The Der-Bear-Est of Them All

He's Mine?

Derek has a friend come over for a school project. They're up in Derek's room when Stiles gets home from school. He drops his bag by the door and hurries up to Derek's room excited to tell him what all he learned but then he sees the girl. Stiles thought only he was special enough to come into Derek's room.

Derek looks up and tilts his head seeing his little mate upset. "Hey, Stiles."

The girl turns her head to Derek and then to the door. "Awe. He's so cute."

Stiles huffs and climbs on the bed sitting on Derek's lap between Derek and the girl. "Only Derek can call me cute!"

He crosses his arms and the girl giggles. "I'm sorry. You have to know you're adorable though."

Stiles scowls. "Only Derek can call me that." Then he looks at Derek who smiles before looking back at the girl. "Who are you?"

The girl looks at Derek. Stiles frowns. "Hey. Excuse me but I'm 8 so you have to look at me to answer. Not Derek. Okay?"

The girl giggles again. "I'm Derek's friend, Jennifer."

Stiles tenses and his shoulders sag. "But no. I-I'm Derek's friend."

Jennifer smiles. "You can have more than one friend."

Stiles is hurt because he has friends but none of them are his friends like Derek is his friend because they're mates which is more special.

He turns to look at Derek confused, and Derek tilts his head. "It's true, Stiles. You have more than one friend, right?"

Stiles nods and goes to say something but Jennifer interrupts. "See? Now it's not very nice to say Derek can't have more friends if you yourself have more."

Stiles feels his lip quiver and shakes his head. "N-No that's not what I m-meant but it's because he's my—"

"So maybe run along and he'll be down later."

Stiles looks at Derek and gestures to the hallway. Reluctantly and with a sigh Derek follows him. Stiles peeks back into the room and then looks at Derek, his voice soft. "Did you know she's giving off mating pheromones?"

Derek scoffs lightly and chuckles. "I think you're a little too young to know anything about that."

Stiles frowns. "No. My mom told me about these things last year. Since you're my mate and you're a little older she wanted me to understand some things."

"Well, I don't know what your mom told you, but Jennifer is just a friend and we're working on a project," Derek says with a slight annoyance in his tone.

"But—"

"Go home, Stiles," Derek orders before going back into his room and shutting the door.

For a moment Stiles just stands there, his heart clenching. Then he turns and heads to the stairs but not before he hears Derek speak. "Sorry about that Jen. I don't know what's wrong with him."

"It's okay, Der. He's just a little kid. It's obvious it's just a crush. Now shall we get back to work."

When Derek doesn't object, Stiles hurries back home. Does Derek have two mates? Or just one but not Stiles anymore?

He sniffles and for the first time he shifts. He crawls under the bookcase and curls up. Derek was supposed to promise Stiles that no friend will ever replace him. Now that Stiles understands what mates are better than he did at three years old he wonders what's happening. He doesn't like this Jennifer girl. She's pretty but Stiles thinks he's pretty too and nobody is prettier than Derek cause Derek is beautiful.