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Erica is watching Derek take his final bow with a frown. Something isn’t right. Derek is mopey, listless, and he’s completely changed the set list for the last two shows. Instead of the usual mix up of upbeat, broken-hearted, angry and wistful, everything is now broken-hearted and wistful. The fans have noticed. Rumours have started popping up, most of them say that Derek is tired and needs a break. There are a couple comments about there maybe being a girlfriend. She’s even seen one suggesting addiction, but that one had quickly been bulldozed over by the fans.
Derek walks past her on his way to his dressing room, barely acknowledging her.
‘What’s wrong with him,’ Malia asks. Well, Erica assumes she’s asking. The girl has trouble with intonation.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Fix it. It’s depressing me.’ And the bass player walks off, leaving Erica with an ever deeper frown.
Fuck, even Malia has noticed something is wrong. She usually doesn’t notice until you’ve spelled it out for her.
Erica turns on her heels and marches to Derek’s dressing room. Something has to be done. She storms in without bothering to knock, that should get some reaction. But Derek doesn’t even lift up his head from where he’s lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. The room is a mess, clothes and half-written songs everywhere. Most notable are the chocolate wrappers.
Chocolate and song writing.
Derek is pining. She’s never seen it before. Kate happened before her time, and he and Paige were more friends than lovers.
‘What’s her name?’ she asks picking her way through the wrappers and crumpled up papers.
‘Who?’
‘The girl you’re pining over.’
‘There is no girl,’ Derek says, but Erica knows she’s struck a chord. He’s looking at her now, and his shoulders are tensing.
She sits down on the coach and unfolds one of the pieces of paper. She barely catches a glimpse before Derek snatches it out of her hand.
‘Right. Is that why you are writing a song about “amber eyes”?’ she snorts.
‘There is no girl, Erica.’
‘As one of your best friends and your PA, I’m calling bullshit. You can’t tell me you’re not pining for someone with all the evidence piled up in this room.’
‘I told you there is no girl.’
Erica squints her eyes at him. Derek is hiding something. He’s avoiding eye contact and his ears are turning red. He keeps saying there is no girl, but if it’s not a girl than-
‘Oh.’
Derek’s blush is spreading across his cheeks. He attempts to get up, to get away, but Erica grabs his wrist and pulls him back down.
‘Oh no. You don’t,’ she grins. ‘What’s his name?’
‘Stiles.’ It’s almost too soft to hear.
‘Stiles? What kind of n-‘
‘It’s a nickname. His real name is supposed to be unpronounceable,’ Derek interrupts her.
‘Ah.’ There are a thousand questions spinning through her head, but one is jumping to the forefront. ‘And why did you never tell me you were into guys, as well?’
Derek shakes his head. ‘It’s just him. He’s-‘
He doesn’t finish the sentence, but Erica catches the twitch of his lips and the sparkle in his eyes. This Stiles must be some guy.
‘And why are you pining for him? Oh god, you’re not doing the creepy stalker thing, are you?’
‘Of course not. We just decided we’d have fun for a couple of days. I would go back to the tour and he’d go back to running his gas station.’
‘That’s just stupid,’ she says. Why are guys such idiots?’ She and Lydia had figured out their shit in three hours. ‘Right. As always, I’m off to fix your mess.’
She gets up and straightens her clothes, mentally making a list of all the clues Derek had given her.
‘What? What do you mean?’ Derek says, sounding a little panicked. ‘I don’t want you to do anything.’
‘It’s not my job to do what you want, sweetheart. I do what you need me to do.’
~
When Erica sees the gas station, she breathes a sigh of relief. She’s been driving for almost four hours and she’s finally found it. Now she’s going to find that Stiles person and take him to Derek. She’ll knock him unconscious if she has to. Out here, no one will see anyway.
After marching out of Derek’s dressing room, she’d enlisted Danny to find out where Derek had spent his weekend off. He always got one in the middle of a tour so he could recharge, be free for a couple of days. He usually just drove around in his car or on his bike until he was in the middle of nowhere and slept under the stars for three nights. Once, he came back with actual twigs still stuck in his beard.
She pushes open the door to the shop, her arrival announced by the tinkling of a bell. It’s not very big. Half the shelves are filled with survival gear and car maintenance supplies. The other half is filled with junk food. The counter is small and manned by a guy in his early twenties. The twenty-something looks like a puppy, with his crooked jaw and happy smile. His eyes radiate delight at seeing another human being.
It throws Erica off a little. She doesn’t usually get such a truly warm welcome. Men - and boys - either cower in fear or think they can get in her pants with a wink and a beer. That second one usually turns to fear pretty quickly, though. She dresses for it. Blond curls bouncing, leather trousers, tight shirt, high heels, and lips painted blood-red.
‘How can I help you?’ the guy asks. God, if he had a tail it would be wagging.
She walks up to the counter. ‘I’m looking for someone.’
‘Well, it’s been pretty quiet lately, but I’ll do my best.’
‘His name is Stiles.’
That causes puppy-guy to sigh. ‘What has he done now? Did he leave his number all over town again?’ Suddenly, his eyes go big in shock. ‘Wait, he wasn’t serious about hiring someone else, was he? I told him I would never forget opening the store again.’
Erica can’t help but smile. A real one. This guy is absolutely adorable. In an “I want to pet you on the head” kind of way.
‘No. To all of that. I’m a friend of Derek’s.’
And just like that the puppy face turns into that of a wolf. It’s not so much the change itself, but the speed at which it had happened. And all it had taken was Derek’s name.
‘No,’ the guy says. ‘I don’t care what he has to say. Or what you’re going to say for him. He’s done enough.’
‘Trust me, if Derek actually knew I was here he’d kill me. Or at least frown at me very hard. He has the eyebrows for it.’
The guy relents just a little. ‘You better make sure that Stiles feels better after whatever it is your planning. If not, I’m coming after you and Derek both.’
Erica has never taken a step back, for anyone, but she’s pretty close to doing so for this puppy-guy. Then she smirks and looks him straight in the eyes. ‘If Stiles hurts Derek, they’ll never find the body.’
‘Stiles would sooner cut off a limb than hurt someone he cares about,’ the guy says. She can see that he’s serious. She’s liking this Stiles already. He must be a great guy to have someone be so protective of him.
The guy jumps over the counter and waves her to a door with a sign that says “Private”.
‘You really think you can fix this?’
‘Yes,’ Erica nods. She always gets what she wants.
‘Okay,’ he says and opens the door. ‘I’m Scott, by the way.’
‘Erica.’
~
She did not expect to find a college dormroom behind that door. There are bright colours and movie-posters on the walls. There’s also a huge television screen, with at least three different game-consoles stacked next to it. There are five beanbags, a couch, and one lazy-chair. She can see the kitchen, which looks less than basic, but has a big fridge. The only real difference between these rooms and the rooms she remembers from college, is that these are actually clean.
She doesn’t remember any guys that cute either.
He’s completely focused on the game he’s playing. It looks like some zombie-apocalypse thing. From what she can see, he’s got dark-brown hair and pale skin. He’s lean, but not skinny. And probably around the same age as Scott. He’s also very mouthy. The curses that fly from his mouth, directed at the zombies, make even Erica want to ask if he’s willing to teach her.
‘Hey, Stiles,’ Scott yells.
‘What? My brake’s not over yet.’
‘You have a visitor.’
Stiles’ head turns so fast, Erica’s surprised his neck doesn’t snap. She can see the hope in his eyes extinguish when he focuses on her. Damn it, Derek! You idiot. But this is also going to make it a lot easier for her.
‘You’re Erica,’ Stiles says. He doesn’t sound very happy about it.
The door behind her closes with a soft click. They’re alone.
‘Yes, I am.’
Stiles turns off the game and moves form his beanbag to the couch. She sits down next to him. This close she can see that he has a lot more muscle than she first thought. Moles are dotted all over his skin. His nose turns up a little and his eyes are whiskey golden-brown, with lashes she would be jealous of if she didn’t have such amazing mascara. No wonder Derek fell for the guy.
‘Did Derek send you?’
‘No.’
‘Than why are you here?’
‘Because Derek should have send me. Or contacted you himself.’
A wry smile forms around Stiles’ lips. ‘Right.’
Erica rolls her eyes. Why are guys incapable of using their upstairs brains?
‘Yes. We all know that the “let’s have fun and never talk again” deal you two made was stupid. Derek is pining and according to Scott, you’re not doing so well either.’
The wry smile turns sceptic. ‘Derek was the one who came up with it. He’s not pining.’
Erica pulls a couple sheets of paper from her purse and hands them over.
‘What are these?’
‘Just read.’
Slowly, the scepticism fades and is replaced by cautious hope. ‘These are Derek’s? You’re not messing with me, are you?’
‘Those are Derek’s. And there are plenty more of them in his dressing room, and probably the tour-bus as well.’
‘I asked him, you know. I asked him if he still wanted to break it off, after that weekend. He just got on his bike and drove off.’
Erica squeezes Stiles’ knee. ‘Derek is great with songs. He’s not so great with talking. He’s been burned before. And you’re something completely new, he probably got scared.’
Stiles nods and gets up. Fuck, she screwed up. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that about Derek being scared.
Then Stiles grabs her hand and pulls her off the couch, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
~
They still haven an hour’s drive ahead of them when Stiles goes quiet. Scott had told Erica that if she needed to shut Stiles up, she only had to buy him food. She hadn’t believed that would be necessary, but two hours in, she’d been pretty sure the guy hadn’t breathed yet.
Stiles talked about everything. Baseball, cars, videogames, dresses, circumcision, trees, his family, his friends, himself. Erica simply let the guy ramble, encouraged it even. She wants to find out as much as she can about him. Besides, he has a nice voice.
The more Stiles talked, the clearer it became how Derek had fallen for this guy in such a short time. At first sight, Stiles and Derek seemed total opposites. Restless energy to collected calm. Bright and open to broody and secretive. But the truth is that they’re exactly the same in the ways that count. Both man love their family and friends with everything they have, and would do anything for them. They both have that sharp, sarcastic edge that shows they’ve seen more than most other people, and it’s left them marked, but stronger.
And Stiles is smart, bordering on brilliant. Erica’s not just counting the store of facts the guy has saved in his head. When Stiles was twenty-two, he’d already build up his own software company. He then sold it to the highest bidder and bought the gas station. It barely turns a profit, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t really have to work, he’s just using it so college students can get a good pay when they’re home for break and need a job. ‘This way, when they go back, they can focus a little more on school and sleep,’ Stiles had explained, ‘instead of being terrified of their student-loans.’
She’s also learned a lot about Scott, who is Stiles’ best friend since second grade, Stiles’ dad, who is a Sheriff, Scott’s mom, a nurse engaged to Stiles’ dad, and all the people Stiles has ever met. Except for Derek.
They don’t have long. They have to talk about it and Stiles is quiet now. She can finally get a word in. Erica takes a deep breath.
‘You know you’re his first, right? His first guy?’
‘Yeah, I know.’
‘When you guys become an “us”, the media’s going to be all over it.’
‘You sound very sure of that.’
‘They’re vultures,’ Erica grits out. She remembers when Derek and Paige had broken up. It had been mutual, but the media had torn the poor girl apart.
‘I meant about Derek and me,’ Stiles said, shaking his head. ‘You sound sure it’s going to work out.’
‘I know Derek, and I’ve gotten to know you pretty well, too, in the last few hours.’ A blush creeps on Stiles’ cheeks. He’s probably realizing how much he’s talked.
‘But what if Derek doesn’t want to see me,’ Stiles whispers.
‘Than I’ll hit him over the head with his guitar and drive you back home. Or to the nearest bar. Whichever you prefer.’
Stiles laughs. It’s a little too loud, and not as bright as she expects it normally is. She reaches over and stills the fingers that are tapping against the dashboard, giving them a reassuring squeeze.
‘You wanna tell me the story?’
~
The gas station doesn’t have anything resembling a rush-hour. There are times when there are more than three people in the shop, but that’s only during the week around 6pm, when people are going home from work. The rest of the time it’s pretty quiet, especially on Saturday mornings. People are in bed at that time, usually because they have a hangover.
Stiles always uses this time to restock the shelves. He turns the music a little louder and glides around the small space, pretending bags of crisps are his dance partners. It’s not that strange he doesn’t hear the bell ring as his first customer of the day walks in. He doesn’t even notice him until he’s right behind him.
‘Ahem.’
Stiles spins, losing his balance. Strong hands grab him by the arms and pull him back up.
‘Thanks,’ he says. He shoves the bag he was holding into its rightful place and looks at his saviour. ‘How can I help- you?’ He trails off as he sees the man that rescued him from braining himself on the floor. The guy looks built. Wide shoulders, and his arms are almost straining against the sleeves of his leather jacket. He can’t see much of the face, since most of it’s hidden by a beard and his eyebrows. But what Stiles can see he likes. The man looks like a hot caveman.
The man blinks his eyes a couple times. Like he’s somehow surprised by Stiles being there.
‘Yeah, I was wondering if you have a restroom I could use. And could you fill up my bike in the meantime?’ His voice sounds a little gruff, but it’s not as deep as Stiles expected.
‘Sure.’ Stiles leads Hot Caveman to the backroom. ‘We don’t actually have a customer-bathroom, but you’re welcome to use the personnel one.’ He opens the door. ‘It’s at the back of the room on the left.’
He leaves the man to his business and goes outside to tend to the man’s bike. He whistles when he sees it. It’s all polished chrome and black leather, and has to fight the urge to start petting it.
He fills her up and then goes back inside to wait for the man to finish. Ten minutes later, the guy still hasn’t emerged. He should probably go check.
When he opens the door, Hot Caveman is standing in front of their DVD collection. It’s a pretty eclectic one. Employees often leave behind their old movies.
‘She’s all filled up,’ Stiles says.
‘Thanks.’ The man sounds a little absent minded. ‘I don’t even know most of these movies. They really filmed The Hobbit?’
‘Yeah, it’s pretty good. Not as good as Lord of the Rings, though.’
‘Hmm. What’s The Hunger Games?’
‘Dude!’ Stiles calls out, stunned. ‘Do you live under a rock? You seriously don’t know about the bad-ass that is Katniss Everdeen?’
The man turns to him with a shrug. ‘I don’t get a lot of opportunities to sit down and watch a movie.’
‘Do you have time now?’ Stiles has now idea what possessed him to ask. Maybe it’s the longing in the man’s eyes. Maybe it’s his ass. Whatever it was, he can’t take it back.
‘Really? Won’t your boss be mad?’
‘Nah, I never get mad at myself. I have other people for that.’
‘I’m Derek,’ the man laughs, introducing himself.
‘That makes more sense than Hot Caveman,’ Stiles says. He hadn’t meant to say it, but Derek doesn’t react beyond blushing a little. ‘I’m Stiles and I have no brain-to-mouth filter.’
Derek laughs again. It makes his eyes crinkle a bit, and Stiles can feel something inside him melt a little.
They start with The Hobbit. By the end of the first movie, they’re sitting next to each other with less than an inch between them. By the end of the second movie, Stiles is too distracted by Derek’s mouth to realize it’s time to put in the next DVD.
~
Lydia is waiting for them by the backstage entrance. She looks Stiles up and down, assessing him.
‘Do we approve?’ she asks Erica.
‘We do.’
‘Well, than. I’m Lydia, Erica’s girlfriend and tour-manager to your boyfriend.’
‘Derek’s not-‘ Stiles starts.
‘He is. You are.’ Lydia waves them inside. ‘You’re just in time. He needs to be on stage in thirty minutes and it’s only gotten worse over the past day.’
‘How could it possibly have gotten worse?’ Erica asks.
‘He’s playing Taylor Swift songs. The old ones.’
‘Oh god.’
‘Hey, they’re pretty good,’ Stiles protests.
‘Well it’s obvious you two are made for each other,’ Lydia smiles. They’ve arrived at Derek’s dressing room door. ‘You have twenty-five minutes. Please keep his clothes in one piece and no visible bruising, bit marks, or scratches.’
Erica watches with a smile as her girlfriend turns on her heels and walks off, leaving a gaping Stiles behind.
‘She terrifies me,’ Stiles whispers, sounding awed.
‘Good,’ Erica says and without warning she opens the door.
Derek is alone. Lydia had made sure of that. The room doesn’t look that different from yesterday. Derek’s on the couch, staring morosely at the ceiling. The floor is once more covered in paper and food packaging. Derek turns his head towards them with a frown. When he catches sight of Stiles, he startles and falls to the floor.
‘Stiles?’ he whispers hoarsely, once he’s gotten himself upright again.
Stiles only nods. And for a few seconds both man are frozen, staring at each other in disbelief. Erica has just made up her mind to shove Stiles the rest of the way into the room, when Derek leaps over the table in front of the couch and Stiles rushes forward, they crash together in the middle. Erica’s pretty sure she can hear their teeth clack, but the two man don’t seem to care about maybe needing dentures.
Stiles is tugging on Derek’s shirt, when Erica is pulled out of the room and the door is closed in her face.
‘Hey!’
‘Lydia send me to make sure you weren’t being a creeper,’ Boyd says.
‘She’s just jealous because she has to miss it. We should’ve put a camera in there,’ Erica muses.
Boyd doesn’t respond, he just shakes his head and walks of.
Erica can’t help but smile at the closed dressing room door. ‘Twenty minutes left!’
~
She’s standing next to a beaming Stiles, just off-stage. They’ve been there the entire show. Once in a while Derek will look over, and she can almost feel time stopping. Those two are ridiculous. How on earth did they come up with the idea to not date?
The last chord of the last song fades away, but Derek isn’t getting off the stage. Instead, he clears his throat. The crowd goes quiet. This is different. Derek doesn’t talk much, he’s the strong silent type. Emphasis on silent.
‘So,’ he starts, ‘I know, that you guys know that I’ve been a bit off for the last couple shows. My team has tried very hard to keep those comments from me, but they should know that I actually do know how to use my phone. Anyway, the reason that I’ve been a bit off, is because I’ve met someone and-‘
The cheer of the crowd is almost deafening. Erica barely catches Stiles’ hissed, ‘What’s he doing?’
‘He’s introducing you.’
‘Why?’ Stiles’ eyes are big with shock. The image of a deer caught in the headlights comes to mind.
‘Why do you think?’ Erica sighs. Gods, she’s going to have to spell it out, isn’t she? She raises her eyebrow at him and fixes him with her stare until it starts dawning.
It really does look like the sun coming up. An expression of pure joy slowly erases the look of confused horror from Stiles’ face.
‘Awesome,’ he grins.
Erica nods and then they both turn back to look at Derek again. The crowd’s settled a bit and the man can continue.
‘-and until thirty minutes before I had to get up here tonight, I thought I’d never see them again. But thank god for my friend Erica, because she actually went and dragged him all the way here. I’m sure there are a lot of you who don’t believe in love at first sight. I do. For me, his name is Stiles.’
Derek looks to Stiles, beckoning him. The crowd is so quiet, Erica can hear Stiles’ feet hit the stage as he runs towards his boyfriend. There’s a loud, protesting sound from Derek’s guitar when Stiles tries to jump him.
The crowd erupts. There are thousands of flashes from camera’s. The wolfwhistles are sharp enough to make her ears ring. An arm wraps around her waist and Lydia rests her head against her shoulder.
‘They’re going to be cuter than us, aren’t they?’
‘Maybe, but they’ll never be as hot.’