[ Tate's look goes ignored, but that just means Derek's shooting a third, impassive look, perfectly crafted to look like he didn't notice Tate's response. It doesn't last, though. Tate keeps talking, tries to comfort him, and it's-- fine, it still feels good, but it's wrong, and it's not fair, and Tate doesn't... know. Nobody knows. ]
No, I mean - she didn't...
[ Derek looks at Tate for a long, long time. There are parts of this he hasn't said out loud, things he hasn't told anyone - not Laura, not Peter, not Stiles. Stiles is smart enough to know, even if Derek's never addressed it, and this is more of a poorly-kept secret, never brought up out of kindness, he thinks, but he's never... he hasn't ever told the full story.
And maybe he should. There's a brief flash of warning in the back of his mind - a memory of Stiles reminding him that Tate knows about his being a werewolf, the quiet, sensible breaching of the fact that Tate could share all of Derek's weaknesses if thing went south between them. If Stiles hadn't brought all that up, Derek might never have replied to Tate's text. Might have committed to cutting him out, like he said he was going to.
But that's - in the past. They need each other. Derek needs him. ]
We...
[ Derek looks at Tate. ]
We were together. Me and Kate. It wasn't-- I mean, I was fifteen, sixteen, she was in her twenties. I was-- I'd just killed my-- I was in grieving? It...
[ It wasn't normal. He doesn't want to say it was abusive, even if it was, because painting Kate to be a monster when the fire was ultimately his fault is just going to make Tate sympathize with him instead of vilify him like he deserves. It's obvious, though, that Derek's never talked about this before, from the way he stutters over himself and ]
She didn't just target my family because she knew me. She targeted my family because I specifically told her where they lived. She hunted us because I invited her to my doorstep.
no subject
No, I mean - she didn't...
[ Derek looks at Tate for a long, long time. There are parts of this he hasn't said out loud, things he hasn't told anyone - not Laura, not Peter, not Stiles. Stiles is smart enough to know, even if Derek's never addressed it, and this is more of a poorly-kept secret, never brought up out of kindness, he thinks, but he's never... he hasn't ever told the full story.
And maybe he should. There's a brief flash of warning in the back of his mind - a memory of Stiles reminding him that Tate knows about his being a werewolf, the quiet, sensible breaching of the fact that Tate could share all of Derek's weaknesses if thing went south between them. If Stiles hadn't brought all that up, Derek might never have replied to Tate's text. Might have committed to cutting him out, like he said he was going to.
But that's - in the past. They need each other. Derek needs him. ]
We...
[ Derek looks at Tate. ]
We were together. Me and Kate. It wasn't-- I mean, I was fifteen, sixteen, she was in her twenties. I was-- I'd just killed my-- I was in grieving? It...
[ It wasn't normal. He doesn't want to say it was abusive, even if it was, because painting Kate to be a monster when the fire was ultimately his fault is just going to make Tate sympathize with him instead of vilify him like he deserves. It's obvious, though, that Derek's never talked about this before, from the way he stutters over himself and ]
She didn't just target my family because she knew me. She targeted my family because I specifically told her where they lived. She hunted us because I invited her to my doorstep.