[ An amused yet agreeable noise leaves him at that, and Derek twitches his brow at him a little. He sort of misses emoting with his face more, but it's still something. And he wants to press an actual kiss to the skin that he's pressed his nose to for months now, rubbed his cheek on, nudged his head into. It's left soot everywhere, only to disappear at Stiles' touch. Others have touched him, with what seemed like residual soot coming off but staining them and not coming free of his fur. Only Stiles has managed to change him.
And that's how they're able to go up to the north, find Laura. Maybe the spell will break-- and he hopes so, in his way-- but he doesn't... For as much as he's missed her, he'll miss following on Stiles' heels, bumping into his back as they sneak around the castle. He'll miss scaring the maids as they work through the halls. He hasn't even gotten the chance to apologize fully to the gardeners, though he hopes maybe he'll get the chance.
He'll miss Stiles.
Nuzzling his nose against his temple through the cloak hood, a little sad himself, he lowers to his belly and wraps himself around the shape of Stiles' body. ]
[ That's kind of nice. Stiles makes a low comment about "I'll be sure to tell my future spouse that I've only ever spooned with a wolf" and snuggles in close. There's soot on his cloak, little gray speckles that seem to follow him everywhere, but they dissolve just as soon as they've gotten into the fabric of his cloak.
(It's when they're on his fingers, on his face, sometimes when Derek's muzzle presses up against his face that they stay. Stiles has found a couple new moles since he met the huge wolf, little stars that transfer from his wolf to him. He's not sure what they mean, but there's something special about it, magical even. )
Sighing a little heavily, he turns around again, facing him and reaching one hand up to scratch behind one of his huge ears. ] I'm...gonna miss you, you know that, right? Like, really bad. And not just for your spooning abilities.
[ At first, Derek just snorts and rolls his head a little as if rolling his eyes. It's a common response to Stiles' commentary, but this one's at least amused. He looks at him as he gets settled, shifting so that Stiles can fit into his side comfortably. He rests against him completely, hoping to keep him warm.
But then he feels the fingers behind his ear, and he lifts his head, looks at him. His eyes scan his face, tracking across the new patterns that've developed across pale skin since they first met, dusted across him just like his own soot was.
His heart sinks a little in his chest, and he tips forward, mock kissing his forehead and lingering there for a moment. Something small leaves him, practically a whine as his ears swivel back. Derek isn't really known for whining, but there's no other way he can communicate how much he feels the same. ]
[ It leaves another little spot, a mole near his hairline, and Stiles gives him a little smile in return, lopsided and bittersweet. ] Dude, that's the first time I've ever heard you make that one. Usually it's the puppy face.
[ He digs his nails into the fur behind his ears, just a little bit, trying to get the good spots for him, focusing all of his attention on the wolf in front of him, who's been to all of his lessons, sat by him when he was upset, wrestled with him when he was angry and restless. It's more than just letting go of the family pet, because Derek is so beyond human there aren't any words for it--he's just a couple of vocabulary phrases short of being basically human.
Still. Laura'll be happy to have him back. Stiles knows it. Derek'll be happy to be home, with the vestiges of a family he thought he'd lost completely. Stiles would be too. It's the nice thing to do, the selfless thing to do--as much as he wants to get them lost for days, so he has just a little more time. ] It'll be okay. Going back home, right? Big deal, dude.
[ Rather than be offended, Derek lets out a little rumble at him, angling his head down so that he can meet his eyes. He looks at him, quietly human but trapped, kept from truly communicating with him. Stiles might be able to understand him pretty damn easily by this point, but there are still things that he needs to say. Wants to say.
Slowly, his eyes fall half-closed as Stiles digs into the fur behind his ears, never quite closing so that he can keep them on Stiles' face. He sees the new mark that he's left behind, and there's soft affection in his face. Stiles is his prince, the one person that he never thought he'd care about but does, more than he could ever actually describe with or without words. The time with him is time he'd never give up for anything, never ask to do over.
He wants to see his sister again, but he doesn't want to leave Stiles. A grudging noise leaves him, pushing on agreeable but still hesitant. ]
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And that's how they're able to go up to the north, find Laura. Maybe the spell will break-- and he hopes so, in his way-- but he doesn't... For as much as he's missed her, he'll miss following on Stiles' heels, bumping into his back as they sneak around the castle. He'll miss scaring the maids as they work through the halls. He hasn't even gotten the chance to apologize fully to the gardeners, though he hopes maybe he'll get the chance.
He'll miss Stiles.
Nuzzling his nose against his temple through the cloak hood, a little sad himself, he lowers to his belly and wraps himself around the shape of Stiles' body. ]
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(It's when they're on his fingers, on his face, sometimes when Derek's muzzle presses up against his face that they stay. Stiles has found a couple new moles since he met the huge wolf, little stars that transfer from his wolf to him. He's not sure what they mean, but there's something special about it, magical even. )
Sighing a little heavily, he turns around again, facing him and reaching one hand up to scratch behind one of his huge ears. ] I'm...gonna miss you, you know that, right? Like, really bad. And not just for your spooning abilities.
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But then he feels the fingers behind his ear, and he lifts his head, looks at him. His eyes scan his face, tracking across the new patterns that've developed across pale skin since they first met, dusted across him just like his own soot was.
His heart sinks a little in his chest, and he tips forward, mock kissing his forehead and lingering there for a moment. Something small leaves him, practically a whine as his ears swivel back. Derek isn't really known for whining, but there's no other way he can communicate how much he feels the same. ]
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[ He digs his nails into the fur behind his ears, just a little bit, trying to get the good spots for him, focusing all of his attention on the wolf in front of him, who's been to all of his lessons, sat by him when he was upset, wrestled with him when he was angry and restless. It's more than just letting go of the family pet, because Derek is so beyond human there aren't any words for it--he's just a couple of vocabulary phrases short of being basically human.
Still. Laura'll be happy to have him back. Stiles knows it. Derek'll be happy to be home, with the vestiges of a family he thought he'd lost completely. Stiles would be too. It's the nice thing to do, the selfless thing to do--as much as he wants to get them lost for days, so he has just a little more time. ] It'll be okay. Going back home, right? Big deal, dude.
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Slowly, his eyes fall half-closed as Stiles digs into the fur behind his ears, never quite closing so that he can keep them on Stiles' face. He sees the new mark that he's left behind, and there's soft affection in his face. Stiles is his prince, the one person that he never thought he'd care about but does, more than he could ever actually describe with or without words. The time with him is time he'd never give up for anything, never ask to do over.
He wants to see his sister again, but he doesn't want to leave Stiles. A grudging noise leaves him, pushing on agreeable but still hesitant. ]