Thanks [EN] - 002

Stiles was not going to play the part of the guy with the getaway car that was on call at all times. It was no more his duty to do this than it was Lydia’s or Allison’s, considering they were just as much human and part of the pack as he was. Still, he couldn’t very well just ignore a text from Derek saying warehouse attacked. pick me up behind library asap. If by ‘attacked’ Derek meant he’d gotten a visit from the alpha pack, he was likely to be in some serious trouble. And as much as Stiles had once hated Derek, he was at least an acquaintance by now, if not some sort of friend, and you didn’t just let down acquaintances or sort-of-friends if they asked for a ride. Not even if they asked you to meet them in some dark, gloomy alleyway in the middle of the night, even though Stiles was absolutely sure he could not be blamed for hesitating for a second once he realized that his was exactly what Derek asked of him this time.
      When he arrived at the back entrance of the Beacon Hills public library, Derek was nowhere in sight. Stiles debated whether or not to turn of the engine of his beloved blue jeep, in the end deciding to keep her running. Gas was expensive, but if he spared the environment he would regret it once Derek appeared out of nowhere with five angry alphas on his tail and they needed to get away fast - which Stiles was almost fifty percent sure would become reality within the next ten minutes.
      Only it didn’t. Ten minutes passed, and nothing happened. Twenty minutes, and Stiles was starting to wonder if Derek had gained a sense of humor and this was a misguided attempt at a prank call. Half an hour, and he was about to give up and just go back to bed. Just then, the passenger side door was jerked open and a large, Derek-shaped figure jumped in, growling: “Drive, idiot!”
      Stiles was dying to get some answers as to what was going on and why the hell Derek had made him wait thirty minutes before deeming it worthy to turn up after all, but even he knew those things would have to wait. He hit the gas.
      “Anywhere specific you want to be going?” he asked some time later, once they were getting close to the edge of town.
      “No. Just turn around, but don’t go near the library or the warehouse.”
      Stiles glanced over at Derek for the first time, taking in the dried blood staining his shirt. It was a good thing werewolves had super healing powers, because he would not have appreciated Derek bleeding on his seats. “What happened?”
      “Two of the alphas chased me from the warehouse. I was fast enough to escape, but another one was waiting for me outside. I managed to shake him off as well.”
      “In the figurative sense, or physically shaking off?”
      Derek’s silence sufficed as an answer.
      “Great,” Stiles mumbled. The alpha pack kept getting more aggressive and less wary of crossing the invisible lines they should be respecting. This was a real issue and Stiles would have to address it with Derek and the rest of their pack, but he was too tired to discuss it right then. “You know,” he remarked instead, choosing the first topic that came to mind in order to distract Derek, “I just saved your ass again. I don’t even know how many times I’ve done that by now.”
      “I know,” Derek answered shortly. He didn’t seem to think he needed to waste any more words on the subject. “Drop me off somewhere, I can hide around town.”
      Stiles frowned. “But you’ll have nowhere to sleep.”
      “I’ll think of something.”
      “No way, that’s stupid. You’re coming with me,” Stiles decided. “My dad is out of the state this weekend anyway, for some conference or whatever. You can sleep on the couch.”
      Derek was silent for a few seconds. “Okay,” he eventually agreed, so Stiles took a right turn, heading for his house.