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Derek rushed up the stairs to the apartment, taking two steps at a time – the elevator was broken. Again. Just another irritation to add to his pile of things that were increasing his desire to just flop into bed and sleep until this day was over. He hated it. He hated the attention, the pretentious idiots who presumed he’d want any more to do with them today than he did on any other day. Nothing at all, to be precise. He really didn’t want any attention, ever, usually because it ended in him unintentionally insulting somebody, often Marc, and them then pointedly ignoring him, which he approved of, but not when he was trying to work with said person, often Marc.
He scratched around the keyhole before managing to slide the cool metal in and turned it. The door swung open with a click, to reveal… a dark room. Derek immediately fell into hunter mode, his senses tingling, his spine bristling, he could feel his nails growing into claws and his eyes turning blue. He sniffed the air in his blacked-out loft, the windows had been draped with a heavy material and all the lights were off, the only brightness coming from the hall outside and that wasn’t nearly enough to illuminate the entire room. Derek took two cautious steps into the room, and then, before he could relax at the sense of a familiar smell spreading through his brain, he felt something – someone – launch themselves into him, knocking all air out of his lungs in the process.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG GUY!” The lights flickered on as Stiles squeezed him, so tightly he feared his spine may snap in two, to reveal a room filled with inflated balloons and a big garland reading Happy Birthday draped across it from wall to wall. Stiles pulled away from Derek and planted a sloppy kiss on his mouth. “I thought you’d appreciate the surprise.” Derek tried to hide the smile that was making his mouth twitch, but for some reason the emotions he so successfully managed to hide the rest of the time just poured out when he was around his boyfriend. “I wasn’t expecting you.” Stiles took a few steps back and lifted his arms, mimicking offense “Excuse you, it’s my favourite wolf’s birthday, you didn’t think I’d miss it, did you?” Derek just shrugged “No, I just-“ and then trailing off, not knowing what exactly he had been thinking. Of course Stiles would be there. He suddenly realized half his bad mood was due to the fact that he had believed that Stiles had forgotten about his birthday.
“I got you something” Stiles said as he produced a messily wrapped parcel from behind his back. Derek took it, gently balancing it on his fingers. “It’s not much, the balloons already cost me more money than I actually have, so I just… temporarily misappropriated some of my dad’s ca-“ “Thank you,” Derek muttered sincerely, his voice barely more than a whisper. He couldn’t remember the last time he had received a present that wasn’t a Biro from work. Stiles' voice was soft when he spoke again. “Open it.”
He carefully undid the sellotape – Derek never had liked greedily tearing wrapping open – and unfolded the shiny paper Stiles had tried so hard to make perfect. He peeled it off and turned over the book in his hands, gently stroking over the slightly bashed cover, this was an old book. As then he teared up when the scent hit him and he realized what it was. “Wasn’t easy to find, I’m tellin’ ya. But my dad shouldn’t notice it’s missing, not like it’s an open case or anything.” Derek gently turned over the pages of the photo album, pictures of his mum and dad, pictures of his uncle, pictures of his aunt with her husband and children, a picture of baby Laura, all wolfed out at a large spider, Laura holding infant Derek, Derek holding infant Cora. He quickly blinked back a tear before it soaked the pages of this treasure Stiles had presented him with. “Where-“ he stopped as he realized his voice was shaky.
Stiles was looking at him with a look he hadn’t got in years. “It was in your dad’s office, that’s why it survived. It’s been in an evidence bag the last eight years, I thought it would be better off here with you.” Derek was lost for words. He couldn’t believe Stiles would risk getting into so much trouble for a few photographs. A few photographs of my dead family. “I love you.” Was the answer he went with. Stiles grinned broadly. “Love you too, buddy.” He slipped out one of him and his sisters. “What are you doing with that?” “I’m gonna send it to Cora, I don’t know if she has any photographs even of us.” Stiles nodded “good idea. Did she send you a birthday card?” Derek nodded, indicating the envelope and card on the table. It had a drawing of a husky puppy on it, that was saying “lots of wuff”. Cheesy, not at all Cora, but Derek knew it was meant to be a joke. It was kinda cute, anyway.
“Fancy any cake?” Stiles broke the silence, clapping his hands together. Derek wiped his damp eyes and sniffed. “Sure! You made cake?” “Err-“ his ears reddened. “I tried to. Didn’t go well. Stiles and baking, not a good mix. anyway, I bought one instead, believe me, better this way.” Derek really didn’t mind if the cake was bought, the fact that Stiles had made such an effort for him at all touched him more than possibly anything else ever could. He was clutching the photo album tightly against his chest as he followed Stiles into the kitchen area of his loft. Chocolate and strawberry. Derek’s favourite. Of course it was, as if Stiles would ever get second best for him. Derek didn’t realize he was staring at his boyfriend until their eyes met and Stiles grinned nervously “What?” He just shrugged. “I just never expected somebody to care about my birthday again.” And then, noticing how melodramatic that sounded, he quickly added “I guess.”
Stiles’ face dropped into a more serious expression as he put down the knife and headed towards Derek. He reached out and gently touched his cheek, concern swimming in his brown eyes. “I care about you. I want you to be happy, I want you to be okay and to know you’re wanted and you are so important. Do you hear me, Derek? You are so important to me.” Derek nodded, not able to look away from those brown eyes. “You don’t have to be alone, yeah? Not anymore. I love you, Derek. I really do.” His mouth twitched into a smile and Stiles bent forward, gently brushing his lips with his own. Derek willingly opened his mouth and connected it to Stiles’, gently, softly, but with a certainty that made it perfectly clear that the feeling was more than mutual. They lingered on the kiss, Stiles’ hand on Derek’s cheek, the album still clutched to Derek’s chest, their breathing in sync. When Stiles broke away all concern had disappeared from his face and had been replaced by a broad grin. “My sourwolf.” Derek chuckled at that, Stiles would never stop calling him that, and he didn’t want him to, either. “So anyway, cake?” Derek nodded “cake.” Maybe this birthday wasn’t going to be so bad, after all.