Chapter Text
Stiles groans, dropping his head down onto the book he’s been trying to read but has only managed to get through maybe half a page in 20 minutes. He may sometimes have trouble focusing but usually when it came to research he was able to get through it, sometimes even enjoyed it. Now though, his mind is wanting to focus on anything but the book in front of him. Well underneath him now. “I’m pretty sure school broke my brain, or at least my attention span.”
“Your attention span was already broken. You have ADHD.” Derek replies with a smirk.
Stiles barely lifts his head to send a glare at Derek. “Ha ha. I may have ADHD but school definitely made it worse.”
“And how is that?”
“I don’t know. Locking me in a room for hours at a time and demanding my constant attention and focus. That’s like torture for someone like me.”
“I’m pretty sure you weren’t locked in anywhere, Stiles. That would have been illegal.”
Stiles waves him off, standing up and starting to pace around the room. “It was symbolic. The door was shut and we were made to feel like we had no choice but to be there. Even now in some of my college classes. Sure, they can’t make me go. But without a certain amount of attendance I’ll fail. And these professors can be assholes, even bigger ones than the ones I had in high school. One is even giving Harris a run for his money.”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is that I’m restless. My mind is constantly running because of all the studying and research I have to do. I get far too little sleep because of that studying and research and my overactive brain on top of it. I need somewhere to focus my energy or at least help me release some of it so I can focus.” Stiles says, stopping to take a drink of his water.
“I hear sex helps.”
The words leave Derek’s mouth before he has a chance to stop them. Stiles chokes on the water he’d just attempted to swallow, causing Derek to stand up and hit him on the back in fear the man really is choking. Stiles waves him off, but Derek doesn’t go far, still looking at Stiles worriedly. Which yeah, he should, after what he just said. “You” cough “I can’t” wheeze “believe you” wheeze “said that.” Then finally after a coughing fit “Were you offering?”
Derek studies Stiles for a moment before he shrugs, trying to play it off as if it’s no big deal when in reality he still can’t believe what he just said. He could still play it off as a joke. Still… “If you’re interested, yes.” Derek’s mouth apparently has other ideas than his brain tonight. He’s internally panicking. Sure, he’s thought plenty about having sex with Stiles, but it had always involved other things like dates and cuddling. This just made it seem like sex.
Stiles laughs, “If I’m interested? Seriously? Derek, you’ve been around me for years. You have to know by now that I’m more than interested.”
“You were a teenager, Stiles. You were always interested in sex and smelling of arousal. There was no reason for me to think it was associated with me.”
“Sometimes we were the only two in the room!” Stiles counters.
Derek looks down at his feet, a light blush covering his cheeks. “I still wasn’t sure… I wasn’t sure if I was projecting my…”
Derek stops himself, still refusing to look up at Stiles. Stiles waits a moment to see if Derek plans to elaborate. When he doesn’t, Stiles walks closer until he’s standing right in front of Derek. He can feel hope blooming in his chest. “Projecting your what?”
Derek sighs, and finally looks back up to meet Stiles’ eyes. “Projecting my feelings onto you. I didn’t know if you felt anything for me or if I was just imagining it because it was something I wanted. And even if you were interested I didn’t know if it was just for sex… or for something more.”
“You thought I’d only be interested in you for sex?”
Derek shrugs, “You were a teenager. One that was still trying to figure out his sexuality. And it wouldn’t have been the first time someone was only interested in me because of my looks.”
Stiles wants to be angry that Derek could think Stiles would be like that but he knows the sort of relationships Derek has had, how people have used him for whatever sick thing they wanted. That thought is what makes Stiles angry and want to find and throttle everyone that has hurt Derek like that.
“Okay. Listen here. Yes, I was a teenager and was initially attracted to you. But back then we barely tolerated each other. Then I got to know you and sure sometimes you can still be an asshole but you can also be one of the most caring people I know. So yeah, I liked you for your looks. But it grew into so much for than that. I’ve spent the past 5 years falling in love with you, Der. I’ve seen the way you help people then try to play it off like it’s nothing. How you spent an entire day upstairs helping Mrs. Morrison put together bookshelves and tables because she couldn’t figure out how to do it on her own and then made up some bullshit excuse about her being a tenant. How you sometimes help old ladies carry their groceries out to their car. Or how one time you helped a cat out of a tree even though it scratched the hell out of your arms. How you always look out for the pack and do whatever you can for them, sometimes more than that, even though they can be ungrateful shits at times. You are so much more than your looks Derek Hale and you deserve someone who is going to love everything about you, the good and the bad.”
Derek surges forward, placing both hands on Stiles’ cheeks and pulling him forward to finally seal their lips together. The first kiss is frantic and a little desperate, trying to put everything he’s feeling into the kiss. Then Stiles puts his hands on Derek’s hips, grounding him, and slowing the kiss down. Derek places one more lingering kiss on Stiles’ lips, before pulling back. Stiles still has his eyes closed, a small smile on his face as he brings a hand up to touch his lips.
When Stiles opens his eyes, he sees Derek watching him, wearing a smile of his own “Hey.”
Derek’s smile widens “Hey.”
Derek quirks an eyebrow when Stiles snorts, attempting to shake his head but finds it to be impossible with Derek still holding his face in his hands. He finds he doesn’t mind so much. “We went from giving these big long heartfelt speeches to going back to one word communication.”
“Hmm…” Derek moves one of his hands, allowing himself better access to run his nose along Stiles neck. He places a small kiss on his collarbone before looking up at Stiles, a mischievous grin on his face “I think we said what we needed to say. Except…”
“Except what?”
Derek’s smile softens “I love you too.”
Stiles grins “So, is that offer still on the table? I do have a lot of pent up energy I need to release.”
“Go run around the block then. If we’re doing this, we’re not having sex until at least the third date.”
“I’m not running around the block.” Stiles says, leaning in to kiss Derek again just because he can. “But I do respect your wishes to wait. As long as you need.”
“Thank you.” Derek says. “I know we’ve both been waiting for this to happen. I just… I want to do this right.”
Stiles runs a hand through Derek’s hair, gently squeezing the back of his neck, marveling in how Derek instantly relaxes into the touch, his eyes almost closing. “I know Der. And we will. This means too much to me to screw it up.”
“Me too.”
“Good.” Stiles says, moving his hand away much to Derek’s dismay. “So, dinner?”
Derek smiles, lacing his fingers through Stiles’. “Dinner sounds like a perfect start.”
"And a perfect first date."
"What happened to respecting my wishes?" Derek asks, but he still smiles and follows Stiles to the door, stopping to grab his jacket and wallet along the way.
Stiles looks over at him "It's just a date Derek. No one said a date had to lead to sex."
They make it to the third date, barely making it into the loft and closing the door before Derek has Stiles pressed against it, bringing their lips together in a messy kiss. "I was an idiot to think I could last 3 dates. This has been torture."
"Maybe you should go for a run around the block then." Stiles just laughs when Derek growls and tickles him, pulling Derek back towards him for another kiss, this one longer and full of promise.