Archive of Our Own

With the breakfast rush over with, Stiles was finally able to breathe. The Wolfsbane Cafe was one of the most popular coffee shops in town so it wasn't a surprise that it was so busy. With the first burst of people done with, Stiles was able to do a quick wipe down while chatting with the regulars that stayed later. He had been working there since high school so he knew pretty much everyone that entered the shop. Because of how slow it got, he was more than capable of handling the front by himself, letting his two coworkers, Boyd and Erica, the chance to work in the back. Boyd was most likely going to work on making more pastries while Erica was going to do everything in her power to have some fun. 

The bell above the door rang as someone opened it. Ready to greet the person, Stiles looked up, but instead of saying anything he just froze. 

Unbeknownst to everyone, except his best friend, Scott, Stiles has a small infatuation with a TV show called 'Full Moon'. Okay, it was more like an obsession with it. It wasn't a particularly good show, most of it was just hot guys running around shirtless for no reason at all. But there was one character Stiles really liked and not just because he was the hottest guy. Tyler was broody and sarcastic but had a heart of gold. Stiles loved watching his performance so much that he looked up everything else the actor had done and watched that too. He even went so far as to join different groups on various social media dedicated to the actor, getting to know any of his future projects and gushing about how hot he was. It might've been a little weird, again maybe verging on obsessive, but Stiles just admired the actor and one day wanted to meet him. 

So his reaction was completely justified when he was staring at said actor, Derrik Hale, in the flesh. Thankfully, Derrik was preoccupied reading the menu or he'd have seen a wide-eyed, open-mouthed, barista staring right at him. 

"Hi," his voice cracked making Stiles want to bury himself alive. Quickly clearing his throat, he continued. "What can I get for you today?" 

Derrik continued to read the menu as he started. "Can I get a caramel coffee, a black coffee," he looked at the barista and smiled, "and a peppermint one." 

Stiles could've melted from that smile alone but he had to still act professional. "What size?" His voice trembling a bit. 

"A large for the first and two mediums for the other two." 

Pulling the cups needed, Stiles got to work making the drinks. "I haven't seen you in town before," he said as nonchalantly as he could. 

"Came back to visit family." 

Stiles paused, quickly turning around to the actor. "Wait, you're from here?" How did he not know that? He was sure he'd read where he was from at one point but how did he not know that Derrik was from Beacon Hills? 

"Yeah," Derrik answered, uncomfortable with the question, "left because of...stuff. And then I stayed away because of work." 

"I've never left town so I don't know what that must be like. Must be exciting to be back home," he said placing the large coffee down. He could see how uncomfortable the actor was being so he tried to move the conversation. 

"Kind of is actually," Derrik smiled again. "Better than working long hours and constantly being told what to do." 

"I bet. Not having to be bossed around is the best." 

"It is." 

Stiles chuckled, finishing up the smaller drinks before grabbing a cupholder and ringing up the total. "That'll be $17." Derrik pulled out a card and just tapped it against the card reader, grabbing the drinks when the receipt was printing. "Hope to see you again." Stiles wished he had more to say but figured an actor like Derrik Hale was busy. 

"I hope to see you too," he said, almost like he wanted to stay. Derrik smiled one more time before turning around and leaving. 

As the door closed, Stiles rushed to the back, past a working Boyd and a lounging Erica, and walked right into their walk-in freezer. Slamming the door, he screamed and jumped in the air like an idiot. He couldn't believe his luck, not only meeting but talking to Derrik Hale in person. 

But then he suddenly stopped his celebration realizing, he didn't ask for an autograph... 

*** 

A smile was on Derek's face as he made his way to the car. It had been a long time since someone didn't immediately bring up that awful show 'Full Moon', and even longer when someone didn't demand an autograph. The experience was actually pretty nice. Getting in the car, he passed the black coffee to his older sister, Laura, who raised an eyebrow at the smile still on his face. Derek shook his head as he sipped on his peppermint drink, he would tell her later but first... 

"Can I get my drink?" Erik, Derek's twin brother, demanded from the back seat. Derek handed the large coffee over, watching as his brother took a large sip and then grimaced. "It's not sweet enough," he complained. 

"Not shocking," Laura muttered. 

"What was that?" 

"Nothing, Erik," she said louder. "I'm just hoping lunch will be ready when we get home." 

Erik didn't look convinced that that was what his sister said but didn't care, putting his earbuds back in and taking another sip. Derek and Laura rolled their eyes, it was good to be around people who didn't put up with Erik's antics either. 

"So...?" Laura prompted. Derek didn't know what she was talking about and waited for her to continue. "What got you smiling like that? Did someone embarrass themselves again?" 

Derek chuckled. Many people didn't know how to interact with famous people, literally tripping over themselves to just get a glimpse. "No, the barista was just talking to me." At a red light, Laura looked at him, ready for more. "He didn't mention the show," he admitted. 

"That'll piss Erik off," Laura chuckled. 

There was a bit of confusion between Derek and Erik, the twins had started acting when they were kids, mostly commercials but over time they started doing TV. But their mother didn't want them to get too overwhelmed and decided to not let anyone know that there were two of them, switching between them for bigger projects herself. She had also cleverly combined their names to Derrik, not that it helped Derek since that was already his name. At first, it was fine, just getting one of her boys to be cute in a commercial was easy. When they were older, it was a little more difficult since Erik loved the attention and stardom but didn't have much acting abilities and Derek was a natural acting wise but was too introverted for the spotlight. Their mom just figured that Erik could keep doing it and let Derek do whatever he wanted, for a while it was what each brother wanted. But nothing in life was simple because of Erik, who knew he wasn't as talented and manipulated Derek to keep working. He eventually relented the kept up the charade just to keep his brother happy. Derek didn't mind it at first, getting to travel and meet so many different people but then he'd have to deal with his brother wanting to do different projects he didn't want to do which led them to do 'Full Moon'. He wished he could stop himself from doing it but he just couldn't, especially since he just didn't want to deal with Erik. 

"So... What's he like?" Laura asked in a way only older siblings can. 

Derek shrugged. "He was nice, I guess." His sister side-eyed him. "We didn't say much to each other. I gave him the order, he said something about not seeing me in town before..." 

"He was totally flirting with you." 

"He was not flirting with me." 

"He was..." She singsonged to him. 

"He wasn't," he did it back to her. "He's probably nice to everyone." 

"Who was it?" 

"I don't know. His name tag had an 'S' on it." 

Laura took a sip of her coffee thinking about who it could be. Working in the sheriff's department gave her a lot of knowledge about everyone in town. "Nope, don't know. It could be anyone." 

"Just drop it. We probably won't see each other again anyway." 

They pulled up to the house, and Erik immediately got out of the car. Laura rolled her eyes again. She grabbed Derek's hand before he was able to do the same. 

"Derek, one day you're going to find someone who doesn't know who 'Derrik Hale' is. And maybe you finally have, in our little town. But you won't know unless you go and find out." 

Derek smiled at his sister and then hugged her. It was good to be back home. 

*** 

"Scott!" Stiles excitedly shouted into the phone. His best friend winced at the sound but knew not to interpret him. "Can I tell you something and you won't tell anyone?" 

"Depends on what it is," he answered. "Like if it's something illegal, you know I can't do that." 

Stiles rolled his eyes. He had a limited number of people he could talk to about his earlier encounter; his coworkers wouldn't believe him and he didn't think his dad even knew who Derrik Hale was. So that left his best friend. 

"No, it's not illegal. I met someone at work today." 

"Okay...?" 

"Someone famous." 

"Robert Downey Jr.?" 

"No. And why would he be in Beacon Hills?" 

"Why would any famous person be here?" 

He had a fair point, but still. "Guess again." 

"Scarlett Johansson?" 

"No, Scott, I did not meet an Avenger today." 

Scott sighed. "Is it that actor from that lame show you like?" 

Why did he think Scott was a good person to tell his news to? "It isn't a lame show. And don't make that face, you've seen a lot of the episodes." 

"Because you forced me," Scott laughed. "So you met that brooding werewolf?" 

"Yes, I met Derrik Hale today." 

"Get his autograph?" 

"No, didn't know how to ask him." 

"Usually people say 'Can I get an autograph?' Seems to work." 

"Yeah, well it didn't come up. I wanted to tell someone and you're kinda bringing down my mood, dude.' 

"Sorry, Stiles. I'm just studying right now. There's a big test tomorrow and..." 

"You forgot to study?" 

"You know me so well." 

"Okay, I'll get off the phone." 

"Thanks. And I'm happy for you meeting your favorite actor. If I don't bomb this test we should go out." 

*** 

It had been a crazy day; Stiles had woken up late and missed two of his classes, rushing out of his place he jumped into his jeep still in his pajamas, and tried to start it but it just refused to turn over. Grabbing his phone to email his professor an excuse, he realized that it was Saturday and he didn't have class that day. But he did have work that he was late for. Quickly, Stiles shot off a text to his coworkers and when he tried his car it miraculously turned on so he could get to work. Jumping into the fray, he learned that the oven had broken down so Boyd was making the pastries at his place and having Erica drive back and forth to deliver them. To top that off the only coffee they had was decaf and no one wanted that. With someone else there his other coworker, Issac, was able to rush out to the store and grab some replacement coffee. 

Eventually, everything fell into place and they were able to relax a bit and breathe. After the long day, Stiles wanted nothing more than to clock out, go home, and veg out for the rest of the night. But before he was able to do any of that, the unthinkable happened... 

"Please, Stiles," Issac begged. "I've been trying to go on this date for weeks." 

"Issac..." Normally, he would agree because it was love and all that junk but it had been a long day and Stiles just wanted to go home. 

"Please!" He was practically on his knees. 

Stiles sighed. "Fine." He hated himself for agreeing. "But you owe me." 

He was immediately embraced in a crushing hug. "Thank you, Stiles. I'll pay you back whenever you want." 

"I'll hold you to that. Now get out of here before I change my mind." 

Isaac chuckled, running out before Stiles made good on his threat. 

"Well that was nice of you," Boyd commented, unpacking the last of the pastries for the night. 

"What can I say, I'm a romantic." 

"Or you're looking for someone," Erica sang, bringing clean cups from the back. "I saw how you were looking at the door every time it opened." 

"I was not. I was just seeing how many people were coming in." 

"Okay," Boyd said, putting the last of the pastries away, "that should be good for tonight. Are you sure you can handle the shop alone?" 

"Boyd, I've been here for years. Of course I can. You two go and have your date, I'll be fine." 

"Well, in that case," Erica said, taking off her apron and pulling her boyfriend out of the cafe. "See you later, Batman!" 

Stiles chuckled. The night shift was thankfully pretty easy since most people didn't want coffee so late and just wanted pastries. Between patrons, Stiles started cleaning, getting as much as he could so the morning crew didn't need to do much before opening. While cleaning, he was getting into the music playing over the sound system, dancing around, and singing along loudly. He was so loud in fact that he didn't hear the bell above the door until he turned around and saw someone there. To Stiles's mortification, Derrik Hale was starting there, trying to cover up his grin. 

"I... I... I'm," Stiles sheepishly stammered, making his way behind the counter and hoping to disappear behind it forever. 

"I'm sorry." There was nothing in his tone that made it sound like he was. "I was passing by and saw you were still open." 

"We are. Can I get you something?" 

"Yeah, can I get a peppermint coffee? Medium again?" 

Stiles started making the drink, knowing he could at least do that without messing up. While pumping the syrups into the cup, he looked over at the celebrity who had taken a seat at one of the tables. Derrik had his elbows on the surface and his head was resting on his hands as he watched the coffee being made. 

"I didn't think you were a peppermint kind of guy," Stiles absentmindedly remarked. 

"Why'd you say that?" 

Stiles remembered reading somewhere that Derrik loved sweeter drinks so when he ordered a large caramel coffee it made sense. Maybe he had read it wrong... "You just seem like someone who'd like sweet drinks." 

"Don't mind sweets but I prefer peppermint. This is probably the only place I've been to that sells it outside of the holidays." 

"We are. At least around here." He finished making the drink and was about to place it in front of Derrik but then grabbed a danish too. The actor looked at the pastry in confusion. "On the house. I'm going to toss any I can't sell so you're helping me out." 

Derrik smiled, accepting both things. 

Stiles didn't know what to do, feeling creepy if he stood over the celebrity while he ate, so he went back to the counter and continued his cleaning. 

"So," Derrik started, "what kind of coffee person are you?" 

"Um... black actually." 

"Really? I wouldn't expect that." 

"Well, I don't drink it unless I'm pulling an all-nighter. I usually drink tea if I'm getting something here." 

Derrik smiled again, tearing a piece of the danish off. "Want to share this with me?" 

Stiles nearly jumped over the counter, he didn't for two reasons: 1) it was highly inappropriate and 2) Stiles most likely would've face-planted and embarrassed himself even more. Instead, he rushed over to the actor and sat down. 

"Do you make the pastries?" Derrik asked. 

For a split second, he thought about lying but decided against it. "No. That's Boyd. He's the one that bakes. I'm not allowed to use the oven here." 

"There has to be a story there. Why aren't you allowed?" 

Stiles told the tale of the disastrous time he tried baking and the small fire that not only took the fire department but the sheriff's to contain. That was an embarrassing day, especially when he was yelled at by his boss, the fire chief, and the sheriff. The last one stung even more because that was his dad but he didn't tell Derrik that part. To distract from the embarrassment of retelling that story, Derrik talked about the time he was cooking eggs and caused a small fire. It didn't help a lot since Derrik was only 7 but it was nice to hear something personal that no one else knew. 

Their conversation continued as they each ate the danish piece by piece until it was finished. Before they realized it, it was closing time and Stiles needed to finish cleaning. They were disappointed that their conversation had been cut short but it couldn't be helped. Before he left, Derrik paid for his drink and asked to be charged for the pastry as well. Stiles refused, reminding Derrik that it was on the house. At the end of the transaction, the receipt was printed. Neither wanted to grab it but eventually, Stiles had to so he could close up. Derrik hesitantly grabbed it and started to leave. 

"Do you want to go out?" Stiles asked, causing Derrik to pause. He didn't know why he asked, not like he had a chance with a celebrity. "You know... with me? It doesn't have to be anything crazy, like a night in or something...?" He was wholeheartedly expecting to be laughed at, or mocked because why would anyone like Derrik Hale want to go out with him? 

"I'd like that," Derrik smiled. Stiles stared at him with wide eyes, not believing what he just heard. "Can I get your number? You know, so we can see when works for the two of us?" 

Stunned, Stiles printed out more paper and wrote down his number, adding his name too. Derrik accepted the paper and looked at it. 

"Nice to meet you Stiles, I'm --" 

"Derrik," the barista interrupted. Derrik looked concerned. "I saw the name from the card," he tried to sheepishly explain even though that was a complete lie. 

The actor smiled again, a look of relief crossing his face. "I'll text you later," he said before leaving. 

When the door closed behind him, Stiles went over and locked it. Rushing off to the back, he did his victory dance, not believing what just happened. He didn't just chat with Derrik Hale for a few seconds but had asked him on a date and the actor had accepted it. Screw getting an autograph, getting a date was a hundred times better. 

*** 

Driving back, that little piece of paper was making him want to pull over and immediately text Stiles. He didn't, he could hold himself off until the next day, even if he didn't want to. To make sure he didn't come off desperate, Derek went to the one person he could think of who would be happy for him and not make a huge deal about it, his sister Laura. Heading to the sheriff's station, he saw that there weren't many people there so he was going to have a bit of privacy while talking to his sister. When he walked in, Derek saw Laura manning the front desk, she looked at him in surprise. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked. 

"I was in the neighborhood..." Laura's skeptical face told him she didn't believe that. "I went back to the coffee shop..." 

"Was he there?" Derek nodded, a dopey grin was spreading in his mouth. "And?" 

Derek proudly pulled out the receipt to show off that he got a number. Like the big sis she was, Laura snatched it from his hand to look at it closer, chuckling when she saw the name of the guy. Of course, she knew Stiles, it was difficult not to since that was her boss's son who was always around. Derek grabbed it back and stuffed it into his pocket, not wanting to lose it. 

"Have you texted him yet?" Laura smirked. 

"Not yet. I'll do it in the morning." 

"Well, I'm proud of you baby brother," she said, ruffling his hair, much to Derek's annoyance. 

"You're not much older than me, Laura." 

"True, but I am older than you so baby brother still fits." 

Derek rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll leave you to work. Just wanted to tell someone about the date." 

"I'm glad I was the first person you told. And you better text him in the morning, Derek. Or I'll do it for you and you know I'll embarrass you if I do." 

Derek rolled his eyes again before leaving.

*** 

The first thing Derek did was text Stiles like he'd promised. After that, he got ready for the day and went downstairs to the surprisingly empty kitchen. Sitting at the kitchen island, he watched his phone, ready for Stiles to respond. He knew it wasn't likely to get an instant response but the longer Derek waited, the more nervous he got. What if Stiles had given him the wrong number? What if he didn't really want to go out with him? What if...? 

<<Hey there 

<<I'm so glad you finally texted me 

<<I was kind of freaking out 

<<Not that there was a reason to freak out 

<<I just was 

<<And now I'm not 

The messages came in a quick succession causing Derek to laugh as each one popped up. It was interesting to see that Stiles texted just like he spoke. 

>>Sorry if I scared you, I was scared you had given me the wrong number 

<<Well that's a relief that I didn't 

Derek's mother, Talia, walked into the room, kissing her son on the side of the head as she passed by. She could see Derek was texting someone but wasn't going to pry. 

"Who are you talking to this early?" Cora asked, entering the kitchen and seeing her brother on his phone. She yawned, her hair still messed up from the bed. 

"None of your business," the other two of them answered. Derek was defective while their mom said it in warning. 

Cora rolled her eyes, helping Talia with breakfast. 

<<So I know I seemed confident last night about the date 

Derek didn't like where that was going. 

<<but I have no idea what you'd be comfortable doing. Like is there any place you'd want to go? Or can go? 

The text didn't make much sense but he still smiled since he figured Stiles was just as nervous as he was. 

>>I like the idea of doing something at your place like you offered last night 

"Who's Derek texting?" His dad, Richard, asked before giving his wife a good morning kiss. 

"It's none of our business," Cora snarked before the other two could respond. 

<<Really? 

<<I was just throwing that out there. 

<<Yeah we can do that. 

<<When are you free? 

"Who the hell is Stiles?" Erik asked looking over his twin's shoulder only catching the name but not the messages yet. 

Derek quickly turned the screen off. 

"You're talking to Stiles?" Cora chuckled. 

"Does Laura know?" Richard asked. 

"Why does it matter if Laura knows?" Erik was trying to catch up with what was going on. 

"Yes, she does and she encouraged me to text him." 

"Okay, so no one's going to answer me. That's nice. Not like it'll matter. It's not like anything will happen once the guy realizes that he's not me." 

Derek abruptly got up and left, his family most likely glaring at his twin in disappointment. It sucked being a twin sometimes, or at least it did when one twin did all the interviews and only talked about himself and his own likes and dislikes. There were more than a few occasions that Derek would be asked about something Erik had talked about in an interview that he didn't know about. He had to feign ignorance and tell people they were mistaken and that he wasn't Derrik Hale. Some people were apologetic while others doubled down on their attempts to flirt. But Stiles seemed different, like he was genuinely interested in Derek himself and not his brother or the persona he helped create. Looking at his phone, he saw that Stiles had texted him a few times. 

<<Have to check your busy schedule? 

<<Wow, you must be rearranging it. 

<<You know you don't have to do that, right? I'm not that important... 

>>Sorry, was talking to my family. If you want we can meet tomorrow 

<<Oh, thank the gods. 

<<Yeah, tomorrow is good with me. It'll give me enough time to clean my apartment. 

<<Go spend time with your family. I'll talk to you later 

Derek smiled. Stiles truly was different from the others. 

*** 

Stiles had one day to hide all his 'Full Moon' merchandise before his date with Derrik Hale. He didn't need to show how crazy he truly was at first sight so he had to take his posters off the walls and put away the fan art he had bought online and at conventions. Anything that even remotely looked like it could be connected to the show was put away, only stopping when he couldn't find anything embarrassing. By the time Stiles was satisfied he'd hidden everything away, Scott showed up with some pizzas to celebrate not only his best friend meeting a celebrity but also to celebrate barely passing his test. 

"Did you get robbed?" Scott asked when he entered his best friend's apartment. 

"No," Stiles huffed. "I just decided to put some stuff away." 

"Why? You making a shrine for what's his name?" He laughed at his own comment. 

Stiles glared at him. "You think you're so funny, Scott McCall, but I remember what you were like in high school. I could've asked the same thing with Allison." 

Scott stopped laughing immediately. "Okay, fair. Harsh but fair. So why'd you take all your posters down?" 

"Can I trust you not to tell anyone? Like this is really important, Scott." 

"Yeah, you can. What's going on?" 

"I'm going on a date with Derrik Hale." 

Scott stared at his best friend and wondered if he had finally cracked. "What?" Scott finally said, still trying to work out what was wrong with Stiles. 

"I'm going on a date with Derrik Hale," he repeated. 

Okay, Stiles had gone insane. "Dude, just because you saw him doesn't mean you're going on a date with him." 

"I'm not lying. I'm actually going to go on a date with Derrik Hale." Scott didn't say anything, waiting for Stiles to tell the truth. "Fine, I'll prove it," he frowned, getting his phone out to text Derrik. 

<<Hey, weird request, but can you send me a picture of you? 

"I just asked him for a picture and it'll prove I'm not lying." 

>>Why...? 

Okay, what would be a good excuse instead of 'so I can prove I'm going on a date with a celebrity'? 

<<My friend wants to know just in case you're crazy... 

"Well?" Scott said with a smirk. 

Before he could respond to his cocky, yet delusional, friend, he received a new message. Seeing it was a picture, Stiles grinned before showing his friend. Scott rolled his eyes before looking at it, but then they widened. 

"Holy shit," he gasped. "That's actually the guy. That's actually..." 

"Derrik Hale, I told you." 

"How did that happen?'" 

Stiles shrugged, a smirk on his face. He turned the phone back to himself to look at the picture. It appeared that Derrik was in the preserve, he was looking at the camera, a little confused as to why he was even taking the picture but doing it anyway. Stiles smiled at it for a moment before turning the screen off. 

"Allison is going to freak out when I tell her," Scott remarked. 

"No, she's not. You can't tell anyone about Derrik, okay? I don't need people bothering me about one date." 

"Dude," he whined, "you know I can't lie." 

"You are going to have to. Just this one thing. And when Derrik leaves I'll tell people myself. Okay?" 

"I'm still trying to get my head around that you're going on a date with a celeb." 

Stiles smiled again, he couldn't believe it either. 

*** 

Derek stood in his old room, shirtless, looking at the limited clothes he had brought and none of them felt like they were good enough to go on a date. One of them had to but he couldn't make up his mind. 

"Geez," Laura said from the doorway. She had just gotten off of work so she was still wearing her deputy uniform. "Haven't seen you this freaked out since high school. What was that girl's name that you were infatuated with?" 

"Laura," he growled. 

"No, that wasn't it," she smirked, tossing a shirt to her brother. Once he caught it, Derek recognized it as one of Erik's shirts, a maroon Henley with finger holes for his thumbs. 

"I can't wear this. If Erik found out, he'd freak." 

"Well, he'll do that with something anyway, so just take it and have fun on your date." 

Derek smiled, slipping on the shirt and having to rearrange it a bit to fit better. Even though they were twins, the boys weren't exactly the same size. Derek's arms were stretching out the sleeves a bit as he put his thumbs into their appropriate places.

*** 

For Stiles, it was good that he had class that day or he would've freaked himself out about his date. Not like he didn't freak out at different points throughout the day, but who wouldn't going on a date with their favorite actor? Every so often, he'd text Derrik to see if the date was still on and to also make sure he wasn't dreaming. 

When the class ended, Stiles rushed out to get home and started on dinner. He wasn't a professional at cooking, more learning out of necessity after his mom's death, but he had some dishes he thought could impress the actor. Stiles settled on a steak dinner, something he knew his dad loved. But that could've just been because his dad was biased since the man loved anything with red meat. That didn't discourage Stiles from trying to improve on the recipe even if he already thought it was perfect.  It was a good distraction as it got closer to the start of the date, Stiles growing even more nervous as the minutes passed. 

There was a knock on the door as he was close to finished cooking. Stiles rushed to the door, mentally preparing for whatever was going to happen. 

But instead of Derrik Hale, he opened the door for his dad who looked like he'd just gotten off work since he was still in uniform. 

"Dad?" He asked, confused. 

"Stiles," the sheriff greeted, deadpanned. 

"Um...Not that I'm not happy to see you...but why are you here?" 

"Heard you're going on a date." 

Stiles's eyes widened. "How--?" 

"Don't date Laura's sibling and I won't know about it." 

"Cora?" 

It was the sheriff's turn to be confused. "Derek." 

Saying his name seemed to materialize the man as he turned the corner. He slowed his footsteps as he saw the sheriff chatting with his date. 

"Mr. Stilinski?" Derrik questioned. 

"It's good to see you again, Derek. I'm glad it's a Hale I like that's going on a date with my son." 

Stiles's brain rebooted itself, it was news to him that his dad personally knew a celebrity. And it looked like they knew each other very well. How did Stiles not realize Laura was Derrik's sister? 

"Uhh... Stiles?" Derrik said to get his attention. 

He finally snapped out of it. "Hey, Derrik. I didn't know you knew my dad." 

"I... didn't realize he was your dad," the actor sounded embarrassed. 

"It's good you two found each other," the sheriff sarcastically remarked. 

Stiles glared at his dad. "Why don't you come in," he said to the celebrity. Derrik entered the apartment, quickly followed by the sheriff. "Are you planning to stay long, Dad?" 

"Nope, just long enough to have a beer," he smirked. 

If he wasn't the sheriff, Stiles would've killed the man. With the door closed behind them, Stiles looked at Derrik for the first time, realizing that the shirt the actor was was hugging his arms nicely. And the thumb holes were a nice touch. He was holding a paper bag as he stood there awkwardly. 

"I brought some wine," Derrik said. "I tried to find one that would go with the steak you said you were making." 

"You're making him steak?" The sheriff asked. 

Stiles glared at his dad again. "Yes, Dad," he angrily answered. His expression softened looking at Derrik. "Thank you, Derrik. Let me put that in the kitchen. Do you want a glass now?" 

"No, I'm good." 

"Okay. Dad, can you--?" 

"I'll take a beer while I talk to Derek." 

Not wanting to argue in front of his date, he left before saying anything. Especially anything that could be used against him in a court of law. 

It had been a while since Derek had seen the sheriff, the last time he had still been a deputy. He couldn't believe that Stiles was little Mieczysław, or as most of the adults called him Mischief. Derek had been a shy kid so he didn't hang around him when they were younger, and Erik was too cool to hang out with pretty much everyone so that made sense why Stiles didn't know about them. But it was still weird to think that they had crossed paths many times but never interacted before. 

"When I heard about your date, I was worried that it was Erik pulling one of his pranks," the sheriff said. 

"I haven't let him pretend to be me for a long time." 

"Let's keep it that way. He's going to be punched in the face one of these days and I don't want you to take it by mistake. He takes after your uncle too much." 

Derek chuckled. 

"What have you been talking about?" Stiles asked, handing his dad a light beer. The sheriff frowned at the drink but took it anyway. 

"Just talking about Derek's uncle," the sheriff answered before taking a sip of his drink. 

"Peter, right?" 

"Yeah," Derrik said. "You know him?" 

"Yeah. See him in town all the time. Especially when he went on that date with--" 

"Okay!" The sheriff interrupted. "I'm going to finish this up in the kitchen and head out." 

Stiles smirked. "I'll join you so I can start plating everything." He quickly followed his dad into the kitchen. "Why are you really here, Dad? You know I'm not some stupid kid." The sheriff raised an eyebrow. "Anymore." 

"I wanted to make sure you were actually going on a date with Derek." 

"And why's that? Is something wrong with him?" 

"No. But I just want to make sure neither of you get hurt. He's a smart young man and I know you are too. Even if you are obsessed with Derek's TV character." 

"That's not... you know what? I'm not going to make you a steak anymore." 

"Were you actually going to do that?" 

"I won't make you one ever again." 

The sheriff laughed. "You will. But I'll leave before you make good on that threat." With that, the sheriff left after having a short conversation with Derrik. 

Stiles tried to center himself before he started to get dinner ready, but then he heard Derrik clear his throat. 

"I didn't realize your last name was Stilinski." 

"Or that you are a part of the Hale family," Stiles chuckled. "How come I've never seen you before?" 

Derrik shrugged. "I didn't like going to the parties my family threw so I guess that's why. I also didn't know that you were the same person as Mischief." 

He laughed. "I haven't heard that nickname in years. Yeah, after my mom passed I wanted to go by something else so I chose 'Stiles'." 

"Sorry to hear about your mom. And it's a good thing, I don't think I've ever been able to pronounce your name so Stiles is so much easier." 

"Don't remind me. No one can so the name change was necessary." 

Derrik helped get everything ready, having to ask where things were ever so often. It was weird having someone who didn't already know where everything was, but Derrik followed the instructions quickly. While getting the food ready, they continued talking, telling the other funny stories from their past. Stiles had read a lot of interviews about Derrik so he thought he knew a lot already, but the longer they talked, the more he realized that those interviews were mostly dead wrong. Maybe it was a way to sell magazines or get clicks on websites but whatever it was, talking with the actor made him realize that he didn't know anything about him, which made Stiles want to know more. When everything was ready, the two moved to the table, their conversation flowed throughout. They had some wine with their meals but they only had one glass each, both subconsciously not wanting to ruin the night by getting drunk. Stiles talked about his friends and high school and all the hijinks he got up to then, while Derrik talked about his family and some of the trips he'd taken throughout the years. It seemed like the actor was avoiding the fact that he was in movies and TV shows, almost like he was embarrassed about that. Stiles didn't press, not wanting to look like that was the only reason he asked Derrik out on a date to talk about his acting career. 

By the time their meal was finished and their dishes were back in the kitchen, they didn't want to finish the night. Stiles suggested watching a movie so the night didn't have to end. Derrik liked that idea, asking if his date wanted to watch anything in particular. Stiles was about to request something he'd probably watched a million times but when he turned on the TV one of Derrik's movies was playing in the DVD player. He had completely forgotten that he had watched it while he was cooking, not turning it off when he turned off the TV. Mortified, Stiles quickly turned the TV back off, his cheeks burning as the silence grew. 

"I'm sorry," he weakly said. He chanced a glance at the actor and saw how shocked he was. "Derrik..." 

"You knew?" Derrik's voice was flat so it was difficult to gauge his reaction. 

"I..." 

"How long?" 

"When we first met..." Stiles cringed at the words. Derrik sighed heavily, almost in defeat. "Okay, yes. I can admit that the first time I saw you I knew who you are, and I didn't freak out because I didn't want to be another crazed fan. But getting to know you has been amazing. I can talk to you for hours and still want to know more. I'm sorry that I didn't say it at the beginning, but I don't regret meeting you. Especially since I've gotten to know the real you." 

Stiles was going to continue, his ability to ramble at any time deciding to show up, but the only reason he stopped was that Derrik was kissing him. For a moment, his brain could only excitedly think about Derrik Hale kissing him, there was no way anyone would believe him. But those thoughts quickly changed to how good the kiss was and that he would love more. Derrik was the first to pull away, looking at a dazed Stiles. 

"Was all that true?" Derrik asked. 

"If I say yes can we kiss again?" 

Derrik chuckled. "I'd like to again." But then he frowned. "But I really have to know." 

"Yes, Derrik. Everything I've said is true. I've told you some pretty embarrassing things so I'm going to say I'm very serious. Is there anything you'd like to say so I'd know that you're telling me everything?" 

Derrik opened his mouth but just then his phone chimed breaking the moment. He was going to ignore it but then it started to ring an obnoxious tone. Stiles frowned at the sound, wondering why someone would have that ringtone in the first place. With a sigh, Derrik pulled out his phone and declined the call. Instead of putting it away again, he checked the message and sighed deeper. 

"Is everything okay?" Stiles asked. 

"It's from someone..." Derrik answered, sending a text back before finally putting the phone away. "I'm sorry about that. It looks like I've been summoned," he tried to be light but it just came off as awkward. The phone chimed again making the actor growl in frustration. "Sorry, but I have to go. But I have something important to talk to you about. And I think it'll be better to say it in person. Can I see you tomorrow?" 

"I work tomorrow but we can do that then." 

"That's perfect." Another chime. "Sorry about that, but I guess it's pretty urgent." 

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow," he said, leading Derrik out. Once the door was closed, he leaned against it, smiling like an idiot. The feeling of the kiss was still on his lips. 

*** 

Driving back, Derek could feel his phone continuously buzzing in his pocket, annoying him more than anything. Erik had been the one texting him, asking for his shirt back. No, that wasn't his brother's style, it was more accurate to say Erik was demanding the shirt back that very second or else. There was no "or else" other than more messages and irritation as far as Derek was concerned. As he pulled up, he noticed his brother pacing the porch like a caged animal. The moment the headlights caught him, Erik stopped and glared at the approaching car. Derek rolled his eyes, knowing that his twin was ready to throw a tantrum over whatever was pissing him off. 

"Why the hell are you wearing my shirt?" Erik screamed from the porch. 

Derek took his time getting out of the car and locking the doors. "Needed something for my date," he tried to sound nonchalant but whenever he talked to his twin, Derek would clam up or stutter out a response. 

"A date? What do you mean you had a date?" 

Derek squared his shoulders. "I had a date with a guy I met in town." 

"And he doesn't know anything about us?" 

"He does. But he doesn't care." 

Erik laughed bitterly. "Are you sure about that? Maybe he's pretending just like Kate. And you remember how that went." 

Derek flinched at that name, a painful reminder that some people couldn't be trusted. "This is different," he said quietly. 

His twin laughed again, even more spiteful than before. "You're a hopeless romantic, Derek. And we've seen that you don't know how not to get hurt." 

Silence elapsed between the two of them, Erik smirking while his brother was shaking with anger. 

"Fuck you, Erik," Derek growled. The smirk quickly switched to shock. "Stiles is nothing like Kate. He's kind and wants to get to know me. The real me. Not what you think we both like. And the best thing is I don't have to be subjected to those God-awful sweet drinks you love so much. I can have my favorite peppermint coffee from the cafe he works at." 

Erik stood there stunned, he'd never been spoken to like that before. "Just wash the shirt before giving it back," he said before going to his room. 

Derek exhaled, relieved to have finally done that but it also felt like he was himself after a long time.

*** 

Each time the door opened, Stiles would poke his head in its direction just to see if Derrik would show up. At first, Erica and Isaac would make fun of him, calling him their little prairie dog but when he kept doing it they became a bit concerned. When asked, Stiles just said he was on the lookout for someone named Derek. Boyd had joked that the guy had finally snapped, thinking that his obsession Derrik Hale would walk through the door. But seeing how Stiles was acting, his coworkers were worried that it was true. 

Like every time before, Stiles popped his head from behind the counter. He smiled seeing Derrik enter, acting a little more like he did in interviews but it was still him. But there was something off, like it looked like Derrik but something was different about him. Stiles didn't know what it could've been but he didn't think about it too much. 

"Hi Derrik," he greeted. 

The actor glanced at him before going back to the menu. Stiles didn't like that but just thought it was something that came with being an actor, it was busier than the past two times so maybe Derrik was just protecting him. 

"Can I get a large caramel coffee, extra sugar," Derrik said, verging on rude. 

"Don't you want a peppermint one?" He tried to joke, not knowing how to interact with Derrik, which was crazy since they had had a date the night before. "I know you like those." 

Derrik looked at him, a smile finally forming on his lips. "Want to change it up today." His smile grew as he glanced at the name tag on Stiles's shirt. "Stiles." 

Stiles turned to work on the drink. "You know," he smiled, a slight blush on his cheeks, "I had a really good time last night." 

"I bet you did," Derrik murmured. 

Before Stiles could turn back and look at him, Isaac came from the back and gasped loudly, promptly dropping a platter of pastries seeing a celebrity in their cafe. The noise made Erica and Boyd clammer out from the back to see what was going on. Like Isaac, they both gasped seeing the actor and then quickly looked at Stiles, who instead of being starstruck was busy making a drink. 

"I know," Derrik cockily said, "I get that reaction all the time. Want an autograph?" 

"Hell yeah," Erica whispered while Isaac was still looking at him with wide eyes. 

"Here's your order," Stiles sternly said, basically slamming the drink on the counter. His coworkers looked at him like he suddenly grown a second head. Derrik Hale, the famous actor, and Stiles's number one obsession, was standing right in front of them and he was going to be rude to the man? "Why are you acting like a dick, Derrik?" 

"I'm not acting right now." 

"That's not true. You've never been like this before." 

Derrik grabbed his drink and took a sip, grimacing from the taste. "Just as bad as the first time. But I wasn't expecting anything more from someone like you." 

Hurt clouded Stiles's face. 

"You can leave now," Boyd came over, putting a protective arm around his hurt friend. 

"Yeah, asshole," Erica went to Stiles's other side, having to drag Isaac with her to stand in solidarity. 

Derrik scoffed. "Whatever. I'm glad I'll be going back to LA and I'll never have to see you again." 

"Go to hell, Derrik Hale," Stiles sneered. "I never want to see your face again." 

The actor smirked before leaving, throwing the drink away as he walked through the door. Stiles was pissed, but he was also hurt and incredibly confused. Who was that? And if that actually was Derrik Hale, why did he pretend to be nice just to change without explanation? 

"I need a minute," Stiles said, going to the back to think. 

*** 

Derek was irritated that Erik had taken Laura's car so he had to get a ride from Cora. He'd been trying to text Stiles but he figured he didn't have his phone on him while working. Derek had spent the night thinking about his date, the first in a long time, and couldn't wait to see Stiles again. 

"What the hell is he doing there?" Cora said, breaking through Derek's thoughts. 

Walking down the street was Erik, looking very proud of himself which was never a good sign. Looking back to see where he might've been, Derek saw the cafe Stiles worked at, almost like watching a criminal walk away from the scene of the crime. Derek asked his sister to drop him off and follow Erik, making sure he couldn't cause any more damage. Running to the cafe, he felt that something wasn't right but Derek needed to right any wrongs. 

Entering the cafe, he was immediately glared at by one of the baristas. 

"You have a lot of nerve coming back," the female barista yelled. She then noticed that Derek wasn't dressed like his twin but continued. "And why the hell did you change clothes?" 

"So I was just here," Derek sighed. 

That seemed to enrage the barista who was about to climb over the counter but her coworker, a muscular black man, held her in place. "Are you stupid or something? Don't you remember us telling you to get out?" 

"It wasn't actually me in here a minute ago." 

"So what are you saying?" A curly-haired guy asked. "You have a twin?" 

"Exactly," Derek confessed. 

The three workers paused at the statement. The muscular guy looked at Derek with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not. Once he deemed him to be telling the truth, he gestured to the back. The actor thanked him before running to the back and to hopefully see Stiles. 

It didn't take him long to hear Stiles yelling in what Derek figured was a freezer. Pulling it open, he saw him pacing the small area and ranting, his arms waving enthusiastically. Turning around, he noticed the audience and instead of being embarrassed, like Derek might've been, but looked at him with white-hot rage. 

"Are you kidding me right now?" Stiles growled. "What? Was that some sick joke?" 

"No," Derek answered honestly. "Would you believe I have a twin?" 

Stiles glared at him, trying to figure out if it was a joke or not. "Prove it. There's never been any mention of Derrik Hale having any siblings. And now meeting you I learned Derrik has two sisters and a twin." He scoffed. "Just me saying it sounds crazy." Derek sighed, pulling out his phone to show a picture. Once he found it, he quickly showed a still skeptical Stiles. It was a picture that Erik had taken on the set of 'Full Moon' where Erik was mugging for the camera like always while Derek was reading a script and looked annoyed that he was interrupted. "That could've been photoshopped." 

Derek couldn't believe he was having to fight that hard to be proven right. He swiped through a few photos and landed on another one. It was a picture when the two of them were younger, a little after Derek wanted to quit and it showed why he thought it would've been a good time to. The picture was of the twins with their sisters, one was smiling shyly to the camera while the other was held in place by the two girls. The worst part was that he was wearing huge glasses and because the picture was captured when he was yelling it showed off that he had braces as well. 

"I've been sworn never to share this picture with anyone. But I think you can guess why." 

Stiles looked at the picture in shock. "Is that...?" 

"Me," he pointed to the shy boy, "and my brother, Erik." 

"So... what's your name?" 

Derek blushed. "Well, it's Derek." Stiles looked at him in confusion. "D-E-R-E-K." 

"So where did the other one come from?" 

"It's a combination of mine and my brother's name. My mom thought she was clever but it just made it complicated for me." 

"That means the you from earlier..." 

"Was my brother." 

He immediately jumped into Derek's arms. "I knew something wasn't right but I didn't know what. Now it makes sense." 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but..." 

Stiles kissed him to shut him up. "I see why you didn't. So does that mean it's not you on the show?" 

"Any of those dramatic scenes, that's me. Anything involving being shirtless and running, that's my brother." 

"After seeing the two of you, that makes a lot of sense." Derek tilted his head. "Because you're sincere and kind. Nothing like your brother." Stiles then chuckled. "And you're more attractive too." 

Derek laughed, knowing that was going to piss Erik off whenever he heard that. He was able to kiss him again but was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Turning to see who it was, they saw Cora standing there with a downtrodden Erik being held in place by his sister. 

"I think someone wanted to apologize," she said, pushing the obnoxious twin forward. 

"The only reason I'm here is because you almost ran me over with the car," Erik pouted. Cora smacked him in the back of the head. "Fine! I'm sorry about trying to screw up whatever you are trying to have here." Derek glared at his twin, letting go of Stiles to walk over to him. "Just saving you time, bro. You know we'll be going back soon." 

Without warning, Derek punched Erik in the face. Stiles gasped while Cora grinned. Erik stumbled back, clutching his face as blood started to trickle down. 

"You broke my nose," Erik screamed. 

"Now people will tell us apart easier," Derek smirked. "And just so you know, I'm not going back." 

Erik stared in shock, knowing his career would be ruined if Derek didn't do the acting. Cora picked him up at led him out before anyone else could punch him again. She probably was going to get a hit in herself later anyway. 

"You really want to stay?" Stiles asked. 

"Of course. I haven't liked acting for a long time." He then snakes an arm around Stiles to pull him close. "And I have a reason to stay." He kissed Stiles. 

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, how about I make you a peppermint coffee?" 

"I'd love that."