Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stiles came from a prosperous pack of twenty four werewolves. His parents were the alpha pair and as the youngest pupil, the pack spoiled him rotten. He was a happy pup, full of life and love. He thought he had it all.

It was all over when a vicious nomadic pack attacked them to steal their territory.

Stiles lost everything at the age of twelve because of another pack’s hunger for power. They destroyed everything that Stiles held dear. And Stiles survived at the cost of everyone that he loved.

His mother pushed him into the waterfall as the attackers’ alpha, Phanterius, shoved his claws into his mother’s chest. Stiles couldn't hear his own scream, swallowed by the pain in his chest as his heart shattered in pieces. The river current carried him as he wept in grief, for his parents, for his family. For his lost home.

At the age of twelve, Stiles became an omega.

Stiles had spent his life running and hiding. Phanterius knew he was alive and he assigned his betas to dispose of him. Stiles realized Phanterius was afraid one day Stiles would pay him back for killing his family, and honestly, that was the only thing that kept Stiles going. Revenge. If Stiles didn’t have it, he was afraid he might lose the will to live, because he could barely hold on.

Stiles was now eighteen years old. He had spent six years on his own, trying to stay alive. He moved from one place to another, nothing he could call home. He hunted for food, sometimes got a part time job for little pay, and sometimes Stiles stole to pay for a meal. He would sleep anywhere, sometimes in the woods, sometimes in shelters, and sometimes in abandoned buildings.

Stiles didn’t have anybody, because he couldn’t trust anybody. The last werewolf he made friends with, appeared to be Phanterius’ paid omega assigned to kill Stiles in his sleep.

The loneliness was what killed Stiles inside the most. He used to be a cheerful and talkative pup, the silence around him now made his heart felt so cold.

Part of Stiles couldn’t take it anymore. Part of him wanted to just die. Sometimes when he missed his family, he would shift and run deep into the wood at night. He would just run and run until the tears on his face got dry.

He liked it more when it rained. The raindrops covered his face, he could shed more tears and he wouldn’t even notice. The thunders would cover his angst filled screams and sobs. Then his trembling body would just collapse on the forest floor out of exhaustion. He would let the exhaustion drag him to unconsciousness, making him forget about the pain he felt from his heartache, a pain that no werewolf power could heal.

And that was his state when Derek Hale found him.

Derek Hale is the youngest alpha in North America, claiming the title at the age of twenty-three from his own crazy uncle who killed his older sister for the title and bit the most innocent teenager in town.

In a year, he got himself four betas plus the pup his uncle bit and trained them himself. They turned from useless pups into proud and strong werewolves. But Derek’s dark past left him trusting no one, he needed a year of reassurances from his faithful betas before he finally trusted his own pack.

Derek never chose to have a cold heart, but life chose it for him. Having your family burned alive would do that to you, especially when the person that you loved was the one who lit the fire. He killed that person with his own hand, and when he did, he didn’t even drop a single tear. But since then, Derek has never hesitated to kill anybody who crosses his way.

Derek Hales name roars its way into the werewolves world as Beacon Hills’ pack once again raises its claws under its heartless alpha. Every werewolf knows who Derek Hale is.

So to say that Derek is pissed to smell other werewolf in his territory, is an understatement.

Does this stupid wolf want to die? The alpha follows the scent of the werewolf, which is surprisingly easy to follow because the scent is strong, warm, and nice. It’s not that it will save the ignorant werewolf from Derek’s deathly claws and teeth.

It doesn't take long until Derek finally finds the werewolf, who happens to be an unconscious boy laying on his side. The boy’s clothes are soaked completely. His skin is pale, decorated by contrast moles, and his face shows he had been crying. But Derek doesn’t give a shit about that.

How dare he sleep on my forest floor.

Derek roars gloriously at the limp body of the other werewolf, but the boy doesn’t move at all. Derek still hears the heartbeat so he knows this werewolf is still alive.

Derek moves closer to the boy. He then shoves the boy’s shoulder with his leg. Instead of gaining consciousness, the boy’s body just limply falls on his back. His hand makes a thud as it drops to the ground lifelessly.

Derek stares at the boy’s tears-stained face. In a glimpse, Derek sees himself crying for his dead family years ago but he shakes his own thoughts away. The boy reminds him of his deepest scar that he never wants to open again, and it boils the anger inside of him even more. This boy is not even conscious but he already gets on his nerves. He shakes the boy’s body with his leg, but the boy is not waking up.

Derek scowls in irritation.

Great, just fucking great.

Derek is too proud to kill someone in his sleep, he’s not a coward. But Derek would better kill himself than letting an unknown werewolf wander in his territory. The consideration leaves him with the last option, keeping this trespasser as hostage until he wakes up. Then, he would have to leave the territory or suffer a painful death at the hand of one Derek Hale.

Derek has made up his mind. He lifts the scrawny boy onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carries him home.

Chapter Text

Stiles blinks his heavy eyes open to see a ceiling in his sight, not the dark night sky like how he expected. He lifts his tired body up and looks around him, then he’s aware that he’s trapped in a locked cell.

Stiles is instantly freaking out, did Pantherius' wolves catch him while he was blacking out? His eyes widen and he breathes rapidly. He tries to get up, only to finds himself not able to. Then he notices that his legs are chained to the cell floor. Stiles harshly yanks the chain, trying to break free, but it won't budge. Tears pricking in his eyes, no he cannot die now, not before avenging the death of his beloved family.

He tries to shift but his body just won't do it, the chain must be made from special material. Suddenly there's some noise comes from outside the cell. Stiles tenses, he smells another werewolves closing in.

"Dude, c'mon!" Stiles heard someone whispering.

"Scott, I really think this is not a good idea," Another one whispered back.

"I wanna see the guy," The first one, who must be Scott, insisted.

"Derek told us not to go downstairs," The second one hissed.

"You scared?" Scott teased.

The second one scoffs arrogantly. "Pfft! Puh-lease... I can kill this werewolf with my eyes closed."

Then Stiles sees two guys appear on the outside of the bars. One of them has shaggy black hair and a too-happy face, the other one has short-cropped blond hair and his too-pretty face looks at Stiles with disgust.

"Oh, you're awake!" Happy greeted him. This one has to be Scott. "What's your name?"

Bitchy rolls his eyes, "You’re not supposed to be nice to hostages, you Dickhead, did you ever understand a word the Alpha said on training?" He bitched.

Scott looked at his friend with a blank face. Bitchy sighs dramatically, "Here, I'll show you how it's done."

Bitchy looks at Stiles' way, "Alright you piece of shit, tell us who you are and what you're doing in our territory? Hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you, you son of a bitch!" He hits the bars loudly for effect.

From the smell, Stiles knows both of them are werewolves. But he looks back at them and determined to show some guts, he won't answer to these two clowns.

"I don't think your method works," Scott said teasingly to Bitchy, "Let's try mine."

Scott reaches for his jacket's pocket and takes out a bar of Snickers, "Hey, are you hungry?"

Bitchy gasps in offence, "You refused to give me that earlier!"

Scott spats for the first time, "You ate my cereal!"

"That was days ago!"

"You didn't say you were sorry!"

"Yeah well because I didn't, Dickhead!"

Scott snarls angrily, "Do not call me Dickhead!"

Bitchy snarls teasingly, "Dick. Head."

Scott wolfs out and jumps at Bitchy. Bitchy wolfs out as well on impulse and jumps back. Next thing Stiles knows, there are two werewolves brawling on the opposite side of the bars. Seriously, who are these guys? Stiles just can't picture Phanterius' underlings fighting over a candybar. And now the two of them are tangled in a wrestling match on the floor.

The betas whimper and look at their feet. Jackson gulps nervously, while Scott tries his best to look like a confused puppy.

"And I remember clearly that I forbid the two of you to go to the basement," Derek growled.

"Scott asked me to!" Jackson pointed out.

"I did not!" Scott denied.

"You did!"

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Not!"

"SILENCE!"

Jackson and Scott shut their mouth instantly. Derek pinches the bridge of his nose in frustation. Well-trained or not, teenagers will be teenagers. These pups are such pain in the ass.

"Go. Just go. Fix the ceiling. I bought some new tools, they're in the car."

The teenagers practically trip over their feet running upstairs, obviously avoiding their angry alpha.

Derek turns to the stairs and warns the fleeing betas, "And I said fix it! If you two fight again and make the roof collapse instead, I swear to God, I'll hang both you upside down on a tree for a week!"

He then turns his gaze to the cell and walks closer, satisfied to hear the boy's heartbeat picking up as he comes closer to the bars. The boy is afraid? Good. Derek smirks while he looks inside.

"You!" Derek growled. The boy ignores him. Derek roars. "Are you deaf!?"

The boy's heart thumps like crazy, but he looks up at Derek and answers bravely.

"I have a name."

Derek is stunned. How dare he! Derek's eyes burn red as he glares sharply at the boy’s big brown eyes. But strangely, as their eyes meet, it feels like Derek's soul is sucked into those bambi eyes. Those eyes, Derek saw them before. The eyes of someone in fear but too naive to admit defeat. The eyes of a broken soul but too proud to show weakness. Yes, Derek saw them before, everyday in the mirror for eight long years. Derek hates those eyes. The boy's eyes, Derek hates them.

"You have ten seconds to tell me who you are, before I tear you limb to limb," Derek hissed.

This boy, he’s just looking back at Derek like Derek is no one to be afraid of. Ha! Maybe the boy can fool everyone, but definitely not him. Derek can see it all. Acting all brave yet so terrified inside. Derek mentally laughs at the naive boy inside the cell.

To be honest, the boy is beautiful. In fact, too beautiful for his own good. It makes Derek wondering if he's another alpha's bitch.

"Who sent you here!? This is my territory!" Derek growled.

The boy looks taken back by Derek’s statement, then his expression changes.

"Oh. Your territory.. Of course. My bad, then. I just—My name is Stiles. I was just looking for a place to stay the night in the woods, I didn't know its yours. My apology."

Derek looks at Stiles suspisciously. The boy didn't lie though. He really didn’t know he has entered another werewolf’s territory? What a stupid schmuck. Didn’t his alpha teach him anything?

"Where's your pack?" Derek asked coldly.

The boy's eyes are suddenly teary, but then he shakes his head and pinches his own eyes.

"I'm—" His voice is catched in his throat, the boy breaks his gaze from Derek and looks down, "It's just me."

Derek scowls. So this Stiles is an omega? Well, not Derek's problem. What? He was alone too after his big sister died. This Stiles came to the wrong werewolf if he seeked sympathy, he is not the only one who has suffered from loneliness.

Derek takes the key from his jeans' pocket and open the cell door. He then walk closer to the omega.

"Ok, listen up, I'm gonna open that ankle chain. But don't try anything because I swear if you do, it's gonna be the last thing you ever do." Derek threatened.

Stiles just nods silently. Derek opens the ankle chain on both Stiles' leg, and after Stiles' legs are free, Derek grabs the back collar of Stiles' t-shirt and drags Stiles up with him roughly.

Derek doesn't speak even a word as he drags the boy upstairs. Stiles just lets the alpha drag him on the back of his neck without a single reluctance. Good, Derek doesn't have to get his hands dirty with blood then.

As Derek reaches the porch of the house, he just pushes Stiles harshly to the ground below the porch stairs. And if Derek hears the boy grunt in pain as the rough dirt scratch his skin in his fall, well tough, Derek doesn't care. We're werewolves, the boy has to just deal with it.

"Consider yourself lucky. Leave. Or die." Derek glares at the boy with his blood-red eyes and crosses his arms on his chest, waiting on the omega to leave.

Stiles struggles to stand up, Derek rolls his eyes as the boy’s legs get wobbly and almost fall again. When the boy finally stands up on his legs, he looks at Derek with those goddamn eyes again.

"Wait, I—I don't know where to go.. I'm so tired and haven't eaten anything since morning, I'm not sure if I can leave your area before passing out again. I just—I mean—can I stay just for tonight..?" He looks at Derek pleadingly.

Is this boy serious right now? Derek scowls at the boy in disbelief.

Stiles walks closer hesitantly but steps back again when Derek growls at him in warning.

"Please... I promise I'll leave first thing in the morning. I-I'll cook breakfast for your pack before I leave.. And I won't make any sound, I'll do anything you ask as long as I'm here.. I can stay in the cell, I don't mind, I just—I just need a place to sleep.. Please," The omega begged.

He'll cook breakfast? Huh. Interesting. "You can cook?"

Derek can see tinge of hope in the boy's eyes. Dear Lord, Derek can use him for his advantage and the boy won't even notice. How this boy can stay alive so far is a wonder to Derek.

"Any traditional American dish you want, I worked for a lot of diners in my time." Stiles answered hopefully.

Very interesting offer. "How do I know you won't poison us?" Derek still has to make sure. His betas eat like race horses, Derek won’t take any risk, not with his pu—betas.

"I won't. How could I? You let me sleep in your house. In your territory. I know when to pay my debt." Stiles answered, with those pleading eyes again.

Ok, the boy is not lying. Derek huffs a breath. Fine, he'll just have to lock the boy in the basement.

"You sleep in the cell." Derek decided.

And for the first time in that night, Derek sees the boy smiling. It's just a little smile, but so genuine that it shakes Derek's heart a little bit. Just a little bit. Besides, what heart?

"And you better make a hell of damn good breakfast in the morning. Or I'll be pissed."

The boy still smiles and fuck would he just stop staring at Derek like that!?

"Thank you." Stiles said softly, he seems so grateful.

Whatever.

Chapter Text

The cement under him feels so cold as Stiles lays on the ground inside the cell. Derek has locked him in after few threats of 'don't make even a noise or you're out of here' and 'don't you dare going out of the cell or I'll kill you'. Stiles sighs, the Alpha didn't even give him a blanket. But who is he to complain? He should be grateful the Alpha let him stay for the night. He has the right to kill Stiles, and Stiles understands the Alpha's protectiveness of his territory and his pack. And Stiles respect that, he lost what was his to trespassers in the first place.

He starts to wonder what it feels like to be Scott and Jackson. Their Alpha may sound rough and grumpy, but he must be providing them everything they need or want. And as angry as the Alpha sounded earlier with their behavior, he still didn't hit them. He also jumped on the idea of Stiles cooking breakfast for his pack, so Stiles knows the Alpha secretly cares for them. He wonders what it feels like to grow up in safety like that, to have a strong Alpha that protects him, to be with a pack where he belongs. Stiles can feel the clenching sadness creep into his chest again, but he tries to ignore it by trying to get some sleep.

His empty stomach grumbles, Stiles is so hungry, but he doesn't have anything to eat. So, he just wraps his arms around the grumbling stomach and curls into a ball, making him look smaller than he actually is. It's not the first time he falls asleep with an empty stomach, he'll survive.

A couple of minutes later, he smells another werewolf descending the stairs. He smelled this werewolf earlier. Scott. And Scott is now peeking through the bars, hands holding a thick cloth and a small paperbag.

"Hi." He smiles shyly. Stiles just sits up in acknowledgement.

"Derek asked me to bring you this." Scott kneels down and slides the thick cloth and a paperbag on the ground through the bars.

Stiles hesitatedly moves closer to sit down in front of the stuff. He spreads the thick cloth, revealing a thick and warm blanket, and opens up the paper bag to see sloppy ham sandwiches. Stiles is stunned.

"Who is Derek..?" He asked.

Scott raises his eyebrows. "My Alpha. He was the one who found you."

Stiles' eyes widening in surprise. Derek, the same Alpha who roughly handled him and threatened him earlier, is now sending him this stuff?

Scott smiles goofily. "Dude, your face. Just eat the sandwiches, Man. It's not much, just some dinner leftovers."

"I just—I didn't expect this.."

"He said he could hear your grumbling stomach when he manhandled you here and when he handed me the sandwiches, he said, and I quote, 'if his stomach doesn’t shut up after this, I’ll slaughter it from the inside out'." Scott laughs, as if it really amuses him.

"I should send my gratitude to him.." Stiles whispered in awe.

"Oh big no-no, Dude, hear me out. When you see him, don't bring this up, okay? That's one of the rules in the house. We do not talk about our Alpha's kindness. Just pretend this didn't happen."

Stiles is taken back. "Why..?"

Scott shrugs and smiles sadly. "Let's just say that, bad things happened to him in the past, and he doesn't like to look soft ever since. He'll get really angry if anyone points out his 'soft' moments."

Stiles wonders what the bad things could possibly be, but he really thinks questions wouldn't be much appreciated, so he just nods in understanding.

He eats the sandwiches silently, indulging every bite like it's his best meal. He spares a glimpse at the werewolf in front of him who's staring at him.

"Why are you staring at me like that..?" Stiles asked.

"I like you." Scott grins, "there's something special about you, I can feel it. What's your name? I'm Scott."

"I—I'm Stiles.." Stiles nods shyly.

"Nice to meet you, Stiles, I never met an omega before. How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Dude! Douchebag—I mean Jackson, and I are just couple of years younger than you! We should totally hang out."

"I don't think that's a good idea, your Alpha might not like it."

"It's okay. Derek didn't kill you, so I guess it means you're not a threat to the pack. We can be friends!" Scott shoots a wide innocent smile at him.

Friends ..? Can he..? God, can he have this..?

Stiles feels lump in his throat. He looks at the goofy werewolf in front of him, he’s not lying, his intention of befriending him is genuine. After all this time spent in loneliness, the thought of a new friend sends a warm sensation in Stiles' chest.

"Okay, I guess." Stiles smiles shyly at Scott, his new friend, cheeks flushed.

"Awesome!" Scott exclaimed with a wide grin. But then, he yawns. He moves to stand up, patting the dust off his pants.

"Well, I'm gonna hit the sack. See you tomorrow, Buddy. Derek said one of the big bros will wake you up."

"Big bros?" Stiles asked, then digging back to his sandwiches.

"Boyd and Isaac. And there's Erica too, the only girl in the pack. They're four years older than me. My big bros and sis!" Scott grins proudly.

"Your Alpha..?" Stiles can't help being a little curious.

"Oh, he's twenty five this winter. So old," Scott laughed softly, rubbing his sleepy eyes and yawning again.

"Goodnight, Stiles." Scott waves and smiles, then he turns to leave.

Stiles nods, "Goodnight, Scott."

After Scott leaves, Stiles looks at the sandwiches in his hands and at the blanket on the ground next to him. He smiles to himself, thinking about what kind of breakfast he should prepare for Derek and his pack tomorrow. The best dishes for sure. He then heartily takes a big bite on the sloppy sandwiches again, wondering if the grumpy Alpha made the sandwiches himself.

The next morning, Stiles is woken up by the sound of the cell bars dragged open. Stiles peeking up from under the blanket to see a gangly tall body entering the cell. It's a man, werewolf indeed, with curly blond hair. His body is swaying, Stiles looks up to see the man's eyes are just half open and he still looks half asleep.

"Breakfast," That's all he said sleepily before turning around and dragging his long feet outside the cell and upstairs. Well, that was such interesting one-sided conversation. Stiles rubs his eyes and raises up, stretching his sore muscles.

He slowly goes upstairs, nervous of what he might see and whom he might meet. He tiptoes around, checking out the rooms in the first floor, which consists of a spacious living room with big couches and LCD TV, an open kitchen with counters and long dining table, a guest bathroom, and a tool’s room. Stiles doesn't see anyone, including Curly who woke him up, he must have went back to sleep on the second floor.

Stiles realizes then that the living room and the kitchen are complete chaos. In the living room, pizza boxes and candy wrappers are scattered everywhere, the coffee table is full of soda cans, and random stuff is on the floor. In the kitchen area, dirty plates are laying around everywhere, the sink is full of dirty dishes, and holyshit what is that horrible smell?

Stiles decides to clean up the messes before starting breakfast. He takes a mop, bucket, and a rag from under the sink. He starts with discarding all the trash in those rooms, then gathering the dirty dishes and wash them on the sink, wiping all the surfaces, mopping the floor, and tidy up the rooms.
It takes one good hour to finish it all even with the cleaning skills from working at the diner.

After the rooms are squeky clean, he starts the coffee and checks out the stuff in the refrigerator and the cupboard. He finds ingredients that's needed to make egg benedict, so he decides to make that. A little bit posh, but the pack deserves it. He decides to make hash browns and fries the sausages he found in the freezer to go with it.

An hour later, Scott and Jackson appear in the kitchen still in their pajamas and sniffing the air with their still sleepy face.

"Good morning!" Stiles greeted merrily on impulse before realizing what he just said. He used to do that on diners. Oh no. He gulps nervously.

"M'rning.. I smell sausages, it woke me up," Scott said, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He walks closer to inspect what Stiles makes, eyes brightens when he sees sausages pile in a plate. Jackson goes straight to sit in the dining table, still not fully waking up.

Stiles gets closer to Jackson and clears his throat nervously, "Morning, would you like some juice?" He offered.

Jackson shakes his head, "Milk," He said sleepily.

Stiles nods once, "Okay, how about you, Scott?" He asked at the wandering werewolf.

"Huh? Oh. Same as Jackson," He said, heading to the dining table to join his pack member.

Stiles opens the cupboard, finding vanilla extract and nutmeg makes him smile. He poured milk in two mugs, stirring some vanilla extract and sugar in them and heating the milk in the microwave for a minute. After the microwave beeps, he takes out the mugs and stirs some nutmeg in the milk. Then, he brings the mugs to the waiting Betas.

"Careful, it's hot," He said, on impulse again. Dammit.

Jackson snorts mockingly at the warning and takes a sip. His eyes widens. He looks inside the mug, sniffs it, and drinks again, this time he's taking two big gulps. He didn't say anything though. Stiles just hopes he likes it, or a certain Alpha will be pissed.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Scott exclaimed, taking sip after sip. Stiles breathes in relief, at least one Beta seems to like it.

Not long after that, Curly appears, followed by a dark-skin guy and a blonde girl, who must be Erica. Now he just needs to figure out which one is Boyd and which one is Isaac.

Curly sways his way to sit next to Scott, and Scott bugs the sleepy werewolf right away.

"Isaac, you should totally ask for the milk. Make him the milk too, Stiles!" Scott grinned at him.

So, that's Isaac, then the other guy must be Boyd. Stiles nods and turns his gaze to the other Betas.

"How about you?" Stiles asked politely.

"Coffee, three in one," Boyd said.

"Tea," Erica ordered, her eyes roaming on Stiles from head to toe, taking notes. "You're very skinny. I’ve never seen a werewolf as skinny as you. Who is he again?" She pointed out, asking her pack members.

"He's an omega. Derek agreed to let him stay for the night 'cos he promised him breakfast. Derek told me last night," Boyd answered.

"His name is Stiles," Scott added in, milk creating a mustache under his nose. Jackson looks at his pack member with disgust.

Stiles' cheeks flush, but he just nods, "I'll prepare your drinks."

After he serves the morning beverages, he starts plating the dishes. One serving of egg benedict each plate, sided with a hash brown and three pieces of sausage. He serves the plates and gets back to take the smaller plates with sliced sunkist orange and couple of strawberries on it.

"Holyshit! What is this!? I never ate this, this is so good," He heard Scott said as he serves the fruit plates and a glass of guava juice.

Boyd hums in agreement.

"That's egg benedict," Stiles explained, "I hope you all enjoy it, please let me know if the taste isn't right."

"Dude, everything about this is right!" Scott said while rolling his eyes.

Erica laughs at the junior's antic and looks at Stiles, "This is delicious, thank you, Stiles."

Stiles just nods, his cheeks flush in embarrassment. Nobody ever praised his dish before, diners were too busy to notice who cooked what, even though he did his job at the kitchen seriously. He doesn't consider himself a master or something, it's just that as a boy who barely gets education in his teenage years, cooking and cleaning are one of the few jobs that he would manage not to screw up.

His thought is shaken into reality as he notices Isaac is gesturing his plate to him. He comes to the Beta, "Yes?"

"Can I have more?" He asked with hope in his voice.

Stiles is taken back, "O-Of course."

"What? We can have more!? I want more too!" Scott demanded.

"It'll be right up." He said as he takes both of the Betas' empty plates. He makes his way to the counter but stops as he feels his t-shirt being tugged. He looks back to see Jackson pushing his plate toward him but didn't say anything.

"You have enough? Need anything else?" He takes Jackson's plate.

Jackson' ears turn red as he says, "more," softly. In the end, everyone in the table wants one more serving. Unexplainable warm feeling grows inside Stiles' chest.

As he serves the second round of servings, Derek finally makes his appearance in the kitchen. He wears nothing but a sleeping pants. Stiles blushes as he steals a glimpse at Derek's perfectly toned torso, feeling rude for staring and looking the other way in instance. The Alpha still looks half asleep with his ebony hair tousled and traces of pillows obvious on his cheeks. He looks less like a rough Alpha in this state.

Derek looks at his Betas happily indulging their meals and then he notices Stiles' present. His shoulders tense right away and he stands straighter. Stiles starts to think Derek forgot there's another werewolf in his house earlier. Stiles slowly steps closer to him.

"Good morning, Alpha," Stiles softly greeted with a careful respect, "What would you like to drink?"

Derek just stares at him for a while before turning his gaze to his Betas. "Coffee. Black. Two teaspoons of sugar." Then he moves to join his Betas.

Stiles straightly goes to prepare Derek's coffee and breakfast, he really wants to please this Alpha as his gratitude towards him.

Stiles serves him his coffee and the breakfast set. Derek takes a sip and taste the coffee with a judging face. Stiles can't help getting nervous as Derek takes his first bite of the egg benedict.

Stiles can't deny, he really hopes the Alpha likes it, or at least enjoys it as much as his Betas do. But Derek doesn't show any joy or satisfaction like Stiles secretly hoped as the Alpha munches and swallows. He just eats like the meal is not something to enjoy, but just simply to fulfill his body's need of food. Stiles' heart drops but he tries to hide his disappointment.

"Stiles, I want more, please!" Scott said.

Jackson snorts. "Hold yourself, you black hole of a mouth."

Scott throws a strawberry at Jackson. "Shut up, I know you want more too!"

"I do not!" Jackson denied, but stealing a glimpse at Stiles with hope in his eyes.

"Yes, you do!"

"Do not!"

"Do!"

"Not!"

One growl from Derek silences them. Stiles takes the two betas' empty plates to the kitchen to refill them again.

"Who cleaned the house?" Derek suddenly asked.

Stiles jumps right away at the question, "I-I did."

"I didn't remember allowing you to wander around in my house."

Stiles flinches. "I-I just—"

"That wasn't part of our agreement."

"I-I'm sorry."

Great job at pleasing the person who helped you, Stiles. Stiles mentally scolded himself, feeling so helpless.

"My Betas ruined the house, they should be the ones who clean it. Have you ever heard of the word 'Responsibility'?"

Stiles heard the Betas openly whine at their Alpha and the Alpha lowly growls at his Betas, but Stiles just looks down at his feet and nods, tears pricking in his eyes.

Derek forgot about the Omega in his house, entering the kitchen in pajama pants just like that. Dammit! Oh well, his house, his rules. If he wants to eat his breakfast half naked, he gets to eat his breakfast half naked.

He looks at his Betas enjoying their breakfast heartily, they don't even say good morning to him. What the fuck is going on? It's not that he wants the greeting, but it has been a habit.

He steals a glimpse at Stiles, and no, not at those bambi brown eyes. He just wonders what the Omega mixed in their breakfast that his Betas fail to recognize his presence? He has to find out.

Stiles is asking him what he would like to drink. What is he? A waiter? Derek lets him know how he exactly enjoys his coffee and, God help him, if the Omega screws up his morning coffee...

Derek sits down on the head of the dining table and looks at his Betas. Dammit, they don't even spare him a glimpse, what's in those plates anyway.

Stiles comes with his coffee and breakfast. He lifts his coffee mug. Alright this is it, if the boy poisons this coffee, he'll cut his head off before he hits the floor and dies. He takes a sip and lets the warm liquid washes over his dry mouth. He's not feeling weird. Actually, the coffee is...adequate. Fine, the Omega is temporarily safe from his wrath. Derek takes his fork and knife and looks at the plate in front of him.

What the hell is this cookery?

He takes a bite, munches slowly, and swallows. He's not dead, no poison then. He takes bite after bite, he doesn't even notice he's half finished before he stops eating and really looks at his plate. What the hell had happened?

He's upset now, his meal is half away from gone and he wasn’t even aware. He wants to rewind everything all over again. Not that it's delicious, he's just very hungry. Yes, he’s pretty sure it's not delicious, just another common breakfast dish that he somehow never saw before and served in the right time.

Scott is asking for more. Wait, does it mean he can have more too? He wants—nope, no he doesn’t, he has to maintain his Alpha physique. Derek looks away from the plate in denial and takes a look around. Huh. He thought his Betas wrecked the house last night.

Okay, it turns out the goddamn Omega cleaned out the goddamn house. This is madness. How did he do that and prepared breakfast in one morning? There must be magic involved, he knew it! There’s something off with those bambi brown eyes. And the Betas already love him, Scott is practically trying to steal Stiles' attention all the time. That's impossible, he needed months to make Scott open up to him.

Hold on a second, did Scott just ask Stiles to join them and eat breakfast with them? Oh hell no, the boy has to leave. He just simply needs to ignore those widened, beautiful, soulful, brown eyes that look at him with both hope and fear, which is not hard to do. Not at all. He just needs to aggressively remind himself that he hates those eyes.

"I think it's time for you to leave," Derek said coldly, but finding his composure shake a little to see Stiles' eyes abruptly lose their former light.

Stiles nods, looking down at his feet, "Okay."

"What? Where? Why must he leave?" Scott started.

"The agreement is he stays just for one night," Derek answered.

"But I like him, the others like him. Even Jackson the douchebag likes him. Why can't he stay?" Scott insisted, ignoring Jackson's deadly glare.

"He's an Omega. He doesn't belong here." Derek steals a glimpse at Stiles and dammit what's with those teary bambi eyes!?

"But he and I are friends!" Scott stubbornly said.

"Scott. He is not pack," Derek hissed at his Beta.

"I didn't say he's pack. I said he's a friend. That's a different thing!"

Huh. Actually Scott has a point.

"Why don't you just hire him as the housekeeper?"

WHAT?

The other hums in agreement, even Jackson scratches his head awkwardly. That means he agrees but too proud to admit.

"Derek, I have to be honest and say the breakfast was gold star," Boyd said.

"Especially after the soggy sandwiches you made last night," Erica teased, ignoring Derek's threatening scowl.

"And he miraculously cleaned up these two boys' mess in super speed too," Isaac said.

"Hey!" Jackson and Scott voiced their disagreement. Isaac just laughs and continues, "I always want to wake up every morning in a clean house like this. It's personally calming for me," He admitted.

Huh. Okay, the pack needs the Omega’s cooking and cleaning skill. Derek really has to think about this thoroughly.

This Omega trespassed his territory without his consent last night and pissed him off, but he didn't do it on purpose. And he apologized.

Then, he dared asking to stay for the night, but he cooked breakfast in the morning. Which was a not-bad breakfast, with no poison. And he did Derek's coffee right.

Then, he wandered around the house without permission, but he did it to clean the house. And he did all of it before they even woke up.

In overall, the Omega practically did everything well, but those eyes are very distracting!

What a tough decision.

Derek looks at Scott and Jackson. Jackson just eyes back and forth between him and his milk mug, while Scott starts to beg, completed with the puppy dog eyes package.

"Please, Alpha, please.."

He called him Alpha? He must want this really bad.

He looks at Boyd, his second-in-command Beta. Boyd just shrugs, "I like him, but it's your call."

Derek scowls and huffs a harsh breath. He finally looks at those bambi brown eyes he hates.

"You want the job?"

Stiles looks stunned at the offer, those eyes widened and Derek can hear Stiles’ breath is shaky. What is his problem? It's just a job offer.

Then, he smiles. That smile again, just like last night, like Derek just saves his life and gives him hope.

"Y-Yes.." He whispered shakily. Oh look, those fucking brown eyes are getting teary again. No, Derek doesn't think those stupid eyes are mesmerizing. Well, maybe a little, just a little. But he just woke up, so he cannot trust his own brain.

"Yes, I do." Stiles smiles brightly at him.

Whatever.

Chapter Text

Three days. Three days were how long Derek puts Stiles on 'Trial'. If he did excellently, no less, Derek would hire him as the housekeeper and let him stay in the house. Otherwise, he would be denied and escorted to leave the territory.

In those three days, Stiles got to know each individual in the pack better. Well, more like, Scott shared literally everything while Jackson bitched next to him.

Scott and Jackson are still in high school, and apparently they were orphans from the same orphanage. Scott said he was bitten by a rogue Alpha when he was fourteen and when he was recruited under Derek's pack, Jackson followed him, receiving the bite from Derek. They denied it with all their will, but Stiles could see through it, that despite the fact that the two Betas fight all the time, they are figuratively joined at the hips. Family at heart, and Stiles wanted that so much.

Stiles asked whether Scott recognized who bit him, but before Scott answered, Jackson nudged him in warning. Well, Stiles guessed that was already too much information for him. So, he chose not to push the matter.

The other Betas go to a college in town. Isaac is in archeology, Boyd is in economy study, and Erica is in modern art. They still have their own family, but choose to move in together with the pack.

Erica and Boyd are mates. At least it was what Derek told Scott and Jackson. Stiles doesn't know what the hell a 'mate' is, and neither does Scott and Jackson. Scott said Derek won't tell them until they're eighteen. The only thing that Scott and Jackson know about mates is that it means Erica and Boyd can be disgusting together. What the hell that's supposed to mean is still a mystery to Stiles.

And their Alpha? Well it turns out, Derek is a programming genius. He works from home, or precisely, from his office attached next to his bedroom. He creates games and tool software which he sells online, and according to Scott, Derek gets millions from the selling.

Scott said it was not his place to tell Stiles about Derek's family. If Stiles wanted to know, he'd have to ask Derek himself. Yeah right, and get mutilated? Stiles wants to know badly, but with how Derek acts toward him, Stiles really thinks poking the issue would not be the smartest thing to do.

Anyway, everyday was a busy day for Stiles. He woke up at six in the cell where now there is a cot for him to sleep, cleaned the first floor of the house, woke up the Betas but not the Alpha, prepared breakfast, witnessed and handled the chaos of werewolves getting ready for school, and saw the Betas out of the door.

Around nine, he knocked the Alpha's bedroom door gently, prepared breakfast for the Alpha and made his coffee perfectly right, served breakfast to the Alpha, and saw the Alpha entered his office to work before he got himself his late breakfast.

He then cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the second floor and that included Scott and Jackson's signature armageddon called 'bedrooms', fixed Derek's lunch and served it, did the laundry, and then he took a late lunch break.

Around three, he prepared an afternoon snack, served the snack and some hot milk tea to Derek, witnessed and handled the chaos of Betas getting back from school soon after, and he served them the snacks as well. The Betas were always happy about it, they said it was a new habit that they could definitely get used to.

He cooked dinner while the pack trained, served dinner, cleaned the kitchen again, and finally made the Betas hot chocolate at nine before they headed to bed at ten.

In summary, Stiles worked his ass off.

Scott lent him his clothes and they kindly let him take a shower in the guest bathroom. As he cooked for the pack, he could eat the same food too. He just ate his meal alone in the kitchen after the pack was finished, but it was already more than what he could hope. Actually, the pack treated him nicely, but of course he wasn't allowed to bring that up where Derek could hear it.

And those three days were more exciting than any day in the former six years of Stiles' lifetime. Stiles was so distracted that he forgot about his pain, his misery, his sadness, whatever you call it.

The Betas were around him all the time, entering his personal space and demanding help, even for the most simple thing like finding the lost pair of shoes or choosing between two flavors of ice cream for the waffles.

Stiles knew he shouldn't get attached to them, but Stiles found himself longing for the attention. It comforted him in a way that Stiles could not explain. And his hungry, lonely, damaged soul wanted more of this feeling. Stiles craved it, he breathed easier with it.

If only he could satisfy the Alpha. Oh God, the things he would do just to make Derek show even a tiny bit of satisfaction on his face. But he got none, not even a nod or a single twitch of his facial muscle, nothing.

Everytime he did something for the Alpha, like serving him his best apple crumble pie and steaming cup of milk tea while Derek worked in his office or handing him a cold wet towel and the mineral bottle after pack training, Derek just spared him a glimpse and that was it. And Stiles realized, no matter how the Betas loved what he did, if Derek didn't, Stiles wouldn't get to stay.

So yeah, Stiles is nervous right now, because today is day four. Derek will decide whether Stiles stays or leaves today, and Stiles doesn't know when or how Derek will do it.

Stiles is preparing Derek's breakfast, mushroom cream soup and sausage bruschetta. The Betas already went to school. He gulps nervously as he smells Derek's scent entering the kitchen.

"G-Good morning," He greeted Derek.

Derek ignores him as usual and goes straight to the dining table. Stiles shakes his head, he has to calm himself down. His nervousness will only lead to clumsiness and it won't help him win Derek's good side. He serves Derek his coffee and breakfast, and immediately leaves the Alpha alone.

"Hey," Derek suddenly called him.

Stiles turns around to face the Alpha, "Y-Yes?"

"Eat with me."

"What..?" Stiles asked breathlessly. He can't believe what he just heard.

Derek scowls at him, "Are you deaf? Bring your meal, and eat at the table. With me."

Stiles gapes, but then he rushes to the kitchen counter and puts two pieces of bruschetta sloppily on a plate. Then he rushes back to the dining table, noticing he doesn't even know where to sit.

"Where should I.." Stiles started but he saw Derek flicked his finger at the seat across from him. Stiles nods and drags out the chair to sit on.

"Wait." Derek suddenly halted.

Stiles tenses. Oh God, what did he do wrong? Should've he thanked Derek first earlier? Did he pull out the chair too fast? Did he screw up Derek's coffee? Oh God he did, didn’t he?

"Add more food to your plate."

Stiles stares at Derek blankly. "Huh..?"

Derek scowls again, "I said add more food to your plate. This habit of yours to make me repeat myself over and over again really gets on my nerve."

"I-I'm sorry." With that, Stiles rushes back to the kitchen counter and add a couple more of bruschetta on his plate. Then, he heads back to the dining table just to get scolded exasperatedly by Derek again.

"Where's your soup, Stiles!? For God's sake—"

"Oh God, Derek please I-I'm sorry, I'll be right back." Stiles goes back to the kitchen in panic. He feels so helpless, why he can't even do one thing, just one thing, that's right, in front of Derek.

The night before...

"So what will you do about Stiles, Derek? Does he meet your requirements?" Boyd asked him. They often have chat in Derek's office, especially if Derek needs a second opinion before takes an important decision.

Derek hated to admit it, but he had to show justice as a well-respected Alpha. And Stiles' afternoon milk tea is not bad, but Derek never drank them before, so his opinion can’t be considered as valid.

"He's adequate."

"Then he's hired?" Boyd couldn't even hide his relief. God, what kind of magic that the Omega casted on his Betas, really.

"I'm not one-hundred-percent sure," Derek answered.

Boyd sat straighter, "What do you mean? I thought you said he's good."

"We don't have the guarantee that he can be trusted."

What? Those brown bambi eyes were suspicious, they weakened Derek's composure. But Boyd didn't need to know that. Actually, no one needs to know that. Like, ever.

"Okay.." Boyd seemed thinking hard. "But I need you to know that the others are really fond of him. It would scar your image if you denied Stiles for invalid reason."

Boyd was right, he couldn't stench his righteous image just like that. "What is your suggestion?"

Boyd shrugged, "Why don't you spy on him first?"

Derek frowned at the suggestion. "Elaborate," He demanded.

"Like people said, get close to your allies, get even closer to your enemies. If you doubt Stiles' true intention with our pack, then dig information about him. Study his background. Learn about his character and personality," Boyd explained.

"Why don't I just ask you to do it?"

"With all due respect, Derek, but the only one who cannot trust Stiles in this house is you. If you ask me or the other Betas to do the spy thing for you, our judgement will be biased. Or perhaps, that’s okay with you?" Boyd smiles at him.

Derek narrowed his eyes at Boyd suspiciously. "No.."

Boyd shrugged again, "Then you have no choice. Just give Stiles the job and get close to him. Then if you find any proof of his hidden evil intention, fire him, or kill him if you think it's necessary. Nobody would question your judgement by then."

And that is exactly what he wanted. Excellent, mission executed. Top priority.

Now...

So, the first step that Derek decided to choose was Stiles would have his breakfast and lunch with him everyday. It's the easiest and simplest way to get close to him. Maybe after couple of days, Stiles will start talking and slip out his secrets. Even if he didn't, Derek could ask questions. There would be nowhere to hide for Stiles, since it will be just the two of them when the Betas were already gone at school.

Stiles is more nervous today, Derek mentally smirks. And the Omega's expression when Derek asked him to eat with him was hilarious. Yes, evil brown eyes, be afraid of Derek Hale's glorious charisma.

Derek takes a look over Stiles and notices that Stiles is too skinny. Not that Derek cares but despite the healing power of a werewolf, he still doesn't want break any bones when he starts to play rough, it'll upset the Betas. And Derek's wolf is tempted to play rough with Stiles, maybe the wolf in him is annoyed by Stiles too.

By the way, Stiles only puts two bruschettas on his own plate, seriously? He puts six on Derek's plate. And where's Stiles' goddamn soup? No wonder this Omega is so weak and pathetic. He can't even feed himself properly.

After Stiles finally has a decent portion of breakfast with the help of Derek's encouragement, Derek starts eating. But the boy only steals glimpses at Derek with curiosity in his shiny, wide, beautiful ey—dammit NO!

"Eat," Derek commanded. Stiles is startled and starts to eat quietly.

"So, Stiles.." Derek said in the middle of the meal, "..why don't you tell me about yourself."

Stiles stops eating and puts down his fork, "I don't know where to start."

Derek mentally rolls his eyes. "Are you an Omega all your life?" He asked.

"No," Stiles said, bowing down his head.

"Since when?"

"Since I was twelve," Stiles answered with a small voice.

Really? He was alone since that young? Derek has to admit that was sad.

"How come? Your pack abandoned you?" Derek teased.

"N-No..." Oh great, the shaky voice appears again. What is wrong with this boy? He’s just so pathetic.

"Hey, look at me when I talk to you." Derek ordered. Stiles looks up to Derek, showing his teary eyes who look so broken but once again try to stay strong. Derek feels something tingles in him, he wants to do something, but he chooses to ignore the weird urge.

"You left your pack then? You betrayed them?" He sneered.

"I would never do that!" Stiles suddenly snapped. Woah, that surprises him. Stiles looks taken back as well by what he just did on impulse, and closes his mouth. His teary eyes look scared.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell," Stiles stands up, "I have to clean up the house. If you'll excuse me."

Derek’s gaze follows as the boy gathers his dirty dishes and puts them in the sink. Stiles’ reaction is interesting, there must be more to that story. Derek is now curious, Stiles is such a riddle.

"Wait," Derek called Stiles when Stiles started to walk away from the kitchen area.

Stiles turns around, his body is trembling slightly in fear. It makes the muscles in Derek's hands twitch, the urge is there again and it pisses Derek off.

"Please, Derek, please don't make me leave," Stiles whispered his plea, eyes on full force drilling into Derek's dark deep hole of a soul.

Derek only stares coldly at Stiles, he refuses to let some beautiful face fool him again. Remembering a certain beautiful face in the past makes him suddenly so angry. Derek gritted his teeth, his jaw is clenched.

"Derek..?" Stiles hesitatedly called.

"Shut up," Derek harshly said, making Stiles flinch.

Derek is torn apart. He has to get closer to Stiles to dig some information about him and he knows that Stiles won't open up to him if he keeps lashing at Stiles like that. But at the same time, Derek feels reluctant toward the idea of exposing himself to Stiles. Derek huffs his breath in annoyance.

"I decided to take you in. But one mistake, you're out. You understand?"

Stiles brightens up immediately and fuck those eyes, seriously, they get teary when he's happy too!?

"Yes. Derek, thank you so much.. I won't let you down," Stiles smiles gratefully.

Derek ignores the gratitude and stands up from his seat. "Leave the cleaning up, we'll go grocery shopping. See you outside in fifteen." With that, Derek walks out of the dining area.

If being in the same car with Derek Hale was awkward in silence, then grocery shopping with the Alpha was super awkward in not-silence.

Derek was so unpredictable, really, Stiles couldn't read the Alpha at all. One time, he was angry and looked like he wanted to throttle Stiles when Stiles was clumsily tripped by the welcome rug, but then the other time, he awkwardly and shockingly took the shopping cart from Stiles and insisted that he could handle it.

In the middle of shopping, Derek just frowns when Stiles hesitatedly puts the ramen noodles that Derek took, back to the shelf. While to be honest, it is life and death gambling for Stiles to do that.

"You have me to cook for you now, Derek, you don't have to eat instant food anymore," Stiles explained softly, hoping that the Alpha gets Stiles' genuine concern about his health.

"But I lo—look forward to eating noodles." Derek grumbles, but he doesn't fight Stiles any further, he just scowls as he walks along the rack isle.

Ladies and gentlemen, Stiles could not believe he just witnessed the cold mysterious Derek Hale sulking over instant noodles.

"I can make it from scratch if you want.." Stiles offered. Stiles swears Derek's ears were twitching at that.

"Whatever," Derek only said, but stole a glimpse at Stiles in that way. The way Jackson did when he asked for another round of a meal. Suddenly, Stiles feels an urge to smile at the sight.

"Okay.. What is your favorite noodle?" Stiles asked.

Derek steals a glimpse at Stiles again before saying "tonkatsu" very softly. If Stiles was not a werewolf, he wouldn't be able to hear it.

"Well then, I'll make you home-cooked tonkatsu ramen for lunch. Let's look for the ingredients." Stiles smiles brightly at the Alpha, happy that he finally gets to see a different side of Derek. Somehow, Derek's sour face doesn't look so terrifying anymore.

Derek is taken back when Stiles puts back his ramen noodles and says crap about no-more-instant-food because that was exactly what his mom used to say. And dammit Stiles offered to make the 'real' one too, just like his mom.

Well, he can’t say no, right? He has to act nice, not that he loves noodles or is eager to try Stiles' home-cooked one. And why is Stiles smiling stupidly like that? Is he mocking him!? HOW DARE—

"Oh no, Derek, they don't have the pork yet.."

What!? But that's..atrocity! Who the hell is responsible!?

Derek glares murderously at the meat section display table.

"Hey, don't worry, we can always use beef as a subtitute," Stiles spoke up his solution.

"Sure. Whatever." He did not huff in relief, he huffed in annoyance because tonkatsu ramen should have used pork meat.

Two hours later, Derek fidgets in his seat on the dining table and huffs in irritation over and over again, waiting impatiently for his noodles. He's hungry, alright?

When Stiles appears with a big bowl in his hand, Derek rolls his eyes. Finally.

"Be careful, it's hot." Stiles serves the bowl in front of Derek.

"I'm not a five-year-old," Derek sassed.

Stiles has this fond look on his face, turns away, and goes back to the kitchen area, starting to clean up the mess.

"Stiles!" Derek called out. He can see Stiles tense before he makes his way to Derek.

"Is there anything wrong with the noodle?" Stiles nervously asked.

"Yes, it's getting cold because you took so long to take your own meal and put your ass in that chair," Derek said sarcastically.

"I don't understand.."

"Eat with me. I told you that this morning."

"I thought that was one time only, I assumed—"

"Well you assumed wrong. You will have every meal with me from now on," He ordered.

Stiles rubs the back his neck nervously, Derek can smell his curiosity. "May I ask why..?"

Let’s see...

Because he has to spy on Stiles, since Stiles’ presence is suspiciously powerful enough to shake Derek.

Because he needs to reveal every secret that Stiles possesses, including what kind of spell that Stiles casted on Derek’s Betas that made them fall for him just in a freaking day.

Because perhaps in the middle of the meal, Derek could tease him mercilessly and get to see those scared bambi brown eyes as the result. This is simply for entertainment.

Because...he's the Alpha. And the Alpha always gets what he wants. Duh.

Derek sneers at the boy. "No. But I'm gonna rip your throat out if my noodles gets cold. With my teeth."

Stiles' posture straightens up at the threat. "I-I'll be right back!" He then rushes back to the kitchen area.

Derek smirks in satisfaction. Getting Stiles so worked up is actually kinda fun.

Chapter Text

"You smell good. It's weird." Scott purrs, following Stiles around in his bedroom and sniffing into the crook of Stiles' neck. Stiles is helping the Betas getting ready for school. Scott and Jackson are slow and difficult, as usual.

"Scott, quit it! And don't wear the same hoodie again, I can smell bolognese sauce on it. Take it off."

Stiles puts Scott's shoes on the floor to open the drawer and pull out a clean hoodie for Scott. Jackson, who's already dressed, looks at Scott and joins in, sniffing at Stiles in curiosity.

Stiles ignores the two Betas and as he enters Jackson's bedroom with them still on his tail. He grabs an empty bag and puts Jackson's Lacrosse safety gear in it. Jackson suddenly nudges Stiles in the back of the head not so gently with his forehead, grabs the bag, and flees without saying anything.

"Jackson, wait! You left your knee pad! Scott, hurry up and grab your stuff, the others are waiting in the car," He said to Scott before grabbing the knee pad and running downstairs to catch up with the blonde teenager.

He stops at the sight of Erica in front of the guest bathroom sink's mirror, "Erica, you should've been in the car three minutes ago."

Erica looks at Stiles. "Stiles, does my lipstick make me look pale?"

Stiles rolls his eyes and smiles lovingly. "You look drop dead gorgeous, Sweetheart, leave the mirror alone. Where's Boyd?" He asked as he herds Erica to the front porch.

He sees Boyd already in the drivers seat of the silver SUV they drive to school. Erica gets in the passenger seat. Stiles opens the backseat door and hands the knee pad to Jackson, Isaac is already settled and reading an archeology text book besides him.

"Oh, thanks." Jackson simply said. Stiles smiles at Jackson, closes the backseat door, and runs back to the porch.

"Scott!" He called the last Beta.

"I'm coming!" Scott runs downstairs. He has his hands full with his school bag, the clean hoodie Stiles chose earlier, some books, and lacrosse stick.

Scott drops the hoodie in the middle of his way to the car. Stiles grabs it from the ground, pats the dust off of it, and runs alongside him. He opens the backseat door for Scott, waits for Scott to get in, throws the hoodie in, and closes the backseat door. The SUV horns and drive away, Stiles waves and exhales in relief. Morning chaos is through.

A smile creeps to his face. Stiles has been in the Hale Pack's den for two months now. His duty, which is mostly taking care of this kind of chaos, turns into a routine that Stiles learns to enjoy and cherish. He's almost too afraid to admit that he cares for the Betas quite a lot. But who wouldn't!? Look at them! They are such puppies!

Besides, Derek said he's hired, as long as he doesn't fuck up, it's acceptable to get close with the kids, right? Did he just call them kids? He really needs to control his excitement.

The Betas seem to like him just as much. At least they like to touch him. Stiles started to notice the second week that he’d been at the house.

He doesn't know for sure what gave him that that idea. It's probably the way Scott purrs contently when Stiles wears his wardrobe from head to toe. Or it's probably the abnormal numbers of nudging and body shots Jackson does to him in a single day. Or the way Isaac unconsciously rubs his curly head to Stiles' shoulder in a still sleepy state every morning, while Stiles is preparing his milk. Or the new habit of Erica asking for him to brush her golden hair before she goes to bed, with his fingers. Or possibly because Boyd pats his shoulder everytime he gives him his bottle of water and towel after pack training.

And the attention feels nice, really nice. The Betas' scent smells unfamiliar at first, but his wolf accepted them so easily. In fact, he wants to touch them back, to open himself more to them. He just doesn't know how to appropriately do it or if it's allowed in the first place. But for now, he takes what he can get gratefully. The Betas makes him happier than he has been in a very long time.

Derek Hale stands on the base of the staircase when Stiles comes back in. He wears nothing but sleeping pants and Stiles somehow still can't get used to the view. Derek was self-conscious for the first week Stiles was there, taking a shower and dressing properly before heading downstairs, but as the Betas get more comfortable around Stiles, in time, so does the Alpha.

From the way Stiles sees it, having breakfast half naked is Derek's unique way to show him that he's accepting Stiles' presence. The Alpha is still as grumpy as ever, but at least he doesn't threaten to kill Stiles all the time anymore. As long as Stiles makes him noodles on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, the Alpha's mood boosts amazingly.

Moreover, having their meals together has helped breaking the ice, since they managed to have proper conversation to each other on the occasion. Although, he still doesn't have the courage to ask Derek about his family and he's still reluctant to talk about his own. Derek asked about his past once or twice, but Stiles is too afraid to tell Derek about Phanterius. What if Derek kicks him out of his den if the protective Alpha hears there’s a vicious Alpha chasing his sorry ass? Stiles really wants to bury his past. Can he just pretend Phanterius never exists?

Hobbies and general issues are the safest and easiest topic to have with Derek. Stiles learned that Derek loves race cars and Stiles found a new talent of his own: playing video games. It started with a silly bet with Jackson, where Jackson promised to stop acting rude for a week if Stiles could beat him in a race car game that Derek created. He didn't know if he could win at all, he never played before. But apparently, he was either a born gamer or a fast learner, because he did win. Now he is Derek's part-time personal trial monkey for all his gaming projects.

Stiles couldn't say no (not that he wanted to say no) because Stiles is the only one that's available around Derek all the time. Scott and Jackson offered to volunteer once or twice, but yeah right, like Stiles would let them play video games on school night.

Stiles can't help staring at the Alpha's happy trail, those toned abs are really amazing. And those broad shoulders, Stiles wonders what it feels like to touch those firm muscles. Stiles gulps at the thought. It's not his first time imagining things related to Derek Hale and Stiles starts to worry about it.

"Good morning, you woke up early today." Stiles greeted the sleep-tousled haired Alpha, shaking all the stupid daydreaming in his head.

"Whose fault do you think that is? It was as loud as a freaking zoo in here," Derek scowled.

Stiles thinks the look would've worked if the Alpha's face wasn't so sleepy. In this state, he looks more like one adorable grumpy puppy. And he just referred Derek with word 'adorable'. There's something really wrong with him.

"Yeah.. Sorry for the noise, Scott overslept today, so this morning was a little bit more hectic," Stiles explained.

Derek just huffs, still scowling as hard as he can with pillow pattern on his stubbly cheek. It makes Stiles feel funny in the stomach.

"So.." Stiles fidgets on where he stands, "you want to go back to sleep or have breakfast..?" He asked.

"Breakfast," Derek answered.

Stiles nods, "alright."

Stiles heads to the kitchen area while Derek makes his way to the dining table.

Derek's gaze follows Stiles as Stiles moves around in the kitchen area. Seriously, how Stiles does the things he does? The Omega makes a deadly job, that is containing balls of energy called young Betas, seems so easy. It's not that he can't control his own Betas, it's just not exactly a picnic in the park.

He can still remember how his days went before Stiles came. He had to wake up so early in the morning, which he loathed doing, to wake up his Betas for school. Breakfast was simply just soggy cereal or dry toast.

Cleaning up was atrocity in this house, he did what he could, but there was just no end to it. The second his Betas touched the house's floor, the mess was there again. So new rule, you mess it up you clean it up.

Take-away or delivery lunch and dinner were likely. And he was long gone giving up trying to make Scott and Jackson finish their homework before eleven o'clock.

He never complained though. They’re his pups, he’d do anything for them. Did he just call them pups? Dammit he has to cut it out, they're not kids anymore.

However, everything goes smoother and easier with Stiles here in the pack's house. The Betas are properly taken care of and Derek has spare time for himself (and properly taken care of as well, but Derek would never admit that).

There's just one tiny problem: Stiles starts to smell like his pups. And it's annoying, because it's so distracting that Derek can't concentrate on the rest of his work after Stiles enters his office to serve his afternoon snack. No, Stiles doesn't smell good. It's definitely not what he meant.

Did his silly Betas scent the Omega? Derek notices his pups love the new housekeeper, but he never predicted they’d go that far. Derek would’ve prevented it if he knew. Scenting is very personal. Wolves do that to mark others that they trust, accept, desire.

If Stiles is proved having bad intention toward them in the end, his pups will be heart broken. And no matter how decent Stiles' noodles are, Derek will destroy him for that. But nothing had happened. Maybe Stiles is really here for the job. It might be for the money.

Wait, of course it all comes back to money, how come he missed that! Well, if it's simply all Stiles wants, Derek can easily and generously give it to him. Salary of one housekeeper is a cheap price to pay in exchange of his pups' contentment.

Stiles notices he's being watched and looks back at Derek. Then, Stiles smiles brightly at him. The smile is so genuine it hurts Derek's stomach. Suddenly, Derek loses his appetite.

No, Stiles can't smile at him like that, because Derek can't give in and let down his defenses, he just can't. The last time he did to someone outside his pack, he lost his family.

"Hey, you look pale," Stiles serves Derek's breakfast and crouches slightly closer into Derek's personal space, "you okay?" Stiles sounded so concerned that it scared the shit out of Derek. No one had asked him that question for a long time, no one ever bothered.

"M'fine, back off," He growled, jaws clenched. Stiles stares at him sadly before he goes to his seat. They eat breakfast in silence, drowned in their own thoughts.

Among a lot of things that Stiles pictures himself doing with Derek Hale, shopping together is absolutely not one of them. But here they are, in the biggest department store in the town's mall, screening through the wardrobe isles.

"Get anything you want. You don't need to borrow Scott's clothes anymore." Derek said.

Stiles is confused by all the flashy clothes rack in front of him. He touches the soft garment and gulps, they all look so expensive. He checks the tag on one of them and gulps again, they really are expensive. He looks at the Alpha. "Derek, I don't mind wearing Scott's old clothes."

The Alpha just rolls his eyes in obvious annoyance. "Well too bad, I'm buying you new ones, so start putting things in the shopping bag before I run out of patience."

"I don't exactly know what to pick." Stiles admitted. It's true, he never has this so much option of clothes before. He usually got his clothes from a neighborhood's garage sale. And he never kept his clothes for too long, leaving them on the town he last stayed to confuse Phanterius and his underlings. Who he hopes never find him in this town, because Stiles really likes it here and his new job.

Derek narrows his eyes at him, Stiles can feel irritation radiating from the Alpha. "It’s easy. You like it, you put it in the bag. It doesn't actually take high intelligence to do that." Derek said.

Stiles rolls his eyes. Wow, he just rolled his eyes at Derek, he must be tired of living and seek death. But Derek doesn't seem to sweat over it. Huh. How unpredictable.

"I know that, Derek, it's just—" He tugs one of the shirts, "they're very expensive. Look, this plain shirt is fifty dollars. I can make you at least twenty servings of ramen noodles with the same amount of money."

Derek scoffs. "Don't mock me, I can still buy my noodles' ingredients even though you sweep the store clean. There's always budget for noodles."

Say hello to Derek Hale and his undying love for ramen noodles, Stiles fails to surpress his smile. "You know that's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant and I don't care about that. Just pick the fucking clothes or you'll run around the house naked from now on." Derek threatened.

"I'm just saying, maybe we can go to cheaper store.." Stiles suggested, but it just made Derek scowl at him.

"No. This store is big and has everything, I'm not moving anywhere. I'm sick of window-shopping. And I'm hungry."

And hungry Derek is angry Derek, Stiles learned about that from that one time Stiles prepared his lunch ten minutes late. Stiles tries to calm the scowling Alpha patiently.

"Hey, I understand, I promise we'll be out of here in under thirty minutes, okay…?"

Derek finally huffs and mutters grumpily, "We better. I want to eat at the ramen joint on the upper floor after this."

Stiles smiles at the Alpha. "Sure. You want to sit there while I walk around and put stuff in the bag?" He gestures at the couch in front of the fitting room.

Derek scoffs at him in exasperation. "And what? Play grumpy husband who gets bored because his wife shops for too long?"

What—what did Derek just say? Stiles stares blankly at the Derek as the Alpha tenses in revelation of the irony of his own words. They just lock gaze at each other for a while, until Stiles finally breaks from his straight-face.

He closes his mouth immediately as the first laughter leaves through his lips. Derek glares at Stiles murderously, but Stiles can't hold himself back because even with the deadly glare, he can see Derek's ears are blushing. Stiles needs a minute or two to calm down. He clears his throat awkwardly under Derek's intimidating gaze.

"You done?" Derek asked sarcastically.

"Yeah. Sorry..." Stiles muttered softly.

"Have an offer to stop me from throttling your sorry ass to death right now?"

"Umm.. I'll cook ramen noodles for you for three days straight?"

A deadly glare.

"A week?"

Still a deadly glare. Stiles winces.

"Ramen noodles and warm bath for a week?"

A glare that makes Stiles pretty sure he's going to die.

"Ramen noodles, warm bath, and car polishing for a week?"

Derek seems to consider the offer for a while, frowning his eyebrows together. "Fine, I won’t kill you for now. Let's get going."

Derek walks ahead. Stiles smiles at the back of the Alpha's broad shoulder and follows after him. Even without the threat, Stiles will do all that for the guy anyway.

Ah, the things I would do to please him...

Twenty-eight minutes later, Stiles rides on the escalator with Derek in front of him. He holds three big shopping bags in each hand and so does Derek. They all are filled with his clothes. He is still gobsmacked that Derek just spent that much money on him. Stiles has never even seen that much money.

"Derek." He called the Alpha softly, Derek doesn't look back but he knows Derek heard him. "Derek, thank you. You didn't have to do this for me, but you did it anyway." He said.

Derek just nods once. Stiles thought Derek wouldn't say anything, but once again Derek proves him how unpredictable the Alpha is.

"Wear the one I picked for you." Derek muttered softly. Derek saw a red hoodie and added it in the shopping bag earlier, without explanation, and Stiles chose not to question him about it.

Stiles whispers 'I will', stupid wide grin on his face. He keeps telling himself that even though Derek seems so cold toward him, Derek actually cares. And somehow, it makes Stiles so happy that his chest wants to burst.

Derek leads him to his apparently favorite ramen joint, because the waiter recognizes Derek. The guy shows them to their table and Derek smiles at him in gratitude. Stiles gapes in shock at the view, he serves Derek way better than that but Derek never even twitches a muscle on his face. And this guy just showed them a fucking table and the Alpha smiled—gorgeously!? That's just—unfair!

"I just bought you enough clothes to make Beyonce Knowles' closet look small and you're pouting. I don't know why, but it pisses me off." Derek said over his menu card.

"I'm not pouting." Yes, he is. He knows he is, he just doesn't want to admit it and he knows that Derek knows. What is this nagging sensation in his chest? Stiles doesn't like it, he feels so angry.

"What is your problem?" Derek asked.

Before Stiles answers, the waiter comes again to take their orders. Stiles watches as Derek talks so politely and smiles a lot. Okay, not that much, but he smiles and that's the fucking point. And if Stiles is a little bit snarky at the waiter—well he's pissed, okay!?

"Just water." Stiles said to the waiter cynically. Derek shoots him a dark look but Stiles ignores it. Derek then shoots an apologetic smile at the waiter. The waiter smiles back sweetly at Derek. Awesome, now Stiles is the immature brat in the picture. Great job at earning Derek's smile, Stiles, just keep on dreaming.

He doesn't understand why he's this upset over a smile. But it's Derek's smile. And Stiles wants that smile, but apparently Stiles doesn't deserve the nice gesture, unlike certain waiter. No, all Stiles gets right now is a murderous glare! Stiles can feel angry tears pricking in his eyes. Said waiter seems to sense the tension and rushes to leave.

"I thought we had agreement to have our meals together." Derek demanded explanation.

"I'm not hungry." Stiles simply said. It's true, Stiles was hungry earlier, but he’s lost his appetite. Derek stares at him with his eyebrows frowned. Stiles doesn’t know what else to say, he just forces himself to smile at the Alpha, but the smile fails to reach his eyes.

Something is wrong. Stiles is suddenly so upset, Derek can tell. He can smell anger, confusion, and sadness so thick in the air around the boy. And for someone who has been so talkative since morning, Stiles is really quiet right now. What the fuck is going on? It's not that he cares, really it’s not, he's just curious.

Stiles plays with the table's mat silently as Derek eats his ramen. Derek finds himself not being able to enjoy his favorite meal as much as he used to. He keeps glancing at Stiles who keeps looking down to the mat he's picking at.

One time, Stiles meets his eyes. The boy smiles at him, but the smile is just—entirely wrong. Stiles never smiled that way before. Derek wants to ask, but he can't figure out what the question should be.

"It's good?" Stiles suddenly asked softly, looking at the ramen Derek is eating. It startled the Alpha just a little bit.

Derek looks at the Omega in curiosity. "Yes.." But yours is better, Derek mentally thought. But Stiles didn't ask about that, so Derek keeps the extra comment to himself.

Stiles smiles wrong again and nods. "I bet."

Okay, what the fuck was that?

After his bowl is empty, Derek shoves it away. He digs through his leather jacket's pocket and pulls out a thick brown envelop. He throws it on the table's mat in front of silent Stiles. Stiles is startled and picks it up. Stiles looks at him questioningly.

"It's your monthly pay." Derek explained. There's a thousand dollars in the envelop. Stiles would cheer up instantly after he counts the cash, Derek smirks. Stiles wants his pay, right? Derek gets it, the Omega doesn't need to be so grouchy.

Stiles peeks into the envelop and stares at it blankly for a long time in silence. Huh, for someone who wants money, Stiles doesn't look that excited. Stiles puts the envelop back on the table, and pushes it toward him. "Keep it." Stiles said.

Derek gapes in disbelief. What the hell?

"I said," Derek pushes the envelop back at Stiles, "that's your pay."

Stiles nods slightly, but he pushes the envelop toward Derek again. "I understand, but I take the shopping earlier as my pay this month. You can start giving me the envelop next month."

Derek pushes the envelop. "Don't worry, I insist."

Stiles pushes it back. "I don't want it."

Derek scoffs. "Yeah right, who doesn't want money.."

"Well hello then, my name is Stiles, nice meeting you." Stiles answered sarcastically. That's ticking Derek off.

"Seriously, what the fuck is going on with you? You're acting like an ungrateful brat right now."

Stiles flinches, but the Omega doesn't say anything and refuse to meet Derek's gaze.

"You want the fucking money or not??"

Stiles shakes his head, eyes still looking down.

"Fine. Yamato!" Derek called his waiter. The waiter comes to his table and smiles, "how can I help you, Mr. Hale?"

He smiles back. God, it's one of the reasons he doesn't like going out, all this fake-smiling is really exhausting. "We're done here." He gives the envelop to the waiter. "I'm sure that should cover it, keep the change."

Yamato opens the envelop and Derek mentally smirks as he sees the eyes of the waiter practically pop out of the sockets. "M-Mr. Hale, m-maybe you want to check what's inside before you give this to me.."

Derek smiles. "I know what's inside, Yamato, just share it with all the staff."

"A-Are you sure..?"

"Yes, Yamato, I'm sure." Derek's lips start to sore, dammit waiter, just take the goddamn money and leave.

"A-Arigatou gozaimasu, Mr. Hale." Yamato bows down at him. He smiles for the last time (finally) as the waiter turns to leave.

Derek turns to look at Stiles. Stiles is staring at him with a kicked-puppy look on his too-beautiful-for-his-own-good face. The boy's mouth is hanging open and those stupid brown eyes are wide and soulful and teary—wait, why are they teary this time?

"What? You said you don't want the money." Derek teased.

"I-I know.." Stiles answered softly with a shaky voice.

Derek smirks. "Oh I get it, you regret your decision, don't you?"

Stiles laughs weakly, and somehow, mixed with those teary bambi brown eyes, the look tightens Derek's chest. The way Stiles laughed earlier in the department store made his wolf jump in excitement that Derek needed to remind the wolf in him of the fire-yes-you-know-what-fire to hold him down. But this laughter, it upsets his wolf. The muscles in his fingers twitch as he feels the urge to reach for the boy.

"No. Not at all." Stiles assured him.

"Then why the hell are you looking at me like that!?" Derek loses his patience. He wants Stiles to stop showing that kind of expression this instance.

"Nothing, it's just—" Stiles blinks his teary eyes and looks at Derek, "that was the first time I’ve seen you smile, and it was really nice, and uh.." Stiles laughs weakly again and takes a deep breath, "I'm just saying that the waiter was so lucky to be the one you were smiling at, that's all."

Derek is taken back by Stiles' answer, he raises his eyebrows. Really? That's why Stiles was so upset? He wants Derek's to fake-smile at him?

"You're stupid." Derek said in impulse. He hears Stiles' heart skips a beat at the same time he sees the Omega flinch.

"I-I know, right?" Stiles laughed shakily, his body trembles slightly. Derek's guts keep telling him to rephrase his earlier comment, but before he obliges, Stiles already stands up from his seat.

"C-Can—" Stiles clears his throat, "can we go back now? I need to prepare the afternoon snack before the others come back home."

Derek stares at the Omega who avoids his gaze for a while, before standing up himself. "Let’s go.”

Stiles is back in his silent state again as they walk side by side. Derek baits him to talk by offering him cook books. Stiles just twitches his lips without even looking at Derek and shakes his head. Derek is extremely irritated. You know what, screw him! Derek can't believe he actually just baited anyone to talk. Usually, he's the one who's baited! Who the hell does Stiles think he is?

Derek decided to take elevator to go down faster. He taps on the elevator button grudgingly and shoots a glare at Stiles, who doesn't even seem to notice since the Omega looks anywhere but him the entire time. Fine, ignore him, and see if he cares.

The elevator opens up and they move to enter it, people lining up behind them. Since they were the first one entering the elevator, they were pushed by the crowds to the elevator's wall. The next thing Derek knows, he's trapping Stiles to the elevator's wall with his firm body.

Derek looks at Stiles who apparently still finds the floor interesting. Stiles is still extremely quiet and he still won't look at Derek. Derek rolls his eyes, this is just ridiculous. He growls very lowly, Stiles would be the only one who can hear him as a werewolf. But Stiles doesn't answer to his growl, probably still drowning in whatever stupid thoughts the boy is having right now. Derek huffs in irritation and nudges Stiles' cheek roughly with his nose. What? His hands are full with all these shopping bags!

When Stiles looks up to him in surprise, Derek raises his eyebrows in question. Stiles just smiles half-heartedly and looks back down again. Derek scoffs in disbelief. He fights the urge to nudge Stiles’ cheek again. No, Stiles’ cheek is not soft and it definitely doesn’t smell nice.

The drive home is filled with tensed silence and for the first time, Derek finds silence frustating. And it's unusual because Derek is not only used to silence, but he also embraces it. Hell, he defines silence with his infamous stoic figure. But somehow, this silence doesn't feel nice at all. And this is stupid, that the glorious Alpha Derek Hale is getting worked up by a sulking teenager whom he got to know just two months ago.

"Look. Whatever your problem is, just get over it already. Don't dump the crap on me, you're acting really childish." He complained. He hears Stiles' heart skips a beat again.

"'kay." Stiles softly answered.

Derek tenses when he suddenly smells salt in the air. Tears. He glances at Stiles, the boy's face focuses on the scenery outside his side of car's window. Stiles is...crying? Derek's grip on the wheel tightened.

Ignore it, ignore it, just fucking ignore it...

"Stiles." He heard himself call the boy's name, he could hear his wolf whimper as the name slipped through his lips.

Derek curses himself for sounding so weak and pathetic. Why does he care about what this boy feels? Stiles is not even pack, so is why the wolf in him upset right now? Didn’t it learn a damn thing from the past!? Fuck.

When Stiles doesn't answer him, he doesn't call the boy's name for the second time. Silence once again fills the air between the two werewolves. If Stiles sobbed quitely as he hid his face by facing the window, then Derek pretended not to hear.

Chapter Text

"Okay, shoot." Erica said from the kitchen counter. Today is Saturday and the pack just finished their breakfast. The boys are running around Hale's territory to bond, since the weather is wonderful this morning.

"Huh?" Stiles stares at the beautiful werewolf blankly, the movement of the dish sponge in his hand halted.

"What's in the head of yours?" Erica asked, flipping Isaac's National Geography magazine but not really reading it.

Stiles shrugs. "Nothing. I'm fine." He scrubs the plate again with extra power.

Erica smirks. "Really? You've been so focused on the same spot on that plate for about twenty minutes, I think you've made it an inch thinner."

"Oh." Stiles realizes about that now and blushes. He throws the sponge and rinses the plate right away. Erica still looks at him with a knowing smile, like she can read him. Girls. Boys can't hide anything from them, can we?

"Did you and Derek fight?"

The plate slips from his hands, dropping into the sink with a loud clattering noise. Erica snickers from behind. Dammit.

"I'm—we're fine. Should've you tagged along with the others?" Stiles tried to steer away the conversation, but Erica ignores the diversion.

"Derek keeps stealing glimpses your way like some creeper and then huffs like some stressed old man—don't tell him I said that—and then I noticed you haven't talked to him for three days. We're just concerned, because our Alpha's mood goes downhill pretty fast. It shows on the pack's training, you weren't there, he tortured us. Just make up already, days are brighter when Derek is calmer." She complained.

Stiles puts the plate on the drawer not so gently. "Well maybe, if he has even the slightest will to just—simply smile at me, I will talk to him." He said with a hint of frustation.

Erica snorts. "Yeah right, like he ever smiles—wait, are you—oh my God, are you sulking because Derek doesn't smile at you!?" Erica stands up from her counter seat and looms around Stiles, playful grin on her pretty face.

"I am not!" Stiles denied a second too fast and he knows Erica heard the skipped heartbeat, his cheeks blushing furiously. "Erica, just go running with the pack, I have to clean the bedrooms." He goes upstairs. Instead of leaving, of course Erica chooses to follow him around.

"Stiles! What are you so upset about? Derek might not smile at you, but he definitely likes you!" Erica entered Scott's wrecked bedroom, right behind Stiles.

Stiles, who's gathering dirty clothes from the floor, laughs weakly. "Erica, the only reason he doesn't kick me out of the house is because you all like me." He throws the pile in the laundry basket and moves to fix the bed.

Erica helps him by tidying the pile of school textbooks on Scott's desk. "Oh, Honey, you know that's not true. We've been living with Derek Hale for two years before you. Believe me, if he didn't want you here, you wouldn't be, no matter how low we grovel on the ground."

Stiles pauses what he does and faces Erica. "Then why—just tell me why he wouldn't smile at me..?" Stiles' voice catches in his throat, angry tears filling his eyes again. "I tried everything to please him, Erica. Everything. But he still hates me.."

Erica pauses too and stares at him, confused by the reason of Stiles' distress. "Stiles, Derek doesn't hate you, he just doesn't smile."

"Apparently, he does!" Stiles yelled, single drop of tears finally spilling to his flushed cheek.

Erica seems more shocked by the view in front of him than what she just heard. She steps closer to Stiles, who's angrily wipes the tears on his face with his sleeves. She guides him to sit down on Scott's still messy bed before sitting down herself. "Before we jump to any conclusion, now tell me, who did he smile at..?" Erica asked.

Stiles tells Erica what happened at the ramen booth few days ago. When he finishes, Erica just raises her eyebrows at him and smiles in revelation. "You were not upset because he didn't smile at you, you were upset because he smiled at someone else."

More drops of upset tears spills out of Stiles' eyes as the flashback goes on in his head, the memory of Derek's smiling at someone else, while never to him, still leaves unexplainable heartache. Erica just sighs and pulls Stiles into a hug.

"I don't know why you want that kind of smile. If Derek smiled at me like that, I'd probably cry and run away from home, because it means he feels nothing for me." She said.

Stiles frowns in confusion. "What do you mean..?"

Erica pulls away and smirks. "Stiles, what you saw at the ramen booth is polite Derek. And polite Derek is his default for everybody but us, got it?" When Stiles just shakes his head slowly, Erica sighs dramatically.

"That smile was just a social mask, okay? He wasn't actually feeling like he's smiling, which I'm sure is what actually you thought had happened back then. He just did that as a way of saying 'just do what I say and get the fuck out of my face' or he simply doesn't give a shit about the person. He often does that to humans, because he can't practically growl at them, right?" Erica laughs softly.

Stiles doesn't answer, still trying to interpretate the new information. So, Derek doesn't hate him, he just smiled at that waiter because the waiter didn't mean anything to him? Does Derek really never smile at anyone he cares about? Like reading his mind, Erica starts speaking again.

"Stiles, you have stayed with us for more than two months now, don't you see how Derek treats me and the other Betas? He's obviously not the most gentle Alpha in the universe and he probably seems annoyed to hell all the times by our existence, but I know he would hand over his life to protect this family. Derek would just never admit it and that blatantly shows that he loves us. Do you know why..?"

Erica smiles sadly when Stiles shakes his head again. "Because deep inside he knows, if we found out how much we mean to him and used that to betray him, he wouldn't survive the pain," Stiles is startled to see tears forming on Erica's eyes, "and even now, no promises or reassurance from us can ever heal him from that fear, not after what he's been through."

Stiles gulps, that's it, he had enough. He needs to know Derek's past. "Please, tell me. What happened to him, Erica..? What makes him this way..?"

Erica wipes her tears with her fingers and takes a deep breath. "When Derek was sixteen, he fell so deeply in love with this woman, a human. She was much older than him, it made their affair illegal by law. So, she asked him to keep their relationship a secret. Derek was so blinded by love, he never questions anything that the woman asked of him. When she started asking about his family, he trusted her so much that he shared his family's legacy. He told her that his family was a pack of werewolves, living in a house in the middle of the restricted woods. Derek just wanted the person he loved to accept who he is, and she acted like she did. What Derek didn't know back then, was that she was a hunter on a mission. Never once did it cross Derek's mind, that she already knew who he is and—God, I hate that bitch—she got close to him just to get detailed information about his pack and the exact location of their den.”

Stiles gapes in shock and finds himself speechless. Erica takes a deep breath to calm herself down before speaking again. “Until in the middle of one night, Derek was sneaking out with his sister to try her new car. When he went separate ways from his sister to sneak into his girlfriend's flat, the woman wasn't there. Can you guess where she was, Stiles?"

Stiles can, but he is too afraid to say it, because even just the thought is too cruel, too evil, too inhuman. The thought itself makes him shiver to the bone, he just let Erica says it for him.

"She was at the Hale's house. She—she was here eight years ago with the other hunters, torching the house into fire with every sleeping member of Derek's family in it. She thought Derek would be in the house too, she didn't know Derek went out to see her. She wanted to kill him from the beginning, Stiles, she never loved him. Derek lost three things that night. His family, his home, and his faith."

Stiles’ heart breaks for Derek, he touches his cheeks and realizes that he's been crying. He mourns for Derek's agony, sharing Derek's anger and fear. Stiles still remembers the days when he felt that too. The anger towards life, the fear to let someone in. Only now that Stiles realizes, that he no longer felts that angry and that afraid. These past few months, Stiles was so carefree. So fulfilled.

After finally learning Derek's deepest scar, to think that his life was miserable, he must be the most ungrateful being in the world. And fuck, when he thinks the story is over, a more heartbreaking one is just beginning. When Erica is done with the drama of Derek's uncle and how Derek had to kill the only member of his family left with his own hands, Stiles is hugging Erica and sobbing like it's his own life that's on the brink, not Derek's.

Stiles must have lost his mind, to be angry with dead people. He wants to resurrect them just so he can chase away those people from Derek himself. His wolf snarls in him, pumped with hatred.

Erica rubs Stiles' back to calm him down. "Maybe it's hard to believe, but Derek saved us when we thought all the hope was gone. He took us in and gave us a home, a family. He's a good person, Stiles."

Stiles believe that with all his heart, because Derek saved him too that night in the woods, when all Stiles saw was darkness. "He is. Oh Erica, I'm an idiot.. Derek was right, I’m so stupid." Stiles whispered to Erica's shoulder. Derek’s pack unconcsiously healed him, but no one has healed Derek. And here he is, pushing his way in and sulking like a brat when things don’t go his way.

"If Derek treats you bad or cold or rough, it means you're climbing over his walls as we speak and he's in his self-defense mode. He notices you, Stiles. You've grown on him and he's afraid, he's afraid you will know and take advantage of that. You wouldn't do that to him, would you..?" Erica asked with a kicked puppy expression.

Stiles pulls back and shakes his head, tears staining his flushed cheeks. "Erica, I would never—God, I’m feeling so stupid for being so selfish—I would never do such things, I would never hurt him.."

Erica suddenly grins widely and kisses Stiles' wet cheek. "I know! Actually, all the Betas know! That's why we approve!" She said cheerily before standing up and fleeing downstairs, leaving a confused Stiles behind her.

Stiles doesn't understand what Erica means, he just sits there with a gobsmacked face and embarrassing hiccups. "A-Approve what..?"

"I'm catching up with the others!" Erica yelled from downstairs, Stiles can hear her giggling.

"Erica! All of you approve what!?" He asked louder.

The slam of the closing front door is what answers the hanging question.

Derek's mind wanders as he runs through the wet floor of his woods. He doesn't know how to deal with Stiles, the Omega still won't talk to him and it pisses him off. He still can't get the memory of Stiles crying out of his mind either. His inner wolf won't get over it, leaving him with sleepless nights.

How much longer will Stiles keep his childish tantrum anyway? Derek doesn't even know why the boy is very upset over a fucking smile at  a fucking waiter. It meant nothing, for crying out loud!

Should he smile at Stiles like that? Even though the smile itself is meaningless, maybe the boy would cave in. Nah, what's the fun in that. He should throttle Stiles to the ground and wrestle him instead. Now that is fun. Imagine that slender body, that long curve of a neck, the gasping rosy lips, those wide brown eyes, all submit under him. Okay, what the hell just crossed his mind? Stop. Thinking. About. Stiles.

Suddenly, wolfed out Erica jumps on him from the side. Derek is taken by surprise, but his instinct kicks in immediately and in two seconds he holds Erica down on the ground, growling at her. Erica just snorts and giggles, turning back to her human form.

"Don't get grumpy on me, you're zoning out. What are you thinking about? Or who, probably?" She teased.

"It's none of your business!" Derek barked, though his ears reddening like a culprit caught in the act.

Erica sighs in amusement, looking at her idiot of an Alpha. "It's been two months, Derek, how much longer will you deny him? I bet every fiber in your body itches in need right now, not being close to him."

Derek looks away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Derek, we all know who he is. What he's meant to be."

Derek's jaws are clenched. "No, we don't. We don't know why he's here." He pressed.

Erica rolls her eyes in exasperation. "And that's the point that you failed to see! Any normal Omega would flee on sight of an Alpha, Derek! And he did! He ran away all his life from territory to territory! But he practically begged to stay with you! What do you think drove him to do that? Look at him! He takes care of your pups with obvious contentment all over his face! And he's still around you no matter how shitty you treat him! It's his instinct, Derek!" Erica pushed, desperate to make Derek understand. 

"He is NOT what you all think he is!" Derek growled in wrath, eyes flashing red.

Erica shivers and whimpers under his Alpha's angry glare, but like having a determination, she doesn't back down. She throws her best puppy eyes at him, which somehow calms Derek down. Curse his pups and their lethal weapon to make him cave in.

"Scott doesn't even know the essential of the word and his wolf recognized him right away. Jackson caved in the next day. I did on three days. The others needed a week. Haven't you felt it at all?" Erica asked softly.

From the very first sight of those stupid bambi eyes. He heard his wolf growl softly in his head.

"No." He denied, looking away from Erica again.

Erica scoffs in disbelief. "I can't believe—Derek, Derek, please look at this lowly Beta of yours."

Derek looks at his pup, the one he's very proud of for her bravery and beauty. She smiles so lovingly at him, Derek can see adoration in her eyes. Derek hates it when his pups do that, showing their affection toward him.

"He's not her, Derek. Or any werewolves that came at you for benefits. This time, it'll be different. This time, there'll be no lies and treachery and agenda. I promise you, because I met mine, I know. And yours, not only will he love and treasure you, but he will also love and treasure your family. Just like your father to your mother. Let him in, Derek, and see for yourself." Erica said softly, still smiling at his troubled Alpha.

Derek stares back at her, hearing the truth in her voice, wanting so badly to believe every word she said. Will he take that chance? None of it was ever worth the risk. Is it now?

"Oh hey guys!" Erica suddenly said merrily, looking at the other way. Derek is startled and turns his head to see the other Betas watch them with curiosity in their eyes.

And apparently, their silly brains told them that this is a puppy brawl because they howl in excitement and leap in. Scott and Jackson are the first to throw their bodies upon him, of course. The older betas laugh and join them. They nudge with their head, sniffing, and tugging Derek's limbs, demanding his attention.

"Hey—GET OFF ME! This is not a game!" Derek struggled to break free, but it's not that easy when you have five werewolves strangling you. Scott and Jackson purr happily into his shoulders. Dammit, isn't there anyone here afraid of him anymore?

The Betas are all content when it's time to head back. Derek walks behind, huffing and stretching his back. All his muscles are sore from the earlier 'playtime'. Pups. You can't help it when they get too excited. As they head closer to home, sweet scent of caramelized blueberries fills the air.

"Awesome! Stiles is baking pie!" Scott exclaimed excitedly. Jackson's ears twitch as he silently take a deep breath of the sweet scent, making Isaac grin and lay his arm around the younger pup's shoulder.

"I hope he makes Jackson's favorite iced chocolate with it." He teased, smiling when Jackson glares at him to shut him up.

"Actually, I did!" Stiles said loudly from the porch, grinning and waving at them. The Betas perk up at the sight of the Omega and run ahead to get in the house, leaving Derek far behind just like that. Derek rolls his eyes, his Betas' loyalty can be bought with pie and iced chocolate, good to know.

"Don't eat too much, I roasted lamb racks for lunch!" Stiles yelled over his shoulder, plates clattering from inside the house.

"Don't worry, I always have space for everything!" Scott's voice echoed. Derek snorts, don't we all know that.

"Hey, you look tired." Stiles said to Derek. Derek stops in his track. He almost looks if there’s someone behind him to make sure that Stiles was talking to him. But no, Stiles was indeed talking to him. Derek just stares blankly as the boy walks closer to him.

"Here." Stiles offered him a towel and a bottle of mineral water. Derek doesn't say anything. His hands just automatically move to take them, swinging the towel over his right shoulder. Meanwhile, his eyes are still locked on Stiles' face. Stiles is smiling at him, full package with those stupid bambi eyes, rosy red lips, and blushing cheeks.

Derek's heartbeat paces up, his wolf is very excited right now that all his fingers twitch. The urge to touch Stiles is overwhelming. He tenses, trying to surpress his wolf down. If he let go, he's pretty sure Stiles would be pinned down on the ground right now. Fuck, Stiles is really it, isn't he? Derek didn't look for this and the world threw it on his lap.

Stiles' sun-blinding smile fades into a small one, his feet play with the grass and pebbles on the ground. "I'm sorry, I've been acting very immature these past few days. You didn't do anything wrong. I guess I’ve just been making a fool out of myself again, haven’t I?" Stiles laughs nervously.

Derek doesn't dare to open his mouth, he's barely in control right now. His wolf really wants to come out. He feels his fangs poking out of his gum, Derek clenches his jaw to retreat them back. He blinks his eyes as he feels them burning red.

Stiles looks at him, waiting for his response. But Derek is still struggling to calm himself down. Stiles nods and smiles, but this time there are tears in his eyes. "I understand, you're still too angry to deal with me." Stiles clears his throat when his voice gets shaky. "I'll leave you alone, but I hope one day you would forgive me and accept my presence again."

With that, Stiles turns to walk away. Derek shakes his head and growls in annoyance, this boy always misreads everything, it’s not even funny anymore. He grabs Stiles' wrist tightly and yanks the boy back to him. Stiles yelps in surprise as his scrawny body is pulled roughly into Derek's arms.

"D-D-De—" Stiles stuttered in shock.

"Shut up, or I'll kill you." Derek threatened half-heartedly. He tightens his arms around Stiles and burries his face on the curve of Stiles' neck, taking deep breaths of Stiles' intoxicating scent. And it works like paralyzer, his wolf calms down right away, satisfied by the direct contact.

"Don't ever ignore me again!" He heard himself growl angrily. Nope, not him. That's his crazy out-of-control inner wolf talking. When it takes control, Derek can be so demanding. There’s nothing he can do about it and everyone else just have to fucking deal with it.

Stiles whimpers, nodding his head that's now attached on Derek's broad shoulder. "I'm sorry." Stiles whispered so softly, hesitatedly moving his arms to hug Derek back. When Derek just let him, Stiles burries himself even deeper into Derek's embrace.

Derek can hear his own heartbeat beating fast, but Stiles' is even faster, just like the heartbeat of a racing horse. Stiles' body is trembling, but the boy still grips the back of Derek's t-shirt desperately.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Calm down. And stop shivering." Derek whispered his complaint, still concentrating on taking notes of Stiles' scent and the warmth of Stiles' body in his arms.

"I-I can't.. My wolf.. T-Too happy.." Stiles whispered back shakily. "I'm so h-happy.."

Wrong answer, Stiles, wrong answer.

Derek mentally groans as he feels his inner wolf pushes to come out again, moved by Stiles' reaction. Well, now Derek has no choice but to keep Stiles in this position for another five minutes. What? He needs to calm down his wolf! And this method works amazingly. Besides, it's Stiles' fault that his wolf is so worked up anyway.

What the hell, Stiles just squeezes him. This boy never thinks about the effect of his actions, Derek has to punish him. Make that seven minutes.

Chapter Text

The Alpha of The Pack of Banff
Requests The Pleasure Of Your Company at

The Courting Ball

Saturday, The Tenth of November
At Seven O'Clock In The Evening
The Fairmont Banff Springs Ballroom
Banff, Canada

P.S. Derek, Honey, I swear in the name of your mother, if you don't come to my son's courting ritual, I'm going to hunt down your sorry ass and rip you a new one.

Love, Mama Sue.

"Erica, why the hell the plane tickets said it's on the seventh of November!? You should have booked the ninth! The gala is on the tenth!" Derek fumed, stomping into the living room where his Betas laying around and playing XBox.

Erica looks up from the scrapbook she reads. "Is it? Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I must have  read the schedule too fast, mistaking seven for nine." Erica said apologetically, but Derek knows her better than that, recognizing the mischief in her eyes.

Derek eyes her suspiciously while he talks. "Boyd, it means we're gonna be there longer than we expected."

"Derek, that's weekdays, I have classes." Boyd said.

Derek groans in disbelief. "Are you joking right now?"

"I wish I were. Sorry, Boss." Boyd winced.

Derek turns to Isaac who seems attached to his laptop and raises his eyebrows at the oblivious curly haired young man. Boyd elbows Isaac on the side. The Beta is startled but then noticing that his Alpha is questioning him with his eyes.

"What? Oh. Uhm, I have classes too." Isaac said sheepishly.

The Alpha groans again and sends a murderous glare at Erica. She did this, the least thing she can do is going along with him.

"What? Don't look at me, I have a project to submit this Friday." Erica grinned innocently.

Derek's glare intensifies. This woman, he swears to God—

"You can take us with you." Jackson suddenly offered, pausing the game he's playing with Scott who's grinning hopefully at the Alpha. "Yeah, Derek, we don't mind skipping school for few days!" Scott added too eagerly.

The older Betas snort in amusement, someone mutters "of course you don't" under his breath.

"Nice try, but even if the sky falls down, you're still going to school." Derek said.

Scott' hopeful grin falters into a disappointed pout while Jackson just shrugs and focuses back on the game they were playing, catching Scott's attention back to it immediately. Few seconds later, they start accusing each other cheating again.

Later that evening, Derek is packing his essential upstairs in his room when he catches Erica's scent even before the young woman knocks on the door. She comes in even before he says she could.

"Are you seriously going to go alone?" Erica asked while she watches Derek moving back and forth from his closet to the luggage on his bed.

Derek stops in his track and shoots a deadly glare at Erica. "Yeah, thanks to 'someone', I am."

"Oh don't be so bitter, I'm sure there's someone you can bring along with you."

Derek eyes Erica suspiciously as she grins mischievously again. Seriously, what is she playing at? "No, as you can see, there isn't." Derek said, tossing socks into the luggage.

Erica hums and plays with her hair. "Well, you can always take your mate with you.." She suggested.

"I've said it a thousand times, Stiles is not my mate!" Derek hissed as low as he can, not wanting said boy to hear them from downstairs.

Erica raises her eyebrows, amused smile on her pretty face. "Who said I was talking about Stiles? Why, is he who comes to mind when I say mate?"

Derek freezes like a statue. He can't find words to say to that and it's nerve-wrecking, especially when Erica's smile gets even wider from his silence. The temperature of the room suddenly feels hotter. He can hear his own heartbeat go faster than it should.

Erica bursts into laugh. "I'm just kidding! Of course I was talking about him, your face right now is just priceless."

Can he kill this woman? Like, this second?

A wise Alpha does not simply kill his pup even though said pup is being incredibly annoying, Derek mentally told himself. He takes a deep calming breath and his sensitive nose instantly catches the hints of the scent of Stiles' mouth-watering shepherd's pie out of the oven just now. He mentally groans why now and tries to ignore it, but then he hears doors being slammed and feet stomping downstairs in a rushing herd. Obviously the Betas smell the fresh baked pie as well and Derek won't have any of it if they sweep it all clean.

"Erica, leave this instance or I take away your morning one-hour privilege of the master bathroom." He growled, ending up with a threat. The truth is, he really needs to finish up packing fast because he really wants that freaking pie. And he's the Alpha, dammit, he gets to have the biggest slice. Those ungrateful brats should have known their place in this house.

Erica pouts at him before she finally drags her feet reluctantly towards the door. But then she pauses at the doorway and turns around. "I just honestly think that Stiles deserves some days off, you know. And you need company for the event. We all know going alone means disaster to you, because it means everyone will try to start a conversation with you and your anti-social inner wolf hates that. So, why not, right?" She said with a shrug before closing the door behind her.

Well—When she puts it like that, Derek starts to consider the option himself. Compared to all the snobs that tried to steal his attention at every werewolf event he’s attended, Stiles is not that annoying. Stiles would be appealing company actually, imagine all the nervousness he will get to see on those stupid brown bambi eyes when the clumsy boy has to attend a formal ball. Derek can’t help smirking, maybe he should take the boy with him. And for once, such event won’t be that boring.

And no, this has nothing to do with the fact that the wolf in him purrs in approval at the idea of spending some alone time with the Omega in the middle of nowhere without his pups around. Because no pups around means no one will tease him or question his actions toward Stiles. Not that he wants to do anything.

Stiles fidgets in his seat, this is the first time he travels by plane. His senses tingle, catching everything that's going on around him from the scenery outside the window to the things in the cart that the attendant pushes back and forth, his eyes wide in interest.

"Derek, look! Woah, look at the cloud beneath us, it looks like a wide white soft carpet. And the sun, Derek, the freaking sun is like, so close right there." Stiles said eagerly to the man sitting next to him, the tip of his index finger attached to the aircraft window as he points out everything his eyes see. Derek's lips twitch, for a second Stiles thought the man would smile. But Derek just rolls his eyes before focusing back on his book.

Stiles lounges back on his seat. "Anyway, are you really sure I'm permitted to travel abroad?" Stiles nervously asked. Seriously though, he's pretty sure he doesn't even have a passport.

"That's already taken care of." Derek merely answered, copy of Art of War few inches from his handsome face. Stiles takes his time staring at the Alpha and if the man pretends he doesn't notice, Stiles is grateful for that. For the few days ahead, Stiles gets to indulge the view of that handsome face (and everything else) for himself without anyone calling him out.

Since the epic hug that he can't manage to forget even in his sleep, he hasn't been this close to Derek for almost two weeks. But now, he can't imagine how he will survive the tension of being this close to the Alpha again. Even earlier, his silly heart thumps like crazy when Derek leaned very close to his personal space and helped him with the safety belt. He bets his stupid face flushed like some stupid boiled crab.

His head wanders around the idea of spending time in some quiet exclusive town in Canada, surrounded by wild highland, with Derek. Instantly, he feels his inner wolf yelp in anticipation. Stiles is so excited but it’s possible he’s becoming more fidgety than he already is.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You barely stay still. You need to pee or something?" Derek asked, raising his monumental eyebrows at Stiles in annoyance.

"No.." Stiles said as he blushed and smiled shyly at Derek, shining brown eyes mirroring the happiness that fills his chest. "I'm just so excited to be in this trip. With you."

The last part came out as a soft whisper but Derek is a werewolf, so it's just as loud as the rest to the Alpha. Derek scowls at him in silence before the Alpha turns his head away, ears and cheeks blushing slightly pink matching Stiles himself. "Where's my bento?" Derek asked with a low voice, almost a whisper.

Stiles smiles smittenly, recalling Derek asking him to set a lunch box of rice and beef katsu before they left. Derek is really adorable. Actually, Derek is too adorable to the point that Stiles can't stop smiling at everything the Alpha does nowadays. Stiles starts to think that his excitement towards this closeness to the grumpy Alpha is not just as mere as the search of approval anymore, if only he knows what to call this feeling.

When they finally land eight or more hours later, Stiles can't even stand up straight. Apparently, his first flight was not that fun anymore after the first four hours up in the air passed. Stiles is more than ready to lay himself on the first flat surface he sees. He just hopes Derek agrees with him and gets them to where they will stay for the night right away.

“Derek, I feel funny..” Stiles admitted when they wait for their baggage, his body swaying a little.

Derek frowns at him in silence. Great, not even an hour into the trip and he’s already annoying the hell out of Derek. Stiles pouts miserably, he’s having the headache of his life and now a possibility of getting some of Derek’s angry growls. But to Stiles’ surprise, Derek gently grabs his arm and guides him to the nearest bench instead, sitting him down.

“Stay here.” The Alpha said softly, but his expression sends a serious warning that Stiles better does as he says. Stiles just nods, trying not to think about the loss he felt when Derek’s hand let go of his arm. Derek goes and comes back with their bags sooner that Stiles thought he would.

A very nice car picks them up from the airport, the very polite driver takes care of their luggage and opens the car door for them. Stiles falls asleep in the backseat the next minute and is nudged awake by Derek when the car enters the driveway of a very nice hotel with a fountain on its front and surrounded by trees and gardens of flowers.

Stiles' mouth falls open as he follows Derek into the lobby. He looks up to see a very big chandelier in the middle and looks down to see the floor made of shiny marbles. The people in here look very neat and Stiles bets the warm-looking wooden furnitures cost fortunes. 

"Good evening, welcome to the Rimrock Resort. How can I help you, Gentlemen?" The receptionist greeted with a warm smile.

"Good evening, we have a reservation under the name Derek Hale." Derek said.

"Of course, let me check it for you, Sir." The receptionist types something in his computer right away. "Ah yes, Ms. Reyes already reserved the best room in this hotel for you, Mr. Hale." The man confirmed.

After taking care of the administration and giving the room key, the receptionist smiles so brightly at Derek and Stiles. "It's our pleasure to welcome you and we ensure you and your partner will have the most unforgettable experience in your stay."

Fifteen minutes later, Stiles is standing in the middle of the most luxurious hotel suite he can imagine. There's a mahogany fireplace, surrounded by one big cozy-looking sofa with flowers pattern pillows and two beige lounge chairs. A huge mahogany coffee table is placed in front of the fireplace, a vase of fresh white and pink roses on top of it. The peach color of the floor carpet fits the soft ambiance of the room lighting.

Stiles passes the bed to check out the windows, gaping to find out that this room has its own private balcony. A freaking balcony, with a view of breath-taking mountains, pine woods, and flowing streams.

"Derek, this place is amazing." Stiles said breathlessly. Romantic. This place has all the requirements to be called romantic. He will spend private time with Derek in a very romantic environment, his inner wolf purrs in satisfaction. Stiles' breath is caught in his throat, what is happening to him? What is this warming sensation in his chest?

Stiles shakes his confusing thoughts and turns his back from the window to face the Alpha. Derek is staring hard at the royal king-size bed with floral duvet and matching fluffy pillows in front of him.

"The bed looks beautiful." Stiles agreed. Derek glances around the room and stares back at the bed. And then to Stiles' confusion, Derek's heart suddenly paces up so fast. Why? What's wrong?

Stiles' question is answered when Derek turns to the porter who comes in to place their luggage in the room.

"Why does this room have only one bed?" Derek asked. The porter looks at Derek like he's growing two heads, before regaining his best smile and answering.

"Why, Sir, it would be ridiculous to have more than one bed in this room, wouldn't it? This is the Honeymoon Suite, after all."