Human is Just a Word 14/?
Chapter 14
After Stiles had left, Derek tried to go back to work and get some things done while he was alone. He spread his notes out on the table again but then he just stared at the of his laptop screen without really seeing it.
Stiles had asked if his father was allowed to send him his things and if he could go outside, it still baffled Derek that Stiles even thought about asking for things like this. Not for the first time he wondered what kind of impression Peter was leaving on Beacon Hills.
What he should think of the idea of Stiles cooking for him, Derek didn't know either. Home-cooked meals sounded good but Derek didn't know if Stiles could actually cook. But he vowed to himself that he would praise whatever Stiles put on the table, the boy was scared enough as it was.
It couldn't be worse than Erica's creations and Derek was pretty sure that his body could deal with almost everything. And Stiles and his dad were still alive and healthy so it couldn't be that bad.
Instead of working Derek played Solitaire for a while, losing most of the time because he wasn't paying attention. The bond to Stiles was a constant in his mind now and he would feel it if Stiles was in real trouble, which he wasn't, but Derek couldn't help but wait for him to come home like a parent on the first day of kindergarten.
Which reminded him that he probably should suggest to make himself Stiles' emergency contact like he was for the rest of his pack.
And his legal guardian, Derek added, thinking of Isaac. Being Isaac's guardian had helped when things had gone down with his father. He didn't expect something similar from Stiles' dad and Stiles wasn't a freshly turned werewolf to complicate things farther, but he was a minor and this far from home it would be good to have somebody here with the authority to decide for him if necessary. Not that Derek wanted to take anything away from Stiles' dad.
He should probably discuss this with Stiles first but he needed to contact his dad anyway because of the transfer to a new school. He had no idea what kind of documentation Stiles would need for that.
Finding the Stilinski number wasn't hard but then Derek hesitated to actually dial it.
The sheriff probably isn't home anyway, he thought and pressed the button.
Stiles' father answered the phone after the second ring.
"This is Derek Hale." Derek said.
"Is Stiles okay?" The man was instantly worried and Derek hurried to assure him that Stiles was fine and currently exploring the neighborhood.
"Alone?" He asked, sounding suspicious.
"He knows the address and he has my phone number." Derek answered. "He won't get lost."
The sheriff didn't say anything for a moment.
"I'm calling because of Stiles' school. He should attend one around here and I'm guessing you want to have a word in which one it's going to be. And I assume there is some paperwork on your end for that. He's a minor and I can't sign any papers for him."
There was more silence on the other end and for a moment Derek was convinced that the line was dead. He didn't even hear Stiles' dad breathing for a moment.
"Stiles told me that he would transfer to a school there." He finally spoke. "I didn't think you ..."
"You didn't think I would care about it." Derek finished the sentence for him. The guilty silence was more than enough proof that he was right. "I don't know what Peter is doing in Beacon Hills but Stiles is part of my pack and I care about my pack."
"Thank you." The man sounded close to tears and Derek just hated himself for taking his child away.
"I know you wanted to come with him." Derek said, revealing that he had been listening in to their private conversation. "You could move here, if you want. I can help you finding a place near by. I can make a few calls, I know some people at the police. I can't make any promises but …" Struggling for the right words he stopped.
There was more silence on the other end and for a moment Derek was sure that he had crossed a line here.
"Leaving Beacon Hills is not as easy as I want it to be." He let out a sigh. Derek remembered Stiles mentioning somebody named Melissa. Stiles had told his dad to take care of her but that was all he knew about this woman.
"But thanks for the offer." The sheriff continued. "That alone makes me feel better about the whole situation."
"The offer stands."
"How is he doing?" He changed the topic.
"He offered to cook."
Now the sheriff laughed. "Prepare yourself for Brussels sprouts."
"That bad?"
"Let's just say that I had some curly fries all for myself for lunch today. But don't you dare and tell him that. I will shoot you." There was wistfulness in his voice and Derek was sure he would give up curly fries and would live on Brussels sprouts for the rest of his life if it would bring his son home.
The sheriff promised to take care of the paperwork and he even came up with the idea that Derek would become Stiles' guardian himself. Which was good because Derek had no idea how to ask that question without it sounding wrong.
Derek promised to keep him updated and then ended the call.
With that out of the way Derek sat down to work and by the time Stiles came home he had actually finished his current project. One last proofreading later and he could send it off.
There were no Brussels sprouts anywhere in the two bags Stiles unloaded on the counter but there was spinach. For a spinach lasagna.
"Don't make such a face, you'll love it." Stiles promised and Derek bit back a comment about werewolves needing meat.
"I called your dad earlier." Derek said and put the apples in the fridge. He didn't remember the last time he'd bought fruits.
"Oh?" Stiles made, trying for casual but his heart-beat gave him away.
"I wanted to know about the paperwork involved for transferring you to a school here." Derek answered. "I can suggest a few if you want and you should talk to Isaac he went to school here."
"Sounds good."
"And he suggested that I become your legal guardian." Derek dropped the bomb. He had no idea how Stiles would take that idea. "Just in case, so that there is somebody to talk to here."
"Makes sense." Stiles said, busy with putting milk in the fridge. His heart rate had stepped up another notch.
"Only if you agree." Derek closed the fridge and planted himself right in front of Stiles. "Stiles, you're almost an adult, this is your decision."
As his alpha Derek already counted as family but this would take it a step farther.
"You don't have to decide right now, think about it."
Stiles opened his mouth for an answer but closed it again without saying anything.
As soon as the groceries were stored away, Stiles shooed him out of the kitchen to start dinner.
Derek had to admit that the smell coming from the oven was delicious. But he was still skeptical, because spinach.
While the lasagna was in the oven, Stiles turned on the TV. At first he was just channel surfing but then he settled for a documentary on ancient Greek. That was something Derek could live with so he joined him on the couch.
However, it didn't seem to be a good documentary because Stiles didn't grew tired of pointing out the mistakes. They ate the lasagna in front of the TV, with Stiles still rambling about what was going on on the screen.
Derek just listened and ate this lasagna.
"It's good, isn't it?" Stiles nudged him in the shoulder with a knowing smile. "Admit it, spinach is yummy."
"It's good." Derek admitted. He would have said the same thing if it wasn't good but to his surprise it was delicious. Good enough for a second plate which Stiles noticed with another smile. They spent the evening on the couch, watching mindless TV and Derek just wondered if Stiles ever shut up.
Around ten exhaustion caught up with Stiles, he was still healing and the bond wasn't fully developed just yet, and he started to nod off.
"Time for bed." Derek decided and turned off the TV.
"Do you mean an actual bed today?" Stiles hid a yawn behind one hand while he gestured with the other over the spot on the floor where they had slept last night.
"Bed." Derek said.
He let Stiles use the bathroom first and by the time he came upstairs, Stiles' breathing had evened out and he was fast asleep.
Sleep didn't come that easy for Derek. He lay in the darkness for long hours, just listening to the steady heart-beat in the other room.
He was still up before Stiles the next morning. Derek used the quiet time with a cup of coffee for the last proofreading before he sent the file off. It was almost nine by then and there was still no sign of Stiles.
Not sure if he should wake him, Derek went upstairs to check on him. He didn't know anything about humans and their healing abilities. Stiles had been fine yesterday but he had heard that some injuries only showed with a delay. Should he have brought Stiles to a hospital here, just in case? Derek didn't know but let himself get reassured by the steady heart-beat and even breathing he heard from the other side of the door. He cracked it open to have a look, just to make sure that everything was okay.
Stiles lay starfished on the bed, blanket half under him and partly twisted around his feet. His head hung over the edge and he was snoring softly. Derek closed the door and let him be.
Stiles came down about an hour later, still in his Batman t-shirt he'd slept in and with his hair standing up in every direction.
"Coffee?" He asked hopefully and Derek just nodded in the direction of the coffee maker.
Stiles fixed himself a cup and then slumped down in his chair, nursing his coffee.
"I was thinking about the guardian thing." He said, long fingers wrapped around the cup in front of him. Derek remembered them wrapped around something else but he pushed that memory back into the depths of his mind. They hadn't spoken about what had happened that night and if Stiles just wanted to forget, it was more than fine with Derek.
"I think it would be for the best if you would become my legal guardian." Stiles continued. "As my alpha it's easy for you to get guardianship over me along with my dad."
He presented it as a fact, as if he knew exactly what he was talking about.
"When did you have the time to look that up?" Derek wondered. He was pretty sure he would have heard it if Stiles had been up for a while.
"Scott." Stiles said, his face darkening. "He was a minor too."
Of course Stiles had everything researched for his friend.
"You're almost eighteen." Derek reminded him but didn't know what else to say. After breakfast Stiles went back upstairs and minutes later Derek heard music and the clicking and tapping of his laptop.
Knowing that Stiles would be busy for a while, Derek fired up his own laptop and went back to work. One project was done but he had the basics laid out for two others and there was more already waiting in the pipeline.
Not that he needed to work, he could live off the insurance money alone if he wanted to and that was a small amount compared to what he had inherited but it never sat right with him to not work for his living. Besides, he really liked what he was doing. So he sat down and started to get familiar with a new method of treating a trauma to the cerebral cortex.
Chapter 15
Masterpost