Human is Just a Word 68/85
A/N I'm back.
There will be weekly updates again from now on but I still have to figure out a schedule.
Chapter 68
Like usual Stiles brought Megan, Lydia and Sean home with him after school. By now Sean only went home to sleep, sometimes not even that, and Stiles had the suspicion that his parents were glad that he wasn't really around to see them argue. Divorce was now a thing that was happening and when Sean did show up at home his parents both tried to convince him to stay with them once they would part ways.
Stiles had witnessed it first hand when he had been over one afternoon and he felt sorry for his friend who had to endure that every day.
However, Sean had turned eighteen not long after Stiles and in his mind Stiles was already going through the apartments they had available for the pack in search for a spot to fit his friend in. He had a feeling that it was only a matter of time until Sean would become a beacon in his head.
At their place the girls immediately went upstairs, talking about a movie they wanted to see, and Sean went in search for Isaac. Since the renovation had started Sean and Isaac spent a lot of time together, not that Stiles minded, he had enough on his own plate and not always time for his friend.
Stiles wanted to check on his dad and Melissa before he went to see if he could get his mate alone for a few minutes before he had to take care of more pack problems.
The paperwork never ended and there was always a pack member who needed an open ear or just a belly rub and if nothing else Stacy needed a new diaper. Most of the time Megan took care of the latter but Stiles had changed more diapers over the last few weeks than he would have ever imagined.
To his surprise Stiles found his dad with Stephen and Mark in one of the the apartments busy with putting in a new floor.
Stiles didn't like the idea of Melissa all alone in a still unfamiliar place so that was where he headed next.
What he didn't expect was to find his mate there as well. Melissa had Stacy in her lap while Derek was making coffee in the kitchen. And a wolf Jeremy was chasing Gina through the apartment.
"Coffee for you, too?" Derek asked without even looking up when Stiles entered the surreal scene. Last time he'd checked, Melissa had only stayed under the same roof as the pack because she didn't have somewhere else to go. Especially Derek had terrified her.
And now Derek was in her kitchen, making coffee.
"Sure." Stiles answered and went to greet his mate with a kiss. "What's going on here?"
"Jeremy sneaked out to visit her." Derek said as if that explained the coffee thing.
Stiles took his and Melissa's coffee mug and even managed to get them safely over to the table without tripping over the little wolf running circles around his legs. Gina stood at the side, hands over her mouth, just waiting for Stiles to trip. He flashed her a triumphant grin when he set the mugs on the table without spilling one drop.
"You've grown into your limbs." Melissa commented and the sadness in her eyes washed the smile right off Stiles' face. She would never see Scott grow into the man he had been supposed to be.
Stiles didn't know what to say to that. There was nothing to say.
When Derek came over with his own cup of coffee, Melissa threw him a glance and Stiles remembered clearly the hushed conversation he had with her just yesterday. The one where she had said under tears how sorry she was for Stiles and where he had tried to assure her that Derek wasn't Peter, that he was happy with Derek and even if they weren't mates, Derek would never treat a human in his pack less than one of his betas. Even a claimed one.
She hadn't believed him. But the way she was looking at Derek now, she was getting there.
Derek was almost at the table when Jeremy barreled into him. With his insane werewolf reflexes Derek not only managed to not spill his coffee, no he also caught Jeremy by the scruff of his neck and with a growl he lifted the pup up to eye-level.
Melissa let out a strangled sound and opened her mouth in protest but before she could say something, Jeremy shifted.
The fur in Derek's fist vanished and the naked boy landed swiftly on his feet with a giggle. He hit the floor running and two steps later he was in his fur again.
Derek just growled after him and sat down at the table.
"Looks like you lost your bet with Ellen." He said calmly without looking at Melissa.
"I wouldn't say that." Stiles answered with a smug grin.
"What bet?" Melissa asked, eyes on the kids who were back to their chasing game.
"Who masters the fluid shift man to wolf first, Mark or Jeremy." Stiles explained but then remembered that Melissa hadn't met Mark yet. "Mark has been injured in the fire and Derek had to bite him."
"And Jeremy just beat him to it." Derek hurried to say, probably to gloss over how Mark had become a werewolf.
"Man to wolf." Stiles emphasized the first word, waiting for Derek to catch on. "As long as Mark masters it before Jeremy has to shave regularly, I win."
Derek stared at him as if he only now realized how evil his mate was but Melissa couldn't help a smile which she tried to hide behind a hand. Which Stacy took as in invitation to play with her fingers.
Even with a dose of caffeine Melissa grew tired rather quickly, Stiles could tell, so when they had finished their coffee he and Derek gathered the kids and left. Stiles made sure to let his father know, tough, he would help her over to the bed for a nap.
"I should have thought of the kids as an ice breaker." Stiles said when they released Jeremy and Gina in the loft. Stacy had fallen asleep in Stiles' arms and he put her down in the bed Sean had stolen from his parents. The nights Stacy stayed with them in the den but over the day it was safer to put her somewhere where nobody would stumble over her. Also, she had started to roll onto her belly and Stiles was just waiting for her to get more mobile.
"She thought I would bite Jeremy's head off." Derek said unhappily.
"She doesn't know you." Stiles slung an arm around his mate's waist and drew him close. "But I think you impressed her with how you dealt with the kids." Or that he dealt with the kids at all. Stiles couldn't imagine Peter bottle feeding a baby.
"Just give her some time." Stiles brought their lips together for a tender kiss but it stayed at that because behind them Gina made smacking noises and Jeremy even shifted just to join her.
"We need to steal Isaac's place again." Derek whispered into his ear.
"Only if we bring our own lube this time."
"Deal."
They sealed it with a kiss but Stiles doubted that they would get much alone time until their apartment was ready. There were just too many people around.
Right on cue Ellen and Charles were back from wherever they had been, loaded with bags. Clothes for the kids, Stiles found out a minute later and then he had to help Jeremy trying on all the new stuff.
The new pack bonds had settled in Stiles mind, by now he could tell all the beacons apart and knew how far away a pack member was and if they were content or not, but there was one beacon still missing in his head. His dad. It was only a matter of time until his dad would become pack by association and Stiles couldn't wait for it to happen.
So when one morning he woke up with a new connection forming in his mind, his first thought was that it was his dad. The bond was still forming, he doubted that anybody aside from him and Derek was able to feel it, and he couldn't get much information from it just yet but after a moment he realized that it was coming from the wrong direction. His dad was downstairs with Melissa but the bond was pulling him upstairs.
His second thought was Sean but then he remembered that his friend hadn't stayed over tonight.
Stiles looked around to see if anybody else was awake and feeling it but the pack was still sleeping and only Derek had his eyes open. He was looking in the same direction. Upstairs, Stiles' room, where Lydia was sleeping.
While Stiles was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Lydia was pack, Derek left the den and went upstairs. Stiles expected him to go to Lydia but instead Derek went to his own room and came back a minute later in his running clothes.
Without a word or sparing Stiles a glance he left for a run.
He wasn't back by the time they had to leave for school.
Lydia didn't say anything and Stiles wasn't even sure if she already felt the forming bond.
Derek didn't acknowledge the bond when they came back home that day and he avoided Lydia as much as possible. By now Stiles was pretty sure that Lydia felt it but she didn't bring it up either.
Derek wasn't sure if he could trust Lydia, Stiles got that, but avoiding the topic wasn't helpful either. However, Derek successfully dodged every attempt to talk about it.
A few days later everybody felt the bond but nobody said something about it. The whole pack just watched and waited and Stiles understood that this was some kind of test. The way Derek handled this would decide if this pack was going to work out or not.
And there was nothing Stiles could do to help. He just made sure to be there for his mate and for Lydia as well without pushing.
As far as he understood pack politics, Derek had to either officially accept her in his pack or kick her out. And he needed to make up his mind soon. The longer he hesitated, the weaker he looked and no pack would accept a weak alpha. It didn't matter how much they liked Derek as a person, the betas would leave or even challenge him, it was instinct.
It was late in the evening and they were about to settle in for the night. The kids were already in the den and the adults were about to join them. It was Lydia's cue to retreat to her room as well.
"Lydia, wait." Derek held her back.
The whole pack paused, even Becky and Benny who had almost been asleep perked up at the sudden tension around them. Everybody was watching Derek who stood in the middle of the room, waiting for Lydia to turn back to him.
Head held high, she stepped closer but Stiles didn't need to be a werewolf to know how anxious she was. This was it. In a minute she would be either pack or get kicked out of the building.
Stiles knew his mate, he had no doubt that Derek would make the right decision but he couldn't help but hold his breath as well. Letting her into the pack meant trusting her. And Derek had some issues with that. Not that Stiles blamed him.
Derek studied her for a long moment.
With one step he closed the distance between them and then he laid his hands gently on her shoulder.
Lydia must have seen the decision in his eyes because when he leaned in, she bared her throat for him.
Derek didn't bite hard and he used his human teeth but even from a distance Stiles could see the forming bruise. Derek nuzzled her neck and licked over the sore spot and after a moment Lydia just crushed into his chest, clinging to him for dear life. For a long moment her sobs were the only noise in the loft but then the pack breathed out as one and the tension left the room.
Nobody spoke. The pack went back to getting ready for the night as if nothing had happened but they made room for the newest pack member when Derek led her over to the den.
Chapter 69
Masterpost