Chapter Text
When it was time to drive Stiles home, he and Derek were just smiling like idiots and holding hands, only letting go so they could get into the Camaro. Stiles’ heart was still beating fast and he had this amazing fluttering feeling that flipped his insides in the very best way whenever he looked over at Derek. He hoped the feeling never went away.
To prevent himself from saying something stupid, which was definitely a possibility, and ruining the amazing warm hum between them, Stiles looked out the window. He was biting his lip to try and stop himself from grinning because he was sure he’d look like some sort of maniac and his cheeks were starting to hurt from all the smiling he had already been doing. Of course, biting his lip made him get a sensory memory of Derek’s lips on his and the amazing kisses they’d shared.
And that made him feel too big for his body.
Too soon they reached the house and Derek pulled up to the curb in front. When the engine turned off, they were left in the silence, neither of them wanting to say anything or move - as if it would pop the bubble of their personal world where only the two of them existed.
This perfect moment where it was just the two of them…
Leaving suddenly made him nervous. What if he left and Derek sobered up and realized that this was all a huge mistake? It wasn’t like Stiles didn’t have his doubts that this was still some elaborate cosmic joke the world was playing on him… “So hey,” he said, breaking the quiet, “I don’t have your number! And um. That’s a thing. Right? That we should have. I mean, I should have yours and you should have mine. Cause that way we can keep in touch when we aren’t next to each other, like now. So that we can talk. In the future.” Swallowing hard he wished he had some sort of filter… or a muzzle.
Derek smiled, as if he just realized that Stiles was right, but then he furrowed his brow a little, “Uh… yeah… Give me your phone and I’ll put in my number.”
Stiles pulled his cell out from his back pocket and handed it over to the other, watching him as he typed his number in. After returning it, Derek pulled out his own phone, “Text me,” he said softly.
Instead, Stiles lifted up the cell and aimed the camera at Derek, who was now looking up and smiling shyly. It was perfect. He took a picture and leaned back in the seat to quickly set it up as Derek’s profile picture. “There… Now I’ll have your gorgeous mug on my phone every time you call and text me.” He smiled happily, blushing a little under Derek’s gaze. He flicked through the screen icons to get to the text app when he mused, “God, I should delete my history. After last night and all those calls and texts from Scott…” His eyes trailed over the call list when he saw something strange, “Um…” he tilted his head, sitting up and staring at his phone, trying to put together what he was seeing. “Uh, Derek? I think you put in the wrong number? My call history has you listed as calling me like… four times last night,” he frowned and showed the screen to Derek.
He was sure the older guy would explain how it was a mistake in numbers, but instead Derek just looked embarrassed. Brows furrowing, Stiles said, “Derek, you didn’t call me… I would have remembered that. Trust me. I wouldn’t have missed a call from you!” he huffed in humor, pulling the screen back to see the times the calls came in, “This was after the dance and I didn’t get calls from anyone when I was walking home except…”
Oh god.
His eyes widened as he swung his head back towards Derek, who was biting his lip and gripping the steering wheel tightly, his eyes scrunched closed.
“You?” Stiles mouth gaped open, “You were the one that prank called me last night?”
God… this all was a joke! He knew it!
As if sensing Stiles’ thoughts, Derek finally turned towards him, “No, Stiles–“
“NO! Fuck you!” he fumbled for the seatbelt before he finally got it undone, “God, I’m such an idiot.” Why would Derek frickin’ Hale want to have anything to do with him? Why had he believed any of this was real?
Stiles scrambled to get the door open, stumbling out of the Camaro when it finally swung outward. After slamming the door shut he stormed around the car to head to his house, feeling a burning in his eyes from the tears he wasn’t going to let fall - matching the painful burning in his chest that felt like someone slammed a hot poker there.
Before he could get two steps on the lawn, Derek was blocking his way, “Stiles, wait!”
Stiles shoved against the ridiculous wall of a chest, growling, “No! Screw you, Derek!” He pushed the other boy again, though it barely budged him, “What the fuck was all this? Some prank?” he flung his arms out, “All of this? God I’m such an ass for even believing–”
“No! I swear to god!” Derek shouted desperately, “Please, just hear me out! Just please stop shouting and listen?” he had his hands up to try and keep Stiles from getting around him.
“Why? Are you afraid my Dad might hear?” he threw his arm towards the house, “Think he’ll come out and shoot you for making a fool of his son!”
“No! I’m not afraid of that!” Derek shook his head, “Look, you said you’d punch me in the dick if this was a trick, right? Just hear me out. If you don’t believe me then I will stand here and let you do it!”
Stiles mouth gaped open for a few seconds as he stared at Derek. Clacking his jaw shut he glared in disbelief, “Seriously. You’ll stand there,” he jerked his hand towards Derek, “And let me punch you in the dick.”
“Yes.” Derek nodded once, earnestly.
“I don’t know why I should believe anything you say, Derek.”
“Because I’m not lying! This is all a misunderstanding. Please… Let me explain. Please?” He was begging now, “Please Stiles…”
“Fine,” he stepped back a bit and crossed his arms, his foot tapping impatiently, his tongue lodged in his cheek in annoyance. Whatever excuses Derek had, he’d listen, then punch him in the dick and be done.
After taking a deep breath, Derek swallowed and started talking, “Last night, at the party, I ran into one of the guys on the lacrosse team… uh… um,” his eyes darted around, brows furrowing, “Devon… Daniel… Danny!” he finally shouted, pleased he remembered. “Danny. I got your number from him.”
Stiles eased his shoulders slightly, and jerked his chin up in a silent encouragement for the other to continue, but he was still tense. Just because he spoke to Danny to get his number, didn’t mean Derek was off the hook.
“I called you last night–“
“Repeatedly.”
“Yes! The first time there was no answer and I hung up, but I thought I heard you right before the call ended. Every time I tried to call you last night, I was interrupted and I hung up. I had no idea I was hanging up on you. When you finally answered you yelled at me and told me not to call you again,” He shrugged helplessly, “I thought you knew it was me on the phone.”
“Why would you think I knew it was you?!” Stiles shouted.
Derek looked around desperately, “I don’t know! Every time you saw me yesterday, you left like I was the plague! I thought you didn’t like me! I thought you hated me!”
“Oh my god!” flinging his arms up into the air he spun away. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing! Derek thought Stiles hated him?
“Please Stiles, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t prank calling you last night! I swear! It was just a stupid mistake and this isn’t a joke! I really do like you. Please, you have to believe me!”
“Oh my god,” Stiles repeated, covering his face.
“I’m sorry Stiles… I can’t tell you how sorry I am if I’ve hurt you. That’s so not what I wanted. If you don’t want to see me again or want nothing to do with me, I understand… I won’t bother you anymore… And, uh… I’ll keep my end of the bargain up.”
Stiles dropped his hands from his face to look over his shoulder at the older boy. Derek was standing there with his eyes closed, hands behind his back, “Bargain?”
Derek nodded, keeping his eyes shut, “You can punch me in the dick.”
It was hard not to burst out laughing now that he was putting the last 24 hours into perspective and seeing how Derek was so earnestly waiting to be punched in the dick. Sweet warmth spread though Stiles from his belly all the way up to his toes and fingers. He couldn’t believe what idiots they both were… and Derek was an adorable, beautiful idiot.
My adorable and beautiful idiot.
Instead of punching him, Stiles near leapt upon him, wrapping his arms around Derek’s neck to kiss him, sending the other stumbling back a few steps in shock. Derek grunted in surprise and instinctually put his hands on Stiles’ hip as his eyes gazed down, wide and confused. When they parted from the kiss, Stiles grinned, “So many other things I’d rather do than punch you in the dick.”
Derek’s eyes widened further as a gorgeous smile lit up his features, “You’re… not mad at me?”
Stiles shook his head, “No. None of that stuff…” he rolled his eyes, “God, all of it was just… We’re idiots.” He shrugged, “But just to be clear, so there’s no misunderstandings… I like you. A lot. Okay?”
Derek’s smile grew wider, making his greenish eyes sparkle in a way Stiles wanted to make happen every day, “Yeah. Okay,” he nodded and slid his arms around the younger boy’s waist to pull him closer, pressing their lips in a sweet kiss that made Stiles vibrate under his skin.