Stiles was happy to slip into the sin bin. The two minutes for checking were worth it. He looked at the asshole who had gotten away with a tripping call on Rogers. It was Rogers' first game in the NHL. He was downtrodden, so Stiles ensured that the guy knew that the team wouldn't stand for it.

The two minutes passed with ease, and he joined the rest of his team to push toward their goal end. The game was tied, and there were now four minutes left in the third period. Stiles didn't pay attention to the time when he was on the ice but stuck in the penalty box; there was little else for him to do. He rushed to the spot for the play and grinned when the puck hit his stick, and he shoved it back toward the goal, right between the legs of the goalie. Stiles was glomped into as the guys rushed him and put him into the glass, hugs all around before he made his way around to swap off, getting high fives from everyone else on the team. The Rangers only had themselves to blame. Stiles held the record for the number of goals right off coming out of the penalty box in the NHL. They should have had him covered better.

When the final horn rang, the Vegas Golden Knights were up two and into the playoffs.

Getting out of the locker room and home took forever, but he was okay with that. He was showered and ready to head home when allowed to leave. He got into his car and waited in a short line for him to get out. A few fans were there to get pictures, and normally, Stiles was all about that, but tonight he wanted to get home.

The house was dark when Stiles pulled up. He activated the garage door and slipped his car in beside the black Camaro. He smiled as he got out. He touched the engine and found that it was cold. He grabbed his bag out of his Jeep and headed up into the kitchen. He dropped his bag in the laundry room off the kitchen and then headed to the bedroom. He found it exactly as he thought he would. With Derek curled up under the sheets.

Stiles stripped down to his boxers before he slipped under the blankets as well. He wasn't shocked that Derek was asleep, he would watch the game when he could, but the training had been hard that day for him. Stiles had read all of his messages that had come in during lags in training. The season was just getting going for Derek's team. Well, it was heating up as they pulled further and further ahead of the other teams. There were ten points between them and the rest of the teams in the Western Conference; hell, they were at the top of the table for all teams in the MLS.

"Stiles?" Derek asked.

"Aye, it's me. Shush, sleep."

"Need you." Derek wrapped his arm around Stiles and pulled him close.

"Need you, too," Stiles said. He let Derek put him how he wanted him. Derek was asleep again in seconds, and Stiles followed behind.

---

Off days were rare, but this was one. Stiles had practice in the morning and afternoon, but he was at loose ends after that. Normally he would stay at home and do something, but for once, Vegas United had a home game when Stiles wasn't playing or headed out of town. Stiles brought up the ticket on his phone and scanned it as he went through the barrier. He pulled his hat down on his face a little more and headed to the shop. It was the first home game he had made it to, and he didn't have a jersey for the season yet. He looked through and found the name he wanted. Hale.

There was also a Pride scarf still left with Derek's number on each end. He smiled as it was going to match his hat and his socks. He had a lot of Pride gear from Vegas United. Most of it Derek had brought home to him. This was Vegas's first season in the MLS. It wasn't like there was much time for Stiles to gather up anything from the team. He had a good bit of Las Vegas Lights FC gear, some with Derek's name on it.

When the Vegas United team was expanded, the Las Vegas Lights FC had ended their pairing with LAFC and paired with Vegas United. Derek had signed with Vegas United when they offered him a better contract despite him being older than most of the people they had already acquired.

"Sir, do you need help finding your seat?" an usher asked as he walked over to Stiles.

"No, thank you. I know where I am going. I was just taking it all in." Stiles pulled his phone out, and he checked what kind of things were going on using the app for the team. There was a give-a-away as well as an auction. The auction proceeds would help support a couple of all ages soccer teams in the area. Stiles could get behind that kind of thing. He looked through what was being bid on, and he found a few things and put in good bids on them.

"I'm sorry, are you Stiles?" a little boy asked.

Stiles put his phone up, and he smiled and nodded. The boy couldn't be any older than six. He was wearing a bunch of gear from the Golden Knights, which stood out here. He looked to the side to see another boy who looked exactly the same but was in United gear. Twins and one liked each sport, it seemed. Stiles crouched down and held out his hand. "I am Stiles. What is your name?"

"I'm Drew, and this is Derek."

"Derek, huh? Derek, who is your favorite United player?"

"I like Derek Hale. You are Drew's favorite player from the Knights."

"Oh, really?" Stiles looked up to the man standing behind Drew with a hand on Derek's shoulder.

"Are they bothering you?" the man asked.

"No, Sir, they are not. I'm just talking with one of my biggest fans if that's okay with you."

"Mister Stilinski, I wasn't...Of course, he would know you. I see you are sporting a Hale jersey yourself."

"Really?" Derek asked. He rushed around to look at Stiles' back. "You are! Is he your favorite as well?"

"He is."

"Dad, this is so cool."

"Yes, it is." The man looked like he was a little shell-shocked. "We were at your game last night. You gave Drew a warm-up puck. He slept with it clutched in his hands."

"Oh, really?"

"Sweetheart, what's delaying you?" another man asked as he stepped up to the first. The second man looked at the two boys and then at Stiles. His eyes glanced over him and then at the first man.

"Adam, this is Stiles," the first man said.

"Pleasure," Adam said, then a few seconds later, he looked at him. "Oh my."

"And your name?" Stiles asked.

"I'm sorry, my name is Stephen."

"Well, Stephen, Adam, Drew, and Derek, how about we go up to my box?"

"Oh, no, we-" Stephen started.

"YES!" the twins yelled.

"Good. I might even be able to get a surprise lined up." Stiles pulled out his phone, and he texted Derek that he would be in his box. He had checked in the ticket he had bought that was down at the sidelines just to the side of where the team sat. So he went through and made sure that his box would be open for them.

Derek: What should I bring up?

Stiles: Nothing. Just meet me on the sidelines during warm-ups and make sure they expect us.

There was nothing else, but that wasn't a shock.

"Stephen, Adam, I'll make sure that you two are settled, then the boys and I will head down to see warm-ups a lot closer."

"Why?"

"Cause I like my fans, and since I'm Drew's favorite, time spent with me will make him happy. Then there is the fact that Derek and I share a favorite player. I don't mind sharing what I have with these two and you two."

Adam and Stephen talked lowly with each other, and then they turned as one and pulled out wallets. "You are not allowed to buy them gifts or food. We can cover that."

"Of course, but Derek will end up with a game memento. Drew got one last night."

"And that's fine."

"Do either one of you follow me on Instagram?"

"I do," Stephen said.

"You can message me there. I check them, and as long as you start it off, so I know who you are, I'll respond if you need them back."

"Stiles, you have guests?" Aubrey asked as she came up beside Stiles. She looked at the boys and then at the adults. "Are you taking them to the sideline?"

"Yeah, the fathers are going up to my box."

"You checked in under your season ticket seat on the sidelines, didn't you?"

"I did. But these two faces! And look, he's a fan of Hale, just like me. The other is my biggest fan. I can't say no to hanging out and watching with them."

"You are too sweet." Aubrey kissed Stiles' cheek and then waved for Adam and Stephen to follow her.

"Ready?" Stiles asked. He knew that he was seen a lot with kids and trusted with them. If either man had wanted to come, they could, but Stiles found that sometimes the kids were happier without managing what they did around their parents.

Stiles had his badge with him, but most of the staff knew him and knew that he could not stop unless something was going on. He made it to the sidelines, where he sat down on the grass. Derek took a seat on the side closest to United warming up while Drew sat down on the other. He was looking out onto the field and watching the players from NYCFC as they flooded the field. The music started up for Vegas to take the field.

Little Derek jumped to his feet, and he cheered as Derek led the team out onto the field. He started to scream when Derek zeroed in on them and waved. Little Derek dropped down, and he seemed to focus solely on Derek as he was on the field. At one point, a ball rolled toward them, and Little Derek stood up and kicked it back onto the field, a little wide of where Derek was standing but good for his age.

"Do you both play?"

"Yeah. We both play both sports in a league in the area in Summerlin. We were so excited when United came to the area. I mean, we love the Lights but having a full-on MLS team? Yeah." Derek didn't take his eyes off the field at all.

"So you both play both sports?"

"I don't do anything with Drew, and he doesn't do anything without me. When we get older, we will have to pick, but right now, the leagues don't cross at all."

Stiles let the boys watch. He could see that even Drew was watching how everyone was playing. He watched Derek as he moved on the field, on how he moved at all, really. He was quite happy with what he was seeing.

A few minutes before the end, Stiles felt his phone vibrate. He looked at it to see it was Jackson, who was asking him who the two kids were as it seemed the pre-game shows were kind of enamored with him sitting there with two kids. Stiles was honest about it being some fans, and he was treating them to front seats.

"Stiles," Derek said.

Stiles dropped his phone into his lap, making sure the screen was off before he did. The picture was of him and Derek kissing, taken by one of Derek's teammates.

"Derek. This is Drew. He's a big fan of mine. And this is Derek. He's a big fan of yours," Stiles said.

"I can see that." Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out a sharpie. He had one of the balls in his hand, and he signed it before handing it off to Little Derek. "You are the boy that got Stiles' puck last night, aren't you?"

"You saw that?"

"One of the fans snapped a picture and posted it online of Stiles being adorable."

"You two know each other?" Little Derek asked.

"We do. We are both from the same city in California. We just happen to be working in the same city."

"Is that all?" Drew asked.

"Why?"

"Cause Mister Stiles has a picture of the two of you kissing on his phone. We won't tell anyone. It's not nice to out people."

"Ah, don't worry, boys. Today is the day, actually." Derek looked at Stiles and gave him a smile. "I expect you down on the sidelines, win, lose, or draw. I'm gonna take my kiss live in public. PR's expecting."

Stiles could only nod his head.

"HALE!"

"Gotta go. Head up to the box. I'll see you later." Derek stood up and spun on a heel to head back into the locker room to get ready to head out onto the field.

---

The game was like watching a major league team take on a group of toddlers. Stiles wasn't sure what was up with the NYCFC playing like shit.

Stiles was on the sidelines like Derek wanted, not out on the field like many kids were. They stayed behind the barriers where the staff were just to be safe. The players from NYC were all still on the field waving to their fans that were there. Stiles has the twins and their fathers with him as he hadn't been willing to say goodbye to them yet. Drew was enchanting, and he knew the sport well for his age, even from the point of view of a kid that played it.

"You are a wonder, Stiles," Adam said.

"Nah, I just love the game, and I love kids. I'm looking forward to the day that my partner and I have one. He wants to retire first, which will be in a few years. Right now, we both work too much to have kids."

"Partner?" Stephen asked.

Before Stiles could answer, he saw Derek heading toward them. He jumped the barrier and swept Stiles up in a kiss that was so deep that Stiles barely stayed on his feet. He wrapped his arms around Derek and held on tight. He could hear parts of the crowd who were going nuts. Stiles had been out for years, but Derek had needed time to get his head around coming out after years of being afraid.

"You are nuts," Stiles said when the kiss finally broke.

"No, it's just time to show the world. I'm not afraid anymore, Stiles. I'm not afraid that I love you. If you cater to my wants to show the world, I've talked with a lot of people. There is another home game for us in a month, and you have an afternoon game. After my game, I want to get married here in the middle of the field with all the fans who want to stay. It won't be announced until the day of the game, so there will be less time to get people in. I would like to announce that you'll be at the game so that people who want to see us together will be here."

"You have been doing a lot of planning."

"Everyone who is anyone in our life will be there. You are playing Jackson's team, and he's said he'll stay and fly home after the soccer game. After that is the playoffs if the Knights make it, which I have all hope that they will."

"Yes, you big lug, I'll marry you."

Derek kissed Stiles again, and there was a cheer from the kids behind Stiles. Stiles darted his eyes over to where the screen was showing them kissing. Derek cupped the sides of Stiles' cheeks and broke the kiss. He turned to look at the camera. "HE SAID YES!"

The crowd cheered. Before Stiles knew it, the rest of Derek's team was there pulling them onto the field andThe family with Stiles as well. Then champagne and sparkling juice were being passed around.

It was a night of pure happiness in Sin City, and Stiles was more than happy to enjoy the hell out of it.

The End