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“Wait, pull over here!” Stiles shouts when he realizes where they are. Scott swerves the car into the parking lot a little too quickly so he hits the brakes quickly.
“STILES!”
“Sorry dude, but I have to drop something off at Derek’s office!” Stiles says, offering his best friend a sheepish smile. “I forgot about it until now. I’ll be three minutes, tops.”
Scott gives him a look before he sighs. “Please hurry. Lydia promised me that Isaac always goes to this place for lunch and he’s only ever gone for a half-hour.”
"I know, I know. If I’m not out in five minutes, abandon me and I’ll grab a cab and meet you there!” Stiles shoves the door open and scrambles out of the car. Stiles will always be grateful for the day that Scott thought owning a car would also be a good idea, because he hated riding with Scott on his motorcycle.
Stiles tugs on his tie. It’s not normally his outfit choice, but he knew he’d be stopping by Derek’s office today. He hated walking in with his flannel shirts and his usual pants because everything here is so damn shiny. Of course, he hadn’t told Scott he was stopping by here. No way. Scott was already too nervous about Isaac.
He had been putting this out of his mind because he knew he’d get nervous and back out. Stiles glances over towards the lobby desk.
The lobby receptionist, Heather, smiles at him. “Derek hasn’t gone out for lunch yet.”
“Thank you!” Stiles says, rushing toward the elevators. He pushes the up button and hopes that he doesn’t miss Derek going down the elevator. He hadn’t exactly told Derek he’d be stopping by today.
When he steps out onto the seventeenth floor, he greets the receptionist and Derek’s cousin, Malia, with a big smile. She smiles back, as though she’s unsure that’s the correct reaction. Derek told Stiles she’s been having a hard time adjusting to the corporate world from a greasy diner. “Derek’s in a meeting right now.”
Stiles frowns, unsure if he should stop by after lunch with Scott or if he should wait. Maybe he could just put a note on Derek’s desk.
“Just wave at him. I’m sure he’s looking for an excuse to end the meeting,” Malia tells him with a pointed look.
“Oh!” Stiles smiles, uncertain if he wants to interrupt Derek’s meeting. “Okay.”
He heads down the hall, and hesitates before he stands behind the glass wall. Derek looks ready to kill the old man who’s talking in front of the group. Stiles is about to step out of view when Derek’s eyes lock on him. He waves and then Derek’s standing up, packing his things together.
There are a few short words from Derek before he exits the meeting room. Stiles meets him around the corner, and says, “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You’re a welcomed interruption. I didn’t know you were stopping by today,” Derek says, as he leads them to his office. “What’s the special occasion?”
Stiles rolls his eyes. “I’m in here all the time. Does it have to be a special occasion?”
“I guess not.” Derek holds the door open for him and then follows him into the room, shutting the door carefully. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I picked up something and well, I wanted to give it to you."
"Stiles, you didn’t have to do—what is it?” Derek asks. Stiles laughs lightly because Derek’s always been a young kid at Christmas when someone’s giving him a gift. Stiles figures it’s because his sisters tended to steal all the attention. He’s met Cora, Laura, and Nora. They all talk over each other, but they mean well, and they adore Derek.
Stiles pulls the pages from his pocket, and hesitates before he holds them out. “Look, I know you were disappointed when you couldn’t get tickets, and well, I know a guy, and..”
Derek unfolds them, his jaw dropping. “Stiles, you did not get me tickets to see Howl Wolf this weekend.”
“As you can see, I did.” Stiles gestures to the tickets in Derek’s hands, and then his hand awkwardly falls to his side. “Scott’s waiting in the car for me downstairs so—I’ll talk to you later.”
“I’ll call you tonight,” Derek murmurs, still staring down at the tickets. His expression is full-on awe, and Stiles can’t help but wish he could memorize it. Stiles smiles, happy that Derek seems to be in shock.
“See you later, dude.”
Stiles is barely out the door when Derek shouts, “Stiles!”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Stiles nods and gives Derek a smile. “No problem, dude.”
He rushes out before anything else can be said. He waves bye to Malia, then Heather, and is happy that Scott’s still waiting for him. Scott looks like a bundle of nerves ready to explode, and Stiles apologizes for the stop.
“What did you have to give him anyway?” Scott asks.
“Oh, I got two tickets for Howl Wolf’s concert this weekend,” Stiles says, trying to sound casual. Scott coughs on air, and then when they come to a red light, he swivels his head to look at Stiles.
"What? That show was sold out within minutes! How the hell did you score tickets this late?” Scott asks, jaw open.
“I know people. It’s not a big deal,” Stiles says, shrugging. “Look he really loves the band.”
“What did he say?” Scott asks, his tone still filled with shock.
“Not much. He said thanks,” Stiles says.
“He didn’t immediately make out with you or something?” Scott asks.
“What? No! Why would he do that?” Stiles demands, feeling a little defensive. “We’re just friends.”
“Because you guys are madly in love. Clearly. Who the hell gets someone else Howl Wolf concert tickets last minute if you’re just friends?” Scott wants to know. He pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant and shuts off the car. “C’mon Stiles, you’ve been denying it to me forever. Just admit that you have a thing for Derek.”
"I do not,” Stiles says, shaking his head. “Do you want me to come in?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to spook Isaac by showing up at his favourite Mexican place like a stalker.” Scott gets out of the car and shuts the door. Stiles follows after him.
“That’s exactly what you’re doing though,” Stiles points out.
“Shut up, you bought your wanna-be lover tickets to the hottest band on the radio,” Scott retorts.
“Someone’s testy today,” Stiles jokes. Scott shoots him a nervous look, hesitating before opening the door. Stiles claps a hand on his shoulder. “Dude, Isaac would be insane not to like you. Calm down, you’ve got this.”
“You think?” Scott asks.
“I know so. C’mon, pull on your Big Boy pants and ask your high school crush out,” Stiles says, laughing. He shoves the door open and directs Scott inside.
“You’re one to talk,” Scott whispers. Then he’s too busy trying to spot Isaac. He swats Stiles’ hand when he finds him. “Stiles, Stiles, oh my god, he’s here. I can’t do this. I can’t—I can’t—”
“Scott,” Stiles says, tone serious. “You have to do this. You owe it to yourself to do this.”
"I—”
Isaac looks up from his seat in the corner, and catches Scott’s eyes. Scott doesn’t say another word. He heads towards Isaac’s table and starts talking. Stiles can see that they’re both blushing.
His phone buzzes in his pocket, so he pulls it out.
DEREK:
this was too much Stiles
DEREK:
I couldn’t form any words
“Excuse me, sir, are you joining your friends or–?” a voice comes from in front of him. He looks up.
“I’ll do take-out please,” Stiles answers. The waitress nods before she hands him the take-out menu. He thanks her and steps aside.
Stiles smirks. He doesn’t respond right away to the text. He hovers at a counter to browse the menu, trying to find out if this place has something that health-freak Derek would eat.
With his luck, Scott will have forgotten all about him, and he can cab back to Derek’s office before Derek leaves. Stiles realizes that it could be too risky so he starts typing.
STILES:
don’t go anywhere
DEREK: okay
Stiles grins when he finds something that Derek would like. He quietly orders with the man behind the counter and heads over to Scott and Isaac’s table.
“Hey Scott, listen. I’m going to join Derek for lunch. That cool?” Stiles asks, trying to sound casual.
Scott tilts his head. “You were literally just at Derek’s office. You’re going back?”
Stiles holds up his phone and gives him a sheepish look. “He thought lunch would be a good idea.”
Scott leans forward and stage whispers to Isaac, “Stiles is in love with Derek.”
Isaac’s eyebrows go up. “He is?”
“I am not,” Stiles mutters. He looks at Isaac. “We’re just friends.”
“You keep telling yourself that.” Scott gives Isaac a meaningful look. “He scored Derek two tickets to the Howl Moon concert.”
“What the fuck?” Isaac says, jaw dropping. “You gave away tickets for the Howl Moon concert?”
Stiles shrugs. “It’s his favourite band. He was so disappointed when he didn’t get them. It’s not a big deal. But it’s cool if I leave you?”
“Um,” Scott’s face gets a little red. “As long as Isaac doesn’t mind if I join him.”
“I don’t mind.”
Stiles wants to smack both of their heads together when he sees the hearts in their eyes. He mumbles a goodbye, but neither of them hear him. Stiles pays for his meal at the front counter, and rushes out of the restaurant to hail a cab.
♚♞♚♞♚♞
“Stiles,” Derek greets when he opens his office door. “Stiles, I’ve been thinking–”
“I’ve been gone for fifteen minutes,” Stiles points out.
“I can’t accept these tickets,” Derek tells him. He shuts his door behind Stiles, who is already pulling their meals out of the bag.
“You can and you will.”
“They’re too much, Stiles.”
“Derek,” he says in his utmost serious tone. “Leave it alone. They’re yours, and I’m not taking them back. If you want to get rid of them, you’ll have to give them to someone else.”
“Um, Stiles?” Derek asks, frowning when he steps behind his desk.
“Yeah?” Stiles looks up at him.
“Will you at least come with me?”
Stiles’ heart stops. They are just friends. They are. They’ve been just friends for years now. Stiles had always ignored the way his heart skips a beat when he sees Derek for the first time after it’s been a while and he refused to acknowledge the way his skin tingles whenever they brush against one another.
Stiles knew that he could never be more with Derek, but sometimes it hit him square in the chest whenever they’re at a party together and their eyes meet. Derek could be surrounded by his sisters, or his best friends Erica and Boyd; Stiles could be with Scott and Kira or Allison and Lydia, but it still isn’t the same. Derek makes him feel things he never expected.
“I’d love to,” Stiles whispers. He points at Derek’s meal. “I found the healthiest thing on the menu.”
“I–thanks,” Derek says, sitting down. “Do you want to do dinner before the concert? Make a whole night out of it?”
Stiles nods. “Yeah, sure.”
They got dinner all the time. Hell, they’re eating together right now. It means nothing. Absolutely nothing. Stiles hates his life.
“Um. Stiles–” Derek hesitates again before he closes his lips tight.
Stiles looks up at him. “Hm?”
“What if we–never mind.”
Stiles frowns. It’s not like Derek to start talking and not finish. He sets his wrap down into the container and wipes his lips before he says, “What if we, what?”
“Never mind, it’s stupid.”
“Derek,” Stiles says, realizing that his voice cracked a little. “Derek, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“So?”
Derek doesn’t look at him. He mumbles, so quietly that Stiles’ isn’t sure he hears it properly, “What if we went as more?”
Stiles leans forward and asks, “More?”
“You know–um, not, um, not as friends.”
“Not as friends? Wouldn’t that be less?” Stiles asks, confused. He tilts his head before the epiphany strikes him. “Wait, you mean, more, as in, more than friends?”
“Hear me out,” Derek starts. He shifts in his chair. “Stiles, it’s just that–well, to be honest, Erica’s been pressuring me to ask you out for a while now. She pointed out how…close we are. I’m not this comfortable with anyone else. Just you. And you’re…you, and well, I can’t. I–sorry. I’m bad with words.”
Stiles snorts. He can’t help it. Derek is the cutest fucking thing he’s ever known and Stiles feels this knot untwisting from his chest. Derek’s look turns from anxious to hurt. Stiles jumps in his seat, panicked. “No, no, I’m not snorting because–Derek, I know you’re bad with words. That’s why I’m amused.”
Derek frowns.
“Please don’t ask me out because Erica’s pressuring you.” Stiles is nervous. He’s not sure his heart will ever work properly after the anticipation vibrating in his body.
“That’s not why I’m asking you out. I want to go out with you. I want you to visit me for lunch at my office as my boyfriend. I want–I want to hold your hand and kiss and do couple-things with you.”
“So dinner and a concert?” Stiles asks, hopeful.
“Yeah.” There’s a small pause before Derek adds, “Maybe.”
Stiles lets out a shaky breath. “I don’t want to be just friends with you anymore.”
“No?”
“No. I want to do the things you want to do. I want to come in and ask Malia if my boyfriend is available. I want to hold your hand and kiss you and I want to…I want to introduce you as my boyfriend when we’re at family picnics and when we go to parties together. I want you to be my plus one when we go to weddings.” Stiles laughs a little. “I don’t want to be with you just so I can show you off as my boyfriend. I want to be with you because you take care of me, and you love your sisters so much, and you took me in after Scott and I had that argument and–”
“That argument lasted twenty-seven minutes,” Derek interrupts.
Stiles grins now, relaxing instantly. “Yeah, but it was pretty big for us.”
“You’re both idiots.”
“But you love us anyway,” Stiles says.
Derek’s nerves seem to evaporate. He meets Stiles’ eyes and quietly says, “I do. Love you.”
“I love you too. Are we going to make-out now or what?”
“If you lock my office door, we can do the or what,” Derek says, eyebrows wagging up and down.
Stiles has never moved faster. By the time that he’s locked the door and turned around, Derek has cleared most of the stuff off his desk. Stiles laughs as he rushes forward, leaning his body into Derek’s without hesitation. “I’ve imagined this–being like this with you–a million times. I never thought it was possible, never thought it could actually happen.”
Derek nods. “I know the feeling. Is this too fast for you?”
“It feels like it’s been a lifetime since we’ve confessed our love for one another,” Stiles says, laughing. “I don’t think we’re moving fast enough.”
“Watch your words,” Derek murmurs, leaning closer into Stiles. “You might regret that in five minutes.”
Stiles laughs into their first kiss.
♚♞♚♞♚♞
Scott calls Stiles up later that night to tell him about his first date with Isaac later that week, and laughs when he learns he won his bet against Allison and Kira. Stiles doesn’t even care because Derek’s stroking his thumb against his hand. He has to tell Scott he’ll call back later…he’s got time to make up for.
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