There was fog everywhere, and he could hardly breathe – he had run miles, or what felt like miles, at least, and now he couldn't hear a single thing.
Looking around a bit wildly, he tried to calm down and think of what to do, what his next step should be, but he couldn't see, and he couldn't breathe, and, really, compared to vampires he could barely hear anything at all.
He was so, so screwed.
Suddenly, he hears a low growl behind him, and he can't even try not to look – he's helpless and alone in the middle of the forest, and now he's going to die.
Red eyes flash at him and he takes another deep breath, steeling himself – his whole face seems to scream that he won't go down without a fight.
"Cut! That's a wrap for today, folks!"
Stiles Stilinski rolls his neck a bit – these scenes with the fog and the tension when nothing really happens always make him nervous, because if he doesn't act convincingly enough, it'll suck.
And, seriously, they are in a teen show about vampires. They don't need anything else as a disadvantage.
"Good job today, everyone! Let's wrap this up for today!"
The director nods at him, and Stiles breathes a little more easily, knowing he did his best – the next scene they have to shoot needs a location that won't be available until tomorrow, so he's pretty much done for the day.
Maybe, maybe, he'll have time to actually sleep more than five hours tonight.
That'd be great.
He goes to his trailer, takes off his on screen clothes and leaves, just as Scott is coming out of his trailer too.
"Hey, man! Ready for tomorrow?"
Scott's smile is open and happy – and for a moment Stiles has to appreciate the friend he has in this boy. When the series began, three seasons before, Scott was the male lead – he was supposed to be an unwilling vampire, who falls in love with a ballerina. Lots of angst and blood and loss and all of that were supposed to make the public cheer for them, and hope Scott's character could get his humanity back – except that… well. Except that people kind of got over Scott's character too fast, and the critics just wouldn't stop coming – things that weren't Scott's fault, really, but they would go for it anyway. Then they tried to fix it, making Lydia's character a little moreabrasive, and everything kind of fell apart, because suddenly she was just too much for Scott's boyish/puppyish charm. Thankfully, Allison's character kind of gave a new light into the show – she was pretty and kind, and looked like a Disney Princess come to life, and her badassness didn't come across as aggressively as Lydia's did, so she was the new romantic interest for Scott's character (which was great, because she was kind of Scott's girlfriend, going on five months now).
While all of this was happening, though, Stiles's character, who was supposed to be the sidekick, the funny one, the comic relief, kept on getting more and more screen time, because of the audience. Somehow his on-screen persona, the easy-going college student who liked to research old books and wore glasses, had become a darling among the fans of the show, and they loved him.
Soon, the idea that he had to have a romantic interest was coming up more and more in the writers' room, and it came as kind of a shock when he realized that they wanted to portray him as a bisexual character.
Now, don't get Stiles wrong, he loved the idea. He really, really did. It was his chance to stop people from saying he was confused, or that it was just a phase, or that he was a slut – he could play a bisexual male who had been platonically in love with Lydia's character and then finally moved on to a real relationship with another male: that was golden. That was a huge opportunity for a beginner actor, and he was happy to take it.
The thing is that there were two problems with that: the first was that Stiles's plotline kept on getting more and more attention from the public and the producers of the series – his scenes started growing more and more, and Scott's started to decrease. Scott, though, being the true friend that he was, was happy for him instead of being mad, and even Allison was happy for him, even if it meant that her scenes would be rarer too. He still felt weird about that, but he could live with it. He totally could.
The second problem was a bit more… complicated.
Because his second problem answered by the name of Derek Hale.
Derek Hale played a vampire – on the first season he was supposed to be a villain, but then everyone seemed to fall in love with his looks, his voice, and the way his character kept on getting screwed over and over, and not in a fun way. He and Stiles had a few scenes together, and he had to admit, they were great on-screen. Derek's sullen and moody vampire was the perfect counter point for Stiles's bookish student, and he had fun shooting – and the audience started to, as they called it, ship them.
He had laughed back then, of course, thinking that no show would try and do that, but Vampyre Vale had an open-minded fan-base, and the couple started to get a lot of attention on the media, people demanding for them to get together, because they had been on a build-up for two whole seasons, some people pointing out that they had more development than both of Scott's romantic interests.
The writers started to consider this when the viewing rates started going up every single time there was a particular good moment between Stiles's and Derek's characters, and in the meetings for season three planning, it was decided they would make it official – they'd become a couple, and, well, they would have their first kiss the next day.
Stiles's problem was not with his character's love interest. It wasn't with the show, or the fans, or the bisexual thing, really: Stiles problem was the burning hatred he felt for Derek Hale.
The guy was the douchiest person he had ever had the displeasure of meeting. He was sullen and cold and a little bit violent, closed off and moody, and never said more than three words to Stiles if they weren't shooting – unlike his character, who thought Stiles's one to be enchanting and engaging, Derek made it clear that he thought Stiles was annoying, irritating and disgusting, and they had never exchanged more than three words out of the sets.
Of course, every time they had an interview or a convention, they acted friendly – Derek would put his arms around his shoulder, smile at the cameras. Stiles would make kissy faces at Derek, and they'd play their parts perfectly, because this is television: you have to sell ideas if you want people to watch your show, and even though the whole concept was hilarious, Stiles liked his part, he liked his character, and he cared about his co-workers, so he wanted this to work.
If only Derek wasn't such a rude, mean, stupid douchebag.
"Super excited" he tells Scott flatly, and the other boy laughs quietly, patting him on the shoulder.
"Maybe all he needs is to kiss you, and then he'll stop being so… you know. Derek" he tells Stiles with a shrug and a wave, leaving for Allison's trailer.
Sure. His magic kisses will cure Derek Hale's jerk tendencies.
He can totally see that happening.
X
You see, most days, Derek has no idea how in the name of all that's sacred, he ended up as an actor.
He hates people.
If it was up to him, he'd spend his days working out and wandering around the woods that surrounded his childhood home, or even reading.
Or, as Laura liked to call it, brooding.
Whatever. Anything was better than having to spend all of his time around other people, and yet, here he was.
His character wasn't supposed to be getting all the attention it was, really – he had been cast to play a broody vampire, who would be in and out of the series in one season – he was supposed to be a villain, and then die somehow, and that's it.
Of course that it didn't happen. Apparently, his sullen attitude was adorable to the public. There were posts on websites calling himbaby all the time, and fangirls and fanboys swearing they wanted to make him happy and wrap him in blankets, and he kind of didn't know where that had come from – he was supposed to be a strong, violent vampire.
He came across as Edward Cullen's non-creepy twin. His character's tendency to lurk and hide around people's rooms became a habit, and its relationship with the nerdy one kept on coming back and, really, when the producers decided it was time for them to actually turn into canon what the people who watched the show had already decided was true, he wasn't even that surprised.
He was kind of scared, though.
Not because of the part – he may not know how he had actually passed any tests to be a vampire in a teen production, and he may not even like acting all that much, but he was good. He wouldn't be winning any Oscars any time soon, but he was good enough and, well, Stiles was kind of amazing. The kid could make anyone believe anything, and his freaking eyes were just so expressive and -
Okay, so he got a little carried away where Stiles was concerned. That was exactly what was scaring him, actually: how was he supposed to kiss the damn kid and not, well, really kiss him? It was hard enough knowing that Stiles couldn't stand him for real, he made that all too clear every time they had to make a public appearance together, even though to the eyes of the public they were the best of friends, but where no one could see, Stilesreally hated him.
It was hard enough when they had to keep playing the fine line between flirting and arguing during the shooting, but now they would actually be together on screen and Derek was screwed.
He drives to his place in Vancouver trying very hard not to bite his nails, and he really, really doesn't want to speak to his family tonight.
He knows it's a bit much that they call every day to check on him, but when he decided to try out for the part, he didn't really realize he would be moving to another country for months, so they could shoot. Being away from his family was hard – harder than it would be normally, but with their, well, with the way his family is, it's hard and talking everyday helps a lot.
Except when Cora commandeers the phone, doesn't let anyone else get a word in, and keeps teasing him about his job, his part and his crush on Stiles.
And now that he had made the mistake of telling them his character would actually be in a relationship with the guy's character, well. He just wasn't looking forward to the freaking teasing. Especially because he had as much of a chance with Stiles as he had of winning an Emmy.
His place is pretty simple and he's glad he doesn't have to share it with anyone else. He misses living near someone he knows and trusts, but he's no good around acquaintances, and the pressure of not being able to be himself, not even in his own home, would have probably drive him up the wall in no time. He's barely out of the shower when his phone rings, and he sighs resignedly, picking it up.
Strangely enough it's his mom on the line, and not one of his sisters. Apparently, she knows he'd be a mess right now, and decided to bane the others from the room.
Good. There's no teasing, just a bit of advice to put himself out there more, and stop being so distrustful of people, but it's way better than he had expected.
He goes to bed with the feeling that maybe it won't be so bad after all.
X
It's hell.
There's no other way to describe it. Their dialogue is bad and it feels forced, and while it's not as cheesy as he'd expect it to be, it's still way more filled with feelings than he could have expected, and he has no idea how they're going to pull this off.
At all.
The day they had read through the script, he mostly hadn't paid attention – he had about three lines in there, Derek had to do pretty much all of the work – line-wise – so he hadn't really realized how disconnected from the character he was. He was supposed to look at the vampire and understand him. Want to be with him, because he knew his pain and his suffering, and it was freaking hard, because while he got all of Vlad's (yes. The vampire's name was Vlad and Stiles refuses to even think about that. He's just glad his name on the show isn't Mino. Or Lucius) issues, he had a tiny bit of trouble seeing them in Derek, because Derek… well, apart from being a jerk, he knows nothing about Derek.
He's so nervous he could barely sleep last night – it's the first time his character is going to kiss someone on screen, and he doesn't want to fuck this up, and have people saying that their relationship isn't believable because of his acting.
It's hell, and it's bad, and he knows every single person on the set knows it's the worst he and Derek have ever been before.
"Okay, guys, let's take five here" the director calls after their fourth attempt to get to the main event of the scene and not being able to.
Derek looks about ready to murder him – and Stiles can't really blame him. The guy's been sprouting love confessions at him all morning, and Stiles can't stop laughing. It's nervous laughter, sure, but laughter nonetheless.
The guy looks at him, and Stiles looks down, massaging his forehead.
"I'm really, really sorry, I just… I didn't think it'd be this hard. I'm…" he doesn't even finish, and Derek shakes his head, going to the Director.
Probably to tell the man that he's done, and they better kill Stiles's character in the show after all – Vlad having to live with a dead lover hanging over his poor, damaged soul would work in their favor even better than Stiles's character finally getting some action. After about five minutes of deliberation, Derek comes back, looking determined.
"Just go with me here" he tells Stiles and they get to their marks again, Stiles side-eyeing him the whole time.
Action!
Instead of launching himself into a long confession, like he had done all of the previous takes, Derek just looks at him.
It's freaking unnerving, because the guy's eyes are, like, five thousand different colors all at once.
"I just can't…" Derek starts, the beginning of Vlad's speech, that goes on to tell how he can't bear to live without Dave anymore, and how he's the sun to his darkness, yadda yadda – all the stuff that Stiles keeps laughing at without meaning to, "I just can't figure you out" Derek says instead, and Stiles startles a bit as Derek takes three large steps towards him, yanks him closer by the front of his shirt and just kisses him as if that's what he's ever wanted to do in his life.
He flails for a moment, hands wild, and then he rests them on Derek's shoulder, relaxing against his grip and kisses him back – soft and hesitant, contrasting with Derek's way of kissing, taking possession of his mouth as if he's marking territory – and when Derek pulls back, Stiles stares at him for a moment, dazed, holding on to the guy's shoulder so he's won't just fall to the ground.
"Wow" he breathes without meaning to, and Derek's smirk is teasing and his eyes are shining, and Stiles can't help but smile back at him.
Cut!
Stiles blinks hard a few times, remembering they are on scene, on set, Derek's a vampire and wow.
He's so screwed it's not even funny.
He suddenly remembers himself and takes a few steps back, hears the director telling Derek he's done a great job at understanding the drive and motivations of Vlad, and telling him he was extremely convincing as a guy getting his first kiss from the love of his life, except he's not really… he's not really listening.
The scene will look great, he's sure of it – Derek's ass looks great too as he literally slinks out of the set, actually walking only through the shadow of the cranes and cameras, and disappearing among other people as Stiles looks around Dave's room. The scene will look great, and the fans will buy it, but he kind of doesn't.
He really doesn't. That's not… that wasn't really Vlad right there. The vampire on the show is gorgeous, and mysterious and all that crap teen girls think it's attractive, but he isn't that assertive, that sure of himself.
Vlad wouldn't kiss Dave like that in a million years insofar as Stiles has seen the character in the show, and he has seen it all, because he actually watches the freaking thing.
That kiss – that awesome kiss, by the way – that wasn't Vlad. Vlad would take Dave slowly. He would walk step by step towards him, and then he'd take Dave's face in his hands carefully, as if afraid to break him, and then he would barely touch his lips to Dave's, and pull away a second later, and Dave, impulsive, abrasive, quick-paced Dave, would deepen their second kiss into a proper one, and Vlad wouldn't smirk. He'd smile. Maybe sigh – not smirk, never smirk.
That was all Derek.
Oh, his part in this show has just gotten a thousand times more dangerous.
And a hell of a lot more interesting.
X
Derek hoped it might get easier, but, really, it won't. If possible, it'll get even worse – every other day he'll have a scene where he'll be touching, kissing or just being around Stiles. One day they'll finally be scheduled to have a heavy duty making out scene and he'll have to worry that he'll do something utterly embarrassing - like coming just from having Stiles under him - to something that might destroy his life. His family.
He can't even go there.
He paces his apartment, wishing he could drink – well, he could drink, it just won't affect him at all. He's… exhilarated, though. He can't stop thinking about it – Stiles's eyes. The feeling of his mouth under his, the way his fingers felt cold on his shirt, his breathy little wowby the end of it – he did that.
He did that.
He smiles a bit, looking around his loft, as if trying to find one of his sisters laughing at him for his crush, but it had been amazing. And Stiles was smart, he would, eventually, realize Vlad's whole personality wouldn't really fit that kiss at all, and maybe…
Well, now he was really getting ahead of himself here, because even though Stiles had obviously been into the kiss, it didn't really mean anything. It didn't mean he'd get over his hatred for Derek, no matter how heartwarming the thought that he might do it was to him.
He's still riding the high of having actually kissed Stiles and not sucking at it, when his doorbell rings, and he turns to stare at it, not really understanding – no one comes to his place. He doesn't really have close friends, and his family is a whole country away.
Frowning a bit he goes to it and spies through the peephole, afraid it might be one of the most enthusiastic fans form the show who's found out his address – now that's a thing he can't even imagine without shuddering.
What he sees is even scarier than that.
He opens the door and stares – Stiles is right there, looking flushed, as if he ran up the stairs, or maybe the whole way here; and he's frowning – not really angrily, but more like he's annoyed.
"Why did you kiss me like that?"
And how is he expected to answer to that, exactly?
X
Stiles was never one to leave things well enough alone. He had grown up with a Sheriff for a father and a mother that, for as long as she was with him, had always told him that if he wanted to find something out, all he had to do was dig – so he dug. It was his default setting, the way he went through his whole life: he found things he thought interesting and poked at them until he understood them – it's what made him become an actor, the pleasure of always having someone new to be, to explore, to understand and portray.
This time, however, the thing bugging him wasn't a new character, it was the freaking kiss.
Why?
Why would Derek Hale, the guy who hated him, the jerk, want to kiss him like that? And sure it might have been just to make the scene work, but he knew his co-workers, he knew their characters, and he freaking knew when it was a technical kiss and when it was the real thing.
And the way Derek kissed him? That was the real deal.
So he could have left well enough alone, and gone through the day as usual, but the whole day long he kept on thinking why.
Why, why, why.
He had three more scenes to shoot before he could go home, and he went thought them as best as he could – and when he was finally free, he dug around some more and got Derek's address from the guy responsible for giving away the scripts.
He just… has to. He has to know why.
It isn't like he spent any time at all thinking about kissing Derek – it isn't even that he actually goes out of his way to think about him as a jerk, as the jock-type of person, the kind of guy who knows he's gorgeous and knows that a smile can get him anything he wants (and Stiles hates those people) because it'd be easier than thinking that Derek actually has a personality worth getting to know, because Derek Hale is straight.
He is straight.
Isn't he?
With that kiss, Stiles is starting to think that not so much. So he does what he does best, and drives to the guy's apartment without really thinking about it, because if he actually stops to think about it he'll realize this is crazy, and that's not on the menu today.
When Derek opens his door, clearly confused as to why a coworker would harass him at home, Stiles realizes he should have thought about what he's going to say now, because what comes out is "Why did you kiss me like that?"
The man doesn't answer him straight away, and Stiles takes a step forward, making him move out of the doorway so that Stiles can enter.
"Really, why did you?"
"It was on the script" Derek answers him, his tone almost a question as he closes the door where Stiles just came through – uninvited, by the way.
"Ha, yeah, no. You know why? Because on the script there was a kiss. Not that kiss. That kiss was all you. That wasn't Vlad and Dave kissing, that was you kissing me, and I want to know why."
"Maybe I wanted to" the man tells him, glaring all the way, arms crossed over his chest and Stiles can only stare, open mouthed, for a full minute.
"Why, in the name of all that's sacred, would you want to kiss me?! You hate me! You despise the floor I walk on! You're straight!"
"I never said any of that."
"You don't have to! Actually, you never do say anything when I'm around! You keep glaring at me every time we're not on camera, and you pretend I don't exist when we cross paths and there's no audience, and you scowl at anyone who talks to me and… holy crap you have a crush on me!"
How did he not see this before?
"What?!" Derek exclaims, his voice going an octave too high for his denial to be true, "I don't! Why would you even think that? It was just one stupid kiss on set!"
"Oh no, it wasn't!" Stiles counters gleefully, actually walking towards Derek and smirking, "One stupid kiss on set was on that script! That was one hell of a kiss, because you have a crush on me, and instead of being a grown-up and talking to me, you kept on being a huge jerk!"
"Oh yeah, because you're such a nice person!"
"So you don't deny you have a crush on me" he tells Derek again, smirk on his face again.
Derek, instead of answering, actually lets out a little growl and pulls Stiles towards him, kissing him again – just like on set, but faster.
"I don't have a crush on you" he whispers almost angrily, his mouth so close to Stiles's he can pretty much feel the words better than listen to them.
"Uhum, sure, whatever, man, just…" he leans up again, his hands finding their way into Derek's hair and holding him close, trying to take charge of the kiss, but Derek lets out a small laugh and actually picks him up, slamming him against the wall – carefully, though, so very carefully – just like Vlad does to Dave time and again on the show.
"You were such a little shit" Derek's saying, nipping at his neck and shoulder, holding onto his waist, one of his legs finding its way between Stiles's, "And every single time I did this you would look so freaking fine, and you smelled so freaking aroused, and then you'd treat me like dirt, and that's what I hated."
He bites Stiles's neck then, and the younger man lets out a moan, loud and a bit needy, and freaking unexpected, but dear God.
"I only did it because I thought… I didn't think you would… so…"
"Please, shut up" Derek tells him, kissing him again and rocking against Stiles slowly, and he starts to lose it a little, rocking back, his breathing hard and fast and out of control.
Derek groans right in his ear when he comes, and Stiles just can't with that freaking sound, coming too in his jeans (actually, in Dave'sjeans, because he didn't bother to change before coming here, oh well), like he's a teen.
They ride the high for a moment, and then pull apart just a little, just so they can actually look at each other's eyes, their breathing calming down bit by bit.
"So what now?" Stiles asks quietly, and he sees Derek shrug, searching his face.
Derek is shy. Derek, the guy with the killer abs and the ridiculously gorgeous eyes and the smile that could make icecaps melt is freaking shy.
God, he's such a jerk.
"I say we, uh, clean up a bit. And eat something. And maybe, uh, talk. Because obviously I got you all wrong, and so did you, but I think you're kind of awesome now, so… do you want to?"
"Clean up, eat and talk?" Derek asks, his hand absently rubbing a circle on the skin of Stiles's back.
"If you want to. We could have sex, but seriously, we have to have something more to make this work, right?"
Derek smiles then, shy and small and freaking adorable.
"Right."
This is going to be awesome.
X
They actually do talk. Derek talks about being the middle child and the only boy in a family with a lot of very strong women, and how that made him a bit uncomfortable with expressing his opinion a lot, because mostly, growing up, he was ignored by both Laura and Cora. He tells Stiles about being part of a close-knit family, and how much he misses them, and how that made him be particularly unpleasant the first few days of shooting, back in season one, when they met. He talks about thinking Stiles hated him because he was always making fun of him and his character and Stiles has to defend himself explaining that he does that to everyone.
Stiles tells Derek about growing up in a small town called Beacon Hills, and Derek is surprised, because his family used to live there, but they moved just after Cora was born. He tells Derek about growing up without his mom, and having only his father around, and how he was the Sheriff and Stiles spent a whole lot of time alone back then. He talks about going to college and falling in love with acting, and meeting Scott and finding a best friend in him, sharing an apartment so their characters would feel more real on the show. He tells Derek about thinking Derek hated him, and that it was easier to act like a jerk than just have a crush on someone he could never get.
After that particular declaration, Derek gives his weird growl thing and kisses him senseless, and there's not a lot of talking going on after that.
They fall asleep on the couch, and when the pre-programmed alarm on Stiles's phone starts going off the next morning, Derek freaks out and falls off the couch and his eyes turn bright blue.
Stiles startles so badly at that the he falls off the couch too, staring wide eyed at Derek.
"Dude, are you a freaking real vampire?" he asks then, thinking that it'd make so much sense.
"Vampires don't exist" Derek tells him moodily, and his teeth are sharper and WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
He doesn't realize he yells that out loud until Derek seems to shrink into himself, looking for all the world as if he's expecting the biggest kick in the nuts ever.
"I'm a werewolf."
Stiles laughs so hard he almost bashes his head against the coffee table.
"This is priceless" he tells Derek after finally getting a hold of himself, "You're a werewolf pretending to be a human pretending to be a vampire pretending to be a human half the time" he finishes with a small smile.
Derek, who's still standing a few feet away looking wary, shrugs.
"The irony is not lost on me."
They stare at each other for a moment and Stiles sighs.
"I'm not running away. I guess I'm more like Dave than I thought."
Derek smiles a bit, taking a step closer and offering Stiles a hand to get up, which he takes, gladly.
"Good. I'm nothing like Vlad" he comments, and Stiles snorts.
"Course not. You're a werewolf. You're Vlad's natural enemy, you should probably—", but he's cut off when Derek kisses him, because he's wanted to do this for years and couldn't, or maybe just to shut him up.
It works like a charm.