Tall, Dark and Handsome meets Almost Tall, Fair-Skinned and Sarcasm {Sterek}

Chapter 18: The Hale house

"Derek... you need to calm down," I said soothingly, bringing my free hand up to rest on his shoulder. "You need to get ahold of yourself."

He took slow, deep breaths... and when his eyes opened, they were their beautiful, human green.

"Oh thank god," I exhaled in relief, letting my hand fall back to my side. "I thought I lost you for a minute there."

I smiled in relief at the werewolf, who was looking at me with a dazed expression, hands still on my hips. After a moment his face hardened a little and he dropped his hands, clearing his throat and stepping back.

"We should get going," he said briskly, pulling on some of his clean clothes from the pile I had folded the night before. "I'll be downstairs."

I rolled my eyes at his bluntness, but took it as a sign that he was at least feeling a little more himself. I was honestly surprised that he hadn't brought up the dangers of going back to his family's home when hunters were still around. He must be really spooked about all of this. Hell, I know he is. He's showing emotion. That's a big no-no for the Der-bear.

Derek stood waiting at the counter, coffee made in travel mugs and two toasted bagels in his hand. I rose a brow and smirked.

"Aw, Der-bear! You shouldn't have," I teased, and got the death glare for it.

"Don't get used to it," he grumbled, moving out the door.

"Wouldn't dream of it," I winked as I started up the Jeep.

Derek was quiet as we drove. But I noticed the closer we got to his families burnt home, the more tense he became. His fist were balled so tightly I worried he might be making his palms bleed. I debated laying a hand over his... I knew it was a bad idea, but it was like a need. It was practically an out of body experience as I watched my hand reach over slowly, so slowly it barely looked like I was moving at all. I kept my eyes firmly on the road as our skin finally came in contact.

"Stop that, you're going to hurt yourself," I said, referring to the strength with which he was squeezing his hands closed.

"I don't get hurt," Derek said under his breath. "I'm a werewolf."

"We both know thats bullshit," I rolled my eyes, but he didn't shake me off and I didn't remove my hand.

His fist started to loosen under my touch, and I hid a small, triumphant smile.

That is, until we pulled onto the long and winding driveway.

"We don't have to do this," I decided, giving him an out if he needed one. Even though I knew he wouldn't take it.

"Yes, we do," he responded, his eyes fixed on where he knew the house would be when we turned the last bend.

His head was cocked, listening intently to the hopefully quiet forest surrounding my Jeep's deafening engine. My hand slipped off of his and back onto the steering wheel as I white knuckled the Jeep forward. The anticipation was killing me, and I hated not having super hearing for the hundredth time. He didn't give me any sign to stop, so I didn't. I sucked in the same shocked breath I always did when the jarring scene came into view. The scene that threw us both back into memories past- horrific memories past. I shut the Jeep off and we sat there in silence for what felt like a lot longer than it actually was.

"Come on," Derek's voice shattered the silence and made me jump before he opened the passenger door and slipped from the vehicle.

I sighed heavily, trying to prepare myself, before exiting the vehicle myself.

I watched Derek steel his shoulders before marching up to the charred front door and through the threshold. I cautiously followed, eyes alert so as to not miss a thing.