For the Love of Chaos

Influence

Stiles knocked on Derek's loft door anxiously. He didn't even know if anyone was home. He would have called but he couldn't convince himself to actually hit the call button. He had also drove around for almost an hour before finally driving to Derek's. It was honestly a miracle he was here at all and actually knocking instead of bailing again like he had yesterday.

The door opened to Derek who looked tired.

"Hey," Stiles' fingers rapped anxiously along the side of his leg.

Derek glanced past Stiles as if expecting to see Scott.

"What do you want?" Derek frowned when he realized Stiles was alone.

"Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want asking for favors, but I don't know who else to go to. I don't really want anyone else to know about..." Stiles waved a hand at himself.

Derek let out a sigh, "What do you need?"

It wasn't that Derek didn't like Stiles. The hyperactive spaz was actually growing on Derek. The problem was how much Derek was inclined to trust him. He didn't trust Scott or Allison and he shouldn't have trusted Stiles either, but Stiles had proven himself to be trustworthy more times than not, so here he was.

"I need...I need to practice something, but I need a second person. It's not dangerous I swear," Stiles rushed to get his words out before he chicken out.

Derek narrowed his eyes. "You're practicing."

It wasn't posed as a question, but Stiles nodded.

"I've gotten pretty good at a couple things. I've been doing it for like six hours straight," To prove his point Stiles gave a small wave of his hand and a nearby candle lit.

Derek raised a brow. "What else can you do?"

Stiles snapped his fingers and the nearby lamp light went out.

"So why do you need me?" Derek stepped aside allowing Stiles in.

"I need to practice influence magic, but I have to have a person to influence."

"Influence how?" Derek didn't like the sound of that.

"With physical contact I should be able to influence your emotions. Calm you down, make you angry, etcetera," Stiles explained. "And then with practice I should be able to do it without contact. It varies in strength based on how close to someone I'm influencing."

Derek tensed slightly. The last time he let someone control his emotions people he loved got hurt. But Stiles wasn't Kate.

"If you're not comfortable with it I understand, I just didn't know who else to ask," Stiles shifted from one foot to the other.

"Stiles..." Derek hated to say no. It had been less than twenty-four hours and Stiles already very strong in his abilities, he hated to hinder that.

"I get it, you don't trust me," Stiles nodded. He should have known Derek wouldn't agree to this. He took a few steps towards the door when Derek caught his wrist.

"I do."

"I'm sorry, what?" Stiles blinked at the alpha.

"I do trust you...some," Derek released Stiles. "I don't think you should keep this from Scott, but I get it, so I'll help you."

"Really? Why?" Stiles had fully expected Derek to say no.

Derek recalled the conversation he had with Deaton about Stiles being useful in the fight against Deucalion, "The more prepared you are for Deucalion, the more you can help protect Scott."