Chapter Text
Allison is used to being underestimated. She's female and pretty and nice so for some people that automatically translates into them dismissing her. They let their guard down around her. They expect less, patronize more and are always somehow surprised when she doesn't need them to clap the syllables as they explain all the big words and are downright shocked when she proves herself more than capable of simultaneously handling her business and handing them their asses.
So yes, Allison is used to being underestimated.
She's just not used to it from Scott.
She knows that in the past Scott has kept things from her in clumsy, misguided attempts to protect her and keep her safe but they had both agreed those days were a thing of the past. After all the secrets and lies, half-truths and manipulations that she'd been subjected to, Allison would accept nothing less from her remaining relationships than total honesty. There are no secrets kept "for her own good" and there are no truths left untold "to spare her feelings". She is not a china doll and when push comes to shove she might bend but she will not break and she thought that Scott understood that.
She knows that Scott only ever has good intentions but she had so hoped they were past this. She knows that she's not the most objective person when it comes to Derek but still, Scott should have known that he could come to her and vent. He should have known that Allison was more than happy to grant him a listening ear and be his shoulder to lean on, that she was a place where he could give all his secrets away and unburden himself-even if those secrets and that burden involved Derek Hale.
After all, it's not as if she can't see what's going on. Of course she can see it; they can all see it. She knows that Scott and Derek have never been close but ever since Derek and Stiles became a couple the tension between the two werewolves had become unbearable. Wherever Derek was concerned Scott made it his mission to be as contrary and difficult as possible. Scott is passive aggressive and combative. He's openly hostile and treats Derek as if he finds his very existence offensive.
Allison understands. It's not as if it takes Lydia levels of genius to figure it out. Scott and Derek have never been friends; never trusted one another and so for Scott to see Derek with Stiles, someone who Scott holds close to his heart, someone who is precious to him must burn. She knows that for Scott to see Stiles with Derek, to know that someone he looks at as family, as pack is being marked and scented and claimed by another wolf must be especially difficult now that Scott is an Alpha too.
Allison had tried to talk to Scott about it earlier in the day. She'd known that tonight's meeting would be hard on her boyfriend. Normally Peter's presence alone would be enough to put Scott on edge but in addition to his former Alpha (who managed to not only rise from the grave but also rise to the rank of Alpha again- thanks for that Aiden) Scott would be sitting across from Derek. Scott's declaration that Derek wasn't his Alpha had shaken something loose in the other werewolf and Derek had, from all indications, completely abandoned the ideas pack and brotherhood when it came to Scott. Allison had thought that getting what he said he wanted would make Scott happy; instead he'd only grown more bitter and caustic where Derek was concerned. Scott's becoming an Alpha in his own right (thank you for your lovely parting gift Ethan) had done nothing to ease the tension and building his own pack had put them in direct competition more times than was strictly comfortable. Allison knew that even though tonight's meeting was necessary it would be far from comfortable. They would both be flanked by their packs and Stiles being at Derek's side instead of his would eat at Scott.
Allison knows that Scott hates that Derek and Stiles are together. It's understandable-Stiles is his best friend, Scott only wants good things for him and in Scott's mind Derek is as far from a good thing as one could get. Allison knows that it can't be easy for Scott to have to sit back and watch as Stiles gets closer to Derek, becomes more firmly entrenched in Derek's pack, in Derek's life and Scott can't do or say anything about it. Scott's head had practically exploded when he'd found out that Derek and Stiles had bonded. Allison isn't obtuse; she knows that it hurts Scott to see Stiles making what Scott feels are huge mistakes. She just doesn't understand why he doesn't feel like he can talk to her about it.
That isn't entirely fair or true though. Allison understands why Scott is hesitant to bring up anything Derek related. Hale's and Argent's are Beacon Hills very own very own supernatural version of the Hatfield's and the McCoy's. She knows that when it comes to Derek she's more than a little biased, that between her aunt Kate, her grandfather, and her own actions Derek has more than enough reason to curse her family's very existence. She also knows that she can't look at him without seeing the ghost of her mother or be in Peter's presence without smelling the coppery scent of Kate's blood. Derek and his pack will always be a difficult subject for Allison. The Hale pack will always bring up feelings of pain and loss, horror and regret, anger and remorse but Allison is strong enough to face it. She knows that she went off the rails. She knows that Scott saw her at her lowest point, when she allowed her grief and her pain to turn her into someone she didn't recognize or want to be. Allison knows that Scott is aware that she still feels the echoes of guilt, that it still hurts when Isaac won't be alone with her, Boyd completely shuns her or Erica looks at her as if she doesn't deserve to draw breath. She knows that Scott remembers the months it took for her to build herself back up, bit by bit, piece by piece and she knows he doesn't want to do or say anything to remind her of those dark days but Allison also knows that she doesn't need to be handled. She's stronger, she's better and she can be a source of support for Scott if he'd let her.
She's tried to let Scott know that he could talk to her, that he didn't have to worry that it would reopen old wounds or be too painful for her to discuss Derek with him. She has tried to let him know that she's laid her past with the Hale pack to rest and that she is ready, willing and able to support him in any way she can and that he can lean on her. In the middle of her speech Erica and Isaac had walked by, Isaac giving her a look of genuine sympathy while Erica had grinned maliciously before continuing on. Allison had ignored them and continued on, trying to get Scott to see that he didn't have to bear his burdens alone.
Scott hadn't taken her up on her offer. He'd simply kissed her once, short and sweet, before telling her they had to pick up Emily and Dante for the meeting and he didn't want to be late.
Allison knew that Scott wasn't entirely comfortable with her attending tonight's meeting but he knew better than to ask her to stay away. Beacon Hills was, by rights, Hale territory. Even though he would have been within his rights to do so Derek hadn't tried to banish Scott or force his pack out but after finding out that Scott had given the bite to Dante, Derek had demanded a meeting to negotiate a formal truce.
Allison knew that Derek was being more accommodating than he had to be. Technically turning Betas in another Alpha's territory without that Alpha's consent could be considered a declaration of war and Scott had done it twice. Derek could have killed Scott and both the Code and the Council Laws would have backed him up. Allison suspected that Stiles had intervened on Scott's behalf. The amount of influence that Stiles had over Derek-and to some extent Peter-was shocking. More than once she'd seen Derek's Betas defer to Stiles. More than once she'd seen Derek defer to Stiles. She knew that Scott worried about the power imbalance between the two of them but Allison had her suspicions that if such a thing existed it was tilted in favor of Stiles.
"We should totally be doing this on neutral ground," Dante mumbled as the quartet got out of her car. "We shouldn't have to come here. We should have demanded-"
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to stop you right there," Stiles's voice cut in from behind them. "First off, Beacon Hills is Hale territory. There's no such thing as neutral ground here; everything you see, every place you walk, even the air you breathe belongs to Derek. Every single solitary square inch of Beacon Hills belongs to the Hale pack. Secondly, you aren't in a position to demand squat though it might be super entertaining to see you try. Peter hasn't disemboweled anybody in like, two, three weeks and he's getting twitchy. Thirdly, you're about to be in the presence of the Alpha whose territory you're squatting in-if you're at all attached to the whole living, breathing, being alive thing you got going on here, I'd show him the proper respect."
"Stiles he didn't mean anything by it," Scott says, stepping in so that Dante can't stick his foot any further into his mouth. "Cut him some slack, huh? For me?"
The grin that splits Stiles's face makes Scott smile back. "Dude, I'll cut him all the slack you ask me too. I'm just trying to keep the peace," Stiles says with a shrug. "Blood is a bitch to get out of the hardwood and I'm determined for our first meeting of the Beacon Hills Werewolf Association to go well. I even got a deli tray and everything."
"You got a deli tray?" Scott asks skeptically.
"Four types of cheeses, turkey, ham and roast beef," Stiles confirms proudly. "You guys go on in; I gotta get my bag and stuff out of the jeep."
Allison notices that Scott's smile falters a bit at the announcement so she reaches out and squeezes his hand. He squeezes back and they make their way up the walk and inside the house, with Dante and Emily hot on their heels.
Stepping into the Hale House is a bit jarring for Allison. She knew that Derek had renovated but she hadn't been inside. With Scott and Derek on the outs and Derek's pack keeping her at a not so polite distance she'd hadn't had the opportunity to see inside and it's not as if Derek were going to be inviting her over for afternoon tea.
The floors were a dark, gleaming hardwood broken up by several plush area rugs. The floor to ceiling windows were flanked by mocha colored curtains that perfectly matched the soft, warm, chenille couches and dark paisley recliners. A fireplace was noticeably absent but in its place was a built-in bookcase and entertainment center in a deep rich mahogany color. Several photographs of Derek and his pack were mixed in with family photos and displayed prominently along the walls and two graphically striped ottomans and several throw pillows in dark greens and warms oranges added pops of color and texture to the space.
"Stiles did it," Scott whispers proudly and Allison raises her eyebrows in surprise. "His mom was an interior designer," Scott explains. "His bedroom is kind of a disaster by design but he's really, really good at helping other people create their spaces. He's the one that helped my mom redo our kitchen."
"He's definitely got talent," Allison agrees, glancing at Scott, studying him and trying to figure out what's going on inside his head.
Scott was practically bursting with pride, his smile soft and sweet and tinged with something else that she can't quite place. She doesn't get much of a chance to analyze it because just then Stiles bursts through the door, slightly out of breath, cell phone up to his ear and rolling his eyes to the heavens as he assures his father that Derek will make sure he gets to school on time the next morning, insisting that dinner is in the fridge and that he will know if the elder Stilinski even so much as side eyes the take out menus he has hidden in the back of the pantry. Stiles is setting his overnight bag down in the entryway, mouth going a mile a minute, reminding his father that he has eyes at all the local take out places while simultaneously ordering Isaac to get something from the vegetable tray before he gets scurvy, pulling exaggerated faces at Scott and making come hither motions at Derek.
Allison rolls her eyes in fondness and when she looks at Scott instead of a similar expression she sees him looking at Stiles with nothing less than naked adoration.
She hears a slight giggle and when she looks towards the sound her eyes meet Erica's and the blonde smirks at her before leaning forward, popping a cherry tomato in her mouth and deliberately turning her back on Allison. Allison pushes Erica to the back of her mind and turns back to Scott but the expression is gone, replaced by something else entirely because Derek has pulled Stiles into his arms, taken the phone from him, said hello and goodbye to Sheriff Stilinski and is now brushing a gentle kiss on his lips.
Scott's entire demeanor changes at the display. His mouth draws itself into a tight, unhappy line and Allison could swear she saw the faintest flash of red. His change is so swift and so sudden that even Emily and Dante pick up on it and Allison can feel tension suddenly pouring off the two Betas. Scott growls out a greeting to Derek and follows the older Alpha and Stiles into the living room, throwing himself on the couch next to Stiles with more violence than good manners would dictate.
During the entire meeting Allison makes it her business to pay attention to Scott's reactions, or more to the point, Allison makes it her business to pay attention to the way Scott reacts to Stiles and Derek. She notices that Scott takes advantage of every opportunity to undercut or undermine Derek and skirts the line between being blatantly disrespectful and merely petulant. She also notices that his behavior towards Stiles is the complete opposite. When Derek suggests the two packs have monthly training sessions together Scott's mouth puckers as if the very idea tastes sour in his mouth and his response threatens to derail the entire meeting. Stiles steps in then, calms Derek, gives Scott a bit of a dressing down and then somehow changes on a dime and manages to smooth the younger Alpha's ruffled feathers. Things are tense again when Dante, Peter and Erica get involved, Erica using the occasion to take a cheap shot at Allison, which forces Stiles to step in again.
After Stiles's intervention Scott is suddenly on board, suggesting that Stiles sleep over that weekend so they can go over the details and make up a schedule. Stiles agrees and for some reason that sets the pair of them off like Roman candles and they are laughing and falling all over each other as if they'd both had one too many. Allison raises her eyebrows and Derek clenches his jaw tightly but no one says anything and after a few moments the duo compose themselves and the meeting continues.
As the details are ironed out Allison lets her mind wander back over how Scott acted. The disparity between the way Scott treats Stiles and the way he treats Derek isn't entirely unexpected and Allison would be more than willing to chalk it up to the fact that Scott just flat-out dislikes Derek except…
It feels like there's more to it.
And the knowing looks Erica keeps sending her way help convince her of that.
So Allison stays quiet, continues to watch and she sees even more. Allison knows that werewolves are tactile; especially with those they consider pack and family. She's gotten used to being nuzzled and cuddled and scented, not just by Scott but by Dante and Emily as well. Sometimes they've felt the need to scent her in public so she knows what it looks like when Scott is trying to being to be subtle about it.
And right now Scott is trying to be subtle about it while scent marking Stiles.
Whenever Derek casually touches Stiles-a hand on his knee or nosing along the skin under his ear, Scott finds a reason to lay his hands on Stiles. Scott bumps their shoulders together when he tells a joke or "accidentally" brushes against Stiles as he reaches for a snack. Allison can tell by the amused look on Peter's face, the smug one on Erica's, and the thunderous expression on Derek's that she's not the only one who has noticed.
When the meeting is over and the finer details ironed out, Scott volunteers to help Stiles put everything away and its then that the touching picks up in intensity: Scott's touch lingers just a little too long on his friend's shoulder or a guiding hand low on the small of Stiles's back as they walk into the kitchen. Allison follows, standing in the entrance and takes note of the way Scott leans into Stiles's personal space, breathing deeply before whispering something into Stiles's ear that makes him laugh. Scott's behavior isn't exactly inappropriate-he doesn't touch Stiles anywhere he shouldn't and there's nothing seductive or sexual about the contact but there is something there, something that carries too much weight for it to be merely casual, something that looks like Scott wants it to be more. Scott's behavior isn't exactly crossing any boundaries but it's not entirely innocent either.
It isn't until Scott mentions to Stiles that he got back his SAT scores and received a respectable 1950 that Allison gets the last pieces of the puzzle. Stiles whoops loudly, immediately pulls Scott into an embrace, talking about plans to have marathon study sessions with Danny and Lydia so they can help Scott get his score even higher before retesting, telling Scott how proud he is of him, how proud his mom is going to be. Stiles goes on about how he's going to make a cake and how there will be an obscene amount of sprinkles on that cake and how Scott will eat it all because he deserves it.
Stiles's reaction is so joyous and obvious and loud that Allison almost forgets to pay attention to Scott. When Scott had told her his score he had been a little sheepish. When she had told him she was proud of him he had kissed her, hot and sweet and thanked her for believing in him. But he hadn't looked at her the way he was looking at Stiles, as if her reaction was the only thing that mattered. He hadn't enveloped her in his arms, closed his eyes and smiled as if there were nowhere else he'd rather be. It was as if Scott's entire world view had narrowed and sharpened until all that existed was Stiles and he was overflowing with nothing but affection and adoration for other boy.
The pieces slide into the place then, like the tumblers of a lock and Allison understands. Scott doesn't treat Derek like an enemy; he treats him like a rival. Scott responds to Derek as if he's trying to take away something-no someone-that Scott loves, someone who Scott feels belongs to him. Scott treats Stiles as if he is precious and priceless and something that Scott can't lose or be without.
The way Scott treats Stiles is the way he used to treat her. The way Scott seeks out Stiles's attention and affection is the way he used to seek hers. The way Scott looks at Stiles is the way he used to look at her.
If Allison is honest, that's a look she hasn't seen in Scott's eyes in far longer than she cares to admit. Allison looks at Scott, his arms just a little too tightly wrapped around Stiles for it to be a friendly embrace and the expression on his face so full of love, longing and hunger that she has to actually look away and then walk away because she feels like she's somehow the interloper. Scott is her boyfriend and yet it feels as if she's intruding on a moment of intimacy and affection that she has no right to witness.
Allison walks back into the living room and stands by the bookcase. She's idly tracing her fingers along the titles and trying not to cry when Derek suddenly steps up next to her.
"I asked the others to leave us alone. Peter is taking Dante and Emily home; I thought you'd like to have some time alone with Scott so you two can…talk. You may not believe me but I'm sorry that you're hurting," he says quietly. He's so sincere and it's so outside the realm of anything that she considers to be Derek-like behavior that Allison cracks a bit.
"I don't know I missed it. I don't how I didn't see it before but I see it now. How long have you known and how can you just pretend that it's not there?" Allison asks, partly out of genuine curiosity and partly because she's human and she's hurting and misery loves company.
Derek studies her for a moment before exhaling. "Allison," he says softly, gently as if he's trying not to spook her, "I'm in love with Stiles." He says it so simply, as if it matters, as if his loving Stiles or her loving Scott changes anything that Allison can't stop herself from unloading on him.
"You're not the only one," she says bluntly. "Did you not see Scott? The way he kept looking at Stiles? The way Scott kept touching him, trying to scent him? God, Derek the way he treats you. I don't understand why you're putting up with it if you know. I know that you've lost a lot and it probably sucks right now to think of losing even more but you have to realize that you can't hang onto Stiles. Trying to keep things going is only going to make it hurt worse in the end."
Derek exhales harshly and shakes his head. "Allison," he says, his voice firm but kind, as if he knows he's about to be the bearer of bad news, "I'm not letting go of Stiles because he doesn't want me to. Scott's feelings don't dictate my relationship. I'm with Stiles, not Scott. I'm in love with Stiles and Stiles is in love with me."
Allison opens her mouth, preparing to argue the point and then snaps it shut so hard her teeth clack together. She's shaken and hurting and almost angry at the realization that Derek is right. Scott is in love with Stiles but Stiles is in love with Derek.
Allison goes over the evening again in her head, focusing this time on Stiles's behavior. Whenever Scott was disrespectful or dismissive of Derek, Stiles rose to Derek's defense and chastised Scott. Whenever Scott attempted to exclude Derek from the conversation, Stiles immediately found a way to include him. Whenever Scott attempted to scent Stiles, Stiles would lay his own hands on Derek. Whenever Scott looked at Stiles as if he'd hung the moon, Stiles missed it because he was too busy training his own starry-eyed gaze on Derek.
The truth slams into Allison hard and fast with the all the subtly of a brick to the face. Scott looks at Stiles with hearts in his eyes. Scott tries to mark Stiles as his. Scott is openly hostile with Derek yet Stiles has never treated her with anything less than friendship. Scott wants Stiles. Scott is in love with Stiles…but Stiles is not in love with Scott.
Stiles is in love, soul deep and bone sure, the forever and always kind of love but it's not with Scott. Stiles is in that kind of love with Derek and has the status of bondmate to prove it.
Derek stays with Stiles not because he can't bear the pain of losing someone else he loves, but because he's in no danger of losing anything. Derek isn't the person that Stiles is settling for or the person he used to love until he didn't anymore. Derek's relationship is real and solid and whole, it isn't an illusion, the center hasn't hollowed out and it hasn't fragmented when he wasn't looking. Derek hasn't lost the person he loves because Stiles isn't the one who fell in love with someone else.
Scott is.
Scott is the one who fell in love with someone else when he supposed to be in love with her. Allison is the one whose entire relationship just turned to dust in the amount of time it took to clear a deli tray. Derek isn't trying to hold on to someone who doesn't want to be held and he isn't in denial. He knows exactly what's going on, he knows exactly where he stands and he knows that he has nothing to fear because the person that Stiles is holding in his heart isn't Scott. It's Derek.
Derek senses that Allison truly understands-or at least understands as much as she can in the moment and briefly squeezes her shoulder. "It may not help but I don't think Scott intended to hurt you. I don't think he fully understands himself what he's feeling and where you fit into it. I'm not going to tell you what to do but if I were you I'd talk to him. What he's feeling for Stiles doesn't necessarily mean he's not feeling anything for you."
Allison can't help it and one lone tear slips down her face before she wipes it away and gives Derek a thin smile of thanks. She knows that Derek is being kind and given their history he has no reason to be but she can't bring herself to be grateful for it. She can't help but feel that it's unfair that after everything they've been through and how hard it was for them to fight their way back to one another she's lost Scott but Derek gets to keep Stiles.
Allison nods at Derek, unable to form words that won't make her look bitter and heartbroken-or worse yet-jealous.
They both turn as Scott and Stiles walk back into the room, Scott laughing and Stiles smiling big and bright and yes, Allison can admit it, beautifully at Scott with brotherly affection. Stiles's eyebrows immediately draw together when he notices the room is empty outside of Derek and Allison and Scott casts a concerned gaze in her direction.
"So um, where'd everybody go?" Stiles asks, pressing himself into Derek's side so tightly that there's no space between them. Derek automatically tilts and adjusts his stance to accommodate the slide of Stiles's body as if he'd done it so many times that the movements were now muscle memory. The two start kissing and Allison stands there and watches Scott watching them and realizes that beneath Scott's jealousy there's a real sadness there. She realizes that she's not the only one watching the person she loves be in love with someone else. Scott is too. She isn't the only person whose heart is taking a beating and even though she's slightly ashamed to admit it, it does help a little to know that she isn't the only one in pain.
But Allison does love Scott and so she can't really take any pleasure in the fact that he's hurting. When the light goes out of Scott's eyes, his face falls just a fraction and his shoulders slump forward just a bit at the sight of Derek and Stiles being DerekandStiles she can't help but reach out and pull Scott to her, wrap him in her arms and try to take his hurt away.
Scott hugs her back-tightly-and even though Allison knows why and she knows he's wishing he were holding someone else, she buries her head in his chest and hangs on because they both need the comfort and regardless of whether or not they have a future, they do have a past and out of respect for who they were, she wants to hold on for just a little while longer. After what feels like hours but really could only have been a few moments, they let go and say their goodbyes.
They don't speak as they make their way down the drive way towards the car. As they slip into Allison's car and she slides the key into the ignition, squares her shoulders, takes a deep breath, and tells him that they need to talk.