With no answers to how his eyes had turned from Beta golden to Alpha red the pack had no choice but to continue on their previous path and return to Beacon Hills. There would be no stops at a motel to rest their weary eyes this time. Hell, Stiles was still wearing his bloodstained clothes. Half of the captives were basically in rags or clothes that barely fit from having been held so long. It wasn't as though Kali would have provided them with that basic necessity. From what one of the wolves in the backseat -Liam, he was reminded- the Alpha woman only begrudgingly fed them out of her fear of Deucalion's wrath.
Ethan sat in the passenger seat while his twin was in the middle of the backseat. Liam and the other wolf, Theo, kept up most of the general conversation while Stiles drove. Stiles tried to partake in it as much as he could but the question of what had happened weighed heavily on his mind. More so, when the two constantly chattering teens fell asleep in the back leaving him and the Twins. Both of whom could have been better conversationalists. Instead, Aiden sat with his arms folded over his chest, Liam's head on one shoulder and Theo's on the other. Ethan asked questions about Beacon Hills, the pack, and their Alpha. Stiles answered them as best he could. After a long while Aiden asked what had happened to Deucalion and Stiles, grateful for the mild distraction from his thoughts, launched into the bloody story. He didn't mind either twin, even if they were broody and quiet. In fact, they reminded him of Derek in that way.
They'd been driving for nearly six hours -with three to go- when Derek signaled a turn for gas. Stiles was sure that this old fuel station hadn't seen this many customers at one time in years, given the state of the place. The paint on the sign near the road and over the shop's door was peeling, the concrete was cracked in many places, and there was a general sense of disuse to the place as a whole. The two sleeping wolves awoke when the Jeep puttered to a stop beside the ancient-looking pump. There wasn't even a place to use a debit card. Hopefully, the shop inside had one, because he didn't have cash on hand. Still, it was a good opportunity for bathroom breaks and a chance to change his bloodied shirt so that he could go in and get drinks for everyone.
After changing his shirt, he tossed an extra one to Liam and one to Theo. He didn't have more and doubted anything he would have would have fit the twins anyway. Setting the pump to fill his tank, he made sure his wallet was still in his pocket, then made his way into the shop. There was a musty smell surrounding the place like it hadn't been properly cleaned in ages. Stiles cast a glance toward the bags of chips a jerky on the shelves and wrinkled his nose. At least half of them were out-of-date. By several months. It was a good thing that water didn't go bad since that was all he'd come in for. Pulling open the cooler door, Stiles caught a whiff of that mildewy scent again, then grabbed a bottle of water. He'd been in the process of grabbing another when Jackson cornered him. "You really don't know how it happened?"
After heaving a bodily sigh that nearly caused him to drop the three in his hands, Stiles turned his attention to the jock. "No, I don't." He and Jackson had always gotten on well but the guy was now acting as though Stiles had done something fundamentally wrong. The worst part was not knowing how.
"You heard Deaton the day Lydia was attacked, the only ways an Alpha comes into power are inheriting it and.."
"Are you saying I stole it?" He bristled. That would be a ludicrous accusation. He hadn't killed Kali, Derek had.
Jackson either didn't care that he'd offended Stiles or didn't notice. His eyes narrowed as a hand pressed against the cooler door beside Stiles. "It's possible, Derek's not-"
"Jackson." Derek pressed a hand onto Jackson's shoulder, giving him a warning look. "Lydia said she wants a granola bar."
Jackson huffed at the Alpha. With a roll of his eyes, he shouldered his way past Derek to gather things needed for those in his car while Stiles gazed at the elder male skeptically. "Derek's not, what?"
"We've got a long drive, Stiles. Let's go."
Avoidance. Were they really back to that? So easily? It felt like it'd been forever since Derek hadn't openly answered something. Stiles thought they'd grown past that. Thankfully for him, if he was anything: it was determined. "Not what?" He asked again, stepping closer.
"Drop it." Derek practically growled, eyes narrowing.
"Not what, Derek?" In his periphery, Stiles could see Erica and Jackson with the cashier, and Scott and Allison nearby with their purchases.
Derek exhaled a sigh, the sound made it seem as though he was fighting to keep himself in check. "We'll discuss it when we get home."
"Why not now? What the hell is going on?" He put himself right in front of Derek now, knowing it would be seen as a challenge.
"Stiles," he growled a warning.
Which was promptly ignored as he stepped even closer, nearly chest to chest now, while he continued to stare defiantly back at the man. Without warning, Derek surged forward, his arm pressed across Stiles' chest like he was forming a barrier between them as he slammed the younger male back against the cooler. Stiles dropped the water bottles he'd been holding and was pretty certain he heard the glass behind him crack. When Derek's wolf eyes flashed, all of the fight went out of him. They were blue. Not red. Not Alpha.
Derek pressed firmly once with his arm, then pulled away. "You and I are going to Deaton after we drop everyone off at Peter's." Without another word he stalked away leaving Stiles with his mouth hanging open, speechless. Now Jackson's accusation made sense. Sort of. When he turned toward Jackson and Erica, wide-eyed, they both glared before storming out behind Derek. Scott cast an apologetic, yet apprehensive, look his way from the counter.
–
It seemed that just dropping everyone off at Peter's wasn't going to be as simple as they thought. There just wasn't enough room. The elder Hale had already planned for his daughter's arrival and only had enough room to spare one, maybe two others. Derek's loft could accommodate quite more than a few if they were willing to sleep on the floor.
In the end, Scott called Melissa and spoke with her about boarding a couple. Argent offered to take in three. At that, most were hesitant, if not downright fearful. After Kira moved happily to Allison's side, the little girl Sari took Ash's hand and hesitantly followed suit. The three of them had decided to stick together, through the years the three had forged a bit of an alliance and both elder Kitsune were highly protective over the younger one. But Allison and Kira had bonded over the last nine hours, so she was the only one who didn't mind rooming with hunters.
Of the fourteen they'd brought back to Beacon Hills seven would now be staying at Derek's. If not for the fact that Jackson, Lydia, and Stiles' parents were all clueless to the situation he might not have needed to board so many. But he and Peter were in talks of other alternatives, particularly for the older wolves: like the twins.
Overall, there was a lot that needed discussion. Like schooling and driver's licenses and jobs. Most of them didn't have their legal paperwork as they'd been captive for so long and their parents were gone. Peter had ideas regarding that as well. Nothing that could be done right this moment, though. Which was for the best considering there were still so many other things to take care of tonight. When the larger details of where everyone would be staying were sorted out they transported everyone around to their respective places. Only then was Stiles free to head to the clinic.
–
Stiles made it to the clinic before Derek and knocked on the back door. It was late morning and all he really wanted was to go to sleep, but some things needed to be figured out first. When Deaton pushed open the door he regarded Stiles curiously. "Scott told me to expect you. Although he failed to mention the reasoning for such an urgent meeting."
As usual, his calmly mystifying voice set Stiles on edge. Honestly, he didn't know why the guy gave him the creeps. "Yeah, we've got a real mystery for you to solve." He replied as the purr of Derek's Camaro signaled his approach. Stiles turned toward the sound of Derek's door closing. He disliked the way Derek kept distance between them, how he seemed incapable of looking him in the eye. Especially when 48 hours ago they'd been close.
The elder teen cast Stiles only the briefest glance before turning his attention onto Deaton. When the veterinarian scrutinized him, he nodded as though understanding the mysteries of the universe, then indicated for them to follow him. "I feel as though this might be a better conversation suited to comfort."
Comfort meant gathering around a cold exam table. Stiles leaned back against the counter behind him while Derek stood a few feet away and explained what had happened in Roslyn to Deaton, who leaned against the exam table across from them. He and Kali's battle was as far as he made it before looking toward Stiles. All he knew was what he'd been told. So, Stiles launched into the rest, backtracking to repeat the part where Derek's claws were in Kali's throat and hers in his chest. He explained how he'd held onto Derek's hand, siphoning what pain he could while others worked to pump the venom out of him. How the others had tried to pull him away and his stubbornness prevented them from doing so. When he reached the part where the others had looked at him in surprise he realized why. His eyes had been red then.
Stiles looked toward Derek for a moment with a frown tugging the corners of his lips downward. "Did… did I steal his power?" He finally asked hesitantly, turning his eyes onto his shoes rather than looking at either man. The longer he'd sat with the idea, the more possible it seemed.
To his surprise, Deaton chuckled. "No, you did not, Stiles. I'm afraid that even if you possessed some of the strongest magic in the world, you could not steal an Alpha werewolf's power. Not in that way. That would upset the balance of the world as we know it."
"Then what happened?" Derek asked gruffly. He unconsciously shifted himself closer to Stiles' side and asked. "How is he an Alpha and I'm not?"
"Mm, as far as where your power went, Derek, that has a much simpler answer than you might believe." A smile touched his lips, looking much more pleased than Stiles thought he had a right to. Especially since he was leaving them in suspense. "When Kali's claws embedded themselves in your chest her aim was not only to paralyze but kill you. Your heart was barely beating enough to keep you alive and if not for the efforts of your pack," he waved toward Stiles, "you would not be standing here now. She was taking your power. As you killed her in the process of it, I'm afraid it managed to nullify both. Had she lived and not you, the result would have been the same. She would no longer be an Alpha."
"So their power just canceled one another out?" Stiles asked, incredulous.
Deaton bobbed his head gently. "It would seem so."
"Okay. Weird, but okay." Stiles glanced toward Derek like he was asking his opinion on it. Derek's lips were turned down thoughtfully. After a moment, he shrugged and looked back at him, all the earlier ferocity had left him. Now standing close enough that when he did his arm brushed Stiles'. It took tremendous effort to suppress a shiver from the warmth of that contact. "So, what about me?" He asked, forcing his attention away before he could find himself staring. Especially now that Derek didn't have that same closed-off expression.
"You know, you have been a mystery since the beginning, Stiles. I had suspicions about a great many things before that I was not inclined to believe. More so after you'd turned. Now, however, all of the pieces fit together."
"Come on, Doc. You're killing me here." Stiles felt a little lighter, knowing that he hadn't stolen Derek's power.
Deaton laughed softly. "Every so often there is a phenomenon within the supernatural world that baffles a great many. Deucalion must have sensed it within you before anyone else could have detected it, even as a human. I believe it was due to the amount of power he possessed. As you know, the only way to become an Alpha is to take the power or have it passed onto you. But there is another type of Alpha. One who finds that power through sheer force of will or a one-of-a-kind act."
Derek stiffened beside him and murmured in amazement, his attention locked on Stiles, "A true Alpha."
Deaton nodded once. "The pain you took from Derek should have been enough to kill you, Stiles. You said yourself, you had difficulty holding on. Any other would have taken that same amount to find their heart stopped or they simply would not have been able to hold on because the pain became too much. You took his pain and then some. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to ensure his life. That shows an incredible strength of character."
"I.." Stiles hesitated, looking between the other two. He wasn't sure he would say he'd been willing to sacrifice himself. He liked living and all. At that moment, though… when the chips had fallen and he'd been praying to every deity he could think of. Maybe he had. His cheeks warmed while shifting his gaze to the floor to avoid either of theirs. While he hadn't seen Derek's expression, the unbridled admiration on Deaton's had been more than enough to leave him both unsettled and bashful. "I just didn't want him to die.." he muttered to his shoes.
"And he didn't." Deaton beamed with pride Stiles didn't feel he deserved. "As I said, young Stilinski, all of the pieces fit into place now."
His brow crinkled now in thought. "Even the mountain ash before I turned?" Because as far as he was concerned, none of it made sense.
"Even that."
"How?" Derek asked before Stiles could. The two shared another look, both with the same level of confusion.
"The anomaly in your blood." Deaton smiled, again seeming pleased with himself for figuring it out. "Now that I know what you are, it makes sense. Did you know the last True Alpha was Irish?" Stiles glanced toward Derek again, then shook his head. "I didn't think so. I am willing to bet my entire livelihood that if I were to test your father's blood I would find the same anomaly, though perhaps not as prevalent as it shows in yours. Your father's family is Irish, are they not?"
"Y-yeah." He'd told Deaton as much that night the Alpha had attacked at his house.
"Talk among the emissaries is that there is a specific gene, or rather something within the blood, that gives more potential for a true Alpha's emergence. That, perhaps, it may even lie within an ancient family line."
Stiles glanced at Derek to get his read on this. The former Alpha appeared thoughtful while he scrutinized Stiles. Feeling his ears warm, he turned back to Deaton, "So you're saying if my dad was bitten there's a chance he'd have been a True Alpha?"
"Potentially, yes. As I said, it is only a theory. Without the ability to test the last True Alpha genetically, I cannot say for certain that this truly runs in the family. Without a shadow of a doubt, I can tell you that that is what you are, Stiles." The man shrugged and clasped his hands in front of himself.
Stiles stepped closer to the exam table. "That still doesn't explain why Deucalion was after me. If I hadn't been bitten.."
"You would never have become a True Alpha. I'm afraid his goal was to ultimately kill you. He would have turned you only to have you realize that power.. so that he could take it from you. Or attempt to add you to his 'collection' of followers."
"But he was already an Alpha." Stiles balked.
Derek spoke instead of the emissary, moving up beside him again with his arms crossed. "An Alpha can take another Alpha's power and become even stronger; heightening their senses further, making their transformations more beastly. You saw him. The black skin in his shift? Somewhere between man and wolf, larger than any other werewolf I've ever seen. That's what happens when a wolf takes more power than they should ever have had. It wouldn't surprise me if when his captives all came of age he killed Kali to take hers. He wanted to become the most powerful creature on the planet, taking your power would have given him even more of an advantage than taking everything from those he held."
"Okay, but isn't it a toss-up on whether I'd have become a True Alpha or not? Sounds to me like the circumstances had to be just right."
Deaton shrugged one shoulder, "Yes and no. It was within you to make that transition, the chances are greater than not that at some point in your life, you would have realized that power."
"Sounds a lot like 'destiny' to me." Stiles wrinkled his nose in distaste. He'd never put much stock in fate, that something was meant to happen. He would rather think of the universe as a series of random events. It was better than believing that everything that happened was pushing toward some greater plan. Stiles supposed, however, that that was the difference between his belief and faith.
"Mm, in a way, I suppose it is." Deaton laughed quietly.
–
Derek went back to the loft after they'd left the clinic. Stiles had every intention of going home to shower and sleep, instead, when he put the Jeep in park he found himself on the preserve. He hadn't even meant to drive out here but had been going on auto-pilot since they'd left Deaton. With his head so full, he knew sleep wouldn't come easily. Knowing one sure-fire way to exhaust himself, he put himself to work. Having gone over the blueprints with Derek countless times he didn't need to look at them to know what needed to be done.
It was late afternoon when the rev of an engine drew him out of his thoughts. Turning, he saw Jackson drawing near with takeout containers in hand and a slightly apologetic look about him. "Hungry?"
It wasn't until the smell of bacon, cheese, burger, and mayo reached him that Stiles realized he hadn't eaten since the day before. His stomach grumbled loudly in response. "Starved." After nailing in the wood he'd been working with he leaped down from the second story and moved toward the picnic table. "Thanks." He said after he'd sat.
Jackson only nodded once before settling down on the opposite side to dig into his food. Before he'd taken a bite, though, he cleared his throat. "Derek told us what really happened, called a pack meeting outside his loft." When Stiles reached for his phone, wondering if he'd missed the call, Jackson waved a hand, "You weren't invited."
"Why?"
"Because half of us were pissed at you. We'd thought you'd siphoned Derek's power somehow. He wanted to clear the air and make sure we knew you didn't. Said we might listen better if we weren't glaring." A scoff escaped him, as though Derek had been ridiculous for thinking it.
Stiles didn't think so. The way Jackson had cornered him in that gas station was all the proof he needed. Besides, the whole pack had known Derek far longer than they'd known Stiles -save for Scott. It wasn't a stretch to imagine they'd jump to the conclusion that Stiles had stolen his power, especially when Stiles believed it too. "So, dinner is your apology?" He asked, feeling a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Something like that." Jackson would never outright admit he'd been wrong. One had to look for the signs in him. Thankfully, Stiles was pretty good at recognizing them. Others might think of Jackson as a pompous, entitled jerk... and he could be. There was so much more to the guy, though. Jackson's unshakeable loyalty was one of the many reasons the two of them had bonded.
"You get this at the diner across from the hospital?"
"Mhm. I remembered you liked their burgers back when Lydia was in the hospital."
And just like that, the two fell into companionable silence while they ate. Stiles could easily forgive Jackson for the assumptions that had been made. It helped that the guy apologized. Even if the words never left his mouth. Actions spoke louder than words, anyway. When dinner was out of the way, the two worked a bit together on the house before Jackson barely stifled a yawn, and then said his goodbyes. Once more leaving Stiles alone with nothing but his thoughts and the sounds of the preserve around him.
Stiles stayed until well after dark, using the work as a means to distract himself. By the time he, too, was yawning it was late and the only light he had to work by was what little moonlight shone down. With a quiet sigh, he cleaned up and put all the tools away so that they could be found easily the next day. Then made his way back to the Jeep, wiping his hands on his bloodstained jeans. It only reminded him that he hadn't had the opportunity to shower since the fight and he wasn't sure how his father would react upon seeing them. Hopefully, his dad was at work.
He'd barely had the thought to call Scott about using his shower when a familiar scent hit him. Turning on heel, a brow rose at the sight of Derek leaning back against a tree with his arms folded across his chest. Derek stared in the direction he'd just come from, probably looking over the work he'd done. Stiles kept his distance for the moment, looking over Derek's profile. It was clear he had taken the opportunity to shower. "Something on your mind, big guy?"
A glint of amusement shimmered in his eyes when they turned on Stiles. "Had to get out of the house."
"Too crowded?" When Derek nodded, he chuckled. "Better be careful, leaving your bed unattended. Someone might snatch it." As soon as the joke left his lips Stiles felt a stupid lurch in his stomach. The idea of anyone in Derek's bed was unappealing. Much as he wanted to say something, he didn't.
"Cora claimed it as soon as we left them there." He shrugged one shoulder, laughing to himself. As though he should have expected nothing less. It made sense why the girl would. After being away from her family for so long she was comfort seeking. "She was glad to hear there's another Alpha." He said offhandedly.
Stiles shifted closer, brows knitting. "Why? Isn't that some, like, territorial thing? Two Alphas can't stand to be in each other's space?" And the whole of Beacon Hills seemed to count as one 'space'.
"Normally, yes." Derek shrugged while watching Stiles. "She said she doesn't want it. She never did. It's hers by birthright but she says she'd rather someone else take the lead, thinks she's too young to make decisions for a whole pack."
He thought about it, then nodded to himself. "I mean, I guess I see it. She's fifteen. That's a lot to ask of anyone at fifteen."
"Or seventeen." Derek eyed him knowingly. As if he were fully aware of the turmoil that had been in Stiles' mind all day. "It's a large task, leading a pack. Especially one that's more than doubled in less than a day."
The younger male released a huff, shoulders sagging. Stiles' hands flailed at his sides, "I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I've been a werewolf for two months. I can't run a pack, I can't lead.. anyone. I didn't ask for any of this!"
"No, you didn't." A smile tugged at Derek's mouth. "Name a second, someone to help you where you're lacking. But, Stiles, I think you can handle a lot more than you think you can."
"Okay, then. You." He replied without hesitation, taking another step closer. Not only was Derek the first person to come to mind but the most logical choice. He'd been guiding others for more than a year and had a lifetime of knowledge. And he'd been an Alpha before. Maybe for only two months. It still counted, in Stiles' opinion. And everyone else trusted him.
Derek blinked in surprise, then a soft smile followed. The sort that made Stiles' stomach do somersaults. "It would have made sense to pick Cora since she's an Alpha too. Or Peter, he's older. Or.."
"No, I want you." The words hung between them, their double meaning caused Stiles' ears and cheeks to flush. He cleared his throat and barreled on, hoping Derek didn't notice. "I mean, you've been doing it for a while. Everyone already looks up to you. You started the training sessions. You know more about it than anyone else. You should still be the Alpha anyway. It should be you. If you want to, that is." The more he'd talked, the wider Derek's grin spread. It was a magnificent sight.
"Alright. Make it official at the next meet." When Stiles screwed up his face in disgust, Derek laughed, "What?"
"I just realized that means I have to talk in front of everyone," His hands flapped at his sides, "I hate being the center of attention."
Another rumbling laugh escaped. "No, you don't. I've seen you make an absolute ass of yourself in front of everyone for laughs."
"That's different!" He practically whined, "That's for comedic purposes. Serious stuff, like giving reports or something makes me feel like everyone's judging me."
"And you don't worry that they judge you for acting like an idiot?" Derek smiled fondly, watching Stiles with a combination of bewilderment and affection.
"No, because everyone knows that when you want funny, you find Stiles. When you want endless useless facts, find Stiles." He said it so matter-of-fact that Derek's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. Stiles huffed at him, as though he were annoyed with the elder teen rather than finding it completely adorable. "Alright, I've got it… as my second, you're in charge of all pack meets."
"Fine. I'll take care of meets. Although, that's not usually how it works."
"It is now." Stiles crossed his arms, as though daring the other man to challenge him.
Derek shook once more with laughter as he rolled a shoulder to push himself off the tree. "You'll do better than you seem to think." He said with much more confidence than Stiles felt. "Hell, you already take charge on a lot."
Taking the nonverbal cue that it was time to go, Stiles turned toward their cars. "On research. That's not the same thing."
A brow quirked at him. "You don't pay much attention to yourself, Stiles." He flashed a glance behind them toward the house. "Every time we're all out here, you're the one directing everyone on what they should be doing. How many training sessions have we had where you were the one to make a plan?" Derek turned a smile onto him, the kind that made his heart flutter. "Everyone's been following your lead for a while, even if I'm the only one who noticed."
With a wink, he dropped into the Camaro and headed away from the preserve. Once more the guy had left him utterly stupefied. Dammit.
–
The next few days went without incident. School was scheduled to resume on a staggered schedule on Monday -in two days- with half the students attending on alternating days while crews worked to rebuild what had been destroyed. Stiles would have been happy with another week off but also couldn't find it in himself to complain, considering Lydia had started drawing up schedules for all of them. If she had it her way they would spend every other day in the library rather than working on the pack house. While Scott and Isaac could use the study time, his grades were always fine. Hell, if he could keep himself on track when testing came around Stiles was sure he'd compete against Lydia for Valedictorian. Not that he would ever say that to the girl. Lydia wouldn't take too kindly to being beaten.
Peter began working on tracking down any family he could for those who had been captive; those that thought there might be someone out there, anyway. For those who were closer to eighteen and were certain there was no one, like the twins, he instead began searching for their records so that they could at least apply to finish school and get their licenses. The only dead end was Sari. She was so young when she had been taken that the little girl couldn't even remember her last name, let alone any family who might claim her.
Derek owned the building his loft was in and was planning to fill the vacant apartments with groups of three or four wolves to take some of the pressure off of himself and Melissa. There were still hurdles to jump through there, however. Like ensuring the apartments were furnished. Because no Hale was going to just throw a member of their pack into an empty apartment to fend for themselves. The Argent's seemed content with the three Kitsune residing with them, and the Kitsune seemed comfortable there as well. Derek still offered to find them a place if Chris wanted him to. The offer was declined, though left open just in case the Argent's became uncomfortable having supernaturals living with them.
All of the once-captive wolves made it known that they wanted to remain within Beacon Hills because they planned to join the pack. So long as they were welcome. Stiles didn't immediately realize that that was a decision that rested with him. Not until Cora brought it up at their Saturday morning meeting. A meeting that all of them were gathered for on the preserve. He and the two Hales stood a little apart from the rest, who all chatted and talked amongst themselves.
"You've spent time with them. What do you think?" He asked her.
"The newest ones are the only ones I didn't really get much chance to talk to." She indicated a few of the younger teens, "They seem alright though."
"Very helpful." He deadpanned which made the girl roll her eyes. It was amazing how much Cora acted like Derek, given that they hadn't seen one another for six years. It led him to assume it was just all a part of the Hale mentality.
"I trust them all enough and I think if they want to join us, even if it's only because they have nowhere else to go, then we should let them."
"Okay, see, that's helpful." Stiles flashed a smile at her and Cora shook her head like Stiles was the most annoying person on the planet. His attention turned to Derek next. "So, if we're letting them into the pack, does this mean we need to make the house bigger?"
Derek's attention had been focused on the house, as though he were thinking about that already. "I'd rather not make another floor, so unless we're building out further…" He trailed off in thought, staring at the already impressive structure. "We could start on another house, or extend this. We'd just need to lay additional foundations out, which might be the better option."
Peter stepped up beside his nephew, Malia trailed along behind him. She smiled shyly at Stiles while hooking her arm through her cousin's. "I'd just been thinking the same thing." The eldest Hale remarked, "I'll have to rework some of the blueprints and it will delay some of our work by a few days, but we've already been delayed on more than one occasion. So, what's a few days?" He seemed downright jovial. Stiles was attributing it to finally being reunited with his daughter and niece. Derek was a little less enthusiastic, though that was just because Cora had stolen his bedroom entirely, which forced him to sleep on the couch among all the foreign wolves.
"So, we're just going to make the house even bigger?" Cora's brows rose into her hair. "It's going to be a mansion by the time we're finished. You know that right?"
"Estate," Peter replied in a remarkably pompous tone that made each of them laugh. "It wouldn't be a proper pack house if we did not account for everyone within the pack, would it?" He turned back toward the work that had been done and muttered to himself, "I should make the kitchen bigger."
"Are you planning to cook for the entire pack?" Stiles asked the elder man. When Peter gave a noncommittal shrug, he laughed. "I didn't realize you'd be such a mother hen, Peter."
"I'll have you know, little Stilinski, I am a fantastic chef. You'd know that if you ever joined us for dinner." Peter snubbed his nose in the air in a very snobby fashion, though the smile that played over his lips was fond. With a little shake of his head, he motioned toward the rest of the pack. "We'd better get on with it. The children are getting restless."
–
Later that evening, sore from training, Stiles flopped onto his bed after a long shower. He'd gotten home with just enough time to see his father off to work. It almost felt like the two barely spoke anymore, even though they'd spent most of the previous day together. Half the time they only saw one another in passing. Noah seemed to understand that between school and his friends, his son was just growing up and finding himself. Stiles still made it a point to observe his father's diet, even if they didn't see one another as often.
Stretching to force his back to pop, Stiles then folded his hands under his head and stared at the ceiling. Even as sore as he was, he was finally relaxed enough to fall asleep. Or he would have been if not for the soft thump on the roof outside of his window, followed by the familiar scent of leather and cinnamon that drifted in when it slid open. He arched a brow toward the shadow that stepped into his room. "You know, I've been a werewolf for about 3 months and I still use the front door."
Derek dropped into his desk chair, casting an unimpressed glare in his direction. "Is your front door unlocked?"
"Probably not." The pointed look he received in response made him laugh. The running joke of it would never cease to be humorous. "So, what's up, big guy? Need a getaway?"
"Kind of, yeah. It's still so crowded in the loft."
"I thought you were moving everyone out to other apartments?"
Derek barely suppressed a yawn while leaning back so that his head rested against the wall behind him. His hands folded over his stomach while he wiggled to get more comfortable. "I have to wait until there's furniture. One of the twins stole the couch and I didn't feel right making him move. And I'm not sleeping on the floor."
"So… you came here to try and get some sleep?"
"Mhm." He hummed and closed his eyes.
Stiles pursed his lips in thought before shaking his head. He propped himself up on his elbow and pointed toward the closet. "You're going to wake up with a sore back. The cot's still in my closet."
"I wouldn't sleep on that if it were the last bed in the world. It's less comfortable than this and smells musty and ancient." Derek grunted around another yawn.
He scoffed in mock offense. After a moment's thought, he scooted closer to the opposite end of his bed. "My bed's big enough for both of us. And much more comfortable than the chair." When Derek eyed him, Stiles chuckled. "Come on, Jackson's practically shoved me off it enough times to lay here. I think you'll be fine."
The elder male stared a few seconds longer, the debate evident in his expression. Comfortable sleep must have won out over concern for sharing his bed because he hauled himself back upright. Three strides of his long legs were all that was needed for him to stand at the side of the bed, again looking like he was warring with himself. Stiles knew that it was uncomfortable enough for Derek to share the space of his apartment with anyone, let alone a bed. The guy hadn't kept anyone that close in years. He knew he shouldn't push and just let Derek sleep in the chair if that was what he wanted but was also only looking out for his well-being. The elder teen stood there a little longer like he was debating just sleeping on the floor instead.
Stiles rolled his eyes. "Oh my god , Der, just lay down. I promise not to give you cooties."
Derek rolled his eyes in that classic 'gods help me' sort of way before he kicked off his boots and dropped onto the mattress. Stiles snickered when the guy crossed his arms, but snuggled down against the pillow. After rolling onto his side, back to Derek, he yawned widely and said, "'Night, big guy."
"Goodnight, Stiles," Derek grunted in response.