The worst thing about Prom, for Stiles, is the incessantly loud, pounding music. He could hear it from down the block and he can only imagine how bad it has to be for Derek, Scott, and Isaac. It wouldn't be so bad, either, if it were decent music, but it's all misogynistic lyrics and repetitive beats and Stiles just can't get into it.
To be fair, he doesn't want to be here in the first place and he's probably looking for reasons to be miserable, but no one can blame him. He's been sitting in the damn chairs lining the Hall their prom is being held in and he hasn't left since he found a spot. Neither has Derek, who looks like he bit into a lemon and never let go.
Scott and Isaac are having a blast, music be damned, out on the dance floor together. Stiles is a bit jealous, considering he never got to have fun at his first Prom. What with Lydia shutting him down, and Peter – or the rogue Alpha from his time – attacking all of them, and basically everything going to shit that night.
Speaking of Lydia, he hasn't run into her or Danny yet, which is a good thing because he really doesn't want to have to explain why his date is so grumpy. Or why they hadn't danced to a single song.
Stiles is contemplating just leaving, despite his mothers' orders, when Scott and Isaac walk over and share the empty chair next to Derek.
"Why aren't you guys dancing?" Scott asks.
"I hate this song!" Stiles has trouble shouting over the music.
"You've been sitting here for an hour!"
"I still hate this song!"
"You guys should at least try to have fun!" Isaac shouts and Stiles is surprised that his voice can carry over the music.
"Yeah!" Scott agrees, smiling like the fucking sun.
Stiles tries to find a way out of having to dance, "I'm only dancing if Derek will."
Derek looks at him with his pinched expression before standing up, grabbing Stiles, and making his way over to the 'dance floor'.
"What are you doing?!" Stiles asks, trying to slow their advancement.
"I'm not going to have you blame me for being miserable at your own prom." Derek's voice easily carries over the music.
Stiles spends the next three songs begrudgingly dancing with Derek, who is actually pretty good at dancing believe it or not, before a song comes on that he even remotely likes. He feels more comfortable and starts really getting into the music.
Soon enough, Stiles has spent a good hour on the dance floor and the only reason he stops is because Derek looks like he's in a lot of pain. Stiles leads him out onto the 'patio' area that's been fenced off to give people a place the cool off in the night air.
Also, kids go there to make out sometimes.
Stiles guides Derek to a seat and practically has to lecture him into staying as he gets them both something to drink. He returns with two cups of punch to find Derek leaning back in his chair with his head resting on the back.
Out here, the music is muted, and Stiles is kind of grateful that the kids who threw Prom together had the smarts to add this. Stiles sits next to Derek and hands the werewolf his cup. Stiles sips out of his cup, gauging Derek.
He's not what he'd expected at all. Sure he was still Derek at his core, but he's more…open…in this universe than he'd ever been back in Stiles' world. He's quiet, withdrawn even, but not to the point where he's unwilling to talk to anyone. His people skills are the same, though he doesn't use them for manipulation like he'd seen the Derek from his world use those skills.
Stiles smiles to himself, glad that he could spare Derek the pain of losing his family.
"What are you smiling at?" Derek gripes, but remains unmoving.
"This and that." Stiles avoids the question, "You okay?"
"I think I'm experiencing a headache."
Stiles huffs out a laugh and reaches over to run a hand through Derek's hair. He calls up a bit of his light and sends it out, trying to sooth Derek's headache. Derek's hand, the one not holding his own cup, reaches up and grabs Stiles' wrist.
"You shouldn't be doing that."
Stiles gives Derek an unimpressed look, "So you can do it for me but I can't do it for you?"
"That's not the same."
"How?"
Derek flounders for a second, "You should be saving your power."
"This isn't even taking anything. Calm down."
Derek pins him with a look before letting go of Stiles' wrist. Stiles takes it as a go ahead, so he starts running his hand through Derek's hair again. The brunet shifts in his chair so he's facing Derek and his right leg is crossed over his left, with his ankle of his knee, and leans his elbow on the back of the chair so he can reach Derek's hair easier.
Derek slowly sips at his punch before commenting, "Punch is spiked."
"Good thing you can't get drunk, huh?"
Derek hums, leaning into Stiles' hand a little.
Stiles admires Derek's profile for a bit before the doors behind him open up with a bang and Lydia steps out into the night air. She's wearing a short dress that accentuates everything extremely well. Beside her is Danny, whose outfit accentuates everything right as well.
"There you are." Lydia walks over, her heels clicking away on the cement.
"Hello, Lydia." Stiles still feels so weird that Lydia has suddenly started talking to him.
Derek sits up more and stiles lets his hand drop away.
"So this is your date?" She drags one of the other chairs over so she can sit with them.
He wishes more than anything that he could communicate telepathically. Can he?
He'd have to try that.
"Yeah. Lydia, Danny, this is Derek Hale. Derek, this is Lydia Martin and Danny Māhealani."
"Hello." Derek greets, fiddling with his cup.
"My, you weren't lying when you said he was attractive, Stiles."
"Shocking." Comes out of his mouth before he can stop himself.
"Why aren't you inside dancing?" Derek asks them.
"Because my failure of an ex-boyfriend won't stop glaring at me for having the audacity to show up."
Derek looks away, obviously uncomfortable being included in the conversation and regretting his attempt at conversation.
"I was actually about to head back inside. You gonna be alright out here, Lydia?" Danny asks her.
He gets a look that asks if he's serious in return.
Danny just laughs and makes his way inside with a wave over his shoulder and a 'it was nice to meet you' at Derek.
Which leaves him and Derek alone. With Lydia. One of the most intimidating women he's ever known. Except the Argent women, but Kate was psychotic and Allison was far too skilled with weapons for his liking.
"So how are your classes going, Stiles?" Lydia asks him with a look on her face that is equal parts intimidating and calculating.
"Fine. You know. Same old, same old."
Which was true. He'd already learned all of this.
"You should take harder classes senior year." She tells him.
"I'd really rather not."
"I know you're smarter than I am, which is saying something, so why aren't you proving it?"
Stiles snorts, "Lydia, if I were smarter than you, you'd be Valedictorian. Besides, you know like four different languages. I know two"
She's about to retort when Derek sits up ramrod straight. He's alert, listening. If he were a dog, his ears would be parked.
"Lydia, I think you should go inside now."
Lydia looks like he told her that her dress was disgusting.
Stiles instantly stands up and pulls her along with him. Derek follows them inside and Lydia tears her arm away from Stiles.
"What the hell?!" She almost snarls.
"Trust me, Lydia, don't go outside. Not yet. Please." Stiles turns around to see Derek heading over to Scott, but Isaac is nowhere to be found.
Stiles sends out a little pulse and is relieved to find Isaac at the refreshment table. He pushes his way through and drags Isaac over to Derek.
Derek tells them what he smelled. The Alpha. Here.
"Try not to let anyone outside."
"Bad news!" Isaac has to yell over the song, "Jackson just went outside with his date."
Stiles curses. As much as he hates Jackson, letting him get turned and killed just wasn't an option, no matter how much he wished it was.
"Which door?"
Isaac points over to the double doors that lead out to the lacrosse field and Stiles manages to catch Lydia heading out the door.
"Shit!" He rushes forward with the Werewolves at his heels.
He sends out a pulse to his mom, who was just under a half mile away with Talia, to let her know the Alpha was around.
They were on their way.
They run through the double doors to see Lydia in the center of the lacrosse field with Jackson Whitmore and some girl Stiles doesn't know.
He thinks her name's Malinda or something, but he doesn't know.
Before any of them can make a move, Stiles sees the eyes of the Alpha in the woods on the other side of the field.
"Lydia!" Stiles runs forward, just as the Alpha leaps.
It lands on Jackson, knocking the dick onto the floor and launches at Lydia. She screams as it collides with her.
Derek is tackling the Alpha before Stiles has a chance to use his light, so Stiles runs forward and grabs Lydia. Hauling her to her feet, he looks over to see Jackson unconscious and Malinda running off towards the parking lot.
That gets the Alpha's attention more than Derek.
It wants prey it can chase.
Stiles sends out his light, smacking it directly into the Alpha's head, making it stumble, as well as letting his mother know they made contact.
He can feel her nearby, seconds away from the parking lot.
He turns to look at Lydia, but before he can say anything, something slams into his side and knocks the breath out of him.
Lydia screams – not like she should…or…not like she does in his world – and Stiles tries to get the things attacking him off.
But the thing attacking him is Isaac. His eyes are completely red. Not the red like an Alpha's glow, but red like bloodshot and Stiles knows that the Alpha is trying to control Isaac.
Not so much trying as succeeding. And if Isaac was affected, then so was Scott.
Stiles looks over slightly and sees Derek easily fending off Scott.
Stiles doesn't want to hurt Isaac, but if it comes down to his life or Isaac's, he's going to choose his own life. Well…that probably wasn't true. No, that definitely wasn't true. But his life over Isaac's comfort? Definitely his life.
He pushes out a blast of his light, knocking Isaac into the air and away from him. He pushes himself up and hisses in pain. Isaac had gotten his arm with his claws.
Thank Oberon he can't be turned or die from that.
Car alarms sound in the parking lot, startling Stiles. Lydia calls out for him and he turns back to Isaac, who is rushing at him.
'Fuck this,' Stiles thinks to himself and summons a handful of Mountain Ash into his hand. The second Isaac is close enough, Stiles blows it into his face, forcing the Werewolf to stumble back.
Making sure he won't get anywhere near him while like this, Stiles throws out a Mountain Ash circle around him. Then proceeds to separate the other two Were's and do the same to Scott.
That when Talia and his mother come around the corner from the parking lot to them.
Talia rushes over to Derek and makes sure he's okay. Stiles thinks she might try to rip Scott and Isaac to pieces but the scowl on her face. He looks around and Lydia is nowhere. He panics. She'd been right here not moments before but he can't find her anywhere. He's too tired to search with his light.
'Where could she have gone?'