Baking My Way Into Your Heart - Distractions
It was just supposed to be a nice little outing with his friend. Derek had no idea how it had escalated to this.
It had started with a text one Saturday afternoon.
hey mr. hale! come get lunch w me!
Derek had been getting an early start on his research paper for his history class. 'I guess one lunch couldn't hurt.' Who was he kidding? He would have stayed up all night trying to finish the research paper if it meant an afternoon with Stiles.
Where?
my fav lil diner w THE BEST curly fries. its a bit far tho. we'll be wlking some.
Derek thought about it.
If you want, we could take my car.
waaaaat? hell yeah! come pick me up in fifteen then!
Okay.
Now, Derek was never the type to flaunt his riches, but his car was his pride and joy. He worked hard to maintain his baby and made sure she was running smoothly spotless. So when Stiles saw the sleek, black Camaro pull up next to him, Derek couldn't help but smirk at the look of awe on the boy's face.
"This is your car?" Stiles asked in disbelief, bending down to talk to Derek through the window. "Man, why haven't you been driving this everywhere? If it were my car, hell, I'd probably live in it!"
Derek rolled his eyes. "Just get in."
"You don't have to tell me twice," he said, pulling the door open and hopping in.
Stiles was practically buzzing in his seat. He kept pushing everything. He tested how close the seat went in and how far back it reclined. He touched the a/c buttons, the radio, even the overhead light. He twisted around to look at the back seat, leaning over to play with the center compartment. He even felt the rugs on the floor.
"Stiles, stop. You need to give me directions," Derek scolded.
"All right, all right," Stiles sighed, returning his seat to the upright position. "Just follow the road for now. I can't wait for you to try those curly fries. They've got this rich flavor on them, and they're so crispy on the outside but so soft and potato-y on the inside, you'll love it. I'm drooling just thinking about it."
"Just as long as you don't drool on my seats."
"I make no promises. Make a left here."
Derek did as he was told. After a few more twists and turns, they finally arrived at the diner. Derek followed the boy in, taking a seat at an available booth.
"Ooh! You should try the-"
"Curly fries?"
Stiles gave him a withering look. "No, snippy. I mean, yes you should try them, but that's not what I was gonna say."
"Oh really."
"Yes really. And now you'll never know what I was gonna say. You'll have to sit there in all your unknowing glory wondering if maybe the thing you ordered was the best on the menu or if you could potentially be eating something greater if only you had listened to your good buddy Stiles."
Derek just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his menu. After a beat, he heard the boy scoff.
"Aren't you even the least bit curious as to what I was going to recommend?"
He didn't even look up. "Nope." Derek inwardly smirked, feeling the frustration coming off the boy in waves. Teasing Stiles was just plain fun.
The waitress came and took their orders, Derek making sure to switch his regular fries for curly ones at Stiles' insistence. Once she had walked away, Derek began tearing away at an innocent napkin that had been placed in front of him. "So… did you have any plans after this?"
Stiles took a second to think about it. He shrugged. "Nope. I'll probably just go home and catch up on my homework. And by that, I mean play video games until my guy makes it another three or four levels. Why?"
"Well, there's this thing. In the park."
"Oh, you mean Music in the Park?"
Derek slowly nodded. He hesitated. "I was thinking of taking the rest of the day off… to maybe go see… do you wanna come?" He asked the last part cautiously, bracing himself for rejection.
Stiles just grinned. "Sure. Sounds fun. And if not, they sell this really good kettle corn there."
"Why does it always come back to food with you?"
Stiles mocked offense. "I am a growing boy. If my mind is not on sex, it's most likely on food." Derek fought off the blush at the mention of sex. "And in the rare but not uncommon scenario, sometimes the two worlds collide to create this apex of-"
Luckily, this particular tangent was cut off by the waitress, who had returned with their drinks. Derek jammed his straw in his glass before taking a long, hard gulp. The distraction was enough to deter the younger boy's train of thought as he went off on something else completely different.
They were making idle chitchat, waiting for their food to arrive, when a familiar redhead came up to their table. Or strawberry blonde. Whatever. She was toting a shopping bag on one arm and a brunette girl on the other.
"Hey Lydia! Allison!" Stiles smiled, greeting the pair as they approached. He got up, hugging his friends. "Derek, you remember Lydia? And this is Allison, Scott's main squeeze."
'Main squeeze? Who still uses that?' Derek wondered to himself, but shook the girl's hand politely.
"We're supposed to be meeting Jackson here," Lydia supplied.
And with that, it seemed like the girl had invited herself and her friend to the table. Lydia made Stiles scoot over so the pair of them could sit in the U-booth. She snuggled up to the boy, draping an arm over his shoulders and fixing the collar of his flannel.
Derek frowned, watching them as if this was normal for their relationship. And considering how little Derek actually knew of their dynamic, it very well could be. And that made Derek's frown deepen.
The two girls placed their order, apparently set on staying. At it wasn't long after that this Allison girl was on the phone, inviting Scott to come over after work as well. Derek inwardly groaned.
The girls made small chitchat with Derek, seemingly interested in him. Allison seemed all right, but Lydia was downright fascinating. At first glance she seemed like a pretty shallow, rich girl but she was actually surprisingly smart, trying to earn a double major in physics and chemistry. Derek thought he might actually like the girl if it weren't for the little looks she quite frequently shared with Stiles. 'Doesn't she have a boyfriend?'
Not long after their food arrived, Scott showed up with Isaac, both greeting everyone at the table. The messy-haired kid squeezed in next to his girlfriend while Isaac opted to slide in next to Derek. Their U-booth was getting a little too full for his liking.
At this point, there were several conversations going on. Lydia was chatting with Allison while Stiles and Scott were trying to talk around them. Isaac actually struck up a conversation with Derek, where he learned the curly-headed boy was interested in criminology as well. They bonded over their common interest, Derek finally finding someone who understood what he meant by 'strain theory'.
"String theory?" Stiles piped in. "That's physics, isn't it?"
Derek was going to answer, but Isaac laughed boldly. "No, Stiles, not string theory. Strain theory."
Derek didn't miss the frown that formed on the boy's face before he was pulled back into the conversation with Isaac, once he brought up biosocial theory. He also didn't miss the way Stiles was sneaking some of his fries from his plate once his own pile disappeared.
And around the time Scott and Isaac got their food, Jackson finally arrived with a friend in tow. The group greeted the pair, except Derek of course, but his attention did peak once he found out the other boy's name was Danny.
"Why are you so late?" Lydia asked, sounding a little annoyed. "You were supposed to be here, like, half an hour ago."
"That's my fault," Danny smiled, sheepishly. He sighed wistfully. "I just found out my ex already found a new guy."
There was a table of condolences, making the Hawaiian boy smile gratefully. They played musical seating once more, Danny and Jackson squeezing in between Stiles and Lydia respectively. Immediately when Danny slipped in next to Stiles, the smaller boy patted the guy on back.
"That guy was a jerk anyway. You can do better."
"Thanks, Stilinski."
And surprisingly, Danny boy turned and kissed Stiles on the cheek. Derek's eyes widened, fists instantly clenching to create little crescent shapes in the palm of his hand.
"Ugh," Jackson groaned. "Remember way back when you used to find this guy annoying?" He said to his best friend.
"He was just in denial of his raging attraction to me," Stiles smirked, leaning over Danny, his neck bared right in front of the boy's face.
"Dude…" Derek felt a hand on his arm, Isaac's voice low. "Relax."
Derek looked crossly at Isaac and then down to his white-knuckled hands with surprise. He relaxed them, stretching them under the table to get the blood flowing. He didn't look back at Isaac, but heard a tiny snicker come from him.
He didn't know how it happened, but somehow Derek had found himself surrounded, and practically squished into a booth of people. It wasn't all that long ago that Derek avoided this situation at all cost. Derek was a man of personal space and sitting with this group was severely cutting him from it. But since these were Stiles' friends and since it was Stiles himself he was sitting shoulder to shoulder with, Derek forced himself to tolerate the uncomfortable experience. And well, at least Isaac wasn't bad company either.
Once dishes were cleared, bellies stuffed, and checks paid, they all filed out of the booth and made their way to the parking lot. Stiles sidled up to Derek, grinning. "So, we still going to the park?"
"Wait, what's going on at the park?" Scott asked, loudly.
Derek restrained the urge to groan out loud. He could already tell where this was likely to go.
"Oh, isn't it Music in the Park this afternoon?" Allison asked, interlocking her fingers with Scott.
"Jackson, let's go," Lydia said, turning to her boyfriend.
"Why? So we can sit in the grass and listen to some crappy bands?" He snorted, tossing a smirk at Danny who just rolled his eyes.
"I think a trip to the park could add a little culture to your life," Danny said, matter-of-factly.
Jackson just tossed his friend a bored look. "You just want to go there to ogle guys."
"Jackson. We're going." Lydia stated, leaving no room for argument.
"Aw, I want to go," Allison pouted, "but we have to meet with my dad."
"That's tonight?" Scott looked stunned, and perhaps a little worried.
"Scott, I've been telling you all week," she chided. "We should get going, actually."
Scott deflated, but accepted his fate. "Isaac, you gonna ride with us? I'll take you home?"
"Actually, I kind of want to see how this plays out," he smirked. "I'll ride with Derek," he turned to the older boy, "that is, if you don't mind."
"Ooh! I want to ride with Derek, too!" Lydia jumped in.
"What about me?" Jackson frowned.
"You're riding with Danny, idiot. Your Porsche only sits two, or did you forget?"
"Fine. Whatever. Come on, Danny, let's go," Jackson said, leading the way to his car.
"We'll see you guys later," Scott and Allison waved, walking off hand-in-hand.
Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. How the hell did this happen? He unlocked his car and immediately, Lydia dragged Stiles into the back with her, leaving Isaac in the front next to Derek. On the way to the park, Derek would sneak a glance at the boy in the back seat as he joked around with his friend. Derek felt his frustration growing. He was the one Stiles should be joking with, not these tag-alongs. He would have glowered all the way there if Isaac didn't offer a good distraction with idle conversation.
Once he found a parking spot, Lydia dragged Stiles along some more in order to find the best location where they could hear the music but still talk without pissing people off. He and Isaac tailed them, following them as they weaved through the crowd. Jackson and Danny found them easily. Lydia instantly released Stiles' arm, latching on to Jackson's instead, much to Derek's satisfaction. But Derek found himself frowning again when Danny took the opportunity to sling his arm over Stiles' shoulders. This was not how this was supposed to go.
In his head, Derek had pictured a nice lunch with Stiles with some light banter. Afterward, they would come to the park in part to listen to the music and but mostly to chat some more. They would eventually get up and stroll around the small man-made lake, Stiles buying his beloved kettle corn whilst Derek would grab handfuls at a time from the boy's bag to munch on. Derek sighed.
"I'm gonna go get something to drink," he said to Stiles, needed some space from the rest of the group lest he maim one of them in his frustration.
Stiles opened his mouth to say something, but Isaac cut him off. "I'll go with you." He looked to the others. "You guys want anything?"
"Nothing for me, thanks," Danny said.
"Sparkling water," Lydia said, holding up a finger.
"Alcohol." Jackson drawled.
Stiles was uncharacteristically silent.
Isaac rolled his eyes at Jackson's request. "So just water for the lady?" She smiled at the curly blonde before he and Derek walked away from the group.
"Lively bunch, aren't they?" he said, making small talk.
"What's with Danny? He's gay right? I think Stiles mentioned something like that," Derek rushed, not even really thinking about what he was saying.
Isaac chuckled. "Yes he is. Why? You interested?"
Derek just gave him an annoyed look, only serving to make him laugh again. "What's with him and Stiles?"
Isaac cocked his head, thinking about it. "I do recall Stiles asking him once or twice if Danny thought he was attractive."
Derek scowled.
Isaac laughed, shoving Derek playfully. "Man, you've got it bad."
"What are you talking about?"
The boy snickered. "You don't have to worry about Danny. Stiles isn't his type."
"Worry? Why would I be worried?"
"Yeah, sure. Okay."
The pair purchased their drinks, walking back to the others. They had found a seat in the grass. Lydia was snuggled against Jackson while Danny and Stiles looked like they were having a private conversation. Despite what Isaac said, Derek couldn't help but glare at the way Danny was leaning in towards Stiles every time he turned to speak to him. He wanted the other boy to go away.
'At least the music isn't too bad,' Derek thought, trying to find some good in the day. 'And this Isaac kid isn't so bad either. His pastries are dry, but at least he's slightly interesting.' He was sure he probably would have just grabbed Stiles to rake in all his attention if Isaac wasn't there. Not only did Isaac provide some good conversation, he also served as a distraction from the way Danny some times glanced back at him, almost as if to say 'Ha ha! I've got Stiles all to myself and you're just his customer and I'm his actual friend and have been much longer than you and I can kiss his pale cheek like I own it and I have stupid dimples that Stiles likes and-' Derek exhaled, shutting down his inner monologue. That would lead to no good.
After a while, he slipped away to find a restroom. He was beginning to wish that they had gone anywhere else other than that stupid diner that everyone had decided to go to that day. Derek paused. 'Well, what if Stiles planned it that way?'
He didn't get a chance to explore that idea before the boy in question looped his arm through his and pulled him along. "Hey- what-" Derek sputtered.
"I needed to stretch my legs. Plus," he grinned, "Kettle. Corn. I can smell it from all the way over there."
Once Stiles had the biggest bag in his arms, Derek started back towards where the boy's friends were seated. He frowned once he realized Stiles wasn't following. The boy just tossed a kernel in the air, catching it easily in his open mouth. "Let's go for a walk."
Derek simply cocked an eyebrow, although he wanted to jump at the idea. "What about your friends?"
Stiles waved his hand. "They'll live. I bet they won't even notice we're gone."
Derek just shrugged. He wasn't going to argue with that. He had wanted to get away from them since they first arrived.
"So…" Stiles said between bites. "You and Isaac seem pretty comfortable."
"He's not so bad," he replied, noncommittally. Stiles just nodded, shoving another handful in his mouth. Derek pursed his lips before giving in. "What about you and Danny? You two seem pretty close."
Stiles shrugged. "Danny is on the hunt, looking for a new man."
Derek eyed the boy carefully. "Yourself included?"
Stiles laughed. "No way. I'm not his type." He gave Derek a sidelong glance. "He is, though, quite interested in you."
Derek blinked. "Wait, what?"
"I think Danny might have a crush on you, Mr. Hale," he teased.
Derek just shook his head. He wasn't interested. At all.
But Stiles continued. "He thinks you've got this whole dark and mysterious thing going on." He was quiet for a beat as he crunched through more kettle corn. "What do youthink of him?"
'That he wears too much cologne and sits too close to you,' was what he wanted to say. But he just shrugged.
"Are you attracted to him?" Stiles persisted.
Derek snorted derisively. "No."
Then, "Are you attracted to Isaac?"
Derek furrowed his brows and looked to the boy beside him. Stiles kept his gaze straightforward onto the path they were walking.
"I mean," he continued, "you two seemed to hit it off real well."
"We have a common interest."
Again, Stiles nodded slowly. "Right. Criminology. You two could be partners one day."
Derek paused as Stiles walked a few more paces before turning to him. 'Is he… he sounds a little off… could it be that he's…?' Derek just came right out and asked. "Are you jealous?"
"N-no!" Stiles sputtered, shoving another handful of popcorn in his mouth. The blush on the boy's face said otherwise. "Why would you ask me that? I don't care who you're friends with. You can be friends with whoever. Isaac is cool. You can be criminology friends together. Whatever." The words flew out of him in a rush as he disgustingly shoved more popcorn in his mouth every few syllables.
Derek just rolled his eyes, despite feeling pretty good about himself. He liked the idea of Stiles getting jealous over him, even if it was in a friendship context. It made him feel less ridiculous over feeling the same whenever Stiles was close to Danny or Scott or Lydia or even Jackson. Derek inwardly frowned, deciding Stiles had too many friends.
Resigning himself, Derek walked over to the boy, reached into the bag and stole some popcorn for himself. "Come on, Stilinator. Let's go walk around the lake." He didn't even wait to gauge the boy's expression. He smiled to himself as he heard the boy scuttle to catch up.
"Okay, just out of curiosity," Stiles started once he was in step with Derek, "what is your type?"
"Big busty blondes," Derek smirked, proud of his use of alliteration.
"Well, duh," Stiles rolled his eyes once he figured Derek wasn't being serious. "I mean, who doesn't?"
Derek conceded. "My studies are what's important right now. I'm not concerning myself with all that other stuff."
"A valiant idea," Stiles nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree with this. You should totally become a monk and devote yourself to your schoolwork and in the future, your job. No women, or men if that's your thing." Derek scoffed. "It should just be about you and your buddy Stiles, I mean, cause we'll be partners, of course."
"Of course."
"I mean, Isaac can come in for assistance every now and again too, I guess, since you guys are like bosom buddies now or whatever-"
"Bosom buddies?"
"-but yup. It'll be the two of us against the world."
"Mr. Hale and Stilinator?"
Stiles nodded happily. "Mr. Hale and Stilinator."
Derek just chuckled to himself. That didn't sound so bad. Glancing down at the happy boy with a half-eaten bag of popcorn four times the size of his head, he had to admit, he liked the sound of that more and more.
"I didn't know they'd all be there," Stiles said, suddenly. "Lydia and Allison were out shopping, Scott was at work…" he trailed off. He sighed. "I didn't know they'd all be there."
He didn't exactly understand why, but this made Derek feel a bit better. And despite the hitch, he did manage to get what he wanted. He and Stiles had shared a good lunch, listened to some music in the park, and were now strolling around the lake whilst he sneaked some handfuls of popcorn for himself. And although they eventually had to return to the others who really hadn't noticed their disappearance- except perhaps a smirking Isaac- Derek had to admit, today had been a pretty good day.
/\/\/\
"Come on, Derek, it's only fair."
"The answer is no, Stiles."
"But you've seen my place! I wanna see your place!"
"No."
"It's probably this awesome bat-cave of awesomeness. Do you have a butler standing at your door, answering your every beck and call? Is he named Jeeves? Come on, Derek, you have to let me meet Jeeves."
"There is no Jeeves."
The boy pouted. Then, "I'll make you dinner."
"…Fine."
The only problem with this idea was that Derek, who was completely ecstatic at finally getting a meal just for him from Stiles, had forgotten one major thing.
Stiles had asked Derek if he could visit his place that morning at the shop, curiosity getting the best of him. Derek vehemently denied the boy access. But that didn't stop him from asking him again before and after Derek's mythology class, to which Derek still denied. But it would appear that Stiles had formulated a new tactic. So, when Derek met up with him that night after his run, Stiles asked one more time. And this time, with the promise of food, Derek had agreed.
They had stopped at the grocery store so Stiles could pick up whatever he needed to cook. And since Derek basically had nothing but some rotting cabbage in his refrigerator, they had to stop and buy everything. And it wasn't until Derek was standing at his apartment door that it occurred to him that maybe this wasn't such a good idea, at least not with the way things currently were.
"I change my mind," Derek said, just as he had his keys in his hand to unlock the door.
"What? You can't change your mind. We're already here."
"Just… come by tomorrow. I forgot… something."
"What? Do you have like a dead body in there?"
"…No."
"Why did you pause?"
"I didn't."
"Oh my God, you have a dead body in there!"
"Stiles, shut up."
"But we came all this way! We're right here!"
"No, Stiles. Maybe tomorrow."
The boy just sighed in exasperation. "You know what, fine. We'll just go back to my place."
Derek relaxed. "Good."
Stiles led the way back down the hall from where they came from. "I don't see what the big deal is."
Derek just kept quiet. He had his reasons.
At the end of the hall, Stiles hailed the elevator. "Oh, can you hold this for a sec?" He asked, handing Derek the bag of groceries he had been holding. He patted down his pockets. "Where is it…?"
"What are you looking for?"
Stiles looked up. "Nothing." And with that, Stiles snatched Derek's keys right out of his hand and ran towards the apartment.
"Dammit Stiles!" Derek growled, realizing too late what the boy had done. He ran after him, groceries positioned awkwardly in his arms, but it all for naught. Stiles already had the door unlocked, swinging it open victoriously.
What Stiles saw, he certainly wasn't expecting. Derek inwardly flinched, bracing himself for what he knew was coming. The younger boy took a step forward into the room, eyes wide as he took everything in.
"Oh…"
"Look, I know what you're thinking-"
"My…"
"And it's really not that bad-"
Stiles turned somberly to Derek, face in full seriousness. "Derek… are you a hoarder?"
"No."
Derek watched as Stiles took another look around. There were books stacked in various places throughout the room. Old papers were scattered over the floor, across the couch, lining the countertops. Clothes were messily strewn about, as if Derek stripped while walking through, leaving a trail in his wake. Sneakers were separated, one shoe over by his desk, its partner hidden under a pile of old newspapers. And there were old pizza boxes and empty cartons of Chinese take-out all over as well as half-eaten bags of chips, candy bar wrappers, and the occasional hot pocket microwave sleeve.
Derek furrowed his brow. "It's not normally like this." The sad part of it was that this actually was normal. He had become accustomed to a certain lifestyle and there wasn't any real reason for him to change it. It's not like he ever really had anyone come over so he was fine with a bit of a mess. Except this, tragically, was a bit more than a bit of a mess. Derek growled again. "This is why I said to just come over tomorrow."
"Jesus Christ, Derek. I know that Scott and I can get a bit messy, but this?"
"I get it. I know it looks messy, but I have a system. I know where things are. Everything has a place."
Stiles looked skeptically at Derek. "Even these empty pizza boxes? Cause quite frankly, Mr. Hale, I think the place for that stuff is in the garbage."
Derek huffed. "Just- Come on. We'll go to your place." He turned to lead the way out, sure that Stiles was following behind him. But when he turned around, the boy was in his kitchen, rifling through the cabinets. "What are you doing?"
"I can't just leave it like this," Stiles practically whined. "Ah ha!" He pulled out a box of trash bags.
"Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack." He pulled out a bag before tossing the box to Derek. The box just bounced off his chest, landing neatly on the floor.
"Dammit, Stiles. With which hand was I supposed to catch that with?"
Stiles grinned sheepishly, having momentarily forgotten the bags of groceries in the older boy's hands. "Sorry. Here," he walked over, taking the bags. "I'll put these away. You start… cleaning." He waved his hand over the expanse of the apartment.
Derek huffed before snatching a bag from the box. He started shoving the empty food containers into the large bag. 'I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe he saw this. God, this is disgusting. Why did I let it get this bad? Oh hey. I was looking for that…' Derek got distracted from the task at hand, skimming through an old paper he wrote that he was particularly proud of.
"Hey, hey!" Stiles snapped, a bag of potatoes in his hands. "Focus."
Derek scowled, but did as he was told. He set the paper aside for later and began picking up the various trash, stuffing the bag in his hands. Stiles soon joined him, opting to gather Derek's books and put them away on the empty shelves. After a while, Derek heard a snicker come from the kid.
"What." He said through gritted teeth, as if daring Stiles to say something bad.
"I just-" he smiled. "I really wasn't expecting this. I thought you'd be like one of those obsessive-compulsive types. I mean, you're just so uptight." He ignored the glare Derek was giving him. "I like it though. Makes you normal."
Derek didn't say anything back. He just continued tidying up. It wasn't like he was seriously filthy. He just had a bunch of stuff out of place. And to be fair, the life of a full-time college student was taxing. He was more concerned with his studies than he was with making sure he did his laundry.
Speaking of, Derek started picking up the various pieces of clothes off the floor and shoved them into the washing machine.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Stiles said, hands out to stop him. "What are you doing?" Derek looked from the washing machine, to the clothes in his arms, to Stiles as if this should be obvious. "You have to separate those. I mean, look at this. You've got some white shirts in here. If you mix that with these jeans, the color will bleed and now you've got a blue shirt. Haven't you noticed that?"
He had. He had also found it easier to just buy a new white shirt if he needed one.
Stiles looked around, grabbing a hamper that had been filled with loose socks. He dumped them out, setting it between them. "Here. You can put your whites here and put your darks in the machine. I swear, you're just as undomesticated as Scott."
Derek rolled his eyes, but started yanking out the white fabrics from the washing machine to dump them in the hamper. Stiles took a seat on the floor, folding his legs in under him. He began to pair the socks in front of him.
Derek cocked an eyebrow, closing the lid. "Why bother? There's a black sock. There's another black sock. Now I have two black socks to wear."
Stiles shook his head, a murmured 'animal' coming out of his lips. "It's just messy. Unnecessarily messy. Plus, this way you'll know if you're missing one."
"Does it matter?"
Stiles looked at him incredulously. "How can you go to sleep at night knowing you have an unmatched sock? It could be anywhere."
Derek snorted. "Maybe you're the obsessive-compulsive one."
"That very well might be true. But at least I know my socks match."
Eventually, Stiles started cooking. He was a bit appalled that Derek had pots and pans in his cupboard that were still in their original box. Derek had defended that his sister had bought him those things, despite his insistence that he would most likely just eat take-out.
While the steaks he pan-grilled were setting, and while Derek was mashing the potatoes, Stiles took a look around the now neater apartment. The garbage was put in bags by the front door, books properly on the shelves, papers and schoolwork nicely arranged on Derek's desk. There was just one big box of random items sitting on Derek's couch.
"Hey, what's in there?" Stiles nodded to the box.
Derek looked over. "Just some random knick-knacks my sister thought would make this place homier. I was gonna go through it, but never really found the time."
"I'll just move it so you can, I don't know, actually sit on your couch."
Derek just snorted.
Stiles lifted the box, looking around for a place to put it. He didn't really see anywhere where it would be out of the way. Derek was busily mashing away when he heard Stiles over his shoulder.
"Here, I'll just put it in here."
Derek's eyes widened. "No wait!" He dropped the masher in the pot and hurried after the boy to where he just knew he had gravitated.
"Whoa, no way…"
Derek froze, seeing Stiles standing in the open doorway. The boy had reached over and flipped a switch. His jaw dropped. Derek inwardly flinched again, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.
Again, Stiles was seeing something he had not been expecting at all. Inside the small room was a bunch of toys. Not the kinky kind, but toys for kids. Oddly enough, this room was actually quite organized. There was a train set, some racetracks, and large Lego models.
Laura had always teased Derek for his fixation with toys, but watching the train circle its track, or launching a car through a loop-de-loop, or just building something with the bricks was just something Derek could do that was stress free. After a long day of whatever, he always found this to be a good way to unwind. Derek spent most of his day reading, studying, doing homework, and working out. If he didn't have an outlet, just some mindless activity, he probably would have snapped by now. Not a lot of people understood that. Most people just watched TV or partied with friends. But Derek didn't have that. He had his toys. He glanced over at the wide-eyed kid, worried of what he was thinking at that moment.
'He probably thinks I'm weird,' Derek frowned. 'First I'm a slob, and now I'm a child. God bringing him here was such a bad idea.'
But Derek was wrong. Stiles passed the box in his arms over to the older boy before literally jumping in. "Aweeeeeesome! How do you turn this on? Is it… whoaaaaa! Oh my God, it has little puffs of smoke! That's so cool!" Stiles hopped on over to the other side of the room. "What is this? What does… no way!" He clapped his hands as the matchbox car zoomed down the track. He picked another one, shooting it, watching excitedly as the two cars rocketed down the figure eight. "Boom!" He cried, arms outstretched when they finally collided. "Oh my God, Derek, you have a play room! This is so much cooler than a Jeeves!" He grinned at the older boy before picking up the Lego Millennium Falcon and running around the room, making whooshing sounds.
After a while, Derek began to wonder why he had even worried at all. Stiles was probably a bigger kid than himself, so of course he'd get a kick out of the room instead of mocking him for it. Derek chuckled to himself before setting the box down.
"Come on, you. You have a dinner to finish."
"But-but!"
Derek just pulled Stiles out by the collar of his shirt.
"You just don't wanna share your toys!" Stiles whined. Then, "Hey, do you think Scott would let me throw out all his stuff and put in my own play room?"
Derek snorted before taking up the masher once more.
The two finally sat down for their late dinner. Derek couldn't understand how this kid in front of him managed to take a steak, throw on some simple salt and pepper and cook it to near perfection on a pan-grill. It was tender and juicy and had Derek stretching across the table to steal some more of it off Stiles' plate, much to the latter's chagrin. Even the mashed potatoes were fluffy and buttery. If this was what Scott was getting every day, then Stiles really was the best roommate, ever. Derek was seriously considering kidnapping Stiles and keeping him all to himself. 'As a housekeeper,' he added.
Stiles popped a bite of his raspberry crepe in his mouth. "You know, you really surprised me today, Mr. Hale."
Derek cocked an eyebrow, contently munching on his own crepe.
"I think I like you even better now that I know what you're really like."
"And just what am I really like?"
Stiles grinned, pointing his fork at the man across from him. "A big 'ol softy."
Derek rolled his eyes.
"I mean, you're just as messed up as the rest of us. Maybe a little messier than the rest of us, but still very… normal. And you have a play room!"
Derek frowned, opening his mouth to say something.
"But I get it," Stiles continued. "Life gets stressful sometimes. We all have our thing. Yours just happens to be a lot cuter than others." Derek looked away, trying to hide the flush on his cheeks. "And what's a better thing to have than the nostalgia of childhood?" He nodded to himself. "I get it," he repeated. "It's just adorable coming from a sourface like you."
Derek tossed him a disdainful look, but it was just a front. He was actually very glad that Stiles wasn't judging him for it like others were wont to do. Hell, it actually made Stiles like him even more for it. And that made Derek all the more grateful for the boy sitting across from him.
After their meal, Derek shared his toys, much to Stiles' delight. He figured after all the cleaning and cooking the boy did for him, it was the least he could do.
Notes: So... Isaac is team Sterek LOL. And I guess after all, Derek is all work and maybe just a little play XD But everyone needs a little play some times (haha no pun intended REALLY). Also, I like to picture Lydia as Stiles' hag after he got over his crush. Which makes Jackson Danny's hag HAHA. Anyway, someone posted an entry on tumblr about how their favorite author wrote new one-shots but didn't update their chaptered fic and it made me think that maybe I should get crunching on my own chaptered fic XD Yeah.