Derek's Request

All Our Firsts Series

Fourth of July

Author's note: I love this, hope everyone else likes it too.

Stiles stood, transfixed by the sight of the steadily growing house on the Hale property and grinned. He couldn't help it, the place was going to be beautiful and the man who was building it was more than beautiful; he was one of the best people Stiles had ever been lucky enough to know let alone be engaged to.

It had been a surprise but not really, they had been talking about mating and marriage for a couple of weeks now so when Derek had taken him out on the last day of Pride and proposed, they exchanged the red rubber rings for slim tungsten bands and to the shimmer of proud tears in his dad's eyes Stiles knew that Derek had told the man of his intentions, maybe even asked for Stiles's hand which he'd laughed about because his dad hadn't been able to make Stiles do anything since he was ten. So if he was going to marry one Derek Hale, no one and nothing was going to stop him.

They were planning to marry and have the reception after the house was done and Stiles was in no hurry because he was getting ready to head off to college but the idea that Derek saw forever with him was good to know. Stiles sure as hell saw forever with the surly werewolf who tended to talk with his eyebrows more than his mouth.

"It's perfect Derek, I am so proud of you!" Stiles finally exclaimed and wrapped an arm around his partner's shoulder and smacked a quick kiss to his cheek ending it with a loud 'muahh' that had Derek smirking that half expression.

Stiles turned back to the house and tried to see the plans in their finished form. He could see how sprawling it would be when it was done, three stories and a large base plus a large cleared area in the back, something big enough for a growing werewolf pack that called Beacon Hills home. By the time Derek had broken ground on the place he'd been asking Stiles for input because it was going to be their home someday or that had been their hope. At the time, Stiles hadn't been accepted into Berkley but this would still be here for them when Stiles wasn't away at college. Derek had already said he would travel with him and they would have a place off campus together making the idea of going away to college far more appealing for the anxiety ridden PTSD having human. Berkeley was close but it wasn't close enough for either one of them in their new shiny relationship and bond.

Derek had already said he would find something to do, though he was being really cagey about the plan, much to Stiles's infinite curiosity. Derek would just smile and say, "You'll see."

"This is all you Stiles, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you."

Stiles's skin flushed under the loving words that didn't make any sense because Derek did this but he also knew that sometimes the sourwolf couldn't handle that kind of appreciation. "Can you at least concede that you signed off on this beauty?"

Derek nodded and Stiles kissed him again, sloppy and loud in the silence of the forest and Stiles thought about the Fourth of July and wondered what they were going to do. Holidays have been adventures for them but this one, though it was important for America, it wasn't one that he'd spent a lot of time on in his youth. The fourth had been for the deputies having barbecues, fireworks and block parties. Since the supernatural landed smack dab in their lives, it wasn't something he'd spent a lot of time thinking about.

"Hey Stiles?" Derek asked sounding hesitant.

"Yeah Love?" Stiles responded, leaning in close and pressing kisses along Derek's shoulder and across his throat. The werewolf hummed in contentment.

"Do we have to do the whole fireworks thing? I'm not a huge fan and honestly I would love to go running in the Preserve with you. I love the pack but we just went to dinner with them yesterday. Can we just skip this one?"

Stiles smiled a little and pressed another kiss to Derek's jaw as he plastered himself to his partner's front and dragged his teeth along the werewolf's throat and once upon a time that would have caused all kinds of anxiety for Derek but not anymore. He lifted his chin and sank in with a contented growl to the caress. The human grinned, "I would love to go running with you. Maybe you could show me your full shift?"

Derek pulled back and gave Stiles an incredulous look.

"Don't even front with me Derek Hale, I know you can do it. Don't you forget that I've seen it. You haven't done it since then."

Derek looked down and away in embarrassment but Stiles just kept kissing his fiancé and ignored the way he kept trying to pull away. Then Derek whispered, "You don't understand. I can't do that without letting it all go and I can't trust the wolf, not completely. Especially not with you close by, it's too much of a risk."

Stiles moved one of his hands down from Derek's neck and moved it under his shirt and scratched along Derek's abs just to feel them contract and hear the rumble and feel the heat the werewolf was putting off as Stiles kept up the touching making sure it was just as soothing as it was intimate. "I trust you Derek, I bet that if I helped; you could let go and turn. Trust me with this please?"

Derek sighed and moved to take Stiles's mouth in a long and luxurious kiss, left the human moaning and weak in the knees until he was leaning into Derek in a bid to stay on his feet. Stiles tightened his grip around Derek's waist and held on while the werewolf tilted his head to deepen the kiss and Stiles was not proud of the whimper that escaped at the feeling of deep penetrating kisses that echoed what they both wanted and he pulled back enough to press his forehead to Derek's head and breathed raggedly.

"Are you trying to distract me from what I asked you?" Stiles whispered into the space between their lips and the werewolf leaned in for another peck as he chuckled.

"Depends, is it working?"

"Nope," Stiles said with a grin.

Derek groaned and Stiles chuckled and flattened his hand into the back of his partner's back to hold them close, he did it to give Derek something to hold onto.

"You can do this Derek, it's time to trust the wolf. He loves me too right?"

Derek rolled his eyes, "Dummy, the wolf is me, and all of me loves you. Couldn't say why though."

Stiles waggled his eyebrows comically ignoring the faux insult that they both knew was a load of crap, "Then trust the wolf with me."

"Fine, I can't promise anything but I will try. We will take the Jeep into the Preserve, bring some food."

"Big bad wolf is going to be hungry?" Stiles asked with a flirty wink.

"Shut up Stiles," Derek huffed in amusement. The human couldn't help but feel stupidly proud that Derek was capable of laughing with him like this. They had both come so far together. He leaned in and took Derek's lips in another kiss before they separated and got into the Camaro. Stiles had some picnic foods to gather and then tomorrow he was going to celebrate Independence Day with Derek's freedom and trust.

After the rounds of Happy Fourth of July texts and visits to a couple people including the Sheriff to make sure the man had some food as well, Derek and Stiles climbed into the jeep and they drove out to the Preserve. Derek took them past the house and as deep as they could get and he was glad Stiles was willing to let him drive since he knew these woods better for now. Once Derek stopped, they dragged the blanket out and laid it down on the grass in a generous opening but left everything in the jeep for now. Stiles settled on the blanket and watched as Derek started pacing in front of him and thought about what it was like to let go enough to become the wolf but it was hard to grasp onto since the last time it had happened he'd been dying.

"Do you wanna talk it out or should I just be quiet?"

"Do you know how to be quiet?" Derek returned.

"Ha ha sourwolf got jokes, does he? I can be quiet if that's what you need." Stiles paused and held up a pointed finger and finished, "I'll do my best anyway."

Derek nodded because of course Stiles would do what he needed but realized that maybe talking it out with Stiles was exactly what he needed. He hadn't had that kind of relationship since Laura died and after everything with Kate, he'd shut down his sister more often than not.

"Fur is easier," Derek started then stopped and though Stiles grinned like a loon and then his face pinched in his bid to not say anything Derek tried to straighten out what he was trying to say, "Being a wolf is easier because there isn't all this other complicated stuff that comes with being human. No matter how much we want things to be simple, the truth is that humans are convoluted and the wolf is easy. So it should be easy to let go of the human part and just be still. But my anchor was anger and it was only when I lost everything that I got back the ability to reclaim the wolf."

Derek stopped pacing when he heard Stiles clear his throat and noticed the human had his hand raised. He motioned for him to speak and Stiles wasted no time rubbing his hands together and speaking, "Is that how your mother did it?"

The werewolf paused because he hadn't considered all the times his mother had tried to show him how to do it. "She said it was trusting oneself. She knew who she was no matter her shape. It wasn't about control, it was about freedom."

Stiles motioned and Derek moved to flopped down on the blanket next to his love and waited for him to do something and smiled when Stiles just took his hand and asked, "Do you trust me?"

"Always," Derek answered without a thought or a pause.

"Can I touch you?" He asked, looking down and playing with Derek's fingers gently.

"Stiles why are you asking? I welcome your touch. Anytime."

The human pressed in close to Derek's side and kissed him right behind the ear, making the werewolf shiver in delight, "I am going to help you. I am going to talk you through this I think and on the other side you are going to be a wolf and not be able to talk to me. We've never done this and you have a right to say no to this."

"I won't say no to you."

Stiles flushed and his scent flooded with contentment and joy. There was also lust but it was banked sort of lust, nothing to say they were going to have sex in the woods though he was pretty sure neither of them would have said no to that either if they had the lube and more bedding because he was all for outdoor sex but he would not be okay with Stiles getting hurt. "Okay than." Stiles helped Derek out of his Henley and his jeans and the werewolf gave him a hard side eye when he was left in his boxer briefs.

"Not like that, I swear though next to we come out here that is totally on the list."

Derek chuckled but allowed Stiles to lay him down on his back then he just listened as the litany of beautiful things fell from the human's lips. Stiles told him everything he liked about the werewolf and why he would spend the rest of his life thanking god that Derek belonged to him all the while he pressed hands into Derek's hands and his feet gently.

Then without even shifting, his hands started moving up his legs and over his chest, just caressing his hot skin and he wondered aloud what Derek would look like as a wolf. He yammered on about the black coat, that he would love curling up with Derek in that form when it was cold and he just needed some comfort. Stiles imagined what it would be like to watch Derek run prey or even chase Stiles in the woods and the werewolf's body jerked at the thought of it. The picture of Stiles running ahead, neck exposed as he laughed to the sky and loving every second of the chase.

"I would let you catch me Der because I trust you, no matter what shape you are, you love me and I love you. Let go of everything but the wolf and me. Remember your anchor, that's all you need."

Derek couldn't help thinking of the moment when he realized that Stiles was his anchor; it was that moment when the teenager wouldn't leave him in the swimming pool despite the fact that he was in danger. That's all it took and suddenly he could hear Stiles cackling happily as he bounced around and Derek growled because he didn't say he wanted Stiles to stop touching then he realized it wasn't a werewolf growl, it was a wolf growl. He opened his eyes and realized he was lying differently now, listed off to the side a little with his legs spread akimbo but his vision filled in the blanks, seeing his paws and and the dark fur covering every part of him.

He alpha shifted.

Derek stood up slowly, trying to remember what it was like to walk on four legs and realized he was still wearing his boxers and shook out of them to the chorus of Stiles laughing and cheering. And really Derek didn't want to deter him, the scent of Stiles's happiness soaked into every fragment of air and he wanted to soak it in, he wanted it all over his fresh fur that didn't smell enough like them to satisfy the wolf.

He yipped happily and bounced over to his love and Stiles plopped down next to him and held out his hands. The black wolf easily slipped forward and pressed into Stiles's body for cuddles, sighing in contentment.

"You big fuzzbucket, I knew you could do it cuddlewolf!"

Derek pawed at Stiles a little and grabbed at his t-shirt and tugged him back towards the blanket before he flopped down and let Stiles lay down with him.

They would go running, he could run prey or chase Stiles but right now he just wanted to be close to this obnoxiously brilliant shining spark of humanity that was his mate.

"Happy Independence Day Derek, you're free."

Derek just grumbled happily and licked up the side of Stiles's face to the sweet song of curses and false disgust that Derek didn't need to be a wolf to detect especially when the human just flipped and hugged Derek as close as he could.

He was free but only because he was tethered to this human.

His anchor.