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Stiles couldn't sleep, so Derek got up from his slumber to make them hot chocolate and hold him close with a warm blanket wrapped around their bodies.
"I can't get to sleep.. can we watch a movie together? I know I woke you up but it would really mean a lot to me.."
"If you need me to stay up with you all night, then I'll absolutely do it. You don't need to explain yourself. Finish your hot chocolate and we will see where this goes."
Derek clicked on the TV and turned on a random movie that they had seen a million times. He eventually settled, letting Stiles lean against him and drink his hot chocolate. Stiles finally drifted off to sleep, the empty mug resting in his limp hands. Derek smiled and took the mug. He placed it on the side table, clicked the TV off, and coaxed his sleeping boyfriend back into a laying position. Shadow huffed at them because they disturbed him, before moving so he was on Derek’s chest and pressed against Stiles.
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“Did you know that Loki, even though his father was the giant Fárbauti, he was included among the Aesir, a tribe of gods?” Stiles said from where he was laying on the couch in his office.
“Stiles, darling boy, can you not right now?” Peter said, glancing over at Stiles before looking back down at his own book.
“But, Peter, Loki was represented as the companion of the great gods Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans, but sometimes causing embarrassment and difficulty for them and himself. He also appeared as the enemy of the gods, entering their banquet uninvited and demanding their drinks.” Stiles said, excitedly.
Peter looked over at him and couldn’t help a small smile as he read from his mythology book.
“Sounds a lot like you, are you sure you aren’t Loki?” He snarked.
“Haha, very funny. But, seriously, Loki is considered a trickster god, known for being neither fully good nor evil since his main aim was always to create chaos. Like Prometheus, Loki has also been considered a god of fire.” Stiles read before looking over at him.
He could tell that the older man was getting very into the information that he was being told, which made the younger man smile.
“Yep, definitely sounds like you. Maybe your nickname should be Loki instead of Stiles. Oh, wait, it already is. Doesn’t my nephew call you Mischief?”
“You take that back, Peter Hale. I have brought nothing but happiness into your world since you found me in that hospital hallway,” He said, rolling his eyes.
“Alright, you have me hooked. What else can you tell me about Loki?” Peter asked, taking a seat on the couch next to the younger man.
Stiles smiled and looked back down at the book.
“With the female giant Angerboda, or the Distress Bringer, Loki produced the progeny Hel, the goddess of death; Jörmungand, the serpent that surrounds the world; and Fenrir, the wolf. Loki is also credited with giving birth to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse,” He read.
Peter smiled, distracted slightly by the content waves that were coming off of the younger man.
“Loki’s status in pre-Christian Scandinavia remains somewhat obscure. The medieval sources from which came much of what is known of Loki provide no evidence of a cult, unlike for other Norse deities, and the name Loki does not appear in place-names.” He finished, closing the book in his lap.
“Oh, are we done with the facts?” Peter asked teasingly.
“For now. Don’t worry, I have loads of other books and articles about different topics. You should hear some of the folklore on werewolves. I call bullshit on over half of it.”
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Whenever they go shopping, Stiles liked to sit in the shopping cart the entire time and "guard the groceries" to make sure no one stole them. Derek lets it happen because he thought it was hilarious seeing the confused looks they get from onlookers. It also kept his boyfriend in one place while they shopped, so he couldn’t get into anything or wander off.
“Babe, can I have some frozen pizza?” Stiles asked, looking up at Derek as they walked down the frozen aisle.
“One. Tell me which one that you want and I will grab it. We also need some meals for pack nights,” Derek said, opening a freezer. As he dropped three meals into the cart on top of Stiles, he saw an older woman giving them a disapproving look. He tried not to make a face at her, but he was sure he failed when Stiles burst out into laughter. “What are you laughing at, baby?”
“You are making your Sourwolf face, it’s funny because it isn’t being aimed at me. Can I have a sausage pizza, please?”
Derek shook his head, pushing the cart down the aisle.
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“Stiles, what have you and Peter found on Mermaids?” Erica asked, nursing the scratches she had gotten from hunting down the creature of the week.
“In European folklore, mermaids (sometimes called sirens) and mermen were natural beings who, like fairies, had magical and prophetic powers. They loved music and often sang. Though very long-lived, they were mortal and had no souls,” Stiles said, rubbing his nose against Shadow’s. He was stressed because Erica was hurt, so Shadow was trying to calm him down.
“Many folktales record marriages between mermaids (who might assume human form) and men. In most, the man steals the mermaid’s cap or belt, her comb, or mirror. While the objects are hidden she lives with him; if she finds them she returns at once to the sea. In some variants, the marriage lasts while certain agreed-upon conditions are fulfilled, and it ends when the conditions are broken,” Peter finished, knowing that the younger man was not up for this discussion.
“So, we need to find whatever was stolen from her, and she will just go back to wherever she came from?” Derek asked, nuzzling into Stiles’ hair for a moment.
“In theory. We should tell Scott, so he and his pack can help,” Stiles said, looking up at Derek.
Since this was a pack matter, it had to be handled by the Alphas. It was part of the agreement when they split the pack, Stiles would not be used as a messenger. He and Scott were siblings again, and that was all they needed to be.