Work Text:
Stiles eases himself down into the rocking chair with a sigh. The rain taps lightly on the roof of the front porch. The smells of the woods and the dirt are strengthened by the rain and he takes a deep breath in. He hears the clicking of Logan’s nails on the wooden boards, and then there’s a wet nose pressing against his hand, the German Shepherd-wolf hybrid demanding to be petted.
‘Hey, buddy.’
Stiles scratches Logan behind his ears, then lets his hand rest on Logan’s head as he looks out into the deluge, rocking back and forth just a little. There are puddles forming on the path leading from the house to the main road. In those puddles Stiles can see a bright blue sky being reflected, the image broken by the raindrops adding themselves to the puddles.
‘You know I’ve only ever seen a sun shower once before in my entire life,’ Stiles tells Logan. He glances at the empty rocking chair beside him. ‘It was on our first date. Derek had it all planned out. We were going to hike along the most scenic route through the preserve, then have a picnic in a little clearing by a babbling brook. Very romantic. But halfway through our hike, it started to rain.’ Stiles smiles at the memory of Derek glaring at the sky, like he could make it stop raining if he could just find the clouds. ‘It wasn’t raining that hard and I was sure it would stop soon—about which I was right, by the way—but Derek, ever sensible to my human condition, demanded we go back. In the end, we had a picnic on the floor of his apartment.’
Logan puts his head in Stiles’ lap, looking up at him like his listening attentively. Probably just hoping there’s a treat in it for him, though. Stiles doesn’t care, he digs his hands into the fur, scratching just where Logan likes it, and continues his story.
‘We kept the balcony door open because I wanted to look at that same blue sky you see now. It feels wrong, but it’s also awe-inspiring, don’t you think? How two seemingly incompatible things get together and make something beautiful, create a memory you can’t forget? No matter how many years have passed?’ Stiles sighs and Logan sighs with him. ‘It can all be explained of course, it’s not really as magical as it looks. Often, it’s just a strong wind blowing the raindrops to where there are no clouds, sometimes miles away. Or there is just one raincloud, but the sun is at an angle where its light doesn’t get blocked by that cloud.’
Logan lets out a soft whine.
‘You’re right, it’s still totally magical. Anyway, that turned out to be my last first date ever. Not that any other first date could’ve topped that one. I got Derek with a wet shirt clinging to his body, Derek without a shirt on his body, Derek insisting on cuddling me so I would get warm faster—not that I was cold in the first place. Yeah, the guy was pretty good at dates.’
A pillow smacks into Stiles’ face, and he splutters and flails in surprise, the rocking chair rocking dangerously far back.
‘What the hell, Der!’
‘Stop talking to Logan as if you’re eighty and I’m dead,’ Derek says dropping down into the empty chair.
‘You’re such a dick. I don’t know why I married you.’ Stiles grabs the coffee Derek set down on the small table between the chairs without him noticing. ‘Or insisted you get one of these chairs, too. Because they’re awesome and you don’t deserve them.’ He takes a sip from his coffee and hums around the perfect, bittersweet taste. ‘Okay, maybe you do deserve a super cool rocking chair.’
‘If making good coffee earns me a rocking chair. What did I do to deserve you?’
‘Weren’t you listening to the story? You look amazing in wet clothes.’
‘Hmm. So, you think a little repeat from our first date is in order?’ Derek gestures at the rain.
Stiles grins and nods. ‘Yes, I do. Go stand in the rain for ten minutes, so I can admire your drenched physique.’
‘As I recall it,’ Derek says, setting his cup down. ‘I wasn’t the only one who got wet.’
‘Don’t you dare!’ Stiles protests, but he’s already setting his coffee cup next to Derek’s, and when Derek lifts him out of the chair, he doesn’t struggle to get free. He just wraps his legs around Derek’s waist and his arms around Derek’s neck as Derek walks out into the rain.
Logan barks at them from the porch steps, telling them they’re insane.
Stiles can’t stop smiling as he watches Derek’s hair go limp from the rain, and tracks the raindrops trailing down the plains of Derek’s face with his eyes. When he kisses Derek, Derek tastes like coffee and rainwater, fresh and warm at the same time.
They part and Stiles lays his cheek on Derek’s shoulder. He clings a little tighter.
‘You’re right,’ Derek says, looking up at the sky then resting his cheek against Stiles’. ‘This is magical.’