Really, Derek Hale? Episode 18 [CLICK FOR SERIES]
āYou know,ā Stiles said, wandering into Derekās office. Ā He picked up a little werewolf figurine and toyed with the arms, setting them into a pose that made the werewolf look like it was aiming for a hug rather than a scare. His eyes took in all the posters on the wall as he turned a full circle. Ā āI probably would have agreed to marry you if you had shown me this room.ā
Ā āIā¦ā Derek started to say, his mouth open to finish the sentence when he realized he actually didnāt have a response to that. Ā If Stiles had agreed to date him, it wouldnāt be impossible for it to be partially his someday, but.Ā
Well.Ā
That was unfair.
Ā āIām sorry,ā Stiles blurted out, āthat was insensitive of me. Ā Let me try again. Ā Derek. I really like this room.ā
Ā āThank you,ā Derek responded, to be polite. Ā āWas there something you wanted to talk about?ā
Ā āNot really,ā Stiles shrugged, picking up a signed baseball on the desk and tossing it back and forth in his hands. Ā āSo this is where the magic happens, huh?ā
Ā āSome of it. Ā I try to get most of it done at work.ā
Ā Stiles bit out a laugh. āI think thatās a blatant lie,ā he said, slipping into the seat across from Derek and leaning forward so his elbows were braced on his knees. Ā From the corner of his eye, Derek could see Laura walk in the room and stop, taking in the scene in front of her.
Ā āIs it?ā Ā Derek questioned, ignoring his sister.
Ā āYeah, I think I got too many email responses at 11 pm for that. Ā Itās a shame Scott and I leave tomorrow. Ā It woulda been cool to see how we work together in person.ā
Ā Derek smiled and looked down. Ā āI would have liked that.ā Ā It sounded perfect, actually.
Ā āWell, maybe Skype now that youāre not trying to hide your identity from meā¦ā Stiles leaned back in the chair, looping his arm around the back of it. Ā He turned his body just enough that Laura was visible, and it seemed to startle him to have a witness. Ā āOh, hey Laura. Ā Iāll just get gone then.āĀ
And then he was on his feet and out of Derekās office.Ā
āSorry,ā Laura said, but she didnāt look like she meant it.
Ā x.x.x.x.
Ā āI really want to go back to Beacon Hills,ā Allison said the next week at breakfast, stirring her yogurt with a discontent, melancholic sigh. If she didnāt miss Scott so much, Derek would assume Laura had a hand in it. āDo you think we can go up? Ā For the weekend, maybe?āĀ
āTherianthrope goes into production soon,ā Derek reminded her with regret, though after everything that had happened with Stiles recently, he wanted that too. Ā He would foolishly follow a boy back to his hometown for another smile because Derek was sad and pathetic.Ā
Ā āWhich means itāll be at least six months before we can go back,ā she pointed out. Ā Ā
āYou and Laura can go without me.ā
Ā Laura made a face at him. Derek was tempted to make a face back at her.Ā
So he did.Ā
āIn fact,ā Derek continued. āWhy donāt you stay there for a while? Iāll be working 80 hour weeks and at one point weāll be shooting on location, so you can come back then if youāre tired of the idyllic countryside.ā Ā He directed the last bit towards Laura.
Ā āReally?ā Allison questioned, jumping up to hug him from behind. Ā āThanks Der.ā
Ā āShe didnāt even ask me if I was ok with it,ā Laura said, watching as Allison hurried off to pack. āDoes she expect to leave right now?ā
Ā Derek shrugged and smirked, taking a bite from his toast. Ā āHave fun in Beacon Hills.ā
Ā āOh no,ā Laura said, pointing her finger at him. Ā āYouāre coming up for a few days or both of us will stay here and Iāll start boxing up your werewolf figurines and send them to Stiles as presents. Ā Heās seen them now. Ā Heāll know who theyāre from.ā
Ā As far as threats went, that one wasnāt very effective. Ā It was actually a fantastic idea. Ā Stiles would love⦠āOkay,ā Derek blinked, surprised by his train of thought. Ā āOkay.ā Ā He could afford to take the weekend for himself at this stage and the best way could think of to spend it was to maybe get a chance to talk to Stiles in person, because every second he spent with Stiles felt like something new, and Derek didnāt know how to say no to that.
Ā .x.x.x.
Ā Derek finished lap ten when he realized he had a spectator, and he slowed his breaststroke to a crawl. Stiles was watching him from the side of the pool, tapping his foot like he was impatient, but also with no intention of actually stopping Derek. Ā His keen eyes were fixed on Derekās back, and even though Derek was kind of really bad at figuring out cues, he knew Stiles was checking him out.
Ā Again.
Ā āI hope this isnāt strange,ā Stiles said, handing Derek a towel as he pulled himself out of the pool, water sloshing around him as his arms supported his weight. Ā He easily brought a leg up and used it to help himself stand, showing off a little at his ability to get his foot right on the edge of the pool and practically step out with a push of both his arms and his leg, going from in the water to standing in about two seconds.
Ā Stiles inhaled sharply as he handed the towel over, clearing his throat as Derek used it to swipe off his arms and face, before rubbing it over his chest. Ā He could feel water trailing down his legs from his swim pants, and he had a moment to wonder if they had dislodged and he was giving Stiles an eyeful, but he thought that Stilesā expression would be very different than it was. For some reason, Derek thought Stiles would leer, not flush slightly and look away from Derek entirely. Ā
Ā āItās not strange,ā Derek assured him, moving to put his shirt back on. Ā It stuck a little to his damp skin, his hair dripping onto the collar almost immediately. Ā āNothing you havenāt seen before,ā he mentioned in an offhanded tone, sitting in one of the chairs on the desk.
Ā āUh⦠yeah,ā Stiles answered quietly, sitting beside him. Ā āOnly the opposite of nothing I havenāt seen before.ā
Ā There was a compliment in there somewhere, Derek thought, looking over at Stiles. Ā Maybe.
Ā āEveryone went to get sushi in the next town over and I came back to see if you wanted to come with us.ā
Ā āSushi?ā Derek questioned.
Ā āBest in the area,ā Stiles answered, fidgeting with a fray on the hem of his shirt. Ā āWhich means itās only mediocre, and we both know how discerning your palate is,ā he finished in a teasing tone, seemingly regaining his equilibrium.
Ā āMine?ā Derek answered. āRemembering the rules you have about food would take a study guide.ā
Ā Something crossed Stilesā features. Ā āBut you do remember them, donāt you?ā he asked in an amazed tone. Ā āYou do. Ā You did.ā
Ā āIā¦ā
Ā āNever mind,ā Stiles finished, getting to his feet. Ā āDo you want sushi or not? Ā Because Iām really hungry.ā
Ā āYou didnāt have to come back for me.ā
Ā āI donāt even know why I bothered,ā Stiles answered in a self-defeated tone. Ā āOf course you donāt want to come. Ā Mediocre sushi isnāt exactly a major draw to get you to come out with us.ā
āWait,ā Derek said desperately, reaching for Stiles. Ā āYouāre right, itās not, but Iāll come. Ā I donāt mind spending time with all of you.ā Ā Stiles specifically. Ā If he could just convince Stiles to stay with him instead of joining everyone else, it would make Derekās entire week, but Stiles never had wanted to spend time with just Derek, and Derek didnāt know why that would change entirely.
Stiles paused, really looking at him. Ā āYou should put on pants,ā he finally said.
Ā Derek wasnāt sure what he was doing. Ā He didnāt even care for sushi, had never been able to get into it no matter how popular it was in Los Angeles. Ā The moment he stepped into the restaurant, his sisters would know the real reason he agreed, and it didnāt really bother him after months of them knowing the things heād do for Stiles, but it made him feel a bit pathetic because he received just a tiny bit of attention and was ready to drop his plans for the afternoon for the guy he was in love with.
Ā But, as he considered this, he wondered why Stiles had come back to get him when both Laura and Allison knew how he felt about the type of food they were eating. Ā He didnāt know what the story was there, and could barely even hazard a guess, but shouldnāt they have stopped Stiles? Ā If this was really about food, shouldnāt someone have said something? Ā That told him that one of his sisters (or both of them) had deliberately kept silent, which was practically unheard of unless they wanted him to spend time with Stiles.
Ā The catch there was that neither of them really cared to allow him to be alone with Stiles, not since Stiles broke his heart on the internet. Ā Theyād warmed up to him after the panel, but he didnāt think that theyād come so far as to actually encourage Stiles to come get him for sushi. Ā
That left the possibility that Stiles was acting alone and hadnāt told anyone he was coming to see Derek, which seemed even more unlikely than the first option. Ā But⦠not as unlikely as Derek would have assumed. Ā He pulled on a pair of jeans quickly at the idea, hurrying back downstairs to find Stiles poking at his digital movie collection streaming to the PS4.
Ā āWould you like to get pizza instead?ā Derek asked, pulling on his leather jacket. Ā āI hear thereās a great place in town.ā
Ā Stiles looked up quickly and then grinned at him. Ā āYeah,ā he said, dropping the controller on the table. Ā āIād like that. Ā Youāll love it. Ā They even passed the testing from the FDA.ā
Ā Yeah, Derek would take that risk in order to spend time with Stiles. Ā What was one more risk, really? Ā Eating a bit of pizza because Stiles liked it wasnāt a big deal in the long run. Ā āHave you had it since?āĀ
āNo way,ā Stiles laughed. āScott still gets nauseated at the scent of dough and cheese, but Scottās sensitive. Ā So sensitive, dad had pizza pockets for lunch one day and Scott could smell it on his breath and almost yacked. Ā I should train him to scent out all foods dad shouldnāt be eating.āĀ
āScott puked in front of Allison. Ā I think heās justified in still being a little wary.āĀ
āIām sorry I missed it,ā Stiles agreed, getting to his feet. Ā āJust let me,ā he trailed off, pulling his phone out of his pocket and typing on it. Ā āThere, now theyāre not waiting for me. Ā Itās time for pizza.āĀ
x.x.x.x.Ā
It was strange. Ā We had lunch and he told me about the time he played a mini werewolf in one of his folksā movies, even credited on IMDB, and the time Laura took one of the props and scared her entire fourth grade class, and how instead of decorating for Christmas like everyone else in their neighbourhood did, his father decked their entire Bel Air mansion out for Halloween. Ā He didnāt even wince when eating the pizza, and he laughed at my dumb jokes. Ā Heās really snarky. Ā I didnāt really notice that before.
Ā I think I like him as a person.Ā
And remember when I said that it looked like his abs were legion in quality beneath his shirt? Ā Well Iāve seen them now. Ā Iām going to have to grade celebrities on the Derek Hale scale, which seems really unfair because celebs are basically paid to develop abs, and his are still better. What is life? Ā I feel like Iāve been lied to. Ā Normal people just arenāt supposed to look the way he does and not have some kind of work out addiction and unhealthy aversion to pizza. Ā And ok, so now Iām rambling judgmentally about ab muscles⦠but wow.Ā
āAdmit it,ā Scott said, sticking his head in the door. Ā āI think you kind of like him, fess up.āĀ
āI did!ā Stiles exclaimed, throwing a book at Scottās head. Ā āI already said that.āĀ
āI donāt just mean as a person.ā Ā Scott laughed. Ā āYou like him. Ā Someone is in denial.āĀ
āShut up Scott!āĀ
āI donāt LIKE him,ā Stiles said to the camera. Ā āI just really hate the fact that I didnāt give him a chance before. Ā I know, I know I already admitted that Iām an asshole, but wow, thatās what he meant when he said that I donāt give first chances, let alone second ones. Ā If I had given him a first chance instead of jumping to conclusionsā¦.ā He trailed off uncertainly.Ā
āWell, I didnāt, so it doesnāt matter.ā
x.x.x.Ā
Production was set to start on Therianthrope, and Derek felt like he was going insane trying to perfect it. He still managed to eke out time for Stilesā vlog.
He probably always would.Ā
x.x.x.Ā
āHi, Iām Scott, Stilesās brother. Ā You can see him lounging on his bed behind me all lacksidasial with exhaustion from finishing his final review of the Therianthrope movie. Ā He said I could do todayās vlog, with his supervision of course. Ā The thing is, I donāt have much to say about horror movies besides āscaryā or ānot so scaryā so I was thinking we could re-enact some of my favourites with the sock puppets. Ā So I have the Derek Hand puppet and the Philes Philanges puppet, and there were probably a few more puppets at one time but for some reason these were already out on Stilesā desk when I got here. Ā Better desk than nightstand, right?ā Scott attempted a wink.Ā
āScott!ā Stiles called out from the bed. Ā āDonāt!āĀ
āReally?ā Scott retorted, facing away from the camera. Ā āI thought it was a good one.āĀ
āYeah, ok. Ā It was,ā Stiles conceded. Ā āNo more, though. Ā Iām trying to nap.āĀ
āSo as I was saying,ā Scott said, returning his face towards the camera. Ā āMovie re-enactments. Ā What do you think? Ā Jaws? Dah-nuh Dah-nuh.ā Scott made Philes chase Derek around the screen with his mouth opening and closing like pacman. Ā Ā
āSegueing into Sharknado! Thatās horrifying, right?ā Scott said, spinning Philes through the air. Ā āOh no Shark! Donāt eat me!ā Scott made Derek Hand say. Ā Ā
āCharles, what a deprived childhood you must have had,ā Scott continued with the Philes character. Ā āI guess weāre doing X-Men: First Class now.āĀ
āThatās not a horror movie,ā Stiles said from his place on the bed, his head hanging over the side of the mattress so he was watching Scott upside down. Ā āBut awesome reference.āĀ
āI had a perfectly pleasant childhood, thank you,ā Scott finished with Derek Hand. Ā āBut it is a truth universally acknowledged that I am a rich asshole in need of a wife.āĀ
āNot it!ā Philes said. āEven if you are attractive, Mr. Derekcy.āĀ
āWhat?ā Stiles said from the bed, sitting up with a jolt.Ā
āOk, StiLizzie. But I will love you from afar anyway. Ā I will give you everything you have ever wanted, and I wonāt try to take credit for it.āĀ
āOwwww, motherfucker!ā Stiles yelled, getting tangled in his sheets and falling off his bed. Ā āStop it, Scott. Ā Thatās not funny. Donāt make fun of him.āĀ
āOk, Mr. Derekcy. Maybe my feelings towards you will change in the passing months to the point where our story is more Pride and Prejudice than Bride of Chucky.āĀ
āBride of Chucky! Thatās a terrible reference! Donāt go with Bride of Chucky!ā Stiles yelled from his position on the floor where he was obviously flailing. Ā āOuch. No. Ā Scott. Ā Donāt say that at all. Ā Retract. Redact. Why would you think my feelings have changed? Ā Donāt put this online. Ā Why am I still stuck in this blanket?ā
Scott gave the camera a raised eyebrow and the most sarcastic look he was capable of. Ā āI donāt know, Stiles. Ā Why would I think that?āĀ
āFuuuuck,ā Stiles moaned meaningfully, going limp and allowing his body to fall back against the floor. Ā āOh my god.ā Ā For good measure he banged his head against the floor. Ā āItās not Pride and Prejudice. Ā Oh my God. Ā Am I falling in love with Derek Hale? Ā Did he pull a Mr. Darcy on me?āĀ
āI donāt think itās his move or anything,ā Scott retorted. Ā āIs this actually news to you? Ā You spent the last 3 weeks talking about how amazing he is, and the 4 weeks before that talking about how great the producer of Therianthrope is, and theyāre the same guy. And before that you kept mentioning how he was an ok guy apropos to nothing because you were the only one bringing him up.āĀ
Stiles whined pitifully and flopped over on the floor, lying there like a starfish. Ā Ā
āHow many of you saw that coming?ā Scott asked the camera. Ā āI know some of you are actively shipping it and have been since the beginning. Believe me, youāre not alone. Thereās a real live support group right here in Beacon Hills. Ā Like⦠we didnāt actually think Stiles would turn him down the first time.āĀ
āStop, Scott donāt make him rehash this. Ā You know Derek never misses my blog.ā
āAllison,ā Scott said, looking directly into the camera. Ā āYou owe me $20.āĀ
x.x.x.
Ā āIām holding in my hand a Lycaon werewolf action figure circa the 1990 promotion of LukĆ”nthropos, limited production. Ā Only about 100 of them were ever made, and I⦠just received one from Derek Hale with a thank you note. Ā Itās⦠Iā¦ā Stiles looked at the werewolf in his hand. Ā āThank you. Ā You have no idea what this means.āĀ
āNo⦠I⦠know that you do, and that makes it mean a lot more. Ā Derek.ā Stiles was looking directly into the camera, completely serious.Ā
Then an edit jumped forward, showing his smiling face as he held up the cover of the next movie he was going to review.
Ā x.x.x.
Ā āHi,ā Stiles said, giving the camera this intent look from beneath his eyelashes. Ā He licked his lips, giving the lens a direct look and held up a DVD. He was smiling, a flirtatious thing that translated over the computer screen. Ā āI think youāll enjoy this movie,ā he said, and Derek felt like Stiles was talking right to him. Ā āItās has extremely witty moments and uses tension rather than gore as a fright tactic. The protagonist tries to be intelligent, but fails, and in my opinion thatās the failing of this movie. Ā There are some parts youād really enjoy, though,ā he raised his shoulder in a half shrug, glancing up at the camera again. āBut maybe not. Ā You should take my word for it, though. Ā I think youāll be surprised, and I donāt just mean by the sex scene. Ā It made me think of you, and while I donāt mean the sex scene specifically, maybe it did. What would you think of that?āĀ
Derek didnāt know what to think of Stilesā message. It felt like Stiles was talking to him, and only him, but he understood enough about the process of filming to know that everyone who watched it probably felt that way. Ā Derek couldnāt identify a single part of what Stiles had that was for him and him alone, but at the same time he couldnāt identify any of it that wasnāt. It seemed to him that Stiles had done that on purpose, as a way for his followers to feel included in what he was saying, like Stiles was filming the message right to them in that dedicated, flirtatious tone he had adopted.Ā
And wow. Ā Just wow. Heād never really experienced Stilesā charm full force before, and even now it was diluted through the screen and the knowledge he was sharing it with thousands of viewers. Ā He was glad it was happening that way because if Stiles was actually flirting with him, Derek wasnāt sure he could take it without doing something very forward.
Ā Stiles wouldnāt thank him for making things even worse between them if he grabbed and kissed him. Stiles would probably consider that the last straw, and Derek would feel terrible on multiple levels, because you didnāt just grab and kiss someone, no matter how intense their come hither eyes were.
Ā And Stilesā were intense. Derek didnāt think it was just a matter of being swayed by the fact that he was in love with Stiles, mostly because Cameron from the AV department stopped by his office, made a show of fanning himself, and said: āWhoo, your boy.ā
Ā āIt had to be for you,ā Allison assured him. Ā āIāve never seen him like that, not even when the waiter at the sushi place was really coming on strong and Stiles tried to flirt back. Ā Who else would he be talking to?ā
Ā āAny one of the people who comment on his vlog regularly.ā
āThey donāt love it as much as you do! Ā Stiles responds well to people who can have a discussion with him about what he talks about.ā
Ouch. Ā Derek had never once left a comment for Stiles. Ā Heād thought about it. Ā Heād thought of creating a fake account and praising him every time he posted something, saying things to Stiles that Derek would never be able to say as himself. Ā When it came time to try, though, he realized he didnāt want to say those things to Stiles as anyone other than Derek Hale, which was definitely a catch.
Ā āDerek,ā Allison warned, seeing the expression on his face. Ā āWhy are you self-flagellating? Ā Do you realize that none of them can have the discussion about horror movies with him that you can? Ā Do you realize that Stiles knows this, and he doesnāt care about people who blindly love him, he wants discussion. Ā He wants arguments. Ā He wants you.āĀ
āWe established that he doesnāt,ā Derek pointed out.Ā
āMonths ago!āĀ
āI donāt think I can go through being turned down again.āĀ
āOh, Derek,ā Allison answered compassionately, but Derek wasnāt listening. Ā He knew that her assurances would make him feel better, empower him to maybe take another chance on Stiles, but he didnāt know if that was the direction he was headed in. Ā He wanted to. He did. Ā Stiles was worth all the chances in the world, but he didnāt think he could go through all that again and come out the other side of it.
They were in a good place now, he and Stiles. Ā
A solid place.
x.x.x
Derek was at yet another horror movie panel trying to convince himself that sitting in front of a room full of people analysing his every movement, his every thought, was just part of the process. Ā It was just part of the process. Ā If he was good enough, made enough interesting points or markedly witty rejoinders, it would help promote his movie.
That didnāt make it easier.
Part of him wished Stiles was there. Ā Stiles had a unique ability to make Derek focus on him rather than on the people in front of him, staring at him. Ā When Stiles was with him, it felt like people were staring at the two of them, and sure maybe that should bother him, since their relationship was a festering gossip in the small horror movie press sphere, but it didnāt. Ā It gave Derek an ally in all of this, someone who had his back when he tried to bring questions back around to the movie itself.
Not questions like: āDonāt you think Stiles owes you more respect than what this latest blog post showed?ā
āFirst: Stiles doesnāt owe me anything,ā Derek hissed, back straightening and all sense of shyness dissipating like it never existed. Ā āThat isnāt how life works, or at least it isnāt a good way to think. Ā If you think that he owes me now out of⦠duty, or worse, you seriously need to re-examine your definition of a healthy relationship. Second: he can flirt with who he wants to on his own blog ā I donāt even⦠do you think thereās a contract somewhere stipulating that while he works for me he canāt flirt with anyone⦠again, reassess your thought process. Ā Third, and final: Stilesā love life has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with Therianthrope.āĀ
(as an aside, his angry indignant face became a short-lived social justice meme with the caption reassess your thought process. Derek assumed Laura made the gifs herself, but then Stiles appealed to a lot of people outside of the horror industry who watched because they thought he was attractive and charming.)Ā
x.x.x
āI wasnāt flirting with someone,ā Stiles blurted out the moment Derek answered the phone. Ā āNot just anyone. Ā You said some really good things today, things I appreciate, but I wouldnāt do that, not now. Ā Not with someone random.ā
āOkay,ā Derek answered slowly.
āIām not sure it is,ā Stiles answered. Ā āBut thatās not something Iām up to talking about right now. Ā More importantly, did you watch the last movie I recommended?ā
āYeah,ā Derek answered, a smile crossing his features as a warmth spread through his chest. Ā āYes. Ā I particularly enjoyed the scene with the deer.ā
āI thought you might.ā Ā Derek could hear the smile. Ā āListen, I got to go.ā
āHold on!ā Derek said quickly, wanting to prolong this moment as long as possible. Ā āWeāre going to do some location shots in Beacon Hills next week. Ā Do you want to get some first-hand experience on set?ā
āYes! Ā I really need to go, Der, but yes. Ā Yeah, Iāll be there. Ā Bye.ā Ā
āBye,ā Derek responded, ending the call. Ā He felt warm and pleased, happy at nothing in particular, but because of everything Stiles. Ā It took him a moment to pick out the use of his nickname in everything about Stiles that made him feel amazing. Ā It was what his sisters called him, but Stiles using it made all the stress he was feeling because of the movie melt into something secondary.Ā
Beacon Hills couldnāt come soon enough.
Ā x.x.x.
Ā Derek was barely on set, his legs stiff from the long drive up to Beacon Hills following the equipment trailer. Ā The sun was bright overhead and he squinted against it, pulling his sunglasses out of his hair and shoving them over his eyes. Ā He took out his phone to text Laura that he was in town, not surprised to find a string of texts from both his sisters that had gone unanswered while he was driving.Ā
āDerek!āĀ
It wasnāt strange for someone to need his input, so Derek looked up as he texted, surprised to see Stiles walking towards him. He hadnāt expected for Stiles to arrive before he did, but he wasnāt sure why he hadnāt anticipated it. Ā Stiles lived in Beacon Hills.
Stiles was more enthusiastic about the movie than a lot of the staff.Ā
He waved, and Stiles waved back. Ā
āHey, just the person I was looking for,ā Stiles said with a strange smile.
Derek frowned at him, turning his head to the side as he observed Stiles, from the rigid set of his shoulders to the way he was flexing his hands, both definite signs he wasnāt happy. Ā āWhatās wrong?ā he asked. Ā Maybe someone had given Stiles trouble for being on set? Ā Derek hoped it was as easy as that. Ā Derek hoped it wasnāt him that was making Stiles unhappy again.
āI⦠nothingās wrong, per se,ā Stiles promised. He stopped and looked carefully back at Derek, laughing uneasily. Ā āItās just⦠I need to do this now before I chicken out. You really meant it, didnāt you? Ā Youāre really in love with me?ā Stiles said with no lead up. Ā It certainly wasnāt where Derek thought this conversation was going.Ā
āOf course I did,ā Derek answered, frowning. Ā He took off his sunglasses, because it seemed unfair to hold this conversation while Stiles couldnāt see half of his expressions.Ā
Stiles looked at him intently. āHas that changed? Do you still mean it now?āĀ
āAre you asking me if Iām still in love with you?ā Derek asked softly. Ā Of course Stiles had concerns about working with him. Ā Derek had been behaving inappropriately recently, sending him presents hoping that maybe Stiles was warming up to him. Ā He couldnāt do anything but be honest, because Stiles deserved the truth. Ā āOf course I am. Ā That doesnāt just disappear. Ā Maybe it could, with time. Ā I did try. Your emails made it impossible to think of you in any other way but the one I see you in, but I can try to stay away this time. Ā If thatās what you want from me.āĀ
āNo,ā Stiles said, shaking his head. Ā āNo. Derek, fuck.ā He ran his fingers through his hair, turning away and pacing a few steps, before moving back in. He looked frustrated, and Derek felt his hope return. āYouāre everything I didnāt know I needed until I realized you were standing right in front of me. Ā I turned you down. I broke what we could have been before it even happened. Ā I donāt understand how you can just stand there and tell me youāll try harder to forget me, you should have cut me out immediately and you didnāt. Ā And thatās perfect.ā Ā Stiles paused, breathing heavily. Ā Derek was surprised to find that he was doing the opposite. Ā He was holding his breath waiting for Stiles to finish. Ā āAll I want is for you to give me a chance to make it up to you.āĀ
Derek had no idea what to say. Ā There had to be the right words somewhere to tell Stiles how much he wanted that, but how unnecessary it was for Stiles to have to prove himself to Derek. Ā It seemed almost foolish to suggest, because Derek believed in Stiles without reservation. āThereās nothing to make up.āĀ
Stiles squinted at him. Ā āYouāre giving me confusing signals. Ā Is that a yes?āĀ
Thatās when Derek realized what Stiles was asking, what Stiles was trying to say. Ā Derek had given Stiles a piece of himself so long ago, and Stiles was finally offering a piece of himself back.Ā
āOf course,ā Derek breathed. Ā He could never say no to Stiles. Ā Heād been a lost cause the second Stiles first vlog opened with the words: Letās get one thing straight. Ā My favourite movie will always be LukĆ”nthropos, the cheeky werewolf tale put out by Lycaon Productions in 1990. Ā I might claim that other movies are my new favourite, but nothing will ever be better than my memories of watching that movie with my parents. Ā My mother, in particular, loved it. Ā She loved it in a way that she could never get sick of it, she told me once, right before she died. Ā So you see, itāll always be my favourite movie.
Ā Stiles closed the distance between them immediately, his long fingers curling around Derekās jaw as he leaned into Derekās space. His eyes were all Derek could see, and the warmth in them still took him by surprise. Ā āThank you,ā Stiles said, so close that Derek could feel the words against his mouth until Stiles moved closer still, his lips pressing against Derekās.
Ā It was a great first kiss. Ā Derek felt like he was buzzing with the sensation of Stiles pressed against him, warm against his front, and so gentle with his hands. Derek ran his fingers over Stilesā spine, and smiled against Stilesā mouth before pulling back.
Ā āI didnāt do anything,ā Derek said, leaning his forehead against Stilesā. Ā
Ā Stiles snorted. Ā āDerek, you did everything.ā
Ā x.x.x.
Ā āSo I considered doing this live for about a second because it seemed just and fair and right, but⦠I didnāt. Ā Instead I did it the moment I saw him because I couldnāt not say anything. Ā I saw him and couldnāt wait. Ā I asked Derek if he wanted still wanted to date me.ā
āI said yes, by the way,ā Derek said from off camera.
āYou asshole, you were supposed to come in frame for that,ā Stiles frowned to his left.
āLike this?ā Derek questioned, leaning in and giving Stiles a quick kiss. Ā He looked smug for a second, and then moved back outside of the frame.
āAnd there you have it,ā Stiles finished. Ā āThe man Iām dating. Ā Turns out the perfect person for me really is Derek Hale.ā
~FINI
[EPISODE LIST] Part 2: EPISODE 10 | EPISODE 11 | EPISODE 12 | EPISODE 13 | EPISODE 14 |EPISODE 15 | EPISODE 16Ā | EPISODE 17 |
A/N: again, donāt follow me for Sterek. You can follow me if you think Iām cool, but donāt follow me for Sterek.
It seemed apt to post this final chapter on a Friday.










