The Original Sterek Secret Santa Gift Exhange

“You don’t drink coffee. You drink sugar,” Derek said, to which Stiles snorted. They’d been having this argument for the better part of a year now.

Derek followed after him and sat down on his usual seat in Stiles’ tiny dining room–slash–kitchen as Stiles busied himself with making a cup of (sugar) coffee.

Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski were co–teachers at the local high school, with Derek teaching Literature and Stiles taking over Performing Arts last year to replace their retiring music teacher. At first Derek thought he and Stiles were never going to get along. They were total opposites with Derek being more formal and quiet—stuffy, was the word often used on him—and being older at thirty-one years old, while Stiles was only twenty-five, young and cool and quite popular with his graphic shirts, his ripped jeans, his left sleeve tattoo, his motorcycle, and the bevy of instruments he touted around. So aside from cursory greetings, Derek had tried vainly to stay away, sure that Stiles would do the same. In the end, and with Stiles’ persistence, the two of them ended up becoming very close friends after they realized that they had so much in common, mainly being nerdy losers deep inside.

“Okay, so…” Stiles sat down with his sugary cup of death. He slid a regular, perfectly normal cup of coffee towards Derek. “Give me the deets.”

Derek sighed, rubbing his cup. He was nervous and embarrassed, but he needed help. 

“My oldest sister, Valerie, is getting married in two weeks and I need a date.”

Stiles was confused. “No offense, but why do you have to bring a boyfriend? Why not just a friend?”

Derek reached into his pocket for his phone. He showed Stiles a photo. It was Derek in college with his arm around a young woman who looked identical to him, with dark hair, piercing dark eyes and the same chin. They were at a college game and were beaming at the camera. 

“You’re so young here, dude!” Stiles cooed.

Another swipe. It was Derek in high school. He and the girl were at the beach, pink-cheeked and with matching pink and purple sunglasses.

Another swipe. It was Derek in elementary. They were at a school fair and the two were eating corndogs.

Another swipe. It was Derek and the girl as toddlers wearing Halloween costumes. She was Dorothy of Oz and he was a lion.

“You two are obviously very close,” Stiles said gently.

Derek smiled at the photos, scrolling through them. “I have a very close-knit family, but Valerie and I have always had a bond. She never pressured me about anything in my life, but she’s always been worried about me, especially since I live so far from all of my siblings.”

He sighed. “And when Valerie and my mom asked if I had a plus one, I accidentally told them I was dating someone and taking them to the wedding.”

Stiles’ confusion cleared. “Which is where the boyfriend plot comes in.”

“Yeah, and I…” Derek rubbed his beard, almost dislodging his glasses. It was a bit of a self-soothing habit. “I didn’t know who to ask and you’re my…” ridiculous, embarrassing and entirely unrequited crush, “... you’re one of my closest friends.”

Stiles took a long drink of his sugar in a cup. When he put it down, he nodded. “You know what, sure.”

“Really?” Derek asked, surprised. He thought he had to work harder to convince him.

Stiles shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, why not? I’m not doing anything.” He smiled. “And you know I’ll always help you if you need me.”

This was how Derek ended up confirming Stiles’s presence to his mother a few minutes later. Stiles had gone to take a shower and get ready. It wasn’t a good look for teachers to be late to school.

“…and book the flight and I’ll be there on Thursday evening,” he gulped, “with Stiles.”

“Stiles is the one you’re dating?” Talia asked.

Derek flushed. “Yeah, uh, you know him.”

Talia sounded excited. “Oh, honey, I can’t believe you’re finally going out with that teacher you’ve had a crush on for so long.” 

“Shh, don’t say that.” Derek whipped around, glasses almost flying off his face, but Stiles was still in his bedroom and his mother wasn’t on speaker.

Talia chuckled. “I guess it would be uncool to tell your new boyfriend that you’ve held a torch for him for a while.”

Derek’s face felt warm. He put his phone on speakerphone as he washed the cups he and Stiles used.

“How long have you and Stiles been dating, hon?” Talia suddenly asked.

“Uh…” Derek winced. He and Stiles hadn’t talked about those things yet. 

There was a touch to his back and he turned to see Stiles, hair still damp but already dressed. He tapped the photo that was pinned to the refrigerator by a wolf magnet. It was a photo of their faculty taken last Teacher’s Day two months ago. Derek and Stiles were near the end of the crowd, beaming at the camera.

“Since Teacher’s Day a couple of weeks ago,” Derek said, to which Stiles sent him a thumbs up.

“How come you only told me about this now?”

That was easy to answer. “Because you’re all nosy.”

Talia clicked her tongue against her teeth. “We’re just concerned about you.”

“Nosy.”

“Fine, be that way,” Talia said, a pout in her words. Derek missed her so much. “Anyway, I’m happy for you, dear. See you soon. And Stiles too. I’m excited to meet him. Love you.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you too.”

Derek cut the call and put away the clean cups. Stiles was leaning against the kitchen island with an amused smile on his face. He was in a Nirvana shirt, dark jeans, green socks and radiating amusement.

“You’ve mentioned your family a few times, but I guess I’m gonna need a crash course on the complete Hale Family, eh?”

Derek sighed. “Thanks, Stiles. You’re a lifesaver. I could kiss you.”

Stiles winked. “Save that for the wedding weekend.”

Derek flushed.

Derek woke up one morning confused and absolutely disoriented, so much so that it took him a while to figure some things out. 

First, he and Stiles had arrived at the wedding venue late last night after a three-hour flight and three more hours of travel. He had fallen asleep on the way, leaving Stiles to get him into bed and change him into some comfortable clothes. They were also sharing a bed, going by the fact that Derek could hear soft snoring and feel an arm around his waist and a warm body curled against his back. Second, his phone was ringing on the bedside table, though thankfully the volume had been set low.

Derek groaned and reached for his phone, squinting at the bright screen. It was Laura. He answered it, holding it a good few inches from his ear just in case.

“WAKE UP, DEEDEE!”

It said something about his sister’s lungs that Stiles was jolted awake even if she was screaming through the phone and wasn’t on speaker.

“Wat’d hell?” Stiles murmured unintelligibly, his arm tightening around Derek’s waist and his face burrowing against Derek’s back.

Derek patted the hand on his stomach. “It’s just Laura on the phone being so loud.”

“The fuck she screaming for?” Stiles mumbled. The sensation felt ticklish against Derek’s back.

“What the—you really do have Stiles there.”

“Yes, so what do you want?”

“Time to get up for breakfast.”

Derek sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Okay. We’ll be down soon.”

He cut the call before Laura could say anything else. Stiles was still clinging to him for dear life. Derek tapped the arm around his waist, trying not to flush at how warm and snuggly it all felt.

“Stiles, we have to get up.”

“Do we have to?” Stiles whined, arm tightening around Derek’s waist. Derek had to resist the urge to squirm. 

“We have to. Or else they’re just going to come up here and bother us.”

Stiles pulled away from Derek with a groan and they both sat up with Stiles rubbing his face vigorously. Derek resisted the urge to brush his messy hair away from his forehead. 

“Okay, I’m up. Just give me a sec. Your sister has insane lungs.” Stiles groaned, glaring weakly at him. “Please tell me she won’t wake us up every single day this weekend.”

Derek chuckled. He reached out, touching Stiles’ tattooed arm. “She did it today just to be annoying.”

“Good, because I was sleeping really well and she ruined it,” Stiles groused.

“By the way, thanks for helping me last night.” Derek felt a bit embarrassed. “And I can take the sofa tonight if you—”

“Don’t be silly, Der.” Stiles rolled his eyes. “The bed is ginormous and it’s pretty obvious we fit. We can just keep sharing the bed.” He stood up, stretching his arms in the air. “And like I said, I slept really well last night.”

“Uh, yeah, right.” Derek found it difficult to swallow. Both because he wasn’t quite sure how to interpret that and because it was a bit devastating seeing Stiles in the morning light with his tattoos and messy hair and the way his shirt rode up past the edge of his sweatpants to show his tummy.

“I’ll take the bathroom first.” Stiles opened the closet. “I need to psych myself up. Day One of pretending is upon us.”

Derek grimaced. That was another difficult pill to swallow, so he just nodded, glad that Stiles couldn’t see his face.

The location for Valerie’s wedding was one of the Hale properties, a private sanctuary and event space in the countryside that they often used for family or company events. The place they were staying at was the main villa, which had a bevy of suites for their large family to use. It was connected to the other villas through a series of hallways and a small function hall which was set up to be the private dining room for the family and the wedding entourage.

Despite Laura waking them up at an early hour, there was already a sizable crowd in the dining area. Derek noticed it through the glass doors and he groaned deeply when he saw the people gathered inside.

“What is it?” Stiles peered around Derek. “That’s a lot of Hales.”

Derek jumped when he felt Stiles lace their fingers together. He glanced down at their hands, trying not to blush. Stiles’ hand was surprisingly cool, with long slender fingers and a wide palm.

“Come on, Der. We’re supposed to be dating. Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Oh, yeah, right.” Derek fiddled with his glasses.

“It’ll be fine,” Stiles said soothingly. “I’ll follow your lead.”

“Or I’ll follow yours,” Derek said. They had made some plans here and there about how to pretend that they were a couple, but since their cover story was that they had only been dating recently, they had a bit of leeway when it came to acting all lovey-dovey.

Besides, Derek’s heart wouldn’t be able to take pretending that much.

Derek took a deep breath, tried to beat down his panic, and then led Stiles inside the lion’s den. Stiles squeezed his hand gently as they walked in.

“Derek!”

Laura was first to beckon them over and Derek let go of Stiles so he could catch his exuberant sister as she tossed herself at him.

“I’ve missed you, Deedee!”

Stiles snickered. “Deedee.”

Derek glared at him and it turned out to be the perfect opportunity for Laura to turn on Stiles. She was the only one in the family that had met Stiles before because she regularly flew up to visit Derek and had met him at school.

“Stiles! Wow! You’re here!”

“As Derek’s plus one, yeah. Nice to meet you… again.” Stiles smiled, waving a hand.

“Who’d have thought we’d meet here again of all places,” Laura said. “Come on and meet the family.”

Gathered together were Derek’s parents, Talia and Desmond, his older brother Matthew and younger brother Cameron, and Derek’s best friends, Boyd and Erica. There was a polite silence as they approached. Derek squeezed Stiles’ arm and steeled himself. It’s showtime.

“Derek, son. Good to see you.” Desmond folded him in a big hug. 

“Hi, Dad.” Derek hugged him back. He and Matthew both got their hirsute nature from their father and their tendency to enjoy hugs.

“Looks like you brought a date,” Desmond said. They both turned to see Talia already engaged in conversation with Stiles. He lowered his voice. “Seems like a nice young man. Glad to hear you finally asked out your little crush.”

“Dad!” Derek did not whine. He was too old for that. He ignored Desmond’s chuckles.

“Uh, mom.” He approached her and kissed her cheek. “I didn’t know you knew Stiles.”

Stiles leaned towards him, placing a warm palm on his back. “Your mom helped me find our room last night.”

Derek groaned in embarrassment, but Talia and Desmond just looked amused.

“You looked so tired last night, darling,” Talia said, hugging Derek’s side. “Good thing Stiles was there to look after you.”

“It was no problem at all,” Stiles actually managed to sound sincere. 

“Stiles, these are my brothers, Mattie and Cam,” Derek said.

Matthew waved, while Cameron just grunted at them over his bowl of cereal. He had sunglasses on even if they were indoors and his dark and slightly curly hair was a riotous mess atop his head.

“Excuse this one. He is not a morning person.” Matthew laughed, nudging Cameron.

“And these are my best friends, Boyd and Erica,” Derek added.

This honestly worried Derek a little bit, because Boyd and Erica had been his friends since childhood and they were the ones most likely to figure out Derek’s deception. But Erica only waved at them excitedly and Boyd nodded.

“Derek, Stiles, go on and eat before the others start coming in,” Desmond said.

“Thank you, sir,” Stiles tugged at Derek’s arm. “Come on, Der. Let’s eat.” 

There was a breakfast buffet set out and Derek was tempted to join, but he could feel a very pointed glare at the back of his head and it made him hesitate.

“Orrrr…” Stiles could either see it, feel it, or he had good sense. “Want me to get you something? You should catch up with your family first.”

Erica pounced on it. “Would you, please, Stiles? Thank you soooo much. Derek, come sit with me.”

“Come on, Stiles. The food here is great,” Laura said. She glanced in amusement over at Erica, barely stifling her grin, the harpy.

Stiles gave Derek a knowing look. He stroked Derek’s back and literally left him to the wolves. Derek then found himself being bodily dragged by Erica down to his seat. Matthew laughed while Cameron groaned at how the entire table was jostled. Talia and Desmond ignored all the commotion.

Erica got right up in Derek’s face. “How could you not tell me you were finally dating that teacher you’ve had a crush on for months! That is not what best friends do, Derek!”

Derek pushed her away, making her flop back against her calmer husband. “Because I knew it’d be a big deal.”

“Of course it’s a big deal! You haven’t dated anyone in years!” Erica’s excitement for him warred with her anger.

“And it’s still new.” Derek tried not to look too flustered, but he knew he wasn’t succeeding.

“It might be new, but it seems serious enough for you to invite him to Val’s wedding,” Matthew pointed out, to which everyone around the table nodded, even Derek’s parents.

Derek squirmed in his seat, his belly turning unpleasantly at his lies.

“I think you two look so cute,” Erica gushed. “Oh, I’m gonna have so much fun with you.”

“Please, don’t,” Derek pleaded.

“Please, don’t, babe,” Boyd agreed. “We can’t spend a fortune on the damage you’ll end up causing.”

Stiles and Laura came back, with Stiles toting plates piled high with food. He slid one in front of Derek filled with a bowl of breakfast oats, sunny side up eggs, bacon, and blueberry pancakes with syrup on the side.

“I also got you a fruit and yoghurt smoothie.” He brandished a glass at him. 

“Thank you,” Derek said. These were all his favorites. How did Stiles even know that he liked these? Laura probably just told him what to pick out—

“Is it okay? ”Stiles asked as he buttered his toast. He was surprisingly a toast and coffee sort of person, and once told Derek it was a habit he got from college. “I think I remember everything from how you usually eat your breakfast at the teacher’s lounge.”

Derek was saved from having to think up a response to that when Cameron piped up, head still lolling sleepily.

“You watch Derek eat? Are you a stalker or something? Derek, are you dating a stalker?”

There was laughter and teasing all around, which Stiles took in stride while Derek sat there, confused and flustered and trying not to show it.

The private ceremony was going to be for family and very close friends only and it was going to be held in the sprawling manicured grounds. There were beautiful pocket gardens and artful trellises and arches, a little swing set and playbox for the children, and picturesque backgrounds for taking photos and videos. The reception, on the other hand, was at the function hall just a short walk away. It was large and expansive, able to accommodate up to 250 guests, with a bar for beverage service and a lanai area for cocktails and lounging.

Stiles let out a low whistle. “This place is amazing. And your family owns it?”

Derek nodded. “My great grandmother bought the land. She wanted to turn it into a rest house where the family can come together. Over the years the family started having other properties, so one of her sons had this converted into an event venue instead.”

“Good choice. It’s pretty beautiful out here,” Stiles said.

Derek agreed. The family rarely had time to celebrate here, but they always had good memories of this place.

“Uncle Deedee!”

Derek smiled. “CC!”

Matthew’s daughter, CC, came barrelling towards him. She was five years old and was blond, rambunctious, and the light of Derek’s life. Derek caught her as she threw herself at him, lifting her in his arms to plant kisses to her cheeks.

“Hey, baby.” He smiled widely.

CC beamed at him. She was in a dress which was already quite dirty with dust and grass stains and her hair was coming out of its ponytail, but she was the most precious thing Derek had ever seen.

“Uncle Deedee, you’re here!” she screeched.

“Who are you with? Why are you running around by yourself?” Derek asked.

“Uncle Natty’s here.” CC pointed at the figure ambling leisurely towards them. Only then did she notice Stiles and she turned her finger to him. “Who’s he?”

“It’s rude to point, baby.” Derek patted her hand. “CC, this is my b–boyfriend, Stiles.”

“Your boyfriend?” she asked, wide-eyed.

Stiles smiled warmly at her. “Hey there, pretty lady. I’m Stiles. What’s your name?”

CC snuggled into Derek’s arms, looking shyly at their new guest. She rubbed Derek’s beard to soothe herself. 

“Am CC.” She pointed at his arm. “Wassat on your arm, ‘Tiles?”

Stiles had pushed his sleeves up his forearm, showing off his left sleeve. “These are my tattoos. Do you want to see?”

CC patted on Derek’s chest to be let down and he watched as she scrambled towards Stiles. The man squatted down and let CC tug on his arm this way and that to see it.

As they talked, Nathaniel appeared. He was the most good-looking in the family with dark hair and a sly smile and heartthrob looks. He lifted his ever-present camera and took a shot of Derek and then of CC and Stiles.

“Since when did you get a boyfriend?”

Derek coughed. “It’s n–new. His name’s Stiles. He’s really nice.”

“Looks like it,” Nathan said, watching as Stiles made CC laugh.

CC bounced back over to them and held her hands up to be picked up. Derek did so and she leaned in to whisper something, though it wasn’t really much of a whisper.

“I like ‘Tiles. He’s funny and his arm drawings are cool. And he’s pretty.”

“Good to know, baby.” Derek glanced at Stiles, who looked immensely pleased but pretended he didn’t hear a thing. 

Nathan stepped forward to introduce himself to Stiles, but he excused himself pretty soon.

“We gotta go. C'mon, CC,” Nathan called out. “We have to find your dad and get you into some clean clothes.”

CC made Derek put her down after placing a wet kiss on her uncle’s cheek. She and Nathan waved goodbye as they walked back to the main villa.

“Your niece is the cutest,” Stiles gushed, smiling at Derek. “Nathan’s not bad too.”

Derek smiled. He was relieved Stiles was getting along with his family so far, but it also made his chest tighten.

“Hey, Der!” Nathan called out just before he and CC disappeared inside. “Don’t forget about family dinner later!”

As if Derek didn’t need more problems.

“Have you forgotten about me now that you’re getting married?”

Valerie laughed, and it might seem fanciful, but Derek had always thought his sister had the prettiest laugh he’d ever heard.

“As if I could ever forget my favorite sibling,” she said.

Derek stepped into her room. “We’re going to have a riot in our hands if someone hears you.”

“Who would dare call me out on it?” Valerie raised an eyebrow at him, ever confident and bold. She raised a hand to beckon him closer. “Or better yet, who doesn’t know you’re my favorite?”

Derek chuckled, feeling bashful even as he moved closer into the room. As he sat down on the couch across from his sister, Valerie turned to him. 

“How are you?”

Derek snorted. “Why are you asking me? I’m not the one tying the knot tomorrow, finally.”

Valerie snorted as well, rather inelegantly. “Piero and I have been together for many years. He’s old news. You, on the other hand, have a boyfriend, and that’s more exciting.”

“Do you want to meet him?”

“I can meet him at the family dinner later,” Valerie waved a hand. “I want to know how you are. Mom said you were asleep on your feet when you arrived last night.”

Derek rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m fine, I promise.”

They chatted for a bit. He and Valerie had always been incredibly close, and she had always been his buffer between the more exuberant personalities of all of their other siblings. Maybe it was that bond that hadn’t wanted her to worry, that had pushed Derek into the lie he was now currently living. But he mentally shook those thoughts away. He couldn’t falter now. He didn’t want to be another thing for Valerie, his Mom, and his family to worry about.

It was those thoughts that Derek clung to at family dinner later that night. He and Stiles had changed into matching red and gray ensembles—Stiles had insisted that couples do that—and had met the rest of the family. Derek knew his palm was clammy as he held Stiles’ hand, but thankfully Stiles didn’t mind and just gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“Nice to see you again,” Stiles said to Cora. He chuckled at Derek’s confusion. “She threatened to punch my lights out last night in case I dropped you on the way to our room.”

Derek whirled towards her. “Wha—Cora!”

Cora scoffed. “I thought he’d drop you. He was a skinny dude hauling your fat ass down the hall.”

“Cora,” Derek hissed, embarrassed.

Stiles just laughed and tugged Derek close, wrapping an arm around his waist. “I wouldn’t have dropped Derek, not when I’m very, very fond of his ass.”

Derek flushed, both by the proximity and his words. He pinched Stiles’ side, but it only made him giggle.

Cora made a face, but she seemed somehow pleased. “Eww, sappy. I can’t believe someone is as sappy as you, Deedee.”

“Cor, there you are.” Cameron popped up, finally looking more awake this time. “Uh, who’s this with Dee?”

Stiles looked amused. “We’ve already met, man.”

Cameron was confused. “We have?”

Then Valerie was coming over, looking beautiful and incredibly intimidating. 

“You must be the famous Stiles,” she said, giving him a scrutinizing look. “Derek’s told me a lot about you.”

Stiles looked pleased. “He has? Like what? I’ll tell you everything he’s said about your beautiful self.”

Valerie looked amused. “Come on. Sit with me.”

Stiles turned to him, tugging at his waist. “Can we sit with the bride, Derek?”

Derek looked at them suspiciously. This felt like a bad idea. “No, because I’m pretty sure you two will start plotting something the way villains do.”

“All the more reason for us to sit together,” Stiles insisted as Valerie laughed. “And you know any evil kingdom I build will be in your honor… and your amazing ass.”

Cora and Cameron burst out laughing. Valerie looked like she had barely stopped herself from doing so. Derek’s face was so warm, he was almost surprised his glasses didn’t fog up.

“God, Stiles, shut up. Go and sit with Val,” he murmured, unable to help the smile that tugged at his lip.

Stiles pressed a kiss to his cheek which made Derek flush even stronger, and he danced away with a cackle when Derek tried to pinch his side. Derek sighed, smiling as Stiles sat down at the table with his siblings, easily getting lost in conversation with them.

Derek watched them, feeling his throat clogging up.

It was just pretend. It really was. He had to keep remembering that.

As the hour passed, Derek witnessed how well Stiles and his family took to each other. Valerie looked utterly delighted with him, as did her fiancé Piero. Her two-year-old son, Spencer, also seemed to like Stiles, especially when he managed to make him laugh. A jealous CC had popped up at one point, wanting to sit with Tiles,’ but leaving when the adult conversation got too boring. Laura and Cora were cackling at every joke Stiles cracked. Stiles, Erica, Boyd and Cameron, Nathan were all exchanging good-hearted jibes with him. Talia and Desmond were sitting with Piero’s parents, but they dropped by and left laughing at whatever Stiles had said. 

They all got along so well that Derek thought it had to be some sort of cruel and karmic joke that his family would love the one person he could never have for real. And something about it made his chest feel tight.

“Do you remember that, babe?” Stiles asked, turning to Derek and sliding an arm across the back of his seat until he was stroking his other arm. He looked at him with bright eyes and flushed cheeks.

Derek couldn’t hide a smile. If anything else, seeing Stiles enjoy himself was worth whatever discomfort Derek was feeling.

“How can I forget? You kept bragging about it in the teacher’s lounge,” he scoffed, making everyone roar with laughter.

Later on, as the dinner wrapped up, Valerie tugged him aside with a bright smile on her face.

“I like Stiles, Derek. I hope things work out with him.”

Derek didn’t even have to lie this time. “I hope so too. I really do.”

Since the ceremony was going to be an affair with friends and family only and Valerie was a no-nonsense person who hated fuss, the wedding day dawned upon them bright and early and calm. Derek once again found himself in Stiles’s arms when he woke up, and while part of him was already growing anxious, a greater part felt too warm and cozy to care.

Also, he wanted to relish this moment, because he knew it was never going to happen again.

When Stiles woke up, he was his usual touchy and soft self which tugged at Derek’s heartstrings. Room service brought them breakfast and they lounged around a little before getting ready.

“Stiles, I’ll go ahead and see Val, okay?” Derek called out as he studied his suit in the mirror.

“All right, I’ll catch up,” Stiles said, his steps padding on the carpet. “I’ll see you at the… uh…”

Derek turned to him. Stiles was in his bathrobe and toweling his hair, but he had frozen in place, looking at Derek with wide eyes and pink cheeks.

“Is it all right?” Derek turned in place. He was a bit used to wearing suits from school events and family engagements, but this was one of the fanciest he’d ever worn.

“Uh, you look great… absolutely,” Stiles coughed. He still looked flushed from his shower.

“Thanks.” Derek sighed in relief. “I laid out your suit. I know you can’t do your tie, so I’ll do it for you later if you want.”

“T–thanks,” Stiles said as Derek left.

As Derek closed the door behind him, he thought he heard Stiles mutter something like “…and back to the shower I go…” but that was probably just his imagination.

He went to his sister’s suite. His mother was there and his sisters, and they ushered him over to her room so he could see her. 

Valerie looked absolutely radiant and every inch the beautiful and blinding bride. She wore a sleek, ankle-length, low back gown embellished with lace and crystals and intricate beadwork, and her hair was in a high, artfully messy bun with strands that framed her beautiful face. Derek felt a little choked up at the sight of her.

“How do I look?” Valerie did a twirl, making the skirt of her dress swirl around her.

“You look gorgeous,” he whispered in awe.

Valerie laughed, light and warm. She curtsied, which Derek returned with a bow. Her joy was contagious and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Derek held out his arms and she hugged him tight, throwing her arms around his neck. Derek swayed them in place and tried not to feel choked up by all the feelings inside him. It wasn’t as if a lot of things were going to change. Valerie and Piero had been together for years and they had a son, but it still made Derek feel a pang in his chest that his sister was going to become someone’s wife.

When they parted, Valerie took Derek’s face between her hands and pressed their foreheads together gently.

“More than anything, I hope you’re happy,” Derek said.

“I am.” Valerie smiled. “And that’s all I ever want for you too. When you find your special someone, you hold onto them and don’t let go, okay?”

Derek nodded and hugged her tight to hide the sadness he could feel threatening to spill from inside him.

Later, he found Stiles with Laura, who was doing Stiles the honor of fixing his tie for him. Derek was stunned by the sight of Stiles in a suit. It fit him like a glove, and with his artfully tousled hair and the black stud in one ear, Derek felt his heart was in his throat.

“Derek, you okay?” Laura asked, snickering.

Derek glared at her. “I’m fine, I just…” He turned back to Stiles, who actually looked a bit nervous. “You look great.”

“I do?” Stiles asked, smoothing down his tie. He smiled at Derek. “Well, I think you look better than I do.”

“As if.” Derek snorted, which made Stiles frown.

Laura looked between them. “Okay. I think I’m just going to go.” She kissed Derek’s cheek then walked off, giggling.

Stiles was frowning and without preamble, he reached for Derek’s hand and, much to his surprise, brought it to his lips in a kiss.

“You really need to stop selling yourself short. You look amazing and I’m honored you’d ask me to be your date this weekend, Der.”

It was sweet. Stiles was so sweet. But Derek had to remember that Stiles was just that way, that it meant nothing. So he swallowed it all down and concentrated on the here and now.

The ceremony was amazing and there wasn’t a dry set of eyes in the whole crowd. Valerie and Piero looked ridiculously happy, and twice so when they brought Spencer up to the altar with them, their little boy confused but happy to be included.

After a ridiculous amount of photos and some more tears and laughter, they headed up to the function hall where their other guests were gathered. Derek was talking to the twins in one corner, catching up on their recent activities. 

“Look,” Cora said, nodding to the dance floor.

Stiles was dancing with Talia, leading her effortlessly around the dance floor. He was a good dancer, but Derek knew that. Aside from being a musician, Stiles also taught students dance. He’d always said that, being an awkward kid growing up, he’d have loved it if someone had taught him something simple as a waltz. It would have helped his confidence a lot.

He was certainly putting that talent to good use. So far, he’d danced with Talia, Laura, Erica, and even Nathan, who was a good dancer himself. Valerie had loudly requested a dance after she’d had her fill of her husband. And Derek… Derek wasn’t jealous. He wasn’t. But he and Stiles had yet to…

“Try not to look so into him, lover boy,” Cora teased.

Cameron chuckled. “I think it’s a good look on you, Derek. You look happy.”

“Sickeningly so,” Cora added, nudging him. “It’s nice to see you happy, big bro.”

Eventually, the song ended and the twins moved on. Before Derek could contemplate his next move, Stiles plopped down beside him.

“Your family is so cool,” he sounded a bit breathless but happy. “So big and so cool. And they’re really hard to say no to.”

Derek chuckled. “Imagine my life growing up.”

Stiles grinned. “It’s really great. They’re all great. Especially since I grew up an only child, this entire weekend has been a blast.”

Derek felt his smile melt at that. The weekend. Right. Because this was only for the weekend. Because this was all pretend. Once the weekend passed, they’d go back to their real lives as just friends. After a good few weeks, they’d break up and Derek was going to tell his family, and it’ll be fine. Because this was what they had agreed on. 

It’s okay. It’s fine. Derek was going to be okay. 

Derek felt something crawl up his throat and the room suddenly felt too small and too crowded. His chest felt tight, like it was getting hard to take in air. He cursed himself for feeling like this. This was all a lie, a game, a charade, pretend, and even if his heart was breaking at the thought of it, he knew this was completely and entirely his fault.

“Hey, Derek. May I have a dance?” 

The panic receded for a moment and Derek turned to Stiles, surprised. 

Stiles was looking at him intensely and somewhat strangely. He reached for Derek’s hand and slipped his fingers between Derek’s. He gently led him to the dance floor.

“I’ve danced with so many people. It’s high time I dance with my boyfriend.”

A slow song was playing and when Stiles pulled Derek close, the surprise of it had Derek snapping out from his thoughts.

“Stiles?”

“Just a dance,” Stiles murmured, pressing close and resting his temple against Derek’s. 

They swayed to the music, chest to chest, hands clasped, and arms around each other. No words were exchanged. And when Stiles started rubbing Derek’s back and humming to the music, Derek all but melted.

As they spun around, Derek caught a glimpse of Valerie, who was looking at her husband with love in her eyes.

“When you find your special someone, you hold onto them and don’t let go, okay?” she had told Derek that.

And suddenly Derek felt tired, felt heartsick and vulnerable and torn open, because he knew this was something he’d done to himself. He couldn’t help pressing a kiss to Stiles’s cheek for the last time.

The song eventually ended, and without entirely knowing what he was doing, Derek detangled himself from Stiles, excused himself, and quickly walked out onto the lanai. There were only a few people milling around and it was easy enough to find a corner where he could hide and lick his wounds. 

But then he felt a hand around his wrist and he turned around to see a determined Stiles looking back at him. 

Before Derek could speak, Stiles cupped his cheeks, leaned into him, and pressed his lips against his. Derek froze. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. His heart was beating so fast in his chest and so loud in his ears. He only came back to life when he felt Stiles start to pull away and he wrapped his arms around the man’s waist and kissed him back.

The kiss was awkward. The angle was a bit wrong and they stumbled a little which actually pressed their cheeks a bit too hard together. But it was still a kiss, warm and loving, with Stiles, and he held onto Derek as hard as Derek held onto him.

Stiles was the first to pull away. His face was flushed and he had a fond look on his face that made Derek’s heart skip a beat.

“I like you. Derek, I like you so much. I see it on your face when you remember this stupid deal we made and it kills me that this is how it started—how we started out—but I didn’t want you to think that I don’t like you back.”

“…back?” Derek asked.

Stiles chuckled. “Dude, you have the worst poker face ever or at least to me.”

Derek poked his side. “Don’t call me dude when you just kissed me.”

“Fine, I’ll go back to babe.” Stiles grinned cheekily. “But seriously, Der, I think your family is amazing and I wouldn’t trade this weekend for anything in the world, except maybe me confessing that I like you the moment you asked me to play pretend boyfriends so that we could have cuddled a hell of a lot more in bed.”

“I’m in love with you,” Derek blurted out. “I just didn’t know how to say it.”

Stiles softened. “Ditto.”

Derek leaned his forehead against Stiles, their noses brushing and arms wrapped around each other. Stiles squeezed him tight and kissed him once, twice, three times, before pulling away.

“Now, come on. We only danced once. I want to see you booty shake, Hale.”

Derek groaned. “Stiles.”

But he let a cackling Stiles lead him back inside and to the dance floor. Valerie joined them, heels kicked off and Spencer in her arms and Piero trailing behind. Laura and Cora crashed into them as did a tipsy Erica and suffering Boyd and Cameron. Nathan was taking photos of them all, Matthew was laughing as he swayed to and fro with CC, and Talia and Desmond flew past them all, dancing and laughing.