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The bass was pumping through the house, loud and obnoxious, screams piercing through the soundtrack every so often. The late October chill was in the air, but it didn’t stop people laying out half dressed by the pool, girls in practically nothing trying to entice guys into looking at them and pay attention to them. And maybe, if it was another time or another place, Stiles would have been all over that, would have been so into paying attention to some pretty girl who actually wanted to talk to him now that he was friends with Lydia Martin and Jackson Whittemore, now that he was pretty much guaranteed first line for next season. It would have been great, had he not, you know, been drinking by himself upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms, watching Scott and Isaac actually successfully flirt with girls. Werewolves were annoying as shit, especially ones that were best friend stealers, all just because they were orphaned and lived with Scott now. Their inside jokes were stupid, especially when Stiles wasn’t in on them because he didn’t spend every waking moment with the two of them, because he had a life, and Lydia was sort of a needy friend now that she knew she had someone who could almost keep up with her intelligence wise.
Stiles was pretty content to spend the night alone left to his own devices, or at least until Lydia found him sulking and dragged him out to introduce around to people to get him to stop being so mopey about things. She liked to lecture him a lot about potential and meeting other people with it, but it never actually made him feel better. She was a little bit shit at that, but he sort of always figured she would be anyway. But spending Halloween night alone, yeah maybe it was better. They were all together in case something happened, because Derek had warned everyone that Halloween tended to bring out more crazies than a full moon, and on top of everything they still hadn’t dealt with the Alpha pack yet. Stiles figured it was just something they over hyped, because Halloween was meant to be creepy, but it was always the nights that were never supposed to be anything that turned out the worst.
At least, he was confident in that before the fireworks. It sounded like fireworks anyway, a booming sound that jarred him out of his slightly drunken stupor, leaving the bottle behind as he clamored to his feet and headed to the door. His legs were like jelly underneath him, banging into the railing as he headed downstairs, getting swept up in the throng of people heading outside to look at the night sky. It’s coming from near the woods, Stiles thinks, not near the ruins of Derek’s house, but somewhere deeper, and his first thought is that’s not safe, what if they start a fire. But the air is crisp and clean and doesn’t smell like anything is exploding anywhere, just sparks in the air, and maybe he’s paranoid after spending nearly eleven months around werewolves and other supernatural creatures, but there’s worry eating at his insides. He pulls down his werewolf mask, pulls up the hood on his red hoodie, and he heads back inside. He likes the way he can feel Isaac’s annoyance at the mask when he sees him, smirks behind it a little as he goes to find Lydia, because he knows she’s somewhere.
Lydia makes a beautiful zombie prom queen. And it’s kind of ironic and they both laughed at it when Stiles suggested it, but covered in blood and makeup and a tattered prom dress reminiscent to the one from the spring formal, a fierce smile in her eyes as if she’s saying with it “I’m a survivor and I still look better than you”. Her tiara is tilted to the side and her hair is a beautiful mess and Stiles still sometimes has trouble remembering she’s one of his best friends now and that he can’t be stupidly in love with her anymore, but even in her fucked up Halloween costume, she still takes his breath away. He lifts his mask again and smiles at her and her smile back is so bright he hates Jackson for being the one she loves, wonders what he could ever do to make her love him like that too. (Stiles knows there’s nothing though, that it’s futile and he makes sure she’s aware that being friends with her isn’t him trying to get an in with her, they just make a good team. She spent the summer smacking sense into him, and he can handle being her friend, because after the year she had, that was what she really needed.)
“I think something weird is happening.” He sidles up next to her, and they both look up when the next round of fireworks lights up the sky. “Feels like something’s gonna happen.” He just wants her to confirm his fears, to feel like he’s on the same page as someone else, but Lydia just shrugs.
“You worry too much. It’s Halloween, can we try and enjoy it?” Stiles shrugs back and she holds out her cup for a refill and all he can do is roll his eyes before he goes to get her another drink.
--
He’s somewhere between the kitchen and the living room when he wakes up. The music is still loud and everything is still dark, but there’s something different, something he can’t put his fingers on. His mask is off his head, must have been knocked off when he got elbowed in the head, he thinks, because that’s really the only excuse he can think of missing a few minutes in his memory. The swimming in his head is probably a concussion, but he’s had a few of them before and he’s not too worried. He’s sixteen; he can afford a little head trauma here and there. He just assumes the hyper senses have to do with that, he can always hear a little better after he hits his head, just his brain being shaken up a little bit. He gets Lydia her drink and heads back to where she was, rolls his eyes at the fact that she’s got her face in Jackson’s neck. He’s spent enough time with the two of them; he’s used to this, just sets down the cup next to her on the deck chair.
“Lydia.” He’d kick her leg to get her attention if he didn’t think she would retaliate in worse ways, but saying her name is enough to get her attention. And it’s - her mouth is dripping with blood, fresh blood, and there’s a chunk of Jackson’s shoulder in her teeth.
“Stiles!” It’s Jackson though, grabbing at Stiles’ arm and looking absolutely horrified and pale white and he’s not healing and Lydia appears to be a zombie and he’s seen this episode of Buffy. Jackson went as a pirate, because of course he did, but it’s no match for a zombie. And Lydia... she’s out for blood, but there’s no way Stiles is going to hurt her. Backing up, he bumps into someone else, a girl in a sexy bee costume, but when he looks at her face and holy shit she has the head of a bee. He’s turning and running because this is a house of horrors he needs to get away from, he needs to find Derek and tell him that Halloween has gone horribly horribly wrong.
He’s in the woods running on all fours before he realizes he might have just been turned into a werewolf by this. It might not be the worst Halloween costume choice he ever made.
--
Derek’s in the warehouse with Peter, hunched over a book while Peter’s on the laptop, and Stiles sort of hates that he has to do this with Peter around. With Derek it’s hard enough, but with Peter around... he just makes Stiles super uneasy, and the fact that Derek still hasn’t killed him again yet is weird. He gets he’s the last remaining family Derek has but... the creep factor is astounding.
“So, there were fireworks, or we thought they were fireworks but I don’t think they were really fireworks now and everyone at Lydia’s party turned into their costumes and Lydia was eating Jackson because she’s a zombie and there was a girl with a bee head and I didn’t stop to find Scott and Isaac because I didn’t want to get eaten by Lydia and also I think I’m a werewolf.” Stiles takes a deep breath after spitting all of that out as fast as he can, because he is totally aware of how crazy that sounds. Peter looks like he’s about to laugh, but Derek’s not, Derek’s looking at him seriously, like always. Peter stops laughing once he actually looks at Stiles and he can hear that quiet “oh”, but he’s still smirking and Stiles lets out an honest to god growl that puts an end to that immediately.
“Stiles, you need to calm down.” Derek’s quiet, walking towards him in slow deliberate motions, like he’s trying not to startle him more. It’s just serving to make him more agitated, a sense of fear and anger and oh god, he thinks, it’s his wolf. He’s not part of Derek’s pack and here’s an alpha headed towards him and all Stiles’ wolf wants to do is defend himself and attack.
“I don’t think I have a lot of control on this.” And he means it as a warning, but Derek knows it too, keeps himself calm, like he’s trying to calm Stiles down too. It doesn’t really help, and the change... Scott never said anything about it hurting, but it hurts so fucking bad, right through his bones and he’s down on all fours, snarling at Derek, growling and snapping his teeth at him. Derek looks down on him horrified and Peter’s in the background sounding almost gleeful.
“He’s an alpha?” Peter’s words are enough of a distraction for Stiles so he can turn his attention on himself and holy shit he is in full wolf form, shaggy tan fur and paws and a tail and he can’t help but chase it for a few seconds before Peter’s laughter hits him again and he’s back to growling and snarling and wanting to rip them both apart. Derek drops to his knees in front of him, so they’re on the same level almost, and Stiles moves closer to him, pressing his muzzle to Derek’s chest, then up to his neck. Derek tilts his head and it satisfies the wolf in him enough for him to lick a stripe up his neck. He doesn’t freak out when a pair of strong arms wrap around him, instead he kind of calms down and nuzzles in closer, enjoys the feeling of Derek’s hands in his fur.
Peter’s laughter echoes through the warehouse, but the resulting growl from both Derek and Stiles drowns it out quickly.
--
Stiles is wearing Derek’s clothes because his are ripped to shreds thanks to the change, and they’re really not that much bigger. The jeans are looser in the hips and thighs and the henley doesn’t do for his shoulders what it does for Derek’s, but it’s kind of enjoyable being the same size as the big bad alpha, even more kind of that Stiles is kind of one now himself.
“So, what you’re telling me is that you weren’t bit? Are you sure? Because they could have taken away that memory from you, bit you and made it so you didn’t know how it happened.” Derek’s being logical and it’s annoying. Stiles hates having to repeat himself a million times, and having a wolf version of himself just under the skin is making everything so much worse.
“No, Derek, I swear, we were all at the Halloween party and there were fireworks and I blacked out and when I woke up Lydia was eating Jackson’s neck. And I’m a werewolf and once Peter gets back and Scott and Isaac, they’ll tell you too, I wasn’t bit by anybody.”
“Stiles is a werewolf?” Scott spoke up behind him and Stiles grinned, jumped over the back of the couch and landed on his feet without even faltering.
“Alpha dude, I’m an alpha.” He beamed, but Scott only frowned at him. It was irritating and he was beginning to get really pissed off with everything again. Isaac was talking quietly to Derek outside, probably to give Scott and Stiles some privacy. “Well, what did you turn into?” He’s really trying not to be bitter, but things with Scott have been so strained and maybe it would have been kind of cool to both be werewolves, even just until they got whatever this was reversed.
“Uh, we went as vampires.” Scott bears his new fangs and shrugs sheepishly. “Isaac said girls like vampires, so...” Stiles rolls his eyes and he’s kind of enjoying the little gasp Scott lets out when he sees that Stiles’ eyes are bright red. “You really turned into an alpha?” Stiles shrugs back, because he can, because the wolf is pushing at his skin and he feels proud and powerful.
“Ask Derek, he saw.” Their friendship probably isn’t going to survive the night, Stiles thinks.
--
The woods are dark and normally Stiles would be stumbling around. Instead, he’s in his alpha form, prowling around after Derek. Peter’s back at the warehouse with Scott and Isaac, since they’re all vampires and Stiles is still a new werewolf and alpha or not, he can’t really control himself. Being around Scott and Isaac and Peter make him uneasy and that means he wants to shift and destroy things, but strangely being around Derek is calming. He can follow after him and not feel like he’s going to lose his mind, and well; being in the woods in this form is actually kind of fun. Stiles is aware of things he would never think to be before, can hear deer from a few hundred yards away, can smell all the prey that’s in the woods. He finds himself distracted a few times before Derek’s by his side, this big black shaggy wolf that he’d never seen before tonight, because he knows Derek hates his alpha form, hates his bushy tail and that he’s never had anyone to run with. He nips at Stiles’ side and Stiles pays attention again, follows after Derek following after the scent of where all this started from.
They reach a clearing and there’s evidence of a fight. The alpha twins are sitting there, looking bored and bloody and naked and before Stiles knows it, Derek is human again and naked too, and maybe that’s another reason why he doesn’t like the alpha form in front of a bunch of minors. Stiles nuzzles into his bare leg before he’s thinking about it, but when Derek pushes his head away, he just nuzzles into that too.
“What happened here?” Derek’s voice is calm, because he can’t yell at the alphas when all he has for backup is Stiles. Stiles knows this, and just continues to push at Derek’s hand, because it smells amazing, and he can’t find interest in anything that’s going on. The alphas aren’t posing as a threat and the second they threaten Derek, he’ll tear out their throats. With his teeth.
“Who’s that?” One of the twins asks, Ethan or Aiden, Stiles doesn’t know, doesn’t really care.
“He was turned by the spell; he’s not an actual alpha.” Derek scratches behind Stiles ears as he talks and Stiles stills, because it’s too good to stop. His tail is actually wagging; this is maybe the most content he’s been in almost a year.
“Stilinski.” The other twin says to his brother and they both sigh, looking at Stiles at Derek’s side.
“We found the witches.” The first twin speaks up, since clearly Derek isn’t a threat with Stiles at his side.
“And solved the problem.” The other gestures around the ruined site, scorch marks in the earth from spell work. “Without murder.” He smirks, and Stiles snarls at him, because he’s being a dick to Derek and that’s not right.
“Everyone should be back to normal when the sun rises.” The first speaks again, nodding at Stiles this time. “So, I’d enjoy your pet while you can.” They both laugh and Derek tenses and Stiles wants to strike, but Derek grips the skin behind his neck and keeps him in place. Stiles whines but Derek’s dragging him away from the site before he shifts into his alpha form again, prodding at Stiles to move back through the woods once more.
--
They run for what feels like hours, through the trees and down into the valley. Stiles chases deer through the trees and even if his wolf wants more than anything to bite and kill, his human side refuses and it’s just a chase, letting them get away when he gets bored. Derek stays close to him and mostly watches, like this is something he’s never seen before. And maybe he hasn’t, because maybe there’s never been a wolf like Stiles, or maybe it’s just been a long time since things were okay enough to run in the woods for a night.
They stop around five, when the sky is still dark but the moon is waning. Derek leads Stiles towards the ruins of his family home, leads him into the house through the tunnels. Stiles follows him up the stairs and to a room that might have been his once, watches as Derek curls up on a mattress on the floor that looks like it’s been through it’s fair share in the house. He makes a face and cocks his head, but Derek shoots him a look before circling around on the mattress. He finally lies down and drops his head onto his paws and Stiles shrugs, moves onto the mattress next to him and nuzzles into his side. They lay like that, quiet and still, not sleeping, but just... resting.
Stiles shifts back first, because he’s losing control even though he knows his eyes are still burning red. He keeps his hands in Derek’s fur and just runs his hands all over him while he can, doesn’t care that he’s naked. He’s never liked Derek much before this, it’s always been doing things out of necessity or just being a decent person and keeping him alive, but in this moment, he likes Derek, he could grow to like him a lot more. They could be friends, they could work together... but Stiles is going to be human again once the sun rises, and that’s where this will end. He knows it, sighs as he drops his head onto Derek’s stomach, closes his eyes as he feels the change from thick fur to warm skin. Derek’s hands run over his short hair slowly, rubbing into his scalp and making Stiles let out a soft moan into his skin. He finally opens his eyes and looks at Derek, human Derek in all his glory, with his hands on Stiles and god, he just wants so much. He gaped at him that first day in the woods, but Derek is so much more than that now, Derek is pack now, Derek is family now.
“Should we have like, you know, checked on everybody? Saved the day?” Stiles breaks their silence slowly, because he can’t think about Derek like that, not when they’re both naked and still sort of tangled on this grody mattress in Derek’s burned up house.
“Peter would have howled if there was something wrong. He’s got it under control. Besides, the alpha pack is good at cleaning up messes, it’s what they’re here for.” Derek sounds sad when he says it, because yeah, they came because of the kanima mess and that was kind of Derek’s fault for biting Jackson. Stiles just leaves that one alone.
“Why is Peter still alive anyway? Didn’t he like... kill your sister? And a bunch of other people? And wanted Scott to kill me?” Derek winces and Stiles feels bad, but he’s wondered this forever and Derek’s sort of at a disadvantage here, lying naked with a teenage boy who happens to be the sheriff’s son.
“If your dad killed Scott, would you be able to kill him? It’s not the same but... it’s close.” And Stiles knows he’s sort of trying to justify it, but he gets it in a way. It’s dark and sad, but he’s been there, not as bad as Derek is, but grief cuts deep in a lot of ways.
“He’s all you have left and you want to hold on to it until you have to do something about it.” Stiles says quietly and Derek looks at him sadly, and his eyes speak volumes to his sadness and the weight on his shoulders. Stiles leans in and wraps his arms around his neck tightly, just holds onto Derek and scratches into his skin ever so often.
They stay like that until the sun rises.
--
While Derek’s clothes fit Stiles decently, his shoes don’t. Stiles walks barefoot down Lydia’s street and it looks like there’s been a riot. There’s a mess everywhere, smashed cars and crumpled papers and a faint burning smell and people in costumes waking up as the sun rises behind Stiles. He might be insensitive, but he doesn’t stop until he gets to Lydia’s, finds her and Jackson just waking up by the pool in her yard. He gets them both blankets and explains what had happened the night before, and they both look absolutely horrified. He leaves them alone when Lydia’s apologies to Jackson for eating him turn into their weird power struggle declarations of love, gets his Jeep and goes home.
He hears “you are so grounded” when he steps in the door, his dad looking worried and annoyed and just plain angry, but mostly happy he’s alright if the hug he gets is any indication to go by.
He showers, puts a bandage over the bite on his side, and gets ready for bed. It’s been a long night.