[ Even though he's cooling down, Derek's tone is still sharp. He's still pretty god damn certain that he's not important to Tate at all, actually - but that's not what he's saying. He doesn't want Tate to think he needs to do whatever Derek wants to keep him in his good graces. All that anger's still making him sick, directionless and all-consuming as it is, but fuck, he really doesn't want Tate to feel like there has to be something transactional to keep him around.
Tate's just the kid with fucked up issues who doesn't have anyone else to rely on. Derek felt sorry for him, got attached, and that was his own fault. He just needs to pull back. They're not friends, they're not pack, and that's - fine, because again, Derek's the idiot who made that mistake, and it's good to get out now, before things get real. The shame of his own reaction, Tate's willingness to say things to get under his skin and get what he wants, Tate's apparent decision to stick to self-destruction - it's just way too much of a hurdle for Derek to jump over. He just...
He'll be here for him. That's it. He won't get attached again. Can't.
Derek waits for Tate to calm down a little, then slowly bleeds his eyes back to hazel. He doesn't pull away from Tate's touch, mostly because he doesn't feel like he can, but there's an acidic pit in his stomach and a resolution that needs to be addressed. Somehow. ]
Look - forget about the bite. I'll find another beta. We can still train, I'll still help you with your anger, and I'll help you with this idea if you get it off the ground - but that's all we need to be. Okay?
[ Shouldn't have been pushing Tate for more. Shouldn't have been pressuring him into trying to make him happy. ]
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[ Even though he's cooling down, Derek's tone is still sharp. He's still pretty god damn certain that he's not important to Tate at all, actually - but that's not what he's saying. He doesn't want Tate to think he needs to do whatever Derek wants to keep him in his good graces. All that anger's still making him sick, directionless and all-consuming as it is, but fuck, he really doesn't want Tate to feel like there has to be something transactional to keep him around.
Tate's just the kid with fucked up issues who doesn't have anyone else to rely on. Derek felt sorry for him, got attached, and that was his own fault. He just needs to pull back. They're not friends, they're not pack, and that's - fine, because again, Derek's the idiot who made that mistake, and it's good to get out now, before things get real. The shame of his own reaction, Tate's willingness to say things to get under his skin and get what he wants, Tate's apparent decision to stick to self-destruction - it's just way too much of a hurdle for Derek to jump over. He just...
He'll be here for him. That's it. He won't get attached again. Can't.
Derek waits for Tate to calm down a little, then slowly bleeds his eyes back to hazel. He doesn't pull away from Tate's touch, mostly because he doesn't feel like he can, but there's an acidic pit in his stomach and a resolution that needs to be addressed. Somehow. ]
Look - forget about the bite. I'll find another beta. We can still train, I'll still help you with your anger, and I'll help you with this idea if you get it off the ground - but that's all we need to be. Okay?
[ Shouldn't have been pushing Tate for more. Shouldn't have been pressuring him into trying to make him happy. ]