18: If You Dare – Part 7

Not having a car was challenging, because the distillery, where Derek had figured they were able to train best, was remote. Which was why it was perfect to train. By the time they had reached it, it was later in the afternoon, but there was some time before it would get dark. There was no electricity here anymore, that had been cut off a long time ago. The building was left to fend itself against nature since most kids left it alone so it wasn't a dangerous building and taking it down would cost money. It was going to sustain some damage today – that was for sure.

"I think here we can train without being worried. Just duck if something collapses," Derek eyed the ceiling. It looked sturdy enough but who knows what they were going to be able to do? If Stiles' flash was some kind of a vision, then it meant the alpha was supposed to learn how to work with the magic to create some kind of super werewolf like their current enemy was too.

"Do we have an idea how to... start this?" The runes were there, but Derek didn't know how to access them yet.

"I'm not sure..." Stiles admitted as they were standing opposite each other in the big empty space, his voice slightly echoing as he scratched his head. When they got there, he warded off the building from unwanted company. "Since it's a mostly dormant protection and activates in case of attacks, maybe I should try attacking you. We could do some hand-to-hand combat then I could use magic to attack you. Even if I hate the idea of attacking you in general," he smirked. It was clearly because of the mate bond and love for his wolf and familiar, but it was not a real attack and the stirring magic 'knew' that.

They had to train and test out what the new rune tattoos could do on Derek in order to protect him. Although Stiles guessed that they might really show their strength in the face of real danger. Like Zepar and his coward helpers.

"You know they are there on your thigh. But you have to also know that they can protect you. My magic's big part is belief. So I think you should think of the runes like an impenetrable and invisible armor around your whole body. I also think you'll feel it when they activate. Zepar's were glowing on his skin when he was trying to withstand my magic. I think they will do the same just in amber on your thigh. Not that anyone will see that, but you'll probably feel some burning or something there," Stiles explained, trying to think of everything.

"And I believe if that flash in the attic was a peek into the future, then we should start working more seriously with my flames too. You are already familiar with them and don't fear me anymore. What I saw while touching the rune stones... You were working with the magic, using it as cover and was in the middle of a surprise attack. You looked majestic and hot," he grinned with a dreamy expression on his face but then blinked a few times to refocus on their task at hand.

Sparring was not the same as an actual attack, it was good for learning certain moves, but there was a chance the runes weren't going to activate. They had spend the last days training for Derek to not see Stiles' magic as a threat so there was a chance the sparring wasn't going to be as effective as they were hoping it to be. But they were here and they should try. It sounded easy enough to believe in the shield to work, it would work. And if there was one thing Derek firmly believed in, it was Stiles and his capability with magic. To werewolves, magic wasn't that unthinkable. It was part of their world, part of their whole being even if it wasn't anything like what Stiles was using.

"You need to give it your best shot, make your intent to attack known or I doubt it's going to work. I've gotten too comfortable with you." Stiles running towards him, even with some form of a weapon wouldn't make him think attack. It would probably be more along the same lines as his mate was thinking when he said Derek was hot in his vision. They were incorrigible in that and it made the wolf smirk. Terrible lovesick teenagers, that's what they were like and it was so sickening. And Derek loved it.

Working with Stiles' magic, that shouldn't be as hard as it sounded. The magic was often inside Derek, it was almost part of him too so instead of having it on the inside, it was going to be on the outside. What he didn't know was how he was going to use the flames. They were going to have to work together seamlessly to match all their movements fluently so it would be the same as breathing to them when they were in a situation that required them to attack others. Or fend off attacks.

"Okay, stop daydreaming about my unquestionable hotness and give me your best shot."

"Okay, fine, fiiiine!" Stiles sighed dramatically and closed his eyes, curling his hands into fists as he let some of the magic go, focusing it into his hands which soon began to glow. The amber veins ran up along his forearms and the glowing got denser the closer they were to his fists. The more he focused his magic there, the brighter they shone until at some point they burst out into his magical flames. As he opened his eyes when he felt the enhanced strength in his fists and arms, they were glowing in the same color too as they focused on Derek.

He had to put his intent into attacking his mate, to see him as the enemy and not his lover and pair. It wasn't easy, but Stiles' mind was good at compartmentalizing so he used that skill to make this actually work. Instead of them ending up on the dusty floor making out and possibly fucking.

Then he was on the move, faster than one might expect from a human. A perk of being a Spark and mated to an alpha werewolf.

When he got close enough, he swung his fist in the air in an attempt to land a hit in Derek's undeniably handsome and hot face. And he didn't hold back, even if it was entirely possible that the alpha would dodge it. It didn't matter if he did since they were there to engage in a hand-to-hand combat anyway.

There had never been much time to appreciate Stiles when he was lightening up like a Christmas tree due to his magic, because either it was mid-ritual and Derek had been too high, or out of it thanks to injuries. Or they were having sex and there were other things on the mind. So right now, he was watching the way the magic lit up the skin, like flowing fiery veins cracking the skin before it all flamed up to the fire he did know from their training before. The eyes had colored golden with a red hue to them, nothing like the yellow from a beta in shift. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and Derek's mind had been more on the fucking part like his mate's had been not long ago. It made him distracted enough to watch Stiles run towards him without moving.

The fist was swung towards him and his first instinct was to dodge. He could have, easily, because Stiles wasn't a fighter and the way he held his body meant Derek would be able to make him lose his balance with a swipe of his feet. But that wasn't the goal of this exercise. The idea was to let the runes block the danger of what was coming and take the hit, block it. So he took the attack.

See, the runes worked, kind of, the magic wasn't doing damage but the fist did. Which was completely his own fault for having sex on the mind after scolding Stiles about it. It hit him full on, made him stumble backwards as his head was slammed in that direction before he stumbled to the ground. Maybe he should revise his idea of Stiles not being a fighter because what the hell was that? Wiping at his nose with the back of his hand, it smeared a little red.

"Remind me not to piss you off." A grin had formed on Derek’s face, he appreciated a good scuffle. "It blocks the magic automatically but my mind wasn't on the full attack. Let's try this again."

Stiles' first reaction was a worried look, but Derek's words put a smug smirk on his face pretty quickly as he shook out his still flaming hand then curled it back into a fist and took a defensive stance, hands held up in front of him like boxers do.

"As much as I don't like attacking my own mate, you better remember that now I can land a few mean punches thanks to the magic," he winked at Derek. "What was on your mind that managed to distract you this much?" he asked curiously and waited only until Derek was back on his feet before he attacked again.

He didn't want to give too much time for his mate to prepare so Stiles used the combat skills drilled into his mind and muscles at the academy. The moves came back easily enough, plus this wasn't the first time they did this with Derek. They had trained like this before to keep in shape and prepare for any danger that might come their way. Now that danger was here at their doorstep, so to say, they had to find a way to eliminate it.

"It's good that the magic automatically gets blocked but try to focus on making the impact of the fist getting blocked too. Like... try to make it repel my fist," he instructed fast before he swung his fist again.

"You don't want to know what was on my mind." Nor did Derek need to give much of an explanation because Stiles was coming at him after instructing him. It was... kind of funny to have Stiles tell him what to do in order to protect himself when it was usually the other way around. At least the werewolf had learned to be a better teacher instead of tossing his betas around in the hopes of them learning something with the violence he had thrown at them like a wrestling coach. And once he became a father, he had also learned to be patient, to not let his frustration get the better of him. He always wanted to learn to be better and wouldn't turn down the chance at it, no matter who the lesson came from.

This time he did duck the fist, needing to get into the flow of a fight in order for him to get a feel of the magic that had been tattooed on his body. As a born wolf, he was very in tune with his own body and he did feel the difference there, the way the runes kind of stung like a paper cut, as if his body was readying itself to use the runes. Stiles came at him with his fist again, Derek not stopping him, forcing himself not to duck nor attack but to block like a shield. This time the magic didn't simply flicker out when it hit the protection, he could almost feel it, he could almost pull at it.

And the fist had hit, but not him. It felt like he had a rubber suit on or something. The hit connected in a way but it was like a little jolt and nothing more. Which was a good thing because if it hadn't worked, his nose would have been broken with the way the fist had been aimed at him. It made him think they should spar sometimes again, for fun, because it looked like Stiles still knew some moves Derek haven’t seen from him before and he would make a great sparring partner. Ducking away, Derek grabbed at the wrist of his mate and forced his arm behind his back before letting him go.

"I felt your magic, like I could pull it. Did you feel it?"

Stumbling for a moment on a breathy laugh, Stiles turned around to face Derek again, drawing in a few deep breaths. They've been at it for a few minutes by then and it made some sweat break out on his brow. After all, despite the fact that he was stronger than a mere human, he was still a human and Derek was – as expected – a formidable sparring opponent.

But Stiles was pleased with the progress they made. The runes were working as they were supposed to and clearly Derek was starting to get used to them and a hang of how to use it willingly.

"Yes, I think I did. And you're getting a hang of this quickly," he smirked satisfied at his mate. "I also think that you could pull on the magic since it's a part of you too. Essentially you should be able to wield it to some extent. Not as much as I do, but since we're connected and there's a big amount in you too, it should work. Like when I pull magic from you while doing a bigger spell. Like when I chased that asshole away. Maybe we should step this up to see what happens," he grinned at the alpha and concentrated on letting the magical flames spread through his aura, surrounding him.

The last time Derek saw him fully covered like this was on that same night too, back when he feared him. But since then they had made great progress with Derek accepting the magic and the flames as part of Stiles' being. So it shouldn't be a problem once he gave his mate a moment or two to get used to the sight.

"Remember, it's just me," he reminded his mate. What he didn't say this time though was the fact that the amber flames wouldn't hurt Derek. It was true, because Stiles' intention wasn't there to burn his soul mate. But he had to make his next attack look and feel real enough for Derek to step up his own game too. So he flung himself into another attack, curious what will happen next.

A hang of it quickly? Derek scoffed at that because it was going to need more than a training session for it to be part of his fighting skills. It wouldn't work unless he kept his head fully focused on it and that's where the problem lied. In a fight there was so much happening, he couldn't be single-minded, that's what always made him go wrong in the past, because anger had blinded him. But for a first time, this wasn't a bad result for it to work one out of two, which admittedly didn't say much yet. Stiles seemed to be impressed enough to up the stakes, though.

At first he wanted to protest, not sure if he was ready for that yet, however it wasn't as if there was time to get him ready so he closed his mouth again and nodded. Right, let's see what happens…

What happened was Stiles being on fire, literally. There were flames everywhere, covering him from head to toe, making Derek want to put them out, to not see his mate like that. It was just Stiles. He wasn't in agony, he wasn't actually burning up, and now that Derek wasn't frantically in panic, he could see the flames were different from real ones. Taking a deep breath, the Hale chased away the feelings of how wrong it was to see Stiles like that, the tremor disappearing from his body. Which was all the time he got, because Stiles knew exactly when to strike so Derek didn't get much time to prepare and he had to react on instinct. How could he not when there was a flaming body running straight at him, yelling and breathing so much anger it startled him into action?

It felt real enough, alright. Taking the hit, the Hale imagined himself pulling pain, the feeling of taking something from others by touch, and instead of pain, he focused on the magic. What happened next wasn't what he thought would happen, though. The magic was Stiles', was theirs so it didn't bounce off the shield, it went right through it, swirling around him, fueling him and his strength, stoking up the fire within him. It was like being supercharged. With a roar, he threw the energy along with his body, narrowly avoiding Stiles as Derek hit the large metal kettle there. It didn't just dent. No. It was demolished, it collapsed into itself with a burning hole in it, taking down the entire rig around it as well in a deafening noise that was endless.

Derek's eyes hadn't been red, they had been lava, flaming lava like the rest of him.

Stiles stared at his mate with his jaw dropped then swirled around to watch the destruction. He put his hand on his knees as he leaned forward to catch his breath and then just grinned wide, ignoring the deafening noise as much as possible.

"Wow! Didn't expect that," he panted amazed and quite shocked but at the same time so fucking proud of Derek. "Yeah... it seems you did get a hang of this! This is awesome! And huge! Derek!" he chuckled happily. "It's like the wave of my flames overcharged you and you could harness that power!" he glanced at Derek who was standing next to him. "I could feel you pulling from the magic before you threw it! You're gonna be good at this..." he reached out to pat a muscular arm and wiped his brow. His flames have retreated meanwhile, leaving only his eyes glowing in the usual amber light. "You were on fire too and your eyes had the same color as mine. This is so cool! We're going to kick ass with you being protected and able to harness the magic!" he babbled on, still in some disbelief and getting over-excited. "Think about the possibilities! Obviously it'll need a lot of work, but it's going to be a powerful weapon in our repertoire!" he straightened up and went to hug his mate. "I'm so proud of you!"

This was indeed much more than Stiles expected during their first magical training. So much more! Because if Derek was going to be able to use the magic like this, how Stiles saw in that strange vision in the attic, then their foes will have reason to fear them and perhaps avoid confrontations with them. It's also going to be an effective way to protect themselves and the town if they are going to be foolish enough to pick on them. Like Zepar and his minions...

Derek was panting as well, it had taken a lot out of both of them since they weren't used to it, but that was something they would be able to practice. Stamina was always something to increase. Until this was as much part of them as breathing was. Obviously these kinds of attacks couldn't happen without Stiles, who was the caster, while Derek had only channeled it, but in such a way it had added to his own powers. Catching his breath, he glanced at Stiles sideways while he was babbling excitedly, because yeah, it obviously needed a lot of work. He had meant to punch the kettle, not demolish it along with the whole rig or even punch a freaking hole in it. This was like asking a giant to thread a normal sized needle. It was going to need a lot of work to be able to control it in moderation.

Wiping at his face and only smearing soot there, the wolf aired his shirt because it was sticking to his body like they had done a heavy work out. Stiles didn't care, he went for a hug, since they were both wet from sweat. Derek hugged him back by wrapping one arm around the slim waist.

"How are you feeling? If it took a lot out of me, you must feel it too since I used your magic."

It hadn't drained fully since they haven't used it all. On cue, his stomach rumbled, making him laugh. Even werewolf stomachs weren't able to deal with the magic drain. No wonder, Stiles had to eat nearly 24/7 since the energy all burned away so quickly. "I guess we should head back." With all the walking, the human was going to be exhausted by the time they will reach the loft. "Or I can sprint to get the car. We need food."

Not caring about the sweat or dirt on them, Stiles leaned into the hug pleased and with a satisfied smile, basking in his mate's attention, touch and concern for him. "I'm fine, just a bit exhausted because we used a bigger amount than I thought we would. But nothing too draining. And we'll practice to do this in smaller, more controlled doses. We'll kick ass!" he repeated, obviously still elated from their success. He pressed a quick kiss against the soft lips then wiped the smudge off Derek's face.

"I could eat too. Though no news flash there, I can usually eat hourly," he snorted then tilted his head to the side for a moment, clearly thinking over their options. "If there wasn't a threat in town, I'd say you should get the car and meet me half-way on the road somewhere or that I'd take a shortcut through the forest, but since we have stalkers, I doubt splitting up is a good idea. So chop, chop! We have a long walk back to the school before we can fill up our bellies," he sighed but then smiled and took Derek's hand in his, lacing their fingers together as he tugged him towards the exit, taking one last glance at the destroyed kettle.

"Remind me not to piss you off too badly," he grinned teasingly and squeezed Derek's hand in his as they left the building for that long walk.

"Oh, it took you until now to notice that?" Derek shot back easily, pleased with feeling their hands interlocked as they walked. The stalkers could follow them around again now, the boxes were secure with Noah for now and they had done their training.

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