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Stiles' finger hovers over the link. Should he or shouldn't he?
He's heard the stories, good and bad. There are those who saw the love of their life. There are those who saw the moment of their death. And then there are those who saw 30 seconds of a Harry Potter movie marathon rewatch.
It's kind of a toss up, really. Most people elect not to watch their video. Mainly because they aren't terribly accessible. But Stiles is nothing if not persistent. It only took him a measly 5 weeks to find his video.
Others search for years to find theirs. To watch or not to watch, that is Stiles' question.
If his werewolf-filled high school years taught him anything, it's that you can never know when death will find you. So you might as well watch the video or read that article on knotting. (Ok, Scott maybe Stiles shouldn't have read that article on knotting. But he's nothing if not thorough.)
And with that thought, Stiles clicked the play button for his video.
It opens with a view of a beach.
Well, we are in California, Stiles thinks.
There's an arch on a boardwalk. White and yellow roses decorate the top of the arch. There are so many people and not nearly enough chairs. It zooms in on a dark, haired man with facial hair standing next to a redheaded beauty in a cream-colored dress with a pale blue chevron design. He is wearing a well-fitted tux with lavender accents. He's smiling down at her while she's laughing like she hasn't a care in the world.
Stiles heart lurches in his chest. That's Derek. And Lydia. Getting married.
With only eight seconds left, the video pans to a cake. A giant blue and lavender monstrosity. At least 8 tiers, all stacked on top of each other. The colors match what Derek and Lydia are wearing. At the very last second, Stiles catches a glimpse of himself. It's just a side profile; all he can see as the video ends is a flash of another tux.
Stiles leans back in his chair and squeezes his eyes shut. He's at his desk, upstairs, in his office. In the house he shares with Derek. His boyfriend.
"I don't know what to do," he whispers. Stiles puts his head in his hands.
Only one thing to do, he thinks as he presses play again. And again. And three more times. Each time hurts just as much as the first.
Maybe there's a reason the videos are so hard to find. A reason most people don't watch theirs. It can't be that far into the future. Derek looks almost the same, if a little more beard-y. Less than a year. What the hell am I going to do?
Stiles can hear a door slam from the front of the house. Oh goody. Derek's home.
He's not ready for Derek's questions. Derek knew he found the video and was going to watch it today. He can't handle the gentleness and worried looks Derek will give him. Well, no one ever called him brave (that's not true, but currently beside the point). Stiles decides to hide. In the shower. The hot water will help him relax and wash the tears away. It's a great plan.
He takes off running.
................................
When he comes downstairs, Derek has dinner ready. And the lights off. There's a flickering glow from the dining room.
Maybe this is it, Stiles thinks, Maybe this is when Derek tells me he's in love with Lydia.
Not that he could blame Derek. After all, he'd had a crush on her for literally years. Well, time to face the music.
Stiles can hear Derek in the kitchen so that's where he heads. He walks up behind Derek and wraps his arms around Derek's waist, leaning his head on his shoulder. He just wants this, one last time. Derek turns his head and places a brief kiss to the top of Stiles' head. He turns around to face him and wraps his arms around Stiles in turn.
"Hey," Derek says as he smiles at his boyfriend. "How was your day? Did you watch the video?"
Stiles refuses to raise his head from Derek's shoulder and just nods. He squeezes Derek tighter.
"Well?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what? Stiles, what are you talking about?"
Stiles finally looks up at him. He searches Derek's face and finds nothing there.
He turns, taking Derek by the hand, and leads him upstairs. He makes Derek sit in his office chair, pulls up the video, and presses play.
Derek stays quiet throughout the short video. He leans in, studying the movements, and watches it once more. When it finishes the second play through, he turns to Stiles.
"I still don't understand, Stiles. What was I supposed to tell you?"
"That you're in love with Lydia! Can't you see? It's your wedding. To Lydia." Stiles starts crying, tears leaking from his eyes. The traitors.
Derek smiles his soft, Stiles-you're-an-idiot smile. "Stiles. It's not my wedding to Lydia. It's my wedding to you."
Stiles is still crying, the tears falling harder now. He's sure he misheard him. "What?"
"Stiles. It's our wedding. I was going to wait until after dinner, but, well, I guess now is a better time." Derek slides from Stiles' office chair to the floor, propped on one knee. He digs in his pocket for a moment, while Stiles grabs a tissue from the box on his desk and wipes his face.
"What?" Stiles is still confused.
Derek pulls a small box from his pants' pocket. "Stiles, I've never been in love with Lydia. That was you if you recall."
Stiles chuckles softly, the tears finally gone.
"It's never been Lydia for me. It's always been you. Ever since I saw you in that forest, wearing that t-shirt, jeans, and a suit jacket, which honestly, if Lydia had seen you in that, she'd have beaten you black and blue. But I've always known. Since the first time I saw you, since you held me up in a pool for over an hour so I wouldn't drown because of the kanima venom. Since you helped me get revenge for Kate. It's always been you. Lydia was going to help me with the surprise. She's going to be mad she missed it. We'll probably have to re-create this so she can be there." Derek laughs.
"Derek, what-what are you doing?"
"Stiles Stilinski, do not make me use your real name."
Stiles smirks, looking a little more like himself, "you can't even pronounce my real name."
"Mieczyslaw Stilinski." Stiles stares at him in shock.
"Mieczyslaw Stilinski," Derek repeats, "will you do me the grand honor, of becoming my husband? Through thick and thin, in good health and in bad..."
Here, Stiles has to laugh. In good health and bad, that's for sure.
"For better or worse, I choose you," Derek continues, "Will you be my husband?"
Stiles slides onto the floor in front of Derek and places his hands on either side of his face.
"Of course I choose you." Stiles pauses for a moment, a grin bright on his face.
"Don't--"
"I choose you, pikachu." Derek groans.
"If you, if you were going to propose to me, and not Lydia, why is she in the video, up at the front with you?"
"Stiles, Lydia has been helping me plan this entire thing. She even got it in her head that she wants to be the minister and got one of those online certificate things."
"Like in Friends?" Stiles asks incredulously.
"Yes, just like in Friends. Although, she doesn't appreciate the reference," Derek laughs.
Of course she doesn't.
Stiles leans forward and gives Derek a kiss. He pulls back just far enough to stick his left hand in Derek's face. Derek laughs and pulls the ring out of the box and fits it on Stiles' left ring finger. They both look at it, shining on Stiles' finger. They go in for a kiss at the same time.
"So what's for dinner?"
"Well, it was steak and twice-baked potatoes, since your dad wasn't joining us."
Stiles groans. Food? Or sex? Food? Sex? How is this really a question going through his head right now?
"Do you think it will keep?"
"Well," Derek thinks about it, "I think we can reheat it later."
He stands up, taking Stiles with him. For a brief moment, they just look at each other.
Then, without warning, Derek picks up Stiles, wraps his legs around his waist, and carries him to the bedroom. Their bedroom.
................................
9 months later
They picked a Saturday in May. So the April showers would bring the May flowers, Stiles tells people.
It's a bright, clear day. They have an arch on a boardwalk at the beach, with white and yellow roses, just like in the video. Lydia had already picked the wedding colors, so that was set even before Derek proposed. She's standing beneath the arch, with Derek to her left. Lydia makes a joke about Stiles getting cold feet because he's late. Derek laughs and says no, he's probably already in the cake. It's the exact scene from Stiles' video. He looks around him, and sees all of their friends and family. His dad, Scott, and Cora, all in the front row. They couldn't pack enough chairs here at the ceremony on the beach, but the reception hall has plenty of room, and a big band ensemble to boot.
Stiles is surrounded by all the people he and Derek love and care about. He smiles and goes to meet the one who he loves the most.