Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first time that it happens, Stiles doesn’t think anything of it. Peter usually doesn’t mind PDA, and certainly doesn’t mind being affectionate overall, but there are exceptions to every rule. It’s such a brief moment - Peter turning his head to avoid the kiss - and very easily written off.

It becomes harder to ignore every time that it happens after that first time. Logically, Stiles knows that the right thing to do would be to just talk to Peter about it, but his insecurities generate a million and a half reasons why that’s not a good idea, and he listens like a fool. However, he does start looking for the commonalities, because there has to be an underlying cause. Once was an incident, the second time was a coincidence, but the third time and every time after that established a pattern.

And when Stiles finally figures out the pattern, he’s even more confused than before. Because Derek is the commonality, and that makes no sense at all. At first, he thinks maybe it’s family, but Peter doesn’t have any issues if Cora or Malia are around, only Derek. Then he thinks that maybe Peter’s just trying to be considerate - what they know of Derek’s romantic history is particularly tragic, but Derek doesn’t react to any of the other couples showing affection, and Peter says nothing to them about knocking it off or having respect, so that can’t be it either.

He revisits the idea of approaching Peter about it, now that he sees the pattern, but is still hesitant. At least, he’s hesitant until they’re leaving the loft from a pack meeting and he tries to hold Peter’s hand, only to be gently reprimanded and left to follow behind Peter as he picks up his pace. The car ride back to their shared apartment is spent in tense silence, as is the walk inside.

Stiles waits until the door is shut and locked and they’ve both taken off their shoes before nodding toward the couch and saying, “Please come sit. I need to talk to you.”

Peter goes even more tense, and Stiles hates it, hates causing him any discomfort, but this is important. They sit, and he turns to face Peter, and reaches out his hands. Peter takes both of them with his own immediately and without hesitation.

Worry creases his features as he asks, “What is it, darling?”

Stiles takes a deep breath and summons his courage. “Are you happy with me, Peter? I know we have a complicated history, and if things have changed, that’s okay. But I need to know.”

Surprise quickly overtakes the worry on Peter’s face. “Of course I’m happy with you, sweetheart. I love you, Stiles, complicated history and all. Besides, if one of us should be asking that question, shouldn’t it be me?”

“I love you too, you know that.”

“I do know that. So now that we’ve established that, what is this about?”

“Why won’t you touch me when Derek’s around?”

The question makes Peter go absolutely rigid, and Stiles knows that he at least identified the pattern correctly. He has no time at all to be smug about that, though, not when he still can’t puzzle the rest of it together. Peter’s quiet for a few long moments that feel like an eternity to Stiles.

“It feels like forever ago, now. My senior year of high school, when Derek was a sophomore, I was looking at colleges to go to. Some were close, others far away, and I was leaning toward going further away. The idea of that made Derek unhappy, and he told me that he was in love with me. Told me that his wolf acknowledged me as a potential mate.”

Peter shuts his eyes, like he can’t bear to look at Stiles as he tells the rest of the story. His voice goes quiet as he continues, “I was in love with him, too. It was part of why I wanted space. Relationships like ours, while not uncommon among wolves, aren’t easy. He was so young - and so was I. I wasn’t ready, so I pushed him away. I told him that I didn’t want that with him, and then I left.”

Stiles stays quiet as Peter talks, knowing with a terrible feeling deep in his gut that the story isn’t over just yet.

“He didn’t push, and I thought it was settled. Thought it would be okay and we would have the space we’d need, and we could revisit being together in the future. Then, the first time I came back from school, he had a girlfriend.”

“Paige,” Stiles says, not needing Peter’s nod to confirm the knowledge, but getting it anyway.

“Paige,” Peter confirms softly. “I…I didn’t handle it well, obviously. He seemed so happy with her, and I was jealous, even though I had no right to be. I was the one who rejected him, pushed him away. So, being young and jealous, I decided to get in the middle of it. I told him that she wouldn’t want him if she knew the truth about what he was, how they couldn’t be together if they weren’t both wolves. I figured I’d scare him into breaking up with her, or telling her the truth and she’d run anyway. I didn’t think he’d tell Ennis to bite her, or that he’d have to watch her die and end up killing her to end her suffering.

“And then I left again anyway. Went back to school without trying to fix any of it like a coward. And he ran right into Kate Argent’s arms - and the rest is history. It was my fault, Stiles. It was all my fault.”

Stiles thinks back, but he doesn’t think he can recall seeing Peter cry before. The tears slip slowly, silently down his face as Stiles reaches out and wipes them away gently with his thumb, keeping his hand there when Peter leans into the comforting touch.

“Then, when I came back, the first thing I did was kill his sister. He hated me, and he wasn’t wrong to. There’s too much history between us, now. Nothing I can do to fix all of that. I didn’t mean to make you feel badly, but the last thing I wanted to do was rub our relationship in his face. He’s suffered so much by my hand already.”

“You still love him,” Stiles says, and it’s not a question, but Peter shakes his head.

“No, Stiles, I love you. He’ll always have a place in my heart - I can’t deny that, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you.”

Stiles just shakes his head, but doesn’t refute what Peter says, even though it’s clear as day that it isn’t true. Sure, he loves Stiles, but he’s still in love with Derek. Will always be, even though he feels like there isn’t anything he can do about it.

“I’ll keep my hands to myself when we’re around him, then,” Stiles says, and Peter looks so grateful that Stiles wants to cry as well. There is so much pain in this man that he loves - he knew that, knew what he was getting into, but it seems there is always more.

The rest of the night is quiet as well, as they get ready for bed, and Stiles tucks Peter against his chest like he’s physically as small and fragile as his voice made him sound earlier. He presses his lips against Peter’s, and then again against the crown of his head as he pulls him close. Peter falls into a fitful sleep, and Stiles lies awake and tries to figure out how to fix this. Every solution he comes up with breaks his heart, but his resolve remains steady. This isn’t about him. He’s doing this for Peter. He can make this right. He has to make this right.

One of the most powerful teachers he had when he first started to come into his magic looks at him like he’s crazy when he visits them the next day. “So, let me get this straight: you want me to send you all back in time, which will create a parallel timeline, so that your boyfriend can make things right and fall in love with someone else?”

“I know how it sounds, Morgan, you don’t have to psychoanalyze me like I’m one of your patients. But you weren’t there when he was telling me all of this - the guilt he carries is wrong, as is Derek’s. Neither of them should bear this burden any longer. There are so many other lives that got entangled and destroyed because of a misunderstanding; because a teenager said the wrong thing to another teenager. It isn’t about me, and it isn’t even just about Peter. It’s about making things right for them.”

“Well, you’re more selfless than I am, that’s for sure. You’re absolutely certain you want to do this?” They ask, even as they start to gather ingredients to prepare the ritual.

“I’m sure, Morg.”

“I hope we meet in that timeline as well, Stiles. You’re a good man, and a passable mage,” Morgan replies with a glint in their eyes, which makes Stiles laugh.

“I’m the best student you’ve ever had, but I’ll let it slide since you’re doing me a favor.” Stiles says, opening his bag to pass over hair from both Peter and Derek as well, as the true focus of the ritual.

“And there’s that humility, too. You’re ready, right now? No one you want to talk to before we do this?”

Stiles takes a deep breath. “No, I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

Chapter Text

Fifteen year old Derek Hale stares intently at his Uncle Peter across the dining room table as he proudly lists off the schools he’s been accepted to and is considering attending to the family. They’re excited for him, and part of Derek is too, but the rest of him isn’t ready to let him go. Peter catches his eye and quirks his head to the side, an unasked question between them. Derek mouths, ”Talk later?” and Peter nods and smiles in response, getting back into the conversation about college.

If Derek is a little more subdued and sullen than usual that night, no one makes any mention of it. Derek has always been a quiet, serious kid, so it’s not all that strange. Peter knows him better than that, though, so the first thing he does when he and Derek are outside, alone in the backyard far enough away from the house to prevent anyone listening in, is pull him into a tight hug and ask directly in his ear, “What’s wrong, Derek?”

And Derek doesn’t know quite what to say to that because it’s not like anything actually is wrong, but it isn’t right either. The only thing that feels right is standing here in his uncle’s embrace, and while he knows it wouldn’t be a problem for his family, just the thought of public opinion on the matter makes him want to crawl inside a hole and die.

Plus, there’s the whole thing where - well, he doesn’t know if Peter could ever think of him that way. He wants it to be possible, desperately so, but he just doesn’t know. So he has to be brave, and he has to find out.

“I don’t want you to move away,” is what he settles on saying, at first, as he pulls away from the hug. It’s true enough, anyway.

“Aw, pup, I know, but it won’t be that long at all. Besides, you’ll be too busy being a superstar in your last two years of school to even notice that I’m gone, and then you’ll go off on your own, too.”

Derek snorts, unimpressed with the dismissal. “It’s not that simple, Peter, and you know it.”

Peter holds his gaze, steady and unwavering. “Then what is it that makes it complex?”

And that’s really the question that needs answering, isn’t it? There’s no right way to say it. At least, there’s nothing that Derek feels like he can say. Peter is the one who’s good with flowery words and clever turns of phrase - not Derek. So he takes a deep breath and just blurts out, “We have mate potential and I think I’m in love with you and I don’t want you to leave me.”

For all that Peter is the one who’s good with words, he’s silent and stock-still immediately after Derek’s confession. His scent doesn’t sour as Derek initially expects, but is rather more one of shock. He’s not angry, he doesn’t hate Derek for this, he just wasn’t expecting it, and when he composes himself enough he says as much.

“I can’t say that I was expecting that to be what all this was about. But I need you to know that I’m not upset. I’ve…recognized the mate potential with you as well. I can’t say I’m in love with you. I can’t say I’ve really thought about you like that in the long term. But I can say that I’d be willing to try.”

Just that is enough to make it feel like Derek’s heart is overflowing; completely overwhelmed with the possibility of what this could be between them.

Peter takes Derek’s hands in his own. “But there’s one thing I need to be clear about - this doesn’t mean that I won’t go away to college, Derek.”

Derek looks up immediately, hurt showing on his features and coloring his scent immediately. “How is that giving us a chance at all, Peter?!”

“I’m not leaving tomorrow, pup. We have time. And several methods of communication, and travel, and all that. Even if this doesn’t work out between us, I’m not abandoning you, Derek. But I need this, too. I need to go to college and explore and figure out who I am on my own as well as who I can be with you. And in two years when it’s time for you to make a similar decision, I hope you’ll do the same. Maybe it’s selfish, sure, but I’m telling you this is what I need.”

Derek inhales slowly as he ponders the words in his head. Nothing Peter said was untrue, and frankly it’s only fair. He knows that he can’t just spring this on Peter and expect everything to change, but it still somehow feels like a betrayal. He pushes that feeling down and gives Peter a small smile. “If that’s what you need, I can’t say I fully understand, but I can say that I want you to be happy, and that’s what matters to me. You’re right - it’s not abandonment. It’s probably still going to be a sore spot for me, just so you know, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t respect what you need.”

Peter returns the smile, much easier and genuine. “That’s all I can ask for, pup. Thank you. And thank you for telling me this and not repressing it and hiding it and keeping it all to yourself.”

He pulls Derek close once more, and this time Derek burrows into his embrace without hesitation and only pulls back when Talia pops her head out of the back door to see what’s been taking them so long.

They take it slow at first, much to Derek’s initial chagrin. He relaxes into it quickly, though. Date nights typical of what you’d expect between a new couple - the movies, bowling, mini golf, dinner at a nicer restaurant than they’d usually eat at - put him at ease, and he quickly realizes that he may have been infatuated with Peter before, but he’s in love with him now, and Peter isn’t far behind him at all.

Derek’s grown used to the idea that it’s a good thing that Peter will still go away to college and he can use that space and time to grow into himself in the same way that Peter wants to. In addition to dating Peter, he picks up other new habits and hobbies, like playing basketball and working out.

It’s a chance encounter, really, when he’s on his way to the gym and messing around with his friends that he meets Paige. She’s angry that they are disturbing her practice, and rightfully so. Some of the other guys are quick to get defensive, but Derek realizes that they’re in the wrong pretty quickly and apologizes to Paige before moving on.

He returns to the practice room after they’re done playing basketball and he’s showered, and she’s still there. He listens quietly and respectfully as she rehearses Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1, The Prelude. It’s a famous piece and one that he’s heard coming from Peter’s room on more than one occasion as he studies. Derek loves to make fun of Peter for his classical tastes, but he likes it almost as much as his uncle does.

When there’s a pause in the music, he takes the opportunity to enter the room just as he sees Paige placing her cello back on the rack and packing up her things.

“Sounds like the rehearsal is going really well,” he says conversationally.

She glares at him in response, sure that she’s still being made fun of. “Like you’d know or care. What do you want?”

The defensiveness isn’t what Derek expected, but it’s also far from foreign to him. He places his hands up in the air in surrender and smiles in what he hopes is a pleasant way. “Bach’s cello suites are a favorite of my partner’s. And I really am sorry about earlier - that’s why I stopped by.”

Paige looks surprised, and then quietly grateful at Derek’s words. “Partner, huh? Too serious to just call her your girlfriend?”

“Boyfriend, actually, and yes, things are pretty serious.”

She stares at him for a moment before breaking out into a raucous laugh. “Okay, fair, that’s what I get for making assumptions. In any case, the dude’s got good taste.”

And just like that, Derek has a new friend. Everything in his life feels so new - his relationship, his activities, his friend - and it’s good.

Saying goodbye to Peter at the end of the summer is hard; there’s no way around it. Peter takes him out to dinner at a steakhouse one town over from Beacon Hills a few days before he’s set to leave. The meal is incredible, but Derek relishes in the one-on-one time spent with Peter. They pull over at makeout point on the way home, and as cliche as it is, Derek loves the romance of the gesture.

“I’m going to miss you,” Derek says when Peter lets him pull back for air, breathless from kisses that never seem to end.

“I’m going to miss you too, pup, but it won’t be forever.”

So yes, saying goodbye to Peter is hard, but it’s made easier by the comforting closeness of his family and pack and late summer nights hanging out with Paige and his other friends, and even easier once the school year starts back up and he has plenty of distractions. He and Peter stay in touch - they call each other at least twice a week - but Derek doesn’t feel alone in the slightest.

There’s a touch of jealousy when he hears Peter gush about his roommate and his new friends and his classes, but he reminds himself that Peter’s allowed to have his own life just like Derek’s allowed to have his. He’s happy for Peter, and he doesn’t miss the pride in Peter’s voice when he talks about how well he’s doing in high school either. Planning in-person visits is tricky, but Derek’s already scheduled a weekend to go up and see Peter, and then a few weeks after that Peter will be home over Thanksgiving anyway.

They’re satisfied with the calls and even plan remote dates like watching a movie together over Skype, even if it’s not quite the same. Derek can’t help but miss Peter and he knows that he feels the same way, but it’s enough. Paige teases him relentlessly about pining over his boyfriend (she never had been able to let go of him calling Peter his partner; not that there was anything wrong with the word, but that he’d been trying to hide that it was Peter when Derek wasn’t particularly subtle about it).

Finding out that she already knew about werewolves was a surprise, though a welcome one. He’d been concealing Peter’s identity when he talked about him to her, until she finally rolled her eyes at him and simply said, “I know you’re with Peter, Derek. It’s okay - things are different in packs, my mom always says. You two are good for each other, anyway.”

At his completely bewildered look, she had simply laughed the belly laugh that had made Derek want to be her friend in the first place and informed him that her mother was an emissary for another pack, and her mom had taught her all about the supernatural even though her innate magic had skipped a generation with Paige.

“Leave the sneakiness to Peter, dude,” she’d laughed as Derek pouted, and the matter was considered dealt with.

Since they’re so close and Peter is so far away, Paige is the one that Derek first goes to when gets a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach talking to their new long-term substitute teacher.

“It was weird, I’m telling you. It seemed like she was flirting with me and threatening me at the same time. I don’t know why she’d be flirting with me anyway.”

Paige raised a judgmental eyebrow at him in a way that scarily mimicked Peter when he thought Derek was being an idiot. “Don’t play, Hale. You have to know that you’re hot. If you weren’t taken, I’d probably be flirting with you too. Well, maybe not since I know what an idiot you are, but you get the idea.”

And as Derek thought about the way he’d grown into his limbs, started smiling and talking easier, and bulked up overall, he understood it. He hadn’t done any of those things with the intention of getting hot, and some of them were things he couldn’t help anyway, but he truly had grown into himself. Even Peter had started remarking on it when they talked.

“In any case, it’s weird. If she says anything like that again, I’m gonna tell her to fuck off.”

“Good,” Paige replied, nodding. “Even if you are hot, she’s got no business flirting with a student.”

So the next time that Ms. Silver (”Call me Katie, sweetheart,”) gets closer to him than necessary, he moves away and tells her to stop. She frowns, but shakes her head and walks away like she’s disappointed in him.

When she tries it again the next day, telling him how handsome he is and laughing when he tells her to knock it off, he goes straight to the guidance counselor’s office and tells them about it. Tells them about how uncomfortable he is, how she refused to stop, and how he needs to be moved out of her class. It quickly becomes a meeting with the principal and his parents, and as much as she tries to play it off as harmless, Katie Silver finds herself fired in short order. Fortunately for Derek, that’s the last time he sees her at school.

Unfortunately for Derek, it’s not the last time that he sees her at all. Paige is sleeping over because they stayed up late working on a history project, and she whines at him to go get her a glass of water. They’re the only two people awake in the house, and that’s why the voices outside catch his attention quickly. He goes to the window and when he sees her and a bunch of guys in tactical gear, he immediately shouts for his parents.

His parents aren’t the only ones who hear him. He just barely manages to move to the side before a molotov cocktail is thrown through the window he was just looking through, and the scent of wolfsbane is impossible to miss. The household is in disarray; the wolves waking from slumber and scrambling to get out as more and more windows are broken and the fire spreads.

Derek runs back to his room and grabs Paige, who’s staring out his window looking terrified. They get back downstairs just in time to see Talia try to leave out the back door and get thrown back by a mountain ash barrier. Without hesitation, Paige rushes forward and breaks the barrier, setting the wolves free.

Once they’re outside, the hunters start shooting, and Derek makes sure that he gets Paige to cover as quickly as he can. There are fewer hunters outside than he originally thought; clearly, they were confident in their plan to take them all out in the middle of the night when they’d be sleeping, and they certainly weren’t expecting a human to be around to break the mountain ash barrier. As soon as the hunters are subdued, Talia calls the local head of the hunter’s council to inform him of the attack, and the closest other member of the werewolf council as well. Chris Argent and Satomi Ito show up at the house quickly, but Chris’ reaction is the one that really takes them all by surprise.

“Kate?” he asks in shock, “What the fuck are you doing here, and what the fuck were you thinking attacking the Hales? They’ve never hurt anyone; you know that.”

She starts rambling about how all werewolves are beasts that need to be put down and destroyed, and Chris looks on, horrified. He turns quickly to Satomi and Talia, shaking his head.

“She is in clear violation of the code. I remand her to your custody to be brought to justice, alphas,” he says with his head tilted in deference.

The council meeting that occurs the next day is short - the hunters were in clear violation of the code, just as Chris said, and quickly passed on to members of the justice system in the know to be processed and put away. As soon as she realized she wasn’t going to get away with it, Kate began protesting, and then threatening them.

She slips up quickly, letting them know that the hit was ordered by her father, Gerard Argent, and that he’s staying in a hotel on the edge of town. Luckily, they are able to get to him before he can skip town, and he’s locked away with the rest of the hunters. Chris Argent looks weary when he receives the news, but makes no protests. He’s a good man, for a hunter, and while the werewolves may not fully trust him, they know he’s always made the right choices.

Peter gets into town after the fiasco is sorted; angry to hear that his pack was in such danger and he wasn’t there to see to justice himself. Assurances that they’re okay and the culprits were swiftly caught and put away does little to settle him, and he spends almost two full days wrapped around Derek in the living room, needing the reassurance of his chosen mate close to him and his family around him.

Eventually, Derek convinces Peter that they really are okay and that he can get back to his life. Derek’s scheduled visit comes up the next weekend, and while Peter is clingy while he’s there, Derek can tell he’s relaxed somewhat. Peter shows him all of his favorite places on campus and in the city of Santa Rosa, which feels incredibly different from Beacon Hills. It’s easy for them to forget just how big California really is, but in the streets of this northern California city, the distance is clear to Derek. They spend the weekend sightseeing and wrapped up in each other, and Derek finds himself back in Beacon Hills before he can even process that he was gone.

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.

Chapter Text

Derek eventually falls into a fitful sleep, hoping that tomorrow will be a better day. He’s anxious about his mom going to see the sheriff, too, especially since it could backfire on Stiles, but he knows she’s right about needing to talk to him. He trusts her, as his mother and his alpha, to do the right thing. That doesn’t mean he can’t still be nervous about it, though. At least, that’s what he tells himself when he worries his way through the entire school day.

Paige calls him out on it, asking him what has him so distracted, but he brushes her off, telling her he’ll talk to her about it later. She doesn’t seem impressed at being pushed out of the loop, but doesn’t push him any further on it.

At the end of the school day, Derek leaves the building to find Stiles standing by the Camaro, looking nervous.

“Hey Stiles, what’s up?”

He fidgets, staring at his shoes. “My, uh, dad texted me telling me to catch a ride home with you. He said we need to all talk together after your mom’s visit.”

Ah, that would explain the nervousness. “Sure, no problem. Are we going to my house or yours?”

“Mine,” Stiles replies, moving to the passenger side door as Derek unlocks the car and gets in. Derek puts his key in the ignition, but stops before he turns it and looks over at Stiles, who is staring at his folded hands in his lap, leg bouncing uncontrollably.

Derek places a steady hand on Stiles’ knee, gently bringing the motion to a halt. “Look at me, Stiles. It’s going to be okay. Maybe not today or the next day or the day after that, but it’s going to be okay. It’s just like my mom said last night - change isn’t easy, but it’s important. You’ve been so brave so far - it’s okay to be scared, but you don’t have to think the worst. No matter what happens, I’ll still be there for you.”

“Promise?” It’s practically a whisper as it leaves Stiles’ lips, but Derek hears it crystal clear.

“I promise.”

Derek gets a jerky nod in response from Stiles and turns back to the steering wheel, turning the key in the ignition. The drive to Stiles’ home is familiar to him now, and he makes the trip with ease, turning on the radio at a low volume to dissipate the awkwardness of the silence between them. Normally, they can travel in comfortable silence, but that’s not what this is. Not with how nervous Stiles is.

The anxiety rolling off of him actually overwhelms the permanent scent of grief that has practically become synonymous with Stiles for Derek at this point. Derek hates feeling like there’s nothing more he can do to calm Stiles down, but he knows that there are limits and that Stiles is going to be nervous no matter what he does.

Still, he takes Stiles’ hand in his own when they get to the Stilinski house, walking him up to the door. He lets go to allow Stiles to open the door, and follows him through once the door is open, shutting it behind the both of them. Stiles’ posture has gone absolutely rigid, and Derek places a hand on his shoulder, which immediately gets the response of a throat clearing from the sheriff, standing next to his mother in the kitchen just a few feet away.

Derek removes his hand and extends it to the sheriff in a polite greeting. “Hello, sir.”

John eyes him for a moment before shaking his hand. “Hello, Derek.” His eyes almost immediately shift back over to his son. “Son.”

Stiles nods and attempts to produce a smile at his dad’s greeting, but it looks more like a grimace and nobody else in the room has a particularly good reaction to that.

“Why don’t we all take a seat in the living room?” Talia suggests, trying to take control of the situation before it all falls apart without the chance for them to talk. The sheriff nods in agreement and moves toward the living room, and Derek can tell they’ve already talked this part through. Stiles follows his father, and Derek takes the brief moment where his back is turned to scent mark his mother and be marked in return. It’s a quick, fleeting hand on the neck for both of them, but it reassures Derek and his mother smiles at him, since she can tell he needed it.

The sheriff is in an armchair, and Stiles is tucked into the corner of the couch doing his best to disappear into it. Talia takes the other armchair, leaving Derek to share the couch with Stiles. He’d like to sit closer, offer Stiles some physical comfort, but he gets the impression that it wouldn’t fly with the sheriff and might just make Stiles even more uncomfortable, if possible.

Looking equally uncomfortable, but clearly steeling himself for the conversation, the sheriff clears his throat and kicks things off. “So, I had a very long, thorough talk with Mrs. Hale this afternoon. Before we get into things any further, I want to apologize to you, Stiles.”

This simple statement has Stiles sitting up, paying attention to his father. “I never should have let things get so bad after your mom died. I was grieving; hell, I still am, but instead of showing you that and being there for you, I pulled away. That’s no excuse, though, you hear me? It’s the reason. It’s the explanation I have. But that doesn’t…doesn’t make it right. So I don’t want you to be afraid to be honest here, because I know I’ve screwed up. I have a lot of work to do making that up to you, if I can at all.”

The room is silent, still, for several long moments. Stiles practically bursts out of his seat on the couch, throwing himself into his father’s arms that open for him as soon as he moves. Stiles clings to his father, and Derek averts his eyes and looks at his mother, who has a small smile on her face. They embrace for a long time before the sheriff pats Stiles’ back a few times, signaling for him to pull back.

“I love you, son. I know I haven’t told you that enough or shown you, but I promise you that I do.”

“I love you too, dad. And even when you didn’t say it, even when you pulled away, I still knew. I promise I didn’t think that you didn’t love me. That’s not why I talked to Derek and Mrs. Hale.”

“I know, Stiles. But I also need you to know that it’s okay - that it’s good - that you talked to them about how overwhelming everything has been. I’m sorry that I brushed you off when you tried to talk to me about it.”

Stiles shrugs a little as he moves away from his father and sits back down on the couch, curling a bit into himself but not hiding in the same way that he was earlier. “It’s okay.”

“No, it really isn’t. That’s another important thing for you to know: it’s okay for you to hold me accountable, and for you to be mad at me for things that I’ve done and things I’ve neglected to do. You don’t have to excuse my behavior or forgive me just because I’m your dad.”

“I probably will, anyway, but I’ll try to be better about telling you when I am upset about something.”

Talia interrupts, then. “And that’s a great start, Stiles. In order for things to get better, there will be a lot of changes, and you’re an important part of that. But do try to remember that it’s not all on your shoulders - it’s not all your responsibility.”

The sheriff nods, confirming Talia’s words. “She’s absolutely right, son. None of this is solely on you. You’ve already taken on too much as it is. So there are a number of things that need addressing, and we’re going to work through them all together.

“First things first: we both need to get into grief counseling. I should have at least arranged it for you immediately after your mother passed, but I think it’s important for us both. There’s nothing wrong with you for not being ready to let go or move on, Stiles, and I feel awful that I’ve ever made you think differently.”

Stiles immediately interrupts. “But I don’t really want to -”

“I’m sorry Stiles, but at least an introductory session. If it’s not right for you, we can maybe look into a support group or another therapist, but it’s non-negotiable for me that you talk to someone neutral about what you’re feeling.”

Stiles’ arms cross, showing that he’s clearly not happy about this directive, but he nods to show that he understands. Internally, he rolls his eyes at the idea that there’s going to be yet another person to tell him that they’re sorry for his loss and then tell him how to get over it.

“I know someone who’s worked with our family before. Their name is Morgan, and they’re used to working with youth especially, so I think it’ll be a good fit. That said, though, your father is right. If it’s not a good fit, you just have to tell us and we do have other options.” Talia interjects, sensing Stiles’ reluctance to discuss the topic any further.

The sheriff lets that sit in the air for a moment before he continues. “The next part is really just on me, but it’s important to me that you know about it: I’m going to start attending AA meetings. It’s, well, frankly it’s embarrassing that I’ve let things get as bad as I have. Especially in my line of work, I know what alcoholism can do to people and their families. I’m going to cut back on my hours at work in order to work through that and the therapy, and because frankly they need to be cut. I need to spend more time with you, too.”

His scent is colored with shame, so potent that Derek feels like Stiles must be able to sense it as well, even without the perception of a werewolf.

Stiles’ voice is quiet as he speaks, but it’s determined, too. Like he’s scared of speaking the words, but he’ll say them no matter the cost. “If you’re going to tell me that it’s okay for me to ask for help and that I should be honest about how I’m feeling, then you need to be, too.”

The sheriff lets out a small chuckle, some of his distress dissipating. “You’ve got me there, son.”

Derek decides it’s a good time to speak up, wanting to continue to lessen the tension before even bigger issues need to be addressed, as it’s clear there’s still more that his mother and the sheriff have discussed. John looks surprised as Derek starts to talk, but he pushes forward nonetheless.

“And as far as school is concerned, we’re going to figure out a few things that you’re interested in and get you involved. You don’t have to immediately fall in love with a sport or a club or whatever, but school shouldn’t be this thing that you have to dread. Classes are classes - and maybe you can talk to the guidance counselor if your classes aren’t interesting to you or challenging enough or whatever - but you’ve gotta branch out, too.”

Stiles is frowning at Derek, like he hadn’t expected him to partake much in the discussion, but he eventually nods. “Yeah, I guess I haven’t really been trying to make the adjustment any better. I can’t promise I’m gonna like anything or end up sticking with it, but I can try.”

Derek smiles warmly at him. “That’s all I’m asking. Besides, if you do get involved with something and stick with it, they’re going to think I’m a miracle worker or something.”

The joke lands, thankfully, and Stiles snorts out a laugh. When he lets out that laugh, there’s a brief moment of shock from the sheriff, as if it’s been a long time since he’s heard Stiles laugh. Derek tries very hard not to be angry at him for that, but by the warning look his mother gives him, he fails.

The sheriff speaks up again, “That’s all well and good. You being more involved at school will be a good thing, especially since you’re going to stop selling papers online.”

“But we need the money!”

John sighs deeply, frustrated with Stiles for his stubbornness and angry with himself for letting this fester and affect his son to such an extent. “It’s not your responsibility, kiddo. If, when you are old enough to work, you want to get a job doing something you like for spending money, I’ll be happy to support that. But you aren’t responsible for earning money for us, and you should have more integrity than to help other people cheat, too.”

Stiles looks suitably chastened at that second part. “What about the house?”

The sheriff and Talia exchange a loaded look, and she goes to speak, but John cuts her off before she gets the chance. “If it’s okay with you, and only if it’s okay with you, I want to sell the house. It’s too big for us and frankly, the money isn’t worth it. I understand that this is your childhood home, though, and if you don’t want to leave, we can figure it out.”

Stiles sits with that news for a moment, silent. “I think I’ll miss it, sure, but we can take our memories with us. Honestly, a fresh start might not be such a bad thing, anyway.”

“I’m glad to hear you think about it like that, Stiles.”

“But where will we move? We won’t leave Beacon Hills, will we? How will we afford a new place? Especially since you said you’re going to cut back your hours and I’m not allowed to work anymore.” Anxiety creeps back into Stiles’ voice and features, but the sheriff is quick to lay his fears to rest.

“Definitely not. We’ll stay here, and I’m cutting back, not losing my job. As for where we’ll go, well, there are a few options,” he says, eyes looking back over at Talia when he finishes speaking.

She smiles and addresses Stiles directly, “If you’re interested, there are a few guest homes on our property that are currently empty. I’ve already offered that you and your father could stay in one, in a sort of rent-to-own situation. We have the space, and it would still give you privacy from our main home, but you’d be welcome over at any time as well. Derek can drive you to school, and when your father does have to work extended hours or even just the night shift, you could stay with us so you wouldn’t be alone.”

This time, it’s not just Stiles that’s caught by surprise. Derek is shocked, but recovers quickly, because it makes so much sense, and he’s grateful that he brought this to his mom once again, because this is a great solution. Stiles seems much more uncertain on exactly how great it is.

“Are you sure? I really don’t want to intrude…”

Talia chuckles, but it’s affectionate, not mocking. “It’s not an intrusion at all, just as I told your father when he said the same thing. We’d be happy to have you around; it’s not just about easing the financial strain.”

John gives Stiles a wry smile. “What do you say, kiddo? If it’s not what you want, once again, we have options. But I have to say this is a pretty nice deal - not to mention how generous an offer it is in the first place.”

Stiles nods, and inexplicably turns to smile at Derek. “Yeah, I think I really lucked out with this whole buddy program.”

Derek, not knowing exactly what to say to that, just returns the smile and says, “We both got pretty lucky.”

With that, the atmosphere in the room is lighter than it’s been almost any time Derek’s been around Stiles, and he’s so grateful for it. Things won’t be as easy as they’ve laid them out to be here, of course, and the change will be difficult, but there’s a path forward. Now they just have to follow it.

Chapter Text

The first order of business is cleaning and packing the Stilinski house, preparing for it to be listed. The real estate market is booming, and the realtor that John hires assures them that she thinks it will sell quickly and above market value with ease. Her prediction comes true, and a new couple moving to the area close on the house only weeks after it’s listed.

Moving can be a pain, but it’s not as hard when there’s a pack of werewolves to help. The Hales make quick work of getting the Stilinskis settled into their new home, and just like that, a new beginning has been established. Things aren’t easy when the sheriff and Stiles start grief counseling and John works on sobering up. Tensions run high, but progress is being made. Stiles clings to that idea to get through the bad days.

After they’ve been there for close to a month, Talia decides to have one more difficult conversation with John and Stiles, with Derek present. One afternoon when the boys get home from school, they find John at the main Hale house and Talia invites the three of them up to her office. Derek can tell almost immediately what this is about, and steels himself for what is sure to be a hectic discussion.
Surprisingly, the sheriff is much quicker to accept their truth about being werewolves than Stiles is. John has a keen eye, and has noticed a few things that just didn’t add up until now. Plus he has the advantage of decades in law enforcement where he’s seen just enough unusual things that werewolves aren’t as much of a stretch as they may be to others.Stiles, overwhelmed with everything else going on in his life, is much harder to convince.

“Prove it,” he eventually spits out as a challenge, and Derek looks to his mother - his alpha, right now - for permission before shifting into his beta form right then and there. He growls lowly in his throat as he transforms - normally it would be a full-fledged howl, but they are in the house, and he isn’t trying to scare Stiles or his father.

The fact that he isn’t trying to scare Stiles doesn’t seem to matter, though, when the teen jumps up out of his seat and scrambles back away from Derek. Derek doesn’t drop his shift, simply waits patiently for the initial shock to wear off. He isn’t left waiting long, and Stiles moves towards him cautiously.

“Dude, where did your eyebrows go?” It’s so incongruous with the fear that still colors his scent that Derek bursts out laughing, and his mother chuckles good-naturedly as well.

Derek shifts back to human then, once the tension has been broken, and Stiles sits back down. “Sooooooooo,” he draws out the word, trying to appear casual and failing, “werewolves, huh?”

“Yes, Stiles. Werewolves.” Derek repeats while rolling his eyes.

“I would assume you’re telling us now since the full moon is in three days,” John says, very matter-of-fact. “So long as that’s not just folklore.”

Talia dips her head, acknowledging that John is correct. “Yes, we are affected by the full moon. But it’s not an instantaneous transformation or loss of control as you have seen it depicted. Our wolves are simply closer to the surface, and we tend to run shifted in the woods to burn off the excess energy and avoid more overwhelming sensory experiences.”

“So enhanced senses, strength, speed, and impressive special effects are all a part of the deal. What else is true, and what’s not?”

Derek smiles indulgently, glad to see Stiles’ curiosity at the forefront. “That’s mostly it. We also have enhanced healing, and the enhanced senses are a bit stronger than you might think. We can tell if someone’s lying by the irregularities in their heartbeat, and we can scent chemosignals that give us at least an approximation of how someone is feeling, too. It’s not an exact science, and it’s a lot of extra sensory information to sort through, but those are our essential ‘abilities’ as werewolves.

“As far as what’s not true; like mom said, we don’t lose control at the full moon, and silver bullets won’t hurt us any more than regular bullets. Actually, since silver is so soft, it makes for a pretty terrible bullet. We don’t hunt animals in the woods, or have mystical soulmates, though we can feel a connection to strong potential partners. We can’t turn into actual wolves. We have a hierarchy, yes, but it’s not as strictly enforced as you might think. There are alpha wolves, who are leaders of packs, and the beta wolves that make up packs. Omega wolves aren’t part of packs, and can have a harder time with control, but it’s not impossible to make it as an omega.”

Stiles opens his mouth as if to ask a million and one follow-up questions, but Talia raises her hand and he shuts his mouth immediately.

“That’s the primer, essentially, on werewolves. We’d be happy to help you learn more about us and our history after the full moon. More of the family will be around this weekend as well, so they can give you information, too. Our unofficial pack historian, my younger brother Peter, will be home from school, and I’m sure he’d be happy to speak to you as well.”

“Dude, you’re dating a guy with the same name as your uncle?”

Derek freezes, immediately looking to his mother for help in the situation. He didn’t lie when he told Stiles that Peter was his boyfriend, but he also didn’t think through needing to explain that his boyfriend was also technically his uncle.

Surprising him once more, the sheriff actually intervenes on Derek’s behalf. “That’s enough questions for now, I think,” he says with a hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “Thanks for telling us this - I appreciate the information. And if you need anything from us, or need us to take care of anything, you just tell me.”

“Thank you, John,” Talia replies, still smiling. The sheriff and Stiles take their leave, though Stiles shoots Derek a look as they walk out the door that is hard for Derek to read. He shuts the door behind them and looks pleadingly at his mother.

She seems to sense his distress and doesn’t laugh, though it looks like she wants to. “So, you told Stiles that you’re dating Peter?”

Derek groans and slumps into the chair that Stiles had just been occupying. “When he was here for dinner that first night, he saw a framed photo of us in my room and asked who that was, so I told him.”

“And now I’ve just said that Peter is your uncle, and when he gets here tomorrow…”

“There’s no way he’s gonna understand.” This was exactly the kind of thing that Derek had been afraid of; that had kept him from confessing his feelings to Peter for so long.

Talia hums. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Seriously, mom? He might know about us now, but Stiles is still a human. The idea of incest is still going to freak him out.”

“Have a little faith, Derek. Stiles has been nothing but painfully honest with you - he’s opened up and shared things that he thought he never would. Do you really think he would think less of you or stop respecting you if you do the same?

“Also, he’s no werewolf, but we’re not entirely sure that Stiles is just human, either. Morgan seems to think that he has a great magical potential, at least.”

Both of those things stunned Derek. He’d been thinking of things as being one-sided; Stiles had a lot going on, and needed Derek’s support. But rationally, they were both teenagers, and well on their way to being good friends, if they weren’t already. He couldn’t treat Stiles like a project; like something to fix.

“Putting the possibility of him having magic aside, because I really don’t think I can handle that right now, you’re right,” Derek says, all fight leaving him. “I owe him honesty, at least, even if he can’t handle it. But what about the sheriff? Even if it’s not a problem for Stiles…”

“You let me worry about that, Derek. It’s going to be alright no matter what. The pack and I will protect you and Peter, you know that.”

“I didn’t mean that you wouldn’t!” Derek pipes up, upset at the idea that she would think that. “I just don’t want to destroy all the progress they’ve made, either.”

“If it is an issue for both Stiles and the sheriff, then we’ll make arrangements for them, and move on. You’ll meet up once a week for your required buddy activity, or he’ll ask to be switched. And that’ll be the end of it. That’s the worst case scenario, okay, Derek?”

It still sounds pretty awful to Derek, though he tries not to think too hard about why the idea of any separation from Stiles hurts so much, but he nods and stands up to give his mother a hug. “Thanks again, mom. I literally couldn’t do this - do any of this - without you.”

“And you don’t have to, sweetheart.” She kisses the top of his head and sends him on his way.

Derek was still a bit nervous about Stiles and the sheriff spending their first full moon with the family, and particularly worried about how Stiles would react to finding out about Peter, but he was also excited. His wolf was close to the surface, as it was every full moon, and the anticipation of spending time with his family and running under the moon won out over his anxiety. Plus, it had felt like forever since he’d last seen Peter, and he missed him dearly. No matter how often they spoke on the phone, it wasn’t the same.

He and Stiles were quietly working on homework in the library of the main house, since the sheriff was at work, and Derek wanted to get all of his schoolwork out of the way so he could truly enjoy the weekend. Their peaceful study session was interrupted when Derek heard Peter call out, “I’m home!” as he walked through the front door. He dropped the pencil he’d been idly tapping against his textbook as he read and practically flew out of the room, barely registering the startled noise that Stiles made behind him.

Derek rushes to the door, pulling Peter in for a tight hug and burying his face in Peter’s neck to scent him deeply. Peter instinctively does the same, though he pulls back long before Derek feels ready, only to reel him in for a kiss. As soon as their lips meet, Derek’s protests die in his throat, and he can’t focus on anything but the man he loves in front of him.

That is, at least, until he hears Stiles squawk, and he reluctantly pulls away from Peter. He turns, a goofy grin still plastered on his face regardless of the tension in the situation, and says, “This is Peter,” as he takes Peter’s hand in his own.

“You must be Stiles,” Peter says with an appraising look, stepping forward and letting go of Derek’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

He pulls Stiles into a hug, catching him off guard yet again. Stiles feels so flustered around this man, and he doesn’t understand why.

“Uh, it’s nice to meet you,” he says, awkwardly bringing his arms up for a brief hug and patting Peter on the back a few times, which he luckily takes as the hint that it is to pull away.

“Boyfriend Peter, I assume?” He asks once Peter has stepped back into Derek’s space, looping an arm around his waist and pulling him close.

Derek’s face falls a bit, and then turns to genuine worry as Laura and Cora come running down the stairs. “Uncle Peter, you’re home!”

Peter laughs and tugs both of them into hugs, sending a worried glance Derek’s way that he doesn’t catch since he’s too busy watching Stiles puzzle it all together. His whisky-brown eyes grow wide, and he immediately drops his gaze from Derek’s own.

Derek doesn’t want to let it fester, so he moves over to Stiles and throws a casual arm around his shoulders. “We’re just going to go wrap up homework and pack our stuff away quick; be back soon,” he calls over his shoulder to his sisters and his uncle as he leads Stiles back toward the library. If they’re listening, which he’s sure they will be, they’ll hear the conversation regardless, but he figures that Stiles would appreciate the privacy. Frankly, so would he.

Stiles doesn’t say anything when they’re back in the library, alone and with the door shut behind them, but he doesn’t move to clean up his study materials yet, either. He seems stunned, and Derek’s worry increases again. Even though it’s not his strong suit, he knows he’s going to have to use his words here.

“That’s, uh, not really how I intended on breaking that particular news to you. Sorry it was so sudden,” he says to break the ice. He’s not even really sure why he’s apologizing, but it seems like the right thing to say, because it shakes Stiles out of his stupor.

“Nothing to be sorry for. It’s just…a lot to process, I guess? Is this a werewolf thing?”

Derek makes a see-saw motion with his hand. “Yes and no. Do you remember how I said werewolves can sense a connection to a strong potential partner?”

He waits for Stiles’ reply of a nod before he continues, “Well, it’s like that. I recognized Peter as a match - a potential mate, is what we call it - and he recognized me in the same way. It’s true that it’s not as big of a taboo in werewolf culture, though I understand it can still be a lot to grapple with.

“We’ve been dating for a couple of years now,” he says with a broad smile. “It’s hard, sometimes, with him being away at school, but I try to visit when I can, and he comes home when he can, too. We call each other and video chat as often as we can. Really, it’s just like any other long-distance relationship.”

Stiles nods, though he still seems tense, and Derek feels relief flood through him. It isn’t instant, overwhelming acceptance, but Stiles isn’t running for the hills, either. His mom was right; he really needs to give Stiles more credit.

“Was there anything else you would want to know? Any questions that you have?”

Stiles shakes his head, then blurts out, “I’m sorry I’m being weird! I’m happy for you, really, like I said when I saw the picture, you’re cute together. I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

Privately, Derek thinks that he’d like to know what’s going on with Stiles too, but he doesn’t voice it. Instead, he gives Stiles a soft smile. “It’s all good. I know it can be a weird thing to process. I’ve also never really had to tell anybody before - Paige figured it out without me saying anything.”

“Paige knows too? Does that mean she knows about werewolves?”

Derek nods. “Yeah, her mom is an emissary for another pack. They’re like magical advisors,” he says, catching Stiles’ confused look at the unfamiliar word.

“Magic is real, too?!”

A laugh bubbles up out of Derek at the absurdity that Stiles has learned that Derek and his entire family are werewolves, that Derek is in fact dating his uncle and no one in the family bats an eye at it, but is the most surprised by the existence of magic.

Stiles looks affronted at Derek’s laugh. “I didn’t know! This is all new to me; don’t be a jerk about it.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I promise I’m not laughing at you - it’s just funny to me that magic was the biggest surprise to you out of everything you’ve learned recently.”

Stiles tilts his head at that, considering, then laughs a little, too. “Okay, fair enough. Now that I’m done freaking out, do you want to actually pack up our stuff and get back to your family?”

Derek nods eagerly in response to the question, and moves to do just that, Stiles following suit. Once Stiles has everything in his backpack, he turns to Derek. “I can just go back home and make myself dinner; I’m sure you guys want to enjoy a nice family meal ahead of the full moon tomorrow.”

Derek scoffs at the idea as he opens the library door and leads them both out. “Don’t worry about it. I know your dad’s working tonight, so you should stay for dinner.”

When they get back to the front door, Talia has also come down from her office and is standing with her daughters and Peter. When she hears what Derek says to Stiles. “Yes Stiles, please stay for dinner. You know we’re happy to have you.”

Derek takes Stiles’ backpack from him, saying, “Here, I’ll put this up in my room. Peter, you want to bring your stuff upstairs too?”

Peter nods, and the two of them head upstairs. Derek does drop Stiles’ and his own school stuff in his room, but then he makes a beeline for Peter’s room down the hall. The door is open, and Derek can’t help but smile at the sight of Peter here, at home.

“Hey you,” he says, entering the room and sliding his arms around Peter from behind.

“Hey yourself,” Peter replies, and Derek can hear the smile in his voice as well. “Everything okay with Stiles? I didn’t mean to cause an incident.”

Peter turns to face Derek, not moving out of his arms, though. They sit together on Peter’s bed, Derek holding Peter close. “Yeah, he was just surprised. The whole werewolf thing is already new to him; I’m sure it’s just a lot. But you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Good,” Peter says, leaning in to kiss Derek again, slower than when he first arrived. It’s the perfect welcome home.

Stiles finds himself sitting next to Derek in the Hale’s gigantic dining room once again, Peter on Derek’s other side. The meal is ostentatious again, and Stiles finds himself salivating at the rich aromas filling the room. The table is packed to capacity with food, all the seats are filled, and he feels out of place. This is a family - even when his mom was alive, it was only ever really the three of them aside from the occasional visit from an extended family member - and he’s not a part of it.

The Hales do their damnedest to make him feel included, though. Stiles - Stiles who loves to run his mouth and talk a mile a minute - can hardly keep up. Peter in particular seems to be interested in engaging him in conversation. Derek interjects occasionally, but the two of them banter back and forth like they’ve known each other for years and not hours.

After dessert, the three of them end up back in the library together as Peter continues the werewolf - and really, supernatural - primer that Derek and Talia provided to him and his father the other day. Stiles feels like he could spend hours just learning about what supernatural beings exist and which ones don’t. Peter clearly has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, as Talia had indicated, and Stiles gets so caught up in learning more that all of the awkwardness from earlier is forgotten.

They only realize how late it’s gotten when Talia comes to the door of the library, leaning in the frame and watching the three of them with a smile on her face.

“While I’m happy to see you all getting along and learning about the supernatural, it’s almost midnight. You should all get some rest, especially the two of you,” she indicates toward Derek and Peter, “ahead of the full moon tomorrow night.”

“Do you want me to walk you home, Stiles?” Derek asks as Peter works to close, organize, and re-shelve some of the resources they’d been looking through.

Stiles nods with a smile. “Yeah, I’d like that, if you don’t mind.”

Derek leans over and gives Peter a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back in less than 10.”

Peter gives him a nod and a small smile of acknowledgement, and then Stiles and Derek head out, moving quietly so as to not disturb the others that have already gone to sleep. They walk back in silence, too, but it’s not uncomfortable. The walk isn’t long, and Derek waits for Stiles to unlock the door and step inside, turning on the porch light for when his father makes it home, before moving to leave.

Before he can bid Stiles goodnight and walk away, though, the other teen pulls him into a tight hug. Derek is slowly getting used to the idea that Stiles is a very tactile person, just like he is, but given how standoffish Stiles was when they first met, it still catches him off-guard occasionally. The hug itself is brief, but it reassures Derek in a way that he didn’t know he needed.

“Goodnight, Stiles,” he says with a smile as he pulls back.

Stiles flashes a shy smile of his own. “Goodnight, Derek. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

When Derek makes his way back to the house, he only stops in his room long enough to change into a pair of loose shorts to sleep in before heading straight over to Peter’s room. His boyfriend is already in bed, the bedside lamp on, and the covers on the other half of the bed turned up so that Derek can slide right in beside him.

He takes it for the invitation it is and slides into bed next to Peter, who immediately turns to face him and wrap his arms around him. “Did you get Stiles home safe?”

“I did. It’s not a long walk, but he’s human - or human enough - and I just feel better making sure he’s alright.”

“You’re protective of him; it’s only natural. And what, pray tell, do you mean by ‘human enough’?”

Derek lets out a small laugh. “I don’t really know much myself, but mom says that Morgan told her that they think Stiles has a strong magical potential.”

Peter gives an interested hum. “I could see it.”

“I don’t really want to keep talking about Stiles right now,” Derek says, shifting his hand down to grab hold of Peter’s hip, pulling their groins flush together.

Peter lets out a groan in response. “We can talk more about him tomorrow - believe me, I know there’s more to talk about. But I can be persuaded to wait.”

He leans in and kisses Derek before Derek gets the chance to ask him what exactly he means by that, and it’s soon enough forgotten in favor of the slick slide of their tongues and hands roaming each other’s bodies. Peter’s body is familiar to Derek, as Derek’s is to Peter, but after time apart it’s like they need to learn everything all over again.

It’s unhurried, slow and sweet, until they’re both hard and Peter is grinding lightly into the crease of Derek’s hip. He pulls away, regretfully, at that point, and rises to go finish himself off in the bathroom. Derek pulls at his hand, silently pleading, but Peter just shakes his head.

“Not yet, pup.” He goes into the bathroom and closes the door, leaving Derek to finish himself off. He turns to bury his nose in the pillow on Peter’s side of the bed, and with Peter’s fresh scent in his mind and the sound of Peter getting off in his ear, even a bit distant, he comes quickly, spattering white across his belly, where dark hair has started to grow in sparse patches. He goes back to his own room to clean himself up, and when he gets back to Peter’s room, he’s back in bed in nothing but a comfy pair of sweats.

“It’s just until you graduate,” Peter says, clearly able to tell that Derek’s not happy that he’s still enforcing the rule.

“I know,” he grumbles, getting back into bed and cuddling up to Peter.

Peter kisses the crown of his head, then his forehead, and says, “I love you.”

Derek, unable to hold anything against Peter for long, especially when it really is for his own well-being, says, “I love you too,” and kisses Peter on the lips before briefly flipping over to turn the lamp off.

He curls into Peter’s embrace and exhales a long sigh, comforted by the familiar scent in his nose and body against his own, and drifts off to sleep.

Chapter Text

When he wakes the next morning, Stiles sits up and stretches, then allows himself to fall back flat on the bed. He knew all this change wouldn’t be easy, but it’s still starting to overwhelm him, and that’s without him having made a lot of changes at school yet. Moving was a lot, but he feels like he’s settling into the new place well. Having his dad around more is nice, though things are awkward. Stiles still feels like he’s caused a rift between them by saying anything in the first place, but when they talk more than they have in months or even years, it’s hard to feel bad about it.

Therapy is…weird. It’s not bad, and Morgan doesn’t make him feel like he’s under a microscope or like he should be over his grief for his mom. They talk about coping mechanisms, and how to remember his mom while still moving forward, and he finds it actually does help. The ache is still there - his mom is still missing from his life where she should be present - but it hurts just a little less. It’s helpful that he knows now that he can talk to Morgan about literally anything - having to keep werewolves a secret would’ve made the whole ‘100% honesty’ thing a lot more difficult, and he has a feeling he’s going to have plenty more to talk to them about.

There’s also one thing he knows he needs to talk to Morgan, or even Derek or Mrs. Hale or his dad about, but he just doesn’t know how. When Derek came out to him as pan, he stuttered through it a bit, but it wasn’t really a coming out moment. He’s pretty sure he’s bisexual at this point, but worried that maybe it’s not the right label, and worried even more that there’s no point in coming out at all. It’s not like he’s in a relationship, or really looking to date at the moment anyway.

He figures he already kind-of, sort-of talked to Derek, so he can use that as a starting point, and probably tell Morgan in their next session as well. It feels strange, knowing that he’s got these big things to cover with the loss of his mom, absence of his father, and distance from his former best friend, but his sexuality is still causing him such anxiety. It’s definitely got something to do with the difference between keeping absolutely everything inside for so long to feeling like there are people who care and he’s still keeping secrets.

Stiles puts all of it out of his mind, and tries to enjoy the day. It’s quiet at first, because his dad is still asleep after such a late shift, but when he wakes up, they enjoy lunch together. Stiles spends some time in the afternoon wrapping up the schoolwork he didn’t finish the night before, then goes on a video game binge for a few hours just because he has the time.

Derek, on the other hand, ends up spending most of the day completely freaking out. He wakes up calm and content in Peter’s embrace. They shower, brush their teeth, and get dressed without any fanfare. It’s after breakfast when they’re back in Peter’s room, just lounging and watching a movie that Peter rents on iTunes on his laptop when things get tense.

“So, Stiles, huh.” Peter says as a complete non-sequitur, pausing the movie out of nowhere.

Derek looks at him curiously. “What about Stiles?”

Peter heaves a heavy sigh and closes the laptop altogether. “You like him.”

The intonation is unmistakable, but Derek still plays dumb. “Of course I like him - he’s my friend, and we’re doing a lot to help take care of him. Mom and I wouldn’t do that for just anyone.”

“You know what I meant, Derek.”

And the thing is, Derek does. He understands what Peter’s implying, but doesn’t understand how it applies to their situation. Sure, Stiles is a great kid: he’s funny, brilliant, sharply sarcastic in the same way that drew him to Peter and to Paige and oh shit. Derek’s not in love with him or anything, but there are feelings there. Or, at least, the potential for them. Trust Peter to figure it out before the thought ever crossed Derek’s mind.

“I don’t love him, Peter. I’m in love with you.”

Peter gives him a reassuring smile that is tinged with sadness. “I know you are, and I love you too, pup. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll never be attracted to anyone else, you know.”

“I…I don’t really know how to feel about that. Or any of this. Honestly, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind at all until you brought it up. Besides, things are way too fragile for anything to happen right now, and he doesn’t even know how he identifies, yet! Even if he is interested in men, he could very well not want anything to do with me anyway. Peter, I - “

“Shh, sweetheart, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to send you spiraling, but I could tell it was there under the surface and you hadn’t realized it yet. You don’t have to do anything about it right now, or ever. I just didn’t want to let it fester for you.”

“Why aren’t you more upset with me?”

Peter gives a gentle shrug. “I meant what I said; you loving me doesn’t mean you’ll never have feelings for anyone else. I…I admit to being a bit jealous. He gets to spend a lot of time with you, and I’m away at school. I know it’s the right thing for me to be doing and it’s absolutely not wrong for you to be spending time with you, but I’m envious for sure.

“But - there’s something about him, too. Something special. Obviously, I haven’t spent enough time around him to have feelings or anything of the sort, but I can see why you like him.”

And that - the idea that Peter is not only not mad at Derek for having these feelings but also gets it - is just too much for Derek. Even when Peter brings his laptop back up and they finish the movie, all Derek can think about is Stiles. He absolutely couldn’t say what the second half of it was about, or even how it ended.

Derek is quiet through lunch and into the afternoon, and Peter curses himself for sending him into this state. He knows it was important, that he shouldn’t let Derek bury these feelings, but part of him wishes he hadn’t said anything at all.

Truth be told, it’s strange. Peter had expected to dislike Stiles almost immediately due to his aforementioned jealousy, but his first impulse had actually been to hug the kid of all things. Then he’d engaged him in conversation at dinner and found him to be…interesting. He was nervous, certainly, but still held his own in conversation with the family and Peter himself. Stiles was quick-witted and had a breadth of knowledge and interests, and it made Peter want to learn more.

When they were in the library, reviewing old texts, Stiles was nothing short of reverent in his inquisitiveness. That, combined with the idea Derek had introduced that he had strong magical potential, had Peter completely intrigued. Then, there was the way that he and Derek interacted, which simultaneously made Peter want to smile broadly and to bare his fangs. They were comfortable, close, and it was clear that Derek was at least a little gone on the younger teenager. He couldn’t quite read Stiles well enough to tell yet, but he wouldn’t be surprised if the small crush was reciprocated.

So he knows he had to say something, and he’s mostly glad he did. But it marks a change - it’s not a direct threat to his relationship with Derek, but it’s there, and he can’t avoid it.

Both Stiles and his dad make their way to the main Hale house for dinner, and the smell outside of barbequing meat is heavenly. Instead of going inside the house, they walk around to the backyard where everyone is gathered. To Stiles, it looks like a massive party, but he’s slowly learning that everything about life with the Hales is just on a larger scale than he’s used to. They likely do this every full moon.

Talia immediately calls John over to help with the barbeque, which he gladly moves to do, but unfortunately leaves Stiles awkwardly standing on the edge of the assorted groups of family. He looks for Derek, but he’s caught up in conversation with Peter, and though their eyes meet, Derek doesn’t beckon him over.

Luckily, Cora and Laura approach him and pull him into a conversation that he mostly ends up on the sidelines of, but neither sister calls him out on it. They do try to include him as much as possible, and when it seems like he really won’t stay engaged, they start in with the questions.

Laura asks, “So, Stiles, have you thought about what activities you might try to join? I know Derek said you tried math club and speech and debate and didn’t really think either of them were for you.”

Stiles shrugs. “Yeah; it’s not that they weren’t interesting, but it’s honestly kind of difficult for me to have an intense focus on just those subjects for such a long period of time. My ADHD makes it really difficult.”

“Have you thought about doing something more physical, then?” Cora interjects. “I know part of it is being a werewolf, but doing something with my body to get out of my head usually works like a charm.”

Another shrug. “Not really, I’ve never been very athletic.”

“You’re in good shape, though! And you have a runner’s build. I bet you’d like track in the fall, and then cross country in the spring. You can just run and run, and your brain can do whatever it likes, but you completely tire your body out.”

Stiles actually stops to think about it this time. “That sounds like it might not be too bad, thanks, Cora. On Monday I can see what I can find out.”

“I think tryouts are the week after next, so you should have plenty of time to think it over.”

Derek overhears the conversation, and he’s quietly grateful to his sisters for engaging with Stiles and frankly making a fantastic suggestion that he hadn’t thought of himself. He can see Stiles as a runner - Cora was right, he has the lanky build for it, and he’s still growing into himself. He’s avoiding Stiles, and he knows it, but Derek feels like he needs the space after Peter’s revelation earlier in the day.

For the most part, he gets it. Stiles doesn’t push, doesn’t approach him, though Derek can tell he knows something is off. There’s just a bit of hurt and resignation in his scent, and it’s driving Derek crazy. Not enough to get him to approach, at least not yet, but it is bothering him.

When it’s time to eat, Stiles does make his way over to sit closer to Derek and Peter. Derek still stays mostly silent, but participates enough in the conversation when encouraged to do so. Peter carries the conversation, though, telling Stiles about the significance of the full moon and other important celebrations in werewolf culture. He lets something slip about how private they usually are, only shared with the pack, and Stiles shows no small amount of surprise.

“So how come dad and I were invited? I mean, we’re not pack…”

Peter shrugs. “Maybe not officially, or at least not yet. But you don’t have to be a werewolf to be in a werewolf pack. There are human emissaries, of course, but also just human members. Since you’re staying here by invitation of the alpha, you’re technically pack-adjacent at the moment.”

The words not yet swirl around in Stiles’ mind, and he finds that he really likes the idea of becoming a part of the pack. Talia, overhearing Peter’s words, jumps into the conversation.

“It’s early days yet, but we can certainly discuss you and your father becoming part of the pack when you’re ready. Considering you just found out about us a few days ago, I didn’t think it was time to introduce the idea just yet,” she says, sending a mild glare Peter’s way. “But it’s something you’re welcome to start thinking about.”

“Thanks, Alpha,” Stiles replies with a smile, which Talia returns with ease.

“Yes, thank you,” John says, though his smile is a bit more forced. It’s clear he’s uncomfortable with the idea, but considering that he has just learned about the existence of werewolves, it’s not that worrisome.

She makes note of John’s reaction, certainly, but also Stiles’. The excitement in him is hard to miss, and she thinks that it may be best to introduce him to the idea of being a magic user sooner rather than later. With his already regular therapy sessions with Morgan, Talia thinks that she could ask the mage if they’d also be willing to train Stiles, since they were the one to raise his magical potential in the first place. Paige’s mother would also be an option, but given that she is the emissary for another pack, the politics involved could make it difficult. They aren’t enemies, not by any stretch of the imagination, but without having a treaty or alliance in place, the waters are muddied.

Talia doesn’t linger on those considerations, though, as it is the full moon and there are more important things for her to focus on. She focuses on the pack bonds around her - warm and full of life, brimming with excitement as the evening continues and the rise of the moon approaches.

The pack, accompanied by the Stilinskis, relax in the backyard until the wolves are ready to run. It isn’t instantaneous, exactly, but it’s still freakishly coordinated when Talia stands and tips her head back to the sky the other wolves do the same, before taking off like lightning into the surrounding woods of the preserve. For a moment, Stiles just stares after them with his mouth agape, John doing the same by his side.

A laugh from the other side of the yard startles both Stilinski men out of the moment. “It really is something, isn’t it?”

It’s Derek’s aunt who was at dinner the first night that Stiles came to the house; the mother of three. She’s sitting with the youngest two, her oldest having disappeared with the rest of the wolves. Stiles is pretty sure her name is Helen.

“It sure is,” he manages to say in response, though, making his way over to take a seat next to her.

“I remember shortly before Mark and I were engaged and he finally came clean about all the werewolf business. He invited me to spend the full moon with them, just like this, and it took my breath away to hear them howl and watch them take off like that.”

“It’s quite the scene,” John agres, sitting down with the small group of them.

Helen smiles at that, and they chat idly and watch the kids play until Helen excuses herself to put them down for the night. She returns in about half an hour, shaking her head fondly.

“Sorry it took me so long. The little one is a wolf like his father, and even though he can’t shift and run with them quite yet, he still feels the excess energy from the pull of the full moon.”

“So two of your children are werewolves, but one isn’t?” John asks.

Helen nods. “With one human and one werewolf parent, the odds are essentially even, to our understanding. When she’s older, Talia will offer her the option of taking the bite and becoming a werewolf if she’s interested, but she’ll stay pack regardless.”

“Did they offer you the bite?” Stiles blurts out, then winces as he hears his own tone. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, I’m just trying to learn as much as I can.”

“You’re perfectly fine, Stiles. They did - once Mark and I were married, Talia gave me the choice. The perks are easy to name, but there are downsides. It’s something I would have had to hide from my own family, not to mention the possibility that I’d reject the bite and die. It just wasn’t a risk I felt was necessary, after I talked it over with Mark and Talia both. If I ever was injured badly, or developed a life-threatening illness, I’d probably reconsider for the sake of the kids. But otherwise, I’m happy just staying human.”

“If the bite doesn’t take, you die?” Stiles asks, incredulous.

Helen gives a hum of agreement. “It’s certainly not something to be taken lightly, becoming a werewolf. But there are, at least, a lot of benefits to being in a pack. It’s family and more.”

Though their discussion then takes another direction, that phrase stays with Stiles for the rest of the night. Family and more. It’s been so long since he even truly felt like he had family, and the idea that things are not only better with his dad but that he could have even more is so appealing.

He doesn’t think he wants to be a werewolf, necessarily. Especially not if it carries the risk of death. He has a lot more to learn before it’ll be an actual consideration, anyway. But joining the pack? That, he wants. Even just a few weeks of not having to be alone unless he wants to be alone has been so nice. It’s such a drastic change from before, but only in a good way.

Stiles is startled out of his thoughts by the sound of howling getting closer, and soon enough he sees the first of the Hales break the tree line, heading straight for the backyard. They’re all in the beta shift that Derek showed him when they first broke the news. He laughs to himself when he notes that while everyone’s facial features have changed, Derek seems to be the only one who loses his eyebrows completely in this form.

He tries to imagine what his face would look like if he was a werewolf, and comes up blank. The thought fades from him again as Derek actually approaches him for the first time all night, cautiously extending his arms for a hug. Stiles moves forward into the embrace, but Derek must be able to tell that he’s confused because he whispers an apology in his ear.

Stiles doesn’t press for an explanation as to what Derek is sorry for, but decides to just chalk it up to the strangeness of the full moon and let it go. When Derek lets him go, Peter is right there, pulling Derek into an embrace of his own and burying his face in Derek’s neck. It seems like an intimate moment, so Stiles looks away and makes eye contact with his dad.

“Ready to head back for the night?” John asks, and Stiles nods his assent. Talia thanks them for spending the evening with them, which Stiles and John return with thanks for the invitation, and then they take their leave.

“What did you think?” Stiles asks his father, feeling like he has a good grasp on where he stands (at least with the information he already has).

John stays silent for a moment, considering the question as he opens the door to their home and Stiles follows in behind him. “I think that the Hales are a very kind family, and I’m grateful to them for their help. I don’t know where I’m at with the whole…werewolf thing, just yet. I don’t want that - except, maybe in those situations Helen was talking about. If they could do something to save my life so I wouldn’t leave you, I would want that.”

Hearing that warms Stiles’ entire body, head to toe. “I think I’m in the same boat? It’s interesting, sure, but I don’t think I want to be a werewolf. I…I do think I want to be a part of the pack, though,” he says nervously.

John only smiles at him encouragingly. “That’s good to know, son. It’s okay to want that, you know? Family and more, just like Helen said.”

Stiles is so relieved that his dad seems to get it. He doesn’t want to replace his father - frankly, he doesn’t want space from his father for as long as possible - but he wants more, and with the Hales, more seems possible. “Exactly,” he replies, smiling.

He yawns then, loud and long, and John chuckles in response. “Sounds like it’s time for bed, then.”

Stiles nods in affirmation. “Definitely. Goodnight dad; I love you.”

John reels him in for a quick hug and a kiss to the crown of his head. “I love you too - goodnight.”

Chapter Text

Although he knows nothing has really changed as a result of the weekend, it still marks a turning point for Stiles. Something in him feels more settled - settled in his relationship with his father, in his new home, with his potential pack. Things aren’t ‘fixed’ or perfect, something that doesn’t exist, as he’s discussed with Morgan before, but they are better. The uncertainty he’s been feeling is lessening, and for now, that’s all the progress he needs. Watching his dad make progress has helped, too. Him proving that he recognizes that there were issues and showing commitment to making things better means just as much as the actual progress does.

The first thing that Stiles does when he gets to school on Monday is head to the teacher’s offices off the gym and find out when he can try out for track. The coach, Bobby Finstock, is an eccentric man that honestly scares Stiles a bit, but he’s not there when Stiles puts his name down on the list. At the end of the day, when he waits by Derek’s car for the older teen, it’s also the first thing he tells him about.

Derek gives him a wide, genuine smile and pats his shoulder before he gets in the car. “That’s great, Stiles! I’m glad you’re going to give it a shot. I honestly should’ve thought of it sooner - I’m almost never more relaxed than when I’m working out or on a run in the woods.”

“Well, I still don’t know if it’ll work out or not, but I think it has potential. I’m a little worried about tryouts, since I don’t really have a lot of running experience, though. If I don’t make the cut, I don’t know what I’d try next.”

“You can cross that bridge if it comes to that,” Derek says, not wanting to lose the positivity of the moment. “But if you want, we can train together a little this week. I can show you my favorite proper trails in the preserve.”

Stiles perks back up immediately. “Really?! I’d like that, but I don’t want to be a bother…”

“You have to get this idea out of your head that asking for anything for yourself makes you a bother. If I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have offered, I promise.”

“Fair enough, I’m sorry - “

“And you don’t need to apologize for it, either,” Derek cuts him off as he pulls out of the high school parking lot.

“Alright, alright,” Stiles laughs, the sound filling the car and making Derek smile. “Let’s do it.”

“That’s more like it.”

They start the next morning, considering that all their time after-school is consumed by homework, eating dinner, and therapy for Stiles. Stiles groans when his alarm first goes off, but he throws on an old t-shirt and basketball shorts and exits the house to find Derek waiting on the porch, in an equally old t-shirt and a tiny pair of running shorts that have Stiles studiously focusing on Derek’s face.

“Ready?” Derek asks, still a bit bleary from sleep.”

Stiles nods, feeling the same way, and follows as Derek takes off at a light jog. It’s not tough to keep up with him, at least not at first. It’s not until they’re a decent way into the preserve and Derek has really upped the pace that either of them speak again.

“Hold - hold up, Derek,” Stiles pants, slowing down and leaning his weight against a tree, trying to catch his breath.

Derek stops several paces ahead of him, and shame crosses his features when he turns around and sees what shape Stiles is in. “I’m sorry; I should’ve been checking in with you more. I’m used to just kind of getting in the zone and going. I was pushing way too hard.”

Stiles flaps his hand at Derek as if to say it’s okay, but the way his chest is heaving betrays the fact that Derek is right and really needed to ease up. He holds out a water bottle that Stiles takes gratefully, tilting his head back and taking long, slow gulps that end up with Derek taking his turn to blush and avert his eyes.

“Better?” He asks as Stiles hands the nearly-empty bottle back to him, and Stiles actually has it in him to respond verbally this time.
“Yeah, thanks,” he replies, voice raspy. “But let’s take it a bit easier the rest of the way, yeah?”

Derek nods so quickly that he looks like a bobblehead in the early morning light that’s breaking through the trees in the preserve, and Stiles lets out a quiet little laugh that transitions into a groan when Derek starts to move and he follows suit.

Their runs get easier over the next few days, and though he doesn’t show an amazing amount of improvement, Stiles feels better about track tryouts. When he shows up to the track, he’s appropriately nervous, but doesn’t feel anywhere close to panic, and it’s a relief. There’s a large group of teenagers out there, and it’s intimidating, but Stiles takes a deep breath and thinks about his morning runs with Derek, and it doesn’t seem insurmountable.

He steers clear of the field events, knowing that what he really needs to burn out his nervous energy is just to run. The sprint trials are first, and he’s middle-to-back of the pack in all of them. He doesn’t let it get to him, though. While sprinting isn’t bad, it’s not quite what he’s looking for either.

When the middle- and long- range trials occur, though, it’s clear his stamina is better than he thought it was, and he ends up toward the front of the group each time. He never leads or comes in first, but he’s up there, and it’s a satisfying feeling.

Later, when he finds Derek in the parking lot waiting for him in the Camaro, he immediately pulls the older teen into a sweaty hug. Derek wrinkles his sensitive nose, but indulges the contact nevertheless.

“I take it things went well?” he asks, laughing when Stiles pulls back and flops down in the passenger seat, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“Things went great! I won’t find out anything for sure until next week, but I have a good feeling about it. And I couldn’t have done it without you,” he adds, voice taking a more serious tone.

Derek just smiles at him. “Good, now I know I can push you harder on our morning runs.”

Stiles makes it onto the track team. Without a second thought, Stiles pulls out his phone to share the good news with his dad.

“Beacon Hills Police Department, Sheriff Stilinski speaking.”

“I did it, dad! I’m going to be on the track team, probably for long distance and relays. I’m no sprinter or hurdle jumper, but I’m going to be on the team!”

“I’m so proud of you, son,” and the pride in his dad’s voice is clear. It fills Stiles up with even more joy than he was already feeling, to the point where he feels like he’s overflowing with the positive emotion.

They can’t talk for long; the sheriff is pulled away for work and Stiles has to go tell Derek the news so they can head home, but even the short conversation is satisfying for Stiles. He wasn’t scared of interrupting, or being brushed to the side. He had good news and wanted to talk to his dad about it and he could.

Derek can spot the beaming smile on Stiles’ face from a mile away, and he immediately pulls him into a tight hug when Stiles meets him at the Camaro. Stiles squeezes him back tightly as he says, “I did it! I really did it!”

“This calls for a celebration for sure,” Derek replies, getting in the car and heading for the ice cream place where they went for their second official week of being buddies. He recalls how much Stiles had seemed to enjoy their coffee ice cream, and is validated when Stiles orders it again, as a milkshake this time.

Celebratory milkshakes are only the start. The Hales make a dinner full of his favorite foods, and his dad trades with someone to cover the end of his shift so he can be there to enjoy it with them. It all feels like it should be for something bigger than simply making the track team, but every time Stiles thinks about protesting, he decides to bask in the glow instead. This is a good thing - he’s allowed to enjoy it. They aren’t doing this because he expects them to or because of some obligation, but because they’re genuinely excited for him, and that’s such an amazing feeling.

Joining the track team ends up being the solution to a lot of his problems. He makes fast friends with another runner, Isaac Lahey, and his good friends Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd. Erica doesn’t participate because of her epilepsy, but shows up to support Isaac and her boyfriend (”Call me Boyd, not Vernon.”). Boyd throws javelin, which simultaneously impresses and scares the hell out of Stiles, but he quickly learns that the other teen is a complete and utter teddy bear. Isaac and Erica are the ones to watch out for with their quick wit, and Stiles finds that he really enjoys all of their company. Erica and Boyd are sophomores, but Isaac is a freshman like him, and Stiles finds that he really doesn’t miss Scott as much as he thought he did.

Before he can even process it, Stiles is a few months into his freshman year of high school and his life is good. Not great - his dad had a relapse into drinking that set both of them back, though he’s recovered well since - but good. He still has weekly therapy sessions with Morgan, and will start seeing them a second time in a week once the track season ends to start his magical education, which is both exciting and terrifying. Finding out not only that magic is real, but that he’s got it and it’s strong? Wild.

He comes out to Morgan as well, and they give some great advice about how it’s not a requirement, the timing is up to him, and he has a great support system no matter what. It’s not long after that when he comes out to his dad and Derek (officially, this time) to no pushback at all. His dad teases that now that it’s out in the open, maybe he’ll finally start dating. Derek just beams at him and tells him that he’s proud of him, before privately freaking out about what that could mean for them and having another long call with Peter to calm himself down.

His performance in school has never been better, and he excels with all of Morgan’s training. When Peter is home from school, he and Stiles lock themselves in the library for hours upon hours as Peter expands his supernatural education. It’s on one of these weekend occasions that Peter comes to bed with wide eyes and Derek is waiting for him.

“Derek?”

“Yeah?”

“What would you say, if, hypothetically, you weren’t the only one that liked Stiles?”

“You mean he told you about someone else having a crush on him? He hasn’t mentioned anything to me.”

Peter shakes his head, and the meaning of his words becomes clear to Derek. “Oh, you mean the fact that you like Stiles. I’d probably say it’s more obvious than when you pointed my crush on him out to me, and you should already know that you like him with all the quality time you’ve been spending together.”

Peter’s stunned look seems like it might be permanently stuck to his face, and Derek lets out a loud laugh at the expression. “Oh man, this is gold. I should record this moment for posterity’s sake.”

At that, Peter lets out a soft growl and finally climbs into bed next to Derek. “It’s really not a problem for you? I mean…he’s in high school.”

Derek arches an eyebrow. “Peter, I’m in high school.”

“That’s not the same,” Peter waves a hand. “You’re a senior, and family besides. We know we’ve both recognized the mate potential.”

“And it’s there for both of us with Stiles, too. Honestly, I don’t know why this is freaking you out so much. Frankly it might just make things easier that we both want him. Maybe now I don’t have to feel guilty about wanting someone who’s not you.”

“First of all, you never should’ve felt guilty about that, I told you. But maybe you’re right…maybe it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t mean he’ll be okay with it, though. It doesn’t mean he wants either of us, let alone both.”

“Well, at least we know for sure he’s bisexual now. That helps. And he’s at least attracted to us, physically. You can’t tell me that you haven’t smelled it.”

“Oh, believe me, I have,” Peter says sardonically. “But you know as well as I do that physical attraction doesn’t equate to a crush or anything more. Besides, he’s 15. Everything gets you turned on when you’re 15.”

“Still,” Derek continues, “I’m just saying it’s not impossible. It’s a bit soon to spring something as big as the mate potential on him, anyway. There’s no pressure to do anything at all right now.”

“You’re right,” Peter concedes, and that’s the last they speak of it for a while.

By Christmas, though, things have changed. Talia offers Stiles and his father a place in the pack, which they both accept, on the caveat that neither of them wants the bite unless in a life-threatening situation. Stiles is a fully-fledged mage apprentice under Morgan, and has even started spending some time with the current Hale pack emissary, local veterinarian Dr. Alan Deaton.

He smells like pack, and home, and most relevantly, like want. That desire is tinged with bitterness, though, as if he’s afraid he’s doing something wrong, and it kills Derek. He’s got to do something to reassure Stiles without screwing it all up.

Chapter Text

Stiles has a conundrum. Well, kind of two conundrums. Well, actually, still just one. Anyway, the point is, he’s freaking the fuck out. It was one thing when he started to crush a little bit on Derek. It made sense, right? Derek was older, the first person to show him so much kindness in a long time, and hot like burning. Finding out that he has a boyfriend is kind of a bummer, but Stiles is a teenager. He gets new little crushes all the time. He figures he’ll get over it.

It was another thing when he started to crush on Peter. The man was knowledgeable, easily matched Stiles’ wit, and was probably the easiest person in the world for Stiles to talk to. It was a little strange to know he was crushing on someone that was in a relationship, and that was a bit older than him. But it’s the same thing - he figures that eventually, he’ll get over it. After all, he’d thought he was in love with Lydia Martin for years, when he barely even knew her.

But realizing that he liked both of them? Realizing that he liked them together? The cold reminder every time he even thought about it that they were together, in an established relationship, without him? That sucked. It sucked mostly because Stiles already knew he didn’t have a chance with either of them. It sucked knowing that they were werewolves, who had recognized the mate potential in each other, which basically meant there was no way that they could want Stiles, too.

He tries so hard to keep his emotions in check around them, but he knows that it’s a losing battle. He knows that lately Derek can tell that something’s wrong, with the way that Stiles is pulling away from him, and he’s sure that Derek can smell the tidal wave of desire coming off of him every time they’re in a room together. The second part is certainly true for Peter, too. Somehow, he still doesn’t expect it when they corner him the day before Christmas Eve.

If Derek was feeling charitable, he’d say it was incidental that the texts Stiles and Peter were reviewing were on werewolf mates and courtship rituals, but he knows it was by design.

“...and once the courtship is complete, which nowadays really just means that both parties feel like they’re ready, they’ll exchange mating bites.”

“Like werewolf marriage?”

Peter laughs, but the sound isn’t unkind. “Yes and no. Most of the time they’re completely separate - mates will eventually get married, if it makes sense for the couple, but the mating is more significant in the eyes of the supernatural community.”

“So when did you, I mean, I don’t want to be invasive…”

Derek and Peter exchange a meaningful glance at the sour note in Stiles’ scent as he starts and stops asking the question. “We haven’t actually mated, just yet,” Derek interjects. “Really, we haven’t started formally courting. There’s no pressure right now - we’re dating and in love, and that’s what matters.”

Peter nods in affirmation. “Derek’s right. The commitment of courtship and becoming mates is nothing to be taken lightly.”

“And…and do you have to be a werewolf to mate with a werewolf?” The question is asked quietly, with so much hesitation, that if they weren’t werewolves, they wouldn’t have heard it at all.

“No, you don’t. As long as at least one of the partners is a werewolf, the magic of the bond takes,” Peter responds matter-of-factly with the beginnings of a smirk on his face. “Why, Stiles, has someone caught your eye?”

“Peter…” Derek starts to say warningly, but then gives up and realizes that Peter is right. They’ve got to get him to talk about his feelings if they’re going to be able to reassure him about it all. He turns to Stiles. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to, but I have to admit that I’m quite curious about the answer, myself.”

Stiles’ expression is trapped somewhere between surprise and disbelief, before settling on the latter. “Seriously? Are you really going to make me say it? Is this…is this some kind of joke to you?”

“No, Stiles, it’s not like that - “ Peter starts to say, but Stiles cuts him off.

Stiles pushes himself up out of his seat. “Because it’s not funny, okay? I know you’re together - I know you’re unavailable. It’s something I was trying to deal with on my own, and I don’t appreciate you throwing it in my face. I can’t help that you guys can tell things about me that no one else can.”

Derek is instantly next to him, trying to reassure him and bring him back from the edge. He doesn’t understand how everything went to shit so quickly. “Please, Stiles, just give us a chance to explain. I promise we aren’t making fun of you or anything like that, okay? Our senses give us extra information, but we’re not mind readers. We just want to talk to you.”

The glare that Stiles levels on Derek is nothing short of suspicious, but at the very least, he stops trying to leave the room. “Go on then: talk.”

Peter interjects, moving to the other side of the table so that he’s standing next to the both of them. “You’re correct in that we’ve both smelled your…interest. But that isn’t all. Before I talk about anything else, though, we need to know if it’s just a temporary interest, or something more. You’re only 15 - yes, plenty old enough to know your own mind, but young enough that this is a ‘capital B Big’ type of conversation to have.”

Some of the tension leaves Stiles' frame, though he still holds himself stiffly. “It’s…it’s something more. I’ve had crushes before, okay? This doesn’t feel like that. It feels stronger; it feels right,” he blushes as he makes that last admission.

Derek lets out a relieved sigh. “You feel right to us, too.”

At that, Stiles looks up sharply. “Both of you?!”

A hesitant glance passes between Peter and Derek at that reaction, which they hadn’t anticipated. “Yes?” Derek hedges, “Is…is that a problem? Were you only talking about one of us?”

Stiles bursts out into incredulous laughter, as if it’s the funniest joke he’s ever heard. In reality, he simply can’t believe it, but the reaction feels strange in the moment. “No,” he finally says, “I really wasn’t. But this…I didn’t think this was possible. You’re intended mates, for fuck’s sake!”

“Mates aren’t just pairs, Stiles. It’s all about the connection and commitment. That’s why I said ‘at least one’ partner has to be a werewolf,” Peter explains in a gentle voice, clearly afraid of spooking Stiles any further.

“But…me? You’re interested in me?”

“We’ve both separately recognized the mate potential with you as well, Stiles. We didn’t say anything earlier because like I said, it’s a big thing to drop on you, especially with how young you are,” Peter says. “Is it really such a surprise? Derek’s been halfway gone on you since you started opening up to him, and I’ve been enchanted by you in all the time we’ve spent together.”

Stiles thinks about that, and finally sits back down, Derek and Peter taking up chairs on either side of him. “Okay, I can see where you’re coming from. It…it is kind of a lot. And I don’t know that I’m ready for, well, anything yet. But isn’t that a problem? You’ve already been together for a while. I don’t want to hold you back from mating, either!”

Derek lets out a soft chuckle. “It’s not a problem at all, Stiles. We set the pace of things together. I don’t want you to feel any pressure to ‘catch up’ to me and Peter - that’s not the point. It’s not quite like starting over, we can’t ignore the fact that Peter and I have history, but we can wait for you, Stiles. You’re not holding us back from anything.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Peter agrees.

“So, it’s okay that I’m not ready yet?”

“Absolutely.”

“100 percent.”

“But,” Stiles continues, a smile coming over his face as he turns to face Derek, “if I asked for a kiss?”

The corner of Derek’s mouth tilts up. “Why don’t you ask, and find out?”

His earlier hesitation gone, the words spill out of Stiles’ mouth with ease. “Kiss me? Please, Derek?”

And Derek does. It’s nothing like the fairy tales that Stiles has read. There are no sparks, his foot doesn’t pop into the air, and there isn’t even any tongue. It’s a simple, warm press of the lips, and Stiles still feels his heart soar out of his chest.

When they pull back, Peter is immediately there, turning Stiles to face him. “Do I get a chance too?”

Stiles smiles and nods, which Peter takes as his cue to gently take Stiles’ face in his hands and kiss him as well. The physical sensation is entirely different, but his emotions are the same. When he pulls back from that kiss, he takes a step back so that Peter and Derek are facing each other.

“Now you two?” He asks, uncertainty starting to creep back into his voice.

There is no uncertainty in the way that Derek reels Peter into his arms and kisses him breathless. Stiles feels the same way just watching. Still, they don’t linger, and then the three of them are just standing there in the library with wide smiles. Sure, they’re going to wait. But they’re waiting for something - something tangible, and it makes all the difference.

Stiles intellectually knows that this probably isn’t the best time for this conversation, but after what happened with Derek and Peter yesterday, it feels like it’s necessary. It’s rare enough that his dad is actually home on Christmas Eve, and that he won’t have to go in until late on Christmas Day itself.

They’d planned to spend Christmas Eve together, just the two of them, before celebrating with the Hales on the holiday itself. Stiles woke up incredibly refreshed and relieved, half-convinced that the day before was a dream until he saw matching good morning texts in a group chat with himself, Peter, and Derek.

The first thing he does is text them back in kind before getting up and getting in the shower. He gets dressed and ready quickly, heading out to the kitchen to get started on breakfast. Stiles keeps it simple - eggs, turkey bacon, wheat toast, and grapes. They’ll eat a bigger dinner tonight, and then have what is sure to be a huge meal at the Hales tomorrow, so he doesn’t want to overdo it now.

The smell of the food cooking and coffee in the pot brings John out of his room. “You didn’t have to cook, son. I could have at least helped, or we could’ve gone to the diner.”

Stiles waves a hand. “It’s no biggie.”

“Still, it smells good. Thanks,” John pulls Stiles into a side hug as he reaches for two coffee mugs and fills them to the brim, since neither of them cares much for cream or sugar.

They eat mostly in silence, chatting idly about plans for the day, and once they’ve both finished eating, John starts to take the plates over to the sink when Stiles stops him. He raises an eyebrow at his son, clearly waiting for an explanation.

“Um, can we talk for a second before anything else?”

John instantly becomes more alert, concerned that something is wrong, and sits back down. “What is it? Is everything alright, Stiles?”

Stiles quickly shakes his head to reassure his dad. “No, no, everything’s fine! Things are…really good, actually.”

John relaxes just a fraction. “Well, I’m glad to hear that at least. Now what’s this about?”

Fidgeting with the ends of his long-sleeved shirt, Stiles drops his eyes to the dirty dishes on the table. “I just…I have something I want to tell you, and it’s kind of a big deal but also really isn’t and I don’t really know how to say it - “

“Stiles, whatever it is, you can tell me,” John reaches across the table to grab Stiles’ hand.

“I’m bisexual,” he blurts out at the first contact between them, looking up at his father with wide, slightly panicked eyes.

John blinks, pauses for a beat, and then smiles. “Yeah? That’s good to know. Thank you for telling me, Stiles. I’m proud of you, you know, and nothing will change that.”

Stiles can’t help it; he’s up and out of his chair, throwing himself into his dad’s arm in an instant. He always thought his dad would be accepting, but there was just a mental block in place that left him terrified of the consequences of this moment. It’s a weight off his shoulders.

“Can I ask if there’s a particular reason you’re telling me now?” John asks curiously, once Stiles is content to let go.

He blushes immediately and stammers, ruining any thought of not telling his dad about Derek and Peter, not that he planned on avoiding it altogether. “I…may have had a recent crush or two.”

“Mhmm. And?”

“And maybe it’s not just a one-way crush? They maybe like me back?”

“And hypothetically, of course, this person’s name is…?”

“Derek?”

“Is that a question, son?”

“Well, it’s more like Derek and Peter.”

“Can’t say that I saw that one coming,” the sheriff says with a roll of his eyes. “Kid, you spend almost all of your free time with Derek, and Peter when he’s here. It’s perfectly normal. But I’m glad that the three of you talked about it and worked things out. I know it can be tricky to navigate, especially since they’re both older than you - don’t think I’ve forgotten that - but I see how they look at you, son, and how you look at them. You’re not very subtle.”

“They basically said the same thing,” Stiles pouts, “But seriously, you’re okay with that?”

The sheriff makes a see-saw motion with his hand. “I am, Stiles. I’m okay with anything that makes you happy. But I just want to caution you that there’s a lot of things to consider - they’re both older than you, especially Peter, and they’ve been together for a few years. Plus, while we’re here and we know about werewolves and understand their relationship as mates, it’s not something that they’re really able to be public about, and that can have an impact on a relationship. I’m happy for you Stiles, really, but I just want you to be careful.”

None of that comes as a surprise to Stiles, who has spent plenty of time worrying about all of those things, but the open, honest acceptance from his father still has him tearing up and moving in for another hug.

“Now, was that everything? I’d love to get these dishes out of the way and get to enjoying our Christmas Eve.”

“Yeah, dad. That was everything. I love you.”

“I love you too, kid.”

Stiles doesn’t have a happier memory of any other holiday than that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. He hates to admit it, but even of any of the holidays when his mom was alive. The last few were tough, with her illness, and he doesn’t have strong memories of the ones before that because he was so young. What he does know is how absolutely, utterly loved and content he feels for those two days. The feeling doesn’t fade, necessarily, so much as it settles.

It settles deep into Stiles’ bones, his heart, his brain, and even his magic. When they get back to training after the holidays, Morgan comments on how anchored Stiles seems, and he just smiles at them. It’s just like he told Derek and Peter that night - this feels right.

Stiles hasn’t dreaded school in a long time, but now he finds that he actually enjoys it. Even though the track season is over, he spends a lot of time with Erica, Boyd, and Isaac, who ends up talking him into joining the cross country team in the spring anyway. He’s never alone at school - he doesn’t get to be with Derek much, outside of their dedicated buddy time (which Stiles really does have to thank the school for - the program really worked out in his favor) - but he has friends now, has Laura and Cora. Sometimes he is by himself in a class, or takes a break from being around everyone at lunch, but he’s not lonely.

His grief isn’t gone, either, but it’s manageable. Before, he always felt like he was pushing everyone away. Now he understands how to reconcile grieving his mother’s death and respecting her memory while continuing to live his life, and that makes all the difference.

It does feel like the time goes by too fast, though. The months flash past him like a cartoon rendition of pages being ripped off a calendar. Things don’t change much at all - though sometimes there’s handholding and the occasional kiss, especially when Peter is visiting. On one special occasion, Stiles accompanies Derek to visit Peter at school, and it’s a gloriously fun and intimate weekend. Stiles still feels like he’s a bit on the outside of their relationship, but they’re making progress. He becomes more comfortable with them by the day, and by the time late spring hits, he feels comfortable enough to shyly ask if they’d be okay with dating.

Derek and Peter smile at him warmly.

“Happily, sweet boy,” Peter practically purrs. “I’ll be home for the summer soon enough, and I can show you a good time.”

“And we practically already have been,” Derek says, “But I’m happy to step it up a notch.”

And it sounds nice in theory, but in practice, it falls apart a bit. Derek is busy as a senior in high school - it’s all awards dinners, and ‘last xyz’ events, and preparation for graduation. Stiles isn’t rolling in free time, either, but he sees Derek less and less as June approaches.

Peter makes it home two weeks before high school graduation, and treats Stiles just as he said he would. When they can make it work, it’s the three of them, but it often ends up being just Stiles and Peter. It’s nice, because Stiles is more intimidated by Peter than he is by Derek, just by virtue of having known Derek longer and having spent more time with him. This allows him to break down that barrier, and soon enough, things feel more balanced. It may be a relationship between all three of them, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have to work on their relationships in pairs, too.

It feels like Stiles blinks and they’re all sitting at Derek’s graduation, the entire Hale pack ignoring the rule about waiting until the end of the ceremony to cheer as soon as Derek’s name is called. Even Stiles, without enhanced senses, can see the blush that colors his cheeks at that, and the way he avoids looking the principal in the eyes as he takes the empty folder meant to represent his diploma, which will actually appear in the mail in the following weeks. But accompanying that blush is a wide smile that never leaves his face - not once the entire night.

They spend the summer getting very well-acquainted with each other, and introducing Stiles to the ‘no sex until you’ve graduated from high school’ rule. Part of him (the obvious part included) is disappointed, but the rest of him is relieved. While he’s comfortable and confident in their relationship, it still feels too early for that level of physical intimacy.

An awkward, long talk with his father about safe sex and the age of consent also reassures him that it’s best to wait. He’d already respected both of his partners’ decision to wait, but that seals the deal. Stiles knows that Derek and Peter are likely already having sex now that Derek himself has graduated, but they don’t rub it in his face if they are. Since Derek’s decided to attend the same school as Peter, they’ll be sharing an apartment come fall anyway, and will have all the privacy in the world to explore that aspect of their relationship.

Stiles tries hard not to think too much about the fall. He’s not worried about his sophomore year, given the rousing success of his freshman year, but he knows that he’ll miss Derek and Peter with them both being away from home. The visits will continue frequently, he’s constantly reassured, but there’s a loud, insecure part of him that is convinced that they’ll forget all about him, or worse, decide they were better off without him in the first place.

He talks it over not only with both of them, but with Morgan as well. They discuss where the insecurity is coming from, what he can do to reassure himself as well as gather reassurance from his partners. Morgan talks to him about the idea of catastrophizing - always thinking of the worst possible outcome and having a difficult time moving past it once the idea is lodged in his brain. Stiles almost feels relieved to have it laid out to him in clear, technical terms. Morgan walks him through coping mechanisms that help, though they don’t make the catastrophic thoughts disappear entirely.

More and more often, he feels like he’s able to stop and realize when a thought is entirely irrational. If Derek and Peter didn’t want him at all, they never would have approached him. They’ve told him about the mate potential - that’s not something they take lightly, or would lie about. Even if things somehow don’t work out between them, they’ve proven time and time again that they care about him, and wouldn’t hurt him purposely.

Still, he soaks up all of the time with them that he can. It’s not like Stiles is the only one that wants to enjoy the free time that all three of them have, so it’s no trouble convincing Derek and Peter to go out as frequently as they can.

After his 16th birthday, which occurs late in the summer, just a few weeks before school starts back up for all of them, he pulls his dad aside for a conversation.

“Would it be okay if I said I didn’t think I was ready to start working part-time yet? I mean, I know I still need to save up for college and I haven’t really been contributing to our expenses, but…”

“No buts, Stiles. That’s absolutely fine. Like I told you when we all sat down at first - it’s not your responsibility. I’m very glad to have a son that’s so considerate, but to be honest, I’m glad to hear you say this.”

Stiles doesn’t protest, he just smiles, and pulls his dad in for a hug. With that, his time remains free to continue his first foray into dating. He sleeps in the same bed as Derek and Peter for the first time the night before they leave to move into their shared apartment at school, and almost wishes he hadn’t. It was such a warm, content, and peaceful night, but he’s assured now that there will be plenty more of those in his future.

It still isn’t easy to say goodbye, but the future is bright. Stiles can work with that.

Chapter Text

After the emotional rush of his freshman year, Stiles’ sophomore year feels like a breeze in comparison. He trains hard for track in the fall with Isaac, a growth spurt that pushes him up close to six feet tall both helping and hurting. The extra length in his legs gives him a speed advantage, but he has to re-learn the careful control that he exercises over his body. By the end of the season, though, he’s helped the team bring home first place in more than one meet.

It’s fun to watch Peter’s eyes go wide the first time that he visits them at school only to realize that Stiles is just a bit taller than him now, the same height as Derek. He grumbles about disrespectful pups when his two boyfriends laugh, but it’s quickly forgotten for cuddles and scenting on the couch.

Stiles isn’t the only one who changes physically, though. While Peter maintains the (relatively built) look that he’s had for a few years now, Derek really starts to bulk up in addition to letting his dark stubble grow into a short, neatly groomed beard. Stiles puts up a faint protest against the double beard burn he now gets from kissing them both, but his heart beats just a little too inconsistently for either Peter or Derek to take him seriously. When Stiles gets home from that weekend away with a dreamy look in his eyes and red patches on his throat, John just lets out a heavy sigh.

Peter and Derek try to maintain the schedule that Peter had set in the prior two years of visiting home when they could, and having Stiles visit when he was free enough, too. At first, there’s concern about how Stiles will come visit them without a car, even though he has his license, but the sheriff surprises them all by gifting his late wife’s beat-up, blue Jeep to Stiles. It desperately needs repairs, which Talia covers for him as her contribution to the gift, and suddenly Stiles has his own vehicle. He loves the Jeep, naming it Roscoe, to everyone’s amusement.

The year goes by in a blink, and suddenly Peter’s a senior again with Derek in his sophomore year, four years after Derek’s initial confession of love, and almost two years into the addition of Stiles into their relationship. The only real drama of the year develops when Erica’s epilepsy takes a turn for the worse, and Stiles approaches Alpha Hale with the hope that she’ll be willing to turn Erica.

It’s always a risk to expose the supernatural to more people, but Stiles trusts Erica, and he can’t bear to see her hurting. He’s in the office when Talia makes the reveal, and gives Erica time to think about it so long as she doesn’t tell anyone else.

Honestly, Erica makes her decision almost instantaneously, but she takes the time that the alpha gives her regardless. When she returns to tell Talia that she wants the bite, she provides conditions of her own: she wants to tell her parents, Boyd, and Isaac. Talia doesn’t like the idea of introducing so many wildcards at once, but Erica has her reasons. Her parents will require some explanation as to how Erica’s epilepsy will simply disappear, and they deserve to know about the risk involved in taking the bite as well.

Boyd and Isaac being in the know is less vital, but still important to Erica. They’re her oldest friends, and she doesn’t want to lie to them about something so big. Since Stiles vouches for them both, with additional input from Laura and Cora who have at least had classes with Boyd before, Talia relents. The offer of the bite isn’t on the table for them, at least not yet, but Stiles would be surprised if they don’t end up joining the pack when the offer is extended.

Erica’s change goes off without a hitch, and all the concern that they held is worth it for the smile that blooms across her face when she sits up, fully sure of her own body for the first time in years. It takes her some time to develop the confidence, but once she does, she blossoms. It’s difficult to realize just how careful she had to be before, just how much she was holding back from living her life even with effective medications.

Having his friends around for every aspect of his life makes it even easier to carry on while missing Derek and Peter. Stiles also likes that he gets to use his magic more freely, which helps him improve and helps him stay in control.

The rest of the year is quiet - that is, until the spring, when Peter makes an announcement that no one was expecting. He’s given it a lot of thought, and decides he needs to be selfish at least once more. The opportunity is just too great for him to say no and walk away.

He’s been offered a position as a research assistant for an archeological dig that will practically guarantee his admission to grad school and will look beyond fantastic on his resume besides. Peter is torn, a bit, because he does want to stay. He wants to really give the three of them a chance to see what things are like for the three of them living on their own - but he doesn’t want to give this up, either.

Eventually, he makes the decision, and tells Derek and Stiles first when they’re all wrapped up in each other in his bed at the Hale house while they’re home for spring break. Derek takes it better than Stiles, having already had to deal with this once before.

It’s not that Stiles isn’t happy for Peter - really, he is. But he’s so sick of feeling behind; feeling like he has to catch up to Derek and Peter. It’s a consequence of their age difference - one he’s discussed with Morgan, his father, and both Derek and Peter at length. Acknowledging that it’s there doesn’t make it better, though. Stiles is stuck going to high school every single day while Peter gets to travel the world and do something important, and that stings almost as much as the idea of Peter leaving does.

He makes a strong effort to make sure that Peter knows that, too. He’s not mad that Peter’s leaving; more accurately, he’s upset that he can’t yet. Stiles is sick and tired of waiting for his life to get better. He did that for years - and it didn’t work.

But that said, this isn’t the same, and he knows that too. Everyone will miss Peter, not just him, and everyone has mixed feelings about it just the same. Still, the pack is happy for them, and Stiles is determined to be as well.

Once summer starts, he’s also determined to make the most of the short months that he has left with Peter, too. He puts off getting a job like he’d meant to until the middle of July, after they’ve said they’re goodbyes and watched Peter board a plane without looking back. He still spends as much time with Derek as he can, but he’ll be going back to school soon enough too, so Stiles settles in working at a local bookstore several days a week.

He keeps it up as he senior year starts, and suddenly he’s too busy to be worried about missing Peter at all. He still does, sure, but between school, work, learning magic, track, and the same senior activities that kept Derek busy at the end of his freshman year, his mind and body are occupied. Stiles still notes the changes he goes through - he gets taller again, giving him an inch over Derek, his voice gets surprisingly deeper, and he really fills out. He’s not jacked in the same way that Derek is now, but he’s impressively muscled in the way that competent runners are. His build gives even some of the werewolves a run for their money, though his strength still doesn’t quite compare.

Stiles may have turned 18 already, but he truly looks like a man now. Derek comments on it on the rare occasions he still gets to see Stiles, and Stiles takes it as the compliment that it is with a blush, thanks, and a kiss. Peter can see some of it through their Skype sessions, but those are few and far between thanks to their busy schedules and the time difference, so when he gets home in the spring of Stiles’ senior year, he’s taken aback.

Part of Peter feels like he’s missed something big. But, he reasons, it’s not as if this happened in a moment. He would have had to be here every minute of every day to watch these changes happen in Stiles, and even then, he may have missed it anyway. Still, the physical changes he’s gone through combined with his impending graduation light a fire under Peter’s ass.

He’s secured his place in grad school for the fall, will move back into the apartment with Derek, and Stiles will be joining them. It feels like it will be the first time in their relationship that they’re all truly on equal footing. Peter can honestly say he’s loved every minute - even the difficult minutes - that he’s spent with Stiles and Derek. His wolf whines at him to do something; to take the mate potential and make it more than potential.

Peter waits until just after Stiles’ graduation and asks to see Talia and John in his alpha’s office. John looks concerned, unsure about why he’s needed, but Talia can hardly contain her glee - she knows exactly what’s coming. John relaxes at the sight of her smile, but still regards Peter with apprehension as he shuts the door behind the three of them.

“Alpha Hale, Sheriff Stilinski,” he addresses them formally, “Would you do me the honor of allowing me to initiate courtship with your children Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski?”

Courtship is dating, but more. At first, it’s too much for Stiles. It feels like Derek and Peter are bending over backwards to impress him and each other, and his own efforts feel less-than in comparison.

So he takes everything he’s learned from the last few years, and just fucking asks. He doesn’t have the same instincts that they do as wolves, so he needs to know what they want to make them happy. It works like a charm - quite literally.

Stiles presents both wolves with pendants that Morgan helped him with the spellwork to create. They’re imbued with magic that allows the wearer to get insight into strong emotions of the other two that the pendant is tied to - whether that be danger and fear or love and longing.

“This way,” he says, showing them the one that he also wears, “we will always know if someone is in trouble and needs help. Or if we’re apart again, it’s another way to send love and reassurance.”

He’s immediately blanketed in a hug from both of his wolves, pulling his scent deeply. Stiles lets out a small laugh and allows himself to be embraced for a long moment, feeling satisfied. He knows he’s done right by them, and it’s exactly what he needed. It’s incredibly validating - he finally feels like he’s giving back the love that Derek and Peter have shown him in kind. As much as it isn’t a competition, Stiles feels like he’s keeping up, and it’s important to him.

There are plenty of smaller gifts, too, and short weekend trips. They go shopping to add a touch of Stiles’ own style to the apartment, as well as to get some furniture that will help fit the three of them. A king-size mattress is the first order of business, and they almost get kicked out of the store while ‘testing’ the merchandise. Their high-value purchase is probably the only reason that they aren’t asked to leave.

They stumble into the house that Stiles shares with his father, knowing that the sheriff is at work and they’ll be uninterrupted. Stiles still makes sure to close and lock his bedroom door behind them - the last thing he needs is his dad walking in on them. They haven’t gone “all the way” yet, and Stiles knows that he still isn’t ready, but he doesn’t need his dad to see anything.

When he turns back, Peter and Derek are already on his bed, making out. He joins them more confidently than he would have even just a few weeks ago, and is eagerly welcomed into the fold. He finds himself kissing Derek with Peter’s lips on his neck, and hands starting to tug at the hem of his t-shirt.

Stiles pulls back from Derek long enough for Peter to get his shirt up and over his head, and then turns to start kissing Peter, who has already divested himself of his own shirt. Derek takes the freedom to take off his own shirt, as well as unbutton and drop his jeans to the ground next to Stiles’ bed.

Derek lounges back on the bed in nothing but a tight, black pair of briefs. He sits back, palming himself over the increasingly tight material as he watches Stiles fall apart in Peter’s arms. Peter smirks at him over Stiles shoulder before pulling Stiles up to stand, wrapping his arms around Stiles’ waist to pop the button on his jeans as well. Stiles takes the hint and pulls them down himself, pulling his underwear down and off at the same time, baring himself to them both.

He steps forward when Derek extends a hand and allows himself to be pulled onto Derek’s lap, his hands finding purchase on Derek’s broad shoulders as he tentatively lowers himself to grind their groins together. He hears Peter let out a punched-out groan behind them, but before he can turn to look, Derek captures Stiles’ lips with his own.

Stiles continues to rock his hips against Derek’s, with Derek’s hands encouraging the motion. It doesn’t take long for his cock to get fully hard, and a spurt of precome leaks out of him, wetting Derek’s underwear when Peter takes his place at Stiles’ back after taking his own pants off. He places his hands just above Derek’s own on Stiles’ hips, and goes back to mouthing at Stiles’ neck; sucking dark marks that are sure to stay for days.

They’re all caught up in sensation; hands roaming freely. The room is filled with a cacophony of moans. Stiles pulls back from Derek, panting.

“Please, god, can I blow you now?” he begs, and takes Derek’s loud groan as assent, pulling his boxer briefs down Derek’s well-muscled legs and tossing them to the side.

Peter shifts back to give him space to lean over Derek’s lap and mouth at his tip without anything in the way. He ruts his hips against Stiles’ ass, presented to him like the best gift he’s gotten in his life, but it’s too dry.

“Fuck, Stiles, where’s your lube?”

Stiles pulls off just long enough to grunt, “Top desk drawer,” before fitting his mouth back around Derek’s cock and taking more of his cock in his mouth as Derek fists his hand in Stiles’ hair. Peter gets off the bed, bereft for a moment, before focusing on his mission and grabbing the half-empty bottle of lubricant from Stiles desk before getting back on the bed on his knees behind Stiles.

He slicks himself up, letting out a long moan at the smooth touch on his sensitive cock, and spreads the liquid over three of his fingers to slick up the cleft of Stiles’ ass as well. He puts extra pressure on his fingers as he runs them over Stiles’ tightly furled hole, repeating the action when he groans around Derek’s cock.

Eventually, he pulls his hand away and uses his hands to spread Stiles’ ass apart, fucking his cock down through the now smooth slide of skin on skin. At the end of each downstroke, his tip nudges against Stiles’ balls as his younger lover ruts against the sheets.

Peter reaches one hand up to hold the back of Stiles’ head, not forcing him down on Derek’s cock, but applying just enough pressure that he chokes a bit. Peter immediately moves his hand away, but Stiles pulls off to hastily assure him that it’s fine, maybe even better than fine, and Peter immediately does it again.

Derek takes the opportunity to move one of his hands out of Stiles’ hair to cup around his bruised throat, squeezing lightly, and gasping for air when it makes Stiles moan deeply, vibrations feeling incredible around him.

“Oh god, I’m going to come,” he breathes out, pulling Stiles off of him and stroking himself to completion, hot bursts of white coating Stiles’ face. The visible claim as well as the thick scent in the air is almost overwhelming for him.

For a moment, Stiles feels bereft without Derek in his mouth, but then Peter is flipping him over and hello, manhandling, and taking them both in his hand after adding more lube. The slick slide of the two of them against each other is positively delicious, and Stiles doesn’t even get the chance to warn Peter before he’s coming, too, across his own stomach. Peter doesn’t take long to follow, and he adds to the mess of come on Stiles’ stomach, rubbing it in as Stiles moves back gracelessly to flop his head against Derek’s thigh, exhausted.

Peter breathes in deeply and his eyes flash gold, mirroring Derek’s own. He lays on top of Stiles, placing his head on the teen’s chest as his fingers idly move through the mess on his stomach still. “You smell like your ours,” he growls out, Derek rumbling his agreement.

“That’s because I am,” Stiles replies simply.

Chapter Text

It’s a bittersweet moment for John and the Hales to drop Stiles, Derek, and Peter off at school. On the one hand, they’ll miss them. The house feels empty, after Cora and Laura graduated the year before, and now all three of them are leaving too. On the other hand, though, the parents are ready for these three to have their own space. Thankfully, no one has walked in on anything untoward, but werewolf hearing is sensitive, and John has remarkable observational skills. A bit of breathing room won’t hurt anyone.

“We’ll still visit, mom,” Derek is assuring Talia as Peter rolls his eyes, used to the spectacle after a few years away.

“I’m proud of you, son,” the sheriff says to Stiles, pulling him into a tight hug.

“I’m proud of us,” Stiles responds. He doesn’t comment on the tears in his dad’s eyes, and John pays him the same courtesy.

They turn to Talia, and Stiles says, “And we couldn’t have done it without you, alpha. Thank you so much for taking us in and just - well, everything,” he laughs.

She smiles at him indulgently. “It was my - and our - pleasure to help you through those difficult times, Stiles, sheriff. I am so glad to have you both in our pack and as a part of our family.”

“On that note,” Peter interjects, “there was one more thing I wanted - or, well, we - wanted to say before we see you off.” Derek and Stiles move to flank him before he continues speaking.

“I am delighted to announce that Derek, Stiles, and I have agreed that our courtship has proven to be all we could have asked for, and we intend to seal the mate bond in the coming weeks, with a small ceremony to follow on the next full moon that we will return to Beacon Hills for.” He turns, placing a kiss on the cheeks of both of his intended mates, and then he waits.

He isn’t left waiting long, though, before his mother gathers all three of them in her arms, letting out a squeal that hurts even Stiles’ non-werewolf enhanced ears. “I am so happy for the three of you! It is such a blessing that you found each other, and I couldn’t be more delighted.”

John waits until she pulls back before he does the same. “You make my boy happy,” he says, gruff. “I couldn’t be more grateful.”

The heaviest moment of the day finally being over, they finish unpacking and settling into the apartment, and it isn’t long after that John and Talia take their leave, making the drive back to Beacon Hills.

“All that talk of mating has me worked up,” Stiles whines, even as he collapses into an overstuffed armchair, tired to the bone, “but my body doesn’t seem to agree.”

“How about massages and takeout instead?”

“I can get behind that,” he replies, and their plans for the night are set.

It takes Stiles a little while to get used to this new routine. College is a lot different from high school, and it’s also strange to see Derek and Peter every day. He misses Isaac a lot, and floods their group chat with Erica and Boyd regularly. He also spends more time on the phone with his dad than he expects to, but it’s not an easy adjustment.

Morgan graciously offers a video chat session where he gets to air all his fears over not being able to keep up with his new schedule, missing home, and his impending mating. They provide great advice for time management and remembering his roots as he expands to new horizons, then teases him relentlessly over being nervous about his mating.

“That’s a conversation to have with Derek and Peter, not me, and you know it. You’ve already worked through so much with them - why would this be different?”

He knows that they’re right, but still grumbles even as he blushes until he finally just disconnects the call, feeling much better. He takes Morg’s advice and talks it out with the two of them, level-setting expectations. At first, Peter is concerned that Stiles isn’t ready, but Stiles quickly puts that fear to rest.

“No! It’s not that at all. Can’t I want this and also be nervous about it?”

“I understand, sweetheart. I just want to make absolutely sure you don’t feel pressured into this. I know it’s not the same for you as it is for us,” he replies, gesturing at himself and Derek. “Not that it means any less, but the compulsion isn’t the same.”

“Maybe a little practice will help settle your nerves,” Derek says with a smirk, bringing levity to the moment.

“Maybe,” Stiles agrees, which turns into a moan as Derek sets his teeth on the juncture of his neck and shoulder from behind him.

“It’ll be right here, when I bite you,” he says, breaths coming out hot and fast against Stiles’ skin. “You’ll be able to hide it under a shirt, sure, but we’ll always know that the mark is there. And you’ll have a matching one on the other side.”

As Derek says it, Peter steps forward, sandwiching Stiles between them, and mirrors Derek’s action. It takes all of Stiles’ will-power not to let his knees buckle and beg them to bite him right there and then and what was it again that he was nervous about?

Derek chuckles, and Stiles realizes that he said that aloud. “Soon, baby. Soon.”

Soon turns out to be Friday night of that same week. They’d enjoyed an excellent dinner out, walked home, and cuddled on the couch lazily watching television until the wolves started getting restless and exchanging kisses. Stiles is the one to grab the remote and turn the TV off, turning back to the loves of his life and pleading, “Bed, now?”

Peter hoists him up in a bridal carry like he weighs nothing and takes him to their bedroom, Derek trailing close behind. Things actually slow down for a moment, then, as they go back to kissing, and Stiles soon finds himself half-undressed and entirely relaxed and raring to go.

“How do you want to do this?” Peter asks between kisses, and Stiles freezes. There is so much he wants to do, and he has no idea where to start. Peter and Derek can both scent the change in him, and work quickly to get back on track.

“Let me rephrase: how do you want to do this first? We have all the time in the world, baby. There’s no rush, and there’s no pressure. You know that,” Peter’s tone is gentle, but chiding. He doesn’t want Stiles to get worked up - at least, not in an anxious way.

Stiles still doesn’t quite know what to say, so Derek interjects. “How about Peter opens me up, and I open you up, and we see where things will go from there, hmm?”

Stiles nods eagerly, the idea sending a burst of heat through him. “That, let’s do that.”

It’s a bit awkward, getting the three of them configured on the bed, but they manage. Stiles ends up on his elbows and knees, back bowed in the air to present his ass to Derek, who takes full advantage of the position. Peter kneels up behind Derek on the bed, all three of them having ditched their clothes.

Derek licks a broad, flat stripe starting at the base of Stiles’ balls up over his hole, and Stiles groans loudly into the pillow. He’s never been rimmed before, and was unsure if he’d enjoy the sensation, but it seems that the answer to that question is a very enthusiastic yes. He doesn’t eat Stiles out for long, impatient as he is, and quickly moves to slicking up his fingers with lubricant that Peter hands him after already starting to open Derek up himself, and sliding two home with how relaxed Stiles’ hole is.

He stretches to three fingers, then slides his pinky inside of Stiles just for good measure, Peter already having done the same to him. The added burn is positively delicious and Stiles is sure to let Derek know.

“In me, now, please,” he begs, knowing he sounds needy but feeling too desperate to care. Besides, Derek and Peter don’t seem to be too far behind him in terms of desperation.

As Derek pulls back, Stiles flips over and shoves one of their extra pillows under his hips to give Derek better leverage. “I want to see you,” he explains at Derek’s questioning look that is quickly replaced by a wide, almost feral smile.

Derek slicks up his cock, holding tight at the base so as to stave off the orgasm that already feels impending from preparing Stiles and having Peter prepare him, and slides just the tip into Stiles’ waiting heat. He grits his teeth to hold back from thrusting home, waiting for Peter to do the same behind him.

As soon as Peter’s inside him, Derek lets himself move forward, and he can’t tell which of the three of them moans the loudest. It doesn’t matter. The sensation is absolutely overwhelming, but they find the strength to get into a decent rhythm, at least for a few minutes. With how keyed up they all are, Derek and Peter especially with their wolves at the fore, it doesn’t take long before the threat of orgasm is close.

Still, Peter makes the most of it, thrusting into Derek with such force that he swears it feels like he’s fucking through Derek and into Stiles. The connection between them, fledgling as it is, positively hums with energy. Stiles is grinding back against Derek, taking him as deeply as he can but still wanting more, and Derek does his best to rock into him and rock back to take Peter as far as he can at the same time.

It’s hard to tell who finishes first, but it’s Derek’s fangs that find purchase in Stiles’ throat first. He lets out a victorious howl as he comes before leaning down and mouthing at the spot he told Stils’ he’d claim earlier in the week. Then he shifts, teeth elongating into fangs, and bites down without hesitation. Stiles cries out, the pleasure of his own orgasm and the pain of Derek’s bite warring in his mind, but the pleasure wins out as he comes hard against the sheets.

Derek cries out into Stiles’ neck where he still has delicate flesh trapped between his teeth when Peter bites into his neck as well. After a moment, Stiles tries to shift out from where he’s pinned under the weight of both werewolves, but finds himself unable to move. Derek growls and pulls him closer.

Stiles rolls his eyes. “Just let me up, sourwolf. You have more biting to do and you can’t do it like this.”

Derek growls again, but pushes up, displacing Peter for the moment, who shifts to the side more eagerly. The unfinished bond grates against his skin from the inside, and he desperately wants to sink his teeth into Stiles’ neck, opposite from the blossoming dark mark that Derek has left, as well as to feel Derek’s claim on him.

Peter instantly moves toward Stiles, needing to feel closer to him, and bares his neck for Derek’s bite in the process. His nephew takes it as the offering that it is and moves in close, once again mouthing at the skin for a moment before sinking his fangs in. Peter was anticipating it, but not so soon, and he cries out as it takes him by surprise and immediately buries his face in Stiles’ neck to stake his own claim.

This time, Stiles winces, because he doesn’t have the distraction of orgasming to avoid the pain, but it fades as he focuses on the mating bond he can feel establishing itself, winding between the three of them like a golden rope. Stiles is left with both bite marks throbbing in pain but thrumming with energy; his magic rising up and demanding that he complete the bond as well.

“My magic wants me to bite you too,” he manages to pant. “Is that - can we - can I do that?”

“Yes,” is the resounding response from both Derek and Peter, so Stiles turns to Peter since he’s closest and tentatively kisses along a prominent tendon in his thick neck, before baring his teeth and biting down. He doesn’t break skin, not like either of them had, and the mark heals just as quickly as Stiles can suck it into place, but the bond accepts the claim regardless.

There’s only one link missing, so Stiles pulls away from Peter reluctantly to repeat giving his symbolic bite to Derek, who takes it just as enthusiastically. It feels as if their bond snaps into place. Where before it was golden strings weaving together to form a rope, it has now solidified into a shining tether connecting the three of them in the most intimate of ways.

Stiles sinks down into the bed, pulling his boyfriends - his mates - close to him on either side. That feeling of right, good, content that he’s had ever since starting this relationship feels settled deep in his bones now. This is where he’s meant to be - where all three of them are meant to be. It is, as cheesy as it sounds, the beginning of the rest of his life.

A world away, Stiles Stilnski sits once again with his mentor Morgan, trying to convince them that the spell is a good idea.

“I just want to know if it worked, okay?!”

“I want you to tell me that if it didn’t work, you’d be okay with that. If you can tell me that you wouldn’t try to convince me to try it again without lying, I’ll help you.”

Stiles freezes, feeling caught out, but understanding that Morg’s right. “I can’t say that. If it didn’t work, I would definitely want to try it again. I want to know that somewhere, somehow, things are right for him.”

“Stiles,” Morgan says carefully in a tone of voice that Stiles hates hearing from them, “I hope it worked, too. I hope you were able to fix it there. But you can’t get caught up in that. You need to live your life here and now - make Peter happy in this timeline, Stiles. Let go of what could’ve been.”

“Just a glimpse? And do I have to remind you again that I’m not one of your patients?”

A tired sigh from Morgan. “Fine. Just a glimpse. But you have to go into this knowing that I won’t cast the other ritual again. It’s completely out of the question, Stiles.”

Stiles nodded so quickly that he looked like a bobblehead doll. “I won’t ask, even if I want to! I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

This spell is simpler than the full ritual from last time since they’re technically already connected, and Morgan quickly prepares and executes it as Stiles finds himself looking down on a scene he never thought he’d see: himself, wrapped between Peter and Derek in a cozy bed, mating marks visible on all of their necks. He smiles and closes his eyes, turning to look at Morgan.

“It worked. You can drop the spell.”

“What did you see that makes you so sure? Not that I’m complaining, of course.”

Stiles simply smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Just know that it worked. They’re happy - all of them, they’re happy.”