The ringing of the phone is loud in Stiles' ears.
Scott tends to only answer 30% of his calls since he became a werewolf. Now is a time he really, really needs him to answer though. It's only 10 pm so he should still be awake.
After the sixth ring Scott finally answers. 'God thank small wonders.'
"Stiles?"
"Dude. Thanks for answering your phone for once. It also answers my question."
"Huh? I can't- what... Stiles?"
'Articulative as ever, buddy.'
"Well I'm starting to freak out, because if you are human enough to answer your phone, that means the fluff ball in my garden, just sitting there and staring at me through the kitchen window, is not you."
"Fluff ball? Did you snatch something from your dad's alcohol again?"
"A wolf, Scott. THERE'S A FUCKING WOLF IN MY GARDEN!" Stiles really is starting to be scared.
Scratch that, he already is. It's not like he knows so many alpha werewolves. Because only them seem to be able to fully shift into a wolf. So if it isn't Scott, then who the hell is in his garden? And he sure as hell doesn't think it's another Alpha pack in town.
"Stiles!" Oh that sounded as if he'd tried getting Stiles' attention for a while.
"Still here."
'Still alive and not eaten. Yet.'
"So what's it doing? Just sitting there? Why?"
"Why should I know?! I'm just freaked it's gonna do something and- OMG, no. No, no, no. Bad wolf, go away or stay there, whatever. Scott! It's coming closer and won't stop- now it's sitting in front of the door, great."
"Does it look similar? Evil?"
"Yes, Scott. It has this look on it's face as if it wants to eat me."
A low whine broke through the short silence. Stiles isn't so sure if it was the wolf, but it surely wasn't him.
"He just whined, didn't he? Is he hurt? Maybe he needs help?"
"Since WHEN would anything be so easy? Just wait a moment." Stiles puts his phone down on the kitchen counter and moves closer to the door. Trying to look out the window. But it's really dark and he can't see much more than dark fur and a wagging tail and-
He stumbles back and grabs for his phone. "Scott, Peter was dead for good, right?"
"Yeah, I don't think even he can recover from a Wolfsbane bullet to the head."
"Well then, it's good then. See you!" He doesn't even let Scott answer before ending the call. More important things at hands.
Like the wolf with blue eyes on his back porch.
He takes a deep breath.
'Please don't eat me, please don't eat me. Please let me be right.'
He opens the door and looks down at the wolf. It stares right back at him, condescends to give him a huff as if to say finally before entering the kitchen.
Stiles closes the door and turns to look at the fluff ball now sitting in his kitchen.
"You know this would be much easier if you'd be human."
'Oh yes, eyebrows strong even as a wolf.'
Stiles's eyes fall down on the right hind leg and sees something that looks suspiciously like dried blood.
"Please don't tell me we have another hunter problem? Let's go up to the bathroom."
He doesn't wait around, knowing that the wolf will follow. He's the one with a bullet in his leg after all.
Stiles goes to his room to collect his first aid kit for werewolves and some towels from the hall closet before joining the wolf in the bathroom.
He puts a towel on the floor and the wolf promptly lies down on it, stretching out his hind legs with another small whine.
"I know, buddy. We're gonna get that bullet out now."
After years of being around werewolves and somehow becoming the one that helps with wounds, it doesn't take long to get the bullet out and clean the wound. They never really bandage the wounds because they heal usually in a few minutes or hours once clean.
"Go on and lie down on my bed, I'm gonna bring you something to snack on in a bit."
The wolf butts his head on Stiles' thigh before leaving the bathroom, letting Stiles clean up in silence. He goes back down to the kitchen to fix some sandwiches and snatch a bottle of water from the fridge before heading up again to his room.
As ordered the wolf lies on his bed with his eyes closed. His ears twitching the only indication that he is not asleep.
Stiles sets the plate with sandwiches down on his bed and kneels in front of it. "Scott totally recognized you at your whiny whining. And didn't even bother to tell me, even though he knew I was freaking out. I hate him. HATE. HIM."
The wolf only rewards him with opening one eye, that changes directions quickly to check out the sandwiches.
Stiles grabs the plate away before he can snatch one. "Nuh-uh buddy. You gonna change back anytime soon?"
The wolf closes his eye again and shoves his muzzle under Stiles' pillow.
'Two can play that game.'
"Well then I'm gonna eat those super awesome Stilinski sandwiches all alone. My tummy's gonna hurt so bad later, but I don't really care." He makes a big show of grabbing one sandwich and moving his hand slowly to his mouth.
He didn't expect to be stopped by a growl, but the wolf is there concentrating his attention on Stiles, or to be more accurate the sandwich in his hand.
Stiles tries to copy him and lifts an eyebrow.
The wolf lowers his head a bit and whines. Honest to God whines.
And when could Stiles ever say no to that man. He holds his hand out with the sandwich and the wolf devours is faster than he can follow. Stiles puts the plate down on the bed again and motions to go ahead and eat.
Once the plate is empty, the wolf lies down again and Stiles does the same next to him.
"We really need to talk, dude. This... everything... is pretty cool, but still how? And why? And who hurt you?"
The wolf just stares at him and doesn't give any acknowledgement of having understood, just starts wagging his tail again.
Stiles sighs, because even as a wolf he is still exhausting. "Derek."
The wol- Derek only nods after staring a bit longer. 'The creeper.'
"Great, now that we got that settled I'm all for a nap." He stretches out and even though Derek is quite big as a wolf, they easily fit together on his bed. And if they end up nearly cuddling, well then no one mentions it.
Stiles opens his eyes to find an empty bed.
'Why am I not surprised that he bailed on me?'
He turns around to check the time on his phone that rests on his bedside table. 7 am on a saturday. Meaning his dad will be back from his double shift in three hours.
Time enough to check if he cleaned everything yesterday. Even though his dad is in the know for a long time, he doesn't want to worry him with maybe small stuff. Sometimes hunter pass through Beacon Hills and hunt what they see, but they won't linger.
Stiles gets up and moves around his bed to open the window but stops short with a squeal 'a manly squeal mind you' when he sees Derek on the floor.
"What the... hey, Derek." Luckily they are past empty threats and bodily harm, so poking Derek in his thigh with a foot is no problem.
What is a problem is Derek naked. Naked on his floor. Currently with his ass facing Stiles. He is so used to all the hot werewolves around him getting naked on a regular basis, that he isn't even bothered by it anymore. Jealous yes, bothered? No.
Still he turns away to get Derek some sweatpants and maybe a shirt. At some point he decided to take up running and some easy workout with Derek, so he got some nice abs himself by now and isn't skinny and lanky anymore. There should be a shirt that fits Derek now.
"Hah!" Pulling out one in triumph he turns and throws both at Derek, who sits up in that moment and literally catches the clothes with his face.
Derek growls but puts on the clothes.
"You're welcome, Sour Wolf. I'd like to know how you managed to fa-" He stops at the sight of Derek giving him his usual death glare.
"Okay, maybe not. But I imagine it looked hilarious." Stiles says and leaves his room to get started on breakfast.
Derek snorts and follows him. "You pushed me out."
"Yeah sure, defenseless little human me pushed the strong werewolf out of bed."
Stiles doesn't squeak when Derek answers "Yep" right into his left ear but can't hide the twitching.
He hits him on the arm in response, even though he knows it won't hurt the other. "I hate you too."
Derek follows Stiles into the kitchen with a smile on his face and they prepare breakfast together. The pack is around enough for everyone to know where the stuff is to help out. Half an hour later they sit down eating bacon and egg and pancakes and probably everything that was in the fridge.
"So, new hunters?"
"Yeah. Three of them. Traveling around to get a kick out of hunting."
"And why the wolf? I thought only alphas could fully shift."
Derek studies his face for some moments before answering. "That goes for bitten werewolves. Born werewolves can fully shift too, if they train it. I never could before though."
Stiles hums, playing around with his food while thinking. "Maybe something triggering on the bullet?"
Derek seems to consider this before shaking his head. "No. I think it..."
If Stiles ever thought he'd see Derek blushing up to the tips of his ears, he surely didn't guess it would be in a conversation about hunters and fully shifting into a wolf. 'Huh.'
Something he is proud of that changed in the past years, is the need to fill silence with chatter. So he waits for Derek to continue.
"You said some time ago that you would have never thought we'd end up were we are. That we changed and you are happy about it. Because even though we went through a lot, that I'm a..."
"'Pretty awesome guy now', huh?"
Derek looks at him and nods. "I think it made me let go of the last guilt and only focus on trying to help others or something."
Stiles raises an eyebrow and tries not to smile. "Or something. So you're saying it opened the way to your wolf and you can shift again?"
"It was triggered when I was shot and running away, but yes, I think I could do it again."
A big grin breaks out on Stiles' face. "That's awesome. You totally have to do it again. Your wolf is way more cuter."
And there is Derek's eyebrow game again. Trying to hide a smile at the same time.
"It's not. Anyway, thanks for the help."
Stiles' grin mellows out into a soft smile. "Sure, Derek. Anytime."
He doesn't expect but is not surprised by the answering smile he gets. Derek does that a lot more in the last months. Coming to terms with himself really worked out.
"So any time I want to drag you to dinner or the movies I could?" The jerk doesn't even try to hide the smirk at Stiles' confused look.
Derek huffs and tries again. "Want to go on a date with me?"
Stiles stares long enough at him to make even the cool Derek Hale twitch with insecurity. "Took you long enough to ask, asshat."
"I don't even know why I bother."
Stiles grins again and starts clearing the table. "Because you looooooooooooove me. Now get up and help me clean. After that I want to see the wolf again."
"I doubt anything will change."
Stiles turns around and walks toward Derek, stopping just short of him. Bending down to kiss Derek on the mouth. "I do hope so."
He turns and continues moving around the kitchen. Derek stands up with a soft smile on his face and starting to help. "I guess I do too."
The other hums and bumps their shoulders in response when Derek helps him washing the dishes.