Work Text
Finding the note on his door, Stiles already is pretty sure what it’s going to entail. Which he does not want to deal with, aware that if it’s what he fears well it doesn’t bode well for any of them. Scanning the note with his magic for any hint of magical or creature residue, his stomach sinks to the ground beneath his feet. Looking around quickly, he grabs the note, bringing it inside, hoping he is wrong despite knowing that he isn’t.
‘I have lost all, but gained one,
Once a father, now merely a friend,
Silver tarnished, gun oil and Wolfsbane,
Who am I, the one now haunted?
I am not alive, yet I am born,
From sleepless nights and minds forlorn.
I twist your thoughts, your truths I seize,
What am I, that brings you to your knees?
I am the shadow that dances in flame,
I play with your mind but go by no name.
I feast on chaos, your fears are my wine,
What am I, whose hunger is endless, divine?’
Cursing under his breath, he loses all hope of being wrong, the godsdamn Nogitsune is back. There is almost no other reason that he would be the one….. Taking a deep breath, knowing that he has to be smart about this, has to keep a level head whether he likes it or not. After a few measured breaths he is as calm as he’s likely to get, so he sits his ass down right in front of his door to decipher what the fuck this is.“Okay. Okay. Okay. I can do this. Let’s just… Hmmmm.” he says, thinking aloud, but rereading the first riddle stops him in his tracks.Lost all… Once a father…Silver tarnished… Gun oil and Wolfsbane… That has to be Chris. There is just no other option in his mind. But does that mean that Chris is the one possessed? Or has Chris been kidnapped by whoever is possessed? Honestly he doubts that the Nogitsune would announce his host that way, so it’s more than likely the second option… Which is probably the lesser of the two evils if he’s being honest with himself.The last one, well he already knew the answer to that the second he got a fucking note covered in riddles. The godsdamn Nogitsune is back because of course it is. Just like the two main evil Argents, this damn Kitsune has a way of coming back when you least expect it. Honestly the fact that he believed that they defeated that fucker for good was naive in a way that he strives not to be. Not after so long in this world.No longer able to avoid it, he focuses on the middle riddle, already pretty sure he knows what it’s going to be. But he has to make sure… Not alive… But born from sleepless nights… Twists your thoughts… Taking a deep breath, he centers himself, trying to avoid the memories swirling up inside him. Or at least the way they want to affect him. Distantly hearing the horrible sound of that godsdamn MRI machine, the fear he felt that he was sick like his mom.“Madness, like what it wrought all those years ago. They, whoever they turn out to be, they are almost definitely torturing Chris. And they’re trying to bait me. But why? Oh well, me and Scott I guess, fuck!” he says, hoping that speaking it out loud will make it weigh on him less, the memories.Turning the note over causes a shiver to run down his spine, worry visceral and all encompassing. Understanding that no matter how strong he’s gotten he can’t go alone, he accepts calling his brother. Assuming that Scott will be the most comfortable going after Chris like this. The first call ringing through to voicemail doesn’t surprise him, but he calls again anyway. Frustration rushing through him when the second call goes much the same, calling one last time.“Come on, answer me, you bastard!” he growls out, far too wolf like after so many years running with them.Getting Scott’s voicemail once more he fights back his want to punch a hole in his wall. Not willing to waste time on something that useless when once more he’s responsible for someone else’s safety. Standing up, he starts pacing debating how to proceed, trying to figure out who he should call to come with him. Though if he’s being honest with himself, he already knows exactly who he wants to come with him. Just unsure if the Wolf would be willing.“Hello, darling. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Peter says upon answering the phone, despite Stiles not even realizing that he had made the call.“I… How do you feel about going on a rescue mission with me, Left Hand Hale?” he asks as calmly and plainly as he possibly can, hoping Peter won’t notice anything off with him.“Who are we going after, my darling Alpha? And what is going on?” Peter asks teasingly, not quite yet registering how weird Stiles is acting.“Peter… Chris… We’re going to save Chris… From the Nogitsune… It’s back, chaos has risen again and we are wholly unprepared for it…” he answers tiredly, already far more stressed out than he wanted to be today.“The Nogitsune is back… Are you going to be okay? I know you feel obligated to go after them, but are you sure that it will be a good idea for you to?” Peter asks far more carefully than Stiles is prepared for, though he does appreciate the Wolf considering that.“I will be okay, I need to do this for my own sake just as much as I need to do it for Chris. Are you willing to come with me? You don’t have to, I won’t push you to come with me if you’re uncomfortable with it. If you’re not, I can bring a few of the Pup with me and that is okay too.” he responds calmly, feeling far more balanced now that he has more of a plan and likely has the best backup he could want for this.“Any amount of discomfort I may or may not have about doing this would have nothing on the thought of allowing you to go without me, Stiles. My title means something to me, you know that, I take pride in my place in the Pack. So what kind of Left Hand would send their Alpha with still rather untrained Pups, instead of going along themselves?” Peter responds offendedly, not liking the doubt he thinks his Alpha is showing in his abilities, pride bruised more than he would admit. “Peter, this is not me doubting you or your ability. I’m just aware of the history there, and I’m trying to be respectful of it. The same reason Chris is still only on the fringes of the Pack, I don’t want to… Now is not the time for that. Do you want to go with me or not, Peter?” he asks firmly, no longer wanting to waste valuable time on something this stupid.“Of course I’m going with you, I’m almost to your house then we can leave.” Peter responds just as firmly, which makes Stiles roll his eyes.“Okay, Peter, I’ll see you soon. I need to grab my go bag. Then I’ll be ready to head out.” he says plainly, getting off the phone to do exactly what he said.Opening up the closet in the mudroom of his house, he grabs his go bag, his magical first aid kit and the other two’s go bags as well. Wanting to be prepared for anything and everything that they can be. Shutting the door back, he easily carries them outside with him, locking and warding his house. Just a minute later Peter pulls up, and understanding the look, the Wolf gets out, throwing the keys to him just like he wanted him to.“Here, put these in the back and then we can get going. I’ll show you the note on the way. But we don’t have the time to waste right now.” he says easily, getting behind the wheel after Peter takes the bags.“You are… You are handling this better than I thought you would be.” Peter comments carefully, sliding into the passenger seat, a little more used to this than he would like, but willing to give the Spark Mage what he needs from him.“I will probably spiral later but for now I have more important things to focus on. Once we have Chris safe and the Nogitsune defeated I don’t know how I’ll be to be honest with you. But for now I’m going to focus on the pressing matter at hand which is saving Chris and crushing the damn Nogitsune. Though… Nope we’ll talk about that once things are over.” he says, just barely stopping himself from telling the Wolf about Scott, realizing now isn’t the best time for that conversation.“Darling, what are you keeping from me? ….. Stiles! What’s going on?” Peter starts calmly, but at the change in scent he starts to panic, but Stiles is unable to answer him.
‘Dad, how could you have let me die? Work with the ones who killed me? What kind of father are you?’ The shade of Allison says to Chris who looks rougher than he even did after Allison’s death, breaking Stiles' heart at the part he played in that horror for the man.
‘This isn’t you. You would be proud of me for sticking around and helping the Pack you loved and died for. It’s not their fault and you would never blame them… It’s my fault if it’s anyone’s fault… I failed you, I failed to protect you…’ Chris says brokenly, far more brokenly than Stiles has ever heard him.
‘Dad, you are working with the person who killed me… That stupid little spastic human who runs with Wolves. You chose to still work with the Pack that houses him.’ The shade of Allison says disappointedly, hurting both Chris and Stiles with the words, torturing both men.
‘You wouldn’t blame Stiles for what happened. It’s not his fault at all and we all know it even if he sometimes doesn’t see it that way. He wasn’t even there when you were killed, you wouldn’t blame him, this isn’t you, I know it’s not you, you’d never blame us this way.’ Chris responds firmly, but there is clear agony in his voice no matter how strong he’s trying to portray himself, the pain too much to ignore fully, enraging Stiles all the more to see the strong man breaking this way.
‘He let them in, he made the choice to allow the Nogitsune in, we all were in that ritual and only Stiles was possessed. It’s his own fault no matter what you’re saying. It was Stiles’ fault for allowing them in. Stiles killed me and you’re siding with him, you’re fighting for the person who caused my death. You are siding with the person who made sure I didn’t reach full adulthood. What kind of father would do that?” The shade of Allison asks, cutting into both men listening.
‘No. You would never think that. You would never say that. You don’t believe that. This is a nightmare. You would never say any of this. You would never believe any of this. I know you wouldn’t. This isn’t you, it couldn’t be, this isn’t who you are so it couldn’t be you.” Chris says firmly, but you can hear the way it’s splitting him open, how much this situation is killing the man and Stiles is seething, praying to get there faster.
‘This is who I am now. You are siding with the people who have torn our family to shreds. Who have murdered almost every single one of us. The people who took away our family, our future, our lives. And you choose them.
After all that they have done to our family you choose them, you support them, you side with them. They stole everything from us and you are still siding with them even after they took me away too… What is wrong with you?” The shade of Allison says cruelly, no longer even trying to seem like Allison, knowing that they pushed the man far enough to lose the veil of innocence, leaving Stiles more livid than he can handle, shaking.
‘Stop it! This isn’t you! Leave me alone! I want you back, I do, but I want YOU back. Not whatever the fuck version of you this is… This isn’t my little girl, this isn’t the girl who fought for the people she loved even if it was against me, this isn’t you…
I love you with all that I am, but this isn’t you, Ally, this isn’t who you are, even at your worst this is not who you are, this is a nightmare version of you I have created in my isolation…” Chris insists firmly, but oh so brokenly, making Stiles ache for the man, leaving the Spark shaking with unrestrained magic, close to exploding, barely able to hold himself back.
‘Being betrayed by those I loved, being slaughtered because of someone I trusted , that’s what has made me this way. Knowing you side with them still, even after all the pain and suffering they have inflicted upon us, it just makes it all the worse. You have failed me. You have betrayed me. You have sided with my murderer.
What kind of loving father would side with the person who slaughtered your little girl?
’ The shade of Allison asks cruelly, making sure to hit both of the men listening exactly where it hurts, leaving both men torn open in a way that neither may ever truly recover from.
‘No… No. NO! This isn’t you! This isn’t my little girl! This is never how you would feel! You never would blame Stiles for what happened, and you wouldn’t blame me either. You made sure that I knew how proud you were of me for learning to work with the Pack.
You wouldn’t hold me continuing to work with them against me. You would want me to keep protecting them and helping them as much as they would allow. You never would wish for me to not be on the right side of things.
I know that, I know that you would be proud of me for continuing the legacy that you built, following the code YOU wrote for us. You would be proud of me, I know you would.’ Chris says resolutely, but there is a slight hesitation, one that tells Stiles he needs to get there now. “Darling? What is going on? You’re starting to glow?!” Peter asks kind of panickedly, cutting through the hold the Nogitsune had on Stiles’ brain, pulling the Spark back to the moment, realizing that something serious is going on.“Allison… The Nogitsune… That fucking BASTARD is using Allison to torture both Chris and I. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this enraged in my life, Peter. My magic feels like a godsdamn bomb right now. I think I need you to keep you and Chris away from the fight…I honestly don’t know if I will have the control to not get you two caught in the crossfire if you’re too close when I murder that stupid godsdamn demon… Please keep the two of you safe from me.” he says honestly through gritted teeth, trying everything he can to hold himself together enough to make it there before losing control over his magic.“You… But… I’m supposed to stand by while you fight? That’s what you’re asking of me right now? To stand off to the side while you fight the one thing that still haunts your nightmares? That’s just not possible for me, darling… I can’t even consider allowing you to do this alone, not when I know how much this is going to affect you, please don’t make me.” Peter pleads in a way that shows just how much the thought crushes the proud man.“Peter, I need you to consider how much hurting either of you in my rage would haunt me… The Nogitsune would have nothing on the damage that would cause me! Please don’t make me command you to stand aside, because I will if I have to and you know it.” he says as steadily as he can force himself to, trying everything in his power to keep himself stable enough to keep a leash on his magic even in the face of his rage.“You… Wait… I… You would be affected if you accidentally hurt us while fighting the Nogitsune? Both of us? You genuinely care about us as people? I didn’t know that either of us mattered to you that way.” Peter responds timidly, clearly stuck in how his old Pack felt about his position.“Peter, you stupid Wolf. Yes I fucking care about you guys as people. Your position as Left Hand doesn’t change anything about how I claim you as one of my people. I’m not afraid of you or your position, I never have been and I never will be.You both matter to me as people, not just what you guys can do for me, I know that’s not what you’re used to, but that is how I feel, nothing will change that. I respect and care for you guys, dumbass.” he says angrily despite trying not to show that kind of aggression about it since he does understand why the Wolf feels that way even if it pisses him the fuck off.“I didn’t know… My apologies… I will try to remember going forward. But I can’t make any promises… You really need me to just keep Chris and I away from you and the Nogitsune instead of helping fight it?” Peter responds somewhere between touched and pained.“I know you don’t like the idea of leaving me to take on the bastard solo, I understand I really do, but I need you to stay away because if I accidentally hurt or even worse kill one of you during the fight I will not survive it. I can do this. Just please keep you two safe from me.” he says honestly, admitting maybe a little more than he had intended, showing maybe a little too much of his feelings for the men he’s been hiding for years now.“I don’t know if I can do that, Stiles. I need to protect you just as much as you need to protect me. My Wolf won’t be able to stand aside while our Alpha fights for his life, it’s just not in our nature. You can’t ask that of me, if you really need that you’ll have to command me.Because I won’t be able to fight my instincts otherwise. And as long as you come out on top I will be able to forgive you for making me stand aside.” Peter admits reluctantly, both warming Stiles’ heart and breaking it at the same time, leaving the Spark so very torn on what to do and how to proceed.“I do this because I care about you and don’t want to be responsible for harming you while I’m this angry. Peter Ian Hale, you are to guard Chris and yourself away from the fight between me and the Nogitsune. You will stay far enough away that there isn’t much of a risk of me accidentally hurting you or Chris. I need you both safe, do you understand me?” he commands firmly, understanding that it’s his only choice at this point.Parking almost immediately afterwards, accepting Peter’s submission quickly before leading the way to grab the bags, piling them all onto the Wolf. Hoping that they won’t need them, but unwilling to take the risk of needing it and not having it on hand. Taking a deep breath to keep the leash around his magic, he finally starts the charge to one of the places he wishes he never had to get near again.Ignoring the way the memories and stories are swirling around inside his head, he pushes himself forward. Forcing himself to keep going, knowing that Chris needs him more than he needs to avoid the memories of this place. Doing everything that he can to ignore the overwhelming sense of dread and loss filling this place. Refusing to allow it to distract him from the goal at hand.Rounding the corner, he heads towards the tunnel, ignoring the imposing form of Eichen as best he can, needing to have his wits about himself. Unwilling to take the risk… Though at the sight that meets him he almost loses his grip on himself, horrified, but forcing himself to remain grounded. But gods the sight of Allison towering over her practically cowering father is something he never could have been prepared for.“I think I might be the one you’re actually looking for, so why don’t you leave him alone? Hmmmm? Wouldn’t you rather have a go at the one who actually killed you, not the man who gave you his all even when his world was shattering around him?” he calls out, drawing both the demon and Chris’ attention towards himself, hoping to get Chris away from the shade of the man’s daughter the Nogitsune created.“Ah, of course, always so quick to stick your nose in other people’s business. And you bring Peter with you? Really? Couldn’t even get your best friend to come with you? I don’t know whether to be impressed or annoyed by the fact you failed to get Scott to come with you but was able to convince Peter to come with instead.” The shade of Allison says disgustedly, already looking back towards the breaking man, instead of Stiles.“Why don’t you actually face me? Not this mask you’re wearing, but your actual self. Or well I guess whatever meatsuit you’re actually wearing.” he says challengingly hoping that it will be enough to get the demon's attention fully from the man.The shade of Allison’s growls in response, but does fully turn away from Chris, focusing on him finally instead. Striding towards each other, he and the demon meet in the middle, only then does the Nogitsune show their true face, or as true of a face that they can. Considering the godsdamn town that they are in he really should be surprised by the sight that meets him, but seeing fucking Harris’ face instead of Allison shocks him, truly it does, despite himself.“You know what? You guys are a match made in the depths of hell. I shouldn’t even be surprised at this point.” he says annoyedly, loosening some of his hold on his magic, preparing to take the duo from hell down once and for good, never wanting to deal with either one again.The cruel smirk covering the man’s face doesn’t surprise him, but the sick glee in the eyes meeting his own leaves him just slightly hesitant, not quite sure what that’s gonna mean for any of them. But he knows he can’t let it distract him from what he needs to do, he can’t let them play with his mind like that. So taking a deep breath he grabs the man from the collar of his shirt, pulling him so there’s merely a breath of space left between them.“Stop, Stiles! I know she’s possessed but please please please don’t hurt her. I know I was willing to kill you when you were possessed. But please don’t hurt her. I know…” Chris cuts himself off when Peter damn near tackles him to the ground, keeping the man from getting any closer to the duo.It takes longer for him to realize what is going on than he’d ever admit, heart sinking at the knowledge that Chris is going to see him kill Allison, not Harris or literally anyone else. One of the men he really really cares about is going to have to watch him kill his daughter all over again, great. Pushing that away, he can’t let it stop him from handling this, no matter how much he wishes he didn’t have to hurt the Hunter, he just can’t let the Nogitsune win.“You aren’t going to win, I’m not going to let you go just because you’re messing with Chris’ mind. I’ll deal with the backlash from your tricks later, but for now I just gotta end you. I owe the territory to take you out, no matter how I may wish to not cause harm to one of the men who means so much to me, I can’t fail this territory, my territory.” he says firmly, pulling the bastard further away from the Hunter and Wolf, no longer trusting himself to remain fully in control.“Oh, but that is where you are wrong. You can’t beat me. Not without your little friends, you’re nothing compared to me. You’re barely anything as it is but when being compared to me? You’re absolutely nothing, and that’s what you forever will be. Who’s going to come save you this time? Derek? Scott? Isaac? Hmmm? Who’s going to come save the itty bitty human who runs with Wolves? Because Peter clearly isn’t going to do anything for you, the little coward.” Harris and the Nogitsune say cruelly, not quite understanding the trouble they have gotten themselves into picking this fight, especially after showing the Spark what they were doing to one of the men who he loves.Unable to let that insult towards his Wolf slide, he just pulls back and decks the demon, making sure that the fucker feels it. Praying that Chris won’t hate him after this he just doesn’t stop hitting the bastard, no longer in complete control of himself, just like he was worried about. But this is decidedly not how he thought the fight was going to go, him just beating the shit out of them, unrelenting, lost in the moment far more than he’d prefer.The thing is, he knows that the Nogitsune is allowing this, but that doesn’t stop him, not quite yet. Needing to regain more of his stability to finish the bastard off for good, he just keeps beating the man to a pulp, using it to ground himself. It takes a lot of time for it to work well enough, leaving both him and Harris absolutely coated in blood, which he feels darkly proud of, unable to help himself. Rolling his shoulders back, needing to stretch out a little after beating the man that way.Doing everything to ignore the eyes he can feel on him, not willing to get distracted, not when he has the Nogitsune thinking that its going to win. Oh so slowly, he brings his magic out, making sure that it’s not noticeable to the demon, but readying himself for what he’s going to do. A deep breath later and he sends pure magic through the demon, melting the host from the inside out, before finally burning the damn firefly to nothing more than ash, spreading it far and wide.“Holy fuck, darling…” Peter says far more breathlessly than he meant to, but far too aroused at the scene he just witnessed his Alpha play a part in, biting his lip violently, nearly overwhelmed with how hot Stiles looks covered in blood this way.“Are you guys okay? You sound really weird, Peter. Are you okay? Both of you. Are you okay?” he asks firmly, needing to know the answer, despite already being aware of the fact that both men weren’t hurt in the fight.“Was… That… The Nogitsune?” Chris asks brokenly, causing both other men to turn their entire focus onto the Hunter, needing to take care of him after what the man had just been put through, surprising Stiles that Peter feels the same instincts when it comes to the Hunter.“Yeah, baby, that was the Nogitsune, I’m so fucking sorry that you had to go through this, I’m so sorry that you were brought into the middle of this because of me, I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to protect you from this. I swear to you that I never would have allowed this to happen had I known, had I had any warning at all that the bastard was back, that he was gunning for me again, but using others as well this time.Really I should have known, I should have prepared better, I should have made sure that you guys were protected just in case, but I failed you, once again I failed you, honestly I failed you both, I should have known, I should have kept you two safe…” he says angrily, feeling both enraged at himself and guilty as all hell for allowing this to happen.“Why… But… Why me? Why us? Why should you have expected the Nogitsune to come after us if it came back? I just don’t understand… It doesn’t make any sense why we’d be the targets for you in this situation, well in any situation.” Peter asks confusedly, even after the conversation he and his Alpha had on the way here, not understanding that there is more to this than meets the eye.“Gods, you’re really going to make me confess like this? Fucking hell. Okay I can totally do this. I’m the godsdamn Alpha, I can totally do this. I just beat the Nogitsune for good, I can handle this. To put it simply the two of you are my weaknesses, well my main ones. I…The feelings I have for the two of you is what puts you at risk of things like this and I should have expected it. This is why no one knows the truth of my feelings, but there was no hiding anything from the Nogitsune and I’m so fucking embarrassed at being bested, even if only momentarily by that demon and fucking Harris, of anyone it could have been of course it had to have been that bastard.” he answers honestly, forcing himself to own up to it despite how he wants to hide.“Feelings… For us? What the hell are you on about? What kind of feelings could you have for us that would put us at risk if people knew about it? None of this is making any sense. You’re not making any sense. What do you mean, Stiles? Just spit it out!” Chris responds frustratedly, causing Stiles to flinch back, looking over to the Wolf he realizes that both men aren’t going to let this go until he says it plainly.“Feelings as in love. As in I’m in love with both of you morons and have been for far too long. Long enough that the Nogitsune knew about said feelings so keep that in mind before you respond… I really am not ready for y’all to reject me or react badly, so why don’t we table this and get out of here? This is very much not the place I would have chosen to do this to begin with.” he responds tiredly, unable to help the dread enveloping him, not ready for this.“Let’s go back to your house, okay? We still need to take care of our Hunter after this. But we will be continuing this conversation when we get there, I would really rather like to have the conversation in full…” Peter responds firmly, clearly feeling strongly enough about it to push further than he typically would, which makes Stiles a little more nervous about this conversation they’re apparently going to have.“Sure, whatever you want, just let’s get out of here. I really don’t want to be here any longer. I have already spent far too long at this place. Truly hope I never have to return here again. But for now let’s just get the fuck out of here already.” he says even more tiredly than before, absolutely not wanting to do this, any of this to be honest, but knowing there’s no choice at this point, he’s too far in to back out now.Helping the two older men off of the ground before leading the way to the car, heedless to the blood covering him, well at least until he catches sight of himself in the window of the Wolf’s car. Not feeling like using the amount of magic necessary to clean himself off fully, considering the sheer amount of blood all over him, he merely protects the seats from sucking any of the horror in, from any of them, honestly.Nodding resolutely, he slips inside the car, watching the Wolf and Hunter both trying to get into the passenger seat, leaving him no choice but to motion both of them to the backseat. Ignoring the way that both men are pouting at him for sitting them in the backseat together, not willing to unpack all of the things that action could have meant from them. Needing to not lose himself in daydreams, especially not when he has to drive all three of them home, well to his home.So he simply straightens his spine before pushing all of it to the back of his mind, quite viciously, to be honest, easily starting on his way home. Ignoring the additions as best he can, unable to allow the distraction of them, not after everything that has happened today. Pushing all of that to the side, he focuses on getting home, needing to be able to relax even if just slightly after everything that happened, he deserves that much, at least. Starting to feel the way this has worn on him both physically and magically, feeling a little too weak for comfort, but trusting the Hunter and Wolf to pick up the slack if it becomes necessary. Hoping that it won’t become necessary though, not wanting either man to doubt his earlier words despite how much he wishes to hide it. They deserve to know that they are so fucking loved, even if by someone that they might not want, at least they are loved, truly loved.Taking a deep breath, he tries to calm himself, feeling incredibly off kilter after literally every single thing that happened in the last three or so hours. Honestly, he’s not sure that he knows how to handle this, not in a way that makes sense. It’s all just too damn much for him. Every inch of this has been a nightmare, even confessing, though for that it’s mostly not having been able to come to the decision on his own to finally tell them how he feels about them.Though he has to be grateful that, at least for the moment, Chris is calm about what happened, or well what the Nogitsune made it look like happened. He’s absolutely not about to think that it’s going to always be that way, more than aware that even the ever stoic man will eventually have to have it out about it, no matter how much he knows that the visions of it being Allison are false. In the end, that will not change the fact that is what he saw, the man saw him beat Ally.Biting the inside of his cheek, he forces himself not to go down that road, not now, not with the conversation hanging over his head. Needing to do what he can to protect himself from what is bound to be coming, so he has to be at least slightly stable for this to turn out in any way that doesn’t absolutely shatter him. Addressing this for the first time in a little over a decade, exposing the soft underbelly he has always guarded, even from those he’s trusted…“Darling, I hate to interrupt you while you’re so deep in thought, but we’ve been at your house for like ten minutes now. I think all three of us would be far more comfortable inside rather than still waiting in my car,” Peter says carefully, breaking through the spiral Stiles sent himself on.“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get lost in thought that way, you’re right, let’s head inside,” he responds hollowly, not quite able to hide just how much he dreads the conversation coming, despite how hard he’s trying to protect them from that, not wanting them to feel guilty or anything of the sort.Turning the car off, he slides out of the driver’s seat, reluctantly leading the way into his house. Praying that maybe this doesn’t go as badly as he fears, not wanting to ruin the safe haven that is his home. Heading into the kitchen he pulls out a few water bottles for the three of them, knowing that they’re bound to be thirsty, though mostly him and Chris. The events of the last few hours are bound to weigh on them sooner rather than later, he knows that by now.“Do we really have to have the conversation? Can’t we just ignore it ever coming out of my mouth? It’s been over a decade that I’ve had these feelings, so if it was going to negatively affect our interactions, it would have most definitely happened by now.” he tries valiantly, knowing that it absolutely will not work with either older man, both far too much like a dog with a godsdamn bone, pun intended.“You truly believe that you’re going to be rejected? That neither of us return your feelings just as strongly? Wherever could you have gotten that idea? Do you remember where I wanted to bite you in that parking garage all those years ago? Placement of bites matters, you know this, you’ve known this for a long time, and you never considered what that placement meant?” Peter responds incredulously, shocking the other men, especially Stiles, leaving the Alpha off kilter.“What….. What do you mean? I…. There’s no… I need you to just tell me bluntly what you’re trying to say. I’m too worn out and emotionally drained to play a guessing game with what you mean,” he confesses softly, hoping not to offend the man but too tired for their typical games.“What Peter is trying to tell you is you’re not alone in having feelings… And I have to assume it was the wrist, where he was trying to bite? Which is for mating if it’s the left hand, while the right is mostly for courting, though some argue it’s simply about trust. But true as that may be modernly, our Wolf is too much of a traditionalist when it comes to Wolf customs for him to agree. So much so that I’m willing to argue that he was offering it because his Wolf already latched onto you as a Mate, not merely a potential, but a Mate.” Chris cuts in, seeing that Peter was going to try to play dumb to avoid vulnerability, which Stiles deserves better than after being forced to confess the way he had to.“Wait, so you’re saying that you think Peter’s Wolf claims me as a Mate?! How the fuck would you even know?! Oh my gods… I’m missing a lot of the pieces from this puzzle, but I’m pretty sure I figured it out. This is the history that left you guys so fucking weird even after you both helped me kill Kate?! Y’all have a history that has nothing to do with your families. I feel like an idiot for never seeing it before,” he finishes softly, leaning into the wall, feeling overwhelmed.“Darling… I’m sorry for never telling you about… There are technically a great many things I owe you an apology for, but for now, I’m sorry I kept so much hidden from you over the years. Christopher is correct, and so are you about the reason he was so easily able to connect the dots. Both of you… My Wolf claims both of you as our Mates,” Peter admits carefully, pushing himself to be true to himself, despite how much he wants to hide from the vulnerability.Sliding down the wall like a puppet whose strings had been cut, not fully able to comprehend what he just heard. Not even in his wildest dreams would he have thought that anything like this could happen, that it’s not just possible but actually likely that his feelings are returned. Nothing could have prepared him for that, truly, he never even considered the possibility, not even in his dreams. Never did he allow himself that, unwilling to put himself at risk that way.“Stiles… Are you okay?” Chris asks concernedly, looking between the Wolf and the Spark, trying to figure out what exactly is going on.“He’s overwhelmed. As long as he’s not hiding anything from the bond, that’s what is going on,” Peter says plainly, hoping that it will soothe their Hunter, though also to keep himself and Stiles grounded as well, playing the role of the stable one.“Just give me a minute. I never even considered that this could happen, so I just need a bit of time to digest this…” he says softly, trying to accept this enough that he can pull himself together again, not wanting to worry either of the men he loves.“Peter and I being in love with you? Or both of us being Peter’s Mates?” Chris asks curiously, poking at something he probably shouldn’t but too curious to ignore the chance of knowledge, seeming more like Stiles than himself.“Chris… Maybe it’s not the time to question that,” Peter says softly, eyes locked on Stiles, hoping that it doesn’t actually make things worse for the Spark.“Wait. Wait. Wait a damn minute. Neither of you…I didn’t… You… You’re both in love with me?” he asks cautiously, no longer sure that this isn’t just an elaborate trick from the Nogitsune or a weird dream he’s having.“I thought that was obvious…” Chris says confusedly, blissfully unaware that it absolutely wasn’t clear to the Spark that was the case.“Ignore him, but yes, we are, have been for a long time. Honestly, how could we not be? You just have this way about you that drew us in, truly you always have. It only got stronger as we got to know each other, and as the trust between us blossomed, it became a part of us. You ingrained yourself into our bones long ago. We just didn’t know how to address that to you or if it would be received well, much less reciprocated,” Peter responds honestly, no longer holding anything back, wanting Stiles to know and never doubt their feelings for the man.“I… Oh my gods. This is real life, and you guys are serious. Truly never could have imagined that this would happen. I never thought I could be this lucky, lucky enough for you guys to feel the same way. Hell, I didn’t think I was going to be lucky enough for you guys not to hate me when you found out. But I am lucky enough for that, that’s what you’re telling me?” he says, almost giddy, but stops himself before he says too much, not wanting to make either man feel obligated for anything more to happen between, especially after what just happened.Though he can tell that they know exactly what he wanted to ask without him actually needing to say a word. The matching sly smirks telling him all he needs to know and more about how much they’re on the same page now. Allowing the two men to pull him back to his feet easily, chuckling softly when they wrap themselves around him. There is still a lot for them to discuss and figure out, he’s not ignoring that, but for now, this is enough. For now, just the knowledge that all three of them feel the same way is enough. They’ll find their footing in time.“Well, darling, are you going to seal this with a kiss or not?” Peter asks teasingly, pulling a chuckle from Stiles and a smile from Chris.“I don’t know, baby, is that what you want me to do?” he asks leadingly, wanting Peter to genuinely ask for it, needing to be sure that’s what the man wants.“Yes, now are you going to give it to me?” Peter asks sassily, not pleased with the direct approach but willing to do it for Stiles.Smiling teasingly at the man, he tilts his head slightly to the side as if he’s considering it, but he’s really just teasing the man. At the spike of impatience he senses from Peter, he stops teasing, understanding that all of them have been through a lot today. So easily, he seals his lips with the Wolf, kissing him until both of them are breathless, savoring the first taste of his Wolf, HIS Wolf, technically their Wolf, he thinks as he pulls away, making eye contact with Chris.“What about me? Do I get a kiss as well?” Chris asks teasingly, surprising Stiles slightly with just how similar the Hunter and the Wolf are when it comes to this, making the Alpha quite curious how far that extends to.“Do you want a kiss, baby?” he responds teasingly, keeping things fair, not letting the Hunter get away with more than the Wolf even though the man has been through a lot, not wanting to start things off already on the wrong foot.“Yes, I would enjoy that very much,” Chris answers in a tone mixed between sarcastic and pleading, a tone Stiles has never heard from the man before, but very much wants to drag out of him again later on.Smirking slightly, he does a similar considering moment before readily sealing their lips together as well. Once more, savoring the first taste of his lover, leaving both of them breathless by the time he pulls away. Loving the look on the Hunter’s face, and turning just slightly, the one on the Wolf’s face as well. So incredibly enthralled by these men and so fucking grateful that he’s allowed to have this, after years of fighting his feelings, he’s finally allowed to have them.“What about the two of you? Are you also going to seal things with a kiss?” he asks teasingly, hoping that he gets the same show they got.With matching smirks, his lovers seal their lips together, giving him quite the show.