Lie Ability (Hale Twins) (Sterek)

Blame

Stiles woke the next morning with blood dried to his arms and hands. He glanced around the room. He was in Gage's bed. Gage was nowhere to be found.

Stiles carefully climbed out of the tangle of sheets. He saw the chains and blood stains surrounding the pillar that sat in the middle of the room.

He reached for the note on the desk with his name scribbled on it.

'Stiles,
           Change of clothes and towel on the chair. See you downstairs.
                                                Gage'

Derek heard the shower turn on.

"Stiles is up." Gage must have heard it as well.

"Guess I better hurry." Derek said eating his breakfast quicker.

"You can't avoid him forever." Gage frowned at his brother.

"You don't understand, Gage. He never wanted the bite. I ruined his life. I never should have let him be a part of the pack." Derek growled.

"You don't mean that. Stiles is important to you, I can tell." Gage shook his head.

"And he got hurt because of me. I should have listened when he said it was a trap." Derek ran a hand through his hair.

"Derek, what could you have done differently? You said yourself Stiles was gonna go with or without you. What if he'd been killed instead? What if he'd been bit by one of them? You know betas are drawn to their alphas. This could have gone worse." Gage pointed out gently.

"It could have also gone better." Derek snapped.

"Stiles saved your life. If he hadn't killed Asher you would be dead."

"I know. He always has my back." Derek said his voice sad.

The shower went off signaling for Derek to finish up.

"That's my queue." Derek said rushing off to his room before Gage could stop him.

Stiles heard Derek close himself in his room as he got dressed. He sighed. Derek had been avoiding him all week. He had given Derek space but he needed to apologize for the things he said during his transition.

Stiles knocked on Derek's door. There was no answer.

"Derek, please open up. I know you're in there."

Still nothing.

"Derek, please, I want to apologize for what I said last night. I didn't mean any of it. It was the full moon talking. I'm really sorry."

Silence.

"You can't avoid me forever you know. I know you're pissed but it's done, I-" suddenly the door swung open.

"You think I'm avoiding you cause I'm pissed?" Derek gaped at Stiles.

"Well, yeah." Stiles shrugged.

"I've been avoiding you because I don't know what to say to you, Stiles." Derek snapped.

"Don't know what to say to me?" Stiles frowned.

"Yeah, what am I supposed to say, sorry I turned you?" Derek scoffed.

"Derek, despite what I said last night, I don't blame you." Stiles reached for Derek but he turned away.

"That's a lie and we both know it." Derek growled taking a seat on his bed.

"It's not." Stiles argued following Derek into the room. "I'm the one who insisted I go with you."

"Because you thought it was a trap. You were right. And you were right about Theo all along. I should have listened to you." Derek huffed in frustration.

"Derek, I-"

"You saved my life, once again. What did I do? I didn't think. I reacted and you got hurt." Derek was taking this harder than Stiles realized.

"I'm okay, Derek." Stiles assured the alpha.

"What if the bite killed you? I lost Paige that way, I couldn't bare to lose you too." Derek's voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"It didn't kill me. I'm okay." Stiles took a seat next to Derek.

"Stiles, I never wanted you to be hurt. I know this isn't the life you wanted." Derek spoke sadly still refusing to meet Stiles' eyes.

"Der, look at me." Stiles lifted Derek's face so he was forced to make eye contact. "I'm part of the pack now." Stiles smiled.

Derek stood jerking away from Stiles. "You always were, Stiles, I told you that."

Derek's scent had changed. He didn't know what it was but Stiles was sure it wasn't good.

"Derek, please. I don't blame you. If I had to do it all again I would. I couldn't risk losing you or Gage. Theo was gonna turn me and force me to kill you. I could never live with myself if I hurt you. I knew the risk by staying instead of running. But I couldn't leave you two." Stiles stood.

"Why didn't you run? I'm not that important to you and you barely know Gage." Derek frowned curiously at Stiles.

"You're very important to me, Derek." Stiles snapped. "You're the alpha. And with everything we've been through together...you're considered a friend in my eyes even if you don't feel the same way."

Derek didn't respond. His green eyes stared into Stiles' whiskey brown ones.

"And Gage...he and I...have become closer over the weeks." Stiles shrugged glancing at his feet.

"You care for him." Derek felt a wave of jealousy wash over him.

It wasn't posed as a question but Stiles answered anyway. "Of course I care for him."

Derek's brow knit into a frown. "I see, so that's why you stayed."

"I stayed because I couldn't leave you two there." Stiles ran his hands through his hair.

"Does that mean you two are..." Derek couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Are what?" Stiles frowned.

"Together?" Derek asked his voice cracking slightly.

"Wait, you think I have feelings for Gage?" Stiles asked realization hitting him.

"You don't?" Derek's tone hopeful.

"No, I told you he's not my type." Stiles shook his head.

"Oh...I just assumed you'd warmed up to the idea. You two spend a lot of time together. He's shown you the ropes this past week and-"

Stiles cut in. "Because you wouldn't even be in the same room as me." Stiles snapped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know how to face you." Derek felt guilty for not being there for Stiles.

"I don't blame you, Der." Stiles sighed. He wished he could get it through Derek's thick skull.

"Well I do." Derek snapped before stalking out of his room leaving a frustrated Stiles behind.

*AN*
Hope you liked it!