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Derek goes over the check list again. Itinerary? Check. It mostly involves lazing around the house or in bed half-naked, until dinner. Dinner? Check. The menu is a perfect mix of all their favourite foods, and he’s already bought most of the ingredients, except for the fresh produce, which he’ll get the day before. Flowers? Check. He’s given very specific instructions to the florist, and they’ve assured him the bouquets will be ready in time. Music? Check. The playlist has been in the making for almost four months, but it’s perfect now. Outfit? Check. The shirt Stiles likes best on him is ready to be picked up from the cleaner’s tomorrow. Plan B? Check. There are take-out menus in case he messes up dinner, Stiles’ second favourite shirt is in his closet, and there are flowers, ready to be picked, in their garden.
Everything is set for a perfectly romantic anniversary day, but Derek still feels like there’s something missing. He wants something that lets Stiles know that he loves what they have, that he loves Stiles, and that he loves every moment with him, the moments in the past and the ones still to come.
His first plan was to ask Stiles to marry him on their anniversary, but that plan went bust when Stiles asked him first, three months ago, on the anniversary of when Stiles realized he was in love with him. Derek twists the titanium band around his finger, smiling at the memory. He couldn’t even mad at Stiles for foiling his plans, because he was just so damn happy.
With no ideas of his own, Derek decides to call the only other person who knows, and mostly understands, what goes on in Stiles’ mind: Scott.
‘Sup?’ Scott asks.
‘I need help,’ Derek says and explains his dilemma.
‘Dude, your plan is amazing. Stiles is going to love it. The only thing he would love more is if you, like, got him a puppy or something.’
‘Stiles wants a dog?’ Derek asks.
‘That’s why he helps out at the shelter every Saturday, but he knows you don’t want one so…’ Scott trails off.
‘What do you mean I don’t want a dog? I love dogs.’
‘Really? Stiles said you told him you didn’t want one when he asked you.’
‘I don’t remember that,’ Derek mutters, racking his brain, trying to remember when exactly Stiles asked him about this. ‘Was this when we still lived in that apartment? Of course I wasn’t going to have dog, then. The apartment was barely big enough for Stiles and me.’
‘Well, I have it on good authority that a certain Golden Retriever-Labrador mix named Rascal is adorable and the best at giving kisses. After you, of course,’ Scott informs him.
‘So I’ve heard,’ Derek says. Stiles doesn’t talk much about the shelter, which makes sense now that Derek knows Stiles thought he didn’t like dogs, but Stiles does drop names of the dogs he really likes once in a while. ‘Thanks.’
‘No problem.’
They say goodbye, and Derek pulls up the website of the shelter to find out what their procedures for adoptions are.
~
‘Happy anniversary,’ Stiles mumbles, dropping next to Derek on the bed, his chest heaving, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Derek grabs a tissue from the bedside table to clean them up a little, then presses a kiss to Stiles’ nose. It always makes Stiles scrunch up his nose in the most adorable way.
‘Happy anniversary.’
‘I think we should start going into work later,’ Stiles says, cuddling closer. ‘That way we could have morning-sex every morning.’
Derek wraps an arm around Stiles’ shoulders and pulls him in so Stiles’ head is on his chest. ‘I don’t think that’s going to be an option. If anything, starting tomorrow, we’ll have to get out of bed even earlier.’
‘What?’ Stiles sits up and looks down at him with raised eyebrows. ‘There had better be a damn good reason for that.’
‘I think you’ll like it,’ Derek assures him. He pulls Stiles down again and plants another kiss on Stiles’ nose, then rolls out of the bed. ‘Come on. We need to shower and have a quick breakfast. We have somewhere to be.’
‘There’s no time for a round two?’ Stiles pouts.
‘Not right now, but there will be plenty of time later. If you don’t have better things to do.’ Derek grabs Stiles’ hand and tugs until his fiancé follows him out of the bed.
‘What could possibly be better than a round two? Unless it’s round tree or four?’
Derek doesn’t answer. He knows that if he talks too much, tries to drop little hints, that he’ll soon hint too much and Stiles will guess the surprise. So, during the shower, breakfast and the car ride, he keeps his mouth shut, except when he tells Stiles to close his eyes so he won’t see where they’re going.
‘Are you going to kill me? Has our love died?’ Stiles gasps, and presses a hand to his heart. ‘Are you going to carve out my heart and nail it to the wall of your creepy cabin in the woods that you secretly sneak off to in the middle of the night?’
‘That is weirdly specific.’
‘But you’re not denying it!’ Stiles grins, turning his closed eyes on Derek in triumph.
‘Yes, these past five years have been part of an elaborate plan that will culminate in me cutting out your heart and nailing it to the wall of my creepy cabin in the woods. The cabin that I don’t have,’ Derek deadpans.
‘That’s because you haven’t built it yet. You need to know the exact size of my heart so your cabin will be in proportion to it.’
‘Why does it need to be in proportion?’
‘I don’t know. You’re the one with the weird Stiles-heart fetish.’
‘It’s a fetish now, huh?’ Derek parks the car. He opens his door and he can already hear the distant bark of a dog. ‘Don’t open your eyes or get out. I’ll be right back.’
‘Are you going to get your accomplice?’ Stiles asks.
‘Yes, I am,’ Derek admits before locking the car.
‘Hey!’ Stiles yells. Derek looks back, and sees Stiles sitting with his arms crossed, slouched in his seat, and a pout on his lips, but his eyes are still closed.
Saturday isn’t the official adoption day for the shelter, but when Derek explained that he was Stiles’ fiancé and wanted to surprise him for their anniversary, the staff had been more than happy to make a little exception to their rules.
‘You think he knows what’s going on?’ Lainey, the woman manning the desk today, asks.
‘I don’t think so,’ Derek says proudly. ‘Is Rascal ready to go?’
‘He is. Steve! Derek’s here! Get Rascal!’ Lainey yells towards the back. ‘Let me just get those papers for you.’
The adoption is mostly done, but since Derek wants Rascal to be for both of them, Stiles’ signature needs to be on the papers as well.
‘Here you go, man,’ Steve, a burly guy in his thirties, grins. He hands Derek Rascal’s leash, pats Derek’s hand, then Rascal’s head, and disappears into the back again.
‘And here are those papers. Can I come with to take a picture?’ Lainey asks.
‘That would be great,’ Derek nods. Then he looks sternly down at Rascal. ‘Now you have to be quiet.’
Rascal just keeps looking up at him, tongue out of his mouth, wide brown eyes on Derek’s.
The little group makes its way outside. Derek unlocks the car and opens Stiles’ door.
‘Okay, open your eyes.’
‘Finally!’ Stiles sighs. ‘What—‘ Stiles gasps, his eyes going almost comically wide, when Rascal tries to hop into the car, his paws scrabbling on Stiles’ jeans for purchase. Almost falling out of the car in his hurry, Stiles pulls the dog into a hug, then stays on his knees to scratch behind Rascals ears. He looks up at Derek with wonder in his eyes. ‘What’s going on?’
‘According to Scott there was a little miscommunication a couple years back, when you thought I didn’t want a dog. I do want a dog. I love dogs, which is why I didn’t want to get one while we were still living in that tiny apartment.’
‘So, he’s ours?’ Stiles asks, voice fragile with hope.
‘Almost.’ Derek hands Stiles the clipboard and a pen. ‘All you need to do is sign on the dotted line.’
Stiles quickly scribbles in his signature, then stands up to press a kiss against Derek’s lips. ‘Thank you.’
‘Oh my god, this is too cute,’ Lainey squeaks. She takes back the clipboard, then shoos them all into the car. ‘I’ll send you the pictures. They’re adorable. Happy anniversary, you two!’ she yells as she disappears back inside with a final wave.
‘You want to go sit in the back with me?’ Stiles asks Rascal. Rascal lets out a bark, his tail wagging so hard half is body is wagging with it. ‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ Stiles laughs as he lifts Rascal onto the backseat.
‘You ready to go to PetSmart?’ Derek asks when he’s back in the driver’s seat. From his rear-view mirror he can see Stiles’ beaming face and Rascal leaning against him, surveying his new surroundings with wonder.
‘Hell yes! We’re gonna get cute collars, and squeaky toys, and cuddly toys, and blankets, and bowls, and a comfy doggy bed, and…’