The next day at school, Stiles was like a zombie. Not only had he skipped his homework the night before, but he hadn't had any sleep... And the beating heart was still loud in his head. He stumbled mindlessly through the hallways. His balance was terrible. He could feel himself falling....

... Until he hit a strong pair of arms below him. Stiles still didn't open his eyes, just snuggled into the body of the person who had caught him. They were so warm....

... And their heartbeat matched the one in his head.

He jolted awake and looked up at the blushing man who had him in his arms. Derek seemed very embarrassed indeed, holding Stiles in front of an entire hallway of staring teenagers.

Stiles went to say "thank you." The words got lost somewhere along the way.

"What are you doing here?!" He hissed instead.

Derek blushed deeper. "Never mind that! You're walking around here like a zombie! Why didn't you get any sleep last night?!"

"How did you know I didn't get any sleep last night?" Stiles asked tiredly.

Derek seemed to hesitate before answering. "It– it's not that hard to tell!"

Stiles shook his head, shoving himself away from Derek. "Whatever. I'm going to class."

He was about to walk away on that note, but he was stopped. Jerked back towards Derek. Damn wolf had grabbed his arm and stopped him from walking away.

"Not like that you're not!" Derek growled. "You're in no condition to go to class! You're not going to get anything done in this state."

"Why do you even care?" Stiles spat. "It's not like you ever cared about me in the first place."

Stiles regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Derek looked like he had been slapped in the face. Stiles felt himself soften immediately.

"I didn't mean it like that." Stiles sighed. "I'm... I'm just really tired, okay? Let me go."

"No." Derek said. "I made up my mind. You're not going to class like this."

Stiles snorted. "Oh? And you're going to stop me."

Derek smirked. Actually smirked at Stiles. He felt his heart flutter in his chest at the sight. Before Stiles could process what he had just said to Derek, he was being dragged away down the hallway.

"Hey!" Stiles shouted, struggling feebly. "Stop it! Fuck!"

"Stop struggling or I'll pick you up and carry you out of here like a child." Derek threatened.

Stiles was tempted to defy him, just because, but he had tried to defy Derek's threats before. It hasn't worked out so well. He still remembers when Derek had threatened to rip his throat out with his teeth. Or the time he used his threats to get Stiles to agree to cut his arm off. The way they were going, they were going to pass Lydia's locker. Stiles decided not to push his luck. He would never be able to live it down if he passed Lydia being carried by Derek fucking Hale.

Derek paid no mind to the honking horns of the cars he walked in front of without even bothering to look. Stiles stumbled clumsily after him.

"Derek!" He whined. "Slow down! I'm gonna trip!"

"I'll catch you." Derek said.

"That's not what I'm worried about." Stiles mumbled. All he could think about was Derek's heartbeat. Perfectly in time with the one he'd been hearing. The one he was still hearing. Even as they awkwardly climbed into Derek's car. What could that mean? Was it just a coincidence? Probably. He was just going crazy again... But as he looked into Derek's eyes, he realized that for the first time in days, he didn't feel like he was insane. He wanted to confront Derek. Tell him about the heartbeat in his head, about the strange smells, the sensations and memories... Like he was living someone else's life, a life he couldn't see, but could feel.... But as he looked into Derek's eyes he decided that for now he would just be quiet about it.

"Alright." Stiles huffed. "So you've taken me hostage. Where are you taking me, mister big bad wolf?"

Derek glared at him darkly, but for once Stiles wasn't scared. He was too tired to care. He braced himself for Derek to hit him or something. But all Derek did was drop his gaze and sigh. 

"I'll take you home." Derek decided. "You're going to sleep."

"Hell no I'm not!" Stiles yelled. "If you're taking me home then I'm going to catch up on that homework I didn't do!"

"No, you're going to sleep." Derek growled. "Even if I have to knock you out to get you to."

Wow, you're so smooth and romantic. Derek thought to himself. I can practically hear Laura facepalming.

Stiles looked scared, but not as scared as he usually was. Just tired. "Whatever." He mumbled. "Just drive, before I change my mind."

Derek wanted to remind Stiles that he didn't have the option of changing his mind, but he didn't want to argue anymore. He sighed and turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life and before Stiles knew it they were on the road back to his house. 

"Your dad is working today, right?" Derek asked. 

Stiles nodded. He was too tired to speak. But he was determined to fight his fatigue. Show Derek that he was wrong for dragging his ass out of school. Even though he knew that Derek was not only right, but just trying to help him. Stiles was going to fight back. 

Why was Derek trying to help? Derek had never shown an interest in helping him before. Only using him to communicate with Scott when Scott was too fed up with Derek to talk. Occasionally barking orders, and forcing Stiles into dangerous supernatural situations that gave him nightmares. So why was he helping now? Why was Stiles... Grateful? 

Yes... A part of him was grateful. He hadn't wanted to be in school. He wanted the sleep. So why was Derek helping him? And why was Stiles fighting back? Stiles groaned. He didn't know. He didn't know why he did this shit to himself. He had stayed up all night staring at the goddamn moon and now he was skipping class. He was going to end up disappointing his dad... Again. Stiles felt tears burn in his eyes as Derek pulled into his driveway.

"Oh! Uuuhhh..." Derek whimpered uncertainly when he saw the tears on Stiles' face. He didn't know how to handle this! He wasn't good with feelings. That was his sister's job. Derek didn't do feelings or tears or any of that crap. Now he had to. 

He sighed dramatically. "What's wrong?" He asked the crying human boy.

"I should have gotten sleep." Stiles cried. "I should have done my homework and gone to bed! My mom always believed that I could do well in school... Now I'm letting her down."

Derek froze. He had never heard Stiles talk about his mother before. Now he really didn't know what to say. He was panicking. Derek wanted to help. He needed to help.

On impulse, he blurted out his first heartfelt words ever to Stiles. "I lost my mother too." He reminded him. 

Stiles looked up at Derek with wide eyes. Was he opening up? Derek the sour wolf. Pouring his heart out to Stiles of all people. Stiles was silent. He was waiting for Derek to elaborate.

Derek sighed. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm disappointing her too." He admitted. "I kill things. People, animals, monsters... I've dated a couple of whores, let them take my heart, instead of finding an honest lover. I let Laura die. I wasn't there to protect her. I promised my mom that I'd protect her."

Stiles was still as stone. His eyes were full of emotion. None of the previous exhaustion remained. Derek took a deep breath before continuing. 

"I fled from the fire. I was a coward. I should have tried to save them. But I let them die and saved myself instead." He said. "I picked a lot of fights in school and abused my power, using it to bully people I didn't like. I've betrayed everything that my mother wanted for me. She always said I'd be a great man."

Derek paused to chuckle darkly. "Look how well that turned out."

"The point is, in the end, I never let it get me down. Because I know that my mom would've forgiven me for my mistakes. In the end, she just wanted me to be happy. To be alive. To take care of myself and the ones I care about. So you should take care of yourself. Don't worry about the mistakes you make. These are small things. Your mom isn't going to care about one missed day of school."

Stiles wiped his eyes on his sleeve. That was the best thing Stiles had ever heard. And it came from Derek Hale of all people. He smiled sadly. Then he heard Derek say something quieter.

"And that's also why I should take care of you."

He looked up at Derek, making sure that he wasn't joking. That this wasn't some cruel prank. 

"Say what?"

"I should take care of the people I care about." Derek repeated more aggressively. "That includes you! So get your ass out of my car and let's get you to bed."

What Stiles did next was completely impulsive and out of line and the best thing he had ever done. He lunged forward and grabbed Derek, pulling him in for a hug.

Derek went completely still, his spine straightening out straight as a pole and his hands locking at his side. Stiles leaned into his chest, breathing in deeply. The smell of pine trees and rain swept through his nasal cavity. 

Pine trees and rain?

Derek quickly pulled away before I could process what that meant. "I was serious. Let's get you to bed." 

"You've never said that before." Stiles said. 

"What? Go to bed?" Derek snorted.

"You care about me." Stiles repeated.

Derek flinched. Stiles was right. He had never told Stiles that he cared about him. He had probably scared the shit out of Stiles in school. All he had ever done before is hit him and put him in danger. Derek was consumed with regret.

"Well I do." He said. "Now come on, it's bed time."

"You're not my dad." Stiles muttered as he sluggishly fell out of the car. 

Not yet. Derek thought to himself. Immediately he blushed. Did he just think that? 

Luckily, Stiles didn't notice Derek's apparent embarrassment. He was too busy fumbling with his keys. He finally found the right key and pushed it in, turning it and clumsily stumbling through the door. "Come on in." Stiles mumbled, leaving the key in the wide open door. Derek sighed and took the key out, closing the door behind them and locking it. 

He watched Stiles ascend. Stomping lazily up the stair in a stupor. He smiled a little to see Stiles to clumsy. It was just funny. 

Derek followed him into his room and watched him collapse into his bed. By the time he hit the mattress, he was already asleep. That's when Derek realized just how tired Stiles really was. He was glad that he had taken him home. 

He should leave. He should go.

Should've, would've, could've. He thought as he kneeled at Stiles' bedside. Stiles' chest rose and fell in an even tempo. Derek could hear his strong, steady heartbeat in his head. Derek sighed. He wished that Stiles would take better care of himself. He worried about him. Stiles rarely ate healthy food, didn't exercise often, and had a random sleeping pattern. Derek worried that he wasn't taking good enough care of himself. He wasn't invincible. Stiles was only a human. He had to be extra careful. Derek wouldn't always be there to drag his ass out of school and take him home for a nap. 

Derek brushed a little piece of hair out of his face. It had fallen from his quiff and down just above his eyebrows. Derek knew this was creepy. But Stiles was actually... Pretty cute when he was asleep. His skin was soft. Like.... Unusually soft. Especially for a guy. 

Don't touch him. Don't touch him. 

Jesus Christ he was stroking Stiles' cheek. He was asleep. This was wrong. Why was he doing this? 

He jerked his hand away, horrified with himself. But Stiles did something that Derek hadn't expected. 

Stiles whined in his sleep, reaching out to stop Derek's hand from leaving. Derek could tell by the sound of his breathing and the heartbeat in his head that Stiles was still asleep. But he was still reaching out. Trying to get Derek to stay. Derek's heart hurt. He was so sweet. Derek was so in love with him it was ridiculous. And Stiles didn't even know. 

Derek stayed with him, holding Stiles' hand for hours and wishing he had the words to tell him how he felt. 

===========================

I'm always up for some feelings and food. Good thing lunch is soon. But right now I'm still in class. Fuck history. I write Sterek fanfiction during class. At least it isn't smut (this time.)

-💕 Bubblegum 💕