So this chapter is a little shorter than I wanted but everything is getting a bit hectic the nearer it gets to Christmas so I haven't had much time. Enjoy. x
Chapter title from Nickelback's Photograph.

Chapter 3

Derek kept his hand on Stiles' back until they were in the safety of his bedroom and he could let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding. He left Stiles standing by the door awkwardly and went to search his draws for something that would fit the smaller boy. After a few minutes of searching he found an old t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants that looked like they would just about fit. Turning to hand them to the other boy he was surprised to find he had moved. After a brief moment of panic he spotted Stiles examining the few personal items Derek kept in his room. There were several books piled by his bed, a couple of sports awards on a shelf by the door and a small collection of photos that Derek wasn't even sure why he bothered to keep. It was the pictures which Stiles was currently flicking through with a small smile. When he reached the last one Derek thought he saw the smile slip for a second before it settled back in place on the teens face, though maybe not as strong as it once was, as he turned to Derek holding up the picture.
"Who is she, your girlfriend? She's pretty." He asked. There was something off about his voice, but Derek couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, and it momentarily distracted him from looking at the picture. When he did he felt his chest tighten in recognition. He cleared his suddenly very dry throat.
"No, my ex. She.. We, we didn't end on the best of terms..." He wanted to explain but he couldn't seem to find the right words. Looking up at the other boy he saw a mixture of pity and understanding shining in his eyes, it made him sigh. He might think he understood but Derek knew he would never be able to, not fully, he didn't know what Derek was. What the Hales were and Derek couldn't help but wish he did. Barely holding back a growl of frustration he dumped the clothes in Stiles lap and pointed him in the direction of the bathroom.
"Go shower and get changed, I'll meet you back here and we can go down stairs for food."

Stiles was going to reply but when he looked up Derek had already turned his back and was looking for something to wear. Instead he just nodded to himself and set off down the hall where he guessed the bathroom was. The first door he tried led to a linen closet so Stiles grabbed a fresh towel whilst he was there before moving on. Behind the second door he found another flight of stairs which he guessed led to the attic. Growing annoyed he was about to open another door, third times the charm, when he felt a small tap on his elbow. Looking down he found Anna looking up at him with large unblinking eyes. It was sort of cute in a slightly disturbing way. He felt like she could tell everything about him with just one look and it was rather intimidating. She must have been pleased with what she found in his eyes because the next moment she was smiling wildly at him and taking his hand to pull him further down the hall way. After they had passed several doors she stopped in front of a large oak door with a small bronze handle. He hesitated briefly before opening the door. Letting out a sigh of relief he found himself standing in a large bathroom in which everything seemed to be made of a dark wood or glass. It was breath taking, well as breath taking as a bathroom could be. He thanked Anna quickly, desperate to get in the large power shower he could see in the corner, before starting to close the door only to be stopped by a small hand on his wrist. Turning back to the small girl he gave her a questioning look. She pulled him closer.
"Use the red shampoo." She said in a small voice before letting go of his wrist and skipping away back to what he supposed was her room. He stood by the door for a moment watching her go. Why is everybody in this family so weird? He thought as he climbed into the giant shower letting the soothing water wash away the mud and rain from his day in the woods. Closing his eyes for a moment he thought back to when he had first meet Derek earlier today. At first he had been scared of the older man, who wouldn't be scared of a stranger lurking in the woods in the middle of a storm, but once he had seen how handsome Derek was standing there in the dim light of the woods it had become all he could focus on. Stiles was slightly disturbed by just how much he had thought about how Derek looked within the last few hours. It had started as a general appreciation of the man's beauty which had soon developed into thoughts of what the man would look like out of his wet clothes, how striking his eyes were, how his large hands would feel wrapped around Stiles' small waist, what his plump lips would feel like wrapped around... He had to stop thinking about Derek in that way, it could make things very awkward. Resisting the urge to drop his hand to lower parts of his body Stiles finished his shower quickly. Trying to keep himself from thinking about anything that could cause him later embarrassment he got dressed and headed back to Derek's room. He paused at the door, running a hand through his damp hair.
This was going to be a long night.

End Of Chapter