their family. The people they'd lost. How far they'd fallen from what they were before the fire.

"I'll work on that."

[sassiopath]

"Or you'll blow me off," he said with a smirk. It was a hollow look though.

"Derek, you can't punish yourself forever."

[haled]

"I'm not blowing you off. I know I need friends. Or at least other people to spend time with that aren't teenagers."

Derek shrugged his shoulders after a moment. It was harder than it sounded and he wasn't really sure where to start.

[sassiopath]

"Come on."

Peter bounced to his feet and gave a nod.

"We're going out."

[haled]

Blinking, he tilted his head back slightly to look up at Peter, arching his eyebrows.

"Right now?" As if it wasn't obvious.

[sassiopath]

"No. I'm all on my feet for no reason. Come on," he said, jerking his head, gesturing with both hands. "Up. Let's go."

[haled]

"Where are we going?"

He almost didn't want to know. But, Derek still stood up, ready to follow Peter once he moved for the door.

[sassiopath]

"There's a bar down the street. If we're doing to be awkward and uncertain, we can do it better drunk," he noted, moving to get his wallet and sliding it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

[haled]

"Or just drinking," Derek commented as he opened the door and waited for Peter to join him. He wasn't sure it was possible for them to get drunk seeing how he'd tried after leaving Beacon Hills and had no luck.