/ / / Confrontation \ \ \

When Derek woke up the next day he called Lydia.

"Lydia, I need you to take Megan out today and don't forget to tell Stiles."

"Sure, and I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Excellent, bye," Derek said hanging up. He knew that tone it was the one she used when she was lying but you'd already caught her. She refused to admit defeat but she would do what he needed her to.

When Megan went out for lunch and shopping with Lydia Derek waited in the lounge room for Stiles. Like clockwork seven minutes later Stiles knocked on the front door. Derek opened the door and smiled at Stiles.

"Come in, we need to talk."

Stiles looked at him carefully. "Sure."

Derek led Stiles into the lounge room where a cup of Stiles' favourite tea was sitting on the table.

"Were you expecting me?" Stiles asked.

"Well Megan went out," Derek said. "So, of course I was expecting you."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh, why are you only here when she isn't?"

"It just seemed easier," Stiles said and picked up his cup of tea for something else to focus on.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to put myself through that."

"Though what?" Derek knew he sounded annoyed but he was exasperated with Stiles who was looking at him like he should understand what Stiles was trying to say and Derek was confused.

"Through watching you and Megan." Stiles said quietly but his posture was hurt and protective and Derek couldn't work out why.

"Do what?"

"I want to help you," Stiles said his hands curled into fists. "I like Logan, he's amazing, but you cannot ask me to come here and spend time with you and her."

"What? Why?"

Stiles looked at him like he was stupid. "A month ago you sat me down in this fucking room and you told me you wanted us to be together, that you wanted us to have something permanent. You told me you wanted a long term relationship."

"And you said you wanted to be sure," Derek said glaring at Stiles with his arms folded. The same old hurt and disappointment from that day flooding his system.

"Because the last time we did this you ignored me when we weren't naked and horizontal. I wanted to be sure because if you changed your mind when I was in love with you again I wouldn't have been able to…I…last time it was…horrible."

"I apologised for that," Derek said.

"I know but that doesn't fix everything and it hasn't changed the fact that I was gutted when it happened so I wanted to be more careful this time."

"And I accepted that."

"And then a month later you are offering some one-night-stand a place in your house and in your pack and you have a child together and you so obviously want to be with her so that you can give Logan a family and I am trying so damned hard to do the right thing and help you with Logan but you want me to also spend time with you and your new girlfriend?"

Derek took a step back and looked at Stiles. "I have never said anything about wanting to be with Megan."

"You said you wanted to make a family with her and Logan, you told her to think of this as her home, you told her to stay, you said you would leave," Stiles sounded broken on the last word and Derek stepped forward only to have Stiles step back.

"He's my son and a werewolf, I need to be there for him," Derek said, his voice softer. "But I told you, right at the beginning, that I meant what I said a month ago."

"I know," Stiles said wrapping his arms around himself. "I know that you need to be there for him but it doesn't stop this from hurting and I didn't want to have to watch you start your little family when I feel like I lost something. So, I come when she isn't here because it's easier."

"I never wanted to be with her," Derek said.

"You told me last time I was here that Logan deserved a family."

"A family doesn't mean that I have to be with Megan only that we have to both be there for Logan. I just need some time to work out what I am going to have to do with Logan."

Stiles sat down and looked up at Derek. "But…everything you said…I thought, you don't want to be with her for Logan?"

"No, I want to be with you, but I need time."

Stiles looked down at his hands.

"But," Derek said sinking down into a chair across from Stiles. "Yesterday, Megan said she was going to stay for a while longer but she said she wasn't interested in anything but my help with Logan."

Stiles nodded.

"Everyone thinks I was offering her a relationship?"

Stiles nodded.

"So…" Derek said finally but couldn't work out how to finish his thought.

"Everyone thinks that you threw me over for her," Stiles said.

"Which is why Scott's been growling at me every time I see him?"

Stiles nodded.

"Right," Derek said. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Do you understand why I've been avoiding being here when she is?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to San Diego?"

"If he goes I have to go."

Stiles nodded sadly. "Of course."

"But I still want you, Stiles."

"But I'm not sure if I can wait while you go off and raise your son."

"I might not have to go."

"But if you do, you will and then what? Do you expect me to follow you? What does that mean for me? I understand he is your priority and I know why you are making him the most important thing in your life but I can't just wait around for you forever. So you are going to have to make decisions because I'll wait for a while but I'm not going to wait around forever and I cannot wait until Logan is an adult who is ready to leave the house."

"I don't know what's going to happen."

"I know," Stiles stood up and walked over to Derek who looked up at him. "And I'm not asking you to work it out right now but I can't be a second thought in this. So you do need decide how important I am to you. I can be part of this but I won't be an afterthought to your son."

"I-"

Stiles leaned over and cut Derek off with a kiss. Derek pushed up into the press of Stiles' lips and curled his hand around the back of the human's neck to pull him more firmly into the kiss. Stiles went willingly, kissing Derek with all of the feelings he was holding onto.

"Take your time and be sure," Stiles said pulling away.

"I can't choose between you and Logan."

Stiles grabbed the sides of Derek's head and pulled him up so that Derek's back was stretched. "I am not asking you to. Listen to me. All I need to know is if you are willing to do this, willing to give it everything or if I have to be a second thought. I need to be a partner in things not simply another member of your pack. We are separate from you and Logan and I would never, ever, ask you to neglect your relationship with him but you would have to be willing to put in the time and effort into a relationship with me too. That is what you need to decide."

Derek nodded and Stiles ducked down for one last, quick kiss and then he let go of Derek.

"I'll leave you to think about it."

"Wait," Derek said standing up and walking to the doorway. "Does this mean you are going back to ignoring me?"

"I won't ignore you but I think you need some space to think about everything we've talked about."

"I don't want space," Derek admitted quietly.

Stiles smiled apologetically. "But we both need some." And then he turned and left.

/ / / TBC \ \ \