How Scared I Was Part Two: "Your Most Obvious Weakness"
Series: How Scared I Was
Chapter Title: Your Most Obvious Weakness
Part: 2/5
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Characters/Pairings: Derek/Stiles; Stiles' extended family.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters depicted in sexual situations in this post/fanfiction/fanart (including material in the comments) are fictional and are intended to be and considered to be by the author of said material of the legal age of consent in the United States, regardless of what age these characters may be in the material they are derived from.
Summary: Derek had finally agreed that he'd go to Thanksgiving with Stiles' family.
Warnings: un-betaed. Creepiness.
Previous
The week was filled with napping curled up next to Derek (usually with Stiles' head on his chest and Derek's arm wrapped around his in return); cleaning up the old Hale house (pulling down walls and pulling up floorboards, getting all sorts of scorched, rotting furnishings out of the house; and attempting to convince Derek that going to Thanksgiving at his Aunt's place was well worth it. In the end Stiles was well rested, the house was beginning to look better (the walls were knocked out and all the trash removed), and Derek had finally agreed that he'd go to Thanksgiving with Stiles' family.
In usual Stiles fashion, he was up before the sun was, getting showered and dressed for the full day of feasting and hanging out with his extended family (which was equal parts annoying and awesome). Derek was still snoring under the duvet, the early morning rays slanted across him as he splayed across the entirety of the bed. Stiles was grinning before he knew it, padding out to the kitchen in order to make a minimal breakfast. It was a few more hours of watching muted TV before Derek deigned to get up. He walked out only wearing a pair of dark flannel pajama pants, stretching his arms over his head and letting his muscles ripple. Stiles' eyes were glued to him, watching as he approached.
Derek sunk down onto the couch next to him and leaned in, crushing a kiss to his temple and snatching the remote from Stiles. Stiles let him, licking his lips and folding into his boyfriend's warm side. It was always so very nice to have cuddly mornings. Stiles yawned, nuzzling Derek's chest and settling in for a nap, regardless of the fact that he had only been awake for a little while. But then, he was part cat and cats usually slept the day away. He figured he'd stock up on sleep while he could, since he wouldn't be sleeping for the majority of the day. Derek put the volume up, flicking through the channels quietly. It wasn't until he decided that there wasn't anything he wanted to watch and had turned off the TV that he said anything.
“Are we taking my car or yours?” He had a very serious face on, which is how he usually looked, but he was had his index finger pressed to his eyebrow and his thumb pressed to the curve of his jaw and it made Stiles sit up straight and stop snoozing. He smacked his lips together and shrugged. Derek quirked an eyebrow up and waited.
“If we take yours I can nap on the way there and back.” Why yes, he was entirely self-serving. Derek's serious face broke into an amused half-grin. Stiles always loved when he did that. It was like the clouds clearing away and the sun coming out-infectious and made him feel warm all over. Derek ruffled his hair, which was now a good inch long, and pulled him close.
“Alright fine. My car it is. We leave at ten?” He was squeezing Stiles against him, releasing him and standing up, looking in the direction of the bedroom. Stiles nodded and straightened out his plaid over shirt.
“Yeah, it'll take about an hour to get there.”
Derek was meandering toward the room, probably intent on getting some clothes on. “Are we meeting your Dad there?”
“Yep.” Stiles was standing up as well, following into the bedroom to watch him change. He sat on the bed, one leg tucked up underneath him. They were silent for some time, Derek pulling on a white tank top and pulling a casual button down shirt out of the closet. He was struggling with the buttons when Stiles brought it up. “You're not worried?”
Derek looked up sharply, “Why would I be worried?”
Stiles shrugged helplessly. “Well, you know... meeting my family. Being my boyfriend.” Stiles looked out the window, wanting to avoid Derek's gaze. “They don't know I'm gay.”
Derek had finished buttoning the shirt and just looked at him. “What. Do you expect them to react badly?”
Stiles shrugged and tugged at the hem of his t-shirt, matched the hems of his over shirt and t-shirt up and dropped them both, finally looking back up at Derek. “I don't know what to expect. I mean, Dad knows and he's supportive...”
Derek sat next to him and leaned close. “If anyone doesn't like it...” He looked pointedly in Stiles' eyes now, “Then they can try to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with their heads up their asses.”
Stiles snorted, knowing that Derek probably wanted to say something decidedly more violent, but didn't want to seem like he was threatening Stiles' family. Derek stood back up and retreated to the bathroom to finish getting ready. “Thanks, Derek.”
{break}
Stiles didn't nap in the car on the way there, his excitement about seeing everyone was like catnip. He was talking incessantly and Derek looked about ready to rip his throat out. Luckily he just turned the music up to blasting for the rest of the ride. Stiles eventually got the point and shut up, watching the scenery go by.
When they pulled up to Aunt Virginia's nearly everyone else was there. The weather was nice enough that the ones not in the kitchen or helping to set the table were sitting outside, scattered on the big porch. The Camaro was easily the best car in the drive, so it had caught a lot of attention. Stiles was looking out the windshield like he was contemplating putting the car in reverse and just going home, but Derek was committed to it and already unbuckling, opening his door, and getting out. Stiles followed suit, trying to muster up some bravado in lieu of having to face his cousins. It was Johnny who called out first.
Johnny was a sophomore in College and often liked to rub his superiority in Stiles' face-mostly he was an idiot who partied his way through the school year and acted like an ass full-time. Stiles loved him because he was family, but given the chance he would rather eat wet cat food than be in the same vicinity as Johnny (and he'd tried wet cat food-it was utterly disgusting). Johnny raised a hand with a beer in it and was grinning from ear to ear. “Stiiiiles! Sweet car dude!”
Stiles cast a long-suffering glance at Derek, Derek just offered his hand as he crossed in front of the Camaro. Johnny was crossing the lawn with the tag-along cousin, Markus. Markus had been following Johnny about since they were little. That generally meant another person to chip in on teasing Stiles, so he'd grown to avoid both of them like the plague. Stiles' fingers intertwined with Derek's and Johnny pulled up a little short. He didn't make any comments, but he looked at Derek, sizing him up. It was likely Derek's usual death-glare slipping into place, but it might have just been the alpha wolf presence that he gave off that made Johnny not so keen to take the mickey out of Stiles about holding hands with a guy. He just sipped his beer and gestured to the Camaro. “It's your car then?”
Derek leveled a look at him, but a slight squeeze from Stiles to remind him to not turn into the brooding monster he usually did and he answered. “Yes.”
Oh good, Derek was making such a good impression. Stiles resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Johnny seemed to be trying to get on his good side, for whatever reason (probably because Derek was fucking terrifying), so he nodded and smiled agreeably. “It's awesome!” He stuck his hand out to shake, “I'm Johnny, Stiles' cousin.”
Derek eyed his hand for a moment before Stiles stepped in and gestured to Derek, knowing that his boyfriend wasn't very good at talking. “This is Derek, my boyfriend.”
Markus was staying quiet behind Johnny, drinking his beer and observing. The fucker. Fortunately, they didn't have to stand there like idiots for much longer than that, Aunt Virginia hurrying out from the house and rushing across the lawn to envelope Stiles in a hug. She kissed both cheeks and fussed over him-was he still wearing the same clothes he was when he was little? Was his Dad feeding him properly? How was school going?
The whole family slowly started migrating together, Stiles getting Derek to drift closer to the porch while the aunts, uncles and cousins on it began coming out a ways to greet them. Stiles was swept into many bear hugs and given way too many kisses to make Derek comfortable, but Stiles was happy as a clam. The whole Stilinski family, it seemed, were really affectionate people. Derek had just about had his arm shaken off by the time he'd been introduced to everyone. Somewhere along the way a beer had made it's way into his hand and he'd been roped into a conversation about his car with a couple of Stiles' uncles. Before he knew it, he was relaxed and actually enjoying being part of a family.
When they all sat around for the meal they were packed together like sardines, but everyone was in good spirits. They said grace (which Derek didn't really understand, but he went along with it anyway), and began passing dishes laden with all sorts of food around. Everyone was talking all at once, a background of laughter and serious conversations alike for the meal. Stiles was talking to his Dad and one of his aunts about lacrosse when Derek put his hand on Stiles' thigh under the table. Stiles' leg jerked and banged the table, nearly toppling his drink over, silverware clinking. There were several chuckles in response to that, Derek just rolled his eyes.
Everything seemed to be going great until someone brought it up-Uncle David spoke up, eyes on Derek. “So Derek, not that we don't love your company, but how come you're not celebrating with your family?”
It was a good-natured question, and people were really very curious about him, but Stiles felt the clench in his gut immediately. Derek had stopped eating, his face serious and more closed off than it had been before; Stiles swallowed thickly and went to answer, but Derek lifted his face and responded before he could. “They're all-ah-passed on.”
He was clearly trying to say it concisely, so the least amount of questions would then be asked. It was Stiles' turn to reach for his hand. Silent support. Uncle David looked taken aback and the table was silent for a moment. Everyone was paying attention to the conversation now. Uncle David recovered quickly enough and after the lengthy pause, he replied. “I'm sorry to hear that, son. We're certainly glad that you've joined us, though.”
He offered Derek a sad smile and Derek's lips quirked-he was trying, at least. Stiles squeezed his hand and bumped shoulders with him. Conversation eventually picked up again, slowly at first, but then it returned to normal. Stiles listened to Derek talk about refurbishing his family's old home, then about how he wanted to open up his own mechanic's shop once that was finished. Stiles had never heard him talk about the future like that, so he avoided getting stuck in his own conversations in order to just listen to Derek.
{break}
Stiles napped on the way home, slumped off to the side with his head against the window. He awoke only when the road that should not have been bumpy, bumped his head off the glass and Derek's hand and worried glance was cast onto him. Stiles was frowning slightly, blinking blearily and looking around. “We're going to the old house?”
His tone was slightly mumbled as he was still sleepy, but Derek just intertwined their fingers and spoke softly. “I just want to look at a couple of things, then we can go home.”
Home-he was beginning to wonder what they were going to do with that once the old Hale house was refurbished. Stiles scratched at his head and sighed, still relaxed from his nap. He supposed they could sell the old house and continue renting the one they were in now, but it didn't make much sense to do something like that. Besides, Derek would never sell his family's house, no matter how much death had happened in it. By the time the car was parked, Stiles was awake and beginning to talk about his family and the dinner-how yummy were those sweet potatoes, really?
“I'm surprised Johnny didn't say anything, you know, but I'm sure it was because you're so menacing. Seriously, the 'tall, dark and brooding' thing is a little weird,” Stiles was picking his way through tools that were strewn around and stacks of wood that were wrapped in tarp. Derek pulled open the door that led to the tunnels and Stiles looked up sharply, halting all movement with a foot still in the air. He set it back down like he was planting himself right where he was and going no further, crossing his arms over his chest. “There is no way I'm going down there.”
Derek rolled his eyes and huffed, looking over his shoulder at Stiles. “Don't be such a baby. I just need to check something and we can go.”
Stiles ground his teeth, but he skulked by and into the entrance to the tunnels. He would not pretend to be happy about this, but Derek calling him a baby? Oh no, that just wasn't cool. Derek followed him down and pushed by him, going about his business of examining some bits of wall, some of the old wooden posts around and portions of the floor. Stiles stood in the light, eyes casting all around to make sure no cold hands were about to touch him. He was tense and ready to flee at a moment's notice, but stood his ground for the time being. So there they were, Derek relaxed and poking around while Stiles was in the doorway of the same room, ready to take off to top-side, when the dragging sound started.
Stiles was the first to perk up, looking around to see what it was. It almost sounded like it was far off, in another room. Derek looked back at him with a frown. “What is that?”
Derek stopped what he was doing and straightened up, listening to the sound. Metal scraping over wood. Stiles felt a shiver run down his spine and he was looking up over his head. There was a clatter of something falling over, thumping the floor above them and the dragging sound continued. Stiles could practically feel his tail fluffing up and his spine arching. A growl came from Derek, low and warning-Stiles looked at him and would have chuckled if he wasn't so fucking scared himself-he looked like he had his hackles raised and his teeth bared. There was another crash, more of a dull thud really, and it went eerily silent. Derek had crossed to stand beside Stiles, gazing up the tunnel where the door to the main floor was. Stiles bumped his arm into Derek's, trying to find a modicum of calm.
For a moment nothing happened. Stiles even managed to open his mouth to say something like 'Okay, time to go now' that likely would have come out as 'Derek, get me the hell out of here now', his mouth snapped shut when there was a tinkling laughter from behind them. Had Stiles not already been certain that they were in a haunted house, he would have expected to see a little girl when he and Derek whipped around to look-there was nothing but a dark tunnel. Stiles began shaking, eyes wide. Footsteps came like before, running across the cement floor of the tunnels from the direction of the main floor. They ran straight up to the two of them, sent a cold shock through them, and petered out as they continued down the tunnel. Stiles had a hand over his mouth, muffling a rather unmanly scream. Derek just looked baffled.
{break}
Stiles stayed huddled under the blankets for three hours after that, not even responding to Derek when he tried to explain it off as them both having a long day and hearing things. Stiles knew that Derek was having just as much a problem dealing with this as he was, but he figured that Derek's denial would stave off the panic for the werewolf. Stiles was okay with panicking-panicking and nesting. He emerged only to snatch his laptop and drag it under his blanket fort.
He was making sure that he was completely fortified in his fortress of soft and warm doom while he read. He was doing the same thing that he had done when he had found out that werewolves and WerKatze were real-he was researching. There was a lot of stuff to sift through, perhaps more than for either of the other two topics combined. When Derek brought him dinner and offered to put a movie on in the living room, Stiles declined and stayed right where he was, in his safe blanket fort with his laptop for researching ghosts.
Next
Chapter Title: Your Most Obvious Weakness
Part: 2/5
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Characters/Pairings: Derek/Stiles; Stiles' extended family.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters depicted in sexual situations in this post/fanfiction/fanart (including material in the comments) are fictional and are intended to be and considered to be by the author of said material of the legal age of consent in the United States, regardless of what age these characters may be in the material they are derived from.
Summary: Derek had finally agreed that he'd go to Thanksgiving with Stiles' family.
Warnings: un-betaed. Creepiness.
Previous
The week was filled with napping curled up next to Derek (usually with Stiles' head on his chest and Derek's arm wrapped around his in return); cleaning up the old Hale house (pulling down walls and pulling up floorboards, getting all sorts of scorched, rotting furnishings out of the house; and attempting to convince Derek that going to Thanksgiving at his Aunt's place was well worth it. In the end Stiles was well rested, the house was beginning to look better (the walls were knocked out and all the trash removed), and Derek had finally agreed that he'd go to Thanksgiving with Stiles' family.
In usual Stiles fashion, he was up before the sun was, getting showered and dressed for the full day of feasting and hanging out with his extended family (which was equal parts annoying and awesome). Derek was still snoring under the duvet, the early morning rays slanted across him as he splayed across the entirety of the bed. Stiles was grinning before he knew it, padding out to the kitchen in order to make a minimal breakfast. It was a few more hours of watching muted TV before Derek deigned to get up. He walked out only wearing a pair of dark flannel pajama pants, stretching his arms over his head and letting his muscles ripple. Stiles' eyes were glued to him, watching as he approached.
Derek sunk down onto the couch next to him and leaned in, crushing a kiss to his temple and snatching the remote from Stiles. Stiles let him, licking his lips and folding into his boyfriend's warm side. It was always so very nice to have cuddly mornings. Stiles yawned, nuzzling Derek's chest and settling in for a nap, regardless of the fact that he had only been awake for a little while. But then, he was part cat and cats usually slept the day away. He figured he'd stock up on sleep while he could, since he wouldn't be sleeping for the majority of the day. Derek put the volume up, flicking through the channels quietly. It wasn't until he decided that there wasn't anything he wanted to watch and had turned off the TV that he said anything.
“Are we taking my car or yours?” He had a very serious face on, which is how he usually looked, but he was had his index finger pressed to his eyebrow and his thumb pressed to the curve of his jaw and it made Stiles sit up straight and stop snoozing. He smacked his lips together and shrugged. Derek quirked an eyebrow up and waited.
“If we take yours I can nap on the way there and back.” Why yes, he was entirely self-serving. Derek's serious face broke into an amused half-grin. Stiles always loved when he did that. It was like the clouds clearing away and the sun coming out-infectious and made him feel warm all over. Derek ruffled his hair, which was now a good inch long, and pulled him close.
“Alright fine. My car it is. We leave at ten?” He was squeezing Stiles against him, releasing him and standing up, looking in the direction of the bedroom. Stiles nodded and straightened out his plaid over shirt.
“Yeah, it'll take about an hour to get there.”
Derek was meandering toward the room, probably intent on getting some clothes on. “Are we meeting your Dad there?”
“Yep.” Stiles was standing up as well, following into the bedroom to watch him change. He sat on the bed, one leg tucked up underneath him. They were silent for some time, Derek pulling on a white tank top and pulling a casual button down shirt out of the closet. He was struggling with the buttons when Stiles brought it up. “You're not worried?”
Derek looked up sharply, “Why would I be worried?”
Stiles shrugged helplessly. “Well, you know... meeting my family. Being my boyfriend.” Stiles looked out the window, wanting to avoid Derek's gaze. “They don't know I'm gay.”
Derek had finished buttoning the shirt and just looked at him. “What. Do you expect them to react badly?”
Stiles shrugged and tugged at the hem of his t-shirt, matched the hems of his over shirt and t-shirt up and dropped them both, finally looking back up at Derek. “I don't know what to expect. I mean, Dad knows and he's supportive...”
Derek sat next to him and leaned close. “If anyone doesn't like it...” He looked pointedly in Stiles' eyes now, “Then they can try to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with their heads up their asses.”
Stiles snorted, knowing that Derek probably wanted to say something decidedly more violent, but didn't want to seem like he was threatening Stiles' family. Derek stood back up and retreated to the bathroom to finish getting ready. “Thanks, Derek.”
{break}
Stiles didn't nap in the car on the way there, his excitement about seeing everyone was like catnip. He was talking incessantly and Derek looked about ready to rip his throat out. Luckily he just turned the music up to blasting for the rest of the ride. Stiles eventually got the point and shut up, watching the scenery go by.
When they pulled up to Aunt Virginia's nearly everyone else was there. The weather was nice enough that the ones not in the kitchen or helping to set the table were sitting outside, scattered on the big porch. The Camaro was easily the best car in the drive, so it had caught a lot of attention. Stiles was looking out the windshield like he was contemplating putting the car in reverse and just going home, but Derek was committed to it and already unbuckling, opening his door, and getting out. Stiles followed suit, trying to muster up some bravado in lieu of having to face his cousins. It was Johnny who called out first.
Johnny was a sophomore in College and often liked to rub his superiority in Stiles' face-mostly he was an idiot who partied his way through the school year and acted like an ass full-time. Stiles loved him because he was family, but given the chance he would rather eat wet cat food than be in the same vicinity as Johnny (and he'd tried wet cat food-it was utterly disgusting). Johnny raised a hand with a beer in it and was grinning from ear to ear. “Stiiiiles! Sweet car dude!”
Stiles cast a long-suffering glance at Derek, Derek just offered his hand as he crossed in front of the Camaro. Johnny was crossing the lawn with the tag-along cousin, Markus. Markus had been following Johnny about since they were little. That generally meant another person to chip in on teasing Stiles, so he'd grown to avoid both of them like the plague. Stiles' fingers intertwined with Derek's and Johnny pulled up a little short. He didn't make any comments, but he looked at Derek, sizing him up. It was likely Derek's usual death-glare slipping into place, but it might have just been the alpha wolf presence that he gave off that made Johnny not so keen to take the mickey out of Stiles about holding hands with a guy. He just sipped his beer and gestured to the Camaro. “It's your car then?”
Derek leveled a look at him, but a slight squeeze from Stiles to remind him to not turn into the brooding monster he usually did and he answered. “Yes.”
Oh good, Derek was making such a good impression. Stiles resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Johnny seemed to be trying to get on his good side, for whatever reason (probably because Derek was fucking terrifying), so he nodded and smiled agreeably. “It's awesome!” He stuck his hand out to shake, “I'm Johnny, Stiles' cousin.”
Derek eyed his hand for a moment before Stiles stepped in and gestured to Derek, knowing that his boyfriend wasn't very good at talking. “This is Derek, my boyfriend.”
Markus was staying quiet behind Johnny, drinking his beer and observing. The fucker. Fortunately, they didn't have to stand there like idiots for much longer than that, Aunt Virginia hurrying out from the house and rushing across the lawn to envelope Stiles in a hug. She kissed both cheeks and fussed over him-was he still wearing the same clothes he was when he was little? Was his Dad feeding him properly? How was school going?
The whole family slowly started migrating together, Stiles getting Derek to drift closer to the porch while the aunts, uncles and cousins on it began coming out a ways to greet them. Stiles was swept into many bear hugs and given way too many kisses to make Derek comfortable, but Stiles was happy as a clam. The whole Stilinski family, it seemed, were really affectionate people. Derek had just about had his arm shaken off by the time he'd been introduced to everyone. Somewhere along the way a beer had made it's way into his hand and he'd been roped into a conversation about his car with a couple of Stiles' uncles. Before he knew it, he was relaxed and actually enjoying being part of a family.
When they all sat around for the meal they were packed together like sardines, but everyone was in good spirits. They said grace (which Derek didn't really understand, but he went along with it anyway), and began passing dishes laden with all sorts of food around. Everyone was talking all at once, a background of laughter and serious conversations alike for the meal. Stiles was talking to his Dad and one of his aunts about lacrosse when Derek put his hand on Stiles' thigh under the table. Stiles' leg jerked and banged the table, nearly toppling his drink over, silverware clinking. There were several chuckles in response to that, Derek just rolled his eyes.
Everything seemed to be going great until someone brought it up-Uncle David spoke up, eyes on Derek. “So Derek, not that we don't love your company, but how come you're not celebrating with your family?”
It was a good-natured question, and people were really very curious about him, but Stiles felt the clench in his gut immediately. Derek had stopped eating, his face serious and more closed off than it had been before; Stiles swallowed thickly and went to answer, but Derek lifted his face and responded before he could. “They're all-ah-passed on.”
He was clearly trying to say it concisely, so the least amount of questions would then be asked. It was Stiles' turn to reach for his hand. Silent support. Uncle David looked taken aback and the table was silent for a moment. Everyone was paying attention to the conversation now. Uncle David recovered quickly enough and after the lengthy pause, he replied. “I'm sorry to hear that, son. We're certainly glad that you've joined us, though.”
He offered Derek a sad smile and Derek's lips quirked-he was trying, at least. Stiles squeezed his hand and bumped shoulders with him. Conversation eventually picked up again, slowly at first, but then it returned to normal. Stiles listened to Derek talk about refurbishing his family's old home, then about how he wanted to open up his own mechanic's shop once that was finished. Stiles had never heard him talk about the future like that, so he avoided getting stuck in his own conversations in order to just listen to Derek.
{break}
Stiles napped on the way home, slumped off to the side with his head against the window. He awoke only when the road that should not have been bumpy, bumped his head off the glass and Derek's hand and worried glance was cast onto him. Stiles was frowning slightly, blinking blearily and looking around. “We're going to the old house?”
His tone was slightly mumbled as he was still sleepy, but Derek just intertwined their fingers and spoke softly. “I just want to look at a couple of things, then we can go home.”
Home-he was beginning to wonder what they were going to do with that once the old Hale house was refurbished. Stiles scratched at his head and sighed, still relaxed from his nap. He supposed they could sell the old house and continue renting the one they were in now, but it didn't make much sense to do something like that. Besides, Derek would never sell his family's house, no matter how much death had happened in it. By the time the car was parked, Stiles was awake and beginning to talk about his family and the dinner-how yummy were those sweet potatoes, really?
“I'm surprised Johnny didn't say anything, you know, but I'm sure it was because you're so menacing. Seriously, the 'tall, dark and brooding' thing is a little weird,” Stiles was picking his way through tools that were strewn around and stacks of wood that were wrapped in tarp. Derek pulled open the door that led to the tunnels and Stiles looked up sharply, halting all movement with a foot still in the air. He set it back down like he was planting himself right where he was and going no further, crossing his arms over his chest. “There is no way I'm going down there.”
Derek rolled his eyes and huffed, looking over his shoulder at Stiles. “Don't be such a baby. I just need to check something and we can go.”
Stiles ground his teeth, but he skulked by and into the entrance to the tunnels. He would not pretend to be happy about this, but Derek calling him a baby? Oh no, that just wasn't cool. Derek followed him down and pushed by him, going about his business of examining some bits of wall, some of the old wooden posts around and portions of the floor. Stiles stood in the light, eyes casting all around to make sure no cold hands were about to touch him. He was tense and ready to flee at a moment's notice, but stood his ground for the time being. So there they were, Derek relaxed and poking around while Stiles was in the doorway of the same room, ready to take off to top-side, when the dragging sound started.
Stiles was the first to perk up, looking around to see what it was. It almost sounded like it was far off, in another room. Derek looked back at him with a frown. “What is that?”
Derek stopped what he was doing and straightened up, listening to the sound. Metal scraping over wood. Stiles felt a shiver run down his spine and he was looking up over his head. There was a clatter of something falling over, thumping the floor above them and the dragging sound continued. Stiles could practically feel his tail fluffing up and his spine arching. A growl came from Derek, low and warning-Stiles looked at him and would have chuckled if he wasn't so fucking scared himself-he looked like he had his hackles raised and his teeth bared. There was another crash, more of a dull thud really, and it went eerily silent. Derek had crossed to stand beside Stiles, gazing up the tunnel where the door to the main floor was. Stiles bumped his arm into Derek's, trying to find a modicum of calm.
For a moment nothing happened. Stiles even managed to open his mouth to say something like 'Okay, time to go now' that likely would have come out as 'Derek, get me the hell out of here now', his mouth snapped shut when there was a tinkling laughter from behind them. Had Stiles not already been certain that they were in a haunted house, he would have expected to see a little girl when he and Derek whipped around to look-there was nothing but a dark tunnel. Stiles began shaking, eyes wide. Footsteps came like before, running across the cement floor of the tunnels from the direction of the main floor. They ran straight up to the two of them, sent a cold shock through them, and petered out as they continued down the tunnel. Stiles had a hand over his mouth, muffling a rather unmanly scream. Derek just looked baffled.
{break}
Stiles stayed huddled under the blankets for three hours after that, not even responding to Derek when he tried to explain it off as them both having a long day and hearing things. Stiles knew that Derek was having just as much a problem dealing with this as he was, but he figured that Derek's denial would stave off the panic for the werewolf. Stiles was okay with panicking-panicking and nesting. He emerged only to snatch his laptop and drag it under his blanket fort.
He was making sure that he was completely fortified in his fortress of soft and warm doom while he read. He was doing the same thing that he had done when he had found out that werewolves and WerKatze were real-he was researching. There was a lot of stuff to sift through, perhaps more than for either of the other two topics combined. When Derek brought him dinner and offered to put a movie on in the living room, Stiles declined and stayed right where he was, in his safe blanket fort with his laptop for researching ghosts.
Next