you're my investment

They were in Deaton's office. Scott was working with a little girl's kitten out front. Stiles and Lydia were back here, brainstorming, talking to each other in vague clipped phrases, and combing through all of Deaton's old books while Deputy Parrish, out of uniform, looked on. Braeden and Derek were talking to Deaton about what type of creature the Deputy could possibly be. None of them had a clue.

"I don't deal with a lot of fire-themed supernaturals, Doc." Braeden was sitting on his examination table, legs swinging and head shaking. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"The kids have bets on everything from dragons to phoenixes to a fairy." Derek offered. Braeden chuckled, looking up at him. "He's gotta fall somewhere on the spectrum."

"I really wish Argent was here right now, things would make more sense. Especially for him." Deaton jutted his chin towards the deputy. He was sitting and watching as Lydia and Stiles continued to argue back and forth on the issue of whether not a fire kanima was a possibility, signaling that they were at this point pretty desperate. Parrish looked at Lydia. She bit her lip and shook her head no. He closed his eyes and swallowed, looking visibly distressed. Derek shook his head. Yep, poor guy.

Braeden looked at Deaton. "What's his name?"

"Jordan Parrish, according to the deadpool."

"Deaton!" Scott called from the front. Deaton grabbed his long white coat and excused himself.

Without warning, Braeden jumped off the examination table and sashayed away. It took Derek some time to register he absence and when he did, he blinked, watching as she sat down beside Jordan. The deputy's eyes immediately opened and locked with hers, prompting a small little smile from her. Derek was alone, watching the interaction between Braeden and Jordan and debating on moving closer, considering he didn't have his hearing and who knows...

No. He was staying right here. There was no logical reason for him to move, just to listen to why Braeden had her hand on his shoulder, with her thumb even rubbing back and forth-a feeling he knew all too well. Or as to why Jordan was looking at her like she was the first thing to make sense, another feeling he knew all too well. No. Because he wasn't jealous. There was nothing to be jealous of.

Jordan said something and Braeden laughed. Stiles and Lydia looked up and made eye contact. Stiles looked over at the pair, back to Lydia, and raised his eyebrows up and down suggestively. Lydia rolled her eyes and shook her head. Stiles chuckled, obviously amused.

Okay, yeah, that's it, he was definitely moving up.

"... must be pretty crazy, I guess." Braeden had been saying. "I noticed that these two are having way more trouble figuring this out than they have in the past."

"It's so weird because even before the whole being burned alive thing, life in Beacon Hills been pretty crazy, honestly. In fact, I have to go into work at 6 tomorrow and pretend like I know what I'm doing with my life when I don't even know who or what I even am in front of people who know there's no way in hell I should have survived those burns."

"At least your line of work makes sense around here."

"Has it always been like this?"

"Wouldn't know. I'm not a native. I think it's always been like this, but never this bad or involving this many teenagers. I move around a lot for work but I can say that I've been here plenty of times."

"Is that why you're here now? With Lydia and Stiles?"

Braeden's eyes flickered towards him and he pretended not to notice. Pretended that he didn't remember how she felt with her back against his chest this morning, and how her head fit under his chin perfectly. Pretended not to remember how he told her that Deaton called this morning as she was brewing two cups of coffee, wearing one of his t-shirts. Pretended that he had no idea what she tasted like or what her skin smelled like. Pretended not to know exactly what she looked like with a necklace of hickies decorating her neck and what her voice sounded like with a sore throat, all because of him. Instead he pretended to be very interested on the poster behind Lydia's head about what type of plants make cats throw up.

"You can say that." she said.

"Well hey, as a member of the Beacon Hills police force, I can say that I get that whole work is 24/7 thing."

"Oh, I didn't say I work 24/7. You know the old saying about all work and no play." Braeden's voice had an low, husky quality to it that he was not liking because if she didn't already have Parrish's attention, she had it now.

He doesn't know if Braeden was just the type of person to exude sex appeal or if she was doing this on purpose, but that combined with Stiles' frequent teasing eye contact with Lydia, was really starting to annoy him. Lydia smacked Stiles's shoulder while Parrish laughed and nodded, (for no reason because she didn't even make a joke but whatever, Derek was so not jealous).

He never was "that guy". He wasn't the type of guy to drag her home and carve his name into her leg. It wasn't like he viewed Braeden or any of the other women he had a romantic relationship with as a possession of his; he recognized and respected that Braeden was her own person who did her own things and had complete free will over her life choices that had nothing to do with Derek.

But oh God, this was the first time he witnessed Braeden's hair flipping and gentle laughter and that look in her big brown eyes being directed towards someone else and something struck his heart. It was something horrible that he's never felt before. All sorts of questions flared up. He didn't know how to deal with it, especially in this setting.

...

Derek opened the door of the loft and stomped down the steps, still unbelievably frustrated by what happened at Deaton's. He wasn't the only one, indicated by Lydia's pursed lips and Stiles' constant teasing jabs. They ended the night exchanging numbers, right in front of him, for God's sake. He wanted to kill everyone, he was going blind with anger which he could deal with. Except it didn't really even feel like anger because he didn't know who he was mad at.

"Derek." Braeden's voice almost whined, removing her jacket and hanging it up. "What's wrong? And don't say nothing, you've been pouting and brooding all night."

"Braeden." was all he said, almost like a cross between a warning and a plea to drop the issue.

"Derek." she replied in an equally effective tone that left no room for dropping anything.

Derek looked at her and took her all in, memorizing her yet again. She was leaning against the door, arms crossed, her fingers tapping on her skin, moonlight hitting just right as she stood there impatiently waiting for him to explain the pissy mood he was in.

How could she not know? Like how could she not know or at least assume that he was just being extremely petty and jealous? Was it so ridiculous to fathom that he could be very jealous of the handsome deputy who could get with his girlfriend, even though she probably wouldn't do that until they find out what he is and the fact that Braeden wasn't his girlfriend. In fact, for all he knew, once she gets another mission offer she was gonna leave and be elsewhere with other people. Other people who couldn't resist her. And she'll have nothing more to do with him.

"Derek, I'm-"

She never finished her sentence. He was in front of her quicker than he realized. Rough hands enveloped her. He placed a finger underneath her chin, tilting her lips forward to kiss him impossibly slowly but their lips come together hard and he's desperate for her, like he's always been.

"You don't get it, do you?" he answered, pressing his forehead against hers. "Seeing you and Parrish today drove me completely insane. And all you did was talk to him. And it wasn't even because I thought you and him were gonna do something that did it, though that was a factor. What got me was the fact that I have no right to be jealous at all. And I don't like the fact that you can just pick up and leave one day. And I want you with me always."

Braeden wasn't expecting this. Her mouth opened but her intended reply was dead on her tongue. So it wasn't that he was jealous of Parrish, but that he was not in the position to be jealous at all. So what did that mean? Derek shook his head.

"This isn't just meaningless sex anymore, Braeden. It can't be." Derek answered her unspoken question. "I like you way too much. I have it so bad for you."

"No, Derek. I know you can't be that stupid. Why?" she challenged him, trying to keep her face devoid of emotion. "You barely know me. You can't mean all this because like you said, I could just pick up and leave without-"

"Yeah, but that's the thing. Even though I know you can, I know you won't." Derek shook his head. "And I know you're funny. I know how you take your coffee. And that you're reckless and brave and confident. You're protective as hell. Look great in leather. Have really nice skin. You're not ashamed of anything that you've done. And you're not ashamed of your scars or your failures. You don't take shit from anybody, least of all me. Plus you look really good in the morning and at night and every minute in between. And you're a hell of a kisser."

"Derek," Braeden snorted, laughing at how much of a dork he was. Her knees buckled and gave out under his hands. Her legs wrapped against his waist.

"And because you taught me to how to live beyond being a werewolf. And because ever since I met you, you've acted like you were the best thing to ever happen to me in recent history, and I'm starting to think that you were absolutely fucking right. I want to do everything with you." Derek placed a lingering, slow kiss on her mouth. "You're my investment."

Braeden pulled away and looked at him, searching his eyes for any sign of deceit. She found none. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked down, a bit sheepish.

"Aw Derek," she teased softly. "You really are that stupid."

His lips twitched up a little bit and she tried to stifle her smile. But he caught and stole it, giving her a wide grin. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, and it was in that moment that Braeden knew she wasn't going anywhere without this. She moved her hands, letting one settle in his hair and one caress his face.

"Alright." she murmured. He raised his eyebrows at her, because to be honest he expected that she would put up way more of a fight.

"Alright?" he blinked at her. "Really? Just like that?"

"Yes." Braeden nodded, making complete eye contact, just so that he knew that she would stay with him. Here in Beacon Hills or wherever she went, they would be together somehow.

Derek nodded back and kissed her, not about to question his small miracle. This kiss wasn't as hard or as desperate as before but lighter and with way more meaning. He was trying to tell her something with the pressure of his lips, with the way his hands traced shapes on her back, and the way she could feel his heart pound in a way she knew he wasn't used to.

There was something about the way he grabbed her hips and lowered her down on the bed that screamed something poetic, something innate and secret that some people spent their whole lives searching for. She didn't know what it was exactly, but she knew where it was.

And she was prepared to spend the rest of her time here on this Earth, right here in Beacon Hills, trying to figure it out.