Everything looked like a bad dream - as if those last weeks never happened. It was all a lie. Or so it appeared to Stiles. He was just sitting on a floor of his room and trying to take a deep breath. Only few minutes ago he had been pressed against the wall as Derek had been trying to find about whether he knew about Scott's deception.

„It's not possible," the brunet whispered. There wasn't anger or rage in his eyes, only disappointment and the tall, black-haired man standing next to him knew it well.

„He deceived us all," Derek answered quietly. „He was doing what Gerard told him the whole time."

„He had to have a reason," Sterek tried to defend his friend, even though he knew deep inside it was in vain. He slowly got up on his legs and as soon as he stood up, he lurched. The werewolf next to him promptly supported him and helped him to the armchair.

„I'm sorry, I just... you two are inseparable and I thought, that-"

„- that we were in it together, I get it," the boy nodded. „But... ever since Allison appeared, I've had a feeling he doesn't trust me that much anymore. I don't even know why."

„I warned him," Derek whispered. „At the beginning, I told him to break up with her."

„And I was such an idiot tu support him in that relationship," Stiles rubbed his temples and wrinkles appeared on his forehead, which were surprising to see.

„You meant it well," the tall man mumbled and took his stand by a window.

Stiles didn't recognize him, he wasn't sure if it was really Derek Hale; he would have said it wasn't him. He acted differently and the brunet didn't know what had caused the change. Scott's betrayal? Maybe.

„He's gonna bring you to Argents, isn't he?" the young man realized after a moment of silence and fear appeared in his eyes. His companion was quiet. He kept staring out of the window, focusing on what held him back. He didn't want to turn into a werewolf right in the sheriff's house. But ever since he found out about Scott, as if the usual way haven't been working; on the contrary, anger was the only thing that made him transform. He was trying to find something else, but like nothing was working. The moment he felt Stiles' hand on his shoulder, he noticed his breath getting regular again. He recalled the night few years ago. He had saved this boy's life. He found something he could bond with again, something that was important to him.

He slowly turned around to face Stiles and looked him in the eye – they were still the same. He could even see the same scared look.

„Are you all right?" the brunet asked quietly.

„I am," he nodded. It was true. He felt good and relatively safe for now. But as soon as he'd leave this room, a hunt for a werewolf would begin, and he was aware.

„You need to hide, Derek," Stiles continued, looking as usual again – energy was almost streaming out of his ears. „I may know about this one place, but we need to hurry if we don't want to meet Argents and-"

„You're not going anywhere!" the werewolf stopped him. „I'm not risking your life because of me, Stiles!"

„You never minded threatening me with my life before," the young man didn't budge. „Or sending me somewhere I could die. You never cared if I survive, right?"

„That's complete rubbish and you know it!" Derek pressed him against the wall again and pointed his index finger on him. „I've always cared if you're all right! I cared long before you remember!" He didn't mean saying the last thing aloud but it happened and now he couldn't take it back. He shakily let Stiles go and stepped back. What' happening to me? He asked himself, trying to focuse on that night. But it was exactly this memory, which cause those confused feelings.

„What are you talking about?" Stiles was suddenly standing right in front of him, looking him in his eyes. Derek had a feeling for a moment that it would be the brunet who would press him against the wall and threaten him for now, but it didn't happen.

„What the hell are you talking about?" the boy wanted an answer.

„I... you probably don't remember, you were really small. You were lost in a forest..."

„No!" the brunet screamed and pressed his hand on his mouth. „It couldn't have been you," he added later quietly. Derek wanted to answer but Stilles waved his hand.

„It was some kind of dog, I remember a dog and you definitely don't look like one!" There was anxiety in his voice and his heart was beating very fast, which the black-haired man didn't like. He knew it was too much for the boy in front of him for one night and realized, this could have lead to a panic attack.

„I used to turn into a wolf when I was a kid," he whispered an explanation. „It was me, Stiles. If it was just a dog, he wouldn't have guided you to your dad."

„Oh my god," the young man whispered. „It was you."

Stiles felt his body shaking and couldn't breathe. Suddenly, two arms clenched around him and Derek pressed him to himself.

„You're safe now," he spoke softly and strengthened his embrace. „You're home, you're not in danger here." However, it was in vain. The boy's body was still shaking. The black-haired men was thinking what he should do in such situation. Laura would knew, as usual. But she wasn't here and he had to handle it by himself. He pulled Stiles away and shook his head.

„You're going to hate me for this," he whispered and then slapped him. Not too much, he didn't want to hurt him, only bring him around.

The young man stared at him with his hazel eyes full of shock.

„You hit me," he breathed.

„Sorry," Derek apologized and realized he had been using this word a lot in Stiles' presence. „I didn't know what else to do."

„It obviously worked. Oh god, you're that dog. Oh my... you saved me when I was a child. God, this is some kind of a bad joke. I owe you now, don't I?"

He's himself again, the young Hale thought amusedly and grinned.

„And now you're smiling weirdly, good.. I'm gonna-"

„Stiles, you don't owe me," Derek interrupted him. „You also helped me with a trick situations few times."

„You mean when I was holding you in that swimming pool for two hours so you wouldn't drown?"

„For example. When I leave out that you set cops from the whole state against me."

„It was Scott's idea!" Stiles defended himself and just now noticed how close he was standing to the werewolf who used to terrify him. But not this time. Tonight he felt safe with him. He was the one who had saved him. He had guided him to his dad.

There was a silence in the room – maybe it was because they mentioned McCall or because they were thinking what exactly was happening that night. Neither of them had words for it, they didn't even know for a moment what their feelings meant.

„I should go," Derek said after a while and turned to the window.

„Wait," Stiles took him by the sleeve of his black leather jacket and made him turn back. The black-haired man stared at him and he wasn't capable of saying something. The look into those dark eyes, which were turning into red ones, enchanted him. And it wasn't for the first time (or the last time).

„For what?" the werewolf eventually asked.

„ I don't want to be alone tonight," the brunet whispered and it moved young Hale. He suddenly realized what all those feeling meant. The boy in front of him wasn't just a some guy and didn't belong to anyone else.

He belongs to me, he's mine, he realized and smiled, but said something different aloud: „Okay, I'll stay with you."