Thank you guys so much for reading this. It means a lot to know that people actually like something I wrote. This chapter is a business bit longer than the first two, hopefully you like. I proof read this twice but I'm not perfect so...yeah.
In this chapter: some slight angst, hint at a future plot, and implied Scisaac. Enjoy!
The drive to Derek's place took longer than usual. Probably because Stiles kept turning around, then changing his mind and turning back. He sighed, pulling into the parking lot. He didn't get out of the vehicle or even turn it off, he just sat there. The boy closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the steering wheel.
"This isn't happening," he mumbled to himself, "I am not about to go confess my feelings to a grumpy, emotionally stunted, werewolf." He groaned knowing the answer. "Of course I am because apparently I have a death wish." Stiles turned off the jeep, grabbed his backpack and exited the vehicle.
Derek had just finished getting dressed when he heard it. The slamming of a door that belonged to a crappy old jeep. He clenched his jaw knowing to whom the Jeep belonged to. Stiles. Derek's face grew stern thinking of why the teen had showed up at his apartment unannounced.
Of course he's here. With that whole disappearing act you did this morning it's no wonder he didn't show up sooner. What are you going to say to him? You gonna push him away as usual?
Derek let out a low growl. He didn't like feeling so conflicted. He was an alpha. Alpha's were supposed to be leaders who had the support of their pack behind them not brooding wolves, scared of their own emotions. Looking at his hand he saw that claws had formed where his fingernails had been. He willed them to return to their previous state, forming a fist with his hand.
The large metal door creaked loudly as it opened drawing Derek's attention. He looked up his face contorted into a scowl as Stiles entered the loft. The boy looked flustered and had obviously been deep in thought over something. Derek could relate.
"Don't you know how to knock?" Derek growled. Stiles looked up at him, his mouth open stuttering out random words that Derek thought was supposed to be an apology.
"Yeah, maybe I should leave." the teen turned to leave but was stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. His heart rate picked up a little and he half expected the alpha to shove him against the nearest wall.
"You're already here," Derek said "what did you need?" Stiles thought it was his imagination but he was pretty sure that Derek's tone was less angry than usual. Maybe even slightly sympathetic towards the younger male. "Stiles!" Derek barked snapping the boy out of his thoughts.
"Oh yeah. Here," he said sliding the backpack off of his shoulders and setting it down on the nearby table. He began to pull out various folders filled with papers and files as well as some pictures paper clipped together. Stiles spread them all in a pattern that only he could put together, directing Derek's attention to various police reports.
"So you didn't really give me a lot to work with. Actually all I had to go on was, and I quote, 'anything suspicious in or around Beacon Hills," Stiles used his fingers as air quotes in reciting Derek's instructions. Mentally the alpha smiled thinking that it looked cute. He then mentally kicked himself. Stiles continued.
"I started in Beacon Hills looking for anymore reports of animal attacks and I found this," Stiles pointed to one of the many papers littered across the table, "About a weeks ago there were a series of animal attacks reported just a few miles east of here. Going back a little further and you'll find that there is a trail of attacks leading to here, each one of the victims was found severely slashed and had their throats ripped out." Stiles ran a hand along his throat thinking about all the times Derek had threatened to rip his throat out. He gulped.
Derek saw and instantly felt guilty for threatening the teen like that. "I shouldn't have asked him for help on this," he thought "it's too dangerous." Derek's thoughts were interrupted by the teen talking again.
"Derek," Stiles was scared and he wanted answers. "What's coming?" The alpha looked down at all the papers on the table. He couldn't tell him, that would only put him on more danger.
"Thank you for the information Stiles. Now go home." Stiles looked at the older man, mouth open in disbelief. After all he'd done for him, hours of research and this is what he gets. Not today.
"No." Derek looked up from the file he was reading. "I need to talk to you and you are not just gonna get rid of me that easily." Stiles was determined to stand his ground. Derek glared at him but said nothing. The teen took this as a sign to continue.
"About yesterday," he began nervously "why did you help me? And why did you leave this morning?"
"I told you. It was a mistake. Now go home Stiles."
"A mistake?! What the fuck is wrong with you! Why do you always have to be such an ass hole! All I am to you is a punching bag and a research monkey!" Stiles was fuming now. Derek's face was an unchanging stone scowl but he was whimpering on the inside. He hated seeing Stiles like this. He wanted to hold him to comfort him and tell the boy that he was so much more to him than that but he resisted. Telling himself that this would be better for both of them and it would keep Stiles safer.
Derek hadn't said anything which caused Stiles to become even more frustrated and angry with him.
"Ugh! Dammit Derek why the hell do I like you? You're a brooding, jerk face sourwolf who half the time is threatening to rip my throat out and slamming me into shit. And yet I like you! Maybe even love you!" the words came out before he could stop them. He wished he could take them back.
"You're just a child you don't know what love is." The words stung like a bitch slap to the face. Derek looked at the teens face and knew he had said the wrong thing.
"I may be a teenager, but I haven't been a child in a long time Derek." Stiles' voice was no longer loud and wreck less. Instead he spoke in an even tone one that exuded even more anger than when he was yelling "Not since loosing my mom. Not since Scott was bitten. Not since my dad was almost killed by Matt and the Kanima. You know, I used to think that of all people you'd understand that. I guess I was wrong." He turned from Derek and walked out the door.
The words hit Derek like an eighteen wheeler truck slamming into his body. He felt his heart break as he watched the teen walk out of the loft. When the large metal door slammed shut Derek curled his hand into a fist and slammed it down on the table leaving a large dent in the metal and scattering the files. The alpha let out a large breath before gathering up the scattered papers.
The old, worn out jeep sped along the highway, going about 15 miles faster than the posted speed limit. Stiles held the flood gates closed with all his might. He took deep breaths trying to keep himself calm, at least until he reached his house. He wiped his face with his sleeve as a few stray drops rolled down his face.
10 minutes later Stiles breathed a thankful sigh as he reached home. He threw his jeep into park and ran into his house. The teen bounded up the stairs and into his room then thew himself on the bed. Sobs shook his entire body and tears stained his pillow.
After a while he managed to calm himself down a bit. He laid on his back thinking of his current situation.
"Wow. I never thought I'd be crying over Derek Hale. I guess it's funny how much things can change in such a short time." Stiles sighed pulling out his phone. He had 4 messages from Scott and a voice mail from his dad. He checked the void mail first.
"Hey kiddo," came his father's voice "I'm gonna be working late tonight, sorry. I left some money on the counter if you wanna order some food and invite Scott over for a hang out." Stiles frowned. His dad had worked late a lot lately. It left Stiles alone for long periods of time, something that made his mind wander. Usually to random things like a song he heard but couldn't remember the name of. Now all of his thoughts went to Derek.
Stiles next checked the 4 messages he had from Scott.
Scott: Hey man what's up?
Scott: Helloooooo? Stiles?
Scott: You okay buddy?
Scott: Wanna go to the movies with me and Isaac?
Stiles glared at the text. Isaac and Scott had gotten awfully chummy lately and Stiles didn't like it. He didn't have a problem with the kid. Hell, he hardly knew the guy. But ever since Isaac and Scott became friends Stiles had felt his best friend drifting away from him. He sighed, worried that he was loosing his only close friend. He quickly typed up a quick message to Scott.
Stiles: Sorry, I was busy. Can't go to the movies, have to clean my room.
With a click of the send button the message was off. He didn't like lying to his best friend but he had gotten better at it, which he was unsure of as a good thing or a bad one, and Scott didn't need to know what he was feeling towards Derek and what had transpired between him and the alpha. Knowing Scott he'd probably do something stupid. Stiles' phone buzzed in his hand signaling a new message.
Scott: okay. Maybe next time.
Stiles sighed throwing himself back down into his bed. He turned to look out his window. The sky was blue with big fluffy clouds hanging high overhead. Stiles sighed again, looking around his room.
"Maybe I should actually clean my room," he thought looking at his cluttered surroundings. "Naaah."
Derek had just finished his 100th pull up when he decided to switch the sit ups. The alpha laid on the floor of the loft putting his hands by his head. He lifted his torso off of the ground causing the muscles in his abdomen to flex. The burn he got from working out felt good it helped him relax and think. He'd been exercising since Stiles had left. That was 4 hours ago.
When Derek reached his 50th sit up he heard the door to the loft slide open. Isaac stepped in from the door grinning like an idiot. Derek glared at him but continued to work out. The younger man noticed his alpha's foul mood and, against his better judgment decided to investigate.
"Uh, Derek?" Isaac tested. The alpha grunted acknowledging his b presence. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" Isaac was worried someone had been attacked by the alphas they'd been looking for. Or worse, that he'd found bad news about Boyd and Erica.
Derek paused his workout to respond to his beta. "Nothing happened." the alpha continued with his exercises. Isaac knew something had happened, although he was pretty sure that it wasn't anything to do with the missing members of the pack as Derek would have probably told him. His thoughts were interrupted when a scent caught his attention. He recognized it as belonging to Stiles. The teen immediately put two and two together.
"Can I ask you something else really quickly?" Isaac had a plan but he had to be careful. One wrong word and Derek would yell then leave. Derek paused his sit ups again.
"What is it?" he said annoyed.
"Well, we're a pack right?" Derek nodded "And pack members need to have trust between them to survive right? That way they know that they all have each other's backs right?" Derek nodded again knowing exactly where this was going. "So it would be better for both of us if we trusted each other, don't you think."
Derek sighed. The teen had a point. Trust is what keeps a pack strong and there can't be trust if he was closed himself off from everyone. He looked at Isaac who was waiting for a response.
"Sit down Isaac." the teen sat across from Derek grateful that he hadn't yelled at him for prying. Derek searched for the words to begin. He decided to start at the beginning.
"...and then he stormed out and I punched the table." Isaac smiled as Derek finished retelling the events. It had surprised the beta that his alpha would open up so much but he was happy he did.
"So you slept with him, then bailed, then yelled at him and called him a child?" Derek glared at Isaac's simple summary. Isaac let out a small laugh that caused Derek to give him a warning growl.
"I'm sorry it's just that we never thought that you guys would actually do anything. We thought that the constant sexual tension was just gonna be never-ending." Derek looked confused.
"What do you mean 'we'? And what 'constant sexual tension'?" Derek had no idea what the younger man was talking about. Isaac gave him a look that said 'seriously?'
"What I mean is, pretty much anyone who's ever seen you two interact. And the fact that you guys are constantly stealing glances at each other when one of you isn't looking. Not to mention how both of your hearts pick up when you throw Stiles against a wall or something." Isaac was practically crying from laughing so hard. "Although there is one thing I don't understand," Derek knit his brow "why do you keep pushing him away?"
"To protect him." Derek said flatly. "People close to me get hurt and unlike you, Stiles doesn't have teeth and claws and healing powers."
"Don't you get it? He's safer with you then he ever will be alone." Isaac couldn't believe the alpha was so clueless "And the two of you together is something that literally nothing could defeat." Derek looked at Isaac wondering when the boy got so wise.
"You're right," Derek said "but what do I do now? I think I may have pushed him too far away." Isaac stood up and extended his hand to Derek.
"You'll never know till you talk to him." Derek took the boy's hand and pulled himself up. He nodded at Isaac's words. He looked at his beta and did something he rarely did.
"Thank you Isaac. You've been very helpful." Isaac was caught off guard by the thank you but managed to stutter out a reply.
"Anytime." Derek nodded quickly then left leaving Isaac alone. He looked down at his phone noticing a new message. Isaac smiled.
Scott: Hey babe, we still on for the movie tonight?
What did you think? I'm not sure I got Isaac's character right but it works I suppose. Also if this seems like the mood switches every now and then it's probably because I had major writer's block so some parts are a little forced. oh well! Please review even if you hated it as that's how I get better. Plus I love hearing what you have to say. if you have an idea where this could go let me know, I'll give you credit if I use your idea.
