hypercompetent | IC INBOX

[ Between Stiles coming back a wreck and... well, Erica also coming back a wreck and alive, Derek's nerves have been a little frayed. If asked, he probably wouldn't have been able to tell anyone how much (or little) sleep that he got the entire week Stiles was missing, if only because the fact that his things were still in the mansion didn't really mean much of anything in the grand scheme of things. For as much as he hates what Wonderland does to them, he fears what could happen at home. What could happen in the unknown corners of this place.

His fears are, unfortunately, proven right by leaps and bounds with the way Stiles came back. It's led to a couple days where he's entrusted the pack to Scott, to Cora and Isaac, made sure that Erica was safe but had full focus on trying to keep Stiles together. Just touching him has automatically triggered his pain sapping, which is... bizarre. It's never happened like that before-- he's always had control over it-- but it's a staggering amount of pain.

That he willingly takes.

Exhausted as it leaves him, though, he's opted to do something small that requires a quick trip into the kitchen. Upon returning to their room, he has a box on-hand, he's immediately moving for Stiles, gravitating. ]

[ he's getting better. that much is blatantly obvious. maybe it's being completely separated from the nogitsune, or maybe it's wonderland working its magic--whatever it is, stiles is starting to get healthier. but it's only the second day since he's come back, and when he woke up, he'd completely forgotten about the date. back home, it was just a little past halloween, starting to tumble towards winter, but here? here it was april.

here it was his birthday.

he's spent the past day trying to sleep, curled up in the bed that he and derek had been sharing for a couple of months now. there's really nothing for him to be guilty about here--he's even been informed that lydia's returned--but with erica being back and lydia looking at him like she's terrified, stiles isn't so keen on the idea of sleep. in fact, he's pretty sure if he closes his eyes, the nogitsune's going to show up again, grab him and force him to destroy wonderland in the way it had in beacon hills.

but as it stands, he's currently staring kind of listlessly off into the distance, thinking about something. when the door opens, it takes his attention again, and stiles glances down at the box, brows raising. ] What's that?

[ The fact that Stiles is awake doesn't particularly surprise him all that much. What little sleep he has been getting in the past day has been brief and resulted in the teenager jerking himself awake again, leaving Derek reassuring him that everything was okay, he was safe, nothing was going to happen. He is, after the past week, effectively exhausted but still refuses to properly sleep if Stiles doesn't. The closest he's gotten has been dozing, and he's fine with that. ]

Show you in a minute. [ Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, he reaches up and brushes his knuckles against his temple. It's brief contact, reassurance that's instinctive for him to give, both as a wolf in a pack and as someone worried for the wellbeing of a person he cares a great deal about. The moment there's skin on skin, he feels the twinge of pain, sees a flash of his veins filling with black. But he doesn't jerk back from it, and instead drops his hand down to slot his hand over his pulse.

Thumbing at it, he ignores the way pain settles on him. There's a lot in Stiles, and he's not surprised from what he's been told so far. But his body processes it better than Stiles' can without the nogitsune in it, so he's willing to take it bit by bit until Wonderland works its magic or he just saps it all out of him. ]

[ stiles' facial expression at him taking his pain, again, could only be described as irritated--he opens his mouth to complain but shuts it again, because they've been through this song and dance at least twenty times since stiles actually returned. he knows for a fact that taking pain can, actually, kill a werewolf, and he's pretty invested in derek not dying. he watched the nogitsune try to torment scott doing the same damn thing, so alpha or not, it's still potentially deadly, and stiles has enough goddamn blood on his hands as it is.

but he just huffs and reaches for his hand instead, pulling his pulse away and letting him hold his hand, at least. it's compromise. the feeling of pain drawn makes him tired, and he doesn't want to sleep. ] Dude, seriously, I'm fine. Totally fine.

[ just cold. and sore. and mentally nowhere near okay. ]

[ Considering Derek has seen Stiles make that face often enough in the past twenty-four hours, he knows that he's not going to be allowed to do it for very long. And, of course, Stiles draws his hand away from where it's settled, but at the very least he can still hear it. Still feel it in his palm, and it's half about making sure that Stiles isn't in as much pain as he was when he arrived and... well, half reassuring Derek that he's okay. Or, will be, anyways.

After sitting for a moment and leveling him with a look of vague skepticism, he rolls his shoulders and head to crack his neck, work out a little of the pain. It takes another second or two to actually focus enough to stop the connection, not particularly inclined to release his hand but knowing he can't keep going. ]

Not as bad as it was yesterday, at least. [ He squeezes his hand gently, comfort for both of them, minute as it is. ]

It's getting better. [ he says so a little thoughtfully, looking down at their hands. yesterday he could barely walk--today he's at least moving, although there's a high chance he'd probably have to be sedated to actually get some real sleep. ] I think it's Wonderland doing it. I mean, it let you stay an alpha, so obviously they've got some weird shit going on here.

[ he thinks about his mirror for a second and shudders. at least the nogitsune is far, far away for now. stiles doesn't want to even consider beacon hills at the moment, and he can only hope that if he gets sent back, they'll stop it before his death.

(or, before it kills anyone else. at this point, stiles dying wouldn't be a bane on society.)

he returns the squeeze after a second, glancing back over at the box. curiosity, thy name is stilinski. ] Soooo.

[ An affirmative sound leaves him, but Derek knows the only reason he's still an alpha is because he hasn't given up his alphaship yet. He hasn't reached that point in their timeline, and now he and Erica are the furthest back out of the entire pack. But from what he's been told, by Isaac and Stiles both, it was worth giving up to save Cora's life. And he'd do it for any of them, even Allison now. ] Considering everything that Wonderland's thrown at us, it helping you heal faster isn't surprising.

[ He can smell guilt and upset rolling off of him, can see the misery in his face and how he holds himself. But he rubs his thumb along the top of his palm and regards him quietly, just taking everything in as the disorientation associated with taking pain slowly starts to filter through him.

When Stiles draws attention to the box, he turns where he's seated and reaches with his free hand to get it. Carefully lifting it up, he presents it to him. ] Here.

[ Go ahead Stiles, open it. ]

[ stiles' eyes follow him the entire way to the box, because he's kind of curious, and he looses his fingers from derek's to take it from him, adjusting long legs onto the bed and starting to pull it open.

the sight of a cake makes his mouth drop a little open for a second before he grins, rolls his head back in an eyeroll, but it's 100% good natured. ] --Dude, no, oh my god. It's my birthday.

[ of course he knew. entirely too touched and trying too hard not to show it, stiles' grin doubles in size and he holds the cake up to sniff it. ] Chocolate? Man--you totally brought forks, right? I'm gonna smash my face in it otherwise.

[ have yourself one (1) pleased, exhausted and still sick, but so happy stiles. ]

Not that Wonderland thinks birthdays matter, but yeah. [ There's soft amusement in his voice as he watches Stiles' reaction, but he just settles next to him comfortably. Stiles has been running cold, colder than Isaac ever does, so he's been more than willing to share the warmth of his body with him to try and help.

Derek snorts and withdraws a fork he'd rolled up in one of the dining hall's cloth napkins and stuck in his pocket, unraveling it and offering it to him. It's Stiles' cake, as far as he's concerned. If he wants to share, that's fine, but it's his birthday. ]

Try not to cover yourself in it, birthday boy.

I'm guessing you didn't stalk the police files. [ which is how stiles found out about derek's birthday. okay, to be fair, he'd been looking over info from kate argent's case, but he'd still committed it to memory. he's not sure how derek knew his birthday, but it's like him to have figured it out, and honestly, he doesn't care.

taking out the fork, stiles readjusts, sitting cross legged to keep the cake from falling over, then sticks the fork in to take a bite. he chews contentedly, even making an "ohhh my goddd" noise, mouth full of crumbs, before he hears what derek says.

with a grin, he sticks a finger in the icing and boops derek's nose with it. ] You got it.

No, no I did not. [ And he's not surprised in the least that Stiles is finally admitting to his knowledge of Derek's birthday came from his police files. Of course it did, he didn't doubt it at all-- there was no other way for him to find it out, anyways. It's not like he ever talks about it, which resulted in only Cora and Stiles celebrating it this year. In this instance, though, he'll never admit to how he figured Stiles' out.

Something pleased settles over him, and he preens a little as Stiles enjoys himself. He hasn't been back in Wonderland long at all, and he's been miserable the entire time. So of course he's glad to bring him something to help, even if it's brief.

Even if it means getting icing all over his face. Scrunching his nose, he looks down at it before bringing up his thumb and swiping it off. Instead of smearing it on Stiles, though, he sticks his thumb in his mouth and sucks it off. ]

[ he wants to know--oh lord, he wants to know so badly--but stiles watches him lick the frosting off of his thumb and completely forgets about it. for as miserable as he's been feeling, he really cannot ignore that derek is kind of ridiculously, absurdly fine.

like, that should just be unfair, right there. when he's got the energy to feel turned on again, that's gonna be a month's worth of shower fodder.

tipping over a little, the teenager instead rests his cheek against derek's shoulder, taking another bite of the cake. he's exhausted, and even sitting up for a long time is getting to him, but at least he's here. it's a good chance to reflect back on everything's that happened, to quietly, secretly be glad that he's here instead of home.

he speaks up a little quietly after swallowing down another bite. ] ...thanks, dude.

[ for everything, is pretty well implied there. ]

[ It won't be long before Stiles' curiosity wins out against his exhaustion or various distractions, but for now he seems sated with his cake and is too tired for much of anything but sitting there and... really, this is probably the slowest he's ever seen the teenager eat anything.

Letting him settle against his shoulder, he shifts to curl his arm gently around him as he props his cheek on top of his head. Some part of him has to wonder about when this became such a comfortable arrangement, but he doesn't question it. Instead, he just settles there, a soft sound in the back of his throat.

They're both tired, and they've been through a lot of hell between Beacon Hills and Wonderland, but they've gotten through it together. ]

Any time. [ And he means it, too. ]

IC INBOX

Happy birthday damaged baby.

cries happy friggin birthday to stiles

Poor angel.

life sucks ;__;

shhh shshsh.

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