"Derek." Stiles really wishes one of the thousands of opening lines she had practiced came out of her mouth instead of that.
"Stiles." Derek greets when her and Scott open the door. Scott gets that face that says 'i think i know something and but i am unclear as to if i should say something.' "Scott, what do you want? You have made it very clear that we are not in a pack."
"How did you get your tattoo?" Scott says instead of apologizing. Well that's Scott for you. "Also I am sorry if what I said hurt your feelings." Scott adds after a pause.
There is an extremely awkward silence. Like more awkward than that time her dad tried to give her the sex talk, twice, using action figures. The dance that Derek's eyebrows are doing is probably the best thing ever actually. Like and excellent level of movement. Stiles is pretty sure she could time it to a samba. Stiles is momentarily gripped by the idea that she should totally animate a gif of this and get at least a couple hundred upvotes on reddit.
"Come in." Derek moves out of the way and motions for Scott to enter, and then gives Stiles the stink eye. What? It wasn't her idea to have radio silence for so long.
"Please put the blow torch down." Stiles is backing away from that.
"It's the only way to get the tattoo to stick." Derek is going for deadpan humor again. She would think it was much more attractive if he wasn't effectively ignoring her right now.
"Lets do it." Scott seems to be totally on board with letting Derek burn the skin off his arm so that's a thing that is happening.
"You are going to have to hold him down." Derek is doing that weird eye thing where he is attempting to psychically tell her something. It's not working.
And then there was some screaming. Stiles choose to not look. Scott then had a little sleep.
"So now that he is unconscious in pain, do you feel like using your words?" Stiles waved at the now completely out of it Scott.
Derek sits with his head in his hands for a while just breathing. Stiles doesn't like that. This does not bode well. The thing with THEM is that they tend to act and not talk. Like randomly jumping into bed together. And then that one time with Isaac. Stiles it still blaming the whole Vessel thing on that. Or whatever. What was that word Peter kept call her? The chosen one, the boy who lived? No.
"We can't be together." Derek finally blurts out.
"Bullshit." Stiles reacts. Because that's not a valid thing to say so she can just tell him to stop that right now.
"Stiles." It's a growl. "The alpha pack."
"The what?" They are going to have a long talk about communication at a later date. One that include graphs and flow charts and maybe a power point.
"A pack, of alphas." Derek speaks through gritted teeth. Note to self try not to interrupt Derek when he does finally start speaking.
"Alpackas." Stiles mumbles. Derek is so over the death glare. It stopped being effective the moment he put his dick in her.
"They have Erica and Boyd." Derek keeps the glare up to just to prove a point.
"That seems like relevant information for their families or the authorities." Stiles interjects again. So not so much with the not interrupting. But really Stiles is trying here, she is. It's just that for most of the summer her phone has been out of her control. It has been frustrating and awful because Derek and her had promised to talk things out. But now he clearly had had enough time to stew in his special brand of man pain and come up with some lame reason that they needed to break up.
"Do you really think the authorities would be able to do something? Look what they did to Isaac." Derek's voice is barely above a whisper but it's clear that his is trying not to yell. The hushed shout almost worst than a real yell. "Do you really want your father or any of the deputies trying to deal with a pack of werewolves?"
"First of all, kidnappings of this magnitude would be handled by the FBI because it's more than one child and because Erica is a pretty white girl. I mean have you been paying attention to the news. Her parents are really fucking worried." Stiles is now up to full huge amounts of arm motions that she probably would be knocking things over if this wasn't a caved in ruin of dust and gross. "Boyd's parents already lost one kid. They are broke, they think someone is going to ask for a ransom. This is serious Derek, if you know who has them you should have said something!"
"What exactly am I supposed to say on the police tip line hmmm? Oh I know who kidnapped those two teens but I can't give you a name or a location or anything information beyond the fact that they are werewolves."
"When you say it like that, yes it does seem a bit insane to try and call the authorities." Stiles admits a bit lamely. "Wait is that what you have been doing? Trying to find enough information to give over to the authorities?"
Derek makes this little noise that is not words and sounds a bit like the inflection for maybe.
"You could have said that sooner." Stiles collapses into a chair and nearly topples over because the chair is not sturdy in the least and she is regretting sitting down almost instantly because there is now dust and soot all over her clothes and this is going to suck to try and get out of her hair.
"We can't have them catching your scent." Derek admits finally.
"Because I am magic werewolf catnip?" Stiles is so over this weird thing that Peter claims she is. It has not been verified but two reputable sources and until then she is not even going to entertain the idea.
"Not just that." Derek huffs. "They have a reputation for being ruthless and for forcing alpha's to kill everyone in their pack. If…" Derek begins and then stops, his hands fisting and opening at his sides.
"If I smell like I am in your pack then I am in danger." Stiles completes for him.
"Yes." He nods. "As long as you and Scott stay away for a while it will be clear you are your own pack. They might leave you alone." The relief is clear in his face. Stiles almost feels bad for ruining it.
"That's nice and all but that still leaves you and Isaac basically all alone. And I am morally and ethically against this plan. So I am going to veto this plan." Stiles points at him just so Derek understands how little of his bullshit she is buying.
"You can't veto a break up." Derek offers.
"Yes I can. We were never officially dating. It's not even facebook official." Stiles stands to leave. "I was not the one that started this little affair if you might remember but I will be the one who decides when to end it. And this is not over."
Then she storms out. For dramatic effect. Not because she needs to call Lydia and maybe have some tears about this. Nothing of the sort. Her stop at the grocery store on the way home for ice cream and pie has nothing to do with this conversation at all. It's all about comforting Lydia from the whole Jackson thing.
Shut your mouth denial is not what this is.
Scott wakes up to find that Stiles is gone and Derek is pouting. Which isn't really that strange, except that Stiles was totally his ride because Scott was actually trying to be more responsible and that meant planning ahead for possible arm pain after whatever they were going to do. And that kind of pain was not conducive to driving a motorcycles around town.
"What did you do?" He asks Derek. Maybe accused is a better word. But Scott is trying the whole being a better person and that means not assuming that everything is Derek's fault.
"She choose to make a dramatic exit after I explain that there is a pack of alpha werewolves in town who have already taken Boyd and Erica and that it might be a good idea for her to stay out of this one seeing as they have a tendency to kill everyone in the pack involved." Derek strings together literally the most words Scott has heard from him since that speech about teenage love being a lie. Which means that this a serious talk.
"Mind backing it up a bit on that one and handing out some details as well?" Scott says in his politest voice.
"Just so we are clear, we are having a good time at this party because it's Heather's birthday and not because I am pouting about my breakup." Stiles would like this to be a very clear fact.
Scott so far had been kind of awesome about the whole Derek thing. He had not been that judgy about the sex part. Or the lack of relationship definition part. He had made some concerned faces about the whole 'Derek' thing. But that was expected. Scott was getting better about Derek. There had been a talk and Stiles had explained that yeah she was kind of into the big idiot. Not everything he did mind you, this was not some fairy tale romance bullshit. But she liked his dry sense of humor and affection for books over television. He was a caring person underneath the manpain.
So now they were not going to talk about what had happened and have a good time at a birthday party. High fives and all.
What Stiles was not expecting was for Heather to bound over to her and basically stick her tongue down Stiles' throat.
"Um…" Stiles started.
"Come on I want to show you something." Heather smiled and her blond curls creating a halo around her head. Stiles gulped. Heather might be a girl and human but that smile was all predatory and why had no one mentioned that Heather was into girls?
Scott and Stiles exchanged a moment of eye contact in which the following information was conveyed.
Stiles: What do I do?
Scott: IDK man.
Stiles: Help?
Scott: Do you like girls?
Stiles: this is not the time to ask me these things?
Scott: so yes
Stiles: everyone likes boobs
Scott: she has nice hair
Stiles: I know right?
Scott: so is this a thing that is happening?
Stiles: apparently? get drunk without me?
Scott: godspeed o' captain my captain.
That is exactly what happened. The entire conversation of eyes lasted about two seconds but honestly after the amount of time Stiles and Scott have spent together they can have a week's worth of talking with a single eye roll. It's a skill. Stiles wonders idly if one day should would have been able to read Derek the same way.
No. Bad Stiles. No thinking of the stupid werewolf and his stupid perfect penis. And abs. No thinking of the abs.
"Heather?" Stiles got out when her childhood friend stopped trying to suck her brains out through her mouth and moved to doing the same thing on her neck. "Pumpkin. I value your choice to get rid of your virginity at a time of your choosing. But how about I get us some drinks and we have a talk about consent and why I am not really technically available to get into this at the moment."
"That is not what I have in mind for my birthday present." Heather purrs. It's strange. Stiles as a moment of her brain not really computing what is happening. It does a program rewrite. Okay she is in a wine cellar (which who has that anyway? Stiles not remember there being a wine cellar last time she was here. She is like ninety percent sure this used to be a playroom with a really awesome area for forts. Yes that is the last time Stiles had been over, what of it?) with her childhood bestie. Who turned out was also a little wavy on the whole being attracted to people and genders and things. Which big plus. And now Stiles was trying to be a responsible adult like he father had taught her and not let her friend do something she might regret in the morning.
"How about I go get an actual present I bought you and then we can have a chat." Stiles offers. She does not really want to have a bad touch moment here but it is going that direction. (Like she has room to talk. Her brain pipes in. Remember Derek? Because the onset of that was not exactly on the up and up. Shut up brain I am busy! Can't you see I am trying to take the moral high ground and not let someone put their mouth a place that their mouth does not need to be after they have clearly consumed what appears to be half a bottle of vodka. Have it your way.)
"Am I going to like this present?" Heather asks with an innocent smile, the faker.
"So funny story, I got you a dildo." Stiles laughs to cover her nerves.
"I think you should go get it." Heather steps back finally and Stiles makes a bolt for the door to the stairs.
She finds Scott hiding in a corner.
"Dude." He does not look amused. "Are you hiding?"
"No." Scott petulant attitude says otherwise.
"Who are you hiding from?" Stiles asks giving a glance around the room. For a party this is pretty tame. That could just be because the last party that Stiles attended ended with most of the people there having wolfsbane poisoning. Also drag queens. She does however spot Danielle, Heather's BFF, standing on the other side of the room giving Scott the stink eye.
"What did you do?" Stiles gives HER BFF a shove to get him out of his tiny cave in the corner.
"Nothing!" Stiles raises an incredulous eyebrow. "I dont know dude. I tried talking to her but she seems really pissed about something." Stiles tries to think of all the things that could have upset Danielle who is a pretty chill person to begin with.
"Just a thought, does this have anything to do with Lydia's party and how Danielle was helping you sober me up when the cops showed up and she didn't exactly make it out in time because you sorta forgot to get her out of there?" Stiles is actually kind of ashamed that she forgot as well.
"Uh…."
"So that's a yes?"
"Yup."
"Well this has been fun but I need to get some water and a birthday present. Also maybe some B vitamins because I feel like Heather needs to start fighting this hang over now." She walks off to find her supplies and makes her way back to the basement wine cellar thing.
Only, Heather isn't down there. And when Stiles starts looking no one seems to know where she went. Not even Danielle.
It's not till the next morning that anyone really starts to get worried.
Derek should be doing something productive. Like mapping out parts of town that still need to be combed through with a fine toothed comb. That sounds stupid. He groans and scrubs at his face. The stubble is now a full on beard. He had noticed Stiles staring at it before he had tried to end it.
He is pretty sure he actually ended it. But this is Stiles he is talking about. The girl who literally threw a molotov cocktail at his uncle. The one who has taunted an alpha while trapped in a school. A girl who he really owed his life too more than once.
But the thing was, if he was ever going to repay her for all of her last minute saves then she was going to have to be around for that to happen. Derek wasn't sure exactly what the alpha pack as after but the rumors of what was left in their wake was never a good thing. They came for alphas they thought they could sway to their merry band. Packs that were long established with healthy families at the center rarely had dealings with them. But the packs in urban areas with their shifting alphas and power struggles has suddenly been going dark in the last few years.
And yes despite all his more important concerns Derek finds himself at the bar. Derek should maybe mention that the bar he is at is not exactly a normal bar. Turns out that one of the few bars in Beacon Hills that is still willing to let a possible murder on the premise is Jungle. So that's where he drinks.
"Why so glum sugar plum?" Cherry slides into the stool next to him. Derek at first had tried to keep the drag queen away. And then he just given up because it was easier to just let them talk to him than to try and get them to go away.
"Girl problems." Derek admits. Cherry has expressed that he is wasted on women and sometime Derek is inclined to agree. But right now he kind of just wants to mope. Or kill something. Killing something would fix the problem if he could kill the alpha pack he wouldn't have to go through any of this.
"She walk out on you honey? Because any girl that walks out on those eyes should be beaten with sticks."Cherry gave him an overly dramatic pout as her lip gloss reflects the bouncing strobe lights.
"I wouldn't be so quick to threaten violence. I thought you and Stiles were buddies." Derek confesses. It had not escaped his notice that Stiles had several numbers on her phone that had drag queen contact photos.
"Stiles? Our Stiles?" Cherry sounds beyond confused. "You are the TDB!" Cherry slaps his arm in what might be indignant squawk. "Amber, Magenta get your fat asses over here!" She shouts in the general direction of the dance floor.
"Oh please no." Derek groans.
"What's shaking bo?" Magenta gives him a smile and runs her fake nails through his hair. A small part of Derek wants to lean into the movement. Stiles had a tendency to scratch his head after sex. It was a trained response to close his eyes and just enjoy the sensation now. But he can't because this isn't Stiles and he doesn't have the time to let his guard down.
"Derek here is TDB!" Cherry shrieks. Derek feels it in his bones, curse his hearing. He needs to wear ear plugs to the club otherwise he will have to keep healing his eardrums over and over again and frankly it's an awful feeling.
"Tall dark and brooding." Amber gives him a sympathetic smile. "Stiles tends to speak in code."
"I am still trying to get a decoder ring." Derek hears himself saying.
"Aw see there, why you got troubles with that girl if you still love her?" Magenta wonders with another head scratch. Derek is starting to think that maybe Stiles told her friends about his weakness for head scratches because they keep trying to do that.
"I dont love her." Derek can hear the lie the moment it leaves his lips.
"Now that's some ole bullshit and you know it handsome." Amber hums in her 'come to jesus voice.'
"Well it doesn't matter because I can't be with her." Derek sighs.
"Is this cuz her daddy is the law sugar?" Cherry hands Derek a drink with an umbrella. He doesn't even care at this point, it's not exactly like he can get drunk. He can get tipsy if he really tries but now is not the time for that.
"I have some dangerous people mad at me." Derek doesn't know why he keeps tell them these things but frankly the queens are the least judging people he knows these days. And Derek needs that lack of judgement. It's not he will ever be able to let himself feel this free. And the internal voice that had started to sound like Scott a few months ago was no help either.
Then there was the voice in his head that sounded like Stiles. That thinks he was funny even when he wasn't trying to be. The voice that told him he was important and worth it. Thing he hadn't thought or felt since his family was alive.
"Oh child you do not know the trouble you are going to be in for when she gets ahold of you." Magenta gives a little twirl and goes back to the dance floor.
"Don't I know it." Derek finally admits to himself. This plan is going to backfire in a spectacular way.
Peter feels rather honored to get the text. Firstly because clearly his nephew needs him and it is always fun to be needed. Secondly its a text and not a shout or a person lurking in the shadow. Werewolf communication coming into the twenty first century at a snails pace but at least it is coming.
The greeting he received could be more hospitable. He only TRIED to kill Derek, Derek is the one who succeeded. His revenge of course is making Isaac and Derek sweat it out to see if he can get things right.
What Peter does not enjoy is the utter mind fuck that is the inside of Isaac's head. It is no fun at all.
Which is when Peter gets a text message from Stiles reading "Tell eyebrows that we need to see him at the school because of reasons and that he can suck a dick."
"Um, care to explain the text I just got from the lovely miss Stilinski?" He asks a silent room.
"Explain again why I am required for this little pow-wow?" Stiles asks the room at large before he who shalt not be named arrives. "I mean really I already said I would look into what I can but right now I am trying to figure out what happened to Heather and if there is a pattern the the insane animal attacks that are happening."
"What algorithms are you using?" Lydia at least seems genuinely interested. This is why they are besties now. And why Stiles has started wearing the makeup Lydia gives her. Because during the application of said makeup Lydia will lay down some sick ass knowledge.
"Focus." Scott says to the group at large because Allison kind of has that distant look on her face that says she is thinking about ways to murder things. No really it's a face that Allison has. Stiles will never not be afraid of that face. Despite the whole Disney Princess vibe Allison gave off the first time they met Stiles has a healthy fear of that girl for reasons that include knives. Several knives. Isaac totally showed her the healing cuts and that was a lot of cuts. Also that time Allison was totes cool with murdering Scott and just about any other person to get to Derek.
As if summoned by the thought of him (see Stiles is not being weird by refusing to talk about him or use his name! His hearing makes him a hairy Voldermort as far as she is concerned.) Derek appears and glares at all of them. Well most of them. His eyes completely ghost over Stiles.
Oh it is so on. If that is how Abs of Steel wants to play it, Stiles is fully prepared to make his life hellish. Super hellish. Right after Allison and Lydia stop looking like they have every intention of tearing him into tiny pieces and then shipping those pieces to themselves and smashing them with a hammer. (Note to self: no more watching all the disney movies on netflix at three in the morning to deal with the not break up.)
When the girls decide to leave in a huff Stiles looks between Scott and Derek because frankly what the hell is she supposed to do with this information? So having no better alternative Stiles decides to follow them out of the room.
Which she does just in time to hear Scott say "Please apologize and have make up sex with Stiles before this becomes a thing." This is why Scott is the bestest friend ever. And also why he shall get nummies whenever Stiles gets around to baking at bed time on nights when the cramps are literally too much to function.