Work Text:
“Dude, Scott, no offense, but a hot air balloon ride plus an entire display of Godiva chocolates plus your grandma’s diamond necklace is kind of overkill,” Stiles interrupted, clapping a hand down on Scott’s shoulder. “I know it’s your third Valentine’s Day with Allison, but how do you ever expect to top that next year or the gazillion years you plan to spend with her after that?”
Scott paused. “Oh. I mean, I could take her to Paris next year? She’s always wanted to go-“
Derek rolled his eyes, totally not eavesdropping from the kitchen. Werewolf hearing - it’s not like he wanted to hear about Scott’s pathetic love life.
“No, bro,” he heard Stiles groan. “Okay let me try again - you’re going to freak Allison out with that many grand overtures. She’s going to think you’re proposing or something.”
He could practically hear Scott blanch. “Uh, oh god, no, I just. It’s just that I got her a card and some Crunch bars last year, and then Lydia came and yelled at me for an hour and I felt like the worst boyfriend ever,” he sighed.
“Pff, like Jackson’s the gold standard,” Stiles scoffed. “You’ve just gotta give her something that means something to you. Like, hm, if I really cared about someone, I’d give them a bouquet of Welsh Gold roses since they were my mom’s favorite. Uh, y’know, if I had somebody.”
“Oh. That’s really nice,” Scott said softly.
“Yeah, they’re just these fluffy amber-colored roses my dad used to get my mom every year,” Stiles said, a little wistfully. Derek resisted the urge to put down the plate he was drying and peek in the living room to see his face. “Anyway, maybe you should just pick one of the three things to give her.”
“Umm…I kind of already bought all of it,” Scott said sheepishly. “There was a Groupon!”
Stiles sighed loudly, before his heart rate suddenly jumped. “If you give her the necklace or the chocolate, can we have Bro Hot Air Balloon Time?” he asked excitedly.
Derek stuffed the last dry plate in the cupboard and groaned. The last time the two of them stayed after the pack meeting, they didn’t end up leaving until after midnight. If Derek was honest with himself, it wasn’t that he didn’t want his pack members around - it felt more like home with the buzzing of voices and heartbeats of his betas. But the longer Stiles stayed, the longer his scent lingered afterwards in the apartment, the harder it was to get his bright laughter out of his head enough to fall asleep.
True to form, Derek found himself stuck listening to Scott and Stiles discuss the logistics of smuggling an entire chocolate display into a hot air balloon basket for the next hour. He crossed the living room to his bedroom hoping they’d get the idea, but Stiles merely grinned and mouthed ‘floating chocolate bar’ at him before turning back to Scott.
Derek ducked into his room and thought about how much he cared for the ridiculous human in his apartment. The group had just started their second semester of college, and while the rest of his betas had all paired off or found romantic partners amongst their new peers, Stiles still seemed to be holding out for someone. Someone that he felt was important enough to give his mom’s favorite flowers to, apparently. Derek tamped down the usual flare of fear and hurt that accompanied the thought - he knew it was just a matter of time before Stiles came back smelling like contentment and unfamiliar human.
He’d just finished brushing his teeth and putting on pajamas when there was a knock on his door. “Scott and I are headed out, Derek! Goodnight!”
Derek went to let them out, waving goodbye and cracking a smile when Stiles danced backwards down the hall facing him. When they disappeared down the stairwell, Derek locked the door, grabbed the cushion Stiles had leaned on, and hugged it to himself as he climbed into bed.
**
The pack went back to campus for the school week, and Derek spent the next few days in his apartment e-mailing neighboring pack leaders, eating takeout and working it all off. By the time Thursday rolled around, he’d completely forgotten about Valentine’s day.
When he came home from a run, Stiles’ scent hit him all the way up the stairwell and down his hall. He sprinted to his apartment expecting to see a tall, fidgety figure waiting for him, but all there was was a vase of flowers at the foot of his door.
He leaned down. There were a dozen blooms, roses with ruffled amber petals in the center that fanned outwards into a light gold. Derek’s own heartbeat thundered in his ears as he lifted the vase with shaking hands, looking for a card. He found one taped to the bottom.
I just wanted you to know. -S
His heart seized a little in his chest, and Derek picked the vase up gingerly and cradled it as he unlocked his door. He set the roses on the counter and stared at them, trying to believe what it meant, pulling out his cell phone and putting it back, until he finally made up his mind, jumped in the shower, and ran out the door with his keys.
**
Stiles answered the door on the third knock. “Hey, Derek! What are you doing on campus?”
Derek took in Stiles’ easy stance, his lean frame suggesting nothing uncertain or embarrassed. “I just- I got what you left me,” he swallowed thickly.
“Oh, awesome! Did you like it?” Stiles asked, smiling widely.
Despite the sweating and nerves, Derek couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah. Yeah, I really did. Did you mean what you said?”
Stiles’ face softened. “Of course, man. You’re important to me.”
It felt like a dam had broken inside Derek, years of hiding his feelings splintering under the weight of Stiles’ warm stare. He could practically sob with relief.
“I didn’t- I didn’t know, Stiles. I had no idea,” he breathed, stepping closer. “I just want you to know too, how much I care about you, you’re so exasperating but I’ve been in love with that- I’ve been in love with you for over a year, maybe even longer-“
“Derek-” Stiles interjected with wide eyes.
“Can I kiss you? God, Stiles, you don’t know how much I’ve wanted to-“
“Oh my god, yes, just- come here,” Stiles demanded frantically, wrapping a hand behind Derek’s head and pressing their lips together. Derek sighed into his mouth with relief, drawing him closer when Stiles arched into him. Derek let himself revel in the feel of Stiles in his arms, until Stiles finally pulled back for air. “Wow, I’m really hoping nobody else responds to my valentines like this,” he whispered against Derek’s lips.
Derek chuckled dazedly, before the words registered in his head. “What?”
“I mean, had I known you had such a thing for Batman valentines, I’d have totally dressed up as the Dark Knight for you already.”
Derek drew back and looked Stiles squarely in the eye. “You brought me roses. Welsh gold roses, like your dad got for your mom. That you’d get for the person you really cared about.”
Stiles furrowed his brow, still smiling loosely. “Oh, you heard that? Wait, someone else bought you flowers?”
Derek let go of Stiles and stepped back, the bottom of his stomach dropping out. “Stiles, I…I’m sorry, I thought you had- forget I said anything, I’m gonna go.”
He spun around and started marching away, when Stiles’ shot an arm out and pulled him back. He threw his arms around Derek and buried his face in his neck. “Don’t go, Derek, you can’t, not when I finally have you,” he murmured into his skin. “I’ll buy you roses, I’ll buy you all the roses, okay? Just, please stay. I need you to stay.”
Derek stood stock-still. “You don’t really have feelings for me though.”
Stiles lifted his head and glared at him. “Okay, I’m declaring right now that only one of us can be an idiot at any given time. I thought you didn’t care about me like that, and apparently you thought I haven’t been in love with you since high school, and now we know better. Deal?”
Derek blinked at him, trying to process it all. “Deal.”
Stiles grinned. “Okay, now that that’s settled, I’m gonna go back to the kissing thing. The kissing thing is totally better.”
**
When Derek finally went home, hours later, he found the valentine sticking out of the door frame.
Holy Valentine, Batman!
Derek snorted and turned it over.
Derek, Happy Valentine’s Day! You’re my favorite alpha. ;) -Stiles
(If he went and checked the back of the card on the flowers, and then dropped them off in front of his neighbor’s, well, nobody needed to know.)