A Matter of Mating

A Matter of Mating: Chapter #2 (Comforting Cuddles)

Stiles curled against Derek, his hand fisted in his shirt and his face buried against Derek's neck as he shuddered.

Derek was letting out a steady growl softly as he cradled Stiles against him. The alpha chastised himself for not knowing something was wrong sooner. The thought made his heart ache. What if he had been too late? What if they had hurt Stiles even worse than being locked in a locker? Derek held the omega even tighter as thoughts of what ifs plagued him.

It took about fifteen minutes to get to their house and Lydia nodded at Derek when he handed her the keys for the Camaro. The fiery redhead was one of the only people Derek trusted to drive his car and she knew it. "I'll take care of everything out here. You take care of Stiles."

Just like that, she was back in her car and driving away before Derek had even gotten the house key into the lock. He told himself he needed to do something special for Lydia to thank her for always being there for them but that would have to wait. Right now, his focus was solely on Stiles.

After he closed and locked the door, he hung the keys on the hook that Stiles had been so excited to pick out the day they got home decor. Derek smiled fondly at that memory and tilted his head to look at Stiles who had yet to stop shaking. Derek went over to the couch and sat down, adjusting Stiles to lay against him before he too laid down, so they were parallel. The alpha gently carded his fingers through Stiles's hair and smiled when Stiles pushed his head into Derek's touch. That's how they stayed for a long time. Derek knew his boyfriend well enough to know that right then all he needed was comfort. Comfort was something that Derek was more than willing to provide. He rubbed small circles into Stiles's lower back with his thumb while his other hand continued to card through the omega's hair.

After a half hour of the gentle caresses, Stiles sniffled and glanced up at Derek, his eyes red rimmed and wet with stray tears.

Derek smiled reassuringly and spoke softly, "Hey Little Wolf." Derek gently cupped Stiles's face and used his thumbs to dry the tears but his eyes never left Stiles's.

Stiles melted into the touch and very softly, too quiet for anyone but a werewolf to hear, said, "I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Derek's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Sorry? Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong."

Stiles sniffled and let out a shaky breath. "I-I forgot that my heat was coming up a-and they smelled it a-and they..."

Derek let out a low growl. "They put their hands on you. Did they...?!"

It was Stiles's turn to gently cup Derek's face. He quickly and vigorously shook his head. "No. T-They just tried to offer and when I didn't accept, they took my fluffy towel and shoved me in the locker. They didn't think you'd want me when you smelled the jockstrap on my head." Stiles began to cry again.

The sound alone made Derek's heart crack. That didn't even include how the sight made him feel. "Now you listen to me, honey. They are alpha assholes who are young and don't have any grasp on the concept of mating. It's not something to take lightly. It's not something for everyone to treat as just sex. It's..." he trails off and softens his voice, sucking in a harsh breath. "Stiles, it's so much more than that."

Stiles was hanging onto Derek's every word, his wide Bambi eyes slowly losing their wetness.

Derek took that as his cue to continue, "Your heat isn't coming yet honey. Remember we started keeping track on our phones and on the calendar in the kitchen?"

Stiles felt his cheeks heat up but nodded. "Mhmm." He averted his gaze, the scent of embarrassment and slight humiliation filling the air. "I remember but if they didn't smell that then why did they call me...why did they say...I don't understand."