Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

New Years was huge in the Stilinski household before, but now it was *really* big. Why, you ask? Well, because Stan Stilinski started dating again. With Mrs. McCall. That's right! Stiles and Scott could now look at each other with a serious hope that they were going to be brothers by law, not just by bond or in the pack. And speaking of the pack, Derek had offered to host this little shindig at his place, so now it was getting better!

Just one thing. Stiles hadn't exactly broken the news to his father that he was dating a guy. Who was older than him. Technically, not that much older, since Stiles had originally been born in 1824, but still older. That was why at the moment, he was pacing all through the first floor of the house, passing pack members putting up decorations time and again, thinking about how he was going to tell the Sheriff. He figured he would throw in the fact that hey, at least they'd never had sex. Ever.

Which showed a lot of effort on Stiles' part because, hello, Derek was...well, he was Derek. Even old ladies licked their lips. And wow, Stiles *really* didn't need that mental image.

Smack!

"Ow!" Stiles rubbed his head, staggering back from the hand that had put the stinging there.

"You're worrying about something," Derek stated matter-of-factly, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing of the stairs. "What is it?"

"Nothin'," Stiles mumbled, because he certainly wasn't going to tell the Alpha after he just smacked him.

"Tell me."

"It's probably his dad," Scott called from across the room, where he was helping Allison with some streamers, "He still hasn't told him that you guys are dating."

Thanks Scott. No, really, thanks a lot. 'Cause Derek didn't know that.

Seriously though, Derek didn't. That was probably why he looked mildly surprised. (only mildly, because he had his cool 'I'm the Alpha so I'm better than you' facade forbidding him to show more emotion.)

"You haven't?"

Stiles shrugged a shoulder, "No? He wouldn't believe me anyways."

"Why wouldn't he believe you?" Allison asked.

"Yeah, you should give him some more credit," Scott agreed, because God forbid he ever *once* go against Allison in something. Even though this time she did have a point, but whatever, because...whatever.

"What if I kissed you when midnight comes around?" Derek suggested, "I'm sure he'll believe you then."

"...maybe."

Maybe? Guaranteed. Every time Derek kissed him, Stiles just went all mushy like a fangirl. It was really embarrassing, but it wasn't his fault that the Alpha had strange sexual powers radiating off of him in waves, to the point where all he had to do was stand there and let the women have their wet dreams.

Speaking of kisses, because he was still on the subject somewhere among the wet dreams part, Derek was doing just that to him right now. Probably to get the tension out of him, and hey, it always worked, because besides all the sexuality coming off that man, there was a nice fluffy wolf that could just sit their with his hazel puppy eyes and make everything all better. Stiles was pretty sure his boyfriend was magical at this point.

"Don't be scared, Stiles," Allison reassured him with a smile after Stiles recovered most of his brain after the kiss, "I'm sure he'll accept you the way you are. I would."

It wasn't that Stiles was scared of his dad not accepting him. There wasn't even a thought about that in his mind. It was just...Derek. Rugged, sexy, older Derek. The guy only needed a motorcycle to look like he was part of some Sons of Anarchy thing. Not really the type that his dad would really go for if he had to pick out a boyfriend for his son. (which, by the way, was never going to happen with Stiles still breathing.) And Derek, though he could be sweet and understanding, was only that way around Stiles, or with the pack when they were alone and not training. Even with the latter, it wasn't much. He didn't want his dad to get the wrong impression and forbid them to see each other.

Because life without Derek? Even with living his fifth life now, Stiles couldn't imagine it. At all. The memories would sometimes be hazy, but every single one he could see clearly had a certain werewolf in them. Any memory without him in it was either him talking with someone *about* Derek, or waiting for Derek to visit, or on the way to visit him. His earliest memory was even right before he first met him in 1842. Everything else before then was a blurred mess.

While he was internally rambling, Stiles wasn't surprised to find that when he actually bothered coming back to Earth for a little visit, Derek had an arm around him, leading him towards the kitchen. He pushed Stiles towards the fridge. "You make the pack some lunch," he ordered.

"Bu--"

"You're the only one who can actually make something decent here. And I know cooking takes your mind off of things."

Ok, so Stiles couldn't exactly argue with any of that. He could only sigh and get to work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Turns out, he didn't have anything to worry about. Derek turned on the charm, *way* up there, giving the best freakin' first impression Stiles had ever seen. It was a marvelous performance, and the pack instantly followed suit when they saw Sheriff Stilinski smiling. Now all Stiles had to do was just tell him.

The living room was packed at around 11:50, with Mrs. McCall and the Sheriff in the center of the couch. Poor Scott was all alone next to his mother, because Allison was spending her New Years with her family. Sometimes, Stiles wondered why she was still allowed to hang out with them, considering that they were all werewolves, with the exception of himself. She and Scott were even still allowed to date.

Huh...

"5, 4," everyone started shouting, Derek watching them all with a little smile that just melted Stiles' heart. "3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

And Derek's lips were all he knew for like, an eternity. Stiles returned from Neverland with a dazed smile.

"Happy New Year, Derek."

"Happy New Year, Stiles."

"Happy New Year to you too, son."

Stiles started a bit, looking over to see his dad's amused face. "Oh, um. Yeah. Happy New Year." he swallowed. "By the way, I'm dating Derek."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Well, now you do."

Sheriff Stilinski turned to Derek. "Then, Derek, if you break my son's heart, I have a shot gun and a police force."

"Duly noted, Sheriff," Derek nodded.

"Good."

The evening wass pretty perfect, in Stiles' opinion. He didn't even have to stay for clean up, 'cause his dad wanted to go home together. He expressed such sorrow at really wanting to help, but unable to because of his darling father wanting some quality time, to the pack.

"Just go home, Stilinski," Jackson growled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Winter break ended, and the thought train that was headed to wtfville came back to Stiles' mind, triggered by the sight of Allison and Scott holding hands at school. Because seriously, Scott was a werewolf, who was part of a pack. A pack that really liked Allison and would probably want to make her part of it real soon, 'cause she was the only Argent who wasn't psychotic, even earning a reluctant Derek's forgiveness after a while.

It just didn't make sense.

But at least that thought process made more sense than what Stiles was doing right now. What was he doing right now, you ask?

Well, he was kinda sorta walking towards Chris Argent's car. While Chris Argent was still in it. And he may or may not be knocking on the window to get him to roll it down...before talking to him.

"I don't get it," was his majestic opening.

"What don't you get?" Chris asked, looking amusedly at him.

"Why are you letting your daughter date Scott?"

"You mean because we know he is part of a pack, led by your boyfriend?"

Stiles denied that his cheeks turned pink. "Maybe."

"Is it so hard to think that maybe we are trying to be accepting towards them?" Chris shrugged, "That maybe we think this pack isn't so bad? They haven't killed anyone, as far as we know. Right?"

"Of course..."

"Then we have nothing against them. We *do* have a set of rules we follow."

Something in his eyes just didn't seem right to Stiles. He had the feeling that Chris Argent was lying through his teeth right now. "Uh-huh...just makin' sure."

"Alright. Take care, son."

"Yeah...you too..." I guess.

Stiles walked away, still immensely troubled. Instead of going to lacrosse practice--'cause really, Coach wasn't going to put him on the field when he had Scott and Jackson with their werewolf powers--he drove to Derek's place, shoving his spare key into the lock before hurrying inside.

Derek leaned over the railing to look down at him. "Stiles?"

"Derek, I need to talk to you."

The Alpha was down in seconds. "What about?"

"The Argents."

"Did one of them do something to you?"

Stiles put his hand over the claws peeking out. "No, they didn't. I just--"

"You smell like one of them."

"Well, yeah, 'cause I talked to Mr. Argent just now--"

Derek's eyes flashed. "You *talked* to one of them? Was someone with you, at least?"

"Wha--hey, it's not like he was gonna kill me or anything!"

"Wouldn't be the first time his family did."

"Well, not in the middle of a school parking lot! Anyway! Haven't you noticed that Allison is still with Scott?"

"Hard not to, Stiles."

Stiles huffed, "I know, but...I mean, the Argents *know* what you guys are. But they still let Allison come over here. They let her go on dates with Scott and stuff. Don't you think that's weird?"

Derek tensed. "You think they're using her to spy on us?"

"No, Allison wouldn't spy for them, but...it's just...it's bugging me."

The Alpha nodded, obviously troubled. Stiles couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before. Honestly, his boyfriend could be so smart he was dumb.

"I don't..." he swallowed, "I don't want them to suddenly come out of nowhere again, Derek. 'Cause I'm pretty sure, by the way you look at me sometimes, that you can't handle another one. 'Cause, y'know, I never remember being separated from you, 'cause...I'm dead and all--" cue Derek flinching, "--but still. I'm not too keen on dying again."

Derek kissed his forehead. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "I know...I'll find out what they're up to."

"What if it's no good?"

Stiles felt claws dig lightly into his waist.

"Then I'll kill them first."

Chapter Text

Derek was understandably tense for a while. Well, at least Stiles understood why. The poor pack didn't, though, and kept stealing glances at their Alpha whenever they came over to the Hale house...which was actually more often than before, he noticed. But Derek didn't say, so neither of them did.

However, the tension reached beyond the breaking point when Derek went to visit his uncle...and Peter wasn't there.

No, Stiles wasn't kidding. He was invited to come along, and he saw the empty wheelchair. "Wha...Derek?"

Derek looked like he couldn't breathe, let alone answer him. His mouth bobbed open like a fish, eyes comically wide. In any other situation, Stiles would have laughed. But, as it was, Peter Hale was missing. A werewolf was *missing*.

"Can't you...I dunno, smell him or something?" he suggested quietly, putting a hand on his arm, because honestly, Derek was scaring him. The Alpha really seemed like he'd collapse any second.

"I..." Derek began, but his voice was a hoarse murmur. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I can't."

"What?"

"I can't smell him. There's...Stiles, I can't...I don't know where he is."

"Ok, ok, just take it easy," Stiles whispered, guiding Derek to the bed and sitting him down, "We'll figure this out, alright? There has to be some security footage or something, I mean it's a hospital, it's got to have some cameras hangin' around."

Derek's grip was hard enough to hurt, but though he looked like he wanted to, he didn't say anything. Stiles gently rubbed circles on his wrist to get him to loosen his hand a little, sitting with him for quite some time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next time Derek saw Allison, he attacked her.

Once again, not kidding. He wolfed out, not fully, but enough to have that morphed face and claws, and slammed her against the wall.

"DEREK!" Scott roared, lunging at him with full speed ahead...only to be thrown back with just a flick of the Alpha's other hand--er, claw. Stiles would never get used to how powerful his boyfriend could be.

"Where did you get that jacket, Allison?" Derek snarled lowly.

Allison's eyes were wide with fear. "I...m-my grandfather gave it to me!"

"And where did HE get it?"

"I don't know! He wouldn't say!"

Derek crowded into her personal space, only inches from biting her face off. "You better not be lying to me."

"I'm not! I swear!"

Stiles rushed forward, trying to stop Allison's untimely death, because that's what the situation looked like it was heading to. "Derek, put her dow--"

And suddenly *he* was in the air, back against the wall, clawed hand around his neck. There was an honest murder intent pooling in Derek's crimson depths, and it scared him more than anything he'd seen the Alpha do in all of his lives. What does Stiles Stilinski do when he's afraid? Well, he babbles.

"Listen to me, Derek, I know you're pissed, because if my memory's right, that's Peter's jacket, and you're scared for him, 'cause if Allison has his jacket, then that means the Argents have him, and that's not good at all, but you can't go around wolfing out like this! It won't help anyone, if anything it'll give the Argents all the more reason to kill you and the pack, and do you want that? I don't think so. Now let's just put me back on the ground, and start looking for you uncle, huh? If the Argents have him, he can't be that far, right? Right?"

The wolf was still growling at him. Stiles hissed in pain as a claw pierced his skin, someone crying out from the pack as his blood trickled down. Not good. Not good at all.

"Derek, come back. Please man, you gotta focus! Remember who you are, and all that Lion King stuff! Derek!"

The others tried to help him, but to no avail, for their wolves automatically retreated upon instinct with one glare by their Alpha, and Allison was afraid she'd make it worse. Stiles admired their effort.

"I'm glad you don't want me to die, guys," he said, trying to see if maybe some good ol' Stilinski humor would get to Derek.

What do you know, it seemed to work. But there was more shock in that stare the wolf was giving him than anything. He guessed he said something right, tho--oh.

Oh.

'I'm glad he doesn't want me to die.'

Stiles put his hand over Derek's wrist. "You remember that? Los Angeles, 1971? Laura was trying to make excuses for Henry being weird? Yeah?"

The claws retracted ever so slightly. Stiles racked his brains for more memories.

"What about that summer, way back in the 1840's? When we were walking through the gardens and you went all schmoop on me and recited Shakespeare? Or-or on the Titanic, when you told me to meet you on the deck for the first time, and we ran around for a whole night, not a care in the world?" he swung up, wrapping his legs around Derek's waist. "Look at me, Derek. Tell me you remember that."

It was deathly silent, everyone holding their breaths. Derek's face began to morph, until the one they all recognized was standing there. The claws disappeared as well, Stiles breathing a sigh of relief at that before his lips were occupied with something else.

Derek usually wasn't for the whole speaking about emotions like he used to be, but if his kisses could speak, they'd have a thousand words. 'I love you', 'I'm sorry', 'I didn't mean it', etc. Stiles could care less when the pack fidgeted near them as he listened to the silent words coming from Derek's tongue too. It was nice, after almost being clawed to death. The not so fun part? Passing out from blood loss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At least when Stiles came to, he was in Derek's room and not in a hospital. His dad had made it clear that dating a person who used to be a wanted fugitive meant no more hospital visits for him, or he might suspect something not so nice. Plus, the teen didn't like hospitals in general. For one thing, they asked too many questions for their own good. Did that make him sound like a fugitive?

"Stiles?"

The bed dipped under Derek's weight. "Are you ok?"

Stiles felt his neck, fingers ghosting over the bandage. At least Scott was good at one thing. "A bit dizzy, but yeah, I'm fine. What about you? Get back to your Zen yet?"

"I clawed your neck open and you're asking me if I'm ok?"

"Yes, I am. So are you?"

Derek nodded, and Stiles recalibrated enough to sit up. "Did Allison leave?"

"Erica told her to. Even Scott agreed that she couldn't stay. Right now, they're downstairs talking about my uncle."

"Bet they're pissed you didn't tell them."

It was quiet for a while, with nothing but their breathing to fill it. Stiles touched their foreheads together. "Y'know, frowning that much will get your face stuck that way."

"...I don't think it's safe for you to come here until my uncle's been found."

Stiles backed up, breathing through the slight light-headed sensations. "What?"

"I almost killed you, Stiles. If I can't even--"

"Stop talking or I'll have to get my dad's shot gun and use you for target practice," Stiles interrupted, scrunching his face into a glare. "Because Derek Hale, if there is one thing you really cannot do, it's get rid of me. I've come back to you for five times now, and I can go all through your stupid werewolf existence if I have to. So don't you think, for one second, that just because you made one mistake, I'll go running for the hills." he jabbed a finger at Derek's chest. "You better not say anything like that to my face again. Got it?"

Stiles could have laughed at Derek's facial expression. "I..."

"Answer me."

"Got it."

"Good. Now get me some water, sour wolf, I'm dizzy."

And what do you know, Derek went. Stiles grinned.

Oh, the Alpha was so his bitch.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Stiles had to make up quite a story to make his father believe him, and assure him a bajillion times that he was fine enough to go to school, in exchange for not participating in lacrosse practice that day. Well, that was pretty much a given anyway, and Stiles figured that if the Sheriff hadn't forbidden it, the pack certainly would keep him on the bench.

Aside from getting a bunch of stares, it was a pretty normal day, until after practice when the pack started going their separate ways to get home. Allison--who wasn't technically part of the pack yet, but she was getting there, despite the little incident about which Derek forgave her for ('cause really it wasn't her fault that her grandad gave her a jacket)--walked towards an SUV.

"Don't you have your own car?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, but my aunt decided she wanted to drive me both ways instead. She and my grandad have been staying with us, but she just got back last night after going away for a couple weeks."

"Oh. That's nice."

Everyone could see it on Scott's face. No more family dinners for him.

Allison waved goodbye and climbed into the car with a dirty blonde woman whose face gave someone the curious urge to punch, even if they'd never spoken to her before. Derek pulled up to drive Erica home not a second later. And boy did he look pissed for some reason.

Stiles went up to the car to ask about it, but Derek only snarled to 'stay away from that bitch' and drove off. What bitch did he speak of?

Chapter Text

It didn't take a very long time before Stiles met this bitch, who goes by the name Kate Argent. This first meeting took place after school, when Allison had stayed to watch Scott practice again, and her aunt decided to join her for whatever reason. Stiles was on the bench (as per usual) when she spoke to him. Why she did this, he didn't know.

"So you're Stiles, right?"

Stiles turned. Pretty much the second he saw her, he was unnerved by that weird cougar smirk she had goin' on when addressing him. "Uh, yeah."

"This is my aunt Kate," Allison introduced, "Remember? She drove me home yesterday?"

"Oh. Right, hi," Stiles smiled, though it felt a little strange when he directed it at Kate Argent. He figured it was due to Derek's scowl the previous day, and the title that the Alpha used to describe her.

"Hey there," Kate did a little wave, "Are you ever gonna play, or do you just sit here the whole time?"

"Kate!" Allison groaned.

"What? I'm just asking, kiddo!" turning back to Stiles, "So?"

"Um, I'm not first line," Stiles shrugged a shoulder, "Meaning no, I'm more than likely to be used as a punching bag."

"Aw, with that adorable face?" Kate pouted, "Such a waste!"

Stiles didn't know whether she was just naturally creepy, or if she was purposely trying to hit on him. Either way, it made him want to bolt. Not even Derek could freak him out like Kate Argent was freaking him out right now. "Uh, thanks?"

The woman smiled endearingly, "How sweet. You know your manners! Tell me Stiles, do you have a ride home?"

"Yeah. My boyfriend's picking me up." Derek had insisted--climbing through Stiles' window before dawn, mind you--that morning to drive him to and from school. He wouldn't say why, but he'd seemed really disturbed about something, and no amount of kissing or hand brushing could get him out of whatever rut he'd put himself in. Stiles was admittedly still worrying about him.

"Boyfriend?" Kate's face lit up, "Oh, how *fun*! We can talk about boys together some time! Who's the lucky guy?"

What was *with* this chick? "His name's Derek."

"Did his parents stop after Derek?"

"Well, no, he's got a middle name," Frederick, actually, but Stiles wasn't going to tell her that, "His last name is Hale."

And just like that, Kate froze. Her entire expression changed into a sort of mix that entailed something along the lines of 'are-you-kidding-me', 'what-the-fuck', covered with 'hello-I'm-a-psycho-and-this-is-my-murdering-face-thinly-disguised-as-a-straight-face'. "Derek Hale's your boyfriend, huh?" she murmured, voice soft yet sounding like a mental patient.

"Yeah."

"How long have you been together?"

Five lives? "A few months, now."

"Oh...how sweet...tell him I said hello."

"You know him?"

"He hasn't mentioned me?"

"No..."

"How very rude. Well--"

"Stiles!"

Kate, Stiles, and Allison--who had been absorbed in watching Scott--whipped around to see a very pissed Derek walking towards them. Stiles blinked a few times, because hello, Alpha werewolf suddenly coming towards them with crimson starting to alarmingly peek through hazel. Not really something he expected to see *during* lacrosse practice.

"Derek, hey," Stiles greeted dumbly, "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming until later."

Derek opted to bark an order instead of answering the question. "Get your stuff. We're leaving now."

"Oo," Kate smirked, "How demanding, Derek. Bet you love to abuse your power, don't you?"

Was she getting off on this? Because it seriously looked like she was getting off on this. The look on her face was so disturbing that Stiles sprang up and obeyed Derek's command without question this time, rushing off to the locker room to change. Thankfully, Coach didn't notice he had gone.

Derek was waiting in his car. "Get in," he growled. Stiles did.

As soon as they were out of the school parking lot, the interrogation started. Derek kept glaring ahead, not once looking at him. "How much did you talk to her?"

"Not much. Do you--"

"What did she say?"

"She was calling me adorable, being really creepy about--hey, what's with the growling? It's not like she jumped me or anythi--"

"Don't. You. Dare."

"Don't I dare what?"

"Put the thought of *that woman* all over you in my head," the Alpha wolf's voice slowly started to bleed into Derek's normal tones, his eyes fully crimson. The last thing Stiles wanted was for this car to get clawed open--or himself, for that matter; his neck was enough--so he lowered his own voice to what he hoped was a calming sound.

"Hey, hey," he murmured, reaching out to take Derek's free hand, "I don't *want* her to touch me, for starters. But Derek, how exactly do you know her?"

"..."

"Derek?"

Stiles sighed, sinking back against his seat. "You'll tell me eventually. I mean, it's not like she took your virginity or anything, right?" he snorted at the possibility of that weirdo and his boyfriend getting it on...until the Alpha tore his hand away, and suddenly it wasn't so funny anymore. "...right?"

No response. Suddenly the car became ten times too small.