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Derek stumbled out of bed Saturday morning and moved into the kitchen at a glacial pace. It was his first Saturday off in forever and he still had to be up at eight A.M. because of stupid Laura and her stupid ice skating competition, and he was tired, and he wanted to sleep, and he should not have to be up right now.
He hated Laura.
He dragged his feet through his apartment and started the coffee maker before going out the door and grabbing the newspaper that he paid the neighbor boy two dollars a week to bring up for him every morning.
He scrubbed his hands over his face, scowled at the world, and stumbled out into the hall to go grab it.
Derek stopped in his tracks as he looked up at the pale, lean, and muscled chest across the hall.
The guy coming out of the opposite apartment pulled down his overly tight white t-shirt and his gaze met Derek’s before dropping and staring at Derek's bare chest.
Derek just barely restrained the urge to cover himself with his hands now that he remembered he had come out here without a shirt on and only had his flannel pajama pants on.
He didn’t even have freaking socks.
Normally Derek didn’t bother because the only other person he ever saw in the mornings was his neighbor Ryan, who happened to the same neighbor whose apartment this unbelievably attractive guy was leaving at eight in the morning.
The other guy ran a hand through his sleep mused hair, leaving it sticking up in a decidedly sex mused way and Derek really wanted to go over and tug that hair until the guy’s body followed.
“Morning kind stranger.” The guy said, working his way around the staircase and towards Derek.
Derek froze and a intelligible response was not forthcoming. He scowled a little deeper at his own stupidity.
“May all your mornings be bright!” called the guy as he jogged down the stairs and Derek’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.
The guy laughed as he disappeared down the stairs and Derek almost had to resist the urge to chase after that guy and maybe chase after those peals of laughter with his tongue.
------
Derek glared at Cora’s arm like he could will the break to mend with the power of his gaze.
“Oh my God, Derek, It’s not his fault.” Cora said, trying to appease him.
It was totally Isaac’s fault, he was a shit boyfriend and Derek could not figure out why Cora loved him so much. The guy freaking broke his sister!
“If you two hadn’t been horsing around you never would have slipped on the ice and broken your arm.” he exclaimed.
“That doesn’t make it Isaac’s fault.” Cora glared at him.
“Grumpy Neighbor Guy!” someone called from the center of the room, Derek looked up as something about the voice caught his attention.
Coming towards them was the stupidly attractive guy Derek had seen coming out of Ryan’s apartment last Saturday. Derek had been forced to listen to Ryan talk about how great this guy was in bed when he had been cornered by Ryan in the laundry room the next day.
Derek would rather have found out for himself but he had never thought he would see the guy again.
Cora was looking between Derek and the guy with her eyebrows raised and Derek’s response came out rougher than he meant it to, “What are you doing here?” he asked.
The guy didn’t seem fazed and a sly look came onto his face. “Oh you know,” the guy shrugged, smirking slightly, “trolling hospitals to pick up handsome men.”
Am I being hit on? Derek thought, preparing himself for some grade A flirting. He liked this guy and he wasn’t about to blow another opportunity if this guy liked him back.
“Stiles!” someone called from behind the desk and one of the male nurses was pulling on a coat and looking at the guy like he was ready to leave.
“There’s one now!” Stiles said with a cheeky grin and then sauntered off to go see the attractive male nurse.
Derek was a little bummed, of course Stiles was here to see someone specifically. Normal people don’t just wander through emergency rooms to pick up guys.
Derek glanced over and watched them talking with an ease and candor that bespoke of a good relationship.
Derek wondered how long they had been together and if the nurse knew about Stiles and Ryan. It was possible the two had an open relationship and maybe there was still room for Derek there. Or it could just be that Stiles was a cheating bastard. Either way, Derek really didn’t want to get involved.
He didn’t want to think Stiles was that kind of guy, but Derek didn’t know him well enough to be staking his own emotional health on it.
Derek shook his head as he watched Stiles grab onto his boyfriend’s shoulder and steer him out of the hospital, both chatting animatedly, though Derek was too far away to hear what they said.
Derek sighed and turned back to Cora who was smirking at him.
“Does Derek have a crush?” she asked, voice filled with mocking.
“No.” he sputtered, “He was one of Ryan’s one night stands.”
Cora wrinkled her nose, “your creepy neighbor who brags about his sexual exploits?” she asked and Derek nodded, “what did he say about ‘Stiles?’” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Derek’s ears grew red as he thought about Ryan waxing poetic about the best he had ever had.
Cora laughed her ass off until Isaac came back from getting coffee for everyone, at which point she told him too and Derek got the joys of them both laughing at him.
He hated Cora and her shit boyfriend, Isaac.
------
Derek glared at Laura as she glared back.
He was seriously tired of taking his sister’s to the emergency room for ice related incidents.
“Calm down, Derek,” Laura said rolling her eyes. “It probably isn’t even broken.”
Derek glared down at her leg and knew that wasn’t true. He had been the one to help Laura off the ice after she messed up a spin during practice. She had been crying she was in so much pain.
He hated when Laura cried.
Someone in a lab coat swept into the curtained room and Derek was so not dealing with this today.
“Trolling for men dressed as a doctor now?” he asked, his voice coming out bitter and Laura glared at him.
“Naw,” Stiles laughed, “Don’t be silly, I’m dressed as a PA. Far more believable. Now what are we in for today?” Stiles directed the question to Laura as he picked up her chart without seeming to realize he was doing it.
Derek gave him an incredulous look.
This guy could not be serious; surely he wasn’t going to pretend to treat Laura in the middle of a crowded emergency room. Where were the real doctors? What the hell made this stupidly attractive guy think it was okay to be a freak and a dick and pretend to help people? Was it a freaking power play? Some sort of God complex?
“Stilinski!” a doctor called, coming up behind Stiles and entering the curtained area.
“Dr. Whittmore.” Stiles responded, glancing at Derek before looking back at the doctor.
“This is my patient, get out of here.” The doctor glared at Stiles, but didn’t seem the least bit bothered that Stiles was treating patients in the first place.
Derek’s gaze dropped a little, Stiles might actually be a PA. Whoops, guess the guy wasn’t that big a dick.
Being a cheating bastard aside.
Stiles wiggled his eyebrows at the doctor, “Sure thing, Doc.” Jeez, did the kid have to flirt with everyone?
Then Stiles turned and gave a genuine smile to Derek and Laura before leaving, and Derek felt really bad. This guy had done nothing wrong as far as he knew. Jesus, the only thing he did was give Derek feelings and now Derek hated him and his stupidly long fingers because Stiles was with someone else.
And was possibly involved in a few one night stands on the side, but who is he to judge?
Derek looked over at Laura who was watching him with a calculating look in her eyes.
“So, “ Dr. Whittmore said, leaning over the bed pushing his chest out like it would do something for his appeal. “What seems to be the problem here?” he asked, his voice coming out silky smooth and Derek shuttered as it reminded him of a certain ex he would rather not think about.
After another ten minutes of thinly disguised flirting, Derek was really fed up with Dr. Whittmore and he was starting to wonder if Stiles had known this would happen based on the looks he had given the doctor before he left.
Maybe the eyebrow wiggle was less flirting and more goading.
Derek was massively annoyed even though he probably wouldn’t have minded if it had been a certain PA doing it and not this jackass of a doctor.
He decided to give Dr. Whittmore a piece of his mind.
Another ten minutes later and Dr. Whittmore was suitably red and left in an embarrassed huff. As soon as he stalked out, Derek heard the now familiar peals of laughter from the emergency room desk and Derek smiled himself.
Laura elbowed him in the side, “you got a thing for a certain PA?” she asked.
Derek blushed, “he’s dating one of the nurses and he slept with Ryan.”
Laura’s eyebrows crinkled in a way that was shockingly similar to Cora, “Ryan, the guy who brags about the people he brings home and compares their ratings?” Laura smiled, “how did Stilinski rate?” she asked.
Derek’s ears turned red again and he cursed his sisters for being so much alike.
---------
Apparently Laura’s leg really was broken, and not just broken, but a little bit shattered.
According to Dr. Martin, Laura’s figure skating career was over and Laura was less than pleased with that. Naturally that meant Laura was taking her bad mood out on Derek and was actually trying to ruin his life.
“You need to find someone, Derek.” she said, “if not this Stiles guy then someone else. There are plenty of attractive people with fewer worrying relationships just in this hospital alone. Besides, I’m not convinced of his moral ambiguity and his tight little ass is more than enough reason to hold out hope.”
“Oh my god, Laura, stop.” Derek buried his face in his hands as a nurse came in.
“Hi, I’m Scott, I’m your nurse for the rest of the morning. If you don’t mind I’m just going to check on your IV and make sure the drip bag is working right.”
Derek recognized the nurse as the same one Stiles had left with the other night and immediately hated the attractive man, solely because he was with Stiles. Derek was a little temped to drop some mention of Ryan in there, but refrained because he didn’t know the whole story and it would no doubt end up being more embarrassing for him than anyone else.
Plus Derek liked to think he wasn’t so petty a person as to destroy a relationship because of his own jealously. For all he knew they were the perfect couple.
With the exception of the Ryan thing.
Scott moved to get to Laura’s IV and Derek moved behind the door to get out of Scott’s way.
“Nurse Scott!” a disturbingly familiar voice singsonged.
Stiles moved into the room, looking straight at Scott and barely processing Laura or even noticing Derek.
“PA Stiles,” Scott responded, in a voice far more flat and Derek wondered if they were having problems.
Maybe Scott had found out about Ryan.
Stiles snickered and Derek realized it was some inside joke or something. Just another example about how little he knew Stiles.
“the patient in room 206 is asking for you again.” Stiles announced.
“Again?” Scott spluttered, “I just saw him like fifteen minutes ago.”
“I don’t know, Scott, maybe he is secretly in love with you.” Stiles smiled a cheesy smile and Derek’s heart clenched a little.
“Secretly-“ Scott looked confused for a moment before his face cleared. “Screw you.”
“Love you too, Scott,” Stiles called as Scott marched out of the room to go see the other patient.
Derek cringed. He was irrationally jealous of a nurse he didn’t know because he had a stupid crush on a guy he had barely met and had never actually been introduced to.
“Is the patient really in love with him?” Derek asked, coming out from where he was hidden on the other side of the doorway.
Stiles blinked in surprise obviously only noticing Derek for the first time.
“Ha, no,” Stiles laughed lightly, “the guy’s IV just came loose and he didn’t want Jackson- er, Dr. Whittmore to do it because the doc sneezed last time during the procedure. I almost wish the patient was though, Scott has been driving Allison crazy since she got pregnant, someone in love with him might distract him a little.”
“Who is Allison?” Derek asked, confused. God, were they actually in an open relationship?
“His wife,” Stiles explained with a wave of his hand.
Derek was confused, then angry, and then filled with a little disgust. It must have shown on his face because Stiles eyebrows wrinkled at the reaction.
“You’re sleeping with a married man?” Derek asked angrily.
“What? No! Wait, who--?” Stiles looked insulted before he started laughing, “You thought I was sleeping with Scott?” He doubled over clutching his sides and heaving in breaths as he continued cackling.
Derek looked on a little dumbstruck, his anger being replaced by confusion.
Scott ran back in, likely drawn by the sound of Stiles’ peals of laughter.
Derek kind of hated himself that was he still so in love with that noise.
“Dude, what is going on?” Scott asked, looking worriedly at Stiles.
Stiles waved his hand between Scott and himself, “He thought we were sleeping together.” he responded in between gasping breaths,
Scott made a weird face for a moment and then started laughing just as hard.
“I don’t see what‘s so funny,” Derek growled.
“Oh my god,” Scott giggled, “Stiles was the one who got Allison and I together, he was my best man at my wedding. We have been friends since like birth. It’s like someone assuming you and Laura are together.
Laura started giggling too.
Derek huffed, “do you even work here?” he asked Stiles, he was so done with Stiles weird back story.
While apparently he and Scott weren’t together, that didn’t mean Stiles was all reputable.
This had nothing to do with Derek’s pension to look for flaws in people he fell overly hard for.
It didn’t.
Stiles looked up, startled, “Dude, of course. I’m a PA in the emergency room with stints in Orthopedics. What did you think I was always doing here?”
“Trolling for handsome men?” Derek asked, quoting Stiles.
Laura and Scott gave him a weird look.
Stiles just laughed again, “Dude, I was kidding. I was here to pick up Scott because his piece of crap car broke down again.”
“Hey, like your jeep is much better.” Scott sputtered.
Derek crinkled his eyebrows as the two of them started bickering.
“Do not insult my baby or I will insult yours.” Stiles said.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.” Stiles said, and grabbed Scott around the head, giving him a nuggie.
The two started outright wrestling on the floor and Derek lost any hope of understanding.
“There is no way they are sleeping together,” Laura said to Derek, and at this point Derek had to agree. It was hard to get quite this juvenile with your adulterous boyfriend.
“Hey, no mocking my lifestyle.” Stiles exclaimed, disentangling himself from Scott.
“No mocking here,” Laura said, shrugging. A sly look came into her eye. “Except for mocking Derek. Apparently he developed a crush on some guy he keeps seeing everywhere.”
“Laura.” Derek said in a warning tone. She wouldn’t do this to him right? She wouldn’t lay it out like that, would she?
Sure she was bitter about her dream being squashed, but that didn’t mean she would take it out on Derek. Right?
RIGHT?
Laura ignored him. “Oh come on Derek, it’s not like they know him, you said you first saw him walking out of your neighbor’s apartment.”
Derek buried his face in his hands and hoped he died a swift death from the mortification.
“Hey Derek,” Stiles said, voice quivering slightly in something Derek didn’t want to hope was excitement and was far more likely disgust or anger. Derek wasn’t going to try to convince himself otherwise. He could feel his face get warmer.
“I can’t ask you out until your sister is no longer a patient,” Stiles continued, “but you should come in on Saturday after Laura checks out and come see me.”
Stiles gave him a cocky grin and Derek, Derek was floored for a moment before he gave a shy smile back.
“Sure,” Derek said, his heart near exploding, and Stiles’ grin got impossibly bigger, not dying down for a moment even when a doctor called him into the hall.
Once he and Scott were gone, Derek turned to Laura and gave her the Glare of Death, “What the hell?” he exclaimed. He punched her on the arm, not hard enough to cause damage, but hard enough to feel it. “You knew he was the one I was seeing everywhere.”
Laura gave him a shit eating grin.
“Thanks for that.” he said sarcastically, upping the intensity of the glare.
“You’re welcome.” Laura said with actual sincerity.
Derek tried to keep up the glare but it kind of melted into a gushy grin. “Whatever.”