This one's from Derek's POV

No. No. No.

He's not going to do it. Why should he? He's a punk ass kid who doesn't understand boundaries or when to listen. He's the Sheriff's son (a Sheriff who knows about werewolves but not about soul mates). He's a hyperactive ball of energy who doesn't stop moving, even when it causes him pain.

Derek's not going to do it.

He refuses.

Until Stiles almost crumples to the ground, holding his stomach and dry-heaving. He changes his mind so fast it makes his head spin. Derek pulls Stiles up by the arms, and drags him towards...

"Stiles, where are we going?" Derek asks him.

"Station," Stiles whispers.

A police station full of cops, and undoubtedly the Sheriff by now, and Stiles wants to waltz in there like nothing's the matter. With Derek. Who's had murder charges (dropped or not) on his record.

Even with all this, he doesn't pause once. He wants Stiles to get better. Wants to see him get by a year without the risk of him dying. Wants him to be happy. Stiles is a happy kid. Positive energy (sometimes too much) all the time. Smart kid with the plans to save their asses in a hurry. Derek doesn't even know he wanted those things until now.

Stiles groans again, and Derek gives up trying to pull him along and just lifts Stiles up.

"What are you doing?" Stiles mumbles.

"Making this go a lot faster." I want you to be happy. Trust me. I want you to be happy.

"Mhmm." Stiles stays quiet, and Derek is able to get to the station without much fanfare. (Some weird looks, but Derek was used to that by now.)

He sets Stiles on his feet. "Go," he urges, pushing Stiles towards the entrance, already backing away.

"Where're you going?" Stiles asks, interrupted by a yawn. "Come in. 'S cold out."

"Home." Derek takes another step backwards. "Go." Please don't make this harder than it already is.

Stiles looks like he's about to turn around completely and follow Derek, but Derek runs off before Stiles takes the chance.

He doesn't (can't) look back.

(He'll probably find out from Scott that Stiles found his soul mate, that they're a perfect couple, and the Sheriff approves of them wholeheartedly. Derek won't see Stiles after that, too busy with whoever is his "soul mate". It'll just be him, Peter, and Isaac, who's pulling towards Scott now, which means Derek will be by himself. Scott, Allison, and Isaac will get their happy ever after, Lydia will go on to be some hotshot scientist or mathematician or figure out a way to save the world. They will all have their own lives. Pack up and leave Beacon Hills for bigger and better things. And Derek will remain here, alone. He doesn't mind. Someone has to keep this town safe.)

Walking into the station, Stiles' dad immediately runs over to him, pulling him in close. "Don't ever do that again. I was close to calling Scott and having him find you by scent."

Stiles laughs, and tries pushing his dad away. "I'm fine. I just... needed some air." He smiles encouragingly at him. "Is Parrish here? I need to talk to him."

His dad gives him a strange look. "Uh, no. He went home sick today. I felt really bad for him, actually. He looked awful."

Perfect. This is going to be really awkward. "Can I have his address? I really need to talk to him. Like, yesterday."

More strange looks, but his dad acquiesces. Stiles sighs as he slides into the passenger seat in the Sheriff's car, and his dad sits in the driver's seat. "Can I ask why you need to go to Parrish's house?"

Stiles shrugs. He's tired, sluggish, and cold. "Just, drive." He rests his head on the window, and ends up falling asleep on the ride. He wakes up to his dad lightly shaking his shoulder.

"Son. We're here."

Stiles nods, yawns, and slowly climbs out of the car. "Thanks, Dad. I'll be right back." He shuffles forward, and manages not to fall flat on his face. He looks back, sees his dad sitting in the car, and sighs. This is going to be... well, certainly a number of things.

He braces himself, and knocks on the door. Seconds tick by, and Stiles is feeling his strength come back to him, bit by bit. He stands straighter, flexes his hands, and shivers when the door opens.

Jeremy Parrish was a young man, big green eyes, a little taller than Stiles, and, Stiles has to admit, ridiculously gorgeous. Stiles just stares for a bit, shocked by the fact that the universe thought these two were meant to share a life together.

"What the hell?" And Parrish's face falls, but Stiles is pissed off, and why not take it out on the one person that (probably) won't hate him. "Seriously. What the hell?"

"Hi," Parrish says, recovering from Stiles' entrance, smiling like this is the moment he's been waiting for for his whole life. Dear Lord, he probably has, Stiles thinks. "Oh my God. It's actually you." His smile is too big, too happy for something like this. Stiles just hopes Parrish doesn't try to hug him.

"Yeah, I'm me." Stiles narrows his eyes, and looks behind him again. His dad's staring at them. "I'm assuming you know about what... we... are."

"Soul mates," Stiles internally cringes at the word, "yeah. I do. Do you want to come in?" Parrish steps aside, all ready to invite Stiles in. Hell, Stiles barely knows him. For all he knows, he's some obsessive creep like Matt was.

"Uh, no. I'm good." Stiles shoves his hands in his jean pockets. "I just wanted to say hey, and, yeah." He doesn't know what to say. He can't just say what he wants to say right now. He suddenly wants to be in his room, curled up in his bed, with someone in particular sitting at his desk, taking notes in his research, highlighter or pen cap in his mouth.

Parrish smiles, but then he shivers, and he blinks a few times. "Oh. Um." He lifts both his hands, and Stiles opens his mouth to ask what the hell he was doing. Parrish smiles, then pinches the skin on the back of his hand. Hard.

Stiles automatically grabs his own hand, but shockingly, there's no pain. "Wait. What just happened? Shouldn't I have felt that?"

Parrish exhales. "Okay. Just making sure." He smiles again, but it's smaller and more sad. "We need to talk. But tomorrow and not here." Parrish retreats inside his house, and comes back writing something down on a piece of paper.

"Parrish-"

"Tomorrow. Promise." Parrish closes the door then, and Stiles is left hanging.

His dad is silent, neither sure of what just happened.

"So, Parrish?"

Stiles groans, and covers his eyes.