Can you hear my heart breaking as you read this?

Because I can as I write it.

===========================

Stiles sighed. Scott was dragging him into his shenanigans again. Stiles really didn't want to be arrested again. Especially by his dad. Especially after last night. He shuddered at the thought. Sheriff Stilinski had lectured him about pedophiles and perverts and demonstrated how to use a condom with a banana. That was pretty traumatic. He didn't even want to imagine the tongue lashing he would receive if he got in trouble today.

"Scott, please tell me we're not doing anything illegal." Stiles begged.

His friend sighed. "For the thousandth time, we're just going to lunch."

"The last time you said that I was digging up the body of an old witch." Stiles reminded Scott.

"Yeah, well, not this time." Scott said as he pulled into the parking lot of Denny's.

"Oh thank god." Stiles breathed.

Scott unbuckled his seat belt and slid out of the car. "If you want me to believe you, then next time, don't take me to a graveyard to dig up corpses." Stiles said.

"That was necessary and you know it!" Scott scolded.

"Necessary to give me nightmares for life!" Stiles shot back as they pushed open the door.

They sat down in a booth and ordered nachos and curly fries. Stiles demanded a milkshake and Scott got coke. The waitress was a pretty Asian girl with freckles and winged eyeliner so sharp it could cut a bitch. Scott took an interest in her. Stiles smiled. He was happy for his friend. He certainly deserved to move on after Allison.

"Are you gonna hit on her?" Stiles asked. "She's cute."

"You're not going to hit on her?" Scott sounded surprised.

"Nah, I think I'm more interested in that one." Stiles blurted without thinking. He watched the waiter's ass as he passed. A cute black man, toned, great ass. Seriously, booty for days. Just a little bit smaller than Derek's, but just as perky.

Scott gave Stiles a weird look. That's when Stiles realized what he just did.

"Really?" Scott teased. "I mean, I'm not judging, but I mean..."

"Oh don't even say it." Stiles hissed.

Scott took a minute to wipe the smirk from his face. "So... You didn't care to tell me?"

Stiles shrugged, looking out the window to avoid meeting Scott's eyes. "Does it matter? You never told me that you're straight. Why should I have to tell you that I'm bi?"

His friend opened his mouth to argue, but seemed to decide against it. "Actually... Good point. So, any man other than that one that you've taken an interest in?"

It was a brief moment that Stiles thought about telling Scott about Derek. But he quickly decided against it. Derek and Scott had been having power struggles for as long as they've known each other. Stiles couldn't imagine his friend taking the news well. 

"Um... Just a few. Random guys off the street. I occasionally find myself checking out a teammate." Stiles said. It was the truth. But at the same time he wasn't telling Scott about Derek. Mr. Stilinski called that "a lie by omission." A crime Stiles was guilty of for many different things on several occasions. 

Scott nodded, like that was a satisfactory answer. "Well, good for you. I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me the important things."

Stiles felt a pang of guilt. "Yeah." He mumbled.

The food arrived, saving Stiles from having to say anything more about it.

    —•☽♡❍♡☾•—

Derek found himself in the woods again. He didn't like going into town in broad daylight. Not unless it was absolutely essential. So he was on his fourth stroll through the woods that day. Not every walk was boring. Sometimes teenagers came into the forest to drink and make out or go on dates. Teenagers in love were always the best. Walking across the stream and running after each other like children. He envied their innocence. 

Today was one of those days. Two nameless strangers had wandered into his forest. This time two adults. Elders. Perhaps retired. The woman was short, with curly silver hair that barely grazed her shoulders. The man was balding. What little hair he had left was trimmed short and a pure snowy white. The man at her like he never needed anything else his life. They didn't play tag and dance around like the teenagers in Derek's woods. But instead they sat down on a homemade quilt and laid out a picnic. Derek stopped, hidden behind a deadwood tree to watch them. 

The woman placed her knitted bonnet to the side and picked up one of their sandwiches. Derek could smell their egg salad as if it were right in front of him. The man took her fragile hand and smiled at her. 

"Who are you?" She asked.

His smile seemed to turn sour. His eyes sad. But he just rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand affectionately. "Just a friend." He said. But Derek could hear the lie. He was her husband. Definitely. He could see the ring on her finger. 

She shrugged a little, biting into her sandwich. He talked with her about how beautiful the trees were. He looked at her like he could see something she couldn't. Derek felt his heart clench. His gentleness. His sadness. It touched him deeply. 

The couple ate their lunch and talked for a while. Then they were gone as soon as they had come. But Derek was still haunted by them. The husband had said nothing about loving her. But he could see all the subtle ways he said it. Everything he had done during their lunch screamed his love for her. But she was too blind too see it. Because she couldn't remember. She wasn't dead yet, but the poor man had already lost her. It reminded Derek of all the things he had lost in his life. And the one thing that he still had left to lose.