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“Why did you wait so long to come into hospital, Stiles?” Scott’s mom asked and Stiles tried to shrug, then thought better of it.
“Had something more important to get done,” he said, turning his head away while she cleaned the knife wound he’d somehow missed in everything but that Peter had wrapped up for him. “Then I crashed. When I woke up I needed to get clean... so much. I just needed everything off me. Then when everything calmed down and Argent was sorted out, I figured it was safe enough to come in.”
“With Derek Hale?” she pressed and he tipped his head back, looking at her through lowered eyes lids.
“Don’t listen to anything Scott tells you about Derek. Scott thinks he can do everything alone, or with me. He can’t. He needs to figure that out before he can grow into what he actually is.”
“Well thank you on that suspiciously sounding parental advice on my son,” she said easily, giving him a small, amused smile. “But I was asking about your relationship with Derek Hale, not Scott’s. I already know enough about Scott’s relationship with Hale.” Her tone told him she knew more than enough about that particular relationship.
“We help each other when it’s needed,” Stiles said simply.
“Oh? And that’s it?” she pushed and he could hear the smile in her voice.
“I may have said some potentially embarrassing things before I crashed, but nothing I didn’t mean. I don’t really know what we are - two guys who are getting stupidly good at saving each other but are useless at saving themselves? I have no idea. All I know is that... I want to help him more. I want to be in his pack. I love Scott, I really do, you know that, but he’s a puppy and he doesn’t know how to be an alpha. Though,” he made a face. “Derek’s still learning that one too, truth be told. But Derek’s the one with the power and the red glowstick eyes so he actually has the Alpha (with a capital A) title. Scott doesn’t.”
“Is there a reason you’re telling me this?”
“You asked...” Stiles frowned.
“I asked about your relationship with Hale, I didn’t ask you to justify it, two completely different things honey,” her smile was sincere and so motherly that it made Stiles’ heart ache for his own. “You don’t need to justify your decisions to me as long as you believe you’re making the right ones for you.”
“I am,” he replied, resolute. “I don’t know what there is between us, but I know there’s something. And I know he knows it too.”
“Well, if you ever want to talk about anything, Stiles, you can always come to me, okay?” she insisted and he nodded, giving her a smile before she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
He sighed, turning back to stare out the window of the room he was in, shifting and wincing when one of his injuries pulled.
A few hours after Mrs McCall left, the sound of his door opening woke him from his doze and he blinked, frowning when he saw not only Derek walking into his line of sight, but Chris Argent, of all people. Derek didn’t look happy about the situation in the slightest - in fact, he looked downright mutinous.
“This must be important,” Stiles rasped. “He wouldn’t have let you within 100 feet of me otherwise.” Derek’s eyes flashed red and he growled low in his throat, agreeing with Stiles’ assessment and Chris grimaced, taking in the catalogue of visible injuries on the teenager, who smirked at him a smirk devoid of humour. “Didn’t know your daddy was into minors, Chris?” He saw the man’s eyes widen and decided that no, Chris absolutely did not know what his father was truly capable of. “Well that’s comforting at least.” His eyes flickered to Derek and the alpha just stared back, stoic. “Out with it then, I’ll be asleep again soon...”
“I...” the man cleared his throat, appearing uncharacteristically nervous. “I understand,” he began. “That you’ve... that my father, my entire family have put you, your friends and the Hale pack through hell in the past. I understand that Allison and I have a lot to make up for, if we ever get the chance to; we’ve all made mistakes and we’ll all be paying for them when the time comes, but when I approached Derek with the makings of a peace treaty, he insisted we include you in all negotiations.”
For his part, Stiles raised an eyebrow (which hurt, thank you very much), towards Derek, who shifted but didn’t speak.
“Because I’m human running with a pack of wolves?” Stiles quipped and saw Chris’ lips twitch at the same times Derek’s eyebrow twitched. Now that was weird to watch.
“In a manner of speaking; he tells me that you have expressed a desire to be a part of his pack, that you understand more than anyone else might the risks involved,” Stiles nodded. “Which is why we’ve factored you into the treaty; given you are human and you have, in the past, declined the bite but have said you may yet take it. The treaty will state that should you wish for the bite, a waiver will be granted and there will be no repercussions for the act.”
“That’s... good. Thoughtful even. Thanks?” Stiles tried to shift so he was sitting upright but putting weight on his arm wasn’t going to happen so he settled back down with a huff.
“We’ll meet again when you’re feeling better,” Chris promised. “With Allison too. I just wanted to put that initial thought across before anything else.”
“I appreciate it,” Stiles said. “And I appreciate you keeping me in the loop on this, you didn’t have to,” he finished, looking at Derek as he spoke.
“I did,” was all he said, nothing else to elaborate and Stiles rolled his eyes. Obviously.
“Stiles, I won’t apologise for my father’s actions because I’m a man that believes a person should take responsibility for their own actions, but I am deeply sorry that you got caught up in the middle of everything.”
The bedridden teen nodded and Chris left.
“Sit,” he gestured to a chair beside the bed and Derek grunted, but sat obediently. “Not the place to have this conversation,” he sighed.
“Not quite,” Derek’s voice was soft, almost gentle. “I didn’t want him in here at all.”
“I know,” Stiles’ lip twitched. “You’re claws were showing.”
“How are you feeling?” Derek asked, his eyes examining the injuries still visible on Stiles’ face.
“Getting there,” though as he spoke, he shifted and winced as something inside him jarred. “Maybe have a way to go before I’m up to fighting form so no Supernatural emergencies until then, kay?” he reached out and patted the alpha’s hand, letting it rest there as his eyes slid shut.
“Have you told anyone what really happened?” the older man asked and Stiles felt his fingers twitch in response but before he could move them away, Derek’s own hand closed around his and squeezed lightly, comforting.
“No point,” Stiles said quietly. “Gerard’s gone. It would only hurt my dad to know... you guys know and despite the Peter aspect, I’ll be kinda counting on you to be my support at first.” He opened one eye. “You okay with that, oh mighty alpha?” his lips quirked up at the edges and he saw Derek give him a pointed look before nodding, resolute and dedicated. “Got any thoughts on how I can be of use to the pack?” He saw Derek feign a thoughtful look before the man offered him an amused look.
“Can you cook?”
Stiles snorted.
“You’re so not funny,” he drawled and Derek smiled. “But in answer to the question, however much it was made as a joke, yes, I can. Quite well actually. When I’m up and about again, I don’t mind cooking for the pack,” he shook his head (slowly) when Derek opened his mouth to argue. “It could be two-fold. I could teach the puppies.” This time Derek snorted.
“When you’re ready I want you to focus on your fitness, then we can iron out your hand-to-hand skills.”
“I’m pretty decent, my lack of coordination notwithstanding,” Stiles admitted. “You might actually be impressed, and I say that loosely. I was thinking though... wondering even... if I could explore the spark side of things. I don’t want to go heavy into it,” he added when he saw Derek shift, his face turning an alarming shade of negative. “Just enough to protect. I’m gonna focus my research on weaponry...”
“I saw some notes at your house,” Derek admitted and Stiles raised another painful eyebrow. “The hospital is screwing up your scent,” he mumbled, cheeks darkening and Stiles didn’t comment, but he smiled.
“It’s an interesting field,” Stiles said by way of explanation. He saw Derek straighten and his eyes turn to the door, narrowing as whatever he’d heard got closer. “Who?”
“Scott.” Ah.
“Now isn’t the best time to have that chat.” Derek gave him a look, meeting his eyes before slowly, deliberately, lifting the hand he’d been clutching up and rubbing the pulsepoint on Stiles’ wrists against (what Stiles’ assumed to be) the scent glands against his cheek, The action itself wasn’t erotic at all but Stiles felt his own cheeks warm as Derek gave one last rub before setting the wrist down on the bed again carefully. The man stood up just as the door opened, revealing Scott, Allison and Lydia.
Lydia looked surprisingly concerned and determined, Scott was just a big ball of fury worry and Allison... Allison looked ashamed. She looked so small, arms wrapped around her body as Scott had one arm around her waist, like he was the only thing keeping her upright.
Stiles reached out blindly behind him until he felt Derek step closer and allow his hand to be grasped. Allison caught the movement and winced.
“You know she’s not gonna hurt you, right?” Lydia asked, frowning and Stiles looked at her.
“When you’ve been subjected to the shit I have, then we can talk.” Lydia didn’t argue but her expression remained troubled.
“Stiles,” Scott left Allison leaning against the door and he stepped up to the bed, frowning at the way his friend had taken a hold of Derek’s hand. “I know Derek said you were hurt, and you didn’t want me coming by without one of them-”
“I wasn’t ready for visitors, Scott,” Stiles sighed, comforted by the way Derek squeezed his hand gently. “Aside from the pack, I didn’t want anyone... I couldn’t face anyone, okay? Everything hurt. I just wanted quiet. That’s nothing on you, got it? I didn’t even go home, Dad would’ve only just asked me question after question.”
“But,” Scott huffed in frustration and gave Derek a scathing look that, if Stiles would’ve looked back, he’d have seen Derek responding with an unimpressed look of his own. “Why them?” Scott hissed, like if he talked quietly enough the alpha wouldn’t be able to hear him. The notion made Stiles roll his eyes. “Why him?” Scott’s eyes flicked to Derek’s again.
“Because,” Stiles sighed. Again. “He’s the alpha - and I know, he’s not yours. I heard the whole story about how you used him to take down Gerard, bravo. Of course, you could’ve been more effective working with him but what do I know? I’m just a lowly human in all this.”
“Stiles,” Scott growled, frustrated. “You’re not just... you’re more, okay? You’re better, than us, me, Derek... you’re my best friend. I don’t want you thinking I’d do anything to jeopardise that.”
“I don’t,” Stiles promised. “But I’m thinking of a bigger picture here. I’ve done all the research, hell, that’s all I seem to do. And everything I’ve read says that a pack is strongest when it works together. You just won’t though. You’re dead set against Derek and his pack and I have no idea why. Peter’s not the alpha, Derek didn’t deny you anything by killing Peter the first time - the myth is just that, a myth. You couldn’t have been cured by killing him yourself. There is no cure, only death. Your wolf and your soul are fused, breaking that bond would kill you. Can’t you feel it?” Stiles gave his friend an imploring look but Scott was still frowning.
“How can this human understand more about your wolf than you do?” Derek asked, curious and Scott started growling, his lip curling, showing his lengthening teeth. “My point exactly.”
“Scott!” Stiles snapped, flinching when the movement that came with the force of the word jarred something else inside him. It worked though and Scott’s face fell as he could smell Stiles’ pain. He reached out to squeeze Stiles’ hand again as if he could take the pain away himself. “You’re not making your case right now” he pulled his hand away, breathing deeply as he let it rest over his abdomen as casually as he could manage. He caught Allison’s eye and watched her flinch, fleeing the room without another word. “But you are right about one thing - you are my best friend and I’m not just gonna leave you behind, okay? I wouldn’t. But,” he said quickly as he saw the smile work its way onto Scott’s face. “That doesn’t mean I’m gonna leave the pack either.”
“Stiles,” Scott said, frustration evident. “You can’t be a part of two packs...”
“I know that, Scott. I told you that. However, until you decide to get your head outta your ass and just join Derek’s I suppose we’ll have to be friends outside of pack politics, won’t we?”
Scott left soon after, Lydia following after wishing Stiles a speedy recovery, sounding weirdly formal.
“You think he’ll come round?” Derek asked when he was sure Scott couldn’t hear him.
“He’s Scott,” Stiles snorted, shifting until he was a little more comfortable than he had been. “There isn’t a single instance that he’s stayed away from anything I’ve done first for very long. We’re weirdly co-dependent that way. Don’t worry, he’ll come around soon enough.”
“It had best be sooner rather than later,” Derek muttered, glancing out the window before settling back into his seat.