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The first thing Derek sees is the smoke. He’s on his way home from his morning run when he sees it in the distance. At first all he feels is the familiar twinge of guilt and loss that hits him whenever he sees a fire. But the closer he gets, the more worried he becomes.
The fire seems to be happening awfully close to their apartment building.
It’s not until he rounds a corner that he sees it is his building. There’s a group of people gathered outside, all in various states of dress. He runs towards them, checking faces, trying to find Stiles. He sees his neighbor a few feet away and rushes towards her.
“Have you seen Stiles?” He asks her.
“I saw him on my way out,” she says. “He was leaving at the same time I was. But then he said he forgot something. I still haven’t seen him.”
Derek feels dread settle over him. He looks towards the building, at the flames licking their way up its side, and pictures Stiles still in there somewhere.
He panics.
Before he can even think about it, he runs towards the building, ignoring people’s cries for him to stop. He doesn’t listen. Stiles is still in here somewhere and he has to find him.
He pulls his jacket up over his mouth and nose as he enters. There’s so much smoke inside he can barely see.
“Stiles! Stiles!”
He tries to listen for any response but doesn’t get one. He continues to call for Stiles as he makes his way up the stairs. They live on the third floor so if he took the stairs be has to be somewhere between here and there.
Unless he never made it out of the apartment…
He pushes the thought away. Stiles is smart. He wouldn’t have wasted time in there knowing the building was on fire. Which makes him wonder why he’d even go back in.
He continues to climb the stairs, calling out Stiles’ names, but never getting a response. He’s just reached the second floor landing when he comes across broken beams blocking the path. But that’s not all he sees.
There’s an arm sticking out, wearing a familiar red hoodie.
Derek rushes forward, falling to his knees next to Stiles. He’s unconscious. There’s no telling how long he’s been out. Derek looks him over and grows more worried when he notices Stiles’ leg seems to be caught under one of the beams.
“Don’t worry,” Derek whispers, brushing the hair back from Stiles’ face. “I’m going to get you out.”
He can hear voices below, calling out for anyone that might still be in the building, and feels relief.
“Up here!” He calls. “Second floor landing!”
His eyes land on something next to Stiles and he has to close his eyes for a moment. It’s the scrapbook Stiles has been working on, full of pictures of them as children up to now. Of course Stiles would go back for it. As stupid as it was.
Derek starts to cough as his hands move to the beams, trying to shift them. He knows help is coming but Stiles has already been unconscious too long.
He remembers hearing the words one of the doctors told Laura years ago.
They died from smoke inhalation long before the flames reached them.
At the time it was supposed to be a comfort, but right now all it does is send another wave of panic through him.
“Stiles, come on,” he pleads.
He tries to shift the beam again, when hands settle over his shoulders. “Woah there. We need to be careful with this. The ground might not be stable and we don’t want to risk either of you falling through.”
“You have to get him out,” Derek pleads. He turns around and feels relief wash over him when he recognizes two of the firefighters. “Buck. Bobby. Thank god. You have to help him.”
“Derek,” Buck says, kneeling down beside him. “How long has he been out?”
“I’m not sure,” Derek says. “I was out for my run and I came back to the building on fire.”
“Your boyfriend?” one of the firefighters asks.
Derek nods. “For now. I was going to ask him to marry me next week.”
“I’m sure you’ll get the chance,” Buck tells him. He turns to one of the others. “Eddie why don’t you get him out of here?”
Derek shakes his head, “No. I can’t leave him.”
“I understand that, Derek. But you know it will be easier for us to do our job and make sure we get him out of here safely if we’re not worrying about you.”
Derek wants to argue. The thought of leaving Stiles in here terrifies him. But he knows they’re right.
Derek lets the man Buck called Eddie help him to his feet. He turns to the others, “Please save him. I can’t lose him too.”
“We’re going to do everything we can,” Bobby tells him. “I promise you that.”
Derek nods and lets Eddie lead him away, only stopping once to look over his shoulder at Stiles’ unconscious form.
He clutches the book tightly to his chest as he waits. He knows it hasn’t been long. They’ve barely been outside more than a minute.
“We should probably have the paramedics check you over,” Eddie tells him. “You were in there a while.”
“I’m fine,” Derek tells him. “I just need Stiles to be okay.”
“That’s your boyfriend?”
Derek nods.
“How long have you two been together?” Eddie asks him.
“Four years,” Derek says. “Though there was a lot of dancing around each other before that.”
“I get that,” Eddie says.
“You have someone?” Derek asks, hoping maybe the conversation will ease some of his worries.
His brains registers that this is the most likely the same Eddie Buck has talked about whenever he’s seen him at his sister Laura’s cafe. That’s where he first met him, Bobby, Hen, and Chimney. He hasn’t brought Eddie in yet, and Derek has a feeling he knows why.
“I did,” Eddie says. “A wife. We’re divorced now. But I have son. And... “
Derek doesn’t miss the way his eyes drift towards the building. “I know it’s hard, but it’s better to tell him. You never know when something might happen and you’re left wishing you had.”
Eddie looks over at him, “How did you know there was a him?”
“I know the look,” Derek shrugs, “and I know Buck.”
“So you’re the Derek he’s mentioned,” Eddie says. “I should have known when you said Stiles. It’s not exactly a common name.”
“It’s a nickname,” Derek tells. “His real name is Polish and only few know it.”
Derek looks towards the building, feeling the fear creeping back in. They have to get Stiles out of there. If they don’t...
Eddie nods his head towards the book in Derek’s hands, “What’s that?”
“This is what my idiot boyfriend went back into our apartment for,” Derek says. He stokes the cover with one of his fingers. “I wasn’t here. I was out for my run. But our neighbor said he went back in for something. And he was holding this. It’s a scrapbook. He’s spent a lot of time on it. I know people would tell him they’re just pictures but not to Stiles. Some of these are the last ones we both have.”
“You’ve lost someone before.”
“My family died in a fire when I was sixteen,” Derek says. “All but two of my sisters and my uncle. So that’s why this is so…” He has to stop and clear his throat.
“They’re going to get him out,” Eddie promises. “They’re good at their jobs.”
Derek nods, “I know. But I still worry.”
“We all do,” Eddie tells him. “But we have to trust that the ones we love will come back to us.”
“Is that what you’re doing right now?”
“It’s what I do every time we’re on scene,” Eddie tells him. “It hasn’t failed me yet. And it won’t this time. For either of us.”
Derek takes a deep breath and nods, “I hope you’re right.”
The moment he sees them carrying Stiles out he rushes forward. He’s there, trying to stay out of the way as they load him onto the stretcher. Stiles still isn’t conscious and looks so pale beneath the grime covering his skin.
“Is he going to be okay?”
“He’s stable,” Hen tells him. “But the next few hours are going to be important.”
Derek nods. He looks over to see Eddie hugging Buck tightly. Derek turns away when he sees them kissing, not wanting to intrude on their moment. Though he is happy they finally worked it out.
“Well that’s about damn time,” Hen says. “I wonder what finally got them to get it together.”
“I told Eddie it’s better just to tell someone when you care,” Derek says. “I guess he listened.”
“He should have talked to you a long time ago,” Chimney says.
“We need to get going,” Hen says. “He inhaled a lot of smoke.”
Derek nods. He lets them load Stiles into the ambulance before following behind them. His ears are trained to Stiles’ heartbeat the whole time.
The beeping of the machines sounds a little too loud for Derek, but they’re a comfort nonetheless. A sign that Stiles is alive. He’s breathing. But he still hasn’t woken up.
Derek feels drained.
He’s been sitting here for hours, just waiting for Stiles to wake up. The longer he sits here, the more he worries. It’s as if everything he hasn’t allowed himself to feel since he first saw the flames licking at the building is bubbling to the surface.
He puts his head in his hands and feels his shoulders start to shake. Seeing Stiles like this is killing him.
“Please, Stiles. I need you to wake up. I can’t… I can’t do this without you.”
A hand rests on Derek’s shoulder and squeezes gently, “He’s going to wake up, Der.”
Derek had almost forgotten Laura was in the room, too caught up in his own thoughts. She’d shown up shortly after they admitted Stiles, and had refused to leave. Even when Derek told her he could handle it. He’s grateful she didn’t listen. If anyone can understand what Derek is feeling right now, it’s her.
“Yeah he’s probably just being stubborn,” Buck says from the doorway. “You know, drawing it out for maximum attention.”
Derek shakes his head, “That does sound like Stiles.”
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Laura says, grinning over at Buck. “Is he here? Please tell me I finally get to meet this dreamboat you’ve been talking about?”
“Dreamboat?” Eddie says from somewhere behind Buck. “Is there someone else Buck?”
Buck rolls his eyes fondly, “Oh please. You know it’s you.”
“You’re really missing all the fun, Stiles,” Derek tells him, squeezing his hand. “Buck’s finally found someone who can put up with him.”
“Hey!”
Laura just laughs.
“Hard to miss it when you’re being so loud,” Stiles mumbles.
Derek sits up straight, staring down at Stiles. He hasn’t opened his eyes, but Derek knows he spoke.
“Of course the first thing he says would be some smartass comment,” Laura sighs. “I’m so proud.”
“Stiles.” Derek moves until he’s sitting next to him on the bed.
Stiles blinks his eyes open, and Derek has never been more relieved to see those chocolate brown eyes staring up at him. He laughs wetly and leans down, pressing his forehead against Stiles’. “You’re okay.”
“Of course I am,” Stiles says. He brings a hand up to brush through Derek’s hair. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
Derek kisses him, not caring that they have an audience. He just needs to. He needs to feel Stiles’ lips against his own, and his hands on his skin. He needs to feel him warm and safe and alive in his arms.
“I love you so much,” he whispers.
“I love you too,” Stiles says. “I’m sorry I worried you. I just…”
“I know,” Derek sighs. “You went in for the book.”
“It’s the only pictures you have of your family. And some of the last ones I have of my mom.”
“You really should go digital,” Laura says.
“Oh we definitely will now,” Derek says. “Because this is not happening again.”
“God I hope not,” Stiles says, shifting uncomfortably in the bed. “I hate hospital beds.”
“I’m sure you’ll be out soon enough,” Buck tells him. “They just need to check you over.”
“And you,” Stiles says, pointing a finger at him. “What’s this I hear about you finding someone?”
“Eddie,” Buck says, pointing to the man next to him.
“So you’re Eddie,” Stiles says, giving him an assessing glance before smiling. “I can see it.”
“It’s nice to meet you, stiles,” Eddie says. “You have a good one here.”
Stiles smiles at Derek, and squeezes his hand. “I definitely do.”
“We’ll all have to get together when you’re feeling up for it,” Eddie tells them.
“Oh definitely,” Stiles says. “I have plenty of stories to share about good old Buck, here.”
Eddie grins, “Oh really? Like what?”
“Like this one time someone changed out his shampoo in his apartment,” Stiles says. “Let’s just say he had bright pink hair.”
Derek tilts his head, “Didn’t you do that?”
Buck narrows his eyes, “What is this betrayal? And I can’t even be mad at you because you’re in a hospital bed.”
Stiles grins, “I have to get my kicks somehow.”
“You just wait until you’re better,” Buck warns him.
Stiles gasps and turns to Derek, “Are you really going to let him threaten me?”
“Hey as long as he stays away from my stuff, I’m good.”
“Seriously?”
“You’re the one that started it,” Derek reminds him.
“He did! He painted my nails bright yellow, knowing that I hate yellow. With real paint. It was stuck there for weeks. Weeks .”
“Man,” Eddie says, grinning over at Buck. “That’s cold.”
“Yeah you could at least added a touch of pink,” Laura says.
“I wasn’t going for pretty,” Buck tells them.
“How did this even start?” Eddie asks, clearly curious.
Stiles tilts his head, “You know, I don’t remember. Do you?”
Buck shakes his head, “No idea. I think we were drunk.”
“Then why are you still doing it?” Eddie asks him.
“Because one of us has to win,” Stiles says, as if it’s the most obvious answer.
“How do you decide who wins?”
Stiles and Buck share a look. Stiles shrugs, “Guess we’ll just have to keep going until we find out.”
“Welcome to the chaos,” Derek tells him.
“It’s a good chaos,” Buck says.
“I know I should be afraid but right now I’m just too curious,” Eddie admits.
“That’s the usually the way it goes,” Derek tells him. “I’ve learned to just sit back and watch. As long as it’s not too dangerous.”
“It’s never dangerous,” Stiles tells him.
Derek doesn’t comment.
“Well we should let you get some rest,” Buck says. He walks over and hugs Stiles, squeezing his shoulder, before pulling back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks to you,” Derek tells him. “And the others.”
“Nah we were just doing our jobs,” Buck tells him. “And well, this time it was a little personal because we know you.”
“I still owe you,” Stiles tells him.
“Enough to let me win the prank war?”
Stiles laughs, “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Derek rolls his eyes, “Of course not.”
“Where are you guys staying?” Eddie asks them.
Derek honestly hadn’t thought about it. His main concern had been Stiles’ health.
“They’ll be staying with me,” Laura tells him. “I have plenty of room.”
Eddie nods, “Good.”
“They’re going to be well taken care of,” Laura tells him. “Don’t you worry. They’ll be so looked after that they’ll be sick of me.”
“And probably begging for someone else to take us in,” Derek jokes.
Eddie laughs, “Well the offer for crashing at my place is on the table if you want it.”
“We appreciate it,” Derek tells him. He leads Eddie towards the door, until they’re out of earshot of the others. “I think you should enjoy some time with a certain someone, don’t you?”
“My son is at his moms…”
Derek grins, “There you go.”
“What’s going on?” Buck asks, stepping up beside Eddie.
“Nothing,” Derek says innocently. “Just enjoy your night.”
“That didn’t sound suspicious at all,” Buck says,
Eddie takes his hand, “Come on. We should let Stiles rest.”
“Call us if anything changes,” Buck tells him.
Derek agrees and waves them off. When he enters it’s to find that Laura is also gone from the room. “Where’d Laura go?”
“She thought we could us some time alone,” Stiles says. He pats the spot next to him on the bed. “She’s not wrong. I could use some Derek cuddles right about now.”
Derek is more than willing to give them. It’s tight fit on the bed, but they make it work. Derek rests his head on the pillow while Stiles has his resting on Derek’s chest. He can still smell the smoke in Stiles’ hair and he hates it. He knows Stiles probably does to. He looks forward to when they can get him out of here and cleaned up.
For now, he settles in. Letting himself relax with the knowledge that Stiles really is okay. They might have lost a lot in the fire. Derek’s sure of it. But they still have each other. That’s what matters.