Derek had a moment of falling when he looked into those eyes, a hardened amber color that stole his breath. He was stunning, unlike anything that he had ever seen before. From his eyes, and that childlike look in them, to his wings Stiles was completely different. Derek stood awed for a moment until Stiles struggled to try and sit up.
"No, no, stay down." Derek warned pressing gently on Stiles shoulder to get him to lie still as he sat on the edge besides him. Stiles looked up at him through thick lashes and smile. The boy had been bleeding, an arrow through his neck and now he was smiling. "What were you thinking? What even was that arrow?" Derek questioned running his finger over the wound… or where there should have been a wound.
Stiles smiled further reaching up to brush his fingers against Derek's stubble. "It's love." He said plainly. That's what his arrows were, love that belonged to those people that they hadn't yet found themselves. The arrow could have killed Stiles, but he took that chance for this. For the policeman before him.
"What do you mean love? You could have died." Derek said gently still marveling at the fact that the arrow was gone, the wound nonexistent.
"I didn't die, I have you." The boy smiled brushing his fingers again over Dereks stubble. It was like he never felt something like that before, and he looked like he really like it. Derek didn't have the heart to tell him to stop. Nothing the boy said made sense really. The arrows are love, he was alive because Derek was.
Those wings didn't make sense either. People weren't born with wings, and these were very clearly attached. Derek smoothed his fingers over them and felt the warmth of life through them. Completely real, and functional, and they belonged to a boy, his partners son.
"You like?" Stiles asked inching closer to Derek with a little body wiggle. Stiles didn't want to sit up, he'd already been told not to. Derek's fingers were brushing over the soft downy of his wings, and Stiles liked it very much.
"Yeah, they're soft. Where did they come from, were you born with them?" Stiles could only shrug. He didn't remember being born, he didn't remember anything before being on the street and John picking him up. The wings had just grown too.
"I grew them." He smiled and Derek laughed a laugh that said he could clearly see that Stiles had grown them. Stiles loved the sound. It was prettier than anything he'd ever heard, even his own name, and Stiles liked the sound of his name. Derek sighed.
"I'm going to call your dad okay? He was worried and had me check on you." Ah, John. Happy John with curly fries. Stiles was very happy that he cared so much, now he had Derek because of it.
"What's your name?" He asked, cocking his head to the side as Derek lifted his phone to his ear.
"Huh? Oh, Derek. Derek Hale. It's nice to really meet you Stiles- John," Derek interrupted himself as John picked up the phone asking an array of questions. All of the questions were about Stiles, and if he was alright, if he was hungry or not. Derek didn't have the heart to tell him that he found his son lying on the bed with an arrow in his neck. Besides the boy was fine now it seemed. Well, wings aside.
"Stiles is alright, he was… sleeping when I got here." Unconscious and unbreathing didn't really count as sleeping, but it was close enough. There wasn't any need to frighten the man. Stiles didn't really seem like he was trying to kill himself. He seemed too happy for that, stroking Derek's stubble, humming something softly to himself as he did so.
Derek stared down at him. He didn't have to be there anymore, but he didn't really feel like leaving the boy. "He's kind of young; do you think having him live alone here is really a good idea?"
"He's around nineteen Derek, and he likes it there. He just gets up on the roof at home. He likes it up high."
"I guess I can see that, the wings and all." Derek stroked the feathers again as he talked. An absent minded gesture, but he couldn't stop. He wanted to be closer to the strange kid who seemed much younger than he was. Stiles kept humming. It was a pretty tune. Stiles loved pretty things.
"What wings?" John asked. The confusion was clear in his voice. He hadn't seen Stiles yet. Stiles had been out when he came to check on him, and hadn't really been waiting with Melissa at the hospital. He had Derek check on Stiles because the station was closer to the clock tower than the hospital was, and had something really been wrong Derek could get Stiles help faster than he could.
"Come on John, don't play around. The wings on his back. Smallish, white, softer than anything you ever felt, this had got to be ringing a bell." Derek furrowed his brows.
"Are you touching him?" John spoke sharply, an accusation behind his voice. Dereks hand jumped away from Stiles wings.
"No! Well yeah, but not like that!" Derek defended a little louder than necessary and Stiles flinched nudging closer to Derek like a puppy seeing if he was still in trouble. Derek shook his head at Stiles trying to assure him that he hadn't done anything.
"Will you put him on the phone?" John asked, but there was really no room for argument. Derek knew that so he handed the phone over to Stiles who held it with both hands as he cupped it to his ears.
"Hi John!" Stiles grinned, curling his legs up so he was practically curled around Derek. "How are you?" Meaning how was he and Melissa at the hospital making kissy faces. John smiled on his end at the happy tone in his voice.
"I'm good. You had me worried you know. If you're not hurt, don't call me to the hospital although…" John trailed off thinking about the date he now had set with Melissa. If Stiles hadn't got him to the hospital he wouldn't have had that sudden urge to ask her out. "Are you alright?" John asked him, "I mean Derek's talking about wings."
"I grew them." Stiles repeated for the second time. He sounded very proud to have grown his wings, even though it wasn't really something that normally happened (or ever happened really.) They were just apart of him. They made him feel whole, and they gave him his bow, and with his bow he could shoot his arrows. John could be with Melissa.
"Do they hurt?" John asked. That was really all he cared about. If the wings hurt Stiles, he would worry, but the boy sounded like he loved them, there was no reason to mess with them. He wasn't even going to try and figure out why he'd grown the damn things.
"They make me happy. They're me." Stiles assured. They didn't hurt right now anyways. They only did when he yanked feathers out, and when they first came in. "I like Derek." Stiles said into the phone as he rubbed his leg against Derek's back. Derek smiled softly unable to help it. Stiles was innocently sweet.
"Yeah, about Derek, you can give him his phone back now. I'll come see you in the morning okay?" Stiles agreed eagerly and handed the phone up to Derek. He took it with a thank you bringing it up to his ear.
"Thanks for checking on him for me. You can go now."
"With all due respect sir, I don't think I want to go."
"I said, go Hale." John repeated firmer. Derek really did not want to go. Stiles was curled around him, nudging him gently with his fingers like he was exploring the number of ribs he could feel, and how many defined abdomen muscles he could feel through the uniform. "Don't go." Stiles whispered staring up with wide eyes when he heard the word.
"He doesn't want me to go either." Derek added on hoping that would get him John's blessing to stay. Stiles was the most interesting boy that he'd ever seen and he wasn't quite ready to walk away from him. Stiles would be the only thing on his mind if he did that.
There was a long silence as John sighed. Stiles didn't have any friends. Didn't really get out to meet people, and John couldn't be there to keep the boy company all the time.
"I hear you do anything inappropriate to my boy … I have a gun Derek Hale, and you ride in a car with me." Not that John would actually murder him, but there would be hell to pay if Derek took advantaged. Not that Derek was like that. He would never take advantage.
"You got it." Derek said, and then they ended the call in a mutual hang up.
XXX
Turns out that the boy that John had picked up six months ago and the one in front of him that John had called his son were one and the same. The conversations were easy and Stiles spoke in a way that reminded him of a child, or someone whose mouth hadn't learned English first. For all anyone knew Stiles hadn't. Until six months ago Stiles didn't exist. He was smart though, catching on to English, at least the comprehension and reading parts, easily.
Stiles asked a million and one questions. All of them Derek answered easily. They fell into a comfortable silence in between questions and Stiles absorbing the answer. Derek lost his shoes long ago in their conversation. His jacket went next, and then he was untucking his shirt, loosening a couple buttons.
They moved from sitting on the floor, to lying out on the bed, Stiles legs swung over his own, and they just talked.
Derek told Stiles more about himself than he'd ever told anyone. He told Stiles about the fire, how Kate had went insane, and when Derek tried to break up with her she got back at him by burning his house down. Kate killed his whole family… well quite nearly. His sisters and uncle had escaped the blaze. Peter just barely made it out alive. He was sitting in the hospital to this day an invalid.
When Derek told him that story Stiles had cried. Derek had never had someone cry for him like that before. Not even Laura would hold him and cry. Not even Cora who was barely seven cried with Derek. Though they hadn't seen the inferno swallow there family the way that he had. They hadn't heard their screams or choked on the scent of their burning flesh.
There was a lot of comforting going on after that. For Stiles, though Derek took comfort in giving comfort to the boy.
That's when Derek turned the conversation to the arrows and the work bench. Stiles was all too happy to get up and show Derek everything. There weren't any already made arrows, but Stiles set to work making one. His heart was beating quickly with excitement. He could make an arrow and take Derek out and show him what the arrows did. He could share the joy of bringing someone's love together with Derek… it would be perfect.
For the better part of two hours Derek watched as Stiles rocked and hummed and made an arrow. His fingers moved with practiced skill that told more than six months experience. It made Derek wonder who Stiles was before he was Stiles Stilinski, the Sherriff's adopted son, and resident of the clock tower. Though Derek also realized that who Stiles was before didn't much matter. He was Stiles now, and he was Stiles then, and this is the boy that he knew.
Stiles would look sideways at Derek like he was making sure that he was still there, or if he even cared about the arrows. Derek was watching attentively. The concentration that he gave the arrows was endearing. He took a lot of care with the arrow as he sharpened it, and threaded feathers (that were not his own) to the end. Fletching's Stiles had called them. Derek tucked the new term away for later.
After the second hour was up the boy was jumping up with the arrow in his hands and his wings fluttered happily. He presented the arrow to Derek who turned it over with the appropriate ooh's and aah's. That made Stiles beam brightly as he took it back.
"Go with me." Stiles said excitedly as he bounced over to his boots. Derek sat up straighter and watched Stiles slip his feet into his shoes.
"Where are we going?" Derek asked as he pulled his own work boots on. He was grabbing his coat in the next second as Stiles picked up his bow and Derek held up his hands. "Are you planning to shoot someone with that?" Derek was careful as he inched closer. This didn't sound like such a good idea, but then he remembered how the arrow Stiles had in his neck disappeared and frowned.
"It won't hurt. Promise." Stiles looked up at Derek through his lashes and Derek sighed. "Okay."
Stiles smile couldn't have been wider.
XXX
No one really said anything as they passed. Derek figured someone would have to say something. There was a boy with fluttering wings carrying a bow and arrow walking with an off duty police man. Yet no one said a thing to them or pointed and stared at Stiles wings. There was one woman with a stroller who'd tried to get her baby to pay attention to Stiles, but the babies foot seemed to interesting. She smiled, said good evening and kept on.
Odd.
Perhaps they just thought it was a elaborate costume piece. Though that didn't quite cover how they just ignored it. There was something else going on, but Derek didn't want to think to hard about it. If it kept Stiles from being targeted by over curious hands then so be it.
They wandered side by side for a long time until Stiles grabbed Derek by the arm. "Up." He said like Derek had any idea what he meant. He looked up but Stiles tugging told him he didn't mean that way. "Let me up." He said again and before Derek could even stop him Stiles was climbing up his side and on to his shoulders, using his wings to get some lift, even if they wouldn't fly him.
Derek struggled as he tried to get Stiles situated. He weighed nothing, that wasn't the problem it was all the wiggling in the crowd of people down town. Derek was simultaneously trying not to drop stiles, and not run into anyone or hit them.
"Stiles!" Derek exclaimed as Stiles giggled. "I know you like being in high places but honestly?" Stiles didn't answer. He just lifted his bow and lined up the arrow.
"I need up to get them." Stiles answered finally and then he let the arrow fly and Derek held his breath. Dear god, what ever happened he prayed that no one died. He really didn't want to explain that one to John.
Though the arrow flew and then there was a startled cry and Derek was hurrying forward, Stiles still on his shoulders. His mind was racing as his hands tightened over Stiles knees. Someone got hurt, something went wrong, the arrow didn't disappear…
Derek stopped. A man was laughing as the girl helped him up. There was a faint red cloud around them. The only tell tale of the arrow ever being around. He righted himself and then looked into her eyes. Something fell over their faces and then he was taking her into his arms, and they were kissing. Their kiss received more looks than Stiles wings did.
"See, no harm." Stiles rested one hand atop Derek's head, the other held loosely at his side, bow held tightly. Derek let out a breath. Okay, so the arrows didn't kill people… they just pushed them into love, love that was already there, or was budded and just needed the push to bloom. Derek didn't have to ask Stiles if that was true. He could feel it. Those two people's buds bloomed for each other, and now they were going home happily.
"Okay cupid, you hungry?" Derek asked after a moment and Stiles tapped the top of Derek's head twice for yes. Well Derek took it as a yes.
"Curly fries." Stiles cheered and Derek turned around, Stiles still on his shoulders, and headed for the nearest place he knew serving curly fries.
XXX
Derek liked the way that Stiles could take to everything with a smile, and make it seem like the best thing that anyone could be doing. He looked happy talking, eating curly fries. It was an infectious attitude. Derek didn't even particularly care for curly fries before coming to the diner to eat them with Stiles. He felt like he could safely say that he loved them now.
Stiles was pushing about seven curly fries in his mouth at the same time when Derek realized something.
The arrow in Stiles neck didn't erupt in its cloud of red smoke till Derek got there. Did that mean that… they were meant to have something together? To love each other? Derek could certainly could think of worse things that happened to him, and Stiles… he wasn't one of them.
Stiles turned to him mouth wide with curly fries like a chipmunk and Derek smiled easily. And that was saying something because Derek Hale had never been known for smiling easily. Though everything felt easy with Stiles.
Stiles swallowed down his curly fries taking a big satisfied gulp of root beer and then beamed at Derek. The hollow feeling had never returned not in the whole time that he'd been with Derek. If anything he'd only felt … fuller. Derek was everything that he could ever want. Derek was sweet and he was strong and he could enjoy a quiet silence, or just let Stiles babble incomprehensibly without getting mad.
"Do you love me?" Stiles asked with wide innocent amber eyes. His arrow had worked hadn't it? If it did Derek should have been open to the love that they were meant to have.
"I just met you." Derek gave him. Derek hadn't said he loved anyone since the fire, but he didn't want to say no… because he didn't want to lie. He just met Stiles, but there were dozens of things that he loved about him already. It was only a matter of time before Derek loved Stiles.
"Well, I love you." Stiles announced like it was the most profound thing in the world. Perhaps it was for Stiles. He'd been willing to stab himself with one of his arrows because he desperately wanted what others had, because he thought there were no other alternatives. To have someone like Derek must seem like a dream come true, and mostly it was. Just a lot more real, and a lot more complicated, but at least Derek was willing to try.
"Eat your curly fries." Derek chuckled stealing one off of Stiles plate.