"We are soooo not having sex."

Derek's eyes snapped up as Stiles finally spoke.

The silence that had followed their kiss had been awkward at best and disheartening at worst, but Derek was never one to take away someone's silence. So he had left Stiles to it, climbing up the stairs to eat something. Dead of night or not, he had never actually slept well.

So he was surprised when Stiles finally made his way up the stairs and spoke up.

"Really wasn't expecting sex." Derek replied more to his cereal than to Stiles. He missed Stiles wide, panicked eyes, which was sad, but he did catch the scent.

"Wait, we're mates. How can you not expect sex?" Stiles could feel himself bristle, but that was only his wolf. The thought of his mate not wanting him physically was something his wolf really couldn't stand. Yet his human half was glad. Moving too fast right after being changed, it wasn't something he was very comfortable with no matter what his body was telling him.

Derek's face was stoic for a heartbeat before he sighed a quirked a sly smile. "Stiles, you just became a werewolf, found a mate, and learned that that mate is someone you didn't really have a good history with. Do you want to have sex?"

God Stiles wanted to say yes. But no.

"No." Stiles breathed almost struggling with getting it out.

"Okay then." Derek stated like it was final and went back into his cereal.

That annoyed Stiles for some reason. It was stupid, really this is exactly what he wants, a chance at a relationship with a better Derek, but was Derek really any different.

Honestly, the moment they shared in the basement had been like something out of Twilight Zone, but now…now Derek was back to normal. Anti-social and totally in control and Stiles didn't know what to think anymore. Could he stand being Derek Hale's mate? Did he make a mistake asking to be a werewolf, he could have gone on and never known they were mates if he'd just remained human.

"You want something to eat?"

Derek's question knocked him out of his own mind and back into reality. Derek was looking at him with an odd expression. Almost like amusement with a heavy dose of concern. Again, this was more emotion than Stiles had ever dealt with before in Derek.

"Uh…yeah." Stiles said after a full minute of hesitation.

Derek got up from his seat on the little island and grabbed another bowl. When he grabbed the cereal, Stiles noticed it was different from what Derek was eating, in fact, it was Stiles' favorite. Had Derek known it was?

Before he got the chance to ask, Derek grabbed the milk from the refrigerator and took it all to the island, setting it in front of the stool across from him. After that he returned to his own bowl and the silence fell like anvil.

Feeling awkward and just a little freaked, he sat across from his mate and poured his cereal.

At first, the silence was stifling. It was heavy with everything that still needed to be said between them. But as they both kept it up, both looking everywhere but at each other, it was starting to dissipate.

It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't heavy, and for the first time Stiles didn't feel the need to fill the silence. His mind wasn't in a hundred different places, he was…in a way, calm. He'd never really felt this before, not without a lot of Adderall.

He dared a glace up at Derek, finding those mist green eyes looking straight at him. There wasn't anything different about those eyes, nothing different about Derek, but for Stiles everything felt different. And yeah, okay, it was. Everything was different now; what he was, what he knew, all of it had changed in one day.

Yet, this was exactly what he had wanted.

Stiles smiled a bit as he looked at Derek's hard eyes. He'd never have started a staring contest with Derek before, but now, really looking at the man, he was surprised at how many things he had missed. Flickers of subtle blue specks made Stiles' breath hitch and his smile widen.

And suddenly it was comfortable.

He could finally feel it there, feel the bond tying around his heart, his soul. He felt Erica's whimpers as she struggled with her nightmares, he felt Isaac's deep and even breathing as he lost himself in the safety of Derek's house. He could even feel Boyd, Scott, Jackson, Ethan and Aiden. It was so strange, but it was warm. It was safe, like family. He wondered if they could feel him too.

But as the thought came, it disappeared. With a smile he went back to his cereal, completely missing Derek's own answering smirk.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Apparently, they could feel him.

Not even ten minutes after he and Derek finished their cereals, there was a heavy knock at the door. Before Derek even pulled it open, Stiles knew that it was Scott.

The second he was faced with his best friend, it was like a physical pull to Derek, but it had a different effect on his body.

He had his arms wrapped around Scott's form before he even realized what he was doing.

"You asked for the bite didn't you? You chose this, Derek wouldn't have changed you if you didn't ask for it. Why didn't you tell me what you decided, I had to find out like this, what the hell Stiles!"

He allowed Scott to ask all of his question, allowed Scott to grip him hard and close. His best friend had never felt like this before. Stiles had always considered Scott family, always thought of him as a brother, but it is so different now. Somehow he felt completely exposed to Scott. Not physically but emotionally and mentally. It was like Scott's presence was everywhere, in his head, his chest, his nose, it was a startling overload of senses for sure, but in the best way.

With Derek, in the basement, it had been different. Lust is something he understood and he went with it, but this was family and he really didn't feel like he understood it any more than he understood French. It had been him and his dad for so long that feeling this, this closeness and this connection was overwhelming.

But he reminded himself again that this was exactly what he had wanted, and he was happy with this. The outcome had been more than he had expected, and he was grateful for it.

"Yeah. I asked man. I'm good. Everything is good." Stiles whispered it, but he was sure even Derek had heard him, if the ironic raise of an eyebrow was anything to go by.

When Scott finally pushed him away to look him up and down, Stiles was grinning wide, right up until Scott opened his mouth.

"Did you tell your dad?"

Stiles was sure that the expression on his face was answer enough and Scott actually did take it as an answer, if the way his eyes went wide and he suddenly looked frightened was anything to go by.

"Dude! Your dad is going to flip out! You didn't tell him where you were?!"

Stiles shrugged, holdings his hands up in a placating gesture. "No man, I said I was with you. He believed me, of course."

Scott groaned burying his face in his hands. "Oh no! He's going to blame me! Dude your dad has guns!"

Stiles smiled a bit as he put his hands on Scott's shoulders and shook him a little.

"Scotty, I'm fine. I doubt he'll notice one way or the other." Stiles said with a curious look at Scott's disbelieving face. Scott turned his head to Derek, allowing Stiles to keep ahold on his shoulders. Physical contact was always good between pack, it was necessary even, so Stiles liked to be able to keep his hands on Scott…no homo.

"You didn't tell him about 'Mates' did you?" It really wasn't a question, it didn't sound like it to Stiles at least, and apparently to Derek too because he didn't bother to answer it. Scott gave another pitiful groan before turning to Stiles who was thoroughly confused.

"What about 'Mates' I've read all about wolf mates." Stiles answered, almost wanting to defend Derek, but not really understanding why. Hell if Derek needed defending.

Scott's lips quirked up for a bit before he shook his head and nodded to himself, seeming to settle a disagreement in his own head.

"Wolves are wolves Stiles. We are Werewolves. Not the same, believe it or not, no matter the similarity. For us, Mates can and cannot be for life. It's not a fate thing, and it's not a nature thing, it's our very own attractions."

Stiles frowned, his eyes going to Derek and then back to Scott. "Okay, despite the fact that I'm a little freaked that you know anything about this, keep going."

Scott's eyes lit up a bit and he laughed in the back of his throat. "Derek told me dude! After the things I was feeling for Allison started to get stronger and stronger he explained it all to me. We are mates not because of fate or some shit like that, it was all our choice to love each other that made us mates. Something about when feelings are shared and balanced blah blah blah."

Stiles quirked his own lips even though he wasn't particularly feeling amused. "Man, if you are going to try an explanation, can you give me at least a complete one."

Scott shrugged, pulling away from Stiles and leaning against the island of the kitchen in though.

"I don't really know the whole thing. Wasn't really paying attention when Derek explained it. All I know is that it isn't forever. Not even normal wolves are always monogamous, they are just very loyal. But back to the thing about your father knowing." His face suddenly turned serious and Stiles was only slightly taken aback, he felt his vision shift as his eyes flashed yellow before he returned to seeing in color. A response to Scott's Alpha tendency it seemed. "You're going to want to spend a lot of time with your mate. It's an attraction Stiles, one you almost can't really understand or resist. Especially when the feelings are shared. Why do you think I was so caught up on Allison like I was."

Stiles thought about that for a second. As a human, he had been attracted to Derek, yeah. Had even wanted to spend more time with the man when he was in a good mood, because Derek in a good mood gave out just a tiny bit more smiles than Derek in a bad mood. Stiles always enjoyed his smiles, enjoyed joking and bantering with Derek who seemed to come up with the most interesting responses, and not always as clever as Stiles'. Maybe it was just a much stronger feeling now that he was a wolf. Now that he knew what Derek felt.

A sudden thought struck him like an arrow right between the eyes.

Did Derek love him?

'Love' was really serious, 'love' was a commitment to the extreme. 'Love' required so much, could what Derek felt for him be more than lust? Did that makes Stiles a bad guy for not feeling the same level?

"Stiles."

Derek's voice cut through his thoughts like a chainsaw on butter and with a start, Stiles noticed he was standing right infront of Derek, his hands on Derek's chest, right next to his heart.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

The beats were rapid and wild, nothing calm or in control about it even if Derek's face showed something else.

"Stiles calm down. We settled this remember. We can take it the way you want to. I'm not pushing for anything."

What. The. Hell.

Was this really Derek? The concern on those misty green eyes took Stiles by surprise. Sure, he knows Derek worries, for all of his pack, but Derek does it in silence. Behind a lot of brooding and anger, but this was so…unusual.

"You know, you should do that more often."

Stiles didn't notice that he'd spoken until he took in the confusion on Derek's face.

"Show your real feelings. You know, let your face give out clues to how you feel. Or your eyes at least, it helps me understand stuff better. So, you should do that more often." Stiles supplied lamely as he took his hands off Derek's chest and rolled his shoulders, clearing his throat awkwardly in an attempt to save some face.

When his gaze flicked to Scott, he noticed the other teen smiling this secret little smile that also kinda took him aback.

"What?" He called out self-consciously.

Scott shook his head, again looking like he'd decided on something. "Nothing, I just…" He paused to find the right words. "I always thought you two would be good together, you know? I mean, you fought like you couldn't stand each other, and I'm sure you couldn't at some point, but we all slowly realized how your relationship changed somewhere."

"'we all'?" Derek asked with a raised eyebrow, a glint in his eye Stiles hadn't seen before. "Who is 'we all'?"

Scott shrugged. "Everyone in the pack I guess. We don't know when it happened, but we noticed when Derek started to like you Stiles. Just like we noticed when Stiles started to like Derek. I'm sure the old banter was hard to get over, but along the way it didn't sound like hate to us anymore just…" another pause. "Comfortable I guess." His face showed he wasn't happy how he'd ended his little speech, but Stiles was fine with it. He'd realized all of that before himself. How fighting with Derek was more about fun than to really antagonize the wolf. So to speak.

"When did you become Yoda?" Stiles asked with a sardonic smile. He got a laugh out of Scott who hugged him again.

"I don't know dude, my brain hurts. I was asleep when I feel this pull in my chest. You dragged me out of bed at five in the morning, you handle the consequences."

"Yeah Scotty-boy, I will." Stiles replied hugging back before pushing the other wolf off him.

"Now you get back home. You gotta cover for me with my dad." Stiles said as he pushed Scott towards the door.

Scott protested minutely before agreeing he was freaking tired after all.

"Fine. How are you going to explain the sudden spike in 'Derek time' to your dad?" Scott asked as he was leaving.

Stiles thought about it for a second before giving a 'Nyah, I don't fucking know' expression and closing the door on Scott.

Turning around he was faced with Derek's solid chest. Derek had been so quiet the whole time but Stiles never once forgot he was there.

Without asking, Derek slipped his arms around Stiles' waist and pulled him in, holding him to one meaty shoulder with an arm around his waist and the other on the back of his head right where his cranium met his vertebra.

"He sure likes to touch you, doesn't he." Derek sighed as he buried his face in Stiles neck.

Stiles had half a mind to break free and protest, but that was his human half, the half he no longer was or wanted to be. He was unusually good about not lying to himself. He had never been one to fool himself, so he could admit it, if only in his head (For now), that this Derek, the one holding him and breathing him in, this is the Derek he wouldn't mind falling for. Hell, maybe he already had a long while ago.

"Yeah. Don't worry about him, I don't think he swings our way." Stiles said as he relaxed into the hard body pressed against him. He allowed his arms to wrap around Derek too. "If he did though, you wouldn't even consider threesomes, would you?"

Derek snorted into Stiles' spiked hair. "Hell no. If something is mine, and decides to be mine willingly, I don't share."

Stiles felt his eye brow go up and he pulled away to look at Derek's expressionless face. "Something?" Stiles parroted. That actually got a rare smirk out of Derek that Stiles' felt his stomach do backflips over.

"Or someone. It's an Alpha thing. At least I think it is, I've never known an Alpha to have more than one mate, not that it's never happened before." Derek said before scowling. "Do you consider threesomes?"

Stiles didn't know why, but it almost felt like this question would make or break their…um..I guess he could for all intense and purposes call it a relationship. So he thought about his answer.

"I'm a guy. The thought has crossed my mind, but I don't think I could ever let someone else touch somebody I love. I had to watch it with Lydia so much over the years that if someone really were mine, I don't think I could ever allow anyone else." This was the honest truth and it seemed to please Derek who nodded once and pulled Stiles in again.

"Oh my god!"

The voice from the stairs made Stiles groan and Derek roll his eyes dramatically.

"Isaac! Isaac! I think Derek told Stiles!"

Erica's voice was a whisper, but it wasn't hard for both werewolves to pick it up.

"What? But it's too soon, my bet was during vacation." Isaac whined making Derek stiffen.

"I guess that means Allison wins." Erica answered "Damn it."

"You made bets!" Derek's voice was loud and booming, making Stiles wince as it shattered his sensitive hearing. He was just getting used to being a werewolf, he was just turned after all. Tonight.

Tonight. All of this had happened in one night.

Stiles sighed as Derek let go of him and chased Erica and Isaac up stairs. Some things were true then, change can happen at the flip of a coin.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

31 or so Days Later. (Stiles' first full moon)

Derek watched his mate at a distance. The boy was sitting, Indian style on the basement floor with chains around his arms and legs and his laptop on his lap.

"You sure you're up for this?" Derek asked, knowing he wouldn't be ignored no matter how focused Stiles was.

The other boy paused for a second before shutting the laptop and putting it beside him, sliding it farther away with his foot.

"You showed me how to control my claws, my eyes, and my teeth and you gave me ideas for anchors. There is nothing more you can do for me Derek."

Derek marveled in the way Stiles looked at him. A few weeks ago he would have never dreamed that look would be directed at him, but suddenly it was. The fond and caring look that someone only carried for a loved one. He was Stiles' loved one.

"I know. I'll be here the whole time." Derek answered. He was at a safe distance away. Both of them just waiting now. The moon would be up any minute.

"Do you know where Scott and Isaac are?" Stiles asked, leaning back against the wall and stretching his legs out in front of him. He didn't look like someone about to go through the change, but Derek knew it was just a front. Even Derek could feel it tonight, the prickling pull of the moon. For Stiles it was more intense because it was all new.

"They wanted to spend the full moon out running. We can all go together next month." Derek said as he looked over his mate.

He could see the Goosebumps and hear Stiles' heart beat like ancient drums of war. The sweat was braking out and he knew that behind Stiles' closed eyelids, yellow irises shined bright.

"Do you know what you are going to use tonight?" Derek didn't really need to know, he just wanted to keep Stiles talking, keep Stiles' mind here for however long he could before the boy was forced to find his own control.

"I was thinking I would use my mom. My want to protect my dad. My want to protect you."

Derek's heart skipped a beat. One, tiny little beat he was sure Stiles noticed. Stiles always noticed. Still, he kept his face blank. He was getting better at fulfilling Stiles' request of showing what he was feeling, but it was still too soon for him. It had only been a month and those things are vastly different, Derek is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing goes right without something going wrong.

"That's a good idea." He said off-handedly, as if he didn't care when in truth he did. He had known Stiles wanted to protect him, hell, they had been through enough times to prove that hands down, but to hear the other wolf say it out loud, say that he would use that want to protect as an anchor, it was heartwarming. And so un-Derek like that he couldn't allow the effects to show.

"I think it's going to happen soon." Stiles' voice sounded strained now, on edge and raspy.

"Yeah. I feel it too." Derek replied smoothly. Easier than he actually felt if he were honest. This was to be his mate's first change, his mate's first moon and he couldn't really do anything to help ease the pain or the strain of it. He was stuck to watching and waiting for Stiles to find his way.

Just like Stiles had guessed, it wasn't long before the shift started.

Claws, teeth, hair, eyes, Stiles changed right before his eyes and Derek watching, wondering if there would be any recognition in the yellow shine of them or if they would be feral.

They were feral.

Stiles was up on his feet in seconds struggling against the chains like an animal as Derek watched. The chains were strong enough. Something he had gotten from Chris just for tonight. So he wasn't worried about Stiles getting out, what he was worried about was Stiles hurting himself, which seemed to be what was happening.

Over and over, the animal slammed himself into the wall, like a beast trying to break free by breaking the base of his restrains. He wouldn't break through, Derek knew, but it was agony to watch it all the same.

Over and over Stiles pulled and writhed and clawed, all at himself and the chains.

"Stiles!" Derek called when he scented blood.

Yellow eyes shot to him and something seemed to snap in the animal.

Instead of the growling, instead of the feral and beastly noises, there was a small, almost inaudible whine.

It was so strange that Derek stumbled when he rose to stop Stiles from hurting himself.

"D-Derek…" It was choked out like blood, thick and violet.

"Stiles." He repeated calmer, coming closer. "You're okay. You can fight it, you can have control, and you will be okay." He didn't know what he was saying or why he was saying it, but he didn't allow himself to stop.

As he came closer he could physically see Stiles go limp. His body crumpling to the floor like it had no energy left.

Derek lunged forward the rest of the way and caught the other man before he hit the ground, using his hand to wipe at the sweat on Stiles' forehead.

"Derek…" Stronger now, more sure of himself the words came out.

Derek scowled for just a moment before he sighed and rested his forehead on Stiles' sweat soaked one. Yellow eyes were gone but the teeth and claws were still there sharp and threatening.

"What happened?" Derek asked, wondering if it was his voice that pulled Stiles back. Something like was Allison had done for Scott no doubt.

And like an echo, Stiles answered with exactly what he'd guessed. "Y-your voice broke through all the haze and pain." His voice was still raspy, teeth making it hard to talk but those were reseeding too. "I think it was like what Allison used to do to Scott. Help him control himself."

"Yeah. My words exactly." Derek answered smiling a bit. A rare and unguarded one. He knew Stiles caught it by the younger man's expression and instantly it dropped.

"No!" Stiles cried before trying to sit up from Derek's arms. "You always do that, you always hide behind a damn wall!" There was so much outrage and anger behind the words that they took Derek by surprised. "I've been giving this…this thing between us all the chances I can manage, but it's not just on me Derek."

Stiles glared at him, eyes burning yellow in the slight darkness of the basement and Derek couldn't answer, his face an unreadable frown.

"Every time I think I'm getting somewhere-" Stiles stopped suddenly, turning into himself with a cry of pain.

"Stiles!" Derek's face broke in worry as he reached for the younger werewolf who just pushed his hands away.

"You said this was a choice!" Stiles growled out, the animal back, but with a sense of self. "You said you chose me! So why don't you want me!"

Derek stared, not really getting it, not really understanding but at the same time listening. He couldn't speak, couldn't move, his emotional constipation too much for him to handle at that moment.

"You want to answer me or leave? Because it's either one or the other. I need love Derek, I don't need another unrequited crush. I need something mutual."

"You don't love me." His answer came out so fast that he didn't enough know he'd said it until it was out. He was shocked at himself but he didn't show it, keeping his face hard and unmoved.

"The hell I don't! The hell you can say I don't!" Stiles roared and punched Derek in the sternum, sending the taller man flat on his back. Stiles climbed on top of him before Derek had even registered the hit. "Who do you think you are to tell me how I feel? A month has gone by Derek. Four weeks of chasing your damn tail because I couldn't stop thinking about you!"

Yellow eyes seemed to burn into his face and Derek felt the anger build in himself too. He was stronger, he was Alpha, and he used that power to flip them, leaning over Stiles and holding the smaller man's wrists on the ground. "You want me to believe you can love me? You want me to believe anyone can after everyone I've ever tried to love ended up using me to hurt the ones-" he stopped himself, his sudden realization slapping him in the face so hard he recoiled and let Stiles go.

Seemed Stiles was rather stunned too because he didn't move from his spot on the floor.

"So that's it." Stiles breathed almost quietly, Derek caught every word.

"What's it?" He hissed down at Stiles' face. Anger was just there now. No real reason just…hanging on. Stiles' smile made it disappear in an instant though and suddenly Derek was just tired.

"You just don't think I love you back." Stiles answered cheerfully. His teeth were still sharp but not full wolf and his eyes were back to the warm brown Derek adored.

Derek was speechless, not really trusting his mouth or his brain to respond correcting. Stiles didn't need a response though.

"I'm thinking I'm going to have to show you." And without announcing it, Stiles lunged up and caught Derek's lips.

This was the first time they'd kissed since the night Stiles was turned. Not because neither had wanted to, but because neither had really known where they stood. Until now.

Stiles poured all of the pent up frustration and the growing feelings he'd had for Derek into this kiss and Derek took all of it, not really understanding, but responding. Both could taste the blood but neither knew who the blood belonged to and neither really cared.

Stiles was restrained by the cuffs around his ankles and his wrists but he used whatever he could to get Derek's attention, to get Derek to understand.

When they finally broke apart, Stiles shuttered at the feeling the kiss left. Lust, hunger, want, all of it familiar but there were also unfamiliar feelings mixed in. Care, joy, happiness, love. This wasn't what he'd expected when he had been turned but the month of watching Derek, really paying attention to the man other than his body, Stiles found himself captivated.

Scott's words echoed in his head. "It's a choice. An Attraction you can understand or control." Yeah he understood it now.

"Derek, unlock the cuffs." His voice was rough and husky, he wasn't used to it like that but it was fine as long as Derek did what he asked.

The big man stared at him for a moment, the disbelief clear on his face before he nodded.

"I hope you know what you're doing. What you're offering." Derek said under his breath, knowing Stiles would catch it. One thing they learned about werewolf Stiles was that his sense were keener and sharper than anyone in the pack, even if his strength wasn't there.

"I know exactly what I'm offering. I just hope you can handle it." Stiles answered with a wink that Derek didn't catch as he focused on getting Stiles free.

When Stiles' hands were free and Derek started on his ankles, Stiles stopped him with a hand on top of Derek's.

When Derek looked up Stiles' eyes were serious.

"I had a month to wonder and brood about my feelings. A month to think and change my mind. Being a mate is a choice Derek. I'm choosing you. I need to know if you can choose me too."

Derek stared at him for a long heartbeat, his eyes shining red and then back to the green Stiles really had grown to love. With a deep breath, Derek closed his eyes as he opened his mouth to speak up for his heart for the first time in a very long time.

"I love you."

A/N: Okay...first off...don't hate me. This a cliff hanger, it is here so you guys will comment. :)

I have the next part written, and its up to you guys when it gets posted okay? I want 30 new reviews on this story and I will post the next chapter, I'm not sure if it will be the last, that will depend on you guys okay? Okay...well, a warning to any younglings reading this, the smut is in the next chapter o if you are under 18 years of age...don't tell anyone why you're so perverted.

Remember! 30 NEW reviews (I will keep count) and you guys get your smut. I'll be waiting.