#sterek rec

Don't Speak - Fatale 68k multi-chaptered

Summary:

The Alpha pack has systematically attacked Stiles and his friends for months, testing their strengths and weaknesses. When one of the Alphas goes after Stiles, he awakens in the hospital and realizes that something's wrong. Very wrong. All sounds seem to hurt him, he can't understand what anyone is saying, and when he tries to speak, it's gibberish. How is he supposed to deal with the fact that he's lost the ability to communicate with his dad and his friends? Without his ability to talk, his sarcasm, and his wit, what does Stiles even have left? Enter Derek, the only one who seems to make it better.

oh my god. Saying I love this fic is an understatement. I would recommend this to anyone, regardless of if they've watched the hellscape that is Teen Wolf. It's absolutely beautifully written and I feel like it's one of the rare fanfiction pieces that accurately represents a disability as well as hospital procedures. Not once did I get the feeling of "He would not fucking say that." Since stumbling across this I've read it multiple times, I truly cannot say a single bad thing about it. If you like a fic that is pure Stiles Whump but still keeps that "I have to keep fighting" vibe, this is a must read.

2. Home - TheTypeWriterGirl 167k multi-chaptered

Summary:

January seventh. Seven days since the start of 2015, and seven days since his father’s death. The bastard, he thinks bitterly. The past year Derek Hale had made it blatantly obvious that he hated his scrawny guts, taking every given opportunity to shove him up against a wall, growl threats in his ears and roll his eyes whenever he stepped into the room, muttering some snide comment about how spastic or idiotic he was. So why did he fucking volunteer to take him in?

Home, my beloved. I love this fic so much. Such an accurate description of what it's like to be grieving and how PTSD can manifest. I typically stray away from fics that involve character deaths like this because it can feel really pointless and is really only a means in which to get two people in a room fucking. This is not that. The sheriff dying not only serves as the major plot point of the entire fic it drives the narrative. We also get to explore Derek's trauma and how it coincides with what Stiles is going through. An added bonus, there's art for every chapter and it is beautifully done and really helps encapsulate you into what's going on. You can tell that the author went back and forth with what they wrote and what they drew to match the details. If you're looking for a weekend read that includes nothing but domestic activities and little to no werewolf fighting action with very lore accurate characters, this is for you!

3. To Have Outlived the Night - stillane 23k one-shot

Summary:

Derek steps away from the window. “You helped me. They took that as a declaration.”

I'm frothing at the mouth and eating glass for this one. I love this fic so much. Since the summary doesn't really list out what's going on let me tell you. There are multiple hunter families in town and they've got their eyes on the prize for Alpha Derek. Stiles and Derek are at their "I hate you but I guess I'll save your life," phases. They bond over being nerds, being in a fake-relationship, and categorizing the hunter families. The ending is also so funny I cackled the first time I read it no joke. If you're looking for fake (but really not) relationship and forced bonding time this is the one for you!

4. Stilinski's Home for Wayward Wolves - owlpostagain 35k, one-shot

Summary:

“At least your puppies knock first,” Stiles snorts. “Here I thought their alpha raised them to be well-mannered.” “There’s a sign,” Derek responds stiffly. Stiles, whose curiosity outweighs even his hardest of grudges, abandons his chilly façade of nonchalance in a heartbeat. He jumps right up and all but pushes Derek out of the way in his effort to get to the window, and sure enough when he leans outside there’s a laminated strip of cardstock duct taped to the vinyl siding: DON’T FORGET TO KNOCK Stiles gets cranky when we scare him --- Or, in which Stiles Stilinski moves to Beacon Hills for his junior year of high school and accidentally adopts a pack of teenage werewolves.

To start, anything that Owlpostagain writes is amazing and should be read, regardless of if you enjoy that fandom. I love them, and you will probably see their fics recced somewhere in this list again or in a different list. This is a what-if situation of what if Stiles didn't grow up with Scott. It's a nice medium length and is a mostly just really fun lighthearted read with pack feels. Also Scott is actually a good friend (mostly) Good for someone looking for something to kill a few hours that wants pack feels, Derek being treasured, and Stiles being an essential part of the pack.

5. Night Owls Early Birds - Lissadiane 24k one-shot (but part 1 in a series!)

Summary:

Confession: Stiles is afraid of having magic. The Spark had been cool. It had been small, manageable. He could do some funky stuff with Mountain Ash, all with the power of belief. And now here he is, his Spark blown wide open, apparently coming down with a fatal case of magical overload, and all that stands between him and bleeding out is a grumpy owl that looks suspiciously like a feathered version of Derek Hale. (In which Stiles learns he's a witch, but instead of a wand and a trip to Diagon Alley, he gets blood magic, a grumpy and reluctant owl as his companion, and an accidental blood bond with Derek Hale.)

I have a big thing for witch Stiles. Like a massive thing. I also have a big thing for whump Stiles who is also a bamf. If you also love these things you need to read this! However, you should definitely read the notes on this fic before reading, as there's a lot of gory details. I also love the way Derek is portrayed in this, and everything feels very in character. The owl is a bonus character and should be cherished. If you're looking for a fic that is high-action, worried Derek, BAMF stiles, you should read this!

6. Somewhere to Start - Lissadiane 33k one shot (but part 1 in a series!)

Summary:

Stiles has always known that he isn't quite human - the plant life that tends to sprout around him whenever he gets upset or excited gives it away. He's never really fit in among the regular people in Beacon Hills and is determined to wait it out, go to college, and find somewhere to belong. He's forced to abandon those plans, however, after he desperately agrees to enter into an arranged marriage to save his father's life. An arranged marriage with an angry, sometimes furry dude with trust issues. It's all very Beauty and the Beast, without the singing candlesticks.

Another Lissadiane piece because like I stated earlier, I love whump witch Stiles, it's my number one trope for this fandom. I have to say, the summary doesn't do this fic justice. If you're looking for a fic to read to kill a few hours that is very fast action paced that still keeps on the more lighthearted side, this ones for you!

7. Integral to Survival - placeholdr 8k one shot (must have ao3 to read)

Summary:

Derek is in the cell for about ten minutes before the lone door opens and a new body is tossed in. The person hits the floor with a grunt, rolls, and stands as the door is clanging shut. “That’s really not the way to treat a guest!”

You'll notice that this is another whump Stiles fic with Derek being protective and getting his ass beat for it. I plead the fifth. I love the dynamics in this fic and find that most of the character interactions are well-written. If you're looking for a short read that is basically just Stiles and Derek getting their asses beat and recuperating, this is one for you!

8. We've Written Volumes (in Blood and Scars and Ink) - notthequiettype 25k one-shot (Must have ao3 to read)

Summary:

Stiles is on his back on hard-packed dirt. He's cold and there are leaves stuck to his neck and there's a four inch gash in his side that he thinks he can feel his ribs through. There's so much blood around him he feels like he's floating on a pond and everything is so much dimmer above him than it was a minute ago, which is saying something because he's in the dark center of the forest in the middle of the night. And the worst of it is that he's alone, totally alone with the smell of his own blood drowning him and the soft side of him run through by a tree. As his eyes slip shut, the last thing he thinks is, "This is going to kill my dad."

Another Stiles whump who could have guessed! Nah but for real I love this fic, it's very cute and I enjoy the character dynamics between Stiles and Derek here. To truly summarize this fic, Stiles keeps getting in minor injuries and Derek shakes his head and does his mojo thing while pretending to be annoyed. Also, Derek makes annotations on Stiles' incorrect lore. It's very cute. If you're looking for a fic to occupy an hour or two that includes forced bonding and fondly annoyed Derek, look no further!

9. Glazed and Confused - wishingonalightningbolt 13k one-shot

Summary:

or, In Which Love is More Important than Donuts. Stiles is a forensic tech with the San Diego FBI. He thinks he's been fairly lucky, since he's never had his life threatened, sustained few injuries, and only has to work with his least favorite agent every once in a while. And then all of that changes.

Standoffish FBI Derek with super smart lab boy Stiles, sign me up babey!! This is another one of my favorite tropes and it's a shame that there aren't more well-written ones out there. To summarize this fic, Derek and Stiles are coworkers in a crime lab like that one CSI show. Stiles is the goth chick, and Derek is the white haired DILF. If you're looking for a cute short AU read that still keeps the character's personalities, read this! (Side note, TW for preg loss it's not mentioned in the tags because it's a very minor short thing that's literally 2 sentences)

10. Untamed - rosepetals42 28k one shot

Summary:

Of course, the transfer kid gets mentioned because transfers are rare, but the news isn’t that exciting. In fact, according to Laura, no one even seems to know his first name. The only thing anyone has really figured out about him is that he’s American. And that’s not exactly hard because he obviously has an accent. The only thing Derek really knows is that, despite other reports, he seems quiet enough, prefers to work alone, and has the most amazing shade of amber eyes that Derek has ever seen. Not that he’s looking. Obviously. OR: A Harry Potter AU where Stiles is a Slytherin transfer student and Derek is the grumpy Gryffindor who falls in love with him. There are also potions, elves, and falcons involved. Oh, and illegal use of magic. Obviously.