Derek Reed

I shake my head at the pathetic boy in front of me, purplish bags under his eyes and chattering teeth. He hastily pulls the hat over his ears and tugs the gloves on – it takes him twice of dropping them due to his numbness before I take over and help him.

“Has it finally happened?” I ask. “Have you finally lost the last shred of sanity you had left?” It’s the only way I know how to respond to his self destructive tendencies – sarcasm. Brush it off. He knows I won’t fawn over him or baby him – maybe that’s why we work so well. I have the expectation set – I won’t sugarcoat. He won’t hate me for being a bitch.

“We can go to that shed and grab you some clothes.” I say, my boots dragging through the thick snow, tingling in sympathy pain as I watch Derek’s toes disappear into the snow.

I don’t think I could handle it if Isabel pitied me. I think I’d just fall into such a pit of despair that I’d never find my way back out. Her brand of sarcasm is exactly what I need right now. I am a drowning person lost at sea and Isabel is a life preserver keeping me afloat.

“Probably,” I admit. No use denying it. A sane person probably would not be in the snow risking frostbite and hypothermia hoping to become a wolf.

I follow her to the shed, feeling as though I am on autopilot. It’s all kind of a blur. Before I realize it we’re in the shed with the space heater turned all the way up. I don’t know who’s clothes I’m wearing but I’m starting to feel some sensation come back to my numb icy skin. 

Victor watches Derek’s eyes flutter down towards their hands, Derek’s thumb circling nervously around Victor’s knuckle as he speaks. Victor gnaws on the inside of his cheek for a moment, frankly a little shocked. Sure, they had talked about getting married – in the passing way couples do. It fills Victor with a fondness he didn’t know he was capable of experiencing to know Derek had seriously thought about this – to the point of suggesting tattooing something on their human bodies to show their love for one another.

It’s foolproof, really. Like Derek said, it would be impossible for them to lose them, which is vital given their… unpredictable lifestyles. 

Victor meets Derek’s eyes, a wave of emotion crushing him when he realizes Derek is watching him nervously, awaiting his reaction. As if Victor, in any realm or alternate universe, would ever say no.

“That’s perfect.” Victor says. “Seriously, you’re a fucking genius.” Victor raising their intertwined hands, holding them up in the air to face one another, palms connected, fingers lined up, as he imagines mirroring inked rings on each of their fingers. “I love you so much. I think it’s a great idea.”

Derek had been holding his breath and he let it out in a relieved and disbelieving chuckle. Was this real life? Was he dreaming? Did Victor actually say yes? Part of him had been bracing for Victor to think the idea was silly or weird. Hearing Victor agree to the idea, wanting to have a permanent mark on his finger saying that he belonged to him forever, felt like winning the lottery.

“I’m so happy I could cry,” he confessed, hiding his face against Victor’s shoulder for a moment out of embarrassment as he tried to stay in control of his emotions. He snuggled up to Victor and held him tightly in his arms. “Marry me,” he said. “For real. Let’s have that wedding we’ve been talking about.”

Why couldn’t they have a ceremony? They deserved it. He wanted to be able to call Victor his husband. Their life was far from perfect and they deserved at least one special day. 

“I don’t know if I should be on one knee and maybe this isn’t the most romantic proposal ever, but fuck it. Marry me in Beck’s backyard. We’ll invite Sam and Grace and anyone else who can make it. Sam can read some cheesy poetry and I’ll even sing a song for you. I just.... I want you to be mine forever, no matter what. If our forever is a few days or 80 years, I want you to be mine for it. You are the most amazing person I have ever met and I’d be the luckiest man ever to be able to call you my husband.”

He should have rehearsed this speech, should have saved this proposal for a fancy occasion, but instead he was just spilling all his emotions out at once and he couldn’t stop himself. The truth was, they didn’t always have the same opportunities as everyone else. Especially with Victor’s uncontrollable shifting lately. Instead of a big proposal in a fancy restaurant it was just them laying here snuggling under an old blanket in a shed. Instead of a huge ceremony with all kinds of friends and family, it would just be a few of them together in Beck’s backyard. But it was perfect for them. Derek didn’t care about things being fancy, he didn’t care where they spent their time together, he just treasured every single moment he got with Victor.