Human is Just a Word 7/?
Chapter 7
Somebody was shaking his shoulder and Stiles blinked his eyes open to see who was disturbing his rightful sleep. He expected to see his father but instead there was a stranger standing at the side of the bed.
Stiles shot upright, ready to defend himself, but he almost doubled over with pain.
It took a moment for his still sleep-heavy brain to come up with the details that had led to this situation. He had a run-in with Jackson, that explained his aching body.
It was hard to focus, his brain was a mingle of different thoughts and emotions, passing by so fast he couldn't make sense of them.
"That's the bond." Derek informed him, still watching him from the other side of the bed. "It'll settle down in a bit."
With that everything rushed back in.
Derek Hale had claimed him.
Stiles probed the sore spot on his neck. Like he'd promised, Derek hadn't broken the skin so Stiles wasn't a werewolf. At least he hoped he wasn't.
Somehow Stiles made it to the bathroom. The mirror told him that he didn't only feel like shit. His eye was a purple mess, his lip was scrapped over with crusted blood and his whole torso was covered in bruises so dark that they looked almost black.
I'm bonded to Derek Hale, he thought and now he noticed the dull pain in his nether regions. Not too bad but he clearly felt that he had Derek's knot up there last night.
The worst, though, was his head. It wasn't a headache and nothing like a hangover either. He couldn't put a name on the sensation but turning his brain inside out came pretty close.
So when Peter paid them a visit, Stiles had trouble following his words and for once he was more than happy to let Derek do the talking.
What was really weird was how okay he felt with hiding behind the werewolf.
My alpha, he realized.
Then Derek said something about seeing his dad which brought Stiles back on track. Derek allowed him to see his dad? At least one last time?
Derek guided him out of the room where they left a fuming Peter behind and by the time they reached Derek's car, Stiles felt a little more like himself. At least enough to tease Derek who somehow had forgotten the fact that Stiles' dad was the Sheriff.
Derek didn't need instructions to find Stiles' home and way too soon he parked the car next to the sheriff's cruiser in the driveway.
"How do we explain this?" Stiles asked but didn't expect an answer from Derek. He doubted either of them fully understood the situation.
Before Derek could answer, the front door opened and the sheriff stood there in full gear. He must have gotten home from the night shift only minutes ago, Stiles guessed. Long enough to figure out that Stiles wasn't home but not long enough for him to call.
"Showtime." Stiles muttered under his breath and opened the door.
"Stiles?" His dad asked, his eyes on Derek. Of course he knew who he was. It was kind of his job to know about the werewolves in town. Not that this was Derek's territory but he was part of the Hale Trinity ruling the whole area.
"Can we do this inside?" Stiles asked when his dad didn't show any intention of letting Derek into the house. He had his hands on his hips, not exactly at his gun but close enough.
"Sir, we really should do this inside." Derek spoke for the first time. Stiles hadn't noticed the aura of authority around him before.
A minute later they stood awkwardly in the middle of the Stiliniski's living room.
Stiles had a quick look around, this was probably the last time he would be here. Nothing special, just the plain old living room but it was his home.
"What happened to your face?" His dad asked. He even let Derek out of his sight to examine the damage on Stiles face with a glare that promised death to whoever had done this to his son.
"Well." He rubbed the back of his head. "I was on my way home when things kinda went sideways from there."
Next to him Derek snorted.
"Did you do this to him?" His dad asked but Derek didn't have a gun in his face so his dad didn't really think that it had been Derek who had beaten him up.
"No."
"He saved me." Stiles jumped in. "Peter's pack, Jackson and the twins, they did this." He gestured up and down his body. "They would have killed me if it hadn't been for Derek."
"Do I want to know why you have been out there?" His dad asked with that pained expression Stiles had seen too often on his face lately. Stiles knew he should let things rest, Scott wouldn't come back if he revenged him, he knew that. But he couldn't do that. He just couldn't.
"That's one thing you don't have to worry about anymore." Stiles said and yanked the collar of his borrowed shirt down to reveal the bite mark on his neck.
A second later Derek did have a gun in his face.
"Dad, no." Stiles was between them in an instant.
"He … he … did that to you." His dad said helplessly.
"He didn't rape me if that's what you mean." Stiles said the word his father couldn't. "It was my choice. It was him or Peter and I chose him."
"You can't choose anything, you're a minor." He turned to Derek. "He's a minor." As if that changed anything.
"I am aware." Derek said. "I wouldn't have done it if there had been any other choice."
"Break it." His father demanded, gun steady in his hand.
"I can't."
"Bullshit, every bond can be broken." The gun shook with every word but at this distance it was impossible for him to miss Derek's face anyway.
"It would kill him." Derek said, ignoring the gun right in front of him. Instead he looked the sheriff right in the eye. "Or worse."
It was true. Stiles knew it and is father knew it as well. There were a few "or worse" cases in Eichen House and Stiles was sure that Peter was still laughing his ass off about that.
"I need a moment with my son." His father said but put the gun away. "Alone."
"And I need to pack." Stiles said, already heading for the stairs.
The second they were alone in his room, Stiles found himself in the strong arms of his father.
"Why haven't you called me?" His dad asked, holding on to him for dear life.
"There was nothing you could do." Stiles mumbled into his chest. "I didn't want you to get in trouble over this." Technically there were laws against this but with half the department either in Peter's pack or on his payroll, there wasn't much the Sheriff could do.
"Oh, Stiles." His dad gave him one last squeeze before he let go of him to hold him at arm's length. "I'm your father, it's my job to get in trouble for you."
"I have to go with him." Stiles said, the truth finally sinking in. This was Peter's territory and he was part of Derek's pack now, he couldn't stay in Beacon Hills. "I'm his little human pet."
"Don't say that." His dad dug his fingers into his shoulders. "Don't you ever."
They both knew it was the truth but Stiles nodded anyway.
"I should pack."
"Yeah, me too." His hands dropped from Stiles' shoulders. "We can take care of the house later."
"What? Dad, no." Now it was Stiles who reached for his father. "You're not coming with me."
"I'm not going to just let you leave with him."
"You have to." Stiles insisted. "Please Dad, let me go."
"You said it yourself." His dad lowered his voice in the attempt to make it impossible for Derek to hear. "You're nothing but a pet to them. At least with me around you should be a little safer." He tapped the sheriff's star on his chest. "I know it doesn't mean much but there are laws."
"You can't just drop everything and leave." Stiles said, desperate to convince his dad to stay. It was enough that he had to go with Derek, he didn't want to put his dad at the mercy of the werewolf as well. "You won't be the sheriff any longer if you leave Beacon Hills, so that's not a valid argument. And have you thought about Melissa?"
He hadn't, that much was clear on his face.
"Stiles." He sounded so helpless, Stiles had to choke back tears himself.
"It's going to be okay, Dad." He promised, face once again buried in his father's chest. "Derek isn't so bad. Not like Peter. He's better than that. He won't …, you know." He didn't need to finish that sentence, his father new better than him about the things Peter used to do to the humans he claimed. Sooner or later they either ended up in the morgue or in Eichen House. Either way, it came as a release.
However, Peter wouldn't have just helped a random stranger. Peter wouldn't have put his own life and that of his whole pack in jeopardy to help said stranger escape. And for sure Peter wouldn't have been this reluctant to claim a person.
"He isn't so bad." Stiles repeated. "He won't hurt me."
His dad didn't look convinced. He was ready to drop his life here without a second thought to come with Stiles but Stiles couldn't allow that. He didn't know what lay ahead but he needed to know that his dad was safe.
"Melissa needs you." He brought out the big guns. "And somebody needs to keep an eye on Peter. One day he's going to make a mistake and I need somebody to be there to take him down." He cracked a smile at him. "If it's too bad I'll send out an SOS. You know me, I'll find a way."
"I know you will."
"He's waiting." Stiles needed to end this conversation before they both started to cry.
The question was, what should he take with him? Clothes, that was a must, and his pillow. But what about his books? Laptop? Phone? Was he even allowed to have those things?
In the end he packed a bag with the daily life necessaries, with some money hidden in one of his socks not that that would stand a thorough search especially with a werewolf's nose but it was worth a try, and his backpack with his laptop, a few books and other personal stuff.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" His dad asked once again, when Stiles was ready to leave. Standing in the door he had one last look at his room before he closed the door. The sound had something permanent.
"Not today." He said. "Maybe when things have settled down you can visit me. If Derek allows it."
They hugged one last time.
"Take care of Melissa." Stiles reminded him before he forced himself out of his father's arms.
"Don't worry about us." His dad ruffled his hair. "You're the one I'm worried about."
He didn't want to go but even now with only one floor separating them he felt the distance to Derek. There was something in that swirling mess in his mind tugging at him. There was no denying it, the bond was real and he needed to stay close to Derek.
When they came down the stairs Derek was standing in the same spot where they'd left him. His expression was unreadable when he watched father and son approaching him.
"I'm ready." Stiles said, not feeling ready at all.
Chapter 8
Masterpost