Their dad was the sheriff, it was kind of his job to notice things. Stiles shouldn't be surprised that John asked them about the motive behind the fire.
John was thinking in all the wrong directions, though. Stiles had to give him something or he would think that Derek was some kind of criminal. Beacon Hills was not a criminal hotspot, Stiles did wonder what their dad was thinking of. Drugs?
"Okay!" They eventually gave in. "It was a hate crime."
Of course, John needed more than that. Besides, he was right. There most likely were online chats and forums where hunters hung out and bragged about their kills or exchanged tips on how to kill a werewolf. Stiles got it. But they could not tell John. Not that he would believe them.
Derek had listened in on them, Stiles realized that the second he came down the stairs. What they did not expect was for Derek to tell their dad that he was a werewolf.
He delivered it with glowing eyes, fangs, and his whole face rearranged. It was pretty convincing, Stiles had to admit. They had seen this side of Derek only once before, they mainly knew him as man or wolf not this thing in between. He did kind of look like something right out of a horror movie and Stiles couldn't blame their dad for searching for his gun, which he hadn't on him, and reaching for Stiles to get them away from Derek with his other hand.
"Dad, it's okay." Stiles tried to deescalate the situation while Derek shifted back to his human form. Then he was just sitting there, eyes on the floor and shoulders hunched, making himself as small and least threatening as possible.
What broke Stiles' heart was how easily Derek offered to leave. He expected to get kicked out at the very least, maybe he was waiting for John to recover enough to get his gun and Stiles was not having any of that.
"You're not going anywhere." Stiles held him back and put themself between Derek and their dad. "Dad is not going to kick you out."
They glared at their dad, wondering if they had to add that if he kicked out Derek, Stiles would leave with him.
But Derek just looked like a kicked puppy, not threatening at all, so John dared to relax and seemed willing to listen.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" John demanded an explanation.
Stiles waited a second longer, just to make sure that they were all good here, before they dared to sit down again. They made sure to sit close enough to Derek to press their leg against Derek's.
They could tell that Derek was steeling himself to tell John the truth but Stiles remembered what it had done to him when he'd told them. They'd had to hold him through his breakdown, twice in one day, they were not letting Derek go through this again. So before Derek could find his words, they spoke up.
"That's how Derek scared off that mugger," Stiles started with how they'd found out about werewolves.
"The one who stabbed me," they clarified when their dad was not following. They didn't want to start with the fangs and claws and how hunters killed them because they were monsters. So they started with this. How Derek had scared off that mugger and how he'd risked being found out just to relieve Stiles' pain. That it was just him and Laura now and how they lived in constant fear that hunters would find them again. Derek's sudden internet fame came to mind here.
Stiles didn't leave out that they had slept with a wolf Derek in the same bed and they did emphasize how Derek had needed a pack pile after John had interrogated him.
Derek let them talk, he only added something here or there when Stiles went over things too quickly. But mostly he just sat there and let things happen around him.
"Point is," Stiles finished. "Derek's not a monster. He's the most gentle and caring man I know and I love him. I was thinking of joining his pack and now I know it's the right thing to do. I want to be with him in every way I can."
Derek's breath hitched at their declaration but Stiles was more focused on their dad. They would have time to unpack this later.
John had mostly listened but now he had questions, lots of them. Some were the same Stiles had asked in the beginning but once John knew the basics and had accepted the existence of werewolves, he tried to work the new information into the case.
Next to them, Derek dared to relax ever so slightly. He still tried to look as least threatening as possible, though.
"Derek," John addressed him directly for the first time since Derek had snapped his fangs at him. "I'm not your enemy. You're safe here."
At that, Derek did lift his head to look at him and Stiles just knew that he could tell with all his senses that John was telling the truth.
"You're not afraid." Derek realized at which he shot a glance at Stiles.
"It lies in the family." Stiles grinned at him. They remembered way too well how convinced Derek had been that they would be afraid of him and that they would leave him. But nope, still here, still not leaving. And it looked like John had come to the same conclusion. He'd been protective over Derek before, that hadn't changed.
Now he had the crucial information that would enable him to crack the case. John wanted to dig into this right now but that would mean more questions for Derek and Stiles could tell how not ready Derek was for that. He was barely holding it together as it was.
"Okay, enough of that," they interrupted when John was about to ask something. "How about we order pizza and watch a movie?"
John wanted to protest but then he had a real look at Derek.
"Yeah, I'd rather sleep over this anyway." John gave in. "If I can sleep tonight."
"I can stay at a hotel." Derek was quick to offer. "If you don't feel safe with me around."
"I take after him, remember?" Stiles leaned over and stage-whispered into his ear. "He means that he's going to stay up half the night thinking and researching."
"I'm not …," John started but then his face softened. "Okay, I might. But Stiles is right, I'm not afraid of you. I don't think that Stiles is in danger when they stay with you. You saved their life."
Mentioning that alone made Derek uncomfortable so Stiles hurried to get on with the plan of pizza and a movie. They were still debating which movie to watch when the pizza arrived. At least John and Stiles were debating Derek just sat there without saying a word.
They ate their pizza and after that Stiles snuggled into Derek's side. Derek almost leaped off the couch with a panicked look at John but then he reluctantly put an arm around Stiles' shoulders. Stiles called it a win even if it felt more like they were cuddling with a brick wall. Over the course of the movie, Derek did dare to relax but he still was quick to retreat to the bedroom when Stiles suggested to call it a night after the movie.
They got ready for bed while John stayed downstairs. To clean up after them he said but Stiles knew that he would be working all night. Stiles still had most of their research about werewolves saved on their laptop, along with what they had found out about Kate Argent. Stiles gave him access under the condition that John did not peek into their history. For his own sanity.
John would find the copy of the case Stiles had stolen from his computer but since it was a copy of a copy John wasn't supposed to have in the first place, Stiles just shrugged it off.
"Since my dad is in the know now," Stiles said when they joined Derek in the bedroom, "you can sleep as a wolf if you want to."
Derek perked up at that.
"The bed might be a better fit that way anyway." Stiles slipped under the covers and waited for what Derek would do. They were not surprised when the wolf made his turning thing next to them a minute later. Derek did another turn before he settled down with a huff.
Stiles turned off the lights and then they curled around the giant fluff-ball, burring their face between Derek's shoulder blades. The fur tickled their nose but Stiles just rubbed their face into it until they found a good position.
Things were easier as a wolf. Derek had said that before but Stiles couldn't quite comprehend it. Derek was still Derek when he was a wolf, he did not have the mind of an animal, but according to Derek thoughts were more muted and it was easier to just be in that form.
Might be the anatomy, Stiles mused on the brink of sleep. The brain of a wolf was quite different from the brain of a human. In that half-state Derek had shown John earlier he was still mostly human, his brain and most of his body still worked under human conditions, enhanced but still. That was why Derek still saw colors in that state but not as a full wolf.
A smile ghosted over Stiles at that memory. Asking about Derek's eyesight had led to the revelation that Derek could go full wolf.
Wait a minute … that meant …
"You do have a knot!" Suddenly wide awake Stiles shot upright. "You don't have one when you're shifted but when you go full wolf you have the body of a wolf and with that, you do have a knot." Stiles grinned at him. In the poor light Stiles could only make out his black shape against the white sheets but the almost human groan said enough. Blindly Stiles reached for him and patted his back.
"I'm not into bestiality," they hurried to say. "That's just gross. I might have considered it if you had a knot in that shifted state of yours, I do have a few fantasies about that, but not full wolf. Just nope."
Derek's eyes gleamed when they caught the light coming through the window and Stiles felt his intense look on them, trying to figure them out.
"It's just for science," Stiles assured him and settled down again. After a second, Derek lowered his head to his paws. "You know me, I want to know everything."
Derek huffed at that which Stiles translated to: "Understatement."
With their curiosity satisfied they went to sleep easily.
They woke up when somebody knocked at their door.
Not quite ready to be awake Stiles only turned their head to face the door but otherwise stayed draped over the still sleeping wolf.
John opened the door a crack but whatever he'd been about to say died on his lips when he saw them in bed together. His face did an interesting thing and he opened and closed his mouth a few times but he was at a loss for words.
"You're off to work?" Stiles guessed in a low voice to not wake Derek.
John was in uniform and Stiles knew that he had a day shift today. He did not look as if he'd slept much last night, though.
"Ehm … yeah." John scratched his forehead with his thumb. "There's coffee ready and you can make waffles for breakfast," he said but he was still trying to comprehend what he was seeing. Just because Stiles slung their arms tighter around Derek's neck. How Derek was still sleeping was beyond them, though.
"Maybe we can go out for dinner later?" John asked.
"Sure."
John just stood in the door for a moment longer but then he shook his head and closed the door. Stiles heard him walking down the stairs and a second later the front door closed.
Suddenly Derek shifted. One second Stiles was snuggling into the fur of Derek's back, the next they were lying on top of a human, and very naked, Derek.
"You sneaky bastard." Stiles tighten their drip around his neck as if they wanted to strangle him before they let go and set up. "You were awake the whole time."
Derek didn't deny it, he just folded his arms to rest his head on them. He peeked up at Stiles with still sleep-heavy eyes.
"I can't even with you." Stiles threw their hands up. They took a moment to appreciated the line of Derek's back and butt but then they swung their legs out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Derek made a half-hearted attempt to reach for their wrist.
"We stayed up late, swapped manly stories, and it's morning now." Stiles did their best Donkey imitation. "I'm making waffles."