Work Text:
"Sometimes I hate New York City," Stiles says, stumbling into the apartment. He shuts the door behind him and rubs his hands together. "Why is there so much snow?”
Derek looks up from his knitting, pausing to study his roommate. He shrugs. “You’re the one who wanted to go to school here.”
Stiles blows onto his hands, as though that’s going to do anything to warm him up. “I know, I know. Thank you for moving with me. My dad was telling me yet again how happy he is that you came up here to protect me from ‘the real world’, Derek.”
"Your dad loves me," Derek reminds him. He sets his knitting aside on the couch and waves Stiles over. "Come here."
Stiles kicks off his boots and tries to brush some snow off his legs before he wanders over to Derek. He plops down beside him, and holds his hands out. He knows what’s next. Derek starts rubbing his hands.
"You’re going to get frostbite," Derek murmurs.
"I keep losing my damn mittens."
"Take mine next time."
"What, so you get frostbite? No way, mister. You just said that my dad loves you. Do you know how mad he’d be if I stole your mittens and you lost a hand?” Stiles asks, with a small smile on his face.
"First off, I’m a werewolf. I would heal before I ever got frostbite. Secondly, I think your dad would drag your ass back to Beacon Hills if he knew you weren’t taking care of yourself,” Derek tells him. He focuses on Stiles’ hands for a moment, enjoying the way his skin feels, before he asks, “Have you talked to Scott since last Thursday?”
"No, but it’s not a big deal. He and Kira just got engaged, so he’ll be in Kira-land for the next thirty years before he remembers my existence,” Stiles answers. He shifts a little closer to Derek. “Isaac called me though. I guess he and Allison are going away for Christmas break. Allison’s dad is visiting some family in France, and Isaac convinced her that it’d be a great trip.”
"That sounds nice," Derek murmurs. By now, Stiles’ hands have gone back to room temperature, so Derek regretfully lets them go.
Man, they could’ve had it all. You know, if Derek wasn’t such a whimp and he actually made a move on Stiles. Erica and Boyd had been not-so-subtly hinting at Derek telling Stiles how he feels, but he could never. The kid has a date every Friday night and never talks to him about it. He assumes that he likes to keep his love life private, and, well, Derek can’t fault him for that.
He can’t fault Stiles for wanting to live a normal life. Dating a werewolf? That doesn’t count as normal.
"Whatcha working on?" Stiles asks, eyeing Derek’s knitting.
"A gift," Derek replies, hoping it’s evasive enough.
Stiles nods knowingly. “I’m sure Isaac will love it. Not that the dude needs anymore scarves though.”
Then Stiles is getting up off the couch and walking into the kitchen. Derek lifts his knitting and tries not to be discouraged. Stiles has no idea. Maybe it’s better that way.
♚♞♚♞♚♞
"Today fucking sucked!" Stiles shouts a few weeks later when he storms into their apartment. Derek pauses to grab a box from his desk before he comes out into the living room to join Stiles.
"What’s wrong?" Derek asks. He eyes Stiles down immediately. The kid seems to be in one piece, but who knows what he’s like inside. He’d been through so much.
"Don’t get all protective of me suddenly," Stiles says, wiggling a finger around in the air. "It was just a shitty day at work, topped off with this fucking snowstorm we’re having, and the fact that the dumb subway was closed down. So I had to cab home with money I don’t really have—and no, don’t even think about offering to pay me back for the fare, because we both know that argument won’t end well since you already pay for our groceries—and some dude almost spat at me. But it’s okay, because I’m home now.”
Derek reaches out for him and pulls Stiles into a hug. “You’re home now. What can I do for you?”
Stiles settles into the hug a few seconds before Derek releases him. “You can tell me what’s in that box, Hale.”
He steps back, and then holds it out. “Only because you’ve had such a shitty day. I was supposed to be done them a while ago, but with our finals and work and game nights…it just didn’t happen.”
Stiles grins. “A surprise present? Today’s looking better already.”
Derek waits in anticipation as Stiles carefully opens the box. Then he pulls out the mittens that Derek has been working on for over a month now. Stiles’ jaw drops.
"Oh my god. Derek. Derek…Derek these are gorgeous.”
"Do you like them?" he asks, nervous.
"Do I—?" Stiles sputters. "I love them. You knit me mittens. Because I always complain about my hands being cold. And I…Derek, you made wolf mittens. How the hell did you manage to do this without me even noticing?”
"I don’t know," Derek admits. "But there’s a tutorial for everything on YouTube so I—”
"So you watched hours upon hours of a YouTube tutorial to learn how to make these for me?” Stiles interrupts to ask. He pulls them on. “A perfect fit. Holy shit, Derek. Best present ever.”
"Well it’s not a big deal but—"
"I’m never losing these. I promise you." Stiles moves his hands around and then shakes his head in disbelief. "This must have taken you forever. They’re so great. I could kiss you right now."
"Okay," Derek says before he can think twice about it.
Stiles looks up at him, processes Derek’s answer, and then he’s launching himself at his best friend. Stiles puts his hands on Derek’s cheeks, and for a split second, Derek’s relieved he bought the softest and warmest yarn he could find. But then he’s not thinking about the mittens against his skin because Stiles is kissing him. Hello.
"Stiles," Derek breathes when there’s a pause. "What was that for?"
"No one’s ever put so much thought into a surprise gift for me before," Stiles admits, slightly out of breath. "No one’s ever…but you do, you always do, Derek. I…you came to New York City for me, and you rub my hands when they’re cold, and you knit me personal mittens. I’ve been trying to deny it, but I can’t. I’m so desperately in like with you that I pretend to go out on dates because I know that’s what you want me to be doing, but in reality, I’m studying at the library."
It takes Derek a second to process this confession. “But Stiles…I just wanted you to have some normalcy in your life. I don’t want you to date a werewolf, because you deserve better than that.”
"Fuck that, Derek. I wouldn’t be dating a werewolf. I’d be dating you, and you are so much more than just that.”
"I—"
"What do you say?" Stiles prompts.
"I’m in like with you too," Derek responds finally.
Stiles laughs a little. “You’re the cutest, and I’m the luckiest man alive. Now please, please tell me with this whole new boyfriend thing, we get to rip clothes off of each other?”
"We can do more than that," Derek promises. He gives Stiles a quick kiss.
He hadn’t expected anything for the mittens. He’d only wanted Stiles to have warm hands. But this, well, this is better than anything he could’ve asked for anyway.
Derek lets Stiles drag him into a bedroom. “I think you should keep the mittens on.”
Stiles laughs hard now, and wiggles his eyebrows. “Wait until Scott hears my new boyfriend is a little kinky.”
"How about we don’t talk about our Alpha while I’m stripping you?" Derek asks, while he tugs Stiles’ sweater off.
"Deal," Stiles agrees. "Only because I don’t need the rest of the world to come after you. I’d never win."
"Are you kidding?" Derek asks in between kisses. "The rest of the world can come after me. As long as you want me, I’m yours."
♚♞♚♞♚♞