five. The silence is so loud it hurts his ears.
“Do you love me,” Stiles repeats, voice cracking this time, because Derek is just standing there like a stone, face straining desperately to appear stoic.
“That doesn’t matter,” he grits out through clenched teeth.
“That’s all that matters, Derek,” Stiles yells, exasperated and terrified.
“Yes!” He shouts suddenly, voice echoing through the loft; “I love you more than anything, I love you so much it hurts, Stiles, I love you so much I’m fucking terrified that you’re going to get hurt, because my love is a curse.”
Stiles steps closer, close enough to touch him, but he doesn’t. “Well you know the best way to break a curse,” he mumbles, barely able to get the words out before Derek is pulling him into a fierce kiss, silence and curses be damned.