Stiles did not punch Peter Hale in the face and you could ask any one of the doctors or nurses that were around at the time that Peter told Derek he was being "dramatic" and to "stop being such a little shit."

Stiles honestly had nothing to do with the black eye or the broken nose that Peter was sporting when he left, or at least that was his story.

What really happened went something more like this;

"Why are you always so dramatic Derek, really this whole troubled teen thing is getting out of hand, now if you apologize now and promise to stop being such a little shit I'll think about letting you back into my home."

Stiles' fist made contact with Peter's face before he even knew what he was doing.

It was satisfying the crack of his nose, the spurt of blood that poured out of Peter's nose.

"That is for being an asshole to Derek." He spat before punching him once again, glaring as the wounded man tried to cover his face, "and that, you giant dick, is for Lydia."

"I don't ever want to see your ugly face again, I'm not sure how this is your fault but I have no doubt in my mind that somehow it is." Stiles said through clenched teeth, trying hard to resist the urge to beat the man senseless.

"I think you'll find that he is my nephew." Peter smirked.

The god damn asshole had the nerve to fucking smirk at him.

"I think that you will find that he is eighteen years old." Stiles replied digging his nails into the skin of his palms to refrain from laying another punch on the guy's jaw.

"Sure as hell doesn't act like it, whining little brat…"

Peter probably had more to say, but Stiles never found out because he was too distracted by the groan the man let out when Stiles' foot made contact with his groin, causing him to drop to his knees where Stiles proceeded to grab his hair and yank his head up so his eyes were locked on his own.

"I think it's in everyone's best interest if you leave now and never come back. If you don't I'm sure I can think of some more body parts to injure." He almost growled.

Peter stood and walked to the door almost all the way out before Stiles added, "And scumbag, send Laura in on your way out."

Derek let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in which startled Stiles.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry I didn't mean for you to see that; I just got angry and I'm sorry." He muttered putting space between him and Derek backing towards the exit and accidentally bumping into Laura when she walked in.

"Did you just beat the crap out of my uncle? Not that I'm complaining, I'd just like to know who to send the trophy to." Laura said throwing herself into one of the chairs at the far side of the room

Stiles ignored her, mentally still freaking out over what just happened.

He hadn't asked Derek for his opinion on any of this, he really should have but he didn't. He didn't ask if he wanted to leave his family's house, if he wouldn't mind Stiles punching his uncle in the face. He just saw the way Derek flinched away when peter raised his hand only slightly and something inside him snapped.

"You didn't have to do that." Derek said.

"I know." Stiles nodded, "and I really shouldn't have, but I'm not sure I could have stopped myself if I tried."

Laura made a small squeak in her corner and when Stiles looked over she was grinning and standing up, "I'll just give you two some alone time." She said winking at Stiles who flushed.

They didn't speak for a while, Stiles found himself again in the chair at Derek's bedside, fiddling his thumbs and trying to think of what to say.

"Do you like living with them?" Stiles asked, mostly because he wanted to swoop in and rescue Derek but he had to accept that maybe Peter wasn't the problem. Maybe Stiles was projecting his hatred of the man onto Derek's situation. Maybe he wasn't being any better than peter by controlling the kid's life and decisions for him.

"no." Derek mumbled.

Stiles had never been so relieved to hear a single word in the English language in his entire life.

"I have a friend—She has an empty room, and Lydia – Miss. Martin and I have one in our apartment" Stiles said fidgeting, "so if you'd like to—I can send someone over to get your stuff today."

Derek sat silently for a minute, "you want me to move in with you?"

Stiles frowned.

This was a stupid idea; it was the middle of January.

They still had entire semester left with Derek being his student and if the school board found out that he was living with a student he would be fired so fast his head would spin. But apparently around Derek he couldn't be trusted to make good decisions.

"I want to make sure you're okay." Stiles said, "I'd like you to move in with us, and Laura to go stay with my friend Erica. She teaches self-defense and should be more than a match for anyone that might want to hurt her."

Derek sat in silence for a while, not looking at him or at anything really before speaking.

"I need to talk to Laura first."

Stiles nodded before standing up and sending Laura into the room.

He watched through the glass as Laura reached out to hold her twin's hand, he said something and Laura's face contorted in what looked like pain, and terror, and disgust. He watched until he figured it was too private. A moment between siblings that he shouldn't have been watching to begin with.

It was only then that he pulled out his phone and called Erica and Lydia to tell them what he had done.

They both took a long time spelling out for him exactly all the ways that he was a complete and total idiot, but because he had the best friends in the entire world they agreed without question. Erica agreeing that she would take Boyd today and go pick up the twins' things, and Lydia telling him that if he got fired, they would find an even better job somewhere else.

Stiles frowned and said goodbye to Erica when she hung up from their chat.

"Lydia, I'm most likely going to get fired—and I don't even think I care." He admitted, for the first time out loud to her; for the first time really to himself.

He had done so many things in the last four months that he would have never done if it hadn't been for Derek. He punched someone in the face, he texted one of his students, he blew off planning his lessons during his planning period to talk to him which meant staying up until two in the morning finishing them instead, he broke so many traffic laws and he didn't give a shit.

All he cared about was that Derek was okay.

That he as happy and safe; and that terrified him.

"That's what love feels like." Lydia said into the receiver, and Stiles could hear her smiling.

"I hate you." He replied.

"I love you too." She said before hanging up on him and leaving him alone in the waiting room with his thoughts.

"He wants to see you again." Laura said, bringing him out of his thoughts some time later.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

He just wanted everything to be okay.

"hey." He said walking back into the room, eyes trained on Derek.

"I'm not ready to tell you what happened yet." Derek blurted, "I told Laura but I- You—I just can't."

Stiles nodded.

"You don't have to."

They sat in silence for a while longer, Stiles migrating to the chair beside Derek's bed. Hand's hovering near the bed-rail, He tried to convince himself that this was normal, that he would have done it for any of his students.

But the thing was he wouldn't. He would have rushed to their aid for sure, he would have probably have gone as far as to barge into their rooms and stick their fingers down their throats. Maybe even gone with them to the hospital. But sitting here for what was going on 17 hours with no sleep. Punching their guardian in the face, offering them a home, trying to hold their hand in reassurance, Stiles would have never risked this much for just anyone.

Derek, Derek was different.

Stiles felt pathetic to say that it might be worth his career to help this kid, to keep him out of trouble, to keep him from whatever demons were haunting him. He knew it was stupid and immature and ridiculous to throw his life away for an eighteen year old kid, but sitting in that hospital room, staring at him.

He couldn't help but think he was making the right decision.