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Stiles is kind of stunned, because he can count how many conversations he’s had with Derek Hale before he moved away, and he’s pretty sure he was awkward and weird in all of them.
“No way, there’s no way you liked me before,” Stiles says. “I was a weird teenager!”
“You are also a weird adult,” Derek says. “So I’m not sure what your point is.”
“You’re the weird one,” Stiles retorts, and the two of the burst out into laughter again.
“I have to go finish some job applications, but I’ll see you tomorrow at the party,” Derek says, but not before kissing him once more before he leaves.
The cake is a huge hit. A huge round of applause breaks out— well from the few Hales that are putting a final few touches on the food table before the party officially begins.
“Stiles, you’ve outdone yourself,” Talia says, setting the completed haunted house cake on the table. “This is wonderful.”
“The stair in the back squeaks, look,” Stiles says, making the fondant stair jiggle.
“Very accurate,” Talia says, laughing. “I’m so happy you’ve reconnected with Derek, he’s been unable to talk about anything else since he’s been here.”
“Ah, yeah,” Stiles says, embarrassed. “He’s great. And Elyse is great too, I’m just happy to spend time with them. You look fantastic, by the way! Did all of you guys plan together to be the Addams family?”
Talia bows slightly, her trailing sleeve fluttering as she goes. Further down in the hallway her husband Noah is dressed as Gomez, complete with slick mustache.
“Well, Cora and Laura fought over who got to be Wednesday, so we in the end everyone just decided to do their own thing. I don’t think we’ve had a successful Hale family coordinated costume since Cora and Derek were kids; and now we’ve got way too many children and grandchildren, so.”
Stiles laughs, trying to picture coordinating all the thirty-odd Hales there must be, and that’s just first cousins.
Talia cocks her eyebrow. “And I’m sorry, dear, can you explain your costume to me?”
Stiles hadn’t been entirely sure what to go with— his dad stole his Indiana Jones idea, so he couldn’t do that, and Erica offered him the full range of all the “historical” outfits from the tour’s costume rack. After trying on a bunch of everything (and he did look pretty good in the corset, but probably not appropriate for this kind of party), Stiles finally settled on some sort of nobleman outfit. There’s a brocaded tunic and leggings and he’s tried to sing a couple tunes from Galavant to people at the bakery but no one really gets it; shame there wasn’t any armor or stuff like that available.
“Yeah, it’s vague, um, do you know this musical show… yeah, okay, you should watch it, it’s great,” Stiles says, trying to explain the concept of Galavant. “Do you need any more help setting up?”
“No, I think guests will be arriving soon. Thank you for the lovely cake, Stiles. Help yourself and wander around; I think Laura really did a splendid job with the haunted graveyard effects too.”
Stiles pours himself some spiced apple cider and soon enough the doorbell is ringing and the town’s largest Halloween party is afoot. He spots Erica and Boyd walk in together as Catwoman and Batman, and then Stiles gets to compliment Cora on her T-Rex costume (it lights up and is awesome).
One of the most delightful things is seeing Scott and Allison walk in holding the twins’ hands, and the twins are wearing matching hats.
Stiles whips out his phone, laughing uproariously. “Reese and Pieces wearing their names, oh gosh, perfect,” he says.
“When you have kids I’m gonna nickname them so bad,” Scott promises.
Stiles laughs. “Ha, jokes on you, buddy, because that might be awhile—”
“STILES!”
Stiles looks down and Elyse has attached himself to his leg, grinning happily. She’s wearing a more sparkly variation of the orange-and-blue princess dress he saw her in on Monday; looks like Derek found time to add more glitter and poofy fabric, and Elyse is also wearing a sparkly crown.
“Hey, Princess Elyse,” Stiles says. “You look great.”
Scott gives Stiles a pointed look.
Stiles rubs the back of his head nervously. “Ahaha, yeah, hey, Ally, did you see the cake I made? You should totally show Scotty and Reese and Pieces the cake. I baked their names into it and everything.”
Allison snorts. “Sure thing. C’mon, Scott.”
Meanwhile Elyse is scrunching her face at Stiles. Presumably at his not-costume. Hey, he’s been busy!
“I know, I know, you can’t tell what I’m—”
“Prince Charming!” Elyse says, matter-of-fact.
“What? No, I’m Sir Galavant, it’s okay if you don’t get it—”
“No, you have to be Prince Charming,” Elyse says, plucking the crown off her head and handing it to Stiles.
“Elyse, I can’t take your crown,” Stiles says, trying to give it back.
“I’m wearing a princess dress. Everyone knows I’m a princess. I don’t need it,” Elyse says, putting her hands on her hips.
That’s very true.
“Okay, fine, I’ll be Prince Charming for you,” Stiles says, putting the crown on his head. It’s remarkably heavy, for plastic jewels and painted cardboard.
“Not for me, come on!” Elyse grabs his hand and starts leading him outside the house, towards the haunted graveyard.
“Where’s your dad, by the way?” Stiles asks.
“Daddy had to wait by the pond,” Elyse says.
“Why— oh. Hi, Derek,” Stiles says, biting his lip.
Derek is standing next to the pond with a resigned look, wearing what looks to be a giant frog-shaped onesie.
It’s actually really cute. And looks very comfortable and soft, Stiles kinda wants to give him a hug to see how it feels.
“Princess and the frog, that’s awesome,” Stiles says. “You look ribbiting. Riveting, you know—”
“Thanks, Stiles,” Derek says, spots of color on his cheek. “Oh, I wanted to tell you—”
Elyse shrieks. “Bobbing for apples! Come on, I want to beat Auntie Laura!”
They let her pull them along to where the game is starting, and through the chaos of the party Stiles doesn’t have much time to have a conversation with Derek, as the music starts going and the noise starts reaching incredible levels. Children are running around, laughing and screaming and “Thriller” is on, which means a good number of nostalgic adults are trying to dance to it as well.
Finally after the costume contest (which Reese and Pieces win, to popular vote), Elyse tugs on Stiles’ pant leg and says, “Remember you have to break the curse before we can go home.”
“The what?”
“Daddy’s a frog. Like the story, you know,” Elyse says, rolling her eyes.
“Ah, right,” Stiles says, watching Derek laugh and joke with Scott on the other side of the room. “True Love’s Kiss,” he says, heart pounding. “Ah, what if, um, I don’t know how I— or if he—”
“Grownups are so dumb,” Elyse says. “I’m gonna go play with Auntie Cora. You can come get me when you’re ready to go home.”
Go home. Like she’s expecting Stiles to go with her and Derek.
Derek catches his eye and smiles, and he walks over. The hood of the frog onesie has slipped off, so now it just looks like Derek is just wearing bright green pajamas, and he still looks like the most gorgeous man Stiles has ever met.
“Hey,” Derek says. “Looks like Elyse stumped you with a riddle.”
“Kind of,” Stiles says. “What were you trying to say earlier?”
Derek looks nervous. “Oh, yeah, I wanted to tell you, I just found out— well, I guess I already knew I wanted to— well okay, I went over to BHCC yesterday to look at the campus, and I ended up talking with Dean of History about my application and they said they’d love to have me start during the winter quarter. And just my masters’ degree is fine, and since I’m not looking to do research and didn’t have too many conditions of my own— I— what I’m saying is that. It’s official, that is. Elyse and I are going to stay in Beacon Hills.”
“Oh my GOD,” Stiles declares, stepping forward and hugging Derek round the waist. He tries to pick him up and swing him around, but only gets a few inches off the ground before he sets a laughing Derek back down. “I think I’m gonna, yeah I’m gonna kiss you now, I don’t care if it’s in front of the whole town,” he says.
Derek smiles. “Well, Elyse did warn me that I wasn’t allowed to take off the frog costume until you do, so I think it’s fair. True Love’s Kiss is pretty powerful stuff.”
“You really think so? We’ve been seeing each other for a week.”
“Stiles, with you, I think this is definitely the real thing,” Derek says, leaning forward and kissing Stiles so hard his head spins.
Across the room, over the noise of the party, Stiles can hear Elyse yell, “Look, Auntie Cora! Magic! Daddy is turning back into a prince!”
Stiles laughs, taking off the crown on his head and putting it on Derek’s. “Nah, you’ve always been a king to me.”
THE END