[ Tate... stammers, and there are some very real feelings behind what he says, but Derek doesn't know how to react. There's a second, just briefly, where Derek looks at him with completely unguarded emotion. He's sad, he's lost, and maybe he's even a little bit helpless. He had all these hopes for Tate, for what they could be for each other. He had the early sparks of genuine, honest love for him, and now it feels damaged and fractured and weak. He feels like he doesn't know who Tate is, anymore. Feels like losing family, or at least the potential for it. He should be used to that by now.

But Tate signed a contract with his drug dealer, and Tate put himself under the control of someone who either didn't care that he was dying or else actively helped it happen, and Derek doesn't say you're going to have to work hard to get my approval after this bullshit, but he does slowly shake his head, looking off to the side. That alone makes it clear. ]

Look - I'm burned out. We can talk more about your rebellion idea another time, if you still want to. I need...

[ Stiles. Derek scratches his eyebrow with his thumbnail, shaking his head again, looking down and away. ]

I need to go.