Derek and Stiles are one week away from their three month anniversary. They'd been attracted to each other since day one (though at first Stiles was more interested in Derek than Derek was in him), and now they've been dating for almost three entire months. Needless to say, they're pretty excited (Derek doesn't express it as much as Stiles does, but whatever). Derek isn't sure how they're going to celebrate, so he's leaving the decision up to Stiles.
The boy can choose to do anything his heart desires. Except have sex, which the Sheriff has politely threatened Derek about multiple times since the relationship started.
"You sure you two will be okay by yourselves?"
"Yes, Dad, we'll be fine."
"You'll be here for hours."
"Dad."
"It is the weekend."
"You're going to be late, Dad."
"Meaning Stiles, my underage son, doesn't have to walk properly in order to get to his classes.."
"Oh my fucking God, Dad-"
"And we did just recently get wolfsbane."
"Dad! Stop talking."
But there was nothing to worry about. As much as Derek wants to take advantage of Stiles' small, young body, he isn't going to. He'd feel terrible about himself. Plus he'd get murdered, very brutally, and that isn't something that sounded even remotely pleasant.
Though.., Derek isn't sure if Stiles wants to be his boyfriend for much longer. Recently, the teenager has been really... distant. His smiles went from full of sunshine to full of thunderstorms. His eyes don't sparkle as much anymore, not even when he's eating his beloved curly fries. His kisses aren't as gentle and sweet, and sometimes he doesn't even kiss Derek back.
For the past few days, Stiles has smelled different. "Different" as in he smells like someone else, along with makeup. It's an unfamiliar scent; Stiles smells like Scott or Liam sometimes, but this new scent is peculiar and not homely like the aroma of his friends. The chemicals of the makeup hide it pretty well, but Derek can still smell the semi-permanent hatred. He's even started memorizing it, accepting it as a part of the boy.
And Stiles.. Fear. He smells like fear.
And Derek doesn't like it, not one bit.
He's asked about it, but Stiles always insists he's fine. Then they go on to have an argument, and Stiles ends up one of two ways: crying on the floor, or pressed against the wall. Both preferred the latter, and that one was fortunately what happened ninety-nine percent of the time.
And then there's today.
Today their screaming match ended with Stiles on his knees, bawling his eyes out, begging for Derek to stay, and Derek, with an empty void in his chest and a dark look in his eye, impolitely slamming the front door on his way out.
But let's rewind for a second.
Derek "sneaked in" to the house after Sheriff Stilinski left for work (he was actually let in just before the Sheriff left, but Derek likes making Stiles think he's even more of a badass than he actually is - he loves Stiles rubbing all over his muscles and stroking his ego, sue him) and was sitting on the couch, in the dark, for hours until Stiles got home from school.
"Hey." he says casually after the teenager flicks on the lights, making him stagger backwards out of surprise and fall onto his butt.
Derek, suppressing laughter, quickly gets up and helps his boyfriend stand. Stiles puts a hand over his heart, which is pounding into oblivion, and looks at the man with a bewildered look on his face.
"What the hell are doing here in the dark, Derek? You scared the shit out of me!"
"Guess that means I need to change your diaper?" That earns him a slap on the arm.
"Seriously, Derek, you could have at least left a note on the door! Or maybe sat with the lights on? Or texted me saying you were here? I don't even see your car, where is your car?"
"You must be losing your vision. My car is definitely out there."
Stiles turns around, and sure enough, Derek's gorgeous black Camaro is right there in plain sight. A soft "Oh.." escapes his lips and he closes the door before turning to face his beau.
Derek holds out his arms, and Stiles flinches ever so slightly as he raises them. That's when Derek finally realizes that the weird smell is back.
He pretends to not notice.
Stiles goes into Derek's embrace. He doesn't melt into the werewolf's arms like he used to when they first started dating. He feels like a rock, a rock with limbs and moles dotting the smooth, delicate surface. Derek holds the boy closer, and thoughts - probably not very good thoughts - start running through his mind.
Why does Stiles smell like this? Why on Earth would Stiles be so intimate with someone who feels such awful emotions and thinks such vile thoughts? Maybe Derek isn't one to talk - he's one of the most Negative Ned's known to mankind. But that's beyond the point.
It can't be that Stiles is cheating on him, no; for some weird reason, not many people are into the lanky, clumsy cutie. Plus Stiles is way too pure to do such a thing.
So then what could it be...?
"Stiles?" Derek finds himself saying.
"Hmm?"
"Is everything okay?"
The boy's heart flutters a bit, and Derek can feel him roll his eyes. "We've been over this, Sourwolf. I am a-okay. You don't need to worry about me."
At this point, Derek would pretend to agree that everything is fine, but he isn't in that mood today. He lets go of his angel and gives him a cold glare.
"Tell me the truth, Stilinski. Are you all right?"
Stiles' heart flutters some more and he looks at Derek as if he grew another head. Something flickers in his eyes and he goes from surprised to concerned to angry. "What's it to you?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Why the hell do you care if I'm okay or not?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because I'm your boyfriend?"
"That's something I find pretty funny. This really hot werewolf guy comes into town and befriends a bunch of teenage weirdos. He hates me for the entire first year of knowing me, and then he all of a sudden is in love with me. Me. The guy who obsesses over 'geek culture' and rambles about stuff no one cares about and is kind of a useless piece of shit."
"Stiles, don't fucking talk about yourself like that. I've told you, I didn't hate you. You were annoying as hell, but I adored everything about you, and I still do."
"You still do, huh? You don't act like it. Never have, really. You could hug anyone. You could kiss anyone. You could admire anyone. When am I gonna get the full affection I so rightfully deserve, Derek? Hm?"
Derek narrows his eyes, and the anger in Stiles' dies. Neither of the two say anything for several moments. They stare at each other in silence.
That is, until Stiles drops to his knees, tears brimming his beautiful golden-brown eyes. "Derek," he whispers helplessly. "I.. I'm so sorry.. I wasn't thinking when I said all of that.."
He knows Stiles is telling the truth, and he wants nothing more than to wrap him in his arms and coo sweet nothings in his ear until the gross sobbing stops. But Derek refuses to let himself feel pity. Not with Stiles hiding so much from him.
"I love you so fucking much, Derek, please.."
Derek freezes, and so does Stiles. That's the first time that's been said, by either one of them. I love you. It sounds so foreign.
Derek believes it.
He believes it a lot.
But he can't let his guard down.
He turns on his heel, causing Stiles' tears to fall harder.
"Derek, please, stay! I'm so sorry, Derek, I love you!"
is the last thing Derek hears before slamming the door shut behind him.
And now we're here again.
Derek slams the door to his loft as well, but not as hard as he'd have liked to because he doesn't want to have to repair the damage he's sure he'd do. He looks around the space, memories of the conversations and hot make-out sessions he and Stiles have shared in here immediately flooding into his mind. Naturally, his hands go into his hair.
And he screams.
He screams at Stiles for keeping secrets. He screams at himself for not being there for the boy. He screams at the pack for doing the same. He screams at Kate for fucking up his life, fucking up his emotions. He screams at the world for being against him. He screams until he starts crying, and he cries until his mind tells him to stop being so weak. Until his mind tells him that he needs to toughen up, because Stiles needs a man who will snap anyone's neck on command. A man who will hold him close every night, not letting him go in case something were to hurt him.
A man who will find out what the hell is going on with his boyfriend. A man who will fight for said boyfriend until the very end. A man who will ruin whatever is troubling the teen.