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When Derek climbs in the window, Stiles is curled up with Scott. Derek grins at them, they look like cubs and it’s really cute. He shuts the window carefully, before taking off his boots and socks. He walks over to the bed where Scott raises his head to blink sleepily at him. Derek says, “Go back to sleep, Scott.”
Stiles opens his eyes, and he smiles up at Derek. Derek pulls off his shirt, and sits down on the edge of the bed to kick his pants off. Stiles and Scott shift around so Derek can stretch out with them. Stiles curls up on Derek, and wraps an arm around Scott. They fall back asleep.
Stiles’ dad opens his door and startles him awake. He looks at his dad, who says, “What the hell is going on?”
Stiles says, “I can’t believe you didn’t wake them up,” and then, “Why are they so cold?” He looks down and Derek is not breathing. Stiles whispers, “No.” He looks at Scott, and Scott is pale, and lifeless too. He starts screaming, and wakes himself up still screaming. Stiles runs into the bathroom and throws up. His dad isn’t home, and Stiles isn’t sure if he’s happy about that or not. He kind of really wants his dad right now but he doesn’t want to explain his nightmare.
Stiles runs into his room, and calls Scott. Scott mumbles, “What’s it?” into the phone.
“I just needed to know you were okay,” Stiles says. “You’re fine right?”
“Did something happen?” Scott asks. “It’s really late.”
“I had a bad dream.” Stiles replies. “Don’t worry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine. Do you want me to come over?”
“Nope. I can handle it. You’re good, I’m good.” Stiles says. His voice is a little shaky.
“I can come over.” Scott says. “I’m coming over.” He hangs up the phone, and Stiles dials Derek, letting it ring until Derek answers with a gruff, “It’s 3am, Stiles, this better be really fucking good.”
Stiles says, “I...uh, just..wanted to check on you. I don’t know.”
“Is someone hurt? Scott?” Derek asks. “Is it your dad?”
“No. They’re both fine. I just had a nightmare.”
“You had a bad dream and you’re waking me up in the middle of the night.” Derek doesn’t sound very happy.
“You and Scott were dead.” Stiles says. “It freaked me out okay.” He’s sniffling into the phone and Derek sighs.
“I’m coming over there.” Derek warns as he hangs up the phone. He gets to Stiles’ house before Scott, and climbs into Stiles’ room. Stiles is hunched up on his bed, and hiding under his covers. He sits up when Derek comes in the room. Derek sits down next to him, and Stiles says, “I’m sorry. The dream was just so real, and you were dead, and Scott was dead, and you were in bed with me, and it was vivid, and it was horrible.” He starts crying, and Derek puts his arm around him. Stiles whispers, “My mom was sick. She was sick for so long, and I got in bed with her, because I missed being able to do that, and when I woke up, she wasn’t breathing. She died and I didn’t know it.” He’s choking on his sobs.
“Jesus,” Derek mutters. He rubs Stiles’ back carefully under the blanket. Scott finally climbs in the window, and he says, “Dammit. I was hoping this had gone away.”
Scott drops down onto the bed in front of Stiles, and Stiles launches himself at Scott. Stiles pushes his face in Scott’s t-shirt, and cries horribly for ten minutes, hiccuping as tries to breathe. Derek keeps rubbing his back. Scott clings to him and lets him slowly calm down. When Stiles stops actively crying, Scott presses his forehead against Stiles, and they stay like that for a long moment. Derek watches them and misses Laura fiercely. She always did that with him when he was upset.
They both spend the rest of the night with Stiles pressed between them. It’s a close fit, but Stiles is trying to cling to both of them at once, so it’s not as hard as it could be. Scott is still asleep when Stiles opens his eyes to see Derek watching him.
“Last night was kind of awkward and embarrassing,” Stiles says. “Sorry about that.”
Derek says, “I wish I could cry like that.”
They look at each other. Stiles opens his arms as well as he can while lying on the bed, and Derek lets himself move into them. Stiles says, “I’m glad you’re alive.”
“You might be the only person who is.”
“Yeah, but I’m really awesome so I count for at least five people.” Stiles says.
Derek smiles against Stiles’ cheek.