new york wolves } { of starting over and raining engagement rings

[impetere]

Cora: [and after sleeping for most of the morning she rouses quietly, shifting a bit in his arms before opening her eyes and looking up at him. She probably should get up, shower and get back to her own room, but she doesn't, curling up and wanting to stay here a little while longer]

Stiles: [he's relaxed, just on the edges of sleep as he tries to not wake up just yet. his hands will flex to keep her close when she shifts, but otherwise he doesn't stir just yet.]

Cora: [she smiles a bit at that, curling onto her side to watch him, letting her fingers trail gently over his chest]

Stiles: [ she hasn't seen him shirtless since before he had been tortured. Some of the planes on his body had changed. The brand of the spell that had trapped him in the lunar eclipse state that would never fully heal away. The faint marks of the whipping from Gerard that, while healed, the wolfsbane in them had left a few of the deeper ones with tiny ridges that the skin was a bit lighter than his normal white - a few echoing onto his back or around his ribs. Memories of bad times that Peter assured him would fade away in time, but just taking longer than normal because of circumstances]

Cora: [her fingers trail more firmly over the faint lines, partially out of curiosity, partily in sympathy, brushing gently from one to the other]

Stiles: [and of course there's the tattoo on his hip - the newest addition, a Halloween dare. But her fingers eventually wake him up, his eyes blinking open before he smiles] Morning.

Cora: [smiles back as she glances back up at him] Morning.

Stiles: [his arms just runs over hers, trying to warm her a bit] Sleep well?

Cora: [nods as she moves closer, slipping her arm around his waist as she does] Best sleep I've had in a long time.

Stiles: Same here. [he leaned in to kiss her softly]

Cora: [kisses him back with a soft sigh, siding her fingers through his hair]

Stiles: [his hands will slowly slide down her sides, pulling her closer against his body]

Cora: [hums softly as she lets herself be pulled, before tipping back slightly so that Stiles could move over her more]

Stiles: [and he's going to kiss her deeper, his hand sliding down between them to cup her sex, gently teasing her]

Cora: [she moans against his lips, spreading her legs to give him more room to touch her]

Stiles: [and he's going to guide her leg onto his hip to make it more comfortable for her before pressing two fingers inside of herm his thumb playing with her nub]

Cora: [moans softly as her hips press up into his hand, rocking down with the rhythm of his fingers and riding the sensations as best she can]

Stiles: [and he's going to just keep doing that, wanting to give her all the pleasure he can]

Cora: [she keeps rocking into his fingers her fingers digging against his shoulders before she breaks the kiss to look up at him] Do you have another ... ?

Stiles: [he's going to roll over and look in the drawer, then shake his head] No, Sorry. But it's okay. I really just want to please you right now.

Cora: [she isn't sure how she feels about that, all the focus being on her, but she's already wound up and it's not like they can really do anything else] Okay.

Stiles: [he will guide her hand down to him, though, letting her stroke him as he continued to thrust his fingers in and out of her]

Cora: [she follows that lead, her hand slipping around him and dragging against his skin as her hips continue to rock up against his fingers]

Stiles: [and as she gets him closer to his edge, his hand will start to pick up, a third finger sliding into her]

Cora: [with the addition of that last finger, she goes from being close to the edge to falling over it, her hand tightening around him as she does]

Stiles: [and a few more strokes in that tightened grip is all he needs to join her, panting against her shoulder as he does so]

Cora: [exhales softly as she curls into him again her hand moving to brush against his hip]

Stiles: [he nuzzles her cheek a bit] I'm already liking this new year.

Cora: [she laughs softly before nodding] Me too.

Stiles: [he knew they were going to have to talk about it though, so he just stayed quiet, enjoying the moment before they had to address the reality of the situation]

Cora: [she knows they will too, that eventually the bubble will have to burst, but right now, she just want to stay curled up with him]

Stiles: [especially since the rest of the household will be coming home if they aren't already, and Cora's things are there, but she isn't in her room]

Cora: [yep, her family is annoying that way, but to be fair if Laura gets home first, she'll do her best to steer the boys away]

Stiles: [this is why he loves his alpha]

Cora: [she is a good alpha. you should remember this on her birthday and all gift giving holidays]

Stiles: [best macaroni necklace that the dollar tree can buy]

Cora: [she feels loved already]

Stiles: [but the quiet stretches too long, and he know he can't avoid it] So... you said we should talk...

Cora: [she nods, her hand finding his and linking his fingers with hers] I ... I guess we're doing this again?

Stiles: [his hand squeezes hers] I guess so. I'm not sure I've earned it back yet though...

Cora: It's what I want. In the vault, when I wasn't worried about Laura you were pretty much all I could think about.

Stiles: [he nods, pressing his forehead to hers] Yeah, when I wasn't keeping myself distracted with school or lacrosse... I kept trying to find ways to figure out where you were.

Cora: [she stays close, moving one hand to rest against the back of his neck] This feels good.

Stiles: It does. I've missed you so much. [he sighs] I just don't want to mess up again.

Cora: Then don't.

Stiles: [he nods, but he's scared in a way. It's the feeling of knowing he's always going to be vulnerable in the pack because of his position as Laura's beta.] I will try not to.

Cora: [she looks back at him before brushing her hand against his face] We can do this, Stiles. But you need to talk to me. You can't keep secrets from me.

Stiles: I know. And I'm trying not to. I just... before you met me, I had a habit of always lying and keeping secrets. After my mom died, it was all I knew to keep myself safe. It's hard sometimes to not revert back to that when I'm scared.

Cora: [she watches him for a moment, before letting her hand come to rest over his heart] You have to trust me then. That I will always keep you safe.

Stiles: I never stopped trusting you. Just because I kept a secret doesn't mean that I didn't trust you. I was just too scared that you'd get hurt if I did. I didn't want you to go through what I did.

Cora: That's what it feels like. That you kept me out because you didn't think I could handle it. But we have to be partners, Stiles.

Stiles: I'm sorry. I didn't think about it then. I... I didn't really think things through. I'm trying to be better. [he looked into her eyes] I want that. I really want that.

Cora: Good. [small smile] I want that too.

Stiles: Just tell me when I'm being a jerk so I can fix it. Because you're worth more to me than anything else. You know that, right?

Cora: [she nods] I know.

Stiles: But we can still take this slow, if you want. I'm still learning who this new Cora is, after all.

Cora: [she pauses for a moment, tipping her head to the side with a sly smirk] Does slow mean we can't do things like last night?

Stiles: [chuckles] Well, once I can get to a drugstore.... I haven't really had need for them in a while now, so they aren't on my normal shopping list.

Cora: Well, you should do that.

Stiles: Yes, ma'am. [he nuzzles her cheek a moment] Is there something else you want to tell me?

Cora: [she closes her eyes at that, before brushing her thumb against his chest] I love you.

Stiles: I love you too, Cora. Always, and forever.

Cora: [she smiles softly before leaning in to kiss him again] How long do you think we can stay in here before we're discovered?

Stiles: [he looks at his alarm clock as he kisses her back] Oh, I'm pretty sure we've already been discovered. It's not like your stuff isn't in the living room and yet you’re not in your room.

Cora: [sighs softly] Then how long do you think we can hang out in here before they disturb us?

Stiles: I'd say until dinner time. They are probably going to try and starve us out.

Cora: Mmmmm. [and she shifts to curl in closer] That works for me.

Stiles: [pulls her close] And maybe if we're good... next year everyone will be watching me propose to you.

Cora: [she smiles softly at that before nodding] Maybe.

Stiles: [and he's going to snuggle with her, kissing her gently, nothing more than kisses since they were ill-equip for anything else]

Cora: [she's fine with that, just burrowing into him and just staying close for as long as she can]

Stiles: [but eventually it's going to get late, and soon dinner time and his stomach growls]

Cora: [sighs] I guess that's our cue.

Stiles: Yeah. Though I also realize that our plan has one very significant drawback.

Cora: What's that?

Stiles: I don't have a bathroom attached to my bedroom. And yours is upstairs.

Cora: [sighs] Yeah. [she pulls away and pulls out from under the covers, starting to gather her clothes] I'll move fast and hope that no one sees me.

Stiles: Hopefully I can get to the shower before they smell me.

Cora: [she slips her dress on and sweeps her hair out of the way] Zip me up?

Stiles: [goes and does so, kissing her neck in the process]

Cora: [she smiles softly at that before pulling away and heading towards the door] I'll see you later. [and with that she will quietly poke her head out the door, trying to see if there's any one lurking outside, before sneaking towards the stairs to head to her room]

Stiles: [and he's going to just... slip off to the shower and acting like nothing's different and hoping to God that Peter and Derek aren't paying attention]

Cora: [if Laura is aware she's going to ignore it so it really depends on the boys and if they want to collide with the littlest Hale on the way up the stairs]

Peter: [which will obviously be him, since he's the judgy one. He's just going to raise an eyebrow at her, a smirk on his lips.]

Cora: [and her face blanks before she raises and eyebrow] What?

Peter: [he chuckles at that] Are you happy?

Cora: [glances away for a moment, rubbing the back of her neck] Yeah. I am.

Peter: Good. As long as you're sure, and happy, I have nothing to say.

Cora: [glances up at him with a small smile] I am.

Peter: Good. Then take a shower before your brother gets back with dinner from the diner.

Cora: [nods and goes to disappear into the shower]

Peter: [and he's going to go down into the kitchen, giving Laura a reassuring nod before going to set the table]

Laura: [smiles softly before settling back with her magazine]

Stiles: [and since he has this whole showering thing down to an art, he will be the first one out and in the living room] So what's for dinner? I'm starving.

Laura: Derek went to pick some stuff up from the diner.

Stiles: Oh, okay that works. I guess I'll just... check my email then until he gets back... [and is going to inch back towards his room that is so airing out at the moment]

Laura: [eyebrow raise] Don't want to chat with us, Stiles?

Stiles: No, I mean, I don't mind. I just... um, not sure what I have to bring to the table that's new than the last time we chatted.

Laura: Oh really?

Stiles: Well... I mean except that Hal proposed to Alexis last night. That's totally new, but I knew about it already since like, October.

Laura: Definitely saw that coming.

Stiles: [goes to sit on the edge of the couch] He had this all planned to ask in literally in the last minute of the year. It was adorable.

Laura: I'm sure it was.

Stiles: So what about you? Do anything different last night?

Laura: Nope. Business as usual.

Stiles: Good to know. I mean, since engagement rings seem to be falling out of the sky like candy to my best friends and all.

Laura: Trust me. If I was engaged, you would know.

Stiles: High pitched screaming and dancing around the room.

Laura: Definitely wouldn't have let you two sleep in, that's for sure.

Stiles: Well, we appreciate that.

Laura: As you should.

Stiles: [slides down onto the couch, feet up on the arm, his head in her lap. And he just grins at her]

Laura: [snorts as she shakes her head, letting her hand rest against his chest]

Stiles: [yeah, the last few months have made them a lot closer, and he has no problem snuggling up to his alpha when Derek wasn't around]

Laura: [and Laura definitely doesn't mind either, just sitting there with him as she goes back to her magazine]

Cora: [wanders down a few minutes later] Hey.

Stiles: [waves at her over the back of the couch]

Derek: [and look, the conquering hero returning from a New Year’s Eve murder case with diner food. Someone didn't get to have sex last night, thanks]

Cora: [poor poor Derek] Ooh, is that food?

Derek: No, it's actually plastic. I thought we could fill the fridge with it to keep Stiles from eating us out of house and home.

Stiles: No really, I'm sitting right here.

Laura: Never know. He might eat the plastic too.

Stiles: No, I prefer wax, actually. [eyeroll, sitting up]

Laura: [smirks as she lets him go]

Cora: [just hangs back as she watches them, still trying to evaluate her new place in things]

Stiles: [goes over to her, taking her hand and pulling her to sit next to him]

Peter: Do we know if Malia's made her way home yet?

Cora: [goes with a small smile and settling next to him] Her room was empty, so I'm going to go with no?

Derek: I'll leave her burger in the fridge them in case she comes home later.

Peter: So do you know what's going on with her and Jeremy?

Cora: I'm pretty sure there are very strong feelings involved, but she doesn't know how to express them but he still gets it anyway.

Derek: She's going to be fine, Peter. Just let her figure it out on her own time.

Cora: Jeremy's a good guy. And he's good with her.

Peter: [nods, opening his club sandwich and reaching for a fry] I know he is. I just worry. She’s barely been home since you got back.

Cora: I know. Just ... let her figure this out.

Stiles: I mean, it's not like she's cutting her hair off, getting a piercing and taking up poetry.

Peter: [just looks up, tilting his head at staring at Stiles]

Cora: Pop culture reference. I think.

Derek: No, it's a California goth thing. [eating his burger]

Peter: [looks at Derek]

Derek: What, I was a teenager not that long ago.

Laura: [smirks] Basically there are worse things she could be doing.

Stiles: Oh yeah, I can list at least OW. [looks at Derek as he reaches down to rub his shin]

Cora: That doesn't mean we should give Peter ideas.

Stiles: [he looks like he was about to speak but he gets kicked again] Ow, really Derek? Really?

Derek: You need to learn when to be silent.

Cora: [a small look at her brother because stop it]

Derek: [sighs and goes back to his food]

Peter: And we're one more step back towards normal.

Cora: [goes to grab her and Stiles’ food before making her way back to the couch]

Stiles: Wait where are you...okay we're going to the couch. [and he's going to follow her and the food.]

Derek: [ once they are gone, just smirks a bit at Laura]

Laura: [sighs as she shakes her head] You should leave him -

Malia: [and Laura cuts off as the door opens and Malia pokes her head inside] Hey.

Derek: [saved by the sibling] Hey, I just put your dinner in the fridge. It should still be warm.

Malia: [glances over to the fridge and nods] Cool. [drops her bag by the door and goes to grab it]

Peter: How was your day?

Malia: Good. [there's a beat and she remembers something] Oh! Happy New Year.

Peter & Derek: Happy New Year. [smiles]

Malia: [goes to climb on the stool next to Laura] Miss anything good?

Derek: No, just the same old things, different year. [smirk]

Malia: Cool.