Human is Just a Word 32/?
Chapter 32
At best Derek had hoped for a platonic relationship with Stiles but he had been prepared for the teen, he was only seventeen, to deny the bond they shared and that would have been okay, too. They had time.
What he hadn't been prepared for was Stiles embracing what had developed between them. So when Stiles brought their lips together for a kiss Derek was stunned. But then his brain caught up with what was happening, he was kissing Stiles, he parted his lips and tenderly started to kiss back.
Stiles' hands which had been cupping his cheeks slid around his head, one to his neck the other one tangled in his hair, bringing them closer together.
They kissed for a sweet moment and when they parted, Stiles didn't draw back. He used his hands still on Derek to keep the werewolf close and rested his forehead against Derek's.
"I can't believe this is happening." Stiles let out a little laugh. "I never thought this would happen. Ever."
But then there was something like realization on his face and he let out a groan.
"What?" Derek was on high alert in an instant. Did Stiles realize that he didn't really want this?
"I have to go to school." He looked at Derek with wide eyes. "Like now. Like now now."
Derek snorted at that.
"Would you let me skip school so that we can make out all morning?" Stiles bit his bottom lip and gave him his best puppy dog eyes. But Derek had learned to resist those when his cousins had been just little pups with impossible big eyes so he just gave Stiles an unimpressed look.
"No."
"Figured." Stiles let his hands slide down to Derek's chest. Then he leaned in for another quick kiss. And another one. The first one to Derek's jaw felt like an accident but Stiles seemed to like the idea and peppered his jawline and throat with sloppy kisses. If he kept that up he would be late for school. Or skip it entirely.
"Go to school." Derek plucked Stiles off him. "We can talk when you're back."
"Yeah. Talk." Stiles gave him something that was supposed to be a sly grin, Derek guessed and rolled his eyes at him.
"Stiles." He started but got interrupted by another kiss. He could get used to this. He was getting used to this. Fast. Too fast.
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving." Stiles actually managed to let go of him and turned to get his backpack.
Derek had to catch him when Stiles stumbled over the chair behind him and got smacked in the face by a flailing arm for that.
"Sorry, sorry." Stiles sorted his limps out and straightened up only to trip over his backpack the next second.
"How did you survive childhood?" Derek wondered and his respect for Stiles' dad grew with every second.
Stiles just grinned in triumph once he actually had his backpack over one shoulder and both feet firmly on the ground. Derek watched him fondly until the front door of the loft closed behind him. A klutz like this shouldn't be this adorable.
Not a minute later the door opened again and Isaac stepped through.
"Shouldn't you be at campus by now?" Derek asked without looking up from his task of putting the leftovers in the fridge. Looked like Stiles was a stress cooker.
"Just wanted to check on you before I leave." Isaac said, taking a deep breath. "But it seems like everything went well."
"It did." Derek closed the fridge. "Thanks for pointing some things out to me."
Isaac shrugged and gave him a crooked smile. "At least now it's official that I'm no longer second in command."
Derek froze at that. He hadn't really thought about what a mating bond with Stiles meant for the hierarchy in the pack, especially for Isaac who had been his first beta and as such held a special position.
"Does it bother you?" Derek asked. Not that he could really do anything about it. Mating bonds developed naturally, neither he nor Stiles had chosen this consciously. It wouldn't have formed if they weren't both ready for it but it didn't change the fact that they had no control over it. The only thing they had control over was what to do with it.
"Na." His beta sauntered over until he could rub his cheek against Derek's. He inhaled deeply and Derek had no doubt that Isaac could smell Stiles' scent all over him. Not that that was something special. They lived together and more often than not slept in the same bed, he always smelled like Stiles. In hindsight, that should have given him a clue.
"It bothered me that Stiles acted like the alpha's mate without officially being one." His nose brushed over Derek's throat, following the line of kisses Stiles had left only minutes ago. Derek rubbed Isaac's back and enjoyed the scenting.
"I doubt the others really noticed it." Isaac mumbled into his skin. "But they respond to him, we all do."
The others, Derek had to inform them and soon. Before Stiles blurted out the good news and absolutely before Boyd and Erica noticed the smell of sex on them. Which seemed more likely now than it had been an hour ago. If Isaac weren't draped all over him right now Derek would already be upstairs, jerking off with Stiles' scent still fresh in his nose.
"It feels right now." With a satisfied smile Isaac stepped away from him. "But I probably should start hearing loud music from now on. And pull some all-nighters in the library." He winked at him with a cocky smile.
"Get your ass out of here." Derek growled but ruffled his hair. Isaac left with a triumphant fist in the air. Derek just shook his head.
Once he was alone, Derek considered getting some work done but he knew that he didn't have the patience for that right now. So he changed into his running clothes and went outside. The weather was nice and at this time of the day, the park lay mostly abandoned.
Derek fell into a steady rhythm, his feet pounding on the paved path, and with every breath he took, the tension left his body and his mind calmed down.
He returned to his loft sweaty and pleasantly exhausted and with a grin firmly on his face. He had a mate. Stiles was his mate and he wanted to be with him in every way possible.
Derek did jerk off in the shower to the memory of Stiles' lips on his.
After burning some of the restless energy Derek felt more seated but still too keyed up to work. Not knowing what to do, he paced the loft. It was still early, Stiles wouldn't be home for hours.
Boyd and Erica weren't home either so Derek couldn't pass the time with telling them the good news.
In the end he switched on the TV and sat down with a bowl of granola. He didn't feel hungry and he wasn't in the mood for some stupid talk show but there was nothing else to do.
And you might need the energy later, a little voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Stiles, provided with an audible smug grin.
He didn't want to rush things. He wasn't even sure if Stiles was ready for any sexual stuff beyond kissing and roaming hands. Sure, he had said that he wanted Derek in every way possible, and Derek's dick was on board with that idea, but Stiles was still a teenager and his so far only sexual experience had been forced on him. By Derek. That wasn't exactly a good starting ground for a relationship.
Derek knew that Stiles didn't blame him, they both had been forced into it by Peter, kind of, but deep down Derek couldn't let go of the guilt.
When his phone rang he expected Stiles on the other end. Either because something had happened at school or, more likely, Stiles got bored and wanted to pick up where they had left off this morning. Derek didn't put it beyond Stiles to try to have phone sex with him while he was at school. Not that Derek would ever consider joining in on that idea.
But when he looked at the caller ID, it was Laura's name on the screen.
With a frown he picked up.
"Laura, hi." He said, only mildly disappointed that it wasn't Stiles on the other end.
"Hey there, little bro." She greeted him cheerfully. "How are you doing?"
His first impulse was to tell her about the mating bond he'd formed with Stiles but before the words left his mouth, his brain caught up with the situation. Laura never called just to have a chat. No matter how often she scolded him for not doing social calls, she wasn't any better with them. Maybe on his birthday or for Christmas but today was neither of those dates.
"Fine." He answered and held back on the big news for now. "You?"
"Wow, aren't we chatty today." Laura scoffed. He heard the crunching of leather when she moved on what he assumed was the leather couch in her living room.
"Laura." Derek said in a warning tone.
"Fine, fine." She faked surrender. "I had a little look at Beacon Hills. Peter keeps to himself, no surprise there, but once I started asking questions, I heard some alarming stuff."
Derek slumped deeper into his couch.
"Is there something we can do?" He didn't need to ask what she'd heard, Stiles had told him more than he wanted to know. And he had asked Stiles' dad some careful questions.
"I'm not sure yet." Laura said, clearly chewing on her bottom lip. She had always done that when she had been thinking something over. "Even if we did join forces against him, I'm not sure if we would be strong enough to do something."
At least they were on the same page that something had to be done about Peter. On his own Derek couldn't do anything. His pack and territory was too small. Laura had a better standing but she was right, even together it was a huge risk to take on Peter.
"But I would like to meet that human of yours." She continued. "What was his name? Stan?"
"Stiles." Derek provided and couldn't help the fond smile.
"Stiles." She mimicked his tone with a quiet laugh. He did not sound that sappy. "How is he adjusting to living in a pack?" She asked more serious now. She knew how Stiles had ended up in his pack and despite her usual rough demeanor she had a big heart.
"He found his place in the pack." Derek said innocently.
"And what would that be?" She must have picked up on his tone.
"Alpha's mate?" It came out more meekly than intended.
He had to hold the phone away from his ear to survive her squealing.
"Way to go, little brother. Congrats." She said when she had mostly composed herself again. But then she sobered up. "How did he take it?"
"Better than expected." He still couldn't believe how well their conversation this morning had gone. "I thought he wouldn't want to …" He didn't know how to put his fears in words.
But Laura knew their story, she got it. "You didn't have the best start, the worst to be honest, so just be patient with him and let him set the pace."
Now Derek laughed. "If I let him set the pace, he would have skipped school today so we could make out all day."
Laura burst out laughing. "Now I really want to meet him. How about this weekend? I miss you, Derek, and I'm not the only one."
"I'll ask him." Derek promised. "But we only figured it out this morning. Stiles might have other plans for our weekend."
"Awww, young love." Laura mocked him, clearly picturing what they would do over the weekend in her mind.
"Shut up." Derek said with a blush.
Chapter 33
Masterpost