Under the serious moonlight
Title: Under the serious moonlight
Pairing: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale
Other characters: Laura Hale, Cora Hale, Sheriff Stilinski
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4,675
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.
Warning: a little bit of angst in the middle
Summary: The boy wished that his wolf would turn into a boy and talk to him. Then he found a magic river deep in the woods. But did magic really exist in this world?
Author’s note: Inspired by Adam Lambert’s cover of David Bowie’s ‘Let’s dance’ (lyrics are at the end) and dedicated to my favorite Teen Wolf artist yijitumbles. (You probably get firstborns, fresh kills, and pots of gold on a daily basis, but today is your unlucky day and you’re stuck with this D:)
“Ahahaha!”
The crisp air rang with the boy’s giggles as the hem of his red raincoat fluttered in the wind. Red boots busily trod through the woods, jumping over tree roots and splashing through puddles. Little raindrops tickled his nose and fingers, pulling bubbles of laughter out of the boy. It didn’t help that the hood kept nuzzling the back of his neck.
“Come on, Wolfie! You’re slower than a baby bunny!”
The grey wolf snorted. How dared the boy compare him to a lowly rabbit and not even a fully grown one. He picked up the pace and got ahead, making sure to rub his tail all over the boy’s face.
“Hey, it tickles! Atchoo!” The boy wiped his nose with his sleeve as he ran after his friend.
The wolf slowed down when he heard the boy’s heart speed up. He didn’t want to tire him out since they had to walk back home. He didn’t mind carrying the boy on his back, but he often fell asleep and drooled on his fur.
The clouds had faded away and the moonlight lit a clear path through the trees. They usually tried new trails to keep things fun and today was no different. This one went deeper into the woods, allowing them to cross worlds in their minds. The boy pretended that they were exploring a mysterious forest on a magical planet while the wolf imagined them hunting the most vicious animal that had ever lived. A dinosaur…? The wolf shook his head and headed for the stream. He needed a drink.
“Oh, look! I think this is where the fairies drink!” The boy pointed at the fireflies gathered around the stream.
The wolf swatted one of them that kept trying to sit on his nose. He knew that he had a handsome nose, but a fearless creature like him deserved more respect.
“Drink up, Wolfie. This must be a magic river. Maybe if you drink a lot, you’ll turn into a boy and talk to me.” The boy ruffled the wolf’s fur on his head. It was soft and fluffy, but he wouldn’t tell him that. His Wolfie liked to work his bad boy image.
Derek sighed as he lapped more water. Stiles’ words cut into his heart. He wished that he could show him that he was a werewolf and that he could talk. If only Stiles had been older. He couldn’t be caught dead hanging out with a six year old kid. What would happen to his badass image? Nobody judged him when he was a wolf.
“Um, Wolfie? Where do you think all the little animals went today?” Stiles asked as he looked around.
That was when Derek realized that it was far too quiet. “Grr…” They had come too far. There were predators in the woods.
“Wolfie?”
Derek growled again, making sure that whoever was out there felt his presence.
“Shh, it’s okay. Let’s hide.” Stiles spotted a tall rose bush and hid behind it before patting the ground next to him. He hoped that the strong scent of roses and all the red around them would keep them safe. He was glad that he was wearing a red raincoat.
Derek sat next to Stiles and sniffed the air. Wait a second. He knew these scents. But how had they found them? Had they been followed? Had he been that distracted?
Stiles pushed his face between two big roses. He wanted to see what kind of an animal was out there. A small gasp left his mouth as two wolves came into sight.
Derek licked Stiles’ cheek and pushed his hip towards him. There was nothing to worry about.
Stiles gave him a confused look until he noticed that the triskele on his Wolfie’s hip matched the ones on the smaller wolves. “Ooh, they’re your family! I didn’t know you had sisters!”
Derek leaped out of the bush and waited for Stiles. He didn’t like that his sisters had interrupted their playtime, but he was relieved that he didn’t have to fight off dangerous animals in front of the kid.
“Hi! I’m Stiles. Nice night, huh?” Stiles patted the wolves on the head. Neither of their furs was as soft as his Wolfie’s. “Do you want some berries? Wolfie and I are full.” He opened the small bag around his belt.
Derek watched as his sisters shamelessly ate the berries from Stiles’ hand. Cora was making uncivilized sounds and it was downright embarrassing. He rolled his eyes when Stiles found their tongues ticklish and started to laugh. The kid laughed far too much for his liking.
“Do you want to join us? We were running that way.” Stiles pointed at the direction that they were headed.
Derek gave a loud growl, but it was too late. Laura had already taken off and Cora was wagging her tail.
“Let’s go, Wolfie. Don’t tell me your paws hurt already,” Stiles teased.
Derek snorted so loudly that he scared some of the fireflies. He let Stiles get a head start and followed him lazily. His sisters had taken the magic out of their run and now he just felt like they were jogging to stay fit.
Unlike Derek, Stiles was having the time of his life. He liked running with one wolf, but he liked running with three wolves even more. It also felt like he was part of this wolf family even though he didn’t have a triskele on his hip.
“Ack!” Stiles missed a step in his excitement and fell on his knees. “Oww… it hurts.”
Laura licked his left knee clean while Cora made him giggle with her bushy tail. Derek sat on his hind legs, keeping watch. As soon as Laura was done, they were going home.
“Oh no, Wolfie. We’re going to finish this run. We don’t give up.”
Derek didn’t like it. The ground ahead looked rough and he wasn’t going to risk the kid falling again. But did he have it in him to deny what his friend wanted? He grunted when Stiles worked his puppy eyes. He tried to ignore Laura snorting and Cora cackling as he got down for Stiles to climb him.
“Thanks, buddy. But I think I can run.”
Derek wasn’t feeling generous. He bared his teeth and glared at Stiles. It would do him well to get the message.
“Why are you showing me your teeth? Is it time to go to the dentist?” Stiles chuckled.
Derek got up and pretended to turn around.
“Okay, okay! You win! I’ll ride on your back.” Stiles flailed his arms in a hurry.
Derek turned his head and raised his eyebrow.
“I promise! I won’t run anymore tonight.”
The pack continued their adventure as soon as Stiles was safely on Derek’s back. The moonlight was getting stronger and stronger and more fireflies came out to say hi. Stiles waved back with both hands so energetically that Derek wondered what he had eaten for dinner.
“Oh, look! Huge tree trunk!” Stiles pointed at the middle of the clearing.
The wolves slowed down as they checked the clearing for any signs of danger. When they deemed it safe, Derek let Stiles stand on his feet.
Stiles kept his promise and resisted running to the trunk. He took careful steps and sat on it before throwing his head back. “Whoa, that’s some serious moonlight!”
Derek drew a circle on the ground with his paw.
“Yeah, it’s the full moon!”
As the wolves howled at the moon, Stiles did his best to howl along. He clearly needed practice, but the wolves didn’t seem to mind.
On their way back home, Stiles fell asleep on Derek’s back and drooled. When they passed the tall rose bush, Derek picked the biggest rose and let Cora put it in the pocket of Stiles’ raincoat. A breeze swept through the woods and cooled off the wolves’ sweat. Derek had never felt more calm and peaceful even with a snoring boy on his back.
Those had been the beautiful days.
“Ar-roo!”
Derek howled under Stiles’ window like any other Friday night. Usually the kid would wave at him from the second floor before coming down with his mother. But tonight, there was no moley face peeking out of the curtains. He howled louder, wondering if the family dinner was running late. He could wait a few minutes on their well-kept lawn… which, for some reason, wasn’t mowed at all.
Derek sniffed the air and opened his ears. Much to his horror, Stiles was crying into his pillow. The boy sounded absolutely shattered and Derek feared the worst. He could only catch two scents in the house instead of the usual three. The lady of the house was missing; the one who had arranged their adventures when she had found him running alone in the woods.
Derek thought about revealing himself as a human, but it probably wasn’t the best time for surprises. Besides, even if he went upstairs, what would he say? That he was sorry for Stiles’ loss? Had those words ever helped anyone? He had never been good with words and all he could do as a wolf was cuddling the kid and licking his tears away. He hated feeling so helpless when his best friend was breaking down with pain.
The front door opened and the sheriff came out. Derek went over and pushed his head under his hand. He wanted him to know that he was paying his respect to the dear lady and that he was offering his condolences.
“Thanks, son. It got bad in a matter of a few days.” The sheriff sighed as he ruffled the fur on the wolf’s head. “And, I’m sorry, but I think he might need a few weeks.”
Derek nodded. Of course he understood. He couldn’t even imagine what the world would look like if he ever lost his mother. He was glad that his mother was a werewolf and couldn’t get sick. But he soon berated himself for feeling relief when Stiles had just lost his mother.
“Okay, you take good care of yourself and stay safe.” The sheriff gave the wolf a sad smile and went back inside.
Derek looked up at Stiles’ window one last time before slowly heading home. His paws felt heavy and he wished that there was a way to console his friend. He thought about their last adventure in the forest. He could still hear Stiles’ laughter and see him wave at the fireflies. That gave him an idea to work with.
Every Friday night, Derek ran into the forest until he reached the tall rose bush. He picked the freshest rose and dropped it on Stiles’ doorstep, hoping that the magic of the forest would heal his friend. He didn’t really believe in magic, but if Stiles thought that magic was real, he was willing to do the same.
Every Saturday morning, Stiles opened the door and picked up the rose. He was glad that Wolfie still ran in the woods even without him. But he didn’t believe in magic anymore. There was no magic in those woods. His mom had died and his wolf would never turn into a boy. Wolfie was better off with his sisters and animal friends who could still run along with joy.
Then one Saturday morning, Stiles opened the door to find nothing on his doorstep. He wondered if Wolfie had caught a cold or had hurt his paws. He wondered if Wolfie had found another forest that didn’t have big roses. Then he wondered if Wolfie had forgotten all about him.
Stiles flopped down and cried. He tried to be as loud as he could. He wanted Wolfie to hear him and come over. He missed Wolfie’s growls, snorts, and bright golden eyes. He missed his soft fur that tickled his face when he fell asleep on his back. He missed Wolfie looking out for him, keeping him safe from danger. He wished that Wolfie could do the same for him even outside the woods. Why couldn’t magic be real? Why couldn’t Wolfie hug him when he needed it the most?
Stiles kept crying, but no wolf came to lick his cheeks. His dad tried to get him off the ground, but he kicked and screamed, refusing to go inside. He didn’t know why his dad was telling him that the wolf wasn’t coming back. Why was everyone leaving him? He didn’t understand what he had done so wrong. He had thought that he and Wolfie were friends. Weren’t friends supposed to be there for each other?
“Stiles! It’s just you and me now. I’m sorry, son, but that’s the way it is.”
Stiles stopped crying at his dad’s tired voice. It was just the two of them now. There was no one else around. He wiped his face with his sleeve and stood on his feet. Then he took his dad’s hand and slammed the door shut. He was never going to talk to a wolf or run in the woods again.
Twelve years later…
Stiles looked up at the cloudy sky with a sigh. On top of having waited for his dad to no avail, he had to walk into the cemetery without any moonlight. His dad had gotten an emergency call at the last minute, so he had come to see his mom alone. He would’ve opted to wait until tomorrow, but the forecast had said that it was going to rain throughout the weekend. He had even packed some snack for two, but it looked like he had to eat it all by himself. It was a good thing that he was a hungry teenager.
He let out a wry laugh as he thought about how he’d rather visit his mom’s grave on a Friday night than go to The Jungle with his friends. He was a teenager that didn’t have his priorities straight. But then, he was gay; he didn’t want to do anything straight. The anniversary of his mom’s death had actually been a few weeks ago, but the cemetery had been closed for construction and had only reopened this week.
‘Well, it does look nicer.’ He thought as he walked past several graves that were cleaned up. Thankfully, the moon was peeking out of the clouds now, making it easier to see ahead. After a dozen years, it would be embarrassing not to know how to find his mom’s grave, but he still found himself smiling. He had enjoyed the calming warmth of the moonlight ever since he had been a kid.
“Oh, shit!” He hadn’t meant to swear, but he had expected to be all alone at this time of the night. He hadn’t seen the guy in a grey wife beater kneeling in front of a few graves near his mom’s. Okay, scratch that. Those were eight graves and that was probably more than just a few. But what was that thing on his back? A tattoo?
Stiles gasped and dropped his snack box. He would recognize that triskele anywhere.
Derek turned his head at the disturbance. What was the point of coming out here at night if he couldn’t have some peace and quiet?
“Wolfie…?” Stiles rubbed his eyes. This couldn’t be happening.
“Stiles…?” Derek blinked at the familiar face. He would recognize those moles anywhere.
“Oh my god… You’re not a wolf anymore.”
Derek hung his head with guilt. He should’ve told the truth ages ago.
“You can talk! The magic river worked!”
Derek closed his eyes and waited for the boy to leave. He couldn’t handle this; he was used to being alone. But the skippy heartbeat came closer and closer and by the time he opened his eyes, the boy was plastered on his back.
“I’ve kept those roses, you know,” Stiles whispered into the guy’s shoulder. He didn’t want anyone else to hear their secret. “What’s your name?”
Derek didn’t answer, hoping that Stiles would take the hint and mind his own business. The boy was warm on his back and he didn’t want to know what warmth felt like again. But a hand pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and Stiles read out in an excited voice, “Derek Hale! It suits you well.”
“I’m not good at talking,” Derek warned the boy as he put his wallet back in its place.
“That’s okay. I’m just glad to see you again.” Stiles held onto Derek’s shoulders, his eyes growing misty. He wanted to ask why Derek hadn’t told him, but he thought of a better question. “Do you want to have a late-night snack with me? I happened to pack for two.”
Derek hesitated before he got caught in Stiles’ puppy eyes. Even after all these years, it was hard to say no to them. He sniffed the air near the abandoned snack box. Stiles had packed burritos and curly fries.
“Is that a yes?”
Stiles’ voice carried so much hope that Derek felt his heart break into two. “Go grab the box. We’ll eat in front of your mother’s.”
“Okay!”
Stiles sprang up and picked up his snack box. He felt dizzy as his world turned over after being upside down for so long. He briefly wondered if he had actually gone to The Jungle and had smoked pot, but he didn’t think that he was hallucinating. The connection that he felt when he took Derek’s hand was too real to be mistaken.
“I’m sorry.” Derek decided to stop being a coward.
“Don’t be. You must’ve had your reasons.” Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand. “I was just too young to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Derek snorted. “You’re still too young.”
“Hey! I’ll have you know that I turned eighteen last month. I’m legal and all! I drink beer!”
“Probably with curly fries.”
“Curly fries go well with everything and they’re suitable for all ages!”
Derek smiled as he sat down on the grass. Stiles hadn’t known how to shut up then and he didn’t know how to shut up now. In the cold, dark cemetery, he had found his warm, bright friend again.
Armed in red sneakers and a red hoodie, Stiles was ready for the race. “In the first lane, from The Stilinski House, the amazingly awesome Mr. Stiles Stilinski! Waaah!”
Derek rolled his eyes as Stiles played all three roles by himself; the announcer, the athlete, and the crowd.
“In the second lane, from The Mysterious Forest, the ruggedly handsome Mr. Derek Hale! Waaah!”
“I live in a house too, Stiles.”
“Yeah, yeah. But it’s catchier this way.” Stiles waved off Derek’s comment. He hadn’t thought that he’d ever get to run in these woods again. But life had a way of throwing him surprises and here he was, about to run with his best friend and now boyfriend.
“Heh, can I get a good luck kiss, boyfriend?” Stiles made a kissy face.
“Why? I thought you didn’t need any luck because you ‘run faster than the wind’.” Derek nailed his finger quotes.
“That’s right. But maybe I’m trying to distract you with a kiss.” Stiles licked his lips.
“Wow, you think your kissing skills are that good?” Derek raised his eyebrow.
“Do I need to jog your memory?” Stiles threw his arms around Derek’s neck. “Besides, if you think I’m not that good yet, I’m always up for more practice.”
“I’m sure you are.”
“Yeah, I’m extremely committed. You have no idea.” Stiles snickered.
Derek sighed and kissed the smirk off Stiles’ face. He knew from experience that it was better to get over with these things as soon as possible. Ignoring Stiles’ whines for cutting the kiss short, he got down to retie his shoelaces. “So are we running or what?”
“Fine. But the winner gets a proper kiss!”
“Fine. Let’s just get started.”
“Fine. On your mark. Get set. Go!”
Stiles sprinted into the woods with such a loud cry that Derek had to cover his ears. For a werewolf, he had the misfortune of having a loud boyfriend. He followed Stiles’ footsteps, jogging at a leisurely pace. When they passed the tall rose bush, he picked the freshest rose and saved it in his back pocket for later.
“Come on, you slow wolf! Don’t tell me your paws hurt already,” Stiles teased him like the good, old times.
Derek was about to snarl when he spotted a squirrel that had joined the race. He glared at the squirrel instead of at his boyfriend. This wasn’t some Disney movie. He didn’t really care about the harmony of the woodland creatures; Stiles’ feet weren’t even in harmony as he tried to run faster and faster. Worried that the boy might fall and crack his skull, he ran closer to the mess of flailing limbs.
Stiles huffed and puffed as he did his best to stay ahead. He was almost there. The clearing was in sight and fireflies were waiting for him near the finish line. He was almost there, but then his legs gave out. “I can’t… can’t run anymore. I’m gonna die, argh.”
Derek stopped and looked at the boy who was down on the ground. For a lacrosse player, Stiles was a shitty runner. “Don’t you remember your own words? We’re going to finish this run. We don’t give up.”
Stiles clutched his heart and beamed. “Aww, Wolfie! I didn’t think you paid so much attention to what I said!”
“Don’t call me Wolfie.” Derek flashed his golden eyes.
“Aww! But it’s so cute!” Stiles jumped back on his feet and ran to the clearing. Celine Dion had clearly known what she was doing when she had howled about the power of love.
While Derek had been appreciating the moonlight hitting Stiles’ face just right, a whole gang of animals had gathered for the victory ceremony. He didn’t bother to chase them away though. There were too many and Stiles looked too happy to see them. He just hoped that Stiles wouldn’t ask for a pet when they moved in together.
“First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming out here on this beautiful Friday night.” Stiles smiled at the sizeable crowd. It was always nice to be a part of a popular event. “Since we already know how important this race was and since we’re all going to get sleepy soon, let’s cut to the chase! Our runner-up is usually a great runner, but it seems like he couldn’t outrun our winner tonight.”
Derek snorted but kept his mouth shut.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for our runner-up of the night, Mr. Derek Hale! Waah!” Stiles clapped wildly as Derek took a step forward.
Stiles motioned for a fox to hug Derek’s leg and a hedgehog to kiss him on the foot. He cackled as Derek braved his prize. He was so proud of him. “Great! Now it’s time to announce tonight’s winner! Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the best runner in these magical woods, Mr. Stiles Stilinski! Waah!”
“Thank you! Thanks, guys! I love you too!” Stiles relished in playing multiple roles. He was so ready to role play in bed. “And, now for the grand prize, as promised earlier, the winner will receive a kiss from this year’s kissing champion!”
Derek’s claws came out when a boar took a step forward. This was getting ridiculous.
“Eh, I’d like to remind everyone that this ceremony stands for peace. Any kind of violence will not be tolerated.” Stiles gave Derek a stink eye before going down on one knee. He patted the boar on the head and kissed him on the nose.
Derek took the boar’s place as soon as Stiles stood up. He poured all of his frustration into the kiss, tuning out the noise coming from the animals. Since when had Stiles become a Disney prince? What did the animals see in Stiles? What did he see in Stiles?
Stiles grinned as he tried to catch his breath. Kissing Derek was always amazing and it inspired him to come up with unique ideas to try out in bed. But the ceremony wasn’t over yet and he had a job to do.
“Now it’s time to raise our winner’s national flag! Ta-dah!” He raised his hand towards the star-studded sky and pointed at his striped T-shirt.
Derek rolled his eyes as he endured the most graceless ceremony ever. He couldn’t wait for it to end so that he could go home.
“Ladies and gentlemen, now let’s hear the winner’s national anthem!”
Derek had no intention of singing along, but Stiles kept nudging his side with his elbow. He wondered if the animals were still into Stiles when their national anthem was getting butchered.
“And the home of the brave~” Stiles smiled as he gave the crowd a salute. It was a beautiful ceremony.
“Ah, I almost forgot.” Derek pulled out the rose from his back pocket and held it out.
“Aww, Derek! Thanks!” Stiles took the rose and pushed his nose into it. It smelled wonderful.
“Consider it a bribe. Please don’t sing ever again.” Derek shuddered.
“Fine. I’ll only sing for you in bed then.” Stiles winked and threw an arm around Derek’s shoulders before he could think about escaping.
As they followed the moonlight back home, Stiles couldn’t stop his eyes from closing. “I wish we could camp out here. So sleepy.” He let out a powerful yawn that threatened to tear the corners of his mouth.
Derek stopped walking and pointed at his back. “Hop on then. I should’ve known you still wouldn’t know how to pace yourself.”
“You’re giving me a wolfieback ride?” Stiles jumped on Derek’s back.
“What did I tell you about calling me Wolfie? Do you want me to throw you in the river?”
“Eh, we already passed it. There aren’t any more rivers ahead.” Stiles kissed Derek on the ear.
“Just try not to drool, okay? There must’ve been some kind of improvement in a dozen years.” Derek hiked the boy up and kept on walking.
It only took Stiles a few minutes to start snoring and Derek had to shake his head. What had his life come to? But looking down at the rose clutched in Stiles’ hand, he found it difficult to complain. A breeze swept through the woods and cooled off his sweat. It had been a long time since he had felt calm and peaceful even with a snoring boy on his back. He looked up at the moon and smiled.
They were back to those beautiful days.
Let’s dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues.
Let’s dance, to the song they’re playing on the radio.
Let’s sway, while color lights up your face.
Let’s sway, sway through the crowd to an empty space.
If you say run, I’ll run with you.
If you say hide, we’ll hide.
Because my love for you
Would break my heart in two
If you should fall into my arms
And tremble like a flower.
Let’s dance, for fear your grace should fall.
Let’s dance, for fear tonight is all.
Let’s sway, you could look into my eyes.
Let’s sway, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight.