Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter I. 2011 

On Sunday, after a late brunch, Stiles manages to convince his dad he will be alright. The Sheriff needs to meet with Melissa and Chris Argent if they are to create a convincing story (and proof). Agent McCall’s arrival to Beacon Hills could prove problematic in more than one way, so they need to be able to spin the story in a way that not only is believable, and keeps the supernatural cat in the proverbial bag, but also one that will protect the sheriff’s job. 

Stiles wishes so much he could help somehow, any way at all, but there’s nothing he can do at this time. Trying to keep himself distracted he calls Scott, getting nothing more than a voicemail. He supposes he could be with Derek, learning how to be an alpha and all that. The teenager tries to keep himself busy, cleaning around the house, going through his clothes, seeing which he can still get the blood out of, mend the tears (he convinced Mrs. Abernathy, the widow living a couple of houses down to teach him how to sew for a reason) and which are a lost case entirely. 

Eventually, he finds himself in his bedroom, putting away his research materials. He makes sure to keep the sources he found trustworthy, while the ones that turned out to be nothing but lies go straight into the trash. His bedroom is beginning to look half-decent when the window slams open. 

“Stilinski!” a voice calls. 

Stiles doesn’t shriek (he doesn’t!). What he does do is reach for one of the crystal vials he keeps on a shelf, filled with mountain ash, throwing it in the direction of his window, forcing himself to focus on creating a barrier. 

“Hey!” the newcomer snaps. 

“Cora?!” Stiles freezes in shock. 

“What the hell, Stilinski?!” Cora demands as she slams a hand against the barrier keeping her trapped close to the window, unable to advance, but also unable to go back out. “What’s this?” 

“Mountain ash,” Stiles answers promptly. 

“I know that, smartass,” Cora snaps. “What I mean is why did you attack me?” 

“Why did I…?” Stiles trails off. “You’re the one who just barged into my bedroom, unannounced, through the fucking window!” 

Even as he says it, half of Stiles’s attention is on the ash, his eyes narrow briefly and then the ash starts floating in the air, straight to his hand. He hesitates briefly as he reaches for another vial (mentally patting himself on the back for thinking ahead and buying a dozen of those vials as, while he’s taught himself to call the ash back, there’s nothing he can do about the broken glass vial). 

After the rave, and the failed attempt at catching the kanima, Stiles went back to collect the mountain ash. Originally his intention was to give it back to Deaton, but first he kept forgetting, and then he was nervous that he might not have been able to recover as much ash as he was initially given, so he kept putting it off. Then Deaton made a comment that led Stiles to realize that the vet/druid did not expect Stiles to return the ash; what’s more, he did not expect Stiles to be able to recover it… or to have been able to use it correctly for that matter (which he believed to have been the case, since they didn’t capture the kanima that day). 

It was then that Stiles realized a few very important details: like the fact that only Derek and his betas actually came across the barrier, and only the alpha knew Stiles to be responsible for it. Since he had to break it shortly afterwards so that Derek could go save Scott, nobody else realized it. The part that most stuck with the human though, was Deaton’s complete lack of reaction to it all. It led to Stiles realizing a few things: like the fact that the druid might have given Stiles the ash, making him believe that the human could finally be useful, but he never expected the teen to be able to use it. Or was it that he knew from the start that there just wasn’t enough ash for what was needed? Was that why he hadn’t even given Stiles proper instructions? Why he only did his cryptic routine with that ‘be the spark’ speech? What did that say about Deaton? What did it say about Stiles? But more than that, what did it say that Stiles managed to make it work despite all that? It didn’t matter that no one else but him and Derek knew, that most probably wouldn’t even believe it. Stiles knew… 

“Isn’t that what everyone else does?” she asks sassily. 

Stiles opens and closes his mouth repeatedly a few times. 

“Oh, I could kiss you!” he blurts out, only realizing what he’s said after the words have left his mouth, he snaps his mouth closed so hard his teeth clang together and he winces in pain. 

Surprisingly enough, Cora doesn’t seem to take offense to that, she just… laughs; and then she moves, so fast the human can’t quite follow her with his eyes, instead he finds himself being slammed against his bedroom wall in a move eerily similar to what her brother did the first time he was in Stiles’s bedroom… Stiles even opens his mouth to point that out, but before he has the chance Cora’s mouth is on his and well, that’s that. 

The kiss doesn’t actually last that long. But the shock’s still enough for Stiles to be completely breathless when Cora pulls back. 

“Wha… what…?” he babbles, completely thrown. 

“Next time I put my lips to your mouth you better be awake.” Cora quotes, teeth half-bared in a smirk. “Well, I’m awake right now.” 

She looks so much like… and it’s making all of Stiles’s blood go south. 

“That’s what you said, isn’t it?” she points out. 

“I… it is…” Stiles swallows. “I… I didn’t expect…” 

“That I would take you at your word?” Cora finishes for him. “And more?” 

“Y… yeah,” he admits. 

Cora just kisses him again. Again, a short kiss. Mostly because Stiles is still so thrown he’s not quite responding, which is absolutely insane! Here is an absolutely gorgeous girl kissing him, as good as propositioning him, and all he can think about is all the ways she reminds him of her brother?! 

“Look Stilinski, it’s not complicated,” Cora states bluntly. “I’m not looking for any confessions, or love declarations. Right now what I want is to have sex, and for that I need someone I can trust.” 

And she came to him. Stiles doesn’t need her to be any clearer than that. So with that in mind Stiles moves just enough to this time be the one to capture her mouth in a kiss. Cora’s feisty, not that the human is surprised. It takes no time at all for her to take control of the kiss and Stiles neither complains nor tries to take it back, just giving in. 

He’s not quite sure how they end up on his bed, exactly, distracted as he is by Cora (though there’s definitely some manhandling involved and some parts of him enjoy that, very much!). Stiles might not have much experience (which is to say, he has none at all, or none that involves another person anyway) but it’s clear that she at least knows what she wants, and the teen-aged boy has no problem following her lead. 

“Stiles,” he manages to say at some point when she, yet again, calls him by his surname, because that’s way too formal for someone he’s having sex with. “Call me Stiles.” 

xXx

Hours later, Stiles wakes up to find Cora standing by his window. She’s still naked, her golden skin almost glowing under the sunlight. He also notices that she seems to have no issue with someone possibly seeing her through the window. 

“You leaving so soon?” Stiles asks, aiming for joking but not quite managing. 

While they both agreed that it was just sex, no strings-attached, he doesn’t like the idea of her just… leaving, without even saying goodbye or something. 

“We’re leaving tonight,” Cora states softly. 

Stiles doesn’t miss the pronouns being used, or the implications. 

“Oh…” he murmurs, forcing himself to swallow past the knot in his throat as he sits up in the bed, the topic of conversation pulling his attention quite effectively away from his own nakedness and any sense of embarrassment he might have left. “I’m glad.” 

That does seem to surprise the she-wolf, who turns to look at him over her shoulder. It’s clear that whatever response she might have been expecting him to have to the news that they (the Hales, all of them) are leaving, was really not that one. 

“Derek… he’s been through so much, too much,” Stiles clarifies quietly. “If anyone deserves to get out of this fucking hellhole it’s him.” 

Cora turns fully to look at him, head tilted to a side as she seems to consider… something about him. 

“What…?” he blurts out eventually, unable to help himself. “Is there something on my face? Did I drool while asleep?” 

Even as he asks he’s already rubbing at his cheeks and the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand, and even the edge of his bed-sheet. 

“You’re something else, Stiles,” she announces. 

“Is that a good thing, or a bad one?” he asks, curious. 

She shrugs, as if she cannot decide, or just doesn’t care to think about it. 

“Anyway, I’m not leaving just yet,” she announces. 

Stiles doesn’t need to ask what she means by that, as it becomes pretty obvious as she climbs back on the bed and straight on his lap, their naked bodies coming in contact immediately. A moan escapes Stiles’s mouth at the very touch of her. At least he’s no longer as inexperienced; he’s a quick study, and has been paying attention to what she likes best, which she seems to appreciate. 

That night, after they’ve both showered… and wasn’t that an interesting experience? Stiles has never shared a shower with anyone, and while the upstairs bathroom is a bit on the small side, the downstairs one is actually big enough that there’s no trouble fitting both of them at the same time (it’s the bathroom that’s connected to what used to be the master bedroom, before his mom died and his dad chose to move to one of the upstairs bedrooms… and Stiles would really rather not think about the possible implications of that!). 

Stiles makes sure to cook enough not just for the two of them, but so he can save his dad a plate, and there are even some leftovers for her to take to the other Hales. 

“So… how long have you had a crush on my brother?” Cora asks about halfway through dinner. 

Stiles is taken so by surprise by those words that he almost chokes on his food, he sputters and has to swallow half a glass of water and cough several times before he can breathe right, much less get a single word out… or well, he would if he could think of a single word to say to that! 

“What…?!” Is all that he manages to get out, eventually. 

“Oh come on Stiles, you think I cannot smell the lust coming off of you whenever my brother bends down, or flexes, or even just walks into the fucking room?” Cora scoffs. 

“It’s not a crush!” he eventually manages to cry out. 

“I can smell it!” she insists. “We all can!” 

“You what?!” He almost shrieks at that, then considers something else. “Wait, why did you come to me then? If you… if you know I… I like your brother?” 

“Well, it’s not like you’re actually together,” she shrugs. “Or like I expected you to fall madly in love with me or whatever. And I told you, I needed someone I could trust. I can usually pick someone up in a nightclub just fine, but right now…” 

She needed more than just a hookup after almost dying, even if she wasn’t expecting any romance, any actual relationship, she wanted more than just getting off with someone in a bathroom or a motel room. Stiles does get that, and he does still feel honored that despite having known each other for such a short time she’d be willing to trust him that much. Which leads him to reveal what he does next: 

“It’s not a crush,” he murmurs softly, and before Cora can say anything to insist, he clarifies. “It’s actually more than that.” 

For a minute or so Cora seems to be the one who doesn’t know what to say. When she finally finds her words, her tone is quiet, soft: 

“I remember that day, you know?” she murmurs quietly. “When Boyd died… Derek let you touch him, when he didn’t allow anyone else even close. Not even me.” 

“What are you trying to say?” he asks, just as quietly as her, as if fearing that speaking any louder will break the moment. 

“I think you know exactly what I’m trying to say.” 

“He’s still leaving,” he reminds her. 

“He is. Would you begrudge him that?” 

“Of course not! This place… I… Beacon Hills has nothing but bad, dark things for him. Memories of pain, and grief, and loss… Derek deserves better than that. He deserves to find peace and happiness. And the first step for that is getting the hell out of this place.” 

“It still has you.” Cora tilts her head to the side. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Stiles insists. “I’m but one person.” He exhales. “Besides, me having feelings for him doesn’t mean he reciprocates, or that he ever will.” 

“It’s not that easy for him.” 

“I know. I…” He cuts off, those aren’t his secrets to share. “I know.” 

“You know? I think you do.” 

There are things about her own brother Cora doesn’t know, and she’s aware of that. She has no idea if Derek will ever trust her enough to tell her, but in that moment she realizes it doesn’t matter. Because he’s not alone, there’s at least one person who knows; who, whether he understands or not, does know, and accepts her brother. And Cora knows how important that is. Derek isn’t alone, and if she knows Stiles any, he never will be. 

“You’re definitely something, Stiles,” Cora states later, as she goes to leave. 

He still doesn’t know what that’s supposed to mean, exactly. Though her smile tells him it’s probably something good. 

Stiles stands by his front door, watching Cora walk down the street all the way to where the preserve begins, disappearing into the shadows of the trees. A part of him wonders if he’ll ever see her again, if he’ll ever see any of the Hales again. And as much as a part of him might hope that the answer to that question might be yes, he still holds onto what he told Cora, if anyone deserves to get out of the veritable hellmouth that Beacon Hills has proven to be, it’s Derek. The guy’s gone through so much, he’s earned some peace and happiness in his life. 

Does Stiles like him? Definitely. Stiles started falling for him the first time the sourwolf slammed him against his bedroom wall and hasn’t stopped since (he probably never will). Even the fantastic sex he and Cora had could never erase what he feels for her brother. Those feelings came first, and it’s not like what he and Cora had was anything more than a fling. She said it, it was just sex. And Stiles is fine with that. Also, it’s not like he’s planning to do anything regarding his feelings for her brother. Even without considering the age difference, and the fact that he’s still in high-school (and that his dad’s arrested him, twice!) Derek’s leaving Beacon Hills and that… that’s a good thing. Stiles is convinced of that. 

“Stiles?” His dad’s arrival surprises him so much that Stiles cannot help but flail. “Is everything alright?” 

“Wha… uh… yeah!” Stiles doesn’t sound convincing, at all. 

“Wanna try that again, kid?” The sheriff arches a brow, waiting. 

“It’s fine,” Stiles insists, turning away from the knowing gaze of his dad and walking back into the house. “Left you some dinner in the oven.” 

Thankfully, his dad doesn’t press the topic, and Stiles makes it back to his bedroom soon enough. Once there he takes a look at his messy bed and after some consideration strips the sheets and gets them into the washing machine. The last thing he needs is for his dad to start asking uncomfortable questions. When he makes it back he opens his window wide and even makes sure to spray some air-freshener just to be on the safe side… he ends up using a bit too much and rushes to the window to get some fresh air when the smell becomes too much for him. 

He ends up staying there for a few minutes, just staring out into the night, watching the preserve in the distance, almost imagining he can see Derek… He can’t, of course not, but still. He can imagine him, all talk, dark and handsome. That tiny smile on his face, the kind only his pack ever gets to see… 

“Good luck, sourwolf,” he whispers to the empty night.