#sterekwolf

Stiles is freaking out. He can't help it. It's been over three hours since he's heard from any of his friends. For some friendships, three hours without contact doesn't mean anything, but in Beacon Hills, three hours is more than enough time for something terrible to have happened. Still, he might overlook the time lapse if it was Scott who suddenly went ghost on him. He's used to Scott blowing him off to hang out with Allison or Isaac. But it isn't Scott. It's Derek.

They may have started out leery of one another, but after years of watching each other's backs, they've grown closer, close enough to hang out between emergencies, close enough to share secrets and memories, close enough to be good friends. Part of why they're so close is because they don't ignore one another. Even when Scott is being a tool of a best friend or the beta trio disappear to live their own lives, they always have each other. So when Derek ignores his text messages, Stiles knows something must be going on. He texts Erica and Boyd and Isaac, Scott and Ally. Nothing. Not even Lydia gets back to him.

Really, that's enough to justify the panic that grips his chest and sends him driving around town like a mad man. Sure, he may be human, and if there is a real emergency he can't sprout claws and fangs, but he can still try to protect the people that he cares about. Even if he's only armed with his bat and his brain, he has to stand beside them in the face of chaos. That's what it means to be pack.

He drives to Derek's loft first. It's empty. Scott's house is next. Melissa is on call at the hospital and the house is quiet. From there he doesn't know where to go. He drives through the streets, looking down all the alleyways, hoping to see a familiar flash of glowing eyes. He drives to the high school and stares glumly at the empty parking lot. He even drives by the station, but his dad hasn't seen any of the pack. Then he drives to the preserve.

Honestly, he doesn't know what leads him to the Hale house. He hasn't been there in months, since he stopped by with Derek to assess the damage and plot out a good location for the new pack home the older werewolf plans to build come spring. Stiles doesn't like seeing the burnt frame from Derek's past, doesn't like being reminded of everything that was robbed from him. But he's desperate to find his friends, desperate for answers, and it seems like a good place to look.

Sure enough, Allison's car is parked in front of the house and he can hear snarling coming from what would have been the backyard. Grabbing his baseball bat, Stiles charges around the house without stopping to consider what he's running into. It doesn't matter so long as he can try to help.

Standing in a half circle around the backyard, all of his friends wear concerned frowns and scowls. When Scott sees him, he startles.

"Stiles, what are you doing here? You need to leave now, it's not safe!"

Stiles scowls. That argument never works on him; Scott should know that by now. "What's going on, what's happened?"

Lydia steps closer to him with a pinched expression. "Scott's right, you need to leave." That gives him pause. Usually Lydia agrees that they should be included in pack problems no matter the danger. How could she want him to go? And how is it fair that she's here and he can't be? Unless...

"Where is Derek?" The growling gets louder. Everyone in the pack flinches. "Where is he?"

Scott moves to his side. "Something happened earlier. We didn't want to tell you because we all know how you feel about him, and we thought it would be easier to-"

Stiles' skin feels too tight. "Dammit Scott, what happened. Where is he?"

Isaac flinches again at his harsh tone and glances at the house. Stiles follows his gaze and narrows his eyes at the back porch. That's the source of the growling. He pushes around Scott but Boyd grabs his arm before he can investigate.

"The witch we were looking for found Derek alone and hexed him," He explains, face stoic. "He doesn't remember any of us, and he's violent. It's not safe?"

Stiles tries to pull away. "She took all his memories?" His breath is coming out is harsh gasps.

Erica, with sad eyes, nods. "She made him feral. He's not-. He's not Derek anymore."

All Stiles can think about is how terrified Derek must be. One night when they were on a stake out together, pressed side-by-side in the dark, Derek admitted how terrified he was to lose his control, to lose himself. He said that, after Kate, his control was all he had, and his desire to be good despite everything that had happened kept him human. He was terrified to lose that control and become something monstrous, something to be afraid of. Stiles had pressed closer, shoulder to shoulder and promised that would never happen, promised that he wouldn't let it happen. And yet….

Wrenching himself from Boyd's grasp he scowls at all of his friends. "He's probably terrified under there," He growls at them, glaring at Allison's strung bow. "He's not something to hunt. He's a member of our pack, our family, our alpha. And this is how you treat him?"

Scott reaches out to grab him again. "Stiles, you don't understand, he's dangerous!"

"It's Derek," He snarls back, spinning in his heels to march towards the porch. Everyone makes a startled noise and tries to stop him, but he ignores them.

As he approaches, the growling gets louder. He ignores that too. On hands and knees, he presses closer to peer under the porch. Shining red eyes blink at him from the dark, the growling loud and dangerous.

"Derek," he says, voice steady. "It's Stiles. You're safe now, I won't let them hurt you."

Derek snarls at him, but Stiles doesn't even flinch. "Listen to my heart. I won't let anyone hurt you. You are safe." After a moment, the growling gets softer, tampering off. Stiles smiles. "Will you come out so I can make sure you're not hurt?"

Derek whines softly and then a large wolf crawls its way out from under the porch. Stiles had been expecting him to be in beta form, so he's surprised.

The wolf, still leery, looks at everyone in the circle. When he sees Allison's weapon, he bares his teeth.

"She won't hurt you," Stiles promises. Without taking his eyes from Derek, he tells Allison, "put the bow down. He's not a threat." She must comply because Derek stops, whines again, and scoots close enough to Stiles that the young man can grip a handful of his fur. He pets his head. "Shh, you're alright now. I've got you. You're safe."

He looks over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "We need to get him to Deaton." Scott, trying to be helpful, shuffles over, stopping a few feet away when Derek growls.

Stiles sighs. "They're just trying to help you, Derek. Unless you're going to follow me to the jeep, I'll need some help carrying you." The wolf blinks at him. Stiles sighs again and slowly chambers to his feet. Derek tenses at the movement, but doesn't crawl back under the porch. In fact, after a moment, he stands up too. He watches the others with a weary expression and presses his body alongside Stiles' legs.

Stiles pats his head. "Well okay then. I'm going to take him to Deaton. I'll call you guys when we figure this out."

Scott groans. "Stiles, you can't go alone. It could be-"

"Dangerous?" He laughs, a harsh sound. "It's Derek. I'll be fine. You set him on edge, probably because he can tell you're a wolf too, and you're trampling around his territory. He can't remember the pack right now, so you're a threat to him."

He can tell that Scott wants to argue but Lydia interrupts before he can. "Stiles can handle this. Look at Derek, even as a wolf he trusts Stiles. He won't hurt him."

Stiles shoots her a grateful smile. "I'll let you know what Deaton says, alright."

Scott doesn't look happy, but he lets Stiles lead Derek away without protest. Getting Derek into the jeep is easier than expected. All Stiles has to do is cross his arms and demand that Derek get inside, and the wolf hops into the car with a whine. The whining gets worse when the jeep rears to life, but Stiles buries a hand in his fur and he quiets down. By the time they reach the vets, Derek is calm. He jumps out of the jeep on his own, and follows Stiles into the vets. He looks around curiously but keeps his body pressed against the back of Stiles' legs

Deaton doesn’t look surprised to see him, which means that someone from the pack must have called ahead. “So, Derek is a wolf.” The older man examines Derek from across the room, his expression closed off. “This is actually a very common spell. Though it’s powerful, it shouldn’t be hard to reverse. But it, unfortunately will take me a few days to gather the ingredients.”

Stiles rubs at Derek’s ears. “That’s okay. He can stay at my house until you get what you need. He seems to like me well enough.”

Deaton merely quirks an eyebrow and then dismisses him without saying anything else. The ride back to the house goes smoothly, though Derek is very hesitant about going through the front door, most likely because it doesn’t smell like his territory. But after he’s in the house, he goes full-explorer mode, sniffing through every room. When Stiles relaxes back onto the couch, Derek jumps up beside him and makes himself comfortable draped across Stiles’ lap. He whines softly and buries his head in the crook of his arm.

“I know,” Stiles says softly, rubbing at his ears. “I know that this was the last thing that you ever wanted, losing control like this. And I’m sure that not having your memories is awful. But Deaton will fix it and you’ll be back to yourself in no time.” He sighs, silently adding I hope.

----------

Living with Derek as a wolf turns out to be really nice. Even though he’s skittish and unsure about new things, he is comfortable moving around the Stilinski household. And when his dad came home from work that firs night, Derek took right too him (probably because John bribed him with pieces of ham, but whatever). He’s still too uncomfortable for any of the pack to stop by, though. The only time one of them even tried, Derek crawled under Stiles’ bed as soon as he sensed Isaac’s presence.

What Stiles enjoys the most though is how cuddly Derek is. Anytime Stiles sits somewhere or lays somewhere, Derek jumps up to curl against him. And he knows that he should somehow dissuade him from it because he’s not sure how the werewolf will feel about it when he’s turned back. But it’s so nice. Stiles didn’t notice how lonely he was (or rather, he ignored how lonely he was) until Derek is his constant companion. He considers the thought of getting himself a dog after everything is said and done, but decides against it. After all, it’s really Derek that makes him less lonely, not the wolf in his position right now.

Stiles buys a random stuffed bunny at the pet store as a gag gift for Derek. The wolf takes to it instantly. He doesn’t chew on it though; he just carries it around the house with him. And he makes sure that it ends up in Stiles’ bed at night, curling up by it before going to sleep.

On the fourth day, Deaton shows up at Stiles’ house with a light blue powder. His only instructions are to make sure that Derek ingests it all and the statement that it will take a while for it to take effect.

By the time the antidote finally kicks in, it’s dark outside. Stiles had been considering going to bed and hoping Derek would be back to normal in the morning, but before he gets the chance to make the suggestion to the wolf, Derek transforms. Stiles blushes at how very naked the werewolf is, and tosses him the pair of sweatpants he had laid out for him.

“Hey,” Stiles says, closing his eyes to give Derek some privacy. “Welcome back.”

He doesn’t open his eyes again until the couch dips down, indicating Derek has joined him. When he opens his eyes, he sees how carefully Derek is holding the stuffed bunny. His eyes are warm when they meet Stiles’. “I used to have a bunny just like this one,” he explains in a soft voice. “Laura bought it for me one year for Christmas because she liked to make fun of my teeth. It was one of my favorite things.” He huffs, soft laughter. “It figures that, out of all the toys, you would buy me this one.”

Stiles shrugs, well away that his cheeks are so warm. “Yeah well, Laura was right; you do have bunny teeth.”

Derek laughs, reaches out, and takes Stiles’ hand. He threads their fingers together. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Stiles’ tightens his grip. “Always.”

“Would you mind if I stay here for tonight? My senses are still fuzzy, and you make me feel safe.”

His breath catches. “Of course. Derek, you’re always welcome here.”

“Whatever,” Laura huffs, because Derek knows she can’t actually deny it. “Go get changed. And hurry up, or we’re gonna be late.”

“I know, I know,” Derek says, jogging up the stairs to his bedroom. He glances at himself in the mirror for a second, then he remembers that his messy hair doesn’t actually matter. He shrugs out of his clothes and shifts into his wolf form, then quietly pads back down the stairs.

Laura teasingly ruffles his fur, then buckles the harness on. “Okay,” she says. “Let’s go.”

 *

 Derek doesn’t know the name of the movie. He doesn’t really care.

All he knows is that it’s an action flick, where a guy lost in the woods befriends a lone wolf, who helps him survive and eventually get rescued. It’s a typically unrealistic Hollywood script, probably very loosely based on a true story, but that’s all right. It’s another chance for him to act.

He pricks his ears forward eagerly when they arrive on set, senses momentarily overwhelmed with all the new sights and smells. Everything is already bustling and busy, the set a buzzing hive of motion and activity.

It’s been a while since he’s been able to portray a wolf that isn’t vicious, isn’t dangerous, and he finds he’s actually excited.    

Laura takes a firm grasp of his harness strap, and leads him through the chaos to his temporary kennel. She lightly tweaks his ear, giving him a reassuring smile, then heads off to find out the schedule.

Derek sighs, then lays down and closes his eyes. One of the perks of the job is all the napping he gets to do, and he fully intends to take advantage.

 *

 Most of the filming he does that day are solo shots of him, trotting through a green-screen forest. Occasionally it’s spiced up with scenes of him standing majestically on a rock as the camera pans out, or him howling at the moon with a high, mournful sound.

Derek takes a lot of pride in his acting, but he’s particularly proud of his howls. They’re so clear and real-sounding, they’re never replaced in post with stock sounds.

He bares his teeth when told, lets them smear fake blood on his muzzle and chews on rabbit hide like he’s just hunted it down. He does anything they want, communicated to him through Laura, who has a whole set of hand gestures he doesn’t really need, but pretends to pay attention to anyway.

He figures they’re going to use all of these shots to ramp up the tension before the wolf actually meets the main character.

One of the last scenes of the day is different, though. Instead of more solo shots, he’s filming with the main character, whose name is apparently Michael. He’s being played by Stiles Stilinski, who Derek’s heard of, but never worked with before.

The first thing he thinks when Stiles walks up is, damn, this guy smells good. He looks good too, Derek can’t help noticing.

Stiles clearly isn’t afraid of him, but he is respectful. He carefully approaches Derek, waits to be acknowledged before touching him.

“What’s his name?” he asks Laura, who’s standing nearby.

“Dare,” she says with a little grin. “He’s very well behaved.”

“I can see that,” Stiles says, then looks back to Derek. “Okay, Dare, this is what we’re going to do.”

He practices all the actions they’ll need for the scene, repeating each one to make sure Derek is comfortable with them. It’s really nice, and Derek likes him more and more with every passing moment.

Their scene goes great.

Stiles wraps his arms around Derek’s neck, letting Derek drag him to safety. Stiles puts everything into it, his body taut with pain, flinching when his fake-blood covered legs are jostled.

It actually feels real, Derek thinks, digging his claws into the dirt and hauling him forward. Stiles’ agonized, harsh panting makes him growl low in his throat, makes him nose protectively at Stiles’ cheek before pressing on.

After it’s over, Stiles rests a gentle hand on his back, tells him how good he did.

It makes Derek feel warm all over.

 *

 There’s one more scene today, but Derek’s not in it. Laura leaves him by a cast chair with a bowl of water by his feet.

“Be good,” she says with a grin. “I’m going to go get some free food, I’m starving.”

Derek watches her stride off, then leans against the side of chair, wishing he could roll his eyes in wolf form. He’s considering just taking himself back to the van when he hears footsteps approaching.

“Hey,” Stiles says, crouching down next to him with an amused little smile. “So is it, like, a conspiracy? Are all Hollywood wolves werewolves? Because my friend Scott could be making bank!”

Derek stares at him in shock, and Stiles just starts laughing. “No one’s ever noticed before, huh?”

Derek carefully nods, making sure the gesture is clear.

“I thought not. Does it bother you that I know?”

Derek thinks for a moment, then slowly shakes his head.

“Awesome,” Stiles says, plopping down on the ground next to him. “I think our scene today went really well. You’re a very convincing wolf,” he says.

Derek makes a quiet huff of pleasure, edges closer until his shoulder is resting against Stiles’ thigh.

Stiles stays with him, idly chatting about the movie and the work they’ll be doing together. Derek rests his head on his paws and listens, soothed by the sound of Stiles’ voice.

He’s pretty disappointed when Laura comes back, tells him it’s time to go.

 *

 The next afternoon, during the lunch break, Stiles strolls over and grabs the harness lead from Laura. “We’re gonna run our lines together,” he says with a grin. “I’ll bring him back later.”

Derek takes a good look at Laura’s surprised face, gives an amused huff, then follows Stiles across the set to his trailer. They get a couple of odd looks along the way, but nobody actually says anything.

Stiles snags a couple of plates from craft services as they go, and before he knows it, Derek’s leaping up the stairs to the trailer.

Stiles follows him inside, pulling the door shut behind them. He sets the food down, unclips Derek’s harness, and then flops back on the couch with a sigh.

Derek sits down nearby, feeling uncertain. No one’s ever been this comfortable around him before, no matter what form he’s in. He doesn’t know quite what to make of it.

Stiles glances over at him then. “Hey, I figured if you were going to snooze during lunch, you could at least do it on something soft,” he says, patting the cushion next to him.

Derek stares for a moment, wondering if he’s joking.

“I mean, you don’t have to. It’s just an offer,” Stiles says with a smile, but he sounds kind of sad.

For the first time, Derek considers the idea that Stiles might be lonely.

He’s up on the couch in an instant, and Stiles gives him a bright grin as he comfortably curls himself up in the corner.

“Here,” Stiles says, setting one of the plates down in front of him. “I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he adds apologetically.

Derek glances down, and sees a truly eclectic array of food. There’s grilled chicken, grapes and sliced melon, cubes of cheese, and more.

Stiles starts eating, but he also keeps stealing nervous glances at him, shoulders hunched. So Derek tips his muzzle down and carefully bites a grape. Then he tosses his head back, crunching it between his teeth.

It makes Stiles laugh, and Derek thumps his tail against the arm of the couch, pleased.

 *

 After that, whenever he’s not filming, Derek makes a point of finding Stiles. More often than not, he’s filming his own scenes, so Derek usually stays to watch.

The crew, with repeated assurances from Laura, have mostly accepted him hanging around. They give him a lot less nervous looks now, anyway.

When Stiles isn’t filming, Derek walks with him around set, and he almost always takes his naps in Stiles’ trailer. Derek doesn’t like to admit how much he enjoys spending time there, surrounded by Stiles’ scent.

And Stiles ends up talking to him a lot, especially when he’s frustrated or tired. Then, Derek will curl up next to him, letting Stiles run his hands through his fur, until his heart slows and he doesn’t sound so ragged.

Sometimes Stiles falls asleep like that, fingers still buried in his coat, and Derek loves those moments best.

 *

 It’s like that for a couple of weeks, then Derek makes a decision.

He comes down the stairs, a duffle bag clutched in his hands. It’s early, so Laura just blinks at him sleepily when he tries to give it to her. It takes a moment, but she finally grabs it.

“What’s this?” she asks, tugging at the zipper.

“Just give it to Stiles,” Derek says, heading back up the stairs to change. “Tell him to put it in his trailer.”

“Derek, these are clothes,” she shouts after him. “Your clothes!”

“Obviously, Laura,” he calls back, before he transforms.

Laura pointedly rolls her eyes at him when he trots back down the stairs. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but you better be careful, okay?” she says, ruffling his fur.

Derek just huffs impatiently at her.

 *

 When they get on set, Laura immediately starts looking for Stiles, and drags Derek over when she finally spots him. She unslings the duffle bag and shoves it into his arms, smirking at his bewildered expression.

“My brother,” she says, tugging at the lead to Derek’s harness. “Would like you to put that in your trailer.”

Stiles looks at the bag, and then quizzically at Derek. “Uh, okay?” he says, then promptly turns and walks away, the duffle tucked firmly against his chest.

Laura watches him go, then playfully tugs on one of Derek’s ears. “Mission accomplished,” she says cheerfully. “And hey, did you notice how good that kid smells?”

Derek just sighs.

 *

 He follows Stiles back to his trailer at lunch time, like usual, but now he keeps catching Stiles giving him speculative glances.

It’s pretty amusing.

When they get inside, Derek immediately scoops up the handles of the bag between his teeth, carrying it into the bedroom. He shifts back to human, then hurriedly gets dressed, anticipation coursing through him.

“Whoa,” Stiles says when he emerges, eyes wide. “Obviously being ridiculously good-looking runs in the family.”

Derek laughs. “Don’t let Laura hear you say that, she’ll gloat about it for ages.”

“Seriously, though,” Stiles says, looking bewildered. “Why aren’t you acting as a human? Not that you’re not a great wolf actor,” he quickly adds. “But like, damn.”

Derek shrugs, takes a seat on the couch. “It kind of started as a joke,” he says. “Some of Laura’s friends were shooting this indie film, and they needed a couple of shots of a wolf standing with the main character. For symbolism, or something,” he says, shrugging. “But they didn’t have the budget to hire a wolf trainer, you know? So Laura offers, says she’s starting a professional training business.”

“Which really just meant you, pretending to be an actual wolf,” Stiles says, grinning.

“Pretty much,” Derek says. “So I did the part. And it started getting around that the Hales were into wolf training, and that we had really great rates. So we kept doing movies, and some of them ended up being blockbusters. When they needed more than one wolf, my sister Cora would join in too.”

“Oh, cool,” Stiles says, looking intrigued.

“And I found that I really loved it. Like, I got to be an actor, but still remain anonymous. I really love that aspect, even though it means that I don’t actually get any credit. I’m having a lot of fun,” Derek says easily.

“Hey, I feel that,” Stiles says, nodding. “I’ve only recently started appearing in movies that people actually remember, you know? It kind of freaks me out sometimes, when I see how many people are waiting at the barricades, hoping for a glimpse, or maybe even an autograph. Like, fame is cool, but it’s also kind of terrifying. Especially because I never really expected to be this big, you know?”

“Well, I’m not surprised,” Derek says. “You’re very talented.”

Stiles flushes, and doesn’t seem to know how to respond to that. He shoves a plate at Derek, clears his throat. “Hey, is your name actually Dare?”

“No, it’s Derek,” he says, laughing. “Der is just Laura’s nickname for me.”

“Oh,” Stiles says, glancing away from his food. “Derek,” he says quietly, like he’s testing it out.  

“Yeah. Laura wanted my wolf name to be something ridiculous, like Fang, but I vetoed that,” Derek says, grinning. He finally looks down at his own plate. “Mmm, good selection,” he says. It’s nice to finally have lunch with Stiles, and actually be able to talk to him. “Thank you.”

“Sure,” Stiles says with a little smile. “I like it when you eat with me,” he says, then abruptly looks embarrassed.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Derek says with a reassuring grin. “So how are you thinking of doing the rescue scene this afternoon?”

 *

 “We should probably have a plan,” Derek says during lunch a week later.

Stiles pauses with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Plan for what?”

“Well, if an aide or someone opens the door, how are you going to explain a random guy in your trailer?” Derek asks.

“Obviously not ‘no worries, he’s just the wolf,’ that’s for sure,” Stiles says, grinning. He thinks for a moment. “Maybe you’re a friend of mine? People sneak guests on set all the time.”

Derek nods, agreeable, and takes another bite of his chicken sandwich.

“Well, actually,” Stiles says thoughtfully, tapping his fingers against his chin. “It might be better to be preemptive about it.”

“What do you mean?” Derek asks.

“Just, uh, that maybe we could eat lunch at the craft services tent, with the rest of the cast and crew. I’d introduce you to everybody,” Stiles says quickly.

Derek idly scratches at his stubble, thinking. “Probably less suspicious that way,” he says, shrugging. “So that’s fine with me.”

“Yeah, and then they won’t think you’re some random weirdo, sneaking around set.”

“Always a bonus,” Derek says wryly. “I can be your weirdo friend, instead.”

Stiles sighs then, tipping his head back against the couch. “No offence, but I really do wish my friend Scott could be here.”

“Is he far away?” Derek asks, catching Stiles’ wistful tone.

“Kinda, but it’s not the distance. He’s in the middle of vet school, he just doesn’t have the time to come down here.”

“That’s understandable,” Derek says. “I’m sure vet school is really tough.”

“Definitely, but he’s doing great,” Stiles says proudly.

“Is he the one you said was a werewolf?” he asks.

“Oh, yeah. He got bitten in the woods by this rouge alpha. It was kind of a rough sophomore year,” he says, laughing. “What about you?”

“I wasn’t bitten,” Derek says, shaking his head. “I’m a born werewolf.”

“Oh, wow,” Stiles says. “I’m guessing Laura is, too?”

Derek nods. “Pretty much our entire family is werewolves, though there are a few human members of our pack.” Then he frowns. “Does Scott have a pack?”

“Yeah, he sort of…made his own? He totally adopted all the high school loners,” Stiles says fondly, shaking his head.

“He found the people who needed him,” Derek says. “Wolves aren’t meant to be alone.”

“Yeah,” Stiles says with a small smile. “I suppose humans aren’t, either.”

 *

 Derek is dozing on Stiles’ thigh between scenes when he hears him say, “Yeah, I’m bringing a friend to lunch,” to Ben, one of the other actors. Derek lifts his head at that, ears pricking forward, doesn’t miss the speculative looks some of the crew nearby send Stiles’ way. He catches a few whiffs of jealousy, too.

“Oh, cool,” Ben says casually, but Derek can smell his interest every time he looks at Stiles. Seems like Stiles has fans on set as well as off.

But really, Derek has no right to judge, as he has a bit of a crush on Stiles himself.

Stiles talks to Ben a little longer, his fingers gently combing through Derek’s fur as he does. Derek settles his head back on Stiles’ leg, closes his eyes, and drinks in the sound of his voice.

He tries not to feel smug about how affectionate Stiles sounds whenever he mentions Derek’s name.

 *

 Derek quickly slips into some of the clothes stashed in Stiles’ trailer, then heads back to craft services with him. It’s nice to walk with him as a human, and Stiles seems more at ease at being able to openly talk to him.

The cast and crew seem pleased to meet him, and are very welcoming and friendly. All the way across the tent, Laura makes a point to roll her eyes at him, but then she gives him a discreet thumbs-up and a wink.

Derek tries not to blush.

It’s different, sitting with Stiles and his peers, eating and talking and making jokes, but it’s nice. It makes Derek feel like he belongs.

 *

 If he was addicted to being around Stiles before, it’s even worse as a human. Because then he and Stiles can talk, and Stiles always has questions, and he listens so avidly when Derek answers.

And he still touches Derek, but instead of pats on the head, he gets light little touches to his shoulder, his wrist, his arm. Once, Stiles playfully squeezes the back of Derek’s neck, and he makes a truly embarrassing sound of pleasure in response. (He’d just told Stiles that his muscles were tight, and that the pressure had felt nice. Which led to Stiles offering to give him a massage, which nearly led to Derek ruining their professional relationship.)

So Derek takes to showing up in human form whenever he’s not shooting a scene, and hanging out with Stiles between his takes.

When crew ask, Stiles tells them that Dare is napping in his trailer, and that Derek would rather hang out on set. They tease Derek playfully, thinking that means he’s afraid of a tamed wolf, but Derek doesn’t mind. Especially because Stiles shoots him knowing looks every time they do it, like it’s their own inside joke.

It’s not long before everyone gets used to seeing him around, and Derek starts to get a bit complacent.

He’s just too happy to be wary.

He only knows something is wrong when he walks into the trailer and finds Stiles looking stricken. He’s holding a newspaper and a couple of magazines, and his eyes dart between them and Derek for a long, anxious moment.

“I’m sorry,” he blurts. “I had no idea this would happen.”

“What is it?” Derek asks, more worried about how pale Stiles is looking than about anything else.

“The media, uh,” Stiles tries, then trails off, swallowing thickly.

“Here, let me see,” Derek says softly, because Stiles seems to be struggling.

Stiles hesitantly hands everything over, and Derek’s eyebrows go up when he sees what they’ve determined to be newsworthy.

Is Famous Actor Stiles Stilinski Gay? The newspaper headline boldly asks. Beneath it is a slightly blurry photo of him and Stiles walking across the set together, their shoulders brushing.

The magazines have similar stories, but they obviously have an inside connection, because their pictures are far better. One of them is a full-color shot of him and Stiles, eating together at one of the craft services tables. They’re turned toward each other, their faces mostly in profile, and Derek can clearly see the soft edge of his own smile, can see the answering one on Stiles’ face.

The next series of photos are even better. Stiles is standing near the cameras as the crew resets a scene, but he’s not looking at them at all. Instead he’s watching Derek’s approach, and as he gets closer, Stiles just lights up, smiling bright like Derek’s the best thing he’s ever seen.

Somehow, Derek’s never noticed Stiles looking at him like that.

“Look, I know you said you liked your privacy, that you liked acting without all the attention and fame, and I’m really sorry,” Stiles says, looking worried. “Some of the media got pictures of you, and when they realized you weren’t a member of the cast or crew, they made assumptions.”

“Especially because I was pretty much always with you,” Derek says thoughtfully, tossing the magazines aside. “Aren’t you more worried that they think you’re gay?”

“What? No,” Stiles says shaking his head. “I’ve been telling them that I’m bi since I first started acting. They just never believed me, because I was always seen with women.”

“Oh,” Derek says, surprised. He’d had no idea.

“Look, this is all my fault,” Stiles says, his shoulders slumping.

“Because they think I’m your boyfriend?” Derek asks curiously.

“Um, yeah,” Stiles says nervously. “It’s probably because of all those pictures. Because it’s obvious how I feel about you. And I should have realized they would notice you, and drag you into the spotlight. I’m sorry I didn’t see this coming.”

“Stiles, stop apologizing,” Derek says firmly. “I’m not mad.” Then he breaks into a smile. “And they’re not completely wrong, either. Because while I’m not actually dating you right now, I’d certainly like to be.”

“I—you would?” Stiles says, eyes wide. “But what about-”

“Yes, I would,” Derek cuts in quickly, before Stiles can get too worked up. He steps closer, lets his fingers trail along Stiles’ shoulder. “And I think a little fame would be a small price to pay, to be your boyfriend.”

“Yeah?” Stiles asks with a grin, swaying toward him, his hands settling at Derek’s hips.