Work Text:
Stiles stood shivering outside on the pavement. He’d forgotten to grab his jacket in his haste to get out of the club and was seriously regretting it already, but there was no way in hell he was going back in there to get it. No matter how cold it was outside, or the fact that it had just started raining, he had his dignity.
Another shudder ran through him as he contemplated what to do next. He didn’t really want to go home. His dad wouldn’t be there, the Sheriff was working a night shift tonight, and Stiles didn’t feel like being alone right now.
He could call Scott, but chances were he was sound asleep, and if he wasn’t it was because he would be up with Erica doing a night feed. Allison had told him Scott had offered to take over some of the night time feedings to let her get some rest, since with the colic Erica had been keeping her up until crazy hours recently. He knew if he called he could go there, but he didn’t want to intrude.
Sighing he pulled out his cell phone and thumbed through the contacts, he knew who he was going to call he just wasn’t sure if they would answer. A deep breath and a tap later he held his slightly shaking hand up to his ear and listened to the ringing.
It didn’t take long for the call to connect, less time that Stiles would have expected even if it weren’t the middle of the night. Almost like the person on the other end had been sitting there holding the phone expecting a call. There was silence though, and Stiles knew he would have to talk first otherwise they weren’t going to get anywhere.
“Hey, um listen I know we didn’t exactly leave things in a great place last time we spoke. But I’m kind of stuck right now and I don’t want to go home alone… can you please come and get me?” There was hesitation in his voice, he knew he was asking for a lot given the circumstances but he held his breath and hoped.
“Where are you?” Came the gruff response after a moments pause, and Stiles felt all of the breath leave him in a rush. Really he had known that if he called the answer would be yes, he always knew that, but he had been less sure than usual and definitely thought he would have to grovel some more first.
Stiles explained which club he was at and then they disconnected the call after he confirmed that yes he would stay right next to the bouncer while he waited. He was still shivering but just knowing someone was on their way to get him helped him to fend off any panic that might have been welling up before.
Stiles struck up a conversation with the bouncer, nothing heavy just chatting about how cold it was and that the music inside had sucked tonight, something to pass the time and keep him out of his own head. Then 10 minutes later a familiar car pulled up to the curb beside the entrance and Stiles waved and ran over to open the door.
“Stiles…” Derek started with a frown once he was settled in and buckled up, clearly not happy about the fact that he was icy cold and sort of soaked through in only his tightest t-shirt and skinny jeans. It really wasn’t a practical outfit, but that hadn’t been the point of this evening, practicality wasn’t on his mind when he had gotten dressed tonight.
Stiles glanced over to him in his comfortable looking sweat pants and soft tshirt, feeling jealous and a little guilty that he had clearly pulled the older man from bed. Also a little jealous that he looked so good still, even in sleep attire, and Stiles surely looked like a drowned rat by now.
“Derek… I will tell you all about it I swear, but for now can we please just go back to your apartment so I can change and get warmed up” Stiles implored with a sigh. He knew he would have to explain, but putting it off until he was dry seemed like a good idea, since this was going to turn into a longer conversation and he figured the massive ‘I told you so’ he had coming might be easier to take once he was more comfortable.
By the time they had reached the loft and Stiles had borrowed some warm clothes and gotten comfortable on the couch it was nearly 1am. Late, but not as late as it felt given the evening he had just had.
Derek came to join him with a cup of hot chocolate, which honestly given the circumstances was probably more than Stiles deserved. He handed the mug to the younger man and then sat and looked to Stiles expectantly. Right, no more putting it off then.
“You were right.” Stiles said finally, quietly but determined, there was no point dragging it out any further. Derek had warned him, he’d been so sure, and Stiles had blown him and off and exploded at him for being so unsupportive.
“I’m sorry, I should have listened to you.” He continued, not quite meeting Derek’s eyes but finding he had to keep talking or he might start crying.
“We got to that club tonight, and almost immediately Jack disappeared on me, went off to ‘dance’. I finally found him about an hour later making out with some chick pressed up against the wall of the club.”
“I tapped him on the shoulder and he just looked at me like ‘what? What do you want?’ I don’t know if I expected an apology really but he didn’t even try to explain. I had to push for him to tell me why, and you know what he said?”
Stiles finally looked up from his hot chocolate and met Derek’s gaze, he looked resigned but not as gleeful and Stiles thought he should. And that was probably about to change when he heard the next part of the story.
“He said exactly what you said, he was only dating me to get a hit off of my power as a Spark. He never had any real interest in me, how could he I mean look at me – and I’m not being self-deprecating here that is literally what he said. And you knew, I don’t know why that even surprises me at this point.” Letting out a soft sigh Stiles dropped his head backwards onto the edges of the sofa and closed his eyes waiting for Derek to respond.
“I didn’t want to be right, if that helps.” Derek said finally, gently and with more sympathy than Stiles felt he deserved given that he hadn’t listened to begin with, but he was grateful for it none the less.
“How did you…? You know what never mind it probably doesn’t matter how you knew, and I’m fairly certain that your answer would make me feel even worse about my self-esteem so maybe it’s better if we don’t talk about it.”
Derek chuckled darkly and put a hand on Stiles’ shoulder to get his attention, so he turned his head to the side while still resting on the couch and opened his eyes. Derek’s eyes were soft and so was his smile and Stiles felt his stomach swoop with attraction.
The only reason he had even gone out with Jack was because he had asked and Stiles was sick of being hung up on Derek with a hopeless crush that would never amount to anything. That was why he had gotten so defensive with Derek suggested that Jack might not be interested for the right reasons, he already knew he wasn’t anybody’s first choice in partner, but hearing it confirmed by the man he had been half in love with for years now stung.
“Stiles, I think the reason that I knew what was going on would surprise you. And to be totally truthful, I suspected but I wasn’t sure. Not really, I just needed a reason that I could give you without telling you the whole truth.”
At that Stiles pulled his head up and turned to face Derek more directly. “What are you talking about? You were so sure when you told me, I basically had to completely ignore everything you said to convince myself it didn’t make sense.”
“Yeah well, I guess I can be convincing when I want to be” Derek replied with a shrug. “I suspected something because I didn’t feel like he looked at you the way he should if he was really into you. And also I know I said I didn’t want to be right, and I didn’t want you to get hurt… but I actually kind of did want to be right about him… if only because that meant then you wouldn’t be with him anymore.”
Derek made this admission quietly, but he never moved his gaze from Stiles and didn’t falter while he spoke. Stiles was still confused but he was beginning to suspect that was because he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle that Derek had been withholding from him.
“Why would you care about that? I mean you said it yourself same as he did, it didn’t make sense for him to be interested in me. Was that it? You knew either way I was going to get hurt, because even if hadn’t been using me for my powers, he was far too good looking for me and he was going to break my heart anyway?” Stiles tried to rationalise what Derek had said, it didn’t entirely make sense but it was still the best he could come up with.
“No Stiles,” Derek shook his head with another chuckle “ I honestly never even considered that he might not be attracted to you, I was scrambling for a reason, any reason, for you not to be with him because it was driving me crazy.”
Stiles mouth dropped open and he stared at Derek’s face, his brain was not computing, none of this made sense and he couldn’t make words work to ask questions either. Slowly Derek’s soft smile dropped into dejected look but he kept talking. He wanted to make sure Stiles knew that he had no reason to be self-conscious.
“I was jealous Stiles. Jealous because he was with you, and I couldn’t be. I know that might seem like something out of the blue, but I’ve felt this way for a long time now. I never intended to tell you, we’re friends and I am so glad I get to have that, but I couldn’t let you think that I agreed with that idiot.”
“You are amazing Stiles, and beautiful, and the only reason I knew that he wasn’t with you for the right reasons was because I didn’t see when he looked at you what I know is written all over my face when I look at you.”
Derek stared into Stiles’ eyes for a moment more trying to impress on him that he was telling the truth, but then he couldn’t take the vulnerability anymore so he dropped his gaze to the mug of hot chocolate that he had almost forgotten he was holding.
“Anyway, you can forget I said any of that, but just remember that this wasn’t your fault and he didn’t deserve you.” He said more quietly, and taking a deep breath turned to get up, then Stiles lay a hand on his knee stopping him with only the lightest pressure but it was enough to make Derek’s heart skip a beat.
“I can’t believe I didn’t know, and I can’t believe you were jealous of that guy when the only reason I went out with him in the first place was distract myself from the fact that I was hung up on you.” Stiles told him gently, putting out a hand to grasp his chin and turn his face back to look at him.
They stared at each other for a moment, then slowly Stiles used the hand grasping Derek’s chin to bring him closer and draw their mouths together in a soft kiss. It only lasted a moment, and they pulled back, Stiles dropping his hand, and rested their foreheads together breathing deeply.
“Wow, I never would have predicted this when I called you to come pick me up earlier. I wasn’t even sure you would come to be honest.” Stiles joked with a light laugh, full of happiness that he never expected to feel, especially tonight.
A smile spread across Derek’s face in response, relieved that nothing had really changed between them though everything was different now.
“I will always come to get you when you call.” He told Stiles seriously and leaned in for another kiss before the younger man had a chance to respond.