crack_van | Safe at Anchor by Jerakeen (PG-13)

Fandom: TEEN WOLF
Pairing: Derek/Stiles
Length: 11,371 words
Author on LJ:

jerakeen
Author Website: AO3 profile, website
Why this must be read:

Deaton makes them do it! This is a Sentinel-ish AU where Stiles grounds Derek—and, of course, their bond eventually grows from just an h/c thing to something a lot more complicated.

Variations on this theme are really frequent in this fandom, but this is one of my favourites—I love how Stiles takes the cuddling mostly in stride, and how Derek's stability improves the whole pack. And, obviously, how they all get invested in the situation.

"Just stay still for a little while, Stiles," Deaton says, enabling Derek's bizarre behavior.

"Explanation?" Stiles insists, eyeing Derek suspiciously. Derek's eyes are closed, and his skin looks clammy. Stiles sure hopes he's not contagious.

"He needs... grounding," Deaton explains, which helps Stiles not at all.

"Grounding? Like electricity?" He tries to take a step back instinctively, but Derek wobbles on his feet and Stiles ends up steadying him with an arm around his waist, pulling them even closer together. "What's happening? Deaton? What am I doing?"

Deaton, when he walks into Stiles' line of sight, looks annoyed with the both of them. Stiles doesn't even want to know how this is his fault. "He's been pushing himself too hard," Deaton says. He sounds like he's choosing his words carefully; Stiles guesses the half-lidded glare Derek is giving him is probably the reason why. "His instincts are telling him to push even harder because the threat still hasn't been eliminated. But without an anchor it's... dangerous for him to do so."

Derek makes a growly sound in his throat that sounds about as threatening as a kitten's mewling to Stiles.

"Well that's inconvenient," Stiles comments. "I thought alphas were supposed to be all-powerful badasses."

Safe at Anchor