I don't own Teen Wolf.

Pooft.

Fall.

Pooft.

Fall.

Stiles had been watching the coin disappear and reappear in front of him in an endless loop for about ten minutes now. He was sitting on top a perch of an old building downtown that gave him a view of the whole city. It was one of his favorite places to come and think.

He felt more than saw Derek come up behind him. The two had spent so much time together over the last three months he could just tell. More Derek's own doing than his. Stiles had been content to just sit and fade away from existence but Derek had been there constantly to nudge him along. Through planning his dad's funeral, dealing with the endless outpour of condolences, the pitied stares, taking care of the house and other pieces of his dad's estates, attempting to stay inside all day, Derek had been right there. When Stiles asked him about it while they were out at a movie one night the older man simply gave a quiet, "You're not going to end up like me," and scooted closer.

"Hey," Derek said as he sat down on the ledge.

"Hey," Stiles gave back, resting his head on the firm shoulder.

"That's new." Derek became mesmerized by the looping coin.

"Yea." Watching the coin loop was simple for Stiles. Let his brain just doze out without the need to work.

"Have you been practicing?" From what Derek could remember, and he tried to remember as much on the subject as he could, Stiles powers didn't work the way he was watching. He distinctly remembered, after a farfetched but hopeful suggestion on killing the Alpha from Scott, how Stiles explained to them that his power only stretched to teleporting himself, others with him, and objects he'd held long enough directly to him. So the coin shouldn't be falling over and over in front of them. It should be sitting directly in his hand.

"Not really," Stiles sounded far off. Derek turned a little to see him better at the change of tone. He saw sad thoughts tinging the edge of his eyes. He waited to see if Stiles would say anymore. This was Stiles so he didn't have to wait long.

"It's sort of like a gift. A very, twisted gift," Stiles said as the coin stopped looping through space and fell to the ground below. A part of Derek pined that it was gone.

"When faerie kids lose both their parents we get a sort of...inheritance. More magic. It amps our powers. There's a name for it." Derek watches as Stiles flexes his hand, like he can almost see the magic in his hand he's talking about.

"It's called Hera's Sorrow," Stiles laughs bitterly at the name, "and it's the one Faerie Defense I'd hoped to never really find out about, even if I was already halfway there."

Derek frowned at that. The fact that this was something Stiles had been dreading for a long time ever since the passing of his mother. It was like a constant fear in the back of his mind.

"It takes a while to get used to, the extra power. My magic felt like a second skin before. Now? Now it's like I have a second set of arms I don't know what to do with. I have to get used to it all over again. My body has to get used to it again. A few weeks ago I almost blew this poor house apart because I couldn't control all the extra energy and make my jump smooth. There was just so much...motion from all my molecules, all at once."

Derek made a sound of understanding in the back of his throat as he slid his hand over his companion's. From what he'd noticed over the last two months that all made a lot of sense. Before when Stiles teleported it was almost undetectable besides the tiniest "Pooft", like he almost ceased to be and the came into being again. Now he could hear it, see it more clearly. It was like Stiles molecules ripped apart more violently, with a silvery "Fzzzpt" ringing through the air, and reappearing the same way. A few times the areas around had taken damage during from the transfer, but other than some cracks in cement or chipped wood it was nothing serious. Then there was that time he had caught Stiles sweaty with the surrounding air practically shimmering one night in the woods and he'd been far to embarrassed to try and explain that one so he just teleported away. Derek had looked it up for himself though and found out it was 'fairy dust'. The magical aura fairies gave off that they usually hide from supernatural eyes. Something Stiles shouldn't have to hide until he's older. The knowledge made Derek's heart hurt even more. Not only had he lost both his parents, but he was also, in a supernatural way, being forced to grow up.

"It's kind of like a present of reassurance to make sure you can take care of yourself." The older wolf rubbed small circles in the back of the hand encased in his.

Stiles didn't see it that way right now though. "More like a constant reminder that I'm all alone." There was anger in his words. Anger that fizzled out as warmth took his lips. Derek kissed him deep and hard until they both needed air.

"You're not alone." The soft words were ironclad coming from Derek's lips. The young fae bowed his head in embarrassment, but the wolf was having none of it, raising his head by the chin and claiming his affections lips again.

"Thank you." Stiles gazed into the usually intense eyes. He saw so much warmth and caring there. All of it directed towards him. "I'll try to remember that."

"You just have to remember to keep living for those who can't anymore. It's not the easiest thing to do, but you'll pull yourself back together and turn out fine in the end."

Stiles snorted. "Like you?"

Derek feigned an indignant huff on behalf of his character. He was glad Stiles' sense of sarcasm was steadily returning. For the last month and a half he had tried everything to respark Stiles' curiousity, and gift for conversation. At one point he had practically begged Stiles to come with him investigate the strange murder of a young couple in a trailer near the edge of the woods.

"Let the police handle it." Was the only response he got.

"School starts back next week. Think you're ready?" Cause Derek could remember his first attempt to go back to school after the fire. He felt so disconnected from everyone, everything. He only tried because Laura had begged him to, wanting to try and still give him a normal high school experience.

"Yea. Scott comes back home today so that's a big help. I'm not looking forward to walking down the halls and getting all sad stares and hushed whispers. I mean usually the stares are because I've done something ridiculous to embarrass myself or Finstock. It'll be nice to have my best bud there, ya know?"

"Guess you won't be needing me around anymore." Stiles' head snapped up at Derek. He knew what that tone was. Derek was upset because Scott came back today. He thought that he wouldn't be able to spend anymore time with Stiles.

"Hey just because Scott's coming back doesn't mean we won't get to hangout. Sure it might be harder, and it might happen a little less but I'm not just leaving you behind after all you've helped me with."

"You say that now, pretty soon you two are going to fall back into your normal routine of being best friends forever and no one's going to stand in your way," Derek argued.

"I won't stop hanging out with you, I promise, but you did kind of destroy said best friend's only chance of turning back to normal. That makes things more than pretty awkward."

"I told you," Derek huffed. He dragged his hands over his face as if he could wipe off the guilt, "I got blinded by revenge, the power, my family's legacy! I'm sorry." Stiles' words rung with a truth he'd been trying to avoid all summer.

"I'm not the one you need to be explaining that too." Stiles dusted off his pants as he got up. He placed a hand on Derek's solid shoulder. "I'm going to head home now. Scott will be there pretty soon. I'll see you later, ok?" Derek just made a low sound that Stiles took as a yes.

Fzzzpt.

Calling the room at the McCall house "his room" still didn't feel comfortable with Stiles, just like calling the house home felt foreign. Even the key that he had his own copy of long before moving in felt heavier now. The click of the front door snapped him out of thoughts. He shuffled into the hall just in time to see his friends head peak through the door.

The sheepish smile was just as innocent as he remembered, and the jolly twinkle in his eyes that had been missing since that night shone through a little. Scott gave a small, "Hey".

"Hey", Stiles threw back with a grin of his own.

Scott turned his gaze to his nervously shuffling feet. He struggled to find the words to say even though he had thought about them the whole ride over.

"Stiles I'm really sorry that-" his words were cut off as his friend bounded down the stairs and embraced him in tight hug.

"Don't worry about. I understand." Stiles hadn't seen Scott in over three months. Not long after the funeral he had left to stay with his grandfather in Nevada until the end of summer. Some had looked down upon his absence feeling he had abandoned his best friend in his time of need. Derek in particular had been furious at Scott for going, though feeling guilty at the same time. Stiles had to admit that it stung a little not to have his best bud there to help him cope, but he could sympathize with his reasons.

He placed both hands on his friend's shoulders and looked him in the eyes to make sure each word was understood. "You needed some time away. You had to pull yourself back together before you could help me out. I get it."

"But-"

"No buts! You know my dad thought the world of you. I lost my dad that night, but you lost a father, and your humanity. I'm sorry."

The tears started spilling over from the young wolf's eyes, crystal drops of guilt. He squeezed Stiles back tight.

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing you doff."

"There's no way I'm the doff cause that'd mean you'd have to be the brains."

Scott barked out a laugh as he began to let go but something made him stiffen. A scent. He leaned in and inhaled his friend's smell again.

"Umm, dude, wolf manners." Stiles hoped the time away in Nevada hadn't made his friend go feral. Next thing he knew Scott shoved him away out of their embrace.

"Why were you with Derek?!" A low growl followed.

'Oh shit,' Stiles thought as he felt his heart race.

"How can you hang around him after what he did?!" Scott was using his rage to fight back the whimpers that wanted to come out. It felt like he had been betrayed by his best friend.

"Look I know what he did was wrong, but that's something the two of you need to work out. You left Scott. I was a mess. Sure Melissa tried to be there for me as much as she could but you know how crazy things get at work for her. It was just me, by myself. In his own stiff faced, grumbling way, Derek helped me through most of this when there was no way I could've done it alone."

Scott looked down at his feet and shuffled uneasily again. His brother was right. Scott had left, and Stiles had to deal with the emotional aftermath of the Sheriff's death alone. Thinking of it made guilt pool in his stomach.

"You're right. I'm sorry I have no room to talk. I do need to talk to Derek about what he did. I'm just not ready yet. I don't know if I can even at look him without feeling the urge to rip his damn beard off."

A soft hand patted Scott. "Let's take it one step at time buddy. First let's get you settled back in, then we'll worry about beard domination later."

The small smile on Scott's face grew two sizes.

"Thanks man." Scott couldn't believe how amazing his best friend was. Stiles had forgiven him for running off but he still felt terrible. He remembered how hard his mom tried to convince him to stay and be there for Stiles and how much it hurt not to be able to tell her the whole truth, which made him want to leave even more. Now he wished he had stayed. Stiles really was his family and family came first. He vowed to make Stiles feel as welcomed and loved as possible from now on so that he wouldn't need comfort from Derek at all.

This would've been up weeks sooner but my laptop broke and I couldn't upload from my phone. Sorry guys, but yes, the Sheriff's dead and everyone's got to move on. I apologize for the feels