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Stiles and Derek - The Essay Your Mother Warned you About

I like to call this the Ultimate Derek and Stiles Essay of Doom, but mostly it's a tracing of their relationship through canon. More often than not, the biggest concern when it comes to a potential romantic development on the show proper, or the predominance of this pairing within the fandom, seems to be the notion that they had relatively few scenes together. This essay is meant to do two things: put all of those scenes together in one place and with supplemental evidence from scenes where Derek or Stiles talk about each other to other people, construct a solid interpretation of their relationship that explains why I have always considered them a romantic possibility within the show.

Before we start down the rabbit hole, I want to make one thing clear. The strength of a romantic pairing, the engagement it causes within the audience, does not equal the stage of development on the show. When Scott and Allison first got together, no one required them to have known each other for very long or, in fact, have had many scenes together. The same is true, unfortunately, for pretty much every straight couple you can throw into the mix. There is never a question of whether or not Allison and Scott even could be attracted to each other, or that Jackson wants in Allison's pants through most of season 1, or that Lydia finds new!Scott attractive. There isn't much required to sell the possibility of Erica/Boyd to people, or actually more than a single line for people to start wanting Erica and Stiles to hook up. The burden of proof, as it were, is always on the queer pairings. They are the ones that have to sell just their potential to a partly hostile audience. They are the ones who have to justify their existence – and frankly, I hate that we have to do this. I hate that I have to explain this over and over again.

But part of this essay is exploring their changing relationship and how much it has, in fact, already developed and what that means for the future.

1x01 - Wolf Moon

This episode sets up the relationship and character dynamics that are going to be important throughout the season. We meet Stiles and Scott, who have by far the most interaction with each other, and we meet Derek Hale.

Wolf Moon 01

Derek: What are you doing here? Huh? This is private property.

Stiles: Uh, sorry, man, we didn't know.

Scott: Yeah, we were just looking for something, but... Uh, forget it. Uhm. All right, come on, I gotta get to work.

Stiles: Dude, that was Derek Hale. You remember, right? He's only like a few years older than us.

Scott: Remember what?

Stiles: His family. They all burned to death in a fire, like, ten years ago.

Thanks to the beauty of exposition dump, Stiles starts out their relationship with a base level of interest and fascination. He recognized Derek after a period of six years and his body language in this scene is a gold mine. He looks surprised at first, but then he ducks his head, rubs his hair, he's certainly emotionally affected. This is especially noticeable because Scott next to him is pretty much stoic, if slightly confused. Scott doesn't care, but Stiles does.

This scene can easily establish all by itself that Stiles is uncommonly interested in Derek Hale. His expressions are somewhere between guilty/scared (for trespassing) and aroused/fascinated (because Derek is a) a mystery that Stiles remembers from years ago and never forgot and b) he wants to lick him).

Derek is more of a mystery. It's somewhat implied that he's been listening to them as they made their way through the woods or else he wouldn't have given back the inhaler. So Derek knows that Stiles is theorizing about werewolves and about Laura's murder. Derek is also focused mostly on Scott, because Scott is a new complication in the clusterfuck of Derek's life. By all rights, he should forget about Stiles the moment he's out of sight.

Wolf Moon 02

Scott: Oh, is this about the body? Did they find out who did it?

Stiles: No, they're still questioning people, even Derek Hale.

Scott: Oh, the guy in the woods that we saw the other day.

Stiles: Yeah! Yes. But that's not it, okay?

I know, a small excerpt of a scene that isn't really about Derek and Stiles at all. And yet, it solidifies two interesting ideas.

First, at this point Stiles is completely keyed up with the research, the possibility of Scott being a werewolf. He's even put the murder to the back of his mind. Scott's dangerous situation is the highest priority. So when Scott brings up the murder, Stiles waves him aside. They're still questioning people, and his dismissive attitude is particularly strong when it comes to Derek. Even Derek Hale, he says, like the thought that Derek could be the murderer is kind of ridiculous.

And he almost high-fives Scott for remembering Derek. Even when he's busy with life and death stuff, he gets momentarily excited about Scott remembering Derek. I'm going to theorize that at this point, Stiles is basically dealing with three things: the murder, the mystery of Derek Hale, and Scott's transformation.

Wolf Moon 03

Scott: No! Listen, you gotta find Allison.

Stiles: She's fine, all right? I saw her get a ride from the party. She's--she's totally fine, all right?

Scott: No, I think I know who it is.

Stiles: You just let me in. We can try--

Scott: It's Derek. Derek Hale is the werewolf. He's the one that bit me. He's the one that killed the girl in the woods.

Stiles: Scott...Derek's the one who drove Allison from the party.

This exchange is doubly interesting, because it highlights both Stiles' instinctual trust in Derek and their first pivotal relationship change. Before Scott connects Derek and werewolves, Stiles is absolutely convinced that Allison is safe with Derek. It hasn't seriously occurred to him until this moment that Derek could be dangerous in any way or possibly responsible for the murders. How is that possible?

My theory currently is that Stiles was aware of Derek before the fire, the way people are aware of certain important figures both in their immediate social spheres and the world at large. And Scott not knowing about Derek at least implies that it wasn't because Derek was popular enough at school for his name and identity to filter down to the middle school kids. So I'm thinking either little Stiles was crushing on Derek in the way ten-year-olds have or he was at one point really into solving the mystery of the fire and knows Derek only incidentally and after the fact. Either way, he spent enough time back then thinking about Derek that he can immediately recognize him and has developed enough of a feeling for what kind of person Derek is that he does not jump to the somewhat obvious conclusion until and unless Scott makes the jump for him.

But once Scott presents the idea that Derek is the wolf who bit him and thus the killer, there's a visible shift in Stiles' brain. You can actually see how Stiles' picture of the situation rearranges itself. Against his own instinct (and we've all discovered how solid Stiles' instincts are about people) Stiles now believes that Derek is a dangerous supernatural creature who has killed at least one person and put his best friend in danger of doing the same.

And thus, any burgeoning affection goes poof.

1x02 Second Chance at First Line

In this episode Stiles and Derek properly interact for the first time and stare at each others' mouths a lot. This is a theme.

Second Chance at First Line 01

This one comes without dialogue, because it's a set of two scenes that affects Stiles' perception of Derek (and possibly Derek's perception of Stiles) without the two of them interacting with each other.

The first is Stiles hands-on experience of Scott completely losing control after lacrosse practice. It's the first time he really gets a taste of a wolf out of control and attacking someone they love. Why is this important? Because there is a difference between murder and attacking someone without having control of yourself, and it sharpens Stiles' understanding of the stakes they're playing with, but also of the culpability of a wolf when it comes to violence.

Meanwhile, the second scene is Derek's intimidation attempt later that night that Stiles very likely watched go down thianks to the magic of AOL Messenger. He saw Derek, human and in control Derek, attack his friend and threaten his life. It solidifies their theory that Derek is a bad guy, not just a bad wolf.

This is also the second time Derek noticed Stiles, and this time he really noticed him.

Second Chance at First Line 02

Scott: Curfew because of the body.

Stiles: Unbelievable. My dad's out looking for a rabid animal, while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hangin' out, doing whatever he wants.

Scott: Well, you can't exactly tell your dad the truth about Derek.

Stiles: I can do something.

Scott: Like what?

Stiles: Find the other half of the body.

Scott: Are you kidding?

What's interesting about this scene is how fidgety, furstrated and angry Stiles appears. He's acting almost like he's personally offended by Derek's audacity to be a killer. It's like Stiles is disappointed in Derek for not fitting into the box he put him in before they ever even met.

Stiles does this a lot - get angry and frustrated with people for failing his perception of them, for breaking out of their boxes. It happens with Scott several times, both when Scott is off frolicking in the woods with Allison and then later when he kisses Lydia. It also happens when Jackson turns out to be the kanima or when Matt is a killer instead of just a creepy stalker. It even happens with Lydia in the s2 finale. Stiles gets angry and confrontational and a little mean when people surprise him in ways that don't fit with his image of them.

Also, and this is a bit of funny side-speculation, I find it amusing that Stiles would use jerk-off as his insult of choice re: Derek. Not bastard or asshole or jerk, but an insult that is basically a sex act. I mean, everyone is free to interpret that as they would, but it can be seen as Stiles subconsciously sexualizing Derek even when he consciously just wants him to go away and be in jail already.

I also find it interesting because Stiles has just felt it up close and personal that wolves can lose control, so his clinging to the concept of Derek as an actual murderer rather than maybe someone losing their shit for reasons unknown seems unnecessarily harsh. Stiles wants Derek to disappear with a fervor that seems just slightly irrational.

Second Chance at First Line 03

Scott: Derek! Derek! Stay away from her! She doesn't know anything!

Derek: Yeah? What if she does? You think your little buddy Stiles can just google werewolves, and now you got all the answers, is that it? You don't get it yet, Scott, but I'm looking out for you. Think about what could happen. You're out on the field. The aggression takes over. And you shift in front of everyone. Your mom, all your friends. And when they see you... everything falls apart.

You might say, "but this is about Allison!" and of course it is. But the thing is that Derek brings up Stiles out of the blue, completely unprompted. He may not have paid him much attention back in the woods when they first met, but here, now, Derek has understood that Stiles and Scott are a package deal and that Stiles is the one in charge of Scott's werewolf business.

Second Chance at First Line 04

Stiles: Okay, just so you know, I'm not afraid of you. Okay, maybe I am. Doesn't matter. I just wanna know something. The girl you killed... she was a werewolf. She was a different kind, wasn't she? I mean, she could turn herself into an actual wolf, and I know Scott can't do that. Is that why you killed her?

Derek: Why are you so worried about me when it's your friend who's the problem? When he shifts on the field, what do you think they're gonna do. Just keep cheering him on? I can't stop him from playing, but you can. And, trust me... you want to.

This is largely credited as the first Sterek scene and with good reason. There is a lot going on here beyond the actual lines. Stiles starts out nervous, curious, afraid - he's fueled by bravado and his unquenchable thirst for knowing shit other people are trying to hide. He goes in essentially wanting closure, wanting to know the why of the girl's death and what made her special, why she was a real wolf in the end.

However, when Derek speaks, it's all about trying to stop Scott from playing that game. It's Derek trying to reach out and save people who utterly fucked him over literally right then and Stiles seems to understand this. When Derek speaks, his nervousness makes way for confusion, because once again Derek is not what Stiles expected.

Their relationship changes right there on the screen. I think it might be the first time Stiles takes Derek off the pedestal and looks at him like a person, someone who wants things and makes mistakes and sure, he probably still killed a girl, but maybe it's not as easy as the black and white scenario in Stiles' head.

Everything about Derek is heartbreaking in this scene. He's just lost his sister and some idiots dug up the grave, got him arrested, and still he's trying what he can to stop them from making stupid mistakes. He takes Stiles' accusations of killing Laura without so much as a flinch but his body language is tense, like he's screaming on the inside.

But still, he's giving Stiles a last push to save Scott. Why? Because he probably thinks Stiles can actually accomplish this. Because he's now seeing Stiles as someone who can get shit done.

And then there's the non-verbal communication. The way they look at each other, the way Derek's eyes drop to Stiles' mouth when he leans forward to say these uncharacteristic words ("trust me", almost like he believes them). It's especially powerful because the person trying to be forceful and dominant in a conversation, while speaking, is usually the one maintaining, even forcing eye contact, because it is a very powerful tool. Dropping your eyes like that is a sign of something, and why not subconscious attraction?

Second Chance at First Line 05

Stiles: The, uh, medical examiner looked at the other half of the body we found.

Scott: And...

Stiles: Well, I'll keep it simple. Medical examiner determines killer of girl to be animal, not human. Derek's human, not animal. Derek not killer. Derek let out of jail.

Scott: Are you kidding?

Stiles: No, and here's a bigger kick in the ass. My dad I.D.'d the dead girl. Both halves. Her name was Laura Hale.

Scott: Hale?

Stiles: Derek's sister.

I'm including this moment because this knowledge changes everything. The way Stiles presents the information that Laura is Derek's sister implies that he understands how much more complicated this situation suddenly is. He's still afraid of Derek, but now it's shifted into a much more reasonable "he's going to kick our asses" rather than "he's going to murder us in the night".

1x03 - Pack Mentality

Bowling, werewolf ovens, and revelations. Stiles still spends most of his time thinking about Derek.

Pack Mentality 01

Stiles: Hey, come on, it's gonna be fine, all right? Personally, I think you're handling this pretty freakin' amazingly. You know, it's not like there's a lycanthropy for beginners class you can take.

Scott: Yeah, not a class, but maybe a teacher.

Stiles: Who, Derek? You forgetting the part where we got him tossed in jail?

Scott: Yeah, I know, but chasing her, dragging her to the back of the bus, it felt so real.

Following from the Laura reveal, neither Scott nor Stiles currently seem to believe that Derek is the killer. When Scott brings up maybe asking Derek for help, however, Stiles reacts with almost violent rejection. He hits Scott over the head and asks in an agitated voice whether Scott maybe forgot that they got Derek tossed in jail.

This is the first instance of Stiles having something of a competitive reaction when Scott brings up being trained by Derek. The show sets them up as parallel mentors to Scott, and Stiles seems to be clinging to his importance as the person who knows shit about werewolves because of his research skill and science-y approach. (In contrast, Derek's methods are all about instinct and tradition.)

Pack Mentality 02

Scott: Then it wasn't a dream. Something happened last night, and I can't remember what.

Stiles: What makes you so sure that Derek even has all the answers?

Scott: Because during the full moon he wasn't changed. He was in total control while I was running around in the middle of the night attacking some totally innocent guy.

The continuation of Stiles' jealous fit over Scott asking Derek for help with the wolf stuff.

Pack Mentality 03

Scott: No. I saw glowing eyes in the bus, but they weren't mine. It was Derek.

Stiles: What about the driver?

Scott: I think I was actually trying to protect him.

Stiles: Wait, why would Derek help you remember that he attacked the driver?

Scott: That's what I don't get.

Stiles: It's got to be a pack thing.

Scott: What do you mean?

Stiles: Like an initiation. You do the kill together.

Scott: Because ripping someone's throat out is a real bonding experience?

And here you have it, the way Stiles thinks about people as if they are puzzles, laid out for our consumption. By this point, Derek has already twisted and turned and shifted into several different things inside Stiles' head and now Stiles is back to "Derek Hale, the mystery I really want to solve".

He's basically just throwing out ideas now, making up stories that fit the handful of facts they have.

By the end of the episode and with the reveal of the alpha's existence, it's clear that Derek is not a killer - to us, and if Scott is a good friend and tells him everything, also to Stiles. Stiles has been thinking about Derek so much, trying to puzzle him out if only to protect his best friend, that he has a solid representation of Derek in his head. And it may not be accurate, but neither is his picture of Lydia, and there are some really smart observations in there.

Stiles watches people, but on the basis of these three episodes alone, Stiles is more than ready to get closer and actually test his theories, see if the picture he's made holds up to the real person.

Derek doesn't know what's about to hit him, and I don't just mean the bullet.

1x04 - Magic Bullet

The episode that made a thousand shippers and is a treasure trove for all those people that like to see Derek suffer. Derek is brought low and he and Stiles bond over mutual threats.

Magic Bullet 01

Stiles: If Derek isn't the Alpha, if he's not the one who bit you, then who did?

Scott: I don't know.

Stiles: Did the Alpha kill the bus driver?

Scott: I don't know.

Stiles: Does Allison's dad know about the Alpha?

Scott: I don't know! Jeez.

Stiles: Dude, you need to study more. That was a joke. Scott, it's one test. You're gonna make it up. Do you want help studying?

Scott: No. I'm studying with Allison after school today.

Stiles: That's my boy.

Scott: We're just studying.

Stiles: Uh, no, you're not.

Scott: No, I'm not?

Stiles: Not if I'm forced to live vicariously through you. If you go to her house today and squander that colossal opportunity, I swear to God I'll have you de-balled.

Scott: Okay. Just... Stop with the questions, man.

Stiles: Done. No more questions. No more talk about the Alpha or Derek. Especially Derek... who still scares me.

In this scene we learn a couple of really important details. First, yes, Scott has been sharing information with Stiles, but not all and not easily and most likely with a bit of bias. Scott doesn't like Derek - and with good reason! - and that dislike filters the information he lets Stiles have.

But at this point in time, it's pretty obvious to Stiles that Derek is not THE killer. He may be A killer, but there is nothing except Derek's allergy to sharing information to go on. Stiles is curious and frustrated and only distracted by Scott's impending sexual adventures, because he himself has no prospects in that regard.

Then he mumbles that Derek still scares him and that's a loaded truth. Because I think Derek scares Stiles for a whole lot of reasons, and not all of them are violence-related. Derek is a mystery and he's hot and the way Stiles mentions him at the end of this scene, after talking about his own sexual frustration, well, it's suggestive at the very least. In his personal "shit I have to deal with" stakes, Derek is way above and beyond the scary monster that bit Scott and is most likely killing people.

Magic Bullet 02

Stiles: You've gotta be kidding me. This guy's everywhere--

Scott: What the hell? What are you doing here?

Derek: I was shot.

Stiles: He's not looking so good, dude.

Scott: Why aren't you healing?

Derek: I can't. It was--it was a different kind of bullet.

Stiles: A silver bullet?

Derek: No, you idiot.

Scott: Wait, wait. That's what she meant when she said you had 48 hours.

Derek: What? Who--who said 48 hours?

Scott: The one who shot you. What are you doing? Stop that!

Derek: I'm trying to tell you, I can't!

Scott: Derek, get up! Help me to put him in your car.

Derek: I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used.

Scott: How the hell am I supposed to do that?

Derek: 'Cause she's an Argent. She's with them.

Scott: Why should I help you?

Derek: Because you need me.

Scott: Fine. I'll try. Hey get him out of here.

Stiles: I hate you for this so much.

Barely conscious, Derek plants himself in front if Stiles' jeep and hopes for the best. He doesn't even need to get run over because at this point, he's too weak to stay upright, he's breathing heavily and keeps losing control of the transformation. Why Stiles' jeep, you ask? Maybe because Derek knows Stiles is the one who gets stuff done, maybe because that bright blue baby is like a beacon. Scott comes running from where he's maybe a hundred feet away, if that.

In the beginning of the conversation, it's still mediated through Scott, up until Stiles' curiosity picks up on werewolf-adjacent trivia and blurts out the question. But when Stiles throws in that silver bullet tangent, something really strange happens. For a moment, Derek is back in control. He's annoyed and even a little snotty when he calls Stiles an idiot, but he's no longer losing his shit.

And then Scott mentions that Derek was shot by a "she" and you can see the moment Derek realizes Kate has come back to haunt him. That's why his eyes are flashing and he's starting to hyperventilate.

They put him in the jeep and Stiles' frustrated "I hate you for this so much" is full of feeling. Feeling what? It doesn't sound like fear and it's a little too vehement for apathy or dislike. Stiles doesn't want to deal with Derek, and the reasons for that are more complicated than "I was going to play Halo and instead I have to play werewolf chauffeur".

Magic Bullet 03

Stiles: Hey, try not to bleed out on my seats, okay? We're almost there.

Derek: Almost where?

Stiles: Your house.

Derek: What? No, you can't take me there.

Stiles: I can't take you to your own house?

Derek: Not when I can't protect myself.

Stiles: All right. What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?

Derek: Not yet. I have a last resort.

Stiles: What do you mean? What last resort? Oh, my God. What is that? Oh, is that contagious? You know what, you should probably just get out.

Derek: Start the car. Now.

Stiles: I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look, okay? In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead.

Derek: Start the car, or I'm gonna rip your throat out... With my teeth.

Stiles in this scene starts out frustrated and pretty damn jerk-tastic. He shows signs of being in the same kind of mood he later gets when Scott kissed Lydia while moon-mad. When he realizes that Derek is messing up his plan of getting rid of him as fast as possible, Stiles actually stops the car to better argue how much he is not okay with that.

Thing is, Derek affects Stiles, emotionally. We can speculate on the particular kind of emotions, but the notion that Derek takes up a lot of Stiles' perception is solid. Whatever he feels about Derek, he feels a lot of it.

This is the first scene they get to properly interact and their back and forth is surprisingly equal in nature. They give as good as they get, and neither of them seems particularly inclined to back down. And when Stiles does give in, in the end, it does not appear to have anything to do with fear.

Derek is surprisingly in control for someone who was near to wolfing out before and I think it's the mixture of annoyance and incredulity he feels about Stiles that keeps him anchored. It's certainly a version of anger - a fond, mostly harmless version.

The threats traded in this scene are also surprisingly equal - Derek threatens to kill Stiles, sure, but only after Stiles threatens to leave him for dead.

Also, please note that in the following scene, Scott's phone says 3:51 p.m. Because it gives us a little hint as to how ridiculously long Stiles and Derek will be hanging out in the jeep.

Magic Bullet 04

Stiles: What am I supposed to do with him?

Scott: Take him somewhere, anywhere.

Stiles: And, by the way, he's starting to smell.

Scott: Like--like what?

Stiles: Like death.

Scott: Okay, take him to the animal clinic.

Stiles: What about your boss?

Scott: He's gone by now. There's a spare key in the box behind the dumpster.

Stiles: You're not gonna believe where he's telling me to take you.

Derek: Did you find it?

Scott: How am I supposed to find one bullet? They have a million. This house is like... the fricken Walmart of guns.

Derek: Look, if you don't find it, then I'm dead, all right?

Scott: I'm starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Derek: Then think about this. The Alpha called you out against your will. He's gonna do it again. Next time you either kill with him or you get killed. So if you wanna stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet.

They are still sitting under that tree where Stiles parked the jeep hours earlier. The Argents have had time to come home, unpack, make dinner and eat dinner. And for all this time, Stiles and Derek have been sitting together in the jeep, waiting for news from Scott, with no distraction but each other.

Entire movies happen in less time than that.

And this scene also shows us the following: Stiles is unafraid to complain to Scott about Derek's smell, most likely because he's been complaining to Derek about it to his face earlier. Stiles and Derek also share a moment of "ugh can you even believe that Scott?!" when Stiles hands the phone over. Through all this Derek doesn't protest about the "smells like death" quip, doesn't grab the phone out of Stiles' hand or is in any way aggressive toward Stiles.

Also, if it hasn't come up in the hours they've been waiting, Stiles probably realizes now that they truly do need Derek for more than his pretty face.

Magic Bullet 05

Stiles: Does Northern blue monkshood mean anything to you?

Derek: It's a rare form of wolfsbane. He has to bring me the bullet.

Stiles: Why?

Derek: 'Cause I'm gonna die without it.

Derek here is nothing like any Derek we have ever seen before. When he's told Scott he's going to die earlier, it was angry, for emphasis. But this time Derek is open - it's not an angry bark, but it's also not a pleading for his life. Derek here speaks about his death like he thinks Stiles is going to care.

And from the look in Stiles' eyes, I think he does.

Magic Bullet 06

Stiles: Okay. You know, that really doesn't look like anything some echinacea and a good night of sleep couldn't take care of.

Derek: When the infection reaches my heart, it'll kill me.

Stiles: "Positivity" just isn't in your vocabulary, is it?

Derek: If he doesn't get here with the bullet in time... Last resort.

Stiles: Which is?

Derek: You're gonna cut off my arm.

The thing Stiles' voice does at the beginning of this scene is indescribable. It's thready and a little higher than normal, like he's worried or panicking or something else highly emotional. He's trying to reassure either Derek or himself that it's not as bad as it looks, and he's doing a terrible job of it.

On the other hand, Derek has acclimated to Stiles' ways so much that he doesn't bristle sarcasm at all, he just keeps talking, sharing the facts, something Derek has been patently reluctant to do before.

And the way he looks when he tells Stiles to cut of his arm - if there were a picture of trust in the dictionary, it would be Derek's face in that moment.

Magic Bullet 07

Stiles: Oh, my God. What if you bleed to death?

Derek: It'll heal if it works.

Stiles: Ugh. Look... I don't know if I can do this.

Derek: Why not?

Stiles: Well, because of the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of the bone, and especially the blood!

Derek: You faint at the sight of blood?

Stiles: No, but I might at the sight of a chopped-off arm!

Derek: All right, fine. How about this? Either you cut off my arm, or I'm gonna cut off your head.

Stiles: Okay, you know what, I'm so not buying your threats any-- Oh, my God. Okay. All right, bought, sold. Totally. I'll do it. I'll do it. What? What are you doing? Holy God, what the hell is that?

Derek: It's my body... Trying to heal itself.

Stiles: Well, it's not doing a very good job of it.

Derek: Now. You gotta do it now.

Stiles: Look, honestly, I don't think I can.

Derek: Just do it!

Stiles: Oh, my God. Okay, okay. Oh, my God. All right, here we go!

Scott: Stiles!

Stiles: Scott?

Scott: What the hell are you doing?

Stiles: Oh, you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares.

Derek: Did you get it?

Stiles: What are you gonna do with it?

Derek: I'm gonna... I'm gonna...

Scott: No. No, no, no, no.

Stiles: Derek. Derek, come on, wake up. Scott, what the hell are we gonna do?

Scott: I don't know! I can't reach it.

Stiles: He's not waking up!

Scott: Come on.

Stiles: I think he's dying. I think he's dead!

Scott: Just hold on! Come on. Oh! I got it! I got it!

Stiles: Please don't kill me for this. Ugh! Ow! God!

Derek: Give me...

Scott: Up!

Stiles: Ow! God...

Stiles: That...Was...Awesome! Yes!

Scott: Are you okay?

Derek: Well, except for the agonizing pain.

Stiles: I'm guessing the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health.

Scott: Okay, we saved your life, which means you're gonna leave us alone, you got that? And if you don't, I'm gonna go back to Allison's dad, and I'm gonna tell him everything--

Derek: You're gonna trust them? You think they can help you?

Scott: Well, why not? They're a lot freaking nicer than you are.

Derek: I can show you exactly how nice they are.

Scott: What do you mean?

This scene, I am honestly not sure how to describe it.

In the beginning, Stiles and Derek banter around the fact that Stiles really doesn't want to cut anyone's arm off - Derek only starts on the threats when it becomes clear that Stiles is balking at this. Derek considers Stiles to be someone who does what is necessary, a pragmatist, and maybe someone who won't let him die if he can help it.

And Stiles has already guessed that the threats are empty and says as much. If Derek weren't dying. But he is, so he grabs Stiles and that works for all of ten seconds, until he vomits werewolf oil and Stiles is getting ready to use that bonesaw like a boss. A freaked out, nauseated boss.

When Scott comes in, there is relief in all corners, and not just because Stiles is a bit squeamish.

One small but interesting moment is Derek holding the bullet and Stiles asking him what he wants to do. Derek actually tries to answer before he passes out, because this is apparently now a thing he does - he tells Stiles stuff when he clearly hated to share even pertinent info like "I didn't bite you, Scott" until much too late.

When Derek passes out and the bullet rolls away, Scott goes after the bullet. Stiles goes for cradling Derek's face and panicking about the fact that he's not waking up. And then cradling his face some more.

After Scott has his awesome werewolf moment retrieving the bullet, Stiles punches Derek in the face to wake him up and it works. Derek's reaching for the bullet and then for Stiles, in that order. Then he does the whole magic healing thing and Stiles watches Derek writhing half naked on the floor, licking his lips.

The relief and excitement from Stiles when this whole thing works are explosive.

Meanwhile, Scott is wresting back his mediator role, talking for himself and Stiles without checking in with the dude who went from "omg I hate you so much for this" just hours earlier to panicking over Derek's unconscious body and feeling massive relief when all works out.

1x05 - The Tell

Scott goes frolicking in the woods with Allison, Stiles investigates the alpha and Derek gets tortured by Kate. It's your usual day in Teen Wolf land. Everyone ends the episode feeling pretty shitty.

The Tell 01

In the parent-teacher conference montage, we can see Stiles investigating the fire. It's his natural curiosity coming out, but I doubt Stiles can read about Derek losing his home and 8 people he probably loved without being a little bit affected. He also learns that it was likely arson, which gives strength to the things Derek has told Scott, re: the Argents setting the fire.

1x06 - Heart Monitor

Stiles is angry at Scott and chucks balls at him. Derek is running out of time and is a terrible detective. The words "sour wolf" are uttered.

Heart Monitor 01

Scott: Yeah, but that was--I mean...Would you just stop? Please? What happened the other night, Stiles' dad getting hurt, that was my fault. I should have been there to do something. I need you to teach me how to control this.

...

Derek: Do you want to live? Do you want to protect your friends? Yes or no?

This conversation is not about Stiles, which is why it is noticeable that Stiles is still in it. When Scott refers to the Sheriff as Stiles' dad that is hardly remarkable, but it does mean that Scott considers Stiles a shared reference point between him and Derek. It also means that Scott subconsciously considers this pertinent information for Derek - he didn't just refer to the attack, he deliberately mentioned Stiles' dad, because he thinks it will be something Derek understands or cares about.

Consequently, the entire following exchange has very little to do with Scott's friends. Or, you know, the one friend Derek actually knows about and the only one that really counts. When Derek brings up Scott protecting his friends it comes as a bit of an aside. It is something that Derek thinks should be a priority. And it so happens to be mostly about Stiles.

Heart Monitor 02

Scott: Still not talking to me? Okay, can you at least tell me if your dad's okay? It's just a bruise, right? Some soft tissue damage? Nothin' that big... You know I feel really bad about it, right? Okay. What if I told you that I'm trying to figure this whole thing out, and... That I went to Derek for help?

Stiles: If I was talking to you, I'd say that you're an idiot for trusting him. But obviously I'm not talking to you.

Stiles: What did he say?

Stiles: Wh--he wants you to tap into your animal side and get angry?

Scott: Yeah.

Stiles: All right, well, correct me if I'm wrong, but every time you do that, you try to kill someone, and that someone's usually me.

Scott: I know. That's what he means when he says he doesn't know if he can teach me. I have to be able to control it.

Stiles: Well, how's he gonna teach you to do that?

Scott: I don't know. I don't think he does either.

Stiles: Okay. When are you seeing him again?

Scott: He told me not to talk about it. Just act normal and get through the day.

Stiles: When?

Scott: He's picking me up at the animal clinic after work.

Stiles: After work. All right, well, that gives me to the end of the school day then.

Scott: To do what?

Stiles: To teach you myself.

Stiles' distrust of Derek here seems like a step back, at first, considering the last thing we've seen Stiles learn about Derek were the circumstances of the Hale house fire, and the last time they interacted on screen was at the animal clinic, where Stiles was visibly distressed over the possibility of Derek dying.

In the meantime, however, Stiles' dad got hurt - not even due to supernatural shenanigans, but supernatural adjacent. Stiles is angry with Scott, but he's also angry at all the supernatural crap that's been turning their lives upside down since that night in the woods. Stiles has learned a lot about Derek by now and I think part of that humanization makes it difficult to feel trust, because trust is built from affection and predictability. And Stiles can't figure out what the hell is going on with Derek.

Plus, as the conversation goes on, we see competitive mentor Stiles coming out again. As much as Stiles currently dislikes the supernatural, he's still damn curious and he's still the one who'll figure this out for Scott, because the alternative is unacceptable.

Heart Monitor 03

Scott: Does that mean you don't hate me now?

Stiles: No. But your crap has infiltrated my life, so now I have to do something about it. Plus I'm definitely a better Yoda than Derek.

Scott: Okay, yeah, you teach me.

Stiles: Yeah, I'll be your Yoda.

Scott: Yeah, you be my Yoda.

Stiles: Your Yoda I will be. I said it backwards.

Scott: Yeah, I--I know.

Stiles: All right, you know what? I definitely still hate you. Uh-huh. Oh, yeah.

This is the moment where Stiles acknowledges on screen how he sees his and Derek's roles in Scott's life and I think because Stiles actually considers the two of them in direct competition, he's developing a rivalry in his head that is completely absent on Derek's part. Stiles wants to be the better Yoda, when Derek would probably be viewing himself as Han Solo - stumbling into helping this kid he doesn't even like at first (and sort of falling for their sibling ;)

You know, if Derek wasn't nearing complete breakdown and had time for Star Wars metaphors.

Heart Monitor 04

Stiles: You know, this whole "women make you weak" thing is a little too spartan warrior for me. It's probably just part of the learning process.

Scott: Yeah, but you've seen Derek. I mean, the guy's totally alone. What if I can, like, never be around her again?

Stiles: Well, if you're not dead, that could be a good thing.

Scott: Rather be dead.

Stiles: All right, you're not gonna end up like Derek, all right? We'll figure it out.

I have trouble parsing this scene without yelling. Because it's an example of the worst traits Scott and Stiles are occasionally saddled with - Scott's unproportional focus on Allison, Stiles' callousness when it comes to anyone not in his circle. They have a very nice discussion about Derek's tragic existence and no one seems to give a fuck, except as a cautionary tale.

Out of context, I'd say, wow, you two are enormous dicks. With the context of the next scene Derek gets, I want to punch someone in the teeth, because it's the one where he begs his comatose uncle for help.

Of course, Derek hasn't been forthcoming with the facts to foster affection and understanding, so I don't entirely blame the boys. They don't know that Derek isn't alone because of general werewolf destiny and his sterling personality, but rather the manipulation of people much stronger and more experienced than him.

And Stiles still picks away that the puzzle that is Derek, he's just realized that a) he doesn't necessarily want any of Derek's bad karma to rub off on him and his family and b) there is no one stupid enough to want to trade lives with Derek, not for anything. I think it might be this confluence of information that builds to Stiles not wanting the bite.

Heart Monitor 05

Stiles: Well, personally I'm a fan of ignoring a problem until eventually it just goes away.

Scott: Just make sure we can get inside. He's here. Where's my boss?

Derek: He's in the back.

Stiles: Oh, well, he looks comfortable.

The faces Stiles makes here are so far beyond expressive, you really have to watch this scene to get it all. When Scott alerts Stiles to Derek's presence, he looks like his least favorite cousin has just done something stupid at a family feast. It's that familiar annoyed look people get with things that are both unavoidable and constant. It's not a particularly friendly look by any means, but it is one that speaks of familiarity and something like resignation.

The same can be said for the sarcastic comment on Deaton's general state of health, tied up in Derek's back seat. Stiles is not amused, and he's going to tell Derek exactly how he feels about that-

And the look he gives him over the hood of the Camaro, that little shake of the head, that's all about disappointment. It's "I expected better of you" and "really, Derek, really?" in one unspoken moment. But it speaks volumes about how comfortable Stiles already is with calling Derek on his shit.

Heart Monitor 06

Derek: I'm gonna kill both of you. What the hell was that? What are you trying to do, attract the entire state to the school?

Scott: Sorry. I didn't know it would be that loud.

Stiles: Yeah, it was loud. And it was AWESOME.

Derek: Shut up.

Stiles: Don't be such a sour wolf.

Scott: What'd you do with him?

Derek: What? I didn't do anything.

First of all, a side observation that amuses me for no particular reason, but when Derek waits for Stiles and Scott to enact their brilliant alpha-baiting plan (what, it totally works!) he's leaning against the jeep rather than the Camaro. Jeep's got it going on yeah.

When they come out of the school after that roar (that's not a howl, Scott), Derek's freaked out and angry, and when he's talking about killing them, it's no longer even a threat. Stiles only looks upset for a moment because Derek is clearly not appreciative of the awesomeness. He's so comfortable with Derek's limits that he calls him sour wolf to his face and no longer fears any retribution. And Derek's "shut up" is reflexive rather than angry - he's snapping at Stiles without teeth.

And then Derek gets stabbed in the back by Peter, of course he does. Here these three idiots were, possibly having a bonding moment, and Peter's gotta ruin it. Bad dog!

When Scott and Stiles run for the door of the school and its questionable safety, Stiles looks back at Derek and the alpha, seeing the extent of the damage and the extent of the alpha's strength.

1x07 - Night School

Fair warning, I have a hate-hate relationship with this episode. What I see may not be what actually happens because my brain refuses to properly analyse what is by far my least favorite episode of Teen Wolf to date.

So, Derek spends this episode as Schrödinger's wolf, Stiles is freaked out enough to let Scott come up with all the plans, Scott is freaked out enough to blow it all to hell and everything is fucking blue the entire time. Lydia is a badass though.

Night School 01

Stiles: Deaton, the alpha? Your boss.

Scott: No.

Stiles: Yes, murdering psycho werewolf.

Scott: That can't be.

Stiles: Oh come on. He disappears, and that thing shows up ten seconds later to toss Derek 20 feet through the air? That's not convenient timing?

Scott: It's not him.

Stiles: He killed Derek.

Scott: No, Derek's not dead. He can't be dead.

Stiles: Blood spurted out of his mouth, okay? That doesn't exactly qualify as a minor injury. He's dead, and we're next.

Scott: Okay, just... What do we do?

Stiles: We get to my jeep, we get out of here, you seriously think about quitting your job, good?

As I said in the intro, both Stiles and Scott are panicking at each other in this scene. It brings out Stiles' pessimist streak and strangely, Scott's optimist. Earlier in the season, Scott was ready to believe Derek was the murderer and the one who bit him based on far less evidence, but not now, not even when logically it makes the most sense.

Stiles is being entirely pragmatic, maybe too much so. Does he insist on Derek being dead because he feels he has to convince Scott or because some part of him doesn't believe it either? Later he'll note how hard it is to stop a werewolf (referencing Derek's run-in with a wolfsbane bullet) so he's doing this to make it easier for him and Scott to abandon Derek for their own survival. It's not that he doesn't care, at the very least Derek dying now would waste all the hours he had to sit beside Derek in his car, but it certainly implies he doesn't want to care.

Night School 02

Stiles: Yeah, and Derek had to be shot with a wolfsbane-laced bullet to even slow him down, you remember that?

Scott: Then we...we have to... We have to find a way out and just run for it.

Stiles: There's nothing near the school for at least a mile.

Scott: What about Derek's car?

Stiles: That could work. We go outside, we get the keys off his body, and then we take his car.

Scott: And him.

Stiles: Fine. Whatever.

Stiles' weird hot and cold reaction to Derek's alleged death is giving me whiplash here. Despite how I feel about Night School, you have to watch this scene and the face Stiles makes when he mentions Derek's body. It's a good helping of fear and disgust, but where's the boy who was gleeful at finding Laura's body or thinking that Derek writhing in pain was awesome, the kid who gets excited when there's a dead body? Sure, he's a little squeamish with the living, but he's never shown any kind of reaction like this toward the already deceased. The fact that Stiles is having trouble with the thought of Derek dead, so much so that he has a seemingly involuntary reaction to it in the middle of a sentence, is making me think it isn't about the dead body so much as it is about Derek.

Scott wants to take Derek, which is interesting in itself. Because it either means Scott truly believes Derek is still alive at this point, or he wants to take his body. Stiles is so not buying either of those things, for his own continued mental health.

Night School 03

Scott: It's Derek. It's Derek Hale.

Jackson: Derek killed the janitor?

Allison: Are you sure?

Scott: I saw him.

Stiles' reaction to Scott accusing Derek is one of slightly offended disbelief. Stiles cannot believe that Scott would do this after insisting that Derek was still alive all this time and it's funny, because it turns out that they were both harboring the opposite feelings underneath. Stiles' face says "excuse YOU? What are you doing, Scott?" and it isn't because this frame job is one of the dumbest things Scott has ever done. Because if Derek is really truly dead, the lie would blow up as soon as they all got out of the school safely - the police would find the mauled body and wonder who the fuck killed him if he was supposed to be the killer.

But if Derek was still alive, this is just a terrible thing to do to an ally. And that's what they are by now. Reluctant maybe, but obviously on the same side. Stiles may not trust Derek completely and with good reason, but he knows enough to make an educated guess. And Scott is fucking it all up for no particular reason and Stiles is too freaked out to do anything other than follow his lead.

Night School 04

Stiles: All right, why don't we ease back on the throttle here, yeah?

Stiles: Okay, first off, throwing Derek under the bus, nicely done.

Scott: I didn't know what to say. I had to say something. And if he's dead then it doesn't matter, right? Except if he's not. Oh, god, I totally just bit her head off.

Stiles: And she'll totally get over it. Bigger issues at hand here, like how do we get out alive?

This conversation follows the last snippet and makes one thing clear - Stiles wasn't thinking about the tactical implications of Scott's lie, but rather the personal ones. His offense was for Derek being betrayed, not for Scott making his life harder with a bad choice. It comes out in a sarcastic dig that Scott immediately defends himself from.

Stiles is still in survival mode and survival mode Stiles is not a nice guy. He'll defend his people first, to the detriment of everyone else - meaning he'll punch Jackson in the face rather than call his dad, and he'll aggressively assert Derek's death to make sure Scott doesn't try any stupid heroics.

Night School 05

Sheriff: You sure it was Derek Hale?

Scott: Yes.

Stiles: I saw him too.

Stiles has done this all night, following Scott's lead, comitting himself to whatever Scott has thought up. In fact, Stiles does this a lot, especially when it comes to Derek. He's taken Scott's lead in believing Derek was the murderer and he's taking Scott's lead in disliking Derek even though the dislike is somewhat irrational on Scott's part. Stiles will back up his bro until the end. Or until either something werewolfy is just too fascinating or Scott is too busy to stand between them long enough to prevent Stiles' natural curiosity from getting close enough to build something.

Chapter Text

1x08 - Lunatic

Scott is having a case of the douchebags, Stiles is talking about girls like he wants to convince himself, Derek is alive and Jackson is putting the moves on Allison. Lydia is still badass, with emphasis on ass. Seriously, if we haven't noticed yet, everyone on this show is kind of a dick sometimes.

Lunatic 01

Stiles: What's going on? Did you find Derek yet?

Sheriff: I'm workin' on it. You go take your test.

Stiles: All right, dad, listen to me.

Sheriff: Go!

Stiles: This is really important. You have to be careful tonight, okay? Especially tonight.

Sheriff: Stiles, I'm always careful.

Stiles: Dad, you've never dealt with this kind of thing before, okay? At least not like this.

Bear with me, I know it's a tiny moment that has very little to do with relationship stuff, but it does show us a few important things.

For one, Stiles has been terrified and has not stopped being terrified ever since the parent- teacher conference and the mountain lion attack. He's in some version of survival mode all the time now and all of his fears center around his dad getting hurt. It makes him a little meaner and a little more of a dick than he was in the first four episodes.

So him asking about Derek has several motives. He wants to know whether Derek is alive or dead, but he also needs to know if he's in jail again. Why? Because Derek is an ally in Stiles' mind, even if a reluctant one, and he may not trust him but he knows they're probably fucked without him. So, he needs to know that they found Derek because having him in custody would prevent the police force from being out there looking for him (motive 1: his dad's safety) but it also means he and Scott will have to handle whatever comes next alone. Knowing that he was dead for sure would do the same thing, and he can't know that Derek is alive because the alpha got rid of the janitor, too.

Derek has once again become a priority for Stiles to think about because whether or not he's around will change how they approach this whole situation. Who says a small part of him doesn't also want the closure of just knowing what happened simply because Derek has become such a huge part of his life?

1x09 - Wolf's Bane

I like to think of this episode as the fulcrum of the pairing. It is where the lever rests, where we can see how these two idiots move the world. It's the episode that gives us Derek really seeing Stiles for the first time, the episode that shows us Stiles sacrificing and Derek caring and a shit- load of eye-sex that spawned a fandom.

Wolf's Bane 01

Stiles: Get in.

Scott: What part of laying low don't you understand?

Derek: Damn it, I had him!

Stiles: Who, the Alpha?

Derek: Yes! He was right in front of me, and the friggin' police showed up.

Stiles: Whoa, hey, they're just doing their jobs...

Derek: Yeah, thanks to someone who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the entire state.

Scott: Can we seriously get past that? I made a dumbass mistake. I get it.

Stiles: All right. How did you find him?

Scott: Can you try to trust us for at least half a second?

Stiles: Yeah, both of us. Or just him. I'll be back here.

Derek: Look the last time I talked to my sister, she was close to figuring something out. She found two things. The first was a guy named Harris.

Stiles: Our chemistry teacher?

Scott: Why him?

Derek: I don't know yet.

Scott: What's the second?

Derek: Some kind of symbol. What? You know what this is?

Scott: I've seen it on a necklace. Allison's necklace.

In Teen Wolf, some pretty enormously important relationship steps happen off-screen or under the radar. This scene, for example, starts us in the middle of a great shift - Stiles is coming back around to being on Derek's side and Derek is actually sharing some vital information. Not all of it, but some.

Scott and Stiles in Derek's car, rescuing Derek from police and hunters both, is a huge step. Why? Because Scott doesn't take Stiles on outings with Derek unlesss he can't help it, but also, the only way they even knew to rescue Derek at all was Stiles' police scanner. So this rescue is put in motion by Stiles, not Scott.

Derek is pretty much at the end of his rope, scared and frustrated and hunted, but he is also actively trying to solve this case. Stiles is interested in that, probably sees some kind of kinship in that, because he, too, wants to figure stuff out and get the alpha before it can hurt anyone else.

Stiles' body language and little interjections here are all basically a huge "please pay attention to me" sign that he waves with great enthusiasm. When he stands up for his dad and the police, Derek's glare turns into angry agreement. Derek tries to stare him into submission after the trust comment, but it only works partially and for a limited time. The entire conversation, Stiles spends looking almost exclusively at Derek, to the extent that he even blocks Derek's view of Scott. Stiles even touches Derek's shoulder.

The only problem here is trust. Derek doesn't actually trust them enough to lay out his darkest secret, because if he had, they might have noticed that Laura was investigating the fire and Derek already knows who caused that. Her encounter with Peter is tangential to her investigation, and Peter only follows her footsteps because he wants revenge on the same people she was looking for and Derek already knows who they are. But that's not what's going to mess them up.

Wolf's Bane 02

Scott: I need a cure. Right now.

Stiles: Does he know about Allison's father?

Scott: I don't know.

Stiles: Okay, where's Derek?

Scott: Hiding, like we told him to. Why?

Stiles: I have another idea. It's gonna take a little time and finesse, though.

This is another instance where we can see how much Stiles has gone into to the Derek=ally mindset. Despite his attitude earlier in the season, where werewolf problems were his to figure out and no one was going to be Scott's yoda but him, Stiles' mind immediately goes to Derek when it comes to solving their alpha problem. Or Scott's cure problem, which Derek has conveniently turned into the alpha problem by lying his little werewolf tail off.

But I digress. The two truly fascinating points are this: Scott and Stiles don't know *where* Derek is hiding, so when Derek is waiting for Stiles in his room later, that's Derek choosing to hide right there. That's Derek looking for safety not with Scott, not in his old house, but with Stiles Stilinski, the Sheriff's son. While being hunted by said Sheriff. As for Stiles, he doesn't need Derek's help for tracing the text. In fact, it's probably more hindrance than help to have a fugitive in his room because there is always the chance that Danny recognizes him and calls the police.

Unless, and this is a little far-fetched because Stiles' plans aren't usually that complex, unless Stiles planned to exploit Derek for his body all along. Both interpretations are valid ideas and both have their uses - either Stiles just really wanted to have Derek around or he was so aware of Derek's attractiveness that he based his entire alpha-catching plan on it. Either way, it shows how much of Stiles' thoughts still revolve around Derek.

Wolf's Bane 03

Sheriff: Hey, Stiles!

Stiles: Yo, D—Derek. I, um...

Sheriff: What'd you say?

...

Stiles: I'm sor--oh!

Derek: If you say one word--

Stiles: Oh, what, you mean, like, "Hey, dad, Derek Hale's in my room... Bring your gun"? Yeah, that's right. If I'm harboring your fugitive ass, it's my house, my rules, buddy.

Stiles: Oh, my God!

Derek: Scott didn't get the necklace?

Stiles: No. He's still working on it. But there's something else we can try. The night we were trapped at the school, Scott sent a text to Allison asking her to meet him there.

Derek: So?

Stiles: So it wasn't Scott.

Derek: Well, can you find out who sent it?

Stiles: No, not me. But I think I know somebody who can.

I'm honestly not sure how to read this scene as anything other than confirming subconscious attraction, but it also does so much more than that. While Stiles and Derek stare at each other's mouths and stand too damn close, they are also clearly coming out of this scene as equals.

Stiles is surprised Derek is there - one strike against the ultimate evil exploitation plan. He also intends to apologize for his dad nearly walking in before Derek pushes him against the wall. Derek is clearly in his "trust no one" mind-set at first, and probably with good reason. With as many times as Stiles has changed his mind about Derek in the last month, who's to say where he comes down at any given time? Derek is risking a lot and he's learned that no one gives a crap about him for his sake, thanks Scott.

But Stiles stands up to Derek's threat here, not cowed at all, and that relaxes something inside Derek. He trusts Stiles, at least for this, maybe because he knows Stiles well enough to know that Stiles would do anything to keep his dad and Scott safe. But maybe because Derek doesn't think he's immediately useful to Stiles and that means maybe Stiles risks trouble with his Dad/the law for him for no particular reason.

Pushed up against the wall, sparks fly and dominance is traded between them until it levels out into something else, something like potential partnership. If all cards were on the table, this could have been the beginning of something.

Wolf's Bane 04

Danny: Who's he again?

Stiles: Um, my cousin...Miguel.

Danny: Is that blood on his shirt?

Stiles: Yeah. Yes. Well, he gets these horrible nosebleeds. Hey, Miguel. I thought I told you you could borrow one of my shirts. So anyway, I mean, we both know you have the skills to trace that text, so we should probably--

Derek: Uh, Stiles?

Stiles: Yes?

Derek: This...no fit.

Stiles: Then try something else on. Sorry. Hey, that one looks pretty good, huh? What do you think, Danny? The shirt.

Danny: It's--it's not really his color.

Stiles: You swing for a different team, but you still play ball, don't you, Danny boy?

Danny: You're a horrible person.

Stiles: I know. It keeps me awake at night. Anyway, about that text.

Derek: Stiles! None of these fit.

Danny: I'll need the ISP, the phone number, and the exact time of the text.

Okay, what in holy hell is going on in this scene? Yes, it's funny because it has funny music and Derek is the angriest stripper you have ever seen, but within the narrative, there is so much happening I don't quite know where to start.

For one, I am decidedly unsure whether Derek and Stiles discussed this literal gay-baiting beforehand and Derek refused or Stiles came up with it on the spot. Either way, Stiles is the dominant one in this scene. Derek may be reluctant, but he follows Stiles' direction.

A lot of their communcation in this episode is silent, physical. They glare, gaze, lean and flail, push and scowl. Derek's unhappiness with Stiles using his body like this is palpable and quite uncomfortable. When Danny accuses Stiles of being a horrible person, I gotta agree at least a little bit. This scene makes me so uncomfortable.

But also, it's fascinating just how well Derek plays along, taking his cues from Stiles, even while scowling like grumpy cat. And Stiles, who, if he hadn't consciously thought of it before, is now actively thinking about Derek's attractiveness in relation to guys. The whole premise of the scene is kind of skeevy and despite the lulzy music, the actual presentation of the scene and the dialogue acknowledge this. Danny is super uncomfortable and Stiles is actually quite aggressive, delighting in his ridiculous plan working out.

And then, in the last moment, when Danny has already agreed to help, Stiles stretches to hide a bit of a victory fist pump and there is this tiny aborted movement, almost like he wants to look back at Derek but catches himself.

Wolf's Bane 05

Danny: There. The text was sent from a computer. This one.

Derek: Registered to that account name?

Stiles: No, no, no, no. That can't be right.

Okay, so remember how the last scene was creepy enough it would have turned you off Stiles' character if a) Derek was a girl and b) you'd have known about his history with sexual abuse in advance? Derek is bottling it up, putting it away to concentrate on the facts at hand. He's in problem-solving mode.

Also, he's wearing one of Stiles' shirts.

When Stiles goes into denial/distress mode at the possibility that Melissa may have something to do with the alpha, Derek looks at him with this puzzled frown, as if Stiles' facets have finally broken out of the box marked "Scott's friend, occasionally useful" and he's suddenly a whole person - an asshole sometimes, but a kid who cares about people, someone who might be hurt by all this and who's already hurt others because of it.

Wolf's Bane 06

Scott: Did you get the picture?

Stiles: Yeah, I did, and it looks just like the drawing.

Derek: Hey, is there something on the back of it? There's gotta be something. An inscription, an opening, something.

Scott: No, no, the thing's flat. And, no, it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it, nothing. And where are you? You're supposed to be here. You're first line.

Coach: Where the hell is Bilinski?

Scott: Man, you're not gonna play if you're not here to start.

Stiles: I know. Look, if you see my dad, can you tell him-- tell him I'll be there, I'll just be a little bit late, okay? All right, thanks.

Derek: You're not gonna make it.

Stiles: I know.

Derek: And you didn't tell him about his mom, either.

Stiles: Not till we find out the truth.

Derek: By the way, one more thing.

Stiles: Yeah. Oh, God! What the hell was--

Derek: You know what that was for. Go. Go!

Derek and Stiles are quite possibly about to die, at least that's what Derek is thinking. They know they've found something vital and terrible and nothing good is going to happen. Stiles knows it, too, though maybe not the extent of it.

Derek also knows just how important that game is to Stiles, because he was right there when Stiles talked about it to his dad. He knows what kind of sacrifice Stiles is making to help Scott and to back up Derek. He could have let Derek go alone, but he didn't and he could have told Scott the truth, gotten him involved, and he didn't. You might have seen images of this scene, pictures like the screencap above, talking about how this is the moment Derek falls in love and it's hard to argue that there isn't something happening in this moment. Appreciation, maybe even affection, and a little bit of mystery and a little bit of want, because no one has loved Derek like Stiles loves Scott in a very long time, maybe ever.

They get business done and then the other thing you've probably seen all over tumblr and discussed at length happens. The steering wheel incident.

Derek slams Stiles' head into the steering wheel, enough to surprise and hurt, but not to injure. I'm not going to tell you how to judge this scene, but I am going to say this: "You know what that was for" clearly indicates that it was retaliation for the skeevy shirt scene. It is what it is and I have written an entire long essay on what I think it means for them.

Wolf's Bane 07

Stiles: Yeah, I said I can't find her.

Derek: Look, ask for Jennifer. She's been looking after my uncle.

Stiles: Yeah, well, he's not here either.

Derek: What?

Stiles: He's not here. He's gone, Derek.

Derek: Stiles, get out of there right now--it's him! He's the Alpha! Get out!

Peter: You must be Stiles.

Nurse: What are you doing here? Visiting hours are over.

Stiles: You...and him. You're-- you're the one who-- Oh, my-- and he's-- Oh, my God, I'm gonna die.

Peter: That's not nice. She's my nurse.

Derek: She's a psychotic bitch helping you kill people. Get out of the way.

Stiles: Oh, damn.

Despite what must be a hurricane of conflicting emotion running through him, desire to get revenge for his sister at the forefront of his mind, Derek's first instinct is to get Stiles to safety and protect him. Maybe he would do that for anyone, maybe he wouldn't, but the instinct is clearly strong. Derek does not like the idea of killing people, at all, and he isn't going to let anyone seriously hurt Stiles, not even his uncle.

The scene continues into Derek's inevitable defeat, as he lures Peter away from where Stiles is hiding. But Peter doesn't want to kill Derek and whatever good will has been growing between Stiles and Derek? Derek's choice to join Peter erases it all. Not that Derek had much of a choice, but changing sides to join up with the crazy murderer who's threatened them all and nearly killed Derek himself and did kill Derek's sister - it's switching Stiles' opinion of him right back around. Stiles is not one for sentimentality when his loved ones are in danger, and Derek hasn't earned that place yet, may never earn that place if they can't build some trust under the intrigue and affection.

I call this episode the fulcrum of their relationship because until now we've mostly seen Stiles react to Derek, switching his feelings like a metronome whenever Derek fucked up again or Scott only shared half the story or Stiles felt he might be losing Scott. But this episode? This episode is all about Derek learning to see Stiles, the pragmatic and even cruel parts of him as much as his capacity for love and sacrifice. We now know the weight of our problem, the obstacles and their tentative potential attraction, from here on out it's all about the force that needs to be exerted to lift them off the ground.

1x10 Co-Captain

In which Stiles goes to hell, Derek goes to a very different hell, and Jackson cries the tears of the perpetually inadequate. Also Allison and Lydia are looking good shooting at trees in the woods.

Co-Captain 01

Sheriff: You know, Derek Hale would be a whole hale of a lot– Hale of a lot?

Stiles: Hell of a lot?

Sheriff: Hell. Yes. He would be a hell of a lot easier to catch if we could get an actual picture of him.

Stiles: How do you not have a picture of him?

Sheriff: It's the weirdest thing. It's like every time we tried to get a mug shot, it's like two– Laser beams were pointing at the camera.

Stiles: Nice.

Where Derek is concerned, Stiles has several attitudes he keeps pulling out based on circumstances. This one is the "omg werewolves are so fucking cool" one. Because even with all the death and shit seriously hitting the fan, Stiles does think that, and Scott doesn't tend to indulge Stiles' fascination.

Even with all the uncertainty about Derek joining Peter and the danger that follows Derek wherever he goes, Derek is Stiles' best source for werewolf-y trivia. In a less shitty situation, Stiles would probably be all over Derek, trying to suss out how werewolves and all the other supernatural stuff works.

Unfortunately, the hilarious supernatural rom-com this show is not. And things are about to get worse.

1x11 - Formality

I'm sorry I can't hear the episode over my Derek Hale feels. Derek gets tortured, sexually assaulted and abandoned by the only people who may give a damn about him on occasion. Stiles is a huge asshole to everyone, including Lydia. Scott and Allison are fucking adorable and in love and why can't someone give Derek a hug? Peter is stepping up the creepy, because why the hell not.

Formality 01

Scott: Call it again.

Stiles: It's not here. Okay, so you lost your phone. Why don't you just get a new one?

Scott: I can't afford a new one. And I can't do this alone. We have to find Derek.

Stiles: Well, "A", you're not alone. You have me. And "B", didn't you say Derek walked into gunfire? He sounds pretty dead.

Scott: Argent's plan was to use him to get to the Alpha– they're not gonna kill him.

Stiles: All right, so then just let them do what they're planning, you know? They use Derek to get Peter– problem solved.

Scott: Not if Peter's going after Allison to find Derek! I can't protect her on my own. Which means we either find Derek first– just– just help me!

Stiles: You know, you probably lost it when you two were fighting. You remember that, when he was trying to kill you, after you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson? Are you starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here?

Scott: He wasn't going to kill anyone. And I'm not letting him die.

Stiles: Could you at least think about letting him die? For me?

...

Stiles: Scott, you can't protect everyone.

Scott: I have to.

This scene has shades of Night School. Stiles is in protective mode again and values Scott's safety above both Derek's and Allison's in this scenario. Leaving Derek in the Argents' clutches to let Peter and them take each other out must seem like the perfect way to get rid of all their problems, in that short-sighted way Stiles' plans sometimes have.

And Derek is still settled back in the antagonist spot for joining up with Peter and threatening Jackson at the house. Still, when Stiles asks Scott to at least think about letting Derek die for him, it has the feeling of something a little more personal. Stiles specifically wants Derek to disappear, like a problem that was ignored long enough.

Stiles here is pragmatic and willing to let Derek die for his perceived crimes. It's a marked contrast to Stiles mounting Derek's rescue via the Camaro only two episodes earlier, when Stiles thought of him as an ally.

Video on DropBox - Formality 02

Stiles: Lydia! Run!

Stiles: Don't kill her. Please.

Peter: Of course not. Just tell me how to find Derek.

Stiles: W–what?

Peter: Tell me how to find Derek Hale.

Stiles: I don't know that. How would I know that?

Peter: Because you're the clever one, aren't you? And because deception has a particularly acrid scent, Stiles. Tell me the truth– Or I will rip her apart.

Stiles: Look– Look, I don't know, okay? I sw–I swear to god, I have no idea.

Peter: Tell me!

Stiles: Okay, okay, okay, look, I– I think he knew–

Peter: Knew what?

Stiles: Derek, I think he– I think he knew he was gonna be caught.

Peter: By the Argents?

Stiles: Yeah.

Peter: And?

Stiles: When they were shot, he and Scott– I think he took Scott's Phone.

Peter: Why?

Stiles: They all have GPS now. So if he still has it and if it's still on– you can find him.

Stiles knew. Stiles knew that Derek was captured by the Argents and he knew how to find him the whole time, ever since that conversation in Scott's room. He left him there knowing the Argents might torture or kill him and he kept it to himself to protect Scott. Or maybe because he wants Derek Hale to be somebody else's problem and he could finally get over his conflicted feelings of fascination and annoyance and maybe a little fear. It's cruel, more cruel than he knows.

Because Derek took that phone hoping despite himself that Scott and Stiles would come for him, that someone would come for him. Considering how Scott ends up finding him later, the phone trick was probably aimed at Stiles. It's the crafty ploy, the sneaky one, not Scott's more brute-force howling triangulation. And Stiles leaves him there to die because Stiles doesn't trust Derek, not even enough for the benefit of the doubt. He thinks Derek chose Peter and that's that. Game over and good riddance.

1x12 - Code Breaker

Some people are killed, some are rescued, and Scott is losing his chance at a cure. Peter flirts with Stiles and Derek projects his issues. We could have had it all, you guys. We could have had it all.

Code Breaker 01

Stiles: What happens after you find Derek?

Peter: Don't think, Stiles. Type.

Stiles: You're gonna kill people, aren't you?

Peter: Only the responsible ones.

Stiles: Look, if I do this, you have to promise to leave Scott out of it.

This scene is basically proof that Stiles thinks Derek is beyond saving when it comes to Peter - he believes Derek is little more than Peter's right hand claw at the moment, willing to do anything his Alpha requires of him. He thinks Peter is going to make Derek kill people and now, after Lydia's attack, I think Stiles has a new appreciation for just how much power and madness are coiled up inside Peter.

This is a slight shift from his earlier conviction to just let hunters and werewolves eradicate each other, mostly because he's going from his "omg I don't want to deal with Derek ever" mindset into actual crisis mode. Now Derek isn't the annoying niggling feeling at the back of his mind, he's a weapon and a very bad man is about to use it.

Code Breaker 02

Stiles: Wait, what the– That's where they're keeping him? At his own house?

Peter: Not at it. Under it. I know exactly where that is. And I'm not the only one.

And this is where context forces Stiles to think of Derek as a person with history again. The way his voice goes disbelieving and almost offended on Derek's behalf makes all the difference. Because Stiles compartmentalizes a lot and there are several boxes made almost exclusively for Derek in his head.

Now Derek is no longer just a weapon in Peter's arsenal, now he's also a victim, and Stiles' emotional involvement is about to make him feel really shitty for the way he handled this entire thing. But not yet, for now he just thinks the hunters are assholes.

Code Breaker 03

Stiles: Dad, tell me. Look, you know it has something to do with Derek.

Sheriff: What? But I thought you two said you barely knew him.

Stiles: All right, we might know him a little better than that.

This is an interesting moment because Stiles' mind jumps to Derek when it isn't really necessary to bring him up at all. And he admits to his dad that Derek is more than just a casual acquaintance. It solidifies something in their relationship because it is no longer just in Stiles' head. One of the most important people in his life now thinks of Derek in relation to Stiles and vice versa. It's something. It's fucked up and sideways, because the Sheriff still thinks of Derek mostly as a criminal, but it's something.

And it's also interesting because it's a tangent that gets dropped pretty quickly as they talk more about the arson and the suspected arsonist than any connection to Derek other than the fire. Through the following conversation, however, Stiles figures out a piece of the puzzle he'd been missing before - that the Argents and specifically Kate were the ones responsible for the fire. I don't know if Scott never told him, because Scott didn't believe it or what, but this is Stiles figuring out that he just left Derek in the hands of the people who killed his family.

Code Breaker 04

Chris: Did Scott try to kill you on the full moon? Did you have to lock him up?

Stiles: Yeah, I did. I had to handcuff him to a radiator. Why? Would you prefer I locked him in the basement and burned the whole house down around him?

Chris: I hate to dispel a popular rumor, Stiles, but we never did that.

Stiles: Oh, right. Derek said you guys had a code. I guess no one ever breaks it.

Chris: Never.

Stiles: What if someone does?

Chris: Someone like who?

Stiles: Your sister.

First, watch this scene and pay attention to Stiles when he talks about the fire. He's spitting angry and seriously bursting with emotion. That's not sarcasm, it's empathy and maybe a little guilt, because these people killed a lot of innocents for no other reason than their nature.

The other tidbit is Stiles referencing Derek rather than Scott as his source of werewolf-y information. This means Stiles catalogues all of the wolfy stuff with Derek in mind rather than his friend, which explains why the curiousity usually comes out around Derek.

Code Breaker 05

Then showdowns are had and Derek takes Peter's life. Quite probably this is Derek's first kill, considering how he told Scott they were predators, not killers, and how he reacted to the nurse helping Peter kill. In Scott's eyes, Derek just doomed him to a tragic existence without love. We don't know how Stiles sees this - at least this time he was there to get his own picture, not one distorted through Scott's own filters first.

Does Stiles realize there never was a cure (possibly, if Search for the Cure is set before the events of Code Breaker) or is he disappointed in Derek on Scott's behalf? Angry? Maybe a little relieved because he doesn't want Scott to be a killer, especially not for love?

At the end of the season, all possibilities are open, though some paths are a little more damaged. Derek may have figured out that Stiles left him at Kate's mercy. Stiles may be rightfully wary of Derek as an Alpha. But they're both in positions where they can and do think of each other as fully realized people, with empathy, fascination and potential attraction going both ways.

Season 2

With the show adding new characters and secrets no longer quite so secret, the second season no longer has the tight focus that made nearly every episode a "Stiles and Scott talk about Derek" episode. However, Stiles and Derek still have plenty of ways to talk about each other and interact in new and interesting ways.

2x02 - Shape Shifted

The episode that turns Isaac into a werewolf and basically says "fuck timelines what are days?!". Derek and Stiles flirt a lot and Scott and Derek are actually sort of bros even though Scott is not all that fond of Derek's whole pack thing. Stiles and Allison are the best bros. WE COULD HAVE HAD ALL THIS, JEFF. WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL.

Shape Shifted 01

Scott: Why would Derek choose Isaac?

Stiles: Peter told me that if the bite doesn't turn you it could kill you. And maybe teenagers have a better chance of surviving.

This scene is notable because it shows that Stiles is still on the pro-Derek side of things right now. He may still want Derek as far away from him as possible because of complicated reasons, but the first thing he thinks of is Derek trying to turn people with the least amount of collateral damage. Stiles thinks of Derek as an anti-hero - sure, he does questionable shit, and he's a jerk, but he doesn't want people to die.

Stiles could have come up with any number of reasons, including that teenagers are more reckless, more easily controllable for a twenty-something, etc. But Stiles chose to look for a positive reason, rather then the general creepiness that comes with Derek's early alpha choices.

Video on DropBox - Shape Shifted 02

Stiles: Okay, now the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my father's office. The problem is getting past the front desk.

Derek: I'll distract her.

Stiles: Whoa, whoa, whoa–you? You're not going in there. I'm taking my hand off.

Derek: I was exonerated.

Stiles: You're still a person of interest.

Derek: An innocent person.

Stiles: An–you? Yeah, right! Okay, fine. What's your plan?

Derek: To distract her.

Stiles: Uh–huh. How? By punching her in the face? Unh.

Derek: Heh, by talking to her.

Stiles: Okay, all right. Give me a sample. What are you gonna open with? Dead silence. That should work beautifully. Any other ideas?

Derek: I'm thinking about punching you in the face.

So Stiles and Derek are sitting in a car, flirting. Even if you don't ship them, this exchange is probably the bro-version of flirting because honestly there isn't really a reason for the scene to go the way it does, with both playfulness and tension, when you think of them as enemies.

Derek's clearly enjoying himself, showing the part of him that's closer to Stiles' age than his own, the teenager who got burned out of him by Kate. He's a bit of an asshole, but he intimidates with words and insists petulantly on his innocence. And maybe that Derek is, mostly, innocent.

This may also be the first time that we see Stiles insinuate that Derek is a failwolf - the exchange about talking to the deputy is basically Stiles doubting Derek's ability to manage a simple social situation. There is no real fear in Stiles here and I think it's obvious that Stiles hasn't considered Derek a real threat for a while. An asshole, maybe, a problem, certainly, but someone who you can make plans with and sit in a car with and annoy the hell out of without fearing retribution.

And the body language/looks they share? There's a whole novel in this scene about how familiar they are with each other - enough for Stiles to touch Derek and keep touching him and for Derek to wait Stiles out in removing his hand, without flinching or interfering. The look Derek gives Stiles and Stiles' hand is not aggressive, it's a "dude, really?!" kind of look. And Stiles reacts shifty, like there's a billion little things going on at once in his brain, none of them fear. Stiles touching Derek is natural and they both draw it out longer than they have a need to.

Shape Shifted 03

No lines, because the lines don't really matter. Derek is distracting the deputy by smiling at her and using a terrible line that shouldn't work but totally does because Derek is hot like the sun and his social ineptness comes across as kind of cute.

But what in the world is going on with Stiles in this scene? What is that frustrated, almost angry little face he pulls? He could be angry that Derek doesn't even have to try because he's so damn hot girls just fall into his lap and we all know Stiles has been operating under severe sexual frustration since the beginning of this season. Last season he was mostly too busy trying not to die or let his dad die to think about sex that much but, oh, his frustration is a theme, at least in the beginning of this season.

So, maybe Stiles is just jealous of Derek's face. But if we assume a latent attraction, it could easily include some general jealousy and hatred for the world, because he really didn't need to see how Derek looks when he tries to get someone into his pants, even for pragmatic reasons.

Meanwhile the Derek we see kind of looks like he's in danger of straining something. His is not a happy face.

Video on DropBox - Shape Shifted 04

Stiles: How did you do that?

Derek: I'm the Alpha.

Okay, at this point Derek trying to save Stiles is hardly special, it's just a thing he does. Roaring Isaac into submission is probably better than using physical force to achieve the same end, but it is also a display of dominance. You know, the show-off factor.

And it works. Stiles has always been fascinated with werewolf-related things and trivia, but this little moment is more than that. Stiles looks like all his fascination is currently below the belt. He's impressed, for once, and maybe it's payback for the whole failwolf thing earlier. Derek did something cool, preens, and Stiles is appropriately awed.

2x03 - Ice Pick

There are good things about this episode, including everything Erica and Boyd choose to be, the complete ridiculous awesomeness that is Scott/Allison and the ice-rink show down. None of the good things really involve Stiles or Derek, who are so supremely creepy and dickish in this episode that I feel they both kind of deserve what's coming next, namely their parallel descent into misery. Watch this space, it only gets worse from here.

Video on DropBox - Ice Pick 01

Scott: I'm going to go to the ice-rink, see if he's there. And if he's not at home, you call me, got it? What?

Stiles: Maybe we should let him. Boyd, you know, man? You said Derek's giving them a choice, right?

Scott: We can't.

Stiles: You gotta admit, Erica looks pretty good. You know, the word "sensational" comes to mind.

Scott: Yeah. How good do you think she's gonna look with a wolfsbane bullet in her head?

Stiles: All right, all I'm saying is maybe this one isn't totally your responsibility.

Scott: They all are. And you know this thing's gonna get out of control. That makes me responsible.

Stiles: All right, I'm with you. And I also gotta say this new-found heroism is making me very attracted to you.

Scott: Shut up.

Stiles: No, seriously. Do you wanna just try making out for a sec? Just to see how it feels.

Okay, partly this may be Stiles' tendency to ignore a problem until it goes away. It's one of his favorite ways to deal with things he doesn't want to think about or deal with at all. There is a strong argument that Stiles is near sociopathic in his uncaring for anyone who isn't his dad, Scott or Lydia (in that order and with highly diminishing returns).

However, Stiles is also the one who originally pushed Scott to take action after the mountain lion got shot during the PTA conference. Stiles' instincts are protecting Scott, but also helping people.

And that's important because Stiles here means what he says about leaving the choice up to Boyd. Stiles does not think of being werewolf as the terrible burden that Scott has made it in his mind. The strength, speed and senses as well as the obvious sexual magnetism are something that Stiles admires, maybe even envies a little. And while the dangers of dying are a consideration, I don't think Stiles puts this on the werewolves at all - of the trio, Stiles may be the only one who thinks that the Argent's are fundamentally wrong.

Derek and his betas are not inherently bad, not by nature, and Stiles will judge them all based on what they do, not what they are. Unfortunately, what they do turns out to be informed by the first rush of the shift, both to alpha and beta, which puts them firmly in the dog house.

2x04 - Abomination

The episode that sets everything in motion, including a fandom explosion. Scott and Allison are having dinner with the family, again, and Stiles and Derek are trapped in a life-threatening situation mostly for Derek, again. Lydia speaks French. Erica makes out with Derek. Jackson kills people. To death.

Abomination 01

Stiles: Ah! Ah! Ah! Oh.

Derek: Stiles.

Stiles: Derek.

Derek: What did you see at the mechanics garage?

Stiles: Uh, several alarming EPA violations that I'm seriously considering reporting. Holy God.

Derek: Let's try that again.

This scene is one of my new favorites.

First, Stiles and Derek acknowledging each other isn't exactly a polite gesture, but it does have meaning even as it is also mockery. They're both aware of having history together, of the other being a relevant part of each other's lives, no matter how reluctant and mocking that acknowledgement may be.

And, okay, Stiles may use the sarcasm and deflection as defense against his own fear, but he doesn't look particularly afraid here.The best thing, though, is how both Derek and Erica obviously think he's hilarious. Look at their faces, Derek's hiding his smile, but Erica is clearly delighted, even as the moment turns into intimidation. Doesn't mean they don't think Stiles is the best ;)

Then notice how Derek's threats have gone from physical/verbal to intimidation by what is essentially popping a balloon with your fingernails. It's juvenile and silly and the only reason it works on Stiles is because Stiles lets it.

Video on DropBox - Abomination 02

Stiles: All right, the thing was pretty slick looking. Um, skin was dark. Kind of patterned. Uh, I think I actually saw scales. Is that enough? Okay, because I've somebody I really need to talk to– Hrr. All right, fine, eyes. Eyes are, um, yellowish. And slitted. Um, has a lot of teeth. Oh. And it's got a tail, too. Are we good? What? Wait, have you seen it? You have this look on your faces like you know exactly what I am talking about.

Derek: Run!

Stiles: Derek, your neck! Hey, come on. Where is it? Can you see it?

Derek: I can smell it. Please hurry. Call Scott! Stiles, ah-

Stiles: Where did it go? Do you see it?

Derek: No.

Stiles: Okay, maybe it took off.

Derek: Maybe not.

This is a pretty long scene in which Stiles explains his sighting of the kanima and then his entire monologue plus frustration that he is there instead of creeping some more on Lydia becomes moot as Jackson drops in all scaley and things get a little weird. I'm a little iffy on the dialogue in italics because the sound quality for the actual dialogue is shit, I wouldn't put any bets on the accuracy.

Okay, so. Stiles talks about seeing the kanima and it's obvious he doesn't like this whole process because he's still affected by seeing someone die right in front of him. He wants to get out and I think only about two-thirds are about taking advantage of Lydia while she's vulnerable, the rest is about genuine trauma. I'm not quite sure what to make of the look Derek gives him, but just as before with the police station, they've come to a place where words are not really necessary at all to convey Derek's meaning. And Stiles is not afraid, he's frustrated and a little bit angry, but not afraid.

So when Erica and Derek notice the kanima behind Stiles' back and look at it a bit dumbstruck, Stiles immediately goes from "whoa so this interrogation is totes inconvenient I have things to do" to his mystery-solving mode. His demeanor and voice change completely when he thinks they might have some new information for him.

And then he sees the kanima and pretty much jumps behind Derek for safety. Instinctively, Stiles considers that the safest place to be - with Derek between him and whatever creepy awful supernatural thing is coming at him. True to form, Derek doesn't just defend him, he makes sure Stiles knows to get away.

(Note that neither of them instinctively tries to go for Erica, who has just been knocked out by the kanima, which kind of makes them both either really concentrated on saving the person they care about more than Erica or they're both dicks. Either way, Erica deserves better ;)

Then, because Stiles' self-preservation instinct is kind of weirdly faulty in the heat of the moment (not, mind you, when he's mostly talking shit with Scott, then it's working over time), Stiles stays around to help Derek when he inevitably gets hit by kainma venom. Erica is just hanging out on the floor, but neither of these two idiots cares about that.

Stiles grabs Derek and makes a shambling run for it, but of course calling Scott, running away and holding on to two-hundred pounds of meat is asking a bit much.

Which is how they end up with Derek paralyzed and Stiles treading water. Because when Derek falls in, Stiles could either call Scott and then try to rescuciate the werewolf, or he could jump in right away and cause them to be stuck for the next two hours. So he jumps in.

Abomination 03

Derek: You get me out of here before I drown.

Stiles: You're worried about drowning? Did you notice the thing out there with multiple rows of razor sharp teeth.

Derek: Did you notice I'm paralyzed from the neck down in eight feet of water?

Stiles: Okay. I don't see it.

Derek: Wait, wait, wait, stop, stop.

Stiles: What's it waiting for?

This is basically just fluff. Derek is being sarcastic, probably to cover his discomfort at being helpless in a dangerous situation. Stiles is unusually accomodating. Together they fight crime. No wait, not yet.

What actually happens is that Stiles picks up Derek's panic and instead of going all mulish as he would in other circumstances (see: the time Derek wanted him to cut his arm off), Stiles is about to do what Derek wants until the kanima shows up again.

And then there's the flash of a look you see represented in the picture above - Stiles checking in with Derek even though Derek can't see him and the kanima should be rights hold his full attention.

Video on DropBox - Abomination 04

Stiles: Okay. Okay, I don't think I can do this much longer.

Derek: No, no, no. Don't even think about it.

Stiles: Would you just trust me this once?

Derek: No.

Stiles: I'm the one keeping you alive, okay, have you noticed that?

Derek: Yeah. And when the paralysis wears off, who is gonna be able to fight that thing, you or me? You don't trust me I don't trust you. You need me to survive, which is why you are not letting me go. Stiles!

This is the moment. This is when we see that what Derek thinks of Stiles is important to Stiles. You don't look that offended at someone not trusting you unless you want them to trust you.

Also featuring another instance of Derek picking up on Stiles' thoughts without words (the "don't even think about it" referring to the phone, of course) and Derek near panicked at even the idea that he could trust this kid. Not just a denial, but such a quick and vehement "no" at the question of trust that we can absolutely make a case that he's protesting too much. That maybe he does trust Stiles and doesn't want to because that is way scarier than drowning and the kanima combined.

Abomination 05

Derek: Tell me you got him.

This is literally the "Scott just fucked us both, let's cuddle before we die" scene.

Scott hangs up on Stiles and rather than try again, Stiles throws away the phone and chooses to save Derek. He pulls him up and they have this exchange where Derek wearily asks if the plan was succesful and Stiles can't even say anything. And then there's gazing at each other's eyes and head- nuzzling.

It's all very intense and emotional. As a side-note, Derek is not angry at being dropped into the water, because Derek... Derek has this thing where he's both afraid of betrayal and constantly expects it and reacts like it isn't a big deal at all when it happens. I don't think he forgives so much as that he doesn't think he deserves any less. (See also Scott and Peter and how Derek reacts to the wrongs they do him.)

Abomination 06

Stiles: I can't stay up any longer, I need something to hold on to.

There's a fine line between what anyone would do and what you do for love or because you're a fucking hero.

Jumping into a pool to save a dude from drowning? It's not that special, all things considered. I'd do it, you'd do it, even for a jerk we don't care for. But then there's this. Stiles has been holding them both up for two hours, he's completely exhausted and holding on by a thread. No one, least of all Derek, would fault him for letting go and saving himself.

But Stiles drags Derek with him until he himself is going under and it's... something. Something about Stiles being a good person, but also about maybe letting go of Derek for real not being as easy as all that.

Video on DropBox - Abomination 07

Derek:It's called a kanima.

Stiles: You knew the whole time.

Derek: No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection.

Scott: It doesn't know what it is.

Derek: Or who.

Stiles: What else do you know?

Derek: Just stories, rumors.

Scott: But it's like us?

Derek: A shape–shifter, yes, but it's– it's not right. It's like a–

Stiles: An abomination.

Scott: Derek? We need to work together on this. Maybe even tell the Argents.

Derek: You trust them?

Scott: Nobody trusts anyone! That's the problem. While we're here, arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger and faster than any of us, and it's killing people and we still don't even know anything about it.

Derek: I know one thing, when I find it? I'm gonna kill it!

Derek here looks, god, flayed open and vulnerable and so lost. He literally looks like a wet puppy, all cute teeth and big ears and soulful eyes.

Look at him and tell me he isn't emotionally affected by all this. He even voluntarily shares information!

Stiles though, look at Stiles when he thinks Derek kept something from him - he's sort of resigned to his own disappointment, like he thinks "I knew I shouldn't have trusted him", but he did. Because he does have expectations of Derek, even some pretty lofty and heroic ones sometimes.

When Stiles calls the kanima an abomination, there's a fuckload of stuff going on between Derek and Stiles. We know they have some experience reading what the other isn't actually saying, so it's unsurprising that they don't need words for whatever this moment is. We mostly see Derek's part of it, but that's more than enough. It's absolution, I guess, Stiles telling Derek that he isn't a monster and Derek accepting the sentiment if not the truth of it.

And then Scott fucks it all up by mentioning the Argents. Look, I love the kid, more than is good for me sometimes, but even with the enemy at the gates, you don't tell the dude whose whole family was murdered by a bigotted clan of dangerous douchebags to work with them while he's exhausted and vulnerable. Derek storming off angry (and the subsequent events of episode 5) is at least half-way Scott's fault. Not that Derek isn't an idiot, but yeah.

Stiles though, considering the look he gives Derek's retreating back, is disappointed again. Maybe at both of them, but mostly at Derek probably.

Chapter Text

2x05 - Venomous

How to lose friends in one easy step, a film by Derek Hale. Or, you know, the episode of fail! detective Derek and the crazy murder puppies. They get better from here, unfortunately it's too late. Also, someone should have told Lydia.

Venomous 01

Stiles: Dude, I just talked to my dad, who just talked to Jackson, and I've got really terrible, horrible, very, very bad news.

I include this scene because it gives us the werewolf baseline: after Scott's little Argent-y mishap, Stiles is once again on the side of "werewolves are scary and want to kill people". This is before he actually knows they want to kill any specific people, just based on what Derek said as he stalked away from them in Abomination.

This is important because a) Isaac, the subject of the horrible bad news, has never actually done anything to Stiles, the last interaction Stiles had with him was saving him from the hunter in 2x02, and while that was scary it was also the full moon, and no one knows better than Stiles that full moons are special, and b) in barely more than a day or two, Stiles is going to share their murderous sentiment. So it's not just Stiles' morals acting up or Isaac himself, it's also about Derek and how he left them in 2x04.

Stiles is still reacting to the aftermath of the pool here and it's not entirely rational. It's at least partly his feelings about Derek acting up, clouding his judgment.

Venomous 02

Scott: Derek is not gonna kill her without proof.

This conversation opens in the middle and we can only guess what Stiles said, but the sentiment is clear: Stiles is worried that Derek is going to kill Lydia, possibly without much proof.

And I think combined with his reaction earlier, it is easy to see why Stiles would think that and how it turns out to be sort of true. Derek was pretty damn vehement when he said that in 2x04 and it must have stuck with Stiles. He's already seen Derek kill a person, or rather something that was both a huge danger to them all and the bare bones of a person. He knows Derek can do it, knows Derek can kill even his own uncle when he thinks it's necessary.

Thanks to the after-pool conversation, he also thinks Derek is emotionally committed to this course of action, regardless of who the kanima turns out to be.

Venomous 03

Derek: Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person that you are. Even Stiles calls her cold–blooded.

You have to actually watch the scene to get the full impact, because Derek here is arguing from weakness, not strength. He's desperate and ultimately admits that he doesn't know what he's doing, but can't afford doing nothing.

The way he says this line though? It implies so many things. Like that Derek is creeping on Stiles even more than we know or that he and Stiles actually had a talk about Lydia, possibly while drowning (it's logical the subject might have come up in the two hours, as Lydia had still been waiting for Stiles or at least he would have thought she could have). It also implies that Derek recognizes the extent of Stiles' feelings for Lydia and considers this a valid argument to bring up as to why she might be a dangerous lizard monster.

Venomous 04

Stiles: Uh– Derek. Yeah, shoot him, preferably in the head.

Allison: If Scott was able to catch an arrow, Derek definitely can.

Stiles: Okay, uh, just shoot one of the other three then.

So, here's the thing. Stiles has had moments like these before, moments of intense desire to have harm done to Derek, specifically and deliberately. They coincide with moments where Derek has been ostensibly working against them, but the intensity and readiness of these feelings are unusual because they are often opposed to Scott's stance on the issue of Derek's life.

Of course, if you look at both scenes with him and Allison guarding the door, Stiles doesn't fear for his life - he is nervous, scared for Lydia, but there is a certain nonchalance about him that even Allison picks up on, reminding him that this isn't a game when he worries about her relationship with Scott. I think it comes from him having trouble characterizing Derek as a threat to Lydia when he knows Derek is not a threat to him. He knows what Derek will do and what he will do to stop him and it isn't pretty, but it's also not quite the same thing as fear.

2x06 - Frenemy

Everyone and their mom knew it as the gay bar episode. Derek doesn't have any lines, but everyone is talking about him. Also Stiles wants to kill Jackson a lot.

Frenemy 01

Stiles: Not "it." Jackson.

Scott: Yeah, I know. I–I know.

Stiles: All right, but does he know that? Did anybody else see him back at your house?

Scott: I mean, I don't think so, but he already passed Derek's test anyway.

Stiles: Yeah, but that's just the thing. How did he pass the test?

Scott: I don't know.

Stiles: Maybe it's like an either–or thing. I mean, Derek said that a snake can't be poisoned by its own venom, right? When's the kanima not the kanima?

Scott: When it's Jackson.

Stiles and Scott are running after Jackson on his way to the gay bar, and this little exchange reveals so much about Stiles. He's almost hyper-aware of the humanity of the things they're facing, even if he has the (often pragmatic) desire to kill them. To death. I think partly this is because of Derek, because Derek is a person and he's annoying and attractive and faily and Stiles knows all of these things and yet, sometimes Derek is also against them, and sometimes Stiles would prefer him dead, too.

And yet, Stiles also trusts Derek's knowledge of the supernatural, enough so that he believes the "test" should have worked.

Frenemy 02

Stiles: You attacked me and Derek at the school, and you trapped us in the pool. You also killed a mechanic– right in front of me, by the way. That was lovely. And one of Argent's hunters. Oh, and last night, you tried to kill Danny.

This is a very short moment, but it illustrates that Stiles has started thinking about himself and Derek as a duo, in certain circumstances at least. He doesn't really have a reason to reference Derek or anyone and if it was just about being specific, he would have mentioned Erica as well. She was there the entire time, after all, even though both Derek and Stiles seemed to have conveniently forgotten her existence. It implies that there are moments Stiles brain has labeled as "things that happened to me-and-Derek, together".

Frenemy 03

Stiles: Well, yeah, but it tried to kill me and Derek in the pool.

Scott: Did it?

Stiles: It would've. It was waiting for us to come out.

Scott: What if it was trying to keep you in?

Stiles: Why do I feel so violated all of a sudden?

Let's talk about Stiles words here. He was absolutely convinced they were going to die. If you listen to the way he says the second line, there's a kind of certainty and resignation in it that doesn't reflect any of his usual bravado or sarcasm or frustration. Stiles really thought he and Derek were both going to die.

Now, what about that last line? Scott... doesn't really pick up on the nuances here and redirects the conversation, but when Stiles says violated he means something pretty damn significant. Parts of him are probably pissed off because if this is true, he thinks all his genuine fear and desperation, both for himself and on account of Derek, were unnecessary. The word is also almost always connected to a breaking of boundaries, and yes, also a sexual connotation.

In Stiles' head there had to have been a certain profound intensity to the pool situation to be using a word like that. Almost as if he feels that he was pushed into an emotionally intense/sexually suggestive situation by the kanima, and without the added pressure of imminent death, that closeness and intensity comes to the surface.

2x07 - Restraint

The Breakfast Club goes feral, Derek is a failwolf, and Erica is the best. Stiles gets told no a lot and Jackson is hip-deep in body horror.

Restraint 01

Isaac: So why do we need their help?

Derek: Because it's harder to kill than I thought and I still don't know who it is.

Isaac: And they do?

Derek: They might. Which is why I need one of you to get on their good side.

Erica: Mm. Scott or Stiles?

Derek: Either.

Two things are happening here. First of all, Derek is seeking out reconciliation with Scott, even if he does it in the creepy way he's so good at. Scott's already told him no several times, vehemently, but Derek knows that he's not strong enough to do this alone. So he tries again, because if Derek is one thing, he's the guy throwing himself at windmills. However, the interesting part is that Derek also specified Stiles. If Stiles wasn't important, he'd either just say Scott or mention the whole Team Human and a Wolf.

The second thing is that completely startled deer-in-headlights expression he gets when Erica muses attractively over which of the boys to play with. We don't often see hints that Derek has a certain sexual awareness of Stiles and that Stiles gives him certain possessive feelings, but this is one of them. After a long pause, Derek turns on snark mode and tells her "either", but he'd had to think about it. And this isn't a thought about tactics, because he knows how much Scott is hung up on Allison - he knows telling Erica to try and seduce Scott at this point would only end badly, but he has to think about it before he answers and in the end, he doesn't even tell her that she should go for Stiles.

If it were about morals and not pushing his beta after he realized he'd primed her for sexual manipulation, he'd just tell her to be friendly. So, yeah, this is definitely a moment where assumed attraction makes sense.

Restraint 02

Stiles: You can't tell Derek, okay? There's a lot more to this that you don't know about. And just because you got the Alpha bite makeover doesn't give you a license to go around destroying people.

Erica: Why not? That's all anybody ever used to do to me. I used to have the worst crush in the world on you. Yeah, you, Stiles. And you never once even noticed me. Exactly how you're not noticing me right now.

Stiles doesn't want Erica to tell Derek about Jackson because he thinks Derek will run off half- cocked and get someone killed, either himself or Jackson or one of the betas, and I believe that's an unacceptable situation for Stiles. And given what Stiles knows about Derek, that is not an unreasonable assumption to make. I mean, he turns out to be wrong, because Derek already knew and this whole thing was more an attempt to get his betas to bond with Scott and/or Stiles, but given what Stiles knows about Derek, he is the kind of failwolf who runs in without a real plan (see, also, that time they had to rescue him from a manhunt etc.) and isn't above attempted murder. Though, granted, their actual body count is about one-quarter of a Peter each.

Restraint 03

Stiles: Hey, we need to get her to a hospital.

Erica: Derek– only to Derek.

Scott: When we get her to the hospital–

Erica: To Derek. To Derek.

Until this moment, I think Stiles wasn't quite aware what pack really meant. Because Erica needs Derek more than she fears her own demons and that's hard to grasp if you're the guy who had the luxury to refuse the bite. But this is a turning point moment for Stiles where it concerns Derek and his pack – he no longer looks at it in terms of power and rewards and he no longer resents the original flavor murder twins. The next time we see them interact, he's pretty chummy with Isaac and Erica at the rave.

And in a way, this influences how he sees Derek's motivation for making a pack. Before, it was all about how much power he could gain, all bravado and intimidation and Derek's slightly offensive “you need me to survive” life motto. But now it's about something else, too. Like affection and safety and taking care of someone who needs you. Granted, not even Derek is particularly aware of that level of it right now, but that's because Derek is an emotionally constipated butthole.

Restraint 04

Derek: Hold her up.

Stiles: Is she dying?

Derek: She might, I– which is why this is gonna hurt.

Stiles: You broke her arm!

Derek: It'll trigger the healing process. I still gotta get the venom out. This is where it's really gonna hurt.

Right on the heels of the last moment, here's another truth about Derek. There's panic in his voice when he's facing the possible loss of one of his wolves and he doesn't really know what he's doing, but he does the best he can think of anyway, because it's better than not doing anything. This is an emotionally exhausting moment, for everyone in that train car, and Scott is the only one capable of hiding anything. Stiles is kind of surprised that Derek would break Erica's arm, because despite all the attempted murder and other violence in their lives, Stiles has only just understood that Derek loves Erica and Isaac and Boyd. The fact that he is capable of hurting them is shocking, even or maybe especially because sometimes that's the only way Derek can think of to save someone.

On Derek's side, it's telling that he would explain himself in the face of Stiles' outrage. He wants Stiles to understand what he's doing, he wants Stiles to understand that this is necessary pain, not just him being a dick. Derek explains his actions to Stiles, Derek even asks Stiles to hold her, because he trusts Stiles more than he trusts Scott when it comes to life-threatening situations. Scott would be more physically suited to holding down a wolf in pain, Scott is also the one Derek wanted for the pack. And yet, it's Stiles who he looks to in that moment.

2x08 – Raving

A story about dance floor threesomes, Stiles doing a thing, crazy Argents and a really over- dramatic psycho serial killer.

Raving 01

Stiles: Hey, um, so we kind of lost Jackson inside, but it's– oh, my God. It's working. Oh, this is– I did something.

From the casual “hey” to the way they gravitate to each other, standing so close that their shoulders brush, this scene is all about how close Derek and Stiles have gotten in the past few months. They are comfortable being in each other's space. Stiles wants Derek to know about this awesome thing, maybe even wants Derek to praise him. Because it matters what Derek thinks. Stiles also takes conversational cues from Derek without words, again.

It's a good scene to show us how far they've come. They are physically, subconsciously comfortable with each other and Stiles is seeking validation. Now that Scott, to both their knowledge, is part of the pack, they have nothing between them, metaphorically and quite literally.

Raving 02

Derek: Scott?

Stiles: What?

Derek: Break it.

Stiles: What? No way.

Derek: Scott's dying!

Stiles: Okay, what? How do you know that?

Derek: Oh, my God, Stiles, I just know! Break it!

Stiles: Ah–

As a continuation of the last scene, this one adds a few important layers. First of all, Derek is visibly freaking out over Scott being hurt. Stiles can see Derek freaking out over Scott being in danger. This is a huge deal, because for Stiles there is only one thing more important that Scott and that's his dad. Derek being this frantic to save Scott? It's a big deal for Stiles. Derek's putting Scott's safety above getting the kanima.

And then there's Derek, who gets pushy and intimidating when he's scared, not doing anything but using words to get Stiles to do something for him. It's new ground and it's a good sign. Stiles is already no longer intimidated by the big bad wolf, but this scene is pretty much proof that this is based on a solid understanding that holds up under stressful situations. This Derek is not one who'd hurt Stiles, not if he could help it. And when he runs in to save Scott, Derek grips Stiles' shoulders in a move that's nothing but physical reassurance.

2x10 – Fury

I love everything this episode chooses to be. There is absolutely nothing that can go wrong with hostage situations, crazy serial killers and grieving BAMF's out for vengeance. The fact that Stiles and Derek spent most of this episode in close physical proximity is just a bonus.

Video on DropBox - Fury 01

Derek: This is the one controlling him? This kid?

Matt: Well, Derek, not everyone's lucky enough to be a big, bad werewolf. Oh, yeah, that's– that's right. I've learned a few things lately. Werewolves, hunters, kanimas. It's like a frickin' Halloween party every full moon. Except for you, Stiles. What do you turn into?

Stiles: Abominable snowman. But, uh, it's more of, like, a wintertime thing, you know, seasonal.

Scott: Hey!

Stiles: You bitch.

Derek: Get him off of me.

Matt: Oh, I don't know, Derek. I think you two make a pretty good pair. It must kinda suck, though, to have all that power taken away from you with just a little cut to the back of the neck. I bet you're not used to feeling this helpless.

Derek: Still got some teeth. Why don't you get down here a little closer, huh? We'll see how helpless I am.

Stiles: Yeah, bitch.

Everything about this scene is the best thing about this scene.

Derek getting his sarcasm all over Matt even though he can't even move. This is worse than the time at the pool, even, because the water was actually working for them then, and ultimately Stiles himself wouldn't have been in danger for a while (if he'd let Derek go, he could have floated in the pool for hours). But this time, Derek has nothing to lean on. And still he's got that dry banter going for him - a trait I'm sure Stiles appreciates, considering the Abominable Snowman quip. These two are incredibly in sync in this scene.

I want to address the "get him off me" line because I'm sure without context and in conjunction with Matt's little homophobic remark it could be seen as Derek objecting to Stiles on top of him for reasons of EWW HOMO. But there are alternate explanations I want you to consider: for one, as 2x08 showed quite clearly, they have no problem being in each other's personal space, at all. Derek's motivation could well be that he doesn't want vulnerable Stiles between him and danger. Or that the proximity does cause some physical reaction and he doesn't want Stiles to know. Or he can't breathe with the extra pressure and being paralyzed and all.

Neither of them actually objects to the "good pair" line, which is probably half not wanting to give Matt the satisfaction and half not giving a fuck if they give that impression. But if they really hated the implication, I'm sure our sass-masters would have thought of something.

Stiles backing up Derek's threat is also possibly one of the cutest things ever. He's like a mouse roaring with a toothless lion. But it shows how thoroughly Stiles has aligned himself with Derek in this moment, even though it's completely impractical. Neither of them can do anything, so "you need me to survive" hardly applies.

Derek's also witness to one of Stiles' reckless moments, when he yells for Scott not to trust Matt and then there's choking. His eyes flick to Stiles when he yells that, almost like Derek can't believe this idiot would call attention to his pale-skinned, fragile-boned body in a situation like this.

Fury 02

When Matt reveals that he's looking for the bestiary, Stiles and Derek look at each other like "whoa, did you get that? WTF?!" and it's just one more example of how in tune they are during this whole thing, how they click with each other.

Video on DropBox - Fury 03

Stiles: Hey. You know what's happening to Matt?

Derek: I know, the book's not gonna help him. You can't just break the rules, not like this.

Stiles: What do you mean?

Derek: Universe balances things out. Always does.

Stiles: Is it because he's using Jackson to kill people who don't deserve it?

Derek: And killing people himself.

Stiles: So if Matt breaks the rules of the kanima, he becomes the kanima?

Derek: Balance.

Stiles: Will he believe us if we tell him that?

Derek: Not likely.

Stiles: Okay, he's gonna kill all of us when he gets that book, isn't he?

Derek: Yep.

Stiles: All right, so what do we do? Do we just– do we just sit here and wait to die?

Derek: Unless I can figure out a way to push the toxin out of my body faster. Like triggering the healing process.

Stiles: Wha– oh, what are you doing? Aw, gross.

Casual, sarcastic banterß Check. Derek comfortable sharing not just information but philosophy? Check. Stiles not being impressed by Derek's self-sacrificing routine? Check.

This scene is basically what can evolve into every one of the team fic you've read. This is Derek and Stiles working stuff out between them, bouncing ideas between them, and Stiles' slightly squeamish side plus Derek's tendency to go for the solution that involves him and pain.

Fury 04

Stiles: So is that hypothetical situation we talked about getting any less hypothetical?

Derek: I think so. I can move my toes.

Stiles: Dude, I can move my toes.

Look, it's failwolf! It's Stiles calling Derek "dude"! It's banter about toes!

Whether you think they're potentially attracted to each other or not, these are two dudes who are comfortable with each other and who work well together under pressure, but the casual nature of this exchange implies something even greater: a hard-fought-for-and-won friendship that can blossom into anything.

Fury 05

Derek: Take him! Go!

Derek is telling Scott to take Stiles out of danger. For one, it shows that Derek cares about Stiles welfare. But more than that, telling Scott that is completely redundant, because Scott's priority in this situation was always going to be Stiles. He was already grabbing for him. And Derek sounds, if not panicked then certainly worked up, wanting Stiles out of the firing line as quickly as possible.

It is such a strange little show of caring that Stiles looks at Derek, twice, possibly to check if this is still the same dude who once pushed his face into a steering wheel. It's not, not really. Derek's changed a lot since then, and it's very visible in his attitude toward Stiles in particular.

Video on DropBox - Fury 06

And then we have this moment, Derek coming for Matt and essentially saving the Sheriff and Melissa while Stiles watches, unable to do anything. Derek could have gone after Matt, but he stayed around to keep the kanima away from the incapacitated humans. Stiles notices, and he flinches/pushing himself back into the shadows, when Derek gets knocked out for a moment. It's important because there is no person more precious to Stiles than his dad and watching this, being unable to do anything is already causing Stiles a great deal of anxiety. Knowing that Derek would risk not just his own life but a strategic advantage that might save more people in the long run (by taking out Matt) for Stiles and his dad and Melissa? That could potentially be huge.

2x12 – Master Plan

Just giving a short recap of what happened between them since Fury: Everyone's been isolated and no one has really talked to each other. Stiles has been stewing in anxiety, guilt and anger. Derek's been losing faith in himself and his pack has dissolved in his fingers.

There are two moments that may make an impact on further development in fic and season 3 when it comes to Stiles and Derek.

First, Stiles in the torture basement. Chris' comments about flickering lights implies there may have been more than just blunt trauma. Maybe Gerard asked him about Derek, maybe he didn't. Maybe Stiles gave up everything he knew, maybe he didn't. We don't know, but there's a distinct possibility that Gerard tried to get the info he knew he couldn't get from the betas out of Stiles and there is also the possibility that Stiles gave it all up.

We don't know if Derek cared about Stiles being missing, if he did, we didn't get to see it between the time he and Peter caught up to Scott in the locker room and showing up at the Hale house.

What we do know is that Stiles didn't see the Master Plan go down and he didn't see his best friend use Derek's body and the bite against his will. In fact, he didn't see any of the subterfuge come to light, even the part where Scott very obviously didn't tell him either. And based on the things Scott didn't relay before, I would say it's highly likely no one sees it necessary to tell him after the fact.

After the finale, both Stiles and Derek are in emotionally fragile states, under pressure – everyone else may have gotten to some kind of equilibrium point, but neither Stiles nor Derek really got any sort of resolution. Derek's still a failed alpha with no pack, rejected by Scott, manipulated by Peter. Stiles is still pining for Lydia, but more hopeless than ever, and nowhere to go with that anger and anxiety under his skin.

In terms of their relationship, nothing has really changed since Fury. The question is whether that tentative friendship goes anywhere, whether they spend time together for reasons other than life or death situations. But that's for season 3 to tell us.

Point and Counterpoint

After reading all that, I'm sure you need a little break. Take it, get a bacon sandwich, because I've only just begun. The above is a very limited view on these scenes, a bare bones interpretation. I tried to stay away from bringing either authorial intent or the assumption of attraction into it and offer alternate explanations.

Attraction

That said, let's talk about the assumption of sexual attraction. In Battlefield, all Lydia had to do to give the Stiles/Lydia pairing new legitimacy and an assumption of reciprocation or at least the potential for it was a single look. Across a field. With the extenuating circumstance of winning a lacrosse game (and the viewer with too much time on their hands will notice this – Lydia is actually super into lacrosse). That's it, that's all it took.

Derek and Stiles have looks aplenty. They stare at each others' mouths enough that it is easy to assume they find each other attractive. By the end of season two, they are surprisingly comfortable in each other's personal space, standing so close in Raving that their shoulders press together rather than brush – in an empty parking lot, mind you.

Now, you may say that this is all accidental because of how certain shots just work. They have to be close to be in the frame. But that just means that the directors continuously put them in these shots on purpose, not to mention the actual way the writing keeps putting them in close physical contact.

I'm not saying the eye-fucking is conclusive proof, but in a world where heterosexuality is not the default assumption, where people are not straight until proven queer, these looks would be enough to make us all assume we're watching a slow burn romance unfold. I don't particularly enjoy this argument, because it brings with it all sorts of issues, but we all know that if they were a straight couple, if either Stiles or Derek were a girl, there wouldn't be anyone who didn't see it. Sure, there'd be people who didn't like it, but they'd all see it.

Friendship

In the section on scenes, I think it becomes clear that whatever people may say about them, Stiles and Derek have had more than enough development to base something on.

Stiles' view on Derek is complex and complicated. He starts out already having a kind of idolized image that quickly flips into a much harsher reality. Stiles reacts surprisingly strongly to Derek in all ways, he gets angry and mean and frustrated about him, even when Stiles knows there isn't a real reason for it. And this is in many cases in opposition to Scott's opinion of Derek at the time. After Scott blows the werewolf cover, Stiles is initially scared, although that changes fairly soon into a kind of frustrated tension. By season two, Stiles no longer views Derek as a threat to him personally even as he still considers Derek a dangerous and morally ambiguous character. Stiles is also fascinated by the guy and frequently gets sidetracked in tense situations by how cool everything about Derek's existence is, even if his life is ridiculously crappy. And then there's the part where Stiles feels empathy for Derek's loss, even anger at the people who caused it.

I think Stiles' volatile reaction to Derek and his occasional assurance that he wants Derek dead, in jail or in any other way out of his life, especially in the first season, has a deeper motive. Because when push comes to shove, Stiles does care, enough to save Derek, enough to be offended that Derek doesn't trust him, enough to want Derek to acknowledge that he's managed to help out. And while there may be other interpretations, this one is certainly valid: that Stiles has unwanted, mostly unexamined feelings for Derek, the aforementioned attraction, and he doesn't like it. He doesn't want to deal with it and hopes it will just go away. But over the course of the two seasons, Stiles is beginning to like Derek, and that's a problem, because there's being grudgingly attracted to someone you perceive as an asshole and then there's being attracted to someone you actually like.

Stiles' perception of Derek is like a coloring book. At the beginning it was just the empty shapes and now it's randomly filled in, with good things and bad things. Stiles knows a whole bunch of interesting pieces of Derek and his natural curiosity is going to ensure that he wants to find out more, especially if there isn't an obvious enemy for a while.

Because whatever else we might believe about Stiles' feelings for Derek, he isn't indifferent. He's hot and cold and irrational and maybe already a little bit obsessed.

Meanwhile, for Derek the journey was much more straight-forward. He goes from viewing Stiles as an unfortunate consequence of dealing with Scott, to seeing him as someone who is capable and curious and a little bit ruthless. There are moments when Derek may say he doesn't trust Stiles, but he repeatedly puts himself in Stiles' hands.

And in season two, Derek begins to see Stiles as someone who understands the werewolf part better than any other human he's met – the Abomination scene in particular is a treatise on every confused feeling Derek has in relation to Stiles. He also sees Stiles as an ally, someone they need on their side. Most of those feelings aren't spoken aloud, but his demeanor goes from mild violence and threats in season one, to mild, unspoken threats in early season 2, to talking to Stiles like a friend, revealing truths he believes in. There is nothing about that “balance of the universe” line that isn't amazing, because it's Derek sharing not just information but a philosophy (never mind that it also implies Derek truly believes he deserves everything that's happened to him since the fire).

I doubt Derek is in a place where he'd act on a feeling like that, not without some kind of outside pressure or catalyst, but the potential is there.

The Future

If we assume attraction, and there is enough in canon to say we can and nothing in canon to say we can't, then season 3 can and should involve a little more obvious romance. Individually, they both have issues that require growth, some issues they could work on together and some issues they might have to work out alone. Between them, though, there is already a connection, and all it needs is a spark. All it needs is for Jeff Davis to decide that this is something he wants to pursue.

In the end, it all comes down to whether or not Jeff wants to play with this. Not even the fannish hivemind can come up with a good reason not to explore the tension and story that builds naturally out of their playful antagonism and mountain of personal hangups. It's all on whether or not Jeff thinks this is a good story.

This has all the hallmarks of a romance story, a slow burn, belligerent tension that starts as antagonism and never quite settles into boring, but retains a humorous, snarky core while startling with occasional sweetness. It's a connection that has already been tempered by fire and it has enormous promise. Because these kinds of stories are the most talked about, the most anticipated, and in the end, the most rewarding. No offense to Hero and Claudio, but it's the spark between Benedick and Beatrice that make the play.

Personally, I always thought they were going there. I believed it because they were obviously not afraid of queer content and the development did resemble a romantic comedy so much. I'm still not sure that it's true they never noticed, because that means they're either all completely blinded by heteronormativity or they kind of suck at their jobs. I like to believe they're fucking with us, but that's just me.

Counterpoint

I've asked fellow fans which arguments against Sterek they have seen in their travels, because there are always some people who think it can't or shouldn't happen, rather than it won't because Jeff simply doesn't want to.

• Danny
- Plenty of people use Danny as a bulwark against Sterek, but it's a fandom argument and has little to do with canon. Jeff already assured us, in the interview with AE at NYCC, that Derek and Stiles will continue to have scenes together, Danny or no Danny. Now, when Stiles and Derek are sufficiently confirmed as queer, they provide a completely different kind of representation for the queer community. And we clearly can have both. So setting up Danny as a strawman is little more than fans trying to stir up trouble in fandom, while canon goes its merry way.
• Age difference/age of consent
- I have discussed the legality and the morality of this question several times, and yet it comes up again and again. Yes, the sex is illegal. No, that doesn't mean they wouldn't go there. Why do you think Teen Wolf should hold back where Buffy didn't? Plenty of genre movies, tv shows and novels have teen/adult relationships and it's occasionally skeevy, but it's apparently never a reason not to tell the story. In fact, Teen Wolf has already done so, even implicitly with Danny picking up guys who are likely older at the gay bar.
• Derek being abusive
- I've tried to discuss the matter here, but also, consider this: Erica was supposed to be a love interest for Stiles. Erica smashed Stiles' face with a car part and knocked him out. If this is okay for them, then nothing Derek has done is even close to an unsurmountable obstacle.
• They're not gay
- This is my favorite counter-argument because it comes up a lot and especially in certain publications who continue to call them straight guys, even though we have no indication one way or the other for Derek and some pretty damn solid evidence that Stiles is meant to be bisexual.
• They don't even like each other
- see this entire monstruous writeup.
• It's not in the original plan/it would only be pandering to fangirls
- Indeed, it wasn't, at least not until they actually put Stiles and Derek together and found they were magic. You know what else wasn't in the original plan? Lydia being smart. Things change in a serial TV show and that's a good thing. They have to adapt to actor chemistry, audience reaction and other influences all the time. And if, as a queer fan, I can get something that I want because they think I'm worth pandering to? I will refuse to let anyone call that a bad thing.
• Jeff is not brave enough/too risky for US TV
- Let me remind people that this MTV we're talking about. They're on cable. They want the youth audience and the youth audience is predominantly pro-LGBT. They air It Gets Better specials along with Logo. If they're afraid of something, it isn't the queer factor.
• Fanbase is split over it
- While it might be true that the fanbase has a faction that hates Sterek enough to walk away from the show if it happens, most people won't care. A majority of active fans, at least the ones creating art, fic and meta, seem to be at least accepting of the idea. And there are enough people who want it badly that the passions of the fanbase appear as an incentive rather than an obstacle.
• Kate
- Kate is a trauma that can and should be worked through for Derek to become a whole person. Stiles may or may not be a part of that, but he could be a trigger for starting the recovery process. That sounds like a story that just begs to be told, not like a narrative dead- end.

This is part of the reason why Sterek is so popular - it doesn't have any real narrative obstacles. Neither of the guys is attached to the kind of straight love interest that takes them off the market in a narrative sense and most of those reasons up there are the kind of plot issues that make developing a romance interesting rather than prohibit it. The very real chance at a canonical queer romance between main characters who are not defined by their potential queerness is what brings so many people to this pairing, people who aren't just looking for two hot dudes.

Conclusion

This ridiculous meta is not here to convince people of anything. If someone doesn't ship it, they don't ship. No one should ever feel compelled to like something they don't care for just because others do. Or because it turns out to be canon. Sterek could be canon, is the point. It fits into the established narrative and would make an interesting, fun story with some benefits for queer entertainment. So why not? Jeff's the arbiter - the only arbiter - of that question.

I came into this show for Danny but I stayed for what I thought was one of the best queer romances I had ever seen. You don't get the bantery kind much in queer entertainment, especially not in sci-fi or fantasy. It was like a dream come true. And to this day neither Jeff nor the network have given me any reason not to believe that it will be.