A/N: Thank you guys so much for being so patient, first of all. It's been an unnecessary 3 year journey with a 2 year delay that I put y'all through which was not right.
I apologize, and for that, I give you the much awaited Chapter 9.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Teen Wolf after 2 damn years.
Days passed, the kitsune attacks from Danny had calmed down, as he made an ally of Scott McCall. If anything had been going on, it must've been entirely on the down low, as the town seemed more quiet than usual.
Stiles had become less and less easy to reach. Derek felt like he had no chance anymore. He was giving up.
Stiles, being the nervous wreck that he is, continued to regret his decisions to shut Derek out once and for all. He'd type a message in his notes to practice sending it to Derek. Hell, he'd even go into his messages, type a message out to Derek and he'd be so close to brushing over the send button… but the backspace was the only button he could hit.
Derek waited.
Stiles waited.
It was no use.
Weeks passed and it was nearing Halloween. Time flew by quickly in Beacon Hills. But, Stiles thought he could see Derek now. Scott was throwing a party and he surely knew Derek would be there, as he was in all the other hangouts that Stiles saw on Snapchat, Instagram, and all other kinds of social media.
Stiles still played the downer of the group for the past several weeks and rarely went out with them, and even then that was only when Derek wasn't involved, during recent times, which he found odd.
Lydia. His best friend, Lydia, tried to talk to him and he wouldn't even text her back… Allison, Malia, and even Scott, knowing that they weren't the greatest of friends nowadays, couldn't help.
Oddly enough, Stiles thought he could do it this time around. He found some fangs, some fake hair, and shortly after, he dressed up, ironically (as he does everything else), as a werewolf.
When he showed up to the party, they all greeted him and smiled. Lydia walked up to him, "I'm so glad you came."
"Me too," Scott said, "but that's offensive."
Stiles chuckled. He began to look around, and he couldn't find what he was looking for. He couldn't find who he was looking for.
Derek was nowhere to be seen. It was almost as if he disappeared. He was about to ask Scott, then hesitated, he started, "hey Sc—"
Derek walks in. He has a girl in his hand and he screams "we're here." He smiles at everyone in the room as he looks around, and he finds Stiles, in that stupid werewolf costume. Surprised, he smiles at Stiles, and Stiles looks away while drinking one of Scott's mixed drinks from a red solo cup, as if he didn't see Derek's smile. Derek looks away as Stiles looks back as he swallows his drink. He notices a girl in his hand in the dark room. He starts to tear up but tells himself to be strong. It's been a while. Derek's moved on. Wait. What was there to even move on from? He was never your boyfriend. He did not feel anything for you. Stiles thought.
Derek walks up to Stiles with his girlfriend in his hand, clearly trying to make Stiles jealous… right? At least that's what Stiles thought when he looked up to see Derek.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"It's really good to see you, Stiles" Derek says.
"You too," Stiles politely replies, looking around awkwardly waiting to be introduced. But he didn't care! They're not friends. He knew that. Were they?
"This is Jen," Derek awkwardly points.
"Jen," Stiles mocks, totally forgetting she was there in front of him as well. "Jen," he gets his shit together, "it's very nice to meet you."
"You as well, 'Stiles'?"
"Stiles, yup." He waited, as if she was going to tell him, Derek has told me so much about you. He talks about you all the time. But he knew she wouldn't, because he didn't. Because they're together. They're fucking together. FUCK YOU, "JEN". He thought. But it's okay. This is okay. It was over. Nothing to move on from. Obviously. Derek wasn't looking at Stiles. At least that's what Stiles thought.
"I, uh," Derek waited, "I'm gonna go get a drink, babe," he was looking at Stiles, who looked at him when he heard babe. He thought that Derek was talking to him for sure, until Derek looked away. "Do you want anything?" he asked Jen.
"No, thanks, I'm all good hun," Jen replied, "I'll just hang out here with Stiles."
Derek gulped and forced a smile and began to walk away. Super nervous to where this could lead. "Stiles, watch your alcohol."
He simply nods. Great. Just what I fucking need. Just "hangout with Stiles." Stiles thought. "Yeah, that'd be cool." So. So so so not cool. What on earth made him think they could hangout in the same place without him going crazy over Derek? And now, he had to deal with this "Jen."
"So how do you know Derek?" Jen asked politely.
"You know, he's a cool guy," Stiles said, trying to cover up the fact that he hangs around wolves because he's a wolf himself. "We met around school."
"Oh like you were in high school together?"
"You can say that."
"Okay, cool, cool," Jen waits, "is he bad?"
"Huh?"
"Derek… is he more of a bad boy or was that a false image to impress me?"
"Trust me," Stiles said, "he's the baddest boy you'll meet. He's got the biggest heart though, that's for sure," he'd remember. He teared up a bit, "you're one of the luckiest people in the world to get Derek Hale. He doesn't open up to a lot of people. He's kind, generous, handsome, he knows how to treat people," he pauses and realizes what he'd just said and all he remembered was how Derek broke his heart multiple times. "He knows how to sympathize and he's a really good person to be around when you're feeling down," Stiles tried to defend himself, "that's all I've heard about him honestly. I've also heard he's a really good person to hug when you cry and need someone to hold you."
Jen laughed, "I think you've had one too many drinks."
"What?"
Derek comes back, about to ask what they were talking about. Jen replies, "I think Stiles over here has had one too many drinks."
"Stiles—"
"Chill out. I'm not drunk," Stiles cleverly stated, "if I was, you'd definitely know." He smiled. He was proud of that one. Derek blushed.
The party went on and Stiles kept staring at the both of them together. It was killing him how imperfect she was for him. Did he pay her so he could show her off in front of me? No. He couldn't. Could he? Dude. You're so out of her league. Not just with looks, with everything. You deserve so much better, you deserve—
"Stiles," Scott calls to the blank staring boy, "you okay?"
"Yeah, I was just thinking maybe I should head home."
"Come on," Lydia answered, "stay a bit longer."
"Anything for you, my strawberry blonde," which he only said to make Derek jealous. Lydia only looked at him strangely and looked away. Derek looked over at him, and Stiles almost heard what Derek was thinking. Pathetic. Except that Derek wasn't thinking that at all… He wanted to be called Stiles's. He wanted to be his strawberry blonde… well, more of a "black-haired king" anyway.
"I, um," Stiles stared at Derek and Derek stared back, and he spoke to the pack as a whole, "think I need some fresh air."
"I'll come with you," Derek said, "it's getting hot in here."
Stiles looked at him and said nothing. "I'll be back," Derek kissed Jen on the mouth. Stiles stared and laughed, you've got to be joking. How far are you willing to go to make me jealous? Why are you following me?
Stiles left the house and started walking around the driveway, only to be followed by Derek.
"How have you been?" Derek asks.
"I've been better."
"I'm really glad you came."
"Are you?"
"Yeah, why would you think otherwi—"
"Because you brought a girl."
"I'm not allowed to date?"
"You're allowed to date. Just not people that aren't me."
"So now you want me again?" Stiles stays silent. "You, fucking, ignored me."
"I know."
"So you can't blame me."
"I know, it's just…" Stiles hesitated, "I don't know."
"What?"
"I—"
"You're gonna say you wanted me to fight for you? Because you made it pretty damn clear you didn't want me to."
"I don't know. Just ignore me. I probably sound stupid."
"You're not stupid," Derek sighs, "you're the smartest guy I've met." Derek continues, "I hope that one day you can find someone who deserves you."
You. You deserve me. Be mine already. Stiles kept thinking. "I'm not sure."
"I am."
"You're crazy."
"I'm not. I found someone," he said hesitantly, knowing he wants Stiles again and that he was only forcing his current relationship, "maybe you could too."
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Don't start with that. She doesn't know the first thing about you. She doesn't deser—" Stiles stops. "Sorry, it's none of my business."
It is. It is your business. I want you. Derek thought. "Okay… can we just," Derek hates that he has to say this, "be friends?"
"I promise I won't drink around you ever again."
"You don't have to promise that…" Derek says seductively.
"You have a girlfriend," Stiles pouts.
"I'm just joking," Derek replies. Anyone who wasn't Stiles could see that he wasn't joking.
"Yeah," Stiles starts to tear up. "We can be friends."
"Good," Derek smiles. "You wanna head back inside?"
"No, you go ahead, I think I'm gonna go home."
"You sure? Party's just getting started. I don't wanna have to worry about you."
"You don't. Worry about your girlfriend."
"Stiles… don't be petty."
"No. Go back to her."
"Stiles," Derek starts, "when you left me… I was a—" Jen interrupts them.
"You guys," shouted Jen, "you gotta come see this awesome party trick Scott can do!"
"Ok babe," Derek points but sighs because he doesn't want to pretend in front of Stiles anymore, "we'll be in soon."
Stiles just smiles as Jen heads back inside, "when I left you, what?"
"I… was a wreck."
"I don't blame you," Stiles remarks, "I'm the best thing that could happen to anyone."
"Shut the fuck up, asshole," Derek banters. "But, you're right, you are."
Stiles blushes. He was only speaking sarcastically and he didn't mean for Derek to take it this way.
"I needed attention," Derek continues, "and she was there."
"I get it. I'm an awful person."
"You're not awful, Stiles."
"Please do yourself a favor and don't fuck your life up for me. You may actually have something with her. Now I, myself don't think so, but if you believe it then you might."
"I don't know."
"You regretted leaving Braeden. Please don't do anything like that again. I can't live with any more guilt."
"Stiles," Derek wants to reach out and kiss him for the first time that they're both conscious.
"What?"
"Please don't go home."
"Why?"
"I want you here."
"I want you period. But we can't always get what we want."
"Why do you always make things so difficult?" Derek argues.
"Because, I like it this way, and I'm a hard-ass. I have some homework I gotta do as well. Can't ever be too early to turn that shit in."
"Fine," let me see you soon.
"You will," Stiles replies, assuring Derek he just said his thoughts aloud. He starts towards his car.
"Oh and Stiles," Derek points to Stiles' costume.
"It's offensive, I know."
A/N: What'd ya guys think? Let me know in my inbox and/or reviews and if you wanna let me know how long this story should be in terms of chapters, that will be great as well. I've received lots of good reviews so I don't think I'll stop anytime super soon!