3: Moondust – part 2

Grabbing his jacket, Derek shrugged it on and followed after the human, tempted to take the bag from him, because hello, werewolf powers, but Stiles seemed to handle it just fine. Derek unlocked the car instead, so the bag could go in the trunk, thrusting his phone out to Stiles.

"You should text Chris that we're in the woods practicing with guns. I don't want hunters showing up." He didn't want Chris to show up. The man was somewhat a friend but this afternoon was theirs, and it was already nerve-wracking enough to get used to this shift in their relationship. Really didn't need to add hunters to the party. "Oh, and Cora." Another pause. "And your dad." It was Beacon Hills, too small a town, somebody was going to hear the shooting and assume something. Lydia wouldn't care, she'd only get worried if there were banshee feelings involved.

There was no offer for Stiles to drive the car, because well, Derek hated texting so the human could do that instead. Plus Derek knew where to go, which wouldn't be close to the Nemeton. No way he was going there. As they settled into the car, he leaned over to plant a kiss on a pale cheek, kind of pleased with himself that he could, before starting the car.

"How considerate! I like it," Stiles grinned. Derek did change a lot while they were apart and he liked this new version. Raising his kid mostly alone probably helped in that too. Not to mention the time he had to spend in Hell. It must have made him more cautious too. But frankly, Stiles could see how that might benefit the alpha in creating a new pack like he planned to do. Derek looked and felt like someone who might be more ready and mature to do that and care for, lead and keep them safe better. And in that moment Stiles just realized that he was going to be part of that pack too because he's already quite involved with Derek. And he was definitely planning on getting even more involved... From that thought a wave of excitement rushed through him – instead of fear or discomfort.

The peck on his cheek interrupted his train of thoughts and he slightly blushed from the unexpected but welcomed sign of affection. Boy, he will have to get used to that too as until now aside from some sarcastic retorts or 'eyebrow communication' he didn't get much more from Derek. Flipping the offered phone in the air, Stiles looked at him for a long moment.

"What did I do to earn this kiss? Not that I'm complaining..." he mumbled with a soft look in his eyes. He definitely liked this new Derek more and more by the minute.

Considerate? Not very likely, it made Derek chuckle to himself because, he'd take it. The idea was to get to spend an uninterrupted afternoon together instead of having to deal with pack or family or idiots because of the gunshots. It was a selfish move to make sure nobody was going to come investigate but sure, they'd go with considerate. "You have to earn kisses? Finally a reward system working on Stiles Stilinski."

The snark was to of course cover up the fact that the kiss was because he had wanted to, because he had felt like it. It was easier to snark than to admit it, for now.

"I didn't say that!" Stiles protested from the idea of having to earn kisses, then he glimpsed down at his lap, locking the screen of his phone. "I'm just not really used to getting too many..." he shrugged, his thumb rubbing against the side of the phone. It was true. Ever since his mom had died, such random kisses came rarely. Even from his dad. He was more like the occasional hugs kind of father. When he was in his relationships, it was different, yes.

"It took me... quite some time to let anyone close to me after my possession, you know," he added quietly, glimpsing out of the window, his thumb nail leaving faint dents in the rubber on the phone's edge. He was scared for a long time and very not ready to let anyone close when he didn't even know who he was anymore. "So yeah... I had to work for it. It doesn't mean I still want to, though..." Stiles looked at Derek a bit pleadingly at that. He trusted him with his life and he's wanted such gestures from him longer than he cared to remember. He was tired of fighting for affection and was sure that Derek knew that feeling exactly.

It had been meant as sass, but the tone in which Stiles replied made Derek realize he had taken the wrong turn with it, as usual. He should have said the real reason why instead of making his boyfriend(?) feel like that. Guilt churned in his stomach. If the situation had been reversed, he maybe would have liked to not hear snark? Not sure though because he wasn't one to give affection easily. Kissing like this was new for him too, anything even remotely sexual and intimate was something he avoided most of the time. His comfort with it was at a low point, had been for years with his past so he could understand how Stiles felt about it.

For the longest time he had struggled with himself, feeling like people only wanted him to have a night with and move on, being treated like flesh to be peddled. That people were going to take what they wanted of him anyways, no matter if he had wanted it or not. Suddenly uncomfortable with that, with the memories and feelings it all evoked, he nodded at Stiles. "You don't have to work for it with me."

Probably. It wasn't going to be easy for either one of them, obviously, and they had to work hard, struggling with themselves mostly. There was some comfort in knowing Derek wasn't alone in feeling like this. As horrible as that thought was because of course he didn't want Stiles to know how he felt, he didn't deserve any of that. It was all he said to it, wanting it dropped, needing it to be dropped. So he eagerly focused on the questions he saw coming from a mile.

"Good," Stiles said only that for not having to work for it with Derek. It made a relieved sigh leave him and he reached over to put a hand on Derek's thigh. It was both a grateful gesture and one for physical contact he knew wolves liked too. Even Derek. It was something again he didn't think about doing, just felt it instinctively that it would bring a bit of comfort and understanding for both of them. By then they were driving down on a dirt road, getting closer to their destination.

Stiles’ body slowly relaxed as his fingers started quickly typing out a text just to copy the same to every people Derek said should know about their little practice. "How are things with Cora and Chris?"

Flooring the car, Derek glanced to this human, giving a shrug. "Cora is still not very pack-oriented. She didn't change much." As in, she got on his nerves all the time. "Chris is good, still with Melissa, mostly minding his own business. Still having that caveman beard."

"I'm not surprised about Cora," he chuckled, remembering her well. "Is there anyone else whom you consider pack right now and I should know of? Besides Beth, of course," Stiles inquired, his mind already mapping out the connections and processing the new information. "Frankly, I'm happy for Melissa and Chris. They both deserve some happiness. And I'm pretttttty sure she can keep him in line. Sometimes she still scares me, dude... Caused some early trauma for me as a kid when we did something wrong with Scott and she caught us," he shuddered but then smirked fondly from those memories. She was kind of like a second mom to him and Stiles really appreciated it up to this day. Yes, being home definitely made him nostalgic.

Derek arched an eyebrow at Melissa being scary, because he found Noah to be scarier. Melissa was a confident mom who bossed them all around. Including Chris. No, especially Chris.

"I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of her, she has no Scott to mother over so she took an interest in me and Beth." Which was no doubt going to include Stiles because he had always been like a son to her with how close he and Scott had been.

"I don't mind Melissa being around as long as she brings some of her cooking and amazing hugs," Stiles chuckled fondly. "I bet Beth is like a granddaughter to her she never had. Just like for my dad. But it's impossible to resist her big eyes and cute little face and charm, so I don't blame them."

"Man, I feel like I totally dropped off the face of the Earth in these last few years. I kinda feel bad about it, but I also know that I needed this time for myself. To figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life, you know?" he turned to Derek again, watching his profile. "I know it doesn't make me a bad person, but sometimes I feel a bit selfish. Like I should've kept better track of everyone. Especially you."

There was no answer to who else he considered to be pack because there were no others, well beside Lydia but that was a given, she was Beth's mom. Derek had burned his bridges and was attempting to make a new life here, yet again. The success rate of that had been suddenly higher now that there was a stubborn human involved in his life. Yeah, he was pack, always had been pack, mate.

Wait....what? No, no. He wasn't going there again, that was something he had rejected a long time ago, refused to think about it. "I disappeared for a reason though, hard to keep track of somebody who didn't want to be found. And even if you had called, I wouldn't have answered. I wasn't going to drag anybody into my mess." And that was a good description of his life since he had left Beacon Hills those years ago, a mess. A dangerous deadly mess, lots of dying, lots of botched healing and pain, and a whole lot of hunter encounters. "I knew you were safe and happy, that's all that mattered to me."

For a change Stiles didn't force the answer to his question, because Derek's silence about other pack members told it all. No one else, alright. Besides Lydia and him, he figured. Then Stiles wondered when Derek would start recruiting. Perhaps once he healed up and his power fully returned. He didn't know when that would happen, but they were working on it.

"I tried to be happy, yeah," he mused, deliberately phrasing it like that as a slight correction. "But I'm here now. With you. Which is still blowing my mind, to be honest. But I love it. I wanted this for so long, but I guess it still has to fully sink in. Now I feel happy," he said on his usual faster pace, which meant that the babbling was going to make a fast return in 3, 2, 1... "Aaanyways, my witchy friend texted me back that she had found a couple of promising leads, but she has to dig deeper to determine which might work for you the most. So this is good news! If a professional like her finds something promising, it usually means that there's a way," he added and while he said all this, he never took his hand off Derek's thigh.

A hand. There was an actual hand on his thigh and the warmth of it almost burned through the jeans. At least Derek stopped himself from glancing down at it, because Stiles would remove it then, knowing full well what furtive glances meant to touches. Only this time he'd be wrong, it would have been more because of disbelief instead of making it go away. It was mind-blowing that there was Stiles' hand on his leg, placed there casually to offer comfort. For a moment he stared straight ahead as the human babbled on, his attention on the hand and the dirt road he was steering the Camaro down on. Last thing he wanted to do was to wrap it around a tree. For once, it would harm Stiles, and two, it would ruin his precious car.

Though the reveal of unhappiness made Derek do a double take, glancing at the man next to him. Tried to be happy, so his life in San Francisco wasn't as seamless as the wolf had thought. He wasn't ruining a perfect life by admitting to wanting more than friendship between the two of them. If he felt happy now... How long had Stiles been pining after him? Because it somewhat felt and sounded like this was an ultimate goal to have reached. Oh god, he realized. He had been Stiles' new Lydia. Had it been that long? The crush on her had faded when the human had been around seventeen? There about, when he no longer stole furtive glances of her, or acted like a complete spazz and tool around her. He no longer had smelled like arousal around her either... As Derek was thinking all that, he finally recognized that it was really true what Stiles had admitted about wanting him since he was seventeen. Derek had been the new Lydia for him, because all that above? They had been happening around him.

"That's good," came the mutter, half-hearing what was said about the witch. Sure, it would be good to find a spell for his problem but there was nothing concrete happening there yet, only promising leads and that said nothing. So it was whatever. Derek's focus was more on his discovery. Stiles hadn't been lying when he had said this crush had been mutual.

Parking the car, he turned off the engine, glaring at the steering wheel for a moment before his head swiveled to the other. "You were pining for me, like you did with Lydia. All this time."

Years weren't wasted because Derek would never have agreed to anything until Stiles had been old enough by law. He had enough written down in his police file back then, statutory rape wasn't ever going to be one of them. He wasn't Kate. Maybe they hadn't even been ready by the time the younger one had been eighteen. Derek hadn't even been there at the time.

Stiles lightly frowned at the wind-shield from Derek's half-hearted comment. It was a bit confusing because he expected maybe a bit more... enthusiasm if not a long sentence. But his next words made it clear that his mind was distracted by something else. Stiles. It was kinda flattering to know that Derek was thinking about him, but at the same time, the younger man was maybe a bit... worried from the other's reaction since things were still so fresh and vulnerable between them and for once he couldn't read Derek's look.

"Yeah... I didn't lie when I had told you," he shrugged, blushing a bit embarrassed, feeling the urge to drop his eyes and turn away, but he didn't, just started, reluctantly pulling his hand back from Derek's thigh. "But... it was different with you. She was a childhood crush that lasted for too long. By the time we kissed and could've gotten together, I didn't feel the same way for her. It was also different because before you... I wasn't seriously interested in any other guy. I mean... sure, I found some famous people hot and even fantasized about them, but... no person in my life piqued my interest like you did. I feared you at the beginning not just because of what you were or how far you went to scare the crap out of me and Scott, but because I felt drawn to you and the more that crush developed, the more certainty I had about my bisexuality. It was a scary thing to admit to myself then to my dad with time. Then it didn't feel scary anymore. Just hopeless, because I didn't believe I would ever get an actual chance with you. Most of those early times I thought you hated me or wanted to kill me just because you could. Still, I couldn't get you out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. I always circled back to you. You were a good fantasy," he chuckled nervously. "You were safe. Because it would never come true. So I learned to live with another pointless crush... but apparently during all these years... I couldn't fully let that tiny hope go. So the feelings stayed, no matter where we were."

He gave Derek a cute embarrassed smile at the end, hoping that he wouldn't think how stupid he was during all these years. Everything he said was true and he wanted to say these things to Derek for a long time. Now that he could, he felt a bit better and lighter as these things have been weighting on him for a long time. A healthy relationship involves communication, right? He had told Derek he would do that – talk enough for both of them if that's what it’s gonna take to make this work between them...

"I didn't hate you, I never hated you." In fact, it had been Stiles always sprouting his dislike of Derek in the beginning, reeking of fear and dislike. It had been Scott and Stiles who had gotten him arrested for his sister's murder. It had been Scott and Stiles who had blamed the janitor's death on him. He had never hated either one of them. Disliked Scott though because of the whole Gerard ruse. "I hated myself for how I felt about you, how I had turned into Kate."

Normally Derek would avoid saying her name, the way this would implicate her and him. But that had been useless ever since she had decided to kidnap him to Mexico and had de-aged him. The secret had been out since then for the pack, about what really happened before the fire, how young he had been. They had never said anything about it, gracefully ignoring it for his sake. But it had been, and still was, a part of his past heavily influencing him.

"What she did to me, I couldn't do that to you. So I took out my anger on you at first, so I'd make you avoid me. But it only seemed to make you determined to come back. So I... friend-zoned you." Yes, he knew what that term meant. It was the most accurate description to what he had done with his feelings for Stiles. Push them away, pretend they weren't there, firmly put the human in a clear friend area. It worked well. Except of course for Peter, who had known all along what had been going on, much to his hilarity. He had always teased Derek about it, though surprisingly had never used the teen against him. And the more fantasies Derek had had, the worse he had felt, the dirtier he had felt, feelings not even a shower could cure. Obviously avoiding Stiles hadn't worked so well. Even when he had left Beacon Hills, the young adult had come to warn him about the FBI manhunt.

"When I evolved, I knew for certain that you were my anchor and I couldn't stay in Beacon Hills. So I left. Told myself I'd come back when you were old enough but you were at the academy and I didn't want to ruin that for you either. I cut all ties and... told myself it was for the best." Even though the human had never been fully out of mind. Even worse, Derek'd sometimes come back to Beacon Hills to steal some of the human's clothes. "It was easier to deal with my misery." Typical Derek Hale trait, wallowing in his man-pain like an emo expert.

Stiles didn't expect so many sentences and such a deep explanation to the situation, but it felt good. Derek was opening up to him more, making an effort. So his comment about the importance of communication seemed to have stuck in his head. Good... That’s very good, Stiles thought to himself as he unbuckled his seat belt so he could turn a bit on the comfortable leather seat and put his hand back right where it was on Derek's thigh. He couldn't help it. He knew well enough that Kate Argent has always been a very sour point for Derek. The fact that he had brought her up on his own told volumes to Stiles. And now he understood some of Derek's actions much better. It was as if a light bulb was lit in his head. He also looked a bit impressed at him from the "friend zoned" thing.

"Look... I know now I was too young, not ready back then. But I want you to accept it that you were never like Kate. You never took advantage of me, never did anything remotely similar to what she did to you. Which was wrong on so many levels. You are nothing like her. People get attracted to others all the time. No matter what the situation is. All that matters is what they do about it. You did the right thing, Derek. You managed to wait, to endure the same misery I had to and now we are here. Where – I have a strong feeling – we are supposed to be. Nothing happens without a reason," he added, lightly squeezing the wolf's thigh.

"And what does it mean that I became your anchor?" he asked, surprised as fuck since he didn't expect that. He knew a little about anchors for werewolves. He remembered how Allison used to be Scott's. He remembered that 'the sun, the moon, the truth' and the 'alpha, beta, omega' mantras. But he never would've thought he would become Derek's. That had to mean something, right? And no matter what Derek was going to answer – or not – Stiles was going to Google the shit out of this and also look for it in Gerard's bestiary they had managed to copy back in the day. Even if he has to go to Lydia to translate whatever he might find because this felt super important for some reason. And Stiles had learned to listen to his instincts.

Derek doesn't like talking about the past and he certainly wouldn't have brought it up if he hadn't needed to. However, he had wanted Stiles to know that his assumptions weren't right about why Derek had done what he did. It wasn't going to change anything, it wasn't going to magically make it all okay but sometimes it helped knowing why. There were always reasons for what he did, and most of the time it weren't the reasons others assumed they were. Assumptions ruined everything. He was too good at making them himself too.

There's nothing he adds to it, noted the hand back on his thigh and nodded slightly. There hadn't been a right or wrong with any of it. If he hadn't had the Kate experience, if he hadn't been a suspect so often, he would have acted on his feelings because age difference wasn't such a bad thing, if it had been consensual, if the age wasn't that big of a leap.

The hand squeezes his thigh, temptingly, making him not want to leave the car. Everything about Stiles was tempting, at times too tempting. So he focused on the question, knowing that it was hard to explain anchor to somebody who wasn't a werewolf. It was a feeling, a safe haven, the spot to go when needing calm and inspiration. It could be a person, a feeling, a place, an object. Something important enough to focus on when it became too overwhelming, when control was slipping.

"Anger stopped working for me. I felt it was holding me back and then I realized, when I needed guidance or something to think about, it was you. You were in my dreams and hallucinations. When I thought about you, I felt completely in control." Which meant Stiles had become this important person for him, the one he'd turn to when he needed help. It made sense, considering how he had felt about him, how Stiles was always the one to rescue Derek. The one to care, the one to know when something was wrong with Derek. One of the few people who challenged him in everything, made him think and didn't use him.

It had been kind of ironic, to have the one he had been in love with become his anchor, pulling a Scott. Though it wasn't that weird for werewolves to have the one most important to them as their anchor.

Stiles was familiar enough with Derek's reactions and silences to know when not to force a topic further. This time it was the Kate topic. He got his answer and saw things clearer because Derek gave him his perspective on how he had seen and felt about him in the past. It was plenty more than the younger man expected – and something to digest too. Not as much as the anchor thing, though.

"Wow..." he wheezed, searching Derek's eyes, but he only saw truth and maybe vulnerability in them. "I had no idea I became such an important part of your life. I had no clue..." he said softly, sliding his hand from Derek's thigh to his hand, turning it so he could lace their fingers together. He liked how it was somewhat bigger, fitting perfectly around his. "I feel... moved... and honored by it," he confessed, leaning his temple against the headrest, his eyes trailing down to their interlocked hands. It was such a small gesture to hold someone's hand, but Stiles always thought it was one of the most intimate things two people could share. A connection.

Now – as the mostly comfortable silence fell onto the car – he realized just how much deeper that connection went. It was a bit scary yet felt so... right. Like something that was supposed to happen. Stiles lightly squinted his eyes, concentrating inwards to call forth that certain Spark from which his magic seemed to originate. As his irises shimmered in a light amber color, he could faintly see it. Derek's energies swirling and mingling around his in harmony over their hands. That's why it felt so good.

"You weren't supposed to have a clue," Derek admitted with a soft chuckle, it was why he had run off with Braeden in the first place. Sure, they had a reason, they had wanted to find Malia's mother and the Hale had needed time away to deal with being a different kind of werewolf, deal with everything that happened with Kate. And the assassin for hire had been the right one for him to help him with that. Mostly because she had the uncanny ability to make him feel like she didn't take anything personally. She had cared about him but she was fine without him too.

All these years, his anchor had never changed, was an unwavering part of him, even in Hell. It would have been easy to diminish it, to say it was mostly a memory of the person that the wolves latched onto, a feeling the memory created but with his anchor, it was different. He had interacted with his anchor many times, in his head. It hadn't been exactly Stiles, close enough to it though and it wasn't something he wanted to diminish for the sake of his own insecurities. Instead he nodded at Stiles' reaction, appreciating the words. Not that he had expected the human to freak out over it, probably the opposite. Stiles was going to research it as soon as he had the chance to, no doubt.

Their hands were entwined, his larger one enveloping the human's smaller one. Derek always had big hands with thick fingers while Stiles had the hands of a pianist with long thin fingers. The human's skin was colder compared to his because werewolves ran hot. If Derek would have used his wolf eyes, he would have seen the connection Stiles was seeing, but he wasn't paying attention to it. His focus was on the feel of the hand in his, the heartbeat and scent of the human, this odd sense of contentment and happiness surrounding them like a bubble.

Derek assumed it was the magic Stiles had, his energy substantial now, reacting to what the wolf was. There was a reason why a pack had a druid as their emissary. They thrived well with magic and it was a good combination and had been one for centuries. "We should get out," he offered, even though he made no move to actually exit the car.

For a change, the younger Stilinski's always reeling mind slowed down and simply enjoyed these intimate moments with Derek. Right then he wondered if Derek was kinda his own anchor too. The one who might be able to finally give him some peace and a place to rest mentally and physically. That chance was high now that they finally stopped circling each other and faced their feelings. Kinda. Not all of them yet, but they at least admitted to each other that they had feelings for each other and they were going to give it a try. It will be a lot of work, but Stiles already knew that if there are going to be more moments like these in the future, it was going to be so worth it.

"Okay," he agreed, saying only that with a soft, dreamy smile, but didn't move either, only stared at Derek with those strange amber eyes – not that he would usually know or notice when they changed like that. But it didn't seem to bother Derek. Just like it didn't bother Stiles either when the alpha red flashed up. He secretly loved those eyes.

It was so easy to get lost in the moment with Derek like this, far from danger and problems, safe in their little bubble which had the distinct shape of a Camaro. But he also knew that they couldn't stay here like this forever. Which was a pity if someone asked him... Especially now when he had the right to stare at Derek openly. No more stolen glances.

Okay. Only they didn't move, they just stayed in the car together, in this strange air of mystical peace they shared. It wasn't the sheer brutal need Derek had felt in the kitchen, it was more like how he'd imagine Heaven would feel like. Peaceful and quiet, this feeling of being complete and whole and happy. There was a distinct hallucinatory feel to it. It's why he didn't react to those whiskey-colored eyes flaring into a warm ember. It must be in his imagination, this anchor talk making reality and fantasy mingle into this bubble of them. Derek wanted it to be like this forever, and yet he wanted it to stop, because it made him reel, uncertain what to do with it all. None of it made much sense. Saying yes this morning had turned the world on its axis, spinning and not stopping.

"Okay, fine. This is getting so very sappy anyway... Let's do some manly stuff to balance it!" Stiles finally chuckled then reluctantly let the other man's hand go, just to grab the back of his neck and pull him closer as he leaned over the gear shift. He pressed a longing yet promising kiss against Derek's mouth.

Derek wanted to kiss and breathe against Stiles forever, not caring about the weird angle their bodies had twisted into. All he really felt was that hand clasped at the back of his neck in a firm grip, squeezing and guiding while a tongue demanded entrance for a quick tasting. It did nothing to shatter the bubble, if anything the magic got stronger, threatening to take their breaths away. Or was that the kiss? Obviously they had a connection, a spark ignited with their consent, and it was forming into something stronger so very quickly.

"Afterwards I’ll invite you to a private party on the backseat," Stiles winked at him from close once the hot kiss was broken between them then finally exited the car, taking a few deep calming breaths from the cooler autumn air.

As Stiles left the car, Derek leaned his head against the steering wheel for a moment, to breathe deeply, ignoring to even glance at the backseat. He wanted nothing more than to drag Stiles onto it and taste him all over. Claim that smart mouth until he forgot how to talk.

Growling under his breath, the wolf left the car to get the bags with the guns, every step grounding him into the now. God, if something attacked them now, he'd be useless with how he felt like he was walking on clouds. Like Stiles had given him a mind whammy. It was clear how out of it he was when he got to the trunk where the human was already with the bag shouldered. Right.

Jesus.

Stiles was soon setting up the cans, a grin plastered onto his face and it took a moment for Derek to realize he was wearing a matching one. They were idiots. Needing a distraction, he opened the bag to inspect the guns, recognizing one as the one Braeden had given him so he took that. Its weight was familiar in his hand.

It was kinda ridiculous how giddy all this made Stiles too. His face was starting to hurt from that grin, but he didn't mind. Things were going much better... and faster than he could've ever hoped for, but it made sense after all those years they apparently both had to hold themselves back. So it was fine. More than fine, actually. He just had to center himself to be able to focus again. Glimpsing at Derek, he could see that he was kinda out of it too. Too much under the influence of those literally magical moments in the car. If it was going to be this intense between them, Stiles was going to be a very happy camper in the Derek Hale camp...

Once Stiles set up the last can too, he turned his face towards the sun, enjoying its last warmth before the real autumn's arrival. He closed his eyes and turned his forearms out. On both hands he touched the tip of his middle fingers to the thumb tips while his other fingers stayed straight. It was a mudra or hand gesture to help him focus and improve his alertness while also clearing his mind a bit. The "I am mindful and in the moment" mantra he repeated a few times under his nose served the same purpose.

During the years he had used these methods not just when meditating – which he had picked up in an attempt to get over the anxiety and panic attacks after his possession – but after a stressful day at work too. These he could do anywhere and anytime. To his surprise they worked for him and he didn't mind if Derek saw it or thought it was weird. There were many things he didn't know about Stiles just yet. It wasn't just the Hale alpha who could be mysterious...

There was no thought about it being weird, Derek knew what the gesture meant because his mother had been into meditation, thanks to Satori. Derek had tried it quite a few times but couldn't get into it. If anything, it made him feel more restless to be sitting there lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't calming to him. He, himself preferred working out. It was the perfect way to lose excess energy and to calm his mind, get rid of emotions and demons of the mind. So yeah, he was a little surprised to see Stiles of all people had resorted to meditation when he was the one with ADHD, the restless thrumming energy always beneath his skin.

It worked for him though, that small moment of taking the time to do the short exercise made him able to focus. Derek could see it in his face and stance. Interesting. Stiles might be interested in some of the old books in the vault, gifts from Satori, very old with meditation practices based on Buddhism and druids. Something to remember for sure. It would make a good gift.

"I know you used guns like that baby before," Stiles nodded towards the one in Derek's hand. "You know how they work, how to load and shoot them. So look into yourself then tell me why you think you need this practice," he asked the other man, both of them already facing towards the cans lined up on the tree trunk. Not that he didn't remember what Derek had said earlier, but Stiles wanted to know exactly what he had to help him with.

With a glance to the gun in his hand, Derek clicked the safety off after loading the clip with bullets and snapped it into place with a metallic click. "I know how to load it, shoot it and clean it. I don't know how to make it hit a target though." Last time he had used it in the fight against all the assassins, it had been pure luck to hit something. There had been enough targets to point at, big ones. There hadn't been much time to teach him how to make it count and when there had been time, he had been werewolf again. No longer interested in using weapons of humans.

"Move and I'll show you." Derek waited for Stiles to join him so he could attempt to hit a can. See, if he threw the damn thing, it would hit the can without a problem. But now, the bullet slammed into a tree, way off. Same with when he had tried to use a crossbow. Allison had some good laughs about it. Derek Hale was a terrible shot. Sadly not everything came to werewolves easily. He tried again, this time the bullet went wide and disappeared, slamming into the ground far away.

The younger man watched Derek intently, but this time with the eyes of a professional. This was obviously more of his turf. He paid attention to his stance, aiming and where the bullets went too. He knew that handling guns were not easy at first and that there were people who just couldn't get a feel for it. But he was confident that he could help on Derek to be able to hit the target when he wanted to.

"Yes, I can see what you are saying. Put on the safety," he instructed and waited until he did then stepped closer to Derek. "First of all, your grip on the gun seems fine. It has to be firmer than one might think. The trigger is the tricky part, but we'll get back to that in a moment. You have some problems with your stance. Legs are good," he said while stepping behind Derek. "Arms straight, but don't lock them. Your shoulders should be relaxed," he continued, putting his slender hands there to stroke them down in a relaxing manner before he eyed Derek's upper-body. "What many new shooters don’t know is that your torso needs to lean a tiny bit forward from the waist, never backwards. It's to make it easier to stop the recoil. The firm hand grip serves the same purpose. Now about the trigger..." Stiles continued while going to the log Derek had put the bag on. He picked a handgun too and loaded it with ease, keeping the safety on for now.

He stepped back next to Derek and lifted his hand so he could see how he placed his finger on the trigger. "First pad of your trigger finger on the trigger. The pressure on the trigger should be smooth and you should move only that finger, nothing else. Bullets miss the target usually because one flinches or jerks the gun. It should stay as steady in your hand as possible. The trick really is to feel how to pull the trigger. Of course aiming is needed for that too, but the sights are there to help you," he continued, pointing out what he meant. "Before you pull the trigger, you should take a deep breath and start exhaling then pull it right before you run out of breath. It's like in archery. Watch," he added and took up the proper stance before taking off the safety and inhaling at the same time while he aimed. Then he pulled the trigger and the next moment the can on the most right flipped backwards and disappeared behind the tree trunk.

"It takes the right technique and practice, really," he smiled, by then his gun pointing towards the ground. "Oh and when the safety is off, you always hold it like this to avoid accidental injuries," he nodded towards his own gun. "Try it."

Relaxed, yeah, like Derek ever relaxed. His body was used to being in constant alert mode, and though he often was seemingly relaxed. It was a luxury he hadn't been able to afford because the moment he had done that, things would always go wrong. His hyper vigilance was born out of necessity and probably the reason he wasn't that great with weapons.

Shrugging his shoulders and rolling his head to attempt to get the muscles looser, Derek stilled when hands were placed on the hardened shoulders. It was also near impossible to relax around Stiles, because each time they touched, that strange sensation of magic was there, like a small electrical current. It was why he was fine with the human stepping away to demonstrate the trigger.

Stiles handled the gun like a pro, it didn't look like it didn't belong there anymore – on the contrary. The way the man stood, the way the arm muscles bulged and the finger slid around the trigger with ease, he made it look simple to shoot a gun. The wolf still wasn't a fan of guns but he had to admit he was willing to amend his opinion slightly because this was very attractive. He wasn't exactly gaping at the picture Stiles provided, he did that more inwardly. His eyes were wide though and his focus was completely off. It took a moment to even realize he was talked to.

Why did he even insist on trying when he couldn't even focus? Because he did want to learn and it was a good way to avoid being in the car all day. Swallowing thickly, Derek refocused and adjusted his stance to do as shown. This time the bullet actually hit the tree stump the cans were on so it was a lot closer.

"It's easier when somebody moves. Instinct kicks in." The problem was still the inability to release the tension in his muscles, though.

Stiles did feel Derek's eyes on him while he demonstrated the right pose and how to shoot, but didn't let it distract him. Then he watched him shoot too and hummed to his remark. He also saw the problem of not being able to relax. Stiles knew it was something he had to figure out how to make Derek do and his mind was running a mile a minute in order to find the solution.

"For you it's easier, yes. For many it's the opposite. You are used to hunting moving targets at great speed. Unfortunately the cans are waiting their fate frozen there. But this shot was definitely much better," he said and put his safety on just to tuck the gun into the back of his jeans so he could have both of his hands free as he stalked closer to Derek.

"You are fighting it. So your muscles are fighting it too," he murmured, eyeing said bunching and jumping – and quite amazing – muscles for a long moment. "I know... being a wolf, always on high alert, the hunters, your experiences and past, all that made tension an integral part of you. But I know you can relax...." he said, his tone taking up a soothing quality, drawing Derek's attention to it, guiding it. Kinda like trying to put him under a trance to help him focus. "I saw you mostly relaxed around your daughter and just a few minutes ago in your car. With me," he continued, reaching out to lightly touch his forearms then upper ones. There was nothing sexual in it this time. But his palms and fingers felt warmer than usual, their touch soothing and relaxing.

"Remember that feeling. Take a few deep breaths, visualize getting that tension trapped in your muscles as you flex them then when you are ready, exhale slowly and relax them to let the tension go," he murmured on that same tone and touched his shoulders again for a few moments before one warm palm moved to the center of Derek's back, resting over the Triskele tattoo which was hidden by his shirt. This time Stiles kept his hand there and waited for the other man to try.

At least Stiles didn't think he was hopeless with a gun like Derek himself did. Being all positive about the fact he managed to hit a tree, again, while the cans were harmlessly still there, silently mocking him. If this had been about throwing beanbags, those cans wouldn't have stood a chance. Or rocks, rocks would work great too. But that would be cheating and the wolf didn't give up so easily. Unless of course there was sufficient distraction in the form of a very tempting human. With a dry mouth he noted the way the gun was tucked in the back of the jeans, carelessly almost, and he could imagine the heated nuzzle would leave a red mark on the pale skin.

The touches were gentle, soothing, almost like calming a wild animal. There was nothing sexual about it, not intended to be that but Derek had another opinion. The fingers were warmer than before, the odd feeling of their little bubble coming back as the magic made a shiver run along his spine. Almost as if Stiles knew, his hand followed the shiver and remained on his back like a warm glowing reminder. As much as he appreciated the effort Stiles put into helping him relax, it also made his mind muddy, as if he wasn't distracted enough lately.

The whole mediation line didn't work, it made the wolf side-eye Stiles for a moment, wanting to bite out a sarcastic remark but he managed not to. His face probably said enough. Mediation was not the way to get Derek to relax, it mostly annoyed him and it was why the muscles hardened and he missed the can again. Well, the one he had been aiming at remained still, while the Pepsi can two rows further bit the dust with a metallic clang. Great, so he had hit a target, just not the one he had been aiming for. He had warned Stiles he was pretty terrible with guns, obviously he hadn't been lying.

With a groan, Stiles dropped his forehead against Derek's broad back. "How could you even miss that?" he sighed a bit frustrated, but there was laughter in his voice. Man, he was trying his best to help on Derek, but he was a hard nut to crack... Either way, if he was already so close to the brooding man, he was going to enjoy it and use that opportunity. It was not just Derek who seemed to be affected by their closeness again and Stiles started to have the feeling that maybe that was part of the problem. Maybe Stiles was part of the problem... Or more like the sexual and magical tension between them.

Stiles could feel it humming and crackling in his ear every time they touched. Like now when he unwittingly put his arms around Derek's middle and lightly rubbed his cheek against the hidden tattoo. "Okay... okay... Let's try a new approach then. Would it help if I whispered where I would put my mouth on you if you managed to hit one can for me? Only one defenseless can you want to shoot?" he asked on a fake innocent yet playful tone this time.

He knew it was a long-shot and that he was grasping for straws at this point, because by then his focus was starting to shift back on Derek too because of his closeness and the way the energies were buzzing around them. Not to mention the reluctance to let him go again. He felt comfortable and warm and safe right there. Cheek resting on Derek's back, arms around his middle, drinking in his scent and presence. He had missed him more than he thought and now... now he could express that with more than just a few awkward comments.

The effect was almost instant when Stiles pulled out all stops to get him to attempt to shoot one of the cans. Because he had known it wasn't going to happen anymore, not with the arms wrapped around his waist and the body of the human pressed against him. He could feel the warm breaths ghosting through the fabric of his T-shirt while Stiles scented him thoroughly and perhaps unknowingly. At that very moment, he was a goner, couldn't focus on shooting the side of a barn if he had wanted to. Probably even miss that at this point. And then... then Stiles had to even add to it by whispering a reward.

That busy mouth on him, now that was all he could think about. How Stiles would look on his knees, lips wrapped around... Forget about target practice, it wasn't happening anymore, nope. With a low growl, the safety was clicked back on the gun and he tossed it. Simply threw the thing to the cans, knocking them all over with a practiced aim and enough speed to get them all.

"I hit the cans."

With that he turned around so he could press Stiles towards the direction of the car. They could get the guns soon. Later. All he really wanted was to have them on the backseat of the Camaro because hitting cans with bullets wasn't the only thing that was hard, there was a distinct hard problem elsewhere as well. So he wanted to kiss and taste his m… boyfriend and lick him and mark him and do anything to make this weird feeling go. Or remain, whatever at this point.

Stiles heard the clattering of the cans and just put things together in his head with his cute mouth forming an 'oh'. His eyes shifted from the empty tree trunk back to Derek who was now facing him. A laughter from his remark died in Stiles' throat seeing all that lust and hunger in his eyes. Okay... he definitely aimed too high with this approach, but it kinda worked in a weird way? Like... the cans were definitely gone. And Stiles was gone too from that look and marching and pressing him towards the car. And Derek was totally gone on him too as the right now speechless detective was obediently backing towards the Camaro.

It wasn't far and he half-remembered in time to reach behind his back and toss his own gun on the ground too just before his back hit the side of the Camaro and he grabbed onto Derek's shirt to pull him in. Their lips crashed together forcefully, making Stiles moan satisfied before he opened his lips for Derek's tongue. One hand fisted around his shirt while the other was trying to find that damn handle of the door.

Yes, target practice was definitely over. Or rather, he became Derek's target. Which was something he had nothing against until it involved kissing, touching, groping and more bare skin.

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