In a world where everyone is born with two hearts, one inside and one out, a young boy was born with only one. This boy was named Stiles Stilinski.
When the children at school eventually found out that Stiles didn't have a second heart, they ostracized him. Stiles became The Heartless Child, and it didn't matter that he felt just as strongly as the other children, it didn't matter that he was kind, generous, and loving. Stiles became an outcast, all because he couldn't show the children his heart. He could feel it break. And knew it would never be fixed. He could feel it leak in his chest as his nose started to bleed. And it would continue to do so. Every time someone hurt him his nose would bleed as his heart leaked that much more.
When Stiles was still just a child, he met another boy. This one was named Scott McCall. Scott didn't care that Stiles didn't have an extra heart; he loved Stiles all the same, because Stiles was family. But Stiles wished to be like everyone else. He wished for a second heart, one that he could give to the one he would love forever. This wish would stay with Stiles until the year Scott got bit.
Stiles soon met another boy, his name was Derek Hale, and Stiles loved him. All six feet and 200 something pounds of muscle, angst and wolf. Oh yeah Derek was a werewolf. Stiles thought it was cute.
Scott became part of Derek's pack and he finally managed to drag Stiles with him. Eventually Stiles was accepted as pack and became friends with everyone, including Derek. And then Stiles started to learn things about Derek. Things like even though he lived in a warehouse, Derek had enough money to buy Beacon Hills. Things like, Derek was a huge geek, maybe even as geeky as him. Things like, after the Kate incident, and finally after Peter, Derek shoved his heart in a jar and threw it away so that it would never be used against him again. And with each thing he learned, Stiles fell more and more in love with Derek. His Sourwolf.
But what Stiles didn't know, was that Derek was learning things about him as well. Things like, Stiles is as big a geek as him and he totally squealed and maybe even cried when Derek brought out his Game of Thrones collection. Things like, his mother, Claudia, died around the same time as Derek's family and, like Derek, Stiles blames himself. Things like, why the other teens at his school refer to Stiles as The Heartless Child. What Stiles really didn't know, was that Derek was falling in love with him with each new thing he learned.
One day Stiles decides to tell Derek how he really feels. Derek knows all his secrets, except this last one. Stiles walks up the driveway and stands on the porch, feeling like his heart is going to beat out of his chest. The door is cracked open and he pushes it aside. He enters and can faintly hear Derek and Peter arguing over something in the next room. Realizing that it's a bad time he turns to go when he hears Derek yell "Stiles and I will never happen!"
Stiles can feel his heart stutter, his eyes burned, his nose bled.
"No one, no matter how stupid, would ever care for, let alone love, someone without a heart!"
Oh.
Right.
Stiles could feel it. His heart shattered and he ran. Out the door, off the property, through the woods. Stiles ran. And he cried. And he bled. Everywhere. Through his nose, his mouth, even his eyes. He tripped over the roots of a huge tree and didn't bother getting back up.
'I should have known.' He thought to himself. Stiles knew he was bleeding too much. He could feel himself tiring and growing cold but he didn't care. Stiles closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Back at the Hale House, Derek was arguing with Peter, too hyped up to hear Stiles's approach. "Stiles and I will never happen! No one, no matter how stupid, would ever care for, let alone love, someone without a heart! And I threw mine away a long time ago."
Peter, however, heard Stiles just fine, and was trying to get Derek to shut up. It didn't work. Finally he just walked over and hit Derek. That worked. Peter grabbed him and shoved him against the wall. "Alright Nephew, listen and listen well because I am going to be nice and selfless and it won't happen again for years to come. You just made the BIGGEST mistake of your life. While you were arguing your inadequacy, Stiles was coming to speak with you and overheard you. Now stop standing there with your mouth open and go find the one you love!" With that, Peter threw him towards the front door.
Derek stood on the front porch staring at the small drops of blood left behind. He could tell they were Stiles's. Slowly freaking out, Derek catches the scent of blood and tears and follows it out into the forest. He runs in Beta form through the woods to find his human. The only one his wolf would choose. The one he hurt so badly. It was all his fault.
Derek almost didn't see him.
Curled up among the roots of the family tree, covered in blood, lies his Human. Stiles isn't moving and Derek can feel his control slipping. It takes far too long for his Beta form to fade so he can touch his Chosen without fear of hurting him. Again. A quick check shows that Stiles is still breathing just asleep. The bleeding long since stopped.
Cradling his precious bundle, Derek runs back home vaguely noting that Peter is gone. Just as well too. Any wolf near might be taken as a threat to his Human. Derek is too close to Feral to make the distinction. He carries his armful up to his room and lays him on the bed. Grabbing pillows and blankets, Derek makes a nest in his den and curls around Stiles, waiting for his love to wake up.
Warm. Stiles slowly wakes up and doesn't understand why this surprises him. For a few minutes, Stiles just enjoys the warmth. Then the arm around his waist tightens and his memories return. On the verge of tears, Stiles turns around and sees
Derek.
Betaed out. But his eyes. They're silver.
Shit.
Derek's Feral.
Stiles squeezes his eyes shut and prepares to be mauled when he feels something press against his cheek. Stiles opens his eyes and- "Holy shit!" Derek is nuzzling his face. He tries to pull away but Derek growls and holds him tighter.
Seriously? Normal Derek wants nothing to do with him and Feral Derek likes him. He feels like there's a punch line somewhere. Finally, Stiles takes note of his surroundings.
"Derek? Dude, why are we in your room? On your bed. And what about earl-" Oh. Suddenly it clicks. Feral Derek, aggressive wolfy cuddles, in a makeshift nest, with one participant covered in blood… Stiles has read absolutely everything he can about werewolves, so he knows a lot. Like what happens when a Weres mate is found injured.
Not entirely sure how to calm him down, Stiles just turns into the lightly trembling grip Derek has on him and presses himself against his … Wolf? Yeah. His Wolf. And begins to talk. Stiles tells Derek about the first time they met. How, for some unknown reason, they became friends. And finally, how Stiles fell in love with his Sourwolf.
Every now and then Stiles looks up at Derek and notices how a bit of silver slowly leaks away, leaving that vibrant red behind. Finally, it all dissipates and Derek finds himself with his Mate in his arms. Unsure of where to begin, he just stares at Stiles. Eventually Stiles gathers his courage and leans forward to kiss him. It's nothing more than a chaste press of lips but it's more than Derek had ever hoped for. He surges forward and kisses Stiles. Takes his time with it. Then he pulls back. Stiles is left panting and dazed when Derek says "I really want to go further but first we gotta talk." A soft whine later and Stiles agrees.
They leave the warm nest and move to the floor. Derek manages to tell Stiles about what he overheard and what Derek really meant between soft kisses and cuddles. They progress to admitting what they feel for one another and end up debating how long they have before the pack returns. Deciding they have enough time, Derek pulls Stiles into his lap and says "Do you want to go further?"
~FIN~