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Stiles literally had no idea how this had happened. Really, he had thought of a million scenarios, a million ways in which this night could’ve gone wrong. He’d pretty much obsessed about all the ways it go could wrong, but he had never imagined this.
Technically, he and Derek were on a date. The problem was Derek was sitting six seats away from him in the theatre. Six seats filled with their friends.
Everyone was happily chatting away and munching snacks while Stiles felt like screaming.
Well, screaming was maybe a mild term, Stiles felt like throwing an epic tantrum complete with foot stomping and crying.
He had done everything right.
He had waited patiently until Derek’s 3 monthly heat had passed. He hadn’t allowed himself to obsess more than a minute over the photos Cora had sent of Derek curled up on his bed in sweats and an old t-shirt reading what appeared to be a romance novel.
What?!
He’d only wanted to know how Derek was doing! Besides the photo was so cute, Stiles couldn’t bring himself to feel to guilty about coercing Cora into taking it.
Getting back to the point though.
He had done it so rigidly by the book that when he met with Talia and Greg to get their permission, Derek had refused to go running with him for three days.
Stiles had endured three days of cold shoulder for one measly date.
And he had planned it all out carefully.
He’d picked a movie, something innocuous where they didn’t have to talk too much. He’d figured Derek would appreciate that and, seriously, no one knew better than Stiles that, although awesome, Stiles was also better in small doses.
Then, somehow, Stiles had finally managed to wring the question out of his brain one afternoon in the cafeteria.
The anticipation was almost too much, but Derek’s scowly face had become minutely less scowly and his arms had relaxed against his sides. Hell, in Derek speak that was almost as good as a smile.
So of course something had to go wrong.
He’d popped the question, Derek had grunted in the affirmative and all was well. Stiles’ insides had unclenched, he’d dared to breathe a happy breath and then Erica appeared out of nowhere and announced that she also wanted to see the movie and then proceeded to shout across the cafeteria to invite everyone they knew.
Which was also the reason why, at this moment, Derek was again not speaking to him.
In fact, he was sitting in his seat, staring at the dark screen with his arms folded across his chest, not speaking to anyone.
The thing was, Stiles knew that he’d screwed up. He should’ve figured out some way to stop Erica turning their date into a party, but he’d choked. It wasn’t like Stiles had asked anyone out before. Lydia didn’t count, of course, she was so far out of his league he’d never really expected her to respond. Not that Derek wasn’t out of his league, but at least by this time Stiles was a little bit convinced Derek was into him.
Even if he wasn’t currently talking to him.
Shit
Stiles chewed at his bottom lip anxiously. Would Derek still be into him after this? He was trying really hard not to run that thought down the rabbit hole of anxiety, but it was difficult. Stiles’ brain was his worst enemy at times.
Okay most of the time,
Okay all the time.
Shit
Stiles jerked a little as he was nudged from the side and avoided Cora’s weird look as she held out the mega-sized popcorn in his direction.
“Here ya go, Stilinski. I thought you were spazzing out more than usual when you didn’t get your usual. What’s up?”
Stiles took the popcorn slowly and settled it on his lap. He didn’t even have the heart to snark at her for the kind gesture. Truthfully he hadn’t gotten anything because he had still been holding out the small hope that he could fix the fuck up he’d made of their first date. That hope had been shorn done instantly with one look in Derek’s thunder cloud of a face. So instead of getting anything to eat, Stiles had slunk into the theatre to take his seat before everyone else.
A quick glance at Cora’s face showed she was staring at him with analysing eyebrows (seriously this family needed to do something about that). Finally she set her drink into the cup holder with a huge affected sigh.
“Okay, what did you do?”
Stiles’ mouth dropped open and she rolled her eyes at him.
“Seriously, Derek is sitting on the other side of the theater, behaving like more of a diva than usual. Doesn’t take a genius, Asshole. You gonna tell me?”
Stiles managed not to burst into tears, but it was a close thing. Instead he covered his face with his hands and managed a muffled:
“Dis wad suppode to be a date.”
“What!?”
Cora’s whisper-shout reached about half the filling theatre and at least three of their friends turned to look at them curiously.
Not Derek though, he was still fiercely studying the blank screen in front of him. Stiles hissed at her to shut up anyway.
“Look, I worked really hard on this plan to take Derek on a date. I googled it until my eyes were shaped like that stupidass logo, I patiently waited until the thing was over. I even asked your parents!”
Stiles was speaking very fast and very softly, but luckily Cora seemed to be keeping up. He took a huge breath before continuing.
“And then Erica, wonderful, beautiful, asshole Erica, had to invite everyone we knew and now Derek isn’t talking to me! I mean, how can I make this right when Derek isn’t talking to me?!”
He took another huge gulping breath at the end of the tirade and sat back so he could see more than Cora’s nostrils.
Cora was looking at him with something that was definitely pity.
“You really have no game, do you?”
She asked with what was some awful faux-sympathy. Stiles cringed a little, but it wasn’t as if he could deny it. He did truly have no game.
“And no balls, you are an eunuch, my friend.”
Okay seriously, now she was just having fun at his pain.
“Cora, come on. Just help meeee!” Stiles finally whined quietly. The girl at his side gave a huff and starting digging through her
purse for something. That turned out to be Derek’s car keys.
“Look, here’s what you’re going to do,” Cora said softly. “There’s still 10 minutes until the movie starts. Run to the concessions stand, buy everything your usual piggy self loves to eat. In the back of the Camaro Derek keeps a blanket. Get it and wait for us at the park across the road.”
Stiles’ face was slack with surprise and Cora’s cheeks grew slightly darker than normal, as he stared at her in open wonder.
“You are a goddess, Woman.” Stiles said sincerely and was promptly shoved hard in the shoulder.
“Get going, asshole, I’ll bring Derek out just before the movie starts.”
Stiles did not wait around to see how she managed that and rather made a mad dash for the concessions stand. He really did not want to waste this second opportunity too.
Stiles managed to get his ragtag picnic together with two minutes to spare and was nervously standing by the blanket, attempting not to fidget.
He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but a panicked looking Derek Hale storming out of the building, looking around frantically before spotting Stiles and rushing over to him, was not it.
“What’s wrong?” Derek growled when he reached the Alpha. His gaze was roaming over Stiles as if looking for any sign of injury.
“Cora said your dad called and you were out here crying.”
Trust Cora to help out in the most obnoxious way ever.
“Uh no. That didn’t happen.” Stiles couldn’t help a nervous grin. He gestured downwards to the blanket. “She, uh, said she’d get you out of the cinema…” Stiles trailed of as he watched Derek’s stare trailed to the blanket. After a moment his eyes were back on Stiles.
The silence stretched out until Stiles couldn’t take another second.
“Look, I know I messed up! I should have just told Erica ‘no’. I’m an idiot and I choked and I really, really did not want you to be pissed at me any longer. So, uh, second chance?”
Stiles gestured to the blanket again and for two seconds he seriously thought Derek was gonna turn and walk away.
But then he surprised Stiles by sinking down on the blanket, stretching out his legs and smiling. Soft and private.
“Picnics are good, Stiles. Sorry about being an asshole about the movie thing.”
A smile and an apology in the same breath? Stiles sat next to Derek before his knees gave out unable to help his own grin from widening.
“So, I got gummy bears, sour worms and milk duds. What’s your poison?”
XXX
Derek had always had difficulty coming back from being pissed off. Sure, he could be convinced to apologise when backed into a corner, but afterward he seemed to have difficulty to just act normal around the person.
Strangely, this time it didn’t seem to be a problem. The young alpha was so excited that Derek had agreed to the picnic and the stream of consciousness falling out of his mouth seemed to even out Derek’s emotions too.
He accepted a piece of chocolate from Stiles and on impulse leaned into press his nose against Stiles’ throat as a thank you. Up until now, they had kept the physical contact to a minimum, mostly because Derek knew that Cora had said something to Stiles.
He’d never admit to how much that space Stiles gave him meant, but at this point it was enough.
Derek breathed in gently, letting Stiles’ scent invade his senses. He leaned further into the alpha feeling a solidity to Stiles that hadn’t been there in the previous months. “That exercise regime you got me on has really paid off, huh?” Stiles grinned down at Derek, not unaware of how subtly Derek was feeling him up. Derek huffed but didn’t deny anything.
“Shut up and give me a gummy bear.” He muttered to distract Stiles from the pink suffusing his cheeks. Hopefully it was dark enough that Stiles didn’t notice. Of course that would have been too happy a coincidence. Derek startled a bit as Stiles rolled the tip of one definitely blushing ear between his fingers.
“Thank you, Der.” Stiles said softly as Derek prepared to chew him out, “For this.” He gestured with a flailing hand that was barely in Derek’s field of vision, but Derek understood what he was talking about and turned his head so he could see the expression on the alpha’s face. Stiles took the opportunity to scent Derek just as he had done a minute ago. Derek let Stiles breathe in his scent for a long moment and when he moved up to catch Derek’s lips between his own, the omega didn’t resist.
He had definitely fallen for this brat.
The kiss ended and Derek couldn’t even find it in himself to resent the thought. Instead he turned back around, settled himself against Stiles’ chest and tipped his head backwards so it rested on Stiles’ shoulder. He didn’t even bother protesting when Stiles’ arms came up to surround him.