Derek, Stiles and everything else

Chapter 20: The spooning problem

Stiles was still waiting for an answer to his question. Sure, he could have phrased that better – 'What's your problem?' sounded a little like an accusation.

'I'm really hot,' Derek said.

'Way to toot your own horn,' Stiles remarked, knowing full well that wasn't what Derek meant. Derek glared.

'I don't need the extra heat,' he clarified, tersely

'Well, I'm freezing!' Stiles argued.

'That is why I've already warmed up the bed for you.'

Stiles folded back the sheets and sat up. He patted the quickly cooling space next to him. Derek stayed rooted to the spot. With an exaggerated sigh, Stiles got out of bed and confronted Derek.

'See, I know you, which is how I know that you're not telling the truth. And you know me, I'm not gonna stop badgering you until I know the real reason.'

Unmoved, Derek continued to get dressed.

'It was a dark and stormy night,' Stiles began.

'Shut up.'

'Wrong. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.'

'Shut up, Stiles.'

'Wrong again. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'

'How many times do I have to tell you to shut your trap?'

'Better luck next time. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth,' Stiles recited, fervently hoping that Derek was going to crack soon, because he was now down to 'Call me Ishmael.'

'I don't want to be the big spoon!' Derek suddenly exclaimed. He stared at Stiles as if to see how Stiles would react to this news. Because it was news to Stiles.

'Really?' Stiles asked. For as long as he could remember, Derek had been the big spoon. He was taller and more muscular and it just made sense somehow, even though Stiles wasn't overly fond of being relegated to the little spoon position.

'Yeah, really,' Derek stated. 'Is that a problem?'

Stiles had been really worried there for a minute that something was seriously wrong. Instead they were fighting over a non-issue. His sarcasm returned in full force.

'Let's see. You don't like being the big spoon. I'm not crazy about being the little spoon. Oh, if I could only think of a solution. I feel like it's right in front of me. I feel like it's staring me straight in the face. Why haven't we talked about this before? It is because I always try to sex my way out of everything?' Stiles teased. Derek smiled and tackled him to the bed. Struggling out from under Derek, Stiles pulled the sheets back over them both. Underneath the sheets, they worked frantically until all Derek's clothes were back on the floor – where they belonged.

'I've been wondering about something,' Stiles confessed, while they shifted into their new position.

'What?'

'Why'd you say you couldn't love me? What was that all about?'

'My life isn't exactly sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. I didn't want you to get hurt,' Derek answered. He drew Stiles' arms around his torso and Stiles settled his chin on Derek's shoulder and pulled him closer. Honestly, it wasn't as if it had felt awful before. They had always fitted. This, though, was something else.

'Hmmm, I probably will. Fragile as I am. And your life is better with me in it,' Stiles pointed out.

'Can't argue with that,' Derek responded.

'My life is better with you in it too, you know?'

Derek turned until he could look at Stiles. They lay like that for a while. Then Derek smiled and kissed him. And kissed him again. Rolling back onto his side, Derek murmured: 'I know. We're perfectly aligned.'

The end.

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Author's note: Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.