Work Text:
Teen Wolf || Stetopher || Teen Wolf || Picture Perfect || Teen Wolf || Stetopher || Teen Wolf
Title: Picture Perfect – Stuck Between a Fox and a Wolf
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, polyamory, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, Neckz ‘n Throats AU, Pack Alpha Peter, Pack Alpha Chris, Fox Shifter Chris, hurt/comfort, fluff, f/f, m/f
Main Pairing: Chris/Peter/Stiles
Side Pairings: Boyd/Erica, Malia/Kira
Teen Wolf Characters: Mieczysław 'Stiles' Stilinski, Peter Hale, Chris Argent, Allison Argent, Derek Hale, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Lydia Martin, Malia Tate, Kira Yukimura
Summary: Stiles is a young omega who just started working at Neckz ‘n Throats to support himself through college. Somehow, he gets stuck between the two hottest models at the agency, two alphas who are also Alphas – Chris, an Alpha fox-shifter, and Peter, an Alpha werewolf.
Picture Perfect
Stuck Between a Fox and a Wolf
The moment Stiles first walked into Neckz ‘n Throats, Peter knew he had to have the omega. Even as one of Neckz ‘n Throats’ star models, constantly surrounded by beautiful people, Stiles took Peter’s breath away. The boy was perfection, like he had been tailor made for Peter. He had the most tempting prey-like features, with his big doe-eyes, that soft-looking, inviting pink mouth, the pale skin that begged to be marked up by the wolf and that long span of his neck. He was lithe and beautiful, the most gorgeous omega Peter had ever seen.
Needless to say, Peter was utterly delighted when his niece Laura hired the boy on the spot. She had a good eye – though Peter would argue that one didn’t need a good eye to see just how appealing Stiles was.
“Hey. Hi. I’m Stiles. It’s… uhm… it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Big honey-golden eyes stared at Peter as Stiles offered him a hand. Such long, elegant fingers. Peter was sure they would look perfect wrapped around his cock. Smiling charmingly at the omega, Peter took the offered hand and lifted it up to place a gentle kiss against his knuckles. Pale cheeks reddened at the action and the young model looked surprised by the old-fashioned sign of respect between an alpha and an omega.
“I’m Peter and believe me, the pleasure will be mutual.”
“Don’t make me call Cora in this early in the morning,” Derek warned him with a growl.
Peter turned to smirk at his nephew. A bit of lighthearted flirting really wasn’t a reason to send HR after Peter. Sometimes, that girl really overreacted. Though Derek was doing a tremendous job as intimacy coordinator, head of the department even by now, he was very trigger-happy when it came to calling his sister. And while Peter always approved of Derek protecting the models under their care, Peter really wasn’t doing anything scandalous here.
“It’s fine, I’m fine, he’s fine,” Stiles blurted out, looking between the two wolves a bit nervously.
“Okay, first of all, you absolutely need to relax,” Allison spoke up.
The young fox-shifter smiled reassuringly as she stepped up to Peter and Stiles. She was an omega, like Stiles, which hopefully would help ease the boy’s nerves some. They’d agreed to keep a small circle today, since it was Stiles’ first shoot. But between Peter and Derek, who were both alphas, they’d thought having an omega as photographer would make things easier for Stiles the first time around instead of overwhelming him with too many alphas.
“Sorry,” Stiles sighed and rubbed his face, and then froze. “…I shouldn’t have done that either, should I.”
“It’s okay,” Allison laughed a little and rested a hand on Stiles’ arm. “Just go back to Lydia so she can touch up your make-up, maybe drink some water and come back here, yeah?”
Stiles nodded and sullenly returned to Lydia, who worked in costumes and make-up. Peter hummed his appreciation as he saw just how tightly those pants Lydia had picked for him hugged Stiles’ very long, slender legs and his very round, firm-looking ass.
“Can you behave?” Allison asked exasperated. “It’s his first time.”
“But you know how much I love toying with the inexperienced,” Peter’s smile was all sharp teeth and wickedness. “I promise I’ll be gentle though.”
“Peter, I swear I am calling Laura,” Derek warned him.
“Stop threatening me with your sisters, nephew,” Peter rolled his eyes. “I’ll behave.”
“Please do,” Allison sighed. “He totally freaked out when he heard that he got paired with you for his first shoot. He’s afraid to mess up and embarrass himself, especially in front of you.”
“Especially in front of me?” Peter echoed with his eyebrows raised and his chest puffed out just a little.
It earned him an unimpressed eye-roll from the young photographer. “Your ego doesn’t need the stroking, but you know you’re a big name. Of course he’s nervous.”
Peter marginally softened at that. When Peter had started out as a model at the firm, he’d been young, and his sister used to run the business. It had been both their brain child, together. Over the years, Neckz ‘n Throats grew into a worldwide brand, highly respected and sought after. And Peter’s star rose high and shone brightly.
“No more smearing my hard work,” Lydia chided sternly as she pushed Stiles toward them.
“But dearest, I will have to get my mouth and hands on all of that,” Peter argued with a smile.
Lydia shot him one of her patented unimpressed looks before rolling her eyes and returning to her work station. Peter let his eyes wander down Stiles’ body. His hair was styled to look a little messed up already. The perfect bed-hair. He was wearing a red button-down shirt that was already halfway unbuttoned. And the black leather pants looked like they were painted on.
“Okay, let’s try this again,” Peter whispered and stepped up to Stiles. “Hello, sweetheart. I’m Peter. I’m your partner in today’s shoot. I hear you’re nervous about it because it’s your first time. That’s why I’m here. Because I’m a seasoned professional and I’ll help guide you through it. Just follow my lead and I’ll catch you.”
He offered his most charming smile to the young omega and his words and smile were rewarded with Stiles’ scent softening, easing. Very good. His smile gentled as Peter reached out to cup Stiles’ face. The omega leaned into it near naturally, eyelids fluttering shut.
“There’s a good boy,” Peter murmured pleased, his other hand gripping Stiles’ waist. “Just give yourself to the big, bad wolf, little red.”
“Or what, you’re gonna go eat my grandma?” Stiles asked with a snort.
“My tastes are more toward young, fresh meat,” Peter smirked and buried his face in Stiles’ neck, his mouth open so his fangs gently scratched over pale skin. “I also prefer deer to grandma.”
“…Deer?” Stiles asked, his breath coming in soft panting already.
Oh, that boy was deliciously responsive. Peter’s inner wolf was purring in delight, eager to explore what else kind of sinful noises he could draw from the pretty omega. Smirking, Peter stepped away and ran his fingers up Stiles’ throat until he caught his chin and could tilt his head.
“Has nobody ever told you that you have the most mesmerizing doe-eyes, Bambi?”
As if on cue did those doe-eyes widen even more, impossibly large and beautiful as they stared at Peter. Stiles’ cheeks flushed a prominent pink that suited the boy quite well too. Peter didn’t remember ever being this enchanted by a shooting partner before. This omega hit all of Peter’s spots. He was beautiful, sweet, responsive and oh he smelt so good. Like a flower field during a lightning storm, honey and electricity. Delicious and dangerous.
“Okay, enough warm-up?” Allison asked. “Ready for the shoot?”
“This was warm-up?!” Stiles yelped slightly.
“To get you two acquainted and to get you used to it,” Allison chuckled. “So?”
Stiles took a moment to breathe and then nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready.”
/break\
Stiles may have been able to settle the bills with Eichen House by nearly getting killed in there (again), but the debt from the MRI had lasted a while and now he had to pay for college, rent, food and expenses. It was a lot and it wasn’t good for his anxiety. So his best friend friend and roommate Kira had suggested he could model for Neckz ‘n Throats to ease the financial pressure.
Kira had started working there a couple months ago and she seemed to be thriving. She’d even joined a skulk. There were two Alphas – capital A, not the presentation but the leader of a group of shifters kind – working at Neckz ‘n Throats. Peter Hale, the Alpha of the Hale Pack which owned the magazine, and Chris Argent, Alpha of the Argent Skulk. Both were the biggest name models the soft-porn magazine had to offer. They were also both sinfully and dizzyingly hot.
So maybe Stiles might have been reading the magazine since he first presented and maybe issues of a shirtless Chris on his bike, with nothing but his leather pants and leather jacket on, and issues of Peter leaning against his desk , wearing a well-fitted suit with his shirt half-way unbuttoned might have gotten Stiles through his first heat and many lonely nights after.
Neckz ‘n Throats had been founded by the Hale family, Peter and his sister. It had taken off over the years and was a huge, global phenomenon by the time Stiles was a teen, by then led by Peter’s niece, the daughter of Peter’s sister who had died in a tragic fire that had taken out the majority of the Hale family. That was how Peter had become the Alpha, inheriting his sister’s Alpha spark. Becoming an Alpha had only added to the gorgeous werewolf’s appeal.
It was unusual, for two Alphas to work so closely together, but the Hales realized that Alphas held a particular appeal to their clientele so they added another. Chris wasn’t a wolf, he was a fox, and Stiles thought that probably made things easier. So did that both the pack and the skulk worked at Neckz ‘n Throats. It would be a different and most likely more aggressive story if a single Alpha were in another Alpha’s territory, surrounded by the other Alpha’s pack. But Chris had brought his skulk with him – his daughter Allison, who had been the photographer at Stiles’ first shoot, Lydia who worked with the costume department, and Lydia’s mate Jackson, who was one of the models. Well, and Kira, who had quickly befriended Lydia and Allison and loved knowing other foxes.
Back in Beacon Hills, it had just been Kira and his mom, two kitsune in werewolf territory. Not exactly much of a skulk. Kira had joined the local pack, that was how Kira and Stiles had met, but now in New York? Stiles could see how much she was thriving with her skulk.
It was the main reason why Stiles had agreed to give this job a chance after all. He knew Kira was happy, was earning ridiculously well – she’d taken on the brunt force of rent to help ease things for Stiles, but Stiles hated that because he wanted to pull his own weight, even when he couldn’t, not even with three jobs he’d been able to comfortably make ends meet. When he lost one of his three jobs, he finally caved and agreed to give it a try.
He had not expected to be paired up with the Peter Hale for his first shoot! Who had thought that was a good idea? Oh, yeah, sure, he understood the logic behind pairing him off with a seasoned professional, but Peter? The first man Stiles had jerked off to? And damn, the gorgeous wolf was really intense in person, especially when he was flirting with Stiles for the job. An omega could get a wrong idea there. All the pet-names and flattery really could go to one’s head.
But Stiles had successfully survived his first shoot – and gotten his first paycheck. Now that really was an incentive to stick around. He’d be able to go through college and be rid of all his outstanding debt by the time of graduation, maybe even make a little extra to build a cushion. So when he received the text for a second shoot, he agreed.
“Seriously,” Stiles squawked just a little as he entered Studio 3. “Are you kidding me.”
The handsome silver fox – oh goodness, literal silver fox because the hot model with the silver-streaked hair and beard was also a silver fox shifter – looked up at Stiles with one cocked eyebrow. Stiles’ mouth was suddenly very dry. Before him stood Chris Argent, in stone-washed jeans and a tight-spanning white tank-top that showed off his arms and the tattoos. Stiles swallowed dry.
“Interesting reaction. That’s a new one,” Chris noted in that dark, gravely voice of his.
It sent a shudder through Stiles. Sadly, the magazine was very non-verbal and pictures only but he had heard the man talk in interviews before and it made his knees feel like jello. Flushing a little, Stiles ducked his head. Great first impression on his other crush. Amazing record, Stiles.
“Sorry,” Stiles sighed and rubbed his face. “I just. This is literally my second shoot and like it wasn’t enough they paired me with Peter Hale for my first shoot, now you?”
“Unsure how to read that tone, little one,” Chris pointed out, both eyebrows raised.
Stiles’ cheeks darkened even more at that. “Oh, come on. You know who you are. You’re both the biggest names this magazine – this industry – has to offer! I’m no one and freaking out.”
Chris tilted his eyes and he stepped up to Stiles. Calloused fingers grabbed Stiles’ chin to tilt his head as the alpha inspected him closely. A little red was bleeding into the steel-blue of his eyes. Stiles swallowed hard at that, his mouth falling just a little open.
“I don’t think you’re no one, pretty boy,” Chris pointed out, his thumb very slowly running along Stiles’ lower lip. “You’re a treasure in the making, I can tell. Let me help… shape you.”
“Stop flustering him,” someone growled behind Chris. “And let’s get to work.”
An amused smile tugged on Chris’ lips as he shot the young woman a look before returning to Stiles. “That would be our impatient photographer for the day, Malia Hale.”
“Huh,” Stiles blinked surprised. “I got your daughter in my shoot with Peter and now I’m getting his daughter in my shoot with you?”
“Even the playing field,” Chris smirked and stepped away some. “Come on, kid. I’ll show you the ropes. Quite literally, if I can have my way.”
Stiles’ eyes widened at the way Chris’ gaze ran down his body. “What does that mean.”
“Bondage shot,” Chris offered with a chuckle. “You look like you bruise very prettily and I’m sure a rope-pattern would look gorgeous on you.”
“Mh,” Malia tilted her head intrigued. “I like that. Not today, but I’ll make a note.”
This job was officially going to kill him, Stiles just knew it.
/break\
Laura had a good eye for talent. When Chris had first come to Neckz ‘n Throats, it had been a decision made out of despair. Allison had been sixteen and Chris had been a single dad cut off from his rich family, trying to make ends meet and offer his daughter the best possible life. Desperate. He’d been uncomfortable with all the wolves around him – fox instincts, really. But then he had also chosen a wolf environment on purpose. Maybe to prove his bigoted father wrong, who hated wolves with a burning passion and took the foxes and wolves thing too far. Maybe also to hide away from his father, seeking safety among the wolves.
Over the years, Neckz ‘n Throats had become home to him. He’d formed his own skulk, with Allison’s two friends Lydia and Jackson. A banshee and a half-kanima-half-wolf. The most recent addition to Chris’ skulk was Kira, a young kitsune. It felt good to add another fox and Chris was glad that his daughter had made another friend in the young model.
Chris knew he had Kira to thank for the pretty little eye-candy. Stiles was stunning. He had been nervous that first time, yeah, but he was good. The camera loved him – and so did the readers. The omega with the long neck that marked up oh-so prettily quickly became a fan favorite.
As much as weres sold, there was one thing that was hard with shifters. Marks. It was where Peter and Chris came in handy – as Alphas, they could leave marks on Betas that lasted at least a couple minutes. But a human bruised much better and Stiles? Pale, pretty Stiles bruised like a peach.
“Okay, now with Erica and Stiles on either side of Boyd. Perfect. You look amazing. Boyd, can you curl your hand in Erica’s hair, Erica bare your throat. Gorgeous.”
Chris smiled to himself as he watched his daughter at work. When he had a break between shoots, he sometimes liked to check in on Allison. It sure was a lucky coincident that Allison’s shoot today featured Stiles. Stiles with Boyd and Erica, two werewolf models and an alpha and omega mated pair. The two omegas did look stunning on either side of Boyd, but Chris personally thought that Stiles looked even better at his own side. The omega was everything Chris had been looking for in an omega but never thought he’d find. He was a feisty and clever little thing. Once the nerves melted away and Stiles started being more himself, Chris actually got to talk to the boy. He was quick-witted and smart. A bit of a smart-ass too, but Chris wouldn’t mind smartening that ass either.
“Let’s take a break,” Allison announced, waving at the three models. “I need to change the card.”
Pushing off the wall, Chris walked over to his daughter to hug and scent-mark her. The younger fox smiled up at her dad before stepping away to check on her camera, allowing Chris to join the models. Boyd sat sprawled out on the couch, with Erica next to him, her legs thrown over her mate’s lap. Stiles was next to them, talking animatedly. It was good to see the kid blossoming, considering just how tense and nervous he’d been when they first met.
“Hey, Chris,” Erica waved at him. “How’s it going?”
“Good,” Chris offered the young omega a smile. “It seems like it’s going well for you too.”
“Yeah,” Erica grinned broadly and stretched her legs out to poke Stiles on Boyd’s other side. “This one is a lot of fun to work with. I have decided to keep him.”
“I am not a pet,” Stiles argued pointedly.
“You would look lovely with a collar around that neck of yours,” Chris argued.
He looked at said neck and imagined it. Yes, that would look very good. Stiles flushed brightly.
“Interesting idea, I’ll keep it in mind,” Allison spoke up.
“You gotta stop being flustered by these things,” Boyd pointed out amused. “It’s just work.”
“It’s just work, he says,” Stiles muttered. “I’ve only been here a few short weeks, prior to that, hot alphas talking about putting collars on me was not a part of my life! This isn’t just a normal job. It takes a bit to get used to that kind of thing, especially for an unmated omega, you know.”
“Fair,” Erica grinned amused. “It does help to be working with my mate.”
She leaned in to press a kiss to Boyd’s cheek. The mated pair was usually featured in partnered shoots or solo, rarely paired up with other models. Adding Stiles to the mix was an interesting idea, but then Chris knew his daughter was damn good at her job too.
“Oh, I talked to Malia and we had a great idea for Stiles’ next shoot,” Allison spoke up, but she was looking at Chris, not Stiles. “I know you don’t play nice with Peter a lot, but considering just how popular Stiles is, we were thinking about a shoot with both of you. Alpha sandwich with Stiles filling, you know? This here is kind of a dry-run to see him work with two partners.”
“Rude,” Erica huffed with a glare.
Allison just laughed. But Stiles? He was staring wide-eyed from Allison over to Chris.
“Why are you trying to kill me, woman? I thought you liked me,” Stiles complained.
“I do,” Allison grinned at him. “You have easy chemistry with… pretty much everyone. And you became the poster boy of alpha bait for this magazine, in a way Laura’s been looking for for a long time now. We got all the alphas for an omega’s needs, but when it came to omegas, we only had our very beautiful ladies. Male omegas sell really good. Posing you with both dad and Peter would bring a special kind of tension to it. Laura loved it when I pitched it.”
“Sorry, no way out of that one anymore,” Boyd chuckled and patted Stiles on the shoulder. “When Laura wants something, it happens. She can be scary.”
Stiles groaned and tilted his head back, which bared the tempting span of his throat. Chris’ fangs were itching to sink into that and mark it up. No omega had ever made him want like that. Oh, he’d bedded shooting partners before, he had had lovers outside of work in the past. But something about Stiles was like the boy had been made for Chris.
/break\
When his daughter suggested another shoot with Stiles, Peter had been delighted. His mood dampened a little Malia added that Chris would be a part of it too. But Peter digressed. He could be a grown-up about this – even if his Betas snorted at that. Peter could be the bigger man, if it meant he got to put his hands onto that sweet little thing again.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Peter smiled charmingly at Stiles. “You look lovely.”
Stiles raised both his eyebrows and then looked down himself, pointing at the skinny jeans he wore. “Lydia didn’t even put me in a fun outfit for this one.”
“But those do make your long legs even longer and they hug your ass nicely too, baby doll.”
Peter’s eyes narrowed as he looked up at Chris from over Stiles’ shoulder. The other Alpha met his gaze, steely and unimpressed, but as soon as Stiles turned around, the look on Chris’ face changed into a warm smile. Peter bared his fangs just a little. The fox wanted Peter’s Bambi.
“Hey, Chris,” Stiles grinned at the Alpha.
Mh. Peter’s Bambi also liked the fox. That was a problem. So far, Peter had felt as though he had Stiles’ sole focus. Whenever they talked, saw each other in the break room, Peter managed to fluster the pretty boy. But it was more than that. The more time they spent together, the more Stiles relaxed around him. The two bantered, Stiles’ sharp tongue could meet Peter barb for barb. Stiles wasn’t just a pretty face and cute ass, he was the whole package. He was the perfect omega.
“Let’s start with a simple shot,” Allison instructed. “Stiles, facing dad, put your hands on his chest. Peter, you go behind Stiles, your hands on Stiles’ hips. Perfect.”
Peter closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he ran his nose up Stiles’ neck. That scent was addictive. Chris shot him a glare as he watched Peter. A smirk spread over Peter’s lips as he nosed at Stiles’ neck. Stiles between them shuddered, his fingers curling into Chris’ shirt.
“Easy, doll face,” Chris murmured and leaned in on Stiles’ other side.
The damn fox was marking up the other side of Stiles’ neck, with the omega gasping between them. He really was a responsive little thing. Peter’s hands curled tighter around Stiles’ hip.
“Move your hands up some, Peter. Push Stiles’ shirt up,” Allison instructed them. “Dad, start unbuttoning Stiles’ shirt. Stiles… just keep doing what you’re doing, you’re great.”
“I am dy—ying,” Stiles complained annoyed.
“You’re doing just fine, sweetheart,” Peter assured him.
The shoot moved along, Stiles lost his shirt and ended up on both Peter and Chris’ laps. The two Alphas sat next to each other on the couch, one of Stiles’ knees between each their legs. That boy was stunning. Stiles’ chest was already covered in bruised hickeys, his back had some light scratches – nails only, no claws. This was supposed to be alluring, not cause actual harm. It just irritated Peter that half these marks had been left there by Argent.
/break\
“I need to quit,” Stiles sighed and threw himself onto the couch.
The coyote on the couch growled darkly at that. “You’re fun to work with. You will not quit.”
Stiles shot Malia a narrow-eyed look at that. “This is my apartment, I will not be growled at. Kira, control your alpha. She doesn’t get to growl at me!”
Kira heaved a sigh and leaned over to pet Stiles’ hair. “You’re being dramatic, Stiles.”
“I’m not!” Stiles huffed and swatted at Kira’s hair. “You have your cute alpha girlfriend, who is also a photographer and not a fellow model. You can’t relate to how messy my situation is. There are two hot alphas, who are also both Alphas and like the hottest men alive and who can’t stand each other’s guts and both make my head spin in a way that makes it impossible to choose.”
“You choose my dad,” Malia shrugged unimpressed.
“Funny. Allison says the same thing,” Stiles drawled with a dry look. “Which, at first I really thought that she was joking. I mean, that they were joking too. Like, that it was all part of the job, you know? Flirting to set the mood, to play up the role for the shoot!”
“Ri—ight. How long did it take you to realize that’s not true?” Kira asked amused.
“When I tagged along to see your shoot with Peter and saw him not flirting with you,” Stiles muttered and wiggled his nose, even as he felt himself blushing. “So I guessed they might actually be… into me. Which is a mess, because how in the world did I luck out enough to have the two hottest men alive be into me? Both? Like, one would be perfect. But two means I would have to choose one and I don’t want to choose one. I want them both.”
Stiles heaved another sigh and sprawled out more on the couch, glaring up at Malia. The two girls dating was a relatively new development and Stiles liked to pride himself on having played a part in it. Because Stiles had kinda befriended Malia – the growling shouldn’t be taken too seriously – so Malia started hanging out with Stiles and on account of the kitsune-shaped best friend who lived with him, Malia and Kira inevitably started spending more time with each other. It tipped over about two weeks ago when Erica dragged them all along to a club and sparks flew on the dance-floor. Stiles was happy for them. He just wished that his own situation would be as simple.
“You just have to pick which one you like more,” Malia pointed out with a confused frown.
Stiles shot her a look. Which one he liked more. That wasn’t simple. He had been attracted to them both for years now. Actually knowing them had turned that into so much more though. He was falling in love with them both and he was falling hard and fast.
“They are too similar and too different to make that choice,” Stiles argued.
“...That doesn’t even make sense,” Malia frowned confused.
She wrapped her arms around Kira’s waist and pulled her omega close enough to nose her neck. Stiles was overcome with a wave of longing for that too. The longing had been easy to contain before this job, because, quite frankly, between school and work, he hadn’t had any time left to hink about romance. But not only did this job free up time for him – he had been able to quit both his other shitty jobs – it also gave the illusion of having an alpha. Every shot that had him pose with an alpha, pretend make out with an alpha, submit to an alpha, it all just drove home what he wasn’t getting for real and it made him yearn in a way he had never yearned for these things before.
“Both are hot, older, handsome, charming, Alphas – which makes them both shifters, leaders and authority figures,” Stiles started listing. “But Chris is more laid back, more… mh, rugged? Peter is a bit of a control freak, he is precise. Chris is all dry wit and straightforward, Peter banters and snarks with me. Each provides aspects that the other doesn’t and I like all of it. Both of them.”
“Sounds like you got yourself in quite the mess,” Kira raised both her eyebrows at him. “What are you going to do about it…?”
“Quit,” Stiles raised both eyebrows pointedly. “Were you not listening? Is the coyote in the room that distracting, yeah? Do I need to remove her from the premises?”
Kira flushed and Malia growled while tightening her arms around Kira. Stiles snorted amused.
“I don’t know what to do,” Stiles sighed after a moment. “I want them both and they both clearly want me, apparently. But they also hate each other’s guts. Every time I am in the same room as both of them, it quickly starts to shift away from me and toward them trying to best each other. If one of them is offering me food, the other has to offer me twice as much. If one of them is marking me up for a shoot, the other has to leave the larger hickeys on me. It’s… honestly, it’s exhausting.”
“Sounds that way,” Kira’s face screwed up at that. “I’m sorry, Stiles. I hadn’t really… considered that. I just though, you know, two hot people vying for your attention must be an ego boost. But I guess it can also be really stressful.”
“Ye—ep,” Stiles groaned and sprawled out more. “I just… I don’t want to choose. But I clearly have to, and soon too, because… things are getting really tense.”
Malia got very quiet at that, which was all the confirmation Stiles needed that his impression on that front was right. Both Peter and Chris were getting more aggressive with each other and that kind of tension most likely also affected their respective pack and skulk. Stiles sighed frustrated. In an ideal world, those two would be best friends and happily share him. But that sounded really greedy and selfish of him, didn’t it? It was already ridiculous enough that these two hot, rich and famous alphas were both interested in him, that he had the chance to be with one of them…
/break\
Stiles gave a soft gasp as he was pushed over the length of the bike. His body arched thanks to the curve of it and then Chris was pinning Stiles’ wrists against the handles. A blush rose to Stiles’ cheeks when Chris pushed between his legs. The man was wearing a white tank top, black leather pants and a matching leather jacket. He was always attractive but rough biker Chris was a whole new vibe and it had Stiles’ mouth dry and his heart racing.
“Good boy,” Chris growled as he nosed along Stiles’ neck.
A full body shudder wrecked Stiles and he couldn’t help the small whimper that slipped out. Praise had always done things to him but Chris and Peter took it to a whole new level. There was a low warning growl in the back and Stiles knew that Derek was paying close attention. Honestly, Stiles appreciated it. In their line of work, it was easy to slip past certain lines. It was intimate in nature. Derek was here to keep them professional and from crossing any lines.
“Sorry,” Chris’ voice was dark but genuine. “You good?”
“Y… Yeah,” Stiles swallowed hard and tried to regain his bearings. “You are just kinda intense.”
Chris laughed, his pretty blue eyes sparkling near mischievously. Urgh, Stiles wanted to kiss this man so badly. But then there was Peter, whom Stiles also wanted to kiss. So instead, Stiles ended up entirely unkissed, which just kind of seemed unfair to Stiles.
“Stiles, I want you to sit on the machine, properly. Wearing Chris’ jacket.”
Yeah, it was never going to stop being weird to Stiles to be instructed by his crush’s daughters on how to touch and make out with said crushes. Granted, the cross over there was somehow also weird. Having Peter’s daughter direct him with Chris, while Chris’ daughter directed him with Peter. It worked and both were super professional. Didn’t make it any less weird to Stiles though.
“Here,” Chris smiled and handed Stiles the jacket.
Stiles was only mildly distracted by Chris’ arms before he put on the jacket. The Alpha flashed his eyes red for a moment and a couple months ago, that would have totally freaked Stiles out. Now, he knew that was because both Alphas could barely control themselves around Stiles. This was want. The silver fox liked seeing Stiles in Chris’ clothes. And Stiles liked wearing Chris’ clothes.
“You look gorgeous on that, doll,” Chris commented, his voice rough.
His eyes flashed red with the intensity of his gaze and Stiles, sitting on Chris’ bike, wearing Chris’ jacket, felt himself flush pleased. The alpha’s attention was heavy and addictive. He’d never really been popular in high school, even after he presented. And in college, he had kind of been too busy so far to even be looking around for someone. This was the first time since he had gone off to college that he actually had the time and space to consider romance. The job paid well enough that he was finally free of financial worries, which not only bought him a lot of time since he had been able to drop his other jobs, it also served to calm his nerves. And now that he had that time and space, he found himself at the center of two impressive alphas’ attention.
“He’ll look even better sprawled out on my Cobra.”
Stiles tilted his head to look at Peter by the door. The Alpha werewolf stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest, his gaze no less intense as he stared at Stiles. Heat rose to Stiles’ cheeks. While he knew others were going to see these shoots, it always did feel different to be watched live. Chris gave a low, dark warning growl and shot the wolf a glare.
“I doubt that,” Chris turned away from Peter again and crowded into Stiles’ space possessively. “He looks just perfect on my machine like that. Don’t you, sugar?”
As nice as it was to be crowded in by Chris and to feel the fox’s beard rub along his neck, Stiles didn’t really like that it was happening right now to show off to Peter. He also didn’t really like that Peter was jealously growling in the corner. How was an omega supposed to enjoy an alpha’s attention if there was always a fight going on between them? It was kind of exhausting.
“Dad, I’m sure you have places to be,” Malia said annoyed. “I’m working here.”
“Of course, darling daughter,” Peter chuckled and shot Stiles a last charming smile. “I’m looking forward to our next shoot, sweetheart.”
Chris’ grip on Stiles’ hips tightened. Not painfully so, but enough to show Stiles that the possessive fox did not appreciate the thought of Peter getting his hands on Stiles too. Stiles heaved a sigh and leaned back some more. These stupid and stupidly hot old men were giving him a headache.
/break\
Stiles felt incredibly powerful and kinda high on that as he sat on the large, imposing, red leather arm chair that seemed more like a throne. He did feel kind of like a king, sitting sprawled on it, casual and relaxed, a lazy grin on his lips. At his feet, on either side of the throne-like chair, sat the two Alphas in full-shift. On his right was a large, dark-gray silver fox and on his left was an even larger, nearly black wolf. All three of them were facing the camera, both shifters sitting at attention. Alert and protective, like guards. It was kind of a power trip.
This was the first shoot Stiles had with all three of them since the first time he’d been paired with both at the same time. Because usually, Chris and Peter would growl and snip at each other when they were in the same room, especially when they were in the same room as Stiles. Two Alphas sharing small space had always been a tricky balancing act at Neckz ‘n Throats, but two Alphas who, as alphas, were interested in the same omega? Adding gasoline to the fire.
However, Stiles’ shoots with Chris and with Peter, separately, were the biggest hits. He had shot up into stardom over the past months, as bizarre as that still felt to him. But as popular as he was, the most talked about and sold out shoots he did were with either Chris and Peter. It had earned him the moniker of ‘Alpha-nip’ – like catnip but for Alphas. Stiles liked it. So did Laura. She’d called him to her office and asked him about the possibility of another shoot with both Chris and Peter. It was impossible to say no to that, even though he was wary about the warring alphas.
“Okay, who wants uppies?” Stiles asked teasingly, patting his lap.
Both Alphas gave slight growls at his words but they were also both wagging their tails as they tried to climb onto his lap. Stiles leaned back and snickered, inviting them both on. They settled on the broad arm rests and his thighs, each taking one arm rest and one thigh to support their weight, their front paws on his chest. He shuddered a little when both Alphas looked at him so intensely before settling with their heads in his neck. Grinning to himself, he wrapped his arms around them both, running his fingers through soft fur. Oh, he could totally get used to this.
“Who’s a good boy?” Stiles cooed as he ruffled Peter’s hair.
The Alpha wolf managed to give him an utterly unimpressed look, which was not something Stiles thought wolves could do, before he leaned in and nipped Stiles’ jaw, licking a broad stripe up his neck. Stiles laughed at it, but then there was growling on his other side and suddenly, Chris was also licking his neck. Competitive alphas. Stiles snorted a little and enjoyed being showered in affection even as the fox and the wolf kept growling and gradually got more insistent.
“Okay, boys, down,” Stiles frowned a little when they started baring their fangs at each other.
“Off the human, now,” Derek ordered in his firmest voice.
Both Alphas complied, which in itself was impressive, considering that Alphas in general were headstrong and didn’t like listening to Betas, but agitated Alphas? It seemed that both still, even in their competition, respected Derek’s role within the magazine. Once they were off Stiles though, they didn’t back off. They were facing each other, circling and growling, ears flat against their heads. Stiles heaved an annoyed sigh at their stupid posturing. The two Alphas backed off each other, but not like they were going to calm down. Like they were ready to pounce.
“Okay, guys, that’s really enough of tha-”
Stiles had stepped between them, knowing that he usually distracted them pretty well from each other. However, just as he stepped up, both shifters pounced, maws open and ready to bite each other. Only that instead, Stiles now stood between them, arms raised to pacify them. Before he could finish his sentence, he could feel fangs sinking into his arms from either side. He cut himself off, shock first even before the pain. And then everything stopped.
The moment the scent of Stiles’ blood hit the air, everyone in the room froze. Stiles was a little too busy processing the pain of pierced skin to notice the wide-eyed wolf and fox who immediately let go and backed off of Stiles before shifting back into their human skin. Before they could reach out for Stiles or much less touch him did Derek step between them.
“Out,” Derek barked out. “Both of you get out right now.”
“Nephew, you full-well know I didn’t mean to harm Stiles,” Peter growled back, eyes red.
“I do not care, Alpha,” Derek’s eyes were brilliant blue as he put himself between Stiles and both Alphas. “You did mean to harm Chris. And Chris meant to harm you. So both of you, get out and take a fucking breath. And then meet me at Cora’s office in an hour.”
“Stiles, I’m sorry,” Chris met Stiles’ eyes, looking so guilty.
At another growl from Derek, both Chris and Peter left the studio. Stiles just kind of stood there, blinking, completely overwhelmed. Lydia and Allison came to join them with a first aid kit and, together with Derek, started inspecting, disinfecting and bandaging the injuries.
“These aren’t deep,” Lydia noted. “They must have stopped biting as soon as they realized who got caught up in the middle of it.”
Stiles just made a non-committed noise. Derek shot the two girls a look and after a moment, they left. If Stiles wasn’t kind of out of it, he would be super pissed and snarky about the way Derek herded him over toward the arm-chair because he was not some skittish animal.
“I’m sorry this happened,” Derek whispered gently.
“Really super not your fault,” Stiles snorted and shot the alpha a look. “I probably shouldn’t have stepped between two angry Alphas in full-shift. Not my wisest moment.”
“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Derek agreed but then he looked at Stiles all intense Hale eyebrows. “But this still shouldn’t have happened, Stiles. Their behavior is not your fault. They’re both seasoned professionals and they ought to know better than to attack a colleague.”
Derek’s touch was gentle as he finished wrapping the injuries. Lydia was right, they weren’t deep. Which was a sign of just how deeply Chris and Peter cared about him – any werewolf, even just Betas, could have easily torn his arms right off, but these were barely scratches. As soon as they’d noticed it was him, they had pulled themselves back.
“Were… Were they always this bad?” Stiles asked softly, looking at his arms. “With each other?”
For a long stretch, Derek was quiet, before he sighed. “No. They used to get along pretty well. Went to the bar together for drinks and darts. They had to, to be working together like this – two Alphas under the same label. It has… gradually gotten worse since you joined.”
“So it’s my fault,” Stiles smiled joylessly and hung his head down.
Derek grabbed his chin and made Stiles look up again to meet the wolf’s eyes. “Let me repeat: Their behavior is not on you. They’re both grown men, they should be behaving like adults about this. They shouldn’t be snarling at each other like insecure pups.”
Stiles snorted at Derek’s choice of words, earning him a small smile from Derek in return. “You’re right. But I still think I’m playing a part in this. I let them compete for my attention. I… should have done something sooner, spoken up, or something.”
Derek heaved a sigh and regarded him slowly. “I’m going to have a very long conversation with them both, with Cora and Laura present. We’re going to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Maybe I should take some time off,” Stiles wondered, fidgeting with his hands. “Won’t make for good pictures with the injuries anyway. And I’m overdue to see pops again.”
“Maybe some time off will be good for you,” Derek agreed, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “But if you wanna talk about it, or anything, you have my number, okay?”
Stiles smiled thinly and nodded at the wolf. He really appreciated Derek.
/break\
Chris looked like shit when Peter found him that night at their usual bar. For a moment, Peter paused as he realized how long he hadn’t come here. And then he paused to regard Chris. The man was slouched over the bar, a half-empty glass of whiskey clutched tightly.
“Christopher,” Peter sat down next to the other Alpha and waved the bartender over. “Another one for my friend here and the same for me, please.”
He flashed a smile and red eyes, causing the bartender to nod and understand that Peter meant not just a whiskey but one laced with enough wolfsbane to knock an Alpha off their socks. Chris looked up with a half-hearted glare and emptied his glass, putting it down with a little more force.
“Friend?” Chris repeated doubtfully. “That what we are, wolf?”
Tilting his head, Peter leaned back in his seat, posing as relaxed as he could. Trying to show he wasn’t threatened by the other Alpha. Chris glowered at him and flashed his own eyes red.
“We used to be,” Peter relented when the bartender brought their drinks.
They both drank in silence for a while before Chris huffed. “Your nieces really tore into us.”
“They did,” Peter agreed solemnly. “I’m proud of them for it, considering I’m their Alpha.”
Chris hummed and put his glass down. “Cora is right. We have been behaving like huge knot-heads. Stiles doesn’t deserve any of that. He certainly doesn’t deserve what we did today.”
Never before had Peter seen Chris look this devastated, filled with self-loathing. It softened the wolf, because he felt the exact same. He scooted a bit closer to Chris and heaved a sigh.
“You didn’t mean to hurt him,” Peter offered. “Just like me. But yes, we… have been real knot-heads about him. He’s just… that special, isn’t he? I’ve never met anyone like him.”
“Yeah,” Chris hummed, a small, warm smile on his lips as he thought about Stiles. “He’s brilliant, witty, absolutely gorgeous. And such a stubborn brat, it shouldn’t be charming, yet it is.”
“It is,” Peter agreed with a laugh. “It thrills my wolf when he snarks back.”
“Oh, he’s never more beautiful than when he raises his chin in challenge,” Chris couldn’t look more smitten if he tried. “Makes me want to pin him to the wall and kiss him until he can’t remember his name. And that’d only be the start of things.”
For the first time, instead of reacting with anger and growls, Peter took a moment to appreciate the visual. Part of what made his aggression so strong was that he knew how good Chris and Stiles looked together, how much that boy melted at Chris’ touch, how sweet and delicious Stiles smelt when Chris would touch him and pose with him. Peter knew how attracted Stiles was to Chris and how well they fit together. It heightened is fears.
“I’ve already lost so much,” Peter whispered, staring into his whiskey-glass and marveling at how much the color reminded him of Stiles’ eyes. “The thought that he might choose you over me frightened me so much, I was… terrified by it, so I’d rather attack you than lose him.”
Chris gave a confirming grunt at that. “Yeah, I get what you mean. When my father disowned me, when I got divorced from Victoria, I… lost everything. All I had was Allison and everything I did was to give her a better life. Stiles is the first time I find myself wanting, for myself. And it’s… kind of terrifying, and the thought of losing him even more so.”
Silence fell between them as they finished their drinks. Even after that, they sat in that silence, empty glasses before them. It wasn’t awkward and tense though, it was… companionable.
“How do we fix this, Hale?” Chris asked, shooting Peter a look.
“We have to do better, for our lovely omega. He deserves better,” Peter agreed, a thoughtful look on his face. “Perhaps if we show him that we can get along, for his sake…?”
“And we’ll have to make up for… for today,” Chris grimaced and rubbed his face. “How?”
/break\
Kira had quickly put on one of Malia’s flannel shirts before she opened the door because the rapid knocking wouldn’t cease. When she saw who was in front of the door, she offered her most unimpressed look and crossed her arms as she leaned against the door-frame, blocking the door.
“My Stiles came home bleeding yesterday,” Kira pointed out. “I don’t like when people hurt my family and he is family. He was my skulk even before I joined your skulk.”
At that, she locked eyes with Chris. The man stood tense before him, Peter Hale next to him not faring much better. Kira let her eyes glow golden-orange and her aura overcome her. Both alphas stood much more at attention at that. She was an omega and she was technically Chris’ Beta, but she was also a powerful kitsune and she was Stiles’ sister by anything but blood.
“We’re here to apologize,” Peter said, offering a bouquet of beautiful, clearly expensive flowers.
“And to make amends,” Chris held up chocolates, Stiles’ favorites and a big box too.
Behind Kira was grumbling and then Malia draped herself over her shoulders, glaring at her own dad. “Stiles isn’t here. He left this morning to go home and visit his dad.”
Kira smiled, pleased that Malia was also protective of Stiles and siding with him over her own Alpha – especially since said Alpha was also her father. Peter and Chris exchanged a frown.
“When… When will he be back?” Peter asked, looking somewhat nervous now.
“He didn’t say,” Kira shrugged. “It’s semester break, so he doesn’t need to be here for classes. He cleared it with Laura, who agreed that he should take some time off from work.”
“Right,” Chris cleared his throat and turned away from her, awkward and a bit shameful.
Damn it, Kira was feeling pity for those two fools. She sighed as she deflated some. Twisting enough to press a kiss to Malia’s cheek, she headed to the kitchen to get the note Stiles had pinned to the fridge. She raised her eyebrows as she held it out to the two alphas.
“Congrats on step one,” Kira declared. “Because I was only supposed to hand this out if you two showed up here together. Get your shit together before he gets home, okay? Because yesterday wasn’t the big issue. The big issue is just how much he has been struggling with this decision and with both of your behavior. He likes you both, a lot. So do better for him, you hear me?”
She raised her eyebrows and then she closed the door in their faces. Malia huffed amused as she pulled Kira into a kiss and then grabbed her by the hips to lift her up and carry her. Kira giggled a little at that, really hoping that this was going to work out for Stiles. He deserved to be happy.
/break\
Stiles took a deep breath as he pushed into Neckz ‘n Throats. The past three weeks had been amazing, honestly. It was exactly what he’d needed. Being back home, policing his dad’s diet, gossiping with the deputies at the station. Generally just a break from the everyday. From the work and the university and, yeah, also the hot older men trying to court him.
“Sti—iles,” Erica grinned wickedly as she wrapped him in a hug. “You have been missed! I need all of the gossip from you later. But for now, you are expected in Studio A.”
Stiles heaved a sigh. He’d gotten the text from Laura already about that. He was looking forward to working again, but part of him had also wanted kind of a slower start on things. Erica escorted him, chatting away about how things at the magazine had been in the past three weeks.
“Have fu—un,” Erica winked at him and hip-checked him before leaving.
Stiles opened the door and then kind of stumbled in, too surprised by what he saw. There was a row of tables set up with various, delicious-smelling food. Chris and Peter were standing together, arguing about something. It didn’t sound hostile and bad though, more like banter. They both froze and looked up when they noticed him though and they immediately smiled. They were wearing matching suits, Peter’s black and Chris’ dark-gray, Peter’s shirt red and Chris’ a light blue. They both looked absolutely stunning and Stiles’ mouth went dry and his heart skipped a beat as he realized just how much he had missed them. Without even thinking on it, he dashed forward and hugged them tightly, pulling them close enough together so he could bury his face in both their chests. Their scents mixed – citrus and cherries – and Stiles inhaled deeply, feeling himself calm down. He had missed them so much in the past three weeks.
“You know we were ready to grovel for your forgiveness, baby,” Chris noted fondly.
“Oh, you will be doing a lot of groveling,” Stiles grumbled, not looking up at either of them in that moment. “Just because I missed you doesn’t mean I stopped being mad at you.”
“That’s fair,” Peter sounded like he was smiling. “We missed you too, sweetheart.”
“So very much,” Chris agreed, too much earnestness in his voice, making Stiles squirm a little.
They were caressing him, hugging him tight and someone was pressing a kiss to his head. There was no competitive growling though, just a warm hug. Blinking slowly, Stiles brought some distance between them and looked between Chris and Peter critically.
“Kira passed on your note,” Peter smiled wryly. “It just said ‘get your shit together, assholes’.”
“A very loving message,” Chris nodded in agreement, eyes dancing with amusement.
“It’s true,” Stiles shrugged and reached up to ruffle his hair in an awkward habit.
He paused when Peter caught his wrist. The playfulness was gone from both alphas as Peter cradled Stiles’ arm close and Chris took his other arm. The bite-marks, though not deep, had left some gentle, pink scarring behind. It was a bit embarrassing, if Stiles was being honest. The bite on the wrist was an Alpha’s mate-claim. Both Alphas looked absolutely devastated.
“So—o. Food. Before it gets cold?” Stiles raised both his eyes at them, trying to change the topic.
Stiles twisted his arms free from their hold and instead slipped his hands into theirs, pulling them closer and along to the table. There was so much food on those tables.
“We figured good food would be a good start in earning your forgiveness?” Peter suggested. “We’re both incredibly sorry for what happened. And we agree that neither of us should have let this escalate that much, we can’t even blame each other. It’s as much my fault as it is his.”
“We are both sorry,” Chris agreed, gently cupping Stiles’ cheek to make him look up at Chris. “So, we ordered your favorite dishes from all of your favorite restaurants.”
Blinking slowly, Stiles turned to survey the table. His favorite sushis, pizza, oh there was a big barbecue burger with curly fries and a strawberry milkshake, even pierogi that he guessed must be from the small Polish grandma place he had been gushing about.
“You… guys really listen to what I say, huh,” Stiles whispered startled at the realization.
“You are so special, sweetheart,” Peter nosed Stiles’ neck and kissed his earlobe. “I listen to every word you say and I take note of everything that brings you joy.”
“Yeah,” Chris smiled and pressed a kiss to Stiles’ cheek. “You deserve it. You deserve to be made happy and to be spoiled, not to put up with two old, cranky idiot alphas who keep butting head. But… But if you were still interested, these two old, cra-”
“Stop calling me old, Christopher, or I will tear your throat out with my teeth,” Peter interrupted.
Stiles started giggling at that, covering his mouth with one hand. This was the cute kind of arguing, as Chris shot Peter an unimpressed look and Peter downright pouted.
“As I was saying, if you were still interested in the both of us, we promise to do better. We want to woo you right,” Chris looked at Stiles so earnestly. “But I’d also understand if this was the final thing you needed to know that neither of us are worth your time.”
“Look,” Stiles huffed softly and rubbed his eyes, feeling a little soft here. “I’m a stubborn bastard myself and I suck at backing down either, so I can respect that in both of you. I’m not mad I got a little hurt, you idiots, I know you didn’t mean to go for me. I’m mad you meant to go for each other. I heard that you used to get along and I hate that I got in the way of that. I don’t want to be fought over, that’s kind of exhausting. But I do like the both of you and I don’t… I don’t want to choose, because I like the both of you. But I’d rather chose neither than to make things worse between you. So… So if you two think you can play nice? I’d like to try this, with you both.”
“I mean, we should be able to get along, shouldn’t we, Christopher?” Peter shot Chris a smirk.
“Oh, if you can play nice, I can too, wolf,” Chris challenged the other Alpha.
Stiles narrowed his eyes and looked between them for a moment before he nodded, sat down and grabbed a fry, raising his eyebrows at both alphas. They exchanged an amused look and sat down with Stiles, on either side of him. The smile on Stiles’ face grew larger as he listened to the two men for once not fighting but reminiscing and teasing each other.
/break\
Chris woke up exhausted and pleased. It had taken months of dancing around each other and rekindling for Chris and Peter to kiss for the first time. They had both fallen in love with Stiles. And while that love had divided them at first, it had finally drawn them together. Instead of competing for who deserved Stiles’ attention more, they came to appreciate that in each other. That there was someone else who loved Stiles that much and who could make Stiles that happy. This shared appreciation and love was what drew them closer to each other.
“Morning, fox,” Peter whispered lowly and pressed a kiss to Chris’ lips.
Chris hummed and pulled Peter in for a deeper kiss, until Stiles between them started grumbling in his sleep. The Alphas parted and looked at their omega with warmth before settling down back in bed together. It was too late though, the boy had woken up. He yawned wide and leaned in to smack a quick kiss to both their lips before curling together again. He looked so perfect like that, safely tucked away between them so both his alphas could protect him. Stiles finally got to be happy, without having to worry about their fights and stubbornness. And Chris was happier for it, with the both of them, though he had never expected to find happiness with Peter Hale too.
~*~ The End ~*~