When Derek had heard that Stiles – quirky, hyperactive, ADHD Stiles – had quit his job at Beacon Hills Post as 'Fact Researcher' and was writing books, he'd laughed. He'd laughed and joked that Stiles couldn't sit still long enough to write a chapter for a book, let alone the whole book.
Most of their friends had agreed and laughed with him. They all had to eat their words when Stiles' first book was published. It was called Teen Wolf: Bitten. Apparently, it had five sequels in the planning. The second book was already half way written.
They'd all swallowed their unsupportive words and apologized. Stiles, the great person he is, rubbed their faces in his success. He didn't rub it in their faces that he made more money than them, but that he did what they'd said he couldn't do. Though he did make quite a bit of money. He was officially making more money than Jackson; who made the most out of their little group until recently.
And apparently people loved Stiles' writing.
After reading the first book, Derek can tell why.
He loved Stiles' story and the way he expressed what the character felt and experienced. He honestly couldn't wait for the next book to come out. And the next. And the next.
He'd recently gotten his copy of the fifth book, signed by Stiles like all of the others he'd sent his friends, and the dedication made him smile, like always; 'To my loving Pack and the greatest Alpha in the world.'
He knew the characters were all based after Stiles' real life friends and it was them, down to a T. Derek had often wondered what he would be described as if he were a character in a book. Now he knew.
Stiles first introduction for Derek had been thoughtful, meaningful, and amazingly accurate for a first appearance and impression. And as the series went on and on, the descriptions were more and more accurate as his characters feelings were revealed.
And then there was the way Stiles had described people like Jackson: 'And there's this fucker. Jackson Whitmore aka the biggest tool in the toolshed of life.'
And despite the yelling Jackson had given Stiles for the rude description – thus proving he did, in fact, read Stiles' books – Stiles had been accurate. In High School, Jackson had been a shallow, thickheaded prick who had been using Lydia for arm candy. And as the books progressed, so did Jackson's character.
Derek finds it amazing that Stiles can show such character development within just a few books. He finds it amazing that Stiles can create this whole different world in his head with different kinds of lore and mythical creatures and then lace everything with hints and foreshadowing.
To say that Derek is a fan of Stiles' work would be an understatement. He owns two copies of each book: The signed copy that Stiles had sent him, which had only been read once, and the copy he'd bought from the second hand store and had read cover to cover more times than Derek has ever read any other book. And Derek has always loved books.
So it really comes as a surprise when Derek learns that people write about the book. As in they come up with scenarios in their heads and write it out for others to see.
Cora shows him a few pieces she really liked, nothing too serious or angsty – what is angsty? – or even too rated R.
Cora hasn't show up in the books yet, but Stiles has promised her that her dramatic entrance is coming soon and she can't wait to see how he describes her. Derek can't wait either. Though he is a bit miffed that he killed Laura and his family off without the audience knowing them at all. Which is weird because that's his family he's talking about; the public shouldn't know them at all.
So he asks Cora for a few websites that she browses and she – reluctantly – gives his two. She says Fanfiction is where most of the amateurs and crack fics are posted and Archiveofourown is where fics tend to be more labeled so you can search for what you want and it tends to be better quality. Then she has to explain 'fic genres' and words he should blacklist. Permanently. Or they'll scare him for life.
Derek takes her word for it.
And really it's more than amazing that so many people read Stiles' work and create other works based off of it with those characters – and their own sometimes, as he'd learned – and settings. There are some works that make Derek wonder what people are on and there are some works that move Derek to tears.
Then there's the slash stuff.
And at first he'd been freaked out that people would put him and Stiles together. But when he'd though about it, he'd often thought about him and Stiles being together. It's a bit different, though, when it's complete strangers.
And he clicks on one, just out of curiosity, and finds that he quite enjoys them. The innocent ones. The first dirty one he'd come across had made him turn scarlet and he couldn't look Stiles in the eye when their group got together for dinner.
After that, he'd gradually eased into what the 'fandom' called 'smut'. He wouldn't actively seek it out, but he wouldn't let it deter him from reading what sounded like a good fic.
And eventually, he could read it without so much as flinching or batting an eyelash. Of course, there were a few that were very good fuel for the spank bank, but really…his mind provided enough material to last him a lifetime already.
And really, he's just browsing around trying to find new material when he goes into the archive to look at the older stuff. He hasn't really read anything from there in a while. He finds a good looking summary and starts reading, lounging on his bed.
He's about halfway through the fic when he realizes…this is really good. Like….really fucking good. It has characterizations perfect and little facts and mannerisms that aren't mentioned in any of the books Stiles has published.
So he sits up and continues reading. By the end of it, he thinks he's found the perfect fanfic writer for himself. He clicks on the link to their page and he nearly has a heart attack when it says that this author has written forty six other works.
Derek may or may not have to break out his reading glasses to prevent the oncoming headache that accompanies reading on your laptop for three days straight with little sleep.
And he freaks out a little bit when he finds an AU where Derek – like himself – is a fireman and Stiles is an author to a well written book series titles Teen Wolf. He clicks on it and it is well over fifty thousand words, but Derek figures he can cancel on his lunch date with Laura.
No harm ever came from canceling on Laura, right?
Wrong.
Oh well.
And Derek sits there, chewing on his thumb nail when he gets the weirdest sense of Déjà vu while reading. He scrolls back up a bit and re-reads the passage and oh my god that is a conversation he'd had with Stiles.
Like in all actuality, that was a conversation he'd had with Stiles just under a year ago.
He's freaking out and maybe a little more than sleep deprived when he comments on the work, calmly stating that this is way out of canon, even for an AU.
He really doesn't expect a response as he forces his laptop closed and then forces himself to go to sleep. He can't really sleep as his mind teases him with the possibility that Stiles writes fanficion for his own book series.
He doesn't end up blowing Laura off after all and they're eating lunch when his phone goes off, alerting him that he has an email.
Derek checks it because it could be his boss, saying his vacation is being cut short. But it's not his boss, it's actually an email from that fic sight so he clicks it.
He chokes on his French fry when he reads: 'Bitch, I am the canon.'