Instinct || Derek Hale.

twenty-four.

Warnings: Strong language.

***

Alex.

"Tell me something about you?"

Alex lifted her chin to gaze up at Derek. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her body firmly against his.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything. Tell me something nobody else knows about you."

The two of them laid peacefully in bed, dressed only in their underwear. Derek laid on his back, and Alex tucked herself up against him. This time, however, they were in Alex's bed. Since Derek had returned almost a week ago, he'd barely left her side. Alex had spent four consecutive days at Derek's loft, so when Melissa complained that she hadn't seen her daughter in too long, Alex invited Derek to stay with her at her house instead.

She rolled over, folding her arms against his chest and resting her chin on top of them. Derek looked down at her, running his fingers through her hair while she considered her answer.

"Hm. I like cooking."

Derek raised a brow at her. "Nobody knows you like cooking?"

"I don't think so." Alex shrugged. "I can't remember ever telling anyone."

His deep, throaty chuckle vibrated against her arms. "Fair enough. Anything else?"

"Is there anything specific you want to know?"

"There is, but I'm not sure it's a conversation for right now."

"What?"

"What's the story with you and Braeden?'

"I wondered when you'd ask about that." Alex smiled softly.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just curious." Derek said.

"Do I get to ask you something after if I tell you?" Alex smirked.

"You can ask me anything." Derek nodded.

Alex sighed and rolled onto her back again. Derek rolled onto his side, propping his head against his hand to look down at her.

"I met her a week after I moved out of Beacon Hills." Alex said. "I don't know how she found me, but she knew who.. or what, I should say.. I was before I even told her my name. She told me that she was there to help me, but after everything I'd been through, I didn't trust her."

"Sounds familiar." Derek smiled.

"I told you it wasn't just you." Alex returned his smile. "Anyway, it took a few weeks, but I eventually started to trust her when she helped me through my next transformation. She helped me gain control. She gave me my life back. Because of her, I was able to go to college, where I met my best friend."

"Does your best friend know about you?"

"Mhm." Alex nodded. "She was my roommate. There was an accident, one that resulted in me receiving a nasty cut to my arm."

"What happened?" Derek's voice was pure concern.

"Car accident. It was no ones fault, and everyone walked away relatively unharmed. But, obviously, I healed unnaturally fast. I tried to hide it by covering my arm in bandages, but a couple of days later, when I thought she was out, I walked out of the bathroom after showering, and she saw my arm completely healed. I ended up telling her everything."

"Everything?" Derek's brows raised in surprise.

"Everything." Alex nodded. "From Adam attacking me, Peter biting me, me.. doing what I did, to me leaving my hometown."