It was Friday and the full moon was tomorrow. Stiles sat in his kitchen waiting for the pasta to boil as he wondered how the baby wolves, as he liked to call them, were preparing for it. Scott had told him that everything was out of wack the closer it came, hormones and emotions all over the place.

Stiles grabbed the sausage and tomatoes and began to cut, he'd told Isaac that he would bring some food over since he was tired of ordering the take-out he was forced to eat on a near constant basis since moving in with Derek. Stiles laughed to himself, he guessed Derek was not the cooking type but he was still responsible for Isaac. He wasn't exactly sure if it was okay to show up at the Hale house, after all he hadn't seen Derek for days, but he did make a promise.

Stiles poured in the sauce along with the rest of the ingredients before pouring it all into a large bowl. It was six o'clock and Stiles decided to drive the food over before it got too cold and not at all because he wanted to see if Derek was home.

"Aren't you going to order dinner?" Derek asked Isaac as he spread the map of the town out on the kitchen table.

Derek was becoming more anxious to find a safe place for the pack to change tomorrow night and time was running out. Jackson and Lydia were on the couch in the living room watching television and Derek had no time recently to wonder why the mysterious case of the girl immune to the bite had become so comfortable in his house. Erica, Boyd and Scott were elsewhere, perhaps in the front yard, but they all seemed to gravitate towards Derek during this time of the month.

Isaac nodded distracted by the books Derek had asked him to look through, "No need, Stiles is bringing some over."

Derek looked up quickly, startling Isaac in the process, "Stiles? And why would he be bringing you food?"

Isaac eyes went wide, "Because I asked him to?"

Derek sighed and stood up, he liked Isaac and knew it was his job to protect him but the boy could be troublesome, "Isaac, I told you not to bother him."

Isaac picked at his nails and refused to look at Derek, "I know," he said quietly, "but I'm tired of pizza and Stiles wanted to hang out so I figured it was a win-win situation!" With that he shot a grin that Derek that was not returned.

"Should I tell him not to come?" he asked, his smile dropped and was suddenly replaced with those puppy-eyes of his.

Derek shook his head, "No, it's fine," he wasn't expecting Stiles to show up in his house after he'd gone out of his way to avoid him for days now. His dreams were becoming more …aggressive with each passing day and Derek blamed it on the wolf, eager to escape now that the full moon was near.

Last night's featured a very willing Stiles and handcuffs.

Derek tried to draw his thoughts from such things and went back to looking at the map. After twenty minutes of crossing things out and answering Isaacs questions about the history of werewolves, no doubt designed to get back on Derek's good side, there was a knock at the door which Isaac promptly ran to go answer.

Derek did not follow but he did listen as Isaac greeted Stiles followed by Stiles being chastised by Lydia for something or the other, no doubt about his choice in clothes or his tardiness.

Isaac re-entered the kitchen followed by Stiles who was carrying a bowl almost as big as he was and of course followed by the rest of Derek's unruly brood.

"Oh, hey!" Stiles stopped just inside the door and watched as Derek rolled up the map that took up most of the table. Afraid to speak, Derek simply nodded his head in Stiles' direction and moved to put the map back in the cabinet, turning his back on Stiles and everyone else as they pushed their way into the room.

It felt so right, Stiles being here with him and his pack.

"Let me take that off your hands, you must be tired," Jackson said with a grin as he grabbed the heavy bowl of pasta out of Stiles' hand.

Lydia smiled fondly at Jackson before turning to Stiles, with a laugh she asked "What are you, momma-Stiles?"

Dragging his eyes off of Derek's back he smiled, "Well the food is specifically for Isaac, but I may have gone a little overboard so there's plenty for everyone." At this Jackson began tearing the foil off the top of the bowl, "except Jackson, there's enough for everyone except him."

Lydia laughed and smacked Stiles playfully on the arm before grabbing him and walking towards the table.

"Thanks Stiles, Derek told me not to bother you but I knew you wouldn't mind." Stiles glanced briefly at Derek who had taken his usual I'm-too-cool-for-you pose against the counter, arms crossed and face expressionless. And that was all it took for his heart to start racing.

"Not a bother at all buddy, I couldn't very well leave you here to become a victim of malnourishment could I?"

Everyone chuckled at that and Isaac filled up a plate with the pasta and handed it to Derek who said, "I think malnourished is a bit dramatic, Stiles."

Stiles smiled at that but didn't trust himself to speak, honestly since when did he get all hot and bothered just by being in the same room as this guy. Oh right, since last week.

Stiles stood back and watched as everyone took the first bite, "It's a masterpiece is it not my lovelies? No need to praise me, the satisfied looks on your faces is enough."

"It's delicious," Isaac said mouth full, Erica threw a balled-up napkin in his direction to remind him of his manners which accidently hit Jackson who growled at her which resulted in Lydia hitting him with her fork.

This entire exchange was observed by Derek who had yet to take a bite of his food and instead chose to stare at Stiles. He looked confused, if not a little unsure of himself as he stood in a warm kitchen with his bickering pack and plate of food cooked by Stiles. Whose place in all this he still didn't understand.

Stiles looked up and caught Derek's eye, instead of looking away he offered a tentative smile and said, "You don't like it?"

Startled, Derek looked down as if he was just seeing the plate of food, "No that's not it, you didn't have to go through so much trouble." He wasn't technically a part of the pack as far Derek was concerned. Humans associating with werewolves had long been a grey area in werewolf history and Derek could not help but feel guilty at the amount of work Stiles did on their behalf.

Stiles' smile faltered a bit and he looked down at his hands picking at something Derek couldn't see, "It was no problem."

"Yeah Stiles loves cooking," Scott insisted as he attempted to steal more food of Boyd's plate.

Derek nodded and Stiles smiled gratefully at Scott before the kitchen fell into a comfortable silence of eating.

Stiles watched contentedly as they ate but was discomforted at the fact that it didn't seem as if Derek wanted him here. His assumptions about the progress of their relationship were obviously all one-sided. He looked around the kitchen and wondered how he could take his leave as elegantly and with little as notice as possible for he had no clue what the wolves…and Lydia had planned for this full-moon eve.
Suddenly bringing his hands together into a loud clap Stiles grinned and said, "So I'm gonna go," real smooth Stiles, that would give Angel a run for his money.

His announcement was met with frowns and a general look of alarm from Derek who had been silently running over scenarios in his head for keeping Stiles longer.

"But you just got here," Lydia said, her face pulled in confusion at Stiles sudden wish to leave, "You should stay!" This drew nods from around the table, leave it up to Lydia Martin to give out such invitations despite this not being her house.

Stiles glanced at Derek nervously, this had not gone as planned. Not that he had come here with any concrete plan but he did have the intention of getting some one-on-one time with the Boss of the House. Nothing sexual of course, though he would not have objected to that either, just chatting about the weather or books.

Derek put his plate down on the counter, "Stiles," he said in a voice commanding enough to end the chatter of his pack who was busy trying to convince Stiles to stay longer.

Stiles turned to face him, eyes only slightly wider and heartbeat quick, but not nearly as erratic as that time he thought it would be fun to mix Starbucks with caffeine pills.

"Okay, okay I'm going," Stiles raised his hand defensively and made moves to pick up his bag but Derek shook his head.

"No, that's not what I-" he sighed and stopped.

Had his behavior towards Stiles always been one of such hostility to the point where he immediately assumed that Derek wanted him gone? Derek felt a prick of regret about that. The human was an asset to the pack so he should be treated as one. Derek told himself all this as if he didn't actually just want Stiles close enough to touch. His hair had grown longer these past months giving Stiles a more mature look and Derek would be lying if he said he didn't want to run his hands through it.

Stiles was frozen between picking up his bag and standing back up when Derek said, "I need you upstairs."

"What does that mean," Erica broke the silence that resulted from Derek's poor word choice.

He glared at her, "Research, I found a passage about the salt and I want to cross-reference it with whatever you got. Maybe we can finally get some answers." With that Derek turned his back and left the room obviously meaning that Stiles should follow him, right?

Stiles looked to the group huddled around the table, Boyd and Erica were busy suppressing laughter, they obviously knew something he didn't meanwhile Lydia had her eyes narrowed at Derek's retreating figure as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.

With a shrug Stiles said "Be right back, I guess," and followed Derek out and up some stairs.

He had never been past the kitchen and took note of the way the stairs creaked under foot as if they were about to give way, but Derek walked up confidently so Stiles followed without worries.

Derek's room was the first door on the left, and Stiles hesitated before walking in. Was this okay, it should be since Derek tended to just stroll into his room as if he lived there starting from that very first day. With that in mind Stiles walked in with a lot more confidence than he was actually feeling at the moment.

There were scorch marks on the walls, something Stiles tried his hardest not to look at so instead he moved his eyes to the lone picture on the dresser which was the only piece of furniture besides the large bed in the corner of the room. It was a photo of his family, with a young, un-burdened Derek and Laura in the middle of a happy group of older people. Stiles had never seen Derek smile so wide.

"Um, I don't have any chairs," Derek gestured to the bed awkwardly as he went to the dresser to grab a book that lay there. The book was bound in dark blue cloth which was singed and was stuffed with paper, hand-written notes it seemed. Derek had been busy.

Stiles nodded and took a seat on the edge of the bed, the quilt was some hideous plaid but it was soft to the touch. Derek took a seat beside him, making sure that there was a few inches of space between them although his inner-wolf was pushing him to move closer and see if Stiles' skin was as soft as it looked and test just how easily those lips of his would give way beneath his own.

He handed the book to Stiles gruffly, not saying a word as Stiles brought his feet up to sit cross-legged on the bed, successfully allowing the two to touch. Stiles continued to flip to the pages ignoring his internal freak out and the way Derek suddenly became tense beside him.

"This is basically what I found online," Stiles said peering down at Derek's scratchy hand writing, "But whatever you found in this book seems to be more useful, it's more on the defensive purposes of salt."

"Ah," Derek said softly. At the moment he was more worried about why he thought it was a good idea to invite Stiles into his room, allow him further into the secrets that he had spent so long building. He hadn't allowed any of his betas into his room yet.

Stiles turned on the bed to look at Derek, he wanted a good look at him for once and today he wasn't feeling scared, on the contrary, if his heartbeat and the butterflies in his stomach was anything to go by he was eager.

Derek did not return the look but instead stared stubbornly at the book Stiles still held. He knew he was watching of course, but Derek was too afraid of what would happen if he met that gaze with his own desperate one.

Stiles tilted his head, "Derek," he said softly.

Derek breathed out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, there was so much in that one word. So many questions, so much want.

"Look at me, please."

Derek steeled himself and looked up, it was the worst thing he could do. He'd always been powerless against those eyes, long before he was willing to admit it to himself.

Stiles was not sure what was controlling him at this point, maybe he had read the signs wrongs, perhaps this was the opposite of what Derek wanted but he couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. He needed to find out for himself.

Placing a hand on Derek's knee, Stiles leaned forward and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

Derek moved into that kiss while trying to control whatever part of him was saying push Stiles onto the bed. Then he caught himself and pulled back slowly. They were both breathing heavily, unsure of what the next move should be or if there should even be a next move.

But Derek was already battling the surge of self-loathing that seemed to be ever present in his gut. He didn't deserve this taste of happiness that he'd all of a sudden found on the lips of Stiles Stilinski, not a man like him.

Derek stood up, rubbing his face and the taste of him off his mouth. He said nothing, only turned his back to the boy on his bed and continued to take deep breathes, willing himself to control the situation that had so suddenly spun away from him. Control, it was what he needed to have as the Alpha and it wasn't something he would give up with ease.

"I'm….I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted," Stiles said quietly. He was so wrong about that but Derek couldn't wrestle those words from his throat.

"I just wanted to do that, kiss you I mean, for a while so," Stiles trailed off.

"But I understand, if you don't…I'll just leave," Stiles said. He got up to put the book back on the dresser and before he knew it Derek was right behind him. Stiles met his eyes in the mirror, they were dark, conflicted and filled with unsaid things that Derek seemed to be willing him to understand.

Unfortunately, Stiles was not a mind reader.

He could feel the warmth on his back and took all of his will power not to lean back into it.

"I'm sorry," Stiles said again but those words were met with a low…growl? Did Derek just growl at him?

Derek moved forward, they were touching now, front to back, and took Stiles' hands in his pressing them on the either sides of the dresser while knotting their fingers together.

"How do you know you want this?" Derek asked, his voice barely above a whisper in Stiles' ear as he maintained the eye contact in the mirror.

Stiles tried to control the erection he appeared to sprouting until Derek pressed his own right behind him. Stiles was suddenly finding it difficult to string words together, "Do you? Want this, I mean?"

Derek moved in and kissed Stiles' neck, a sensitive area he didn't even know he had until this moment.

"I guess that means yes?" Stiles asked breathlessly and moved back into Derek.

Derek said nothing only stared moving his hips in a circular motion behind him as Stiles broke eye contact, twisting his neck to catch him in another kiss.

And that was when they heard the footsteps, loud and quick coming up the stairs. With a few quick knocks Scott and Lydia busted into the room only to find a very red-face Derek and Stiles moving apart.

There was awkward silence as Derek glared at the newcomers and Lydia stared accusingly at Stiles.

"What are you guys doing," Scott asked in a choked voice.

"There was a reason the door was closed," Derek snapped.

"Nothing! No things were getting done, absolutely not," Stiles said quickly, obviously flustered.

"You were kissing," Lydia said slowly shifting her glare to Derek as if she blamed him for what she and Scott had just walked in on.

"Right, so I'm leaving," Stiles said. He couldn't meet anyone's eye at this point and settled for shuffling sideways out the door, "Derek, it was nice, um…bye."

And with that Stiles nearly ran out of the house leaving a very baffled Alpha and best friend behind and not bothering to say goodbye to the rest of the pack while he hurried to his car.

Lydia turned to Derek, "Something you want to share with the group?"