Derek feels a lot of things while Felicity's processing the information. At first, he's hopeful. Then, cautiously hopeful. And finally, as he catches that scent in the air around her, disappointment. His stomach knots itself with upset, but his poker face doesn't show it; he's gotten very good at that over the years.
It makes sense for her to be afraid. There are a lot of ugly things in the fictional mythology of werewolves. Hell, for all he knows, they're a real thing in her world and what she's heard and thought was myth was real all along. She has ever reason to be fearful, but that doesn't take the sting out of it for him.
So when she puts her finger up, it's in vain because he didn't plan to speak again until she did anyway, but he nods and waits all the same.
His eyes shift down so that he's not watching her any longer, giving her a chance to process it in privacy. It's the first time he's ever told someone without them figuring it out on their own before he could; it's a hell of a lot harder than it looks.
When Felicity speaks again, Derek's eyes shift up to meet hers. "It means that I was born a man who can become a wolf." That's not...technically true. He'd only fairly recently evolved into the sort of werewolf with the rare ability to go full wolf, but he could go half. Most of the time, he prefers to go half, because then he still has opposable thumbs. The human body is fragile as hell, but it certainly is convenient for fighting. "My eyes don't really look like this. I can grow claws and fangs. I could turn into a full-on wolf."
He pauses then and leans forward again, slowly, lowering his voice just for her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity. Or anyone. I have complete control of my turns and the full moon doesn't really effect me anymore. Not like when I was a kid. You don't have to be afraid."
no subject
It makes sense for her to be afraid. There are a lot of ugly things in the fictional mythology of werewolves. Hell, for all he knows, they're a real thing in her world and what she's heard and thought was myth was real all along. She has ever reason to be fearful, but that doesn't take the sting out of it for him.
So when she puts her finger up, it's in vain because he didn't plan to speak again until she did anyway, but he nods and waits all the same.
His eyes shift down so that he's not watching her any longer, giving her a chance to process it in privacy. It's the first time he's ever told someone without them figuring it out on their own before he could; it's a hell of a lot harder than it looks.
When Felicity speaks again, Derek's eyes shift up to meet hers. "It means that I was born a man who can become a wolf." That's not...technically true. He'd only fairly recently evolved into the sort of werewolf with the rare ability to go full wolf, but he could go half. Most of the time, he prefers to go half, because then he still has opposable thumbs. The human body is fragile as hell, but it certainly is convenient for fighting. "My eyes don't really look like this. I can grow claws and fangs. I could turn into a full-on wolf."
He pauses then and leans forward again, slowly, lowering his voice just for her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity. Or anyone. I have complete control of my turns and the full moon doesn't really effect me anymore. Not like when I was a kid. You don't have to be afraid."