Work Text:
Being a supernatural creature, it always surprised people when Derek said he didn’t believe in fate, destiny, soulmates, or any of that meant-to-be bullshit. He always thought it was a bunch of romantic mumbo-jumbo that someone came up with to blame when things didn’t turn out as they had hoped.
It’s funny how one day, one person, can change everything you’ve ever believed.
“It’s fate,” Laura said when he found the five-dollar bill after he’d been complaining about forgetting to get lunch money that morning.
“It’s someone else’s loss,” Derek told her. He hoped that whoever did lose it wasn’t freaking out about it. He sniffed at the bill when Laura’s back was turned and then sneezed three times because of the excessive number of smells that came from it.
He walked out of class to head to the lunchroom when he tripped over someone kneeling in the middle of the hallway. “What the hell?” he growled as he barely managed to save himself from smashing his face into the linoleum.
“Oh man, dude, I’m sorry,” the guy he’d tripped over said, his face bright red and eyes shining. All the anger melted from Derek in the face of his obvious distress.
“What are you doing in the middle of the hallway?” Derek asked, standing up and reaching down to pull him up as well, but he pulled his arm away and continued to dig in his backpack.
“I lost something, and if I don’t find it, my science teacher is going to kill me, and if he doesn’t kill me, he’ll put me in detention. If he puts me in detention, my dad will kill me. Either way, if I don’t find it, I’m dead,” he said.
“Breathe,” Derek said, the only thing that came to mind at the onslaught of words. “What are you looking for?”
“Five dollars,” he said, grabbing his bag and slamming it on the ground. “Dammit.”
Sighing, Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out the five he’d found that morning. “Here,” he said.
“I can’t take your money,” he said, but he eyed it with longing. “You don’t even know me.”
Derek noticed he didn’t say that he didn’t know Derek, but if they went to school together, chances were good he did. That wasn’t conceited; Derek was captain of the football team and class president. He stood up, and Derek finally got a good look at his face.
”I do know you,” he said. “You’re the sheriff’s kid. Stiles, right?” Stiles’ eyes widened, and he nodded. “Take the money. I found it this morning. It’s probably yours anyway.”
Stiles startled Derek by throwing his arms around Derek and squeezing hard. “Thank you! You are the best. The greatest. A god among men.”
Derek chuckled and thought about peeling Stiles off, but he was enjoying the hug. He had a pleasant scent that melded well with Derek’s. He shook his head at his own thoughts and stepped back, holding the bill out again just as the bell rang.
Stiles snatched the money and darted down the hall towards the science class, screaming out his thanks as Derek headed to the cafeteria. Maybe he could mooch something off Erica to hold him over until after school.
Unfortunately, Erica wasn’t in the cafeteria, which meant Boyd wasn’t there either. Only Isaac and usually Derek ended up sharing his lunch with Isaac, so it looked like he wouldn’t be eating that day. Surprisingly, someone sat down at the table next to Isaac.
“This is Scott,” Isaac said. “It’s okay he sits with us, yeah?”
Derek smiled. Isaac was always so shy; it was good to see him making new friends. “Absolutely. I’m Derek.”
“Nice to meet you,” Scott said. “My bud-”
“Dude, Scott, what are you doing sit-Derek! Man, thanks again. You’re a lifesaver,” Stiles said all in one breath as he dropped down into the seat next to Scott and across from Derek.
“You two know each other?” Scott and Isaac asked at the same time.
“Derek is my hero. He gave me five bucks to give to Harris-”
Derek groaned. “If I’d known it was for Harris, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“I feel that,” Stiles said, laughing. “I’m glad you did, though. Seriously, detention would’ve been the- Hey, aren’t you eating?” Stiles looked at the empty table in front of Derek. “Shit, was that your lunch money?”
“I’m good,” Derek said, waving Isaac off as he tried to tear his peanut butter sandwich in half.
“No. You’re not, but I have the perfect solution!” Derek raised his eyebrows. “I accidentally grabbed my dad’s lunch and my own.” Stiles reached into his pack, pulled out two brown paper bags, and set one in front of Derek.
“Damn, that’s lucky,” Scott said.
“It’s fate!” Stiles said. “Derek saved me, and I saved him!”
Derek shook his head, ready to argue, but he was too hungry. He opened the sack and pulled out a sandwich, apple, bottle of iced tea, and a snack bag of carrot sticks. “Very healthy.”
“You got Dad’s,” Stiles said. “I gotta look after his heart. We can trade if you want.” He showed Derek his nearly identical lunch, except it contained a soda and a pack of Reece’s cups.
“I’ll take the Reece’s Cups,” Derek said, smiling.
Stiles grabbed the candy and yanked it off the table and into his backpack. “What Reece’s Cups? I don’t see any Reece’s. Do you see any Reece’s?”
Derek laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the tables around them. Lunch continued in the same vein, and his stomach hurt from laughing so hard by the time it was over. He headed to his afternoon classes with Stiles tailing him and asking if they could sit together again the next day or maybe hang out after school.
“I’m not getting rid of you anytime soon, am I?” Derek asked, and Stiles shook his head as the bell rang, and he yelped and ran off down the hall.
Derek had been correct. Stiles became a regular part of Derek’s friend group. Stiles came to the basketball games, and Derek started following the lacrosse team, even though Stiles spent most of his time on the bench. He became a regular fixture around the Hale house, staying for dinner and becoming nearly best friends with Derek’s older sister, Laura. He figured out the family secret and promised to keep it to himself.
When it came time for Derek’s graduation party, Stiles came to help him set up the backyard for the party. Derek came out carrying a couple of trays of vegetables and found Stiles looking at the photo boards with Derek’s mother. They were laughing when Stiles suddenly became very animated.
“Mama Hale, that’s me!” he said, pointing to a photo. “And my mom!”
Derek set down the trays and hurried to their side to see which picture had gotten Stiles all excited. His mother pointed it out because Stiles’ hands were flailing everywhere as he talked. The photo had been taken at the park when Derek was about six or seven years old, which would have made Stiles two or three. Stiles was sitting on the swing, and Derek was pushing him, wearing broad smiles and laughing. A woman stood in the background with her hand over her heart and a fond smile.
“I remember that,” his mother said.
“I don’t,” said Stiles.
“Well, you were a baby,” Derek pointed out.
“No way! I got that Hulk shirt for my third birthday!” Stiles said.
“Still a baby,” Derek teased.
“Boys,” Talia interrupted. “Stiles, you wandered over to Derek in the sandbox and grabbed his hand. You pointed at the swing and babbled until Derek let you pull him over. Then you tried climbing on the swing until he helped you up and started pushing you.”
“Pushy even then,” Derek said, and Stiles stuck his tongue out at him.
Talia began to speak when Stiles’ dad showed up, and Stiles ran off to greet him. Derek watched him go, smiling. He turned his head when his mom elbowed him gently. “You really care about him, don’t you?”
“He’s my best friend.”
“Your father is my best friend,” Talia pointed out.
“Mom,” Derek said, failing to keep the whine out of his voice.
“Do you remember what you said to me that day at the park?”
“Mom, I don’t even remember that day, let alone what I said.” Even as he uttered the words, a flash of memory returned to him, and he felt a shock jolt through him.
“Derek, come here!” Stiles called from across the yard.
His mother smiled fondly. “That’s too bad. Maybe one day, I’ll remind you. Perhaps in a toast,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before going to greet Stiles’ father.
Derek looked down at the photo and over to Stiles, who was smiling and gesturing for Derek to join them. Reaching out, he ran his fingers over Stiles’ smiling face. “Someday, mom, I’m gonna marry him,” Derek whispered, echoing the words from that day. Moving to join Stiles, he thought maybe there was something to destiny after all.