Chapter 2
Stiles' natural energy apparently made for an excellent stage presence. And who knew he could dance?! His lanky body swayed perfectly in time to the music played by the rest of his cousins, while the lyrics from each song flowed smoothly from his surprising vocals.
Stiles and his cousins included their familial banter into their set. They teased each other and reminisced on some of the ridiculous things they had done as children. Unconsciously, the five of them moved about on stage, switching instruments and placement onstage in between songs. They were so in tune with each other, showing just how long they've been doing this. It was incredible for the pack to sit and watch Stiles be so comfortable in such an unexpected place. The music ranged from happy pop to a few surprising country songs to the one girl group, Stiles' cousin begged them to play. The lead singer position switched mainly between Stiles and the girl along side him, but occasionally going to either of the two guys playing guitar and bass.
Derek is convinced Stiles has been plotting his demise. Aside from dramatically dropping his head onto the table (a move he got, not so subtly, from Stiles) all Derek could do was to take a long pull from the beer bottle sitting in front of him, like it would do much for him. It was doing something to Derek to see Stiles so confident, alluring, and effortlessly sexy on the stage. Stiles' smile was lighting the entire bar, his genuine grin had always been infectious, even when Derek was trying to resist all things Stiles. Over the last few years Derek has grown more and more fond of Stiles. He found himself attracted to the way Stiles knew so much about something so minute, they way his arms now gracefully flailed around while he was talking, how he always had something in his large hands or in his mouth. Yeah, Derek is gone on the now twenty-one year old.
"Ok so this is going to be the last song I play tonight," the crowd in the bar boo-ed at that, "I know, I know, but I only committed to an hour and this is almost hour two. Lucja, don't think I don't know your games," he said into the mic as he pointed to the purple haired girl.
"I don't have a single clue what you're referencing," she told him as her smug smile took over her face.
"Anyway, this song is called Gorgeous by X Ambassadors. If you haven't noticed by now, we are huge X Ambassadors fans. This song is about having someone that isn't just gorgeous physically, but the way they make you feel is gorgeous, and you're just left there in this ball of amazing feelings. Then you think to yourself 'damn, where has this been all my life?' And its just… gorgeous," he paused for a second and ran his hand through his hair. His cousins all looked at him knowingly as he ranted on. "Obviously I can relate to this, like a lot. I'm just- I'm just gonna stop rambling now and just get to the song," he said looking down at the mic, a bashful laugh came out quietly almost to himself. He looked up and his whiskey colored eyes looked straight at Derek. Their gazes locked for a second before Stiles looked away as the music began.
Derek's heart paused as the song began, the combination of the lyrics and the pure passion Stiles put into the song itself was more than overwhelming. Derek wasn't sure if Stiles was trying to remind himself of his own feelings or to convince the crowd.
You're so gorgeous
Cause you make me feel gorgeous
Oh, so gorgeous
Cause you make me feel gorgeous
As the song neared the end, the notes Stiles hit were completely unexpected.
"Holy shit," Jackson said shocked at the whole evening.
"Derek, if you don't jump on that then I will" Erica told him looking over at Derek whose jaw was slightly agape.
"I wouldn't even be mad," Boyd said nodding at his girlfriend's comment.
After Stiles finished the song, he and his cousins walked off stage, allowing the overhead speakers to begin playing. The boy with the same whiskey eyes as Stiles reached an arm around Stiles' shoulder and leaned over and said something in his ear as they walked. Whatever he said made Stiles laugh, losing the tense look on his face and he reached up and grabbed the other man's wrist in an affectionate manner.
"Hey guys," the bashful look on Stiles' face reappears as he reaches the table surrounded by his pack. "These are my cousins. This is Olek," he pointed to the man with his arm still around his shoulder. Olek let go of his younger and favorite cousin to wave at his friends in front of them.
"Hi I'm Lujca, but you can call me Lu," the small girl with purple hair says, leaning around Stiles who positioned himself leaning over the chair next to Derek, where his biceps are bulgedout from his t-shirt, the jacket he came in with in his other hand.
"I'm Janusz, everyone except my grandmother calls me Jay. It makes holidays less confusing," Jay told them with his boyish smile gleaming everywhere. His voice was deeper than his round face lead to believe. He pulled up two chairs for Lu and himself.
Growing up the women in the Stilinski family always came first. Their grandparents had only boys, so when each of them brought home girlfriends, then wives, and eventually daughters, the boys all held them in high regard. It stemmed from their grandmother. She and their grandfather had married in Poland and a year later migrated to the States. She was the first one of them to find work and supported her husband until he too found a job. When they decided to begin a family, she was the one to sacrifice a lot of what she had built to raise their children. Their grandfather made sure his sons knew just how much she did for them all and how treat and respect not only their mother but all the other women in their lives. It's the main reason Stiles was so in awe of the women in the pack (aside from not being a shitty person). He knew just how determined a woman was when she set her mind to something.
" Your named after Uncle John. It's not that complicated," Maks said pulling a chair up next to Stiles. "Hi I'm Maks," he said with a slight wave as he sat down.
"Ok Maksymillan," Jay replied with snark.
"Seriously you have the easiest name out of all of us," Lu told him from her spot next to Jay and behind Lydia.
"Yeah Lucy," said Oli sarcastically.
"Really Alex," she said raising an eyebrow at her older cousin.
"You guys really want to play the name game?" Stiles said as he reached forward stealing some of Derek's beer in front of him. Derek turned and raised an eyebrow at him with a fond glare on his face, only for Stiles to smirk at him.
"Alright, you win," Jay replied.
"What is your real name Stiles?" Erica asked from her place perched on Boyd's lap.
"You don't even tell your friends your real name?" Lu chastised him. "What kind of friend are you?"
"Mieczysław, after my grandfather," he told them, pointedly ignoring Lu.
"How did you pronounce that as a kid?" Issac asked from his side of the table.
"I was about 7 or 8 when it stopped sounding like I had a mouth full of marbles," Stiles said shaking Derek's now empty beer battle in his hand. "I'm going to get a drink, anyone else want one?"
After a various round of 'yes' coming from his friends and family at the table Stiles turned to make his way to the bar, and left his friends and family to get aquatinted. It was an easy order to remember, his family almost exclusively drank Blue Moon, unless his grandparents brought back Żywiec from Poland when they came back for the holidays, and his pack members drank Corona. After he ordered from Lyssa at the bar, who had been working there for almost as long as Stiles had been sneaking in with his cousins, he felt a familiar presence creep up behind him.
"Even in a crowded bar on a Friday night, you're still creeping around," He said to Derek as he turned around and leaned his back against the bar.
"Why didn't anyone know you could sing?" Derek demanded stepping closer to Stiles.
"Its not really something you can casually slip into conversation. 'Hey Derek, this weather we've been having has been great! By the way I sometimes sing in bar with my cousins on the weekends.' Yeah not subtle or smooth at all," Stiles said shaking his head at Derek's slight abrasiveness. He knew better than to take it personally, as the alpha, Derek liked to be kept up with the happenings of his pack members.
"When have you ever been subtle?" Derek asked rolling his eyes. "How long?" He asked, taking another step closer.
"I don't know, since I was like 8. Olek was the first one to start playing an instrument. He was the one that taught me how to play the drums, it helped me find something to focus on when my ADHD got too bad. Then when my mom died, something to take my frustration out on. He used to let me smash into them as long as I didn't break them. And when I was done smashing, he'd go back to teaching, like nothing happened. Lu never wants to be left out of anything, so she just weaseled her way into playing with us. Then Jay learned how to play the guitar and I dragged Maky into it because he was starting to get weirdly anti-social around us. Then one day Lu heard me singing in my room while I had my headphones in and she demanded that I "stop hiding behind the drum set" and made me sing with her. When Olek was old enough, he started coming here with some of his friends, Lu and I used to hide in his car and follow him here to see the band he would rave about. He was pissed when he found out that we made friends with the owner and she let us hide underneath the bar and then sneak us back out to Oli's car before he could find out, but he kept letting us come with him. And one day once Jay was old enough to actually get, in the owner let us actually play onstage. It just happened one day," Stiles told him scratching from the back of his neck to his chest in one motion of his long arm.
"That's not what I meant, but thanks for the back story," Derek took yet another step closer to Stiles, this time stopping less than a foot away from Stiles.
"What did you mean then?" hope clouded Stiles' tone. His eyes racked up and down Derek's form.
"How long have you thought I'm gorgeous?" the slow smirk Stiles had fallen for was making its way across Derek's face.
"Derek, I'd have to be blind to not think you're gorgeous," Stiles told him, raising an eyebrow at the older man's so obvious beauty.
"Stop deflecting," he said leaning even closer. Stiles thought his heart was going to escape from his chest and jump straight into Derek's hand which was now grabbing the front of his shirt.
"Since the summer before I started college," he swallowed thickly, eyes now looking into Derek's reflective green ones. Derek stepped fully into Stiles' personal space and stood up to his full height hand still grasping Stiles' shirt like he was keeping the younger in place. Derek hmm with approval. "And you're just now making any type of move?" his voice was low and close to Stiles, like they were the only two in the entire bar.
"Yeah I got tired of waiting for you to do anything," he said quietly, "most of the set was for you." Derek was almost shocked to see such a personality shift from the confidence Stiles was pouring out on stage to the shyness in front of him.
Derek finally leaned his head down, looking Stiles in the eye for a moment before tilting his lips to gently brush against Stiles, giving the other man an opportunity to pull away. Stiles froze for a second, then shifted his whole body forward into Derek's. It was slow and enticing. Stiles slid his hands around the back of Derek's neck, pulling him in closer. Just as Derek's tongue started to lap at his lips, a loud cough came from behind , Stiles jumped knocking his nose unnecessarily hard into Derek's.
"Ow shit," he pulled back grabbing his nose. He turned his glare to Lyssa, the bartender that so rudely interrupted them. She smiled back at him as she placed a tray full with the beer orders across the bar to him.
"Sorry sweetie, if I can't make out with attractive men at the bar, neither can you," she said to him as he made to grab the tray from her. "Besides I already give you free beer."
"Lys, you used to pay us in beer and curly fries," he reminded her, glare easing off his face.
"Saved us a lot of money too! Take your beers and your boy-toy and shoo," she said laughing as she flung her hands at them while moving to another customer.
"Don't think we are done. There's more than two years of missed making out and other fun things to make up for," Stiles said to Derek as he lifted the tray of beers onto his shoulder, "grab the limes!" he called. For someone so clumsy, he moved with effortless grace carrying a tray full of beer bottles on one shoulder. Derek shook his head, reached for the limes and followed the love of his life through the crowded bar back to their table.
When everyone grabbed a bottle from the tray Stiles set down, Jay stood up.
"I'd like to make a toast," he said mischievous smile decorating his face.
"Jay, the last time you tried to make a toast Babcia almost slapped you," Olek said already done with his younger brother's antics.
"This one is going to be so much better, now shush. Before I was interrupted, I'd like to make a toast to our Baby Stilinski. You finally pulled it together and serenaded Derek here, like I've been telling you to do for the last year." he threw a dramatic wink toward Stiles, who tipped his bottle back to his older cousin. "And now we don't have to listen to you whine about why Derek won't stop being an idiot and just make out with you already, because you'll already be making out with him and more," Jay said laughing at his own foolishness and shooting obscene hand gestures to his little cousin.
"Oh my gosh, why are you like this?" Stiles dropped his head into his hands as a blush rushed across his checks. Derek laughed from his seat beside him and affectionately ran his hand through Stiles' hair.
"Congrats buddy!" Jay raised his bottle, exciting a round of cheers and congratulations and some finally's to be shouted from the group around the table. Stiles was just happy he could finally call Derek his after all this time.
AN: This took a little longer than I had originally planned to upload, but here it is. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. I might do some more editing while I'm working on the next segment, which will be Derek at the Stilinski's version of Thanksgiving(; Thanks for reading!
Here is the link to the playlist I made to go along with the story! Let me know if you have any suggestions for songs that could be added or that make you think of this story!
/lve_ws/cause-you-make-me-feel-gorgeous