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It’s been a long week.
“Fuck this week!” Derek shouts at the bar as he takes another shot, this time without Scott at his side. They’ve been yelling this every time they get a new drink. Because seriously…fuck this week.
Scott is sitting at the two-seat table along the side of the bar waiting for Derek to come back. He was supposed to bring back two shots but Scott watches as Derek lifts the second shot glass and shouts, “Fuck this week!”
It turns out that Scott might actually have to get his own alcohol this time. He laughs at Derek stumbling over towards him. Derek’s got the biggest pout on his face when he takes his seat. “The fucking bar cut me off!”
“That’s okay, we should slow down for a bit anyway. Next thing you know, we’ll get a bright idea to take part in the karaoke.”
“Karaoke? They do karaoke here?” Derek asks, face lighting up.
“Not here. Next door. Erica and Boyd love that place even though they both can’t sing for shit. I thought you’d know that?” Scott asks.
“All of our friends are mad at me, remember?” Derek says, frowning again. He stands up, although a little shakier than usual. “Let’s go listen to karaoke!”
Scott shrugs because he doesn’t have a better idea. This bar is kind of lame anyway. He follows Derek and they barely make it into the karaoke bar. The only reason the bouncer even lets them in is because Derek promises to sing real good and Scott’s pretty sure that the bouncer wants to see Derek make a fool of himself.
It takes all of ten minutes before they’re calling Derek’s name to the stage. Derek rushes up, almost knocking into a waitress, before he takes the mic.
“This is to the one guy who’s never given up on me! Even when all of my friends hate me because I’m better at Pictionary than them.” Derek takes a moment when the song starts to play.
Scott sees him close his eyes and his smile is growing. Poor Derek. He’s going to embarrass the hell out of himself.
Except then when Derek starts to sing…he’s good. In fact, he’s really, really good. Scott’s jaw drops in disbelief. Derek doesn’t sound like he’s hammered. He sounds like he should be on the radio or playing concerts. Maybe that’s Scott’s crush talking but still. He’s good.
Scott spins around in his chair to see the bouncer standing near the door. They make eye contact and all Scott can do is shrug. The bouncer looks impressed.
Derek finishes the song, receives an applause, and then launches into another one. I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash.
Scott has never been so impressed in his entire life. Derek doesn’t miss a beat, doesn’t miss a place, and looks like he’s actually enjoying himself. The crowd gets really into this and people are calling out and whistling.
The entire bar is paying attention to Derek, who doesn’t seem to notice at all. He just keeps his eyes closed and sings, rocking his body on the stage. His shoulders bounce a little.
He messes up once and then keeps going because someone shouts something supportive at him. Scott can’t understand it.
When Derek opens his eyes again, he’s grinning widely. The bar goesnuts. Scott jumps up and claps and calls out.
Derek takes a little bow and heads down from the stage to walk up to Scott.
“I didn’t know you could sing!” Scott shouts over the bar’s sudden noise.
Derek shrugs. “It’s a thing I do sometimes.”
“You were amazing! That was amazing! Derek, you are–” Scott stops talking when he throws his arms around Derek. “I’m so proud of you! That was so badass!”
Derek laughs and when they pull away, they don’t quite pull apart. “Scott, I’m pretty drunk but…”
“Yeah?” Scott says, breathless. There’s no way Derek could even understand him in all of this noise.
Some people come up and try to compliment Derek, and he gives them five seconds of his time, before he turns back to Scott. “I might not remember this in the morning.”
“Oh,” Scott says, frowning. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I really like you. I like spending time with you. I don’t even care that all of our friends are mad at us right now because it means I get more time with you. I want to kiss you all the time. You’re so smiley and hot and…” Derek claps a hand across his mouth. Scott thinks it’s because he believes he’s said too much. But then he’s heading towards the bathroom and Scott knows that he just has too much alcohol in his system.
They don’t mention it again when they head back to Scott’s dorm room. Scott takes care of Derek for an hour before they finally curl up in his single bed to sleep.
There’s not a lot of room, so Scott spoons Derek and trails his fingertip across Derek’s arm in random motions. Derek mumbles that it’s soothing before closing his eyes.
Scott nuzzles him and takes a deep breath. He hopes that Derek remembers what he says in the morning.
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Scott wakes to find himself alone in the bed. There’s a note on the nightstand table in Derek’s writing.
S,
I might be dying of embarrassment or a hang over, I can’t tell. But I just went to grab us some coffee. Be back soon.
D.
Scott reads it over again. So not only does Derek remember, but he wants to talk about it. Relief floods through him and he gets up to make himself presentable for Derek.
By the time there’s a knock on his door, Scott has a thousand questions and thoughts running through his mind. He doesn’t know how to tell Derek how he feels.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Derek repeats. “I went home, brushed my teeth, took a shower, and came back with an apology breakfast?”
He holds up his tray of coffees and a bag. “Can I come in?”
“Of course!” Scott steps back to let him in. Derek sets the stuff down onto his desk and turns back.
“Listen, about last night–”
Scott panics. He’s too afraid that Derek will take back the words so he launches himself at him. His lips find Derek’s in an awkward mess, but then he melts. It takes Derek a second or two before he starts to kiss him back.
Derek’s hands cup Scott’s cheeks and then he’s pushing Scott against the closed door. Scott’s hands are tugging at Derek’s waist, trying to pull him closer. It never seems close enough.
When they break apart, they’re both breathless. Derek says, “–I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“Me too. I want this. I want you. I want…” Scott lets his words trail off as he kisses Derek’s neck. “I don’t want you to change your mind.”
“I couldn’t. Never. I–I care about–you.”
Scott wonders if it’d spook Derek to tell him that he loves him, that he’s been in love with him for months now. Maybe even the past two years. It’d sneaked up on him so slowly that he hadn’t really known exactly how he felt until he had seen Derek smile yesterday.
“I care about you too,” Scott whispers instead. Maybe they’d work up to love. For now, it’d have to be enough. Scott adds, his breath hot against Derek’s skin, “I think you should sing to me.”
"Or we could make out some more.”
"Or that. Let’s do that,” Scott says, leaning into Derek again. After their lips briefly touch, Derek’s hand moves down Scott’s back and digs into his ass. Scott’s eyes widen in surprise and then he grins. “And that. Let’s do all of the things.”
Derek laughs, hangover seeming to be forgotten, as Scott drags him over towards the bed. “When’s your roommate back?”
“Hmm? Oh he’s mad at me too, so he’s spending the night with his girlfriend.” Scott wiggles his eyebrows. “We probably have all night.”
“Those words are music to my ears,” Derek says as they fall on bed together.
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