Not So Creepy Mansion | Late Afternoon

[robinonadderall]

So things since the nogitsune thing ended had been...well, very awkward. It was awkward with his father, awkward with Scott when he said he didn't feel right about going to Allison's funeral and it was especially awkward with Derek. He didn't know where they stood at the moment, but he did know he was staying in the spare bedroom. Which...wasn't good.

At least the weirdness with Derek had encouraged Stiles to catch up with Cora as soon as possible and, after explaining the odd situation, had finally gotten together everything he needed to explain that whole thing to him. Whether that would make things better or worse he didn't know.

For now he was just hanging around his new room and wondering how to approach this.

[Open post for people in the house and visitors. Feel free to handwave any text messages saying he's home. Work SP may apply]

Comments

[robinonadderall]

"Yeah," he said, looking sad about that. It had been a douchebag move, but he had his reasons. "Cora and her Derek skipped town right after the darach thing and nobody knew how to get a hold of them. I knew--I knew if I had told you then you would have went off and tried to find her and you wouldn't have gotten anywhere without a lead and you wouldn't have come home until you did."

So he had altruistic and selfish reasons for not saying anything.

"So I waited until Derek came back to Beacon Hills and he gave me Cora's number and she told me where she would have been in your timeline and how to contact her," he said. "And I did. It took tons of e-mails just to get her to even respond back to me at first. I probably came off totally insane, saying I knew her supposed-to-be-dead brother."

[justlurkinghere]

"She's safe?" Derek asked, going from shocked to gutted. He was a master at mood changes.

[robinonadderall]

He nodded. "Yeah, she's down south. I don't know how she survived the fire--she's about as paranoid as you are when it comes to details on her life."

Stiles handed over the envelope that was in his hand. "Her address, phone number and e-mail are in there, along with copies of the e-mails we sent each other. I would have told you sooner but the whole nogitsune thing kind of put a stop to the progress I was making."

[justlurkinghere]

It wasn't paranoia when people really were attempting to murder you for existing.

Derek's fingers curled around the packet as he stared down at it. "Cora..."

[robinonadderall]

"She's nice. Well, she's not nice. She reminds me of you, actually. Which isn't a bad thing," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I just wanted you to have some idea of where to go."

[justlurkinghere]

Derek looked up at him, trying to find the lie in it. Or maybe trying to trust that after... everything recently. He really wasn't certain which.

[robinonadderall]

"You should go there," he said steadily, like the thought of Derek leaving didn't want to make him cry. "I told her to expect you sometime soon."

[justlurkinghere]

Derek inhaled, eyes going a bit wide as a tendril of panic crept into his brain. "What is this?"

[robinonadderall]

"What's...what?" he asked, looking a little confused. "Look, Derek, if you don't believe me, I mean, you can call Scott or Lydia right now."

[justlurkinghere]

"Is this some kind of consolation prize?" Derek ground out.

[robinonadderall]

"Consolation prize for what?" he asked. "It's not a prize at all--I'm trying to help you!"

[justlurkinghere]

"Are you leaving?"

Derek liked to think his line of logic was sane. It was not.

[robinonadderall]

"I just got back here." So that would be a no.

And then Derek's insane logic hit him. "Do you think I'm breaking up with you?"

[justlurkinghere]

Derek shrugged, sullen look going nowhere fast.

[robinonadderall]

Stiles looked a little surprised and more than a little sad by that. He honestly didn't know how Derek could think that even after everything that happened the last few weeks.

"Derek, I have been arranging this for months now. I thought it'd make you happy," Stiles said. "All I want is for you to be happy."

[justlurkinghere]

Nice things and Derek didn't happen. It was a thing.

"I--" Derek sighed, pacing away some of that anxiety. "--I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this. Any of this."

[robinonadderall]

"I get it," he said, still looking a little disappointed. "It's a lot to deal with. I don't think there was a way to break that news gently though."

[justlurkinghere]

"I have family again." That he didn't have to awkwardly try to force himself into by standing nearby and looking pathetic.

Also, Cora probably wasn't homicidal.

[robinonadderall]

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, you do."

[justlurkinghere]

Derek's fingers twitched around the envelope and he stared at Stiles for a moment. Then assaulted him with a hug before it could be rebuffed.

So nyah.

[robinonadderall]

There was no way Stiles was gonna push Derek away. If anything he did everything he could to cling and keep him from moving away. He buried his face in Derek's neck and inhaled like he was a creepy werewolf himself because he had missed this, damn it.

[justlurkinghere]

"You're family," he added quietly. Yes, still clinging.

[robinonadderall]

"You're mine too," he murmured, blinking back tears. Things had been tense for awhile now and he was only now feeling safe enough to let his guard down. "I love you."

He wasn't sure if it was a mistake to say, but he did know he'd regret it if he let Derek go off to find Cora without saying it at least once.

[justlurkinghere]

Derek made a truly embarrassing whimpering noise, clinging to Stiles all the more. "Stiles--"

[robinonadderall]

"I do," he said. "I love you so much."