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Derek grew up with stories of the Stilinski family.
Laura used to scare him before bed with stories of Mrs. Stilinski making bodies rise from their graves on full moons, or trying to poison people in their sleep. When Cora started school, Derek was always afraid she'd come home crying about something crazy that the Stilinski twins did, like turn her classmates into frogs or something.
He'd see them around town.
Claudia Stilinski was strange and creepy, but beautiful. Her pale skin and dark hair, big brown eyes. She never wore anything that wasn't black, long ebony skirts and flowy black blouses. Her children were just as pale and striking as she was, though only her son, Stiles, seemed to share her...fashion sense. Allison and John Stilinski appeared more normal, on the outside. But sometimes the Stilinski twins would wander around town, a look on their faces like everything was this big joke that only they knew about.
When Claudia died, the twins went out less. But it still happened, once in a while.
He'd never had the, uh, pleasure of actually meeting any of the Stilinskis, though.
Until now, that is.
"Laura," he rolls his eyes, "for the last time, I don't need a girlfriend."
"How about -" she starts.
"I don't need a boyfriend either. I don't need anyone. Drop it." He takes a sip of his coffee, ignoring his sister's indignant huffs.
"You're twenty four, Der, and you've only been out with one person." She reminds him.
"And remember what happened to her?" He snaps, keeping his eyes on his drink in front of him. "She died, Laura, if you don't recall. Died in my arms. Sorry if I'm not exactly over that traumatic experience yet. You know I don't want to date, and you kept bringing it up. Why can't you just leave it -"
"Derek!" Laura calls, right when he bumps into something.
Or someone.
Someone wearing a comically large black sun hat.
"I'm so sorry -" he starts. A hand lands on his shoulder, the person steadying themselves, and then it's like a jolt of electricity goes through him.
"Oh, it's okay. I should watch where I'm going, next time." Stiles laughs, cheeks pink.
Stiles, as in, Stiles Stilinski.
Stiles Stilinski, who's carrying a rather ridiculous looking large leather bag, and his nails are painted black, even his toenails. And Derek knows this because Stiles is barefoot, for fucks sake, like he's not standing on the disgusting sidewalk. He's got bracelets on his ankle and wrists. He looks rather odd, cheery expression on his face and bright eyes.
"It wasn't your fault." Laura finally says, eyes wide. "Derek should pay more attention. Right Der?"
"Yeah." He says. Stiles shrugs. He digs around in his bag, feathers falling out and floating down to the sidewalk as he does so. He pulls out a wrinkled looking piece of paper.
"My sister and I are reopening my mother's magic shop, if you two are interested. We're having a sale!" He cocks his head to the side. "Hey! Aren't you Talia Hale's kids?"
"We're not kids, we're older than you." Derek blurts.
"I guess that's true." Stiles smiles. "Mom always wanted to invite you guys over, get to know you. It got kind of lonely, just us four in that big ol' house."
And now it's just the three of you.
"We'll check out the store." Laura takes the flyer. "Sorry again, for bumping into you."
"Everything happens for a reason, right?" Stiles shrugs again, picking up the discarded feathers. "I'll see you both around. Have a nice day!"
"You too." Derek hears himself say. They watch him walk past, people on the sidewalk going out of their way not to touch him. Laura frowns down at the flyer.
"Where you expecting him to be a lot creepier than he was, or is that just me?" She wondered.
"It's not just you."
"Cause I'm pretty sure the whole town thinks that family's a bunch of demons, and he was super nice."
"He could just be trying to get us to come to his shop." Derek points out.
A magic shop. Derek had passed by it a few times, and it always made him feel uneasy, even after they closed. He doesn't think he can bring himself to actually step foot in there, though Cora and Peter might force him to. They have always had a weird obsession with magic.
"I dunno. Did he seem kind of lonely to you?"
"We talked for, like, a minute. He didn't seem like anything." Derek pauses. "He was barefoot, right? I didn't imagine that?"
"No you didn't." She hums. "I should ask where he buys his jewelry. Those rings were really nice."
"Yeah." He nods back and pulls out his phone, distracted. He checks his texts, and almost freezes when he sees a new number in his phone.
He doesn't know where it came from.
The town liked to call the Stilinskis witches, but it was just a joke. No one actually believed in magic, save maybe the people who used to go to their shop before Claudia died. Derek thinks about the way if felt when Stiles touched him, and the number in his phone, and the unease he always felt.
Magic isn't real.
It can't be.
The night of Claudia's Magic Shop's reopening, Derek gets dragged out into the cold by Cora, just as he thought he would.
She forces him to drive her over, because she still hasn't gotten a car despite having her license for four years, and 'I know you don't trust me worth your car Derek just drive.'
The shop looks empty when they arrive, the only think indicating its open being the lights. A bell sounds when they open the door, but no one comes out.
"They are open, aren't they?" Cora frowns, looking around.
"Stiles said they were."
"Maybe this is a trap." She jokes. "They used you to lure us here because they knew you were oblivious enough to fall for it, and now they're going to sacrifice us."
"Who's the one who forced me to come here? Oh, that's right, it was you."
"Whatever." She rolls her eyes. Asshole. "I guess they're closed."
"We're open." A voice to their left says. They jump, and Cora swears.
Allison Stilinski is standing next to a bookshelf, large -well, Derek'a pretty sure it's a caldron in her arms. She walks past them and sets it on the floor, and there's an honest to god arrow stuck though the bun in her hair. Although apparently she, unlike her brother, actually knows that you're supposed to wear shoes outside. Derek makes to leave, but Cora grabs his jacket.
Traitor.
"Hi. I'm -"
"Cora Hale." Allison smiles. "I know. My brother ran into yours two days ago. It's nice to meet you."
"You too." Cora looks around. "What exactly do you guys sell here?"
"The usual. Herbs, crystals, supplies. Spell books. Stiles does readings in the back, if you're interested." Allison dimples at them, hands clasped in front of her.
"Readings?" Derek can't help but ask.
"Yeah. They're free, for now." She gestures toward a door near the register.
"He tells people their future?" Cora raises an eyebrow.
"He tries."
"Don't psychics usually charge, like, a shit ton of money for something like that? Why is he doing it for free?"
"Maybe he sucks at it." Derek whispers. Cora elbows him in the ribs, and he hisses. "Hey!"
"That was rude." Cora whispers back. Allison turns away from them, picking up a box from behind the counter. It looks heavy, and Cora gives him a Look™. Her 'You know what I want you to do' look.
"Do you, um. Need some help with that?" Derek asks, wincing. Allison looks surprised.
"Nice of you to offer, but you're customers." She shakes her head. "I can do this by myself, thanks for asking though. Now, I know you guys didn't come here just to watch me unpack - what can I do for you?"
"Actually, I think I'd like to know my future." Cora says.
This is probably going to end badly.
"Great! Stiles is just through this door. Go in when you're ready!" And then Allison goes to put the books away, and she just. She just disappears.
"Weird." Cora mumbles.
"Yes, it's really weird, now can we please go?"
"Nuh-uh, I want my fortune told." She smirks. "Think he's got a crystal ball in there?"
"No, and I don't want to find out. This place gives me a weird feeling." Derek looks around. Cora rolls her eyes at him.
"Everything gives you a weird feeling, doofus. You're just upset that I dragged you away from your precious library to actually come into the real world."
"Cause a magic shop it totally the real world." He hisses. She just grabs his jacket and tugs him toward the door. And Derek, despite the fact that he's actually 200 pounds of muscle, goes with her. Yes, yes, he is afraid of his sister. Sister. All the women in his family, and his uncle.
Laura's right. He is so a marshmallow.
The door opens to a small room that must have been a some kind of closet before. It's dark, only a single light hanging above a small table. Stiles is sitting in front of them, a deck of playing cards in his hands.
Of course, all the cards fall on the floor when Stiles startles so bad he actually falls out of his chair.
Cora snorts. "Aren't you supposed to be able to see the future?"
"Um. Yes?" Stiles winces. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone."
"Hasn't anyone come by?" Derek asks. He may not really like this place, exactly, but the thought that the town hates these two so much that no one would come to the reopening is kind of upsetting, especially when they've been nothing but nice so far.
"A few people. But no one's taken my offer seriously." Stiles stands, smiling brightly. "So, Cora. Have a seat."
She huffs. "What if Derek's the one that wanted to come here?"
"I know he isn't. This really isn't a place he would come to willingly." Stiles sits behind the table, leaving the only other chair for Cora. "So. What would you like to know?"
"Um..." she looks back at Derek, and he shrugs. "Fuck it. What am I going to end up majoring in?" She asks. Stiles raises an eyebrow at her.
"Is that really what you want to know?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Okay." He leans forward, grabbing her hand. Derek doesn't really understand what's happening. So far, this is nothing like what he expected. The lights dim a bit when Stiles closes his eyes, and something brushes against Derek's leg, and he bites his lip to keep from yelping, glancing down.
It's a cat.
A black cat, green eyes narrowed up at him.
It's so cliché, Derek would laugh if he wasn't beyond freaked out.
"You know, the future's never exactly clear. Some people like to think that no mater what they do, they'll always end up in the same place, like it's fate. But that's not exactly true. Every decision you make has consequences." Stiles tells them, eyes still closed.
"Like that Until Dawn game? The butterfly effect?" Cora questions. Stiles looks like he's holding back a laugh.
"Yeah, like that game. That being said, you end up majoring in either english or mythology." He opens his eyes. "Or you drop out."
"What?" Cora blinks. Stiles lets go of her, leaning back in his chair. "That's it? What - you're not going to tell me what happens depending on which one I choose?"
"If we always knew what would happen, life would be pretty fucking dull. I, personally, am not a huge fan or the whole rinse and repeat thing."
"Seriously?" Cora scowls. "I'm gonna need more to go on, dude."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Stiles sighs. The cat from before hops up onto the table, nudging Stiles' hand with it's nose and meowing. "Not now, Binx."
"If I paid you, I would be demanding to have my money back." Cora says, chair making a harsh scraping noise as she stands. "How do I know you're not just fucking with me, anyway? There's no way you can actually see the future."
The cat hisses.
"If you really want my opinion, then I suggest you drop out."
"I don't want your opinion, actually." Cora snaps, leaving the room. "Derek, come on. I want to go home."
Derek sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. A hand touches his arm, and Derek knows who it is just by the way he jolts, something sparking through his veins.
"Here. Keep this." Stiles says, pressing something into his hand. It's a small wood carving of a wolf, and it's warm in his palm. "For luck."
"Why?" He blurts. Stiles looks over his shoulder.
"You might need it."
"Stiles?" Allison calls.
She finds her brother curled up next to one of the bookshelves, Binx rubbing his face against Stiles' arm. He's shaking. "Stiles, what's wrong?"
"I don't know." He whispers. "Ally, I saw -"
"I heard what happened with those Hales." She sighs. "You know you can't go around using your magic like that. I know you hate all that gaudy, stereotypical fortune teller crap, but you can't just go around touching people and telling them what you see. I told you. It makes it easier for Hunters to find us."
"No, Ally," he shakes his head, eyes wide. "I saw - fire. Pain. Smoke, everywhere. And - wolves. When I touched him." She crouches down, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But - but the Hales aren't wolves, right? I know they're not. We would have sensed it, mom would have said. Becoming a wolf wasn't in his future the last time I saw him, but - I touched him, and his eyes kept flickering to beta blue, and -"
"Stiles, calm down." She says gently. "Derek Hale is fine. You gave him that charmed wolf, for protection."
"Right." He nods. Sucks in a breath. "The Hales used to be wolves, long ago. Mom told me. She knew some, back in the 1800s. She didn't know why they aren't wolves now."
"I don't either."
"I get this feeling, every time I look at him." He whispers. "Like - butterflies. But more than that. It's. It's intense. Like I've loved him for a long time. But I haven't. We never spoke before a few days ago." He looks up at her, scared. She can feel it, his fear, and she can't help but be afraid too, because it sounds like -
"Someone's messing with us." She realizes. "Something might have...messed with our memories. Maybe the whole town's memories."
"But why? Why would someone do that?"
"I don't know." She wraps her arms around her brother, holding him as he shakes. "But we're going to find out."
Derek doesn't forget the incident at the shop, or the number in his phone, even two weeks after it happened.
He thinks about texting or calling a thousand times. About find out who it belongs to, why there's no name, why it's even on his phone in the first place. But something's holding him back, and he doesn't know what it is. The feeling's almost similar to the one he gets around the shop, but that's insane, right? What's so bad about a phone number?
"Derek, could you come down for a moment?" Mom calls. Derek sighs, leaving his phone to charge.
His mom is sitting at the kitchen counter, sorting through the mail. She looks up with a smirk, and Derek just knows he's not going to like this conversation.
"Hi?"
"Well, if it isn't my only and dearest son. I was beginning to think I imagined the thirty hours of labor it took to have you." She snarks. Derek sighs.
"Mom."
"You're so pale." She tsk’s. "It's all that time you spend in the library. You almost look like one of the Stilinskis."
"Mamá. You didn't call me down here to make fun of me, did you?"
"No, Derek, of course not." She smiles. "Speaking of the Stilinskis - I got this in the mail." She tosses him something.
And invitation.
To a ball.
Because of course the Stilinski's are the type of people who throw balls. Though, they certainly have a big enough estate for it.
"What?"
"John's invited us to their annual Halloween party."
"They have one ever year?"
"Apparently so. Normally, they just invite their relatives, but Stiles suggested we come." She hums. "I spoke with him over the phone. Such a nice kid."
"I guess." Derek shrugs.
"Right." She narrows her eyes at him. "We're going. It's tomorrow night, so you better have some clothes ready."
"We're going to the Stilinski house?" His cousin, Alex, pops out of fucking nowhere. Peter needs to stop encouraging his kids to eavesdrop and sneak around. "Cause Maddie says that that house is haunted and that the bodies in the grave yard like to eat little boys like me for breakfast."
"Ay, dios." Mom sighs. "Alex, your sister was lying. There were just made up stories. The Stilinskis are nice people and yes, we're going. The whole Pack is going. Now, would you please go get..."
Pack.
Not family.
Mom called them a pack, and for some reason, Derek can't ignore that. He's not entirely sure why, but it feels important. He wants to comment on it, point out to his mom what she said, ask why. A dull ache starts at the base of his skull.
"...ora told me that their creepy and liars." Maddie says. Derek blinks.
"What?"
He's been saying that a lot, lately.
"Cora's the one that said the Stilinskis are creepy. And liars. Their magic's not even real, they're just being weird." She huffs.
"That's not true." Derek's brain might not be connected to his mouth anymore. That's a thing that might be happening. "They're not creepy. They're nice. Stiles gave me a good luck charm. It's -" he pauses, digging around in his pockets. "It's gone."
"Can't be very lucky if you lost it, cousin Derek." Alex says. The ache turns into a pulsing pain, and he closes his eyes.
"Derek, hijo, maybe you should lie down. You don't look too good." Mom says, pressing a hand to his forehead. He wants to protest that he was totally fine just a few minutes ago, but he doesn't.
"Yeah. Okay." He turns to go back upstairs, to his room.
Something's not right.
A nap helps the headache a little, but not totally. He decides to go for a walk, hoping that maybe the fresh air will help.
It's dark out. Derek can tell the days are going to get cold soon, but for now, it's warm enough that he can get away with just a sweater. He likes nights like these. There aren't many people around, no one forcing him to talk or read to them or asking about his future. He loves his family, but they can be kind of overwhelming, at times.
"Excuse me!" Someone calls. Derek stops, turning around.
The woman is beautiful. She looks a bit older than him, tall, tan, blonde, and has pretty green eyes. Her smile's kind of crooked. Derek usually appreciated that sort of thing in other people.
"Yes?"
"Did you drop this? I could have sworn I saw it fall out of your pocket." She holds up something - a wallet.
"No." he shakes his head. "I've still got mine."
"Oh. Bummer for whoever lost this, then." She smiles, placing a hand on his arm. "Wanna come down and drop this off at the police station with me?"
Derek feels something go through him at her touch. It's been happening a lot, lately. But this feeling isn't a warm tingling or a spark in his veins - he feels vaguely disgusted, and afraid, and he doesn't know why but he's pretty sure he's supposed to stay as for away from this woman as possible. She hasn't done anything really wrong that warrants this reaction, so he tries to ignore it.
"Sorry. I should really be heading home now."
"Aw, come on sweetheart. It's really not safe for a woman walking alone at night, you know?" She smiles again. It's not as nice as before. "I'm Kate, by the way."
"Derek." He nods. She hums.
"Well, Derek. You sure I can't convince you to come with, sugar?"
"Got a lot of chores waiting for me at home, sorry." He lies. Her smile falters.
"Well shit. Maybe later then." She squeezes his arm, then turns in the opposite direction and walks off. He doesn't tell her that the sheriff's station is the other way.
Suddenly, this walk doesn't look so appealing, anymore.
The Stilinski estate is large, similar to the Hale's in that aspect. But that's pretty much where the similarity stops.
The walls are walls are a dark grey, roofs pitch black. There's a huge cemetery next to the house, fog curling around gravestones and hovering by their ankles. None of the trees have leaves, and it wouldn't really be strange if it weren't for the fact that they never have leaves. Ever. The gate at the front opens for them with a weird growling noise, and Derek can see that it isn't actually automatic.
"Who's going to knock?" Dad asks.
"Rock paper scissors?" Mom suggests, holding out a hand. Because his parents are actually children.
"You always beat me!"
"Well, maybe you'll win this time, honey."
Dad loses.
When he raises his fist to knock on the door, it opens. A tall, almost dead looking man in a tux is behind it. He groans, gesturing for them to enter.
"Um. Thank you?" Dad says. The man nods, opening the door even more.
"We may be slightly...underdressed." Mom frowns. Two women in old fashion ball gowns pass by, and Derek swears their eyes are glowing.
"Talia and Erik Hale," a man says. He smiles, and it looks a lot like Stiles', "glad you could make it."
"Thanks for inviting us, John. Though, I wish we'd own about the, um. The dress code." Mr. Stilinski shakes his head.
"It's alright. I might have something for you all. Lurch?" He man that answered the door groans, eyebrows raising. He's so obviously dressed as Frankenstein's monster, and some small, silly part of Derek's brain says that it's not a costume. "Would you mind getting some proper clothes for the Hales? I think Allison knows where to look."
The man - Lurch, apparently - nods, stomping away towards the crowd of people.
"We can't possibly -" dad starts. Mr. Stilinski cuts him off.
"Don't worry about the clothes. They'll be happy someone's finally wearing them, for a change. We have way too much stuff here."
A moment later, Lurch returns, Allison in tow.
She looks like she just stepped out of an old painting, her hair curled and pinned up, deep red dress flowing around her. Derek can't help but wonder what Stiles looks like, dressed like some prince from the past. He pushes the thought away.
"Hey, you made it!" She grins. "Sorry about the whole dress confusion, we weren't really sure if we were going to do costumes. I think everything is the right size, but if I'm wrong, we can always find something else. If you'll just follow Lurch upstairs?"
Stiles finds them in the library.
He doesn't know how they even knew about or found the place, or how the rug actually let them in, but that's where he finds them.
More specifically - Kate and Derek.
Aunt Kate has on a skimpy black dress that Stiles wishes covered more of her, and her hair's pinned up. She has that smile on her face, the one Stiles always hated. Condescending and too sweet, too sharp, to be genuine. Derek's pressed back against the books, looking a little annoyed and a lot uncomfortable, and Kate keeps touching him. Running her hand down his arm, patting his shoulder, fingers on his wrists. She can't be - she is.
She's flirting with Derek, who's a good 15 years younger than her, at least.
"Aunt Kate." He snaps. She look up, and for a second it looks like she just swallows a lemon, or wolfsbane. But then she smiles that same sickeningly sweet smile.
"Aw, little Stiles. How you doing, kiddo?"
"I'm not a kid anymore." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Does dad know you're here?"
"It's a surprise. Speaking of my brother - why don't you go get him for me? Derek and I were just having a little chat."
"Actually, I think he'd love it if you went yourself." Stiles quips. Her eyes narrow, but she does finally leave, the door swinging shut behind her.
Stiles never liked Aunt Kate. He doesn't remember why, exactly. Maybe it was because she always seemed to like Allison more. Maybe it was because her and mom fought any time she visited. Whatever the reason, his hatred for her has only grown over the years. And right now, he feels...slimy. For some reason, seeing her makes him feel angry, and dirty, like he needs to take multiple showers to get whatever's covering his skin off.
"She's you're aunt?" Derek asks. Stiles sighs.
"Yeah, unfortunately. Sorry she made you uncomfortable, before."
"No it's - it's fine. She'll get the message, eventually." Derek shrugs.
"What do you mean -"
Binx chooses that moment to leap down from his spot above the bookshelf and does something he's never done before - he walks right past Stiles without stopping. He meows pitifully at Derek, pawing at his - at his tights, oh lord, Derek's wearing tights. So is Stiles, but he doubts he looks as good in them as Derek does.
"Hey." Derek smiles softly, picking up the cat and letting him rub his nose on his chin. "Hey buddy. Binx, right?.
"Uh, yeah."
Never before has Stiles' familiar ever done this. He hardly lets anyone aside from Stiles touch him. But this feels right, somehow, like this always happens. Stiles rubs at his temples.
"You okay?" Derek frowns. Stiles smiles, but it might look like more of a grimace.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little headache."
"Here, let me -" Derek reaches up and presses his fingers to Stiles' forehead, and then frowns. He blinks a couple times, cheeks and tips of his ears going pink. "I, uh. I'm not sure why I did that."
They're so close.
"Sometimes, physician touch helps relieve pain." Stiles whispers. Derek swallows, Adam's apple bobbing.
"Really?"
"Scott told me."
"Who's Scott?" Derek wonders. Stiles frowns.
"He's...he's my..." A new wave of pain comes over him, headache turning into a full blown migraine, and the world seems to spin for a moment. He stumbles back a bit, and Derek grabs onto his shoulders.
"Woah. Maybe you should sit down. You look...really pale."
"Yeah. Maybe I should." He agrees weakly. He lets Derek guide him to one of the old couches against the wall, resting his head against a pillow and closing his eyes.
"Should I get someone for you?"
He means to say 'Allison', so it's kind of a shock when he blurts out; "No. Stay."
Binx hops up onto the couch, curling up on Stiles' stomach.
"This is a nice library." Derek says after a moment. He doesn't sound as awkward as he has before, when they met on the sidewalk and in the store. It's nice. "Bigger than the one my family has."
"Mom traveled a lot. She liked to bring home books from all the different places she went."
"Did you go with her?"
"Sometimes."
"Must have been nice." Derek hums.
"It was." He sighs.
The migraine doesn't let up. The more stiles thinks about it, the more it hurts. Scott. He feels like he should know this name. Scott's his what? Why is that name so important? Why did Derek reach up the way he did? What did he think he could do for Stiles if he touched him? How would he help? Could he take his -
"Using magic like I do has side affects, you know that." Stiles groans, tilting his head back. It only makes it worse - the blood goes down his throat, leaving a nasty metallic taste. Someone sighs, and Stiles knows it's fond, even if they are worried about him.
"Does your head hurt?"
"Yeah, but it's okay. I'll deal. I'm a big boy, sourwolf."
"Just because you can doesn't mean you should." The person says. A hand comes up, fingers pressing gently against his temple. "Here. Let me take the pain."
"Derek." Stiles grits out. He's gonna be sick. "I think you should get someone now."
"Stiles?"
"Get Allison, please." His voice cracks, and then he's leaning over, spilling his dinner all over the rug.
At least it's not the one with teeth.
Stiles doesn't get sick. It's something Allison always envied, when they were little. The only time Stiles was ever really ill was after mom died, and he got is first fever. Dad was so worried.
Stiles looks worse this time. He's not just pale, he's kind of green, sweat making his hair damp and gathering at his temples. His forehead feels like someone lit a fire in his head, and yet he shivers like it's below freezing temperature. Allison doesn't know what to do. Dad has to drag him to the bathroom before he permanently ruins great aunt Elaine's favourite rug.
"Dad," Stiles gasps, leaning over the toilet.
"Shhh. Just relax, kiddo, breathe." He presses a hand to his son's neck, swearing. "I might have to take you to the hospital, Stiles. Magical healing be damned."
"No, dad, listen." He coughs. "Someone is messing with bad magic, dad."
Allison sucks in a breath.
"Dark Magic."
Downstairs, Kate stands by the table, watching the Hales interact with her brother's family-in-law. Derek comes downstairs, looking shaken, and she can't hear what he's saying, but she doesn't need to. She smiles, delighting in the way Derek's eyes widen when they find her.
Derek waits four days before he just can't take it anymore.
He has to see Stiles. He has to know if he's okay.
"I thought you were creeped out by him." Laura says, eyeing him as they walk down the sidewalk. "Calm down, would you? You're bumping into people. Do you really care this much?"
"I -" he pauses, frowning. "I don't know how to explain it." He settles on.
Of course, that's clearly not the answer Laura wanted. She narrows her eyes at him.
"Try."
"It's - I don't know. When we were at his house, I got this feeling like - like I knew him. Like we were something, maybe in another life. And that sounds stupid, I know, but I don't think I'll be able to calm down until I know he's okay." He admits. Laura blinks.
"Wow."
"Yeah." He waits, but she doesn't say much else. "You're not going to tell me that's stupid? That reincarnation isn't real, or whatever, and there's no way I knew him before?"
"No." she says slowly. "Maybe I would have, a few weeks ago, but things keep happening."
"What do you mean?"
"I...I could have sworn my eyes were orange when I woke up this morning. Mom growled, and it sounded...not human. Yesterday, Cora called the college to drop out, and they told her she'd already dropped out a little less than a year ago. And. And that stuff at the Stilinski house? Maybe I could rationalize the whole gate thing, and the fact that they had clothes that fit all of us perfectly, and maybe even the frankendude, but - but there was a rug that bit a woman, and I saw a kid drinking poison and he was perfectly fine! And I swear I saw a severed hand run across the kitchen." Laura huffs. "It - it makes my head hurt, and what freaks me out the most is that I'm not more freaked out by any of this."
"Something's happening." Derek's not sure what that something is, but it is definitely happening.
There are actually people in the shop when they get there. Only two, but still.
There's a worryingly pale - seriously, like really white - girl with a short black bob over by the books, and Derek recognizes her from the Halloween party. There's also a little boy playing with a wand near the register, though Allison doesn't seem to mind. She smiles at Derek when she sees him.
"Derek. Laura. What brings you two by?"
"Is Stiles here?" He asks. Allison nods.
"He's in the back. Though, if you want a reading, he's not really doing those right now -"
"I don't want a reading, I -" he glances at Laura. She nods. "I want to make sure he's okay. After Halloween. We left before I could find out, that night."
"Oh! Yeah, sure. Go on back. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."
This time, the small space is set up more like you'd expect, with dark drapes and clothes, an actual crystal ball on the table. Binx is sleeping next to it, and Stiles is siting where he was the first time. Cards in his hands and everything. He seems to be building a pyramid with the cards. The cat blinks his eyes open, meowing.
"Derek?" Stiles says, turning around. "What are you doing here?"
"He makes to make sure you're okay." Laura says, before he can even open his mouth. "He also wants to ask you out."
"Laura!" Derek hisses. She just smirks at him.
Stiles stands, hip bumping into the table and toppling over his card house. He looks...good. Healthier than last time Derek saw him, with a nice flush on his cheeks.
The cat meows again, glaring at them before hoping off the stable.
"What - you - really?" Stiles sputters, eyes wide.
They're really pretty eyes.
"Um." Derek blinks. His heart's pounding. "I mean. If - if you want? Yes. Go out with me please?"
Laura's laughing at him, because she's actually evil and enjoys torturing him. Allison is also laughing, so maybe she and Laura have that in common. Evil big sisters.
"You - you're asking me out? On a date? Really?"
"Yes? I think so? Do you not. Not want that?" This isn't what he thought he'd be talking about when he came here.
"No! I mean, yes?"
"Oh my god." Someone whispers. They don't bother checking who it is.
"Yes?"
"Yes, I'd love to go on a date with you!" Stiles says, finally.
It's quiet.
"Really?" Derek asks.
"Yes!" Someone - Allison? - calls. Stiles' cheeks are a blotchy red, now. It works for him. Derek's pretty sure his own face is actually on fire.
"Yeah, just, uh - when? When is this date?"
"Oh. Right. I'm not sure."
"Cause I'm really busy today. Doing inventory? So I can't today, but, tomorrow night?"
"Yeah. Um. Monica's?"
"Sure!" And then Stiles has a pen, which came from seemingly nowhere, but Derek doesn't question it. He grabs Derek's hand. "Here's my number. You should. Yeah. You should call me. Or text, or whatever." He smiles, and Derek thinks he smiles back. He's not sure. Stiles' hands feel warm where they're resting on his skin, and there's that feeling again. Like something is sparking under his skin. Being near Stiles feels right, like this is how is should always be, and Derek doesn't know how he can feel these things. Less than a month ago, the thought of being in this place made him want to hide away in his room. Hadn't it?
"And thanks." Stiles says softly. "For checking on me, I mean. And for still wanting to date me after witnessing me puking all over a hundred year old rug."
"It wasn't so bad." He blurts.
Stiles laughs.
It's not until after they've left the store and Laura tells him to stop smiling like an idiot that he finally looks down at his hand. He sees the number and freezes.
"What?" Laura asks. "What is it?"
The number.
It's the number in his phone.
"Really Stiles? Inventory?" Allison huffs. Cousin Wednesday raises one perfect black brow.
"Would you rather he have told him that he couldn't go out tonight because he was preforming an important spell?" She asks. Ally rolls her eyes.
"Well, no, but come on. It's not like he would have said anything if Stiles told him that."
"Um, not that we don't appreciate the help, Wed's, but," Stiles grabs the book he has hidden under his table, "don't you have you, you know. Get back to your own dimension, with your family?"
"Mother likes my interest in inter-dimensional travel. Besides, your dimension is so much more interesting than ours. Much more werewolves and such. I like it." She pulls a book of the shelf and inspects it.
"There are no -" Stiles starts. But then that ache is back again.
"There are wolves here."
"You know what's been done to us, don't you?" Ally realizes. Stiles glances at her.
"I do."
"Then tell us! What am I missing? What's going on?" He asks. Wednesday, to anyone else, would look bored. But Stiles knows her. She's family. She's hesitant to share what she knows with them, which means something could happen to them if she told them.
"Those headaches you've been getting. The bad ones. It's because you're remembering things that the spell was supposed to make you forget. I'd tell you what you've forgotten, but it would kill you." She shrugs.
"So? You love killing us." Ally supplies.
"Yeah. We always come back. It's kind of an Addams family trait, remember?"
"You're last name isn't Addams, last I checked." Wednesday smirks, just a bit.
"Shut up, you know we have the same great grandma." Stiles huffs. They stop for a minute, even Wednesday smiling stupidly along with them for a moment. The same smile they used to sure before they did something other humans couldn't do when they were little, taking turns electrocuting each other and pushing each other off the roofs of their houses. Dad was always terrified, but mom and aunt (technically, cousin) Morticia always smiled fondly.
"We should probably start looking for the spell so we can undo it." Allison says after a while.
"I might have some ideas." Wednesday grabs the books Stiles got, flipping to a plague towards the end.
"Wha - a page is missing." Stiles notices, hands curing into fists.
Someone touched his book.
Nobody but family knows where Stiles his spell books. Mom gave him those books.
Someone he trusted touched his books. Hurt his books.
"Mother has a copy. I can call her, ask her to repeat the spell so we can undo it."
"Actually," Ally pulls an old wooden box out from behind the register, "I think I have something in here that can help us find who cast the spell. Probably still some of the caster's energy around, or whatever, so we should...aha!" She holds up a folded up piece of paper. "Found it."
The spell doesn't look like it worked, at first.
They're sitting on the floor of the shop, stands and rugs pushed out of the way to reveal the circle they had etched into the dark wood. The lights are off, candles are lit, magic in the air that makes his skin tingle. And yet, nothing happens. They sit in silence for a moment, and then the air starts to glow.
"Does that mean it's working?" Stiles wonders.
"What?" Ally squints. "I don't see anything."
"There's, like, a glowy smoke ball thing at the door." He points, but neither of the other two seem to see it. "I guess it's only for my eyes, then?" Ally looks down at the paper.
"Yeah, I guess so. The notes say it'll lead you to whoever cast the spell."
"Unfortunately, I have to leave you now." Wednesday says. They look at her. "Mother did say she wants me back in time for dinner. Cousin It is coming for a visit."
"Aw. Tell him we said hi!"
"I will." She stands, brushing off some dirt from her dark skirt. And then, with a snap of her fingers, she's gone. Not even a puff of smoke. Ally huffs.
"I can never figure out how she does that."
"Must be from uncle Gomez' side of the family, then." He holds out a hand, helping her up. "Ready to hunt down a crazy witch?"
"I don't know, Stiles. Whatever we've forgot, I get the feeling it's big. The spell's probably been cast on the whole town. Are you sure we're strong enough to stop someone who can do that?"
"Ally," he says softly, "I'm not just a regular witch, remember?"
Every state has an official witch - a head witch. The one in charge. The one other witches in the state go to for help. Mom used to be that witch, here. And they thought Allison would be, after her, since Stiles' powers manifested later than they thought. But he turned out to be more powerful, for reasons he's not yet sure of. When mom died, they both felt it when her position was transferred to Stiles.
"Right." She pulls her favorite knife out from its hiding spot, twirling it in her hands. "Lets go."
The glowy orb thing leads them to a house they both remember from their childhood.
Before dad married mom, he came from a famous hunter family. He never liked what his family did, and his brother didn't really like it either. When Stiles and Allison were five, dad's father died. His brother moved to France. His sister never said where she went, but she visited.
The old Argent house looks just they remember, if not a little uncared for.
"That's Aunt Kate's car." Ally whispers.
"The fuck is she doing here?" He hisses. Binx sits on his shoulder, eyes trained on a spot just to the side of the house. The trees. "What do you see, buddy?"
"What are you kids doing here?" Aunt Kate says, appearing out of fucking nowhere, wicked smile screwed in place. Allison grips his arm.
"It was you. You cast the spell." She realizes. She raises her knife.
"Oh sweetie. You're just confused." Kate soothes.
Stiles has never felt fury quite like this before. He never liked Kate, and he could never pinpoint why. Maybe she took those memories from him. His aunt, his family, messed with his belongings. His mind. She took precious things from him and messed with dark magics. She probably did something to Derek.
"We're not confused, Kate." He snaps. "You - you took our memories."
"You have what I want." Kate drops the act, lips twisted in an ugly sneer. "You always have what I want, you stupid little brat. It's not enough that you have all the power I want, but the man too? Now, that's just not fair."
And then he's being pushed, back slamming into the wood door of the old house. It's splinters from the force, and he goes sprawling back onto the dust covered steps.
"You psychotic bitch!" He shouts, electricity and magic sparking at his fingertips. He throws as much energy at her as he can. "Derek? This is about Derek?!"
"If been magic my whole life." Kate snarls, getting back onto her feet. "But did my parents care? No. they were horrified when I showed them. They didn't want their little girl turning to the monsters they hunted. An I thought maybe, if I got them what they wanted most, they would ignore the magic. But no. You just had to get in the way, didn't you, sweetie." She pulls something black and metal from behind her, and it's - it's -
It's a gun.
His aunt's going to kill him.
"What did they want most?" Allison asks. She has her hands up, knife still in one of them. Stiles thinks back to that vision he had, of Derek and wolves.
"Oh my god." He breathes. "You - the Hales were werewolves. Are werewolves. You were going to kill them."
"Those beasts deserve to die." Kate laughs. "But every time I tried to get close, you always got in the way. You and your disgusting relationship with Derek. I've had to preform this spell three times for you to completely get away from each other, but you're just a persistent little bitch, aren't you?"
"You're insane." Allison snaps.
"I'm the only one thinking clearly. And it seems pretty obvious, now, that what I should have done in the first place is get rid of the real reason for all my problems." She points the gun at Stiles. "So, Ally Cat. Say goodbye to your dear old brother, because you won't be seeing him anymore."
"That won't be necessary." Someone says. Stiles gets a glimpse of red eyes and long claws before it feels like his brain is exploding.
Mom told them all earlier that the local wolf Pack was coming over to talk to her about protecting the town. Allison is being weird and wants to sleep over at some girl's house instead of meetings the wolves, but mom said Stiles can stay and sit in the meeting with her. Mom's awesome.
"Stiles, this is Derek." Mom says. "Talia's son. Derek, this is my youngest, Stiles."
Stiles rolls his eyes. "Ally and I are twins, mommy."
"Why are you wearing all black?" Derek asks, like the answer's not obvious. Silly wolves.
"All my clothes are black so don't have to do separate loads when I do my laundry." He says. "Duh."
"It also goes with everything." Mom says when no one speaks.
She's right though.
---
"I'm so sorry, Stiles." The words don't help, but Derek's arms winding around him do. He doesn't know when the crying starts, just that he doesn't think he can stop.
Mom's gone.
---
"I think I'm in love with him." Stiles groans.
Derek's been away at college for too long (and yes, Scott, a week is too long, shut up).He's going to miss Stiles starting high school. He doesn't even know how Derek can standing being away from his Pack so long when Stiles can hardly bear it himself. Allison gives him a look.
"We're fifteen. We can't feel love that way yet. Don't be dramatic."
"Oh yeah? Then how come you let Scotty kiss you on the mouth at Lydia's party last week?"
"You saw us?!" She hisses, eyes wide. Stiles snorts, watching his clothes fold themselves and float over to his dresser.
"No. I love Scott, really, but he can't keep a secret to save his life. It's a good thing his only friends are us and the Pack, or the whole town would know we're not normal."
"Yeah." She sighs. Then she looks down at her homework. "I don't think Scott and I are gonna date. I feel like he's more than a friend, but...kissing him didn't feel like I thought it would. I think...oh my god. I think I'm not straight."
"Well, if it's any consolation," Stiles grins. "I'm pretty sure I've been 'not straight' for a while."
Ally throws a pillow at him.
---
The Hale Pack hasn't bitten anyone in over a century, but that doesn't stop them from doing it now.
First, they the Scott after Stiles begs them to. He'd had a particularly bad asthma attack that lead to him being in the hospital, and he never wanted to worry like that ever again.
After that, they bit Erica.
Then Boyd.
---
Stiles isn't sure what to feel when Derek comes back from college. HOW had he not seen this over their countless Skype sessions???
Derek grew. Derek got even hotter, if that was possible. He got muscles, and he grew into his ears, and he has stubble, oh god. And that tattoo??? The Hale family crest was something every member of the family got when they turned eighteen and Stiles hadn't been mentally prepared for how fucking gorgeous Derek looked with ink. Stiles has a lot of tattoos he needs to get after he turns twenty one, but he doubts they'll make him look as cool as Derek does.
Derek, who's standing next to his dad and the rest of the Hales when Stiles graduates.
And, okay, so maybe he' there because his little sister and Pack mates are also graduating, but a gay witch boy can dream, can't he?
---
"Stiles." Derek says softly, gently, like Stiles is fragile. They're so close. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm trying to say...I do not love lightly, Derek." Stiles whispers. "Like, at all. I fall in love fast and hard, and it's stupid and terrible but that's what I do." He closes his eyes. "S-so, if you do this with me, you have to be in this for the long haul. Because I don't know what I'd do if you decided that I'm not worth -"
"You will always be worth it." Derek interrupts. "And I don't exactly do the casual dating thing either, you know."
"Does that mean what I think it does?"
"It means...you're it for me." Derek admits. Stiles grins.
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
---
"Hey Cora," Stiles blinks sleepily, ignoring the disgusted look she gives him when the smell of sex finally reaches her, "how was your first official day as a firefighter?"
"I met an Omega." She blushes, and woah, that's not normal Cora behavior. "He's at the house now, talking to mom. He didn't know there was a pack here - he just moved."
"He must be really cute if your blushing like that."
"Ass." She snorts, looking away. "His name is Isaac. He's...not bad looking."
---
"What are you doing with that?" Stiles slurs. Aunt Kate twists around, seemingly uncaring. She has Stiles' spell book in one hand, a torn out page in the other. Stiles tries to call his magic, do something, but Kate drugged him. He's powerless.
"Don't worry, honey. In a few minutes, you won't remember this at all."
Derek's telling Cora and Peter about his date tomorrow when it happens.
There's a scream from one of Peter's kid's rooms, and then a roar, and suddenly he can hear everything. People moving, hearts beating, panicking. The scent of the fucking flowers out back behind the house. Peter and Cora's eyes flash, blue and gold, and then he just remembers.
Remembers being a werewolf. Remembers growing up with his Pack, doing his first intentional full shift at the age of eight, running. With them on full moons. Meeting the Stilinski family. His mom making Mrs. Stilinski their emissary. Meeting Stiles for the first time, talking about comics and TV with him. Claudia's funeral. Watching him grow up. Adding new members to the Pack, struggling with his feelings, finally admitting to himself that he's in love with Stiles. The day he asked Stiles to move in with him. All the unwanted advances Kate made. The feeling that something was wrong with his mate, with Stiles.
Stiles.
"Stiles." He breathes. Peter blinks.
"It appears someone unsavory was messing with magic."
And then that's all Derek hears, because he's running out the house as fast as he can, not caring that he's half shifted and people could see him. Stiles is in trouble. He can feel it in the bond, a muted sense of pain and anger and hurt. He doesn't know where he's running, but it doesn't matter.
When he gets there, he has to stop for a moment to take it in.
Mom is standing in the driveway of some old house, blood smeared over her face and hands, eyes glowing red and teeth bared. Laying crumpled at her feet is undoubtedly Kate Argent, neck and chest a mangled mess, head ripped clean off her body. It's a few feet away, green eyes wide. Allison is crouched down on the ground, mumbling soothing nonsense to someone he can't see. He doesn't really need to see, though.
Stiles.
"Derek." Stiles croaks, tried eyes finally meeting him.
"Stiles." He sighs, dropping down next to him. "I remember you. Us."
"Me too." He whispers. He's shaking.
"What's wrong with him? What did she do to him?" Derek asks, unable to keep the growl out of his voice but trying anyway. Kate was dead now. She can't hurt them anymore, mom made sure.
"Talia killing Kate undid the spell." Allison explains. "But undoing it that way meant all his memories came back all at once. It's not exactly safe. Kate must have really wanted him to forget, or she wouldn't have made it this painful." Derek remembers the headaches, how sick Stiles got. That was Kate's spell, he realizes. Trying to discourage them from remembering.
"But he'll be okay, right?"
"I think so." Derek pulls Stiles close, letting him curl up and rest his head on his shoulder. He's missed this.
Two months without Stiles. It feels like forever.
"You'll be okay." He whispers.
Three months later
Derek runs a finger gently over Stiles' bare back, tracing the triskele there.
He'd missed this. He hadn't known it, when the spell was on him, but he'd missed this. Two months without Stiles, without the apartment. Two months of waking up without seeing Stiles curling up in odd positions or starfishes across the bed. Of hearing his steady heartbeat, seeing his sleepy smile when he caught Derek watching. He still remembers how uneasy the spell made him around Stiles and the shop. He doesn't like to think about how Kate almost got what she wanted, but sometimes he can't help it.
All this could have been taken from him.
"I can feel you staring." Stiles mumbles, blinking his eyes open. He turns, so the tattoo of the wolf on his chest is in full view. "What're you thinkin' about?"
"Just how much I love you." He says honestly. Stiles laughs. It's amazing. "And how ridiculous your hair looks right now."
"Shut up." He huffs, sitting up and stretching. "Your bed head is just as bad."
"Lies. When am I going to meet the birds that have been nesting on your head?"
"Dork." Stiles rolls his eyes. "I love you too, you know."
Derek grins.
"I know."