highwaytohoech

[highwaytohoech]

in which derek will never, for a second, care even a little bit about baseball. basketball, that’s another story. but of course his family couldn’t care less about that. 

“you do care,” stiles says. “admit it. we’ve converted you into a baseball nerd.”

stiles and eli like going to trivia nights. derek likes to keep things surprising sometimes. and if the skill comes to him naturally? even better.  

“so humble,” stiles says, and derek shrugs. “no, it is growing on you. you’re a burgeoning baseball fan.” 

“what does burgeoning mean?” eli says, and derek says, “growing quickly, i think?”

“flourishing,” stiles says. “you’re gonna outpace us in no time.” 

“sure i am,” derek says, and eli says, “oh my god. teenager in the room! stop flirting.” 

“i’ll try,” derek says, and looks at stiles meaningfully.

his breath catches for a second.

“oh my god,” eli says, and derek bites back a grin. 

“no, you’re right. from now on, absolutely.”

“i’ll be at scott’s if you need me,” eli says, and derek says, “nice try. did you do your homework?” 

“more or less?” eli says, and stiles says, “alright, what part are we avoiding? cards on the table! by which i mean, go get whatever it is, and we’ll help you.” 

“unless it’s algebra,” derek says. “or geography.” 

“unless it’s those, and then your dad will help you,” stiles says. “we all have our strengths! that’s fine.”

“so what you’re saying is that it’s fine if i fail algebra,” eli tries, and derek says, “no one is saying that. come on, we can crack this together! it just takes practice.” 

“well, good luck to you both,” stiles says, and derek says, “it’s not that bad! i promise. it can be a family effort.” 

even stiles’ stubbornness has a few reliable weak spots. 

“alright, fine,” he says. “let’s see the dreaded thing already.” 

it’s really not so bad. eli’s a lot smarter than he thinks he is. 

“if he just applies himself,” stiles says, later. “yeah. where have i heard that before?”

and—with the right medication. it’s just been a little more difficult finding the right dose for a werewolf. but taking it with food seems to slow down absorption a little bit. that, and the extended release kind. 

“and having the most patient tutor in the world,” stiles says, and derek says, “i’m just glad i can help him.” 

“yeah, and the smugness is just a nice bonus,” stiles says, and derek shrugs.

“not that you’d know anything about that firsthand, obviously.“

“who, me?” stiles says innocently. “no, i’m not braggadocious at all.” 

“you do know that having a teenager doesn’t mean you have to memorize the dictionary.” 

“no, that’s just a fun side thing,” stiles says. “staying nimble, you know? in my advancing age.” 

“i think it’s at my, actually,” derek says. “‘at my advanced age.’ i think that’s what you mean.”

“i’ve heard it both ways,” stiles says, and derek says, “i can look it up right now.”

“where were these smarts when we were fighting for our lives?” stiles says. “and leaning on my research.” 

“back then?” derek says. “i think i was bleeding a lot more frequently.”

“don’t remind me,” stiles says. “nightmare times.”

but he moves closer. lifts derek’s shirt, touches the places where every long-healed wound was. it’s a shock that he still remembers them all. 

“trauma memories?” stiles says. “oh no, those are stored in the vault forever.” 

it’s quieter these days, at least. a lot quieter. eli’s never gonna have to know what his dads’ high school years were like. not up close, anyway.

maybe as a cautionary tale. 

“a heavily abridged one,” stiles says. he’s still touching derek’s chest carefully. and his shoulder, and his arm. “god. i almost cut off your arm.” 

“i’m sure you would’ve passed out long before then,” derek says. 

“yeah, and then you would’ve died,” stiles says. “because i couldn’t just sack up and help you. wouldn’t that be comforting?” 

“you did help me,” derek says. “i’m here, i’m okay. we’re all here, and healthy, and eli’s not gonna have to face anything like that. i promise.”

stiles shuts his eyes, breathes against him for a while. 

“he’s traumatized by our flirting,” derek says, eventually. “that’s all. he has a normal life.” 

“and algebra,” stiles says, and derek says, “and that. but i think we’re making progress.” 

“he really is normal, huh?” stiles says. “just a normal… teenage werewolf.”

“that is normal, believe it or not,” derek says. “we’ve been here for a long time. and i think the fact that most humans don’t know about us shows that most of the time, we can do it peacefully.” 

“outliers,” stiles says. “it’s a myth that werewolves are in constant danger. derek hale, who was once near-death daily for two years straight, is an outlier and should not be counted.” 

“is that from something?” derek says, and stiles says, “i’ll show you, hold on...” 

“forget it,” derek says, before stiles can disentangle himself. “i forgot how nice this was.” 

not the bleeding, or the pain, obviously, but this part of it. the—stiles touching him, and breathing him, and staying close until his heart settles again.

until his breaths slow back down, just because derek’s not… just because his family’s safe. 

and they are, and they will be. 

“or we’ll move,” stiles says. “we’ll protect him.”

derek nods.

“cautionary tale,” stiles says. “ancient history. that’s all that was.” 

it’s been different for a long time already. a long, long time. 

“and, you know,” stiles says. “it did bring us together. so that’s a plus.”

“silver lining,” derek says, and stiles says, “internalized… were-phobia. wolf-phobia? the were part’s the human.”

“what?” derek says, and stiles says, “silver lining? not near my family, it’s not.”

“i promise,” derek says. “no werewolf has ever been offended hearing that expression.”

“it could be a threat,” stiles says. “if hunters used wordplay.”

“and if you became a hunter? maybe i’d worry about it,” derek says. “otherwise? i don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

“they are ridiculously melodramatic,” stiles says. “not a hint of a sense of humor. trust me, i’ve tried.” 

of course he has. “how did that go?”

“short version? i lived,” stiles says. “spoiler alert.”

derek rolls his eyes. 

“and slightly longer version, yeah, i was pretty bruised up for a while.”

but he’s not anymore. derek knows, he knows.

he has to check anyway.

humans don’t heal like werewolves. there could still be scars. 

“this is so sweet,” stiles says, while derek reaches for pain. there’s some back pain, is that normal? and a bruise on his leg. 

“the back stuff is just bad posture,” stiles says. “plus the passage of time. i’m fine. and the bruise… i have no idea. i probably just bumped against something and like, instantly forgot.” 

well, derek’s gonna check. a lot more often, from now on. 

“no, nononono,” stiles says. “i’m fine. you don’t have to worry.”

it’s not worry. it’s just—good to know. 

good to keep track of things. that way, there’s nothing surprising. 

and more than that, it’s an excuse to hold him. breathe him in, keep him close.

“you think you need an excuse for that?” stiles says. “i don’t see how i could be more clear! cuddling? i love cuddles.” 

that’s not, exactly… but, fine. derek nods. 

“so much pretext just to touch me,” stiles says. “like we don’t have a fourteen year old. how did that happen, huh?”

touching derek’s chest again. “any more shifting tricks you can do? you’d tell me if you could turn into a car.” 

“a car,” derek says, and stiles says, “like a transformer. you know! whatever, it’s a dumb joke.” 

“you would really hate the line i just thought of,” derek says, and stiles says, “that i can ride you anytime?”

“well, now that you mention it,” derek says, and stiles says, “i married fabio.” 

derek raises an eyebrow.

“you’re getting way too smooth, you know that?” stiles says, and derek smiles at him. “like, scary powerful.”

“scary,” derek says. “that doesn’t sound good.”

“you really don’t know me at all, huh?” stiles says. “after all this time. i’m hurt.” 

“you will be,” derek says, and stiles gapes at him. “too much?”

“absolutely not,” stiles says, and derek grins. 

“i’ll be careful, don’t worry.” 

“hard pass on that,” stiles says. “actually? i wanna see you lose control.” 

well, in that case. “then you’d have to be the one…”

“deal,” stiles says immediately. “obviously. derek hale! i love you so much.”

“well if you’re that excited about it,” derek says, and stiles says, “the time for talking is over. was over! ten minutes ago.”

not talking is easy enough. ragged breathing is a very different story. 

somehow, stiles really doesn’t seem to mind. 

“it’s probably good you don’t like baseball, actually,” stiles says, around an ambitious amount of pancake. it’s a little hard to take in what he’s saying at all. “it’d be too much, you know? too perfect for me. like, uncanny. we need to still have downsides.” 

“that’s too bad,” derek says. “because i was just thinking… maybe we should go to a game again. as a family. if you’re learning algebra…”

“do i wanna know what changed your mind about this?” eli says. 

derek looks at stiles. smiles down at his plate for a minute.

“oh my god,” eli says, and stiles moves into dad mode. 

“it’ll get easier, i swear. we’ll brush up on it together.”

“and then we’ll go to a game,” eli says, and derek nods. “really. and you won’t fall asleep this time?”

“i’ll do my best,” derek says. actually, he’s got a plan for this. he will, he’ll pay attention! just not exactly for the reasons his family might be expecting. 

everyone has different things they’re passionate about. and right now, what derek’s most interested in is getting to put his arms around the two of them at the game and say something like, “these guys? no, they’re not exactly the biggest baseball enthusiasts. they just put up with me.”

he’s looking forward to it. he can see their faces already. 

actually, derek might be starting to love baseball.

[highwaytohoech]

in which stiles and derek have some of the strangest detours in their arguments, like the one where stiles cuts in with, “did you or did you not ambush a random guy last night just because you thought he said—”

“it wasn’t an ambush,” derek says. “he was wrong. i corrected him.” 

“about what he said in his private phone call,” stiles says. “in an empty parking lot. but no, you had to drop what you were doing immediately just to be like, ‘hey, don’t ask me how i even know you were discussing this… oh, i’m derek by the way, let’s make this quick, i just abandoned my family at an arby’s and they’re waiting on me to order. okay. so, first of all…’” 

“you could’ve ordered,” derek says. “i eat faster than both of you.” 

not that it’s hard. once stiles and eli settle on a topic, the actual eating is an afterthought. if they’d grown up with derek’s pack? they would’ve starved to death. 

“so it’s not even about getting to correct someone,” stiles says. “you just needed a break from your long-winded family.”

derek rolls his eyes.

“that’s obviously not what i’m saying. eli! that’s not what i’m saying.” 

“i know,” eli says, from his room, and derek nods, and says, “he knows.” 

“i’m human, not hearing-impaired,” stiles says. “you think i can’t make out the tone of my kid’s whine by now? no translation necessary.” 

“it’s not a whine,” eli mutters, and derek looks at stiles. 

“what, he said something else?”

derek shrugs. “need me to translate?”

“now you’re just showing off,” stiles says, and derek looks at him as innocently as possible.

“you really didn’t hear anything?”

“i hate you both,” stiles says, and then, “no, i love eli unconditionally. you, on the other hand...”

“please leave me out of this,” eli says, and derek tips his head toward the hall. 

“oh my god, i’m getting us an intercom,” stiles says. “or walkie-talkies.” 

“or i could just tell you,” derek offers, and stiles says, “not at the price of your smugness.” 

“i’d take a phone,” eli tries, and derek says, “you have a phone.” 

“nice and sturdy,” stiles adds, without missing a beat, and then, ���see? i pick up plenty from context. i can do the whole pitch for the nokia.” 

“it’s a billion years old!” eli says, and stiles says, “i’d know that whine variety anywhere. you’re a werewolf, eli, you think i’m trusting some paper-thin bendy glass monstrosity with my kid’s life? not a chance. it’s a brick phone every time! that thing can stop bullets and survive it.” 

“not that i’d recommend trying that,” derek says, and stiles says, “oh my god. definitely do not try that.” 

“so it’s because i’m a werewolf,” eli says, and derek shakes his head. “you know what that is? that’s discrimination.” 

“whatever you just said, just know that your dad does not remotely buy it,” stiles says. “and that we’re done having this discussion! especially as long as half of it is out of human range.” 

“that if it’s because he’s a werewolf, it’s discrimination,” derek translates, and stiles says, “he tried that on you and not me? fascinating strategy.”

“he definitely learned it from one of us,” derek says, and stiles says, “okay, no. i would do a lot better than that. why not how it’s so old, the signal might not carry—”

“stiles,” derek says, and stiles says, “what, was i supposed to not respond to a challenge?”

“the signal, then,” eli says. “good point! the signal thing.” 

“come here right now and explain the signal thing,” derek says, and eli goes quiet. “to both of us, in full detail.”

“whatever,” eli says. “i’m trying to sleep.” 

“aaand that’d be the tired whine,” stiles says, and grins before derek even answers him. “see? human wins again.” 

“are you sure you’re human?” derek says, and stiles gapes at him. “because… i don’t think we ever definitively ruled out siren.”

“that is the worst line i’ve ever heard in my life,” stiles says. he’s gone very pink. derek’s face may also be a little bit hotter than usual, but that’s not important. “the worst one. no contest.” 

“i’ll try to make it up to you somehow,” derek says, and stiles gapes again.

“we need soundproofing immediately,” eli says. “i’m gonna grow up so weird if i have to hear all this.” 

he may have a point there. derek says, “i think our bedroom’s pretty soundproofed.”

but he tips his head at stiles, like, what do you think? 

“definitely one of your weirder selling points, but hey,” stiles says. “your eyes alone kind of sold me.” 

“after you,” derek says, and stiles goes pink again. 

luckily, he can’t hear eli gagging. 

[highwaytohoech]

yeah eeeeevery cowboy’s in the same, sad… pickle

Morphological differences between thorns, spines, and prickles

[highwaytohoech]

#this is not an amnesia fic but everyone but stiles is convinced it is one #and he is... not not suggestible

in which stiles and derek have always had a fourteen year old son. what are you talking about? eli. what, you don’t remember eli? 

but the thing is, stiles doesn’t. 

and it can’t be, stiles can’t have just forgotten his kid. forgotten fourteen freaking years of knowing him, all at once. nice try, he’s watched buffy. he knows what this is, okay? and what it’s not. eli can be sweet, and funny, and awesome, half him and half derek and somehow not insufferable, that’s not the point. he’s attached, he’s keeping him, good job, monks! but that doesn’t mean he’s remembering wrong.

but it starts to be convincing after a while, you know? and maybe this is just how it happens. how you just, like, start making tiny little mistakes. that feel tiny, but really, they’re massively obvious to everyone.

it’s not like stiles didn’t see this coming. he’s been staring down the barrel of frontotemporal dementia since he was too young to know that something was doing that to his mom. and that it wasn’t her, and she didn’t mean it, and she’s so sorry.

oh, god, what the hell did stiles just say about his kid? to eli’s dad, of all people. and what if he says something like that to eli?

well, he just has to handle it. focus up, figure it out. at least until he figures out how he’s gonna break it to them.

i’m sorry. i’m already, not… and it’s just gonna get worse over time.  

better polish up those acting skills! bluffing skills, it’s been a while.

but derek looks terrified enough already.

[highwaytohoech]

wolf watch au. in which stiles vanishes a few feet from derek, and that would definitely be the first and only thing on derek’s mind if a child wasn’t suddenly staring at him from stiles’ exact spot, knuckling at his eyes.

“did someone—” derek says, and stops. he tries to look around for a mom, or something. like this child didn’t just pop into existence in front of him.

but—he smells familiar. he smells, he smells like…

and then the kid is running at him. grabbing his legs, and shuddering against him. derek tenses, for a second. hesitates, and slowly lowers a hand to the kid’s shaking shoulder.

“you’re okay,” he says. “you’re gonna be…”

but it’s impossible. everything he knows is screaming that this is impossible.

because this child is a hale. and that’s impossible enough, but that’s still only half of it.

because he’s also a stilinski.

it’s a trap. obviously. it’s a ploy, it’s a game. the last thing derek should be doing in this situation is giving in to what whoever is doing this obviously wants him to do. like getting so distracted by this child-shaped mirage that he lets whatever just took stiles get away with him free and clear.

but the kid smells real. he feels real.

warm, and relieved.

“my papa,” he says, and derek goes still.

but the kid’s already found something new to distract him. he stares at the bloodstain on derek’s shirt, eyes widening.

“they hurted you?”

shocked tears fill his eyes, and derek shakes his head.

“no, no, that’s not mine.”

it’s a lie. but he won’t know that.

probably.

“laura said,” the kid says, and his face screws up with new tears, “laura said they locked you…”

he’s too overcome to even go on, shaking with sobs.

and normally? derek wouldn’t even begin to buy this. normally, he’d just get angry. even hunters wouldn’t go so low that they’d send him a fake kid to get attached to.

because they couldn’t. this isn’t something you can just fake.

it can’t be.

he crouches down, gingerly. the kid sniffles. swipes at his eye just the way stiles does.

and then there’s no choice anymore. if there ever was one at all.

it’s decided, it’s done.

“you’re okay,” derek says. “you’re… it’s gonna be okay.”

“daddy said it’s a story,” the kid says. still sniffling, dipping his head against derek’s chest. it’s too warm. “but he cried. and laura’s banned.”

derek can’t really make sense of that. but it doesn’t matter.

“where’s your dad?” he says, and the kid goes horrified again.

“daddy’s losted now?”

“no,” derek says. “no, no.”

shaking his head, too quickly.

“no one’s lost,” he says. even though he doesn’t know that, or anything. he could believe anything right now. “everything’s gonna be okay.”

stiles would be able to say something immediately distracting. or hug him, or something, fix all of this.

understand him in a second.

“you know stiles, right?” he says. that feels like a safe topic, but the kid’s eyes widen again.

“daddy,” he says. “you forgot?”

maybe. maybe he did.

his whole other life, where this makes sense to him.

“remind me,” he says, and the kid’s eyes go huge.

but he nods. very seriously, and he’s never looked like stiles more.

“you’re my papa,” he says. “and you, and daddy…”

but he stares at derek’s hand, crestfallen.

“you just losted it,” he says. his voice is too quiet. “right?”

derek looks down at his hand. there’s nothing different about it.

of course, of course not.

but he can almost see it. the kid is staring at his ring finger.

and this is starting to feel a little too real.

“i’m your papa,” derek says, or asks. he’s not sure anymore. “and stiles…”

“daddy,” the kid says. “he was crying ‘cause of you?”

“i don’t know,” derek says. his heart sinking, and sinking. “no. no.” he shakes his head again.

no, that was all some other him.

some other him, some other world. there’s no other explanation.

he can feel how real this kid is.

it’s more than an instinct. it’s his job to herd him in close, and make sure he’s protected. and at the same time, to get him back to where he’s supposed to be as soon as possible.

even if it’s gonna hurt, that’s the only thing that matters right now. that, and not upsetting this kid any more than derek absolutely has to.

“i have the ring,” derek says. “don’t worry. i’m, um, getting it resized.”

the kid looks massively relieved by this.

he can’t keep calling the kid the kid. but as soon as he realizes that, he already knows the right name.

“bear,” he says, and bear looks at him. “and… you’re named after me.”

bear nods.

“i remember,” derek says, and bear sniffles. derek wraps him up under his jacket.

this close, he’s all derek can breathe anymore. that smell, family, and baby, and stiles.

but he has to be from only one of them. even if… surely.

even magic can’t be that advanced.

but that would be just like stiles, wouldn’t it? finding out about that kind of thing by accident. being the first one in hundreds of years to benefit from that.

stumbling into the luckiest curse in the world.

with bear this close, the rage is too hot in derek’s throat. he doesn’t need to understand what bear’s been saying to him to know what he’s been going through.

kids don’t get this kind of anxious this young. not unless they’ve already been traumatized.

they hurted you?

murder. derek’s going to murder someone.

if anyone’s the reason.

his bear. it already feels too normal.

monitoring bear’s breathing, his heartbeat.

just a little fast. settling, now.

derek’s hand steadying on his shoulder.

[highwaytohoech]

aka the one where everything is exactly the same but stiles and derek are allies from the very beginning

AU where stiles drags scott to an active crime scene because it’s a cool distant concept, and then it’s—half a body, half a person, cold and very, very dead, and cut in half. halved, and naked, and there’s nothing cool about it, because it’s a real person, because someone did this to a real person. 

“they moved her,” stiles says, trying not to gag, or just run off crying. “there’s not enough blood, for what... for what...”

his ears are ringing. 

and of course they moved her, it’s only half of her. someone killed her and took half of her. 

and when he finally catches his breath enough to scrub at his eyes, scott’s nowhere.

AU where derek finds stiles panicking. because less than an hour ago, he was literally bored out of his mind, and brought his best friend out to an active murder scene, and now… 

and derek knows the feeling. he knows it starting extremely recently. 

he says, “you shouldn’t be out here alone.”

“am i?” stiles says. “out here alone, i mean. what are you?”

“a good samaritan?” derek says, and stiles scoffs, and then he’s shaking, covering his face.

“your friend who’s missing,” derek says. “what’s his name?”

“you volunteering for the search party?” stiles says, but it’s barely a joke anymore.

and then he’s panicking again.

“is that so hard to believe?” derek says, and then, “i’m actually looking for someone too. maybe, this way… we can help each other. no one survives alone.”

“well that’s… creepy,” stiles says. “where’d you get that, How To Freak Out Friends And Alienate People Without Even Trying?”

the lone wolf dies, the pack survives. derek adapted it a little. he’s trying to be a little bit less obvious. a little bit less of a danger to his…

except laura was the last one left. at least, the last one conscious.

“i just mean—” derek says, and then, “yeah. i’ll help you.”

“scott,” stiles says. “his name’s scott mccall. and he’s not just some friend of mine, he’s my brother. maybe not biologically, but...”

“we’ll find him,” derek says, and stiles sniffs, and nods. “do you have anything of his on you? anything that might have his scent.”

[derek’s trying to be a little less obvious. that doesn’t mean he’s good at it. he doesn’t exactly have a strong baseline for normal.

he’s completely taken aback when stiles figures it out.]

[highwaytohoech]

Chapters: 4/5 Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale & Eli Hale & Stiles Stilinski Characters: Eli Hale (Teen Wolf), Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale, Sheriff Stilinski (Teen Wolf), Nogitsune (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski are Eli Hale's Parents, Fluff and Angst, Angst and Humor, Fix-it for Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023), Multiple Endings Summary:

“And when fourteen freaking years passed, then what?” Stiles says. “‘Hey, Stiles, sorry to reach out after all this time, but uh, I think we should probably have a conversation about our teenaged son who you don’t know about! Alright, well, I better go, our kid’s fourteen and it’s a school night.’”

[highwaytohoech]

new baby eli who won’t stop crying unless stiles stays close to him

new baby eli who goes hushed as soon as stiles starts humming the song his mom used to sing to him when he’d just had a bad dream

new baby eli who learns to fall asleep to two steady heartbeats

exhausted new dad derek who can’t relax unless stiles is slumped against his shoulder taking in their amazing new baby and grinning crookedly up at him

[highwaytohoech]

Top 25 Sterek Scenes (as voted by my followers): 

12. Stiles being the first thing Derek thinks about protecting in a dangerous situation.

[highwaytohoech]

when stiles finds him, derek’s stuck half-shifted, hair matted, eyes dull. 

he doesn't try to talk at all.

stiles drops his flashlight in shock, scrabbles after it. the light fills derek’s vision, blinds him before he can think to squeeze his eyes shut.

“scott, there's one here,” stiles says. “there's a guy here.”

he steps closer, stops.

derek doesn’t move.

“you're alive, right?” stiles asks. “this isn't some trick of the light, and i'm talking to a hatstand draped in coats, or something? or like, a really misused mannequin, or…” 

he steps forward, again, again. till he's so close derek can’t help but breathe him.

“shit,” he says, low. reaching out, stopping inches from derek's ruined shoulder. “what'd she do to you?”

derek stares at him.

“you,” he tries, but he can't speak. his voice is more air than sound.

he tries again anyway. the words scrape at his throat.

“you know about her?”

“we've been tracking her for years,” stiles says. “me and scott. our pack. well, no,” he says, head tipping as he reconsiders. “we were tracking a torturer, we didn't know… but then we did. and this is hers, it's in her name. one of her oldest aliases. but i don't…” his brow creases, softens with sympathy as he takes in derek's wounds again. “we've never found werewolves alive before. sorry,” he adds, eyes apologetic. “i know that's not... she's insane,” stiles says. “my dad, he...” but his face goes dark, and he stops talking, fury unfolding through him. “we're gonna find her,” he says. “she's over. she's done.”

“anyway,” he says, brightening up again. “you're alive! that's no small feat, man, that's… what's your name? scott and me, we know basically every pack this side of california, and a couple even further. one of them's bound to have contact info for yours.”

“they won't,” derek says. he knows, he knows.

“try me,” stiles says. 

“hale,” derek says. “the hale pack.” it's sharper than he means it to be, angrier, but he knows. there’s no use getting his hopes up. 

“oh my god,” stiles says, eyes widening. “oh my god.”

see? derek knew. he knew, so why did he let himself think, for even a second—

“you’re cora's brother,” stiles says. “derek, right? oh my god. how are you… it's been ten years.”

it's not like derek didn’t know time was passing. he just didn’t know how much.

he doesn't feel ten years older. he feels ancient and small, immortal and powerless, trapped.

a million years from sixteen, none of them real.

“hey,” stiles says. “i didn't mean… i'm sorry. i'm a tool.”

derek says nothing at all. 

“look,” stiles says. “i've never done this before. can we start over? im stiles.”

“nice to finally meet,” kate says, and fires.

stiles whips around. grabs at his side. 

but of course it’s too late. he’s bleeding. and not even healing, so he’s human.

and clearly suicidal enough to get himself involved in this anyway.

“so that's how it is, huh?” stiles says. “you couldn't do it. grandpa creepy gave you a job, but you couldn't kill.”

he’s already breathing a little bit more raggedly.

“so you lied,” he says. “you set a fire, and you told him it was done. and you trapped this guy here for ten years for what? your ego? trying to kill him, all the while. but you couldn’t.”

he keeps inching closer with every word. reaching for the mountain ash line, almost checking for it. 

“all those bodies,” he says, and waves his fingers over the ash. and—some of it lifts. it hovers over derek’s sneakers and drops back down. 

stiles is still monologuing, but there’s too much of his blood in the air.

he won’t be able to keep this up for much longer.

“someone else killed them, didn't they,” stiles says. “who’s covering for you, huh? one of your hunter buddies? no way that doesn’t get back to your creepy dad, doesn’t he control your whole life? did you ever even wanna be involved in this? look at this place! you built a whole secret hideout just to spare one guy. so either you never wanted any of this… or you must just really love this one guy in particular.”

“shut up,” kate snaps.

but when derek stares at her, she looks away. 

“you really do, oh my god,” stiles says. “you love him.”

the ash is trembling under his fingertips now. 

“this is romeo and juliet all over again,” he says. “this is so sad! you guys are just star-crossed.” 

“you really do not stop talking, do you,” kate says, and stiles grins. 

“that’s right! you’re very observant.” and then he grins wider. “perspicacious, even.”

derek rolls his eyes. 

stiles leans back a little, and breathes, “dude! look down.” 

the ash circle is still there. it looks that way. 

but… it’s not blunting derek’s senses anymore. 

in an instant, stiles’ scent fills his throat. 

“it’s too bad you shot me here,” stiles is saying. “so much for a nice star-crossed-lovers stash house. now my blood’s everywhere, and i don’t know if you know this, or anything, but my buddy scott has a crazy accurate sense of smell. and oh yeah, an army of backup, so how about you clear out now before the cavalry comes storming in and your cover’s really blown, huh?”

“or i could just shoot you again,” kate says, and derek snarls. “aww, see? it’s gonna be so sad. and even sadder, when your friend scott shows up to find your body… and is immediately surrounded by every hunter in this town. you think you’re in control of this? honey. you’re just the bait.”

but he’s not. because if anyone comes at stiles again? derek’s gonna be a wall in front of him. 

if every one of his muscles hasn’t atrophied. 

he tests it, carefully. grows his claws, and retracts them, one hand at a time. 

shakes out his shoulders as subtly as he can, and bites back a smile. 

because for ten years, he had nothing. nothing left to fight for, and no way to even try.  

but things are very different now.

[highwaytohoech]

sterek + touching

[highwaytohoech]

pokémon au. turns out scott is a natural born pokémon healer. good for him! that sounds awesome. except the part where his amazing powers only encourage every asshole pokémon trainer to get even cockier about how much of a beating their trusting buddies can instantly heal from. see, my maxed-out magicarp’s all better now! flopping around gasping out of pure happiness, and totally ready to go another six rounds. thanks, steroids! 

werewolf battles are a different story. because werewolves opt in, and sign freaking consent forms, and aren’t thrown at something ten times their size by sadistic trainers and then healed and shoved in a tiny plastic pokéball. 

but even werewolf battles can get dicey these days. trainers come in from the pokémon space, and forget that werewolves aren’t just little mindless toys they can shove back into their bag when the game is done.  

and werewolves don’t just faint. if they get hurt bad enough, they die. 

and naturally, stiles gets to learn that fact up close.

“and she goes down!” the announcer says, like it’s nothing. “where’s a healer when you need one?”

but that’s another way werewolves aren’t like pokémon: they heal themselves. as much as they can heal, until they can’t anymore. 

the girl in front of stiles is sniffling in her mom’s arms. her dad’s just trying to stop her seeing the fighter’s unmoving body. 

but it gets worse when the blood-soaked wolf in the ring turns into a blood-soaked girl. 

and stiles freezes, because… he knows that face. he knows he does.

he just hasn’t seen her since half of her family died in a fire.

it’s not exactly just a consent form. more like, a purring trainer eyeing you up outside your high school, squeezing your arm to test your muscles, and you stupidly think that it’s true love. that she really sees something special in you, more than your family does, so you’ll sign anything, agree to anything, start training up. and give everything, over and over and over, keep running into the wall for her, just so you can prove she wasn’t wrong about you being a worthy investment. 

derek doesn’t know who actually caused the fire that sent his whole life spiraling. he probably doesn’t wanna know. 

it is what it is, right? and fighting is his life now, and he’s good at what he does.

it’s not productive to focus on the past anymore.

laura only joined the argent franchise to find him. find the woman who stole her brother. to avenge her family, and to get derek to wake up. 

don’t you get it? she’s just using you. you’re a toy to her! a mindless animal. 

“why does it bother you so much that i wanna do this?” derek said. “that i think i’m good at something, and i’m actually putting my money where my mouth is.” 

“yeah, you’re good at getting beaten to a pulp,” laura said, and derek said, “don’t watch it if it bothers you so much.” 

but he called her once. scared, and crying. 

“i screwed up. i screwed up, okay? there’s something wrong with my trainer.”

and when she tried to call him back, no one answered the phone.

laura’s death shuts down the argent gym for a while. dad’s on the case, but stiles has his own special research. 

because derek doesn’t know. he doesn’t know what happened to his sister. 

but if it was more than just a fight gone wrong, maybe he does. 

[highwaytohoech]

aaaand that’s a wrap (for the forseeable future at least) on the nogitsune eli alternate ending series! this was fun and fluffy and sometimes tragic (i’ve literally never written a main character death that stuck before, and i most likely will never do it again outside that one ending, but i had to fix the canon version so eli still has one of his dads at least) and also possibly very annoying for anyone who wants me to go back to posting mostly unrelated sterek prompts, but not to worry! that’s the plan now that my choose-your-own-ending adventure is done. that also means i have no idea what i’ll be posting tomorrow until i write it, but that’s been the case with most of these until i accidentally wrote four different endings for the same prompt lol. i started this prompt sideblog so randomly based on coming up with crack prompts for three days in a row, but it’s my favorite thing to write for right now. i think prompt-style writing ft a scene or two or three of what that would look like with the option of going “oh shit, i wrote the whole fic” and posting that to ao3 is ideal for my ADHD brain so i plan to keep this going for as long as possible. i’d insert that moist von lipwig quote about how making it up as you go along feels like flying if i could find it lol. and of course, if you like anything i write at all, i cannot recommend my favorite author terry pratchett enough. but skip the rincewind books! go directly to Equal Rites (Discworld #3) or Mort (Discworld #4), please. tbh i started with Witches Abroad (Discworld #12) and TP’s been my favorite author ever since. GNU Terry Pratchett and thanks for reading through all this meds-just-kicked-in rambling lol. see you with some more sterek nonsense tomorrow

previously, on nogitsune eli

“i can’t believe i didn’t realize,” stiles is saying, when eli’s mind goes quiet for a second. “when he found me, i didn’t even… i don’t know, i think my brain was just in overdrive.” 

“you couldn’t have known,” dad tells him, and stiles says, “i should’ve. oh my god, eli.” 

he moves to the edge of the circle, half-reaching out across it, and dad says, “what are you doing? stiles!”

and then eli’s throat is laughing. “yes, back off, stiles. you really think anyone wants you here? why do you think my dad never even told you i existed?”

“that’s not eli,” dad says. “you know it’s not, it’s not even close.” 

and stiles nods, but there’s too much on his face. 

“really,” eli’s mouth says. “you think you know anything about me? where were you for fourteen years?”

“i didn’t know,” stiles says, and eli tries to shake his head, or howl, or scream. “i didn’t know, i’m really sorry. i would’ve… i swear, i would’ve come back…”

leave him alone, eli says, and the voice in his head laughs. 

but dad’s already squeezing stiles’ shoulder, pushing him back enough to block eli’s view of him. “that’s enough.” 

eli could cry with relief. he should be able to. but nothing happens. 

behind dad, stiles says, “i would’ve run here.” 

“eli knows,” dad says, and eli breathes, and breathes. “you came here the second he told you. you didn’t hesitate, or question it, and you’re here fighting the worst thing that ever happened to you to keep him safe from it, that’s what matters right now. that’s who you are. eli knows that.” 

it’s maybe the most eli’s ever heard dad say at once. 

behind him, stiles takes a shaky breath. 

“oh, come on, stiles,” eli’s mouth says, and eli tries to—roar, or shift, or something. flash his eyes, anything. any reminder. 

it’s not me. it’s not me, i promise. 

“you really think derek just forgot to call you for fourteen years? he didn’t want you here.” 

“that’s not true,” dad says, and eli’s throat laughs again.

“isn’t it? if it was up to you, he wouldn’t even know about me now.” 

“and we’ll talk about that,” dad says. “later. when eli can speak for himself, because the eli i know? he’s still fighting you. i know you are,” dad says, and it’s like dad can see him, the real him, right through whatever’s moving his face around, and his throat. “i know that, eli, and we’re gonna win this. i promise, we will.” 

“just keep keeping your brain distracted,” stiles says. “sports! are you a baseball fan?” 

“you have no idea,” dad says, and stiles says, “seriously? yeah, that’s my kid for sure.”

“especially the mets, for some reason,” dad says, and stiles’ eyes widen. 

“oh, we’re gonna need to have a long talk. how did i get so lucky?”

inside his own head, eli grins. 

and that’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos…

well, congratulations, the voice in eli’s head says. you’ve bored a demon to death! thinking about baseball. 

and then it’s just quiet. 

it all spills out, then, like nothing ever stopped it, the shuddering, and the anger, and the tears. 

“eli,” dad says, and stiles says, “eli, oh my god. are you hurt? what just happened?” 

“i think…” dad says, but he shakes his head. “it could be a trick.”

“it’s not,” eli says, and it’s such a relief to actually be able to talk again, to tell him… “dad! i love you.” 

“oh my god,” stiles says, and now eli’s really crying. 

“i didn’t wanna say any of that,” he says. “i don’t even think like that. i promise.” 

“stiles knows,” dad says, and stiles nods. “he knows, he’s just glad you’re okay.”

but… what if it comes back? and uses this, eli’s talking, and trembling, and crying, and then stiles breaks the circle, and then it comes back and attacks them?

“don’t let me out,” eli says, and dad says, “can you still hear it? eli.” 

how did they know? last time, with stiles.

how did they know it was really gone? and not just a trap, and once they let their guards down, for a second…

it’s not like eli even did anything to fight it. besides… tuning it out, by rambling about whatever he could think of. there’s no way it really just got sick of hearing about baseball. 

and there has to be a reason stiles knew what to do immediately. the circle stiles put around him, it’s important. because… it can do a lot more than just talking. it used his mouth, and his throat, eli couldn’t stop it. what if it comes back to use his claws? he’s hurt dad before without even meaning to. 

no. no, no. 

“don’t let me out,” he says, and dad’s eyes widen. “you can’t let me out.” 

“did it say something to you?” stiles says. “like… that you’re dangerous.”

no. no. it didn’t have to. 

eli knows he is.

“whatever it said, it’s not true,” dad says, and eli swipes at his eyes. locks his fists together behind him. 

“granddad has handcuffs. and… the leg ones, would that hold me?”

“granddad,” stiles says faintly, and dad says, “no one’s putting you in handcuffs.” 

“but if he did,” eli says. “can they restrain werewolves? or do they need…” but he knows this. “wolfsbane. would that work? like kryptonite.”

“your granddad, who has handcuffs?” stiles says. “you told my dad and not me? and that’s not even… why didn’t he tell me?”  

but there’s already too much on his face again. 

“stiles,” dad says, and stiles says, “no, i think i get the message.”

but he shakes his head, says, “well, i’m involved now. secret’s out!” 

“it wasn’t a secret,” dad says. “he doesn’t know. i didn’t tell him.” 

“yeah, he just randomly adopts people all the time,” stiles says. “former murder suspects, mostly. you’d think he’d be more careful, you know? wary. but it’s kind of a bad habit.” 

“he might… suspect something,” dad says. “maybe. but i didn’t tell him, stiles.”

“no,” stiles says. too sure, suddenly, too resigned. “wouldn’t want word getting back to me, or anything.” 

“that’s not why,” dad says. 

it’s not like eli thought granddad was his actual granddad. he just tried calling him that, a million years ago, and granddad let him. and came around more, and looked at dad more warmly. 

“wait,” he says. “he really is my granddad?” 

and dad knew that, so why didn’t he say… actually, eli, funny story… he’s not our found family, no. more like surprise! you found your real family. that i’ve been keeping from you, for no reason. 

and stiles was so, sorry, that he wasn’t around, but he didn’t even know about it. 

he would’ve run. 

“i’m sorry,” dad says. to both of them, now. “you’re right. i’m sorry.”

but that’s nothing. that’s just words. 

and eli’s eyes are stinging. 

and dad said stiles hated it here. that that was why, because bad things happened to him. but the second he saw eli, he came back anyway. and it wasn’t even really him who found stiles. it was like… a weird dream, or sleepwalking. 

but stiles called him my kid already. swearing at the thing in a second, he was shaking. furious, and sorry. 

he’s the one who knew how to fight it. because it messed with him, too.

dad called it the worst thing that ever happened to him. 

“well, i don’t know about the worst thing,” stiles says. “there were a lot of top condenders, for a while. but i definitely wouldn’t… wouldn’t recommend it, no.” 

“how did you know it was gone?” eli says. “like, really.” 

“honestly? i really didn’t,” stiles says. “but, uh, people would reassure me, for a while. my dad… your granddad, i mean,” he adds, and eli breathes in twice at once without even meaning to. “yeah, he shook me out of a lot of nightmares, the next few months. and scott, too, he was always a great reality check. and—your dad, obviously.” 

next to him, dad says, “really.” 

“are you kidding?” stiles says. “no one was more reliably normal to me. unchanging! like nothing even happened that was worth mentioning. just, ‘focus, stiles, what’s happening now?’ you were the biggest breath of fresh air. next to all the like, tragic... as sweet as all the concern was, obviously.” 

there’s too much on dad’s face, now. and… eli has to test something.

“can i talk to dad alone for a minute?” he says, and stiles looks up sharply. “or to… you know what i mean. but don’t leave! just, for a minute.”

“i’ll be right outside,” stiles says, and eli hesitates. “human hearing, don’t worry. but if it goes quiet for too long, i’m coming in anyway.” 

good. good. 

eli nods. 

“what is it?” dad says, as soon as stiles’ footsteps fade. “did it say something to stiles to bring him here? you can tell me.” 

did it? and that’s why stiles came back so fast, and eli just doesn’t remember. 

what would it even say? 

“something about stiles’ dad would do it,” dad says. “that he was—hurt, or something. he’s not,” he adds quickly. “he’s not, your granddad’s fine.”

but that would’ve made stiles run to see him. still with eli, and then it could’ve made eli hurt him. 

“that didn’t happen,” dad says, but his heartbeat is thundering. “stiles was with you, wasn’t he? the whole time. he would know, he’d tell me.” 

yeah, but… maybe it wasn’t just in eli. 

maybe it kept switching. just long enough that neither of them had the memory. 

“that’s not how it works,” dad says.

but he doesn’t look sure. 

where did it go, then? if it’s not in eli anymore.

why would it just leave? and can it even leave? if it doesn’t have a body. 

“we can call your granddad right now,” dad says, and eli nods hurriedly, please. he can almost see it, already. the gurney wheeling him off, and one guy says, how did this even happen? and his partner goes, animal attack. and the first one is like, well that’s the mystery, isn’t it? how’d a wild animal get into his locked house, and then somehow get back out after mauling the chief of police to death?

and the other one goes, chief of police, huh? i thought he worked at a library. 

and the whole time, there’s blood all over the walls, and the ceiling. 

and eli’s gonna be sick. he’s gonna burn alive. 

and once stiles knows, he won’t even be able to look at him. 

i know. i know it’s not his fault. i just can’t… you were right. you were right not to tell me. 

i can’t fucking do this. he killed my dad!

“don’t listen to it,” dad says. “eli. whatever it’s saying to you? it’s a lie.”

“call granddad,” eli says. “or no, just call an ambulance! please.” 

but it’s too late. it’s too late. 

he knows already. 

“i’ll call,” dad says. “but i’m sure he’s fine. stiles would’ve told me.” he shakes his head. “or… i know him. if he’d gone through that? it would’ve been obvious.” 

why, because he’d be shaking? and furious, and horrified? 

like he was, already. 

“i’ll call,” dad says, and dials. “i’m calling.” 

and eli can see that, too. the phone ringing, and ringing, and the new panic on dad’s face. 

no, eli. tell me you didn’t hurt him. 

it would kill dad too. even if he tried to not think about it, and not see it every time he looked at eli from now on, even if he did that freezing thing he used to do a million years ago, that granddad called a bad attempt at a poker face, it would still be obvious. 

but granddad says, “if you offer me one more baked good i’m not gonna make it off this couch for a week. oh, fuck it. what’d you make?”

eli stares at the phone, at the sharp relief on dad’s face, and the tears bubble up too quickly, fill his eyes and nose and throat until he’s close to choking, and dad moves closer to him.

“so it’s one of those calls, huh?” granddad says. “is this an everyday human thing? or something that’s gonna need an army.” 

dad’s as close to the mountain ash line as he can get, and then he’s wrapping his arm around the empty air. kind of… putting an arm around eli’s shoulder, but from inches away. 

holding out the phone at the same time. and granddad says, “eli. what is it? where’s your dad?” 

“i’m here,” dad says. “i’m… so you’re okay? eli… had a bad feeling.” 

“a bad feeling,” granddad says. “and is he… psychic at all?”

“what?” dad says, and scoffs. “no.”

“well, that’s something, at least,” granddad says. “a bad feeling, huh? he sounds pretty shaken up.” 

“did he come to see you at all?” dad says. “today, i mean. or… it might’ve been stiles.”

“stiles,” granddad says. “now hold on a minute. stiles is in town?” 

there’s a kind of frozen panic on dad’s face now. closer to his poker face. “i probably should’ve told you that. there’s been a lot going on.”

“sure seems that way,” granddad says. “well. sounds like a welcome home dinner is in order, don’t you think? well, that’s settled. i think i’d like to speak to my grandson now, if that’s alright with you.” 

“just tell him the truth,” eli says, and then, “something got in my head, and made me say things, and goplaces, and i don’t even know…”

but granddad’s safe. granddad’s safe, at least. 

“christ, derek, tell me the goddamn nogitsune isn’t in eli’s head right now,” granddad says. “when were you planning on filling me in on that development? ah. and that’d be what got stiles involved, i bet. how’m i doing so far?”

“not bad,” dad says, but eli says, “are we related to you? like, genetically.” 

there’s a long, long pause. 

“well, i had my suspicions,” granddad says, finally, and dad nods, and eli takes a sharp double breath, and his eyes go hot. “your dad’ll have to explain how that can happen, exactly, but i doubt there’s anything that could really surprise me anymore. what’s the demon fox forecast right now? eli. does this feel real to you?” 

like maybe he’ll wake up, and wake up again. and be back to not moving. 

back to taunting stiles, or dad. 

or attacking someone. 

he shudders, covers his face. 

“i think… it’s still scaring him,” dad says. “he was convinced he’d seen you, and done something. that’s why i thought, i’d call…”

“and that’s a good instinct,” granddad says, and dad lets out a long breath, and looks down. nods, and nods, while granddad says, “you didn’t do anything to me, kiddo.”

“not that it would’ve been you,” dad says quickly, and granddad says, “no, of course not. no, i’ve been having a supremely uneventful morning. at least until this call, anyway. how does stiles fit in to all of this?”

dad and granddad talk for a while before stiles raps hard on the door.

“this is your one privacy warning!” he says. “two more minutes and i’m coming back in to make sure you’re both still breathing.”

“you can come in,” dad says, and eli nods, and dad opens the door for him. stiles rushes to eli immediately. 

“oh my god. hey, hey, eli. it’s okay! everyone’s okay.”

like he knows what eli’s been thinking already. maybe he does. 

“horror movie night, huh?” stiles says, and eli nods. swipes at his eyes, and stiles says, “we were with you, okay? i swear, you didn’t hurt anyone.” 

and then—he breaks the circle.

“what are you doing?” eli says, but stiles is already shaking his head, dragging him in close. “stiles!what if i…”

“i don’t think demon guy would let you warn me,” stiles says. “i think you’re just you now. and i’m willing to test the theory.”

it’s weird, being hugged so carefully. by your other dad, who you’ve never even really seen outside of pictures. 

and who you didn’t even know was related to you. 

“i’m having a kind of a strange instinct, so feel free to veto this,” stiles says. “but… my mom used to call me baby, you know? in this kind of moment. and i kind of… through the whole, nogitsune living in my head ordeal. that’s kind of all i… nope! don’t worry.” 

stiles steps back, hands raised slightly. 

but it might be nice. it might be… dad’s never done anything like that, but that doesn’t mean… 

“you could try,” eli says, and stiles stares at him. 

“please don’t feel pressured by that at all,” he says. “by, by my over-sharing.”

but eli doesn’t. it’s not, it’s worth a try. 

if stiles wanted it. so it must’ve felt good, when his mom… 

not that eli would know what having a mom feels like anyway.  

“are you sure?” stiles says, and eli shrugs. “yeah, okay. we’ll like, ease into it, maybe.” 

“i never had a mom,” eli says, and stiles says, “oh my god. i didn’t even… that didn’t even occur to me.” 

and then he’s drawing eli close again. 

and in a second, eli’s shaking. 

“i know,” stiles says. “i know, i know. but i’m here, okay? and i’m gonna be here, from now on. and i’m gonna, i’m gonna protect you. from now on, from anything.” 

eli’s eyes prickle, and burn, and stiles says, “i wish i could’ve been here from the beginning. but i swear, you’re always gonna have me around. i’m gonna find a place close to here, you’re gonna see me all the time. baseball, can we go to a baseball game? because i would love that, oh my god. that would seriously… that would be amazing.” 

that would, yeah. eli nods, and nods.

“i know it’s early to say stuff like this,” stiles says. “but i love you so much, eli. i do, really. and you don’t have to… and if that’s way too much too soon, just tell me. or like, shake your head, or make a face.”

but it’s not. it’s not.

it feels good already. even if it’s half-awkward, it doesn’t matter.

eli doesn’t want him to stop. 

“it told me that it left because of baseball,” he says. “could that be true? because i was just… and it wasn’t even stats, it was a meme.”  

“this i have to hear,” stiles says, and eli says, “it’s not even that funny. the castellanos one?”

“and that’s a drive into deep left field…” stiles says, doing a kind of voice. eli nods. “now that’s a throwback. and that’s why it took off?”

that’s what it said, anyway.

“i guess fox demons aren’t baseball fans,” stiles says. “good to know! that would’ve solved… a lot of my problems early.”

“we could take dad to a game,” eli suggests. “like, for his safety.” 

“hands-on learning,” stiles says, and nods. “that’s foolproof logic to me. derek, wha’d’you think?”

across the room, dad rolls his eyes. “sounds like i don’t have a choice.”

“you really don’t!” stiles says, and eli grins. “hyperfixations, huh? turns out they’re lifesaving.”

“we can go to a basketball game also,” eli offers. “that way it evens out.”

across the room, dad nods. “that’s more like it.” 

“so typical,” stiles says, shaking his head. “so predictable. if it’s the one you know… i’m not making you watch lacrosse, am i? it’s baseball! the american pastime.”

“i already said yes, stiles,” dad says, and stiles says, “oh is that what you said? because i could’ve sworn what you said was big moody groan.” 

dad rolls his eyes. “why do i put up with you again?”

“one of life’s great mysteries,” stiles says, and dad says, “you’ll solve it eventually.”

child in the room, eli almost says, but he doesn’t.

he just looks down until the long long moment’s over. 

[for the canon-compliant ending ft stiles, click here. i apologize in advance.]

[for a slightly less angsty happy ending, click here.]

[for the totally angstless ending, click here.]

[highwaytohoech]

Stiles + burying his nose in his dads shoulder

[highwaytohoech]

previously, on nogitsune eli

it’s just a dream. it has to be. just one more nogitsune game, another nightmare.

eli just wants to wake up screaming. 

“dad! no, DAD!”

and dad would find him in a second, he’d wrap him up.  

whoa, eli. it’s okay! 

it’s okay, i’m right here. 

so it needs to be a dream. please, please. 

you know what? there’s actually a trick for this. next time you’re stuck in a bad dream? count your fingers. 

eli looks down at his hands. and scrubs at his eyes, and counts again. 

“i’m sorry,” stiles says, and hugs eli closer. “oh, my god, i’m so sorry.” 

eli just cries. 

stiles says, “he loved you so much, eli. i know he did.”

eli doesn’t even try to speak anymore.

granddad’s pale, and stunned, but he hugs eli hard. tries to hug stiles, who shakes his head, covers his eyes. 

slides closer to eli, squeezes his shoulder. 

eli stares at stiles’ hand. 

the funeral’s a blur. the week after. stiles steps out for a while, comes back with his eyes raw. 

eli moves closer to him. 

it’s not okay. it’s not. it’s not.

it doesn’t get more normal. stiles moving in, and his dad, and dad never being around anymore. 

never, never. 

“he was a good man,” granddad says, and stiles has to leave again. “a very good man. i should’ve said that more.”

when your dad was alive. eli wants to scream. 

he doesn’t say anything.

he knocks on the jeep window, eventually. stiles startles, swipes at his eyes. 

unlocks the door, and eli gets in next to him. stiles leans over and hugs him. 

“how does this turn okay, huh?” he says. “any of it.” 

eli doesn’t know.

but it feels better to hear someone admit it. to not just tell him they’re sorry, and how lucky he was to ever have his dad at all. 

“there’s a lot i wanted to say to your dad,” stiles says. “for a long time. i just never thought...” 

that it could just end? too late, game over. better luck never, you only get one try. 

“i wish there was a way around it,” stiles says. “some kind of… loophole, i don’t know. magic something. he’s a werewolf!” he says, and his face fills with disbelief saying it, even now. “you know how many times we almost died together? but we always made it out. that guy could heal anything. and bitch at me at the same time.” 

almost laughing. and then he’s not laughing, covering his eyes. 

“this is the last thing you wanna hear right now.”

“no,” eli says, and it’s true. “i wanna hear about him. how he was.”

from someone who… loved him, maybe. more than granddad, or scott. 

maybe more than anyone. 

“you say that now,” stiles says. “but fair warning! i’ve got a million derek hale stories. i may never stop.” 

good. good. 

“any in the jeep?” eli says, and stiles says, “so many. okay! i have a good one.” 

it’s still awful. and crazy, and unreal, dad being gone. 

but the more stiles talks, eli can almost feel him. in the car, just behind them, watching them talk. 

“bane of my life, i swear,” stiles is saying. laughing, looking over at him.

sure i was, dad says, somewhere out there, and rolls his eyes.

[for a much happier ending, click here.]

[for a slightly angsty but still happy ending, click here.]

[for yet another one of these because apparently i don’t know how to stop myself, come back on friday! no one dies, i promise.]

[highwaytohoech]

previously, on nogitsune eli

“eli,” dad says, through the fog. “eli. can you hear me?”

the circle is gone. and dad’s eyes widen, when eli nods, opening up his arms, eli stumbling close. dad’s arms close tight around him, and then they’re both shuddering. 

eli cries, for a while. and dad says, “it’s not true. anything it said to you… i promise, eli.”

says, “stiles can tell you. it tried saying so many misleading things to him last time. about his dad, about scott…”

“about you?” eli says, and dad hesitates. 

“we’ve never talked about that specifically,” he says. “but knowing how something like that operates? i wouldn’t be surprised.”

“and that’s why he couldn’t stay here,” eli says, and dad stares at him. 

lets out a sharp breath, shakes his head. 

“i think… it was a lot of things.” 

“but that was part of it,” eli says, and then, “did it say something to you? about what stiles was feeling.” 

and that’s why dad never tried to go after him, once stiles got far enough to breathe again. because maybe dad said he didn’t believe any of the stuff it made stiles say, but deep down?

deep down, of course he did. 

something like i don’t even like you. something like you know what you do? you ruin lives. 

you were right, you know that? everyone around you does get hurt.

so why don’t you just stay the hell away from me?

it wasn’t stiles. but it would’ve felt like it. 

and afterward, if they never tried to talk about it… 

or if stiles tried to apologize, or take it back, you have to know, when i said that, i didn’t mean…

but it just stuck around in dad’s head anyway.

he tells stiles. he runs to tell stiles, he has to. 

watches stiles’ face change three hundred times in thirty seconds, processing it. 

“oh my god,” he says, finally. “i’m… he told me it was fine. that obviously it wasn’t me, or something i’d ever say, so i shouldn’t even… oh my god, of course he did. what was he gonna say, ‘to be honest, stiles, it’s already been fully internalized for like a week by now’? ‘but you’ve clearly got bigger problems, so no, it probably isn’t gonna be playing in my head for the next twenty years or anything, don’t even worry!’ of course he was fine. well, we’re definitely having that talk now. as soon as i can… you’re the light of my life, eli, seriously. i swear, you’re the smartest kid in the world.” 

eli’s face is very hot. he rolls his eyes. “sure i am.”

“yeah, you are,” stiles says. “i don’t say that lightly! stilinski promise.” 

eli rolls his eyes again. 

“and you wouldn’t be a hale without the eyerolling,” stiles says. “and… the selflessness, and the strength. when my head was finally mine again? i was a mess, are you kidding? i don’t think i thought about anyone else’s feelings for two months at least.” 

it’s too much praise at once to feel real, or feel like anything. 

even if it’s nice of stiles, at the same time. 

“too much? i can stop for a while,” stiles says, and eli blinks at him. “well, no promises. i can try.” 

eli rolls his eyes again. 

“i think… your dad and me need a serious talk,” stiles says. “and then a group hug, and then we’ll sleep for a week.” 

“are you gonna move back to beacon hills?” eli says. “dad said… you had a really bad time here.” 

“things change,” stiles says. “pretty dramatically, i think! and besides, you have school here… yeah, i’m not leaving.” 

“i could miss some school,” eli offers, and stiles says, “and that’s definitely the stilinski side. nice try! but i’ll buy you a mental health day or two.” 

“didn’t you say we’d sleep for a week?” eli says innocently. “and i’m the one who actually had the nogitsune in my head.” 

“unbelievable,” stiles says. “my dad was right about everything.”

whatever that means. but it feels good, anyway. feels—close to normal. 

“i’m gonna go talk to your dad,” stiles says, and eli nods. “and then, i think… have you ever had małdrzyki? cheese pancakes, with lemon… why am i asking? the answer is no.” 

“cheese latkes?” eli says. “granddad makes them sometimes.”

“granddad,” stiles says. “…my dad’s been doing the cooking? i should’ve checked on you guys a long time ago.” 

maybe. eli says, “they’re good! dad puts powdered sugar.”

“whoa, whoawhoawhoawhoa,” stiles says. “your dad’s been eating małdrzyki without me? i’m calling the police.” 

eli laughs.

“by which i mean my dad,” stiles clarifies. “because this is a betrayal like no other. i’m gonna need some compensation immediately. pancake-shaped.” 

“i probably shouldn’t tell you that dad also makes them sometimes,” eli says, and watches stiles’ eyes go wide. 

“i take back everything i said,” he says. “family fry-off. this is happening!”

“with blueberries,” eli adds, and stiles says, “sacrilege. tasty, tasty sacrilege. i’m getting way too hungry.” 

“we could get something,” eli offers generously. “for us, and for dad. can’t have such a big talk on an empty stomach, you know?”

“i can’t argue with that,” stiles says. “not in these conditions, anyway, i’m starving. is that little place on Birch still around?”

[for an even fluffier ending, click here.]

[highwaytohoech]

“All right, so the vampire’s gravestone is–”

“Cenotaph.”

“What?”

“It’s only a gravestone if it marks the location of a body. A monument honouring someone whose body isn’t present is a cenotaph.”

“I’m… not sure that’s how it works if the body gets up and walks away on its own.“

“There’s precedent for gravestones being reclassified as cenotaphs if the body is later removed and reinterred elsewhere. There’s no rule that says the body itself can’t do the removing.“

“Okay, but the body very much is coming back. That’s kind of what we’re here to accomplish.”

“So it’s a temporary cenotaph.”

“And naturally our greatest concern here is avoiding semantic ambiguity.“

“Semantic ambiguity is how vampires get you.”