#friends who brood together stay together isn't that how it goes

[ineed-to-sleep]

Shhh don't interrupt them they are Brooding

[inukag-archive]

Inuvember Part 2

In honor of @inuvember InuKag Day, the Archive Mods have put together a 30 day InuKag recommendation list: one fic per event prompt, all with a distinct InuKag (as OTP and OT3) flair. Since this is longer than our usual lists, we split it into two parts. Enjoy!

Day 16 Kohaku

Three Is A Crowd by Happy_Ocelot (G)

While stopping by to babysit his cute nieces and nephew, Kohaku comes to the horrifying realization that his beloved sister is in some kind of strange exhibitionist relationship. There were only so many times he could listen to his brother-in-law talking about hitting the ten or twenty children mark before snapping.

Good thing Kagome is there to help.

Humor, post-ending.

Day 17 Kaede

If We Fall Anyway by @soliska (M)

What if the shikon jewel didn’t exist and Naraku never came to be? What if Kagome fell down the well anyway and met a gruff, young inu-hanyou. Would they still become friends? What would be their story?

A tale told in snippets.

Day 18 Totosai

Mamorinuku by Nindeoronra (T)

Inuyasha commissions Totosai to make a new sword. Is it for him or for another?

Day 19 InuKag

Little Family by @xoxopandapanda (T)

Post Canon and A/U: Inuyasha and Kagome's family grows in time, starting with a little child who needs parents to teach him to love.

Day 20 MirSan

Shelter by @lavendertwilight89 (E)

Song fic inspired Stuck with You and Shelter

Inuyasha has been alone most of his life and one moonless night he gets caught up with a young priestess. She saves him and he, in return, helps her. What he doesn't realize is this priestess holds a lot of secrets which may or may not cost both of them their lives...

Day 21 InuKik

Kokoro no Kakera by @callmegri and @kirrtash (M)

She didn’t remember how she got there, only knew that it was warm, and soft. She hadn’t felt warmth since she was brought back to life. Where was she? What happened to her? The last thing she remembered was her reincarnation sitting on the ground next to that waterfall… She didn’t understand why Kagome helped her, again.

When a tired heart starts beating again, gravity itself has to rearrange to make space for it. But old wounds ask for closure before unspoken feelings can bloom, so all the pieces of shattered hearts can fit together.

Day 22 Sess Ships

In Hindsight by @mrfeenysmustache (T)

Hindsight is 20/20. Or.. it’s supposed to be anyway. A Drabble series about overcoming our misconceptions and all the little ways we talk ourselves out of happiness. InuKag Post Canon

Day 23 Kouga Ships

From the Hearts - and the Wrapping Company by @clearwillow (NR)

A gift for UnderwaterOphelia in the IYFF Book Club Secret Santa exchange. Christmas isn't going according to anyone's plans, except Koga's. Between the heat in the apartment making it feel like it's July and the endless boxes Inuyasha and Kagome keep finding, there has to be a good reason for the devious look in their boyfriend's eyes.

Day 24 Other Ships

There's Something In the Mist by @splendentgoddess (X)

A gruesome discovery in the forest is a warning that goes unheeded by the Inu-tachi who have no idea what demonic influences are at play. They will soon have intimate knowledge of what fate awaits them...intimate knowledge of each other.

Day 25 LGBT

The Real Me by @fawn-eyed-girl & @kalcia (E)

Kagome Higurashi is one of the top music journalists in the country, and her latest assignment is to write a story on one of the biggest rock bands in the world: Inutachi. She is immediately attracted to the lead singer, Inuyasha Masaki, a brooding, edgy hanyou who is battling his own inner demons. As Inuyasha and Kagome are increasingly drawn to one another, Kagome becomes more and more determined to discover just what has happened to Inuyasha that caused him to turn down such a dark path, and why she cannot seem to stay away from him.

Day 26 LGBT

Three's Company by @anisaanisa (E)

Threesomes were good. Threesomes were fun. Threesomes were safe. Threesomes didn’t involve feelings. Inuyasha’s in love with his best friend, and it takes five years and long-distance for him to get his head out of his ass.

Day 27 Platonic

Snoring Is the Sixth Love Language by @superpixie42 (T)

Somewhat against his will, Inuyasha finds himself sharing a hut and its one small futon with Shippo after a thunderstorm traps them in a foreign village. But Shippo's snoring means Inuyasha won't be getting any sleep, and instead spends the night alone with his thoughts. A three-year-gap, There Was Only One Bed Prompt fic, filled with found family feels. Rated T for language. Featuring art by Artnisa (AnisaAnisa) !

Day 28 AU

The Captain and the Hanyou by @goshinote (T)

In a world in which youkai have been forced into hiding after the Great War, Captain Higurashi is known as one of the cruelest youkai-hunting pirates. After Captain Higurashi kidnaps Inuyasha, a prized hanyo, a plan is set in motion. Inuyasha will find out Captain Higurashi is nothing like the stories say, and he will discover that nothing is truly as it seems...

Day 29 AU

Aurora by @thunderpot (T)

"It is said that a long time ago in the age of heroes — when Mother Earth was awake and the Gods walked among mortals — there was once a beast created by the Sun that fell in love with a great warrior."

A creative exercise from inuvember prompt: Myth Au

Day 30 Fandom Day

Like Shards of the Shikon (a multi-author/artist collaborative AU)

A little craziness that got too big for Tumblr. "Like Shards of the Shikon" is a live action television version of the popular manga 'Inuyasha'. Follow the actors as they live, learn, and laugh together. Expect fluff, laughs, a little romance on and off screen. A mixture of art and text - we're just making it up as we go. Join the general craziness!

READ PART (1) HERE

--

A special shoutout to friend of the Archive @sometimes-icanstillhear-sitboy for creating a series of Inuvember fic-rec TikToks based on this list!

[fuji09]

Well said @dear-massacre 100% agree with everything you said.

OP, I started Teen Wolf almost a year ago. I didn't know anything about the fandom. I knew Sterek was a ship but didn't know who the characters were and that it was just a ship. I went into it thinking I was gonna ship Derek and Scott. After the first episode, I was shipping Sterek. The way Stiles reacted to seeing Derek again piqued my interest. Seeing Stiles' personality and Derek's personality I immediately latched onto them. I knew they would have an amazing dynamic because they compliment each other. Extrovert ADHD sunshine human and introvert autistic brooding werewolf? Sign me tf up!

(Yes, I know it's never stated that Derek is autistic, but he reminds me a lot of my husband who is autistic and I just can't see Derek any other way).

But anyway, I saw none of the marketing and I still shipped them since I watched the first episode.

You said, "What is fascinating about it, is that there is BARELY any textual support for the ship at all. These two characters pretty much stop interacting after 2 seasons. If I'm being honest, their chemistry isn't even anything that wild. Any overtly shippable moments between the two can be counted on one hand."

That just simply isn't true. They actually have amazing chemistry. It's why it's so popular. Tyler and Dylan have amazing chemistry as well, which shines through to heighten the chemistry of their characters.

Opposites attract and/or enemies to lovers are well loved classic tropes which Sterek very much fits the bill. These two dumbasses (affectionate) are the epitome of having a crush and not knowing how to deal with it.

There are many overtly shippable moments between them. These are in no particular order.

For starters there's the pool scene. Stiles refused to let go of Derek. He didn't need Derek alive, he could have easily just floated on his back in the pool until help arrived. Even when Stiles could no longer keep them afloat, he didn't let go, he was willing to die with Derek. They sunk down together before Scott got there just in time to save them.

Then we have the scene where Derek is in Stiles' room and has Stiles pressed against the door. Both of them look down at each other's lips multiple times. There is a clear attraction here.

There is the scene where Derek is dying in Mexico and he literally tells Stiles multiple times to go save his best friend. Stiles hesitates, he doesn't want to leave Derek, he knows Derek is going to die and he doesn't want to leave him. He keeps looking back and you can see how much it's killing him to not stay with Derek.

In the van on the way to Mexico, Stiles and Derek literally have an entire conversation with just looks alone. Seriously, that is not only adorable, but it shows how connected they are.

Derek dreams of Stiles while he's captured, looking to him for comfort. It really shows us that Derek's anchor is no longer anger, but it's now Stiles. Stiles grounds him. Stiles makes him feel safe.

The scene that @dear-massacre mentioned with Stiles looking at the initials D.H. and smiling to himself is another good shippable scene and Derek isn't even in that scene.

Derek pushing Stiles away from the Kanima and telling him to run while standing in between them, clearly protecting Stiles.

Derek realizing who the alpha is and going in to save Stiles, even when they are at most here allies, and he protect Stiles from Peter.

The fist scene. It's a mixture of funny and cute with how their bickering has gone from antagonizing to more playful.

The scene in the jeep before Derek goes into the police station to distract Tara so Stiles can go get Isaac.

Derek protecting Stiles from Isaac wolfing out.

The scene where they are paralyzed and Stiles is on top of Derek. Matt made that comment of them making a pretty good pair.

The scene after the pool when Derek is describing the Kanima and he says how it's a shape shifter like them but it's wrong, it's... And Stiles adds an abomination and the look on Derek's face is just so adoring. Like he can't believe Stiles doesn't see him and any werewolves as monsters.

Stiles looking at the photo of Derek with the lens flare. There's such a longing look on his face.

Derek protecting Stiles while he's possessed by the nogitsune. Doing what he can to keep Chris from killing Stiles.

The scene where the Darach has the sheriff and Stiles is crying and asking where his dad is breaks the spell Jennifer has over Derek and he immediately believes Stiles over her.

Stiles having Derek's name on the King chess piece.

The scene where Stiles and Derek are explaining how they met back up, Stiles convinces the FBI to bring him along and he saves Derek from them. Then they argue about how it actually went down. Stiles says he drags Derek out of there and Derek says he bridal style carries Stiles out of there because his toe was shot.

The many many many looks between them. Like there are so many times where they look at each other like they can't believe how amazing the other is.

Stiles almost cutting Derek's arm off to save him.

Stiles clearly checking Derek out when he has Derek try on different shirts in his room when Danny is there.

Stiles getting backstory from Peter about what happened with Paige. He is wanting to learn more about Derek, even if he has to get info from the annoying unreliable narrator that is Peter.

Saying next time he will just kiss him, when he sees Hayden kiss Liam and it works.

Stiles mouthing off to Chris Argent about Kate using Derek and killing the Hales. He defends Derek while Chris has him shoved against the wall with other hunters there present.

I know I'm forgetting some but these are just some of the scenes that feed my shipping of Stiles and Derek. Definitely more than just what you can count on one hand. Their dynamic is amazing and it sucks we didn't get more. I don't know why they got less and less scenes together, even the actors were wanting to work more together, but there is definitely plenty for us to work with in shipping them.

I don't think it's accurate to say that we only ship Derek with Stiles because Scott is clearly straight (which to some is debatable) and Stiles screams bisexual and is almost the main character.

Also Derek is extremely important to the show. Like without Derek and Peter too, there wouldn't be a show. Scott never would have been bit. So yes, Scott is the main character, but Derek and Peter are extremely important to the story.

Reducing Derek to just a pretty face is really not cool. Derek isn't the only one who is shirtless a lot. All the guys are, except Stiles. Literally all the guys are shirtless half the time, it's not just Derek. Derek is important to the story, he's part of why there even is a story.

Everything @dear-massacre said about this is spot on.

After just having finished Teen Wolf for the first time, I can't stop thinking about Sterek. I am just so fucking fascinated by the phenomenon of this ship.

What is fascinating about it, is that there is BARELY any textual support for the ship at all. These two characters pretty much stop interacting after 2 seasons. If I'm being honest, their chemistry isn't even anything that wild. Any overtly shippable moments between the two can be counted on one hand.

What is fascinating, is that I firmly believe this ship exists due to the meta-textual context surrounding the show. Imo there are 2 main parts to this:

1. Sterek is a perfect example of queerbaiting in the original sense of the word. Because despite not having seen the show at the time, I vividly remember the boat video circulating. If you don't know what boat video I am talking about, just search YouTube for 'Sterek boat'. It is probably the most insane marketing stunt I've seen for a show.

And, after looking into it, it seems that the creative forces behind the show actively encouraged fans to ship Sterek through Asks here on Tumblr and other social media posts.

If this marketing hadn't happened, I don't think Sterek would've ever been as big as it became.

2. Derek as a character has no real purpose in the plot of Teen Wolf, except in the 1st and maybe half of the 2nd season. He is there mainly for the gratuitous nudity and objectification. Tyler Hoechlin is shirtless in so many scenes that frankly, it's a little ridiculous. In most other YA shows from the same era, he would occupy the love interest role for the main character... Except, Teen wolf's main character is, unlike most other fantasy/ya shows at the time, a guy. More importantly, the male main character Scott's entire motivation in the first few seasons revolve around his own love interest, Allison. So obviously, Scott isn't available to pair Derek up with. That leaves Stiles. Stiles isn't technically the main character, but he is the closest after Scott.

Stiles is also queer-coded like crazy. I don't know how the fandom reacted to the S3 moment where he talks to a bisexual girl, but if I had been in the fandom at the time, I would have taken it as explicit confirmation that Stiles is bi. There is no other way to interpret that scene, and no other purpose for it to be in the show.

So we have a classic, hot love interest character with no obvious romantic partner, and a queer-coded, almost-main character. The logical result is Sterek.

So like. Without the marketing or the context of similar shows of that time, there really is no reason to ship Sterek other than a vague "their dynamic is fun" that could be equally applied to many other pairings on the show. Which, for the record, is a completely respectable reason to ship something, but it would never have resulted in one of the biggest ships on Ao3 (at one point, it was second to only Destiel) on its own.

I'm not even gonna apologize for how long this post turned out because if I could, I would write an entire academic research paper on how this ship came to be. It is genuinely a fascinating case.

[bougiebutchbitch]

https://bougiebutchbitch.tumblr.com/post/682713389348405248/you-fools-you-absolute-bozos-you-cannot

Lmao i love your art 💛. Also ngl I bet Sasuke would rlly like the mask thing. Maybe not the eye patch but he would totally be into the mask and its added mysteriousness at that age.

I WAS THINKING SOMETHING SIMILAR OMGGGG

...really genuinely invested in the idea of writing a thing where Sasuke Stays and kinda develops more of a bond with Kakashi rather than getting trained by Orochimaru. And obviously he starts wearing a mask as part of that. Of course he won't admit in a thousand years that he looks up to Kakashi, but everyone is Aware and thinks it's incredibly cute, except Kakashi, who's in the tiniest bit of horrified denial that this kid seems to think he's an example to emulate

Bonus points: Sasuke still finds out about what happened to his clan and his brother. It drives a massive wedge into his relationship with the village. He starts brooding about revenge - of course he does; he's a fifteen year old boy who's entire world was ripped out from under him, only for him to discover it was the fault of the people he trusted most. The difference is, he's still embedded in the village when this happens. And Kakashi's loyalties are even more torn, between his home and the boy he raised.

The rules or his friends? Isn't that the age-old question?

Really, it's pretty obvious what he'll pick. Especially since Itachi was his kouhai, too.

Though he makes it clear that he's never going to do anything to harm Konohan civilians... Kakashi takes Sasuke's side. They stay as part of the village, all smiles on the surface. Doing this the ANBU way, the undercover way. Kakashi's helped Konoha bring down governments of enemy nations in the past. He's not betraying his country by doing the same here (so he tells himself). He's making it better. He's helping the last survivor of a genocide, enacted by their own people, lance a wound that should never have been allowed to fester.

Konoha needs to change, in order to grow. And if the old guard aren’t willing to admit that they are part of the problem...

Meanwhile, Sasuke is burning. Hate, misery, grief... But with all his friends around him - even if they don't fully understand what's going on - it's easier to remember that there are still innocent people in Konoha. He will not become the monster that the Elders tried to paint Itachi. He will uproot those who destroyed his family. He will expose them, and reveal the true tragedy of the Uchiha. And he will bring Itachi home.

(Not realising that this is the exact opposite of Itachi's wishes...)

Anyway, Sasuke and Kakashi do what needs to be done. But they do it quietly. Working together, in secret, to bring down the Hokage system and change things from within without killing loads of innocent civilians and establishing a global dictatorship lmao.

(That's quietly, not peacefully. Sasuke is absolutely going to murder the Elders and maybe Hiruzen despite Kakashi's attempts to stop him, and almost spark another ninja war. That's gonna cause Drama between him and Kakashi, for obvious reasons (I fought in those wars as a child, Sasuke! Think about the consequences of your actions, think about how many more children would have to go through that - that's the price we're talking about, here). But eh. Sasuke will deal with that when he gets to it)

And, uh, it goes without saying that they work together with Tenzou to fucking annihilate Danzo :)

[happyk44]

People make jokes that Percy would never handle domesticity. That he attracts danger like Hazel attracts cursed metals. He laughs along because they're not wrong.

But it's not him who can't handle domesticity. Why would it be? People say he's his father's son but he's his mother's too. Loyal, loving, willing to die and a little bit obsessed with falling in love with damaged children. He takes to his friends the same way his mother does - with instincts to hold and coddle and protect.

Annabeth struggles. She grew up fighting, learning. It'll be more of a process for her to adjust. She can supplement her days with hours and hours spent studying but even that will grow repetitive and stressful.

Percy is used to being thrown wildly from place to place. He can't wait to relax.

They change their plans.

They stay in New York. She goes to school, keeps fighting like a predator and he shifts into the Nome. The first demigod to be accepted into a magician's safe place without question.

They break up. It's easier. They fell in love during a war. They stayed in love during a war. Without demands of a prophecy tying them together, it's more work to breathe. She snaps at him. He refuses to engage.

They fight. They split. They breathe. They love each other. They'll never stop. She dates Reyna. He's never been happier for her.

Carter is sweet and Percy loves him too. But Carter is in a relationship and so painfully straight it makes Percy laugh when he tries to relate to Sadie's bi crises.

Sadie likes him to the point of sibling torture. He's the only kid in his group of friends who doesn't have one, half or full, and he likes how she bullies him around, always playfully and demanding. The same way she treats Carter and Zia and all the little ones.

They flock to him. Water based magicians's like learning from him. Felix holds his hands whenever they go to the zoo and tells him so many facts about the penguins Percy could write a book, if it weren't for his dyslexia.

Bast doesn't always trust him. But she doesn't kill him, doesn't attack and it's nice. Finally a god that doesn't want to blow him up just because he's him.

He didn't realize how comforting it would feel to not have to worry.

Walt likes him. And Anubis. It's probably because of Nico, who visits often, carrying gifts from his father for Osiris and his own Underworld brood and training tips for Walt, who's still adjusting and Anubis, who's never had a human host before.

Percy should be surprised. He isn't. Of course Nico knew.

He knows so much and tells so little.

Nobody ever asks him questions about what he did when he was hiding from Camp. Nobody ever asks him questions about his life in the Underworld. Nobody ever asks him anything about himself.

Percy starts.

Nico is wary. There's a part of him that will never trust anyone that isn't his sister, but gods above if Percy doesn't want him to. Not because of childhood love or because he's the Hero but because he's a friend and he wants Nico to know how much he cares, how much he can care when he's not busy trying to survive and being selfish.

They talk about it after six months. It's funny to Percy. Six months. Half a year.

Amazing how that works.

He leaves the Nome and travels with Nico. He always comes back to them, his new family. He visits his old. The moment Rachel looks at him at a certain way, he knows to flee. A demigod who's survived being the subject of two wars, who's lead battles and armies and has power that near levels actual gods. They'd drag him down with them.

His father has more children. He saves them when he can. He teaches them. In person, over Sadie's phone or through Iris messages, he teaches them. He'd never let them struggle as he did.

He doesn't tell them about the Nome, the safety they gave him. He earned that, he was offered that. It's not for anyone else, not even Nico who flocked in and out like he always has. But he tells them how to be safe and swears to help if they're ever roped into painful situations like he was. They rarely are.

He always helps. No matter how it hurts to find himself back in a world he never wanted.

They keep traveling in the moments he can breathe. Nico never says anything about where he goes and Percy just follows. He's grateful not to have to think, to plan ahead, to worry, to be in charge.

He meets other gods. Norse, Sumerian, Hindu. He falls a little in love with Kali and her volatility. She gives him a necklace of skulls. He almost cries. Nico laughs and dances with her.

He falls a little in love with him too.

Reyna and Annabeth keep dating. Still kissing Jason, Piper joins them. Reyna and Annabeth get married in the most meticulously planned wedding of the century. Leo officiates. The sheer smell of dozens of demigods steers away any monsters.

Percy cries. He hugs them and wishes he never had to stop.

He's thirty. He's surprised he lasted this long but Nico rolls his eyes and tells him he's never been farther from death. They stop traveling and set up shop in New York. And California. Their apartment has two entrances but one home. He doesn't ask Nico how he got it. It's obvious.

Hades is the only one to really hold his children close.

He has to be talked down from turning it into half an aquarium. Annabeth helps him dedicate one wall to a giant tank of Betta fish. Persephone shows up with a dozen flowers while Nico is sleeping and hangs them everywhere. She gives Percy a strict schedule of watering but the plants never seem to die either way. She kisses Nico on the head as she leaves.

Percy's surprised.

He knows he shouldn't be.

He's forty when Nico finally kisses him. When he tells the story, part of him wishes it'd been a special day, a special occasion, just to make it as magical as it felt but it's just an average Sunday in the middle of August when it's far too hot to be kissing anyone.

It's quick, chaste and chapped lips but he can't help but want more. Nico gives him a sugar cookie instead. He eats it.

They kiss again a month later when Nico comes home, bleeding and covered in monster dust and grumbling like the old man his soul and bones tell him he is. Percy has never been more attracted to someone in his life.

They don't get married, they don't have kids. They adopt some kittens. They'd intended to adopt puppies since both of them already had dogs but the look of his sisters planting kitten after kitten into Nico's scarred arms and atop his head is too adorable. They get three. It's chaos and it's perfect.

Hazel and Frank celebrate their anniversary in New Rome. Percy takes them to dinner. They talk about their daughter, a ferocious young woman who raises the dead and commands armies like it's her birthright. They talk about their son, timid and kind and a jeweler now. Frank shows off the bracelet he made for him.

Hazel's eyes look calm for once, not fearful like they used to.

He visits Annabeth after and falls asleep on her couch to a documentary on modern architecture. She's finally relaxed into her age, into the life they once had planned. He's not jealous.

He's happy. He loves how she accepts her coffee from Reyna's fingers and how she pets his hair and doesn't talk about monsters with an almost fond sense of longing.

He wakes up to Nico's voice and follows him home just as the sun rises over the sky. He wonders which one he's watching and murmurs names into Nico's skin as they fall back to sleep.

He wakes up at noon and calls Carter for a late lunch. He tells his mother he loves her for the millionth time. Riptide is in his pocket as it'll always be. He fights monsters on his way to work and comes home to Nico sprawled out on the floor and watching old cartoons with vivid interest.

They travel some days, but he's happy to have a home. He visits the Nome still. It's the only place he doesn't have to recount stories that live on as heroic legends to others and painful nightmares to him. He still rescues his siblings when he can and teaches them when they ask.

It's been so long though they begin to teach each other.

He doesn't go on any quests. People have long since stopped asking. He wakes up, he goes to work, he comes home.

It's utterly repetitive and boring. It's so routine. It's far too domestic.

He loves it.

He's never been happier.

[fandom-madnessess]

Hi could you please write a fic where Stiles and Derek have been dating for a few months but Stiles won't let Derek see him naked and Derek gets angry thinking Stiles isn't as in love with him as he is With Stiles. So they have their first huge fight and Derek ends their relationship. It's only later when Stiles turns up at his door Derek realizes that Stiles loves him but he was ashamed of the scars he had from an accident years earlier. Derek shows Stiles just how beautiful he is to him.

Derek Hale/Stiles StilinskiRating: M, Word Count: 1828Human AU, College AU (sort of, it’s summer, so they’re not actually there, and they don’t go to the same school), Alive Hale Family, Angst, Fluff, Scars, Break Up, Getting Back Together, Mild Smut, POV Derek, nsfw♥Read on AO3

Derek is sitting on his bed, knees pulled into his chest,a comforting mug of hot chocolate in his hands. Stiles would’ve told him he’sbrooding if he were here, which Derek would then vehemently deny. A smile pullsat Derek’s lips, but then he remembers Stiles isn’t here to tell him he’s brooding, might not ever be again. Hissmile drops and he clutches the mug a little tighter.

Well, if he is brooding, at least he’s got the weatherbrooding with him. There’s a summer storm raging outside, the rain pounding onthe glass like a drumline that can’t sync up. There’s no thunder or lighteningyet, but Derek feels it buzzing in the air, a ball of energy waiting to bereleased. Like Stiles when he’s excited about something.

Fuck.

For years, Stiles was barely on Derek’s radar, saw himonly as one of Cora’s dorky friends, and now everything reminds Derek of him.The weather, the colour of his mug, every single TV show, the bags under hiseyes, the sweater he’s wearing, the music blasting in his ear through hisheadphones.

It’s been three days without a word from Stiles­­. Derek’sthought about calling him, but he wouldn’t know what to say, except to repeatwhat he’s already said.

They’d been making out on his bed, Stiles in Derek’s lap,his hands in Derek’s hair, giggling as he kissed his way across Derek’s stubblycheek and jaw to his neck. Derek pulled Stiles closer by his hips, his handsslipping under Stiles’ shirt, his fingers grazing the skin just above thewaistband of Stiles’ jeans. Stiles froze, his breath stocking in his throat,his lips hovering just below Derek’s ear. Derek immediately pulled his handsaway, but Stiles was already retreating. Mentally as well as physically.  It wasn’t the first time Stiles froze during amake-out session. It’s been happening since summer started.

At the beginning of spring semester, Stiles had neededhelp with an essay, and Cora had given him Derek’s number so Stiles could pickhis “nerdy History Major brain”. They’d started talking, first about the essay,then school, and soon they were texting and calling and Skyping daily.

When the school year was drawing to a close, Derekrealized he and Stiles would both be going back to Beacon Hills for the summer.He couldn’t figure out why that made him so nervous until, on his second dayhome, Stiles was at the door, flowers in his hand and a hopeful smile on hisface. They’d gone out for milkshakes, which turned into dinner and a movie. Stileshad driven Derek home, but before Derek could get out of the car, Stiles pulledhim into a kiss. Derek tried to pull Stiles closer, but Stiles quickly pulledback, giving the excuse that Derek’s family was watching. They were, but Derekhad sensed there was something else. He hadn’t pushed. It was only their firstkiss, and there would be plenty of time to talk.

But they hadn’t talked. After almost two months Derekstill doesn’t know the trigger. What is okay one day could be a no-no the next,and every time he tries to talk to Stiles about it, Stiles shuts downcompletely or leaves.

Three days ago, Derek had tried again. He’d begged Stilesto give him anything, say anything,even if it was just that he needed more time before he could really talk aboutit. But Stiles kept pulling away, and Derek started to wonder if they were even something Stiles wanted.Stiles assured him it was, but when Derek asked again if anything was wrong, Stilesstayed silent.

And that was it. Derek couldn’t take it anymore. Hecouldn’t take feeling like he was the only one willing to be vulnerable in thisrelationship, and he’d asked Stiles to leave.

Derek hears the pounding of footsteps on the stairsthrough his music. Cora must’ve cut her trip short after she heard whathappened between him Stiles. She’d warned them she would kick their asses ifthey fucked it up.

Derek shoots up off the bed, almost spilling hotchocolate over himself, when his bedroom door bangs open and Stiles storms in.

Stiles is soaked through from the rain, dripping water onthe floor, hair flattened to his head, his clothes clinging to his body.Rivulets of rainwater make their way down Stiles’ face and arms.

‘Stiles,’ Derek breathes out in wonder and relief. Absentmindedly,he sets down his mug and pulls his headphones off. He reaches for Stiles, whois barely an arm’s length away, but Stiles holds up his hands, telling him tostop.

Stiles grabs the collar of his hoodie and t-shirt andpulls them over his head. There’s a bit of a struggle with the wet sleeves, butfinally the clothes land on the floor with a soggy smack.

Derek swallows. Moles mark a path across Stiles’ chestand abs. Tan lines trace around Stiles’ biceps and shoulders. Derek’s eyes fixon the trail of hair that starts at Stiles’ navel, then disappears into hisjeans. He reaches out again, pulled in by the sight before him, but Stilesstumbles back, a soft whine like that of a scared animal escaping from histhroat. Stiles’ arm twitches in an aborted attempt to cover himself.

The movement pulls Derek’s gaze to a ragged scar that stretchesfrom the bottom of Stiles’ ribs to his hipbone, and trails off into a pointhalfway to his navel. Derek moves his eyes back to Stiles’ face, which ispinched with fear and anxiety.

Determined and with his eyes locked on Stiles’, his chesthurting with the need to erase Stiles’ uncertainty, Derek closes the distancebetween them and folds Stiles into his arms before Stiles has time to stumbleout of his reach.

‘You’re freezing,’ Derek mutters. He rubs his hands upand down Stiles’ back.

‘It’s raining,’ Stiles says, melting into the touch. Hepresses his face in Derek’s shoulder and clutches at Derek’s back, a shiverthat Derek doesn’t think is entirely from the cold, runs through him. ‘I’msorry. I shouldn’t have left like that,’ Stiles mumbles.

‘I told you to.’

‘Because I refused to even admit something was wrong.’

‘It’s o—‘

‘No, it’s not okay.’ Stiles pulls back and looks him inthe eye. ‘I should’ve talked to you. I should’ve– I should’ve trusted you.’

Derek brushes the wet hair out of Stiles’ face. He doesn’tknow what to say. Stiles is smiling at him again, and it’s messing with hisbrain.

‘I’m going to kiss you, now,’ Stiles says, solvingDerek’s problem.

Derek nods and meets Stiles halfway. The kiss startsslow, but it quickly turns dirty and desperate. Derek pours every ounce of howmuch he’s missed Stiles and his happiness at Stiles being here into the kiss,and Stiles is giving back just as much. Stumbling back from the weight of thekiss, Derek’s legs hit the bed and he falls back, taking Stiles with him.Stiles goes with it, breaking the kiss for only a moment as he positionshimself over Derek. He starts tugging on Derek’s clothes, and Derek knows hehas to pull back.

‘We don’t have to,’ he gasps.

‘I know,’ Stiles says, moving from Derek’s mouth to hisneck.

‘If you need to wait a little longer, that’s fine. Youdon’t owe me something just because you showed me your scar.’

Stiles sits up with a huff. He rolls his hips, smirkingwhen Derek’s buck up in response.

‘I want this,’ he says. ‘Now. I don’t want to wait.Unless you do?’

Derek shakes his head, laughing when Stiles cheers beforepressing their lips together again.

It’s clumsy and messy, and they’re both too eager to makeit last long. But it’s good, especially when Stiles is leaning against theheadboard, doing his best to clean their hands and stomachs with only a handfulof tissues. Derek nuzzles into Stiles’ side, rubbing his stubble against thesensitive skin when Stiles complains that it tickles. He feels warm andcontent. He wants this moment to last forever.

After a couple minutes Stiles either deems them cleanenough or he gives up, because he throws the tissues in the wastebasket, andslides down so he’s lying face to face with Derek. His hair is a mess. It’sstill a little damp and sticking up in every direction. Derek messes it up evenmore, then trails his hand down Stiles neck and arm, until it’s resting onStiles’ side, covering the scar with his hand.

‘It was an accident,’ Stiles says. He sounds sad, and hiseyes are focused on the wall behind Derek. ‘The scar, it… There was a caraccident.’

Derek opens his mouth to tell him they can talk aboutthis later, but Stiles shakes his head.

‘It was just after my mom got sick. There was someemergency. I think. I don’t really remember. Her episodes were still pretty farapart, so she figured she could handle the short drive, even though the doctorstold her not to. Halfway, she started getting nervous. I tried to tell her tostop, but I couldn’t get through to her. It’s a bit of a blur after that. Idon’t remember any pain, but I remember opening my eyes, a tree branch inchesfrom my face. My mom was sitting straight up, her hands clenched at the wheel,staring at nothing.’ Stiles swallows. ‘She didn’t even look at me.’

Derek tangles their legs together, wraps his arm furtheraround Stiles’ waist and turns onto his back, pulling Stiles half on top ofhim. He has no idea what to say to that. What can he say?

‘I’m okay,’ Stiles assures him, finally looking at himagain. ‘I just don’t like remembering her that way. It wasn’t who she was, youknow?’

‘Is that why you didn’t want me to see the scar? Becauseit reminds you of that?’

‘No, that’s because, uhm…’ Stiles looks down again. ‘Idated someone who went out of their way to never touch it.’

‘What?’ Derek asks. His fingers twitch against Stiles’skin, fury rising in his chest, but he stomps it down.

‘It didn’t last long, but it still messed me up.’ Stilespokes Derek’s cheek and smiles. ‘I know you’re not like that, but you’re… Youknow.’ Stiles gestures at Derek’s body. ‘I got insecure. All those maybes andwhat ifs got into my head, and it only got worse the more I fell in love withyou, and it became this huge Thing, and I didn’t want to bother you with it.’

Derek raises his eyebrows. When Stiles rolls his eyes,Derek knows he got the message: Derek wants to be bothered with Stiles’ Things.

‘I love you, too,’ Derek says.

Stiles frowns. ‘Too? Wha–‘ He flushes and bites his lip.‘Yeah. Love you, big guy.’