Derek didn't understand it- couldn't understand it. He had changed the boys clothes and yet, he still had woken up sick the next morning he could hear the slight wheeze in his mate's breath and he sighed frustrated...humans got sick so- easily.
Slowly, making sure not to wake the boy Derek pried Stiles' hands off his shirt, displeasing the wolf slightly because of the loss of physical contact with his mate and climbed over him off of the bed.
As silent as a predator he stealthily walked into the hallway and to the bathroom, he had heard the door shut earlier and the sound of Sheriff Stilinski's car as he pulled out of the drive way. He wasn't walking silently because he had to- it was just something he did naturally without a second thought, almost like breathing- almost.
Walking into the bathroom he grabbed a hold of the toothbrush he knew was Stiles' and applied the necessary amount of toothpaste to it. His wolf hummed in contentment at the taste of his mate and once again Derek had to focus on the task at hand so that he wouldn't walk to the room and devour the unconscious boy.
He rinsed and spit, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked like a wreck and his skin, well it wasn't exactly looking so fresh. A shower. That's what he needed and then he'd leave before Stiles woke up and he wouldn't be able to.
It was almost too overwhelming; being in Stiles' house where his scent was everywhere, on everything and using the shampoo and body wash that he had smelled on the boy countless times. He sighed as the warmth of the water soothed his tense muscles,
. . .
He had planned to just leave- to get out of the Stilinski house and away from the property as soon as his shower was done, but instead he found himself walking back to Stiles' room in only a black towel.
Before he could realize what he was doing, he walked over towards his sleeping mate and caressed his cheek, loving the flushed look on his face and slightly parted lips letting out soft wisps of air.
Stiles stirred in his sleep and Derek held his breath regretting that he had walked back into the room instead of just going home. He glared at Stiles hoping that would will the boy back to sleep, which of course it didn't.
Stiles turned his head slowly, scared that what he thought he had caught a glimpse of, of what he thought he had felt was real; that a slightly tanned thumb had brushed his cheek, it couldn't be real. But what else could explain the sudden warmth that he felt there, or the disturbing feeling of someone staring at him?
"Oh god." He muttered to himself because he had turned his head- had looked at the body of the man who was in nothing but a towel, staring- no, glaring at Stiles- whose body heat was warming his whole right side from just the close proximity.
"Stiles." Derek growled lowly, arms crossed over his chest. "Be quiet."
"Fine." Stiles sniffled and turned his head away from the Alpha.
Derek's head jerked up as he tried to get a look at Stiles' face, walking forward and slowly hovering over Stiles' body on the bed. He eyed Stiles' doe brown eyes that were wet with un-shed tears and his nose which he kept scrunching oddly as he sniffled. "Are you crying?"
Stiles shook his head, still sniffling quietly. "I think I'm getting sick."
Derek grimaced as Stiles brought the blanket up a little, covering even his neck.
He had known that Stiles had gotten sick but actually having the affirmation displeased his wolf and he was disappointed. He hadn't changed him in time, he had still gotten sick!
Derek still wanted to leave, wanted to forget all about having a mate, to obliviate all the feelings of love and warmth and the need to comfort Stiles because they were feelings he had told himself long ago he would never let himself feel, but staring down at his mate he knew he wouldn't- that he couldn't just get up and leave him and that because he was a helpless fool he never would.
He walked towards the door leading to the hallway. "What your leaving in a towel? Aren't you going to use the window?" He heard Stiles ask asked from the bed.
A warning growl was released from his throat angry and guttural. Even when he was sick Stiles found it in him to be infuriating.
Almost dropping the soup because he felt the towel losening Derek cursed under his breath for what probably was the twentieth time that morning.
. . .
"Just eat the damn soup Stiles." Derek told him, sitting in the computer chair finally dressed trying to brood in peace but Stiles was being a damn pain in the ass. He kept complaining about how flavorless it was and honestly Derek didn't have to make soup for him, didn't have to still be there...only his wolf, his wolf didn't like the idea of leaving his mate home alone when he was sick.
"Maybe if I could add some salt..." Stiles started and at this point Derek had, had enough.
Getting up from the computer chair, he walked towards Stiles' bed made an angry hand gesture for Stiles to scoot over and then somehow carefully though swiftly grabbed the soup from Stiles hand and placed it on the floor. He then proceeded to grab Stiles' shoulders and push him down so that he was laying down and lay right next to him, underneath the covers.
"What the hell? Oh my god. Are you suddenly coming on to me? And dude when I'm sick?" Stiles began to rant while Derek sent a murderous glare at the ceiling...maybe if he glared hard enough it would just cave in and end what was surely becoming a hell of a day.
"Can't. You. Just. Shut-up." He growled out because despite his attempts to ignore him, it was absolutely impossible not to hear Stiles' nasally rambling.
"You don't have to be here you know. I'm used to taking care of myself when I'm sick. If this is your way of getting even with me for saving you yesterday were even, no more favors just you can g-"
Having enough of it Derek smashed his lips, quite aggressively with Stiles' if only just to silence him, in the moment totally forgetting that Stiles was sick.
He's sick, he thought. And whoa- total wake up call as to what he just did because he had just kissed Stiles- kissed Stiles, while he was sick and- he was going to stop thinking because hanging around the kid had his own thoughts jumbling up like Stiles' words.
Pulling back he looked down at his mate. His doe brown eyes were blank for a second and his mouth- it was agape like that of a fish, it seemed that for once he was at a loss for words.
Good. Derek thought laying his head back down on the pillow.
"You just- we just...your lips and I- what just happened?" Stiles asked finally seeming to settle with talking.
"I kissed you." Derek said simply, suddenly regretting doing so because Stiles was sick and un-mountable and yeah- he sounded adorable and his flushed face was sexy as hell- but he was sick.
"Well yeah, I got that part with the whole your lips making contact with mine. The whole lip locking action thing going on, lip on lip accion."
Derek reached under the covers and grabbed hold of Stiles' hand. "If I tell you why I kissed you, will you shut up?"
Stiles didn't answer he just nodded his head- or bobbled it, definitely bobbled it for the second time that day at a loss for words because Derek Hale was touching him and not in a violent way. Look out world there was a definite storm approaching.
"I'm an alpha." Derek began and Stiles rolled his eyes.
"Obviously." He muttered, earning a low growl from Derek.
"And as the alpha-." He continued as if just a second ago he hadn't considered snapping Stiles' neck.. "there are certain things that I need that will keep me stronger as an Alpha and keep our pack stronger...do you understand so far?"
Stiles nodded his head. He wasn't so surprised about Derek saying 'our pack' since long ago Derek had established that Stiles was indeed pack and would be treated as such...which was just Derek's way of saying I-GET-TO-ORDER-YOU-AROUND-EVEN-IF-YOU-DON'T-FEEL-COMPELLED-TO-HEED-MY-EVERY-WORD.
"Okay then this shouldn't really come as a big surprise. You know that werewolves- Alpha's we need mates..."
Stiles knew Derek was still talking, he looker to the side of him- to Derek's face where their was slight stubble and yep, his lips were still moving but he no longer was paying attention to anything that Derek said because his brain was working out it's own equation, his brain had already figured out what Derek was taking so long to tell him.
Stiles was Derek's mate- Derek's mate, Stiles Stilinski was Mr. Forever-brooding-sour wolf's mate.
That's why Derek had been there when Stiles got home the previous night, why he had changed Stiles' clothing, why he had given him flavorless soup and why he was still there, now laying next to him.
"So do you get what that means Stiles?" Derek asked very carefully wanting to see if Stiles would reject him, to see how Stiles would take it. Of course he should have known that was Stiles would say or ask would be no where near what he was thinking because instead of answering Stiles asked a question of his own; So does this mean I can get pregnant?
Derek's didn't face palm his face, no he just very kindly tried to smack himself back into reality because honestly was this really his reality? And while he was inwardly freaking out about how much of a tool this would be despite him caring about Stiles and possible or definitely loving Stiles, Stiles was just laying there rambling on about how his dad would 'totally be freaked if he showed up pregnant one day' and yeah this just couldn't be his reality...