Hey guys! So, just letting you all know this is my first time on , so I'm just kind of getting the feel for how this website works... so bear with me as I try to gradually adjust. It's a little different than what I'm used to and I'm unfamiliar about chapter uploads and such, so I figured I'd start with a one-shot. I would also like to point out that I do not have a Beta reader so the mistakes made are all mine (however I tried to fix as much as possible).
It's sort of set after season 2, but I made a few adjustments to the storyline.
Rebuild
Derek wasn't accustomed to change. Change brought bad things. There was too much to worry about. He didn't like other people meddling into his business, and messing with the boundaries that he had put up.
No, he wouldn't have anyone changing his routine. His life worked the way he wanted it. He didn't have to depend on anyone else, unless it was asking Scott and Stiles for a few favors. Other than that, he liked being the powerful Alpha that everyone looked up to. Being the Alpha was what he deserved to be, no matter what anyone else said.
But all it took was a certain Stiles Stilinski to change Derek's lifestyle.
Derek was busy working out for the third time that day while the rest of the pack was talking in his living room, perched on the old, dusty couches. They were talking about how excited they were to go away for summer and forget the past events. They were all here to bask in each other's comfort one last time before they separated for the summer. Being together made everyone comfortable, whatever the circumstances. The werewolves definitely felt safer, always making sure to stroke each other affectionately regular times throughout each hour. Even Derek managed to brush a shoulder against the pack sometimes.
Jackson was going on and on about how he was being shipped off to London, and Lydia's temper slowly began to boil. Scott and Allison were avoiding catching gazes, but they couldn't help but steal long, wanting glances at each other. Erica and Boyd were talking about how good her boobs looked in her shirt while she ran her fingers through a sleepy Isaac's hair, his head in her lap. Peter was sitting at a table, completely engrossed in whatever he was doing.
Stiles, however, was trying his hardest to distract himself from not looking at Derek, who was doing pull-ups on the beam of his archway between the entryway and the living room. He was fiddling with a Time magazine that Peter had chucked onto the sofa.
Finally, Stiles couldn't take it anymore. He got up and walked over to Derek, casually leaning on the wall next to him.
"Don't you think it would be a little more comfortable here if we renovated this place a bit? Like don't get me wrong, I respect your sourwolf-gray-hurtful memory place, but if everyone comes here to be comfortable with one another, the place could use some love," Stiles suggested, trying to be light with his words.
Derek shot him an annoyed look, continuing his pull-ups. "The house is fine the way it is."
"See? You even call it a house. It's not supposed to be a house. It's supposed to be a home."
Derek stopped his pull-ups, bringing his face towards Stiles'. "You. Aren't. Pack. Don't try to make decisions that aren't yours to make."
Stiles rolled his eyes. He was so used to Derek treating him this way that it didn't even faze him anymore. "Look, be a sourwolf all you want. I'm just giving you suggestions that might help you and your pack. I may not be a part of it as you gracefully stated, but I'll have you know that I look for what's best for you. Take the critiques however you want, but when you stop being an ass, you'll know where to find me."
Stiles grabbed his hoodie off the rack by the door and went out, making sure to slam the door to prove a point. Isaac woke with a jolt, and everyone else looked at Derek accusingly. Erica let out a huff.
"What have you done this time, Derek?" she snapped.
"Stiles isn't pack. He shouldn't be acting like it."
Scott growled and stood up quickly, startling Allison who was sitting across the room. "Yeah he is. You don't want to admit it, but you find him just as valuable as you do us. Don't try to act any different than what the rest of us know you feel."
Derek snarled. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"You're unbelievable! You know, pretty soon Stiles isn't going to be there to save you all those times. What if Stiles wasn't there when Jackson was attacking you as the Kanima? Where would you be? Oh, that's right, dead!"
"I would have gotten a way out!" Derek snapped.
"You were paralyzed! Stiles had to keep your head above water for hours! Don't tell me you wouldn't have survived without him. None of us can survive without him and you're too naïve to realize it!"
Erica kissed Isaac's head lovingly, just as she would do to a child. She moved his head onto the couch and grabbed her coat, rushing out the door to find Stiles. Lydia followed, planting a kiss on Jackson's lips before leaving. Peter rolled his eyes and got up from his seat, muttering a simple "teenagers," as he made his way upstairs, laptop in hand.
Scott and Derek continued to argue, eyes flaring amber and red. Isaac grabbed Scott, and both Boyd and Jackson held Derek back, trying to get them off each other. Allison took out wolfsbane from her pocket, just in case Isaac told her to use it to break Scott and Derek apart.
"Scott's right," Isaac said softly, "Some of us wouldn't even be here without Stiles. All he did was make one little comment. It's not like you had to shut him out. He wants us to be happy."
Derek softened at Isaac's careful words, but only for a moment.
"Fine!" Derek yelled, "fine! I've had enough of all of you ganging up on me for one day. Get out of here and we'll regroup when all of your teenage angsts have withered!" He shrugged Boyd and Jackson off him, trudging up the stairs.
The four boys and Allison joined Erica, Lydia and Stiles by their cars.
"Let's get out of here. He needs time to sort his wolfy butt out," Lydia stated simply, running a hand through Stiles' short hair.
Derek spent a whole summer without talking to any of his pack members. Not even Isaac, Boyd and Erica, who had moved in previously.
A week after the big argument, the puzzle pieces seemed to fit in Derek's mind.
As much as he hated to say it, Stiles was right. The pack was stronger together, and any idiot could see that. Derek's house was supposed to be the one the pack met in. He was the Alpha and it was his responsibility to take care of his pack.
Derek started cleaning out the house, removing the old furniture. The wood that the house was made of wasn't too bad. A little call to some renovators restored it almost back to its original color. He re-painted the door with a mahogany brown, and painted the inside of his house with a neutral beige color. He wasn't the kind of person who made a home, and he didn't really know where to start with furniture and decorations.
He needed help, and not even Peter would do.
Derek sat by his phone for hours, debating on whether or not he should speed dial that one special number. He also silently shunned himself for making the number his most important speed dial.
Derek took a deep breath and dialed the number. He didn't even know if his call was going to be answered.
Surely enough, after the fourth ring, he heard a very confused voice at the other end of the line.
"Derek?"
"Stiles… It's me."
"What do you want, Derek? I'm not even part of your pack. Why are you calling me?"
"I was an asshole for not saying you were part of the pack."
There was hesitation.
"Go on," Stiles urged.
"Look, I took your advice into consideration, and I'm getting the house renovated. It's painted, it has lights, and it's clean. It's kind of clean. It's mostly clean."
Stiles didn't know what to say. Derek never rambled on like this. He detected a hint of nervousness.
No matter how much Stiles wanted to hate Derek, he couldn't help but feel really smug about Derek asking for his help. Again.
"What do you want me to do?"
Derek sighed. "Be my decorating committee?"
Derek could practically feel Stiles' face-splitting grin from the other end of the line.
"Yeah, pick me up at 7 a.m."
A couple of days before everyone in the pack returned from vacation, sans Jackson, Stiles and Derek had finished the house.
The beige walls were decorated with a few pictures hanging. Allison and Scott sharing a loving gaze, Jackson and Lydia cuddling with Stiles making a funny face in the background, and a few with all of them the last school year. Derek didn't like photos, so there was none of him adorned on the walls. Stiles had picked out three loveseats and a couple of recliners, along with a coffee table and some lamps to accommodate the living room. He made sure to have extra mattresses located upstairs for when the pack wanted to sleep in the living room all together.
Derek took care of the kitchen, making sure there was a refrigerator, stove, coffee machine, and microwave that worked. He added a table where everyone could sit at. He wasn't picky with the furniture he chose, but he made sure Stiles approved before buying it. He even stocked the cabinets with food, making the place a little more livable.
Peter agreed on helping, including using his own savings to buy everything they needed. He insisted that he decorate the rooms upstairs, and Stiles was almost reluctant to give that job to him. However, Stiles managed to give Peter the job as long as he had the final say in what he was buying. Derek secretly made Peter design a room that was specifically decorated for Stiles, making sure he had a place to stay that was permanent if need-be. Derek and Stiles needed each other sometimes, even if they didn't like to admit it.
In between decorating, Derek and Stiles would stop and talk about what else needed to be done, and Stiles couldn't help but smile whenever Derek suggested what else he wanted to make the new home perfect. The final plan was for every one to move in together eventually as one big family.
After Derek's lovely prepositions, Stiles thought they had immediately grown closer throughout the process of decorating. He wanted Derek to know how much Stiles cared. In return, Derek needed to be with Stiles, and he was slowly coming to terms with it.
A few hours before the pack showed up, Stiles managed to sneak in a few other trinkets, like blankets and pillows for when the pack wanted to have a giant sleepover in the living room with the extra mattresses. He gave the windows a little clean while Derek was re-adjusting a lamp that Stiles gave up putting the bulbs in. Who knew IKEA furniture was so hard to put together? They were just lamps!
Derek heard several cars pull up to the home, along with the audible gasps coming out of the pack members' mouths. He heard Lydia and Erica squeal with excitement. Lydia's insistent knock rattled the door and Erica rolled her eyes, ringing the new doorbell too many times for Derek's blood pressure to handle. Stiles and Derek shared an understanding glance toward each other, and proceeded in opening the door.
They were greeted with the whole pack, smiling and chatting loudly about how amazing the house looked and asking what Stiles had to do to get Derek to fix up the place.
The rest of the pack took their time to explore the house while Derek and Stiles stayed in the entryway.
"Oh, I have something to show you," Derek said, motioning for Stiles to follow him up the stairs.
Stiles raised an eyebrow in wonder, but followed closely behind. Derek led him up to one of the farthest halls, and Stiles instantly grew more excited. He hadn't been to this hall before. The only room in this hall he knew about was Derek's, and Derek didn't want anyone going up there.
They stopped at the room right across Derek's.
Derek looked at Stiles stoically. "I was an asshole to you whenever you were just trying to help me. It took me a long time to realize that I actually need you."
Stiles' heart raced, and Derek noticed. His lips twitched upwards. He opened the door and stated, "this room is yours, for whenever you decide to stay."
Derek had planned what this room was going to look like for Stiles. With Peter's help, they made the room completely… Stiles. There was no other word to describe the room before them.
"If this pack is going to succeed," Derek started, "you're going to need to be in it. You're going to need to be in it with me."
"Wow, Derek, I don't really know what to say…"
"For once," Derek snorted. Stiles rolled his eyes at Derek, scoffing. "Just say yes."
"Yeah, yeah I'll move in with you."
Derek's smug smile appeared on his face.
Stiles let out a content chuckle. "You totally have feelings for me, don't you?"
"Shut up, Stiles. We have a pack to manage," Derek retorted, turning on his heel. He inwardly smiled at the thought of him and Stiles living together. They balanced each other out, although he would never admit that.
"I'll take that as a yes!" Stiles beamed, chasing after him.
-End-
Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review or something, especially if it's something I could work on, or tips on how this bloody website works! I would love positive feedback as well, and it's always appreciated. Thanks! xx
