we could drown this love drought.

@ dead upon arrival
Stiles was resisting the urge to nod off and let his head lean against Derek’s shoulder but also this movie was pretty good and he was pretty happy that the halfway movie arc had happened and Derek was still on the floor next to him, their legs kind of touching. The movie was really fucking cute and Stiles was more awake as the rest of the ending credits rolled. He looked over when Derek announced that he was leaving, just as Kira got up and flicked the lights back on. Stiles smirked and looked up at Derek getting up and still sitting on the floor, he yawned out, “Glad you stayed this long.”

Stiles amusedly watched Derek abruptly say his goodbyes, seeing that he was able to sneak in some compliments despite his monotonous voice and overall unwillingness, as it seemed, to be there. As Cora wrapped her arms around his waist, Isaac sneaked in and wrapped his arms around Derek’s back and soon everyone was demanding goodbye hugs. Stiles waited until everyone was done and went in for a hug too, gripping Derek’s torso tight and bringing his hands up to brush his hands over his back and shoulders. He breathed in and feeling Derek’s heartbeat against his chest, he smiled and then stepped back. When Derek was leaving, others were also putting on their shoes to leave. Stiles gave everyone who wanted one hugs, gave Lydia and Kira kisses on the cheek and just 'cause, did the same for Parrish and Scott, following everyone to the door, wishing people good night and the like.

@ dead upon arrival
Stiles was resisting the urge to nod off and let his head lean against Derek’s shoulder but also this movie was pretty good and he was pretty happy that the halfway movie arc had happened and Derek was still on the floor next to him, their legs kind of touching. The movie was really fucking cute and Stiles was more awake as the rest of the ending credits rolled. He looked over when Derek announced that he was leaving, just as Kira got up and flicked the lights back on. Stiles smirked and looked up at Derek getting up and still sitting on the floor, he yawned out, “Glad you stayed this long.”

Stiles amusedly watched Derek abruptly say his goodbyes, seeing that he was able to sneak in some compliments despite his monotonous voice and overall unwillingness, as it seemed, to be there. As Cora wrapped her arms around his waist, Isaac sneaked in and wrapped his arms around Derek’s back and soon everyone was demanding goodbye hugs. Stiles waited until everyone was done and went in for a hug too, gripping Derek’s torso tight and bringing his hands up to brush his hands over his back and shoulders. He breathed in and feeling Derek’s heartbeat against his chest, he smiled and then stepped back. When Derek was leaving, others were also putting on their shoes to leave. Stiles gave everyone who wanted one hugs, gave Lydia and Kira kisses on the cheek and just 'cause, did the same for Parrish and Scott, following everyone to the door, wishing people good night and the like.

Derek wasn’t much for hugs or physical affection and even more surprising than Isaac hugging him had been Stiles. All through the years, they had the bare minimum of physical touches, mostly for living saving reasons or a hand on a shoulder comfort. They had never really been friends or close but Derek would always consider Stiles apart of them and probably any other time if Stiles had even tried to hug him, he would shove the kid away but having the entire pack together, had given Stiles a lot of exceptions, like hugging him.He was the first out the door, the rest followed suit, getting into their respective vehicles as they each drove off in different directions.

It was still dark when Derek crawled from bed, going through his daily routine of showering and eating and getting dressed in just a pair of denim jeans and a t-shirt. He packed himself a small cooler of snacks and water.

The sun was just making its appearance when he drove through the preserve, the woods coming to life with birds and other other small animals as he came to a stop in front of the house. He sat in the truck for longer than necessary, just gazing at the shambles.

He didn’t really think rebuilding after all these years would be hard and Cora didn’t understand why it was so important to him but she had just been a small girl when the fire happened. The house had been through generations and for it to end like it had and on him, it deserved to be fixed up and what he would do with it after, he wasn’t sure if his goal was to move in or maybe it could be the official pack house, he didn’t know.

@ slumflower

@ dead upon arrival

Stiles slept really fucking well, and when he woke up, despite it being breakfast time, he found his dad eating some of the leftovers that he'd packed up. Since he'd been on the night shift, the Sheriff was free today and so Stiles spent most of the morning with his dad, just talking back and forth on little things that didn't make their weekly phone call while he was away. It especially helped that his father knew about all the supernatural stuff because it meant that he had to censor himself even less. They watched a baseball game that the Sheriff had recorded and wanted to watch and since he'd only taken a nap in between getting home and waking up again, John went back to sleep as Stiles really got kickin' and awake by noon.

Stiles lounged around for a bit, reading some of a book that he wanted to get started in on (he had a big reading list this summer) and then when he felt like stopping, he sent Derek a text, because it seemed like he was getting started on the big project of building the house today.

to: sour wolf
hey, how's the building going/anything this ~amazing~ human could do to help out?

It was well after lunch when Derek wiped his brow on the hem of his sweat damp shirt. He took a seat on the open bed of the truck, getting out a pre-made sandwich and a water. He had most of the house gutted and cleared of useless debris while the front of the house was more salvageable than he had originally thought as the back of the house took the most damage as the fire had spread from the cellar but the wood siding planks would still need to be replaced but that's expected.

He munched on the sandwich as his phone alerted him to a text and he was surprised to see it was Stiles. He huffed out a snort through his nose as he balanced his half eaten sandwich on his knee as he dusted his hands off as he quickly replied.

to: Stiles
It's going.

And he's sends another one right after.

to: Stiles
Not really, no.

He was sure Stiles had a ton of other things he could do while in Beacon Hills for the summer and hanging around a dilapidated house in the middle of the preserve as Derek rebuilt didn't seem like anything enjoyable for anyone.

@ slumflower

@ dead upon arrival

Stiles pouted at the text that he got back from Derek, especially 'cause no one was there to witness the pout, although he was happy that Derek had responded at all. Stiles threw himself back on the couch and scrolled through some channels on the TV, sorta bored because his attention span hadn't changed at all in the last couple of years. He kept the volume down because his dad was asleep but he texted back Derek pretty quickly.

to sourwolf
ok let me know if you just want company since i know you know i have no upper body strength

Upper body strength? Hell no for Stiles. Cardio? Yup! Leg strength? Yup! Stiles could be useful sure, but maybe not as useful as Derek just getting the pack of supernaturally powered werewolves to help him - which seemed like the obvious answer to Stiles, but to Derek maybe not. Also, it'd make sense if Derek just wanted to do the building alone, but still - Stiles could give some entertaining jokes from the side, y'know.

to sourwolf
you've never been afraid to put me to work before, don't start goin easy on me now der

Stiles wondered what Derek's face would look like in response and chuckled, kicking his feet up on the edge of the couch, still the same level of bored as he was thirty minutes ago.

Derek started in on his second sandwich when Stiles sent him another text and he didn't know why Stiles seemed so persistent in keeping Derek company when he and Scott could do whatever it was almost college graduates did to feel nostalgic like their teenage years wasn't eaten up by fighting against the supernatural. Like sleeping until three in the afternoon and eating entire bags of Doritos and playing zombie video games.

to Stiles
Yeah, I'm sure I could use your arms for toothpicks.

to Stiles
By the way, don't ever call me Der again.

He sat his phone to the side as he leaned back into the bed of the truck, he was moderately full and the sun was high in the sky but the canopy of the trees shielded him from being beat down on by the rays. It was warm and it would only get warmer but the summer nights was something that made him feel nostalgic and there wasn't anywhere else like Beacon Hills on summer nights in the preserve.

Derek sat up and grabbed his phone, Stiles hadn't messaged him back and he didn't know if that bothered him or not, the only thing he would get from Stiles even if he came out was bad puns and dad jokes and commentary that usually was nonsense.

With a sigh, he quickly sent another message.

to Stiles
If you want to come to the preserve the toll is a cookie dough blizzard.

He pocketed his phone and got back to the work on the house.

@ slumflower

@ dead upon arrival

Stiles was playing Mario Kart by the time he thought to look over and check his phone again, having forgotten that it had been on vibrate and that he wouldn't feel the vibration when his phone was on the floor. After he unlocked a new level, he let his eyes do a cursory glance at a phone, kind of surprised to see 3 unread texts waiting for him, and from Derek. There was also two from Scott, but one was setting up an xbox date for tomorrow and the other was a meme. He responded to Scott's with a cat who looked like their thumbs were pointed up and then rolled his eyes at Derek's messages before texting him back too.

to sourwolf
you're the worst

And then Stiles took off his hoodie (his house was well air-conditioned), and then changed his shirt but kept his old lacrosse shorts on when he grabbed his wallet, keys, phone, slipping some sneakers on his way out. He picked up one cookie dough blizzard and a waffle cone with rocky road chocolate ice cream for himself, already licking at it on his on his drive up to the preserve. This time he parked a little bit before the Hale House instead of by the trail he liked, but not right by Derek's pick-up truck. He was humming some old song that his Dad had been singing this morning, maybe a Sinatra song, and then soon hopped out good ol' Roscoe and walking towards Derek, shoving the cookie dough blizzard in his face.

"Don't be a dick just coz I'm being nice to you," Stiles warned but said it lightheartedly because their whole relationship so far has been being slight assholes to each other but somehow managing to save each others' lives too. Once he gave Derek his ice cream, still darting his tongue out to lick at his own cone of ice cream, he looked out at the house and noticed how much progress Derek had made in just one day. It was impressive, and with all that debris cleared out he could see what parts of the house had been the most damaged and what hadn't been.

Derek was in the middle of measuring out sheetrock on a workhorse inside the house when he could hear the gears of Stiles’ jeep maneuvering through the preserve. He dropped the pencil and dusted his hands off as he stepped outside just as Stiles was making his way toward him, shoving the blizzard in his face and licking on a waffle cone.

Derek snorted at Stiles’ warning as he dug the spoon into the frozen treat.”I still wouldn’t be against putting a muzzle on you.” That was as much of a thank you Stiles would probably get. He sat down on the steps of the house, it was mostly quiet except for birds chirping and other woodland creatures moving about, and just the two of them sitting in the hot summer air and eating ice cream.

It wasn’t awkward silence and it never had been between the two but right now, it felt different and Derek couldn’t put his finger on why.

@ slumflower

@ dead upon arrival
Stiles rolled his eyes and laced as much ugh, you're insufferable into his expression as possible, although it was probably undermined by the small smile on his lips after hearing Derek's snort. He didn't even bother to respond to the muzzle comment because what would come out of his mouth would either be a dog/werewolf joke or a sexual innuendo about how much he did like being shut up with certain things in his mouth. Instead, Stiles sat by Derek's side on the front steps of the house.

He could smell sawdust in the air with the general earth scent of the forest, and though Derek looked impeccable as always, he could guess by the state of his clothes that he had been working all day - especially with the progress that's been made so far on the house.

Stiles took his time finishing his ice-cream, it being the perfect snack on such a nice, warm day and leaned back, squinting a little at Derek because the sun was moving as the day went on and there was a sliver of light in Stiles' eyes. The silence was comfortable and he didn't mind it since he was crunching on the last of the waffle cone and then licking at the little bit of ice cream that had dribbled over his right hand. "That really fucking hit the spot," Stiles murmured contentedly.

Derek couldn't help but watch Stiles eat the ice cream and licking at his hand, it was really obscene and Derek couldn't pull his eyes away. He was scraping at the bottom of the cup, spooning the last melty remains into his mouth as he nodded along with Stiles because it really had hit the right spot.

He sat the empty container on the step between his feet as he glanced over to Stiles, leaning his forearms on his knees a bit."What are you really doing out here?" The lingering question between them. Since Stiles got back, he seemed to not want to do anything but be near Derek and not that Derek minded but they had never been one to hang out aside of pack meets and Derek had no outside friends, he was a lone wolf without being an omega and it was easier that way, he didn't need the company but maybe Stiles did.

@ slumflower

@ dead upon arrival

This time, Stiles snorted and looked at him, then looked at his hands, counting all ten fingers before looking back at Derek, trying to see if Derek's facial expressions would give him anything more than they usually did. In high school, he had picked up the language of Derek Hale's Eyebrows^TM and he was glad to say that some of that information had stayed with him somehow. Derek's question didn't surprise him, although the suddenness of it had caught him off-guard a little bit, and it took all he had not to flail (although he did flail just a bit) but thought about the question. Why was he here? Stiles couldn't really answer it all, that seemed like such a loaded question to ask, but he knew some of his feelings, even if there were things that he thought both he and Derek needed time for.

"I missed you," Stiles sighed out and gave a half-assed glare at the trees because it wasn't Derek's fault that the stupid things in his stomach whenever Derek was near hadn't quit yet died out yet. "That's about it," Stiles shrugged, knowing his heart had started pounding but was otherwise steady, because what did he have to lie about? It was true. He had absolutely fucking hated Derek's guts pretty much from the moment he met Derek what seems like decades ago, but then time, growth, spilled blood (theirs and not theirs), and then also distance apart because Stiles was gone for like 3 years - even though that was his own decision. It was true, he could've contacted Derek on a regular basis before (or at least tried, depending on grumpywolf's mood), but he was in such a deep fucking dark place after the Nogistune and sometimes the tendrils of darkness in his mind still whispered out to him despite the Nogistune being locked up and the beacon of the Nemeton destroyed. That didn't answer the question at all maybe, but if Stiles didn't even understand it yet, how was he supposed to answer a question like that?

If it wasn't for the steady beat of Stiles' heart, Derek would have called bullshit on his claim of missing him but his heart didn't falter but sped up and Derek's brow furrowed because Stiles had missed him and that's something he wasn't expecting to ever hear. He hmed in acknowledgment as he scrubbed a hand over his stubbly jaw. He felt a bit flustered, not knowing what to really say, he wasn't one for words.

Stiles leaving was like a thorn being removed from his side that never healed over because no matter how much Stiles annoyed him with his snide remarks or pointless rambling, he never put up with Derek's shit or let him walk into a dangerous situation blind, he always had Derek's back and saved him when he needed it. Stiles' was like a thorn that had festered under his skin. Stiles meant more to him than he ever cared to mention to anyone even to Stiles.

"That's about it, huh?" He turned to Stiles, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

@ slumflower

@ dead upon arrival

Stiles watched Derek's hand rubbed over his jaw where there was more than just a little bit of a 5 o'clock shadow and almost wanted to reach out his hand and touch his cheek anyways. Stiles caught himself though, just listening to Derek's hm'ing noises - not knowing what that was supposed to mean, but still found himself blushing, probably turning his cheeks a splotchy pink.

That wasn't just it of course - there were other things Stiles could say right now that would also be completely true but for once he wasn't sure what to let run out of his mouth. "That's it for right now, I think," he said, running his long fingers through his hair, rubbing at his scalp a little, and eyed the man sitting next to him. Seeing the corners of his mouth tug into a small smile that seemed almost... fond?, that made Stiles feel something undecipherable in his chest and again, he could feel his heart doing some shit that it always did when Derek smiled like that.

Derek could hear the rapid weird beating of Stiles' heart and knew that wasn't all but for now and Derek wanted to know what that even meant but for now, it wasn't the time so he nodded and kept quiet about telling Stiles that he of course could hear his heart doing what it was but it would probably embarrass him if the flush on his face was anything to go by and Derek wasn't usually one to not embarrass Stiles but this was different and it felt different.

Instead, he lightly slapped at Stile's thigh as he stood up."C'mon, you can tell me all about Poland and the magics and whatever else while I finish up." He headed inside the empty space of the house, the only other thing still standing was the staircase, that was going to be redone except for the frame, and the rumble of stones that was once a fireplace.

@ slumflower

Derek's hand left a warm imprint where he had slapped at Stiles' thigh and Stiles grinned as he followed after Derek, stepping into the house and seeing more details of the work that had been done so far. Stiles made a face, not really knowing how to sum up the time that had passed between them but he was sure as fuck gonna try. He talked for a while, talking about his classes, how he had nightmares every single night the first year he had left and was pretty used to sleeping pills until they eventually started lessening. Stiles had found some plants that had helped him so now he still slept with a bundle of herbs mixed together under his pillow, how taking up running had helped with his nightmares and paranoia, and explained all that. How one of his Sociology professors had been just like Harris and had hated his guts and could because it was a small discussion-based class, although that didn't stop Stiles from getting an A- in the class and writing a final paper that was a big fuck-you. Poland had even been a really fun experience - seeing all the places that his mom had been fond of, recreating some of the pictures she'd left behind, filling a piece of the chasm in his chest, how he had a boyfriend named Mark for a couple months although it had lacked in some areas so they'd broken up amicably. How he had made some really good friends (one of them a half-fae and another one a werewolf even!) but that no one compared to Scott and Lydia and the general closeness of the pack - but that had been of course forged by blood in many ways. Anyways, Stiles kept talking as he rambled but not hurriedly, walking around the room and touching the staircase's smooth frame, leaning against it and watching Derek move about as well.

"I get why my letter to Hogwarts never got here, 'cause I'm not a wizard but there are just some things from having a spark and knowing about all this supernatural stuff that has helped - I've gotten better with manipulating mountain ash, and I took a class on Herbology. I can't really manipulate elements, my energy seems to like the earth and the runes though so that's cool or whatever 'cause I'm still human flesh and sarcasm for the most part," he shrugged, having run out of things to really go on about. He walked over to Derek, having circled around the room with all his energy and lightly hip-checked him.

"And you? What have you been keeping busy with, Sourwolf?"

Derek listened to Stiles as he spoke so animatedly about his time in Poland and his classes and about all the things he learned about being a spark. It didn't surprise Derek in the least that Stiles suffered from nightmares for awhile, Derek did too after the fire and even though they were less and less, even now he could wake up in the middle of the night sweating through his t-shirt. He some times got whiffs of his mother's perfume or he could hear her voice calling his name; maybe it was just a side effect of survivor's guilt.

He hmed in all the right places to let Stiles know he was listening as he shot nails into drywall, giving the inside substance and helping it not look like nothing but a shell.

Stiles' hip lightly touched his and Derek sat the nail gun down, looked around the room, making note to look into stone masonry to fix up the fireplace.

In all the years since the nemeton had lost its magic, Derek had stuck around waiting for the other shoe to drop but it never did and everything that he had ever known, loved, and cared about was right there in Beacon Hills."Just scaring kids that come onto the preserve." Derek shrugged as he flashed his eyes blue to Stiles. It wasn't a total lie but not the truth either, he had no relationships, nothing meaningful anyway. Just random one night stands in seedy bars within a twenty mile radius where no one knew his name.

@ slumflower

@ dead upon arrival

Stiles narrowed his eyes a little, trying to decipher the look on Derek's face but couldn't really get past the concentrated and furrowed eyebrows. When Derek's eyes flashed blue, Stiles just looked unimpressed and rolled his eyes.

"Poor kids," Stiles sighed exaggeratedly but now with a smirk on his face because there was nothing that could really scare Stiles about Derek.

"Seriously - no trying the new cupcake place that opened up in town? Any new books or old books you've re-read? Full moons that weren't shitty? And I'm sure preparing for doing the work on the house must have taken some time too," Stlies shrugged and then suddenly thought about the last time he'd seen the loft. "And please tell me you're still not living in that haunted ass loft," he said, looking suspiciously at Derek because if he probably went 20 feet near the loft, he'd probably freak the fuck out and he knew Derek had even worse history there - he remembers his hands on Derek's shoulder as the then-alpha wept over Boyd's body in a pool of blood beneath them. Stiles' shakes the memories out of his head but he's sure that even the flashing images in his head have soured his scent so he kind of leans away, fidgeting with his hands.

Derek hadn't smelled a scent that sour in a long time and he couldn't remember the last time Stiles smelled that way, maybe when he was possessed, he didn't smell like Stiles anymore and even after, his smell was off for awhile but Derek didn't question it because that would probably open up a can of worms neither of them wanted to talk about.

"I still own the building." He shrugged as he couldn't seem to sell it just like he couldn't demolish his family house. They held memories, both good and bad, and on particular bad days, going inside the loft felt like punishment on its own."Cora made me get a nice quaint house on the edge of town. You could come by sometime if you want." He extended the invite even though he wasn't one to invite the pack over but it was still fair to Stiles to know where he was now living and maybe on some level, he wanted Stiles to come in and invade his living space like he always had."But otherwise, most full moons are spent running through the woods alone, i prefer donuts, and the last book I reread was Lord of the Flies."

@ slumflower

Stiles nodded in understanding, watching Derek's shoulders move as he talked, arching a surprised eyebrow and his mouth falling a little open at the casual invite that Derek had just put in the middle of maybe the most he'd said this whole day. Stiles let a small goofy grin rest on his lips as he responded.

"You're a dork, Lord of the Flies, really?" Stiles snorted, but didn't say anything about how much he liked the idea and could see Derek in his pajamas, drinking hot chocolate, and strewn over the couch fully immersing himself in the text. He would be lying if he said he didn't want to see such an activity in action, and he tucked away the fun fact of Derek liking donuts better for a later date. "Cora's smart, and yeah, just text me the address, let me know and I'll drop by," Stiles nodded again. He felt a little shiver and looked up at the sun halfway through setting that he'd barely noticed, which explained the lack of heat now wrapped around his body.