*Hey, Stalers*
Stiles straightens up his suit for the tenth time while he makes sure that the computer is on, and everything is ready. He has his research with him within reach, and he thinks he's going to puke. His father and Scott have already sent him good luck text messages, and he licks his lips while he checks his phone for the time. Stiles moves to walk around while he tries to calm himself down, and he sighs as breathes in and out. He's cleaned up Derek's dining room to make it look somewhat professional to the committee.
"It's just an interview. You did so much research for this, and put so much time into this. The committee will know it when they see it. They've read over it, they know that work I put into. It doesn't matter that I accidentally married a rock star who picks fight with everyone and it probably sleeping around." Stiles tells himself while he walks around, and he almost has a panic attack when he hears his computer start ringing meaning that he has a video call. "You can do this." Stiles tells himself before hitting answer. "Good morning." Stiles says, going for professional and calm instead of nervous.
"It's one in the afternoon here." One of them tells him, and Stiles licks his lips nervously as he chuckles awkwardly as he fights the urge to rub the back of his neck. It's a nervous habit that he needs to break.
"I'm sorry. Good afternoon. I appreciate being able to do this over video chat given my situation of not being about to leave England at the moment." Stiles tells them, and he can see four faces of unamusemnt that makes him uneasy. "I would like to begin by drawing your attention to my thesis statement which is." Stiles begins, and one of the doctors cuts him off.
"Mr. Stilinksi, I'm afraid that I'm just going to have to stop you right there. Due to outlaying circumstances, we are going to deny your applications but you can re-interview in a year." He says, and Stiles looks at in surprise while he wipes his face. Stiles knows that he needs to remain professional and calm otherwise he'll do something he'll regret.
"May I ask why you are denying me?" Stiles asks, and the committee looks through his file until one of the women looks up at him. He cannot believe he didn't even get a chance to defend himself.
"Your research isn't what he thought it would be, Mr. Stilinski. You're the youngest applicant we had in a long time, and although your dissertation was impressive it was not what we felt you're capable of." She tells him, and Stiles feels his heart ache before he nods his head.
"Thank you for taking the time to read over my application and considering me. I will be applying in a year." Stiles tells them, and they give him a professional goodbye before they hang up on the video chat. Stiles shuts his laptop down before he sniffs pitifully and he walks into the living room before laying down face first into couch, and he wipes at his eyes.
****
Derek is strumming his guitar when he moves to go back to the living room where Stiles is laying on the couch, and he puts his guitar away before kneeling next to Stiles. "What's wrong? How did the interview go?" Derek asks, and Stiles looks up look enough to glare at him.
"They denied me." Stiles says, and he burst into tears. Derek pouts before he rubs his back somewhat awkwardly, and he sits down next to the couch to look at him.
"Don't be upset. It'll be okay. You're still the smartest person in the loft." Derek tells him, and Stiles sniffs in amusement while he moves to sit up. Derek moves to sit next to him before hugging him some, and Stiles leans against him. "Come on. Let me cheer you up." Derek tells him, and Stiles gives him a suspicious look before shaking his head as he stands. He just wants to go back to bed, and forget that this happened. Stiles doesn't want to have to tell his father that he didn't get it, he knows his father won't be mad or anything but Stiles is so disappointed in himself.
"I don't want to go to a bar or something." Stiles says, and Derek grins at him before pats Stiles' ass before standing behind him. Stiles gives him a dirty look, but he crosses his hands over his chest. "I'm serious." Stiles says, and Derek grins at him while he moves to leans against the wall.
"Let me surprise you, okay? I won't take you to a bar or a club or a party. You'll have fun. I promise." Derek promises, and Stiles looks at him in suspicion before sighing.
"Fine." Stiles says, and he moves to get dressed to go somewhere he probably doesn't want to.
****
Derek is stealing glances at Stiles from the inside of the taxi, Stiles made them call a taxi instead of a car since he really doesn't feel like being stalked today, and Stiles turns to look at him. "Where are we going?" He asks, not for the first time either. Derek just gives him a grin before he pinches his lips together as if to show that he's not telling him,and Stiles huffs but stops trying to smile at him since he does like surprises.
Stiles leans against the seat while he watches the world going by the window, and he smiles to himself when he think he knows where they're going . "Can I guess?" Stiles asks, and Derek hums in amusement while he nods his head. Stiles licks his lips as he looks outside and he smiles to himself as he makes a humming noise. "Westminster Abbey?" Stiles asks, and Derek smiles as he sips his coffee. "Dude. That's actually really sweet." Stiles tells him, and Derek's cheeks turn light pink while he turns to look outside. Stiles hops out of the taxi when it stops, Derek has to pay, and Stiles pulls him along before he rambling about random facts while Derek smiles at him as he listens.
"You actually make this fun, Princess." Derek tells him, Stiles rolls his eyes as he moves to show him the famous graves while he points and talks, some of the people have stopped to either listen to him or gap at Derek neither men are sure, and Stiles stops to look at one of the graves.
"Do you know what Oscar Wilde's last words were?" Stiles asks him, and Derek looks at him before he hums to himself as he moves to lean in closer to Stiles.
"Wasn't something about wallpaper?" Derek says, and Stiles laughs in delight as he shakes his head before he leans against Derek's shoulder.
"It was rumored to be "'This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do.'" but he actually said that weeks before his death from where he was staying, almost broke, in a cheap hotel in France." Stiles tells him, and Derek hums in intrigue as he looks at what Stiles is staring. "It was actually a mumbled Catholic pray, according to most scholars. I wrote a paper on him my freshmen year of college." Stiles tells him, and Derek nods his head while they walk on.
"That's nice." Derek tells him, and Stiles rolls his eyes before walking ahead. Derek laughs as he chases after him, and he wraps his arm around Stiles' neck. "Don't pout, babe." Derek tells him, and Stiles rolls his eyes as he walks away. Derek chuckles as he walks after him, and Stiles slows down so Derek can catch up to him.
****
Stiles and Derek are walking home, arms brushing against each other lightly as they walk, and Stiles talks to him about what they saw. Derek has to admit that he's learn a lot from Stiles today, a lot more than he did in school but then again he dropped out at sixteen. They walk in mostly silence until they get to a newsstand, and Stiles stops when he sees himself on a cover of a magazine. It's got a picture of him and Jackson on it. "Is Stiles cheating on Derek already?" Stiles reads, and he picks up the magazine.
"Stiles. It's just trash." Derek tells him, and Stiles looks up at him before he turns to look at all of the magazines that has his face on it. Or Derek's or any of the Unknown Artist band members.
"Look at this shit." Stiles says, picking up magazine after magazine. "Derek Hale's secret girlfriend. Stiles seeing someone while Derek works. Erica Reyes gaining weight under the stress of losing Derek to someone else." Stiles says, looking at Derek in disbelief. "Erica spiraling out of control while Isaac tries to stop her." Stiles reads, and he thinks this is too much. "This is why my doctorate was denied. All of this shit and lies." Stiles says, throwing the magazines down.
The man behind the counter yells at them, and Derek throws some money on the counter before chasing after Stiles who just runs away from them. Derek looks in surprise before he easily catches up with him, and he hugs Stiles to him. Stiles buries his head into Derek's shoulder, and Derek rubs his back. "Lets get you back to the loft, okay?" Derek says, softly. Stiles nods his head before he moves to wipe his face before walking towards the loft.
****
Derek doesn't understand why Stiles is so upset, he gets that losing the chance for his doctorate was disappointing but not enough to make Stiles throw a fit. When they get to the loft, Stiles takes off to his room while Derek sighs to himself. He wants to know if Stiles was okay, and he moves to knock on his door. "Go away." Stiles calls, and his voice sounds muffled as if he's pushing his face against a pillow.
"Okay." Derek says, softly before he walks away. He doesn't want Stiles to be upset, especially with him, and he moves to think about what he should do. Derek spots Stiles' phone, unlikely himself Stiles wasn't around his phone all the time, and he scrolls down until he finds Scott's number. Scott's the only person that he knows Stiles always talks to all the time, and he moves to walk into the den so Stiles won't hear.
"Hey, buddy. Derek being an asshole again?" Scott says instead of waiting for Derek to say hello, and Derek scoffs.
"Hey, mate. It's the asshole." Derek says, and Scott doesn't say anything before his voice gets gruffer.
"What's wrong with Stiles? Did you do something to him?" Scott asks, and Derek sighs while he rolls his eyes to the ceiling in annoyance.
"No. I wanted to talk to you about him. His doctor thing was denied and he's sad. But like really, really sad." Derek tells him, and Scott hums as he doesn't say anything for a second. He didn't know that Stiles didn't get his PhD, and he sighs softly while Derek waits for him to speak.
"The anniversary of his mother's death is coming up so that's why. He gets sad and aggrieved until it's over. It's in three days and as soon as it's over then he'll be back to normal, okay? Just leave him alone." Scott tells him, and Derek sighs as he nods his head despite Scott not being able to see him. "You know according to the magazines, you're not treating him right." Scott says, and Derek rolls his eyes in annoyance.
"Nice talking to you, Scott." Derek says, and he hangs up the phone before wondering back to his studio.