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“Wait, not yet.”
Stiles huffed and kept his hands over his eyes, grumbling as Derek kept guiding him through the house, his back pressed snugly up against Derek’s chest.
“Did you make, hmm, pizza? Like the best pizza in the world?” Stiles asked, stumbling over a piece of carpet. Stiles cursed, but Derek was there to keep him upright.
“Nope,” Derek said.
“Well what is it, babe?” Stiles huffed. He felt like they’d been walking through the house forever, although it had only been about 30 seconds since Stiles came through the door after a double shift at the station and Derek ran up to him, immediately covering his eyes. Stiles had thought Derek was trying to initiate sexy times - which Stiles was always up (pun intended) for - but that thought had quickly been dashed when Derek whispered in his ear that he had a surprise for Stiles.
When Stiles has asked “a sexy surprise?” excitedly, Derek had shot that down, citing no sex would take place during the surprise. Although, hopefully afterward, maybe.
So here Stiles was, exhausted, practically starving since he hadn’t eaten since a quick breakfast ten hours earlier, and ready to just eat in bed while watching some TV, snuggled up with his amazing boyfriend, even if he had to miss out on some sexy times for a night.
But Derek apparently wanted to do stuff, stuff that required standing, and walking and sitting upright.
Stiles was grumbling as he heard Derek open the sliding door to the backyard.
“What are we doing out here? Did you grill some burgers? Ohh yumm,” Stiles exclaimed, licking his lips as he sniffed the air. But there was no freshly cooked burger smell.
“Why would making you a burger be a surprise?” Derek chuckled, his breath ghosting past Stiles’ ear and making him shiver.
“I dunno, maybe you’re trying to be spontaneous?” Stiles shrugged.
“No, it’s not burgers. It’s bigger than that.” Derek sounded excited, but there also seemed to be some nervousness laced into his tone, and Stiles scrunched his face up in confusion as he turned his head toward the sound of Derek’s voice.
“It’s not a special occasion, is it? I didn’t miss our anniversary, did I? No, wait-” Stiles paused. “Yeah, wait, our anniversary isn’t for a couple more months. I remember that, just so you know.” Stiles held up a finger - still keeping his eyes closed per Derek’s instructions - as Derek brought Stiles to the edge of the porch steps and then started guiding him downward.
“Where are we going, down to the lake?” Stiles asked. “Derek, babe, I’m not sure if I’m up for a swim right now-”
“It’s not that,” Derek said, pulling Stiles along, and Stiles was starting to grow frustrated. What was the damn surprise already? It was no one’s birthday, it wasn’t a holiday, it wasn’t their anniversary, so this was just a random surprise of Derek’s. He probably just made a nice, romantic picnic for them in their backyard, which, while incredibly sweet, Stiles didn’t see the reason why he had to keep his eyes closed for it? He could have just told Stiles and it would have been just as wonderful.
“Der, this is getting-”
“Just a sec, wait wait, okay here, stand here for a sec. No peaking,” Derek said, having stopped Stiles…somewhere. He was pretty sure they were still in their backyard. Hopefully.
Stiles sighed long and loud as he heard Derek’s footsteps retreat to the right of him. “Derekkkk, this is getting ridiculous-”
“Just wait, I promise it will be worth it,” Derek called from somewhere behind Stiles.
“What are you doing, Derek?” Stiles spun around to face where Derek’s voice had come from, still dutifully keeping his eyes closed.
“You’ll see in a sec,” Derek said.
“More like a decade,” Stiles grumbled, slumping his shoulders as he waited for Derek to finish doing what he was doing. Setting up the surprise, Stiles guessed. Maybe it was a nice romantic, candle-lit dinner? Which was also sweet.
“Stupid Derek being so wonderful to me when I just want to be a lazy fuck,” Stiles grumbled, feeling like a bad boyfriend for kinda wanting to skip the romance and just be a couch - or this case bed - potato.
Just then, Stiles’ stomach grumbled. Loudly.
“Der, babe, as much as I love you, and you know how much I love you, I’m really hungry, so can we get to the eating portion of this evening or-”
“Wait wait!” Derek exclaimed, and Stiles paused for about half a second before continuing.
“Derek, as great as I’m sure your surprise is, I’m really fucking hungry, so could you hurry it up already? I’m getting tired of keeping my eyes clos-”
“Done!” Derek shouted, and he sounded happy, and Stiles sighed, thinking fucking finally.
“Thank god,” Stiles sighed, lowering his hand.
“Wait, don’t open your eyes yet!” Derek said, and his voice seemed to be getting close to Stiles again.
“Derekkk,” Stiles whined, and he almost, almost, but not quite, stomped his foot like a five year old. Stiles was just really fucking tired and hungry, okay? “I’m gonna starve at this rate, I need sustenance!”
“Just a sec, just a sec,” and Derek did something, who knew what, before coming back to Stiles.
“I’m so fucking hungry, man, can we hurry this up?” And Stiles’ stomach grumbled again.
“Yeah, we can,” Derek said, and he was right in front of Stiles now, leaning down to give Stiles a peck on the lips. “Hey,” Derek whispered.
“Hey?” Stiles whispered back.
And then Derek’s body heat was gone and Stiles was left grumbling again.
“Can I open my eyes now?”
“Wait, I’m just-”
“Derek, dude, come on!” Stiles did stomp his foot this time, and Stiles was officially a five year old in a grown man’s body, yep. “I wanna eat some food and go to bed. Can we get this stupid surprise over with already?”
“Yep, you can open your eyes now.”
“Oh well, since the lord of our humble abode commands it so, then I guess I can,” Stiles said, and he was officially a tired, hungry, cranky asshole. “Just so you know, I’m gonna get you ba-”
It felt like Stiles’ heart stopped working for one long second as he took in the scene before him.
And then as Stiles took in in the lights upon lights strung up around the backyard, using the porch and the trees surrounding their house and backyard to form a circle of brilliant colored lights, white lights, red lights, green lights, purple lights, blue lights, and so on, around them, and then the table set up about ten feet behind Derek, an expensive looking cloth covering it and fine china and silverware set up, with two wine glasses sitting by each respective plate, with a bottle of wine cooling in a bucket on the table, and Lydia quickly disappearing back into the house as music started to play, and Derek kneeling in front of Stiles, a ring held out toward Stiles, Stiles’ heart started to beat crazily in his chest.
“Oh fuck,” Stiles whispered, his right hand going up to his chest as he finished taking in the scene.
Derek was smiling softly, there was a light breeze blowing the lights back and forth, keeping a mellow, relaxing light on them as the sun was almost gone completely to give way to nighttime.
“Derek, oh shit, what-” Stiles choked, lifting a hand to his mouth in surprise as Derek opened his mouth to speak.
“Stiles, I know that you’re hungry and tired and just want to sleep for a million years, but-” Derek looked around him at what he’d set up, then back at Stiles, who lowered his hand, clenching it at his side as he tried to breathe normally. “But. I kinda have a question to ask you, if that’s all right with you?” Derek asked, and laughed shakily, nervously.
Stiles squeaked. Yes, he squeaked. “Derek…”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, almost a year now, and I’ve been trying to figure out the right moment to do it. I mean, we’ve been together for three years now and I was always second guessing myself, asking myself ‘is it still too soon? What is the right time? Does he even want to get married?’ and then I just kinda realized…I need to just do it. There is no right moment, no special moment, there’s just…this, right now,” Derek looked around them, at their backyard again, then back to Stiles. “Stiles, I’ve been in love with you for probably seven years now, at least I knew I was in love with you seven years ago. I was probably in love with you before then, too.”
Stiles was biting his lip, and was probably going to draw blood soon, he was biting so hard. His heart was pounding like crazy, going boom boom boom in his chest, and Stiles’ knees felt weak.
“And if there is one thing I’m sure of in my life, it’s you, it’s my love for you. And I kinda want to, maybe, if you aren’t opposed to it, spend the rest of my life with you? I mean, if you want to, that would be…cool with me.”
Derek winced and Stiles laughed happily at Derek’s awkwardness. His beautiful, wonderful, adorable, awkward Derek. The love of his life. Stiles wouldn’t want him any other way.
“So, maybe, um…will you marry me?” Derek finished, blushing crazily as he looked up at Stiles, and he was smiling, looking so sure in his love for Stiles, so ready to commit to a forever with him, that Stiles’ eyes teared up.
“Fuck, I’m gonna fucking cry,” Stiles laughed shakily, wiping at his eyes, and Derek’s eyes widened slightly.
“Do you-”
“No no no, don’t you fuckin’ dare, Derek Hale,” Stiles exclaimed and then he was basically crashing into Derek, and they tumbled back onto the grass as Stiles kissed Derek hard, weaving his fingers through Derek’s hair. Stiles pulled back eventually, breathing uneven. “Don’t you think for one fucking second that I would say no to you, asshole.”
“So is that a yes?” Derek asked, gaze hopeful.
“Yes yes yes yes I’ll fucking marry you, dipshit,” Stiles said, laughing into their next kiss, feeling as giddy as a kid in a candy shop.
“You know, people wonder if we’re an actual couple when you call me an asshole all the time,” Derek breathed, looking as happy as Stiles felt.
“That’s ‘cause you are an asshole. Doesn’t mean I don’t love you like crazy,” Stiles said, and then he sat up in Derek’s lap, holding his left hand out.
Derek got the silent gesture, and put the silver ring on Stiles’ finger and Stiles laughed again, so fucking happy he couldn’t contain it.
“Fuck,” Stiles whispered, looking at the ring on his finger. It felt like his heart tripped over itself in its effort to beat so fast, and Stiles wondered if his heart could handle being so fucking happy. And now Stiles was turning into a fucking sap. “Derek Hale, you make me a stupid sap.”
“I hope that’s a good thing,” Derek said, and his smile was so wide Stiles felt breathless as he looked at his beautiful, amazing face.
“It’s the best thing,” Stiles said seriously, and then he was leaning down to kiss Derek again, his and Derek’s legs tangling together as they rolled around on the grass, Derek moving on top of Stiles.
“I love you,” Stiles whispered, reaching up to cup Derek’s cheek, looking into his beautiful, hazel green eyes.
“I love you, too,” Derek whispered back, and they proceeded to kiss languidly, basking in each other, tangling themselves together, and Stiles never wanted to let him go.
“Sorry I was a bitch earlier,” Stiles whispered between kisses, running his hand softly through Derek’s hair.
“It’s okay,” Derek assured him, and Stiles’ heart beat so hard in his chest it felt painful. But somehow it felt like a good painful, a wonderful kind of pain. The pain you get when you love someone so much it can barely be contained, as if it was so strong that it had to be let out somehow.
“What did I ever do to deserve you?” Stiles wondered aloud, taking in his boyfriend’s - no, not boyfriend, fiancé’s - face, cupping his cheek lovingly.
“Love isn’t about deserving someone, Stiles,” Derek said seriously, brushing the hair back from Stiles’ forehead. “Not that you don’t deserve me, or that I don’t deserve you, because I think we do…but, it’s not about that.”
“What’s it about?” Stiles asked quietly.
“It’s about wanting someone, flaws and all, not in spite of them, but because of them. I’d rather have you flawed than perfect. And in then end, you keep fighting for it because you want to. Because you love the other person enough to fight for it.”
“I can’t imagine not wanting to fight for you,” Stiles murmured, and Derek smiled brilliantly down at Stiles.
“Me either.”
Stiles grinned and leaned up to kiss Derek, letting himself get lost in Derek for a moment. In his taste, his smell, the feel of him, the feel of his lips against Stiles’. The shiver his touch and kisses created.
And then Stiles’ stomach grumbled again, interrupting the moment, and Stiles froze before laughing into their kiss, and then Derek was laughing too, letting his head fall to Stiles’ shoulder.
Stiles grinned and held up his left hand, watching the ring glint in the mellow light. “Engaged,” Stiles whispered.
Derek pulled back from Stiles’ shoulder, taking Stiles’ hand in his, kissing his ring finger where his engagement ring was. “Engaged.”
Stiles smiled up at Derek, and they leaned in for just one more kiss, when Stiles stomach growled again.
Stiles chuckled. “Guess we should eat now.”
“Yeah, probably.”
Stiles laughed as Derek helped him up to his feet, and they kissed all the way over to the table set up for two, where candles (Stiles’ only guess was that Lydia had brought them out at some point while they were otherwise, ahem, engaged) were lit up and stumbled once or twice along the way.
But in the end, they stayed standing.
Which, Stiles, supposed, was a good metaphor for their relationship.
Grinning, Stiles reached for the wine bottle, and felt butterflies in his stomach as he looked across the table at Derek, who caught his eye and gave him a wink, holding out his glass for some wine.
What a sap, Stiles thought as he looked around at the romantic set up around them. And he’s my sap, Stiles thought giddily.
For-fucking-ever.