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“I don’t think my brain can process anything else,” said Lori.
“She’s right Stiles, we’re not going to get more studying done, let’s call it a night,” Brett agreed.
“Alright, alright. We can call it a night,” Stiles conceded, it was getting late. “But we have to meet at least one more time before the final.” The pair both groaned.
Brett and Lori were first years Stiles was tutoring and Professor Serra’s exams were notoriously difficult. “Come on, I'll give you guys a ride back to your dorm.” The shuttles had stopped running and the freshman dorm was all the way across campus.
“Thanks,” Lori said as the three packed their bags and headed out.
The parking lot had been full when he’d arrived so he’d had to park in the back right against the woods. But even with the extended hours for finals it was all but deserted now.
As they walked towards the back he thought he heard Brett and Lori whispering behind him, but it was just barely audible and anytime he turned to look they seemed fine.
When they made it to the Jeep Stiles grabbed all the stuff he had left in the passenger seat and went to put it and his backpack in the trunk to make room for the two freshmen to sit. As he walked around the back of the car, he saw something shift in the tree line. Now, Stiles had a lifetime’s worth of trauma from things that go bump in the night so seeing a dark figure moving in the woods immediately put him on guard.
Brett and Lori must have seen him tense because suddenly they were both shouting at him to get back, but even though everything Stiles had experienced told him he should be terrified, for some reason he wasn’t.
He held up his hand to tell Brett and Lori to stand back, which didn’t work at all and slowly stepped towards the figure. It too stepped forward and no longer being concealed by the trees Stiles saw it was a wolf.
He was sure he recognized it, but maybe that was just hope. Hope that one day he would come back, that he’d come back for Stiles. But then the wolf’s eyes glowed. Glowed the brightest most electric blue you could imagine, and Stiles knew that it wasn’t just hope, that Derek was back.
He dropped to his knees as Derek charged him, tackling him down til he was on his back with the wolf looming over him.
“Stiles!” Lori screamed, she sounded terrified, but Brett must’ve held her back because the two didn’t move any closer.
Stiles didn’t really care how this looked at the moment, didn’t worry about how he was going to explain it, he just wrapped his hands around Derek’s neck and buried his face in his fur. Stiles felt like he could cry with how happy he was. Five minutes ago he couldn’t say for sure that Derek Hale was alive, and now he was holding him in his arms. Well more like being pinned down by his wolf form, but still.
Stiles pulled back slightly to look at Derek’s face. “You’re back,” he whispered. Derek couldn’t respond, but it didn’t matter, nothing else mattered right now. They stayed there for a few more minutes, just staring at each other, but as great as Derek as a wolf is Stiles hoped to actually have a conversation with him at some point. “Alright, let me up, I’m sure I still have a change of closed for you in the kill kit.”
Derek moved from over him and as Stiles stood he remembered that they had an audience. He half expected that they had run off, but when he looked over they were still there. He saw something else, too. Lori’s eyes were glowing gold, and both of them had claws out, well that was new.
“I’m guessing this is going to be easier to explain than I thought,” Stiles joked.
The pair just stared at him for a moment gaping before Lori spoke up.
“You know?”
“About werewolves?” Stiles asked with a slight chuckle. “Yeah, my best friend got bit in high school, trust me, even you two wouldn’t believe the shit I’ve seen.”
He left the two to stand there in shock again and went to grab Derek some clothes. He did in fact have an old Henley and a pair of sweats which he left folded in the open trunk of the Jeep.
“Told you the kit would come in handy,” he called and walked around front to let Derek shift.
“You called it a kill kit,” Brett spoke up when Stiles came back into view, “you’re not like…”
“A hunter?” Stiles asked and Brett sheepishly nodded. “No way man. The name’s just a joke, back home we had a lot of things come and try to attack our town and the pack, left the weres all torn up and bloody. Started keeping some extra clothes and supplies for after we take down the guys trying to kill us, hence the name.”
“I told you it wasn’t funny,” Derek said appearing from behind the Jeep. “Your jokes are never funny.”
“Excuse me Sourwolf, I’m hilarious, it’s not my fault you hate all joy.”
“So I take it you two know each other,” Lori said.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry guys this is Derek, we’re from the same hometown. Don’t mind the cold shoulder he hates new people” Just as Stiles predicted, Derek didn’t even attempt to introduce himself.
“So, he’s not going to kill you?” asked Lori.
“Yeah, he had us worried there for a sec with the whole pouncing on you thing,” added Brett.
“Nah, don’t let his death glare fool you, he’s a softie,” Stiles laughed as Derek growled behind him. Brett and Lori looked nervous but seemed to believe him.
“Well if you’re sure,” Brett paused and looked between the two men. “Thanks again for the help dude, I think we can walk back.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, we can take care of ourselves,” Lori answered flashing her eyes.
“Alright, but I meant what I said, one more study group before the final,” Stiles shouted as they walked away. The pair just waved him off as they headed back to their dorm.
Stiles turned to face Derek and smiled softly at the sight of him. “You’re back,” he whispered.
“You already said that,” Derek smirked.
“Yeah, but,” Stiles couldn’t think of anything else to say. “You’re back.”
“I am.”
“For good?”
“Yeah Stiles, for good.” Somehow throughout their short conversation, they’d gotten closer until they were standing chest to chest. Stiles wrapped his arms around Derek’s neck and mumbled “I missed you.”
“I know,” Derek responded, wrapping his arms around Stiles' waist. “I’m sorry.”
They stayed like that for a while, just standing there holding each other. Eventually, Stiles pulled back and Derek let him go.
“You just left,” Stiles was so relieved Derek was back but he was still hurt. “You never visited or called, I didn’t even know if you were alive.” Derek didn’t say anything.
Stiles took a breath, he understood why Derek left, sure he was pissed but he decided not to push it, at least not right now. Sarcasm felt like a better strategy at the moment.
“I expect so much groveling, like record-setting levels of groveling.”
Derek chuckled. God, Stiles missed that laugh.
“Really?” Derek asked with a smirk.
“You think I’m not serious?” The air was a lot less serious now so Stiles kept going. “You think you can disappear for years, Derek, years and just show back up no consequences? No siree, don’t expect to be forgiven so easily.”
“Oh really?”
“Yup.” Stiles was smiling now, he stared at Derek until he answered.
“I’m not sure,” Derek teased, stepping back into Stiles’ space. “I mean the others see me being nice to you all of a sudden their asking for things, can’t have that.”
“Worried about your reputation, tough guy?”
“Something like that.”
“So you're saying you won’t beg for my forgiveness?” Even though Stiles knew he would.
“I’m saying,” Derek started, getting impossibly closer so they were chest to chest again. “It’d be a lot easier to grovel if I was already your boyfriend.” Now it was Stiles’ turn to laugh.
“Oh, you think your slick don’t you?” Stiles wound his arms around Derek’s neck and stared up at him.
“Maybe, but I have a feeling it’s working.”
“Might be.” Stiles shivered as Derek brought his hand up to cup his cheek, sweeping his thumb back and forth. “Suppose you’re right.”
“Hm?” Derek didn’t seem all that focused on what he was saying, but Stiles knew he was paying attention.
“Probably be easier to make you cater to my every whim if we’re dating.”
“Probably,” Derek whispered as he leaned in to kiss him.
Stiles got lost in it, it felt grounding, like he could keep Derek here in this moment and never let him leave again. He started picturing lazy mornings waking up together and making pancakes, movie nights and falling asleep on the couch and he wanted all of it, every second.
Make no mistake, there would be groveling. And Derek would most definitely be explaining where he disappeared to and why he never called, but there would be time for that. They had all the time in the world now that Derek was back.