Agony (Sequel to Hunger)

Chapter Seven

Stiles

This place Liam had dragged us to was kind of small, but it seemed cozy and it smelled like homemade cookies, so I didn't complain. Derek didn't either, but he also wasn't saying much about anything else. Liam and I kept a casual conversation going, and sometimes Derek would offer a nod, or a grunt in agreement, but mostly he was just listening. His silence probably had something to do with me getting angry earlier today. He probably didn't want to set me off again by saying something stupid, but honestly this was worse. I hated feeling like he wasn't being himself just because there was a chance I could get mad. There was always a chance I could get mad. There was always a chance Derek could get mad too.

"Are you okay?" Liam asked eventually, after we had ordered our food and the only thing Derek had wanted was an ice water. Even Liam, who had just devoured an entire large pizza to himself, ordered food, even though it was pie. I guess Liam had picked up on the whole Derek not talking thing, because now he looked worried as he sat across from us, fidgeting in his seat. "You seem kind of distant. Upset maybe?" He took a drink of his soda, then pushed it to the side to lean forward on his elbows.

Derek just shook his head, turning to look out the window. "Just thinking," he murmured. He folded his hands on the table in front of him, turning his attention from the window to his lap. I didn't want to make Liam feel uncomfortable, but I also didn't want Derek to keep all of his feelings bottled up. He needed to know that he could talk to me. I carefully reached forward, grabbing one of his hands with mine and then pulled it to my lap, intertwining our fingers. He didn't pull his hand away, but he didn't look at me either. "We all need to talk soon. I mean everyone. About this whole war thing? Since Elise is gone, we need to come up with someway to resume what she had going, you know? I'm worried things are going to get crazy and more people are going to die, including our friends. I don't want anyone else to die."

"We'll do what we can, Derek," Liam half whispered, leaning back in his chair. "That's why we're here. To help you. Whatever you need us to do, just say the word. If it means saving the world from supernatural dickbags, then sign me up. I have a lot of pent up rage I'm dying to let out on some asshole's face."

This, at least, got a small amount of laughter out of Derek as he looked up to meet Liam's smiling face. He smiled back, not a full smile, but something close to. Then he looked at me and it grew a little as he squeezed my hand. "I one hundred percent agree with Liam," I added, grinning at Derek who was still smiling, but trying to bite his lip to hold it back. "I think saving the world from supernatural dickbags sounds like tons of fun. I'm in."

"So we can talk about this? How about tomorrow we get the girls and we discuss what we're going to do. I'm pretty sure Cora already has an idea of how to get things running again, even with Elise gone." Derek kept looking between the two of us, waiting for an answer. Any type of confirmation would do, and then maybe he'd stop worrying so much, if he knew we would do anything to help him win this war. So I squeezed his hand a little harder and nodded, which made Derek sigh in relief and hug me against his chest for a few short seconds. "Thank you. Both of you. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up when you did."

"You're welcome," Liam replied with a soft smile.

After that, the conversation was dropped and it was much easier to just have casual conversation. Until eventually, we ate our food and talked a little, and then we were bored. There wasn't a lot to talk about, but at the same time, there was. There was a lot that none of us wanted to talk about. Like how it was without Derek for a month, or how Derek did without the rest of us for a month. We didn't talk about it. We didn't really want to talk about it.