Human is Just a Word 76/85
Chapter 76
Melissa still got tired rather quickly, especially with the kids around, so after dinner John wheeled her out. Knowing that his dad would help her to bed and then wouldn't come back upstairs in case she needed something, Stiles went with them.
Besides, he still had some homework to do and he wouldn't get any done with the pack around. He could go to his own place now but it didn't feel right to be alone. Since he had joined the pack he'd never been alone for longer periods of time and since he'd become Derek's mate it felt even more wrong.
His dad and Melissa weren't pack, yet, but it still felt right for his non-existing inner wolf to keep them close.
"You and Derek look happy." Melissa said once they were in the privacy of their apartment. Looking happy and being happy where two different things and Stiles could tell that she wasn't convinced of the latter.
By now Melissa joined the pack for dinner most of the time and the kids spent quite some time at her place but she was still a bit wary when it came to the adult werewolves, especially Derek as the alpha.
"We are." Stiles said, absently rubbing his fingertips over the bite mark on his neck. It still felt tender and when he poked it, it throbbed in dull pain. He loved it. And he loved even more that he'd found a way to mark Derek for longer than a minute as well. Eventually the blood would flake off but for a while everybody could see who the alpha belonged to.
He must have spaced out because when he blinked, he found his dad and Melissa looking at him with identical expressions. The fond but still patronizing look only a parent could master. First boyfriend or first successful use of the potty, it all got the same expression. Usually accompanied with a tearful "They grow up so fast." but at least that was cut off by a yawn from Melissa.
"He's a good alpha and a good man." Stiles felt the need to emphasize because Peter. Since he wasn't hiding the marks Derek left on his body any longer, even his dad had sometimes still doubt in his eyes.
While John helped Melissa to bed, she was getting better but still needed quite some help, Stiles set up shop on the table. He had to put away the things Becky and Benny had left lying around and some math stuff he was pretty sure belonged to Lydia before he had even enough room to spread out his own work.
John and Melissa might not officially be pack but it didn't even occur to the kids to treat them anything but pack. And judging by the amount of stuff that had wound up in their place, neither his dad nor Melissa minded.
Stiles was almost done with his essay for history when his dad came back into the room and sat down at the table with him.
"How was the first night in your own place?"
"Do you really want to go there?" Stiles asked and shifted once again to find a more comfortable position for his sore butt.
"Is this what you want?" He became more serious, now openly studying Stiles. Searching for tells, Stiles realized. He wasn't a sheriff any longer but some things just stayed.
"Yes." Stiles said, meeting his eye. "We love each other and we have a pack to care for."
"That's a lot of responsibility." John said carefully. He didn't say things like college or mention his age but it was all there in his tone. They had this conversation before.
"I don't have to do it alone. That's how a pack works." Stiles answered. A pack with a mated alpha was stronger because they both carried the responsibility. And the pack members helped each other wherever they could so the alpha didn't have to micromanage every little thing.
It had taken some time. They had taken in a lot of people in a very short time and everybody had to figure out where they stood in the pack but by now they had settled in. They were a pack.
His dad couldn't understand that, not really, not until he became pack himself. But for now he accepted it with a nod.
"How's Sean doing?" He changed the topic.
"Except that his parents sicced Mrs Hanson on him?" Stiles let out a groan. School hadn't been fun the last few days. Their little group had been dubbed The Wolves even before Sean and Lydia had become pack, and nobody even was a werewolf, but somehow word had gotten around that Sean was pack now and that he had a werewolf boyfriend and the rumors were up again.
"Is she giving him trouble?"
"She's trying to give him the same spiel she has given me." Stiles pushed his almost done homework aside and leaned back in his chair. "That Derek just wants to strengthen his pack with new members. That being a human in a pack is not as cool as they tell you and that Isaac probably just wants sex."
John stayed quiet. That wasn't far off from what he had thought about Derek in the beginning as well. Hell, Stiles hadn't been any better.
"How does he take it?" John asked after a long minute.
"Compared to his parents Mrs Hanson is harmless." Stiles assured him. "He's fine. Isaac is probably cuddling him to death right now."
"I doubt cuddling is all they do." John said with a pointed look at Stiles' neck. "If they are anything like you and Derek, I don't even want to think about what they're doing right now."
"They're not like us." Stiles said, not sure if he should tell his dad about Isaac's sexuality or not. But when he looked up, he found a raised eyebrow directed at him and now he had to say something.
"Isaac's not interested in sex." He finally said. "He's asexual. I don't know what they're doing when they're alone but I doubt it's anything like what Derek and I do." He grinned at his father, not even trying to hide the lecherous thoughts invading his mind.
"I don't want to know." His dad raised his hands in defeat. He shook his head as if he wanted to get rid of unpleasant pictures in his head.
"I don't know what they've worked out, but they seem happy." Stiles went back to the Sean and Isaac topic.
"And Sean is okay with that?" He seemed doubtful. "I mean, he's a teenager. Usually those brim with hormones."
"I don't know how they're doing it but Derek says they both smell content." Stiles shrugged. "And I don't sense anything off over the bond coming from them, so I guess it's none of my business."
"When has anything ever been none of your business?" His dad asked but didn't push the topic.
For a while they talked about daily stuff, nothing special and Stiles just enjoyed having his father here. There had been a time when he'd thought that he would never see him again and he still wasn't quite used to living under the same roof as him again.
Then Derek came looking for him with Jeremy on his arm and Gina on his heel.
"They don't want to go to bed without a good night kiss from you." Derek rolled his eyes at that but he wasn't fooling anyone.
A second later Stiles had two kids in his arms who did their best to suffocate him. Jeremy with his werewolf strength had a good grip around his neck while he nuzzled into his skin. The hot little puffs tickled but Stiles just angled his head to give him better access.
Gina wasn't a werewolf and as a human not that keen on scenting but she hugged him from the other side and put wet little kissed on his cheek.
"You said one good night kiss." Stiles protested with a laugh. Over Gina's head his eyes met Derek's and for that look he would let the kids eat him alive.
"You haven't kissed me once." Gina pointed out and placed another kiss on his cheek with a loud smack. Jeremy giggled at that sound and then he started to litter the other half of Stiles' face with kisses as well.
Apparently a human tongue was insufficient for good kisses and a second later a long wolf tongue swept over Stiles cheek.
"Here, Uncle John wants kisses too." He handed the puppy still dressed in his clothes, and he really needed to keep his phone in reach for occasions like this, over to his father.
"Uncle John?" His dad asked and took the puppy more out of surprise than anything else. Jeremy didn't waste time and started to lick his face as well.
"You're not his dad so you're his uncle." Derek explained. He was watching them with soft eyes and a sappy expression. "To the kids every adult in the pack is their aunt or uncle."
John didn't correct him on the pack part but he was busy with preventing Jeremy from squirming off his lap. The puppy was still wearing his clothes but they weren't made for his current body and were restricting his movement which he clearly didn't like. He didn't change back, though.
"You're going to strangle yourself." John said and gently peeled him out of his shirt. "There you go. Better?"
Jeremy gave him a happy dog laugh and licked his nose.
"The kid suits you, Dad." Stiles teased. "Thinking of giving it another go?" His eyes darted over to the bedroom door. There was a guest room which officially was John's but as far as Stiles knew it never had been used.
"After raising you?" His dad shot back. "Thanks, I'm fine with playing uncle."
Not that Stiles had been serious, he doubted that Melissa would be up for a child even if she were back to one-hundred percent.
"But I wouldn't mind playing grandpa at one point." John added with a nod at the kid in Stiles' arms.
Stiles almost kicked Gina off his lap with his flailing.
"Dad!" Stiles yelled at him.
"Just saying, kid." John grinned at him and then went back to giving Jeremy a belly rub.
"Not cool, Dad." Stiles adjusted Gina in his arm, she was poking at some tender spots with her bony elbow. "Besides, it's not as if Derek can knock me up."
"Not for the lack of trying." His dad said with a sigh. "The walls are not as thick as you think they are."
"God, kill me now." Stiles groaned and sank deeper into his chair. He didn't dare to look at Derek and just tried to hide behind Gina. He had plans for the rest of the night, they still had some stuff to christen in their apartment, but at the moment life as a monk looked very appealing.
"Lydia could kill you if you want." Gina offered. "She knows science." She paused, a calculating eye on Stiles. "But I don't want you to be dead."
"I don't want me to be dead either." Stiles hurried to say. He mentally kicked himself for saying something like this in the first place. "Besides, Lydia's pack, she's on our side. She only kills bad guys." Like Peter, but he didn't say that.
"I'm glad she's on our side." His dad added. He had spent quite a few hours with them in the war room and he knew first hand how ruthless she could be. She wanted Peter dead even more than Stiles did.
And if she hadn't warned them, Gina and Jeremy wouldn't be here right now.
"Yeah, me too." Stiles said but his mind was on other things. Lydia was on their side. Lydia the banshee who predicted death was on their side.
The banshee was on their side.
Suddenly everything clicked into place.
A plan formed in Stiles' mind. It was risky, murdering somebody always was, but this was the first plan that looked like it could work.
"Stiles?" Derek asked, concern in his voice.
"I know how to get Peter."
Chapter 77
Masterpost