Leave Me In Ruins

Tea

Stiles chewed on the end of his pen as he scrolled through the article he'd found. The rest of the pack were sprawled about Derek's living room, a book or computer in their lap.

Derek had ordered pizza when they agreed to do research together. It was going slow. They'd found nothing useful and half the pack were starting to go stir crazy. Isaac was half asleep, Erica was braiding Allison's hair while Allison scrolled through the bestiary they'd backed up, looking for a monster to pin the dreams on. Scott was looking up dream root, hoping to find a more effective way to use it. Boyd was flipping through an old journal belonging to a now long gone alpha of a pack that used to live in beacon hills, trying to find anything on the nemeton. Malia had discarded her book in favor of another slice of pizza. And Lydia was reading the old Latin tombs they'd gotten from Deaton hoping to find a spell or something they could use.

Derek had paused his own fruitless research to make coffee for everyone. He set a mug in front of each member before stopping next to where Stiles was at the desk.

Derek set the mug down and paused. He frowned as a scent reached his nose. It was a scent he knew well.

"Thanks, Derek." Stiles smiled up at him only for it to fall when he saw the stricken look on Derek's face.

"I never made you that tea you asked for," Derek said in a tense tone.

Stiles frowned, "Tea?"

"Mhm," Derek clenched his jaw. He hoped Stiles' scent was still subtle enough that the rest of the pack didn't smell it.

"I'll make it right now."

Stiles went to object but the look on Derek's face kept him quiet. He blinked down at the coffee Derek had given him. He hadn't asked for tea. Stiles didn't particularly care for tea. He was much more of a coffee drinker.

"Since when do you drink tea?" Scott asked, looking at Stiles over his laptop.

Stiles glanced at his best friend. "Uh."

"He was complaining about a sore throat. I have a tea that helps I forgot to make for him." Derek cut in, tossing Stiles a pointed look.

"You're not sick are you?" Malia frowned up at Stiles.

"I don't think so." Not a lie.

"You didn't smell sick." Erica shook her head.

Stiles swallowed. Smell. Was that what Derek was talking about? Before Stiles could dwell on the thought, his phone buzzed with a text from Derek.

"I can smell me on you."

Panic washed over Stiles. How?

"What do you mean you can smell you on me? I drank the tea." Stiles typed back furiously.

"You okay Stiles? You look pale." Boyd pointed out with a tilt of his head.

Stiles swallowed. "That's a relative term, and considering the circumstances..."

"Fair enough," Boyd nodded, seeming content with Stiles' answer.

Erica rolled her eyes. "That was such a non answer."

"The dream root was rough," Allison said quietly as if that was excuse enough.

The room fell silent to which Stiles was thankful. He didn't know how much more he could dodge their questions.

"What kind of tea is that, there's like no smell to it?" Malia sneered as Derek walked by with a steaming cup.

"Herbal." He answered simply.

Stiles took the cup with a worried look on his face.

"Find anything?" Derek asked, leaning over Stiles' shoulder.