Stiles is on a cloud and he shall not be brought down easily. He takes a shower and tucks his lily behind his ear even if the vibrant orange doesn't match what he's wearing. His dad's making breakfast before he goes to work and Stiles tells him he's going to Scott's planting a kiss in his dad's head and practically prancing out the door. He drives to Scott's and he runs into Melissa heading out for work when he gets there.

"Hello Melissa. You look wonderful today." He kisses her on the cheek.

"Hi Stiles." She says leveling him with a calculating gaze. "You're not high are you?"

"Not on drugs." He says happily. "Have a good day. I'm going to go harass your son with my happiness." He skips past her in to the house and up the stairs to Scott's room.

"Scooooooottttt!" He singsongs, bursting into the room. Scott is sitting up in his bed rubbing his eyes.

"Man, you smell like Derek." Scott says sleepily. Stiles sits in his desk chair and waits for the other shoe to drop.

"I bet I do." Stiles says pleasantly. Scott looks at him fully awake now.

"For real?" He asks raising his eyebrows.

"Yes." Scott beams at him finally jumping up to Stiles' level of enthusiasm.

"What happened? When?" Stiles is twirling his lily between his fingers now.

"Last night. I kissed him. Then I freaked out and ran away but he came by the house and we made out." He smiling so wide that it hurts.

"The flower from him? Didn't take Derek for the romantic type."

"He asked about flowers jokingly and I told him lilies were my favorite. I woke up to it on my nightstand."

"Duude," Scott croons. "Your heart is fluttering more than you flail. Which is a lot."

"He told me he loves me." Stiles says quietly because he still can't believe it. Scott expression is surprised but pleasantly so.

"Did you say it back?"

"Of course I did! And you also know it's true."

"Yeah, okay, then why are you so nervous? You smell anxious."

"We're having dinner tonight."

"That doesn't sound so–"

"With my dad."

"Oh."

"Who walked in on us last night."

"Ooh"

"Yeah. He threatened Derek with wolfsbane bullets." Stiles chuckles. He gets up so he can stretch across the bed. Scott moves over to allow it. "Then he told him no Sex and invited him to dinner. It was strange."

"How'd Derek take it?"

"With a 'yes sir' and a surprising amount of blushing." They laugh at that.

"I'm glad Derek got his head out of his ass and realized you're great."

"The funny thing about that is he didn't really make it out to be a sudden thing or even a recent thing… What if he liked me the whole time I was pining for him? God, I will flip my shit."

"No you won't."

"No I won't."

"Man I can't even remember the last time you got like this. Even Lydia Martin never made you smile like that."

"I know."

"I'm meeting up with Kira in an hour, but I want updates on everything yeah? I'll keep my phone on."

"Damn right you will. But what am I gonna do today?" Stiles groans.

"Break out the victory love songs, write sonnets, or I don't know, go find Derek."

"I didn't want to be clingy."

"I don't think you will be. I'm getting in the shower." He leaves and Stiles flops down onto the bed and pulls out his phone. He scrolls through until he gets to Sourwolf and shoots him a text.

Stiles: You busy?

Derek: Not too busy for you. What's up?

Stiles: Waiting for dinner might be the death of me. Want to hang out?

Derek: We won't be alone at the loft, Peter and Isaac are over here.

Stiles: That's okay

Stiles: I mean that is okay right? We're not like a secret or anything right? Cause I already told Scott and Dad knows so…

Derek: Definitely not a problem. Where this is concerned I'd rather there not be secrets. We're actually about to have a marvel marathon so I'd hurry up if I were you.

Derek: I'll save you a spot by me

Stiles: You better

"Judging by the shit-eating grin on your face, I'm assuming your talking to Derek." Scot says coming back into the room. He's got jeans on but no shirt and his wet hair makes him look like a giant puppy straight out of a bath.

"Yup. Marvel movie marathon at his place." He says popping up off the bed. "Please tell Kira that you love her already because you two are both head over heels and I don't wan your 'she'll be in danger' speech because she's pack and she's gonna be in danger no matter what and now that I'm taken you guys are the new pack oblivious." Stiles gives him some equivalent of this speech every time he knows Scott and Kira are going to be alone. This one may have had a Derek twist but the message remains the same. Scott nods at him sheepishly.

"Okay I gotta go, you know they're staring with captain America and I want to get there for his training. That's my favorite." He air kisses Scott on both cheeks and flies out the door.

He leaves his Lily on the dash of his car when he parks at the loft and speed walks upstairs. He wasn't kidding about not wanting to miss his favorite part but he also knows it's a bad idea to run around werewolves when there is no emergency. It ruins fun times, that's for sure. He has a key but the door is unlocked when he gets there. He walks in just in time to see Steve jump on the dummy grenade. He makes a happy sound and the other look over at him. Isaac is curled up on the chair Derek usually takes for himself. Peter is on the couch next to Derek who is sitting partly across two cushions "This is my favorite." Stiles says hopping over the arm of the couch to push between the small space there was between Derek and the end of the couch. They have the side of the couch that extends out wards and Stiles throws he legs over Derek's as he scoots over to give Stiles enough room. Stiles smiles to himself as Derek settles his arm around his carefully. He puts a reassuring hand on his thigh. He refocuses his attention on the movie but Peter pauses it.

"How long has that been a thing?" He asks gesturing between Derek and Stiles. Stiles looks at Derek letting him answer. Derek just shrugs. They've got Isaac's attention now. He looks like Christmas just came early.

"You guys are together?!" Stiles grins happily when Derek nods and the arm around him tightens. Isaac makes what can only be described as a fan girl's screech.

"That was not what I expected." Stiles says.

"Are you kidding me? Me and Erica were the original Sterek shippers."

"Sterek?" Derek says with raised brows.

"Stiles–Derek, Sterek. Shut up it's a thing. I have to tell Lydia!"

"Since when are you and Lydia friends?" Stiles asks

"And why would she care so much?" Derek adds.

"The whole pack ships it. Even Jackson. I should call him." He snaps a picture of Derek and Stiles on the couch and promptly leaves to spread the word.

"Well I can't say I'm not disappointed." Peter drawls from his end of the couch. He stands up and looks pensively at Stiles. "Such a pretty boy." He sighs. "Be good to my nephew." He grabs his jacket. "I'm leaving too, I have an old friend I need to see." He leaves.

"Was he lying?" Stiles asks.

"No." He sounds perplexed but Stiles lets it drops because Derek kisses him. It would have been perfect if Isaac didn't burst back into the room and take drive by pictures before running away again. They marathon the movies by themselves and it's five when his dad texts and asks for help with dinner.

"Dad needs help, I gotta go." He gives him a peck on the lips but Derek doesn't find that satisfactory. He hooks his fingers into the loops of Stiles' belt and pulls him don't to kiss him proper. He kisses Stiles stupid and breathless before letting him go.

"I'll see you in a few hours then." Stiles smiles and gets up to leave. He's still smiling when he gets down to his jeep. He's just unlocked to door when he hears a voice that stops him cold.

"He used to look at me like that you know." He tries to open the door to get to his bat but Kate slams the door shut again before it was ever fully open.

"He's so quick to love isn't he?" She drawls in his ear. "It's perfect. He hasn't had a weak spot quite like you in so very long."

"Stiles!" Derek is running to them half shifted. But he's too late. He see's Kate flick her claws out. She slashes at Stiles' stomach but Derek dives between them. Kate throws him over her shoulder and lunges for Stiles again. Derek is full wolf behind her; he lets out a howl that makes Stiles' blood run cold. He's called the pack. Kate doesn't flinch at the noise, only makes her way to Stiles again. She sinks her claws into his neck and tears across his torso. He can feel her claws scratch across his bones and if he weren't in so much agony he would have thrown up.

Then Derek is there sinking his teeth into her shoulder as close to her neck as possible. Stiles scrambles backward out of the direct line of fire but Kate is clawing toward him like it's the most important thing in the world. She's here for one reason and one reason only.

She wants to hurt Derek. Which means she's here to kill Stiles.

Her and Derek are grappling on the ground when Scott gets there Derek is in a bad way. His fur is caked with blood and he can't put pressure on one of his hind legs any more. Scott's appearance is enough motivation for Kate. She kicks Derek in the stomach and sends him reeling. She scrambles toward Stiles who has nowhere to go. The world is in slow motion.

Kate is smiling through her fangs as she makes her way to him scraping her feet across the ground and pushing forward with all her strength. Derek whimpers and tries to stand but there's no use. He can barely move. Scott is yelling and shifting and running but it's not fast enough. Kate is going to reach him first.

He can feel himself sigh. He's dizzy from blood loss but he is only processing one thought now. Kate is going to win again. Derek will have lost someone else he loves by her hand and it's going to unmake him. All because Stiles is sitting here useless.

He can feel something inside of him harden. He grits his teeth and pulls his mind out of the fog while the world is in slow motion. Kate can't win; He won't let her. He see's it on her belt and silver knife. His shining opportunity is sitting right there on her belt. Once a hunter always a hunter. She's not close enough and when she is she'll be close enough to deliver the final blow. Here goes everything.

"Der-" He breathes as the world starts to speed up. There are tears in his eyes and he choses his last words with great care.

"I love you."

Kate is there and he screams and ducks to the right. The claws aimed for his head scratch against his jeep instead. His hand closes around the knife and he yanks it free. He doesn't waste a second before burying it in her gut.

At the same time her claws sink into his.

He breathes shakily and pulls the knife free from her flesh with a groan. It must be coated in wolfsbane because she is in agony.

He pulls the knife free and she stumbles back. Scott's ready to finish it. But suddenly the sound off a bullet being fired fills the air. Kate goes down. Behind Scott Stiles can Chis and Peter, Chris with his gun raised. He's breathing heavily as he walks over to her and empties the rest of the clip into her head. He's sobbing when he's finished and he drops to his knees by the monster he once called family. Surprisingly Peter is there putting an arm around his shoulders and easing the gun out of his hand.

The whole thing is so shocking that Stiles almost forgets he's dying. That is until Scott reaches him. He's crying and yelling. Stiles is trying to breathe but his body can't obey.

"Stiles." Scott cries leaning over him. "Stiles you can't die. You're my best friend and I need you. Derek needs you, it's not even been a day." He sobs into his friends shoulder and Stiles can't move. Derek has hobbled his way over and changed back. He's crying too. Stiles thinks that that would be a cool way to remember him: With the death of Stiles Stilinski came the day that all men cried.

"Stiles." He looks so broken and its breaking Stiles' heart.

"Will you take the bite?" Scott says looking at Stiles pleadingly. Stiles looks at him and then at Derek. It takes everything he has to raise his arm to Scott and grip forearms with his best friend, but he's looking at Derek when he nods. Derek moves over to cradle his head.

"I love you too."

Scott moves to his left where Kate hasn't hurt him. He shifts, and Stiles takes the bite.

He's in his room when he comes to. He's not alone.

His dad is sitting his desk chair next to his bed. Stiles can see he's almost nodded off but he's holing on for as long as he can. He smells like fear and anticipation. Wait, what?

Stiles inhales deeply and he yes, he can smell his dad's emotion hanging around him. He can hear his heart beat. He can hear a lot of heartbeats actually. He takes a moment to adjust to his senses. He brings his fingers up to his side carefully. The skin is smooth. He healed. He healed because he let Scott turn him.

Stiles is a werewolf.

Stiles is a werewolf!

He lets out a breathy laugh that catches his dad's attention.

"Stiles?"

"Hey dad. Sorry we're late for dinner." He laughs again and his dad grips him in a hug. Stiles think he might never let go. But he's also not complaining.

They find their way downstairs a little while after that and the whole pack is waiting for him. They all look wary and nervous. He flashes a big smile.

"You guys didn't think you could get rid of me that easy, did you?"

Lydia stalks up to him and smacks him. Not a moment later his arms are full of a sobbing Lydia. She calms a moment later and backs up to let everyone else in. Malia and Kira have him sandwiched between them and Isaac picks him up of his feet. Scott waits but he hugs Stiles tightly when it's his turn.

"Don't ever do that to me again."

Then there's just Derek. He looks so guilty, and he's most assuredly blaming himself for what happened. Stiles doesn't want him too. He stares at Derek until he comes forward finally and fits their mouths together. Stiles is basking in the glory that is Derek's scent. Eventually the kiss ends but they don't let go of each other. They probably won't for a long time.

"Guess the pack is going to have to find another human." He says to everyone. He pulls Derek down to the couch to sit with him.

"There are a few billion people in the world." Kira says dismissively.

"Only one Stiles." Scott says.

"So he's really a wolf then?" Lydia asks looking at Stiles. Derek turns his head so they're eye to eye and flashes his golden eyes. Stiles can feel his wolf rise in response to Derek. He looks around and everyone is smiling. A thought strikes Stiles suddenly.

"What color?" He asks.

"Gold."

"But Kate–"

"Chris Killed Kate." Scott reminds him.

"All those people while I was the nogitsune–"

"That wasn't you is was the demon. Trust me it's different." Derek looks away.

"Okay."

He looks around at pack and sitting here next to Derek it's not so strange to think that this is the happiest I've ever been.

"Soo, dad. Did you ever actually make dinner? Cause I'm starving."

The pack laughs and his dad grumbles and goes to order pizza even though it's got to be well past midnight by now.

He sets his head on Derek's chest and listens to Scott and Kira whisper to each other, he watches Isaac and Malia roughhouse, and he chuckles when they land on Lydia and she makes affronted sounds and declarations of revenge. Stiles thinks that in that moment he finally understands the definition of perfect.