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Stiles is a little surprised when the doorbell rings and it's Kane on the other side of the door.
"Hi! What are you doing here?... Umm, not that I don't want you to be here... Just wondering, y'know?" Stiles says.
Kane snorts. "Yes, I know what you mean. I should have texted you or something. It's been a last minute decision," Kane says as he enters Stiles and Jackson's house.
"A client cancelled an appointment and I had some free time. I figured you'd be home."
"Yes, I've just arrived from Deaton's and was going to prepare some lunch if you want to stay."
"Thanks but I can't. I need to get back to work in twenty minutes. I came because I can't stop thinking about something since I found out. I just... I didn't know what to do..." Kane says shaking his head.
"Why don't you take a seat then?" Stiles says walking towards the big sofa in the living room. He takes a seat on an armchair and Kane sits on the sofa.
"What's going on? What's bothering you?"
Kane sighs and bites his lip before he finally starts talking.
"Y'know? I know you don't remember it but despite how our relationship started... or maybe because of how it started, we've always been honest with each other and I'm not about to change that now just because our husbands are too stubborn and blind to see that withholding information is almost like lying. I just... sometimes I hate this whole pack-shit-secrecy they have. It's stupid!" Kane says louder than he intended.
"Pack secrecy?" Stiles frowns confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about my husband and his shitty alpha code... or friendship code, or whatever... sometimes I don't know why he does the things he does... and the same happens with Jackson."
"The thing is that Derek told me something last night and I might have promised I wouldn't tell you."
"You promised him?"
"Yeah, sort of... But it was before he told me what it was. We were talking about Jackson, and how he was doing and there's no denying it, he feels so guilty."
"Guilty?"
"Yes, he feels he could have done more to help Jackson... but he promised him something and it's killing him. I can see it."
"Promised him? What do you mean?"
"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. The day Jackson fainted... Well, that morning, Derek came here to see how Jackson was doing and that's when he found out what was going on--"
"You mean the dizziness, the insomnia... everything that Deaton told us," Stiles interrupts him. "I knew that."
"Yes, but..." Kane hesitates. "What you don't know is that Derek realized that those symptoms were caused by your mate bond. Yours and Jackson's."
"What?" Stiles frowns. "I'm not sure I'm following you here."
"You left, Stiles. And Jackson didn't know... or didn't think that you were ever coming back, I'm not sure... but they're both pretty much the same. And the thing is you're mates and his wolf thought he had lost you and it was slowly affecting the bond you share... it was weakening it and weakening him at the same time... killing him."
Stiles closes his eyes for a second as he shakes his head before he opens them again.
"You have to be kidding me," Stiles frowns.
"Do I look like I'm kidding? I'd never tell you something like this if I wasn't sure it was true. And I'm sorry, but it is the truth. It's an arcane reason why you are bound together and he can't live without you... literally."
"And why didn't I feel anything then? Shouldn't I be affected too?"
"For what I understand it doesn't have that kind of physical effect on humans. You should have been affected emotionally but I guess that losing your memories may have altered how you're supposed to feel."
"Ok, so basically you're telling me that I caused this. I'm the reason why he's in a coma?"
"I didn't mean it like that... I guess indirectly? Yes. But when Derek realized what was going on he could have done something about it and Jackson definitely should have done something as well... and they did nothing. That's why I'm mad at Derek..." Kane shakes his head, obviously frustrated, "I understand that he wanted to respect Jackson's wishes but he is his alpha, for god's sake. He's supposed to be in charge and take care of his pack and god knows I love him but I can't understand why he's acted this way. He's supposed to be better than this. I'm terribly disappointed and so I told him, and we argued and he slept at Isaac's last night. And we've not talked again since then. So that's how things are now."
"Shit. I'm sorry."
"Don't be, really. He understands why I'm mad. It's not a big deal... but when we argue we just can't stay in the same place. I know we'll fix this. It's not the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last either."
"I guess he wanted to tell me before," Kane continues, "but he didn't want us to argue, so he knew very well what to expect, y'know? And I think he needed to hear it. He wanted me to tell him that what he did was reckless and I know he expected me to tell you as well, so it's not like I'm betraying his trust or something."
"You sure?"
"Yes, I am. I know him pretty damn well. And even if he didn't agree, there's no way I was gonna keep this from you. You're his fucking husband and my friend. You deserve to know. And if you had, maybe none of this would have happened."
Stiles rests his elbows on his knees and his face on the palm of his hands for a minute.
"I just..." Stiles says without moving. "This is all..."
"Fucked up?" Kane offers.
"Unbelievable," Stiles says looking again at Kane.
"I know, you don't need to tell me."
"So, let's see..." Stiles waves his right arm, "I'm guessing that obviously we didn't know about this when we did this bonding thing, right?"
"No, of course you didn't," Kane shakes his head.
"And why didn't Derek tell us?"
"Because it didn't cross his mind it was necessary. He had never seen two mates who wanted to separate, they had always stayed together for the rest of their lives, so, even if he had heard about it when he was little he never thought it could actually happen to you."
"But it happened. It happened to us! Damn it!" Stiles says louder but Kane doesn't seem surprised by his outburst, it's like he was expecting it to happen sooner or later.
"He should have fucking told us, don't you think?" Stiles waves both arms.
"I know what you mean. I do. And I agree... But to be honest, I'm not so sure it'd have made any difference because both of you really wanted it and you were sure. You were in love and you were finally getting married after all that drama that went down the previous months. What's happened to you... It's so unfair..." Kane bites his lips as he remembers the night of the accident for a moment. "You never expect that something like that will ever happen to you. No-one is prepared for that."
"But Jackson should have told you the moment he found out," Kane continues. "And if he wasn't unconscious, I'd slap him right now."
Stiles can't help but snort at that because it's true, it sounds like something Kane would do.
"But why? Why would he keep something like that from me? Why the hell didn't he tell me?" Stiles runs his right hand through his hair.
Kane snorts and smiles briefly for a moment. If he could ever forget that Stiles had lost his memory, that moment would have reminded him instantly.
"Because he loves you," Kane says simply.
"I know that."
"And because he's stubborn, and proud, and a werewolf and you're more important to him than his children or his own life. And believe me, I know it sounds completely crazy and if I wasn't married to one I'd not understand a single word of what I just said to you."
And this is a whole new level of craziness in his world. The more he thinks about it, the angrier he gets with Jackson.
"Don't be upset with Derek, you need to make up with him."
"I can't believe you're saying that. After what he did?" Because that is not what Kane was expecting to hear.
"Because he never lied to me. He told me from the start that Jackson needed me. He told me repeatedly to take care of him and I didn't listen to him." It hurts to admit it but after everything that has happened, Stiles has admitted to himself that he didn't really listen to different people, Derek among them.
"It was me who fucked up, not him. And yes, his duty is to look after his pack but Jackson is an adult who makes his own decisions and he should have known better than risking his life and the baby's. So I'm mad at him, not Derek. What right did he have to decide for me?" Stiles's voice breaks a little and Kane can see that this is affecting him more than he expected.
"It's my baby too, you know? His... or her life was at risk here and he still didn't bother to tell me anything. How could he do that to me?" Stiles says shaking his head.
"I know. But Derek says that Jackson never gave up on you. He was hoping to get you back and then none of that shit would have mattered. I'm sure he never expected to hurt the baby. I guess he expected to stop what was happening to him but obviously he fucked up that night."
"Are you okay?" Kane asks when Stiles doesn't say anything.
Stiles snorts. "No, I'm definitely not okay but thank you. Thanks for telling me." Because, as much as it hurts, this is something he needed to know.
"I know he loves me but what he did was wrong. He had no right to keep me in the dark. He's done it in the past. You know that when I came out of the coma he told me what he thought I needed to know... but this is so much worse. I can't understand it. Even if he wasn't pregnant I still couldn't understand it. When I went back home after the accident he promised to be honest with me... I just..."
Kane can see a few tears falling down Stiles cheeks that he quickly removes with his fingers.
"What is it?" Kane asks concerned.
"I haven't told anybody... not even my dad..." Stiles shakes his head.
"What do you mean?" Kane frowns.
"I remembered something else, apart from what I told you... I remembered a couple of things."
"Really? That's amazing." Kane says obviously surprised. "I hope it was happier this time... What was it? I mean, if you want to tell me..."
"Yeah, it was much happier. Now I know how my father found out about Jackson and me. Jackson never told me about that." Stiles smiles briefly, just a second, but Kane can see that it obviously makes him happy. "It was taking me a while to be honest with my father about us being together and one day Jackson simply kissed me in front of him... it's like he couldn't wait one more day, y'know?
"Really?" Kane smiles amused. "That sounds like him though. Poor sheriff."
"Poor sheriff?" Stiles waves his arms. "What about poor me? I'm the one who had to explain everything totally unprepared."
"I know... but that's just him. Sometimes he acts and thinks later. To hell with the consequences. He can be very unpredictable."
"Yeah, clearly that's not something I remembered." One of the many things about his husband that he can't remember.
"What was the other thing?" Kane asks.
"When he asked me to marry him." Stiles's smile reaches his eyes this time.
"Oh, I know that one." Kane smiles with excitement. "His famous proposal... We never heard the end of it. He was pretty proud of that one."
"Did he tell you about it?"
"No, Lydia was the only one who knew and that's because he needed her advice to choose the rings... He's really private about certain things, especially when it comes to you. But once your were engaged, yeah, of course, you told us and Jackson had to deal with being the secretly romantic nerd that he is because of you."
"He was so happy..." Stiles smiles, "and I was too. Kane, I know this is gonna sound weird but since I've been back at home I feel like we had something really good, y'know? We had built a life and we could start again... Which is also very depressing because it's like he's everywhere in this house. Many things are mine obviously but there are all these books, photos, clothes... all these things reminding me that he should be here and he isn't and now I understand what he went through with me... and how unfair I was to him... and it sucks big time."
"It doesn't sound so weird. It is your house and you're taking care of your son now. It could be your bond too, now that you're ready to accept it..." or so it seems to Kane, "it could be finally getting stronger again and things are coming back to you in different ways... not just in dreams. That's what Jackson wanted."
"I know," Stiles says as he considers Kane's words because it makes sense if he looks at it that way.
"I should get going," Kane says looking at his watch. "I still need to make a couple of phone calls but just let me say that I didn't come to tell you so that you felt guilty or something, okay? You simply deserve to know the truth. And just be sure that as fucked up as it is, Jackson did it out of love for you... and my husband, because he's complicated and loyal... and forgets he's the alpha more times than he wants to admit."
"I hope you can fix things," Stiles says getting up.
"Oh yeah, we will," Kane follows Stiles who walk to the front door and opens it.
"Don't worry, he'll be back home tonight and we'll talk," Kane assures him.
"I hope so but text me, okay?"
"Sure," Kane smiles.
"And Stiles, he's waking up." Kane says once he steps outside. "You'll be able to tell him what an asshole he's been, okay?" It's delivered like a joke but Stiles can easily see the message behind it.
Don't worry, he's coming back.
"Yeah." Sure. Maybe. Who knows.
"Thank you, Kane."
Kane opens the door of his car.
"You'll see I'm right," Kane smiles before getting into his car.
Stiles shakes his head before closing the door.