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Stiles trudges through the preserve, only half his mind focused on the path in front of him. The other half is on the green in the park where half the town should be gathered by now to watch the fireworks. His initial plans for the night had been to be there, too, but Derek had asked him if they could watch the fireworks from his treehouse instead. Stiles had been a little bummed, because the view wouldn’t be as good from there as would be in the park, but that disappointment quickly vanished when Stiles realized that Derek had actually said yes to going on a date with him.
So now he’s on his way to Derek’s treehouse. He’s been up there at least a hundred times before— sometimes it was just him and Derek, though mostly it was him, Derek and Scott—but this time feels different. This time is different. There’s a different context, a different intention. A different everything. And Stiles hope that by the end of the night, things between him and Derek will be a little different, too.
When he reaches the tree and Stiles tries to shake his nervous jitters out of his body and dries his palms on his shorts as best he can. It’s a bad idea to climb up a tree with shaky legs and sweaty hands.
Derek is waiting for him at the top. The smile on his face looks a little wobbly, like he’s just as nervous as Stiles. He helps Stiles up the last couple steps, then they stand there holding hands. It’s getting late and the light in the treehouse is muted, but Stiles can still clearly see the bright greens and golds in Derek’s eyes. The greys and blues have all mixed together into a dark blue, creating galaxies in Derek’s eyes.
‘Hey,’ Stiles says. His heart is racing, and the hand Derek is holding feels like it’s burning.
‘Hey, Stiles,’ Derek greets back softly, eyes flicking to Stiles’ chest for a moment, like he can hear Stiles’ heart trying to beat out of his chest.
Suddenly, Derek lets go of Stiles’ hands and steps back.
‘So… I have to tell you something,’ Derek says. He’s looking anywhere but at Stiles now. ‘It’s kind of big and you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even Scott.’
‘Okay,’ Stiles says slowly, confused, but sincerely.
‘Thank you.’ Derek breathes out slowly. ‘First, you need to know that I would never hurt you. None of us would.’
Stiles squints his eyes and raises his eyebrows.
‘Are you about to tell me that you’re family’s part of the mob? And that Peter is your mom’s enforcer? Are you an alien, come to observe us earthlings?’ He widens his eyes with excitement. ‘Or a vampire? Are we going to re-enact that scene from Twilight? I’ll start.’ He clears his throat and puts on his most serious face. ‘I know what you are.’
Derek rolls his eyes and huffs, then he looks serious again.
‘No, not vampires. Werewolves.’
Stiles blinks. Derek has to be messing with him. He doesn’t look like he is though, and after all these years Stiles has gotten pretty good at reading the guy. Derek looks serious and scared. And then there’s that big folder underneath Stiles’ bed, filled with accounts of the strange phenomena in and around Beacon Hills.
‘You don’t look surprised,’ Derek says, confused.
‘Surprising, isn’t it?’ Stiles says. He steps closer to Derek, who still looks like expects Stiles to bolt at any second. ‘Dude, you live in this town, too. You know how weird it is. It’s like Sunnydale, but without all the death.’
‘And no vampires,’ Derek adds.
‘Vampires aren’t real?’ Stiles asks. He can’t help but feel a little disappointed.
‘They are, just not in Beacon Hills. They prefer big cities, places where an unexplained death or two won’t make much difference.’
‘Are you sure? Because Harris kind of sucks. A lot.’
Derek laughs and he pulls Stiles forward, into his arms. He drops his head in Stiles’ neck and inhales deeply.
‘Thank you for not freaking out,’ Derek mumbles.
Stiles shivers at the feeling of Derek’s warm breath ghosting across the sensitive skin. He hugs Derek back tightly.
‘You’re in no way scary enough to freak me out,’ Stiles assures him.
He thinks he feels Derek smiling and pulls back to see it, because Derek’s smile is a thing of beauty. What he sees makes him squeal and startle back. Derek’s eyes have gone a bright yellow. Derek is grinning, showing sharp fangs. Sideburns sprout up at the hinge of his jaw.
‘Did your eyebrows just magically migrate to your cheeks?’ Stiles laughs. He traces the smooth skin above Derek’s eyes with his fingers, then rubs the short hairs on his cheeks. Derek’s grin becomes a soft smile and slowly his features morph back to human. It’s both fascinating and creepy to watch.
‘The fireworks are starting,’ Derek interrupts Stiles’ marvelling at the night’s revelations.
‘Is the big werewolf reveal why we’re not at the park?’ Stiles asks as he lets himself be pulled to the floor in front of one of the tiny windows.
‘The sound hurts my ears,’ Derek admits with a shrug.
‘So the whole enhanced sense thing is true?’ Stiles realizes that Derek had indeed heard his rapid heartbeat earlier. ‘What about—‘
‘You can ask me whatever you want after the fireworks, okay?’
‘You are so going to regret saying “whatever you want”, later,’ Stiles smirks.
Derek grabs Stiles’ hand and shuffles closer until their shoulders are touching.
‘No, I won’t.’