Chapter 1
Stiles was certain he heard some weird screeching sounds in the woods, he was on his way home from a pack meeting when he stopped the car to look around the forest. He stepped out of his car and started to walk. To keep Derek off his back for walking alone in the woods he sent him a text message.
- i'm walking alone in the woods
Stiles smiled at his message. He realized quite some time ago that he had a crush on Derek, and because of that embarrassing fact, he had to avoid him at any cost and hide his feelings. Only thing he couldn't stop doing is to annoy the shit out of Derek. But it was just a stupid crush, it will go away.
He walked forward, deeper into the forest and soon enough he smelled something dreadful. "It's disturbing how many times I have smelled something like that." he said out loud looking at the bloody mess in front of him.
"Like what?" Derek was suddenly behind him.
Stiles was so startled, that he slipped and fell down, into a pool of human remains. "Like a dead human, asshat. Was it so necessary to scare me like that?!" Stiles sighed angrily "I'm gonna put a fucking bell around your neck." he stood up and looked at himself. Like always, covered in blood.
Stiles sighed heavily and stepped away, the body was too gruesome, like somebody had pulled its insides out. What was weirder, was that this wasn't the first body like this. It was fourth, this month.
„Hi" Stiles stepped hastily into the room interrupting what ever was going on there before „I think I found something. I tried to find a common link connecting the victims. Because at the moment it seemed really out of the blue killing." Stiles pulled his tablet and showed them a therapist website „Meet Dr. Linda Foral"
„And?" Scott didn't get it.
He rolled his eyes „All the victims were her patients, about three or four weeks. Deaton told me, that this "monster" feeds off people's emotions. Then when she has enough she sucks them dry and some other weird shit happens, I really don't want to go to details, you've all seen the bodies. This is the perfect way for her to do it... She does couples therapy and specializes in anger behavior... and then kills some people along the way"
„Nice work Stiles" Scott looked impressed.
„Thanks" Stiles beamed, at least something is good about this day. He tried his best to keep his eyes from Derek, hoping that Scott will ask all the questions. Unfortunately no such luck.
„How do we get rid of her?" Derek asked looking Stiles, eyes wary. He was standing by the window, arms crossed.
„Yeah, you wont like this." he kept his gaze away from Derek "Only the person whom she is feeding off can kill her. Like while she is actually feeding... But her victims are always too weak or affected to kill her." Stiles paused "And of course they don't know she is a monster."
„So somebody has to make an appointment and kill her." Scott stated the obvious.
„But who?" Allison added
„I'll do it." Derek said the moment Allison finished.
Stiles snorted „Sorry to break it to you, but you are too fucked up to be her patient."
Derek flared „Excuse me?"
Stiles didn't want to say these words exactly so he tried to explain „You are like a flaming ball of hate and rage." Still not what he wanted to say.
Derek glared him, like he could kill Stiles with that.
„Hey, I'm not saying that I'm not fucked up... well maybe a little less than you.." now Stiles couldn't help himself, he loved getting reactions from Derek.
Derek raised his eyebrows, he was glad he was so far away, he would push him against anything, to say the least.
They kept bickering back and forth. Allison and Isaac were looking at each other and realized that the solution is right in front of them. Just nobody had the balls to point it out. Finally Scott got tired of Allison poking him to say something.
„Umm..." Scott tried to get their attention "You should both go... as partners... as a couple." Scott said the last part under his breath.
There was a silence when Derek and Stiles suddenly stopped arguing.
„No." Stiles said silently and repeated more loudly "No!" How the hell was he going to hide his feelings then? He was barely managing now. It was way too much. „Hell no."
„Stiles..." Scott started.
„No! Derek say something..." Stiles didn't even look at him because he was expecting Derek to protest even more than he was. But Derek said nothing. Absolutely nothing. Stiles turned to him amazed. „Derek?"
Derek looked like he had nothing against this idea.
„What the...?" Stiles couldn't believe this, he didn't understand why Derek would want to do this. He looked at the ceiling in desperation „What the fuck is wrong with this day?"
„It is a good idea!" Scott interrupted "Both species are represented, you can both protect each other if something goes wrong.." he tried to reason it with Stiles.
Stiles kept going, now walking back and forth, not paying attention to Scott „I mean I woke up right? This can't be a dream. Or I overdosed or something..."
„We are not doing it. We'll find another way." Derek's clear voice broke Stile's concentration. Stiles looked at Derek and couldn't place the weird face he was making.
„What?!" Scott argued with Derek "No, it's the best idea. You have to do it."
Derek glared at him, but that didn't stop Scott from talking „You can go as partners who need couples therapy, you both have issues, you already argue like a married couple so it doesn't seem fake. And it is better if there is two of you, human and a wolf, less of a chance that something will go wrong."
Stiles is not stupid, he knows it's the best chance the have. But this is too much, he can already feel the pressure and his brain over thinking everything. He needs to leave, now. He sighed loudly and turned to the door. „Fine. I'll make an appointment and we'll go over the details tomorrow. It's been a long day." He turned and walked to the door.
Derek looked at him leaving so suddenly and soon others followed. He didn't understand what was going on with Stiles.
Derek had thought about him a lot. Lately Stiles has kept himself away from the pack and he wouldn't look at him. Derek was afraid that maybe Stiles is having some problems at home. Or what if Stiles doesn't want to be part of the pack anymore? What worried him more was the fact that Derek couldn't smell Stiles's emotions. Not really like he used to. It started almost a month ago when Stiles started to avoid him and every day he could smell less and less. This thought was driving Derek crazy.
At first Derek was glad when Scott pointed out he and Stiles should do this together, it would give him a chance to spend time with him and find out what is Stiles keeping from him. But after seeing his reaction, Derek was afraid to push him to do something he clearly didn't want to do. He can't be too pushy, only way to find out what Stiles is up to, is to get closer.
Stiles was driving home when his phone rang, it was Scott. He didn't want to talk to him so he pressed decline. He was already nervous and he didn't want to explain everything to Scott.
"Fuck!" Stiles said loudly tapping his wheel. "It's just Derek, get over him."
Stiles is very good at hiding his feelings to humans, but werewolves are different. They can smell emotions and that is impossible to hide. At first Stiles didn't go to pack meetings, then he started to over scent himself with every known perfume and after shave. About two weeks ago he tried to hide it by self-control. Stiles just imagined himself emotionless, absolutely free of feelings. Empty.
It was difficult at first, but now Stiles knew exactly what baseline to concentrate on, so it would work.
It seemed (on Scott) that it worked. If somebody paid close attention then he would fail, but so far so good. Scott spends so much time with him and if he can't smell his "Derek arousal" then it's hidden enough.
But tomorrow, when he has to spend a lot of alone time with Derek and then again during the therapy thing, he's not sure if just hiding will work.
