This work has been finished bar editing. I hope to post approx. a chapter per week. I started this fic in 2012 and happened to discover it on an old laptop when I was clearing the system. I kind of like the setup here, I may add shorter one shots after I've completed it, fics that I've written and never posted anywhere.
-/-
'I think that'll do us.' The voice came from the darkness, hidden deep within the trees. There was a hum and a buzz, the sound of undergrowth being crushed underfoot and then silence.
Sally clutched the strap of her bag tighter and stepped carefully over the dirt path through the woods. She was tired, and it was stupid to use this shortcut but Sally just wanted to sink into a hot bath and forget all about her day. It wasn't to happen though, in the distance a car started, and Sally could smell burning. Some idiots had started a fire in the forest again. With a sigh Sally put her head down and hurried on, but the smoke attracted her and she paused at the clearing.
What she saw made her heart stop and her gut heave. She couldn't stop the scream that left her lungs, and it reminded her how terribly alone she was in this forest with a crucified body smouldering on a cross just twenty feet away from her.
-/-
Stiles cuddled against his boyfriend's chest, conscious of his father's eyes pointedly not looking their way because he allowed this, he agreed to this, and he'd told them, after many hours of awkward discussions to just act natural, be themselves around him. It was still weird though, touching Derek like this, resting against him when his father was right there.
Derek's hand had slipped beneath Stiles's t-shirt, his thumb rubbed a slow circle against the skin of Stiles's side, the soft part below the ribs. It was a soothing movement, though who the feeling was soothing for Stiles had yet to determine.
Isaac was almost asleep length ways along the sofa, feet dangling over the edge while John relaxed back into his recliner, leaving the love seat for the lovebirds; at least that's how Isaac put it to them with a teasing smile as he claimed the sofa for himself after dinner.
Stiles made a mental note to thank his father for everything he'd done for them, supporting their relationship against the odds, keeping their secret and letting them act like a couple in the privacy of their home. Stiles had only been seventeen to Derek's twenty five the first time they kissed, was still seventeen, technically, but that would change soon.
Derek shifted beside him and snorted a breath out, tickling the skin on Stiles's neck. A moment later a soft snore told Stiles that Derek was asleep. John watched with wide eyes, and he looked like he was holding in a laugh.
'He's been working hard lately,' John said eventually, and although his lips twitched his eyes softened. 'It isn't easy for him, he's young and he has to prove himself. He's first in, usually last out unless he's meeting you, and takes all the overtime god sends his way.'
'He works hard,' Stiles agreed running his fingers through Derek's deceptively soft hair.
'When he wakes get him a beer and I'll let him stay the night,' John said kindly, 'but your bedroom door stays open and if I hear anything wetter than kissing...'
'Dad!' Stiles could feel the heat in his cheeks but John lifted his eyebrows. 'You won't hear anything Dad I swear, I mean, we won't...' Stiles sat up straighter. The prospect of sleeping in his boyfriends arms, of waking up on a lazy Sunday morning making out and cuddling had Stiles's belly rolling with excitement.
'I trust you both,' John confirmed looking back at the television. This would be the perfect Saturday night, take out with his family and his boyfriend, a Lethal Weapon fest and junk food. He didn't want to push his luck asking for a beer, what he had right now was pushing enough luck for the year.
Derek woke half an hour later when Stiles laughed out loud at the television. 'Sorry,' he said as Derek sat up with bleary eyes and looked around the room.
'I should make tracks,' Derek said reluctantly. He straightened in the seat and rolled his neck from side to side.
'Nonsense. Stay and have a beer with me,' John said. Derek opened his mouth to speak but John beat him to it. 'I'll allow you to stay as long as Stiles's bedroom door stays open. I don't need to get more graphic than that do I?'
'No!' Derek said quickly, eyes wide. 'Not at all,' Stiles stood up and winked at Derek, padding into the kitchen. He poured two tall glasses of coca cola for Isaac and himself, and uncapped two bottles of beer, adding a bowl of chips and carrot slices to the tray.
'Stiles,' John sighed heavily and put upon when Stiles set the tray onto the coffee table making sure to angle the carrots towards his father.
'Dude you had pizza earlier and I let you have some curly fries too and now beer. I don't think low fat chips and carrot sticks are the end of the world,' Stiles scolded as he sat on the floor between Derek's feet shuffling backwards until his shoulder was pressed against the inside of Derek's knee. Derek's fingers pushed through his hair and he let his thumb rest on Stiles's pulse.
'Alright, alright. His mother was just like this too you know, always bossing me around. You mark my words Derek son you're in for a life of it!' John said sticking a finger at Stiles, although the corner of his lips was curling up.
'Yeah well I'd like to keep you around for as long as possible please,' Stiles said holding the dish of carrot sticks out to his dad who took one with a grumpy frown. 'And stop trying to frighten my boyfriend off!'
They'd just put the DVD for Lethal Weapon Two in when Derek's mobile rang, and seconds later his dads did too.
'No!' Stiles whined dropping his head back to look up at Derek who was shooting him an apologetic smile as he barked his name into the handset. His dad was already talking.
'Be right there,' Derek said ending the call. 'I'm sorry baby,' he leaned forward and kissed Stiles on the lips. Stiles pouted into the kiss.
'Wouldn't be so hasty in saying goodbye,' John said indicating two empty bottles they each had, not to mention the whiskey tumblers.
'You can't drive but you can fight crime?' Isaac asked.
Derek snorted and muttered something under his breath but he was already pushing his feet into his boots and pulling his jacket over his shoulders.
'Criminal,' Stiles teased when he was tossed the keys to Derek's Camaro. 'Wait what?'
'It's not an official police vehicle like your dads car us, and it's more trustworthy than your jeep,' Derek said. Isaac was on his feet in seconds, giddy at the prospect of riding in Derek's sports car.
John rolled his eyes but held the door open for them, locking it behind them. 'You two stay in the car. If I catch you out of it I'll ground you both until you graduate. And that's college, not high school!' Derek sat in the front by Stiles while Isaac slunk into the backseat beside John. Stiles couldn't help but grin at Isaac in Derek's mirror, and Isaac returned the smile.
The engine purred to life and Stiles licked his lips as he wrapped his hands around the smooth steering wheel. For a moment Stiles closed his eyes and imagined this was his car and there was just him, Derek and the open road, not a dark track to a crime scene that would distract both his father and his boyfriend.
'Hey, Stiles,' John said softly from the backseat. Stiles opened his eyes and turned to smile at Derek. Derek was watching him closely, and Stiles smiled turned to check his mirrors before he let the car roll out of the driveway. It warmed Stiles that Derek relaxed and didn't complain about Stiles's driving, and a little bloom of pride tickled Stiles's chest.
Derek directed Stiles to where he wanted to go, and they parked without speaking. Derek squeezed Stiles's knee as John left them with a final reminder to stay in the car.
'What do you think has happened?' Isaac breathed crawling into the front seat even before Derek's passenger door closed. Derek shot him a look but Isaac ignored it in favour of making himself comfortable.
'I don't know,' Stiles muttered. There was a police scanner in Stiles's jeep (unofficial of course, despite the fact that both his dad and his boyfriend knew about it) but Derek's car was all normal, nothing exciting that Stiles could use. They watched people gathering at the police lines, a woman whose heels kept sinking in the mud, a guy who looked like an FBI agent from the fifties with a hat and long brown coat, and Lacrosse Co-Captain Dream Team Jackson Whittemore and Scott McCall. They did everything together, dated the hottest girls in school, socialised with the coolest people and played the best game; they practically shared a life.
'What are they doing here?' Isaac muttered sliding down in his seat to keep out of sight.
'Don't know that either,' Stiles bit his lip and looked away, his eyes finding Isaac's in the dim light. 'Want to play I spy?'
'I spy with my little eye, something beginning with T,' Isaac said linking his long fingers over his belly.
'Turd,' Stiles said immediately, his eyes going to where the Co Captains stood. Isaac burst out laughing, his knees cracking against the glove compartment while he cackled. He let out a shout and leaned forward, but Stiles nudged him, Jackson and Scott were looking their way. Stiles waved, and Isaac joined him. Scott's look lingered longer than Jackson's before he looked away.
More than an hour later John and Derek came back to the car, both quiet and grim. Derek opened the driver door and nodded for Stiles to get out. They didn't share affection in public, being careful of attracting attention to their age difference. 'I'll drive you two home,' Derek said softly his fingers lingering on Stiles's hoodie sleeve for a moment. Stiles nodded his understanding and joined Isaac in the back, waiting until they were on the dark road out of the forest before reaching forward and tucking his fingers under the collar of Derek's jacket. Derek pushed his head back and let a slow breath out, enjoying the feeling of Stiles touching him as he drove into town.
John and Derek left for the station as soon as the front door closed, and deflated Stiles and Isaac went to bed after clearing away the debris from the family room. It was after four am when a cold body touched Stiles's back and woke him.
'You came back,' Stiles muttered. Derek buried his face in Stiles's neck and pressed a cold hand underneath Stiles's t-shirt, resting it on his belly. Stiles shivered but didn't push him away.
'Course I did. Go to sleep,' Derek ordered. Stiles turned to him and demanded a kiss, his lips seeking Derek out. Cold hands pushed under Stiles's t-shirt but moved no further than his waist. Stiles nuzzled Derek's cheek when they parted, he could taste coffee on his lips. 'Go to sleep,' Derek whispered again. Stiles didn't intend to obey, but his body somehow did.
Stiles woke late, Derek like a furnace behind him. Twisting Stiles pressed a kiss to his slack lips and rolled out of bed, padding downstairs to the kitchen. No one else was awake yet, the house silent around him. Stiles liked being the only one awake, or at least out of bed.
He peeked into the fridge, put the coffee pot on and went back to bed. Derek dragged him under the comforter as soon as he got hold of him, kissing him softly, half pinning Stiles beneath his body.
'What do you want for breakfast?' Stiles asked wishing he'd brushed his teeth. Derek didn't seem to be suffering from morning breath but he was sure his own mouth was foul.
'You,' Derek said attacking his lips again. Not caring about anything other than kissing. Stiles snorted and let Derek kiss him, rolling them until Derek was on top of him.
'Me, for breakfast?' Stiles asked as Derek kissed his neck, nipping gently at his collarbone, and Derek rolled them again, clearly miscalculating because they landed on the floor with a loud thud in a tangled heap.
'Morning Stiles, Derek.' A voice said from the doorway.
'Morning Dad.' Stiles said burying his face against Derek's laughing chest. 'Not funny.' Stiles hissed.
'A little funny,' Derek pointed out.
Stiles huffed but Derek untangled them and stood up. Stiles followed him downstairs to where John was pouring the first cup of coffee. Isaac was sitting on the counter his socked feet dangling off the floor.
'So uh, what happened?' Stiles asked. Derek was pouring a cup of coffee for himself and Stiles watched his shoulders tense.
'A teenage girl was found dead,' John said from his place at the table. He already had the morning paper open and was reading over the details of the murder he already knew inside out. Stiles watched as he scribbled notes into the margin of the paper, then tore the section off and pushed it towards Derek.
'Who was she?' Isaac asked curiously.
'Uh...she hasn't been identified,' Derek said sharing a look with John. Stiles knew that being police detectives, they had to have some secrets but there was something about that look they just shared, that something more feeling that Stiles had coming through the bones in the back of his neck had him curious.
'What?' Stiles asked looking between them.
'It's a bit horrific,' Derek admitted leaning back against the counter. 'And...' Derek trailed off with a huff.
'Look I don't want you two boys harassed at school. Derek and I have talked, we don't want to tell you but we don't want you to hear from a rumour mill either,' John said sharing another look with Derek.
'We think that she was burned alive,' Derek said softly. Isaac gagged and paled. Stiles watched Derek closely but he was either wearing a good mask or he genuinely wasn't affected. Derek's own father had been burned alive inside his car, but then Stiles wasn't sure if Derek knew Stiles knew, and that thought was complicated.
'Something tells us that she wasn't from Beacon Hills,' John added plucking at the coffee cup. 'And that's all we're saying for now. We can talk about anything you two boys hear but let's have breakfast first huh?'
'I'll cook,' Derek said turning away and facing the counter. Stiles watched his boyfriend move around the kitchen, perfectly comfortable in their environment. He understood, this murder undoubtedly brought up bad memories from his own past, and Stiles was surprised his dad hadn't tried to distract Derek away from the case to something else, but then Stiles himself knew that they were the best detective team in Beacon Hills PD. John helped Derek with breakfast, but it was mostly Derek's work, eggs, lean bacon and whole meal toast. 'We're going to the station after this and then I'm going home,' Derek said when he sat beside Stiles.
'Oh,' Stiles said failing to hide his disappointment.
'I'm sure you have plenty to do anyway,' Derek pointed out.
'Yeah, homework. And collage essays, and...' Stiles huffed out a breath. Collage essays, Stiles knew where he wanted to attend, Berkeley was an hour away, but Derek and his dad still forced him to explore all his options.
'We're going to the movies tomorrow night right?' Derek asked poking Stiles in the shoulder with the blunt end of his knife.
'Yeah,' Stiles said trying to ignore the feeling of being left alone yet again. He knew Isaac was here but still, he would have liked to spend a little more time with Derek focusing on something not crime or family related, like making out.
They kissed goodbye later in the living room, and Stiles waved out the window as Derek drove away. He tried not to sigh as he made his way to his bedroom.