Archive of Our Own

Kill The Director
Chapter One.

Love is not a romantic comedy.

“You may now kiss the bride.” The priest, a middle aged man donned in standard black clothing, gripped a gold bible in both his hands. He smiled at the young couple standing before him. The audience applauded as the bride, a fiery red head, turned to her groom, a cocky blonde. They smiled at each other and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss.

Love is a horrific zombie movie.

From the very back of the church, hidden amongst draping cherry blossoms and silk, was Genim “Stiles” Stilinski, resident single man. He leaned against the wall in his charcoal Armani suit and watched the newly married couple shuffle back up the aisle. His bright brown eyes watched the bride in her princess-esque wedding gown, tinted baby blue like she had demanded, saunter down the aisle like the goddess that she was. She smiled at him as they passed the last pew. She reached for him with her dazzling smile.

Stiles walked towards her, hiding his own heartbreak, “You look beautiful, Lydia.”

Lydia smiled, her bright green eyes glittered with unshed tears, “Thank you, Stiles.”

She kissed his cheek quickly. He smiled at her, urging to tilt his head just a little to turn the touch into a real kiss. Instead he gripped her hand tightly and watched her husband stare at them. He winked at his former schoolmate with an innocent grin and whispered in Lydia’s ear, “Make sure Jackson takes care of you.”

Lydia grinned against his cheek, “The minute he slips up I’ll be sure to come to you.”

She wiped at the cherry red lipstick she left behind and returned to Jackson’s side. The church bells began to ring and the crowd rushed the wedding party out to the front of the church. Stiles wasn’t too worried, he’d made sure that Danny, the best man, and Allison, the maid of honor, had know that back way out, making sure to hand feathers and white confetti to the crowd as they ushered the group out.

Stiles stood at the doorway, watching Lydia and Jackson laugh in a rainstorm of feathers. The wedding party guided them over to a white Bentley which would lead them to the photography site while the rest of the party would go to the reception hall. As the car drove away, Stiles took his place as the coordinator for the wedding again. The wedding party were led to their own cars to go to the site.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Stiles announced. Talking, he was use to talking, it was a good distraction from the heartache, “The wedding party is going to gather and take pictures. We are all going to take a short walk across the courtyard to the reception hall. Just follow me.”

Stiles was recently new to the business of wedding planning. He’d only had two other clients until The Lydia Martin, successful business tycoon in Los Angeles and former Queen Bee of Beacon Hills, stepped into his tiny office and demanded Stiles plan her wedding. He hoped that this wedding, the biggest in Northern California, would put him on the radar. So even though Lydia could make the worst Bridezilla quack in terror and her demands were so outrageous that Stiles wished he had magical powers, he did everything to please her. He secretly hoped that all of his hard work would reveal his fifteen year long crush and they would run away in the sunset.

Instead he was just Lydia’s wedding planner. And he’d have to live with that.

A bloody, violent, heartbreaking zombie movie.

Lydia demanded a Cinderella wedding, even if she was more like Snow White. So Stiles rented out a former mansion that was turned into a museum and turned it into Cinderella’s palace. When the crowd crossed the open field from the church to the mansion, they stepped into a fairytale.

Stiles gave them a small tour, made sure everyone got a glass of champagne and sat down. He ensured that the three piece orchestra was set up for the entrance of the bridal party. His phone vibrated in his pocket, signaling their arrival. The band started up with a soft melody as the three bridesmaids and three groomsmen entered. They made their way to the main table just as Lydia and Jackson entered.

The room applauded and a few pictures were snapped. Stiles joined the cheers with a sad smile. Lydia took her place at the head of the main table. She raised her champagne flute high in the air while Jackson tapped at his lightly to get everyone’s attention. Stiles watched from beside the bar. Lydia had said she wanted to make a speech before everyone got their food.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Lydia said in her strong yet bubbly speech voice. She batted her bright eyes at the crowd and smiled, “I want to thank everyone for attending this wedding. Jackson and I are both very honored to share this moment with all of you. And none of this would be possible without Stiles Stilinski.” Suddenly a spotlight was on him and Lydia was holding her champagne flute to him, “Without Stiles I would be on one of those ‘Bridezilla’ shows, screaming my head off.” The crowd laughed and raised their glasses, “To Stiles, my gay wedding planner and my best single friend.”

The crowd repeated Lydia’s sentiment and sipped from their glasses. Stiles panicked, staring at an entire crowd of people who’d just assumed that he was both single and gay. Even if the first was true and the last was half right, Stiles had thought he was playing it cool, that it wasn’t so pathetic that he was 25 and alone. He rushed from the dinning hall, running to the second floor bathroom where no one could find him.

Except his best friend.

Scott McCall, one of the groomsmen and engaged to the maid of honor, had snuck out while everyone was getting food and searched for his best friend. The two had known each other nearly all their lives and it hardly took the man three minutes to find Stiles crouched down in one of the stalls of the Ladies’s restroom.

“Dude, you know this is the woman’s restroom right?” Scott laughed as he leaned against one of the pillars next to Stiles’s chosen stall.

“Well I’m having a breakdown,” Stiles wailed into his leg, “I might as well pee sitting down.”

Scott snorted, “Just don’t grow a vagina, the werewolf packs will start to get confused.”

Stiles didn’t respond. They remained quiet for a long time before Stiles felt the tears well up again, “Oh god! I’m the last single person in beacon Hills.”

Scott chuckled, “No you’re not. There’s...Greenburg.”

“Engaged to Coach Finstock!” Stiles shouted, slamming his head against the pewter wall of the stall, “He called me yesterday to have a consultation. Coach wants a cupcake theme.”

“Gross,” Scott shuddered.

“They looked adorable!” Stiles cried harder.

Scott allowed him to, biting his lip the entire time, “Well, what about the Hale pack? I hear that there’s at least two single people.”

It didn’t seem to help, “Werewolves mate for life! Of course they’re still single. God, what have I done with my life?!”

Scott pressed his back further into the pillar, wrinkling his three piece suit with powder blue vest. He didn’t really care, even if it meant facing Lydia’s wrath, “You’re a successful wedding planner. Men and women are going to be lining up to have you make their dreams come true. Someday you’ll be filthy rich while the rest of it will be slumming it in Beacon Hills.”

Stiles sniffled, “Rich and alone.”

“Come on, Dude. You’re only 25. You’ll find someone.” Scott began to play with the edges of his tuxedo jacket.

“Like I did in High school?” Stiles sighed. He leaned his forehead against a cool piece of marble.

“You had a thing with Rebecca in college.” Scott offered with a little shrug, “So at least you won’t die a virgin.”

Rebecca was a co-ed that lived on the same floor as Stiles during their Sophomore year. She was a perfect ten with a ‘give-em hell’ attitude and a 4.0 gpa that got Stiles going. She was the perfect rebound from Stiles’s lifetime crush on Lydia, who had apparently thought Stiles was gay the whole time. Rebecca played hard to get the entire first semester and most of the second semester. Right before Spring Break, she broke into his dorm room, practically raped him (only he’d been willing) and then revealed that she was a werewolf. Only, not just a werewolf like some of the mild-mannered ones in Stiles’s biology class or even the aging professors at the University. No, Rebecca was an Alpha female from the Denver pack.

She explained the werewolf culture, as if the introduction class stiles had in 8th grade meant nothing, for the rest of the day, breaking only to repeat the dirty act again. She told him she was in heat, a three month cycle that made a person think of nothing more except sex and babies, and her body was craving her mate. Stiles was terrified that he’d knocked her up, that he’d be dealing with school and werewolf babies but she politely told him that only mates could get pregnant. She chose Stiles for this heat cycle because she knew his stuff wouldn’t result in unwanted were-babies. Something about him being submissive.

So the unlikely two formed a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship. It carried until the end of the semester when Stiles returned to Beacon Hills. He invited her to visit several times but she refused. She went into a tangent about pack boundaries and how Stiles would already be on thin ice smelling like an alpha from another pack. They ended their friendship two hours into Stiles’s return home when he got a text from her. She had found her mate and thus ended Stiles first and only relationship.

Stiles exhaled, “I need to get out of here.”

“Maybe you need to start dating men?” Scott offered with a crooked smile.

“Excuse me?!” Stiles flung the stall door open. Scott jumped to his feet with a know-it-all smile. Stiles grabbed onto his lapels and snarled, “Are you saying I should go gay because I’m having a bad day?”

Scott shrugged but his lopsided grin revealed that was exactly what he was thinking, “You haven’t had a lot of luck with women, Dude. I know you and Danny kissed once so don’t even play the straight-only card with me. And Rebecca said that whole thing about you being a submissive. Maybe you’re meant to be with a guy.”

Stiles stared at Scott, speechless. Scott was a die-hard romantic, always going on about soul mates and destined loves. Of course he’d think switching teams was easy and one could just go for a guy. But Stiles had been in a funk maybe for all his life. Dick wasn’t a turn off, of course, but was it really appropriate to drown his sorrows in a man? On the night that his true love, who was a girl, got married? After all he was an adult now, more mature than he was at 18. Stiles heaved a large sigh, maybe he wasn’t so mature, “Will you go with me?”

Scott laughed and patted his arm, “Of course, man. Now, let’s get out there before Lydia skins us both.”

Stiles smiled and pulled his best friend into a tight hug. Scott laughed and pushed him off so he could lead the wedding planner back into the party.

***

When Scott and Stiles were in the clear, Allison clearly drunk enough to tumble back into a cab with Danny and his fiance and Lydia distracted by the thought of their honeymoon, the two jumped into Scott’s Honda. Stiles relaxed into the passenger seat, “So, where to?”

Scott shrugged, “I don’t know any gay clubs, man.”

“Neither do I.” Stiles sighed and eased further back into the seat. He shoved his hands into his pants pocket, a gesture he used when he needed to think really hard. His fingers bumped against a small box which he gripped and pulled out of his pocket. What he pulled was a box of matches with a pink outline of a wolf’s head. Across the corner, in neat blue script was ‘Joe’s’, which stiles could only assume was the name of the bar. He flipped it over and spotted a street address.

He showed the box to Scott, “Hey, what about this place?”

Scott leaned over and took a look at the box, “I’ve never heard of it. Doesn’t look like its too far away though.”

Stiles frowned, “Do you think Danny snuck it into my pocket?”

“Probably.” Scott laughed, “I told him you were looking for a booty call.”

Stiles stared at his friend with wide brown eyes, “You did what?!”

Scott shrugged, “What he wanted to know what we were doing in the girls bathroom together! He still thinks we’re gay for each other and that Allison is my beard.”

Stiles pouted, “If only.”

Scott smiled, pulling down one of the main streets and following the twists and turns of downtown Beacon Hills. The town wasn’t that large but it was big enough to have an area that was more dangerous than the rest of the suburbs. They were quickly entering into that area, boarded up windows and homeless men becoming more obvious. They drove passed a small, hole-in-the wall building. A giant window revealed several men inside, some squished up against the bar, others grinding up against each other. There were a few men out front, mostly smoking and joking with each other. A pink wolf was painted across the wood door.

Scott frowned, “I think this is it.”

They drove just beyond the building and found a wide space for parking. Scott dumped the powder blue vest, the matching tie, and the tuxedo jacket. Stiles removed his own jacket and tie, then rolled up his sleeves. He un-did the first two buttons and looked at Scott, “Well?”

Scott gave him a strange face, “You look like you came from prom.”

Stiles pouted, “Come on, Dude. You’re my wingman. Where is the support?”

Scott rolled his eyes and unbuttoned more of Stiles’s dress shirt. He made it all the way to the middle of Stiles’s chest then folded the sides open to reveal more of Stiles’s pale skin and the thin undershirt. He then pulled at the bottom of Stiles’s shirt until it was untucked. He smiled, “There. Now let’s go.”

Stiles smiled and the two walked the block back to the bar. Standing in front of the blacked-out door was a burly man with wild blonde hair and stern brown eyes. He watched the two as the approached, his muscles flexing beneath the array of leather. He wore tight leather pants tucked into leather boots, a leather vest stretched across his chest.

“Hello,” Scott smiled nervously, “Uh...can we come in?”

The bouncer glared at the two men. He looked both men up and down, Scott first and then Stiles. He scratched at his bushy beard, “You know this is a gay bar, right?”

Stiles smiled, “Yeah. It’s pretty obvious with you at the front door.”

The man’s arm muscles visibly twitched. He growled low in his throat and stepped up to Stiles. If Stiles hadn’t been desperate for some hanky panicky and if he hadn’t downed nearly a bottle of rum himself, he would have been intimidated. Instead he was just startled by the snarling teeth, “Go home, little boy.”

Those that were outside laughed along with the bouncer. Scott grabbed Stiles’s arm and pulled, “Come on, Man.”

“No!” Stiles stepped up to the man, “Listen, I’m the last single dude in my entire group. I just planned the wedding of the love of my life but she married some blonde model douche bag. Now, I came her to get drunk and hopefully some action. Are you going to stand in my way?”

“You have no idea what kind of action you’re asking for.” The man smiled and stepped aside, “And if I see that you’re under the age of 21, you’re ass is mine.”

“Promises, promises,” Stiles winked as he pulled Scott into the bar. The bouncer didn’t have enough time to retort, the heavy door already swinging shut. The room was musty, filled with men of all sizes drinking and stepping close to each other. There was an array of bar stools and tables circling a simple dance floor. There were a few bodies on the dance floor, pumping and grinding to some slow beat R&B music. A thin, pale man with large hazel eyes and wild blonde hair manned the jukebox.

He leaned up against it, his long limbs covered by dark skinny jeans and a gray henley. Stiles stared at him, wondering if two pale and skinny dudes could make a good couple. As he tried to fantasize how’d he and pale and mysterious would fair together, Scott dragged him towards the bar, “Come on, Dude. Guys are starting to stare. I need a shot.”

Stiles laughed and followed Scott. They squeezed in between a skinny, flamboyant red head and a grumpy looking guy in dark leather. Scott smiled his adorable, boyish smile at the thin boy while he squeezed Stiles into the space next to the brooding guy. Stiles tried not to stare but from his position, the man he was now standing next to looked dangerous.

His hair was dark, a wild mess of spikes and flips. His day old scruff and worn leather jacket matched the biker-vibe he had. He tensed and looked up at Stiles, face scowling, hazel eyes glowing and thick eyebrows creased into a frown. Stiles was struck by how handsome the guy was, how kissable his lips looked. Stiles could imagine himself wrapped up and around the well-built man, snuggled close to what has to be the warmest body ever.

“Can I help you?” He growled and it was the sexiest thing that Stiles had ever heard. He was sure he melted a little.

“Uh...” Stiles responded, his mouth flapping and trying to form words. Apparently he wasn’t drunk enough to be smooth and charming.

“What’ll you have?” A deep, scary voice snarled from above Scott and Stiles. His attention was pulled to the well built, shirtless man running the bar.

“Two jack and cokes,” Scott smiled, “And a round of cherry bombs.”

The bartender snorted and Stiles rubbed his head. However, without much humiliation, the bartender got their order. Scott knocked back the shot and his whole jack and coke, the twink was giggling beside them. Stiles took his own shot but nursed his jack and coke. Scott ordered two more shots before they started their conversation. Meanwhile, Stiles was trying to work up the right words to say to Mr. Mysterious and Grumpy.

Scott turned to the twink and tried to brush off the smaller boy’s arms, “Look, I’m married.”

The twink purred, “That never makes a difference around here. That’s just a human partnership.”

The dark man next to Stiles growled low in his throat and stood. At full height, he was pure muscle. His white henley stretched across his perfect torso, dark jeans hugged the curve of his legs. He took a step towards the small blonde man but the lanky guy from beside the jukebox was already at the boy’s side.

Scott frowned at the lithe boy, “Human...”

“He’s drunk.” The voice was soft, slightly meek. His smile was a little crooked but his eyes were warm and friendly. He watched Scott, eyes following the shorter man’s movements. He pulled on the smaller man’s arms and dragged him away from the bar, “He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

Stiles snorted and turned to share a look with Scott. Only, Scott was staring at the new lanky man, their eyes meeting in some soul-searching stare. Stiles felt a little uncomfortable with the sudden tension between the two. He was also a little jealous. Scott already had a fiancee and here he was having an epic staring contest with a stranger in a gay bar.

He elbowed Scott, “Hey buddy, we’re here for me remember.”

The lanky man with the crooked smile lowered his shoulders just a little. He titled his head to the side and played coy just a little too well, “Would you like a dance?”

Scott nodded and followed the man out to the dance floor. Stiles was left alone at the bar with a put-out twink and grumpy man who was still kind of looming over Stiles. The lean man looked Stiles up and down with a very distasteful face, “Well, are you going to buy me a drink or stand there staring at my cock?”

Stiles made a face, one he hoped conveyed sassy and put-out as well as he was feeling. He rolled his eyes and snorted, “You’re not my type.”

The boy snarled at him, showing gleaming white teeth and feral gold eyes. Stiles was suddenly very aware that he was giving attitude to a werewolf. He tried to raise his chin and puff out his chest like his father had taught him. The thin creature one sneered at him, the point of his fang pointing out from the corner of his full lips, and walked away. He swayed his hips just enough to annoy Stiles so he turned back to the bartender, “Another round, my good man.”

Stiles wasn’t sure how much time had passed between shots of whiskey and bourbon. All he knew was that the stool was stiff on his bottom and the body that he was leaning against smelled like leather and the forest. He wanted to surround himself in everything that he was leaning on even if it was a tad lumpy and wouldn’t hold still.

“I mean,” Stiles realized he was talking and though it wasn’t loud, it was squeaky and maybe a little slurred, “It’s not a crime to be twenty-five and single, right? At least I’m not a virgin.” He realized he was splayed across a body, a very masculine body that grunted and shifted underneath Stiles, “I have a very successful career. I love my job, why should it matter if anyone is tapping my ass. Do you want to tap my ass?”

There was a deep grunt that sent a spark of heat through Stiles. He shifted closer to the warmth and waited for his eyes to focus. Through the haze of alcohol, he could see intense hazel eyes and thick eyebrows. Stiles grinned, he lifted a hand and rubbed across the scowling brow, “If you wanted to bone me, I wouldn’t mind. We could do it right here.”

The body shifted and pulled away from Stiles. He caught himself on the opposite stool and looked up at the same man that had been there when the first came in. He idly wondered where Scott was, if he’d been left in the hands of the grumpy stranger. But then the man began to talk and Stiles tried to remember that not everyone was desperate and horny like myself, “Listen, I’m not here for a hook-up. I don’t waste my time with scrawny bitches like you. You’re annoying.”

Stiles stumbled to his feet, flushed with anger, “Don’t do me any favors, asshole. I only offered because you look pathetic. I can get any dick I want. I don’t need you’re tiny one.”

The man took one large step towards Stiles. Their chests bumped together but Stiles stood his ground. He raised his chin and glared at the man. If he wasn’t suddenly so full of rage, he probably would have humped the man. But as it stands, the stranger was growling and pushing his very well-built chest into Stiles in a very threatening way.

“Excuse me?” The man growled, it was low and rustic and Stiles felt his legs start to go weak. His teeth snapped in his jaw, threatening but Stiles just found it hot.

“You heard me.” Stiles snarled back. He pushed forward, his smaller chest bumping against the man. He stared right into the electric hazel colored eyes and growled. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, the side of his face throbbing and the man was above him. Stiles tripped his legs, forcing the large body to the ground. Stiles crawled on top of him during the confusing and aimed a fierce punch to the narrow jaw. They tousled around on the bar floor until Stiles was yanked to his feet and thrown into the crowd. He tried to push his way back into the fight but a large hand on his chest kept him in place.

On the other side, the stranger was bumping chests with a bouncer. It took two very large bouncers to escort the man out of the bar but by then Stiles was ushered into the bathroom. Scott was on one side, clutching his thin arm to the point of bruising. He was babbling but Stiles couldn’t catch what he was saying exactly. The fluffy blonde with the sensitive eyes was on his other side with a wad of paper towels. He tilted Stiles’s face upwards and dapped at his nose and lip, “Doesn’t look broken but its bleeding and you’ve got a split lip.”

Scott was on his other side and pressed something very cold against his eye, “Stiles, man, can you talk?”

“That bastard.” Stiles muttered, “He probably really had a tiny dick.”

Scott laughed beside him, “Dude, you’re wasted.”

“Well you had to leave me alone with that dick and the annoying creep.” Stiles growled. The stranger pressed his wad of paper against Stiles’s nose, making him flinch, “Ouch, dude.”

“Sorry,” He muttered.

Scott smiled from over Stiles’s shoulder, “I got it from here, Isaac. Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” He smiled and left the two men alone.

Stiles glared at him, “I can’t believe you, who is engaged to the love of your life, got someone to hit on you and I just got hit.”

Scott smiled, “Yeah well, you’re just lucky. Now lets get your ass home. You have an appointment tomorrow, remember.”

Stiles groaned, “Dammit, the Hale wedding!” Stiles cursed to himself as Scott guided him back through the bar. When Stiles tripped, he leaned into his friend and groaned, “Carry me home, lover.”

Scott only laughed.

Chapter Two

Stiles pressed a cold compress to his soar eye as he walked the few feet from the free parking lot to the small building that was his office. He still felt a little hung over and he ached everywhere from the fight. But the wedding had been a huge success, so said the local newspaper tucked up under Stiles’s arm. He was sure there would be more reports nationally as the marriage of the famous Lydia Martin would be huge news, but he’d have to search the internet for those issues. Maybe more would filter in over the week as well. That alone gave Stiles a happy skip to his step as he entered the central hub of his business.

Erica, a fellow Beacon Hills alumni, was already there at her desk in the front of the building. She was watering some orchids that sat in the front window. She hummed some happy little tune and kissed a pedal, “Good Morning, sunshine.”

Stiles didn’t respond, only glanced at her tight pencil skirt and white tank top and wonder why they could never be a thing. She turned to him and gestured to her desk that sat opposite the grand window and entry way. There was a large coffee cup from the local coffee house sitting on her desk. Stiles nearly ran to it. He took a large gulp, feeling the heat drip through his bones. He shuttered from the feel and turned to his assistant, “Why haven’t I married you yet?”

Erica laughed, the red of her lipstick made her lips look fuller, sexier as she circled back to her desk, “Because office romances never last and I got over you years ago.”

Stiles groaned, “Man, I coulda had a hottie like you?”

She handed him a file and clip board, “If only, boss. Now scoot that tight ass into your office, you’ve got your new clients waiting.”

Stiles groaned, “How long have they been in there?”

Erica smiled, “Long enough for a cup of coffee and a bagel. They’re early anyways.” She fixed his collar to lay right over his sports jacket and took the cold compress away from his eye. She whistled, “I didn’t know you liked it rough.”

Stiles heaved a sigh, “Don’t ask. Does it look bad?”

Erica smiled, “If you let me put a little make up on it, it won’t look awful.”

He rolled his eyes and stepped across the wood flooring to reach his office. The front of ‘The Perfect Day’, owned and run by both Stiles and Erica, had the front office with Erica’s desk. Couches lined the one wall while a book shelf surrounded Erica’s desk, filled with both wedding books, magazines, and Stiles’s own accomplished weddings. Stiles’s office was hidden behind a lime green door surrounded by books. When the door opened, his small desk, fashionable couches and second bookshelf filled with pictures sat to one side while a bathroom and coffee bar were placed on the other side.

Sitting in two white chairs right in front of his desk was a man and woman. The woman was smaller with skinny shoulders and a smaller stature. She sat straight as an arrow, upright in such away that he was afraid she snap if someone touched her. Her long, dark brown hair laid free over the back of the chair.

Beside her was a brute of a man with broad shoulders covered in nothing but leather. His dark hair was cut short and messy, as if he hadn’t slept all night. Stiles gulped audibly and stepped into his office. The moment his feet touched the inner carpet, the two turned to look at him. He was struck by a pair of scowling faces and bright hazel eyes. He laughed nervously until his eyes fell on the brute man. He was struck by the familiarity in the man’s face.

He wore the same grumpy expression as the night before, only under the harsh lighting in his office, the man’s lines were more profound. Stiles could see the straight cut of his jaw, bruised from the punch last night. He was unshaven, the scruff of his growing beard surrounded his very red and plump lips. The sharpness of his nose struck Stiles with the frightening image of a wolf, a large and dangerous one that was going to eat Stiles alive.

“You!” Stiles hissed, pointing him out.

The man crushed the back of the chair in his hand before storming across the office floor to face Stiles. It was a strangely familiar to find himself beneath the bulk of this man. Stiles was less and less afraid each time, more turned on actually. But he didn’t have the opportunity to focus on how the throaty grows were making him hot under the collar as his new client pulled him by the shoulders and pushed him into the bathroom.

Stiles pushed him away, plastering himself against the opposing wall. The man stayed against his side of the wall, eyes glowing an electric blue. Stiles cursed, “You lying, cheating asshole!”

The man growled, “Shut up, do not tell Laura about last night.”

Stiles could only assume that was the bride’s name, the one they left behind probably scared and confused in Stiles’s office, “You mean, don’t tell you’re future wife you were in a gay club picking fights with helpless drunks that were having a bad night? And why shouldn’t I?”

“She’s not-” He began when a knock came at the door.

“Stiles?” It was Erica. Stiles groaned and leaned against the wall. Erica tapped against the door, “Are you alright in there?”

The man pushed Stiles into the wall, looming over him the same way he did the night before. He was trying to be intimidating, aggressive but Stiles’s body reacted in an entirely different way. Even though he was terrified and very angry, Stiles had to shift his hips to avoid exposing his growing erection.

He pushed his large hand into Stiles’s shoulder and leaned closer, bright blue eyes catching his eyes, “You tell Laura about any of this, I’ll rip your throat out,” Stiles was prepared for a retort when the man took his shoulder in hand and pushed him into the door. He squeaked audibly and held his breath when the new client leaned forward, sharp teeth brushing against his jugular, “With my teeth.”

“Derek,” This voice was new, rough and edgy with an exasperated tone. It must have been the infamous ‘Laura’, “Quit threatening my wedding planner and come out of the bathroom.”

The man, Derek, snarled against Stiles’s neck. It wasn’t necessary to be that intimating, Stiles was surely not going to tell Laura anything but Derek snarled against his neck anyways, “Tell her anything and I’ll kill you.”

Stiles squirmed out of Derek’s grasp and rushed to the door, falling out of the bathroom and into Erica. The woman laughed and waited for Stiles to catch his ground. He turned to Laura who was grinning at Derek. Her eyes shown brightly, a teasing grin was spreading across her face. Her husband-to-be ignored her, fixing his jacket and storming back into Stiles’s office.

Erica cleared her throat, “Stiles, meet our lovely new client, Laura Hale.”

Stiles smiled and reached out his hand to shake Laura’s. He’d heard of the Hale family before, the very old werewolf pack that took root in the Beacon Hills Preserve. They use to interact with the people of Beacon Hills, who were under their territory and protection, but then they suddenly stopped. A few humans interacted with the pack, running errands for them in town but no one had seen a member in town in years.

Stiles gulped audibly, to be faced with a true Hale werewolf in his office was an honor and absolutely terrifying. Laura took his hand gently, squeezing his palm in her surprisingly strong fingers, “I’m very excited to meet you, Mr. Stilinski. And I’m see you’ve met my brother, Derek.”

She gestured to the large man who was currently sulking in a chair in Stiles’s office. Stiles gapped at Laura, “Brother? That’s your brother?”

Laura smiled, a very tooth grin that showed her very well developed fangs, “Little brother, yes. He’s utterly harmless, don’t take his threats to heart.”

Stiles relaxed a little, dropping Laura’s hand. She allowed him to, only because she stepped up into his space. Her nose found the same spot along Stiles’s neck that Derek had been snarling into. She took a large, audible sniff of the area and purred. When she pulled back, her eyes were glowing red. Stiles froze in place, though his mouth didn’t do the same, “Holy Shit! You’re the alpha! Oh my god, the alpha of the Hale pack is in my office asking me to plan her wedding.”

Laura’s thin fingers took Stiles’s wrist in his hand, she gripped it tight, soothing him in submission. He wondered if she was so intimidating that even his hyperactive tendencies were soothed by her Alpha-sense. He practically collapsed into a puddle of goo as she led him into the office, “You came highly recommended, Mr. Stilinski. It’s really me that should be honored to meet you.”

Stiles laughed and relaxed into his chair. Laura took the seat across from him, throwing some sort of look at Derek that Stiles couldn’t discern. Whatever it was suppose to mean, Derek flushed and shifted awkwardly in his chair. Stiles cleared his throat and tried to bring his serious self to the table. He felt like a sixteen year old boy again until Laura smiled encouragingly at him, “Um...Is your husband...uh...coming?”

Laura shook her head, “Aaron can’t make it today, he had some pack business to take care of, but he does regret it and he’ll try to make it to the next appointment. That’s why I brought Derek.”

Stiles chanced a glance at Derek who was looking straight at him. His eyes were dark, serious, and emanating death threats silently at Stiles. He smiled nervously in response and decided to only look at Laura, “Well that’s fine. So both you and your fiance are...”

“Werewolves?” Laura shrugged, “It’s not a curse word, Mr. Stilinski. Yes, he’s the alpha pack for the Romero pack.”

Stiles tried not to panic. The Romero pack was a huge group of werewolves and humans that populated Klamath Falls, Oregon. For those that lived under a pack territory and knew about werewolf politics, the Romero pack were like the Rockefeller; old money, old pack. This was history in the making and Stiles was going to be planning the ceremony.

Stiles nodded, “Um...this is really huge, I mean, congratulations.” Laura smiled and allowed Stiles to continue. He pulled a pad of paper from his desk drawer, “So when is the wedding date?”

Laura smiled, “December 21st.”

Stiles twitched, “That’s barely two months away. How long have you been engaged?”

Laura looked to her brother first then back to Stiles. Her smile faded just a little, wilting under Stiles’s shock, “Wednesday.”

Stiles stared at her. He made it a point never to tell a client when they were rushing into weddings, when he got the sense that a marriage was sure to fail. He knew it would only encourage the couple to make rash decisions. But Stiles wasn’t sure he could keep his opinions to himself about this, “Are you sure this isn’t too soon?”

Laura’s smile became more strained and Stiles got the very good sense that this marriage wasn’t entirely about love. She cleared her throat, “It has to be December 21st.”

Stiles nodded, “Okay, okay. So is there a venue yet? How much do you need me to take care of?”

There was a quiet pause, one that made Stiles very nervous. Laura heaved a great sigh, “Everything.”

Stiles exhaled and leaned back into his chair. Laura smiled brightly from across the table, clutching her phone tightly. Derek was looking at Stiles’s collection of photos, all family, friends and the few clients that he had. He hoped to someday turn his office into a room full of happy wedded couples. He scratched at his jaw thoughtfully. With two powerful werewolf packs as clients, his business could really get around. He could really make a business in the supernatural community as well as the human community.

He tapped his pen on the desk, “This is really short notice.”

Laura shrugged, “I understand but they say you’re the best, even under pressure.” There was a pause as Stiles continued to ponder how well this could be for his business. Laura looked to her brother with bright eyes. He had turned to glare at Stiles though, eyes narrowed darkly. Laura sighed, “I’ll pay you twice what you paid for the Martin-Whittemore wedding.”

Stiles eyes widened. Lydia’s wedding had cost a pretty penny, one that could end hunger in Africa. That didn’t even include the take-home pay Stiles was given, which was used to cover the measly rent for the next year as well as pay off his Dad’s house. To willingly pay twice that amount was like a dream come true; the bills he could pay off, the things he could buy. It was hard to turn down an offer like that.

Stiles smiled softly and reached his hand out to shake hers, “It’s a deal.” Laura grinned madly, all razor sharp teeth and a proud smile. She took Stiles’s hand and squeezed it tightly. They both eased back in their chairs, “So tell me a little about yourself and your fiance?”

Laura relaxed further in her chair, eyes cool and confident. She seamed more elegant and powerful now that she knew she was getting her way. She began to speak when a muffled song began to play. She opened her palm to reveal her phone ringing. The song playing was soft, a few teasing notes of a guitar and a man’s deep voice singing about a wolf that needed to get out of town. Stiles smiled, “If you like Sea Wolf, you can’t be all bad.”

Laura gave him a toothy grin before she looked at the caller ID, “It’s Aaron, do you mind if I take this?”

Stiles nodded and allowed her to step into the hallway just beyond his office door. She spoke softly into the phone and turned away from them. Stiles turned to Derek with a nervous smile. The man was glaring at him still. Stiles could only assume he was trying to use some Jean Grey mind melt super power on him. The awkwardly sat for a moment as Stiles tried to form words when Laura entered again.

She looked apologetic, “I’m so sorry. I have to get going.”

“Wait,” Stiles stood up, Derek following slowly, “I still have to ask you about the wedding, get some ideas from you.”

Laura smiled softly and took both of his hands in hers, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Stilinski. I really have to run. How about we make a lunch date? Tomorrow at 1:00. I’ll make reservations at Bar Louie.”

Stiles nodded and stood from his seat. Derek stood from his own, glaring at Stiles as he followed Laura out. She smiled sadly at him while Derek looked like he was ready to choke Stiles out. Stiles smiled nervously, “It’s fine, I understand. Just be sure that Aaron comes with you.”

Laura nodded and left the building. Derek stayed in the doorway for a just a moment longer, long enough to snarl at Stiles before he left as well. He waived politely to the two as they drove away in a sleek black, Camaro. Stiles leaned against the front door of his office and heaved a sigh.

Erica was giggling behind a stack of papers at her desk, “Was the sex that bad, Stiles?”

Stiles turned and glared at her, “Shut your mouth.”

***

Bar Louie was a fancy hipster bar in the center of the small shopping district of Beacon Hills. It was the only bar to sell martinis while Lady Gaga played in the background and catered to single straight women and men that were cruising. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the place is crawling in bodies desperate for a hook up. On a monday afternoon, it was filled with snobby business women quietly whispering to themselves and Stiles.

Stiles himself was in one of his favored tailored suits. It was a sleek black suit jacket and matching pants. He matched it with a solid white shirt underneath and a slim tie. He felt like a Blues Brother, especially when he walked outside and put on his vintage aviator glasses on. Inside the club though, he felt out of place.

He snagged a table close to the bar, one that was set up to circle the now empty dance floor. He was currently messing with the wet edges of his rather bitter Mason/Dixon. He checked his watch again, a silver Fossil’s that was a christmas gift from his father, it showed twenty minutes passed one. Laura was currently late.

He sighed and took another sip of his drink. Laura said she’d be there at one with her fiancee. Stiles had kept a close eye on the door for her and she still hadn’t passed through. Stiles sighed into his glass, taking one large gulp to ease his anxiety. That’s when Derek Hale in an all black suit and sleek sunglasses stepped through the door.

Stiles choked on the cocktail, felt the burn of the rum against the roof of his mouth, and squawked at Derek. The werewolf coldly by-passed the hostess and walked right up to Stiles. He sat down in the chair as Stiles flailed out of his own, “What the hell are you doing here? Where’s Laura?”

Derek snarled and gestured towards the group of waitresses milling around the end of the bar. A perky blonde stepped up to him, the same that had taken 15 whole minutes to get Stiles’s drink. Derek smiled up at her, one fang appearing from his thick lips, “I’ll have a bud.”

Stiles snorted to himself. The blonde waitress grinned brightly and scurried off before Stiles could ask for food. He rolled his eyes, “A Budweiser?”

Derek raised a very bushy eyebrow, “You have a problem with what I drink?”

Stiles shrugged, “It doesn’t suit you.”

Derek ignored him and removed his sunglasses, placing them gently on the table. He eased back into the chair and looked at Stiles with dark hazel eyes. He gestured towards Stiles and tapped his other fingers against the table, “So,”

Stiles frowned at him, “So?”

“So why are we here?”

Stiles frowned, “I know why I’m here. I’m meeting Laura and her fiancee for lunch. What are you doing here?”

Derek was ready to respond when the waitress plopped a full glass of beer in front of him. She smiled, “Anything to eat, sir?”

“I don’t think so. We won’t be here long.” He responded. Stiles sat up straighter and was ready to order a sandwich but the woman walked away. He sighed, “She’s not getting a tip.”

Derek took a sip of his beer and straightened his suit jacket, “Laura can’t be here. As her current beta and future Alpha of the Hale pack, I’m here in her place.”

He felt like he was suddenly working for the mafia, the werewolf mafia. Stiles frowned, “I’m sure she sends her condolences.”

Derek shrugged, “The Romero Pack needed some help with construction, as the future Alpha-female, she takes over when Aaron can’t.”

Stiles sighed, “I don’t care about pack dynamics. Why didn’t she just cancel the meeting?”

“Because this wedding is important,” Derek leaned forward, eyes solid and gripping Stiles tightly, “And I know everything about Laura. I should be good enough.”

There was a beat of silence between them. Stiles had to mull the words over in his mind for several minutes. If this were a romance film, ballad music would start playing in the background, Derek and he would share a look of deep longing and then share a brief and gentle kiss. But Stiles life was a comedy and his background music was Lady Gaga and there was no way that line should have made his gut flutter.

Stiles coughed, trying to clear a tickle out of his throat. He took a sip of his drink and scowled, the bitter burn made his eyes water. He hoped he didn’t look too pathetic with watery eyes and reddened cheeks, “Fine. Fine, I’ll ask you questions.”

The edge of Derek’s lip twitched upwards, “Good.”

Stiles whipped out his professional binder, the one with the survey questions already filled out with space for notes. He opened the binder up to one of the blank surveys. He pulled a pen next and wrote sloppily across the top ‘Laura Hale and Aaron Romero’ in a tinier print he wrote, ‘and Derek’. He snickered to himself and then read the first question aloud, “Tell me about Laura.”

Derek relaxed in his chair, his entire body shifted to something easy and comfortable. His scowl was less defined and the crease between his eyebrows unwrinkled. His eyes grew wide and bright as his focus shifted from Stiles’s eyes to just beyond his head. Derek went from a stiff, serious man in a sharp suit to an excited little brother.

“She’s beautiful, inside and outside.” Derek explained, “She cares about everyone and everything. You don’t have to be pack for her to want to help. She’s the perfect Alpha.”

Stiles smiled. It was expressions like Derek’s that made Stiles wish he had siblings, that there was someone out there who was as proud of him as Derek seemed to be. He smiled and took down a few notes. Derek continued, fingers rubbing circles around the glass and napkin, “She’s not soft but she’s elegant. She’ll fight anyone if she has to and she’ll win but she’s...”

“Graceful,” Stiles offered, “I could tell. You two must be really close.” He sighed wistfully, “You really love her.”

“She’s my sister.” Derek responded and left it at that. An awkward silence passed between them. Stiles frowned, there was something about the way Derek was quiet, unresponsive after that. There had to be something in their past, something that made them close that Derek didn’t want to talk about it.

Stiles decided to move on, “What does she like?” Derek gave him a strange look. Stiles rolled his eyes and elaborated, “The colors, patterns, foods, themes. What would she like for her wedding?”

Derek nodded and took a long sip of his beer. Some spilled down the side, dripping down his very long neck. Stiles watched Derek’s prominent adam’s apple bob as he swallowed the beer. He shifted in his seat, trying to high the bulge that was growing. He had to remember that Derek was an asshole and no amount of sex appeal would convince Stiles that Derek was a good idea.

Derek set the beer down and looked over at Stiles again. He shrugged, “She’s simple, nothing extravagant or expensive though money is not a problem.”

“Does she like fairytales?” Stiles made a note of ‘simple’.

Derek gave him a sour look, “We’re werewolves, Stiles. They mostly die in the end.”

Stiles nodded, “Okay no fairytales. How about classic move themes.”

“We don’t watch television.”

Stiles jotted that down, “So she likes simple things. Did she ever talk about a marriage when she was younger?”

“There is no marriage in werewolf society.” Derek shrugged. Stiles stared at him with a slack jawed expression. Derek took a sip of beer then exhaled, “We have mating ceremonies where we exchange scents and the pack meets the new member.”

Stiles could only imagine what kind of ceremony that was, maybe sex out in the forest or something. He tried not to imagine himself planning a ceremony like that, “So is that what I have to-”

Derek interrupted him quickly, “No, Laura has always been fascinated by human culture. We were born werewolves and raised in that tradition. Laura, though, she loved people and she always wanted to have that connection with humans. She wants a normal wedding like normal human women have.”

Stiles smiled, “I can do that.”

He jotted down a few more ideas, highlighting ‘classic’ several times to keep himself on track. Laura wanted classic, the old image of a wedding was her goal. Stiles could definitely due a classic wedding. She would probably like a black and white wedding where the venue was simple but elegant. He felt the ideas begin to flow, images and places springing up in his mind until he realized he wasn’t alone. He looked up at Derek who was watching Stiles with a strange look. His eyes were bright, borderline blue and his mouth was slightly open, poised in a gasp.

Stiles laughed to himself, feeling the blush on his cheeks, “Sorry, I can get carried away when I start to get ideas.”

Derek stared at him, nodding slowly. If Stiles’s life was a chick flick, one of Taylor Swift’s annoyingly happy songs would be playing. Derek’s expression would be ‘lovestruck’ and his thoughts would be about how attractive he found Stiles’s quirks. He would lean forward and say something romantic like ‘you’re mouth is beautiful’ and Stiles would be swept off his feet.

Instead, Derek chugs the rest of his beer, belches and waives the waitress down, “I’m hungry, are you hungry?”

Stiles shrugged. The waitress came around, “How can I help you sir?”

“Two double cheeseburgers, cooked medium rare, and fries,” Derek ordered for them, “Another round for him and another beer for me.”

The blonde giggled, “Right away sir.”

Stiles frowned and glared at the passing waitress. He didn’t want a burger and he certainly didn’t like Derek ordering for him. He wasn’t sure why that little detail upset him so much but it did. And he was ready to tell Derek off but then the man turned to him. Derek’s smile was genuine and soft as if he’d done something right and was now waiting for praise. So Stiles let it go.

He sighed like it was a great effort and continued with his survey, “What’s Laura’s favorite color?”

“Red.” Derek offered quickly and finished off his beer. Another was set in front of him along with another round of the Mason/Dixon cocktail for Stiles. Stiles notated red. He smiled to himself as he imagined a black, white, and red affair. If he planned it right, with splashes of red everywhere, the wedding could have the right amount of excitement while still being traditional and elegant. Suddenly the food was there and Derek grunted, “You’re smiling again.”

Stiles shrugged, “I think I may have it.”

Derek nodded, taking a large bite of his burger. Stiles’s stomach suddenly began to rumble so he dove in. He took the large burger in hand and began to eat it. He tried not to think of his love handles and how they’d only grow if he ate the greasy slab of meat. But he was starving and the burger tasted pretty good.

He was mostly done when Derek spoke again, “What are you thinking?”

Stiles whipped the grease from his mouth with a cloth napkin and smiled sheepishly, “well I’m imagining a simple white tent at the edge of the woods. We’ll have tables everywhere, covered in black silk table clothes with matching white chairs. Each center piece will have a black vase with a red rose in the center, splashes of red will be on the plates and silver wear.” He felt himself start to hyperventilate as the ideas just began to flow, “We’ll have lanterns hanging over all the tables, a single red one shaped like a heart over the bride and groom. There will be twinkling lights all over the outside so it looks like stars right outside the windows. And-”

Stiles finally met Derek’s face again. He was smiling softly, eyes glittering with amusement. Stiles blushed and bit the corner of his lip. If this were a romantic movie, Stiles would apologize for being such a spaz. Derek would say he thought it was cute and then Coldplay would start playing and maybe Stiles could finally be the one in a relationship.

Unfortunately Stiles wasn’t a heroin, nor was his spastic nature considered ‘cute’. And Derek was not the love interest in the awkward life of Stiles Stilinski.

“It always amazes me how you’re kind just has these ideas.” Derek mention, chin resting on his hand, “is it something every gay man is born with or is there some group session you all go to.”

Stiles’s whole happy bubble burst. He felt, offended, angry, “Excuse me?”

“Yeah,” Derek shrugged, “I mean its not a surprise that a gay man is a wedding planner. There isn’t much that your kind can successfully do and still be yourselves, but its amazing how your people’s ideas are always so unique and mind blowing.”

Stiles felt himself begin to snarl. Derek called him a stereotype, assumed he was only gay and that he’d became a wedding planner because of his flamboyant nature. The anger was like a weight in his stomach, one that squashed any positive feelings Stiles had about Derek.

He stood from the table, “I’m bi-sexual, Derek. And I didn’t chose to be a wedding planner because there’s ‘nothing else’.” Stiles accented angrily. Derek flinched in his chair but Stiles didn’t care, he was way beyond angry at this point, “I’m not a stereotype that you can fit into a perfect package. I like a cock in my ass, that doesn’t mean I can split atoms or operate on your dick of a brain too!”

Derek didn’t have time to respond. Stiles took his jacket and stormed out of the restaurant, binder tucked under his arm and bag in the grip of his hand. It didn’t matter that Derek was handsome with a perfect smile. He was a jerk and Stiles didn’t need that in his life.

***

Later that day, Stiles was still fuming. He paced his office and grumbled about closed-minded werewolves. Erica sat at her desk in the main area, laughing at Stiles as she skimmed through the client lists. She leaned against her chair as she perused the nearby flower shops they had done business with, “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

Stiles stormed into the main area again, “He called me a stereotype!”

Erica snickered, she saved a few of the flower shop numbers and locations in the company address book. She moved all the information to Stiles’s day planner, marking down the day and time he needed to go the shops. She moved on to catering services, perusing the advertised menus, “Well, he’s half right.”

Stiles growled at her, “Excuse me?”

Erica rolled her eyes, saving two of the catering services, “You’re bisexual. So you’re only half a stereotype.”

Stiles wanted to vent his anger at Erica, find every phrase that presses her hot buttons and shout them at her. But he was a little frightened of Erica, especially when she was angry at him. She had a tendency to take his care apart when he’s upset her. So Stiles deflated, “Why do I keep you around?”

“Because we’ve known each other since high school and I’m the only one that can organize your planner.” She waived the worn leather journal around. Stiles huffed and leaned against the door as the phone at her desk began to range. She gave him a knowing look, “I’m also the only one that answers the phone,” She lifted up the receiver and grinned, “The Perfect Day, Erica speaking.” There was a pause then Erica’s brown eyes brightened, “Ms. Hale, glad to hear from you. Stiles is right here, hold on.”

Stiles practically ran to the phone, “Laura, I’m glad you called.”

“Stiles,” She exhaled through the phone, sounding frantic and tired, “I’m so sorry about today.”

Stiles shrugged, “It’s fine. Derek kept me company.”

“I heard.” Laura huffed, “I’m sorry about him too. He was suppose to be helpful, not a jerk. But don’t worry, he’s usually like that.”

Stiles laughed, “It’s really fine. I was just hoping to meet you and your fiance.”

“I know,” She sighed. There was a rush of noise, like a car blowing a horn and Laura cursed through the phone, “I got tied up in pack business, Mr. Stilinski. I was going to call but I didn’t have your cell number and I tried calling the office but no one was there. Derek was suppose to be there to help make decisions for me. I promise, I’m coming back into town tonight with Aaron, we’ll meet at your office and take you out to dinner.”

Stiles nodded, “Okay, we can work with that.”

“Good,” Laura’s voice got lighter, like the stress was lifting from her already. Stiles could tell she felt guilty about something but he couldn’t imagine what. Missing a meeting wasn’t that terrible and Stiles was only mildly pissed about Derek, “I’ll be there in a couple of hours. How about you create a calendar for me and we can discuss it.”

“Sounds good,” Stiles relaxed, “How about I give you my cell number, just in case.”

He rattled off his number to her, repeating it when something loud muffled the phone. Laura sighed once more, “Thank you so much, Mr. Stilinski. And I promise, no Derek this time.”

“It’s fine.” Stiles laughed, “You can call me Stiles.”

“Stiles,” Laura’s voice sounded off, sounded wilded and awestruck. Stiles brushed it off as a werewolf thing. Maybe they thought first names were sacred or something, “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yeah.” Stiles exhaled and the line disconnected. He turned to Erica who was smiling at him. He rolled his eyes and tapped the planner, “Let’s get this finished.”

***

Several hours later, Stiles’s planner was completed all the way up to Laura’s wedding date. He had a check sheet of all the things they needed to complete and when they needed to complete them. On top of a small list of potential venues and caterers, he also had a few samples for the theme he wanted to use. A flashy red convertible pulled up in front of the shop. Laura was in the driver’s seat, extra large sunglasses covering her eyes. There was a man in the passenger seat that Stiles could only assume was Aaron Romero.

He sat very upright, stoic expression covered by dark sunglasses. He had on a stylish pewter suit with a velvet piece of cloth stuffing into his pocket. He was mostly clean shaven, only a little bit of very well trimmed hair around his full mouth. His dark hair was a neat kind of messy, the kind that was deliberate unlike Derek’s which was just wild. His jaw was strong, narrow and Stiles began to wonder if that was a trait amongst werewolves.

Laura waived to him, gesturing to the back seat. Stiles locked up the office and jumped into the backseat. Laura’s smile was wide and bright, fangs peaking out. She seemed so bright and full of life next to the stoic, angry looking man beside her. Maybe that was a male werewolf trait, being grumpy.

“Stiles,” Laura smiled, “I want you to meet my fiance, Aaron.”

Aaron turned to him, held his hand out for a shake then turned to face the front again. Stiles tried not to be offended and sat back in his seat. They drove the short distance to some steakhouse on the other side of town, Aaron was quiet the entire time while Laura talked about everything from the weather to pack business. He would elbow her sharply if he thought she was sharing too much and she would give him this incredibly dangerous look like the Alpha that she is and continue.

Stiles had seen many relationships in his time and he knew what dangerous relationships looked like. He also knew what failed relationships looked like. Aaron Romero looked like every douche bag with a goal to die an old, cranky bachelor. He was just not the type to ever settle down, not marriage, not kids, not even a girlfriend. All the more solidifying the idea that this union was arranged and forced, not about love.

The steakhouse was loud and Aaron still said nothing. Even when the waitress came over, he grunted something barely audible. The waitress nodded as if she understood and took everyone else’s orders quickly. She left them alone and Stiles passed his check list and suggestions to Laura. She and Aaron sat on one side, not touching each other and knees clearly facing away from each other. Laura looked over the notes quietly and did not offer Aaron a look at all.

She took a little longer to peruse the pictures, “A black and white wedding?”

Stiles smiled, particularly proud of this moment, “Yes. It’s classic chic, simple. You won’t have to worry about too many extra things like matching colors and flowers. I thought a splash of red would give everything a kind of modern look.”

Laura smiled, “Derek liked it?”

Stiles stiffened and played around with his napkin, “Yeah. He thought you would like it because red is your favorite color.”

Laura nodded her head, “I was always partial to red. I think its a really beautiful idea.”

“So, that’s a go?” Stiles smiled, “I mean, Derek explained that both of you are simple and its obvious that your a very elegant person.”

Laura blushed and turned away a little. She clearly was not use to see compliments. Aaron stiffened beside her and growled. Laura hit him against his broad chest, the sound echoing against his tense muscles. She turned to look at him, “Leave him alone. Derek wouldn’t like you doing that.”

Aaron shifted, “Insolent pup.”

It was the first time Stiles had heard Aaron say anything. The voice was rough like he drank to much, low like a real man’s voice. If Stiles wasn’t totally irritated with werewolves, he’d be very much turned on. Laura rolled her eyes and turned back to Stiles, “So this checklist, this is everything we need to get done.”

The food and drinks came shortly after that. Aaron sat quietly and ate his incredibly large steak without touching the vegetables. Laura barely ate herself, picking at the spare ribs that she ordered. She went over each section in the checklist, comparing dates between Stiles’s planner and her own. Stiles picked at his fully loaded baked potato and reviewed the details. They had a solid calendar of dates, times and places to meet up until the wedding date. Their food was cold but Stiles felt like he had real grasp on the wedding and Laura.

“So,” Stiles began, “Derek was saying there is a tradition among werewolves and that you’re rebelling?”

Laura smiled softly, “My parents had a human wedding. I want to honor that. Aaron has been nice enough to allow me to do this.”

She looked to Aaron with her same soft smile though not exactly the same. Her eyes didn’t glitter the same way when she looked at her brother. Her expression didn’t seem soft or even loving and once again, Stiles was faced with the guilt of planning an unloving marriage. He grunted back at her, face still obscured by his glasses.

“Well,” Stiles rubbed his head, “I was thinking about venues for you. We could compromise, have your wedding in the woods.”

Laura hesitated, “Where would the wedding be?”

“Well,” Stiles took a napkin and pen, “We have heated tents, there portable buildings that we could send out there. We’ll put tables everywhere and have lights around the windows and the trees outside.”

“What about the house?” Aaron interjected. Both Stiles and Laura looked at him with shock. He shuffled his shoulders a little and sunk in his seat, “If I remember, the back of the house is like a ballroom. Most of it is still standing and we can just have some contractors clean everything up. I know a guy that says it will take a month.”

Laura’s smile was bright, full of awestruck affection. She whipped Aaron into a large hug and kissed his cheek. Stiles gawked as he witnessed the first real sign that these two weren’t being forced into this. The edges of Aaron’s lips quirked upwards but showed no other sign of enjoying Laura’s attention. Stiles smiled, “That’s very nice, Aaron.”

“Anything for my ma-” He started when Laura shoved her elbow into his ribs. She glared at him, eyes glowing just a little red. Stiles watched the exchange, curious as to what Aaron was going to say. But he did not have time to dwell. The waitress came by with to-go boxes and the check which Aaron took.

“So,” Stiles fixed his suit, a little guilty that the groom that clearly didn’t like him was paying for his meal. He sighed, “I’ll make a list of things that need to get done. We can meet on Friday, eight am.”

Laura grinned, “Sounds great.” She took out out her smartphone and clearly pressed in the date and time, “The date is saved. Now let’s take you back to the car.”

Stiles was relieved, the day had been stressful and he could finally go home and relax. But then he was sure he’d just spend the entire night organizing Saturday to get the most amount of things done. They made it back to the car, “So, I’ll book a whole Saturday for you. We’ll have to have Aaron and his groomsmen measured for suits that afternoon. I’ll text you with the appointment time tomorrow. Then we’ll get an appointment for Saturday for your wedding dress. Sound good?”

Laura smiled, “Yes. Can’t wait. Have a good night, Stiles.”

Stiles waived the two off and walked to his car. He did spend the entire night searching through vendors and menus. He didn’t sleep much but fortunately it wasn’t because he was pissed at a certain angry werewolf.

Chapter Three

Stiles was up and ready to go at the crack of dawn. He had a whole day planned and it started with meeting the photographer and the band at the local concert halls. Erica had called Matt, not a regular in Stiles’s circle of vendors, and set an appointment up to show Stiles and Laura his profile. Stiles usually called in more popular and experienced photographers but his usual list were all booked. He wasn’t too upset, Matt’s website looked decent enough and he had a lot of positive reviews.

Stiles was only waiting on Laura to arrive so that they could go to the concert hall together. After he approved of Matt, they’d listen to three groups of entertainers that Erica had booked. By then the caterers would be ready with their menu and they could top off the day with suits for the groom and groomsmen. He wasn’t sure when they’d be able to get lunch but hopefully the catering service would have food prepared.

Stiles yawned and took a sip of his mocha latte as a dark car pulled up to the front of the store. He fixed his casual suit and waited for Laura to get out of the car. He smiled but faltered when it was Derek who stepped out. He was in a tight fitting gray shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He had a pair of black jeans on, tight fitting that covered his thick black boots. Stiles frowned, “What are you doing here?”

Derek rubbed his head, “Laura had a meeting, she had to cancel. She texted you.”

“No,” Stiles huffed, “She didn’t.” Just then his phone pinged lightly. He growled and pulled his phone out to view the text. He read it quickly and growled at it. He waived the message at Derek and gestured to the winking face, “This does not count.”

Derek quirked one lip upwards, “Get in the car. We’re going to be late.”

Stiles tried not to pout, “I’m not going with you. My meeting was with Laura.”

Derek stepped up to Stiles, using his height as intimidation. He pressed close to Stiles, face set very stiffly. Stiles swelled his chest in hopes of showing he wasn’t afraid of Derek’s scare tactics. The guy maybe a freaking huge werewolf but Stiles wasn’t a coward. Derek snarled, his fangs poking out from his tight lips, “Get in the car.”

Stiles rolled his eyes, “I’m planning a wedding for Laura and Aaron. Not you. I won’t go to the meetings without them.” Suddenly Derek’s large hand closed around the back of his neck. He dragged Stiles over to the car and tossed him into the passenger seat. Stiles huffed, “Or this becomes a kidnapping. That’s fine.”

Derek fell into the driver’s seat, “Shut up and lead the way.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and directed Derek to the concert hall in the center of town. Matt was already waiting for them at the front door. He had a large camera looped around his neck as a case with a video camera over his shoulder. He smiled and tightened his grip on the group of binders in his hand. His bright blue eyes followed the lines of Stiles’s body, licking his lips until he spotted Derek. He caught sight of the dark look on the man’s face and he stiffened immediately, “Um...Hi, Mr. Stilinski.”

Stiles grinned and took Matt’s free hand, “Please, call me Stiles.”

Matt nodded, “Thank you. Erica told me you were looking for a photographer for a werewolf wedding.”

Stiles gestured to the door and pulled spare keys out of his pocket, “Please. We’ll discuss it inside.”

Matt smiled but took another look at Derek. His lip was twitching as if he was fighting to not snarl at him. He immediately stopped smiling and kept a safe distance from Stiles. He led them over to a table next to the stage and gestured to the table. Matt smiled, “How did you manage this place?”

Stiles grinned, “Erica owns it. Please, take a seat. This is Derek, he’s going to help out.”

Matt nodded, shaking Derek’s hand quickly. Stiles took a seat on one of the stools, Derek took the seat next to him. Matt stayed standing on the other side of the table. He took the binders from underneath his hand and spread it across the table. He took a thick black album from the top and handed it to Stiles the first set, “Here is an evening wedding that I did a couple of months back.”

Stiles grinned and spread out the portfolio between himself and Derek. Derek leaned in a little closer to Stiles, his head nearly pressed against the side of Stiles’s face. He leaned one arm across the back of Stiles’s stool and his other hand pressed against the table. Stiles’s leg spread out, balancing against Derek’s stool. He pointed to a picture of the bride and groom kissing underneath a paper lantern.

“I think this would be perfect.” Stiles grinned. Derek chanced a look at him, smiling at the way Stiles’s eyes lit up, “Think about it. We can have the entire area lit up with those tinkling lights and floating lanterns. We’ll have small lamps on all the tables and we’ll turn off the main dinning room lights.” He looked up at Matt, “Would you be able to take pictures at night in low candle light?”

Matt smiled, “Yeah.”

Stiles grinned and turned to look at Derek. Their eyes met, both glowing with something bright. Matt smiled in between them as he watched Derek’s entire face relax into happiness. His lips twitched upwards, fighting a smile, “Yes. I like it.”

Stiles smiled back, all bright teeth and a happy twinkle in his eye. He turned to Matt, “How is your experience with werewolves. There will be a lot there and I understand there will be difficulties with taking pictures.”

Matt nodded, “Yeah. I have a lens filter I can use so there isn’t a flare.”

He pulled out a second portfolio and handed it to Stiles, “This was a werewolf wedding, traditional to the werewolf culture though.”

Stiles grinned and flipped through the pages. He pointed to a man and a woman gripping each other’s elbows. They were barely dressed, leaves only covering their intimate parts. Stiles turned to Derek, “Is this traditional?”

Derek shook his head. He eyed Stiles up and down, following the path of Stiles’s pale neck to his pink, full lips, “Usually we’re naked.”

Stiles blushed hotly then looked back to the pictures. He giggled to himself and flipped through the pages, eyes going wide as the couple turned into wolves before his eyes. Stiles bit his lip and Derek’s eyes fell to them, licking his own. Matt slowly, subtly lifted his camera and aimed it at the two.

There was a dull light glowing behind them from the stage. They were pressed close together, Stiles smiling at Derek, eyes watching him closely. Derek’s lips were turned just a slight bit upwards, enough that a his fang was showing. His eyes were solely directed on Derek even if he’d been expected to look at the picture Stiles was pointing at. Matt grinned and snapped a picture of the two, he grinned when the imaged popped up on the digital screen.

“You know, I’ve always wanted to see a gay werewolf wedding.” Matt laughed to himself, “There is always something unique about same sex couples.” He thought to himself, “It’s like the love looks more genuine or something.”

Derek and Stiles were starring at him with twin expressions of shock. Stiles coughed, “Excuse me?”

Matt laughed and showed them the picture, “You two are perfect for each other. It really shows you’re in love.”

Stiles blushed hotly and pulled away from Derek, “We’re not the couple. I’m the wedding planner and he’s the brother.”

Matt frowned, “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just...”

“Yeah.” Stiles flushed. He shuffled the albums around, “I think I’ve seen enough. If Derek likes you then you’re hired.”

They both turned to look at Derek. He nodded stoically, his eyes fighting to close themselves off. Matt smiled and reached across the table to shake their hands. Stiles took it first, Derek second. Matt gathered up his albums and thanked them again. Derek’s whole body shifted away from Stiles though it was obviously a struggle. Stiles’s himself shifted with Derek, body subconsciously leaning into Derek. Matt laughed to himself, “I suppose I’ll call Erica with the details?”

Stiles grinned, “Yes, thank you. And I assume the package will also be with a video?”

Matt waived his camera around, “Yeah, I’ll be prepared. Thank you guys.”

Stiles showed Matt to the door and welcomed the first band in. The lead singer was a bulky, scruffy man in a tee shirt and jeans. He smiled at Stiles, brown eyes scanning his hip area with lust, “I’m Damon. And this is the band.”

Stiles grinned and held out his hand, “Stiles. I’m the wedding planner.” Everyone else took his hand, ignoring Derek who loomed behind Stiles and snarled at Damon. Stiles gestured to the stage, “Go ahead and get ready.”

Damon winked at Stiles and gestured for the band to follow him. Derek placed his hand on Stiles’s shoulder, “You offered these guys an audition?”

Stiles laughed, “Please, don’t be so harsh. Erica knew them from high school. They seem pretty cool.”

Derek snarled again but followed Stiles back to the table. The band played a few little chords to warm up. A thin, lanky blonde picked up the guitar. A dark brunette took to the drums and a third, bulky man with chocolate brown hair and eyes carried the base. Damon, the lead singer, leaned into the microphone, staring at Stiles, “Hello we’re The Thrones Have Memories and we hope you enjoy.”

Derek chanced a glance at Stiles, “Really?”

Stiles laughed and elbowed him, “Shut up. They’re good. I promise.”

Derek smiled, watching Stiles open up again. The man’s heart was a happy flutter that eased Derek’s mind. He leaned close to Stiles, catching a wife of his cologne and natural scent. The band began to play, light happy chords instead of the expected hardcore scream. Stiles laughed, his smile so wide that it stretched across his face. His eyes crinkled as the gothic looking man danced around the stage.

“Kiss me out of the bearded barley...” Damon sung, light and soft. He threw a wink at Stiles and jiggled his hips a little.

Stiles laughed and clapped his hands. He turned to Derek, eyes bright with mirth, “I told you they would be good.”

Suddenly Damon was in front of Stiles, swaying his hips into Stiles. His free hand, the one not holding the mic, took hold of Stiles’s thigh. Stiles tense a little in response but still smiled wide and played along. Derek growled low in his throat, a burning hot feeling clenched his stomach tightly. Damon took hold of Stiles’s hand, pulling him closer. Stiles fell from the stool and into Damon’s arm, dancing with him. Stiles laughed as Damon pressed close to him, arm wrapping around his waist.

Derek leapt to his feet and grabbed Stiles’s hand, pulling him out of Damon’s arms and into his own. Derek snarled, his eyes turning bright blue and fangs growing. Damon backed away and the music suddenly died. Stiles laughed lightly, “Um...thanks guys. I think that’s enough.”

Damon nodded and the band packed up their instruments and made their way out of the concert hall. Derek kept a tight grip on Stiles even as the next performer came in. Stiles patted his arm lightly then moved down to his hand, rubbing it gently. Derek finally came to himself and pulled away from Stiles, “I don’t think they’ll be good for Laura’s wedding.”

Stiles smiled, “I agree.”

“Hello,” The next performer, a sleek woman with dark eyes and hair smiled from the microphone, “My name is Jaleesa.”

“Hi,” Stiles smiled, “Go ahead.”

She sang something sultry and bluesy. Derek immediately recognized it as Billie Holiday and he smiled to himself as he listened. He closed his eyes and listened to the voice flow around him. He was jerked from his senses by Stiles when he stood up. Derek stared at him, “What?”

Stiles smiled, “Jaleesa, you’re definitely what we want.”

Stiles stepped up to her and handed her a card. She took it gently, “Thank you very much.”

Stiles smiled, “Now, the venue is black, white and red. I need you in a long ball gown, something that glitters just a little. I’d prefer something black and red but if you have to have black and white call me or Erica and we’ll get you something red to add on. Is that good?”

She smiled brightly, “Thank you very much, Mr. Stilinski.”

He grinned and led her out the door. He shut the door behind him and turned to Derek. He laughed at Derek’s expression which was most likely showing confusion, “Why did you...”

Stiles smiled, “Your face said it all. She’ll be perfect.” He glanced at his watch, “Now we’ve got about twenty minutes to get to the caterers, sound good?”

Derek nodded and followed Stiles out of the hall. They drove to the catering service that Stiles usually worked with, a small, family owned business famous for their creative menus. The mother, head chef, invited them inside and sat them at a table with two wine glasses. She kissed Stiles on the check and then handed them two menus, “So we’re planning a werewolf wedding, Stiles?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Stiles grinned, “I’m sure you can come up with a creative enough menu.”

The woman grinned and pinched Stiles’s cheeks. She turned to look at Derek, her face a mixture of joy and mischief, “Is this the groom? Such a shame.”

Derek blushed and wondered if he should correct her. Stiles stepped in with a bright grin, “No this is the bride’s brother, Derek. He’s single.”

She grinned brightly and turned to Stiles, “Oh, he’s single.”

Stiles batted her away, “Don’t get any ideas.”

She laughed and made her way back to the kitchens, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Stiles.”

Derek took a sip of wine, “She’s nice.”

“Mrs. Mochellio. She runs the kitchens here.” Stiles smiled, “I think she’s the best in Beacon Hills and she’s served werewolves before.”

Derek smiled, “We’re really lucky to have you, Stiles.”

Stiles blushed and was ready to retort when Mrs. Mochellio and two waitresses carried out three large trays. She took her seat across from the two men and the waitresses passed out the plates, “Now, I know the three major foods for werewolf weddings is rabbit, deer and beef. I have a traditional steak, potato and vegetable combination. Then I have venison kabobs with grilled vegetables. We’ll put together some sides like rice and potatoes. Then lastly a roasted rabbit with Alfredo noodles.”

“This looks beautiful.” Stiles grinned at the chef. She smiled back and allowed them to eat. He turned to Derek, “It’s up to you, werewolf.”

Derek laughed and took a bite of each of the meats. Stiles followed, moaning with every bit that he took. Derek shifted awkwardly, feeling his pants tighten as Stiles continued to eat. The chef laughed as Derek tried to eat while Stiles moaned and shifted in his seat. Derek exhaled softly and tried to think of something less attractive, something to ease the slowly growing erection in his pants. When Stiles tried to complement the chef with a full mouth, Derek broke out into a laugh.

Stiles stared, mouth full, cheeks puffed out and eyes as wide as a deer. He stared at Derek for a long moment. Derek wanted to lean forward and kiss the boy, which was entirely opposite of how he actually felt about the flailing human. He turned to the chef instead who smiled knowingly at him, “I think my sister will like the kabobs the most.”

Mrs. Mochellio grinned at him, “That’s my favorite too. Do you know how big the guest list will be.”

Derek shrugged his shoulders, “It’s only us three on the Hale side. Laura’s fiance’s pack may have about 50 people.”

She nodded, “Okay, small weddings are my specialty. Wine, liquor, beer?”

“Wine,” Stiles interjected, “Something light. Nothing worse than a bunch of drunk werewolves.”

The woman smiled and chanced a glance at Derek. He was staring fondly at Stiles, covering his mouth with his palm. His eyes were soft as they watched Stiles gesture excitedly to both the head chef and Derek. There was a moment when Stiles looked at Derek, his bright eyes finding Derek’s and capturing them for just a moment. There was a shared tension between them, one the snapped tightly and tried to pull them together. Derek felt himself falling forward, his hand fell to the side and his lips began to reach for Stiles of their own volition.

“So a white whine and champagne with the kabobs.” The head chef grinned as the two jumped in their seats. Derek tried not to blush and sat up straight in his chair. The elder woman grinned at him then turned her attention to Stiles who was trying to cover his own blushing cheeks, “Stiles?”

Stiles grinned, “Yeah, I think that’s the menu. You guys will have beer too, right?”

The woman laughed, “Sure, Blue Moon?”

Derek glared, “Anything is fine.”

She nodded and made a few notes. Stiles finished off his plate and stood up, “So, we should head out now. We’ve got about 20 minutes to get to the suit fitting.”

The woman grinned, “Oh, a suit fitting.” She stood and led them out of the restaurant, “I bet Mr. Hale looks very good in a suit.”

“I’ll call you later, Mrs. Mochellio.” Stiles smiled and hugged her tight.

She smacked his butt lightly and scooted him out the door, “I expect picture messages, boy. And a wedding invite from you someday.”

Stiles blushed and waved her off, following Derek to his car. Derek had a light, knowing smile on his face. Stiles pointedly ignored him as he slid into the driver’s seat. He gestured to the main road and the general direction of the tuxedo shop. His phone made a light pinging noise. He secretly hoped it was Laura with an official notice that she and her fiancee would be at the tuxedo shop. But when he slid the screen to unlock, he saw it was a message from Mrs. Mochellio’s daughter.

I heard you’re dating a hot werewolf.

Stiles snorted and typed back quickly. He’s the little brother of a client. I’m not dating him.

“I’m surprised you know so much about werewolf culture.” Derek shrugged, “No one knows that red wine affects werewolves. It’s not something taught in class.”

Stiles grinned, “I did a lot of extra credit.” His phone pinged again. But you want him to be. Normally Stiles would have all sorts of witty comebacks, especially since Derek was rude when they first met. The werewolf was handsome but that was all he really had going for him. A day of intelligent conversation and good food wasn’t going to change the fact that the man was anti social, “Why is that?”

Derek shrugged, “Wolfsbane maybe. No one really knows.”

Stiles laughed, “I wonder who the first werewolf was to figure that out.”

There was a moment of silence between them as they drove passed some of the neighborhood homes. Stiles was made aware of how opposite they were. Derek, in the 10 minutes that they were in this car, had yet to switch the radio dials. In fact, in the two minutes of silence they’d shared, he hadn’t even flinched. Stiles, however, was shaking in his dress pants. He felt that all too familiar feeling to either listen to noise or create it. But he was in a stranger’s car and he was a professional so he quietly directed him to the shop before he couldn’t take the silence anymore, “Is Laura and Aaron going to be at the suit fitting.”

“Aaron will be.” Derek shrugged.

“What is Laura doing while she ditches me?” Stiles groaned.

“The Hale territory has been under attack.” Derek eased back in his seat, the car began to slow down as if Derek was stalling for time. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, “There’s a pack from the west that’s wants our land. There’s a pack north of the Romero’s pack that’s very big and has been tense with the Romero pack but they aren’t enemies. Laura, who is a neutral ground and future Alpha female is making friends with them so that they’ll help us with the Alpha pack.”

Stiles nodded, “And she’s planning a wedding at the same time.”

“That’s why she hired you.” Derek shrugged, “And why I’m here making all of the decisions.”

Stiles nodded and decided to not pursue his line of thinking. Because everything sounded like Laura was not excited about this wedding. And Stiles may be a man that owns a business but he was not a cold hearted business man. He would interrogate the shit out of Derek, just to see if Stiles wasn’t innocently partaking in dubious consent.

“The shop is right here.” Stiles pointed to a small store in an inconspicuous strip mall. It sat between an unmarked Weight Watchers headquarters and a Subway, which wasn’t anywhere near fancy but it was the only place Stiles shopped for tuxedos. Derek parked near the front door and immediately spotted Aaron waiting for them at the front of the shop. Two men flanked him, burly and scary looking men that took one look at Stiles and began to snarl.

Stiles almost stepped out of the car when Derek took hold of his hand. He turned to look at the werewolf, finding his eyes immediately and resisting the urge to lick his lips. Derek’s eyes fell to his lips, his mouth falling open as if he was tempted. Stiles actually licked his lips then and feared, just for a second, that Derek was going to kiss him.

Instead the werewolf shuttered and forced his eyes upwards towards Stiles’s own, “Don’t be afraid of them. You’re with me.”

Stiles shuddered, feeling the heat of pleasure suffocate him quickly. He liked the way Derek’s voice deepened with a possessiveness. Derek’s eyes darkened a little too as if he liked the sound of his own words. That pulling tension gripped at Stiles’s heart and he felt himself falling forward, towards Derek. He braced himself for the hottest kiss in the world and was met by air. He opened his eyes again to find Derek already out of the vehicle. Stiles tried not to pout or even feel put out, so he stepped out of the car and smiled.

Aaron smiled back, taking Stiles into a big hug and patted him roughly on the back. The two men still glared at him standing next to Derek. Aaron took him by the shoulder and grinned, “Boys, this is my wedding planner, Stiles. He human and harmless so back off. Stiles, this is my brother, Rob,” The tanner of the two held out his hand. Stiles took it with vaguely concealed concern and felt his whole body actually shake with the force of Robert’s movement. Aaron laughed, “And this is my best friend, Seth.”

The smaller of the two took Stiles’s hand in a much lighter grip. He shook it once then raised Stiles’s hands to his lips. He grinned around the skin, teeth scraping gently, “Pleasure to meet you, Stiles.”

Stiles hadn’t gotten a lot of attention in the last couple of weeks, at least not from anyone he wanted to get busy with. So having a rather handsome and scary werewolf suckle the top of his hand gave Stiles inappropriate erections. He heard a growl from somewhere in the distance but was too distracted by the hungry look in Seth’s eyes. He tried to get his muscles in his jaw to work. Slowly they relaxed and he found himself trying to form sentences, “I...Derek...with him...”

Seth grinned, “I’ll bet.”

“Seth,” Aaron sighed, “Lay off the charm. You’re going to upset the future Alpha Hale.”

Stiles eyed Derek from beyond Seth. Derek’s eyes were laser focused on Stiles’s hand, his own clenched tight in a fist. Stiles brushed it off, removing his hand from Seth’s grasp and puffed himself to take control of the situation, “Okay. So let’s go try on some suits.”

Aaron led his brother and Seth into the shop. Derek placed his hand on Stiles’s lower back and led him into the shop. Stiles immediately relaxed against Derek, his whole body flooding with relief. Someday he’d wonder why that was, why a touch from Derek left him a pile of goo. He shook it off and stepped up to Mr. Smith, the sole owner of the only tuxedo shop in Beacon Hills. The man made all suits for all occasions, including Stiles’s fashionable attire. He was the best in the area despite his unassuming business.

“Ahhh, Mr. Stiles,” The old man shook Stiles’s hand tightly and patted him on the back.

Stiles grinned, “Hello, Mr. Smith. So here I have my groom and his three groomsmen.”

Mr. Smith adjusted the large glasses on his head, looking at all three, “Big boys aren’t you all.”

Stiles laughed as Mr. Smith led the men one-by-one through the measuring process. He and his assistant, his daughter Rachel, began measuring the groomsmen. Seth seemed to enjoy Rachel’s touches and Stiles eventually had to jump in and separate the two. Stiles found black suits in very modern cuts and matched them with thin red ties and white dress shirts. He couldn’t help but laugh when Aaron’s bulky framed tried to squeeze into a black, three piece suit. Seth and Rob had already found their appropriate suits and measured them correctly. They were sitting on either side of Stiles, crushing him close to their warm bodies. Apart of him was nervous sitting in between him, as if he shouldn’t be so close to these men. That same part whispered to him that Derek wouldn’t be happy with the way Seth was touching his arm.

But then Stiles had to remember that Derek was the brother of a client and not whatever his fantasy was trying to come up with. Derek was attractive, someone who was clearly sculpted by the gods themselves and brought to life by the kiss of angels. And sure, Stiles could wrap his gangly arms around that and go to town on those perfect red lips. But what was underneath Derek’s thick eyebrows and bright hazel eyes that he could bring to a relationship.

Derek was stubborn and socially awkward, he closed himself off to everyone and he was overbearing without needing to be at all. He was hardly appropriate for a relationship. And that’s what Stiles wanted, something serious and lasting. Not a few nights of hot sex which Derek could definitely deliver.

“Derek.” Rob sighed, “Just get your prissy ass out here. Even the groom is done.”

Stiles realized that Aaron had already escaped into the dressing room and changed back into his street clothes. They were waiting on Derek and the anxiousness began to bubble in his stomach. He sat up a little more when he heard shuffling from Derek’s dressing room. Seth elbowed him with a wide smile, “Are you excited to see our little future Alpha?”

Stiles frowned, “No.”

The door opened then and like every silly romantic comedy, Stiles felt his mouth go dry. Derek shuffled out in a suit that was just a little too tight, pants that fit snuggly around his package. His face was turned down just a little, blushing a little. He shuffled out of his dressing room in slow motion, turning around to shut the door and giving Stiles a very good peak at his butt. Stiles couldn’t stop staring.

Aaron started to laugh from his dressing room, “It’s a little small, Derek.”

Derek didn’t respond, instead he shuffled over to the stand where Mr. Smith and Rachel were waiting. Rachel blushed as she took one end of Mr. Smith’s tape measure and pressed it to Derek’s shoulder. Stiles felt a little sick in his stomach, a little bit jealous. And a stray thought of maybe a one night stand wouldn’t be so bad.

Mr Smith tutted as he patted Derek’s butt, “You’re a little too round back here, boy.”

Derek blushed and Stiles couldn’t resist a loud laugh. Mr Smith circled Derek, pulling at the suit top and mentioning notes to Rachel who blushed. Derek looked up to Stiles, finding his eyes and holding them. Stiles froze again, mid-laugh which slowly fell into an encouraging smile. Derek returned it.

Aaron was at Derek’s side, dressed up in his business suit. He fixed Derek’s slim red tie, the one Stiles had picked out for the groomsmen to match the black and white three piece for Aaron. The Alpha leaned forward and muttered something low, something Stiles couldn’t hear. Derek leaned forward as well, eyes dropping from Stiles to focus on his future brother and law. Seth and Rob chuckled from beside Stiles as the two whispered to each other. Aaron laughed and patted Derek’s shoulders lightly which was when Derek looked up again.

Stiles felt his heart skitter. He had to shake himself and stand up to get rid of the feeling growling in his lungs. He sighed heavily and smiled, “It looks good.”

“Only cuz you can see what he’s packing.” Seth snickered from the couch.

Stiles ignored him and smiled happily at Derek, “You’ll need a bigger jacket, that’s all.” Derek followed Stiles with his eyes as he circled the wolf. Stiles smiled at Mr. Smith, “It’s a very good suit.”

Mr. Smith grunted and shuffled Derek back into the dressing room. They made arrangements to pick up the suits once they’re finished, Stiles mad another scheduled meeting with Aaron. Before long Stiles and Derek were alone in Derek’s car, driving back to Stiles’s shop. After some time Derek finally spoke, eyes looking far away, “Do you want to get dinner?”

Stiles blushed and tried to hid his smile, “Y-Yeah.”

Derek parked at a small steakhouse a block away from Stiles’s shop. The restaurant was his father’s favorite except on weekends. On weekends, that’s when dates have dinner. They were coming in at the perfect time for the romantic dinner’s to begin. The candles were let and the lights dimmed low.

Stiles gulped, “Um...we can go some place else. I mean...”

Derek smiled and pushed Stiles forward until they found a table near the back. Stiles looked around at some older couples sharing whine and laughing. He would never admit that he always wanted to be right here with a handsome man or a pretty woman. Not just for a night but every friday night for the rest of their lives.

Stiles chugged that bitter thought away with very strong red wine. It wasn’t good to imagine some hollywood romance for himself. It was an unreachable goal for him and he was better left spending his energy on planning it for other people.

“Tell me about yourself.” Stiles grinned, “What do you like to do?”

Derek sipped his own glass of wine, “Books.”

Stiles laughed, “Oh, a nerd.”

Derek quietly from behind the glass, his smile was soft and humorous, “My mother would read to me as a child. It stuck.”

Stiles smiled, “Am I going to meet the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Hale? I would love to meet the two who created you and Laura who I never see.” Derek was quiet while Stiles began to prattle on about the family. Stiles would someday look back on this and realize he should never be high on romantic feelings and whine, “I mean, they have to be something else to make Laura go through with this. I mean, is it tradition, are you going to have to do this too?”

Stiles almost let the question slip, almost asked if his parents would force Derek to marry or woman or could they let him date a man. Fortunately, Derek dropping the wine glass on the table and shattering it stopped Stiles from continuing. Stiles caught a very dark and scary look in Derek’s eyes before the werewolf stormed out of the restaurant. Stiles was left at the table in shock, starring at the spilled mess across the table. He tried to replay in his mind what happened, what he said to make Derek so upset. But he couldn’t find his answer. And worse yet, despite his apparent violent rage, Stiles still really liked Derek.

***

Stiles had plenty of time to get over his growing crush. In fact, he had two whole weeks where he’d managed to make last minuted decisions for Scott and Allison’s wedding, planning the bachelorette party at the Go Go club one county over, the go go club where everyone could find a naked something-something, Whiskey a Go-Go. He booked a table for her and her family, 5 all together. He solidified her appointment for catering and for the final fitting for the dress. With her wedding at the end of the month, Stiles was grateful to throw some of his anxiety into putting the final touches on her wedding. He made sure to call Laura and Aaron several times to see if there was more that was needed, if the house renovations were going smoothly. He skirted around the last conversation he had with Derek but it seemed like Laura knew.

The phone conversation she had with him two days after the incident made it clear that she was apologizing for Derek’s behavior without an explanation. She explained to him that family was important and private, no matter how much they all liked Stiles. After mulling the conversation over for days, she sounded like someday Stiles would be family and then he would learn the truth. But thoughts like that made Stiles lonely and gave him a headache.

So he did his job without thinking too much about the Hale family.

One fateful afternoon, Laura called Stiles. It was rare because the alpha female never seemed to have time for Stiles. He answered readily with a notepad in hand, prepared to take notes, “Hey Laura.”

He could hear the smile in her voice, “Hey Stiles. So, are you free at 5 today? I know its short notice but so is everything else in this wedding.”

Stiles laughed, “Of course I’m free for my lovely bride.”

“Good, I’m going to try on my dress. I found this dress shop that said they can do any kind of tailoring in a week for me.”

“Is it Samantha’s on First?” Stiles laughed.

Laura was quiet for a second, “Yeah...wait I don’t want to know. Anyway, I want you to come with me. Help me pick out a dress.”

“Yeah,” Stiles smiled, “Sounds wonderful, and I bet I’ll get you a really good deal.”

Laura snorted, “My soon-to-be mother in law is coming with us. She won’t mind what I spend.”

Stiles felt light and warm, like all the thinking and the tension had escaped him. He eased into his chair and wondered if this is what is was like to have close relatives, to have a sister, “Good, will I get to meet all of the family?”

Laura was quiet for a moment, “Stiles. I want you to know how important it that I’m telling you this. I can’t express in words but you have to promise me you’ll cherish this.”

Stiles gulped. He wasn’t sure he was ready for this. He didn’t even know what this was. But Laura made it seem like a very big deal and he wasn’t sure he could keep that much trust, “It’s okay, Laura. I don’t have to know.”

Laura sighed, “We’ll pick you up at 4:30, okay?”

Stiles exhaled, thankful for an out. A part of him felt cold now, like he’d missed an opportunity, “I’m sorry, Laura.”

“It’s not me who you should apologize to.” Laura mentioned quietly, “And someday you’ll be ready.”

Stiles hung up the phone and rubbed his temples. He tried not to think too much about the conversation. Like everything else with the Hales, it gave him a headache and heartache. Instead he finished up with some details for Scott and Allison’s wedding and prepared for Laura’s arrival.

Just before 4:30, he sent Erica home and locked the place up. A sensible, gray SUV pulled around the corner and parked at an angle in front of the store. Laura was in the passenger seat with a wide smile, “Hello, handsome.”

Stiles smiled back, “Hello, sexy.”

Stiles started for the car, spotting a middle aged woman with long tendrils of black hair and wise brown eyes. She smiled at Stiles as he approached. Laura grinned and gestured to the woman, “My soon-to-be mother-in-law Maria Romero.”

Stiles smiled, “Nice to meet you Mrs. Romero.”

She returned the smile with a flash of her very sharp teeth, “I wish Laura had told me how delicious you were. She only told me to keep my hands off.”

Stiles laughed as he stepped into the back seat. He spotted Derek on the other side, purposefully looking out the window instead of at Stiles. In return, Stiles rolled his eyes and focused on the two women in the front seat. They giggled to themselves and joked the short way to the dress shop. Laura and Derek were the first out of the car while Stiles took his place next to Mrs. Romero.

“Well, I wish I had more handsome men like this to escort me places.” She laughed as they entered the shop, “All these wolves are so afraid of the Alpha’s wrath. Poor Laura will never be touched by another man again.”

Stiles blushed, “I thought that was a good thing.”

Maria rolled her eyes, “Believe me, you get tired of all the growling and ‘she’s mine’. Especially after spitting out three children. It’s not like I’ll find some hot stud like you and run away.”

Stiles laughed, “Well, I just might if you keep flattering me.”

“Nonsense,” She patted his arm, “Derek would rip my throat out. Or try, because I may be old but I’m still the former Alpha’s mate.”

Stiles tried not to let his smile fall. Thankfully they entered the dress shop by then. Stacie, the shop’s longest consulate employed there, was already spinning Laura around and asking her questions. Derek was glaring at Stiles and Maria, his eyes flashing to their connected arms. Stiles leaned forward, “I think Derek is going to rip out my throat.”

Maria laughed and led him over to a couch, “No, sweetheart. He just doesn’t understand yet.”

Stiles smiled fondly at her which was lost when he was faced with Derek. He loomed over the too, the same sour look stretched across his face. Stiles had a moment to remember the bar all of three weeks ago. Derek had been just as angry and then they began to fight. Stiles wondered if they were going to start now, if Derek was so childish that he’d hold a grudge. He huffed, “Stiles.”

Stiles returned the glare. Apparently Derek was going to be childish, “Mr. Hale.”

He glared back, hands shaking at his sides. He opened his mouth to retort before Maria interrupted, “You two can do your little song and dance later. Laura is going to try on dresses and you two are going to shut up and be supportive.”

Derek slouched and scooted his way into the seat on the other side of Maria. She glared at both of them. Stiles smiled to himself, curious if this is what having a mother was like. Stiles only ever had his father. And he meant only. His mother’s side of the family did not like her marrying his father and hadn’t talked to her or her family since the wedding. Stiles’s dad’s family was only an uncle and two cousins in New York. He relaxed, wondering, hoping if this was the start of a surrogate family.

“What would Laura like as a dress?” Stacie turned to Stiles. She had shuffled Laura into the one of the dressing rooms away from where they were seated. Stacie had returned to begin pulling the millions of dresses out.

Stiles pondered for a bit, “Something sleek and thin. Something that will hug her curves.”

Derek frowned, “Laura is a bride, not a tramp. She’ll like high necklines and sleeves. Something like in the fairytales.”

Stiles glared at Derek from across Maria, “This is her wedding. She’ll have to stand out. We have to make it flashy and big. Lots of sparkles too.”

Derek snarled at Stiles, “She likes classic and subdued. A princess and not a vega show girl.”

“You mean boring.” Stiles hissed back, “It’s her wedding and she needs to be a star.”

“Boys, please,” Maria separated them both, “Think of Laura.”

Stacie smiled, “I’ll just pull one of everything.”

They waited as Laura dressed. She filed out of the dressing room in an elegant, sweetheart neckline with mermaid skirt. Jewels created a swirl patten around the bodice. She turned to look at her self in the mirror, revealing the open back. Stiles smiled, “You look beautiful!”

“She looks like a slut.” Derek snarled. Maria elbowed him in the shoulder and Stiles threw a threatening look over Maria’s shoulder.

“How do you feel, Laura?” Maria smiled. Laura looked herself in the mirror, her thin arms came up to cover her chest.

Laura bit her lip, “I feel exposed. I don’t really like the skirt either.”

Stacie smiled, “Okay, no mermaid skirt. And what part feels exposed?”

Laura frowned, “The back? Maybe the front a little.”

Stacie smiled and helped Laura down. They shuffled back into the dressing room to try on the other dress. Derek smiled triumphantly, “I told you she would like sexy. She’s simple and elegant.”

Stiles hissed, “And I’m telling you that its her wedding day and she needs to be different and fancy.”

“Boy.” Maria hissed just as Laura stepped out in the second dress. This one had the same heart shaped neckline with cap sleeves to cover more of her. The bodice was a plain stain design with a bow at her hips. The skirt was an a-line satin with just a little bit of train.

Derek smiled and sat up a little straighter, “You look great, Laura.”

“She looks like the mother of the bride.” Stiles muttered.

Laura sighed, “I admit its not daring enough.”

“You need flair and sparkle.” Stiles sighed, “And maybe a little bit risky. It’s your wedding day.”

“Laura isn’t like that.” Derek stood up and glared down at Stiles, “She doesn’t need to run her mouth and demand attention.”

Stiles stood up, “Well she doesn’t need to be sold off to the highest bidder for property rights.”

Maria stood up in between them, placing her very strong hands on both of their chests and pushing them away, “Boys, enough.” They fell away from each other but not far enough that Maria’s claws couldn’t dig into their shirts, “Now, this is Laura’s day to try on dresses. And her special time for this wedding. Put your selfishness aside for just a little while.”

Laura frowned, “How about both of you leave. Go cool off outside.”

Stiles frowned but adjusted his shirt and exited. Derek followed quickly and stood as far away from Stiles as possible. To make a point, Stiles looked away from Derek and remained silent. After some time, Stiles couldn’t take the silence. He turned to Derek jut as Derek was turning to Stiles. They both shouted at the same time, “I’m...”

Stiles blushed and held his hand out for Derek to pause, “I want to say that I’m not sure what I said but please don’t take it to heart. I’m sorry that I said something rude and offensive but please tell me what I said so that I won’t say it again.”

Derek sighed, “I’m sorry I stormed out. That was rude of me.”

Stiles smiled, “Apology accepted.”

Derek rubbed the back of his head. There was a pause between them, one that was filled with tension and dread. Stiles could feel his heart start to beat rapidly in his chest and his palms began to sweat. He gripped his pants tightly and tried to calm himself down. Suddenly Derek was turning to him, his eyes capturing Stiles’s in an intense stare, “My parents have been dead for awhile. They can’t say whether they approve of Laura’s fiancee. But this isn’t an arranged marriage, Stiles. Laura loves Aaron. He just so happens to be the alpha of another pack, a stronger one.”

Stiles nodded, “Far be it from me to judge a werewolf wedding.”

Derek smiled just a little, “Stiles, there’s something called ma-”

“If you boys can behave now, we’re ready.” Stacie was at the door before Derek could finish. She was smiling brightly and gestured inside, “She found the dress.”

The two shared a look and stepped into the shop. They rounded a few racks of dresses until they came upon Laura. She was standing on the platform, twirling in her dress. The color was a soft cream with a ball gown type skirt that touched the floor with a lace train in the back. There was flowery lace patterns down the skirt and edging around the bottom of the skirt. The lace worked itself around the bodice of her dress, patterned around the sweetheart neckline with thin lace stripes. A satin bow wrapped around her waist several times and created a unique bow at the left side of her waist with ties that fell down her side. The bow was held by a diamond brooch that matched a diamond bangle on her wrist. She had a classic veil that fell across the back of the dress which exposed a modest portion of her back.

Stiles and Derek frozen in place, struck by the way Laura was smiling and glowing. Derek stepped up to her and whipped her around in a big hug, his smile nearly as big as hers, “You look beautiful.”

Stiles smiled, “I’m impressed, Laura.”

Laura grinned, “You really like it?” Derek put her down on the ground and she stepped over to Stiles, “I know its not very fashion forward. And I may not stick out as much as a bride should.”

Stiles gently took her in his arms, “You look amazing, Laura.”

She smiled, “Thank you.”

He hugged her lightly, feeling on the edge of tears. She sniffled into the collar of his shirt, taking a large whiff of his neck. He felt like Laura was his sister, like this was him giving a sibling away. He pulled away and dabbed at his arm. Laura then moved to Maria. The two squealed and laughed together while Stiles tried to subtly wipe away his tears. He caught sighed of Derek who was smiling at him softly. Stiles smiled back at him, warmth flooding his entire body. He could admit, this was the feeling he’d been looking for all his life.

Chapter Four

Stiles had managed all of three days without thinking about Derek. In that time, he solidified arrangements with Allison and Scott’s wedding, checked on the rebuilding of the Hale home with Aaron and had a very nice lunch with Laura where he did not ask about Derek. On the third day Stiles got an email from Matt with a jpeg attached. The message was simple, just confirming the date and what was expected of him. And just a one sentence message regarding the picture, one that made Stiles nervous to actually open the file.

You look cute together. Stiles gulped and opened up the image. The lighting was dim but there was enough on both Derek and Stiles’s face. They were smiling at each other, leaning in close. If Stiles hadn’t known exactly what was going on that very moment, he’d have thought the two men in the picture were about to kiss. He ignored the ache he’d suddenly felt and put the email away.

He confirmed the information with Matt and tried to forget the image he saw. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple but all he could see was the smile on his own face. The twinkle of love blossoming that Matt’s camera had caught on film. He could see it in his own face but is that what he saw in Derek’s? Stiles couldn’t grasp on to the man. One minute he was giving Stiles heated looks, the next was a cold shoulder. It was hard to tell if the man was even slightly interested.

His phone cell phone ringing is what pulled Stiles out of his thoughts. Stiles smiled to himself when he spotted ‘Laura’ on his caller id, “Hey-lo!”

“Hey yourself,” Laura crooned through the phone. She sounded breathless like she was walking, “So, I have a problem.”

“Don’t you usually have a problem?”

She laughed, “Well that’s why you’re the best wedding planner ever, right? You help me with all of my problems.”

Stiles laughed, “I suppose I am. What’s up?”

“I am currently in Sacramento picking out brides maid dresses for my girls.”

Stiles groaned, “Laura, we were suppose to do that next week. I even took a look at a few samples the other day.”

Laura sighed, “I know. Chelsea, Aaron’s little sister, insisted on this designer shop and she wanted to pick her own dress.” Stiles groaned but didn’t have the opportunity to say much. He heard a group of women giggling in the background. Laura hushed them but someone pulled the phone away.

“No boys allowed!” A woman squealed into the phone.

He heard a little muffled noise as if someone was taking the phone. Another girl laughed into the account, “Even if he’s a hot, bisexual wedding planner.”

“Guys,” Laura’s voice called from a distance, “Shut up.”

The second woman spoke again, “Relax, we all know he’s Derek’s mate.”

Stiles stiffened a little. He wasn’t sure why that word made him a little hot but it did. He messed with the edges of his collar and coughed a little. There was a thud like someone had dropped the phone and a lot of yelling until Laura took hold of the phone again, “I’m sorry about Stacie. She can be a freak when she’s been drinking. I promise to text you a picture of every single dress. And we won’t decide until you agree too.”

Stiles tried not to sound disappointed when it was clear they were not going to elaborate on what Stacie had blabbed. “Make sure its red, ruby red.” Stiles groaned, “And you better send me every picture.”

“I will.” Laura laughed, “But that’s not the problem.” There was a beat of silence that made Stiles’s hands clam up, “I made an appointment for cake shop.”

“What?” Stiles frowned and glanced at his calendar. He had set aside a day the week after for the cake. He needed some time to develop a design. She was throwing his whole plan away. He may have been easy going but no one screwed up his calendar, “Laura, what are you thinking?”

“They had an open slot and I got excited.” Laura whimpered through the phone. Stiles heaved a great sigh but Laura continued to talk, “Don’t worry, I won’t make you go there alone.”

Stiles stood, knocking his planner to the ground. He knew exactly where this was going, “Let me see, is he tall, dark and grumpy?”

There was a collective sound of laugher over the phone. Laura hushed them, “Aaron will be there too.”

Stiles rolled his eyes, “I’m sure he will be.”

“So the appointment is at 4.” Laura continued, “They’ll meet you outside the shop. It’s bakery off main, Baby Cakes.”

Stiles knew the place, it was a cutesy store filled with women that tried to set him up with their gay best friends. It was also owned by the sister-in-law of Stiles’s ex boyfriend, the one that didn’t break Stiles’s heart before he ran away to college. Needlessly to say, he didn’t like going to that shop much. They had the best cakes in town but if Stiles went in single, he’d be mortified. Perfect.

“Thanks, Laura.”

“See you soon, Stiles.”

***

Stiles knew it was a set up when he pulled up to the shop. There were just a few cars in the tiny parking lot and none of them were Aaron’s flashy red car. No, it was Derek’s sleek black car parked in front of the shop with Derek leaning against it, watching Stiles pull up in his old jeep. Stiles tried to calm his rapid beating heart with a serious of very deep breaths.

Derek was in one of his sexy gray shirts stretched tight across his chest. He had a pair of black jeans on, ones that showed his ridiculously large package. Stiles felt his face heat up and his own pants tighten. He rested his forehead against his steering wheel and heaved a great sigh. He could do this, pretend to not be interested in the sexiest man he’s ever seen.

There was a knock on his window and Stiles flailed in his seat. He blushed hotly, feeling like his teenage self all over again. He shook himself and righted his clothing because he was a grown man and he needed to express that.

Derek was on the other side, grinning at Stiles. He opened the door and stepped aside, “Hello.”

Stiles tried not to blush as he slithered out of his car. He was squished between the car next to him and Derek. Derek who was very, very close and apparently getting closer. Stiles took a sharp inhale of breath and imagined, just for a second, that Derek was going to lean forward and kiss him. Instead the man fixed his shirt collar, folding it down in the back. His hot fingers brushed against the back of Stiles’s neck and he shuttered just a little.

“You’re a little late.” Derek mentioned off handily, thumb brushing across Stiles’s collar bone.

“Traffic,” Stiles muttered. In reality, he had paced his office for more than an hour, wondering if it was professionally acceptable to not go to the cake tasting. It took a very irritated Erica and a serious death-threat to convince him that he had to do this. After all, business would probably boom after this wedding, much like it started to after Lydia’s wedding.

Derek caught his lie easily but smiled anyways. He took Stiles’s shoulder and led the man towards the store. Stiles felt the beginnings of a panic attack as they approached the shop. He hadn’t stepped into that place in over a year, the last time he was humiliated by his ex who’d found a hot little twink to parade around while Stiles was using cake to get over his latest failed conquest. Derek’s hand moved to take his elbow. He squeezed it tightly and leaned closer to Stiles.

He opened the door for Stiles and, without dropping his grasp from Stiles’s arm, led the scrawnier man into the shop. Stiles took a deep breath, smelling the fondant and flour. There was a blonde woman at the counter who took one look at Derek and immediately gushed. She smiled brightly at him and pressed herself forwards to accentuate her chest. She gave him a sultry look, “Hello. How can I help you?”

Derek smiled, one that was full of charm and grace but made Stiles want to scream ‘fake’. His hand slid downwards to Stiles’s hand but he did not take it. Instead, Derek’s very hot hand hovered over Stiles’s hand, fingers brushing against each other. It was oddly intimate, like Derek couldn’t possibly stop touching Stiles. He felt himself swooning as well but Derek’s deep voice broke the illusion, “We’re hear for a cake testing.”

The blonde’s grin immediately fell and her eyes passed Stiles. He could see the jealousy in her eyes and the gears turn in her head. She immediately assumed they were together, a gay couple getting married. It wasn’t like Derek was doing anything to convince her otherwise. His fingers still lightly grazed against Stiles’s hand and he was leaning into Stiles. She stood upright again, “Did you have an appointment?”

Derek nodded, “Yes, four o’clock? I think its with JoAnne.”

Dammit. It was with his ex’s mother. There was no way that she wouldn’t recognize Stiles and she was sure to know they weren’t a couple. Perfect. The woman sighed, “JoAnne is sick today, her son is taking over everything. I’ll go get him.”

Stiles could feel his lungs collapse. Her son, Stiles’s ex boyfriend because she only had one son, was going to help them try cakes and show designs. He was going to die of humiliation, his head was going to explode because all the blood was rushing to his cheeks. Derek dragged Stiles over to a table and sat beside him. He gave Stiles a worried look, “What’s wrong?”

Stiles bit his lip and turned to Derek. He leaned in close so that no one would hear him, “I use to date her son.” Derek was quiet for a moment, his eyes just a little darker than before. Stiles heaved a dramatic sigh, “A year ago I came into the shop and he flaunted his new boyfriend in front of me. It was humiliating.”

Derek furrowed his brows, “Because he was flaunting someone? You know that’s a desperate move to show off.”

Stiles didn’t see it like that. He saw it as another way for Jason to show off, to be center of attention, to break Stiles’s heart. He frowned at Stiles, “Not Jason. He was doing it to make me feel like shit. He knew that he was my first real boyfriend and he was throwing that back in my face.”

Derek was going to respond, Stiles saw the argument forming in his expression. He wasn’t sure he was ready to hear what Derek had to say but he was spared the thought. Jason walked in, two women and a skinny, barely legal boy toting cakes behind him. His dark brown gaze found Stiles and he smiled, perfect white teeth gleaming. His dark brown hair was perfectly coiffed and Stiles was sure he’d lost a few pounds. And here Stiles was, looking exactly as he did the last time he walked into this shop, doing exactly the same thing. He was so screwed.

“Stiles Stilinski.” Jason smiled wide and perfect, pretending to be shocked. He gestured his arms wide like he was expecting Stiles to hug him, “It’s been a really long time. What have you been up to?”

Stiles froze like a deer in headlights. Derek elbowed him and he nearly flailed out of his seat. He hugged Jason quickly and flinched when he kissed Stiles’s cheek, “Oh, you know.”

Jason smiled knowingly, “Oh, I know.”

He gestured for Stiles to take a seat and let the three helpers set the cakes on a display table. The two girls retreated to the back while the boy took his place behind Jason. He smiled flirtatiously at Derek while his pale fingers stroked Jason’s chest and shoulders. Jason glanced at Derek with a bright smile. Stiles wasn’t sure how much Laura told the shop, if she told them who was coming to the cake testing. He was sure, and it was clear by Jason’s smirk, that Laura had explained Stiles and the groom would be there. Stiles couldn’t even pretend at this point.

Jason’s eyes fell on Derek and immediately there was lust, more than what Jason had ever given Stiles. He licked his lips and held out his hands, “And this handsome devil must be the groom.”

Derek frowned, hands stubbornly at his side until Stiles elbowed him. He grunted and took Jason’s hand tightly, “Actually, Aaron couldn’t make it. I’m here on their behalf.”

Jason’s smile grew even larger, “Well, that makes you the very eligible brother of the bride, correct?”

Derek frowned, “Sorta.”

Jason brushed his twinky boyfriend aside. The blonde headed boy huffed and took the seat beside Jason. He elbowed his way in, slipping his thin hand into Derek’s the second Jason had dropped it. He smiled and winked at Derek, “And I’m Sugar.”

Derek’s frown grew deep and Stiles tried to hid a snort, “Uh...nice to meet you.”

Stiles coughed, “So the cakes?”

Jason laughed, “Always business, Stiles.” He turned to Derek, “I’m sure he’s told you we dated. I had to yank him out of his cozy little virgin shell the entire year we were together. He never stopped working.”

Stiles huffed, “Well now we’re seriously on my client’s dime.”

Derek chanced a look at Stiles. There was a gleam in his eyes, something that made Stiles immediately not trust him and become very turned on at the same time. Suddenly Derek’s arm was around Stiles’s shoulder and he was pulling Stiles closer, “I never had a problem with him coming to bed.”

Stiles blushed as Derek planted a very loud kiss on his cheek. Stiles watched Jason’s face turn sour and even though it was an unexpected lie, Stiles felt smug. If this was what Jason felt the last time they’d seen each other, Stiles could understand why he did it.

Sugar suddenly hissed, “So, the cakes?”

Jason coughed, “Yes.” He stood up and gestured to the three cakes. Stiles was sure that Derek would move his arm and give Stiles a moment to breath. But no, Derek’s arm remained heavy and hot across Stiles’s shoulders and his pants got tighter. Stiles wasn’t sure he’d be able to make the best decision in his state.

Jason stood in front of the first case, “So our lovely bride told me about herself and that the theme is black and white with a touch of red.” Derek nodded and Jason continued, “So I took the concept and spun it just a little.”

It was a five tier cake with an incredible amount of decor across each tier. Each section was a different pattern leading up the top where there was an array of black flowers, red feathers and diamonds. There was jewels circling the bottoms of each tier and Stiles’s mind was a little boggled by all of it. Derek spoke up first, “I like it but there’s a little too much going on. Laura likes simplicity.”

Jason frowned, “Yes, but you don’t want the cake to be boring.”

“The cake is not the centerpiece, my sister is.” Derek stated clearly, his eyes staring at Jason.

The man tensed underneath Derek’s look, “A cake is a statement.”

“And that statement is traditional.” Derek stated.

Stiles felt the tension in the room and jumped into action. He took hold of Derek’s hand, “Let’s see the other two cakes. That’s why we have options.”

Derek smiled and squeezed Stiles’s hand. His eyes fell to Stiles’s lips and he licked his own. Stiles felt himself leaning forward, drawn by the urge to kiss Derek when Sugar coughed beside them. Stiles turned to look at the boy who grinned knowingly at the two of them.

“I designed this one.” Sugar grinned and pointed to a topsy turvy type of cake. The squares were mismatched and the sides were angled. The entire cake sparkled across all five tiers with little crystals. Every other tier was solid black with white circles and the opposite tiers where white with black circles. The top was rounded but had the ability to hold a cake topper. Sugar danced around it, “So the crystals are sugar so you don’t have to worry about it being edible and, since I know this is a werewolf ceremony,” Sugar produced two cartoonish looking wolves standing up like people, dressed in a suit and dress. He placed it at the top, “Viola!”

Stiles couldn’t help but laugh this time. He fell against Derek’s chest and tried to calm down. Derek’s arm wrapped around his chest supporting him. When Stiles looked up he saw Derek’s face, soft and watching Stiles with a small smile. Stiles felt the coals in his belly burn low and hot. He coughed a little and sat himself upright again. Sugar looked put out and was looking to Jason for comfort. Jason, however, was glaring at the two of them.

“If you aren’t going to be nice about the cakes,” Jason sighed, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Stiles waived his hands, “No, I’m sorry. It’s an inside joke.” He coughed a little, “It’s a beautiful cake, you guys. It’s just too artsy for Laura.”

Sugar seemed to bounce back from his embarrassment. He danced over to the third cake, simple in appearance. The five tiers were rounded and piled evenly on top of each other. They were solid white with small white globs of frosting patterned around each of them. There was black fondant ribbon circling each of the tiers with a solid red rose at the center of the bottom tier. The top was flat for the wedding topper. Stiles made a mental note that he was going to have to find a wedding topper for them.

“I think its perfect.” Derek mentioned, “Is there any way that you guys could put a matching rose on top?”

Jason and Sugar stared at him in shock before Sugar smiled, “I think so. You don’t want a wedding topper?”

“I think Laura would prefer flowers more.” Derek said, “But I like it a lot.”

Stiles smiled, “I think its a go, what flavors do you have?”

Sugar rushed to the back to grab the samples from the back while Jason listed the flavors, “Well, if Laura likes simple then we have chocolate and vanilla, of course.”

“She doesn’t like those flavors in cake.” Derek shrugged.

Jason frowned, “Okay, well we have a few interesting flavors too. Red velvet, date nut, pineapple cake.”

Sugar came out with two plates with six flavors. He sat them in front of the two while the two girls took the cakes into the back. Sugar pointed to the first, “Milk chocolate melted into a buttercream frosting with a touch of coffee and devil’s food chocolate.”

Stiles moaned around his fork and melted a little in his seat. Derek stared at him, eyes wide and just a little heated. Sugar laughed as stiles blushed and sat up straight again. Stiles coughed a little, “It’s really good. But if Laura doesn’t like chocolate it won’t be good for the wedding.”

Sugar nodded and pointed to the fluffy white cake, “This is lemon white cake with buttercream frosting and a hint of lavender.”

Derek hummed pleasantly, a light expression on his face. Stiles grinned as Derek took a second fork full, “This is delicious.”

Stiles laughed as the second fork missed Derek’s mouth a little and it smeared over the top of Derek’s lip. Stiles swiped his thumb across the stray frosting and licked his lip. Stiles smiled as he saw Derek’s eyes darken again. Stiles was sure this time around that Derek was turned on by something Stiles was doing. Stiles felt oddly powerful and super horny.

Jason coughed, “The next cake is red velvet with a buttercream frosting.” They both ate it quietly and Stiles shook his head. Jason smiled, “I think you’ll like the last one then. It’s pineapple and vanilla cake with buttercream frosting.”

They both took bites and Derek began to laugh, “It’s sweet. She’ll love it.”

Stiles smiled, “I guess she has a cake.”

Derek grinned, “I guess, you might want to text her.”

Stiles’s eyes went wide and he pulled his phone from his pocket. He had four missed pictures messages and two texts. Luckily the last text came in two minutes ago. Stiles opened them and flipped through the pictures of potential bridesmaid dresses. There was a girl with wild blonde hair in a fluffy black and red polka dot dress with a sweetheart, halter top collar, a large boy took up most of the bodice. The second dress was a sleek mermaid dress all in red. There was a simple black ribbon across the waist and the dress was strapless, cut straight across the chest. The woman wearing the dress was all curves a bust trying to escape the dress. Stiles laughed.

He then flipped to the last picture, a demure brunette with a soft smile waived in the picture. Her dress was to the knees, skirt flaring just a little. It was solid black with a red lace underneath the skirt. There was a lacy ribbon across the waist with a flower pinned on the left hand side. There was excess ribbon the fell from the flower, ending at the thigh. The neckline was a small sweetheart without straps and rested elegantly on her. Stiles smiled then read the text messages.

Which one do you like the best?

Okay if you’re ignoring my text to make out with my brother, I’m going to charge you.

Stiles laughed even more and texted quickly that he liked the third dress and that they had a cake and a flavor. He texted the flavor then realized he hadn’t grabbed a picture of the cake. He looked to Sugar, “Hey sorry, that’s the bride. She’d like a picture of the cake.”

Sugar smiled, “Yeah, follow me.”

He smiled at Derek and followed the guy into the back office. There were the two girls mixing a batch of cupcakes and the blonde from the front talking to them. They all smiled at him as Sugar led him to the cakes. Stiles snapped a quick picture and texted it to Laura. Laura texted once, excited by his choice for the dress and cake flavor.

“How long have you been dating that hunk?” Sugar smiled and fanned himself a little.

“How long have you been calling yourself Sugar?” Stiles grinned.

“Very funny.” He shrugged, “I’m going to be a famous baker some day.” If Sugar had designed the cakes they’d presented, Stiles had no doubt Sugar was going to be famous with his own WE television series too. Sugar leaned against the counter, “You really broke his heart, you know.”

Stiles frowned, “I broke his heart?”

Sugar nodded, “Bringing around a guy and hitting on him right in front of Jason? He nearly cried when we came back here.”

Stiles shook his head, “Not possible because he cheated on me.”

Sugar shrugged, “I don’t know the whole story and I probably never will, but I like him a lot. So please don’t steal him away.”

Stiles laughed loudly and just a tad hysterically. His heart felt suddenly lighter, happier and all he wanted to do was run into the other room and kiss Derek, “I have Derek. I promise he’s all yours.”

Sugar smiled, something soft and genuine, “You two look very good together, very happy.”

Stiles returned the grin and for the first time since he was 16 and found out he was gay, Stiles was genuinely happy for another gay couple. Call him bitchy, but Stiles had years of jealousy to fester and push on other people. He was going to do it with flair. But today, Stiles felt like a well adjusted adult and he hoped that Sugar and Jason would make it, “I wish you the best of luck.”

“You too.” Sugar held out his hand, “Plan my wedding someday?”

Stiles laughed, “Make my wedding cake someday.”

The two shared a laugh and stepped outside. Derek and Jason were not talking, in fact they were not even looking at each other. Stiles rolled his eyes and took Derek by the wrist. Sugar hugged Jason around his shoulders. Stiles smiled at both of them, they really were cute together, “Thank you very much, Jason. The cakes were brilliant. The reception is going to be at the Hale manor at six o’clock. I’ll have a table set up for you guys.”

Jason nodded, “Thanks, Stiles.”

Stiles nodded and led Derek out into the parking lot. Derek grunted then, “How could you date that guy?”

Stiles laughed, “He was the first guy who looked at me.”

Derek stopped, hand slipping into Stiles’s and lacing their fingers together. He pulled Stiles back towards himself. Stiles looked up, just a tad shocked. Derek sighed, “Stiles, I’m looking at you.”

Stiles snorted and smacked Derek in the shoulder, “That’s a really cheesy line, Derek.” Stiles finger’s slipped out of Derek’s hand and he retreated to his car. Inwardly, he wished that Derek had been serious, that he had just admitted, to Stiles’s face, that they could be something. But they weren’t and there was no way a guy like Derek would be interested in Stiles. Stiles’s life was not a romantic comedy and he was certainly not Bridget Jones.

Derek caught up to him, breaking him of his thoughts before he began to cry, “Where are you heading to now?”

Stiles looked up at Derek, “Home. To my lonely apartment and my lonely microwave dinner.”

“Let me take you to dinner.” Derek shrugged.

Stiles laughed, “Dude, we barely got through it the last time.”

“Well,” Derek rubbed the back of his head, “We managed the wedding pretty well, what more wedding things do you have to do?”

With the wedding less than a month away, he needed a whole lot. There was place settings, name cards, center pieces, lighting and spacing the venue. Stiles kind of wanted to panic, “Uh, a lot? But flowers first.”

Because flowers were easy and the flower shop that he usually visited, Boyd’s flower shop actually, would always be open for him. Derek nodded, “Let me take you.”

Stiles laughed, “Fine. I can’t really pick out flowers with some wedding party help anyways.”

Derek grinned and actually pushed Stiles over to his car, “Good. we’ll pick your car up later. Now tell me what else you need.”

The entire drive to Boyd’s flower shop was filled with Stiles explaining what he needed. Derek soothed his worry by explaining the place settings were already taken care of. Derek grinned, “We had my parent’s wedding plates in storage during the fire and Aaron’s parents have a similar set we’re going to use.”

Stiles sighed, “That’s good. I still need lighting and decorations and center pieces.”

Stiles had a vision for all of it, it was just a matter of getting everything. They were just a block away from Boyd’s place, Stiles could see the bright yellow roof in the distance. Derek glanced at Stiles, “Do you have an idea for the rehearsal dinner?”

Stiles shrugged, there was a few restaurants in the area but Stiles wasn’t sure which would be the best, “How many do you think will be there.”

“Not many, ten at most. Just the bridal party, the groomsmen, and the parents.” Derek parked the car, “and you.”

“I appreciate that but I’m not part of the rehearsal dinner.” Stiles laughed, “That’s for family.”

Derek gave Stiles a sad look, his eyebrows lowering and his eyes squinting, “You are family.”

Stiles laughed at him, “Thanks, man. That makes me feel better. Come on, let’s get her flowers.”

Stiles stepped out of the car and heaved a loud sigh to calm his beating heart. It was getting a little ridiculous. Stiles was actually starting to believe all the things Derek was spouting. And why did it feel so good when he said that Stiles was family?

“Hey Stiles,” Boyd grinned from the front desk. He was a large, stalky man with thick lips and a strong jaw. Stiles had had a crush on him for all of a day before he flexed his pecks and told him he was straight. Now they were pretty good friends, “Hope you’re not keeping my girlfriend for overtime.”

Stiles grinned, “No I’m here with the client’s brother.”

Boyd took a look at the door when Derek came in. The man looked around the area until he found Boyd and Stiles. His eyes fell on Stiles and did not leave even when he was in front of Boyd. The darker man winked at Stiles and held out his hand, “Hey, I’m Erica’s boyfriend.”

Derek took the hand with a small smile, “Derek Hale.”

Stiles looked around, “Got any good flowers?”

Boyd nodded, “Erica said you were on to a new wedding. What’s the color scheme?”

“Black, white and red.” Stiles looked at a few lilies, “I’m thinking roses, traditional and expansive.”

“It’s a werewolf wedding right?” Boyd wandered back to a section of fresh flowers, several of them still in buckets. There was a steel table with a shelving unit behind it. The shelves were filled with tissue paper, ribbons, and cloth. This was were Boyd worked his bouquet magic and Stiles was always a little awestruck when he was hear.

“Yeah,” Stiles played with the delicate edges of a lily, rubbing his fingers over the soft petals, “Derek’s sister, Alpha Hale is marrying Alpha of the Romero pack.”

Boyd nodded, “Then you need wolfsbane.”

Stiles frowned and turned to Derek. Derek, however, was awestruck as Boyd pulled a bunch of striking purple flowers from one of the racks of flowers. Stiles frowned, “Purple will clash.”

“You know our traditions?” Derek spoke softly.

Boyd turned to Derek, eyes glowing a liquid amber, “Yes, my mom taught me well.”

Stiles gasped, “You’re a werewolf?”

Boyd smiled sadly, “My mother was one. I came out on too. Don’t tell Erica. At least, not until I’m engaged to her.”

Stiles smiled goofily, “You like her that much.”

Boyd shrugged, “She’s my mate.”

He did not elaborate and Derek ushered passed Stiles to the flowers before Stiles could ask what that had meant. Why were werewolves constantly talking about mates?

Boyd set aside the groups of wolfsbane and pulled another stack out, these all white. He set them on the table and threw a smile to Stiles, “I just got an order of these. They’re experimental and more hypoallergenic for werewolves.”

Stiles laughed, “Hypoallergenic?”

Boyd nodded, “Werewolves are sensitive to wolfsbane but it brings us good luck. It’s traditional to put wolfsbane in a wedding bouquet.”

Boyd worked quickly, taking black silk and wrapping it around the stems. He paused and turned to a bucket where perfectly blooming roses were soaking. He gently placed the rose in the center, then finished wrapping the bouquet. He showed Stiles who gasped in awe, “It’s perfect. We can put little crystals around the bouquet.”

“Moon charms.” Derek interrupted, staring at the bouquet, “We put moon charms in them. I’ll pick them up at the storage unit.”

Stiles nodded, “And the bridesmaid bouquet?”

“I have some red peonies.” Boyd grabbed a few and reached for a few of the white lilies too. He wrapped them together with black silk and showed them to Stiles. Boyd pointed out a few more flowers, “We can spread a few of each in some vases on the tables. I think I can get some black vases at the farmer’s market this weekend.”

Stiles smiled, “You’re the best. I’ll send Erica over with the official order tomorrow. We’ve got three bridesmaids and the bride for sure.”

Boyd nodded, “Derek, just bring me the moon charms when you can.”

Derek nodded, “These are beautiful, Boyd.”

“It’s an honor to serve the Hale pack.” Boyd laid the flowers back down on the table and ushered the two men towards the store, “Now, if the store is closed for the night, I’m closing up shop and having dinner with my girlfriend.”

Stiles grinned, “Thanks, Boyd. Propose to her soon so I can start planning the wedding.”

They got into the car, Stiles smiled goofily at Derek but the werewolf was deep in thought, “He doesn’t have a pack.”

“Guess not. Boyd never mentioned it.”

“I’ll have to invite him into ours.” Derek shrugged, “Once Laura is part of the Romero Pack, I’ll need to develop my own.”

Stiles laughed, “Well, I don’t know how exclusive the pack are but I’ll join. You’ll need someone organized. And with Boyd comes Erica, so that’s three minions already.”

Derek smiled, “You wouldn’t be a minion.”

Stiles paused. He flushed from the soft expression on Derek’s face, the one that looked happy and open. Stiles laughed nervously, “No, I’d be a beta I guess.”

Derek was quiet for some time before he muttered, “Laura likes peonies.”

“They’re not my favorite but they smell nice. I figured she would like the red of them.”

“What’s your favorite then?”

Stiles paused, “Well, you can’t laugh or call me gay.”

“The fact that you have a favorite flower makes you gay.”

Stiles bobbed his shoulder, “Shut up. It’s Daisies.”

“Daisies?”

“Yeah they’re small and simple. People always smile around them. And best of all, there’s not a strong odor to them.” Stiles laughed to himself. He plucked idly at his shirt tails, “And they were my mom’s favorite flower. I bought her a bouquet a few days before she died,” Stiles paused again before he brokenly whispered out, “Cancer.”

“I’m sorry.” Derek muttered, “I’m sorry you had to suffer through that.”

Stiles smiled, “Thank you. I’m sorry you had to lose your family too.”

Chapter Five.

“Wow,” Stiles gasped as he stood in the center of the Hale Mansion. The front of the home had been completely restored, taken all the way back to its original look. The back of the house, however, had been completely gutted to take on the image of a grand ballroom. Aaron managed to salvage the original cherry wood walls and marble flooring. The entire back wall was archway windows that looked out to the forest behind the house. There was a pure white patio and fence work that opened up to the acre of grass.

“We fashioned the second floor to be apartments.” Aaron grinned as he watched Stiles circle the area. With only a week left before the wedding, Stiles was doing the last minute touches on everything. A friend from the neighboring town was delivering the tables and chairs. Erica and Boyd had already set up some of the candles and chandeliers in the area. It was coming together quickly and Stiles was very excited. Aaron grinned, “Derek will live there and eventually his mate will too. The full kitchen is still intact for him. I’m putting on some extensions for when the Hale pack grows. And the basement will be finished.”

“Have you shown anyone yet?” Stiles remembered the front entrance way, the grand staircase with the library on one end of a parlor room on the other. It was more remarkable than he could image.

Aaron smiled, “I’d like them to be surprised. I can use it as a wedding gift.”

“For Derek?” Stiles laughed.

Aaron snickered, “He would enjoy it more than Laura.”

“He would.” Stiles took in the smell of humidity and woods. It reminded him of Derek’s car, well, almost. The room needed a dash of leather too.

Aaron stepped up beside Stiles, “How have you and Derek been, by the way.”

They had been great actually. Derek followed Stiles to ‘Lights by Isaac’ where Stiles could rent some twinkle lights and low hanging chandeliers. He also trailed Stiles to JoAnne fabrics and helped pick out the drapery. And Stiles was falling in love.

Derek was charming and intelligent. He liked old, dusty books and the music his parents liked. And Stiles was falling hopelessly in love with all of it. He physically ached when they were apart which wasn’t nearly as bad as the itch he felt when they were in the room together. He was constantly hovering closer and closer to Derek, feeling like they were never close enough, never touching enough. He felt desperate to get out of his own skin and crawl into Derek’s. And how terrifying was that?

Aaron smiled, “You’re silence says everything.”

Stiles jolted and turned to the man, “We’ve been fine.”

Aaron laughed, “You know, the very first time I saw Laura, I felt like I was going to implode. There was just everything at once, the way she smelled, the way she walked.” Aaron visibly shuttered, “It was like every nerve ending went off at once. Then she opened her mouth,” He laughed and shoved at Stiles’s shoulder, “And I wanted to kill her.”

Stiles laughed, “That’s not a very good speech.”

Aaron threw his head back and laughed loudly. It echoed across the empty ballroom, “That’s why Seth is giving the best man speech.” He rubbed his head, “I’m just saying. I sometimes want to kill her, sometimes I want to bend her over a table. And I never want to let her go. That’s all the time.”

Stiles could admit he was a tad jealous. Aaron, for a man of little words and even less expressions, had nothing but pure love in his eyes. Stiles wanted that, wanted someone to look at him like that. He frowned at Aaron, “Why are you telling me this?”

Aaron shrugged, “I just don’t want you to give up.” They shared a meaningful look, one that made Stiles nervous. Had he’d been found out? Was he spewing his feelings for Derek all over the place and the pack could see it. Aaron laughed at Stiles’s panicked expression, “We’re all rooting for you.”

The Alpha Romero patted Stiles on the back and gave him an encouraging smile. Stiles was too stunned to much more than nod. Aaron made his way out of the house, throwing a comment over his shoulder as he left the ballroom, “We’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner. And wear something nice!”

Stiles smiled and heaved a large sigh. He had all of an hour before the tables would be delivered, Erica would be present with the drapery. Stiles sighed and looked out at the scenery behind him. In several days, Laura and Aaron would be married here, right on the front porch with the crowd sitting on the inside. They’d have the scenery of winter all around them, a white canopy above them and their original home back.

Stiles paced the length of the ballroom, imagining the thousands of candles they’d light when the sun set. The thick drapes to insulate the room and make it more intimate. They’d have low hanging chandeliers and every available wall or pillar would have soft, twinkling lights. They’d flip over to the dining room setting while the crowd had cocktails outside. Everything would be perfect.

***

The rehearsal dinner was actually in the Romero family mansion at the border of the Hale and Romero pack territories. The home was not as big as the Hale Mansion but, as Rob wanted to point out, this was their ‘guest mansion’. Which Stiles just laughed and moved on. He did a mock image of the procession, making sure that Laura knew she was walking down stairs, through the crowds and then out to the porch.

Stiles met the very small Hale pack, Uncle Peter and his boob-licious wife and their two very bratty boys. Uncle Peter gave Stiles a very sultry smile until Derek pulled him away. Stiles laughed and spent the rest of the dinner, brushing fingers with Derek.

Laura tapped her spoon against her whine glass and stood up. She held her glass high, “I want to thank everyone for joining us this evening. I know we’re small and not all of us are family yet,” Laura threw a look at Stiles and Derek. Stiles sunk back a little as the room seemed to follow her directions, “But we are here to enjoy ourselves and tomorrow we will celebrate a union.” The crowd cheered. She turned back to look at Stiles, “So tonight, enjoy, drink. And the ladies and I will be at the bars.”

The bridesmaid cheered and everyone raised their glasses. Stiles couldn’t help but laugh. He felt comfortable and free for the first time in a long time. And when he turned to Derek, he almost believed that he was going to kiss the man. He even leaned forward just a little, hoping that Derek would too. But Seth interrupted them, he wrapped his arm around Stiles’s shoulder and pulled him away, “So, while the chick-a-dees are going to see a bunch of men hump the air, we’re going to a real man’s club, are you in?”

Stiles laughed, “Not tonight. I have another place to go.”

Derek gave Stiles a sour face, “Another place?”

Stiles laughed, “Yeah, just something I promised I’d go to. But I’ll be at the house bright and early tomorrow.”

Derek pushed Seth off and took Stiles away from the crowds. He looked said and his finger gripped Stiles tightly, “I thought you were coming with us tonight.”

Stiles frowned, he’d told Derek, right? He probably hadn’t. He was probably too distracted by the sexiness of Derek to tell him he had to go to Allison’s bachelorette party. Stiles smiled and patted Derek on the forearm, “I’m sorry, buddy. Look, I promised someone I would go to this party. But I’ll be ready to go in the morning.” And I’ll think of you the entire time.

Derek looked like he was about to say something, his brow furrowed and his eyes bore into Stiles. However, a ding from Stiles’s phone alerted him to a text. He glanced at it, Allison wondering where he was, and tossed it back in his pocket. He turned back to Derek and gave him an encouraging smile. Instinctually he leaned in and plopped a chaste kiss on him. Their lips crushed together for just a moment but Stiles was too humiliated to even fathom the soft warmth of Derek’s lips.

Stiles pulled away, worming out of Derek’s thick arms, and running for the door, “I’ll text you later!”

***

He fell into Lydia’s lap and nearly cried. He’d tried not to panic the entire drive to the male strip club outside of Beacon Hills. He may have pulled over and hit his head against the steering wheel once or twice but that was beside the point. When he finally reached the club, he stretched across Lydia’s lap and wailed his sorrows, ignoring the half naked men on platforms.

She stroked his hair softly, “It couldn’t have been that bad, Stiles.”

“He was frozen.” Stiles flailed, narrowly avoid Lydia’s perfect nose, “He never said anything about dating and I just kissed him. And it wasn’t like hot and desperate it was like,” Stiles kissed the air in a mock of how he’d kissed Derek. Allison and her cousin, Kate, laughed from the couch next to Lydia and Stiles. Kate Argent was a feisty older woman with a mean tongue. Stiles didn’t know her aside from the wedding planning but she squeezed his butt and called it firm the last time they’d met. She couldn’t have been bad if she called Stiles ‘cute’. And yet, Stiles was just a tad weary of her.

Allison smiled, a dark blush on her cheeks, “Maybe he was just shocked.”

“Maybe you busted his lip.” Kate shrugged then flailed a twenty at a well built, brown eyed boy, “Hey sugar, come give my niece a dance. She likes puppies with pretty brown eyes.”

Allison blushed then shifted awkwardly when the man moved to straddle her lap. Lydia laughed at her misfortune and then turned to Stiles, “I’m sure he wanted you like no one’s business and is to shy to admit it.”

“You don’t know how hot he is Lyds!” Stiles sat up and grabbed her wrists, “He’s like the sun and I’m a worm.”

Lydia rolled her eyes and poked his nose, “And that’s why I thought you were gay. Man up. Who cares if he’s out of your league. However made up that chauvinistic rule was a dick anyways.”

Stiles laughed, “I’ll ask him out after the wedding.”

Kate rolled her eyes dramatically, “Enough of this love fest, let’s get some shots and some booty!”

Allison blushed deeper, her legs clamping together as if she was just a little turned on by the display, “I could use some drinks.”

Kate bought the first round and pretty much drank it on her own. Stiles maintained a breezy buzz and waxed poetic about Derek’s eyebrows. Lydia barely listened but that was alright. She would elbow him when he started to get annoying. Three rounds in and Stiles was up to get the drinks. Kate was falling all over a few of the dancers, flashing large bills to get them to hump Allison and Lydia. Stiles laughed at them from a distance, leaning up against the bar where he could take a look at the entire floor of desperate girls and a few flamboyant men waive bills at the dancers.

He could see the door open at one end of the room and in walked Laura Hale’s bridal party. Stiles stood up as her three bridesmaids shuffled in and squealed loudly. Laura was toting a rather reluctant Derek, gently rubbing his arm as they squeezed around the other patrons. Stiles felt his entire body become light, nearly weightless. He felt a deep pull towards Derek and he nearly walked over to them, except Kate beat him to it.

The girl bounced into Laura’s arms, squealing like a teenager and hugging her tightly. Laura gave her a strange look but hugged back, getting doused by Kate’s mix drink. Kate threw the rest of the drink at Laura and wrapped Derek in a tight hug, dragging him down a little so her feet could touch the ground. Stiles watched on in horror as she kissed his cheek and bit at the puffy part. Her hands moved from from his shoulders, down his back and took hold of his firm ass. It was like watching in slow motion where the noises morphed into something unrecognizable and Stiles was glued to his place.

Kate laughed and licked Derek’s jaw line, her thin hands squeezed Derek’s ass. And he leaned into it, his arms swinging up to wrap around her and his mouth moving towards hers. Stiles was sure he broke glass, dropped something as their lips crushed together.

Derek looked up then, his eyes finding Stiles immediately. Stiles looked to Laura who appeared said and uneasy. It hit Stiles like cold water. Derek had been playing him, they had all been playing him. They found his weakness, his loneliness and exploited it all the while, Derek was dating this other girl, this very perfect woman. And what was their gain? Did they think Stiles would slack unless he was otherwise invested? Which wasn’t wholly unreasonable to suspect. He’d only ever done weddings for friends, and even if he knew he’d do his best for ‘just a client’ he had no experience otherwise.

Before he could break out into tears, he ran for the door, a back door that went straight into the alleyway. He heard his name though he wasn’t sure who called it and he continued to ran. His phone vibrated in his pocket with phone call after phone call but Stiles ignored them all. He eventually found an ATM alcove and called Scott who promptly picked him up and took him to the hotel room where Scott’s groomsmen were celebrating.

Stiles curled up in the corner chair of the hotel room and watched a busty brunette give Scott a lap dance while Jackson and Danny threw dollar bills at her. Stiles coddled a bottle of passion fruit rum and mulled over the injustice of his life. Why hadn’t he’d been a best man at their wedding? Why was he only a wedding planner? Ignore the fact that it had been his suggestion in the first place and Scott had never actually had a best man, just other groomsmen. Stiles would still keep the engagement ring in his pocket, would still stand beside his best friend as the love of Scott’s life walked down the aisle. He just didn’t have to make an embarrassing speech, which was better for everyone.

So what was his problem? He was sitting here in the corner of a party he wasn’t actually invited too because Scott wanted to make sure the girls were safe. The man he was in love with, was really thinking about getting serious with, had used him for a fantastic wedding for his sister. After tomorrow, he’d be the last single and/or unmarried man of his graduating class. And why had this become his life?

Because life wasn’t some romantic fairytale and Stiles’s happy ending was plotted out for him like a Doris Day film.

He whipped the tears from his eyes and stepped into the bathroom to call Erica. She moaned when she answered the phones, “Stiles...”

“I...” He tried not to cry, “I need you to do the prepping tomorrow.”

Erica was alert in a second, “What happened? Stiles are you okay?”

Stiles sniffled, “I’m..uh...I’m fine. I just will be at Scott and Allison’s wedding first. Just handle the prepping for the ceremony and I’ll be there for the final touches. I gave you the concept sketches, right?”

“Stiles,” Erica sighed, “Did Derek do something?”

Stiles felt a sob escape and he covered it with his mouth, a small whimper escaping instead. He bit down on his lip hard, “It’s not important, Erica.”

“Stiles.”

“Just drop it.” He hissed.

Erica was quiet after that, there was some rustling of sheets and finally Boyd’s deep voice broke through the phone, “Wherever you are, get a hotel room, sleep this off and we’ll see you at four for the wedding reception.”

“I’ll be there at two.” Stiles murmured.

“Just be professional when you get here.” Boyd groaned and the line disconnected. Stiles sighed and decided that following orders wasn’t so bad. He took the room next door, Jackson’s room, and promptly passed out.

***

The next morning was chaos. It was, in fact, so busy that Stiles forgot all about Derek and his real girlfriend. He sobbed just a little in the shower and that was it. He had his best friend’s wedding to put together and a douche of a werewolf wasn’t going to break his concentration.

Stiles was up before anyone else, nursing a hangover with a McDonald’s McGriddle and a cup of black coffee. He’d arranged the ballroom for the wedding reception, making sure all the crystal and the tables were set up appropriately. The crews for the vendors knew what to do based on Stiles’s concept sketches and allowed Stiles to stand in the corner and bark orders. When it was time to wake everyone, Stiles made sure they at least looked sober.

With hardly any snafu, a crying flower girl was hardly something Stiles couldn’t handle, they were whisked away in separate cars to the church next door. Stiles made sure Allison looked perfect in her fluffy white dress and baby doll curls. He rushed over to the men and made sure that Scott’s plaid cravat was put on right.

Scott hugged Stiles tightly, “You’re the best friend ever.”

Stiles smiled and revealed in the feeling of being hugged, “We’re more like brothers.”

Scott ruffled his head, “Yeah we are. And as your brother, I’m going to tell you to not waste your time moping around. Because there’s plenty of other guys out there. And if you’re not looking for them, if you fell in love, then just tell me and I’ll be your cupid.”

Stiles fell into another hug, “Thanks anyways, Scott. Now go get married.”

Scott’s thousand watt smile nearly blinded Stiles. And leave it to the guy whose always happy to never have to suffer the pain of a hangover, or heartbreak. Stiles ushered Scott down the aisle way, then disappeared to give the word to Christopher Argent, Allison’s father. He ignored Kate who looked a little green in the face and purple around the forehead. Stiles secretly hoped she’d fallen on her face last night.

Stiles leaned into the two and whispered, “The music’s going to start, I’ll nod my head and that’s when you send the part down the aisle. Give the girls a chance to file in with the groomsmen and then we’ll start the music again.” He smiled at Allison, “Are you ready?”

She nodded, “Yes. Yes, I’m ready.”

Stiles nodded at made his way back to Scott. He nodded to the pianist who began the music. Danny was out first and met with Kate. He escorted her down the aisle and took his place behind Stiles. Jackson did the same, escorting his new wife to her place that would be next to Allison. There was a pause and Allison stepped into view.

Stiles had done the church up like a snow globe, white everywhere so that Allison’s ruby red lipstick and deep brown hair stood out amongst the white. Seeing her their in her white dress, surrounded by the white bells, silk, and snow, he knew he’d made the right decision. Scott gasped beside him, eyes wide and focused on Allison. Stiles caught sight of his face, filled with love and awe. He smiled and watched the procession.

Allison was graceful and she cried before Scott even took her hand. Their vows had the rest of the audience sobbing and Stiles had to wipe the corner of his eye when they finally kissed. They ran out of the church when it was over and the crowd threw fake snow as they hopped into the limousine. Stiles grinned as the car drove away, “Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would all accompany us back to the hotel, we will meet in the ball room.”

He pulled out his phone, ignoring the six missed calls and dialed Isaac. There was a lot of noise on the other end, “Hey man?”

“Hey, are you done with setting up?” Stiles jumped into the car with Danny and Jackson and followed the girls to where pictures were going to be taken.

Isaac laughed, “Yeah, man. Boyd’s over hear making sure the guests are seated and he said that Erica has got the Hale set up under control.”

“Thanks, Isaac.” Stiles sighed in relief.

“I’m gonna be heading over to the Hale Mansion, want to hitch a ride with me?”

“Yeah, for sure.”

Pictures were easy and fun. Stiles could forget all the stress that was waiting for him when they took the pictures. His phone didn’t feel as heavy in his pocket and his body wasn’t so clumsy. For once, Stiles felt like he could breath again. The reception was even better.

Isaac had set up a motion sensitive dance floor that lit up when people walked across it. There was bright lights hooked up and every table had one fluorescent color. Boyd’s colored daisies were around the lights and falling from the walls along with the crystal. It was a perfect, bright wedding. He was really proud. Allison took his hand and led him to the center of the room before the party started, “I’d like to thank my husband’s best friend, Stiles. He planned this whole wedding and it was perfect.”

She kissed his cheek and Scott hugged him. He took the mic from his wife, “So, Stiles would have been my best man but he didn’t want to make the speech.” The room giggled, “So I’m doing it for him.” He turned to Stiles and smiled, “Dude, you are my best friend and all I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy. You’ve made me happy, you’ve made my wife happy and I hope the same for you in the future.”

Stiles laughed and hugged two again, “Thank you guys.”

“Thank you.” Scott smiled and then turned the crowd, “Time for the party to begin.”

There was loud cheering and waiters brought out the dinner plates. Stiles led Scott to a more secluded area, “Scott, I...”

“You have another wedding to go to where you’re going to blow everyone’s mind.” They hugged quickly and Stiles ran to find Isaac.

He was already packing up some of the extra wires and passed off the list to one of his technicians. He smiled wide and large, his reddish curls bouncing as he turned to face Stiles. His electric blue eyes followed his frantic movements, “You’re not even going to have a plate a food? A drink?”

Stiles frowned, “I have to make sure everything is good at the Hales.”

Isaac smiled and led Stiles to his truck, “Whatever floats your boat.”

The wedding was still several hours away but a part of Stiles was nervous. He wasn’t sure how much trust Laura still had in him but he had to see this wedding through. When he came up to the house, red flowers in large iron pots decorated the front doorways. They were wide open, red drapery created insulation. There were fake candles in the all the windows and he could see Boyd hustling in more items from the bed of Erica’s SUV.

He followed Boyd into the house. He heard noise from the library and assumed it was the grooms party. There was giggles and a few girls running along that hallways above him. He passed the stairwell to where the ballroom was located. He gasped in shock when he saw the room.

Erica was positioning the last of the peonies along the wall, potted in black, iron-cast vases like Stiles had imagined. There were a few paper lanterns falling from the ceiling and it looked like more waiting to be arranged. Thick red curtains covered the windows and trays of candles were set up against the windows. The center set, which were actually doors that opened into the porch were still shut, rows of black wrapped chairs with red bows and ribbons tied to the back. Stiles walked through the aisle they created and pushed open one of the glass doors.

The white porch had been made into an archway and draped with light, white and black fabrics. Red roses were tucked into the edges and it created a canopy with the forest backdrop. Stiles looked out and noticed clouds rolling in. He hadn’t bothered to check the weather but it looked like it may snow. He rubbed his tuxedo clad arms and stepped back inside.

He was faced with a very angry Erica, “What happened?”

Stiles frowned, “It’s not important, Erica. And the place looks wonderful.”

Erica smacked him on the shoulder, “Not important? Derek has been moping all day and you were crying last night.”

Stiles smiled sadly, “I just want to forget about it.”

Erica stepped back, face full of shock and sadness. There was a moment where Stiles wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she swooped him up into a big hug. A second later she was on the other side of the room, barking orders to get Isaac started. Stiles let her at it and made his way into the kitchen. Mrs. Mochellio and her staff were doing the prepping and organizing. She gave him a big hug and sent him off with a glass of wine.

He went to visit Laura first. He knocked lightly on the master bedroom door and waited for one of the girls to open. Aaron’s sister was the one who opened the door. Chelsea looked very upset and pushed him back in the hallway, “She’s having a freakout. Why the hell did you run out last night? And why were you there in the first place.”

“My best friend’s wife had her bachelorette party last night and her wedding this morning. I wasn’t going to be here for set up but I was going to be here before the wedding.” Stiles frowned down at her, “Was Erica not a very good coordinator.”

Chelsea rolled her eyes, “She was fine but her bedside manner is lacking.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and pushed passed Chelsea, “I’ll fix it.”

He stepped into the room and found Laura surrounded by her bridesmaids and mother-in-law. Laura was balling into a tissue, her perfect dress and elegant veil spread out around her. He could see her hair, perfectly and braided up into a creative bun with a crystal rose pin in her hair. She looked up at him, her eyeliner running down her cheeks.

He smiled at her, hoping to express encouragement. He couldn’t deny, even with splotchy cheeks and red rimmed eyes, Laura looked beautiful. She froze, her brown eyes wide and her face tense with shock, “Stiles?”

He stepped towards her, “Hey, Laura.”

Suddenly he had an arm full of babbling bride. He wasn’t sure exactly what she was saying but it had to be something about nerves and Derek. He stroked her back, feeling the silk of the dress beneath his fingers. When her babbling stopped and the whimpering died down, he pulled her away and gently wiped away the makeup stains. He smiled at her, “You look beautiful.”

“I can’t do this.” She sighed. Her hands found his his jacket lapels and gripped it tightly, “I can’t get married.”

“Why?” Stiles managed to get rid of the marks down her cheeks. Chelsea was at his side with a cold wash cloth to sooth down the redness on Laura’s skin.

“I don’t have anyone to walk me down the aisle.” Laura shook her head, “My hairs all wrong and my make up is smearing. And where have you been?”

Stiles raised her chin, “One, you don’t need someone to walk you down the aisle. Two, you’re hair is perfect, just don’t touch it. And three, I had to go to my best friend’s wedding. I’m sorry I’m a little late.”

Laura smiled softly, “I thought it was because of Derek.”

Stiles stiffened, “That doesn’t matter. You’re getting married and we have to fix your make up.”

Laura nodded and allowed Stiles to guide her back to the vanity. She sat on the bench and looked up at him. The makeup artist appeared and fixed her up again. Laura followed him around the room, “I mean it, Stiles.”

Stiles took her hand, “Laura, it’s fine. Whatever happened last night is last night. You’re getting married and that’s what’s important.” Laura pouted and allowed the make up artist to finish her make up. Stiles made sure the rest of the girls were okay before turning back to Laura. She still looked a little sullen but at least it was the minor details and not wedding jitters. Stiles grinned at her in the mirror, “Are you happy to be getting married?”

Laura smiled, “I can’t wait.” There was a pause, a quiet tension in the air as Laura looked up at Stiles. She took his hand gently, “Walk me down the aisle?” Stiles tried not to look to shocked. She jumped up and turned to him, “Please, Stiles. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done. It would be such an honor if you walked me down the aisle.”

Stiles frowned, “Laura, family walks you down the aisle.”

Laura took her tanned hand and stroked his pale cheek, “You are family.”

Stiles wanted to cry, he felt the burn behind his eyes as they began to water. How had he come to this? He really felt like a part of their family and it hurt to think that he really wasn’t. But Laura’s smile, bright and full of hope, made him believe that they wanted him to be, even just a little.

He smiled at her, “Okay.”

She clapped her hands together and it was like the room relaxed. The bridesmaids started gushing over Laura again and Stiles snuck out of the room. He still had to make sure the groom was okay too. Maria Romero followed Stiles out with a bright smile. She carried with her a pearl colored envelope with a small red heart in the corner, “Stiles?”

“Yeah?” He tried to smile bright despite the fact that he was about to come face-to-face with Derek in just a few minutes. He wasn’t sure he was prepared for this moment and a part of him was considering nitpicking the ballroom before seeing them.

Maria smiled softly and placed the envelope in Stiles’s hands. She gestured for him to open it, “This is for you.”

He opened the envelope quickly, expecting a ‘thank you’ card. What he received was a wedding invitation. The cover was a crisp white with embossed roses and hearts in the corner with a black ribbon creating a boy around the top of the card. “You’re Invited” was scripted across the center in black lettering. When the card was opened, Stiles saw the time and date of the wedding with the location and instructions in a separate card. There was a little poem about love and marriage with a hand written message from Laura.

Stiles couldn’t even read the note. He was already tearing up. He turned to Maria who was looking at him with a soft expression. He gave her a very teary smile, “Thank you.”

“As far as this family is concerned,” Maria began, “You are pack, Romero or Hale. And that means you will come to all of our celebration. No excuses.”

Stiles smiled, “Thank You, Maria.”

She took Stiles’s arm and squeezed it tight, then retreated back to the bride. Stiles made his way downstairs again. Boyd was at the bottom of the stairs, lining up a pot of roses with the draped red and black silks down the staircase. Boyd had a table set up with an array of bouquets. Stiles smiled at him and took a look at the detail. The bridesmaid’s bouquets glittered while the bride’s shines with the perfect flowers and the moon charms. Boyd smiled, “The flowers are finished. Erica is setting up the rest of the lights with Isaac.”

“Are they preparing for the switch too?”

Boyd nodded as he corrected a rose, “Yeah, the catering will switch the tables around after we usher everyone outside.”

Stiles grinned, “Thanks Boyd.”

“When’s the wedding going to start?” Boyd checked his clock. Stiles glanced down at his watch. How had he spent an hour with Laura.

“We don’t have much time left. Guests will be here soon.” Stiles huffed, “I’m going to check on the groom.”

Boyd let him go and Stiles made his way to the front library. A few guests were already showing up and mingling in the doorway. They smiled at Stiles. One girl stepped forward, “Sir, is it alright for us to come in.”

Stiles smiled, “Hold on just a minute.” He retreated to the ballroom and spotted Isaac hanging the spotlights for the reception. Erica was setting up the rest of the chairs and spreading just a little bit of white rose petals on the ground. She turned to him with a big smile, he returned it quickly. The anxiety of a wedding began to flood him, it was a feeling he loved, “We’ve got guests, can they come in.”

Erica nodded and continued to spread flowers around the aisle. Stiles welcomed the guests into the ballroom and guided them to their seats. There were audible gasps as the guests looked around the room. Stiles smiled proudly and made his way back to the library. He knocked lightly and the door swung open, Seth was on the other side.

He smiled brightly and whipped Stiles up in a big hug, “Well, well, well, our planner is here.” Stiles groaned from the force and waited for Seth to put him down. He spotted Rob and Aaron but not Derek, which was good at least. Seth patted him on the shoulder with a bright smile, “Where were you, man?”

“I had another wedding to take care of.” Stiles smiled, “But everything is ready in the ballroom and guests are arriving. Are you guys ready?”

Seth twirled around, showing his finished suit. He looked lean and handsome, “I’m more than ready, can’t say the same for some of our other groomsmen.”

Stiles stepped into the room. Rob’s tie was a little crooked but Aaron was correcting it. Aaron’s vest wasn’t buttoned correctly which Stiles started to approach him when Rob took over. Stiles felt incredibly useless and was ready to leave when Derek was suddenly in his face. The man had wild, desperate looking eyes and his suit was a mess of misplaced buttons. He grabbed onto Stiles’s arms and pulled him close, “Stiles, I need to talk to you.”

Stiles gulped, tried to sooth the anxiety in him. Derek looked amazing and incredibly sad. Maybe Derek had played both him and Kate and she dumped him the night before. But no, he looked more like he hadn’t slept all night worrying rather than spent it crying. Stiles steeled himself and took hold of Derek’s jacket, “No, you need to fix yourself. You look a mess.”

“Stiles, you don’t understand, Kate-” Derek began his voice deep and blank, as if nothing affected him. But his eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were trying to find Stiles’s gaze. Stiles refused to give in, setting his focus on Derek’s buttons.

“Is not important.” He corrected the jacket and then straightened Derek’s tie. His fingers brushed along Derek’s neck, feeling the warmth against his skin. Derek shuddered under the touch and leaned just a little closer to Stiles.

Derek whimpered just a little, “Stiles.”

“Nothing to talk about.” Stiles brushed Derek’s shoulders. He heard the band start to play and he wondered when they had arrived. The ballroom was growing in noise which meant that the guests were nearly all there and they needed to start soon.

Derek grabbed Stiles’s hand, “There’s a lot we need to talk about.”

Stiles heaved a sigh, “The only thing we should talk about is if you’re excited for the wedding. Laura looks beautiful and you look very handsome. We should also talk about how you need to get yourself out there to great the rest of the guests and I need to make sure my bride is ready.”

With that Stiles left the room. Aaron, Rob and Seth were already at the front, escorting guests to the ballroom. Erica came up behind Stiles and tapped his shoulder, a sign that they needed to take their places to start the ceremony. Derek flanked Stiles’s left, squirming around the incoming guests, “Stiles, I can explain everything.”

Stiles turned a hard amber glare on Derek, “Not now. And it doesn’t even matter. You don’t owe me an explanation.”

With that, Stiles pushed the four men to the ball room. Erica took their place and directed the guests to the ballroom. Aaron proceeded down the aisle and approached the arc just outside of the ballroom. Stiles caught a glimpse of the scenery. He watched as a little bit of snow begin to fall, quieting the outside and creating a snow globe effect behind Aaron. Matt was in the corner, snapping pictures, another thing that Stiles had allowed to go unnoticed. He was fortunate to have Erica on top of things today.

Matt smiled and snapped of picture of Stiles in the doorway. Matt waived to him then snapped a few pictures of the guests. Stiles frowned and turned around, only to come face-to-face with Derek’s very strong chest. Derek looked at him, strong gaze finally finding Stiles’s eyes, “Stiles, I’m serious.”

Stiles brushed passed him and whispered harshly, “You have to go line up. I’m going to get your sister.”

Derek sighed, “Kate and I aren’t dating.”

“You mean not anymore, right?” Stiles hissed at Derek. He then ran to the room to gather up the bridesmaids and Laura. They were already waiting, bouquets in hand. Laura smiled at him and he escorted the group down to the bottom level. The bridesmaids went first, meeting with the groomsmen and escorted to the altar. The men lined around one set of windows and the bridesmaids on the other. Matt snapped a quick picture then turned to Stiles and Laura.

Laura’s arm was link in Stiles’s as they slowly walked down the aisle. Stiles caught a glimpse of the groom, smiling like Laura was perfect. That was his favorite part, that moment when the groom saw the bride. Aaron’s face was bright and happy, eyes glowing with love. Stiles smiled and squeezed Laura’s hand tightly. He turned to look at her and saw the same pure love. Her eyes were tearing up as she got closer to Aaron. This was it, exactly what true love looked like.

Stiles chanced a glance up for no reason than an unknown compulsion to do so. His eyes fell on Derek was was looking at Stiles. His face was slack with shock and something so very bright. He was staring at Stiles like he was truly in love.

Stiles found himself at the front of the alter, handing Aaron over Laura. Confused and overwhelmed, Stiles exited to the right, instead of the left, passing by the groomsmen. He could hear a little bit of murmur until the minister began to speak. He walked briskly to the back of the ballroom, trying his best to breath. When he was just about to escape into the hallway, Derek appeared behind him, taking his hand and pulling him back, “Stiles. Please listen to me.”

Stiles turned on Derek and whispered, trying to control the desperation in his voice, “Listen, we’re not dating. You’re not obligated to explain to me what happened with Kate at the club. I shouldn’t be affected by this at all. You’re completely above me anyways.”

Derek frowned, “Why are you so harsh on yourself?”

“Hello?!” Stiles hissed but the last row of guests shushed him. Stiles pulled Derek into the hallway, not realizing that Matt had switched to video camera to record the actual ceremony. Matt had first focused on the bride and groom at the front of the ballroom but the top of Stiles’s head had passed by the camera, taking Matt’s attention with it. He focused his camera on Stiles and Derek who were just outside of the ballroom, “Only guy who wanted a relationship out of me, dumped me because I was starting to look too old. How do you think that feels.”

Derek frowned and placed a hand on Stiles’s pale check. He stroked his thumb around across Stiles’s cheek bone and stepped closer, “I like you. Kate is an ex girlfriend from years ago.” Stiles tried to open his mouth but Derek stopped him, “I broke up with her over a year ago but she keeps trying get together with me. She’s crazy.”

“Or she knows how amazing you are and she doesn’t want to let you go.” Stiles muttered, “Or you keep leading her on and she can’t get over you.”

Derek heaved a great sigh, “I pushed her away. She’s strong when she’s drunk, it took some time to throw her off. By then, you’d disappeared.”

Stiles tried to rally the anger he’d felt yesterday. It was hard to be upset when Derek’s wide hazel gaze was boring into him. He bit his lip and stood up straighter, “Why should I care? And better yet, why should you care? We’re not a couple, you don’t have to explain things to me.”

Derek looked deep in thought, like he was trying to find the words to explain everything to Stiles. For a moment, Stiles was sure he’d pushed too far. He’d asked too much of Derek and what could have possibly been the best thing ever was about to walk away from him. Derek growled low in his throat and took hold of Stiles. His large hands moved to rest on Stiles’s shoulder and pulled him closer, Derek leaned forward to breath hot air across Stiles’s lips. Stiles licked them, watching Derek’s eyes follow the tongue and darken with lust. He growled low again and whispered, “Because we’re mates.”

Before Stiles had the chance to understand what Derek had said, he pulled him close, his lips clashing against Stiles’s lips. They fit perfectly against each other, melding together in a perfect embrace. Stiles felt his entire body light on fire and relax into Derek’s grasp. He moaned, just a little, and pulled the werewolf closer. He could hear bells and applause in the distance but he ignored them. He opened his mouth to Derek’s invading tongue and whimpered from the sensation.

They finally pulled away to gasp for air. When Stiles’s mind cleared a little, he noticed the guests as well as the couple had filed outside. The curtains were drawn and people were moving around the ballroom floor, setting up tables for the reception.

Stiles laughed to himself and leaned his head against Derek’s, “Mates?”

Derek pulled Stiles close, a content rumble in his chest, “Yes.”

“I never thought my life would be like Bridget Jones.” Stiles laughed. It was light and happy, much like the way he felt for once. His heart fluttered deep in his chest and the feeling made him want to never stop being near Derek. He felt right, exactly where he needed to be all his life.

That must have been what being mates felt like.

Derek frowned into Stiles mussed hair, “If you wear your underwear in public, I’ll kill you.”

Stiles laughed and pulled Derek in for another kiss.

Epilogue

The bed was soft and comfortable, large but full of body heat. Derek sat up, supported by the array of plush pillows. His nakedness was covered by the thick blew comforter. He looked around the simple bedroom filled with books, movies, and various knickknacks. There was a television in the corner currently playing the menu screen for ‘Fright Night’.

The red light from the DVD created a soft haze across the bed, the lights and shadows hitting the body next to Derek. He leaned back just a little against the wood headboard and watched Stiles sleep. His hair was a crazy mess across the pillow that he was currently curled up on. Derek itched to run his fingers through the hair but he knew that would wake the man up. Waking up Stiles would only be bad for a little while, eventually they would tumble into another round of incredible sex.

But after the last, toe curling orgasm, Stiles looked like he needed a little break. Stiles’s palm, lean arm was stretched across Derek’s hip, fingers curling into his hipbone. Derek could feel Stiles’s pale, bare leg, entwine with his underneath the blankets. Derek could honestly say that nothing was better than this moment right here.

He rested his hand against Stiles’s face, his fingers curling around the pillow. Stiles inhaled deeply, smelling Derek’s skin which had been washed in Stiles’s body wash after the second round. Stiles’s face relaxed into a peaceful expression when he caught Derek’s scent. Derek smiled to himself and scooted further down in the bed.

A part of him had wished he’d listened to Laura sooner, had admitted that Stiles was his mate and that he was hopelessly in love. But he’d been stubborn and still reeling from another episode with Kate. Maybe if he hadn’t been so foolish, they’d would have been here much sooner.

The annoying ring of his cell phone on the night stand interrupted Derek’s thoughts. He glanced over at the time first, six in the morning, then at the caller ID, Laura. He groaned and shifted to answer, “Laura.”

There was an array of squawking and shouts from the other end which woke Stiles. He groaned and slowly stretched out all of his limbs. Derek was momentarily distracted with the way Stiles arched his back and pushed his ass high into the air. Then Stiles flipped over on his back and thrusted his half hard dick in the air too. Derek was seconds away from hanging up the phone and throwing it across the room so that he could tackle Stiles in piece but Laura sounded livid already, being hung-up on for sex would only make her violent.

Stiles sat up and leaned against Derek’s shoulder, resting his head in the crook of Derek’s neck. His kissed the skin lovingly then muffled a laugh when he heard Laura on the phone, “What did you do?”

Derek frowned, “I don’t know.”

Laura’s voice, clear as if she was standing next to him, rang over the line, low and threatening, “Your stupid ‘first kiss’ ruined my wedding tape.”

Stiles laughed, “What?”

Laura groaned, “That stupid camera man, Matt, filmed your entire love confession to each other and ignored my entire ceremony! I can’t send this to the family? No one wants to see you two kiss! They wanted to see me kiss.”

Stiles fell back and laughed, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. Stiles watched as the blankets fell away from his pale belly and thin hips. Derek caught a flash of Stiles’s thin trail of hair and suddenly, an enraged Laura was not longer a concern.

He hung up quickly, placed the phone on silent and chucked it across the room. He threw the rest of the blanket aside, revealing Stiles’s flushed skin and swelling erection. Derek licked his lips and rubbed his large hands up Stiles’s thigh. Stiles’s laughs turned into breathy moans and his hips began to move, seeking Derek’s attentions.

He smiled, taking a moment to appreciate everything that Stiles was. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Stiles’s own. His mate groaned with pleasure and pulled Derek closer.