'hunted'
oneshot - derek has a vivid dream in which he's being hunted. (for a writing group im a part of, basically he has a memory in the form of a dream from the timeline of the movie!) (1k words)
character - derek danforth (the beekeeper)
tags: angst, nightmares, cussing, brief drug mention
.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.
derek wasn’t normally the type to get too many nightmares. he would never really remember his dreams at all. when he went to bed at night in whichever bedroom in his house he desired, beside whomever he desired, he was knocked out like a light. that’s just what happens when you have all the money you could ever dream of and stink of privilege, that was derek danforths life.
.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.
it wasn’t like he never experienced stress. in reality derek was more stressed than he would ever let on. running his business wasn’t easy despite what people would say. a nepo baby who never had to want for anything. legitimacy and morals aside, derek worked his ass off. danforth enterprises was what it was today because of him. not anyone else. not his mother. and certainly not his father.
so it was no surprise that his nightmare that night rattled him.
from the get go, he felt a swirling sense of paranoia invade its way around his skull like a ghost as he slips into the nightmare. it seeps through every crack, every crevice it can worm its way into. that same fear spread down his limbs and across his back, making his shoulders grow tense.
this didn’t feel like work stress, it felt worse. it felt more intense. it felt more threatening. more than just mindless work shit was on his mind. why couldn’t he place it?
derek felt cornered, sitting in his mothers office. his eyes dart between the windows and the doors. it felt as though the walls were closing in, threatening to crush him. he shrinks back into the chair, his hand coming up to pick at the side of his face - a habit his mother loathed and never kept quiet about.
but mom wasn’t here. no one was. it was just derek, alone.
his phone buzzes and he jumps in his seat, frightening him more than it should. shakily, his hand reaches out to pick it up, holding it so tightly that he might snap it in half if he’s not careful.
there’s breathing on the other end, and that causes his back to straighten. “who the fuck is that?” he spits out, feeling his breathing pick up pace.
the other line stays eerily quiet and this freaks him out more. fuck. were they already nearby? his eyes dart towards the windows again, expecting to see a figure only to be greeted with. . . absolutely nothing. an impending sense of doom spurs in his mind, unsure of where to go to alleviate it. he felt trapped, cornered. and derek didn’t like that. he didn’t enjoy feeling like a prey animal, when all his life he always presented as predator.
“i said who the fuck is that?!” he calls out again, gripping the arm of the chair.
still nothing on the other end. until.
“i’m coming.” is all the voice says.
derek holds back a gasp, the voice confirming his fears.
he swallows hard and prays his voice not to shake, “fuck off. you can fucking try, bitch.” derek growls, but it’s clear to anyone who knows him just how much he’s rattled. before the other person can reply, he presses the disconnect button and throws his phone across the room.
breath escaping him, he pants, raking his fingers through his hair.
no one would let anything happen to him, right? there was no way. he was too important. there were so many people he could pay to protect his life. he could hear his fathers words ringing in his ears, ‘i told you so.’. derek lets out a whine and covers his ears.
no, no, no. this wasn’t happening. this absolutely fucking wasn’t happening right now.
every creek within the old walls had him jumping, completely on edge. his heart races away from him. he’s seconds away from calling for his mom, hands aching to grip onto something real, something that could ground him. he feels pathetic for wanting his mother, but something deep inside him tells him that not even she could make him feel better.
and he’s glad no one else can see him like this. he’d never act this way in front of anyone. derek wasn’t known for his calm and collected manner, but he tried to never show weakness in the form of fear. he kept it bottled up, hidden away until he could get his hands on something that made him feel at ease, usually in the form of that sweet white powder he loved so much.
so now, completely alone, he comes undone. he can feel tears form in his eyes as he grits his teeth. derek wasn’t ready to die. he had his whole life to live. who’d provide for his mom when he was gone? no one else could do the job like him. they’d just fuck it up. she’d lose her position and it’d be all their fault.
derek didn’t want to die. he couldn’t. silently he begs for more time.
until he’s ripped from his sleep with a gasp. derek grips the sheets as he sits up, gasping for breath over and over. for a few seconds, it feels like he’s still in that office. but after a few blinks, his surroundings come back to him. he’s home.
but it doesn’t feel the same. it doesn’t feel safe. he doesn’t feel so untouchable now. he almost feels. . . vulnerable.
he grabs at the bedsheets beside him and realises that no ones there. he suddenly regrets sleeping alone. he releases shaky breaths from his nose and reluctantly lays back down. gathering the duvet against him, he wraps himself tightly within it and lays with his back against the headboard, eyes scanning the room.
his bedroom suddenly felt too big. his eyes move between each object as if looking for any form of a threat. did the curtain just move? fuck. he was losing it.
the digital clock on his nightstand blinks: 3:21am. it was a long way to go till morning. and derek couldn’t bring himself to move.
instead, he sat like this until the sun crept into his bedroom, bringing a small sense of safety. but that feeling of unease stayed in his mind, pricking him whenever he got too comfortable. no time to relax, always on high alert.
he realises he isn't as untouchable as he once thought. and that thought. . . fucking terrifies him.
derek wasn’t ready to die.
.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.
‧₊˚ dedicated tags: @helen-on-earth @fatinhadesiners06 @boonam @sun-spider13 @laurrrelise @sammygirlism @sleepyhutcherson‧₊˚ ily all sm!! thank you!
.・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・. .・。.・゜✭・.
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Throne's End — CHAPTER 1: Open Gates
— Ten years after a merciless war forced the Great Houses into isolation, all of Varrelas gathers in Danforth, the kingdom of Gold and Progress, to celebrate reuniting once again. With a possible era of peace, enemies take the opportunity of the Houses opening their borders to their advantage.
Prince Derek, the only heir to the throne, finds himself questioning his life once an overwhelming gala forces him into his mother's old study, where he discovers something that reminds him of fateful night when his father lost his life.
LINK — CHAPTER 1 — REBLOGS ARE HEAVILY ENCOURAGED & APPRECIATED!
( Make sure to share + comment! Would love to see all your thoughts :3c )
Tags: Royalty/Fantasy [AU], DND Inspired, Drama, Slowburn (?), Action, Heavy Character Focus, Lore, and More!
Warnings: Mentions of Death, War, Intoxication and Violence + Some Blood . . . Stay Safe!
Tag List: @dotts-stuff , @hutchersboy , @welcome-to-hell-ya-gucks , @going-goober , @laurrrelise, @stanheights-boyfriend
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