A Little Too Much Stiles?

Chapter 17

Stiles and Derek eat dinner and then watch TV for awhile. Derek needs to be touching Stiles constantly or he whines and seems to almost panic, so Stiles figures he could've developed separation anxiety.

Stiles hates this, if Derek kills him when he's back to normal, Stiles will be so pissed. He doesn't want to force him into a position where he has to be near Stiles in order to keep his wolf in check. Stiles doesn't want Derek to be dependent on him because Stiles knows that Derek would hate it and probably him. 

Stiles just hopes that Derek being away from him won't make it worse on Derek's wolf, hopefully it will slowly build a form of independence, even if it's only a little bit. Stiles shifts on the couch and feels as Derek's arms immediately tighten around his waist. 

At some point they slid down the couch and Stiles was able to lay down with Derek laying on top of his chest, face occasionally rubbing against Stiles' stomach, otherwise Derek's cheek is so squished into Stiles' stomach that he begins to wonder what Derek finds so comfortable about it.

"Derek, I'm not leaving. I'm just starting to get really uncomfortable again." Stiles says, gently running his fingers through Derek's hair.

Derek purrs and whines when Stiles begins to shift around, tightening his grip again. Stiles just decides to keep wiggling until he's either comfortable or until Derek gets annoyed with him and ends up moving away from Stiles, or just letting him move so he's comfortable. 

Derek doesn't move or get frustrated, he just stays where he is and waits Stiles out. It's a little frustrating for Stiles, but eventually he feels somewhat comfortable and Derek loosens his grip a little so that's also a plus. 

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Stiles blinks his eyes open and frowns. He doesn't remember falling asleep but he must have, he isn't too sure what woke him though. It's not until he reaches down to scratch at his hip that he realizes Derek is no longer laying on top of him. In fact, Stiles can't see Derek at all and it makes a sliver of him panic before he forcefully squishes it. 

Derek can't have gone far and he has to know Stiles is awake, with the way that he doesn't want Stiles to go anywhere without him, Derek should pop up any second now. Only he doesn't and now Stiles is worried.

"Derek?" Stiles calls out, there's no sounds but the crickets outside and Stiles rubs at his eyes. "Derek?!" Stiles tries a little louder, but still Stiles hears nothing. 

Stiles isn't too sure where Derek could've gone, but he intends to figure it out. He gets up and heads toward the front door first. There's nothing out of place and it's also locked, so unless Derek stole his keys he didn't go through the front door. Stiles checks the back door which they usually don't lock because Stiles is an airhead who usually forgets or loses his keys, plus it's harder to get to their back door. 

This door is slightly ajar and Stiles feels the panic resurface. Where would Derek have gone? Is he back to his usual Sourwolfness, or is he still feral? Stiles doesn't like not knowing. 

Stiles pushes the door open further and looks into their backyard, where Derek Hale sits eating a fucking raw rabbit. Stiles sighs in relief, at least Stiles knows where he is now. But why in the hell is he eating a raw rabbit?

"Derek!" Stiles whisper yells and Derek looks up with glowing blue eyes. "Why the hell are you eating a rabbit in the backyard? Get into the house." Stiles gestures behind him with a sweeping gesture, trying to get Derek to come inside with him.

Derek doesn't move or blink, he stares at Stiles like he doesn't understand. Stiles is beginning to get a little creeped out by the staring, but also a little worried. He closes the door behind himself and begins to walk toward Derek, hoping that once he's closer Derek will understand and come with him. But Derek backs away from him and hunches over the rabbit like he thinks Stiles will take it from him.

Stiles sighs and then sits down in the middle of the lawn and waits. Derek glances at him before beginning to dig into the rabbit with gusto once he realises that Stiles isn't going to take it from him. Stiles sighs again, he'll have to clean Derek up once they get inside. There's blood and juice from the rabbit running down Derek's chin and onto his shirt, Stiles really wants to go to bed now. 

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Derek finishes the rabbit and then trots over to Stiles and tries to nuzzle him, Stiles evades at the last minute and doesn't even pay mind to the whine Derek emits. 

"None of that until you are clean mister." Stiles decides and stands up to head back inside. Derek whines and Stiles nods. "Yes, I know. But seriously you need a bath." Derek just cocks his head to the side. 

Stiles opens the door and gestures for Derek to go through before him. Derek stares at him and slowly begins to move toward him, Stiles smiles at him encouragingly. Derek trots into the house and Stiles closes the door behind them both, locking it behind them. He doesn't need Derek running back out when he's sleeping. Derek stares at the door with a furrow to his brow, like he can't understand why Stiles has locked it. 

"It's alright, Derek, now let's head to the bathroom." Stiles begins to head up the stairs and hopes that Derek will follow him up. Thankfully after a minute of nothing, Derek begins up the stairs behind him.

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The wolf stares at the boy unsure why he's refusing to allow them to scent mark him and why he keeps avoiding their touch. Does the boy not like them anymore, or is he disgusted with them? The wolf can't figure it out, there's a small voice in his head saying that they can't going running around dirty and that the boy doesn't want their dirt rubbed off onto him and around the house. The wolf thinks that voice might be the human side of them, but isn't too sure. 

The wolf follows the boy regardless, he trusts this boy and so does the human side of them. The human side doesn't talk much since the wolf took over, the wolf isn't sure why. The wolf just knows that when he woke up, he didn't like anyone until the boy came. The ones around them had all smelt like pack but not, this boy smells like someone who should be protected, but also like someone who protects others. 

The wolf can remember this human protecting them before. The wolf remembers the willingness, if relectness of the boy to chop their arm off if it came down to it. The wolf remembers the boy holding them up in a pool for hours while a predator stalked around the pool waiting for them to come out. The wolf knows if it comes down to it the boy will protect them, just like they will protect him. 

The wolf doesn't like this room however, with it's small walls and even smaller space against a wall. It's not safe for the boy, too small, the wolf won't be able to fight to protect him if they have to. The boy could get hurt and the wolf wouldn't be able to protect him.