Sterek stories

173

“Stiles! Stop. Pacing.”

Stiles looks at Derek, eyes wide and panicked and Derek feels a little sorry for him. As much as he’d like to tell Stiles that he could’ve just told Lydia no when she asked him to take part in this stupid win a date shit, he doesn’t. Because no one tells Lydia Martin no. Not when she’s looking at you with that piercing stare, her heels tapping on the floor.

“You’ll be fine, stop worrying.”

“Sure. It’s not like I’m just going to this auction to get humiliated because you know and I know, that no one is going to bid for me, Derek!”

“You know that’s not true. You look nice.” he adds, hoping it’ll slow down Stiles’ heartbeat and make that distracting unattractive blush disappear. All it does though, is make his heartbeat speed up (and how that’s even possible eludes Derek), eyes widen and lips curve into a shy, hesitant smile that makes Derek’s cheeks heat up.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I-”

“Yeah, of course you didn’t. Anyway, I’ll just wait outside for Lydia, she uh texted me she’s almost here. Thanks for letting me borrow your tie last minute man, I completely forgot about it. See you there.”

He pretends he doesn’t notice the way Stiles’ scent turned a little bitter and how his eyes dimmed when Derek just nodded, but didn’t say anything.

He grabs a drink because why the hell not, and settles down beside Scott. He looks at Scott, who has by some miracle survived and reached adulthood. He looks at the way Scott fusses around Allison, the way Allison is just glowing at five months pregnant and feels a twinge in his chest he can’t explain. He looks at Isaac and Cora, the way Cora’s eyes soften just so, when Isaac leans in and kisses her cheek. He looks at Lydia absentmindedly playing with her ring (Jackson finally asked) while she walks around making sure everything is perfect, and he feels like he’s missing something, missing someone.

Lydia sits beside him a few minutes later, with a glad you could make it and Derek smiles at her knowingly, she knows she didn’t give him a choice.

They turn towards the staircase where Heather is announcing the names of the bachelors and Derek can’t help but stare when he looks, really looks at Stiles because Stiles looks beautiful. His smile is charismatic, hair effortlessly styled into that just-got-out-of-bed look, one hand in his pocket and the other running through his hair.

And Derek is just-he’s lost because somehow Stiles grew up, grew out his hair, became taller, filled out all those over-sized plaid shirts and for some reason, he failed to notice. The bidding starts with the first bachelor and there’s still four more people to go before Stiles but all Derek can think about is that at the end of this, Stiles is going on a date. With someone else. Someone who’s not Derek. It’s like someone kicked him right between his ribs because suddenly, all that’s on Derek’s mind is the way Stiles always challenges him, the way big guy hasn’t sounded mocking in a long time; it’s become affectionate, the way Stiles laughs, loud and full bodied with his head thrown back when Derek cracks a rare joke, the way he somehow always understands even when the others don’t, the way he always has everyone’s back in a fight, the way he holds the pack together, the way he looks relaxed and unguarded when he falls asleep on Derek’s couch after Pack Movie Night, the way-

“Derek? Are you okay? You look a little pale.” Scott whispers and he looks at Scott, manages to mumble an I’m fine, must be the weather and tries to focus on the bidding. I’m in love with Stiles, he thinks and for the first time the thought of loving someone, of being with someone doesn’t make him afraid because it’s Stiles and Derek’s been in love with him for a while now, just too stupid to realize and now Stiles is going on a date with someone else.

So he looks ahead and watches as they start bidding for Stiles. He doesn’t miss the way Stiles smiles, surprised and bashful when the bidding crosses three hundred and fifty and Derek can feel his heart beating fast, his stomach churning because he’s lost his chance, he’s too late and someone else is going to date Stiles, someone who doesn’t know of his love for curly fries and batman, someone who doesn’t know that sometimes the only thing that helps with Stiles’ nightmares is when he comes to Derek’s house and they sit on the porch with chamomile tea talking about everything and nothing till the tea is over and Stiles starts nodding off.

“One thousand.”

The pack looks at him with knowing smiles, Scott elbowing Derek with a smirk that somehow manages to convey I’m so happy for you but if you hurt my best friend I’ll kill you at the same time and Derek realizes he said it. He bid for Stiles. He bid one thousand dollars for Stiles. Well, shit.

Derek is waiting near his car, panicking when he hears Stiles’ footsteps and he waits till Stiles is right beside him, leaning against the car, his eyes unreadable.

“Why did you bid for me?”

Derek doesn’t know what to say to that, how to explain to him that he just realized he’s in love with Stiles.

“You know what, just-just drive me home Derek.” says Stiles, his eyes downcast and he smells sad, so sad that it makes Derek want to hold him and tell him, but it’s too big, too soon and all he does is nod shakily.

They drive in silence, Stiles doesn’t say a word and neither does he, till they reach Stiles’ apartment and get out of the car.

Stiles looks at him equal parts hesitating and hopeful and Derek wants. He wants to tell Stiles everything, wants to be the one holding him through nightmares, wants Stiles to be the one holding him through his, wants him to be there when he wakes up, wants to make him smile that small, soft smile when he’s really, truly happy, but he can’t seem to find the words and he watches once more as Stiles’ face falls.

“Thanks for the ride…I’ll uh, see you around, I guess.”

Derek watches as Stiles turns and it feels like he’s slipping away, like Derek won’t ever get to say all the things he wants to.

“I’m in love with you.”

“What?”

“I’m in love with you, Stiles.”

Stiles’ scent changes to something sharp and bright and Derek looks at the way his eyes widen, the way his beats a little bit faster.

“You idiot!”

And oh he didn’t expect that, but he’s a grown man, he can take it. Stiles probably doesn’t feel the same, why would he, he’s never been particularly nice to Stiles, they argue most of the time and-

And Stiles is kissing him. Stiles is kissing him. He’s shocked but catches up, holds Stile’s face between his hands, kisses him back. It’s slow, tentative and maybe the best kiss Derek’s ever had. He pulls back, his eyes never leaving Stiles and it feels like something slots into place inside of him when Stiles smiles at him bright and happy, murmurs an I love you too and leans in to kiss him again.