Helpless | Hale- TO/TW [5]

17 | Learning to Bend

Lexi wakes up slowly from her deep sleep, her bright, blue eyes opening slowly. Her hearing hones in on distant water dropping from broken pipes onto cold concrete. She stares straight into the darkness in front of her, not feeling afraid for even a moment. The blanket over her body keeps her warm, not that she needs it. The warmth comforts her-- it gives her a feeling of security and safety. 

She reaches behind her only to find no one there. She groans softly, turning around to face an empty bed. She looks towards the couch and sighs, seeing Derek sleeping peacefully on the wall piece of furniture.

On the way back from the school, Lexi had noticed Derek wincing, ever so slightly. She let it drop, knowing it would only cause a fight, but now that he's asleep...

She quietly lets her feet drop silently on the concrete floors. She ignores the tingles being ent through her toes and into her legs as she walks over to Derek's sleeping figure and kneels down next to him. She pushes his hands to the side, giving her free access to his white muscle top.

She slowly lifts the material to reveal a bullet wound. Before she can do anything else, Derek's hands clamp over hers. She sighs in annoyance, not looking his way. "What are you doing?" he asks nonchalantly.

"Waking you up to ask why you are here and not in bed." Lexi shrugs, finally looking into his eyes. "I could heal that for you. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Some wounds just take longer to heal, you know that."

"And others leave scars." Lexi's blue eyes seem to burn into Derek's soul, but he refuses to move. "But not for you."

"It happened to you."

"Because I'm weird," Lexi replies.

"No, you're not. Get some sleep." Derek turns over on the couch grumpily.

"Do not make me use my magic." Lexi threatens, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not going to bed unless you're there with me."

"Then you'll be awake for a long time." He mumbles.

"Show me your eyes," Lexi says softly after taking a moment to think.

"You just saw them." He replies stubbornly.

"Derek..." She warns. He turns onto his back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at her. She knows his eyes should be blazing blue, but they're not. They are as green as always and that scares her. "Why don't you tell me how long that's been happening?"

Derek stays silent, making Lexi looks down. "How about I heal that for you?" She asks hopefully. "But, I won't do it unless you're standing up with me."

"You are so dependent." He mutters under his breath as she pulls him up.

"No, I just like you." She teases, placing her cold hands on the side of his body. He winces as she closes her eyes, whispering a spell. "There." She removes her hands and the wound disappears.

Her eyes meet Derek's, and they stand in silence for a moment. Lexi breaks away first, grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil. "What are you writing?" Derek asks as she jots something down and folds the piece of paper.

"You wanted his name," she states, handing him the paper. "That's his name." He frowns as he takes the paper wearily. "Open it. It's ok."

He slowly unfolds the paper and reads the name. "Tristan De Martel?" He asks aloud, looking back at her.

"My first love." She smiles softly. After another minute of silence, Lexi inquires, "Do you know why I told you now?"

"No."