Give - sterek -

5▪︎5

Home turned out to be the Hale family house. Stiles chest swelled with joy as Derek unlocked the front door, letting Stiles enter first. The young man kicked off his shoes as Derek locked the front door behind them, double checking it out of habit. Stiles smiled softly and plopped himself down on the couch.

Derek discarded his shoes as well, grabbing a blanket and a book before he joined Stiles on the couch. He handed the blanket to Stiles, a smile tugging on his lips as the whiskey eyed man accepted it with a smile and draped it around himself.

Derek took a deep breath, switching his focus to the book on his lap. This was a conversation he hadn't ever imagined having, especially with someone like Stiles. But the world worked in strange ways and there was nothing he could do but adjust. The werewolf sighed and rolled his shoulders, flipping the book open to the marked page. He was gentle with the yellowed pages, reminding himself that objects don't heal from claw marks.

"So, there are a couple requirements that must be met for a Spark to become an Alpha without becoming a werewolf." Derek started, immediately grabbing Stiles attention.

"First, the Spark must be one made by circumstance not blood. You are a Spark made by circumstance, adopting magic to survive in the world of the supernatural." Stiles nodded at Derek's words, a grin pulling at his lips as he remembered the day he presented as a Spark.

Before his mind could drift into the memory completely, Derek spoke again.

"Second, the situation must be fueled with pure intentions, any ill intent can result in the Spark becoming a werewolf. I trust you have no ill intentions, little Spark." Derek teased, looking over at Stiles from the corner of his eye.

Stiles grinned and nodded, snuggling into the soft blanket more.

"Third, in order for the Spark to gain Alpha status without becoming a werewolf is to be bitten by a true Alpha. The bite must be applied to the forearm after midnight on a full moon. The Alpha does not have to be consenting to the bite, it will take if it is forced or given."

"Well that's a relief." Stiles snorted and tolled his eyes, picking at the seam of the blanket, "We're going to have to force the bite from Scott."

Derek nodded, preparing himself for the fourth requirement. He fiddled with the edge of the paper, running his thumb over the aged ink.

"Fourth and final requirement is that the Spark must be mated to a werewolf born of werewolf blood and ancestry, not one born of a bite. Mating ritual does not have to have happened or be completed, but the bond has to be genuine and reciprocated by both parties."

Derek jerked the book shut and set it on the coffee table, slouching into the couch. He was extremely insecure, waves of anxiety and worry washed over him in quick succession. He fiddled with his fingers as he waited for a response from Stiles.

"Wait, what? Mated to a born werewolf? I'm not mated to a werewolf....am I?" Stiles blabbed in confusion, tilting his head as he thought about the information Derek had given him. But with one glace over to the fretting werewolf and everything clicked into place.

"Oh I am, aren't I Der?" Stiles said softly, earning a stiff nod from the other man on the couch.

Stiles maneuvered himself closer to the insecure werewolf, pressing himself into his side. Derek stiffened slightly but Stiles took no offence, instead he gently worked Derek's hands apart and clasped their hands together.

"I'm not mad and I don't hate you. In fact, I'm actually quite glad that I'm mated to you. Relieved, actually."

Those words calmed Derek down enough for the tension in his body to fall slack. He leaned into Stiles side and squeezed the Sparks smaller hand.

"I was...I was scared you'd be...be disgusted or something. Why are you glad you're mated to me?" Derek said slowly and so softly, still avoiding eye contact.

"Its okay to be scared. But why do you think I'd be disgusted Derek? I let Isaac call us mom and dad, so what had you scared about me being disgusted with you? I promise I'm not." Derek had focused in on Stiles heartbeat as he spoke, detecting no lie.

"I'm glad I'm mated to you because I trust you, I respect you, and I know you. I know your morals, how far you'd go for the ones you love, and how careful you are with relationships that mean something to you. I know you'll give me your all as long as I give you my all. And, in all honesty, I've always had at least a little bit of a crush on you."

Those words from Stiles warmed Derek's heart in a way he didn't think possible. Stiles was a Spark in all forms of the word and Derek loved that about him. His heart was strong and true, he loved with all his heart and unforgivingly. He knew that Stiles would never lie to him about the reality of their situation. Because of this he let himself be vulnerable around him. 

"I'm older than you by a lot and I wasn't very nice to you back when we first met. Also...i was worried you'd freak out when I told you the first time I found out you are my mate."

"The age thing doesn't bother me at all, and it definitely doesn't disgust me. You were an asshole to me when we first met, there is no doubt about that. But you've changed massively and for the better, these past few months have proved that." Stiles hummed, rubbing shapes into the back of Derek's hand gently. "You don't have to tell me about when you first knew if you feel uncomfortable, but I do expect the story some day."

Silence followed the conversation like a dog. Both Derek and Stiles ignored it and collapsed into the couch further. Stiles ended up on his back with Derek's head resting against his chest. Their legs tangled naturally, like all of their motions before, everything came naturally. Derek's hands rested on both sides of Stiles ribcage, fingers tapping out a calm rhythm. Stiles tangled his fingers in Derek's dark hair, massaging his scalp and twisting strands.

"I first found out you were my mate that night in the pool, when you kept me from drowning for almost four hours." Derek spoke suddenly, his voice shaky but clear. He was unsure how his words would be reciprocated but he still spoke.

"Really! That long ago?" Stiles questioned, looking down at the top of Derek's head. He kept playing with the werewolf's hair, thinking back to that time in high school.

"I didn't say anything because you were so young and we fought every time we talked. I was also still pushing back any emotion besides anger, afraid to open up after the fire. I was an asshole, but god were you so young."

"Hey! I'm still young, thank you Sourwolf." Stiles interjected, "But I get it. I was way too young for something like that, and especially with everything going on at the time it wouldn't have ended well. We were - still are - two headstrong people. I was dealing with Scotts inability to make good choices and you were thrust into a pack of literal children, all while still healing from a massive trauma. We were not ready for something like that then, but we are now. Don't you think?"

"I think...I hope...I want us to be ready for this." Derek said, melting further into Stiles chest. Stiles hummed in agreement as he braided a particularly long strand of Derek's hair.

Before Stiles let the werewolf submit to the lull of sleep he spoke, "I remember reading somewhere that in order to strengthen the mate bond you have to verbalize your acceptance towards your mate, is that true?"

Derek nodded sleepily, "Yeah. I accept you as my mate, Stiles. I did a while ago."

"I see. I accept you as my mate, Derek, every bit of you." The Spark pressed a kiss to Derek's hair and the werewolf let out a content growl, nuzzling against Stiles chest.

It didn't take long after that for the two to fall asleep, pulled into its depths by each others warmth. Contentment filled the Hale house, lighting the fire of love that had long went out.