Partnered Shoot

by Takara_Phoenix

Summary:

A viral post of a fan edit with Neckz 'n Throats' Peter and Visionary's Stiles gains enough attention to make the two magazines decide on a partnered shoot between the two models.

Stiles' husband Deucalion and Peter have a past. But so do Peter's husband Chris and Stiles.

Once jealousy and hurt feelings are navigated, there might be a new path to take for the four of them, together.

Teen Wolf || Stetaliopher || Teen Wolf || Partnered Shoot || Teen Wolf || Stetaliopher || Teen Wolf

Title: Partnered Shoot – Mixing Up the Past and Present for a Better Future

TW Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Jeff Davis and MTV. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: m/m/m/m, polyamory, Neckz 'n Throats AU, Pack Alpha Peter, Spark Stiles, Nogitsune Stiles, post-Nogitsune, hurt/comfort, fluff, Daddy Kink, explicit intercourse, anal, f/f, m/f

Main Pairing: Deucalion/Chris/Peter/Stiles

Side Pairings: Boyd/Erica, Braeden/Marin, Ennis/Kali

Teen Wolf Characters: Mieczysław 'Stiles' Stilinski, Chris Argent, Peter Hale, Deucalion, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Ethan Steiner, Aiden Steiner, Kali, Ennis, Braeden, Marin Morrell

Summary: A viral post of a fan edit with Neckz 'n Throats' Peter and Visionary's Stiles gains enough attention to make the two magazines decide on a partnered shoot between the two models. Stiles' husband and Peter have a past. But so do Peter's husband and Stiles.

Partnered Shoot

Mixing Up the Past and Present for a Better Future

Stiles tilted his head curiously as he watched his pack. Aiden and Ethan were mostly bored and playing cards against each other, Ennis and Kali were making out heatedly on the couch, Marin was going through some files on her lap, while Braeden was on her third rendition of 'Why not me', which was fair enough, if the roles were reverses, Stiles would be on the tenth rendition of it.

"I acknowledge that Chris Argent is a very talented photographer, but how can you arrange for a shoot between Stiles and Peter and not let me capture it?"

Deucalion raised one perfectly elegant eyebrow and regarded her with so much amusement that Stiles wanted to walk over and kiss his husband senseless. Showing an impossible amount of self-restrained Stiles stayed seated next to Marin.

"That's the arrangement we made. We provide the studio, they provide the photographer. It's a give and take," Deucalion pursed his lips in an amused manner (which made them look even more kissable. Why was nobody praising Stiles for his self-restraint?). "Besides, I was always under the impression that you didn't like Peter."

"Oh, I hate him," Braeden huffed and gave Deucalion the most offended look. "The smug bastard makes me want to punch him in the face. I don't have to like him to appreciate that he is pretty and he's always been easy enough to direct too though."

Stiles snickered a little, earning an amused grin from Ennis, who had finally pried his mate off of him enough so he could join Aiden and Ethan's card game. Kali was inspecting her nails and checking her pedicure. One day, Stiles wanted to meet the brave person who actually painted and sharpened these claws for her.

"I'm not gonna lie, the main reason I look forward to this shoot at this point is to finally meet the infamous Peter Hale," Stiles admitted in a chipper voice.

Marin shot him a look, somewhere between exasperated warning and fond exhaustion. Stiles was very familiar with that look. She'd been his mentor in honing his Spark for years now, she'd perfected the art of being fond of him while he drove her up the wall. Though he wasn't entirely sure why he'd earned that look right now.

Peter Hale used to be a model at Visionary and, according to Ennis, a part of the pack too. But the pack didn't talk a whole lot about Peter, or his time here. There was always a lot of awkward silence about it. Stiles wasn't stupid, he knew there was something they weren't telling him and if given the chance, he'd love to hear it from the horse's mouth. Or the wolf's mouth, as it were.

Admittedly, there was more than just the curiosity about a former pack-member who'd left the pack before Stiles ever joined it. No, Peter Hale was very much the reason why Stiles had become a model in the first place. Growing up in Beacon Hills with a bunch of bumbling teen wolves, Stiles had walked past the latest issues of Neckz 'n Throats in the grocery store. Werewolf soft porn. Tame enough to be sold upfront, but oh, he knew how much they appealed to werewolves, the pictures of bared throats and long stretches of marked-up necks. They showed more skin on occasion, of course. Shirtless, some even in underwear when they were more risqué. Stiles was not ashamed to admit that after his life got derailed by werewolves, he developed a certain interest and he had bought a couple issues himself.

Peter Hale was perhaps the prettiest man he'd ever seen in his life. That was not to say he wasn't totally gone on his husband, but Stiles wouldn't classify Deuc as pretty. Deuc was handsome. But Peter? With the deep, blue eyes and impossibly long lashes and that perfectly cut jawline? Pretty was the perfect word to describe the man.

And in the end, his teenage infatuation with Peter was what had first made him suggest that they could do this too. Make money off of the gorgeous wolves in their pack. That was how the True Alpha label had first been born. Stiles averted his eyes at the bitter feeling rising in his throat when he thought about his first pack and his first label.

It had all gone to shit and Stiles had moved on, found his way to Visionary and falling stupidly in love with his boss and Visionary's CEO Deucalion Blackwood. He joined the pack and accepted both Deucalion's courting and his hand in marriage. And life was good now. Life was very good. He loved his pack, loved his work, loved his husband.

But when someone on the internet made the genius pitch of wanting to see a 'crossover shoot' between Visionary and Neckz 'n Throats and that post went viral – a moderately good edit of Stiles and Peter making out – an opportunity presented itself. Because Peter Hale was a mystery that Stiles had not yet solved and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to poke it. So he'd discussed it with Marin first, Deucalion's secretary and right hand in the business (not to be confused with his Right Hand in the pack, Ennis), and she had given him a smile and said she'd suggest it to Deuc.

Stiles knew the hard facts, he'd done his research on Peter Hale. Son of Logan Hale, the founder of Neckz 'n Throats. Both Peter and his older sister Talia had been models with the label, but after their father's untimely death, the business went to Talia. Unable to work for his sister, Peter had parted with Neckz 'n Throats and instead started working for Visionary.

The Hale Fire was well-recorded and had been covered by the news. The majority of Peter's family had died during it. Afterward, he stepped up as CEO of Neckz 'n Throats and salvaged what was left of his family's legacy, turning his back on Visionary, though in press releases, both Peter and Deucalion assured the public that they were parting on amicable terms.

That had been years ago though and the fact that Peter hadn't been a guest to the pack once, and that Deuc had never decided to go visit his former pack mate either, raised some flags for Stiles. He'd been married to Deucalion for a year now, working for him for three. He knew avoidance when he saw it. Amicable looked different. Amicable would include phone calls or visits. Something had happened and Stiles was determined to figure out what.

/break\

Chris wasn't too keen on this shoot. He knew it was a good call for the magazine. That viral post had drawn a lot of attention and caused a lot of anticipation and when Visionary had reached out to Neckz 'n Throats about a collaboration between them, Laura had leaped at the chance. She had a good sense for business. Chris knew that, for the magazine, his niece had made the right call.

It was Chris' own sanity that he feared for. Oh, he was well-aware of the loaded past between his husband Peter and Visionary's CEO Deucalion Blackwood. That was something he was mildly concerned about, but not overly. No, what truly worried him was the model Peter would be partnered with during this shoot. Stiles Blackwood.

He swallowed hard when they entered the studio and his eyes landed on Stiles. Damn, that boy looked more gorgeous every year, didn't he? But at his core, he was still the same pretty boy, with those big doe-eyes and the cute upturned nose and those very sinful lips. Chris clutched his equipment a little tighter while everyone introduced themselves.

"The infamous Peter Hale. It'll be my pleasure to work with you."

Peter put on a flirtatious smirk as he ran his eyes up and down Stiles. Even prettier in person than on any of the pictures he'd seen. Stiles was offering his hand. His left hand. Not the most common for shaking, but when he held it out, twisted just enough to show off the bite-mark on the inside of his wrist, Peter knew why. Models like them, where the focus of the shoots were on their necks, they didn't bear their mate-marks on their necks, because while marks on the neck were a draw and a turn-on for werewolves, hickeys and bites or the occasional collar, a permanent mate-mark was a turn-off for the fantasy they were supposed to provide.

Stiles was deliberately showing off his mate-mark to Peter. His grin turned a little more amused at the bold, possessive display. Making sure Peter knew and remembered that Deucalion was Stiles'. The reminder made his heart clench, but something about the teeth-baring attitude of the little spitfire absolutely delighted Peter.

"Believe me, darling, the pleasure will be mutual," Peter assured the other model.

And then he lifted Stiles' hand up to kiss his palm. Dangerously close to the mate-bite, but not close enough to be scandalous. Just close enough to let Stiles know Peter understood the message sent.

"I knew this was gonna be weird, but somehow it is a whole different kind of weird than expected."

Peter turned around to shoot Erica a pointed look. Why had he even agreed to bring her to this…? Oh, right, she was a big fan of Stiles', and of all gossip regarding the Hales which in Peter's case included his past with Deucalion, so she had begged with the big Bambi eyes until he caved. Why was he such a weak Alpha for the pups? It did pay off for her that she was his favorite.

Her mate next to her cleared his throat and nudged her to help him set up Chris' equipment. Boyd had started working with Chris about a year ago, getting the job through Erica who had been working as a model with Neckz 'n Throats. Well, he got the job through Peter, who, again, was weak for his Betas, but he had only grown interested in photography after Erica became a model, until he decided to do it professionally.

"Thank you so much for having us, Alpha Blackwood," Chris looked physically pained having this conversation. "But I was under the impression that it would only be Peter and Stiles."

His eyes wandered rather pointedly to the rest of Deucalion's pack. Chris knew Visionary operated under the same basic system as Neckz 'n Throats. At the core of the magazine sat the Alpha's pack. They had other on staff models, photographers and other employees, but the core crew was the pack. It wasn't a hard guess that the people present in the studio right now were said pack.

Kali and Ennis were lounging comfortably on the couch, her legs thrown over her mate's lap and his hand on her thigh. Both their eyes were on Peter. Next to them sat the twins, Aiden and Ethan, sprawled out and seemingly bored. Most likely not here for protective reasons but for pack solidarity, which made sense. They'd only joined the Blackwood Pack after Peter had already left it again. Last on the couch were Deucalion's personal assistant Marin, with whom Laura had spoken in person to organize this meeting, so Chris recognized her from her visit, as well as Braeden, the top photographer from Visionary, who Chris knew from a professional standpoint. Marin seemed intrigued and Braeden seemed annoyed.

"The shoot itself will only be Stiles and Peter," Deucalion's smile was as forced as Chris'. "Call it… professional curiosity on their part, if you will."

"Guess I'll park myself with them then," Erica chimed in, her eyes raking over Stiles for a very long moment. "I'm looking forward to seeing you work. Big fan."

Stiles blinked those pretty doe-eyes at her and nodded, like he wasn't entirely sure what to do with this exchange. Once Boyd was finished setting things up for Chris, he went to join his mate on the couch too. An audience, just what Chris wanted for this already tricky situation.

"Here's what I'd like," Chris spoke more confidently, trying to focus on his work. "I'd like for Peter and Stiles to familiarize themselves with each other, get comfortable in each other's personal space. I'll be taking some test shots during it, to get a feeling for how you two work together."

"Yes, Chris, I remember how you work," Stiles' eyes were sparkling near golden with amusement.

Chris' heart ached a little at that. He'd forgotten just how many shades of whiskey these eyes could hold and right now, they looked like the setting sun hitting through a glass of whiskey. Brilliant and rare. He really should be over his infatuation with Stiles, shouldn't he?

"I… wasn't aware the two of you knew each other," Aiden noted, mildly interested now.

Stiles shot him a look and rolled his eyes. "We both worked at True Alpha. He… left first, started working at Neckz 'n Throats. I left after, came to you guys."

Ethan hummed and sat up. "I sense more to that. This is going to be interesting after all, isn't it?"

Why were they like this? Stiles sighed and returned his attention to Peter and Chris. Yes, it was weird to see Chris again after all these years. Maybe even a little humiliating. He'd made a fool of himself back then, hitting on his coworker. But Chris had shot him down and they'd managed to stay professional, for the rest of their shared career. Until the Nogitsune. Until Chris left.

"Darling," Deucalion's voice was gentle as he grasped Stiles' wrist.

Stiles jerked a little, shaking the memory off. Part of the reason he had left in the first place, wasn't it? To not be constantly reminded of the worst phase of his own life. He forced a smile at his husband and breathed deeply to calm his erratic heartbeat, which must have alerted Deuc to begin with. Stiles slipped his hand into Deuc's and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Taking one more deep breath, Stiles stepped back up to Peter, a grin spreading over his lips. God, this man was pretty. Tilting his head, Stiles rested a hand on Peter's chest, fingers on the wolf's collarbone, touching bare skin thanks to a ridiculously deeply cut v-neck. He ran his fingers along that collarbone, slow and sensual, pushing the shirt out of the way. His lip caught between his teeth in excitement, his other hand resting on Peter's biceps. The wolf reached one hand out for Stiles' waist, curling his fingers around his hip and dragging Stiles closer by it.

Deucalion swallowed hard as he watched the two loves of his life gently caress each other. There was a playfulness to them both and it filled him with yearning to see them like this. He'd known this shoot was a bad idea, but he hadn't anticipated it to be bad for this particular reason. Stiles tilted his head, baring his throat to Peter, and Deucalion fought back a growl. It never bothered him to see Stiles submit to another wolf, not even another Alpha, but Peter? Peter was different.

The scent of arousal and longing that filled Deucalion's nose had him whip his head around to stare intensely at Christopher Hale. Peter's husband. There was an unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach at that thought, too close to jealousy for comfort. He wanted Peter happy, of course he did, and it would be unfair to deny the man that, especially considering the fact that Deucalion was happy. If he had a husband he loved, why shouldn't Peter be allowed to have that too? Yet these rational thoughts did nothing against the unpleasant feeling.

And what got to Deucalion right now was the fact that Peter's husband reeked of longing – not for Peter, no, Deucalion could see the man's attention on Stiles. The Alpha's sense of possessiveness took over, in a much more overwhelming manner than usually. He could deal with Stiles' shooting partners being attracted to him and he could deal with the random people on the street who may recognize Stiles and reek of arousal. But this was different. Longing wasn't the same as arousal.

With furrowed brows did Deucalion step up to Chris. "Do you have a history with my husband that you'd perhaps like to share?"

Chris tensed, before he adjusted his camera. "I believe Stiles already said all there is."

"Are you quite certain about that?" Deucalion regarded the man intensely. "Because it smells like you want to sleep with my husband. Have you slept with my husband?"

A snort and a near annoyed frown were Chris' first reply. "You mean the way you have slept with my husband? No. Stiles and I were pack and we worked together. That's all there is. Now that everyone knows who slept with whom, or didn't, how about we get back to work?"

Stiles' eyes were sharp, the way they used to look at a threat, and it had Chris freeze on instinct. He knew what that boy was capable of and he knew he didn't want to be on the receiving side of his wrath. But Stiles' eyes landed firmly on Deucalion when he pushed off of Peter and stalked over toward Chris and Deucalion.

"For the record," Stiles' voice was as cold and sharp as his eyes when he reached them. "Not everyone knew who slept with whom here."

The room feel eerily quiet as everyone watched him. Stiles gave his husband a hard glare before walking past him with firm steps, anger boiling in his belly.

"Stiles, where are you going? You're in the middle of something here," Marin called after him.

"I'm taking a fucking smoke break."

"You don't smoke," Braeden pointed out, sounding amused.

He flipped her off and closed the balcony doors a little harder behind himself than he needed to. His hands were shaking with anger as he stepped up to the edge of the balcony, gripping the rail hard. All of Los Angeles laid beneath their feet and he stared at it in anger. He didn't even get half a minute to himself before the balcony door opened.

His best guess would have been Marin, she had taught him about his Spark and had been a mentor and friend to him since he joined Visionary. Maybe Ennis, who kept calling him pup and treating him that way, though he wasn't the most emotionally vocal person. Perhaps even Deuc, trying to smooth things over right away, despite knowing it was safer to just let Stiles cool off first. But Stiles got surprised when Kali came to stand next to him.

"You knew," Kali spoke calmly. "He may have never put it into words and you may not have wanted to see it, but you are too smart not to have figured it out."

Stiles hung his head a little at her words, his grip on the rail tightening. She was right. Deep down, he'd known, of course. What other reason was there for things to be tense, for this former pack member who supposedly left on amicable terms to never visit again, for conversations about him to be stilted? Stiles even knew why he had refused to see it. Because there was only one obvious conclusion for why things would be that tense. If Deuc had gotten over Peter, he wouldn't have a problem bringing the other man up. The fact that he couldn't, the fact that he never told Stiles about this relationship, it implied that Deuc had never gotten over Peter. And that, in return, implied that Stiles was just the consolation prize. The one Deucalion had taken as his mate because he couldn't have the one who he truly wanted.

A bitter feeling settled around his heart at that thought and he took a slow breath though his nose to fight the burn of tears in his eyes. It had been so many years, he'd kept telling himself that it didn't matter, kept ignoring the obvious. Kept telling himself that Deucalion chose him. But in the end, was it really a choice when the one you truly wanted was taken from you? You take the second best.

"How serious were they?" Stiles asked, voice just a little shaky.

"They were courting," Kali replied bluntly. "Deuc had bought a ring, when the… fire happened."

Stiles' lips twisted in the mockery of a smile. He only had himself to blame for this situation, didn't he? He'd pushed for this shoot and schemed with Marin. He'd wanted to know. Now he knew.

"He does love you, you know that too, Stiles," Kali whispered, more gentle than usual.

Swallowing hard, Stiles pushed off the balcony. "Yeah, I got a photo shoot to get back to."

He took one more deep breath before pushing the balcony door open and reentering the studio, well aware that all eyes were on him. And for once, he didn't find himself appreciating it all that much. As soon as he stepped closer did Deucalion approach him.

"Dearest," the Alpha started, lifting a hand to reach out for him.

Stiles side-stepped the hand. "You had plenty of time to talk in the past two years that we'd been together. I don't wanna hear it now. I'm not your husband, or your mate, right now, I'm your employee. And I have work to do."

He gave Deucalion a seething glare before he walked over to the couch, where Peter had by now sat down. There was a near troubled expression on the Alpha's face as he regarded Stiles.

"I apologize if my presence here has caused any… issues," Peter sounded genuine enough.

"Your presence hasn't. My husband's unwillingness to have a fucking conversation about his feelings has," Stiles closed his eyes for a moment and breathed slowly, before offering Peter a smile. "Now, where were we?"

Stiles put a hand on Peter's chest and swung one leg over the man's lap so he could straddle him. For a moment, Peter looked surprised, then amused. Stiles slowly pushed his hand up Peter's chest, until he could curl his fingers into the man's dark hair. Once he had a good grip, he pulled on it, pulling Peter's head back and forcibly baring the wolf's throat.

"Careful, darling," Peter's voice was rough and his eyes flashed red.

"Those are pretty, but they don't scare me," Stiles grinned mischievously, getting lost in the Alpha's red eyes. "And you'll find that I can put any Alpha on their knees, if I want to."

He leaned in and then licked a slow stripe up Peter's bared neck. The wolf growled, not a warning but something much more primal. A sound Stiles had gotten from Deuc in the past too. Alphas loved being challenged. Most people mistakenly thought that Alphas would seek demure and pliant partners, who'd be quick to cower and submit. In Stiles' experience, Alphas loved to be challenged. They wanted to earn their partner's submission, to show they deserved it. Prove their worth as an Alpha. Presenting a challenge to them worked so much better than readily submitting right away.

Peter's hands found their way to Stiles' waist, gripping him tighter than earlier and then easily flipping them both over. Stiles gasped when he hit the couch and his grin grew when he saw the hungry look on Peter's face as the Alpha loomed over him like that. One of Peter's hands was slowly slipping from Stiles' waist to briefly cup his ass and then wander over his thigh, adjusting Stiles' leg so it was wrapped around Peter's waist, while Peter's other hand quickly and easily pinned both of Stiles' wrists above Stiles' head. His breath hitched before picking up, because fuck, that was hot. The display of strength, the easy way in which Peter seemed able to maneuver Stiles just the way he liked him. Tilting his head, Stiles decided to also wrap his other leg around Peter's waist, using them both to draw Peter closer. The wolf gladly obeyed.

"Oh, sweetheart, you may be a delightful little spitfire, but you don't put me on my knees," Peter whispered darkly, his smile showing fangs. "I will have you begging to be on your knees for me."

Okay, unreasonably hot. Stiles felt arousal stir in him, heat flushing his skin. He bit his lip and dragged it through his teeth, aware of Peter's heated gaze on the motion. Peter leaned in closer, their crotches brushing and the wolf's hand on his thigh squeezing tighter.

"But they do know this is a soft porn shoot, right?" Erica asked startled. "Because they look like they're two seconds from actively fucking on that couch. Which, I would not object to watching."

"Erica, dear, do behave," Peter sighed, put a bit of distance between them. "However, I do believe we have… successfully familiarized ourselves with each other, wouldn't you agree, sweetheart?"

Stiles bit his lip again, harder this time, and nodded as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Ye—ep. I feel very familiar with your body now. So, Chris, how do you want us?"

It took multiple seconds before Chris was ready to process that question. The image of Peter between Stiles' legs, pinning the boy to the couch and forcing Stiles to bare his throat, was maybe a little more than Chris could handle. He cleared his throat and gathered himself.

"First, I want you with wardrobe. Peter in a well-cut suit, Stiles… in underwear and Peter's shirt."

Mischief danced in honey eyes as Stiles tugged on Peter's v-neck. "That's the one you wore in the post announcing the shoot. Clever. I like that. Gimme."

While sitting up, Stiles pulled his own shirt off over his head, shameless. Which figured, with the nature of his work, but did he have to torment Chris like that? Chris could still feel the heated glare from Stiles' very possessive Alpha husband. God, that boy was breathtaking. All lean, pale-skinned, with moles painted down his side. And then Peter had to get out of his shirt too and the contrast between them made Chris' mouth go dry. Peter was much more tanned than Stiles, more muscular, broader in the shoulders and neck. They were about the same height, with Peter having maybe half an inch tops on Stiles, but the difference in their built was mesmerizing.

"There you go, sweetheart," Peter offered the shirt to Stiles with a smile.

Stiles hopped off the couch, put the shirt on… and took his jeans off. Chris closed his eyes to breathe deeply and count to ten. This job hadn't tested him like this in years, not since he'd left True Alpha. Even with Peter it hadn't been that bad. Mostly because the wolf could smell his arousal and had no shame so he'd acted on it off the bat, never giving things the chance to become awkward through avoidance. With Stiles, it had always been about restraint, holding back, not acting on it.

Peter got up and walked past Chris toward wardrobe, shooting his husband a knowing look. Of course could the wolf smell just how much this was affecting Chris. But Peter couldn't fool Chris either; he knew his husband, knew the impeccable control Peter had. Stiles had managed to make Peter flash his eyes and drop his fangs. Stiles was affecting Peter too.

Shaking his head, Chris went to sit down next to Stiles, shooting the young model a questioning look. "You sure you're good for the shoot? You seemed quite… agitated earlier."

"Fuck you," Stiles huffed, not looking at Chris. "My marital issues are not a part of the shoot. And you know I can be professional."

"That's not why I'm asking, Stiles," Chris heaved a sigh. "I'm asking if you're fine. Why do you always have to be so damn defensive and stubborn, you brat."

That earned him a snort from Stiles. "Told you before, feel free to spank me about it, daddy. If you're not up for that, then it's none of your fucking business."

Snorted laughter and yelps could be heard from the peanut gallery. Including a low warning growl from Deucalion, which was most likely why Stiles had just said that. If his husband hadn't majorly pissed him off earlier, Stiles wouldn't have made that comment just now. Chris knew how utterly loyal the boy was, he would never cheat on a partner. It wasn't a serious offer, it was a quip about their past and a means to rile up his husband.

"I'm fine, Chris," Stiles said after another moment, voice softer. "Just… disappointed, I suppose."

He pulled his legs up against his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Like that, he looked so small and near fragile. Even more so because of the oversized shirt he was wearing. The stupid large neckline of the shirt slipping off one of Stiles' shoulders in this position. Chris marveled at the beauty Stiles held in his vulnerability.

"I get that," Chris assured him. "But have you told your husband absolutely everything? Because I don't believe that. There's things you never even managed to tell your dad."

Stiles next to him tensed a little. "That's… different."

"Perhaps," Chris tilted his head. "But is it really? It's hard to talk about painful memories. Peter and Deucalion didn't break up because they grew apart or came to resent each other. It wasn't their choice. A tragedy forced them apart. I'd guess it's a painful thing to talk about for them both."

Stiles remained quiet after that. And with Stiles, silence always meant a lot. With a heavy sigh did the boy get up and walk over to the two couches on which their audience was seated. He rested a hand on Deucalion's chest, mirroring what he had done with Peter before as he straddled the Alpha's lap and then grabbed a fistful of hair to pull the wolf's head back. Deucalion allowed it, baring his neck to his mate. But Stiles didn't aim for the neck, when he leaned down, he kissed his husband on the lips, deep and slow and passionate. He only pulled off the wolf when Peter returned.

"You're mine, Demon Wolf," Stiles whispered, dark and low. "Don't forget that."

His words were somehow a comfort, a promise and a threat at the same time. Deucalion smiled pleased as he rested a hand in Stiles' neck to draw the boy in for one more kiss.

"I could never forget that, my love," Deucalion assured his husband. "I am grateful for that fact every morning when I wake up."

"Cheesy," Stiles huffed and pressed a quick, sweet peck against Deucalion's lips. "This isn't getting you out of that conversation we're having when we get home though and you are also going to sleep on the couch for however long I deem fit after said conversation."

"Couch is good," Ennis piped up. "Couch is still in the penthouse, so at least you won't have to crash at Kali and my place, Deuc."

Peter laughed amused at that. Yeah, the little spitfire did strike him as vindictive. It took guts to kick an Alpha wolf out of his own den and considering how daring he'd been with Peter just now on the couch, Peter had no doubt that Stiles would do exactly that with his husband if displeased with him.

"No—ow I'm all yours," Stiles declared playfully as he stepped up to Chris and Peter.

"Oh, don't tempt me darling, I doubt Deuc would be a fan of us keeping you."

Peter's voice had dropped to a purr that had Stiles snorting, clearly taking Peter's words for teasing, potentially to rile Deuc up. Maybe they were. But Peter also did find himself quite tempted by Stiles. The boy was gorgeous, strong-willed, exuded a sense of power that Peter couldn't quite explain just yet. And Peter was well-aware of his own husband's attraction to Stiles. He was also aware of their past. The boy who had been too young and too tempting and the hunter unable to act on it, mortified by his own attraction to the barely legal teen who was friends with Chris' daughter and who was the same age as Chris' daughter too. Morals. Peter never quite understood those. He would have had no qualms ravishing the pretty thing if Stiles had confessed to him.

Smiling charmingly, Peter laid an arm around Stiles' waist and drew him in, before they both turned to look at Chris expectantly, asking for the photographer's directions. Chris stared at them for just a moment too long before he got moving.

/break\

Deucalion was torn between his possessive jealousy regarding the way Christopher Hale smelt around Stiles and looked at Stiles and his own fascination with how breathtaking Stiles and Peter looked together. His barely clad husband sprawled out on the couch, with Peter hovering above him, hands on the boy's body. These images were going to haunt him for a very long time.

"This was a lot of fun," Stiles grinned as he shrugged out of Peter's shirt to hand it over to the Alpha again. "We should do that again some time."

"I'd love that," Peter's eyes were dark with desire.

Deucalion knew that look, was intimately familiar with it. And he didn't know how he felt about having it aimed at his husband like that. He stepped up to the two models and laid a possessive arm around Stiles, pulling his mate close against himself.

"So when are you guys leaving for New York again?" Stiles asked while putting on his own clothes.

"We'll be staying for a week or two. Part vacation, part shoot for our own magazine," Peter replied. "Which is also why those two tagged along."

"Free vaycay on company dime," Erica chimed. "Well. Chris insisted on work, but oh well."

Stiles tilted his head, his eyes calculating as they ran down Erica's body. Not with lust, but with that inquisitive mind of his that took everything apart and put it together again. Deucalion would never tire of seeing that look on his husband's face.

"Yeah, you would look fucking amazing under the cherry blossoms in Huntington," Stiles nodded.

"So would you, sweetheart," Peter commented, eyes still intense on Stiles.

"I look fucking amazing anywhere," Stiles replied with a smirk and a wink.

"We would look fucking amazing together," Erica declared, wrapping her arms around Stiles' neck.

He laughed but laid his own arms around her waist. Deucalion took a step back and let his eyes run over them both. He knew Stiles was a fan of Erica Reyes, she worked well with bold colors and seductive motifs. Her Seduction of Eve shoot with Jackson Whittemore's kanima form was one of Stiles' favorite shoots. Deucalion pursed his lips as a plan formed in his mind.

"Since this collaboration worked so well, perhaps we could work something out for Stiles and Miss Reyes," Deucalion offered, turning to look at Peter.

"I'd have to contact Laura about that, of course, but I don't see why not," Peter smiled pleased.

"Fuck yes!" Erica yelped and actually jumped Stiles. "Oh, I wanted to work with you for ages. I was so—o jealous when Peter got this gig. Part of why me and my mate wormed our way into this. It's easy to guilt-trip your Alpha into letting you tag along when you're as irresistible as I am."

She grinned and winked at Stiles who laughed. "Well, all you had to do was ask. I love your work. Got your red apple shot from the Seduction of Eve shoot framed in my office."

Erica actually gave a little squeal at that and Deucalion couldn't help but smile at her genuine joy. This wasn't about attraction to Stiles, wanting to work with him because of that. She was a genuine fan of his work and excited about him professionally and Deucalion found that quite charming.

"Babe, babe did you hear that?" Erica turned to look at her mate.

"I did," Boyd smiled fondly at her as he approached them.

She turned to jump her mate and kiss him in her excitement. Stiles grinned as he watched them and then there was that calculating edge back into his eyes. This time, it felt near foreboding to Deuc.

"Why don't the four of you come over to dinner at our place tonight and we talk details?" Stiles suggested. "I'd love the chance to catch up with Chris and get to know you better, Peter."

"That is a terrible idea, I love it," Peter replied with a smile.

Chris seemed more reluctant and looked at Deucalion, who heaved a sigh. "Please, be our guests."

He could not have made that sound more forced if he tried. Stiles offered him the brightest, sweetest smile for it and pecked him on the cheek. In this relationship, Stiles always got what he wanted.

"You're not taking this one though, Argent," Braeden declared with a fierce glare as she stepped up to the group. "This shoot is going to be mine."

Chris raised both eyebrows at the other photographer. "By all means, Missus Morrell, I don't mind sitting it out and watching."

Braeden smiled pleased at that. "But call me Braeden. Missus Morrell is my wife."

"It's her name. I took it in the wedding and still she insists on that," Marin commented with a heavy sigh when she joined them, the calendar open in her hands. "Three days from now, Braeden and Stiles both have an opening at the same time, if that suits you too?"

"I insist on it because I am no less possessive than our wolves, babe," Braeden pointed out with a grin, pressing a kiss to her wife's temple.

"Three days from now sounds good. Gives us some time to sightsee," Erica chimed, arms around Boyd's neck. "We have date plans to get to."

"Oh, if you need any restaurant recommendations, I am your guy," Stiles offered with a grin.

The two models wandered off together with Boyd, Erica asking about certain cuisines and Stiles giving her five star reviews. Deucalion sighed as he watched his husband for another moment before turning his attention to Peter and Chris. He did not need either of them in his den.

"Contact Laura and then get back to Marin to confirm the shoot," Deucalion requested. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to get back to. Have a nice stay."

"See you tonight, Deuc," Peter called after him, light and teasing. "Looking forward to dinner."

/break\

By the time Deucalion got home from work, his husband was already rather aggressively cooking. Judging by all the pots and pans on their stoves and the running oven, Stiles was preparing a proper feast, possibly to impress the Hales. Or maybe he was just working through his feelings right now. He tended to do that, cooking and baking to relieve stress. It was why he was Ennis' favorite, because usually the pack got to reap the benefits of said stress cooking and baking.

"Hello, love," Deucalion approached Stiles carefully, unsure of his mate's mood.

"Onions," Stiles stated simply, not looking up from what he was doing. "And potatoes."

Message received. Deucalion still dared to press a kiss to Stiles' cheek, before he sat down at their kitchen table and started peeling the onions Stiles had laid out for him. He started salivating at the promise of his mate's pierogi, though there were various delicious treats already cooking, he had a particular weakness for Stiles' pierogi. It was the first meal Stiles had cooked for him when they had started courting. For a while, the two of them worked quietly, mostly because Deucalion didn't want to go into this conversation blind. He needed Stiles to set the parameter.

"Do you still love him?" Stiles asked, after a long time of working in silence.

Deucalion faltered in his precise cutting. He stared at the onions in consideration. How much he'd love to say no. How much he'd love to tell Stiles that he was Deucalion's one, true love. How much he'd love for all of that to be true. Deucalion put his knife down and turned toward his husband, who still stood with his back to Deucalion, still cooking.

"I suppose that's answer enough, isn't it?" Stiles whispered softly.

"What… What Christopher said, during the shoot when you two talked… it wasn't untrue," Deucalion sighed. "Peter and I never broke up because we wanted to end our relationship. We never fell out of love and decided to end things because of that. We… Circumstances forced us apart."

"Circumstances forced you apart thirteen years ago, Deuc," Stiles forced out. "And we have known each other for three of them. Been together for two of them. Been married and mated for the past year. But you never felt the need to tell me that you're in love with another man."

"I thought I…" Deucalion sighed again. "I hoped I was over him. He had moved on and so had I. I do love you, Stiles, I love you deeply."

"But if he hadn't moved on, you wouldn't have either," Stiles whispered. "You would have gone back to him. You would have chosen him, if he were still an option."

"That's unfair, darling, and you know it," Deucalion frowned. "If circumstances in your life had been different, you would have ended up married to someone else too. Perhaps even to Peter's husband, considering the way you two looked at each other. Don't hold What Ifs against me now."

It was Stiles' turn to sigh and the boy turned around to face him, finally. "You're right, I'm being an asshole. I just… the fact that you never told me about him, about how much he meant – means – to you? I told you about Chris. I told you in embarrassing detail about how I developed my Daddy Kink with my best friend's dad who flat-out rejected me for being 'just a kid' when I confessed to him. You don't get to be jealous. But I do."

"Fair," Deucalion nodded slowly. "Though in no way or shape did you mention that this friend's dad was the photographer Christopher Hale."

"His last name was Argent when we knew each other," Stiles rolled his eyes.

Deucalion got up and walked over to his husband to wrap his arms around Stiles' waist. It took the boy a moment before he laid his own arms around Deucalion's neck to draw him closer.

"I love you, Mieczysław," Deucalion spoke in a soft but firm voice. "Do not doubt my love for you. I chose you as my mate. Not just as my partner, but my mate. You must know what that means for a werewolf. What that means for me."

Stiles went lax in his arms and leaned his forehead against Deucalion's shoulder. "I do. I just… This made me feel like… like a consolation prize…"

Deucalion's arms around Stiles tightened and he pressed a kiss to the top of his mate's head. "You could never be a consolation prize, dearest. You were my second chance, but second doesn't mean lesser. Second means that I thought I had lost all chance at happiness forever when I lost Peter and you gave me something immensely precious that had seemed forever out of reach."

"Urgh, you know exactly what to say to make me feel all soft and mushy," Stiles groaned and buried his face in Deucalion's neck. "I love you, Demon Wolf."

"And I love you, my Demon Fox," Deucalion smiled and kissed Stiles' head again.

"Okay," Stiles pushed Deucalion off of him. "Get back to work, these potatoes won't peel themselves and we have three additional hungry wolves to feed tonight."

Deucalion's smile broadened a little as he returned to his spot at the kitchen table to continue his given task. Stiles' reaction at the studio had worried him. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his mate. And if he was being completely honest, he hadn't expected to still feel this strongly about Peter. Yes, he'd been aware of some lingering feelings, the ever present question of what would have happened had Peter not lost his family in the fire. But to actually see Peter again? To hear his voice, his heartbeat, smell his scent? The feelings were not just lingering, they felt as present as they had the day Peter left, even after all these years.

"You two looked quite enchanting together," Deucalion admitted thoughtfully.

Stiles paused and turned around to regard him curiously. "If you are proposing a threesome, I think Peter's husband might object to it. Though I gotta admit, Peter was a lot of fun to work with. I like a wolf who can take control, as you very well know."

"Oh, that wolf is just as good at giving up control," Deucalion's eyes sparkled with teasing.

For a long moment, Stiles simply stared at him, before nodding. "Okay, yeah, you just put very yummy visuals of yourself and him in my head and I do not mind them as much as I thought I would. Food for thought. But not for now, because of the actual food we need to make."

"Would you tell me more about your history with Peter's husband?" Deucalion asked carefully.

That had his husband tense and turn back to the stove though, a sour note to his scent. "There's no history. You know that. I was… stupidly in love with him and when I finally had the courage to tell him, he rejected me. Told me I was a 'great kid' but that was all he saw in me."

Deucalion hummed and let his thoughts wander. Christopher certainly had not smelt like he saw Stiles as just some kid. And it had been far more than arousal too. There had been a deeply seated yearning to his scent that came from deeper desires.

/break\

Chris' plan was to mostly hide behind Boyd and Erica, while letting Peter navigate the social interactions. His husband was a smooth-talker and Boyd and Erica seemed like good distractions for Stiles. When the four of them entered the apartment and were led to the dining room, Chris faltered a little. The scent alone sent back in time.

"You made Bigos," Chris whispered softly, heart aching a little.

"He made what?" Erica looked curiously between Chris and the long, decked out table. "Because I am fairly sure he just made everything ever."

"Bigos," Stiles repeated with a fond smile. "It's a Polish hunter's stew."

"Oh. Hunter's stew. Because," Erica motioned at Chris and grinned.

"It used to be his favorite," Stiles shrugged and turned away from the group. "When I'd cook for our old pack and he got a chance to request something, he always wanted this."

Chris swallowed his words. And you remembered. And you made it for me again. And it still smells like home. He knew he shouldn't feel that way, had no right to feel that way. When he turned to tear his gaze off Stiles, he found Deucalion fixing him in place with a curious frown.

"Personally, I'm the fondest of his pierogi," Deucalion offered after a moment. "But I think that is bias because it was the first thing he ever cooked for me. The wolf does so love to be fed and courted with food."

Smiling charmingly, Deucalion laid an arm around Stiles' waist and drew him in to kiss, his hands resting just above Stiles' ass, still appropriate for company but very clearly indicating that this too was his. Chris turned away from them to instead look around the apartment.

"Ri—ight," Stiles cleared his throat and pried himself off his mate. "You, stir this. I'll give our guests a quick tour of the place. Don't growl, I'm not letting them into the bedroom, obviously. Wolves, so territorial…"

Knowing Stiles was married to the CEO of Visionary had perplexed Chris at first. He didn't see that mash. The sophisticated Alpha werewolf, thirty years Stiles' senior (even older than Chris and Chris had thought, back in the day, that it was just a phase, just Stiles exploring, something he would grow tired of eventually before settling with someone his own age. Five years later, the evidence pointed into the other direction). There was expensive modern art hanging on the walls, shelves lining the walls in the living room, filled with old books but in front of the books stood a lot of trinkets and figurines of superheroes that Chris didn't have to guess who they belonged to. The overall taste was expensive and simple, dark woods contrasted by white leather couches and large windows that let a lot of natural light in to brighten the place. It was overall very elegant. Not exactly what Chris would have associated with the chaotic whirlwind that was Stiles.

"I can't believe you managed to make Deuc to live this modern," Peter commented impressed. "I was fairly sure he would have to be pried out of that atrocious ancient arm chair. How did you convince him to buy leather couches?"

"Marriage, as I am guessing you two know, is a matter of compromise," Stiles shrugged with a grin. "And besides, leather couches are easier to clean up after fucking than those horrid satin things he had before. But he still has the atrocious ancient arm chair. It's in his office though, I banned it from the living room. Compromises."

"The armchair is neither atrocious nor ancient and it is very comfortable," Deucalion called out from the kitchen. "You are both simply wrong."

Stiles and Peter exchanged a look and started laughing. Chris was still digesting the implication that most of the interior design had come from Stiles. He supposed the boy really had grown up.

"Batman!" Erica grinned as she investigated the book shelves. "And Catwoman, together. Good choice, very good choice."

"These two are a 'do not separate' set," Stiles came to join her. "Though Deuc and I, we have this little competition. The collection started off with my Batman figures and then we went to Comic Con together and he found this awesome Bombshells Kate Kane figurine. So, we started competing for who could find the rarer figures, both rare by universe as well as character. Kate Kane? Far more common to find a Batwoman figure of than Elainna Grayson."

Somehow, it pleased Chris to know that Stiles' action figures weren't a compromise but that Deucalion had found a way to share Stiles' Batman passion. All Chris wanted was for Stiles to be loved and cherished, not endured and compromised.

"And here I thought this was a 'your figures' and 'his books' kind of situation," Boyd admitted.

"Oh, the majority of those books are actually mine," Stiles laughed. "It is a shared collection, but I have been accused of devouring books like they're my last meal on death row."

"Mh, I can only imagine how much Deuc enjoys indulging you on that," Peter tilted his head with a near fond look on his face. "I still have quite a few rare books courtesy of his courting. He always did take great joy in tracking down rare tomes."

Chris regarded his husband for a long, thoughtful moment. Sometimes, Chris wondered if Peter regretted not being mated to a wolf. He'd done his best to court the way wolves did, to give Peter everything his wolf deserved, but at the end of the day, Chris was human. There were things that he would never be able to share with Peter, instincts he lacked.

"He's a man of great taste," Stiles agreed, eyes sparkling with mischief as he regarded Peter. "As proven by the two of us, I would say."

Peter smiled delighted at that and rested a seemingly casual arm around Stiles' waist. "Why, I can only agree to that. He did always have a type for the dark-haired pretty boys."

Erica snickered at that, but Chris couldn't find himself disagreeing. They were both gorgeous.

"Oh!" Stiles suddenly turned toward Erica. "Come! I do have to show you."

He led them down the hall and into an office with a massive desk and a couch in the corner. More book shelves but these were mostly filled with what looked like notebooks. And opposite the desk, framed, hung a large print of Erica from her Seduction of Eve shot. She was turning sideways, smiling into the camera, the red apple in her hand held close to her mouth, her neck bared and a little apple juice running from her red-painted lips.

"Oh, you weren't just flattering me when you said I was hanging in your office, huh."

Erica's eyes widened as she stared at herself. There were other framed pictures from other models too. One that stood out to Chris was a shoot he had done with Kira, back at True Alpha, her kitsune aura on full display as she laid sprawled out on a red fox rug. Chris smiled at it, feeling a little nostalgic, before the conversation at hand drew his attention and he followed Stiles out of the office to be shown to the bathroom last and then to be brought back to the kitchen.

To be quite honest, Chris had expected this dinner to be a disaster. The way Deucalion had kept glaring at him during the shoot, there was no way the wolf would tolerate Chris in his den. Not to mention the unbearable flirting between Peter and Stiles. And Erica had this special talent of making things that were already awkward even more awkward. Yet, much to his surprise, dinner was pleasant. Stiles and Chris did catch up on how their lives had been in recent years, they talked about their respective packs, which everyone else was also getting involved. Erica and Stiles hit it off well too and Peter and Deucalion had… civil conversation. They avoided the elephant in the room though. But it worked and it made the evening quite nice.

/break\

Three days after Peter and Stiles' shoot, Stiles and Erica had their cherry blossom shot. Deucalion's eyes were dark with desire as he looked at his boy in a kimono that fell off one shoulder in such a tempting manner. It was white and red, to contrast the black of his void kitsune aura. Deucalion could sense the jealousy that Braeden was the one who got to capture Stiles in all his fox glory.

"That looks so badass," Erica whispered, carefully reaching out for the nine tails.

"You can't touch them, they're made of shadows," Stiles smiled amused. "I'm part dark kitsune, a… leftover from a possession. Took me years to grow comfortable with it, because mostly it's just… a reminder of… honestly the worst thing that ever happened to me. But I came around on owning it. This is mine now, proof that I survived, that I won."

"Well, now I am effectively jealous of you, Erica dear," Peter pointed out from the sidelines. "I would love to play with the little fox."

His eyes flashed red and Deucalion could smell the sweet scent of Peter's arousal. Kitsune were powerful creatures and Deucalion knew the thrill of having one submit to him, of taking Stiles apart and putting him back together. It was quite the rush, one that the other Alpha wolf clearly found appealing too. Deucalion took a seat on the bench, next to Boyd.

"You never miss one of your mate's shoots either, do you?" Deucalion asked amused.

"Can't tear my eyes off of her," Boyd replied softly, staring in at Erica in awe.

It made Deucalion smile fondly. Young love was so precious, wasn't it? Then again, he couldn't look away from Stiles either. Peter and Chris joined them. Braeden was directing Erica and Stiles, posing them the way she wanted them. The two had an easy chemistry with each other too and they did look quite beautiful together. What Deucalion loved the most was how much Stiles enjoyed his job, how he blossomed in it. When Deucalion had first met Stiles, the boy had been terrified of the fox in him and it took Marin's first career as a psychiatrist to help him work through his issues.

"I can't believe he's grown comfortable with it," Chris whispered to himself.

"It took a lot of hard work from him," Deucalion replied, voice gentle. "But he has learned to accept the fox as a part of him, whether he had chosen it or not. He has no reason to fear it if he controlled it, so he learned to control it. And he is magnificent."

"That he is," Chris stared at Stiles with the same awe as Boyd was staring at Erica.

This man was not just attracted to Stiles and it was so plain to see for Deucalion.

/break\

When Peter had first flirted with Deucalion's husband, maybe he had done so to get a reaction out of Deucalion, maybe he had done so to seize Stiles up. The boy was charming, wicked, fun to flirt with. It was easy and comfortable to be in his space, to touch him and tease him.

Dinner at the Blackwoods' place had been less uncomfortable as expected. Part of Peter was impressed with how much the apartment was a blend of both of them, how much Stiles had influenced Deucalion. The love between the two of them could be seen everywhere and it ached. Not that it would have made things easier if Deucalion were miserable, but somehow, seeing the evidence of Deucalion's happiness with another was like a stab in the gut.

And perhaps his flirting with Stiles was also to rile up his husband. Peter was well aware of the fact that Chris still carried a candle for Stiles. The boy that got away. Circumstances had torn them apart similarly to the way Peter and Deucalion had been broken up. The Nogitsune, the loss of Allison, the way Chris simply could not stay in that town anymore, needed to get away.

"You seem distracted today, dear," Deucalion commented, looking at Peter.

They were having dinner at the Blackwoods' again, only that this time it was just Chris and Peter. Somehow, Boyd and Erica not being there as a buffer did make it feel slightly more awkward today.

"I suppose I've been thinking about… how loss shapes our lives," Peter replied after a moment.

"Oh, are you two finally going to have an actual conversation," Stiles asked wide-eyed.

"Actually, I was thinking about you and Christopher," Peter countered amused.

Stiles froze in his seat and then averted his eyes. They'd finished dinner already, had moved to the living room with beers and whiskey and the chocolate mousse that Stiles had made. Deucalion reached out for his husband, resting his hand in Stiles' neck to squeeze it gently.

"I'm glad you overcame it," Chris whispered gently. "I know when I left, you were… Things with you weren't good. I'm glad you found the support you needed."

"Yeah," Stiles' mouth twisted into the ghost of a smile. "You too. I… I never had the chance to… to tell you that I'm sorry. For Allison."

Without hesitation, Chris reached out to take Stiles' hand and squeeze it. "It wasn't your fault. You know I never blamed you for what the demon did, right?"

"Mh," Stiles didn't look at him. "Marin and Deuc keep saying that too, that it wasn't my fault. And for the most part, I know that. I know I didn't chose to do any of that. It's just hard to believe sometimes, because I remember it all. How do you justify to yourself not being at fault for something when you remember driving a sword through your best friend and twisting it? When you remember orchestrating the death of your friend."

Without another thought did Chris pull Stiles into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. I didn't… I didn't know you remember it all… I'm sorry you've been carrying this all this time."

Stiles clung onto Chris and started crying softly, tears of relief. It felt like absolution, the kind Stiles hadn't allowed himself in the past six years, because he didn't feel like he had a right to give it to himself. Chris' hands ran up and down Stiles' back, pulling him closer until he was sitting on the former hunter's lap, curled together against Chris' chest.

"Perhaps it's time we have our own hard conversation too," Peter suggested strained.

He looked at Deucalion, with all the longing and heartache of the past thirteen years. Deucalion returned his gaze with a similar expression. The two got up and walked over to the kitchen, to allow Stiles and Chris privacy for the comfort being given right now.

"A part of me wishes circumstances had been different and I could have been able to follow you," Deucalion spoke first, voice soft. "I wish I could have supported you, helped you raise the pups. I wish I could have comforted and loved you, the way you deserved."

"A part of me wishes that too," Peter whispered, staring out over the city. "But you had your firm, here, at the other end of the states. Your own pack. And you never quite… were one for pups. It wasn't… It wasn't right, back then, I know that."

"You built a good life for yourself," Deucalion smiled. "From what I heard and saw in the past few days, you became a good Alpha yourself. Your niblings have grown up well. You found love."

"So did you," Peter turned around to instead look into the living room. "He's a spitfire. I heard about him from Chris, but oh he really is a delight."

"He is," Deucalion laughed and followed Peter's line of sight. "I was determined not to fall in love again, after you. Losing you hurt too much, it broke something in me that I didn't think I could put together again. And then he came in and he just… acted like he owned the place, until he did. I couldn't imagine life without him anymore, he is my everything."

"I'm glad you found that," Peter whispered, voice a little pained. "And yet I… can't help but think of the What Ifs, of what it would be like had the fire never happened, if I never had to leave you or Visionary. Would that be me? Your husband and mate and star model?"

"Perhaps," Deucalion whispered back, reaching out to take Peter's hand. "Or perhaps I would have the both of you, because my little spitfire, he would have still swept me off my feet and you too. I can smell your attraction to him, you barely met him but are enamored with him already."

"He is quite… hard to resist," Peter admitted amused. "And perhaps, in a different world, I would have had the both of them. In a world where Christopher wasn't fool enough to reject that little spitfire and would have left together with Stiles and brought him to Neckz 'n Throats again."

Deucalion couldn't help but laugh throatily. How were even their 'perhaps' complicated? Inside, Stiles had calmed down and was now sitting relaxed in Chris' lap, the two talking in soft and calm voices. Sighing, Deucalion reached out to rest a hand on Peter's lower back and guide him back in.

"Are you feeling better, my little Demon Fox?" Deucalion asked gently.

"Yeah," Stiles blinked those pretty doe-eyes up at him. "Yeah, actually. I feel better than in a long time, to be honest. I think I needed that cry. And the… words."

Chris smoothed down Stiles' hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "We should have talked sooner. I shouldn't have… avoided you for so long."

"Why did you avoid me then, if it wasn't about Allison?" Stiles asked confused. "I mean, you were fine being in the pack with me even after I confessed so I can't have made you that uncomfortable with it and my pathetic one-sided pining for you can't have been it."

"Your… Your pining was never pathetic," Chris heaved a sigh but did let go of Stiles. "And it was not one-sided either, Stiles. That's why I avoided you."

"What?" Stiles frowned, confusion growing. "What does that mean?"

"Stiles, you were barely eighteen – I mean, you literally confessed to me on your eighteenth birthday," Chris rubbed his face, looking exhausted and a little exasperated. "What were you expecting from me, really? Did you think the, what, twelves hours had made such a stark difference? Just because you were legal didn't change much. You were still younger than my daughter, were still a teenager, were still in high school, were still the sheriff's son."

"So you lied to me then?" Stiles looked annoyed. "When you rejected me. You lied."

"Yes, because I knew you'd never dropped it if I told you that I was in love with you and I shouldn't have been I love with you!" Chris threw his hands up and glared at the boy.

There was a tenseness and a darkness around Stiles. Defensiveness always drew out the fox. The shadows behind Stiles flickered, vaguely tail-shaped. Deucalion knew he could step in and calm Stiles down, he was his mate's anchor after all, but it felt like a confrontation that needed to happen. Peter next to Deucalion sat tensely and watched them too. And then the tension drained from Stiles and he slumped over a little in defeat, looking sad but understanding.

"Okay, yeah. I can see that. Turning eighteen was like a goal for me, I figured, if I turned legal, I could have you," Stiles turned a little away from the three and ran his fingers through his hair. "It felt very simple back then. But honestly, now… Yeah, I can see that it'd be less simple from your perspective, now that I'm older. A day doesn't change much, doesn't make it less complicated."

"I…" Chris regarded him with soft, warm eyes. "I'm glad you can see that."

He rested a hand on Stiles' thigh, squeezing gently. Deucalion tilted his head as he watched them.

"I think I might have a proposal," Deucalion spoke slowly. "Perhaps, to move on from this, you two need to… get it out of your system, so to speak. Have sex, to know what it's like, and be done with it. And perhaps, Peter and I need to have sex for closure."

"You know I wouldn't cheat on you, Deuc," Stiles argued with a frown.

"It's not cheating when I am the one proposing you have sex with him," Deucalion pointed out.

"You're proposing a partner swap," Peter raised his eyebrows intrigued.

"I don't…" Stiles looked between Chris and Deuc. "I don't know how comfortable I am with that."

"That's okay," Deucalion reached out for his husband's hand, lifting it up to kiss. "It was merely a suggestion. There is no pressure to do it, you know I would never make you do anything you don't want and I would never do this without your okay."

"I mean, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to have sex with Chris," Stiles shrugged even as he blushed horribly. "I'm just not… I don't know, I think it'd make me uncomfortable having sex with someone else without you?"

"Oh, if it's an audience you want, I would love to see that," Peter offered in a chipper voice before winking. "And you are more than welcome to watch me and Deuc too, sweetheart."

"Are you serious," Chris' voice cracked a little as he stared at his husband.

Peter turned a little more serious when he looked at his mate. "I know you want the boy. I think it would be quite hot. And if I'd be given the chance for one more round with Deuc, I wouldn't oppose that either. But only if you are okay with it."

How could he be okay with this? How could he say no to this? Chris had never felt more torn in his life. He looked at Peter, then he looked at Stiles. Pretty Stiles with the soft pink lips that were begging to be kissed, to be tasted. Chris licked his lips slowly, swallowing dry.

"Okay," Chris whispered, before he could change his mind. "Okay."

"So, how do we do this?" Stiles asked eagerly, eyes sparkling. "Because I totally wanna watch."

Chris heaved a sigh and shook his head, though he couldn't deny his own curiosity. Deucalion was a handsome man and Chris couldn't help but wonder what it'd look like when that wolf took his wolf apart. His eyes darkened and he tilted his head, staring at the two Alphas.

"Well then," Deucalion smiled wickedly, offering Peter a hand. "Let's show you the bedroom."

The four of them went there together and then stood in front of the large bed, perhaps a little awkward and lost. The logistics of this were quite different than anything any of them had done so far. Stiles' calculating eyes wandered over them all, before he walked over to one of the nightstands and got two bottles of lube out. He tossed one to Deuc and then went to grab Chris.

"Okay, here's my suggestion: Deuc and Peter start. You and me watch and maybe, depending how hot and bothered we get from it, you could… open me up. And when they're done, we take the bed," Stiles offered. "Because I would hate to miss the show by having sex myself."

He went to sit on the comfortable looking couch under the large window, next to a small coffee table with two books on it. Chris tilted his head intrigued before joining the boy. As soon as he sat down, Stiles found his way onto Chris' lap, getting comfortable on it. He wrapped his arms around Chris' neck, looking deep into the former hunter's steel-blue eyes.

"I want to kiss you," Stiles whispered softly, staring at Chris' lips.

"Please do," Peter purred delighted and sat down on the bed.

Stiles' lips were as soft and sweet as Chris had pictured. His arms wound around Stiles' waist, pulling him closer, his hands resting on Stiles' ass. Firm and fitting so perfectly into the palms of Chris' hands. A sweet moan spilled from Stiles' lips and got caught by Chris'.

"Don't you make pretty little noises, baby," Chris whispered, voice rough with want.

He dragged his lips along Stiles' jawline, the boy tilting his head to eagerly bare his throat. Chris kissed and bit, sucking a dark mark onto that pretty neck until Stiles was a moaning mess.

"Didn't he say something about us starting?" Peter asked curiously. "Because if they continue like that, I will not last long. This is… hotter than expected even."

"I… have to admit, your husband holds some appeal," Deucalion agreed.

Stiles jolted away from Chris a little, suddenly remembering they weren't alone and also that this wasn't what they had intended to do now. Flustered, he turned to look at the two hungry wolves on the bed. Chris' fingers opened Stiles' pants, drawing Stiles' attention again.

"You said something about me getting to prep you while they fuck," Chris shrugged. "That's easier if you aren't wearing the tightest skinny jeans created by mankind."

Stiles gave a soft laugh and then got up so he could shimmy out of his jeans, leaving him naked the waste down. The other three in the room gave various growls at the sight. Grinning, Stiles grabbed his shirt and also tossed that. Fully naked, he returned to the couch and onto Chris' lap.

"Didn't want to give me a chance to undress myself, baby?" Chris asked amused.

"Mh, no," Stiles grinned mischievously. "Always been a sucker for the contrast, it's why so many of my shoots feature me barely clothed and my wolves fully dressed. I love when Deuc has me naked and sprawled out on his desk in the office too, fucking me while he's all business attire."

"My, that does sound quite lovely," Peter agreed, his voice a dark purr.

"How about," Deucalion reached out to cup Peter's cheek. "We undress you now?"

"Now that also sounds quite lovely," Peter got up from the bed to start undressing. "But I prefer equal nakedness, so let's get you out of those clothes too, Deuc."

Stiles made a soft, pleased noise as he watched the two wolves undress, comfortably settled into Chris' lap. Chris' hands found their way back to his ass, cupping and kneading it while the two of them watched Deucalion and Peter. Once naked, Deucalion reached out to cup Peter's neck and pull him in for a slow, deep kiss. Their hands wandered each other's bodies, Peter caressing Deucalion's chest, over his shoulders and down his arms. Deucalion's own hands ran down Peter's spine until he got to cup the other wolf's ass. It earned him a growl from Peter, warning and challenge alike. Raising his chin, Deucalion ran his fingers through Peter's hair and grabbed a fist full.

"Will you be good and submit for me, my wolf?" Deucalion asked darkly.

He tugged on Peter's hair, trying to make the other bare his throat. Not forcing him, but suggesting. Stiles' cock strained against his stomach at the picture and he subconsciously started rubbing against Chris' hip. The former hunter made a soft noise of agreement, grip on Stiles' ass tightening.

"Gods, they're hot," Stiles whispered, kissing along Chris' collarbone distractedly.

Peter's eyes flashed red and Deucalion's eyes flashed right back at him, the Alphas holding each other's gaze for a few, long seconds, before Peter bared his throat to the older wolf. Deucalion rewarded him with a pleased, dark growl and then latched onto Peter's throat, kissing and biting. He urged Peter backward onto the bed until he had the other wolf sprawled out in front of him, in a way that put them both in their husbands' view. He ran his hands down Peter's chest, slowly, enjoying the soft skin beneath his finger-pads. He ran them up Peter's thighs to grasp him by the knees. He flipped Peter over onto his stomach in one swift move.

"Still as gorgeous as I remember you, love," Deucalion murmured pleased.

He kissed the back of Peter's neck and dragged his lips down Peter's spine. His hands went down first, grabbing Peter's ass. Peter picked up the lube that had found its way among the pillows earlier. He handed it back to Deucalion before spreading his legs a little in invitation.

Stiles' breath hitched when a lubed-up finger pressed against his own hole just as Deucalion eased one into Peter. He looked at Chris and saw the dark-eyed hungry look on his face. Oh yeah, this was getting to them both. Chris' fingers felt very different than Deuc's, but they were as gentle and thorough in opening him up and soon the room was filled with a symphony of Stiles' and Peter's moans while their lovers worked them open. When Peter pulled up his legs to sit on his knees, presenting for Deucalion. Inviting him to move it along.

"Oh, Deuc loves it when I present for him," Stiles whispered softly. "Really riles the Alpha wolf in him up. Gotta admit, from this angle, it really is pretty hot."

Deucalion was pumping three fingers in and out of Peter, loving the sight of his wolf presenting for him, so eager to submit to Deucalion. Pulling his fingers out, Deucalion lubed up his cock. Before he did anything else, he took a moment to cast a glance at Chris and Stiles. His naked husband was rutting against Chris' hip, with the photographer's fingers buried in Stiles' hole, two from each hand, spreading him open and playing with the boy's sensitive hole.

"Don't keep me waiting," Peter growled, wiggling his ass a little.

"I apologize. Our husbands distracted me," Deucalion pressed an apologetic kiss to Peter's ass.

He grabbed Peter by the hips and pulled him back while pushing in. Peter growled pleased at the achingly familiar feeling of Deucalion's long cock sliding into him. Even after all these years, he still remembered this feeling. Adjusting himself, Peter hugged a pillow underneath his face and turned his head so he could look at Chris and Stiles on the couch while Deucalion fucked into him. Slow and deep, always so considerate of his lover. His soft hands caressing Peter's thighs.

"You still feel lovely around me like that, my wolf," Deucalion whispered lowly.

He kissed along Peter's shoulders while rolling his hips in just the right angles that he remembered Peter loved. Different than Stiles, who loved it rough and hard. No, Peter was more of a pillow princess when it came to bottoming, he had always enjoyed being spoiled and gentled. And Deucalion had always enjoyed indulging him on that. One hand went around Peter's waist to grasp his cock and jerk him off slowly. Peter was soon a moaning mess, lax beneath him.

"Are you ready to come for me, love?" Deucalion asked with a teasing smirk.

"Yes, yes, ye—es," Peter groaned, bucking into his hand.

"Then come for me, my wolf," Deucalion instructed, rubbing the head of Peter's cock.

Peter came with a growl, claws digging into the pillow and ripping it a little. It made Deucalion smile amused and press another kiss to Peter's neck while his hips came to a stuttering halt when Deucalion also came, enjoying the sensation of Peter tightening up around him.

Stiles whimpered softly as he hit his own orgasm, between the captivating visual of Deuc and Peter, Chris' fingers inside him, spreading him and caressing his prostate, and the feeling of Chris' jeans rubbing against his hard, aching cock, Stiles couldn't last any longer. Chris shushed him softly and kissed his temple, teasing his hole all through his orgasm, only pulling out of Stiles when he was calmed down and lax against Chris' chest, panting softly.

"So good for me, baby," Chris praised. "Look at you, coming undone just from me teasing your sweet, little hole and you rubbing off on me like a needy kitten in heat, mh? So good for me."

"Thank you, daddy," Stiles mumbled, feeling soft and pliant.

Chris froze and made an unusual noise. Deucalion, who had left the room to fetch a basin with lukewarm water and some towels, chuckled amused. He dipped two towels in the water, tossing one over to Chris before sitting down next to Peter again to clean him up.

"You single-handedly gave our boy a daddy kink," Deucalion commented, smirk spreading a little. "Which, I suppose I have to thank you for, since I got to reap the benefits of that."

Stiles groaned softly and hid his face in Chris' chest. "I just made it awkward, didn't I?"

"No," Chris replied quickly, bringing Stiles in for a soft kiss. "No, you didn't, baby. You're all good. You're perfect, even. You still up to us having sex though? You look exhausted, sweetness. Daddy would love to get his cock in you, but it's okay if you just want to rest now, baby."

"No," Stiles groaned and started rocking against Chris again. "Please. I want you to fuck me, please, I wanted your cock for so long, daddy. Please fuck me, daddy?"

He tilted his head to bat his lashes at Chris, knowing how easily he could get what he wanted from Deuc that way. Judging by the look on Chris' face, it was working on this daddy just as well. He gasped softly when Chris lifted him up by his ass to carry him over to the bed. Peter and Deuc had rolled over onto Deucalion's side of the bed, allowing Chris to spread Stiles out on the other.

"As tempting as you presenting sounds, I want to look at your face while I fuck you. Okay?"

"Very," Stiles licked his lips and spread his legs. "Please fuck me, daddy."

"Couldn't deny you if I tried, sweet boy," Chris muttered softly. "I want you so badly."

He grabbed Stiles by the hips, lifting them up a little for a better angle before pushing in. Stiles was as tight and perfect as he had always pictured. Groaning low, Chris thrust deep into his boy, taking his time to sink into the tight heat. Stiles made a cute keening noise at that.

"He likes it rough," Deucalion commented where he was sprawled beneath Peter.

Peter had his head resting on Deucalion's chest, watching with rapt attention the way Chris fucked into the pretty boy. At Deucalion's comment and Stiles' eager nodding, Chris picked up the pace, thrusts hard and forceful until the boy moaned and whined beneath him.

"Such a good boy," Chris murmured, peppering Stiles' face with kisses. "So good for me, baby."

"Thank you, daddy," Stiles gasped, arching his back. "You feel so good in me."

Chris smiled warmly, caressing Stiles' chest and belly while fucking into him. The pretty picture of Stiles beneath him like that, mouth open and red from their kisses, eyes half-lid and bright, was breathtaking. With a groan and a few more harder thrusts, Chris came inside the boy.

"Okay, yeah, that didn't work," Stiles gasped while Chris cleaned him up again.

"Whatever do you mean, darling?" Deucalion asked, near concerned.

Peter was also frowning, seeming as concerned. Like they were worried Stiles wasn't okay. Damn that was adorable of them. Stiles sat up a little, wincing at the nice burn from the hard fucking.

"Well, the goal was to get this out of our system," Stiles elaborated before snuggling up to Deucalion's free side and resting on his shoulder. "That didn't work. Because now that I know what it's like to be fucked and pampered by Chris, I don't know if I'm willing to give it up again."

He leaned up to kiss Deucalion slowly, reassuring him that this didn't mean he would be choosing Chris over Deucalion. When their kiss broke, Stiles looked at Peter curiously before leaning in. Peter raised his eyebrows intrigued and met him half-way in a passionate kiss.

"What are you saying, baby?" Chris asked, even as he wrapped himself around Stiles.

After his kiss with Peter, Stiles settled back down against Deucalion's chest, snuggling against Chris' chest behind him. Yeah, Stiles decided, he liked this quite a lot and there was still so much more that he'd like to explore between them. He grinned a little.

"I don't know," Stiles admitted. "I know it's complicated with the distance and I don't know how you guys feel, but… Clearly, I love my husband, and I… do still love Chris. Can't deny a certain attraction to Peter either. I liked watching the two of you fuck, I liked getting fucked by Chris and would love a repeat performance, I would… not oppose to getting fucked by Peter either, honestly and hell, I think I'd like to watch Deuc and Chris too."

"Oh," Peter made a hungry, dark noise. "Yeah, I would like that too."

"Wanna see me put your hunter on his knees?" Deucalion asked wickedly.

"You don't put me on my knees, wolf," Chris snorted, regarding Deucalion.

"See," Stiles grinned eagerly. "I wanna see where that could go."

"I suppose I second all of those," Peter chuckled pleased and reached out to run a hand down Stiles' side until he could cup the boy's ass. "Especially the part where I get a piece of that too."

"Now, while I do appreciate the overall idea – unsure about the stubborn hunter – you also bring up a very good point about the distance, my love," Deucalion pointed out gently.

"Well," Peter folded his arms on Deucalion's chest to look at all three of them. "Laura has been considering an expansion of Neckz 'n Throats for a while, on the West Coast, but… this has always unofficially been Visionary's territory and with our loaded past, I always vetoed her and though she took over as CEO from me, she still values my input. But maybe… if we can be… amicable… and perhaps even more… it would be something worth considering. With Laura leading the East Coast, I would be the most likely candidate to head the West Coast…"

"One fuck and he's considering moving in together," Stiles quipped playfully.

"Again, business plans that had been floating around for a long while now," Peter rolled his eyes. "And things between Deuc and me were the only reason it never happened so far. I'm not saying Chris and I will move into your penthouse, or even move to Los Angeles any time soon, such a business endeavor isn't just executed over night, I'm just saying that… perhaps, distance won't be a long-term issue for us. If whatever this is is something we would be considering."

"I do need you to know that he really isn't just bringing this up for you, he's wanted this expansion for years," Chris pointed out dryly. "He has plans for the business. He's wanted to retire from modeling and get back to being in charge for a while, but Laura is doing a great job."

"Mh…" Deucalion gently ran his fingers through Peter's hair. "I think we could share territory. And our beds, to whatever extend we decide on."

"What does that mean?" Peter asked, stealing a kiss from Deucalion.

"That just sex was never what I wanted from you, Peter," Deucalion whispered.

"Oh," Peter whispered, voice wavering a little.

He furrowed his brows and looked at his husband, lost. He'd always wanted more than sex with Deucalion too, he loved the man, once upon a time he thought he'd be Deucalion's mate one day. Now he got sex and sex would be good, would be more than he thought he could get, especially if sex with Deucalion's tempting little mate was also on the table. But more than sex…?

"I don't know," Chris said truthfully, but his arms around Stiles tightened. "I don't know what this could be, or… or even what I'd want out of it, but I do know that I want Stiles, and that I want you to be happy and get what you want too, Peter."

"We'll see, then," Stiles suggested, voice gentle as he twisted enough to kiss Chris. "We'll stay in touch. Text? Call? I don't know. And you take care of your… business. And if you do end up in LA, we'll… see, where this can go. See what we want out of it."

His heart was racing in his chest in excitement, even though he spoke calmly. He'd want that, in this moment, in bed with all three of them, Stiles knew that he really wanted this, to whatever degree he could have. And looking at Deuc, Chris and Peter, he could see that they wanted it too.

~*~ The End ~*~

Notes:

This story is fully telling what I WANTED it to tell. It's just that. Maybe. I would like to write more in this verse. I'm usually pleased with ending it at the getting together, but the four of them actually figuring things out - like where exactly Deuc and Chris stand - would be fun to explore. So I've decided there will be a sequel to this story. ...Yeah, yeah, the story ran away from me again, I have no control over these fics, I knooow...

So, yeah, subscribe to the Visionary-verse series to get a notification when this sequel is happening ;D

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 8 of Phoe's Neckz 'n Throats AUs
• Part 2 of Stetaliopher: Visionary-verse