Bonds // Stalec

Chapter 11

Stiles shot upwards and coughed on a mouthful of water as he was pulled from the tub by multiple pairs of arms.

"Stiles, are you okay?" Deaton asked as he handed a blanket to Derek, who was the closest to the shadowhunter.

Derek quickly took the blanket and wrapped it around Stiles, who shivered and leaned into the werewolf's body.

"Did it work?" Peter questioned. Stiles knew he wasn't asking because truly cared about ending the situation. He only asked because he knew that if it didn't work, he'd be forced to go catch the demon himself.

"Clary," Stiles began, ignoring Peter's question. "I need you to draw the mind block on Alec."

Without hesitation, Clary pulled out her stele, grabbed Alec's arm, and drew the mind shield rule she had created on the males forearm.

"What happened?" Scott asked. "Did it show?"

"Yeah," Stiles sighed shakily, he leaned further into Derek's body, who had no problem with wrapping his arms around the shadowhunter to keep him warm, "but it's smart. It knows it can't get to me. Alec and Derek are possible targets."

"I get Alec because you two are close," Izzy said. "If it's angry with you then of course it would target someone you have a strong bond with, but why Derek?"

"Without his abilities, he's vulnerable. He's unaware," Stiles said while lifting his head to look at said man. "He's an easy target."

Derek didn't verbally reply, but he did bite his bottom lip and look downwards. Stiles looked up and his eyes eventually landed upon Alec, who's face was contorted with sadness but also jealousy. Stiles didn't know why.

"How can we protect him?" Malia asked. "Can he gets one of those things too?" The were-coyote pointed at Alec's arm, and Stiles could only assume she was referring to the rune.

"He's not a shadowhunter," Jace said. "It would disappear."

"Technically, the rune's I create aren't legal rune's," Clary said. "They're not in the Gray Book."

"Do you think it could work?" Izzy questioned, looking at Jace, who shrugged.

"Only one way to find out," the blond said.

Clary walked over to Derek, who released Stiles. The redhead looked up at him as she raised her stele. The man nodded in approval as he held out his arm. Clary proceed to draw the mind block tune she had created.

Stiles dried himself a bit with the blanket Deaton had given him before setting it aside and walking over to Alec.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Alec glanced at him before looking away, nodding silently. Stiles furrowed his eyebrows and shuffled closer to the taller male. He wrapped his arms around Alec's waist and rested his head on his shoulder. Alec reluctantly wrapped his arm around Stiles's shoulder and looked down at him.

"Why do I feel like you don't trust me the way you used to?" Stiles questioned quietly.

"It's not that," Alec replied.

"Then we need to talk, so you can tell me what it really is," the younger said.

"Well, it's not disappearing," Clary suddenly said, "but I don't think it will hold for as long since he's not a shadowhunter. I'll just have to keep retracing it ever few hours or so."

"We're not staying here," Jace said. "There are problems everywhere back home. We're going back as soon as Stiles is back on his feet."

"These are his friends," Izzy intervened, "and they need help."

"We only came here because Stiles needed help," Jace argued. "Now that he's out of danger, we can go back to our normal lives."

"Derek is in danger," Stiles said, stepping away from Alec and looking at Jace. "You may not know it now, but he's important to me. I can stay here. The rest of you can go back if you want, but I'm staying here."

"I don't think leaving you here alone with them," Jace said, motioning towards the pack. "Is such a good idea considering they were so helpful the last time a problem came up."

"You don't know how much we've gone through," Stiles snapped back.

"Why are you protecting them?" Jace questioned. "They turned their backs on you when you needed them most. They stood aside and paid zero attention to you when you slit your wrist and bruised your knuckles."

"Jace-"

"You're not staying with them," Jace cut him off, glaring at the pack.

"You're not the boss of me, Jace," Stiles said. "You don't get to order me around no matter how much you think it's your job to."

"They're not-"

"It doesn't matter what you think they're not or what you think they are!" Stiles shouted, silencing the blond. "Until this blows over, I'm staying here. As soon as everything is back to normal, I'll return to the institute."

"You're leaving for good?" Lydia questioned. Stiles glanced at her, and he couldn't help but feel guilty at the sad look in her eyes.

"I said I was only here for one thing and that still applies," Stiles said. "As soon as the Nogitsune is taken care of, I'm gone."

"Maybe Jace is right about one thing," Alec spoke. Stiles turned to look at him. It was the first time he had spoken to everyone since he arrived. "You're not staying here alone. I'm not the only one who doesn't think it's a good idea. If you're staying, I'm staying. There's plenty of people at the institute to handle the threats around the city."

"He's right about that," Izzy agreed. Alec shot Derek a look, but it wasn't a friendly expression.

"If you've got a problem with me, say it," Derek said.

Stiles gulped and glanced between the werewolf and Alec, who's expression hardened as he stepped closer, rolling up his sleeves.

"Just stay away from Stiles, and we won't have a problem," he stated.

Derek scowled and stepped forward, intending to approach Alec, but Stiles stepped between them and held out his hand.

"Don't fight," he begged. "I seriously don't need you two of all people fighting."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alec questioned, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"It means I don't want the two people I'm most conflicted with right now fighting for no damn reason," Stiles explained. "Right now, we're all friends whether some of us," he glanced between Derek and Alec, "like it or not. Since Derek needs at least one of us around at all times, it's easier for Alec, Jace, Clary, and Izzy to stay at the loft. It's more protection for both Derek and Alec that way."

"You do realize you're renting our home for free," Peter intervened. Stiles shot him a glare.

"Honestly Peter, I could give less shits on your opinion right now," the shadowhunter said. "They," he motioned towards Alec, Jace, Clary, and Izzy, "will stay in the loft. There's plenty of room. Everyone else can go back to their normal life. As long as the Nogitsune doesn't have a host, it's not much of a threat. The pack isn't needed right now."

"Where will you be?" Scott asked. "If they're staying at the loft, where will you be?"

"I-"

"He can stay at the loft too," Derek interrupted. Stiles' mouth fell shut and he looked at the older man in shock.

He knew exactly what Derek was trying to do. He was trying to piss off Alec. With Peter living at the loft, there were only three open rooms and the couch. That gave Alec, Jace, Izzy, and Clary a place to sleep, but it left Stiles with no choice but to sleep with Derek in his king size bed. Either that or he could sleep on the concrete, but, if he's being honest, Stiles would rather sleep next to Derek no matter how irritated he was with him at the moment.

Stiles looked at Alec, who's narrowed eyes hadn't left Derek since the two declared a silent war between each other. Stiles didn't know what was gonna happen from here, but he didn't know that, at some point, he was gonna have to choose.

It was either Derek or Alec.

[UNEDITED]