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Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Teen Wolf they belong to their creator.

As Long As You Love Me

Part 1
Chris Argent looked in his teenage daughter’s bedroom as he pulled on his overcoat making sure to be quiet as he left the house. Chris didn’t know what he was doing or why he was doing it. All he knew was that it made his feelings disappear for a time. Chris quietly pulled the door shut locking it as he went to his car parked on the street. Chris believed that every time he left the house late at night, that Allison was fast asleep. Allison only ever pretended to be asleep, she would lay in bed wondering what her dad did and fall asleep right before he returned home.  Allison's mother had left him years ago, blaming Chris for the breakdown of their marriage. Allison had refused to go with her mother, she'd scared her almost as much as her grandfather. 

Each night Allison waited until she heard her fathers car leaving and driving down the street, she never knew where he went or why he was doing it. Mainly on a Wednesday or Friday night, why those two days Chris didn't know. On this particular night, Chris drove to an abandoned car park and parked his car. Chris switched his car off, and started crying, sneaking out and selling himself was getting to him. 

Unbeknown to Chris, Peter Hale had followed him seeing him driving out of Beacon Hills. He'd always found Chris fascinating ever since he was a teenager. Peter jumped when his phone started to ring, he'd already managed to lose the older man’s car when he'd had to stop to get gas. Glancing at his phone Peter saw Chris' number flashing at him, he had forgotten that he'd given it to him long ago. 

“Christopher?” Peter questioned answering his phone while sitting in his car ready to leave the gas station. “Christopher?” 

'P...Peter...' Chris' voice broke as he spoke trying to compose himself while he continued to sit in his own car outside of the limits of Beacon Hills. 

“Where are you?” Peter asked, once he was certain that it was indeed the older man. “Breathe. Tell me where you are,”

'Abandoned...car park...' Chris mumbled, Peter sighed as he told the older man to breathe again. 

“Breathe,” Peter said once again, as he listened to see if he could hear anything in the background that was familiar. 

'Stockton...sports complex...' Chris mumbled, dropping his phone to the floor of the car and putting his head in his hands as he cried. Chris had managed to hang up his phone before he'd dropped it. 

Chris still didn't know what had come over him, Peter pulled his phone away from his ear as it sounded off before he was trying to determine how far away he was from Chris. Peter figured it would take him a good twenty minutes to reach Chris from where he was. He didn't know why it had taken him so long to get gas, it could have been because he didn't want the older man knowing that he was following him. 

Allison lay in bed pondering what her father was doing she knew he left the house after he believed that she'd fallen asleep, she also knew that he had liked men. There was one in particular that she knew he fancied, that he always stole glances at whenever they saw him.  As Allison lay in bed she contemplated messaging one of the boys that she'd fancied at school, but decided against it and put her headphones in, intending on listening to music to fall asleep to until her father got home. 

Peter drove as fast as he could to get to Chris, he didn't know what he was going to find. As he was driving he found a radio station playing Christmas songs, and decided to listen to them as they were getting closer to Christmas. As he listened he realised that he had done next to no shopping for the event, nor had he actually put up a tree like he had promised Derek so he made mental notes on what he needed to do. The closer he got to the sports complex the more he could hear Chris' sobs. 

Peter pulled up next to Chris' car and immediately switched his own car off, he had no intentions of leaving his car over half an hour from Beacon Hills. Peter quickly climbed out and went to the drivers door and tapped on the window. Chris sniffled and looked up before unlocking the door and wiping furiously at his eyes. Peter sighed, he was still wondering why the older man had called him before he found himself catching him. 

“Christopher?” Peter questioned quietly as he held the older man and sat him back in his car. “What happened?” 

“P...Peter?” Chris blinked, he hadn't expected the younger man to turn up so far from home. 

“Yes, it's me. Now what happened? No scrap that let's get you home and into bed,” Peter changed his mind, pulling Chris' keys from the ignition and helping Chris to his feet before scooping him in his arms and pushing his car door shut. 

Peter unlocked his car again, before leaning against it with Chris in his arms so that he could open the door. Peter paid no attention to the clothing that Chris was wearing, the only thing he'd noticed was that it was mostly leather. Once the car was open Peter leaned in and set Chris in the passenger seat and buckled him in. Peter straightened up and turned around briefly to lock Chris' car before walking to the driver's side and climbing in. Peter turned the heat up on the car and reached in the backseat, he may have been a werewolf but Chris was human and it was cold out so he grabbed the blanket that had been reserved for picnics.  Chris snuffled as Peter covered him in the blanket and then started to drive.

“Christopher, we have to talk about this. Not now but one day,”  Peter spoke quietly before he realised that Chris had passed out with his head leaning against the window. 

The drive back to Chris' was quiet apart from Peter mumbling to himself and listening to Chris' muffled cries. Chris had a restless sleep which wasn't even broken when Peter pulled up at the house, he had contemplated on taking him to his apartment but figured the man’s own home was better. Peter listened carefully and could hear the faint sounds of Allison's music playing from her earphones and her even breathing. Sighing to himself he switched the car off before he was climbing out of the drivers side and going around to the passenger side. Peter quickly opened the door and caught Chris, leaning over the older man to unbuckle him. Once he was unbuckled, Peter scooped Chris up in his arms again and carried him to the front door. Leaning against the door, Peter fumbled briefly with Chris' keys before he managed to find the correct one and unlocked the door. 

Slowly and quietly Peter carried Chris through the dark house, the second he'd gotten into the house his werewolf eyes had shown themselves. Peter made his way up the stairs and quietly passed Allison's room, he didn't hear the teenager stir as she rolled over and opened her eyes. Allison may have been asleep but it was a light sleep so she'd woken the second that Peter had started fumbling with her fathers keys. Peter found Chris' bedroom and pushed the door open with his foot, now was the part he was half dreading. He didn't want to have to undress Chris, but he also didn't think leaving him sleeping in a pair of leather pants was right – he knew exactly how uncomfortable they were.  

Peter lay Chris on the bed with his legs dangling off before he was pulling the older man’s boots off and quietly putting them on the floor beside the bed. Next step was removing the leather pants, Peter carefully peeled the pants off quietly gasping when he realised that Chris was naked underneath. Peter took in the sight before he was frantically looking for a pair of pyjamas, he sighed with relief when found them under the pillow and quickly pulled them on him. After five minutes Peter had successfully put Chris into his pyjamas. The final step was putting the man into bed. Peter pulled the covers down and scooped Chris up once again, only this time the older man wrapped his arms around his neck and mumbled into his shoulder.

“Stay...” Christ mumbled, into Peter's shoulder he was still completely out of it and fast asleep but  knew that he was no longer in his car. 

“Not tonight Christopher,” Peter said as he unfurled Chris' arms from around his neck as he leant over the bed and deposited Chris in the bed. 

Chris mumbled incoherently and rolled over as Peter pulled the covers over him and tucked him in.  Peter done everything in the dark, so was surprised when he turned around to leave the room and saw light coming from Allison's bedroom. Peter quietly walked from Chris' room but not before putting a glass of water beside the bed, he had a feeling that Chris would need it in the morning. 

Chapter Text

Part 2

Allison was leaning against her bedroom wall just inside the door, listening for when Peter left her fathers room. The second that he was out and close to her bedroom, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Peter jumped, he hadn't expected the teenager to be awake or to grab him. Peter followed Allison into her room where she quickly pointed to the arm chair in the corner. Allison pulled the ottoman from the end of her bed and sat cross-legged and faced him.  

“Why you?” Allison asked quietly, looking to Peter and then at the floor as she spoke. “Why did it have to be you?”

“Look, even I’d like to know why it was me.” he sighed, fidgeting in his seat. Allison shrugged she wasn't even sure herself. 

“It's not bad...I just wasn't expecting it...” Allison mumbled, Peter raised his eyebrow at her wondering what she meant. 

“I wasn't either just so you know,” Peter answered, he was trying to decide whether he should tell her that he initially followed her father without being seen or the phone call before Allison spoke.

“He's been doing it for months...leaving late at night,” Allison said looking up at Peter as she spoke and then towards her door. “He thinks I'm asleep when he leaves,”

“How long?” Peter questioned, he was trying to work out how long Chris had smelled differently for. 

“Middle of the year, I guess. But even when I was little he'd look at men and not women, when I got older he looked at both...but I think he only does that because he doesn't think I notice,” Allison rambled, she knew that Peter was listening to both her and her father's breathing. 

“Talk to him,” Peter told her, he wasn't sure that it was what she wanted to hear but he needed to say it. 

Peter stood up to leave but was pulled back by Allison, she didn't want to be alone, not while her father was in the state that he was in. Peter raised his eyebrow as he looked at the teenager, Allison mumbled that she didn't want to be alone and that could he stay.  As Peter looked around he realised that he hadn't seen a single Christmas decoration in the house, not even a wreath on the door. Allison looked at Peter, wondering what he was thinking she wanted a little distraction even if it was after 2 in the morning. 

“What are you looking at?” Allison asked as Peter sat back on the arm chair as she sat on the ottoman and pulled her legs under body again. 

“Christmas is in a week, and I always got the impression that your father would have been prepared but there's nothing?” Peter questioned, even his own flat had multiple decorations up with help from Derek. 

“Normally, yes. But something is different this year,” Allison replied, she hadn't even thought of just how close they were to Christmas. 

“Would you like some help?” Peter questioned, he may as well make himself useful if the teenager was going to make him stay. 

Allison nodded before she was leading the older man to the attic where her father had kept all the Christmas decorations. There was multiple boxes, with very traditional decorations and the odd Disney decoration that Allison put aside for her own bedroom.  Peter carried the heaviest of the boxes back down the stairs with Allison carrying the smaller ones before they both carried the tree downstairs. Allison quickly grabbed one of the photo albums from her room so that she could show Peter how her father liked to decorate. 

“The tree goes next to the fireplace, dad just moves the side table to the other side of the recliner,”  Allison said as she watched Peter pick up the side table and move it before he was pulling the base of the tree out of the box. “I'll help,” Allison yawned as they switched the lamps on so that they could see without it being too bright. 

“Let me make sure the base is steady first,” Peter said, not turning around as he crouched down to ensure that the tree wouldn't topple over when they started putting it together. “Okay, now we can attach the branches,”

“Okay,” Allison gave a thumbs up before they were pulling out the branches and putting the tree together, after fifteen minutes the tree was up and the branches fluffed out.  “Lights first and then everything else,” Allison said before she was unravelling the lights and stringing them around the tree working her way down.

“Your dad really did this all by himself?” Peter questioned, Allison shook her head; they usually did it together. “Oh, are you sure you don't want to do this with him?”

“No, I don't know, I kind of want to surprise him with it being done,” Allison admitted, she'd wanted to do it without him but he was always home and then when he was out it was late and she was tired.

Allison and Peter worked on decorating the lounge until well after 6AM, Allison was surprised that her father was still passed out in his room. Peter and Allison got to the final box before she was yawning and glancing at the clock on the wall. Allison collapsed onto the sofa and looked up at Peter before she spoke as they had quietly done the room referring to the photos. 

“Leave the last one, dad likes the train in a very specific way,” Allison said as she closed her eyes, she wasn’t sure what had made her trust Peter tonight.

“Okay,” Peter nodded, as he moved to leave again, sighing when Allison sat up and looked at him. “Allison, I can't keep staying here,”

“I need help with dad, he's not himself,” Allison yawned, she should have gone to sleep hours ago but until her father was happier that wasn't going to happen. 

“You need to talk to him,” Peter sighed, sitting on the sofa and pulling one of his legs under his body. “When he wakes up call Derek and have him take him to  get his car,”

“You should do it...” Allison said, Peter groaned inwardly he wasn't looking forward to that conversation with Chris.  “Please, Derek wouldn't know what to say or why his cars so far away,”

“Allison, what are you playing at?” Peter yawned, raising his eyebrow. He wanted to sleep, not wait until Chris woke up and chewed him out for being in his house with his teenage daughter. 

“Peter, please? I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think you could handle my dad,” Allison gulped, she was trying to be tactful. She knew that somehow she had to say that she knew they both looked at one another when the other thought they weren't looking and she wasn't.  “He told me...” Allison trailed off gulping as she sleepily remembered a story that her father told her when she was a little girl. 

Peter raised his eyebrow at the teenager, wondering what exactly had her father told her about the past. Allison took a deep breath before she mumbled only a year. The year being 2003. Peter thought back to years before the fire, and remembered meeting Chris for the first time. Chris had seen both Derek and Peter through a crack in the steel mills wall.

Peter remembered covering Derek's mouth as they stayed silent before they were running. He remembered Chris suddenly appearing in front of him, his gun in it's holster and hands beside him. He remembered pushing Derek away and telling him to run and hide and that he'd find him later. Chris had silently introduced himself, while they each looked one another up and down before he'd tossed him a piece of paper, that same piece of paper Peter kept in his wallet. 

“Okay, fine let me go home and shower, call me when he wakes up,” Peter muttered, he could hear Chris still sleeping restlessly upstairs but sleeping nonetheless. “I need at least an hour,”

“And if he wakes up before that?” Allison asked, Peter sighed he could tell that she was scared that her father would yell at her. 

“Make him coffee, and get him showered,” Peter answered, hoping that, that would satisfy the teenager. “And call me,”  

Allison nodded watching as Peter walked from the lounge and out the door. Peter spent the entire hour that he was away from the Argent's thinking about what Chris could have possibly told his teenage daughter about 2003. Allison called Peter exactly one hour and fifteen minutes after he had left to say that she'd given her father coffee and was trying to get him into the shower.  

“I need help, he's still super upset...” Allison muttered, she was leaning against the closed bathroom door.  “Peter, please?”

“I'll be there soon, get yourself showered and caffeinated,” Peter told her calmly, he could tell that she was nodding on the other end of the phone even though she was nervous. “Allison, it will be okay,” 

“Just hurry,” Allison mumbled listening to her father's confused and sad mumbling in the bathroom. 

“Allison, I'll be there very soon,” Peter reassured her as he grabbed his phone, putting it between his ear and shoulder so that he could put his overcoat on.  

“Okay,” Allison mumbled before she was hanging up and making her way to her room and bathroom. 

She didn't know why she hadn't called Scott or Isaac for help, but Peter had seemed like the most logical choice. Allison went and slowly showered, she didn't know why this Christmas was so different. She hadn't seen her mother since she was a child, of at least seven years old. Her father had started looking at men when she was nine years old. Allison ran her hand over her face before she was undressing and getting in the shower, Allison stood under the hot water for a good ten minutes before climbing out and pulling on the warmest clothes that she could. 

Chapter Text

Part 3

It took Peter fifteen minutes to drive back to the Argent's house and park his car on the street. Peter listened before he climbed out of the car and headed up the path to the Argent's house. He didn't bother knocking as Allison was sitting staring out the window. Allison had opened the door and pulled him straight inside before she was shutting the door and looking at him yawning. Peter sighed, and turned his head towards the stairs and listened to Chris' muffled cries coming from up the bathroom.

“Allison, come on you can help me,” Peter said offering his hand to the teenager and heading up the stairs towards the bathroom. “Tell me what your father told you?”

“Told me about what?” Allison asked as she followed him up the stairs after taking his hand.

“2003,” Peter answered, as they got to the bathroom and he turned to face her. “Before we go in there,”

“He said that...that it was when he first met you...and he gave you a number that my grandfather doesn't know about,” Allison rambled before she bit her lip and looked at the floor before she looked up at Peter again. “He was sad that you never...”

“Allison, I like your dad okay? We're just too different,” Peter spoke quieter, he was admitting to the teenager something he had never admitted to anyone else, not even his family.  Allison let out a small gasp before Peter put his finger to his lips and knocked on the bathroom door. “Christopher?” 

“Peter?” Chris' voice was muffled as he grabbed his towel off the counter and pushed his face into it. 

“I'm coming in,” Peter said before he was turning the handle on the bathroom door and pushing it open. “Christopher?” Peter questioned again, before he was stepping in and closing the door behind him. 

Peter watched as Chris turned around and sunk down against the counter and sat on the floor, he noticed that the older man had still been crying. Chris glanced up at Peter, wondering why the younger man had turned up back in his life after all these years. They'd met the year before when Chris and Allison had moved back into Beacon Hills. Peter sighed and sat himself on the toilet and leant his elbows on his knees. Peter had given his number to Chris back then, thinking nothing of it though he still had liked the man.

“Why me? Scrap that, let's get you showered and dressed and then we'll talk,” Peter said, watching as Chris' shoulders slumped down and his head went back and hit the counters drawers. “Come on,” Peter extended his hand to Chris, Chris tried to glower at the man through his bloodshot eyes but failed miserably. “Allison, could you get your father another coffee ready?”

“Of course,” Allison answered back, before Peter heard her walking down the stairs and into the kitchen and filling the jug to boil more water.

“Christopher, let's get you in the shower,” Peter was quiet as he extended his hand again to Chris who took it and allowed Peter to get him up and dressed. “Now do you need me to help you?” 

“Ye...” Chris trailed off before he found himself sobbing and not being able to form the words that he wanted to say. He pulled away as Peter stepped forward, Peter stopped and gave him a little space before he spoke again.

“Do you want some help?” Peter asked again, Chris nodded he was struggling to form any kind of words. Peter let out a small sigh and stepped forward again this time taking Chris' hand and guiding him to lean against the counter. 

It took Peter twenty minutes to get Chris showered and dressed, he had a feeling that it was going to be a while before the older man was going to be able to form a coherent sentence, whatever had gotten to him had gotten to him badly. Allison had only seen her father cry like this once, and that was when she was a child and her mother had left. Allison sat at the top of the stairs leaning against the wall waiting, she'd put the jug on to boil and gotten the coffee cups ready, three of them as she planned on having another and thought that she may as well offer Peter one too.

“Christopher, you need to help me,” Peter spoke quietly as he watched Chris slump back down against the counter.  “Christopher, up on your feet,” Chris mumbled incoherently as Peter grabbed hold of him under the armpits and put him on his feet. “Allison, could you come and give me a hand with your father?”

“I'm coming,” Allison called back mid yawn as she stood up from where she'd been leaning against the wall waiting. She quickly made her way to the bathroom and spoke quietly as she opened the door  “Dad? Are you okay?” 

Chris looked up at Allison and blinked, before he looked at Peter and realised that he was in the younger man’s arms. Shaking his head he moved to step away from Peter found himself very unsteady, Peter looked at Allison questioningly, she simply shook her head. Her father had been that way since he'd woken up. Between the two of them, Peter and Allison guided Chris down the stairs and into the living room. Chris gasped when he saw the living room with all of the Christmas decorations bar the train set up. Peter and Allison guided Chris to the sofa before Allison was racing into the kitchen and grabbing the tray that she'd set the cups on.

“Dad...talk to us?” Allison asked, as she returned and sat the tray on the coffee table and picked up her father's favourite cup and handed it to him. Allison looked at her father, she wasn't used to him being closed off to her, they'd always been open ever since she was a little girl. “Please,” Allison watched as Peter sat closer to her father and guided the cup to his mouth to get him to drink some.

“Christopher, was last night...” Peter trailed off he wasn't sure how to go about asking what they wanted to know.

Chris shook his head his hands shaking as Peter kept hold of them. “No...it's been...it's been a while...” Chris stuttered as he glanced at Peter and then at Allison and then down at the cup and his hands in Peter's. 

“It's okay dad, go on,” Allison smiled at him before she was taking a sip of her coffee and wishing that it was hot chocolate. 

Chris closed his eyes before he was taking as deep a breath as he could manage. He didn't know if he was going to start from the beginning or what was going to come out of his mouth. Peter and Allison glanced at one another as Peter took the cup from Chris and set it down on the coffee table. Chris was silent for a moment as he tried to think of where to start or even how to start.

“Six months ago, it's been six months since I started...” Chris trailed off, he knew that Allison wouldn't want a lot of details but he had to tell her. He had to tell Peter, and he didn't know how either of them would react. “Selling myself, I thought it would fill a void that I was feeling,”  Chris stopped and reached for his cup shakily before Peter was reaching for his hand and the cup and handing it to him. 

“Take your time,” Peter told him, Chris couldn't believe that Peter was helping him, he still thought he was imagining it. 

“I realised that I was wrong, last night, that it wasn't helping...” Chris trailed off as he felt himself breaking again, why was he feeling so defeated? 

“Dad, it's okay, you don't have to keep going if you can't,” Allison reassured her father so that he knew that neither of them were mad at him. 

“Christopher, we're not mad. I promise you that,” Peter added, he had a feeling that Allison had wanted to say that but she wasn't sure how to say it. 

Chris shakily put the cup to his mouth before he found Peter sitting closer to him and helping him. He still wasn't entirely sure that the previous night had happened. Allison looked at her father and then at Peter and subtly motioned for him to talk again. Peter raised his eyebrow before Allison was muttering under her breath.

“Tell him what happened last night,” Allison muttered, Peter looked at Allison again this time watching as she grabbed a tissue and wiped at her eyes as she'd started to cry unintentionally. “Dad, Peter would like to say something,” 

“Peter?” Chris questioned, Peter shot Allison a glare before he turned back to face Chris and was reaching for a tissue and handing it to the older man. 

“Last night, you called me distraught at around midnight and asked me to come and get you. Trust me I'm not mad at you, not one bit. I brought you home, got you changed into your pyjamas and put you into bed,” Peter paused for a moment to take a breath as he watched Chris taking in what he was saying. “I went to leave, but you asked me to stay. I couldn't do that to you, you needed to sleep,”

“I asked Peter to stay, I couldn't sleep knowing that you were upset...we did all this for you dad, we talked, we were both worried about you,” Allison explained, she wanted her dad to know that they both cared about him even if Peter hadn't said anything.

Chapter Text

Part 4

Allison smiled at Peter before she looked at her father and bit her lip; she wasn't sure how he was going to react to what they had said. Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath; his mind was still racing a million miles a second. Peter glanced at Chris and then at Allison as Allison handed him the coffee that she'd made him that he hadn't drunk yet.  Chris still had his eyes closed as he thought of what had happened in the last twelve hours. 

“Dad?” Allison questioned quietly as she watched to see what her father was going to do. “I know you've been leaving at night, at least the last week...I haven't been able to sleep not because you of you, please dad don't think that,” 

“She's telling you the truth Christopher,” Peter reassured him as the older man went to speak bit stopped and took a deep breath. “This isn't about Allison though, you can talk about that later,” Allison nodded she didn't care if her not sleeping was brought up again later. 

“Dad, I get it if you're mad but I was scared and worried too,” Allison mumbled, Chris looked at his daughter and took a deeper breath before his eyes fell on Peter.

“I'm not mad,” Chris said, his eyes not moving away from Peter as he spoke.  “I'm...I'm sorry I called you and worried you...I just I don't know what's going on,”

“Dad, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want. I love you all the time,” Allison said as she moved closer to her father and Peter. “And dad, I like Peter,”

Chris looked at his daughter and then at his hands, Peter hadn't released his grip on them yet and in a way the older man was slightly glad that he hadn't. Chris felt like if Peter let go of him, that he might just get up and run. Peter offered Chris a reassuring smile before he glanced at Allison who was moving closer again. 

“You don't need to worry,” Chris said, trying to regain his composure as his voice continued to shake. 

“Christopher, you don't have to say anything. Just know this, if you want more than a friend...” Peter trailed off, Allison smiled at him before she nodded she wanted to hear him say it she knew that he liked her father. 

“I'm okay with whatever happens, I just want you to be you to be happy,” Allison said before her father was sighing as he looked at her. 

“I'm supposed to be the parent, not you,” Chris managed to get out before, he was slumping back on the sofa with Peter taking the mug from him again and setting it on the coffee table.

“I'll take you both to get your car after we get some food into you,” Peter said, as he stood up to go and make something for Chris to eat. “I'll make you some toast,” 

Chris shook his head, he didn't think that he could stomach any food, now knowing that the man he had feelings for and his daughter knew. Peter sighed and headed towards the kitchen anyway and made the toast. He searched for something bland to put on it and found some cheese. Once Peter had made the toast he headed back to Chris and Allison and set the toast on the coffee table before he sat back down again.

“Christopher, you need to eat something you might not feel like it right now but you'll regret it later,” Peter spoke quietly as he looked at the hunter and then at Allison who nodded.

“He's right dad, you need to eat. You used to tell me that you felt sick if you didn't,” Allison smiled at her father watching as he slowly picked up a slice of toast and smelled it before he was eating it. 

“Why are you still here?” Chris asked, his voice muffled from the toast that he was eating.

“To make sure that you get your car in one piece and because I...well I care about...” Peter trailed off Chris looked at him through red puffy eyes.  “I still remember when we first met, the night you saved me and gave me your number,” Peter paused and opened his wallet and placed the crumbled piece of paper into Chris' hand. “I told you I still had it,” 

Chris looked down at his hand and recognised the scribble that his then thirty-three year old self had written to the then twenty-seven year old Peter. 'Run' and then his number and name. Allison looked between her father and Peter, she knew that they both liked each other she had seen it when her father had found out that Peter was the alpha. Chris has been shocked when he returned to Beacon Hills and discovered the Peter was the Alpha and that he'd killed his own niece. He remembered seeing the look of anguish on the younger man’s face when he realised what he'd once he'd come out of the coma. 

“Why did you keep it? You never called...” Chris questioned, looking up at Peter and then at Allison who was curious about it as well. 

“Your father. Your father terrified me,” Peter answered honestly, he'd been questioning himself that all those years. “My sister, Talia she knew you were different. She liked you,” 

“Your sister liked me?” Chris raised his eyebrow, he'd never been told that one of the most respected Alpha's had liked him. Peter nodded, he remembered a conversation he'd overheard with his sister talking to Deucalion years earlier. 

“She wanted you to stand up to your father. Deucalion knew you were different too,” Peter looked away from Chris and Allison before he looked back at them. “That's the truth,” 

“You don't mean that...do you?” Allison asked, Peter nodded he did indeed mean what he said.

“I heard them talking the night before your father blinded Deucalion,” Peter paused for a second as he moved closer to Chris. “She'd still like you even now, seeing that you're helping us against him. Christopher, I do care about you,”

Chris looked at Peter and realised that he had yet to hear him call him Chris, it was always Christopher. Peter smiled at him, wondering if he had caught on yet that he did care about him and he meant every word. Allison looked between her father and Peter, biting her lip before she smiled at them and spoke. 

“Dad, I believe him. He wouldn't have stayed to make sure that you were okay last night if he didn't care,” Allison spoke quietly as she looked her father in the eyes.  “I'm going to go finish getting ready...”

“Take your time Allison, I think your father still has some processing to do,” Peter nodded to the teenager, Allison smiled before she stood up and kissed her father on the cheek and went back to her room and bathroom.

“You don't have to stay...Allison can take me,” Chris said uncertainly, Peter raised his eyebrow he knew that Chris didn't mean that he could hear it in his voice and and heart-beat.

“Christopher, I don't plan on going anywhere. I want to make sure that you're safe, okay?” Peter questioned, Chris raised his eyebrow in return he really wasn't sure what was going on. “I know that you're scared, that you're terrified that Allison isn't going to love you but she's been telling you the absolute truth this whole time,” Peter paused taking a breath before he continued to speak he had to get this out of his system. “I know this isn't the most ideal time in the world to tell you this, but I care about you, more than I thought was possible,”

Chris took a deep breath as he looked at Peter preparing himself to speak the words that he hadn't thought that he ever would. “Peter...I called you because...” Chris paused trying to think of how to put everything into words. 

“Take your time,” Peter told him reassuringly as he ran a hand over his face and glanced to the stairs to make sure that Allison was still getting ready. “She'll be a few more minutes,”  

“Peter...I didn't want anyone else... to see me broken...” Chris didn't know where the conversation was headed but he knew that he had to have it. 

“Christopher, we're all a little broken,” Peter paused for a brief second before he continued. “Even the strong are broken and that's okay,” Peter continued as he looked at the older man who seemed to be taking in his words. “You don't have to be strong all the time,”

“If I'm not strong, I fail, and if I fail bad things happen,” Chris rambled, Peter let out a sigh and moved closer to Peter and took his hands in his. 

“Nothing bad will come if you're not strong once,” Peter assured him as he squeezed the older man's hands reassuringly. 

A few minutes later Allison walked down the stairs with her jacket, her fathers jacket, a beanie and a scarf in hand. Allison smiled and handed her father his jacket and a scarf. Peter smiled at Allison, he knew how cold it was outside as his jacket was hanging beside the front door.  Chris looked at Allison before he was pulling his jacket on, he'd wondered why he was wearing a sweater one that he only wore in December. Allison had given him a black patchwork sweater for Christmas when she was seven years old and every year since he'd worn it. He also had on a pair of jeans and long sleeved shirt, his socks and boots. He barely remembered getting dressed, in fact he couldn't remember getting changed into his pyjamas the night before either. 

“Dad, are you ready?” Allison asked, as she dropped her beanie and scarf onto the couch so that she could put her jacket on before she was putting her beanie and scarf on. 

“Allison, how did I...?” Chris asked as he pulled he jacket on and stood up after finishing his coffee. 

“Peter...he did, I couldn't do it on my own dad, I'm sorry,” Allison said, biting her lip as she looked at her father and then at Peter who had moved and was putting his jacket on at the foot of the stairs. 

“I won't tell you what you wanted last night, just know that I left you in your room,” Peter told him as Allison and Chris approached him.

“Dad, please don't be mad at Peter. He was helping cause I didn't know what else to do and I couldn't leave you in the clothes you were in,” Allison lied, she hadn't seen her father and Peter come home but she knew that she had to say something whether he believed her or not.

“Allison, sweetheart. Let me, I bought you home and changed you and then I left. Well tried to leave and Allison caught me,” Peter explained, Chris nodded he had a vague idea of where this was headed. “Let's take you to get your car and then I'll leave you,”

Chapter Text

Part 5

The drive to get Chris' car was quiet with the older man as Chris realised that they'd only repeated what he'd been told while he was still distracted. The story hadn't changed a single bit, which meant that his daughter and Peter had been telling him the truth the whole time.  Peter glanced at Chris who was staring out the window as he drove, he remembered stopping at the gas station and losing him before he was getting called. Why had he left the detail out that he'd been following him? He didn't really know at all. 

When they got to Chris' car, Peter fished the keys out of his jacket pocket as he remembered that was where he had put them after he'd opened the door. Peter took Chris' left hand in his, and flattened out the older man's palm and placed the keys in them.  Chris raised his eyebrow as he realised that Peter had given him his own keys, he could have used them to his advantage but he didn't think that he would. Allison looked at Peter she had done a quick search of the house when she'd made her fathers breakfast for the keys and now she knew where they were. 

“Thank you, Peter,” Allison smiled at him before she quickly hugged the older man. “I don't hate you,”  she whispered before she was climbing out of the back of the car. 

“I don't know what made you do this for me, but thank you,” Chris said as he looked at his hand and then at Allison who was standing beside his SUV rubbing her arms. 

“A sense of decency, the Christmas spirit,” Peter answered, it was the only thing he could think of to say and he was already hating himself. 

“In that case...thanks...” Chris stumbled over what to say, he knew there was something more to what Peter was saying but he didn't want to push it.

Both Chris and Peter weren't sure about what direction their feelings were going in. Chris climbed out of Peter's car and headed to his, unlocking it and handing Allison the keys. Allison raised her eyebrow at her father, he didn't know that she had barely slept the night before due to being worried about him. Chris watched as Allison yawned and put the keys back in his hand, before he turned and noticed that Peter was still sitting in his car hands gripping the steering wheel. Peter hadn't even made a move to leave the parking lot, he'd done the opposite and switched off his car. 

“Dad?” Allison questioned after they were in the car and the windows were up. “Are you okay?” 

“Not here Allison,” Chris said, his eyes still on Peter in his car, he wasn't entirely sure that the younger man wasn't listening to them.

“Dad, if it's any consolation. I just want you to be happy, you're always looking out for me but you need to be happy too, and if that's with a man, I'm happy,” Allison rambled, she had to get it off her chest, she needed her dad to know that she was happy if he was happy. “Before you say anything. I'm not just saying it for the sake of saying it dad,”

“Allison, I...I don't know what to say,” Chris admitted to her, Allison smiled at him and quickly leant over and hugged him. “My brain is a mess,”

“You're allowed to be a mess. Just please don't keep it to yourself,” Allison told him, before she kissed his cheek and glanced out of the window to see Peter still gripping the steering wheel lost in his thoughts. 

Peter sat in his car, with the engine switched off he didn't know what had come over him. How could have just said it was the 'Christmas spirit' and not how he was actually feeling. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that Chris and Allison were still sitting in the parking lot doing the same thing. Peter took the chance and glanced out of the corner of his eye towards Chris' car and saw them talking though he purposely wasn't listen his own brain questioning why he hadn't just told Chris the truth. 

Allison knew that Peter had feelings for her father after the conversation that she'd had with him the night before. She also knew that her father had feelings for Peter no matter that he'd denied them for so long. Allison wanted to remind her father that Peter had kept the number he'd given him all those years ago. Chris looked at Allison, and had an inkling of what she was going to say next, but before he knew it he was opening the door and getting out again before closing it and leaning against it.  Peter looked up from the steering wheel and did the same thing before they both found themselves speaking at the same time. 

“I like...” Peter and Chris stopped before Peter continued to speak. “I like you Christopher Argent. That's what I meant to say. Not a sense decency because hell I don't have that and we know it,” Peter rambled before he stepped closer to Chris who hadn't moved. “I don't care if you don't like me, I just had to say the words,”

“I like you to, Peter Hale. For a werewolf you're not great at stealth in a car,” Chris said as his brain flicked to the night before when he thought he'd seen Peter's car but then lost it. 

“You...you saw me?” Peter gasped, Chris nodded with an almost smile at how flabbergasted the younger man was.  “I don't know why I followed you, honestly,” 

“You were curious, you've always been curious Peter,” Chris told him, this time taking a step closer to him before glancing in the window at Allison who smiled at him and nodded. “Come to dinner on New Years Eve,”

Peter blinked, had Chris just asked him out on a date. Allison grinned, she would help her dad get ready and then disappear for the night with Lydia. This time it was Peter's turn to look into the car, Allison was still grinning. Allison looked at Peter and nodded before she spoke just above a whisper telling him to do it, to go on a date with her father.  Peter turned back to Chris and opened his mouth to speak before Allison was rolling the window down.

“He says yes dad. He'll come to dinner,” Allison grinned before she quickly rolled the window back up again and started laughing. 

Chris groaned and looked at Peter awkwardly before he noticed that he was smiling. “So you'll come then?” Chris questioned, he wanted to hear the words out of Peter's mouth not his teenage daughters. 

“Well I can't say no to that now can I?” Peter questioned, not really answering him directly before he was taking Chris' hand. “I'll come, we have some talking to do,” 

“We have a lot of talking to do,” Chris acknowledged, there were just somethings that needed to be said when he was more clear headed. 

New Years Eve, Allison made sure her father was dressed in something other than the clothes that he wore hunting. It was a hard task, he'd worn almost everything so she had decided that the only thing to do was take him to get at leas one new item to wear. They successfully returned with a pair dark faded jeans, and a maroon sweater that Allison insisted looked good on him. Peter on the other hand was having trouble deciding what he was going to wear, until he'd convinced Derek to help him. Derek had questioned why it was so important to him, and Peter had told him that he honestly cared about what this person thought.

An hour later and Peter was standing at the Argent's door, with his hand poised to knock before Chris was opening the door and pulling him inside. Allison grinned at the two of them before she reminded her father that the pasta just needed to be warmed and the cheese bread toasted. Chris nodded before Allison was out the door and on her way to Lydia's the two had planned a quiet night of movies they had no intentions of partying. Chris and Peter looked at each other awkwardly before Chris was taking Peter's coat and hanging it up before leading the younger man towards the kitchen.

Peter and Chris drank wine, and ate the pasta that Allison had made them forgetting entirely about the cheese bread. They talked about how long they had let their feelings get the better of them. Peter listened to Chris' heart the entire time he talked. Chris told Peter that when he'd called him the week of Christmas, he'd been wanting to do it for a lot longer. As they sat and talked they realised it was something they should have done a long time ago. 

“Screw Gerard, we should have done this years ago,” Chris admitted, in the ten days that had passed since the night he'd called Peter he had done a lot of thinking and all of it boiled down to he shouldn't have listened to his father. 

“Christopher, that was not what I was expecting you to say. But to hell with Gerard,” Peter agreed, Chris looked at Peter, and realised that every time he said his name he never called him Chris, it was always Christopher and now he was curious.

“You never call me Chris, it's always Christopher. Why?” Chris asked, running a hand over his face before he found that Peter had moved closer to him and taken his hand in his.

“I always thought you were more of a Christopher,” Peter answered, with a smile before he couldn't help himself and was making the first move. “I hope you don't mind,” he grinned before he was using his free hand to pull Chris' face towards him and kissing him.

“Not one bit,” 

By New Years Eve 2013, the entire pack knew they had been dating for a full year. Although they only found out a month before hand when Allison made sure that no one had plans. Stiles had, had an inkling that something was going on because they weren't trying to kill each other. Derek had picked up on it after they'd been together for a month, Peter was always happy.  The rest of the pack had taken longer, Allison had made Derek swear that he wouldn't say anything to which he agreed. Stiles didn't say anything until New Years Eve when he screamed.

“I knew it! I knew something was going on!” Stiles screamed, they were all standing in the Argent's back yard, Allison and Derek had managed to set everything up without any one being the wiser. 

“Yes Stiles,” Peter said pointedly as he looked at the teenager, and his eyes flashed blue.

“Stiles, shut it! This is dad and Peter's time,” Allison grinned, before she wrapped her arms around her father and kissed his cheek.

Thirty minutes later and they were looking at a newly married couple. Allison wrapped her arms around both Peter and Chris who hugged her and kissed the top of her head. Peter smiled at Chris before he spoke.

“I love you Christopher Argent,”

“And I you Peter Hale, for as long as you'll love me,”