I wanted to make this chapter much longer but it felt like a good one to leave all fluffy. The next one will be longer and it will have some action stuff (maybe some magic as well *wink*).


Chapter 11: Fleeting Moments

The drive back home was quiet. Jackson didn't ask anything about what happened at the clinic. Stiles had no idea if the werewolf could hear what they talked about inside and he didn't ask. His mind was filled with his previous conversation with the vet.

"How magic am I, exactly?" Stiles's brows scrunched in confusion. He was sitting in a chair with a large rectangular table in front of him. On the other side of the table, Deaton stood with his hands braced on the table surface. They were in Deaton's office. Jackson said he would wait in his car for Stiles. The beta was adamant about giving him as much privacy as he wanted and Stiles appreciated that.

"That is hard to tell, at the moment. All Sparks, they have this untapped energy inside of them. Some of them are very strong but some are so fiddle that many Sparks spend their lives without even knowing they are one. You are certainly not the latter." A smile graced the vet's face as he looked at the teen in front of him. The smile did nothing to ease Stiles's nerves.

"How can I reach this energy? I mean, I've tried using my powers after the loft. But I can't. It's like my mind knows what to do but my body doesn't respond." Stiles flailed his arms around as he spoke.

"Stiles," the vet waited until he had the teen's attention. "It's quite normal for it to be this way, especially for a young Spark like yourself. You shouldn't stress over what you can and cannot do. Now that your Spark is unlocked, you will learn the way. Also, being in a pack helps a lot. The fact that you are already such a vital part of the Hale pack will come in your favor when it comes to using these powers, as you say."

They pulled up into Stiles's driveway. The car coming to a stop snapped Stiles out of his thoughts. He looked over at his house and then at the beta beside him.

"Thanks, man." He moved to get his backpack.

"No problem. Hey." Stiles was about to open the passenger side door but stopped at the beta's voice. "I don't know what Deaton told you, but I just want you to know that we're here for you, okay? Me, Derek, Isaac, Erica, Boyd.. and Scott's your best friend, I don't have to vouch for him. But we are here. Anything you need." Jackson's eyes held nothing but sincerity. Stiles nodded his head and offered a grateful.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." His eyes crinkled a little as he smirked. "If someone had told me months ago that Jackson Whittemore would be giving me pep talk, I would've smacked their head with my baseball bat and signed them up to Eichen House." They both laughed at that and Jackson nudged Stiles's shoulder playfully.

"Don't ruin it, you asshat. Go on, your dad's home." It was then Stiles finally noticed the cruiser parked on the side of his house. He got out of the car and walked inside. He could hear some noises coming from the kitchen. He decided to greet his dad first before going upstairs to freshen up.

"Hey, Dad. You making dinner?" Noah Stilinski looked up from where he was chopping some lettuce on the kitchen counter. He had a worn-out cookbook open in front of him with a picture of something that looked like a salad. He may be the father of the house but Stiles decided how much veggies should be included in each meal.

"Yeah, got some time off today. Thought I'd spend it with you. It feels like I never see you these days." Stiles felt guilt seeping in through him. Once again, he was thinking about the consequences of telling his father everything. He knew it would ease his dad's mind to finally know the truth about all these 'animal killings' in Beacon Hills. And Stiles can finally stop lying to him. But then his mind flashed with Derek being held by that Alpha with a metal pipe through his chest and bleeding.

Stiles might not be a human anymore but his dad was. He wasn't sure about his own healing powers and how much his spark can help when the situation calls for it. How can he gamble with his father's life knowing how dangerous it is for a human? But the more he felt the distance between him and his dad, the stronger his wish to bring him into the loop grew.

"Yeah. School has been so hectic. Gotta make sure I don't let the summer holidays make me slag or anything." His father just nodded his head while setting aside the lettuce and washing some tomatoes in a bowl.

"You didn't take your jeep." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Yeah, it was acting up again. I gotta take it to the mechanic sometime this week." There it was, the guilt of lying to his dad straight to his face. But he couldn't exactly say, 'hey dad, I'm not driving my jeep because I was clawed by an out-of-control werewolf the other day and the Alpha of our pack wants me to take it easy for a few days until I'm healed.'

The Sheriff set the bowl down on the counter and looked at Stiles properly. "Am I delusional or was it Jackson Whittemore giving you a lift?"

"Oh um- yeah, it was Jackson."

"As in Jackson Whittemore," Noah repeated the name slowly, "the guy who had filed a restraining order against you?" Stiles offered a nervous laugh. He had actually forgotten about that. Jackson's recent behavior had put a dampener on their old rivalry and hatred for each other. He had really changed over the summer after spending so much time with Derek and looking for the missing betas.

"Yeah, we kinda sorted it all out. We're friends now. He offered to give me a ride back home." His dad looked thoughtful. "And also, I'm bi." He blurted out without thinking. Let's just throw all we can out in the open there. Phew!

The Sheriff's eyebrows rose a little at that but he didn't say anything. The silence was making Stiles a little nervous. He started to fidget with his fingers. "I'm serious, Dad. I'm not joking." The Sheriff's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. His eyebrow game was nowhere as impressive as Derek's but it was something.

"Why would I think you're joking?" He sounded genuinely curious. Stiles gulped a little before continuing. "Well, you did say I couldn't be gay because of how I dress, that day outside the Jungle. I don't want you to think I'm pulling something because this is important and-"

"Woah woah, Son!" Noah moved around the kitchen counter and stood in front of Stiles. He put one hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed gently. "I don't think you're joking. I know this is serious and I'm glad that you trust me enough to share this huge side of yourself with me. No matter what, you're my son. And I love you. Nothing will ever change that, okay? I just want you to be happy, I don't care who it's with." Stiles felt his eyes start to prick with tears. He moved forward and wrapped his father tightly in a hug. His father patted his back before pulling away. His eyes were a little moist as well.

"Stiles, my bullshit radar is pretty honed when it comes to you. I know when you're being serious and when you're lying out of your ass to cover something. And that day at the Jungle, it was definitely the latter." The Sheriff offered a half smirk before moving to his previous spot and started chopping the washed tomatoes.

"Yeah.." Stiles drawled out the word. "It was some innocent stalking. Anyways, I'm gonna go freshen up." Stiles moved to pick up his backpack from where he threw it on a bar stool earlier.

"Wait, are you involved with Jackson?" Stiles froze in his spot at that and quickly spun with a look of horror on his face. "No! What?! Why would you say that?" The Sheriff raised his hands in a surrender motion.

"Hey, I don't know! Maybe it was a lover's spat or something that led to the restraining order. Now you guys are back together. There's a thin line between love and hate, son. One moment you're shoving each other in locker room doors out of anger, next time it's out of passion-"

"Oh my god! Please stop talking!" Stiles said loudly as he shook his head to clear the images his dad had just instilled. "For the first and last time, Dad.. Jackson and I are just friends. Nothing more. Stop watching chick flicks, old man!" He yelled as he climbed the stairs up to his room. Stiles could hear the faint sound of his dad's laugh.

He walked inside his room and turned on the light after throwing the backpack on top of his dresser. He resisted the urge to scream but did jump a little at seeing a certain Alpha lounging in his bed like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Why am I still surprised? You're always here."

"Are you complaining?" Derek was lying on his bed with his back resting on the pillows. His hands were behind his head, propping his neck high. His legs were crossed at the ankles by the foot of the bed. He looked relaxed. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a light brown Henley that stretched across his biceps.

"Nope. Quite the opposite actually." Stiles smirked as he moved towards his bed and climbed on top of Derek. He straddled the Alpha's lap and wrapped his hands around the other man's neck. Derek straightened up on the bed. He removed his own hands from behind his head and gripped Stiles's waist instead.

"You sure? I could get Jackson for you, if you want.." Derek's face was serious but his eyes were full of mirth. Stiles narrowed his eyes at the Alpha before pecking his lips.

"Yeah. He may be good-looking but he's got nothing on my Der-bear." Stiles poked Derek's chest with his finger as he said in a slightly higher-pitched voice. Derek scrunched his nose at the name.

"Please. Don't call me that ever again." Stiles laughed quietly as he saw the look on the Alpha's face.

"Why not? You are a Der-bear! My big, cuddly bear." He slapped his hands lightly over Derek's cheeks and squished them closer. Derek just looked at him with a grumpy face which reminded him of the first time he hid Derek in his room. After he paraded him shirtless in front of Danny to get the teen to hack that phone. It seemed so long ago now.

Derek lunged forward and caused Stiles to get sprawled on his back. The Alpha hovered above him, his forearms rested on the bed beside the teen's head as to not crush him with the older man's full weight. Derek quirked an eyebrow at the teen who was grinning up at him.

"We really need to work on your nicknames." Derek said before diving down and catching Stiles's lips in a kiss. The younger man responded back just as eagerly, his hands going around the werewolf's back to pull him closer. Their tongues danced together in a battle neither of them wanted to win. Their legs tangled together like growing grapevines.

Stiles felt Derek grip his hip tightly, his blunt human nails digging into his skin over the jeans. Stiles pushed his own hands inside Derek's shirt and ran his hands all over the sinful toned abs. He felt Derek's shirt inching up slightly as he explored. His right hand kept roaming the Alpha's stomach and chest while his left hand gripped at the back of his neck. Stiles grabbed onto the short black hair there and pulled on them as they kissed. A deep moan left the back of Derek's throat when he felt Stiles grip his hair. The Alpha pushed down on the younger man under him as he licked into Stiles's mouth desperately.

"Stiles! Dinner's ready!" The sheriff's loud voice cut through their haze of passion. They pulled back from the kiss, and stared into each other's eyes as their breaths mingled together. They were both breathing heavily with dopey smiles on their faces.

"I should go. I need to talk to the betas about some patrolling shifts." Derek said as he slowly sat up on the bed. Stiles moved with him and sat up as well but neither of them moved back much.

"You'll be back later tonight, right?" Stiles's voice wasn't pleading but it was filled with hope. His eyes kept flickering to Derek's lips and eyes. Derek looked into those eager whiskey-brown eyes and couldn't help but grin. He leaned forward and pecked Stiles on the lips. The kiss lingered for a few seconds; Derek's hand going to Stiles's left cheek. He pulled back with a smile.

"You can count on it." He brushed their noses together before moving back and getting off the bed. Stiles kept staring at Derek's retreating form as the Alpha leaped out of his bedroom through the window. The teen felt his cheeks were still warm and he couldn't keep the stupid smile off his face no matter how much he tried. He never imagined the once scowling Alpha of Beacon Hills would make him feel this jittery inside.

"Stiles! You up there? Don't make me send out a search party!"

Stiles snapped out of his thoughts about the teasing smiles and happy grins he saw on Derek's face lately. He quickly climbed off the bed and made sure to check his appearance in the mirror before going downstairs. He quickly ran his hands through his hair to make sure it looked presentable enough. The last thing he needed was for his dad to get suspicious and put surveillance cameras in his bedroom. He shuddered at the thought.


"What does M. Stilinski stand for?" Derek's voice caused Stiles to look up from where he was nose-deep in an assignment for his English class. As promised, Derek sneaked back in a while after Stiles was done with dinner. The sheriff left for his night shift around an hour after that. They jumped into another makeout session as soon as Derek landed inside the bedroom. But then his responsible side kicked in and he reminded Stiles of his pending homework. Derek heard his betas whining about schoolwork when he went to assign them with patrolling shifts. So when he knocked off a pile of papers while kissing Stiles against the desk, he was reminded of the teen being in school as well which means homework. They might have to deal with life and death situations almost everyday but school is still important. Erica had growled at him earlier when he said the same thing back at his loft.

Stiles was sitting on his bed with his laptop balanced on his knees. The Alpha was standing by his desk and moving things around. There was an old notebook in his hand as he looked at Stiles expectantly.

"My first name starts with an M." Stiles shrugged nonchalantly and went right back to typing his paper.

"That much I figured. I mean, what is it?" Derek was incredibly curious now. It just occurred to him that he had no idea what Stiles's first name was. He always associated the younger Stilinski with the name 'Stiles'. He completely forgot that it was, in fact, a nickname. Stiles stopped typing and looked up again.

"It's a monstrosity that no child should have to bear." His voice was a little worked up. He set aside the laptop and walked over to where Derek was standing.

"Hey, it can't be that bad. Come on, tell me." Derek nudged the younger man lightly with his shoulder. Stiles let out an exasperated sigh through his mouth before moving over and scribbling something down on a paper. Derek looked at the name for almost a full minute, his brows scrunched together in concentration.

"Mieczyslaw?" His rich voice finally uttered out the name written on the paper with near-perfect pronunciation. Stiles scoffed at that.

"Why the hell does it sound so sexy when you say it? That is so not fair." Derek chuckled as the teen slumped against him. His body weight didn't even faze the Alpha. He picked Stiles up by his waist and placed him in his previous spot. Stiles stuck his tongue out at him and went back to writing his paper.

Derek had a look on his face that could only be labeled as fond as he stared at Stiles.

What is this kid doing to me?

The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills his nostrils as he wakes up. His eyes flutter open and he takes in the surroundings that were becoming more and more familiar to him. He looked to his side to find the space empty but the lingering scent of lemongrass and coffee was still there. He focused his senses and heard voices coming from downstairs.

Derek sat up slowly and tried to distinguish the voices to figure out who it was. He instantly recognized Stiles who sounded excited as he rambled. He recognized the answering voices as Isaac and Jackson. A small frown formed on the Alpha's face as he realized he slept through Stiles getting up and supposedly making breakfast with his pack.

He doesn't remember sleeping this well in a long time. Now that he thought about it, he never had a good night's sleep after the fire. His nights were always filled with tossing and turning and nightmares about that day. He would barely get four hours of sleep before a nightmare would cause him to spring awake. He could never go back to sleep after that. He would just go for a run or get into some workout to calm his wolf.

It seemed like he felt safe and calm enough to sleep through the night whenever Stiles was with him. He found himself smiling unintentionally at the thought of the spastic teen who seemed to take over his mind more and more these days. He quickly gets freshened up and rushes downstairs. He finds himself stopping at the kitchen door.

Isaac and Jackson were sitting on the kitchen counter eating breakfast. Stiles was on the other side making waffles. His two betas were probably arguing since he noticed Isaac had a slight pout on his face as he stared at his plate. Stiles noticed it too and he moved towards the beta to ruffle his hair playfully. That seemed to work as Isaac swatted at Stiles's hand playfully but he was smiling now.

Suddenly, the scene changed before his eyes. Now Derek was looking at himself. A teen version of himself who was sitting at the kitchen of the Hale house. Laura had just finished her breakfast and she smacked him lightly over the head before sauntering out of the kitchen. Derek saw Talia, his mom who was looking at her children fondly. Teen Derek was pouting at his sister's antics but it soon disappeared when he felt his mother's hand on his head. Talia ruffled his black hair lightly with a smile on her face. Teen Derek smiled at her too, his pout long gone.

"Morning, Derek!" Derek blinked a few times to clear the vision as Jackson's voice cut through his thoughts. All three of them were looking at him curiously. Stiles looked a little worried as he tried to search Derek's eyes for something that shouldn't be there. Derek smiled reassuringly. It seemed convincing enough since Stiles lightened up.

"Breakfast?" Stiles held up a ladle that had specks of waffle batter. He looked every bit of Pack Mom the betas teased him to be. Derek laughed quietly before nodding his head and walking into the kitchen.

He wasn't at peace; not yet. But maybe he was closer than he thought.


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