Sapphire's Shorts | 2022/2023

Seatbelt! [Sterek]

Stiles was adamant that seatbelts were always worn by everyone, Lupine, feline, bovine, divine, it did not matter. Seatbelt! The pack took longer to comply. Derek was used to it but Stiles refused to leave until all seatbelts were fastened. That was how the trip to the water park ended up canceled and Stiles changed the Netflix password.

The next time they went to the water park, the pack followed their Alpha's lead and buckled up. Liam and Kira had joined the pack by then and waited patiently for the van to leave but it didn't. They looked at everyone confused.

"Seatbelts!" Stiles called out.

Liam snorted and Kira blinked, her eyes wide in confusion. Why did they need seatbelts? Neither of them buckled up.

Kira finally did when Lydia elbowed her but Liam still didn't. "When are we leaving?"

Stiles looked at him in the rear view mirror. "When we're good and ready. Right now we're good but we're not ready.

Derek turned to look at Liam and subtly gestured to his seatbelt.

Liam huffed and went to object but Stiles beat him to it. He whirled around to face the baby wolf and spoke. "I do not want to hear about how you are a werewolf and don't need to wear one. I do not care what you seem to think about it because here's what I know. You all rely on your strength too much. You think you're invincible but here's the thing Liam, you're not! You're. Not. Invincible!

"Sure you probably wouldn't exactly die if we crashed but you'd have broken bones, shattered bones, torn muscles, torn ligaments. Hell, maybe you'd even lose a limb and—" Stiles stopped and took a deep breath.

"I know to you it may seem stupid, but you're my pack and I love you guys. Maybe bruises are more annoying than painful but I don't want any of you to get hurt even a little. It happens in our life way too often to avoid but I won't do anything to give fate or our enemies a helping hand. So, please put on your seatbelt. Reconcile it if you have to by doing it to protect me and my heart."

Without hesitation, Liam put his seatbelt on. Satisfied, Stiles wiped at his face, cleared his throat and gestured to his alpha. "Away we go."

Derek laced their fingers together and pulled away to start their journey to the water park. He knew how hard it was for the wolves to understand why Stiles was so adamant but he also wasn't surprised that from that day on, no one, lupine, feline, bovine, or divine, forgot to put their seatbelt on.