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Derek stared at the card Stiles had given him for their first anniversary and fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"I'd be lost without you. And horny. Lost and horny."
"You're dating an actual child," Derek muttered. Though Stiles had entered legal adulthood two years before, the only indication of that was his steadily increasing workload at college.
Derek sighed, took a look at the clock, and shoved the card into his briefcase before heading out. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't chuckled when he'd first read it, because it was funny, but he would also be lying if he said a card was all he expected. Things were good with Stiles. No, they were amazing.
He loved the goofy messages Stiles sent him: texts, emails, Snapchats, pictures, all of them showing up at random times, all of them making Derek's pulse skip in the best way. He loved the way Stiles looked when they Skyped, usually scruffy and tired but always smiling, like talking to Derek was the highlight of his day. He loved the way Stiles teased him unmercifully, the way he grinned when Derek snarled and laughed with his whole body when Derek snarked back, the way they were still there for each other, though it had evolved into something more, something beyond just saving each other's life.
Was it wrong to want a little... more from him for their first anniversary?
Derek shoved the thought away. Stiles was a goofball; he'd known this for years. They would head out to the fancy restaurant Derek had made reservations at for dinner, they'd come back to the loft, and then Derek would spend the rest of the evening worshipping every inch of Stiles's body.
It was going to be a fantastic night; Derek was sure of it. And later this year, when Stiles was back at school and Derek was missing him, he'd pull out that stupid card, smile, and think about how he was lost and horny too.
He got home, unlocked the door, and stepped right into a pile of rose petals.
What.
He blinked at the floor. Red and white rose petals had been strewn in a foot-wide path from the front doorway to the bedroom, and white Christmas lights sparkled all around the living room. On the floor, BunBun hopped between one of his beds and the rose petal walkway, lining said bed with the petals. Derek was pretty sure his bunny was nearly catatonic with glee.
"You're going to make yourself sick off those," he said, because it was slightly easier for him to parse BunBun overdosing on rose petals than the fact that there were rose petals on his goddamn floor in the first place.
It was the most over-the-top romantic thing anyone had ever done for him.
He set his briefcase by the couch and followed the trail of petals back to his bedroom, unknotting his tie as he went, already fighting a stupid smile that threatened to take over his face. He'd see whatever surprise Stiles had in store, and then he'd see about coaxing him into the shower to get ready for their dinner. Their reservations weren't until seven; they had time for a round or two of shower sex.
Derek pushed the bedroom door open and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Stiles.
Stiles, who was wearing the same white shirt and red vest he'd worn on their first date a year ago, smelling of happiness and nerves, hands shoved in the pockets of his black slacks and bouncing a little on the balls of his feet.
Derek slowly tugged his tie free of his shirt. "So what's the occasion?"
Stiles grinned. "I've been dating this awesome guy for a year. Thought I'd get a little romantical to celebrate. And I promise, the roses are safe for BunBun. I checked."
Of course Stiles would think of that. Derek strode forward and kissed him, just enough to get the taste of Stiles's lips, to feel him sway toward Derek with a quiet, satisfied hum. "I feel very romanced right now. Much more so than with that card."
"Hey, that card is hilarious." Stiles looped his arms around Derek's neck and pecked his cheek. "I couldn't help but share it with my boo."
Derek rolled his eyes, but his smile probably ruined the effect. He slid his hands down to Stiles's waist, rubbed thumbs over his hips. "I prefer boyfriend, in all honesty."
"Would you like fiancé better?"
Derek froze. "What?"
Stiles's heartbeat spiked, and he stepped away and ran a hand through his hair, suddenly jittery. "Sorry, I—dammit, I wasn't supposed to just say it like that. Let me try again."
He took a shaky breath and looked back at Derek with wide, earnest eyes. "I know we haven't talked about this much and I know we've only been together a year, but I love you. I'm pretty sure I've been half in love with you since I was sixteen years old and you basically told me and Scott to get the hell off your lawn. And I don't know anything about my future, I don't know if I'm going to go to grad school or get a job or what. The only thing I'm sure about is this: I want it with you."
Stiles smiled, his face totally open and practically giddy. "I look at what's coming and I just want to be with you every fucking step of the way. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. You're it for me, Derek."
Derek was staring. Hell, he was gaping, and his own heart was pounding almost as hard as Stiles's was.
Stiles crammed a shaking hand into his pocket and dug out a small black box.
"If you get down on one knee, I'm saying no," Derek blurted out.
Stiles let out a burst of laughter that sounded half-shocked and half-hysterical. "Oh, come on, it's romantic! I'm doing the romantic thing here!"
"I already told you," Derek closed the distance between them in two steps and wrapped his hands around Stiles's, "I'm romanced. I'm very romanced. And if you're on your knee, that's an extra half-second I have to wait to kiss you when I say yes, and I'm not waiting."
"I haven't even asked you anything!"
Derek bent forward to touch his forehead to Stiles's. "Yes, you did. You asked if I'd like being your fiancé better than your boyfriend. And yes, I would." He took a deep breath. "And I think I'd like being your husband even more."
Stiles's eyes went wide in surprise, and then he laughed again and threw his arms around Derek's neck, peppering his face with kisses. "Holy shit, dude, I love you so much."
Derek had to grab Stiles's chin to hold him still long enough to kiss him properly, long and slow and deep. Not a hello this time, but a promise, a vow for the years to come.
"Good anniversary present?" Stiles asked breathlessly when they parted a few minutes later.
Derek's heart felt like it might burst. "It's perfect."
***
They made it to dinner only ten minutes past their reservation. They did, however, get everything but the appetizer to go.
And when Stiles went back to school for the semester, Derek pulled out that stupid card, smiled, and thought about how they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.