All Hale the King (Sterek)(Hale Twins)

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Derek walked down the hall and towards the stairs when he paused in front of a room. The door was left partially opened and the scent caught Derek's attention. Stiles.

He gently stepped inside. The room was set up just like it had been at his dad's house. The familiar bed sheets reminded Derek of the three days he'd stayed at Stiles' when he and Scott had blamed him for murder. He smiled at the memory of Stiles trying to convince Derek to sleep in his bed.

"Come on, it's my fault you're even stuck staying here, just take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor," Stiles gestured to the floor next to his bed.

"Stiles, shut up and go to bed," Derek snapped as he flipped the pages of a book he'd snagged off the shelf.

"What are you gonna do, read all night?" Stiles huffed.

"There's an alpha running around trying to kill you and Scott. I think it's safer if I stay up," Derek growled, not looking up.

"Whatever, suit yourself," Stiles threw his hands up in defeat.

Derek had stayed up. But once Stiles left for school he locked Stiles' door and layed down on the bed. He slept while Stiles was in school. It was the best sleep he'd had in a while. He never told Stiles but he suspected Stiles knew. Stiles was too smart to not have realized, especially since he didn't offer to give Derek the bed again.

Derek turned to the dresser of picture frames. He saw all the same pictures that Stiles had before, but there was a new one that caught Derek's eye. It was Stiles and Gage. Stiles was sitting between Gage's legs and was reclined with his back to Gage's chest. Gage had his arms around Stiles and the two were oblivious to the camera.

Derek picked up the picture as he fought to ignore the aching in his chest. Stiles looked to be mid-sentence while Gage was listening with a smile.

"Lydia took that. Stiles was trying to convince us that pineapple didn't belong on pizza. Isaac and him were having a serious debate about it," Gage's voice said from behind Derek.

Derek turned to his brother. "You two seem close."

"Since when do you get jealous?" Gage raised a brow at Derek.

"I'm not, " Derek objected as he put the picture back.

"I can smell it," Gage rolled his eyes.

"I'm glad you two get along," Derek disagreed.

"Being glad we get along and being glad we're close are two different things," Gage crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's just difficult to see my pack with another alpha, even if it is you," Derek sighed. He knew he could be honest with Gage.

"About that..." Gage shifted his weight a bit.

"I'm not going to ask you to step down," Derek said, knowing where Gage was going with that.

"Actually, I want to."

Derek turned to his brother, "What? Why? They trust you and they like you better than me."

"They're different than a regular pack. I mean, one is a hunter, another is a banshee, Ethan is an ex alpha, Stiles was human but now he's a spark werewolf hybrid thing. I'm not equipped to run this pack. Stiles basically ran it and I was just the official alpha. But the pack told me something that has been bothering me, especially since Stiles got turned," Gage shifted his weight again.

"They said Stiles would never have gotten hurt if you'd been here. You knew what Stiles was gonna do before he did it. If you'd been here, Stiles would never have snuck out and turned himself in to Vance," Gage dropped his eyes to the ground.

"Gage-"

"Stiles got hurt every time we went up against something,"

"Stiles will run head first into danger and not think twice," Derek said taking a step towards his brother. Gage was getting upset.

"I know that now. We had our first argument the other day. Vance said he'd leave if we gave him Stiles. I wasn't about to let that happen but Stiles wanted to go. We fought, I said something a bit harsh and he dropped it. I thought I'd won." Gage frowned at the memory.

"If Stiles ever drops an argument, you've already lost," Derek chuckled.

"And you know that, I don't," Gage sighed.

"I've known him for two years," Derek could sense Gage's guilt.

"That's why you're better suited to lead your pack."

"They won't like it,"

"I've already spoken to Malia, she agrees with me, and trust me, if she agrees, the rest of the pack will too," Gage looked at his brother carefully.

"And Stiles? You heard him, your his alpha, not me." Derek forced his tone to remain even. It hurt to say.

"Let me handle him,"

Derek wanted to object but he knew Gage would have an easier time talking to Stiles than he would.

-

"So let me get this straight, you killed Vance by yourself? But your not an alpha?" Peter frowned at Stiles.

"I know, Deaton doesn't understand it either. He's doing some research for me," Stiles shook his head.

"Now, I just have to ask, how long are you planning on avoiding my nephews? Don't get me wrong, I love that you'd rather be here with me but, I imagine it won't take long for them to come knocking down my door looking for you," Peter looked at Stiles, gauging his reaction.

Stiles sighed, "Honestly I don't want to see Derek. And Gage is probably going to try to play referee, and I don't feel like dealing with it."

"Well it'll probably earn me a punch to the face, but your welcome to my bed." Peter smiled.

Stiles rolled his eyes, "I'm not surprised you'd say that."

"I'll even sleep on the couch, like the gentleman I am," Peter said putting his hands up in a gesture of innocence.

"I think we'd both get raked over the coals if I stayed," Stiles chuckled. He appreciated Peter showing restraint as far as his flirting went.

Stiles stood from the stool he'd been sitting on at what had been the old pack table. He knew he couldn't avoid Derek forever.

"Well if you ever need anywhere to go to get away, my door is always open to you," Peter stood as well.

"While I'm under no illusion that your generosity isn't purely selfish, I do appreciate it,"

Stiles left with a heaviness on his shoulders, he knew that what was awaiting him at home wouldn'tbe fun. It made him miss the days before Derek left. He never dreaded seeing the alpha, no matter how much they fought. Now though, he couldn't think of anything he dreaded more.

*AN*
Bit of a filler chapter for ya. Hope you like it! The picture at the top is the one Derek is looking at.