Chapter 32

They stayed at the loft the whole night, talking about what happened to the pack in his absence.

He was glad that there hadn't been a big bad while he was gone. He would've hated to find out if anyone had been hurt while he wasn't there to help.

Tessa and Lydia had been talking a lot, and Stiles could smell the want coming off Tessa. He only didn't know if it was for Lydia or to be part of something bigger. A bigger family.

Stiles took Peter apart when everything began to die down to ask him about Tessa's spark and magic.

''Have you ever met another wolf with magic? Because it seems to exhaust her.'' Stiles asked.

''I have, and it's possible that her magic is still new. You can see it as a muscle. How more you train it, the more you can use it. Spark turned wolves are rare. To find someone that can train her will be difficult.''

''Could Deaton do it?'' Stiles asked. He didn't trust the vet, but he wanted Tessa to train her abilities.

Peter scoffed at the idea like he was insulted by the suggestion.

''He probably could, but you shouldn't ask him. If Deaton feels threatened, he will lash out. You need someone that can help her and train her for emissary.''

Stiles narrowed his eyes at Peter.

''You already have someone in mind, don't you?''

Peter put a hand to his chest like he was offended, but when he saw Stiles raise his eyebrow, he relented.

''I may know how to train someone like her, and the Hale vault has books she could use.''

Stiles nodded. He still didn't trust Peter fully, but Deaton even less.

''Will you train her?''

''If you want me too, Alpha Stilinski.'' Peter then turned his neck in submission. Shocking Stiles, but also the rest of the wolves who had heard what was happening. Well, except Tessa, because she didn't know how earth-shattering this behavior was for Peter.

She was just looking curiously towards Peter and Stiles.

Stiles quickly glanced at Derek, asking for silent permission to accept the submission from his beta. Derek gave the briefest of nods, a small smile playing on his lips.

Stiles already had felt the pack bonds from other pack members, not as his pack, but as some kind of reassurance line.

When Stiles touched Peter's neck, accepting the submission, a real pack bond snapped in place.

''Can you have two Alpha's?'' Stiles asked curiously.

''Kind of, it's kind of a ma-'' Peter started, but he was interrupted by Derek scraping his throat.

''Well, it's already late. We should call it a night.'' Derek said hastily. Stiles looked at him in question but didn't comment.

****

The next few weeks went by fast. Everything seemed to fall into place again. News spread about Stiles's unexpected return. And gossip ensued, much to his dismay.

They talked about him in town like he was some kind of celebrity. Everywhere he came, he was gawked at, and it unsettled him. So he mostly stayed away from busy places.

Tessa had already found a new place to open her tattoo shop. She even offered supernatural tattoos, for, like wolves, she had found a special mix of wolfsbane. If she used that in her ink, the skin wouldn't heal, and the tattoo stayed.

She practiced on herself until Stiles offered himself. The shop wasn't open yet because they were still painting the interior and furnish the place.

''What kind of tattoo do you want?'' Tessa asked enthusiastically.

''This,'' He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket before removing his shirt.

''I want it here,'' Stiles then pointed to where his heart was.

Tessa seemed touched, already knowing the meaning of the tattoo. She got to work quickly.

After two hours of a little annoying pain, the tattoo was finished. Stiles got a look at it and beamed at Tessa. Loving his new tattoo and already knowing that more was going to follow. Tattooing really was addicting.

Stiles started to feel at home again, and of course, everything went to shit then. He was driving towards the loft, wanting to talk to Derek. They didn't have a conversation after he declared that Tessa was just his friend. And it irked him a little. He knew that Derek liked him, and Stiles liked him too. They could be adults about this, right?

But it seemed like Derek was avoiding him, and it was getting annoying.

He walked inside the building like so many times before. Bounding up the stairs with his new stamina was like a game of how fast he could go.

He was smiling a little when he was in front of the loft door, it was closed, but he could hear Derek inside—already recognizing his scent and heartbeat.

He could hear Derek walking towards the door to open it. Stiles didn't feel nervous anymore. He really wanted this. He just wanted Derek. He wanted to feel Derek against him. He wanted to feel Derek's pack bond. He wanted to place his hands all over that body, followed closely by his lips. And he should stop thinking that right now before Derek would notice.

The door opened, and Derek was smiling at him. Warmth flooded him, and he smiled back at him.

''Hi, can I come in?''

''Yeah, yeah, sure.'' Derek stepped aside, and Stiles strode in. Having already thought about how he would do this.

''So, I think we should talk.'' Stiles started. Derek seemed to deflate a little before nodding and guiding them to the couch, but Stiles didn't want to sit. He wanted to stand and walk. He had so much nervous energy.

They were silent for a moment, and Stiles was pacing the floor in front of the couch, Derek following him with his eyes and a blank look on his face.

That didn't help Stiles's nerves AT ALL!

''So, I think I'm just going to blurt it all out real fast, because I don't think I can hold it in anymore, and I don't want things to be awkward between us like they have been now, and I just wanted you to know how I think about things.''

Derek seemed to tense but didn't comment for a while, making Stiles even more nervous. Derek then let out a tired sigh.

''Get on with it, Stiles, I understand.''

''Great- wait, what?'' Stiles asked, confused. What did Derek understand?

Derek got off the couch and seemed angry for a moment.

''You're here to tell me that you don't want to be together. So get on with it.'' And Derek definitely was angry now, glaring at Stiles.

But Stiles started to laugh. God, he wasn't even the most oblivious between the two of them.

''Sourwolf, I'm here to tell you that I want to date the fuck out of you.''

''What?'' Derek said, dumbfounded, looking with a shocked expression at Stiles.

''I - want - to - date - you. Because I fucking like you.'' Stiles smirked. He then took a step forward in Derek's space before planting his hands on Derek's face and planting his lips on Derek's.

Derek seemed to freeze for a moment before letting out a soft moan and kissing Stiles back passionately.

His lips were soft, but the kiss was firm. Stiles lost himself for a moment. He was reveling in Derek. Feeling Derek's lips against his, feeling his body pressed at Stiles's.

He was so lost in Derek for a moment that he didn't hear the breaking of glass. But he did hear a continuing beeping noise. He pulled away from Derek with a frown.

Derek looked blissed out, and Stiles felt pride inside of him for being the cause of that look on Derek's face.

When Stiles looked to where the beeping was coming from he froze when he saw a grenade lying, bleeping with an irritating noise and blinking with a red light.

''DUCK!'' Stiles bellowed, pushing Derek down onto the floor. Stiles covered Derek with his body, and Derek seemed shocked until the grenade went off, and everything went black.