"He doesn't love you Stiles." Scott growled for what seemed like the millionth time.
"What does it matter to you? It's my life, dammit; let me live it." Stiles said wearily. He was tired of this 'conversation' already.
"It matters because you are my best friend and I want to see you happy." Scott was doing his best to will Stiles to understand where he was coming from.
Stiles resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So what you're saying is that I can't be happy with him?"
Scott sighed. He couldn't believe that Stiles was being this thick. He knew his friend was smart, but evidently he had a dumb spot for his boyfriend. "You're not happy, not really. You're living a lie."
"I don't care if it's a lie. Living with a false happiness is better than living with no happiness at all." Stiles growled softly. Why couldn't Scott leave well enough alone? He was getting tired of Scott's need to be right.
Scott blink at his friend. "What do you mean by that?" he asked flatly.
"Have you ever taken a look at my life? Fuck, I came back to Beacon Hills. I live in my old room at my dad's house. I can't hold down a job. Taylor left me; and Derek was the only one there to help me pick up the pieces of my tattered life. So, let me have my happiness; no matter how fake it is to you." Stiles begged while holding back the tears. He knew that Derek didn't really love him, but he could pretend. Pretend that he wasn't the token human, like he truly mattered; that someone actually fucking cared about him.
"We were right here Stiles, all you had to do was ask." Scott replied softly while shaking his head.
"I shouldn't have to ask. That's what friends are for. Have you or Isaac or anyone in this pack ever had to ask me for help? For support? Hell, for any fucking thing?" Stiles screamed as his emotions finally got the better of him.
"I had to ask you to go and get Allison tampons a weeks back." Scott reminded him.
"What the actual fuck? Scott, I am your friend. I am not some creepy stalker who keeps track of your girlfriend's period and tampon count. Besides, I did it; didn't I? How many men do you know of who would do that? Certainly not Jackson, I know because he told me you asked him." Stiles ranted. This was getting beyond ridiculous.
"Yeah well, how is that any different from you asking us for help?" Scott murmured defensively
"Oh, well let's see. With yours, I would need stalker tendencies. Which, might I point out, I do not have; and with mine you just have to look at me to see if I was depressed or not." Stiles deflated a bit, really this fight was getting nowhere fast and it was physically wearing him out.
"So he noticed you were depressed when I didn't; big deal. That still doesn't mean he loves you." It was a little scary to Stiles how earnest Scott sounded.
"And here I thought you were an intelligent man. Thanks for proving me wrong. You might want to warn Allison before you accidentally knock her up and start going caveman on her." Stiles replied dryly.
Scott's confusion was clear in his voice and on his face. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing Scott, absolutely nothing. I'm tired of arguing with you." Stiles whispered while shaking his head. This was futile and he knew it.
"So, you finally understand what I've been saying about Derek?" Scott's smile actually pissed Stiles off a little bit. Not enough to keep arguing.
"I understood your rant from the beginning. All I was trying to do is make you see my point." Stiles deflated. He had honestly thought Scott would understand.
"What point Stiles? Help me understand." Scott pleaded with him.
"I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm an adult now and my point is that it's my decision… and I choose to be with Derek!" Stiles yelled.
"He's right you know? He's a big boy and it's his decision. I know you don't like me Scott, you never have, but if you have a problem with me say it to my face instead of attacking your best friend," Derek growled as a way of greeting.
"You don't love him Derek and you'll just hurt him in the end." Scott snarled. His contempt for the Alpha written clearly on his face and in his posture.
"I love him enough to keep him alive, more than I can say about you and your friends." Derek sneered.
"What a load of crap. You're just using him and waiting until you can get me to join your pack, and then you are going to break his heart or kill him. Besides why don't you tell him how you came on to Allison? How you professed your love to her…"
"Stiles, about six months before we got together, while I was still quite insane, I thought I wanted the brunette bimbo. Told her I loved her and she told me how much she hated me. About a week later you found me brooding enough to give Peter a run for his money and drowning in drink, took me home, cleaned me up, and then after a few months of hanging out you professed your love and I accepted. There is that good enough?"
"There you see? He's just using you as bait to get me and Allison…" Scott said imperiously while point at the brunette man.
"Why don't you tell him that the only reason you're pissed, Scott; is that you lost your little fuck toy? How Allison tried to jump me a few days ago after you two broke up again? I turned her down, by the way. In fact I took her straight to her Daddy and made sure he knew she wasn't welcome back until she learned some control." Derek smiled, the man was clearly enjoying the younger man's discomfort.
Scott pushed the alpha as he yelled, "You're such an ass. You're always trying to prove you're right and everyone else is wrong. Well this time you're wrong. This isn't about Allison; this is about Stiles. You're not good enough for him. You'll break his heart. He deserves someone like Danny. Danny would treat him right!"
Derek grabbed the younger man by his throat and pushed him into the wall that was ten feet behind him. "I think you're confusing me with you. I/I was actually there for Stiles. When he dove into the deepest darkest spot I have ever seen anyone be; I made sure he didn't end it all. I encouraged him to keep going, to not give up on your emo ass and to take a chance with me. I have never done anything he hates and I would rather swallow wolfs bane than hurt him. I have been doing my damnedest to make sure he knows he's worth every bit of attention I give him and so much more. The only part you're right on, is that I'm not good enough. No one is good enough to be with him. That won't stop me from trying. He's my mate and I'm not willing to give him up just because you're feeling a little butt hurt. Get over yourself and quit hurting Stiles, or I will make sure you feel more pain than he does."
"No, you always want what I have and you would do anything to get me into your pack. Anything! Well, you can't have Stiles. He was my friend first and you're not allowed to - to pervert him with your stinky Alpha pheromones!" Scott grumbled.
"Umm, Scott, no offense man; but I'm not a toy that you can allow, or not allow others to play with. Yes, you're my friend. No, you can't tell Derek to stay away. Only I can tell him to stay away and I don't want him to leave me. I'm sick of people leaving me," Stiles replied. He moved between the two wolves, making sure he faced his best friend. Not the safest of places to be, but he needed to keep them from killing each other.
Derek crept up behind Stiles and wrapped his arms around the younger man and whispered into his neck, "I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever. Get used to it, I'm in this for the long haul."
"Stiles!" Scott yelled as he tugged at his friend.
"No Scott, just no. Look at everything he's done for us, what he has done for me. He's died for both of us. He took the rap when Peter went on a murderous rampage and killed his sister. I've saved him and no matter what you say. I'm staying with him. I'm giving us a chance. Back me up or just back up. Please Scott," Stiles pleaded. He did not want to choose between his best friend and his boyfriend.
"Fuck, are you sure? Can you trust him? Do you trust him?" Scott asked quietly.
Stiles raised his right arm and buried his fingers into Derek's hair and squeezed his boyfriend's arm with the other. "Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I can trust him. Oh, and yes; I do trust him - with my life and with my heart."
Derek nuzzled Stiles' slender neck and whispered, "Thank you."
Scott sighed loudly, "Fine, you hurt him and I'll kill you."
Derek just shrugged and tugged Stiles away. He needed to go home and make his mate understand the meaning of 'forever'.
~Fin~
End Notes
Thanks to Drivven for being my beta. Most of this story is three years old and from a different fandom all together. Hopefully I managed to erase all traces of BtVS from it.