#fic by betp

[teencopandthesourwolf]

oh! i meant that in the best way. i know you enjoy twilight

aha, bless you forever, nonny. yes, i enjoy twilight like i enjoy my men (i currently have no idea where i'm going with this so bear with me); with catholic guilt and much glee and, uh, a tongue in my cheek? yeah, that'll do lol twilight is honestly ridiculous but in the best possible way and it's also like a fine wine. but a non-alcoholic one pfft.

anyways THIS is the only other sterek twilight au i've ever read (by the inimitable betp who also wrote what is one of my favourite e v e r sterek fics: and i still try) and it is bloody brilliant! soOoo fingers crossed your rec can compare :)

have you read it btw? let me know!

[suchasourwolfie]

Sterek HS AU’s

Practice Makes Perfect Series by @blacktofade

One of the best Sterek HS AUs.  Derek is Captain of the Lacrosse team.  Scott and Stiles make the team somehow.  

Option C) Some Bad Guys are Werewolves, but not all Werewolves are Bad Guys by Calrissian18 @wellhalesbells​

All the high school days nostalgia Sterek style. QuietBroodingJock!Derek / Nerd!Stiles

Binomial Coefficients by @devildoll

So many beautifully awkward moments. Captured flawlessly the nerd / jock romance.

I laughed out loud at so many lines, but this is my favorite line: “Derek always looks slightly annoyed with everyone around him, and he still has more friends than Stiles.”

Here’s To You, Kiddo by MellytheHun @loserchildhotpants​

Jock!Werewolf!Protective!Pining!Derek, Artist!Stiles, Bully!Jackson. Sweet and easy HS AU read. 

What Good Are Rules If You Can’t Break Them by wishingonalightningbolt

Stiles and Derek use their antagonistic relationship to keep their no-strings-attached-sex relationship a secret. “It goes about as well as you’d expect.” 

The Socioeconomic Repercussions of Mutually Assured Destruction by alocalband

Derek is the cool, but quiet kid.  Stiles is a flaily nerd. Checks all the Sterek HS AU boxes. 

Tutor!Verse by betp @lavenderek​

Snack size vignettes following Jock!Derek and “Geek”!Stiles. The first Not Another Sterek Romance ... is completely fulfilling on it’s own if you are not looking for a series read. 

The Nerd Party by bibliosexual @biliosexxual

Lacrosse Captain (and closet nerd) Derek Hale and Unabashed nerd Stiles Stilinski discover they have a common interest and something to talk about. Hales!Live. 

The Athlete & the Criminal by @damnfancyscotch 

Well done spin on The Breakfast Club with Stiles as The Jock" and Derek as "The Criminal". Nothing too deep, but a quick feel good read.

Covelant Bonds Series by @halffizzbin 

Nerd!Derek and Jock!Stiles get paired as chemistry partners. 

You Were Only 17 Series by MellytheHun @loserchildhotpants​

Antagonistic!Derek “bullies” Stiles until the tension gets so thick a kiss is stolen and everything becomes clear. (The “bullying” in this fic is akin to some vexing pigtail pulling - attention seeking, not malicious.)  

You’ve Got Notes by the_gramophone

Jock!Derek, Nerd!Stiles. Derek and Laura are twins and in the same grade as Stiles. Stiles keeps receiving notes in his locker that are anonymous love letters. It’s sweet, then heart breaking, then brilliantly, dramatically butterfly inducing. 

You Can Hear It In the Silence by Emela

I’m sorry to see this one was deleted. It’s a bit more of a serious take on the HS AU with a “John Goode YA feel” about it. A secret relationship between a formerly popular Derek - who has been “outed” by a vindictive Kate and ostracized by a homophobic student body and a firmly closeted, newly popular Stiles.  Beyond the Sterek relationship it took on some coming of age themes in a societal context. 

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hi, I am looking for a fic, but I can't remeber if it was Stiles/Derek or Stiles/Peter where Stiles feels like Derek/Peter has been ignoring them and prefers to spend time with a friend , who dislikes Stiles, and I believe the friend hides Derek/Peter's phone so they don't see Stile's text, I remeber they lived together and that afterwards Derek/Peter looks for Stiles at his job and since its late and there is no one I think they sleep together, but I may also be mistaking two fics for one, I am not sure, but thank you for your help.

Hi @no-name-for-me! @anowlnamedpig found this one.

Viridian by betp

(1/1 I 5,967 I Not Rated I Sterek)

"Dude, forget Stiles."

[christinesficrecs]

Screamed when I realized you were still an active blogger! Just starting to get back into Sterek. Do you know many fics like The Mating Privilege? So they are dating but have to pretend not to and Derek basically ends up neglecting Stiles and their relationship? A lot of older stories don’t have a ton of tags so thought I’d give it a try:) thanks lovely!

Welcome back! ❤️ Well not very many, but here are a few.

The Mating Privilege by Kikileduc | 35.3K | Mature

Stiles and Derek have been happily mated. The pack is doing well, but in hopes of creating alliances for it to do better, Derek accepts a neighboring pack's request to allow two wolves to join the Hale-McCall pack for a full moon cycle. They hope to form a blood-tie, or at least a long term friendship between the two packs. The issue is Kohona, the tribal leader's daughter, has her eyes set on an unavailable alpha wolf. This could have drastic consequences for their young emissary, however...

I don't like the way she's looking at you (I'm starting to think you want her too) by May_Belle | 13.7K | Mature

It has to look like you and Derek haven't fucked on every flat surface of this house this week alone so that Tessa sees Derek as a strong, totally available alpha that she can possibly make several babies with one day."

Or the one where Stiles and Derek pretend they aren't completely in love with each other for the sake of a possible pack alliance.

Taught by Experts by unpossible | 29K

“Let me get this straight,” Stiles says. “You’re going to be publicly dating someone else.”

How I Long For Yesterday by sweetbutterbliss | 6K | Mature

Stiles blinks, his throat going dry, and he moves his thumb without thinking - liking the post. He feels a surge of petty satisfaction. At least the fucker will know he knows now. He stands up, his body feeling too heavy, and he blows out the already guttering candles. He lets out a sob of frustration when the last one won't fucking blow out. But he sucks it back in and bites down on his tongue, using his thumb and forefinger instead.

He throws himself into their empty bed without undressing. He lies there repeating the words 'Derek blew me off for Isaac' over and over. He tells himself to shut up while rearranging his pillow violently, but he goes to sleep with the refrain continuing its painful loop.

Viridian by betp | 5.9K

Dude, forget Stiles."

[ionlydrinkhotwater]

In Other Lands Fic recs

Wanted to recommend some amazing IOL fics and give some love to the writers!

7. The Next Chapter by coslyons

Elliot and Dragons who are full on thirsty for him need I say more? It's actually very sweet and wholesome, Ns extremely funny I really enjoyed it and I am certain you would too

6. Be Bold, but not Too Bold by meguri_aite

Another Elliot dragon fic but this one is from Lukes POV and is very sweet and romantic. It has Diane Wynne Jones energy and I am here for it

5. Yule in the Borderlands by FrenchRoast

Omg this is a delight!!!!!! Nice Xmas vibes and very cute. This fic highlights that the Borderlands is a big place with its own culture! I really enjoyed this fic it was warn and hilarious

4. Gratuitous Hypothermia Prevention Fic by betp

This fic was so sweet lots of adorable Sunbrat and everyone doting on a sick Elliot.

3. All I Want Is You by frogy

Imagines of the residents of the Borderlands could travel to the human world and for the best reason ever! Goldens Bachelor Party! Luke is SUCH. A bird in this fic it's great Goldens friends are PERFECT and it's easily one of my favourite fics it's too funny

2. Elliot Enchanted by @elliotschaferr

This fic is still ongoing and it is INCREDIBLE. The premise alone: Ella Enchanted meets IOL its too good. The author captured the characters voices really well and I cannot wait for more

1. Pick Your Poison by Penndragon27

OK this fic is so good I've re read it so many times cause I can't get enough of it. The writer not only captures the characters so well but had me laughing and crying every chapter. I cannot recommend this one enough!

Feel free to add your own recs as well!!!!!

[lavenderek]

Betp can you write us something cliche like amnesia fic or something? Pleazzzeee

The first thing Stiles experiences is nausea. The second is sound. It's a very quiet cacophony of voices and footsteps, somewhere far away and to his left; and to his right, beeping. It's familiar, but he can't identify it. The whole world is dark, and he starts to panic; but then he remembers how eyes work. The lights, once he opens his eyes, are bright to a fault: it's painful and white. Stiles groans, just as a lament of his whole situation. Then, then, a person appears.

The person leans over him, startling him. The person is a man, and the man has dark hair and a beard. "Uh," says Stiles eloquently. He has the impulse to start reciting the date and location, but he can't place why, and he can't remember the date and location.

"Stiles," says the person, coming more into focus. He has very stormy eyebrows, dark and low to his eyes. If Stiles could figure out where his arms were, he'd use them to reach up and touch this man's eyebrows. "You got it?" asks the man resignedly.

"No," says Stiles gratefully. "Where and when?"

"Hospital," answers Stormbrows, "August tenth."

Stiles swallows and it's like trying to budge a tennis ball through a sink pipe. Shutting his eyes, he says, "You gotta hook me up with a year, pal."

"God," mutters Stormy. Then, "2019."

"2019," Stiles repeats. That doesn't mean anything. Twenty-nineteen. That's not how numbers work. "That's not real," Stiles breaks it to him.

"It's what?" And oh, oh jesus, if this man doesn't have the most terrifyingly beautiful eyes Stiles has ever seen up close. If his brows are stormclouds, this man's eyes are the sea beneath them, choppy and bluegreen and grey and brown. To top it all off, he looks annoyed and perplexed, and all the while there's something familiar and comforting about him. Stiles falls desperately in love in a matter of seconds. He's gotta have him. "You're out of it," the guy tells him pointlessly.

"I think I'm into dudes," Stiles answers. He's having a revelation. He's revelating. "Jeez. Fuck. Who, what's your name?"

The eyebrows have gone up a little. The guy hesitates. He looks around. Then he looks back at Stiles. He says, "Derek?"

Derek. "Could be worse," soothes Stiles. "Could be Kurt. Could be Skyler. Don't worry."

"I wasn't worried, Stiles."

"I was. But I'm over it. What was it again?"

The guy sighs. "Derek."

Right. Derek. Derek dips out of view. Stiles waits, but Derek doesn't come back. "No," pleads Stiles, "where'd you—come back," he's starting to panic—

"It's fine," Derek comes back, brows furrowed a little. He's showing Stiles a phone. Stiles' eyes can't focus on the words on the screen, but it's clearly a text conversation. "I was just telling your dad you're alive. Relax."

"You relax," croaks Stiles. That gets an unwilling smirk. "Derek," says Stiles. The name fits in his mouth. He thought it was wrong before, but now that he says it out loud, he can tell that it works. "Derek," he says again, "who—where did you come from?"

"California," says Derek. He reaches up and Stiles feels Derek's fingers on his forehead, brushing his hair back maybe. His touch is warm and Stiles wants more of it.

"Are we in California?"

"No, actually. We're in Colorado."

"Oh, god," groans Stiles, "why?"

Derek laughs, then, once and clearly unexpected. Little soft lines at the outside corners of his eyes. His teeth are kind of crooked, too, and it's nice knowing he has one flaw. It means he's real. "Your cousin's wedding," he says. "Destination wedding to Aspen."

"Aspen," Stiles gripes. Derek nods once, magnanimously. Stiles says, "I don't have a cousin."

"You have four cousins," corrects Derek reasonably, "and a fifth on the way."

"Don't like that," Stiles announces. "California," then. And finally, "Derek. Whoever you're dating, are you dating somebody?"

"I," says Derek instinctively. He draws out the sound a little. "I believe I am, yes."

"Okay. Whoever you're dating, can you dump them and run away with me please?"

"Can I what?"

"Run away with me." That phrase sounds familiar. Musical, somehow. Stiles dismisses this. "C'mon. I said please."

"I will gladly dump the person I'm dating," Derek assures him drily. He is clearly amused. "Subject change, Stiles. Do you know why you're here?"

"To meet you," says Stiles sincerely.

"Close. Only not at all—"

"You're joking? I'm not. I want to."

"Stiles—"

"I just need to find my legs."

"Stiles…"

"I wanna run away with you—"

"God, Stiles, you already did," says Derek exasperatedly. "To your cousin's wedding in Aspen. We are dating. I am dating you."

That doesn't compute. How can Stiles be seeing a man when he just realized thirty seconds ago he likes men? How can Stiles be dating this man and not remember it? Nope, "Pretty sure I'd remember that, bucko," says Stiles smugly.

"Evidently not."

"You're a douchebag," Stiles decides. "That's okay.” He takes Derek in again: Derek’s rolling his eyes and facetiously thanking Stiles for granting him permission to be a douchebag. The shitty attitude is what finally convinces Stiles. “We're dating?"

"Yes," stresses Derek.

"Shit," breathes Stiles. Derek's eyes. His beard. Stiles wants him desperately, so bad it aches in his chest. "You're serious." Derek just raises his eyebrows and looks annoyed. "How'd I pull that off?"

"It's anyone's guess," says Derek.

"You're so… attractive—" Derek sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Help me sit up. I want to look at you —”

"Subject change…"

"Prove it."

"I—what?"

"Prove it." Stiles is genuinely anxious to know something, seeing as everything he's said so far has been wrong. Stupidly, he feels his eyes start to well up. "I can't be—I don't remember—Please tell me something—"

"No. Hey. Calm down." Derek's annoyance has melted away. He's brushing Stiles' hair back again, and Stiles catches his breath. "You… you like peanut butter?"

"Everyone likes peanut butter, Derek," says Stiles miserably.

"I don't—fine. You're kind of shitty at lacrosse. You love baseball…"

"What the hell is lacrosse?"

Derek snorts a little, and then presses the back of his hand to his mouth. Then he tries, "Your earliest memory is of your mom grabbing your arm so you wouldn't walk off a pier in Santa Cruz." Stiles blinks up at the ceiling. He remembers that. He remembers crying, and his mom saying, Jesus! Je—jiminy Christmas! "Your two best friends just got engaged," Derek goes on. Stiles doesn't have faces or names, but he recalls an expansive feeling in his chest. "And you're here because you got your gall bladder taken out."

"My gall bladder?"

"You scared," Derek stresses, going stormy again, "the shit out of me."

"My gall bladder."

"Yes."

"If there was ever a less sexy operation to have," begins Stiles. He's swallowing again. Sighing, Derek holds a cup to his lips. Stiles drinks some of it. It's Sprite, mostly flat. That's familiar, too. "How long?" he asks weakly.

"I dunno. A little more than a day…"

"No. How long have you been, uh," Stiles looks at his eyes again. "Tapping this."

"I'm not going to answer that until you phrase it like an adult."

"Googoo gaga," says Stiles irritably. Derek tilts his head to the side, casually, like he's observing a TV show. "How long have we been, um, dating?"

Derek smirks a little, and then looks at the wall above Stiles' head. "You're gonna get mad if I tell you."

"No, I'm not."

"You are. You're gonna be mad."

"Unless it's one hour, I don't…"

"Three years."

He looks back at Stiles. And he was right. Stiles is mad. "I'm not mad."

"Yes, you are."

How could Stiles have forgotten three years? "I'm not mad."

"Stiles, I can tell you're mad. I'm gonna get the nurse."

"Don't get the nurse. Hold my hand."

"How about," says Derek, sighing and touching his forehead again, "I get the nurse, and then I come back, and then I hold your stupid hand."

Stiles is exhausted. "Is your body as nice as your face, or is it as shitty as your personality?"

"Back button," says Derek.

"Is it nice?"

"Stop it."

"Tell me."

"Yes. Okay? I'm going now."

Stiles figures out how to turn his head just in time to see Derek walk out the door. "Fuck," he whispers. "It is."

[sodapopblues]

My Christmas Eve Stiles and Derek fic rec authored by the incomparable betp. This is intensely romantic and perfectly sterek.

“And when Derek kissed him, that was his last first kiss”

[austenkitty1791]

A Few of My Favorite Sterek Fics - pt 1

I am so thankful for all the awesome fan fictions writers out there who take their precious time to write these stories and, best of all, share them with us. I also love other people's fan fic rec lists. Here are a random few of my many, many fav Sterek fics. Check out the other works by these talented authors.

What We Called Love by jadore_hale E 105K I've read this so many times. Super sassy stiles. Rich, beautiful, broken Derek. I laughed. I cried. J'adore!

The Dirtiest Thing You Know by Nanoochka E 13K This is how I imagined cannon sex to start. They are so in character.

Sell Your Body to the Night by Dira Sudis (dsudis) E 122K Prostitute Stiles and some seriously kinky sex. Brilliantly, it also comes with touching feels.

Do Not Go Gentle by Mojoflower E 196K OMG! Something super-cute happens! I won't spoil it. Omegaverse-ish with doms and their subs. Can't-help-themselves hot sex and hurt/comfort. Love it.

The Creepy Cave by wangler E 4K Kinky tenticle sex. So much fun. Hehe

Bloodsport (Brothers) by NARKOTIKA E 90K Beautiful, struggling, Omega, single mother Stiles, and gruff, self-torturing, MMA fighter Derek. Adorable kids and an alive Hale family full of drama. So good.

Give you that thing you can't even imagine by LunaCanisLupus_22 E 11K Oh, this made me laugh. I love omegaverse where they just can't keep their hands off each other. Their families’ reactions are a treat.

A Wolf and His Boy by lovesrain44 M 59K Derek takes care of hurt Stiles in a way that is in character. A reluctant love develops between a damaged wolf and his broken boy. Check the tags on this before reading. It doesn't pull it's punches.

I Forgot All The Rules Today by entanglednow E 3K Daaamn! Short and super hot.

Exposure by wangler T 3K Hypothermia is my jam. I love Derek's observations of Stiles's body as it really is. Derek's wolfishness is near the surface!

Do You Know by betp NR 118K I hate to recommend unfinished works, but this one has stuck with me. Great exploration of Derek's character and his struggles as a father. I love how he loves Stiles.

Sowing Season by WeAreTheCyclones M 253K This has an amazing sequel but I love this beginning. The author really takes the time to develop a beautiful relationship. Plus singer, ultra-cool Stiles is super hot here.

[swingsetindecember]

@lavenderek forgive the bad audio but i did gush about you

the fic i talk about is Not Another Sterek Romance (It Is Absolutely Another Sterek Romance) by betp

[phdmama]

May We Lift Each Other Up 12

Spirit grows when love goes away Sterek, 50866 words,  Explicit by @lunacanislupus-22-blog (AO3)

& 

Viridian Sterek, 5967 words, Not Rated by betp (AO3) [It’s unclear to me if betp is on tumblr or not! If anyone knows, I’d love to tag them.]

I’m putting these two together because the first fic listed is inspired by the second and they’re both GREAT!!

Both of these fics take a look at the idea of how established relationships handle change, and how couples handle having other friendships (and what turn out to be threats to their relationship). So, both of these authors are really good and I could rec many of their fics, but these two really stick out out to me as a pair.

The writing is really great in both. They both capture a banter that rests of really profound feelings, which, we all know, is my JAM. I love the vulnerability and strength.

Viridian, being much shorter, is more of a snapshot, with the story obviously being more compressed, but it’s so well-done, and the author manages to put so much into 6000 words, it’s kind of amazing!

Spirit grows, though, is a much more filled-out story, and it’s so good. I love the way the author weaves in the strength of their connection, the complexity of these two people. PTSD is also one of my favorite things, and this author manags to weave in some of that story in a way that feels really authentic and powerful to me. 

As always, read the tags to make sure it’s For You™, but I really rec both of these fic!!

[halffizzbin]

this is a little bit ridiculous but, hey, it's 2019 &we're in the middle of the Twilight Renaissance– if... Someone... Was to write a Twilight au sterek fic do you think anyone would read it? AFAIK there's only 1 twilight au on ao3 &even though TW ended years ago,, we deserve this,,

Haha yes, the only one I know about is Betp’s!  It’s hilarious and in first person POV for max authenticity. 

I for one would definitely read an infinite number of Twilight AUs. Go for it dude. FILL THE VOID.

[mojoflower]

Genderswap (&/or Rule 63) in my Various Fandoms:  fic recs

Teen Wolf

turn the tires toward the street by leahalexis E, 7k.

He’s got it really bad for Dara Hale. He knows this, okay?He wishes he could protect her, which is stupid, because she’s got an inch of height and twenty-five pounds of sheer muscle on him, not to mention the supernatural strength and speed and healing.“What do you want, Stiles?” she says, voice breaking. She finally opens her eyes, and they’re bright and wet, eyelashes spiky with tears.--Dara Hale, Stiles Stilinski, a dark alley, and a question of trust.

Huh, interesting. Usually I have trouble with Derek as a girl (and in this case, it was doubly weird, because my little sister's name is Dara, and while she's nearly 6-feet tall, she's also very skinny and pale and red-headed and so very not-sexy, eww) but I really enjoyed the dynamic of Stiles being - while still male - shorter, slighter, completely virginial, and looking to Derek (Dara) for experience and guidance. Author described it really well. (Also, when she was rimming Stiles, whew, holy wow.)

Switching Goals by betp E, 4k.

“You’re kind of cute,” Lydia says, changing the subject, “in a sort of… lost baby squirrel in a pixie cut sort of way.”  //  “Great,” he says, fumbling ineptly with the clasp on the bra. “Th… thanks, Lydia, that’s… quite the endorsement. I’m vermin.”  //  Lydia and Erica peaceably watch him fuck around with the hooks for a full five minutes, this look on their faces like justice is finally being delivered. Stiles refuses to lose his temper with the thing in front of them, so he just doggedly keeps at it. Eventually, Lydia says, “We might have to invest in a frontal clasp for you.”

Lol.

Stiles can’t argue with him, because Derek is touching him and it’s distracting. “Have you touched yourself?”

“A little,” admits Stiles. He swallows, watches Derek’s wrist intently. “I mean, it was mostly exploratory—for science. It wasn’t really, uh. Sensual. I tried, but I haven’t, um.” He stops. Derek’s fingers glide right in, and Stiles’ mouth drops open. “God, that’s wet,” he exclaims, pinched. “Oh, jesus. Can you—put your dick in there, just—”

“Let’s not rush it,” says Derek absently. Pulls his fingers out and they’re soaked.

“B-but I wa, I want… Don’t put those in your mouth, oh my god.” He stares, outraged, as Derek deliberately disobeys him, eyes shut. Stiles darts a hand down where Derek’s fingers were, just to feel. He’s never produced his own lube before; he’s definitely gonna miss that. “What, um. What does it taste like.”

Derek smirks. “Like you,” he says, and then before Stiles can react, Derek’s mouth is on him.

don't carry it all by grimm E, 7k.

There had been, Stiles tells his father carefully, a mix-up at Deaton's. 'A mix-up,' his father says flatly, and Stiles says, 'yeah.'

Maybe 'mix-up' was the wrong word to use. 'A flub of extraordinary proportions,' maybe, or, 'a fuck-up the likes of which you've never seen,' or maybe even, 'a crazy stupid amount of magic that ricocheted off Deaton's ward, mutated, and turned me into a girl.' Scott hadn't stopped laughing until Stiles kneed him in the balls, which had been oddly satisfying. Allison had given him a high-five.

Very nice, and surprisingly angsty: Stiles was really breaking my heart for the first half, so worried about Derek being mad at him and upset because his dad can't look at him since he looks just like his mama. Emotional hurt/comfort and gorgeous sex.

They Say It Should Be Someone You Really Love by winter_rogue E, 2.3k.

"Derek, tell me you’re the frog who’s going to get us out of the frying pan"

Well, well. Genderswap AND sex pollen. This is more a little slice of time than a complete story, but it's hot!

Girl Trouble by sffan E, 9k.

“Dude. You have boobs,” Scott replies, staring at Stiles’ chest.  //  “What?” Stiles puts hands on his chest, pauses a moment, and then cups his breasts. He pulls the neck of shirt out, and looks inside. “What the fuck, I have boobs! And what the hell has happened to my voice?”  //  “It’s an octave lower?” Derek deadpans, raising an eyebrow.

Exactly what you want from a Stiles-is-suddenly-a-girl fic. Delicious.

wax all the floors and open the trap doors by leahalexis T, 25k.

“We had a good thing going here, Derek!" Stiles said, her voice high and a little hysterical. "Like a buddy cop movie! With the sniping, and the—no kissing! There is no kissing in buddy cop movies!”  //  Jackson’s no longer a kamina, but Erica and Boyd are still missing. There’s a whole month left of school. Scott and Allison aren’t talking. And Stiles is pretty positive that Derek is gay.  //  Or she was, anyway. Pre-kissing.

This Stiles is hilarious: oblivious and chirpy and socially inept and dangerously curious and independant. Her friendship with Scott and Lydia are perfect, and not-gay Derek is kind of hilarious in his understated way. No sex yet, but I'm looking forward to the sequel....

Nothing Like Real Life by nightanddaze E, 14k.

Derek fucks the fairies up, but they fuck him up too. Stiles tries pretty unsuccessfully to keep his eyes and hands to himself. 


Interesting. Kind of sharp and hard-edged. Derek becomes a girl, but he's still a dick, and he lets Stiles fuck him, but it's pretty cold. And yet. Stiles keeps hand-washing his bras, though.

Air on a G String by rufflefeather E, 21k.

A Maenad is after Lydia, and when she doesn't get what she wants, she takes it out on Stiles.  //  Or the one where Stiles suddenly has lady bits and he's not quite sure what to do with them.

Het!sex is hot. Who knew?

Sink Us to Swim by mklutz T, 37k.

“Stiles,” Laura says, gently, “When all of this is over, when the rogue is taken care of, I think – I hope that your dad will join our pack. He’s always treated Derek and me almost like family, and I’d like to return the favor if I can. It’s fine,” she asserts, then corrects, “I’m going to make sure it’s fine.”

Heh, girl Stiles is a cutie.

Merlin

More Lovely and More Temperate by Saucery E, 10k.

Really, it was ridiculous to think that he couldn't handle a bit of drink, just because he was a woman. Arthur was getting sick and tired of attentive and semi-petrified knights trying to pry him away from his ale. He was Crown Prince, damn it - or Princess, for now - and he could celebrate his twenty-first birthday as he sodding well pleased.

"You're embarrassing yourself," hissed Merlin, after the good Sir Gawain caught himself staring down Arthur's bodice, went red in the face, and staggered away from the table like a man in fear for his sanity.  //  "I'm enjoying myself." Poor Gawain. He was such easy prey.  //  "You're flaunting your breasts."  //  "Isn't that what they're for? Morgana flaunts hers an awful lot."  //  Merlin's face contorted in an interesting way, and he glanced around the hall as if to check for Morgana's presence. "I can't believe you just said that," he whispered fiercely, "and also, I can't believe you're competing with Morgana over... over this!"  //  We've always competed, ever since we were children. Drove Father quite mad."  //  "I can imagine," Merlin muttered.  //  "And mine are bigger, anyway. They are, aren't they?"

Fuck. Me. That was so hot. Favorite.

Melinna by doomcanary M, 26k

Merlin learns the hard way that magic has a mind of its own. And sometimes, a body too...

Fun romp: Merlin gets stuck as a girl for a while, hijinks ensue (including a steamy one-off with Morgana). In the third one, Gwen is accidentally turned into a boy (which Lancelot finds very hot). In the fourth one, everyone is inexplicably in a sultan's palace (and harem) and Merlin keeps involuntarily switching between Merlin and Melinna. Melinna's funny, just like Merlin, really, irreverent and utterly unconcerned with how a woman is SUPPOSED to act.

Who Ever Desired by novemberlite E, 3k.

It was always meant to happen, but never this way.  //  or  //  Basic girl!Merlin/Arthur porn, really.

Whoa, Nellie. Hot!

Dewiniaeth by claire_debonair E, 31k.

Nimueh is set on destroying the Pendragons, yet again. They do say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, after all, and this time it's Merlin who bears the brunt of her scheming. Fairy tale princess he is not.

So.... Nimeuh turns Merlin into a girl and says he has to fuck Arthur to turn back... but it'll kill Arthur. Be warned that Merlin tries it first with a sweet OC, Garath, but that doesn't work. Arthur doesn't really make it into the story until the second third, and the sexual tension between them is pretty hot. Story loses a little coherency after they do the deed, but that's alright.

Walks In Beauty by burkesl17 E, 9.7k.

They all stared at Arthur's chest and that was when Merlin's brain really registered the thinner face, the smooth throat and he said feelingly, “Oh shit.” Gender switch, crack, true love, duels of honour and someone who really, really doesn't want to wear a dress.

Great genderswitch story. Arthur really, REALLY doesn't like it, and poor Merlin is going crazy, since they've only been lovers for a couple of months, and although he prefers men, female Arthur is hot.

In Turning We Come Around Right by janne_d M, 13k.

Arthur wakes up changed - and that changes everything else.

Poor Arthur is mortified by his new female body, and not only that, if anyone finds out, he'll lose his position as heir, which is far more serious. So Merlin takes care of him while he's locked in his room, and desperately searches for a cure, and meanwhile, UST and the ST, and mixed signals and serious hotness. Lovely.

The Course of True Love by Puckling E, 44k.

After Nimueh's death Albion needs a High Priestess, but what it's got is Merlin. Fortunately he'll serve after a few...modifications. Unfortunately for Merlin, being turned into a woman would be enough of a shock even without becoming the High Priestess. As is, it's his duty to sleep with the king or doom all of Albion.

44k words. Great story: Merlin becomes female after killing Nemueh, and it turns it it's because the Old Religion needs a new High Priestess now that he killed the old one. Simple solution, huh? Arthur finds out at an awkward time, Merlin is freaked 'cause he thinks he's going to have to have sex with Uther (so much nope, you don't even). His magic likes Arthur, surrounds him in a misty golden cloud and connects the two with a purring golden bond. His magic feels rather differently about Uther, who's surrounded in a pulsing black hole of yuck. Story might have started a little slow (or I could just have been tired and distracted), but soon picks up speed. Funny, sexy and interesting. What's not to love? *** Puckling is actually here on AO3, but doesn't have this particular story up, sadly. Keep checking: maybe it'll happen. Meanwhile, the site linked is an easy format to read.

The Prince's Mistress by thegirl M, 98k.

When Uther declared war on the Old Religion after the death of his wife in childbirth, he was warned that there would be consequences to his crusade beyond his worst nightmares. But Uther ignored these warnings, and the purge continued. If he'd known the price his people would pay for his vendetta, perhaps he would have been more wary.  //  Twenty years have passed since the great purge began, and Uther's subjects have grown barren. Fewer children are born with each passing year, until the very future of the Kingdom was endangered. In a final attempt to save Camelot, Uther decreed that men of the noble class were allowed to take mistresses without fear of condemnation. The social class from which the mistress originated didn't matter, as long as she was able to bear an heir - an heir that would be recognised and legitimised by the court.  //  Merlin, having been raised outside Camelot, knew little of these problems. If she had, she'd have thought twice before she saved the prat of a prince's life and was made his mistress as a 'reward' by Uther.

A fill from a kinkmeme prompt, which focuses on an canon AU where Merlin is a girl, Arthur's mistress, and the only hope for a waning Camelot.

Interesting premise. Merlin is a little frustrating, the way she just accepts, without angst, being a broodmare right away (there's no smexy times, really, this could easily be T), but other then that it's fast-paced and engaging. I'll keep an eye out for the series.

a tree and a bee and a flea, fiddle-dee-dee by Signe (oxoniensis) M, 8k.

Arthur is a princess. And other things he doesn't appreciate.

Love it. Hee, hee.

Just The Tip by Kateri E, 4k.

"Just the tip" Arthur asks of his now female manservant. "Please, just the tip"

 Marvel

Charlotte Francine Xavier by Blind_Author E, 72k.

Written for a prompt. A look at how the events of the movie would have changed if Charles was a woman. Very dark subject matter - past child abuse, past rape, mentions of the Holocaust.

Wow, this was very intense and very good. I LOVE how incredibly powerful Charlotte is, and how Erik slowly learns and accepts that, and how peaceful it makes HIM, to know that.

Dust on a Butterfly's Wings by cakeisnotpie M, 37k.

Miss Claire Francis Clinton Barton has a problem; calling in a favor from an old family friend seems like the best answer. Little does she know the events set in motion by one simple visit to the Coulson town home will lead her into a dangerous world. Lord Phillip Coulson, the Duke of Argyll is in need of a wife; all of his careful planning doesn't foresee Claire showing up on his doorstep and turning his life upside down. A steampunk Victorian alternate world with vampires, werewolves, magic, and mysticism and right in the middle of it all, Phil Coulson and a female Clint Barton. Oh, and a female Tony Stark, but that makes infinite sense, all things considered.

This was interesting: it took me a while to put all the strands together, but things moved fast once I did. I really love the ending.

Heart of Iron & Ice by darkseraphina E, 20k.

Antonia Stark was born a girl...and changed the world by not having a dick. Who knew? Also, she's a Guide. Tony still ends up in a cave in Afghanistan with iron in her heart and a box of scraps, and she still escapes. With style. And explosions - lots of explosions. Meeting a viking god from another realm - who's also a Sentinel - in the desert? Not part of her life plan. Good thing she's an engineer - and that he's very pretty. Tony likes pretty things.

Delightful little romp.

Amateur Theatrics by galaxysoup T, 27k.

In which Thor’s primary problem-solving method (a mighty blow from Mjolnir) fails to have the desired effect on a magical artifact, and his secondary method (a mightier blow from Mjolnir) proves to be actively disastrous.

Clint makes the absolute best Loki Daddy-uncle-brother-guardian-whatever. And kid!Loki is sweet as a pie. More or less.  [The genderswap here, Tony turns female, is brief and incidental.]

The Hobbit (always a girl!bilbo is very popular for some reason)

Durin's League by hobbitgrl E, 73k.

When the mysterious Durin's League takes the national spotlight in the battle against the super-powered villains of the Smaug Corporation Bilbo Baggins doesn't think much of it. At least not until Thorin Oakenshield crashes through her living room wall and Gandalf tells her she's their only hope.

Oh, good story. Much more intense than I'd expected, things are BAD, and there is violence and misunderstandings and hot het sex. Original! ***** But now she stood before an army, each hand coated in a glowing blue light that reflected and sparkled off the silvery material of her shirt. Perhaps, if she could have seen herself, she would have felt better knowing she stood tall—a warrior who gave hope to everyone around her, a beacon of courage and power that outshone even Kili. She was Bilbo Baggins: the dragonslayer.But Bilbo couldn’t see herself and she only knew she was choking on her heart, adrenaline making the world sharp and slow as she faced down overwhelming odds. So Bilbo did what she always did—she took a deep breath, braced herself, and met it head on.

Distances Both Physical and Emotional by The Feels Whale (miscellea) T, 32k.

There are no words adequate to describe the Last Homely House or the wonders of Lord Elrond’s hospitality, which seems impossible to strain even under the burden of thirteen empty dwarfish stomachs and their even more trying attitudes.  //  Having played hostess to those same stomachs in her time, Briar is duly impressed and endeavors to add to the burden as little as possible. This is made somewhat more difficult by the fact that elves, apparently, are better able to differentiate between hobbit gentlemen and hobbit ladies that dwarves seem to be. A fact Briar learned when Lord Elrond pulled her to one side after their meal and put her into the hands of his daughter and her women with a gentle smile.  //  Briar feels that she probably owes him a swift kick in the shins for that.

Huh, this is my first fem!Bilbo (Briar) story, and I really enjoyed it. The dwarves mistaking her for a him is pretty funny, and it's easy to see how it snowballs until it's easier for her to just let it go. Part 1 is Briar's POV (includes a little snogging etc.... might be a gentle T). Part 2 is Thorin's of the same events, but none of the same details, so it's not like reading the whole thing twice. Thorin notes that Hobbits as a species have a native magic to remain hidden, which explains the success of their burglar as well as the fact that when in Hobbiton, you can only go in circles going nowhere until guided by a Hobbit. And there are some cultural things during the visit with the elves that are very interesting. (I'd call Part 2 a G.)

The Tale of the Birds by pagination  G, 75k, WIP.

Four little hobbits went Adventuring. Bilba Baggins, sent to bring them back, found four little hobbit birds instead. Transformed along with a pair of dwarves by a batty wizard, their only hope is a spell that hasn't been performed in an Age. Bilba is a Baggins, which means Responsibility--and if traveling across Middle-Earth, dealing with ridiculously overprotective elves, and outsmarting a nutty king is what it takes, then that is simply what she'll have to do.  //  But goodness, she really could have done without this irritating dwarf prince!

This. Was SO DELIGHTFUL. Even if it ends before Thorin and Bilba ever meet face to face. Bilba is a HOOT, arching her way across half of Middle Earth to help her little hobbit (and dwarf) bird-friends. Everyone she meets along the way falls in love, she's such a unique, fiery, precious little thing. I dearly hope the author continues [19/?] someday, 'cause I can't wait to see what she and Thorin think of each other. (Even though everyone but Gandalf, Beorn and the hobbit-birds thinks she's a he.) Delightful.

Of Dwobbits, Dragons and Dwarves by ISeeFire T, 322k.

Bilba has been a slave her entire life. All she knows of the outside world is what she sees from time to time outside the gates of Moria and the stories her mother used to tell her. Stories of a place called the Shire where her mother once lived and a placed called Erebor where, as far as she knows, her father still lives. Stories of dragons a thousand times larger, and more intelligent, than the beasts the orcs rode and of a strange concept called freedom where one was allowed to live as they wished with no one to tell them what they could, or could not do.  //  The stories meant little to Bilba. The only future she had was to live, and die, as a slave as countless number had before her.  //  And then the orcs dragged an injured female firedrake through the gates, her rider screaming obscenities behind her as he fought to reach her side...and everything changed.

OH. Fuck. Me.

This was intense... and lovely, and dense and fast-paced and never ever lagged. I very nearly didn't read it, because it's not a pairing I follow, but dragons.... I thought it'd wallow in the slave thing, but it didn't at all, and Bilba, in spite of what's happened to her (and terrible terrible things have happened, don't doubt it -- although none of them were sexual, which was a relief) is STRONG, in spite of (and because of) being fucked up.

Each race of Middle Earth has an associated species of dragon, and certain people can form bonds with them, able to communicate telepathically w/the dragon and also with other riders. This is important, since Bilba's tongue was cut out some indeterminate time ago (she was born into slavery in the mines of Moria). When she finally stumbles free with the infant dragon, she winds up in the Shire for a couple of years... it's a loooong time, many years, before she meets Fili. She spends the interim being fucking badass and slaughtering Orcs left and right and basically being a thorn in the side of Azog, who used to own her.

But when you think that arc is done, there's another, and then another, and holy hell it gets intense, and shit keeps raining down. POV skips around a lot, and everyone is involved, all the races, and the author has their own plot, only borrowing loosely from canon. This was amazing, and is less about the pairing than it is about Bilba learning that there's another world out there, aside from rage and pain, and learns what's worth fighting for, and is able to direct and use her anger.

I loved this.  (Dragon AU.)

Hurricanes in Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire by 61Below M, 126k.

Bilbo was banished. That's it, the end. She wants nothing more to do with dwarves. Now all she needs to do is get back home, but there may be some complications along the way.

Oh, fuck ME, this was fantastic, and moved so quickly, I just devoured it today, and I'm still kind of gasping. You think it's just going to be pregnant Bilbo going home and misunderstanding and resolution with a cute baby, but no, nope, that's just the beginning, and then the real journey starts. Author melds this with LOTR, so that it's Bilbo making the journey to Mordor, Thorin by her side, and the cast is so RICH and nuanced and the interactions between dwarves, elves, hobbits, men and wizards is lovely with a lot of background (and also RADAGAST, can I just say RADAGAST, he's such a fucking spacey cutie and he takes Gandalf's place in some ways that make a lot of sense, although Gandalf is around, too). Just, this is a great story, read it, author has definitely done her reading. (Also, I love the way author writes sex, it's an interesting style to choose, but it definitely works.)

Dear Mr. Oakenshield by Ridel No Rating, 1.2k.

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins is exactly the sort of person who thinks all problems can be solved with a good scolding and a clip around the ear hole.  //  But the Dwarf who'd taken advantage of her cousins affections and sent her home in disgrace is hundreds of miles away. Oh well, an angry letter will have to suffice.

Omg, I want to see Thorin's reaction to this letter SO BADLY!!! (I don't think I've ever liked Lobelia Sackville-Baggins quite this much ever before.)

Harry Potter

Take These Lies by white_serpent M, 34k.

Repeatedly rejected by the Auror training programme, Draco Malfoy attempts an unorthodox method of gaining admission. Written for 2010 hd_fan_fair (travel), following scarlet_malfoy's prompt. Note: contains genderswap and dubious consent, both of which were requested in the prompt.

Omg, I LOVED this. Draco is sharp as a tack, and determined to find a way to get into the Aurors despite the rampant prejudice against purebloods and Slytherins. He thinks his disguise as Aquila (really, Draco, another constellation name?) is foolproof, but a number of people see through it. (All girls: Hermione, Luna and Ginny), but Ron and Harry are oblivious. And Harry starts crushing. Then it all culminates in a final project in Training: acting as honeymooners while on an Alaskan cruise (which makes cruises sound as uncomfortable, boring and crowded as I've always imagined them to be) trying to solve a pretend crime. All the awkwardness you'd expect, what with Draco not ACTUALLY BEING HIMSELF. However, a real crime comes along, and the disguise is ruined.... Altogether a fast-paced, original, entertaining story with well-developed characters and a soupcon of ust and rst (although not quite as much as I'd like).

I've been on a Draco turned into a girl kick, and there's a huge dearth in this trope. But this one story (even if it's self-inflicted) purely satisfied a need.

The Changing Lights by lazywonderland E, 130k, WIP

Harry returns for an eighth year following the end of the war and soon realizes that although he's put his own animosity towards Malfoy aside, no one else seems to have done the same. When a hex leaves his oldest rival in the body of a female and ridicule doubles, Harry discovers that his hero complex is a difficult thing to fight.

Read through Ch. 4 (dying of UST) and hit subscribe so fast:  this is gonna be awesome!

Star Trek

Girl, You're Like a Weird Vacation by leupagus T, 8k.

It takes a lot of persuading to get "Spock" and "shore leave" to interact on any meaningful level.  //  "I am unclear as to why you wish me to participate in your, as Dr. McCoy puts it, 'whoremongering' while on Risa," she says, not even doing Jim the favor of looking away from her console.  //  Jim makes a kind of strangled noise. Bones is such an asshole. "First of all, it's not whoremongering, it's more like--"  //  "Also, it is irresponsible to have the commanding officer, the second in command, the chief medical officer, and the chief communications officer all absent from the ship simultaneously," she says smoothly. "There are numerous regulations, in fact, that prohibit such action."

Awwww.

Spock's Vagina by bigmamag E, 18k.

Spock exhibits increasingly strange behavior after a transporter malfunction and Jim wants to know why. Good thing nature has a flair for revealing the most asinine of secrets...

Lovely! Not as cracky as it sounds, Spock's actually in DANGER b/c of his new vagina, and Jim is worried sick. Angst, HOT sex... made of yum.  Favorite.

Supernatural

Fade to Black by bbelle E, 39k.

Dean always told himself that his feelings for Cas were brotherly. But now that Cas was temporarily parked in a hot female body, he couldn't deny it any longer. Which raised all sorts of issues, not the least of which was what would happen when Cas returned to his old form.

Wow, amazing story from a first-time writer. Dean and Castiel are hot and heavy while he's a chick, but when he switches back, Dean is swamped in a lifetime of being afraid and in the closet. There's a good bit of angst before they finally succumb (which is very hot, whoa).

A Blessing by Valinde (Valyria) E, 132k, WIP.

In which Dean and Sam are turned into women by a witch's curse and even though he's kind of distracted what with the Apocalypse and all, Dean comes to a few awkward realizations about his feelings for Castiel.  //  Set in Season 5. Temporary Genderbend fic. Apoc fic. Slow build destiel, not a pwp.

Oh, fuck this is amazing and intense and hot and just utterly gripping, and I hope to god the author is serious about being contacted if you want the rest of the story.... Favorite.  Worth reading even though it’s unfinished.

Attack On Titan

A Choice With No Regrets by Blue Sonnet (Nana_41175) E, 45k.

Bedding the Commander will not be easy...  //  How will a thug from the royal capital be able to walk forward alongside Humanity's Strongest, especially when the thug is a woman in disguise and in love with the Commander?

Fem Levi is lovely... still rather reacting to everything like a "scalded cat": slow to trust, sharply sarcastic, utterly shameless (which translates to loads of fantastic sex). But that's fine, because Erwin is getting exactly what he wanted... now he just has to make sure he doesn't lose it.

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hi - I've been looking for this fic for a while. Hopefully you can help! It's Sterek and they're already in an established relationship. Derek makes a new friend that Stiles doesn't like but he tries to be supportive. The new friend sabotages things with Stiles by hiding Derek's phone (I think?) and eventually Stiles feels super neglected and decides to leave. Derek, who has been totally oblivious, notices Stiles' missing shirts (?) and hunts him down to win him back. Thanks in advance!

Hey @anowlnamedpig! @korlaena and @firithfalathriel found this one!

Viridian by betp

(1/1 I 5,967 I Not Rated I Sterek)

"Dude, forget Stiles. We're going to be late."And this—this sounds weird. Like Derek ate something and instead of coming apart, it's sitting sideways in his stomach. He's having trouble digesting this command. "Forget Stiles," Derek repeats.

In which Stiles figures he's probably overreacting; Derek is allowed to make friends, okay. That his abilities to meet new people who aren't terrible are clearly in need of honing is up for discussion.

[christinesficrecs]

Fic recs for this post, because how could I not!?!!  Kudos to everyone that jumped in the comments and left links. 💜

erroneous manoeuvres by slippingfromreality | 5.3K

“Hey, Stilinski!”

Stiles clenches his teeth. “What do you want, Hale?” he shouts back, not bothering to turn around. The smug smirk that’s most likely waiting for him is already seared into his mind from overexposure.

“A date!” the answer comes, still as loud, and most of the bystanders giggle or snort in Stiles’ direction.

Stiles rolls his eyes. This is the third time this week. He’d complain that Hale’s jokes are getting pretty stale, but he’d probably be milking this situation for all that it’s worth, too, if their roles were reversed. “Wrong aisle,” he grouses back, “try the bakery section. I hear they have fresh tarts.”

seems to me it's chemistry by HalfFizzbin | 4.1K

Awkward Nerd Derek has been crushing on Handsome Jock Stiles since forever—so getting paired with him on a Chemistry project is definitely the best/worst thing that's ever happened to him.

Not Another Sterek Romance (It Is Absolutely Another Sterek Romance) by betp | 2.4K

In which Derek is the worst at history and Stiles wears glasses.

Binomial coefficients by DevilDoll | 20.7K

In which brainy freshman Stiles Stilinski wants star quarterback Derek Hale to join the math team, AKA math nerds in love.

It's Always Been You, Dumbass by stilinskisparkles | 11K

“Alright, cool, we should go,” Stiles says breezily, dusting off his hands as he stands.

“We should?”

“Yeah!”

“But… Do you even care about photography?”

“Not as much as I should,” Stiles plants both his hands on the table, bracketing Derek in, “You���ll have to correct my miscreant ways.”

Of Glasses And Lacrosse Sticks by charlesdk | 6.8K

“Okay, how 'bout this? One date, just one date, and if you still don't believe I'm genuinely interested in you, then I'll leave you alone for good. How does that sound?”

Derek hesitated for another moment, before he sighed and said, “Fine. One date.”

Between the Drinks and Subtle Things by yodasyoyo | 4.4K

He holds up his free hand, eyes still closed. “One second,” he says through gritted teeth. “I’m just taking a moment to mourn the fact that we could have been fucking since–” He cracks open an eye and glares at Derek.

“Freshman year,” Derek supplies. “I’ve pretty much had the biggest crush on you since our freshman year.”

Hotsky to Trotsky by paintedrecs | 3.3K

Derek had his future mapped out: there'd be graduation, followed by college, followed by (he hoped) a good grad school, then a career as a professor whose students didn't spend their time flicking paper footballs at each other and obsessing over their dating lives. He had good friends, a good family, and no time to focus on distractions like high school gossip or relationships.

He hadn't factored Stiles Stilinski - lacrosse player, class clown, part of the popular crowd, currently spending his entire day staring at Derek and smiling - into his plans.

Frat Flirt by LadyDrace | 1.5K

Stiles keeps inviting Derek to things. It's very suspicious.

[bhadpodcast]

I love Viridian, though it’s pretty angsty, especially if you’re a Stiles stan. It’s part of the fabulous Tutor!Verse by betp. Not exactly sure this fic is the same equivalent of hag Monmon trying to date Tyho but it does have oblivious Derek and a friend who wants to be more.

[lavenderek]

When and how did Stiles realise he wasn't straight?

I imagine he always assumed everybody knew a few dudes they’d kiss. You know? Like you’re straight because you want to be with a woman. Because that’s what you do. And as he got older he obviously began to realize that’s not exactly the case. For everyone. It was for him, because any attraction he did experience to dudes was superficial and passing. He doesn’t know anybody he could experiment with, and even if he did, he fell in love with any woman who insults him, actually, so he didn’t have a lot of bandwidth to focus on whether or not he theoretically liked theoretical dudes.

And finally at some point in college, he meets a dude he’d kiss, and the dude he’d kiss indicates a willingness to kiss him back. This situation is a lot less theoretical than Stiles is comfortable with. He can’t come up with a reason not to. He’s young, he’s single, he’s wearing a tight black t-shirt and he’s a little bit buzzed, and it’s not like it’ll mean anything, right? Like he’s a guy. It’s not, like, a thing, he’s not gay, so it’s not - but it does. And it is. And he can and he does and the next day everything seems a little different, a little more interesting and new, a little more fragile.

After the second dude he hooks up with, he has to face that this is real, and he has to tell his friends, and a couple are pretty supportive, one of them stops talking to him, and the rest think he’s just… being Stiles. You know how Stiles is. He’s a little flighty. He wants attention, he aches for affection and romantic approval. It’s sad. Let him have his bicurious phase. He dates a dude and after five or six months the dude dumps him, and he gets drunk about it and tells his friends that realizing he’s into everybody just means anybody can break his heart. Everybody just nods placatingly and buys him another sparkling apple sangria. What a yahoo.

I just think he’s bad at dating. I think he struggles with how often to text people and when to start talking about the future. I think he misreads intentions and asks for too much too soon, or too little too late, or not enough now, and he gets his hopes up and he assumes he’s not wanted somewhere he is, or assumes he’s wanted somewhere he’s not. He’s a poor communicator, he can’t read body language, and he’s needy. The only things he knows he’s good at are kissing, oral sex, and hugs, and even those are touch and go sometimes. I think he was hoping it would be easier with a dude, at least. It isn’t really. They’ll go distant on him or get manipulative, too. Just in different ways. Or it seems different because of Stiles’ preconceptions. But it’s not different at all. No matter what gender, they always tell Stiles they’re “sorry for getting his hopes up.”

Stiles can take a breakup really well now, very calm and respectful; and then as soon as he walks in the door of his apartment he fucking teleports into the bathtub and physically manifests a cranberry rum fizz in his hand like he’s Doctor Strange. He is a sad drunk and takes sadness baths and if you can’t accept him as he is, then you can’t have him. (No one seems to accept him as he is, and yet, they still manage to have him.)

He works through it, literally. He finishes college and skips the ceremony because his grandma can’t come and she’s the only reason he’d walk for it anyhow. He’s applying for desk jobs, anything that pays better and has him on his feet less, but nothing’s panning out so he’s still working at the bar, trying to figure out where to go from here. He’s down somewhere in SoCal for his step-uncle’s wedding when he runs into Derek for the first time in a few years. He turns around in the Mexican restaurant he’s standing in line at and sees Derek backlit by the vivid afternoon sun. Maybe it’s just the passage of time or Stiles having learned more about himself and the world, but he’s surprised by how the sight of Derek just… wow, just makes him just as angry as it did when he was sixteen. He asks Derek why he’s here.

Derek asks him where. Stiles says here. Derek says Jabanero’s? It’s a business. He’s a patron. He’s patronizing the business. God, Stiles hates him. What a fucking dick. It’s so weird that Stiles thinks he looks so good, though. Look at his arms, holy shit.

Obviously Derek’s always been attractive. Stiles does not need that explained to him. He just gets to consider it in a new light, is all. He gets to look at it in that afternoon sun, inside the Jabanero’s. Maybe it’s kind of refreshing to encounter somebody who’s an asshole but knows he’s an asshole. Who’s an asshole in the same ways Stiles is an asshole. Stiles is pretty self aware these days: these things no longer escape him. And maybe it’s interesting to be able to consider these things about Derek.

Not that it matters. He tells Derek where he can stick his grapes and he collects his enchiladas with extra verde sauce and he returns to his hotel room where he sees that his ex is “in a relationship” with a beautiful ginger woman named Rebecca, and you can’t reach Stiles for the next several hours because he’s just rented Pacific Rim on iTunes and he’s going to watch it on his laptop, in the bathtub, while he eats his enchiladas. He loves big robots and space ships. He loves people with long hair and soft tits and people with chest hair and big dicks.

He wishes he had one.

A space ship.

Anyway, Stiles never manages to get that desk job, so he quits at the bar and moves down to LA, decides to go to grad school. There’s another Jabanero’s here, but Stiles doesn’t run into Derek at it. He runs into Derek at his new job, a bar and grille. It’s a step up, he explains a little facetiously to Derek as he takes the order of two very annoyed customers. He used to wait tables at a bar. Now he waits tables at a bar and grille. It’s the grille, with the E on the end, Stiles’ life is looking up. Derek doesn’t like beer a whole lot, but he orders a beer so he can stay and talk to Stiles until the end of his shift, at which point they go to the Jabanero’s so he can continue to talk to Stiles, and after Jabanero’s they go and stand under a street light so they can recommence their really draining conversation about some semantic bullshit on a hill that Stiles seems to expect Derek to be willing to die on, and it’s right at the point where Stiles is about to tell Derek that nope, he still hates him that Stiles realizes nope, he also wants him.

Not that it matters. Only it does. Because Derek is a werewolf - I know, you forgot! It’s because it’s stupid! - and he notices it too, about a minute after Stiles does. He tells Stiles to come back to his apartment with him. And Stiles says no. He has class in the morning. Does Derek think Stiles doesn’t do anything but be a waiter and then blip out of existence as soon as Derek’s not looking? He has a life. Holy cow. But Sunday’s his day off, and so he sleeps with Derek on Saturday night. He only makes one Bay City Rollers joke and Derek isn’t nearly impressed enough for it, Stiles thinks.

But here he is, all the same, in bed with Derek-The-Werewolf, who has a big dick and insults him, and he feel pretty lucky, actually, that he can be here now and reflect on being a misguided teenager with way too much on his plate and a confused college student with homophobic friends who bullied him and a hardened grad student with a lot of potential. It’s difficult to read Derek a lot of the time. He just has that kind of face, that kind of demeanor. So Stiles is mostly sure this isn’t a romance thing, probably just a sexual intrigue thing. He tries to imagine a forever-partner for Derek and that partner is nothing like Stiles. But Derek’s different in bed, softer somehow, and if Stiles pictures a forever-partner for himself, it’s getting harder to not picture somebody like Derek.

Which is really just obnoxious. He’d thought he was over this bullshit, this thing he does where he gets his hopes up right out the gate. He has to do two things: he has to get Derek to leave before he can get attached, and he has to physically show himself why it can’t work out with Derek. So he decides to abandon all his hard-earned skills at dating and be Extra. He decides to be one hundred percent selfish in this relationship. It’s very freeing. He insists on getting spooned, day one. He describes his ideal living situation, from location to architecture to decor to expected home behavior, day two. He grills Derek about whether or not he wants kids someday, day three. He demands to be brought lunch at work, day four. He only texts Derek when he has something to say, and he always texts Derek when he has something to say, and he studiously does not keep track of how reciprocated his texts are. He invites Derek to his coworker’s roommate’s birthday party at a karaoke bar and makes him watch his and his coworker’s extremely inebriated performance of ABBA’s “Take A Chance On Me.” Then he forces Derek to bring him Pedialyte and toast the next day. He lets himself into Derek’s apartment to make him a birthday cake that January. It’s a terrible cake. Derek tells him it’s a terrible cake. Stiles knows it’s a terrible cake. It’s a terrible fucking cake!

And he’s completely confused because he looks up one day and it’s a week from their fucking anniversary and his fucking hopes are still up!

He freaks out about it actually. Because when he goes and explains it note for note to Scott and Lydia, they just stare blankly. From their end it just sounds like he’s describing dating somebody. For a year, in fact. Stiles realizes that he wasn’t trying to be unbearable, he was just being as authentic as he could possibly be. He skipped over the careful, tentative part and leapt feet first into where he’d never had the opportunity to get before. And that’s why it’s been a year and his hopes are still up. Because maybe his hopes aren’t up. Maybe that’s not what having your hopes up feels like. Maybe that’s just what it feels like when you have feelings for somebody. It’s been a year and he’s still here. So he’s in love with Derek, which actually just makes this entire plan all the more miserable. It backfired. A lot.

He drives to Derek’s apartment, barges in, slams the door shut, and announces that he wants them to move in together. Derek looks up at him from the couch, and Stiles continues his announcement as he pulls his shoes off and chucks them in various directions. He does not want to keep his own apartment because it sucks. And he does not want to keep Derek’s apartment because it sucks less than Stiles’ but it still sucks. And he wants to do it as soon as his lease is up in May. And he wants green sheets. And a blue fucking rug. And a cat. And Derek just says okay. To all of it, to every item he says okay. He makes a face at the blue rug and the cat, but he says okay. And Stiles loses his mind. He wants to know: Why??? Why do you just let me do this! Why do you just accept my demands like this! I never do anything for you! I don’t know what your fucking game is!

To which Derek answers that he has no idea what Stiles is talking about. Stiles invites him places and remembers things about him. Stiles texts him, but he doesn’t text him on a weird schedule, like one day he’ll send Derek a single text letting him know when he gets out of work, and the next day he’ll send a ten-text rant about some weird comment someone made when he was trying to buy nail polish remover, because he wasn’t buying it because he paints his nails, but so what if he was? Stiles made him a fucking birthday cake. The sex is really good and Stiles likes to be the little spoon. The things Stiles wants jive with the things Derek wants. And Derek likes knowing what Stiles wants. Stiles is a heart-on-his-sleeve type, which isn’t charming so much as refreshing and comforting. He also smells good and gives really good head. Derek has plenty of complaining, but no real complaints.

Stiles can’t believe this. Derek likes being the big spoon? He likes hearing from Stiles? He likes hearing from Stiles at the exact rate at which he hears from Stiles? He doesn’t mind going the places Stiles wants him to go? He also wants big windows?

And he knows Derek’s just like him, likes girls, which just leads to more questions.

He also pictures a future with Stiles? You can be like this and still be with someone forever? This isn’t just some misguided, childish dream Stiles hasn’t been able to shake?

Stiles’ campaign of being Too Much just ended up being the most honest relationship he’s ever been in, and he’s pretty peeved to have fallen in love without noticing. He demands to be taken to bed and fucked.

And your question was answered a ridiculously long time ago, but I extended my answer to here because this is when he finished rounding the bases, the gay bases, the gayses, thank you, sorry, bye.