Present ...

It was after midnight and Stiles was at his desk working his way through a particularly difficult Math problem, he'd turned to homework hoping that busying himself with it would help him forget about Derek and what had happened earlier ... those thoughts only depressed him.

Stiles was suddenly distracted by something catching the corner of his eye; he realised it was movement from outside his bedroom window. Curious, he slid off his chair, headed over and peered out. He was more than a little surprised to see Derek outside sitting on the porch roof.

Stiles slid open the window. "Hi." he said simply; he paused not sure what else to say - he wasn't expecting to see Derek again that night. "Are you still mad?" he asked a knot of anguish tightening in his stomach. But he had to hope a little, Derek was sitting right outside his bedroom window after all, that had to mean something right?

Derek look a little embarrassed about having been caught out there. "I didn't mean to disrupt you." he said quickly. "I'll err ... I'll go." he said getting up and dusting himself down.

"No don't." Stiles protested far too quickly and far far too desperately. He sighed. "I was just about to give up for the night anyway." he said airily, trying to sound light and breezy although he was pretty sure Derek could hear his heart beating a mile a minute - he wasn't sure if it was nerves of excitement but either way he wanted the werewolf to stay. "So you might as well come in now you're here ... if you want to I mean." he added with an aloof shrug of his shoulders whilst his brain screamed "Please!". He needed to make this right and if Derek walked away again he wasn't sure he'd be able to.

Derek hesitated briefly, he wanted to stay mad with Stiles because but of course he was unable to. Derek clambered across the roof and awkwardly pulled himself in through Stiles's window. "Here." he said handing Stiles the bottle of Jack Daniels he'd taken off him earlier that night. "Thought you might want to put that back in your dad's liquor cabinet before he notices it's gone."

Stiles smiled, grateful that Derek had gone back for it after he'd thrown it away. "Thanks." he said feeling a little of the tension between them drain away. "How long have you been sat out there? Why didn't you just come in?"

Derek shrugged in reply, he'd only come over to check Stiles was at home and hadn't just gone with Scott somewhere else to drink. He didn't want to let on that somehow he'd ended up sitting out there for the best part of an hour. Being close to Stiles was the only way he could keep his wolf at peace. Actually, it had been rather nice just sitting on the porch roof staring out over the town with the reassuring thud of Stiles's heartbeat for background noise; he'd felt calm and able to think properly for the first time in a long time.

Stiles needed to think of something to say because he was worried Derek would just leave otherwise. "So err ... any luck with the Alpha?" he asked wishing his question didn't seem so forced and awkward.

Derek shook his head. "He's clever, he knows how mask his scent." he replied with a heavily sigh. "I can't track him without Scott."

Stiles just nodded glumly.

There was a moment of silence which hung heavily in the air. Hating the awkward tension, Stiles did what he always did in these situations - he started to talk quickly. "Well I'm pretty sure it's okay for you to come home now, the police have officially stated that the janitor's death was caused by another animal attack ... not that my dad ever believed it was you in the first place." he added reassuringly.

Derek just smiled, glad the Sheriff had so much faith in him.

"You are going to come back right?" Stiles asked. "If you regret what happened the other night then we can just forget about it." he added quickly. "I don't want you to have to move out because of it ... especially if Kate is still sniffing around your old place. It's too risky."

There was a pause whilst Stiles waited for Derek's answer.

"I know you're mad with me and I'm sorry." Stiles continued unable to bear the silence. "It's just Scott is so down at the moment I didn't know what to do. I didn't think, I was an idiot and you're right it was a stupid stupid risk ... just don't ..." he swallowed hard. "Just don't hate me."

Derek's eyes quickly snapped to rest on Stiles's - he thought that?

"Der?" Stiles asked hating how quiet the werewolf was.

Derek took a step close to Stiles. Stiles swallowed hard - not knowing what was about to happen.

Derek cupped Stiles's face with his warm, strong hands and pressed a reassuring kiss to his lips. "I could never hate you." he told him drawing back just enough so he could look him in the eyes.

Stiles was floored by this and gaped at Derek, that was the last thing he'd been expecting, and he couldn't help but show the surprise on his face. Stiles flushed a deep shade of red as they broke apart - he wished he could just be more cool, more calm and confident not just a jittering bag of nerves.

Derek hung his head and sighed. "I'm sorry for being harsh with you earlier." he said, his words heavy with guilt. "But when I caught your scent in the woods it scared the hell out of me." he confessed. " I didn't think you'd be out there voluntarily at that time of night with the Alpha out there, especially after what happened at the school the other night, so you can only imagine what was going through my head. I thought Kate -" he trailed off and just shook his head.

"She wouldn't dare." Stiles assured him quickly.

"She is capable of anything." Derek replied through gritted teeth. "I was scared Stiles." he repeated wanting the younger teen to appreciate just how much. "I had no idea what I would find, and when it turned out to be you and Scott just ambling through looking for a place to get wasted - well I got angry." he said ashamed of himself.

"I understand." Stiles said realising how much he'd worried Derek. Having almost lost the werewolf only a couple of days ago he knew exactly how he must have felt and knew now why'd he'd reacted the way he had.

"I feel bad about it. That's why I'm here, I couldn't stop myself." Derek explained. "I had to see you, I had to make things right between us."

Stiles traced his fingertip over his bottom lip and smiled at the feel of Derek's lips that still lingered there as well as the tingle from the brush of his stubble. "Well you certainly did that." he laughed shyly.

Derek couldn't help but smile.

There was another awkward pause but this one was filled with a different kind of tension. A much more exciting and not necessarily unwanted kind.

Feeling a little self conscious, Derek straightened his shirt and ran his hand through his hair anxiously before he sat down on the edge of the bed - he'd known Stiles for over a decade now and this was the first time he'd found himself worrying about his appearance. "It's been hard the past few days." he said a little embarrassed, this wasn't the first time he'd found himself outside Stiles's window to check on him, not that he was going to admit that! He'd properly scare the teenager off then.

"Is that a werewolf thing or just a Derek thing?" Stiles asked with a raised eyebrow. He wasn't surprised, Derek had always been protective, probably even more so now things had changed between them but he was interested to know whether it was his animal side or his human side that prompted this.

"I don't know, this is all knew for me." Derek replied honestly. Even since he'd kissed him, his need to be close to Stiles had been made greater. From the moment he'd had to walk away his wolf had been tearing him apart, wanting to go back to him. He couldn't tell Stiles any of this though, he was worried the intensity of his feelings would be too much for him. He was only young after all and this was his first relationship - if they could even call it that at this early stage, although to Derek he'd pretty much felt as if he'd been with Stiles ever since he'd learned what he was to him.

Stiles sat down on the bed next to Derek and the two of them stared at the far wall for a moment of two. Stiles still couldn't quite believe this was real, that Derek wanted to be him. Him? A dorky high-schooler who suffered from panic attacks and hadn't managed to turn the head of anyone, ever. "Are you sure Derek?" he asked really not understanding what the werewolf could see in him. I mean this was Derek Hale!

Derek touched at Stiles's cheek and turned his face so that he looked at him, he lightly brushed his lips against Stiles's. "Does that answer your question?" he asked.

Stiles sighed with relief, finally believing it. He fell back on the bed and grinned up at the ceiling - this was literally the best thing that had ever happened to him.

Stiles tugged Derek down by the elbow. "So we're okay?" he asked turning on his side so he could face him.

Derek nodded. "We're okay." he smiled.

"So will you kiss me properly now?" Stiles asked with an excited quirk of his eyebrow.

Derek laughed and nodded his head; he leant across Stiles, who looped his arms around the his back, and pulled him into a kiss.

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Past ...

"What are you doing here?" Derek asked opening the front door to Kate.

Kate's eyebrows rose. "I thought you'd be a bit more pleased to see me." she replied huffily. "I've just walked four miles to come and see you after all."

"I'm just surprised, it's after midnight." Derek replied. "Did you come up here alone?" he asked glancing out at the eerie forest surrounding the house. He had to give Kate credit, she really was unlike any girl he'd ever met before.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Of course I did, wouldn't be much point sneaking out otherwise would there? So are you going to invite me in or what?" she asked. "It's pretty cold out here." she said shivering dramatically just to prove her point.

Derek swallowed hard. "Err ... okay sure." he said pushing the door open a little wider and waving her through. His heart started to beat hard against his chest in panic. He had to get rid of her! But how? He couldn't be too rude because he needed to keep up this sham of a relationship for as long as he could.

Kate stepped inside the house and Derek shut the door behind her and sank against it. "Wow this place is huge!" she said looking up, her eyes sweeping around the entrance hall.

"Keep your voice down." Derek told her.

"So everyone is home then?" Kate asked turning to look at him.

Derek wasn't sure he liked how her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she asked the question, and some sort of instinct deep down inside of him told him to lie. "Yeah they're all asleep." he replied. "So you've got to keep quiet." he reiterated.

Kate glanced around the hall once more. "You're sure everyone is home?" she asked again.

Derek nodded quickly. "How about I grab my stuff and come to yours?" he said - he was that desperate that he would sleep in a house full of Argents just to get her out of his home.

"I'd rather stay here." Kate replied heading for the stairs. "Going to show me to your room then?" she asked stopping on the bottom step and looking over her shoulder at him, flashing one of her dazzling smiles.

Derek trudged up the stairs behind her wondering what he was going to do, she couldn't stay the night, the rest of his family could be home any moment and there was no way he could hide her from them. "I really think I should walk you home." Derek said his steps quickening when Kate reached the top of the stairs and started wondering down the hall - she was dangerously close to Cora's room and Derek felt a sudden protective urge rush over him. He wasn't sure what had changed, before he'd been 100% convinced that Kate knew nothing of what her family really did. That she knew nothing of werewolves or the supernatural word, but now he wasn't so sure ... he couldn't put his finger on it but it was in the way Kate looked at him. Like she knew what he really was.

Kate span around. "You really don't want me here do you?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest. "I thought you'd be really happy to see me."

"I am." Derek replied quickly.

Kate snorted and shook her head. "Yeah you really sounded convincing." she sighed. "Fine, I'll go." she said trudging back down the stairs hurriedly.

"No, wait." Derek said heading back down after her. "I'm sorry it's just if they found out I'd be in trouble." he told her.

Kate paused and looked up at him. "I wish I could believe it was just that Derek." she said with a sigh.

"At least let me walk you home." Derek said not liking the idea of her out alone even if it didn't bother her. "Please?"

Kate bit at her bottom lip and thought about it for a moment. "OK fine." she eventually replied with a rather irritated sigh.

"I'll just get dressed. Wait there." Derek said. Kate just nodded. Derek raced up the stairs, pulled his clothes on as fast as possible and then raced back down again. He felt guilty for leaving Cora alone in the house, but he had no choice because to bring her with him he'd have to deal with questions he really didn't want to answer.

Heading down the stairs Derek found Kate nosing through the organiser beside the household phone in the hallway, she quickly snapped the organiser closed when she heard his footsteps.

Kate span around and when it was obvious Derek had caught her snooping she smiled brightly. "Aw you caught me." she smiled sweetly. "I was just looking to see when your birthday was so I could surprise you." she chuckled.

Derek was rather surprised when she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips - she seemed to have changed her tune rather quickly - but he was too worried about the possibility of his family bursting through the door to find her there at any moment to dwell on it. Derek hurriedly urged Kate out of the house and starting walking with her as quickly as possible through the woods without making it look too obvious that he was trying to get her away from his house as quickly as possible.

It wasn't until he'd watched Kate let herself into her house and that he'd turned back to head home alone that he felt able to relax.

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Present ...

"Are you okay?" Derek asked. After kissing until their lips had turned numb and Stiles was sporting some serious stubble rash, they found themselves sitting on the floor in front of Stiles's bed. Derek wasn't quite sure how they'd come to be there, he was sitting with his back resting against the bed frame and Stiles was beside him, his head resting on his arm and his legs outstretched in front of them. Neither of them had said anything for quite some time but were enjoying each other's company. "What happened at the school must have freaked you out? You look like you haven't slept." Derek said noticing Stiles's pale face and the dark circles under his eyes.

Stiles shrugged. "It wasn't the Alpha that freaked me out, that was nothing compared to seeing what it did to you." he confessed. "That's the part I just keep replaying over and over in my head." he said remembering how quickly it had all happened, how blood had poured from Derek's mouth, how he'd been flung aside like a rag doll ... and how he had run away which he felt incredibly guilty about. "I thought you were dead, I thought I'd never see you again. You have no idea how that felt." he said staring up at the ceiling and blinking back tears.

Derek covered Stiles's hand with his own. "I know exactly how it felt." he replied quietly. "I feel what you feel remember?"

Stiles's eyes turned to rest on Derek's and he smiled slightly. "So I guess you knew how relieved I was to hear your heart beat then?" he said. Derek nodded. "Why do I only hear it some of the time?" Stiles asked curiously.

"You heard it when it mattered." Derek replied simply. Truth be told he didn't want to give Stiles too much details because he didn't want the younger teen to learn how to control it, to learn how to track him by it, because that meant he'd be find his way into more trouble than he did already.

"I guess." Stiles replied with a sigh. "What I don't understand is why the Alpha didn't just kill you?"

"I wasn't its target, I was just in the way of what he really wanted." Derek replied. "Scott." he added gently.

Stiles swallowed hard, he curled in closer to Derek who wrapped his arm around him. Stiles looked out of the window up at the moon which was partially covered by cloud. "Scott said the Alpha wanted him to kill us." he told Derek. "He's worried he'll lose control on the full moon."

"I won't let him hurt anyone." Derek replied firmly his hand on Stiles's shoulder tightening protectively.

Stiles knew what he really meant was "I won't let him hurt you" and immediately felt both reassured and worried at the same time. The last thing he wanted was for Derek and Scott to come to blows. Or Derek and the Alpha for that matter. He was pretty sure it wouldn't take to kindly to him interfering with his plans again. "Promise you won't do anything stupid?" he said glancing up at Derek.

Derek just smiled down at him. "Everything is going to be fine." he replied.

Stiles didn't like how he'd avoided the promise, but he knew why - Derek couldn't make a promise like that. And that's what scared the hell out of him.