Derek turns to Stiles as Scott passes through the front door of the Hale, a semblance of privacy granted to them by their pack. Stiles can't help but smile as him and Derek stare at each other like stupid pups. Derek takes the single step separating them and Stiles wraps his arms around the werewolf's neck.
"What you said earlier..." Derek begins quietly. It sounds shy to Stiles' ears. His smile widens on its own. He nods to get Derek to go on. "That I mean..."
"Everything." Stiles whispers back.
"Did you mean it?" Derek shies his eyes away from Stiles, almost like he's afraid of the answer. Anxiety courses through Stiles' blood and he recognizes the feeling as not his own. He waits until Derek shyly looks at him through his lashes knowing that seeing his sincerity will add to hearing it.
"Yes." He answers with determination. Derek's heart thumps loudly in his chest. He inhales and holds his breath, as if wanting to hold Stiles' scent inside of him. Stiles leans in to place his forehead against Derek's. "I meant every syllable." Derek finally exhales.
"Stiles..." He says quietly and closes the short distance between their lips.
Sparks fly in and around Stiles at their leisure as Derek's soft, silky, gentle lips press firmly against his own in the chastest, sweetest, most loving kiss Stiles has ever felt. Stiles' eyes flutter closed, his arms tighten around Derek's neck, fingers scraping the back of Derek's skull as Stiles applies just the tiniest of pressure onto Derek's lips. It's all it takes for Derek to wrap both his arms around Stiles' waist and pull him into his own body until Stiles gasps, his lips parting just a fraction of an inch. Derek takes his chance tilting his head to the side, parting his own lips and deepening their simple kiss into something more meaningful, more demanding, something that makes Stiles boil with want from the inside out. A little whimper of pleasure leaves Stiles' throat and a howl pierces the night. Derek reluctantly parts from Stiles' lips. He groans.
"Shut the fuck up, Erica!" He says against Stiles' lips before Erica's laughter fills the night. Derek doesn't move for while. And neither does Stiles – except for his fingers, gently caressing the back of Derek's head, playing with the werewolf's soft, short hair. Derek is almost purring at the feeling. Stiles can't help the lazy smile on his face.
"Mine." Derek whispers but just as Stiles is about to answer Derek pulls away from him and pulls him inside quickly. Stiles frowns. He wants to ask what the fuck but Derek is fast and Stiles needs his breath to keep up with the werewolf as he bursts through the front door of the pack home.
"I'll do it." He says without preamble or context. Scott turns to them from the arm of the couch where Iscaac has placed James and allowed him to sleep. Boyd is standing by the living room fireplace, an arm over Erica's shoulders as she leans into him. Jackson is sprawled out on one of the love chairs, not giving a shit and texting someone. Most likely Lydia.
"Do what?" Stiles asks like a stupid person.
"Give James a bath to get rid of the scent of sadness covering him..." Scott explains to his human best friend. Very considerate, Stiles thinks.
"I brought him home. I should take care of that." Derek deadpans. Stiles catches Scott's eyes and mouths a very quiet please. Scott nods.
"Ok. Give him a proper bath. Let him soak a little." Derek nods. Moves forward then stops as if he doesn't know what to do first. He looks down at Stiles' hand, securely gripped in his own then at James' sleeping form. "Take Stiles with you and make sure the water is cold for his taste." Scott relays the instructions, stands and leaves the living room for the kitchen. Derek nods, still looking undecided for a split second.
"Follow me up." He tells Stiles and lets go of his hand, with a sigh, as he bends to pick James up as if he'd weigh nothing. Stiles wants to protest, but his hand feels cold the second Derek lets go of it, so he follows the werewolf up the stairs without complaint.
Derek chooses his own bathroom to wash James and Stiles follows him in while almost choking on air.
"Can you hold him up for a second?" Derek asks. Stiles lifts an eyebrow.
"I'll draw the bath. YOU can hold him up." Stiles snorts, moving past Derek to sit on the side of the bathtub and start running the water. He adjusts the water a little cold for his liking, as Scott recommended, and plugs the tub before turning to watch Derek wrestle James' clothing. Apparently the vampire is not as light weight as he first seemed to be. Stiles chuckles. "Need help?" He offers like a little bitch, though he knows the answer. Derek grunts and rolls his eyes giving Stiles his best sarcastic tone of voice.
"Yes, Stiles. A little help would be HELPFUL!" He growls the last word but Stiles is not even remotely intimidated. Instead he snorts and moves to stand in front of Derek, their eyes level. He raises an eyebrow and Derek huffs in annoyance.
"Stand BEHIND him so I can work on his clothing..." Stiles uses his don't be dumb tone. Derek rolls his eyes but does what he's told.
Stiles begins to pull off James' shirt, exposing the vampire's belly and chest. Derek moves his hands on James' lower abdomen to hold him up as Stiles pulls at the black material of his shirt over his head, struggling just a little with his arms. The sight he's left with makes Stiles gasp, his pants tighten and his blood boil.
James is beautiful. Perfect eight pack. No, not six, EIGHT! An eight goddarn pack of muscles! And Adonis lines over his hipbones, because the mother fucker would wear low hanging tight jeans. Derek growls behind him.
"Stiles, I swear, it's like you're in heat." He sighs. Stiles squeaks and he swears it's a manly sound that has just left his lips.
"Have you SEEN him?" Derek shies his eyes. "Have you seen YOURSELF? I'm a normal young man with NEEDS! And surrounded by... by... by..." Stiles gestures in search of the perfect expression, completely forgetting the task at hand. "I'm like a hungry wolf at an open raw meat bar, ok?"
"Wolf jokes... really?" Stiles groans at that, sinking to his knees to pull at James' jeans.
"Oh shut it, you know perfectly well what I mean!" He snaps at Derek as he's popping James' button and unzipping him. A soft marble cock falls out of the tight black material as soon as the zipper is down, right at Stiles' eyes level. His mouth waters. Even the man's cock looks perfect. "This is so unfair." Stiles shakes his head and keeps on pulling down James' pants. He wrestles them down to his ankles then notices that the vampire is not wearing any shoes, long, straight toes peeking out from the black material that Stiles has been gathering on top of them. A soft huh sound leaves his lips.
"Stiles... even his feet... you really are a bi..."
"If you call me a bitch I will keep you blueballed for a month... or more." Stiles warns as he lifts one perfect left foot and pulls at the material that will just not come off.
"Need help?" Derek smirks from above him. "The tub is getting full..."
"Need help, the tub is getting full..." Stiles mimics, making a face, pulling harder on James' jeans, his foot coming lose with a pop and Stiles landing hard on his ass. "Ouch..." He yelps as Derek chuckles. Stiles frowns at the second leg. Which comes out nicely, almost without effort.
"Finally". Derek huffs. He bends down, nose to nose with Stiles once again. He beams a shit eating grin at him, pecks his lips just once, too fast for Stiles to even be able to reply, and picks James up in his arms. He steps over the rim of the tub, slowly sitting down.
"What are you doing?" Stiles asks incredulously as Derek settles against the back of the tub and arranges James in between his legs, his cold back to Derek's chest. Stiles swallows, his cock twitching painfully under his zipper.
"Giving James a bath, as my alpha instructed me to do." Derek shrugs, leaning back completely, his head resting on the back of the tub with a content sigh.
"But the water's too cold for you..."
"Sometimes a cold bath is good for me." Derek states, as his eyes close, his arms wrapping around James' waist. "Plus... he'll smell more like pack this way..."
"He'll smell more like yours..." Stiles replies as the mother of all jealousy pangs hits him right between the ribs, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Derek opens one eye and inhales.
"Jealousy smalls good on you." He says with a smile as he settles back. Stiles just sits there, dumb-folded, for a split second. He slowly reacts and moves. He takes his shirt off, grabs a fluffy towel off the rack, folds it, places it by the side of the tub and sits on it.
"What are you doing?" Derek asks, his tone amused, his eyes still closed.
"Sitting." Stiles states as his hand finds Derek's over James' belly and laces their fingers. "NOW, he'll smell more like pack." Stiles nods at his cleverness, resting his chin on top of his other arm as it is bent over the rim of the tub. Derek simply squeezes his fingers as a lazy smile graces his lips.
James seems peaceful and safe.
Derek seems content.
Stiles smiles as well and allows himself to drift into light slumber, feeling whole and happy and safe.
A twitch wakes Stiles up after a while. A groan leaves James' lips.
"Too hot..." He moves under Stiles' and Derek's still entwined hands.
"Ok... you're ok..." Stiles says soothingly as Derek wakes up himself and tightens his arms around James, muzzling his hair like a wolf pup claiming his toy. James freezes.
"What is this...? Why am I naked...? How...?" Stiles can almost feel his fear.
"You ok. Scott accepted you in his pack..." James' eyes widen a fraction of a second. His pupils blown wide, before his eyes regain his human steel-like color. "He wanted us to wash you – said you smelled like sadness..." Stiles explains while Derek is busy rubbing his face into the side of James' face making him shiver slightly. "Derek's scenting you... so you can smell like pack... family..." Stiles explains. James' eyes grow dark again, like storm clouds covering the bright sun.
"Like coven..." A single tear rolls down James' cheek. Derek wipes it away with a wet finger.
"You have a pack now." He whispers to James. Stiles can't help but smile. James shifts to look Derek in the eyes, over his shoulder.
"Why are you so good to me?"
"My alpha took you in." Derek shrugs. "You're our omega now..."
"Omega?" James asks.
"Lowest rank in the pack." Stiles explains.
"Lowest?" James lifts one perfect eyebrow. "Lower than a mere human?" Stiles snorts.
"The mere human is our alpha's best friend, his brother... and..." Derek turns vulnerable, human, blue eyes to look at Stiles. "... and my mate." A wave of warmth hits Stiles. Recognition. Acceptance. He manages a small nod.
"Mate..." Stiles whispers, clutching Derek's fingers a little tighter to convey his happiness.
"Mate?" James asks almost at the same time. He moves his hand on top of Stiles and Derek's intertwined fingers. A jolt of energy pushes through all three of them, making them all jump and water splash over the rim of the tub, all over Stiles' pants. James quickly pulls his hand back. "What the fuck was that?" He asks, pushing forward, to stand.
Stiles meets Derek's eyes over James' fidgeting shoulder.
"Stop." Derek whispers in James' ear. The vampire freezes. Stiles and Derek move their hands a little and James simply slides his hand in between the two, his palm facing Stiles'. Another jolt of energy courses through them. This one is less intense. Or, maybe, it's expected.
"How?" Stiles asks. The question is directed at Derek, but his eyes are on James, searching, learning.
"It can happen..." Derek whispers. "If one has a strong enough connection... Two can become three..."
Derek tries to explain.
"But I'm a vampire!"
"And I'm human..." James scoffs.
"All we need now is a lepricon..." He jokes lamely.
"Actually... that we don't have..." Derek says.
"Banshee, Kanima, hunter, human... those we do have..." James raises his eyebrows so high into his hairline Stiles swears they'll turn into wee thin caterpillars and crawl off his face. "You have a lot to catch up on since you're now pack." He simply explains.