Be My Cover Story

16

Derek texted Stiles as soon as he got back to the loft. Stiles piled Lydia and Parrish into his jeep and drove over, both excited and nervous to see his boyfriend. 

Derek listened for the familiar sound of the jeep's engine and he was up to the door before they even got out of the car. He refrained from pulling Stiles into his arms, despite how much he wanted to and instead crossed his arms, staring down Parrish. 

Jordan nervously glanced at Lydia for help but she just gave him a small nod to tell him everything would be okay. 

"So what's going on?" He asked glaring at Stiles as he waited for an answer. 

"He's on the list. Someone tried to kill him last night." Stiles explained. 

"And?" 

"What do you mean 'and'?" Stiles asked jaw-dropping at Derek's attitude.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Derek questioned earning an incredulous look from the younger male.

"You're the alpha! Why can't you protect him?" Stiles glared crossing his arms in an attempt to intimidate Derek. He knew it wasn't much but he needed something.

"It's not my job to protect him." 

"It's your job to protect your pack!" 

"He's not my pack!" Derek growled. 

"Since when did you stop taking in strays?" Stiles argued back. 

"Do they always fight like this?" Parrish asked Lydia as the pair watched Stiles and Derek argue. 

"Yes." She sighed with a slight smile. Lydia reached for his hand but he pulled it away, still not trusting Derek. Lydia knew it was for the best but she ached for his touch. 

"I have to put my pack first and that means not taking in people who may be a threat." 

"God, you're impossible." 

"I'm not impossible, you're being impractical." 

"Come on Derek! He needs our help!" 

"I said no Stiles." Derek flashed his eyes red and Stiles cowered back. Derek never used his werewolf side to intimidate him and Stiles couldn't believe how unreasonable he was being. 

"Derek, please. Jo-Parrish needs our help. We can't just let him get killed." Lydia pleaded, stepping between the couple. 

"What are you even asking me to do?" Derek asked, his demeanour softening as he spoke to the strawberry blonde banshee. Lydia and Stiles exchanged a nervous look. 

"Just help us figure out what he is before someone ends up killing him. Stiles did some research and tomorrow we can stop by Deaton's to see if he has any idea. And uh one more thing... We were hoping he could stay here until things die down." Derek looked between the three people standing before them. Stiles was fighting so hard for this that it was hard to say no. And Lydia had a way with people that he was unable to fight them both. 

"Fine. But if anything happens to any member of my pack because of you, I personally see to it that you-" 

"Got it." Parrish cut him off, not wanting to hear the details of the threat. 

"Lydia why don't you take him to get his stuff, he can stay in the spare room for a week. But that's it. Stiles, you can show me your research." Lydia nodded, mouthing a thank you to the alpha. Stiles begrudgingly handed his keys to Lydia, glaring at Derek because he knew the alpha was completely aware of what he was doing. As soon as they drove away, Derek turned to Stiles and pushed him up against the wall. 

"What the hell were you thinking?" Derek growled out. Stiles was having trouble focusing on Derek's anger with the man so close to him after so much time apart. "First you just disappear in the middle of the night, then you show up here with some other guy wanting me to risk my life and my pack to protect him." 

"Wait-" Stiles pushed Derek off of him as a smug smile spread across his face. "Some other guy? Are you jealous?" Derek shoved him back to where he was, not giving in to his teasing. 

"No." Derek spat, glaring at Stiles. Stiles was suddenly aware of how angry Derek really was.

"Seriously? You're mad at me for helping my friends? Lydia is part of your pack too, you wanted me to just leave her to go hunting for a body in the middle of the night?"

"You didn't know what was out there! You could have died." 

"Oh, you were worried about me? Is that why you went all alpha on my ass?" Stiles asked, tired of Derek acting high and mighty. "Don't think I didn't notice how you were all pissed at me but you were perfectly fine when Lydia asked." This time Stiles pushed Derek away harder completely escaping from his grasp.

"Where are you going?" 

"Away from you." Stiles stormed out of the lost only remembering his jeep wasn't there when he got to the parking lot. He noticed Derek's Camaro and decided to kick it, assuming it was probably safer than kicking Derek himself, before heading off into the forest. He texted Lydia that he left Derek's, knowing she would probably be confused or worried. He was confused. Ever since he started the arrangement with Lydia he had noticed a change in Derek. Maybe he wasn't okay with it after all. 

Lydia and Parrish drove to his apartment and quickly went inside to pack his things. 

"Stiles and I have an idea about what you might be," Lydia told him, chewing on her lip nervously. She had told Stiles she wasn't going to tell him until they were sure but she felt compelled to tell him anyway. "We think you might be possessed by a hellhound. It would explain the fire incident, your lack of memories and...us" It was weird to admit that there was a possibility that their relationship stemmed from something deeper than a mutual attraction. Like the supernatural parts of them were cosmically joined together. A part of her wondered if their feelings were even real or if it was just fate. She shook the thoughts out of her head.

Derek couldn't stand the thought of Stiles wandering around the town alone. He also hated the fact that they were fighting. He rarely got time with Stiles to just be a normal couple and he didn't want to waste it all by arguing with him. He tracked his scent deep into the woods eventually spotting him sitting on a rock. 

"I'm sorry." Stiles jumped, startled by the sound of Derek's voice. Derek went closer to him and pulled Stiles into a tight embrace. 

"Me too," Stiles mumbled into Derek's shoulder.