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Derek Hale has always been a little bit afraid of Stiles Stilinski.
When Derek was younger, he’d returned to Beacon Hills during the time after Laura’s death and he’d developed a bizarre and very unwanted obsession with Stiles. The guy always had this uncanny knack of showing up just when Derek needed him most, putting himself in harms way without a second thought and it fascinated Derek on a very basic level.
Derek just didn’t understand the guy. Stiles was exactly the opposite of every terrifying thing that Derek knew, everything that Derek was scared of, yet weirdly, Stiles scared him more than anything else. Stiles was a bright light when Derek knew only darkness.
See, Stiles wasn’t a wolf. He had no extra defence against the bad guys, yet, heartbeat tripping and panic attack at the ready, Stiles would always put himself in harms way for the people he cared about. Derek just didn’t get it .
Stiles always did the right thing, even if it was the wrong thing for himself; case in point when he had held Derek up in a pool for two hours straight to save him from drowning, right after the Kanima scratched him. Derek had been sure one of them wasn’t going to make it through that night and yet, they had. Thanks to the puny human, not the big strong werewolf. Thanks to Stiles.
Stiles had made him itch back then, getting right under his skin, challenging him on every little decision he made and it hadn’t always felt like it was a good thing. Stiles had been clever, sharp as a whip and damn, was he mouthy.
It had made Derek want to make him get in line so badly, Derek’s misplaced ideals of pack and hierarchy at the forefront of all his decisions. Stiles just constantly refused to fit that and it drove Derek to distraction.
Derek still cringes at how he treated Stiles when he met him first, slamming him into lockers, bedroom doors and just generally shoving him about at every chance he got.
He never really hurt him though. Derek always found it ironic because even then, even when he was shoving his stubborn, shaved head into a steering wheel, if he’d seen anyone else so much as lay a hand on him, he’d probably have torn their arm off at the socket.
But Stiles had never really seemed to mind his grumpy demeanour. Quite the opposite. Stiles had fought with him, goaded him and sassed him back and they settled into something different to each other over the years, something that Derek respected. Something that Derek relied on.
Derek remembers clear as day the exact moment he met him, when he’d been wandering the woods looking for Scott’s inhaler. Stiles had been wearing that stupid t-shirt with a target on it under about twenty layered jackets. He had that ridiculous buzz cut going on, huge bambi eyes, wide and curious, but not scared. Never scared. Not of Derek. Stiles’ hands had been shoved in his pockets as he shuffled from foot to foot under Derek’s glare, bouncing with energy and Derek had been just captivated. And Scott. Derek remembers Scott had... well he’d been there, Derek was sure.
Derek had been barely twenty at the time and grieving the loss of his sister. That was when he’d thought Laura had been his last living relative (save for comatose Peter- aka- his favourite version of Peter) and Stiles had been just sixteen.
Derek had been absolutely consumed with the thought of dying back then. It had been this palpable thing, this living creature in his chest, this fear of not being strong enough, not being brave enough. That he’d go out like Laura, afraid and alone. It made him defensive and angry and lucky Stiles got to meet him at his very worst.
Death was pretty much all Derek had known in his adult life up to that point, and actually, then for some years after that. He always remembers how he naively went to sleep every night in that awful burnt out house, thinking that at least it couldn’t get any worse and then of course it did. It got a lot worse. Repeatedly.
After he’d killed Peter and became the Alpha he remembers losing time, just consumed with worrying, crippled by fear.
Derek remembers he’d be numb throughout the days, going through the motions; then at night he’d wonder for hours and hours how it would happen, if he’d be alone when it finally caught up with him. His personal Derek Hale curse, no other explanation for why everyone kept being taken away from him. That crushing feeling of dread, that something bad was about to happen, it never really went away. Not for a long time. It just morphed with every passing threat, whether his end would come at Kate Argent’s hands, or Gerard’s, then at Jennifer’s. He survived her, again, partly due to Scott and Stiles. Then it was on to the Alpha pack, then back to Kate’s hands again...
And so, on and on it went, for years and years. The world trying to remove him and him clinging on, with a little help from Stiles and the pack.
Until, it just stopped.
As Stiles had slowly ingrained himself into Derek’s life, his obsession had morphed into something else, something different. Despite Derek trying to constantly push Stiles and his merry band of teen delinquents away, he’d just kept coming. No matter how grumpy, how sarcastic, how downright unresponsive Derek tried to be toward him, Stiles was just always... there.
Stiles had privately become something for Derek to rely on, someone to depend on, someone to care about. An anchor.
From experience, Derek knew that having someone like that around was a dangerous thing. For both of them.
Derek knew he had developed a serious problem when he began his deep worrying, not for himself, but for Stiles and the pack instead. He no longer worried if he’d die alone and instead, he spent sleepless nights worrying if he’d be the cause of Stiles’ and his friends deaths.
And so, he’d obsessed and he’d worried and he’d fought, with those thoughts to fuel him, those people to protect and it had somehow worked. They got through it together somehow but not without casualties.
They lost Allison, Boyd and Erica... but they gained people too, like Cora and Liam.
Somehow, against the odds, everyone who was left standing had made it through the darkness, out the other side, into a strange sort of calm adult existence; well, calm enough so that Derek had been able to walk away from Beacon Hills for good.
He still comes back when Stiles asks him to though, at the drop of a phone call, an invisible string tying him to them all, tying him to Stiles, whether he wants it or not.
It had been a million times harder to walk away from him, from them all, the second time; after all the Monroe shit went down, Derek was more sure than ever that Stiles and the pack were absolutely fine without him. They’d become strong, resilient.
It was so different to when he’d left them in Mexico. They were no longer well intentioned yet blundering teenagers, but capable, clever adults and Derek was confident in their ability to face any new threat. He was sure they could handle anything at this point. They didn’t really need him anymore.
So again, he’d left.
Derek tells himself that walking away had been so much harder that time, so much more difficult than Mexico, just because he hadn’t seen them in so long. It was just stupid nostalgia.
He’d also put the sharp pang he’d felt in his chest as he drove out of Beacon Hills down to that. That was where nostalgia hurt right? Right in the heart?
Or that’s what he’d told himself anyway, nodding into his rear view mirror, watching Scott and Stiles stare after him waving him away. It certainly had nothing at all to do with the way Stiles now looked in an FBI academy jacket, how different he was at nineteen, how confident his stance was. How he was the still the same Stiles, smelled the same, had the same eyes but he was brand new all at the same time and Derek ached to explore him.
It had nothing to do with the way Derek yearned to get to know him again, nothing at all to do with how he wanted so badly to see how all those fucking amazing qualities Stiles had possessed at sixteen translated into adult Stiles. Derek itched to know if he’d still be funny, if he’d still be kind and loyal. If he’d still be passionate and if he’d still get exasperated by Derek so easily. If he’d still flirt with him shamelessly, pushing his buttons, but now with the terrifying but inevitable possibility that it could turn into something more.
Derek knew the answer to all of those questions already and he wanted, god, he wanted. But, he knows his want is a dangerous thing and he wasn’t willing to do that to Stiles. He isn’t willing to want him. He won’t ever put that on him.
So yes, Derek still shows up when they need him, but the occasions become few and far between as time drags on and the years pass quickly.
Before Derek’s blinked, he’s thirty, still very much alive and he’s, dare he say, fairly satisfied with his life. Mostly.
Cora doesn’t say a lot to him whenever he returns from Beacon Hills to help everyone out with something, the few times he’s gone at Stiles’ request.
The last time had been over four years ago and after he came back that time, Derek had stayed in wolf form for an entire week.
Stiles hadn’t even been there, he’d called on Scott’s behalf. Derek tries not to think about how disappointed he’d felt when he’d arrived and he’d realised that he wouldn’t get to see Stiles at all.
So yeah, mostly Derek’s satisfied. Except when he thinks about Stiles.
When he wonders what Stiles is doing, where he is and who he’s with. Wonders if he’s happy.
Then, instead of being satisfied, he wants.
He wants so bad it hurts. So he does with that, what he does with all of the other painful things in his life.
He buries it.
——————
Derek’s ring tone wakes him and he blearily blinks to consciousness, the darkness telling him it’s still very late at night. Or super early in the morning. Whatever.
The numbers on his alarm clock glare red at him. 3am.
He grabs his phone and he clicks ‘answer’ without checking the caller ID. He knows it can’t be anything good. For some reason people don’t tend to call for a casual chat in the middle of the night. Not usually anyway.
“What.” He grunts, kicking his light white sheets off his legs and he sits up, bare feet hitting the cold wooden floor. It’s hotter than hell in his room and he stands up to check that the air con is still cranked up high.
It’s turned off. Fucking Cora and her obsession with saving on the electricity bills. If she had her way they probably wouldn’t even have lightbulbs.
It’s not even like they need the money. He cranks the little dial back up to full again, sighing in relief as the cool jets of air begin to circulate and he sits back down on the end of his bed.
“Derek. You there man?” Scott McCall’s shaky voice rings out in his ear and Derek’s immediately on alert.
Considering it’s been four years since he’s spoken to him in person, he’s hit with a wave of panic. Scott emails occasionally, pictures of his kids, keeping him up to date on the happenings of Beacon Hills, but he never calls him.
Stiles texts him a few times a month to check in, sometimes it’s just a random meme, but still. Stiles is always the one to call him when they need his help with something.
The fact it’s not Stiles calling is worrying. Very worrying.
Stiles had even messaged and invited Derek to his twenty sixth birthday party just last week, as he was going to be using some vacation time to visit his Dad back home.
Derek had politely declined his offer, just like every other time, knowing that every time he saw him it was just that little bit harder.
He hasn’t laid eyes on Stiles in over four years either.
Derek has decided he would save his visits for life threatening emergencies only, thank you very much.
Derek’s got a bitter taste of regret in his mouth now though, as he thinks of Stiles and a million horrendous possibilities flash through his mind about why Scott’s the one calling and what could have happened to him.
He could have been there. He should have been there with him. Story of his life.
“What’s wrong... is it Sti... Just tell me.” Derek growls, heart pounding in his chest.
His fangs are heavy in his mouth and he hears the plastic of his phone creak from where he’s got a death grip on it.
He fucking knew this moment would come and where is he, three fucking hundred or so miles from Beacon Hills, that’s where.
He tries to ignore the fact that his legs seem to have gone to jello and he manages to shift back to human as he holds his cell phone looser, knuckles white.
“I don’t really know how to tell you this man...” Scott carries on as if he’s not about to rip Derek’s heart right out of his fucking chest.
“Just... just say it Scott.” Derek snarls and he hears doors slamming and a lot of rustling, followed by a yelp of pain from Scott.
“Der? It’s me. It’s Stiles,” Stiles’ voice rings out over the line and Derek nearly crushes the phone when he shifts again, this time giving over to the wolf in beta, as relief crashes through him.
He nearly laughs out loud at the ridiculous notion that Stiles thinks he won’t recognise his voice, as if it’s not carved in his memory, like a well visited secret.
He hears a muffled thumping noise and Scott yelling.
“You’re a goddamned idiot Scott, I told you to wait until I got here with... you know... and I said I’d call him myself. Why are you such a turd? Yep, that’s what you are, a hairy turd. You probably gave the poor guy a heart attack thinking something was wrong, calling him in the middle of the night. Turd. Uber turd. Der, you still there?” Stiles asks, half talking to Scott and half talking to him.
Derek can tell he’s buzzing with something, voice vibrating with a mix of what sounds like nerves and excitement.
“Yeah. I’m still here...” Derek manages to choke out, trying not to give away the fact that he was seconds from shifting to full Alpha wolf and racing to Beacon Hills to tear the limbs off the person or the thing that dared to take his... His brain scrambles for the right word... take his... his Stiles... yeah, to take his Stiles away.
He palms his forehead with a groan. He’s not ‘his Stiles’. He’s got issues. So many issues.
Derek jerks his head up as a sleep mussed Cora opens his bedroom door, eyes wild. She’s obviously picked up on his distress and she leans against the frame, eyebrow cocked curiously and she gestures toward the phone.
When he mouths “it’s Stiles” she makes kissy faces at him. He directs his best glare at her, teeth bared and all, but sadly, she’s immune.
She mouths back “what does he want?”
Derek shrugs as if to say Hell if I know and he puts his cell on speaker phone, placing it down flat on the bed so she can listen. He runs his hands over his stubble, letting the friction on his palms sooth him.
“So... There’s not really a good way to say this so I’m going to just... yeah... well you know how it’s been rather quiet of late on the supernatural front back in the old Beacon of Hills? I had some time off, as you know, happy birthday to me. Thank you for that grumpy cat eating a cake picture by the way Derek, felt like you were really there with me. Well, I got bored, as I do, binge research is thy middle name... well actually that’s a lie, it’s Jerry, thanks a lot Mom but wait....You didn’t need to know that part,” Stiles doesn’t take a breath.
“Stiles...” Derek warns, trying to reign him in a little.
“Sorry. Sorry. I’ve had like a thousand cups of coffee tonight to keep me awake, I’ve been driving for like three days dude. So look, I’ve got access to a lot of information that I didn’t have before now, new databases through work. I started looking at cross state animal attacks as we’ve really cleaned up Beacon Hills, as you know! So I’m looking a little wider, at arrests for any signs of random Werewolves out there, anyone who might need some help, so that I could point Saint Scotty in their direction. Or any bad guys that we might need to go and smack down,” Stiles tells him.
“Smack down? You are aware that you’re not WWE wrestlers yeah?” Derek is smiling despite himself.
“Dude shut up, don’t distract me. Anyway, I got this hit on a homicide from about a week ago from a town a few hours from Beacon Hills. The person that got killed was called Kate Evans and this kid that did it, I don’t know man. It stank, I don’t know why but it got my spidey sense tingling, SHUT UP SCOTT, IT IS A REAL THING! I started looking into it properly and then a buddy in Medford PD sent some pictures of the crime scene and when I saw the ‘victim’ I just knew I had to dig deeper. I got the kids name first. Then I found a picture of him and shit, it was like staring at... I’ve no idea how to say this and I didn’t want to tell you until I’d seen it for myself, so I just got in the jeep and went there. Then he wanted to come back with me, which I wasn’t really expecting. I had to pull a lot of fucking strings but, yeah, he wants to see you guys. He... he’s fucking alive. Der... I erm... I found Leo,” Stiles finishes on a rush of breath.
Derek doesn’t really know what happens next because he loses control, the shift roaring through him in a way that it hasn’t since his first time under a full moon, blood thundering in his ears. When he comes around, his room is in absolute ruins. The shredded white curtains are spattered with blood, billowing with the wind coming up from the sea and the window itself is in shards all over the floor. His bed sheets and mattress are totally torn up and there are little tufts of material clinging to every available surface, every bookcase. There are numerous books littering the floor where he’s clearly tipped the furniture and his mirror is fragmented in the frame.
The hum of the air conditioner whirring in the background is familiar and comforting and he matches his breathing to it, blinking the red hue away slowly.
Cora is sitting in the corner of his room on the hardwood floor, knees tucked up under her chin and her face is tear stained. She’s tucked her long dark hair behind her ears and it makes her look like a little kid all over again.
“Fuck,” Derek scrambles over to her on his hands and knees, running his hands roughly all over her to check for injury, glass crunching under him and ignoring the pain as his skin heals instantly. “Did I hurt you? Cora? Fucking talk to me.”
Derek’s brain comes back online as he tries to process just what sent him into such a rage that he completely blacked out.
Cora stills his hands and gives him a beautiful smile, one Derek’s only seen directed at him when they were little.
Like a punch in the gut Derek remembers Stiles’ words.
“Leo’s alive Der,” Cora laughs, this manic sounding gurgle and Derek tries to swallow against the lump in his throat, but he feels like he’s choking, mouth dry.
His whole body is fighting the urge to believe it, he can’t quite accept it and if it had come from anyone other than Stiles, he might not have.
But he knows in his very bones that Stiles wouldn’t have picked up that phone and said those words unless he was damn sure, not a doubt to be had.
Derek lets out a pitiful whine and something loosens in his chest. It’s a long time since he’s felt it, so he doesn’t recognise the feeling straight away as it washes through him but he sits back with a huff on his butt when he realises what it is. It’s hope.
His baby brother is alive.
————————
After Cora retrieves Derek’s phone from under the bed and calls Stiles back (Derek now has eighty two missed calls and sixteen voicemails that documented Stiles’ descent into panic over the past fifteen minutes) they’ve managed to make a plan.
Derek has a bag half packed by the time Cora hangs up and he pauses at her stern look.
“Stop packing dooshbag. They’re going to come here. Tomorrow night. They’re going to sleep the journey off first, they’re all pretty exhausted. Leo’s sleeping already, they’re at the Sheriff’s house. Apparently Stiles had to drive to Oregon to get him. They’ll make the drive down here to the coast tomorrow,” Cora tells him.
“Is he... who’s watching him?” Derek grunts.
“Everyone. Stiles said Scott’s there with Melissa and The Sheriff. Malia showed up when I was on the phone... she thought he might want to smell someone who was blood related, even loosely. She said it comforted her when she used to smell you,” Cora shrugs.
“Stiles is staying there?” Derek demands.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t think you could get him to leave the kids side if you wanted to. He sounds exhausted. I told him to get some sleep and he said his Dad’s gonna take over watch for a bit. He told me to tell you that he was going to sleep sitting against the door of the room where Leo’s asleep though. He said to tell you it’s his old room and don’t worry, he’s fixed the lock on the window since back in your day. Not sure I want to know what that means,” Cora chuckles.
Derek nods, satisfied. Stiles is about the only person on the planet he thinks he would trust with this. With Leo.
Derek looks around his ruined bedroom. He’s literally itching to get to Beacon Hills but he knows he could probably use the extra time to get the house ready and calm himself down a bit.
This is the longest he’s ever settled anywhere aside from his childhood home and he really likes it here. He’s kind of feeling relieved that they’re coming to them, he won’t have to add in the feeling of being on unfamiliar ground to his nerves. Beacon Hills hasn’t felt like home for him in a really long time.
Cora had insisted that Derek sell the loft and they used a chunk of their inheritance to buy this place, in a small but busy beach town called Capitola, Monterey Bay.
Derek hadn’t been all that keen at first when Cora had broached the subject after their lease was up on their rental, but she’d worn him down eventually. When the realtor had shown him and Cora around this place some years ago, Derek had been kind of hooked and he’d had to spend a week ignoring Cora’s smug grin.
The house is large and open, fully detached and it doesn’t feel suffocating in the way the loft had. It had smelled new and that appealed to the wolf in Derek as much as the modern fittings appealed to his human side.
When the realtor had walked them up the stairs that led to two massive bedrooms, Derek had been intrigued. When he’d seen the floor to ceiling bedroom windows that overlooked an area of private beach leading to the ocean, Derek had been completely sold.
He’d taken great pleasure in wiping the bored and dubious look off the realtors face when he put down a cash deposit the very same day. To this day he can still recall her condescending face, annoyed she was wasting time showing them around. She’d still checked Derek out though and flirted shamelessly with him, much to his annoyance. Derek had hated her on sight.
Derek has another moment of panic.
What if Leo doesn’t like it here on the coast? What if he does like it here... will he want to stay?
Derek hasn’t seen Leo since he was two, the kid would be what now, sixteen? The same age as Derek had been when Kate had taken his virginity and burned his entire family alive in the same weekend.
Well... not quite his entire family, it would seem.
Derek knows that Laura hadn’t known that Leo was still alive and he feels a pang that she won’t get to be here for this. She’d been a few years older than Derek and she’d taken Leo everywhere with her, she’d absolutely adored him. Derek remembers many nights when he’d found her reading to Leo on their back porch, swinging them back and forth on the chair, his chubby little fingers buried in her hair.
She would have burned the earth down trying to get to him if she’d known that he was still alive. She would be good with this, she’d have known what to say to the kid when he arrived.
Questions bounce around Derek’s head.
So how did Leo end up in Oregon? How much does the kid know? Who was Kate Evans? When did Leo present as a wolf? Two years old had been too young for Derek to tell, but from what Stiles told them, it would seem Leo’s definitely a Werewolf.
He’s got so many questions for his brother, but he needs to make sure he doesn’t scare the kid away either. He needs to curb his anger and focus it. He needs to anchor himself.
It’s probably for the best that Stiles is coming too.
Derek paces up and down on the balcony of his bedroom, chewing his lip, popping and retracting his claws repetitively, as if he were clicking on the lid of a pen.
Cora puts up with it for a full minute, generous for her, before she finally snaps.
“Derek! Lets go and make some coffee and draw up a list of what we need to do before tomorrow huh? I’m not going to be able to sleep now anyway, are you?” Cora growls at him.
Derek stops his pacing and looks around at his mess of a room again and he wonders what Stiles will think of it.
He shakes his head as if to clear his wayward thoughts, stomach roiling in guilt that he’s even thinking about Stiles right now.
They have guest rooms, all with en suites on the ground floor below, why would Stiles even see his bedroom? It’s just his and Cora’s rooms up here, Stiles won’t even have a reason to come up to this floor. Derek’s certainly not about to give him one.
It doesn’t matter what Stiles thinks. He nods to himself, as if that will make it true.
“We have four guest rooms we could make up, who did Stiles say was coming altogether? Is Stiles driving himself?” Derek tries for casual and misses by a country mile if Cora’s devilish smirk is anything to go by.
“Leo, the Sheriff and Melissa, Stiles and Lydia, well she’s coming up a bit later tomorrow night actually... Scott, Malia and the twins...” Cora lists, still smirking.
“Christ, why are they all coming? Well no, I mean it’s good. That’s great. That’s enough room then... Leo can even have his own room. If he wants. Great. That’s so great.” Derek tries to ignore the fact that Cora said ‘Stiles and Lydia’ as if they were a pair.
“Yep. You said ‘great’ already,” Cora smirks but Derek scents the air and she smells like pure elation and it’s contagious.
“How long for?” Derek asks.
“For a few days. The Sheriff finishes work tomorrow afternoon and he’s off until Monday. Scott and Malia have the weekend off too. Stiles said he’s got another week before he has to fly out for work, so he said he’d stay as long as you wanted him to...” Cora pins him with a look.
Derek rolls his eyes at her. Her happiness is rubbing off on him though, Derek can feel it pouring out of her.
“Get to the kitchen, you’re being really annoying,” Cora tells him.
Despite himself, Derek grabs her and gives her a tiny squeeze of a hug before storming off downstairs to their kitchen.
“When you boss me around you remind me of Laura,” Derek yells.
“Love you too bro,” Cora calls after him.
He smiles dopily at the few pictures he’d salvaged of his parents, lining the staircase. He nods at them as he passes by.
———————
Cora’s ‘to do’ list keeps him busy all of Friday morning and it takes up a good portion of his afternoon too.
As he sleepily walks around the big supermarket just outside town, he suspects Cora might have added a few extra things onto the list that didn’t really need doing, just to keep him occupied.
Their local stores probably had most of this stuff, but she’s written bizarrely specific things like “pink spotted tablecloth” and “new blue deckchair with ducks on”.
He’d spent a good hour cleaning all the light and lampshades this morning at Cora’s insistence. He’d also been out to purchase, then construct new bedroom furniture for himself and cleaned up all the glass in his room.
He didn’t want to drive out this far just to get groceries either but he needed to buy a new mirror for his bedroom too and some extra pillows and he couldn’t be bothered going into stacks of different stores. Cora’s suggestion of going to the superstore actually made sense.
Derek spontaneously throws some boys clothes into the trolley, swim trunks and t-shirts, that sort of thing in a few sizes, just in case Leo doesn’t have any stuff. He adds a few shower gels and body sprays (sixteen year olds liked axe right?) and then he decides he’s going overboard when he spends over twenty minutes trying to decide on which Pyjamas to get him. He settles for some plain navy blue shorts and a vest.
Derek decides he will give Leo his credit card when he arrives and he can order himself some stuff he wants and get it delivered. Then he shakes his head, doubting himself. Maybe Leo won’t even want to stay.
Luckily, Cora had managed to get some contractors to come and do a repair on Derek’s bedroom window that morning and he’d ordered a new mattress on express delivery; it arrived just as he was on his way out to the store.
Cora said she’d make up his bed for him and she’d ushered him out of the door, sensing his need to stay busy, but now he’s flagging, arms leaning heavily on the cart for support. He’s dead on his feet.
Derek fills the cart with heaps of fresh produce and he tries not to overthink it when he chucks in a pack each of Dr. Pepper and some pop-tarts along with a few cases of beer. Plenty of people like Dr. Pepper and pop-tarts, he reasons. Plenty of people other than Stiles.
He takes them out twice and then throws them back in, eyebrows furrowed. He’s giving up. He’s an indecisive mess.
When he gets to the checkouts he winces to see it’s his least favourite person running them and he doesn’t know if he can take her shit today. She’s nearly the entire reason why usually he shops local and the universe clearly despises Derek because she’s always here when he is.
‘Call me Darlene’ spots him and Derek can see her snide grin from a mile away. She’d asked him out a few times and after the eighth time Derek had muttered a polite but firm “no thanks” she’d taken to displaying barely disguised hostility toward him.
Derek winces. Give him a claw fight with a feral Werewolf any-day but pit him against a scorned small town girl? No thank you Ma’am.
He sighs deeply when he realises she’s the only cashier working and he resigns himself to standing in her line.
When she scans his items through she pops a large bubble of gum right at him.
“So Mr. Too good for the girls of this town... Having a party are we?” Darlene asks, snarfing her gum back into her mouth, voice candy sweet. She’s artfully riding the line between playful teasing and being just plain mean.
Not for the first time Derek thinks he should report her to her manager, but she always pulls back her attitude just as he’s about to crack.
“Sort of,” Derek mutters, hoping to get this over with sharpish.
“Can I come?” Pop.
“It’s kind of a small thing,” Derek says with growing alarm. She clearly has no boundaries.
She looks him up and down and it kind of makes him want to vomit.
“I doubt that. Come on, it could be fun,” Pop.
“Seriously. I haven’t seen my brother for a while. It’s a family thing,” Derek stares fretfully at his items and sighs with relief as she finally picks up the last package on the belt, the pop-tarts.
“I won’t intrude. I’d love to see where you live and all,” Pop.
It seems Darlene is worse with people than even Derek is.
And Derek will later blame exhaustion and the overload of traumatic information from the early morning for what comes out of his mouth next; it’s partly that and partly because he just can’t stand the way Darlene looks at him and how she pushes at him, but he snaps.
“My boyfriend’s coming too actually,” Derek blurts, going red from neck to ear as he says, “yeah, he’s kind of the jealous type. So... sorry.”
And that does it.
Darlene eyes him with suspicion and she stops chewing, handing him the pop-tarts, which he hastily shoves into the bags along with everything else.
After a minute of careful consideration and one more pop of her gum, Darlene rings him up, points at the total and nods.
“Well that explains why you don’t want a piece of this then doesn’t it hot stuff. You have a great weekend now,” She says sweetly, waving him off.
Derek shudders and he practically jogs to his car.
———————
When Derek pulls his car into the driveway of the house, gravel crunching under his tyres, the sun’s about to set. He can see more cars in the drive and his stomach roils with nerves. His baby brother is in his house right now. And potentially he’s killed someone.
Derek sits in the car for a few minutes longer than he intends, forehead resting on the hot leather of the steering wheel. He knows the wolves probably heard him pull up anyway, so he forces himself to get out, hands shaking.
He spots a blue jeep and spares a second to marvel at Stiles still keeping that piece of crap going and then he imagines what Stiles will say, when he sees that Derek’s still driving the Camaro.
Derek unloads the grocery bags slowly onto the front doorstep, dragging his feet and he makes a final trip to grab the beer. When he turns around from locking his car he startles.
“Good to know I can still get the drop on you wolf-man,” Stiles is leaning casually against the closed door of his jeep, easy grin on his face.
Helpless, Derek takes him in, dragging his eyes over him. If Stiles had been appealing to him at nineteen, well it doesn’t have a fucking patch on the twenty six year old Stiles standing in front of him.
Stiles is wearing beige slacks and sneakers and a tight earthy green t-shirt that does ridiculous things to the colours in his brown eyes; he also has a few laugh lines there that weren’t present the last time that Derek saw him.
Derek rakes his eyes over Stiles’ exposed arms and his gaze lingers on the lithe muscle there. The evidence of years of staying in shape, working as an FBI field agent is blatant and was he always that hairy?
Derek’s mesmerised by the dark hair running up his arms and it’s only when Stiles clears his throat and flails his hands at him that Derek manages to bring his eyes to his face.
Stiles’ brown hair is longer and he looks taller somehow, fitting his body in a way Derek’s never quite seen on him. He looks totally comfortable in himself, propped there against the jeep like he does this every day, like he’s not making Derek readjust his entire world view just by being there.
Derek scents the air blatantly and he steps closer to him, pleased with the way Stiles’ heartbeat spikes a little, despite his cool demeanour.
“Hey Hale. Looking good,” Stiles grins, still not moving an inch, even when Derek’s only about a metre away.
“Hey... you... Stiles... I can’t believe you...” Derek doesn’t even know where to begin, to explain the gravity of the gift Stiles has given him and Cora.
Derek puts the crates of beer down, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He doesn’t know what the etiquette here is, if he can touch him.
Stiles rolls his eyes at him and that’s supposed to be Derek’s line.
Stiles pushes away from his jeep and he envelops Derek in a hard hug, body moulding immediately into his. Stiles pats him on the back and doesn’t move away until Derek sags into him.
“You ok big guy?” Stiles’ breath is warm on his neck.
Derek shakes his head. No. He’s not ok, for a multitude of reasons.
Derek scents him when Stiles goes to pull away, letting his thumb trail over Stiles’ jugular and he tries not to be obvious when he sniffs him at the temple; he fails spectacularly judging by the flush that works its way up Stiles’ neck.
Stiles lets him go and steps back, still smiling easily but Derek’s pleased to see his cheeks are blotched up beautifully and his teeth are set in his lower lip. Stiles trips over a rock and grabs the jeep to steady himself, sprawling madly.
“Meant to do that,” Stiles grins.
Derek smiles despite himself, it’s just so Stiles.
“You ready to meet your little brother?” Stiles offers tentatively.
“What if... what if he hates me?” Derek whispers and he’s not voiced that thought out loud to anyone else yet.
Something about Stiles just drags the truth out of him, even when he doesn’t want it to.
“I’m gonna give you the quickest breakdown in the world dude, because I don’t think you should go in blind but then you’re going to have to just get to know the kid... He didn't even know you existed. He knew the people he was staying with weren’t his parents but he really didn’t know anything at all about your family. He thought you all died but it was because of some awful things that some awful people had told him. Lies Derek, some really bad lies,” Stiles tells him.
Derek nods for him to continue.
“He was more than willing to listen to me though but that could just be because I sprang him from Juvy. My boss handed my ass to me for that by the way, I’m meant to be on vacation but it’s cool, the kid didn’t do it. Well, he kind of did do it, but it wasn’t murder, it was self defence,” Stiles goes on.
“Was it Kate?” Derek asks, already knowing the answer.
“Of course it was,” Stiles bares his teeth and it makes Derek forget he’s not a wolf for a second, “she’d been using an alias. Kate Evans was Kate Argent, big shocker. You’re not going to like this but Leo was living in a shed out the back of this property, some distant cousins of the Argents. They didn’t give a shit when I turned up to be honest, I don’t think they were hunters though, at least not active ones. They barely looked up from the TV when they told me they’d be happy for me to take him. So the kid’s hurting Der. Willing to talk, but suffering. I think he’s going to find it a bit strange staying here, compared to how he’s been living. He’s pretty much been on his own since he was a kid. But he’s a really good kid, I can tell. He reminds me of Isaac a little bit on the surface actually. He doesn’t like scarfs though,” Stiles chuckles, but it doesn’t quite hit a happy note.
“Did they hurt him? Or lock him up?” Derek growls, not sure if he even wants to know.
“He says no. He could come and go... they barely even talked to him I think. He’s a Hale Derek, he’s a stubborn ass just like his big bro, I can tell. You should go in and see him for yourself. It’s literally like someone shaved Cora’s head, he’s the image of her. He’s got your eyebrows though,” Stiles grins at him.
“Ok...Will you come in with me please?” Derek says quietly and Stiles cocks his head, as if he’s trying to figure him out.
Stiles is great at things like this, Derek knows. He’s just like Laura. She’d have liked him him so much.
Derek feels infinitely less afraid at the thought of going inside if Stiles is by his side; he so naturally puts everyone at ease with his light banter and constant chattering, Derek knows it will take the pressure off him.
“Dude. I won’t leave your wolfy ass alone for one second if you don’t want me to,” Stiles tells him sincerely.
Derek’s more than ok with that.
They enter the house together and Derek can hear voices echoing through the open plan kitchen and lounge area, carrying from outside. Stiles helps him put the groceries in the kitchen and Derek trails after him, dodging numerous bags and haphazardly dumped suitcases in the hallway as Stiles leads them to the back door and open deck.
Derek can see the backs of a few heads at their large outside table and if he squints, he can see Scott and Malia in the distance chasing each other up the beach. They’ve got two tiny dots in tow that must be their twins.
The Sheriff and Melissa are facing the doorway so they spot Stiles and Derek immediately. The Sheriff gives him an easy smile and Melissa waves at him in greeting.
Derek sees the back of a shaved dark head slouched in a chair, Cora next to him and he swears he holds his breath as the kid stiffens and turns around.
Derek is frozen when he sees him. Stiles was spot on with the description. He’s got a buzz cut that high school Stiles would have been envious of and it makes the kid look harder, especially paired with the dark eyebrows.
He’s dressed all in black and Derek scents the air trying to get a read on him, to see if it brings back any memories but Leo had just been a baby when he’d scented him last.
Leo stands up and walks right up to them, surprising Derek. He’s even more surprised when Leo gives Stiles a quick hug and Derek has to bite down the protective urge to pull Stiles from Leo’s grip. He knows he’s being ridiculous.
Leo stops in front of Derek and he cocks an eyebrow at him, curious.
Derek knows that eyebrow talk.
It means “your move”. Derek feels like everyone’s watching them. He kind of feels like he’s going to cry maybe, until Stiles punches him in the arm, jarring him out of it.
“If I’d known you were alive, I swear on Mom’s grave that I’d have ripped the throat out of every Hunter in Cali to get you back...” Derek snarls truthfully, emotion raw in his voice.
He belatedly hopes that Stiles has filled Leo in about hunters because if not, the kid’s going to think that was a really weird thing to come out with.
And it seems to be the right thing to say because suddenly Derek has two armfuls of sweaty teenager, squeezing him tightly and snuffling into his t-shirt.
Derek hugs Leo back and it’s the easiest thing he’s ever done to grab the back of his neck, to mark him as his pack, his family; he can feel his eyes glowing red as he sniffs him and although his clothes smell unfamiliar, the underlying scent of him, the blood running through his veins is as familiar to Derek as his own.
Leo growls a little and when he pulls back his face is wet with tears and his eyes are lit up gold.
“Well that answers that then,” Derek says gruffly, wiping his own eyes and he cuffs him on the head playfully.
Cora tugs Leo to sit back down next to her and Derek exchanges polite hello’s with Melissa and the Sheriff. John stands up and pulls him into a huge hug, tactile as his son.
“Really good to see you Derek, you look great,” John tells him. “Now, tell me, did you get burgers at the store?”
“Dad! I swear, all you think about is red meat. Derek got you a salad, I saw it. And you’re going to eat it and you’re going to love it.” Stiles tells him.
“Aw Son, I’m having a mini vacation here, I’m not allowed a burger?” John grumps theatrically, winking at Leo who shows him a toothy grin in return.
“Sorry Sheriff. I did get you a dressing to go with the rabbit food though,” Derek offers.
Stiles turns his back and Derek mouths, “so many burgers!” to the Sheriff who pats his stomach and laughs.
Stiles eyes them suspiciously when Leo gives them a small, shy chuckle.
Malia and Scott spot Derek and they come back to sit down too, kids in tow.
“Hey Der, looking good dude,” Scott pats him on the back and Malia holds up one growling, upside down little girl in each hand, gripping their ankles.
“This is Eve and this is Ali. They bite,” Malia warns and she holds them out proudly, in offering toward Derek.
Derek’s seen photos of the twins before, when they were first born; Scott and Malia had named the twins after Malia’s sister Evelyn and of course, Allison and damn they’re really cute.
The two wriggling toddlers are babies no longer. Derek works out they must be about three years old now.
Derek balks as he takes one of the kid’s that Malia’s offering, tilting her upright and bringing her up to his face to look at her properly and Stiles grabs for the other one. Stiles immediately starts tickling Eve until she’s screeching with joy, screaming for him to stop.
Toddler Allison is still just staring Derek down, thumb between her teeth. It’s making Derek nervous.
“Uncle Stiles says you are a nice man. He said you are very cranky, like you need a poop or a nap sometimes but you’re ac... atac... actactually a nice man,” Allison tells Derek.
Derek frowns at her and Stiles just laughs and he shrugs, spinning Eve in the air like an aeroplane.
“I am quite grumpy when I need a nap I guess. I like you kid. You remind me of your Mom. You’re honest,” Derek sticks his tongue out at her.
Little Ali tentatively strokes his eyebrows and then her eyes blaze blue and she grins, showing him baby fangs. Derek shifts his eyes for her in return and she bursts into happy laughter, clapping her hands together.
They’re coyote then, not wolf.
“I like you too. You have very nice eyebrowses.” Ali decides and she kisses him on the cheek and kicks him in the stomach at the same time, wanting to get down.
With an oomph Derek puts her on the ground as Scott warns his daughter to be more gentle.
Stiles throws Eve onto Scott’s lap and Malia gives the girls permission to play on the sand. Derek can see they’ve brought little buckets and spades and he tries not to think how adorable that is.
It’s just a bucket. And a tiny little spade. For tiny little hands. To make cute tiny little castles with. Why’s he so damn emotional today?
“They look like you Scott. Like little mop head versions of you. But they act like you Mal... feral little things with no filter,” Derek tells them.
Malia brims with pride.
“Scotty was never that cute though. Honestly Leo, he looked like a street urchin when he was about your age. I’ll show you pictures later on my phone. He had this hilarious bowl cut,” Stiles laughs.
“Hey!” Melissa interrupts, “I gave him that haircut!”
“You also tried to give Stiles that same haircut, that’s why we had to shave him remember?” John points out, earning himself a hearty smack on the arm from Melissa.
Derek sits on the bench after grabbing two beers out of the open cooler and he tries not to wonder at the easy synchronicity he falls into with Stiles, as he pops the caps on the bottles. Stiles takes one off him, sitting down next to him and pressing his body close into his side. His knee bounces into Derek’s and Derek can’t help but stare at him, completely overwhelmed.
Always so easy with him, no matter how hard Derek tries to make it difficult, they’re like a well worn path.
Derek takes a long drag from his bottle, mainly to avoid the eyes of the Sheriff who is glancing between Derek and his Son, eyes narrowed. His face is stuck on an expression that Derek’s never seen on him before; it’s kind of fond but also really suspicious at the same time, like he’s just worked something out and he’s mad he didn’t work it out sooner.
Cora had a similar look when she’d literally forced Derek to binge watch the Tiger King the previous week (seriously, she’d sat on him for most of it) and it had got to the part where they revealed Carol Baskin (that bitch) had probably killed her husband. Cora had looked really pleased that she’d allegedly done it but also annoyed that she hadn’t seen it coming.
Now the Sheriff’s levelling Derek with a similar look and it makes Derek twitchy all over again.
Derek decides to watch Leo instead, the way he interacts with Cora and the others. The kid seems a little awkward but Derek can see him relaxing more and more.
Derek has ached for this for so long, for family, for pack and Stiles doesn’t even seem to realise what he’s given him here. He knows it’s not going to be an easy ride with Leo, but he’ll do anything it takes to get the kid to trust him.
Derek’s drawn back to Stiles as he watches him laugh, watches him drag from his beer, strong neck tipped back and Derek knows this is going to be a tough weekend.
Reuniting with Leo is going to have its own challenges but having Stiles here too, in his space is going to be driving his instincts wild.
As Derek senses Leo relax even more, Stiles drawing him into the conversation over and over again, Leo getting up and playing with the twins, Derek knows he needs Stiles here.
Derek needs him but at the same time he doesn’t know if he will survive this week, having this amazing guy, one he’s absolutely gone on here, in his home. Wanting what he can’t have.
If Derek’s honest, he’s probably been falling for Stiles since he first laid eyes on him. It’s one of those things in life that’s inevitable. Except it kind of is, he reminds himself. It’s totally evitable.
He just knows he can’t fuck up Stiles’ life that he’s built for himself, he can’t wreck him. He made that decision a long time ago and he won’t go back on it now.
So he’s going to do what he always done with his feelings and choke them down, for all their sakes.
The sun’s almost done setting and Cora hustles everyone inside to let them choose their rooms and to start some dinner. Derek calls out to apologise that he’s left the groceries out and she comes back and whacks him hard on the back of the head, much to Leo’s delight.
Stiles doesn’t seem to be in a rush to move inside and nor does Leo, so Derek doesn’t head inside either.
“So Derek,” Leo’s voice drags Derek back to reality, his eyes snapping guiltily to Leo’s, giving up staring at Stiles like a creeper.
“Yep,” Derek grunts.
“Stiles told me not to be put off by all this luxury. He says you’re not a massive douche or anything, you’re not super materialistic. He says your favourite place to live was actually an old burnt out train car and he said he had to force you to get an apartment when he knew you from before?” Leo’s voice is light, teasing.
Derek barks out an involuntarily laugh as Stiles splutters beside him.
“Stiles seems to be saying a lot about me... he’s got a big mouth,” Derek offers, cocking an eyebrow at Stiles.
“Jesus kid, I told you that in confidence. Bro code!” Stiles says, beer coming out of his nostrils.
Derek hands him a napkin.
“What else did he say about me?” Derek laughs, asking Leo.
This is the first common ground for him and his brother. It seems they both like teasing Stiles.
Stiles heartbeat picks up in alarm and he makes slashing motions across his neck at Leo, who giggles at him at holds his palms up in defence.
Interesting.
“He said...” Leo begins and Stiles groans and puts his head in his hands but Leo changes the subject, “He said that you would never have let me go if you knew I was out there. He said that when I got dumped with those people, you thought I’d died. I’m a bit messed up, I guess. That lady showed up and she tried to kill me man and I just flipped. That’s never happened to me before, I’d never even shifted. I knew I was different and I kind of suspected because I could always see really well and sometimes I could smell things from really far away. Stiles has explained a lot. I barely left that shed apart from to go to school to be honest. Next thing I know, there’s this dead chick bleeding all over the floor, I’m apparently a werewolf and then I’m going to juvy. Then this cool FBI dude is springing me and I’ve now got a brother and a sister. I don’t know if I’ll want to stay here for tomorrow, let alone a week. I just want to be up front with you man. I’m so used to being on my own. Fending for myself. This is all really fucking... sorry, I mean, freaking overwhelming. But I think I’d like to try... if that’s ok with you?” Leo finishes, stiff posture at war with his causal tone.
Derek breaks a little inside. He doesn’t know what to say, he wants to ask so many questions but Stiles places a hand on his leg and that gesture tells him he’ll get his answers, just maybe not from Leo.
“Leo... this is really overwhelming for me too. I thought you were gone. And I’ve blamed myself for that for a really long time. And now I’ll blame myself for what you went through without us... but... yeah... I’m just really glad you’re here. Just, promise me you’ll talk to one of us if you’re feeling like you want to leave, please just don’t disappear and we can talk it through. You don’t have to do it totally on your own ok,” Derek says softly.
“I can do that...” Leo nods, “Im beat. Do you think I can grab a sandwich and unpack?”
“Sure. I’ll show you where you can sleep. We can talk some more whenever you want,” Derek offers and stands, mourning the loss of Stiles’ hand on his leg.
“Look, I bought you some stuff earlier. It’s in the green bag, feel feel to take what you want. Here’s my card if you want to order some things you might need,” Derek offers.
Derek’s expecting a fight or at least a bit of awkwardness.
“Cool. Can I get some new socks?” Leo asks, eyes bright, looking really young. Derek tries to hide his smile.
“Sure. Get whatever you need, just let me know what you spend. It’s your money too you know,” Derek hands him the card, unsure if Stiles has told him about the fire.
Leo just nods and salutes him with the card.
Stiles cracks his neck and shakes out his limbs, as Leo disappears into the kitchen.
Derek turns to Stiles and tries to keep his eyes on his face, not on his taught stomach that’s been revealed by his over enthusiastic stretching.
“Well, he’s already better at expressing his feelings than you are sour-wolf,” Stiles says around a grin.
Derek shoves him and he’s pleased to see he still flails beautifully.
“And he called me a cool FBI dude,” Stiles puffs out his chest when he gets his balance.
“Oh please. He’s sixteen. He probably still thinks Pokemon are cool,” Derek laughs.
“You take that back Derek Hale. Pokemon are cool!” Stiles shoves him back.
“Stiles. I’ve got so many fucking questions, I feel like I’m going to burst,” Derek tells him softly, proving him wrong, showing him he can do feelings.
Stiles’ face turns serious and he places a hand on Derek’s shoulder and he squeezes hard. Derek leans into it, grounding himself.
“Later. I promise, I can probably answer the shit ton of questions you and Cora have. Let’s get him settled first though yeah?” Stiles offers.
“Ok... Yeah...” Derek concedes and it doesn’t feel enough to end the conversation there.
He takes Stiles’ hand off his shoulder and he gives it a squeeze.
“Thank you... for... you know. Just thank you.” Derek tells him, nodding.
“Of course. Just because you’re not around doesn’t mean I don’t think about you, you know. How to help you. I’ll always try to help you. You’ve erm... you’ve always got me Der.” Stiles nods back and he runs his thumb over Derek’s wrist.
Stiles’ eyes burn molten gold in the light of the dying sunset and his heartbeat is steady as a drum beat, truth pouring into every word.
Derek gulps down a breath of air to clear his head and it’s worse, god it’s so much worse because all he gets is two nostrils full of Stiles. He smells like a little like honey, a bit like sugar and most of all, he smells like pack; most likely because he’s been riding in the car with Leo for the best part of a week.
Stiles always smelled good before but now he smells insanely appealing to Derek.
And it just isn’t the time.
Stiles squeezes Derek’s hand once more and walks into the house. Derek can hear him effortlessly join in the commotion in the kitchen, bossing Cora around to add more mustard into the sandwiches; it strikes Derek that it feels to him like Stiles belongs there, like he’s always been there, filling up Derek’s house with his bags, his voice, his scent.
Dereks heart throbs painfully with how much he wants him there. Stiles has only been there about two hours.
Derek is absolutely fucked.
——————
Melissa and the Sheriff take one room and Scott and Malia take the one with the extra pullout couch in. The twins busy themselves fashioning some sort of den out of blankets and cushions on it.
Stiles doesn’t seem bothered about where he’s going to sleep, leaving his stuff in the hallway until everyone else is settled.
“You don’t want the room with the biggest bed?” Derek asks him when he’s showing him and Leo around the house after dinner.
Derek deliberates for a minute at the bottom of the stairs. He remembers he had no intention of showing Stiles where he sleeps.
The decision’s taken away from him as Stiles pushes past him up the stairs and Derek decides he can show them where Cora’s room is in case either of them need anything in the night. He’s about to show them his room, the one that actually does have the biggest bed in it, when Stiles stops to check out some of the family pictures in the hallway.
Leo joins Stiles, stopping to pick up a group shot of all the Hales. It’s the only photo of their whole family together that survived the fire and that was only because Laura had submitted it into a competition in school the week before the house burnt down. Derek remembers the Sheriff giving the picture back to him years later, speechless that he’d ended up in possession of it and that he’d kept it. Derek had rescued a few others himself from the ashes of his childhood home, forcing himself to salvage as many memories of them as he could until he’d ended up broken and crying into the charred dirt. He’d never found one of them all together, so it had been so precious when the Sheriff had handed it to him.
Derek tries not to whine in sympathy when Leo thumbs over his Mom and Dad’s faces. Leo’s gaze stops on Laura, holding up a grinning, chubby baby Leo toward the camera.
Ever perceptive, Stiles gives him a moment and steps closer to Derek, placing a comforting hand on Derek’s arm.
“I don’t need a big bed. I spend half my life in shitty hotels lately dude, anything will feel like luxury compared to that. Plus, I’m so tired, I could fall asleep on this top step right here. Actually I might, it looks comfy right Leo? You’ll get me a blanket right?” Stiles jokes, breaking through the kids daze.
Leo rolls his eyes at them and it’s like Derek’s looking in a mirror.
“Can I please take this photo to look at for a while? I’ll put it back,” Leo asks politely, clutching it.
“Sure. Keep it. I’ve got copies,” Derek nods easily.
So many copies. Digital and otherwise so he’ll never lose it again.
“Jesus, that’s some strong genetics right there man, with the eye rolling, your brother used to give me that look all the time when he thought I was being a dork,” Stiles laughs.
“You’re still a dork,” Leo smiles shyly and punches Stiles’ shoulder.
“Well yes... but Derek kind of likes it now. I grow on you... right Der?” Stiles asks, teasing.
Derek levels him with his best glare.
“Like a fungus,” Derek deadpans.
“Ouch man, that hurts,” Stiles grits out, grips his chest faux wounded and Derek is just trapped by his gaze.
Leo clears his throat and they both startle a little.
“As delightful as this ‘rom com in real life’ thing that you two have going on actually is, I’m gonna take this room if thats ok? You can carry on flirting but do it outside someone else’s door,” and Leo shuts the door in their shocked faces.
Stiles flushes beet red and stares at his shoes.
“Well there’s that.” Derek says dryly.
“Oh. My. God,” Stiles says through gritted teeth, “I’ve changed my mind, that kids a menace.”
Derek is surprisingly ok with it.
“I think he’s quite funny,” Derek sticks his chest out in Leo’s defence.
Stiles just gawps at him.
“I can’t read you sometimes sour-wolf... just when I think I can.” Stiles huffs in frustration.
“Well there’s a bit of a problem actually...” Derek whispers, head dipping in, so Leo won’t hear him through the thick door.
“Fuck, what now?” Stiles whispers back, leaning into him.
He’s inches from Derek’s mouth and Derek keeps staring at his lips. He’s far too close. Derek could count his long, dark eyelashes if he wanted to.
“That was my fucking bedroom,” Derek says breathlessly.
Stiles laughs loudly and steps away as Cora calls for them, moment broken.
Stiles heads down the stairs counting the rooms.
“Right so Cora and Leo upstairs. Dad and Mel- can I just say, ew, I hope there’s two single beds in there- are in that one, Scott, Malia and the cramp twins are taking that one which leaves... two? Two rooms down here. We’re fine then? Any preference?” Stiles counts, gesturing to Derek and Derek’s almost disappointed they have enough space.
“No preference, I’m flexible,” Derek shrugs, ears heating up under Stiles’ gaze. He never means to make things sound rude but Stiles just brings it out in him.
“Hey boys, I’m here. Where’s the kid, I want to see him and also I’m not sharing a room with anyone, I need my beauty sleep,” Lydia’s voice interrupts them loudly and is accompanied by the front door slamming.
She finds them easily, gives them both a perfunctory hug and she pushes past them into one of the remaining bedrooms, dumping her numerous cases on the floor.
Stiles looks at Derek, mouth opening and closing.
“Guess I’m on the couch...” Stiles shrugs and waits... for what, Derek doesn’t know.
“You’re the guest... I’ll take the couch...” Derek insists.
“No dude, it looks mega comfy anyway. I’m happy to take it,” Stiles says defiantly.
“We can fight about it later. I’ll go get Cora and maybe you can answer some of those questions,” Derek tells him.
——————
After everyone’s had a nightcap and they’ve had a suitably lengthy catch up with Lydia, Derek packs them all off to bed insisting they’ll have time to hang out and socialise over the weekend.
Lydia takes a sandwich up to Leo and surprisingly he lets her in. She comes down to bid the stragglers goodnight and she then takes her strawberry blond self off to bed too. They’re all pretty much beat from travelling so no-one really puts up much of a fight, aside from Malia who takes off down the beach on a run, leaving Scott to deal with bedtime.
Cora, Derek and Stiles take up residence on the back deck and they sit silently, enjoying the noise of the waves in the twilight. Derek revels in the easy company for a bit, letting the events of the day wash over him, tension easing off a little.
They all have coffees and Stiles is clutching his cup to keep warm. Derek notices that he’s shivering a little. Although the days are blistering here, outside, the nights can be cold, especially on the beach front. For humans anyway.
Derek goes back inside and comes back out with one of his own well worn hoodies and he hands it to Stiles who makes grabby hands at it gratefully before shrugging it on. It’s a little big for him on the shoulders but he snuggles into it moaning like it’s his favourite blanket.
Derek picks his own coffee cup up and he holds it over his mouth to try to hide the pleased smile that he’s fighting at the sight of Stiles wearing his clothes.
Cora looks between Derek and Stiles, eyes narrowed but thankfully she doesn’t say anything.
“So... Leo told me some stuff in the car. I’ll tell you what I know and you can ask any questions you’ve got. Sound ok?” Stiles asks sitting up.
Derek and Cora nod in unison.
“So, as you know, I had that hit on the homicide. My buddy sent me the file and imagine my surprise when they were pictures of Kate fucking Argent. Don't growl at me Derek, I hate her too. I’d kill her again if I could. She was a bit mangled, sure, but I was fairly confident it was her. So then the kid’s name who they think did it is right there, Leo Vale right. And the name just pings this thing in me, I feel like I’ve heard it before. So I popped two red bulls and it went from there. I don’t know why but I pulled the case files from the fire and there’s this list of names and you guys had, sorry ‘have’ a little brother called Leo Hale,” Stiles takes another sip of his coffee.
Derek bites down the urge to praise him, to tell him how smart he is and how grateful he is that he’s on their side.
“Leo was two at the time of the fire right? It would have put the kid at about sixteen. So I pulled some strings, well, it was more like yanking on some chains and got his record unsealed and there’s this picture of him when they booked him and fuck Derek, it was like looking at you. But the you from when Kate turned you back into teenage you. They were holding him in a juvy holding facility awaiting trial,” Stiles continues.
“How did you end up in Oregon?” Cora asks.
“I just freaked out. I only told Scott that I was going because I wanted to be really sure before telling anyone else, especially before giving you false hope. I got in the jeep, got him released- don't ask but you owe Danny like an entire crate of pink gin... he deleted some pretty important files and Liam too actually, always knew that little delinquent would come in handy...He may have set fire to a paper records facility in Oregon for me- but basically by the time I arrived, they didn’t have a single thing they could use on the kid. And I’m a fed, so I just told them it was all part of a bigger case which I had jurisdiction on, my boss backed me up. There was this thing where his daughter got muddled up with some witches and I did him a solid and got her back, don’t ask but he owed me. So I walked right out of there with him. I left him in the jeep while I got his things out of the shed. The deadbeats that were supposed to be looking after him barely looked up from the TV when I told them I was taking him. I didn’t even tell them who I was. I suppose I’m his guardian kinda but I’m officially handing that over to you. I’m far too young and pretty to have a kid,” Stiles finishes breathlessly.
Derek nods his agreement and he only realises his mistake when Stiles smiles widely at him and he changes it to shaking his head.
“So how did he end up in Oregon with the Argents?” Cora asks shifting in her chair.
“He told me the couple who were supposed to be taking care of him had told him some stuff when they got drunk. They said that their cousin Gerard had dumped him on them when he was a baby because his family were dead from a fire. He said Gerard had told them that Leo’s parents had been friends of their family. They didn’t want to take Leo but Gerard paid them a couple of hundred a month to take care of him. Danny found the wire transfers that backed up Leo’s story,” Stiles shrugs.
Derek already knew Gerard and Kate had set the fire together but hearing that Gerard had taken Leo guts him.
“That doesn’t make any sense though... Gerard was a cold, heartless bastard, why didn’t he just kill him? Why didn’t Kate?” Derek frowns.
“I can only assume she didn’t know Gerard took the kid. I’ve no idea with this part sorry guys. My best guess is Gerard thought he’d live longer than he did and maybe he could use Leo against you somehow one day. Or my second best guess, he just couldn’t kill a baby when he wasn’t sure if was a wolf or human. I don’t think we will ever know for sure,” Stiles shrugs again.
“Fuck... Ok, so why did they keep him locked up in a shed?” Cora asks on a wince, as if this one really pains her.
“He definitely wasn’t locked up, not that it’s any better. He was free to come and go. He had a bed and stuff but it was really shitty in there. That part hadn’t been for his whole life, again, like that’s any easier to hear... but when Gerard died, I figure the money dried up. So they couldn’t be bothered having him in the house anymore. They didn’t touch him, not physically but they definitely starved Leo of any kind of affection,” Stiles says sadly.
Cora whines and Derek takes her hand.
“Kate... how the hell does she come into it then, if we think she didn’t know Leo existed?” Derek says through gritted teeth.
“Well that’s a very unhappy accident and I do know the answer to that one... she showed up at her long lost cousin’s house looking for some refuge last week after getting into some shit with some hunters in Oregon. Chris did a little digging with some old friends for me yesterday and turns out that Kate had reached out to them but they obviously refused to help her. I don’t think she realised that they’d be aware of her furry little “changes” and of course, she was now on this list of things they hunted. I’d been tracking her on and off for years, but I hadn’t pinned her down. Imagine her surprise when she finds a sixteen year old kid, name of Leo Vale living in her cousin’s shed, that Daddy dumped there fourteen years previously. It didn’t take much for her to put two and two together I guess,” Stiles nods.
“And she attacked him?” Derek snarls.
“She tried to kill him. Leo told me he just reacted to the threat, all instinct. He’d never even shifted properly before from what he told me, no idea how that’s possible but I don’t think he’d ever been that angry or scared before. Plus, as a born wolf I’m assuming his control would be pretty good regardless? Scott was there when he told me that part and Scott said Leo wasn’t lying. He’s a tough kid. Kate didn’t know he was a wolf I guess and she went in unarmed. Considering Gerard had kept him alive, I recon she assumed Gerard couldn’t kill a human baby,” Stiles adds.
“Fuck,” Derek huffs, trying not to imagine it if Leo had been human when Kate had found him.
“That about covers it. Leo said she told him “Derek’s going to be a mad puppy when I tell him you’re dead” and then she’d tried to claw his face off, cornering him in that shitty shed. He tore her throat out. With his teeth.” Stiles says evenly but Derek can see Stiles’ knee vibrating in anger.
“That’s... fucking horrendous,” Cora says evenly.
“No shit,” Stiles nods.
“And then he got arrested?” Derek asks.
“He handed himself in actually,” Stiles laughs bitterly.
“What?! Great, both my brothers are total dumbasses,” Cora scowls.
“Hey! Well that’s a good sign really,” Derek nods.
“Yeah it is. He really didn’t mean to do it, I think he’s a bit traumatised. He couldn’t stop hugging me when I gave him the lowdown before getting him out. I assured him that if he hadn’t killed Kate, I would have and he looked a little relieved. I’m glad she’s dead. I just wish I’d got to her first, spared the kid the pain,” Stiles sighs.
“Get in line,” Derek growls.
“Behind me,” Cora adds.
“What does he know about us exactly?” Derek asks.
“Everything. Well, everything I know anyway. It was a long drive and I’d had a lot of caffeine. I started from the beginning basically. I told him you were both great people and you’d be so happy to see him. I could tell he was completely freaking out though, especially when I told him you were kind of rich. Don’t worry though, I made sure I overdid it on how much you two fucked up when you were younger, just to make him feel a bit better,” Stiles smiles, yawning.
“Ok... well. I guess we’ll just have to try to get to know each other then,” Derek stands, offering a hand to Cora.
“I know you guys are nervous and this has to be a totally insane scenario for you both but... just... think of it like working backwards. You know, usually, when you meet someone, you get to know them, then you love them. Except with family it’s different right, it’s like having a baby. You don’t know the baby when you have it, but it’s yours, you know? You already love the kid and he loves you... you just have to get to know him now... easy beans,” Stiles yawns, standing up himself.
Derek flicks him on the forehead, another weak excuse to touch him.
“When did you get so wise?” Derek nudges him.
“Ow! Go away Flicky Mc. Flickerson. You could be a little more grateful, I’m basically a hero,” Stiles rubs the spot on his head and Cora hugs them both goodnight.
Derek tries to ignore the flash of jealously that rips through him when Cora rubs her hand along Stiles’ neck and trails her palm down his arm, blatantly scenting him. Derek doesn’t quite manage to keep in the low growl that only Cora hears and he has to avoid her eyes.
“Yeah. You are. A hero,” Derek whispers after him.
—————
They lock up when Malia returns and instead of heading straight to bed, Stiles and Derek settle on the large couch in the living area and lose bit of time reminiscing.
Derek doesn’t usually like to look backwards, he’s never been a big fan of thinking about the past, as usually he’s drawn to all the mistakes he’s ever made. There’s never much for him that way, but he finds with Stiles’ light spin on them, hearing stories like how Lydia’s true love kiss literally saved Jackson’s life and then he came back but he was gay now, seem a lot funnier.
“She didn’t say it, but Der, she was raging when he arrived back with Ethan in tow, especially because they both looked great. She started claiming she’d known all along, but I didn’t need to be a Werewolf to know that was bullshit. I think up until that point she’d thought she actually had magic lips and eventually they’d get back together, no don’t laugh, I’m deadly serious. She actually poured Acetone all over my Mario kart cartridge because I started yelling “No, don’t turn me too,” every time she went to kiss me after that. Alas, ironically that ship had sailed for me too, maybe her kiss does turn guys. We were doomed from the get go, me and her. That game was an original, I’ll never forgive her...” Stiles laughs, eyes creasing and tips back a sip of his caffeine free tea.
Derek had swopped it out for the coffee about two hours previous and Stiles hadn’t said anything.
Derek winces at the reminder that Lydia and Stiles had been a thing for a while. He knows they’re not together now, Stiles has moaned via text message enough about his single status for Derek to be sure of that but he doesn’t know if that means they don’t hook up or anything. Derek frowns.
“Hey, what’s with the grumpy eyebrows?” Stiles asks, sobering a little.
“Nothing. How long were you and Lydia together?” It’s the first time Derek’s ever asked him anything about his love life, preferring solidly to know as little about it as possible, so he can’t torture himself.
“Not long at all man. About a month. Jesus, she’s amazing you know, but I don’t think I ever really felt that way about her, not really. We just couldn’t get it to fit- ooo name of my sex tape, ha! She still claims it was because I was already unavailable in my head. She was probably right...” and Stiles trails off, fiddling with the sleeves on Derek’s hoody.
Derek wants to know what he means by that and he’s just bolstering up the courage to ask him when Stiles surprises him.
“So you and Breadon didn’t last either, what about you? Find any new femme fatales to enrich your life? Or murder you in your sleep post coitus?” Stiles goes for casual but his tone is anything but.
“Or Homme Fatales. And no-one who’s ever actually had coitus says coitus,” Derek offers boldly, just to see Stiles’ reaction.
It’s worth it. Stiles’ eyes burn into him but he doesn’t get the pleasantly surprised reaction he’s hoping for, Stiles is angry.
“Or Homme Fatales...” Stiles agrees nodding, eyes like molten fire and Derek fights the urge to look away, “So come on, dish...is there anyone special?”
Derek swallows against the lump in his throat. There’s not been anyone serious for years. Maybe not ever. The two most significant relationships he’s ever had, one died and one was a mercenary who’d probably have killed him if someone offered her enough money.
He’s not counting what he had with Jenifer Blake or Kate Argent as relationships, for his sanity’s sake.
Derek doesn’t know how to answer him, not really. He doesn’t know how to say there is someone that’s the most special person you could possibly imagine. Someone perfect for him, someone he’s been in love with for as long as he can remember. Someone who, with just a stupid text message, can put him in a good mood for an entire week.
He doesn’t know how to say any of that.
“No,” Derek says, breaking Stiles’ intense gaze as he drains his own tea, “No one special.”
“Good. I mean that’s cool, whatever makes you happy dude,” Stiles clears his throat.
You, Derek thinks, you make me happy.
Derek’s surprised when he sees the clock on his phone says 2am. He rubs his eyes and he’s not entirely sure how he’s still awake.
Nor Stiles for that matter, he looks like death walking, dark circles under his eyes.
“Why don’t you go use the bed and sleep?” Derek nudges him with his hand.
“Why don’t you use the bed?” Stiles retorts sleepily.
“You’re such a grown up,” Derek chuckles fondly.
“Hey dude, I’m not the one refusing to sleep in a perfectly good bed,” Stiles snuggles down into Derek’s hoody more and presses himself back into the cushions.
“That’s exactly what you’re doing dumbass,” Derek tells him pointedly.
“You say Potato I say Tomato and all that. Now keep talking, I need you to bore me to sleep,” Stiles grins, eyes closed.
Stiles yawns, small smile on his lips, blinks getting longer and Derek decides to tell him all about the girl in the supermarket, but he’s interrupted by a little snort.
Derek notices his heart rate has slowed and is coming in even beats and Stiles has nodded off.
Derek takes in the man before him and although he looks tired, he’s still the best thing Derek’s ever laid eyes on.
Derek runs his eyes over his features and as he’s getting older, Stiles is losing a little of ‘the cute’ and gaining a lot more of ‘the handsome’. His lips are parted in sleep and Derek’s hit with a longing that he’s never felt before, seeing him laid out before him. Relaxed. Trusting.
His little upturned nose is still cute though, Derek’s traitorous brain offers.
Derek indulges himself and scooches a little closer to him and he settles back into the couch cushions, this time shoulder brushing Stiles’.
Derek turns his head and presses his nose as close to him as he dares and he takes a deep dragging breath against his temple, unable to resist; he’s still got Derek’s hoody on and their combined scent is proving a little too much to deny.
Stiles stirs a little and Derek freezes, nose touching his skin.
“Tickles. Silly wolf. Mmm, so warm,” Stiles mutters and Derek holds his breath as he wiggles down into the couch, tucking himself neatly under Derek’s arm, long fingers clenched tightly in Derek’s t-shirt and he promptly goes back to snoring softly.
Derek beams at the top of his head feeling really guilty, but it’s a little bit thrilling to have a taste of this with Stiles and he moulds himself around him.
He’ll move in a few hours and go to bed. Stiles won’t ever know.
—————
Stiles definitely does know.
Derek wakes up with an ooof, body too warm, with his face smooshed into Stiles’ bare abdomen because his t-shirt has somehow ridden up and a kid jumping right on his balls.
Stiles’ hand is tangled in his hair and it’s all he can do to sit up, wipe his eyes and dump the bouncing enthusiastic Eve on the floor. Derek moves a little over the couch trying to avoid Stiles’ eyes but he can feel him looking at him.
Stiles sits up from where he’d been laying down, shit, laying down half underneath Derek and he rubs his face.
“Eve. Are you old enough to make coffee?” Stiles’ voice is dirt low and Derek silently thanks Eve for killing his ability to get a boner for at least the next year. She’s saved him some embarrassment for sure.
“She’s three,” Derek says incredulously to Stiles.
Eve glares at him.
“Well, Daddy says no but I’ve done it before using mud and my bucket,” Eve offers, cocking her little curly head to the side.
“Well, as appealing as that is, go jump on your Daddy and get him to make me and Uncle Derek some coffee. I’ll buy you an inflatable flamingo to ride into the ocean if you succeed on this special mission,” Stiles whispers conspiratorially at Eve.
She looks positively gleeful.
“Mission accepted Uncle Stiles. I’ll get you and Uncle Derek two cups each and then you can buy Ali a flateable mingo too,” Eve takes off at a run.
“Uncle Derek?” Derek asks casually. The kids barely know him.
“Sure. They call you that anyway. Scott and I tell them bedtime stories about you all the time dude. The one where Uncle Derek turns into a big black wolf and rides off with his girlfriend into the sunset in Mexico is their favourite. They idolise you man,” Stiles winks at him, but he’s being deadly serious.
“You tell them about me?” Derek can’t handle this without coffee.
“Of course. You’re our friend dude. You were a huge part of my... of mine and Scott’s life man. Still are. Don’t have an aneurism. Take it as it is,” Stiles shrugs and stands up.
“She wasn’t my girlfriend you know, not really,” Derek grumbles.
“Oh yeah, we know. But the twins would think you were a bit of a man ho if we said you rode off with a chick you were boning at the time, so we made it into more of a PG story to protect your modesty,” Stiles tells him and his voice is light but it’s tinged with the scent of something that smells to Derek a lot like jealousy.
Stiles takes Derek’s hoody off and Derek tries to school his face, so he doesn’t show his disappointment.
“I’m going to grab a shower. What’s on the agenda for today? Man I slept so well, that couch is amazing,” Stiles rolls his shoulders, changing the subject.
“That couch is usually not all that great,” Derek offers truthfully. He’s fallen asleep on there enough times to know he usually wakes up stiff and cold.
Not today though apparently.
“Huh. Must have been my nap buddy then. Had a feeling you were a secret cuddler you know. I have to say, considering how solid you look, you’re awful comfy to lay on. Or lay under... Think fast Hale,” Stiles calls as he walks away, launching something at Derek.
He fires Derek’s balled up hoody backwards and Derek catches it gracefully with his face, much to Stiles’ amusement.
The heat and scent of Stiles envelops his senses and he wrenches the dammed hoody off his head with a growl. Looks like the boner recovery took less time that he’d originally estimated.
Derek can still hear him laughing as he turns on the spare room shower. Derek clamps his mouth shut tight until he’s out of sight, as he adjusts himself his shorts.
It may or may not be because he’s showing a little fang.
——————
Derek decides he wants to spend most of Saturday day with Leo. He grabs Cora that morning, in the midst of the breakfast chaos, to see if she’d mind if they went out, just the two of them for a bit.
Derek wants to take Leo to show him where he volunteers. He’s kind of eager to show him he doesn’t just sit on his ass for some reason. Cora nods like she understands.
She actually works part time at a coffee shop herself.
“You do not have a job.” Stiles states, scandalised when he overhears them, stealing a bit of crispy bacon from Derek’s plate.
“I do have a job,” Derek frowns.
“You so do not,” Stiles points the half chewed bacon at him and piles his own plate high with pancakes and drizzles an ungodly amount of syrup over the whole thing.
Stiles takes the stool next to Derek and Derek has to try hard to ignore the way their bare legs press together under the counter.
“I so do,” Derek nods and just to be an ass, when Stiles reaches for more of his bacon he shoves everything that’s left on his own plate in his mouth, leaving Stiles gawping.
“Wow, very mature,” Stiles tells him.
Derek doesn’t retort because he’s too busy trying to chew without choking.
“Derek volunteers actually. So technically Der-bear, Stiles is correctumundo,” Cora takes a swig of her freshly squeezed juice and tips the glass to Stiles.
“Aren’t you a little young for quoting the Fonz?” Stiles asks her around a mouthful of pancakes.
“Derek used to love watching Happy days. He used to do a little dance during the intro,” Cora shrugs.
Derek manages to swallow his food just in time to defend himself.
“I did not! Dad would always make us watch the reruns. I never said I liked it, it’s just the theme tune was really catchy,” Derek splutters.
“Dude. I loved Happy Days! My Mom used to make me and my Dad watch it all the time, she had these ancient VHS cassettes of it,” Stiles beams at him.
“Well... maybe I did like it a bit,” Derek concedes, smiling back at him.
“You two are hopeless,” Cora points out.
Derek helps himself to a pancake off Stiles’ plate and shoves the whole thing in his mouth.
“You’re gross you know. You’re like an animal,” Stiles tells him.
Derek opens his mouth and shows him his half chewed food before walking away.
—————
Leo’s really quiet for most of the car ride to the place where Derek volunteers. Derek’s not good at this bit and he’s super nervous being alone with him but he knows he won’t have Stiles around forever to use as a safety blanket. He needs to push through and try to bond with the kid.
When they pull up to the building, Leo sits up straight in the passenger seat and he sniffs the air; it’s hard for Derek to get his head around the fact that the kid didn’t know he was a wolf, it’s so obvious to Derek. But then again, if he’s been quite isolated, it’s possible.
“What is this place?” Leo’s eyes are bright with curiosity as he takes in the long stone buildings and the huge enclosed fields running behind them.
“It’s an animal rescue centre,” Derek puts the car into park and gets out.
“No way. This is where you work? This is pretty cool,” Leo gets out and Derek offers him his spare pair of sunglasses.
“Well I volunteer here but yeah. It’s pretty cool. I like animals. They don’t judge, you know,” Derek tells him pointedly.
“Can we go in?” Leo asks and Derek’s pleased to see the kid so excited.
“I was hoping you’d say that because I called ahead and they could do with the help today. They’ve got a few dogs being re-homed and one of their regular workers is out sick. Some of the workers get paid see, but the extra volunteers like me get to do the fun stuff, like puppy socialising,” Derek says with a smile.
“Do you think I can walk a dog? I don’t care if it’s a puppy, I love animals. I was never allowed to...” Leo is literally buzzing with excitement but his eyes dull for a second, a glimpse into his previous life and Derek has to fight down the protective growl bubbling up in his throat.
“Sure. If they like you. Some of the bigger breeds don’t do too well at first with people like us, I think it’s like a dominance thing, but eventually they get used to you. Just don’t be offended if they don’t take to you straight away,” Derek offers his advice, Leo nodding his understanding.
They walk into the building and Derek’s hit with a familiar array of smells, not all pleasant but he genuinely loves this place. It’s not only a sanctuary for the animals but it’s become a sort of sanctuary for him over the years. A reason to get out of the house.
“Hey sugar pie,” A pretty black woman of about fifty greets them from behind the desk as they walk in. She smiles warmly at them both.
Derek waves his hand at her in greeting and he’s surprised to find that he’s actually really glad to see her. He must be getting soft.
“Hey Layla. This is my brother Leo. He’s visiting, I mean staying with me and Cora for...” Derek glances at Leo but Leo’s staring past him through the window watching a girl play with two dogs in the field, “...for as long as he wants.”
“Who’s that?” Leo breathes, pointing out of the window.
The girl looks up as if she can sense eyes on her and she spots Leo and Derek. She gives a little wave and a smile, tucking her hair behind her ears.
Derek looks at Leo who is still waving, even though the girls gone back to playing with the dogs. Shit, Derek knows that look.
He’d seen it enough on Scott, every day, for the entire time he’d known Allison. The kid is twiterpated.
“That’s Mia,” Derek nudges him clearing his throat, “Layla’s daughter.
Leo blushes and looks down quickly at his shoes.
“Oh hell,” Layla says to the room at large.
She pulls out the little tannoy system.
“Mia, get your butt inside for a minute,” Layla’s voice rings out over the speakers.
Mia disappears from view and she comes into the reception area a few minutes later, Rocky and Robin leading the way.
The dogs are two stunning Alaskan Malamutes and they have never and will never like Derek. Something about the Alpha in him makes them behave extra stubbornly with him. They’re not aggressive, they just won’t take to him.
The smaller breeds love him though. He’s actually made very good friends with an ancient Jack Russell with three legs called Wonky Wally.
Not that anyone aside from Layla will ever find that out.
The dogs give Derek a very wide berth on their leashes, stopping to lap at the water bowl in the corner of the room and they settle down protectively at Mia’s feet.
Leo crouches down and he offers a tentative hand to the dogs and to Derek’s complete surprise Rocky immediately rolls over for tummy scratches. Robin feigns indifference but soon, he’s licking at Leo’s face.
Traitors.
“Hi Derek,” Mia smiles at them widely. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is my brother Leo. He’s interested in volunteering here, maybe,” Derek nudges Leo with his foot but the kid seems to be a lost cause in front of Mia.
He’s still playing with the dogs, ears bright red, refusing to meet her eyes.
“Really Leo? That’s so cool. Oh my gosh, you’d really love it here. I want to work here one day like Mom but I’m volunteering at the minute because I’m still at School. I’m sixteen next month, how old are you? Where do you go to school? Oh, don’t worry, we can talk about that later. First I gotta show you the puppies. Come on, I’ll show you around, Derek can take Rocky and Robin back to the kennels,” Mia shoves the dogs leads into Derek’s hands and she takes Leo by the arm.
Leo looks back over his shoulder panicked as Mia drags him away.
Derek laughs hard. He really likes Mia. She reminds him of a certain someone, able to carry a conversation with ease, even when faced with the most mono-syllabic responses.
“Well that, my friend, is going to be a butt load of trouble for the both of us,” Layla tuts and picks up her pen.
Derek bristles. Just because Leo looks a little rough around the edges doesn’t mean he’s going to be a bad kid.
“He’s not had it easy so far Layla. Give the kid a break. He could use a friend,” Derek grumps.
“I meant trouble because of her, asshole. Your brother looks like she just hit him upside the head with a two by four. He doesn’t stand a chance,” Layla laughs and Derek relaxes.
“Oh.” Derek feels stupid.
“Yeah oh. Now go get your grumpy butt down into the kennels, Wally’s been barking his head off since he heard you pull up in that damn car. It sounds like a jet engine. You need to get something a little more emissions friendly you know,” Layla tells him.
“But then how would Wally know I was coming?” Derek frowns at her.
Derek clicks his tongue and gently tugs on Rocky and Robin’s leads. Both dogs promptly lay down and put their heads on their paws.
“Great,” Derek grumbles.
——————
By the time Derek’s wrangled Rocky and Robin back to their kennels, assisted with the paperwork on two new adoptions, spent some time with Wally and cleaned out a few of the kennels, he still hasn’t seen Leo again.
He feels kind of guilty as this was meant to be about them bonding, so he goes looking for him.
He finds him out in the big field sitting with Mia, surrounded by a horde of British bulldog puppies. Derek fights a smile at the sight of Leo on his back on the grass, Mia picking up puppies and piling them on top of him as Leo rolls around and plays tug rope gently with them.
“Hey guys,” Derek squints again the sun, despite his sunglasses. It’s hot as hell out here.
“Hey Derek,” Mia grins up at him.
“Derek, this place is so awesome,” Leo sits up tumbling two puppies who immediately launch themselves at Derek’s bootlaces, “when can we come back?”
Derek picks one up in each hand and they chew his fingers. He’s glad to see Leo’s earlier shyness has disappeared.
“You like it that much then huh?” Derek asks, pleased.
“Dude yes. Who wouldn’t... this place is amazing...” Leo says and Derek notices he’s not looking at the puppies but straight at Mia.
“Well, I’ll check the schedule with Layla,” Derek hedges, putting the puppies back on the floor to play with their litter mates.
“No need, I’ve done it. I’m here next Saturday Leo. I’ll give you my number, we can sync up schedules if you’re going to volunteer regularly. I can show you the ropes, as you’re new and all,” Mia offers quickly, tucking her hair behind her ears again and she goes back to herding the puppies up.
Leo hands her his phone and both of the teens are bright red when Mia hands it back to him.
“Next Saturday could be good. If Derek doesn’t mind?” Leo looks up at him hopefully.
Saturday is a whole week away. When Leo had been talking about maybe not even wanting to stay for a few days just the night before.
“Derek definitely doesn’t mind,” Derek smiles.
The grin Leo gives him as he pulls him to his feet is well worth it.
——————
When they get back to the house, it’s well past lunch time and Derek is starving. He can hear Leo’s tummy rumbling too so he goes straight into the kitchen to make them some sandwiches and Cora joins them in there.
“Where’s everyone else?” Derek asks her as he pulls out the bread.
Where’s Stiles? his brain offers.
“Down at the waves. They’re all having a picnic and going swimming. Stiles popped over to the big supermarket and he bought the twins two giant inflatable things. When I left, all the adults were trying to ensure Ali and Eve don’t get washed out to sea on two giant pink flamingos. I’ll level with you boys, it was chaos. Especially when The Sheriff and Stiles decided to have a race on them and Ali bit Stiles’ leg because he wouldn’t give it back to her... she had to go to a time out and god Der, the wailing. And that was just from Stiles!” Cora shakes her head.
Derek laughs at the image and he waves pastrami and ham at Leo, who nods enthusiastically.
“So how was your boy’s bonding morning?” Cora asks them stealing a slice of ham.
“Cora, it was so totally awesome,” Leo surprises all of them by answering enthusiastically.
“Leo met Mia,” Derek offers, as way of explanation.
“Ohhhhh, I get it,” Cora winks at him and Leo blushes again.
“It’s not like that,” Leo looks down at the sandwich Derek places in front of him, frowning.
“Sure, sure,” Cora laughs.
“Ignore her, she used to do this to me all the time over anyone I spoke to that wasn’t a family member. She’s so embarrassing,” Derek glares at her, showing solidarity with Leo.
“Still do it to you now, big bro. Will probably do it to you lots more this week, in fact,” Cora winks and Derek feels his ears flush and he growls.
“Is this about the fact that Derek likes Stiles and no one says anything about it, even though it’s really obvious?” Leo asks innocently, taking a huge bite of his sandwich when Derek puts a plate in front of him.
Derek gets his own first bite wedged in his windpipe and Cora has to honest to god punch him between the shoulder blades before he can get any air.
“You...” He points at Leo, still slightly blue in the face.
“What dude? Sorry, but you look at Stiles like you want to have his babies and stuff. And he talked about you from the minute he picked me up until the minute we got here. It was very annoying. We stopped for a cheeseburger and he said “Derek’s not a massive fan of takeout cheeseburgers, he prefers his meat more rare” while he stared off into space. He relates literally everything back to you. I counted that he said your name twenty three times at breakfast this morning. After you’d left the room,” Leo shrugs.
“Oh my fucking god, I’ve now got two of you to put up with,” Derek looks to the heavens, eyes streaming from lack of oxygen. Maybe his parents can save him from whatever this fresh hell is.
Cora cackles gleefully and she sits down next to Leo and slings an arm comfortably around his shoulders.
“Watch your language Derek, there’s a minor present. Do you know, I really like you little bro. I think you’re gonna fit in just great,” Cora says happily.
Leo blushes but he looks really pleased at Cora’s words.
As Derek watches Leo demolish two more sandwiches before asking politely if he can go join the others down by the Ocean, Derek can’t help but agree with her.
—————
Derek’s the last down to the waves and he’s glad he’d dragged his feet a bit because it’s a little cooler down there, now the afternoon’s getting later. He’s changed into his swim shorts, foregoing a t-shirt and his towel is pinned under his arm.
He can see the twins napping underneath a beach brolly that Stiles must have also bought at the store. Derek doesn’t remember seeing one at the house before.
Everyone else is sitting around on towels chatting and when Derek gets close enough to make out Stiles’ form, he nearly turns around and heads back to the house.
Stiles is laying on a towel on his back, t-shirt slung over his face and board shorts pushed low on his hips.
Derek walks past him casually and he tries really hard not to stare but he can’t help but rake his eyes over him, indulging himself just once; he instantly regrets it because all he sees is miles of tanned, firm skin, little pebbled pink nipples and a trail of dark hair running down from his naval into his shorts.
Derek wants to lick him. All over. Sand be damned.
Instead he heads straight for the inviting cool of the waves, grunting a quick hello to everyone else.
Derek swims out for a bit, letting the swell of the salt water wash over him and he dives under the waves and pushes his hair back.
He treads water a little, taking in his surroundings. He eyes a raft that the kids from the house a few doors up have anchored down and he pulls himself up onto it, leaning back on his hands to bask in the sun.
He shifts just enough so just his eyes burn red and his vision sharpens. He watches the shore so he sees when Stiles gets up and he tracks him as he makes his way into the water, hiking his shorts up on his hips as he goes.
Stiles swims easily out to where Derek’s sitting, feet dangling in the water and Stiles leans on the raft on his forearms, chin balanced, content to float.
Derek can’t hide that he’s impressed.
“That was very fast,” Derek observes and judging by the play of muscles across Stiles’ back and shoulders, all the strength there, he shouldn’t be all that surprised that he’s a strong swimmer.
“Name of your sex tape,” Stiles quips, eyes catching lazily on Derek’s bare torso. Derek feels his skin heat up further under his gaze and he tries not to stare when Stiles runs a tongue over his lower lip. Derek wants to taste.
“You’re lucky I’ve seen that show you know,” Derek kicks water at him trying to diffuse the tension.
“No you’re lucky you’ve seen that show,” Stiles laughs. “So, how did it go today?”
Derek fills him in on the events from the rescue centre.
“I can’t believe you work with rescue animals. Who’s your favourite? I know you have one and you’re probably pretending you aren’t attached but you’ll eventually give in an adopt it,” Stiles grins at him.
Derek’s taken aback because of course, Stiles is right on the money, as always.
Despite his better judgement, he’s going to blame heatstroke, he tells Stiles about Wonky Wally.
“He sounds amazing dude, maybe you can take me to meet him sometime in the week?” Stiles smiles beautifully at him.
“Sure. You’re staying then?” Derek had hoped, but as things were going quite well with Leo, he’d feared Stiles might want to head back with his Dad and everyone else on Monday morning.
“Yeah, if that’s ok? It’s been really good to see you and who knows when you’ll let me infiltrate your life like this again,” Stiles pokes him in the ribs.
“Yeah. It’s ok. I’d really like that,” Derek says quietly, not looking at him.
He launches into telling Stiles about Mia and Leo just to break the tension.
“Oh my god, it’s exactly like when Scott met Allison. Hopefully with less doom and gloom and pining,” Stiles laughs.
“Right. That’s exactly what I thought. He looked really pleased the whole time though and then he said he wants to stay until next Saturday at least, so that’s really good I think,” Derek says quietly.
Stiles grabs his ankle.
“That’s amazing. You did so well. Just keep letting him in and you’ll be fab. Show him all the stuff you like to do around here. He’s like a mini you, I said this all along,” Stiles nods.
“Yeah yeah, you are very wise,” Derek offers him a hand to yank him up onto the raft.
Stiles takes it and Derek has to grab more of him than is decent to haul him up but Stiles doesn’t seem to mind. He kicks at Derek’s feet in the water with his own when he’s sat down and settled next to him.
“So I went to your big supermarket to get the girls their promised inflatables,” Stiles tells him.
“Mmm hmm?” Derek’s distracted by the way the water is clinging to Stiles’ lashes. He’s so close.
“Your friend was there,” Stiles says, licking his lips.
“Huh?” Derek breathes and if he just leans in just an inch, their lips will be touching.
He wonders if the others can see them from shore. He’s almost tempted to just go for it.
“Your friend. Darlene?” Stiles says.
And it’s like he’s thrown a bucket of cold water on Derek. Derek rears back, realisation hitting him that Stiles has now met Darlene. They’ve also had a conversation long enough that she’s introduced herself as Derek’s friend.
“She is not my friend... what did she say to you?!” Derek snarls.
“Whoa, calm down Cujo. Not much really. She asked where I was staying, as she hadn’t seen me around before and I said with you. She said she knew you were having visitors and your brother over, so I just thought she knew you?” Stiles tells him, hands up in defence.
“No. She hits on me every time I go in there. She’s absolutely not my friend,” Derek says vehemently.
“Ah right, ok. I figured as much when she said you’d told her your boyfriend was coming too and she asked if it was me,” Stiles’ grin is mischievous, “so I guessed that unless you have a secret mystery boyfriend, you made it all up to get her off your case? Am I right? Am I an amazingly observant super duper FBI agent?”
“No, you’re a dumbass,” Derek offers.
“Oh,” Stiles deflates and for a second he looks horrified. “Wait... Do you have a secret mystery boyfriend that’s joining us later in the week?”
“No you idiot. You’re an amazingly observant, super duper FBI agent, yes. I made it up to get her to back off a bit,” Derek flushes, “Oh shit, what did you tell her? If you said I don’t actually have a boyfriend she’s going to harass me until the end of time. I hope you made someone up...”
Stiles goes the prettiest colour at his words. Derek watches his flush start in his chest and make its way over his neck and pink up his cheeks and he worries on his lower lip. Derek’s never wanted to put his mouth on someone quite so badly in his entire life.
“Just spit it out Stiles,” Derek says, suspicious.
“Name of your sex tape,” Stiles groans and despite himself, Derek laughs.
“Just tell me what you said,” Derek tells him. He doesn’t like smelling Stiles nervous.
“I may, and by may, I mean I absolutely, one hundred and ten percent, definitely did, tell her that I, the magnificent and magical Stiles Stilinski was your hot mystery boyfriend and you are very much off the market,” Stiles doesn’t look at him as he says it, smelling embarrassed.
“So... let me get this clear. She thinks I’m dating you and you’re what, a magician?” Derek sniggers.
“Wait... you’re not annoyed?” Stiles asks incredulously.
“Why would I be annoyed?” Derek shrugs.
Truthfully, Stiles was exactly who he was envisioning when he lied to Darlene in the first place.
“Oh I don’t know. Because the idea of you dating me is plain ridonkulous?” Stiles fidgets and to Derek’s surprise he can hear his heartbeat trip blatantly. Derek eyes him playfully, almost shyly and he shoves him into the water. He jumps in after him and Stiles comes up spluttering.
“Yeah you're right. I’d never date a magician. I hate card tricks. And I’ve got past trauma with people being chopped in half. It would never work,” Derek treads water, deadpanning him. Laura would have laughed at that one.
Stiles grabs his shoulders and tries to dunk him. Derek doesn’t move a muscle, so all it results in is Stiles holding onto his shoulders as they bob up and down in the water.
“Why are you so stupidly strong? And why is your stupidly firm torso so hairy now? You used to shave your chest, I knew it. Gotta say, this look really works for you though,” Stiles grunts with the effort of trying to push him under, trying to get the upper hand unsuccessfully.
“I’m a Werewolf. Sorry, did you not know that? I thought you were clever... Why are you trying to drown me?” Derek dumps Stiles under the water instead, letting him up after a few seconds, spluttering.
“Why is the idea of me dating you ridonkulous?” For some reason, Derek wants to push him a little.
He knows he shouldn’t, he shouldn’t give in but Stiles is right there, looking all happy and wet. What’s he supposed to do, he’s only a man?
“Well... you know...” Stiles splutters, going beet red.
“Not really... explain it to me,” Derek frowns, splashing him liberally with water.
“What do you want? You want me to make a list of reasons why we wouldn’t work well together?” Stiles huffs and Derek can see that he’s getting annoyed and flustered.
“You’ve got enough reasons to make me a list?” Derek asks, grabbing him by the forearms and pulling Stiles towards him.
Derek’s toes brush the sea bed and Stiles is using his grip on him to balance himself in the water.
“No... I’m struggling to think of any...” Stiles says quietly but his tone is all challenge and he’s close enough that Derek can feel his breath on his face, “Come on then big guy, don’t put this all on me. What about you, huh? You got any good reasons?”
Derek can hear his heartbeat steady and it’s the truth. Stiles can’t think of a reason why they’d be ridonkulous together.
“I really can’t think of a single one right now.” Derek tells him honestly.
It feels like the most natural thing in the world for Derek to close the gap between them and kiss him, but he holds back. Not without a lot of effort.
The seconds stretch by and Stiles frowns at him.
“You can kiss me now,” Stiles says grumpily.
Derek lets out a laugh, private and happy.
“I want to. But I can’t,” Derek chuckles.
Stiles’ scent sours and he smells hurt, rejected.
Derek really doesn’t like it. He places his hands on Stiles’ hips and he rubs circles on his skin underwater, soothing.
“Your dad is standing right on the shore line watching us,” Derek tilts his head in the direction of the Sheriff, without actually looking himself.
Stiles whips his head around and yep, there in the distance, Stiles’ Dad’s silhouette is clear.
“Why’s he just standing there?” Stiles groans.
Derek shifts so that his vision sharpens again and he glances toward the Sheriff then he bursts out laughing.
“He’s alternating between doing “I’m watching you” motions with his fingers and eyes and miming shooting a shotgun in my general direction...” Derek chuckles.
“Jesus, he’s so embarrassing,” Stiles whines looking Derek straight in the eyes, “Man, I really wanted you to kiss me.”
Derek can smell his arousal and the temptation to just throw it in the fuck it bucket and kiss him anyway is tangible.
“I’m sort of glad we didn’t,” Derek offers honestly, eyes darkening dangerously, “because when I finally kiss you, I’m not sure how capable I’m going to be of stopping.”
“Oh fuck, you can’t say shit like that,” Stiles groans, letting him go and shoving backwards away from him, “tell me we can revisit this later?”
“Yeah, we can revisit this.” Derek wants so much more from him thank a kiss, but he can see the shapes on the shore in the distance and he wants to save this for just them.
He takes a few steps back himself, away from Stiles, chest heaving. His toes don’t quite touch the sandbank anymore.
“Later,” Derek promises darkly, “Race you back?”
“Derek Hale, you suck,” Stiles tells him, pointing a finger accusingly.
“Name of your sex tape?” Derek asks innocently before kicking off for shore.
“Don’t make me regret teaching you that!” Stiles yells after him.
Stiles beats him there.
——————
Later, however, doesn’t turn out exactly the way Derek thought it would in his head. Story of his life.
He can hear Cora storming up the stairs and slamming doors.
Derek’s taken refuge in Cora’s room because Stiles was reading stories to the twins on the couch, after they’d all had dinner together.
Derek had walked past the kitchen doorway on his way to get showered and he’d ended up frozen to the spot, taking Stiles in from a distance. Seeing Stiles with one kid tucked under each arm, watching him as he does silly voices and waves his arms about animatedly had given Derek more feelings than he knew what to do with.
He’d lost a minute or two just staring at him, wondering what he’d be like if they had kids of their own, knowing he’d be perfect for it, perfect for him. And god, Derek didn’t even know he wanted kids, but now, with Stiles here, everything Derek’s been trying to shield himself from is cracked open wide.
Derek wants. He wants everything from him. And this is what he’s always been so afraid of. Why he’s afraid of Stiles.
For the first time, after their conversation today, he feels like maybe, just maybe it’s possible that they could explore this thing that’s always been between them. He knows he’s going to need to talk to Stiles before he lets anything physical happen because he has a feeling if they jump into this, dicks first, it’s going to be like lighting a match.
He’s not exactly against wanting them to burn fast, but he wants them to burn long and he needs to make sure Stiles at least understands what this will mean for Derek. To give him a chance to back out if he just wants sex.
The temptation to just let it happen anyway is almost too much for Derek. A part of him is scared that he will lose Stiles entirely if he lays his cards out for him but he’s held back for literally years just so he doesn’t drag Stiles down with him; he’s not about to fuck it up now.
For the first time since he’s known Stiles, he’s just got this feeling that maybe if he takes a chance, it won’t all end in disaster.
Stiles has this way of making him feel like that. Like everything’s going to be ok.
“Leo’s gone,” Cora announces, barging her way into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind her.
Derek checks the time and he sits up, putting his book down. He’s been up here two hours and he’s still on page four. He’s been obsessing about Stiles. The clock reads 9pm.
“Fuck,” Derek places a bookmark in between the pages redundantly. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I didn’t tell anyone else I thought he’d bailed but I asked everyone if they’d seen him and they said not for an the last hour or so. I’ve walked the beach too, checked your room and his rucksacks gone,” Cora growls, punching the top of her dresser and making a sizeable dent.
“I thought he’d had a good day today,” Derek frowns.
His hurt means nothing though, poor Leo’s probably fighting with a million different feelings. Derek knows realistically, today had gone a little too easily. They’ve probably got years of teenage angst to sort through. Derek’s more than prepared to put up with it all.
“Yeah well, not good enough obviously,” Cora barks at him but she softens when she sees Derek wince.
“Sorry. I’m sorry Der. I didn’t mean it like that,” Cora sighs heavily and Derek can see tears well up in her eyes.
He pulls her down for a quick hug which she resists for a second before sagging into him.
“I don’t know how to do this... I’m twenty seven, what do I know about kids?” Cora sniffles into his neck.
“The fact that you’re worried about messing it up will probably be enough.” Derek pats her back, “Forget about you, what the hell do I know? Look how much shit I gave Scott and Stiles when they were his age.”
Derek gets up and shoves his feet in his sneakers, lacing them as he talks.
“Well you did something right, those pair absolutely love you. Look at how they all came running, entire families in tow when they thought you might need some support...” Cora offers.
Derek looks up in surprise. He hadn’t really seen it like that, he just thought where Stiles went, Scott went. Where Scott went, Malia went and so on and so forth.
“They’re not here for me?” Derek says weakly.
“You’re so obtuse. Of course they are. They adore you. Some of them a lot more than others,” Cora grins.
“Let’s go try to find Leo and bring him home?” Derek says hopelessly, deflecting.
The door opens and it reveals Stiles, hair stuck up on one side.
“Fell asleep with the kids, swimming really tuckers... where are you two going?” Stiles takes in their state of readiness and worried faces and realisation crosses his features, “Leo.”
“He’s gone, left. The nearest bus station’s about an hour on foot. I don’t know what kind of jump he’s got on us but.... I don’t want him to go, not when he’s just come back,” Cora finishes weakly, whining.
Derek puts a hand on her neck.
Stiles sets his jaw and Derek’s amazed to see how fast he goes from relaxed and happy Stiles to “Agent Stiles”.
“Right. Let’s not tell everyone else, if we catch up to him he might be embarrassed to come back if he feels like everyone knows he tried to run. He’s entitled to a slip, poor kid. I’ll take the jeep and head for the station and you two can go on foot and try to track him?” Stiles suggests.
“Works for me,” Cora says.
“Is his cell just going to answerphone when you call then?” Stiles checks.
Cora and Derek exchange looks.
“Oh for heavens...” Stiles pulls his own phone out of his pocket and Derek can hear the tone ringing and then with relief, he hears Leo’s voice answer.
Stiles rolls his eyes at Derek and Cora and he puts it on speakerphone, but puts his finger to his lips indicating for them to be quiet before he speaks.
“Hey Buddy. Where you at? We’re about to start an epic and bloody game of scrabble, thought you might like to get involved...” Stiles says causally.
“Oh...” Leo says and a girly giggle rings out in the background.
“Leo, where are you?” Stiles says, voice immediately more authoritative in a way that Derek tries really hard to store away in his brain, as information for later.
“Hell, Stiles... I mean heck. Look, I snuck out for an hour to get an ice cream with Mia, she text me earlier. I didn’t think anyone would even notice. I’ll come straight back now. Sorry Stiles,” Leo sounds really guilty, background noise dulling as if he’s stepped outside of wherever he is.
“Ok. Dude that’s fine, I’m relieved but you can’t just go off without telling anyone,” Stiles says and Derek sits back down on the bed in relief.
“I didn’t even think to say I was going out, Mia just text and I thought it would be fun,” Leo says and he’s back to sounding a bit dreamy.
“No worries kid. Need me to come get you?” Stiles offers.
“Nah man, I can be back in ten. You know. I’m fast. Cos of my thing. That I can do...” Leo says conspiratorially and Derek fights the urge to punch himself in the head.
The kid’s definitely as dopey about keeping his wolf secret as Scott was around Allison.
Derek’s going to have to talk to him about that when he gets back.
“Stiles... please don’t tell Derek and Cora that I left without telling anyone. I’ve had a really nice couple of days and I don’t want them to be mad at me. Or ask me to leave or anything. I think... I think I could be happy here, maybe...” Leo says earnestly and Stiles clutches his heart and he looks at Derek pleadingly.
Derek glares at him but Cora nods her assent.
“Sure dude. You get one for free, I won’t tell them. I’m sure they’d be fine with you going to see Mia anyway, you just gotta say where you’re going in future. I was worried,” Stiles says winking at Derek.
Derek bares his teeth at him and Stiles flips him off.
“Sure Stiles, you got it. The people I lived with before never even asked me, you know... er... if I ever disappeared or anything, no one gave a shit really. Sorry. No one gave a crap. I just didn’t think,” Leo says quietly.
“Well. People care now kid. So get your butt back here, I need you on my team for Scrabble. Make sure Mia gets home safely first,” Stiles tells him and they hang up.
Stiles gives Derek a thumbs up and Cora sags in relief.
“Can’t believe you two didn’t think to call him. Oh well, Stiles to the rescue,” Stiles grins, pleased with himself.
“I’m going to head downstairs and when he comes back I’m going to offer to take him out for a bit, show him some cool ways to control the shift. I’ve a feeling he’s gonna need it, born wolf or not,” Cora says, nodding.
“Tell him to be careful what he says in front of Mia. Just in general, you don’t have to say we know about tonight,” Derek growls and Cora nods and she leaves the room.
Stiles leans against the back of the closed door and just waits him out. He knows Derek well enough to know what’s coming.
“He can’t just do that to us, it’s not fair on Cora,” Derek growls.
“I know. But I think you should give him a pass on this one... if he does it again, you can put your foot down. He’s not used to having people around who care about him. Clearly,” Stiles says gently.
“I know! I’m not going to be angry at him. I’d never get angry with him, why would he even think that?” Derek snarls.
Stiles gestures toward him, gaze lingering on where Derek’s claws are extended.
“Absolutely no idea,” Stiles says dryly, eyebrows cocked in challenge.
“That was a pretty stupid thing to do, he doesn’t even know Mia. He could get hurt. Someone could take him... take him, or hurt him,” Derek tries to get control, teeth extending.
Derek didn’t even have the kid in his life until two days ago and now he’s stricken at the thought that he could be taken away from him again.
“Hey. You know you’re going to have to leave him to work some of this out on his own don’t you? Today and yesterday have gone quite smoothly, but I’m sure there is going to be a lot more shit like this in your future. Arguments, fighting. Families do that. He’s not a child. He’s survived practically on his own up until now. You know you can’t fix everything?” Stiles says quietly.
Derek slams his hand down on the dresser, making his own sizeable dent next to Cora’s. She’s going to be mad about that. Stiles doesn’t so much as flinch.
“I’m not trying to fix it. I know it’s going to take a while. It’s just he’s sixteen and when I was sixteen... Fuck. I had no idea what I was doing and look how that ended, look how many people got hurt,” Derek sneers.
It’s probably the most he’s ever said to Stiles about what happened. Stiles’ eyes are all pity but he doesn’t back down. He never backs down from him.
“Yeah, I get where you’re coming from, believe me I do... But it isn’t the same for everyone Der. That wasn’t your fault, you know that. That was Kate’s fault and thankfully, she was a rare breed. I mean, take me at sixteen, I knew exactly what I wanted,” Stiles offers.
Derek lets out a wry laugh and Stiles looks like he’s been slapped.
“You wanted Lydia Martin and then Malia. And look how well those relationships turned out,” Derek knows he’s being mean, a last ditch attempt to hurt him, to push him away perhaps.
Perhaps, to get Stiles to take a cheap shot back at him and he can be angry at him instead of wanting him. Give him something to keep him at arms length like he’s always managed before. Giving him an out.
It sort of works.
“Do you know what, fuck you Derek. They’re two of my best friends now, in case you haven’t noticed, so I didn’t do too badly out of it. And for the record,” Stiles advances backing him up into the dresser, snarl on his lips.
Derek’s heart is pounding, terrified of him. Terrified of what he wants from him, what he’s willing to do for him. Terrified he’ll see through Derek’s pathetic attempt to push him away.
Stiles doesn’t stop until he’s right in Derek’s space, no awareness for his safety as usual.
Stiles pokes him hard in the chest, his voice gravel low, furious.
“I knew exactly what I wanted at sixteen, dickhead. I knew what I wanted and I know that’s true because I still want it. They just didn’t want me back. In fact, I’m doubting if they even want me now, not like I want them. Did you ever consider that maybe my dating history is so goddamn tragic because the entire time, the past ten fucking years, I’ve wanted someone else? You’ve changed Derek, so much, in so many wonderful and amazing ways. But you can still be a total asshole. Don’t take your shitty issues out on Leo when he comes back. I can take it because I know it’s not about me, I’ve always known that. Just don’t do it to him,” Stiles grits out his words and he pulls away, shoving off Derek’s chest, leaving him there pressed into the dresser, bereft.
Stiles slams the door so hard when he walks out that a picture falls off the wall and Derek can’t get a grip on the shift.
Derek ends up having to buy Cora a new dresser.
—————
Derek slinks down the stairs when everyone’s gone to bed and he’s miserable to find the couch empty, the door to the spare room closed.
Stiles had actually gone to bed then. Derek’s disappointed and ashamed of himself but he’s not surprised.
He’s stayed away from Stiles for so long because he knows he’ll hurt him and that’s exactly what he’s let happen. And it didn’t take long at all.
“Hey,” A voice says from the dark kitchen.
“Holy shit,” Derek jumps, clutching at his chest in alarm.
Leo snorts into his glass of milk.
“Sorry dude. Cora taught me how to just shift my eyes and I can see in the dark now, how cool is that? I needed a drink,” Leo offers the carton of milk to him.
Derek takes it and he chugs the whole thing down in one.
“That’s gross, you have perfectly good glasses you know,” Leo admonishes.
“I finish it if I chug it. Tastes better like that anyway,” Derek smiles at him.
“Is... did Stiles go to bed?” Derek asks feigning disinterest.
“Yep,” Leo narrows his eyes at him, “he didn’t even stay up late to play scrabble. He made up some excuse about having a headache but he was lying about that. Cora taught me how to listen for that too by the way.”
“Oh,” Derek looks at his feet.
“I snuck out earlier tonight,” Leo blurts.
Derek looks at him and raises his eyebrows, waiting for him to go on.
“I didn’t mean to... Mia text me and I didn’t even think but... I didn’t want to lie to you. I came straight back. I won’t do it again. And I’ll be really careful about what I say to Mia about our family,” Leo offers in a rush.
Derek’s heart swells at hearing Leo refer to them as family and he’s strangely proud that the kid fessed up. Maybe Stiles is right, maybe Leo isn’t as stupid as Derek was at that age.
Stiles is always right, Derek’s traitorous brain supplies.
“Thanks for telling me Leo. I’d appreciate it if you just tell me if you’re going out. I erm. I’d worry about you,” Derek offers.
Leo smiles at him shyly, all teeth and Derek thinks it makes him look a lot younger.
He looks painfully like their father.
“You look so much like Dad it’s unreal,” Derek tells him quietly, “Laura would have gone apeshit over you. She’d have loved you.”
“Do you think you could tell me a bit about them?” Leo asks, eyes shining hopefully.
There’s a lump in Derek’s throat.
“Yeah. I’d love that,” Derek nods.
They’re still talking when the sun rises.
Derek feels exhausted and wrung out.
He feels lighter but ruined at the same time, his heart feeling both empty and full all at once; he’s completely exhausted, in the unique way that only talking about the people that you miss can make you feel.
He feels more at peace than he’s felt in years.
—————-
Like a chicken shit, after Leo heads up to bed, Derek waits up in the morning until he hears Stiles get up. He’s torn because he doesn’t want to waste his whole Sunday in bed, but he’s so exhausted. He hides out on the deck until he hears Stiles head for the kitchen.
Then, against his better judgement, he sneaks into the room where Stiles had slept and he crawls into the bed, pillow still warm from him.
It smells so comforting, exactly what he needs.
Derek can’t help but wrap the sheets around him and he lets his exhaustion take him over.
He doesn’t so much as stir until past noon, when Stiles shakes his shoulder gently.
Derek has the good grace to try to look a little embarrassed, especially seeing as he has his head fully buried under one of the pillows; the one that smelled the strongest of Stiles.
Derek’s arm is tucked right under it too and he knows his back is bare and on show for Stiles because he sleeps on his front. He tries not to flex at the thought that Stiles might be watching him.
Stiles places a cup of coffee by his head and pulls down the blackout blinds, plunging the room into near darkness and Derek snuggles back down.
Derek just watches blearily as Stiles gets his beach stuff together off the floor, shoving his things into a bag, tripping over at least three times. Stiles shoves his shorts and boxers down his thighs, back to him and Derek wishes it wasn’t so dark because he can see the outline of his firm ass as he pulls his trunks back up.
Derek can feel his eyelids drooping again as the sound of him pottering around threatens to drag him back to sleep.
Stiles comes back before he leaves for the beach and he strokes a hand through Derek’s hair, pushing the front of it back off his forehead before giving it a little tug, giving a lingering look, full of something that Derek’s not quite awake enough to decipher.
He trails his fingers lightly down over Derek’s neck and rubs a circle over his collarbone, leaving his scent there, marking him.
Derek leans into the touch with a whimper and then, quickly as he’d come, he’s gone, rounding up everyone to go down to the ocean again. Stiles leaves the door ajar, a tiny sliver of slight, so Derek hears when the last heartbeat leaves via the back deck.
Derek’s neck tingles with the ghost of Stiles’ fingers and he can feel himself getting harder in his boxers. He grinds down into the sheets but he doesn’t have the energy to flip over and stroke himself, so instead he rocks his dick into the mattress for friction, trapped.
He sees the pile of Stiles’ clothes on the chair next to the bed. Under the t-shirt he’d taken off, there’s the corner of the boxers that Stiles had stepped out of and before Derek can stop himself, he reaches out and snags the black material with his finger tips. He’s stuck between feeling ridiculously ashamed and unbelievably horny. Horny wins out.
Derek grips the boxers in his fist, presses them into his face and he sniffs them deeply and fuck, they smell like come and just like pure Stiles.
With a snarl, Derek spreads his legs wide and he imagines Stiles’ fingers, long and clever, inside him, fucking him and he grinds harder down, dick pressed into the sheets. He bites the pillow when he can feel his orgasm coming quickly; truth be told, he’s been on edge since they were in the ocean yesterday and the scent of Stiles is strong, tantalising.
Derek gives in and he growls around his boxers, fangs ripping through the material, Stiles’ scent bursting on his tongue and it’s the taste of him that rips his orgasm from him. It’s dirty and unbelievably good.
Derek comes into the sheets, dick untouched, on a muffled groan and the scent surrounding him is so strong, he can almost imagine Stiles is there with him.
He rides it out, dick twitching as he pictures Stiles finding him like this, driven to fucking a mattress, boxers in his mouth, wild, at the very thought of having him.
Derek’s left with a very sated feeling in his stomach and a plan to make his apologies for yesterday later on.
He bunches Stiles’ ruined boxers up in his fist and he shoves them under the pillow, making a mental note to discard them later on, somewhere far, far away.
Derek doesn’t bother to clean himself up, enjoying the scent of his come mingling with Stiles’ just a bit too much.
If he had any doubt before, he’s hopelessly screwed when it comes to Stiles Stillinski.
He’s still smiling stupidly at that thought as he falls asleep again.
—————
“Argh, it’s alive,” Malia jokes as Derek comes out of the bedroom in time for dinner.
Derek sneaked up to his room and grabbed some of his clothes before everyone had come back, considering Leo had claimed it as his own now.
Derek doesn’t really have the heart to kick him out of there.
Derek had also cleaned up the spare room and made up the bed. As if that would somehow disguise what he’d been doing.
The boxers, he’d had to go on a quick run and throw them off a pier. There was no saving them. He really hopes they don’t wash up on shore.
“You made a movie reference and it was actually accurate,” Lydia eyes Malia suspiciously.
“Scott’s been making me watch old horror movies on his iPad,” Malia grins proudly.
“That’s right and she’s loving them, aren’t you babe?” Scott kisses her on the forehead.
“I wouldn’t say loving them. The one about the Werewolf in London was very innacurate,” Malia muses.
“Don’t ruin it Mal, take it for what it is,” Scott sighs.
“Ok. It was total crap then,” Malia shrugs and Derek has to chuckle because Scott looks at her, totally betrayed.
“Omn, Mommy said crap!” Ali squeals.
“No, don’t you repeat it!” Scott shrieks.
What follows is a chant from the twins of “Crap, crap, crap” until Scott places them all on the bottom step of Derek’s stairs, Malia included, in a time out for saying naughty words.
He looks very harassed when he comes back into the room.
“Sleep well Derek?” The Sheriff asks and Derek looks up guiltily in alarm before realising there’s no way Stiles’ Dad knows what he did.
“Yes thanks. Leo and I had a late night last night. We stayed up talking,” Derek offers, clearing his throat and pointedly not looking at Stiles.
“Good man,” The Sheriff says, lips pursed.
“You know we’re heading back tomorrow morning Derek?” Melissa says and Derek nods.
“Well we were hoping that you, Cora and Leo would come to visit us next month. It’s John’s fiftieth birthday and we’re going to have a big party at the house. It would be great to see you guys,” Melissa asks.
Derek has his usual ‘no’ ready on his lips when Leo pipes up.
“That sounds awesome Mrs. McCall. Derek, can we go?” Leo looks at him hopefully and Derek glances at Stiles for help but Stiles is smirking into his glass of water, pretending to read a magazine.
Derek knows he’s pretending because it’s upside down.
“Sure. Sounds great. We’ll be there,” Derek sighs.
“Sounds great,” Stiles echoes, low enough the humans don’t hear.
Derek glares at him but Stiles has still got a small smile playing on his lips.
—————
Considering it’s their last night all together, Cora declares that she’s not cooking and instead she reserves them a table at the towns best restaurant; it’s a little seafood place and even Derek has to admit it’s pretty good.
The house is buzzing with activity, everyone getting ready and Allison and Evelyn get Derek to put matching ribbons in their hair.
“You’re weirdly good at that,” John observes.
John’s been ready for an hour and he’s sitting on the back deck with a cold beer waiting for everyone else, wisely out of the way, as he’d informed Derek. If Derek had slyly given him a large bag of nacho chips which the Sheriff has stuffed down the side of the chair, no-one has to know.
Derek herds the girls back inside when they’re ready to go.
“Used to do it for Cora all the time when she was little. Before... well, you know...” Derek shrugs, noticing it’s the first time he’s really been alone with the Sheriff since the other day on the beach.
“Look Derek...” John begins and Derek blanches. He’s seen this part in a movie.
This is the bit where the law enforcement Dad tells the bad boy turned good guy love interest that he’s thinks he’s just great, but not great for his kid and all that jazz.
“Whoah Son, you’ve gone white. Have a beer, relax,” John says and cracks open another bottle for him.
“Sorry,” Derek apologises.
“What are you sorry for?” John levels him with a look.
“I... I don’t know?” Derek answers truthfully.
“Look Son, I’m not going to give you the old gun and shovel talk because I like you too much. And I know you’d never hurt Stiles, at least not on purpose right?” John asks and it doesn’t really feel like a question.
“Yes sir. I mean no sir. I don’t want to hurt him,” Derek says, taking a long drag of cold beer.
“I just wanted to say, please be upfront with him about how you’re feeling because, and believe me he would never let me have a burger again if he knew I was saying this to you, but he’s been gone on you for a really long time. I just want him to be happy. He keeps coming home to Beacon Hills, every time he gets a few weeks off work and I think he enjoys knowing Melissa and I are taking good care of each other, especially since she moved in but... I’ll be honest, it’s been a really long time since I’ve seen him as happy as I’ve seen him this weekend. Do you understand what I’m trying to say to you Son?” John tips his bottle toward him.
“I think I understand Sir,” Derek replies, trying to hide the grin that’s been threatening to spill out at the Sheriff’s declaration.
“Good. Plus, for the record, I do have a gun and a very sturdy shovel... And stop calling me Sir, you know my name,” John says lightly.
“Yes Sir. I mean, yes John,” Derek smiles.
“Now go and get yourself ready. You being all happy is kind of freaking me out,” John gestures toward the door.
“It’s freaking me out too,” Derek laughs quietly but he does get up to go inside.
He showered earlier so all he needs to do is change his clothes quickly.
Everyone’s clambering by the door, putting on jackets, almost ready to go but Derek can’t see Stiles anywhere.
He sniffs him out and heads into the spare room to look for him and he nearly drops his beer when he catches sight of him.
When Stiles comes out of the en suite, he looks positively edible. There’s no other word for it. He’s wearing the beige slacks he’d had on when he arrived but with a tight, red, short sleeved shirt that clings to his everything and his hair is shower damp. His cute nose is a little red from where he’s caught the sun today and Derek’s hands twitch with the need to touch him.
Stiles eyes him and it must be all over Derek’s face what he’s thinking because Stiles’ heartbeat spikes dangerously and it’s a little faster than when he’s nervous.
Derek sniffs the air, taking in a deep, dragging breath and his eyes immediately burn red. He growls around teeth that are definitely a little too long to be human.
Derek kicks the door shut and he locks it deliberately, never taking his eyes off Stiles.
Stiles smells like pure arousal, leaking with it and Derek’s not feeling totally in control.
“Fuck,” Stiles groans, “don’t come any closer. We should talk before... I want to just say, about yesterday I totally get it. But you can’t keep pushing me away. Well you can, but I just want to let you know, I don’t think I can fight this anymore Der. I don’t want to fight it... plus, I need you to know I don’t just want sex. Fuck, I do want sex, I want all the sex with you, but I...” Stiles rushes out.
“I’m in love with you,” Derek blurts out, cutting him off.
Stiles looks at him in total shock, mouth hanging open.
Derek’s actually feeling a bit shocked himself that he just came out with that.
“Are you for real?” Stiles breathes and takes a few steps closer but Derek holds up his hand to stop him advancing.
“Just... let me say this. Please. I’ve loved you for a really long time. I never thought you were a stupid sixteen year old, I didn’t mean what I said yesterday. I thought you were a fucking genius, still do and you terrified me actually. Mainly because I had feelings for you and you were young and reckless and I didn’t want to take advantage of that, like I’d been taken advantage of. Then you moved on with your life and I tried to do the same, but you were just there. I moved away and you kept dragging me back in, like this force just throwing us together. You just kept touching base, enough that I wouldn’t be able to let you go and then you fucking turn up after rescuing my baby fucking brother, looking incredible, smelling like everything I’ve ever wanted and I can’t tamp it down anymore Stiles. I was so scared of hurting you for so long but you’re here and... I feel like I can’t breathe when you’re not with me. What am I supposed to do with that?” Derek gets out in a rush.
Derek smells Stiles’ anger and he panics, afraid he’s read this wrong.
“Shit, why are you angry?” Derek asks, stepping in close to him, cupping his face in his hands.
Stiles grabs his hands to still him and he laughs, low and private.
“You ass. That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to anyone and I was trying to tell you first! You know why I kept pulling you back in ok? I always hoped... Scott must have told me a thousand times over the years to just let you go, but no matter how many dates I went on, how many people I saw, no one was good enough because no one was you,” Stiles tells him.
“We could be a complete disaster,” Derek warns him but Stiles’ mouth is inches from his and he can feel his breath ghost over his lips.
“Probably will be... but we’re in love, how bad can it be?” Stiles’ eyes are on his mouth.
They’re interrupted by a loud knock and the door handle wobbling.
“Are you coming?” Cora’s voice rings out loudly through the door.
“I’m not fucking hungry!” Stiles shrieks, making Derek laugh.
Stiles groans and presses his forehead to Derek’s. Derek muffles his grin into Stiles’ neck, nipping his skin lightly and making him groan.
Stiles smacks him on the shoulder.
“Stop, she’s going to hear,” Stiles scolds him but he doesn’t pull away as Derek licks up the tendon in his neck.
In fact, Stiles lets out a loud and sinful moan. They both freeze as there’s no way Cora didn’t hear that.
Derek can hear Cora pause as she realises what’s going on. When she speaks through the door next, Derek cringes.
She’s using her loud “acting” voice. Loosely translated as “this is some really fake shit I’m saying” voice.
“What’s that? Oh no! Stiles isn’t feeling well you say and you’re going to stay here and take care of him Derek? Oh right, yes ok, if you’re sure. Yes, yes, my Netflix password is Iowecorabigtime2, feel free to use it if you get bored. There’s pepto in the cupboard. Ok, Derek, sure I’ll bring you back a few lobster rolls. And for you Stiles? Nothing, you’re just going to keep barfing? Ok... no problem. No, no, please don’t feel guilty, we’re picking Mia up on the way anyway, we won’t even miss you. See you in a few hours,” She calls.
“Are you seriously telling me anyone’s buying that?! She could have at least tried to sound convincing. And she’d better get me some lobster rolls too,” Stiles grouches.
Derek’s got his head cocked, listening for when the front door finally clicks shut.
“Are they g-oomf,” Derek cuts him off as soon as he hears the cars start and he spins Stiles around and pins him firmly to the door with his body, hands fisted in his t-shirt.
They’ve been here before, a long time ago, exactly like this, in Stiles’ bedroom.
Derek had wanted to do this then, but he’d held back, trying to be the good guy for once. He doesn’t want to hold back now.
Derek presses his lips to Stiles’ and he holds his head still as he licks into his mouth, pressing ten years of denial into their first kiss.
Stiles opens up like a dream and he’s warm and wet and perfect and Derek rolls his body into him, pushing him into the door. By the time they come up for air, Derek feels like he’s going out of his mind with need.
Stiles looks wrecked, lips pink and wet, eyes all pupil and his hair is sticking up in tufts where Derek’s been running his hands through it.
“Wow,” Stiles breathes, clutching Derek’s t-shirt tight, “no seriously, I mean wow. Yeah, it’s for definite, I love you, yep, yep, yep. Definitely. Do that some more. Please...”
Derek takes that as his cue to kiss him again and he presses his dick into Stiles’ leg to show him everything he’s not saying.
Stiles whines and fumbles frantically between them to undo his own belt and unlace Derek’s board shorts in the same move. Derek’s impressed.
Stiles tries to yank Derek’s t-shirt over his head but he gets stuck because he doesn’t stop kissing him. He ends up with Stiles’ tongue in his mouth and his t-shirt around his neck.
“Fuck, take it off,” Stiles loses patience and Derek lifts his arms and then he glares at the buttons on Stiles’ shirt.
“Don’t even think about it, this is my best- Derek! Fuck ok, that’s hot as hell, carry on,” Stiles whimpers as Derek slices through the material easily with his claw.
His shirt falls away and Derek’s met with the sight of all his tempting skin. He steps back and kicks his shorts away and Stiles gets on board quickly, shucking his slacks and nearly braining himself on the lamp in the process.
Then, they’re both gloriously naked, just standing there grinning, looking at each other.
Derek’s eyes are blazing and his chest is heaving with the effort of standing still, to let Stiles look his fill.
“I think your cock is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen...” Stiles’ eyes are very much not on Derek’s face and Derek feels his dick twitch against his stomach at Stiles’ praise.
He places his hands against the door, either side of Stiles’ head and he rubs his naked dick on Stiles’ thigh, making him groan.
“It’s exactly how I pictured it. And believe me, I’ve pictured it a lot. Fuck you’re so thick. And you’re uncut. I want that in me... Derek fuck, please,” Stiles begs.
Stiles breaks first and fists his own dick, which is long, cut and wet at the tip where he’s leaking precome. Derek snarls possessively and he bats Stiles’ hand away and drops to his knees, pinning him by the hips to the door.
Stiles’ hands go into his hair and Derek nuzzles his thigh at the touch, scenting him.
“You’re going to kill me sour wolf,” Stiles moans.
Derek answers by gripping his dick firmly and sucking his balls into his mouth, rolling them with his tongue.
“Oh fuck,” Stiles cries out.
Derek would agree but he’s got his mouth full. He runs his tongue up the underside of his cock, savouring him and he looks up, wanting to see Stiles’ face as he swallows him down.
Stiles is staring down at him like he’s just handed him the answer to the universe and just as Derek gets his lips on his pretty cock, Stiles whispers, “I love you.”
Derek blows him like he owns him, like he’s done this a thousand times with him before and he supposes in his mind, he has.
He can feel Stiles is holding back, trying not to fuck into his mouth, so he grips him by the ass cheeks and squeezes him hard. He’s rewarded by Stiles bucking into his mouth and it pushes his dick further down Derek’s throat.
Derek moans gutturally, already addicted to the taste of him, greedily lapping at every burst of precome exploding on his tongue. He pulls off him for a second and pumps him with one hand and licks his other hand liberally.
Stiles’ eyes go wide as Derek takes his dick in his mouth again and this time, Derek reaches round and holds him open with one hand and he pushes one blunt, wet finger against his hole.
Stiles cries out and Derek swallows around him, taking him far as he can go, eyes watering as he works his finger inside him. He’s so unbelievably tight and hot and Derek can’t wait to get his dick inside him.
Derek growls around him at the thought and he stretches him with the tip of a second finger. Stiles comes on a shout.
Derek sucks him for all he’s worth and licks the pulsing head of his cock clean, leaving his fingers inside him as Stiles’ rides out his orgasm.
“Come up here,” Stiles’ voice is hoarse as he drags Derek up by the shoulders, groaning as Derek removes his fingers with a reluctant growl. He moans long and loud as Derek’s solid dick pushes against his own, which is sensitive and softening.
“Let me,” Stiles offers, about to drop to his knees but Derek flips him around so he has to brace his forearms on the door.
Derek spreads him again and feeling his tight hole is nothing compared to seeing it.
Derek snarls and he digs his fingers into Stiles’ ass cheeks, holding him open and he spits right on his crack, watching it drip right down over his exposed entrance, catching in the fine dark hairs there.
The noise Stiles lets out is feral as Derek smears his dick through his spit, blunt head catching on Stiles’ tight hole on every sweep.
“Can I?” Derek growls, barely holding on.
“Fuck, yes, anything,” Stiles agrees, heartbeat honest even though he doesn’t even really know what Derek’s asking. The absolute trust in his voice is what breaks Derek.
Derek buries his teeth in his shoulder, not hard enough to break skin but enough to make Stiles whimper and Derek jerks his own cock hard, just once and he comes right on Stiles’ waiting hole.
His knees threaten to give, so he braces a hand on the door, fingers laced with Stiles’.
When he’s marked him, Derek presses his come into him with a finger until Stiles decides he can’t take anymore and he turns around. Stiles kisses him again, slow and filthy, tasting himself in Derek’s mouth.
“That was fucking spectacular,” Stiles sighs happily, running fingers through Derek’s hair as Derek sucks a huge mark onto his neck.
“I don’t think I’ve ever come that hard,” Derek tells him honestly.
“That sounds like a challenge,” Stiles chuckles.
“I’m counting on it,” Derek grins at him and grips him by the thighs, hoisting him up. Stiles wraps his legs around him.
“Well that’s a few things off my “sex with Derek” list,” Stiles says as he locks his ankles around him and Derek walks them to the bed, “You know, I didn’t think this carrying malarkey would do it for me, but A plus, it’s really hot.”
“You’re actually quite heavy,” Derek muses, pretending to drop him.
“Fuck you dude,” Stiles laughs as Derek throws him on his back on the bed.
Derek stalks up his body until he’s eye level with him.
“Later. If you want,” Derek offers.
Stiles’ eyes darken.
“Good to know... good. to. know,” Stiles breathes.
Stiles shifts and Derek can feel his dick pressing into his leg, half hard already.
“Again?” Derek raises an eyebrow.
“Again.” Stiles nods and he rolls them over so that Derek’s the one on his back.
Stiles sits back on his ankles and pins him with a look that makes Derek’s dick give a valiant twitch.
“Get on your stomach,” Stiles demands throatily and fuck, if that doesn’t do it for Derek, “and stop me if you don’t like something.”
Eyes blazing red, Derek rolls over and he whines thinking about what he did in this bed earlier, Stiles’ boxers in his mouth. He presses his face into the pillow, ears burning.
Stiles trails his fingers over Derek’s back and his touch is gentle, almost tender. Derek shivers when Stiles skips over his ass and his fingertips tickle the hairs on the backs of his thighs.
“This morning, when I got changed in here and you were pretending to be asleep,” Stiles places an open mouthed kiss on the base of Derek’s spine and Derek grits his teeth, claws in the mattress.
“Mmm,” Derek grunts, wondering where he’s going with this.
Stiles palms his cheeks, one in each hand and Derek groans.
“I left my really nice boxers on the top of my washing pile. I know they were there and I know which ones they were because, before you hijacked my bed, I’d stroked myself off in them and I was a bit sad because I’d made a mess of my favourite pair,” Stiles bites him hard on his left cheek and Derek bucks into the bed. He’s going to kill him.
“Did you see them Derek? Did you see my favourite pair of boxers? Because they were gone when I came back and I definitely left them here, right next to your head in fact. I checked right after I came back and imagine my surprise that they’d just vanished,” Stiles bites his other ass cheek harder, then soothes over the abused skin with his tongue.
Derek outright whimpers.
“Would you like to know what I think? I think that you took them... I left them out for you actually, so I wasn’t mad really but... fuck, it was so hot thinking of you jerking off into them. Is that what you did Derek?” Stiles pulls his cheeks apart and Derek hears him groan.
“Fuck, your hole is as hot as the rest of you. I want to taste you Der. Do you want that? Do you want my tongue inside you, getting you wet? Tell me what you want,” Stiles whines, demanding, as if he’s the one who’s being tortured here, when Derek’s seconds away from coming all over the sheets from his voice alone.
Derek shreds the pillow and throws it to the side, bracing his head on his forearms instead. It’s better anyway, because he can smell Stiles’ arousal more clearly this way.
“Yes, fuck Stiles. You and your mouth... No one’s ever done that to me before... fuck, Stiles, do it,” Derek begs shamelessly, snarling.
He’s never let anyone see him this vulnerable before, he’d never have trusted anyone with his back.
The first sweep of Stiles’ tongue over his hole makes Derek bite his own forearm so hard he draws blood.
Stiles proceeds to eat him greedily, tongue pressing deeper, loosening Derek’s muscles until Stiles can get a finger in alongside it.
Stiles makes these hot little noises, like he can’t get enough and that’s what pushes Derek closer and closer to the edge as he devours him. He sucks on his rim until Derek’s shaking with the need to come.
When Derek feels his spit drip messily down his crack and trail over his trapped balls, he cries out.
Stiles sits back and with his knee, he roughly pushes Derek’s leg out and up to the side, opening him up even more. Derek whimpers at the feeling of being so exposed, so empty.
Stiles rests his forehead on his ass and edges another finger in, scissoring the two.
“More,” Derek demands, panting as Stiles starts to finger fuck him harder, clever tongue pushing between them.
This is exactly what Derek had fantasied about with Stiles. He’s played with his own ass before but having Stiles inside him is driving him insane.
He can’t get enough of him. He’ll never have enough.
“Fuck, you’re so tight,” Stiles groans as he tries to work another finger inside him and Derek feels the stretch, needs it like he needs to breathe, “I’m going to fuck you soon. You feel so tight, look so good clenched around my fingers, can’t imagine what you’ll feel like stretched open on my dick.”
Derek gets up on his knees as he’s about to come and Stiles plasters himself to Derek’s back, fingers still pushing into him, finger fucking him deep. He grips Derek’s dick in his other hand tight and Derek shoots hard, all over Stiles’ hand and the bed.
Derek collapses and rolls over onto his back just in time to see Stiles jerking himself off over him with his hand covered in Derek’s come.
Derek bats his hand away with a growl and he jerks him twice before Stiles comes all over Derek’s spent dick and his stomach.
Stiles collapses straight into the mess, not a care in the world, pressing lazy kisses to Derek’s abdomen.
“That has never felt like that,” Stiles’ mouth is squished into his stomach.
Derek runs his fingers through Stiles’ hair, still a little come dumb and dazed.
“No. I mean, not for me either. I think it’s you,” Derek tells him fondly.
“Maybe it’s us?” Stiles mumbles.
“Yeah... maybe it’s us,” Derek really likes the sound of that.
—————
By the time the others get back, Stiles and Derek have managed to shower (which turned into a very slow affair because Stiles sucked his dick under the spray and Derek broke a wall tile with his fist when he came) and they’ve managed to get dressed. Sort of. Stiles is wearing Derek’s t-shirt.
They eat pop-tarts and drink Dr Pepper on the couch, with Stiles’ feet in Derek’s lap and Derek isn’t sure if he’s ever felt so happy.
Derek hears the others return and they put up with some gentle ribbing from everyone, who definitely didn’t believe Stiles was sick in the first place (thanks for nothing Cora).
Derek pulls Leo outside and they toss a baseball back and forth for a little while, as Stiles looks on from the deck. It’s not long before Leo makes his excuses and hides himself away, texting Mia.
Stiles takes Leo’s place and Derek’s not surprised when he turns out to be awesome, arm strong, aim good, as the ball pounds into Derek’s glove over and over.
Derek puts up with at least four puns from him about pitching and catching before he tackles him to the sand, kissing him soundly just to shut him up.
Derek drags Stiles back to bed after saying a quick goodnight to everyone, not bothered in the slightest about hiding their new found relationship.
Scott is the only one who seems to be struggling with it. He keeps making excuses to come into their room.
First, he brings them glasses of water, then he returns Stiles’ sunglasses to him. Which Stiles doesn’t need. As it’s night. And he’s in bed.
Stiles draws the line when Scott sends Ali and Eve into them for a bedtime story.
Stiles reads it to them anyway then he herds them back next door.
Derek listens as Stiles goes looking for Scott and he knows exactly when he finds him in the kitchen because Derek hears a lot of hushed yelling with the words, “cock block, get over it, gross wolfy sex and yucky penis touching” tossed around a lot from both of them.
Stiles comes back in and he locks the door with a satisfied look on his face.
“I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was too late to stop the yucky penis touching,” Stiles grins at Derek, getting into bed with him.
Derek grins at him and curls himself around him, nuzzling him as they fall into a happy sleep, Stiles snoring softly.
—————
Derek wakes slowly when the sun’s just starting to rise, the room still mainly dark. When Stiles stirs in his arms, Derek buries his smile into the back of his neck. The events of the previous evening come back to him and he nuzzles him, growling happily.
“Hey sourwolf. Are you purring right now?” Stiles mumbles happily, pressing his boxer clad ass back into Derek’s morning wood.
“Mmm,” Derek moans blissfully into his neck, words muffled against his skin and he holds him by the hips and rolls his dick against him, “smell so fucking good.”
Stiles smells like sleep, like them and like sex. Derek rubs his stubble into his skin, watching it go pink and he decides he really, really likes it.
“Is anyone else awake yet? Tell me they’re not...” Stiles groans as Derek rubs up the length of his dick through his boxers.
Derek stills, lets himself shift, ears elongating and he cocks his head for a minute and listens.
“Nope. No-one’s up,” Derek punctuates his words with another roll of his hips and he keeps rubbing him.
“Someone’s up,” Stiles giggles ridiculously, pressing back into him and Derek knows he’s must be in love with him, because he actually found that quite funny.
Stiles pulls away slightly, leaning over the bed, fumbling for his bag. Derek growls and yanks him back to where they were pressed together, Stiles’ back to Derek’s front.
Stiles triumphantly throws a bottle of lube at Derek’s head, wriggling back down and resuming his original position, ass nestled on Derek’s cock.
Derek flips the bottle open on a growl.
“What? I was being optimistic,” Stiles says, wiggling his ass at him and continuing to press down on his own dick.
Derek smacks him on the butt lightly, but he drizzles the lube over his fingers regardless.
“About you! Optimistic about you!” Stiles whispers frantically.
Derek yanks Stiles’ boxers down under his ass, trapping his dick and he shoves his own down to his thighs.
“What kind of a guy do you think I am Mr. Hale, you should at least buy me breakfast,” Stiles grins over his shoulder at him and Derek, without preamble, presses one wet finger into him, holding him tightly against his front.
“Oh fuck yes,” Stiles bucks his hips.
Derek fingers him open painfully slowly, enjoying every sound, every wriggle Stiles makes, until Derek’s afraid if he doesn’t get his dick in him soon, he’s going to come.
Derek rolls him on his back, takes off both of their boxers and he puts Stiles’ knee over his arm. He holds him open as he lines up his dick, meeting his eyes.
Stiles is biting his lip, head thrown back and he looks so perfect to Derek.
Derek pushes inside him slowly, because Stiles is ridiculously tight around him and he doesn’t want to hurt him. When he first gets the thick head of his cock through Stiles’ tight entrance, the noise that Stiles makes will give him jerk off material for years.
When he’s bottomed out fully, Stiles locks his ankles around him and he gives a gentle thrust.
They both cry out softly and Derek buries his head into Stiles’ neck to muffle his moans, hands at the side of his head on the matress.
Derek fucks him harder, leaning down into him, until Stiles is wrapped totally around him. Stiles gets his hands in Derek’s hair as he kisses him deep, tongue pressing insistently into his mouth, demanding.
Derek always pictured their first time to be frantic; a fast build up of explosive tension but it’s the opposite. It’s the most intense thing Derek’s ever felt and he could have been fucking him for five minutes or an hour, he’s not even sure, he’s so lost in him.
Derek’s given himself over, drowning in the way that Stiles feels, the beautiful and addictive way in which he responds to him. If you asked him in that moment how he ever lived without him, without this, he wouldn’t know how to answer. He wouldn’t have believed it was possible.
He feels every drag of his dick as it catches on Stiles’ perfect hole, he feels every ghost of breath that Stiles leaves on his skin, every touch like a promise.
“I’m going to come soon,” Stiles groans quietly into his mouth, biting his lower lip and gripping Derek’s ass in his hands, pulling him closer and driving him deeper.
“Come for me... come all over me. Fuck. I need you Stiles,” Derek whispers and Stiles whimpers.
Derek sits up against the headboard and he pulls Stiles up with him, dick still buried deep inside him. Derek plants his feet on the bed and Stiles grips the headboard and locks his legs around him, never breaking eye contact.
Derek fucks up into him hard, the sounds of skin meeting skin obscene in the quiet morning as Derek holds him open, one cheek in each broad hand and he buries his dick in him, over and over.
Stiles comes all over them both on a choked off sob, without a hand on his dick, lips on Derek’s.
When Stiles comes, he clenches down punishingly on Derek’s dick and it drags Derek’s orgasm from him. He comes buried deep in Stiles and he shifts as he does it, vision going red and the smell of Stiles enveloping him.
Derek snarls and he manhandles him onto his front and proceeds to lick him clean all over, finishing with paying extra attention to licking up his own come dripping from Stiles’ hole, until Stiles bats him away, oversensitive.
“You’ll be the death of me,” Stiles sighs happily, throwing Derek’s arm over him and nuzzling into his side.
“I really hope not...” Derek offers, voice gravelly and he really hopes Stiles is wrong.
Stiles pins him with a look.
“You think you’d be less serious after coming your brains out. We don’t know what’s going to happen, I could die tomorrow. Ow, stop squeezing me. I’m just saying! Anyway, I had this super realistic dream once where you were like eighty years old, still kind of hot though and we lived together on a farm... and you kept grumbling about my cooking and there was this three headed sheep that kept... well, that bit’s not so important... anyway... my point is, I like to think we can just go forward from here and we’ll take care of each other, alright. We’ve wasted ten years on ‘what ifs’ and we’ve ended up exactly where we both tried to avoid. And do you know what? It was amazing. We’re amazing. You’re amazing. I’ve made my peace with it. The universe wants us to be together, forever. On our farm. With our three headed sheep,” Stiles flicks him on the nose and Derek can’t help but grin at him.
Derek clutches him tightly. He likes the idea of that.
——————
They get up before everyone else, having a quick and very necessary shower before Derek corrals him into going for a run.
Stiles is misleadingly fit of course and he nearly outdoes Derek on the cardio. Derek takes him on a long run along a coast road and Stiles moans about it the whole way.
“Even Finstock never worked us this hard, you sadist. I know... take your shirt off so at least I can enjoy the scenery,” Stiles groans out so Derek shoves him into a bush, feeling indescribably happy.
”Are you really telling me this beautiful coastline isn’t good enough for you to look at?” Derek laughs but without breaking stride he pulls his t-shirt off and tucks it into the back of his shorts.
“Oh yes... now we’re talking. I can honestly say the scenery’s got nothing on you. You know I think I’m getting a little tired, maybe I’ll just stay behind you,” Stiles whistles at him, dropping back a few paces.
They run past two soccer Mom looking women, who are out speed walking. Their arms are pumping furiously and they both turn round as Derek runs past, to watch him go.
“Hey! Keep it moving you two, he’s taken,” they startle as Stiles yells and runs past them straight afterwards. Derek drops back to run alongside him.
“I do have to live here you know, be nice to people. You wanted me to take my shirt off in the first place,” Derek chuckles.
“Yeah well, I didn’t think it through. Anyway, two can play that game,” Stiles tries the old stripping while running move and Derek has to catch him as he nearly face plants the ground. Stiles does manage to get his t-shirt off though.
Derek runs his eyes over him, taking in his sweaty torso. He pulls off his baseball cap and he sticks it on Stiles’ head, backwards. He looks very cute and ridiculously hot. Derek trails his fingers along the vee of his hips before Stiles slaps his hand away and he runs off, leaving Derek behind. Derek’s content to let him pace ahead, watching Stiles’ body shift with power as he runs. It’s the nicest run he’s ever been on.
They pass a few people, Stiles shaking his butt and stretching ridiculously, until they pass a young jockish looking guy on a bike and Stiles gets the reaction he was looking for. As he cycles past Stiles leisurely, Derek’s the one who has to watch as the guy wolf whistles at Stiles, blatantly checking him out. Stiles stumbles over his own feet and Derek can’t believe how obvious the guy’s being. Then again, Stiles does look awfully tempting. Derek growls at jock dude when he reaches him and he pedals off decidedly faster after that, wobbling precariously. Derek puts on a burst of speed and he catches up to Stiles.
“Ok fine, put your shirt back on. What an asshole. His bike was very small,” Derek mumbles to him.
“Ah ha! See! Not nice is it. Lucky you’re the only one for me boo,” Stiles sounds like he’s starting to struggle a little after his earlier burst of speed.
Derek smacks him hard on the butt just to see him yelp and he runs on ahead again, this time leading Stiles to exactly where he wants him.
“I’m aching all over because you stuck your dick in me Derek, why are you doing this to me?” Stiles yells.
Derek ignores him and leads him higher into the hills and through a little wooded area that loops back to the house, really testing him.
Stiles keeps pace the entire way, despite his complaints and Derek’s once again impressed by him. Stiles, always his challenge, always his match.
As they make their way through the thick trees, Stiles spins him around and backs him up against one of the trunks to kiss him sweetly.
Derek palms him roughly through his running shorts and Stiles moans.
“Are you serious right now, my dick’s going to fall off!” Stiles complains, but Derek can feel him getting hard under his hand.
Derek turns around and drops his shorts and he braces his hands against the tree.
“I fingered myself open when you were getting dressed. I used to have fantasies about you fucking me in the woods back in Beacon Hills, so I thought this was the next best thing,” Derek says causally, bending over slightly and holding himself open with one hand.
He looks over his shoulder where Stiles is just gawping at him.
He wants to laugh at the look on Stiles’ face but he forces himself to be fake serious.
“Do you not want to?” Derek asks innocently and he pushes off the tree. He grins devilishly when Stiles’ weight hits him, pushing him roughly back into it.
“How are you even real,” Stiles grumbles and Derek can feel him shoving his shorts down.
Stiles wastes no time, spitting liberally in his hand and coating his dick. Derek groans with anticipation, hole clenching desperately at the thought of finally getting Stiles inside him.
Stiles pushes two fingers into Derek, checking if he’s loose enough.
Derek whines and pushes back hard into his hand.
“I did it, come on. I used lube. Fuck me hard Stiles, I won’t break. I need it. Need you,” Derek growls and he’s struck with how true it is, how desperate he feels even though he only came a few hours ago.
He wonders if it will always be like this.
“God I hope so,” Stiles holds him open, voice strained and Derek realises that he’d been thinking out loud.
Stiles smells sweaty and excited and his scent makes Derek growl. Derek strokes his own dick as Stiles inches inside and it hurts, but it’s not unbearable.
“Fuck. You’re so fucking tight. You didn’t use enough. Shit, I’m going to come in about two seconds, please relax. Fuck, you’re such a demanding ass,” Stiles grits out and pulls his dick out. Derek whimpers at the loss.
Derek hears him spit again in his hand and then he offers his cupped palm to Derek. Derek lets his saliva drip into it and he feels it in his bones when Stiles spits again, this time straight onto his waiting hole and he pushes three spit slick fingers back him.
Derek claws into the tree.
“Stiles, get your dick in me, I’m good, I swear,” Derek promises.
“Are you kidding right now, Derek, I hate you for this. You fucking slow boned me. You made love to me and it was beautiful. There was loads of eye contact and everything. I had plans for you,” Stiles groans as he pushes his dick against his hole.
Stiles fucks into him again and this time, Derek can feel that he slides into him easier. He still feels split open, but in the best kind of way.
Derek’s dick is still hard and leaking liberally and he strokes it, getting his length wet.
“Just... stay still. Don’t want to come yet,” Stiles whines, planting his feet, his sweaty chest a hot line against Derek’s bare back.
“Fuck me hard Stiles. We can do it again later, you can take your time then,” Derek promises and pushes his hips back into him.
Stiles snarls and grips his hips.
Derek gets his wish and Stiles pushes him into the tree and fucks him relentlessly, hips slamming into him, over and over.
The pace he sets is punishing and Stiles’ fingers bruise into his hips and it’s exactly how Derek wants it.
Derek cries out when Stiles leans around and puts his fingers around his throat, just holding him, not hurting.
Derek arches into his hand and he leans forward slightly. Stiles’ dick drags over a spot inside him and the angle has him seeing stars. Stiles does it again and again and when Derek feels Stiles press the tip of his pinky finger inside him alongside his dick, stretching him impossibly wide, Derek howls and he shifts.
He comes hard, crying out Stiles’ name and he feels Stiles empty into him on a groan, dick pulsing deep inside him as he holds him still.
Derek pulls both their pants up when they get their breath back and he kisses Stiles softly.
“Thank you,” Derek tells him, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the woods.
He pulls a dazed Stiles along.
“You’re thanking me?” Stiles mutters at no one in particular.
“Well no one else fucked me against a tree,” Derek points out.
“Damn right... only me. I’m the only one who gets to do the tree fucking,” Stiles levels him with a look that Derek’s never really seen on him.
It’s possessive and a little jealous.
It heats Derek’s insides.
“Stop looking at me like that, my dick’s out of commission for the rest of today,” Stiles frowns.
“Is your ass out of commission?” Derek jokes.
“I always knew you had a secret sense of humour. Just had to find your topic of choice,” Stiles shakes his head.
“Who’s joking?” Derek growls, letting his eyes bleed red.
“Fuck off Derek, I can’t come again! It’s impossible,” Stiles steps away from him, out of Derek’s reach and he doesn’t like that at all.
Derek growls again.
“Run...?” Derek suggests playfully, shifting enough so his claws come out and Stiles’ heartbeat hammers in his ears.
“Oh shit,” Stiles grins, pulse thundering.
He runs.
——————
They manage to sneak back inside the house and make breakfast for everyone before they wake up. Derek finds a congratulations card from Lydia on their pillow and a note saying she’s had to take off for an early flight.
She’s also left a few college brochures for Leo. MIT is at the top of the pile, probably because it’s where she lectures, with a post it on the top of it saying “when he’s ready”. Stiles chuckles at her style of helping. Her heart’s always in the right place.
It’s absolute chaos as everyone packs up to leave; there’s missing clothing, missing shoes, two missing flateable mingos and even missing kids.
Eve and Ali hide because they don’t want to go home, sending Scott into a complete panic until Derek literally has to sniff them out, finding them hiding in the back of Stiles’ jeep.
Derek’s a little bit sad to see them go as they all exchange hugs. They make promises to visit each other soon and Derek, for once, is looking forward to it.
Scott looks totally harassed as he drives off, Malia asleep in the passenger seat with an eye mask on. The last thing Derek sees is Ali smushing chocolate all over her window as she waves goodbye to him. She see’s him looking at the smears and she grins at him.
Derek chuckles to himself but he doesn’t tell Scott. He can deal with it when he gets back home.
The Sheriff and Melissa exchange the longest goodbyes with Leo, making plans to see him soon. John’s already set up a fishing trip with the kid for the next month and Leo looks shyly pleased when the Sheriff calls him Son. Derek knows that feeling.
It’s been just him and Cora for so long, Derek’s gotten used to having a full house over the weekend; he’s going to kind of miss everyone.
At least Leo’s staying for a while, Derek consoles himself. Forever, if Derek’s got anything to do with it. He knows the road ahead isn’t going to be easy, this weekend was a happy little snapshot into what they’re eventually going to be.
They have so much to work out, like if Leo’s going to go to School, if he’s going to get a job... The kid has so many issues, Derek’s sure it’s not always going to be this smooth, but at least Leo will have Derek and Cora to help him through it. And he’ll have Stiles and everyone else too, apparently.
Hell, Derek and Cora have to teach him to be a wolf before they do anything else. Leo’s first real full moon with a pack is going to be a challenge, Derek knows. Especially because he’s suppressed the shift for so long. But whatever it takes, Derek’s going to make it work with the kid. He’s going to make Laura and his parents so proud of him.
They’re going to be a proper family and he’s going to take care of them.
Plus, he also gets to keep Stiles until the end of the week.
Derek’s mouth presses tight into a hard line when he thinks about Stiles leaving and he gets a familiar pain in his chest.
He’s feels like in one impossibly perfect weekend, he’s just been handed everything he’s dreamt of for the past ten years with him; he really doesn’t know how he’s going to watch him walk away.
Derek sits down a little morosely on the back deck with a cup of coffee.
Leo, Cora and Stiles join him when they’ve tidied up the breakfast mess and everyone’s driven away safely. Stiles sits next to him on the bench and Leo and Cora take the deck chairs.
Leo’s distracted by his phone beeping constantly.
“Mia?” Stiles asks him, sipping his coffee.
Derek tries not to stare at the livid hickeys on Stiles’ neck but it’s hard because Stiles keeps fingering them, letting out little sighs. Derek’s spectacularly pleased about them, truth be told. He feels a bit like an artist.
“Yep. She’s so awesome.” Leo grins happily, “Hey Derek. Can Mia please come over to watch a movie in my room on Saturday, after our shift at the animal shelter?”
Derek wants to say sure, but you need to stay down on the couch downstairs but he’s blindsided by Leo calling it “his room”. Even though it’s technically Derek’s room, but that doesn’t matter. Derek’s decided he’s moving downstairs anyway, to the room that smells of Stiles so he lets it go, pleased that Leo wants to be there. Pleased that Leo’s already feeling comfortable enough to claim something.
“Sure. But the door stays open,” Derek tells him, pointing a finger.
“We’re just friends,” Leo rolls his eyes at him.
“Heard that one before,” Stiles snorts into his coffee.
“That’s because you invented it, with Derek,” Leo quips and Stiles throws a spoon at him.
“Ooh burn... When do you have to leave Stiles?” Cora asks lightly.
Derek tenses visibly. They’d avoided this conversation so far and Stiles looks at him with amusement before answering Cora.
“I’ll have to go back next Friday. I’ll be honest though, I was kind of thinking about looking for a place of my own near Beacon Hills, even before all this. Mel and Dad need their own space. I’m getting quite a bit of time off between projects at the minute, so I think I’ll be away for a few weeks, back for a few weeks, that sort of thing. They want me to set up a few initiatives working with local law enforcement and Beacon Hills seems as good a place as any,” Stiles shrugs.
Derek bites his lip so hard it bleeds to stop himself from blurting out what he really wants to say. He wants to tell Stiles that he can live here, to stay with him, but he doesn’t want to scare him.
They’ve been together officially a day. Even Derek knows that’s too soon.
“Dude, why don’t you just stay here when you’re not at work? Derek and Cora have got the room. And Derek obviously likes having you around. And you obviously like him,” Leo suggests innocently, not looking up from his phone. Derek reminds himself to buy the kid all the socks he could possibly want for voicing what Derek’s thinking.
Cora grins at them both.
When Derek looks at Stiles, his ears are red.
“Don’t be stupid. You guys want your own space and you’re just settling in Leo. You don’t want me around getting in the way,” Stiles tries to sound nonchalant and he keeps picking at a thread on his shorts.
“Nah man, I think you’re sort of cool,” Leo says to Stiles but he’s staring right at Derek and he gives him an exaggerated wink. “I know I’ve only been here a few days but even I can tell Derek is way more grumpy when you’re not around him. Whoah. Sorry Derek, I’m just offering your house out here.”
“It’s fine. It’s your house too,” Derek tells him truthfully and Leo looks back up long enough to shoot him a pleased smile. “You’re right anyway... it would make sense for Stiles to stay. If he wants to...”
“Honestly guys, it’s fine, I don’t want to impose. I’ll still visit. It would be a ridiculous idea for me to stay here anyway. I’m kind looking forward to setting up on my own,” Stiles doesn’t look at Derek, instead he sips his coffee.
“Lie,” Derek whispers straight into his ear, lips brushing his skin.
“I hate it when you do that,” Stiles frowns at him.
“Lie,” Cora grins.
“Oh for fu... fudge sake. Seriously, I don’t think I can live in a house with three Werewolves,” Stiles grumbles, but Derek can see he’s hiding a smile.
“Ooo, Lie!” Leo exclaims making Derek laugh.
Derek looks at Stiles, skin flushed, smelling happy, brown eyes bright.
He glances over to Cora and she looks happier than he’s ever seen her and his eyes come to rest on his little brother, who he thought was gone forever, up until a few days ago.
The little brother that the guy Derek’s ridiculously in love with, had hunted down and delivered to Derek’s doorstep. His brilliant, clever Stiles.
As Stiles folds his hand into his, he can’t believe he was ever afraid of him.
He’s in awe of him.
“Cool. So that’s settled, you’ll be staying here with us? If it’s ok with Derek?” Leo asks hopefully.
Stiles looks at Derek, smile playing on his lips, eyes blazing into his, head cocked as if to say, what are you going to do now?
“It’s very ok with Derek,” Says Derek, smiling back.
“Great. Well, it’s very ok with Stiles too. That sounds great. Just great,” Stiles’ grin is blinding.
“Great. That’s really, really, great,” Derek agrees staring into his eyes.
“You said great already,” Cora points out and Leo throws the spoon back at Stiles.
——————
Stiles was wrong about one thing.
Sadly, there is not a farm with a three headed sheep in their future... but there most certainly is an adopted, three legged Jack Russell cross who goes by the name of Wonky Wally.
Cora pretends she doesn’t really like him and Wally pretends he doesn’t really like her right back but Stiles catches them napping together all the time. Wally chews holes in all of Leo’s socks and weirdly, no one else’s.
Wally likes long walks on the beach with Stiles and Derek and the thing he likes best is to hang his head out of the passenger side of Derek’s Camaro.
—————