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It was hard to listen to.
The pack were sat inside Hale mansion, when there had been a knock on the door. Al the wolves could smell Stiles’ boyfriend; Owen, but only when the black haired boy saw him did he bound to the door happily. ‘Hey Stiles,’ He smiles ‘Can we talk for a second?’
Derek can hear the uneven thumping of the guys heart, as the two of them head out to the front porch. There’s really no privacy. The pack can hear everything. Most of them focus harder on the television, trying to give Stiles some time alone.
‘What’s up, Owen?’ Stiles asks, and Derek can practically hear him rolling on the heels of his feet. Derek listens. Derek always listens when Stiles is involved.
‘Actually, Stiles,’ Owen rubs the back of his neck ‘I…I kind of wanna break up with you.’
The atmosphere in the room changes. Everyone’s listening now. Derek bites back the growl his wolf wants to make.
Stiles swallows ‘But…uh…w-why? I thought things were going great? Weren’t things going great?’ He sounds devastated, but still energetically hopeful that everything will be sorted out.
‘They were going great, Stiles, honestly, but…things are...it’s getting harder to overlook stuff.’
Stiles frowned, ‘I’m not sure what you mean. Overlook what, dude?’
‘Your lack of attention, for one thing.’ Owen snaps, and then intakes his breath a little sharply ‘I mean you…you can’t focus on anything for very long- you switch conversations like that,’ its punctuated with a click of his fingers ‘and it’s annoying.’
Stiles sounds affronted ‘I can’t help it-‘
Owen pinches the bridge of his nose ‘I know that, Stiles, but…it’s not just that. I mean you…you dress like a slob.’
Erica growls lowly ‘I’m gonna kill this son of a bitch.’
Derek shushes her, but inwardly agrees.
‘You’re dumping me because of the way I dress?’ Stiles frowns ‘that’s a little stereotypically gay, isn’t it? I thought we were all about breaking those walls-‘
‘Look at yourself! What is that?’
‘It’s my HULK t-shirt,’ Stiles says, his voice confused like he doesn’t know there’s a problem anywhere, and Derek can’t stop his fond smile. He can only hide it behind his hands and hope that no one sees, but if Scott’s knowing glance is anything to go by, he’s not doing an excellent job. ‘What? I like the HULK, he’s a product of the Cold War, you know? Personally, I never hated the USSR, because socialism, in theory, isn’t as terrible as you might think-‘
‘You’re ugly!’
There’s utter silence.
Derek is shaking with rage, Scott looks utterly appalled, Lydia is biting her lip, and everyone else is turned towards the door as though they can see through it.
Stiles’ laughter is shaky, and they can all hear his heart hammering ‘W-well, I mean, I know I’m no Captain America, but I thought you found me…just a little attractive?’ His voice catches, and then is more high pitched ‘Even the teensiest bit?’
‘Stiles,’ the way he says his name is pained ‘I liked you, alright? You have this fun, loud, out-going personality, and you’re always there when I want to hang around but…you know, getting to know you…there isn’t much else. I want more than loud and out-going. You’re…and it’s going to sound mean, but you’re a bit shallow.’
‘Shallow?’ Stiles’ echoes, and Owen nods
‘But you know, I could over-look all of those things, if we’d…’ he tails off suggestively, and the house holds their breath
‘If we’d…’
‘Had sex, Stiles.’
‘Oh!’ Stiles’ cheeks heat, his heart pounding a little harder ‘Well, y-yeah, you know, I wanted too, but I’m just a bit nervous that’s all-‘
‘I waited. You can’t expect me to wait forever-‘
‘Well, no! No, of course not! We would have, I just-‘
‘It makes me feel like you didn’t want to sleep with me. How do you think that makes me feel?’ Owen asks, and everyone knows what he’s doing but Stiles’. A cruel manipulation, and it normally wouldn’t work on Stiles, but when Stiles falls for someone, he falls damn hard. That person becomes perfect and he’d do anything for them.
‘Not good? But I didn’t mean it like that, Owen! I swear! We can have sex-‘
‘Now?’
Stiles’ heart skips a beat ‘w-what?’
‘Can we have it now?’ Owen presses, and Stiles is shaking
‘N-Now? As in, right now?’
‘Back at my place. My parents are out.’
‘Well, I-I mean-‘
‘You just said we could have sex. Why can’t it be right now?’
‘I-it’s just, you know, I’m a virgin, man. I don’t…’ Stiles laughs shakily ‘I’m just nervous, that’s all.’
‘Grab your stuff, Stiles. I’ll be waiting in my car.’ And his footsteps head off the porch. Stiles stands there for a second, before coming back into the house. They’re all watching. He smiles brightly, it’s almost a perfect façade. If they hadn’t been listening, they wouldn’t have known.
‘Hey guys, I’m heading back to Owen’s place. Okay?’ He edges towards the stairs. His coat is upstairs, Derek remembers.
‘Stiles,’ Scott stands up, looking desperate ‘He’s a jerk.’
‘He’s manipulating you,’ Erica whispers, and Stiles flinches.
‘Were you all just listening?!’ He exclaims, face flushing ‘That is so not cool! If I was a were-wolf with crazy advanced hearing, I’d never take advantage of you guys like that! And-and!’ He flounders for a second ‘you don’t know him like I do! He’s really great! And also-‘ he flails his arms before turning and heading for the stairs ‘I don’t have a final point!’
‘Go on.’ Lydia says, and Derek’s eyes widen when he realises everyone is looking at him.
‘What?’
‘Are you really going to go and let him lose his virginity to that ass-hole?’
All of Derek’s instincts are screaming no, but he just shrugs ‘it’s his life.’
Scott leans forward in his armchair, clasping his hands earnest ‘Derek?’ He says quietly, and Derek leans forward too, because Scott knows Stiles. ‘Owen called him ugly and shallow. Ugly and shallow. Stiles! Our Stiles,’ everyone is nodding and Derek marvels for a moment at what a pack they are ‘Stiles Stilinksi! And you know Stiles, Owen’s gonna keep saying it and…eventually…Stiles is going to believe him.’
Derek’s upstairs before he can think about it. And he sees Stiles looking at himself in the mirror, coat clenched tightly in his hands
‘Alright Stilinkski,’ Stiles murmurs to his reflection, bouncing energetically ‘you can do this. You can do this. Just Owen. It’s just Owen. You like Owen, Owen likes you. Owen likes you.’ He repeats the last bit, as though he doesn’t quite believe it. ‘And you can make yourself attractive.’ He nods, and Derek wants to wrap his arms around the human and cover him with his scent. Wants to kiss Stiles’ perfect nose, and trace his moles, and spread his dark hands across beautiful pale skin, wants to look into brown amber eyes, thrust into that firm, pert ass- ‘Maybe do something to your hair.’ Stiles frowns, touching it. His hair’s long enough that Derek coud run his fingers through it, tousled, and artful unintentionally. It looks better than it did when it was buzzed. Stiles’ looks younger, softer. Even more gorgeous. ‘Or hit the gym. New clothes.’ He nods, closing his eyes ‘you can do this. It’s just sex. Just sex. Owen is nice. He’ll comfort me.’ His heart stutters, and Derek known that even Stiles doesn’t believe the last lie. ‘AH!’ Stiles jumps, turning to see Derek leaning against the wall, arms folded
‘Stiles.’
‘You know, this whole sneaking up on people, listening in on conversation business isn’t very nice.’ Stiles says without heat. ‘Anyway, I have to go, Derek, Owen’s waiting outside-‘
‘I like how you dress.’ Derek says, and Stiles freezes
‘What?’
‘How you dress,’ Derek repeats slowly ‘the superhero support thing. I think it suits you.’
Stiles touches his HULK shirt, eyes wide.
‘I think you can focus. You do, with all the research that you do. You focus on it. When something’s important, you’ll think about it. Always. About the people you care about. Sure, your conversation could use a bit of work, but it makes everyone feel comfortable.’
Stiles is still staring at him.
Derek clears his throat, and decided to keep going ‘I don’t think you’re shallow, either,’ he says quietly ‘I think that…Owen…hasn’t taken the time to get to know you. How you…always smile and make everyone else feel happy even when you’re not. Or how you still visit your mothers grave. How you watch what your dad eats, and text him good night every night. How you risk your life over and over for people who probably wouldn’t do the same back.’ Derek takes a breath ‘it’s not shallow. You’re not shallow. At all.’
‘Deep as the ocean,’ Stiles jokes quietly, but he’s not smiling. In fact, his eyes are a little wet. He looks hopeful and vulnerable. For Derek.
Derek steps closer, listening to Stiles’ heartbeat. He takes one of his hands. Stiles is still shaking. ‘I think you’re beautiful,’ he says finally, just above a whisper ‘the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. You’re absolutely gorgeous and there are some days when you laugh and-‘ Derek takes a breath ‘it’s all I can do to stop myself from taking you then and there.’ Stiles’ cheeks have flushed, and he smells divine. Of chocolate and excitement and disbelief. ‘I’d comfort you,’ Derek whispers, right into Stiles’ ear, beard grazing his cheek. Voice low and husky ‘never pressure you. Only when you were ready and never before. But when you were…it would be all about you. I’d cum just watching you arch your back-‘
‘Jesus, Derek,’ Stiles whispers, pulling back, pupils dilated ‘how long have you-‘
‘Since you called me Miguel,’
Stiles smiles lop-sidedly ‘which time?’
‘The first.’
It’s the answer Stiles’ wants, and as the pack destroy Owen’s car, they press their lips together for the first time.
The first of many, many times.