The following days were oddly peaceful. There were no attacks, no weird cars following Stiles around, or suspicious people lurking in the shadows. Even online bullying came to an abrupt halt. Perhaps the guy really scared himself with his botched attempt at kidnapping. That or he was just waiting for Stiles to let his guard down.

Stiles was not going to. He installed a security lock on the door, made sure to always go to the construction site when there were still workers around, and got himself a baseball bat. He probably should have just gotten a firearm. But that would force him to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. It was easier to pretend like it was no big deal and the guy was just some immature punk when you had a baseball bat in the trunk of your car than a Glock tucked under your belt.

Derek called almost every day. He always had something work-related to ask, but Stiles knew he was just checking on him. It was sweet and Stiles didn't mind, so he never called him out on it. Besides, telling others about having a stalker was one of the security measures. The one that Stiles largely neglected. He barely knew his neighbors, he didn't want to tell his landlord, afraid that he would be kicked out, and he didn't tell at work cause it was simply embarrassing. He didn't hide his sexual orientation, but neither did he broadcast it. Having a kinky asshole follow you around to get in your pants and do vile things to you was not exactly a career boost. And obviously, he had no intention to needlessly worry his dad. So having Derek in the know and checking on him was a good thing.

Besides, Stiles craved that attention. He found himself in Derek's office several times for things that could have been dealt with over the phone. Derek was always nicer to him in person, so that's the excuse Stiles went with to justify it to himself.

"You can go in, he is expecting you," Erica greeted him sweetly. They have built a rapport of quoting movies and shows at each other - something that never failed to produce a snort from Derek.

Stiles shook his head, grinning. "Nah. I am the one who knocks," he said, wondering if she will get this one.

She did. "Are you sure, you're gay? Cause I think I'm in love."

"Back off, Reyes! I saw him first!" came Derek's voice from behind the door. Stiles and Erica shared an amused look before Stiles entered the office.

It was not the first time Derek would say something like this. Usually, it came in the form of Derek making offers (or threats) to scene with Stiles and Stiles turning him down, but sometimes Derek acted as if it wasn't just about BDSM, or it didn't have to be. Stiles always treated those proclamations as Derek just fucking with him. It felt safer than entertaining the possibility that Derek really wanted more. Not that Stiles never thought about it. But he always came to a conclusion that Derek just wasn't used to being rejected and as soon as he got Stiles under his thumb, he would gradually lose interest in him. Stiles would be just another sub on Derek's neverending list of willing play partners. And it's not like there was anything wrong with that approach. (After all, Stiles practiced the same one.) It's just that it wasn't worth complicating things and risking your career over.

As usual, Derek barely waited for Stiles to finish work-related stuff before changing the subject to his favorite topic. "Are you coming to The Red Zone tomorrow?"

Stiles shook his head with an exasperated sigh. It didn't matter how many times he told the Dom not to bring up the kink in the office. Derek was incorrigible.

"Derek, do you see this?" Stiles lifted his tie and waved it in front of his face. "This is a tie. It means this is a workplace and I'm in a work mode."

In one swift motion, Derek caught the tail end of the tie and pulled, making Stiles stumble forward. Before he managed to catch his footing Derek already undid his tie and was demonstratively wrapping it around his fist. "Are you coming to TRZ tomorrow?" he repeated smugly.

Stiles just rolled his eyes at Derek's brazen demeanor. Now he was undressing him in the office too. Just another line for Derek to cross. "Why?"

"You might enjoy what I have on the agenda."

"I'm not playing with you, Derek." Seriously, how many times will Stiles have to repeat that before Derek stopped asking? And every time he turned him down he was less and less sure about his decision.

"Who said anything about you?" Derek scoffed. "Stop being so full of yourself."

Stiles opened his mouth gasping for air. "ME?!"

Oh, the nerve!

"Yes you," Derek said, wearing that shit-eating grin of his, that Stiles developed a personal love-hate relationship with. "I'll see you tomorrow then, champ."

"Wait, my tie."

"Tomorrow."

xxx

Stiles did find his tie the next day. On Lydia. As Derek led her to the public play area using it as a leash. Lydia was wearing her Domme leather overall so the fact that she was not in charge was a bit confusing. The white watch on her wrist indicated that she was Derek's +1 for the night and Stiles wasn't sure how he felt about it. Not jealous per se… perhaps curious and not a little intrigued.

The scene understandably drew attention. First, because it was Derek and he always got a crowd of onlookers, and second because they were soon joined by Chase. Two hot guys dominating a hot girl was quite a crowd-pleaser. Plus the three of them were giving off Charlie's Angels vibes - a dark-haired brooding type, a playful blond one, and a foxy redhead.

When Derek started the scene by reading Lydia a riot act on failing her duties as a Domme, Stiles understood where this was going and why Derek thought it might be of interest to him. Derek didn't go into details, so no one but Stiles knew what this was about. His rhetoric was not far from the one he gave her at Starbucks, but his phrasing left no doubt that it was all a scene (if only by a sheer amount of trigger words that got the submissive part of the audience all blushy). In the end, Lydia was declared to be just a 'naughty little girl' and not fit to wear her Domme outfit. Then to pay her penance, she was stripped naked and put on her knees as the two continued to tower over her and berate her.

If Stiles didn't know how much Lydia was getting off on public humiliation, he might have felt uncomfortable for being an indirect part of it. But however one looked at it, this was hot. The double attention of two Doms was a big turn on in general and Derek + Chase was a combo not many subs would ever turn down. Lydia was certainly one lucky girl.

Her flushed cheeks were matching her hair color and she couldn't have looked more beautiful. Stiles usually preferred her as a Domme, but he had to admit that submission suited her greatly as well. He wasn't even surprised when Derek shackled her to St Andrew's cross, blindfolded her with Stiles's tie, and grabbed a light flogger. Chase got one as well and they went on warming Lydia's skin from two sides in perfect synergy, accompanied by her 'ohs' and 'ahs'.

Those were not sounds of pain. At least not yet. But Derek promised her punishment, so harsher play was definitely in store. Stiles was looking forward to it. Not because he was mad at her, or anything. He had long since forgiven Lydia for leaving that night and harbored no ill feelings toward her, but watching her pay the piper in a way that was enjoyable for all the parties involved, was deeply satisfying nonetheless.

After getting her butt, thighs, and back into a nice rosy shade of pink, Derek took out the leather beast she used on Stiles in B-9. He cast Stiles a meaningful glance and Stiles couldn't help chuckling.

Oh yes, I get it, this is all "for me", you're a fucking knight in shining armor;))

He hit sent and watched Derek read the message on his watch. The Dom snorted and then wiggled his finger at him, mouthing a word that Stiles lip-read as "behave".

As it turned out Lydia was pants when it came to handling pain. She could dish out way more than she could take, so once Derek unleashed the heavy flogger on her, her screams disproportionally raised in volume. Not that it stopped Derek or got any sympathy from Chase.

"Damn girl, now I get why they call you a banshee," he joked, petting her hair, as Derek laid on another harsh stroke. Stiles was not nearly as sadistic as the two, so his own mirth was rather quickly overshadowed by his empathy. He wasn't worried, because he knew it was all pre-negotiated beforehand and Lydia was experienced enough to stop things if it got too much for her. Though he doubted Derek would let it go that far.

He was proven right when after a couple more blows Derek put the flogger aside and ran a soothing hand over her punished skin. Lydia's labored breathing changed into mewls of pleasure as she melted into his gentle touch and Stiles was hit with a stab of jealousy, as he did whenever he watched Derek show his tender side to anyone other than Stiles. He didn't use to be like this. And as much as Stiles appreciated this particular change, it was something he couldn't bring himself to watch. Even sexual dominance that was often part of Derek's scenes was not as hard a pill to swallow as the aftercare.

Chase untied her from the cross and Lydia graciously sunk bank to her knees, hissing softly as her butt hit the heels of her feet. He praised her for taking her punishment well and then "allowed" her to show her appreciation, which was a pretty cheesy way of soliciting a blowjob, but if Stiles had to name one cock-eager submissive out there, it would be Lydia. She treated Chase's dick as if it was the most amazing thing in the world, practically making love to it with her tongue. She went as far as to even talk to it, much to the general amusement of the audience and Chase's pleasure.

Derek decided that she was having too easy a job with it, so he took both of her hands and held them behind her back to take some power away from her. Chase seemed to be in agreement, and after another minute told her that she had had her fun and now it was time for him to use her mouth as he saw fit. He grabbed her by the hair and thrust in, setting the pace himself and fucking her mouth rather roughly. Not that Lydia complained.

To kick it up a notch, Derek took out a Hitachi wand and placed it between her legs. Lydia's surprised scream was muffled by Chase's cock still in her mouth. The Dom let her catch her breath and get accustomed to the new type of stimulation. But not for long. Lydia tried to press her thighs together to prevent Derek the access, which was of course an entirely futile attempt on her part.

"Oh no, little girl, you are not in charge here," he chuckled, slapping her thighs apart and placing the head of the wand directly at her clit. At least that's what Stiles thought he did because Lydia's protesting "Noo" sounded suspiciously like a "Yes please". But of course Derek was too much of a sadist to let her come this easily, so once she seemed to be getting close, he took the wand away. Her groan of disapproval only confirmed that Derek read her body response correctly.

"Hmm, someone's mad," he teased.

Chase pulled out of Lydia's mouth and tilted her chin up to look at him. "Are you angry, sweetheart?"

Lydia was not stupid, she had asked that very question many frustrated subs herself and knew quite well which response was more likely to get her the release she craved. "No, Sir."

"Good girl."

Derek proceeded to edge her all the way through, which ended up being a torturously long time. Chase had the perseverance of a porn actor, with how long it took him to finally come. As Stiles predicted, Lydia was granted her release no sooner than her "job" was done. Derek timed it perfectly just a second before Chase emptied his balls down her throat. Stiles wasn't sure whether it dampened or enhanced her orgasm. He personally wouldn't have been a fan but Lydia seemed quite satisfied and adorably droopy afterward.

"So, is that Derek's uh, girlfriend? Submissive?"

Stiles turned around to see Peter sitting on the barstool behind him.

"No, I daresay, she is not," Stiles replied with a chuckle. "Lydia is a Switch and I'm pretty sure that's the first time she is playing with Derek."

"Playing, huh. That what you call it?"

"Playing, scening, yeah." Stiles glanced back at the play area, where Derek wrapped Lydia in a blanket and was quietly talking to her, while Chase was tidying away the toys they used and wiping down the equipment. "Is it weird, watching your nephew... like that?"

"A bit. Not nearly as weird as I expected," Peter shrugged. "What's a Switch?"

"Switch is somebody who enjoys both roles - Dominant and Submissive. Lydia usually plays as a Domme but from time to time she lets her submissive side out."

"Is Derek a Switch too?"

"Not to my knowledge, no."

"And you?"

"I'm a sub through and through."

"And the two of you are…?"

"Just friends," Stiles supplied readily.

Peter narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

Stiles just smiled at him nodding, as he got up to go fetch his tie and check on his friend.

Lydia was sitting on one of the sofas sipping on what Stiles guessed was an orange juice. She was still wrapped in a blanket but didn't look to be deep in subspace or anything. At seeing Stiles her face stretched into a mischievous grin.

"Hello, stranger," she greeted him.

"Hello, Ma'am, or is it 'naughty little girl' now?" Stiles teased, taking a seat next to her and planting a kiss on her cheek. "I guess I can have my tie back now."

"You don't mind, right? I really wanted to play with him and this seemed like a perfect scenario-"

"It's fine, Lydia, really," he quickly reassured her. And he wasn't lying. They didn't breach any kind of moral code. They didn't force his participation or disclosed his involvement. The scene itself was pretty cool and hot to watch. And the fact that Lydia picked Stiles's regular play partner and his uhm… whatever Derek was to him, to top her was also not any kind of taboo or anything.

"Will you introduce me to your lovely friend?"

Stiles didn't realize that Peter had followed him. He assumed that when Peter asked about Lydia he was interested in learning more about Derek, but watching him now… the way he looked at her suggested that Stiles might have gotten it all wrong. "Peter, this is Lydia. Lydia this is Peter, he is-"

"Oh God, what the hell are you doing here again?!"

"Hello, Derek," Peter said cheerfully, waving at his unamused nephew. "I'm just hanging out."

"Hanging out?! You promised you won't be coming here!" Derek seethed through gritted teeth. Stiles figured that Derek was not nearly as comfortable with his uncle being in the club as Peter seemed to be.

"I did?" Peter scoffed with mock innocence. "I think I would have remembered that."

"Great! Just great." Derek threw his hands in the air. "Well, Stiles at least you are not the only one with a stalker now."

"You have a stalker?" Lydia asked him, surprised.

Stiles cast Derek an annoyed look, but Derek was clearly too irritated to care that he blurted something Stiles considered to be private.

"Oh don't be so dramatic. It doesn't become you," Peter scoffed and Stiles could tell that Derek was visibly restraining himself. "And I believe you promised to call your mother, which you also didn't do. So as far as I'm concerned, we're even."

Lydia leaned closer to Stiles. "What am I missing?"

"Peter is Derek's uncle," Stiles explained. He was curious what the deal between them was, but he didn't want to pry, since Derek himself never did. (But then again he didn't have to, since Stiles seemed to lose control over his tongue whenever Derek was around and tell him everything anyway.)

Lydia's eyes lit up with excitement. "Wooo, runs in the family, huh? Kinky! So what are you, Peter?"

"A complete novice." Peter raised his palms up with a grin. "But very interested in learning the ropes with the right teacher."

"Oh, God!" Derek groaned, before stalking away.

Stiles couldn't say he blamed him. If he did a public scene and then found his dad sitting in the audience, he would have been pretty mortified too. And if then his dad proceeded to flirt with Stiles's play partner, he would probably have the same reaction.

Lydia didn't seem bothered by the family connection at all, giving Peter a curious once-over. But that was Lydia to you, sexual freedom was her credo. Stiles considered asking Peter about his relationship with Derek but then saw that he missed his window since the two were already too busy eye-fucking each other.

Well, perhaps another time.

xxx

Stiles was in the middle of doing the paperwork he had been postponing forever in favor of more pressing matters (and also because it was his least favorite task) when his phone rang.

"Hi, Der-"

"Stilinski! Get your ass in here!" Derek cut him off with an angry snarl, which caught Stiles off guard.

Well, that was a first. Sure, Derek had been clipped with him before, but this went beyond that, and Stiles sensed that there must have been some major fuck up.

"Uhm, you mean to the site?" he clarified.

"Yes."

Stiles glanced at the stack of papers begging to be processed and grimaced. "Uh, look, I have something-"

"NOW!" Derek barked and the line went dead.

Stiles didn't like this attitude one bit. He was not Derek's employee to be treated like this. But as much as he wanted to just ignore the call and go back to his business, the nagging feeling wouldn't let him get any work done, anyway. So with a deep sigh, he grabbed his things and made his way to the site to see what got Derek so upset.

...

At the first glance, everything was just as it looked two days ago when Stiles last visited the site. There were quite a lot of workers scattered throughout various floors, though most of them were focused on the roof adjusting the top level foundation to support the pool. Those in the lobby were having a lunch break, and their cheerful voices contrasted sharply with the murderous glare Derek had greeted him with.

"What is it?" Stiles asked, trying to pinpoint the cause for Derek's obvious anger.

"What the fuck is this?" Derek asked, pointing around himself.

Stiles looked around in confusion, still not finding anything amiss. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. What is this?!"

"The lobby?"

"THIS is the lobby? This?!" The look he was giving Stiles was very unnerving. And not the good kind. "Where the FUCK is the rest of it?!"

Stiles frowned. "What do you mean? I told you we had to reduce it for the garage spaces since the portion of the underground parking got canceled." He did tell him, right? Right?!

"And who on earth signed off on reducing a LOBBY for a few parking spaces?!" Derek barked, his voice raising in volume and attracting the attention of people around.

"You did." Stiles was surprised how confident he sounded, given how queasy he felt on the inside.

Derek stared at him and Stiles half expected for steam to start coming out of his ears. "That's the stupidest thing I have heard in my life!"

Stiles tried not to take this personally, but it was hard not to. It wasn't even that big a change. "We've talked about this! I sent you the correction plan like three weeks ago!"

"And have I approved it?"

"What do you mean? Of course you did." Did he? Truth was, Stiles didn't remember ever having this conversation at all. There has been so much stuff going on lately… But surely he wouldn't go on with something like this without getting a green light for it. So Stiles just assumed that Derek must have approved it. Though watching Derek's expression Stiles had a hard time to keep practicing this self-delusion.

"Show me!"

Stiles browsed his phone and after a minute found the email buried deep in the correspondence. "Here it is." He gave Derek the phone to see for himself.

The Dom read the email, his firm features not softening one bit. "This is your email," he said, returning the phone and folding his arms on his chest. "Where is my response approving this shit?"

Again Stiles tried not to let the harsh words get to him as he went through the emails over and over searching for Derek's reply. He wiped his forehead from the droplets of sweat that started condensing there because… there was no response. There wasn't even a confirmation that the email was read.

"You don't reply to like 90% of my emails," he tried defensively. "And I have been busting my ass because you suddenly decided to move the pool, remember?" Stiles almost cringed at his own cheap attempt at diversion.

And unsurprisingly, Derek wasn't swayed by it. "So you went on thinking you don't actually need to consult me on this?" he growled, getting right in Stiles's face. "Maybe this is your hotel? Your money?"

"Are you daft?! You think that I made it up?" Stiles snapped back, finally losing his composure. "You must have approved it by phone, or on messenger or whatever. If your memory is shit, that's not my problem!"

Derek's glare turned icy. Stiles recognized that look. The one that promised a lot of pain for the submissive that dared to displease his Master. Stiles would like to say that it didn't work on him, except it did. It made him want to curl up in a ball and cry in the corner, as well as regret his brazen attitude and his piss-poor attempts to bluff his way out of this.

"Watch your fucking tone," Derek hissed.

Stiles' face grew hot. And not just because there was an audience, but because he realized that Derek was right. He would have never allowed himself to act this way towards any other client. And the truth was, whatever happened was ultimately on Stiles, because it was his responsibility to double, triple, fucking quadruple check to make sure everything was going according to his client's wishes. And since he obviously didn't… he fucked up. And damn, that didn't feel good.

"Well, there must have been some kind of miscommunication," he said, keeping his tone much more polite this time.

"It doesn't matter anymore. I want my lobby back to its original size."

"Uhm.. ok," Stiles cleared his throat, gathering back the remnants of his professionalism. "I'll send you the new calculation and we will have to adjust the deadline - "

"No," Derek cut him off. "We're not paying for your mistakes. No extra budget, no extra time."

Shit.

"Look, the electricians are coming already on Friday and -"

"Move them."

"I can't! Not on such short notice and not at this price. I booked it two months ago! The next appointment could be 3 weeks from now. And then it's the insulation and the drywall and the painting and everything will have to be postponed..." Stiles rubbed his forehead with a grimace as his carefully calculated schedule just came crashing down like a house of cards.

"Then I suggest you fix it by Friday," Derek said, not showing any sympathy to his plight.

"Yeah, and solve global warming while I'm at it," Stiles grumbled under his nose.

"I don't care how you do it, Stilinski. Just get it done." With that Derek turned on his heel and stormed out, leaving Stiles with his head in his hands and zero idea what to do about it.

TBC

Slowly getting to the fun stuff;)