Sterek Stories - A Collection - I

To be young and in love - part 1

Sheriff Stilinski yawns as he turns his cruiser into the driveway. The neighbourhood is quiet and his house is dark. He turns the engine off and gets out of the car, making sure to close the car door as quietly as possible. It's the middle of the night, he doesn't want to wake anyone by slamming the door closed.

He's halfway to his front door when he remembers his promise to deputy Morris to let him borrow the electric hedge clipper. Noah turns back on his heels, thinking it best to put the gardening tool in his car right away, lest he'll forget it before going into work again tomorrow. The good man's mother in law was coming over this weekend and he wanted to get some yard work in while she was visiting. A well thought out tactic: he avoided having to talk to her for too long, while still showing her he was a good husband for her daughter.

The tool shed is standing at the side of the house, just around the corner. When Noah walks up to it his eye falls on the light that's still on in his son's bedroom window. The curtains are not all the way closed, leaving a thin strip of light out. It's not unusual for Stiles to stay awake until he gets back from his late shift. Being the only child in a single parent household, with said parent working in law enforcement, will get you that. Claudia used to do it too. She would be reading in bed until he got home, waiting for him to crawl in next to her. He smiles at the warm, bittersweet memory.

Noah has his hand on the door of the shed when he hears a noise. The window of Stiles' bedroom slides open and a dark figure appears, slinging one leg over the windowsill. The person turns towards the light and Noah suddenly recognises the profile of Derek Hale. He takes his hand away from his gun belt, releasing his breath. He's not exactly happy to see Hale coming out of his son's bedroom in the middle of the night, though not to the point where he wants to shoot the guy at sight.

Hale leans back inside for a moment, his head and shoulders hidden behind the curtains - Noah can make a guess to what he's doing, what they're doing - and then he turns and jumps down to the ground in one supple movement; Noah can barely hear him land the drop from the second floor. He would be surprised, if he hadn't learned not too long ago that the Hale kid is a werewolf. As are most of his son's friends. They even formed a pack, with his son as a human member. It explained so much and yet it only left Noah with more questions. Stiles was often happy enough to answer those questions, especially when it came to werewolf behaviour and physiology. But this particular thing, late night visits from a certain Alpha werewolf, hadn't come up yet.

Noah waits a second to see if more werewolf kids will come out, but it is only Hale, who saunters leisurely to the back of the yard and disappears over the fence. The window shuts with a soft click and Stiles pulls the curtains shut.

Noah retrieves the hedge trimmer from the shed, puts it in his trunk and finally enters the house. The light on the landing upstairs is on, another sign that Stiles is still awake; at least his son is not trying to pretend he's already asleep. He doesn't know what to think of his son's late night gentlemen caller. He's used to Scott and Stiles living in each other's pocket since they were four years old; he's not surprised to see Scott in his house at any hour of the day and he knows it's the same for Melissa and his son. However, for a long time Scott was basically Stiles' only friend, save for some classmates who he hung out with at school. Now, his son is part of a werewolf pack, which certainly expanded his circle of close friends. He has already encountered them at his breakfast table a couple of times, however, there was always more than one of them. And those kids left the house through the front door.

After putting his weapon away in the gun safe Noah goes upstairs, unbuttoning his uniform shirt as he goes. In the bathroom he encounters Stiles, who is brushing his teeth with his phone in one hand. On screen is a picture of Stiles, a selfie of him brushing his teeth just now, foam around his grinning mouth. Stiles clicks out of the text message app and slides the phone in the pocket of his loose fitting sweatpants. He looks relaxed and even a bit rosy, which makes Noah think of something he'd rather not be thinking about. He clears his throat, forcefully shutting down the train of thought caused by the suspected bliss on Stiles' face.

"What's up, pops?" he greets lightly around his toothbrush, making space for his father at the sink.

"Aren't you up a little late for a school night?" Noah asks, grabbing his own toothbrush from the holder.

Stiles shrugs and spits in the sink. "Was watching a movie," he answers, turning on the tap to rinse first his mouth and then his toothbrush.

"Did you have company?" Stiles shoots him a suspicious look for the investigative question, but he doesn't call him out on it.

"Derek came over for a bit," he answers, before bending over the sink and splashing his face with water. It's said casually enough. "Returned a book he borrowed."

"Returning a book he borrowed, huh?" Noah raises an eyebrow. "Is that what the kids call it these days?"

Stiles looks at him from over the towel he uses to dry his face. "You're being weird." The boy hangs the towel back on the rack and moves past him, patting his shoulder. "Good night, old man."

Noah follows him to the door, toothbrush still unused in his hand. "Son?" Stiles pauses in the doorway to his bedroom. "Are you dating Derek Hale?"

Stiles snorts a laugh. "No."

He frowns. "You know you can tell me if you are, right?" He might not be all that enthused about the idea of his son dating an older guy and an Alpha werewolf to boot, but he doesn't want there to be secrets between them. Not about things like this.

His son's face softens. "I know, dad. But I'm not dating. Anyone, for that matter." Then he smirks. "But thanks for the vote of confidence! It's nice to know you think I could land somebody that hot!"
Stiles disappears in his bedroom with a wave of his hand and a last call of "Good night!".

Noah stares at the closed door. He comes to the uncomfortable conclusion that his son is either lying or oblivious.