I still don't own Teen Wolf. My lawyers aren't that good :(

"DUDE GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!"

Stiles flailed his arms at the offending body mass invading near his presence. The mass in question froze, startled, and slightly eased itself back from the boy. From the other side of the campsite Scott eyed his two camp mates, on edge after hearing the outburst. His body was tensed in case he needed to run and stop a fight.

"I-I was just trying to help you-" Derek Hale stuttered out.

"Well I can do this on my own thank you very much! What's your problem anyway?" Stiles asked Derek suspiciously. His eyes narrowed as he examined the other man, trying to decipher his current intent.

Ever since Derek had come back from collecting the firewood earlier he had been acting strange towards Stiles. During the camp set up he had insisted on taking over most of Stiles' task, and even during their quick sparring match he seemed to be holding back, going for grabs and holds instead of his usual swipe and blitz fighting style. This had forced Scott to pick up the slack, making him work harder to hold ground during the battle. Even now, as Stiles was setting up the base to make their campfire Derek had come to take over. He was just putting rocks in a circle for christ sakes! It was like Derek had suddenly decided he was weak and it had him infuriated.

"This isn't my first time camping dude. I've done all of this stuff before, ask Scott. I don't need you doting over me like an overprotective mom. If you want to help me why you don't go pee over there to mark your territory or something and keep the other wolves away so they don't eat us."

The look of hurt that crept into Derek's eyes and over his slack face snapped Stiles out of his angry tirade. Derek seemed unsure of what to do with himself for a moment. Stiles was about to consider giving him an apology when the green eyes settled into their usual intense glare and Derek's face hardened back into place.

"I was just trying to help. If you don't want it that's fine!" Derek growled and stomped away into the woods. Stiles let out an elated sigh of relief, happy to have some freedom from the older man. He didn't mean for it to come about so harshly but he figured the big, dark Derek Hale could take it.

"Hey man you alright?" Stiles looked up from where he was kneeling to see Scott above him, placing a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Yea," Stiles said as he tossed the logs into place. "I just don't know what his deal is."

"Yea, me either," Scott agreed. His eyes looked to where Derek had disappeared through the trees, but his mind was for off, trying to find the explanation for his fellow wolfs odd behavior.

Derek hadn't gone to far. Just far enough so that he could let his frustration at his failed advances out. He grumbled up a small storm and kicked at the ground below his feet, sending dirt and bark exploding into the air.

'That had all been a total failure!' he berated himself as the dirt settled back to the ground. 'I have no idea how to go about this. I started with all of my best moves but dammit Stiles is different from anyone I've been with before.'

He felt a wave of deja vu as he realized that for the second time that fading day he was in the woods, frustrated, with Stiles filling his brain, but he was right. Stiles was unlike any of the other men Derek had been with before. Derek's good looks and general welcoming demeanor usually attracted two type of guys: Slimmer, more twinkish & otter type guys, who saw Derek's rugged good looks and felt the raw power he seemed to emanate and wanted to be dominated by it; and masculine, more arrogant guys who saw his attitude as a challenge. A 'Who could dominate who' match?

Stiles was neither of those things.

'He doesn't, at least from what I can tell, want to dominated and cared for, and he definitely doesn't seem like he wants to try and test his luck and dominate me. No, Stiles stands on his own. Does for others and himself. But fuck I need him to bend a little if he's going to give into me. Wait, am I even his type? WHAT if he likes feminine guys? I can't compete with that at all. Or older daddy/bear types? Shit this beard doesn't even come close and I don't have any leather besides my jacket. Goddammit!'

Derek threw his head back and sighed. He needed a new approach. Trying to show affection by doing the other boys work for him had obviously pissed him off. He would have to go about this more subtly. He took a deep breath, and meditated in the woods for a moment until he felt he was ready to return.

When Derek made his way back to camp it was officially nightfall and he was greeted to the sight of Scott and Stiles huddled around a roaring campfire. The boys were laughing and devouring freshly prepared golden s'mores. Derek stopped to take in the sight of them both so at ease. He knew once he walked up the air would turn a bit more serious, in part because of who he was, and also because of he and Stiles' quarrel earlier.

He made his way over and crouched on one of the nearby logs Stiles had placed around the fire for seats. The boys both paused. Scott's face slowly eased itself from it's wrinkled cheshire pose it had taken on from hearing Stiles' story. Stiles' mouth hung slightly agape, s'more captured just behind his lips. Derek gave them a gruff look, their stunned faces were making him uncomfortable.

'Might as well start over,' he thought.

He took a breath. Scott winced, ready for Derek to spit out something snide about the fact they were eating s'mores for dinner instead of a real meal.

"I'msorry," Derk said fast and in a low hushed tone.

Scott's eyes flew open as his canine sharp hearing registered what he heard. He went to speak.

"Whaaa-"

"Here you go," Stiles interupted.

Before Scott's sentence even began Stiles arm shot out and handed Derek a perfectly made s'more. Derek reached for it slowly, edged on by Stiles' warm smile. He brought it to his lips and made his way through the crunchy walls of graham cracker to the warm white sugar center.

"This is good," he said in his low voice again after a moment.

"Yup," was Stiles' simple reply, warm smile still on his face. Scott watched on and just shook his head, deciding the whole thing would take too much brainpower to figure out then he was willing to commit.

Stiles was still a little upset over Derek's behavior earlier, but he had to admit an apology from Derek was too rare an occurrence. He didn't want to do anything to mess this up, wanting to have a few moments of peace for Scott's sake. The older man quickly took the second s'more offered to him.

"So I think you owe me a rematch for that pitiful excuse of a fight earlier," Stiles poked.

Next to him Scott give a small whine, recalling how he had to take Stiles on pretty much by himself a couple of hours ago. He really didn't want to repeat it again. At all.

"Later. Tomorrow," Derek devoured the molten campfire treat in front of him. Stiles accepted the answer and went to prepare himself yet another s'more. He was on his sixth now, but Scott had him beat with eight. He had a feeling Derek would soon catch up and surpass them both.

Derek looked up to say something to Scott and that's when he noticed it. The strap of Stiles tank top had slid off his shoulder, exposing some of his upper chest. The innocent and sensual view plus Stiles' easy smile set Derek on fire from the inside. To distract himself from doing something drastic, like leaping over a campfire, Derek started talking. He talked about how the Hale family use to come out to the campgrounds every spring to get away. How every summer they took weeks at a time to train. The winter was spent testing their senses and reflexes. He told the two boys across from him how his cousins would join them, and how they and his sister would gallop through the woods terrorizing the wildlife. How his Uncle Peter taught them all the basics of camping, like starting a campfire and how to pitch their tents.

To control his burning arousal, especially from Scott, Derek talked, and talked. He kept a steady trickle of dialogue going well into the night until all three of them were ready to retire to their tents. Scott dreamt of Alison. Stiles dreamt of playing lacrosse if the ball were ice cream. And Derek dreamt that he was asleep, waking up holding Stiles, tank top.

So I realize this is my shortest update so far, but this just felt right as a chapter. More coming soon. I appreciate all the love I get from you all, it's really humbling. Review this newest chapter and let me know what you think :)