Stiles's stress levels subsided significantly after the weekend filled with hot sex. Sure he still had to study and there was still the annoying BRP group, but nothing seemed to dampen his good mood. Liam was right, after all, once Stiles and Derek resolved the mutual sexual frustration, they stopped bickering over every little thing. Or rather they still did, cause Derek was still a dick… but now it felt more like flirting than an actual argument.

Speaking of Liam. The boy made an appearance the very next day and he and Stiles goofed around the whole morning playing cards, while Derek went to get some papers from the office. When the Alpha came back, he wordlessly planted a 20 dollar bill in front of Liam and then hugged Stiles from behind, kissing him on the neck tenderly.

Stiles felt the goosebumps cover his arms while his face heated with a blush at having this sudden display of affection in front of the kid. He stole a careful glance at him to gauge his reaction and was happy to see that Liam didn't appear the least bit uncomfortable. If anything he looked kinda supercilious as he rolled his eyes demonstratively.

"Fucking finally," he scoffed, shaking his head.

"Language," Derek murmured into Stiles's neck, not at all paying attention to the kid. And good thing he didn't because the teen rolled his eyes again, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

It was no secret that neither Stiles nor Derek were particularly careful about keeping their language clean. But Derek always reprimanded Liam whenever he cursed, probably out of a sense of responsibility for the boy. It was one of those "do as I say, not as I do" that Stiles was never a big fan of, but Liam was smart enough not to argue.

Liam's relationship with Derek was not as easygoing as the one he had with Stiles. Derek set clear boundaries right from the start that he was not going to put up with attitude, and Liam made sure to always at least appear respectful, even if he would pull a face or stick his tongue out as soon as the Alpha turned away.

Stiles was not treated to the same level of reverence. Liam talked freely in his presence, cussing him out on occasion as he would his buddy. Stiles didn't really mind, because he knew there was no malicious intent behind those words. But if Derek was within an earshot he always demanded an immediate apology.

Liam was not a bad kid but like any teenager, he was prone to backtalk and occasional moodiness. Even though Stiles has been on the receiving end of the boys temper a few times, he has never put his foot down to address it. For one, he was afraid to break the carefully built trust between them, and secondly, Derek was already playing the bad cop so Stiles never felt like he had to add to it. Derek clearly disagreed but kept his thoughts to himself.

Stiles still had two exams to pass, and even though they were nowhere near as hardcore as the last one, he still studied diligently for them. Derek wasn't kidding when he said he will enforce a bedtime. Though Stiles couldn't find it in him to complain when he was put to bed day after day with mind-blowing orgasms, his brain shutting down on its own from exertion after the vigorous sex. He slept like a baby, waking up happy and well-rested. If this was what it meant to have a bedtime, then he was content with having one for the rest of his life.

Since he had a bit more time now, Stiles was catching up with all the missed hours at work. His paychecks came in and he had a hard time believing that his jeep payments were in fact subtracted, given how much money he was still getting. When he mentioned it to Derek, the Alpha told him to take it to the HR if he had complaints and that the managing director was not going to deal with the salary of an intern. Stiles just smiled (knowing that Derek was full of it) and dropped it.

He was in the middle of cleaning the vials after cataloguing the results of the latest drug test when the usual calm in the lab elevated to an excited murmur. He raised his eyes and saw Derek strolling around checking on the ongoing research and experiments.

What is he doing here? Derek never came to the lab before.

The Alpha glanced over at him and Stiles felt a surge of adrenaline knowing the whole lab had their eyes on the Hot Hale. Thankfully Derek's gaze brushed over him and he continued with whatever discussion he was engaged in with the R&D manager. Stiles knew nobody was paying him any attention and yet he still felt nervous when Derek passed him. So nervous that he managed to accidentally knock the whole rack of freshly cleaned vials to the ground, the booming sound of shattered glass turning every single eye in his direction.

Good one, Stiles! Way to bring attention to yourself!

Stiles let out a quiet "Shit" which was still too loud in the sudden silence that followed the crash. He heard a disapproving tsk-tsk from his supervisor, Finstock, and felt horribly stupid. He wouldn't be surprised if the guy publicly scolded him just to score some points with the managing director, but thankfully he spared Stiles further embarrassment. It's not that accidents never happened, but the timing couldn't have been worse. And knowing Derek, he was never gonna let him live that down.

Flushing crimson and not meeting anyone's eyes Stiles muttered "Sorry" and dropped to his knees to start collecting the big pieces of glass, but before he could touch anything a strong arm caught his wrist.

"Gloves," Derek said simply, not a hint of reprimand in his voice. "We don't want anyone getting injured."

Stiles nodded with a sheepish smile. Derek didn't look the least bit irritated, his expression was soft and perhaps even affectionate. Stiles felt a strong urge to kiss him. Luckily, Jess quenched that imprudent desire by thrusting the thick rubber gloves in his hand as she and Jen already started cleaning the mess he had made. No one paid any more attention to the incident and Derek kept on with his lab tour.

Before leaving the Alpha made sure to quiz in detail about the experiment that Stiles was working on, allowing him to chip in and redeem himself, which Stiles did since Finstock didn't know the details. Derek already knew everything, because Stiles was prattling about it for the past 3 nights, so the only reason he could have brought it up again was for Stiles to gain back his footing with his superiors.

Derek even smiled at him and said "very good" - which was sooo unusual for the dickish Alpha. Of course, Stiles didn't really know how Derek conducted himself at work, he just knew that at home he would never get praise for simply doing what he was supposed to. Derek was probably trying to mitigate any potential reproof that could take place once he left, and Stiles vowed to show his appreciation at the nearest opportunity.

"Stilinski? See me in my office, when you are done here," Derek told him just before leaving.

Stiles nodded and hoped that no one picked up on that stupid grin that he couldn't seem to get rid of.

xxx

"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Stiles asked, enunciating the title with a mock grin as he entered Derek's office 15 minutes later.

"Ah yes, Mr. Stilinski, there is a matter I wanted to discuss with you," Derek replied, his face fully serious.

Stiles glanced around to see if he perhaps missed somebody in the room, but it was empty.

Derek raised an eyebrow. "Are you lost, Mr. Stilinski?"

"Uhm, no. So, uh, what is it?" Stiles sat down, eyeing Derek curiously.

"I have gotten complaints about your work conduct," Derek said, watching Stiles frown in confusion. "Constant attitude, laziness, tardiness, and now also carelessness and language. This is not something we tolerate in Hale Industries."

Ok, now Stiles finally understood where this was going. Derek was.. uh.. roleplaying? Stiles always thought that RP was something that "old" people engaged in during their midlife crisis to bring a new spark into their boring sex lives. He was sure he and Derek were not quite there yet. But despite his bias, his dick swelled in his pants at the idea.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Derek asked, eyeing him sternly.

Stiles easily slipped into the role of a fidgeting employee being grilled by his boss. "I uh… I know I haven't been performing but please, Mr. Hale, give me a chance. I really need this job."

"I don't know…" Derek drawled, appearing conflicted as he tapped a pen against his desk. Stiles wished he was wearing that suit again. But even without it Derek looked sexy as hell in his role of an irate boss and Stiles wanted to jump him right then and there.

"Please, I'll do anything to make it worth your while," he said after a small hesitation. He tilted his head and cast his husband a suggestive smile.

Derek didn't break the character. He regarded Stiles with the same domineering expression and then brushed his fingers through the stubble on his chin. "Show me, and I'll think about it."

Taking it for an invitation that it was, Stiles walked around the desk and then dropped to his knees without taking his eyes off Derek's face. The Alpha's jaw tensed as if he was fighting a smile. But even if Stiles didn't see the struggle on his face, the growing bulge in his pants was just as telling.

Stiles didn't ask for permission, he reached over to unbuckle Derek's belt and unzip his jeans. In the last couple of days, he got well acquainted with being in this position. But that was always in the safety of their home behind closed doors. Doing it in the office was surprisingly thrilling and by the time Stiles freed Derek's erection, he was just as hard himself.

He cast a quick glance at the Alpha and Derek's eyes were flashing with desire. Stiles loved knowing that he could bring that kind of reaction out of the cocky Alphahole. He teased him for a bit, licking around the tip of his cock to get the impatient grunt he knew would come.

"You are not gonna keep your job by stalling, Stilinski," Derek growled. Stiles considered that just as good. He had to resist the urge to reply something cheeky, trying to keep himself in character.

"Yes, Mr. Hale," he nodded solemnly and swallowed Derek all the way to the shaft, relaxing his throat to accommodate his impressive size. Stiles was not a pornstar Omega, but he knew how to give a good head, and judging by Derek's responses, the Alpha was enjoying himself immensely.

His efforts were interrupted by the ring of Derek's landline and the Alpha didn't think twice before picking up. "Yes Angela, bring them in," he said to the phone before hanging it.

What the FUCK?!

Stiles choked on the cock in his mouth and made an attempt to lift his head, but Derek pressed him back down hissing a quiet "Stay down."

Stiles heard the door open and felt the spike of adrenaline fill his veins. He kept himself very still knowing that the desk was obscuring him from the visitors as long as they didn't walk around it. The clacking of Angela's heels filled the room and the approaching sound did wonders to Stiles' heart rate. Derek's cock twitched in his mouth with obvious excitement and Stiles fought a completely inappropriate giggle that threatened to leave his throat.

There was a sound of rustling papers as the Omega came closer to the desk.

"Thank you, Angela, you can take the rest of the day off," Derek's voice was calm and collected as if he didn't have Stiles's lips pressing tightly around his shaft.

"Thank you, Mr. Hale."

Once the door closed behind her, Stiles finally lifted his head, gasping for air because he kinda forgot to breathe. "That was a dick move," he huffed, glaring at the Alphahole.

Derek smirked down at him, looking like he just won a lottery. "I thought you knew that I AM a dick."

"I almost suffocated on your cock there..."

Derek chuckled, "I told you to stay down, and never told you not to breathe."

Stiles couldn't keep the scowl any longer and grinned back at him. Death by suffocating on cock would make him an auspicious adept for the Darwin Award. "You loved the thrill. I didn't know you were into this."

"Me neither," Derek said, smiling warmly at him. Then he cleared his throat and schooled his features back into stern expression, "I believe you have some unfinished business, Mr. Stilinski," he hinted at his erection.

Stiles pondered whether it would be worth it to leave the Alpha blue-balled as a payback but in the end, decided that one dick in the relationship was enough. "Yes, Mr. Hale," he said with a barely plausible 'shy' smile as he got back in character and resumed his ministrations.

Somewhere in the middle of it, his own phone rang but Stiles ignored it, not willing to break the scene again. Watching Derek's face as he came in his mouth was something Stiles would never get tired of. And the pleased expression he was rewarded with after he swallowed every drop was totally worth the achy jaw and the bruised knees.

That was when his phone rang again and Stiles frowned at the annoying ringtone breaking the magic of Derek's blissful expression.

"Could be important," the Alpha pointed out, just as Stiles was ready to send the call into the voicemail. "Could be..."

"Liam," they said in unison and Stiles answered the phone.

"Stiles? Hey, you busy?" he heard Liam's voice from the other side.

He gave a quick nod to Derek to confirm that it was in fact the boy. "Hey kiddo, what's up?"

"I sort of got in trouble at school. The principal wants to see my folks, and I uh… I said I'm staying with you."

"Okay, I'll come," he said, raising a palm at Derek's inquiring gaze. "Which school?"

"East Bridge Junior High."

"Ok, be right there."

Derek raised an eyebrow waiting for Stiles to elaborate.

"Liam got into some sort of trouble at school and the principal asked to see the parents. He called me instead."

"What kind of trouble?"

"He didn't say."

"Ok, let's go," Derek said, standing up and grabbing his jacket.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"Don't be daft, Stilinski. You look like you still belong behind one of the school desks. If the parents are called to school they don't want to see a barely legal Beta."

That made sense, so Stiles didn't argue. Derek being older and an Alpha would probably work better in such a situation.

As they drove to Liam's school, Stiles glanced over at his husband. Derek had his usual focused expression, that Stiles often mistook for arrogance, and yet he just dropped everything to go and help a street kid that Stiles practically forced upon him. Although 'dropped everything' might have been an overstatement, since he wasn't exactly working. And to think about it...

"Why did you come to the lab today?" Stiles asked, having a sudden suspicion that Derek's visit might have been not work-related whatsoever.

"No particular reason. I need to make an appearance every once in a while to see for myself how things are going."

"Huh… In other words, you missed me so much that you found an excuse to come into the lab?"

"Maaaaybe," Derek drawled, an amused smile playing on his lips. "And maybe I just wanted to see you on your knees with your pretty little lips around my cock."

That statement made Stiles blush. And not just because there was a subtle compliment about his 'pretty little lips' but also because Derek pretty much admitted that he did in fact miss him. And it felt pretty damn good.

xxx

Liam's school was only a 10 min drive from the office. The halls were quiet and most of the students were already gone, but here and there one could still hear the afternoon classes taking place. They found Liam sitting in front of the principal's office. The kid slouched on the bench miserably, his face adorned with a fresh set of bruises.

"Hey," the boy greeted them guiltily, not quite meeting their eyes.

"Hey, what happened?" Stiles crouched down to examine his face.

"I'm fine," Liam brushed off Stiles's hand and Stiles saw his battered knuckles. The door to the office opened and a tall woman in her late 40s came out.

"Hello, I assume you are the ones taking care of Liam while his uncle is abroad?"

Stiles cast a quick side glance at Derek, but the Alpha agreed readily. "Yes, we are. Derek Hale," he introduced himself, casting her one of his charming smiles.

The woman instinctively fixed her hair, her expression changing from the 'tough principal' to a 'lady in the company of a handsome man'. "I'm Sharon Waters, the principal of East Bridge, nice to meet you, Mr. Hale," she said, offering her hand. With the look Derek was giving her, Stiles half expected him to kiss it, but thankfully he didn't go as far. Stiles introduced himself as well (though with significantly less farce), and they were invited to come in.

"Gentlemen, the reason I wanted to see you, is because Liam got already in a third fight over the last couple of months and I have a feeling the notes I have been sending have not been reaching you."

Both Stiles and Derek looked at Liam, who fidgeted in his seat guiltily. The boy never mentioned any fighting nor the notes.

"No, they have not," Derek confirmed, glaring at the teen.

"I know that boys will be boys and all that. But this school has zero-tolerance for physical violence and trust me when I tell you, that these fights were not just friendly roughing between friends. After all, Liam's face speaks for itself and Theo's doesn't look any better."

Liam grumbled something under his nose and the woman cast him another stern glare before turning back to Derek. "It also came to my attention that Mr. Dunbar was the one starting those fights."

"That's not true!" the boy protested.

"Is it not true, that you threw the first punch?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, I did, but…"

"No buts. We have been over this Liam, starting fights is absolutely unacceptable. Obviously my lectures are not making an impression on you, so I hope Mr. Hale here will manage to get through to you better."

"Oh I will," Derek growled, making Stiles' insides clench with unease. "Don't worry, Mrs. Waters. This will not happen again." Even though he wasn't looking at Liam, that part was obviously addressed to the boy. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention," he added, giving her another charming smile.

The firm lines on the principal's face immediately softened. "He is a good boy," she said in a conciliatory manner. "His grades are very good and he rarely gives teachers any trouble. I would hate to suspend him, but if we have any more incidents I will be forced to take disciplinary measures."

"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Waters. I will address the issue."

Stiles's stomach did another flip flop at his tone and he had no doubt that Liam's did the same. At this point, Stiles was not even sure whether Derek just played the role of a stern guardian, or he actually meant it.

The principal stood up and offered her hand, thanking them for coming to fetch Liam and then proceeded to eyefuck Derek all the way to the door. The three of them walked in silence till they reached the parking lot, and Stiles finally let out a nervous chuckle.

"Well, I bet you are gonna be in trouble all the time now, cause Mrs. Waters totally developed a crush on Derek," he quipped, prompting an uncertain smile from the boy.

"Thanks, guys, you did me a solid there," Liam said as he hid his bruised hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I'll be going."

"Oh no you don't," Derek stopped him, "Get in the car."

"But I…"

"Liam. I wasn't asking." Derek opened the car door and nodded for the kid to get in.

Liam glared at him sullenly, but when Derek didn't cave, he shook his head and climbed in the backseat with an exaggerated sigh. Derek closed the door firmly, clearly not in the mood for the display of teenage defiance. Stiles touched his arm and gave him a placating look.

"He called me so that he could avoid trouble, not so that you could chew him out." He was happy that the kid trusted him enough to ask for help knowing he will be giving away personal information and he didn't want Liam to feel like he made the wrong choice.

This visit gave them more information than what they got out of the boy in weeks. They now knew his last name, his phone number, the school he attended, and the fact that he was living with an uncle, who he feared enough not to give the notes and to ask Stiles to cover for him in school.

"I'm not going to chew him out, Stiles," Derek said, sounding annoyed that he had to justify his actions. "But I'm also not letting him go without making him explain what happened." When Stiles still didn't look convinced, he added, "Besides, I'm not so sure he shouldn't be getting in trouble. I know I would have and I'm pretty sure your dad wouldn't praise you either in this kind of situation."

"I wouldn't know. I was always smart enough not to get caught," Stiles chaffed.

"Cheeky little shit," Derek replied, pulling him into a quick kiss.

When their lips parted, Stiles tried one more time to soften him up. "He finally asked for help, Derek. Don't make him regret it."

"I'll try."

xxx

The drive home was a silent affair. Liam was sulking in the backseat, Derek focused on the driving, and Stiles decided for once to let things play out on their own instead of forcing a conversation that would probably remain unappreciated by either party.

He was grateful that Derek stopped by a Thai place for a takeaway before going home. The Alpha didn't ask Stiles nor Liam what they would like and ordered for everyone based on their previous choices. No one objected. Liam was probably not feeling brave enough to argue and Stiles would have ordered the same thing anyway. Besides, it was not a good time to quarrel over little things.

When Liam's bruises were attended to and his eating turned into moving noodles around the plate, Derek finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Well?"

The boy didn't say anything, but the tension in his shoulders intensified. Stiles was torn between jumping to the kid's defense and letting Derek handle it.

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Derek's tone was firm, but not cutting, so Stiles decided to take a back seat for now.

"I'm sorry," the boy told the plate.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"For calling you."

"No, kiddo," Derek's voice and expression softened immediately. "We are glad you called. I'm sure there was a reason why you didn't want to get your uncle involved."

Liam fidgeted, recognizing the trick. "I just didn't want to disappoint him," he said, his eyes still fixed on his plate. Stiles didn't believe that excuse for a second.

"Huh. So disappointing us is ok, then?" Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.

The boy finally lifted his gaze to look at Derek incredulously. "You are?" His shocked eyes darted to Stiles in a silent question. Obviously, it was a big deal for the kid and their regard did matter to him way more than they suspected. Stiles probably ought to have played along to make an impression, but he didn't have it in him seeing how much it would mean to Liam.

"Of course not," he said, rubbing the boy's shoulder comfortingly. "But we would like to know why you get into fights."

"Cause I'm sick of being a Beta," Liam said bitterly.

Stiles was surprised by that statement, but apparently Derek was not. "And you think that using your fists will get you to turn faster?" he asked sternly.

"Worked for others," the kid grumbled under his nose.

"No it did not because it doesn't happen overnight, and whoever is saying otherwise is lying. Besides, what exactly do you think will change once you are an Alpha? You think everyone will start tiptoeing around you singing Glory to the King? You think you won't be teased and challenged on every step by the lower dynamics? And what then, you gonna punch them too?"

"Theo is an Alpha," Liam argued. "And a dick, he deserved it."

"Fair enough, I'll take your word for it. So was this always the case? All the fights were with Alphas?"

"Well, no…"

"That's what I thought. And how often do you pick up a fight?"

"I don't pick up fights… I just get angry."

"Well kiddo, that ends now. You can get angry all you want, but you won't be channeling that anger into your fists. That is absolutely unacceptable. Not only will it get you suspended and later kicked out of school, but more importantly, it is a very dangerous habit to develop, especially once you turn into an Alpha. Unless of course, you are fine with being an abusive bully?"

Liam's eyes widened in shock.

"Imagine if I used my fists every time I got angry? Neither you nor Stiles would still be breathing."

Stiles gave him a skeptical look. He wasn't sure whether Derek was the right man to preach really since he used his intimidating Alphahole presence quite often. But it was true that he never used his fists and he could definitely do real harm if he did.

"Being an Alpha is not about being strong enough to overpower others, it's about being strong enough to protect others. If you won't learn to control your temper you will end up hurting people you care about. And I'm sure, you don't want that, do you?"

"No, Sir," the kid muttered dejectedly.

"So next time somebody provokes you, teases you, or is being an ass, you will think how your actions can harm your future and those around you, take a deep breath, and walk away. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

Seeing his words have taken effect, Derek allowed his expression to soften. "Trust me, kid, I know better than anyone what it's like to feel pressured to 'get there already'. But you can't let that pressure get the better of you. The most defining trait of an Alpha is not strength, it's responsibility. For yourself and for others. So if you want to get there sooner rather than later, start by cleaning up your act."

It was obvious that Derek was not just scolding him for the sake of it, he was speaking from experience. Experience that Stiles didn't have and couldn't really relate to. He had to admit that leaving this to Derek was a correct call after all, even though he felt really bad for the kid who looked quite miserable after the stern lecture he received.

Stiles wanted to lift the boy's spirits by offering to play a game of Fortnite, but Liam said that he had homework to do and went to "sulk" by himself at the desk. Stiles opened his mouth to argue, but Derek put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, so Stiles let it go, giving the boy some space.

Instead, he and Derek settled down with a notebook for their face-checking routine. They have been slacking quite a bit ever since Stiles' exam period started, so they were still far from done. But Stiles couldn't seem to focus today, his gaze constantly traveling to the teenager slouched over the desk.

"Stiles."

By the tone, he figured it was not the first time Derek called his name as he zoned out again.

The Alpha followed his gaze and tilted his head to the side. "He is fine."

"You were hard on him." Stiles didn't mean for it to sound accusatory, even though it probably did.

"I was not. I only told him what he needed to hear."

"Still, he…"

"HE can hear you quite well from here, you know," Liam called, without turning his head.

Stiles and Derek exchanged an amused look. Perhaps the boy was really fine.

"See. I'm telling you, not everyone is a sensitive drama queen like you, Stilinski."

"Fuck you, Derek."

"Watch your mouth," the Alpha threatened, though his tone was definitely teasing.

"Or what?" Stiles cooed flirtatiously.

"Or I'll fill it with my…"

"GET A ROOM!" Liam shouted from the desk, making them both chuckle. If the kid was back to being lippy, then he was most definitely fine, so Stiles and Derek followed his advice and excused themselves to the bedroom.

xxx

When Stiles emerged from their "cave of sin" a couple hours later, the kid was already gone. Stiles went to take a leak and then decided to put away Derek's laptop that they left on the sofa, but as he approached it he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Derek! Derek! Oh my fucking God. DEREK!"

The face staring at him from the screen was one of the muggers.

TBC