A/N: So, I've been having a problem getting this story to go where I want and I've been hitting walls hard and fast. It's only a little funny until I realize it's been weeks since I posted and it's not funny anymore! So, sorry about that but I won't promise that it won't happen again. The chapters come out when the chapters come out.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN TEEN WOLF

ENJOY!

"Are you hungry?" Derek asks gently once they're home again.

Stiles gives him a small smile. "I'm always hungry. Haven't you learned that much about me in the past few months?"

Derek nods once and quickly stalks to the kitchen, leaving Stiles standing there in the middle of the living room looking sort of lost. Stiles listens as the fridge opens and closes followed by the sound of drawers and cabinets being opened and slammed once again. He gives a faint smile but it fades quickly, replaced with exhaustion and he flops down onto the couch.

Stiles doesn't know what to do with the relief he's feeling at the moment. Everything was so incredibly horrible for so long that this new feeling of freedom and relief felt almost too light, like everything was going to drop back on top of him at any second. Like everything was just in a temporary state of calm. It was terrifying.

There's silence all around him that seems too still, like it's waiting for him to fill it with his words but for once he's at a loss for words. So much has happened so quickly that his mind just doesn't want to accept any of it as real and would like the option of ignoring it if at all possible.

"Stiles, dinner is ready." Derek calls gently from the kitchen and Stiles barely hears it, getting up on autopilot.

There are several sandwiches on the table and Derek is already eating one. All the way across the kitchen.

"What are you doing way over there? There's a perfectly good table right here." Stiles mumbles as he sits down in his usual seat.

"I…uh…I'm good over here."

Stiles stares at him for long moments. "What's wrong with you?"

Derek frowns and takes another bite of his sandwich as if to completely avoid talking altogether. Stiles can't tell at all what he's thinking.

"You know Derek, I don't know what the fuck just happened today and I thought that coming home would allow me to relax and at least try and take it all in like a sane person but here we are, home, and you're acting like a fucking weirdo. Just…come sit down. Please." Stiles pleads, his anger fizzling out quickly into exhaustion.

Stiles watches Derek's face pinch before finally releasing some of its tension and he slumps a little as he slowly crosses the kitchen to the table, sitting down in his usual spot across from Stiles.

"Thank you." Stiles mumbles and picks up a meat sandwich and starts nibbling away at it.

They eat in silence for a little while until Derek surprisingly starts talking first.

"Are you… You're not scared of me? Of us? We're werewolves."

"Yeah, I got that with the weird eye thingy and the conversations and healing of my father. Compared to you guys being werewolves I feel like the things I had to live through was more terrifying. I honestly thought I was going to become homeless for the first couple of months. So, yeah, werewolves, not that scary. After all, you've been nothing but kind to me and my father. I don't think I can ever repay you or your family for what you've done for us."

Derek is silent for so long that Stiles finally looks up from his food to see Derek staring at him looking a combination between concern and…hurt?

"I didn't…Stiles, I didn't do any of this so that you'll be indebted to me or my family. You're my…"

Derek cuts himself off so abruptly that Stiles can only stare wide-eyed at him for many long seconds.

"I'm your what? Derek, I'm your what?" he asks gently.

Derek just shakes his head. "You're my responsibility Stiles."

The words feel like ice settling into his gut.

"Just your responsibility. Nothing more? Just responsibility Derek?" Stiles huffs a short, humorless laugh. "So, what? Was you getting me off your responsibility Derek? Was kissing me you responsibility? Making me feel all these things for you was just your responsibility?!"

"Stiles!" Derek yells, cutting off Stiles' semi-hysteric rambling. "Stiles, you're sixteen. I'm eight years older than you and a different species. It doesn't matter what you feel for me or what I feel for you, you're way too fucking young! You still have all of your high school years to fall in love with someone far more appropriate than me. You're only feeling these things because I helped you when no one else would and because you're a hormonal teenager. What happened yesterday shouldn't have happened and if your father ever found out he'd have me arrested for statutory rape of a minor."

"No he wouldn't! You saw him earlier, you heard what he said! He just wants what's best for me and right now that's you! Everybody else is fine with you except you!"

"Because I know what it's like to feel like you're in love with an older person when you're sixteen Stiles! I thought I was in love when I was about your age too! You know what happened?! Hmm?! She tried to burn down my family's house with everyone still in it!"

Stiles jerks back as if he'd been slapped, staring at Derek with wide eyes.

"Hale. The Hale case. Oh my…how did I not see that? Kate Argent, Allison's aunt. What? But… the case files said she'd tried to burn down the house due to a fucked up love quarrel."

Derek's green eyes bore into Stiles' and he couldn't help the shudder that ran through him. "I was fifteen and a beautiful woman actually wanted to talk to me and I instantly thought I'd fallen in love. Turns out she'd been using me to get to my family, to find the best ways into the house without detection and I fell right into her trap. If Laura hadn't forgotten her lunch at home that day then they'd all have died, all because a stupid fifteen year old boy thought he was in love."

"Did she try to kill your family because you had a fight with her? I mean, that doesn't make any sense, why did she do it?"

"Because we're werewolves Stiles! The Argents are hunters! They hunt us and she was one of them and I led her right into our den! You're too young Stiles! You have no idea what love is and these stupid teenage hormones are clouding your judgment. I shouldn't have done that with you last night, it was a huge mistake."

Stiles slams his chair back, tipping it over and sending it crashing to the ground. Quickly he pulls his fist back and slams it into the side of Derek's face. Obviously he wasn't expecting it since his head snapped sideways but it was clear all it had done was make Stiles' fist hurt. At least now he had a manly excuse for the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

"Fuck you Derek. Fuck. You. Just because some woman screwed you over doesn't mean that you did anything wrong. Your love wasn't fake, you simply fell in love with the wrong person. Just because I'm a teenager in years doesn't mean I'm not an adult. I'm more of an adult than you're being right now. Don't you ever compare yourself with that psychotic bitch because you're more kind and caring than anybody else I've ever met, and yes, you were the only one that would help us and, yes, that's why I started falling for you, but I fell for you because you're a good person. So shut the fuck up and get over yourself."

Stiles jerks himself away from Derek after having gotten into his surprised face to hiss his angry words at him and rights the chair and grabs a sandwich.

"I'm going to bed. As soon as you're done giving yourself a shitty pity part come and join me." Stiles demands and stomps off to his room leaving Derek staring after him in shock.

Derek sits there in shock at the dining room table for a long time, hand pressed to his cheek where Stiles had solidly clocked him. There was no bruise but he could still feel the phantom hurt from the hit and his chest stinging mildly from the ache the memories always brought with them. The Kate incident had been his fault and yet no one ever sees it that way and it saddens him and pisses him off at the same time.

He'd been the one to reveal that they were werewolves, he'd been the one to show her how to get into the house without detection, he'd been the one to show her how the locks on the doors worked and explained basically everything about his family that made it possible for her to trap them in the basement and set fire to the back corner of the house. If Laura hadn't arrived to unlock the door and help extinguish the fire his entire family would be dead. Dead because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants.

Yet the way that Stiles had said it, raged about Kate being the one to use him had him feeling warm under the cold ache of guilt. It's true that he'd had no idea that she was a hunter and had genuinely thought that she loved him and that she was his mate and had ignored all the signs that he didn't recognize until it was too late. It had surprised him when Stiles had said he's not like Kate and the warmth had spread, threatening to overtake his anger.

While it was true that he'd never hurt Stiles like that there was no telling what the future would hold for them and with him being a werewolf there would undoubtedly be dangers he'd have to face that could potentially harm him and Derek never wanted anything to ever hurt Stiles. Just the thought of something happening to Stiles made his hair stand on end and his wolf growl.

Yet there were so many things that could happen to Stiles if he wasn't there to protect him. With Stiles he never knew what would happen and judging by his past experience he was incredibly likely to get hurt just by walking to his mailbox and back. So on one hand there was letting Stiles go and never knowing what is happening with him and forever worrying that he's in some kind of trouble or on the other hand there's Derek staying with Stiles and keeping him as safe as he can in a life that includes werewolves. Well, werewolves are stronger than humans and would make great body guards.

Derek sighs long and suffering and quickly wraps up the remaining sandwiches and puts them in the fridge before retreating to his room and starting up the computer. Quickly he pulls up a document and begins typing.

Pushing Stiles Away

Pros:

Safe from most werewolf attacks (his father?)

Safe from hunter attacks

Has chances to fall in love normally

Cons:

Never know if he's safe

He's my mate

Won't see his father as much

Won't be able to protect him

He might get involved anyways

Keeping Stiles

Pros:

Will always be able to protect him

I'll have my mate

He'll have a whole family again

He'll be able to be with his father safely

Cons:

Might be attacked by other werewolves

Might be target by hunters by association

Won't be able to have a normal human life (but his father's a werewolf so he won't ever have a normal life)

Derek groans at the list he's made. Everything, even the cons of the lists, seems to point to him keeping Stiles so he can protect him and love him and give him everything he's ever wanted. Everything Derek's always wanted too. Can Derek really have what he wants? Is it time to let the past go?

Whipping out his phone he pulls up Laura's number and only has to wait a ring and a half before her voice answers sleepily. Quickly he looks at the clock to see it's already past eleven at night.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize it was that late. I'll call back in the morning."

"You're already talking to me, no use letting me dwell on it all night. What's up buttercup? Everything going ok with your little mate?"

Derek gives a small whine in the back of his throat as he realizes even his sister's realized it. "I want to keep him Laura." He says and his voice sounds so defeated even to his own ears.

"Finally you realize this? Took a ridiculously long time to figure out that you're allowed to want things Derek! Just talk to him, I'm sure he wants the same thing. Trust me, I'm sure."

"I just…don't want him to be in any danger because of me. He'll never have a normal life, never get a chance to fall in love with someone else because once I have him I'll never want to let him go. What if that's too much to ask?"

"Derek, you're working yourself up about this too much. Look, his father's already a werewolf so there's no way he's not going to be involved with us from now on and if you reject him that'll just make things more difficult for him because every time he comes over with his father he'll think of you and I know for a fact that it'll hurt. Talk to him Der-bear, really talk, because sitting there staring at him is not talking." Laura laughs.

Rubbing his eyes with his knuckles Derek lets out a long breath before nodding. "Alright, I'll do that. He's still awake in his room waiting for me. He's persistent I'll give him that much."

"You've got yourself a good one there Derek, don't let this opportunity go to waste. Now, I'm going to get back to sleeping because that's what normal people do at eleven pm. Goodnight Der-bear. I'll see you in the morning, love you."

"Thanks Laura, I love you too. Goodnight."

Derek's smiling as he hangs up and closes his laptop gently. Quickly he tucks his phone into his pocket at strides from his room to Stiles', opening the door gently just in case he's fallen asleep but nope, there's his stubborn, angry gaze locked on him from the top of his blanket cocoon. Derek closes the door behind him and walks slowly towards the bed, pulling off his shirt as he goes and watches as Stiles' eyes widen.

"What are you doing? Nuh uh, no sexy times for a shit like you. Go away. Go back to your own room."

"Stiles, I need to talk to you."

Stiles sits up still glaring. "This doesn't look like talking to me."

Derek pulls his jeans off along with his socks until he's standing there in only his underwear. "Stiles, I want to keep you." He says once he's kneeling on the edge of the bed, face close to Stiles'.

Derek can smell the instant Stiles reacts to him and feels warmth blooming throughout him.

Being the stubborn shit that he is Stiles just crosses his arms and backs up until he hits the wall.

"Nuh uh, you can't just expect me to accept that after everything you said not even an hour ago." He pauses before saying, "That was only an hour ago, right? Not like…two? Time gets kinda wonky when you're brooding."

Derek smiles softly and nods. "It was only an hour ago, yes."

"Ok, good. I'm still mad at you though." Stiles huffs.

"Stiles, I'm sorry about what I said but you have to know I said it for a reason."

"A stupid reason!"

"No, it is a legitimate reason but…I've thought it over and got some…helpful advice from my sister." Derek sits on the bed next to Stiles and sighs. "Whenever I need to make a big decision I make a small list of pros and cons. In this instance, when it comes to keeping you, the pros outweigh the cons. I…I want to keep you Stiles. It's the first time in a very long time that I've wanted something this badly and… it's difficult for me to accept it."

"If this is going to be the norm for you, the on again off again type of guys, I don't know if I'll be able to keep up. Derek…I want you. I've wanted you practically from the moment I saw you. I mean, sure, I thought you were a total dick but you were a hot dick. Then I got to know you and you became a hot, kind, caring, lovable dick. You were there for me today with the situation with my dad and right now I'm kind of reeling from all the information overload and absolute relief that everything finally seems good for once. But you always pull yourself back and shut me out like just now. If you want to keep me then you'll have to let me in Derek. I get that you're hurt and that you have a fucked up history but so do I."

"Stiles, if you let me I will keep you. Once I have you I am never letting you go. You're sixteen but you're right, you are more of an adult than I am some times."

"Try all the time." Stiles mutters under his breath and Derek just smirks.

"Trust me, you definitely act your age sometimes. What I'm saying is, if you agree to be my mate it's for life. For me, it's for life. Humans aren't affected the same way as werewolves are when it comes to mates, humans can walk away. Werewolves can't. If you decide some time down the road that you don't love me any more I will be devastated, the kind of devastation that I won't walk away from. Can you handle that?"

"Does this mean you love me? Is that what being mates mean?"

Derek nods slowly. "It's more than just that though. Yes love is a part of it but it's not the only part. There's the part where I want to be with you all the time, listen to you talk and to your heart beat and your lungs breathe, I want to see your face when you smile or cry or get angry, and I'll always want to protect you from everything. It's difficult being mates but I've heard that it's the most wonderful thing in the world for a werewolf."

"That sounds… pretty awesome actually. Sounds like what a married couple does."

"Marriage. Yeah, I guess you could compare it to that. It's a little deeper than that though because I'm a werewolf and you'd be a werewolf mate. There are certain…perks to being mated to a werewolf."

Stiles gives him an interested but speculative look. "Oh really? Like what?"

"Like, your senses will be heightened a bit, you'll always know when I'm near, you'll smell different to other werewolves, and I've heard the sex is great."

Stiles snorts. "Oh Mr. Funnyman now, huh?"

Derek smiles before turning serious once more. "Stiles, there are dangers though. If hunters ever found out that you're my mate they could use you to get to me. You'll be considered the 'weak link' in the pack to them and they'll use whatever they can get to kill us. There's also dangers from other werewolves. If another pack wants to take over our territory and challenges us you'll be caught in a fight between werewolves and could get hurt. Omegas are lone wolves with no pack but they're feral and will kill you immediately if you make any contact with them."

"They'll do that anyways whether I'm with you or not though, right? It sounds like a time and place kind of thing."

Derek nods. "That's true, and if you were mated to me I'd always be able to tell when you're in danger. I've heard that some mates will even be able to tell what the other is thinking if the bond is strong enough. Makes me wonder."

Stiles turns and looks at Derek and Derek can only smile gently.

"This all sounds absolutely amazing but I still want to know, do you love me? I mean, I'm not going to mate to you if you don't at least love me. It's not even a question of do I love you because that is so blatantly obvious that you'll have to be blind, deaf, and have idiopathic neuropathy not to know the answer to that one."

All Stiles gets is a blank stare. "You'll have to explain that idio one."

Stiles rolls his eyes. "Idiopathic neuropathy is when there's nerve damage that interferes with the ability to feel any sort of physical touch but has no determinable cause. So basically, if you were blind, deaf, and had idiopathic neuropathy you'd only be able to smell and taste things."

"That's…smart. How did you find this out?"

Stiles once again rolls his eyes. "I watched all the season of Haven on Netflix a while back and it interested me so I looked it up on the internet. We're getting off topic! I'm starting to think you only want me for my body."

It's Derek's turn to roll his eyes. "Ok, fine, the answer is…yes. I think so. I hope so? At least, that's what it feels like it is. I don't…really…know."

Stiles looks at him with a gentle frown. "What does it take to make me your mate?" he asks after a few moments of contemplative silence.

"I'd have to mark you. With a bite. A claiming bite." Derek manages to mumble out, feeling his face heat up ever so slightly in embarrassment.

"Oh, so, if we had regular sex with no claiming bite stuff we wouldn't be mated?"

Derek nods.

"Soooo, I could have sex with you right now and you'd still be able to walk away."

There's a twinge of pain in Derek's chest as he nods and shifts slightly away from Stiles, getting ready for rejection.

"Whoa, dude, stop. You look like you're about to go drown yourself in your sink. I'm not saying I don't want to be your mate because holy Hell I do. I'm just saying, why don't we give ourselves time to think this through when it's a decent hour and we're not running on fumes. I also want to ask your mom about some things and talk to my dad about it if that's alright with you."

Stiles says the last part almost shyly and it makes Derek want to kiss him so he does, gently turning his head towards Stiles and giving his chin the briefest of touches that has his eyes immediately drooping to half-mast and his lips parting tantalizingly. The kiss is gentle and soft, not at all like the fiery kisses from last night and Derek can feel his mind easing.

When they pull apart from the kiss Derek again gently touches Stiles' chin before sighing, "Do you want me to sleep here tonight or in my own bed."

"If you leave now I'll take it as an insult." Stiles says without heat and Derek grins.

"Alright."

"I don't promise not to feel you up though. If the urge so takes me I shall feel you up to my heart's content."

"I'll keep that in mind. You should also be warned that I will also feel you up if the 'urge so takes me'." Derek chuckles.

Finally they settle into the narrow bed and pull the covers over them, Derek spooning Stiles and listening to his heart beat even out as he falls asleep. A few minutes later he's out.

A/N: ~durr hur durr~ This chapter was not cooperative. I wanted to say a lot of things and point it in a slightly more angsty direction but it turned out being kind of sweet since I have a really difficult time ruining relationships between characters. Hmph. So here! Have some more OOC shit!

Also, thanks once more to alls of yalls who read my story and give me such great feedback. I know it's not easy reading my stuff sometimes and I can be a super obnoxious author but…yeah, it's hard to change. So, thanks so much for all the support and love I get. Even if it's no love and it's pure hate I still want it! ~hearts~