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Derek looks around the people sitting around the campfire. Campers, cooks, counselors, junior-counselors like him, they’re all there. Except for one. Derek looks again, searching for messy brown hair and the smile that makes his heart race. Stiles is definitely not here.
‘You want to sit here?’ Liam, one of Derek’s Wolves, asks.
‘Thanks, but I’m looking for Stiles.’
Liam raises his eyebrows and Derek gives him a stern look. Derek and Stiles have been working hard this summer to make the competition between the Wolf and the Fox cabins a little more friendly.
‘I haven’t seen him,’ Liam shrugs, then turns back to his friend Mason.
Derek ruffles Liam’s hair just to annoy him, then turns away from the campfire to go find Stiles. He has a pretty good idea where the other boy might be.
When Derek sets foot on the dock, the old wood groaning a little under his weight, Stiles turns from where he’s sitting at the end. The dock isn’t visible from where the campfire is, but out of habit, Derek still turns to check if anyone can see them.
‘Hey,’ Derek says, sitting down next to Stiles. His takes of his shoes and socks off, and lets his legs dangle over the edge, his toes caressing the water.
‘Hey,’ Stiles says.
Derek reaches out his hand to place it on top of Stiles’. Stiles shifts his hand so their fingers slot together.
After the last couple weeks, it’s hard for Derek to imagine that Stiles was never really on his radar before. They’ve lived in the same town their whole lives, went to the same schools, the same summer camp, but it took becoming junior-counselors of rival cabins for them to find each other.
‘What are you thinking about?’ Derek asks.
There’s two things Stiles comes to this dock for: thinking and meeting up with Derek. This is the place they had their first kiss after all. Strangely enough, it was right after Derek caught Stiles trying to dump the Wolves’ shoes in the lake, with floats attached so the Wolves would know exactly where they could find their missing footwear.
‘I was thinking about after,’ Stiles says, not looking at Derek. ‘What’s going to happen, Derek?’
Derek stares out over the lake. It’s a fair question. Derek is only out to his immediate family, and Stiles has implied that he’s attracted to other genders than just girls to his dad, but hasn’t really told him.
‘I don’t know,’ Derek admits. He grabs onto Stiles’ hand a little tighter. ‘I know I don’t want to lose this, though.’
Stiles sighs, and when Derek looks at him there’s a small smile around Stiles’ mouth.
‘Me neither.’
Derek pulls on Stiles’ hand until Stiles shuffles closer. When their sides are pressed together, Derek slings an arm Stiles’ shoulder to pull him even closer.
‘We can keep it just between us if you want to.’
‘Even from your family? You’re a terrible liar.’
‘They’ll understand if I say that the person I’m dating wants to keep it quiet. We’ll tell people when you are ready,’ Derek assures him.
‘You’re kind of perfect, you know that?’ Stiles looks up at Derek. In the moonlight his eyes are a deep amber colour.
Derek presses a firm kiss against Stiles’ lips, then grins.
‘I know. You keep telling me.’
Stiles huffs and drops his head on Derek’s shoulder. They stay like that for a while, staring out over the lake, cuddled together, out in the open but with no one watching them.
‘Derek,’ Stiles starts after a while. ‘Do you want to be my boyfriend?’
Derek’s heart immediately feels like it’s bursting. Blood rushes to his face, heating up his cheeks, and his lips stretch into a wide grin. He’d been too scared to ask the question himself, knowing that it would mean them being together after camp was over and they went back to their families, after summer was over and they went back to school. He’d been too scared that wasn’t something Stiles wanted. He’s glad Stiles is braver than him.
‘Yes,’ Derek finally manages to say.
This time, it’s Stiles who leans in first for a kiss.
‘Come on. We should at least make an appearance at the fire,’ Stiles says, sliding out of Derek’s embrace and standing up.
Derek wants to stay here a little longer, but he knows Stiles is right. It’s their last night here. They should say goodbye to everyone.
They pull on their socks and shoes, then make their way to the other campers. Their hands stay clasped together until just before they step into the clearing.
~
Derek looks around. It feels strange for this place to be so quiet. All the campers are gone. Most of the junior-counselors and some of the counselors have left already, too. He and Stiles are waiting at the pick-up area, sitting by their bags, not touching, but close enough that Derek can feel the heat of Stiles’ body. They’re not talking—though Stiles is humming one of the songs from last night under his breath—but Derek doesn’t feel awkward about it. He feels content. He wants this moment to last forever, but the sound of gravel crunching beneath and the sight of Stiles’ blue Jeep, being driven by Stiles’ dad, put an end to that fantasy.
Stiles’ dad stops the car right in front of them. It’s a little weird to see the Sheriff out of uniform. He doesn’t look as intimidating, he just looks like a dad.
‘Hey, dad,’ Stiles greets him, jumping up. He grabs Derek’s arm and pulls him up next to him. He gives Derek a look that Derek doesn’t know how to interpret, then says, ‘This is Derek. My boyfriend.’
Derek feels both terrified and ecstatic at those words. Stiles’ dad blinks in surprise, then he extends his hand to Derek. Derek grips it as firm as he can in his nerves.
‘It’s nice to meet you, Derek.’