Friends With Benefits » Sterek

Chapter 11

Stiles smiles as a pair of arms stake around his middle. Derek places his chin on Stiles shoulder and watches him cook. "You're supposed to be in bed," Stiles tells him. "Then come back with me," Derek states simply, beginning to sway the teen from side to side. "I'm cooking you breakfast."

"I can think of something else for breakfast," he responds smugly. Stiles swats his hand with the spatula he's using, making Derek growl playfully. "I said we're taking it slow," Stiles retorts, and he means it. Derek gives him a curious look, "But you already said you love me." Stiles turns in his arms, "And I do. But I need trust, I need to know it'll be different this time." Derek frowns slightly, holding Stiles a little closer. "It will be," he says firmly. Stiles sighs, pecking Derek quickly, "I need us to take it slow." He nods in understandment. "Good. Now get back to bed before I have to drag your wolf butt there myself."

"That's tempting," Derek grins. Stiles laughs softly, "Just go."

"Fine, just one more thing."

"What?"

Derek smiles fondly at his boyfriend before cupping his cheek and guiding him in. Stiles can't help but smile back, Derek's lips soft like the kiss, it's unexpected coming from someone who's a little rough around the edges.

Derek lifts Stiles onto the countertop with ease, earning a quiet chuckle. The teen wraps his legs around Derek's waist to hold him there, his arms loosely around the wolf's neck. "Derek..breakfast...burn," Stiles mumbles between kisses. "But this heals me, remember?" He comments back almost innocently. "Hm, well you'll have to do a lot more healing if your loft burns down," Stiles retorts. Derek's amused face quickly changes to concentrated, he turns his head slightly listening to footsteps near closer. "What? What do you hear?"

"Someone's coming," he whispers, claws immediately at his side. Stiles catches Derek's arm before he can pummel anybody, "Call down Mr. Big Bad Wolf, Scott texted me to say he's coming over to check on you. Now get back in bed."

As expected, Scott slides the door open, letting himself in. "Hey, I'm in the kitchen," Stiles calls. Scott leans on the wall, watching with a raised eyebrow, "Are you his cook now?" Stiles fake laughs with a friendly eye roll, "I thought you were here to check in on Derek, not mock me."

"Why can't I do both?"

"Because I have a protective alpha boyfriend who would gladly kick you ass," Stiles smirks. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Scott laughs, flashing his red eyes, "Like me being a true alpha now? Plus, I think I could take injured Derek without a problem."

"Or really?" A mocking voice says from beside them. Stiles gives his friend a smug look as he starts dishing out the plates. "Yeah," Scott says confidently, "I think I could give you a run for your money."

Before Stiles can even think about protesting, the two start wrestling around. "Hey!" Stiles yells over them, "No werewolf fights while my boyfriend is healing!" Scott stops to look at Stiles, which gives Derek a chance to tackle the teen to the floor, a loud thump sounding because of it. "Guys!" Stiles groans, wondering if finding out about Derek was truly worth it.

"Whatever, winner gets breakfast," Stiles grumbles, placing his hard work on the counter.

***

"So let me get this straight," Stiles says through a mouth full of scrambled eggs, "You were Scott's wolfy mentor?" Scott shrugs, "He helped me out." Derek nods in agreement, also shoveling in food. "And you still didn't think to mention that to me?" Scott bites his bottom lip, this is definitely not a wound he wants to tare back open. "I told him not to," Derek intervenes, "I was going to tell you myself."

"Well what the hell happened to that plan?"

Derek shifts uncomfortably, despite opening up to Stiles, it's not exactly one of his strong suits, especially not in front of other people. Scott senses the tension, that and smells it. He quickly says a goodbye to them, getting out of the couples way.

"So?" Stiles peers at him expectingly, currently sitting criss-cross on Derek's bed. Derek sighs and sits down next to him, but doesn't meet his eyes. "...I was afraid to lose you."

"It's not like you could have kept it from me forever. What did you think would happen?"

"I don't know, Stiles," Derek sighs, "It's not like I didn't think about it." He takes a deep breath, now is definitely not the time to get pissed off. "When we broke up..I thought it was for the best, that way you wouldn't get hurt," Derek pauses, his fingers wrapping around the edge of his bed frame. "But I couldn't keep myself away from you," he admits quietly. "So the friends with benefits thing..." Stiles trails off, wondering where that whole idea came from. "I needed a reason to be close to you, I needed a reason to know someone else wasn't getting close to you."

"You're a hopeless romantic, Derek Hale," Stiles grins and wraps his arms around his neck, hoping to lighten the mood. He gives Stiles a 'hmph' back, hardly responding to the males touch. Stiles internally groans, but he should know by now Derek becomes more closed off when you make him open up. "Don't be a sour-wolf," Stiles pouts, crawling into his boyfriends lap. "I'm not a sour-wolf," Derek mumbles. Stiles rolls his eyes and kisses his cheek before using the pad of his thumb to brush Derek's facial hair. "Did I ever mention I like your stubble?"

The wolf finally looks over with just his eyes, "Yeah?" Stiles chuckles and nods a little, "You look much hotter." This earns his a half smirk, "Is that so?"

"Mhm."

"Mhm," Derek copies, finally letting go of his tart mood and kisses Stiles for a moment. "Alright, back to resting. Doctors orders," Stiles sighs, removing himself from Derek's lap.

Derek obliged this time, but pulls Stiles down next to him. His arm and legs go over Stiles as he snuggles his head into the crook of the boys neck, breathing in his scent.

"I love you," Derek says in that serious tone of his, he hadn't said it up to this point, his fear of being vulnerable and exposed to someone else. Stiles smiles, his eyes falling closed and his hands squeezing Derek's arm reassuringly.

"I love you too."