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ice-mage · 2 years ago

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With the Teen Wolf movie coming out in two weeks, I decided to make a tier list of the characters from the show using this list here. Below the jump, I have added my rationale for all 65 characters I ranked. Feel free to reblog with your own tier list; I would love to see them.

Season 1 Main Cast

Scott McCall – B – This was the ranking that took me the longest to decide on. Scott carries a lot of baggage in fandom. And some Scott stans are rabidly anti-Sterek and anti-Stiles, which in response makes you remember all of Scott’s negative actions and attributes. But, for purposes to this list, I tried my best to not let the fandom baggage influence my ranking.

If I were going by what Teen Wolf tries to tell us Scott is, I would’ve given him an A. He’s optimistic, idealistic, caring, and attempts to protect his friends and family. There are a great many fics that highlight Scott’s best qualities. And some of Scott’s less than stellar moments are understandable given that he is a teenager after all.

But, when it comes to Scott, Teen Wolf does a lot of telling and not enough showing. Scott was only a werewolf for nine months when he became a true alpha, and even fewer months when alpha pack came to Beacon Hills in part because Scott had the “potential” to become a true alpha. Deaton even said that he thought Scott could become a true alpha when he learned that Scott had been bit. All the while, even though he enjoys the perks of being a werewolf, he hates it so much that he can’t fathom why others would chose to get the bite. So, Scott’s true alpha status doesn’t feel earned. Plus, Scott’s morality is a bit black and white, which gets boring pretty quickly.

Ultimately though, and this may in part be due to Posey’s mediocre acting, while I don’t dislike Scott per se, I don’t have a particular desire to see more of him on screen, which earns Scott a B.

Stiles Stilinski – GOAT – Is there any question that Stiles if the GOAT of Teen Wolf? From his first scene, you can’t help but like this precious little bean, this little ball of sarcasm and enthusiasm. Stiles is not only part of many of the funniest moments in the show, but also many of the most heartfelt moments. He would do anything for you if he considers you his. Stiles being the emotional heart of the show is an entire plot point of season 6A, and the show suffered when he wasn’t there.

Allison Argent – B – Allison is super sweet, and I want to like her more. But I can’t look past the way she sadistically shot Boyd and Erica with arrows for no reason.

Derek Hale – S – This man can communicate more with his facial expression than many people can with words. He speaks multiple languages, and is smart. Derek has the most tragic backstory. As a teen, he had to kill his girlfriend out of mercy, and then had nearly his entire family slaughtered by the older woman that seduced him. When he returns to Beacon Hills, it’s because his sister was killed. And yet, he tries to help newly-bitten Scott gain control over his wolf. Derek could have been a villain, but he chose not to be.

Derek wasn’t a good alpha in season 2, but you see in season 3 that under different circumstances he could have been. He teaches Isaac control on his second full moon. He’s willing to risk his life for Boyd and Erica, and although he doesn’t go about it the best way, he pushes Isaac away in an attempt to protect him. He cares about his betas. He gives up his alpha power to save Cora’s life. And he eventually gains the full shift. You want to root for Derek Hale.

Lydia Martin – S – Lydia Martin is Queen. She is brilliant, beautiful, and demonstrates some of the best character growth on the show.

Jackson Whittemore – A – Jackson is an asshole, but he’s a lovable asshole.

Teens

Danny Mahealani – A – Everyone likes Danny. QED.

Isaac Lahey – A – Isaac is just a precious baby. His face when he takes the pain from the dog. The scene when he tries to stay up to protect Melissa with Scott. I can’t help but like him.

Erica Reyes – A – Erica is fierce. The bite gives her a chance to shine after having to deal with her epilepsy. She might have overdone it a bit when she was first bitten, but you see her become more grounded at the end of season 2. She had a lot of potential and I wanted to see more of her.

Vernon Boyd – A – Boyd is the epitome of the strong silent type. I still can’t believe that they killed him right after they started to give him a backstory.

Matt Daehler – TRASH – Murderous stalker.

Cora Hale – C – Cora was there for a bit, I guess.

Aiden Steiner – C – Did he have any good qualities? He sort of had a redeeming death, I guess, which is why he isn’t rated lower.

Ethan Steiner – B – Ethan had more compassion than his brother, so I gave him a bump up.

Kira Yukimura – S – Cute, awkward, and badass.

Malia Tate – C – Was there a point to her character?

Meredith Walker – B – She’s a little confused, but she got the spirit.

Liam Dunbar – S – Liam is a little, angry puppy. Gotta love him.

Mason Hewitt – B – I want to like Mason more, but he always felt like he was supposed to be Stiles 2.0.

Sydney – C – Not very memorable.

Garrett – C – Gets a bump up for being smarter than his girlfriend.

Violet – TRASH – A murderer whose money-hunger made her stupid.

Brett Talbott – C – Another werewolf whose family died in a fire? I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care.

Lori Talbott – C – Cared less about her than I did for her brother.

Theo Raeken – S – Theo was an excellent villain. And a villain the same age as the pack too. He singlehandedly manufactured the breakdown of the pack.

Tracy Stewart – B – She gained a lot of confidence over the course of season 5. She grew on me

Hayden Romero – C – She’s 15 but works as a shot girl in a club? Make it make sense.

Corey Bryant – C – Even though I think Corey and Mason are really cute together, I just don’t care about Corey as an individual character.

Donovan Donati – TRASH – Nothing but a psychotic rage machine.

Josh Diaz – C – Just not memorable. Apparently, he was in nine episodes. I remember maybe two of them.

Gabe – TRASH – I was glad when he died.

Nolan �� C – Nolan was pretty pathetic the entire time he was on screen.

Parents

Sheriff Stilinski – S – Papa Stilinski is top tier. There are a few questionable moments said in jest, but when it matters, when it counts, you see that he loves his son more than anything else in the world.

Melissa McCall – S – This woman singlehandedly runs that hospital. Loved her relationship with Scott, Stiles, and Isaac.

Peter Hale – S – This beautiful bastard brought himself back from the dead. Yes, he’s manipulative and power hungry. But he’s clever, cunning, and charming. Loved every second he was on screen (younger and older).

Chris Argent – S – You wouldn’t think you’d grow to like Chris Argent when you start watching the show, but you do. Despite losing his family, Chris comes back to protect Beacon Hills. Although he cares about the code, in season 1 its not because he thinks werewolves are worthy of the same dignity as people. It’s there as a check against hunters falling to their worst impulses and start killing simply for the sake of killing. But he grows and learns that the supernatural are just people, not inherently bad, but capable of doing/being good. Plus, he’s a total DILF.

Victoria Argent – A – She is badass. She was able to threaten Scott effectively just by sharpening a pencil. Died too soon.

Natalie Martin – B – Lots of ups and downs. She locked her daughter in an insane asylum, the same one in which her mother-in-law committed suicide (at least that’s what she believed at the time). But in season six she helps the pack actually graduate.

Mr. Lahey – TRASH – He locked Isaac in a freezer. Multiple times.

Talia Hale – C – We are told that Talia was a wise and respected alpha. But we know that she (1) convinced Corrine to give birth, (2) gave Malia to a human family, (3) took Peter’s memory of Malia, (4) apparently failed to keep tabs on her because she we know she did not find Malia after her adoptive mom and sister were killed and Malia turned into a coyote even though that happened before the Hale fire. Not sure what her redeeming qualities were other than her ability to fully shift, but what we know about Talia does not live up to what we are told about her.

Rafael McCall – B – Before he shows up, what’s said about him gives the impression that he’s a horrible person. But we never really see that. His antagonism against the Stilinskis doesn’t seem merited, and he’s not the best father, but we he’s not shown to be a bad guy.

Noshiko Yukimura – C – She is a 900 year old kitsune, but she can’t help her daughter gain control over her fox spirit? She calls on a nogitsune even though she should know better.

Ken Yukimura – A – He is adorable. Love the dad jokes.

Mr. Tate – B – Don’t really like or dislike him. But I enjoyed when he threatened the boys when they picked up Malia. Protective dad.

Corinne – TRASH – Why does she want to kill Malia again? Because she lost some of her power and it transferred over to her? But then why didn’t she do it right after she was born? And is she’s appears incompetent given that she didn’t accomplish the job the first time.

Other Adults

Alan Deaton – B – Deaton had a few badass moments, but he was decidedly unhelpful a lot of the time. Stiles calls him out for withholding information. He says that helping Derek was a promise he made to his mother, and yet he never really helps Derek.

Bobby Finstock – S – The bigger they are, the Bigger. They. Are.

Adrian Harris – TRASH – He has the most punchable face.

Kate Argent – TRASH – She’s a mass-murdering psychopath with a creepy attraction to teen boys.

Gerard Argent – TRASH – He considers werewolves to be no more than animals. He espouses that it is better to kill oneself rather than live as a werewolf. Yet when faced with dying from cancer, he plots to become a werewolf rather than die.

Marin Morrell – A – Marin intrigues me. She was the emissary to the alpha pack when all the other alphas had to kill their emissaries. But she still acted independently, sometimes at odds with her pack. Needed more of her.

Jennifer Blake – A – I obviously don’t condone her magically seducing Derek and attempting to sacrifice the parents. But she gets a lot of points for being a strong magic user. She used magic to change her visage, to hide her scars from the world, so that Kali didn’t recognize her at first. She used magic to physically push Kali away, and to telekinetically throw glass at her. I was rooting for her in her fight against the alphas.

Braeden – A – She was badass. She survived Deucalion slashing her throat.

Deucalion – A – He is the Demon Wolf. He is the alpha of alphas. Jennifer had to sacrifice numerous people to challenge him, and she came up short. Her magic was unable to harm him. Easily the strongest alpha on the show.

Kali – TRASH – Two words: feet claws.

Ennis – TRASH – He was so angry that one of his pack was killed he decided to kill the remainder of his pack?

Jordan Parrish – A – Creepy visions aside, Parrish is really sweet. He deserved a raise.

Araya Calavera – A – What can I say? She reminds me of my grandmother.

Severo Calavera – C – Never got a strong opinion about him, but demerits for threatening to take a chainsaw to Derek.

Satomi Ito – B – She is a long-lived wolf, so props for that. She seemed to have skills in fighting. But she was utterly incapable of protecting her pack.

Brunski – TRASH – Not only was he a serial killer, he was annoying.

Dr. Gabriel Valack – B – Props for going from a prisoner in Eichen House to basically running the place.

Mrs. Finch – TRASH – She was an alpha, but had no idea what was going on with her own pack. Plus, she let Liam get beaten up in her own class.

Garrett Douglass – TRASH – He is a literal Nazi.

Tamora Monroe – TRASH – Did she have any redeeming qualities?

#teen wolf #teen wolf: the movie #tw movie #scott mccall #stiles stilinski #allison argent #derek hale #lydia martin #jackson whittemore

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coolpointsetta · 1 year ago

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What are all your fav ships from any fandom, canon or not canon. And the reasons why you like them.

hmmm i really got to think about this one. i’ve been in so many fandoms i’ve lost track. i’ll go with my three most recent hyperfixations

first and foremost i’m in my hardcore royjamie phase. i absolutely adore them; sunshine x sunshine protector is my soft spot and these little idiot himbos are so precious to me. other ships i like in ted lasso are roy x keeley, richard x jan, tedpendent or even tedbecca, and sam x simi (we were ROBBED of them getting together). a rare pair i like from this show is bex x keeley. no they literally didn’t interact once but i’ve seen a few piece of fanart that show them bonding over being a little bit of weird girls and i love that bc i am also a weird girl teehee

rewatching teen wolf rn so also thinking about sterek, and allison x scott x isaac is growing on me a bit too. i also love erica x boyd very much. calm x crazy is so delicious. liam x theo is so adorable too.

i ADORE steddie, as well as byler and lucas x max, they are so so adorable to me. i need them all to end happy and ALIVE at the end of s5 or i might just die with them. i also really love robin x chrissy, and yes again they never interacted but LISTEN they got potential. i can also never say no to a food robin x nancy moment tho i do love nancy x jonathan too. but at the same time jonathan x argyle is such good food

thank you for asking!

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takabinaryy · 1 year ago

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Gaming & Kisses

This is my iidea that I had in my drafts since 2020...... ...I finally finished it :) Boyd x Erica x Stiles. Malec Lydia x Aiden Human stiles , Boyd and Erica are alive because I said so. Slight Shadowhunters crossover

Erica being the gamer girl or well gamer woman she was , she was sitting in her game room sitting in her Black and navy blue chair.( it was actually Boyd's)Sitting with her knees up to her chest with Stiles's Batman themed headphones over her ears. And black and mint green coffee Starbucks cup with iced caramel macchiato in it. Accompanied by a sailor moon bowl next to it with those panda bears with chocolate in them. Originally Erica was going to play the walking dead with Stiles , after both males were done with the errands.

However Thier little pup had slipped after a Karen had yelled and cursed at him for being to "talkative" with the cashier. So Boyd had taken Stiles back to thier shared apartment and explained everything to Erica. So that's why there's a blanket and pillow nest , a few feet away from the blonde, there on the Blankets is Stiles in the center being in his own little world. Boyd had kisses both of thier heads and telling them he will be back in an hour to finish, up the errands that were interrupted by that ridiculous lady in the previous store.

So instead of a gory blood game Erica had switched it to another game she liked " Among Us" , it doesn't have much nightmare stuff in it so if her pup were to look up at it he wouldn't be scared of it. There were a few of their friends online to play the game with her like Danny, Aidan, Cora , Magnus. And his close friend Clary or well also know as "Biscuit_Bunny" on YouTube and TikTok. Mostly known for her Witchy stuff , art , and dark folk lore content. Not to mention she's also Lydia's and Erica's favorite YouTuber/Tiktoker. Before the game starts she told her friends she would be right back , then muted her mic turning to Stiles.

"You okay over there Duckling?"

" Mmhms I okays mama"

" You wanna have a movie night tonight? "

" Stich?"

" Of course we can watch Lilo and Stitch, ducky. Here I'll text papa so he knows it's movie night. Why don't you sit in Mama's seat while I go prepare everything okay?"

" Okays , loves you"

" And I love you angel"

Erica gets up then steps forward to the little one and and ruffles his hair , earning her a soft giggle from the baby. Said baby gets off his nest of softness from the floor and sits in his papa's chair unaware that , his mama was technically streaming so the camera on the computer and on the ring light were on. Which means his favorite babysitter(Magnus) could see him to , out of curiosity he put his headphones on and instantly hear talking. Stiles didn't notice when moved his stuffed blue dino that it accidentally hit the mouse that was hovering over the immure button in the screen. He couldn't help but giggle when he heard Clary start speaking. Making everyone else aware of who was now in view.

" oh my goodness! Batwoman was hiding the precious bean from us! Hi pumpkin."

" you filling in for her sweetheart? Is that the dinosaur plush I got you? " HaleOfAAngel said who was also known as Cora. Stiles nodded his head and held up the cute plush so "Bluebarry" is under his chin and now in view.

" mhm named em Bluwbarry"

" Awe so cute!"

" awww that's an adorable name muffin! You know I'll be watching you next friday , Alexander is definitely excited to see you again" Mags.Of.Magic aka Magnus had said getting a playful groan from Aiden. The man switches his camera on in the bottom corner under Cora's before speaking , you can clearly see Lydia's dog judging him in the background.

"What? No fair you get to see the baby before I do! Lydia is gonna so darn jealous. "

"It's not my fault Aiden dear. Muffin's caregivers have to help with the repairings on Cora's house. You know with what that nasty hurricane did to it. "

Giggles were filling room as everyone talked about chatted about stuff , keeping it pg13 for the baby in the room. It didn't take long for Erica to come back upstairs to the gaming now seeing their white husky sitting on her hunches next to stiles, getting light head pats. She's happy to note that Stiles is indeed having fun with their friends even if their game was forgotten at this point. The blonde woman taps her knuckles on the side of the door now alerting Snow the husky. Which makes the canine getting up fully then going over to greet her "human" . Which also makes her pup turn his head to her with a smile on his face.

" mama yous back! You took all the evers!"

" and hello to you too ducking. Mama only took forever because I was helping papa put stuff away"

" papa backs!?"

" yep why don't you go give him a big hug "

Stiles says his goodbyes to their friends before taking off the headset and darts passed Erica and down the stairs to his papa. The action makes the blonde laugh even more so when Snow follows the boy to , shaking her head as she gets back to the chair and tells everyone that they can play another game another day, for now Erica is going to go spend Tim with her boys. Which everyone was fine with of course since they got to talk to a regressed Stiles for most of the time anyway. Erica turns off her live stream , and exits out of her game and turning off her computer before leaving the room with the pillows and blankets so they can use them on the couch for movie night.

#agere fanfiction #agere fanfic #fandom agere #agere sfw #age regression #shadowhunter and teen wolf #shadowhunters #clary fairchild #cora hale #vernon boyd #erica reyes #little stiles #stiles stilinski #magnus bane #teen wolf agere #teen wolf fandom #teen wolf fanfiction #boyd x erica x stiles #malec

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fiction-justanotherstateofmind · 1 year ago

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Sterek is THE otp to me and always will be, but Boyd and Erica is a comfort ship. While I always aware that Stiles and Derek are a fanon ship, I forget 99% of the time that Boyd and Erica weren't canon.

They are my precious babies (and one of the reasons why I don't like Allison who - I remind you - tried to kill them)

Sterek is my favorite “Teen Wolf” ship, but my real OTP of the series is Boyd and Erica.

I love them so much, I miss them…

#teen wolf #erica reyes #vernon boyd #berica #erica x boyd #boyd x erica #teen wolf fanart

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theheightofdishonor · 4 years ago

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Teen Wolf triads are something that can be so personal, so here’s a list of my faves

Scott/Stiles/Allison

The OG trio. The gang that dies together might not stay together, but they’re still iconic.

Scott/Stiles/Lydia

Any Scott/Stiles/X dynamic is brilliant, but few more than this one. These three have been there since the beginning and they’ve gone through so much together. There’s no Teen Wolf without them.

Scott/Stiles/Derek

They were the driving force in S1&2 and had some absolutely iconic moments together. Hate that there wasn’t more of them after that.

Scott/Derek/Isaac

Mostly based on S2/3. I was very invested in Isaac’s struggle to pick between these two.

Scott/Stiles/Isaac

This triad’s dynamic completely changes between S2 and 3. In Season 2, Isaac, as part of Derek’s pack is a slightly antagonistic figure and it’s very much Scott&Stiles vs Isaac but in S3, Scott and Isaac grow closer while Isaac and Stiles erm, don’t. It’s very fun to watch.

Scott/Isaac/Allison

My ot3 and the only trio on this list that I 100% ship.

Isaac/Erica/Boyd

Ayy, it’s the OG Hale Pack aka 3 teens bonding over being thrown headfirst into something they weren’t prepared for and Derek’s horrible leadership. Isaac should’ve ran away with Erica and Boyd for solidarity’s sake.

Chris/Allison/Isaac

Chris’s struggle between hating Isaac for dating his daughter and wanting to adopt him is hilarious. One of my favourites.

Scott/Melissa/Isaac

Who didn’t completely melt at Isaac joining the McCall fam? The scene where they’re ‘guarding’ Melissa was so cute. As a bonus, it made Stiles’s animosity towards Isaac that much stronger. Will forever hate that this trio was more or less non-existent in 3b even though I love Chris/Allison/Isaac.

Derek/Cora/Peter

The non-dead Hales. Why oh why did Cora have to leave? Their family dynamic was great.

Allison/Lydia/Cora

I know they only had a couple scenes as a triad, but there was so potential. We love antagonism with underlying sexual tension. And ofc, the only thing better than 1 terrifying badass that can secretly be super sweet is 3 terrifying badasses.

Derek/Isaac/Boyd

At one point, the only non-dead members of the Hale Pack (TW quickly amended that). I always think of the S3a Loft scene where Boyd and Isaac skip school to protect Derek. Despite how awful of an alpha Derek’s been, they still care about him and he cares about them (as actual people and not just betas that he needs for power like he did originally)

Derek/Allison/Lydia.

Yes it’s my 5th s3 based trio in a row, but can you blame me? This is 100% based off the classroom scene in 3x02.

Allison/Lydia/Jackson

Although Lydia and Jackson were both awful in S1, their friendship with Allison and their immediately taking her under their wing was beyond precious. Additionally, it combines both the asshole-who’s-soft-towards-1-person- dynamic (jydia w/ allison) and assholes-who-secretly-care-about-each-other (jydia) And ofc, the underlying tension due to Jydia’s disdain towards Scott and later, Jackson and Allison’s experiences/knowledge of the supernatural.

Malia/Kira/Lydia

Comedy gold. Their scenes speak for themselves and we needed more.

Liam/Mason/Corey

Their S6a dynamic is sooo underrated and should’ve been given more screen time. I loved watching Liam and Corey struggle to get along for Mason’s sake because they want him to be happy. It was all very wholesome and one of the few things that made 6a worth watching.

Stiles/Scott/Liam

Aka the best part of S4.Their dynamic is so fun and well-balanced and infinitely better because they’re a triad. You’ve got Scott and Liam figuring out their mentor/mentee relationship with Stiles co-parenting and preventing the Scott/Liam dynamic from turning unhealthy. (Liam and Scott’s S6 dynamic veered way too close to parent/child for my taste. They need Stiles to balance it out) It’s also hilarious how quickly Liam accepts being aggressively adopted by two idiots who are barely older than him. And Stiles takes so easily to playing older brother/co-parent. It’s adorable. They’re adorable.

Erica/Allison/Lydia

Very similar dynamic to Allison/Lydia/Cora due to Cora and Erica’s similar personalities but also not, which has a lot to do with Allison and Lydia’s reactions to Erica’s weaponized feminity. Also, there’s a lot more history between these girls and I want to know everything about what Erica thinks of Lydia after going to school with her for years.

Sherriff/Melissa/Chris

Of the top of my head, I can only remember that time where they were trapped under the Nemeton and that’s simply unacceptable.

Sheriff/Noshiko/Melissa.

It’s a crime that this triad never got scenes. Especially after the Sheriff tried to arrest Kira. I know Melissa bitch slapped him but I wanted to watch these two badasses gang up on the Sheriff together. ( the Noshiko/Melissa dynamic would be so iconic.)

Victoria/Noshiko/Melissa

Another triad that never shared scenes (obviously because Vic is dead) but their power would’ve been off the charts. I want to make a joke about milfs, but I’ll refrain.

The Yukimura fam

Seemed appropriate since my last two also included. Noshiko.I love family dynamics and the Yukimuras are no exception. The attraction of this triad, for me, is mostly the dynamic between Kira and Noshiko and how Ken navigates between them. They’re also a trio that we didn’t see nearly enough of in S4 and 5. Like seriously, where were they? Noshiko’s on the dead pool, but she’s barely mentioned. (on a mostly unrelated note, how is the 900 yr old Kitsune worth less than a girl that just found about her kitsune powers?)

Derek/Allison/Scott

I don’t need to explain this one. The angst, the drama, Derek projecting Kate onto Allison and Allison trying to murder Derek and their evolution to reluctant allies with a good dash of Scallison and Scott navigating his own difficult relationship with Derek. Aka the complicated, tension fraught trio we all loved/should love. ( ok, I kind of explained it)

Derek/Scott/Liam

And here we have a two for one deal; two mentor/mentee dynamics in 1 triad. People much smarter than me have written about this trio in extensive detail, so all I’m saying is that Derek’s that one uncle who occasionally comes around and gives somewhat helpful advice.

Braeden/Malia/Scott

Braeden and Scott were great in S4. Braeden and Malia were great in S5. Scott and Malia are pretty great when they’re not in a relationship. Combine, and you get what had to be a kick-ass triad that’s sadly never canonly shown together (I think)

Melissa/Chris/Isaac

Not actually featured in the show, but Isaac deserves all the parental figures and I want to witness the surely epic custody battle between Chris and Melissa.

Malia/Scott/Peter

That this trio is on here is actually pretty funny because I hate both Scalia and the forced Peter/Malia bonding in S6. But I loved the scene where Peter warned Malia not to fall in love with Scott because a) he has absolutely 0 right to advise her on anything and b) because of the history between Scott and Peter. In a way, a relationship with Malia is just another thing tying Scott to someone that’s repeatedly caused harm to him and his friends and was the initial cause for all the pain he’s suffered in the last couple years. I just find this dynamic worth exploring.

Malia/Derek/Peter

The Hales 2.0. Derek and Malia deserve to bond over unwillingly being related to Peter, that scumbag.

Malia/Stiles/Peter

Stiles and Peter are so fun together and Stalia is my jam. Throw in an antagonistic Malia and Peter relationship and they’re entertaining as hell. Much more lighthearted than Malia/Scott/Peter.

Stiles/Malia/Lydia

To clarify, this has nothing to do with a love triangle and everything to do with how their personalities play off each other. It’s one of those trios where together, they’re either terrifying or absolute morons.

Stiles/Cora/Derek

Admittedly, my version of this is very Sterek+Cora and the hilarity of Stiles and his attraction to Hales but it’s also 3x snark and you really can’t go wrong.

Scott/Stiles/Melissa

It’s Melissa and her boys 1.0. This woman is by far the best parent on this show, and I love the specific dynamic among these three. Melissa might not always like Stiles, but she cares about him and there’s the mutual understanding that they both adore Scott and would do anything for him. Also, Mel being exasperated by the dumbass duo is always funny.

Kate/Allison/Chris

Lowkey another custody battle because Kate and Chris do fight to be the bigger influence on Allison This is such a tragic trio to me, and the lesson here is basically that sometimes love isn’t enough. Chris and Kate both genuinely love Allison and she loves them too but can’t have both and at some point, she has neither. Kate and Chris care about each other, but that’s not enough either. In the end, they all lose each other. There’s no happy ending for them, at least not with each other.

Derek/Stiles/Peter

Stiles just has chemistry (not necessarily romantic) with all Hales and this trio really shines through in 3x01 and in S3 in general. “Chess is Stiles’s game” asgdhfjgh. I wanted more of that very specific dynamic.

That was a hell lot longer than I thought it would be, but what can you do. Feel free to tell me your own opinions in the tags/comments.

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waterloou · 3 years ago

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Unpopular opinion (it better not be unpopular but I never see it talked about) Boyd is underrated and deserves better (also Boyd x Erica are PRECIOUS)

RIGHT BC WHAT WAS THE REASON?!?! And then they BARELY talk ab him OR Erica????????? Like wtf????????

He’s literally one of my faves

Also berica is so cute agreed

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sparkandwolf · 4 years ago

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12. things you said when you thought i was asleep - sterek

One Day He Won’t Be (read on ao3)

Pairing: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale Rating: General Summary: He was sick and tired of seeing Stiles hurt. He had picked up after Scott’s recklessness, Lydia’s calls of the dead, and Chris’ too eager attacks more times than he would have ever liked. And Stiles - fragile, human Stiles - seemed to always find his way to the middle. Stiles wouldn’t even let Derek use his ‘werewolf healing powers’ on him no matter how many times Derek advised him that wasn’t an actual ability he had.

(Derek left off the part where he would do anything in his power to make sure Stiles was never hurt again when he responded.)

Derek laid Stiles’ still body in the center of his bed, letting his weak neck fall onto the pillow as his arms spread across the sheets. Stiles looked beautiful, as he always did, even with the darkening bruise next to his mouth and the bandaged claw marks on his shoulders. It took almost everything in Derek to resist running his thumb over the discoloration if only to finally feel the softness he had longed after for so long.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought and reached for the washcloth resting in a bowl full of warm, soapy water beside the bed. It was a wooden bowl with a fox carved into the side that Stiles had bought him a few months prior. Stiles had said it was to remind Derek that every wolf had a fox and Derek still wasn’t quite sure what that meant. Inside of the container, Derek had stored everything he could possibly need to dress a human’s inevitable injuries. It was practically his Stiles Emergency Kit and he hated every time he had to use it.

It was more often than not as of late that Derek was filling the bowl with disinfectant and holding bandages and cloths underneath his arm while his teeth bore down on plastic-wrapped painkillers. He was sick and tired of seeing Stiles hurt. He had picked up after Scott’s recklessness, Lydia’s calls of the dead, and Chris’ too eager attacks more times than he would have ever liked. And Stiles - fragile, human Stiles - seemed to always find his way to the middle. Stiles wouldn’t even let Derek use his ‘werewolf healing powers’ on him no matter how many times Derek advised him that wasn’t an actual ability he had.

(Derek left off the part where he would do anything in his power to make sure Stiles was never hurt again when he responded.)

Stiles looked peaceful any time Derek broke out the first aid kit, as if happy he had someone to take care of him. If it made Derek’s heart swell, no one had to know. Stiles would sit patiently, making lewd comments about their proximity or complimenting Derek’s ability to remain calm around the sight of blood.

“It took me at least four ER visits to stop fainting at the sight of my own blood,” Stiles had said as if it was entirely in the norm for a child to visit the hospital that many times. Derek had always noted as such but Stiles would brush him off with a simple, “I was Mischief incarnate, Sourwolf, what can I say?”

(Derek started calling him Mischief after that and Stiles never told him to stop.)

He hadn’t looked as peaceful at that moment and it took everything Derek had in him to stop his body from trembling. He grabbed the cloth with the steadiest hand he could and wiped away the blood drying on his temple and on his cheek. He was afraid to scrub too hard in fear of waking the fatigued boy or hurting him when Stiles couldn’t even begin to make a sarcastic remark about liking it rough. Derek squeezed his eyes shut as he rested a hand on Stiles’ neck and pulled as much of the pain away from him as he could. Even when it became too much for Derek to bear, he had known there was more buried underneath judging by the discomfort braided into Stiles’ usually soft features.

“Why does this keep happening?” Derek mumbled as he tossed the blood-ridden rag into the bowl a bit harsher than he intended. It slid across the tabletop, stopping just on the edge as if hoping not to wake Stiles either.

Stiles groaned in his sleep and even in a state of unconsciousness, it was as if he was hiding the hurt that must have been enveloping his entire body. Derek had seen it happen and was powerless to stop it. As if catapulted into a vivid nightmare, Derek saw the rogue wolf’s claws embedded in Stiles’ shoulder, his other hand punching Stiles’ jaw with the loudest crack Derek had ever heard. It reverberated through the loft and straight through Derek’s spine like lightning.

It was only when the wolf was sure Stiles couldn’t fight back any longer that he tossed Stiles’ limp body aside without a care in the world - as if he wasn’t throwing Derek’s entire reason for living away like garbage. Stiles slammed into the wall, only Peter’s quick reactions slowing him enough that it didn’t kill him. Derek made a mental note to thank Peter and then decided to cross it off of his list. Peter had done more damage to Stiles than most so it was his turn to save the boy’s life, Derek thought bitterly.

The door opening snapped him back into reality. He wasn’t sure how much time had gone by, him gazing down at Stiles as if he was the most precious entity in the universe, but he was sure it was an inappropriate amount judging by the sympathetic look he received from Isaac.

“Is he--” Derek’s glare must have given away his answer to whatever ridiculous question Isaac was about to ask and the beta nodded and sighed as he leaned against the doorway. “Scott was asking,” Isaac responded as if it made any difference. Scott was the reason Stiles was in that position - half-dead and unconscious on Derek’s bed - so he hadn’t deserved to know if Stiles was okay.

“You can tell Scott that--” Derek sucked in a breath as Stiles winced beside him, gasping as if the pain was finally too much as he reached out toward Derek. He gripped Derek’s shirt, tugging him closer as his eyes squeezed shut, only open enough for tears to slip through. Derek shushed him softly and stroked a delicate hand over Stiles’ head, careful to avoid any of his injuries.

When he calmed, Isaac whispered, “He’s going to be okay.” The words sounded so sure, Derek almost believed him. He pulled more pain from Stiles’ tense form again before he glanced over at Isaac and shook his head.

“One day he won’t be,” Derek spat. He knew it was harsh and that Isaac didn’t deserve to have his anger taken out on him as he was so used to, but he couldn’t help himself. All he cared about was that once again, Stiles was broken, and one day Derek might not be able to fix him.

Isaac left quickly after as if he realized that nothing he could say would ease the sting in Derek’s heart or change the sequence of the night’s events so that Stiles made it out of the loft uninjured. Derek would apologize to him later when he was sure Stiles was going to be okay.

He considered his words when Stiles finally relaxed under his gentle coaxing. One day he won’t be. They repeated like a mantra in his head, a cacophony of Derek’s worst fears and anxieties circling around his mind until there was nothing there but terror.

Stiles once asked him what his worst fear was. Stiles said that his was losing his family to the crazy life Derek had always felt responsible for pulling Stiles into. Stiles had tried for so long to keep his dad away from the supernatural world they lived in and it had eventually been too much to hide. Derek would never tell Stiles how much relief he had sensed once the Sheriff was let into it all, though.

It was obvious to Stiles that wasn’t a fear Derek could have anymore and the boy had never been one to deny the obvious. Derek couldn’t help but laugh as Stiles stumbled over his words when he asked the question and he appreciated that Stiles smelled of guilt when he finally finished his stuttering.

Derek hadn’t thought much about his worst fear before then. It used to be losing his family, but then it happened. All at once and then slowly when Laura was murdered and Peter went insane. Sure, he still had Peter, but they both knew it wasn’t the same. He had always known his fears were entirely encompassed in one word; loss. He had never wanted to lose another person in his life and wasn’t sure if he could bear it if he did.

But he had lost Boyd and he had lost Erica and he was still whole. He had gained Cora in the mess of it all, but somewhere along the way, he had realized he could handle losing her. He had made it through the loss of his entire pack twice and he wasn’t sure he could fear anything else anymore.

No, that wasn’t quite true.

He peered down at Stiles’ calm face scraped and covered in bruises and the realization hit him like a goddamn truck.

“I couldn’t handle losing you.”

Once the dam was open, it was as if he couldn’t control the words that flooded from his mouth.

“You were the first person to remind me of my power - the first person to remind me that I was worth anything at all. Even when no one else trusted me, you went against the people you fear losing the most to let me in. You showed me that I didn’t have to be--”

Derek’s breath caught in his throat and he stared down at the unconscious form in front of him. He hadn’t noticed the hot tears on his cheeks until they darkened the material of Stiles’ torn shirt.

“--I don’t have to be defined by what I went through. You understand me better than my family ever did, better than my pack ever could. I can’t handle the fact you’re lying in my bed and even though you’re recovering, my biggest fear is that one day you won’t. One day, you won’t be fine. You’ll be broken in a way I can’t fix. You’ll be gone from my life in a way that I will never recover from.”

Derek let out a dark chuckle as his grip tightened in Stiles’ shirt, covering the emotions he rarely let slip. He realized that Stiles had been the only member of his pack to see him cry. He had kept their late-night talks - when Derek would sneak into Stiles’ room just to let himself feel for a moment before leaving with a newfound sense of peace - entirely to himself even if his family or best friend questioned him on it. When Boyd was killed, Stiles was by his side, hiding Derek’s vulnerability from anyone who could take advantage of it.

“Somehow you became the only person in the world who knows me inside and out and Stiles-” Derek breathed his name as if it was the most important sound in the world, “-my only fear in this life is losing you.”

The immense relief that washed over Derek as he sobbed into Stiles’ steadily rising and falling chest was almost too much for him to manage. As much as he had tried to tell himself that the reason he had to go through everything his life had thrown at him was so that he could live on fearlessly, he had known it couldn’t possibly be true. No one was fearless in their world - especially in a world where there was so much unknown - and Derek could never have been the exception to that rule.

But he looked up at Stiles and wished that he could be. He didn’t want to be afraid of losing Stiles because it seemed as though all of his fears always came true. That night was one step closer to him having to find something else to be afraid of after that fear came true and he knew he wouldn’t survive even a day without Stiles in his life. Every time he restocked the wooden bowl was a reminder of the eventuality of him not needing it anymore. Every time he washed his sheets of Stiles’ blood was one step closer to no longer smelling Stiles’ scent littering the air of his bedroom - of every molecule of air he breathed.

“You wait until I’m unconscious for a confession like that?” A whispered voice strained from above him. Derek shot up, his hands wiping away the tracks of tears that he couldn’t seem to stop from falling. Derek opened his mouth to argue - to somehow backtrack all of the truth he had admitted without his consent - but Stiles stupidly tried to sit up and groaned in discomfort as Derek pushed him back down.

“I won’t talk if you promise not to move,” Derek pleaded as he cupped Stiles’ warming cheek in his hand. Stiles lifted his arm but before Derek’s glare could deter him, he wrapped his fingers around Derek’s wrist softly and leaned into his touch.

“I think I deserve a chance to respond, don’t I?” Stiles asked and who was Derek to deny him? “You can sit there and deny everything you just said, but I won’t sit here and accept your lies - and yes, I know that’s what you’re going to do,” Stiles said, still straining to find his voice as he cleared his throat. “You wanna know what my last thought was before that werewolf knocked me unconscious?” Derek didn’t, but he stayed silent anyway. “I thought, ‘shit, who’s gonna tell Derek this isn’t his fault?’”

“Stiles--”

“No, you don’t get to say all that romantic shit when you think I’m unconscious and not let me get a word in,” Stiles stated, his gaze hot on Derek’s. “You might fear losing me, Derek, but you know what I’m most afraid of?”

Derek wasn’t going to say anything, but Stiles urged him with that raise of eyebrows that always got Derek talking and he whispered, “What?”

“I’m afraid that you are never going to believe a single word I’ve said to you in the last few months. I’m afraid that everything I’ve tried to pound into that thick skull of yours has barely made it past the surface and somehow, you’re going to blame yourself for the bad things that are - let’s face it - just inevitable at this point.”

“They’re not--”

“I’m lying in blood-soaked sheets and I’m pretty sure I’m going to pass out from the pain in a few minutes, so don’t you dare argue with me.”

Derek didn’t. He handed a glass of water and the strongest pain killers he could convince Melissa to prescribe to him over to Stiles and held his head up as he swallowed instead.

“You deserve good in the world, Derek, and from what I’ve been told, I’m pretty damn good. So I’m gonna tell you what you’re not going to do,” Stiles paused for a beat as if waiting for Derek’s argument, but he was done fighting. “One, you’re not going to leave the second I pass out and instead, you’re going to slide into bed next to me so you stop hunching over like you’re in Notre Dame. Two, you’re not going to blame yourself every time I get hurt and instead, you’re going to figure out how to equip me to handle the next bigger, badder evil we’re faced with.”

“Anything else?” Derek asked because Stiles could ask him not to breathe and he would make sure his lungs stopped working.

“Yeah,” Stiles whispered and his breath ghosted across Derek’s face reminding him just how close they were, “you’re not going to kiss me right now.”

Derek froze and furrowed his eyebrows, hoping his disdain and confusion was clear on his face. Stiles laughed but it sounded broken and Derek suddenly remembered how much pain Stiles was probably in. He cursed to himself as he backed away, but Stiles reached out to him and yelped at the movement.

“Instead,” Stiles said as he pulled at Derek’s shirt, “instead, you’re going to wait until all I can feel is you. I can’t associate pain with kissing you, Derek, I already associate it with everything else.” Derek nodded and after a brief moment of quiet, he pressed his lips gently to Stiles’ bruised forehead, letting them linger there until a soft sigh left Stiles’ mouth.

Derek laid down next to Stiles, careful not to rustle him too much as they settled together. He peered over at the boy next to him and felt himself smile for the first time in what felt like hours - it probably was - when Stiles smiled back at him.

“In case it wasn’t clear, I’m afraid of losing you, too,” Stiles said as his eyes slipped closed.

“Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers, but to be fearless in facing them.

Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it.”

― Rabindranath Tagore

#sterek #sterek fic #stiles stilinski #derek hale #derek x stiles #stiles x derek #my writing #prompts #sorry this is a bajillion years late!#but i hope the words make up for it 🥺

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fiction-justanotherstateofmind · 7 months ago

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I just realized that Peter never met Erica and Boyd... this makes me incredibly sad.

I'm so used to fanfics that I had never realized this before (or maybe I had but my brain had removed it due to the shock I felt).

Boyd and Erica are my precious babies, they deserved so much better

Imagine what Peter would have been like with Erica. Peter likes Lydia because she had the strength and isn’t afraid to give his sass and snark in return. Erica would be the same. She doesn’t care if he’s a former Alpha or that he’s Derek’s uncle, if he starts acting up, she’s quick to put him in his place.

And Peter never seems to get mad at her. Maybe because he admires her courage and strength, maybe because he sees a part of himself in her (the social outcast who was hurt—him with the fire and her with her epilepsy that nearly killed her). Maybe it’s the fact that she reminds him of Laura.

Imagine Peter not knowing how to be ‘nice’, but there are little things he does to show how he feels: bringing Erica a glass of water, saving the last dumpling when the pack is having takeout and giving it to her, rushing to her side of the pack is attacked, helping her to her feet during training, sitting with her when the full moons get rough.

#teen wolf #erica reyes #vernon boyd #peter hale #teen wolf imagine #imagine teen wolf #teen wolf au #hale pack #hale pack au #hale pack imagine #imagine hale pack

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jazminebrightxx · 4 years ago

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LIKE MAGIC

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SHOW: Teen wolf

CHAPTER TWO: “we are family”

EPISODE: 3x02 “chaos rising”

Sleep is a precious thing, you need sleep, without it you make mistakes, you mess up. You get delirious and screw up. Kaitlin always loved sleep, everyone knew that, not to wake her when she was tired, but dogs...dogs don't understand that. That leads us to now, The last things Kaitlin remembered was watching an episode of some trashy show before falling asleep, and now, Levi, her two year old Labrador cried at her feet

Kaitlin opened her eyes, seeing the big dog sat at her door, his head tilted and whines coming from him "seriously" she whispered, he tilted his head to the other side "can you not just...leave me alone" he whined again, walking over to her and sniffing her face. Kaitlin cringed "okay, okay, you win"

She slowly threw the nice and warm covers off of her, her feet hitting the cold ground, sending shivers up her back, she sits there for a second, contemplating her life. She looks to her dog again, who's now panting in excitement, she groans, getting up and making her way down the stairs, before she can make her way down fully, Levi comes booting it past her and down the stairs, stopping at the door and sitting, Sighing she descends the remainder of stairs grabbing her keys and unlocking the front door and opening it

The big dog speeds out the door and Kaitlin laughs as he jumps around the fenced off garden, when Levi was a little pup, back in Boston, he'd find any and every way he could to escape their home, Kaitlin had many memories of running after the fast dog. So when they moved home, they made sure to get a well fenced garden.

The brunette watches Levi for a few more seconds before deciding to check the time, she moves to the kitchen, it was light out so it had to be early, she switched on the light, making things slightly more seeable, her glasses and contacts were upstairs so it was a little hard, she glanced at the clock 5:40.

It was literally 20 minutes before her alarm went off and an hour before kodins, might aswell make breakfast. She gathered her ingredients, deciding on bacon and toast for breakfast, turning on the hub and grabbing a pan. Midway through her cooking, a shiver sends down her spine, a familiar feeling in her stomach. She whirls around quickly, unsurprisingly seeing the dark figure lurk in the shadow of the kitchen, she was expecting him, but that didn't stop her heart from racing.

Tensely, she glares, turning back to her food, in an attempt to ignore the dark man. "Nice little place you've gotten yourself here" his voice is low, lower than before, Kaitlin stays quiet, focusing on her food.

"You can't ignore me forever Katie" he slowly walks into the kitchen more, quietly pulling out a chair and sitting. Kaitlin's teeth grit together at the name.

"I've done a pretty good job for what? Three years now?" She doesn't turn to look at him, her tone is sarcastic. He laughs, the sound scares Kaitlin slightly.

"That's not entirely true now is it, you aren't surprised at all to see me. You were expecting me" The redhead stops what she's doing, quickly whipping around and glaring her most cold glare

"What do you want" she gets to the point, the man faking a frown.

"What? I can't come and visit my daughter?" Kaitlin laughs turning back to her bacon and taking it off the pan and putting on a plate.

"You only ever visit me when you want something, so either tell me or get the hell out of my house" she grabs the toast, putting it on the plate and sitting opposite him.

"Ah you got me" He jokes, Kaitlin rolls her eyes, and butters her toast

"Scott McCall" is all he needs to say for Kaitlin to freeze, she slowly looks up to make eye contact with her father.

"What about him?"

"He's quite the hero I hear. People tell me he's the man to beat" his tone is evil, as usual. Kaitlin doesn't let her guard down. Her glare as cold as ice. "I've no idea what you're talking about"

"Does he know about you?" He takes an apple nonchalantly from the fruit bowl, the question silencing Kaitlin

"You know, your past, what you are?" He pushes leaning over the table slightly, Kaitlin doesn't break eye contact, her heart hammering in her chest

"What you've done"

"I haven't done anything" she defends, she stopped eating now, her fork and knife still in her hands

"Oh but you did, don't you remember? When Tyler died" Kaitlin slams her hands down on the table, the plate clattering against the knife and fork

"You weren't there, you don't know anything, now what do you want because your testing my patience" her hands are now in fists as she glares at her father.

"Be careful of this boy, he's made enemies, more than he knows, and they are dangerous" he warns. He stands from the table, putting the chair back in its place

"Why are you telling me this?" Her blood was boiling

"You’re my daughter, whether you or I like it or not we are family" He darkly says before a dark cloud forms over him and he vanishes

Kaitlin relaxes, her food now cold she tosses a slice of bacon to Levi and throws away her toast

"What a waste" she mutters before heading upstairs to get ready for school

***

A little while later and Kaitlin was sat on her couch, she usually got up early for school but never this early so she didn't really know what to do with herself. She watched the screen as an episode of greys anatomy played.

Her phone chimed with a text, Lydia Martins name lighting her screen, the strawberry blonde offering to give Kaitlin a ride to school, saying she needed to talk to her. The redhead sent a quick reply, moving off the couch and walking into the kitchen where her mother and brother sat at the table

"I'm not giving you a ride today, Lydia's picking me up" Kodin looked at his sister, taking a drink of his orange juice as he swallows his toast "I'm taking your car then"

"Why can't you take your own?" Kaitlin shoves her phone into her pocket, glaring slightly at her brother, who shrugs "well, yours is cleaner" Kaitlin stares at the boy, contemplating. She gives in, grabbing her keys and throwing them at Kodin.

"Don't damage my car" she warns before leaving the room, soon hearing the honk of Lydia's car, bidding a quick goodbye to her mother she grabs her bag and is out the door. She smiles at Lydia before hopping in the car "hey"

"Morning, what was so..." she's cut off when Lydia hands her a cup of coffee, Kaitlin smiles, thanking her and taking a sip, Lydia starts the car and pulls out of the driveway.

"I know you know" Lydia cryptically states, Kaitlin looking at her curiously "about what?" The redhead placed the coffee in the cup holder.

"About the supernatural, about Scott" Kaitlin freezes, her eyes going wide and glancing at Lydia

"What?" Kaitlin questions, trying to play it cool. "Huh, supernatural that...that's funny" panic sets in Kaitlin's mind, trying to force a fake laugh which Lydia doesn't buy.

"Yeah, okay lets just skip that...I could tell" Lydia glances between Kaitlin and the road "you wanna know how I know? Because you're supernatural too"

Kaitlin's lost for words, her eyes never leaving Lydia as the panic starts to fade, she's not afraid of her friends knowing, it's just how they find out. She wanted to soften the blow, it scared her really, she cared about them and she didn't want them feel any different about her. She lets put a sigh, looking ahead at the road.

"Witch, I'm a witch" the words fell nonchalantly out of her mouth, Lydia does a double take. "A witch? Huh, that's...new" Kaitlin laughs lightly.

"Yeah, I guess they're uncommon nowadays" Kaitlin went on to explain her knowledge of the pack and how she gained it, listing the things her uncle deaton has updated her on before she came back

She knew everything that he did, the kanima being Jackson, Peter Hale biting Scott and Lydia, Alison being a hunter and her grandfather being a psychopath. All of it

It surprised her really, Lydia was so calm about it, she didn't freak out, didn't get mad that Kaitlin hadn't told her. The aura that surrounded the girl was unfamiliar to Kaitlin. She'd learned how to read auras since she learned of her magic. Different colors for different species. Werewolves depended on the color of their eyes. Witches were purple. Humans were green. So on. But Lydia radiated a pink aura, one Kaitlin hadn't seen before.

"Oh yeah, have you any idea what this could be?" Lydia holds out her arm, keeping her eyes on the road

On her arm is a fresh bruise, there's an odd shape to it. Kaitlin gently takes Lydia's arm

"Uh, a bruise?" She glances at the strawberry blonde who playfully rolls her eyes

"Yeah no shit, Alison has one the exact same shape, she thinks it's like some sort of symbol" she states, her eyes never leaving the road

"Huh, can I take a picture of it?" Lydia nods and Kaitlin pulls out her phone, quickly snapping a photo of the bruise

"I'll run it by my mom" she states

"When are you gonna tell the guys about that?" Lydia starts, Kaitlin turns to look out the window of Lydia's car as they pull into beacon hills high schools parking lot

"I don't know, soon"

***

Lydia and Kaitlin strolled together before class, chatting quietly about Kaitlin's antics during her time in Boston. Football games, school dances,swim meets and everything in between. While Lydia went into more detail of the packs antics and stories.

"Okay, but what would a pack of alphas want with Erica and boyd?" Kaitlin questions lydia, who was explaining to her their recent predicament

"I don't know, maybe their recruiting" unbeknownst to the pair Scott and Stiles walks past them, Scott stops in his tracks staring at Kaitlin as she walks past, seeing something he didn't before

"Scott?" Stiles takes him out of his daze

"You okay?" Stiles eyes him curiously, glancing at Kaitlin. Scott nods his head still slightly dazed "Yeah, sorry"

***

Lydia, Alison and Kaitlin sat in the library, Alison drawing the symbol that was bruised in her skin on a piece of paper, a laptop sat on the table, some research the huntress had done lifting up the screen.

Lydia stares ahead, Two identical twins stood at a bookshelf with another brunette, the strawberry blonde had her eye on one of the twins. "I want one"

The two friends follow Lydia's gaze.

"Which one?" Alison questions, an adorable smiles across her lips, Lydia's face drops

"The straight one obviously" Alison glances back at the twins, Ethan looking at Danny wistfully, Lydia drinks from her coffee cup.

Kaitlin's chuckles as she glances at the boys, the brunette sticking out to her, she shakes the feeling off, glancing at Alison's computer, a thought comes to mind. She checks around before pulling a book out of her bag

The book was given to her by her mother, it was enchanted to only open to her, she flips through it finding the thing she was looking for

"What if it's not a symbol?" She questions Alison, who turns her gaze to the brunette and the book in her hands

"What if it's actually a logo?" Alison eyes the book questionably, noticing a few of Kaitlin's spells

"Wait, is that?" Kaitlin smiles at the brunette "what are you?"

"Libra" Kaitlin looks up to digest her theory to Lydia but she's vanished

Kaitlin's and Alison turn to the twins only to see Lydia making a move on Aiden. The two girls look to each other, Kaitlin bursts laughing, Alison joining after a second.

***

Kaitlin Jones was originally from beacon hills, she grew up in the small town. Her family and friends were there, it was her home. A place she'd never forget for as long as she'd live, no matter where she'd end up.

One place and person she hadn't gotten the chance to visit since she'd been back was her uncle Deaton at the animal clinic. Deaton was the brother of her mother, it didn't seem like it, of course because her mother was adopted into Alan's family, his mother was a friend of Natalie's biological mother who passed when she was young.

So when deaton called her to ask if she could come to the clinic because he needed her help with Isaac, Kaitlin jumps into her car and makes her way to the clinic

Her stomach turned and twisted in knots, nerves filled her. She knew what she was walking into, Scott and Stiles would definitely be there, and she knew what Deaton needed her to do, it would be outing her powers to them. She had texted Kodin, giving him the heads up and warning him to talk to the boys later today, knowing they'd want answers from both twins.

Obviously she would have to have this conversation with the two boys sooner or later but she was nervous for their reactions. What if they hated her for not telling them? She knew she was over reacting but she couldn't help it.

Shaking off her anxiety she pulls into the parking lot of the animal clinic and stops the car. She takes a second to herself before jumping out of the car and heading into the clinic

Inside the animal clinic, Deaton, Derek, Scott and Stiles attempted to prep Isaac for the ice bath he'd soon be submerged in.

"How slow does his heart rate need to be?" Scott worryingly questions.

"Very slow"

"Okay, well, How slow is very slow?" Derek crouches beside the tub which was now filled to the brim with water and ice

"Nearly dead" deaton nonchalantly replies, issac touches the water, immediately retracting his hand, hissing

"It's safe though, right?" He nervously questions. Deaton hesitates, just as he's about to reply the bell from the door chimes, the veterinarian smiles

"Not necessarily, but that's why she's here" he leaves the room. The three werewolves and Stiles look to each other curiously.

When Kaitlin Jones walks into the room, Scott and Stiles stare at the girl in shock, Derek and Isaac grow confused, not knowing the girl. When she sees the four her smiles fades, a shy expression takes over her face

"Hey"

"So she's gonna help with what exactly?" Issac questions as he eyes the small girl

"Kaitlin was born from a long line of witches" Kaitlin looks to her shoes, not wanting to see her friends reactions

"Oh wow" Stiles mumbles, he looks to Kaitlin sadly, she looks up meeting his eyes but quickly looks away

Scott is left speechless, his gaze flickering back and forth between Kaitlin and Deaton, Kaitlin steps forward gently grabbing Scott wrist and tugging him away from the rest

"I promise after this is done I will explain everything, okay?" His eyes soften and he grabs the girls hand, nodding and giving it a light squeeze

"Okay"

Kaitlin smiles, moving back to stand beside the tub of ice, she gives issac a reassuring smile, he returns the gesture. She remembered Isaac vaguely from her childhood, she hadn't talked to him much, but she knew of him.

"If anything goes wrong, Kaitlin will be here to pull you out" Deaton reassures him. A rubber snapping sound is heard, all heads turn to Stiles who's wearing a grin as he looks at his arm length glove with a grin

The boy in plaid notices everyone looking at him "what?" Derek gives him a glare, Stiles sighing before he takes off the glove, Issac sighs before standing up

"Look, if it feels to risky, you don't have to do this." The alpha assures, straightening his arms on the rim of the tub, Scott nods in agreement

Issac looks to Kaitlin, who stood on the other side of the tub "you know what your doing?"

Kaitlin's smirks "you'll be fine, Issac, I've been doing it for years" Issac looks to the girl with weary eyes before taking off his shirt and exhaling. He steps into the tub, the group watching him closely, as he attempts to sit in the cold bathtub.

Scott and Derek glance at each other, placing their hands on Isaac's shoulders and pushing him under the water

For a few moments it was fine, but after not to long Issacs true form broke free, jolting up from the water, his eyes a bright yellow and his fangs beard.

"Get him back under" deaton instructed, Stiles was now attempting to keep the werewolf submerged.

But Isaac didn't want to co-operate, he trashed in the water, the two werewolves struggled to keep him in the water as he drenched them.

"Hold him" Kaitlin interjected, Rowling up the sleeves of her jumper

"Don't you think we're trying!" Derek snapped. Kaitlin rolls her eyes before she moves forward, slightly pushing Scott and Derek out of the way, there hands still holding Isaac

The brunette hovers her hand over issacs head, calming him. Not moments later he relaxed and slowly moved to the surface of the water with his eyes open.

"Remember, only Kaitlin talks, too many voices will confuse him and draw him out" deaton holds up a finger, his voice soft. After the three boys nod, he gestures for Kaitlin to start

"Issac? Can you hear me?" Her voice is kind and soft

"Yes, I can hear you" the beta replies after a moment of silence

"It's Kaitlin, I don't know if you remember me, but is it okay if I ask you a few questions?" Kaitlin continued, she was calm, like she'd done it before.

"Yes"

Kaitlin glances at deaton, the thunder outside getting worse "I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd "

"I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like your actually there" she tried her best to keep a steady voice, knowing one wrong word could send the beta into a panic

"I-I don't wanna do that" He was getting scared now, repeating "I don't wanna go that"

"Issac it's all right just relax" Kaitlin glances at Scott, his eyes are on her and he's worried "they're just memories, you can't be hurt by a memories, remember I told you you'll be fine"

"I don't wanna do that"

"Your okay"

"I don't wanna do that"

"Relax" Kaitlin moves her hand around Isaac's, calming him

"Great" Stiles keeps his eyes on the brunette, occasionally glancing at Isaac wearily, Derek takes a glance at Kaitlin, skepticism in his eyes

"Okay, lets go back to that night, to the place you found Erica and Boyd" Kaitlin's head starts to pound, she blinks in an attempt to rush the pain away, continuing her talk with Isaac.

"Can you tell me what you see? Is there some sort of building? A house?"

"It's not a house. It's stone" Isaac's voice is deep and has a cold edge to it, he takes a breath

"I think marble" Kaitlin smiles at the cold boy "that's perfect"

"Can you give me any other descriptors?" She questions, trying not to push him to hard

"It's dusty, so empty" he slowly explains

"Like an abandoned building?"

The lights begin to flicker, Kaitlin's headache worsening, the four men in the room glancing around them and then to Kaitlin

"Issac" Kaitlin's voice is forced and strained, Scott looking at her with worrying eyes

"Someone's here" Issac moves around slightly in the water, he reaches his hand out and grabs Scott's forearm

"Issac, it's okay, relax" Kaitlin tries to reassure the beta

"No, no, no, no. They see me, they see me" Issac screams, thrashing around in the water. Scott and Derek attempt at keeping Issac in the tub of water, him screaming. Stiles looks to Kaitlin, seeing the pain in her eyes

"There just memories, you can't be hurt by memories. Just relax" she reassures him, he keeps a firm grip on Scott's arm as he relaxes

"Good, that's great issac" Kaitlin's headache eases, but she shuts her eyes in pain, Stiles grabs her free wrist gently

She looks at him, he gives her a worried look. She forcefully smiles at him reassuringly

"Now, Isaac can you tell us what you see? Tell us everything" Isaac opens his eyes, his natural blue taking over. "I hear him"

"He's talking about the full moon, about being out of control when the moon rises"

"Is he talking to Erica?" Kaitlins headache is faint now.

"I think so, I can't...I can't see her. I can't see either of them" his lips trembled from the cold "Can you hear anything else?"

Issac has stopped resisting, but the lights flickered. Kaitlin's headache slightly returning

"They're worried, worried what they'll do during the moon, what they're gonna do to each other" The thunder rubbles from outside, Kaitlin's head feels like someone drilling into it now, the tension of the calming spell getting to her head.

"If they're locked in together on the full moon, they're gonna tear each other apart." Derek whispers to Scott who nods in agreement

"Isaac, we need to find them right now" Kaitlin restarts "can you see them?"

"No"

"Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of a marker? A number on a door?"

The beta jumps from the tub, sitting upright, Kaitlin's headache worsens, the lights flickering

"They're here" Isaac whispers, Stiles looks around the room confused and a tad bit scared

"They're here, They're here" he slowly moves lower into the tub, he starts to panic "No They're here"

"They see me. They found me. They're here!" Kaitlins head is throbbing, she moves her hand to her forehead, rubbing it roughly

"This isn't working, Isaac, where are you?" Derek intervenes, yelling at his beta.

Everyone looks to Derek, Deaton beginning to argue with him, Kaitlin's vision goes blurry

"Tell me where you are!"

"I can't see!"

"You're going to confuse him" deaton calmly states "tell me where you are"

"He could go into shock Derek" Kaitlin painfully states to the werewolf

"Derek let him go!"

"Isaac where are you what did you see!" Derek ignores Scott's protests, yelling at Isaac more

"It's a vault, it's a bank vault!"

One last clap of thunder is heard, Kaitlin gets light headed, falling backward as Issac jumps forward from the tub. Stiles moves to catch Kaitlin, the brunette coming in and out of consciousness

"I saw it, I saw the name" he moves to jump out of the tub, Scott takes his eyes off Kaitlin when Stiles reassures him and moves to help Isaac

"It's uh, beacon hills first national bank" he shivers as he's wrapped in a towel

Stiles lowers Kaitlin to the ground, gently holding her head beside him, she Sobers up a bit, looking at the boy drowsily

The others in the room watch Isaac as he explain the bank that Boyd and Erica were being held

"What?"

"You don't remember what you said do you?" Scott questions him "no"

Isaac looks at the pair that sat in the ground

"You said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it." Stiles explains to Isaac, keeping a firm grip on Kaitlin

"What body?"Isaac looks around curiously

"Erica" Kaitlin drowsily buts in, slowly moving her head to look at him

"You said it was Erica"

*****

#teen wolf #stiles stilinski #dylan obrien #scott mccall #stiles stilinski x reader #isaac lahey #stiles x reader #stiles stilinksi imagine #dylan o'brian gifs #alison argent #lydia martin #witchcraft #like magic #magic

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when-they-write-stuff · 4 years ago

Note

I have a prompt for you if you’re not too busy with your WIPs. Stiles and Derek arguing whether Derek is uptight or not. To prove he isn’t Stiles dares Derek to kiss the first guy he sees, so Derek kisses Stiles much to Stiles’s surprise

I’m always down to write a Sterek prompt! And okay, this one is so cute, it had me going through a dozen different scenarios before I settled on one ;)

- -

The thing is, Stiles knew all about Derek Hale.

He knew Derek was an uptight Alpha werewolf who hated things like baby chicks and rainbows and chocolate. He knew this. He’d known ever since they first met and Derek had lobbed Scott’s inhaler at him like it was personally offensive or something.

Derek Hale— Mr. “This is Private Property” — Derek Hale was an uptight Alpha werewolf who needed to learn to relax. And Stiles was determined to teach him.

It started out with a water balloon fight. As most things do.

See, Stiles had started carrying around a packet of water balloons ever since summer started, but they hadn’t been for Derek. Not originally at least. They’d been for Jackson and occasionally Isaac, when he decided to wear a scarf in one hundred degree weather and Stiles felt he needed to be set in place.

But then one day during training, Derek decided to get grumpy about the pack taking a popsicle break. And Stiles knew something had to be done.

He attempted the peaceful approach at first. Read: the peaceful approach being him sticking one slightly melted blue popsicle in Derek’s face and insisting he enjoy himself for once.

“It’s blue raspberry, Derek!” Stiles said, poking Derek in the nose with the tip. Derek growled and tried to bat the popsicle away, but Stiles was determined. “Everybody likes blue raspberry!”

“I don’t,” Derek said, flashing red eyes at him. “Stiles, get that out of my face or I’m going to stuff it down your throat.”

“Fine, no blue raspberry. I’ll get you a cherry one!”

“I don’t want a popsicle,” Derek said, glaring. “I want a pack that doesn’t mess around and gets back in position when they’re told to. This is a training session, not a pool party.”

Stiles yanked the popsicle back with a frown. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Derek said, and flashed his eyes at the pack. A series of groans filled the air.

But one by one, the pack pushed themselves out of the shade of the Hale house porch and plodded back onto the lawn. Stiles clenched his jaw and turned away, stalking inside.

Derek didn’t even try to stop him.

But Stiles wasn’t planning to pout. Instead, he dug the packet of water balloons out of his pocket and started toward the kitchen sink. Lydia came in at one point, empty glass in hand, and proceeded to give him the most judgemental look possible.

But Stiles only flashed her a smile and scooted over. To his delight, Lydia moved to his side and started to help. In less than ten minutes, they had a sink full of water balloons. All set and ready to go.

“You realize this is a bad idea, right?” Lydia said, glancing sideways. “Declaring war on a bunch of werewolves is basically having a death wish.”

“I’m not declaring war on the others,” Stiles said, grabbing two and turning away. “I’m declaring war on Derek Hale, the most uptight and grumpy Alpha werewolf to every grace Beacon Hills with his eyebrows.”

Lydia’s chuckle followed him. Stiles made it to the porch and smiled at Derek’s back, weighing the water balloons in each hand.

“Oh, Derek?”

Derek turned around with an unimpressed expression.

But, seeing Stiles and the balloons he held, his eyes widened. In a second, Stiles had nailed him with the first one, the red balloon exploding against his unfairly solid chest.

The rest of the pack stopped training. Derek stood still for a moment and stared at Stiles, his chest now outlined nicely by his damp t-shirt, and Stiles chuckled nervously, lifting the other water balloon.

“Uh, cool the fuck down?”

“Stiles,” Derek said, eyes bleeding to red. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Only if you catch me first!”

Stiles yelped as Derek leaped forward and lobbed the other water balloon forward, catching him in the shoulder this time. Derek roared and started after him and Stiles squeaked even louder, stumbling into the living room.

Lydia watched from her place on the couch, one delicately manicured brow arching upward as Stiles ducked behind her. She closed her book a fraction and glanced up at him.

“I’m not getting caught in the middle of this, Stiles.”

From the other side of the couch, Derek glared. “Stiles, get over here.”

“No way!”

“Stiles, I’m not going to kill you. I just… want to talk.”

Stiles barked out a terrified laugh. “That’s what they always say, big guy, right before ripping out the side character’s throat or something. And I’m a side character! I don’t feel like dying today!”

“Stiles—” Derek started around the couch and Stiles scrambled in the other direction. Coming to a pause, Derek glared at him again. “Come here, now.”

“No way, you uptight grump! I’m standing for pack freedom! For token human rights! For popsicle breaks on days when it’s a hundred degrees outside!”

Derek’s eyes flashed again and he opened his mouth— but before he could say a word, another water balloon was sailing through the air.

This time, it wasn’t Stiles who had thrown it.

The balloon exploded against Derek’s head and his eyes rounded, mouth still wide open. Water dripped from his hair into his eyes and Stiles spun around, catching a grinning Erica standing in the doorway with three more balloons cradled in her arms.

“Hey, Batman, you looked like you could use a hand.”

“Catwoman, you precious, beautiful, amazing—” Stiles cut off with a yelp as she nailed in him the chest. The grin on her face turned feral.

“Unfortunately for you, it’s every man for himself.”

“Traitor!”

Erica cackled and took off out the door and Stiles scrambled toward the kitchen, only to duck back around the corner when a water balloon exploded against the wall where his face had been. Squawking, he peered around again, and saw Isaac smirking at him.

“Payback’s a bitch, Stilinski.”

“You have no right to use badass one-liners, scarf boy!”

Isaac started toward him and Stiles scrambled in the other direction, ducking through the second door that led to the kitchen. As quickly as he could, he scooped up a handful of water balloons and then took off toward the porch.

The front yard was chaos.

Scott had also gotten his hands on some when Derek had been threatening Stiles’s life and Jackson was half-shifted— which wasn’t good for anyone. Boyd and Erica were nowhere in sight, but Stiles wouldn’t put an alliance beyond them.

He started toward the edge of the preserve, back toward the trees as he kept both eyes on the lawn. And then the porch door opened again and he froze as Derek stepped out, arms laden with water balloons.

Stiles’s heart stopped. Red eyes cut across the lawn toward him and the smirk on Derek’s face could only be described as feral.

“Oh my god,” Stiles said, turning around and fleeing into the trees. Lydia was right, this was a bad idea. He had a death wish. He wasn’t going to live to see another summer.

He wasn’t sure where he was going, but Stiles didn’t dare look back. He raced around the back of the house and started toward the basement door, but didn’t make it before something red was sailing through the air and hit him so hard in the shoulder, Stiles went stumbling.

He tripped over his own feet and went sprawling, all of his water balloons popping against his chest on impact. Stiles groaned and pushed himself up a few inches, before flipping around and gazing at the smirking werewolf who approached.

“Look,” Stiles said, scrambling back. “Derek, Sourwolf, my Alpha o’ Alpha, don’t you think revenge is a little overrated? I mean, come on, shouldn’t we be joining against the masses instead of turning on each other? Think about Erica! Think about Jackson!”

“I’m thinking about how you talk too much,” Derek said, towering over him. “I’ve told you that before, right?”

“I’d like to plea the first.”

Derek held one balloon over his head and let it fall, and Stiles yelped as it exploded in his hair. He glowered up at Derek before shoving himself to his feet.

“Fine, Sourpuss, hit me with your best shot. If only a little loosening up will finally make you unclench and eat a popsicle for once—”

“Seriously, Stiles?”

“Seriously what, you grump?”

One of the balloons popped in Derek’s hand, he was gripping it so hard. Stiles tried not to feel too threatened by that. “Why do you care so much? Why are you acting so juvenile?”

“Juvenile? Juvenile? Me, juvenile? You’re the one that refuses to like blue raspberry!”

“I don’t think that makes me—”

“No, Derek, no,” Stiles said, cutting him off. “You’re the big bad uptight Alpha werewolf who grumps, we get it. But it’s not that hard to unwind and enjoy yourself once in a while, you know. This is a pack house, not a training yard!”

Derek clenched his jaw, glaring at him. “I’m not uptight.”

Stiles huffed. “Sure.”

“I’m not.”

“Then go eat a popsicle.”

“No.”

“Go engage the others with water balloons.”

“No.”

“Then dammit, Derek, do something! Smile a little, make a joke. Eat a chocolate bar without looking like you’re ready physically dying. Give Jackson a hug! Kiss a stranger!”

Derek’s eyebrows flew up. Stiles close his eyes and thought about how far that’d just gotten before silently groaning. Slowly, he opened them again.

“I didn’t mean like, half of that.”

“Good, because those are all stupid and I’m not doing them.”

“Dammit, Derek, seriously? It is possible to go out on a limb once in a while and—”

Derek cut him off with a growl, moving forward. Before Stiles even had a chance to react, Derek’s water balloons were exploding at his feet, there were two hands on the side of his head, and Derek was kissing him.

Derek Hale was kissing him. Like, without trying to rip his face off, kissing him.

Stiles froze and in a second, Derek was drawing back, eyes wide and apologetic. He looked downright shocked at his own actions. The man opened his mouth— no doubt to say something stupid— and Stiles couldn’t have that.

Before Derek could backtrack, Stiles moved forward and shoved their lips together again. It was uncoordinated, messy, and Derek growled again, which made Stiles shiver with nerves. He felt Derek card a hand through his soaked hair. There was water on the man’s upper lip.

“This,” Stiles said in a gasp, not willing to break away yet. “Was not what I expected when I said ‘go out on a limb’.”

“Stiles, shut up.”

“Do I taste like blue raspberry, Sourwolf?”

Derek kissed him harder and Stiles wondered if this was going to happen more often now that it was a clear method of shutting him up. He decided he really didn’t mind. Derek could shut him up whenever he wanted to.

But, because they were in a pack of assholes, a sharp whistle suddenly shattered the air, ruining the moment.

Stiles stumbled back and Derek’s face turned bright red as he spun around. Standing at the corner of the house was the rest of the pack, all looking surprised and disturbed. Other than Erica, that is.

She was grinning from ear to ear. And Lydia just looked unfairly smug.

They were also all holding water balloons.

“Uh, guys?” Stiles said, moving a step back. “I trust this isn’t an interference and those aren’t meant for us? Or at least not me.”

“Well,” Erica said, smirking. “They were meant for Derek but clearly an alliance has been made—”

Stiles was already running. He heard Derek bark his name and laughed hysterically as heavy footsteps caught up with him. Running faster, Stiles thought declaring war on a bunch of werewolves was both the worst and the best thing he’d ever done.

Derek left him behind without hesitation.

Stiles was taken out first.

And he refused to acknowledge the Alpha’s presence until he kissed him again that night; and this time, Derek tasted like blue raspberry.

Things might have been forgiven then.

- -

Okay, now I can feel like I’ve been productive today. Thanks for the prompt, my friend! I had so much fun with it <3

(Support your overcaffinated (so much so) student writer? Seriously, I’d adore you guys so much). https://ko-fi.com/rh27writer

#sterek #teen wolf #when-she-writes-stuff talks #prompts #this was fun!#send me prompts whenever #i'm down #stiles stilinski #derek hale

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stereksecretsanta · 4 years ago

Text

Merry Christmas, kevaaronday!

For @kevaaronday. I tried to use all the tropes you liked, though I played a bit with the coffee shop!AU request. It ended up being pretty long, but I hope it pleases. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Read On AO3

*****

Food, Drinks, and Pings

Stiles just wanted to clear things up—he did not work for Hale Corp, and he certainly did not work for said company’s inhouse café, The Family Bean. He was a writer, who just so happened to have been roped into the gig because he was best friends with the soulmate-fiancée of the best friend of one of the sons of the company’s owners.

See, one of Stiles’ best friends from high school was Erica Reyes, blonde, vivacious, and both crazy and powerful enough to castrate someone with her fingernails. She might look like she just stepped off the catwalk, with her hourglass figure, fluffy hair, and red lips, but she had a knack for business that led to a scholarship at a reputable business school. Stiles, on the other hand, took to writing like a duck to water, thanks to his overactive imagination and ability to turn a phrase. He could write anything and so he did—news pieces, articles, blogs, reviews, as well as a modestly famous soulmate series published under a pseudonym.

Erica’s soon-to-be husband and soulmate was Vernon Boyd III, a tall, dark, and delicious drink of chocolate, who was so fit he could bench press a baby elephant without breaking a sweat. He was the perfect picture of seriousness and silence, that Stiles used to wonder how he functioned as Hale Corp’s Director of Operations. After getting to know him better, he realized just how smart and charismatic Boyd really was.

Boyd’s best friend from childhood was Derek Hale, one of the sons from the famous and powerful Hale Family, owners and leaders of the mass media company, Hale Corp.

Stiles knew of the Hale Family, and who didn’t? You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t know the famous family of business tycoons and titans, a family so rich they could buy a person’s soul even. Nor would someone fail to hear about one of the most powerful love stories that rocked the world.

Talia Hale was the eldest child of the main branch of the Hale family and was poised to take over the world. Desmond Fitzgerald, in contrast, was the only child of elderly parents, and they lived at a shabby, squat house with no electricity, scraping by each and every day.

Talia’s father, the late and great Everett Hale, had visited the local community college as part of their charity program. Talia had tagged along, nineteen and already learning the ropes, and had tripped over the custodian who had been on his hands and knees straightening the welcome carpet.

Take a guess who the janitor was.

An accidental brush of skin, the burning of a Mark, and that was it.

Talia and Desmond turned out to be soulmates, and their Marks, her howling wolf and his crescent moon, had become one of the most romantic symbols of their time.

Now, where did Stiles and The Family Bean came in, you ask?

Aside from writing, Stiles knew his way around a kitchen. His mother had passed away when he was seven, and he had grown up with a Sheriff father who only knew the basics. Stiles had to learn how to cook a meal or risk them subsisting on fried everything and endless takeout orders.

So yes, Stiles knew how a kitchen worked. The thing was, Erica didn’t, and had spent high school eating Stiles’ meals and hanging around his kitchen. Nothing soothed her viciousness and temper like one of his desserts.

So whenever Erica was close to breaking someone’s jaw and risking a lawsuit, she’d invite Stiles over and he would come and work his magic at The Family Bean. It wasn’t like it was such a hardship. The place had a gorgeous kitchen, a full pantry, and a really comfy setup with cozy booths and colorful tables and chairs.

It wasn’t only Erica who benefited. Stiles often found inspiration at the tail end of a whisk or in between beating a dough into submission while listening to Erica’s gossip. He had come to depend on her brand of sass whenever he was suffering from writer’s block, or dealing with annoying clients, or avoiding his editor, Danny Mahealani.

It got to the point that Erica had HR make him a permanent guest entry pass—written down for Stiles S, Food Guy—and everyone knew him by name, the security, the delivery boys, the café’s actual employees, and some of Hale Corp’s employees.

That was what he meant by his original statement: He did not work for Hale Corp or The Family Bean. He was just Erica’s food guy and personal chef. Just another title to add to personal punching bag, platonic soulmate, best friend, and partner-in-crime, among others.

Boyd was surprisingly calm about the guy constantly hanging around his soulmate. Then again, no one would choose Stiles’ skinny ass for Boyd’s lusciousness, so Stiles could understand that he wasn’t much of a threat. Erica said that Boyd knew they were a package deal, and it helped that Boyd had been won over by Stiles’ banana bread. Either way, Boyd was cool and didn’t punch Stiles in the face for his and Erica’s weird platonic love affair.

So, in the end, that was Stiles’ life—work, his Dad, Erica, and his other friends.

Then the Hales happened.

It all started on a fine Monday morning with Kira Yukimura. She was pretty and petite, and the goddess who was actually the one in charge of The Family Bean’s kitchen. She wore floral dresses with studded combat boots, and held katana wielding lessons on Saturdays and a kids’ kitchen workshop on Sundays. Stiles adored her.

So when he walked in that day—after spending the entirety of the weekend not writing, because his protagonists, Peter and Wade, were being idiots—only to hear Kira’s cries for help, he was more than happy to tag in.

“I’m not crying.” She glared at him from where she was assembling sandwich orders, her gaze as sharp as her swords.

“But you still need help,” Stiles said. He put his laptop bag in one of the employee lockers, rolled up the sleeves of his red sweater, and put on an apron. “Erica wants to do lunch, but I decided to come in early.”

Kira nodded towards the window. “All right, because I got a purple ticket for you.”

Stiles jumped up. “Ooh, cool! I’ve never handled a purple ticket before!”

Kira gave him a relieved smile. “Well, today’s your lucky day. One of my employees called in sick, another is late, and I’ve got five packed tickets from different departments, three of them being rush orders, not to mention today’s purple ticket is a little too vague. I’m both swamped and stumped.”

“I’ve got your back, K.” Stiles gave her a salute and bounced over to the ticket tacked up on the holder.

Purple tickets were orders sent straight from the Wolf’s Den. It was the codename for the top floors occupied by the Hale Family and their closest associates. Boyd and Erica’s office were there, too. Stiles had only ever seen it through photos. There was a lot of security posted there, as if guarding the gates of heaven.

Anyway, purple tickets meant VVVVIP orders, note the number of ‘very’s. Kira usually handled those, but she obviously needed help now.

“Now, what do the Lords and Ladies want?” Stiles murmured to himself.

The Family Bean:

MH: hot chocolate

CC: pancakes

SHB: waffles

VHB: dirty chai

LH: anything

“You know who’s who?” Kira called out.

“Yep, I got it,” Stiles replied. He learned about this from Erica.

MH was Matthew Hale, the firstborn son and heir to the kingdom. CC was his seven-year-old daughter, who everyone called by her nickname. SHB was five-year-old Spencer, and VHB was his mother Valerie Hale-Barone, the firstborn daughter, second eldest, and the lawyer of the family. LH was Laura Hale, the third eldest and the maverick of the family. She was the only one not directly working for Hale Corp, and was more involved their side projects.

“Purple tickets are usually like that,” Kira said, looking at him with amusement. Stiles realized he had been frowning in confusion. “Despite being insanely rich people, they’re surprisingly not very picky about what they eat. Laura, in particular, will eat anything. It’s just difficult to give them variety or find a balance between upscale and too simple.”

“And now you want me to take a crack at it?” Stiles asked.

“Sure. It’ll be in my name anyway, and I don’t mind if you go wild,” Kira said encouragingly. It made Stiles grin. Most would be horrified at handing over their precious menu to someone who wasn’t a baker, much less someone who wasn’t a legitimate employee. But Kira had always been a rebel.

Under Kira’s guidance, Stiles filled up a purple delivery bag for the Hales. The dirty chai latte was pretty straightforward, though he didn’t know how Kira usually made it, so he went with his own style. He also made a raspberry hot chocolate, strawberry cheesecake pancakes, mixed berry waffles, and, for the anything portion of the ticket, a berry breakfast parfait made of yoghurt and fruits and graham crackers.

“Tastes awesome and looks pretty as a picture too,” Kira said, nibbling on her own waffle as she sat atop the counter, swinging her legs to and fro. Stiles could see a hint of her soulmate Mark under her dress just on the outside of her thigh. “I still believe you should have been a baker rather than a writer.”

Stiles grinned as he hung up his apron. “I’m both, but one pays the bills and the other’s a hobby. It’s surprising how most people would think one’s the other.”

“Kira?” a voice called out.

Kira perked up and immediately slid off the counter. She straightened her skirt and stepped out the door of the kitchen.

“Good morning, Derek,” she greeted.

Stiles peeked out unashamedly through the service window.

Tall, dark, and incredibly handsome, DH or Derek Hale was the middle child of the family. He was the Chief Financial Officer, and was said to be shyer and quieter compared to his more unruly and flashy siblings. It made sense why he was childhood friends with Boyd. The two seemed to share a calm, quiet demeanor.

Stiles had always thought that Derek was quite handsome in an already attractive family, and every once in a while, he would get front row seats—or the view through the service window—to the man in the three-piece suit with the godly shoulder to waist to ass ratio. It was quite inspiring.

“I heard Val and the others had a purple ticket sent down,” Derek was saying to Kira. “I’m on my way up and I thought I’d bring it along and save you a trip.”

“Oh, thanks, Derek. I’ll get it from the back,” Kira replied. “How about you? Do you want anything?”

Derek thought about it. “Just a drink. Anything you want to make me.”

“So long as it’s sweet?” Kira teased, which made the man chuckle.

It was like a bulb lit up in Stiles’ head.

He met Kira at the door when she walked back in, and it said so much about how awesome she was because she immediately said, “Yes, Stiles, you can make whatever you want. I mean, you’ve already tried your hard at the purple ticket. Might as well go all the way.”

“Thanks, K. You’re a goddess.” Stiles bounced off to the machines. He had always liked a challenge.

In the end, Stiles added his specially made ‘very merry berry frappe’ into the bag. He made sure to put it in a cup cozy to hide the purple color. He wasn’t sure if Derek would mind, but it just wouldn’t do for one of the bosses to be seen with a colorful drink. He let Kira whisk the bag away and they watched Derek exit The Family Bean.

“I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave,” Stiles murmured, eyeing the man’s backside.

“I’ll drink to that.” Kira giggled, clinking her extra glass of frappe against his. “And you’re teaching me the recipe by the way.”

“Not on your life.”

It took eight days before Stiles could once again visit The Family Bean. He had had a burst of inspiration following his last visit and had locked himself up in his apartment. His Dad John and his editor Danny were used to these binges, so they had taken turns visiting him to make sure he was alive and eating actual food rather than inhaling takeout, junk food, and soda.

He had sent off the first few chapters to Danny yesterday and had then slept for about eighteen hours, before Erica had barged in to make sure he hadn’t died. She had been pissed at him last week, annoyed that she hadn’t sampled Stiles’ berry-filled menu, but she’d gotten over it and had even brought groceries before dragging Stiles to The Family Bean for some fresh air and free lunch.

And if that wasn’t enough to perk Stiles up, she and Kira proceeded to tell him how well-received his menu was.

“The kids absolutely loved it, and Laura practically licked her parfait cup clean,” Kira said as they sat around the table for lunch. She had prepared honey sesame chicken, egg rolls, and sweet potato salad. She definitely had Stiles beat when it came to savory meals.

“Valerie was surprised that her dirty chai tasted great. She wasn’t biting people’s heads off more than usual,” Erica shared. She was running her fingers idly over her soulmate Mark, the three claw marks that spanned across her forearm.

Stiles felt pleased at the compliment, but he couldn’t help sending Kira an apologetic look. He didn’t want to usurp her clients and her kitchen.

Kira just laughed. “It’s fine. I know it’s due to your magic fingers and secret recipes. Just teach me how you do Valerie’s dirty chai and we’re good.”

“Sure thing, but it’s nothing special” Stiles said. “I did bring dessert, as thanks for letting me play around last time.”

Kira bounced on her seat. “Tomato pie?”

“With extra bacon and jalapeños, just how you like it.” Stiles grinned and showed her the pie, making Kira squeal.

“You gals eat up. I’ll mix us up some lattes, if you want anything,” he offered.

Stiles went to the kitchen to fix up Erica’s usual iced cinnamon honey latte and Kira’s vanilla almond. He was in the middle of finishing them up when he heard voices out at the main area. He recognized Boyd’s low voice and decided to make him a cup of blond roast with soy milk. He paused when he heard unfamiliar voices and took a peek out the service window. He instantly recognized the small group that had joined Kira and Erica.

There was Boyd, who immediately sat down beside Erica and kissed her cheek. His soulmate Mark was obvious, a rose on the back of his left hand. Stiles liked their marks, very beauty and the beast.

Having come in with Boyd was Derek, who looked just as handsome as he always did in a fetching dark blue suit. With him were his younger siblings, twins Cora and Cameron Hale, the artists of the family, who made music and art, played a bevy of instruments, and also drew and painted. Stiles was only two years older than the twins, but they had more talent in their pinkies than Stiles had in his whole body.

The twins’ Marks were one of the most popular, not just because the two were celebrities, but also because they were incredibly visible. Even from a distance, Stiles could see the compass between Cora’s collarbones and the lighthouse that popped up over Cameron’s collar at the left side of his neck.

Suddenly feeling shy, Stiles stayed in the kitchen and watched and listened.

“Nice spread, Kira. Is that for us?” Cameron asked.

“No, you Hales have your own food upstairs,” Kira said. “I heard Wild Flour Italian sent lunch over.”

Cora rolled her eyes. “Jennifer Blake owns that joint. She’s been trying to get us to come over. No doubt she’ll just use it as some sort of advertisement. I’d rather take a bite of this.” She pointed at their table.

“That pie looks good,” Cameron said. “Can I have a bite?”

Stiles saw the gleam in Erica’s eye.

“Go on,” she said. “They’re good.”

Stiles watched as Erica and Kira offered the Hales a slice each. For some reason, he felt anxious to hear about how his food will be received. It had been nice to hear the rave reviews from Kira and Erica, but it was different seeing their reactions in person.

Cora let out yum-yum noises, which buoyed Stiles’ spirit.

“Okay, that’s pretty tasty. I love the caramelized bacon.”

“Wait, is this tomato in pie? Like a tomato pie?” Cameron asked, inspecting his plate. He took a large bite.

Kira bounced on her seat in excitement. “Yes, isn’t it good?”

“Who made this?” Derek asked. He didn’t look displeased, but he didn’t look happy either. He had a really good poker face. It might be good for business, but it was hard for Stiles to interpret. Stiles noted that he kept on eating the pie though.

“My Food Guy,” Erica said with a smug grin.

“Her Food Guy’s the one who made the berry-eautiful purple ticket that received quite the sensational reviews,” Kira added. She glanced at the service window and Stiles knew she saw him hiding there.

“The one who made my drink, too?” Derek asked.

Kira nodded. “The same one.”

“Spence went gaga for those waffles,” Cameron said. “And Mattie couldn’t believe someone got CC to eat fruit.”

A loud ring cut through their conversation and everyone started pulling out phones to check. It was Derek’s.

“Mom’s calling. Time to go,” he said, standing up.

In reply, Cameron started shoving the rest of the pie in his mouth and also popped in a couple of egg rolls.

“Where’s the Food Guy, though?” Cora asked, head turning to the kitchen. Stiles ducked down behind the counter. “If he makes stuff like this, I wanna meet him.”

“You can order a purple ticket if you want, but he’s not here all the time,” Erica said, and Stiles glared at her in his mind.

“He works part-time?” Derek asked.

“Not quite,” Kira said. “He’s—”

They were interrupted once more by a ringing phone, and this time Boyd spoke.

“Talia wants you all upstairs. Now.”

Stiles peeked out again. Cameron attempted to bring the entire pie tin, but settled for polishing his slice off. He then joined Cora in writing up a purple ticket order. After a moment, Derek put an order in too. The Hales left in a hurry and Stiles leaned right out of the service window just as Kira came bouncing towards it.

“There’s the man of the hour,” Boyd said, with a smirk.

Kira giggled. “Order up, Food Guy. You got a purple ticket.”

“I’m so proud.” Erica mockingly wiped a tear away. “Stiles, my Food Guy, charming the Hales off through the power of food.”

“Oh, fuck you all.” Stiles glared, ducking back into the kitchen.

At the last minute, he reached out and grabbed the purple ticket from Kira, ignoring the others’ laughter.

Over the next three weeks, Stiles prepared four more purple tickets. According to Kira, his drinks and desserts had become quite attractive to the Hales, both because of the taste and the mystery.

“At this point, they don’t even want me handling the tickets. They always ask if The Food Guy is around before they send their orders down,” Kira said. This time, she was the one helping Stiles prepare and pack.

The Wolf’s Den was going to be holding meetings nonstop, so Stiles had to prepare a variety of drinks and snacks. It would have been easy if they had simple requests, but the Hales were a mix of eclectic and frustrating.

“I’m glad you’re cool about this, but the Hales are bound to find out that the one making all their desserts isn’t even an employee,” Stiles said, as he added an extra shot of syrup in Laura’s honey and milk iced coffee. Just like her usual orders, she had asked for ‘any drink that’s sweet’ which was such a large ballpark that Stiles wanted to clock someone over the head, maybe her.

“I’m more surprised that you keep making these for free,” Kira said.

Stiles shrugged. “It’s a challenge, and I like challenges.”

“Really, just for the challenge?” Kira asked. “Stiles, Valerie fell in love with your version of her dirty chai. I did it the exact same way you did, but she insists that it tastes different. Same with Cameron’s favorite spiced coconut coffee. Same with all the desserts you made for the kids…”

Her face turned serious. “Don’t you think there’s more to this? Don’t you think it’s a ping—”

“It’s just for fun, Kira. It’s nothing,” Stiles said, heart rabbiting in his chest. He pushed it down firmly. “Plus, it’s surprisingly inspiring for my stories. Right now, I’m writing a new story for my spy series and I’m trying to solve this thing going on between James and Quentin.”

Kira’s face fell but she smiled, if a bit awkwardly. “Ah, well. Whatever you say, Food Guy. I’m just happy I get free labor out of it.”

“So you’re the Food Guy?”

The two of them jumped up in surprise and they turned around to see that someone had come in through the kitchen doors.

“Nathan, hello!” Kira greeted. “We didn’t hear you come in.”

Nathaniel Hale was the youngest of the brood at nineteen, and with his dark hair and piercing blue eyes, he was quite the heartthrob in an already beautiful family. If that wasn’t enough, he was an athlete and a rising star in soccer.

Stiles didn’t really care at the moment, too busy wondering if the kid had heard what Kira had been saying.

Nathan leaned against the counter. “Everyone was arguing over who was going to pick up the ticket this time. I walked out while Laura was arm wrestling with Cam.”

Kira laughed while Stiles looked away, suddenly awkward.

“Uh, that’s cool and all, but I’m not remotely interesting enough to warrant an arm wrestle.”

Nathan shrugged. “Your stuff tastes amazing.” He smiled at Kira. “No offense, Kira. You’re still queen. But you… you’re interesting.” He gave Stiles a look. “You know, I’ve been ordering the same caramel vanilla iced coffee from The Family Bean for years now. You made it once and now everything else tastes different.”

Stiles couldn’t help flinching. Oh yeah. Nathan had definitely heard Kira.

But Nathan turned to Kira, breaking the stare. “Anyway, is the ticket ready? Can I take it up?”

Kira smiled and handed over the bag. “You just want to lord your victory over the others.”

“Of course. That’s what having siblings is all about.” Nathan scoffed, but grinned. “Anyway, thanks.”

Kira smiled. “Enjoy your meal.”

Stiles watched Nathan leave and rubbed his left shoulder. He had a weird feeling about all this.

A single touch was all it took to find someone’s soulmate. However, people couldn’t just go around touching one another. Some did, but there were laws against touching people without their consent. So Nature, in all its wisdom, gave people the capability to locate their soulmates by following a trail.

The best trail was through family members. Take for example one other famous Hale love story, that of Valerie. Her husband, the Italian magnate Piero Barone, was from a family of vintners. During Talia and Desmond’s trip to Italy, they met Piero at a wine tasting event and immediately felt what Mark experts called a ‘ping,’ a connection between them that hinted at the identity of Piero’s soulmate. Piero followed the Hales to America, met the family—all of which gave off similar pings—was finally allowed a Touch Test with Valerie, and the rest was history.

There were other kinds of trails, like what happened between Boyd and Erica. They both attended the same university, though Boyd had graduated several years earlier. However, even without knowing Boyd, Erica inadvertently joined the same groups and organizations that he had, and even lived at the same apartment that he had rented when he had been a student. Then after Erica graduated, she decided to take a year off to travel. Months later, when Boyd went on sabbatical, he ended up following almost the exact same itinerary. They finally met by chance during an alumni event and got to talking, which revealed all of the things they had in common. Before the event was even halfway through, they had done a Touch Test and found their match.

Stiles’ favorite trail story was of his parents’. John and Claudia met when they were children. Having no siblings, they didn’t have the benefit of a family trail, and being young meant there weren’t a lot of experiences that could link them. However, they had always known there was something special about one another. They grew up together, grew apart, and met later on in life. They still didn’t have the same life experiences—she was a librarian, he was a deputy—but the moment they saw one another again, they just knew.

Sometimes people just knew.

“Well, well, well. I didn’t know we were serving twink in the menu.”

Ordinarily, that comment would have had Stiles lashing out with his sharp tongue, but upon looking up, he hesitated. First of all, the other person was clearly drunk and it was only, Stiles checked his watch, three-forty-seven in the afternoon. Second, the other person was none other than the infamous Peter Hale, Talia’s younger brother.

The eternal bachelor, he was called, well known for his many dalliances and relationships. He was also the Hale with the most well-known Mark, not because it was at a visible spot, but mostly because he tended to flaunt the large image of a bird in flight that was across his chest via his tendency of wearing unbuttoned shirts.

In Stiles’ opinion, Peter reminded him of one of his book characters—the rich and powerful Anthony, who, underneath all the bravado, was desperately looking for his soulmate, only to find it in the fair-haired, gentle-hearted Steven, who wouldn’t take his crap. He wondered who Peter’s soulmate was.

“Oh, for god’s sake. Uncle, come back here!”

Stiles looked up to see Derek jogging over to them, looking both pissed and worried at the man leaning against The Family Bean’s pristine counter.

Peter ignored him. “Oh, lay off, Derek. I want a drink, and this twink is going to make me one.”

Derek turned to Stiles. “Peter, do not call—” He paused, dark eyes widening.

Stiles felt his heart jerk in his chest and his left shoulder burn. He felt like he had been hit in the head, so did Derek going by his gaping.

Peter suddenly tilted sideways, interrupting their stare down. Neither Stiles nor Derek were able to catch the man before he ended up sprawled across the counter. The sight of him had Stiles dredging up some semblance of control. He sighed.

“You are very rude, and also very drunk, but because I feel sorry for you, Mr. Hale, I’ll make you a free drink.”

Derek let out a gurgle and then a cough, obviously holding back laughter. Peter propped himself up on wobbly elbows.

“You feel sorry for me? Don’t you know who I am, kid?”

Stiles was both annoyed by Peter and buoyed by Derek’s reaction. It was probably what sharpened his tongue.

“You’re Talia Hale’s younger brother, but between the supposed—ahh, what was it—Big Bad Wolf of Media and this so-called twink, I’m not the one nursing a hangover at this time of the afternoon.”

Stiles shook his head and walked off, ignoring Peter’s angry, garbled words and the sudden chuckle from Derek. The latter made Stiles’ shoulder ache.

Stiles ignored that and prepared a quick takeout bag. He could hear Peter and Derek arguing out on the main area. It was the work of minutes to prepare a quick smoothie and throw in some crackers and fruits. He walked back out and handed the bag to Derek, but then quickly tucked his hands to himself. The other man’s piercing stare was making him sweat.

Peter grabbed his drink and took a gulp of the smoothie, before asking, “What’s your name, kid?”

Stiles rolled his eyes. Not even a thank you. How rude.

“Not a kid, and there’s no need to know my name since you’re just going to forget it.”

Peter smirked lasciviously. “Oh, that mouth on you.”

“I’m also not into geriatrics,” Stiles was quick to bite back.

Peter’s jaw dropped. “Geria—”

Derek suddenly burst into laughter and the sound of it seemed to fill Stiles’ heart and mind, making his face flush and his body warm. Derek smiled at him and Stiles felt warmth bloom in his chest.

Stiles cleared his throat, trying to will the blush away. He rubbed his shoulder. “Well, anyway, I’m happy to help. I’ll tell Kira you guys dropped by. See you around.” He glanced at Peter. “Not you. Drop dead.” He stepped back.

“Wait!” Derek lurched forward, startling Stiles and also Peter, who, true to Stiles’ words, slid off the counter to the floor. They ignored him.

Derek leaned forward over the counter. “I’m sorry if I’m forward, but are you—”

Stiles shook his head vigorously. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

He ducked back into the kitchen, ignoring Derek’s calls and Peter’s drunken warbling. He leaned against the door and slid down until he could curl up into a ball. He placed a hand over his burning shoulder.

Sometimes people just knew.

Stiles was tempted to stay away from The Family Bean after that. He really wanted to. But it was hard to stay away.

Even harder to stay away from a ping.

Stiles wasn’t stupid enough to let that slip away.

Still, it was hard to face up to it and admit that he had a soulmate.

So for the next two weeks, Stiles stayed away from the front of house, always hiding in the safety of the kitchen. He kept on making purple tickets whenever they came, but he avoided coming out for any reason, especially after Derek started coming by nearly every day. Sometimes he even brought his work over just so that he could stay as long as possible.

It confused Kira and Erica, but they assumed Derek just liked the food. The other Hales also started coming by and many times, Stiles could hear them asking Derek why he was hanging around The Family Bean instead of working in his office. Always, Derek kept mum.

Because as it turned out, Derek hadn’t told anyone about the ping.

In fact, Stiles had a feeling that the only person in the Hale family who knew was Nathan. Maybe because he had already been suspicious of it. Out of all the Hales, he was the only one who didn’t ask Derek about why he kept hanging around the café.

The other one who knew was Boyd.

Derek had been called to a meeting one day, so Stiles had felt it safe to come out and work at one of the booths. He had already fallen so far behind on his writing commitments. After a few minutes, Boyd had dropped by and had joined him. Stiles knew he was typing gibberish on his laptop, but he kept on as an excuse not to look at Boyd, who was looking at him intently.

Finally, he spoke, “Looking back, I guess it wasn’t just your banana bread that won me over.”

Stiles jerked, sending a series of characters across the screen.

Boyd kept on. “I always had a good feeling about you from Erica’s stories, but when we met, that was definitely a ping.”

Stiles bit his lip. “Does Erica know?”

Boyd shook his head. “I love her, but Erica would have thrown a party if she knew.”

Stiles sighed, both in relief and in trepidation for the moment Erica find out.

Boyd studied him. “Derek’s a good guy, you know.”

“I know I got that impression from all the stories you and Erica had of him,” Stiles said. “I always thought it was surprising considering he could afford not to be a nice guy.”

Boyd studied him, making Stiles shift in his seat. “Is that the reason you won’t meet with him? Or do a Touch Test? Because he’s a Hale?”

Stiles almost protested, but he deflated. “…I don’t know.”

Boyd hummed under his breath. “Well, you’ve always played your cards close to the chest when it comes to soulmates, but I know you’ll figure it out.” He stood up. “But you better make it soon. Erica and the rest of the Hales are bound to figure it out.”

Stiles groaned and sank down on his seat.

“Noted.”

The day after that, a still-conflicted Stiles was once again at The Family Bean. Kira had gone up to the Wolf’s Den to deliver the latest purple ticket, so he had to stay and man the counter.

The door let out a little tinkle, and Stiles froze the moment he saw the woman entering the café.

He’d know Talia Hale anywhere.

Stiles almost panicked, but then he remembered that she didn’t know who he was. He took a deep breath.

“Um, good afternoon, Mrs. Hale. What can I get you?”

The woman smiled, quite warm and friendly despite her fierce reputation. “Just some tea, please. And are there any new desserts?”

It had been a moment of weakness, but Stiles had actually brought over some peanut butter stuffed cookies and added it to the purple ticket in the hopes that a certain Hale would like them. He still had a few cookies left, but he wasn’t sure if he should offer them to her.

“I smell cookies,” Talia said pointedly. “I’ll have some of those.”

Stiles gulped. “Ah, we have some peanut butter stuffed cookies. Let me get those for you.”

He swallowed his nerves and served the woman, who took a sip of tea and a bite of the cookie right there on the counter.

She smiled, studying the cookies. “Very tasty.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Stiles smiled politely. He turned away to leave and maybe gather his strength in the privacy of the kitchen.

“When we started hearing about The Food Guy, I admit I was quite intrigued. It’s very rare for someone to grab the attention of my entire family.”

Stiles paused and turned to her.

He should have known.

Stiles nodded stiffly. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Talia smiled, sharp and knowing. “And you, Food Guy.”

“Any reason for the visit?” Stiles asked, shifting on his feet.

“I wanted to meet you,” Talia said, taking another bite of her cookie.

Stiles frowned. “That’s all?”

“Were you expecting anything else?”

“Uh, well, I…”

Talia shrugged and sipped his tea. “I don’t blame you for any misgivings you might have should you prove to be soulmates with my son. I’m well aware of the reputation of my family. My late father, Everett, embodied the might of the Hale name better than anyone. You should have seen him back in the days.”

Stiles held up his hands. He couldn’t help the feeling that he had to explain.

“It’s not that there’s a problem with Derek or your family. Being a Hale isn’t the problem… not entirely…” he hesitated, but then plunged on, urged by the ping he could feel inside him and the desire to make someone understand. “My mom passed away when I was seven. She was soulmates with my father. He was—I was—we were never the same after.”

A heavy silence fell, and Stiles was both nervous and intrigued. Talia’s face changed. Something in her eyes darkened and she pursed her lips.

“Forgive my sudden melancholy, but I was just reminded of something.” She sipped her tea. “I was reminded of my youth. My father, Peter, and I had never been the same after mother walked away.”

“Walked away?” Stiles was taken aback. It was rare to hear any mention of Talia’s mother, but everyone had chalked it up to grief at her passing. “But you all said she died—”

Talia interrupted him delicately. “People think of Marks as the be all and end all where the only answer is yes. But even soulmates are a choice…”

“Desmond grew up without a penny to his name, so he rejected me as he could only see himself as an embarrassment to the Hale family. My opinionated father had, unfortunately, been a contributing factor to that line of thinking. I grew up with a rather jaded view of Marks and pings, and I had seen his rejection as a challenge and not a privilege. Desmond and I, our story had been tempestuous, quite unlike the romanticizing people had done.”

She finished the last of her tea. “If I may be allowed to request one thing, all I ask is that you make a choice so that Derek can do the same. No one in this family will certainly blame you for it.”

Talia pushed her empty cup and plate towards Stiles, and smiled. “Have a good day, Food Guy.”

Stiles watched Talia walk away.

He had some thinking to do.

Stiles took a deep breath and tried not to crush the boxes in his hands. He was nervous and his left shoulder was throbbing.

“Ready?” Kira asked him. She was carrying the other delivery boxes.

“As I’ll ever be,” Stiles replied.

Kira smiled, both encouraging and proud, and nodded to the guard on duty. The man held open the double doors for them, and Stiles was instantly met with a wall of sound.

“Purple ticket delivery,” Kira called out, leading Stiles inside.

The office was spacious, as it should be if it was going to accommodate all of the Hales, and all of them were there. There was a long table at one end where Talia, Matthew, and Boyd were talking and laughing. Desmond was on one couch, talking to Piero and Erica. Laura and Cora were seated on armchairs and were arguing loudly about something. Peter was egging them on. CC and Spencer, were seated in front of a television at a kids’ play area set up in the corner. Cameron was with them, all of them singing along to whatever cartoon was playing. Derek, Valerie, and Nathan were huddled around a table, looking at blueprints.

“Oh, yes! The food’s here!” Cameron cheered, which sent the children shouting as well.

Kira navigated the area like a champ, while Stiles slowly shuffled after. “You guys ordered a lot. I had to ask for help. This is Stiles.”

Stiles didn’t miss the way Derek’s head suddenly jolted in his direction, nor Talia’s proud smile, nor Erica’s sudden screech of “Stiles!” which had everyone else turning their way. Stiles winced. He was going to get his ass kicked later for not telling Erica about this.

“Well, well…” Peter grinned. “Hello there, twink.”

Stiles shuddered. “Still not into creepy old geezers.”

“Oh, wait, wait! Is he the guy who called you a geriatric?” Laura asked, before shrieking in laughter.

“And the one who said Peter should drop dead,” Cora added, cackling.

Laughter rang around over Peter’s protests, and it made Stiles’ heart stutter. He felt warm all over, like the pings going off in his head were doubly delighted at the Hales. He glanced at Derek, who was smiling warmly.

Stiles winced when he caught Erica’s gaze though. She looked between him and Derek and her eyes widened. But Boyd was suddenly there, hand over her mouth and whispering to her.

Stiles helped Kira take out all of the food and the ravenous Hales were quickly upon them.

“Food Guy’s stuff tastes awesome,” Nathan said, licking his cupcake’s icing. He waggled knowing eyebrows at Stiles, who bit back a grin. Cheeky kid.

“Please pass our compliments to the chef, Kira,” Desmond said, reaching for his drink.

Kira giggled. “You can thank him yourself.” She waved at Stiles with a flourish.

Stiles felt a little like a deer in headlights when all their gazes alighted on him.

“You’re Food Guy?” and other iterations of the exclamation rang around the room.

Stiles flushed. “I’m glad to hear you all like what I’ve been making.”

“Oh, wow! How wonderful!” Piero piped up. “I haven’t felt a ping in such a long time. How nostalgic, don’t you think, dear?” He turned to Valerie.

“That’s a ping?” Matthew asked, confused, before his face cleared and he rubbed his chest. “Oh, hell, this is a ping.”

“Is that the tingly feeling here, Uncle Mattie?” Spencer asked, pointing at his tummy.

Erica finally managed to get out from under Boyd. “Stiles, did you ping with Derek? Is that why you’ve both been hanging around The Family Bean? You’ve both been pining over each other!”

Stiles groaned, while gasps and shouts suddenly rang around the room.

Kira sighed. “Way to ruin it, Erica.”

“You mean I was pinged through a tomato pie?” Cameron was asking, wide-eyed.

Cora started laughing. “Oh my god! Uncle Peter flirted with Derek’s soulmate!”

“That’s Uncle Derek’s soulmate?” CC asked.

“Yes, he is.” Nathan looked like he was immensely enjoying all this, and Stiles was starting to realize that he was a little shit.

Derek stepped towards Stiles. His face was a little red, but he was smiling and Stiles thought he was the handsomest man he had ever seen.

“My family’s a mess. Please ignore them,” Derek said, ignoring the protests from his siblings.

Stiles chuckled. “At least they keep things interesting. It’s just me, my Dad, and her.” He jerked a thumb at Erica.

“Oh, fu—dge you!” Erica said, glancing at the kids. She turned to Boyd. “And I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”

Boyd rolled his eyes. “I was giving him space to process things.”

Stiles ignored them and turned to Derek. He only had one chance to do this.

“Ah, sorry, it took a while. I was figuring stuff out, but I thought we should get to know one another first.”

“Of course,” Derek said immediately. He reached out a hand. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you, Stiles.”

Stiles glanced at Talia, who was whispering to her husband. She winked at Stiles.

“Soulmates are a choice.”

Stiles smiled at Derek. He could feel his Mark tingling in anticipation.

“Me too, Derek.”

He reached out and took his hand.

#kevaaronday #stereksanta20 #*fic20 #*gifts20

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