Title: Used to Be
Rating: T
Pairing: Stiles/Derek, Stiles/Scott, Stiles&Scott, Lydia/Jackson, Scott/Allison, Danny/OMC, Scott/Allison/Isaac
Summary: Stiles and Scott have kissed exactly once in their 15 year friendship and it hardly counts. OR growing up means letting go and holding on tighter than ever at the same time.
A/N: Thanks to foreverblue_navy for the awesome graphics, and for reading it through for me. You're the best, Beth! Title taken from "This Used to Be My Playground" by Madonna, which both Beth and I listened to a LOT while doing our parts.
Stiles and Scott have kissed exactly once in their 15 year friendship and it hardly counts.
They were 5, and in the same Kindergarten class. Stiles had always been outspoken and excitable, and he had yet to be diagnosed with ADHD, so he'd been even more so at 5 then he was at 16. The kiss had taken place on the playground. Their teacher, Ms. Amy, had been a fairly progressive teacher. Earlier that week she'd read them a book on families. It was your typical kid's picture book. The kind that names all the members of a typical family: brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. It had included, of course, Mom and Dad too. And of course, Stiles had asked the question.
"What about… What about when you have two mommies or two daddies? Is that a real family?" Ms. Amy had blinked twice and then smiled a wide bright smile that had ended up causing Stiles to fall completely in love with her by the end of the school year (his first unrequited crush) and had answered him very sincerely.
"Of course those are real families! Just like families where there are step-mommies or step-daddies are real families. But this book can't have every single possible type of family in it. I'll try and find a better one for tomorrow, ok?" she asked. That was obviously when Jackson had perked up from the back row, chubby arms crossed over his chest, and hair already perfectly styled.
"Two daddies is stupid! And so is two mommies! Everyone only gets one of em each!" he'd proclaimed (this was, ironically, before he'd learned he was adopted). That was the one and only time Stiles can ever recall Danny reaching over and punching Jackson right in the nose. He'd been sent to time out and his parents had been called, but Stiles and Scott had laughed about it for what felt like hours while Jackson cried and cried as he was led away to the nurse's office and his parents were sent for.
For two days Danny hadn't spoken to Jackson at all, no matter how much Jackson pouted, and Stiles had indulged his sadistic side by talking about two mommies or two daddies for hours at a time, asking Ms. Amy to read her new, more inclusive book, over and over until even the other kids were tired of it. On the last day of the week Stiles had made the suggestion during playtime that he and Scott get married. He'd suggested it because, at 5, it made total sense. Scott was the most awesomest person ever, and his best friend in the whole gigantic world, and he was never going to get tired of him, so why not get married. Also… it would upset Jackson.
They made Danny officiate, and he had done so, but not without rolling his eyes at them twice and sticking his tongue out at Jackson where he pouted from on top of the jungle gym, nose still swollen and bruised. Stiles and Scott had held hands, small palms sweaty and slightly sticky from the PB&J they'd split at lunch, and promised to love each other forever and ever and ever. And then Danny had ordered them to kiss.
Scott had looked at him all floppy hair and impossibly deep dimples and smiled widely before darting forward and kissing Stiles once hard on the lips.
It was less than half a second, but it counted. It counted because it was a first and for a while there Stiles had been all of Scott's firsts. He was the first one (after his mom, obviously) to hold Scott's hand, to hear "I love you," to comfort him when he fell and scrapped his knee. He was the first one to help him with his homework, and stand up for him to a bully, and to punch Scott's dad in the thigh the first time he came by after missing Scott's 7th Birthday party, (he'd been aiming for the bastard's dick, but he'd twisted at the last second). So yeah, it hadn't really counted, not in the grand scheme of things. When you reminisce about your first kiss, years later, it's the first real kiss you count, not the kiddie kiss on the playground. But to Stiles it counted. It definitely counted. Because until they'd turned 16, until all the business with werewolves and hunters had started, he'd been Scott's first in pretty much everything. And then Allison had come along. And she was Scott's first date, and first real kiss. His first girlfriend, his first love, his first lover. And then Isaac came along and he was Scott's first werewolf bro, and first comrade in arms, and first roommate, and first beta. And the more they meant to Scott, the more of his time they took up, and space in his heart they occupied, the less there was of Scott that was Stiles'. That had been a hard pill to swallow. But Stiles refused to become *that* friend. The childhood bestie that clung too hard and made it impossible for someone to change and grow up. So he played it cool and let Scott cancel videogame night to go out with Allison, and didn't complain when it was Isaac he called first in an emergency.
Stiles stayed back where it was "safe" and let Scott and Derek and the other werewolves do their thing while he, Lydia, and Allison kicked ass from behind the scenes. He let Scott grow and change and mature, his world expanding bigger and bigger every day all while hoping that no matter what he'd still always be one of the firsts in Scott's life that would always matter. Always count.
It's two years post high school graduation and the whole pack is back in Beacon Hills for the summer. Even Jackson and Lydia had returned home from Cambridge, Mass. They're spread out across the grass of their favorite clearing, waiting for moon rise, and drinking irresponsibly, half of them still not legal, not that any of them care. Derek's rolling his eyes at all the beta's playful wrestling, and sharing exasperated looks with Scott, while wearily watching the humans for signs of alcohol poisoning.
Which is how they end up playing the game, some childish question game none of them can remember the name of. It's mostly just as excuse to get as much embarrassing black mail material out of each other as possible under the guise of innocent fun. Cora asks because she's just now really warming to the pack. She'd left town after the whole alpha pack/darach thing had happened, keeping contact with Derek but not the rest of them. Now 20, and back from college, just like the rest of the, she's slowly finding her place in their little family.
"McCall! First person to kiss you?" she demands grinning widely around the bottle of vodka she's nursing. Scott goes red, smile going wide and goofy, as his eyes land on Allison. She giggles wildly, just a bit tipsy on some cranberry flavored drink Lydia had demanded they bring. She dips her head, pressing her face into his shoulder, and Scott slides his hand around her to pull her in that much closer. "Seriously?!" Cora asks crowing at the ridiculousness. Stiles just shakes his head, not surprised by that particular answer, and taking another long pull of his lukewarm beer. It's what he'd expect Scott to say really.
Danny lets out a barking laugh, flinging himself backward into Andy's lap and shaking his head. He points an accusing finger. "LIAR!" he shouts startling Stiles into a grin.
"I am not!" Scott objects, looking affronted.
"He's right! She wasn't the first!" Jackson says, face flushed and triumphant. "Or have you really forgotten Kindergarten?" Jackson asks, subconsciously rubbing his nose. Scott flushes brighter red, his eyes zeroing in on Stiles who's looking at him with fond exasperation. Scott's eyes light up with surprise.
"That doesn't count! Cora asked the first person to kiss me! Technically I kissed Stiles!" he says with a laugh. Stiles rolls his eyes so hard he topples over completely, face landing in in sweet summer grass. He reaches out sweeping his hand out to the side to ruffle the bright green blades, watching them spring back up, his smile spreading wider as he listens to people argue the merits of initiation in a first kiss scenario. There's a muffled curse behind him and then Scott's there, half collapsing on Stiles back and making him groan.
"Dude, I need to breathe!" Stiles says, already laughing. Scott just presses down harder making all the air woosh out of Stiles long in an audible gasp.
"How could I possibly forget our first kiss, Stiles? I think technically we're still married as far as Beacon Hills Elementary playground law is concerned," Scott says smacking a kiss on the side of Stiles' face. Stiles elbows him in the ribs, pushing up and over, to roll Scott away.
"My Mom kept it you know. Our marriage certificate. The one we made Danny and Ms. Amy sign. She put it in my baby book!" Stiles says with an embarrassed grin.
"Seriously!?" Scott asks, the overwhelming look of surprised happiness on his face making Stiles grin even wider in response. Stiles nods. Scott hugs him then, full bodied and without personal boundaries. One leg curling over around Stiles' thighs to press them closer together.
"I guess it's definitely still official then!" he says with a laugh.
"Yep! Sorry Allison. You can't have him. He was my hubby first!" Stiles crows, making everyone laugh. Allison rolls her eyes.
"Who says I'm not into polyamory? We're all consenting adults here? Can't we share?" she says with a smirk, eyes trailing across Isaac sitting a few feet away. Scott laughs so loud that Stiles briefly worries he'll pull something.
"I don't think Derek would agree," he says teasingly, brown eyes landing on Derek's disgruntled face, at the way his arms are crossed over his chest in passive aggressive discomfort. Stiles rolls his eyes, ready to say something but Scott speaking stops him. "Well you'll just have to get over it, Derek. Stiles was mine first. He was always mine first. You'll just have to take second place in some things!"
This time it's Derek rolling his eyes in reaction, his mouth twitching up a little at the corners in fondness.
"Well, he's going to be mine last," Derek proclaims, voice steady and sure. Stiles winds an arm around Scott's neck and kisses him wet and messy on the side of his jaw, eyes locked on Derek's across the clearing.
"Moonrise!" Cora yells jumping up eagerly. Scott groans, peeling himself away.
"See you guys later!" he announces, standing up and pressing his palm to Allison's briefly on his way past. She watches him go with a smile, the look widening into a grin as she watches Scott yank Isaac up by the back of the neck. "Come on, puppy. Keep up and maybe I'll let you catch my tail!" he announces, stripping off his shirt, and eyes flashing red even as he takes off at a run.
Stiles tosses his head back to laugh, shaking his head as Isaac takes off after him. Jackson kisses Lydia once quickly on the lips before running off after them, Cora and Andy following. His attention is caught by Derek tugging him around, pulling him in and pressing warm and solid against him. He kisses down Stiles jaw, nuzzling his neck, and sniffing audibly in disgust. Stiles can't help but let his arms wind around him in return.
"Go on, Derek. You can pout about me smelling like another alpha later!" he promises. Derek snorts once, in what Stiles knows is amusement, and pulls back. "Have fun with the kids, Pookie. And remember don't come back too muddy, and no killing any defenseless bunnies. You know it makes Danny cry!" He ignores Danny's: "Fuck you, Stilinski!," and instead watches Derek's eyes flare red, his face going wolfy and hairy in preparation of a good moon-run even as he smiles at Stiles.
"Later," he says around elongated teeth. Stiles nods, and watches him run off.
Stiles bends down scooping up his beer bottle and moves closer to the fire, flopping down on the far corner of Allison's blanket. She stretches out next to him, propping her head up in one palm and smiling contentedly, crossbow strategically placed to her right.
"He really loves you, ya know?" she says quietly. Stiles nods.
"I know. I love him too, more than practically anybody else," he replies. She scrunches up her face and giggles.
"I meant, Scott," she replies. He shrugs.
"I know," he repeats. "So did I. Him or Derek? Either way, it's true." She nods, crossing her arms and letting her chin rest on top of them.
"So that kiss, back when you guys were little… Was that the only time?" she asks. Stiles grins.
"Wouldn't you like to know," he teases. There's a howl from the woods out to their right, followed by a second different one, both loud and familiar, pulling at Stiles from down deep in his gut. He laughs loudly. "Nah, that was the only one. You know if he'd had some of this, you wouldn't have had a shot in hell of keeping him," he jokes. Allison just laughs again, and lets her head rest on her arms, eyes focusing on the campfire.
Stiles rolls onto his back and watches the smoke disappear into the starry summer sky, the moon rising full and bright. He smiles up at it, the previous conversation rolling through his head and making him feel warm and content. He feels more at peace in this moment, with Danny and Lydia and Allison spread out around him talking in low voices, the furrier members of the pack running around the woods nearby, than he has in what seems like years. He has his Dad, and this small little town to call home. And despite everything he still has Scott. But he also has Derek and a whole pack of people who are more like family than anything else. It's a pretty good life.