Chapter Text
Eggs, check. Milk, check. Garlic, check. Stiles hated grocery shopping. He hated the menial ness of it. Well it wasn’t menial, if he didn’t do it then he wouldn’t eat. Well, he could eat it would just cost a lot more money. It was almost like he could feel his brain oozing out of his ears from the mind numbing ness. He always forgot something off of his mental list, it was probably a sign he should have a non mental list. But he worked a part time job and was a full time student, who had time for that?
The rhythmic sound of the moving cart clacking over the tiles served as a good background to the task. It was better than the years old canned pop music that was playing as at a hum throughout the store. He couldn’t help but hum along to the song that was playing. The song was getting stuck in his head, but what else is new…
Rice, check. Bell peppers, check. Scott’s favorite ice cream…. Not check. He swiveled around realizing he forgot one of the most important items on his hodge podge list. His roommate would murder him if he forgot cookie dough ice cream again . Apparently it, “helped him tune his werewolf senses.” Stiles couldn’t help but scoff at the memory of the conversation. His best friend for life had been his roommate their freshman and sophomore year of college, eventually culminating in them renting an apartment together. Of course Stiles had found an awesome way to ask Scott to do this with him, it had totally embarrassed his friend since it was in public, in the middle of a very crowded diner no less. The patrons had thought he was proposing (he had a beautiful speech worked out.) Scott’s face throughout the whole thing was priceless, he was either about to laugh or murder him. If it wasn’t for Allison kissing him after he said yes (and rudely punched Stiles in the arm) the majority of there would have thought they were a couple.
But sadly Stiles had had no luck in the dating department… There had been one boy, back in Beacon Hills. Before Stiles had gone off to college. They spent one night together -One amazing night together. Before Stiles wound up awakening to a cold bed, the other half’s occupant long gone. He tried not to think about it, about that horrible feeling of rejection. Of course he had cried about it. He had cried about it a lot after it happened but he had learned a lot from it.
He had gotten lost in his thoughts and realized he was three aisles away from the freezer section. Damn maze of a supermarket. He went through his mental list again, he was almost halfway through when the pop song slipped hack into his head and the two became a strange mixture. The list started to be set to the beat of the song, making its own new rhythm.
Despite his horrible luck dating he had gotten really lucky when it came to his friends. Scott had decided to trek to New York to go to NYU as well. Scott always insisted it was totally unrelated to his own decision, “He just wanted to be around all the great culture.” Scott had still never seen Star Wars, he wouldn’t know culture if it bit him in the ass. Lydia had also followed them to New York. Everyone had expected her to go to MIT or some Ivy league, “It was the most economical choice, Stiles” Said the girl from one of the wealthiest families in Beacon Hills. Stiles was so grateful for them though, after everything they went through none of them really wanted to be separated. He probably would have gone to a community college near whichever Ivy league Lydia would have chosen.
Everyone else had gone their own ways but they all still stayed in contact. Allison had gone with Chris to try and reform the Hunters. She and Scott had tried to make everything work long distance but it was hard, she couldn’t always say where she was and that breed paranoia between them. They eventually decided to break up to salvage their friendship. Jackson had opted for a college on the west coast but he would still fly out to meet with Lydia. It always seemed to make Scott’s breakup harder on him. They could do so much more and Scott always felt like they took it for granted. Lydia eventually had to sit him down and talk to him about it. Danny and Ethan had both started traveling. No one was 100% sure how they got the money to do this but they seemed happy. They always sent Christmas cards and postcards.
And that’s when the carts crashed together. Stiles T-boned another person’s cart so hard he knocked it over, almost all of the contents spilling out onto the floor. “Shit! I’m so sorry.” He moved to started help the person pick their stuff up. “I totally wasn’t paying attention and didn’t see you. It happens all the time. Well not the whole cart car crash thing but the getting lost in my own thoughts thing. It’s lead to a few awkward moments, much like this one. My best friend Lydia always says…” And that’s when Stiles realized the mystery stranger hadn’t moved to help him, or pick up the cart, or even speak. Stiles finally stood up to look at the stranger with his arms full of groceries, and the face he saw made him drop them on the floor.
Derek Freaking Hale. Derek Freaking Gorgeous Ass Hale. Derek Freaking Gorgeous Ass Bed Abandoning Hale. His face mirrored Stiles’. Complete and total shock. Derek’s mouth was slightly open, as if he was still trying to form words… But sadly, it was a little late for words. Stiles had a hard time finding the right words as well, He didn’t know what to say to the other man. A first. Sadly “Hi” and “How have the last three years of your life been?” didn’t seem like they were going to cut it. But Derek Hale was always one of the only people that could make him go speechless.. Stiles did manage to be the first one to recover from the shock. He managed to move away from the cans and spilled food and free his cart from the mess as well and quickly… Not running, but running away.
It took Derek another few seconds to comprehend what was happening and then he was running after him, overturned cart and mess forgotten. “Stiles! Shit Stiles!” He called after him, almost tripping over his own feet. In another life he’d be head over heels to see the gigantic Derek Hale tripping over his own feet to get to him. Derek may be five years older than him but he still had a good deal of height, and muscle on the ever lanky Stiles. He didn’t bother to turn back to Derek. He kept walking, straight ahead like a soldier. Because he knew there was a good chance that if he turned back he’d punch Derek’s perfect nose in.
“Stiles, please, wait!” Derek said as he finally managed to get in front of him, effectively stopping him by placing both hand on the sides of the cart. “I swear to whatever god your furry werewolf ass believes in, I will run you over with this cart if you don’t move your ass.” Stiles didn’t look at him as he threatened him. He knew Derek could hear his heart pounding from the anxiety of finally having to face Derek. “Stiles, Please-” But Stiles didn’t give him a chance to finish the thought. “No, Derek! Stop standing there, stop saying my name, stop the regretful look, just stop everything! I don’t care, I don’t care about anything you have to say to me anymore! And you have proved that you have nothing to say to me! So just let me leave!” Stiles was exclaiming, he knew he was but he didn’t care how loud he was getting. “Just let me explain, please. I can explain everything!” Derek wasted no time in starting to plead with him. “Three years too late Derek! No contact, nothing! For three years after you used me! Not even a damn note on your pillow!” Stiles still couldn’t forget the feeling of finding out Derek’s cell had been disconnected, he couldn’t even do that sappy thing where he called his phone to hear his voicemail message.
“Stiles please believe me- I’m so sorry. Just let me explain. I know I deserve all of this, all your anger. But I promise, I had a reason.” Derek was full on pleading at this point but Stiles didn’t- couldn’t listen. He wouldn’t let himself be hurt again. Stiles shook his head, he had to find the words, why was it he couldn’t find the words. He could always babble on, find something to say. But not now. The only thing he felt coming were tears and he was not going to let Derek Hale see him cry.
“I don’t want to hear it, Derek.” Stiles couldn’t meet his eyes anymore, not that he was doing such a good job of it before. “I won’t get hurt again. I can’t.” Stiles knew he had to get away from Derek. He was going to have a panic attack if he didn’t. He hadn’t had one on months, and he hadn’t had a Derek related one in over a year. He was finally feeling better. So, he unceremoniously abandoned his cart and made a break for the door. Thankfully Derek was still in too much shock to bolt after him. And luckily there was a rather irate worker who was ready to tackle Derek if he didn’t pay for what was broken. Sometimes fate isn’t a bitch.
Stiles didn’t stop running until he reached he and Scott’s apartment. They had almost finished moving in but that didn’t stop the door from hitting a stray box as it swung open. Stiles only could slam it closed and flop down on the couch. He didn’t want to think about Derek, about how in love with him he was. Even before they started flirting, Stiles had a massive crush on him. It was almost better when Derek had been oblivious to his pining.
He heard Scott walk in a little while later. “If you didn’t get my ice cream I’ll kill you.” His roommate said as he walked to the small kitchen. Stiles just groaned back in response, not bothering to look up to see his friend. He could hear Scott rummaging around, he had a good mental idea of how this would play out. First: he would notice he was ice cream less, second: he would check for other things Stiles had said he was going to get, and finally he would approach his roommate about it.
“Hey man?” He sympathetically asked, right on cue, “Did you go out today?” He could hear the worry in Scott’s voice. He had been there with him through some of the worst moments of his life. He could always tell whenever Stiles was hurting. It wasn’t even a werewolf sense, it was just a Scott sense. “Yeah.” Stiles replied noncommittally, he didn’t want Scott to turn into a mother hen. He was a grown man, he could carry his own broken heart. “Did you have a panic attack?” Scott asked as he sat down on the floor near the arm of the couch so he was close to Stiles’s face. It was his way of giving Stiles space but still remaining close. “No, nothing like that… I saw Derek today.” Stiles hated the weakness in his voice, it was three years ago, he should be fine now. He should have stopped caring. “Derek Hale? What was he doing there?” Scott sounded almost as surprised as he had felt earlier. No one had known where Derek had disappeared to. One day he was there then the next his apartment was cleaned out and his phone was disconnected, almost like he never existed.
“I don’t know, I didn’t talk to him.” Stiles responded, sitting up. He refused to look at his friend. “Then are you sure it was him, it could have been someone else that just looked like him maybe?” Scott's effort to console him, as well meaning as they were, fell flat. “I know it was him Scott, he said my name. I ran into him with my cart, well I hit his cart with mine and knocked it over.” Stiles blurted, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. “What?” Scott asked as he maneuvered onto the couch so he was sitting next to his friend. “Yeah.” A humorless chuckle escaped Stiles. “He tried to talk to me but… I didn’t let him. Should I have? I mean, if i was the reason he left Beacon Hills then maybe i should have listened to him.” Scott could recognize when Stiles was about to start babbling so he spoke up. “No man. You know you weren’t the reason he left. Derek has always had his own reasons for doing everything, you know that.” Stiles just nodded but he leaned into Scott’s arms when his best friend wrapped an arm around him.
“Hey Scott?” Stiles asked a little bit later. They hadn’t moved yet and Stiles really didn’t want to but there was something pressing on his mind. “Yeah man?” Scott asked. “My ass is asleep… And I’m hungry…. And we have no food.” Scott couldn’t help but chuckle at his friend’s complaints. “Well two of those are your fault Stiles.” Scott said, earning him a jab in the ribs, but it just made him laugh louder. “Pick a movie, I’ll call for Thai.” Scott said while moving for his phone. “Deal.” Stiles got off the couch with a small limp (making Scott laugh even more) and went to go through their movies. Eventually settling on Zootopia.
They spent the rest of the on the couch after their take out arrived, binge watching old movies and Disney movies. The only talking they did was bickering about which movie to put on next (“But Scottttt, we haven’t watched Young Frankenstein in forever…”) They wound up crashing on the couch together, Derek completely gone from both of their minds.