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Derek really doesn't like his birthday. It's just a reminder that he's getting older. Although, not as old as Laura. A little fact he’s not above throwing at her face when she wishes him a happy birthday every year.
This birthday is somehow worse than any other. He’s turning thirty today! Thirty feels like a turning point. Like he has to get his act together and start thinking about the future. That’s what people in their thirties do, right? Settle down, getting a couple of kids, Sunday strolls through the park? Derek gulps at the thought.
Sure, he’s got a nice place to live and he’s got a fancy job, but that’s it. He doesn’t have a boyfriend to settle down with. Or even think about kids. Although Stiles would make an amazing dad.
Derek buries his head in his pillow and groans. He’s been actively trying not to think about Stiles for so long now, it’s just so damn hard. They share the same group of friends, they attend the pack dinner every two weeks, they do a weekly lunch at the Sheriff’s station even, when Stiles brings in lunch from his little café for everyone on Friday. They have a monthly movie date, if you can even call two friends going to the movies together a date.
Any chance of getting together with Stiles has been thrown out the window now Derek turns thirty today. He’s too old now. Stiles is only twenty five, he doesn’t want to date an old man. Though, now Derek thinks about it, has he ever seen Stiles properly date someone?
He’s so lost in thoughts about Stiles that he doesn’t notice someone sneaking into his house until he feels a dead weight on top of him. He swats his hand helplessly at his sisters who refuse to get of him. They giggle in his ear like a pair of 5-year olds. Derek grumbles at the obvious malicious pleasure they take in it being his birthday.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEREK!” They shout in his ear when the giggling has subsided.
Derek rolls his eyes but thanks them anyway, when they finally get of him.
“Come on, grandpa, time to get up. We’ve got a party to organise.” Cora says while trying to pull him out of his bed.
“Grandpa, really, Cora.” Derek says before realising what else she just said. “Party? Oh no! No, that’s not gonna happen!”
Derek’s protests are cut off by his phone making noise. He glances at the screen and sees it’s a message from Peter.
“Happy bday! I hope you get laid tonight!”
Laura cackles when she reads the message over his shoulder. She ruffles his hair and then moves to get out of his room.
“Get dressed and we’ll go out for breakfast. Cora will take care of all the rest.”
*
Going out for breakfast turns into brunch which turns into shopping, seemingly for his birthday, but it becomes pretty clear Laura tricked him into shopping for herself really fast. Derek just endures it for his sister’s sake. If she’s happy shopping, she won’t be talking about his birthday. And how old he’s getting. Or how he should settle down. With Stiles.
But it’s Laura he’s talking about so she obviously broaches the subject. She’s pushed him into a fitting room with a maroon button-up and a pair of dark jeans before she brings it up. It’s in the second she closes the curtain that he realises he’s trapped.
He sighs heavily when Laura speaks up. She goes on and on about him being single – Derek, you haven’t even dated anyone in ages – and having to start thinking about the future – Don’t you want to have a big family like we used to? – and finally about Stiles.
“Derek, seriously, you’re thirty now and you still haven’t had the balls to ask Stiles out. We’ve known him for years now.”
“Laura, stop it.” Derek finally replies while getting out of the fitting room. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship. Besides don’t you think that, if he were interested in me, he’d have said something by now? Now, what does this shirt say?”
“It goes beyond me how dense you can be sometimes. “ Laura rolls her eyes at him. “It’s nice, it compliments your eyes and accentuates your build. Not to mention what those jeans do for your ass. You’re going to wear this tonight and Stiles will be all over you. And that, dear brother, is my birthday present to you.” She smiles, seemingly satisfied before pushing him back into the fitting room.
Derek doesn’t even deem that worthy of a reply. He’d know if Stiles was interested. It’d be obvious, right?
*
Cora and Laura are fussing in the kitchen to set up all the food and drinks. But not before they’d put him in the couch with his phone and told him to at least like the birthday wishes he got on his Facebook profile. So that’s what he’s doing right now. Because apparently “that’s the polite thing to do, don’t be so socially awkward, Derek” according to Cora.
An hour later Derek’s still sitting in the same spot but this time with a drink in his hand and surrounded by snacks, gifts and all of his friends. Well, almost all of his friends. Because Stiles isn’t here. And Derek doesn’t know what to do now.
He lets the conversation of his friends wash over him as he glances around the room. Erica’s sitting on Boyd’s lap, talking with Allison and Cora. Allison’s hand is linked with Scott’s while he talks to Isaac, who keeps looking over at Cora and giving her private smiles. Lydia and Laura are discussing interior designs for Laura and Jordan’s new place. And Jackson and Parrish are talking sports with Boyd.
They’re all paired up, settling down even. Suddenly Derek feels lonely. He wants what they have. He wants someone sitting on his lap while they talk with different people. He wants to glance at his partner and give them private smiles and hold hands. He rubs his face, trying to shake the thoughts away. Stiles not being here, isn’t helping either. And no-one has said something about it, but they should’ve noticed he was missing, right?
It’s nearing midnight when everyone is getting ready to leave. Cora is about to open the door to see their friends out when Stiles bursts in. He’s breathing hard as if he ran all the way to Derek’s place. He’s looking over their friends until his eyes settle on Laura.
“I’m so sorry, I’m late. There were a couple of customers at the café who didn’t want to leave and I obviously can’t just kick them out. And I know you put a lot of effort in organising this and I’m so sorry.” Stiles rambles and it says a lot about their friendship that no-one bats an eye at Stiles’ word vomit.
“And you know what the worst thing was, they kept sending things back to the kitchen. They were customers from hell! And you’d think they’d leave quite a tip for being so obnoxious, but no. Two dollars, they left a freaking two dollar tip. What’s my staff gonna do with that? And…” Stiles finally takes a breath and his eyes land on Derek.
“Oh, Derek, I’m so sorry. I also totally forgot to get you a gift, but I baked you these lemon tarts to make it up. And I know it’s a lame gift when you’re turning thirty. I’m so sorry, I love you!”
Stiles’ eyes widen as realisation dawns on him. The silence is palpable for about five seconds before everyone starts moving at once, shouting goodbyes and thank you’s and happy birthdays, while Stiles is standing in the middle of it, mumbling he meant to say happy birthday.
Derek thanks everyone without being aware of it. His sole focus is on the guy standing in front of him. Stiles who said he loves Derek. But he surely didn’t mean it, right? Slip of the tongue or something like that?
They stand there just watching each other for a couple of minutes after everyone left. Stiles’ face is flushed red and he’s fidgeting with his shirt. Derek’s still holding the box of lemon tarts, Stiles gave him.
“So, uh…” Stiles starts, blowing a long stream of air out. “Happy birthday?”
It comes out more as a question and he knows it. He scratches awkwardly at the back of his neck. Derek takes a deep breath and motions for Stiles to follow him into the living room.
“Oh, wow, seems like it was quite a party.” Stiles gestures at the remnants of snacks and drinks lying around his living room.
Derek knows what he’s doing. It’s a thing Stiles does. Ignore a problem until it’s gone.
“Stiles?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you mean it?” Derek asks after taking a deep breath and convincing himself that they’re going to do this now.
“I… Look, Derek,…” Stiles trails off. He opens his mouth a couple of times before closing it and getting a determined look on his face.
“Derek we’ve been friends for so long now. And we didn’t really get along quite that well in the beginning, but Derek, we’re having weekly lunches, monthly movie dates and even more random outings to anywhere really. I make you try all my cooking experiments first. You’re the first one I turn to when something’s bothering me. You make me laugh with your dry humour, you know how to comfort me, you make me feel good about myself, Derek. So yes, I did. For a while now, to be perfectly honest.”
And isn’t that everything Derek was dying to hear? But before he can smile as wide as the Cheshire Cat, Stiles’s face turns vulnerable. That’s something Derek hasn’t seen that often. Only when Stiles talks about his mom.
“Please tell me you feel something too, because if you don’t I just might’ve ruined our entire friendship and I don’t want that. I’d rather have you as a friend than not at all. But, Derek, you tell me stuff. That has to count for something right? I mean I know how you feel about your family, about socialising, about turning thirty for god’s sake.”
“Stiles,” Derek puts his hand over Stiles’ mouth to make him stop. He should’ve known Stiles would doubt himself the second he’d laid his feelings on the table. “I do feel the same, but I thought you didn’t. I mean, I turned thirty today and you’re only twenty five. I’m old now. What are you even going to do with me.”
Stiles barks a laugh at that. He shakes his head a couple of times. And Derek, well Derek can’t do anything else but laugh with them, because they’re such idiots. All this time they could’ve been together.
Stiles winds his arms around Derek’s necks and gets closer until their lips are inches apart. He starts walking until Derek hits, what he thinks is his bedroom door.
“I’ll make you feel like you’re twenty five again, old man.” Stiles whispers against his lips before kissing him properly.
Derek is willing to reconsider his stance on birthdays.