Putting his hand on the wall for support, Stiles took a breath before standing up from the desk and taking a step forward. It had been two months since the incident and he was relieved that the pain wasn't nearly as bad as the first time he had tried walking on it. Granted, the first time was three weeks in and not his best moment, but he was just so sick of wearing the damn boot and hearing the annoying clacking of the crutches. He tested a few laps around the room and grinned widely when he finished. Besides the few times his ankle wobbled, everything seemed to be fine.

Fist pumping the air giddily, he pulled out his phone and sent Macie a message in his excitement. It was simple and straight to the point, just reading a short 'I'm back, bitch.' underneath a picture of his sock clad foot. He tossed the phone onto the bed and stared down at it as he moved his ankle this way and that, his smile spreading as nothing seemed to register as overly painful.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road." Stiles mentally made a checklist of what had to be done that day and promptly forgot it the second he opened his door and heard the warning growls from the Hales. Cursing under his breath, he picked up his pace and came to a stop when he rounded the corner, his feet sliding against the hardwood underneath him.

The woman at the door snapped her head towards him and grinned sharply. She waved her hand and all at once the Hales were thrown to each side of the room, allowing her to stride towards him freely. Their growls increased and he rolled his eyes at her taste for drama but couldn't help the reluctant fond smile that settled on his face.

She threw her arms around his neck and tugged him harshly to her chest, laughing when he tried to push her away before wrapping his own around her waist. He pulled away first and snorted when he saw her scantily covered body.

"Michael," Derek growled. "Who the hell is that?"

Jennifer glared at him and showed her true face for half of a second, finding pleasure in the way they did a double take. "Watch your tongue, wolf."

Stiles nudged her side and nodded to them. "Leave them alone, I'm already here anyway."

Huffing, she did as he asked but sent a glare his way. "Still no fun as always, I see."

"And you're still dressed as a slut. Guess nothing changes around here."

"Hey, don't forget just who it was that gave their virginity to me in the first place."

Stiles crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her, ignoring the sudden silence that fell upon the Hales. "I was barely eighteen and just witnessed my family getting murdered in front of me, forgive me if I wasn't in my right mind. Besides, you invited me out for drinks, not some sacrifice sexcapade you had planned."

She shrugged and flicked his jaw with a flirty smile. "Either way, it was a win-win for me."

"I bet it was," he grumbled. "Anyway, to answer your question, this whack job is Jennifer. AKA the dark druid who has a head bounty in nearly every country."

Talia shook herself out of it and stepped forward somewhat cautiously. "And you're… friends with her?"

"More like a partner and non consensual student."

Peter shook his head and raised his hand, taking a deep breath before staring at Stiles as if he'd seen him for the first time. "Hold on. Just… wait a minute. So you're telling me that the dark druid who's been missing for over three decades not only taught you, but… took your virginity? And you're still familiar with her?"

Stiles' eyebrows furrowed and he exchanged a bewildered glance with Jennifer before rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I mean… I didn't mean to say the last part, but yeah? For the most part, anyway. And she's not that bad…" He trailed off at their dubious expressions and shrugged, somewhat helplessly. "She doesn't kill people anymore?"

Jennifer sighed heavily and tossed her arm around him, leading him to the door as she ignored the objecting sounds from the Hales. "Listen, I cleared off my schedule for this whole month just cause I heard you needed to talk to me, so I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know exactly what it is you want. Without an audience, if I didn't make myself clear."

Stiles pulled her arm off of him and bent down to put on his shoes, his mind zoning in on what Macie had told him and how to word it without having the druid storm their stronghold single handedly and ruin their nearly perfect plan. "I figured. I take it you already have somewhere in mind?"

She gave him a look that screamed a sarcastic 'Obviously' and just touched the door knob when Talia of all people grabbed his shoulder, lightly enough that he could shake it off if he wanted and really, he thought that was the reason why he was willing to hear her out.

"Stiles," She sent a hesitant glance at Jennifer before steeling herself and studying his face. "Are you sure you'll be okay? I don't like this…"

Annoyance flickered through him and he smothered it before it could become detectable to their noses. "It's fine, I've known her for years now. As much as I hate to admit it, she's like an overbearing older sister now." He patted her hand twice before stepping out of her range and towards the scowling woman on the other side of the door, not looking back as he crossed over onto the porch. "I'll see you guys later."

He heard his name mumbled on various tongues but couldn't find it in him to care all that much when faced with the person who could help their goal come together. He'd worked with Jennifer multiple times in the past and although she had questionable morals, he couldn't deny that she excelled in the work she did. This was just another stepping stone to get closure and that, more than anything, is what he'd wished for since he was sixteen.

Stiles snorted when they pulled into an empty camping site and followed Jennifer out, stopping to send her a glare when she jumped onto the hood of his Jeep. "Watch it, she's getting old."

She rolled her eyes and gave it a light smack. "Please, if this thing is still running after what you've put it through, nothing I can do will stop it now."

"How'd you even know that I was looking for you? I didn't get a chance to text you."

"Stiles, honey. I've got eyes and ears everywhere." A crow let out a shriek in the distance and Stiles shuddered. He'd figured.

"Right. Anyway, you know how I'll be coming face to face with my family's murderer, I assume?"

"Of course."

"Well there's been a few complications that my group's run into." He pulled up the picture he took of the paper Macie had shown him and gave his phone to her, watching as her face darkened. "We think it's a werewolf right now, but we don't know the class or-"

"This isn't no dog, Stiles. Look closely at the bark around the scratches."

Frowning, he did as she asked and after a couple seconds, zeroed in on what she was talking about. It was a small detail, one that he and Macie had overlooked in how minuscule it seemed to be. But it was there, camouflaged into the color of the tree and the shadows.

"A feather."

"I don't know about you, but I've only seen one thing with feathers and talons that deep."

"Harpies." They gave each other a look and Stiles let the weight of the situation settle on him. He tossed his head back and groaned. "I need a drink for this."

He got into the passenger side and ignored her snort as she followed suit, putting his phone on silent so he wouldn't be distracted. He muttered to himself the entire time, Jennifer putting her two cents in every now and then as they debated what the best course of action would be. By the time they pulled into a bar a few cities over, they were both irritated and at a loss.

Stiles slammed his empty glass onto the counter in front of him and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, pointing shakily at Jennifer who was sipping on her cocktail. "We need more people, 'sats what we need."

"More people would be more targets. Harpies are drawn to chaos and the more people there are, the more chaos is likely to happen." The bartender gave them a look and promptly moved to the other side of the bar, but Stiles paid no mind to him as he slapped his jean clad thighs.

"This is ridiculous. Do you know how hard I've been working on this? How many days I've spent staring at a screen, reading and rereading all the information that I was given just to make sure this thing actually gets pulled off? And now, what, there's just some batshit crazy bird woman flying around looking to destroy my progress? Hell no, not on my watch!" Stiles stole her drink and downed it down in one go, slamming that on the counter as well before pulling out what was probably too many bills from his wallet and leaving them crumbled on the counter.

"Where are we going now? It's almost five in the morning and we've done nothing but complain, strategize, and then complain some more."

"What else can we do, Jen? We're going to research the fuck out of harpies. You still have those books, right?"

"What do you take me for, Stiles? Of course I have them." She stood up and flipped her hair over her shoulder as she held out a hand. "Come on, you owe me, anyway."

"Owe- for what! This is the first time I've seen you in like four years!"

She gave him a look and grabbed his hand to pull him up, tapping her pointer finger against the pulse in his wrist. "Exactly. Anyway, it's a fair trade off. I lend you my books, you lend me a bit of your… spark."

He rolled his eyes and allowed her to drag him out of the bar, ignoring the catcalls and whistles from the nosy patrons as they were assaulted by the cold breeze. "No more than half an hour, got it? We have work to do that doesn't involve me 'lending you my spark'."

Jennifer snickered at his tone and started the car and really, shouldn't he be driving? He missed being free. And unattached. And knowing what was going to happen next so he didn't have to stress over it. Stiles was starting to realize he was missing a lot of things, and he pretended not to hear the little voice in his head that told him how his dad wouldn't want this lifestyle for him. What did it matter, anyway? It's not like he's here anyway.

The trip to the most recent warehouse she was staying at passed by quickly and soon enough he was sitting on her bed and a needle in his arm, watching as she started to collect it in a blood bag. He leaned back on his other arm, his eyebrows coming together when he felt some kind of cool liquid under it. He looked behind him and shouted in disgust when he saw the tied condom.

"Jennifer! What the fuck is this?" He seethed, pointing to the bed and moving as far away from it as he could.

She barely glanced at him before continuing to adjust the bag, snickering at his outrage. "That, my dear, would be a used condom. I would've suspected you'd know what one is by your age, but-"

"Jennifer," He started dangerously. "Couldn't you have cleaned up beforehand?"

"I did, Stiles. You should be thankful that it's only one you're seeing, I do have projects planned after all."

"And you need to play around this much for them?"

"You know as well as I do how important bodily fluids are to some things, whether it's blood or something else. You'd know even more if you let me teach you, though."

He sighed at her pointed look, too exhausted and stressed to argue back. When the bag was almost full, she switched it out for a couple of vials and began humming lowly. Even though the notes had a darker, more ominous undertone, Stiles couldn't help but close his eyes and relax.

The last few months had been hell for him, both mentally and physically. He knew that he was getting more comfortable around the Hales and that he'd let a few things slip, whether it was information about himself or something he complained offhandedly to Peter or Derek about. He probably said things that he'd forgotten about but they took to heart, and he scolded himself for not being more upset about it.

Then there had been that… situation that had happened a few days ago. He hadn't felt the urge to jerk off in a while and yet one stolen glance at Derek working out and boom, he had regressed to being a sixteen year old.

But there was more to it than that, the wolf had this uncanny talent of distracting him when he needed it the most, as if he had this hidden sixth sense under all that muscle and eyebrows. Peter was the same, but his methods were usually to point him to a book and while that worked for a while, Stiles was back to stressing in no time. With Derek, though… He wouldn't be surprised if they bickered an entire day away, teasing jabs here and a little snark there. It was freeing, almost like...

"Hey, Jen."

She made an inquisitive sound in her throat and screwed the vials shut before moving on to the needle in his arm.

"I think I might like somebody. As in, I want to stay with them kind of li- ow!" He winced and grabbed his arm from where the needle slipped, sending a small spurt of blood onto his arm and shoulder before she handed him a tissue. He took it with a glare as she stared at him incredulously. "What the hell, I thought you were good at this-"

"You, the most antisocial, secretive, jaded person I've ever met in my life, likes somebody."

He scowled and held the paper to his arm as he regarded her. "What's so hard to believe about that?"

"Uh, I don't know, Stiles, how about everything?"

He stiffened and crossed his arms. "Why's that? I'm human too, y'know."

"Yeah, but you're some kind of robot mutant. Your life consists of researching and working and avoiding any kind of therapy that's offered to you unless it's shoved down your throat. You have more baggage on you than half of the world's population, not to mention that I've never seen you-" She sighed when he stayed quiet, her eyes softening as she brought him into a tight hug. "Y'know, Stiles. I never thought I'd say this to you, and you aren't there yet, but… I think happiness will suit you."

His throat closed up and he returned her hug, grateful for having her as a friend, even if she was an intolerably crazy bitch at times.

Talia prided herself on her control. She was infamous for her temperament, always the first to gather herself when something unexpected happened and the one to pull everyone together in the end. This time, however, she couldn't do anything but watch her family fall apart with worry. If she were being honest, she wasn't too far behind, holding together her facade by her will strength alone.

Peter had been pacing and scenting the air since Michael had left and Derek… she didn't even know where to start with him. He was snapping at everyone who tried to talk to him and had even growled at her before she flashed her eyes, mumbling a quick apology before going back to staring out the front window, as if it would magically teleport the man to their porch. She was worried, too, but she'd seen the way Michael's eyes hardened when she asked him if he'd be alright and remembered that, at the end of the day, none of them knew Michael as much as they'd like to think.

They had been quiet when he'd dropped the news of his family, as if it held no weight at all to him and she found the way he was so apathetic towards the matter amazing, as wrong as it sounded. Really though, what had gotten her the most was how lost the boy must've been after that. Losing everybody he'd grown up with in a matter of seconds and then thrust into this life of kill or be killed… she couldn't imagine what he'd gone through and it made her want to hug him, hopefully as he let everything out.

Laura was the first one to go to her room, mumbling about how they should all just go to bed and then interrogate him the following morning. Valerie followed soon after, tired from her shift, and soon enough it was just Peter, Derek, and herself.

"I don't like how he's not back yet. It's nearly one and he left with her this morning." Peter grunted. "To make matters worse, she's probably the most powerful druid there is, dark or otherwise."

The glass in Derek's hand shattered and he stared at it before starting to pick up the pieces. Talia felt for him, she really did. Her son was never good at hiding his feelings, always wearing his heart on his sleeve even after what had happened during his high school years. He tried to compensate for that by acting tougher, meaner than he usually is. And it worked, up until Michael came into the picture.

She huffed a soft laugh and shook her head when their eyes instantly landed on her. "It's nothing," she assured. "But I do have to go to bed. I have a meeting tomorrow and I don't think they'll take 'I was busy waiting for a hitman to return to my house' as an excuse."

She stood up and kissed Derek's forehead when he began to protest, lingering for a second to give as much comfort as she could. "It'll be okay." She whispered. "He'll come back."

"How do you know?"

"He left his computers and work stuff, Derek. I don't think he's the kind of person to leave those alone when he knows they're prying eyes around here."

"Right." Talia sighed at his dubious tone and caught her brothers gaze, raising an eyebrow at him until he rolled his eyes and nodded.

I know that you two are the most paranoid ones out of all of us, but keep in mind that Michael got himself this far. He's more than capable of taking care of himself, you just have to have that mindset."

"He kills hunters, Talia. Humans. He's probably never been up against something like a druid." Peter sighed.

She stayed quiet for a minute, waiting until they focused on her. "How do you know?"

Nobody said anything else as she went back to her room.

Stiles stumbled out onto the pavement, waving his dismissal when Jennifer offered her hand. They stared at each other from across the car and his lips twitched at how they must look right now.

"So we're clear on the plan, right?" Jennifer asked.

"Yeah. I'll get Macie and Angelo up to speed and then we should be good. But you're sure that you can pull off the whole…" He pointed to his hand and did a couple moves resembling punches and she crossed her arms, eyes hardening at the question.

"Of course I can, Stiles. Especially if it's for something this important."

He nodded and shook his hands to rid them of the nerves. "Right. Alright, then. I'll let you know when I get the call so make sure that you're free. Please." He added as an afterthought.

Her eyes widened before a grin lit up her face and she crossed the front of the Jeep to slap his shoulder. "Hey now, where'd that confidence of yours go? We'll make sure that murderer gets what he deserves, I promise you that. 'Kay?"

"Yeah. Okay. We got this. No problemo, no sir."

"Stiles."

He groaned and rolled his shoulders back. "I know. I do, everything's going to turn out fine, whoever did it is going to be taken away and then I'll get closure and… do something."

Her head tilted towards the house and she snorted with whatever she heard.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. One of my projects is trying to run off though, so I've got to go. Let me know when you need me, alright?"

"I will. Be careful."

"Always." She turned heel and walked into the surrounding trees after sending him a wink and he cracked his fingers before heading into the house.

Stiles had just closed the door behind him when he was grabbed by the arm and shoved against the wall, a beta shifted Derek in front of him. His hand was already on the blade he'd hidden inside his hoodie and forced himself to release it, reminding his erratic heart that it was just Derek, that everything was alright.

"Whoa there, buddy. Are we going back to this again? I thought we'd moved past it but looks like we still have-"

"Michael," he growled and wow was it just him or was that hotter than it usually was? "Why do you smell like that?"

He frowned. "Smell like what?"

"Like sex and blood, Michael. Your blood and somebody else's… stuff on your hand, to be exact."

Stiles was about to protest because of where the conversation was going, but thought back on where he'd been and what Jennifer was doing and yeah, that made a lot more sense.

Derek's eyes flashed as if he'd seen him connect the dots and if anything, that seemed to make him angrier and before he knew what was happening, he was laying flat on his back on the kitchen table with angry lips on his own, prying them open. After the initial shock wore off, which admittedly took a while because out of everything he was expecting when he walked in, having an irritated, sexy werewolf tossing him around like he was nothing and initiating what was probably the best make out session he'd had in his life wasn't one of them.

Instead of relaxing into it though, his own competitiveness kicked in and he wrapped his arms around Derek's neck, pulling him closer as he tilted his head for a better angle. He felt hands tangle themselves into his hair and he moaned lowly as they tugged. Their tongues twisted and twirled around each other as if they couldn't decide whether they wanted to part or get more entangled and with the force behind their lips Stiles knew that he'd have soreness the next day.

They pulled apart, breathing against each other heavily as they glared at each other. Huffing under his breath, Stiles dragged Derek closer to him and was about to show him who was really the boss when a spoon clattered to the floor, effectively reminding Stiles exactly where he was at the moment.

He pulled back and pushed Derek away, jumping off of the table and using the wall for support as he pointed at the blushing wolf with wide eyes. "You... you have like five seconds to explain before I actually pass from mental exhaustion and-"

"I like you!" Derek blurted, the redness spreading to the tips of his ears as he coughed and tried again. "Uh. I like you, Michael."

Stiles blinked and ran his hand through his disheveled hair, staring at him incredulously. "I think that's a bit more than like, Derek. I like Peter but you don't see me bending him over a table!"

"... Sorry?"

Stiles stared at the flustered man in front of him and wondered, briefly, how his life came to this before licking his lips. He stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets, tilting his head towards his room after a second of them staring at one another.

"Want to do it again? In private, this time?"

He was back in Derek's arms before he finished his sentence, his startled laughter echoing through the hallway.

Derek was awake long before Michael started to stir in his sleep. His grip tightened instinctively and he himself was almost embarrassed by the grin that spread on his face. He admitted that his… confession wasn't anywhere close to how he'd wanted to do it, and he knew he'd berate himself for months, probably even years to come, but… but Michael was his now. After they'd gotten over the initial heated excitement about what had happened, they talked a few things out while they cuddled and Derek couldn't remember a time when he was happier.

Michael rolled in his sleep and gripped his shirt, trying to pull himself closer than he already was until he grumbled and tossed a leg over his waist, caging him in. Derek froze before taking a steadying breath and relaxing, reminding himself that he could have this as he gently ran his hands through his hair. That seemed to relax him more than anything and soon enough soft snores had returned to fill the empty silence.

He dozed off for another half hour or so, perfectly content with holding the man in his arms, when there was a series of quick but soft knocks on the door and Peter, Laura, and his mom stuck their heads in, their faces lighting up into knowing smiles as they took in the way the two of them were tangled with each other.

"I figured you'd be in here," His mom mumbled teasingly. "We saw Michael's shoes by the door and since you weren't in your room…"

Laura peeked over at him from behind her shoulder and sent him a wicked grin and thumbs up. "You boned him, didn't ya? You totally did, I just know-"

Peter shoved her behind him and shook his head at her snickering before turning towards him again. "We also heard Michael laughing and smelled the… excitement between you two." He informed him with a straight face and laughing eyes. "I am surprised to see that you guys are fully clothed, though."

Derek felt his face warm and scowled when they chuckled at his expense. Michael shifted in his arms and he felt a brief sense of loss before he let him go, watching as he rolled onto the other side of the bed. "

"Get up already, I want to know what happened. Besides, I'm about to make breakfast."

His stomach growled and he got out of the bed as quietly as he could, smiling at Michael and brushing his hair out of his face before following his family towards the kitchen. He wasn't even out of the room before Laura was stuck to his side, talking about how proud she was that he'd finally grown up.

Derek sighed and looked at the bed and Michael longingly as he was dragged away.

Stiles finished sending his text to Angelo and Macie, letting them know what he and Jennifer had discovered and that she was in on the plan and willing to help. Derek scrolled on his phone and grinned when he saw a picture of a kitten in a boot and really, how did Stiles ever find that smile of his annoying?

"Did you see this?" Derek tilted his phone towards him and he locked his phone before scooting closer, laying his head on the wolf's shoulder so he could get a good view of the screen. Once he stopped moving, he pressed play on the video and Stiles smirked at the wolf that fell into a pool, too busy staring at a fox that was sleeping in the distance.

"That'd be you."

Derek raised his eyebrow, the challenge clear in his voice when he said, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He tilted his head back, snickering when he saw the man's gaze drop to his neck. "I think you know what I mean."

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were taunting me."

"Now why would I do that?"

"Because you're simultaneously the smartest and most reckless person I know."

"Aw, thanks for the compliment." Stiles winked, snickering at the massive eye roll it got him even as the man tugged him closer into his side. He could feel his nerves coming back and distracted himself by pecking Derek's neck, smiling when he shuddered and gave him a warning look.

An alarm went off on Derek's phone and at his questioning hum, he shook his head. "Dinner. I told mom I'd do it since she has a lot of work to do yet."

"You cook?"

Derek raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms. "You don't?"

Stiles' smirk fell off his face, his mood souring with memories of cooking for his dad and friends at their monthly get together. How Scott would offer his help and how he'd have to send him away in less than five minutes before he burned the place down while looking at Kira. Lydia would help him in the kitchen and they'd talk about their classes and the trips they were planning before Jackson would stroll in like he owned the place and accuse him of flirting. Then his dad would walk in and… and tell them to calm down before ruffling his hair and winking at him as he walked out with another beer.

"-chael? Michael?" His head snapped up and he nearly flinched when he saw Peter and Derek frowning in front of him, concern etched into their faces. "Are you okay? You kind of zoned out there…"

"Uh, yeah." He coughed. "Yeah, I'm good. But to answer your question, I haven't touched a stove since I was sixteen."

Derek eyed him worriedly. "Right." Shaking his head, he held out his hand and pulled him up, dragging him off to the kitchen before he could protest. "You don't have to do anything but keep me company. I don't think you'll have a problem with that though, considering that big mouth of yours."

Stiles squawked, incredibly offended but also unable to deny that. "I-"

The man tugged him towards the kitchen before he could argue and he must've done something, because right when he felt the start of his anxiety settle in his stomach, Derek let go of his hand and put a pepper shaker in his palm. Stiles stared at it, confused out of his mind.

"What is that?"

"Uh… pepper?"

Derek gave him a look. "Michael. C'mon, what is it?"

"Are we really going to discuss what pepper is made out of? Right now?"

"Just answer it."

"It's a spice."

"Exactly."

Stiles was ready to throw his hands up but refrained for the sole facet that he didn't want Talia to be upset when she saw pepper all over her floor instead of a meal. "Okay? And? It's just a spice."

"That we're going to use to cook."

"That's a given, yes."

"So you should be grateful that you're in the presence of it."

"Derek," he started. "Are you okay? Did you not sleep last night?"

"People went to war over spices, you know." Derek occupied himself with pulling out the other ingredients, pretending not to hear his sister laughing her ass off in the other room and asking him what kind of distraction method he was going for. He was trying, okay?

The first thing that he saw was the damn pepper and even if his admittedly bad plan didn't work like he hoped it did, at least he'd forget that awful anxious aroma that fell from his crush turned boyfriend. Even though it lasted less than a second, it was the first time Michael had made a mistake like that and he'd much rather it be because he was startled into laughing or maybe a little mirthful when they teamed up to make fun of Peter or Laura.

"You…" Michael's voice brought him back to the present and out of his head and he made sure his face didn't feel warm before looking over his shoulder, trying and failing at a suave look.

"Yeah?"

"You're really asking me to have a conversation on spice wars?" Michael's face was carefully blank and even though Derek had gotten used to not smelling his emotions to guide the conversation along, it didn't mean he liked it.

Michael shook his head with a small chuckle, half disbelieving and half amused. "Right," he jumped onto the counter to his left, startling him enough to make him jump but not to drop the pans he was carrying, thankfully. He glanced up just as the man sat on his hands and started to swing his legs back and forth leisurely as if he was the most peaceful man alive. Derek was simultaneously in awe of and terrified of his acting skills. "Did you know that during the Roman Empire they used to pay their soldiers using salt?"

Derek sent a quick thanks to whoever was listening to him from above and shook his head after a minute. "No, I didn't."

"Well, they did. They also used to say 'worth his salt' as like, how much they would pay them. They were basically like, one of the most powerful spice trading countries. But that was before Venice beat everyone and was like, the spice god of the world. So Rome was forced to pay these absurd taxes for spice."

He listened to him rant as he cooked, occasionally holding up a fork with something for him to taste and sticking out his chest proudly when Michael groaned and held his thumb up in response. Warmth surged through him because he could do this now, he could be himself with Michael and talk and hold him to his heart's extent. Because they were dating now, they were boyfriends.

He grinned broadly down at the chicken he was slicing for fajitas. Boyfriend. It wasn't his first, but he never really counted the fleeting kiss and five seconds of hand holding afterwards that had happened during his freshman year. They were more like best friends who were using each other to experiment rather than actually liking the other.

Michael was different, though. He already knew about the supernatural and was able to take care of himself, even if it made him stubborn to the point he wanted to pull his hair out and stupidly independent. Still, he wouldn't trade it for the world, the possibility that Michael could be it for him. He knew he was probably getting ahead of himself, but it was far too easy for him to imagine a future with Michael. They might even have kids, he was sure that would make his mom happy.

He frowned down at the sizzling chicken as he contemplated that. Michael would probably be the lenient father, maybe too lenient at times. He wasn't great at being stern, but he was sure that if it came to his family's health and happiness, he'd be willing to do anything, especially since-

Wait.

What was he thinking? They hadn't even been dating for a week and here he was planning out the rest of their lives together. A fork entered his line of sight and before he could understand what had happened, Michael had popped a small piece of chicken into his mouth, humming around in delight as he manhandled his hand in the air and gave him a high five.

"Tastes good, Derek."

"It would taste better if you waited for the tortillas and vegetables to be done."

"Those are small details in the big picture."

"Michael, that's literally what makes it a fajita and not just chicken."

He rolled his eyes and pointed at him with his fork. "Yeah, but chicken is in front of it, therefore it's the main thing."

"Of course it is. It's the meat."

"Exactly."

Derek stared at him, unable to piece together what just happened. "What?"

Michael smirked and gave a quick kiss to his cheek before turning around. "Nothing! I have to read my email, I'll be right back!"

Derek grumbled under his breath, which turned into a stuttered attempt of an explanation when he saw his parents amused gazes. His father cocked an eyebrow and smirked when scowled, but grimaced when his mom nudged him pointedly.

"I'm glad that you're happy, Der." She told him warmly.

He muttered a short 'thanks' and went back to cooking, a small smile still stubbornly loitering on his face.

Stiles was getting restless. Jennifer had told him that the special blades they needed to kill the harpy were a no go, the person she was supposed to get it from had been killed and robbed. It pissed him off, but he couldn't say anything since he'd done the same thing more than he cared to admit or think about. Still, it put them back at square one and he was getting sick of running in circles.

The Hales were clueing in on it too, he could feel the way they looked at him more often and for a longer amount of time, almost as if they were waiting for him to snap. To be fair, though, he wasn't that far from it. Angelo was sure to call him any day now and he would have to tell him that he was at a loss for what was potentially their biggest problem.

Derek nudged him, asking if he was okay in a hushed whisper even though everybody knew that it was heard clearly to everyone.

"I'm fine."

"Right. Anyway what did you think of the movie? Laura tried asking a couple times but you zoned out."

The movie. A supernatural thriller that had wizards at war with a clan of fae. "It was okay. I mean, I wasn't a fan of the ending because the wizards had more people and the fae just- Wait." He sat straighter and thought about it. It was just a movie, sure, but the events were similar to what he was about to go through. A small group of fae and malicious wizards. Outnumbered and at a loss, what was it that one guy said then? Control the nature of the soul? Look into the mind to find the answer? No, no. Control the mind, control the body that's it.

He jerked up and swooped to give his boyfriend a tight hug and kiss. "You're a genius, Sourwolf, did I tell you that?" He pulled out his phone as quickly as he could, grin growing as he saw Jennifer already calling. "I have to talk to a colleague, don't wait up."

Like he suspected, Angelo got into contact with him four days later. Along with Macie. And Jennifer, though he was assuming she forced herself into the equation to retrieve him. Yeah, that's right. They came to pick him up.

"Michael. Are you going to let us in while you grab your stuff?" Angelo asked. His voice was as stoic as usual and his face gave nothing away but Stiles knew him well enough to hear the subtle traces of mirth in his tone.

"It's not exactly my house to decide that." He responded curtly.

His lips twitched ever so slightly and he nodded. "I suppose that's true, yes." His gaze landed on his foot, his expression growing more serious. "I trust that it healed correctly?"

"Of course. Remind me never to doubt your orthopedic skills again." He could feel the Hales behind him in an instant and gave his boss a loaded glance before they even opened their mouths.

"You're the lowlife who did that to him?" Derek snarled. Angelo flashed his eyes in warning and he winced when he caught sight of the crimson orbs before moving to put himself between the two of them. Talia grabbed his arm and pulled him back, moving in front of both of them and really, this was all so much more dramatic than it needed to be.

"You're his boss, I'm assuming?" Talia asked, her posture growing more hostile when she scented another wolf in her territory and unannounced at that.

"Sometimes. I see myself as more of a father figure, but I suppose that's up for interpretation."

"And it's normal for a father to break their son's bones?" Peter growled, remembering the days that Michael had wandered around lifelessly.

Angelo stuffed his hands in his pockets as he stared Peter down. "When it comes to his health, a father would do anything."

"And what was so problematic that you had to go to those measures?" Talia demanded.

Angelo's eyes hardened. "That's none of your concern. Michael, forget about your things. We'll get whatever you need before we head out but we're on too tight of a schedule."

Stiles' mouth twisted as he looked back towards the room. The only thing he kept on him at all times were his cell phones and blades, but everything else, including the documents and laptops, were still there. "But the comput-"

"Already taken care of. I had our IT office do their thing. And the documents won't be important after today, I doubt the Hales will turn you into the police."

Talia clenched her teeth at the implications. "Of course not."

"Good. Michael, let's go."

Stiles nodded and hesitated before turning and dragging Derek into what was probably a too deep kiss. The wolf tried to hold him but a quick snap of Jennifer's fingers had him releasing his hold in no time.

"Michael-" He tried imploringly.

"I'll see you around, Derek. Try not to forget me, 'kay?" He spoke to the group at large for the latter sentence and nodded to them before taking a step towards the door. Jennifer was leading Macie to the car, talking about where she learned to do that and he nearly rolled his eyes at how fast they had become friends.

Just as Angelo turned around, Peter blocked the doorway and Stiles was gifted the sight of his back. He growled when the other man turned around and Angelo mumbled an annoyed curse before staring at him from over Peter's shoulder.

"You have less than a minute before I send Jennifer out again."

"Noted." He said dryly. Shaking his head, he gripped Peter's arm and tugged it away from the frame, refusing to step away even when he was snarled at. "Listen to me, Peter. Remember that time I said that you'd owe me a favor? And how I said that you wouldn't like it? Well, this is it." He waved his hand towards the door and how he was blocking it. "It's time you cash it in and let me leave."

"That man broke your foot and didn't call to check on you once."

"I know."

"He drugged you and took away your freedom."

"I was there."

"So why are you going with him!" Peter roared. The rest of them stayed silent and he let loose a shaky breath before steeling his nerves.

"I already lost one father, Peter. He's the closest thing to that I have left and I'm not willing to lose him, too. Especially with everything he's done for me. I owe him my life."

Growling lowly, he slammed his fist into the drywall and stalked off without another glance. Stiles barely heard the rumbled 'You better come back' and decided that pretending he didn't was a better alternative than coming up with an answer that satisfied everybody.

He left the Hale house empty handed, feeling as if the world was placing its weight on his shoulders the closer he got to the parked car. He would come back, he decided. He'd come back once he settled all of his baggage and could be the man who was good enough to date Derek and associate with the Hales.

He'd come back after he found closure. That was a promise.

Author's note: Next chapter will be up on Monday, and then there's only three left!