Chapter Text
Stiles has been lying in his bed for the last half an hour doing little more than trying to settle his frayed nerves and reassure himself that the man he thought had left Beacon Hills, with no word or warning, is really there next to him.
Derek is a comforting presence at his back where his warm, bare front is slotted against him. He can feel Derek's chest rise and fall with each breath the alpha takes and he finds himself slowing his own heart rate until they're settled into a matching beat.
It has been raining ever since Derek arrived and Stiles feels as though it's some kind of spiritual cleansing, like the heavy downpour after an unexpected heat wave.
The rain drops are a steady thrum of noise in the background, like a shower of tiny water bullets on the window pane. And even though he's neither ready nor willing to fall asleep, the warm body next to him and the soothing beat of the rain are making Stiles' eyelids feel as heavy as lead. He tries as hard as he can to keep them open, but his eyes are beginning to sting and nothing short of two matchsticks will do the trick right now so he lets them slip closed.
“I missed you.”
Stiles' pulse jumps in surprise for a few beats when Derek's voice breaks through the comfortable silence but he remains otherwise unresponsive. The words had been whispered so quietly that Stiles is unsure if they were actually meant for his ears. So he doesn't say anything, not wanting to shatter the blanket of calm that has settled over them and instead turns onto his other side so that they're lying face to face.
He slowly reaches up with his hand and cups Derek's face, letting his long fingers brush over the smattering of stubble on his jaw. Their eyes meet for a long moment before Stiles closes the distance between them and presses a soft, closed mouth kiss to Derek's lips.
And here in this very moment, with Derek lying next to him taking his kiss like it's giving him the very oxygen he needs to breathe, Stiles can't believe Derek ever thought he could leave this behind.
He hums softly in the back of his throat as he pulls away from Derek, gently brushing their noses together in a way he knows Derek's wolf loves before shuffling down on the bed an inch or two until he's at the perfect height to hug Derek's waist then tucks his head under his chin.
“I'm glad you came back,” Stiles whispers, his lips brushing gently against Derek's clavicle with each word.
The hand Derek has resting on Stiles' hip tightens for a second before it slides upwards beneath the fabric of his t-shirt, rubbing soothing circles into the warm skin of Stiles' back. “Me too. And I'm not leaving you. Not again.”
Stiles presses his face against Derek's collarbone and blinks away the unshed tears that are stinging his eyes before resting his head against his chest, letting the steady drum of Derek's heartbeat and the pittter-patter of the rain drops against the glass pull him down into the first trouble-free sleep he's had since Derek left.