Archive of Our Own

Derek’s eyebrow twitched and by now Stiles knew to read it as you’re an idiot or maybe I’m hungry. One of the two. To be fair, Derek was always hungry. He ate at least three time what Stiles did on every one of their dates and that was impressive considering that people often think Stiles has a hollow leg.

“But really,” Stiles said because Derek hadn’t yet. “It’s okay. You know. I lo- like you anyway.” He winced and then wondered if Derek could smell lies. Not that it was a lie, necessarily. Just not… well. They’d only been dating for a couple months. It was still a bit early for that, wasn’t it?

“Stiles,” Derek breath, aggravation in his tone and Stiles felt himself relax because, yeah, that was normal Derek. Not the growl of the wolf creature that had become his boyfriend for the second’s time it took to push a speeding car out of the way that had been hurtling right towards him.

It was all very Twilight.

Stiles frowned. “You’re not going to try to convince me you’re a monster or anything, are you? Like, unless you sparkle in the sun I won’t care. I mean, I don’t really want you to eat people. You don’t eat people, right?”

“I could,” Derek told him, eyes flashing bright red. Stiles forced himself not to be impressed, though he figured that his heartbeat might be giving him away. “I could hurt you.”

Yeah, Twilight. Stiles mimed a gag. “You won’t, though.” His voice was sure because he was. “If you were going to, it would already have happened, even before I forced you to go out with me.”

“You didn’t force me to do anything,” Derek stated gruffly. “I… you weren’t eighteen the first time you asked.”

“Well I am now,” Stiles said.

Derek smirked. “I know.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “But really, though, when were you going to tell me?” A sudden thought came to him. “You don’t have a pack do you?” He gasped at Derek’s eyebrow twitch. “You do! It’s the evil trio, isn’t it? I knew it! Scott owes me ten bucks.”

Derek reached forward and tugged at Stiles. Stiles went, because he knew all about Derek’s ways of shutting him up and he didn’t usually disapprove. But instead of the usual bite-kiss combo, Derek just lifted his chin up. “You can’t tell anyone.”

Stiles frowned. “You know I won’t betray you, right? You’re… Derek, I wouldn’t.”

“I know you wouldn’t on purpose,” Derek said. “But… it’s not safe. There are hunters and-”

Stiles huffed. “Yeah, I know.” He felt a brush of cold as Derek stepped back suddenly, eyes completely red. “Why do you think I wasn’t so surprised? I mean, I was hoping you weren’t a vampire, actually, cause werewolves are way better, but… I mean Allison and I are friends and it’s her family and when they told her she kind of freaked out and came to me so… I know, Derek. And I won’t tell.” He closed his eyes. “I wouldn’t jeopardize your life like that.”

When he looked up, Derek’s eyes had gone back to hazel and his eyebrows were doing that thing that meant he was confused by Stiles. Which happened pretty often. Stiles laughed. “You okay?”

“I just don’t know why you’re not freaking out more,” Derek said suddenly. “I lied to you.”

“A lie by omission, but,” Stiles shrugged. “I understand. I just… you were going to tell me eventually, right?”

Derek nodded silently and his eyebrows turned down, soft like he was as they lay in bed, breath coming fast and no clothes to separate the heat of their bodies. “Soon. I wanted to. You… I didn’t want you to-”

“Leave?” Stiles guessed. He stepped closer. “I won’t. Okay? Not unless you want me to. I won’t ever leave.”

Derek shuddered and touched Stiles’ cheek with his finger. “I know.”

“Good,” Stiles said. He reached up and brushed at one of Derek’s eyebrows. “Now I know why these are so bushy.”

Derek snorted. “As if,” he said. He rubbed a hand on the back of Stiles’ neck and Stiles leaned back into it, his body trusting underneath fingers that could grow claws in seconds. His eyes saw the surprise in Derek’s eyebrows morph into desire and he smiled.

“Well,” he said. “They’re not as bad as Scott’s.”

Derek tugged at Stiles. “Don’t compare me to that pup.”

Stiles laughed aloud, delighted. “Is this going to be a thing? You comparing people to wolves?”

“Not people,” Derek frowned. He leaned forward and buried his nose in Stiles’ hair. Stiles frowned, not liking that it blocked his view. “Pack.”

“Oh.” Stiles felt his breath hitch. “Even though…”

“You’re still pack. You and Scott even, but,” he breathed out, “you most, Stiles. You’re my pack.”

Stiles wondered if there was something more to that statement than what it sounded. He pulled back and saw a tilt to Derek’s eyebrows he’d never seen before. “I don’t… understand.”

Derek’s eyes were dark and his lips twisted. “The rest… Erica and Isaac and Boyd, they already know. You’re not like Scott, just another pack member.”

“Are you saying I’m, because me and you,” Stiles paused. “Is this like some mate thing?”

Derek closed his eyes and his eyebrows shifted into aggravation. “No,” he said. “No imprinting either, before you ask. This isn’t Twilight, Stiles.”

Stiles grinned, caught. “Sorry, you were saying?”

“You’re dating the alpha, Stiles,” Derek said, as if it were somehow a deal breaker. “It’s more responsibility and danger. People will target you, if they know.”

“So I’m Pack Momma,” Stiles said. “Dude I knew that already. How else will Erica remember her jacket for school or Isaac get his hugs or Boyd know he’s not alone? Hell, I’ve been Scott’s, uh, you know, forever so it’s not really that big a deal.”

“Listen to me!” Derek said. “It’s dangerous.”

“You’ll protect me,” Stiles said, because he knew it was true. “It says so here.” He traced Derek’s eyebrow again. “You love me.”

And though it may be too early, it felt right to say.

Derek sighed, all fight going out of him. He didn’t say anything, but his eyebrows said enough and Stiles smiled. “I love you too.”

“I know,” Derek said. He kissed Stiles on the forehead, and then on the lips. “I don’t know why, but I know.”

Stiles rolled his eyes, but that wasn’t an argument he felt like getting into now. They would have all the time in the world later.