Tags: Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Good Pack Alpha Derek Hale, Alpha & Emissary Relationships, Bad Pack Alpha Rafael McCall, Hurt/Comfort, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Pack Dynamics, Mild Gore, Near Death Experiences, Unhealthy Relationships in a non-romantic sense, Stiles Stilinski Leaves Rafael McCall's Pack, Stiles is Rafael's emissary, Magic, Top Derek Hale/Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Good Peter Hale, Werewolf Politics, Praise Kink, the non-sexual kind
Summary:
There was no physical equivalent to what it felt like they did, so intimate it was. It was seeing each other naked, it was deep make-outs, it was dry-humping, and it was sex, but it was none of it. Perhaps, if someone opened their chest cavities, took their hearts and squished them together, that’s what it would feel like — feeling their valves open and close, the blood pump, the muscles contract, and one heartbeat pulse right into the other.
Derek offered his hand. “Let me show you one more time.”
“Show me what?”
“What would it feel like to have an alpha.”
Warmth burst in Stiles’ tight chest. His stomach swooped. His spark trembled in anticipation, reaching out, striving to taste that power again. Going red under the constant gaze of those hazel eyes, Stiles put his hand in Derek’s. He couldn’t help but give a small inhale at their sparks meeting once more.
Heat. Weight and weightlessness. Tight embrace and high, impenetrable walls. Power. Safety.
Chapters: 3, Word Count: 12k+
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage Sex
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Malia Tate, Kira Yukimura, Jackson Whittemore, Lydia Martin, Allison Argent
Additional Tags: Minor Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes, Minor Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Minor Malia Tate/Kira Yukimura, Minor Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pack Alpha Derek Hale, Alpha Derek Hale, Omega Stiles Stilinski, high school party, Boypussy Stiles Stilinski, Underage Stiles Stilinski, Knotting, Riding, Masturbation, Squirting and Vaginal Ejaculation, Arguing, Possessive Derek Hale, Obsessive Derek Hale, Petty Stiles Stilinski, Stiles & Derek Are Kinda Crazy, Happy Ending, Angst, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Platonic Stackson, Smut, Idiots in Love, Getting Together, #SterekReverseQuickie2026
Summary:
“Supposedly, the person throwing the party has the hots for Stiles.”
Derek growls and gives Stiles a hard look. “That’s…something. So you think you’re gonna go?”
Stiles shrugs, giving Derek a small smile. “Yeah. I mean, it would kinda nice to know what it’s like to go to a high school party.”
Derek laughs and shakes his head, not believing the words coming out of Stiles' mouth. “No. No. You’re not going.”
Stiles raises his eyebrows in shock. “E-excuse me?” The boy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Derek telling him no?
“You heard me. You’re not going,” Derek explains, not offering more information as to why Stiles can’t go.
............................................................................................................................
A story about fighting, masturbating, and making up.
[Read More]
This is the piece I drew for @sterekreversechallenges 's Reverse Quickie Bang to start off 2026 (: I also wrote two pieces if you're interested in those!
Been loving this trend of "censoring" art by just ignoring the genitalia, which then allows the viewer to superimpose whatever they want on the character depicted, which SterekLover took in spades <3 <3 let nobody ever ask me if its okay if they give my blorbo a pussy because the answer is YES!!! and also PLEASE!!!! love omega cunt so much... so good so good....
and bestie they wrote TWELVE motherfucking THOUSAND based on this little doodle. I am HUMBLED. <3 <3 <3
So I was going to make a well-structured rec list, but the more I try to organize it, the less I can find a proper order. So I decided to do it from the most recently read fic to the oldest one in my AO3 history.
__________________________________________
Get You The Moon
BY: AClosedFicIsNeverRead
words: 180.785
Derek looked up in surprise to note that they were taking a private jet. Dread settled into his gut like a stone.
“It has a cage, doesn’t it?” he asked quietly, and noted the subtle changes in his family members’ posture. “Is it for me?”
Cora gave him a pleading look and nodded.
“Is it because of what you’re going to tell me?” he asked, voice like gravel.
Another nod confirmed it.
Stiles.
Oh, GOD. It had to be Stiles. Derek would not lose control over anyone else in Beacon Hills and they damned well knew it.
- OR -
The one where Derek has been gone for 6 months building a new life, finds out that Stiles is being assaulted by Theo, so he comes back to Beacon Hills to kick some serious ass and rescue the loudmouthed human who stole his heart.
(You will need ALL the tissues, but it will have a happy ending by the time all is said and done!)
Title inspired by song:
‘Get You The Moon’
by Kina ft. Snow
(This fic is and always will be one of my favorites, it has a really special place in my heart. It has sensitive topics, so I recommend you read the tags, but it's worth going through all the angst to get to the happy ending, because it DOES have a happy ending.)
True Love's Kiss, Attempted Murder
by: cowboilikeme
Words: 120.040
Beacon Hills has never been the most normal of towns, but recently things have been happening that are getting harder and harder to explain. And it's becoming more difficult to keep the supernatural a secret when something newer, darker and scarier comes to town in the shape of a teenage girl. But she is only the beginning to their problems. And what she brings with her is the worst this town has seen in a while.
“What’s so bad about getting a ride in this?” Derek sounded like he was smiling, but as beautiful and unbelievable as that sounded, Stiles still refused to look at the man, “It’s a good car.”
“Overcompensating?” Stiles ridiculed, knowing perfectly well that there was no way Derek wasn’t packing something impressive.
“I think we both know that’s not true,” Derek was smirking when Stiles finally turned to him, if only in shock by the werewolf’s statement.
“I think we both know there is no way I could know that,” Stiles winced at how bitter he sounded, but once it was out, there was no point in trying to suck it back up.
(So this is the most recent fic I read, and I loved it, I really loved it too much, and it makes me really sad that it's not very well known or spread, because the characterization that the author puts to the characters is really realistic, it's literally like reading and imagining a different season of teen wolf, it really impressed me too much.
I highly recommend this fic, it's very good, and it may have some other unrelated things but they are not very relevant things, it doesn't affect the fic at all.
For real, run to read it! and comment what you think! Give the author a lot of love so that he/she continues writing more works of art in this fandom.)
Lead You Home Again
by;GotTheSilver
Words:49,962
The first time Derek meets Stiles, the kid’s brown eyes are wide, and he’s staring up at him with a mischievous grin as he tugs at the arm of Derek’s first ever Batman figure like he’s trying to separate it from Batman’s body.
An alternate take on Teen Wolf, wherein Stiles and Derek are childhood friends, and things unfold from there.
(I don't know about you, but I have a soft spot for fanfics where Derek and Stiles are childhood friends and grow up together, it's like really exciting to read, because this has a certain degree of canon, because it is known that Derek and Stiles knew each other as children but for some reason they have forgotten it? or decided to avoid it? I don't know, but I do know that you will love this fic, it is tooth rotting fluff, Okay, yes there is anguish, but afterwards everything is so fluff)
Fixing What Has Been Broken
by: JustJim & Useless_girl
Words: 102,205
Derek Hale is dead. That’s something Stiles Stilinski refuses to believe even for a second once he gets the call from his dad. He heads back pissed, because he’s convinced that he can fix that mess with or without the help of his old pack, because it is Beacon Hills we’re talking about. A town where no one stays dead for long. But maybe there’s more to fix along the way…
Or our reply to the Teen Wolf Movie's mess.
(we all know how awful THAT movie was, so our beautiful authors use their talents to fix that terrible movie and give us this wonderful fanfic that is everything it should be, we have mpreg (yes beautiful, and beautiful mpreg that explains Eli's precious existence) we have a little bit of feral derek (I know, we all love when derek gets a little bit feral) and we have a damn happy ending which is the best of all.)
Lock All The Doors Behind You
by:entanglednow
Words: 25,960
He has no idea what you're supposed to say when you find one of your...werewolf acquaintances, completely out of their mind, growling like they're about to see what your insides taste like. There's no handbook for this. Stiles is thinking that if he survives he might write one.
(Yes, sorry, I really do have a guilty pleasure for feral derek, it's just that it's the moment where Derek allows himself to be honest with himself and his feelings, without so many complex thoughts that prevent him from acting on his instincts. And yes, his instincts always tell him that Stiles is his safe place, his anchor, he likes his smell and basically follows him everywhere because he likes him.)
don't know what i'm supposed to do (haunted by the ghost of you)
by: crazyassmurdererwall
Words: 30,926
Stiles sees dead people. Yep. Seriously.
(He’s got this. He’s totally got this. So what if one of them is Derek’s mom?)
(This one may seem funny (which it is) but it also has some sad backstories, it's actually a light and very entertaining read, you guys are going to love it, you'll probably get frustrated (like me) that Stiles doesn't tell Derek what's wrong.
I really recommend it, those scenes with Talia are painful and beautiful.)
It’s Not Pretend When It’s Real
by: waterella
words: 32,741
“At least we got this far,” Stiles argued. “Could’ve been worse. For now, they know he’s taken by someone in the pack.”
“Mm hm,” Lydia said, giving him a look. “You realize that you are now going to have to pretend to date Derek, right?”
Stiles rolled his eyes. “Oh no, what a hardship. That sucks, boo hoo.” He motioned Derek emphatically. “He’s like, my best friend.”
“Hey!” Scott insisted.
“He’s like, my second best friend,” Stiles amended. “It’s fine, we’ll figure it out. Right?” He turned to grin at Derek, who was scowling at him.
(This is very funny, and just read it it's good, My favorite parts are where Derek keeps making excuses and Stiles only accepts them because they both want to keep kissing.)
The Price
by: theroguesgambit
Words: 18,452
Stiles must surrender the most important thing in his life to protect the town… and no one can figure out what it was.
(you guys have no idea how good this fanfic is, please please do yourself a favor and go read it right now, it's painful to read but i promise it has a happy ending for derek and stiles.)
Getting Better
by: The BadassIsIn
Words: 205,156
The season 4 rewrite absolutely no one asked for where Stiles actually deals with his trauma from the nogitsune instead of being a-ok with it all and added Sterek.
(So this is quite therapeutic to read, seeing how both boys deal with their traumas and get better together, it's really nice to read, but of course there is angst, but it has a happy ending, so don't worry, I would never recommend a fic that didn't have a happy ending for Der and Stiles.
So feel free to go read it and cry a little, get emotional and feel like a band-aid is put on your hearts as you see how our boys finally deal with their traumas.)
i fell into the moon
by: Iscar123
Words: 234,122
Laura Hale is arrested hours after returning to Beacon Hills. Derek Hale returns to town to bring his sister back home and together they are drawn into the mystery of a rogue wolf on their family land. They also can't seem to stop bumping into the Sheriff's son, Stiles.
Laura is determined to make Stiles her new best friend and Derek just wants everyone to survive so he can get the hell out of the town that took everything from him. Stiles just wants everyone to be happy.
(If you like fics where Laura appears, I really recommend this one, because Laura and Stiles become an amazing duo against Derek, it's very funny, but I recommend you read the one shot from where this fic is inspired first, it's very good too.
Derek using his charm with Stiles is my favorite thing ever.)
can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?
by: whiry
Words: 120,369
here's something strange about Beacon Hills.
Stiles can't really put his finger on it, but the way certain classmates look at him at school and the way certain adults look at him in the grocery store has him curious. And it's not the sort of pitying looks that his mom's coworkers used to give him, but these ones are longer, more searching, like they're looking for something. Not to mention the weird noises that sometimes come from the woods when he runs, too human to be animal and too animal to be human. Plus the way the Hales have seemed to sequester themselves to the wild and give Stiles serious Cullen family vibes.
But Stiles, like everyone else apparently, ignores it. Until it becomes too great to ignore and he has to investigate for himself and find out what is actually going on in Beacon Hills.
+++
Or, the one where Stiles and Derek meet, hate each other, slowly get to know one another, and fall totally head over heels for each other all while avoiding curious classmates, an angry ex-girlfriend, and, oh yeah, imminent death.
(If you like alternative universe- High School fics like I do, then you have to read this one, plus the entire Hale family is alive, and the werewolves are revealed, and Derek and Stiles have this awkward crush on each other that slowly develops. You HAVE to read this, it's spectacular. And cora is cora haha)
Molten
by: sugareey & wolfspurr
Words: 27,896
"Stiles, is that you?"
He recognizes that voice. He doesn’t know why he’s hearing it here though, in whatever cold, dark cave he’s found himself in. The owner of that voice is supposed to be miles away, back home in Beacon Hills. Unless Stiles is the one that’s ended up further from home than he could possibly have predicted.
"Derek?!"
(I like fics where Derek and Stiles are put in a cave or cage, and they only have each other to get out of that scary situation, but Derek's wolf always ends up very attached to Stiles. This is kind of like that.)
Spellbinding Mishap
by: Wasterella
Words: 45,855
Stiles winced, rubbing the back of his neck, and looked over at Derek again. “So... you know how you told me not to touch anything?”
Derek stared at him for a second, not seeming to understand, and then Stiles knew the moment it clicked because his entire face set so concretely it might as well have been carved out of stone.
“What?” Scott asked, looking between them, confused. “What’s going on? I don’t understand. What happened?”
“Yeah,” Stiles said slowly. “So the thing is, I uh, touched something. In the Witch’s house. And Derek came in and grabbed it from me. So he also touched it. And now it uh, it seems like whenever the two of us are a certain distance apart, we start getting sick. Or like, double over in pain. Or, you know, start dying.”
(Derek and Stiles are cursed and consequently can't be away from each other, so if you want to have a laugh, you can read this fic.)
Not So Boring
by: wasterella
Words: 69,062
“It was an accident!” Stiles continued, trying desperately to explain that this was all a huge misunderstanding and that the Demon clearly had to cut him some slack here.
It didn’t seem like he would be getting his wish, because the Demon’s annoyance melted into frustrated incredulity and he said dryly, “You summoned me by accident.”
“Yes!” Stiles insisted.
“How is that even possible? How do you accidentally summon a Demon?”
“You know, by accident!” Stiles argued.
“So you accidentally drew the summoning sigil into the floor, and you accidentally had an offering available, and you accidentally stood in the circle while accidentally reading the summoning spell?” the Demon asked dryly.
Okay, well when it was said like that, Stiles could understand the skepticism.
(And I close this rec list with another fic of our beloved westerella, and this is one where derek is a demon and stiles accidentally summons him.
And it's really funny honestly, you have to read it, it's great!)
After months and months I finally bring you these recommendations, and I promise to bring you more, but I won't commit to saying that it will be soon.
Please tell me if you've already read any of the fics I put on the list, and tell me what you think of these recommendations, is there anything in particular that you would like me to recommend? Please let me know.
And if you have any to recommend to me, I would really appreciate it, tell me which is your favorite fic and I will read it.
sterek | 30k so far | ao3 (still a work in progress!)
Tags: Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), The Hale Family Lives (Teen Wolf), Pining Derek Hale, True Mates, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Alternate Universe - The Duff (2015) Fusion, Slow Burn, Full Shift Werewolves, Made Up Wolf Lore, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, minor Kate Argent/Derek Hale
Summary;
Matt stood there next to him, red solo cup in hand, and his camera dangled from the strap around his neck.
"You know what your problem is?"
Stiles felt his eyes slightly widen, taken aback because what the fuck does that mean?
"Interesting way to greet someone, dude," He tried to sound playful, but he was slightly annoyed now, so he was sure that was noticeable in his voice and expression. Matt ignored his comment completely and turned around to look outside through the open sliding door, pointing a finger toward it with the hand still around his cup.
Stiles looked over his shoulder at what -who- Matt was pointing at. Scott stood there, talking and laughing with Liam, who had made his way outside without him noticing. Liam's friends, Mason and Hayden, were there too, accompanied by Isaac, who dragged Boyd and Erica along. Then there were Danny and Jackson, with Lydia huddled close to Allison.
"You're their DUFF."
"Their what?"
"DUFF- designated ugly fat friend," Stiles stayed silent and shifted his gaze back to the friend group outside, "You and I? We make them look better, more popular, more desirable." All Stiles could do was laugh.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski
Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale
Additional Tags: Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, POV Derek Hale, Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Top Derek Hale/Bottom Stiles Stilinski, POV Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski is a Nice Thing, Derek Hale is a Mess, Derek Hale is a Softie, Stiles Stilinski Is Bad at Feelings, Stiles Stilinski is a Tease, Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Horny Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale is Obsessed with Stiles Stilinski, Porn with Feelings, Porn With Plot, Horny Derek Hale, Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski Being Idiots, Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski Are Oblivious, Pack Alpha Derek Hale, Pining Stiles Stilinski, Pining Derek Hale, Pack Dynamics, Daddy Kink, Derek Hale's Leather Jacket, Praise Kink, Aftercare
Summary:
Derek gives me his leather jacket and...
And what?
Derek’s face practically touches the screen, heart thudding wildly, fingers twitching like they know he's making a mistake.
He glances at Stiles, still asleep, barely breathing through parted lips, unaware. Curiosity claws at him, louder than reason. His hands move before his thoughts catch up.
He taps the up arrow once—then again, harder, faster, practically jamming the key in a frantic flurry, like maybe if he goes fast enough, the guilt won't catch him first. His eyes scan the flickering blur of words that scroll upward in jumps and stutters, until the screen settles.
Stiles' Secret Private Kink List (DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT STILES)
What starts as a reckless glance spirals into an obsession Derek can’t escape. Every desire pulls him deeper into a world he’s terrified of—and desperate for.
He’s caught between control and surrender. Between protecting Stiles’ trust and unleashing the hunger that’s lived beneath his skin for years.
If Derek thought his cravings were intense before, he was wrong. Now, the need is all-consuming and staying away is impossible. His control is slipping and there’s no turning back.
Derek wrote an entire book because of a crush and will now win the cutes getting together story ever. He would agree to if he didn’t have to recount the story on a popular talk show while trying not to turn a million shades of read.
It all felt so cliche. How many times could you hear about how someone’s neighbors were being too loud so they went to work at a coffee shop/book store/library and ended up falling for the cute employee? Well, you’d have to hear it at least one more time is you wanted to know how Derek fell in love with Stiles.
His apartment was so loud. The couple next door just had a baby. They also either adopted a poltergeist or a cat, he wasn’t sure which, that liked to yowl at random and knocked thing off shelves constantly. It made Derek feel very thankful for his own cat, even if he would glare at Derek as if the noise were his fault.
Derek remember the frist time he told Stiles the cat’s name and how scandalized he was by it.
“You named your cat Darcy,” Stiles asked in object horror.
“What’s wrong with his name? It’s from—”
“Ya, ya. From Pride and Prejudice, which is the correct name to pick from that book, by the way, but that’s not a cat’s name!” Stiles was never still, even standing in place, he was waving and gesturing as he talked. “Cat names are– like– Cardboard or Salami or Shit Head or Cornelius.”
“Do you have a cat,” Derek asked and Stiles whipped out his phone.
“I have two,” he showed Derek a picture. “The grey one is Porkchop and the orange one is Abraham de Lacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley,” Stiles said proudly.
Derek just stared at Stiles, who was trying very hard not to laugh. “The cat from Aristocats?”
“He is Thomas O’Malley the alley cat! Respect his title,” Stiles joked.
See, the trouble was, Derek did his best writing at night, meaning there weren’t that many places he could escape to for peace and quiet at nine in the evening. Maybe that was for the best, thought, because when he looked up open coffee shops, he found a little hideaway by the name of ‘Bedtime Books and Brews’.
It was a small, cluttered store but it made it feel inviting rather than hectic. With floor to ceiling book shelves, vining plants, and little reading nooks that were cut into the book shelves themselves, there were plenty of places to sit in the quiet and write. The dark green of the walls continued up to the ceiling where the usual harsh LED lights had been replaced with something softer.
Derek found himself sitting among the classics where a high, locked shelf held special editions. The small table he settled at had a lamp that was meant to look like a candle but was just bright enough to see. He set his laptop on the table and set his notebook to the right. He carefully set out a pencil, a black pen, and an eraser. He looked to make sure he had each color of pen in his pencil pocket, each color corresponding to a different draft. Once everything was set, he only needed to write.
Clicking through ideas and drafts, he tried to find something that drew him in, something he wanted to write. Even if it was just a line or two or a random scene he’d fit in later but nothing came.
Really, he needed to keep working on the next book in his mystery series, the series’s fanbase was up in arms about the cliffhanger of the last book– his main character had come home to find their entire house had be emptied while they were gone and their best friend missing. The trouble was, he wasn’t even sure how the cliffhanger should be sated.
Sure, he knew what was supposed to happen and he’d been dropping small hints about it in previous books– the best friend was planted in the character’s life by the same organization that had ruined the character’s family business and framed his mother for it. He just… he couldn’t get the words out of his head other than to jot down the plot. So, there he was, looking for inspiration.
“Hey, welcome in,” a voice said and Derek looked up from his computer.
Standing at the end of the isle of shelves was a tall man in a baggy, worn band-t with a flannel over shirt, jeans and beat-up sneakers. He had a pair of wired earbuds with only one in. He looked to be around Derek’s age, somewhere in his mid to late twenties, with messy brown hair and a bright smile even in the dim light.
“Sorry, if I startled you. I’m Stiles and, uh, if you want coffee or want to know where anything is, I’ll be in the back at the counter,” He said, pointing at the register deeper into the store, and Derek nodded. “I, uh, also have hot tea and hot chocolate if that’s more your speed. And I just picked up some decaf coffee too, so I can make that. There’s also some cookies and brownies and banana bread too. If you like bananas, you’ll have to tell me how it tastes because it’s a new recipe…” He twisted his loose earbud between two fingers, fidgeting as he stood. “I’ll, uh… I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Ya, I’m Stiles so just let me know if I can do anything for you.”
Stiles wandered away, mumbling something that Derek couldn't hear.
With the brief interruption gone, Derek was once again left looking at a blank document. If he could just write something– one sentence– he’d feel better. Just something.
He closed his laptop and sighed. Looking around him again, his eyes caught on a large set of vines hanging down the shelves to his right. All of the hanging vines were coming from a single plant. He carefully touched the leaf, surprised that it was real. There were plants scattered amongst the shelves and he wondered if they were all real and how they survived in the dark space.
Derek stood, looking at the different editions of the stories he loved. He smiled when he found a copy of The Prince and the Pauper. His mother had read it to him when he was younger. She was a college English professor and had raised each of her kids with a love of reading.
Derek had loved books for as long as he could remember. He’d never quite fit in as a kid so he found his greatest escape in the other worlds people created and dreamed of creating his own. In a book, he didn’t have to figure out what other people were thinking or how things he said would effect them. He could find patterns and foreshadowing to know what was next.
He wandered into the mystery section, curious to see if he could find his own name in the rows. He was still surprised and excited to find his own books in stores, even if his series had seen its five minutes of fame on social media– his friend Erica had sent him a video of people in a book recommendation group she was a part of ranting and raving about the first book. Sure enough, he came across his books on the shelf.
He was surprised to see not just his series but a few of his stand alone novels. His face and ears turned pink at the discovery. Someone had purposely ordered his work, not just picking the popular releases.
“Are you a fan?”
Derek jumped, face burning red when he turned and saw Stiles next to him.
This close, he could see Stiles’s face better. He could see the littered freckles and moles, the way the light cough in his brown eyes, his thick eyelashes, his fill lips. Derek’s heart jumped, doing nothing to help the red of his face. God, he felt like a stupid teenager.
Stiles laughed, “sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiled, staring to put away the books in his arms. “Just putting some new arrivals away and I noticed you looking. The Fortune Lost series is one of my friends’ favorites at the moment. What did you think of the second book’s cliffhanger?”
“Have you read them,” Derek asked nervously. He really didn't like people in his day to day life knowing he'd written the series. He’d only told a few of his close friends and his family.
“Well, not exactly,” Stiles said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I got the double-whammy of ADHD and Dyslexia so I usually wait for an audio book but Lydia, she's totally hooked and she'll explain what happens so she can rant to me.
“But you have a bookstore?”
“Ya and there’s a whole section of books with that font that’s meant to help dyslexic people. It’s crazy that they don’t print every book in like that. The first time I saw it in an actual print book was Percy Jackson and it’s so cool the difference it makes. If only there was a font that would help with my inability to finish a series cause, you know, you finish it and it’s like losing the characters but I guess that’s what fanfiction’s for, right?”
Derek nodded, “it is. So you can tell your own version.”
“Man, I wish I could write stories like that,” Stiles said, putting away the last few books he was holding. “I always end up in a mess of words and bad explanations and nothings in the right place. I think a toddler could tell a story better. It really sucks, too, because– you know how people will, like tell themself a story to get to bed– I’ve been making up stories and details about the same world in my head since I was, like, five. I mean, I made up detailed magic systems and what money they use and the way people look and how they talk and their jobs and the creatures they keep and—” Stiles glanced at Derek and cut himself off. “Sorry, I know you don’t really care. I tend to ramble. Do you want coffee or tea or…”
But Derek did care. He did want to know more, but how could he ask with out seeming weird? “What kind of tea do you have?”
Stiles smiled and waved for Derek to follow him up to the counter.
“I like that you don’t play music,” Derek said as he followed Stiles to the coffee bar.
“Huh? Oh, ya. I think must people prefer to listen to their own music anyway, especially if they’re working in the shelves so It just ends up getting distracting. Plus, not everyone likes the same music and my music doesn’t really fit the chill, cozy vibe,” Stiles explain, rounding the counter. “Anything specific you like? Or don’t like? Or are allergic too?”
“I don’t like green tea.”
“Oh, I’m totally with you there,” Stiles agreed with a laugh. “Actually, I think I have one you’ll like.” He opened a cabinet and started to move boxes of tea. He finally grabbed a bag of loose leaf tea and showed it to Derek. “They named it ‘The Fox and the Wolf’ but it’s a cinnamon and raspberry black tea. Interested?”
“Sure,” Derek said and Stiles turned to start fixing his cup.
Derek tried to find the right way to ask about the fantasy world Stiles had been talking about but it sounded weird however he worded it. He repeated the question in different ways in his head, trying to find one that sounded better.
“I really like this tea,” Stiles said, scooping some of the leaves into a bag and starting the kettle. “I got it a ren fair the first time and now I order it off their website. I actually get emails from them every time they restock because they know it’s one of my favorites. I usually end up buying, like, three bags at a time because I’ll get on these kicks where I won’t drink anything else and water is water, you know?”
Derek nodded. “Sometimes I’ll go days where the only thing I can eat are arepas.”
Stiles smiled at Derek. “I do too! But, like, with fettuccine alfredo from this awesome pasta place off tenth street. They know my order as soon as they read my name!”
“I go to the same bakery every Saturday for breakfast and get the same thing every time.”
“I love being a regular at places like that because they know you and then they start to care and it’s a fun little conversation every time you go in.” the kettle beeped and Stiles poured Derek’s tea and set it in front of him. “Hey, maybe this can be a regular thing,” he said. “Ah, but not worries if not! Do you want some banana bread?”
“No, this is good,” Derek said. “My name’s Derek.”
“Like the author,” Stiles asked.
Derek nodded. Had Stiles figured out he was the author Derek Hale?
“That’s pretty funny. Is that why you started reading his books?”
“I guess,” Derek mumbled. “Do you… Do you want to tell me about your fantasy world? Since you can’t write it…”
Stiles paused, his smile growing bigger. “Really? You want to know about it?” Derek nodded and and Stiles laughed. “Wow, uh, ya. Where to start? So there’s a bunch of character in the story and they all have really detailed backstories about how they end up meeting. My favorite backstory is definitely Henrik because his family are all able to understand animals and they became the more prolific magical animal trainers– I mean, duh, they can communicate with them– but he can’t do that. He has, like, no magical ability and it totally ended up causing him to be seen as less capable so he decides to train a dragon because even his family won’t attempt to train dragons out of fear.”
Derek sat and listened to Stiles. He asked questions and picked out his favorite parts. Derek found himself wanting to hear more. He wanted to know everything. He sat and listened for so long that someone came in to take Stiles’s place.
“Hey, man,” the guy said, patting Stiles on the shoulder as he rounded the counter. “Shift change time.”
“It’s two already,” Stiles asked and Derek was just as surprised.
“Ya, bro. Two in the morning, meaning it’s time for you to leave,” the other guy said. “Go home and get some sleep or you’re going to die later.”
It only took once for Derek to get hooked– on the story, on the store, on the tea, on Stiles– and he started coming back. After a few days, He figured out that Stiles worked from seven pm to two am Tuesday through Saturday and the shop was closed on Monday nights.
Every night, Stiles would tell Derek about a character or a backstory or some hyper specific detail he’d made up in the years he’d spent daydreaming about this world. Derek wasn’t sure when it happened but he started making notes after Stiles would leave.
He would use his forest green pen and writing down everything he remembered as he sat in the classic literature section with the candle-lamp on.
Then his notes turned into stories. The first one he wrote was Henrik’s backstory. If he ran into a detail he wasn’t sure about, Derek would make a note of it, highlight it in the document in green and would ask Stiles. He wanted to put Stiles’s story into words for him. He wanted to bring everything Stiles fantasized about to life. Derek was sure by the time he was done, even Tolkien would be impressed by the detail given to the world.
Derek really hadn’t intended for it to become a book– he was a mystery writer, not a fantasy writer– but it had. Each chapter switched between Stiles’s characters, telling each of their stories until they met.
He put Stiles’s name before his as the author. In the preface, he explained how the book had come to be, that Stiles gave him every detail and he just made it readable. Then he printed it out.
He printed out eight hundred seventy two pages and then he had it bound.
Derek didn’t know how much time he’d spent on it, how long he’d talked to Stiles in the year since they met, how long he’d spent figuring out with fonts were best for dyslexia, or why he’d gone so far with it. What he did know is that he put Stiles’s fantasy world on paper in a way he’d be able to read it.
He knew he wanted to make Stiles happy and that was enough.
The next day that Stiles worked, Derek changed his routine. He didn’t go to the classics section. He didn’t put out his computer or his notebook. He didn’t set out his pens or spent an hour writing. No, he walked right to the counter where Stiles was labeling books.
“Hey Der!” Stiles smiled at him, checking the time to see if he’d lost track, but he hadn’t. Derek was changing his routine, the one he’d set in stone over the past year. “Something’s different. Care to share,” he asked, noticing how nervous Derek looked.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he opened his backpack and pulled out the manuscript, setting it in front of Stiles.
“What’s this,” he asked, looking at the book. His smile fell as he read the authors’ names. “This is crazy, I’ve never written anything and I’ve definitely never written anything with Derek Hale!”
Derek took a breath. “You didn’t write it but I did.” He reached over, flipping the book to the preface. “These are your stories, the ones you’ve been telling me. You told me how they should go, down to the smallest detail, and I wrote them out.” He took a breath. “I’m Derek Hale. I wrote Foggy grave, Coriander and Lye, and the fortune lost series. When you found me looking at my books on the shelf, I just wanted to see if they were there. And I may have written this but they’re your stories.”
Stiles flipped through the book, looking at his stories. He read his thought out to paper. Every word, every detail, every random detail had been fit in. Things that couldn’t be worked into the body of the story were written as epigraphs st the start of chapters.
“This is— this may be the best thing anyone has ever done for me. Like, this is proposal level shit. Like, I’d be an idiot not to— Date me? Marry me? You made my literal dream into a book!”
Summary: Derek heads to a (nearly deserted) beach resort in desperate search of an anchor. There he meets Stiles, an artist and writer seeking inspiration for his next graphic novel.
A Teen Wolf AU set 10 years after the fire, in which Derek and Laura Hale never returned to Beacon Hills.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
A STEP AT A TIME (complete)
Summary: A one-shot Teen Wolf AU where Derek and Stiles are coworkers who get locked in a stairwell on the night of the full moon. Explicit content - please read tags. No violence, just smut.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
TURN LEFT (complete)
Summary: A one-shot Teen Wolf AU (no Hale fire) where Derek and Stiles meet randomly at a California highway rest stop. When Stiles’s jeep refuses to start, Derek offers help, but a delayed parts order results in the two spending the night at a nearby motel.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
ON TO YOU (complete)
Summary: A multi-part Teen Wolf AU where Derek is hired to be Stiles’s bodyguard. A game of cat and mouse ensues as Stiles tries to ditch him.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
