Everyone Around Me Gets Hurt

Author's Note: And here I am doing Sterek again, LOL.

Pairing: As always, Sterek!

ooOoo

Derek stood in the living room of his burned out old house. His eyes were downcast, his fingers clenched into fists at his side. It was dark, the moonlight reflecting over his bare back and triskelion mark.

Everyone around him always ended up dying. Why didn't he just do the world a favor? Who would really miss him? Scott was an alpha now. He could lead his betas.

There was one person that made him want to hold on. One person who actually listened and tried to understand him. In the past he'd pushed that person away, tried desperately not to let them see inside.

He didn't see that person approaching in the most gentle of footsteps, but he smelled him.

Derek couldn't even care that he was crying, or if Stiles saw it. He had no dignity left. Deucalion was trying to make him do things he never wanted to do.

He could smell Stiles' concern. He could feel those gentle brown eyes on his back. He didn't tell him to stay away. He wanted, no needed the comfort for a change.

Stiles carefully stepped closer, eyes wide with concern. Derek's head was bent down. Was he crying?

"Everyone around me gets hurt."

It didn't sound like Derek when he said it. It sounded like some helpless and lonely teenager.

Stiles reached out his hand and placed it on the older man's massive shoulder with the gentlest of touches.

Derek sighed and grabbed the hand softly, holding it against his heart.

"Please stay," he whispered. "Don't leave me."

Stiles felt a rush of feeling at those words. Derek wasn't angry for being intruded on. The older man didn't want him to leave.

"I wasn't planning to," Stiles replied gently.

He wrapped his arms around Derek's front, leaning into his lower back. Derek shook a little as fresh tears washed down his face.

"Its okay," Stiles soothed him. "I'm here Derek. You'll be alright big guy."

Derek smiled a little, leaning back into the embrace. Stiles smiled down at him, eyes a little moist from understanding the alpha's pain all too well.

"Why do you care so much?" Derek asked in a low voice. "Why do you understand so well?"

"I understand because of her," Stiles replied softly. "My mother. I know what its like to miss your mother Derek."

"I'm not like her at all Stiles," Derek sighed sadly.

"You're the alpha Derek, her son. How can you not be?"

Derek smiled a little, admitting to himself that maybe Stiles was right. He liked being held like this.

He was starting to figure out these past weeks that maybe he didn't hate the boy as much as he'd thought. Stiles was an annoying screwup sometimes, but he had a heart as big as the Pacific Ocean in all its might.

It was the boy's heart that got him, his never ceasing attempts at loving him, even when he'd tried to shove it off.

Maybe he wanted to be loved. Maybe enough time had passed. No, enough time would never pass. That wasn't it. It was the simple fact that Stiles wasn't Kate. Stiles protected him and saved him. It was the ways he wasn't like Kate. All the right ways.

"I'm sorry Stiles," Derek whispered. "You deserve so much better than me."

He was speaking to the love he sensed crashing through the younger man as he held him. Stiles didn't know what he was doing, having these feelings for someone like him. He was making a mistake.

"Don't do that to yourself Derek," Stiles said gently. "I don't want anyone else."

Derek felt a powerful surge in his heart at those words. Stiles didn't want anyone else. He turned around, bringing them face to face, their lips close enough to claim what they both wanted.

Those cinnamon eyes gazed into his, glazed over with desire. He wanted to give Stiles the chance.

"Who do you want Stiles?" he asked in a whisper.

Stiles looked into those hazel eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist. He didn't want to. His hands cupped the sides of Derek's face gently.

"You."

Stiles captured his lips. Derek moaned at the spark he felt from the contact. He felt his wolf jump with glee within him. He had to keep it contained.

He was hardly aware of their lips parting, his wolf pushing him to slide their tongues together.

Derek released the sexiest growl into the kiss, and Stiles hummed, nipping at the alpha's bottom lip a little before pulling back with a little grin.

He licked his lips.

"So good," he whispered.

Derek smirked a little, pulling Stiles into his arms. He'd never felt anywhere near this level of affection for Kate. This was love like he'd never known it.

It was always Stiles. His wolf left him with no doubts. This was his partner, his mate, the young man in his arms right now. His arms, where he should always be.

Fin