Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mieczyslaw Stillinski, a.k.a. Mischief, a.k.a. Stiles, was four years old and he had no friends and his favorite person in the whole world was his mother. Sheriff Stillinski had no problems with this, because Claudia Stillinski was one of his favorite people too. Claudia had no problem with it, because her men were her favorite people; but she was bothered by the 'no friends' part. So, even though all her boy wanted to do was stay inside and read his comics; even though that is what made him happy, she insisted on them going to the park everyday. So far though, Stiles just stayed close to her, going off when she encouraged, but eventually, always, returning to where she stood or sat.

Today though, was a special day, and Claudia had put in a lot of work to make sure that her son would have the best day possible. She had rented a bounce house, invited all the neighborhood children, along with the ones her little Mischief went to daycare with and had spent all day decorating the house. Inside and out, there were streamers and balloons every-fucking-where. Now, people were set to arrive any minute and stiles was in the kitchen drooling over his cake with his father. Her Mischief had tried to convince her to cancel the whole thing and keep the cake, which John had looked close to supporting. Junk food monsters, the both of them.

Claudia went to save the cake and prayed today would go well.

 Even though Stiles was the birthday boy, he was currently hiding by the bounce house, watching all the kids that were there with him go crazy. Well, they were there, but they weren't with him.

Stiles rocked back and forth on his heels, watching them chase each other and scream. Jackson was the one chasing everybody; he had brought his new water gun and had immediately started attacking everyone when he had been brought by his mom. Stiles had been the first casualty of said water gun.

There was a gentle breeze that made Stiles kind of regret not putting on a sweater, but if he went to grab one, that meant he would have to move. He did not want to move.

Stiles looked down and started to dig with the toes of his shoes, sucking his lips in and biting down. Why couldn't they have just gone for curly fries? Just him and mom and dad.

"Happy birthday, Stiles."

The voice shocked him, his head shot up to see that it was Danny that had wished him 'happy birthday'. The other boy was also smiling at him.

It took a second for him to get over his shock and smile hesitantly back.

"Thanks."

Almost as soon as he had finished Jackson came running over and grabbed Danny. The boy almost barrelled them both over, but managed to contain it to only bumping harshly into Danny. Jackson grabbed Danny's arm, started tugging him away, "Danny! Come on!"

Then he looked at Stiles briefly, but only to glare mulishly at him and then pulled his friend away. Danny went, turning back to smile at Stiles one more time, before allowing himself to be pulled into the fray that was the mass of children a few feet away.

Stiles slumped back, watching them all erupt into controlled chaos that no adult or outsider not in the game could be possible of understanding.

Someone sneezed, loudly, behind him.

Stiles jumped, just managed to keep himself from letting out a scream. He hunched, frozen, eyes wide and tense, heard some sniffling and slowly turned to looked behind himself. He saw no one, then pressed himself closer into the netting to see around the bright blue pillar on his right. Stiles could still hear the sniffling over the sound of the air pump. There was another boy, wedged into the corner, almost kitty corner to where Stiles was wedged, if the pillar wasn't between them.

Stiles thought about not saying hello to them, but he noticed how small they looked. Nobody looked that small because they were happy. He was better at looking small than Stiles was.

So, Stiles walked around the swaying pillar and, like every choice he had made in his short five years of life, just jumped right into it.

"Hello."

The other boy looked at him, arms wrapped around his knees, a little shocked looking. He looked around, like he thought that Stiles had meant someone else, which made Stiles smile widen because it had been just what he had done when Danny had spoken to him.

"Hi."

Stiles started to fidget in place, animation slowly starting to come back to him.

"My name's Stiles. What's yours?"

"Scott. Stiles? That's--it's your birthday today, thanks for inviting me." Scott was slowly starting to get animated right back. Nothing like Stiles though, no other kid tended to get animated like Stiles got.

Stiles didn't say that his mom had been the one to invite everyone, instead he shrugged, "Welcome." He looked at the bouncy house, then back at the other boy, "Do you like Batman?"

A bigger grin, "And Superman."

"Wanna see my comics?"

"Yeah!"

Stiles walked around to the entrance of the bouncy house, following the other boys progression until he clambered out of the plastic castle and quickly put his shoes back on. Stiles led him away to the back door, showing him where to put his shoes in the mud room.

The chatter of the adults was the first wall of sound that they hit when they walked into the house.

Stiles mom and dad's voice came through from the dining room, where the food was most likely being set up. There were other voices too, of the other adults that had stayed when they had brought their children over. Nobody was in the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Scott watched Stiles reach into the fridge and take out the big cake that his mom had ordered and picked up yesterday. A chocolate sheet cake with batman colors. Stiles quietly eased the fridge door closed, or tried to, because his hands were currently occupied with stealing his own birthday cake. Then, Stiles new partner in crime, rushed forward, grabbing the handle and making sure it shut quietly.

It made Stiles just that more fidgety, excitement settling in. He was starting to think that Scott was okay.

"Do you like chocolate?" Stiles whispered.

Scott looked unsure, but in the face of Stiles own enthusiasm he was helpless to resist returning it.

"I love chocolate cake."

"Good." Then Stiles led the way upstairs, followed by Scott, who grabbed two forks. They quickly walked past the doorways and then up the steps to his room, where Stiles showed Scott his comics and they ate half the cake before Claudia Stillinski's voice rang out, using Stiles full name and everything.

They couldn't stop giggling. Not even when the adults got upstairs and caught them chocolate-handed. Stiles just took another hugs bite and then licked the rest of the cake they hadn't eaten yet and said, "Mine."

Scott erupted into another whole set of uncontrollable giggles.

Scott McCall was the same age as Stiles and was therefore starting kindergarten that year much like Stiles was and therefore immediately became the one he would be sticking to. The day they met, after they had almost devoured the whole cake that was supposed to be for more than a dozen children, Stiles declared them best friends; to his mother, to Scott's mother and to all that was present when Stiles held onto the others hand and basically screamed "Mine!".

Claudia asked if Scott was okay with that, and before Stiles could begin to feel any sort of dejected or guilty over bulldozing his wants over another and possibly losing a friend, Scott started nodding his head hard and rapid firing words; 'yes-yes-it-was-fine-please-can-I-stay-over-and-play-with-Stiles-mom-please-I'll-be-good-I-promise!' that the adults thought he would start having an asthma attack.

Scott got to stay that night, and also got the promise out of Stiles parents for Stiles to spend the night at his place next weekend. Which, much to the chagrin of Rapheal McCall, but the joy of the three other parents, started a pattern for the rest of the boys lives.

They start kindergarten together and Stiles learns how to be sneaky with his revenge when it comes to people who are mean to his friend and Scott learns to come out of his shell more, because like heck is going to sit by and let others start bullying his friend instead when they can't get to him through Stiles. There are a lot of visits to the principal's office.

So. Many. Visits.

For three years, through kindergarten and grades one and two, Stiles and Scott remained best friends, fighting for each other and their right to remain so. Which is word for word what Stiles declared to their parents, teachers and principal when they tried to separate them in the second grade via the seating arrangement. The boys did not take that well and on the first day of class when they found out, there was much tears from Scott, and Stiles showed great promise as a mini future villain with the revolt he then orchestrated that had the students locking the teachers out of their classrooms.

They received detention for the whole year, but they got to sit beside each other.

When the boys turned eight, Scott's dad abandoned them and Stiles mom succumbed to her disease.

Both households fell under a dark cloud.

Stiles developed a fear of losing those he loved and became obsessed with his dad's, Melissa's and Scott's health, learning how to cook even though he could barely reach the buttons to turn on the oven. Scott got quiet, quiet like he was before he had Stiles as a friend, maybe  even a little quieter.

It was only when Melissa got home from a night shift, exhausted and numb and looked outside--to the treehouse that Noah had made in their backyard a year after their boys had been friends--and saw a the small window lit up with soft blue light that things changed. She walked out, so confused because the boys were supposed to be at Noah's this week, and peeked through the window. There she saw the boys, sleeping on a nest of blankets, backs right up against each other, with a tv???--where did that come from?-- casting a soft light over them.

Turns out they had been living there for almost the entire week.

When Melissa went over to Noah's house--a phone call hadn't gotten an answer-- and entered with her own key--because a knock wasn't getting an answer either and his car was in the driveway--and found Stiles dad on the couch, with beer bottles on the coffee table in front of him with his uniform still on, she decided enough was enough.

She woke him up by throwing a bucket of ice water on him--she went to the store to buy the ice and everything, Stiles was rubbing off on her, she didn't think she used to be this invested in being petty--and then asking him where their sons were.

There was panic, there was yelling, there was them sitting down and talking all their shit out, because they had been through so much in just that year and so much hurt in their hearts. Melissa drove him back to her house so he they could wake up their boys and talk out everything with them.

Scott wouldn't eat unless he had Stiles right beside him, Stiles couldn't sleep unless Scott was within reach.

Noah was drinking alcohol instead of water when he wasn't at work, Melissa was only taking time off work that her boss made her take off.

They all cried.

They didn't trust anybody else with their children--the few times both families had tried babysitters, each one had quit after only one time and the last one they had tried called Noah in a panic because the boys ran away (they were hiding under the deck and had fallen asleep, they were both grounded for a month)-- and Noah didn't know if he could stay sober alone and both boys did not take well to being apart at all. Stiles started having panic attacks, Scott got sick.

Melissa made an executive decision after a week of this and signed them all up for therapy. She moved herself and Scott in with Noah and Stiles. She got the third bedroom and Scott and Stiles debated double beds vs bunk beds. Stiles panic attacks eventually stopped (especially after Melissa went after the first therapist that they went their kids to and stopped that manipulation happening there--he lost his license) and Scott gained back the weight he had been losing.

Six months after they moved in Melissa looked around from where she sat on the couch, at the boys who were debating which show to watch and Noah who was working on a report he had brought home with him with a cup of coffee by his elbow, and finally believed they would be okay.

 Stiles and Scott got married for the first time when they were ten years old, with plastic rings that they got a dollar each and a piece of photocopier paper used to write the marriage license; which was just, "we promise to always remain best friends and stay together forever", with both their names scrawled at the bottom.

It was legit and nothing could convince them otherwise.

Chapter Text

Stiles was ten, he wasn't stupid. He knew what marriage was and why people got married. Which is why he thought Scott and him were perfect for it and every pathetic argument their parents(Noah and Melissa, but Melissa was a bonus mom and he called her by name) came up when they found out about it was shut down. They pointed out people got married because they loved each other, Stiles said he and Scott did love each, duh they were best friends. They pointed out that people got married because they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, Stiles gave the same answer.  They said that people got married because they wanted to start a family together, Stiles looked at Scott and asked if he wanted to go adopt a puppy.

When Stiles got close to declaring mutiny and halfway to convincing Scott they should go move into the treehouse (that was no longer theirs because Melissa had sold their house and by default the treehouse too), they let the subject go and let their sons be.

Later, when they were older, but before the whole Getting Bit By a Werewolf thing that ended up taking over their lives, they 'discover' dating. They debate for a whole minute before they come to the conclusion that; no, that is not what they are, but staying married is okay because all the before reasons still apply to them. Which makes it sound far simpler than it actually is, because what actually happened was that they stopped talking to each other and stiles slept on the couch for a week.

The 'discovery' of dating and crushes and liking other people in a way that meant they maybe wanted to kiss the other person, upset their dynamic in a way that Stiles was completely surprised by and refused to acknowledge actually existed at first. They figure it out though, after much, Much, conflict. Stiles credits google with the credit when it comes to what saved their relationship, because Stiles went online in a panic one day and just started googling like his life depended on it. Which, in a way, it did, because it was his best friend, they shared comic books, they were talking about raising a puppy together. What Stiles found was a whole bunch of stuff about Healthy Communication and the Importance of Using Your Words. He read many articles.

They talk.

Scott feels more confident about talking about his feelings in regards to what he thinks is Stiles obsession with Lydia and Stiles listens and manages to reign it in. He slips a few times but Scott pulls him back. Then Stiles can start sleeping in their shared bedroom again.

They live in happily platonic wedded bliss until the fragile age of sixteen, and stiles convinces Scott to look for a dead body in the forest, in the middle of the night and Scott gets bit by a feral werewolf.

Then a whole bunch of shit happens.

Stiles is woken up by a knock on his window, then is frantically propelled out of it and to the floor when the knocking becomes rapid fire tapping that sounds like its going to break the window.

His feet get caught in the blankets and he falls face first on the floor. He groans before looking up to see Scott, face scrunched up with unhappiness.

Stiles rushes to get up and fling the window open, "Scott-" and then he chokes because there are arms wrapping tight around him and Scott crashes into him hard enough to drop them to the floor.

Scott just clings to Stiles, breathing like he's trying not to cry.

Stiles untangles their legs, gets his own arms around Scott and hugs him back.

"What the hell?" Stiles mumbles, brain still sort of rebooting.

Scott squeezes extra tight just for a second, Stiles squeaks, then Scott lets go and sits back, keeping one arm around Stiles shoulder. They both get up, settling back against  the wall under their window. Stiles keeps one arm around Scott's back also.  

"Dude?"

Scott dropped his head on Stiles shoulder and began to breathe, slow and deep.

Stiles didn't pry, allowing time for his best friend to collect himself and used the extra time to wake all the way up. 
Cold wind blew in from behind them, and Stiles shivered, reaching back with his left arm to try and reach the window to pull it down. He could only swipe the bottom of it, because he was unwilling to move and disturb Scott's position. Stiles dropped his hand. 

Scott took a deep breath, sniffed and reached out his leg to snag the edge of the blanket and drag it closer. Stiles grabbed it as soon as it was close enough and they both fumbled around getting it on their shoulders.

An elbow might've hit a face, but it was fine and forgiven because Super Werewolf Healing.

"Allison might've broken up with me."

Stiles eyes widened and his whole body tried to jerk up, because when there was stress, he needed to pace, but put to practice every bit of self-control he had to stay sitting and not gesture wildly. It was hard, it felt like his muscles were vibrating a little.

"What? Why?!"

Scott and Allison breaking up was like... like... well... they had broken up a few times already, but they got back together and they loved each other so much and to be honest Stiles thought Allison wasn't good enough for his friend, but he was mature enough to recognize that he would never think that Anyone was good enough for his best friend.

"What happened? Dude, rewind."

"We were talking about..." Scott straightened, raising his knees to fold his arms on top of them and took a couple more breathes, before he continued, "...about what we were going to do after we graduated. She brought up apartments and I told her about the place we found by the park and how e and you were ready to move in at the start of July and she got mad."

Stiles nodded slowly, instinctively wanted to jump on Scott's side, but also forcibly reminding himself he was mature now and liked knowing both sides of the story before passing judgement on others. (Because they were better than asshole hunters who only needed to see blue eyes before chopping others in half.) Also, Stiles liked Allison and knew she was sweet (as well as an absolute badass and capable of great anger and prone to shooting those who disagreed with her when she deemed herself in the right, but whatever), and Stiles had grown up with Scott and knew there were moments when the true alpha could be oblivious about some relationship stuff (they both could). 

"What else did she say?"

"She accused me of being more invested in my relationship with you than with her."

Stiles hummed, waiting for the rest of it.

"I told her i was invested the same in both."

Stiles nodded and hummed; it had been the same for him when he dated Lydia for a year. They had broken up when she realized what school she wanted to go to. Danny and Jackson going with her, so they all could still be with some pack. Almost word for word actually.

"She asked me if we were married and I told her 'not officially, but we were going to sign papers after graduation.'"

Now Stiles could see where it might've gone way downhill.

"She told me to leave after that and said we should probably take a break. 'Cool down'."

"That sucks."

"Yeah." There was an extra loud sniff.

Stiles pursed his lips and looked at their beds. After a minute of silence he broke it by gesturing weakly to their mattresses and asking, "Wanna make a fort, then you can shift and we can cuddle and sleep in tomorrow?"

Scott let go of a huge breath, "Oh god, can we?" He sounded so relieved Stiles had to grin.

"Yeah, man! Let's do it."

And they proceeded to do just that, putting more than a decade's worth of experience to the whole enterprise to make their blanket and pillow castle. Before Scott shifted, they sneaked downstairs and raided the fridge for leftovers. Luckily, tomorrow was Saturday, because they needed the sleep.

Scott and Stiles had come to the shared agreement that they should keep out of each others arguments with their respective romantic partners.  They came to this arrangement about two months into Stiles relationship with Lydia. Scott understood Stiles side then, when he started dating Allison--neither of them enjoyed jealousy. They also concluded to spend every sunday together, just hem, so neither had a chance to feel left out or neglected.

So, Stiles did not give his opinion on Scott's fallout with Allison, and kept his listening face on for a whole week and Scott looked away when he was talking. They had known each other since they were five and were good at reading what the other wasn't saying with  just a look, Scott didn't want to see what Stiles was thinking behind the listening face. Scott wanted Stiles to give his opinion, because the other would always catch what Scott missed, but knew asking would not be fair, so held back from doing so. 

Instead,for the whole week, he stuck close to his best friend and texted Allison every day, asking if they could talk again. He also tried not to stare too much while they were at school. Stiles would nudge him when he noticed, which was awesome of him, but it usually took one or two. And one time he tripped and fell down the steps, but Stiles tried to catch him. He stopped staring though.

When, eight days later, Allison finally agreed to continue their talk, Scott honestly believed it couldn't end in anything but reconciliation.

He was wrong.

Stiles did not go to sleep that night, wanting to believe that Scott and Allison would be back to their usual lovey-dovey selves, but...

Just in case! He was staying up just in case. Just in case his bff needed him, or there was a monster of the week--hadn't been for a while, practically the whole year, ever since Deaton and him had managed to fix the whole Nemeton issue, but you never knew!

Evil purple alien kittens could descend from the stars and demand all their catmint.

Unfortunately, his instincts ended up being correct, because Scott came home looking like a drowned puppy and they ended up eating all the ice cream in the house. If his dad complained, he would make sure to mention the trips to the diner Jordan had ratted out the sheriff for. If Melissa brought it up, Stiles would go and grab some more for her and would only get strawberry(which was his dad's least favorite and Melissa's ultimate favorite).

They did not leave the fort (which had not been taken down yet) until they had to go back for their last week of classes.

Scott never told him why they broke up. Stiles respected his decision and didn't ask.

They had their second wedding a week after they moved into their apartment and mostly made it look like someplace people actually lived. Stiles also started a scrapbook, of all the keepsakes from the weddings. They had a small  party with all their pack after the actual official documents had been signed. At first they tried the separate rooms thing, which they eventually got used to, but one or the other still walked into the others room with an extra blanket(because they were both blanket hogs). They had doubles now, having left the twins at home so they could share a bed comfortably.

Scott was going to work a year with Deaton before heading off to school to become a vet, Stiles was already planning what they would need and helping Scott read up on what he would be learning. If he took summer classes, Scott could finish in maybe four years instead of six.

Fingers crossed.

They had been planning this since they were fourteen and Stiles started obsessing about college. And college tuition.

They would figure it out.

Chapter Text

They both stay single for the entire year they stay in Beacon Hills before going off to college. Then... they get drunk. And wake up in beds that are not their own.

Namely; Scott opens his eyes to find himself staring into Kira's face, fully clothed, bodies close but not touching and being hit with the realization that Kira Yukimura is so beautiful  how could he not have noticed just how much before now? Stiles wakes up clinging to warm body, with his nose buried in the very nice neck of his companion and their nose in his hair, snoring very softly. It's the start of two very wonderful relationships, and also has Scott questioning if he should be going away at all to pursue his dream career. Stiles rallies their parents to help him, convince Scott to not throw away his entire university career because he just noticed how pretty Kira's eyes are.

They go to university, they move into their dorm, they obsessively text and call Kira and Derek when they're not studying or in class.

Derek and Kira form an unlikely friendship when he offers her a ride up with him to visit their boyfriends. it's a six hour drive, maybe twice a month, and it turns out they have similar tastes in music. One time the car breaks down and Derek teaches Kira how to fix what's wrong, another time he talks her through a flat tire. Derek muttered something about never letting Stiles do this, because with his luck the car would fall on him. Kira had laughed and agreed. 

So did Scott when she told him that night. 

Along with their winter and fall semesters they take the summer/spring courses also. Stiles may fall back on his old studying habits for a while, before Scott catches on.

They don't do summer classes their second year, instead they decided to head home, because they were homesick and because they were close to a burnout. 

Fortunately, their university career remained quite free of supernatural disasters and, like normal secondary students, all they had to worry about were their grades and tuition and everything else that people who weren't fighting for their lives twenty four seven had to worry about. Looking back on it Stiles was amazed they managed to get grades that were acceptable to any sort of secondary school at all. 

A goddamned miracle.

There was one fight that was constant for them though, after their first year until their final four years, when Stiles finally gave in. Derek wanted to get an apartment out there for them all to stay in, but Stiles(and Scott, but Stiles was more vocal about it) did not want Derek to think that just because they were dating now, he wanted Derek to start buying him all the things. Then Stiles actually put hard won lessons to use once more when he remembered that healthy communication did not just apply to him and Scott, but to all relationships.

After the first half of their university career(Scott for his future vet career and Stiles for his MA business degree, because he suddenly had this epiphany to open a cupcake shop) the big secret came out. Which was just so surprising, because Scott and Stiles didn't know it was a secret at all and honestly, Stiles had been referring to Scott and him as a married couple since middle school, you think their family group would realize that that was the one thing he wasn't being sarcastic about.

It all came to light(for everybody else and really, they had matching plastic rings, how did no one realize?) one bright saturday morning. Of course, (again!) it's not like they had been hiding it this entire time, it's also not like anybody had ever asked them; although, it's not like anybody would have ever had a reason to ask the 12-year-olds if they they were completely serious when they would just casually mention that they were husbands. It's also not like their Legally Binging In The Eyes Of The Comic Book Gods Totally Legit And Official Marriage Certificate was in any way actually official in the eyes of the actual law.

Then again, what was their excuse when high school came around and Stiles insisted on the shared locker because screw them all, if they were going to only allow them to have one shared class a semester they were giving Stiles this.

So... really, it wasn't that big of a deal at all and Stiles thought that all of their pack mates should really just stop gaping at him and Scott like they were and just allow Stiles to coo over the custom Batman ring that Scott had presented to him upon the re-proposal. Scott had very specifically told Stiles that it was his turn because Stiles got to do it last time. This was just going to have to be a thing that everybody would have to get over because they were all going to have to have to have their shit together at the recommitment ceremony that Stiles had been planning for two months.

It was going to be beautiful. They were Best Friends Forever, why wouldn't they have wanted to marry each other? Significant others may come and go, but ScottandStiles would always be together.

Now, to be fair, Stiles had only ever been with Lydia before he got together with Derek(and there was a significant gap between the two, about a year in fact) and about a few months in Stiles realized what being in a Serious Relationship was all about. Scott and Kira were a little bit slower, taking their time, but they seemed to be on the same track that Stiles and Derek were on.

Bringing that fairness forward, Derek and Kira's reaction does not make sense to Stiles at first. It's Scott who has to explain it(after the fact, because as much as he got better about thinking before his actions when it came to pack activities and dealing with pack enemies, romantic relationships were still a minefield--albeit with a well-trained sniffer dog yadda yadda yadda) and tell Stiles what they might've--definitely, what they definitely did wrong. They never really explained, in the sense of having a very in depth conversation of how the ScottandStiles relationship worked and how that didn't mean that they loved Derek and Kira any less. First they had to get Derek and Kira to talk to them.

Stiles took back what he had said before, everybody else had to get over the shock of the ScottandStiles Situation. Derek and Kira had to be reassured and comforted and told again and again how much they were loved.

When everybody was clearing out, Scott offering to drive Kira home and Cora and Peter just heading downstairs to their respective apartments, Stiles stayed behind, helping to clean up. After, when the trash was gone and the tables wiped and all the dishes were washed and then dried, (which was still weird to Stiles, who lived in a household that let their dishes air dry) and put away, Stiles sat down on the sofa and held open his arms hopefully. Luckily his boyfriend was a cuddle-monster and immediately gave in after almost two minutes of internal debate.

Stiles rubbed his cheek over the top of Derek's head, settling in comfortably, Derek resting between the open V of his legs and head burrowing into Stiles neck.

Stiles breathed deeply, building up his nerve for what he was about to do. He had never had to tell his story before, it was going to take some courage.

Stiles tells Derek the whole ScottandStiles story, nothing held back, censorship optional. He explains that this is just how he and the other have always been and that its absolutely nothing like the relationship he has with Derek.

When he's finished, even when he's still telling it, Stiles admits to himself(even though he's pretty sure Derek can tell, because, you know, werewolf) that he's afraid. Stiles is afraid that Derek will hear all of this and not believe Stiles when he says that the whole ScottandStiles thing doesn't mean that he and Derek can't have a fulfilling relationship also.

He's pretty sure that's what happened with Scott and Allison. There's also a little part of himself that secretly thinks that's why Lydia wanted to end their relationship. Stiles is very much in love with Derek. He's been with the other man for over four years, has been close friends with him at least six and known the born wolf over seven years. Scott has just started to talk to Allison again and Stiles does not want to have to deal with the possibility of going four years without talking to his Sourwolf. The very idea of it makes his chest ache something fierce.

So, Stiles may end up ranting for over five minutes about it, mostly just reiterating over and over again, with different words and adjectives what he just finished explaining. Stiles still sometimes reverted back to the mistaken debate tactic of thinking he could win if he just said the same thing over and over again in exactly the right way that it would bring over everybody to his way of thinking.

Fortunately, because by some stroke of holy(or unholy, Stiles didn't judge) stroke of luck, Derek, by some miracle, got it. He understood. He looked Stiles straight in the eye and said, "That actually explains so much about you two." It made sense. To him. Derek. It made sense to Derek.

Derek wasn't going to break up with him.

Stiles may or may not have had to be the one being held after that. Just encircled in his werewolf boyfriends big strong arms and very nice chest. There also may have been some very needed reassuring kisses that turned into heavy making out and more. Stiles was twenty-two years old, he was allowed to have a very active sex life with his very attractive werewolf boyfriend.

(Especially after thinking they might break up and one or both of them having to go on some sojourn to rediscover themselves. Or something.)

It turned out, as Stiles discovered later, when he went back to the house and found Scott there already, doing the laundry, they had both lucked out in the Significant Other Department. Kira did not break up with Scott(which Stiles was so happy for, because out of the two of them Scott was the one that had the fear of being bitten twice--figuratively, it had happened literally... many times, not lately, but still).

So, the important things resolved, Stiles sat Scott down and pulled out his binder.

Because yes. Stiles had made a binder of his plans for their recommitment ceremony. He had watched Bride Wars and 27 Dresses and was Prepared. There was going to be a Batman cake(sheet or tiered, he wasn't sure yet)and Stiles would even let his dad have a burger.

The planning was practically all done, Scott and Stiles had known what they wanted for this day since forever. Curly fries were a must, and they needed a milkshake bar. Stiles also had to make sure to avoid Lydia.

Mostly because as much of a goddess and organizational wizard he thought she was, she would try her best to make it a classy affair(probably not at first, but patterns usually hold, so.) and as much as the need to take over control of the entire shindig would be coming from a place of love and would be her way of showing her full support and how much she loved them and wanted them to be happy, it would crush their dreams of their special day.

This, of course, Stiles would not dare, ever, to say aloud.

Stiles would sooner eat glass than hurt Lydia's feelings.

Instead, he asks her to arrange for what they will be wearing that day. She takes over that task gleefully and efficiently.

Melissa leads a small team in decorating the backyard; it looks absolutely fantastic when their done with it.

The entire week, before the ceremony, Stiles spends it designing, wording and making the One Contract to Bind Them. Which is what he is calling it and will not be changing it at all, no matter what anybody says. Besides, there are only two--three! opinions that matter at all when it comes to this project and they do not mind the title at all.

The day before, Derek went with Kira to pick up the cake, which was three tiers and had Batman and Superman as the toppers.

The day of their ceremony, Lydia makes sure they are both looking their best. Jack keeps muttering about how weird this all is, but he honestly wasn't surprised at all that it was happening at all. Erica cooed over everything and simultaneously mocked it all(but not during the ceremony, only after, and not where Scott and Stiles could hear her), and Boyd got a certain light in his eye. A glint that would shine especially bright when he would glance at Erica.

Derek and Kira were required to sign the certificate-- that was Official In All The Ways That Mattered--, as Significant Other(Very Important People). Kira kissed Scott on the cheek for being so sweet; Derek scowled and tried to act annoyed, but signed, so huh! Stiles knew Derek was secretly relieved and happy about the whole little ceremony contract part. About being included.

Afterwards, as Stiles was enjoying his second piece of cake(each tier was a different flavor and Derek was very bravely guarding the double chocolate piece like the amazing boyfriend he was), Stiles looked around and saw everybody that he loved and made him happy.

He looked to his right, catching Scott attention and announced, "We should get a dog."

Chapter Text

Stiles and Scott had been secretly wanting a dog since they were about twelve and they saw Jackson walking his at the park while they were enjoying some ice cream while their parents talk to some friends not too far away. It's a beautiful dog--well, a puppy, that is almost the size of a dog--, and neither boy can tear their eyes away from it as Jackson walks across the other side of the park with it. It's enthusiastic and keeps pulling at the leash, trying to urge its human to go faster! Let's run!

Stiles swears when they finally have a dog that he is going to run with it everyday. Scott promises to remind of that everyday.

Their parents make the bargain with them that when they have their own place and are able to with their own money, they can get a dog. Stiles and Scott hold that promise close to their heart until they actually do move out into their own apartment the summer after they have graduated. By which time they have decided that they should wait a little longer because they will be moving the next year.

After their vow renewal ceremony, after they have enjoyed their summer, and after they have moved into the apartment that is only a five minute walk from the university and has three bedroom and two baths and Stiles has very much not said anything about how much it must be costing to rent the place(afterwards--meaning when they moved out, Stiles found out that Derek had actually bought it, but by that point he had made peace with how much of a difference Derek and he made and had already accepted that it would break his boyfriends heart if he did not allow Derek to help him with his bakery business). After unpacking all their luggage(and all the new furniture and the huge! new tv--which was their favorite part, because it's bigger than Derek!... Star Wars would look so good on that screen), Stiles sat down and started looking up shelters in the city. They would be here for at least four years, it was a good time to get a dog. Scott abandoned his room as soon as he found out what Stiles was looking at.

Derek and Kira shook their heads at them and decided that they did not want to be left to unpack everything on their own and went out to eat and shop for some groceries.

There were five. Stiles immediately called the one that was nearest them and made an appointment to come in and see if they would be the soul match for any of the four legged canines that were residing in the shelter. In the mean time they were encouraged to fill out the application on the site by printing it off, filling it out and bring it in with them, or doing it all online. They were still ruminating over their answers and making sure they sounded like the perfect dog owners when Kira and Derek came back. At which point the laptop was taken away from them and they were made to eat the food that had been brought back from the restaurant that their better halves had eaten at.

The first shelter was a bust.

They went in with high hopes and absolute certainty that they would find their dog That Very Day.

Unfortunately, the first one that was brought in to meet them, took one look at Scott and proceeded to almost choke itself as it tried to get away at the first sniff of him. The second one jerked itself in front of the worker and growled; when Scott took a step forward it began to bark. The third one just curled into a little ball and wouldn't budge. They stopped then, because Stiles could not stand the look on his Scott's face after that one.

Stiles opened and closed his mouth several times on the way back, trying to find the best way to start the conversation he wanted to have.

Finally, when they were walking through the door, Stiles just bull-dozed right into it. "How have we never realized the whole werewolf and dogs not like that thing?"

Scott shrugged, "I don't know, the animals at Deaton's liked me just fine after I changed."

"Huh."

"We can ask Derek when he gets back, he'll know."

Scott perked up, "Yeah." He smiled over at Stiles, "When are they getting back?"

Stiles pulled out his phone, "Um... the weekend, he said he needed to sort some things out with Peter."

"Okay." Scott slumped back, then fell over so he was leaning against Stiles.

"Pixar?"

"Yes, please."

When Derek and Kira came back, each with a few more bags(Derek with one, Kira with three), it was the first thing that Stiles made sure to ask. After the mandatory glomping and long kiss that was required after spending more than 24 hours apart.

Derek got that furrow between his eyebrows of mass expression(it was an art form, Stiles was proud to call himself a master at reading them), that meant he was confused. He told them they had never had pets in his house.

With that any hope that Scott may have been retaining, just left the true alpha and he just... deflated. Stiles was quick to reassure, to just throw out ideas. They would keep trying. They would find the perfect dog. Stiles would... Stiles would... call Deaton. He would call Deaton right now.

Which is exactly what Stiles rushed to do, arms still around his Scott. Well, hobbled to do, he shifted he and Scott over to where he had left his phone charging, Scott shuffling along after him, holding on just as tight(tighter, because, werewolf strength) and leaning over to help Stiles reach his phone. While it was ringing he quickly reassured Derek that it was okay, because now his boyfriend was looking guilty and that was not allowed. Stiles had decreed it so many years ago; Derek would no longer feel guilty over things that were not his fault, so it had been said, so it is.

Upon calling Deaton, Stiles was reassured that "Don't worry, I know what to do."

Stiles and Scott still had classes, so Derek went back to Beacon Hills at Deaton's request, Kira tagging along, because it was their thing now and the drive back was always better with company. It took three days, because six hours in the car was a long time(and no matter how much Derek loved his car, he had to get sick of being in it almost 24/7, plus Kira so. They went back to beacon hills, spent two nights, and left the next morning, with a little passenger right in the backseat with them.

Scott and Stiles could barely focus through their classes, on complete opposite sides of the campus. They ended up sleeping on the couch, head to head(because it was one those couches that was like half a square and Kira had picked out about a good dozen pillows. On the day that their significant others were supposed to be back Stiles and Scott debated whether they should just skip their classes the entire time they were getting ready to go to said classes. Finally, Stiles called Derek to just ask, they were told to just 'go already! oh my god Stiles, by the time you're done we'll be back, get going!' and they were hung up on.

They went to class, but they didn't like it.

Well, Scott was determined not to like his classes, but it was tuesday and that was the day that his two favorite classes had their lectures and he found himself getting into it. They had classes a couple hours apart, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They took that extra time to study in the library and meet up for lunch.

After, when they were done their second lectures, Stiles was the latest, so Scott waited for him in a little area set up with chairs outside the lecture hall for him. They took the bus back, because they kept putting off getting a car and then promising themselves they would do it that year, but then just taking the bus, because, it was already there. Why buy a car when the buses were cheaper and did exactly what they needed them to do?

The camaro was in the driveway when they were walking up the sidewalk to their place. They stopped in shock when they caught sight of it, Stiles reaching out to stop Scott walking and excitedly point it out. They grasped at each other, frozen with shock, before bursting into a run to get the rest of the way to the front door.

They did not burst through the door, because they had grown up and had self-control and the mind to use it.

Instead, they stopped right outside the door, calmed themselves down and then went through the door. Derek was right there to meet them.

He had his arms crossed and had been looking down at his feet as he swung his right foot back and forth. It was obvious he had heard them(werewolf duh) and was just patiently waiting for them to gather themselves together. He waited, wanting to go in for the usual glomp and kiss that was expected, but also knowing that Stiles was vibrating with energy and Derek was feeling far too amused over the whole thing to feel any sort of disappointment.

"She's in the back yard with Kira."

"She? We have a she?" Stiles managed to say, voice hushed in the way that meant he was trying not to burst out into a bunch of loud 'whoo's!!" and jump until he tired himself out.

Kira kept the puppy outside until Stiles and Scott were not vibrating with energy. When it was finally brought inside, when Derek had deemed them calm enough and in the right frame of mind to meet a puppy.

What was brought out to them was a floppy eared, brown spotted big eyed adorable canine angel.

At first Stiles thought that she would react exactly the way the rest of the dogs had reacted to them and Scott would just have his heart shattered. Of course, the puppy had already been near Derek, so he knew that wasn't possible, but for just a second, which felt like a year, the puppy just stood there, looking at them.

It had been dancing around Kira's ankles when it followed her into the living room, before it spotted them.

They stared at each other, then she stepped forward, sniffing in their direction, before looking back at Kira. She encouraged it forward and Derek did the same thing when the puppy looked towards him.

Soon, it was close enough to them that Stiles and Scott could reach out their fingers and the puppy could sniff at them. Which she did, cautiously at first, because the first sniff she took she jerked back and sneezed, falling on her butt. A small noise escaped before Stiles managed to catch himself and manage to somehow regain his sobriety like outward demeanor.

When she liked their fingers and started to wiggle her little tail back and forth, a huge grin burst across Scott's face.

They had found their forever canine soulmate.

Derek had bought a crate and food and bowls and toys already. Stile and Scott would have bought them, but Stiles hadn't wanted either of them to get their hopes up, because then they would just have all this doggy stuff laying around reminding them both that they had no dog. But now they had a dog, a puppy!

So, obviously, the only thing to do now, was to go on an all new shopping spree. Derek took them, because he knew that he would have to hold them back. They had hesitated though, wanting to go and shop for the new member of the household, but also not wanting to leave her all alone. Kira was staying with her though.

In the end, they went. Derek kept them from buying too much and overwhelming the poor little puppy. Stiles did manage to grab a little doggy bed for her though, for every room in the house. It was a necessity. When Derek mentioned how they might be overdoing, they both looked at the other werewolf with blank expressions. Derek backed off about the dog beds. But he did manage to cut their dog toys down to a quarter of what they would have gotten.

That night, they slept outside, right next to the crate with the puppy, leaving the little door open and keeping their heads right beside where she was hanging her snout through.

Chapter Text

It was weird how four years could be so consumed by one small puppy(now medium sized dog).

Derek had to, in the beginning, actively lead each boy into his room, away from the dog, so they would do their homework and spend all the time they should have been studying, not doling out all their love to the floppy eared bundle of joy they had named Lilah.

Stiles did end up keeping the promise he had made back when he had first seen Jackson and his dog. He immediately started getting up every morning to run with their puppy. Which was easy at first, because she was small and could tire out much faster than a bigger dog who would have had all that hard-earned stamina. She was still a puppy though and could go for quite a run. Luckily, despite Stiles also have a bit of a high energy, she also had short legs and he could keep up with her easily. If she grew to be too big, he would be glad for this early practice.

Unfortunately, the everyday morning run did not last, because there late night studying, and those day that Stiles missed, Derek picked up the slack, bringing back a winded puppy who only wanted to drink from her water dish and flop onto her bed for a morning nap. Stiles caught a glimpse of a future where she left him behind in the dust, leash dragging, the first he woke up and was there to see Derek come back in with Lilah.

Derek and Stiles shared dog walking duties and they all ended up splitting training duties. Making sure to spend at least fifteen minutes a day with her and teaching her commands, hand and verbal.

They all ended up falling in love with Lilah.

Kira joked about what it would be like splitting custody if any them ever broke up. Scott and Stiles told her that would never happen and that were all going to be happy forever.  End sentence.

She did not tease about them breaking up again, she could tell it was a very sensitive subject for them.

The last years of secondary school for them passed fast. They went back home to visit everybody, and sometimes their pack/family came to them to visit when finals were kicking their asses and the homesickness threatened to swallow them whole. Now that they had the house instead of the dorms, Derek and Kira had switched. Instead of visiting their boyfriends when they could and not trying to burn themselves out by traveling too much, they were now visiting Beacon Hills at least once a month. Lilah would go with them sometimes, she liked the car and watching the world wizz by and getting reacquainted with everyone in what used to be the nexus for all things chaotically supernatural.

It seemed that in a blink of an eye, their pack and parents were driving down to see them graduate. First Stiles(because his masters was less than Scott) and then Scott a couple years later.

Then Stiles found out that Derek had actually bought the house, came to terms that it wasn't that big a deal and that he accepted this was Derek's love language. Though there was a serious discussion at some point so that boundaries could be set so that Derek knew when to ask and what was acceptable and what wasn't to go forward because it could start a fight where Stiles felt bull-dozed and disrespected and ignored, or Derek thought by saying no that his love was being rejected.

They figured it out.

They moved back home.

The question wasn't so much where they would live, as it was where each of them would be living.

Derek owned most of an apartment complex( 'most of' because Cora and Peter owned the rest of the complex), there was also two apartments right beside each other, that were practically mirror images of one another.

They had talked about it, before they moved back. Kira and Derek asking their respective boyfriends separately from each other.

When Derek brought it up with Stiles, they had been lying in bed, just the lamp on, casting an orange glow over them, shining through the lampshade was Amy and the Doctor''s figures. Stiles was dozing, arm and leg thrown over Derek, lulled by the gentle motion of his breathing. Derek had been gently running his hand over Stiles back, every now and then giving it a scratch.

Stiles would hum happily every time Derek did.

Derek brought it up  with a whisper, asking Stiles if he would ever consider living in a separate place from Scott. It had certainly woken Stiles up.

Stiles had not accused Derek of anything, of manipulating Stiles into a state of calm so that Derek could bring up the topic or anything like that. Because one, it was Derek and Stiles boyfriend had one of the softest hearts anybody had ever had ever; and two, Stiles was better about not bursting out with the first thing that came to his mind.

So, instead of what could have very easily become a screaming match and the death of the best relationship Stiles thought he would ever be capable of having, Stiles just asked why.

Stiles and Derek ended up not going to bed for an hour, carefully picking their way through a conversation about where Stiles had honestly never had seen himself in a spot in his life where he would be put in the spot to be moved away from Scott. Scott was his other half, that was his soulmate right there and what sense did it make that they would ever live apart?

In the end though, Stiles admitted that this was not something he felt comfortable talking about without the other boy there. 

Which is exactly what happened the next morning.

During the whole talk, it felt like they trying not to step on broken glass, he was not going to lie, because they all wanted it to work out.

In the back of his mind, and he was sure it was in the back of Scott's too, was that he did not want to put any sort of hard line down, because he had already had one break-up because they could not handle how close he and his best friend were. Well, suspected reason for the break-up, Stiles would admit he would never ask Lydia to confirm.

Stiles knew Scott was more scared of him of that though, because of Allison. The two were on speaking terms now and existed very peacefully in the pack together, but Stiles still remembered how hard it had been for them to get where they were now.

Stiles and Scott admitted, 'yeah, they could, but they would always have to be at least neighbors, and they were willing to try being that, because Kira and Derek were very important to them and they did not want to lose them because they were being too stubborn and unwilling to compromise on anything.

That never ended well. Stiles has read the books and watched the movies and devoured the comic books. He knows what happens.

Derek was quick to jump in with two apartments that he knew of that were right beside each other. This time though, he was admitted that he owned them before they moved in.

So, them moving in, and getting used to being in separate places(just like it had taken them a while to get used to separate rooms was not the hard part of the whole new phase of their life.

The hard part was custody.

Stiles and Scott drew up a custody plan for Lilah, then they spent a very stressful last couple of weeks before they graduated and moved back to Beacon Hills arguing over who got what comic/figurine/item/movie of all their accumulated possessions that had been building since they had first moved into the same room.

At one point, they ignored each other for an entire day, Scott taking the car and Stiles taking the bus to class. Kira and Derek had looked like they had been witness to some horrible war. They were more upset after the make-up than Stiles and Scott had been. They joined their boyfriends when they spent the night outside in the living room, binging superhero animated shows, curling up against them and holding on tight.

Kira whispered they had to promise never to fight like that again.

They promised.

So, sharing custody of Lilah, it worked out, because Derek and Stiles were both used to running with her in the morning and Kira and Scott had a routine for her night walks. She stayed at each of their apartments as equally as they could make it.

She would come with, either Stiles or Scott, when the other would walk over to the next apartment just because they felt like it. If she was napping they left her when they would go back to the apartment that they shared with their boyfriend/girlfriend. If Kira Or Derek were spending the night somewhere else(rare as that was) Stiles or Scott stayed at the other apartment and the floor of the living area was turned into a nest.

Then they just started leaving their apartment doors open when they were both home(and locking the stair doorway) and Lilah would just wander back and forth depending on who she deemed less busy and capable of petting her.

That whole first year, Stiles and Scott remembered that year of living apart as not being that hard at all. Stiles asked Derek how long he had kept these two apartments vacated for them. Derek was hesitant on the answer, before he quietly admitted that it was most likely before they moved into the, or at the same time, as when he got the house(which he now rented out to other university students for a price that wouldn't bankrupt them).

Derek and Kira admitted to each other that the year went much better than they thought it could have gone. There had been those couple of times that Kira had woken up to Scott gone and was panicking before  she found the opened doors of the apartments and followed her hunch to Derek and Stiles room to see Scott cuddled close to Stiles. Derek and her had shared a exasperating look before he got up and made them tea, because when your significant others were codependent all you had was each other to help keep you sane at some of their more exasperating qualities.

Then Kira got pregnant.

Well, it didn't start when Kira was pregnant(which was met with shouts and jumping and Scott and Stiles holding each other so tight they worried neither of their boyfriends could breathe.

It started when Kira got braxton hicks, and then Stiles seemed to forget that his room and apartment was next door. The first time, Derek track Stiles down to the floor beside Kira's side of the bed, he grabbed an extra blanket and pillow and slept beside him. The second time he went slept on the couch in Scott and Kira's apartment(because despite his past living conditions, he did not enjoy sleeping on the floor. 

The third time Derek moved them permanently to the second bedroom that was slowly becoming the nursery and started construction plans the next day.

Stiles and Scott and Kira went out shopping for baby things(and admit that yes they got carried away--Scott got carried away, Stiles enable him) and came home as the sky was darkening to no wall.

Well, there was walls, but the one that had stood between their two apartments was gone.

They were shocked--just Scott and Stiles though, Kira had been the one to distract them so they could come back and be surprised.

Stiles asked Derek to marry him.

Scott yelled no.

Derek scowled, because that's what he did when he was embarrassed and happy.

Kira rolled her eyes and went downstairs to get the rest of the stuff they bought.