Archive of Our Own ^beta

Beacon Hills was a crappy high school, the kind you only find in small towns, but Stiles loved it all the same because for him this school was home. He spent most of his time in these buildings, trying to maintain his grades up; training in the Lacrosse field with Scott, his best friend, and looking at the old building always brought in him a deep feel of contentment. He loved his old High School with the heavy force habit brings.

Scott and he were both lacrosse star players, even if Stiles was a bit more popular, being the captain of the team, and they tried to exercise every day in order to have a scholarship next year. Beacon Hills was indeed a crappy high school, but was well-known for its sport players, between the Lacrosse, Basketball and swimming teams, and Stiles intended to use this reputation at his advantage in order to get into a good college.

It was his last year. He had to stay captain, he thought the first day of the school year while looking for his locker, his arms full of books. He realized last year that the captain of the Lacrosse team wasn’t popular because he was captain; he had to be popular in order to become captain. Finstock was the one choosing who it would be, and the enthusiastic coach didn’t want a captain who would be unable to make his teammates obey his orders, so Stiles had to be appreciated and trusted by the team, and it was a lot of work.

Mostly it wasn’t that hard, but some guys, like Lahey, were also playing in the Basketball team, whose captain hated his guts, and they were more likely to criticize his strategies and decisions than the others.

Before Stiles and Derek, the two teams weren't rivals at all, but for some reason the guy was always in his path, telling him how he thought Stiles could improve his strategy- Stiles was the Master of Lacrosse strategy, okay, and he didn't need Derek Hale's advice-, how he thought that Stiles should work on his coordination to be a better player, and generally being a pain in his ass.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t see the ball coming until it hit his head and suddenly here he was, Derek Hale, captain of the Basketball team, standing in front of him with a wide smile on his gorgeous face. The guy may or may not be the reason why Stiles discovered he was bisexual, but also still was the most pretentious asshole in the school so Stiles tried not to drool.

“Sorry, didn’t saw you were in the corridor”, he said cheerfully before going after the ball. He didn’t seem sorry at all. Derek wasn’t the type to lose control of his basket ball, so he had probably done this on purpose. He still was a dick, and didn't change into a good guy during the summer, apparently, against all of Stile's hopes.

First day, the class hadn’t even begun, and the guy was already finding ways to annoy him.

Stiles rubbed his head with a hand were the ball had hit him. Was it really necessary to attack him?

“You know you’re not allowed to play basketball inside, right?”, he asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I wasn’t playing”, Derek answered innocently, ball firmly pressed on his side by a muscular arm. Stiles tried not to stare at the bulging biceps- Hale had enough people to remind him he was hot, and besides, he wasn’t about to check out this asshole.

“Yeah, sure, the ball escaped you right when I was passing by”, he said sarcastically.

“Maybe it’s a sign. You should leave the Lacrosse team and join the Basketball one.”

“Yeah, losing my hopes for a scholarship to be your own personal moving target, how can I refuse?”

“A lot of people would be honored to be my moving target”, Hale smirked, smug. This guy really thought he was something.

He rolled his eyes and moved past Hale to his locker and stuffed it with all his schoolbooks.

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that” he groaned, slamming the door.

As he walked down the corridor to his first class, he heard Hale yelling after him:

“Wait!" He didn't stopped, so Hale added cheerfully: "See you after school in the lockers room!”

Stiles tried not to react at the piece of information. Did it mean that this year Lacrosse and Basketball trainings were at the same time? Last year, they had to share the lockers room with the swimming team, and apart from the chlorine smell, these guys were cool. But the Basketball team? It was stupid, most of the Lacrosse players were also in the Basketball team, they couldn't schedule the two trainings at the same time! Some players would have to choose one of the two activities.

His indignation had nothing to do with the fact that he was pretty much obsessed with Hale's ass since he saw him change on accident one day, while he has looking for coach in the locker room, thank you, he was just really worried about losing some of his players to the Basketball team. That was all.

But maybe the fact that some of the Lacrosse players were also in the Basketball team was the entire point; it would allow new players to come if the current ones had to choose between one of the two sports. Great. Now he was going to babysit freshmen. And he has chem in first period, with Harris, a teacher who hated him. Great, the year was beginning well.

He entered the classroom and spotted Scott immediately; he sat next to his best friend with a smile on his lips- at least, he still had Scott to cheer him up.

“Man, did you see our schedules? We have training at the same time as the Basketball team!” Scott whispered first thing.

He winced. He had hoped that maybe he would be able to avoid the subject until later, much later, when the perspective of dealing with a sweaty and half-naked Derek wouldn't be a problem, because popping a boner in chem class wasn't on his to-do-list.

“Hale may have said something about it, yeah.”

“What are you going to do? We can’t lose Boyd and Lahey!”

Stiles tensed. Of course. Derek's nakedness wasn't the main issue, here.

“Boyd is gonna follow Hale, they’re like brothers.”

Scott seemed to meditate a few seconds.

“I know, but Isaac Lahey is a friend of mine, too. I may be able to convince him to stay in the Lacrosse Team.”

Stiles smiled at his friend. That’s what he had always loved in Scott- the guy was the most optimistic man in this school, and Coach was convinced that his players were all destined to be professional players, so that was saying something. Especially once you saw Greenberg holding a Lacrosse stick.

“Hale is going to use every parcel of his deficient brain to keep Isaac in his team, we’ll need a strategy.”, he whispered to Scott who scoffed, because let's be honest, Stiles had waxed poetry and complained about and even cursed Derek's muscles, and Derek's unfair brains for a year now so it was pointless to insult the guy.

“Something you want to share with the class, Stilinski?” Harris interrupted him.

“My undying love for Chemistry?” he tried.

“We’re going to study sulphuric acid, so try to love it from afar”, the teacher cut him with a suspicious glare, looking at Stiles like he expected him to blow the chem class if he wasn’t looked after carefully- it may or may not have happened before. Once or twice.

Stiles put his head down, trying to look like he was reading his book and not like he was wondering if stealing said acid to menace Hale in order to keep his team complete was a good idea, when Scott whispered to him:

“Don’t worry. We’re gonna figure it out.”

Optimistic puppy.

___________

At the end of the day, Stiles still had no idea how to convince Boyd and Isaac, who had lunch with Derek and probably were already favoring the Basketball team at this point, to play with him this year.

But he wasn’t giving up. After all, he still could try to put Greenberg in Derek’s team to sabotage their training, he was vengeful like that.

He stepped in the locker’s room and tried to look confident, walking to his locker with a firm step and sharing smiles with his teammates. Hale was already there, stripping right in front of him. Stiles tried not to compare himself to the basketball player, because he had enough self-esteem issues and needed to stay strong today, then failed as Hale stripped of his shirt.

So, apparently, Hale had gained muscles during summer- like he wasn't built enough already. And was that chest hair?  Anyway, Stiles wasn’t impressed. Stiles was used to strip in front of Danny, and Danny looked like an underwear model on a bad day, so he really had no reason to stare at Hale’s… Oh god, it wasn’t a six-pack. It was an eight-pack, minimum. Derek caught his eye and smirked knowingly.

He should have stolen the sulphuric acid in chem class.

He was still busy putting his pads on when Coach clapped in his hands to catch their attention and he tried to concentrate on the speech- which made him trip over himself because he wasn't focused on his limbs. Hale stabilized him with a firm arm and Stiles was a bit surprised that the guy didn't let him fall and brain himself on the lockers. Maybe he was too focused on Coach to think about the perks of letting Stiles kill himself stupidly.

“Soldiers! I know how devoted you are all to both our causes, but today you’ll have to choose with who’s balls you’re going to play this year! Stilisnki’s or Hale’s? The big, red balls or the small white ones? I want you to concentrate!”

He paused, frowning at each player to make them understand the weight of his words and the seriousness of the situation. Stiles felt his cheeks reddening, given that his balls were still untouched, thanks, still a big old virgin here. He glanced surreptitiously at Hale to catch his reaction and was satisfied to see that he, too, didn’t seem comfortable with Coach’s choice of words.

Danny was quietly laughing and Scott was nodding with conviction, ready to vote for Stiles’ balls any time of the day and even make an advertising campaign in their name.

“You’ll have a week to decide. You can switch teams for a few days, but I want you to know which team you play in, next Monday!”

“Was it a gay joke, too?” Scott whispered in his ear, a bit worried, as Stiles was trying to spot Isaac, hoping to talk to him before training. He had given up on Boyd already, because the guy was really too close to Hale to choose Lacrosse, but maybe they still had a chance with Isaac Lahey. 

“Now everyone on the fields, I want to see some action!” roared Finstock before storming out of the room.

“I honestly don’t know if his double-entendre are intentional”, Stiles answered. “But he won’t see a lot of action if we don’t find Isaac quickly.”

Someone gripped his wrist. The palm was warm and the fingers soft against his pulse point. He turned around and fuck, that was Hale. Scott’s eyes widened and he stepped back, mumbling something about seeing him on the field before fleeing the scene. Jerk. It wasn't him that Hale had in his grip.

“You can’t have Isaac on your team, we need him. He’s the taller guy of the entire school!”

Stiles stared at the manly hand still wrapped around him and shrugged:

“We need tall guys too, and Isaac is one of our best players, so…”

It seemed to upset Derek and his grip tightened.

“Don’t be an ass, Stilinski, I told you we need him…”

“What about letting me chose by myself?” Isaac interrupted them, a pointed look at Stile’s wrist, and Derek dropped his hand like he had been caught stealing candies.

“Isaac, this is the last year, and we need you if we want recruiters to notice the basketball team, we can’t afford to lose a player…”

Derek sounded desperate and Stiles knew he had to bring out the big guns if he wanted to win this one.

“I will let you be Goal”, Stiles cut, and he saw Lahey’s pupils dilate a little bit. It was the position he'd been after since he started to play Lacrosse.

“I’ll let you drive my Camaro”, Derek said gruffly.

“I’ll give you Scott’s phone number”, he added, a bit guilty to use Isaac’s crush on his best friend, but what was he supposed to do? Derek had offered his precious Camaro on a silver plate!

“I’ll give you my leather jacket!”

Stiles bit back a swear. If it was a Derek's jacket kind of negotiation, it was really serious. Isaac looked a bit overwhelmed, eyes flying from Stiles to Derek, hesitant.

“Maybe I should let you two decide for me, after all.”

Derek took a deep breath and faced Stiles with the look of a dying man.

“Stiles, I’ll let you drive my Camaro.”

He laughed:

“Man, I hope you don’t expect me to give you Scott’s number… Besides, I love my Jeep, I wouldn’t cheat on her.”

Derek gave him a stern look. Whatever. He wasn't into sport cars, his dad was the Sheriff, damn it!

Isaac interrupted:

“Maybe you two should argue later. Besides, it's not into Scott that Derek is... I’ll play basketball today and then Lacrosse tomorrow, so let me know when the negotiation is over.”

Stiles watched Isaac leaving in the direction of the basketball field, sending them a playful wink on his way out. That jerk was leaving him alone with Hale, too. Had all his players decided to lead him to a certain, painful death?

Derek seemed to hesitate a second, like he was going to skip training to stay and argue more, before shaking himself.

“This isn’t over, Stilinski”, Derek menaced before following Lahey outside, his sinful hips balancing with each step.

At least this first day was eventful.

___________

Stiles spend his night stalking Derek on the internet, looking desperately for some leverage against him, trying to find a weakness to use at his advantage.

It was a long and frustrating work.

The guy was beyond reproach: no pictures of him drunk on his facebook page, not a single weird rumor, and it was getting on his nerves because he knew that in real life, Hale never smiled at anyone like in his profile pic- or at least not at Stiles. He knew that even if on paper the good grades and all the sport looked great, Hale was in fact a jackass.

His perfect image was all an act, and Stiles was one of the few to know that because Hale used to steal his lunch when he was younger, saying it wasn't healthy, and to give him broccoli or some other gross vegetable to eat instead; and in kindergarten his favorite sport was "pick Stiles up and see how long I can lift him and how loud he can scream". But none of that malicious Derek was on the internet: no, just perfect pictures of a role model, the perfect student, the perfect brother, the perfect son- and not the lunch thief.

It was so frustrating; not just because he needed dirt on Hale to make him give up on Isaac, but also because he fucking knew that this public Derek wasn't real, and wanted everyone to see it. So maybe he wouldn't be able to blackmail him, because Hale was too smart to let proof of his vileness on the internet, but he could still find Hale's soft spots to exploit them.

Here: Derek posing with a pink cupcake. Maybe he could buy him cupcakes. Maybe if the cupcakes were good enough, Hale would let him have Lahey in his team. Stiles was going to find the best cupcakes ever. Maybe stuff them with pot or something, just to be sure.

Oh, a pic of Hale playing baseball. Stiles rolled his eyes. Of course Hale also played baseball. Hale probably played cricket. And Golf. And tennis. And was also super talented in all these sports, because Hale wasn't able to just be average.
Maybe he could buy him a nice baseball cap?

He sighed. Hale's facebook was almost empty, he needed more information. Maybe the guy had an instagram? A quick research later, he was on Derek's instagram page, cursing the day he had decided to be captain of the Lacrosse team and drooling all over pics of Derek's holidays. Derek in swim trunks. Derek with really short shorts. Derek half naked everywhere, reminding him without mercy that even if the guy was a douchebag, he was still able to make Stile’s underwear too tight.

He closed the browser before having to deal with tented shorts and the feeling of humiliation filling him every time he had to jerk-off angrily because of Hale's everything, and proceed to think of another solution.

Somehow he doubted that cupcakes would be enough- there was no way Hale really ate the one on the pic, you can't eat carbs when you have abs like that, and Isaac was worth more than a few pastries.

The thing is, Derek liked a lot of things, and more precisely, he seemed to like everything-except Stiles. He was always smiling, was the only one able to eat the horrible spinach served at the cafeteria, had good grades in all classes; so the difficulty wasn't to find something he liked, but a thing he'd like more than others. And the guy didn't even seem to have a favorite chair in class.

Although... Stiles was an idiot. There was something Hale loved more than everything. His sister Cora- it was well known that Derek was super protective of Cora. Not that there was a need to be, because damn, the girl was wild.
He needed to be in her good graces.
Cora was the solution, it was evident.

This night, he fell asleep with a content smile on his face, without realizing that he knew a disturbing amount of things about Hale, for someone who couldn't stand him.

___________

The thing was that Stiles wanted to be in Cora's good graces, but didn't know how. It was still early and the school was almost empty, so he had half an hour to think about it. He sat down and tried to think of something, but he really didn't know anything about Cora except for the fact that she was Derek's sister.

Wait. He was pretty sure she was on the chearleading team: wasn't she here for the last Basketball game? Or maybe it was another girl. He was distracted because this day Derek was all sweaty and his hands were always in his shorts, putting his junk back in place every five minutes, and who cared about chearleaders anyway? Stiles had been busy hiding his presence- the captain of the Lacrosse team wasn't supposed to attend to the Basketball matches- and willing his dick not to react to Hale's body, so he wasn't really focused on the chearleaders.

But she totally was on some pics he saw on Derek's instagram. He remembered distinctly seeing a feminine hand on Derek's lickable biceps. Great! She has hands! Maybe he could buy her a ring?
That being said, he wasn't really positive about the fact that the hand belonged to Cora. Derek had another sister, and he didn't really looked at the girl on the pic, so maybe Cora was armless? It would be a catastrophe to buy her a ring if she was. Derek would never forgive him.

He sighed heavily. This plan was doomed, and he was unable to focus because his favorite coffee shop had been closed this morning when he stopped for a cup, and he needed caffeine so badly he was considering stealing some in the teacher's rest room.

To complete his misery, he saw Derek coming up his way, and Hale obviously didn't have any problem finding coffee because he had a cup in his hand, the jackass. There was no justice in this world.

He closed his eyes in a weak attempt to not ogle the captain of the rival team and prayed for Derek to think that he was asleep so he could avoid another awkward confrontation; but today wasn't his lucky day and soon a leg brushed against his and the smell of Derek's coffee hit his nose.

"I know you're awake."

He glared at the guy, hoping to convey how undesirable his presence was.

"Then you probably know that I just wanted to avoid you."

Hale didn't seem deterred by the attack.

"Oh, really? I thought you'd appreciate the coffee I brought you, but I can still go, if you don't want it..."

Well. That was unexpected. But Stiles wasn't one to refuse a cup of coffee, especially today, so he grabbed it immediately and gulped down half of it in one go. And then he remembered that Derek Hale had given him this beverage, and that it was freaking suspicious.

He eyed the cup wearily.

"Is it poisoned? Because you know, if I die, Isaac will have to be captain of the Lacrosse team to replace me so that's probably not the best strategy... How did you know I needed coffee, anyway?"

Hale was looking at him like he was a complete idiot, but Stile's fears were totally legitimate, this wasn't Derek's usual behavior. People around them were already starting to gossip, giving them weird looks, because let's face it, it was common knowledge that they were rivals and that whenever they were put together in the same place, it ended with an argument.

Derek didn't answer for a moment, looking like he was choosing his words, before saying hesitantly:

"I saw that your usual coffee shop was closed."

Like that was a perfect and sane reason to buy him coffee. And how did Derek know which coffee shop Stiles preferred?

"That's nice", he said reluctantly, because the coffee was perfect, with the right amount of sugar, "Creepy, but nice."

He would have sworn that Derek seemed pleased.

"So, did you consider letting Isaac go play in the Baketball team?"

Fuck. That's what it was all about. Derek was trying to convince him to give up by being nice -typical Hale, really- and no amount of sugary coffee would be enough for that. Stiles wasn't cheap and he fucking needed Isaac.

"I'm considering letting Boyd play in your team if you let me have Isaac in mine", he answered. God, this coffee was good if he was already giving Boyd away.

"I'll buy you coffee every morning."

"I'm not giving up my best player and the chances to have a scholarship for coffee, man."

"I'll talk to Lydia for you. Maybe you can go to prom with her? You like her, right?"

Hale looked like he'd rather kill himself than being Stile's wingman, and that felt a little insulting. Stiles pinched his lips. He wasn't into Lydia anymore; sure, he still loved to lurk after terrifying people, but now his type was more "terrifying, and with a lot of chest hair" people, apparently.

Anyway, he didn't need help to find a date, thanks. He was captain of the Lacrosse team, and one of the cool kids now, no matter what Hale seemed to think.

"Maybe you should focus on finding a date for yourself, Hale. You went stag last year at the winter party, right?"

It was a low blow, and Derek ears went a little pink as he bowed his head.

"I wanted to go with someone special, but that person already had a date, so it was pointless to ask."

Of course Derek wasn't a looser for going stag but a fucking Disney Prince, and he’d rather go with a friend if the right person wasn’t available. He felt ashamed for bringing up the subject, especially since he himself begged his friend Erica to go with him when he realized that the party was soon and that he still needed someone to go with.

"M'sorry", he mumbled. "Maybe this year you'll have a chance".

Hale looked at him a few seconds with sad eyes- and God, it was the first time he ever saw Derek sad and it gave him the urge to fucking CUDDLE the dude- before whispering:

"I don't think so."

Well. That was awkward. Stiles doubted that anyone would refuse to go with Derek, his gorgeous face and his bulging muscles to prom, but it wasn't his business so he sipped his coffee quietly, waiting for Hale to give up and go.

"You know you don't need Isaac to have a scholarship, right?"

Derek's tone was hesitant, and his eyes honest, and if Stiles didn't know it was all an act to steal Lahey he would have fell for it. Damn, the guy was good.

"Yeah, you obviously think I'm really talented, that's why you're constantly bugging me with your advices and the things I should do to improve my game", he joked.

"I'm just trying to help you."

"You're a Basketball player! What do you know about Lacrosse?"

Derek frowned.

"You don't even remember I used to play Lacrosse during our first year in High School?"

"Why would I?"

Seriously, was he supposed to keep tabs on everything Hale was doing, just because he knew the guy?

"I was the one who convinced coach to let you play after the first semester, you could at least remember that!", Derek answered.

Stiles rolled his eyes. At least now Hale was screaming at him so they were back to normal, but he shouldn't be lying like that, Stiles would have remembered if Derek had been on the team back then, he wasn't that oblivious, even if he had spent most of his time on the bench doing his homework during the first year.
You can't miss muscles like these; he had a special sense letting him know when Derek’s biceps were in the same area.

Oh. Or maybe that was the year before Hale had gained the muscles? Whatever. How could people expect him to notice and remember these things? He had ADHD!

"Then maybe you should bring your pretty ass back on the Lacrosse field, if you're that skilled. That would solve our problem."

Hale made a strangled noise.

"Did you call my ass pretty?"

And really, Hale? That wasn't the important thing in this sentence!

"Would you come back in the Lacrosse team?"

"No."

"I don't even know why we argue anymore", he groaned.

"It's not an argument. It's a negotiation", Hale reminded him stubbornly.

"Could have fooled me. Maybe you should tell me what you want in exchange for Isaac."

"I want...", Derek began, and licked his lips nervously. Stiles waited for the end of the sentence, but Derek seemed lost in his thoughts so he waived a hand before his eyes. Hale blinked at him. Ah! He had a half-hungry, half-dreamy look, he totally was thinking about the pink cupcake Stiles saw on his instagram account.

"Man, if you don't even know what you want, there's nothing I can do!"

Plus he really didn't know how to bake cupcakes.

"I just... I just want to have Isaac in my team."

"So do I", Stiles pointed.

"Then I'll convince you to give him up."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I can be persuasive", Hale mumbled, but he didn't seem to believe it. And he was wrong, stiles thought, eyes on Derek's lips. He could be persuasive all right, he just wasn't using the right skills. Maybe he could discreetly suggest that they should just make out and go to prom together and eat a thousand rainbow cupcakes and each other's asses and become captains of the Kissing team.

The bell rang, jolting him from his reverie, and he realized that he had been staring at Hale's mouth for a little bit too long. He stood up, trying not to trip over himself.

“You can still try later, big guy.”

He saluted Hale with his still half-full cup of coffee before turning heels. At least, now he knew what Derek’s strategy to win Isaac was; he just needed to make friends with Cora and everything would be alright.

He hoped she knew he existed.

___________

When he told Scott about his genius plan, his friend banged his head against his desk and announced that he didn’t want to be involved in any of this anymore, that Stiles should really talk with Derek instead of scheming evil strategies involving his sister, and added that Isaac had texted him the previous day to warn him that Stiles was giving his phone number away.

And the fact that Isaac already had said phone number wasn’t going to excuse Stiles’s actions.

Stiles tried to look ashamed and sheepish while asking him if he could help him having lunch at Cora’s table- not really a success, but it didn’t matter because a few hours later Scott was using his girlfriend’s friendship with Cora as a pretext to make them all sit with her.

Scott was a real pal and Allison a goddess. Cora, on the other side, wasn’t as kind. It turned out that she very well knew who Stiles was, as soon as he sat down, because she frowned her magnificent nose like she had suddenly smelled something very nasty and stated:

“You can’t sit here.”

Scott threw him a look saying that he’d warned him that it was all a bad idea and that Stiles was on his own from now on- Stiles stole his dessert in retaliation, before throwing his most innocent smile at Cora:

“Why? I can be great company.”

She snorted, and Stiles decided that it was a friendly enough reaction, that she wasn’t going to throw him away, so he sat down anyway.

“I doubt that.”

“I can give you Scott’s muffin as a peace offering”, he answered, waving the stolen dessert.

“Or you could give my brother Isaac for his team”, she suggested as she grabbed the poor muffin from his hands. The girl was tough, but Stiles was used to Derek. I was going to take a lot more than that to discourage him. He had learned from the very best.

“Poor Isaac isn’t a thing you can give away, Cora. I care about him, that’s why I intend to help him get away from your evil brother…”

“He’s far from evil”, she said in a voice that suggested that she knew very thoroughly what evil really was and didn’t mind giving him a peak. God, he wasn’t going to be able to eat; his poor stomach was terrified, but he couldn’t let her see his weaknesses. He tried to look confident:

“Please, those abs have to be hiding something. Did he trade your soul to have that much mass muscle? No- don’t answer that. Did you see Isaac? The poor, sweet, fragile boy- I can’t let him play a sport as dangerous as Basketball.”

“But your conscience is alright with him being crushed by an entire adverse Lacrosse team?”

“He could still defend himself with his cross..?”

Cora was making him nervous. He hadn’t been prepared for her to know that he would try to get her on his side, and blamed Derek entirely. He must have warned his sister.

“I intend to make him goal, too, so he’d just have to fend off the ball, not the entire team.”

He was proud of that one: it was the truth, he’d let Isaac be Captain, even. He just needed to keep his players in the team. Cora seemed to consider his words for a moment, her face skeptical, and Stiles relaxed a bit- enough to start eating his fries.

“You don’t really need Isaac, you will find other good players. If you’re just being a jerk because you never liked my brother, at least be a man and admit it.”

Stiles gaped, astonished- a few curly fries fell inelegantly from his mouth. Why everyone was always making it about Derek? It wasn’t. He wasn’t at all obsessed with Derek. Just with Derek’s abs- and they weren’t involved in this. It was all coach’s fault, anyway: both the abs and the situation with the basketball team.

Coach was probably a malicious creature feeding off poor student’s despair.

“It’s not about your brother”, he argued. Cora didn’t seem convinced.

“Don’t play dumb, you’ve been awful with him since you were children. I don’t know why he still puts up with you.”

He coughed. Curly fries never had been so hard to eat. So he was the mean one now? That dirty cupcake-eater had convinced people that he was the victim in the scenario when he had been the one stealing Stile’s fucking lunch to replace it by disgusting vegetables when they were young!

 “He doesn’t, he’s my rival!”

“He’s not, he’s trying to be your friend!”

“Listen, I know he’s your brother and that it may be difficult for you to understand, but Derek’s mission in life is to make mine miserable.”

“He kinda is trying to be nice to you”, Scott interrupted. Stiles threw him a betrayed look. What was that about? Scott was supposed to be on his side! Maybe it was a strategy to help him. Maybe Scott was trying to be ironic.

He smiled sweetly at Cora:

“Yes, if he wants that bad to be nice, why doesn’t he give up on Isaac?”

Everybody at the table was watching them, now. Cora wasn’t usually challenged or contradicted, and Stiles was pretty much the only guy in the whole school to see Derek for the prick he really was.

He knew people were convinced that the guy was a saint, and wasn’t surprised to see that even Cora thought that he had tried to be his friend, but it really was far from the truth.

“Now you’re just being obtuse on purpose. Derek is already way too nice with you. I keep telling him he shouldn’t do all these things for a prat like you, but does he listen? No. He’s whipped, that’s what he is.”

“Love is blind”, whispered Lydia with an agreeing nod.

Stiles outright laughed at that, earning dark looks.

“You’re joking, right?”

Cora looked at him with a disgusted look.

“I wish.”

It probably was the end of the conversation; his plan to get friends with her was a failure, and apparently, somehow, Hale had convinced half the school that he had some sort of unrequited crush on Stiles- which was ridiculous.

Hale had never even hinted at being interested, was a pain in his ass, and apparently a liar. It was just an elaborate scheme to make Stiles look bad.

Eating his fries in silence, he hoped that Isaac had never heard about that rumor. He needed a solution, an idea to reverse the situation. He couldn’t afford people thinking that he was a cruel guy, crushing Hale’s heart for fun when really it had always been war between them. Stiles was innocent- and the one lurking longer than necessary in the locker’s room to take a peak of the other’s naked body. Not Hale.

He needed people to understand what was really going on, here.

Maybe he should just steal Derek’s idea, and pretend that he was the one with a crush. After all, it was way more close to the truth than the lie Hale had created. Stiles wouldn’t have to pretend- he didn’t have a crush, but given the opportunity, he would tap the hell out of that ass.

The more he was thinking about it, the more that plan looked good. He should ask Derek out in public so people would see the truth when the guy would turn him down. Sure, it was humiliating to be publicly rejected, but on the other hand it would make him earn sympathy.

Maybe Isaac’s sympathy.

And he wouldn’t have to hide anymore when he wanted to drool all over Derek’s abs. After that, he was going to indulge and go at every fucking basketball match to watch him get sweaty.

Yep, perfect plan.

He sighed loudly in front of his empty plate and raised pitiful eyes at Cora.

“You know, I’d be the first being happy if your brother was really… whipped, like you said.”

Next to him, Scott chocked on his pizza.

“Dude! You’re finally admitting out loud your obsession for his ass?”

Stiles narrowed his eyes at his friend. He had intended to keep that part to him, thank you. Scott was really of no help today.

“No, I was about to say that I do admire the fact that he’s a smart guy, and an athlete, even if he’s a douchey one. But thanks for outing me on that one, Scotty.”

Scott smiled apologetically, and Cora ignored him. It didn’t matter; he had planted the first seeds. That new rumor was going to spread out like fire and soon, he was going to corner Hale and trap him into revealing who he really was.

___________

He waited a few days to be sure that everybody in school knew about his opinion concerning Hale’s everything, complaining very loudly about the fact that the guy was such an asshole with him- because he’d be all over that if Derek was more civil.

Every class was an opportunity to sigh that school must be so easy for someone as smart as Derek. If only he was friendlier with Stiles, who had ADHD and could use some help with his chemistry homework. But no, no, he wasn’t.

When two guys asked him what they needed to do in order enter the Lacrosse Team, he told them that the Basketball team was looking for new players, too, and proceeded to tell them all about Derek and his qualities as a captain.

That part of his plan was pretty fun- what wasn’t fun was that he had to avoid Derek. He needed his confrontation to be very public, and Derek was already getting suspicious if his confused face was anything to go by. He had tried to corner Stiles at least three times that day, and almost succeeded once by throwing him against a wall by surprise, crowding him so he couldn’t get away. Stiles had escaped by chance, thanks to the ring announcing that it was time for their next class.

What he had learnt from this experience was that he was turned on by the weirdest things, and that he couldn’t escape Hale for much longer.

Anyway, they had training at the end of the day. He could confront Hale in the locker’s room- the timing was perfect: Isaac would be here to witness everything, would pity him and chose the Lacrosse Team. He needed to do it before the game so he could train Isaac to be goal after that.

Sure, that plan wasn’t perfect- he had to avoid Scott for a while. It was impossible to tell him the truth, Scott being too innocent to keep a secret, and he had been insufferable after Stiles’s big reveal.

The poor guy, just because Stiles had told him a thing or two about Derek’s abs, brains and general greatness was now persuaded that he had witnessed the beginning of a beautiful love story.

So, after a few discussions about how he had always suspected Stiles to be crazy about Hale, about how it was great because Hale obviously had tried to seduce him since they were children- what?- and after hearing about how they were going to go on double dates with Scott and Allison, he started to avoid his best friend. The things he had to do for the Lacrosse Team, really.

It wasn’t fun, avoiding both Hale and Scott, but he had managed. He currently was running out of class, from his best friend, hoping not to cross his “future husband” ’s path and God, Scott has started in chemistry to wonder if Stile’s wedding theme was going to be geeky just because Derek was a Star Wars fan too.

It really was time to end this before Stiles himself started picturing Hale in a devastatingly fitting suit. He didn’t need another fantasy on the already too long list of beautiful, sinful things he thought about doing to the guy on a daily basis.

Not that he was interested or anything. Derek was a dick.

After his successful escape into the men’s bathroom, Stiles let a breath and some tension go. He wasn’t made for this, Lacrosse player or not, it was too tiring. Isaac better be the best goal ever seen in this high school or Stiles was going to give up and become a fucking ballerina instead.

Men were unusual enough in ballet, he was almost sure to obtain his scholarship that way. Plus, there were all the sweaty, muscular guys. Yeah. This definitely was his plan B.

The door opened, startling him, a reminder that he couldn’t just hide in here so he walked to the sinks and washed his hands, carefully not looking at the guy who came in. He really didn’t want someone to start asking him if he actually was smitten with Hale.

A deep voice interrupted his thoughts:

“So, you and Hale…”

Stiles sighed. He was popular, yes, but he felt like everybody knew about him these days.

‘Yes, I would like for something to happen, but we’re not together.”

“I know that.”

Stiles looked at the guy. Fuck. It was Boyd, Derek’s best friend, and one of the basketball players. Maybe Derek had sent him when he saw that he wasn’t going to corner Stiles himself.

“Derek is serious about you, you know. But you never seemed interested in him before.”

Was Hale suspicious?

“Well, I couldn’t say I was lusting after him when I thought he hated me. Let’s say that my very enlightening conversation with his sister changed a few things.”

“He’s not just lusting after you.”

Yeah, he mainly was making his life Hell and probably wasn’t lusting at all. He wouldn’t be surprised if Hale turned out to be a saint, without any lust, passing through puberty without being harassed by his hormones like normal people were. It was a bit exasperating.

“Did you come here to give me the “hurt him and I’ll kill you” talk?”

Boyd gave him a stern look because the guy hadn’t as much humor as muscle mass- he wasn’t Derek’s friend for nothing, apparently.

“Listen, Boyd, you don’t need to worry. I’m serious about Derek, too. In fact, I was planning on asking him out, I just hadn’t built the nerve yet. But… I will, soon. Just don’t tell him yet, ok?”

Boyd looked appeased.

“So, you’re not interested in anyone else?”

“No, I’m not, very much single here. No other romantic interest.”

“And you’re not going to make a move on Erica?”

Stiles narrowed his eyes, surprised.

“Erica’s just a friend. Why would I do that?”

Boyd shrugged, all pretended nonchalance. Stiles could practically smell nervousness on him, like he could smell bacon fat in his dad’s breath after a lunch at the station.

“You took her to the winter party, last year.”

Ah! He knew there was something fishy about the way Derek mentioned that he had wanted to ask someone to go with him at the party last year. It must have been Erica, and that’s why his best friend Boyd remembered who Stiles went to said party with, even almost a year later.

And now he wanted to be sure that Stiles wasn’t going to end up with her- the guy took rivalry to another level, really. It was getting ridiculous. He hadn’t a chance with Erica, anyway- she had a big crush on a guy and she mentioned once that he had “eyes as brown as chocolate and a skin as dark as night” so it certainly wasn’t Hale. The joke was on him.

“Yes, I went with Erica because I didn’t want to go alone. But we went as friends, promise.”

Boyd’s face was still impassive, but Stiles could see relief in the set of his shoulders.

“Aaand… If someone was interested… I can give you her phone number, just in case.”

“You think Erica wouldn’t mind if… Someone… Was to have her phone number?”

He was hooked. Derek must be thirsty if his friends were ready to collect that kind of information for him. He felt a pang of jealousy- and buried it down. It was great. If Derek had Erica’s phone number, he would never accept to date Stiles, and his public rejection would be the first nail in Derek reputation’s coffin.

“No, here, give me your phone.”

He entered the numbers quickly, trying not to think about Erica at Derek’s arm- with more or less success, and gave Boyd his phone back.

Now that it was settled, he would be stupid not to use this opportunity to preach for his cause before another student came into the bathroom.

“So, since we’re here… Alone… Tell me, you wouldn’t happen to be interested in Lacrosse, would you?”

“I’m going, now.”

“Wait, wait! It’s a fine sport, do you know that even Derek used to play Lacrosse? I think you two should know that Erica is a big Lacrosse fan, by the way. Never missed a match.”

“Are you using Erica as bait?”

“I’m just saying that it’s a possible way to catch her attention. Having her number isn’t enough.”

“Thanks for the tip, Stilinski, but you should focus on catching Derek’s attention for now.”

With a last condescending smile, Boyd left the bathroom. Stiles hoped that he was going to tell Derek about Erica being at all the Lacrosse events- maybe he would come back in the team.

And maybe he’d bring Isaac and Boyd with him, too. This was a great plan C.

…….

The thing is, avoiding Scott hadn’t been a good idea. Stiles had a plan- he’d come in the locker’s room, and ask Derek right away if he would be interested in going on a date with him.

A great plan, except that because he had avoided Scott for like two days, the guy never let him the occasion to talk to Derek. In fact, he didn’t even let him close the door behind him before he was grabbing his arm, all puppy eyes and sadness:

“Stiles, what have I done? If this is about the burger my mom gave to your dad, I swear I had nothing to do with it…”

Behind them, the other players were carefully ignoring what was going on, changing quietly.

“No, Scott, you did nothing, I just wanted to be alone and think for a while.”

Scott outright whimpered.

“Man, you don’t have to be alone in this. I know it can be confusing to discover that part of your sexuality, but I’m not going to let you down just because you want to put you dick in…”

Stiles put his hand so fast on Scott’s mouth he almost slapped him. But it wasn’t fast enough.

Danny leaned against him seductively.

“You need someone to help with that dick of yours, Stilinski?”

“No, I… Thanks Danny.”

“You have any experience?”

It was turning into public humiliation. Matt took a picture. He was probably going to put it in the School paper with a witty comment about Stiles’s virginity.

“I’m just… waiting for the right person”, he answered with a pointed look in Derek’s direction. His point might have come across, because Scott and Danny took a few steps back in their locker’s direction.

Stiles took a deep breath. Now was the time, the opportunity to confront Derek.

At least that’s what he thought before being brained by the opening door.

“Stilinski! Do you care to explain why I’m receiving text messages from an unknown number?”

Isaac shrieked like an old lady and hid his pale chest with his scarf, wich was a good indication about how terrifying the person was. Fuck. He had forgotten about Erica. He turned slowly to face his murderous friend, his best angelic face in place and Matt took another picture- at least it was a good day for someone. He was going to die and Matt was going to make tons of money out of it.

" What is it with you and giving our numbers away?" accused Scott who obviously had forgotten how horrible his life had been without Stiles for the last few days.

Fortunately, Boyd interrupted:

"It was me. I was the one texting you."

Erica suddenly calmed down.

"Really?" she asked, pleased.

Something was wrong, something was really wrong. Derek hadn't been the one texting her?

"Really?", he parroted. "But I thought that the number was for Derek!"

Boyd and Erica gave him a pitying look, the kind that said that he was lucky to be good with a Lacrosse stick because he was seriously lacking brains.

"Why would I text Erica?"

Stiles repressed a shiver as Derek's voice ringed close to his ear, Derek’s breath caressing his neck. He'd approached really fast and discretely, predator-like. Stiles tried not to find it arousing but his brains had court-circuited in the meantime because he blurted:

“I thought you wanted to date her.”

“No, I don’t”, enunciated Derek in a stern voice, still standing right behind him like a big creep and probably enjoying himself more than he should.

“Yeah, right, because the only thing you love are cupcakes”, Stiles mocked him. Honestly, it really seemed to be Hale’s only weakness.

A door slammed and coach entered:

“Someone said cupcake? Were you calling me? Why is there a girl in the locker’s room? Is she finally going to replace Greenberg?”

The whole team froze and even Matt wasn’t taking pictures anymore. Erica, who obviously didn’t want to be enrolled in the Lacrosse Team, answered helpfully:

“No, I was just passing by to tear Stilinski a new one, Cupcake.”

“Oh, yeah, I was about to do that, too. Stilinski, I hope your team is ready, because we have a match with another school in a week”.

Stiles gulped. He thought he’d have more time and he really wasn’t ready. He needed at least three more players.

“Sorry, Coach, I’ve been… busy, lately, and…”

“Busy ogling Hale’s ass”, added Scott, like it was helpful somehow. Coach blinked, tilted his head to try and sneak a peak of said ass and shrugged like it was a good enough reason to neglect duties as Captain of any team and Hale chocked on his own saliva, so maybe it was a good excuse.

“Sort it out now, I want your team in the field in five minutes”, Coach said before going out, not troubled anymore by the fact that a girl was in the locker’s room.

It was now or never, and preferably before anyone decided that they wanted to make Derek’s team instead of his.

He faced Derek’s everything bravely.

“So, I wasn’t ogling your ass- I mean yes, I was, but it’s not… I wanted to know if you’d want to go on a date? Not with Erica- with me?”

Derek didn’t answer, looking at him with a gobsmacked face.

“Or a double date with Allison and I”, Scott suggested, breaking the awkward silence.

“We can also make it a triple date, if Boyd is down to go out with me”, Erica said with assurance. Oh. Boyd was probably the guy she had a crush on. One point for Stilinski.

Derek was still silent. Stiles didn’t know what to make of that situation- yes, his plan was to be rejected by the guy; but he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It was ridiculous. He never had feelings for Hale. He shouldn’t dwell on the pain in his chest at the idea that Derek was going to mock him and never look twice at him again.

“So, it’s a no, I guess?”, he asked. Just to check. Just to be sure. Just for show, of course, for the other players to hear the clear refusal. Not at all because he still had a tiny bit of hope.

The question pulled Derek out of his trance:

“No, I…”

Stiles sighed dramatically “I knew it” and was about to turn around to ask the Basketball players if any of them would help a poor, heartbroken guy, when Derek’s strong hands framed his face.

“Yes”, Derek answered in a clear, determined voice. And he fucking kissed him.

He vaguely heard Erica and Scott cheering, Matt taking a picture or two or two thousands, Boyd grunting “at last”, Coach getting back to ask what all that noise was about, Danny answering that it was nothing, just a coming out, and Coach mumbling that if it was Hale and Stilinski it was more common knowledge than a coming out.

He was confused and Hale was kissing him like a hungry man, like he was meaning it- it was a lot of effort on Derek’s part just to keep up with a lie. Fuck. Derek was probably really smitten.

Stiles had been wrong, so wrong.

But a misunderstanding had never felt that good before.

___________

“They wiped your ass”, commented Derek cheerfully after the game, as Stiles was coming back from the field.

“Your fault, you could have let me take Isaac in my team”, he growled. He wasn’t really mad at Derek, because his boyfriend was waiting for him in the locker’s room, smelling amazing and ready to make him forget all about the disastrous game.

“You already took Boyd”, argued Derek, and yes, it also was a good reason not to be mad. Boyd was a brute in the field, staring down his opponents and making them fly everywhere. He was lost on Lacrosse and should immediately start a career as quarterback.

Stiles put an end to the argument by kissing Derek, all gross and sweaty, but he knew that Hale didn’t mind, the dirty perv.

“Get a room”, Scott complained as he entered. Behind him, the other players were coming too, so they obediently parted.

“Derek was just consoling me, we weren’t committing public indecency.”

Scott smiled.

“Come on, it wasn’t that bad! At least they broke Greenberg’s leg, so he won’t play for months! It has to count for something, right?”

“And now I’ve got to find another player to replace him.”

“Months, Stiles!”

“I think Cora wants to try Lacrosse, actually”, Derek interrupted.

The whole team looked at him with matching terrified faces.

“…Or not”, he conceded.

“Or not”, Stiles nodded wisely.

“Besides, I don’t think coach would allow girls to play”, added Scott who was not so secretly fearing Erica, Cora, Lydia and Allison in equal parts and was probably trying to make sure that none of them would play in his team.

The poor guy would end up benched, cheering for his girlfriend.

“You already all play like girls!”, Coach claimed as he entered, slamming the door behind him. “Hale, I want your sister in the Lacrosse team next week!”

Stiles let his head fall in his hands. On the bright side, if the girls were to join to team, he sure as hell was going to get his scholarship.

But he was going to lose his Captain status.

At least, now he had a boyfriend.

(Two weeks later, said boyfriend was helping him sewing a cupcake costume for the Lacrosse Team’s new mascot: Greenberg.)