Bonnie hadn't expected to stay out so late, but Jake proved a surprisingly engaging dinner date. He was funny and smart and cute, and seemingly without any complications of the supernatural nature.

Then why didn't I agree to a second date?

She let herself in and nearly stumbled, apart from the small lamp by the futon the apartment was completely dark. Derek was sleeping soundly, and she allowed herself a small smile. Trying to figure out a place and purpose for her magic in this new place was self-defeating at times, but at least she could help a friend.

Shrugging off her jacket, she crept to the lamp and looked down at the sleeping werewolf, her hand poised over the switch. She could feel the pulse of protective magic around them, a sign the spell was effective and strong.

Bonnie knelt and glanced under the futon, and sure enough the crescent shape glowed with a light only a witch could see.

Perfect.

Before she could stand, a large hand tugged her in the air as easily as if she were a ragdoll. A heavy weight pushed her down onto the futon.

"Derek what the fuck!" she swore, tossing her tumbled hair off her face.

"What are you doing?" he snarled, eyes flashing red.

"Get off of me!"

Bonnie met his stare uncowed and repeated, "Get off me before I throw you off."

His eyebrow quirked, almost in challenge, and Bonnie felt irritation and magic burning at her fingertips. But the next second Derek slid off her and she sat up. His eyes dropped to her chest for a second and she realized the loose tank she wore was all askew, exposing the lace-edge of her bra.

Derek frowned and glanced away immediately, as though angry at himself. She straightened up and got off, suddenly warm all over.

"Sneaking up on wolves is a bad idea, Bonnie."

"Apparently so is trying to help a friend," she bit back, still angry, "But, hey, if rage-inducing nightmares are your thing go right ahead."

She knew that was unfair, cruel even, but she was tired. Tired of people only wanting her help for ulterior ends. Tired of everyone thinking they had a right to decide when she used her magic.

"If you think I need protecting- ,"

"Fine," Bonnie cut him off, "Join the long ass list of people who I wouldn't lift a finger to help. There's a whole town of them in Mystic Falls."

Her voice caught unexpectedly on the last words, like swallowing a piece of bone. Derek looked almost taken aback, about to say something, but she'd be damned if she let him see her at her weakest.

She stalked back to her room, feeling his eyes on her. As soon as the door closed she slid to the ground and gulped her tears. Wiping her face on her shirt, she realized it now smelled faintly of Derek. A lingering scent, like the forest after rain, like ashes after fire.

Her clock read 4:30 am. Work started in less than 6 hours and Bonnie was no closer to falling asleep.

Damn him. Stupid werewolf.

She oscillated between mentally railing against the alpha who was surely sleeping soundly in her living room on her futon right now thanks to the protective spell cast by her magic.

Focusing her anger on Derek helped ease the nagging ache of Mystic Falls and the friends she'd left behind. Unanswered voice mails from Elena filled her cellphone. Even Damon had sent her a characteristically snarky text asking how she was.

No, she corrected herself. They left me behind, a long time ago. And I was too stupid to realize it.

When Derek and Boyd had asked for her help and she'd agreed to let him stay with her, she'd been glad to. It was refreshing to decide to help on her own terms.

And Derek had managed to make her feel stupid and unwanted all over again with his damn alpha pride.

She told herself the flash of contrition in his eyes was her imagination.

I was just seeing what I want to see.

Bonnie tried not to think about the way his eyes made her feel. Or how that damn tanktop outlined his chest. Or how his sleep-tousled hair was far too tempting.

But mostly she tried not to think about how much she wanted to reach out to him, to hold his hand amid the darkness they were both wandering through.

She didn't sleep at all.

Her scent was everywhere. Derek lay awake, staring a hole in the ceiling and trying not to think of the woman in the next room. She would probably sleep just fine, now that her annoyingly coaxing scent was all over his bed-space.

Although he couldn't suppress the wave of...something, something warm and sweet, that washed over him when he thought of her angry Get off me before I throw you off.

However else she'd changed, Bonnie was the still the girl who'd threatened to throw a rock at him despite being lost in the woods alone.

Then he thought of her stomping off, the catch in her voice when she likened him to the folks in her old town.

His werewolf-hearing could discern her quiet crying and it made him uncomfortable in a strange, nagging way. What was he supposed to do? It wasn't his fault everyone back in Mystic Falls was an asshole. He was just asserting himself, his ability to protect himself. As an alpha should.

Still the image of her stricken, angry eyes kept needling him. It was almost as frustrating as the image of her disheveled shirt and hair, her breasts rising angrily above the tempting lace.

Derek bit off a curse and curled his fists.

Bonnie Bennett was taking up entirely too much space in his head.

Bonnie was not a morning person even when she slept well. That morning she felt positively demonic, ready to cut like a machete through everything and everyone.

Derek and his stupid tanktop were eating at the kitchen table. She ignored his low-voiced greeting and slammed the cupboard door open. Pouring her cereal, she started the coffee maker and was about to leave the kitchen when she saw it. A second bowl of cereal, her cereal, sat next to Derek.

For a moment she blinked, her sleep-starved mind struggling to focus. It'd been ready for some time, she could tell the flakes were soggy and saturated.

Did Derek Hale...?

"Uhmm, thanks," she muttered, "I didn't get up with my alarm."

"Yea I heard it."

He glanced up and she noticed how his eyes gleamed somewhere between hazel and green and silver. Mercurial and elusive. Drawing her gaze only to trap it.

"How'd you sleep?" she turned back to the coffee maker, still feeling those eyes on her. Her heart decided to betray her by speeding up.

Stupid heart.

"Uh, good, thanks," he paused. "Thank you."

The real contrition in his voice, the way it dropped low and almost soft, didn't help her fluttering heartbeat.

Not at all.

Each stair felt like a fucking mountain. Bonnie hauled her exhausted, bleary-eyed self up to the apartment. After she got off work at 8, Maya had demanded they go over some spellwork, and it was nearly midnight by the time she was finished with Bonnie.

As much as she valued Maya's guidance and friendship, the older witch was tough and exacting when it came to magic, and she'd insisted that Bonnie needed to push herself harder. Whenever she remembered her dreams, the strange violet fire and that cold, grey-eyed face, the sense of dread clawing her throat when she awoke, she was determined to redouble her efforts.

Right now though, Bonnie felt like even a limp kitten would be too much for her, much less the looming supernatural threat her dreams prophesied.

The apartment was dark, and quiet. No Derek in sight. Dropping her things on the floor, Bonnie stumbled to the futon, her head throbbing with the resonant exhaustion of powerful magic. Her nose burned with the familiar metallic tang of blood.

I'll just lie here until the headache passes

In her drained state the old futon was as comfortable as a luxury mattress. Bonnie curled up her aching limbs, slipping off her shoes and nuzzling into the pillow with a small moan of satisfaction.

She fell asleep lulled by the smell of rainy earth and woodsmoke.

It was well past midnight when Derek trudged up the stairs to the apartment. Training had gone well that night, although he couldn't shake the slight unease inexplicably gnawing at his edges. sensing a threat he couldn't see or smell. Peter had insisted they avoid the Hale house after they'd found that slaughtered omega there weeks ago. It was the whole reason he'd let himself get talked into staying with Bonnie.

But if the unexplained killing was a message, they still had no fucking clue what it could mean. The others felt it too, he could see it in their tightly wound postures, a pulse of electricity that would randomly catch the pack's eye but disappear before they grasped it.

Derek sensed her closeness as soon as he walked in. Her heartbeat was strong and peaceful as a river current, her breathing even.

Great she's on the futon. What the hell am I supposed to do now.

He was looking forward to a night's rest, so he could clear his brain and stop thinking about what latest danger threatened his pack.
Stop thinking about Bonnie and her gorgeous lace-covered breasts and the smile he was starting to look forward to against all his instincts.

Fuck.

Derek pursed his lips. He really had to get that night and her askew shirt out of his mind.

Not that she's making it easier by sleeping on the goddamned futon.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? He considered waking her, but she was curled on her side, serene-faced and deeply asleep.

I could carry her.

He frowned. No, he didn't want to think about how she'd fit in his arms or what she would do if she awoke. Would she be angry or...?

No, carrying was not an option.

The thought of sleeping in her bed was smothered almost before he could think it. The sheets would be covered in her scent, positively soaked in it. He'd never be able to fall asleep anyway. And he really didn't care to discover any of her annoying lacy undergarments lying around.

Bonnie stirred in sleep, rubbing her face into the pillow, and the movement caused her camisole to shift revealingly.

Fuck.

Derek glanced around. The floor presented itself as the last and most viable option. He'd certainly slept on worse.

Shrugging off his jacket, the alpha rolled it up like a pillow. As he knelt he noticed a small smudge under Bonnie's nose, above her lip. A spot of dried blood.

She'd been using her magic. Pretty hard too from the looks of it. He scowled again as a surge of protectiveness caught him by the throat, abetted by the foreboding feeling that plagued him earlier.

He wonder if Bonnie felt the same looming threat. For the first time he conceded that she'd be a good, even formidable ally.

The protectiveness came back full force at the thought.

Derek brushed the dry blood from its spot. His finger lingered involuntarily on the soft curve of her upper lip.

The wolf snapped his hand back. Suddenly the reality of her nearness, the reality he'd been fighting since he started staying there, was dizzying.

He lay down on the floor.

Bonnie woke up groggily.

Shit how long was I asleep?

She rubbed her eyes and sat up. The living room came slowly into focus.

Dammit where -

She was expecting to find Derek lurking in a corner, ready to smirk at her. Instead he was on the ground, still dressed, sleeping.

On the floor beside her.

He didn't wake me up.

She startled awake and panic galloped through her heart. The forest was dark except for the faint cold light of stars. The leaves whispered in strange voices.

Then she saw him, the boy from earlier. He was lying a few feet away, eyes closed. A wolf howled in the distance and she gasped, sitting up. The boy's eyes flew open.

"Don't worry, they won't come here."

"How do you know?"

He shrugged, "I just do."

She watched him for a few moments and when he didn't move or say anything she relaxed a little, cautiously adding " I'm Bonnie."

He still wore his shoes, and she noted that they were plain black sneakers. She'd always assumed he wore steel-toed or combat boots or a combination, something suited to his indomitable alpha exterior.

But sneakers. Inconspicuous. Boyish almost.

A warmth spread through her chest. Goodnight Derek.

Just when she thought she'd figured him out, that she could armor herself against him the way she'd had to with so many others, a bowl of soggy cereal happened.

A quiet thank you happened

Plain black sneakers happened.

Bonnie lay back down, and sleep came easier than it had in weeks.