#but the Hales genuinely love Stiles instead like they NEED him in their pack

[hedwig221b]

Midsommar but it's Derek stealing Stiles from his toxic relationship and making him stay with his pack in the woods in the middle of nowhere

(Derek met him and knew instantly that Stiles is his mate + bloody sacrifices + weird family + old rituals + that dancing scene with Stiles as a winner and Derek grins at him proudly with his fangs out + Stiles thinks he's tripping when the Hales all turn into wolves suddenly + Stiles is the May Queen (Moon King?) and Derek chases him through the woods as a mating ritual)

[girl-of-many-fandoms]

Confessions // 1

Pairing: Derek Hale x Stilinski!Reader

Summary: Y/N showed up at Derek's loft for one purpose but in the middle of her visit some pieces of information are brought to light.

Warnings: none

WHOOP WHOOP!! In honor of my favourite show being brought back to life I'm adding it to my masterlist. Hope y'all enjoy this one & YES, I do plan on turning this into a mini series!

MASTERLIST

----

Screw you Scott

The door to Derek's loft slid open revealing the grumpy sour wolf who can't seem to put a smile on hisbface every once in a while.

"Don't you have school?"

"Yes but apparently Scott thinks that you need a babysitter so, here I am." Brushing past him, Y/N let herself in and headed straight over to his couch.

"Come in." Rolling his eyes, he closed the door and came over to block her view of the TV with his arms folded over his chest.

"You're not made of glass Hale, please step aside." Derek tilted his head to the side with his green eyes locked with hers, he wasn't planning on moving anytime soon.

"Why are you here Stiles 2.0?"

"Okay first of all, I was born first, ten minutes earlier to be exact and secondly you don't scare me, I'm not Stiles."

"Still doesn't answer my question."

"Twiddle-dee and Twiddle-dumb were worried about you, you know since you got shot with wolfsbane and you kept declining their calls." She reached for the half eaten bag of chips on the table and popped one into her mouth.

If it was anyone else barging into his home and eating his food he would've made sure they knew their place but when it came to her he just let her do whatever she wanted.

"You need to make better choices with snacks Derek."

"I didn't plan on catering to your needs, your highness." He snatched the bag out of her hand before joining her on his couch. Y/N sucked the remnants of salt from on her fingertips scowling at the brooding man.

"How's the wound? Is it still healing?" Y/N gestured to his abdomen where he had gotten shot and Derek hiked his dark Henley upwards revealing the completely healed skin.

"Good as new, why are you genuinely concerned?" He cooked his eyebrow teasingly and smiled when he heard the slight change in heartbeat.

Derek knew about her feelings for him but she never openly voiced it but instead, she chose to snap or throw a sarcastic comment his way.

Did he take a liking to the young woman? Yes, truth be told Derek had developed a crush on her but never told anyone about it. During pack meetings he had to keep up his facade of being annoyed with everyone but he always slipped when it came to her.

"Derek I have other things to care about, you are sadly not on that list." Although she had an excellent poker face, her irregular heartbeat gave it away. She was in fact concerned about him and he found himself falling for her a little more.

“Do I have something on my face?” Derek snapped out of his thoughts as she spoke, dabbing away at her mouth thinking that she probably had chip residue on her lips.

“Huh? Oh, no.” He inwardly cursed himself for staring at her like that.

Get a grip Hale, she’s a child

“For a second there I was wondering if you were admiring me.” If she only knew that he was in fact doing just that.

Derek could smell her change in mood, she’s nervous maybe even anxious? He’s making her feel like that just by the way he kept looking at her with those green eyes that she loves so much. She’s had a crush on the sour wolf for quite some time now but tried her best to bury it as there was no way he’d ever feel the same and not to mention, the obvious age gap between them.

“And why would I do that?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” Derek adjusted himself on the couch to face her, placing his arm behind her on the backrest. Y/N’s breathing sped up and her heart was definitely hammering in her chest, Derek teasingly smiled at her at that detail. It took her longer than it should to figure out what he was smiling at and at the revelation, her face flushed red from embarrassment.

“You alright?” Derek bit the inside of his cheek to keep his composure as he continued his teasing just to see what she’d do. Y/N on the other hand kept switching her gaze from his kissable lips and green eyes until that little voice in the back of her head said fuck it.

Derek expected her to scurry away with some bullshit lie about having something to do but he did not think that she’d lean over to kiss him, she was eighteen after all. He returned the kiss, reaching up to cup her face in the palm of his massive hands. They were both engrossed with each other until the need for air became too much.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to do that.” Y/N pulled back from him, her eyes grew three times its original size at his words.

“I’m sorry, what?” Derek laced their fingers together and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“You’re going to make me say it aren’t you?”

“Yup.”

“I like you Y/N.”

“Well that answers the question of why you have a higher tolerance level with me than you do with the others.”

“That and the fact that I cannot stand your hyperactive spaz of a brother.” Y/N’s phone broke their moment and she immediately fished it out of her pocket.

“Speaking of the devil, yes Stiles?” Derek smiled at his incredible timing, it’s as if he knew they were just talking about him.

“Why is Jake asking about you? Is something going on between you both. Y/N I swear to all that is holy if you’re still crushing on that idiot I will smack you upside the head. Also, is Derek alright, you didn’t text me.” Derek’s ears perked up at the mention of some guy named Jake and Y/N tried her best to not laugh at his reaction.

“Jake and I are lab partners dude he’s probably wondering where the hell I am because we’re supposed to work on a project together and the sour wolf is fine, he’s back to normal.”

“No, no, Jake literally asked me if you were free this weekend and I told him to never ask such idiotic questions ever again in his life.”

“Hey! I am free this weekend, what if I wanted to go somewhere with him?” Derek rolled his eyes at her and she squeezed his hand that’s still locked with hers, she was only fooling around.

“Y/N I’d rather see you with anyone but that moron, okay. Even Derek still has a better chance than that asshole.”

“Okay and on that note I’m hanging up now-”

“Even Parrish has a better shot also, have you seen that man?”

“Goodbye Stiles.” Y/N hung up on her spiralling brother and focused on the man beside her. Derek had so many questions.

“Nice to know he considered me as a dating option for you and Parrish, I’ve seen the looks he gives you from time to time.”

“He is handsome but not really my style.”

“What is your style?”

“Tall, black hair, green eyes, nice beard, loves dark colours because it matches his soul, is an asshole to everyone else but me and cares deeply for those around him even though he says he doesn’t.” For the first time in what felt like forever Derek genuinely smiled at someone. She described him to a T.

“You know this isn’t going to be easy right, especially when Stiles finds out.”

“I know but I don’t care, I’m willing to see where this goes with you Y/N.” Y/N lazily raked her fingers through his neatly trimmed beard.

“Okay but for now, let’s try not to make it obvious that something’s going on between us whenever we’re in the same room with the others.”

“That’s fine with me but for now, I’m..stealing…as..many…of…these..as I..possibly..can.” Derek punctuated every word with stolen kisses, happy that he finally knew what her lips tasted like and how they felt against his.

The pair both know that they’re bound to meet some bumps along the way but they’re both willing to give a relationship a try.

----

Heyo, thanks for reading, hope you liked it! Also, if you're interested in being tagged in any of my future Teen Wolf fics let me know so I can start a taglist <3

[softranswolves]

Mournful Monkshood

LAURA HALE APPRECIATION WEEK - DAY ONE THEME: LAURA DIDN’T DIE

Rating: T

Words: 1151

On AO3 here

Sitting on the steps of what once was Hale House, Laura glances over at the sparring teens, amusement playing at her lips. It's been a solid year since everything happened, and she sees the grove of monkshood in the distance, far enough to not tamper with her pack's senses but close enough to still see. Deaton planted it this past spring as a surprise, and Laura couldn't be prouder.

As Scott, Stiles, and Derek throw down in the treeline, honing their werewolf senses now that the fight with Peter and Kate is over, Laura feels a small bit of peace. Being called back to Beacon Hills amid the pain and horror of losing Cora so violently and unexpectedly tore her world apart. Derek's too, but he wasn't the Alpha. He wasn't the one responsible for their baby sister.

It had all started with Peter regaining his powers enough to go hunting. At first, he was simply drawn to the moon's bidding and killed without consciousness, but he came back to himself much quicker than he admitted to anyone, even his now-dead nurse. He hatched a plan during those months of isolation, free from his coma but enjoying the freedom of being presumed brain dead. He wanted to draw Laura in, kill her to take the family's spark that he felt rightfully belonged to him. Cora found out. She had already been tracking him, distrustful of him even as a child before everything happened. Apparently it wasn't just the Alpha he was willing to kill in his quest for power.

"Laura!" She hears Derek's voice, loud and alert but without true danger. "Laura! Get your betas off me!" Scott and Stiles have crushed him underneath their bodies, giving up on the actual training only to puppy-pile and force him to cuddle.

He was still warming up to them, though helping his big sister get justice was even more of a motivator. She'd asked his thoughts on building the pack back when they first returned, seeing how inquisitive the boys were as they searched outside of Stiles' father's purview for the body. It started as a simple way to start their sophomore school year with excitement, but quickly morphed into wanting to do the right thing.

After she and Derek talked it over, she explained the option of the bite to them, what it would give them as well as what it would cost. She didn't try to convince them, merely gave the facts, but they accepted without too much hesitation. They trusted her, and she had to learn how to cope with that, after losing one of the only other people she had already been given the responsibility of.The others were changed shortly after, though not originally out of a desire to build the pack. As the teens investigated at school, particularly the guidance counselor that seemed to know a little too much, Scott's connection to the Argent daughter bloomed into something deeper. Her aunt, the woman responsible for Laura losing her family to begin with, had returned to town. Laura implored Scott to not trust Allison, but as teens are wont to do, he didn't listen.

When Allison inevitably found out about him and Stiles being werewolves, she was fearful, but her mind hadn't been warped by the Argent legacy and forbears yet, and she came to accept him. On a routine hunt, her aunt accidentally shot her instead of Scott, and her father was the one to ask Laura for help. He'd been connected to her mother, a genuinely peaceful treaty drawn between them before hell broke loose. He knew what the Hales were here for from generations back, and he swore he wanted to uphold that tradition. As she lay dying in his arms, he offered to join her pack; when told he could stay human and still be pack, he practically snarled, saying he needed to show they were still human. Laura thought he meant the Argent family, but she was wrong. Chris was a good man, and he only became stronger and more focused after the bite.

Laura is broken out of her reflection when she hears the sound of a car pulling up, though it takes longer to actually see it on the trail. Standing, she listens for who it is, relief washing over her when she hears. The car finally parks, and out comes Laura's favorite redhead and deputy, the former running to jump into Laura's arms for a hug. They hold tight for a few moments after Laura spins them around and places Lydia back on the ground, pressing a kiss to her forehead before turning to Jordan for a kiss on the cheek."

You made it," Laura breathes out.

"Of course we did," Lydia says, gentle smile on her face. "She was important to you, so she's important to us." She squeezes Laura's hand and follows as they walk back to the house, skirting around to the back instead of inside.

Allison and Chris already stand at the grave, Chris' arm wrapped around Allison's shoulders. Victoria stands on the other side, still somewhat prickling with discomfort but willing to not only be there, but stay as well.

"Thank you for coming," Laura says to the Argents, two of whom are more officially a part of the pack. They have continued to hunt with Allison's new code, to protect those cannot, and Victoria's love for her husband and daughter encouraged her to stay with them and adapt to the changes. She didn't have as much of a stake in events as Chris, considering it was his sister who started the entire mess, but she still took responsibility for not seeing the threads of manipulation sowed by Gerard sooner.

"It's our honor," Victoria says, meeting Laura's eyes. "I can't imagine what it must have been like to lose your sister, especially when she was pack. I know my world changed when I almost lost Allison." She shifts her gaze to her daughter and gives her a tight smile.

Derek, Scott, and Stiles join the group, their panting breaths breaking the tension. Derek goes straight to the headstone and sits next to it, leaning his forehead against the side as he used to do with Cora when she was alive. Laura steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder, squeezing tight.

"She'd be proud of you," Stiles says. When offered the bite, Stiles was the first to accept, remembering playing with Cora as a child when Laura would babysit him. Scott was sometimes a part of those memories, but that was before his dad left, when his home wasn't filled with emptiness and loss like Stiles'.

Laura turns to Stiles then, tears in her eyes, and pulls him in for a hug, not wanting to let go. She savors the knowledge that she has a pack again, and they'll do anything to protect her.

[stilesxeveryone]

The Rewatch

Okay, so my opinions are a little unnecessary and all over the place and silly, but I thought it’d be fun to just write down my thoughts as I go through the episodes of Teen Wolf. I figured that I’d do about half a season in each post rather than a post for each episode, just to keep it all a little more short and put together. And I’ll put a cut before episode 2 to make it look a little nicer as well.

Season 1, episode 1

Oh god, here we go again

Why in the world was Stiles on Scott’s roof, how the fuck did he hang facing Scott (like what are his legs doing??), and how did he jump down so smoothly

AU where Scott also gets caught in the woods while searching for the body, so he doesn’t get bitten? What if Sheriff Stilinski got bit instead, imagine how different the story would be

Apparently wolves were in fact removed from California in the early 1900s, and packs have only very recently been spotted moving into the area in the last few years, so Stiles is right

Scott being a werewolf for all of one minute (and not even knowing it yet) but immediately being able to zero in on every conversation Allison has 

Lydia’s outfits are so cute 🥺🥺🥺

Derek looks so scruffy first episode! Compared to how I remember him, he looks so much younger here, especially with his oversized jacket

Again, Scott is weirdly good with his powers in the first episode, like he doesn’t even know he’s a werewolf or anything but somehow he knows how to calm down the scared dog?

Derek is literally so horrible at reassuring a new werewolf oh my god. “The bite is a gift.” “We’re brothers now.” Yes thank you for this information, but what about the important stuff? And Scott clearly says that he thinks Derek bit him, and Derek says nothing of it

Season 1, episode 2

Derek being terrible continues. Listen, I understand that he’s never done this before, but please, threatening to kill someone is not the way you teach them to control their anger

I need so much more Allison and Stiles being best friends/siblings content tbh

I feel like it’s pretty unlikely that Stiles “listens to every police call, follows every case” Stilinski would go out and dig up the body, because that’s definitely the kind of tampering with evidence that wouldn’t be helpful in court

Please the green screen is so bad

Oh god no it’s Scott stalking Allison time

Scott’s priorities are just a little messed up,, like it’s very concerning that he decided being good at lacrosse and impressing Allison was more important than not killing someone or getting himself killed, and like it’s clearly not arrogance that he’ll be fine since he was anxious about something going wrong

Season 1, episode 3

Stiles wanting to know if Danny and gay guys in general could be attracted to him is indeed my favourite thing

Oh jeez, I forgot about Lydia’s whole ‘pretending to be dumb’ thing, I’m so proud of her for developing past that, I really need to write her more often

I genuinely missed being able to see Chris Argent every episode, but also oh boy I can’t wait to see him in later seasons just bc he looks so much better later on tbh

I will never get over how much I hate the werewolf designs, like how they look when they shift,, they’re just- there’s nothing good about them at all

Season 1, episode 4

So Scott is aware of two werewolves in town, Derek and the alpha, but when he hears Kate say that she shot one of two werewolves and that he has 48 hours, he isn’t at all worried that “oh shit Derek might be dying?”

They talk so loudly in public areas about everything that happens and it is so incredibly concerning. There’s no way other kids in school aren’t hearing them 

“Why should I help you?” maybe because he’ll die if you don’t, Scott? What kind of question is that?? I know we’re all irked by that moment a lot but god we deserve to be irked by it

Fun little detail, the Argent gun business is called “Argent Arms International”

Kate constantly mentioning Scott being “adorable” or his “adorable brown eyes” any chance she can get is literally so gross and concerning (spoilers, but especially considering her history with Derek)

And of course we all know how we feel about Scott suggesting that the Argents could have had a reason for mass murdering Derek’s family

Season 1, episode 5

Does Jackson only watch sports videos? Like first he watches lacrosse games and now he wants to watch a basketball movie (also I just wanna mention that Jackson’s actor, Colton Haynes, is literally so pretty, his freckles 🥺)

I love the dynamic of Stiles and his dad’s relationship so muchhh, I’m really glad we do get to explore their relationship and what happened with Stiles’ mum in later episodes

Whole lotta trauma gets brought up in this episode, from Jackson, Lydia and Derek and I feel so bad for them tbh

I really like how the parent teacher conference goes, like it’s very much exposition about how Jackson is adopted, Lydia’s parents are divorced, Stiles’ mum is no longer in the picture, Scott’s parents are divorced and his dad isn’t around anymore either. But I think it’s a good way to use exposition and make it in character and show what the kids are dealing with

I know the CGI isn’t always that great in this show but that dying mountain lion literally looks like an old, stuffed, toy cat that someone animated with photoshop warp tools and it’s a tragedy

Season 1, episode 6

I honestly wish they had more of Scott struggling with being a werewolf? Obviously they show his troubles with aggression and handling full moons, but not much about anything else

Like it would have been really cool to see him struggle more with sensory overload since everything would be heightened, or seeing him struggle more with new instincts? 

Also very much could use less of Scott/Allison make out sessions, I don’t need fifty shots of Scott’s abs okay

I love that Stiles just goes “I’m gonna teach you how to be a werewolf before Derek fails to”

“She makes me weak” shut the fuck up, in what universe does loving someone (or at least in this case crushing) make you weak??? The person I love has only ever made me better, and I think I make him better too

Scott’s (Tyler Posey’s) acting… there’s a lot to work on and that gets more obvious the longer I watch this 

Doesn’t it later turn out that Deaton was literally the emissary of the Hale pack? So like really close to them (at least the alpha) and meant to help them out? But in this episode he straight up gives Derek nothing and Derek suspects him to be the big bad alpha? I mean obviously it’s just writing inconsistency, although I know fanon often translates it as Deaton being the most secretive and unhelpful bitch in the west. But also what if Deaton just straight up lied about being their emissary? I think that would be an interesting take

[ofmagicandwolves]

I’M SHORE OF IT.

Short messy ficlet that my brain wouldn’t let go of today.

The summer before their second year of college, the pack returns to Beacon Hills. It’s a hot and sticky season, breeding reckless abandon and a feeling of carefreeness that your final youthful summer days should. Lydia offers the use of her family's lake house and no one argues. When Stiles arrives the door is still standing wide open and he can hear laughter coming from inside, It warms him in a way that few things have in recent years. 

Bags and luggage have been left in piles by the door and the only light is coming from down the hall in the kitchen and from the fading sunset shining through large living room windows. Erica tackles Stiles as soon as he steps into the room. And he laughs, the most genuine one that he can get to leave his heavy chest anyway.

“I missed you too, Catwoman.” he mumbles into her mane. 

The pack has been apart for a while so the scent marking happens in earnest. Stiles tries not to flinch away from any of the many groping hands that come his way but he’s not sure he succeeds. He thought it was a good idea, to get away from the chaos that surrounded their teenage years. To go to college, and learn, and experience, and grow. He thought that he would blossom under the freedom that Berkeley granted him but instead he just felt alone. Alone and afraid. He ached for his pack. The nightmares had only gotten worse since he moved into the dorms. Thankfully he had managed to get a single room. He’s not sure how he would have fared with a roommate that he woke multiple times a night with screams of terror. 

Hours later, the pack has piled together on the living room floor. It’s a mess of limbs and bedding and it's so warm that Stiles is struggling to breath a little bit. Maybe it’s not the warmth. Maybe it's the heavy way Scotts arm is pinning him across his chest. Or maybe it's how Issac is gripping his hand so tightly in his sleep that Stiles fingers are getting cold. Before he can work himself into a panic, there are hands grasping his ankles and sliding him out of the pack's grip and across the cool wooden floor. The action is so unexpected and silly that it surprises a laugh out of him as he looks up at his rescuer. Derek's eyes are shiny with his grin and he gently shakes Stiles’ foot where it's still in his hand before dropping it and helping him off the ground. The wolves grumble at being disturbed but rearrange themselves and fall back to sleep quickly.

“Come on.” he smiles, tipping his head towards the door.

And so Stiles goes. He’s never been good at refusing Derek anything, so he doesn't complain when the wolf stops to pick up his duffle bag from the floor on the way out, or when Derek grabs his hand to help him over a log and then doesn't let go. It’s a bittersweet thing, seeing Derek finally being comfortable with casual touch in a way that Stiles no longer can.

Down a short path from the lake house is a smaller cabin and when they step onto the porch, Chris Argent opens the door for them with a smile.

“He couldn’t sleep.” he says, pulling Stiles in for a hug.

“Said, he could feel your unease.”

Chris’ arms are firm around him and Stiles sags a bit into him, nodding against his shoulder. God, the man smelled good. Stiles knows that he should move, that this is probably a really inappropriately long hug, but he’s suddenly so tired and moving sounds like the worst thing in the world.

Chris makes an inquiring sound and then, there is another warm body pressed against his back. Derek's hands sliding down his arms where they wrap around his husband and covering Stiles hands with his own. They hold on to him, but it doesn't feel constrictive in the way he felt before. Now he feels like he's in a cocoon made of strong, protective, capable, warmth and, again unlike earlier that night, Stiles feels he can finally breathe.

Derek and Chris getting together had been a shock to pretty much everyone, but no one could deny how they cared for each other. They had both lost so much, it was good to see them happy. They deserved to finally be happy. Stiles would burn worlds to keep them this happy.

After they lost Allison, Stiles expected Chris to pack up and leave. Beacon Hills had never done anything for him except take and take and take. The same way it had taken everything from Derek. But then, the hunter had shown up at his house and instead of being met with the end of a rifle like he secretly hoped, Chris had held out his hand and asked Stiles if he wanted to train. Being human in the supernatural world was dangerous and as much as he hated that the kids were involved, The man thought it would be stupid not to teach them how to better protect themselves. Scott refused, saying he didn't need the help. The dazed look on his face and the way his eyes were always a little red around the irises now, said differently.

So Chris and Stiles trained alone at first, weeks went by and the others slowly started to join in. The three Hale betas dragged along Jackson, and Jackson brought Lydia, Lydia invited Kira, and Kira somehow roped in the Sheriff and Parish. Since almost everyone was already there, it was just easier to have pack nights after training. Reluctantly, Scott agrees.

When Derek started showing up to their sessions. Stiles was confused at first, Derek Hale willingly spending time with an Argent, odd. Then he noticed how well Derek knew his way around Chris’ space, never fumbling in the wrong cabinet for a glass. How he always handed Chris his plate first during meals. He notices the way the hunter quietly offers the wolf pieces of whatever snack he's having and the way Derek’s ears get pink when he accepts. Stiles has been head over tail for Derek for as long as he can remember but oddly he isn't jealous, he likes seeing Derek smile. Chris makes Derek smile and Stiles likes Chris. Maybe he likes Chris a little more than he should. But either way, he's happy for them. So it doesn’t surprise him, one pack night, when Chris gets up for a drink and presses a quick thoughtless kiss to Derek's lips.

Scott loses his shit. Screaming about how Allison would have been ashamed of her father for being with someone so much younger than him, someone who had murdered people. His eyes burned red as he battered Derek for “Making his way through the entire Argent family.”

“Would you have tried to get Allison next?”

Stiles watched in shock as Scott spat out hateful words, watched as Chris’ face shut down into a carefully composed mask, watched as the betas cowered under his aura. He watched. But then Scott took a step forward.

And Derek flinched.

That was it. Stiles doesn’t remember getting up. He doesn't remember his fist connecting with Scott’s already crooked jaw. He doesn't remember following Scott to the ground or pressing his hands against his long-time friends chest and feeling his magic pull.

He does remember the burning in his eyes as Scott’s Alpha spark snapped into him. He remembers the way Chris’ hands felt like lifelines as they picked him up off the ground. He remembers the way Derek crouched in front of him letting loose a truly terrifying snarl. He remembers the way Scott sighed in relief.

The Alpha spark was tainted. Stiles could feel the way it urged him on, whispered inside his head like the fox had. It was no wonder Scott had gone power crazed.

It had taken the rest of the summer for Scott to stop apologizing to everyone and longer for Stiles to get a handle on being a human Alpha. His spark worked constantly to purge the Alpha Spark of its darkness but it was a slow process. Using so much magic left him drained. With that, and so much of his energy being split between taking care of the pack from afar, his college work, and trying to ignore the whispers in his mind, the nightmares from the nogitsune soon returned with a vengeance.

Which left him where he was now, exhausted and sandwiched between his two favorite people.

“I’m sorry.” Stiles sighs into Chris’s shirt. Derek chest rumbles against him with a quiet growl. The spark shushes him gently and tangles their fingers together.

“Nothing to be sorry for, Alpha.” Chris speaks into his hair. “Let's get you to bed.”

They all three pile into the queen sized bed and wiggle and arrange until everyone is comfortable, like they've done this before. And maybe it should be weird, sharing a bed with a married couple that he’s pretty sure he's in love with, but it isn't. It’s the best night's sleep he’s gotten in over a year. Tucked under Derek's chin, Chris’s hand covering Stiles’ on the wolves chest.

The bed is empty but still warm when he wakes up the next morning. The door is cracked and Stiles has a direct line of sight to the kitchen where a yawning Derek, complete with messy bedhead and bare chest, stands in the early morning light sipping his coffee. Chris walks past in his sleep clothes whispering a quiet good morning and leaving a soft kiss on his shoulder. Derek gives a tiny smile as he repeats the sentiment back to his husband. And Stiles aches. He wants that. He wants morning kisses and packed lunches and board game nights that end in dish duty for a week. And he wants that with them.

The summer is full of pack bonding and junk food. Slowly, Stiles adjusts to being scented near constantly by every member of the pack. His dad even joins in occasionally, laughing as he messes up his son's hair. Stiles feels lighter each day.

Derek and Chris are always around and Stiles spends more nights than not in their bed. Derek makes smiley face pancakes for breakfast and comforts Stiles through his nightmares. Stiles learns that Derek wears glasses when he is reading and absentmindedly plays with Chris’ fingers when he’s watching tv. When he does the same with Stiles the first time, the spark freezes up but doesn't move away. The wolf doesn't even try to hide how pleased he is.

Chris teaches Stiles to fish. The only reason Stiles isn't complaining about how early he makes him get up is because the sun rise is beautiful on the water and he gets to see Chris’ toned forearms in action as he rows them out into the middle of the lake.

“Eww, it's slimy.” Stiles complains and pulls a face at the bait the hunter tries to hand him.

Chris rolls his eyes dramatically “Stiles. I've seen you put your entire hand inside a dead wendigo’s stomach with no hesitation, just to get Allie's favorite knife back. You can bait a hook.”

Stiles stops, then laughs openly, “You're not wrong.” He grins, “Issac calls it my “Pack Mom Override.” Any other time, I’m super squeamish and there would be no way I could stomach something gory or gross but as soon as it affects one of my pups, I'm all in.” Chris sighs dramatically and baits Stiles hook, but he doesn't think that he's mistaking the fond look in the older man's eyes.

The first time Chris kisses Stiles, it’s just as absentmindedly as he had kissed Derek just moments before. They’re finishing dinner, Chris giving his husband a soft peck as he takes his plate before grabbing Stiles empty one as well, The Alpha looks up to tell him that he’ll volunteer to do the dishes when Chris leans down and presses his lips lightly against his. The man is halfway through the kitchen before he realizes what he's done and turns around wide eyed to see Stiles’ shocked and Derek’s grinning faces. Stiles has never seen Christopher look more unsure of himself.

“Do it again.”  Stiles whispers. “If you meant it. Do it again.”

The plates shatter against the tile floors. Chris' hands are warm against his jaw as they cup his face and he kisses him soundly. Stiles can't stop the whine that crawls out of him when he pulls away or the deep moan when Derek’s hand tangles in his hair and his lips replace his husbands.

They’ll eventually clean up the broken glass but for right now, this is all he wants to do. When they pull away, Stiles’ eyes are deep red and he smiles. There are no whispers in his head. The Alpha Spark is mended.

[defenselesswriter]

Blanket Fort Protection

@darrenhasmyheart sent me this post and welp i wrote a whole ficlet on it so please enjoy

Five years after Scott had been bitten is when things in Beacon Hills finally started to calm the fuck down. Even so, the pack still kept up on their patrols and research and pack bonding even. Somehow Scott and Derek made the whole co-alpha thing work, much to Stiles' surprise. However, it was definitely a rough adjustment period for all involved. 

For the first time in his life, Stiles had a group of friends, and he'd even consider them family, but if anyone ever tells Jackson that Stiles thinks of him as family, he will vehemently deny it. And he could deny it. Sure, lying to werewolves isn't the smartest, but Stiles has learned how to do it. Sometimes, he just needs privacy, and if they know every one of his white lies then... then Derek would probably kill him honestly.

Stiles flinches when Derek throws Boyd onto the ground harder than he needed to. "Derbear, chill," Stiles calls out from his seat on the porch of the newly built Hale house.

Derek growls and flashes his red eyes at Stiles, and you know what, scratch that. Derek will definitely kill Stiles. 

Stiles rolls his own because he isn't scared of Derek, not really. And his automatic response to Derek's alpha eyes is definitely not the most appropriate, but no one has called him out on it yet, so as he does with those kinds of problems, he ignores it until it goes away.

Boyd stands up, definitely favoring his left arm instead of his right. He gives Derek one of his long, meaningful looks that Stiles either knows exactly what they mean or has no fucking clue what Boyd is trying to tell him. It seems that Derek understands this meaningful look because he growls at Boyd, who just shakes his head minutely at the alpha. 

After that, Stiles calls it quits on the training session. 

Once the pack has left to their own places to nurse their wounds inflicted by the alpha (Erica has a broken wrist, Isaac a sprained ankle, Boyd a dislocated shoulder, and Jackson a swollen eye), Derek turns on Stiles.

"Why do you always act like you have any authority over my pack?" Derek half yells, half growls. 

Stiles scoffs at him and falls onto the couch. "Because your pack, oh dearest alpha, listens to me. Take it up with them if you have such a huge problem with it."

Derek huffs. "We weren't done training for the day."

"You were," Stiles says as he opens his laptop and focuses his attention on the screen. A minute of silence goes by where Stiles assumes that Derek has accepted defeat. He starts reading through the Satomi pack bestiary and translating it into the Hale's. Derek is quiet long enough that Stiles forgets that they were in the middle of an argument where Derek was so obviously wrong, as he always is, when said alpha slams Stiles' laptop lid shut.

"Do you live here?" Derek asks. "Did you move in without my knowledge?"

Stiles glares at him and slides his fingers out from under his laptop. "I do have a room here."

"Go home, Stiles," Derek growls at him. "Training is apparently over, so what possible reason do you have for still annoying me with your presence?"

Stiles hums and studies Derek for a moment. Over the years, they have become friends as they both have worked together on protecting the pack and pulling each other out of danger. Derek is even known to smile sometimes, but this Derek in front of him is the same one Stiles met when he was sixteen. While Derek learned how to be happy again, Stiles learned the important lesson of knowing when to pick his battles, and this one right here is not one to pick at the moment.

Without another word, Stiles slips his laptop back into his backpack and gets off the couch. He sees something flash across Derek's face as he nears the door, but he already decided to not pick this battle, so he doesn't.

With his back to Derek and his hand on the door, Stiles calls out, "Call me when you're done repressing whatever it is that's going on." Before Derek can respond, Stiles opens the door and closes it behind him. Obviously, Derek could easily catch up to Stiles as he walks to his jeep, but he knows Derek learned a similar lesson a few years back: he doesn't have to pick every single battle.

A couple days go by with no word from Derek, and Stiles hasn't grown out of his anxiety or constant worrying over people he cares about, so he has been keeping tabs on Derek through different pack members. Isaac texted yesterday saying that Derek was cleaning the grout on the kitchen tile with his claws. Erica called last night to tell Stiles that Derek won't touch the Chinese takeout she brought over for dinner even though she knows it's his favorite. Boyd answered a simple, "Yes," when Stiles asked if Derek was still alive earlier this morning, which makes Boyd his new favorite because Jackson's only response was the middle finger emoji. That's not an answer, Jackson.

When the sheriff comes home from his shift, Stiles corners him at the kitchen table with a dinner of steak, roasted potatoes, and brussel sprouts (he had to make sure something was healthy at dinner). As soon as his dad sits down, he looks at Stiles with a resigned look. 

"I am going to enjoy this dinner before you tell me whatever you did that will upset me," he instructs, pointing his fork at Stiles for emphasis before taking a bite of steak.

Stiles allows his father to enjoy half of his dinner before he opens his mouth. "I just have one question."

The sheriff groans loudly and dramatically - and people really wonder where Stiles got that from? - before dropping his fork and knife on the table. He settles his forehead into his hand and waves his other hand for Stiles to continue.

"Did Derek show up for his shift today?" Stiles asks.

Slowly, Stiles' dad lifts his head to stare at Stiles with doubt. "Yes," he finally answers as his eyes narrow to study Stiles. 

"That was all I wanted to know," Stiles tells him and starts cutting up his steak, but it's hard to eat when he can feel his dad's eyes on him scrutinizing every detail of Stiles. With a groan, Stiles leans back in his chair and stares at his dad expectantly. "What?"

"Why do you care about my deputy's attendance?" he asks.

Stiles shrugs. "Because you're too soft on him, so if he's slacking I can give him a stern talking to."

"Uh-huh," the sheriff grunts. "I know you have figured out how to lie to your werewolf friends, Stiles, but I raised you, and I know when you're lying."

"Technically, that wasn't a lie," Stiles points out. "You are too soft on Derek."

"The kid deserves a bit of a break, Stiles," his dad argues. "And he is one of my best and most hardworking deputies."

Stiles huffs and picks up his fork to push around his potatoes. "I'm just worried about him, okay? Did he seem off today?"

The man across the table relaxes as their conversation shifts to an actual conversation rather than the interrogation Stiles had set up. Really, Stiles doesn't understand how no one has figured out where he gets a majority of his tactics from. 

"He seemed tense," his dad answers as he stabs a piece of potato. His brussel sprouts are suspiciously left untouched.

Stiles hums to acknowledge his dad's words, but he finishes his plate in silence. As he gets up from the table to rinse his plate, he nods at his dad's plate. "Make sure to finish your brussel sprouts, old man."

And if his dad could have growled, Stiles has no doubt that would have been a moment he would.

Friday night, Stiles nervously walks into Derek's house. It's pack night, and his presence is expected, but he hasn't spoken to Derek all week, so he isn't sure how Derek will react to him.

Turns out, Derek isn't reacting to Stiles at all. Whenever Stiles speaks, Derek either flat out ignores it or responds in as little words as possible and not directly to Stiles. To be fair, everyone else gets similar treatment. 

After everyone finishes dinner, they find a reason to excuse themselves before anyone can suggest a movie as they usually do. Once again, Stiles is the last one left as he finishes up the dishes. He keeps side eyeing Derek's untouched plate before he wraps it up and puts it in the fridge in case he wants it later.

Derek disappeared upstairs once Isaac excused himself, so there really was no reason for Stiles to linger once the kitchen is clean. There's something wrong with Derek, and he knows it. He just can't pinpoint exactly what's wrong. 

Before he can talk himself out of it, Stiles starts pulling cushions off the couches and grabbing blankets from the linen closet. He goes to his designated room and grabs the comforter he loves and the pillows off the bed. It takes a while, and he is genuinely surprised Derek doesn't come yell at him to leave his house, but once he's finished, he's happy with the results.

Stiles goes through and turns off all the lights in the house, starting the dishwasher as he passes it and grabs something out of the freezer. Once it's dark, he crawls into the fort and makes himself comfortable, playing on his phone until he hears footsteps on the stairs.

He can't stop himself from smiling when he hears Derek growling, "Stiles, what are you doing?"

"Cheering you up!" he answers lightly.

"I don't need cheering up," Derek gets out through what sounds like clenched jaws. "I need you to leave me the fuck alone."

For some reason, that is the straw that breaks Stiles' back. "Just get in the fucking blanket fort, Derek!" he yells.

Surprisingly, after a few quiet moments, Derek starts shuffling to the fort. When he pokes his head in, Stiles smiles at him, which earns him a glare. Once Derek is seated at the very edge of the fort, he lifts his eyebrows expectantly. Stiles glares at him instead of giving him a verbal answer because Derek is smart and can figure shit out.

With the most dramatic and heaving sigh, Derek shifts so his back is against the couch like Stiles and his legs are splayed in front of him. He even grabs Stiles' favorite pillow and holds it to his chest.

Stiles rewards him by reaching behind himself and handing Derek a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream (the heathen's favorite) and a spoon. Then he pulls his laptop closer to himself and plays the first episode of Matt Smith's run as the doctor, which is also Derek's favorite doctor and really the man has such poor taste. It's not that Derek's wrong. It's that there are better options.

Once the laptop is set down near their feet, Stiles relaxes and takes his own spoon to the now opened container of ice cream. Mint chocolate chip isn't the worst flavor, but as Stiles says, there are better options.

It takes three episodes of Doctor Who for Derek to actually start relaxing. The ice cream is long gone and has been set aside on the towel Stiles thought to bring in ahead of time. 

As the end credits start to roll and Stiles reaches to play the next episode, Derek shifts. Stiles looks over at him, and it looks like Derek is about to talk, so Stiles puts his hand back in his lap. Netflix asks if they're still watching, but neither of them click the answer.

"It's the anniversary of the fire," Derek mumbles without looking at Stiles.

The words hit Stiles hard, but his feelings aren't the ones that matter right now, so instead of saying anything, Stiles leans forward and plays the next episode. When he leans back against the couch again, he rests his arm on the bottom cushions not quite on Derek's shoulders, though.

By the halfway point of the episode, Derek finally relaxes into Stiles' touch and leans against his side. Wordlessly, Stiles starts running his fingers through Derek's hair. When Derek nuzzles Stiles' shoulder, he knows the man is asleep. Carefully, he closes his laptop when his socked foot so he doesn't jostle Derek too much. He's not sure Derek has gotten a lot of sleep this week and is desperate not to wake Derek up.

With one hand, Stiles pulls up his comforter around the both of them and curls into Derek, holding him close. In response, Derek tucks his face into Stiles' neck and clutches his shirt. They've never cuddled, not like this at least. They've been more tactile in recent years, but this feels a bit more intimate than Stiles is used to. He finds that he doesn't mind at all as his head falls onto Derek's and his eyes close.

Stiles wakes up feeling warm, but not in a bad way. He's more comfortable than he remembers ever being and sighs contentedly. Rubbing the back of the person curled into him, he starts to think maybe he'll drift off to sleep again, but then he remembers who is curled into him.

As Stiles' heart rate spikes, Derek shushes him.

"Are you actually awake?" Stiles whispers. "Like you are aware of your current surroundings?"

"Yes," Derek grumbles, and fuck, his scratchy morning voice is the cutest sound Stiles has ever heard. "Relax, please."

"So you're not mad about this?" because Stiles can't not ask.

"If I was, would you still be in my house, Stiles?"

"No...?"

"No," Derek confirms. "Are you mad about this?"

"No," Stiles quickly says, not even having to try to lie. 

Derek hums contentedly, his thumb sweeping the skin of Stiles' hip because apparently his shirt has racked up a little. "Thank you," Derek says so quietly that Stiles isn't sure he heard him correctly because to be fair, he has been focused on not popping an inappropriate boner as if he were still a teenager.

"No problem," he squeaks out.

Finally, Derek lifts his head and looks down at Stiles. His face is softer than it has been all week, and something inside Stiles melts. As if Derek could sense that, he smiles a little until his eyebrows furrow slightly and he looks at Stiles as if there is something important to say.

"Can I kiss you?" is the absolute last thing Stiles expected Derek to say.

"Do you want to?" Stiles asks, his brain suddenly moving so slowly even though right now would be a great time for it to pick up the pace and solve the puzzle in front of him.

Derek just nods, his eyes darting down to look at Stiles' lips.

"Oh my god," Stiles says, knowing his words sound a bit freaked out because he is. Doesn't matter. He rushes forward to kiss Derek but ends up knocking their foreheads together. "Fuck!" Stiles groans, his head dropping back down as he rubs his head.

Derek laughs softly, nudging Stiles' hand out of the way with his nose before pressing a soft kiss that takes away all of the pain in Stiles' head. Before Stiles can comment on magic kisses, Derek is cupping his cheek and kissing Stiles' lips. It's chaste and soft and Stiles can't fucking breathe because it's perfect and nothing at all like he imagined. It's so so much better.

"You're never getting rid of me now," Stiles mumbles against Derek's lips.

Derek pulls him closer as he kisses him. Pulling back ever so slightly, he whispers, "Is that a promise?"

[too-many-kpop-hubands]

30 Day Fandom Challenge

Here we go again for my fandom challenge. You still with me? @domsberto I'd also like to nominate @jimonsprettyface

This next fandom is one that I have been a part of from the very beginning and it holds a special place in my heart. Hold on tight and for those who haven't seen it, spoilers ahead.

Day 2- Teen Wolf

(TV Show not Movie)

1) Favorite Character: Stiles Stilinski

Reason: I have a thing for adorable dorks apparently. 😂

Ok so I adore Stiles the most because he is the backbone and heartbeat of the group. Sure he's a spazz and a nerd but he also always finds a way to get the group out of sticky situations because of his intelligent and knack for looking at things from every angle (he truly is his father's son....it helps his Father is the Sheriff alot of the time). He is loyal to a fault and though he has a hard time trusting most newcomers, once you are in he will literally follow you to the ends of the earth. He is a hopeless romantic, as shown with how he is with Lydia and even Malia. He loves deeply and thought he tends to be a fuck up at times he always finds a way to make things right. He keeps the others in line and helps everyone that needs his help. As the only human of the group he takes his job very seriously and is damn good at keeping the group together even when he personally feels like falling apart. I adore him to no end.

2) Most Relatable Character: Liam Dunbar

Reason: Liam is an adorable, scared and confused little rage monster. Unlike the others on the show who had a few seasons to get used to the world of the supernatural, Liam was still new to the world and was often left scratching his head wondering what the hell was going on. I can relate to that because even in real life I don't know what the hell is going on most of the time. He is also the most relatable because unlike the others on the show, he actually acts his age for the most part and wasn't forced to grow up as fast as the others. Honestly, for a young Beta wolf he can be the most human of them all at times. He likes to have fun, he likes to hang out with his girlfriend and play lacrosse. He marches to the beat of his own drum, which I do most of the time. Another thing I can relate to is having a short temper. While my temper is not nearly as bad as Liam's (who as Intermittent Explosive Disorder) I still get how hard it is to calm down once that temper is triggered.

3) Most Underrated Character: Isaac Lahey

Reason: Besides Derek, Isaac probably had the most growth of all the characters on the show before his exit from the show. He had to shoulder alot of pain and loss in his life starting with his mom leaving and his brother dying, then suffering from years of abuse at the hands of his father. After being turned by Derek, he felt empowered to help not only himself but others as well and did all that he could to help people in need. He even found it in him to forgive his father for abusing him for so long, which takes strength all on it's own. He went from being a scared and abused little boy to being a badass who did everything he could to help people he cared about and those who were unable to defend themselves. I see you Isaac, I see you and I appreciate you.

4) Most Overrated Character: Derek Hale

Reason: Ok before I start this, let me just says that I love Derek Hale ok? He is all kinds of sexy and has some good qualities but of all the people on the show he is also the most overrated. Ok hear me out here before you come at me. Throughout the series Derek is hyped up as this big bad Alpha dude. Yes, he turned a bunch of teens into wolves and helped them, and Scott, learn the ropes but when it came down to a fight most of the time he either made things worse or just didn't show up when he was needed the most (example when they were fighting the Nogitsune, Dread Doctors, Ghost Riders, Alphas). Most of the time it was Scott and his pack that ended up saving the day. Sure Derek helped gather intel but as far as fighting goes, he didn't really do much for such a "Big Bad Alpha" who threatened to rip people's throats out with his teeth. Hell he didn't even kill the bitch that murdered his ENTIRE family, nor did he kill the Darach...instead he slept with her. Wow Derek, just wow. He ran most of the time, went MIA alot of the time only to make a dramatic entrance and knock a few people around when Scott already had things under control. I love Derek but.....some big bad Alpha he was.

5) Least Favorite Character(s): Tied Kate, Gerard, and Victoria Argent

Reason: First of all, Kate....She got away with murdering an entire family (minus Derek, Laura, Peter and Cora) and then manages to cheat death by turning into a freaky ass werejaguar when Peter ripped her throat out. How?!?!?! No matter how much chaos she starts she still ends up getting away. How is she not dead yet? Jesus! She was a manipulative person and honestly one of the most toxic on the show besides her shady ass who I will talk about next.

Gerard was a piece of work. He brainwashed Allison into trying to kill her friends, he praised Kate for killing the entire Hale family, he tortured and killed innocent supernaturals simply for existing and used Jackson in his kanima form to carry out his shady agenda. He was also a hypocrite. He hates supernaturals yet relied on Scott to help take away his pain when he was sick and dying only to turn around and train a new generation of Anti-Supernatural hunters to do his bidding. He was a piece of shit.

Victoria Argent was the Matriarch of the Argent family and even when her daughter (Allison) and husband (Chris) wanted to actually help the innocent supernaturals she did everything in her power to make sure they felt like shit for wanting to help. She freaking tortured and tried to kill Scott for no other reason than he was a werewolf that was screwing her daughter and then made herself out to be a victim when Derek came to save Scott and he bit her a few times after she attacked him. She refused to turn and killed herself instead of facing the consequences her actions lead to (her turning into the very thing she hated, a werewolf).

6) Favorite Canon Pairing: Stydia (Stiles Stilinski and Lydia Martin)

Reason: From the beginning when you first see Stiles and Lydia interact on screen you start to root for the spastic nerd to win the heart of the most popular girl in school. Stiles always saw the real Lydia that she hid behind her popular facade. He saw how smart she was, how much she actually cared for people despite pretending like she didn't. He had been in love with her since the 3rd grade and even when they dated other people, that love never died. The closer they got as friends the more you wanted them to just end up together. Several seasons later and we finally hear them confess their love for each other and finally FINALLY get together. Praise be to all things Holy! Stiles and Lydia manage to balance each other out and anchor each other. When Stiles has panic attacks, Lydia is there to help calm him down. When Lydia gets overwhelmed by her Banshee powers, Stiles is there to help ground her. Stiles saved Lydia more times than I can count but she saved him too on more than one occasion. Stiles and Lydia have a love that is beautiful and pure. I see them lasting forever and they should even now that the show has been over for a while now. They are beautiful and they are my OTP. I could go on forever but I will just leave it here.

7) Favorite Non-Canon Ship: Scisaac (Scott McCall and Isaac Lahey)

[Close Call Honorable Mention: Sterek (Stiles Stilinski & Derek Hale)]

Reason: Ok first of all this was a close race between my boys Scisaac and my boys Sterek but when I look back at both pairings, I love the purity of Scott and Isaac versus the almost toxic pairing that is Sterek. (I adore Sterek but come on! Looking back now they were hella toxic!) Now for Scott and Isaac they had their moments. They lived together and Scott always managed to find a way to help bring Isaac back to reality when he had moments where he would lapse into PTSD style symptoms and nightmares. They always had each other's backs and they always gave each other looks that went beyond that of just friendship. Hell Isaac even agreed with hearts in his eyes that Scott was the "hot girl". I believe that if these two had of both cut Allison lose and crossed the boundary of friendship into a romantic relationship they would have been just as strong as Stydia. A pure and passionate kind of love born out of genuine care for one another.

8) Least Favorite Pairing: Stalia (Stiles Stilinski and Malia Tate)

Reason: First of all their first hook up was in a freaking insane asylum so that right there is not a good start for any lasting relationship. Throughout their relationship, Malia took Stiles for granted and then had the nerve to get jealous when he paid more attention to Lydia (who he had been in love with forever at that point). Malia had the mindset of a child and was immature most of the time. Don't get me wrong, Stiles could be immature at time too but she brought out the worst in him. I don't dislike Malia. I actually like her as a character but not as Stiles's girlfriend. Plus this biggest reason I dislike this ship? It took longer for Stydia to finally happen. Let's not forget how she practically walked all over him.

9) Favorite Part/Moment: Lydia tells Stiles she loves him too.

Reason: Stiles had been taken by the Ghost Riders and everyone forgot who he was but before he was taken he told Lydia "Remember I love you." But she never got the chance to say it back before he and her memories of him were ripped away. When he finally came back there was a touching scene where Lydia said "I never got to say it back." And the two of them shared their first real kiss (not counting the kiss she gave him to stop a panic attack in a previous season). This was one of those moments that was several years long overdue and for us Stydia fans, we rejoiced when they finally got their shit together and actually became a couple. Praise!

10) Least Favorite Part/Moment: Allison is killed by the Oni

Reason: Allison Argent was a character you could sometimes love and hate at the same time. When they battled the Nogitsune and she sacrificed herself to the Oni to save Isasc, I sobbed like a baby. It was a way for the writers to write off the actress's character but one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire series. It is my least favorite because Allison died. It was a beautiful farewell as she died in the arms of her first love (Scott) but I can't even think about it without sobbing.

Thank you for sticking with me. Until tomorrow! ❤

[lavender-lotion]

how about some bad day steter snuggling? x

here we are! (i really needed to get this out, damn)

Teen & Up, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Trans Male Character, Trans Stiles Stilinski, HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Age Difference, Love Confessions, Mates, Fluff

Read it on AO3 here!

***

Stiles doesn’t bother knocking. Peter had given him a key, and he doesn’t have the patience to stand around waiting for the man to let him in. If he’s even home. Fuck, Stiles hopes that he’s home.

He’s had a day. A…just a really challenging day. Not all days are bad, especially not lately, but. Hormones suck. Testosterone sucks. Sure, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him, but his face won’t stop breaking out and his voice won’t stop breaking and Stiles’ body has been aching for the last three days. He got into another fight with his dad which is just…it is what it is.

But he needs a break, and Peter has always meant easy bantering and, more importantly, safety. Stiles has known the Hales all his life, and they’ve been the most accepting of his transition. Probably because they’re werewolves, but Stiles is still incredibly thankful for his pack’s (and hadn’t that been a surprise, being offered an official position) unwavering support in the face of his journey.

It’s why he’s at Peter’s apartment, letting himself in and furiously ignoring the way his eyes are stinging. He knows crying is a good release of emotions, but he doesn’t want to fucking do it. Peter has always been his favourite, and Stiles likes to tease the older man that he’s his favourite too. Peter has never protested, even in jest, which has always made Stiles unbelievably happy—he may have the tiniest crush on the lawyer, sue him.

Locking the door behind himself, Stiles kicks off his shoes and then takes a moment to line them neatly beside the front door. It’s a tick of Peter’s that he doesn’t quite understand, but if he’s invading the man’s space the least he can do is make sure he doesn’t leave his shoes strewn about. There’s a certain stillness to the apartment that has Stiles believing he’s alone, and he lets his shoulders drop heavily.

Well, so much for Peter taking his mind off things. He putters around for a few minutes, riffling through the kitchen cupboards but not finding anything he wants to eat. He sighs heavily when the fridge brings the same results, closing it with his shoulders curving inwards dejectedly. Well, if there’s nothing to eat and no Peter, he might as well take a nap.

That’s something else. Stiles hasn’t been sleeping—he really has no idea if it’s because of the hormones or not—and it’s begun to weigh on him. Being tired all the time is fairly exhausting, which should be obvious, but it still takes Stiles by surprise every time he’s left struggling to stay awake in class after tossing and turning all night long.  

Peter’s bedroom is large. The whole apartment is fairly big—the Hale family has more money than Stiles can actually fathom—and Stiles slinks his way to the closet. He definitely doesn’t want to sleep as he is, and he just has to hope that Peter doesn’t mind him borrowing any of his clothing. 

His flannel slides down his arms to pool on the floor before his fingers hesitate at the hem of his t-shirt. Stiles is alone in an empty apartment and the idea of being shirtless still makes him uncomfortable. He wonders if there will ever be a time when he’s comfortable with his body and then spends a few silent moments hoping for it before he finally peels himself out of his shirt. 

He slips off his binder next and quickly slips into one of Peter’s bigger sweaters. The shirt hangs loose on the wolf, so it fits like a bag on Stiles—which is exactly what he needs today. He takes a breath that expands his chest further than he’s been able to all day, letting his lungs fill and then letting it out slowly. Stripping off his jeans, he keeps his boxers on before he climbs under Peter’s covers, sinking into his mattress. 

The pillow smells like Peter. Musky and earthy and safe, and Stiles tugs another one into his arms to curl around it. A yawn cracks his jaw and has him seeping even deeper into the soft memory foam, feeling cocooned in safety as Peter’s scent and his heavy sheets lull him into an easy sleep. 

— 

Stiles comes to with the feeling of fingers massaging his scalp. He purrs, a noise he’s picked up from years surrounded by wolves that his human vocal cords should absolutely not be able to make, and arches his back into the touch. He reaches out to find Peter’s legs, and he wraps himself around one completely, substituting his pillow with the man’s lower body. Peter chuckles, and the noise has Stiles’ heart beating against his chest.

“Well isn’t this a lovely surprise,” Peter rumbles. Stiles presses his face further into the man’s stomach and makes a happy noise when his nose meets worn fabric and not suit buttons.

Peter must have changed before he climbed into bed. Stiles is definitely not disappointed that the man is sitting against the headboard, because that would be extremely inappropriate. Instead of thinking about how much he’d like Peter to lie down with him, he snuggles closer and makes a happy noise when Peter starts playing with his hair, which is just growing out from his buzz cut. 

“M’sorry I broke in,” Stiles mumbles half-heartedly, slipping his fingers under the hem of Peter’s t-shirt in a daring moment of confidence. 

“Sweetheart, this is exactly why I gave you a key. If I did not want you here, you would not have one,” Peter assures him, saying and doing nothing about the fingers that not rubbing the skin of his stomach. 

“Still feel like I’m ‘vading your den,” Stiles says, though it’s with a smile. He’s more comforted than he wants to admit by Peter’s words.

“You will always be welcomed in my den, Stiles,” Peter tells him firmly, and Stiles’ heart skips in his chest as his cheeks heat. Sure, Peter could very well only be saying that because he’s pack, but Stiles knows that he is the only person with a key to Peter’s apartment other than Peter himself. “Oh, don’t you smell lovely,” Peter purrs, the hand on his head scratching down his neck and making him shiver and groan. “This really was such a lovely surprise, finding you sweetly sleeping in my bed.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” Stiles whispers, his voice feeling like it’s being swallowed somewhere in his chest. Peter has never commented on Stiles rather obvious crush on him, but this is coming dangerously close to an admittance Stiles is not ready for. 

“Darling I would never,” Peter tells him sternly. He pulls away, and Stiles makes a noise of distress before Peter is sliding down the bed and lying on his side so they are facing another other. Stiles’ hand is still pressed under his chest, but now his hand is flat against the older man’s chest instead of just barely touching his stomach. 

“Peter,” Stiles whispers desperately, his heart racing. Peter looks at him carefully, his eyes so, so familiar and so very kind.

“You are still very young,” Peter tells him, but it doesn’t sound like a rebuttal or a rejection, especially when he continues with, “and I am a very prestigious lawyer. I know which laws I can and cannot get around, and I fear your father’s position makes the latter a much longer list. But do not, for a single second, think that means I do not care for you, Stiles.”

“What are you…” Stiles can’t finish his sentence, hope swirling up his chest and making him feel vulnerable and weak. He doesn’t like it, doesn’t like the way he can’t meet Peter’s eyes as the man leans in even closer, close enough that he can feel his warm puffs of breath against his cheek. It feels like he’s going to fly out of his own skin.

Peter’s hand lands on his waist, squeezing as their bare legs tangle together. Peter must not be wearing pants either. “You are my mate, darling.” Silence echoes through the room. Stiles looks up to find Peter staring at him intently, his eyes glowing in the dimly lit room. It all feels like too much, and the words run over and over again in his head and make feel dizzy.  

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Stiles finally asks, hating how weak his voice comes out.

“Please believe that I did not know, darling,” Peter tells him, and his hand slides up Stiles’ back to cup the back of his neck warmly. “Your scent has…evolved since you began testosterone. I was very surprised to find that you were my mate, but I was not displeased.” Peter stresses the last bit, and it makes Stiles’ lips twitch into the barest of smiles. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Stiles admits. It feels like he’s getting everything he has ever wanted. Like every dream he’s had since he was freaking seven is coming true, here in Peter’s massive bed with the wolf inches before him. It doesn’t feel real, though Stiles doesn’t dare risk pinching himself in case it isn’t.

“You do not need to say anything,” Peter tells him firmly. “I know you understand what the term means, and I also understand that you are still seventeen. I—” Peter trails off into nothing, and Stiles finally moves closer, his own hand sliding around Peter’s back to rest between his shoulders.

“I love you,” he rushes out, the words bursting from his speeding heart. “I love you so much, Peter.”

The wolf smiles at him, a genuine twist of his lips that Stiles has rarely seen directed at anyone other than himself. Peter’s fingers scratch at the back of his neck and make him shiver, and Stiles all but melts in a boneless puddle of goop. “And I you, darling,” Peter tells him warmly. Stiles laughs a little, moving forward to hide his beaming smile and hot blush in Peter’s chest—half-covered by his shirt Stiles has pushed up. “Now, I am sorry for interrupting your nap—” “—dude, this was way better than a freaking nap!—” “—and I feel as though I should let you continue to rest. Would you mind some company?”

“I would love that,” Stiles says warmly, not moving from his spot in Peter’s chest even as the wolf rolls onto his back and takes Stiles with him. He curls into the man’s side, a smile that he can’t push down pressed into Peter’s skin, and falls asleep to the heartbeat of the man he loves, of his mate.

[thisdiscontentedwinter]

Bad Blood - Chapter 25

You can read it on AO3 or find the Tumblr Chapter Index here. 

__________

Stiles is tired, his body heavy and sore in the same way it is after a five mile run. But behind all of that is a growing sense of urgency, a need to get up and move, because tiredness is weakness and weakness is punished. He pushes himself up off the comforter, and is confused for a moment when a large warm hand settles between his shoulder blades and encourages him back down.

“It’s okay,” Derek says. “You can sleep a little more.”

Stiles’s throat is dry and his eyes sting. He turns his head to the side and folds his arms under his cheek. “Why aren’t I scared of you? I should be scared of you.”

“Why should you be scared of me?” Derek asks him.

“You’re everything I was told to be scared of.”

“Maybe you’re just smart enough to know to listen to your instincts instead of whatever the Argents told you.”

Or his experience, Stiles thinks. Because Derek has never hurt him. Peter has, and Stiles feels a chill when he remembers the sensation of the wolf’s claws digging into his throat, but Derek hasn’t. And, if Stiles can think past that visceral fear, it’s not like Peter didn’t have a reason.

His eyes sting again when he thinks of Scott McCall’s goofy happy dance in the parking lot of the cinema the night that he and Allison kissed.

And then he thinks of his father, and of his mom, and how he feels nauseated at the idea he might have been born a werewolf.

But Mom.

Mom wasn’t bad. Mom wasn’t scary or cruel or volatile, and it’s impossible to imagine her as any different even if she had been a werewolf, and not just a human born to a werewolf pack.

Stiles wonders if he’d be any different if he’d been born a werewolf. He wonders if he’d still be the same Stiles, but it’s hard to think about because right now Stiles doesn’t even know who he is, not really. He’s a mass of conflicting thoughts and emotions battling it out in this body.

And then he thinks of the future.

He thinks of what might happen if he fathers a kid. He has werewolf blood in him—less than his mom did, but it’s still there—so his kid could be a werewolf. Could Stiles hate his own kid? Could he fear it? Could he hunt it?

He doesn’t know.

He doesn’t think so, but he doesn’t know.

“I’m half werewolf,” he says, to test the words aloud.

“Mmm,” Derek says. “Well, it’s not really a half and half thing. You either are one or you aren’t.”

“Were there humans in your pack?”

“My little brother is human,” Derek says. “Both of my parents were werewolves, but Matty was a throwback or something, I guess. It happens. It’s not a big deal. There were a few humans in my pack. It’s no different than some of your kids being blond and some being brunet, really.”

“It’s a little more different than that.”

Derek laughs quietly. “Maybe. Well, I guess their instincts are different than ours, and their senses aren’t as sharp, but they’re pack, the same as anyone. My mom always said humans made a pack stronger, not weaker. She said diversity was strength.”

Stiles sits up, and Derek’s hand falls away from his back. “Do you think I should have talked to my father?”

He can’t read Derek’s expression in the darkness, but he doesn’t hear any hint of condemnation in his reply. “I think you should take things at your own pace.”

It’s strange.

Nobody has ever told Stiles that before. When he was a little kid his parents were always laughingly telling him to slow down. When he was training with Gerard and Kate they were always telling him to hurry up, to be faster, stronger, better.

Stiles isn’t sure he knows what his own pace is.

“If he’s telling the truth, I shouldn’t hate him,” Stiles whispers at last. “But I can’t just flip a switch and turn it off.”

“He knows what you’ve been through,” Derek says. “We all do.”

“And if you’re all telling the truth then I should hate Kate and Gerard, but I don’t know if I do.”

Hate and fear aren’t the same thing. Stiles had always been scared of Gerard, and of Gerard’s punishments, but he’d never felt they were undeserved. He’d never hated the man, because he’d believed that Gerard was acting in his best interests. And Kate…

He’d hated her sometimes, when she’d yelled at him to train harder, when she’d added an extra hundred pushups to his routine when his arms were already killing him, but it wasn’t real hate. It didn’t last any longer than her “Good job, string bean” when he was done. And sometimes, he’d loved her. He’d thought of her as a big sister, tough but fair. He’d wanted to be just like her: loud and confident and brash, a smiling killer whose hands never shook.

He’d wanted to be Kate Argent.

“You said you loved her,” he says. “Kate.”

“I did,” Derek answers. “I didn’t see until afterwards how cruel she was I didn’t want to see.”

Stiles is silent then, and wonders if maybe he just doesn’t want to see as well.

***

It’s still the middle of the night when Stiles needs to go to the bathroom, so Derek takes him out of the room. The loft is filled with moonlight, and feels brighter than it actually is since Stiles has been confined to the dark for so long. There’s a figure sleeping on the couch and Stiles realises with a jolt of recognition that it’s his father.

Janusz.

John.

Whatever he calls himself.

He hasn’t left.

Stiles doesn’t know how to feel about that, so he pushes it aside. God. He’s pushed so much aside in the past twenty-four hours that sooner or later it’s all going crush him like an avalanche isn’t it?

“Where’s Ally?” he asks softly, following Derek up the narrow spiral steps.

Derek pauses at the top of the steps, and tilts his head a moment to listen. “She’s in my room. Sleeping.”

“She’s okay?” Stiles asks, needing to hear it.

Derek turns. There’s a half-smile on his face. “Stiles, you get that you’re the one we’re worried about, right?”

Stiles feels warmth spread in his chest. “Yeah, I’m starting to, yeah.”

Derek’s smile grows. “Good. But yes, she’s okay.”

***

When they go back downstairs Derek takes a candle from the kitchen drawer, and a book from the bookshelf in the living room before they go back into the secure room. Well, it’s not that secure anymore, since the door is left ajar. Not like Stiles could outrun a werewolf anyway.

And, increasingly, he isn’t sure he wants to.

Derek lights the candle and sets it in the corner, and then sits down next to Stiles and arranges the comforter around their shoulders. It’s not even that cold, but Stiles likes the closeness.

Derek opens the book and begins to read, holding it so that Stiles can follow along it he wants.

Stiles doesn’t. He finds his gaze being pulled from the book and back towards the door, to the living room where his father is sleeping.

He remembers…

He remembers his Mom used to read him books when he was too little to understand the words himself, and even after that sometimes, because it was their bedtime ritual, and if Dad wasn’t working a late shift he’d come and sit and listen. And Stiles would stare at the pictures in the book, and Dad would stare at Mom with a gentle smile on his face, and Stiles had never felt so safe and loved and happy.

He was a kid. He hadn’t known there were any other ways to feel.

Not until Mom died.

And after that, his father would read to him, his voice stumbling over the words sometimes. Not because he didn’t know them, but because they both knew it should have been Mom’s voice reading them.

That was the first time Stiles knew what it was like to be unhappy. He also learned what it was like to love someone more fiercely than he had before, because he’d been so afraid he’d lose them too. He’d clung to his dad harder than he ever had when his mom was gone.

Stiles blinks, and the words on the page of the book blur and vanish.

He wants his dad.

He wants the past six years to have never happened, but that man sleeping on the couch is a stranger, just like Stiles is a stranger to him.

He wants to be a kid again, certain of himself and certain of the people who love him.

He just wants the world to make sense again.

***

“Stiles!” Allison exclaims when Stiles and Derek wander out from the room in the morning. She hops off the stool at the breakfast bar and closes the distance between them to envelop him in a hug. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” Stiles says warily, looking into the kitchen to where Peter Hale is scrambling eggs.

“Your father had to leave for work,” Peter says casually, as though he doesn’t know how much the question was burning on the tip of Stiles’s tongue. “Also, we’re out of bacon, so it’s just eggs and toast.”

Stiles nods.

Laura walks down the spiral stairs. She’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and her hair is damp from the shower. “Do we at least have coffee?”

“Of course,” Peter says. “We’re not animals.”

Allison snorts.

Stiles, not knowing how to react, looks at the floor instead.

Peter ignores his awkwardness. “After breakfast, I was hoping we might talk, Stiles.��

Stiles lifts his hand to his throat without even realising he’s doing it.

“No,” Peter says, and something like genuine regret clouds his expression for a moment. “Just talk.”

Stiles swallows. “What about?”

“I was hoping you might have some insight into what Gerard is planning,” Peter says, his tone light.

This is treason.

The thought is there, stark and fully-formed before Stiles can block it. He curls his shaking fingers into fists.

It was inevitable they’d ask this of him, he supposes. If bringing him here and not hurting him was a ruse, then this is what it’s been leading up to. But also, if bringing him here and not hurting him wasn’t a ruse, but was instead genuine, then surely Stiles owes it to them to help?

But it’s treason.

“I…” he begins, and trails off again.

He just wants the world to make sense. He just wants the ground to feel solid underneath his feet again.

He glances at Derek. Meets his gaze and holds it, and there’s nothing there that he can see except for steady, calm support.

Maybe the world won’t start making sense again on its own. Maybe Stiles has to push it into shape himself. And maybe Stiles won’t know if the ground feels solid under his feet unless he actually makes a stand.

He looks to Peter again, and nods. “I can try.”

[dahliawolfe]

Luna

Pairings: Derek Hale/Andi Balik (OFC), Stiles/Lydia 

“Stiles! Hey, Stiles!”

Stiles stops in his tracks. He knows that voice. But surely, it’s not…

“Andi?” he asks, turning around. He hasn’t seen his cousin in nearly ten years, but there’s no mistaking those dimples.

She hugs him tightly. “How have you been, Little Cousin?” she teases, ruffling is hair. Andi is four years older than him, and she never lets him forget it. Stiles rolls his eyes.

“I’ve been ok. What are you doing here?” Andi shrugs.

“It’s fall break at school, and I had nothing better to do, so I thought I’d come by and pay a visit to my favorite cousin.”

“I’m your only cousin.” Andi’s mom was Stiles’ late mom’s only sister. Andi chuckles.

“Plus, I’m looking for a place to settle down. I’m going to be finishing up my journalism degree soon, and I’ve been thinking about getting out of Denver. It just doesn’t feel like home since…” Stiles knows what she means. Since her mom died. Stiles hadn’t been able to attend the funeral, but his heart had broken for her nonetheless.

“Guys, this is my cousin, Andi. Andi, these are the guys,” Stiles announces later that night as the group gets together. They’re a small pack. They’ve lost too many pack mates. But they were stronger than ever. Scott, Lydia, Peter, Malia, Ethan, Stiles, and Derek. They’d all drifted apart for a while, but they eventually made it back to each other. And back to Beacon Hills.

“Hi, guys. Nice to meet you,” Andi says, giving a lame wave.

“Wait, this is THE Andi?” Scott asks, studying the girl.

“Yes, Scott.”

“There’s no way this beautiful creature is related to you,” Peter purrs, stepping forward. “Peter Hale. Lovely to meet you.” He takes Andi’s hand and kissing the back of it.

“Ummmm…Thanks.” Andi subtly wipes her hands on her jeans.

“I’m Lydia, Stiles’ girlfriend. I must say, I love those boots. We definitely need to go shopping while you’re here.” Andi beams.

“Thanks! I got them at this overstock place in San Diego, actually.” Lydia gasps.

“I’m Ethan.” Andi nods at the quiet guy.

“Nice to meet you, Ethan.”

“I’m Malia. You look nothing like Stiles.” Andi snorts.

“I obviously got all the good genes before this one was born,” she teases, nodding at Stiles.

Derek, as usual, is silent.

“You must be Derek, then. Hi, Andi Balik. Nice to meet you,” she sticks her hand out, and Derek shakes it, giving her a nod and a small smile.

“Nice to meet you. Yeah, I’m Derek. Derek Hale.”

Stiles can’t help but notice that Derek doesn’t take his eyes off of Andi as she settles in between Scott and Lydia. The broody man almost seems enamored with Stiles’ cousin. And Stiles thinks that maybe, just maybe, he can work with that.

“Stiles, why couldn’t we just order in, instead of coming out in this storm just to get tacos?” Lydia complains as they pull into the parking lot of Stiles’ favorite Mexican restaurant.

“Because, you can’t get quality like this with take out,” he replies with a snort, like the answer should be obvious. He helps Andi crawl out of the back seat, and they all begin the trek to the front door of the restaurant. The wind is howling, and lightning is flashing in the sky. It had been raining buckets not five minutes ago.

“I better get some quality salsa and chips for you dragging my ass all the way to the middle of nowhere for…” Andi begins, but she’s cut off by a ear piercing scream. At once, all of the wolves are on alert, and Stiles is creeping closer to the Jeep for his bat.

“What the hell?” Andi hisses.

“Stiles, get Andi and Lydia inside. Scott, Ethan, with me. Peter, Malia, take the back,” Derek instructs.

“Wait! What?! You’re going to investigate?! And you want me to stay with Stiles?! No, I don’t think so!” Andi protests, drawing a long knife out of her boot. Everyone looks at her in confusion and mild concern. She shrugs. “What? I live in the city. I have to protect myself.”

“You’re not coming,” Derek replies, matter-of-factly, turning on his heels and leading the others away. Stiles tries to shepherd Andi into the safety of the building, but she breaks away from him and continues on after Peter and Malia.

“Shit,” Stiles whispers, looking at Lydia, who is giving him a smirk.

“Well, I like her,” the strawberry blonde replies, strutting inside, waiting for Stiles to follow.

Once they’re around the corner, all the wolves drop fangs and claws, preparing to fight whatever is waiting in the woods. The smell of blood is nearly enough to gag them. Something else is tinging the air too. Magic.

“Dammit, I thought we were done with all this,” Scott growls.

“Me too,” Ethan adds. Derek has laser focus. He had moved home because he was tired of running, but maybe he should have stayed away. Maybe settling down wasn’t worth being attacked every week.

Andi smells the blood long before she sees the body. Nonetheless, there it is. Suspended in a tree from wires, like some horrible marionette.

“Holy shit,” she gasps, forcing everyone to turn to face her. She catches a glimpse of their glowing eyes, fangs, claws, and excess fur and stops dead.

“What the fuck?!” she hisses. Because, well, what the fuck?

Derek lets out a low warning growl. “I told you to stay,” he grinds out, stalking towards her.

“Well…I didn’t listen?” Andi replies hesitantly. Derek’s eyes flare red as he steps closer. Unbeknownst to her, Andi’s flash silver in return. Derek draws up short, and shock echoes through the pack.

“Peter, take her back. Stay with her,” Derek orders, turning away.

“Wait, no! I want to know what’s going on!” Derek growls again and turns toward her.

“You will go with Peter. Now!” It’s evident that Andi is straining against every fiber of her being to resist the order. Which is strange. She’s human. Right?

…

“Derek, what the hell?!” Scott demands once Peter and Andi are out of earshot.

“Those eyes, that means…She’s a luna,” Malia states, testing out the theory.

“But she’s human,” Ethan points out. “Right?”

“Yes,” Derek sighs. “She’s human. Yes, she’s a luna. It’s rare. But it happens.”

“It does?” Scott asks, genuinely puzzled.

“Yes. In ancient times, it was much more common. Usually, lunas were the born mates of alphas. That wasn’t always the cases, but there hasn’t been a known human luna in at least 200 years.”

“Dude, how do you know all of this stuff? That’s Stiles’ and Lydia’s thing.”

“My mother used to tell me stories of the brave human lunas that led their packs to victory against other oppressive packs.” The younger pack members look at each other silently for a few moments.

“Back to the problem at hand. The mage is gone. For now. But he’ll be back. Ethan, Malia, track him as far as you can and report back. Scott, call the sheriff. I need to speak to Peter.” With that, the alpha stalks off.

…

“Does John know?!” Andi berates. Stiles stands against the Jeep, his eyes wide at his cousin’s anger.

“Uhhh…Yeah, he…”

“Werewolves, Stiles?!” Andi hisses, instinctively lowering her voice.

“I mean…Yeah, but…”

“Stiles! You…I…Ugh!” she growls, throwing her hands up in agitation. Peter and Lydia are standing to the side, watching the cousins in amusement.

Derek approaches the scene and frowns at Peter, motioning for him to come over. Peter returns the nod and pushes off of his sleek black Audi, stepping toward his nephew.

“She’s…” Derek begins once his uncle reaches him.

“A luna. Yes. Your luna, specifically,” Peter replies with a smirk.

Derek raises an eyebrow, glancing at Andi across the parking lot. She has Stiles against the Jeep, a finger jabbed into his chest.

“But how?” the younger Hale questions.

Peter shrugs. “It happens. Look, lunas are rare. If another pack finds out about her, they could take her. A pack is stronger with a luna. And there are ways to force her into fitting into their pack.” Derek frowns.

“I’m not letting that happen.”

“Well, then I suggest you talk to her. Preferably before she kills poor Stiles.”

Andi looks around the diner. It’s nearly one a.m. and the place is pretty much empty. Except for a few truckers, two tired looking waitresses, and her and Derek. He’s agreed to tell her what was going on, and it was a conversation that she felt like she deserved.

“Andi,” Derek begins, hesitating. He’s not exactly good at sharing his feelings. “I…I assume you know what we are?”

“Yeah. I…I figured it out.”

“Ok, good. Well, there’s something you should know…about you.”

“Me? What are you talking about?”

“There’s a term in umm…or community. Luna. It means, basically a female leader of a pack. Specifically, in your case, a human leader.”

“Wait. Back up. Stiles said you were the alpha. So, that means you’re the leader, right? So, how can I be the leader? And how do you know that I am, anyway? Can you smell it?” She gasps suddenly. “Do I smell weird?”

Derek chuckles. “No, you don’t smell weird. Your eyes. They flashed silver when mine flashed red. Your luna was telling my alpha that she was there. I am the alpha, but well…there’s…”

“Derek, just say it, man. What could be crazier than the night I’ve had already?”

“The luna is the alpha’s mate. Since your eyes responded to mine, that means you’re my born mate.”

“Mate? Like life partner.”

“Yeah, except more…permanent.” Andi takes a deep breath.

“I…uhhh…I see. Well, that’s…interesting.” Derek lets silence settle between them for a few moments before speaking again.

“It…It doesn’t have to be that big of a deal. You’re not going to be forced into anything you don’t want to do. You still have free will.” Andi rubs her temples, leaning back in the pleather booth.

“Can…Can you take me to my hotel? I think I need to sleep on this. I’m not like…rejecting you, or whatever, but I…I just need a little time. Is that ok? Can we maybe meet up for coffee tomorrow or something?”

“Yeah. Sure. Of course. That’s not a problem.” Derek pays for their coffee and leads Andi out to his car.

…

The next morning, Derek walks into the lobby of Andi’s hotel. They had agreed to meet at 9 a.m., and it’s 8:30, so he knows he’s early, but Derek believes in being early. He intends to just lounge in the lobby and wait, but he catches sight of Andi in the hotel gym right off of the lobby, so he decides to go say hello. What he sees when he steps through the frosted glass doors stops him dead in his tracks. Fresh, pink, raised scars stand out against Andi’s pale skin. It’s evident that deep gouges have been made in her flesh, and it angers Derek more than he can describe.

“Andi,” he greets hoarsely. The young woman snaps around, clearly surprised by his presence. Sweat is coating her skin, and her dark hair is stuck in curls to her forehead. Her knuckles are wrapped, and she’s been going one-on-one with the punching bag in the corner of the gym.

“Derek, hey,” she replies, walking over to him.

“What happened?” he motions to her back and sides. Andi frowns.

“The truth is, I was attacked about a year ago. I almost died. That’s why I carry the knife. That’s why I left Denver. There’s nothing there for me anymore. I had to get away. The nightmares, and the paranoia…it was too much. Please, don’t tell Stiles. He worries too much as is.” Derek steps forward, running a gentle fingertip down her side.

“Did they…did they get the guy that did it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I quit taking the detective’s calls. It was too much to handle by myself. I didn’t want to know. Ya know? I didn’t want to be told that he was still out there. I would have been terrified more than I already was.” Derek nods. He understands what it’s like to have to look over your shoulder constantly. And more than anyone else, he understands what it’s like to be alone.

“I…You…Are you going to stay here. In Beacon Hills, I mean?” Andi shrugs.

“Maybe. I do have family here. The only family I have left. But I don’t know. I’m a little lost right now. I’m trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be.” Derek steps closer, until he’s only a breath away.

“You have us. The pack. We can be your family. We can protect you. We can care for you. You belong here. You’re our luna, and you’ll always have a place here.” After looking down into Andi’s eyes, Derek leans closer and seals his lips over hers. It’s a slow, gentle kiss, but Andi leans into it. It feels good. It feels right, and Derek doesn’t push her further. He simply gives her one last peck on the lips before cupping the back of her head and placing a feather light kiss on her forehead.

…

“Alright guys, fill us in,” Derek demands as he leads Andi into the pack house later that morning.

“We lost the scent at the edge of town,” Ethan informs, nodding at Andi and accepting one of the doughnuts that she brought to the pack.

“Ohhhh, nice, Luna. Thanks,” Scott says, scooping up a glazed and a powdered doughnut and immediately cramming them in his mouth.

“Any word on who the victim was, Stiles?” Andi asks, propping herself against the kitchen counter.

“Yeah, Dad says he was one of the guys from the commune on the edge of the forest.”

“Excuse me? Commune? You mean cult? Beacon Hills has a cult?” Andi places her half eaten doughnut on the counter and crosses her arms over her chest.

“They’re not a cult,” Stiles protests. Andi glares at him.

“Uh huh. Neither was Jonestown.”

“Andi’s right. It’s suspicious. Scott, you and Malia go and check it out. Malia, keep a lookout for the scent you caught last night. Andi and I are going to the morgue.”

…

“What are these symbols?” Andi questions as she studies the body of the previous night’s victim.

“They look like some sort of rune. Magic stuff,” Derek replies. He doesn’t step any closer to the body because the smell is already too much to handle for him and his sensitive nose.

“Is there anyone who can read these?”

“Funny you should ask. Cuz here I am,” Lydia states, coming into the room. She walks over to the body, covering her nose as she leans down to inspect the symbols. “Definitely magical symbols. I’ve seen this before. I think these are Druidic runes. Deaton could tell you more. But some of these symbols mean ‘to rise’ or ‘ascend’. Maybe someone was looking for a power boost?”

“So, here’s a theory,” Andi begins, standing upright and walking away from the body, tossing her latex gloves in the trash. “What if the mage is part of the commune and was friends with this guy? This poor dude has some healed runes on his lower back that definitely didn’t come from last night. Maybe the mage used his friend here to gain more power, and then as a final boost, killed him in a ceremony of some sort?” Derek nods.

“It’s not the craziest theory that I’ve heard. Lydia, get with Deaton and see if we can’t come up with a binding spell to eliminate his powers so we can take him down.”

“Got it, Boss.”

…

Andi and Derek are exiting the morgue when the alpha’s phone rings. “Hello,” he greets, wrangling his keys out of his pocket. “That’s great, Scott. Hold on to him until we get to you. Lydia is working on a binding spell. We’ll take him out tonight.” With that, he hangs up and looks at Andi. “They found the mage on the commune. Scott and Malia are going to sit on him until we can take him down.”

“Well, let’s get to it, then. He’s not going to wait around forever.”

…

“Andi, Lydia, fall back. Lydia, you work on chanting the spell, Andi, you guard her. When we get him secured, we’ll give him the potion that Deaton sent to strip his powers completely. Then we’ll turn him over to the sheriff,” Derek directs.

“If he survives the spell and potion,” Lydia points out. It was risky. The potion was potent and could very well kill the mage, who turned out to be a lonely middle-aged man. Derek nods.

“Right. If he survives. Andi, you ok with this?” Andi pulls the blade from her boot again.

“I think I’ll be fine, Der.”

…

“By the way this wind is picking up, I’d say they found him,” Andi says to Lydia, who is chanting something in Latin. The wind is blowing fiercely, and the air has become choked with something that Andi has never experienced before. Just then, something whizzes by her head, and it takes her a few seconds to realize that it’s someONE not someTHING. Ethan crashes into the tree at her right.

“Shit,” she hisses, pushing Lydia behind her. Andi stands guard in front of Ethan and Lydia, crouched with her knife at the ready. “Lyds, if you could hurry up, that would be appreciated, Sweetie.”

She can hear Ethan moaning behind her. “How ya doing, Ethan?”

“I’m ok, Luna. I need to go back and…”

“Absolutely not. You will stay behind me.” This time, she feels it as her eyes flash silver.

As sudden as the wind had started up, it dies down. And Andi can breathe again. Lydia is through chanting, and is now smirking at her. Andi smiles. “Good job,” she compliments just as the rest of the pack enters the clearing dragging the mage.

…

“And you just found him? And he confessed to you?” John asks later that night as Andi drops the unconscious mage at the station.

“Yup. That’s the long and short of it.”

“Uh huh. Right. You’ve been spending too much time with Stiles.” With that, the sheriff shakes his head, and walks away, motioning for a deputy to take the suspect to the cells.

…

“That was a pretty damn good night,” Andi sighs, plopping down on the couch by Derek.

“That it was. You were great, by the way. Lydia told me how you took control out there.”

Andi shrugs. “I just did what felt right.” Derek gives her a smile.

“You’re a natural.” They stare at each other for a few moments, smile on both their faces, before Andi gets brave enough to lean in for a kiss. This time, she deepens it, and Derek happily complies. He lifts her to straddle his lap and slides his hands under the hem of her shirt, resting them on her hips.

“Can we…” she asks, pulling away breathlessly.

“Of course, Baby.” Derek hoists her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his hips as he carries her to his room. She nibbles on his neck all the way, causing him to let out deep, low growls. By the time he gently lowers her to the bed, his cock is rock hard against the front of his jeans.

Andi quickly unbuttons her pants, sliding them off of her hips and reaching for her shirt as she watches the muscles in Derek’s bare chest flex as he removes his own clothes.

Derek nudges her thighs upwards with his shoulders, kissing up her legs and bumping his nose against her covered heat. He crooks one finger in the cotton of her panties, pulling them to the side enough for him to snake his tongue into her. Andi hisses, fisting his hair in one hand, the bedsheets in the other.

Andi will proudly admit that she has never loved stubble more because Derek is driving her mad. When he pulls away to grab a condom and position himself at her entrance, she grabs at his shoulders, needing him closer.

“I’m right here, Darling,” he soothes, kissing her knuckles as he slides into her, bottoming out in one smooth motion.

“Derek,” she moans, raising her hips in time with his thrusts. Derek scoops her up so her chest is against his, but his pace doesn’t change. Andi sucks quickly fading marks into his skin and cups the back of his neck, looking up at him. She knows she’s close, and she can only hope that it feels as good for him as it does for her. He snakes a hand between them, flicking her clit gently, drawing her closer to coming undone. Her back bows. She’s so close.

Derek’s eyes flash red. Hers flash silver in return. And their glowing eyes lock for a few seconds before she springs apart, howling his name, her head thrown back, body taut. Derek steadies her through her orgasm, thrusting slowly and steadily. He gentles her with soft kisses to her temple as he chases his own release. Finally, he stills in her, smiling down at her. He lays her gently on the bed, tossing the condom away before laying beside her and pulling her close.

…

“So, I’m gonna be staying for a while. That is, if you’ll have me?” Andi says a few days later when the pack gets together. A chorus of positive affirmations fill the air, and the luna smiles. It looks like she’s found exactly where she belongs.

THE END!

Word count: 3618

[nightlight9]

Sterek Week Day Five: Scene Stealer

Inspiration: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

—————

As Stiles turns and tugs his suitcase away, his eyes stinging with tears, all he can think about is how he should have known better. He should have seen this coming; all the signs were there, and they had been there since he signed his name on the dotted line. Gods, how stupid is he, really?

Somewhere behind him, Derek is calling for him to stop, to hold on, to let him explain. Maybe, one side of him argues, he should stop and listen. And even if everything that Derek has to say is utter shit, at least then Stiles would have something to direct his anger at. Instead of slowing down though, he uses that anger as a shield, raises his middle finger over his head without looking back, and prays to the Gods that no one can tell that his useless heart is breaking.

Getting mixed up with Derek Hale, regardless of how nice and genuine he had seemed at the beginning, was bound to end in tragedy. Hell, it was practically written in the high school guidebook that messing around with the captain of the lacrosse team was a stupid ass idea, especially when his ex was one of the most popular girls in school. But at the time, it had seemed like less of a gamble to fake date Derek than to have to confront Scott and eventually Allison about the letter. What he hadn’t accounted for though was how invested he would become in their charade. He hadn’t anticipated that he might actually grow to like the surprising sweet, soft-spoken jock. And now he’s lost in a game he hadn’t even realized that they had been playing.

“It’s so cool that it doesn’t bother you that your boyfriend came to my room last night,” Jennifer had said in a saccharine tone, pressing her hand against Stiles’ chest like she had had the right. “Really, it’s sweet that you trust him so much. I never would have allowed that when we were dating, but good for you Stiles. Good for you.”

Tears roll down his cheeks as he flees from the school, the last of his control breaking. Before he can escape entirely, a sleek red car pulls up in front of him. The window rolls down and Lydia peers at him from the driver seat. “Well come on then,” she says impatiently, tossing her hair over one shoulder. “Don’t just stand there, get in.”

He thanks the stars that he’s somehow become her friend as he tosses his suitcase in the backseat and climbs in the car. Derek is still calling for him, his voice insistent as he pushes through the crowds of people milling about. Before he has a chance to get too close though, Lydia pulls away from the curb, and they leave Derek in their dust.

——————

Siles is laying face down in his bed, trying to pretend that the rest of the world doesn’t exist, when Allison climbs up beside him, draping herself over his back without saying a word.

“Your elbow is digging into my spine,” he groans, trying not to smile.

“That’s what you get for keeping all of this from me,” she responds, digging her elbow in harder as if to prove her point. When all Stiles does is grumble at the action, she sighs and rolls over until she’s laying on her back beside him. “It’s that bad?”

He doesn’t want to talk about it, not really. But Allison has always been there for him, and he’s missed her so much since she left for school. Besides, as much as he hates to admit it, maybe talking to someone will make him feel better.

“I know that it was a stupid idea, and I know that it’s cliche that I got attached, but Derek wasn’t anything like I expected him to be, you know?” Turning onto her side, Allison tucks her head on her arm and nods for him to go on. “I didn’t think that I would actually like him, but he turned out to be funny and kind. He made talking about Mom easy. He made me want to talk about her. And he listened and opened up about his family, and before I even had a chance, he had broken through all of my barriers.”

Allison smiles at him, soft and fond. “There’s nothing wrong with liking him, Stiles. I mean, I don’t know him all that well, but from what I remember, he seems like a pretty good kid.”

Stiles laughs, self-deprecating and sad. “He is, which is probably the worst part. He agreed to fake date me in order to get back at Jennifer, and it worked. He didn’t do anything wrong. He didn’t do anything other than what we had already planned in the beginning. I just-. I got attached and forgot that it was fake. That’s not his fault.”

There’s a long pause while Allison considers what he’s saying. “I don’t know, Stiles. I think-. I think that maybe you should have stopped to see what he had to say. Maybe it’s not what you thought.”

He looks at her in surprise. “You’re supposed to be on my side, Ally!”

With a laugh, she reaches out and pushes his shoulder. “I am on your side, Stiles. All I’m saying is that maybe he could have explained. From what you’ve told me, it seems like you guys really hit it off, and not in a fake way. And when he showed up here, wanting to talk to you, he seemed really upset that you wouldn’t listen to him. Maybe you’re not the only person hurting right now.”

He pouts at her. “When did you go and get so wise?”

She rolls back onto her back and smiles at the ceiling. “I’ve always been this smart, you’ve just never appreciated it before.”

They fall into an easy silence, and Stiles considers keeping his question to himself, but he can’t help but ask, “Ally, do you still love Scott?”

She blinks in surprise at the question, then sighs, responding without looking at him. “Yes. Scott is-. Scott was everything to me, you know that. And just because we broke up, that doesn’t mean that I stopped loving him. It’s different now though, more bittersweet.”

“He still loves you too.”

She smiles in a sad way. “I know. But breaking up with him was still the right thing to do. I needed to figure out how to be without him. This is a whole new chapter of my life, and in order to find myself I had to leave him behind.”

Even if it still seems absurd to Stiles, he can understand where she’s coming from. He might not agree with her, but he understands. Love, as it turns out, is nothing like it is in his romance novels. It is far more complicated than that.

—————

Forgetting about everything that had happened on the ski trip is easy when Allison is still at home. Instead of relieving every moment he had with Derek, Stiles spends the time with his sister and his dad. And it’s nice, just being able to hang out, being a complete family again.

But all too soon Allison is packing up her bags and heading back to college, and Stiles is alone again with his thoughts. The most absurd thing, in his opinion, is how lonely he is after she’s gone. Even though he had been fine on his own before, the loneliness settles over him in heavy waves. More than anything, he misses Derek. He misses being able to talk to him, and making him laugh. He misses feeling like someone actually understood him for once.

Two days before school starts up again, Scott shows up on the doorstep with a bag of Reese's Pieces and a huge smile. Stiles has never been happier about being friends with him.

“You are my hero, dude,” Stiles says while stuffing his mouth full of candy. Scott rolls his eyes and pauses the game they’re playing, right as Stiles is getting ready to fire on the enemy. “Dude! Not cool!”

Like a good friend, Scott ignores the three Reese’s that fall out of Stiles’ open mouth. “You know,” he starts, tone too conversational to be casual, “the lacrosse team still practices during break.”

Stiles blinks at him in surprise, then narrows his eyes. “That’s nice. Can we get back to killing things now?” He reaches for the controller, ready to steal it back and start the game himself, but Scott holds it out of reach.

“Not yet. Listen, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I think maybe I should.” His eyes are big and genuine, and Stiles hates him a little for it.

“I thought we had agreed to never talk about this,” he mutters, folding himself back against the couch when it becomes obvious that Scott isn’t going to let the conversation drop.

Sure enough, Scott crosses his arms across his chest and gives Stiles a look of defiance. “No, you agreed that we would never talk about it, and you spent half of this semester avoiding me so that we would never have a chance.”

Stiles drops his head at the reminder, guilt making his stomach roll. Despite the fact that Scott has been his best friend for years, Stiles had thought that avoiding him was a better option than being honest about the love letter. At the time, it had seemed like such a good idea. Now though he feels bad about leaving his best friend in the dark about what was going on. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about it.”

Like the friend that he is, Scott just smiles and shrugs. “It’s alright; I understand now. And I’m not mad. But we should still talk about Derek.”

That makes Stiles scowl. “Derek isn’t-. I can’t-.”

Scooting across the couch, Scott takes Stiles by the shoulders, shaking him slightly. “Dude, Derek is miserable without you. Isaac says that he’s been insufferable since the trip. Whatever happened, you should give him a chance to explain, not just because he feels bad about it, but also because you’re miserable too.”

“I’m fine, Scott.” The words taste like a lie, no matter how much Stiles wishes they were true.

And Scott sees right through them. “No, you’re really not. You’ve been moping since you’ve come back. Go, talk to him. He obviously has something that he wants to tell you even if you don’t want to hear it.” All Stiles can see is Jennifer, with her hand on his chest, telling him about how cute it is that Stiles trusts Derek so much. “And,” Scott continues, breaking through Stiles’ thoughts before he can spiral, “you need to tell Derek how you really feel.”

Stiles jerks back. “You want me to do what?”

Dropping his hands from Stiles’ shoulder, Scott sits back against the couch. “You need to tell him that you actually like him, for real.” Seeing that Stiles is gearing up for a protest, Scott continues. “Dude, life isn’t a story book. It’s real and it’s scary, but it’s also full of great things. Love is one of those things. No matter how terrifying it is, it’s also really great. And instead of lying to yourself and pretending that you don’t care, you have to talk to him. You have to tell people what you’re feeling when you’re feeling it, not sit back and write letters and let everyone pass you by.”

Deflating, Stiles admits what’s been bothering him about the whole thing. “But what if he doesn't feel the same? I’m only going to get hurt.”

Scott shrugs. “Sure that’s a risk, but at least then you’ll know for sure. And then you’ll be able to move on.” A slow grin pulls his lips up. “Besides, I don’t think that that’s going to be a problem. Go and talk to him. And if it doesn’t go well, I’ll still be here when you get back and we can shoot zombies and talk about how stupid lacrosse is.”

Despite his anxiety, the statement makes Stiles laugh. “You like lacrosse, remember?”

“Yeah, so? I like you more, and if it will make you feel better then we can bad mouth it all night.”

Stiles is grateful that, through everything, he hasn’t lost his best friend. Because no matter what, Stiles is always going to want Scott to be by his side. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Now, get outta here before I kick you out of the house myself.”

Laughing, Stiles squares his shoulder and does just that.

—————

Walking across the lacrosse field, Stiles feels like he might be sick before he even has a chance to reach Derek. The team watches his approach but no one steps forward to ask what he’s doing there. In fact, the only person who acknowledges him outside of openly staring is Danny, who smirks in a way that suggests that he knows exactly what Stiles is doing and is amused by it. But, like a good friend, he corrals the rest of the players to lead them off of the field.

All to soon, Derek and Stiles are the only people left. Derek watches Stiles with a closed off, weary expression, and for the first time since the ski trip, Stiles thinks that maybe everyone else was right. Maybe Derek was hurting too.

Without allowing himself a chance to chicken out, Stiles continues walking until he’s standing only a few feet from Derek. There, he pulls the letter he hastily wrote out from behind his back. He doesn’t hand it over though. Instead, he crosses his arms behind his back, takes a deep breath, and then looks Derek in the eye.

“Hi.”

Raising one eyebrow in a move that is altogether familiar and yet not, Derek says, “Hi.”

“I was, uh-, I was hoping that we could talk. I have something that I need to tell you.”

When Derek crosses his arms over his chest, Stiles reads his posture easily. He’s ready to defend himself if need be;. He’s ready to defend himself from Stiles. “Are you going to listen to what I have to say too?”

He nods, frantic. “Yes, I-. Yes. But first, please let me explain. If I don’t, I’ll probably run away before I get it out.”

With a nod of his head, Derek gives Stiles his full attention. It’s enough for Stiles, who closes his eyes, are blurts out everything that he had rehearsed on the drive over. “Derek, when I originally wrote those letters, I never intended on anyone ever finding out about them, least of all the people that they were about. Seeing you with that envelope, it felt like my entire life was coming to an end because it meant that someone else knew all of my secrets.

“And when we started going out, when we made that stupid contract, I was so sure that the worst of it was behind me. But then I got close to you. You opened up to me and talked about what it was like losing your dad. You made it easy for me to talk about my mom, and Allison, and everything that went on in my head. And you listened to me, and never thought that I was a loser because of it.” He opens his eyes, wanting to drive hom everything that he’s saying, before pulling the letter out and handing it to Derek.

Instead of opening it though, Derek makes sure that Stiles still has all of his attention. “Derek, getting close to you was the best and worst thing that could happen to me. I’ve never let anyone in, not the way that I did with you. And it scared me as much as it thrilled me, to have someone see me for once. I didn’t stop to listen to you after the ski trip because -. Well, for me, at some point, everything that we were faking became real. But if you never knew, if I cut you out and put up all my defenses again, that meant that I wasn’t really losing anyone. It wasn’t fair, and I’m sorry that I did that to you. I just-. Will you please read that now.”

Derek stares at him for a drawn out moment before opening the folded piece of paper. Stiles is pleased when Derek’s lips quirk up. ‘I like you, Derek Hale. Can you forgive me’ is followed by two boxes, both of which say ‘yes.’

Instead of responding to the message, Derek folds the letter back up and tucks it into his hoodie pocket. “Is it my turn now?” Stiles nods, even though he kind of wants to run away. “That night, when I went to Jennifer's room, it was to tell her that I’m done playing her games. I’m done with her messing with me. Because I know that I deserve better than that; you showed me that.” Reaching out tentatively, Derek takes one of Stiles’ hand. “Stiles, I understand why you ran away, and as much as it sucked, I’ve already forgiven you.” He smiles then, soft and sweet. “It would be pretty hard not to forgive you, seeing as I’m in love with you.”

Stiles freezes at those words, brain coming to a halt. Derek loves him? Him? “Does that mean you want to date me, for real this time?”

When Derek laughs, the sound hits Stiles right in the chest. “Yes, Stiles. I want to date you for real. Just-. Next time, talk to me before running away, okay.”

Nodding frantically, Stiles pulls Derek down, kissing him with everything that he has. Derek’s laughter is sweet on his lips, and Stiles is so damn happy that his love letters got sent out after all.

[triggeringthehealing]

Fairies?

Derek/Stiles | G | ~2.7k | (AO3) Summary:  It's been getting cold in the Preserve for weeks, so the pack decides that it's time to try and figure out what's happening before the frost engulfs the whole town. When Stiles comes to the conclusion that it's a fairy -- or more of them -- there is an abundance of Disney references that no one really takes seriously.  Especially when it's Stiles and Derek who are tasked with finding and talking to the fairy that's causing the cold.  Rating: General Word Count: 2751 Tags/Warnings: Fairies, Disney References, Getting Together, Hypothermia, 

Written for the @multifandomwritingchallenge for the prompt ‘periwinkle’.

❄❄❄❄❄

"Pixies?"

"Fairies."

"What's the difference?"

"Evil. Pixies are evil."

Stiles spits out the last word and shudders, then he looks up at Scott and Allison, who are standing behind him, trying to see what else his research has revealed. There's no way they can get any more answers than Stiles has though—he doesn't really have any, not from the Bestiary or Peter's database.

"So like, Tinkerbell?"

Allison chuckles at Scott's question, but Stiles sighs.

"Not quite, but you're close. This one is a frost fairy apparently."

"Oooh, like in that other Tinkerbell movie," Scott says, his face lighting up.

"What?"

"Hey, quit your judgment, they're fun," Scott protests. "There was a whole series and in one of them Tinkerbell found a secret twin who was a winter fairy and could freeze things."

"That sounds about right," Stiles says. "Are you telling me that Disney got things right?"

"Well, it does look like we have Periwinkle wreaking havoc around the Preserve, so maybe?"

"Peri-what?"

"The winter fairy," Scott says, sounding exasperated.

"Right. So, we have a frost fairy on the loose and zero information on any fairies or how to deal with them," Stiles says, slumping in his chair. "What now?"

"Go out, try to find the fairy, talk?"

"There's the Scott I know and love," Stiles says. "With the optimism and positivity."

"Hey, it might work," Scott tells him. "They're not bad in the movies."

"We're not exactly in a movie, Scotty. And our history with creatures of all kinds is not exactly giving me much hope of the fairy being of the cute and sweet kind."

"Well, do you have other ideas?"

"Not as of now, no," Stiles admits.

Allison chuckles, getting both their attention.

"You know," she says, "we could try Scott's way. But have someone who can run fast enough to get away be the one to try, in case Stiles is right and the attempt for diplomacy goes horribly wrong."

"It would also need to be someone who's good at diplomacy," Stiles says. "So not Isaac or Erica."

"Boyd?"

"Not so good with the talking in general thing. Lydia won't go trekking through the woods," Stiles points out.

"Maybe Derek should..." Scott starts but stops when both Allison and Stiles give him an incredulous look. "It is his land, after all, that should hold some weight."

"That might be true, and as you know I'm a fan of Derek's everything, but diplomacy isn't his strong suit," Stiles says. "Not when it comes to someone causing trouble in the Preserve."

Both Scott and Stiles grimace at the memory of their first meeting with Derek, when they went looking for Scott's inhaler.

"Still, maybe he should try? Bring someone who's less likely to bite the fairy's head off?" Allison asks, looking pointedly at Stiles.

"Why are you both looking at me?" Stiles asks a beat later.

"Because it's got to be you two," Scott says. "It's that or Ally and I. And Derek has a claim to the land, while we would probably just piss the fairy off, what with the Argent connection."

Stiles sighs, realizing that he's been defeated and somehow Scott's logic holds firm.

"Fine," he says. "But you're telling Derek."

It turns out that Derek—despite not knowing what it was that was causing havoc in the Preserve—was already planning to go out and track down whatever it is out there. Stiles cringes when he listens to the phone call that Scott makes and when he tries to follow the explanation about fairies and Derek's unimpressed huffs when the Disney connection comes up. He's not at all surprised that Derek doesn't buy the possibility that the fairy is nice, but eventually they both agree—Allison's logic works a lot better than Scott's attempts—that it will be best to at least try to talk to the fairy before sending in the hounds. Or wolves.

That's why a day later, Stiles finds himself trekking through the woods, wrapped in his warmest jacket but still shivering from the cold. It's only in one corner of the forest, luckily, but the reason they all rushed into research and trying to find what creature settled here is that the frost has been steadily expanding over the past few weeks. Derek, naturally, doesn't seem to be affected by the ice or the low temperatures at all which makes Stiles grumble.

"Come on, the sooner we get to the fairy, the sooner we'll be out of here," Derek tells him when Stiles catches up to him.

They've been walking like this from the moment they entered the Preserve—Derek getting ahead, then waiting for Stiles to catch up, then walking ahead again—and it's why they haven't talked much. Stiles huffs and pulls his jacket tighter around himself, then glares at his shoes and hisses when he tries to move his toes in them.

"My toes are froze," he mumbles as he starts walking again.

Derek turns around to look at him, then smirks. "Good thing you don't have a tail then," he says. "Also, wrong movie."

Stiles stops in his tracks and his jaw drops as he processes the words.

"What?"

"Fairies are in Peter Pan and the Tinkerbell series, not the Dalmatian movie," Derek tells him, completely blank-faced.

"What?"

"You said that already."

"You know Disney movies," Stiles states, surprised.

He starts to move again, but it's for self-preservation and to prevent his everything to freeze, not because he's over the shock of what Derek's comments revealed. It shouldn't be such a confusing thing; after all, Stiles is pretty sure that before the fire, the Hale kids were just regular kids on the outside, watching movies and listening to music like any other kids their age. But it's been a long enough time of him seeing Derek tense and angry and hurt that the idea that his mind contains references to cutesy cartoon movies completely baffles Stiles in ways very few things ever did before.

"Yes, Stiles, I know Disney movies," Derek says, rolling his eyes as he waits for Stiles to catch up to him. "I also saw all the Star Wars movies and Voyager is my favorite Star Trek."

"Damn right, Janeway is the best," Stiles reacts automatically, then stops when he's reached the spot Derek stopped at. "Sorry, I guess I can't quite shake the sourwolf version of you. You know, the one who wouldn't be seen doing or saying anything that's fun."

Derek sighs but doesn't comment on Stiles's admission. Instead, he nods in the direction of where the frost seems to be originating from and starts walking again, a little slower this time so Stiles can keep up. They stay silent for a while, the only sound around them the rustling of the few leaves that aren't frozen and Stiles's chattering teeth. As they keep walking, more and more snow and ice surround them and the wind picks up, blowing snowflakes in their faces.

"So, uh," Stiles starts, then pauses when Derek whips his head around, a finger across his lips.

His ears must be picking up something, Stiles thinks and despite an urge to ask, he stays quiet. Derek turns back towards whatever it is that he's hearing and Stiles can see his shoulders tense even under the thick fabric of the jacket he's wearing. Then he walks on, slowly and quietly, until he reaches a line of shrubbery, obviously surrounding an open space as Stiles guesses from the light that's a contrast to the shade of the trees behind and around them.

Fairy? Stiles mouths when Derek glances at him. He gets a nod in response and before he can ask anything else, Derek's eyes widen and he turns to the clearing. Stiles doesn't manage to even step closer when the wind picks up enough to make them both sway and move forward unwillingly. Derek is the first one to emerge in the clearing, but Stiles is right behind him, both of them staring at the small figure in the center, surrounded by a whirlwind of snow and ice shards.

It's a fairy and she's tiny. Not that Stiles doesn't know better than to underestimate someone's power based on their size, but still, she's small and looking fragile and soft. The wind around her, however, looks strong enough to knock a whole pack of werewolves off their feet. Stiles has no intention of reenacting Dorothy and flying to Oz, so he tries to step back.

"Oh no, you're not leaving, are you?"

it's the fairy who speaks, her voice tinny and high-pitched, making Stiles think of jingle bells and shattering glass. He frowns but stops moving away and shuffles to Derek's side instead.

"We'd appreciate if you did," Derek says gruffly. "And stopped making it snow."

it's a lot more polite than Stiles expected, but he can't fault Derek for being cautious.

The wind stops, the snowflakes float to the ground, and almost immediately the air around them feels warmer. Stiles tries to hold back his relief, but he doesn't miss the way the fairy's face falls, eyes open wide and she clasps her tiny hands over her mouth. When her wings flutter and she flies towards them, Stiles winces a little, expecting it to get colder.

"I'm so sorry!" She speaks when she hovers in the air in front of them. "I've just been trying to make a portal to get home. I didn't know it would cause trouble!"

"Well, it did," Derek tells her.

Stiles nudges his side, hoping to get his attention and to stop him from antagonizing the fairy, who looks genuinely apologetic.

"You're in an area that doesn't get this cold a lot," Stiles explains through chattering teeth, his body tense as he tries to ignore how cold he is. "It's a bit worrying to suddenly have all this snow."

"Oh no, I swear I didn't mean to," the fairy exclaims. "I just... wanted to get home."

"Where is home?" Stiles asks, his mind already whirring with possibilities.

"Neverland, of course! Oh, how rude of me, I didn't introduce myself," she says, sounding a lot more cheerful than a moment ago. "I'm Peri, a winter fairy from Neverland," she says, following it up with a little mid-air curtsy.

Stiles's eyes widen as her words sink in.

"Wow. Wow okay," he says, then he shakes his head. to clear it. "I'm Stiles and this grumpy wolf here is Derek. You're on his pack's land, which is why we came here to investigate."

Derek huffs, but he doesn't say anything.

"I do apologize," Peri says. "Oh, you have magic!"

Her words make Stiles frown. He is a Spark and he's been training to harness that energy, but no one has managed to just guess it from looking at him.

"The dust," Peri tells him, then flies around his shoulders so fast that it makes his head spin a little.

But he does notice the way that the sparkles that surround her also seem to latch on to him like he's a magnet for it.

"Maybe you could help me with the portal?"

"I wouldn't know how," Stiles admits. "I don't do magic."

"But your spark can harness it," Peri says. "Please?"

"Does that mean that you'll be able to leave?" Derek asks, speaking to her for the first time.

"I should," Peri tells him. "I wasn't supposed to be here, but the ley lines..."

"And the Nemeton," Stiles finishes her sentence. "The magic of it must have pulled you here."

What follows is a quick negotiation of how exactly Stiles can help center her and focus the whirlwind of snow that will open up a portal that Peri will be able to use to get back home. They immediately get started once Stiles understands what he needs to do—he's aware of Derek's eyes on him the whole time, but he's more eager to get it over and done with to get home and get warm instead of spending time reassuring Derek that it's all safe.

"Well, it's been a pleasure, Peri," Stiles says. "Though if you ever make it here again, maybe try to contain the frost a little?"

"I'll try," Peri replies and giggles, the sound bouncing off the trees around them.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Derek asks before the whirlwind picks up properly.

"It'll be cold, but it's okay. And it will only last a moment," Stiles tells him, glancing at Peri. "But maybe you should step back so you don't end up in Neverland. Or frozen."

Derek reluctantly does as he's told, his hesitation obvious. Still, he doesn't look away from Stiles and seems prepared to jump in and pull Stiles to safety the moment it looks like something's going wrong. Nothing does though—Peri spins faster, the snowflakes twirling around her as Stiles crouches down and touches the ground. That tightens the whirlwind like he's grounding it and the snowflakes and ice shards look like a tornado surrounding Peri.

"It's been a pleasure," she calls out and then she's pulled up through the wind tunnel and disappears.

The wind dies down and it's almost immediately warmer in the clearing, the ice shards melting before they drop to the ground. Stiles breathes a sigh of relief and slumps further, knees hitting the damp grass underneath him. Derek's by his side in a blink and Stiles feels more warmth—Derek's jacket around his shoulders surrounds him with a cloud of Derek's body heat—but his teeth are still chattering from the cold that seeped through his whole body.

"Hey, Stiles, come on," Derek urges him to get up and move. "Come on, we've gotta get you warmed up."

"It's fine," Stiles says, shivering. "I'll just take a quick nap here."

He's scooped up from the floor almost immediately—Derek lifts him up like he weighs nothing—and they start moving away from the clearing that isn’t covered in snow and ice all over anymore, though there are still patches of white. He starts feeling tired now that he's no longer focused on channeling his energy into the fairy's whirlwind and it starts sinking in how cold he is.

"Don't fall asleep," Derek tells him as he makes his way back to the path that led them here. "You can't fall asleep, Stiles."

"'kay," Stiles mumbles, but his limbs feel heavy even as he wraps his arms around Derek's neck and burrows his face into Derek’s shoulder. "'m awake."

He doesn't remember much after that, not until he's surrounded by heat and he opens his eyes to find that he's inside Derek's place—the newly built house at the edge of the Preserve. He sneezes and his whole body trembles hard then it settles into weaker but steady shivers. There's a weight holding him down to the bed he's on—blankets, he realizes as his eyes focus—and more heat at his back. Stiles turns slowly and comes face to face with Derek's worried expression.

"You're still cold," Derek whispers, pulling on the blanket that Stiles's movement dislodged. "But your heart sounds steadier."

"You been playing heart monitor?" Stiles asks, meaning to sound like he's joking, but he knows he's failed.

"I could barely hear it when you were out there," Derek says quietly, closing his eyes. "Couldn't hear your breathing either."

"No wonder, the wind was pretty strong," Stiles tells him, starting to feel a little more conscious and steady. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For getting me out of there. For this," he says, nodding at the blankets he's wrapped in.

Derek doesn't say anything, so Stiles moves a little closer, right against Derek's chest. Then he tilts his head and moves his hand—still cold but not feeling like it's frozen anymore—to Derek's cheek.

"Thank you," he whispers.

A smile dances on Derek's lips as he mirrors the position of Stiles's hand and cups his cheek before he leans forward. His thumb brushes over Stiles's bottom lip and he lifts an eyebrow in question. Stiles nods and closes the gap between them, pressing his lips against Derek's in a tender kiss. When Derek returns it, warmth floods Stiles's body and he smiles, then lets himself melt into the kiss for a while. Then he pulls away as a thought hits him.

"Man, I can't believe Disney got it right with the fairies," he says, his voice filled with shock and awe.

Derek just chuckles and then pulls Stiles into another kiss.

[eternalsterekrecs]

hi! i love fics where stiles can use magic but i've literally worked through your entire magic stiles tag. do yall have any new recommendations! thanks!!!

Oh boy, you’re in for a ride!

MAGIC STILES FIC LIST OF DOOM

Melt Together by SmallBirds

A supernatural heatwave has descended upon Beacon Hills, much to Stiles’ chagrin.

First Impressions by Kedreeva

Derek is a teacher at an all-werewolf school after the revolution. After seeing one of his students, Erica, get into a car with an unknown runecaster, Derek begins to suspect something terrible is going on.

No One Could Love You More by MellytheHun

Stiles begrudgingly comes to Derek’s rescue during a coven-hunt, thinking Derek needs a regular, common healing only to find he may lose Derek and anything they could have been.

i’m the alpha by triggeringthehealing

“I don’t care about power. Not anymore.”Looking back at what he said once, and what the truth was before he did, only the first part of his words was ever completely true.

To Ashes by triggeringthehealing

It’s nothing but tiny black particles of dust, staining his hands — he remembers how it took weeks to get the colour out of his skin after the time at Jungle.

All Is Lost Again (But I’m Not Giving In) by coppersin

The nightmares aren’t real. They can’t possibly be real. But people keep dying and Stiles is genuinely losing his mind. And he can’t seem to open his mouth and just tell someone.

Your Mark on My Skin by pterawaters

Despite everyone telling him not to, Stiles takes his wizard’s vision seriously and tattoos the image from his dream onto his wrist. When he runs across a man with the same symbol emblazoned on his back, Stiles knows he can’t let the mysterious stranger get away. Maybe it’s wrong to use the werewolf’s fugitive status against him, but Stiles knows he only has one option. If he gives Derek a disguise, but doesn’t bind the spell to himself, there’s nothing else to keep Derek from running away at the first opportunity. Of course Stiles had to pick the one obscure face that Lord Jackson knew from his childhood. In a land run by a king bent on killing all the werewolves he can find, the only way to keep Lord Jackson from asking questions is for Derek to play Stiles’ lover. Once that happens, well maybe the situation starts to get out of control.

Your Smile Gets Me Higher Than an Airplane Ever Could by crossroadswrite

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Scott tries diplomatically, “the Hales are still waiting for Derek and Laura. Apparently they’re on the same plane home as Stiles.”

“Hot Hale Twins are coming back?” Stiles says a little surprised.

–OR–

The one where it’s very late, Stiles is stucked in an airport and bored out of his mind until he bumps into Laura Hale. And then into her Hot Twin Brother Derek Hale.

There’s handholding and a little bit of magic involved, it’s all pretty gross.

The Boy Who Drew Wolves by dr_girlfriend

“Once upon a time,” Stiles began, and Thomas sighed happily, resting his cheek in the hollow of Stiles’ shoulder. “There was a gangly, clumsy, freckle-faced young boy, and a beautiful, majestic wolf —”

“You mean, there was a beautiful, brilliant, amber-eyed boy, and a half-starved, mangy-looking wolf,” a voice interrupted. “It looks like I made it just in time, huh?” Derek said with a conspiratorial smirk at Thomas. “Gotta make sure you tell it right.”

“Yeah, Daddy!” Thomas parroted. “Tell it right!”

“Okay, okay,” Stiles sighed, settling his arm across Thomas with his hand resting on his husband’s waist, thumb drawing an absent-minded little circle. “Once upon a time, there was a probably-going-to-grow-into-his-looks-just-fine young boy, and a very lonely wolf…”

Red by Littleredridinghunter

When Stiles was eight his mother died. When Stiles was ten his father was shot and he was taken into child services. Stiles never made it to eleven.

The Hale pack survives Kate but she has plans to come back and take revenge.

When another pack contacts the Hales for help, they go, despite the fact the Alpha is crazy and his mate is a monster.

safe and sound by thepsychicclam

When the Pack is attacked by an enemy Pack, Stiles and Derek end up on the run, in a stolen car, and spend the night in a crappy motel.

sparks by thepsychicclam

Derek is a librarian at one of the few supernatural universities in the country, and his student worker turns out to be none other than grad student Stiles. And it doesn’t take long before they start dating. Stiles is a gifted spark, but he keeps hanging out with people who are into dark magic, and Derek’s worried.

Sometimes It Just Works by MellytheHun

“Fic where, in a fit of post-break-up, drunken depression, stiles throws together a truly pathetic love spell (really, Lydia would be so unimpressed she’d probably disband their weekly magic lessons) in an attempt to find the perfect partner.

But, like everything else in Stiles’ life (and as proof to how much joy the universe gets pulling one over on him) everything goes horribly wrong and instead of the feathery light, rose petal path he’d been expecting to appear and lead him to his true love, a half naked man with harlequin biceps and a beard that could rival most lumber jacks appears in his minimalist studio apartment looking grumpy and endearingly confused.

Cue Stiles’ imminent freak out that includes shoving the man in his hall closet because “Oh my god, I manifested a burly mountain man out of thin air!!”

When really, the spell had just transported Derek from whatever secluded cabin he’d been holed up in for the last few years right into Stiles’ life.”

Stiles Stilinski, Magical PI by suzvoy

Stiles is a Private Investigator, only not really. He’s also magical, but only close up. One thing he’s really good at is lusting over people from afar, which is why it’s a problem when Laura Hale hires him to help her brother.

Where Lightning Strikes by andavs

Scott finally held out his phone, showing whichever picture he decided was the best. Stiles squint-glared at that and waited for his foggy brain to catch up. When it did, his heart skipped a beat.

Burned into the wheat field, in a way Stiles was pretty sure was notnormal for crop circles, were two concentric circles.

McCall Pack.

“I think it’s Kira,” Scott said, clear and concise. “I think she needs help.“

*

Scott and Stiles head back down to Mexico to find Kira and end up finding a little more.

As the Lights Go Down by standinginanicedress

Stiles is standing there looking bizarre – which maybe isn’t a very nice thing or even a convincing thing to say about a person that Derek’s basically invited over to hook up with (whatever that even fucking means to kids these days) – but he…does. He’s wearing dark jeans, a black hoodie with the hood pulled up so Derek can’t even really see his face aside from his mouth and jawline, and he’s got that metal baseball bat in his fingers again.

He looks like he’s come here to literally beat Derek to death.

Then, he grins, lifts one shoulder up in a half shrug, and says, “I can’t come in until you invite me.”

Derek is mystified enough that all he can say is, “really?” He thought that was a vampire thing.

clenching my jagged jaws (over the capture) by Marishna

Derek Hale was never supposed to be alpha, but he’s a good one. He doesn’t need any help and he definitely doesn’t need an emissary.

Stiles Stilinski is Derek Hale’s emissary and come hell or high water he’s going to see the Hale pack through the impending arrival of the alpha pack, even if it means he can never return to Beacon Hills after.

Hale Monster Sweets by bleep0bleep

The guy is back again. Derek watches curiously from his counter, idly keeping an eye on the teenaged vampires trying to decide on a type from the blood popsicle selection. The guy outside the store is a little pale and lanky, with a cute upturned nose and a sprinkle of moles on his pale face, not that Derek didn’t notice the first time he stopped in the middle of the bustling street to stare at Derek’s store sign, which he wasn’t supposed to be able to do.

[Hilary Duff Lyric Redacted] by calrissian18

Stiles hadn’t been in Beacon Hills in five years, hadn’t seen Derek in nearly as long, when he got the text:

New number: (+530) 365-2421

or

An abundance of overeating and geekery, dangerous caffeine/sugar cereal addictions, surprise werewolves, bird insults, purple-eyed shrimp, reincarnated serial killers (it’s cool, he has a leash), poorly played professional baseball, and a love story. In that order.

the spark within by triggeringthehealing

Stiles is more than just a spark, but when he starts learning magic, it feels like there’s something stopping him. He has magic in him, but despite the guidance from two experienced Druids, it still feels like it’s failing to wake up. He’s magic, but the spark that he needs is out of reach.

Blackbird by skoosiepants

Stiles groans and drops his face into his hands. “I’m seventeen, I can kind of use mountain ash and I can explode houses when I’m mad enough. How am I gonna win any kind of magic fight?”

“We’ll work on it,” Deaton says, as infuriatingly calm as ever. “The important thing to remember, Stiles, is that when everything else is chaos, you’re the port in the storm.”

Or-

Laura Hale never died, and Stiles is magic.

Everything Under the Moon by standinginanicedress

“Just go in and buy him something and attach a note that says, like, I don’t know,” she flips a curl over her shoulder, “let’s bone.”

Derek looks up at the sky and purses his lips. Doesn’t dignify that with a response. There’s no way in hell Derek is going to attach some dinky little note to Stiles’ gift that is either as crass as Erica’s suggestion or as humiliating as something he could come up with himself – no fucking way in hell.

But she does have a point. Stiles’ birthday is coming and Derek is shit out of luck and shit out of ideas for ways to make Stiles see him as anything more than just Derek. The way Stiles looks at him sometimes, it’s like he has no fucking idea.

Striking Matches by castielblues & eeyore9990

Stiles has only ever wanted to protect his family and his pack. That’s not easy to do when you’re human and sarcasm is your only defense. Now Deaton is telling Stiles he’s a spark, and if that’s a weapon in his arsenal, he’s sure as hell going to learn to use it.

All Stiles needs now, to complete his transformation into a true badass, is a training montage and a decent soundtrack…

Medicine Man by MellytheHun

Prompt: Person B knowing they’re undoubtedly about to die within the next few seconds, likely from the gaping wound they’re bleeding out from. Instead of calling for help, they phone Person A and carry on a casual conversation as if nothing is wrong, making sure to mention how much they love them before their time runs out.

Night Owl (series) by Lissadiane

Confession: Stiles is afraid of having magic.

The Spark had been cool. It had been small, manageable. He could do some funky stuff with Mountain Ash, all with the power of belief.

And now here he is, his Spark blown wide open, apparently coming down with a fatal case of magical overload, and all that stands between him and bleeding out is a grumpy owl that looks suspiciously like a feathered version of Derek Hale.

(In which Stiles learns he’s a witch, but instead of a wand and a trip to Diagon Alley, he gets blood magic, a grumpy and reluctant owl as his companion, and an accidental blood bond with Derek Hale.)

bend bridges, mend bones by Thealmostrhetoricalquestion

They burst through the portal in a gust of stale air and violet light, landing hard on the outskirts of a swamp. Stiles feels his knees buckle, both from the magic required to keep the portal open and from the force of their landing, but he grits his teeth, determined to stay standing in the presence of Derek Hale and his pack. Christ, it would be just his luck to rocket through his own portal at neck-breaking speeds and collide face-first with a puddle of sticky, disgusting mud.

Thankfully that doesn’t happen, which is good because Stiles can’t really afford to add useless to the list of things that Mage’s are; untrustworthy cowards, meddlers, monsters.

(In which there’s an awful lot of fighting, people learn to trust people, and Stiles saves the day. Repeatedly. Over and over again. And he would like some credit, goddamnit, Derek.)

Birdhouse In Your Soul by asocialfauxpas

Stiles’ magic is growing out of control and he must bond with a supernatural creature to keep from exploding. Yes, seriously.

And We’ll Be Complicated by ingberry

Stiles already had his hands full with the case he was working on for the enigmatic Mrs. B. He really didn’t need this too, but there was no changing the fact that he no longer remembered Derek Hale or anything connected to him. And no one could figure out why.

All My Kingdoms Turn to Sand by elisera

The real question is what Stiles wants. If he’s looking forward to seeing Derek again because they’ll complete what they started a long time ago or if Stiles is nervous because he’s feeling apprehensive. There’s a real possibility that he told the pack to finally send Derek up in order to tell him thanks, but no thanks. A lot can happen in six years; people change and grow apart and it isn’t like they were allowed to talk.

Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset by whiskey_in_tea

Stiles leaves Beacon Hills on a Sunday morning. Lydia’s run the numbers and it’s not a sure thing by any stretch of the imagination, but supernatural evil seems mostly inclined to take the Lord’s day to rest just like humans do. He won’t make it back before Monday night but that’s okay, unless whatever comes after them is the actual apocalypse they should be all right— and if it’s the apocalypse his meager skills won’t be of much use anyway. Just go, Scott said while Stiles and Lydia dithered over lunar calendars and statistics, charts and graphs of every awful thing that’s rolled through Beacon Hills since they activated the Nemeton ten months ago. Who the fuck knows what’s coming, Stiles, you just have to go.

Among the Famous Living Dead by standinginanicedress

“Okay,” Stiles leans over the book, finger on his chin, while Derek stands there beside him with a frown on his face, “we have the pig’s blood.”

“They loved that at the butcher shop,” Derek mutters, rubbing his hand along his jaw. “I’ll take three quarts of pig’s blood. Not like this town doesn’t already think I’m some sort of fucking pervert anyway.”

“We have the hair you picked off his clothes,” Stiles points to the tiny Ziploc bag with a handful of Scott hairs tucked safely inside, and Derek grimaces. “We have the candles. We have the snake. Now we just need an object of the deceased.” He furrows his brow as he leans over the book some more, cocking his head. “It says the object can be anything that was deeply personal to the deceased. Like a piece of sentimental jewelry or a cherished trinket or even a favorite song.”

Derek snorts. “Yeah. Let’s just listen to fucking Blink-182 and summon the devil.”

“Right?” Stiles laughs, high and hysterical, manic almost.

Derek laughs, and Stiles laughs, and it’s not funny. It’s really not funny.

Aching for You by LittleRedEmissary

When Stiles tries to cast a protection spell on Derek and accidentally casts a spell much stronger than either of them expected, the duo has to relearn everything that they’ve learned about protecting the pack, because the old methods won’t do anymore. With the infamous Winchesters coming to town Derek hopes that the hunters will just drive through town, but the pack has never been good that laying low.

Emissary by dragon_temeraire

To keep the peace, Stiles agrees to be emissary to the Hale pack.

In Which a King and a Mage Dance by mikkimouse

Mage Stilinski sidled up next to him. “I thought I told you to call me Stiles, Your Majesty.”

Derek’s face warmed at the memory. He turned his attention back to the crowd. “I’m afraid now is not the place for such familiarity.”

“Such a shame,” Stiles said. “I do so love familiarity.”

The warmth on Derek’s face turned to heat. “I’m sure you do.”

By Fang and Fury (series) by grimm

He doesn’t come to The Beacon to pick up people. It’s precisely the reason why he doesn’t go anywhere else. People in this neighborhood know him, know he’s not interested in being hit on, which allows him to have a drink in peace. Derek knows he’s good-looking, but the type of people it attracts disgust him. At least other werewolves can smell the unfriendliness on him and stay away, but that doesn’t stop everyone. He went to a gay bar with his coworker Isaac once and it was horrifying.

Like James Dean, Only Sadder by 42hrb

The star of the Beacon Hills High School baseball team and Beacon Hills resident bad boy probably have nothing in common, right?

Deputy Derek Hale, Alpha by eldee

Deputy Derek Hale has recently become an alpha, and that changes things for him. Now that he’s back after a leave of absence, he’s hoping to get what he and Stiles had almost-started back on track. The thing is, it seems Stiles is going through some changes of his own and Derek’s not sure how he fits.

Fall Right Back to You (series) by yodasyoyo

My version of season 4 (which I still haven’t watched) and how Derek and Stiles finally fell for each other.

Clarity is told from Stiles POV: After his possession by the Nogitsune he is consumed by guilt and plagued by nightmares. Then he touches a magical artifact and ends up absorbing Derek into his subconscious.

Remedy is told from Dereks POV: In the aftermath of Clarity they are struggling to deal with the demon that has been unleashed on Beacon Hills and Derek is coming to terms with his past and his feelings for Stiles.

Filter Out the Starlight by skoosiepants

“Why are you not more curious about me?” Stiles says when Derek’s got the door half open, sun spilling over the dark wood, dust motes spinning about his legs. Stiles is wearing fabric that hasn’t been invented yet, he’s clutching a smart phone to his chest, and he appeared out of nowhere, like an angel.

Softly, Derek says, “We all have our secrets,” and closes the door.

Or-

A heartbroken Stiles accidentally travels back in time to find his one true love. A harlequin-ish Christmas romance.

all stories deserve an end by bleep0bleep

No one hardly ever comes up to this area of the forest, especially with the rumors of the “mad wizard.” Stiles encourages the rumor, because it means people leave him alone. It’s a good, solitary existence as long as Stiles pretends the aching loneliness in his heart isn’t there.

Children’s Tales by artemis69

Be careful, little girl.

Don’t go causing troubles in Beacon Hills, because the Hales live there, little girl.

Keep away from Beacon Hills, little girl, or the Hales will destroy you.

–

Or:In a world where the Hales are alive and the protectors of the town of Beacon Hills, the humans politely fake ignorance of their not-really-human status, and they all live happily ever after.

Then Kate comes in.

Well.

Tries to.

Incantation Ink (series) by otter

The tattoo parlor didn’t look like much. The apprentice who was supposed to be inking Derek’s new magical tattoo wasn’t immediately confidence-inspiring either.

I’ll Be Home for Next Year, Darling by crossroadswrite

“What year is it?” he asks, because well. It happened to Marty McFly right? And werewolves are real so-

“Time travel isn’t real,” Derek says immediately.

Stiles huffs because fine he doesn’t want to cooperate Stiles will just have to rub his point all over Derek’s face until he gets it.

“It’s July 12th of 2010.”

“It’s 2003,” Derek counters.

Wolf Back by write_light

Sterek AU with an Evil King and his Loyal Huntsman, men and wolves, loss and pain, mercy and trust, and one very enigmatic Mirror on the wall.

Magical Storm by Electricviolinist & Marbleeyes

A roar reverberated through the air. Not just any roar; a werewolf roar.

“About fucking time!” exclaimed Stiles. He was going to let Scott win when they next played Mario Karts.

The door to his jeep was yanked open and Stiles realised it wasn’t Scott who had come to save him. It was Derek Hale. A very wet Derek Hale. Stiles mind immediately headed south into an ‘R’ rated place; the wet t-shirt Derek was wearing was very tight.

“You’re back,” was all he could think to say.

Derek didn’t reply, because he was an antisocial dick. Instead he asked: “Does this piece of crap still drive?”

“Uh, yes,” Stiles cried, massively offended on the behalf of his beautiful jeep.

“Then drive. Now!”

…

It was a pretty normal day for Stiles, except then there was rain and monsters and witches and Derek Hale. All because Derek Hale’s type is psychotic. And apparently, Stiles is stuck right in the very centre of it.

Mortal Peril On the Side by Brigantine

Stiles and Derek figure things out. Sheriff Stilinski remains remarkably calm. Stiles gets some advice from two of his mother’s friends.

The Coming of Spring by A_Diamond

Snow melts beneath Stiles’s boots as he walks, each step revealing a patch of dark brown beneath the thin blanket of white. He can’t see it yet through the trees, but he knows the cottage is there.

[mona-stay]

stuck - Peter Hale

Prompt - read gets stuck In the lift with Peter hale but can he get her to tell him why she has been avoiding him

Pairing - Peter Hale x reader

A/N - italics flashback

Warnings - none pure fluff, heated kissing Story Pressing the button next to the life doors in the hospital, you couldn’t wait for the day to be over. It had been long and draining, a pile-up on the highway and then a hellhound tore the hospital.

The lift opened you walked in pressing the ground floor button still worrying about today’s events. Just as the doors were closing a ting sound made them reopen. You  groaned as Peter Hale walked into the lift with his cocky smile. “hello y/n” he said reaching past you to press the same button you had ‘g’. “Peter” you answered low watching the doors close and feel the lift move. Peter looked at you “so how have you been?” he said casually. “FINE, YOU?” you say back cold not looking up at him. Watching the light on the numbers move as the lift went down, willing them to go faster. 

The was a loud clank, and the lift shook making the lights flash. The movement of the lift made you stumble over, Peter caught you in his arms before you hit the floor. “what happened” you say more panic then you wanted in your voice. The lights went off with a small dull emergency light came on. “I think it’s stopped” Peter said standing close to the doors his eyes looking up listening to sounds outside. “what’s going on, what can you hear?” you ask. Peter looked at you with his eyebrows crossed shushing you annoyed. After a few more seconds he says “the power has gone off to the whole building looks like we're stuck.” you sigh loudly moving and leaning in the corner “great if things couldn’t get worse it just did” you mutter. Peter must have heard giving a little chuckle as he turned to face you. “well although being stuck in a lift isn’t fun we can now talk about why you have been avoiding me y/n” Peter said with a stern yet smug expression. Holding your breath trying to steady your heartbeat before you spoke. “I haven’t been avoiding you” you lied “with everything that’s been going lately I’ve been busy helping the pack” you finish it was the truth but also a poor excuse. Peter knew you were lying he folded his arms over his chest looking you up and down thinking what to say without pushing you.

Peter had noticed the difference in y/n how couldn’t he, when he noticed every little thing she did, from biting her nails or lip when she was worried or tap her fingers on something (her head or a table) when deep in thought. From the day he met y/n she caught his attention and never lost it, and quickly became friends with y/n. Peter wasn’t sure when his feelings for the (y/h/c) girl changed but now he found himself secretly loving her more. Over last month she had been distant with him didn’t answer his texts unless it was about the pack. During meets, she left fast and avoided eye contact with Peter. This worried him had he done something wrong, was she hiding a secret, whatever it was Peter felt he was losing his only friend and wanted to know why.

You had been avoiding Peter, you couldn’t handle him anymore the way he looked with sexy smile, melting eyes, his perfect hair, sassy personality you loved it all but he’d clearly shown you he didn’t feel the same and being just friends was too much now, so staying away from him felt like the easiest thing to do.

You could feel his eyes on you, it was a feeling you had grown used to but this felt different. Looking up you saw his reflection in the mirrored wall. You bite your nail admiring him, he was ridiculously handsome, he wore the jacket you loved the most black with white collars. Peter locked eyes with you in the mirror his questioning smirk told you he didn’t believe your answer. A few seconds felt like minutes you felt more annoyed with him stirring you spun round “okay what is the stupid look on your face for Peter” you said with your hand on your hips. Peter smirked “what look, sweetheart, I’m just wondering why your so anxious is it being stuck in a lift or being stuck with me” he smirked.

You huff “not everything is about you” you snapped, sitting down on the floor with your arms and head resting on your knees. Giving Peter his answer he sat next to you leaving a small gap mainly so you couldn’t reach over and hit him. Closing your eyes you wanted to scream at him what was wrong but didn’t what to humiliate yourself anymore then you felt you already had. How were you meant to tell you didn’t want to see because you felt broken by his rejection. “y/n please tell me what’s wrong you reek of sadness and anger. I’m worried about y/n your my friend” Peter said reaching an arm out to yours. His sweet gesture and words were the final straw for you jumping to your feet looking down at him “that’s the problem Peter you and your mixed signals sometimes I can’t tell what you want, you say you only want to be friends and I can’t do it. I know you don’t want me like that you made it clear at Malia’s party” you started to shout. Peter groaned standing up knowing what you were talking about.

“y/n you don’t understand, that night I don’t think you know or remember” he started his tone was was sweet and kind but cut him off still angry “I remember that night, or most of it anyway” you say still not remembering how exactly you had gotten home “but I remember you rejected me very clearly do you want me to remind you” you say thinking and telling him your version.

It was Malia’s birthday party, you had your own mini plan in mind. You went out and got a stunning dress in the color Peter once said you looked the best in, done up your hair and makeup looking your best ready to seduce Peter hale. The party started and he hadn’t shown up. Now feeling nervous you started drinking with everyone else. Not being a big drinker and human you felt drunk when Peter finally came. You both laughed and drank more, as always genuinely enjoying each other’s company. You went outside for some fresh air the mix of alcohol and room temperature making you hot. Peter walked with you his arm around your side keeping from falling over in your shoes. You had been talking about random things, the party, how happy Malia looked, how cute she looked with stiles. “you look pretty cute tonight yourself” Peter said fixing a piece of that had fallen on your face. You didn’t answer Peter instead of the mix of alcohol and the build-up of feelings you had for Peter, you stood on your toes kissing him. Peter returned your kiss holding you close running his hands in your hair. The kiss was magical sudden, sweet, full of uncertainty. You stopped and smiled at Peter, before you both leaned in for another kiss this time fast and full of passion, your hands on his chest blindly trying to undo his buttons, his hands on your back and hair holding you close. You stop when you needed to breathe “let’s go back to mine” you said trying to sound flirty walking backwards looking him in the eyes. You didn’t see a branch behind you and fell over it, Peter dived forward catching you before you hit the floor. You started laughing putting your arms around his neck going to kiss him again. Peter turned his head helping you to your feet “I can’t do this it’s wrong” he said about to walk back to the party “why not!” you screamed still finding your balance “look at the state of you y/n” he answered.

Tears ran down your face now just as they had then. Your breathing was erratic and your heartbeat matched. Peter looked at you shocked but still held a small smile. He walked closer to you making you back up till your back hit the lift wall. “you have it all wrong y/n” he was so close to you now, something about him towering above you made your breathing calm. “I didn’t reject you, I wanted nothing more then to go home with you, rip that pretty little dress off and mark you as mine but I couldn’t do it to you not like that” he said telling you his version.

Peter hadn’t officially been invited by stiles who had organised the party so he wasn’t going to just turn up. He had already seen his daughter earlier in the day. When y/n had messaged him for the 3rd time in two hours he had to go. When he got there she was already drunk. Peter was amused at first he’d never seen y/n drunk before, she was more flirty than normal her hands roamed round his body on the few times she’s gotten him to dance with her. Peter could tell she’d had to much to drink so when she went for a walk he went to make sure she didn’t hurt herself. Y/n had stumbled a few times Peter held her so she didn’t fall. He’d loved how it felt his arm around her just the two of them walking like any of the other couples in the party but he and y/n wasn’t a couple and Peter would give anything to change that.

When she kissed him he felt like all his wishes had been answered. Seeing her wanting him was different it made him want her more too. he kissed her back running his hands over her back and in her hair, when she asked him to go with her she nearly fell. Peter then saw how drunk she really was, her giggles the way she was throwing herself at him didn’t feel right. He wanted her but only when she was so drunk she couldn’t say her own name without slurring it. Peter stopped her saying he couldn’t. When she asked why Peter tried to explain “I can’t look at the state of you” Peter said. She had tears down her face making Peter feel bad “it’s not that I don’t like you I don’t want this to happen when your wasted I can’t take advantage of you like that no matter how bad I want it” Peter said but she acted like she hadn’t heard a word of it. Her eyes focused on the floor her body jerk before she vomited all over the floor. Peter held her hair until she finished then drove her home putting her in bed.

“leaving when I knew you was safe and okay” Peter finished. You looked at Peter in confusion “your the one who took me home” you say after you slowly filled in the final missed memories of that night. He nodded at you, “of cause I did  y/n” putting his arms either side of your head “you twisted my words round y/n, I only pushed you away because you were drunk, I wanted you like crazy” his eyes went from yours to your lips back to eyes “I still do” he said stopping himself from getting any closer. You blushed biting your lip “so do I” you mumbled. Peter didn’t wait any longer when he heard your sober words was all he needed, he leaned forward kissing you rough and fast. You kissed him back with as much passion you had the night of the party showing him you wanted him now just as much as you had when you was drunk.

The noise of the lift starting up again made your heated kiss stop. You both looked at each other words not needed everything had just been said in the kiss. When the doors opened Peter slipped his hand into yours walking out the lift.

[geeandjaywrite]

It’s not that he doesn’t love Lydia. Of course he loves Lydia. He’s always loved her; been infatuated with her; fascinated with the idea of her. That never really went away. It just changed; grew deeper and more complex with everything that they had experienced.

It’s just that after she drives him to college and leaves him with a lingering kiss and a promise that she’d see him soon, things feel different.

So much has happened since that night he dragged Scott into the woods to look for the body of Laura Hale. So much has happened that he doesn’t really feel like he fits into his own life. He tries to ignore it; to pretend that everything is okay; but after the Ghost Riders, he realises he can’t pretend anymore.

It might be the fact that he was stuck waiting in the train station with Peter Hale but he’s been thinking about Derek. He’s been thinking about Derek a lot, thinking that if anyone understands what it’s like to feel like you don’t fit into your own life, it would be Derek.

One night, after a few too many beers, he texts Derek. He doesn’t expect a response, sure that Derek has changed his number many, many times since he left Beacon Hills without so much as a goodbye. Hell, who knows if Derek even has a phone anymore? It’s not like he was good at texting even when he had some semblance of a pack, of people that maybe, sort of cared about him.

I don’t feel like I’m me anymore. Feels like I’m trying really hard to be the same but it just seems hollow.

He doesn’t get a response but it doesn’t really bother him. He wasn’t expecting one anyway. He’s stopped expecting things from people. He’s stopped expecting a lot of things. That voice in the back of his head tells him that he stopped expecting things from Derek when he left without saying goodbye, like hours in a pool meant absolutely nothing, like Stiles meant absolutely nothing.

So yeah, he wasn’t expecting a reply. He just wanted to say the words.

---

After that, it kind of becomes a thing.

It doesn’t happen all the time. During the day, Stiles manages just fine. He has classes and assignments and even a couple of tentative friends who he’ll grab a coffee with every now and then.

It’s a different story at night though. He tosses and turns for hours, terrified that if he falls asleep, he’ll disappear again and that no one will bring him back. Those endless days in the train station plague his thoughts and he just can’t seem to escape them. It feels like he’s running through those tunnels again, only to end up exactly where he started.

So he tells Derek everything. He pours out the whole story, explains the terror he felt when he knew that he would be taken; when people looked him dead in the eye and had no idea who he was. He explains the frustration he felt when Peter was the only one he could rely on; the bitter disappointment when Peter left and he was all alone. He tells Derek everything and it feels like he’s standing on the edge of a cliff, just screaming into the empty nothingness. The words are out there and even if Derek never replies, it’s better to have written them than to have done nothing. It’s ever so slightly relieved the feeling of slowly choking on the terror.

He ends his text message like this: sometimes I think I’ll disappear again and no one will come looking.

And then his phone beeps.

I would.

That’s it. Two words and Stiles feels like he can breathe again. Someone would come looking for him.

 ---

 It’s not like those two words opened a floodgate of communication but Derek does occasionally reply.

When I do sleep, I see Allison dying. I wonder if Scott blames me. I blame me.

If I had been a better Alpha, Erica and Boyd would have stayed. No one blamed me for that, just like no one blames you for Allison.

Do you think I’ll ever stop blaming myself?

I’m not the right person to ask about blame.

 --- Found handcuffs in my roommate’s closet. Think he uses them for community safety on full moons or he’s just really into 50 Shades of Grey?

Stiles, it’s far more likely that your roommate is an aspiring Mr. Grey than a werewolf. Put them back where you found them. It’s rude to snoop.

Omfg I can’t believe you know what 50 Shades of Grey is!

Everyone knows what 50 Shades of Grey is.

You aren’t everyone though! I didn’t know that you read books. Or watched movies. Or had any knowledge of pop culture.

Derek doesn’t text back. Instead, he gets sent a photo of a bookshelf. It’s so full that Stiles is genuinely impressed; it doesn’t look like even one more title could be added to that collection. He doesn’t know why but he finds himself feeling kind of sad that he didn’t know this about Derek whilst he was living in Beacon Hills. Stiles tries not to dwell on the feeling but he knows himself well enough to know that he’s feeling guilty.

He knows what it’s like to wonder if anyone would care enough to come looking if he disappeared. He imagines that’s how Derek felt after his family died and Stiles didn’t do anything to make him think otherwise.  

He doesn’t text back.

--- It’s the night of the full moon and Stiles feels strange, like something is missing. He was invited to a party or two but declined, pretending that he had an assignment he really needed to finish. He’s weeks ahead of his course work but he doesn’t want to go out tonight. He knows his friends back in Beacon Hills are going to be okay without him; knows that it’s a good thing that he hasn’t heard from them; but it stings a little.

He doesn’t like feeling so replaceable.

He sends Lydia a text message, asking how everything is going. He doesn’t want them to be in danger; doesn’t want them to struggle without him; but it would be nice if they noticed his absence. He’s hoping that Lydia will tell him that they’re okay but that they miss him.

She doesn’t reply straight away and he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

He can see the moon out of his dorm room window. He snaps a picture and sends it to Derek without thinking. Never thought I’d miss chaining Scott to a radiator, he captions the photo. He thinks he means for it to be a joke but even to his own eyes, the words seem flat on his screen. He sends them anyway. It’s not like he’s been censoring himself recently, not around Derek anyway.

On my first full moon alone, I howled at the moon, hoping that someone would answer. It’s lonely without pack.

I’m not really pack though, he responds. It’s easier than acknowledging the fact that Derek’s family burned to death in their family home; that crazy Uncle Peter tore his sister into pieces; that his only remaining family are either certifiably insane or residing with a pack in South America.

It’s okay to miss being needed.

I don’t know if they ever really needed me.

Derek texts back a photo of a pool.

A quick internet search confirms that it’s just a stock photo from Google but his heart races anyway. He remembers diving into the pool and holding Derek afloat; how terrified he had been that they would both drown; that his dad would find his body and drink himself into an early grave.

He hadn’t cared about Derek then, not really, not the way he cared about him now. He had held Derek afloat because it was the right thing to do and because he was selfish. He knew that if he and his friends had any chance of surviving this, they would need Derek.

Near death experiences don’t count as being needed.

This time Derek is the one who doesn’t reply. It’s fair enough, really. Stiles wouldn’t really know what to say to that either.

 --- When he wakes up in the morning, he has three unread messages.

Lydia tells him that all is well in Beacon Hills and tells him to check his email because she’s edited his latest essay. He tells Lydia thanks and tries to ignore the flicker of disappointment in his chest.

It counts as being needed. You weren’t just kept around because you were better than nothing. You’re an asset, Stiles. You’re smart, yet somehow stupid enough to throw yourself into danger without thinking twice. Underneath that unrelenting sarcasm and attitude, you care a hell of a lot. If it wasn’t for Scott, his attitude towards me and some of his questionable decisions, I’d have asked you to join my pack.

A second message, sent about an hour later, reads tell anyone and I’ll rip your throat out with my teeth.

He can’t help but laugh.

---

Lydia asks Stiles if he’s coming back to Beacon Hills for break. It had always been his plan to spend break at home, to fall back into things like he had never really left. He goes to reply, to tell Lydia that he’ll leave after his last classon Thursday, but he finds himself lying.

Sorry Lydia, totally broke. Can’t afford flights and I don’t think the Jeep would survive the drive. Maybe you could come here instead?

I can’t. It’s all hands on deck here.

She doesn’t elaborate. More noticeably, she doesn’t offer any financial assistance. Whilst he would turn it down, the Martins are one of the richest families in Beacon Hills and Lydia is generous with her money. If she cares about someone, she shows it with material gestures. He hasn’t seen Lydia in months; since she drove up to college with him. Shouldn’t she want to see him? Shouldn’t he be moving mountains to see her? This is Lydia, after all. He’s been in love with her for as long as he can remember.

All he knows is that something doesn’t feel right here. There’s a gentle hum of disappointment under his skin but when he examines it, he finds that it seems to be related to the fact that he didn’t know Beacon Hills was facing another threat. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the fact that he’s not going to be seeing Lydia this break. He doesn’t know much about relationships but he knows that she’s supposed to offer and he’s supposed to care.

His fingers hover uncertainly over his phone, not quite sure what to say. He can’t actually remember the last time he properly spoke to Lydia. They text a few times a week, when he has time between class and she’s not busy with pack business. He scrolls back through the conversation and he’s struck by how superficial it seems. He can’t even remember the last time that they spoke on the phone. They agreed to have weekly Face Time calls but after their plans fell through three times in a row, they stopped making arrangements.

In the end, he sends back a simple good luck. He needs more time to analyse before he says anything more.

 --- He manages to fall asleep before 3am, which is no small feat these days. He dreams of his mum, of her body on the kitchen floor and his tears marking her face as he cries down the phone, begging for an ambulance. He dreams of her body on a cool metal table in the morgue, of his father having to identify the body because his mum was sick and Stiles couldn’t get the ambulance quick enough to save her.

He dreams of Peter offering him the bite but this time he accepts it, sick and tired of being the weak, defenseless human. He can feel the pain, can feel fire coursing through his veins, and he knows that the bite isn’t taking. He isn’t strong enough to survive the bite so he’s going to die, all alone on the cold, hard concrete.

He dreams of the pool, of Derek growing heavier and heavier. “It’s okay”, Derek whispers, as Stiles has no choice but to let go. He watches Derek’s paralysed body sinking to the bottom of the pool, his lungs burning as they fill with water, and he cannot do anything.

He sees Erica standing on his front porch, smiling at him. He relaxes. Maybe this is a nice dream. Erica is alive and happy, which is how things should be. He tentatively smiles back, lifts a hand in greeting. Her smile grows wider, showing bloody teeth, and he reels back. Blood keeps dripping, gushing out of her mouth, until she keels over on his welcome mat. He doubles over and vomits on his front lawn.

He dreams of Gerard. He manages to get free, trips as he tries to run up the stairs and escape the basement. Gerald just laughs as he slowly walks up the stairs and takes hold of his leg. He screams as Gerard drags him back down the stairs, knowing exactly what fate awaits him there.

He dreams of motel car parks and road flares, of Scott going up in flames because Stiles isn’t enough to save him; because Stiles has never been enough. He says all the right words but Scott just scoffs and tells him that he wishes he had never met him, that his life would have been so much better without Stiles, that it was Stiles’ fault they were in the woods that night. Scott tells him that everything has always been his fault, then drops the road flare and the whole car park burns a fierce red.

He dreams of the Nogitsune, of the darkness. He pushes the blade into Allison’s stomach, hears Lydia’s screams reverberating off the tunnel walls. He wants to take it back, to do something, to save the girl his best friend loved; to save the girl he once considered a friend. He can’t do anything though; he’s not strong enough to fight the darkness.

He dreams of the Ghost Riders, of endless days and nights waiting for someone to remember him, of thinking that maybe it would be better for everyone if he didn’t come back. Easier, maybe. He dreams that he comes back and his dad’s face contorts into something unrecognisable, twisted by anger and grief; the regret of choosing to remember his son at the cost of losing his wife all over again.

He awakes suddenly, covered in sweat and gasping for air. He doesn’t think, just grabs his phone and dials the only person he thinks will understand.

---

It doesn’t matter that it’s nearly 4am. Derek answers the phone after the second ring and god, Stiles has missed his voice. He didn’t realise just how much until he hears it again.

“Stiles?”

Months ago, Derek texted I would and Stiles felt like he could breathe again. Now, Derek has said his name and he feels grounded again, like his feet are back on the ground.

“Bad dream”, he answers. “Sorry for waking you”. He knows Derek wasn’t asleep but it’s the polite thing to say.

Derek doesn’t say anything. Years ago, back when they first met, Stiles interpreted the silence as frustration, like Derek was purposely not fulfilling his role in the conversation so that Stiles would get the hint and shut up. After a while, Stiles started to think that Derek was silent because he was socially awkward and just didn’t really know how to participate in a conversation. After all, he had been alone for a long time.

Derek’s silence seems different now, though, like he’s giving Stiles a chance to process his thoughts and decide where he needs to begin.

“Why did you leave without saying goodbye?” he asks, acknowledging for the first time that he was bothered by it.

“I didn’t think anyone would really care”, Derek says, like it’s that simple. In Derek’s eyes, it probably was that simple.

“I did”. He pauses and the silence stretches between them for a few more seconds as Derek allows Stiles to collect his thoughts. “I was the one who realised you were gone. I went to the loft after school and the place was empty. I don’t have werewolf senses so I couldn’t just track you down… I drove around for hours looking for you. I was fucking terrified that you had been taken by someone or something but then I found Peter at that stupid abandoned train cart you used to live in. He told me that you had gone and that you didn’t want to be found. That fucking stung, by the way. You said goodbye to Peter but not to me”.

“He’s family”. Again, his words are spoken like it’s just that simple.

“Blood isn’t always thicker than water, Derek! Peter is a fucking lunatic, alright? He killed Laura! That’s unforgivable! I know I’m just some stupid, spastic teenager and that you’d happily rip my throat out with your teeth if it wouldn’t stain your upholstery but I deserved a fucking goodbye”.

It’s not until he says the words aloud that he realises how angry he is. He cares about Derek. He has done for a long time now. He trusts Derek in a way that he doesn’t trust anyone else and that’s not a recent thing. The reason he feels comfortable enough texting Derek all his deepest, darkest thoughts isn’t just because he thinks Derek will understand. It’s because he trusts Derek. Quiet, angry, hurting Derek who proved himself time and time again; who proved that despite all his faults, he would show up when it counted; would save and protect Stiles no matter what. He thought that maybe, just maybe, Derek trusted him too; that maybe Derek cared just a little bit; but then he left without so much as a goodbye or a forwarding address.

Stiles doesn’t know what else to say so he hangs up.

I should have said goodbye.

I wanted to but I wasn’t sure you would care.

Actually, that’s a lie. I think I knew that you, out of all people, would understand why I was leaving. I think I was just trying to avoid an honest conversation that I wasn’t ready for.

I’m sorry.

Thank you.

---

He doesn’t text Derek for about a week. He tells himself that it’s because he needs to invest more time into his studies and into his relationship with Lydia but he knows that’s a lie borne out of self-preservation.

In all honesty, he’s scared.

He hasn’t been scared of Derek for a long time. He’s been scared for Derek and whilst around Derek, both of which are common feelings considering Derek seems to have an annoyingly persistent habit of getting into life threatening danger.

He’s scared now though because Derek can be awfully perceptive when he wants to be. Derek also happens to understand him more than most other people these days, which is why Stiles has been messaging him in the first place. If Derek was really listening – and Stiles thinks that he was – then he’s revealed just a little bit too much about his feelings.

Stiles has always found Derek attractive. Even when Derek was threatening to rip his throat out or pushing his head into a steering wheel, he’s been very aware that Derek is more attractive than most people in Beacon Hills combined. Stiles has eyes after all. He’s sure that Derek is aware of it; that he’s smelt the arousal that seems to follow Stiles everywhere he goes, particularly where Derek is involved. Derek, to his credit, has politely ignored the attraction rather than acknowledging it and causing never ending humiliation.

Somewhere along the way, things shifted. The more time Stiles spent around Derek, the more he realised that Derek wasn’t just a pretty face. He had been through hell and somehow still survived but it was more than that. Weaker men would have crumbled if they had gone through half as much pain as Derek but he came through it all and somehow, he still cared about people. He turned Isaac, Erica and Boyd because he was lonely but also because he thought he was giving them a better life. He showed up, time and time again, even when he didn’t have to. Even though he said that he didn’t, he knew that Derek trusted him. Derek’s actions spoke far louder than his words and somewhere along the way, Stiles had proven himself to Derek. The threats and the violence had been replaced with an understanding that they had each other’s backs.

When he went to Derek’s apartment and found it empty, he had realised. Things had just clicked into place and he knew that his physical attraction to Derek had grown into something deeper and stronger. It was a secret that Stiles had intended to take to his grave. He had shoved it into the far corners of his mind and pretended that he wasn’t bothered by Derek’s absence; he had dated Malia and then Lydia and acted like everything was fine.

He had never talked about it so when those words tumbled out of his mouth, the anger and the frustration and the hurt feelings were still so fresh. Derek is smart enough to put the pieces together and realise that there’s something more there, at least on Stiles’ end.

So yeah, he’s scared. He’s not scared that Derek won’t reciprocate his feelings because he already knows that Derek doesn’t feel the same. He’s terrified that he’ll lose Derek completely and he doesn’t know how he’ll be able to handle it.

It’s pathetic but he’s felt more human over the last few months than he has since Derek left. He isn’t ready to lose that.

--- He and Lydia break up during the week that he’s ignoring Derek.

They manage to have a Face Time conversation and about three minutes in, she tells him he looks like complete crap. He tells her that he’s struggling with the distance, that after everything, he just isn’t ready to come back to Beacon Hills and she’s far too valuable to travel to him and leave the town unprotected.

Lydia doesn’t even look surprised and she’s polite enough not to call him on his bullshit.

“It’s better that we end it now. I’ve received an early acceptance to the University of Cambridge so in the near future, we’ll be on different continents”, she says in agreement.

There’s a lot left unsaid. They’re both aware that Stiles is no longer the same person he was in third grade, when he decided that he was going to be in love with Lydia Martin forever. They’ve both lost people and gone through more trauma than most people see in a lifetime. Rather than growing together, they grew apart. Stiles knows that a lot of the responsibility for that rests on his shoulders; that he should have worked through his issues with Lydia, that he should have trusted her with the burden he was carrying.

He was just so in love with the idea of Lydia; so desperate to have the perfect relationship that he had been dreaming of for years that he refused to share his darkness out of fear that it would taint everything.

He ignores the voice telling him that Derek Hale has already seen him at his worst and seems to tolerate him regardless.

--- For someone who once thought that Lydia Martin shined brighter than the sun, he’s remarkably okay with their breakup.

Scott texts him for the first time in weeks, a simple

heard the news. Hope you’re okay.

He replies with a smiley face. He doesn’t think there’s much else to say. He and Scott will always be brothers but they’re living different lives now.

After a particularly sleepless night, he texts Derek. He figures that if Derek was going to make a scene over Stiles’ little crush, he would have done it already.

Would your arm have grown back?

Do you think about that a lot?

I’ve done a lot of research and can’t seem to find the answer.                       

We aren’t related to starfish. I’m 99% sure I’d have ended up with a stump.

--- He gets to know Derek a lot better over text.

Breaking Bad or Walking Dead?

Is that even a question, bitch?

Summer or winter?

Winter. I remember learning how to snowboard when I was younger. My family had a lodge.

Favourite Harry Potter character?

George Weasley or Sirius Black. Ten minutes later, his iPhone indicates that Derek is still typing a message. It’s worth the wait when Derek practically sends an essay about why he likes each character. That leads to a three hour phone call about why Severus Snape is a bad person. Stiles falls asleep while Derek is ranting about the scene in the movie where Severus steps over James Potter’s dead body to see Lily.

The fact that Derek’s a secret Harry Potter fanatic makes him way happier than he should be.

 --- Late at night, their text messages grow more serious.

Worst relationship?

I don’t think I’ve had any truly terrible relationships. I haven’t really been heartbroken or betrayed. I think I’ve been a bad boyfriend though. Both Lydia and Malia deserve better.

You weren’t heartbroken over Lydia?

Not really. I was more in love with the idea of her.

That’s how I feel about Kate.

He doesn’t reply; chooses to call Derek instead. It’s 2am and for the first time ever, Derek tells another person what happened with Kate Argent. Stiles had put most of the pieces together a long time ago but hearing Derek tell the story is the most horrific thing Stiles has ever heard. The police reports had noted that Derek, Laura and Peter were the only survivors; that Derek’s mother and father, his grandmother, three younger siblings, and four cousins of various ages had all perished in the fire.

Derek’s voice doesn’t waver as he tells Stiles that Kate had seduced him; that he had told Kate all about his family; that he had mentioned a family gathering that he wanted her to attend. He tells Stiles that he came home from lacrosse practice to see his family home burning to the ground.

Stiles only utters four words that night but repeats them like a mantra until Derek’s breathing evens out and he drifts off to sleep.

It wasn’t your fault.

--- Did you love Jennifer?

No. I think I could have in time but we both know how that ended.

Why did you believe me when I told you she was evil?

Because it’s you. You’re one of the only people that hasn’t lied to me. That earned you a little bit of faith.

Did you love Brayden?

No. I think I wanted to show the world that I had survived Kate and Jennifer and didn’t have any emotional wounds. I think most people would call that a rebound relationship.

Do you think you could fall in love again?

Stiles waits for an excruciating seven minutes before Derek replies.

Yes.

 --- I tried to tell my dad that I was bisexual once. I think he thought I was joking.

I never got to tell any of my family that I’m bisexual. After the fire, Laura and I moved to New York. I wanted to tell her but I couldn’t find the words. I couldn’t find the words about Kate either. I like to think that she knew anyway and loved me regardless.

I’m sorry I accused you of her murder. That was really fucked up.

---

 I was never really going to rip out your throat with my teeth.

I know.

It was easier to just be angrier all the time. Anger is easier to manage than grief.

Was easier? Are you not angry anymore?

I’m still angry but it’s not the only thing I feel anymore. These messages help. So does therapy.

Derek Hale in therapy? I never thought I’d see the day! In all seriousness, I’ve thought about therapy a lot. I went after my mum died and it helped a little bit. I just don’t know where I’d find a therapist who knows about the supernatural.

Derek texts him a phone number for a counsellor about fifteen minutes off campus. He doesn’t ask Derek how he knew what college he was at.

 --- Peter offered me the bite once.

I didn’t know. I’m glad you didn’t take it?

Because I’d be a terrible werewolf?

Because no one should be connected to Peter in that way. I think you’d make an excellent werewolf. Far better than Scott.

 --- Have you seen the latest episode of Game of Thrones?

He calls Derek and they talk for hours. He almost hangs up the phone when Derek tells him that he doesn’t understand the appeal of Jon Snow but he likes the sound of Derek’s voice far too much.

 --- On April 8th, he gets sent a photo of a cheesy card wishing him many happy returns.

Happy 18th birthday, Stiles.

He sends Derek a photo of his face with his widest grin. He didn’t even know that Derek knew his birthday.

When’s your birthday?

11th July.

And how old are you going to be? I vaguely remember starting at Beacon Hills high as you were getting to graduate but then when we saw you in the woods, you looked like you were 80.

I’m only four years older than you, Stiles. I’ll be turning 22 but I haven’t celebrated in years.

But if someone wanted to hypothetically post you a card and a present, where would they send it?

Derek sends him an address in New York City. Stiles doesn’t need to ask; he instinctively knows that this is the apartment that Derek and Laura lived in before her death.

 --- Do you think you’ll ever go back to Beacon Hills?

Not unless it’s an emergency. I was supposed to go back with Laura when we heard about the killings in our territory but I told her that I wasn’t ready. I made her go alone.

It wasn’t your fault.

 --- Stiles can’t sleep. He Face Times Derek and pesters him until he finally agrees to start watching Parks and Recreation.

Stiles has the same episode playing on his laptop but he finds himself paying more attention to Derek’s face than the episode. He’s never seen Derek laugh before and the sight of him chuckling is mesmerizing.

It becomes a regular thing. Derek watches something on Netflix; Stiles watches Derek.

 --- I hope you fall in love with someone who loves you as much as I do.

Stiles should not be allowed access to his phone while under the influence of alcohol. He texts Derek that exact sentiment the next morning but Derek doesn’t respond.

 --- He doesn’t hear from Derek again.

 --- I’m really sorry, Derek.

I shouldn’t have made things awkward between us.

Your friendship is more than enough, I swear. I’m not going to push for something that you don’t want.

 --- None of his messages elicit a reply and god, it hurts like a fucking bitch. He thinks he finally knows what it’s like to have a broken heart.

 ---

He receives a text from Lydia.

A little bird told me that Derek Hale is currently moping in New York City.

Peter?

Cora.

I didn’t realise you were in contact with Cora. Hell, I didn’t realise that Cora was in contact with Derek.

Of course I’m in contact with Cora. She’s a useful contact. As for her contact with Derek, that’s only a recent development. Their pack bond still exists in some form; she reached out when she realised that something didn’t feel right.

What am I supposed to do about Derek moping? It’s kind of his thing.

Check your email.

There’s an email from Lydia. It’s a forward from a travel agent, confirming that a flight for a Mr. M. Stilinski has been booked for this Saturday.

He doesn’t know what to say. It turns out he was right about Lydia Martin – when she cares about someone, she shows it in materialistic gestures. This might be the greatest gesture that she’s ever done.

 --- Stiles can barely sit still during the flight to New York City. He’s terrified that Derek will slam the door in his face but he knows that if he doesn’t try, he’ll regret it.

The cab ride to Derek’s apartment takes an eternity. He almost forgets to grab his bag in his rush to get out of the cab and forces himself to take a deep breath; to slow down just a little.

He mentions to get into the building without buzzing, darting through an open door as one of the tenants leave the building. Before he got on the flight, Lydia had texted him the apartment number, and his hands shake as he knocks on the door.

“Stiles?” Derek’s voice sounds even better in person. “What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t reply to my texts”, he says like it’s just that simple. In his eyes, it is.

It seems like it might be just that simple to Derek too because he grabs him and pulls him close. Before Stiles can protest about being manhandled, Derek’s lips are against his and the words die on his tongue.

 ---

“Why didn’t you reply?” he asks a few hours later. He and Derek had eventually made it to the bedroom and it was everything Stiles had imagined and more. It was worth forgoing the conversation but Stiles couldn’t ignore the obvious for much longer.

“I panicked. Over text, it was easy. I could say whatever I wanted and not worry about the repercussions. The thought of it becoming something more was terrifying, Stiles. You know my relationship history”.

“And you know that I’m not like any of them”.

Derek nods in agreement. “You’re not like them. You’re more than them. You already mean more. I wanted to be in a better place before giving this a chance”.

“That’s why you’re in therapy?”

“Yeah. I’ve been considering it for a long time but that night when you yelled at me for leaving without goodbye was the final push I needed”, Derek explains. “I’m still not completely there. There are still things we need to talk about and things that will require a lot more therapy but I’m in a place to give this a chance, if you still want to”.

“If I hadn’t have shown up on your doorstep, what would have happened?”

Wordlessly, Derek passed Stiles his phone. The draft messages are illuminated on the screen and Stiles scrolls through them. There’s countless messages, dating back at least two weeks, and they’re all different versions of an apology; of an explanation. Even if Stiles hadn’t shown up on his doorstep; Derek was trying. Derek has proven himself time and time again; Stiles knows that he would eventually have sent a message explaining everything.

“I still love you and I’m all in”.

 --- Stiles calls the university the next morning and defers his enrolment.

University can wait. Right now, he and Derek have a lot to work through, both individually and together. Stiles hopes that if things go well, he can transfer his studies to a university in the city. Based on the course catalogues he finds in Derek’s study, he thinks that they’re on the same page.

-- He has seven missed calls from Scott and twelve text messages, all urging him to come back to Beacon Hills.

There are three messages from Malia, stating that he needs to get his ass into gear and help them out.

There’s even a text from Lydia, saying that she wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t serious.

He looks over at Derek, who looks more relaxed and happy than he has in a long time. “Shit’s going down in Beacon Hills. They need me to save their asses”. He wants Derek to come with him but doesn’t want to ask; doesn’t want to be responsible for Derek’s shoulders growing tense as he heads back to the town that took everything from him. “I shouldn’t be gone for more than a week”, he says as he’s packing a duffel bag and throwing it into the back of Derek’s Camaro.  

“That’s what Laura said”.

There is no other explanation; nothing else that needs to be said. A second duffel bag is tossed into the back of the Camaro and Derek gets into the passenger seat like he belongs there.

Turns out he didn’t need to ask. Maybe Derek needs him just as much as he needs Derek. After all this time, it’s a nice thought. It helps keep the darkness at bay; helps Stiles feel just a little more grounded than he has done in a long time.

---

“You didn’t think you were doing this without me?”

“Without us?”

Yeah, it feels pretty damn good that they’re an ‘us’ now.

[helplesslyinlovewithcharacters]

A Million Love Songs Later - Derek Hale x Reader

Request:  So I had this idea that the pack is trying to get the reader and Derek together and one of the things they do is play love songs in the background whenever the two of them are together, prompting the reader to believe that the songs may just be in her head. Like one scene, she saw Derek doing pull ups then "I wanna have your babies" comes on.

Pairing: Derek Hale x Female Reader

Derek Hale Masterlist

It had all started out as a prank that gradually grew bigger and bigger until Stiles was having far too much fun to stop. The pack had been trying to get (y/n) and Derek together for months, having suffered long enough watching them stumbled around their feelings for one another. So they decided to take action and to help them along a little bit.

(Y/n) sighed as she struggled to reach the popcorn sitting on the top shelf that Lydia demanded was essential before they started the film, stretching her arms as she tried and failed to grab it. Kicking her shoes off, she was about to climb onto the counter top when Derek gently nudged her to the side. A blush stained her cheeks as he stood close enough for her to feel the heat coming from his body. As he reached for the bag of popcorn ‘Hero’ by Enrique Iglesias began playing in the kitchen. (Y/n) whipped her head around, searching for the source of the music. Derek didn’t seem to notice, casually heading over to the microwave in Stiles’ kitchen to make the popcorn. As he punched in the time it needed to cook, he cursed Stiles and his meddling. He was the only person Derek knew that thought this was a good way to get people together. When (y/n) was sure that he wasn’t looking, she checked underneath the table to see if someone had dropped their phone, finding nothing, she started to open the cupboards.

“What are you doing?” She froze, looking around the cupboard door to see Derek staring at her with a confused frown pulling at his brows. Offering him what she hoped was a charming smile, she shut the cupboard.

“I was-uh-I was looking for something to put on the popcorn”

He turned the packet towards her, his tone unimpressed as he pointed out what it said. “It comes with flavouring”

Cringing slightly, she forced out a laugh “Right! Of course, I didn’t read that”

As she mentally scolded herself, she realised that the music had stopped, she briefly wondered if she was going mad and had started to like Derek so much that she was imagining a soundtrack to their interactions together.

A week passed without any other music incidents. Lydia was throwing a party that she insisted the pack had to come to. (Y/n) had been dancing with Allison and Lydia all night, unwinding from a stressful week of dealing with supernatural beings. Derek stood on the side lines, desperately wanting to join in but something held him back. Everyone told him that (y/n) returned his feelings and that all the signs were there but he struggled to believe them.

(Y/n) laughed as she danced terribly to the building beat of whatever song Lydia had playing, she couldn’t find it within herself to care as Allison grabbed her hand spun her in a circle. As she let go of her hand, she stumbled into a broad chest. Two hands settled on her waist, steadying her as the room spun slightly. She was about to say ‘thank you’ when the words caught in her throat. Derek was smiling down at her as he started to move with the music. She hoped the music was loud enough to mask the thundering beat of her heart. Derek watched her shyly as he tried to dismiss his doubts and just enjoy spending time with the woman he was almost certain he was falling in love with. Just as he was getting used to the rhythm of the music it changed. The room was filled with the soothing tones of Michael Buble as ‘L.O.V.E’ began to play. Confused shouts echoed around the room as everyone was thrown by the sudden change of pace. As (y/n) met Derek’s eyes, he shrugged while offering her a small smile. Gently, he took her left hand in his while settling his other hand on her waist. She blushed softly as he turned them in slow circles while being careful to avoid the other couples who had decided to embrace the change of music. Her breath hitched when he drew her closer, letting their entwined hands rest against his chest. A smile pulled at Derek’s cheeks when she relaxed in his arms and placed her head next to their hands. Maybe he liked whatever plan Stiles had.  

Stiles continued to play music for the couple over the following weeks, never failing to laugh when he watched (y/n) glance around completely dumbfounded while Derek’s face dropped into a scowl.

(Y/n) walked into the loft, slightly breathless from all of the stairs. She turned around to speak to Stiles, her brow furrowing when he was no longer behind her. Shaking her head as she wondered what he was up to this time, she walked further into the room, calling out to Derek. As she rounded the corner, she froze as her face flushed bright red. He was shirtless as he did pull up after pull up. Her mind went blank as she watched the muscles in his back shift. Just when she started to recollect her thoughts, ‘I wanna have your babies’ by Natasha Bedingfield echoed around the loft. The upbeat tune snapped her out of her daze as she questioned where the hell it was coming from. Derek dropped down from the bar, surprise flickering across his face when he realised he wasn’t alone.

“(Y/n)? What are you doing here?” She was about to answer when the music stopped, she was genuinely concerned that she was imagining things.

“Stiles wanted to speak to you about something…he didn’t tell me what it was and he seems to have disappeared” She tried to keep her tone light and humorous while ignoring the embarrassment stirring in her stomach. Sensing her discomfort, Derek grabbed his discarded shirt and pulled it on. She continued to fidget, making him worry that he’d done something wrong.

“Are you okay?”

“I think I may be going mad” He titled his head slightly before he realised what she was talking about.

“(Y/n)-“

“No, I’m serious. I keep hearing music one second and then the next it's gone-“ Derek caught her hands in his, bracing himself for the mortification of explaining what was happening.

“It’s Stiles”

“What?” Her face scrunched up in confusion.

“Stiles is stupid enough to think playing music will get us together” If Derek wasn’t a werewolf, he would have missed the offended sigh escaping Stiles’ lips as he stood outside the door.

“So this whole time you’ve heard it too?” Derek winced slightly as he nodded his head. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because it’s embarrassing! I’m so bad at communicating my feelings that I had to resort to letting Stiles play some of the cheesiest love songs ever written” She smiled softly, warmth spreading through her chest as everything fell into place. Quirking her brow, she tugged him closer with their entwined hands.

“Some of them weren’t that bad” He snaked his arms around her waist while smirking.

“He played ‘Stand By Me’ as we stood next to each other in the queue at the supermarket”

She snickered at the memory “It was worse when he played ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ when we fell out”

“Remind me to kill him later” They shared a laugh before Derek bowed his head, their lips brushing as (y/n) threaded her fingers through his short hair. Derek smiled into the kiss, wondering if he should thank Stiles instead.