space

All Derek wants is this one small thing.

(Wants it, but knows he can never have it.)

Of course, the thing about Stiles…

(There are so many ’things’ about Stiles.)

The thing about Stiles is that he takes up so much space.

147lbs. Pale skin. Fragile bones.

(Flailing arms. Loud voice always talking. His scent…)

And Derek has so many empty spaces in his life.

(Mother. Father. Brother. Sister.)

He was hollowed out and cracked open by the fire. Shattered by Laura’s death.

(He tried to patch it all back together with a new pack. Now he just has more empty spaces.)

Leaves because he has nothing else left to give. For all that he’s a shattered, hollowed-out shell of a person, he still wants to live.

(Doesn’t know how to anymore.)

It isn’t surprising that Stiles bursts into his life again. Tracks him down in the middle of nowhere.

(Empty space.)

But Stiles himself has been hollowed out. Cracked open and shattered.

(Fucking nogitsune. Void.)

Still… it isn’t quiet anymore. And Stiles still takes up so much space.

Derek lets him. Wants him to. Needs this.

Stiles needs him. Needs him in a way that he never did before.

Neither of them might ever be whole or full again. But they slowly piece each other back together.

It’s just the two of them at the end of their worlds.

Derek doesn’t even know when things changed between them. Can’t track it because it was slow. Moment added to moment until they are building a life together.

Holding each other together becomes cuddling. Which becomes lips brushing. Hands caressing. Bodies moving together.

They don’t fill each other. Can’t. Too many empty spaces.

But they try. Do their best.

Derek has this one (not so) small thing.

It’s so much more than he thought he’d ever have again.