A/N: Here's the second story, because I was in a writing kinda mood today! :)
Summary: "Damn it, Stiles. We are not getting those for my house."
"But Derek, they're perfect," Stiles laughs, holding up the string of Christmas lights shaped like wolves.
What starts out as a simple trip in which Stiles attempts to convince Derek they need some cheesy Christmas decorations takes a turn for the worse when they run into none other than Derek's malicious ex, Kate Argent. Stiles decides he needs to do something to shut her up, and quick.
"Damn it, Stiles. We are not getting those for my house."
"But Derek, they're perfect," Stiles laughs, holding up the string of Christmas lights shaped like wolves.
Derek frowns at Stiles, and Stiles looks at him with a little grin on his face.
He will so say yes to these, Stiles thinks. I'll convince him.
"No," Derek repeats gruffly, before taking the cart and pushing it down the aisle.
Stiles watches him, smirking. Derek looks so out of place, pushing a half full cart down the red and green Christmas themed aisles of the supermarket.
The pack decided (all of an hour ago) that they wanted to go all out for Christmas this year, and had nominated Stiles and Derek to go shopping for the decorations for Derek's loft.
"Stiles should go because he's more creative-" Stiles had snorted at Scott for saying that earlier.
"Yea, Scott," Stiles had replied. "More like you're too comfortable to get your lazy ass off of the couch, and you're too warm to send anyone else from the pack away."
Scott, Scott, Alison, Lydia, Isaac, and Kira had all been crammed together on the couch, under two huge blankets. Stiles had gotten up for a split second to go to the bathroom, and that was when the pack had made the "decision" to send him and Derek to the store. More like they all didn't want to move.
Derek was nominated first, because it is his loft after all, so he should have some say in what goes in it.
Stiles was the second choice, to his annoyance.
Not that he minded going with Derek, because, well, he really didn't, it was more the fact that he had to go outside when it was like, 30°F out.
He had grumbled out to the car, but when Derek stopped and got him a hot chocolate, with extra whipped cream, Stiles stopped his complaints. (Derek had been boring, as usual, and got a tea.)
And now they're in one of the two Christmas aisles in the only supermarket in Beacon Hills that still has an abundance of decorations so close to Christmas.
Derek already has two packs of plain white Christmas tree lights in their cart, and a tin door sign with a smiling Santa saying "Welcome!" on it. It had been like pulling teeth to get Derek to agree to get the door sign, but when Stiles had succeeded, he felt a rush of adrenaline, and immediately wanted to see how far he could push Derek in terms of decorations.
(The wolf lights aren't actually an attempt at this, believe it or not. Stiles just thinks they're actually pretty damn cool. And you know, the fact that they're going to hang them in the loft of an actual werewolf pack makes them even better.)
Stiles follows Derek down the aisle, still holding three packs of the wolf Christmas lights.
Along the way, he grabs some neon pink tinsel, some puke green tinsel, and a huge yellow star. He figures if they're really going all out, that means a tree, and where there's a tree, there has to be a star on top. (The tinsel will just be another way to test Derek's resolve. After all, no way in hell is Stiles buying neon pink or putrid green colored tinsel.)
When Stiles reaches Derek at the end of the aisle, he sees that Derek has only added a small box of ornaments to the cart. They're white, and shaped like snowflakes, with glitter on them. They're actually really pretty, thinks Stiles.
Derek looks up at Stiles as he approaches, but when he sees what's in his hands he starts shaking his head.
"No way, Stiles." He spits out. "No. Way. We are not buying that tinsel. That tinsel is going nowhere near my loft. That tinsel should be burned."
There's a short pause, and then.
"Are you colorblind?" questions Derek, and Stiles bursts out giggling.
"What?" he asks through his gargled laughter. "Why would you ask that?"
Derek shrugs.
"I was hoping you might be," he says, "cause then you would have an excuse for picking such horrible colors."
He smirks, and pushes the cart to the next aisle, while Stiles is left sputtering.
So that's how he wants to play, thinks Stiles. Well, I'm always up for a game.
Stiles dumps the horrifically colored tinsel back on the nearest shelf, but keeps the star and the wolf lights because he will be getting those lights in the cart before they leave, he's sworn an oath to himself.
Stiles walks to the end of the aisle and goes to turn into the next one, but drops the lights and the star onto the ground as he crashes into Derek, who's standing there not moving.
"Whoa," says Stiles, "excuse you."
Derek doesn't respond, or move, so Stiles takes a second to look at him. His hands are clenched around the cart, so hard that Stiles can see veins popping out on his forearms. His jaw is set, and his glare, murderous.
Stiles feels goose bumps pop up on his arms underneath the fabric of his blue flannel shirt, and for an instant, he is reminded of just how dangerous Derek can be.
Derek has killed people.
And it honestly looks like he could kill someone right now.
"Derek," Stiles says hesitantly, looking at his face with concern. "Are you oka-"
He's cut off by someone calling Derek's name.
And Stiles understands in an instant, without even turning around to see who it is.
He can recognize Kate's voice when he hears it, that's for sure.
"Hey Derek."
Her voice comes nearer.
Stiles finally turns around, and there she is.
Kate Argent, dressed all in black with red lipstick, her long hair loose on her shoulders.
She's arm in arm with a guy who has to be at least six two. His dark hair is buzzed short, and that, combined with his square jaw is meant to look intimidating, Stiles supposes, and it works. It really works.
"How are you," Kate purrs, looking Derek up and down with a smirk on her face, before leaning over and kissing the guy she's holding on to. Stiles can tell she takes pleasure in making Derek uncomfortable, and he's disgusted by it. Especially after what she put him through when he was younger.
"I'm fine," Derek chokes out, and Stiles gets even angrier. How dare she come in here and fuck with Derek, after all these years. He, for one, isn't going to stand for this bullshit. He's part of Derek's pack, and pack means sticking together, and standing up for each other.
"Did you need something, Kate?" Stiles spits out from his place at Derek's side.
Kate's eyes flicker to him, and so do the eyes of the guy next to her, and Stiles shakes off the shiver he feels from both pairs of eyes piercing into his skin.
Kate laughs. "I see you're still hanging around teenagers, Derek," she says. "Can't you get any friends your own age?"
Derek stiffens, and Stiles is boiling on the inside. Derek is only like, five years older than Scott and Stiles, so fuck Kate for acting like Derek is hanging out with children. Besides, he's a legal adult, so she can piss off.
"Look who's talking," Stiles retorts, before Derek can open his mouth. (Cause you know, the whole Kate and Derek thing. And now that Stiles thinks about it, that may not have been the best thing to say around Derek. Oops.)
Kate opens her mouth, and then closes it again.
And Stiles smirks.
"Wow, Derek," says Kate. "I see you have your own guard puppy. When did this happen?"
Kate's words set off a lightbulb in Stiles' brain, and he either is about to do something that will get him killed in an instant (by Derek,) or will work out fantastically.
Stiles hopes for the latter.
Derek frowns, and Stiles takes the opportunity to slip his hand into Derek's.
Derek's whole arm stiffens, and he moves like he's going to pull away, but Stiles has his hand in a death grip.
"Actually, it was our seven month anniversary last week," Stiles says, plastering a cheesy grin on his face.
Kate's jaw drops.
Stiles makes his smile grow, and spares a quick glance up at Derek.
His face is blank, and Stiles heart starts beating really fast, and he can feel his face heating up.
Shit, he thinks, this was an awful idea.
Stiles' heart thumps painfully a few more times in his chest, and it's so loud he's sure even Kate can hear it.
"Fuck," Stiles whispers.
He looks up at Derek, and sees his ears twitch.
Then the corners of Derek's mouth start to curl up, and in the span of five seconds, Derek is smiling.
Derek is smiling.
It's a full on smile, and it reaches his eyes, and they're crinkling at their corners.
Stiles doesn't think he's ever seen Derek look so happy, and he can't help but smile even wider himself.
Then, faster than Stiles can comprehend what's happening, Derek has crushed Stiles to his side, and wrapped a (muscular) arm around his waist. Low on his waist.
Low enough that Stiles feels another shiver run up and down his spine, and this time it's not from fear.
Kate is staring at the two of them, and she looks unbelievably unimpressed.
Stiles looks at her, and she looks back at him.
"Oh sure," she sneers, "I'm sure Derek is in a healthy relationship, and for seven months, no less."
Stiles blinks.
"Tell me another joke." She continues.
And Stiles snaps.
Without thinking, he turns to Derek, grabs the back of his neck, and with all of his might, tugs Derek's face down to his own, and clashes their lips together.
Derek tastes like gingerbread is the first thought that pops into Stiles' head. The second is I like gingerbread.
Stiles squeezes his eyes shut, thinking he'll look like he's having a romantic kiss, but really he's too terrified to look Derek in the eyes.
I'm dead, thinks Stiles. I'm so dead. So. Dead.
To his surprise, Derek doesn't shove him off, or snap his neck.
Instead, Derek wraps both his arms around Stiles' back, and pulls him even closer.
Stiles lets out a squeak as their lips part for a second, and then Derek pulls him back in, kissing Stiles hungrily.
Stiles locks his hands behind Derek's neck.
Derek's scruff feels nice is the only thought that pops into Stiles' head at the moment.
After what seems like ten years, but was probably only about twenty seconds, they part, and Stiles is blushing even harder than before.
His heart is beating about ten times faster, too.
Stiles doesn't dare to look up at Derek, but he does look at Kate.
She looks like she's eaten a pound of lemons, and Stiles laughs out loud.
Kate opens her mouth to say something, but before she can, Stiles cuts her off.
"Fuck off Kate," he says, then high fives himself mentally.
Four for you Stiles. You go Stiles.
Kate lets out an annoyed growl, and then stomps off, dragging the guy with her.
And Stiles and Derek are alone at the end of the aisle.
Stiles can't stand another second of silence, so he grabs the cart and turns it around.
"We're pretty much ready to go, yea?" he says, mostly talking to himself.
He picks up the wolf lights and the tree topper star that he dropped on the ground when he crashed into Derek earlier, and dumps them in the cart, before speeding down the aisle towards the cashier.
He starts loading everything onto the counter, and when the guy is scanning it all, he reaches into his pocket to pay.
Shit. His wallet is at the loft.
"That'll be $41.92," the cashier says, and Stiles swears in his head.
"I'm sorry," he says. "I think that I left my-"
He's cut off by a familiar voice.
"I've got it," says Derek, sliding in front of Stiles and handing the man some bills.
Stiles steps aside while the cashier rings up the purchase and bags their things, then he grabs all the bags and walks quickly to Derek's car.
When he's there, he realizes his dilemma, but before he can open his mouth to ask Derek for help, Derek is there, opening the trunk for him.
"Thanks," Stiles says quietly. After putting the bags away, he gets into the passenger seat, and waits.
Derek gets in a few seconds later, and they sit in silence for a while.
"I'm sor-" Stiles starts right when Derek says
"Thanks."
"Wait. What?" asks Stiles, baffled.
"Thanks," says Derek. "I froze back there, and you saved me the embarrassment of facing Kate while barely coherent. I owe you."
"So that was okay?" Stiles squeaks. "I was hoping you weren't taking me back to the loft to kill me."
Derek lets out a deep laugh, and Stiles relaxes a bit.
"Stiles, it's fine," Derek says. "That was actually pretty smart."
"Why thank you," Stiles replies, his chest puffing up a little bit.
"You could work on the kissing a bit though," Derek continues with a straight face, and all the air puffs out of Stiles in annoyance.
"Whatever," he says. "Let's go home."
Derek chuckles.
They drive back to the loft in silence, and get out of the car.
Derek pops the trunk to unload the bags, and Stiles figures Derek can carry them in since he carried them earlier.
Stiles is a step away from the building's door when he feels a hand on his arm.
Derek's mouth brushes his ear.
"I meant it earlier," Derek murmurs. "You should work on the kissing."
Stiles holds his breath.
"Need some help?" Derek asks.
"Please," Stiles breathes.
So Derek pins Stiles to the outside of the building, and leans down, locking their lips together.
"Guys!" groans Scott. "I came down to be nice and help carry up the decorations, and this is what I come out to?"
Stiles laughs.
A/N: Thanks again for reading! :)