No, Mr Hale. [Sterek] (Boyxboy)

-Chapter Three-

Stiles' dad had - of course - analysed everything he said, being the Sheriff after all. Stiles' face dropped.

"I don't call him that to his face. He's my teacher." Stiles nods to himself, making himself believe it. But he had to admit that Mr Hale was good looking. Andddd...he had called him Derek during the panic attack.

"If that's what you think, then good." Sheriff finished off his meal then changed the conversation.

|°|°|°|

Scott pushed Stiles into the lockers in the hallway jokingly.

"Hey! No werewolf strength! I'm human here!" Stiles complained as Scott laughed at him.

"You're such an idiot. Why don't you do the reading then you won't have to stay behind, then you could come to the cinema with us." Scott slapped Stiles' arm then rolled his eyes. Stiles rolled his eyes back.

"Sorry Scottie but I don't want to see you and Allison making out next to me anyway. I like being my own wheel, not a third." Scott grinned smugly.

"I'm so in love with her-" Scott stopped walking abruptly, realising. "I'm in love with her!"

"Wow Scott, you got that right." Stiles slapped his back. "Go get her." He ran off like a little puppy and Stiles turned the knob of Derek's classroom. He rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"Stiles," He smiled then sat down in his usual seat. He was calm today. "Where were we up to?" Stiles' brain was on overload, he thought about how dirty that sounded. Derek sat at his desk, legs on top of the desk and relaxed.

"Page fifty-two." Stiles smiled at his teacher, then listened intently.

"It wasn't long until the words of wisdom were called upon..." The words slipped out of Derek's mouth easily and his voice was calming today. But Stiles couldn't get Derek out of his mind.

"Sir?" Derek stopped reading, looking up and pulling his glasses off of his face. "Are you okay?" Derek turned to the side a little. "You're so...calm."

"Yes, Stiles." Derek's look saddened as he continued to read. "Sometimes the pain is worse than others. Sometimes it's easy, easy to avoid and hide it. And the rest of the time, it's the feeling of being numb." Stiles tapped his fingers against his table.

"Der-Mr Hale..." His words were spoken with meaning, Derek knew exactly what the author was talking about. He felt the pain of losing his family. "You don't have to keep reading..."

"No I-" Derek was insistent he would keep reading and helping his student out.

"Please don't." Stiles stood up, walking towards his teacher's desk. Derek pulled his feet off of his desk. "I don't want to upset you."

"I'm not upset-" Derek protested, he knew he shouldn't stand for his student questioning him.

"I can see it in your face." Stiles kneeled down in front of Derek's desk. "I can't say I know what you're feeling but I do know what loss is like. My mom passed away a long time ago..."

"Stiles you don't need to..." Derek scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Please," Stiles placed his hand on top of Derek's. Derek didn't shy at Stiles' touch, he just stared. "You're strong, you can get through this."

"I should be over it, I was fifteen at the time, a long time ago." Derek pulls his hand away and turns to the side a little.

"Emotions don't have an expiration date." Stiles pulled his hand back to himself and stood up. "I miss my mom everyday." Tears sprung up in his eyes. "She was the warmest person I've ever met, kind and forgiving."

"Stiles I don't-" Derek begins to feel uncomfortable, he didn't cope well with other people's opinions.

"I love her and I miss her. And that's okay, even if it was all of them years ago." Stiles teared up completely and he began to cry. Derek coughed awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

"I understand." Derek stands, walking around to Stiles and placing and hand onto his shoulder and pulled him into a side hug. "It's hard sometimes."

"Do you get panic attacks a lot?" Stiles asked curiously looking up at Derek. Derek's eyes pierced into Stiles'.

"No, it was my first one in a few years." Derek sighed a little, squeezing Stiles' shoulder. Stiles cried quietly. "Sometimes the words in books pull my strings and the memories flood my mind. It's a little overwhelming." The personal contact, Derek knew he shouldn't have been allowing but he couldn't help it. "Are you okay now?" Stiles nodded, Derek let go slowly.

"Thanks." Stiles smiled and wiped at his eyes. "I should get leaving..." Derek nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He couldn't lie, he was feeling a little emotional himself.

"You best hurry, parents evening is tonight." Stiles laughed at his teacher.

"Yeah...You should prepare yourself." Stiles laughed then took his belongings, before leaving. "Bye Sir."  Derek nodded.

|°|°|°|

"For the love of God, please don't do anything embarrassing." Stiles nudged at his dad's side with his elbow.

"Stiles I'm not embarrassing." Stiles' face fell into a flat, sarcastic look and he turned to his father.

"You're already embarrassing being here in your uniform." Sheriff rolled his eyes, following Stiles into the next teacher's classroom.

"You can sit down." Mr Hale had pulled up a few chairs in front of his desk and  positioned them facing him. He shook hands with the Sheriff.

"Hale." Sheriff nodded a little. The father and son sat down, Stiles twiddling his thumbs a little.

"Mr Stilinski, your son is incredibly clever and the after school sessions he's been attending have clearly benefitted him a lot. He's much more confident and his knowledge of the book is extensive." Sheriff nods and Stiles avoids eye contact with his teacher. "Sometimes, I think he holds back his emotions...and doesn't complete homework tasks because of all of the bottled up emotions he has."

"Well that's certainly correct," The Sheriff began. "Stiles can you wait outside a minute?" Stiles pulled his head up and then shared a look with Derek before leaving.

"Mr Stilinski are you-"

"How are you? Are you doing okay?" Derek nodded. "Stiles came home the other night, in a defensive mood about you." Derek nodded, slightly puzzled but still listening. "Are you having a break down again?" Derek shook his head quickly.

"No, no, no." He took a deep breath in. "Reading to Stiles helps, he helps." Oh snap, he thought, he had so caught feelings for the kid and totally just confessed.

"I wanted to hear it from you, Stiles can be a little secretive sometimes and a little pushy. He's not bringing your panic attacks back, right?"

"I-uh no..." Derek scratched the back of his neck and ran a hand through his hair. "Your son, he's been through a lot-"

"And so have you." Derek nods.

"He understands what it feels like." The Sheriff raised his brows at him.

"Oh, I know that look." Sheriff shook his head. "You pulled that exact same look when talking about Kate all them years ago." Derek's breathing stilled. Kate, his first love and murderer of his family. Derek shook his head quickly. "Do you have feelings for my son?"