After Stiles had dropped Scott off, they headed to Derek's loft.

Stiles asked Braeden who was in the backseat, "Braeden, should I take you home or to my place? I mean, you can get your bike tomorrow."

Braeden slightly shook her head, "No, I think I should get it tonight. Plus, it's one less stop you have to make."

Stiles replied, "It wouldn't be a problem. Yeah, I'm physically as well as mentally exhausted and hungry. And I have bruises in interesting places but I doubt that one more stop is really gonna make a difference." Derek, in the front seat, turned to give Stiles a look that said shut the hell up! At the same time, Stiles glanced in the rearview mirror to see that same expression riddled Braeden's face.

She spoke again in a slightly irritated manner, "Stiles, just take me to my bike."

Stiles nodded, "Okay, whatever you say," and looked straight ahead as they pulled up to Derek's place.

Derek started to get out of the Jeep and noticed that Braeden was getting out too.

Derek stopped in his tracks and gave her a quizzical look, "Did you want to come in?"

Braeden halfway snorted and rolled her eyes, "No, idiot. I want to ride shotgun."

"Oh," an interesting look washed over Derek's face as the realization set in that he might have been excited at the thought of spending time with just Braeden. With all the drama, he rarely got to hang out with her alone. He still didn't know much about her, but he wanted to. He wanted to just talk to her about things not involving the supernatural world. But oh well, the opportunity was gone now. She just wanted to sit where he was sitting. He stood up and traded places with her. As she settled into the Jeep, Derek looked over at Stiles who was intently watching the exchange between the two.

Derek nodded at him, "Thanks for the ride."

Stiles replied, "Sure thing."

Derek started to walk away when he turned back, "Braeden." She was already looking at him when she tilted her head in response. "I appreciate what you did back there. You had my back today."

Braeden tried to show no emotion whatsoever when she answered, "Well I'm paid to, aren't I?"

This time Derek tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes, "Not exactly."

Braeden rolled her eyes and turned to look straight ahead, "Goodnight, Hale."

Stiles yelled to Derek "See you tomorrow, then." Derek saluted the two in the Jeep and turned to enter his loft.

As they pulled off in the Jeep, Braeden recalled the scene back at the high school when she noticed three Berserkers going after Derek who was trying to help up an injured Peter. She began to mercilessly fire her semi-automatic rifle at them, successfully knocking two of them down while the other started to hobble toward her. She continued to shoot directly at his chest until she directed her gaze beyond him and noticed Derek standing with Peter's arm wrapped around his shoulder. He turned to spare her a grateful glance before turning the opposite direction to get Peter away as quickly as possible. Seeing as they were both safe for now, Braeden took off running to safety. She waited until she saw Kate and the Berserkers leaving to catch up with the rest of the gang. Deaton had come to get Peter, taking him so he could get a closer look at the nasty gashes and to see how fast Peter would heal from them. Stiles had volunteered to take Braeden home along with Scott and Derek. Lydia decided to drive the other girls home for the night. They all understood that they would meet up again in the morning at Derek's loft.

So deep in thought, she almost didn't hear Stiles question her, "So, what's going on with you two?"

Braeden scanned Stiles highly confused, "What?"

Stiles gave Braeden a raised eyebrow when he continued his interrogation, "I know I'm not the only who felt that tension. Are you guys, I don't know, dating? Seeing each other?"

Braeden in turn raised her eyebrows, "Do you mean dating as in you and Malia?"

Stiles scrunched his eyebrows together, "Why are you bringing Malia and I into this? This is about you and Derek. I can tell there's something there. I just don't know what it is."

Braeden shook her head and looked forward again "Well you can relax. There's nothing going on between Hale and I."

Stiles tilted his head at her, "Would you like there to be something going on?"

Braeden rolled her eyes at him, "Are you serious right now? No."

Stiles nodded, looking at the road, but responded, "If I'm not mistaken, I think you do want something with him. And from what I can tell, he's into you too."

Braeden's incredulous face stared at Stiles before she replied with a question, "What makes you think that?"

Stiles never made eye contact while he explained his reasoning to her. "Well, for starters, Derek always asks about you whenever there's a pack meeting. He has to make sure you're coming or find out why you're not. Also, whenever you're kicking ass, he looks at you like he's seeing stars. I mean, we all do because you're pretty badass. But he especially does, like even after it's already over." Braeden just sits there thinking. "I mean, if you ask me, there are a lot of things that point to you and Derek making a great couple."

That statement is what caused Braeden to explode with laughter, "Please enlighten me, Stiles. How so?" Stiles answered, "You guys are like the same person in two different bodies. You make the same facial expressions for bat's sake!"

Braeden giggles at Stiles being such a character, "We do not!"

Stiles gave her a stern look, "Just because you don't see it happening doesn't mean it's not. Not to mention you both have a very low tolerance for bullshit. And you're both very protective people."

Braeden shook her head, "He might be. I'm not. I only do what I'm paid for."

Stiles threw her an unbelieving glare, "I know you want us all to believe that. But you didn't have to save Derek and Peter from being killed by those things. You weren't being paid to do that." Braeden pursed her lips together and looked away from Stiles. Stiles continued, "Let me ask you this. Do you feel chemistry with him?" Braeden tilted her head back and sucked in a deep breath before regrettingly responding with a short nod. Stiles asked, "Do you, I don't know, like him?"

Braeden sighed, "Maybe." Stiles opened his mouth wide in shock and excitement but was cut short by Braeden. "But it's stupid. I shouldn't. I shouldn't have feelings for him whatsoever. I'm not that type of girl to get attached and want to date and fall in love. I'm not that girl, Stiles. I never have been. And I don't want to start being her now."

Stiles nodded, noticing the change in Braeden's voice as she tried to cope with her unwanted feelings for Derek. "Why won't you tell him?"

Braeden whipped her head around to him like lightning, "Are you insane? I would never ever tell him! Did you hear what I just said? These stupid feelings will go away eventually."

Stiles pulled up to his house and cut the Jeep off. He turned to face her, "Why would you want them to? If this is the first time you're actually feeling something strong for someone, why would you want those feelings to stop?"

Braeden cut her eyes from him to the floor, "I don't know. If I've never opened myself up to anyone, why would I want to start now? That could only lead to me getting hurt."

Stiles slowly nodded, "Sometimes it hurts. But it's worth it."

Braeden glanced back up at him curiously, "Was it worth it for you?"

Stiles narrowed his eyes, "Are you talking about Lydia?"

Braeden nods, "Yeah, I mean-You've moved on now, right? Do you feel like you wasted your time?"

Stiles shook his head slightly, "Not really. If anything, I just spent my time being her friend and getting to know her better. It didn't matter that she didn't reciprocate my feelings. Now we're like best friends."

Braeden nodded in understanding, "But are you happy that way? Are you happy knowing that you're only her friend?"

Stiles sat pondering for a moment. He finally answered, "I'm not ecstatic. I'm content. I have Malia now, which I guess I should be thrilled about. But for some reason, I'm not. I'm just content. I have a girl that I'm kinda dating and a best friend that I'm trying to fall out of love with."

Braeden's eyebrows immediately tried to connect with her hairline, "You're still in love with her?"

Stiles closed his eyes tightly for a moment and opened them again, "I didn't realize I said that. I… I guess I am."

Braeden smiled genuinely at him, "I don't know if you should take this as any reassurance, but I'm pretty sure Lydia has feelings for you too."

Stiles' eyebrows scrunched together and he looked at Braeden as if she were a ghost. "What?"

Braeden explained, "When I first came back, I thought you and Lydia were a thing. You seemed to have this couple vibe going on. That's why I was so confused when I saw Malia kiss you one day. I ended up asking Kira. She's the one who explained to me your previous feelings for Lydia. After she told me that, I started taking note of Lydia's reactions when you and Malia were around. Let me just say there's a noticeable difference from when only you're there and when Malia is tagging along."

Stiles' eyes quickly travelled back and forth between Braeden's, trying to process the information she had just dumped on him. Stiles, still looking slightly dazed, asked "Wait, so what do you mean? Lydia acts jealous or something?"

Braeden nodded, "It's somewhere between jealousy and pain. Half of the time she looks like she's trying to cover up the hurt. The other half of the time, she looks so irritated like she could just cut Malia. But when you're around by yourself, she seems at ease. When you're not there and Malia is, she's totally fine until Malia brings you up. Then Lydia looks irritated again."

Stiles leaned back in his seat, "Hmm. Well maybe it's not that Lydia has feelings for me. Maybe she just doesn't like Malia."

Braeden leans forward and rests her elbows on the dashboard. "You could be correct. Or I'm picking up on something that you perhaps weren't expecting, and therefore not looking for." They both sat in silence for a while.

Stiles concluded, "Well, if Lydia is feeling something, I have to let her come to me. She has to make the decision to let me know how she feels."

Braeden pursed her lips together, "That sounds good in theory. But she might not ever tell you how she feels. Maybe she thinks she's too late so she'll just suffer in silence."

Stiles sighed, "Well I wouldn't want that for her. I did it for years so I know how it feels. But what would I do about Malia?"

Braeden turned up one side of her mouth in a crooked smirk, "You would figure it out to be with the girl you truly love."

Stiles' lips started to turn up into a smile before he stopped them, "What if you're totally wrong about this and she has no feelings whatsoever? I don't want to hurt Malia without reason."

Braeden responded, "Then don't. But at least talk to Lydia to find out how she feels about you and Malia. You said she's your best friend. Even if she doesn't have feelings for you, I'm sure she'd have thoughts about your relationship. She would want the best for you no matter what, whether she thinks it herself or Malia. Best friends don't want to see the other one unhappy. That's a fact."

Stiles sighed and nodded his head, "I guess I've dealt with rejection from her before. This wouldn't be the first time. I can handle it."

Braeden pointed her index finger at him, "That's if she rejects you. Remember, I'm rooting for Lydia to admit her feelings to you."

Stiles didn't say anything for a moment. "The same way you're going to admit your feelings to Derek?"

Braeden growled under her breath and leaned back in her seat. "If you talk to Lydia, then I will talk to Derek."

Stiles smirked at her and quickly yelled, "Deal!"

Braeden removed her seatbelt, "I'm going to go do it now."

Stiles opened his eyes wide, "Really?"

Braeden hopped out of the Jeep and said, "Yeah. Why wait so I can talk myself out of it?"

Stiles got out of the Jeep also and started to walk toward his house, "Good point." Braeden grabbed her helmet off her motorcycle and put it on. Stiles waited for her to turn the bike on, "I'm glad we talked, Braeden."

Braeden nodded at him while getting on, "Me too. I feel like this is possibly the dumbest, most reckless thing I could ever do."

Stiles laughed at her dreadful expression, "A deal is a deal. We might both make stupid mistakes but we'll do it together."

Braeden responded with a nod, "A deal is a deal." She backed out of Stiles' driveway and took off en route back to Derek's loft.

Braeden stood at Derek's loft door, waiting for him to answer it. "A deal is a deal my ass," she whispered under her breath. She turned to walk away when she heard the click of the door opening. She whipped back around to see Derek standing there, looking shocked to see her, but not unhappy.

Braeden sucked in a breath, "Hi, Derek. Did I wake you?"

The tips of Derek's mouth turned downward as he shook his head, "No, I was just about to go to bed."

Braeden nodded noticing his dripping wet hair and damp shirt that clung to him in all the right places, "Oh, okay. Well can I come in?" Derek opened the door wide enough for her to enter and she did. He closed it behind them and went to go sit on the couch.

He nodded at the seat next to him, "You want to sit?"

Braeden shook her head and started pacing the floor, "No, that will only make this harder."

Derek sat up straighter hearing her increasing heartbeat, getting worried, "Braeden, what's going on? Is everything okay?" Braeden turned to look at him and relaxed a bit at his expression. Seeing how much he cared about everyone in general only added to her list of things to like about Derek Hale.

Braeden assured him, "Nothing is going on. Everyone is fine."

Derek's nerves seemed to vanish but he stared at her a little harder with narrowed eyes, "But are you?"

Braeden shook her head and peered at the floor, "I don't know. I just… So, I was talking to Stiles in the Jeep."

Derek rolled his eyes and shook his head and before she could continue, "Don't listen to anything that idiot says."

Braeden's eyes came up to meet Derek's and disappointment flooded her, "I knew it."

Derek tilted his head noticing this shift, "Wait, what did he say this time?"

Braeden cleared her expression and fully looked up this time and took a deep breath, "Nothing. Just that he was noticing some tension between us. He asked me if anything was going on with us. And of course, I said no. But then I got kinda sad because maybe I do want there to be something happening with us. And I just don't know how to feel anymore." At his silence, Braeden dropped her eyes back to the floor. She continued, "I'm not coming over here to ask you out or anything. Because you've been through a lot lately and there's just so much going on with the pack and the Berserkers. You don't have time for a relationship and neither do I. Honestly, I don't want to be emotionally attached to anyone, especially a werewolf. Now that I think about it, I don't really know why I'm here. I don't know what I expected to come out of this. Let's just forget about this. It never happened, okay? Just promise me you won't look at me differently after this." Braeden's speech was cut short by Derek's nearness. He had walked over to her and she hadn't even noticed. She dared to look into his eyes.

He stared down into her gorgeous brown orbs with a smirk on his face. He did his classic Hale-shrug and replied, "Too late. I already do." With that, he cupped her chin and brought her perfect lips to meet his. Braeden immediately relaxed into this motion and reached her arms up around his shoulders, one hand tangling in his shower-fresh hair. His free hand wrapped around her mid-back and he pulled her closer to him, slightly spinning them in the hurriedness of the movement. The kiss slowed to a stop and they finally came up for air. Braeden bit her bottom lip as she stared on at Derek's expression that she couldn't quite place. Derek spoke, "I've always looked at you differently." Braeden's face lit into a smile but she remained quiet. Derek continued, "I've always wanted to be closer to you, to get to know you. What makes you happy? What makes you flustered?" He started to laugh as he kept going, "I mean, I've never seen you fall apart like that. Ever. You were rambling and I swore you were on the verge of having dyspnea. I thought I'd never see the day. Badasses don't fall apart like that!"

Braeden lightly punched his shoulder, "Shut up! Don't get used to it. It's never happening again." He kept laughing. Braeden pulled out of his arms and began to walk towards the door.

Derek stopped laughing and his jaw fell at the sight of her leaving, "Wait, you're leaving?"

Braeden turned back to look at him with a softer expression, "Yeah, I think we both need sleep. If I stay, I won't get any."

Derek displayed disappointment but he forced a smile, "You're right. We're going to need it for tomorrow. But when can I actually take you out?"

Braeden smirked, "We don't have to go out. I don't think we have time for that with everything that's going on. We can stay in and have dinner, watch a movie."

Derek nods, "Okay, I'll plan it. But until then..." He crossed the room to give Braeden a slow, sweet peck on the lips.

Braeden suppressed a giddy smile, "Hmm, I can get used to this." She pecked him again.

Derek added, "And this." He pecked her one last time.

Braeden turned to leave, "I'll be back tomorrow morning with the others."

She began opening the door when she heard him say, "Brae." She turned her head only to see him out of her peripheral vision. He smirked at her, "Seems like you wanted to come in after all."

Braeden snorted and rolled her eyes at him, "Goodnight Hale." With that, she left the loft and returned to her bike with the most enormous smile on her face. She sat on her bike and pulled out her phone. She texted Stiles before speeding home:

:) My portion is done. Remember: A deal is a deal.

Stiles sat in his Jeep in front of Lydia's house, with his head against the steering wheel, trying to gain the confidence to go inside. After Braeden left, he had gone up to his room, thinking he could push off the Lydia confrontation to a later date. Turns out, he couldn't think about anything else. He had to go and get it done now, like Braeden said, before he talked himself out of it. He took a deep breath, grabbed his phone, and dialed Lydia.

After five rings, she picked up yawning, "Stiles?"

Stiles answered, "Yeah, Lyds. Were you sleeping?"

Lydia had just lied across her bed, "No. You need something?"

Stiles nodded knowing she couldn't see him, "Actually, yeah. I'm at your house. Can you let me up? I want to talk."

Lydia's voice changed as a mix of surprise, wonder, and fear took over. "Uh, yeah sure. Be right down." Stiles got out of the Jeep and began to walk up the walkway when he felt his phone vibrate in his hand. He looked down at his phone and read a text from Malia:

No cuddling tonight because you're not in your room. :( Did you make it home safely?

Stiles debated on whether or not to text back. He decided to send:

Yeah, I'm fine. I just left out again.

Stiles was turning the vibration on his phone completely off when Lydia opened the door. Lydia's messy hair was falling into her face, so she put it in a bun as she invited Stiles in. Stiles whispered, "Thanks for letting me in." Lydia nodded as they approached her room. Stiles followed her in and Lydia closed the door. Lydia lied back across her bed and Stiles pulled up her desk chair to sit in.

Lydia looked out the window which provoked Stiles to do the same. "Are you going to tell me what you wanted to talk about or are we going to enjoy the night sky together?"

Stiles coughed up a laugh, "You don't know how much more plausible that suggestion sounds."

Lydia stared up at Stiles, "Seriously, what's up?"

Stiles took a deep breath and began, "Honestly, I just wanted to talk to you about Malia."

Lydia's eyebrows jumped and she seemed confused, "What about her?"

Stiles started to tug at the cord of his red windbreaker as he spoke, "What do you think about her? Besides Scott, you're my best friend and I honestly haven't even talked to you about her. I don't know why that is. But it's bothering me. You should be able to tell me how you feel about her. So how do you feel?"

Lydia took a moment and nodded. She began, "Well Malia is pretty cool. She's a pretty good fighter. She's trying to catch on to pack values. I mean, she hasn't reminded me how she'd leave the rest of the pack for dead in a while. That's something. She's trying and I appreciate the effort."

Stiles wasn't happy with her conclusion. It sounded like there was something she wasn't saying. So he tried a different approach. "Okay, and how do you feel about she and I as a couple?" The moment the words left Stiles' mouth, he saw what Braeden was talking about in Lydia's green eyes. He saw the hurt that she quickly concealed with a shrug and a forced smile.

Lydia looked away from his eyes and started watching him play with the red string on his jacket, "If she makes you happy, that's all that matters to me. You two make a cute couple."

Stiles slowly nodded but didn't stop staring at her eyes. "Okay so tell me how you really feel about us."

Lydia's eyes snapped up to meet his, "What are you talking about?"

Stiles smirked, "If you don't like her for me, just admit it."

Lydia gave him a dubious glare, "What more do you want from me, Stiles? I said you make a cute couple."

Stiles leaned closer to the bed, "You still haven't said you like her for me. Is it because you don't?"

Lydia subtlety shook her head. "No, I don't. I don't like her for you."

Stiles leaned back in her chair and nodded, "Why?"

Lydia sighed and continued, "She's controlling and slightly abusive. She's sort of clingy and when you're not around, she still finds a way to bring you up at every chance she gets. It's so annoying. I don't want to hear about the scratches she puts on your back every other night. It disgusts me."

Stiles looked shocked but mostly amused, "She tells you that? Wow. And it disgusts you? That's a little harsh."

Lydia put her hand under her chin and leaned up on it. "Okay. Go back in time with me. Imagine Aiden constantly telling you about our sexual rendezvous. You wouldn't be slightly mentally disturbed at the thought?"

Stiles scrunched his eyebrows together and responded, "Yeah, I would. But I was in love with you."

Lydia shrugged her shoulders and let her gaze fall, "Well."

Stiles' eyes opened wide and he stammered, "Lyd-Lydia, look at me." She didn't want to look up for fear that the tears that lined the brim of her eyes would spill into the atmosphere. She really wanted to avoid crying in front of Stiles at all costs. Stiles asked again, "Will you look at me, Lydia?"

She continued to stare down while she answered, "Why? So you can look me in my eyes when I tell you that I'm in love with you? I don't think so. I'm not going to look like a fool in front of a guy who has a girlfriend. Not to mention, a guy that I've rejected plenty of times."

Stiles' hand slipped under Lydia's chin to pull her face up to meet his. Lydia closed her eyes and tears began pouring from her ducts. Stiles smiled at her because not only was she so beautiful with her messy strawberry blonde bun, she had it all wrong. Stiles again said, "Look at me." When she did, he continued. "Malia is not my girlfriend. And you don't look like a fool. I've never stopped loving you. That's why nothing has moved forward with me and Malia. She's cool but she's not you. I just figured I couldn't make you love me. So I tried to move on. Obviously, it was unsuccessful." They both giggled. Lydia abruptly stopped laughing and leaned all the way forward to crash her lips onto Stiles'. He leaned forward to meet her with just as much force. Lydia's tongue entered his mouth and Stiles felt the heavens open up. They both kissed with every ounce of passion stored within them. They separated, out of breath, and very happy.

Soon Lydia's face returned serious, "I'm sorry that it took me so long. You've been waiting to hear that for years."

Stiles moved his hand to her hair, "I have. But you said it. And you said it before we turned thirty. That's all that matters."

Lydia smirked and her tears slowed to a stop. "Just for the record, I started having feelings for you a while ago. It's not like I waited until you were seeing someone to drop this on you. It was around the time of the Nogitsune, actually."

A smile crept onto Stiles' face, "You've been holding in these feelings since then? I didn't know that."

Lydia returned his smile, "Had you not come here tonight, I probably wouldn't have told you. I'm so glad you did."

Stiles smirks, "I am too. I gotta thank Braeden."

Lydia pursed her lips in a confusing manner, "Really? Why?"

Stiles didn't want to give away everything but he said, "Well, she's kinda the one who convinced me to come talk to you. She figured I was still in love with you and she had a feeling you felt the same."

Lydia looked delightfully taken aback, "How insightful of her. She's pretty amazing, I gotta admit."

Stiles nodded in agreement, "She is." Lydia thought for a moment while Stiles took his phone out of his pocket to see his missed texts. He saw the text from Braeden.

Lydia mentioned, "I hope she sticks around for a while."

Stiles smiled at the phone and returned to admiring Lydia, "Something tells me she will." He leaned forward and kissed Lydia's lips. He stood and moved the chair back to its rightful place in the room.

Lydia asked standing up, "Is this goodnight?"

Stiles nodded and moved to kiss her forehead before they began to exit Lydia's room, "I believe so. Sleep is necessary for survival in this town."

Lydia smirked at him and agreed, "Indeed." When they reached the front door, Lydia said "Goodnight, Stiles."

Stiles turned back to take in her face once more, "Goodnight Lyds. See you in a few hours." He walked to his Jeep before Lydia closed and locked her front door.

Stiles sat in the car staring straight ahead with so many thoughts and emotions filling his mind. The love of his life loved him back! It couldn't get any better than that. He looked back down at his phone and sent one last text to Braeden before driving home for the night.

It's a done deal, my friend. :)

Author's note: Thank you all for reading! This is my first attempt at Teen Wolf fan fiction. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review, fave, and/or contact me. I'd love to hear feedback. I'm open to suggestions on how to improve. In the end, we all just want to become better writers. If you'd like to, follow me on tumblr. Thanks again everyone! :]