Stiles had been learning to control his magic for a couple of months now. To everyone's surprise including Deaton's Stiles learnt at an astonishing rate. He started his sessions with Derek about a week after he started seeing Deaton every afternoon after school. His sessions with Derek were three times a week and after just a month Derek proclaimed he had nothing more to teach Stiles. At first Stiles had been rather nervous about the sessions with Derek but it turned out that Talia Hale had taught her betas control by teaching them to control their emotions. Derek had a lot of his mother's documents stored away and thus had been able to implement her teachings with Stiles with only a few minor adjustments. Derek had been a surprisingly good teacher and Stiles found he had grown fond of their time together. Therefore even when Stiles had Derek's approval they spent time hanging out.

"So how goes magical studies with Deaton?" Derek asked Stiles as they sat down on the sofa in his loft one Saturday afternoon.

"It's going great. He says he has never seen someone take to magic with such a keen talent", Stiles sighed proud of himself for once. He had always suffered from low self esteem but when it came to magic it just seemed to come to him naturally. "He was saying that he thinks I might be ready to just learn on my own from now on. He's gonna give me a couple of books to start out with and when I've finished with those I can exchange them for some more."

Derek nodded as he started the film Stiles had chosen. "Avengers again? Really Stiles?" Derek shook his head at the film choice. When Stiles had first started spending time with him purely for fun it had been awkward as they didn't know what they had in common. It was when Stiles realised that Derek had a severe lack of movie knowledge that they found something they could do together while feeling at ease. Though Derek was a bit confused how watching the same film over and over was supposed to educate him he was happy to keep quiet like usual. Since they had gotten rid of the alpha pack Derek found himself drawn irresistibly drawn to the teen. Now he wanted to make Stiles happy as much as possible just to see him smile. He had yet to tell Stiles how he felt or to tell the boy that he knew, he was his mate.

"Don't play the grumpy card with me Sourwolf. I see you smile every time we watch it", Stiles teased him completely unaware of why Derek always smiled when they watched it.

"Okay but afterwards we get to watch a film of my choice", Derek grunted while trying to hide his smile at Stiles nickname for him. He used to hate the stupid nickname but now he had grown to like it. Love it even. At least when Stiles used it.

"Sure", Stiles replied as he made himself comfortable on the sofa. "As long as it is one of the DVDs from the approved pile." Stiles brought over a whole stack of DVDs whenever he visited the loft and they separated them into approved by both or approved by Stiles. The approved by Stiles pile contained films that Derek refused to watch on principal. Most of them were Disney or chic flicks. Every now and then he would allow Stiles to watch one and he would spend most of the film watching Stiles facial expressions.

Stiles never kept quiet for long but Derek had discovered the boy babbled less when he was watching a film. Sure he still talked and talked more than a normal person would but it was usually something related to the film, relevant information to a character or actor. "You know when Scott first become a werewolf he loved the idea that he was like the incredible hulk", Stiles whispered.

"You mean how anger made him stronger?" Derek asked for clarification. Stiles nodded as he leant forward so he could have a sip of his coke before he settled back on the sofa. Derek noticed when he did that the gap between them had closed slightly. Derek watched the film while struggling to come to a decision. It had been two months since he resigned himself to the fact he liked Stiles and that Stiles was his mate. Yet he wasn't sure how Stiles felt about this because he had never had the courage to talk about it. He had noticed during the last couple of months signs that possibly Stiles would be okay with it. He had almost convinced himself at one point that Stiles felt something for him and had been on the verge of discussing the issue. Unfortunately his resolve had unravelled and he had dismissed the whole thing as teenage hormones. The sudden pausing of the film pulled Derek from his thoughts.

"Derek, are you okay?" Stiles asked him hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm fine", Derek lied.

"Okay and now the truth. Remember I can tell when you lie to me", Stiles reminded him raising an eyebrow. Derek shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "Look it's okay if you don't want to talk. But you know you can talk to me whenever you need to right?" Stiles continued.

"What makes you think anything is wrong?" Derek asked confused.

"Well Derek, you maybe a grumpy emotionally constipated and severely vocally impaired alpha werewolf but you don't normally sit there growling and digging your claws into your own thigh", Stiles muttered. It was then that Derek realised that Stiles was holding a clawed hand in his. Derek pulled his claws out of his thigh and withdrew the claws until his hands were human again. Stiles started up the film again but kept hold of Derek's hand.

When the film finished like half an hour later Stiles released his hand as he excused himself to use the bathroom. Derek had to fight to keep the wolf side of him from whining from the lack of contact. If Stiles heard him whining it would only raise more questions. Stiles returned a few minutes later and sat back down on the couch but further away again. He turned so he was facing Derek with his feet in front of him, resting his chin on his knees. "Please Derek, tell me what's bothering you. Is it something I did or said?" Stiles asked again in the uncertain hesitant tone he used before.

Stiles didn't think he had done anything to anger the alpha but then he was so used to fighting with the older man that it still sometimes occurred like second nature, a reflex he had no control over. "Stiles you didn't do anything wrong. It's not you it's me", Derek mumbled. Derek felt the need to reach out and comfort the younger pack member but didn't. Though Stiles had researched and understood the whole pack touching thing it would seem weird for Derek to touch him when it was just the two of them. Or at least to him it did since he now knew he wanted Stiles in a different way than he used to. If he was honest about his feelings it might be different but until he could open up Stiles was off limits.

"Derek Hale, are you giving me the 'it's not you it's me' speech even though we aren't a couple?" Stiles asked lightly. Derek noticed that Stiles' heartbeat increased as he finished the sentence. Derek didn't know how to answer so he stayed characteristically quiet.

Stiles shuffled down the sofa until his knees were touching the side of Derek's leg. Reaching across he gripped one of the older man's hand between his two slightly smaller, cooler hands. "Derek I don't know what has you so worked up and I can't help unless you tell me", Stiles smiled sadly. Turning himself on the sofa he repositioned himself so he was sitting on the sofa pushed up right against the alpha's side. Taking a deep breath he laid his head on Derek's shoulder hoping if the werewolf relaxed he might talk about whatever was bothering him. Stiles stilled as he felt Derek wrap an arm around his shoulders before relaxing into it. He had been worried not sure he was doing the right thing. Sure werewolf packs had the whole touching thing but they were also still humans and Derek had never been comfortable with touches that related to his human side. Stiles assumed the human side of Derek felt catious about opening up to people after Kate used him.

They both sat there in silence in the strangely comforting embrace for what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes. Abruptly the silence was shattered as Stiles' phone went off. Derek hesitantly released the younger man so he could answer it.

"Stiles, researcher extraordinaire here", Stiles grinned as he answered the call. "What can I help you with Scott?"

Stiles we need you down at the pet clinic asap.

"What's up man?" Stiles asked as he jumped up off the couch.

I'll explain when you get here. Scott told him as he disconnected the call.

"Damn it Scott", Stiles cursed as his best friend gave him very little information as bloody usual. "You heard that right?" Stiles asked Derek. Derek nodded. "I'll try and get back as soon as possible", Stiles muttered as he headed for the door.

Stiles ran into the pet clinic heading to the back examination room where they always meet. "Scott?" he called as he moved through the building.

"In here", Scott called back trying to hide the pain in his voice. Stiles rounded the corner to find Scott sitting on the metal examination table with a dagger embedded in his chest. Deaton stood to one side looking at the dagger with a wary eye. Stiles moved forward and immediately reached for the dagger. "No Stiles", Scott cried trying to move away. Stiles finger barely touched the hilt before he felt voltage pass through his entire nervous system. The pain was enough that it made him automatically move his hand back away from the dagger.

"Stiles the dagger is cursed. I don't suggest you touch it", Deaton told him. "Now I had Scott call you here because you are needed to remove the dagger. But before you can remove it I think we need to remove the curse. We can't do that unless we can identify the curse. I don't possess the level of power needed to break a curse of this calibre so you must be the one to do it. Stiles you have the greatest gift for magic I've seen. I know you can do this even if you haven't studied cursing yet. Follow your instincts and tell us what to do."

Stiles sighed because they were asking a lot of him. It was true Stiles hadn't studied curing yet but he had read passages that discussed the complicated magical art. He knew the why was going to be the more important than the how. "Scott tell me how did this happen?" Stiles asked quietly.

"I'd just left the hospital after speaking with my mom. As I approached the car this hooded figure blocked my path and said 'This is from Gerald' before he stabbed me and ran off leaving the dagger in my chest. I tried to remove it myself but the moment I touched it I collapsed from the pain. Deaton tried when I got here and just like you he barely touched it before he was forced to back off", Scott coughed.

"So if Gerald did this then it was obviously to get revenge for you tricking him. From stopping him from becoming a werewolf", Stiles muttered. He focused his mind for a minute on the dagger. There was something he was missing. He could sense the dagger had a strong curse placed upon it but there was something else another darkness he would need to understand before he could even try to undo the curse. Suddenly his eyes opened as he understood what he felt from his sixth magical sense. "Right, Scott this is going to hurt a lot but I need you to focus. I know what Deaton said but I'm going to need to remove the dagger and I need you to stay as still as possible."

Focusing his magic he looped it around the dagger and pulled on it. Even with his mind touching the thing it bought Stiles a huge amount of pain but he refused to give in as the dagger slowly began to slide out. Breathing sharply against the pain he continued until he felt the resistance fade and he heard Scott sigh with relief. The dagger was out and Stiles moved it over to the metal surface in the corner before he released it from his magic. "Well done, Stiles", the vet praised him.

"Its – not – over – yet", Stiles panted through the pain that hadn't subsided yet. He watched as the wound the dagger made in his best friends chest didn't heal.

"Scott you're not healing", Deaton said concerned. "This is what you meant isn't it Stiles?"

"Yeah", Stiles breathed as he felt the pain begin to subside. "I got the dagger out but the curse is still in effect. Now I'm going to need a few things. I need some paper, ink, a quill, some small twigs, some earth, an ice cube and the rarest most exotic type of wolfsbane you have. Meanwhile I need to get Derek here", he said pulling out his phone. "Oh and I'll need some mountain ash."

Derek arrived ten minutes later just as Deaton finished gathering the last of the items. Luckily Deaton had got the paper, ink and quill first so Stiles thumbed through one of the books looking for something before carefully starting on his preparations.

"Hey Sourwolf. No time for questions I'm afraid. I need you to do exactly as you are told, no hesitations. Scott's been cursed and I'm trying to save his life", Stiles spoke quickly as he finished his preparations on the paper. "Derek stand behind Scott and help him keep standing. There on the other side of the table to me." Stiles moved the paper to the centre of the metal examination table and reached out his hand for the mountain ash which flew across the room towards him. He sprinkled a little of the ash clockwise around the runes he had taken meticulous care in drawing. "Okay Deaton do you have the wolfsbane?" Stiles asked as he placed the ice cube in one corner of the paper. In the next corner he placed the earth and the miniature campfire in the opposite corner that just left one corner empty. Deaton handed him the wolfsbane and he set that down beside the rest of his equipment.

"Almost ready. Scott, are you still with us?" Stiles asked as he grabbed the empty glass beaker from the workbench behind him and turned it upside down on the last corner of the paper. Scott gave a rather feeble reply and Stiles could tell he was losing him. He had to do this quick. "Derek, be ready. You better wolf out now." Flicking a finger to the miniature campfire he set it a light with his magic.

Stiles paused and focused his magic as he brought the dagger over to lay it in the middle of the rune. Again the pain shot through his system but he picked up the wolfsbane and placed it on the dagger.

"Goddess Hecate, mother of magic accept these offerings that I present. With tributes to elements, four, circled round. This object wields a deadly curse we seek undone. Life for life, mythical for mortal is the spells intent. As once before allow us to use mountain ash to thwart the caster's will. With the gift of the bite given once more, we ask you return what was stolen. Renew this soul", Stiles murmured.

Stiles looked down at his hand and using his magic cut a shallow wound. Dripping blood on top of the wolfsbane he watched as a vapour rose and the weapon turned to ash. "Derek bite him now", Stiles called. He watched as Derek sank his fangs into Scott's shoulder. Scott screamed in pain until Derek removed his fangs but Stiles could already see Scott's strength returning. Stiles felt his magic flowing in the room around him, pulsing like a living thing until Scott's body drew it in. The moment his magic was drawn into Scott's body his eyes flashed the red of an alpha again. Stiles sighed in relief that he had succeeded but felt exhausted at having to channel so much magic. Whoever had cast that spell for Gerald was no newbie. The sheer amount of power Stiles had needed to shatter the curse was overwhelming.

"Stiles?" the vet asked in a curious tone.

"Yeah", Stiles answered while grinning since he already knew what the vet was going to say.

"What was all that about? 'Mother hecate' etc", the vet asked back with a smile.

"First curse removal and all I wanted it to seem you know cool", Stiles said as he grin grew wider.

"Idiot", muttered Derek and Scott simultaneous with affection before looking at each other with a smile and then looking away.