One More Shot (Oneshot collection)

The two men were sitting across from each other, in a café full of people. Around them, the mood was festive and relaxed, cheerful even. Between them, however…

At the beginning, when Derek had told him he’d planned a date for the day, Stiles had been so glad— ecstatic, even. He’s sported a silly smile throughout his shift at work, and not even some of his dumbass colleagues had managed to wipe it off.

At that moment, though, he was anything but happy.

His boyfriend was surreptitiously sneaking glances at him, not sure how to start a conversation about what had happened— or anything at all, for the matter.

Not when the younger man was ripping up his napkin with an expression that screamed ‘murder’.

“Stiles?” The werewolf finally called, not out of courage but rather frustration “Will you talk to me? Or even look at me, at some point”

“Shut up” His partner grunted, squishing the maimed paper between his fingers “Just don’t”

“I think you’re blowing this out of proportion…”

“Out of proportion?” Stiles screamed. His glare only worsened when Derek cringed, pleading him to keep it quiet with a grimace

“I… Yeah”

“Six times, Derek” The other brunet hissed, somehow managing to rip up even the tiny shreds that lay in a heap on his side of the table “You’ve been hit on six different times during our date before we even got halfway though it! And that last red-haired bitch—”

“Stiles, please” The green-eyed male whispered, but he was totally ignored

“She laughed in my face, Derek, for crying out loud!

I kindly” Stiles continued, ignoring the other’s arched eyebrow as well “told her to get lost since you were with me, and she laughed! She even told me to shut up, dammit!”

Derek sighed, watching as his boyfriend proceeded to unleash his fury on a new— where the hell had that new handkerchief come from?

Chances were from the table next to theirs.

Still, given the delicate circumstances, he let it slide.

He did not enjoy people coming on to him, not one bit. It made him so incredibly uncomfortable, especially when they were so crass about it, like the redhead Stiles had mentioned. She’d gone straight ahead and felt his bicep, just like that.

In what universe was it ok to touch people without their consent?

Luckily, his beloved brown-haired dork had intervened before she could go further— she would have, he was certain of it.

He’d smelled concern, besides the overwhelming jealousy Stiles was oozing.

That was another reason Derek loved him so much, even if had not admitted it yet; that annoying adorable human knew him so well, and he was worried about the wolf feeling uneasy.

He was so caring, so attentive, and the were often felt like he did not deserve it.

The situation they were in was one of those times, even if it was not his fault.

He hated seeing his boyfriend upset, especially since he could clearly detect hurt underneath all the anger.

“Stiles” He called again, reaching out to grab the younger man’s hand “I know it’s annoying, but please, let it go.

As you said, we are not even halfway through our date, and I want to enjoy the rest of it, too”

The human cocked an eyebrow, presumably because he’d decided that part of their night had been ruined, but he went on

“Besides, why does it matter? I am here with you, and that is exactly what I want”

The young Stilinski beamed at that, finally, gifting Derek a bashful but elated smile

“For a Sourwolf, you can be surprisingly sweet” He commented with a laugh, but Derek could feel how flustered he was— and he loved it

“Come on,” He added, squeezing Stiles’s hand before letting go of it “Let’s get something to eat. You must be hungry”

His partner nodded, and they called a waiter to place their order.

It finally seemed that the worst had passed; they were chatting, laughing, and having a good time.

Derek even laughed at some of Stiles’ dumb jokes, a far cry from his usual glare.

Their dishes arrived shortly after. Obviously, the younger of the two sunk his fork into the older’s food without even asking, but still the were did not seem irritated.

He was simply relieved his boyfriend was back to his usual, annoying self.

Even the subsequent comments on his 'cute bunny smile' did not manage to wipe it off his face.

Thus, they enjoyed a few blissful hours in each other’s company.

Their feud over the bill was not filled with as much animosity as it normally would be, though it was yet again won by the werewolf, who swatted his partner’s hand away when he tried to pick up the receipt

“You are a brute”

“And you are an infuriating brat. Besides….” Derek murmured, leaning closer to Stiles with a smirk “I never heard you complain about that”

He pulled out his wallet nonchalantly, while his boyfriend’s face turned redder than a tomato; it made him chuckle

“Do you want to take a walk after this, or do you want to head home? We can—”

“Hello”

Both males were surprised by the intrusion, and they turned toward the source of it: a pretty blond-haired young woman, with light-green eyes, pale skin and a sweet smile.

Neither of them knew what to do or what to say, and they just stood there in confusion.

Their perplexity must have clearly shown clearly on their faces, because she snickered and went on talking

“Sorry if I startled you, I did not mean to”

“It’s ok, no problem”

“Oh, good to hear that.

By the way, there was something I wanted to ask you”

More confusion, and another cackle from the blonde

“Well, you see” She began, wriggling her fingers “I think you look very handsome, and I was wondering if you—”

“Dammit, not again” The younger man exclaimed, suddenly extremely vexed.

Beside him, he could feel the werewolf tense up.

The girl recoiled, taken aback by such a reaction.

He continued anyway

“Seriously? You’re hitting on him right now?”

“I—”

Stiles laughed mirthlessly, raking a hand through his already messy hair

“I can’t believe it”

“Stiles” Derek called

“Just when I thought things were finally going well!” The young man grumbled on, ignoring both his boyfriend’s voice and the blonde’s incredulity

“Stiles” Derek tried one more time

“This is the seventh time tonight, and—”

“Stiles!” Derek shouted, finally catching the human’s attention “She was talking to you”

Those five words brought Stile’s tirade to a screeching halt.

His amber eyes widened, and he stared at his boyfriend in disbelief

“What?” He choked out

“She was talking to you” The were growled, his jaw so set it was a miracle the words were even comprehensible.

Stiles turned to look at the blond woman, finally noticing how nonplussed she was

“Oh. Really?”

“Uh, yeah”

“Oh.

I… I guess I should apologize” He began, chuckling in embarrassment “And I do apologize, I’m really sorry.

I thought… I thought you were trying to, you know… With him”

“It’s alright” She reassured, even if she was still a bit bemused "I’m Mindy, by the way, and I was wondering if you w—”

“He’s not interested” Derek muttered, interrupting a conversation that had been going on for far too long in his opinion. He’d tried to hold back, but he could not take it anymore.

To hell with being polite

“Excuse me?”

“He’s not interested” The were repeated, snarling this time. If possible, his jaw was more clenched than it had been earlier

“But— But he—”

“I said he is not interested” Derek almost roared, so loudly that about half the people in the restaurant, customers and waiters alike, turned to look at him.

He did not give a damn

“Now, if you will excuse us, my boyfriend and I have somewhere to be” He added, standing up abruptly and grabbing his coat before shoving Stile’s in his face.

The poor human plucked the jacket away, spluttering, but he soon found his wrist trapped in an absurdly tight grip.

In the next second, he was being dragged away toward the exit, under the incredulous gaze of the entire café and the blonde who— Mindy, he recalled.

The poor girl was staring at them slack-jawed. If only she knew who she had angered…

With his face on fire, he mouthed a ‘sorry’ before being unceremoniously shoved out the door.

When the latch clicked behind them, Stiles couldn’t hold back a relieved sigh, even though he had far more urgent matters to attend to.

In particular, the fact that Derek Hale was still sporting a murderous glare etched on his features, and he was still lugging him around like a sack of potatoes.

That would not do.

He planted his feet on the floor, using as much strength as he could.

To his chagrin, his boyfriend did not even notice his efforts; he kept walking, hellbent on his quest for who-knew-what.

The brunet sighed, acknowledging defeat on that front.

There was no way he could physically best the wall of muscle he was dating— and yes, it still gave him butterflies to think that but no, contrary to what Erica and Lydia always said, he was not a giddy schoolgirl with a crush.

He would have to resort to one of his usual strategies, one he was a master at.

Annoying the daylights out of the werewolf in question

“Ehm, Derek?”

No answer

“Derek?"

Again, no answer

“Babe? Darling? Light of my constantly-in-danger life?”

Still no answer.

The stonewalling was irritating him, and his shoulder was beginning to ache, so he unleashed the ace up his sleeve

“Sourwolf!”

Ah, yes, the old nickname that never failed to irritate his boyfriend— although Stiles was certain he secretly loved it.

Anyway, it finally got a reaction

“WHAT?!” Derek growled harshly, baring his teeth.

Yes, he secretly loved it— very secretly though.

Making the most of the sudden pause, Stiles tugged his arm free and channeled his inner Sheriff, frowning deeply

“First of all, stop manhandling me; it’s starting to hurt. In case you have forgotten, I am a puny human”

Remorse flashed in Derek’s eyes.

Stiles, being perfectly aware of just how sore of a subject that was for his boyfriend, decided to move on quickly with his reprimand

“Secondly, what the hell has gotten into you? You are more of a brute than you usually are, and that is saying something”

“You know I hate that nickname” The other hissed, but he tutted

“Sure you do. Now talk”

“Stil—”

“No”

“Stiles”

“Nuh-uh”

“Stiles, please” Derek groaned

“While I do appreciate you saying my name like that— and a please, I can’t believe it” The human teased, making the werewolf growl softly, in warning— which he ignored as always “Rest assured that I am not going to drop this topic until I am satisfied with your answers.

So, spill”

The older male sighed, and his shoulders slumped.

He glanced around and spotted a bench on the other side of the road, which he pointed at

“Let’s get sit over there”

Stiles had expected Derek to take his hand, but he didn’t; they simply walked side to side, in utter silence, while the green-eyed man looked anywhere but at the brown-eyed one.

When they reached the bench and sat down, the situation did not change.

Neither of them spoke for a while, despite the tension looming over them like a dark cloud promising rain.

Derek hid his face in his hands, which made the human realise their confrontation was going to be more difficult than he’d anticipated.

Stiles shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for the werewolf-turned-gargoyle to begin his speech.

It took a few minutes —likely more then a few— but finally, his boyfriend re-emerged and sighed

“Are you mad at me?”

Not really, he wasn’t.

Still, he knew better than to relent so soon: he would get nowhere if he did

“I will decide once you are done explaining” He stated.

Derek sighed again

“I know I behaved like an asshole, Stiles”

“Wow, self-awareness. You’re making progress”

“Stop joking" The wolf hissed, and he realised it was a good piece of advice, though granted unwittingly.

The years of acquaintance, and then the months of dating, had taught him that forcing someone like Derek to talk would only make him shut up like a clam.

He had to be reassured with patience, but firmness anyhow

“Fine, I will. But I still want to know what happened back there”

“I… I lost control”

Biting down a sarcastic response, the younger of the two asked another question

“Yes, but I want to know why.

There must have been a reason, and I need you to tell me what it was”

“I was jealous, ok?” The were cried out “I got territorial because she was interested in you and I didn’t like it”

Oh.

That was… Interesting.

Being the smart guy that he was, likely even above average, Stiles had figured that out from the start. Besides, it did not take a rocket scientist to put two and two together.

However, only a small part of him had believed that, no matter how much his rational mind was persuaded.

He still couldn’t believe that a guy like Derek Hale liked him, and the six people who’d tried to flirt with him —some of which had completely ignored Stiles though he’d been by Derek’s side the whole time— did not help him build a healthy self-esteem.

Nevertheless, he was not the one in need of reassurance at the moment

“Derek” He began, more confident than he really felt “Even if she was flirting with me” He paused at that, still trying to wrap his head around it “You know I would have turned her down.

You knew that.

Why did you make such a big deal out of it, then?”

“You liked it, Stiles” The wolf bristled, anger colouring his tone “Even now, I could feel your happiness at the thought”

Hearing those words, Stiles felt like he’d fallen from the clouds.

Or plummeted down from the sky like a meteor, crashing down on the ground.

Yes, that was a more accurate description

“I… I liked it?”

“Don’t play coy with me; you know I can smell your emotions.

You were happy that she was putting the moves on you. As you are now”

The worst part about that accusation was not his confusion, his utter puzzlement at what Derek was talking about.

Not at all.

It was far more painful to hear the sadness in the other man’s voice, the way it cracked at the end of the sentence.

It made Stiles’s heart clench painfully

“Der, I would never doubt your bloodhound nose” That comparison earned him a light growl, though Stiles was just trying to lighten the mood “But I swear, on whatever you want, that I have not been happy since my outburst when she tried to flirt with you”

“When you thought that she was trying to flirt with me”

“Ah, yes. Right”

“There it is again” The were seethed

“What?” Stiles squawked, startled

“You smell happy, Stiles”

Those four words were full of rage— and pain.

He needed to fix things, promptly

“Wait wait wait, Der.

Listen, I know that Mindy—”

“You remember her name?!”

Oh crap

“Well, it happened a few moments ago, so—”

“That’s it” Derek snarled, standing up and walking away briskly.

Stiles froze, his heart jackrabbiting in his chest

“Derek”

Nothing

“Derek”

The wolf ignored him again.

Had it been a human, Stiles would have thought he couldn’t catch his cries. But Derek was a werewolf, and if he could pick out the buzz of his jeep —which was admittedly louder than it should be, but still— from miles away, he could damn well hear those broken cries

“Derek, please!”

The tears pooling in his eyes prevented Stiles from seeing Derek stall for a moment.

He could smell the sadness, even from afar.

He could hear the younger man’s voice becoming more choked up by the second.

The need to turn around, run back to Stiles and hold him in his arms was overwhelming, but what really did him in were the few words he managed to make out among his whimpers

“I only liked it because I think I’m not enough for you…”

It was one of the first times, if not the first time at all, that Derek doubted his enhanced senses.

He could not believe he’d heard right. He didn’t want to believe it.

When Stiles released another wail, the other man spun on his heels and retraced his steps in a sprint, refraining from running at full speed only because they were in public.

He resumed his seat on the bench and pulled Stiles in his lap, hugging him tight.

The younger brunet fisted the lapels of the were’s jacket, buried his face in his chest, and wept.

Even through his jealousy, even through his outrage, Derek was stricken at the sight of his usually annoyingly cheerful boyfriend with a face full of tears, shaken by sobs.

All because of him.

Guilt festered inside him, and he felt awful.

Stiles has been there for him countless times, and had saved his lives almost as often. Even before they started dating.

He knew him well by then, and one thing was certain: Stiles was loyal, and could always be relied upon.

He was… peculiar, to say the least, but he had a heart of gold, and he would never cheat on anyone.

He didn’t deserve to be hurt like that.

It made Derek feel awful, but the damage had been done.

He had to fix it, and apologise afterwards.

Nevertheless, he was so confused: what on Earth was the other man talking about?

“I’m sorry” Stiles sniffled, and Derek froze

“What… What are you sorry for?”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Der— can I still call you Der?” The younger man asked, eyes wide with fear.

The older forced a smile on his face, reaching out to wipe away fresh tears and the traces of dry ones

“Of course you can, Stiles. Even Sourwolf, if it helps”

The human did not laugh, or smile.

It was worse than he’d thought

“I swear I didn’t mean it like that. I was just—”

“Never mind that now. I want to know what you meant when you said you are not good enough for me”

Stiles nodded but gulped, taking a shuddering breath before even attempting to speak

“I’m not… I’m not like you, Derek”

“You a—”

“I’m not talking about my human nature” He snapped nervously, and the were smiled. That human, as he’d just called himself, really knew him like the back of his hand “I’m talking about my looks”

That was the last thing Derek would have ever expected.

He was so taken aback he could only utter one syllable

“What?”

It caused Stiles to groan, but he really had no idea

“You look like a fucking underwear model, ok?”

Brutally put, but it was the truth nonetheless.

Seeing as his boyfriend gave no sign of understanding, Stiles went on with his speech

“Six different people came on to you just today, in the span of a couple of hours. I hated it, but I cannot blame them.

You belong on the cover of a fitness magazine, Derek, and you only got better over the years.

By contrast, the only way you’d find someone like me on those journals is under the word ‘Before’” The young man complained, grunting in annoyance

“It is not just a matter of self-esteem though.

People never take me seriously when I tell them we are together. That last b—

I better not think about her right now” He grunted, barely moving from his safe spot “Sometimes, though, they make me wonder if I’m wasting your time, while you should be with someone better tha—”

“Better how, Stiles?” Derek almost cried out, barely restraining his nervousness after listening to that confession

“Someone more… Like you”

“Like the idiot who just made you cry? Is that what you mean?”

“I… I…”

“You are better than me, Stiles, in every way”

“I—”

“Please, let me speak.

People have different tastes, Stiles. You know that.

I never understood why you crushed on Lydia for so long, but I guess you found her pretty”

He bit back a smile when the burnet’s cheeks turned as red as his sweater. It was incredibly endearing

“As you can see, it’s a matter of preferences. However, relationships are not based on just looks— not real ones, at least.

Many other things are needed— trust, most of all.

I didn’t give it to you today, and I am terribly sorry for that”

Stiles hung on to his every word, staring at him with transfixed eyes.

Derek wondered if it was because of the unusual insightfulness, or that was just how the other man looked at him and he’d simply missed it.

He also wondered how that could be possible.

Knowing himself, however, it sadly could

“I know you would never cheat on me, and still I… I said those horrible things… I made you cry…”

“Der—”

“Did being hit on really make you feel better?” The were asked, puzzled and ashamed.

Stiles was ashamed too

“Uh, well…

It lifted my self-esteem a little bit, so yeah, I guess you could say that”

“While I don’t make you feel appreciated enough, do I?” He spoke with such contempt that his boyfriend took his hand in his and squeezed it, without even thinking about it

“Der, I know you are not the type to constantly call their partner ‘beautiful’ or stuff like that, to say romantic things in general”

“But would you… Would you want me to be?” Derek gulped

“No” Stiles replied naturally, amazing the other male “I respect that.

Besides, I like you a lot, as you are”

“Ungrateful? Insensitive, rude even?”

“You are none of those things”

“I hurt you, Stiles. I—”

“Yeah, well, I hurt you too.

We both know that running away is your coping mechanism. The fact that you did not cry doesn’t mean you didn’t feel pain”

“I should have known better”

“We were both wrong, Derek. I made you feel undermined, and you almost abandoned me for it.

It was not intentional on either side, but we hurt each other.

I’m sorry for it: I didn’t want to hurt you”

“Me neither, Stiles.

I want you to know that I love you, that I trust you and—”

“You love me?” The human gasped, eyes blown wide.

Only then did Derek realise just what he’d confessed.

Had he really never said it before?

It was the truth, and it had come so naturally, but he only registered just how big of a step it was when his boyfriend’s stammering voice brought it to his notice.

He felt cold sweat over his temples, and fought to keep his cool, but those amber pools he was looking into sucked him in deep again, and he caved

“I… Yes. I do.

You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Stiles.

Everything I wanted but never thought I could ever deserve, not after…”

Stiles exhaled shakily, tightening his grip on Derek’s hand

“I apologise for this tactless declaration, but—”

“I love you too”

That brought the wolf up short

“You do?”

“Of course I do.

I love you, and I love the privilege of discovering who you truly are more and more each passing day”

“I didn’t think you could like what you would see”

“I don’t just like it, in fact” The other male chuckled, making Derek smile fondly

“You are a menace”

“Are you scared?”

“No” The wolf replied promptly “Because I trust you, and I will do my best to show it with acts, not just words”

Stiles beamed at him, and Derek beamed right back before tilting his neck, pressing their lips together in a kiss.

It was the same as always, and they never grew tired of it, but there was also something new that made that their first kiss all over again.

Derek had conquered his fear of being hurt, finding the courage to give his boyfriend the trust he’d so adamantly conquered.

Stiles had never felt more loved than he did at that moment, kissing the man he’d fallen head over heels for.

Always and never did not matter anymore.

They only separated when their lungs began screaming for air, but even then, they never broke their embrace.

They simply sat there, grinning at each other while they panted for breath

“Mh… It seems I have Mindy to thank for all this”

“Say her name one more time and I will rip your throat out. With my teeth”

“But then I could never tell you again how much I love you!”

In response to the human’s teasing, the were moved suddenly and lay down on the bench, trapping Stiles between his body and the wooden beams

“Ah!”

“I’ll make you regret saying that”

“You couldn’t even if you wanted to”

The lovestruck smiles returned, even when their lips met again.

How long they lay on the bench, kissing with abandon, neither of them knew.

It was the day they learned a moment could, indeed, last forever— like the song in the movie ‘The Beauty and the Beast’ by Céline Dion recited.

Oh, how many jokes Derek had endured in relation to that movie— and yet, he still would not change a thing.

Neither of them would.