This is a oneshot! for those of you who asked for a more in-depth explanation and interpretation for when Derek meets the lot and vice versa. It takes place during the last few paragraphs of the last chapter in the previous story, which is linked at the top and bottom of the page. Because everyone needs more fluffy feelings and love in their lives, including Derek and Stiles. And I have too many feels going on about Teen Wolf and its characters.

Oneshot! follow up for my previous Dog!AU.

You Had Me At Woof

Stiles is still sad a lot. Logically, he knows that it will take a long time to fix his relationship with Alpha Scott, especially after all he went through. That it will take some patience to get everything back on stable grounds and even anywhere approaching normal. But he can't help but feel down, down, down sometimes when he's alone with his thoughts.

If Derek were here, he'd mock Stiles about having any genuine thoughts at all.

That alone makes Stiles smile a bit, a bright beacon in a gloomy afternoon, because at least he can pick himself up and go outside to see Derek. Because Derek's agreed to move in with Stiles at Alpha Scott's den after some intense discussion and persuasion on Stiles' part. It was one of the best plans that Stiles has ever had, and considering just how many plans or ideas he gets, that's saying something truly important. So the finding of new homes for Derek's entire pack -including Derek himself- is something for Stiles to really be proud of. Like be super proud of. He's not to humble to admit it either. He's beyond proud of that little bit of awesome.

Except when they got home, Derek had refused to come in the house. In fact, he'd absolutely refused to come anywhere near the house or Stiles' doggy door, instead settling himself into the back yard near Stiles' favorite shady tree spot, but not too far from the place he liked to hide in under the bushes for privacy. (Later Derek would say it was because the spots smelled like Stiles and helped to calm his nerves. But that was of course, much, much later.) He ignored Stiles or changed the subject when going inside was brought up, and he growled slightly at Alpha Scott whenever he asked if Derek was alright outside like he was. Alpha Scott had stopped trying to call and coax him inside after the second night when Derek had growled, snarled, and barked from the spot he'd claimed. It made Stiles sad, sort of hurt, that Derek didn't like his new home. That Derek didn't like Stiles's den. That he wouldn't even try. That there was something wrong with it.

So Stiles would spend the entire day with Derek now, sitting quietly at his side, and sometimes Derek would get up and play with him, chasing him around the yard or playing with a toy Stiles had brought outside on the first few days back. But most of the time, he'd starred off over the streets or behind the other houses, distant, silent. Quiet and as still as if he were one of those horrible statues the Martin Pack kept in their front lawns. The ones that confused and scared Stiles.

It would be Jackson who would reliably inform him that he was, in fact, being an idiot.

A week after the Wittemore Pack had taken in Isaac with open arms and loving smiles, Jackson decided to show his face around Stiles' back yard and meet Derek for himself. He came without Isaac, but he still smelt so strongly of him that it made Stiles grin and bound over to him happily, excited that this was finally happening, that his friends were meeting with his others. Stiles was just about to start asking a thousand questions about Isaac and how he was settling when Derek nearly mowed Jackson down, his massive weight pinning the dog where he'd tripped and landed on his side. Jackson had yelped, but only once, before going completely still and allowing Derek to do whatever it was he was Hell bent on doing. It made Stiles panic, nearly frantic with worry. If Derek attacked Jackson now, Alpha Scott would get rid of him! And Stiles couldn't, he just couldn't, allow that to happen.

"Derek, Derek stop! Stop! Derek!" He'd been scared, so very scared when Derek had shot out from beneath the trees. "Stop! You're going to hurt him!"

"Shut up, Stiles. He's fine."

But it wasn't Derek who'd given the command, it was Jackson. And Jackson, for all his bravado and fierce exterior that Stiles knew covered up a sweet and caring inside, sounded strangely calm and complacent. Like he knew what Derek was doing and he didn't mind, though he'd probably would have preferred Derek to ask him first before just knocking him over. Which, now that Stiles looked at it, seemed more like an after thought than a direct attack. Like Derek wasn't trying to hurt him, just smell him.

So Stiles snapped his muzzle shut.

It was fairly silent as the three of them just sort of stood there, or laid there, in Jackson's case. The silence was occasionally broken by a big intake of breath from Derek or a slight huff from Jackson when Derek pressed up close against his neck and ears. And Stiles... well Stiles just held his breath, held very still, and watched with evident confusion.

When Derek seemed satisfied, he stood back, let Jackson up, and then wandered back over to his spot beneath the trees, flopping down without even a speck of care, not a word spoken about what had happened or why he'd done what he'd done to Jackson. Stiles just blinked at him until he felt Jackson come up and sit beside him, but the older dog was strangely quiet. The whole scene was so utterly bewildering for Stiles. He had a thousand questions he waned to ask all at once and not the mental capacity to control himself enough to do so.

"He's worried, you know, about his pack." Stiles has never heard Jackson be this serious, this sincere before, and it's kind of freaking him out. Jackson is haughty anger and snobbery, not understanding explanations. "That's why he doesn't come inside or leave that spot in the yard. He's as close to his pack as he can be while still staying here with you, and I think he thinks that if he goes inside, he'll lose them or something bad will happen. But he's unwilling to leave you either. It's got him at an impasse."

"So he's not unhappy here? He doesn't want to be somewhere else?" Stiles feels small, smaller now than he ever has before, under the weight of this confession. Under the sudden weight of understanding. "He's just worried?"

"In his own way, yes. Yes he is. Even if Isaac is next door with me and is starting to fit in wonderfully, I think he is scared something bad will happen to him while he's away from him." Jackson huffs and flips his head in the direction Stiles knows Matron McCall's house is. "And Erica and Boyd are so far away that he can't check up on him like he could Isaac if he really, really wanted to. He's trying to accept being left behind for new homes, even if he's not really being left behind at all."

"He's such an idiot sometimes." Stiles says it fondly, without an inch of anger, suddenly understanding everything that had been going on. "But I think I know how to fix this. I can make it right again."

"I trust that you can, Stiles." Jackson replies, looking down at him, eyes twinkling with mirth that Stiles normally doesn't see in Jackson. "I trust that you can."

That weekend, the BBQ he'd convinced Alpha Scott and Matron Allison to throw was a huge hit, both with the humans, as well as the canine portion of the packs. Matron Melissa and her new Mate the Sheriff brought Boyd and Erica over with them, both looking fresh and healthy, new collars and tags dangling gently at their necks. Erica looked as healthy as Stiles had ever seen her, and by the way Derek kept touching her and Boyd with his snout, he certainly agreed. Boyd was still as quiet as ever, but his tail wagged more freely than it ever had before, and his smirk was more present whenever you looked at him. And Erica was as obnoxious and rowdy as ever, getting a good game of tag going between all of them the moment the humans turned their backs, stealing food whenever she could, and smiling in a playful manner whenever she would get caught.

The Wittemore Pack came too, bringing over Jackson and Isaac with them, and a few pig ear treats for all the dogs as well. Isaac, despite being clearly happy and much more healthy, was still timid around big gatherings like this, but was swiftly becoming more and more comfortable with others as time progressed. He would wag his tail and walk up to Matron Melissa confidently, and would almost do the same for the Sheriff and Alpha Scott before they left in the end. And his collar and tags matched Jackson's near perfectly, a point Jackson was busy showing off with pride. Stiles got the feeling that Jackson was less lonely now, with Isaac around, and it was doing good for not only Isaac, but Jackson as well. Stiles had to make it a point to never, ever stop teasing Jackson about being an older brother now. Nope, never. Jackson was doomed.

Surprisingly, the Martin Pack also stopped by, Lydia hot out in front, dainty nose tipped high in the air where it normally was, her feminine collar catching the light as much as her long fur did. She didn't even raise an eyebrow when Derek tensed and gave a low growl at her when she walked close to him, just continued on past him to make her way towards Stiles, who was still watching at the edge of the gathering with a content smile. Derek could only blink down at her, a much smaller dog, and it made Stiles laugh so hard that he'd about fallen over. Oh Lydia, still Queen of Everything, even over dogs she didn't even know.

"I hear that this was all your idea." Were the first words out of her mouth upon stopping in front of a still mirth-filled Stiles, face unreadable. Stiles had immediately straightened back up and nodded. "Well, it was a good one, I suppose. Well done, Stiles. I've never seen Jackson so happy before, and lets face it, Derek isn't too horrible to look at either."

Stiles blinked twice before a huge grin over took his face.

That was as close to approval as Lydia would ever give, and he knew it.

The two spheres of Stiles' life, his past pack and friends from before and his new pack and friends now, had integrated without a hitch, meshing like they'd always been together. Worries and fears that were never voiced were quickly put to rest, and Derek was more active and happy looking than he had been for the entire time since he'd gotten to the McCall den. It made Stiles feel warm in his chest, content, happy. If Derek was happy like this, then so was he.

And, if after everyone else had gotten their fill of cooked meats and other party food, Stiles would catch Derek walking into the gathering of humans of his own free will, well that was just an added bonus. When Derek finally laid down at Stiles' side at the foot of Alpha Scott's lawn chair, even more so, and when Derek decided to lay his snout gently on the top of Stiles' head in thanks... Stiles isn't sure words can cover those feelings adequately. At least not in a way that can be put into words.

So they shared warmth, curled together tightly now and content, at the feet of their new pack and family, Stiles could finally take a deep breath and relax along side a gently smiling Derek. The wolf-dog had finally allowed himself to relax, to rest easy, knowing that his pack were in good hands and just as content and happy as he was with their new families. Stiles friends and family had taken to the new additions with surprising grace, and likewise, Derek's pack had taken to them in turn. It was a good look on him, Stiles decided, on all of them.

A very good look.

That night, when Alpha Scott called them in for bed, there was no battle to get Derek inside the house.