~#~#~#~#~ Derek's POV
"Look! All I'm saying is that maybe you should actually CONSIDER letting us come with you to face this guy! I mean, we're your pack, right? And packs are stronger together!" Scott argued loudly, throwing his hands out in frustration. The rest of the pack hummed loudly in agreement and Derek sighed, his hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to drive away the headache that only teenagers could cause.
Specifically, the teenagers in his pack.
Releasing the bridge of his nose, Derek leveled a stern and vibrantly red gaze at the defiant beta. "For the last time Scott, you and the others are not coming with me and the Sheriff tonight and that is final. Hell, the only reason the Sheriff is even coming in the first place is because he threatened to have me arrested and put in a cell overnight to fight Nick himself". Scott's previously angrily twisting features twitched with the hint of a smile, amused with the knowledge that the Stilinski patriarch was keeping the alpha in line.
Derek counted his blessing that Scott was so easily distracted, and then Lydia piped up, her arms crossed and painted lips pulled into a scowl. "What are we supposed to do then Derek? Because you wouldn't let us help search for Stiles! And now you're saying we can't help get him back? Are we just supposed to sit around and wait for you and the Sheriff to fix everything?".
Derek shrugged a shoulder and replied as bluntly as he could "basically, yeah". Blinking Lydia furrowed her brows petulantly at the Alpha's tone, her leather booted foot stomping a bit on the floor "well that's not fair!". Gritting his teeth together Derek briefly considered biting his tongue and not responding to the younger woman's outburst, but his own frustration at the situation had reached its limits and unfortunately for the pack, they were in the firing line.
Crossing his own arms to match Lydia's posture, Derek cast a cold stare across the lofts occupants. "You wanna know what's not fair Lydia? hmm? What's not fair, is how you all call yourselves Stiles' friends, but the only reason you want to help now is because you're trying to soothe your own guilty conscious. Well, guess what! Life doesn't work like that, and you don't get to use this as an opportunity to make yourselves feel better. This is about Stiles, this is about saving him and getting him the help he needs. And if, after all of that he wants any of you in his life again, then that's his choice to make. Not mine, and certainly not yours".
A stunned silence echoed in response to his brutally truthful words and for once, Derek began to feel that his words finally made an impact on the selfish members of his pack. Strangely enough, it was Allison who spoke up her fingers entwined tightly with Isaac's (okay, did all of his beta's have a thing for hunters?) whilst Lydia and Scott remained uncharacteristically silent.
"Derek's right. Stiles doesn't owe us anything, especially not after the way we've acted towards him. If we go with Derek and the Sheriff, Stiles is going to feel like he owes us for helping save him, and he's going to force himself to forgive us because of that. He needs to forgive us because he wants to, not because we're forcing it on him".
Huffing out a small relieved breath at the sense that was coming out of the female hunter's mouth, Derek waited for an inevitable round of protests from Lydia and Scott but found himself pleasantly surprised when they only nodded in defeat. Straightening his shoulders Derek inclined his head towards Allison gratefully "now that that's settled, you can all go home and I'll send a group text to inform you when Stiles is safe".
The teens mumbled their reluctant goodbyes and shuffled out of the loft one by one until Derek was left alone once again. And as the resounding sound of the heavy door finally sliding closed echoed throughout the loft, Derek let his shoulders drop and his eyes shut as he exhaled deeply before opening them again.
Almost subconsciously the alpha felt his hand reach towards the back pocket of his jeans where a comforting weight sat securely in the fabric. Dipping his fingers into his pocket, Derek gently tugged the object free, gripping it tightly in his fist. Opening his clenched fingers the alpha bit his bottom lip as he stared pensively at the slowly warming metal cupped gently in his hand, his thumb brushing over the surface of the rustic silver circle attached to a thin black cord. Sitting at approximately 1.5 inches in diameter and only a little bigger in height, the talisman looked for all intents and purposes completely normal, and even Derek found himself unable to imagine how such an insignificant looking accessory could perform the level of protection Deaton claimed it could. The only thing remotely special about it, at least in Derek's opinion, was the familiar design. A thick band of raised metal encircled the edges of the talisman, details etched onto the surface to make the metal resemble the old and knotted bark of a tree, in the middle of the circle, carved in exactly the same manner sat a triskele, its three iconic swirls glinting in the warm golden sunlight that streamed through the windows.
Releasing his bottom lip from his teeth Derek steeled his features with a burning determination, jaw clenching and nostrils flaring. He was going to get Stiles back tonight, and when he did, he'd give the teen the talisman in person.
So nothing like this can happen again.
~#~#~#~#~ Nick's POV
Sighing Nick leaned against the doorway to his bedroom, his arms crossed as he leveled a tired look towards the stubborn figure currently sitting tied to the bed, amber eyes flaring with deep-seated anger and hatred.
"Come on love, you've been angry at me for long enough now. I've tried to make it up to you, I've even explained everything so there are no more secrets between us". Stiles simply glared harder in response, the black silk material tied tightly between his lips acting as a makeshift gag, preventing the pissed off teen from speaking any words.
Unimpressed by his boyfriends continued hostility Nick pushed himself forward, approaching Stiles' bound form in quick measured strides. Realizing Nick was moving closer Stiles flinched before beginning to struggle against the leather cuffs securing him tightly to the bed frame, muffled grunts of frustration slipping past the gag as the bindings remained painfully secure. Rolling his eyes at the reaction Nick gave a huff as he seated himself on the edge of the mattress before addressing the teen point blank, obvious disappointment in his tone "well, now you're just being childish Stiles".
Growling behind the fabric in his mouth Stiles twisted his head away so he didn't have to look at Nick's gentle expression. Growing fastly impatient at the younger man's antics Nick reached out and gripped Stiles' chin tightly between his forefinger and thumb, tugging the Spark's face back around to meet his eyes. Amber eyes which burned so brightly and fiercely merely seconds before now glistened with moisture, brows pinching together in an effort not to let any tears slip past and Nick's heart ached with a deep visceral pain at seeing his beloved so distressed.
Sighing sympathetically Nick shifted his grip on Stiles's jaw, dragging his fingers up the soft mole dotted skin of the teen's cheek to cradle the side of his face, the rough surface of his thumb brushing a stray tear away. "I know this is hard for you Stiles, finding out I lied about who and what I am, and finding out I used magic to change some of your memories... But I swear this is all for the best. I just need you to trust me, okay love? Because every single thing I have done, and every single thing I will do for the rest of eternity.. is all for you". Shaky uncertainty at the honesty of Nick's words crept into the teen's gaze, his bottom lip trembling slightly and Nick internally grinned at the vulnerability, convinced he was getting through to Stiles. All he needed to do was drive the message home a little more.
"Think about it logically Stiles! When has ANYBODY ever went to such an effort to take care of you, to love you as much as I do, and pledge to keep you safe? When has somebody risked as much as I have these past few weeks hmm? It certainly couldn't be any of those so-called friends who abandoned you, and definitely not your own father who, let's face it, would rather drink or work himself to death than spend even a second with you, his own son".
Stiles' gaze lowered in acknowledgment of the painful truth behind what Nick was saying, dark eyelashes blinking stubbornly against a fresh onslaught of tears. Rubbing small soothing circles with his thumb over the arch of Stiles' cheekbone Nick continued speaking, intensely aware that with every word he said, he was chipping away at the Spark's resolve. "I don't expect you to forgive me completely for betraying your trust as I did. But you don't need to forgive me to know that what I'm saying is true. I love you Mieczyslaw Stilinski, and nobody will ever love you as I do".
And just like that, the dam finally broke, Stiles crumpling into himself as he let himself cry. Cooing in comfort Nick shuffled closer, untying the gag with one hand as he pressed the teen's face into his chest with the other. It was difficult to provide the proper comfort when the younger man was still bound to the bed by his arms and legs, but Nick made do, hushing Stiles and whispering words of consolement.
"It's okay love, I'm here. I'll always be here for you. I promise"
~#~#~#~#~ Stiles' POV
Stiles felt sick. Nothing made sense anymore and everything hurt, his head, the skin underneath the leather cuffs… and his heart.
He hated Nick for lying to him, for invading his mind and twisting things but… Nick loved him, he said so multiple times in multiple ways and Stiles knew, somehow, deep down he was telling the truth. The things he had said about the pack, about his dad, it hurt. But he wasn't wrong, he lied about other things, but Nick wasn't lying about that.
Resting his head against the headboard in resignation Stiles waited for Nick to come back from preparing a late lunch of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Soon enough, the older man appeared tray in hand with two steaming bowls of rich homemade soup and two plates stacked with golden brown bread and gooey cheese. "You didn't eat at all yesterday or this morning. So I figured you'd be pretty hungry and made extra grilled cheese" Nick smiled warmly bringing the tray over and placing it on Stiles lap.
Staring down hungrily at the food Stiles felt his stomach clench with hunger and his mouth water around fabric stretched between his lips, his fingers twitching uselessly at his sides, unable to shove the food in his face as he wanted so desperately to do.
God, he was starving.
Giving Stiles a gentle but stern look Nick's hands hovered teasingly over the cuff tying Stiles' left hand down. "Now, if I untie this hand and take out the gag to let you eat, do you promise not to try anything silly?".Taking a few seconds to consider what was being offered, Stiles caved as his stomach gurgled loudly, nodding almost reluctantly in agreement to the conditions Nick set.
Flashing Stiles a blinding smile Nick gently unloosened the teen's wrist, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the reddened and sore skin.
"Good choice, love"