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Stiles tried to make people listen to him, but they rarely did. Especially lately, with his dad working nonstop and Scott too busy following Allison everywhere, literally. To think they used to say Derek was the creeper.
Sitting at his desk chair, staring blankly at the computer screen, Stiles came up with the bright idea that he needed evidence for people to believe in him. He foolishly left the comfort of his home, in the middle of the dark and scary night, drove the Jeep deep into the woods, and got himself into this point in his life. This point being him bleeding into the ground, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by human-shaped rocks that were about to kill him.
He should have asked someone to come with him. Except he did! He told Scott, Allison, and Lydia. No one came, because none cared or believed in him. He had been so alone these past few weeks, it really shouldn't shock him that he was going to die this way.
In the middle of his despair, he heard a familiar growl that broke through the chilling night. The sound was meant to impart terror, and yet it had him sighing in relief. In a blink of an eye, Derek Hale, alpha extraordinaire, was there, taking the monsters down with his super strength and sharp claws.
"Run, Stiles!" The Alpha commanded, and Stiles took off without a second thought. He was panting and tripping between the trees when he realized he didn't hear other growls signaling the arrival of the betas. That meant he left Derek alone. It took him less than a second to turn around and run until his lungs felt like exploding, the familiar tug of loyalty and fear pulling him towards the alpha.
When he finally made it back, Derek was standing between the obliterated rock-creatures, and Stiles felt like an idiot for coming back. It was obvious the alpha wolf didn't need anybody's help -especially not his- how stupid of him to think otherwise. However, before he regained his breath, one rock-monster showed up from nowhere. Unable to shout at Derek, Stiles instinctively used mountain ash to imprison the thing before it could hurt the wolf.
Derek turned to stare at him, eyebrows raised in surprise -and something akin to pride that made Stiles blush. It had been a long while since someone looked at him like that.
They both watched, standing close together, how the trapped creature hit the invisible wall, over and over again. Stiles could feel the residual hum of the mountain ash in the air, knowing it wouldn´t give in.
"I've been telling everyone that there was something weird in the woods. I thought it would be better if I had some evidence." He tried to excuse his stupid behavior, worrying the collar of his hoodie between his fingers.
Derek huffed, "The whole woods smells like magic, any wolf should be able to realize something is up."
Heart stuttering, Stiles turned to the Alpha. "You were investigating this… things?"
Derek kneeled between the rocks. "Golems."
Stiles couldn't help but feel stunned. No one had believed in him, but Derek had noticed the change in their town, just like him. "Golems? I thought they were made out of clay and were supposed to be huge."
Derek showed him a shattered crystal ball that fitted perfectly in his palm. "The only way to destroy a golem is to take or damage their core."
Stiles tried to focus on the crystal, instead of how his body tingled just by having the big, brooding wolf on his knees in front of him. "How do you know that?"
Derek's expression was hard to read, but his eyebrows frowned in a way Stiles learned to identify. He was repressing his sadness.
"Bedtime stories." The Alpha murmured before dropping the shards and standing up. "It's dangerous to leave it alive. Break the barrier and I'll finish it."
Stiles nodded and did as told, he didn't need evidence anymore because Derek would back him up.
The moment he willed the mountain ash to break the barrier, Derek's claw-hand went right into the golem's stomach -or where Stiles guessed the stomach was- and retrieved a crystal ball. The rocks separated from each other and fell down to the ground. The Alpha extended his bloody hand towards Stiles, offering the ball, wounds already healing.
"You can take this." Derek's eyes were looking away, fixed somewhere over Stiles' shoulder. "As a thanks… for having my back."
Stiles was stunned, he took the ball quickly before the man changed his mind. Derek didn't say thanks, or talked. Like at all. "Well, you saved me first, so..." He shrugged. He clutched the crystal tightly, a strange, warm spreading in his chest.
Not for the first time, actually. This was their thing, they saved each other over and over again.
Derek picked up the rest of the shattered balls and put them in a plastic bag. "Golems need a lot of magic, the caster should be close, but I haven't been able to track them down. I'll have to take this to see if Deaton has a way to track the caster."
"Why don't you call your pack? I'm sure they would be able to sniff more ground."
"They are…”The wolf didn't meet his eyes. “they need to concentrate in school."
Stiles smirked, the familiar easy grin returning to his face. "They are grounded, aren't they? Of course, they are. Boyd and Erica missed way too many classes and Isaac failed his last tests."
Derek just glared at him, intense as always. "What about you?"
Stiles' smile faded in surprise. Was Derek Hale worried? For his grades. "Dude, I'm a genius, when is everyone going to realize that?" He was frustrated with how much time he had in his hands and how little attention he received from his dad and Scott. That was a big part of how he got to this situation. "No one ever listens to me." He sighed, kicking a loose pebble with the toe of his sneaker.
"I do." Derek said casually, and Stiles had to laugh out loud, to hide the fact his heart was beating too strong at the thought of Derek actually listening to him.
Goodness, he was a sucker for attention, not to mention touch starve and lonely, so lonely it was pitiful.
"Come on. I'll walk you to the jeep." The Alpha offered.
"Just a second," he extended his hand and willed the mountain ash to go back to the open vial he had. At Derek's obvious staring he shrugged. "Mountain ash is expensive".
Derek shook his head, and Stiles noticed the corner of his lips turning up, just a bit. "A genius," he murmured, making Stiles' heart flutter.
Fuck, he was way too needy lately if impressing Derek Hale made him feel this good. He ignored the way the Alpha looked at him; he could feel his face turning a burning red, his chest pounding loudly. This was the difference between a bitten and a born wolf: while Scott was oblivious to anything that wasn´t Allison, Derek knew how to read Stiles chemosignals, and that wasn't fair.
On the way back to the jeep, Stiles asked Derek about the stories he heard about golems in an attempt to avoid more embarrassment. Although, he was very intrigued and already planning how to trap the caster in case they found him.
By the time they reached the jeep, he was already volunteering to help Derek with research. The Alpha seemed to doubt for a moment.
"I promise to try not to bore you with my incessant chatter and behave around your puppies." He joked nervously, flailing his hands for emphasis. It was impossible for him to shut up, and he knew Derek wasn't a big fan of his.
"I don't mind." The wolf said before taking a moment to glare at the trees. "You. Talking. I don't mind that much."
Stiles just blinked, mouth hanging open, trying to grasp his head around the idea of Derek Hale, sourwolf extraordinaire, being nice to him. "Go home, Stiles. We'll talk tomorrow." And just like that the alpha disappeared without sparing a glance to his direction.
Something really weird happened to Hale but right now Stiles wasn't going to question it. Not when he felt like floating, his whole body warm and skin tingling.
-.-
Truth be told, he wasn't injured during the golem attack; the blood was from biting his own lip when he tried to run. Once home, Stiles finished his essays after taking a nice bath and then opened a new tab on his computer. He read as much as he could about golems, sifting through myths, folklore, and shaky internet forums, and then went to bed, staring at the crystal ball on his nightstand. He tried desperately to ignore the butterflies in his stomach whenever he remembered how Derek admitted to listening to him.
"Nop, no going there." He shook his head firmly and wondered briefly if maybe he could try and make a golem of his own before drifting to sleep town.
-.-
The morning found him with his hand stroking his hard on slowly, the memory of how good it felt to be praised still warm in his head. It wouldn't be the first time he jerked off to the image of Derek Hale, but it felt different. He wasn't focusing on his perfect body or gorgeous face, but in the words he said, on the proud look of those hazel green eyes. Damn it, was he developing a praise kink?
After a shower, he took a quick breakfast and hurried to school. Scott was waiting to tell him all about Allison and how close they were to talking as friends again. However, Stiles couldn't see the girl without remembering his psychotic grandfather and that made his ribs hurt. The beating he received was still healing. So he tried to avoid being near her.
Jackson and Lydia were inseparable and in their own bubble. Derek's betas were together most of the time. Scott had Allison to focus on and Stiles… he had research on golems to keep him busy. It was kind of sad if he thought about it, so he made a conscious effort not to.
By lunch, he was sitting alone and reconsidering his life choices when Erica sat down in front of him.
"I never thanked you for telling Derek where to find me and Boyd. I owe you. " Was the first thing to come out of her red painted lips. "Did you write the essay for Lit? I'm not very good with those, and the new teacher seems sweet, but I don't trust her."
Stiles stared at her with his mouth hanging open for a moment, processing whatever this was. He squinted. "Ok, what is going on with you and your Alpha? Are you in some kind of pack therapy program or something?"
She laughed. "After what happened with the Argent's and the lizard boy, we decided to try to be better at communicating. All of us."
Boyd and Isaac sat down on their table too, complaining about how hard Derek pushed them to study, while Stiles couldn't help but smile at the image of Alpha Derek Hale conducting a meeting about communication and its importance. It was the first lunch in weeks that he didn't spend alone and it felt good.
*****
Derek had finally come to terms with his Alpha status and tried to remember what made his pack so special when his mom was the Alpha. The painful realization was that communication was the key. It wasn't easy, but he made some changes. He still felt perpetually awkward leading the meetings, but he was trying.
All of them agreed that Stiles had been their greatest ally since day one, and they were trying to find a way to get closer. They owed him. Thanks to the encounter the night before, Derek was able to smell the sharp, unmistakable ache of human loneliness radiating off Stiles, an odor of neglect that infuriated him. He allowed his pack to get close. It was the least they could do for the hyperactive human who consistently saved their lives despite being left behind.
*****
If he was being honest, he didn't think Derek would agree to voluntarily spend time with him, so Stiles was startled when the Alpha werewolf came through the window with his impressive stealth skills.
“Dude! Knock or something next time.” Stiles shot straight up from his desk chair, flailing around trying to calm his beating heart. He took a moment to inhale the subtle scent of the woods that always seemed to cling to Derek.
If it wasn't so out of character, Stiles could swear he saw Derek smile before the man turned his head to close the window.
“I brought everything I could find.” The Alpha put a couple of thick, leather-bound books over the desk, and Stiles' eyes lit up. But before he could take one, Derek reached out and slapped his hand. It was a quick, firm corrective tap, not a painful blow, but the unexpected warmth of the contact made Stiles gasp softly. “And don't call me dude.”
Stiles had to smirk, that slap hadn't even hurt, which meant it was more of a playful thing, right? “Then learn to knock, o'allmighty alpha.” Stiles had to smirk; that slap hadn't even hurt, which meant it was more of a playful thing, right? He rubbed the spot where Derek touched him, trying to hide the flutter in his chest. “Then learn to knock, o' mighty alpha.”
-.-
Research nights with Derek became a thing after that night, and they were… surprisingly different. The wolf was more centered, softer around the edges. Derek bought snacks to share, he checked the clock and left early on school nights after forcing the human away from his laptop and into bed. He even went as far as to inform Stiles if he encountered more Golems via text.
Who knew Derek Hale could text? Stiles did his best not to take advantage of this new found opportunity, but as the school hours dragged unbelievably slow, he couldn't help but bother the alpha. At first it was their research, then about random facts, but then Derek answered once.
To Sourwolf: Did you know golems are described as animated humanoids constructed entirely of inanimate things in Jewish folklore, usually clay or mud?
From Surwolf: I never said they couldn't be made of clay. Pay attention to class.
To Sourwolf: It's Lit, and the new teacher is telling the class about the book we have to read. I already read it. :)
To Sourwolf: What are you doing on this lovely morning? Glaring at innocent children that come too close to your lawn?
From Sourwolf: I reserve those glares for teenagers that trespass private property.
To Sourwolf: You still remember the first words you said to me? Aw, Derek, you are such a romantic.
He couldn't help but giggle at the fact Derek did remember the time they met in the woods. His heart was swelling and beating faster. He frowned, looking down at his own chest, pressing a hand firmly against his sternum. What was going on with him?
This couldn't be….? He was so focused on the couldn't be that he missed the obvious answer. No, no, no, no.
-.-
Stiles' days were now filled with Erica asking him to take a look at her essays, Boyd sharing his lunch with him, Isaac keeping Jackson in line during lacrosse practice, and Scott waxing poetry about Allison. Even Lydia approached him now and then to ask about werewolf lore, and yet nothing felt half as good as achieving a response from Derek. Having the pack around was nice, but Derek's acknowledgement was something… more.
During the next few weeks, every time the Alpha thanked him or praised his abilities, Stiles blushed, his heart raced, and something close to happiness washed over him. It wasn't just physical attraction anymore; it was deep, embarrassing, soul-satisfying validation.
Needless to say, his fantasies were fueled by these interactions like never before. The praise kink was strong, and Derek Hale was his accidental supplier.
-.-
It's not that he never noticed the touching. In the early days, Derek was always pushing him against things, and Scott had added more hugs in their interactions, but now, when the betas started to do it more evidently, Stiles started to pay attention.
There were a few moments he saw the Alpha's hands stopping in mid-air, close to his shoulder or leg, his thick eyebrows pulled together. He looked like he was battling an invisible force. It seemed to be a battle between wanting and not wanting to approach the human.
Stiles was thinking about it when Jackson fucking Whittemore put an arm around his shoulder to walk down the hall to the locker room, still talking to Danny as if this was the most natural thing in the universe. Isaac perceived his confusion, so after practice, he took Stiles aside and explained.
“You smell like pack, the physical contact is part of the deal that comes with it. I know Scott refused Derek as an Alpha, but…” The blond stopped mid sentence.
“But?” Stiles' heart was pounding hard.
“Well,” Isaac shrugged, leaning casually against the lockers, “you didn´t. I mean, we know you and Scott are like brothers, but still, you haven´t rejected Derek or any of us.”
Stiles had not thought about it too much, and his mouth ran ahead of him as always. “Because it was never an option for me. Derek never wanted me around, he only cared for Scott.”
Isaac frowned. “That's not true." He tilted his head, a sign he was hearing if anyone was close. "When Erica was turned he told us he wanted her to get closer to you. That you were the smartest person in this town and we needed you to survive. Then…" he shrugged looking elsewhere. "Everything went to hell."
Normal people would have felt creeped out about this new knowledge, but Stiles? He was beyond flattered. Derek had wanted him. Him. On his side. Because he was the smartest person in town. But then, that voice that told him he was worthless reminded him that he wasn't needed anymore. "Well, that was probably before Lydia joined you. She is smarter than me, gorgeous, and can keep her mouth shut."
Isaac huffed, with mild annoyance. "No one has your Google-fu abilities, Stiles, and Derek doesn't trust her." The beta put an arm around Stiles shoulders and started to walk him towards the showers.
“But does he trust me?” Stiles asked in disbelief. He wanted to laugh at the idea, but then he thought about their relationship this past couple of weeks, hell the past couple of months, and yeah, maybe the alpha did trust him.
-.-
It was quite late, but they were reading the last book they had about golems, which was in Polish.
“Aha! That means link!” Stiles thrusted his arms up. “Maybe the caster is tied to the golems, the same way the golems are tied to him.”
Derek’s hand slowly rested over the back of Stiles’ neck, and they both froze for a moment. This was the first time the werewolf touched the human like this. It was a firm, possessive hold, a grounding weight. It felt so good that after a few heart-stopping seconds, Stiles melted into the touch, slumping forward slightly. He basked in the warmth that spread instantly in his chest and then through the rest of his body.
“Well done.” Derek whispered, the low rumble of his voice vibrating through Stiles' skin, and Stiles blushed violently at the praise. He closed his eyes, trying to prevent his body’s reaction to the words, but the werewolf was already gone.
“Fuck.” He bumped his head against the old book. Stiles was so screwed.
Unable to ignore his raging erection, he turned off the lights and went to bed to touch himself. This time, his hand wandered further down. Pouring lube onto his fingers, he hesitated for a moment before sending all caution to hell and started to fuck himself. All the time he imagined Derek watching him, smelling his arousal, and whispering praise to him.
-.-
The following night, when Derek arrived, he brushed Stiles' arm with his knuckles as a greeting. The skin where they touched burned in the nicest way. It was a casual action, but the intent felt anything but. They sat closer on the bed, backs resting against the wall while researching.
After an hour, Stiles folded one knee, and it bumped against Derek's thigh. When the Alpha didn't react, the human decided to leave it there. The steady, radiating heat from Derek's leg was comforting.
When Derek left, he brushed his palm against Stiles' neck without a word before slipping out the window, leaving Stiles with his heart racing and blushing bright red. The second touch was lingering, a non-verbal affirmation that whatever happened the previous night had been real, and it left Stiles breathless.
-.-
The next day was a Friday. Stiles declined Scott's invitation to go lurking around Allison and Lydia. Well, those weren't his exact words, but he saw right through his friend's intention.
“Come on, Stiles.” Scott begged.
“Sorry bro, I don't feel like going to dinner at a fancy restaurant because you heard Lydia and Allison making reservations. And I also refuse to eat burgers in the parking lot while you spy on them.”
“What? No, that is not why I want to go to Willows. I just like Italian.”
That made him snort. “Right. Because you love caprese salads. Listen, if you really want to have some quality bro time, we could play CoD online tonight.” Stiles pushed his stuff into his locker to avoid eye contact.
Was Stiles an awful friend for wishing internally for Scott to say no? No, he was a friend who finally felt wanted elsewhere. But he really didn't want to miss his alone time with Derek.
“Um… I'll text you later.” Scott ended up saying after tilting his head. Stiles knew that tilt; it was the 'I-spy-with-my-super-hearing-thing-that-Allison-is-near-by' sign.
“Yeah, text me later.” He shut his locker door with a definitive clang.
It was a lost cause, and not for the first time, Stiles questioned the way their friendship was deteriorating. It was like Scott couldn't see the canyon forming between them because his focus was perpetually stuck on one object: Allison.
-.-
Knowing his dad had the night shift, Stiles prepared two big sandwiches to share and went upstairs to wait in his room for Derek. Luckily, the wolf arrived shortly after, and this time it was Stiles who welcomed him with an awkward hand brushing against Derek’s bicep.
None of them said anything, and Stiles could swear the wolf's ears turned a little red. It was a flash of color against his tan skin, gone almost instantly.
They ate at the desk, exchanging news about school and the preserve.
“No golems today.” Derek said after finishing his sandwich.
“That 's good.” Stiles managed to say with his mouth still full.
The wolf played with the hem of his dark blue henley, his thumb rubbing the cotton thread in a small, nervous gesture. “Erica got an A on her paper.”
“Oh, yeah, she mentioned it.” For some reason Stiles couldn't take his eyes away from him and his simplest movements.
“Thank you.” Again the flash of colour on the man's ears, but this time it stayed there long enough for Stiles to convince himself this was real, he wasn't imagining things.
“I didn't do much. She just needed someone to double check, that was all.”
“It was what she needed. And you took the time.” Derek´s voice was low and soft.
Stiles finished eating, unknowing how to process and they moved to sit on the bed. This time there was almost no space between their shoulders. Stiles ended up with his knee over Derek’s thigh without overthinking it. Much. The contact felt less like an accident and more like a necessary point of connection. Stiles could feel the hard muscle of Derek's thigh beneath the denim, warm and solid.
When Derek left, he lingered with his hand on Stiles' neck. The pressure was firm and warm, a deliberate claim. “You did good.”
Stiles parted his lips to inhale, the air rushing to his lungs, blood running towards his cheeks and also under his belt. The wave of arousal, need, and pride was inevitable. He heard the strong, accelerated thump of his own heart, sure that Derek could hear nothing else.
Derek took one deep breath and disappeared.
“Fuck.”
-.-
Stiles had been trying to read the same paragraph for the last hour. His head kept going back to Derek -his adorable bunny teeth, his communicative eyebrows, his multicolored eyes that made Stiles sigh deeply. The way his body reacted every time Derek praised him or touched him was becoming harder to ignore. He wasn't developing a crush; he was already crushing ridiculously hard.
The rasp against his windows made his heart jump in excitement. Derek entered slowly, his dad was sleeping down the hall.
"Hey." Stiles couldn't help his smile.
Derek returned the tiniest curl of lips before averting his eyes. If Stiles hadn't been so focused on him he would have missed the red ears. He looked nervous.
"So I found info about tracking spells? Maybe we could ask Deaton to cast it for us." Stiles turned around in his chair, spinning once out of nervous energy. Expecting a head pat was too much, but still, he felt like a puppy begging to be pat.
Derek got closer, shoulders tense. Up close, it was obvious he was nervous, which was stupid because Stiles was the only one here. So he kept talking about plans to stop the caster, and then Derek exhaled loudly and took a book out of his jacket. It was leather-bound and looked old. He put it on Stiles' hand without touching him and then stepped away.
Stiles looked back to the book. Up close, he noticed it was a journal. He opened it and saw the yellowed pages and the scrambled handwriting. There were doodles and runes and so much stuff he turned back to the first page.
"This belongs to Felicia Hale. Beware, only a Hale pack member can go through the pages without getting cursed." He read out loud and shrieked at the last part. "Dude! You want to curse me?" He looked up at Derek who was gone. Puff. Seriously, the guy was a ninja.
And suddenly he realized no, Derek didn't want to curse him. Derek thought Stiles was part of the Hale pack.
"...wow…" Stiles breathed, the word a soft exhalation of pure awe. Just when he thought he could get over his crush, Derek did something sweet like this and… yeah. He gently stroked the worn leather cover.
Stiles started to read immediately, preparing a schedule where he could start practicing some spells. Not before texting Derek.
To Sourwolf: Thank you, Alpha.
*****
From Stiles: Thank you, Alpha.
Derek reread the text. His heart thrummed against his ribcage. Stiles accepted him as his Alpha. He could smell the faint, lingering sweetness of Stiles' satisfaction clinging to the air outside the window, confirming the sincerity of the words. The bond that had formed between them the first time they saved each other had been weak, and Derek had chosen to ignore it because of his trust issues regarding humans.
But Stiles wasn't an ordinary human. And since Derek touched him and Stiles didn't reject him -in fact, he leaned into it- the bond had solidified.
Stiles was pack.
Stiles was Derek's.
Stiles was his.
*****
So Felicia had been the coolest person ever. She had taken her time to write old spells, new spells, corrections to other spells, but also stories of their family which made Stiles fall in love with them, quickly. Even Peter seemed like a great guy in these memories, the ones before the fire. His favorite stories, however, were Derek's.
There were also family recipes with the name of the Hale that loved it the most. Alpha Derek Hale had a favorite cake! He tried to focus on the magic part, to learn. But, come on! Derek had a sweet tooth! He couldn't not try to make the stupid cake.
It was Friday afternoon, and he was buying the ingredients when he was assaulted by a bad feeling. It was like an itch running all over his skin, but in a warning kind of way. Following the itch, a wave of concern that wasn't his, per se, appeared. It made him think of Derek. It was a cold, sharp dread that spiked directly in his gut.
He hurried out of the store, but it was too late; there were four golems waiting there, their rock-hard bodies lumbering into formation. Without thinking much, he started to run. Managing to lose two of the slower creatures, he used mountain ash and trapped another one.
“I knew it was you.” A voice came from behind him. It was high-pitched and grating. It made Stiles' skin crawl, and he was afraid for a split second. Then, the thrumming in his chest let him know all would be okay.
In a blink of an eye, Erica, Boyd, and Isaac attacked the slower golems. Derek, the Alpha, went after the caster who used mountain ash to create a barrier. Oh, but that was Stiles' game. With a flick of his wrist, the barrier dissipated, leaving the caster at the wolf’s mercy.
“No, no!” the caster screamed when Derek's claws tore his skin. The sound was wet and sickening. Then, the golems fell apart, going back to just being rocks.
Stiles was panting hard, but unharmed when Derek got into his space, hands close but not actually touching him. Derek’s eyes were narrowed, scanning Stiles’ body for injuries. “You’re hurt.”
Stiles shrugged. “Not at all.”
They stare for a moment until Stiles stepped closer, and finally Derek was touching him. His touch felt like a balm; he relaxed into it. The other wolves came closer, too, hands on Stiles' arms and shoulders.
“You scared us for a moment, Batman.” Erica confessed softly. She gripped his arm tightly.
“How did you know?” He closed his eyes, enjoying feeling safe.
“We felt it.” Isaac explained. “Mostly Derek.”
“It's still hard for us to recognise the bond.” Boyd admitted.
Stiles opened his eyes to look at the Alpha, mind racing. “Wait… so this is our pack bond.” Derek nodded, eyes bleeding Alpha red. The color was overwhelming, protective. “But I’ve felt it before…” he shook his head. Where did it start? Derek's eyebrows look surprised. “The pool? No, before that. I can't remember.”
“The hospital. When we discovered Peter was the Alpha. That's when it started.”
Stiles blinked. “Why?”
“I chose you over my family.”
Why didn't you say anything? The words got stuck on his throat. Stiles knew why. He also remembered when this pull on his gut made him go look for Derek, save Derek. And now it was deeply rooted in his ribcage.
“We should go.” Derek broke the intense eye contact first, and Stiles noticed how close they'd been standing, almost chest to chest. He could feel his cheeks flush.
“Ugh, party pooper.” Erica whined.
“What were you doing out here anyways?” Isaac asked.
“Grocery shopping.” Stiles had run three blocks from the shop. They walked together and then waited until Stiles bought what he needed. He got to the Jeep with Boyd, and the rest left to get rid of the body after scent marking Stiles.
Derek's palm lingered on his neck. The touch was heavy with relief. “You did good.” And it was an instant turn-on, as always. Luckily, Derek and the others were out of view, and Boyd only judged him silently.
-.-
It didn't come as a surprise when it happened. The moment Scott spared one second of his attention to Stiles instead of Allison, the bitten wolf was able to notice the scent on him.
“Dude! Why do you smell like Derek?” It wasn't the question, but the way Scott said it, as if it was something disgusting or something to be ashamed of. It rubbed Stiles the wrong way.
“What do you mean why? It's normal to smell like your Alpha when you’re pack.” He slammed the locker shut without sparing his friend a glance.
“What?” Scott stopped him in the hall and proceeded to remind Stiles how much they disliked Derek, how bad of an influence he was, and how they couldn't trust him. Every word was another nail in their friendship’s coffin.
“Listen, Scott. I'm going to say it once. You never asked for it, but you are a werewolf. You need a pack. You don't want Derek? Fine, we'll find you another one. But you cannot make choices on my behalf. I am part of Derek's pack whether you like it or not.”
Scott looked shocked. “But we're best friends.”
“That hasn't changed because of me, Scott. I still want to be friends, but I also want someone I can rely on. Someone who actually sees me. Someone who will pick up the phone when I call!” Suddenly, all the times Scott failed came to mind at once, and Stiles felt a blinding rage. He pointed a trembling finger at Scott's chest. “Do you have any idea how many times I almost died these last couple of months? No, of course not, because all you care about is Allison. But Erica, Boyd, Isaac, and Derek were there for me. They were. You weren't.”
Scott stepped back, his face pale. "I'm sorry. I had no idea.”
“Because you haven't asked!” Stiles' voice was raw, echoing slightly in the empty hallway.
The bell rang again, a sharp, insistent sound, and Stiles took off before he could say something he would regret later.
-.-
Knowing research nights as they were were over, Stiles talked with his dad about having new friends over. He was upfront, omitting only the more dangerous details of their extracurricular activities.
In the span of a month, the Sheriff met Reyes, Lahey, and Boyd. He saw Stiles tutoring them and having fun without sneaking around, which gave him peace and calm. The boys were surprisingly polite, and the house had a lighter, steadier energy whenever they were around.
-.-
One day, the Sheriff arrived home and was happy to find Erica and Isaac cooking steak. Boyd placed the table, and Stiles directed all of it.
“I can get used to this.” The Sheriff smiled, leaning against the doorframe.
Stiles blushed while warning his dad they were waiting for one more. Derek was upstairs, but they agreed he had to knock on the front door after his dad arrived to make it less… suspicious.
The doorbell rang, and the Sheriff answered. When he saw Derek, he did a double-take and then stared behind to Stiles, then back again. “Not until he is eighteen.” The man said, and the Alpha opened his eyes wide in shock.
Stiles gasped, but words got stuck in his mouth.
They heard Erica cackle like a madwoman from the kitchen.
“Food is ready.” Boyd called them to the table.
“Come on in.” The Sheriff stepped away to lead Derek inside, and Stiles could see the wolf's ears burn red. The feelings on the bond were too mixed up to know which one was Derek’s. Stiles was so embarrassed and weirdly pleased, it was confusing.
Dinner went better than expected. He presented the dessert as a surprise to everyone, but it was Derek’s favorite. The moment Derek saw the cake, he knew Stiles read the book, and by the way the Alpha stared at him, he also knew it was for him.
It felt like a love confession.
Erica ended up cutting the cake, because Stiles was shaking too much and had already spilled his glass of orange juice, twice. He played it off as his usual clumsy self, but it wasn't.
Erica served Derek and the Sheriff first, and Stiles tried to be subtle about the way he watched the Alpha take the first bite. But his heart was pounding like crazy. Good thing the betas were oblivious.
After dessert, they watched a movie with Erica and Stiles trading running comments. It was fun; it took his mind off the love confession. They drove Isaac crazy. His dad fell asleep during the first half, and Stiles tried not to burst into flames while sitting next to his Alpha.
God, his Alpha.
Derek was his in one sense. Not the one he had started craving, but it was nice.
After the movie ended, they helped his dad to bed and said goodbye shortly after.
Again, the pack touched Stiles, and Derek was the last one. He waited until the others were out the front door.
“Thank you for tonight.” Derek said while placing his hand on Stiles' neck. “Thank you for the cake.”
Stiles' heart raced, his cheeks flushing hot red. “It was for you,” He moaned softly when Derek’s hand traveled up to cup his cheek. “I'm sorry.” He whispered, but Derek's thumb brushed his lips, shutting him up.
The man looked at him intensely, making every nerve end on end. He was visibly struggling with himself. “I'm getting addicted to the way you smell when I touch you.”
Stiles almost died at those words. He was so desperate to be liked, to be loved, to be needed. But now he wanted it from Derek, no one else.
“Tell me to stop.” The Alpha begged.
But Stiles whined, his hands flying to grab Derek’s shoulders. He pressed his lips against the older man and almost cried at how good it felt.
Derek stepped inside again and closed the door behind him. He pressed Stiles with his body against the wall and then devoured his mouth.
It was hot and messy and so perfect. Stiles' legs parted slightly to make more room, his body shaping to fit his Alpha, silently begging for more, more contact, more kissing, more touch, more everything.
He moaned and groaned in pleasure, unable to shut up even at a moment like this.
Eventually, Derek slowed them down, resting their foreheads together and inhaling their mingled scents.
“We…” He frowned in concentration. “...need to talk.”
Stiles sighed but smiled slightly. “Let me guess, no happy touching under the waist until eighteen.”
His Alpha flashed his eyes. “I'm not joking.”
“I know.” Oh, boy did Stiles know.
The death of the Hale Family had just been another case in his mental files until he started reading Felicia's diary. After that, it was impossible to forget they had been real, and Derek lost each and every one of them because a psychotic woman decided to use and abuse a young teen in pain.
They untangled slowly, struggling between their desire and their shared trauma, and eventually they talked. Stiles was almost eighteen, but it was more than that. Derek was terrified of losing the people he loved. So they agreed to take it slow.
“I want to take you out.” Derek admitted. They were sitting on the couch, holding hands.
Stiles beamed, “Like date?”
“Yes, Stiles. Like a date.” Derek smiled back.
They still had a lot to work out, like the Scott situation, telling his dad about the supernatural world, and admitting they wanted to date. They also needed to find a place Stiles could try out the magic spells Felicia created and maybe make a golem or two. But for now, Stiles and Derek enjoyed a calm and warm moment of being in love, together. The journey had just begun, but with the pack at his back and Derek by his side, Stiles knew he wouldn't be alone again.