Beginners guide to love a nutjob

Chapter 7: Disagreements with Waldo

They were sitting on Derek's bed to study for their respective majors, Stiles for Folklore Mythology and Derek for European History. Derek looked up and saw Stiles absently stare out the window. "What are you thinking about?", he asked, startling the other boy back to reality. "Butterflies, cupcakes and rainbows, why?", he said, smile apparent in his tone. Derek rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smirk, "Well, aren't you hilarious?" He walked over to his friend, "What's really bothering you?"

The other boy's face fell and Derek felt a sudden urge to wipe the frown of his face. Stiles sighed, "We have to let our mentors know what the subject for our master's thesis is going to be and I'm scared that what I came up with won't be good enough." Derek shook his head, "Stiles... You're one of the smartest people I know. Just trust your gut." Stiles threw him an uncertain glance, "I have anxiety, my gut is always requesting to abort mission."

"Permission declined!", Derek said as he bumped Stiles' shoulder. The other boy chuckled, "Thanks, Der. Sometimes you're kind of awesome." "Only sometimes?", Derek asked, feigning indignation. Stiles laughed and the sound made Derek's heart speed up ten rounds (Jesus Hale, what's gotten into you?). This was getting more and more confusing by the day, but Derek couldn't find it within himself to mind.

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"So, you up to something this afternoon?", Boyd asked over lunch. Derek shook his head, "Just meeting up with Stiles to study." His friend looked at him in a calculating way, "You've been hanging out with him a lot lately." Derek shrugged, "We're friends, isn't that what friends do?" Boyd squinted, "You're in love with him aren't you?" Derek looked up abruptly, "What!? No I'm not!" Boyd raised an eyebrow at him, "Okay, if you say so."

Derek sighed, angry that his best friend knew him so well that he knew exactly how to make him talk, "He's just so annoying, you know?" Boyd smiled and leaned forward, "But you like it." Derek threw his arms up in exasperation, "But I like it! I swear, Boyd, what is wrong with me?" Boyd grinned, "You're in love with the nutjob, that's what wrong with you." Derek rolled his eyes, "Okay, fine, I might be a little bit in love with him." Boyd smiled smugly, and Derek let what he said sink in (shit).

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Derek was close to throwing his book against the wall, why was political science also a part of his degree? "I don't like this", he mumbled as he draped himself dramatically over Stiles' bed. Stiles chuckled, "I'm starting to think that you don't like anything." Derek sat up, "That's not true! I like sleep... And you." (Jesus, very smooth Hale.) Stiles smiled, "I like you too, Sourwolf."

He made Derek scoot over so he could sit next to him, taking his textbook from his hands and putting it on his nightstand. "What movies do you like?" Derek shook his head, "Anything's fine, as long as it isn't too sad." Stiles flipped open his laptop, "The Expendables. Got it!" Derek smiled fondly, "Sounds about right." They settled down, Stiles putting Derek's arm around his own shoulder to use it as a pillow.

They were halfway through the movie when Derek started distractedly playing with Stiles hair, which the other boy didn't seem to mind. "You know?", Stiles suddenly said, "It's really such a shame that Mickey Rourke fucked up his face with plastic surgery. He used to be as beautiful as you, but insecurity won in the end." Derek flushed slightly, "If you say so", he said, finding it hard to keep control over his voice.

Stiles didn't seem to notice as he popped some M&M's in his mouth, "Now's the best part." Derek looked back to the screen right on time to see the bad guy's chest be split in half by a huge axe. "I always liked Statham's poem at the end best", he mumbled. Stiles veered up in excitement, "Oh my god! You have a favourite part! That means you've seen it more than once!" Derek shrugged, "This was one of my favourites as a teenager." Stiles grinned, "Have I ever told you I love you?"

Those were the last words Derek thought of that night, they'd come so easily that Derek had to convince himself Stiles meant it in a platonic way. Although his wolf, Waldo as Stiles liked to call him, would disagree...

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"I once knew a man called Tool. To me, he was the epitome of cool. He was good with a knife, bad with a wife. But to think he could beat me, dreaming he'd defeat me. Cool Tool, you gotta be a fool." - Lee Christmas (played by Jason Statham <3) from 'The Expendables'

Hiya! How are you guys doing?

I hope you are enjoying this story so far, I know I love writing it!

As always, thanks for reading and stay safe!

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XXX-HY_13