Stiles shut the door firmly, trying not to listen for the inevitable hiss of the water starting. It came before he'd reached the bed and a tremor worked up his arm, settling into his shoulder. It was a bit impossible not to think about it but he scooped a book off the floor anyway. For a moment he looked at the rest of the books scattered on the floor. He should probably try to clean them up. Maybe tomorrow. He sort of liked how they were now. It reminded him of his room. Just a little. Plus Derek wasn't complaining so there really wasn't any reason for him to worry about it. Stiles' eyes scanned over words without taking them in and he was fifteen pages into the book before he realized again that he wasn't actually paying attention to what he was doing. He needed to focus here. He needed to give himself something to focus on so he didn't focus on what was going on just down the hall. Closing his eyes briefly he flipped the book closed and started over. Stiles skimmed the first page twice, starting over again each time. After a quick mental pep talk and an even quicker meditation session he started the book yet again. He was on page 34 when the door creaked open gently.

Derek didn't say anything for so long Stiles finally glanced up.
"Are you just going to loom there all night?" he questioned, looking back to the book. Derek was still dripping wet, shirt sticking to him, and the book was so much safer.
"I don't have any immediate plans," Derek said softly. Not anymore Stiles added mentally.
"Well…" he drifted for a moment, "I'm reading." Derek didn't say anything for so long that Stiles snuck a glance just to be sure he was still there. He was. Frowning slightly.
"Can I…join you?" he questioned hesitantly.
"Yeah I-um yeah." Derek stepped in and closed the door behind him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He paused there, as if making sure it was okay, before sliding into the bed and laying back. Stiles turned back to his book, cheeks heating. When had it gotten this awkward? They'd shared the bed before. They'd all but cuddled on the futon before. But then Stiles remembered Derek's shower. Of course. His cheeks grew hotter.
"I haven't scented you in a while," Derek told him softly. Stiles felt his eyes widen as he tried to focus on breathing in and out. This wasn't werewolf flirting was it? He tried to dismiss the thought. Of course it wasn't. Of course not.

Derek wasn't going to try and take it any further. No. His wolf was the one that wanted sex. His wolf was the shifty one. This was human Derek and he was fine. He was just going to scent him. Only as much contact as needed and then it would be over and they could even read together while they did it. Holy shit I'm freaking out right now. Derek was apparently done waiting on him because Stiles was lifted by the waist, body tensing in shock. Derek laid Stiles over himself easily, tucking his head on Stiles' shoulder. Stiles gave a squeak as Derek wriggled a bit to settle. "Relax," Derek murmured, hands settling on either side of Stiles' ribcage. Stiles scoffed, gripping the book too tightly. "The wolf is safely put away," Derek continued softly, "I'm not going to chase you into the woods and-mm."
"What is it with you and the woods?" Stiles demanded. "You know most humans don't want to be bent over a tree right? I mean imagine the scraping!" Derek nipped the back of his neck, making Stiles squawk.
"I'm not going to do anything in here either. Just calm down."
"Well it's a little h-difficult to calm down."
"I promise I won't do anything." But just the way Derek's voice dropped as he said 'promise' had Stiles' heart thumping harder.
"Already doing things," Stiles mumbled petulantly.
"Am I bothering you?" Derek questioned, voice going lower and staying there.
"Oh my god you're doing that on purpose," Stiles accused, stomach twisting.
"Doing what?"

"I hate you," Stiles informed him, shoving his face in his book.
"I'm not doing anything," Derek argued, sounding too amused to be wholly innocent.
"You can't be t-talking to me like that when I'm lying on top of you," Stiles said in one huge rush.
"Turnabout's fair play."
"Turnabout for what?" Stiles demanded, incredulous.
"You can't be serious," Derek said after a pause.
"I do not even know what you're talking about right now and I am almost sure that it's not because I'm on top of you."

Derek was silent a long moment.
"You really don't know," he let out finally.
"Don't know what?"
"Nothing," Derek's hands slipped away, "read your book." Stiles was shocked still for several moments, finally twisting to look back at him.
"You can't just…you can't just start a conversation and then back out like that."
"Read your book," Derek repeated. Stiles huffed quickly.
"You can't tell me I don't know something and then stop talking about it." Derek didn't respond, looking past him. "I'm serious," Stiles protested. Again, Derek didn't respond. Stiles turned back to the book, maybe accidentally elbowing Derek on the way. He was so irritated he ranted in his head, flipping pages every minute or so. He didn't speak to Derek again or actually stop to wonder what he could have meant. He reached the end of the book before there was another word between them. Stiles looked back to see Derek's eyes closed. He slid off gently, setting the book on the floor. After flicking off the light he climbed back in carefully, breath catching when Derek curved around him. Was it an apology? Or was he asleep?

"Derek?"
"Go to sleep." Stiles smiled softly. Derek's own special form of apology then.
"Maybe I'm already sleeping," he murmured, closing his eyes.
"Maybe you're a terrible liar."
"Am not."
"I can still hear your heart."
"Not my fault you're a freak."
"Am not." Stiles smiled despite himself.
"You argue like a third grader. You know that."
"At least I wasn't in third grade recently."
"Probably stalked a third grader recently."
"I don't stalk-"
"You loom well enough."
"Stalking implies no course of action. I hunt."
"And I mourn for the squirrels. Truly." Derek laughed once, quietly.
"You're ridiculous," Derek breathed, leaning closer.
"I know." Stiles grinned at the admission, remarkably unbothered by Derek's face centimeters from his.
"Goodnight." He hadn't been expecting that. Lips relaxing he licked them before answering.
"Goodnight."

He woke up on Derek's chest, right hand caught under his bicep. His mouth felt loose and Stiles blinked several times before seeing the damp spot on Derek's shirt. He tugged on his hand, groaning when it didn't slip free.
"Mm," Derek mumbled, turning onto his side and successfully displacing Stiles. Stiles groaned again and sat up. It was another few minutes before, "Why am I wet?"
"I don't know why you expect me to know," Stiles mumbled before escaping the room. Splashing water on his face in the bathroom only did so much and Stiles' mind still felt thick with sleep when he ambled down the stairs towards the kitchen. He was surprised to find the space empty, though it wasn't long before Derek joined him.
"How do you like your eggs?"
"Uh," Stiles paused, thrown by the offer, "scrambled."
"How many?"
"Three," Stiles leaned against the fridge and watched, squinted really, as Derek pulled out a skillet and went to the stove.
"Can you get me the eggs?" Derek questioned, smiling as he turned.
"Eggs," Stiles echoed quietly, "yeah." Derek was…different this morning. Sort of smiley and weird. He turned and opened the fridge as he tried to define it. Derek crossed to him, slipping out butter and tugging the carton of eggs from his hand.

Stiles let the door swing closed and leaned against it again. Derek seemed sort of…almost…content. "You're making me breakfast," he commented. He really couldn't help saying it out loud.
"I'm making breakfast. You just happen to be here cupcake." It actually sounded like Derek was smiling. Maybe he just needed to take showers more often.
"Cupcake?" Stiles questioned, his lips curling.
"It still suits you." Stiles laughed to himself. After a moment he realized he didn't have a term for when Derek wasn't glaring. Cupcake. It sounded pretty happy.
"I still have a name that you still hardly use."
"Stiles is your last name," Derek said, cracking eggs into a bowl he'd pulled down. "You haven't told me your real name." That pulled him up short.
"Everyone calls me Stiles," he tried to explain, "my dad even calls me Stiles."
"It's fine," Derek told him, offering half a smile.
"It's not a big deal," Stiles added, the words sticking in his throat a bit.
"It's really fine. You want to get the door?" Stiles was about to question him when someone knocked. He froze with his mouth half open and Derek smirked at him. Stiles pulled a face before turning and crossing the living room to pull the door open. Taylor, Aubrey, and Chase were all crowded in the doorway, the three of them smiling at him.
"Uh…hey guys. What's up?"

Aubrey was quick to explain that they were going shopping and Stiles was invited.
"Derek can come too," she offered belatedly, "if he wants."
"You're not eating in my car," Derek called from the kitchen.
"We were just having breakfast," Stiles added, "but I think that's a yes."
"Breakfast?" Taylor frowned, "Dude it's like one in the afternoon."
"Brunch then," Stiles corrected easily. "Were you leaving now?"
"We can wait for you guys," Chase said, smirking at him. Stiles frowned slightly back, feeling like he was missing half the conversation. "Half an hour then," Chase added, taking Aubrey's hand, "see you two."
"Okay," Stiles agreed slowly. Taylor laughed quickly before following after them and Stiles closed the door. He paused a moment before going back to the kitchen. "So that was weird."
"Was it?"
"You should have seen the way they were looking at me," Stiles informed him, wincing. "Like they all know something I don't."

Derek adjusted the skillet.
"Plates?" Stiles crossed behind him to get to the cabinet.
"You think they're planning something? Is this an ambush?"
"You're paranoid," Derek chuckled. "Chase is having a kid, Aubrey is too obviously, and Taylor's excited that he and Brennan made things official."
"Made things o-what?"
"They completed the mating. Recently."
"How do you know that?" Stiles questioned, nose wrinkling.
"I could smell it from here," Derek answered simply.
"Stalker," Stiles offered as he handed over the plates. Derek's smile was all teeth.

Stiles' eyebrows rose as Derek scooped eggs that actually looked really good onto each plate. "I thought you couldn't cook," he challenged. Derek leaned back against the counter.
"I never said I couldn't cook. Don't burn your tongue, it's hot." Stiles dropped the piece of egg back to his plate and waved his singed fingers through the air.
"Well seeing as there was no food in the fridge, at all, and dust bunnies gathered in all the burners, I just assumed."
"You assumed wrong," Derek told him smugly. Stiles stuck out his tongue, nearly screaming when Derek stabbed a fork into his eggs.
"You are so wrong," Stiles told him, eyes narrowed.
"Eat your food, we have places to be." Stiles carefully blew on a bite of egg before putting it in his mouth, raising an eyebrow when he caught Derek staring at his mouth.
"They're good," Stiles told him, frowning again when Derek turned away.
"You can't eat if you're talking," Derek informed him.
"Yeah I can," Stiles mumbled around another bite.
"Stop wasting time or I'll take them from you." Stiles laughed once, which in retrospect, was probably a mistake.
"Got ninja skills," Stiles mumbled, mouth full again. Derek turned slowly, eyes narrowed and lips pinched thin.
"Last chance."
"What?" Stiles demanded, "What are you gonna do?" He cut off a huge chunk before sucking it into his mouth and chewing. Derek set his plate on the counter carefully before smiling for just a second.

Stiles turned too late, Derek getting a hand on his plate and tugging. "Nn-" Stiles tried to protest, nearly choking on the egg in his mouth.
"I warned you," Derek said, the words ghosting over the back of his neck. Stiles swallowed quickly before gripping his fork and poking Derek in the side.
"Don't make me stab you. My food."
"I bought it, I made it. My food."
"But I'm your mate. What's yours is mine. Ha."
"Only when I'm feeling generous," Derek growled over the words, tugging on the plate again.
"Derek," Stiles whined. "I'm hungry and I'm a growing boy okay?"
"Then you should be eating."
"I am." Stiles took another bite to prove it. Derek pulled the plate free, smirking when Stiles pouted. He kept the expression for a few moments before a plan formed in his head. Trying to make it look casual he shifted to the side and leaned against the counter. "Derek," he murmured, "can I have my breakfast back…please?" He tilted his head back and exposed his throat, swallowing as they broke eye contact.

"Don't expect that to keep working," Derek growled before pushing the plate into his chest.
"Expect what to keep working?" Stiles questioned innocently, smiling at him.
"Eat," Derek snapped, "now."
"Grumpy. Do you need another shower?" Derek's fork clattered to the floor.
"You are not funny," he said carefully.
"I think you mean very funny."
"I don't," Derek assured him, grabbing his plate and eating with his fingers.
"I think I'm funny," Stiles continued.
"Keep playing with fire," Derek muttered after a moment, "you'll find yourself bent over a tree." Stiles' jaw dropped open, thankfully the bit of egg dropped onto his plate.
"Okay that is not funny," he let out, cheeks burning.
"Now I guess that just depends on who you ask." Derek paused long enough to smile at him, somehow amused and threatening at the same time, before slipping another hunk of egg between his lips.
"I don't think it's funny and seeing as I would be bent over the tree my opinion is pretty important." Derek appeared to consider this.
"Nah I don't think it really matters." Stiles pulled off some egg before throwing it at him.
"Don't be a shitty mate."
"I'm the best one you've got."
"You're the only one I've got," Stiles corrected automatically. Derek paused a significant moment.
"Yeah," he let out softly. Stiles threw another bite of egg at him before picking his fork back up.

Something had changed. Something had definitely changed. Stiles couldn't really figure out what it was, all he knew was that things were suddenly easier. He watched Derek as he pulled on his jacket, tried to keep his face blank as he thought. He was half dying to ask. More terrified to bring it up. He mostly thought it wasn't anything he'd done. Maybe it was the bond? Working its magic without either of them actually knowing? But maybe it was Derek. Whatever he and Ross had talked about the other night. What if it was that? Better yet, why was Stiles questioning it? This was a good thing. He could feel that. So why exactly was he questioning it?
"Ready?" Derek questioned, turning back to him. Stiles smiled.
"Yeah, let's go." Derek pulled open the door and held it; Stiles tried his best to kill his blush before stepping out.
"I wanna ride with you guys," Taylor said, leaning against the trunk of Derek's car. "They're being…" he wrinkled his nose, "Harlequin."
"They're being what?" Derek demanded.
"Harlequin," Stiles repeated, turning to explain, "paperback romance novels. Usually titled something like A Father for Baby or Passion's Embrace."
"Romance novels," Derek said haltingly, as if totally oblivious to the idea of them.
"They usually feature a woman past her prime horrified of wearing mom jeans."
"I really hope you're joking," Derek replied, eyebrows pushed up.
"Partly," Stiles offered with a smile. He turned back to Taylor. "I guess you can ride with us. But just so you know he did threaten to bend me over a tree just a few minutes ago." Taylor snorted.
"You're sort of a horrible person Stiles."
"I am just letting you know, Derek may be unable to resist me."
"Yeah well the backseat is already taken. So I guess you two will have to find a tree after all." Stiles grimaced again at the thought, Taylor laughing loudly in response.
"I'm going to regret agreeing to this aren't I?" Derek questioned over the roof.
"Probably," Stiles admitted.
"Definitely," Taylor disagreed.

During the drive Stiles found Taylor's first fault. Country music. Both Stiles and Derek shot him down immediately, which prompted,
"Brennan lets me listen to country," from Taylor.
"Brennan's your mate," Derek returned, "he'll let you do anything you want."
"Would you let me listen to country?" Stiles questioned, lips pursed.
"No," Derek answered immediately.
"But what if I loved it?"
"No."
"But I'm your mate."
"But it's hypothetical and I find the continued references dogs annoying and sort of insulting."
"Hey dogs are a man's best friend," Taylor argued.
"Dude back off the dog stuff," Stiles warned.
"I'm not calling him a dog I'm just saying dogs in general are man's best friend. And puppies are cute."
"One dog joke and I almost got my hand bitten off," Stiles grumbled.
"The twang," Derek continued, wincing, "and the banjos. Dear god who even invented those?"
"How do you know so much about it if you hate it?"
"Hating it doesn't mean I haven't had to listen to it." Stiles had a feeling there was a story there. He also had a feeling Derek wasn't about to offer it up.

He turned to look at Taylor.
"So I heard you and Brennan made it official?" Taylor froze with his mouth open, eyes widening ever so slightly. After another moment he flushed and looked down.
"Y-Yeah," he let out.
"So you're staying," Stiles prompted.
"Is that what that means?" Taylor asked dryly.
"Is it amazing? Does he make your stomach flutter? Do his eyes make it look like the stars aren't shining?" Taylor flushed deeper, looking out the window instead of answering.
"It does mean you're the last unmated pair in the settlement."
"Let's keep the gloves above the belt shall we?" Stiles fired back before biting the inside of his cheek.
"Well I would appreciate if you could not tease me about Bren yeah?"
"Teasing is my default setting, why do you think Derek bit me?"
"That looks more like a hickey than a bite, just so you know."

Stiles felt himself blushing then.
"Why do I have a feeling that neither of us is going to win this conversation?"
"But it's so entertaining," Derek told them.
"Entertain yourself," Stiles snapped in response.
"Are you two always like this?" Taylor interrupted.
"No."
"Mostly," Derek said.
"You're like an old-"
"Don't say it," Stiles cut him off, gripping the edge of his seat.
"Married couple," Taylor finished with a satisfied expression. Stiles huffed in irritation as Taylor laughed and Derek smiled.
"Traitor," Stiles muttered, glaring at Derek.
"You need to get laid," Taylor told him on another laugh.
"I will shove you out of this car," Stiles told him, "and then Derek will run you over."
"No he won't cause he knows I'm right." Derek was mysteriously silent and Stiles was suddenly desperate for a change of topic.
"I liked you better when you didn't talk," Stiles told him, eyes narrowed.
"But werewolf stamina is amazing," Taylor continued, entirely unbothered, "they can just keep going and going. It's like Brennan doesn't even have an off switch. One day I couldn't even walk but god it was so worth it."
"I seriously liked you better when you didn't talk." Stiles spun the volume knob until the music was too loud for casual conversation and Derek shot him a look that was bordering on grateful.

Stiles was probably too relieved when they arrived in a town and got out of the car. He didn't care.
"Hey," Chase called, hand joined with Aubrey's as they approached. "Looks like there's some sort of festival on."
"Like you didn't know," Aubrey cut in, smacking him lightly with her free hand. Chase half smiled, showing off one dimple.
"Maybe," he let out.
"So there's a shit ton of people?" Stiles hazarded.
"Pretty much," Chase admitted. He looked to Derek.
"Did you know?" he questioned quietly.
"No." Stiles let out a relieved breath.
"Looks like a lot of art," Aubrey offered, "all sorts of handmade stuff."
"Sounds cool," Stiles offered, jumping slightly when Derek's hand slid into his. Chase's eyes tracked the movement but he didn't comment. In the back of his mind Stiles knew it was purely a logical move on Derek's part. Still…he was glad it went unmentioned. Taylor started walking towards all the tents and Aubrey followed, falling in beside him. Chase seemed perfectly happy on her other side. Stiles waited until they were a few feet away before looking to Derek. "I'm not going to try to run you know." Derek's face remained expressionless.
"I know. I'd just prefer to keep you close." He probably meant that in a purely logical way too.

Stiles had never really held someone's hand before. He wasn't sure how the action seemed so casual when it felt so intimate. Their fingers weren't twined, simply curled around their palms, which were firmly sandwiched together. Derek didn't release him as they entered the first row of tents and Stiles was okay with that but then he saw some dragons.
"Look at those," he let out, more or less diving through people to cross the aisle. Derek's hand released his and Stiles glanced back quickly before continuing on. The entire tent was dragons. Dragons of all colors, made from glass and rope, paintings and vases. "These are so cool," he sighed, smiling as Derek joined him.
"I am assuming you know the definition of close," Derek murmured.
"I got excited," Stiles said with a sheepish smile. He reached out towards a glass dragon, glaring when Derek grabbed his wrist.
"I'm not paying for anything you break."
"I wasn't gonna break it," Stiles protested with a huff.
"Why don't you go look at the unbreakable ones? The ones the kids are playing with?" Derek nudged him towards the rope dragons and after a moment Stiles went, nose in the air. He picked up a black dragon, winding its long body around his wrist and running his fingers over the flame colored burst at the end of its tail. It was kind of amazing the way the rope was twisted together and his eyes traced the pattern as he turned his wrist in different directions. "There's tons more stuff to see," Derek told him. Stiles rolled his eyes and unwound the dragon. He set it back on the shelf before patting its head with a fingertip.
"You're no fun," he informed Derek as they exited the tent, Derek taking his hand again.
"You have no money to spend," Derek reminded him.
"I can still shop." Stiles didn't tell Derek that he was used to not having money. What money he did manage to scrounge up went towards fixing up his baby or into his baby's gas tank, either way it didn't leave any money in his pocket.

As the day wore on Stiles felt more and more like he, Derek, and Taylor were all third wheels to Aubrey and Chase. Half the time it seemed like the two were in their own little world and more than once Stiles saw Chase's hand on Aubrey's stomach. While Stiles wouldn't describe them as Harlequin he could see Taylor's point. It was vaguely nauseating. In addition to that Stiles had to get used to Derek invading his personal space. He was all but glued to Stiles as he wandered around. In fact, Derek only loomed closer when Stiles was near something fragile. The breaking point, literally, was when Derek crowded Stiles into a corner, making Stiles flail into the wall of the tent. There was a crash on the other side of the tarp and they both froze before Stiles smacked Derek in the chest.
"That was your fault," he hissed, tempted to smack him again. Derek rolled his eyes quickly before making his way out of the tent. Stiles followed, somewhat morbidly curious to see the damage. A huge vase was in pieces on the ground.
"Well that's sort of a relief," a woman with gray streaks and tiny round glasses was saying.
"I'm so sorry," Derek said, charm turned on, "I'm afraid I knocked my boyfriend into it." She looked past Derek then, smiling wryly as Stiles flushed and scratched the back of his neck.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"Oh it's alright sweetie. It wasn't my favorite piece and it's a pain in the ass hauling it from show to show."
"He'll pay for it," Stiles offered, pointing to Derek. She laughed then, covering her mouth with one hand.
"It was $745."
"Do you take Visa?" Derek questioned after an awkward pause.
"Pay for the clay and glaze we'll call it even," she said. "Follow me." Derek followed after her and Stiles felt just a bit guilty.

"She was nice," he offered tentatively when Derek reappeared.
"Let's go get lunch before you break something else."
"Um we both broke that, I am just putting that out there." Derek didn't answer, taking his hand and tugging him along instead.
"We're getting lunch," Derek said as they walked and Stiles was left to assume he was speaking to Chase.
"So how much was it?" Stiles questioned, trying to figure out if Derek was angry.
"Maybe half a paycheck," Derek returned, "not a big deal."
"Are you mad?"
"No," he smiled ruefully, "it was sort of my fault." Stiles blinked twice.
"I can't believe you just admitted that."
"What are you hungry for?" Stiles mind went blank as he had the thought that this was sort of like a date. An awkward date sure but a date all the same. "Earth to Stiles, what do you want for lunch?"
"Food," Stiles answered simply, mustering a smile.
"I think we can manage that," Derek replied, smiling shortly.

Soon enough they were at a picnic table underneath an umbrella, burgers and fries in front of them. Stiles couldn't help his nose wrinkling at the very pink center of Derek's burger.
"Did they even cook that?" he questioned, picking up a fry.
"Would have been better off just searing it," Derek said without missing a beat.
"Meat is supposed to be cooked," Stiles informed him. "There's bacteria in that. Alive and well. Crawling all up in it."
"I don't get sick."
"You can't properly digest it; it just sits in your intestinal tract. Your intestines are filled with bacteria."
"First, that's a myth. Second, my stomach acid takes care of bacteria. Finally, I didn't know you were so interested in my intestines Stiles." Stiles frowned at him.
"That just…that is so not where I was going with that. Ew. Derek. Ew." Derek smirked. "I'm eating," Stiles complained.
"You started it," Derek said easily.
"You're still arguing like a third grader." Stiles averted his eyes as Derek took an overly large bite of his burger. Stiles' eyes were skating casually over the crowd until they hooked on a man looking straight at him. Stiles blinked once, twice, but no he was still looking. He wasn't just looking he was actually like…it felt like he was being stalked. Which was ridiculous of course. It was just a guy in the crowd. Right?
"What's wrong?" Derek questioned quietly, suddenly serious.
"This guy," Stiles let out, turning to Derek and trying not to shiver.
"What guy?"
"Right near the edge of the tents," Stiles told him, watching Derek's eyes cut through the crowd, "looking right this way…creepy as fuck."

Each second that passed only worried Stiles further. He wasn't sure how long it was before Derek looked back.
"We should go."
"Why? He creeps you out too?"
"I don't see anyone. We should go." Stiles jerked too look and sure enough, he was gone.
"But he was just…right there."
"You done eating? Let's get out of here."
"Uh yeah I guess," Stiles watched as Derek stood up and gathered their half eaten meals. "But…he's not even there anymore. Why are we leaving?" Derek jerked to a stop and looked at him, one eyebrow spiked.
"Because you said he was staring straight at us. You've got a bite on your throat. You should trust your instincts."
"What about the others?"
"I'll call Chase. At least they can blend."
"Well I didn't bite me," Stiles mumbled. Derek half smiled before sobering.
"Even now, you're ridiculous."
"Maybe I like being ridiculous."
"Be ridiculous in the car." Derek dumped their food before taking Stiles' hand once again and pulling him along.

Making it back to the car hardly seemed to relax Derek and he glanced around before rounding the car and getting in. Stiles thought his eyes were blue but he blinked and it was gone. He gunned the engine before swerving onto the street so quickly the tires squealed. Stiles turned to buckle, freezing as he glanced the same man through the window. This time he was smiling.
"Derek," he whispered as his voice failed him.
"Where?" Derek demanded. By the time Stiles pointed the space was empty.
"He's gone again," he said shakily.
"It's gonna be okay, we're already gone." Stiles knew Derek was going way too fast. He didn't complain, he just closed his eyes. It was a long time before Derek spoke. "No one's following us. We'll be back to the settlement in less than twenty minutes." Stiles sighed and let his shoulders slump.
"Yeah okay."
"Did you recognize him?" Stiles was shaking his head before Derek had finished the question.
"Do you think he was looking for me?"
"No," Derek answered, "he would have come right up and taken you."
"So then…?" Stiles' heart was racing and he couldn't catch his breath. The idea of being taken from Derek horrified him.
"Could have been a hunter. Could have been a wolf that wanted you for himself."
"A hunter?"
"People that hunt us for being monsters," Derek explained quickly.
"Seems more likely than another wolf," Stiles said after a moment.
"How so?"

Stiles stared at him for a few moments. Eventually he lifted an arm to gesture to himself.
"You already claimed me. Then there was the whole Shane debacle. Don't try to tell me I'm gay werewolf catnip cause I'm not buying." Derek's lips twitched and he shook his head.
"Ridiculous."
"Wolfnip?" That earned him another lip twitch and Stiles felt a bit better.
"It may just be a case of you not fully being claimed and him wanting to claim you himself, just to have you."
"Like a trophy mate?" Stiles winced. "Sounds creepy."
"I would never let that happen." Stiles felt something in his chest squeeze and his hands curled around themselves.
"Well thanks for getting me out of there." Derek looked away from the road, meeting his eyes.
"Thanks for wanting me to."

A/N: I don't know why that last line kills me.

Probably because it's so late and I'm already super emotional.

But I wasn't blocked which is just wonderful.

I also want to say thank you for all the amazing amazing support this fic is getting.

I really can't even. Especially with all this transferring bullshit.

So thank you all.

Also there was supposed to be smut this time but it just…well idk I guess I'm more of a tease than I even realize. However I'm really really thinking next time it is going to happen.

Hopefully.

Also I just wrote this really really fast partly as a thank you and I just hope it's okay and that you can over look my mistakes which I know are there.

One last time thank you. I'm done blathering on now.

Promise.