Stiles and Derek sat alone in the dimly lit room, sweat dripping from their glistening brows. Stiles looked up to see Derek wipe his forehead as he stared down. Stiles wasn't sure if it was a broken air conditioner or just the situation that was making things so hot. The loft was quiet, solitary. No one would disturb them here. They were together without the distractions of the world, without anyone to judge them. This was their night, and only theirs.
"Here we go," Derek said getting ready.
"No, Derek! It's not going to fit!" Stiles exclaimed. "It's too big."
"You say that every time, Stiles. You know I wouldn't do anything to ruin this." Derek was uncharacteristically gentle in his response. He had become much less angry this past year. Maybe it had to do with his brush with humanity. Maybe it was because his powers finally returned even stronger than before. Or maybe it was just because of the blossoming bond between him and Stiles. Whatever it was, this was a Derek that made Stiles feel like he could finally be himself. There was no tense taunting or teasing. It was just the two of them, alone to do whatever the night had in store.
"There," Derek said, easing it in. "I told you it would be okay."
Stiles breathed a sigh of relief and pleasure. "Sorry," he replied. "I was wrong. It fits perfectly. It really does belong there." The moment of fear had passed. Derek knew what he was doing. Stiles just needed to learn to trust him more. He knew their relationship had been rocky in the past, but this was a new beginning. Stiles didn't want to do anything to jeopardize this. These past few weeks, just the two of them, had meant so much to him. There were no monsters, no creatures, no deadly situations to barely escape from. He was safe here, safe with Derek. No one could penetrate this sanctuary, at least not without permission.
Still, Stiles felt a twinge of guilt for lying to Malia. His relationship with her had been a roller coaster recently. Even though everything was patched up for now, he was afraid of what her reaction would be if he told her where he went at night and what he was doing. He had tried to tell her once, but panicked at the last minute. Malia had been so good to him, but there were just some needs she couldn't satisfy. Stiles had buried this part of him away for so long. Now that he finally found someone else to share this with, he didn't want to lose it. He knew Malia would find out one day. All secrets have a habit of being revealed. Hopefully, though, she'd understand.
"I'm almost done," Derek said, breaking Stiles' train of thought. "Just… one… more…" Stiles waited while Derek finished. "There… all done." Derek backed away as Stiles let out one final breath of satisfaction. This time seemed to be much longer than the others, but finishing always felt so good. Stiles looked over at Derek to see him smiling. It was nice. It seemed like it used to be so rare that Derek smiled. But things had changed and Stiles was glad he was the one that was helping to make him happy.
"So what do you think?" Derek asked.
"This one was really nice. There were some times I wasn't sure if we'd be able to finish, but in the end I'm glad we did. The end makes it all worth it." Stiles really meant it. It's always best to take it to completion. Stopping half way always left him with knots in his stomach.
"Really? I think I enjoy the journey a bit more," Derek replied, with a slight grin on his face.
"That's fun, too," said Stiles, smiling. "But sometimes it just gets tricky to finish."
"I know what you mean, Stiles. That one corner was pretty tricky. Everything was the same color!"
"Well, that's what you get when you pick out a puzzle that has a nighttime scene! The lighthouse on the other side was easy, though."
"That's why I left that part to you," Derek teased, looking down at their completed creation. "Let me get the puzzle glue. I really like this picture. I think I'm going to frame it."
"Cool," replied Stiles. He liked this one, too. He hoped that next week, when he gets to pick out the puzzle to put together, it turns out just as good as this one. It's just a shame that everyone else in their group thinks puzzles are just for kids. Fortunately, after years of having to hide his favorite hobby, he had finally found someone to do it with. Stiles and Derek looked down at their 1000-piece masterpiece one more time before giving each other the greatest high five the world had ever seen.