The first time it happens Stiles doesn't think very much of it, 'cause it's Scott and it's not really that weird. It had happened before after all, or well, something like it anyway. Okay maybe not. But Stiles was used to Scott touching him, hugging him, patting him on the head/arm/knee. It was nothing to be suspicious about, but now that it had happened numerous times, and he could look back, Stiles guessed this particular time was the start of the trend.
The pack were all gathered around Derek's table in his loft, maps and blue prints scattered, each of them analyzing separate sections, coming up with plans and strategies, in the hunt for a couple of witches. These witches had been casting spells all over the place, bewitching the residents of Beacon Hills left right and centre, from harmless things like love spells, that really weren't that harmless, to slightly more sinister acts of physically deforming them. The pack had gathered at Derek's loft, after a particularly nasty incident that involved a guy with a foot growing out of his head, and had been there for a few hours now, not really getting anywhere further forward with locating these magical beings.
Stiles had been bent over a map, frowning and trying to get the picture of the place in his head, so he could see it in real time. He was stressed and frustrated and tired, so tired. He had a test the next day for English Lit and at this rate, they were going to be up through the night and he'd have to red bull and pro plus it through the test, which with his ADD meds, was never a good idea, but was the only way he'd stay awake. He had closed his eyes, trying to picture the street on the map, tempted to just nod off while he was there, when the next thing he knew a warm heat was pressed against his arm and a soothing calm spread over him. He startled and looked over and Scott had pressed his chest over Stiles' arm, one arm wrapped around the back of Stiles' shoulder, in a half side hug, his other hand clasping Stiles' forearm in a tight grip. Scott's own eyes were closed and his nostrils were flaring.
Stiles didn't think anything of it at that point and so just smiled and reached up to tap Scott's hand over his shoulder a couple of times. Sure, the closed eyes and sniffing thing was a little odd, but he had seen Scott do something like this with Allison before and figured it was just his way of showing that he was there and a way for Scott to know that Stiles was there too. He could probably just sense with those werewolf senses of his that Stiles was tired and stressed out and this was just his way of helping him with that. It was normal for Scott to be concerned like that.
Before Stiles could do or say anything in comment or thanks, Scott had moved again back over to the other side of the table and the heat lingered on Stiles for a second before he was over come with a violent shudder as the cold loft came back to him. If anything it woke him up a little. He glanced around the table and saw that none of the other beta's had seemed to notice Scott's behaviour, but Stiles' eyes met with Derek's and the Alpha smiled slightly. Stiles just frowned back at him, wondering why he was smiling at Scott just being a bro and Stiles wrote it off as a wolf thing. Maybe the sniffing made it a wolf thing. Either way, Stiles was fine with that if it left him feeling this calm.
And boy did he feel calm. He was no longer worried about the test, he was well prepared for it after all and if he had to stay up all night hunting these witches, then so be it, this was his life now. Stiles wondered if Scott had done something to him to make him this collected and rational and focused but could not for the life of him think of what that could have been. Nothing he had read about werewolves said anything about magic calming powers. Stiles shrugged it off and readjusted himself over the maps with a quick glance back at Derek. The alpha was still watching him, his smile had faded but he didn't look his usual angry self and so Stiles stuck his tongue out at him in response. Derek blinked and then looked away at where Erica was talking and Stiles smirked at his own victory. Yeah, everything was going to be fine.
The second time it happened, however, he really couldn't say he expected. It wasn't Scott this time and Stiles wasn't even remotely anxious or stressed, in fact he was more relaxed than he had been since Scott had been turned. The witches had been long dealt with, it was a few months after and there was no sign of danger on the horizon and so Derek had arranged a pack bonding session, including Stiles, Allison and Lydia as well as the wolves. It had long been established that Stiles was pack, Allison and Lydia too but it still surprised him when Derek included him in the training sessions and the bonding times. Not that he would ever complain, he was happy to go wherever Derek wanted him, to be quite honest.
Derek's idea of bonding was apparently piling in front of the television in his loft and watching a Batman movie, which of course Stiles was totally on board with. Derek, Erica and Boyd were on the couch, Boyd and Erica cuddled together with their feet in Derek's lap, Scott and Allison were piled together on the floor, not even watching the film but each other instead, murmuring low, which Stiles was sure the wolves in the room could still hear even if he couldn't. Lydia was propped in a chair next to the couch, having protested the movie choice, but quite engrossed, even though her phone was in her hand and she was texting away on it without tearing her gaze from the television,Jackson was between her legs on the floor, arm wrapped around one of her calves and only mildly interested in the film, and Isaac was sat next to Stiles, on the floor, backs rested on the couch.
Stiles was pretty engrossed in the film, so it took a moment for him to notice when it actually happened. It wasn't until Isaac had turned his face into Stiles' shoulder, that Stiles turned to look at him. Isaac's face was completely hidden in Stiles' shirt but it was clear to anyone, particularly Stiles, that he was nuzzling, his face fully smushed against Stiles' shoulder and rubbing, breathing deep and hot against him, through the fabric with some definite sniffing happening.
Stiles couldn't help but tense under him, 'cause sure he was close to Isaac, but this was breeching on weird, he'd never dreamed that he and Isaac would take part in some nuzzling action. Don't get him wrong, they were friends and he thought of Isaac, like he did the rest of the pack (with the exception of Jackson maybe,) as a brother, but this was not a normal friend thing to do. Even Scott's behaviour the other day wasn't as weird as this, or as intimate. Stiles cast a glance around at everyone else, but it seemed none of them had noticed, either watching the film, or engrossed in each other. He shot a quick look back at Derek, sitting directly behind him, and found he was the only one watching them and full on grinning. No sly smile or smirk this time, just a teeth showing grin. Stiles opened his mouth to ask but Derek adverted his gaze back to the television before he could get a word out, and Isaac pulled his face out from Stiles' shoulder.
Stiles looked at him and Isaac looked back, one eyebrow arched in the way that he was a master of, daring Stiles to ask, challenging him to. Stiles internally debated it for a second before deciding that he didn't really need to know, it wasn't of crucial importance and it probably wouldn't end well if he did question it so he turned back to the movie.
Stiles saw out the corner of his eye, Isaac smirk and sag against the back of the couch out of what? Relief? Stiles couldn't be sure, and yeah okay, maybe he had been a little tense before the improptu nuzzling and he now felt as if he was sitting on a cloud, but that was besides the point. Or he was sure it was if he could remember the point he was trying to make in the first place. He cast a quick glance at Isaac and noticed Erica had started to run her fingers through his hair from where she was half hanging off the side of the couch and Isaac's eyes were closed. Wolves were weird and while he was still curious, it could wait for now, Batman was on.
If Isaac's behavior was weird, Boyd's was just plain bizarre. He had yet to ask Isaac about what had happened, but Stiles was certainly starting to see a trend. He'd always had the impression that Boyd tolerated him at best, disliked him even more so than Derek did, but the last time he checked, those that disliked him didn't tend to bury their face between his shoulder blades and hold on tight around his waist.
It was the packs weekly dinner, which was a thing now. In a further attempt to bring the pack together, create bonds and become a better Alpha, Derek had suggested they set aside one night a week to come together and eat dinner, and for some reason it managed to fall on the night that Stiles' dad worked the late shift and was more often than not hosted in his house. Stiles couldn't say he was bothered about it, even though it was always up to him to cook, he actually quite enjoyed cooking for them, even more so when he got nothing but clean plates back and the wolves scattered themselves around his living room, to settle for a movie and apparently too full to move further than the couch.
They had just finished dinner and Stiles was washing the dishes, while Derek dried them, a routine they had gotten themselves into without realising it when the next incident happened and Stiles became even further confused. He heard footsteps into the kitchen, as a warning and before he was about to turn to see who it was, Boyds arms wrapped around him from behind and he dipped his face to press into the space between Stiles' shoulder blades, flush against his spine. Stiles couldn't help but freeze and drop the plate he had been washing back into the soapy sink and tensed further as Boyd nuzzled much in the same way as Isaac had done to his shoulder only days earlier.
"What-?" Stiles started to ask, but stopped when he turned his head and saw the look on Derek's face. He was smiling fondly over the pair of them, still drying a cup and he looked almost proud. Stiles huffed and wasn't that the most useless reaction ever? What could he possibly be proud of? When Derek just continued to look at the pair of them with that quirked lip smile on his stupid face Stiles sighed and decided to wait it out, hands braced on the sink in front of him trying to remember how long Isaac had taken, to judge how long he'd have to put up with this for.
Much like the previous ways, with Scott and Isaac, he felt the strange sense of calm and warmth fall over him and he found he really didn't mind that he had become some sort of cuddle, nuzzle buddy for his friends, if this was the feeling he was going to get from it. All tension from the unexpected affection had ebbed from his shoulders and he thought he might even be leaning into Boyd's embrace. Boyd's behaviour was no longer the weird bit of this, Stiles' unintentional reaction seemed to be instead.
It was only a matter of minutes before Boyd was letting him go and removed himself from behind him, turning and moving back into the living room. Stiles took a deep breath to steady himself and get over the feeling of loss that blanketed him the minute the warmth disappeared. He gripped the sink hard and turned his head to face Derek again, whom was now smirking with a strange glint in his eye.
Derek just shrugged, offered no explanation and Stiles found himself start to tense again and wanted the feeling of Boyd, or Isaac, or hell, even Scott's over warm body pressed against him so that he could feel calm again. Fuck. He had to pull himself together before he could stand up straighter and turn to Derek fully and search for answers.
"You going to explain that?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible, even though he was anything but and Derek could probably sense that, "'Cause if your wolves are going to continue to- to violate me with all the nuzzling, then I'm going to need to know why," Stiles said.
"It's not violating if you are enjoying it," Derek said with another shrug and Stiles felt his ears turn pink. So Derek could apparently sense just about every emotion he was feeling all the time, and that felt even more violating than the cuddling and nuzzling.
"Maybe it's comforting, but that's totally besides the point," Stiles said, jaw clenched, finding no reason to deny anything if Derek already knew. Plus Derek could hear a lie in his heartbeat so it would be a wasted effort. God. Werewolves. Who knew they'd be this much hard work?
"That's what it is for them too. You're a comfort, they like knowing you're there and that you're okay, it settles them," Derek said in the form of an explanation and it took Stiles a moment to focus and work out what Derek was telling him and what this meant.
"So they're using some sort of wolf power to make me feel calm, so that in turn they can feel calm, knowing- knowing I'm okay?" Stiles asked.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Derek shrugged. "And even when you're not feeling tense or whatever, they can feed off of your calm to settle themselves, It just takes a touch and a reassuring sniff of your scent,"
"I am not okay with being a walking, talking comfort blanket for your wolves," Stiles said bristling at the thought of the wolves sensing when he was weak and thinking they could help. He wasn't fragile.
"You just said it was a comfort for you too," Derek countered. He put the glass down at last and plucked the plate Stiles had previously dropped back into the sink, out and started drying it instead.
"Not the point!" Stiles protested.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway, you best just get used to it, cause I've told them it's okay," Derek shrugged.
Stiles gaped. "You've told them it's okay to use me as a snuggle buddy? Since when do you get to have a say over what they can and can't do to me?" he asked, rather calmly considering the mental freak out he was having.
"You're pack," Derek shrugged and when Stiles continued to just stare at him he sighed, "Look, if you've got a problem with it, tell them, they might not be quite so happy about it, but I'm sure they will respect your decision," Derek said. The malice laced in his voice did nothing to reassure Stiles of this and he couldn't help the scowl he shot at him before turning back to the dishes.
"I can't believe you sometimes," Stiles scoffed and continued to grumble under his breath while finishing the job at hand, well aware that Derek could hear him perfectly. Derek didn't say anything else, and no matter how much Stiles was grumbling about it, they both knew Stiles wouldn't say anything to the wolves.
A thought suddenly occured to him and he shot his head up, stopped what he was doing and turned to Derek. "Does this mean even Jackson is going to come to me needing comfort?" Stiles asked, his face screwed up.
"Hmm," Derek thought on that for a moment before he split out in another grin. "Maybe. Probably. At some point,"
"The later the better. In fact, never will do just fine," Stiles said and Derek scoffed in what Stiles was sure was an attempt at a laugh.
The more Stiles thought about it the more he realised that it was helping the pack, even if that meant Jackson too, and he couldn't say he didn't enjoy it as well. He now knew what it meant to them and he was okay with that, more than okay cause he knew what it meant to him too, and he was sure they probably sensed that as well.
He just really hoped Derek wouldn't get all smug about it.
That thought led him to wonder if Derek would ever be in need of Stiles like the rest of the pack, or if Alpha's didn't need cuddles. Stiles didn't know what to think of that, so just stopped and put his mind else where.
Jackson's first turn came sooner than Stiles would have liked. Sooner than he was sure Jackson would have liked too. Jackson, while part of the pack now, was struggling a little, everyone could see it, and sense it too. Even Stiles and he was no werewolf, so goodness knows what it was like for everyone else.
They had not long finished a tough Lacrosse practice and Stiles couldn't help noticing Jackson's distraction and lack of focus during it, even before Coach had helpfully pointed it out and benched him for it. While in the shower, washing off mud and grass stains Stiles was contemplating going to Derek, to try and get him to talk to Jackson and help him, he was the Alpha for a reason right? Jackson should be playing better than ever now that he was a big strong werewolf, not getting benched during practice!
Stiles finished his shower and promised himself to go to Derek, dragging Jackson with him if he had to, and moved into the now almost empty locker room. Of course Jackson was the only one left, sitting on the wooden bench, almost fully dressed but apparently confused by the laces of his trainers.
Stiles pulled his clothes out of his locker and glanced at Jackson, who apparently didn't know he was there, or didn't care. Stiles quickly dressed, resisting the urge to say something and packed his lacrosse bag. There was supposed to be a wolf training session in an hour at Derek's loft and he was considering bundling Jackson up and taking him over there earlier to sort this shit out, but really who was he kidding? Jackson wouldn't let him do that and he was a werewolf now, he had claws and strength that Stiles could never compare to.
He sighed heavily as what Derek had told him the other day came back to haunt him and maybe they didn't need Derek. Maybe Jackson just needed Stiles. He assessed how he was feeling and figured it didn't get much better so he was in the right place for this. He hoped.
"Are you just going to stand there staring at me?" Jackson growled out and flicked his head to face Stiles, his eyes glowing blue and Stiles gulped with a slight tremble. He hadn't forgotten what Jackson was capable of, whether under the influence of someone else controlling him or not, he didn't put it past Jackson to turn on him.
"Uhm, well no. But I don't think you're going to like the alternative," Stiles said. "Fuck, I'm not going to like the alternative," he muttered to himself but he was under no illusion as to think that Jackson didn't hear him.
"You're anxious," Jackson said, almost as if questioning why he could sense that, even though he should be well aware by now. He frowned and looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching, apparently unable to control them, and that didn't bode well, Stiles was sure.
"Am I? Not what I was going for, but okay," Stiles said. He dropped his lacrosse bag and tentatively stepped over to Jackson, shaking himself out as he went, almost as if he was trying to throw off the anxiety.
Jackson shot a look back at him, his pupils wide and his wolf eyes gone, looking almost scared and wasn't that just laughable? It was. Stiles couldn't help but laugh and he felt more at ease. He sat down on the bench next to Jackson, a space of another person between them and took a deep breath.
"Derek says this can help. He's maybe told you about it. Apparently he was telling you all that it was okay to just come along and feel me up, without explaining anything to me first, but that's another story," Stiles said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Jackson's wide eyes tracked his hand and Stiles couldn't tell if he wanted to break it or hold it.
Going by Jackson's silence, Stiles figured he would have to make the first move and so lifted both of his hands in a surrender, turning them over to show his intent wasn't to harm and slowly lowered his right onto Jackson's shoulder. Jackson tracked it again, the whole way but didn't move and didn't say anything until Stiles' palm was rested on his shoulder.
It was weird, Stiles knew that, felt like he was doing something he really, really wasn't meant to be, but he tried his hardest to push calm through him and towards Jackson. It apparently seemed to work as when he tightened his fingers slightly Jackson's eyes closed and he shuffled across the bench to close the space between them. Stiles was startled that it actually worked and said nothing as he didn't want to scare Jackson off again if he was helping.
Stiles stayed the way he was, one hand on Jackson's shoulder, clasped quite tightly but not prepared to do anything else, it was Jackson's move next, Stiles didn't want to push him. They stayed like that for a while, Jackson breathing heavily, his head slowly starting to tilt towards Stiles as Stiles got increasingly calmer. This wasn't so bad.
Within a few minutes Jackson huffed out a sigh, turned on the bench, swinging one leg over the other side of it, dislodging Stiles' hand, but facing him now. Stiles froze letting Jackson do what he wanted, which was apparently drop his face onto Stiles' upper arm, put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his knee and this just breeched every level of weird and Stiles willed himself not to tense too much.
"Okay, yeah, this is fine," Stiles muttered under his breath, unable to help himself as his arm tingled with Jackson's heat. Jackson growled and this shut Stiles up as he gulped and tried not to move.
He could feel Jackson's fear, leaking into him, but then soothing as if it hit Stiles' general contentment and he wondered if this was what it felt like to the wolves when they were the one soothing him. He had a feeling he had felt something like this before and was reminded of Isaac's first incident, but this time is was stronger. Maybe that was because he knew what was going on, or that he was focused on taking away Jackson's insecurities and insensitivity and he could feel that. It made him feel strangely good. Like he was important and could help.
Jackson's grip on his shoulder and his leg slackened and Stiles realised Jackson's head had moved up so that his chin was on his shoulder and his nose was against his pulse. He fleetingly panicked, thinking Jackson was going to bite, but then soothed and he wasn't sure if that was his own doing or Jackson's. This was all so confusing. Good and nice but confusing. He couldn't sort his own feelings from Jackson's and that was unsettling.
Jackson was taking deep inhales and shuddering on each one as if he was ingesting them. While Stiles was glad to be of importance, he couldn't understand why Lydia couldn't do this for Jackson. This was going to be nothing but awkward when they stopped.
Eventually Stiles started to feel nothing but calm, content and even a little happy and he realised that that meant Jackson was feeling a bit better. Jackson's sniffing stopped and his hands retreated and he slowly pulled his face out of Stiles' neck. Stiles slowly turned to look at him and while Jackson's face was expressionless, Stiles knew it would be best for him to leave. As soon as possible.
"Right. Yep. So uhm, good sniffing. Great really."
"You tell no one Stillinski," Jackson said sternly, but Stiles swore, swore he could see the hint of a smile on his lips and Stiles knew that this would happen again. That gate had been opened.
"Of course," Stiles nodded and quickly stood. He snatched up his bag and hightailed it out of there before Jackson could growl him out. They'd never be friends but this was close enough for both of them to be happy with.
Stiles was the first one to arrive at the loft half an hour later for the training session and Derek looked up when he walked in. Stiles waved in greeting and collapsed on the couch with his books as he only ever really observed through these sessions, but Derek insisted he be there. Derek walked over to him and looked down to where Stiles was pulling books out of his bag. Stiles looked up as Derek leant closer and sniffed around him.
Stiles frowned and leaned backwards, with a questioning "Dude?!" slipping out of his lips. Derek smirked, leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest.
"You got to Jackson then?" Derek asked.
Stiles' eyes narrowed and he quirked an eyebrow. "Somebody had to," he shot back.
Derek's expression dropped slightly and he reached behind him to scratch the back of his neck. "I was going to..." he mumbled.
"Dude, forget it. He's good. Lets face it, your powers could never have matched mine anyway. Shouting at him wouldn't have helped," Stiles shrugged.
"I woudln't have shouted at him," Derek said quietly, telling Stiles that was exactly what he would have done.
"Uh-hu. You got any food in, or will I need to call the chinese again?" Stiles asked, scattering his books in some sort of order only he would understand and changing the subject.
"Already done it, figured we needed substance before we started tonight," Derek shrugged.
"Super star," Stiles grinned. Derek shrugged and walked around the back of the couch, held on and started dragging it backwards. Stiles squeeked and clung on and threw a scowl over his shoulder.
"Needed more space," Derek smirked and then stopped, turning his face to the door. "Jackson and Isaac are here," he said.
"Oh, hey, meant to say, don't mention to Jackson about what happened, he was a bit embarrassed about it," Stiles said quietly.
Derek paused before he nodded. "Okay," Derek said, "But people are going to know anyway, you reek of him," he finished, his gaze still on Stiles for a long time after Stiles looked away back at his homework.
He was really starting to understand why the wolves were going to Stiles for comfort, not only was it helping the equlibriem of the pack, keeping everyone calm but he was loyal to every one of them, even Jackson who he didn't even like. Derek felt his heart swell and stutter and he took one step towards Stiles again when the door opened and he was startled out of his thoughts and he was forced to focus on the new arrivals and not the way Stiles was sucking on the end of his pen. Probably for the best anyway. That didn't take away from the fact that his skin was crawling at the thought of someone else's scent all over Stiles.
The fifth time Stiles could no longer say that he didn't expect it, she was the last one that hadn't come to him yet. Even Jackson had been to him three more times since their first before Erica did. Stiles couldn't decide if that was because she was stronger or just more stubborn.
Isaac and Boyd had made it more of a thing whenever Stiles arrived anywhere, to go out of their way to touch him, Isaac going as far as pulling him into a hug that was bordered on uncomfortable as he buried his face in Stiles' neck. Boyd would at least just put a hand on his shoulder and sniff deeply as his sign of greeting, and Scott was a little more touchy feely than was normal, his hugs tighter and his nose flaring whenever he walked into the room. Jackson was still all closet about it, cornering him in bathrooms and smashing his face into his arm/chest and leaving without saying anything except "Remember our deal Stillinski," which they'd never verbally agreed on but Stiles got the picture anyway. Jackson was always when he himself needed it and never when Stiles was in need of a puppy cuddle, but Stiles was fine with that, cause he had three other wolves to do the job. Stiles could say he looked forward to each and every cuddle and didn't really have anything to complain about, apart from the way Derek snorted or grinned knowingly every time it happened, or was able to tell it had with a deep sniff in his direction.
None of them ever really talked about it. Derek would give him looks after Isaac let go of him or watch Boyd's hand rest on Stiles' shoulder, looks that Stiles didn't really understand but they never talked about it again, and he certainly didn't talk about it to Isaac, Scott, Boyd and certainly not Jackson, as the last thing he wanted was for them to think he wanted it to stop.
So when Stiles had just watched the pack kill a vampire, he was a little shaken, he could admit that, he often found himself a little shaken after watching them kill something. Derek was casually wiping blood off his face as if it were water and the rest of the pack were inspecting wounds and congratulating each other on their achievements. Stiles stood apart from them all, unused axe hanging loosely in his hand and just staring at where the vampires head sat directly at his feet where it had rolled after Allison had chopped it off with her own axe.
He was seriously considering reevaluating his life and his choices, when the head was kicked carelessly aside and Erica's black leather knee high boots replaced it. He looked up at her face, which was smiling- really? smiling at a time like this?- and she tugged the axe from his hands, dropped it to the floor with a loud thump and gathered him up in her arms. She held him tight against her, pushing his face to her breasts and buried her own face in his hair, breathing deeply and making sort of keening noises and Stiles found himself thinking that was just what he needed.
Stiles melted into the comforting touch and when did Erica's touch become welcoming? And tried to ignore the fact that his face was in her clevege and that Boyd was probably watching. He could feel the stress and anxiety seeping from him in what was becoming an increasingly familiar way. Then Isaac was pressed against his back, his face buried in the side of his neck from behind and making a wolf sandwich out of Stiles. Stiles found he didn't mind. He didn't even mind that they were bleeding on him, just closed his eyes and reveled in the heat and security and safety of it, feeling suddenly calm and wondering what he had actually been frazzled about in the first place.
He opened his eyes when he could feel someone looking at him and was met by Derek's grin again. Derek nodded and mouthed 'told you so' and Stiles flipped him the finger for his trouble, he wasn't sure what Derek was referring to but he was not going to be made to feel guilty about liking this. Derek just laughed and didn't look away, his gaze affectionate and hey wasn't that something new and confusing, so Stiles closed his eyes again, holding on tight and getting goosebumps from the breath on his neck even though he had never felt hotter in his life, with two furry furnaces pressed against him.
Scott found his way over to Stiles after a couple of minutes, with Allison in tow and ruffled Stiles' hair as he walked past, saying something about getting some sleep before the big lacrosse game tomorrow. Stiles could just nod and wait for the wolves to get their fill before he could think about moving, because there was no way he was going to be the one to stop this first. He needed it.
Eventually Erica was first to pull away and her heat went with her, making Stiles shudder at the sudden breeze against his front. She didn't say anything, just ruffled his hair like Scott had and went over to join Derek and Jackson to help with the clean up. Isaac took a couple of minutes longer before leaving to help without a word too. Stiles sighed, suddenly cold and pulled his hoodie tighter around him and looked to see if he could be of any use. Boyd's hand came out of nowhere to land on his shoulder and squeezed it tight.
"Go home Stiles, we've got this," he said and gave Stiles a little push in the direction of the door to the warehouse. Stiles opened his mouth to protest, but Boyd shook his head and gave Stiles' lower back another push and he wasn't given much of a choice. He turned at the door and his eyes met with Jackson's. Jackson looked slightly pained but neither of them made any move to go anywhere. Stiles knew Jackson felt guilty for not being there for Stiles like the others were, but looked extremely unhappy about feeling so. Stiles broke their gaze and looked over at Derek instead and wondered what his excuse was. He was pack too. He'd been the one telling him the wolves needed it as much as he did, so why didn't Derek. Because he was even more stubborn than Erica, that's why.
He left feeling somewhat content, if not as if he was missing something, and felt as if he could easily sleep without any dreams of vampire heads flying from bodies. Later, once home and tucked up in his bed, Stiles found himself believing Derek's words about Stiles being the packs security blanket, being good for everyone involved, and just wondered how long he'd have to wait before Derek became one of those involved.
Now that the snuggling and cuddling was a thing with almost all the wolves, it was no longer weird or unexpected. And since Stiles hadn't had a good nights sleep since the Vampire thing, it was most definitely welcomed. That didn't mean he went seeking for it though. That was a step too far, and unpractical at this time of night.
Stiles had quite thick skin, and could handle a lot of things that a lot of people couldn't, but the Vampires were hard to get out of his head, all the blood and the heads that kept haunting his dreams were creeping him out and he just wished he could move on like he normally did. He hadn't had a proper good nights sleep since the night it happened and the wolves had calmed him enough for it. It was two weeks after and even though he was exhausted he just found he couldn't get comfy enough for sleep. He found himself longing for at least one wolf to cuddle, he wasn't fussy which one, even Jackson would do and how weird was that to think about?
He tossed and turned in his bed and willed his mind to switch off, from the vampires and the worrying thoughts that he was starting to rely on wolf cuddles, and the thought of Derek in the middle with him, and yeah that was a thought he tried half heartedly to get rid of. He tried this position and then the next and even tried sleeping at the other end of his bed, with the covers on, then off then half and half, until eventually he got so frustrated he flailed, tangled in his covers and toppled out. He groaned in frustration from his tangled position on the floor and wondered if he'd get to sleep down there instead.
He thought it might work until he heard footsteps on the roof outside his window and then the window being pushed up. He shot up, to look over his bed and found Isaac climbing in gracefully, as only a werewolf could. He could already tell why he was there and his heart was already soothed.
"Hey," Isaac said with a slight frown, clearly confused as to what Stiles was doing on the floor, but he knew better than to ask.
"Thank god," Stiles said and scrambled back into his bed, fixing the covers the best he could before holding them open and motioning Isaac to join him. Isaac smiled, slipped off his shoes, jeans and jacket before climbing in beside Stiles, pulling him against his front pressing into Stiles' back.
Stiles immediately felt at peace and heaved a heavy sigh as Isaac sniffed his neck and every anxiety, every fear and mental picture was evaporated. He briefly likened what was happening to taking drugs, in the way it masked his problems but didn't get rid of them, but he could think of that later. Right now was about this and the moments of peace. "We never speak of this," Stiles said softly his voice already sleep heavy. He wasn't ashamed, just cuddles were one thing, spooning was another and would be hard to explain to anyone not involved.
"Deal, we never do, but we are gonna get company soon," Isaac murmured. And right enough, Boyd and Erica were next climbing through Stiles' window and stripping down to join him and Isaac in the bed, without a word. Erica plastered herself to Stiles' front while Boyd settled behind her, a leg thrown over them all. Stiles wondered what his dad would say if he came in to check on him at all but found he'd deal with that explanation if he needed to and buried his face into Erica's hair and neck instead.
Stiles found himself slipping into sleep quickly but not before another pair of feet landed in his room, he peeked over at the window, over Erica's shoulder and saw Jackson standing, looking annoyed and as if he was in physical pain. Stiles paniced a little, just in case he was but Erica's hand through his hair calmed him.
Jackson grumbled low and Stiles didn't hear him, but everyone else did and Isaac growled from behind him.
"Nobody forced you here Jackson. Just shut up and get in here," Isaac said and Stiles got the gist. Jackson mimicked Isaac's voice but threw off his shoes and jacket and jeans and squeezed himself on the end of the bed at Stiles' feet, his head rested on them.
Within minutes another set of feet climbed over his windowsill and he was unsure if there was any more space. Stiles just knew that it was Scott's weight that spread across their legs and he got comfortable over them all and apparently there was enough space. He was the last piece of the puzzle, and the only other wolf besides Derek and Stiles scoffed to himself at the thought of Derek turning up in his hour of need. He hadn't yet so what would change that when he had five others at his disposal. Once everyone was still, Stiles was able to fall into a peaceful, warm dreamless sleep.
When he woke again, it was still dark and it was because Scott was growling sending vibrations through Stiles' legs, at the figure outside the window. Stiles made to sit up but was pushed back down by Isaac's hand and a whisper into his hair "It's just Derek, Scott,"
Scott's growls immediately stopped and Derek climbed in through Stiles' window. "You surprised me," Scott mumbled as an apology and settled again, and even though Stiles couldn't see him, he could imagine him tucking his face into his arm, curled over them like a real dog. Stiles peered through the pile of wolves at Derek, whom now he was there didn't seem to know why he was.
"You got me into this dude, you should at least come and join in," Stiles mumbled sleepily and felt Erica laugh against him. He wasn't sure where Derek would fit but he was sleep delirious and half thought this was a dream, there was no room for reason.
Derek seemed to debate this for a second before doing much like the rest, stripping down. Erica seemed to know what was expected of her and so pushed away from Stiles then and crawled up around his pillows, a hand still in his hair and Stiles couldn't deny the whine that slipped from him at the loss of heat and contact. Boyd shuffled back a bit further, without falling out and Derek was able to slip between him and Stiles as if he belonged there. He was rigid on his back for a second and Stiles watched him stare up at the ceiling, his hands resting on his chest. Stiles fought the urge to roll his eyes and Boyd pushed on Derek's shoulder until the older man huffed and rolled into Stiles, pulling him tight against his chest with a hand around his waist. Isaac grumbled but just shuffled forward so he was still plastered against Stiles' back.
Stiles felt light as air at Derek's soothing touch and this time was different from the Beta's. Stiles thought he had been calm before but it was nothing compared to this. He felt safe, protected and strangely breathless, as if he had just ran a mile. He didn't understand any of this, he was too sleepy to process it but he knew a decision had been made in his head. Derek was his favourite wolf cuddler.
Derek nuzzled Stiles' cheek and neck, his stubble scratching against Stiles' skin and Stiles let him. He sniffed and huffed and made all kinds of snuffling noises that Stiles felt a swoop low in his stomach as Derek's hands spread over Stiles' back and Stiles moved and put his hands around Derek's waist too. Derek made a content little whine and Erica laughed above them again.
"You need it too, do you big guy?" Stiles murmured, having a funny feeling that Derek was getting as much out of this as he was, felt the same things he was feeling. He dutifully ignored the fact that the rest of the wolves plastered around them could hear him and probably knew more than he did, about how they felt right now.
"More than I knew," Derek muttered back and Stiles' stomach swooped again.
"I knew," Isaac whispered into Stiles' back, his neck now full with Derek's rubbing, no room for Isaac to rest in his favourite place, he seemed to be taking it well, or Derek's alpha-ness probably meant he didn't have a choice.
"We all did," Scott said from their feet and Stiles' flushed cheeks suddenly didn't have anything to do with the five over hot werewolves in his bed.
"Shut up," Derek said and his lips brushed Stiles' neck a couple of times so that he shivered, despite the stifling heat.
The betas did as they were told and Stiles couldn't have talked even if he wanted to, his eyes had slipped shut so quickly, he felt so soothed in Derek's embrace. He was fast asleep in seconds.
When Stiles woke up his bed was considerably less wolf populated than when he had fallen asleep. That wasn't to say there wasn't one wolf left. He could tell without even opening his eyes, Isaac's heat against his back was gone, Scott and Jackson's weight had disappeared, Boyd's leg was no longer over them all and Erica's perfume had dissipated, all that was left was Derek's face still pressed into his neck, short puffs of breath ghosting the skin as Derek slept on.
Stiles sighed deep and stretched his legs out from where they were tangled with the Alpha's and was immediately pulled in closer. Derek's hands were grabby and tight so that Stiles found his face smooshed against Derek's shoulder and he could barely breathe, so maybe he wasn't as asleep as Stiles had first thought.
"No. Not done," Derek said, his breath and lips brushing Stiles' neck and he found a shudder trip through him, shaking his limbs.
"But I can't breathe," Stiles said, muffled against the fabric of Derek's t-shirt. Derek huffed but put his grabby hands back to use, pulling Stiles away enough to physically turn him so that they were front to back, manhandling him into position. Derek curled around Stiles easily, his hands resting on Stiles' chest and stomach and his face pressed to the back of his neck, lips pressing gently, tentatively there.
Stiles keened and pushed back without really meaning to and gripped onto Derek's strong arms. Derek took this as an in and threw a leg over Stiles' hip and pressed his lips more firmly to the back of Stiles' neck, nibbling a little too. Stiles couldn't help the moan that slipped from him.
"This is more than it is to the others isn't it?" Stiles asked slowly.
"Hmm?" Derek was either still half asleep or not awake enough to form proper sentences or maybe to distracted by Stiles' skin to think straight, but Stiles knew what he meant.
"I'm more than just a security blanket to you aren't I? That's why you have a different, stronger affect on me, isn't it?" Stiles said.
Derek sighed, his breath brushing the wet patches his lips and teeth had made on Stiles' skin. "Yeah," Derek admitted.
"Good," was all Stiles needed to say in response and press further into Derek. Derek's arms tightened and Stiles couldn't see it but he could feel the smile Derek gave against his skin.
They lay in silence holding each other for a long minute, Stiles almost tempted to drift back off to sleep and if it hadn't been for a niggling feeling in the back of his head he might have done, but there was another question he found himself wanting to ask.
"Where is everyone else?" he asked and he wasn't even sure Derek was still awake and hadn't gone back to sleep.
"Downstairs. You're dad's gone to work. A little confused but didn't seem to want to ask too many questions. Scott being here helped," Derek explained.
"Okay." Stiles said. He found it was hard for him to worry about his dad while Derek was filling him with his calming werewolf mojo hug. "And you're not going to make them stop with the puppy piling are you?" he said after a moment, the real thing he was concerned about. He liked that he had Derek now included in this and in ways he hadn't completely understood yet, but he didn't want to think about loosing this new pack habit, he still needed them and he hoped they need him too.
Derek laughed into the back of Stiles' neck and squeezed him in his arms. "And take away their security blanket? They'd never forgive me, not to mention I wouldn't even want to find out what they'd to do me if I tried," Derek said.
"Good," Stiles replied again.
"Don't worry, I know how to share," Derek said. "Most of the time," he added as an after thought. Stiles laughed and took the hand that was round his waist to thread their fingers together.
"I'm going to need a bigger bed, if this is going to become a thing," Stiles said idly.
"I have a bigger bed," Derek said and Stiles' cheeks flushed as he thought of that.
"Mhm. Yep. You do," Stiles said stilted but grinning. Derek pulled on him tighter.
They were silent again until one more thought occurred to Stiles. He thought about keeping it to himself and asking later, but found he didn't have the patience for that. Derek's leaking charm and calm was enough to give Stiles the courage to just ask.
"Is this what it's like to be an anchor?" he asked and Derek squeezed his hand.
"Yes,"
"Thought so," Stiles said and shuffled as he settled for sleep again, his eyelids heavy and struggling to stay open and he wondered if Derek was able to control this, and make him feel this way. He decided to save that question for later as Derek pressed his warm feet against his shins, tangling their legs again and Stiles slipped back to a dreamless sleep, the feeling of Derek's smile against his neck the last thing he remembered focusing on.