Cousin Miguel

Part 4

"Did you sleep well", Sheriff Stilinski asked Derek as he came downstairs the next morning. "Yes thank you", Derek said politely and sat down at the kitchen table. "Coffee?", the Sheriff asked and poured Derek a cup when he nodded. "You need cream or sugar?" "No, just black, thanks", Derek took the cup and inhaled the smell of the hot brew. He sipped at the still very hot coffee and looked pleased. A few minutes later Stiles joined them and got himself a mug and filled it with coffee. "You really shouldn't drink coffee, son", the Sheriff spoke up "you already have ADHD, I don't need more hyperactivity from you". Stiles just rolled his eyes then filled his coffee with 5 spoons of sugar. Derek looked at him wide eyed. "I see where that hyperactivity of yours comes from...", he said and drank his own coffee. "What? It's bitter without sugar". "That is kinda the point of coffee", Derek said. "Maybe for you, Sourwolf", Stiles sticked out his tongue. Derek growled low at the nickname but let it go eventually. "So what are we gonna say if someone asks about Derek?", the Sheriff asked. "What do you mean?", Stiles said taking a sip of his sweet coffee. It tasted perfect. "I mean", he said as if his son was dumb "that if someone asks why he lives with us we can't really say that he is a former murder suspect whose house burnt down and he cant live there and in the apartment he got a friend of him died. It sounds kinda scary to people who don't know about all this." He gestured around the room. "He's right you know?", Derek said to Stiles. "Just say he is my cousin Miguel. Danny thinks so anyway", Stiles said. "Why would Danny think that?", the Sheriff asks confused. "Um...well...I...how would I know why Danny thinks what he thinks...", he said and stood up again. "Come on Derek we gotta go, meet up with the pack at Deaton's", he quickly said before his dad could ask more questions. Derek nodded and got out of his seat, placing his mug in the sink just as Stiles did. Stiles then grabbed the keys to his Jeep. When they sat in the car a silence fell above them. "Is everything alright with you?", Stiles asked. "Why would you ask that?" "You didn't say no. What is wrong?" "If you want me to go I can just stay in a motel or something...", Derek started but was soon interrupted by Stiles. "Why would I want you to leave?", he asked. "I am not the nicest person to be around. I could understand if you wouldn't want me in your home...", he said looking at his feet. Stiles had never seen Derek this vulnerable. He stopped the car at the side of the road to look at the other man. "Derek, you helped me find and save my dad. I trusted you with my life if you didn't notice. Yes you are intimidating sometimes but hell...we are pack, we are family. I would never leave family behind. Or in this case in a motel. You can stay as long as you want. We owe you", Stiles explained "and even if you hadn't saved my dads life... we are friends and friends help each other out." Derek looked up at him. "Thank you. I would always help you out again, you know that" he whispered and smiled slightly at Stiles. They looked at each other for quite a long time, just staring in the others eyes. Derek felt happy, something he hasn't felt for a very long time. Stiles wanted him to be around, he wasn't a burden for him or anything, he just really wanted to help him and to know him in a good place. Stiles trusted him and he accepted him with all his flaws. And right this moment Derek realized that he liked Stiles. He liked him more than he was supposed to as a friend. And that was scary to him. He never had this kind of feelings before. And also towards a male. Dereks eyes got wide with the realization and he shook his head. "What's wrong?", Stiles asked. "Nothing, let's go see the others", Derek said and focused his eyes on the streets. Stiles looked at him suspicious but drove anyway. He asked himself why Derek made this face. Maybe he didn't like eye contact? Or maybe he was ashamed because he opened up, showed emotions towards Stiles. It wasn't usual for Derek to behave vulnerable or say thank you a lot or be generally nice to people. But somehow his attitude changed. Towards Stiles mostly. And then the realization hit Stiles. Not only he trusted Derek with his life, no, Derek also trusted him. He showed a side to him, an emotional side, a side which shows not only his strong but also his soft and hurt side. And he showed it only to him. He liked that side on Derek. To be honest he liked a lot of things about Derek, he thought. His eyes, his smile, he smiled a lot more lately, his hugs, he sneaked two out of Derek yesterday and received one from him. He also really liked the fact that he was living with them now. He got to see him nearly the whole day and he can spent more time with him and.... oh jesus fucking christ, Stiles thought as he realized that he might like Derek a little too much. Neither of them had thought about the fact that this car ride might reveal their acknoledgement of their feelings to the other and neither of them had any idea that the other one felt exactly the same. "Maybe it's just this whole we saved someone and are a little over emotional kinda thing", both of them thought "maybe it will go away".
They were wrong. A few days passed and the whole tension around the kidnapping and Nimeton went away, but the feelings stayed. Stiles even caught himself at checking Dereks ass out. He flushed red like a tomato and thanked god that Derek didn't notice. Derek on the other hand caught himself by checking if Stiles was asleep and watching over him for a few minutes because he noticed Stiles had trouble sleeping since the whole dying incident. They accepted their feelings but neither one acted on them, not believing that someone as good as the other one might like them back.