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Stiles was traveling alone on his way to college, not expecting to see a familiar face. So, when he bumped into someone at baggage claim, the "Excuse me" was more perfunctory than anything.
"Sweetheart, there is no excuse," a familiar voice purred.
Momentarily alarmed, Stiles whirled. "Peter!"
"Hello, darling," Peter smiled.
Stiles' eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"
"You're here," Peter replied easily. A smirk. "Is that your bag?"
"Damn!" Stiles reached out to the conveyor belt as one of his bags rumbled by.
"Let me..." Peter easily reached out and snagged the bag as Stiles grabbed his other bag.
Going to college meant traveling heavier than usual. Stiles knew he could pick up clothes or whatever he needed in DC, but that cost money. If he managed his money well, he wouldn't need a job until at least the Spring. If he was really lucky, he might not to need a job until the summer. But that was optimistic, even for him.
"Thank you. I think." Stiles reached for the bag in Peter's hands.
"Come along," Peter started walking toward the exit, taking the rolling bag with him. "I have a car waiting for us."
"Peter! Us? What!" Stiles grumbled as he followed along. Not that he was willingly following Peter, but Peter had the bag with all of Stiles' underwear. Oh, fuck. Could Peter smell that? Everything was clean, but, well... who knew what the 'wolf could smell.
A dark SUV -- one any Argent would have been happy to pull into town with -- had the rear hatch open. Peter put Stiles' bag in the rear and took the second bag from Stiles' hands.
"In you go," Peter said cheerfully, gently pushing Stiles toward the rear door of the running vehicle.
Stiles took a step back. "What the fuck is going on?"
"Stiles. We're in a no parking zone as it is," Peter said patiently. "It's a short drive and once we get home I'll explain all." He pressed the button to close the hatch.
"Everything?" Stiles demanded.
Peter gave a small nod.
Stiles rolled his eyes and gave in. He awkwardly climbed into the back of the SUV and Peter slid in next to him.
"All set?" the driver asked, looking at them in the rear view mirror.
"Yes, thank you," Peter replied.
Stiles sat back and stewed as the vehicle left Washington National Airport. The driver crossed a bridge that went into Washington, DC, and took a parkway that followed along the river. The driver used a keycard to get through a security gate and then pulled into a parking garage.
"The Watergate? Really?" Stiles demanded. How much of a cliche was that, to have an apartment at the Watergate apartment complex.
"Why not?" Peter asked rhetorically. "Anyway, this is home."
"Peter!" Stiles protested. He wanted to stamp a foot in protest but it wouldn't be terribly effective in the comfortable sneakers he had put on for traveling.
The driver had Stiles' bags out of the rear of the SUV and next to the elevator. He saw Peter hand the man what he assumed was a gratuity and the man nodded. The driver got back into the SUV and drove off.
Peter took one of the bags and moved towards the elevator. Stiles, resigned to not getting his questions answered until they were wherever they were going, gabbed the other bag and followed. The bags were ounces under the fifty pound weight limit and Stiles was immensely grateful for the wheels on the bags and not having to lug them anywhere. The elevator went up to the twelfth floor and Peter got out. He went down a short corridor and used a keycard to open the apartment door.
Of course it was a fucking penthouse, Stiles realized. They were on the top floor and, even more interesting, seemed to be on the end of the building. If he wasn't mistaken, the apartment would go around the corner of the structure.
Peter took the bag down a corridor and stood in front of the doorway to a room.
"Peter. Explanations first." Stiles said firmly. "What the fuck is going on?"
"This is your room," Peter said as he waved a hand at what Stiles figured was a bedroom.
"Peter. I have a space in the dorm. It's already paid for."
"About that..."
"Peter!" Stiles crossed his arms and didn't move.
Peter sighed and came back toward Stiles.
"Tell me what is going on," Stiles said firmly.
"When Derek told me that you were going to GWU, he was both pleased and worried," Peter said. "He was pleased that you were going to the school of your choice but, well, you're Pack and he was worried about you being so far away and alone."
"I can take care of myself, you know," Stiles replied.
Peter nodded. "I did tell him that," he said. "But then I, well, volunteered to move out here with you."
Stiles rubbed his forehead. "No one thought to talk to me about this, of course."
"Oh, we did think about it. For about two seconds," Peter admitted. "We also knew you would turn down any assistance from the Pack. So I convinced Derek to let me handle it."
"So you decided to handle it by ambushing me?" Stiles asked pointedly.
He was glad to see Peter look at least a bit discomfited at this point.
"If we had said anything, would you have accepted it?" Peter countered.
"No. But I wanted to be... normal," Stiles sighed. "I wanted to have an ugly roommate problem, drunken floor parties, all night study sessions, bad cafeteria food, and... and anything a freshman in college would have!" He waved a hand at the pristine and handsomely decorated apartment. "Not a glass house like this!"
"But you are not normal," Peter countered, pointing a finger at Stiles. "You'd be miserable and unhappy inside of a month. And you won't miss your Pack the same way a 'wolf would, but you would still miss us."
"I wanted to try," Stiles said stubbornly. "I figured I could get through the semester, come home at Christmas, and spend a lot of time with the Pack. I would be fine."
"You've never been away from the Pack for more than a week," Peter replied patiently. "How were you going to manage for four months?"
Stiles grimaced. He didn't want to admit that Peter had a point but... dammit.
"I'll never know if I don't try," Stiles replied, looking away from Peter.
"We made some changes," Peter finally admitted. "We upgraded you to a single room." He held up a hand when Stiles started to speak. "That's non-negotiable. I understand the need to be independent but you can't think living with a random teenager who isn't in the know about the supernatural is anything close to a good idea."
"I guess," Stiles admitted warily. "But my scholarship won't pay..."
"The Pack pays the difference," Peter said firmly. "And you'll get regular spending money from the Pack. No need to over-work yourself going to school full time while working some menial job. You shared your schedule and you have a heavy course load as it is. Having to work would be a distraction you can't afford."
Stiles crossed his arms. "What else?"
"Dinner with me, at least a couple of hours spent together, at least once a week," Peter said. "Occasional weekend days here, together. That lets me tell Derek that you're alive and doing well and it will be our Pack time."
Oh. Right. Peter needed Pack as much as he did. Peter was so damned independent, it was easy to forget he was a 'wolf and needed contact with his Pack.
Stiles waved in the direction of the room Peter left his bag in. "And the room here?"
"Oh, that's yours, also," Peter grinned. "You're welcome to come and go as you please. If you want a quiet study place or just someplace... else."
"Nicer, you mean," Stiles had to grin.
"Okay. Nicer," Peter allowed. "Although I've ordered better sheets and towels for the dorm room than I know you brought. Also, there is a mini-fridge for the dorm room."
Stiles sighed. He just had to hope Peter hadn't gotten him silk sheets.
"There's a third bedroom we can turn into a study. I'll be working mostly from home, so I'll use the space for an office, also. I'll set up a space for you to work from."
"I'll decide on that, depending how the library is and how the dorm works out," Stiles shrugged. Quiet work space would always be welcome.
"You can do laundry here, if you want," Peter threw in an additional enticement.
"You mean you don't have someone doing your laundry?" Stiles teased.
Peter shook his head. "Unless they're Pack, a stranger handling my clothing is too confusing to my 'wolf."
"Oh. Hadn't thought of it that way," Stiles nodded.
"What else?" Peter asked.
"I came in today to move into the dorm," Stiles said. "Orientation is the day after tomorrow and I wanted to wander around campus and figure out where my classes are."
"Stay here tonight," Peter suggested. "I'd like you to sleep in the bed at least one night to get your scent into the bed and also into the other rooms. I'll get a car to take you to campus and help you move in tomorrow, which should be easier than you doing it alone."
"All that 'wolf strength should be good for something!" Stiles teased. "All right. Let me check out the room and then you can feed me dinner."
Peter gave a brilliant smile.