Stiles wasn't normally one to skip school but that day was different. He had been out and about looking for Derek all morning. The sourwolf was nowhere to be found. He already checked the warehouse and Deaton's.
And so after feeding the pups and getting them off to school, Stiles decided to drive out to the reserve. It was the only place he didn't look yet and was a bit of a drive out of town.
The drive out to the reserve was spent listening to the tape that Claudia had made Stiles for his tenth birthday. It was a track of her favorite songs from the nineties. He really felt a connection to Zombie by the Cranberries. It really reminded him of her.
As he pulled up the drive, he was surprised to turn a corner of trees and be faced with quite the sight. No longer was the old Hale house a burned out pile of firewood. Instead stood a glorious house straight out of the Victorian era.
It was beautiful; it filled Stiles with rage. Derek fucking Hale had been living in this gorgeous work of architecture while his pack was stuck either in that cold warehouse or in Stiles' bed. Mad didn't begin to cover it.
Stiles pulled the jeep to a stop in front of the house and climbed out of the car just as Derek walked out of the front door. He must have heard Stiles' coming.
"Would you like to explain yourself before or after I break your fucking nose?" Stiles threatened as Derek came within reaching distance.
The look on Derek's face was genuine shock, obviously not having expected Stiles to want to maim him.
"Why would you do that?" Derek asked and Stiles did a big sarcastic motion at the house.
"You've been living upscale while your kids have been sleeping in a rinky dink damp and cold warehouse," Stiles motioned once more for effect.
Derek looked up at the house and then back at Stiles, before wiping a smirk away. "I haven't been living here, it's not ready yet," Derek explained bluntly and Stiles was left confused.
"We need to talk about your kids, and this," Stiles held out the money that Boyd had given him the night before.
"That's for you, to feed them," Derek refused to take the money.
"That's not the point, why am I having to feed them, when you are obviously very capable," Stiles couldn't resist motioning to the house for the third time.
"The warehouse doesn't have a kitchen," Derek said, "And this isn't ready yet."
Stiles was stumped and he'd only been talking to Derek for less than a minute. Suddenly unsure of himself he asked, "You've been rebuilding the house?"
"A pack needs a home," Derek said and Stiles felt what was left of his anger melt away.
"You're trying," Stiles said and Derek simply nodded.
Stiles looked up at the stunning window that sat above the front door. It was made of a gorgeous stained glass in a picture of a rose. "It's beautiful," Stiles said, cowed by the conversation, "What still needs to be done? Why haven't you let them help?"
"I'm finishing the kitchen and the bathrooms right now. It'll be maybe another month. I still have to have an electrician and plumber out, but if the bones of it are strong, then it won't take much to get it up and running." Derek said as he looked up at the house himself. There was a small pause and then, "Would you like to see it?"
It felt as if Derek were asking Stiles a much more important question. There was a gravity to it that seemed to pull Stiles in and he couldn't help it when he said, "I'd love to."
Derek spent the next while walking Stiles around the house, showing him the grainy dark wood floors and the white cabinets that he'd chosen for the kitchen. Eventually he was led up the cast iron staircase to the upstairs. "I'll let them choose their own rooms, there's plenty of space for everyone. This one is mine though, it has its own ensuite." He said as Stiles looked around.
Derek's room faced the front of the house, with wide open windows that looked down on the front lawn. Stiles suspected that it had something to do with keeping a watchful eye on things.
The sprawling wood floors, Stiles was especially fond of.
"You've done such a good job," Stiles praised as he peeked into the bathroom. The tile of the sink and shower matched the backsplash in the kitchen. "Another month you think?"
Derek nodded, "At least."
Stiles nodded back, "I hope you don't think I'm put out by having to take care of them. That's not where I wanted our conversation to go."
"I understand," Derek said, placing a hesitant hand on Stiles' shoulder, "I am very appreciative of your help while I get things sorted away. It won't be like this forever." His thumb rubbed over Stiles' collarbone before he was released.
"As long as it's not forever," Stiles joked and Derek gave a short smile.
"I should get going," Stiles said as he checked the time on his phone, "They'll be eating me out of house and home if they all show up tonight."
It was supposed to be another joke but Derek instantly pulled out his wallet and handed him another two hundred dollar bills.
Stiles tried to give it back, "Dude, I don't need money to feed them."
"They're my responsibility. You're helping by cooking for them, spending time with them, helping them with school. At least let me pay the cost of feeding them." Derek was very convincing when he wanted to be and Stiles didn't know how much he liked that.
"Fine, but you're going to start coming over for dinner at least once a week," It was only right that Derek's money fed himself too. "Besides I make a mean curry."
Derek sighed as if put out but agreed. Once a week he'd join them for dinner.
With that, Stiles felt comfortable with where they stood and bid Derek goodbye. But not before asking Derek to send him updates via text. They weren't strangers after all.
That night came with a pack of ravenous werewolves sitting in his living room begging to be fed. Stiles stood over the stove, listening to Scott and Issac telling him about their day. They had been curious and a little worried when Stiles didn't show up for their classes, but finding him at home when they arrived soothed them.
Isaac had walked straight over for a hug, nuzzling close into Stiles' neck as he did. He hummed curiously and smiled as he leaned back, but didn't say anything. He had joined Scott at the bar, content to wax poetic about how chemistry had gone so poorly.
"Did you all finish your homework already? Dinner is going to take a little longer than usual," Stiles asked and Scott went doe eyed. Stiles sighed, "Go ahead and get it out and I'll help where I can."
Scott's grin lit up the room as he dashed to the living room to grab his school bag. There was a knock on the door while he was in there and moments later Stiles heard him answer it.
"What are you doing here?" Scott's voice of disappointment echoed through the house and Stiles rolled his eyes.
If there was one thing that could be improved upon, it was Scott's manners.
Stiles made sure that the food wouldn't boil over before going into the living room to see who it was. To his surprise, it was Jackson and Lydia.
Lydia acknowledged him with a wave. "Heard you were the pack mom now Stilinski, making dinner and what not. Thought we'd invite ourselves over, considering we're you know, pack." Jackson said with a teasing jeer.
Stiles rolled his eyes, "You're both welcome to dinner any time." He made his way back into the kitchen, taking relish in Jackson's stunned expression. "Come help set the dinner table after you're done catching flies."
Jackson huffed from behind him but seemed to follow none the less. Isaac got up to show him where the plates were. There was a soft muttered thanks, but other than that Stiles went about finishing dinner with no more confrontations.
Just as Stiles had finished setting out the food, the sound of the front door opening and Erica's laughter floated in. Erica and Boyd appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. "Just in time!" Erica smiled gleefully and sat down next to Lydia.
"So, how was everyone's day?" Erica asked, not really interested in hearing about it but it was a normal thing to say.
"My day was good, I spent it hunting down Derek for more food money," Stiles jested and Erica grinned wolfishly.
"So that's what the smell is," Jackson said almost before he could stop himself and Lydia elbowed him hard in the ribs.
Stiles desperately wanted to know what that was about, but when he went to look around the room, it seemed like everyone, even Erica, was avoiding eye contact.
"Anyone want to explain that to me?" He asked and they simply looked at him with a childlike innocence. He took another bite of his food, he'd let it go for now, but he wanted answers later.
After dinner, Scott loaded the dishwasher as Stiles directly asked if Jackson and Lydia were going to stay for a movie. They promptly thanked Stiles for dinner but said that they were going to go study for the upcoming history exam.
"Can I pick the movie tonight?" Erica asked to which Stiles had no objections. She ended up picking That Thing You Do!, a 90's rom-com that Claudia had loved.
Stiles settled on the couch between Scott and Isaac, Boyd and Erica sitting at their feet. Halfway through the movie Erica had fallen asleep against thigh, snoring softly. He decided that it was time for bed when Scott yawned in his ear.
He gently patted Erica's cheek to wake her and once she was sitting up on her own, yawning loudly, Stiles stood from the couch.
"Everyone can stay the night, there's no need to go anywhere. I'll get extra pillows and blankets." Stiles said and that night was the first night he took the initiative.
His werewolf friends seemed to brighten at his statement and Isaac disappeared upstairs. If Stiles was right in his suspicion, it was because the boy wanted a place in Stiles' bed. Once he had the blow up mattress set up in the living room he gave Erica the mattress and Boyd the couch.
He had a feeling that he'd wake up with everyone in his room, but he was trying to at least give the attempt of making sure everyone was comfortable.
When he got upstairs, he found Isaac in the bed against the wall and Scott sitting on the edge of the bed. He took that to mean they wanted him in the middle and this time, Stiles wasn't going to fight it.
He went about getting ready for bed and then crawled into the middle of the bed. Isaac took Stiles' arm under his head to lay against his shoulder and Scott snuggled in from the other side. It was cramped in the bed but comfortable with the thin cover over them.
Stiles fell asleep with the thought that he couldn't wait until they had more room to sprawl out.