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Stiles isn’t often left speechless. When he is, it’s usually because of Derek. Now, there are many levels of speechlessness. They range from good to bad, happy to angry, I’m-going-to-slap-you-for-being-so-stupid to I’m-going-to blow-you-then-fuck-you-because-you’re-so-goddamn-amazing. And yes, Stiles has experienced all of these with Derek.
Right now, Stiles is definitely in the good, happy, we-will-be-sharing-so-many-orgasms-later end of the spectrum. Derek has remembered that four years ago today, they met for the first time. It was just after his sophomore year started; he was sixteen, Scott had been bitten the night before by Peter. Derek had glowered and told them in his best bitchy voice that they were on private property.
It was magical.
Not only was Derek celebrating the anniversary of the day they met, Derek was celebrating Laura. They didn’t celebrate her death, obviously. They celebrated her life. Derek adored his sister, and once Stiles had dug his way into Derek’s heart, Stiles knew why. He was forever sad that he hadn’t had the chance to meet her, but he still felt like he knew Laura. All the stories Derek has shared with him, all the jokes and pranks and anecdotes of his life with Laura that made Derek smile and laugh and shake his head in amusement and exasperation.
Sometimes, Stiles thinks that’s one of the reasons why he and Derek were together. A lot of Derek’s Stiles Reactions were similar to his Laura Reactions. But, like, not in a creepy way or anything. Stiles knows there’s a difference. There’s fondness and affection and a tinge of annoyance in both, but there’s a tinge of sadness attached to Laura’s Reactions. And a whole heap of sexual tension attached to Stiles Reactions. So no ickiness, just Derek wanting a small part of his past to not disappear. Apparently, he thrived on having annoying little shits in his life. Who was Stiles to refuse Derek that kind of joy?
Stiles knows that even though Cora is back in his life, no one can replace Derek’s older sister. They’d always been closer to each other and had carried each other through the horror of Kate destroying their family. They’d held tight and moved on, staying together and making a pack of the tattered and broken remains of the Hale family.
He used to wonder how they’d stayed so close, how they managed to remain best friends. Then Stiles thinks of all the shit Scott put him through (and all the shit he’s put Scott through), and he remembers that family is more than the good times, more than the easy and fun in life. It’s about taking on the pain and sadness of someone else, and helping them carry it. You can never take emotions away from someone, no matter how much you may want to or how much they want or need you to. You can only help them shoulder the burden of it. That’s what Laura did for Derek then, and that’s what Stiles does for Derek now.
So they spend the evening celebrating the beginning of their relationship and remembering the woman who was more than a sister and more than an alpha to Derek. She was a true friend, and someone who would always be missed and loved.