Sorry it's been a bit since I've updated. This past weekend was my cousin's wedding, and I was a bridesmaid in it, so I had a lot of crap to do. Then this hurricane hit and I lost power for, like, twelve hours. So while I have precious electricity, I shall put this up.
Chapter Three
The summer before Derek's sophomore year, Derek had to get a job. It was a rule his dad had came up with when Laura was fifteen. If the kids wanted a car, they had to work. Laura ended up working at the coffee shop in town. Derek managed to get a job at the bookstore, which was right next to the coffee shop.
Derek's dad also wanted him to get involved in some activities once school started. Not just so Derek could put something on his future college applications, but so Derek could make more friends. Laura joined every dance committee, was on yearbook, and on the debate team. She had lots of friends, and always had plans on weekends. Derek had a few people he talked to at school and ate lunch with, but he spent most weekends at home—doing things with Scott and Stiles. Derek figured his dad was worried about him. So he agreed to try and join the swim team when school started again. He even began swimming and working out most days at the local YMCA. Derek was actually pretty pleased with the way his body was turning out. He was developing muscle definition, and sometimes noticed people checking him out. It was nice.
Stiles' summer could've been described as one of a sort of self-discovery. He and Scott would talk about girls they thought were pretty. But then Stiles would start talking about boys, and Scott would give him a confused look.
"I don't think about boys like that," Scott had said.
"Oh," Stiles had replied. He assumed everyone thought about both girls and boys. Was he the only one?
Stiles spent a lot of time wondering if there was something wrong with him. There were girls he liked looking at (Lydia) and some boys too. Mostly Derek. Seeing Derek would make Stiles blush and feel… weird. And he started having these dreams. Dreams he would wake up from and his pants would be sticky. When his dad found out, they had a really embarrassing talk. His dad said those dreams were normal, and gave Stiles a small sex talk (his dad promised to give him a better one when he was older). But Stiles still didn't know if liking girls and boys was normal—his dad only mentioned girls during the talk.
Stiles decided to question his dad about it on their way to his first day of fifth grade. "So, Dad, it's normal for boys to like girls, right? And for girls to like boys?"
His dad gave him a look before saying, "Yes."
"Okay. So is it normal for boys to like boys, or girls to like girls?"
"Yeah. That's what it means when someone says they're gay."
"Oh."
"Stiles, are you trying to tell me something?"
"But what about a girl or boy who likes both girls and boys?" Stiles asked, ignoring his dad.
"I think you're trying to tell me something," his dad said with a sigh. "That's normal too, Stiles. It's called being bisexual."
"So I'm not a freak of nature?" Stiles asked.
"Yup, you're trying to tell me something. And you're not a freak of nature. Lots of people like both. Probably more than some care to admit."
"So… you're not mad at me?"
Stiles' dad pulled up at the school. "No. You can't help who you like, Stiles. And I'm not really that surprised. You always called both men and women pretty. I don't care who you date when you're older. As long as they treat you right."
"Mom wouldn't be upset, would she?"
"No. She'd be happy that you're being yourself. Now get into school or you'll be late."
Stiles smiled. "Okay. Love you, Dad."
"Love you too."
…
Derek had only just turned sixteen when the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen walked into the bookstore. Derek couldn't stop himself from staring at her when he was supposed to be stocking the shelves. When she noticed him looking at her, she smiled and walked up to him. "Well, aren't you a cute thing. What's your name, honey?"
No one as attractive as her had ever spoken to Derek before. "Um. Derek. Derek Hale."
"Well, Derek Hale, I'm Kate Argent."
Derek took a deep breath. "Hi. I, uh, haven't seen you in Beacon Hills before."
"I haven't been living here very long. Actually, I've been needing someone to show me around. I'm afraid I'm not very good at making friends."
Derek knew the feeling. Even with being on the swim team, Derek wasn't very good at socializing. People tried to get to know him, but he found he didn't really like most people. Plus, he figured they'd all just ditch him if something went wrong—like when his mom died. But Kate… "I could show you around. Maybe."
Kate smirked. "I think I'd enjoy that. You have a car?"
Derek nodded. His dad and Melissa got him one for his birthday.
Kate went into her purse, pulled out a notepad and pen, and wrote something down. "You busy Saturday at eight?"
"No."
Kate's smile widened. "Good." She handed him the paper. "Here's my address and phone number. See you in a few days." She left the store without even buying anything.
Derek put the paper in his pocket and finished his work. When his shift was over, he ran into Stiles and Mr. Stilinski on the sidewalk.
"Derek," Mr. Stilinski said, sounding relieved. "They need me at work. Can you take Stiles to your house for me?"
"Sure. No problem."
"Thanks so much. Bye, Stiles."
"Bye, Dad," Stiles said with a frown and then watched his dad drive away. Stiles sighed and looked at the take-away container in his hands. "He had to leave in the middle of dinner."
Derek put an arm around Stiles' shoulders. "If you promise not to tell anyone, I'll take you to get ice cream."
Stiles smiled. "Okay."
They were sitting across from each other at the ice cream shop when Stiles asked, "Derek, have you ever kissed a boy?"
Derek's eyes widened for a second. He never let anyone know he might like guys. Laura only knew because when he laptop was being fixed she borrowed his, and went through his browser history for fun. How could Stiles know? "I haven't."
"Oh." Stiles ate some of his ice cream. "Have you ever thought about kissing a boy?"
Derek wanted to lie, but this was Stiles. The weird kid who sometimes acted older than he was. The kid who was there for him when his mom died. The kid who always included him when Scott wanted Derek to go away. He couldn't lie to Stiles. "I've thought about it a little."
Stiles nodded like that was really important information. "Have you ever kissed a girl?"
Derek thought about Kate and Saturday. "Not yet."
Derek didn't want to tell anyone about Kate just yet. All he was doing was showing her around town. It might not be a date. And if it was, he didn't want to jinx it.
But Derek also knew at least one person should know where he was going and who he'd be with. Stiles' dad had instilled a slight fear in him. So, Derek told Laura.
"I'm showing someone around town tonight."
Laura looked up from her textbook. "You are so lucky I have to study and don't have a date. Shit. I have to deal with Scott and Stiles. Wait. Who is this someone?"
Derek sighed. "Her name's Kate Argent. She's new in t— Are you writing all that down?"
"Duh. If you end up dead I need to know this chick's name," Laura said. "Is she older? Is that why you're not telling Dad or Melissa?"
"Yeah."
"How much older?"
Derek shrugged. "Not sure. But, uh, she lives in the apartment complex near the edge of town."
"She better be in, like, her first year of college and not in her thirties."
Derek was pretty sure Kate was not in college, but definitely not in her thirties. "I'll ask her tonight."
"I expect text updates to be sure of your safety."
Derek rolled his eyes. "Yes, boss."
Derek waited outside Kate's building at eight sharp. He texted Kate to tell her he was there, and about three minutes later, Kate was in his car. Derek suddenly wished he had a cooler, more impressive car. But his dad had said no to a Camaro. "So, uh, where do you wanna go first?"
Kate flashed him a toothy grin. "How about somewhere with a nice view of the town?"
"Um. Okay." Derek started to drive. The only place he could think of was where a lot of people went to have sex in their cars. Did Kate want to have sex with him? They didn't even know each other. Though the possibility of having sex for the first time already had him a little hard.
Derek realized it had been quiet for a solid five minutes. He needed to make conversation. "So what brings you to Beacon Hills?"
"I needed a change of scenery after a bad break up."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
Kate smiled. "Nothing to be sorry about, honey. I'm better off without him."
"Cool. So, um, how old are you? If it's okay for me to ask."
Kate laughed. "Don't feel bad about asking. Age doesn't represent how emotionally mature a person is. To answer your question, I'm twenty-four. And how old are you?"
Derek parked his car at the cliff overlooking the town. A few other cars were already there, windows fogged. "I'm sixteen," Derek told her.
Kate unbuckled her seatbelt and faced Derek. "And I bet you're a lot more mature than most guys your age."
Derek shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I don't have a lot of friends my age." When Laura forced him to, he would hang out with her and her friends. And he was not going to mention Stiles and Scott. "When my mom died, I guess it forced me to grow up a bit."
"You do seem very mature," Kate pointed out. She reached over and undid Derek's seatbelt. She ran a hand up his stomach and over his chest. Her hand met his face and she turned him to meet her eyes. "Which is why I feel fine doing this," she said softly before kissing him.
It was nothing like Derek thought his first kiss would be. It wasn't soft or sweet or loving. It was fast and sloppy with a lot of tongue and teeth clashing. Derek wasn't really sure what he was doing. He just kind of followed Kate's lead when it came to what to do with his tongue. Then Kate guided his hands to her breasts, and he lost all train of thought.
Somehow, they ended up in the backseat. His pants were off and Kate was down to her panties and bra. She pulled off Derek's shirt and said, "Damn. When you get older, you're gonna fill out nicely." Then her bra was off and Derek was surprised he didn't come from his first sight of boobs in real life alone.
Soon, they were both naked and Kate almost magically produced a condom. Had she been planning this all along? Kate put the condom on Derek, and the next thing he knew, she was riding him.
It was over sooner than Derek wanted, but he enjoyed every minute.
They redressed and lounged in the backseat. Kate went into her purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She took one out for herself and asked Derek, "You want one?"
"Uh… sure." He'd never smoked before, but he wanted to seem as mature as she thought he was. He tried not to cough too much when he inhaled.
"Don't worry," Kate said, "the sex will be better next time."
"Oh." Derek deflated a little. He had thought it was awesome. But at least Kate wanted to do it again. "Okay."
As the months went by, Derek was pretty sure he got a lot better at sex.
…
"Thanks for the free hot chocolate and cookies, Laura," Stiles said. He and Scott had been bored that Saturday afternoon and Mr. Hale let them walk to the coffee shop all by themselves. Laura was kind enough to give them free stuff.
"No problem, Stiles," Laura said with a smile. "Can you guys go to the bookstore and see when Derek's done? Maybe we can all go eat."
"Okay." Any excuse for Stiles to see Derek. Derek hadn't been around much, and Stiles missed him.
They went to the bookstore and Derek's manager told them Derek was out back. When they got there, Stiles' heart flew into his throat. Derek was there, making out with some lady.
"Ew, ew, ew!" Scott cried. "My eyes!"
Derek and the lady separated. "Scott! Stiles! What the hell are you two doing here?"
"Laura wants to know when you're done work," Scott said. "So we can all get food."
"I'm done now," Derek said. He looked at the lady. "I gotta go, Kate."
"Whatever," this Kate said with a shrug. She looked at Scott and Stiles in a way that weirded Stiles out. "You two are gonna be real lookers when you're older." Oh yeah, she was a creeper, Stiles decided. Then she left.
"Don't tell Dad and Melissa," Derek told Scott.
"Why not?" Scott asked.
"Just don't! Please?"
Scott rolled his eyes. "Fine!"
Derek looked at Stiles. "You okay? You look funny."
Stiles crossed his arms. "I don't like her."
A few days later, Stiles found another reason to not like Kate.
Stiles was at the grocery store with his dad.
"We need to get some healthy food, Dad," Stiles insisted.
"Why?"
"I heard the message your doctor left!"
"Oh god."
"You need to eat better, Dad!"
His dad sighed. "Fine. Go get some healthy stuff."
Stiles went ahead of his dad and went to where the fruits and vegetables were. After grabbing some grapes, Stiles saw Kate with an older man. And he saw a big diamond ring on her left ring finger. Kate kissed the guy and walked away.
Stiles took the opportunity to question the man. "Excuse me, mister," Stiles said when he got to the man. "Are you gonna marry that lady?"
The man smiled goofily. "I sure am. We have a few months to go before the wedding."
"Cool." Stiles saw his dad and walked away from the man. He knew he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, but he had needed the information.
The next day, Stiles was at the Hale house after school. He told Scott he was going to the bathroom, but he really went to Derek's room. He knocked.
"Go away, Scott!"
"It's Stiles!"
Derek opened the door a few moments later. "What is it?" His cheeks were red and he seemed out of breath.
"Um… it's about Kate."
"What about her?"
"She's engaged to some old guy! Like, older than my dad. I saw her with him at the grocery store."
Derek stared at him for a second. "You must've seen someone who just looks like her."
"It was her!"
"You're wrong, Stiles," Derek said before shutting the door in Stiles' face.
"I'm right!" Stiles said and then stomped away.
Derek tried to ignore what Stiles had told him. But as the weeks went by, it kept nagging at the back of his mind. Kate never actually wanted to go out with him. Yeah, she would make out with him behind the bookstore or they'd mess around in his parked car somewhere, but they were never anywhere public. Most of the time they hung out in her apartment and had sex. Was Kate actually hiding something?
Kate was taking a phone call in her living room while Derek sat on her bed, smoking a cigarette. As he started to contemplate what Stiles told him, he got up and paced. He wasn't paying enough attention and bumped into her dresser, knocking her jewelry box onto the floor.
"Shit." Derek put the cigarette out and started to clean up the jewelry. He paused when he saw a ring box. He picked it up, and slowly opened it. Inside was a big ass diamond ring.
"What the hell happened in here?" Kate asked with annoyance when she entered the room.
Derek turned to her and shoved the ring in her face. "You're engaged?"
Kate sighed and snatched the ring out of his hand. "Well, you needed to find out the truth eventually."
"And what's the truth?" Derek demanded.
"I want money without having to do work. Last year, I met a very rich man, and got him to fall in love with me. I told him that I don't believe in sex before marriage to kind of push him into proposing. Now, I like sex—as you know. So I decided to find some sucker I could fuck until the wedding. Then I'll stay married for a few years before I stop having sex with him. He'll cheat, I'll catch him, we'll divorce, and I'll get a good chunk of cash."
Derek's stomach dropped. "That's so…"
"Brilliant?"
"Mean. How do you even know that plan will work?"
Kate smiled at Derek like he was stupid. "Honey, this is the second time I've done it."
"So that makes me the sucker in this situation."
"Yup. All you were good for was a fuck. And you weren't so great in the beginning."
Derek felt like his heart had been ripped out. He was so stupid. He actually thought he loved Kate. And she was just using him for sex while she scammed some dude. Idiot.
"Aw. Are you gonna cry?" Kate asked cruelly.
"No!" Derek barked and then fled from the apartment.
He broke every speed limit as he raced home. He slammed into his house and ran up to his room, ignoring his dad's calls. He went into his room, shut the door, and fell face first onto his bed. Then he started to cry.
There was a tiny knock on his door. "Go away!"
The door opened anyway. Derek looked and saw Stiles' head poke in. "You okay?"
Derek sat up and glared at him. "Leave."
Stiles stepped into the room. He went to Derek's bookcase and grabbed Derek's toy wolf. He joined Derek on the bed. "You want your wolf?"
"No," Derek lied as he took it from Stiles and held it to his chest. He took a deep breath. "You were right about Kate."
"I know."
"You don't have to sound so pleased."
Stiles let out a huff. "I don't want you sad, but I'm glad she's gone now. She creeped me out. And she looked at you like you were a snack."
Derek gave Stiles a funny look. "A snack?" Though he supposed it made sense. Since all Kate wanted from him was sex.
"Yeah," Stiles said. "You should date someone who looks at you like you're the best present in the world."
"Oh really?" Derek asked, slightly amused. Only Stiles could make him feel like that after having his heart ripped out.
"Uh-huh. That's how my mom and dad looked at each other."
Ah. Stiles was saying Derek should be with someone who loved him. He was right, of course. "I'll do better next time."
"Don't worry. I'll tell you if something's wrong with them," Stiles promised.
…
When Laura graduated, she was the class valedictorian. Derek knew their mom would've been proud. Especially since Laura was going to New York to study to be a lawyer.
Laura dragged Derek to several graduation parties. Derek may have hooked up with a few people—to try to make himself forget about Kate. It didn't really work. Random hook ups just reminded Derek he was only good for sexual stuff. No one would want a real relationship with him.
Derek had seen Kate's wedding announcement in the paper over the summer. There was mention that she and her new husband would move to Malibu after the wedding. At least Derek would never have to see her again.
Derek spent most of his summer hanging out with Scott and Stiles going to work, swimming, and working out. Then when it came time for Laura to move into the apartment she was renting with some people, Derek helped out. The whole family—plus Stiles—stayed in New York for five days. It was actually pretty fun. Though when they got back to Beacon Hills it was weird to not have Laura around.
When Derek started his junior year, he met Adam, a new kid at school in his grade. Adam reminded Derek of himself. Adam seemed to keep to himself, he wore a lot of dark clothes, and Derek had seen him smoking. And Adam was pretty hot. It was probably the first time Derek ever wanted to approach someone else and make a friend—or future boyfriend. Kate had approached Derek. Laura had forced Derek to hang out with her friends. And he always felt bad if he didn't go out with the swim team after meets. So actually wanting to make an effort was a big step for Derek.
Derek spent the first week of school just watching Adam. He had three classes with him, and they both sat as close to the back as possible. Adam sat with the drama kids at lunch. Derek used to sit with Laura and her friends mostly, but with her gone, Derek sat with—and barely tolerated—the swim team. Derek only liked two of his teammates.
Derek waited for an opportunity to introduce himself to Adam. He wanted to catch Adam while he was alone. Finally, one day when Derek was getting off work, the opportunity arose.
Derek was walking to his car, and Adam was on the sidewalk trying to light a cigarette. It seemed like Adam's lighter was no longer working. So Derek went up to Adam with his own lighter, and lit Adam's cigarette for him.
"Thanks, man," Adam said with a smile—he had a nice smile. "We got to school together, right?"
"Yeah. I'm Derek Hale." Derek took out and lit a cigarette for himself.
"You're on the swim team," Adam stated.
"I am. You've been watching practices?" Derek knew for a fact he had been.
"Dudes in speedos. How could I resist?"
That made Derek laugh. They continued to talk as they smoked. By the time Derek announced he had to go home, they exchanged phone numbers. They spent the rest of the evening—as well as into the night—texting.
For a couple of months, they stayed in the "just friends" zone. Adam went to all of Derek's swim meets, and Derek saw every play Adam was in. His dad and Melissa were happy he finally made a friend on his own. Then one day, while they were doing homework in Derek's room, Adam kissed him. It was much nicer than Derek's first kiss with Kate. So Derek figured Adam was a step above Kate.
They went on a few dates before Derek decided to tell his family (plus Stiles). Derek told Laura over the phone and then he sat the rest of them down.
"So you guys know Adam," Derek began. Stiles made a "humph" sound, and everyone else nodded. "Well… he's not just a friend anymore. I'm dating him."
"Okay," his dad said while Melissa smiled and Scott just nodded.
Stiles said, "You're dating him?"
"Yeah," Derek said defensively. "Is there something wrong with him?"
Stiles crossed his arms. "Probably."
Derek rolled his eyes before looking at his dad and Melissa. "So you guys don't mind?"
"Of course not," his dad said. "Adam seems nice. As long as he's good to you, that's all that matters."
Stiles did not like Adam. As the school year went on, Adam was always at the Hale house. Stiles didn't like how Adam acted like he and Derek were too cool to hang out with Stiles and Scott. Derek had hung out with them all the time before Adam came around. Even when Derek was with Kate he still did stuff with them.
Adam always looked at Stiles like he was stupid. Stiles was smart, okay? The only person in their class smarter than him was Lydia—though she was starting to pretend to be dumb.
Stiles felt sick to his stomach whenever he caught Derek and Adam making out. Which was all the time. It was like Adam jumped Derek if he knew Stiles was near. Naturally, Stiles took that as a challenge. He would always find a way to interrupt or bug the couple. And if Adam decided to grace them with his presence on a movie night, Stiles made sure to sit between Derek and Adam. He liked that Adam got mad, and Derek didn't seem to care much. Actually, Derek would laugh at Stiles' jokes and share popcorn with him. Stiles counted that as a win.
Scott seemed annoyed with Stiles constantly complaining about Adam.
"Stiles, we have more important things to worry about," Scott said. "Like the end of the year girls choice dance."
"Well, it's not like Lydia's gonna ask me, so who cares?"
"Who cares about what?" Derek asked as he and Adam walked into the living room.
"We're talking about the girls choice dance," Scott informed his brother.
"Ugh. I hated those," Derek said as he sat next to Stiles. "I always had a ton of girls asking me."
Stiles gave Derek and incredulous look. "But you never went to those dances."
Derek shrugged. "I didn't want to go with any of those girls."
Adam sat on Derek's lap. "I don't know why you two are bothering to worry. It's not like any girls are going to ask you."
Stiles glared at Adam, and Scott gave him a kicked puppy look.
"Adam," Derek hissed and pushed Adam off his lap. "Not cool." He looked at Stiles and Scott. "If no girls ask you, it's probably because they're too nervous to do so."
Adam snorted and Derek threw a pillow at him.
"Lydia will never ask me," Stiles said sadly.
"That mean red head?" Derek asked.
"Her hair is strawberry blonde," Stiles corrected. "And she can be nice. When she feels like it."
"She's not nice to you," Scott pointed out.
"I don't know why!" Stiles cried. "I gave her an awesome Valentine and made her cookies for Christmas."
"You try too hard," Adam said to Stiles. "No one will ever take you seriously."
Derek shot Adam a mean look. "There's nothing wrong with being nice," Derek told Stiles. "Just don't let people take advantage of you. And never change who you are to get someone to like you. You're just fine the way you are."
Stiles felt a flutter in his stomach. "Okay."
Stiles and Scott didn't get asked to the dance. Derek took them out for pizza that night to make them feel better—and ignored Adam whenever he complained.
…
At first, sex with Adam had been better than sex with Kate. Derek figured it was because Adam actually cared for him. Or maybe sex with guys was just better. Derek hadn't figured that out yet.
But when July hit, Derek began to grow tired of Adam. He didn't like how Adam wanted to spend every second with him. He didn't like how Adam bitched at him if he thought Derek was checking someone else out. And he hated that Adam didn't want to be near Scott or Stiles—and Adam seemed to really dislike Stiles.
All the annoying things about Adam kind of made sex with him not fun at all. Derek just tried to get it over with as quickly as possible. He also didn't like it when Adam insisted on cuddling after. Derek just wanted to get away.
On the Fourth of July, Derek and Adam were hanging out at the park around sunset. Once it was dark, fireworks would go off. A lot of families were already there playing around or eating. Derek knew his dad, Scott, Stiles, and Laura (who was visiting for three weeks) were out there somewhere. Melissa and Stiles' dad were stuck working.
Derek and Adam were away from the crowds, smoking.
Laura had caught Derek smoking and actually bitch slapped him before calling his a dumb ass. Since then she'd been annoying Derek about quitting.
"So I've been wondering," Adam said.
"Wondering what?" Derek questioned.
"You don't have a lot of close friends. Who do you consider your best friend?"
Derek had to actually think about that. Who was he most comfortable with? Who was the person he wanted to tell good new to first? Who did he trust most? "Huh. Is it weird that Stiles is the first person to cross my mind?"
Adam groaned. "Yes! What the fuck is it with you and that annoying kid?"
"He's not that annoying."
"You seem to want to spend more time with him than with me," Adam stormed on. "He's five years younger than you. He's your little brother's friend. And you being so nice to him just makes his pathetic crush on you worse."
"Stiles doesn't have a crush on me."
"He so does!"
Derek rolled his eyes. Was Adam jealous of a twelve year old? Ridiculous. "I've known Stiles for a long time. He was the only person to truly make me feel comforted after my mom died. And the poor kid grew up fast after his own mom died. He's mature for his age even though he acts like he's not. He goes out of his way to make sure I'm happy. He's a good friend."
"He's a dumb kid."
"Stiles is not dumb, you jackass."
Adam glared at Derek before something caught his eye. "Speak of the devil," he mumbled.
Derek turned and saw Stiles running in their direction. "Derek! Your dad wants—" Stiles halted in front of Derek. "Are you smoking?"
"Um…" Derek watched as Stiles' breath quickened.
"You can't smoke! You'll get cancer! And die! You can't die! You can't!"
"Shit." Derek put his cigarette out. He kneeled in front of Stiles and put his hands on Stiles' shoulders. "Please don't have a panic attack." Derek still freaked out whenever Stiles had one.
"Y-you have to quit!" Stiles cried. "I don't want you to die!"
"Okay! Okay. I'll quit." Derek took the pack out of his pocket and threw it somewhere in the distance. "See? No more cigarettes. Ever."
Stiles sniffled. "You just littered."
Derek chuckled. "Sorry. How about I join you guys where you're sitting?"
"Okay. We're over there," Stiles said and pointed.
"I'll be there soon."
Stiles nodded and walked away.
"Are you seriously quitting?" Adam asked.
Derek stood. "Yeah."
"Because Stiles asked you to."
"It upset him," Derek said with a shrug. "I don't like Stiles upset."
"Your relationship with that kid is fucked up," Adam spat.
"Oh my god! If you have such an issue with Stiles being a part of my life then fucking break up with me!"
"Fine! We're over!"
"Good!" Derek stomped away. He put on a happy face when he joined his family. He actually did have a good time watching the fireworks with them.
The next day, Adam tried to get back with Derek. He told Adam he hadn't been enjoying being with Adam for a while, and that the break up was a good idea. Adam was pissed and swore at Derek for a good ten minutes before storming away.
"I haven't seen Adam in a while," Stiles said a few weeks later.
"We broke up," Derek told him.
Stiles smiled. "Good. I didn't like him. He was a jerk."
…
Derek's senior year wasn't too eventful. It was filled with swim team, schoolwork, his job, and college applications.
Laura wanted Derek to apply to some places in New York. He did, but he was pretty sure he didn't want to leave the west coast. Or California. Or be too far from home at all.
Derek was happy in beacon Hills. His mom was buried there, his dad and Melissa were there, and Scott and Stiles were there. He really didn't want to leave them all behind. His life wouldn't feel right without them being nearby. Life in a big city may have worked for Laura, but Derek didn't like a lot of people. He was fine with a small town life. It wasn't so… stressful.
So Derek decided to go to a school close to home. It was only a half an hour away, so he could still live with his dad, Melissa, and Scott. And he could keep his job at the bookstore.
He also decided he wanted to be a physical therapist. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. He liked that he would be helping people get better—and being a doctor or nurse didn't seem to fit him. He felt like that was something he should do.
His dad and Melissa liked that he wasn't going far away. Scott was annoyed that he wasn't going to have the house to himself, but Stiles seemed happy Derek was sticking around.
Stiles was thrilled that Derek wasn't moving away fro college. He had been really worried that he'd never see Derek again. And he feared that Derek would fall in love with some person who wasn't good enough for him. What would Derek do without Stiles to point out the person's flaws?
Scott didn't seem too happy though. "I was looking forward to not sharing the bathroom with anyone. Derek never lets me get the bathroom first."
"Wow, Scott, you're life is so hard," Stiles deadpanned.
"And he always eats the last Pop-Tart! Even when I call it! That's so rude."
"And people say I'm the weird one," Stiles muttered. "Hi, Derek!"
"Hey, guys," Derek said as he joined them on the couch.
"Where have you been for the last few hours?" Scott asked.
"Nowhere," Derek said.
Stiles squinted at Derek. "You're lying."
Derek glared at Stiles. "No I'm not."
Stiles started poking Derek in the stomach. "I demand you tell me where you were!"
Derek shoved Stiles away. "Fine! I got a tattoo, okay?"
Stiles' eyes widened. "Can I see it?"
"It's probably something dumb," Scott said.
"No it's not." Derek stood up and took off his shirt. Stiles didn't get to admire Derek's abs for very long since Derek turned around. Right on Derek's back between his shoulder blades was this… swirly thing.
"What is it?" Scott asked while Stiles gaped.
"A triskelion," Derek said as he put his shirt back on. "I got it to represent my past, present, and future."
"I think it's stupid," Scott said.
"I think it's cool," Stiles said. "Why'd you get it?"
Derek shrugged. "Mostly as a graduation present for myself. And so I remember to learn from my past, enjoy the present, and prepare for the future."
"So it means something to you," Stiles said and Derek nodded. "That's awesome."
Derek smiled. "Thank you, Stiles."
Stiles beamed at that.
For Derek's graduation party, Stiles wanted to do something special. So he found his mom's recipe for chocolate chip cookies. With his dad's supervision, Stiles made them. When he and his dad tried some, they were both surprised that they tasted exactly how Stiles' mom made them.
"She would've given you a prize or something for making them perfectly," his dad said.
Stiles grinned. "Really?"
"Yup. She'd be happy that someone could share them with the world even when she's not around. You should make them on holidays too. It'll be like she's here with us."
Stiles had never been more proud of himself.
At the party, Derek came up to Stiles with a cookie in his hand. "Are these…?"
"My mom's cookies," Stiles finished.
Derek smiled at him. "Her cookies were always the best. You made them just like she did."
"Thanks, Derek."
Derek patted him on the shoulder. "I expect some on my birthday now."