Chapter Nine
"You're gonna what?!"
Peter winced at the shriek that left his surrogate cub, but smile all the same as the teen's eyes lit up at his words.
"I wanna ask Noah to marry me."
"Yes, please do. He's been driving himself crazy wondering if he should propose to you or if you would propose to him. Ares was literally at the point of being ready to buy you both a ring so you could propose to each other."
The Beta blushed at the thought, but eyed the pup worriedly.
Six months had passed since they'd found his sister-in-law alive and since he'd started dating the teen's father and he was slightly worried that he was moving too fast. He didn't want Stiles to feel like he was trying to replace Claudia nor like he was only marrying his father for his own benefit. He was well and truly in love with Noah Stilinski and he hoped that Stiles knew that.
"You don't mind?"
The smile the teen gave him was accompanied by a fondly exasperated eyeroll.
"Peter, my favorite creeper, if I minded you and Dad being together I would never have given you permission to date him. Trust me he's fallen just as hard for you. I caught him looking at rings online the other day before he hurried up and exited out of the page. Do. It."
Glancing down nervously at the black velvet box in his hand, the former alpha finally looked back up at his (hopefully) soon to be son in law and nodded.
"Alright." He took a deep breath. "Alright. Can you make that tiramisu he likes for desert? I'll cook dinner but-"
Stiles smirked and turned, picking up a container he'd just noticed was on the counter.
"I made it as soon as I saw you buying the ring."
"Why did you bring it with you?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Because I was gonna bully you into proposing so dad would stop freaking out."
He stared.
And stared some more.
Then broke into deep belly-bursting laughter.
"Stiles, pup, never change."
*/*
"I can't believe he did this."
Derek snorted at the interloper's words, pressing back against the wall behind him.
"Really? It's like you don't know him at all."
Eyes much too similar to his own, sent him a dark glare then turned back to the door.
Three weeks had passed since he'd allowed the interloper and his sister to join their pack and in that time, he and said man seemed to always rub each other the wrong way. He knew why. God, if he didn't know why, but he couldn't stop.
Stiles was his mate.
He was his most trusted.
His emissary.
His.
Yet, at every pack meeting all he could smell was how Stiles and Ares' scents were so melded that, if he were anyone else, telling them apart would be hard. But Stiles' scent had an undercurrent of lightning that Ares didn't possess, and an undercurrent of Derek's own scent.
It was enough to cloud his mind with jealousy, with anger.
Likewise, the interloper seemed just as possessive, watching him with dark wary eyes when he lingered near Stiles too long. Snapping back at him whenever his tone slipped into biting and caustic.
They couldn't get along.
It was like asking the sun to not be hot.
Impossible.
He couldn't help but hate the man that was holding his mate in his place, comforting him when once it had been Derek's job to do so. Whose child Stiles had borne in place of Derek's.
It hurt.
And with that hurt came anger.
Hatred.
And Stiles had locked them in a closet together.
His mate was obviously insane.
"He doesn't like the tension."
He glanced over at Ares as the man spoke, and frowned.
"I know."
"Then why do you-"
"Because he's my mate! Because he married an interloper, an outsider, knowing we were mates. Knowing that I love him. And it was my fault! My fault we didn't work out, no matter how much he tries to split the blame between me and him. He's happier than I've ever seen him and I hate knowing it's with you."
The older man sighed.
"Stiles was heartbroken when we met." He started. "He was wary of me, stunned that I would buy him a drink when, in his mind, there were much more attractive people around. We met almost weekly for drinks, for six months and every time he showed up with bruises I thought he was in an abusive relationship. I wanted to ask if he'd let me help, but he seemed so relieved to just forget it all for a while, so I granted him that. Then he told me truth of what he was involved in."
His eyes closed. "He told me about your pack and how much it hurt when he was kidnapped and no one came for him. About how he'd loved you and you'd broken things off. He cried and I held him through it. Then I told him how amazing he was and asked him on a date. You and Scott dealt him more damage than any of the others in the pack. And most of it didn't heal until our son was born. The nogitsune almost ruined that, but despite that he is happy in your pack, Derek. I will not leave my husband so that you can marry him in my stead, but I do respect the past you share."
Their eyes met once more.
"Stiles wants you to be happy. Allow him to have some happiness of his own."
Derek stared at Ares, feeling his heart clench as he acknowledged the truth in the man's words. Stiles was happy, which had been the main reason he'd broken things off.
Maybe it was time for him to move on as well.
Besides, Peter had waited over twenty years and his mate had come to him, perhaps his would do the same.
*/*
Noah was in shock.
Wide blue eyes stared down at the beautiful gold engagement ring circling his finger, a triskelion in the middle with a sapphire in the center. The band was thicker than most engagement rings but no less elegant and the sight of it made his heart melt.
He was getting married.
Holy shit.
After Claudia, he'd never expected to fall in love again, let alone get married and now both had happened.
Were happening, and he was happy.
Just…Stiles!
How would Stiles take it?
Would he understand that Peter wasn't taking Claudia's place?
That he would never stop loving Claudia?
Or would he be angry, even after supporting them while they were dating?
"It won't do tricks if you keep staring at it."
He jolted as his thoughts were interrupted by said teen who frowned worriedly when his father tried to hide the ring behind his back.
"Stiles! I was just, uh-"
"Checking out the engagement ring me and Peter picked out."
He blushed then blinked. "Y-You and Peter? So, you're not mad?"
Stiles smiled and hugged him. "You make each other happy. More so, you both understand each other and the grief of losing your spouse. I told Peter, I would support you and I do. I'm happy for you and mom would be too."
The older Stilinski gave him a watery smile and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"I love you, kochanie. Never change."
The teen pushed deeper into the hug and smiled. "Love you too, dad."
He pulled away. "Now go get ready. Ares is cooking dinner at our house to celebrate."
*/*
Baz was turning one.
Stiles stared at the calendar in stunned amusement wondering where the time had gone. Only a year and a half ago his little king had been safely ensconced in his womb, now he was talking and toddling around, his honey colored eyes wide with wonder and innocence.
It was amazing…and slightly terrifying, and he couldn't help but wonder if his parents had felt the same at his first birthday.
Were they as happy and scared as he was?
Were they as proud?
He knew if he asked his father the man would happily tell him what he wanted to know, but he refused to do so.
He was too afraid of the answer.
Thick arms slid around his waist.
"Stop thinking so hard. Everything is fine."
He smiled, leaning back into his husband's chest. "I know. Still I can't help worrying."
Ares kissed the top of his head and tightened their embrace.
"I know." He paused then chuckled. "I spoke to your wolf."
Stiles stiffened. "Ares, I would ne-"
"Sh," The elder soothed. "I know. Just listen. I spoke with Hale, when you locked us in the closet. We've agreed to try to work through our differences, and he has agreed to try to move on. To let you be happy."
He spun Stiles around so they were face to face. "I know how disappointed you were, that they weren't there to see us get married. Nor for Bazyli's birth and I want to rectify that. So, how do you feel about a second wedding ceremony?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Like a…do over?"
Ares shook his head. "More like a remix."
The smaller male grinned and kissed him full on the lips. "I'd like that. Now, let's go retrieve our son from his Uncle Danny."
The Hawaiian teen had taken to their son like a fish to water, so much so that whenever they needed a night alone, he was the first to volunteer. Aiden and Allison normally joined him, still peeved with their pack member's behavior toward Stiles after their deaths.
In fact, everyone seemed to be coming around to the fact that he was married.
Everyone, that is, except for Scott.
The, dubiously named, true alpha would barely speak to Stiles, let alone look in his direction, yet eveytime their eyes met his eyes were lit with betrayal. As if Stiles had been the one to harm their friendship. He ignored it for the most part, unwilling to allow himself to sink into the depths of depression he knew would grasp him if he thought on it too long. Yet sometimes he yearned for the times before the supernatural, before Scott got bit. Maybe if that hadn't happened they would still be as close as they had been.
The thoughts always went away when Ares held him or just looked at him. When Bazyli would laugh or snuggle into him when he rocked him to sleep.
And he would realize that he was exactly where he wanted to be.
To Be Epilogued…
A/N: It's been a long couple of months. I really apologize for how late this is.