A store on the mainland- Tuesday

[throughaphase]

It had actually been a really long time since Kitty had been able to snag Derek for some shopping time, which she took as more proof that the last few months had been terrible. But hey, at least they were able to get out now, and hat was something.

"So what are we looking for?" she asked as they entered the store.


[For the werewolf shopping buddy, and NFB for distance!]

Comments

[justlurkinghere]

"He did that before." Which, admittedly, pretty weird. "And it's complicated."

[throughaphase]

"What's complicated?" she asked, looking through a rack.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek sighed so hard at that. "Everything with Stiles."

[throughaphase]

"When hasn't that been complicated?" Truth.

[justlurkinghere]

"It's more complicated now."

[throughaphase]

Kitty just raised her eyebrows and waited for the explanation. Use your words, Derek.

[justlurkinghere]

"What? You said you heard radio."

He was such a special man, wasn't he?

[throughaphase]

"Yeah, but what's that got to do with Stiles-"

And then she stopped and narrowed her eyes at him.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek grabbed a shirt off the rack. "I'm going to try this on."

Maybe hide from the judgement.

[throughaphase]

"Wait, since when?" she asked, totally stepping in front of his path to the dressing room.

[justlurkinghere]

"Graduation." Ish.

[throughaphase]

"Sooo, you're not together till a set date?" How were you two still confusing?

[justlurkinghere]

"I'm--nothing is happening. We're waiting."

With illicit kissing.

[throughaphase]

"I'm confused," Kitty said. "Last I knew you two were working things out after you threw his crush in his face and told him it was never happening."

[justlurkinghere]

"I overreacted to something." Understatement. "And we talked about it."

[throughaphase]

"You broke his heart and started going to therapy," Kitty reminded him.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek's mouth thinned and his jaw went tight at that. He shouldered past her to get to the dressing room.

[throughaphase]

"Don't get mad at me for reminding you of what actually happened," she said, and she'd just follow him to stand outside the dressing room. "Has this been a thing since then?"

[justlurkinghere]

"It's something we've been discussing," Derek snapped. A lot of discussing. Just to be safe.

[throughaphase]

Kitty was quiet for a moment.

"Gotta love how every time there's a crisis with you two, I hear all about it, but this I'm clueless on till I hear it on radio," she grumbled.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek gave her an incredulous look. "You're mad we didn't tell you?"

[throughaphase]

"I'm mad about the whole stupid world these days. But yeah, I'm mad you didn't tell me," Kitty said.

[justlurkinghere]

"Nothing was even set," Derek snapped defensively. Because the whole relationship was something he held on tightly to, ever aware of how easily it could just fall apart. "I wasn't going to just tell everyone when he could call it off before..."

[throughaphase]

"This is my first experience with a 'we're going to be in a relationship as of this date' type thing, but I'm pretty sure once you decide that you're technically already in a relationship," Kitty said. "And not to make it all about me or anything, but I've supported you guys in everything, even when one or both of you were being dumb, even though neither of you have had any idea what's been going on in my life for a long time, and do you know how much it sucks to only ever hear the bad stuff?"

Months ago, she would have been a lot more supportive. Now the information she had mostly seemed problematic.

[justlurkinghere]

"My whole life is 'bad stuff,'" Derek snapped back. "I'm sorry if I wanted to hold onto one of the few nice things and keep it to myself."

[throughaphase]

"In case he called it off," she reminded him.

[justlurkinghere]

"Yes. In case he changed his mind. So he had a choice."

And Derek's crippling issues with relationships.

[throughaphase]

"If you think he'd do that, you don't know Stiles very well," Kitty said bluntly.

[justlurkinghere]

"I'm still giving him the choice," Derek hissed.

[throughaphase]

"Sure," she said with a sigh. "Guess I'll go find you more clothes to impress your secret boyfriend then."

[justlurkinghere]

"Oh my god," Derek muttered, looking up at the ceiling like it would save him from this.

[throughaphase]

"That's why we're here, isn't it?" Kitty asked, folding her arms.

[justlurkinghere]

"Yes. I went out with you to buy something to impress my secret boyfriend," Derek deadpanned. "You've figured out how I'm using you for fashion tips."

[throughaphase]

"Then why are we here?"

[justlurkinghere]

"To keep you out of halter tops."

[throughaphase]

"Thanks," Kitty said, rolling her eyes.

[justlurkinghere]

"Fine, you want to be pissed off at me?" Derek asked, politely putting the random shirt he'd picked back on a rack. "Go ahead."

And with that, walked away. Because he was either flouncing off or maybe the therapy was working with his need to confront things using violence.

[throughaphase]

Kitty was totally fine letting him go, since there probably wasn't any recovering from this one today. She could wander around on her own. Away from the halter tops.

Because exactly what she'd needed when she was feeling cut off from her friend was him bringing up something she hadn't even done in a year. Sigh.