Human is Just a Word 17/?
Chapter 17
His dad had called ahead so by the time he brought the tow truck he had rented to bring the jeep to a halt next to Derek's car, Stiles was ready. He didn't even let the man step fully out of the car before he had him in a bear hug.
His dad hugged him back and Stiles inhaled the familiar scent of his aftershave.
"I missed you." Stiles said, fighting with the tears.
"I missed you too, kiddo." His dad answered. He put him at arm's length to examine his face just like the last time they'd seen each other. There wasn't much to see, by now Stiles' wounds had mostly healed and he hadn't gathered any new ones.
"I'm fine, Dad." Stiles insisted but let him check on him anyway. "The others are waiting. Are you ready to meet the pack?"
"Lead the way." His faced closed off at the mention of the pack but for now his dad was willing to give them a chance. Stiles didn't see a gun but he was pretty sure that his dad had one with him, loaded with wolfsbane bullets.
Stiles had thought about this for days. Should he throw his dad right into the werewolf pack or should it just be him and Derek for now? In the end Stiles had decided on an all-in and had invited the whole pack over for dinner.
Stiles had told his dad a lot about the other members of the pack in their daily phone calls but meeting them was a different thing.
"Don't worry, they won't bite." Stiles said and pressed the bottom for the penthouse. His dad didn't look convinced. By now Stiles knew the pack a bit and he got along with them quite well. He still hadn't figured out Boyd but he liked Isaac and got into a snarky argument with Erica every other day.
Derek was the one who opened the door.
"Sir, good to see you again." He held out his hand.
"John, please." Stiles' dad said when he took the offered hand and Stiles breathed a little easier.
"John." Derek repeated. "Please, come in. These are Erica, Boyd and Isaac." He introduced the rest of the pack.
"Nice to meet you." John said and then glanced at Stiles to get a hint on what to do next. Who had no idea on how to proceed either.
The somewhat awkward silence in which both parties just eyed each other, was broken by Erica: "Stiles, do you need help in the kitchen?"
"I do but not from you." Stiles shot back. Ignoring the shocked expression on his dad's face, and the almost panicked ones on the other pack member's at that idea, he dragged John over to the kitchen. "Dad's going to help me."
Everything Stiles could prepare beforehand he had already finished in the afternoon but he had to check on the gratin and the salad wasn't done yet.
"You can start with the lettuce." He put his father to work.
"They seem fairly nice." John didn't bother to lower his voice which wouldn't prevent the werewolves from listening in anyway. And not only because there were only a shelf and some cupboards separating them. Damn loft with its lack of walls and doors.
It was suspiciously quiet in the living room.
"They are." Stiles agreed. "And they would be even nicer if they'd stop eavesdropping and put on some loud music or something."
There was quiet laughter coming from the other side and moments later the music started.
His dad gave Stiles a look who just shrugged.
When they sat down for dinner Stiles made sure that his father sat next to Isaac so that they could warm up to each other since his dad would spend the night in the werewolf's guest room.
"Thanks for having me." John said, mostly directed at Derek as the alpha but with a little smile for Isaac as well. The beta ducked his head.
"You're pack." Derek answered as if that was explanation enough. Maybe in his mind it was. Stiles was pack, an idea he was still getting used to, so as an extension of him his father was pack as well. Not bonded to Derek but he was still a part of it. Stiles wasn't sure how that worked.
They ate and at first nobody knew how to break the ice.
"How was the drive?" Stiles asked but after a short "good" the silence was back.
There were some stiff questions, more directed at John than the other way around, which he answered openly and in a kind way, but basically they were strangers sitting at the same table and at least Stiles' father wasn't entirely sure if the others were friendly. Stiles bumped his shoulder into his to get him to relax which only helped a little.
When they were done, John stood up to help with the dishes but Stiles steered him out of the kitchen.
"We cooked, they can do the dishes." He said while Isaac was already stacking the plates and Erica was busy putting leftovers in Tupperware.
Stiles ushered his dad over to the couch where Derek joined them a second later, offering the man a beer.
John accepted it and then leaned back in the couch, slowly relaxing.
"They do that every day?" He asked, pointing with his bottle in the direction of the busy betas.
"Only when they eat here." Stiles answered. "When it's just me and Derek, he does the dishes."
"You do the dishes?" John asked in clear disbelief.
"He cooks, I do the dishes. It's only fair."
"But you're the alpha and Stiles is ..." He didn't finish the sentence, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Derek raised his eyebrows at him.
"It's cool, dad." Stiles stepped in before his dad could say more. "He's not like others." He was thinking of Peter and he knew that his dad's mind went there as well.
When they were done with their chores, the others joined them, each with a beer in hand and after one questioning look at his dad, Isaac handed Stiles one too.
"You're lucky I'm off duty." His father said which earned him a round of laughter and with that the ice was broken.
Later that evening somebody mentioned pack nights and to illustrate what those were about, Erica got her phone out.
"That was Stiles' first night with us." She said, showing his dad something on her phone. Stiles craned his neck to have a look too but the angle was off. Next to him Derek let out a little growl which made his dad jump but Erica just hushed her alpha with a wave of her hand.
"Don't mind him." She assured John. "He's all huff and puff but in reality he's like this." She tapped at the screen.
"That's Derek?" His eyes went from the screen to the alpha and back again.
Stiles couldn't stand it any longer, he had to see, so he scrambled off the couch and went around to have a look over his father's shoulder.
"I did that before?" Stiles blurted out when he saw himself clinging with all limbs to a wolf Derek who glared at the person behind the camera with murder in his eyes. That Stiles was abusing him as his personal stuffed animal damped that glare somewhat.
"What do you mean before?" His dad asked. "How often do you do this?"
Stiles could only guess how it felt to see his own son asleep between three fully grown wolves. Especially if said son was cuddling the most dangerous one of them.
"Three times by now?" Erica asked and got confirming nods from Boyd and Isaac. Derek preferred to stay silent with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on his face.
"Stiles does it every time." Boyd added. "He's a cuddler."
"Only with Derek." Isaac spoke up from where he was sitting a little at the side.
"Okay, this isn't awkward or anything." Stiles blurted out while he watched in horror as the pictures passed on the screen. One was more embarrassing than the other. But he had to admit Derek's death glare, which got more and more intense with every shot, was kinda cute. He could have shaken off Stiles at any time but he hadn't.
"Let's stop this before dad gets the baby pictures out." Stiles tried to interfere. "Believe me, nobody wants to see those."
"I bet you were an adorable child." Erica said and skipped to the next picture.
"He was." His dad said. "This one time, he must have been five or six, he wanted to dress up as the Hulk for Halloween. He put on some shorts and nothing else and I had to paint his whole body green. There should be some pictures in the album I sent you." He craned his neck to look at Stiles still standing behind the couch.
Patricide looked very tempting right now.
"I have to see those." Erica proclaimed, looking expectantly at Stiles as if that would get him to bring the album.
"Definitely not." Stiles made a mental not to hide said album or better, burn the pictures in question. Which he wouldn't because in most of those pictures his mom was right by his side, dressed up as Catwoman.
At least his dad knew when to quit. He yawned behind his hand and said: "It was a long day, how about we call it quits?"
"Good idea." Derek jumped at the idea. "Stiles and Isaac will show you your room. Erica, help me cleaning up, would you? And Boyd, would you get John's bag from the car?"
With that they got in motion and Stiles used the moment to pull his father aside.
"Are you okay with staying with a werewolf?" He asked in a low voice and with the werewolves busy cleaning up chances were good that they weren't listening in. They had talked about this before but things tend to look different when they were actually happening.
"We'll get along." John said, giving Isaac a smile who was coming over to them.
"I can sleep here." Isaac gestured over to the couch. "If you feel better that way. Derek wouldn't mind."
"It's fine." John assured him.
The whole evening Isaac had not really interacted with his father, Stiles had noticed, and now he stood awkwardly there, not meeting his father's eye.
"Are you okay with this, Isaac?" Stiles spoke up. The same thing applied to Issac, he had agreed to having his father over but that had been before he had even met the man.
"What?" Isaac's gaze shot to Stiles as if he'd forgotten that the human was also standing there. "No, no. It's fine. I'll show you your room." The last part was directed at John but Isaac was still not meeting his eyes.
Stiles shared a look with his father before they followed the beta downstairs to his apartment. Over the last few days Stiles had been here more often than not and he had warmed up to Isaac. However, now the beta looked like an intruder in his own home, standing awkwardly at the side while Stiles helped his dad to settle in.
"See you in the morning." John said and gave Stiles another hug. This was starting to become a thing. Not that Stiles minded.
They said good night and Stiles went back upstairs. Erica and Body had left as well so it was just him and Derek.
"I'm not sure about Isaac." Stiles said.
"What do you mean?" Derek had already changed into his sleep wear and Stiles tried really hard to not too obviously ogle his butt.
"I don't think he's comfortable with my dad being around."
"Isaac has a past." Derek said vaguely but by now Stiles had some ideas about the beta's past. "It's okay, he would have said if it wasn't."
Not really convinced Stiles went to bed but his sleep was restless at best.
It was almost two in the morning when he heard the front door opening and closing.
Chapter 18
Masterpost