Prompt: (based off image, which I can't link to...) Stiles goes to the loft for company, exhausted, and ends up falling asleep on Derek. Derek doesn't mind, knowing that they are all hurting.

A/N: someone sent me fanart of Stiles and Derek asleep on the couch together and asked if I could write a short story for it. I set it during the end of S4 (and I had very little idea on how the season ended at the time XD) I did include Canon character deaths because they helped create the mood that I wanted for this fic. Also, so no one feels misled, this just hints at Sterek, they are not in an establish relationship, hence why I didn't pair them together via the pairing option in the description

Derek was sitting on the couch, doing some research about witches when the loft door slid open. Surprisingly it was Stiles, without Scott, and he looked exhausted, the strings of his red hoodie in his mouth. "Hey Stiles, what's up?"

"Dude, can I come in? I just… my mind won't settle," Stiles asked, hands fidgeting in his hoodie pocket. It had been a long day for him and now Dad was working a late shift. Normally he'd go over to Scott's to keep his mind off of things but he was out with Kira; Isaac wasn't… they weren't that close and Stiles didn't want it to be weird. They'd never hung out, just the two of them, Scott was always there to act like a buffer. So that left Derek, surely the Sourwolf wouldn't mind his company for a few hours. Maybe…

"Yea, of course, come in. What's on your mind?"

Stiles slid the door shut behind him, it was quiet in here, without all the Betas…Thankfully Peter was gone though. He shuffled further into the loft, unsure of what to do with himself. "I'm just… there's a lot on my mind. We've… we've gone through a lot of stuff, look at the people we've lost." His voice started to crack as he thought about Erica, Boyd… Allison. He'd almost lost Derek a few times as well, when he'd turned Human, before learning about his Wolf shift, Stiles thought for sure that he was going to die.

Derek felt his chest tighten, he still took the loss of his Betas hard- they had trusted him to make their life better. Instead he just put them at risk and lost his Pack because of it. Almost lost his sister too! Now he was a loner again, on the outskirts of Scott's Pack. But he liked it there, he couldn't burden anyone if he was just an Omega. He'd help tutor Scott, like he promised but, he wouldn't join up with the Alpha- he didn't deserve a wreck of a Were like him. "It's hard… knowing that they're gone but… we remember them, we always will. And that's what matters," Derek promised. He stopped at their graves every weekend and left flowers, wishing that he was in the ground instead of them.

"Yea, I know.. I just… it makes it even more real- worrying about my dad now," Stiles finally confessed, sitting on the edge of the couch. "He knows about all this supernatural stuff so he's at risk… I mean it was bad enough that I had to just worry about criminals before but now? I just can't sit at home alone right now you know? Too much on my mind."

"You're free to stop by whenever. The door is unlocked whenever I'm home, I won't make you talk if you don't want to. We can just chill," the older guy stated, pulling his laptop back into his lap.

"Thanks, really, that means a lot. I know we haven't always gotten along. I'm kinda hyperactive and you're like, super serious…I promise I won't be annoying. And I had a key made, so I can always just let myself in."

Derek tried to scowl at the teenager but instead he just smiled. He'd heard from Melissa that he'd done the same thing with their house key. Stiles really was a resourceful kid, but he was also a magnet for trouble which always worried Derek. It was like he forgot that he was just a Human, prone to injury where Scott and himself were not. The silence only lasted a few minutes as Stiles fidgeted on his end of the couch.

"So, um, what are you looking at?" Stiles finally asked, scooting closer to the wolf.

"Stuff about witches, hoping that the one we came across in the woods isn't here to cause trouble."

"Oh, that's right, Scotty told me about her during practice," Stiles said, trying his best to stifle a yawn. Now that he was safe, and not alone, he could feel his mind start to slow down.

"Yea, she was marking the trees with these runes, so I'm looking them up, trying to figure out what they mean. I'd really rather not fight a witch but, I will if I have to," Derek explained, knowing that the boy next to him just needed something random to focus on. As he spoke, he noticed Stiles cross his arms and curl his legs up onto the couch, doing his best to get comfortable and keep warm.

It wasn't long before Derek's low tone lulled Stiles to sleep- it also wasn't hard to guess that the wolf was making the effort to talk to keep Stiles at ease. He appreciated that, he'd have to make it up to him later somehow. Maybe break in when Derek wasn't here and cook him food or something. Slowly, Stiles fell over, leaning on Derek's side, using his shoulder as a pillow.

"I'll keep an eye on you Stiles," Derek whispered as he heard the teen's heart beat slow down. Carefully he lifted his arm and wrapped it around the younger boy, pulling him in closer. Stiles was fragile, he needed to feel safe, and Derek was willing to provide that. Quickly he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss into Stiles's hair; Stiles was really special and was probably the main reason all of them were still alive. He never gave up, kept fighting and spent hours researching and thinking up plans. Derek's heart softened as he thought about the boy curled up next to him- he'd never admit his feelings aloud but he loved Stiles. Stiles had been there for him time and again, even if they butted heads often, it was him that kept Derek alive and sane. It was for his own safety that they never become an item- Lord knows what happened to everyone else Derek got too close to. But moments like this, yea, he'd accept small moments like this. Careful to not jostle Stiles too much, Derek went back to his research on the runes, one ear always focused on Stiles's heart and breathing. Just in case he had a nightmare, Derek wanted to be ready.