Stiles pulled his jeep up to the Hale house. Quickly glancing around to make sure no one else was there Stiles parked his car and got out. He knew that the alpha already knew he was here, what with the heightened sense of hearing and all, but he hadn't come out of his house. Taking a deep breath so that he wouldn't back out Stiles made his way over toward the front porch.

"Derek," his voice caught in his throat. Taking a deep breath he tried again, "Derek can you come out here please, I need to talk to you."

Again not receiving and answer he turned his back to the door and sat down on the stairs to wait. He began to play with his fingers to pass the time. Anyone who knew him would find it odd and slightly disconcerting that he was sitting so still and quiet, but what he was about to ask Derek was a lot more serious than his usual questions of wolves and packs and he was prepared to wait as long as it took for the alpha to come out. He was still waiting several hours later. The sun had just started to sink below the horizon when the door behind him finally opened.

"I was hoping you would have gone home by now."

Stiles shook his head but didn't turn around, "I told you before that my mind was made up, it was you who wanted me to 'think about it'." He emphasized the last part of this statement by using his fingers to make air quotes. Derek growled softly behind him.

"I don't want to do this Gen."

Hearing the desperation in his lover's voice Stiles stood up, turned around, walked up the stairs and pulled the older man into a hug. "I know love," he mumbled into the muscular chest, "but it is the only way. You know I wouldn't ask if there was any other way."

Firm arms wrapped around Stiles' body and a soft whimper fell into his ear.

"Derek, please. I'm so tired." Derek stiffened in his arms. They stayed that way for a while before there was a slow nod against his head. Pulling back from his lover Stiles cupped the stubbled cheeks in his hands and pulled him into a soft kiss, using his thumb to gently wipe the tears off his lover's cheek.

Derek sighed softly. Covering the too pale hands with his own he interlocked their fingers. He pulled out of the cool embrace and placed their forehead together.

"Before I do this I need to tell you how much I love you….just in case.." Derek swallowed harshly.

Stiles smiled sadly, "I love you too Derek." He suddenly gave a long forgotten, fully fledged Stiles Smile, "And don't worry, I'll be fine."

Derek couldn't help but give his lover a soft smile in return. Both ignored the spike in the younger boy's heartbeat.

The alpha dipped his head in a nod before leading his lover into the house. Maneuvering the boy carefully up the stairs and into his room Derek pulled the covers back as Stiles crawled under them. As soon as he was comfortable Derek picked up Stiles' wrist and brought it to his mouth.

"Will you be there when I wake up?" Stiles voice sounded so small and fragile. Placing a kiss to the skin of his wrist Derek couldn't hold back the tears filling his eyes.

"Don't worry, love, I will be."

And he sunk his teeth into Stiles wrist.

Stiles let out a gasp of pain before chocolate eyes fluttered closed as the pale body seemed to sink into the mattress. Laying Stiles' wrist atop his stomach Derek tucked the covers around his body before sitting back in the chair he had brought up from the kitchen.

He stared at his lover's face in silent contemplation. It was nothing short of a miracle that the boy loved him after all he had done to him. The physical and emotional pain he had bestowed on the boy was enough to make grown men break down in tears (he had seen it himself), and yet the high schooler had stood firm. Never once had he backed down from what he thought was right and heaven help the person who hurt someone he cared about (he had seen that himself too…and felt it).

Stiles was a live wire who babbled incessantly and told bad jokes, who was a truly odd combination of clumsy and graceful, and who was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for. It was the latter that made it hurt so much when people insulted him. Derek could always tell when he had been hurt. He all but stopped moving except to play with his fingers. His jokes didn't hold the same enthusiasm. He also did his best to make himself as small as possible. It was this combination of things that alerted Derek to his growing feelings to the smaller teen.

At first he had tried to fight it, there was no way in the ever loving depths of hell that he was falling for the teenager, by being increasingly cold and vicious. And Stiles took it. He just took the abuse with that goofy smile of his. Like he was used to it.

Stiles shifted in his sleep. A moan of pain slide through his lips and Derek shifted closer with a sad whimper.

Derek could remember the day Stiles had first gotten sick. It had been a few months after they had officially started dating. Stiles had seemed a bit run down when Derek had gone to visit him a few days earlier so he decided to stop by to see how he was doing. He could remember the confusion and slight panic he had felt when he climbed through his boyfriend's window only to find him curled up in a tight ball on his bed, sobs wracking his body.

Wasting no time Derek rushed to Stiles' side, "Gen, what wrong love?"

Only he was allowed to call Stiles Genim or any variation thereof.

Red rimmed eyes cracked open only to release more tears when he saw who had come to comfort him. Fully panicked now, Derek climbed onto the bed before scooping up his love and setting him against his chest.

"Gen, what happened? Please tell me."

"Derek." Stiles sobbed, "Derek."

The alpha held him tighter, "Take your time love, just, tell me please."

Stiles chocked again, gripping Derek's leather jacket tightly in his hand, "Derek…I…I…I have cancer."

Another moan of pain sounded from the bed. Derek reached out to run his hand over his lover's hair. A soft tear fell on the pale cheek beneath him.

Those few words had cut him to the core, but he refused to let it end there. He had gone with Stiles to every one of his chemo appointment, had sat with him through every breakdown, and had made sure that everyone knew (especially Scott and the sheriff) that he was not going anywhere.

He had refused to turn Stiles from the very beginning of their relationship and Stiles never asked, respecting his lover's request, but that all changed yesterday when they had gone to the doctor for a checkup. The diagnoses he had received had left them both reeling. It had moved into his lympnoids, there was nothing more they could do.

Stiles was now officially dying.

It had been almost too much for either of them to handle.

That time it had been Derek that broke down. He couldn't lose Stiles, he just couldn't. Stiles was the only good thing he had left in the world. So Stiles had given him a choice.

Give him the bite and risk losing killing him, or not give him the bite and watch him slowly die.

Neither option was very appealing to either of them, but it was the only way.

Now Derek could only prey that his lover would wake up again, this time reborn as his mate.