The End of the Year
Stiles sat at the edge of the small pond, the cool moisture from the rock slowly soaking through his pants, leeching the heat from his body. Skipping rocks was obviously not in his skill set as another stone made an unsatisfying plop instead of dancing across the surface.
Scooping up another rock, Stiles flipped it in his palm ready his throw when another went splashing along the surface, hopping until it reach the other side. Flicking his wrist, Stiles sent his splashing into the water, barely past his feet.
"You're using the wrong shape. The rock needs to be flat and smooth."Derek crouched down next to Stiles, handing him a smooth stone. "You wrap your finger around the edge and twist your wrist as you release." The warmth of the alpha's body soaked into Stiles' as he guided his hand through the motion. Once released the rock skipped twice before sinking below the surface. "See? Now you just need practice."
Easing down next to Stiles, Derek leaned briefly against his side. "You and Scott are still not talking? It's been over a week."Stiles lifted a shoulder in response.
"And I see you're still not talking to me."
"I'm not not talking to you. I just don't have anything to say." Stiles huffed, hearing how childish he sounded.
Derek snorted, "That's a lie. You know I can tell when you're lying. Why do you even try?"
"Maybe I'm just lying to myself. Maybe I don't know..." Stiles broke off, frustrated with himself. He was still angry and hurt by the things that were said and unable to resolve them, but throwing rocks at the helpless pond was an unsatisfactory outlet for his emotions.
"Scott seems to be doing better." Derek searched the rocks at their feet, finding a suitable one and handing it over to Stiles. "He's more focused, is learning better control, and is actually taking an interest in the pack."
"That's great. I guess I was holding him back all this time. All he needed was to drop the human and all his problems would be solved." Stiles pitched the skipping stone almost to the far end of the pond.
"You have a good throwing arm but lousy skipping technique. And you didn't hold him back. A pack is better and stronger with humans. You give us balance and keep us whole. Don't cheapen your effect on Scott because he would have gone rogue if not for you."
"If humans are so important, why am I the only one in your pack?" Stiles watched as Derek's face closed off, hiding his emotions behind a mask. Knowing he shouldn't, Stiles pushed on for an answer. "If I'm Pack, you shouldn't keep things from me. Why are there no other humans?"
A snarl erupted from Derek's rapidly expanding jaw line, fangs and claws popping almost instantaneously. Stiles scrambled away while swallowing hard. He had never seen such a complete transformation in such a short amount of time. Derek loomed over Stiles, Alpha form complete, his chest heaving as he fought for control.
"They were all killed with the rest of my family. We were in the first wave of casualties in your war. Have you noticed the size of my pack? How they are all turned wolves, not born? It's because, except for me, the Hale pack was exterminated, down to the last human, the last helpless cub because of Hunter blood lust."
Clawed hands pulled Stiles to his feet, their razor tips piercing both jacket and shirt but not skin. "So why didn't you take revenge?" For the first time since they met, Stiles was truly afraid of Derek, though he refused to show it by cowering away.
"I did! I was among the first wave of attacks on the compounds. We tore through your ranks leaving nothing but death in our path. But it didn't bring my family back, it didn't ease my loss." Derek seemed to bite off each word as it passed through a mouth that was now more of a muzzle.
"But that makes no sense. Why would you take us in? How can you not hate us?"
"Believe me, I ask myself that question all the time. Sometimes I just want to hunt you down to rend and tear the flesh from your bones, but when I'm in your presence or I smell your scent..." Derek trailed off in favor of running his nose from the tip of Stiles' shoulder across his collarbone and up to his neck. "All I want to do is...take." The last part of his words was spoken into the sensitive flesh beneath Stiles' ear, causing the younger male to shiver.
He didn't say take did he? Take what? "What? You want to do … what?"
Derek stepped back and released Stiles from his possessive hold before sneezing in a dog-like manner. "All I want to do is protect you." He locked eyes with Stiles for another moment, almost as if willing him to understand the inexpressible, then loped away, leaving behind a very confused boy.
"Now who's lying?" Stiles whispered to the retreating wolf
Later that day Stiles was sprinting through the barren, winter stripped trees. He adjusted his path as he heard the sounds of howls from the east, trying to widen his lead. The Pack thought this was the best game ever but Stiles was still on the fence about it; bloody fun or sadistic torture he just couldn't decide. Called Wolves and Stags by the Hale pack, this had to be the most brutal game of tag ever invented. Divided equally, one half of the pack would hunt the other, no holds barred, fangs and claws not only allowed but encouraged. The wolf side was able to work as a team whereas on the stag side each player was on their own.
Stiles was actually a good stag, able to quickly leave false trails and hide his scent from the trailing wolves but the winter forest gave him little cover, leaving him exposed to werewolf sight much of the time. The cold December air burned through his lungs, making his nose tender and red as he sprinted through the forest. If he could make it to the rock outcropping at the edge of the property he could hide his trail and double back.
Just as the rocks appeared Stiles was tackled to the ground by Isaac. Smiling, Isaac rolled the two boys down the gentle slope before stopping, pinning Stiles to the ground. "Chomp chomp." He snapped his teeth above Stiles' head. "You're a dead deer."
"Damn, I thought I was ahead of all of you. How'd you catch my scent?"
"Didn't" Isaac rolled smoothly to his feet, pulling Stiles up with him. "I'm starting to understand how you think, I can anticipate your moves."
"Well that sucks! If that's true, I'm never going to be able to avoid you. I'm going to spend all my time as venison." Stiles dusted himself off, angry but not wanting to take it out on Isaac. It wasn't the young wolf's fault that his strategies and tactics were so obvious.
Isaac bounded after him as he started back to the house. "It's a good thing. Everyone in the pack starts to read each other, we know how they move and how they think. It's what makes us pack, makes us one."
Stiles stopped so fast that Isaac bumped into him from behind. "But I'm not a werewolf."
"Doesn't matter. You're pack." Catching Stiles by the shoulder, Isaac whirled him around in a tight, playful circle. "Come on! I'll race you to the house. You can have a head start and everything."
The blond wolf's happiness was infectious. "Whatever lead you were planning on giving me, you need to double it. Humans are slow." Stiles laughed as he took off running, knowing that Isaac would catch him but it didn't matter. He was pack.
Returning to the Hale House, far behind a smug Isaac, Stiles found Scott waiting for him on the porch, legs kicking an uneven beat on the siding. Stiles ignored his impulse to go around back, avoiding his friend and walked up the stairs past him.
"Can we talk?" Scott smiled and scooted over to make room for Stiles. "Please?"
His emotions rolled within his chest; anger, hope, sadness, fear, and the gnawing need to have his friend back by his side. Forgiveness won out. This was Scott, his friend, and he could never stay mad at him for long. Stiles flopped down next to Scott and flung an arm around his shoulder, squeezing. "No more fighting, okay?"
Scott let out a long, relived sigh. "Okay. I'm sorry though. I didn't mean what I said." Stiles knew he was letting him off easy but just nodded his head and squeezed his shoulder again.
"I know. Bygones and all that." Stiles matched his own kicks to Scott's beat enjoying the silence and the presence of his friend. Noticing the smile that kept playing along Scott's lips, he nudged his shoulder. "So what have you been up to? You've been out quite a bit this last week."
Scott's grin blossomed into a full smile, lighting his features. "I met a girl." Oh, somebody's in love. Stiles spent the next hour smiling, somewhat stiffly at times, as Scott expounded on the virtues of the beautiful, wonderful, Allison Argent. Maybe not speaking wasn't so bad.
The weeks before Christmas passed quickly. Scott spent much of his extra time with the raven haired center of his universe. Derek was right, Scott was more focused, a better wolf. Stiles was happy for him, really he truly was but he had that little nagging voice inside him that wished Scott had needed him more. I'm such a child, pouting because my friend is playing with someone else.
Isaac plopped down on the couch next to Stiles interrupting his moody thoughts and immediately changed the channel. Without missing a beat, Stiles snatched the remote back, playfully slapping the young wolf on the head. "I'm watching that."
"Myth Busters? How big of a geek are you?"
"Of epic proportions. And they blow stuff up all the time, that's not geek-y" Stiles watched Isaac chuckle and make himself comfortable on the couch, which meant sprawled across Stiles lap much like a cat in the sun.
Stiles had decided that his pack title must be mascot slash cuddly buddy. For murderous, inhuman beasts werewolves were very sweet, a little clingy but sweet.
"Where's Scott?" Isaac pressed his head against Stiles legs until he carded his fingers through the curly hair. He's a little big for a lap dog.
"Wolfy - incognito. He's having dinner with Allison's family tonight. Again. I guess he is making a good impression with the family because this is the third family dinner this week."
"She's a good anchor for him." Stiles agreed with Isaac. She might be stealing his best friend from under his nose but Stiles had to hand it to Allison, she really was bringing out the best in Scott. "Scott's been working hard. We worked the perimeter together last night, he is settling in to the pack."
Stiles smiled. It was good that Scott was finally becoming more at ease with the rest of the pack. Scott needed to be around wolves and Stiles found himself thinking of the Hale Pack as family. Maybe even more than family.
Their couch potato session was interrupted as Boyd flung open the front door dragging an enormous tree behind him. Derek followed close behind with a hand saw and other tools.
Stiles practically vibrated with excitement. "You bought a Christmas tree? A real tree?" As he inhaled the piney scent a breathtaking smile lit up his face, bring color to his cheeks and a dancing twinkle to his eyes. "I've never had a real tree. Even before the compound," Stiles couldn't bring himself to say before his parents died, it would bring down his mood. "I never had a real tree. Just those plastic toilet brush ones."
Derek smiled as the young man practically danced around him, seeing fleeting images of the boy he must have been; funny, carefree, and enthusiastic. "A toilet brush tree?"
"Yeah, you know the guy who invented the fake tree used the same structure as a toilet brush to make the tree bristles. I always thought that was a little gross. I never ate the candy canes off the tree after I found that out."
"My family always had a real tree. It's the smell. Once the tree is in the house, then you know it's Christmas because you can smell it everywhere." Derek trimmed the bottom of the tree and adjusted the trunk holder securely while Boyd held it in place. The top brushed the ceiling of the room, almost too big for the space.
Stiles couldn't help but run his fingers across the pines, Derek was right, even to his human senses the house smelled like Christmas. "Can I help decorate it?"
The hunters in the compound where Stiles had been raised after his parents' death had not wasted time on frivolous activities like Christmas. That time, Owen always said, was better spent on important matter such as training, hunting, and killing werewolves. Stiles had forgotten how much he missed Christmas until he was faced with the beautiful tree.
The longing in Stiles eyes was unmistakable. The alpha smiled down at the hunter who was still caressing the tree."I will put you in charge of tree decorations. Do whatever you like." Derek allowed his fingers to trail across Stiles' back as he walked by him and out of the living room.
Over the next three days Stiles wiped out the stock of reindeer ornaments in all the local stores. Seeing an herbivores themed tree in a werewolf den was hilarious. The pack retaliated by making paper cutouts of wolves and placed them so that they could chase the deer across the tree. Stiles couldn't help but love it.
Preparations for Christmas became a whirlwind of activity for Stiles. The only dim bulb in his colored string of lights happiness was Scott. That wolf had it bad. He was hardly ever around, running to Allison's at her every beck and call. When he was at the Hale house, he was so intent on werewolfy things that he barely had time for Stiles. And the few minutes that Stiles could drag out of Scott were filled with long monologues about the glory that was Allison.
He hadn't even had a chance to meet the girl, but Stiles felt positive that it would be hate at first sight. Stupid best friend stealing girl.
Stiles was not the only one that was beginning to have a problem with the amount of time Scott was spending with Allison. The alpha was becoming frustrated with Scott's dedication to a non-pack member.
Stiles' eyes moved back and forth, tennis match style, as he listened to Scott and his alpha argue.
"You can spend Christmas morning and day with Allison. Christmas eve is for pack." Stiles could tell that Derek had on his 'I'm being reasonable' face but really wanted to yell at the stubborn, lovesick idiot. "That's the way it's always been with the Hale pack."
"What does it matter? You won't even miss me. I already told her I would come to Christmas dinner."
"Then you need to call her and explain that you made a mistake. You WILL be attending our Christmas Eve party because you are pack and you will be missed." Derek watched Scott huff out of the kitchen, snagging Stiles' keys as he headed out the door. With the slam echoing through the house, he raised an eyebrow at Stiles.
"Yep, he's whipped."
Stiles wished he had a calendar that he could use bright red X's to count down the days. He couldn't remember that last time he was so excited, most likely his last Christmas with his parents. Even Scott in full avoidance and pout mode could not dampen Stiles exuberance. Soon the pack had caught Stiles' Christmas fever. Derek just smiled at the growing number of decorations, cookies, and stockings.
The crowning touch in Derek's mind was the two framed pictures of Erica and Stiles on the mantle. He wondered whose idea it was to visit Santa but the grinning pictures of the two sitting on St. Nick's lap completed the room.
By Christmas Eve the tree had piles of presents under its branches and the stockings were stuffed to capacity and were falling off the hooks. Scott grumbled forlornly in the corner, missing Allison but the rest of the pack just ignored their pack mate's Scrooge impression.
Wearing elf hats adorned with bells, Stiles and Erica passed out the pile of presents. The whole pack merrily ripped into the packaging creating a rainbow colored snow storm with the wrapping and bows. Even Scott gave a small smile to Stiles when presented with his present, a gift card for a nice restaurant and the local movie theater. "Allison loves this place." Duh, not like you talk about anything besides Allison.
Afterward the pack watched a Christmas movie marathon, drinking eggnog spiked by Jackson. The whole pack, except for grumpy Scott, curled up on the large couch, laughing and singing along to the old stop animation cartoons.
As the evening progressed, Erica hung mistletoe in the hallway and playfully trapped the boys under it, demanding kisses. Isaac gave her a brotherly peck on the cheek and Stiles gleefully dipped her, kissing her loudly and dramatically. Boyd's kiss was a little more than what a sibling would bestow leaving Erica blushing and speechless.
The party slowly wound down and Stiles made a last trip to the kitchen for eggnog, feeling happy and buzzed. "Anyone what some? Last call." Coming back he squeezed past Derek who stopped him with a hand on his hip.
"Stiles, wait." He looked glanced upward at the hanging plant. "I believe tradition dictates a kiss." Clasping Stiles with both hands, he slowly pulled him forward giving him ample chance to pull away. Leaning down he brushed his lips across Stiles' gently then deepening it when Stiles let out a muffled gasp, his tongue slipping in tasting of eggnog, cinnamon and a spiciness that was all his own.
Stiles let his head drop back cradled in Derek's warm palm, allowing the alpha better access, clinging to his shoulders, pressing harder against the warm lean body. Derek slowly broke the kiss, forehead pressed to Stiles as he calmed his beating heart.
"I shouldn't have" Derek whispered, his thumb stroking Stiles' cheek. Turning he walked away and disappeared up the stairs to his room. Stiles was left frozen, fingers tracing his lips, emotions tumbling and confused.