Teen Wolf Imagines #Wattys2017

Promised (Part 1)

Fate is believed to be the hidden power that controls what happens in the future. But is it real? Is there someone, or something, each one of us is destined for? Some people believe yes. Others, like me, not so much. I just think that everyone is responsible for their own life, their future, not some force that determines how they're meant to spend their life.
☙
I've been on my own for a while now. After my parents died, I had to really learn how to take care of myself. I got emancipated and got a job, while going to school, so I wouldn't be put into the foster system. My parents were always traveling for their jobs anyways, so it really wasn't as hard for me to adapt. I did inherit some money, but other than buying my car, I never spend any of it. I'd rather make my own for now and save what they left me for something important one day.
I never really like to stay in one place too long, the wanderlust in me preventing any kind settling whatsoever. I've just always felt drawn to certain places, like some invisible thread is tied around me, leading me where it wants me to go. I've lived in London, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, Cairo and even Moscow. The pull to those cities were much stronger than others. Same thing with New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. For a girl from a small town in Georgia, I've gotten around quite a bit for only being twenty years old.
Now I find myself drawn to this small little town called Beacon Hills. The pull to this quiet, seemingly unpopular place is greater than I've ever felt before.
As I pass the sign reading Welcome to Beacon Hills, I'm hit by a shockwave that knocks the breath out of me and I slam on my brakes, my '67 Impala screeching to a halt in the middle of the road. Thank god there's no one else on the highway or this could've ended very badly. My chest heaves as I try to catch my breath, a thin sheen of sweat covering my brow. I look around frantically, trying to find something that would explain this sudden, weird feeling that's just hit me like a truck. Nothing. Just the dark highway, lined with trees on both sides. I roll my window down for some fresh air, the scent of dirt and rain filling the interior of the car. I take a few deep breaths, my body erupting in goosebumps from my scalp to my toes.
"What the fuck was that?" I lean my head back against the seat, shaken to my core. I grab my phone, the time reading 1:35 AM. I scroll to my email to find the address of my intended destination and plug it into the GPS. I take another deep, cleansing breath as I start the car, the rumble of the engine echoing off the trees around me.
☙
I pull up to the industrial looking building and double check the address again. Definitely not what I was expecting. In my mind I saw just a simple apartment building. This place looks dark, and honestly, a little sinister. I grab my bag out of the back seat and make my way inside, noticing only two other cars in the lot as I walk to the front doors, an SUV of some sort and a black Camero.
I lift the gate of the elevator and step inside, closing it back down before I press the button for the twentieth floor. The owner was expecting me late, so he told me to call when I got here, as he just lives one floor above me, so he can give me the key. I ring him as the elevator climbs floor after floor and he says he'll be right down. He sounds awfully young to be the owner of the building. Probably a trust fund baby whose daddy bought him a building for his twenty-first birthday.
As I step out of the elevator I see a guy leaning against the wall. Tall, dark hair, tanned skin. Damn. He looks up and smiles at me and I blush like a prepubescent little girl.
"Hi, I'm Derek," he extends his hand out to me and I take it, his large hand rough in my much smaller and softer one.
"Izzy," I give him a small smile.
"Short for Isabelle?" His head tilts slightly to the side and he gives me a warm smile.
"Uh...no. Isolde actually," I never go by my real name and I'm thrown momentarily as no one ever usually asks.
"Isolde...like the chick from the Celtic legend?" Derek seems genuinely curious as he eyes me.
"Yeah, my mom was kind of a sucker for myths and old stories," I smile fondly as memories flash of all the stories she used to tell me when I was little.
"Interesting name. I have a feeling there's more to you than meets the eye, Isolde," he hands me my keys. "I'm on the next floor up if you need anything. Welcome to Beacon Hills," he smiles again and I blush.
Jeez, if all the guys in this town are half as good looking as him, I think I may want to stay here indefinitely.
"Oh and by the way, there's always people coming and going from this building, they can be a little...nosey. If they give you any trouble just let me know," he turns to walk away.
"Wait, how many other people actually live in the building?" I'm confused by his statement.
"Just you and me, but I always have a lot of traffic through my loft. It's complicated," he laughs. "Have a good night, Izzy. I'm sure I'll see you around." He pulls the gate down on the elevator and disappears.
"Just us in this whole building? Seems like an awful waste of potential renting space. Ok, Izzy stop talking to yourself," I shake my head and unlock the door to my new apartment. For now anyways.
When I slide the heavy metal door to the loft open my jaw drops. There's no way that the amount I'm paying is anywhere near enough for this massive amount of space that's before me. It's a completely wide open layout. Large, updated kitchen with top end appliances and an island that doubles as a breakfast bar. The furniture is minimal but very expensive looking. I walk around to find the bathroom with a steam shower and a huge jacuzzi tub and I think I've died and gone to heaven. Either this dude is really stupid and doesn't know real estate and how much he should be charging or he just doesn't need the money. I climb the metal spiral staircase to find the bedroom, a king sized bed, dresser with a mirror and matching nightstand and a wardrobe for hanging clothes. I jump on the bed and sprawl out, the mattress soft as a cloud. I could definitely get used to this place.
☙
The first thing I do when I wake up? Take the longest, most relaxing bath I've ever had in the swimming pool that is now my tub.
I get dressed, opting for just some jeans and my Captain America tank top with my Converse. I'm not really one for style, I'm more of a comfort person. My wardrobe mainly consists of geeky tees and jeans, with a couple of dresses and skirts. I hear my phone buzz on the nightstand and unlock the screen to see a text from Derek.
Today 9:10 AM
Hungry???
"Staaaarved!" I text back and he responds immediately, telling me to come on up for some breakfast. I smile to myself as I think that I could really become friends with him. He seems like a good guy.
I make my way up to his loft and knock softly on the door. After a minute the door slides open and I'm greeted with that gorgeous smile.
"Good morning," he says as he invites me in. "Sleep well?"
"Extremely well. I don't remember the last time I slept so soundly. The loft is amazing. I can't thank you enough for renting it to me. There's not a lot of places available in this town," I follow him to the kitchen area that's set up like mine. Actually, as I look around, it's the exact same layout as mine.
"It's no problem really, you seemed like the kind of tenant I would want anyways," he laughs.
"What do you mean by that?" I ask curiously.
"Well, of course I did a background check, that's just the smart thing to do. But from what I can tell, you like to keep to yourself, you've never been in trouble with the law and you don't seem to be the kind of person who throws loud parties. Perfect tenant," he waves his spatula and smiles.
"Actually, I love parties and my parties are always the talk of whatever town I'm in," I shrug my shoulders and give him an apologetic smile.
I notice all the food laid out on the bar and wonder who the hell is going to eat all of it. Derek laughs and adds to the platter of pancakes in the oven.
"Are you feeding an army? Who is all this food for? I mean, when I said I was starving I didn't mean I would be able to eat this damn much," I laugh.
"I have some people coming over. Kind of a weekly thing," he chuckles.
"Oh, are you sure? I don't want to intrude on your thing. I can go to the cafe and grab something," I suddenly feel nervous about meeting his friends.
"Sit!" He commands and I obey immediately, not quite sure why. "Coffee? Tea?" He asks and I nod to the delicious smelling coffee. He pours a cup and slides it over to me. "Milk is in the fridge, sugar on the counter."
This is strangely comfortable for him...and what's even weirder? It is for me too. Like we're friends who haven't seen each other for a long time and we're just catching up. I decide to just go with it and make myself at home.
I sit back down and sip my coffee as Derek continues making his feast, talking and getting to know each other. He asks about all the places I've been and what I've learned on my travels. Talking to him is so easy, it just feels natural. I ask about him and he tells me he's lived here his whole life, about how his family died a long time ago so it's pretty much just him and his sister now, who lives in South America.
As I sit and listen to him, I start to get a strange feeling. Almost like the one last night, except not nearly as intense. My heart starts beating faster and my fingers start to tingle, like they do just before you shock yourself.
Just as he fills the large skillet with an entire carton of eggs, there's a loud banging on the door.
"Open up, Derek! We're hungry!" Someone shouts from the other side of the door.
"And that would be my friends," he shakes his head and wipes his hands on a towel before going to open the door.
My heart is pounding in my chest and I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. What is wrong with me? Derek looks over his shoulder just before he slides the door open, his brows furrowed.
"You okay?" He asks and my head snaps up to see his worried look.
"Me? Yeah I'm good! I just get a little nervous when I meet new people sometimes," that's a lie. Honestly I have no idea why I feel this way, but it's not because I'm nervous, at least I don't think I am.
"Trust me, you don't need to be nervous about meeting these idiots," he smiles as he pulls the handle on the door and his friends greet him as they pile in.
A guy with dark hair and tanned skin is the first one through, his bright smile is the first thing I notice. Damn what is it with this town and the attractive men? He looks about my age. Next is a girl, short, with reddish blonde hair and pouty lips. Her fashionable style stands out with her choice of bold colors. A younger guy follows her. God he looks like a baby, can't be more than 18. The other girl is tall and slim, her style more my speed as she just wears jean shorts and a tank top with a flannel shirt. Jeez, no wonder Derek cooked all this food.
Their chatter fills the loft and I just sit, waiting patiently as they do their thing. I notice they seem to act like a family, laughing and so at ease with one another. It makes my heart sink a little because I've never known that before. I've never stayed in one place long enough to make friends like this. I let my mind drift for a moment, wondering what it would be like if I stayed here and got to know these people, if I could be a part of this family. It makes me smile.
Another guy stumbles in, tripping over his feet. He catches himself and straightens up, trying to play it off. My heart stops as I take him in. Kind of tall, slim, brown hair that looks like he constantly runs his hands through it, a loud and boisterous laugh that sends a chill through me. I get the strangest feeling of deja vu, like I've met him before but I can't exactly place it. My heart starts to beat frantically again and the tingling in my hands feels like I'm about to shoot bolts of lightning out of them. I flex my fingers, making sure I actually don't shoot bolts of lightning out of them.
"Guys, I want you to meet someone," Derek says as he gestures to me. All eyes fall on me and I give a small smile and a wave.
"Derek's got a new girlfriend? Let's hope this one isn't crazy like the last one," the tan guy says and Derek gives him a silencing look.
"No, this is my new tenant, she lives downstairs. Izzy, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Izzy," Derek introduces us.
"Hi...everyone," I wave again, my cheeks heating from all the stares.
The red-headed girl looks at me with her wide, green eyes and tilts her head. She walks over and stands in front of me, like she's getting the same bout of deja vu that I've just had.
"I know you," she mutters, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"I don't think so," I shake my head slightly and give her an apologetic smile.
"I do," she studies my face and I really look at her. Something about her seems familiar, I don't know why, but I'm positive I've never met her before.
"Lydia, stop doing your...weird thing," the tall girl walks up beside her, grabbing her shoulders. "Sorry about her, she does that sometimes. I'm Malia and this is Lydia." She smiles at me and then her attention is diverted to the plate full of bacon.
Lydia's eyes haven't left me yet, but strangely I'm not creeped out by her awkwardness. "Hey, I'm Izzy. Nice to meet you," I extend my hand to her and she takes it. The instant our hands connect, the tingling in my hand stops and Lydia twitches a little.
"How do I know you?" She whispers, more to herself than anything and narrows her eyes at me.
I get lost in her green eyes briefly. "Catherine," I whisper, not even realizing what's just come out of my mouth. I blink, confused why I would just say that. I've never even known anyone named Catherine. I pull my hand from hers and the moment I break free, the tingling returns.
"Lydia, stop freaking her out. Go get some coffee or something," the tan guy rubs her arm gently and she looks at him, breaking out of the weird trance that she was in. She smiles at him and then at me and walks away. "Hey, I'm Scott," he offers his hand and I take it.
"Hi, Scott. Pleased to meet you," I stand up.
Scott doesn't waste any more time, going straight for the food.
"I'm Liam!" The younger guy says, his mouth full of food already and Scott slaps him on the back of the head, telling him not to talk with his mouth full. I smile and nod my head at him, laughing to myself.
I look over to see the messy-haired one standing next to me now. His amber colored eyes fixated on me, like Lydia's were. We both step towards each other, I can't pull my eyes away from his, I'm completely hypnotized. It's almost as if everyone else has disappeared and it's just the two of us, all sound ceases to exist and it's completely silent.
"Izzy," he breathes, holding out his hand and shakes his head. "Stiles, I mean. I'm Stiles," he puts a hand on his chest. "You're Izzy," he laughs and I take his hand. The tingling spreads from my fingers, all the way up my arm and circulates through the rest of my body, like a dull version of what I felt last night and I flinch, releasing his hand instantly. He does the same thing and looks at his hand and then back at me. "What the hell was that?" He mumbles as he searches my face.
"Did you feel that?" I whisper, not managing much more.
"Yeah," he licks his lips and my eyes are drawn to his mouth. "It felt like...never mind. Sorry, I'm Stiles," he says again.
"You said that already," I laugh and those brown eyes captivate me again. What the hell is going on? Why do I feel so weird? I give him a half smile and turn to see Lydia, staring at mine and Stiles' interaction, her look soft and...I want to say amazed? Why would she look amazed? I decide it's already been a weird enough morning and I need food and more coffee.
Everyone sits scattered either in the kitchen area or in the living room. Questions are thrown at me left and right, all of them wanting to know everything they can. To anyone else, it would probably feel like an interrogation, but I know they're just curious and they don't mean to offend. I can feel Stiles' eyes on me the entire time I talk as he sits at the bar beside me, piping in every now and then to ask his own questions and I turn my head to answer him, every time getting drawn into those eyes like quicksand. Something about him, it's right there in the back of my mind, like trying to remember something from so long ago but your brain just won't cooperate.
"So, what do you plan on doing while you're here?" Stiles asks as he shoves a huge bite of pancakes in his mouth.
"Well, I need to find a job first. That might be kinda hard, this town is pretty small, so I'm guessing jobs are hard to come by," I bite my lip as I think where exactly I should start.
"Hey! I think I might know something!" Scott jumps off the counter. "Deaton is actually looking for some part time help while I have classes."
Stiles looks at Scott with a strange expression and Scott returns the look with a silent "What?"
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Stiles says, seeming a bit nervous. "I mean, you don't even know if she likes animals," he adds quickly, waving his hand. 
"I love animals! What's the job?" I ask suddenly hopeful.
"Deaton runs the animal clinic. So you would be his assistant," Scott shrugs.
"That sounds great! Do you have his info? I'd love to meet him as soon as possible," I grab my phone, ready to take the number.
"Actually I was going to head over there after we leave here, if you want to just tag along you can meet him in person?" Scott smiles and I get a sudden rush of excitement.
"That would be awesome, seriously if it's no trouble?"
"Nah, no trouble at all. Stiles, can you drop us off on your way to the station?" Scott looks to Stiles.
"Definitely, yeah, I don't need to go to the station right away. I'll come with you," Stiles drums his hands on the bar.
"Great! Ok, I'm just going to go change. I think I need something a little nicer than my Cap shirt," I laugh, tugging at my worn tank top.
"I like your shirt, I think it's very becoming. Not everyday you see a pretty girl who likes nerdy stuff like that," Stiles says and he runs his hand through his hair, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.
"Thank you? I think?" I laugh. "Most of my shirts are either Marvel or Star Wars so, yeah I'm kind of a nerd."
Stiles' head snaps up and he has an adoring look on his face. "Y-you like Star Wars?" He stutters.
"Um...I love Star Wars, it's one of my favorites," I laugh and blush for the umpteenth time.
"I think Stiles found the girl of his dreams," Liam laughs from the sofa and Stiles whips his head to glare at him.
"Great, maybe he'll stop making all of us watch those stupid movies over and over again," Malia adds.
"Star Wars isn't stupid!" Me and Stiles say at the exact same time and look at each other, smiling.
"Oh my god, she's perfect for you, Stiles," Lydia laughs.
"I got your back," I whisper and give him a wink as I jump off the bar stool. "Okay I'm going to change. Don't leave without me," I point from Stiles to Scott and Stiles shakes his head. I make it to the hall before I hear Stiles call after me.
"Hey, you forgot your phone," he holds it out for me.
"Oh! Thanks!" I take it from him and our fingers touch, sending that shock through me again.
"What the hell is that?" Stiles says as he brushes his fingers against his thumb.
"I don't know, it started happening to me last night when I came into town. Like, the exact moment I crossed over the county line," I tell him, not even sure I should be telling him the weird things that are happening.
"Can I try something?" Stiles takes a step closer to me and my heartbeat picks up again.
"Okay," I look into his eyes, the tingling coming back full force.
Stiles puts his hand up, almost as if he wants a high five. I do the same, our hands only about an inch apart and the tingling intensifies. We stay there for a minute, his eyes never leaving mine and suddenly I see a tiny flash that looks like a spark out of the corner of my eye between our hands. His hand presses against mine and there's the feeling again, humming through my body.
"You feel that right?" He asks and looks at our hands, palm to palm.
"Yeah," I breathe. "It's like a humming," I close my eyes.
Stiles spreads his fingers and laces them through mine and his face flashes behind my eyelids. But it's not him, not right here and now. It's him, but he looks different. He looks a lot more tan, his face kind of...dirty maybe?
As I try to concentrate on his face in this vision, I feel his lips press against mine, soft but firmly. I squeak in surprise and my lips heat under his touch and it spreads through me like wild fire. Suddenly his face is engulfed in flames in my mind's eye and I pull away, my eyes flying open to find he looks as shocked as I do.
"What did you see?" My heart thunders, almost painfully in my chest.
"You...but...it wasn't you? I don't know how to describe it. It was your face but you looked different. Your hair was black and your eyes were rimmed in black," the confusion on his face mirrors mine. "What did you see?"
"Same, it was you but it wasn't you. Your skin tone was much darker and your face was dirty I think," I try to wrap my head around all this. "Then...fire...lots of fire," my lips still prickle with warmth and I brush my fingertips across them. "How are we seeing almost the same thing? I mean like, me seeing you and you seeing me, but it's not really us? What the hell is going on?"
"I don't have a clue," his brow furrows like he's deep in thought. "But I think I know someone who might."