Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The rest of Derek and Paige’s junior year goes by without a hitch, and it’s quickly summer once more. Summer means Peter’s home - it means lazy nights camping in the preserve, short trips all around California, and comfortable, easy days spent with friends and family. This time when Derek sends Peter back off to school - to his own apartment, this time around - it’s easier than the last. Derek knows that he’ll miss Peter and be missed by Peter, but he’s secure in their relationship and excited for his own senior year.

The first thing that he does when the school year starts is sign up to be a big buddy in their program that matches seniors and freshmen. He remembers being nervous starting high school even though he had Peter and the rest of his family to support him, and wants to be a pillar of support for someone else. He gets his match in paper later that same week, and immediately knows that his work will be cut out for him.

He doesn’t recognize the first name (if that jumble of letters can even be called a first name), but the last name is easy to spot: Stilinski. His little buddy is the son of the town’s sheriff; a notoriously weird kid that goes by Stiles and always seems to be where he shouldn’t. At least, the second part was true until his mom died a slow, agonizing death three years ago. People stopped talking about the sheriff’s kid, and he disappeared from the public view. There was plenty of gossip at first, but that fizzled out too.

The sheriff’s kid was forgotten about, and the town praised the sheriff for his strength and commitment to his office when he threw himself into his work. Derek hadn’t met the kid before his mom’s death, he’d only heard stories, but the change in him is easy to see when they meet for the first time in their designated classroom after school.

Stiles doesn’t seem interested at all in being there, sitting at a table and staring at his shoes. Derek approaches carefully, trying not to react to the overwhelming waves of grief rolling off the boy.

“Hey, it’s Stiles, right? I’m Derek, your buddy.”

Stiles looks up for a minute, studies Derek’s face, and then drops his head back down to stare at the ground. The dismissal makes Derek feel even more off-balance than he already did just walking in, and he feels at a loss for what to do next.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

At that, Stiles looks up sharply. “I thought we had to stay in here for the entire hour.”

He says it like that was the way that someone else said it to him, and Derek realizes that he’s probably not here by choice at all. His heart aches for this lost, broken boy in front of him, and he makes up his mind. “Nah, as long as we’re together for the hour, I don’t think they care. I’ll check in and make sure it’s cool before we take off, but we can go get coffee or something instead.”

Not giving Stiles a chance to protest, Derek made his way up to the desk at the front of the room and flashed a charming smile at the guidance counselor sitting at the desk. “Hey, is it okay if Stiles and I go get coffee instead of staying here?”

She frowns at first, but before she can refuse, Stiles appears at Derek’s side and asks, “Are we good to go?” and she looks so shocked just at hearing his voice that she nods, and Stiles turns to leave without another word.

Derek thanks her and moves to catch up with Stiles easily. “Do you have a preference? I know there aren’t a ton of places around, but if there’s somewhere you don’t like, we won’t go there.”

Stiles just stares at him for a minute, as if he’s not used to being asked for his opinion, then shakes his head. “No, whatever’s fine.”

Derek drives them to Starbucks, feeling like it’s neutral enough ground. Stiles seems impressed with the Camaro, which makes him preen, and of course Stiles notices and rolls his eyes. It doesn’t stop him from running his hands over the smooth interior and making small, pleased noises at how smooth the ride is.

They order, and Stiles mouth settles in an unhappy line when Derek tells him to put his wallet away and that he’ll cover it. “I’m the one who brought you here; don’t worry about it.”

Stiles scowls, but does thank him for the drink. Once they get their drinks, Derek leads them to a table in the corner so it’s quiet, and then they sit in an incredibly awkward silence for a moment. It quickly becomes clear to Derek that Stiles isn’t going to be the one to break the silence between them, so he clears his throat and asks, “So, how are you feeling about starting high school? It’s exciting, right?”

Derek didn’t think it would be possible, but Stiles’ scowl deepens further and he gives a non-committal shrug as he takes another long sip of his coffee. Derek just barely stops himself from rolling his eyes, knowing that it wouldn’t help the situation, and prompts again, “Is there anything at all you’re looking forward to?”

Sensing that Derek isn’t going to let it go, Stiles lets out a long sigh and replies, “Not really. At least so far it’s not any different than middle school was. Same shit, different year.”

While it’s not what he was hoping for, this is at least something Derek can work with. “Yeah, I guess that’s fair. People make a big deal about the change, but it really isn’t all that much different. You get a little more freedom in choosing your classes and all that, but only so much.”

Stiles looks him in the eye again, clearly surprised by Derek’s easy acceptance of his gripes. He had obviously expected to be written off; to be told that he was just being stubborn. Derek understands that - he’s a teenager, too. But that’s the whole point of this “buddy” program - Derek gets it. He gets where Stiles is coming from, and hopefully he can help him out.

After a long pause, Stiles nods slowly, but doesn’t say anything more. Internally, Derek sighs. At least he started to get a reaction out of the kid. It’s clearly going to be a slow process, but he reminds himself not to get frustrated. He didn’t sign up for this with the idea it was going to be completely easy, though he had expected his buddy to want to work with him a little more.

“Have you thought about joining any other after-school activities? Clubs or sports teams or anything? That can also be a nice way to meet more people and continue getting adjusted.”

Stiles simply shrugs noncommittally. “Not really. I mean, I didn’t exactly sign up for this either.”

That much was clear to Derek from the moment he walked into the classroom and saw him, but he feigns surprise anyway. “Really?”

“Don’t pretend like they didn’t tell you. Of course they’d have to give you a warning about the kid with the dead mom and ‘attitude issues’.”

No one had warned him, actually, but Derek didn’t feel like that was what Stiles really wanted to hear. “Losing your mom must’ve really fucking sucked, huh?”

Maybe it’s the way he says it, maybe it just wasn’t what Stiles was expecting, but it actually startles a laugh out of the younger man. “Yeah,” he responds after he finishes laughing, “it really fucking did. Still does. Especially when…” he cuts himself off without finishing the thought.

“Especially when what, Stiles?”

But Stiles has already shut himself off again, shaking his head. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

There’s obviously more to the story, but it’s their first day. Derek decides he isn’t going to push - not yet, anyway. The suffocating cloud of grief that surrounds Stiles had lifted for a brief moment, but it surrounds him once more.

Derek gets him to chat a bit more, but it’s awkward for the rest of the hour, and Stiles practically jumps out of his chair when he sees the time on his phone switch to indicate that the hour’s over. Derek doesn’t say anything about it, just stands and follows suit when Stiles goes to throw out his coffee cup.

“Can I give you a ride home?” Derek asks, bouncing his keys against the front of his leg.

Another shrug from Stiles. “Sure. I can walk if it’s really out of your way, though.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m happy to take you. Living so far out in the woods, anything in town is already ‘out of my way’,” Derek laughs.

Stiles’ scent sours further with anxiety. “Then don’t worry about it; I’ll just walk,” he says, speeding up out of the coffee shop and all but running away from Derek.

Luckily, his reflexes allow him to gently catch Stiles’ elbow before he can get far. “That’s not what I meant at all, sorry. I was just joking around. It’s not a problem at all.”

Stiles studies his face like he thinks Derek is lying and if he can just stare at him long enough he’ll find a tell, but Derek isn’t lying and Stiles isn’t the one out of the two of them with a built-in lie detector. He gives a short, jerky nod and follows Derek back to the Camaro at a more sedate pace. Stiles provides Derek easy-to-follow directions to get to his house, and Derek frowns as he parks outside of the intended destination.

If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought the house was empty and abandoned. It’s clear that someone has been attempting to take care of the yard, but it’s truly out of control. There’s no car in the driveway, no decorations on the house, nothing personal at all. Before he can ask about it or make any remark at all, Stiles has his seatbelt unbuckled and is halfway out of the car already.

“Thanks for the ride, and for the coffee. See you next time, I guess,” he says, immediately shutting the door and walking up to the house to let himself in. Derek waits until he’s safely inside before driving away, his mind racing on the drive home. Meeting Stiles Stilinski was absolutely nothing like he expected.

He tells both Peter and Paige about it, and gets unnervingly similar responses from the both of them. “Just give it time, Derek. The kid’s been through a lot. He’ll open up to you eventually.”

Derek hopes like hell that they’re both right.

Their meeting the next week goes very similarly, but this time Derek takes them out for ice cream instead of coffee. He quickly gets the feeling that Stiles doesn’t really like being at school, and while it’s something he wants to address eventually, he just gets Stiles out of there so that they can hopefully build some trust.

After their third meeting, they both have to individually meet with the guidance counselor and then as a pair. She asks who wants to go first, and after a moment of Stiles’ usual silence, Derek volunteers and follows her into the office.

“So, how would you say things are going with Stiles, Derek?”

“I don’t know if I’m actually doing anything to help him. I hope I am, but it’s hard to tell.”

She sighs heavily, “I understand. If you want to be paired with someone else, we could switch you around.”

The suggestion takes Derek by surprise, and he’s a little upset on Stiles’ behalf by her reaction. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I just think it’s going to take some time for him to open up, but I definitely don’t want to just walk away from him.”

She must realize that she’s upset Derek somehow, and immediately backtracks. “I didn’t mean anything negative by that! I just know Stiles can be a bit…difficult, and it would be okay if you wanted to change things around. But I’m honestly glad to hear that you want to keep working with him. He’s had a hard time of it.”

Derek nods. “Yes, he has. But we have good conversations sometimes, too. I think he literally just needs someone to talk to him like he’s any other kid. Like a buddy,” he says, with the hint of a smirk on his face.

“Alright, alright. Well, if you do need anything or if it does get overwhelming, you know where to find me. Can you send Stiles in?”

“Sure thing, and thanks.” He gets up, holding the door open and motioning with his head for Stiles to take his place, which he does. Derek lets the door close and sits in the chair next to where Stiles had been sitting, and tries not to feel guilty about listening in on their conversation.

It’s harder for her to get Stiles to answer her questions than it is for Derek to get Stiles to answer his questions, and Derek can’t help but be a little bit smug about it. Especially when she asks if he’s comfortable with Derek or if he’d prefer to meet with someone else, and Stiles’ heartbeat ticks up and he quickly answers, “No, I’m good with Derek.”

Once they’re pulled in together, the rest of the meeting is brief. The counselor basically reiterates the rules - that it’s okay that they spend their time in the classroom with some organized activities, or they’re allowed to leave as long as they spend at least a full hour per week together, and that they’ll have another one of these check-ins later in the year to make sure everything is still going okay.

They walk out together, plans already made to go for a walk in the park since the weather’s exceptionally gorgeous that day. Their first lap around the track is made mostly in silence, before Stiles surprises Derek by being the first one to speak up this time.

“So how come you didn’t ask to get switched to someone else?”

Derek actually comes to a full stop in his tracks, looking at Stiles with a bewildered expression. “Why would I do that? I like hanging out with you.”

Stiles scoffs, not looking Derek in the eye as he kicks at a loose rock in front of him on the path. “You don’t have to lie to me. I know I’m not exactly a barrel of fun these days.”

“You don’t have to be. I wouldn’t expect you to be, not after the shit you’ve had to deal with. That doesn’t mean I don’t like spending time with you, though. For one, you’re smarter than half of my friends combined, save for Paige. And you’re funny in that dry, sarcastic way that all of my other favorite people are.”

Stiles finally does look up at that. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

Derek nods to show his sincerity. “I really do.”

For the first time since they’ve met, what appears to be a genuine smile spreads across Stiles’ face. Derek is beyond pleased to see it there. When he’s smiling, Stiles looks like the goofy teenager that he’d heard so many stories about, and not someone with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Stiles nods up to a bench that’s not far from them. “Let’s sit. There’s more stuff I want to tell you.”

Derek does his best to disguise his surprise and follows Stiles easily. He sits next to him when they reach the bench, and then he waits. Despite being the one to suggest this, Stiles seems to struggle to find his words.

“Everyone knows about me losing my mom, you know,” he finally says, and Derek does nothing but give a little nod to indicate that he’s heard him.

“She’s not the only one that I feel like I lost, though,” he continues. “My dad threw himself into work while she was still sick. I think it was how he dealt with it, but I always thought he’d come back to me after she was gone. But I was wrong.”

Stiles pauses, takes a steadying breath, and feels Derek’s hand land on his shoulder, thumb rubbing small circles into the back of it. It’s been a long time since someone touched him with such familiarity, and it’s incredibly comforting.

“I know he still loves me, and I love him too, Derek. He’s my dad - I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. But he works, and he works, and he works, and then when he is home, he just drinks. I don’t mean that he’s abusive, or an alcoholic, or anything like that!” Stiles rushes to say, as if he’s afraid that Derek has already assumed the worst. “I just think he feels like he has to go it alone without her, but he doesn’t realize that means that he left me alone in the process.

“He spends all that time working, and we still don’t have any money, either. I’m not old enough that anyone will hire me yet, but I know as soon as I’m 15 I’m going to have to start working, too. I know a lot of people have it worse, and I’m not against getting a job, but I hate feeling like there’s no other choice. Like it’s my responsibility now to work myself half to death, too, since I’m old enough. I do what I can now - sell some papers online at least for petty cash and groceries when I can, but it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in a day sometimes, between that and my own schoolwork. I don’t think that dad knows that I know how bad it is - but I’ve seen enough bills with ‘final notice’ on them to know that we’re in real trouble. I think most of it is medical bills from my mom dying, but the house eats up a lot of money, too.”

“Stiles - “ Derek interjects, not entirely sure what he’s going to say, but feeling like he has to say something.

Stiles shakes his head, though, stopping Derek from continuing. “That’s not it. Just let me get all of this out, okay, Derek? You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, either. It’s just, I haven’t felt like there was anyone I could talk to about all of this and I’m afraid if I don’t get it all out, I never will.

“I never had a lot of friends growing up, either, but I had one. His name is Scott McCall. We were like brothers when we were kids, but last year, he got a girlfriend, and he started spending all of his time with her, and then he actually ended up moving away. He’ll remember to text me every once in a while, but between wanting to spend time with his girlfriend, the new school, and not wanting to ‘be a part of my perpetual pity party’, it’s rare anymore. So I’m still here, I’m starting high school, and everyone is telling me I should be excited and things are going to change and it’s going to be great. But things have been changing for a while, and they’ve only been changing for the worst.

“I don’t like being a downer. I don’t like feeling like my grief pushed Scott and even my own dad away from me. But I don’t know how to make it stop, either. She died, and everyone else moved on, and I just don’t know how to do the same.”

Stiles isn’t crying by the end of it, but Derek can tell that he’s on the verge of tears. Practically without thinking about it, he extends his arm around Stiles’ shoulders and then pulls him in for a hug. Stiles’ head fits perfectly into the crook of his neck, and he holds onto Derek tightly, as if he’s afraid that if he lets go even just a little bit, Derek will disappear.

The ever-present cloud of grief around Stiles doesn’t lift, but it does lighten a bit. There’s relief in his scent and in his posture. Derek just holds him; lets him cling to Derek as long as he likes.

After a long moment, Derek finally finds his words. “There’s nothing wrong with that, and there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re grieving, Stiles, and that’s normal. It’s not logical, or rational, and it feels horrible, but it’s normal.

“I’m so proud of you for sharing all of this with me. I know it can’t be easy for you to talk about. I’m really glad that you feel like you can trust me with all of this, and I want to be here for you. There are a few things, though, that worry me, and I think we’re going to need some help. I could talk to the guidance counselor - “

“No. It’s you I trust with this, Derek. It’s your help that I need.”

As pleased as Derek is at hearing that Stiles trusts him, he knows this isn’t something he can handle himself. He’ll be there for Stiles, sure, but he can’t do it all on his own. Stiles deserves - and needs - more than that. And besides, he can’t make himself solely responsible for Stiles’ mental health. That wouldn’t be safe for either of them.

“I will help you, Stiles. But that’s going to mean involving a few other people - adults, mostly. It doesn’t have to be the guidance counselor, or anyone from the school at all, if you’re not comfortable with that. I could talk to my mom; I know she knows your dad through work as well. I’m going to be here for you - more than that, I want to be here for you. But it can’t just be me and you against the world, Stiles.”

Stiles still looks dubious, but eventually nods in the small space where he’s pulled back from Derek’s hug. “That makes sense. It would be unfair of me to ask you to keep that all to yourself too. Would it be okay if it was just your mom we told? At least for now?”

Derek is a bit stunned by Stiles’ use of the word ‘we’ - he assumed he’d have to talk to his mom himself - but glad that Stiles understands. “Yeah, I think that’ll be fine. And just to give you fair warning, she may tell us we need to talk to the guidance counselor, or decide there is someone else she needs to talk to. If we talk to her, there’s still a good chance it goes beyond her, and I need you to be okay with that.”

“I’m not gonna lie, I don’t like the idea of a bunch of people knowing about everything. But I meant it when I said that I trust you, Derek. And to be perfectly honest, I can’t keep going in the way that I am now. I don’t know how things will change, but I know that they need to.”

The smile that Derek gives Stiles at that is practically blinding, and it causes Stiles to smile in return. “So when do you think we could talk to her?”

“Now? If you want to, you could come over for dinner and then we could talk to her after.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. There are so many of us and we’re always coming and going anyway; one more person for dinner is no big deal. And I know she’ll be happy to meet you.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Stiles says, pulling back further and standing from the bench to stretch after sitting so long.

Derek nods. “Yeah, it won’t be a problem. Will it be a problem for your dad?”

Stiles immediately goes back to looking anywhere but Derek’s face, and Derek’s frustration returns to him. Even the mention of Stiles’ dad makes him upset. “No, I think he’s working a double. He won’t care. Even if he’s not, he won’t be home until well after 11, so unless you guys eat really late, it’ll be fine.”

Derek takes a few deep breaths to calm down, upset that it’s clear that Stiles is used to going home to an empty house and staying there alone with no real idea when his dad will be there. He must be quiet for a bit too long, because suddenly Stiles’ eyes meet his once more, and his expression is unreadable.

“You’re upset,” it’s said as a statement, not a question.

“Not at you,” Derek replies, and Stiles tries not to think about who Derek is actually mad at. He simply follows Derek back to his car and enjoys the quiet ride out to the Hale house. Stiles’ eyes grow wide as they progress up the drive and the full house comes into view. It’s intimidating as hell. Paired with the fact that Stiles knows he’s going to have to air all his dirty laundry again, he’s more than a little nervous.

As if Derek can sense the moment that Stiles starts to worry, he parks and immediately places a comforting hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, it’s going to be okay. I know my family can be a lot, but they care. It’s just dinner, at least first. Nothing to be concerned about regarding dinner.”

Stiles huffs a laugh. “Sure, nothing at all.” But the panic fades a bit from his scent, and Derek is just glad he helped, even a little bit.

He unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car, and Stiles follows suit. They walk up to the front door, Derek leading the way, and it opens before they even get up to the porch. Derek, of course, knows that his family could hear him arrive and the second slam of a car door signaling that he had a guest, but it takes Stiles by surprise.

Luckily, it’s just his mom at the door, and Derek is quietly grateful. His sisters can be overwhelming, and while Stiles will meet them eventually, that’s not what he needs as soon as he walks in the door.

“Welcome home, sweetheart,” Talia calls to them as they walk up. “Who’s your friend? Is this Stiles? You should’ve told me you were bringing him for dinner!”

Stiles immediately goes tense. “I-I’m sorry, Mrs. Hale. I can just head home; I don’t want to be a bother.”

He turns as if to head back to the driveway, stopping for a minute to stare at the Camaro and wonder just how long of a walk back to town it’s going to be when there’s a different hand on his other shoulder, turning him around. He follows the direction and comes face to face with Talia, smiling warmly at him.

“It’s no trouble at all to have you here, Stiles. I was just teasing Derek. He could’ve at least texted me, is all. We’re happy to have you. Please, do come in,” and she leads him the rest of the way back to the house where Derek is waiting on the porch, trying his best not to look anxious, but relaxing a bit when he sees that Stiles easily follows his mother.

“Do you have any allergies we should be concerned about, Stiles?”

Stiles shakes his head at Talia’s question, “No, and I’m not a picky eater either. I love finding and trying new recipes. Is there anything I could do to help?”

Derek is a bit stunned at how easily Stiles seems to participate in conversation with his mother, but also glad that some of his anxiety has faded. It appears his manners took over, which makes everything a lot easier.

“Dinner is actually already just about ready and the table is set, but I appreciate the offer. Derek, why don’t you show Stiles up to your room to put your things down and then come down for dinner?”

“Sure thing, mom,” Derek replies, nodding toward the stairs to indicate that Stiles should follow him, which the other teen does. When they reach his room, Derek tosses his backpack in the general direction of the foot of his bed.

“You can put your stuff down wherever; as long as it’s easy for you to find later, it doesn’t matter to me. If you want, I could give you a quick tour of the house before we go down for dinner.”

As Derek speaks, Stiles takes his backpack off and sets it down more gently by Derek’s desk.

“That sounds good,” he says, “This place is huge, and I might get lost otherwise.” On their way out of the room, a framed photo of Derek and a man just a bit older than him catches Stiles’ eye.

“Who’s that?” He asks, pointing toward the frame.

Derek blushes, which isn’t a reaction that Stiles thinks he’s seen out of him before, and pauses before replying, “That’s Peter, my boyfriend. He’s away at college now; that’s probably why you haven’t met him or seen him around school before.”

That news also catches Stiles by surprise. He knows better than to make assumptions, but he hadn’t thought Derek wasn’t straight. He talks about his friend Paige all the time, and Stiles had thought that they might’ve been dating, or at least that Derek had a crush on her.

He realizes he’s been quiet for too long, and Derek is looking at him with worry in his expression like he thinks he’s made a mistake, so Stiles rushes to correct himself, vomiting words in the process. “I didn’t know you were gay! Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay, I might even be gay myself, I’m not sure yet, but I think I’m probably bisexual. I just thought you were with your friend Paige, or that you at least liked her. You and Peter are really cute together, though!”

The worry faded quickly from Derek, replaced by a bit of fond amusement as Stiles raced through all of his thoughts, trying to find the right words.

“Thanks, Stiles. And don’t worry about it. I identify as pansexual, not gay, but it took me a while to figure it out, too. Didn’t take long for me to realize that Peter was the one for me, though,” he says with a small smile.

Stiles has no idea what to say to that, so he flashes a smile in return and moves back toward the doorway. “So you, uh, mentioned something about a quick tour?”

Derek leaps into action, showing Stiles around the Hale house. The upstairs isn’t much - mostly bedrooms, spare bedrooms, offices, and bathrooms, but the second floor boasts a large family room that clearly sees a lot of use, a door leading down to an extensive basement that doubles as a second family room and home gym, a library that Stiles knows he could easily get lost in, a mud room and connected garage, and finally the large, state-of-the-art kitchen and dining room.

“Wow,” Stiles breathes as they arrive in the dining room to see most of the family seated. “Your house is gorgeous.”

“Thank you, Stiles,” Talia smiles as she comes up behind him and Derek with the last of the dishes for the table.

He jumps a bit, not having heard her approach, but settles quickly. He flashes a smile at her and takes the seat that Derek indicates was saved for him. Stiles looks around the table, trying to identify who everyone is. Derek’s two younger sisters, twins named Cora and Laura, are sophomores, and he’s seen them at school before even if he doesn’t really know them. The man sitting on Talia’s right leans in and kisses her on the cheek as she takes her seat, so he assumes that’s Derek’s dad, Joseph.

There’s a pair of adults he doesn’t recognize, but that he finds out are Derek’s aunt and uncle, and the parents of the three young children at the table. Everyone greets him warmly, save for the kids who are lost in their own worlds, ready for food.

As Stiles takes in the spread on the table, he’s just as impressed as he was with the house overall. There’s a beautiful ham and several side dishes - a salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and rolls. It looks more like the most lavish meal he’s ever made for a special occasion like Christmas than it does a weeknight dinner, and it’s difficult for him to hide his surprise.

“We tend to go all out for family dinner. We can’t always all be together, so we like to celebrate it as a big deal when we can. This still isn’t quite everyone, but it’s nice to share a big family meal, and then there are leftovers for everyone for lunch for the rest of the week, too.” Derek says without prompting at Stiles’ wide eyes.

Stiles talks about himself more over the course of the delicious meal (which he compliments several times, to Talia’s amusement) than he feels like he has in years, aside from spilling his feelings all over Derek earlier in the day. Already his confession feels like it was ages ago, not merely hours, and he feels inexplicably relaxed in this company. Though there are more people than he’d normally be comfortable being around, it’s like he fits right in. Nobody treats him any differently than the others, and it’s refreshing. Maybe they ask him a few more questions, but it’s pressure-free, and Stiles actually feels like he can share and even ask questions of his own.

Derek grins widely at the comfort that Stiles displays with his family. He doesn’t say much, himself, but it would be stranger for his family if he talked as much as he normally does around Stiles. It turns out with just a little more prompting and removed from a direct one-on-one environment, Stiles can really talk. He speaks a mile a minute about a wide variety of topics, and Derek isn’t the only Hale to find himself entranced by Stiles’ charm when he gets going.

The meal seems to fly by, and Stiles passes on dessert, though he eyes the freshly-baked apple pie, and Derek decides he’ll make sure Stiles gets to take home at least a plate or two of the home-cooked meal. As everyone gets up and helps clean up, Stiles included even though Talia insists it isn’t necessary, Derek pulls his mother aside.

“Mom, can Stiles and I talk to you in your office once we’re done cleaning up? He told me a lot of things this afternoon that I don’t really feel like I can handle on my own, and he said he’s okay with talking to you about it too. I’m sorry to spring this on you, and we can try again another day if that’d be better, but I want to try to help him.”

Talia is shocked to hear the level of concern in Derek’s voice paired with the fresh burst of anxiety in his scent, and she nods immediately. “Of course, honey. If you want to grab him and head up there, I’ll finish organizing the cleanup down here and let everyone know not to disturb us or to listen in, then come up myself.”

Derek nods, then pulls his mother in for a tight hug and a quick scent mark at her neck, which she returns. He pulls a protesting Stiles out of the kitchen, saying, “Let’s go back upstairs,” so as to not make a scene of separating him from everyone.

Stiles is immediately quieter upon being alone with Derek, and Derek finds that he misses the sound of Stiles’ voice almost immediately. Luckily, they don’t have to wait long before his mother makes her way upstairs to join them, shutting the door to her office behind her.

“So, Stiles, Derek tells me that you talked to him about a few things this afternoon that he also wanted to talk about with me. First, I just want to tell you that it’s very brave of you to share things that are so personal, and I appreciate your trust in Derek and myself by proxy. Second, please understand that while I respect you and your privacy, if I suspect you or anyone else is in any kind of danger, I may have to tell other people some of the things you’ve told me, or take other action. Is that okay with you?”

Stiles has gone sour with anxiety that almost overwhelms the permanent cloud of grief that surrounds him, and Talia and Derek both do their best to control their reaction to the wave of emotion coming off of the young teen. Eventually, he does give a slow nod.

“It’s okay with me,” he says in a small voice. “I don’t like talking about it, but I think this time I have to.”

With that said, he dives into the same story he told Derek earlier: losing his mother, feeling like he also lost his father and his best friend in the process, his father’s abuse of alcohol, his concerns about their financial status and the fact that he’s working what he can now and intends on doing more as soon as he can, and more than anything else, his overwhelming loneliness and feeling like he has no direction; no way to move forward.

By the end of it, there isn’t a dry eye in the room, though it’s Stiles who finally does lose the last of the iron-clad control he has over his emotions and starts to sob. Talia and Derek are both more composed, though it’s hard for both of them when even without werewolf senses the absolute despair that Stiles has been living in would be evident. Talia is the first person to break the heavy silence that lies between the three of them.

“I’m sure that was incredibly difficult for you to share, Stiles, especially for the second time today. Thank you for being so open and trusting me - trusting the both of us - to help you. The first thing I want to make sure to tell you is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you still needing time to process your grief, and that there is so much responsibility that you are putting on your own shoulders that doesn’t belong to you. You are an admirably strong young man, but you don’t have to be strong forever. It’s okay to share that burden, and I hope that we can help you with it.

“That being said, there are a few things that I think need to happen next. First things first, I need to talk to your father. I’ll do that tomorrow - I needed to go to the station to process some paperwork, anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“But - !” Stiles sputters, not entirely sure what his protest is going to be, but it dies quickly regardless with a stern, but sympathetic look from Talia.

“I know this isn’t going to be easy, Stiles, but things are going to have to change. At first, that’s going to be scary and frustrating and it might not feel like things are getting better at all. But if nothing changes, things will only get worse. You’ve kept this all inside for so long, but you don’t have to any longer. Even if that means days, weeks, months of things changing and feeling the effects of the unknown. I told you right from the start that I might need to share the things you’ve told me, and your father is certainly one of those people that I need to talk to. I think for now, he’s actually the only one that I need to speak with, but that’s not something I can compromise on.”

“I know,” Stiles says, wiping at his eyes with his sleeves as Derek stares from his own chair, feeling helpless in the situation, much like he now knows that Stiles does. “But I still don’t like it. I think he’ll feel blindsided; I don’t want him to be mad at me.”

“Have you tried to talk to him about any of this before?” Derek asks just before his mother can.

Stiles gives a halfhearted nod. “Yeah, but it’s hard. Like I said, he’s not around much, so even just getting the chance to talk to him about it is difficult. He usually just tells me not to worry so much, or if he’s already…upset, he’ll tell me to stay out of it and mind my own business.”

Derek and Talia exchange a look when it’s clear that Stiles says ‘upset’ when he means ‘drunk’, but decide to refrain from commenting on it.

“Certainly not the right delivery, but the idea is right - like I said, this should not be your responsibility, Stiles. And if you’ve raised the idea before - whether your father was receptive to it or not - then I won’t be blindsiding him at all.”

Stiles opens his mouth as if to protest, but doesn’t say anything as he realizes that she’s right. Eventually, he shuts his mouth and gives a tight nod. “That makes sense.”

“Good,” Talia nods, “Then unless there was anything else you wanted me to know, we can get back down to the family and watch a little TV, unless you want to go home right away.”

Stiles was torn - the idea of spending more time with this family simultaneously thrilled and terrified him. “Not tonight, I don’t think, but thanks for the offer. Derek, can you drive me home?”

Derek was on his feet before Stiles had even finished asking his question. “Sure thing, let’s go get your stuff out of my room. I should be back in like half an hour or so, mom.”

Talia nods, shooing the boys out of her office. Derek leaves first, and just as Stiles is about to follow, he turns back to face her. “Thanks for listening.”

He leaves before she can even react, shutting the door behind him, and Talia buries her face in her hands. She’s incredibly glad that Derek had the sense to bring this to her, but this isn’t going to be an easy journey for any of them, least of all Stiles.

It only takes a minute for Stiles to grab his backpack, but when he turns to leave Derek’s room, the older boy steps in front of him and pulls him into another hug. “Thanks for talking to her about this too, Stiles. I really do appreciate how much trust you showed me today, I hope you know.”

“Thank you for proving that I really can trust you.”

With nothing else to say, the boys make their way down to Derek’s car, calling out goodbyes to the assorted members of the Hale family that are scattered in the family room and kitchen on their way out. The drive to Stiles’ house is quiet, too. What more is there for either of them to say?

Derek parks in front of the Stilinski house, noting that the empty driveway gives him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach more than it ever has before, and grabs Stiles’ wrist before he opens the car door to exit, stopping him from leaving.

“Wait - can I give you my number? Just so you can reach me in case you need anything. I should’ve given it to you before now, but it totally slipped my mind.”

Stiles nods and hands over his phone, unlocking it quickly and opening a new contact for Derek to enter his information. Derek does so, then texts himself so that he has Stiles’ own information. “I want you to text me, call me, whatever you want, whenever you want, okay? If I can’t talk, I’ll let you know, but I don’t ever want you to feel like you can’t reach out to me.”

Stiles takes his phone back with a small smile on his face. “Thanks, Derek. For…well, for everything.”

He takes Derek by surprise by reaching across the center console to pull him into an awkward hug that lasts all of half a second before Stiles has the passenger door open and is waving goodbye. Derek once again waits until Stiles gets inside safely before leaving, though he pauses longer this time than any other time before. Stiles says that he trusts Derek, likes spending time with him just like Derek enjoys spending time with Stiles, but now Derek knows for sure, and he finds that it fills him with warmth.

The drive home goes quickly, and he sits with his family for a bit, needing their closeness, before he bids them a goodnight and heads to his room. It’s late, so he hesitates, but then he decides to take his own advice that he gave Stiles and texts Peter to see if he has time for a call.

Peter answers by calling Derek immediately, making Derek roll his eyes at his phone before he answers.

“What’s going on, sweetheart?” Concern is thick in Peter’s voice, and it takes Derek by surprise.

“Why does something have to be going on? Can I not just want to talk to you?”

Peter snorts derisively, though it’s still affectionate. “Of course you can, but we already had a Skype date scheduled for tomorrow night, and you would’ve just waited to talk to me until then if it wasn’t something important.”

“You know me too well.”

“I know you just as well as your boyfriend who’s known you for your entire life should, Derek. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Derek sighs, but relents. “It’s Stiles. He - he opened up to me about a lot of heavy things, today. I’m proud of him for sharing, and I’m glad he did, but things aren’t good, Peter. He’s going to need a lot of help. I brought him back to the house for dinner, and got him to talk to mom, and she’s going to help him as much as she can. But I still can’t help feeling like I’ve betrayed his trust, or that I’m not enough for him, even if I know that’s ridiculous.”

“Well, I’m glad you at least acknowledge that it’s ridiculous. It sounds like you did everything right, Derek. You can’t be solely responsible for his well-being or anyone else’s, and it’s important that you recognize that.”

“I practically told him the exact same thing when I was trying to convince him to let me talk to mom about it, too.”

“So I have been a good influence on you, despite what your mother likes to say.”

The familiar joke gets a laugh out of Derek, and Peter relaxes into the warm sound, pleased that he’s been able to get Derek to calm down, even marginally.

“You’re doing a good thing, being so invested in him. It seems like he’s really gotten to you, Derek.” Peter speaks carefully, not wanting to upset Derek, but intrigued about what has him so entrenched in the situation.

Derek hums for a moment, considering his response. “Yeah, I guess he has. There’s just something about him that’s special. I did say I wanted to make a difference when I signed up for the program, and at least it seems like that part is happening. I think I just underestimated how hard it would hit me. I’m…protective of him, at least. He’s brilliant Peter, and dedicated, and no matter how detached he acts, he cares deeply. There’s so much more to him than meets the eye. I just want to support him and make sure he can be himself - he puts way too much on his own shoulders.”

“At least he has someone with experience walking him through it, then.”

Derek rolls his eyes again. “I was never this bad.”

Peter scoffs, “I doubt that.”

“Seriously, Peter. I’m not kidding - you think I used to keep things bottled up? That was nothing compared to how Stiles carries himself. At least I always had all of you to support me and encourage me to share. I don’t want to get into details, because that wouldn’t be fair to him, but I don’t think he’s had anyone he could be open with for a long time.”

Peter makes a soft, sad sound. “Then it’s a good thing that he has you - I wasn’t joking about that. You’re doing a really good thing here, Derek. I’m proud of you for it. I love how caring and generous you are, you know that. I just want to make sure you don’t end up hurt is all.”

“Well, I’ll have you and mom and the family and Paige all keeping me in check, so don’t be too worried. I love you, Peter. Thanks for talking it out with me, and being honest as ever.”

“I’ll never be anything less than honest with you, darling. I love you too. Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Goodnight, Peter.”

Sleep still doesn’t come easily for Derek that night, though it’s better than it would’ve been if he’d avoided calling Peter. He can’t help but think of Stiles, alone in bed after such an emotionally draining day, with no one to call. Part of him doesn’t want to fall asleep just in case Stiles takes him up on his offer and reaches out, but he knows that it’s unlikely. Stiles trusts him, sure, but he’s still not going to feel comfortable enough to ‘bother’ Derek, even though it wouldn’t be a bother at all.