Strings Attached
Stiles just wanted to be a great cop and have great sex. He didn't want to fall in love. But it turns out Derek is too perfect and he ended up in a great relationship without realizing it. And he's so very, very angry about it. SterekWeek2015. SterekScene. Inspired by the movie No Strings Attached starring Natalie Portman.
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Written for SterekWeek2015. The prompt was to rewrite a scene from a movie, series, book or podcast and retell it using Sterek. I chose No Strings Attached starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.
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It started when Derek brought his sister Cora lunch at the station and dropped a sandwich on Stiles' desk as well.
Or well, 'it' started two months earlier, when Stiles ran into Derek for the first time since he and Cora had been in high school together. Stiles wasn't sure if Derek had always been that hot or what, but it hadn't taken much for him to climb that like a tree. Derek had looked surprised afterward, like he wasn't expecting the sex to be quite that good.
So from there, the deal was struck. Derek was busy with his job as a comic artist – both for the local paper and online and trying to sell his own stuff. Stiles just wanted to be a great cop like his dad. They didn't know anything about each other except what they remembered from when Stiles was still underage, and that they could make each other feel awesome.
Thus the sex. They exchanged numbers and periodically (frequently) met up at one or the other's apartment for amazing sex. They didn't do dates. They didn't do PDA. They weren't a couple. They were, as Stiles had said on more than one occasion to Scott, fuck buddies.
But the sandwich.
Stiles hadn't ordered a sandwich. He hadn't even known Derek was coming by to surprise Cora with lunch. And he definitely hadn't told Derek that his favorite sandwich was a roast beef with cheese and curly fries on top – not on the side but literally inside the sandwich on top of the cheese and roast beef.
After Derek left, Cora came to Stiles' desk and nodded to the empties Arby's wrapper in his trash can. "My brother's a nice boyfriend, huh?"
That was the first time someone had called them boyfriends. That was the start.
Despite Stiles' spluttering and insisting that he and Derek weren't dating, Cora left his desk two minutes later looking as convinced in her assertion as ever.
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Then Derek picked Stiles up from work and later drove him to his dad's after one of their hookups and his dad commented, "You picked a nice one, son. He knows how to treat people." He then asked when Stiles was going to invite Derek over for 'dinner with the parents.'
"That's what you do with a significant other," was Stiles' rebuttal. "Not with a…mutually beneficial purely sexual relationship…partner."
Stiles was proud to say that his father never brought up his relationship with Derek ever again. Ever.
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But it didn't end there. Stiles was reading the newspaper in a diner a few days later and Derek's other sister, Laura, took the seat across from him without asking. She stole the hash browns right off his plate even.
"Uh, rude?" he stated with a raised eyebrow, lowering the comic section so he could level Laura with his most unimpressed face.
"What's rude about stealing from family?" Laura had responded.
At the time, Stiles had been too busy looking at the bags under Laura's eyes and wondering what emergency she'd just come off shift from handling at the fire station to think of a properly witty response. Instead, he'd huffed out a breath and pushed his plate toward the center of the table and returned to his comics, carefully ripping out his favorites for the week to keep for later.
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If he saw Derek in the store or on the street, Stiles didn't rush to greet him. They might wave or stop and say hello if they were close enough, but they didn't drop everything they were doing to hang out. Stiles was usually on a grocery run for him and Scott, and Derek usually looked like he'd gotten his sleep schedule messed up again working on his next project. In fact, Stiles typically ended whatever conversation they did end up sharing by telling Derek to go home, drink some water, and get some sleep.
You see, Derek was a comic artist. A good comic artist, who wrote and drew all his own stuff. He had a spot in the newspaper even. It was called Time and Again and followed supernatural creatures trying to blend into normal society by talking about current events, but usually failing miserably by either bringing up things from way long ago or totally missing the point.
Other than the newspaper, Derek did work for people online. He would draw almost anything if you were willing to pay him for his time. Stiles had caught sight of several pieces still sitting open on his computer when visiting Derek's apartment for a quickie before work or a slow round that helped him drift off after work now and then. And he knew that Derek did commissions because he needed the money while he worked on his own, original comic work.
Derek's original comic was actually rather funny. Everyone in Beacon Hills knew that Family of Firsts was about the Hale family – a family of first responders dealing with the odd things that happened during their shifts and in their personal lives. But the comic sold nationally, and could be bought via the internet no matter where the reader lived. Stiles wasn't sure if knowing the family personally made it funnier or not, but it was plenty popular either way.
Laura the firefighter, Cora the cop, Talia the doctor, and Peter the paramedic made up the main cast, though their names had been changed in the comics. Stiles had seen himself pop up every now and then as Cora's partner at work, always humorous and witty. His name in the comic was Steve, like Captain America. It made him smile. Derek's comic was his favorite series after Teen Titans.
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"Someone's given you a gift."
Stiles jumped and turned away from where he was waiting by the cruiser for his partner. There was a minor cat in a tree type situation that required only one extra set of hands, those hands not being his. Talia was standing on the sidewalk with her great dane on a leash beside her, a book in her hand.
"Who? What? Where?" Stiles asked, glancing around.
Talia laughed, a light and pleasant sound, before holding out the book. Once it was in Stiles' hands, he saw it was a copy of the latest volume of Family of Firsts.
"I already have my own?" he said, but it came out as a question.
The eldest Hale just tapped the cover. "Page 15."
Flipping to the requisite page, Stiles saw the character based on him sitting at his desk. He and Cora were discussing the problems with dating non-first responders – but Talia was right. There was a present sitting on comic!Stiles' desk. The tag on it was just big enough in the panel for a single heart.
Stiles frowned. "I wish real me could date as easy as fake me does."
"The only one stopping you is you," Talia said cryptically before taking the book back and continuing to walk her excitable dog.
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Scott's mom was a nurse, and Stiles sometimes saw her when he had to visit the hospital on some business or another. Unfortunately, that also meant he sometimes saw Peter, who worked as a paramedic.
"Ah, Stiles. What a pleasure," Peter greeted when Stiles was leaving after delivering a gift of flowers to Mrs. McCall – since it was her birthday on Saturday but Stiles was working and couldn't make it to dinner.
There were times when Stiles was certain that Peter was a pedophile in a previous life. But for all the eyes Stiles kept on Peter Hale, he was apparently clean as a whistle in this one.
"Did you come to visit Derek?" Peter asked. "I'm afraid you're too late."
Stiles' heart jumped in his throat. "What? Derek was in the hospital? What do you mean too late?"
His mind was full of worst case scenarios. A car wreck. A house fire. A stabbing. A gunshot wound to the heart. But Peter wasn't all torn up, so the 'too late' couldn't mean 'dead.' Even Peter would be inconsolable if Derek had died. What did he mean?!
Peter looked like he didn't know whether to frown at Stiles' confusion or smirk at how he was obviously flying into a panic over nothing.
"A mild case of tendonitis, I heard," Peter informed him. "Too much drawing, not enough of anything else. They gave him some medication and several stretches to do multiple times a day, told him to use ice on it in twenty minute intervals. He'll be fine if he can keep from doodling for a few days."
It took a few seconds longer for Stiles' heart to stop trying to break out of his chest, even though the panic had left almost immediately. "Oh." Now he felt silly.
But this was good. Derek was fine. Stiles wasn't sure what he would do with himself if something had happened to Derek, if Derek was gone for good. He might never date again.
Wait.
Peter was definitely frowning now. "You're not exactly an attentive boyfriend, are you?"
"Not his boyfriend," Stiles responded, almost on instinct from saying it so often.
Like Cora, Peter left looking far too smug for his own good.
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A new volume of Family of Firsts was released the next day. Comic!Stiles' mysterious gift giver had been revealed as a guy who had light, curly hair and a shy smile. Comic!Stiles was smitten with him but kept him at a distance because of his hectic life as a cop. The guy left gifts, brought food, sent flirty and funny text messages or said flirty and funny comments aloud in panel. It was alluded to that they had a great after hours life. He looked nothing like Derek.
Stiles nearly threw his book at the wall in aggravation.
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Stiles didn't ignore Derek after that. Honestly he didn't. Much.
Part of it was that he was on shift and wasn't supposed to use his phone. Now normally he didn't care – like a lot of people on staff didn't – and would send Derek or Scott whatever random thoughts came into his head or respond to anything they sent him with the funniest thing he could think of. But he didn't. For four days, he put his phone in his desk drawer and ignored it all shift. He'd started doing it after Derek texted him the morning after he read the latest comic book.
Derek was hurt. He shouldn't be texting. Or that's what Stiles told himself. It didn't matter that a person could just as easily text with their non-dominant hand, or that the tendonitis could be in said non-dominant hand for all he knew. It was a good excuse to not have to respond, anyway.
"Don't you usually have a date with Derek on Tuesdays?"
Scott was playing a video game on their tiny TV in the living room. He had a normal schedule like a normal person, since he worked at a vet's office, so he wasn't tired at all at seven in the evening. Unlike Stiles who had collapsed face first into the couch as soon as he walked in the door and hadn't moved since.
Date.
And that was the whole problem wasn't it? Stiles had realized he and Derek were dating. Or rather, he wanted to be dating Derek if they weren't already. Stiles groaned into the cushions. Were they dating already?
Somehow, someway, Derek knew what Stiles like to eat. Just like Stiles knew Derek would make himself a 'healthy' sandwich but would then crush Doritos on it and hide them under the bun. And they texted each other randomly, not only for sexual favors, but to ask if this thing in the store was a mango or some other fruit neither of them had heard of because the label had come off the stand.
Stiles had been upset about that stupid sandwich when it caused Cora to tease him, but he'd brought take out to Derek's every other time he showed up at his door. He owned every volume of Derek's comic book, and cut out Time and Again from the newspaper almost weekly.
From the music playing softly in Derek's apartment, Stiles knew Derek's mood, if he'd finished a commission or book, or if his publisher had called with bad news. Derek could tell by the way Stiles got out of his Jeep whether the sex was gonna be rough or sensual, no slamming doors or frowning faces required.
They knew each other. Sure they didn't go to the movies or out to eat or whatever, but they had a relationship.
"I don't want a relationship," Stiles whined, his voice muffled by the fabric in front of his mouth.
Scott glanced at him over his shoulder. "I'm not sure you have a choice at this point, dude."
"Ehhhhhhhhh."
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"Hello."
Ouch. The voice on the other end of the phone was definitely not happy. Stiles winced.
"Hey…Derek. It's me."
"Yeah."
This was going swimmingly.
"I just…um…the thing is…we need to talk," Stiles managed haltingly.
For a moment, there was silence on the other end of the phone. "Not over the phone we don't." And then he hung up.
Stiles sighed, pulling his phone from his ear. He gave himself a shake and took a deep breath to steel himself. Then he raised his hand and knocked on the door in front of him.
It only took a moment for the door to open, revealing Derek Hale with wide eyes, looking completing flabbergasted. He opened his mouth to speak, but Stiles moved faster.
"Okay, so let's talk in person then."
He shouldered his way into the apartment while Derek was still in shock and didn't turn around until he heard the door click shut behind him. For a moment, neither one of them spoke. Derek looked like he was waiting for Stiles, and Stiles wasn't sure what to say now that he was here. He didn't know what he was feeling. His stomach churned when he looked at Derek, when he thought about dating, when he thought specifically about dating Derek. Sometimes it was pleasant, other times it wasn't.
"Stiles-"
"You're an asshole."
Now Derek looked more confused than ever. "I'm an asshole?"
Stiles nodded. "A complete and utter asshole."
Derek frowned. "Really? This coming from the man who's been ignoring me for a week."
"You've ruined all my plans for life," Stiles shot back, feeling righteous anger welling up in the face of Derek's defensive nature. "And I was trying to help by not answering."
This time, Derek didn't deign to reply with words. He simply lifted his eyebrow in a way that said 'I'd love to hear how you came to that dumb conclusion' louder than if he'd shouted it. Ugh, Stiles could read his facial expressions!
"You had tendonitis! Ice, pain meds, no drawing or using your hand!" Stiles bit out loudly in irritation.
Derek held up his hand, showing no inflammation, no bandages, no redness, nothing. It was obviously healed. "There's also this thing called Speech to Text."
Stiles felt his face heat up in shame. In less time than he'd expected, Derek had torn down his excuse. With a sigh, Derek glanced away from Stiles.
"Is there something you want to tell me, Stiles?" he asked.
Stiles shook his head. "I want to be a cop," he said. "I want to be a great cop." Derek was looking at him again but didn't seem to understand where this was going. "I didn't want a relationship. I didn't want to date, or be romantic, or whatever. But guess what?" He threw his arms out. "That's what I got!"
Now understanding was crawling onto Derek's features, along with guilt. He stepped closer. "Stiles-"
With a lot of effort, Stiles shoved his hands into Derek's chest, forcing the bigger male to take a step back. A curious frown on his face, Derek moved closer again. And Stiles pushed him away again.
"No. I'm mad at you. Back off," Stiles snapped.
Eyebrows drawing together in irritation, Derek said, "I'm trying to-."
"Why doesn't Steve's boyfriend look like you?!" Stiles burst out, grabbing at his own hair. "God, everyone knows you based that comic on your own family, on what happens in town! So wh-what-why…I don't get it!"
Derek looked sad now, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not everything that happens in books happens in real life."
Stiles scrubbed his head roughly with his hands before he let them fall out wide. "But his name is Darren! That's obviously-"
Glaring, Derek interrupted with, "I don't get why you came over. You read my comic. It made you angry. You broke it off with me. If you came to do it in person because you realized you were being an ass, then fine. You've done enough. You can go now."
"Broke it-You absolute-I'm in love with you!" Stiles practically shouted.
Derek's eyes widened, then his eyebrows came together again, this time in confusion. "You said I ruined your life."
A nearly violent nod. "Uh, yeah! I told you, I didn't want a freaking relationship. I just wanted to be a cop and have great sex on the side." Stiles began motioning wildly with his arms as he spoke, trying to emphasize his point. "But you brought me food, and sent me funny messages, and drove me around in your car, and helped me when I've had problems, and put up with my schedule, and drew me into your comic book series, and now I'm grouchy if we don't talk every few hours. The other officers keep teasing me because I grin at my phone every time you message me. I nearly had a panic attack in the hospital last week because your creepy uncle made me think you'd been in some terrible accident!"
"Stiles," Derek tried, but like the last time, Stiles interrupted him.
"I tried imagining my life without you in it and I can't do it," Stiles continued at a more sedate pace, eyes down on Derek's socked feet rather than his face. "So even if…things in comic books don't always mirror real life, make Steve break it off with Darren and make him date someone like you."
Silence met his request. After a few moments, Stiles chanced a glance up and found Derek just…staring at him. There was a softness to his eyes, and his eyebrows were tilted up in a way they only were when the two of them were lying in bed after a particularly wonderful round of sex and Stiles made a bad joke. Derek was pleased?
Derek motioned Stiles forward. "Come here," he said, but then held up his hand when Stiles began to move. "Only if you really meant what you said about loving me."
A smile tugged at Stiles' lips as he stepped into Derek's personal space. In an instant, Derek's hands were cupping Stiles' face and neck and he was kissing Stiles like he was the entire world. Stiles grabbed the front of Derek's t-shirt and then wrapped his arms around Derek's shoulders, trying to pull him in closer, kiss him more deeply.
There was a moment when their lips left each other for more than a split second. In that instant, Derek said, "I love you."
Stiles let out a breath of a laugh. "That's good."
Then they were kissing again.
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fin.