Work Text:
Stiles has known Derek for a while now. Ever since Derek moved back to Beacon Hills with his family at the start of middle school. To say they got off to a good start would be a lie. Stiles is pretty sure Derek hated him for at least the first year they knew each other. Though to be fair, Stiles did crash into him with his lunch tray, and sent all its contents spilling all over Derek. He’d had to borrow one of the leftover art club t-shirts from the school, and it didn’t exactly fit him. Something the other kids had enjoyed pointing out when they saw him the rest of the day.
So yeah, Stiles really couldn’t blame Derek for hating him.
It wasn’t until sophomore year that they even talked to each other. They had to work together on a science project. Stiles was sure it was going to end horribly. But it went surprisingly well. They found out they had a lot more in common than they initially realized. After that, it was only natural for them to become friends.
But that’s all its ever been. No matter how attractive Stiles might think Derek is. Or how much he loves to make him laugh. He can’t think about him like that. Because somewhere out there he has a soulmate. And falling for Derek Hale is out of the question.
He knows other people date in the time before they meet their soulmates, but Stiles can’t do that. He’s not sure he could date someone else and not get attached. It would only lead to him getting hurt. Especially if that person is Derek. Not that Derek would date him. But if it were an option…
Stiles sighs and shakes his head. He really shouldn’t be thinking about this. He feels a tingling on his arm and looks down to see the now familiar loopy scrawl of his soulmate on his arm, “How’s school?”
Stiles hides his smiles as he grabs his pen and writes back, “Boring as ever. Chemistry is the worst.”
He watches as the words linger there for a moment before disappearing. He tries to pay attention as Harris speaks. But his brain goes fuzzy, as it always does with him. He thinks he’d probably understand and like chemistry more if he had a different teacher.
His arm tingles again and he looks down to see what’s written there: “Clearly if you’re talking to me instead of paying attention.”
Stiles’ response is immediate, “You started it.”
All he gets back is a carefully crafted face with a halo. He hears a throat clearing and looks up to find Harris looking at him, clearly not pleased. “Anything you’d care to share with the class, Mr. Stilinski? Or can I continue?”
Stiles feels his face heat up as people around him start to snicker. Rather than ducking his head down, he raises it high and grins at Harris, “By all means, continue your riveting lecture.”
Harris narrows his eyes, opens his mouth to say something, only close it with an audible clack. He shakes his head and turns to walk back towards the front of the classroom, muttering under his breath. “He’s not worth it.”
Words that unfortunately Stiles can relate to.
Derek is waiting for him in the hall after class, wearing a knowing smirk. “So I hear Harris gave you shit.”
“How? Class literally just got out.”
“Cora was texting me,” Derek tells him.
“Oh of course,” Stiles mutters. “She can text in class and it’s fine. But I look down too often and he gets out bent out of shape.”
“It’s because I don’t make it obvious,” Cora says, throwing an arm across his shoulders. “You however, are far too obvious when you're not paying attention. No one smiles the way you were over chemistry.”
“I could!”
Derek snorts at that, “Not with Harris as the teacher.”
Stiles opens his mouth to argue, but then closes it. They both know the long standing animosity he has going with Harris. He settles for rolling his eyes and shrugging out of Cora’s grip, before starting down the hall.
“You’re both assholes,” Stiles calls over his shoulder.
He keeps his pace slow, allowing the laughing pair to catch up with him easily.
“So did Derek ask you yet?” Cora asks.
Stiles looks between the two in confusion, “Ask me what?”
“Nothing…” Derek starts, but Cora hurries to cut him off, looking far too gleeful.
“He needs you to be his date to dinner Friday night.”
Stiles tilts his head back to look at Derek, “Why?”
Derek sighs, “I may have told mom I was seeing someone to get her off my back. She thinks I need to get out more or something. And I’ve been telling her there’s no point in dating, but she won’t let it go. She thinks I’m lonely or something. Which I’m not. I told her I’ve been seeing you a lot.”
“Which you have,” Stiles says.
“Yes, I know. But she took it a different way, and I’d already agreed that you would come to dinner before I realized what she thought I meant.”
“Which is that we’re dating,” Stiles says, catching on to where this is going.
Derek nods, “Yeah. She looked so happy. I didn’t have the heart to correct her.”
“Der, she’s going to find out eventually.”
“Yeah but she doesn’t have to know it was fake. We could just say we broke up.”
“As long as you don’t let her think I broke your heart or something. I love your mom. I don’t want her to hate me.”
“So does that mean you’ll do it?” Derek asks, looking hopeful.
Stiles hadn’t even taken a moment to think about it. He knows he should. He’s been trying not to get attached to Derek, and pretending to date him could be dangerous. At least for his heart. But Derek needs him.
“Yeah I’ll do it.”
Derek’s answering grin makes it worth it.
“You’re both idiots,” Cora mutters.
She tosses her hair over her shoulder and heads off down the hall to join Isaac at his locker.
“We’re not idiots,” Derek mutters to himself.
Stiles smiles, but he can’t help thinking they kind of are. At least he is. For agreeing to get into this situation with Derek. He just hopes it doesn’t blow up in his face.
***
Stiles shows up early for dinner on Friday. He’d been nervous all day. Which led to him getting ready early in fear of being late and making a bad impression. Which is ridiculous. He’s spent plenty of time with the Hale’s. Whatever impression they have of him is well established. Showing up late to dinner wasn’t going to change that.
Except this is different. He’s not going as Stiles. He’s going as Stiles, Derek’s boyfriend. Or well… fake boyfriend. But they think he’s his real boyfriend. So he has to at least put in some effort.
So he’s knocking on their front door at half past five, a whole half an hour early. He hears running footsteps from inside, before the door opens to reveal Derek’s sister Laura. She’s older than Derek by three years, and has been away at college. Stiles had assumed she still would be.
She gives him a predatory grin, before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him inside, “Well hello Stiles .”
Stiles doesn’t like the way she says his name. He knows he’s in for a round of questioning. Something he thought he was prepared for. But not when it comes to Laura.
“Laura,” Stiles says, plastering what he hopes passes for an easy grin on his face. “I didn’t know you were home.”
“Oh I heard Derek was bringing his boyfriend for dinner, so I made a point of driving back,” Laura tells him. “Derek never brings any dates home.”
“Because Derek doesn’t date,” Cora says, joining the two in the hall. “Ever.”
“Oh will you two cut it out,” their mother says. Talia Hale enters the room, directing disapproving looks at her two daughters. “Poor Stiles has barely walked in the door and you’re already pestering him. Leave the poor boy alone.”
Stiles smiles, “Evening Mrs. Hale.”
Talia smiles warmly at him, “Talia, please. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t hug you. I’m covered in flour.”
Stiles just now notices the state of her apron, which is indeed almost completely white. “Do you need any help?”
She waves him off, “No. Absolutely not. You’re our guest. Derek should be upstairs in his room if you want to go find him and escape these two heathens.”
Stiles thanks her, and heads up the stairs. He stumbles almost misses a step when Laura’s voice reaches him from the hall, “And no funny business! We’ll know!”
Derek is laying on his bed reading when Stiles knocks on the door. He looks up from the book and his eyes widen when he notices Stiles, “Shit. Is it six already?”
“No, you’re fine.” Stiles rubs the back of his neck, and steps into the room. “I just got here early.”
“Who let you in?” Derek questions. He puts the book aside and sits up. He gestures for Stiles to close the door, and he does as he’s told, before joining Derek on the bed.
“Laura.”
Derek grimaces, “Shit. I’m sorry. She just had to be here.”
“As she said,” Stiles says.
“It’s all Cora’s fault,” Derek mutters. “She just had to run and tell Laura.”
“But I thought Cora knew,” Stiles says, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“Oh she does. And she thinks this whole thing is hilarious. Which is exactly why she had to tell Laura. Because she’s a brat and lives to make my life hell.”
Stiles smiles. Derek is always talking about how annoying Cora is, but he knows it’s all talk. They might bicker but they love each other. They just have their own, interesting ways of showing it. Stiles kind of envies it. The closest thing he’s ever had to a brother is Scott.
They join Laura, Cora, and Talia downstairs for dinner about twenty minutes later. He takes a seat next to Derek, with Laura sitting next to him, and Talia and Cora across from them. His stomach gives a loud rumble at the sight of the delicious food sitting on the table in front of them.
“Oh I’m just so happy for you two,” Talia says. “I’ve always said how adorable you two would be together.”
Laura nods, “She has. And she’s not wrong. I’m just surprised Derek finally got up the nerve to ask you out.”
Derek tenses next to him, and Derek turns to him in confusion. “Finally?”
“Oh yeah,” Cora says. “It’s annoying, really. He’s been…”
Her words are cut off when a spoonful of mashed potatoes hits her in the face. She lets out a shriek and glares over at Derek. “What the hell?”
She gathers food on her own spoon, and prepares to launch it at Derek in retaliation, but stops when her mother clears her throat and levels her with a look that screams “don’t you dare.” Cora sighs and puts her spoon down.
“I’m going to get cleaned up,” she mutters, before getting to her feet.
“That wasn’t very nice, Derek,” Laura chastises him.
“Well she wasn’t being very nice,” Derek retorts. He tosses his napkin down on the table before scooting his chair back and getting to his feet. Stiles goes to stand, but Derek shakes his head. “You can stay. I just need some air.”
Stiles watches him go with a frown. Derek hadn’t been mean about it, but his voice had an edge to it that Stiles hadn’t heard before. Stiles tries to tell himself that it’s because he’s upset with Cora, and has nothing to do with him. But he’s not so sure.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Laura tells him, putting stiles out of his thoughts. “He can just be a little… touchy. And Cora likes to push his buttons.”
“Yeah I’ve noticed,” Stiles says.
“Just give him time and he’ll be fine,” Talia tells him.
He joins Talia, Laura, and Cora in the living room to play a game of Uno. Derek joins them after a few minutes, but rather than taking the spot Stiles had left empty beside him, he sits across from Stiles. He doesn’t meet his eyes and Stiles feels his stomach drop. He doesn’t know why. If Derek is having doubts about continuing to go through with this he can understand that. It can’t be easy lying to his family. But Stiles wish he would just talk to him.
He corners him after the game, when Derek’s family heads back into the kitchen to find dessert. Derek goes to follow them, but Stiles grabs him by the sleeve of his shirt and tugs him down on the couch next to him.
Derek gives a put upon sigh, “What do you want Stiles?”
“I want you to talk to me,” Stiles tells him.
“I am talking to you.”
“No you’re not. You’re giving stilted responses that aren’t more than five words. That’s not talking.”
“Maybe I just don’t feel like talking,” Derek says. His eyes are focused straight ahead at the clock on the wall.
“Der…”
“Just drop it!” Derek says. “Just please for once let things be.”
Stiles takes his bottom lip between his teeth. He wants to press further, but right now he knows better. Pushing Derek to talk right now is only going to make him angry and will get them nowhere. He’ll just have to try later.
Stiles sighs and takes out his pen drop his pocket, turning it over in his fingers. He can feel the familiar itch in his skin that he gets when he thinks about talking to his soulmate. He rolls up his sleeve, and lets the pin hover over his skin.
"I'm pretty sure this dude that is pretending to be my date hates me," Stiles writes on his skin. He doesn’t really think Derek hates him, but with the way Derek’s been acting cold since dinner it’s hard not to go there.
Stiles notices Derek tense next to him, and when he peers over he sees Derek writing on his arm and catches a few of the words.
He’s distracted when his own skin starts tingling, and looks down to see a familiar set of words appear on his skin. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't hate you, Mieczyslaw."
Stiles feels his breath catch, and his eyes widen. He’d never told his soulmate his name. At least not his real one.
Derek is fidgeting next to him. He’s nervous, Stiles realizes.
Stiles takes a chance and quickly writes a message back, “Then why has he been so off with me tonight?”
He turns his head in time to see his own hand writing appear on Derek’s arm. His heart starts beating heavily in his chest. All this time, his soulmate has been right here, and he’d never realized it. He’d spent so much time agonizing about Derek, and he never had to.
His skin tingles and he looks down at the words written on his skin, “Because he never thought he could have you.”
Stiles looks up at Derek to find him watching him. He looks just as shocked as Stiles feels.
“Stiles…”
Stiles moves without thinking. His lips find Derek’s for a long overdue kiss. Derek reacts quickly, pulling him closer with an arm around his waist. Stiles pulls back and lets out a giddy laugh.
“I can’t believe it’s you,” he says. He runs his fingers across Derek’s cheek, down to his jaw.
“You’re not disappointed?” Derek asks.
Stiles shakes his head, “Of course not. I’ve been…”
“What?”
“I’ve been feeling things for you for a while, Der. And it scared me. It scared me because I could feel myself falling in love with you. But I thought I had a soulmate out there, someone else, waiting for me. But it’s been you all along.” Stiles hesitates for a moment, before asking the words that are there on the tip of his tongue. “You’re not disappointed, are you?”
“No,” Derek says. “I’m not. I wanted it to be you. I was even asking mom if soulmates could be platonic, because I couldn’t imagine ever loving anyone else the way I love you.”
Stiles’ eyes widen, “You love me?”
“I do.”
Stiles kisses him again, longer this time. He pours everything he’s feeling into the kiss, and hopes that Derek can understand. He seems to. He pulls Stiles closer, as he kisses him back with an intensity that has his head spinning.
They pull back for air, and Stiles rests his forehead against Derek’s. “I love you too.”
“Awww.”
Stiles’ eyes drift to over Derek’s shoulder, where Talia, Laura, and Cora are all standing in the hall. Talia has her hands covering her mouth, while Laura grins at them. Cora just rolls her eyes.
“You two are acting as if you’ve never seen two people tell each other they love one another before.”
“Not like this,” Laura says. “Stiles and Derek are soulmates.”
“Oh I’m so happy,” Talia says. She brings a hand up to wipe at her eyes.
“What I want to know is how the hell have you two been friends this long, and yet you weren’t able to recognize each other’s hand writing on your skin?” Laura asks them.
Stiles rests his head on Derek’s shoulder, “This is why technology is evil.”
Derek places a kiss to his cheek, “Well, we’ll certainly never forget what it looks like now.”
Stiles thinks of being able to communicate with Derek as easily as writing on his arm, and smiles. It’s hard to believe that this whole time he’s been thinking of his soulmate and Derek as two different people. Now he knows they’re one and the same. He couldn’t be happier.