[ look. willow has a praise kink, and young derek hale is a hot, cocky piece of shit. so, enjoy. it gets a little heated at parts

i also don't care if you think he's written a little out of character as a teen ]

☽︎

remember when derek just became an alpha, and i made all those jokes about pimping you out?

[ 4.02 ]

Deaton was expecting them as they brought the unconscious and de-aged Derek inside the animal clinic. He cleared the operating table so that Scott and Stiles could lay him on it. As Deaton looked at Derek in disbelief — a small part of him thought Scott was exaggerating over the phone — Willow stood by Derek's head. It had been raining when they brought him in, so she gently dried his face off.

"Wow," was all Deaton could say after a moment.

"Wow?" Stiles repeated, looking at him expectantly. "Wow, as in, 'I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do'-kind of wow? Cause that's the kind we were hoping for."

"I think you might be overestimating my abilities," Deaton admitted regretfully.

Willow moved around the table, giving Deaton room as he checked Derek's vitals. As more of a way to comfort herself than Derek, she took his hand. It was slightly smaller, though still larger than Willow's hand. But what was alarming was how cold it was as opposed to how warm he typically ran. Most of her nights were spent curled into him, using him as a personal space heater.

"He's cold," Willow told Deaton in a worried tone. "Really cold."

"Do you think this is permanent?" Scott asked him.

"Well, if it is, he'll at least be age-appropriate for Willow now," Stiles joked. Willow didn't appreciate it as she narrowed her eyes at him. There could be something seriously wrong with Derek. He could be dying. It wasn't the time for jokes.

Deaton used a small light to check how responsive Derek's eyes were when he pulled them open. But the younger wolf was completely unresponsive, even after such a long journey back from Mexico.

"I'm not sure a medical diagnosis is even adequate. This is well beyond my experience," Deaton told them.

"So, what do we do with him?" Stiles asked.

"Until he wakes up? Probably not much," Deaton answered, shrugging. "It might be best to leave him with me. He'll be safe here."

"You mean, from Kate?"

Deaton nodded at Stiles' question. "If she's alive and she is what you say she is, she won't be able to walk past that gate."

"Why would she want to do this to him?" Lydia then asked.

"Knowing Kate, it's probably for a reason that won't be any good for anyone but her," he told them.

"And bad for everyone else," Stiles added.

"You guys should probably go home. He doesn't look to be in any danger. So, maybe the rest of you should get some sleep?" Deaton suggested. "It is a school night, and you all need to start taking care of your own lives again."

At the thought of leaving Derek like this, Willow squeezed his freezing hand even tighter. Worry and fear had been bubbling in her chest since the moment he went missing, and that feeling didn't go away even with his hand in hers.

"Someone should stay with you—"

"I'm staying," Willow declared before Scott could even finish his thought.

"You're gonna miss school? Willingly?" Stiles asked in disbelief.

"He'd stay with me," she said, staring down at Derek's face. He looked so calm like this, so peaceful. But those were the opposite of how she was feeling. "My grades are fine, and we all know it — even after the Nogitsune. I'm staying."

That was the difference between Derek and everyone else. She'd miss school and not complain once if it meant she'd be there when he woke up. Miss school just to know he was really okay.

"She'll be alright," Lydia said, seeing how hesitant Scott and Stiles were to leave Willow with Derek. "He'll probably want to see her first anyway. Let's go."

"Text us if anything happens," Scott ordered.

"Nope! I'm not going anywhere," Stiles stated. In response, Scott just pushed him out the door with Lydia following. "All right, just 'cause you're stronger, doesn't mean you can just drag me around like a kid on a backpack leash."

"Why do I feel like your parents had you on one of those as a kid?" Lydia asked.

Willow smiled and called out a reply over her shoulder. "Noah definitely got him one. It was bear!"

☽︎

Other than dozing off once or twice, Willow never really fell asleep. She stayed in a chair, it pulled right up next to Derek, with her head resting on the table by his hand. She silently watched as Deaton checked his vitals yet again, making sure he was stable.

"How's he doing?" Willow asked quietly as he monitored his pulse.

"His heart rate is alarmingly high," Deaton told her.

In response, Willow held Derek's hand again, noting how the temperature had changed. "He's a lot warmer now," she noted, managing a smile.

"It slowed down a bit when you touched him," he noted. "Willow, I'm going to try something. I want you to keep holding his hand if that's okay."

As if Willow would ever want to let go of Derek's hand.

Deaton grabbed a small scalpel and started to cut along Derek's forearm. They both watched in surprise as the skin fused back together mere seconds after being cut open.

"That was too fast," Willow muttered. "Faster than even my healing. What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure," Deaton said, which brought her no comfort. "Let's try something else. Grab me a five-milliliter syringe — top drawer."

Willow reluctantly let go of Derek's hand and moved to the set of drawers to get the syringe. As she did that, Deaton searched for whatever vial of medicine he was looking for. With their backs turned, they didn't see as Derek slowly raised a clawed hand.

A low, pained groan reached Willow's ears, followed by the sound of someone sitting up. She and Deaton slowly turned just as Derek slid off the table, his head facing the ground.

"Derek?" Willow called hesitantly.

"Derek, are you all right?" Deaton asked.

But Derek wasn't alright. He looked up at them, eyes glowing blue. He was confused and scared, his hazy vision keeping him from actually seeing the two people in front of him. All he saw was a threat. And as they keep calling his name, their voices pounding against his head, his panic increased.

Derek crouched over, pressing his hands to his ears to try and block out the sounds. Willow stopped calling his name but hesitantly stepped closer. Her eyes glowed, ready to calm him down with her abilities, even if she didn't want to use them.

But before Willow could use any kind of Charmspeak or send calming waves of affection toward him, Derek lashed out. Deaton pulled Willow back, but not before Derek's claws grazed the skin of her wrist. The pair fell back and watched in alarm as Derek fled from the animal clinic, leaving them behind.

"Maybe Scott and Stiles should've stayed," Willow admitted, clutching her bleeding wrist to her chest.

☽︎

It took an annoyingly long time to get ahold of the others. Mr. Yukimura took his 'no phones' policy to the extreme. But luckily, Willow had the history teacher's number and texted him, claiming that Scott needed to call her. He and Stiles arrived at the animal clinic just as Deaton finished patching the scratch on Willow's wrist.

"I don't think he's just younger in body," Deaton said as they finished explaining everything. "I think he's younger in his mind, too."

"He didn't recognize you, Willow?" Scott asked, surprised.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I - I don't even know if he saw me, really. You said when you first shifted that it was hard to see with your werewolf eyes. Especially if you were scared. Well, Derek looked like he was scared out of his mind."

"So, if you're a teenage werewolf, and you're scared, where do you go?" Stiles asked, trying to find him.

"A wolf goes back to its den, but Derek lives in a loft," Scott said. "Or maybe Willow's room?"

"But he doesn't know Willow yet. He's still a teenager," Stiles reminded him.

"Oh no," Willow said, her eyes wide. "He's going home. To the Hale House."

"He wouldn't remember the fire," Deaton noted. "It wouldn't have happened yet."

"Let's go get him," Stiles said, patting Scott's shoulder as they turned to leave.

"Hold on," Willow stopped them. They needed an actual plan. "Say you do manage to catch up to him? What are you going to say to him? That his whole family is dead? He can't go through that heartbreak again."

"I guess I'm going to have to," Scott said, frowning.

"Yeah, because I can see that going over so well," Willow said sarcastically. The truth was, they didn't know this Derek. They didn't know how he'd react. They didn't know if he'd hurt them — not counting the scratches on her wrist.

"She's probably right," Stiles said, sighing. "Maybe you shouldn't? You know, at least until we figure out how to get him back to normal."

"I can't lie to him—"

"Okay! I'll do it," Stiles offered, having no problem with it. "Willow's out though because she's horrible at it."

"I don't think any of us can," Scott said. "Remember, he can hear a heartbeat rising. When we find him, we tell him the truth."

"If he gets to the house first, you won't have to," Deaton said with a frown. And given the head start the boy had, he likely would.

"Great," Scott muttered. Then his eyes fell on Willow. "We're gonna drop you at Stiles' house — it's a five-minute walk from the station if we end up there. We need to make sure Derek is stable before you see him."

Willow shook her head, hating that plan. "But—"

"And you can shower and change clothes. No offense, but you look like you spent hours in a car after being kidnapped in Mexico," he added.

"I was kidnapped and then spent hours in a car on the way back from Mexico," Willow said flatly, crossing her arms. "Why are you suddenly so interested in my personal hygiene?"

Scott smiled sheepishly. "Well, we need a backup plan. Remember when Derek just became an alpha and I made all those jokes about pimping you out?"

"I'm calling Melissa!"

☽︎

A teenage Derek Hale was handcuffed to a bench in the police station. After finding the empty lot that only contained a few pieces of burned-down wood that used to be his house, two police officers came upon him. It led to him getting tased and arrested.

Officer Parrish slowly approached Derek and knelt in front of him. "The other deputy thinks I'm an idiot for even asking, but I have a feeling if I take these cuffs off, you're going to be okay," he said softly. "And, I think you'll help us figure out what happened to your family so that we can get you out of here. Am I right?"

After a moment, Derek nodded. "The other deputy's the idiot," he said wryly. He wasn't a fan of Haigh, who had no qualms about tasing a teenager who was clearly in distress.

Parrish chuckled, feeling the same way. "I can't argue with that."

After Parrish finished un-cuffing Derek, Haigh called him from his desk. "Parrish, get over here," he said. "I ran this kid's prints eight times. This is all that comes up."

On the computer screen was all the information they had on Derek Hale — which wasn't much, admittedly. But what they did have was a mugshot from his past arrests. And he was clearly a grown man in those photos.

"Derek Hale?" Parrish questioned. He knew the man. He had been there when he was framed for murder. The kid in front of him wasn't Derek Hale.

"Did you say Hale?" Noah asked, hearing the werewolf's name repeatedly.

Noah walked up to Haigh's desk and looked at the computer. He was familiar with Derek's record. But then he saw how Parrish and Haigh were looking at the person on the bench, so he followed their gaze. Noah looked back and forth between the computer and the teenager repeatedly, confusion washing over him. Then he came around the desk and crouched in front of Derek, peering at him, trying to decide if this kid who somewhat resembled Derek really could be him.

Derek, who had no idea what was happening, looked back at Noah, just as confused by it all. He'd never been arrested but he didn't think there'd be this much blatant staring.

Before Noah could even ask any questions, the two dumbasses that he was thinking of calling ran through the door. He looked at his son and Scott and sighed heavily, knowing this was their fault.

"I'll handle this," Noah told his deputies. Then he dragged Scott and Stiles into his office. "I want you to be honest with me — absolutely and completely honest. Have you been time traveling?"

Stiles had to refrain from laughing, thinking that it sounded ridiculous. "Hang on, what?"

"Because if time traveling is real... You know what? I'm done. I'm out. You're going to be driving me to Eichen House," he declared.

"We found him like that," Scott insisted. It wasn't their fault he was a teenager again.

"Where?" Noah asked hysterically. "Swimming in the fountain of youth?"

"No," Stiles said, scoffing. "We found him buried in a tomb of wolfsbane in an Aztec temple in Mexico underneath a church in the middle of a town that was destroyed by an earthquake."

Noah glared at his son, who was just now realizing the mistake he made by being honest. "You told me you were camping!"

"Yeah, we were... in Mexico," he murmured. "W - Willow likes extravagant destinations."

Scott sighed heavily, knowing they couldn't change things now. "Derek's been aged backwards. He can't remember anything. We just need to talk to him."

"Yeah, well, so far, he's not talking to anybody," Noah told them.

"He'll talk to me," Scott stated. Flashing his alpha eyes would at least get them a foot in the door.

"And if not, plan B is putting on her strawberry lip gloss as we speak," Stiles muttered. He was already texting Willow, letting her know to start walking to the police station. He didn't have much faith in Scott.

"You two are unbelievable," Noah said under his breath. "I'll go get him."

Derek wasn't exactly sure why the Sheriff sat him on a couch in front of two boys his own age. They definitely didn't work at the police station. But they were still asking questions and asking him to leave with them.

"Why would I go anywhere with you?" he asked.

"There was an accident," Scott told him, leaving out most of the story. "You lost some memory, but we can help you get it back."

"How much memory?"

"A lot," he admitted. "But you can trust us."

Scott knelt before Derek and flashed his glowing red eyes. Derek looked at him in shock. "You're an alpha." And that was enough to get him talking — or rather get him to ask questions. "Okay, who are you? And who is he? Who are you?"

Stiles had been subtly eying the bill from Eichen House that was on his father's desk but tuned back in when he realized Derek was now looking at him expectantly. "Oh, we're the guys keeping you out of jail!" he snapped.

"Let us help you," Scott said calmly.

"No," Derek said stubbornly.

"Okay, dude, you almost tore apart two deputies back there. You need to listen to us, and that starts with no fangs, no claws, no wolf-man. You got that?" Stiles fussed.

"I'm fine as long as it's not on a full moon," he said, crossing his arms.

Scott grew confused. "You still have trouble with the full moon?"

"I said I'm fine," Derek said defensively. And if Willow had been there, she would've defended him as well — even if he didn't know he had her in his corner.

"All right. You coming with us, or not?" Stiles asked, getting tired of this conversation.

"You want me to trust you? Where's my family?" Derek asked. It was the most important question.

"There was a fire. And..." Scott trailed off as he looked down at Derek. He looked so fragile and innocent, waiting to hear the fate of his family. And Scott just couldn't bring himself to tell him, especially if Derek was inexperienced enough to not listen to his heartbeat. "They're not here anymore. They're fine — just had to move out of Beacon Hills. And we're going to take you to them, as soon as we figure out how to get your memories back."

"Okay," he mumbled, digesting the answer.

"So, you're coming?" Stiles asked hopefully.

"I don't know," Derek said. Stiles groaned in annoyance. "I think the police would have better resources for finding them."

"Oh, I just can't with him," Stiles complained. Where was the Derek that hated the police and would rather pull out his own fingernails than go to them for help?

"Have your dad sort out the paperwork with him," Scott told Stiles. "Maybe he'll change his mind."

"I don't think I'll change my mind," Derek chimed in, narrowing his eyes at them.

Stiles rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, sending another text.

Get here! And you better look freaking adorable! I hate him

Scott and Stiles waited on the other side of the room, their eyes never leaving Derek as Parrish had him sign a few things.

"I shouldn't have done that. I lied my ass off," Scott said, feeling guilty. Though he would've felt guilty telling Derek that his family was dead.

"Hey, your ass is fine," Stiles reassured him. "You saved him a ton of unnecessary pain! And he definitely wouldn't have come with us if we told him the truth — Will might stand a chance convincing him at least. We'll figure this out in a day or two, he goes back to being old-Derek, and everybody's happy!"

Then as an afterthought, Stiles added, "Except for Derek, who's never happy."

"He's happy with Willow," Scott said, looking on the bright side. "But it's just another person that we're lying to. I always feel like it's always been better when we tell the truth. With Lydia, my mom, your dad—"

"Yeah, but that is Derek Hale in there," Stiles said, pointing at him across the room. "He may be a kid right now, but he's still Derek Hale. Still very annoying and stubborn."

"Well, Mr. Annoying and Stubborn seems to be done," Scott noted. "Let's see if he's changed his mind."

But as soon as Scott and Stiles walked up to him, Derek crossed his arms. "I'm not going."

But then the bell on the front door rang, covering up Stiles' annoyed scoff. Derek caught her scent without even meaning to, strawberries and wildflowers hitting his nose before he'd even turned around. In that moment, he knew it was a scent he'd be content to smell for the rest of his life.

Then when he turned, Scott literally heard his heart skip a beat — an adorable detail he'd never let Derek forget once he was back to normal.

Willow had been nervous the entire walk to the station. She wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to act when she was face to face with the teenage Derek. This Derek wasn't her boyfriend. Wasn't the Derek that she knew like the back of her hand and counted stars on the ceiling with.

This was a pre-Kate Argent burning his whole family down Derek. A, for the most part, innocent, naive, and untraumatized Derek.

The white skirt she wore may not have meant anything to this Derek, but she put it on for her own comfort. Under strict orders from Stiles to look adorable, she paired the skirt with a soft green sweater — Derek's favorite color — that showed off her smooth stomach, going for a softer look. The sides of her blonde hair were pulled back on white butterfly clips, and she made sure to put on a fresh coat of strawberry lipgloss — she knew for a fact how much Derek liked the taste even if she wouldn't be kissing this Derek.

Her eyes were glued to the ground as she entered the station, hardly able to keep her nerves steady.

"Hey, Scott, Stiles," Willow greeted, walking up to them. And then she let her eyes slide to the boy standing near them. "And, um...?"

Derek was still taller than her, looking down at her with parted lips and green eyes that made her feel like she was burning. He looked visibly stunned, not nearly as practiced at hiding his emotions as the grown Derek.

Willow hadn't meant to trail off, really. In fact, it was a little embarrassing. But Derek Hale was beautiful no matter the age, and it felt like she was meeting him for the first time all over again. In a way, she was.

Derek was the first to break the silence, meeting her eyes as he finished admiring her. "Hi," he said, sounding almost shy.

"Hi," Willow greeted softly, biting her lip to fight off a smile.

And seeing her smile made Derek smile as he tilted his head. "Hi," he repeated, rubbing the back of his neck, nervous in the presence of such a pretty girl.

"You said that already," Stiles interrupted, putting his face in Derek's line of sight. Scott immediately pulled the boy back and smacked his shoulder for ruining the moment.

Well, it wasn't really ruined. Derek just ignored him and kept staring at Willow.

"Um, I'm Willow," she introduced.

"Derek," he breathed out, moving closer. "You're, um, you're a friend of Scott's?"

"She's a part of the pack," Scott informed him. That'd make him instantly trust her. "Not a wolf, but still."

"Yeah," Willow confirmed. "I'm meeting them here so we can all go to Scott's house."

"You're gonna be there?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Willow nodded softly. He glanced at Scott, only taking his eyes off Willow for a second. "I'll go with you."

"That's embarrassingly pathetic," Stiles commented, shaking his head.

Scott held back a laugh and pulled Stiles to the side, leaving Willow and Derek alone. "All right. Take him to my house, and don't let him out of your sight."

"And where are you going?" Stiles asked. He did not want to be left alone with Willow and Derek, especially if it was going to just be hours of loving looks and goofy smiles.

"I'm going to talk to the guy we should have gone to before," he admitted.

Stiles groaned, knowing just who he meant. Scott walked out purposefully, not deterred by Stiles' annoyance. "Yeah, I hate that guy!"

The human wandered back over just in time to hear Derek flirting with Willow.

"So, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" Derek asked, an amused smirk on his face.

Willow giggled but before she could respond, Stiles was back, giving more unnecessary commentary. "Yes. She's a ghost. She died fifteen years ago like that pickup line," Stiles replied snarkily. He was never going to let Derek forget that he said something so lame and cheesy. "Let's go, you two."

As Stiles ushered them out of the police station and toward his jeep, Derek never once took his attention off Willow.

"Can I sit in the back with you?" he asked her, stopping at the jeep.

"No, you cannot—"

"Of course," Willow said, ignoring Stiles.

With a smile, Derek held open the door for Willow, helping her get in. Then as he slid in, he made sure their arms were touching even though there was plenty of room to spread out.

From the front, Stiles was cursing Scott under his breath. This car ride was going to be unbearable.

"Scott, um, Scott said you got arrested," Willow said to make conversation. "I hope it's not anything too serious on your record."

"Nah, the Sheriff let me go with a warning," he told her. Then he rubbed his chest where he had been tased. "Besides, I think getting hit with a taser twice was punishment enough."

"Oh no! Are you alright?" Willow asked, immediately worrying about him. On instinct, she placed her hand to his chest. But then she remembered that this wasn't her Derek and pulled her hand away. "S - sorry."

Before she could completely withdraw her hand, Derek caught it in his. "You're fine," he told her. "You shouldn't apologize for caring about someone — even if you only just met me."

"Well, I'm glad you're not in a holding cell," she said. Derek never let go of her hand.

"Me too," he said. "Can I be really honest with you?"

"Of course," Willow told him. Maybe he was remembering something or holding back details from Scott that he felt like he could tell her.

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life."

Okay, so he wasn't withholding details.

Willow's cheeks heated up. She couldn't help but blush — her Derek wasn't nearly as flirty or bold, especially so soon after they met, as this one. He hadn't been betrayed by Kate yet, so there was no reason to be hesitant or reserved. And as embarrassing as it was to admit, she liked it.

And Derek could tell she liked it. The grin on his face could only be described as cocky.

"That's very sweet," she said shyly. Willow glanced up at him through her eyelashes, taking in the younger face. Then she recalled something she'd said to him the same night they broke Isaac out of the police station on his first full moon. "You know, you're really beautiful too, Derek Hale."

"I usually just get hot," he said, chuckling. But the laugh didn't hide how the tips of his ears reddened from the compliment.

"A person can be both," she informed him.

His eyes scanned her form again, lingering on her exposed midriff and thighs from her scrunched-up skirt. "Yeah. Definitely both," Derek said, causing her cheeks to grow even redder. There was a twinkle in his eye as he looked at her once more. "I like your skirt."

"Thanks. It's my favorite," she said, biting her lip. The action drew Derek's gaze to them.

"Mine too," he boldly claimed.

"I'm sure she'll let you borrow it some time," Stiles interrupted, sick of the flirting.

Willow quickly looked away from Derek and mentally scolded herself. Despite all of Scott's jokes about pimping her out, she wasn't actually meant to flirt with Derek. They just had to find a way to get him back to normal. But it seemed the boy was dead set on flirting circles around her.

It was the last thing Willow expected, especially because he had taken so long to admit he had feelings for her — it took being kidnapped and tortured, to be exact. But this younger Derek had no qualms about moving fast to get what he wanted.

And if Willow didn't get a grip, it'd start working.

As they neared Scott's house, Stiles kept making comments to keep Willow and Derek from flirting more. But that didn't stop Derek from watching her.

The teenager didn't understand it, but he felt like he was meant to know Willow. It was like his soul was reaching out to her, like it wouldn't be complete. Peter, if he heard something so sappy, would never let him hear the end of it. Especially when he was acting so pathetic for a girl he hadn't even known a full hour.

But also, he couldn't bring himself to care as he daydreamed about kissing the blonde pressed against his side in the back of the jeep. He certainly would've tried already if not for the annoying human behind the wheel.

Once they arrived at Scott's house, Stiles quickly had them get out of the car. Before Willow could jump out of the tall jeep, Derek was holding her waist and lifting her before gently setting her on the ground, letting his touch linger on her exposed skin.

"Thank you," Willow said shyly.

As Stiles stalked toward the house, he dragged Willow along and whispered in her ear. "Pull yourself together. That's not your boyfriend."

"Sorry," she mumbled shamefully.

"We're going to wait here for Scott," Stiles lectured, using his key to unlock the door. "We're going to sit quietly. We're not going to call or talk to anyone."

"Do I talk to you?" Derek asked him.

"No."

"Fine," he said, scoffing. Then he looked at Willow with a smirk. "I'm definitely talking to her."

"No, you're not," Stiles snapped, standing in between them. "No talking!"

"Well, who's going to talk to him?" Derek then asked.

Willow and Stiles finally noticed they weren't alone in the house. Rafael McCall was waiting in the kitchen, a few bags of Chinese food in hand. He was looking at them expectantly. 

Stiles flinched as he spotted the FBI agent. "Are you getting taller?" he asked, stepping back. Rafael may have been human, but Stiles was still scared of him a little.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rafael asked.

"We're waiting for Scott," Derek told him.

"Yeah, so am I. We're supposed to have dinner," he said, looking a little upset that Scott forgot. "I brought extra. You guys hungry?"

"Yeah—"

"No," Stiles told him, not letting Derek speak. The last thing they needed was Derek at a table with Scott's father. "We're not hungry."

"No, I'm starving," Derek said, glaring at Stiles.

"None of us are hungry," Stiles continued. "Thanks, though."

"Okay, well, if you're not hungry, Stiles, then Willow and your friend can still eat with us," Rafael said, looking at Derek. "What's your name?"

"D—"

"Miguel," Stiles quickly lied. "My cousin Miguel. From Mexico."

Willow had to turn her head to hide her amused grin. Derek caught her eye, thinking it was cute how she wanted to laugh even though he was quite annoyed with Stiles and his antics.

But then Rafael did the unexpected and addressed Derek in Spanish. "¿Es usted natural de México, Miguel?"

"Oh, my God," Stiles whispered, thinking they had been caught.

"No soy nativo, sino que pasé un montón de tiempo allá," Derek replied suddenly. Willow looked at him with wide eyes, unaware that he spoke the language.

"Fantastic! Egg roll?" Rafael offered, opening up the bag of food.

"Hell, yeah," Derek said, grinning happily. He confidently grabbed Willow's hand and pulled her over to the food.

"Shrimp fried rice, or pork fried rice?" Rafael asked them.

"Shrimp fried rice," Derek answered. "What about you, Willow?"

"Oh, shrimp," she replied. Willow couldn't help but continue to stare at him.

"What?" Derek asked, a small smile on his lips as Rafael stepped away to get plates.

"You speak Spanish?" Willow asked, tilting her head.

"I'm a beautiful man of many talents," he said, chuckling. "Do you speak Spanish?"

"I do," she confirmed. "I speak lots of languages. You just caught me off guard, but your accent is great. Let me hear something else."

With a smirk on his lips, Derek sat down the container of egg rolls and put a hand on the counter next to her, leaning closer. "¿Cuántas veces debo mirar tus labios para que sepas que quiero besarlos?"

Stiles didn't understand but he did notice how pink Willow's cheeks turned and how her eyes were suddenly glancing at Derek's lips. So he squeezed in between them, determined to put a stop to it.

"Let me get a big ole plate of that pork fried rice," Stiles said. It gave Willow a moment to clear her head and step away from Derek.

When Rafael came back with plates, the food was dealt out, making sure there was plenty for Scott and Melissa when they got home. Much to Stiles' annoyance, Derek took the seat right next to Willow.

"So, uh, Miguel," Rafael said, wanting to make conversation. "What did you say your last name was again?"

"Oh, it's Juarez," Stiles lied. But he didn't stop there. "Cinqua... Tiago."

Derek looked at Stiles in disbelief, unable to believe he was so bad at lying on the spot. Or that he came up with such a ridiculous last name.

"That's a mouthful," Rafael noted. "How do you spell that?"

Stiles blew air out of his mouth, knowing he had no chance of spelling that. "Phonetically."

Then Derek's eyes fell on Rafael's badge, which was resting on the table. Seeing it piqued his interest. "Mr. McCall, you're an FBI agent?"

"He's low-level. Very low-level. He doesn't even have a voice," Stiles quickly replied, not wanting Derek to snoop.

But Derek ignored him, as he had since meeting Stiles. "So, do you investigate murders?"

"Sometimes, when it's a federal crime," he answered, shrugging.

"What about fires?"

Willow and Stiles shared a wide-eyed look before Stiles pulled out his phone and started texting Scott. "Oh, my God. I wonder where Scott is. Shouldn't Scott be here by now? We should call Scott—"

"What kind of fires are you talking about?" Rafael asked Derek.

And then the dreaded question came. "Do you know anything about the Hale family?"

☽︎

It wasn't long before Derek had Stiles shoved up against the wall of Scott's bedroom, threatening to tear him apart for lying. Willow was in the corner, wincing each time Stiles groaned in pain.

"Okay, I didn't lie. I omitted certain truths. Vital truths, now that I think about it," Stiles rambled.

"I don't want to talk to you," Derek then said, releasing Stiles and backing away. "I want to talk to the alpha. I'll talk to Scott."

"Okay, I'm going to go get him. My phone's downstairs. Going to call him real quick. You stay here with Will," Stiles said, backing to the door. "Just, don't move, okay? Don't move. Don't."

Stiles left the room, but a second later, he poked his head back in, earning confused looks from Willow and Derek. "I thought you—"

"Go, Stiles," Willow said, sighing. "I'm right here."

That left Willow alone in the room with Derek. She knew he was watching her, but she was too much of a coward to look up from the carpet. She felt guilty about lying to Derek even if it was Scott's decision.

"Was Agent McCall telling the truth?" Derek asked. He sounded so defeated in that moment. "They're gone?"

Willow clenched her eyes shut, trying to keep from crying at the mere thought of causing Derek emotional pain. "Everyone but Peter and Cora. I - I know we shouldn't have lied to you, but I thought that if we got your memories back, you wouldn't have to go through finding out about it all over again. But that was wrong."

"I understand you wanting to spare my feelings," he said, sighing. "And it's really been that long?"

"It has," she confirmed. "Scott will tell you everything that's missing from your memories since you came back to Beacon Hills, but we can't fill in those years before it."

"How long do you think before he gets here?" he asked.

"Maybe half an hour," Willow answered, shrugging. He was coming from Derek's loft, which was on the other side of town. And that was if he didn't feel a need to stop and pick up any other members of the pack on the way. "I can leave you alone if you just want to sit and think."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I don't want you to leave."

"Then I won't leave," she told him softly. "Do you wanna talk about it? Or just not talk at all? Or if you'd like to keep scaring Stiles, I can drag him back in here. I feel like you enjoy making people fear you."

"Well, I could always just scare you," he said in a teasing tone. "I'm quite fearsome."

"You're not that scary," Willow told him, grinning.

Derek moved closer, his eyes narrowed. The whole thing felt painfully familiar. "I'm scary."

If regular Derek didn't scare her, then this clean-shaven Derek who still had another growth spurt waiting on him certainly didn't. Even if he was still half a foot taller than her.

"You're not."

"Say I'm scary," he demanded, their chests practically touching as he backed her into a corner.

"I'm a horrible liar," she told him quietly. God, this boy didn't understand what he was doing to her heart.

"Did Stiles say you had a boyfriend?" Derek suddenly asked, eyes scanning her features.

Even with the previous teasing and flirty undertones, it was the last thing Willow expected him to ask. Though perhaps he'd rather distract himself from losing his family with Willow. She found she didn't mind.

"What?" she asked, chuckling.

"Back right before we came in the house. I thought I heard him say the word boyfriend," Derek said. "So, I want to know if you have a boyfriend."

"It's... complicated, I guess," Willow said, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. Derek's eyes followed the movement.

"Good," Derek whispered, placing his hands on the wall on either side of her head. "I can work with complicated."

Willow felt warm all over, like she was burning.

"So," he said with a smirk, "is it too complicated for me to try to kiss you?"

"I, um, I don't think it'd do any harm," Willow said, eyes falling to his mouth.

Derek grasped her chin and leaned down, kissing her gently. Willow slid her hands up his chest and rested them on his broad shoulders. He tested the waters, brushing his tongue against her lips in an attempt to deepen the kiss.

Willow caved, all concerns about this Derek not being her Derek flying out the window. She let him pull her close as the kiss grew more heated and hands began to wander.

Then Derek surprised Willow, lifting her by her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her over to Scott's bed. As he sat down, keeping Willow in his lap, he began leaving bruising kissing along her neck and jaw.

"Derek," Willow whispered pleadingly as his teeth scraped against the underside of her jaw.

His warm hands slowly slid under her skirt, fingers digging into her thighs as they did. With one of his legs slotted between her thighs, Willow couldn't help but slowly rock against him, pressing her hips lower. A needy whimper escaped her throat, and it sounded like music to Derek's ears.

"Let me hear that pretty sound again," he spoke against her throat. His strong hands guided her hips down and dragged her forward, the friction from his jeans earning an even more sinful sound from her lips. As Willow's face fell in the crook of his neck, he kissed along her shoulder. "Good girl."

Just hearing that whispered in her ear earned another desperate sound, Willow loving it too much to feel embarrassed by her reaction to it. Then she sought out his lips again, missing the feeling of them. Derek was happy to oblige — he'd be happy to spend every moment of his life kissing the girl on his lap. As she bit his bottom lip and wound her fingers in his hair, Derek let out a low groan.

Then as Derek slid his hands under her sweater, fingers leaving behind a burning touch, he whispered against her swollen lips. "Can I?"

Willow nodded frantically, leaning back to put just enough space between them so that he could remove her sweater and throw it on the bed. He reconnected their lips a second later, letting his hands roam higher to her chest. As his thumbs brushed the band of her bra, teasingly slipping under the fabric, he began kissing along her neck once again.

But then Willow felt him freeze underneath her. She leaned back to study him, not understanding why the pace had changed.

Derek was still trying to catch his breath as he stared not at Willow but at her neck with a confused expression. He was looking at a familiar necklace, which had been previously covered by her sweater. Confusion washed over Derek as he studied it, reaching up to graze his fingers over the metal.

"That's my mother's," Derek said, his voice barely audible. "Who gave you my mother's necklace?"

Derek finally looked away from the pendant and up at her, his green eyes swimming with an unreadable emotion.

"I - I did say it was complicated," Willow whispered nervously. "Um, you—"

"Willow, Scott thinks — oh my fucking God!"

Stiles had burst into the room, his phone still pressed to his ear. The last thing he was expecting was to see a shirtless Willow sitting on the young Derek's lap.

The two instantly parted, Willow scrambling to find her shirt. And Derek shielded her with his body, glaring at Stiles.

"Don't look at her! Turn around!" he ordered, his eyes glowing blue.

Stiles spun around and stomped his foot like a child. "Willow Worthington, get your ass in the hallway right now."

With her cheeks blazing, Willow scurried out of the room, not even glancing at Derek, too nervous and embarrassed. As soon as the door to Scott's room was shut, Stiles whirled around and started fussing at her.

"Really? You couldn't keep your hands off him for a few hours until we got him back to normal?" he asked, scoffing. "And on Scott's bed? Have you no shame?"

"What on my bed?" Scott asked over the phone.

While putting it on speaker, Stiles continued to shoot judging looks at Willow. "Will and Derek were fornicating—"

"Oh, don't call it that, Stiles," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Right on your bed, Scott," Stiles continued. "She cheated on Derek with the younger, more annoying Derek."

"I did not ch — Scott, what'd Peter say?" Willow asked, not wanting to entertain Stiles.

"Peter seems to think that Kate brought him back to that age because it was when he still knew and trusted her. Which means she's probably going to come for him," Scott explained. "So we just need to keep an eye on him. Keep him safe from her."

"I mean, he's perfectly fine in your bedroom," Stiles grumbled. "Like, totally fine after the warm welcome Willow was giving him — don't slap me, Willow! We're going back to check on him. To be honest, I'm starting to miss the old Derek. So, if you think that Kate's coming to find him—"

Yet again, Stiles cut himself off when he opened the door to Scott's room. But it wasn't because of anything inappropriate happening. Derek was already gone, and they barely caught a glimpse of Kate as she jumped out the window after him.

"No!" Willow shouted, rushing to the window.

But it was too late. The pair were already gone, disappearing into the night.

"You might be right," Stiles muttered half-heartedly into the phone.

☽︎

Kate and Derek walked through the courtyard of the school, which was abandoned because of how late it was. As they walked under the covered walkway, Kate noticed how Derek slowed down.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"I don't know about this," he said uneasily.

Derek left with Kate but he didn't necessarily feel good about it. Didn't feel good about leaving Willow behind. But she was still lying to him. Willow didn't tell him about the fire or about having his dead mother's necklace. And at least Kate wasn't lying.

Kate sighed, not wanting Derek to change his mind when they were so close. "Come on, we talked about this—"

"Yeah, but how do you even know?" he asked, confused.

"Because you told me! Don't you remember?" she asked. But Derek could only shake his head. He couldn't remember anything. "Tell me if you remember this."

Then Kate leaned forward to capture his lips in a kiss. Derek kissed her back, but more out of habit than desire. For whatever reason, kissing Kate didn't feel right anymore.

It didn't feel like kissing Willow.

As Kate pulled away, she ran her fingers through his hair. "We get inside the vault, we get the Triskelion, and then everything goes back to normal."

"That's all you want?" Derek asked, studying her. He couldn't tell if there was something that she was hiding.

"That's all we need," Kate told him. "But right now, we have to get inside that vault."

☽︎

Stiles, Lydia, and Willow were the last ones to arrive at the school. Peter, Malia, Scott, and Kira all beat them, meaning they had to track them down after parking. And of course, Stiles had his trusty bat in hand.

"You seriously need to find something better than a baseball bat," Lydia muttered, eying the so-called weapon.

"And wasn't that turned into a giant magnet?" Willow asked, eying the aluminum bat.

"Kira unmagnetized it," he informed them. "Now, Peter said the entrance to the vault is under the school sign."

As he finished speaking, a loud roar sounded, gaining their attention.

"That didn't come from the sign," Lydia said, looking in the opposite direction.

"Which is exactly why we aren't going that way," Stiles muttered. He grabbed both girls and dragged them away from the creature that made that sound, and they ran toward the vault, hoping to find Derek and Kate.

☽︎

Down in the vault, Derek was holding out the Triskelion for Kate. She eyed it before picking it up, not impressed by what she saw.

"This is it? You're sure?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah."

Kate toyed with the object that felt more like a cheap paperweight than a magical object. "It doesn't look like much."

"That's 'cause it isn't," Peter said. Kate and Derek spun to see him coming down the stairs, a smirk on his face. Derek was surprised to see his uncle, who was much older than the last time he saw him. "Quite the elaborate scheme you have here, Kate. Two countries, Aztec temples, Derek returned to a teenager — one that trusted you. One that loved you. All this complication just to gain access to our vault. Just to get your hands on that little piece of junk."

Kate glared at him as he drew nearer. Then she glanced down at the Triskelion in her hand.

"Turn it over. Go ahead," he goaded. "There's a scrape on the back where it used to say Made in China."

"You're lying," Kate said, thinking he was messing with her.

"I admit, I have a tendency to exaggerate things," he mused. "But, in this case, the truth is so much more fun. Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart — that little pendant is just a physical object to focus on. It's training wheels. Talia used it to teach Laura. I tried to use it to teach Derek. But if we're being honest, he never really mastered control without anger until he met Willow."

"I know Willow?" Derek asked, looking at his uncle with wide eyes.

"Know her?" Peter asked, scoffing. "The pack has a betting pool about when you'll propose after she graduates."

Before the young Derek could even process the fact that he and Willow were clearly something more in his future, a loud, pained roar sounded through the air. One he recognized.

Kate harshly grabbed the back of Derek's head, demanding answers. "Is this real? Tell me if this is real!"

"Didn't you hear that? That was Scott! I just heard Scott. Willow could be with him—"

"Tell me!" Kate shouted angrily.

"I don't know!" he exclaimed, ripping himself out of her hold. "And I don't care. I'm finding Willow!"

☽︎

If Derek wanted to find Willow, he should've stayed in the vault with his uncle. She arrived just after all the action with Stiles and Lydia.

Kate managed to escape when a mysterious figure filled the vault with wolfsbane smoke bombs. The smoke was clearing out, leaving behind Peter who was kneeling in front of a large safe, the door hanging open.

"Peter?" Willow called, rushing over to him. When he wouldn't look away from the safe, Willow placed a hand on his shoulder. "Peter, are you hurt? Where's Kate and Derek?"

"It was never... never about the Triskelion," Peter muttered. He looked as if his world was ending. "They took it. They took it while I was blind."

"Took what?" Stiles asked.

"Bonds. Bearer bonds. And they took them all," Peter answered.

"Bearer bonds? Hold on, are you saying that you got robbed?" Stiles asked in disbelief. This wasn't making any sense.

"This was a heist!" he exclaimed angrily. "Somebody planned this!"

"Peter, how much did they take?" Willow asked. It had to of been a lot to garner this kind of reaction.

"One hundred and seventeen," Peter replied numbly.

"Thousand?" Stiles asked, thinking that was outrageously high.

"Million."

Peter's reaction suddenly made sense. It was a wonder he wasn't screaming or crying or going on a murderous rampage — though there was always a chance of that last one.

Peter's money crisis was momentarily forgotten as multiple sets of footsteps came down the stairs. It was the others. As soon as Willow turned and saw Derek — her Derek — she ran past Stiles and Lydia to throw her arms around him.

Derek hugged her tightly, lifting her feet off the ground a bit as he did so, burying his face in her neck and taking in her scent.

"Thank god you're okay," she murmured. "I was so worried. And I missed you so much."

"Well," Stiles couldn't help but chime in. "You clearly didn't miss this Derek too much because you were pretty content to have sex with the other him on Scott's bed."

Willow whirled around to glare at Stiles, heat creeping up her face. "We didn't - we - I wasn't going to — we didn't do anything, Stiles."

"I mean, I wouldn't say that," Derek mumbled under his breath.

Realizing that Derek did in fact remember everything that happened the last day, Willow was ready for the ground to swallow her whole. It was especially embarrassing with all her friends surrounding them.

"I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but you could actually be so much worse, Derek. So, welcome back," Stiles said, slinging the bat over his shoulder. "I still hate you though."

"Don't worry. The feeling's mutual."

☽︎

Willow was silent as she sat across from Derek on his bed in the loft. He was reapplying the bandages to her wrist after cleaning the scratches.

"I can't believe I hurt you," Derek said lowly, frowning at his younger self's actions.

"You were scared and confused and lost — and not to mention not really yourself," Willow reminded him softly as he put the first aid kit on the ground. "I think we've all learned a lesson about not taking the blame for things when we aren't ourselves. Even if it's because you've been turned back into a charming teenager instead of possessed by an evil spirit."

Derek raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. "So, you think I'm charming?"

Willow leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think that you were incredibly charming but also very cocky and extremely egotistical."

"You can deny it all you want, but we both know you were into it," he teased. "You couldn't even wait half a day before throwing yourself at me."

She laughed in disbelief. "You used one of the most basic pickup lines on the planet, called me the most beautiful girl you had ever seen, and made it very clear how much you wanted to kiss me in Spanish. You threw yourself at me, Derek."

"If you want me to feel embarrassed, it's not gonna work," Derek informed her. "I'll never be embarrassed by how badly I crave you — that age or this one."

Willow blushed at his words. "I guess you can be pretty charming now, too," she said, pressing her forehead to his as she smiled.

He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before cradling her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek.

"Also, I do need you to specify at some point to Stiles that I did not cheat on you with you," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Of course," he said, smirking. "Really, who could blame you though? I'm irresistible."

Willow scoffed playfully and moved back to swat his arm. However, Derek caught her hand and held it in between them, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"Ah," he tutted. "That's not very nice to try and hit me. I thought you were my good girl?"

Derek knew just what he was doing, testing out the same name from earlier. And it got the same reaction. Willow's cheeks — whole body, really — heated up and she silently stared at him, eyes wide and lips parted.

"I, uh, I..." She couldn't help her lack of words. It was like her mind shut off and filled with hazy thoughts over such a simple thing. And though it was simple, it didn't mean she didn't crave that same praise from before. 

Derek guided her hand to his chest, letting it rest there over his heart. Then he shifted and pulled Willow onto his lap, much like the position they had been in on Scott's bed.

"I don't know how good you've been," Derek told her. He had to fight back a smug smile when he saw the frown form on Willow's face. "Lied and snuck off to Mexico. Missed school. Were ready to let me devour you right on Scott's bed. Doesn't sound very good to me."

"But I did all that for you," Willow whispered, pressing up close against him. Her fingers toyed with the collar of his shirt innocently. "Just wanted to find you. Just wanted you."

"Well, you've got me now, baby girl," he said, catching her chin in between his thumb and curled-up index finger. "You gonna be good for me?"

Willow nodded almost dumbly, her eyes glued to Derek's lips, hanging on his every word.

After weeks of being controlled and then separated by his kidnapping, they were finally back to each other. And Willow, desperate to be close to him, desperate to lose herself in him, would do anything for him in that moment.

Desperate to not let anything pull them apart again.