Baking My Way Into Your Heart - Linger

It was almost five in the evening on a Friday when Derek heard his phone ring. He glanced at it, didn't recognize the number and so silenced it, figuring they'd leave a voicemail if it were important. He had to make some progress on a report for his psychology class so he couldn't afford a distraction. Unfortunately, life had another plan in store for him as his phone began to ring again. Derek frowned. It was the same number. But no. He had to concentrate. Whoever it was needed to realize that he was busy and should leave a message. Of course, Derek had no such luck as the phone began to ring a third time. Derek growled, snatching up his phone and pushing the 'Talk' button.

"What." He growled.

"Uh-hey- is this- um- Mr. Hale?"

Derek narrowed his eyes. "Scott?"

"Hey! Yeah! It's me! Okay good. I wasn't sure if I snagged the right number. I had to go through it pretty quickly and it's not like your name is in there as Mr. Hale so I had to make an educated guess and I was totally right! Allison's gonna be so prou-"

Derek exhaled in exasperation. "Did you need something?"

"Oh right," he chuckled awkwardly. "So Lydia has this idea that a surprise birthday can't be a surprise if it's anywhere near the person's actual birthday, so she and the gang planned a birthday party for Stiles and we were wondering if you could come."

Derek inwardly groaned. "Parties aren't exactly my thing."

"Aw come on, man! I know Stiles would love to have you there."

"I'll think about it, okay. When is it?"

"Eh-heh- well see, that's the thing. Lydia also has this idea where I can't exactly keep things a secret…"

"Scott. When is it?"

"Um- tonight? At 8-ish before he gets home from class?"

"Tonight? As in three hours from now?"

"Well we would have told you sooner, but Stiles is the only one with your number, and I was the only one who could get ahold of his phone and they only just told me about the party this morning even though it's at my apartment, so I had to sneak a peek at his phone while he wasn't looking to find your number- nice picture by the way. Was that whipped cream?"

Derek shut his eyes, feeling slightly mortified. He ignored the question. "Scott, what's your point."

"My point is, I know it's really short notice, but I think Stiles would really appreciate it if you came to his birthday party. It's at my apartment at 8 tonight."

Derek sighed. "We'll see."

"Okay, okay. I hope to see you there. Later, Mr. Hale!"

Derek just hung up, not bothering to say anything in return. He put his phone down, burying his face in his hands. 'Three hours? Three hours? They couldn't have given me a bit more notice than that?' He sat back in his desk chair, staring up at the ceiling. This was definitely going to cut into his schedule, but it's not like he could not go. It was for Stiles. At the very least, he should stop by and drop off a present. Derek groaned again. 'A present.' He hated shopping. Shopping meant messy displays, lines, and incompetent workers. But it was for Stiles. Derek could weather the chaos of the shopping experience if it was for Stiles.

He got up, grabbed his keys and slipped his sneakers on. He was not looking forward to this.

/\/\/\

Derek looked around. He really wished he had more of a game plan coming in. 'What should I even get him?' He was skimming through the clothing section, pausing whenever he thought he could see Stiles wearing something on display. 'This is dumb. I don't even know what size he is.' Derek held up a hoodie, trying to figure out if it could fit the younger boy. He tried to picture Stiles wearing it. He frowned. 'What if he already has it?' Derek groaned, slamming the hanger back on the rack before walking away. He could settle for a gift card.

Standing in line, waiting for the next available cashier, Derek let his eyes wander the various displays. Then his eyes caught something that sparked his memory.

"Hey Mr. Hale," Stiles said, setting down a cup of coffee- complete with a drawing of a panda bear- and a plate of chocolate-coffee tartlets with almonds on top. "If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be?"

"A fish."

"A fish?"

Derek just nodded.

"Why a fish?"

"Because they can swim wherever they feel like. They can go to China one day, then swim to Hawaii if they want."

"Well, birds can fly there, too."

"Birds are annoying. They have to travel in groups and there's non-stop squawking."

Stiles laughed. "Well then why not a shark or something? Or even a killer whale. At least they're badass."

Derek shrugged. "Fine. I'm a shark."

"Okay, then if you're a cool and awesome shark, then what am I?"

"A bee."

"What? A bee?"

Derek just nodded.

"Why are you a shark and me a bee?"

"Cause. You're always buzzing around."

Stiles scoffed. "You know what? I take it back. You're not a shark. You're a mean, grumpy wolf who just growls at everyone, always huffing and puffing, stealing baked goods from little girls."

Derek considered this. He shrugged, taking a bite of one of the tarts. "I can live with that."

"Unbelievable."

Derek stepped out of line and walked over to the display. He smirked to himself before grabbing the stuffed wolf and going back to the end of the line.

At about 8:15, Derek found himself outside Scott and Stiles' apartment. He could already hear the noise and music from down the hall. He briefly wondered if there would be any noise complaints from the neighbors, but decided he didn't really care. He rang the bell and was instantly greeted by Lydia, holding a red Solo cup.

"Oh good! You made it," she smiled.

"I just wanted to drop this off-"

She darted her eyes to the box in his hands that was wrapped with meticulous precision, complete with a red bow on top. She shook her head. "No I don't think so. You're staying. Come on," she waved him in.

Derek stayed where he was. "I've got a paper to write."

She rolled her eyes. "We've all got papers to write. Come on. He's almost here."

This time she didn't wait for him. She grabbed his arm and with inhuman strength, yanked him inside without a second thought. The next thing he knew, he was in the middle of the living room with the gift still in one hand and a red Solo cup full of something in the other. He sniffed the beverage, didn't trust it, and just placed it down on the first available surface.

The small apartment was filled with people Derek didn't recognize. They were all laughing, having a good time, waiting for the birthday boy to arrive. Some were dancing to the music, others were munching on the provided food. Derek made his way over to where a large pile of gifts had accumulated and added his to the collection.

"Hey! Mr. Hale! You came!" Scott grinned, pausing dancing with Allison to greet the older boy. "Help yourself to some food! Grab a drink or two!" He pulled a red Solo cup out of nowhere and placed it in Derek's hand. Derek just frowned at it and put it aside.

Allison giggled. "I think you've had a drink or two." She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist and nuzzled his cheek. "But yeah," she said, turning to Derek. "It's good you came. Stiles will be happy."

Derek scoffed. "When is he not?" Despite this, he couldn't help but feel his heart swell a bit at her words. He ignored the feeling.

"Guys! He's on his way up!" called Danny to the crowd.

Derek cocked an eyebrow. "How does he know?"

"He hacked the elevator camera feed. Danny's all sorts of tech savvy," Scott grinned.

"Shhh," Lydia snipped. "Everyone shut up! Jackson! Turn off the music!" She flipped a switch, sending the room into darkness as the music was silenced, presumably by her boyfriend.

Derek let his eyes adjust to the low lighting. There were giggles here and there and whispers amongst friends. But a hush fell over the room when they heard the doorknob jiggle, probably as Stiles tried to unlock the door. The door swung open, hallway lights silhouetting the unsuspecting boy. He reached for the light switch, flipping them on once he felt them under his fingers.

"Surprise!"

"Holy shit!" Stiles literally jumped back in shock. Once realization hit, that he wasn't under attack and that these people were actually his friends, a grin spread across his face.

"Happy birthday!" Lydia said, throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"It's not my birthday," Stiles laughed.

"Which makes this surprise party even more of a surprise, duh," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The boy laughed again, moving throughout the room, hugging and high-fiving his friends. The music kicked back up again and everyone shifted back into full party mode. Derek watched as Stiles greeted and chatted with everyone. He looked ecstatic, his cheeks flushed from the excitement.

"Hey Derek."

Derek looked over his shoulder and nodded in greeting. "Hey Isaac."

"Here," the curly-headed boy said, handing Derek a red Solo cup before taking a swig from his own.

Derek just stared at the cup in his hand before setting it down with the one Scott had handed him, shaking his head. "I wasn't planning on staying long."

"Oh? How come?"

"I've got a paper to write."

Isaac snorted. "That's what the weekend is for." He picked the cup back up and handed it to Derek once more. "Lighten up a bit, huh?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "I also don't like parties."

This time Isaac laughed. "That doesn't surprise me in the slightest. But you're here anyway, so try to have a good time. If not for yourself, then do it for the birthday boy." He nodded in Stiles' direction. He was now chatting away with some friends, a red cup in each hand.

Derek sighed. "Fine." He gulped down the beverage, throwing care to the wind.

Isaac smirked. "Attaboy."

Eventually, ten minutes turned to thirty, thirty minutes into an hour and Derek just let himself relax a bit. Somewhere down the line, someone had hit the lights again, only to turn on some disco lights that spun around the room. Again, while Stiles was busy amongst his friends, Isaac was there to help him feel less like the awkward wallflower. The boy was actually sort of growing on him. As they weaved through the crowd over to where the food was, Derek accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Mm, honey, with cheekbones like that, you don't have to apologize for nothing."

Derek blinked before Isaac just tugged him along. Derek glanced around the room again, trying to take in the faces through dim lighting. "Isaac… is it just me or are there a lot of drag queens in here?"

At this, Scott jumped in out of nowhere, still grinning like a madman. He had always looked like he was generally happy with everything, but now he looked positively euphoric. "There are a lot of drag queens in here," he said, matter-of-factly. He reached for the cup in Isaac's hand, drinking from it.

"Easy boy," the blond chuckled, trying to take it back. He turned to Derek. "Yeah, we all went to a gay bar for Danny's birthday."

"Yeah!" Scott smiled, recalling the memory. "It was drag night so Jackson dared Stiles to enter the contest and of course Stiles was gonna enter if Jackson dared him," he reached for the cup again, but Isaac just held it over the shorter boy's head.

"Anyway, Stiles lost. Completely," Isaac continued. "He looked ridiculous, actually. But the ladies there loved it and found him adorable. And there you go. Instant friends."

Part of Derek was surprised by this, but another part of him knew that that was typical Stiles. The kid was fearless, saying and doing whatever he wanted, not caring what the world might have to say about it. And as for instant friends, well that was no surprise at all. Stiles had managed to worm his way into Derek's life. Doing so with others was a cakewalk compared to that.

"Oh! Oh!" Scott suddenly said, bouncing up and down. "I think he still has the stuff! I'll go-" he didn't even finish his sentence. He just darted off to where Stiles was, throwing his arm around his best friend and talking into his ear over the music.

Derek watched as Stiles burst into laughter, throwing his head back before looking to the group in front of him. They seemed to be eager, nodding at whatever Scott had said. Next thing he knew, Scott was dragging Stiles down the hall to where their rooms were.

If he were curious as to what was happening, he didn't have to wait long to find out. But he pretty much figured out what Scott had likely said to the boy before they even emerged from the room. Loud hoots and hollers, whistles and catcalls filled the apartment as Stiles strutted out in a bright red dress and a big, curly, brunette wig. He had, however, opted to keep his sneakers, throwing the whole look off. He did a little spin, earning himself some applause.

"You're still ugly as hell, Stilinski!" came a voice in the crowd.

"Stop talking about your face, Jackson!" Stiles yelled back.

Derek couldn't help it. He laughed. The whole thing was just funny and ridiculous. And it was so Stiles. In a room filled with people, where most people might shy away and worry about impressions, Stiles didn't care. He wasn't afraid to just have fun and roll with the punches. Derek thought more people should be like that, himself included.

The night carried on, an hour turning to two and three. Derek made small talk with some of Stiles' friends. He even got a few numbers slipped into his pockets while he wasn't looking. He continued to watch Stiles with his friends, smiling and laughing. And while he would never admit it out loud, Derek found himself a little jealous of the attention they were getting. Attention that he craved from the boy for himself.

At some point, someone had started a campaign: Kisses for the Birthday Boy. Friends would kiss him on the cheeks; the bolder ones would go for the lips. Even Jackson relented, kissing his friend on the cheek. And while he knew it was all in good fun, Derek couldn't help but frown every time he heard the campaign cry. His jealousy was daring to rear its ugly head. He felt that now was a good a time as any to grab some fresh air. Plus, the room was getting a little too warm for his liking.

Derek grabbed a bottled water before slipping his way outside to the balcony. There were a few people out there already, having the same idea as him. He cracked open the bottle before taking a long drink from it. Derek collapsed into the loveseat there, throwing his head back to look at the stars. He sighed, letting the cool air brush his flushed skin.

He had known that Stiles had a lot of friends. Stiles was the type of person that people naturally gravitated to. And even if they didn't, he still managed to get them on his side. So he shouldn't be surprised that there was a whole apartment full of people who care about him. He supposed that he was just feeling a bit left out. 'He probably didn't even notice me…' Derek sighed, feeling a little childish at the thought. He couldn't help but want all of Stiles' attention. It was what he had grown used to. Whenever they met in the morning, or between classes, or even when Derek went on his runs, it was always just him and Stiles. He never had to compete for the boy's attention. But now, in a room filled with people, he felt like maybe he didn't exactly measure up. He closed his eyes, hearing the people go inside. He was alone.

A few minutes later, he heard the door slide open as someone stepped out.

"There you are!"

Derek glanced over. Stiles was there, still in his red-sequined dress, hair long gone. Stiles smiled, walking over to Derek, leaning against the railing to face him.

"You enjoying yourself?" the boy asked, swiping the water for himself and drinking some.

Derek's heart swelled at having Stiles with him. He wasn't inside entertaining his numerous guests. He was here. With Derek. Derek nodded.

"Good," he smiled again, handing the water back. "I would've come up to you sooner, but you seemed busy." He chuckled. "I never realize how popular you were, Mr. Hale," he teased. "I was worried you had left when I didn't see you."

Derek couldn't stop the small smile on his lips in hearing the boy's words. "Stiles, it's your party. I came here for you. I'm never too busy for you." The truth of the statement went way deeper than into this night.

The boy just smiled softly. He nodded. "Good." He hopped up, sitting on the edge.

The movement instantly washed the smile off Derek's face. "Be careful."

Stiles grinned slowly. "It's okay. I sit here all the time."

"You've been drinking."

"True. But I think I can manage sitting down."

"Not when there's a four-story drop right under you. Get down."

"Derek, I'm fine-"

"Stiles." He reached over, pulling the boy's wrist to him. Stiles lurched off the ledge, falling into the space next to Derek. "Just- don't. Okay?" He wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling him in close.

Stiles let himself be pulled. He nodded slowly. "Okay."

Derek let out a breath, relaxing.

"My hair's gone," the boy said, wistfully, adjusting himself so that he was leaning into Derek's warmth.

Derek snorted. "I'm pretty sure you shave it every few weeks. This really shouldn't be a surprise."

Stiles laughed. "He jokes. Get a few drinks in him and the man's a friggin' comedian."

"Shut up."

Stiles just smiled. "I meant my wig."

"Ah."

"It's lost. Somewhere in there," he said, waving his arm in the general direction of the apartment.

Derek shrugged. "I like you better without it."

Stiles smiled again, dropping his head against Derek's shoulder. He yawned. "You're warm."

"And you're sleepy."

He shrugged. "I've been up since four. I'm allowed to be sleepy."

Derek glanced at his watch. It was already approaching one in the morning. He was getting tired, too. Besides, it sounded like the party inside was dying down. "Your friends are interesting," he commented.

Stiles snorted. "You mean the ones in pretty dresses?" Derek nodded. "Just a heads up, you gotta be careful with those ones. Those ladies may have a pretty mean manicure, but they've also got a pretty mean left hook."

Derek chuckled. "Some of them slipped me their numbers."

The boy scoffed. "I'm jealous. I had to ask for theirs." He was quiet for a moment. "You gonna call any of them?"

"No."

"They're nice ladies."

"I'm sure they are."

Stiles sighed. "Fine. Don't call them."

"I won't."

He smiled, closing his eyes. "You're warm."

"You already said that."

Stiles didn't respond. His breathing began to slow as he turned a little more into the warmth.

Derek edged Stiles a little closer, resting his cheek atop the boy's head. They sat like that for a while, undisturbed. The occasional party guest would step outside, sometimes for air, sometimes in search for the birthday boy, but once they noticed the scene, they would quietly make their way back inside. Eventually, the voices inside dialed down to light murmurs; the music turned down to softer tones. Derek was content to just stay where he was with Stiles sleeping softly against him, but he knew that the cold would eventually overwhelm them. Reluctantly, he shook the boy.

"Stiles."

"Hn…"

"We have to go back inside."

"Nn…"

"It's almost two."

He didn't respond.

"Stiles," Derek tried again, pulling his arm away.

"Juss… ca'ry mm…"

Derek sighed at the request. But, of course, he caved. Slipping his arms under the boy's legs and cradling him against his chest, Derek carried Stiles. He slid the door open with his foot and entered the now nearly empty apartment.

Allison and Lydia were still awake, clearing up a bit of the mess. Scott was snoring lightly from his sprawled out position on the couch, complete with Stiles' wig on his head. Jackson was sleeping on his stomach, stretched out on the floor, using his arms as a pillow. When the girls spotted Derek with Stiles in his arms, they smiled. Lydia slid past him, opening the door to Stiles' room for him. Derek nodded in thanks before she left to return to her friend.

Derek gently lay Stiles down on his bed. He pulled his shoes off, setting them neatly on the floor before pulling back the blankets and wrapping them over the boy. Stiles rolled onto his side slightly, curling into the blankets. He blinked his eyes sleepily, as if he were trying to wake himself up. Derek sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hand gently over the younger boy's shoulder.

"Go to sleep," he whispered.

"Mm…" Stiles sounded, rolling onto his back. He brought his finger up to his lips, tapping them softly. "Kisses… for birthday boy…" he slurred, reciting the campaign cry.

Derek just gazed down at the boy before him who watched him with sleep-addled eyes. Then something caught his eye. On Stiles' bedside table was the stuffed wolf, watching protectively over the sleeping occupant. The ribbon from the wrapping paper was now a collar for the toy, red bright against the black fur. Derek smiled, turning his gaze back onto Stiles. Gently, he traced the boy's face with his fingertips, connecting invisible lines from one mole to another. He studied the face he had fallen for, helplessly so. Then, he leaned down and pressed his lips against Stiles' for a kiss.

He felt the soft lips press against his own, clumsy in their half-awakened state, as a hand lightly clutched his shirt. He felt his insides warm, felt happiness spread throughout his entire body. He felt complete. Derek kissed Stiles, kissed him gently, indulging himself in the emotions daring to overcome him. He pulled back for air, resting his forehead against the boy's before kissing that too.

Derek sat back up, smiling softly. "Happy birthday, Stiles."

The boy just smiled contently, finally closing his eyes. "Best… birthday… ever…" He rolled back onto his side, succumbing to sleep.

Derek moved, pulling the covers up some more and tucking him in. He brushed the back of his hand against one flushed cheek before cradling it in his hand. He understood that he cared for this boy, cared for him deeply. His day-in and day-out had not only shifted to involve him, but had moved to revolve around him. And more than that, he found himself hoping that Stiles had moved in the same way.

Derek sighed, pulling himself away from the sleeping figure. He stood, crossed the room, and paused to look at Stiles once more before shutting off the light and closing the door behind him.

He bid 'good night' to the girls, ignoring their knowing smiles. He went home, got ready for bed. And as he lay down, drawing the covers over himself, he sighed again, wishing he had Stiles in his arms once more.

Notes: :3