#kindergarten teacher stiles stilinski

[sapphireginger]

Sterek Week 2022

Regret. Nostalgia. Bittersweet. Longing.

Stiles has felt these in abundance since leaving Beacon Hills roughly ten years ago. He left with everything he held dear. Well almost everything. He left his heart behind, and he goes by the name Derek Hale.

DAY #5: Canon Revisited

@sterekweek-2022

[ellswritings]

Jealousy, Jealousy

Derek Hale x Reader

TW: Mentions of blood and death, werewolfy things, Stiles being an absolute spaz, age gap, Jennifer Blake (cause she’s a warning on her own), major feels, and a tiny bit of angst, some bad words. I think that it y’all. Once again, let me know if I missed something!

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There have always been two constants in Y/N L/N life when it came to living in Beacon Hills, life threatening creatures and the possibility of her imminent death. When she became friends with Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall in Kindergarten, she wasn’t completely aware of what she signed up for. Most people would think the constant Star Wars marathons with Stiles and lacrosse training with Scott would’ve drove her away early on, but she stayed. Not that they’d let her leave even if she tried. Having them as her best friends has always been a blessing and a curse. She would do anything for them, but she didn’t know anything included becoming a supernatural creature.

A werewolf to be precise.

The night of the dance their sophomore year, Y/N had seen Lydia walk out of the dance in which she assumed was in search of Jackson. But when she saw the blonde boy lingering in the hallways, she had a feeling something was off. When she went in search of the girl and found her at the lacrosse field, there was no escaping their inevitable fate. That was one of the many times Y/N thought she’d meet her end. Watching Peter Hale run towards them at fully speed before taking a nice bite out of their skin was not on her bucket list for the evening.

Since then there have been plenty adventures for the “McCall Pack” as she’d like to call it. Allison’s grandfather Gerard coming to town, the Kanima, Derek and his pack trying to kill Lydia, then finding out it was Jackson, only to have him turn into a werewolf and run off to London. There might have been a couple kidnappings and restraining order somewhere in there, but those are minor details.

And, of course, with a new year comes new threats. There has been a recent string of kidnappings that turned into murders that none of them have been able to solve yet. They’ve tried as a group to brainstorm, meeting at Derek’s new loft every so often to get the entire groups opinion, but nothing has come out of it. Well, besides spending extra time with the Alpha. That’s an aspect Y/N didn’t mind in the slightest.

She had no issues making herself at home in his loft, despite his halfhearted protests. No one could understand how Y/N had the ability to just throw her feet up on his coffee table and not get her throat ripped out. It’s either she has no regard for her life, or Derek has a soft spot for her which is something no one saw coming.

The two have always had an interesting relationship. Y/N enjoys arguing, similar to Stiles hence why they get along so well. She loves getting under Derek’s skin and pushing every button she knows he has. It’s almost as if she goes out of her way to try and get a reaction out of him. No one blames her really, it gets entertaining hearing them go at it. Especially for Stiles.

Whenever anyone needs to ask Derek for a favor, the first person they send his way is Y/N. For one, they’ve only ever heard the word “yes” come out of his mouth when talking to her, and she’s the most likely one not to flinch if she has to kill him. She has a conscious, it’s just not always active.

Y/N rides up to Beacon Hills High on her motorcycle before parking in the thin spot near the bike rack. She carefully takes off her helmet, smoothing down any stray pieces of hair that might’ve fallen out of place. She had been told to go to Derek’s the night before to ask him if he’s found anything out about their new lethal friend, the only issue is when she got there, she could hear her new teacher Jennifer Blake in the apartment with him. She felt the urge to completely kick the door down and interrupt whatever conversation was happening, but she practiced a high level of self-restraint. She knew Derek was aware of her being there. He could smell her the same way she could him. But the hot white rage that filled Y/N’s chest forced her to walk away and ride angrily back to Stiles’s place.

Scott and Stiles watch their friend from the steps at the entrance to the school. Her ever present frown is a little troubling as it is much more prominent than usual. They didn’t get the full details about what angered her so much the night before, but it’s clearly still bothering her. She takes the keys out of her bike before stomping up to them. When she notices them staring at her, she lifts an eyebrow, “Something you wanna say?” She challenges. Both boys look at each other and simultaneously shoot her a fake smile.

“You– you look nice today,” Stiles comments awkwardly as he rubs the back of his neck. “Did you uh– did you do something new with your hair?”

Y/N stared at him blankly while Scott mentally facepalms at his friends attempt at covering up their concern. She simply shakes her head, looping her arms through both of theirs. “I’m fine if that’s what you guys are wondering. Derek was busy last night so I just came back to the house. That’s it,” she explains shortly, leaving no room for questions.

Scott scrunches his nose and a look of realization dawns on his face. It quickly morphs into disgust the more he thinks about it and Stiles furrows his eyebrows curiously. He looks over Y/N’s head and waits for his other best friend to clue him in on what’s got him all bothered. Scott makes sure Y/N’s more focused on weaving through the crowd before mouthing “She’s jealous” over to Stiles.

“I’m gonna grab my notebook real quick,” she tells them. “I’ll be right back.”

As soon as she reaches her locker, Stiles leans over to attempt a discreet conversation with Scott. “What do you mean she’s jealous?” He asks in a whisper. “Jealous of what?”

“I don’t know,” Scott answers, watching Y/N carefully. “But I’m assuming it had something to do with what happened at Derek’s last night.”

“Why would she be jealous over something with Derek?” Stiles scoffs, his eyebrows furrowed.

Scott shoots him a pointed look. Stiles is an absolute genius when it comes to certain topics, but girls and social cues are not one of them. His jaw drops slightly when he realizes what Scott’s implying. He rapidly shakes his head, flailing his arms in the air. “No– no, uh-uh. There’s no way. Absolutely not.”

“It’s not like you can stop it,” Scott chuckles. “If she likes him, she likes him.”

“Oh God,” Stiles groans disgustedly. “Out of all people? Sourwolf? Really?”

Scott shrugs with an amused smile as Y/N turns to start walking back, “The heart wants what the heart wants.”

“Okay, but does it have to want him?” Stiles continues to complain. “And if she’s jealous that means there was someone else there last night. Who? Because last I checked, Derek is a very acquired taste.”

“How would I know?” Scott replies. “Now shut up before she realizes we’re talking about her.”

The three of them made a pact awhile back that they wouldn’t eavesdrop on each other’s private conversations unless they were in danger. So they knew it would be safe to have said discussion despite Y/N’s enhanced hearing.

“You guys ready?” She asks.

Both nod vigorously, trying to hide their gossip, but their desperation to seem normal gives them away. Y/N simply rolls her eyes and says nothing. She once again links their arms together as they head towards their English class. No one needs werewolf senses to see how tense and angry Y/N got at the sight of Ms. Blake. The fury behind her eyes is one everyone in the pack has had to face at one point or another. Scott vividly remembers those eyes when Issac stole the last piece of her banana bread from when they went to the bakery they all love, and she threw him clear across his house.

Y/N separates herself from the boys, taking her spot next to Alison and Lydia while the boys sit down behind them. It’s a miracle how they all ended up in the same class. Y/N opens up her notebook, choosing to doodle rather than pay attention to whatever Ms. Blake is writing on the whit board in front of them. Alison looks at Y/N’s drawing with curiosity and smiles, “That’s really good,” she compliments.

It’s her beginning sketch to one of her favorite book characters, Sirius Black from Harry Potter. Y/N tries to muster a genuine grin, “Thanks,” she replies.

Alison isn’t clueless though. She can feel the difference in Y/N’s attitude from how she acts on a regular basis. She squints her eyes trying to silently figure it out before turning back to Scott who already knows what she’s wondering. What all of them were wondering. Who got Y/N so riled up? They know she’s jealous of something that happened with Derek, but who could she be jealous of?

“Alright, good morning everyone!” Jennifer greets with a smile that makes Y/N’s blood boil. She brings a hand up to play with her helix piercing to prevent her claws which will no doubt make an appearance by the end of this class. “Today, we're going to delve deeper into Shakespeare's Othello. I want you to focus on the themes of jealousy and manipulation that are littered throughout the text.”

Y/N’s eyes narrow on her teacher. The word “jealousy” feeling like a direct hit on their current situation. She cracks her neck before flipping to the page in their text book. She slouches in her chair, leg bouncing up and down. She quickly begins to run out of patience hearing the teachers heels click every time she takes a step.

“Y/N,” Jennifer calls out. “Why don’t you go ahead and start us off by reading the first paragraph?”

The grip Y/N has on her pencil tightens. There it is. Scott can not only smell it, but he can see it with his own eyes. The tension is more than palpable. Jennifer was the one at Derek’s last night. Y/N tilts her head, “Why can’t someone else do it?” She deflects coldly. “Lydia for example is quite the fan of our troubled poet.”

The challenge in her voice makes Jennifer hold back her own glare. She should’ve known Y/N would be the student to give her trouble from the beginning. The class shifts uncomfortably from the sudden chill in the air. “Y/N, it’s important for everyone to participate. Please, read the passage,” she requests with forced patience.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that,” the (h/c) haired girl answers, folding her hands together as she leans on the desk. “I have crippling anxiety when it comes to reading in front of people. You wouldn’t want to do something to cause a breakdown would you?” She asks in the most taunting voice possible.

Lydia and Alison both stare at their friend with confusion. Stiles has to sink low in his chair to hide the inevitable laughter that’s about to come out of his mouth. While Scott just covers his face with his hands, waiting for World War Y/N to take place in his English class.

Jennifer quirks an eyebrow, “Did you not just do the school play of Beauty and the Beast last month? Where you played Belle? The lead role?”

Silence.

“That’s different, Ms. Blake,” Y/N corrects. “Not that I’d expect you to understand, but playing a character and who I am in real life is completely separate.”

“Well, that’s perfect then,” she nods. “Why don’t you go ahead and read it in character for us?”

A strong scent of copper fills Scott’s nose. He glances down and sees Y/N’s claws dug deep into her thigh. Stiles notices Scott’s wide eyes and glances where he’s looking. When he sees the wide open wound his face turns pale white before he shuffles in his chair.

“What a fantastic idea,” Y/N quips sarcastically before glancing down at the page below her. As she begins to read, the passive aggressiveness in her tone is evident. “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

Her eyes lock with Jennifer's, and she can't help but add, under her breath but loud enough for her friends to pick up on, "How fitting"

Jennifer's expression hardens, but she maintains her composure. She leans on her desk while looking Y/N in the eye, “I would like a word with you after class Miss L/N,” she says coolly before continuing on with her lesson.

The glare on Y/N’s face never fades. She burns holes into the back of Jennifer’s head. Scott grew increasingly more worried that her eyes would flash, giving away her secret for all to see. All four of her friends exchange worried glances. Y/N’s never really been one to get in trouble on her own accord. She’s gotten detention, but ninety percent of the times it’s because Scott and Stiles roped her into it. The boys take it upon themselves to text Lydia and Alison, informing them of their theory of what is causing Y/N’s sudden aggression.

Lydia purses her lips together as she reads the texts. She leans back to whisper to Stiles, “This should be interesting…”

The rest of the class drags on, time ticking fairly slow. Y/N doesn’t say much, but the nasty looks she shoots cut more deeply than any words ever could. Halfway through the period, Stiles places his hand on her back to help keep her calm, which she wouldn’t admit, helped a lot. When the bell finally rings, the students begin to file out. Y/N stays behind, her anger barely contained. Scott, Stiles, Alison, and Lydia linger outside the door, trying to listen in on the upcoming confrontation.

Y/N rolls her eyes as she slings her bag over her shoulder. She approaches Jennifer’s desk with a sickly sweet smile. The teacher doesn’t buy it though. “Y/N, what is going on with you today?” She questions firmly, feigning concern for the younger girl.

Y/N shakes her head, producing the most innocent face she could. “Going on with me? Nothing at all, Miss Blake. I am doing just dandy. Why do you ask?"

Jennifer bites the inside of her cheek, narrowing her eyes, but she manages to keep her tone measured. "Your behavior today has been disruptive and disrespectful. You are a talented and well-read young woman. I expected more from you."

Y/N chuckles, leaning more of her weight on her left side, popping her hip to show just how much she truly cares about this conversation. “Oh, I’m sure you do, given your high standards and all. It must be exhausting to keep up appearances,” she comments with a deceptive charm.

The older woman’s nostrils flare, knowing exactly what she’s trying to get at. Of course this is what her behavior is all about. Jennifer takes a deep breath, “Y/N, your comments today were out of line. This isn’t about keeping up appearances, it’s about maintaining respect in the classroom."

Y/N walks closer to her desk with a sly smile. She traces her finger up the wood, rubbing the dust in between her fingers. “Respect? Funny you should mention that. It seems respect is a bit... selective around here."

Jennifer's patience finally snaps, though she tries to mask it with a strained smile. “Y/N, your insinuations are inappropriate. Whatever issues you think exist, this isn't the place to air them."

Y/N barely even makes eye contact with the woman, flicking off the small dust bunny she formed with her fingers. “Of course,” she agrees mildly. “From now on, I’ll make sure to be more… discreet.”

Her teacher’s eyes flash with irritation, “You know what? Your behavior today has been unacceptable. Detention. After school. I expect to see you here as soon as the bell rings.”

Y/N opens her mouth to argue, but the look in Jennifer's eyes stops her. She storms out of the classroom, her friends quickly falling into step beside her. Stiles trips over his own footing as he tries to grab Y/N’s wrist, “Would you just– Jesus– Y/N. Slow down!” He exclaims, finally catching her. He grabs onto her, holding the girl in place.

Y/N raises her eyebrows, “What?” She bites out. “I have to get to Calc.”

“Care to explain what the hell is going on with you?” Lydia tries to coax the information out of her. She knows it’s never good for Y/N out of all people to keep things bottled.

“Nothing’s going on with me,” she denies. “I’m fine. Are we done here?” She scoffs, spinning on her heel to walk away.

Scott runs in front of her, “Y/N, we just want to help,” he insists softly.

“I don’t need your help!” She snaps. The wounded expression on his puppy dog face makes Y/N groan at her actions. She runs a hand over her face, “Look Scotty, I appreciate it. I appreciate all of you, really, I do. It means a lot that you care so much, but this isn’t something that I feel like talking about right now. I need space and time to plot out her murder and then maybe we can have a discussion later, okay?” She says nonchalantly, kissing Scott’s cheek before walking off to her calculus class.

They all stand there stunned for a moment. Stiles watches after her, pointing at the girl and turning back to his friends, “Did she– did she just say plot her murder?”

“Yup,” Alison nods, popping the “p.”

As the school day goes on, Scott and Stiles continuously try to monitor Y/N and her behavior. Something about her unhinged jealousy is putting everyone on edge. Luckily, the advanced classes they don’t have with her, Lydia does. So whenever they can’t be together, they assign someone else to watch over her.

When Lydia reports back, they’re all slightly shocked to hear that she was absolutely fine in all of her other classes. Which only affirms their theory that Ms. Blake was in Derek’s apartment last night, and that’s why Y/N acted the way that she did.

When the final bell of the day rings, Y/N growls under her breath, knowing she has to spend the next hour or so with Jennifer Blake in an enclosed space. She marches down the hallway, mumbling profanities under her breath before pushing the door to her classroom open. Stiles and Scott watch from afar, the latter trying to listen in for any painful screams. But knowing Y/N, if she truly were to murder someone, it wouldn’t be loud or obvious.

Y/N furrows her eyebrows when she sees Jennifer packing up her desk. When the woman hears her door open, she glances over in her students direction. “Miss L/N, I hope you had a good and reflective rest of your day,” she comments, clearly not interested in Y/N’s day whatsoever.

Y/N doesn’t bother responding. She simply stares at her straight faced with her arms crossed. Her patience is dwindling the longer they stand there. Jennifer picks up her handbag before sending Y/N the nastiest smile she could.

“Well, Mr. Harris should be here in a couple of minutes to oversee your detention, so you can wait in your seat until he arrives.”

Y/N’s eyes narrow, “And why exactly am I waiting for Mr. Harris? Weren’t you the one to give me a detention?”

Her teacher smirks, “Yes, yes I was,” she answers with a shrug.

“Then wouldn’t it be your responsibility to oversee it? You can’t just hand out detentions and not stick around for it,” Y/N scoffs.

“Normally, I wouldn’t be leaving like this. I would happily spend the next hour of my life lecturing you on proper classroom etiquette, but I have certain plans tonight that I’ve been looking forward to. So Mr. Harris has agreed to take you off my hands,” she explains.

Y/N can smell her smugness. Only if she demonstrated this side of herself in front of the class. Y/N clenches her hand tightly, feeling her claws emerging from her actual nails. Anger rushes through her, but she pushes it back with a curt nod. “How interesting. Do you mind me asking who these plans happen to be with?”

Jennifer cockily leans forward, whispering in Y/N’s ear, “You know exactly who they’re with.” Then she pulls away from the young girl, walking out of the classroom without a second glance.

The werewolf’s eyes flash a bright yellow as she watches Jennifer stalk off. She squeezes them shut, trying to avoid any kind of outburst. Her frustration grows by the second, her heart beating abnormally fast as she hears Jennifer getting in her car to no doubt drive to Derek’s loft. A red hot fire fills her soul as she makes a decision that will no doubt have consequences later. But she would rather serve a two hour detention with Harris than watch Derek be with that woman.

Y/N storms out of the classroom, running down the hallway. She ditches her detention, figuring she could come up with an emotional enough lie to relieve the punishment afterwards. Her backpack bounces up and down, smacking into her tailbone as she runs. Her feet pump as fast as they possibly can as she runs through the greenery of the woods. She doesn’t have to pay attention to where she is because her body already knows where it’s going. Almost as if she’s called to be there, her inner wolf begging to move faster.

When she finally slows down, she’s directly in front of the door to Derek’s loft. Her chest rises and falls with her shallow breaths as she simply stares at the door. She didn’t see or hear Jennifer’s car, so that means their’s still time. She licks her lips out of nervousness before hesitantly bringing her hand up to the door, knocking on it softly.

She waits anxiously, wiping her now sweaty hands on her jeans. Y/N’s not used to feeling like this ever. She doesn’t get nervous. Most of the time, she’s the most confident person anyone could meet. Hence why she was friends with Lydia before she even knew Stiles existed. When she goes over to Derek’s, she never usually feels like this. Like her heart might just beat out of her chest if she doesn’t see him. She fights off the small whimper threatening to escape her throat. She doesn’t need to be nervous and embarrassed when he answers the door.

Y/N rocks back and forth on her feet, growing more weary as time passes. Silence fills the air around her and she suddenly feels the urge to throw up when she hears footsteps growing closer. She silently prays he can’t smell how absolutely out of sorts she is. Her inner monologue to give herself a confidence boost doesn’t do much when she sees his shadow at the bottom crack of the door. When the door swings open, it reveals a very dressed up Derek Hale. His face turns into one of confusion when he sees her standing in front of him.

“Y/N,” he greets, completely shocked by her presence. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh– I– um,” she stumbles over her words which causes Derek to look at her with curiosity. She’s not the type to be at a loss for something to say. That’s one of the things he admires about her. She sucks in a deep breath, “I just needed to see you,” she answers.

Derek steps aside slightly, allowing her into his apartment. When she walks in she can’t help but feel safe. This loft has almost turned into her home away from home. She’s here more often than anyone else out of the pack, and Issac lives here. It isn’t until now that Derek can smell the mix of emotions radiating off of her. It’s a concoction of things and he can’t tell which is the primary source of her unannounced appearance.

“What’s this about?” He asks her with a lifted brow.

Y/N sighs, trying to blink back the intermittent flashing of her eyes. “I know someone was here last night,” she reveals. “I came by and heard her. Then I find out today that you two apparently have plans,” she continues getting progressively more irritated. “Which didn’t make sense to me because I thought you were smarter than that.”

Derek crosses his arms, his own anger rising at her tone. He’s used to her empty sarcasm and insults, but this time it’s fueled by actual emotion which sets him equally on edge. “It’s none of your business who I have plans with, Y/N,” he says shortly.

Y/N laughs humorlessly, “None of my business? It is absolutely my business if the person you have these plans with is a complete stranger!” She exclaims loudly. “We don’t know her Derek. She could be the person behind all these killings and kidnappings and we wouldn’t be any the wiser!”

“Your teacher?” He challenges. “Responsible for everything that’s going on?” He chuckles at the obscurity. “Right. I’m sure that’s it,” he shakes his head at the accusation. “Isn’t the whole point of making plans to get to know someone? So wouldn’t it be nice if I did go out with her?”

“She’s manipulating you,” Y/N insists. “And you’re obviously too blind to even see it.”

“Why do you care so much?” Derek asks, his voice elevating as well.

“Because–” She waves her hands around exasperatedly, trying to find the words. “You’re not exactly known for your taste in women!” She all but scolds. “Remember Kate? The lady that up and killed your entire family. Well, I remember her so forgive me for trying to keep your stupid werewolf ass alive!”

Derek goes to retaliate but that’s when he hears it. Her heart rate speeds up. She’s lying to him. That’s not why she really cares. He can clearly see her anger and smell the annoyance radiating off of her, along with a couple of other things. But there’s a sweet smell accompanying it. One that Derek finds rather endearing. Jealousy. Y/N L/N is jealous. He wouldn’t have picked up on it if she hadn’t just blatantly lied. Suddenly her bursting in and berating him makes sense. He smirks when he notices her clenched fists. It’s about time she’s felt the green-eyed monster that constantly visits him when he sees her with other guys. When she’s laughing boisterously about something Scott said, whenever she comes over to see him but ends up talking to Isaac for hours on end. Especially when he found out she kissed Stiles last year after he was kidnapped by Gerard. It truly has been a miracle that no one ever sensed his jealousy when it came to her.

Derek takes a step forward, closing the distance between them. “Why did you really come here, Y/N?” He asks lowly, trying to get her to admit her feelings. “Tell me what you’re really trying to say…”

Y/N feels her face flush as he gets closer. She doesn’t want him to know the real reason why she raced across town to be here. The walls begin to close in around her, so she lashes out in a last ditch effort to protect herself.

“I’m trying to look out for you! You’re stubborn, Derek,” she chastises. “You don’t listen to anything anyone tells you. You like to pretend you’re always ready and prepared for anything, but you’re not! You are just as emotional and vulnerable as everyone else despite being hurt as many times as you have! You’re reckless when it comes to women, so I’m simply trying to make sure you don’t hurt yourself or the pack by making a stupid mistake.”

His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t back down. In fact, he gets closer to her in attempts to pressure it out of her. “You’re avoiding my question, Y/N,” he says darkly. “What’s really going on?”

Feeling cornered, Y/N tries to take in a couple of deep breaths but it fails miserably. She can’t tell him. Not now. Not when he’s interested in another women who’s already on her way here. He even got dressed up for her. She’s never seen Derek in a white button up polo and slacks. It makes her frown thinking that it’s not for her. She scoffs softly before shaking her head, “Forget it,” she mumbles. The h/c haired girl pushes past him, shoulder checking him on her way to the door. “I shouldn’t have come here. Have fun on your date or whatever you wanna call it.”

She slams the door behind her before stomping down the flight of stairs that leads up to his building. When she walks outside, the sky opens up, almost mimicking her inner turmoil with its own storm. Rain pours down on her, soaking her clothing completely as she gets ready to run home, or in all truth, to Stiles house. All she knows is that she can’t be here anymore.

“Y/N, wait!” Derek calls out.

She doesn’t bother turning around, heading the exact way she came. She should’ve figured that he would’ve caught up to her with ease. He’s never had a problem showing her who’s in charge. He grabs her wrist gently but firmly, not allowing her to leave.

“Stop running away,” he commands. “Just tell me the truth.”

Y/N’s eyes once again begin flashing yellow, differing completely from her regular piercing e/c gaze. “Let go of me, Derek,” she demands with a bit of a growl in her voice.

“Not until you stop being so damn hardheaded!” He yells, trying to make his voice heard over the pounding rain. “Tell me!”

“Why do you even care?!” Y/N screams back. “Why does it matter when you’re already here waiting for another woman?”

Derek’s eyes soften slightly, and he pulls Y/N closer to him by her wrist. Her breath hitches in her throat as her hand practically rests on his muscular chest. His lips are so impossibly close that any coherent thought she had before this moment have been completely erased from her long and short term memory.

“Because I need to hear you say it,” his voice got impossibly low, sending a chill through her body that has nothing to do with the cold water hitting her back.

Y/N’s lips part slightly as his thumb comes up to brush the side of her cheek. Her body is drawn to him. The wolf inside of her is trying to claw its way out and into his arms, but she manages to steady herself. “Fine,” she breathes out, not being able to force herself to look away. “I’m jealous, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? That it made me want to commit first-degree murder last night when I heard her voice in your apartment, knowing that it would’ve been me in there if I had shown up just a tad bit earlier? So yes, Derek, I am jealous. You win.”

Derek’s eyes darken at the breathiness of her voice. He places the hand that was holding her wrist on her waist to keep her pressed securely against his front. Both of their hearts beat in unison, “Why didn’t you just say that when I asked the first time?”

Y/N’s defense starts to crumble beneath her, “Because I didn’t want you to think I was weak for succumbing to something stupid like that,” she admits.

Derek laughs, showing off his pearly white teeth, “I would’ve never thought you were weak.” He reassures when he notices the small frown etched on her face. “You’ve never been weak. A bit obstinate? Sure. But not weak.”

Y/N can feel the sincerity in his voice. She doesn’t protest his strong hold on her hip, but instead keeps her own hands occupied on his now soaked through white shirt. It’s not a bad view from where she’s standing. “I don’t think I can do this,” she whispers.

Derek’s eyebrows furrow, a pang of concern filling his heart. “Do what?”

“Keep pretending that I don’t care about you,” she says softly, her chest heaving up and down from how intense the moment they are sharing is.

Derek’s eyes flash their bright alpha red as a primal instinct clouds his brain. He leans close to her face, his stubble rubbing her cheek in just the right way. “Then don’t,” he says huskily.

Before she can respond, he leans in and kisses her, the rain pouring down around them. The kiss is intense, filled with all the emotions they’ve both been keeping at bay. It’s a collision of desire and frustration, their lips moving against each other with a desperate want. A primal need inside both of them. Y/N wraps her hands around his neck, tugging at the short strands of his black hair. Derek wastes no time placing both of his hands on her waist, squeezing the soft flesh. She giggles slightly from the sensation, making him smile. When they finally pull apart, they’re both breathless.

Y/N steps back, her heart racing, but Derek keeps his arm around her, protectively. “How come you ran away?” He asks quietly.

Y/N huffs, running a hand through her wet hair. She sighs loudly before admitting the truth, “I was scared.”

“Of what?” He questions, not believing the woman in front of him would be scared of anything.

“Of this,” she states obviously, gesturing in between them. “Of how much I feel for you. I’m not really big on emotions like this. I don’t know how to handle it. So I was scared of having to open up my heart when I wasn’t sure if you’d actually take care of it.”

The vulnerability in her answer snaps something in Derek’s mind. She has the same issues as he does. He hasn’t been able to truly give himself to anyone since Paige. He felt so strongly for her and then she was gone in an instant. And when he tried again with someone he didn’t even fully trust, he got burned again. Emotions besides anger have never been his forte. So when he hears Y/N admitting the same thing, it makes him realize that this is something they both can improve on.

He grins, kissing her forehead softly, “You don’t have to be scared. We can figure it all out together, okay? Both of us.”

At that moment, a car pulls up, and Derek pulls Y/N even tighter into his chest. The bright headlights blind them and they both try to shield their eyes in order to identify the owner of the vehicle. Y/N’s body tenses as Jennifer steps out, the woman’s expression shifting from surprise to anger as she sees them.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” she comments coldly. Her eyes zero in on Y/N who has a rather tight grip on Derek’s shirt, “Miss L/N, shouldn’t you be at school serving the detention you earned today for your behavior in my class?”

“I had better things to do,” Y/N bites back. “As you can see,” she says, pointing at Derek’s chiseled form.

A shit-eating grin forms on Derek’s lips at her words. They both swear they see Jennifer’s eye twitch from the insinuation Y/N just made. He doesn’t bother trying to cover up what just happened and keeps his hands firmly on Y/N’s hips.

“Yes, I can see that,” Jennifer narrows her eyes at their proximity.

Derek can feel the situation getting ready to escalate so he keeps Y/N safeguarded within his hold. He nods over to Jennifer’s car, “I think it would be best if you left,” he states unforgivingly making Y/N smile.

Jennifer sends them both a pointed look, “I think so too,” she agrees before spinning on her heel and walking back towards her car. “We’ll see just how well this works out for the two of you. Let’s hope you don’t regret it.”

She closes the drivers side door before speeding off out of the parking lot. Both Derek and Y/N are left standing in the rain, now knowing that things have just become a lot more complicated than they were before. But even in the midst of her subtle threat and imminent danger, the two of them don’t seem worried in the slightest.

Because they’ll handle that together too.

[obriengf]

24 Crayons || Stiles Stilinski x Reader

Summary: A boy met a girl in the midst of innocence, and formed a friendship that would last the ages. Words: 1.1k Warnings: omg just cuteness to the max Notes: written in third person, remaining chapters set in first person!

part one of TWENTY FOUR - a stiles stilinski series (masterlist)

Innocence was the simplicity of a sunny day; the way the light warmed skin and caught reflections in a twinkling gleam. It was the gentle hum of a small Californian town, filled with buzzing townsfolk in suburban settings and singing birds that found sanctuary in the surrounding wilderness. It was the floral scent of garden-lined sidewalks that was encapsulated within a plethora of beautiful flowers. But most of all, on this very particular day, innocence was the budding friendship between two children on their first day of kindergarten. Brown, doe-like eyes, peered upward as lips jutted out in a pout. They belonged to a young boy as nerves overtook his small body, worried about being alone and away from his parents. His hands were small as they gripped onto the pant legs of his father before cementing his little feet to the pavement below. He was refusing to move; head shaking, frown quivering, cheek rubbing against khaki-coloured material. "Stiles, honey..." A tender voice cooed, a woman with dark brown hair and the sweetest of smiles now moving to crouch to his level. She was among the shining light of the sun, ethereal glows highlighting her frame before a hand with a loving touch cupped the young boy's face. "You'll have the best time, I promise. Once you make some friends, you will love it here." "B-but you and dad are my friends!"

The woman's gaze saddened as they flickered up toward her husband, a mutual conversation of silent expressions and empathy. With a tender pat to her shoulder, the woman stood, instead replaced by a man with kind eyes and a gold badge that glimmered in the light. Stiles' focus moved to the word 'Deputy' as his small finger dragged over the engraving on the golden metal, his sobs quietening only in the slightest.

"Do you want to see the special big boy present we got for your first day, bud?" The man spoke with a gentle tone before being met with a sniffle and hesitant head nod from his son. He was careful as he dug through the spiderman backpack in front of him, his facial features contorting with funny expressions to make Stiles laugh. The sound of happiness made the man sigh with contentment as he pulled out a yellow box - colours, one of every rainbow shade, were lined up perfectly and ready for a creative imagination.

"Crayons!" Any prior sense of despair had dissipated as the boy's eyes grew, childlike wonder and jovial sounds now becoming his persona in the way his parents had always known him. The box was grasped with delicate fingers before small arms were thrown behind the father's neck, holding him in a loving embrace.

The man smiled. All surroundings slowly faded as this family of three stood within their bubble of perfection - of love, and purity. Everything was right in the world, and nothing could stand in their way.

Stiles stood off to the side; his senses were on alert, nervousness working through his small frame as he overlooked the large classroom and the many bodies that took up its space. He was too shy to speak to anyone, and he felt as if the room began to close in on him the longer he isolated himself. He dreamed of being back in the arms of his father, to be looking up at his mother's graceful smile that made all the scary moments go away. Everybody seemed to have someone and Stiles had never felt so alone.

It wasn't until he looked across to the far side of the room - past the children playing with their toys, and his new teacher talking to other adults that he didn't know - that he spotted another that seemed as lonely as he did. She had her back turned to him, but he could tell that she was sad by the way her pencil moved slowly over the page in front of her.

Little feet padded with caution as Stiles made his way toward her, the box his father gave him clutched tightly to his chest as a reminder that he was a big boy now and that alone was enough to give him some courage.

He cleared his throat, voice quiet as he peered over her shoulder, "Can I sit with you?"

Her head shot up with surprise to hear another voice, body turning quickly to see a young boy with the biggest brown eyes she'd ever seen. She nodded eagerly, pushing the chair beside her out for him to drop beside her. Stiles felt relief, his smile wide with anticipation as he stuck his hand out - something his father taught him when saying hello to new people. The girl looked at him funny before she smiled too, her hand sliding against his easily.

"Hi, my name is Mieczyslaw!" He spoke quickly, the sound of his name amusing as it came from his young squeaky voice. It didn't make it any easier to understand with the tooth missing from his bottom row, either.

Her head tilted, lashes fluttering as she thought of what he said. The girl hummed, "Mich.. ca.. slor?"

Stiles laughed loudly, his grin growing wider, if even possible. The boy nodded, "Kinda, but it's okay, it's hard to say sometimes."

The girl giggled along with him, her body turning further in her seat until she was facing him front on. "That's a funny name!"

"It's my grampa's name.." He started, shuffling closer to the girl, "But you can call me Stiles! Erry'one calls me that."

"Okay, Stiles. That's a funny name too!" She followed his earlier sentiment as her small hand was thrown toward him, ready for another shake, "I'm Y/n."

He took it gladly, "I like that name, it's pretty. Y/n."

A red hue dusted her cheeks, a mix of excitement and happiness as she found someone to talk to. And he was someone that made her laugh, which she liked most of all.

Stiles wasn't afraid as he put his box of crayons on the table between them, a sense of pride filling him as he saw her eyes widen in amazement. He patted the top, "My dad and mom gave me these."

"Wow! And you got the big box too, with all the good colors!"

Stiles' smile never faltered, and he knew that he liked you straight away. You were going to be a good friend. "Yeah! I haven't opened 'em yet. Did you wanna color with me?!"

That was the beginning of an unbreakable friendship, the first chapter in the lives of you and Stiles Stilinski.

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

I was wondering if there were any fics where after season 1 or 2 Derek becomes a teacher at BHHS, preferably Sterek but if not than that's fine!

Hi anon! Raiven made this list and says "I couldn't find any for specifically after s1/2, so heres some teacher!derek with a side of sterek!"

Bad ideas (ans good results) by MysticRadio_Fivesososnotonfire (38/38 | 47,345 | Explicit | Sterek) Derek Hale is a 24 year old University professor in Beacon Hills and he’s always been a student favourite, well expect for one student. Stiles Stilinski, an snarky, arrogant and lazy 21 year old who must just be taking the classes for fun as he sure as hell ain’t passing them.

Teacher’s Pet by MemoriesArePain (30/30  | 43,496 | Explicit | Sterek) Stiles makes a profile on an app suggested by Scott after a year of not really dating post a break up from a mildly abusive relationship. After all, it's where Scott and Isaac met. What could go wrong? Stiles begins sexting a dominant guy on there, not realizing that it will turn out to be his law professor in a week when classes start. They both remain anonymous at first, and they continue on into the beginning of the school year. Things get complicated when they meet of course.

Derek makes a profile after his messy divorce, needs some fun and nothing complicated. Of course, it wouldn't stay that way. No matter how hard he tries he can't deny the feelings he's developing. He's screwed.

Know That Golden Rule by DerRumtreiber (9/15 | 38,636 | Explicit | Sterek) “So what, I’m just supposed to waltz back into their lives? And they’ll just accept me as their alpha again?”

“Yes!” Stiles practically shouts. “That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do. I mean, ideally, you never would have left in the first place—”

“You told me to leave.”

Stiles ignores him. “ —never would have left in the first place. But you did. And now you’re back, and you’re going to fix what you broke.”

~

Or, the one where Derek leaves for a year and comes back with a teaching degree and a job at Beacon Hills High School.

When History Met Science by JossWritesSometimes (11/11 | 31,339 | Teen | Sterek) Professor Derek Hale has been teaching History for three years, and has painstakingly kept his private life, private. He would not consider himself a lonely man (no matter what his sister says). Until a certain biology professor, Stiles Stilisnki, arrives at the university. From mistaking him for a student, to becoming friends, could Stiles be the person that makes Derek want to give love another chance?

When the Teacher Met the Agent by JossWritesSometimes (7/7 | 16,828 | Not Rated | Sterek) Derek Hale has been a teacher for almost five years in NYC, but this year he is back in Beacon Hills and has taken his first job as a Kindergarten teacher. However, unlike in NYC, he has multiple Supernatural students, which is something he was not expecting. Especially a certain Stiles Stilinski, who smells...weird. Who is this boy who runs with wolves, and why can't he get him out of his head?

Snippets from them meeting to maybe, possibly, falling in love.

This is what I went to school for by TalesoftheEnchantedForest (1/1 | 10,906 | Explicit | Sterek) Stiles is a music teacher who's advice to a struggling Eli leads to meeting the sexiest man on Earth, falling for one of his students' dad (literally), and then dating the Spanish teacher at their school. Who are all the same guy, actually.

Stiles is set on making this relationship as romcom-worthy as possible. They just have to work on their communication first.

The New Teacher by TwistedAmusement13 & everchanginginnks (1/1 | 9,562 | Mature | Sterek) Derek, a world-weary English teacher pushing 40, is roped into a wet night out by his best friends. He finds himself charmed by a flirty college student who introduces himself as Stiles. They share an incredible night, but Stiles leaves before Derek wakes up. Thinking that he'll never see Stiles again, Derek bitterly gets ready for work at Beacon Hills High School. He's in for a bit of shock when he's introduced to the newly hired science teacher...

Trick or Treat, Mr. Hale? By literaryoblivion (1/1 | 5,247 | Explicit | Sterek) The tardy bell sounds, ringing loudly, and Derek stands from his desk.

“Alright, settle down,” he says, raising his voice to make sure his students that are still laughing and talking will hear him. “We’re picking up where we left off yesterday, page 138, the Civil War. Now, who can tell me what battle--”

The classroom door swings open, and all the eyes in the class snap to the movement. Derek tries not to react when he sees who it is, tries to make sure his face is a mix of sternness and disappointment when his infamously tardy troublemaker of a student waltzes in with a smirk.

“Stiles,” he says in a sigh.

the shape of my heart by Winchesterek (1/1 | 4,807 | Mature | Sterek) Stiles never thought he'd meet someone like Derek. Someone that was in a similar situation as he was - raising kids that weren't biologically his. It was even wilder because Derek was his god daughters first grade teacher and she was best friends with Derek's niece and nephew.

And Derek was hot. So hot that Stiles couldn't help ogling him every time they spent any amount of time around each other, including play dates and lunch in the school cafeteria with their kids. So Derek asking him out for Valentine's Day? That was just icing on the cake. Plus, Stiles was already head over heels for him.

[wolfspurr]

Hey! Your writing is amazing!! Do you have any Sterek fic recs?

Thank you so much 💖! I have absolutely loads of recs - way more than I could possibly fit in one post - but here's a little selection of things that I've read or re-read recently for you. It's a mixture of genres, some are classics, others are newer, but I loved them all. In no particular order, here you go:

No Superman by WhoNatural - E, ~48k words

Scrubs AU. I've never seen Scrubs, but if this fic is anything to go by I probably should. This is one of those fics that I'll re-read every time I see it linked somewhere. If you're into medical dramas, this is a great one. A+

A Functioning Adult’s Field Guide to Enemies With Benefits by BisexualGoblin - E, ~31k words

A delicious case of enemies to lovers, with a boatload of misunderstandings and a hefty case of pining idiots. Love it.

The Importance of Turning Around Three Times Before Lying Down by Otter - M, ~31k words

I'm a sucker for fics where Stiles unwittingly ends up looking after a dog that is very much not a dog, but a Derek. This one is excellent.

Lock All The Doors Behind You by Entanglednow - M, ~25k words

There's just something about a fic where Derek is feral and Stiles is the only one he trusts to get near him. I think this is one of the very first Sterek fics I ever read, and it still hits just right.

A (Sort of) Fairytale by Briecheesie - M, ~25k words

Fox Stiles. It's a classic, and it's so good.

Introduction to Zero-Sum Anthropology by Apocryphal - T, ~19k words

Derek Hale deserves nice things. But he cannot simply accept them, so a war of gift-giving must be in order. So so cute.

this dance of days by Imprintofadream - M, ~28k words

We've got Firefighter Derek, we've got Deputy Stiles, we've got wildfires and a delicious bit of slow burn. These are all good things, and they add up to something pretty excellent. 10/10.

I'm Not Asking Questions, I'm Taking My Chances by Keldjinfae - E, ~80k words

Let's get a bit of fantasy going here! Stiles is the prince of a kingdom where supernatural entities are banished, Derek is a werewolf with a mission to complete. It's not a Merlin AU, but if you're into Merlin I'm pretty sure you'll love this (and I am very much into Merlin, so obviously I loved it too). The plot had me hooked, and once I started reading I could not stop. 100% recommend.

DILF by Twentysomething - E, ~30k words

I'm not always the biggest one for kid fic, but this one is excellent. Stiles is a kindergarten teacher, Derek is a single parent to his two nephews. There's slow burn and a wolf sanctuary, and some impromptu howling. And Derek is, indeed, a DILF.

The Lawn Ranger by Snowjob - M, ~47k words

High school AU. It's summer, Stiles is a jock with a broken arm and a crush, Derek is the werewolf who gets roped into mowing his lawn. All. Good. Things.

Where the Real Beasts Are by Kaistrex - E, ~109k words

Do I love Stiles as a prince? Yes. Yes I do. Long and plotty and excellent. There are evil Argents, there are direwolves, there's some wonderful slow burn. All things that we love.

Bogarted by HalfFizzbin - M, ~3k words

Hilarious. Just A+. Derek is hit by a film noir curse, and it's just as perfect as you would imagine.

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll - E, ~77k words

It's a classic, and I can't not rec it. Derek is feral, Stiles is magical, and they're held captive together. Read it. If you've already read it, heck, why not read it again?! I certainly will.

Wild Horses by ThePsychicClam - E, ~79k words

Ranch AU. Derek is a drifter that ends up at the Stilinski's failing ranch. I love this one. It has all the wonderful slow-burn UST goodness that I love, plus horses! 10/10 would recommend.

Can I rec my own fic? It feels kind of self-aggrandising, but I'm proud of it and I'm not above giving myself a little promo. I'll call it a bonus item and just leave it at the bottom here:

Way Down We Go by Wolfspurr - E, ~50k words

I wrote it! If you like stuff set around S3B, post-Nogitsune healing, and slow burn roadtrip fic, I hope you'll give this one a chance 💖

[desperateficrecs]

Teen Wolf: The Best Of

red. and a little more red.

by brawlite | Explicit | 24999 | 2/2

Peter Hale returns to Beacon Hills after some time away. He finds the inescapable bonds of pack, the remnants of family, and a loft that is bigger and better than Derek's. He even finds what is beginning to feel a lot like a midlife crisis. That, he blames on Stiles.

Bone Deep

by ShippersList | Explicit | 28579 | 6/6

Fame is Vapor

by Triangulum | Explicit | 43157 | 5/5

Peter, rich and famous fashion mogul, accidentally spills his beer on Stiles at a baseball game. Stiles has no clue who he is. That makes their first date so much better.

Shameful Company

by kaixo (ballpoint), Whispering_Sumire | Explicit | 38779 | 2/2

[About a year before the fated Hale fire, Peter starts having nightmares that involve a woman with red hair. The nightmares lead to a spell that brings a man back through time, and, eventually, though the time-traveler is traumatized in the most horrific ways, and Peter's never been good with or for people, in general, they develop a bond that neither of them expects.]

Beauty In His Eyes

by Whispering_Sumire | Explicit | 16852 | 3/3

Peter is protective and violent, Stiles is fucked up but surviving, and they elope to canada to see the northern lights

Waiting for Pack

by DiscontentedWinter, hisaribi | Teen | 14927 | 8/8

This isn't the first time Stiles has woken up in a different world.This isn't the first time that Peter has been caught in a place where time doesn't exist. Except this time they have each other.

Love Thy Neighbour

by cywscross | Teen | 22224 | 1/1

In which Stiles is an emancipated minor, and – after Peter Hale comes back from the dead – gains a zombie werewolf for a neighbour.

Ink Blossoms

by Triangulum | Explicit | 24515 | 1/1

"So, you're going to ruin your niece's baby shower with flowers in the wrong color?" the florist, Stiles, asks when they reach the counter. He pulls out a binder and starts flipping through it. "Not ruin. Mildly inconvenience," Peter says.

DILF

by twentysomething | Explicit | 30871 | 1/1

"Today is Scott's first day of kindergarten and Derek is terrified."

This Started As Only Make Believe

by thepsychicclam | Explicit | 44197 | 1/1

Derek is trying (and failing) to juggle his career, coach lacrosse, and raise his 5 year old werewolf daughter. When he adds his bitter ex-wife and his daughter's slight attachment to him, Derek knows he doesn't have any time for a life of his own - and definitely no time for the super cute daycare teacher.

I Know Where Babies Come From, Derek

by DiscontentedWinter | Mature | 51937 | 15/15

Stiles finds a baby on the porch. It looks exactly like him. Well, this is awkward.

Fangs&Fur Series

Somewhere I Belong

by heartsdesire456 | Teen | 30895 | 1/1

When Stiles got an interview for an internship at Fangs & Fur magazine, the publication owned by the well known and widely respected alpha Talia Hale, he never expected it to be offered an actual job by Alpha Hale herself. He also never expected for his life to change so much after he met the man whose department he was assigned to.

Baby Makes Four

by heartsdesire456 | Teen | 26021 | 1/1

When Stiles and Derek decide to adopt another child, they run into an unexpected obstacle that sends them down a painfully difficult path in hopes to adopt a child.

Asking For Trouble – Stiles/Peter/Chris

by ViciousHyperbolizer (B_Frizzy) | Explicit | 15963 | 6/6

So, a man and his husband walk into a bar. The punchline: stiles finding out his hookup from the other night is married. On the plus side, he didn't help anyone cheat, exactly.

Aggressive Support and other works – Sheriff Stilinski/Chris

by Merwin_Me | 19697

When Chris and Noah start dating, Stiles and Allison make it their business to keep anything from interrupting their dates. Peter's just along for the kicks.

Suit 'Verse Series – Stiles/Peter/Chris

So Well Suited

by Bunnywest | Explicit | 111578 | 22/22

Peter and Chris run a menswear store together. Stiles and Scott work at the gaming place across the way. It starts out as shared kitchen access, and soon develops into more.

[sterek-exchange]

When the Teacher Met the Agent for mintonarel

Derek Hale has been a teacher for almost five years in NYC, but this year he is back in Beacon Hills and has taken his first job as a Kindergarten teacher. However, unlike in NYC, he has multiple Supernatural students, which is something he was not expecting. Especially a certain Stiles Stilinski, who smells...weird. Who is this boy who runs with wolves, and why can't he get him out of his head? Snippets from them meeting to maybe, possibly, falling in love.

Summer 2023 @sterek-exchange Event For @mintonarel

[sourmiguel]

kindergarten is like the ocean by @bwtch (wc12711, explicit)

Summary: After getting involved in the case against high-priority criminal Kate Argent, NYPD Officer Derek Hale lost everything he ever loved. Now he has a chance to put her behind bars and he will do anything to achieve his goal... including go undercover as a kindergarten teacher in Beacon Hills, California. Stiles Stilinski lost his way for a long time during his young adulthood, but at least he managed to pick himself up and do the right thing when it mattered. Now he has a little girl that he kind of stole to hide and protect. Can he manage to do that with a new handsome older substitute teacher prying into his personal life? The Kindergarten Cop AU no one asked for.

First thing: I absolutely love Kindergarten Cop. So there's that selling point to me. But really, this fic is great - I love cop!Derek and I love Erica being the partner. I love Stiles having this secret previous life and the precious kids. Very good fic.

[caernys]

car jacking and other crimes

relationship: derek hale x stiles stilinski, romantic pairing (part one— kmart grandmas)

summary: derek’s life is hard, okay? it’s more difficult than it looks. especially when a hot er tech tries to coerce him into stealing his own car.

notes: also posted on my AO3 account, kitkat_katsuki

Look, it’s annoying when people say it, and he knows it’s annoying; but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a little bit of truth to it. Derek’s just going to say it. Good looks are a pain, okay? They’re insufferable. They cause problems at every turn and you can’t go anywhere without middle aged women objectifying you in filthy, filthy ways. (It’s a sad bit of truth that the most action he’s gotten recently was a 53 year old kindergarten teacher calling him a “hot chunk of ass” at the downtown K-Mart.)

His good looks are a special breed of annoying, though, seeming to solely attract complete psychopaths. There was that whole mess with Kate, where she tried to burn his fucking house down, and then Jennifer, and then Jeremy, which was a whole other thing. Laura calls him romantically cursed. He calls Laura stupid, but it’s not like she’s actually wrong.

It’s also horrible for going under the radar in any way whatsoever. He just doesn’t like talking with strangers, okay, and having every single one turn around and point at him when he’s walked past isn’t exactly likable either. And putting on a baseball cap and a mask just makes him look like some jerk-ass C-list actor who had his  Daddy pay for acting school, so.

It’s a lose-lose.

There’s also this weird thing with teenagers asking him out, hoping to live out some weird dating-an-older-guy thing, he guesses? It’s creepy, is what it is, and Derek is not trying to go to prison. He’s too emotionally unpredictable and picky for life behind bars. (He doubts prison guards have an average of 45 minutes a week to listen to their 27 year old son moan about being forever lonely. Truly, his mother has a gift.)

But, anyway, when the skinny looking kid approaches him, he supposes it’s another one of those deranged teenagers. It’s not a difficult assumption, going off of his superhero t-shirt and worn flannel. He also just has that general annoying aura that Derek usually associates with them. Like tragedy is about to strike at any given moment and all the peanut butter cookies are gone.

Then again, that’s kind of the vibe that he gives off, so maybe he can’t judge.

The guy’s moving alarmingly close, though, quickly moving past hey-let-me-go-get-a-better-look to hey-let-me-go-interact and Derek does not like that development. He tries to veer subtly to the left and pulls his leather jacket slightly tighter around himself. The kid is not deterred. Damn.

He whirls around and flails slightly when a hand lands on his shoulder. The nerve.

“Look, I don’t want to go out with you, kid, so一”

“You look like you know how to steal a car一”

“What.”

“What.”

[fuckyeahfanfictions]

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)

Relationship: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Talia Hale, Laura Hale, Cora Hale, Peter Hale, Papa Hale, Original Hale Character(s), Original Stilinski Character(s), Original Child Character(s)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alive Hale Family, Dead Sheriff Stilinski, POV Derek, Teacher Derek, Single Parent Stiles Stilinski, Werebabies, Misunderstandings, Derek is a Softie, Stiles Leaves Beacon Hills, Derek Wears Glasses, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Past Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Domestic, Family Feels

Language: English

Words: 17,939

Chapters: 8/8

Summary:

Derek hates to admit it, but he can always tell which kid is going to be a problem on the first day of school. He’s been teaching kindergarten at St. Bernard’s Elementary for five years now and knows it’s just as much about learning to play nicely with others as learning the alphabet and basic arithmetic. Some children are quiet, shy, or lacking in basic social skills but others…

There’s always one that drives Derek up a wall, and this year, it’s Erica Prudence Reyes II.

[sterek-ao3feed-archive]

Primary State: Frozen

https://archiveofourown.org/works/50092615 by XOLittleRed Stiles is a Preschool Teacher, Derek a NHL player. This is how a piece of pie brings them together.   Trigger Warnings : Past SA for derek (nothing graphic), Minor Lydia/Jackson, Minor Allison/Scott, Minor Erica/Boyd Words: 36260, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, M/M Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Additional Tags: Human Derek Hale, Jock Derek Hale, Hockey Player Derek Hale, Teacher Stiles Stilinski, Kindergarten Teacher Stiles Stilinski, Miscommunication, Past Sexual Abuse, Non-Werewolf Derek Hale, Panic Attacks read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50092615

[kimbersrp]

characters under the cut, organized by fc. if you want to rp with one, or a couple, of them just message me. (adding more as i go)

females; (multiple of the same fc)

dove cameron:

abbey sampson | 24 years old | dancer & singer | human

kimber halliwell | 26 years old | club owner | witch

sydney sweeney:

charlotte brennon | 26 years old | forensic anthropology student | human

sabrina carpenter:

ryelle rothschild | 24 years old | jewelry store manager | human

jenna ortega:

tina gomez | 20 years old | college student | human

madelyn cline:

sammy yearwood | 26 years old | model | human

alycia debnam-carey:

alice westyn | 23 years old | ballet dancer | human or vampire (depending on the plot)

willa parker | 27 years old | bartender | human

cassie stevens | 27 years old | interior designer | human

claire holt:

olivia halliwell | 24 years old | nurse | witch

danielle rose russell:

anastasia hill | 23 years old | stylist | human

hope mikaelson | 23 years old | teacher at salvatore school | tribrid

mary mouser:

haley mason | 26 years old | makeup artist | human

nova munson | 25 years old | college student | human

lili reinhart:

adalynn hale | 22 years old | photographer | human

elisa harker | 22 years old | barista/college student | human or vampire (depending on the plot)

jaz sinclair:

mia ellis | 26 years old | casino dealer | human

josephine langford:

laurel harker | 24 years old | waitress & barista | human

katherine langford:

mina rollins | 25 years old | fashion designer | human

crystal reed:

trinity scott | 30 years old | club owner | human

allison argent | 26 years old | hunter | human

chloe bennet:

lana wang | 26 years old | waitress | human

daisy johnson | 28 years old | agent for s.h.i.e.l.d | inhuman

scout taylor-compton:

starla miller | 29 years old | pediatrician | human

candice accola:

annabelle 'belle' stone | 29 years old | pastry chef | human

harper halliwell | 25 years old | beautician | witch

zendaya coleman:

tatiana major | 24 years old | dancer | human

vanessa morgan:

shayna thompson | 30 years old | singer | human

toni topaz | 31 years old | bar owner | human

phoebe tonkin:

trixie turner | 27 years old | fashion designer | human or vampire (depending on the plot)

hayley marshall | 32 years old | bottle service girl | hybrid

mikey madison:

gabriella addams | 24 years old | dancer | human

grace van dien:

marilyn paige | 27 years old | kindergarten teacher | human

joey king:

davina evans | 24 years old | tattoo artist/waitress | human

elle blackwood | 24 years old | photographer | human/faerie (depending on the plot)

---

males; (multiple of the same fc)

miles heizer:

tommy halliwell | 20 to 24 years old (depending on the plot) | photographer | witch

max timmons | 29 years old | cook | human

kyle gallner:

kieran halliwell | 27 years old | bartender | witch

quentin pierce | 28 years old | security guard | werewolf or human (depending on the plot)

jeremy allen white:

elliot stryker | 26 years old | mechanic | human

lip gallagher | 24 years old | architect | human

grant gustin:

barry allen | 29 years old | csi at ccpd & superhero | meta-human

campbell mills | 28 years old | artist | human

tom holland:

stevie langdon | 24 years old | writer | human

peter parker | 22 years old | college student & hero | superhuman

dylan o'brien:

stiles stilinski | 25 years old | fbi agent | human

daniel sharman:

killian samson | 27 years old | restaurant owner | human

dylan minnette:

wes jensen | 26 years old | veterinary assistant | human

joe keery:

steve harrington | 25 years old | sales associate at hot topic | human

kip ackerman | 27 years old | novelist | human

josh hutcherson:

ethan redfield | 27 years old | security guard | werewolf

christian bardot | 28 years old | waiter | human

tanner buchanan:

oliver halliwell | 23 years old | martial arts instructor | witch

xolo maridueña:

remy martinez | 22 years old | cook | human

[thewineabout]

Twenty to One (These odds look sticky).

Rating: T

Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)

Relationship: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski Summary:

After being wrongfully fired from his job in the city, Middle School teacher Peter Hale returns to his hometown.

He's got an ugly house, a meddling family, and the unique misfortune of being thrown in to teach a Kindergarten class only two months into the term - and organize a performance for the upcoming Winter Concert. He has no idea what to do with a room full of babies but while he figures out what will make the judgmental old crank across the hall the most annoyed - he at least can distract himself with wooing one of the locals.

Will he choose to stay and make Beacon Hills his home or will the pressures of family and his new job send him back to the city? Additional tags: Teacher Peter Hale, Single Parent Stiles Stilinski, Mistaken IdentitySort of? - Freeform, Implied Sexual Content, Peter being a competitive bastard with the teacher next door, Kid Fic, Kindergarten, Cora Hale is a Little Shit, Alternate Universe - Human, Peter doesn't like small children as a concept but individually maybe they're... fine, Thanksgiving Dinner, Winter School Concert, Hallmark style Christmas movie shenanigans, Some swear words, Alcohol

Written for @tarantula-teeth as part of the @stetersecretsanta2022

This was a fun year for secret santa. Thanks again Shey for hosting!!

[ao3feed-peterstiles]

Twenty to One (These odds look sticky).

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/43769925

by Wineabout

After being wrongfully fired from his job in the city, Middle School teacher Peter Hale returns to his hometown.

He's got an ugly house, a meddling family, and the unique misfortune of being thrown in to teach a Kindergarten class only two months into the term - and organize a performance for the upcoming Winter Concert. He has no idea what to do with a room full of babies but while he figures out what will make the judgmental old crank across the hall the most annoyed - he at least can distract himself with wooing one of the locals.

Will he choose to stay and make Beacon Hills his home or will the pressures of family and his new job send him back to the city?

Words: 16816, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Peter Hale, Derek Hale, Cora Hale, The Hale Pack, Original Hale Character(s), Original Stilinski Character(s), Uncle Scott McCall

Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Additional Tags: Teacher Peter Hale, Single Parent Stiles Stilinski, Mistaken Identity, Sort of? - Freeform, Implied Sexual Content, Peter being a competitive bastard with the teacher next door, Kid Fic, Kindergarten, Cora Hale is a Little Shit, Alternate Universe - Human, Peter doesn't like small children as a concept but individually maybe they're... fine, Thanksgiving Dinner, Winter School Concert, Hallmark style Christmas movie shenanigans, Some swear words, Alcohol, Steter Secret Santa 2022

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/43769925

[ao3-sterek]

B is for Bigot

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/ARxgUD6

by SassyStarboard

“You lying, incompetent pushover.” Jennifer sneered. “What happened to you, Chris? You used to have a spine, for crying out loud! You were hired for this position to protect our children from these types of attacks, yet in the first month of school my daughter experiences a hate crime?”

“Jennifer, you’ve never seen a hate crime in your life.” Stiles scoffed. “You know just as well as I do that the only assault happening here is the attack your blindingly purple pantsuit is sieging against my retinas.”

***

Stiles and Derek’s daughter makes a new friend by almost punching someone in the face and “Jennifer” is spelled K-A-R-E-N. Featuring Teacher!Stiles, Principal!Chris, and adorable children being assholes.

Words: 5684, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale, Jennifer Blake, Chris Argent, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Original Child Character(s)

Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes

Additional Tags: Parent Stiles Stilinski, Parent Derek Hale, Established Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Married Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Established Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd & Derek Hale Friendship, Erica Reyes & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Alpha Derek Hale, Human Jennifer Blake, Past Jennifer Blake/Derek Hale, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Parent Erica Reyes, Parent Vernon Boyd, Family Feels, Children, Bigotry & Prejudice, Good Chris Argent, Teacher Stiles Stilinski, Kindergarten Teacher Stiles Stilinski, Lawyer Derek Hale

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/ARxgUD6

[usermischief]

♙Pairing: Stackson ♙Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Jackson Whittemore, Lydia Martin, Danny Mahealani, Brett Talbot, ♙Warnings: [I tried] None ♙Words: 5139 ♙ Stiles Rarepair Week Day 5: future/post-canon exploration

----------

for @voidstilesplease, I really hope you like it. I tried, I really did 😂

----------

“So,” Lydia’s dark red lips curl into a dangerous smile, “how was your date?”

Stiles slumps onto the chair next to her, gesturing for a drink. “She was… nice.”

Lydia grimaces. “That bad?”

“It wasn’t that bad.” Not at all. The girl is gorgeous and smart and such a sweetheart. They talked the whole night, Stiles yet again lied about his job while she swooned about being a kindergarten teacher. They even had the same humor and adoration for Star Wars. It should have been perfect. They should’ve been perfect. And yet, halfway through the date, Stiles found himself to be utterly bored. As nice as she is, that’s the problem.

“Sweetheart, if you describe a girl as ‘nice’ after a date, it was exactly that bad.”

Groaning, Stiles puts his head on his arms. “I’m doomed to die alone.”

Lydia pats his shoulder comfortingly. “No, no. You just need to be less picky.” Less picky. Stiles isn’t picky at all. “Or you gotta look somewhere you never thought you’d find someone.”

Squinting, Stiles lifts his head again and studies her expression. She looks so perfectly innocent behind her Martini glass, Stiles knows for a fact that there’s evil brewing behind that pretty face of hers. “What?”

“Nothing.” Lydia raises her free hand defensively. “I’m just saying that maybe dating apps aren’t your thing. Maybe you should look at those around you.” She raises one of her perfectly plucked brows. It doesn’t matter how innocent she pretends to be, she’s planning some shit. If she’s in a mood like that, Lydia cannot be trusted.

Stiles straightens again, thanking the barkeeper for his drink. Befriending Ryan was one of the best choices they could’ve made because the guy makes the best cocktails, and for some reason, he always seems to know exactly how strong his drink needs to be. Today’s cocktail concoction has enough vodka to make his Polish genes more than a little happy. He sighs and turns to Lydia. “I’m not dating anybody from my team.”

Lydia rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t talking about your team. There are more people in your life than your team.”

“Well…” Stiles drums his fingers onto the bar, tipping his glass this way and that, “sure, there are a lot of people working at HQ.” But from another team. It’s hard enough that Stiles is working all over the country more often than not. If his partner were to work at the FBI as well, their relationship would be a tragedy before it even begins. “And there are the various people making sure I don’t starve to death or am under-caffeinated.” None of them really sticks out if he’s perfectly honest. “And then there’s you and Ryan, which…” he trails off, waving his hand around a little. Lydia and he dated for a month until admitting to each other that it feels like dating their sibling.

Lydia studies him over the edge of her glass. “Nobody else? What about deputies? Or lawyers?”

“Not since Jackson specialized in supernatural cases.”

“Jackson?” Lydia almost sounds as if that’s some kind of surprise to her… which it is not. She’s friends with Jackson and Danny. Stiles knows for a fact that they’re seeing each other on a regular basis. For her to act surprised makes zero sense.

“Speaking of Jackson,” Stiles says, running his fingers along his glass, “I have the questionable honor to spend tomorrow evening with him. Any tips?”

Lydia’s eyes widen. So does her smile. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing spectacular, it’s just a work date. We gotta go over some files.”

“What top do you want then?”

Stiles shrugs. “On how to keep him tolerable for a few hours.”

Lydia chuckles. “He’s not that bad, you know?”

Oh, Stiles knows. Jackson is not like he used to be; well, mostly. He’s still a spoiled piece of shit, but he’s not acting like a dick every second of every day. Stiles does not want to smack him either. However, it’s the first time he’s completely alone with Jackson. Stiles suggested his office, but Jackson insisted they meet at his penthouse. As if Stiles needs a reminder that Jackson is getting richer every single day. Stiles is still living in the same flat he’s lived in during his studies. It’s not that he couldn’t afford something better, but he’s almost never home anyway.

“I don’t wanna talk about work any longer.”

“Jackson does not have to be ‘just work’,” Lydia says, quirking a brow. “He can be fun too.”

Stiles furrows his brow. “You mean a friend.” He’s just making sure because her definition of fun usually involves no clothes and lots of moaning. So, Stiles isn’t entirely sure what Lydia is insinuating. “Right?”

“Yes.” Lydia looks at him, smiling a little too innocently. “What did I say?”

“How many Martinis did you have?”

She grins and sips on her drink. Oh, this is going to be a long night.

—————

"That's not enough proof."

"How is this not enough proof?" Stiles slams his right hand on the file, narrowing his eyes. "Dude had fourteen bodies in his basement's built-in freezer." He taps on the papers aggressively, as if that's going to change anything. "Fourteen, Jackson. Two of those bodies are those of missing girls." What more do they need to get this wendigo behind bars? No judge or jury would consider this guy innocent… unless his defense attorney is better than Jackson and the evidence they do have. That shouldn’t be possible. He was a fantastic defense attorney and a fucking pain in Stiles’ ass on more than one occasion.

Jackson crosses his arms, sinking deeper in his designer armchair. "And five of those bodies come from the morgue. Including papers."

"That's five against nine unaccounted bodies." Stiles crosses his arms over his thighs.

"I know that," Jackson says, now leaning forward to do the same. "But the defense is going to argue that everything he did was legal." He quirks a brow and reaches for his bottle of beer.

Stiles has the urge to bang his head against the wall. Instead, he props his chin on his hand and studies Jackson. To be perfectly honest, Stiles is glad that Jackson is finally on his team. Hopefully, he’s going to do an even better job now that he’s a state attorney. After all, they’re sitting on a powder keg. It’s only going to be a matter of time until the supernatural will be known everywhere, and when that happens, they need to prove to the humans that they don’t have to be afraid, that everything is under control and the supernaturals are treated just as strictly as any human would. Jackson as an attorney can make this happen even if working with him is going to drive Stiles up the wall.

“We haven’t found anything for the other bodies.”

“That doesn’t mean the evidence doesn’t exist.”

Stiles licks his lips. “You think he met the girls online.” It’s not impossible. Stiles knows about message boards from cannibals for cannibals. If someone offers themselves up to be eaten, Stiles doubts they’ll be bothered if it’s a wendigo instead of a human. “If that’s the case—”

“You think he’s guilty?” Jackson sets the bottle down and leans closer.

“What does that matter?”

“Do you think he’s guilty?”

“Yes.” Stiles pushes the files away from him and slumps back on the couch. “Yes, he’s fucking guilty, okay? But that doesn’t make evidence magically appear.”

Jackson chuckles even though there’s absolutely nothing funny happening right now. “Good.”

“Good?” Scoffing, Stiles reaches for his own beer and takes a swig. He’d rather drink his beer before he says something stupid. The last fucking thing he needs is getting into an argument with Jackson. After all, they’re on the same team now. They need to get along. Arguing is only going to make things so much more complicated.

“Yes, good.” Jackson taps a finger against the bottle in his hand. “Because that means the guy is guilty.”

Stiles snaps his gaze back to Jackson. “What?” What? Did he hear that right? Sure, they’ve been getting along better than they did in high school — even though they haven’t really been enemies back then either — but this kind of niceness, this trust is new. Jackson doesn’t hand it out, and he especially doesn’t hand it to him. It’s a big jump from being something like colleagues to basically saying ‘I trust that your instinct is right even though we don’t have any evidence’.

“If you think this guy belongs behind bars, that’s where he’ll end up.” Jackson shrugs and leans back again.

If Stiles hadn’t known him before, judging by the way he sits in his expensive leather armchair, he would’ve pegged him as a supervillain straight out of a James Bond movie. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Stiles runs a hand through his hair then drinks the rest of his beer in one go. “But what if we don’t find anything?”

“Then that’s the evidence we need.” Jackson crosses his legs. “If we can prove he did not exchange any previous messages with the victims or received any other form of written consent, he broke the law. Simple as that.” Simple as that coming from the guy who’s only having to ask questions and present the evidence, Stiles and his team have to gather within twenty-four hours unless Jackson manages to convince the judge to decide that there is probable cause for the charge. But that should be the least of their problems. Locking him up for the rest of his pathetic life, that’s the problem.

Sighing, Stiles puts the empty bottle back on the table and hides his face in his hands. Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day. He’s so glad Stiles managed to convince his boss and Danny to join his team. There is nobody else who could get through a workload like that as effectively as Danny Mahealani. Stiles would throw himself out of the window of Jackson’s penthouse. He still might, especially if this job is not going the way he wants it to.

This is more than a little tiring. Catching the guy has already been an exhausting mess, but making sure he stays locked up? That’s a whole other story.

“Come on, Stilinski.” God, Jackson hasn’t called him that since their early High School years. Is that how much time has passed? They’re adults. They’re fucking adults, and they’re both in charge of the safety of humanity by making sure the nutjobs in the supernatural world will be trialed and locked up. “You caught the guy. If you cannot lock him up, nobody else can.”

Stiles rubs his cheeks then lowers his hands and squints at Jackson. “How come you’ve been so abnormally nice to me all of the sudden?”

Jackson quirks a brow, studying him over the rim of the bottle of beer. “What do you mean?”

Did the guy not hear himself talk? All these little compliments, his reassuring Stiles. That’s not Jackson. “You just seem nicer than usual is all.”

With a chuckle, Jackson empties his beer. “I can come up with a couple of insults really quick.” He puts the bottle on the table and folds his arms over his thighs. The shirt tightens around his shoulders and upper arms. He works out. Those biceps are definitely new. Stiles would’ve noticed them before. Right? Right. “Or punch you in the face if you want.”

“Okay, that’s a little excessive, don’t you think?” Stiles presses his lips together, trying his best not to smile. “You never punched me.”

“No,” Jackson agrees, nodding slowly, “but you punched me. Hard.”

“To be fair, you called my dad useless, and Scott expected me to throw my dad to the wolves. Literally.” Stiles bounces his left leg and sighs, running a hand over the nape of his neck. “Still, sorry about that. I should’ve handled that better.” He really should’ve. His anger issues have followed him around for a lot longer than he’d like to admit, but his teenage years really were the worst. “And if it makes you feel better, you’re not the only supernatural creature I’ve punched in the face.” He wriggles his fingers then lowers his hands.

Jackson shrugs. “I did deserve it.”

“Not really.” Shaking his head, Stiles gets to his feet. Nobody deserves to be punched that night. They were all stressed to the max, being hunted by Peter. “Anyway, I should get going.” Jackson being nice and talking about the past makes him feel nostalgic, and he really doesn’t need that right now. He needs a clear head.

“You don’t have to go.”

Stiles hugs the file to his chest, feeling strangely lost as he looks down at Jackson. Part of him doesn’t want to leave. At all. “Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day.” He brushes his finger along the side of the file, swallowing heavily. “I’ll call you the second we’ll find something.”

Jackson nods slowly, following him to the elevator. “I’ll keep you updated on the judge.”

“Great.”

“Good.”

They stand there for a moment, and Stiles feels even more lost now. So much more than only a second ago. Maybe he should stay? Just for an hour. Not too long. It’s still early after all. No. No. Stiles hits the button for the elevator. “See you soon.” Why did that come out like a question? “Oh, and thanks for the beer.” The elevator doors slide open with a quiet ding.

“Hey,” Jackson says when the elevator doors slide open, “I can swing by the office… tomorrow? Judge McLoughlin should make his decision before lunch.”

Stiles nods, feeling strangely — what? — hopeful? “That sounds nice.“ He presses the button for the ground floor, suddenly wanting tomorrow to come sooner.

“Great. I should be there around twelve.” Jackson smiles.

Fuck, Stiles really forgot how handsome he is. “It’s a date.” The elevator doors slide shut. It’s a date. Groaning, Stiles smacks the folder against his forehead. What the hell?

———

"Someone didn’t get laid last night, huh?" Brett crosses his ankles on Isaac's empty chair. "I tol—"

"You are about one stupid comment away from ending up in the obituaries, so proceed with caution." Stiles quirks a brow. “Now, get your shoes off that chair and make yourself useful.” Being in a leading position is nothing Stiles enjoys a lot. It’s especially weird to be the leader of a team that consists of his high school buddies — and then there’s Brett. Usually, working with the guy is easy, but Stiles really isn’t up for his humor today.

Brett huffs out a breath. “I’m better in the field.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Then why didn’t you send me with Isaac?”

“Because we need to gain the girls’ trust, not their phone numbers.” As amazing as Brett has been at his jobs for the last three years, Stiles is not about to send him to a few cute college girls in order to get information. He may be a fool, but he’s certainly not a fucking idiot. Besides, they both know that Kira and Isaac are the best people to convince others that they can be trusted.

Danny isn’t even trying to hide his amusement. They’re all getting along wonderfully, but schadenfreude is still written in capital letters here. Mostly because they’re all assholes. Well, everyone aside from Kira. Stiles has no clue how she’s handling all of them, day in and day out. The poor girl really doesn’t have it easy.

Stiles runs his fingers through his hair. “Any news, Danny?”

“Not since the last time you asked me—” Danny leans back to check the clock on the wall “— seven minutes ago.”

Stiles huffs out a breath and folds his arms over his chest. They’ve been at it for two hours, and so far they haven’t found anything. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But having something in his hand is better than trying to prove nothing is exactly the evidence they need. There’s gotta be something. A picture. A text message. Stiles would sell his soul for something to prove that this fucker belongs behind bars. Maybe he’s missed something in the files. Maybe the evidence has been sitting right in front of them all along.

Biting his bottom lip, Stiles glances back at the clock. Jackson should be here any second. Hopefully, he’s coming with good news. At this point, Stiles cannot handle any more negative news, or he is going to lose his fucking shit. "Yo, Stiles?"

Stiles looks up from the file, massaging his temples. "Yeah?"

"What car's our guy driving?" Brett leans back in his chair, looking at Stiles with raised brows.

That's a good question. Drawing his eyebrows together, he flicks through the file and scans the personal information. "A light-blue 2012 Honda Accord." He gets to his feet, anticipation making it impossible to sit down. "Please, please, tell me you got something."

“Oh, Babe, you're gonna love this,” Brett smirks way too confidently.

Stiles flicks the side of his head. They talked about his lack of professionalism multiple times in the very beginning, but nobody else seems really bothered by Brett’s love for pet names, and as long as he only does it while they’re alone, it’s hard to argue against. Still, Stiles wouldn’t mind a better pet name than ‘Baby’. It doesn’t exactly show a lot of creativity. Well, it’s still better than Sugarplum. Poor Isaac.

“So,” Stiles says, propping his hands on the edge of Brett’s desk, “what do you got for me?”

“I noticed it in the last story before she disappeared.” Brett pulls up a short little video and points at the right corner of the screen. “Look here.” He hits play, finger still pressed against the corner of the screen.

And Stiles saw it. Just for a second. A light blue 2012 Honda Accord. The license plate is impossible to decipher like this, and there is no way to see who is sitting in the car. Still, it is the car they are looking for, and it happened only a day before she disappeared. Also, Brett probably would not have called him over if this was the only instance of spotting this car. In fact, Brett showed him two more stories and three pictures spread out over the last three weeks. Chances are that’s the same car with the same fucking driver. Chances are this is their guy.

Grinning, Stiles ruffles Brett’s hair. “I could kiss you right now.”

“Not at the office.”

Stiles rolls his eyes. “Send them to Danny.” He pushes away from the desk. “Danny, I need you on this ASAP. Try to get a clear image of the car. We need to know if that’s him.” Because if that is him, they got him. There’s no way out of this one. “Brett, text Isaac. Maybe her friends noticed something about the car. I’ll try to get a hang of Jackson, maybe—”

“Jackson just texted me.” Danny leans back in his chair, frowning at his phone. “Something came up… and he wants me to tell you that the judge is on our side. Dude’s gonna stay locked up for the time being.”

Stiles should be thrilled about the news. That’s what he wanted, isn’t it? He wanted the wendigo to stay behind bars until they found proof. Now, they found proof, and he will not be released. Ever. Period. But… but. He’s not as excited as he thought he’d be. Stiles would’ve preferred if Jackson told him directly. They were supposed to go to lunch too. “That’s great news.”

Brett snorts. “You couldn’t have said that with a bit more enthusiasm?”

For the peace of his own mind, Stiles decides to ignore him. However, looking at Danny doesn’t make this thing any easier because the look Danny is giving him is making his skin crawl. It’s not fun. “I’m starving,” he says, turning away from Danny and his searching look, and grabs his jacket. “I’ll be back in ten.” Without waiting for an answer, Stiles rushes out of the room.

—————

“You look like you’re ready to consider if the hangover is worth it.”

Stiles draws his eyebrows together and looks up at the man sitting down next to him. Oh no, he’s really not up for small talk right now. He still tries to be polite, knowing all too well how easily pissed-off intoxicated people can be. “You know how it is.” He certainly does not, but Stiles isn’t about to elaborate. Sighing, he checks his phone again.

Isaac and Brett insisted they needed to celebrate their success. Which, okay, it’s something they’re always doing, but today is one of the days he’s rather have stayed home and watched a stupid Netflix show to drown out whatever the fuck is going on with him. He wishes he could say that it has absolutely nothing to do with Jackson basically ghosting him. The guy has really left him on read for two days now. Stiles even invited him for tonight, remembering Lydia’s words, but nothing. No text, no call. Zero. Zilch. Stiles is almost a hundred percent sure he did something to piss Jackson off. Not just because he’s completely ignoring him. Danny has been giving him weird looks as well ever since Jackson didn’t show up for lunch.

Oh god.

Is it because of the date comment? It can’t be because of the date comment. Please, let it not be because of that stupid fucking date comment. Jackson should know by now that his mouth doesn't always work properly. He didn’t mean date date. Did Jackson really think it’s a date, and that’s why he didn’t come?

Stiles swallows and drops his phone. Fuck. It’s not like they were flirting or anything. Sure, their meetings became progressively easier, but they were never too friendly, right? Right? Scrunching up his face, Stiles downs the contents of his whiskey.

The guy next to him chuckles. “I don’t think I know how that feels.”

“I really don’t need a running commentary on my life, Buddy.”

“I wasn’t trying to intrude.”

Stiles raises a brow and finally turns to look at the guy next to him. He’s quite handsome, probably in his mid-to-late-thirties. His suit costs undoubtedly more than Stiles makes in six months. It’s also not his unless he’s got a terrible tailor. The shoulders are just a little too loose. The suit jacket doesn’t fit properly around his waist either. The perfectly trimmed three o’clock shadow doesn’t help his case. Neither does wearing a suit like that in a bar that’s filled with people in comfortable clothes. The dude either used to be rich, or he’s got some serious self-esteem issues he thinks he can cover up with his best friend’s suit.

“Okay.” The guy grabs Stiles’ glass and shakes it at the barkeeper. “Let me buy you a drink.”

“I really don’t—”

“I insist. As an apology.”

Stiles rolls his eyes. “Listen, I’m waiting for someone.” Actually, he’s waiting for four someones, but clearly, his team isn’t in the mood for being on time today. Then again, Stiles arrived very early as well. Because he was sitting in his flat, staring at his phone and the last message that went unanswered.

“They’re not here yet, aren’t they?”

Ryan places a drink on him, and, judging by the look on his face, it’s none alcoholic. “You good, Mate?”

Even though Ryan is staring at the guy, Stiles is highly aware that he’s talking to him. “I’m good, thanks.” It’s not the first douche he’s had to deal with, and it probably won’t be the last; especially in his line of work. “Thanks though.” Smiling, Stiles grabs the drink and gets to his feet. His team should arrive shortly, hopefully, and he’d prefer to have already saved them a booth by then. He turns around, not paying the guy any more attention.

Who clearly is not done with him. “Hey,” he says, loud enough that the people closest to them turn around. “I got you that drink.”

Ryan chuckles and props himself onto his elbows. “It’s on the house.”

The guy shoots him a glare then turns back to Stiles. His neck flushes. Oh, someone’s not handling being turned down very well. And mocked. And stared at. This has to be his worst nightmare.

Stiles loves it. He probably shouldn’t, but he does. So much. Trying his best to keep his expression under control, Stiles turns and faces him again. “You wanna say something to me?” He quirks a brow then leans a little closer, lowering his voice. “Like, I don’t know, that I owe you because you took time out of your evening to talk to me? Or because you tried to buy me a drink I didn’t want?”

He’s gnashing his teeth now, shoulders going rigid.

“Come on,” Stiles urges, fingers itching for a fight for the first in a very long time, “be that guy. You know you want to.”

“Or just move along.”

Stiles steps aside, whipping his head around. Jackson is standing next to him, arms folded tightly over his chest. His white button-down and black jeans make him look extra attractive, and Stiles cannot believe that thought just crossed his mind. He’s been thinking a lot about Jackson… which isn’t much better now that he thinks about that.

The guy narrows his eyes. “And why would I?”

“Because I just asked you politely, and I only do that once.” Jackson’s expression remains firmly neutral, probably because he’s more than used to people doing whatever he wants.

Much to Stiles’ relief and dismay, the dickhead actually does move away. It’s good. It really is because Stiles probably would’ve provoked him until he stepped out of line. Still. “You know, I could’ve handled that myself.”

Jackson rolls his eyes. “Yeah, you did a stellar job.”

Like he needs anyone to judge his methods. Stiles huffs out a breath and walks over to one of the empty tables in the corner. “What are you even doing here?”

“You invited me, remember?” Jackson slips into the booth, motioning Stiles to sit down next to him. Which, seriously? First, the guy ghosts him and now he’s expecting Stiles to pretend like nothing happened and sit down next to him?

Narrowing his eyes, Stiles collapses onto the bench, bumping his leg against Jackson. He crosses his arms. Fine, maybe he sits down next to him, but he’s not gonna be happy about it. “I didn’t expect you’d show up after not replying to any of the texts I’ve sent you in the past 48 hours.”

Jackson nudges a napkin with his index finger. “It was a misunderstanding.”

Stiles stares at him. “We didn’t talk?!”

Jackson shoots him a look then returns his attention to poking the napkin. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Oh no. No way, Sir.” Stiles is so not going to let him get away with this. Seriously. “First, we agreed on meeting during lunch, then you tell Danny that you’re not coming, who then proceeded to look at me as if I insulted his grandmother, and you fucking leave me on read for two fucking days.” He turns around, swatting Jackson’s upper arm. “I think you owe me a fucking explanation.”

“I think you can chill with the expletives.”

“I don’t think I fucking will.” Stiles narrows his eyes. “It’s not fucking fun to have Danny glare at you from across the room every two seconds.”

Jackson lets out a breath and finally looks at him. “You really don’t know.” It’s not a question, and for some reason, Jackson seems to be amused about his own realization. “Can’t believe Lydia’s right.”

“Right about what?” What the hell is he talking about now? Is he trying to confuse him on purpose?

With yet another sigh, Jackson leans back, studying Stiles’ face for a few seconds. He’s still smiling a little. “That you wouldn’t notice that I like you until I spell it out for you.”

“I wouldn’t have agreed to meet you alone if I thought you’d hate me.”

“No, Stiles…” Jackson trails off. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath. “I’m talking about the ‘I booked a table at your favorite restaurant and ordered a bouquet of flowers for our lunch date’ kind of like.”

Stiles opens his mouth then closes it again, squinting a little. “Wha— oh.” Oh god. Jackson thought it was a date date. He wanted it to be an actual date? Jackson Whittemore… the Jackson Whittemore booked a table and bought him a bouquet of flowers because he thought Stiles meant a date date. He can’t believe it. That’s gotta be a joke. “Wait… you like me?”

Jackson nods very slowly.

“For my personality?”

“Nobody was as surprised as me.”

“Rude.” Stiles boxes Jackson’s upper arm very lightly, unable to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Wait… then why did you cancel everything?” That doesn’t make any sense. If Jackson thought Stiles was talking about a date date, and he wanted it to be a date date… then why drop everything and run? It doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Jackson shifts on the bench, left leg now pressing against Stiles’. “I heard Talbot call you babe.”

“He has pet names for all of us.”

“Danny told me as much.” Jackson nods and runs a hand over the nape of his neck. “Then Lydia reminded me that you’re stupid and that I need to get my head out of my ass if I wanted to go on a date with you, so… here I am.”

Stiles bounces his leg, feeling stupidly giddy all of the sudden — giddy enough that he decides to ignore Lydia’s comment. “You… still wanna go on a date with me?”

“I would like that, yeah.”

His heart did not just flutter. Nope. Never. Stiles clears his throat and grins. Oh god, this… he didn’t expect this at all. “I don’t have an expensive suit, so…”

Jackson puts a hand on his thigh, and Stiles’ pulse goes sky-high within the flicker of a second. “We could rent a movie. Order in.”

Stiles likes that idea so much more than going out. He places his hand on Jackson’s, running his thumb over the side of his index finger. “And no flowers, I can’t even keep a cactus alive.”

Unexpectedly, Jackson lifts their hands and kisses the back of Stiles’, just above his wrist. Fuck. He’s never going to admit what this small little gesture is doing to him. “That works for me.”

He’s going on a date with Jackson.

He’s going on a date with Jackson.

Stiles beams. “Wonderful.”