Baking My Way Into Your Heart – Booked Part I

It was the middle of the week just as he got home from his last class when Derek got a call from an unknown number. He would have been content just letting it go to voicemail, but right after his phone stopped ringing he got a text from the same number.

Ooh. You better not be screening me. Answer your phone.

Derek nearly dropped the cell when it began ringing again. Wary, he tapped the answer button and held it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"That's more like it," came the smug voice.

Derek frowned. "Who is this?"

"It's Lydia. You know, Stiles' friend."

"How did you get my number?"

"I got it from Allison who got it from Scott or whatever. Details. Not important. What is important is you coming to my Halloween party."

Derek's frown deepened. "Halloween already passed."

"Details," the girl said again. "Not important. No one's going to complain about getting to dress up again."

Derek sighed. "Thanks for the invite, but-"

"But nothing. You're going. It's not optional. Besides, I'm sure Stiles would enjoy having you there."

Derek stared at his phone for a second before bringing it back up to his ear. "…Have you been talking to Isaac?"

"What are you talking about?"

Derek shook his head. "Never mind." He rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "Look, I don't really like parties-"

"You didn't do so bad at the last one."

"That was different. That was-"

"-For your boyfriend, yes I know."

"He's not-"

"The party's next Saturday," she spoke over him, completely ignoring anything she didn't feel like listening to. "It's after finals week so it can give people a chance to wind down and relax. And that'll give you plenty of time to pencil it in."

"Look," Derek practically growled. She wasn't listening. "Even if I did want to go – which I don't – it's not like I even have a costume-"

"Just wear what you wore on Halloween."

"I didn't wear anything on Halloween."

"Kinky."

Derek stared at his phone again. 'Is this girl serious?' He shook his head and brought it back up to his ear once more. "I meant, I didn't wear a costume on Halloween. I didn't go out."

He heard her sigh. Then, "Allison! He said he doesn't have anything to wear! I know, right? Okay, I'll tell him… Allison's offering to make something for you."

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not necessary."

"It is if you're going to get into my party. Allison says she's going to need to take your measurements, so you should come over now."

"I'm not going to your party, Lydia. You're not going to change my mind."

He heard the girl take a few moments before sighing in defeat. "Fine."

Derek sighed in relief. "I mean, thank you, but I just don't like parties."

"Well, you can't say I didn't try. Stiles will be disappointed – and no, I'm not saying that to try to get you to change your mind. I mean, he already expected as much, but I figured I'd try anyway just in case he was wrong. You know. For my friend's sake."

'Don't ask it. Don't ask it because you'll only regret it,' Derek told himself. He clenched his jaw tight, but eventually, curiosity got the best of him. "He told you that I'd say no?"

"Well, yeah. I asked him if he thought I should invite you. And at first he got all excited. He thought it would be 'awesome' if you came," she said, imitating the way Stiles had said it. "But then he thought about it some more and said never mind. That you'd most likely decline because parties just aren't your 'thing,' whatever that means. Then he made this disappointed face that he thought I didn't see, but I completely saw it and because I saw it, I figured that as his friend I should at least try to get you to come because of how happy it would make him."

Despite himself, Derek felt a little jab at that comment because not going implied that Stiles would be unhappy, and that was something Derek never wanted to make the boy feel.'It's just a costume party. I wouldn't even need to stay that long. Just show up, eat some food, then leave. That should be enough. And since classes are out, it's not like I'll really have much else to do…' Derek exhaled slowly, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He shut his eyes, bracing himself for what he was about to do.

"What's the address?" he groaned out.

"Wait. You're coming?"

"Yes," he gritted out. "Now tell me before I change my mind."

"I'll text it to you. Be here in fifteen. Bye! See you soon!"

A few seconds later, his phone beeped, signaling the arrival of a new text. Derek sighed. 'Let's just get this over with.'

Wanting to be purposefully stubborn, Derek showed up a minute late at Lydia's doorstep. Okay, so one minute wasn't so bad, but for a guy who not only schedules to the very minute how long his study sessions will go but also how long his snack breaks will go, a minute late was brutal.

"Welcome to my humble abode," the strawberry blonde nodded in greeting, stepping aside to let Derek in.

"How long is this going to take?"

"Not long," Allison smiled, appearing at the top of the stairs with a tape measure draped around her neck. "Hey Derek. It's great that you decided to come."

"It truly shows how much you care. About Stiles of course," Lydia added, a knowing smile on her lips.

Derek just rolled his eyes, opting not to comment on the matter. Instead, he turned to Allison. "So you're going to make the costume? Is that something you do?"

The girl smiled softly. "Fashion is a bit of a hobby of mine. I probably get it from my mom. She was a buyer for some big-name store."

Derek tried to figure out a way to word his next question without being rude. "You any good at it?" he blurted out. Clearly he didn't try very hard.

Allison just chuckled. "Well, I made this blouse," she said, looking at the top she was wearing. "I think it came out pretty well."

Derek eyed the article of clothing. It didn't look half bad. "Okay. So now what?"

"Take your jacket off," she said, helping him out of it before tossing it on the couch where Lydia had taken a seat. She began to take his measurements, wrapping the tape around his chest. "So? Anything in particular you had in mind? Costume-wise I mean."

"Not really," Derek frowned. "I haven't done this costume thing since I was fifteen."

"How about Superman? You've got that chiseled jaw thing going on. Just give yourself that little curl of hair and it's perfect," Lydia suggested. "Or maybe even Batman. You've already got that dark and broody thing going on."

Derek just gave her a dry look. "No superheroes. No spandex." He lifted his arms as Allison measured his waist.

"Okay… so do you have a favorite movie or something? A favorite character?" the brunette tried, pausing to write his numbers.

Derek shrugged. "Not really."

"So then what do you like?" Lydia asked, rolling her eyes, exasperated.

Derek exhaled, thinking about it. "History." He let Allison position his arm as she draped the tape measure down its length.

"History. That's good. I can work with that," she said, moving to measure his forearms. "Anything in particular?"

Again, Derek just shrugged. "Not really."

"It's like talking to a brick wall," Lydia groaned. "What does he see in you?"

Derek was both insulted an intrigued. "He talks about me?"

"Like, only nonstop," she said with a wave of her hand.

Derek fought back a smile as Allison stepped in front of him.

"Um, I'm going to measure your inseam now. So if you could just hold it…" she motioned where, before holding out the end to him.

Derek did as he was told. "So… um, what… what does he say?"

"Oh you know. Derek this. Derek that. Blah blah."

He scowled at the girl. She was being petulant on purpose.

Allison laughed as she stood up. She patted Derek on the shoulder. "All good things, I promise." He was liking Allison more and more. She took a few more measurements, wrote them down before draping the tape over her shoulder once more. "Okay, that should do it." Her eyebrows shot up as a thought hit her. "Oh, actually…" She kneeled down, grabbing his shoe to look at the size.

"You could have just asked, you know," Derek frowned, trying to balance on one foot.

She just smiled once more before writing down the final number. "Okay. Now we're done."

Derek picked up his jacket and slipped it back on. "Are you sure you'll have enough time to do this? I mean, with finals and all."

Allison looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, if I play my cards right, I can probably just submit it as part of my project for art history. So you might really be doing me a favor."

"Art history?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded. "My major. I'd love to be like an archaeologist or something."

"A real life Lara Croft," Lydia piped in. "With the same efficiency with a bow and arrow."

"Who's Lara Croft?"

The redhead stared at him with disbelieving eyes. "Really? How are you and Stiles friends? He's like, totally in love with her."

Derek frowned at this. Whoever this Lara girl was, he didn't like her.

"Lara Croft is a video game character from the Tomb Raider series," Allison explained.

Oh. Derek was half glad that he kept most things internal. Announcing that he didn't like a girl when she was just a video game character seemed like one of those things he could get embarrassed over.

"So yeah. Next Saturday. It starts at eight, so come early," Lydia said, standing up. "You can help us set up since we're doing this for you pro bono."

Derek cocked an eyebrow. "From my understanding, she's doing all the work."

"Yes, and I'll be here for moral support."

Derek rolled his eyes again and made his way to the door. "Thanks, Allison."

"No problem," she waved.

"Hey? What about me?" Lydia frowned. "I'm the one that invited you."

"So then you're the one I'm going to blame for getting me into this mess," he said, stepping outside.

"I'm the one you'll be thanking when Stiles hugs you for agreeing to come!" she called out to him from the doorway. He didn't have to turn around to know she was smirking.

Derek just shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets before heading back home.

/\/\/\

Later that evening, Derek was seated patiently on his planter, kicking his legs, waiting for Stiles to come out of class. He inwardly smiled once he spotted him, but paused in seeing him talking to someone else. He narrowed his eyes, feeling a scowl forming, as the two clapped hands and came in for a bro-hug.

'Who is that guy?' Derek glowered.

The two split up, waving their goodbyes.

'That's right. Walk away.'

"Hey Derek," Stiles smiled, jogging up to his friend.

"Who was that?"

"Hm?" Stiles followed his line of sight over his shoulder. "Oh that. That's Brian. He's my study buddy for my sociology class."

'So this guy is going to spend time alone with Stiles?' Derek thought, frowning to himself. He didn't like him already.

Stiles continued. "Brian's a pretty cool guy. Wants to work in social services. Anyone who's willing to get into that line of work can't be a bad guy. Plus, with finals coming up, it can't hurt to have someone to study with."

"I can help you study. I took that class before," Derek offered.

Stiles smiled. "Tempting, but I think it might be in my best interest to study with someone actually in my class. Things may have changed since you took it. Plus, it helps to have a study buddy. They might've caught something the teacher said that you didn't. Something important."

Derek thought about that. Having someone to study with didn't seem like too terrible an idea, especially in a class he was having a bit of a hard time in. He decided to keep that in mind for later. As for right now, his attention was on Stiles.

"So… Lydia called me today," Derek said casually, as they headed off towards Stiles' apartment complex.

"Lydia? I didn't know you two were in contact."

"Neither did I." At this, Stiles laughed, the sound of it warming Derek's insides. He continued. "She… told me about her party."

"Her costume party?"

"Yeah… I… I hope she has good food there."

Stiles stopped. "Wait, what? You're going?"

Derek paused, turning to face him. "Yeah. Why? Should I not?"

A huge grin broke out across Stiles' face as he hurried back to Derek's side. "Of course you should! That's awesome! I didn't think you'd go. She asked me, you know, if she should invite you. And of course, I wanted her to but then I know how you don't like people in general so a costume party didn't seem like something you'd be interested in, but I guess she asked you anyway which is great cause now you're going and now it's gonna be better than ever!" Stiles cheered before jumping on Derek's back, nuzzling the back of his head. It wasn't a hug, but it still made Derek feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And because it wasn't a hug, he saw no need to thank Lydia for persuading him to go.

Derek wobbled under the sudden weight of Stiles, taking a few steps to stabilize himself before hiking the boy up and continuing to walking him home – or in this case – carry him home.

"So what are you gonna dress up as?" Stiles asked, draping his arms around Derek's neck, resting his chin on a broad shoulder.

"I don't exactly know. Allison is making it."

"Allison is making it? Then you're in luck. She once helped me make my Altaïr costume and it was the best. That girl is gifted."

"What's an 'Altaïr'?"

"Wh-What's an 'Altaïr'? He felt the boy drop his forehead onto his shoulder, shaking his head. "Derek, do you do this on purpose? Like, to intentionally break my heart?" Derek just scoffed. "Altaïr is a character, a person, from Assassin's Creed."

"What's Assassin's Creed?"

"How are we friends?" Stiles proclaimed, loudly.

This immediately just reminded Derek of the conversation in Allison and Lydia's apartment. He had to snort.

"When we get to my apartment," Stiles declared, "I'm going to show you just what exactly is Assassin's Creed and who exactly is Altaïr. There are just some things in life you can't go without knowing, Derek."

Derek rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No can do. Finals are coming up. You and I both need to study."

"Aww, whaaaat?" He could practically feel the pout on Stiles' lips. "Fine. Then let's just go to your place and we'll read some boring books."

"Stiles, I know you. If we go to my place, you're just gonna sneak into the toy room to play."

And now that he thought about it, just being with Stiles during finals week seemed like a bad idea. Of course, he wanted to spend as much time with Stiles as possible, but Derek was sure that studying would be one of the last things on his mind with Stiles nearby. Even if Stiles were on his best behavior, Derek was sure that he'd have a hard time concentrating on anything other than the way his brows knit together when deep in concentration, or the way his eyes moved intensely across the page of whatever book he was reading, or how every so often he would unconsciously run his, what looked to be, a soft pink tongue across his equally soft-looking red lips… Yeah, no. Studying together didn't seem all that great an idea if Derek actually wanted to get some studying done.

Derek frowned, coming to a stop, and putting Stiles down to face him.

Stiles looked to him, curious. "I'll only play with the train, this time. And I told you, that piece of the jet was already coming off."

Derek took a deep breath. "I think we should stop seeing each other."

Stiles looked like he had been smacked.

Derek's eyes widened, realizing what it sounded like. "No, no. I mean, during finals," he said quickly, needing to clarify. Stiles looked less scandalized, but still wore an unhappy look on his face. "I mean, I'll still see you at the coffee shop and between classes and now when I walk you home, but no dinner, and no weekend lunch, and no toys."

"But… I'll be good," he swore.

"It's just for a week, Stiles."

"Ten days."

Derek sighed. "I made a promise to myself and to my family that I was going to not only finish school, but do well in it also. And while I'm doing well in most of my classes, I'd still like to see my 'B' turn into an 'A' in mythology and I can't do that if I'm not fully prepared for next week."

"I can help you prepare." At Derek's skeptical look, he assured, "No, really. I can. I've got like a gift. An expert test-taking gift that I need to share with the world. And I'm willing to share this gift with you for four easy payments of $49.99."

Derek scoffed. "Oh how kind of you," he replied, dryly.

The boy sighed, but relented. "Fine, no more play dates." Derek absolutely did not blush at the idea that he and Stiles had ever been on any sort of 'date.' But he did blush at the idea of wanting to. "Buuuuut," Stiles continued with a grin. "That means next Saturday, you and I are gonna party it up at Lydia's. Finals? Forget finals. You best be preparing yourself for shenanigans, oh yeah." He leapt back up on Derek's back, nuzzling his head once more, hugging him from behind.

Okay. Maybe, just maybe, Derek might have to thank Lydia for that one.

/\/\/\

Finals week proved to be more of a hassle than he had originally thought. First of all, the weather decided to reflect the mood of the stressed out students by blocking out the sun with grey clouds, heavy with rain. And second of all, Derek's time with Stiles in the coffee shop was now spoiled because of the study groups deciding to meet up early. Every time Derek thought Stiles had time to finally sit down, a new group would walk in and order coffee. Their quiet mornings together had been infiltrated by the student body. Even Isaac had to come in early for the week, just to help Stiles with the crowd. The only good that came of it was that it at least gave Derek more time to study.

And while Derek was confident in most of his classes, he still was unsure about how well he was going to do in mythology, which was why he had thought back to what Stiles had said. The fact of the matter was that Stiles was right. A study buddy was useful in that they could not only help give you information that you didn't have but also expand on the information that you did have. And because Derek was serious about wanting to do his best in all his classes, he decided to actually reach out and get some help. So, as class was dismissed for the day, Derek grabbed his satchel and made his way to the front of the room where Erica Reyes was still putting her stuff away.

"Uh, hey."

The blonde girl looked up, cocking an eyebrow. "Hey yourself."

Derek sighed. "I'm just gonna say it. I need a partner to study with. You in?"

The girl just stood, pulling her bag over her shoulder as she smiled at Derek. "You need a study partner? Mr. Takes-Notes-On-Every-Little-Thing?"

Derek had no reason to tell her – or anyone for that matter – that most of his mythology notes were covered in little doodles and irrelevant observations pertaining to a certain barista. And while he was meticulous in taking notes, this class was his last one for the day. Even he was susceptible to boredom and a few wandering thoughts.

He sighed. "I just wanna make sure I'm doing my best on this final. And I know you've been doing pretty well in this class, so that's why I asked. You in or not?"

Erica smiled. "All right then, here. Let me see your phone."

Derek pulled his phone out of his pocket, only to have it snatched right out of his hand. Erica tapped through it, took a picture of herself with her tongue out and hand up in a 'rock and roll' gesture, tapped a bit more, then tossed the phone back to Derek. It just reminded him of the time Stiles did the same thing.

"Text me later," she said, heading out of the classroom. "My last class ends at 6. We can meet up after that." As she stepped out the door, she smiled seeing Stiles just making his way up. "Hey cutie," she winked, running her hand across Stiles' cheek before disappearing down the hall.

Derek frowned at the sight before glancing at his phone. She had labeled herself as 'HBIC Erica'. He briefly wondered what 'HBIC' meant, but tapped his phone to edit the label just as Stiles came up to him.

"Hey, you ready to go?"

Derek nodded, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"What was that about?" he asked, referring to the blonde. "You two meeting up?"

"Yeah. Our final's in two days. I took your advice and found myself someone to study with."

"Oh. With her."

Derek almost missed the way the corners of Stiles' mouth twitched down. But because he saw it, it made the boy's blank tone all the more intriguing.

"Hey, if you needed help studying, you could have asked me," Stiles said, plastering a grin on his face. "I wasn't lying about having a gift."

"You don't take mythology."

"True. But I have a sure-fire way to help you remember all the facts you need to know. It's worked for me and it's even worked for Scott and it even seems to be working for Brian."

"Brian?"

"Yeah, my study buddy for sociology. Remember?"

'Oh, right. That guy.' Derek frowned, but nodded, wondering just when the two of them met up and if that guy kept his grubby hands to himself.

"So," Stiles carried on, "When you walk me home tonight, come up and I can show you."

"Actually, I don't know if I'll be out tonight. I was hoping Erica would be free to study."

"Oh."

This time there was no way to miss the frown on Stiles' face. Derek was just about to say something about it when Stiles cut him off.

"Well, I guess we better get going. My math teacher likes to go over some problems before class starts and I wanted to ask him about one from last night's assignment."

"Okay."

As Derek walked Stiles to class, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe Stiles' frown was from the idea of him and Erica studying together. Maybe Stiles' frown was the same as Derek's when he thought of Stiles and that Brian guy together. And even though he preferred Stiles' smile to his frown, Derek couldn't help but letting out a smile all his own at the thought that maybe Stiles was jealous. Maybe Stiles didn't like the idea of Derek spending alone time with Erica, just as Derek didn't like the idea of Stiles spending alone time with Brian. The thought was certainly pleasing. So, despite the rain drizzling down around them, Derek felt nothing but warm inside.

/\/\/\

Derek had texted Erica as she had said once he got back to his apartment. Shortly after he got a response from HBIC Erica – Keep Away From Stiles, Break Arm If Necessary:

im gnna grab dinnr w my bf frst. hows 730ish? ur place?

Derek typed out an agreement before opening a new message to send to Stiles, telling him not to expect him after his class. It was strange then, that Derek didn't get a reply, considering Stiles was usually so prompt. But he thought nothing more of it as he pulled out his history notes and began to review them.

Erica had finally showed up at 7:45. The fifteen minute difference was a killer, but at least she was smart enough to get right into work rather than try to make small talk. They went over their review sheet, taking every topic on it and tried to recall all the information they had either read or had taken note of on each. Erica was actually proving useful in that she took better notes in class, having caught a few things Derek had only vaguely paid attention to. Derek was also proving useful to Erica as well, considering her notes on the readings were less thorough than Derek's. Hell, maybe if he had worked with her all semester, he would have been sitting pretty with a solid 'A' instead of a low 'B'. They had gone through about two thirds of the topics on their review sheet when Derek heard his apartment door open.

"Stiles?" Derek looked incredulously at the boy from where he was seated at the kitchen table.

"Hey cutie," Erica smiled.

Stiles just grinned and waved. "How's the studying coming along?"

"Good," she answered for the both of them. She stood and stretched. "We could use a break though, right?" She looked to Derek for permission.

He just nodded before looking back at the boy making his way into the kitchen. "Stiles, what are you doing here?"

"I am here to help. I told you. My sure-fire way to help get you to remember your facts."

"I didn't know you meant today. Now."

"Well, maybe Erica can find it useful, too."

"How considerate of you," she smirked.

Stiles set a bag down on the counter as Erica took a seat at one of the stools to watch him. He began to pull out various ingredients. "How's your boyfriend?" he asked, making small talk.

"Boyd? He's good. Wasn't really comfortable with the idea that I'd be here. Alone. With Derek. But otherwise good."

"What's there to be uncomfortable about?" Derek frowned, getting up and taking the seat next to her. "We're just studying."

"Derek, if you had a fine looking woman like Erica," at this, he winked at her, she smirking in return, "you'd be concerned about leaving her alone with any man, even if they are 'just studying'."

"My, oh my, cutie pie," Erica playfully swooned. "You sure do know how to talk to a lady."

"I also do dishes," he said, face in all seriousness.

"Good," she replied, equally solemn. "You can do that while Rufus and I kick Ryu's ass."

"Oh my God, Street Fighter reference! Marry me!" Now it was Stiles who was playfully swooning.

"Sorry cutie. Already taken," she smirked.

Derek had watched the entire exchange, brows furrowing in the slightest.

Stiles was grinning merrily as he rifled through the cabinets for various items. "Okay, so what sort of things are you guys studying up on?"

"Ooh, hang on," Erica said, hopping off her seat to grab the review sheet. She read the next thing on the list. "We read a myth called The Bride and the Monster. In it, there's this thing called the Moselantja. It's this creature with a long tail that has a mouth on the end."

"Oh perfect," Stiles said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a cinnamon stick. "This cinnamon stick is long and kinda looks like it has a mouth, which are the two features you remember MOSEly on the Moselantja." Stiles grinned. "You get it? It's best to associate an image with the things you're trying to remember. And once you remember the image, you can remember – what I like to call – your 'power statement.' I also find it works even better with things you can remember through taste and smell." He ground a bit of the stick until it was fine before dipping his finger in and popping it into his mouth. "Therefore, cinnamon. M-Mose… Mosley-"

"Moselantja," she supplied, dipping her own finger in and tasting the cinnamon.

Both of them looked to Derek. He looked between them before realizing they were waiting for him to follow suit. He just dipped his finger in and tasted the cinnamon.

"Now when you think of the myth, you'll think of cinnamon. And then you'll remember the cinnamon stick which kind of looks like the features of a moose-ly-ja."

Erica laughed at Stiles' butchering of the pronunciation. Derek just snorted.

"Okay, what's the next thing?"

"The three brothers: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. They should be pretty easy to remember, right?" she said, looking to Derek. "Zeus of the skies."

"Poseidon of the seas," Derek had added. "Hades of the Underworld."

"Yeah, and they each had their power items. Zeus had his thunderbolts, Poseidon had his trident, and Hades..." Erica trailed off as she tried to remember the last item.

"The helmet. Of invisibility," Derek finished for her.

"Okay, there!" Stiles said, excitedly. "Clearly you need help remembering Hades' power item," Stiles looked around. "Oh! Here. Sea salt."

"Sea salt? Wouldn't that help me remember Poseidon more than Hades?" she asked, skeptically.

"Not if you think of it this way," he took one of her hands in his, pouring a bit of salt in her palm. Derek narrowed his eyes at that. "You can't see actual salt in the sea. The salt is invisible like Hades' helmet. Now lick the salt."

She did as she was told, making a face before laughing it off.

Stiles smiled. "See? Okay, now you try one."

"All right…" she gazed down the remaining items on her list. "Ooh Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess known for her hot temper. She was… expelled from her home because her sister thought her too ambitious. So… Pele," she looked at the items in front of Stiles and spotted the crystallized ginger, "she's a bit bitter and spicy like ginger."

"Yeah! That works!" Stiles smiled with pride, pulling out a piece and cutting a bit of it to give to Erica and Derek. "Okay, Derek, now you try one."

Although he didn't exactly believe that this method would work, Derek obliged. He looked over at the paper in Erica's hand and tried to throw something together. "This cake flour," he said, grabbing the bag, "is like the Ketaki flower, which was shunned by Shiva for having lied to Vishnu."

Stiles laughed softly. "That one was easy. And you would pick one of the only things here you can't eat raw." He reached for the bag and tried to tear it open, frowning when the top wouldn't come apart as easily as he had hoped.

"Here, let me help," Derek offered, holding his hand out for the bag.

"No, I almost got it."

"Stiles," he stood, coming around the counter. "Let me-"

"Derek, I said I got-"

With a hard yank, Stiles ripped the top of the bag right open, causing the bag of flour to explode all over the kitchen… and all over Derek as well.

A loud gasp was heard as Erica watched on in surprise and pure amusement. Stiles looked horrified, guilty, as Derek stood frozen to the spot in shock, covered from his head to his waist in flour. Apparently, Stiles wasn't so horrified that he couldn't reach into his pocket for his phone to snap a quick picture of his powdered friend.

That snapped Derek right out of his reverie. "Stiles!" He made a grab for the phone, but the boy ducked right underneath him, out of his reach.

"I'm sorry! It was an accident!" He called over his shoulder.

"Stiles, give me your phone!" the older boy growled, chasing his friend around the couch.

"You really shouldn't run after me when you're covered in flour, Derek! You're making a mess!"

Derek paused, looking down at his carpet. Leading from the mess in the kitchen to a ring around the couch was a trail of white powder. Unfortunately, in this brief moment, Derek realized too late that Stiles had taken the opportunity to send the picture to his e-mail, as he had done before.

"Stiles!" he growled again.

The boy held up one hand to halt his friend. "You can take my phone, but you and I both know that picture is mine no matter what you do to it. So, you can chase me some more as the bag in my arm slowly spills more or you can give up now and wash up while I willingly and apologetically clean your floor and kitchen whilst baking you some delicious ginger cookies as I had planned to begin with."

Derek knew he was right. There was nothing he could do to the phone to get that picture back. He half-sighed, half-snarled in resignation. "I don't want to see one speck of flour on my floor, Stiles."

He nodded vigorously, a grin breaking out across his face.

And with that, Derek stalked off into the bathroom to clean himself off. He grabbed a small towel and stepped into the shower with his clothes on so he could dust himself off. Then, stripping down, Derek took a quick shower to wash off any excess flour on his face and in his hair.

Derek had to wonder why he was always the one getting messy whenever he was with Stiles. Not once did Stiles ever have to change shirts because of exploding whipped cream or a burst of cake flour. Derek was beginning to believe he was cursed.

Which led Derek to wonder why Stiles had stopped by in the first place. The boy hadn't mentioned coming over. In fact, he never even replied when Derek had texted him, saying that he'd be busy studying with Erica.

Then an idea hit him. 'Did he come by because he knew I'd be here with her?' It reminded him of earlier in the day when he thought maybe Stiles was jealous. The idea that Stiles was here to basically supervise under the pretense of wanting to show off his quirky study technique made Derek giddy inside. He almost wanted to kick Erica out so he could show Stiles just how happy it made him.

He shut off the water and reached for a towel. He could hear the vacuum running in the other room, as the distinct smell of ginger wafted in the air. He wondered if Erica had left on her own, and hoped that they could pick up where they left off tomorrow, but was ultimately happy for it so he could spend some time alone with Stiles. While they still saw each other every weekday so far, finals week had certainly affected the amount of time they spent with one another. And while it made Derek wish there were more hours in the day, he knew that it was ultimately for the best so he could do his best. He ducked into his room, quickly slipped into some clothes before coming back out.

Stiles was wrapping the cord back up, and surprisingly, Erica was still there, sweeping up the pile of flour on the linoleum of the kitchen. The two were immersed in conversation, laughing with one another.

It was then that another idea struck Derek. As he looked between them, smiling at one another, not even aware that he had returned, he frowned. 'This morning… maybe Stiles was jealous. But maybe he wasn't jealous of her… but of me. Maybe he likes her. Is that why he came?'

A beeping snapped him out of his thoughts.

Stiles silenced the timer on his phone before slipping it back in his pocket. He popped open the oven door, grabbed an oven mitt and pulled the tray of cookies out, using a spatula to move them to a cooling rack.

"God, Stiles, those smell delicious."

"Here," he grabbed one, breaking it in half and blowing on them before tossing one half to her. "Try it when they're super fresh."

They both popped a piece into their mouths before sucking in a breath of air. "Hot, hot, hot," they both breathed, laughing at each other.

Derek felt a pang in his chest. They were uncannily in sync with one another.

"You've got a little flour on your nose," Erica said, motioning where on her own nose.

Stiles swiped at it. "Gone?"

The girl just laughed. "Hang on." She grabbed the kitchen towel and splashed it with a little water before moving to wipe the boy's nose for him. "There. Now gone."

"Thank you milady," Stiles smirked, giving a slight bow.

"You're welcome, good sir," she curtsied, making the both of them laugh once more.

Derek couldn't take it anymore. Seeing their easy camaraderie made Derek the jealous one, more so now than he had ever felt before. He cleared his throat before swallowing down the growing lump in it. Both of them turned their heads at the sound and smiled in his direction.

"I think that's enough studying for today. Is it okay if we finish off the rest of the list tomorrow?" he asked the blonde girl.

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, standing up and heading to the table to gather her things. "I need to get back to Boyd anyway. He's probably slacking off when he should be studying for his own finals."

"Oh here," Stiles said, pulling a Tupperware container out of his bag and shoveling some cookies into it. "You should have some. I can make more for Derek, later."

"Actually, you should just take them all," Derek said, voice an even monotone. "I don't really like ginger anyway."

Stiles frowned, looking at Derek with concern before moving to box up the rest of them. "Keep the lid off for a little bit to let them cool some more. You can just return the container tomorrow. I'll get it from Derek," he smiled at her.

Derek tore his eyes away from the scene as their fingers gently brushed against one another's as Stiles handed her the box. He made his way over to the door and held it open for the girl.

"See you tomorrow, Derek," she smiled. He simply nodded. "You too, Stiles," she waved to her new friend.

"Bye Erica," he waved in return. "Enjoy the cookies." Once she disappeared down the hall, Stiles smiled over at Derek. "So? If not ginger, what can I make for you?"

Derek hadn't moved from where he stood. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the door he still held open. "Actually, Stiles, I think you should go home, too."

The room was quiet for a moment. "Derek… I said I was sorry. The flour… I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't."

"And I got every speck of it just like you said. Erica helped me and we made sure that everything was clean."

Derek inwardly flinched in hearing her name on his lips. "Thank you for that. I'm grateful-"

"You're not! You're mad!"

"Stiles, I'm not mad-"

"Then why won't you even look at me?"

'Because all I can see is you smiling at her!' he wanted to scream. He wanted to rip the door off its hinges and destroy it. He wanted to take Stiles and lock him away so that he couldn't smile at anyone else but him. But he didn't. That was crazy. He merely gripped the door until his knuckles were white, as he opened his eyes and forced himself to look at the boy he loved. "Stiles," he tried again. "I'm not mad."

Stiles looked unconvinced. "Look, if it's about the picture, if you really want, I'll delete it."

"I don't care about the picture as long as it stays with you." It was just another to add to his growing collection of unflattering shots.

"You know I wouldn't do anything mean with it."

"I know." The two were quiet a few moments more. Derek sighed heavily. "Stiles, it's getting late-"

"It's only 9:30-"

"I still have other classes I need to study for-"

"I can help you-"

"Stiles." Derek shut his eyes again, exhaling deeply before opening them once more. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The boy didn't move. "Okay?" He said, more pressingly this time.

Stiles finally looked away and nodded minutely. He moved back into the kitchen and gathered his things, hiking the bag on his shoulder. He walked over to the door, pausing just in front of Derek.

"Derek, I'm sorry-" he tried again with apologetic eyes.

"I said it's okay, Stiles. There's nothing to be sorry about."

He was still unconvinced. He looked down for a second before looking back into Derek's eyes. "Tomorrow then?"

Derek just nodded.

"Night, Derek."

"Good night, Stiles."

Stiles finally moved into the hallway disappearing around the bend. Derek closed the door behind him, leaned against it and let out a heavy sigh.

He knew that Erica had a boyfriend. He had known this ever since the whole debacle early on in the semester. So there was no reason why he should ever think that Stiles and Erica would run away together when she was clearly happy with her own man.

'But he obviously thinks she's attractive. And she made it clear that she thinks he's cute.' Derek growled at himself, burying his face in his hands. 'I'm such an idiot. Why would he be jealous over me? To him, we're just friends, right? I mean, he's made no real indication otherwise.'

Derek slid down the door, curling his hands into a fist and pressing it against his mouth. 'But what if Stiles does take an interest in someone else? Then what?'

He thought back on how easy things seemed between the two. She understood him. She laughed with him. She joked with him. She was someone he could be friends with where no one would ever ask 'how'? And more than that, she was the type of person Stiles could fall in love with.

'And here I am, hardly ever smiles. Laughs even less. Don't get half of the things he's talking about. How could he ever fall for someone like me?' The bitter, bitter truth in Derek's head was this:

He can't.

Derek threw his head back against the door, shutting his eyes, stinging in his sadness. There would be no studying for him for the rest of the night. He wouldn't have been able to concentrate on much of anything, let alone schoolwork, even if he tried. All he was left with were his sobering thoughts and the bitter scent of ginger in the air.

Notes: I'll... I'll just go hide for sec. Actual notes will be lumped in with part 2.