The apron he is wearing right now is a gift from Lydia, one that she got him for his twenty-fifth birthday when she finally realized that this was it, that Stiles had gone to four years of university to get a Major in Criminology and a Minor in Languages only to end up as the owner of Moon Bites. Stiles had been offended that she had taken more than a year to realize that, but given her and Jackson's turbulent relationship status at the time which had her attention torn to bits, he had forgiven her right that instant, lips quirking up in a smile at her approval.

The apron is a sign of her blessing, and Stiles takes great care of it, wears it only on the best of occasions or when he needs some extra luck. Like today.

Today is the first day of a new semester, and these are the hardest, even now; Stiles has had numerous dealings with frantic college kids who don't know their schedule or their way to their next class, all of them stumbling inside his not-so-little coffee shop to ask for help, and he still doesn't know the best way to approach them. He tries his best though; The kids who are rude in the morning warm up just like the sun rays falling through the floor to ceiling windows of his shop by the time afternoon rolls around, and he makes friendly with them every time, talks to them and eases their worries and fears. The Freshman kids especially, because Stiles knows how hard it is to be away from home for the first time ever, even if he could (and did) drive back to his dad in under three hours when he was in college. It's rewarding to make the kids smile, though, and he thinks he is doing an okay job with them.

Now he knows how Satomi Ito had felt, almost a decade ago, when Stiles, barely eighteen, had stumbled in this very same shop and she had practically adopted him. He'd been not easy to tame, as she likes to say fondly, but he is definitely her favorite.

Stiles sighs, nostalgia hitting him hard, and wishes that Satomi had never moved away; he misses her, but he knows the move was important. But then the bell jingles, announcing his first customer of the day and this semester, and he remains nothing but grateful that Satomi saw him worthy enough of her legacy.

Straightening his apron, he walks out to the front.

--

Scott McCall. A few weeks shy of his eighteenth birthday, the kid is charming, and Stiles instantly likes him. He is not frantic though, or even late for his classes. Moon Bites opens at six in the morning, and it's not even seven right now, and yet, Scott looks ready to tackle more than a few feet of books.

Literally, apparently.

Scott groans around the large black coffee he'd ordered. Scott had assured him it's not his favorite, but if he doesn't want to fall asleep in class, he needs this bitter elixir.

Stiles had asked what class this could possibly be, and that's how he found one puppy-eyed Scott looking up at him, groaning like he is in pain, and complaining about his stupid professor Scott hasn't even met.

"I mean," Scott sips at his straw, makes a face, and Stiles tries to hide his grin behind the desserts display case. "It's literally the first day! He could have waited, I dunno, a day or two or seven before dumping the whole semester's reading list on us?"

Stiles wipes down an already cleaned part of the counter. "But isn't this good? Your Professor sent you the whole semester's reading list. This way you can plan ahead, and if some parties throw a wrench in your plans," Scott snorts, "You can always make a new plan, because you already know what you have to read." Seriously, this Professor knows what he is doing. Stiles would have loved this man as his Professor, he definitely sounds better than the one he had for English during his time.

Scott shrugs. "I dunno, it's just overwhelming?"

"Ah." That, Stiles gets. "You'll do good buddy, I am sure." Scott beams. Stiles smiles back. "You're literally my first customer, so you're obviously taking this whole College thing like a champ,"

"Yeah," Scott sips at the rest of his coffee, and Stiles looks at him for a minute before he realizes that Scott's done talking. Awkwardly he shuffles backwards, and for lack of anything better to do, takes out his phone from the pocket of his apron. There's nothing of note in his notifications, so he simply scrolls through his phone for a minute before an idea tumbles into mind.

> Jerk Douchemore [06:57]

i hope your dream is filled with lizards

The reply comes instantly.

< Jerk Douchemore [06:57]

i sincerely wish your day is filled with crying children

Stiles grins down at his phone.

"Wow, what a douche," Stiles does not jump three feet in the air, he does not.

"What the fuck! Scott!" He looks at the kid with surprise, hand resting on his chest where his heart jackrabbiting inside. The kid just shrugs, like he hadn't just given Stiles a heart attack. "Don't do that again,"

Scott sips the last of his coffee, if the hollow vacuum noise is anything to go by, and looks at him like he doesn't get why what he did is wrong.

Kids are fucking weird, seriously.

Stiles just shrugs it off, sends Jackson a proper goodnight text,  and engages with Scott, who seems bored. He learns that Scott's mom is a nurse, and Stiles has, apparently, crossed paths with her numerous times; not surprising, given that Beacon Hills is a small town. Melissa McCall has a tenuous schedule, and so Scott is used to waking up early to make himself breakfast and do other chores to help out his mom. But here he has nothing to do.

"You can always take up jogging. I did that in my second year. I hear it is good for your health."

Scott makes a face. "Ugh,"

The bell jingles, signaling other customers. Stiles pats Scott's right shoulder and looks up to see one of the two people who made him start jogging in the first place.

The second one isn't here, and Stiles isn't yet sure how he feels about that.

"Great timing," he says, and watches as Isaac Lahey grins slowly and winks at Scott in greeting, sweat covered body clashing with his shining face and curly blonde hair. "We were just talking about Scott taking up jogging,"

Isaac waves at Scott, who looks dumbstruck—Isaac has that effect on people—and then moves towards Stiles' side of the counter. "You, Stiles 'I can't fucking walk another step' Stilinski—"

Stiles puts his hand on Isaac's mouth. Isaac, very maturely, licks it.

"Ew, very mature,"

His friend just smirks and walks towards the backroom, where he'll change into his work clothes.

"Ass,"

"He does have a great one," Scott murmurs, and Stiles is not too proud to say he'd forgotten the kid was still here. "He works here?"

Stiles internally sighs. Another heart, broken. Or it's going to be. "Yup, he is my manager, and painfully taken,"

Scott's olive skin darkens. "Wha- I- I didn't- I thought you were the manager!"

Stiles chuckles and shakes his head. The bell rings again, and this time, it is a group of three kids. He looks back at Scott. "I'm the owner."

--

It becomes a routine after that day. Scott comes in every morning, sometimes to study, sometimes to just talk, but mostly to ogle Isaac as he works. Isaac doesn't mind, but he also doesn't talk to Scott much, afraid of leading him on. Stiles just watches, and works, and listens as Scott complains: about his luck in love life, which is non-existent; about how he misses home and his mom; about his enthusiasm for animals, and how he hates that English is something he has to take; and finally, about how much he hates Professor Hale.

It's been a month of this, and still, all Stiles knows of this Hale is that he is stuck-up, rude, and a know-it-all who picks on Scott. Stiles doesn't know the Professor, he must be a new one, but he knows that Isaac gets increasingly agitated whenever Scott badmouths the Professor. Isaac hasn't said anything yet, or told Scott to stop, but Stiles knows he wants to.

So it's not surprising when during this rant, which is probably the worst they've heard yet, Isaac walks over from his perch on the other corner of the counters with a determined set to his jaw. Stiles scrambles for anything to distract him so there's no bloodshed, metamorphically speaking.

"Oh!" He says loudly, and the students in the shop all look at him like they want him gone. Even Scott startles. Oops. He lowers his voice considerably. "Um, Isaac, weren't you telling me about Cora? She did that thing, um, what do you—she and her team won the states!"

Isaac completely melts at the mention of his girlfriend, and talks about how she led her basketball team to win the State Championship. Scott deflates, but hey, in Stiles' book a little heartbreak is better than hearing your crush say mean things to you. And Isaac can be mean when he wants to.  

Stiles sighs in relief when his plan works, and walks over to one of the customers who wants a refill of his coffee. He wonders, though, how Isaac knows Professor Hale. Isaac and him have been friends since their junior year in high school, when his dad brought Isaac home after the horrible part of Isaac's life came to light, but still Isaac is a private person. Stiles doesn't push him to answer anything, ever, because he knows Isaac would come to him if it's important. Or if he thinks Stiles absolutely needs to know something, like how Cora has an older brother who knits and gave Isaac a Star Wars themed scarf for his and Cora's first Christmas with Cora’s family.

Apparently, this big brother is a real softie. Stiles would love to meet this man, and Cora too; they haven't met yet but according to Isaac, she is like a slightly taller Lydia.

Stiles really, really wants to meet them. But for now, he just watches as the various students mingle around in his shop, smiles on their faces, ridiculous stories falling from their mouths, frustration from the day’s classes melting from their bodies as the pastries and drinks make it into their stomach.  

Derek actually likes all of them, when he thinks about it. Boyd is the silent type, and Derek appreciates that. He speaks, of course, and has opinions, it's just that he is calm in a way others aren't. Isaac is like a pup; feisty and adorable and all Derek wants is to protect him. He's the youngest of them all, but not in age; it's just the way everyone behaves around Isaac that makes it seem so, but not in a childish way, like Isaac acts like a kid. He is actually pretty mature. It's just that Isaac is actually free to be childish, if he wants to. And he wants to. Erica and Lydia are strong girls, and Derek sees his sisters in them, wonders how they would have felt about these two. Jackson is actually so much like him, the version of himself he is now; surviving the world alone because neither of them think that anyone would want to endure the world with them.

And Stiles. Stiles is just Stiles. Derek doesn't even know what he even considers Stiles to be, for him.

So. The Pack settles into a new dynamic. Derek finds a best friend in Boyd, two younger sisters in Lydia and Erica, a younger brother in Jackson, a son in Isaac and a mate best friend in Stiles.

But holy hell is having so many teenagers with authority issues and abandonment issues and PTSD and other several, several issues in the same room fucking hard.

There are days where Derek is sure he'll rip out all of their necks, with his teeth.

It starts with little things. Things he hadn't even considered. Because Derek isn't a teenager, he doesn't go to high school, and he doesn't care about the social circles.

But Lydia, Jackson and Erica do. Stiles and Isaac do too, but they aren't nearly as bad as the first three. Boyd doesn't really care; he's not at the bottom now, and that's good enough.

The first fight happens over Stiles, who has dozed off on the couch, tired from his all-nighters (how many more enemies do they have to fight?) and is gently carried to Derek's bed in the loft while the pack continues watching the movie. Erica starts with, "He's so cute," and Lydia agrees. Then it escalates.

Derek had honestly forgotten about Erica's crush on Stiles. She likes Boyd now, and Derek knows Boyd likes her back.

The fight is petty, and probably happens because Erica and Lydia are on their periods (women sync, when they spend a significant amount of time together. Derek knows from personal experience; Laura and his mom both had synced cycles). Either way, it escalates until Jackson snaps at Erica.

They've been hostile to each other, just a little, yes, but Derek sees hate in their eyes. It's worrying.

Lydia and Boyd defuse the situation before it gets really bad (Derek might have jotted down a few good sarcastic lines for Stiles, who misses all of it), but still, that night leaves an impression on Derek.

It happens again the next time they are all in the same place. Stiles is awake this time, and he puts his foot down and asks exactly what's wrong between Erica and Jackson. Lydia he can understand, she is the Queen Bee while Erica used to be at the bottom; there's bound to be some leftover feelings of hate.

Erica and Jackson both don't answer, just stomp away, and Boyd mentions how freakily similar those two are.

They all pay more attention to Erica and Jackson after that.

Slowly, they piece things together; Erica has a family, two parents who have demanding jobs and who don't really care about where Erica goes or does. On the other hand, Jackson has two parents who keep asking him how he is every chance they get, they worry over him.

Erica wants that. She wants someone to care that much for her. Jackson has it all, but he doesn't want it.

It all comes to a head when one day while fighting (which is basically just snarking at each other with unhidden hostility) Erica lets out Jackson's secret: that he's adopted. Even Lydia didn't know that.

"How do you know." Jackson's voice is deadly calm, a sudden change from his previous tone of voice, and Erica actually gulps in fear.

"My dad, he was the insurance investigator," Erica admits. Nobody speaks as Jackson processes this information, face blank.

"Why would—That doesn't make sense,"

Erica's face clears into a horror sort of understanding. "You don't know," she whispers. "You're adopted, you know that, but you don't know why. You think your real parents never wanted you, they gave you away, and you don't want to see your adoptive parents do the same to you. So you never even gave them the chance to get close,"

Jackson looks furious. "You don't know anything,"

Erica reaches out to touch him, lets her hands linger on his shoulder. Jackson snarls, but doesn't move her hand away. "They didn't give you away, Jackson. They didn't mean to. Hell, your mother's last words were orders to the doctor to make sure you live. They loved you,"

Derek stops everyone when they start moving towards the two. "Don't," he whispers, and Jackson gives them all a look before grabbing Stiles' orange hoodie from the couch where it was draped and leading Erica out of the rebuilt Hale House.

Erica gives a wet laugh as Stiles makes confused noises at the back of his throat.

"For the tears," Erica says, and Jackson shouts, "Shut up!"

When they're gone, everyone is quite for a moment. Then Isaac says:

"They remind me of Camden and I,"

Derek agrees softly, "Laura and I... we used to be like that,"

Fast forward a few months, and Erica and Jackson are still at each other's throats, but now there's no hostility. They're worse than Cora and Derek at the whole being siblings thing (Cora came back on her own; Peter had some free time, and he found her, hiding under a different name, but gosh, she looks so much like Talia, and his and Talia's mother... he would have recognized her anywhere, and he did), which is to say they literally always argue, and their text chains are only insults at one another. But nobody can deny that they'd kill for each other (and they have).

Needless to say, it's an emotional day for everyone. Erica and Jackson spend the day together, just sitting and talking through everything, and everyone else is back home simply reminiscing.

(The orange hoodie isn't used to wipe tears. Jackson actually wears it; the scent of his Alpha and Stiles is mixed in it, and it calms him and Erica, their wolves).