Chapter Text
Most people would say that misfortune follows the Hales – particularly Derek – but Stiles knew that Scott and him were quite powerful magnets for all sorts of trouble. His dad and Ms. McCall could testify abundantly about that. Because it wasn’t enough that they both already got in trouble all the time, but Scott got bitten by a werewolf and became one, started dating the daughter of a hunter, who happened to be a hunter herself too, and Lydia Martin, who would always be dating someone else, ignoring his feelings for her, turned out to be emotionally unbalanced and a banshee. Then, when Scott and Allison broke, who did he start dating? Kira, a kitsune. Because God forbid he would date a normal, next door, human girl. Oh, and they were friends with Derek Hale, who didn’t see them as his friends, but who still kept them busy with added trouble such as a Kanima on the loose – as if Jackson weren’t already a pain in the ass, just as human – a pack of brand new wolves with personality issues – and let’s start here with Erica, who had been really a piece of work -, and two mass murdering, crazy ex-girlfriends – okay, one dangerous ex-girlfriend and a REALLY dangerous ex-girlfriend, who happened to be their English teacher. But if that wasn’t enough – because maybe it wasn’t – two of their friends died – yes, the loss of Erica and Boyd was felt by everyone, not only Derek – then he got possessed by a Nogitsune – and hello! That should rank really high up there – and on top of everything, they lost Allison too. So yes, if Derek Hale thought he had it cut for himself, he should really check the scorecard because Scott and Stiles were winning them all.
Of course, Scott becoming an Alpha only added to the problems, because yes, it did turn out that the Alpha pack was after Scott, not Derek, but once that got disbanded and Derek was no longer an Alpha, life had to throw their way a nasty curve ball after nasty curve ball. Yes, let’s stop here for a moment and remember the Nogitsune trouble. It was horrible. Stiles literally lost his mind thanks to the monster, was made hurt the people he loved the most, KILL people - to death, as he pointed out once to Jackson – and he saw death as close as never before. Hell, he got closer to death than he has ever gotten to Scott, or even closer than he ever dreamed getting to Lydia.
But all that wasn’t enough, because trouble loves Beacon Hills and seeks to hang around Scott and Stiles when it happens by, and so, after the Nogitsune, it came again bearing nasty gifts. It was so nasty, that if Deucalion thought he was the Demon Wolf, he should really meet Castor, a vicious monster who could be easily called King of Hell. Even the Nogistune would have trouble competing with him. Then, with no other Alpha in the area as appealing as the True Alpha – namely Scott – Castor decided that he wanted whatever power he had.
After much talking over the issue and getting nowhere, they – namely the wolves and the human team (okay, that currently meant Stiles only, though he liked to count Lydia as part of that team as well, just for the fact that she wasn’t any were-thing) – decided to run it through Deaton, who told them what they already knew: they had no chance.
„But there has to be a way!” Scott insisted.
Deaton thought for a moment.
„Well,” he finally said, „there is a way in which you can get some extra power temporarily, that could help you get a chance at facing Castor, but you would have to work very carefully with it, have a very good strategy – a flawless plan.”
„Then we should do that!” Scott said.
Derek rolled his eyes, because it seemed that it took a teen to become a true alpha to believe that he’s Superman.
„And how do we do that?” Stiles asked preparing for the twelve labors of Hercules, as usual. Derek looked at the hyperactive teen with contempt. Why couldn’t he just sit out of the way? Couldn’t he see that he added more to the problem than to the solution?
„Sex magic,” Deaton said.
Everybody in the room paid attention. From all of them only Scott was grinning.
„And how does that work?”
„Evidently through sex,” explained Deaton. „Scott must have ritual sex with someone close to him with whom he shares a particular bond that allows them both to share life energy. Through sex magic its qualities heighten, strengthen and are temporarily transferred to Scott, who then can use this added power to fight against Castor.”
„It sounds good,” Stiles smiled at Scott, who was grinning in advance at the chance to get laid.
Deaton looked at Scott and then around everybody, measuring up their reaction before fishing out a large jar full of something that looked like Mountain Ash. He carefully scooped some of it and poured it on a tray.
„Mountain ash?” Stiles asked.
„No,” replied Deaton, turning to look at the teen „it’s a blend of different herbs and powder from very powerful tree barks and roots.”
„Nemethon?” the curious teen asked.
Deaton smiled at him.
„No,” he replied „but there are many powerful trees just like it.”
He moved the dark powder around the tray until it lay perfectly flat. He took out other jars, from which sprinkled a little of this and that, holding his hands over the tray and meditating or praying over it. Once this part was over, he directed Scott to one end of the tray and asked him to hold his hand over the tray, bearing his wrist. The powder seemed to jump and move as if it were water, as if it were alive.
„This blend reveals connections between people,” he explained „we will be looking for the person with the best, strongest link and also the best type energy signature to be transferred through the ritual.”
His eyes immediately fell on Derek. He held out his hand for him and the wolf approached. Scott’s eyes widened, admittedly a bit scared about what sex would be like if he turned out to be the person he needed to have sex with for the ritual. Not for a moment he doubted that if Derek was to be his partner, he not only would be on the receiving end, but he wouldn’t be able to sit for a week.
„Hold your wrist over the tray.”
Looking at Scott with a somewhat feral stare, Derek held his wrist over the tray. The sandy substance suddenly jumped up hitting their wrists and going past them, caressing their wrists while a gap formed between them, as if part of the substance chose to go with Derek and another decided to go with Scott. The whole substance detached from the tray, floating around their wrists as if it were black fire. Deaton’s eyes widened and then touched their forearms so that they would retrieve them. The substance fell back in the tray, soft and flat as if never had moved.
„Sad,” he said „it would have been a perfect transfer if there were a link.”
One by one, starting with the next strongest wolf, everybody held their wrist over the tray. The substance mostly jumped up to the center of the wrists forming then a bridge between Scott and the other person. Sometimes the powder nearly formed cuffs, but Deaton wasn’t pleased because not all the powder rose from the tray. When Kira failed the test, Scott seemed saddened. Then, when Stiles held his wrist over the tray, the substance jumped up and twisted around their wrists and up their forearms like a silky snake until the whole powder lifted from the tray.
„I guess it’s you and me,” Scott smiled.
Stiles smiled back. Well, they were so close to one another that many thought they slept together, and that didn’t bother them. Now they would live out the rumors about them.
„I guess we are making out after all,” Stiles smiled „and you’ll take care of my virginity.”
Scott laughed.
„What are friends for?”
They were moving from the tray, the matter falling back, when Deaton stopped them.
„But all the powder lifted up from the tray with Stiles,” Scott pointed out.
„It did,” Deaton said „which means that you two have a very, very strong connection that allows a perfect transfer.”
„Isn’t that what we were looking for?” Stiles asked.
Deaton smiled one of his enigmatic smiles, signaling Stiles to get back to the tray. When Scott was going to do the same, the vet held his hand out stopping him.
„Let me try something out.”
Stiles suddenly looked a bit apprehensive. Things got even worse when Deaton signaled Derek to step closer, this time standing where Scott had been.
„You know the drill,” Deaton stepped back.
Stiles had no idea what Deaton expected to happen. If there was no connection between Scott and Derek, there certainly wouldn’t be any between him and the former alpha. And there was Derek, looking at him like he wanted to turn him into road kill. Breathing deep, he held his wrist over the tray and the werewolf did the same. The stuff swirled once on the tray and then started pouring upwards to their wrists, rolling around them. The powder was quickly forming sand flames around Derek’s wrist, while it coiled rolling around Stiles. Flames and ribbons reached out, extended forming a bridge between them and as the last grain of the soft powder elevated from the tray, the stuff seemed to slide back and forth between the two of them until flame like ribbons slid between their fingers, circled around their wrists and stretched towards their forearms.
„That’s a perfect and strong transfer,” Deaton said.
Stiles retrieved his arm quickly as if he had touched fire making the powder fall back suddenly to the tray and lay flat and still.
„But I thought it was about increasing Scott’s power,” Stiles said unable to hide the hint of desperation in his voice.
„It is,” Deaton said putting a hand on his shoulder „and we will still make it so,” he explained.
He looked at Scott and then at the other two.
„This ritual can be performed by Scott and Stiles to work,” he said „however, the kind of power that Stiles and Derek can raise is much higher, much stronger,” his eyes went from one to the next. „The kind of connection Scott and Stiles share allows for the power Derek can lend be transferred from Stiles to Scott.”
Stiles didn’t dare to guess, and nor did Scott. Derek probably didn’t care.
„How?” Stiles asked
Deaton smiled.
„You and Derek would perform the ritual. Scott collects the power.”
„So,” Stiles elaborated „instead of having this magic sex with Scott...” he looked at Deaton to make sure he was right „it would be with Derek.”
Deaton nodded.
„It would be our best chance,” he said „but if you are not okay with it, we will proceed with the original plan of you and Scott.”
„You really don’t have to,” Scott put a hand on his best friend’s shoulder.
Stiles nodded mostly to himself and then looked at Deaton.
„I’m in,” he said „I’ll do it... if Derek agrees as well.”
The former alpha eyed him hiding well how surprised he was Stiles would agree. He looked at Deaton and lifted a little his head signaling thus his agreement. Not like he had actually much choice after Stiles jumping in head first. Showing his disagreement – however justified – would make him the obstacle in the plan, and he couldn’t allow himself to be the reason for a probable solution to be halted because he had reservations about who he had to work with. The vet nodded.
„Then it’s settled,” he smiled „you’ll perform the ritual.”
Stiles looked at Derek, who only looked at him for a moment, and then looked away. Was it wise? How would they do this if Derek wouldn’t even talk to him?
Later on, when all were gone, Deaton called them to talk to them privately.
„The connection between you two is strong and it’s there, but we need to work a few things out.”
Well, that wasn’t a secret, Stiles thought while he nodded.
„The full moon will be in a week, and I suspect that’s when Castor probably plans to attack, so we need to act fast.” Deaton made sure both of them understood.
„We will do this on the night of the full moon,” Stiles stated mostly to be sure he understood well.
„That’s when Scott and I are stronger.”
„Yeah!” Stiles turned to Derek „And when you could rip me into pieces!”
„But that won’t happen,” Deaton said quickly „however we can’t have any failure during the ritual.”
He eyed them in that very teacher like way that usually made Stiles shrug.
„No bickering, no insecurities, no passive lying or trying to distance yourself from it... in order to work ritual sex must be fluent, especially because many things will be involved, not only pleasure.”
This last part surprised Stiles. Pleasure? Well yes, sex implied pleasure, but the thought of enjoying sex with Derek seemed strange to him. Not that he thought Derek was bad in bed, but since the ritual wasn’t happening with Scott, he assumed it would be something more functional. And he wouldn’t spend too much time analyzing why he thought that yes, he would probably enjoy sex with his best friend. No, he would not go there. As of now.
„We will need to strengthen your personal relationship.”
To Deaton’s amusement, both the teen and the werewolf did exactly the same wide-eye expression of surprise.
„In a week?” Stiles asked surprised.
Deaton nodded.
„There’s a small house where I want you two to live for the next week,” he said giving Derek the keys. „It’s really small, so take with yourselves only what you really need for the week,” he instructed them. „You must eat together at the place at least once a day and must share the only bed there is,” he eyed them to make sure they understood he wasn’t joking about it. „Not taking turns,” he warned them „you must sleep together in the same bed.”
He waited until they both nodded their agreement, his eyes fixed on them making sure no joke was made, no complain was voiced.
„I’ll also e-mail you a daily task you must complete. We can’t afford to lose the power you two could raise, so there should be no slacking with any of the rules,” he eyed them severely. „If you can’t or won’t do it, you must tell me now, so I can concentrate on preparing you and Scott,” he looked at Stiles at the end.
Stiles looked at Derek. The werewolf was looking at him this time, less feral and slightly more approachable.
„We will complete the tasks,” Derek said.
Deaton smiled and gave him the address to the house he would share for a week with Stiles. The vet helped the teen explaining to Sheriff Stilinski that his son and volunteered to a wolf project and would be sleeping „at the project” for a week. Stiles marveled at the way Deaton easily talked to his dad, hid the truth from him and yet didn’t actually lie.
After that he went home, grabbed his backpack, the books he would need for school, his laptop and threw in a duffel bag a couple of trousers, some t-shirts, his lacrosse uniform, and underwear. He made sure to leave his dad a healthy dinner, hide all the snacks and leave him a note about what to eat and to please keep up on the diet.
Saying that the house where they would spend a week was small was the understatement of the century. Derek’s Camaro was already parked under the rickety porch-like construction that extended from the equally rickety looking roof. Stiles pulled the jeep up the small driveway that led to what probably intended to be the garage. In front of the house was a small yard full of overgrown weed, fallen leaves and some broken branches, giving it a creepy look. He walked to the front door, where he knocked letting himself in.
„Hello! Derek?”
There was no reply, but as he peaked in, he saw the wolf checking the cupboard at the tiny kitchen. The wolf looked at him and then went back to inventorying what could be found. Stiles twisted his mouth and entered the house closing the door behind him. In a few steps he found himself already in the middle of the place furnished with the basics. A couch, a TV on a coffee table pressed against the wall because it wouldn’t fit any other way, a small table with two mismatched chairs and a kitchen so small it would be crowded with two people.
„Well, Deaton wasn’t lying when he said it was small.”
Derek closed the cabinet he was inspecting and looked at the teen.
„Bedroom and bathroom that way,” he directed him.
Stiles blinked once and went in the direction he was pointed. Then he saw how small the place really was. The bedroom had a double bed where Derek would fit well if he didn’t have to share it with Stiles. At the same time, that barely two-people bed took pretty much all the space on the bedroom. There was a simple nightstand at each side and a built in closet. Derek’s leather jacket laid at the foot of the side facing the window, and a book had been put on the nightstand on that side. Stiles couldn’t resist the curiosity of checking out the book, so he dropped his stuff at the foot of the bed and silently went around the bed looking out of the door and then picking up the book. It was some sort of Sci-Fi novel, pretty worn, probably from a used bookstore. It still amazed Stiles to discover that Derek did nerdy stuff like read Sci-Fi books instead of devoting all of his time to train and do werewolf things.
The small built in closet already had some of Derek’s clothes in, neatly folded or hanged, pressed to one side. Stiles had nothing to hang, so he took his few clothes and put them on a free shelve, underwear at the back, and threw the duffle on the floor of the closet. He took his toothbrush and razor to the bathroom which was even smaller. No cabinet, only a small, cracked mirror before a tiny sink, a toilet and a tiny shower. There were caskets much roomier than that shower.
„Well,” Stiles muttered to himself „no sex in the shower.”
When he returned to the main room, Derek had finished checking everything in the kitchen and was sitting at the table looking through the window, lost in thought.
„Want me to get your leash and take you out for a walk?” Stiles joked.
Derek looked at him annoyed and then went back to look at the window.
„Come on, man,” Stiles occupied the only other chair available „say something!”
Derek looked at him again without even turning his head and went back to the window. He was a hard case.
„We are going to live together for a week,” he insisted „we should start to work on this communication thing, don’t you think?”
Nothing.
„Derek?”
Nothing. Stiles leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms before himself.
„Whatever is out there, it can’t possibly be that interesting.”
Derek sighed, finally looking at him.
„Don’t you have homework to do?”
„Already did it,” Stiles beamed „See? Talking? It’s not so hard.”
Derek eyed him before getting up.
„I’m going out.”
„Be home for dinner!” Stiles called after him.
The wolf went to the bedroom to grab his jacket while Stiles moved to the couch and turned out the TV checking if there was something good. The wolf passed next to him clad in his leather jacket and got out of the door. Stiles smirked knowing and couldn’t wipe that smirk in time as seconds after the wolf walked back through the door. Stiles held out the keys of his car.
„You can take mine,” he offered.
The wolf pondered the offer for a moment, but then went back to the bedroom, from which he emerged without the jacket, and sat on the couch next to the teen, looking at the TV. They sit there, Stiles wanting to talk, because that’s what he really felt like doing, and Derek wanting to be alone, so after a while Derek decided that taking a walk was better than staring at the dumb box. As the wolf went back for his jacket and out the door again, Stiles’ heart sunk wondering if they made the right choice. There was some movie on the TV but he couldn’t concentrate on it as he thought how they have a week until the full moon, how he will have to sleep with Derek „Poor Attitude” Hale. He sulked a little on his own, but then called his best friend in the whole world and talked for a while about nothing and everything.
„How are things with Derek?” Scott asked carefully.
Stiles sighed.
„Difficult, but then everything with him is that way.”
Scott thought for a moment before speaking again.
„Look,” he said „you really don’t have to put up with Derek. If there’s a link between you and I and it would work, we can do that.”
Stiles smiled.
„You can have me after this thing is over,” he joked and could hear Scott laughing hard at the other side.
They talked some more, and Stiles wondered why couldn’t things be also like that with Derek. He turned off the TV and surveyed the kitchen checking what was available for dinner. To his dismay, there was absolutely nothing in the kitchen that would be thrown in the microwave and heated, or popped in the toaster or anything that would simply need to be unpacked, heated and eaten.
„Oh man!”
Truth was that Stiles was very good at research, and next to Deaton had been proving to be quite okay with the handling of magical elements, preparing wards and some basic spells, but when it came to cooking skills he was lost. So what could he do with flour, a can of tomato paste or a potato? Well, maybe he could try and cut the potato into fries and fry them. But how many potatoes he needed to cut to get a serving? He grabbed a couple of large potatoes, peeled them the best he could and cut them. He didn’t expect the starchy liquid sipping from them, and so soon the fries he had cut were turning brown and looking ugly. When he had a handful of them, he washed them the best he could. Then he filled a pot with cooking oil and waited for it to heat. However, after five minutes he got tired of waiting, especially because the oil didn’t boil like water, so he decided to throw in the fries. Without warning he hot oil jumped up with a big noise and chased Stiles out of the kitchen.
„Oh my God!” he grabbed his head desperate at the nuclear war wasteland look the kitchen was taking.
Of course Derek had to walk in right at the moment, green eyes widening as he saw what his now roommate was doing.
„What are you doing?”
„Fries?” ventured the teen.
Derek looked at him with eyes wide in disbelieve. He then ran to the kitchen where there were half fried fries on the doors of the cabinets and on the floor. He took the pot from the heat and surveyed the place. It looked bad. He shook his and looked at the teen.
„Come and clean this up.”
Stiles did as he was told, eyes cast down in shame. Between the two of them they cleaned up the mess and then disposed of the oil and the ruined fries.
„You can’t cook?” Derek asked him with a tone that though it was upset, it wasn’t hurtful.
„Not really, no,” Stiles admitted.
„Then why did you even try?”
„Because I thought it wouldn’t be that hard,” the teen said „besides there’s nothing I could heat. It’s all stuff you have to make from scratch.”
Once the kitchen was clean, Derek turned to the cabinets, pulled out a couple of things and prepared pasta in twenty minutes. He served it in two plates which he gave to Stiles to take to the table while he fished out something to drink.
„Thank you,” Stiles said feeling stupid.
„Just eat,” Derek replied „it’s part of our tasks.”
They ate in silence and Stiles made sure not to bother the wolf again – for the rest of the day. Derek enjoyed the silence, though he had to admit that he missed the endless chatter of the teen, and it kind of felt odd that he wasn’t making noise. However he kept that to himself, for it was better to miss the noise than being exposed to the endless chatter itself.
Going to bed became a test even greater than cooking. They had to take turns to brush their teeth or even to reach into the closet for something, but when they were done, they both climbed quietly under the covers, strictly sticking to their own sides. Stiles switched off the light and Derek switched on the old, thin table lamp of the nightstand.
„I read in bed,” he said already covered up to his waist, book in hand „does it bother you?”
Stiles shook his head.
„No, go ahead.”
The bed was lumpy, the pillow flat and he couldn’t find his position. He turned once, then twice, then again but the mattress wasn’t cooperating. The bed seemed to sink towards the center, and he was afraid he would end up sprawled across the wolf in one of his world famous strange sleeping positions. At one point he found a good position and everything seemed nice, but as he relaxed into it, his body slipped and his ass pressed against Derek. So again, no go.
„Stop it,” the wolf muttered clearly losing his patience.
„I will, I will,” he promised.
He pulled to the very edge of the bed and curled up there. The position wasn’t the best, but it was okay, so he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. Of course that was easier thought than done, as his head was still rolling over and over about the chain of events that had led him to this improbable situation. He dutifully mulled over the fact that he could have been doing this with Scott, though probably he wouldn’t need to move in with Scott because they had a nice, healthy friendship that had been made evident in the strong bond they shared. The thing with Derek... well, that he couldn’t explain. He did had to admit that he cared for the sour wolf, and though he still scared the living bejeezus out of him, it scared him even more to see him hurt or cold out. Also, lately if he saw the sourwolf sad, it made him sad and he felt compelled to do something to make him feel better. All of which only piled up now that he nearly destroyed the kitchen, and relied on Derek cooking him dinner. He resolved he would pick up some cooking lessons even if he had to go by YouTube.
Derek lowered his book and sighed.
„The light doesn’t bother me,” Stiles looked over his shoulder. „You don’t have to stop reading on my account.”
„Your constant moving is bothering me,” the wolf pointed out.
„Oh,” Stiles rolled to his back, popping on his elbows at once „sorry.”
„Are you going to stay still at some point or are you going to keep rolling all night?”
Stiles twisted his lips.
„I can’t sleep,” he said quietly. „There are too many things to think about.”
„Put them aside,” the wolf replied „it’s not like you can solve them now.”
Stiles rolled his eyes and laid down again, turning his back to the wolf.
„Easier said than done.”
There was a moment of silence and then Stiles heard Derek read up. With eyes wide open, he turned to face the wolf, who effectively started to read his book aloud. Not once he turned to look at him, but as he read, Stiles rolled to face him and hear him better. Much of the plot was hard to follow – as it would with any good Sci Fi novel you happen to catch in the middle of, not knowing anything from the universe it was written from, but the steady voice of Derek, the way the story was written caught him quickly.
As the story went on and on, his eyes slid from nowhere to Derek’s arms and then to his hands holding the book. In a week’s time those hands should be on him, in ways that were not meant to hurt him. Would it really work? What would it be like? What would he think after it? What would he feel after it? What would happen in a week?
Derek started reading aloud to distract the teen and keep him from tossing and turning. Much to his satisfaction it worked right away. He kept reading soon forgetting the teen was next to him, thus not noticing when he stopped reading aloud and sunk again in the depths of the book. It wasn’t until he felt a soft snort and a little movement that he realized the teen had fallen asleep peacefully next to him.
He put the book aside and turned off the lamp sliding down in bed. In the darkness, he studied the ceiling reviewing the situation he was in. Here he was, having lost his status of Alpha, but not regretting it as it had helped heal Cora. He had lost his pack and nearly lost whatever “friends” he had. He had to send his last surviving sister to live far away from him in order to protect her. His life was full of complications, he wasn’t any happier than he had been since Paige, and now he had agreed to magically transfer his power to a teen through a ritual that would involve intimate contact with said teen’s best friend, who on top of everything was one annoying, fragile and pretty useless human. He turned to see the human sleeping next to him. Up close, asleep, Stiles looked like an angel. What a strange character he was! Always jumping up and down, loud, awkward, unnerving, but reliable, brave in his own way, resourceful, and stupid.