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Chapter Text

Note: This story came to be, because Just Jim admitted watching Marry Me, a romcom with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson and then summed up the plot for me. I watched it too, because sometimes your soul needs lemonade romcoms like that. And then we started brainstorming about this AU story and everything quickly fell in place. This is the result, which we hope you’ll like and enjoy! The plot only loosely follows the movie, the rest is all us.

Note 2: Since Stiles is a rock star in this story, I also made a compilation of some great Bullet For My Valentine songs (that’s how I imagine Stiles sounding when singing). You can listen to the songs with clicking on the chapter titles or the song titles at the bottom of the quotes. It will take you to the corresponding songs on YouTube. Enjoy!

Note 3: For those who are not familiar with our writing style, let it be stated here that the story was originally written in roleplay format on Facebook. In my spare time I edited it into a fanfiction format as much as I could while writing and editing other stories of ours, too, so it reads a bit differently and maybe less fluent than a classical story format. Just letting you know beforehand and hope you’ll enjoy this adventure either way. :)

Fandoms: Teen Wolf, Sterek

Characters/relationships: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski/Theo Raeken (very brief), Theo Raeken/Liam Dunbar (mentioned), Erica Reyes (as Derek’s adopted teen daughter), Sheriff Noah Stilinski, Scott McCall/Kira Yukimura, Lydia Martin, Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Hayden Romero, Talia Hale, Laura Hale, Cora Hale, Peter Hale

Rating/category: R (explicit), human AU, rock star AU, canon and non-canon elements, slash, M/M, Sterek, hurt/comfort, dark, drama, cheating (Theo), break up, name calling, alcohol abuse, slow burn, falling in love, alive Hale family, sometimes oblivious Derek, history teacher Derek, rock star Stiles, singer Stiles, famous Stiles, tattooed Stiles, pierced Stiles, hurt Stiles, hurt Derek, fame, bisexuality, switch Derek, top Derek, switch Stiles, bottom Stiles, blowjobs, handjobs, oral sex, rimming, anal sex, rehab, injured Derek, recovery, happy ending, low self-esteem Stiles, depression, light BDSM, light bondage, kinks

Summary: Famous rock and pop stars Stiles Stilinski and Theo Raeken’s wedding was supposed to be the biggest event of the decade. They were supposed to wed during Stiles’ last show of his tour, performing their number one hit “Marry Me” on stage before the vows. But just as Stiles is about to go on stage, he learns that Theo had cheated on him one day before the wedding. Heartbroken and shaking with emotion, Stiles knows that the show must go on, so he goes on stage and ends up marrying a random handsome guy, called Derek Hale. Of course, it unleashes hell in the media and the newlyweds try to navigate that landmine and the unknown territory of marriage as well. Will they make it? Or will they annul their marriage in the end?

Disclaimer: This is a product of our imagination and was written only for entertainment and fun. We don’t profit from this fanfiction and we mean no harm or disrespect against any real person, culture or custom that might appear in the story. All original pictures, edits and fictional characters used as illustrations in the story belong to their respective owners and credit goes to them.

Edit by Just Jim  

Marry Me
by Just Jim & Useless-girl

Chapter 1 - Dirty Little Secret

“There once was a time
Where everything was just so perfect
Now everything has changed
And you've become a total stranger

I've seen another side to you
I never even knew existed
Dirty little secrets, dirty little secrets
Giving in to your primal instincts

Another taste is what you're looking for
There's nothing left so you can't take any more
You chewed me up and spat me on the floor
Straight for the throat you're like an animal!
In for the kill, like you're an animal!
Straight for the throat you're an animal!”

(BFMV – Dirty Little Secret)

"Tomorrow is the big day for Stiles Stilinski and Theo Raeken! Millions will tune in on the live stream of Stiles' show where the two Grammy winning singers will finally tie the knot after nearly two years of dating," the reporter said enthusiastically on the flat screen. "It's going to be the biggest thing in pop culture in the last decade. Not just because of two super successful and famous musicians tying the knot, but because it will be the first gay marriage so heavily publicized. So pressure and expectations are high on the soon-to-be-wed couple and their respective teams. But their fans and we are going to be there to witness and share this union tomorrow evening. Stay tuned for more information about the whole ordeal!"

Stiles switched off the TV with a small sigh and picked up his phone to check on his social media while his back massage was drawing to its end.

He smiled when he scrolled through the many good wishes and hearted a couple of the more creative ones.

Then his phone started to ring in his hand, flashing Theo's name and picture. That made his smile grow even wider as he thanked the masseur and waved him off. Accepting the video call, he quickly came face-to-face with his fiancée in the studio. He knew Theo was working hard on his next album, which had a tight schedule that kept him away more lately, but Stiles was used to how such things worked. And he also felt lucky that even so, his boyfriend always seemed to make time for him. At least with a call like this.

"Hey, baby," Theo greeted him with a big smile of his own. "How are the preparations going? Thought I'd check in with you before our big day."

"Things are going well. My team is running around like poisoned rats, but that's to be expected before such a big show. I just got my usual massage to work some of the stress out of my back. How's the album coming along?"

"Very good. We managed to finish two more songs and are going to work on the third in a few minutes. I just wanted to hear your voice and see you."

"Awww, be careful, you're getting sappy!" Stiles laughed, but felt very pleased with that, of course. "But I have to admit, I do miss you."

"I miss you too, baby. But we'll be together tomorrow. And after the show and getting married, we're going to be off to Barbados for a week. Just you and me on our honeymoon."

"Oh gooood, I CAN'T wait! It feels as if I haven't seen you in months," he sighed.

"I know the feeling. But it's only a day more. I even packed some of the kinky shit you like in bed," he wiggled his brows suggestively, which made Stiles blush and bury his face in his arm for a moment or two.

"Stop it! I'll have a meeting in ten minutes and I'm too naked for this..."

Theo laughed on the other end and raised an eyebrow. "If we had time, I'd exploit that, but I have to go back to work soon too. Anyways, I can't wait for tomorrow and say yes on stage. I'll see you there, okay?"

"Okay. I'll be the one in the wedding suit," Stiles grinned so hard that his face started to hurt.

"Gotcha! Love you, babe. Have to run now."

"Love you too and see ya," Stiles said, watching the call end then he put his phone down on the massage table and lightly bit his thumb, letting himself daydream of that moment on stage for the hundredth time before he had to dress up and go.

It was going to be epic.

***

"What are you doing?"

The dark-haired man whirled around at the curious voice coming from behind him, making him grab onto the railing of the stairs so he wouldn't tumble down them. His green eyes narrowed at the younger man, who peered past him to see what he was staring at. It made the blond man tsk and shake his head.

"Are you seriously creeping on her?"

"No. I'm only making sure she's doing okay. It's her first year here." Derek knew he was being ridiculous with how he was hiding on the staircase to watch how Erica was doing, hopefully making friends. "I want her to be happy."

"She will be. And you need to stop worrying." Isaac pulled at his arm to pull him away, dragging him to his class room even though there was still a fifteen minute break before the next class would swarm in. "Look, I'm going to say this because I'm your best friend and I'm the guidance counselor..."

"You're not. You teach drama and think you're the guidance counselor."

"Somebody has to do it, because the school budget won't allow for it. But that's not the point." Isaac waved it away while fluffing up his scarf. "You took her in when she had nobody, you even let her go to her old school by driving her all those miles every day until she was ready. She's happy."

"She called me boring," Derek grumped as he set up the books and all he had prepared for the coming class. "Said I had to get out more."

"She's not wrong. But I have the best solution to that." Isaac completely ignored the way Derek was eyeing him like he was the biggest idiot on the planet. "I have tickets to the Marry Me tour."

"The what?"

"Oh wow, sometimes I forget that you're pretending to be eighty instead of twenty-eight. Stiles Stilinski and Theo Raeken are going to get married, on tour. The biggest singers of this decade? It's huge! And I have three tickets, so you can bring Erica so she won't ever think you're boring."

Derek wasn't immediately sold on the idea, predictably. "She'll like that?"

"Yes! Every teen likes that! Come on, history won't change if you take a night off."

"Fine," Derek sighed. Why did he have the feeling that he was going to regret all of this?

***

"They say if you want something different..."

"What?"

"Nothing... just rehearsing my vow," Stiles said to his dark-haired assistant, Kira, who was listening in on something on her ear bud, while his manager and best friend, Scott smiled at him and patted his shoulders with his tan hands.

"Nervous?" he gave his friend/boss one of his trademark lopsided smiles, which only accentuated the uneven jaw he had.

"I... yeah, a bit... It's not every day millions watch you get married," he chuckled a bit out of breath and badly wanted to run his fingers through his hair, but remembered in the last moment that it was all done up. He also had some makeup on. Nothing fancy this time, just some foundation and black eyeliner.

"True. But you'll kill it up there. I'm sure, dude," Scott patted his back reassuringly.

"Thanks," Stiles said, trying not to let the nerves get the better of him.

"Your dad is already in the VIP section, so he made it in time."

"Not helping..." Stiles mumbled. It was no secret for his team that his dad, the Sheriff of Beacon County disliked Theo Raeken from the start. He kept telling Stiles that Theo was a sleazy guy and he didn't trust him. That, unfortunately, was cause for a few arguments between the father and son, and Stiles visited him less often not to let the situation get more out of hand. Especially since there was no ground for such an opinion.

Theo has always been respectful towards his dad and treated Stiles well. Well, most of the time. But every couple fights time after time and has problems. Even so, they were in a good place and Stiles was in love. They were in love. Ready to tie their lives together to show it to the world. (And hopefully make some homophobic heads explode!)

"I know. But what matters is that your fears were groundless and he came to see his only son get married," Scott smirked as he adjusted Stiles' black suit jacket with the golden flitter lapels. It was a bit too much for Stiles' taste, but he deemed it rock 'n' roll enough, so he agreed to wear it. After all, he couldn't get married in all black and here and there torn clothes. Even if he would've been fine with doing it in a pair of jeans and his favorite plaid shirt and band T-shirt, surrounded only by close family and friends.

But the moment five months ago he had said yes to Theo's proposal, while many in the restaurant filmed it, it's been this media frenzy. Everyone asking about the date and the ceremony, honeymoon and even the cake.

Then Theo (or his team) came up with this idea for the wedding that when Stiles' tour brings him back to town with the last show, they could do it on stage after singing their co-written song, Marry Me. And Stiles' team ate it all up and they upped the ante with suggesting the live stream thing.

After that Stiles (like so many times nowadays) just felt himself drifting with mostly everything they came up with.

So now he was checking himself out one last time in the full-length mirror, ready to take this step too. He looked good, he had to give it to the stylist and make up team. The suit fitted his slender yet toned body like a glove.

He was just checking his black nails again to make sure none of them was chipped, when he caught the people around him staring at their phone screens and whispering quietly among themselves with disbelief.

Turning around, Stiles frowned and looked at Scott, seemingly watching the same thing on his phone.

"What's going on? What is it?" Stiles stepped closer, but Scott pressed the screen of his phone against his own chest, looking at him with wide eyes and like someone who didn't know what to do.

"Dude..." he cleared his throat, but said nothing else.

"What's everyone watching? What?" he looked around, now seeing some pitying expressions too, which only made him feel more pissed. "Come on, Scott! Give it to me!" he held out an open palm for the phone.

"Keep in mind that... it might not be true..." he hurried to say, but finally handed the phone over.

It was a short video from TikTok.

Of Theo passionately kissing one of his back dancers, Liam, and backing into a hotel room with him. It was apparently from the day before. Probably after he finished at the studio...

***

The singer had already done some songs before he was off to change again while his would-be-husband took the stage? Derek didn't get what the big idea was about this all. Marrying on stage seemed, to him, a dramatic cry for more attention. But the two seemed happy enough and it wasn't why he was here. The reason he was here was standing right next to him, squealing excitedly every few minutes as she jumped up and down. Isaac may not be as outwardly excited, but the big grin he wore betrayed it. It made Derek smile amused, shaking his head as he watched the craziness unfold around him.

Sure, when he had seen Stiles and Theo, he did recognize them, because their faces were plastered in magazines and were often on TV (Erica loved to watch the gossip channels). Sadly, she only groaned at his suggestion to watch a good documentary for a change. With the way Theo on stage was gyrating his hips, Derek kind of felt like they were watching a nature documentary.

"Here, hold this," Erica shoved her sign in his hands as she was starting to mimic the dance moves. And he didn't know what was worse, the fact that he was holding a large sign where the words 'Marry Me' were written along with bright red letters and hearts, or the fact that his foster child was using her Latina roots to really shake her hips loose like the slick man on stage. This concert was the weirdest concert he’s ever been at.

"How long does this concert last anyways?" He had to raise his voice a little.

"It's the event of the year, Derek. Does time really matter?" Isaac scoffed.

"Yes!"

Isaac rolled his eyes at him and didn't even give him an answer, because the audience was screaming loudly when Theo disappeared from the stage and dancers appeared dressed like angels. Well, it seemed it was time for a wedding.

***

Air became thin for Stiles as he stared at the short video playing on a loop. Over and over again. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, but otherwise it was deadly quiet in the dressing room. A needle being dropped could have been heard, even if they could hear Theo singing on stage.

"Fifteen seconds 'till stage!" The voice of a roadie broke the deadly silence after a while. He even looked a bit strange at the frozen group of people before disappearing from the door, leaving it open.

"Stiles..." Scott started, but shut up when his phone was pushed back into his hand. He fumbled a bit before taking a hold of it.

"You heard the man. It's stage time. The show must go on," he gritted through his teeth, even if he was fighting hard not to scream or give in to the lurking panic attack. It would've been easier, but he completely went on autopilot. He had done this hundreds of times before, so he knew the drill. He couldn't disappoint his audience, right? Even if his heart just broke into a million little sharp pieces.

His team clambered after him, as if waking up from a dream, but Stiles was already half-way towards the stage.

The second he stepped on it in his wedding suit, the screaming became deafening even to him. But this time he didn't smile. His face was blank as he tried not to show the pain that was sinking its claws deeper and deeper into him, as if shredding his insides.

All he did was walking to the designated spot and lifted the mic in his hand. Like they rehearsed. He was supposed to greet the audience, say a few words about his relationship with Theo (which was highly publicized, so most knew everything about it already) and announce his fiancé, at which point he would walk in too to sing their co-written song while everything got ready for the ceremony.

But now... now Stiles was just standing there under the too warm lights of the reflectors and stared at the dark mass of people dotted with the shining lights of their phones as they were recording this historical event. (Well, at least Scott and Kira said it was historical.) For a second it crossed Stiles' mind how it all looked as if part of the night sky with stars had descended on the arena.

"Hi..." he finally said then cleared his tight throat while the crowd went wild only from that one word. He waited until they calmed down somewhat then waved towards the control booth. "Please, switch on the lights so I can see everyone."

There was some confusion backstage, because this wasn't scripted, but his wish was soon fulfilled.

"Thanks. I... well, on this important and emotional day I just wanted to see you all. I know why most of you are here… You know what's supposed to happen now, right?"

There was more deafening screaming.

"What the hell is he doing? It's not how we rehearsed," Theo frowned at Scott backstage, who looked angrily at him then shoved his phone under his nose.

"It's all your doing, buddy..." he scoffed as the incriminating video began playing. "And yes, he just found out."

Theo at least had the decency to go all pale.

"Have you ever felt like you wanted something or someone so badly that you ended up falling in love with that idea itself more than the person? It sometimes happens, right? We forget what's important and see clearly for the first time only when that fairy tale shatters..." he slid his free hand into his pants’ pocket to hide how it was curled into a fist and shaking. He didn't care about the few confused faces he saw, just kept watching all these people, who had absolutely zero idea what was going on inside of him. Even if some saw the video. And he didn't care if they'd think he's impulsive and crazy... they sometimes called him that anyways...

"They say if you want something different, you have to do something different..." Stiles said as his brown eyes scanned the crowd and then were caught on a dark-haired man's big paper sign saying 'Marry Me'. "So I'm doing something different..." he locked eyes with the muscular guy in the black-framed glasses and paused for a moment, a calmness descending on him as he focused on the green eyes.

Then he slowly nodded. "I do. I'll marry you... the guy with the sign," he pointed at the man.

Derek wasn't an idiot, he sensed something was going on, when people were starting to whisper and ask what Stiles was doing. He too wondered that same thing when it seemed to go off-script, because it wasn't as rehearsed and fake anymore. But he never in a million years would’ve thought that he was the one when those big brown eyes bore into him. Even turned around to see if maybe there was another guy with a sign that was there, part of the show. Unfortunately, there wasn't. People were staring at him from all sides, their phones aimed at his face, which showed his surprise and shock. Now people were wondering if this was part of it, what was going on and who Derek even was.

"Go! Derek, go up the stage!" Isaac was pushing him and even Erica seemed to think that he was the idiot for standing there still. Well, excuse him for not knowing what was going on here! Erica pulled the sign from his hands as he found himself walking towards the stage where security helped him up. And then he was face to face with the singer.

Stiles was wearing his wedding suit, but that wasn't what caught Derek's attention. It was the pure anguish he saw in those simmering pools of brown, where unshed tears were threatening to spill. The look of pure hurt was shattering his resolve to not play along with this charade, because he couldn't be yet another person to hurt the beautiful man standing there. Around them was a flurry of motion, nobody even knowing what was going on as fans and cameras caught this moment in crystal clear HD quality.

"Are you sure about this?" A younger man hissed at Stiles, clearly the guy hired to officiate the wedding. Derek was expecting to wake up at any moment now but no, Stiles seemed to want to proceed with this, because he nodded. "Stiles Stilinski, do you take this unknown dude as your lawfully wedded husband?"

This isn't the biggest and craziest mistake of my life, Stiles repeated to himself as he looked at the handsome guy opposite him.

"I do," he repeated his previous statement and he was kinda proud of himself that his voice only barely shook.

"Alright... random guy... do you take Stiles Stilinski as your lawfully wedded husband?" the minister in his white suit asked with a light frown.

And Stiles mentally crossed his fingers. For what, he didn't know first. For the guy to say no? Or to say yes? In the end, he rooted for a yes, because he doubted he'd be able to take another rejection during this crazy night – and then on top finish the concert, too. Because he had to hold it together until the show was over. He. Had. To.

Derek hasn't even thought about marriage before. Maybe, sure, sometime down the line if he met the right person. But besides a few serious relationships, nothing had ever gone there. And he certainly never ever would’ve thought that his wedding was going to be on a stage, watched by a whole crowd he didn't know, and marrying a guy he knew even less about and who was famous. The worldwide known kind of fame. What was even going on?

Yet, as he glanced at the pretty rude minister and back to Stiles, he was once again taken aback by the pain reflected back at him. Official or not, in this moment he couldn't, wouldn't say no. That's why he found himself saying something he wasn't fond of.

"Yes." Sure. Why the hell not. It wasn't like this evening could get any crazier.

"I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss if that's..."

The minister didn't get to finish that sentence. Derek was still contemplating if kissing was something they should be doing as Stiles leaned in and those brown pools of misery overtook it all. The scent of cinnamon and coffee surrounded him as soft lips pressed against his own. The audience in the background roared as fans went wild, not understanding what was happening, but going with it. So did Derek.

Instinctually, because it’s been a long time since he had kissed like this, he reciprocated with tenderness as their mouths opened and the kiss deepened. It felt good, but it also felt desperate. It felt like life was never going to be the same again.

Stiles had to give credit to the guy... his now husband for two things. First of all, for him to go with this craziness. Because he knew this was one of the craziest things he's ever done. And there were a few in the past, but most people wrote it off as the crazy rock 'n' roll antics that came with being a rock solo artist.

The other thing was that the guy went with the kiss too (even deepened it) and boy, was he a good kisser! That surprised Stiles a bit, although he should've guessed from the way the guy looked. He was a bit dorky with the black-framed glasses, nice shirt and khaki pants, but he was a few inches taller and definitely more muscular than him. He also smelled very nice. Like aftershave, musk and something sweet he couldn't put a finger on.

Once their tongues untangled and their moist lips parted, Stiles looked into the green eyes from close, discovering some yellow and light brown in the irises as well. It's more hazel, he thought to himself as the audience kept roaring around them.

Then his attention was drawn to the papers brought out by the minister to sign to make this all legal. Stiles felt like being in a haze as he scribbled down his sprawling signature on the dotted line and when the guy did the same, he finally got his name.

Derek Hale.

It was at least a good name. Maybe he should think hyphenating his own name or taking the Hale one. Stiles Hale. That had a nice ring to it too. But then he realized he was being an idiot again. Because this wasn't... well, it was real now that they signed the papers, but still not... real, real... right?

He was such an asshole for dragging a total stranger into this mess! His mess. Just because he wasn't able to deal with it in any other way. Not when he was bleeding pain all over.

The haze continued when they finally walked backstage and someone handed Stiles his guitar, the band members eyeing him with wide eyes.

"Change of plans. We skip Marry Me and continue with the next song," he said, avoiding Theo like the plague. Not that he saw him in the shadows from the edge of the stage. Maybe he was already gone. Back in the arms of Liam... or whoever.

That thought made Stiles grit his teeth and fight the burning in his eyes even harder. He knew he was torturing himself with that thought, but at least it was going to give a good show to the waiting (and probably still confused) audience. Intense emotions always ended with an intense show too, because music was Stiles' way to release tension and live through his emotions, putting 200% into his shows. And Theo just provided him with that kind of ammunition. Even if Stiles thought it was going to be happiness and not misery.

"We should talk after the show," he said softer to Derek, who was standing there at the edge of the stage too. Probably still shocked as well. "I just have to finish this..." he nodded towards the stage and then walked into the light.

Once again, Queen was right. The show must go on. No matter what.

So he gave his all. Singing and screaming his soul and pain out. At one point he tore his wedding suit jacket and golden tie off himself, leaving him only in his black pants and shirt. It fitted well into the angry song and his performance perfectly and the crowd went wild as he dived into a guitar solo.

Standing there feeling lost, Derek watched the show from backstage, trying to find Erica in the crowd, but it was impossible with the lights to see beyond the first rows. People like dancers and background singers and roadies were rushing around him. They were all too busy to keep things going to bother with the stranger, who suddenly found himself as the husband of a celebrity. Honestly, he mostly felt like a prop being used in a show he didn't get to read the script for. The only reason he didn't just walk out to find his daughter was because something about Stiles had told him that the man maybe needed a stranger to talk to, who didn't know him as a celebrity.

It was one of the reasons why he became a teacher. Not only to share knowledge and make kids want to know about the important past, but also to help the kids. He had started a program to help the students, who struggled to keep up due to learning disabilities, staying after classes to help. Obviously, Stiles wasn't a kid, he seemed to be around Derek's age, but that was a guess because he didn't know anything about him beside his name.

He could understand why Stiles was so popular, because his voice was mesmerizing as he was singing, but it was mostly his energy and emotions he poured into the raw rock songs that made the crowd go wild. Derek has never been into admiring famous people, to have posters of them because they were so 'hot,' but when some clothes started flying off, he shifted a little. Yeah, he could see the attraction even though he was well aware it was all an act. The man standing there on stage was broken and nobody even seemed to realize it, which was a sad state of affairs.

Derek, used to being the invisible guy, blended into the shadows and waited, watched. Almost confused when it was all over and Stiles' energy was surrounding him again, swiping him up in the chaos of his life. Derek blended in at his side when Stiles seemed to want him there without words while he talked to his crew and the roar of the fans faded into silence. The corridor seemed too small for the large group walking through it as they all talked about things Derek didn't know, so all he really could do was go along with it. And then... then there was Theo.

"Baby, what are you doing? Are you crazy? Think about what you're throwing away, what this looks like."

The manager and others tried to keep Theo away from Stiles, who had that look again, that pure anguished look as if he was torn into two. Derek saw how he was trying to shrink in on himself as Theo kept trying to get closer, trying to talk. Derek always had some anger issues, although it wasn't like he got angry a lot, but if he did get angry, he didn't hold back. And this Theo didn't deserve anything but anger.

"I think you've done enough," he nearly growled at the other man, physically putting up a barrier between Stiles and Theo.

"Oooh, you're a tough guy now just because you got pulled out of the audience. You're just some creepy fan and you need to back off!" Theo screamed now, right in his face as he tried to fight his way to Stiles. He made the mistake of touching Derek.

Not even caring that Theo was the pretty boy singer who had millions and could make his life hell, Derek's fist hit flesh before anybody could stop him. "You didn't even say you're sorry," he hissed.

Everyone knew. Even Derek seemed to know. Everyone knew what a fool Stiles has been. He was the laughing stock of millions now. He's been in love with a cheater. And maybe Liam wasn't the only one. Who knows how many there were before him?

Stiles froze, curling a bit more on himself from those dark thoughts and barely reacted when Derek hit his ex-fiancé. He was one big open wound. He's always been sensitive, like most artists, plus there was his ADHD, which never really helped him when it came to controlling his emotions. Rationally he knew that being cheated on wasn't the end of the world. It unfortunately happened to many people. He wasn't the only one. But knowing and experiencing that kind of a betrayal were two very different things. Especially since he thought that everything was going well between him and Theo. For fuck's sake, they were to marry and spend their lives together! And now out of the blue Stiles had to deal with this madness. Which, let's be honest, he only probably made worse with this impulsive marriage to a stranger, but it was done now. They could deal with it once they were out of there.

Because that was the only thing he really wanted to do now. To get as far away from Theo and this damned place as possible.

"I can't even talk to you right now," he said dangerously calmly as he stepped next to Derek, but the words and a hurt look were directed at Theo, who was cradling the right side of his face. Stiles averted his gaze as his long fingers curled around Derek's wrist and he looked up at the angry man (his husband!) with a tired expression. "Take me away," he said only that as he tugged once on the captured wrist. It told volumes how he'd rather go with a total stranger than stay one more moment in that crowded corridor.

Derek didn't even know where to take Stiles, but it didn't seem it was something he had to know in the end. He pointedly shielded him as the distraught man led them through the corridor and to a back entrance where a car was already waiting. Not even the driver needed prompting, because the moment they were inside, it sped off. It was a little concerning that he had no idea where they were going, but he figured he'd be fine. He could always take an Uber once Stiles realized his fake husband was still in the car with him.

***

The silence was a little awkward, but what could he say to a man who was cheated on in front of... yeah he didn't want to know how many people had seen it, like he did backstage while the show was still going on. Glancing out the window, he knew he had to say something. Anything.

"What an asshole." Nothing about how Stiles was lucky to be rid of him or how sorry he was. Those would be empty words anyways. Of course, just as Stiles managed to drag his eyes to Derek, his cellphone went off, loudly. It was just a standard ringtone and the phone was a very old flip phone, not even a smart one.

"Hey. Yeah, we're in a car, I think to get Stiles home. I'll be home soon. Are you okay?" Nodding he listened to Erica’s excited rant as he saw Stiles look at him curiously. "Yes, I promise I'm nice to him." There were no goodbyes, he just hung up on her quickly before she could start on another rant. "My daughter, the one who dragged me to your concert, so I’m not a creepy fan. She might be a little creepy though." Inwardly he winced at what he said, because that probably sounded so wrong.

For the first time since Stiles saw that awful video, he smiled and even laughed shortly as he lowered the window a bit and pulled out his e-cigarette to start vaping, puffing the vapor towards the cracked window and making it swirl around his face, the car starting to smell like apple and cinnamon.

"It's fine. I'm used to enthusiastic fans. How old is she?" he asked then as if realizing something, his eyes widened a bit. "Oh my god... you have a daughter!" he exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "And I made you marry me! Are you... were you already married? Or in a relationship?" he asked, his stomach dropping from that possibility. Not just because of fucking up Derek's life (or a possible relationship), but also because of the chance that he just went from one cheater to another. Because let's face it, he knew absolutely nothing about this guy, except for his name. "I'm... I..." he stuttered, feeling the panic rising and making his bony shoulders and chest tighten.

Oh no, it looked like Derek had managed to put the rock star into a panic attack with the way his eyes widened and his face paled. This was why Erica asked if he was being nice, because he had the habit of not being nice at all and his blunt behavior could be very off-putting.

"No, not in a relationship, not married. You do realize I had free choice here, right?"

Not that Derek had exactly thought this was anything serious, more like a Las Vegas wedding and maybe even less official? God, he hoped so, because it wasn't like some celebrity would want to marry a guy like him. "Besides, why would I marry, if I was taken?" Which was a pretty rude thought to have, because not all men were cheaters. Theo was just the prime example of typical trash. "I've never been married, if that helps. My last relationship was a year ago. Erica is my child surprise."

Maybe, just maybe, showing off how much of a nerd he was wasn't the best way to impress his husband. However, his husband was the one who married a complete stranger, so a nerd and a crazy person might have more in common than they thought.

Stiles was shocked for a moment. And not from the panic attack, which with the help of some very well-known breathing techniques and Derek's nerdy reference was stopped, it seemed.

"A Witcher reference? Really? Nice," he managed to say then took a few more deep breaths and vaped a couple of times too before he felt collected and calm enough to speak and look at his... husband again.

"I'm sorry. And not just for... assuming the worst of you for a moment. I just... well... I'm sure you already know too why my trust in men are quite shaky at the moment," he sighed, puffing more scented vapor into the car, but it swirled out of the window quite quickly. And yeah, you had a choice, but I put all the pressure and attention on you too. So yeah, I'm sorry. I panicked," he said into Derek's face, his big brown eyes all sad and red-rimmed again, but he looked away and blinked quickly a few times. He wasn't going to break down in front of this guy... his husband. He really should start referring to him like that, right? Not just as a 'guy'.

"There was a lot of pressure on me too... I couldn't let 20+ million people down. They wanted to witness a wedding, I gave them one..." he glanced down at the simple white-gold wedding band on his left ring-finger, its weight still alien. Also, he didn't even like gold or white-gold. It was another thing that Theo had insisted on. If it was Stiles' choice, he would've gone with something darker and more unique.

The last sentence was said with a thick layer of sarcasm, but it wasn't directed at Derek, of course. With another big and bitter sigh, he met the hazel green eyes again.

"You look like a nice and decent guy, and I really am sorry for dragging you into the chaos I call my life," he said, the long fingers of his free hand tapping nervously on his thigh. "And... thank you for helping me out up there... and backstage..." He definitely helped him stave off a public meltdown. "I really needed that... to keep it together," he added barely audible.

Derek desperately wanted to go back to the part where Stiles said twenty million, because nobody had told him that! Oh my god, did they all watch Derek and Stiles getting married? Maybe he should start vaping as well, because who needed air when twenty million people had watched him?! Hopefully they all stopped watching when they realized Theo wasn't going to be part of it… yeah, that was possible. His heart was hammering in his chest, as if it was about to break through his ribs and go on the run. Pretty understandable. Swallowing thickly he tried to not start panicking either, because this wasn't about him.

This was about Stiles.

"Yeah. I figured. It's why I said yes." Probably wouldn't have, if he had known millions were watching! A part of him enjoyed the thought that he was responsible for making many fans disappointed, because none of them were expecting him. He did like that kind of dark humor, but it would have been better if he hadn't been involved, because now it was one hell of a punch line.

He too glanced down at the ring, which fit him for some reason. The simplicity of the golden band almost didn't fit with the flashiness of the wedding, but for a ring it was probably nice? He wasn't much of a ring wearer. Shifting in the leather seat, he glanced outside before it had to be asked.

"Twenty million?" His voice did a little squeak.

Since Stiles was still staring at the guy... his husband's face, he saw the reaction that little bomb of his caused. And now he felt even guiltier. Because Derek might have said yes, but he had no idea to what he said yes to. And Stiles quickly deduced that he didn't really know the magnitude of this concert and the wedding. Poor guy.

"Sorry, I didn't want to drop that bomb on you like this. I often forget that most people are not used to such things. It's been my life since my late teens, so... yeah. The management estimated such a viewership number because of our combined fan base and whoever else might be interested. It can be less. I'm sorry," he repeated. "I don't know what to say to make you feel better. If it's any consolation, the media frenzy will die down in a couple of weeks, I guess. I'll take the brunt of it, of course," he waved with his free hand then puffed some more smoke out the window.

"I expect them to pose me as a crazy person and Theo is egoistic enough to fan those flames to protect his image... even after... what he did to me," he shrugged resigned, because he knew it was something unavoidable. Not that he gave too much shit about what the tabloids wrote about him. He only kept track enough to get the general picture, so he could avoid triggering his anxiety and panic attacks. It would do no good, so that's why he usually tried to focus on his art, bury himself in work instead.

Looking at Derek's (perfect) profile, the rock star pressed his bow-shaped lips together, giving the man a few moments to process. "My team can deal with that. But neither I, nor they can save you from the paparazzi that might show up around you too now. You have to realize that you're like candy for them now. They'll want to know everything they can about you because of me and the situation we had landed in," he lifted his hand and rubbed his forehead. "Which brings me to a proposal… seems that's the theme of the evening," Stiles snorted.

"I know my management enough to guess what they'd want: do damage control because of my impulsive stunt. It isn't going to be the first time," he waved with his slender hand again. "Which means that you do have a real choice now. Stay married to me for a while to make me seem less crazy, or annul the wedding and then I'll deal with this shit on my own," he shrugged, as if it was nothing. Of course, it wasn't nothing, but he didn't want to pressure Derek. Again. "You don't have to answer now. Sleep on it, if you want. I know this evening was a lot."

It was true that Derek’s mind was reeling with everything Stiles was telling him, and the fact that he now got married at a freaking concert of all places to a complete stranger! This whole paparazzi thing, the fans? That seemed even more improbable than marrying a celebrity. Although he might want to look into just how famous Stiles was.

"We should both sleep on it. I feel like you might not think clearly now. With good reason."

Emotions were clouding Stiles’ mind, although Derek had to admit that he could understand that Stiles worried about his image, because it was pretty important in this day and age. The last thing he wanted was to make Stiles seem crazy, but it also seemed crazy to stay married for a while when they didn't even know each other.

"Look, I'm just some history teacher at a public school, I have no hidden past or dirt for them to uncover. There's nothing about my life that they're going to think is interesting. It'll be fine." The paparazzi were going to get bored with him pretty quick, if they even wanted to find him at all. Yes, he knew he was attractive, but he wasn't a slick pretty boy like Theo, or had Stiles' electrifying charm and dazzle.

The car stopped at a hotel, which made sense, because he couldn't know where Stiles lived, he figured.

"You have to mourn, not worry about the marriage. So mourn and we'll talk tomorrow. Or call. Probably call." Stiles seemed to be a person with a busy schedule.

Derek's naiveté legit made Stiles laugh bitterly. "Sorry for saying this, but it's cute. You're pretty naive when it comes to fame, it seems. You don't know these vultures. But fair enough. We both sleep on it. If I can sleep at all after attacking the mini bar and getting shitfaced," he mumbled as he put the vape away and fished out his silenced phone from his pocket.

Unsurprisingly there were hundreds of notifications from different apps and quite a few missed calls and text messages as well, but he ignored them as he pulled up his contact list and opened a new tab to write Derek's name in it. "Okay. Give me your phone number and I'll call you tomorrow in a decent time. Which means late morning or noon for me," he said then typed in the phone number Derek dictated. To make sure it was the right one, he called it, waiting for two rings of that generic ringtone. "Nice ancient phone you have there, by the way," he smirked briefly as he pocketed his phone then looked at Derek again.

"No matter your decision, once again I'm truly grateful for what you did tonight. Boyd will drive you wherever you want," he nodded towards the dark-skinned silent driver, who could easily double as one of Stiles' bodyguards. (Which he often was.) Hesitating, he took one more good look of his "husband" and gave him a genuine small smile this time before putting a pair of sunglasses on (despite it being late at night) and exiting the car to quickly walk into the hotel in hopes of avoiding any attention.

"Can you tell him that I have classes until three?" Derek has been so overwhelmed by this entire night that besides rambling his phone number, he haven't said anything else besides nodding and sending looks of understanding to the singer.

The driver, Boyd, nodded. "Sure thing." And that was about all the conversation offered during the drive to Derek's apartment, much to both of their relief.

With his mind still reeling, Derek was greeted by an enthusiastic dog, Erica and Isaac as the latter two bombarded him with questions.

"Was it for real, the marriage? What's going to happen now?" Erica looked very hopeful, but he didn't want her to think that this was like the stupid romcoms she loved to watch.

"I don't know. He reacted out of emotions, so I doubt this is more than this crazy night. Now get to bed, we have school tomorrow."

She usually whined way more when it was bedtime, but for once she left without a complaint.

Isaac was also already moving towards the door. "I really can't take you anywhere." They both snorted because it was ridiculously true.

In bed, Derek found himself staring at the ceiling, thinking about what the hell happened. And why he went with it in the first place. What did he get himself into, he also wondered while his dog was snoring away in the bed next to him. It probably wasn't going to lead to much. He was going to be forgotten soon enough.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 – Truth Hurts

“Truth hurts and I'm in pain
Truth hurts like a bed of nails
Letting denial eat me up inside
The truth hurts, and it bleeds me dry

No more lies, no more games
Is it too late to make a change?
If hope is gone then what's the point?
This bed's my knife and it cuts my throat

A downward spiral takes control
Another chance to sell my soul
There's no one here that can save me now
I'm coming up just to come back down
(Come back down)”

(BFMV – Truth Hurts)

By the time the following day Stiles pulled himself together – only because Scott threatened to show up himself to do so – it was past noon. Not that he slept more than three hours after spending the night emptying the mini bar, smoking cigarettes (real ones this time) on the balcony and crying on and off for hours. He was tired and hid his red and puffy eyes behind his sunglasses once he left his room and got to the garage level where Boyd was waiting for him to drive him to his actual home. A decent sized, but not too flashy villa with tall fences and trees on the wealthier outskirts of town. (Thank fuck he didn't sell it before the wedding!)

As expected, some reporters were already camping outside the gate, but they couldn't get a glimpse of him thanks to the tinted windows of the town car. Either way, Stiles sunk deeper into the backseat while one of his hands was playing with his muted phone. He was not in the mood to check it or accept calls, so he silenced it after he briefly talked with Scott earlier that day.

"How bad is it?" That was his first question when he walked into his living room and found his best friend/manager, Scott, his assistant Kira (by the way, she and Scott have been an item for the past month or so) and a gorgeous redhead woman called Lydia, who oozed confidence (and at the moment disdain). She ran Stiles' independent record company, which he had named Nemeton Records. He had started it a few years ago when his contract with a big record label expired and he got enough of the exploiting nature of such companies. This way he had more control over his own music and releases and had more freedom in decisions, too. He's always been self-sufficient and a little bit on the wild side, so this fitted him more. He hired his intimidating high school friend Lydia Martin to run it for him, so he could focus more on the music and she was also perfect for the job with her good intuitions, insights, connections and excellent negotiating skills. But sometimes she scared even him.

"Well..." Scott cleared his throat as he watched his pale friend gratefully take and thank the bottle of water and pills from the considerate Kira. They probably guessed he was going to have an epic headache. "There's a lot of confusion, as expected. We'll need to make an official statement on your site to clear some of that up. And there will be interviews we cannot ditch."

"How bad is it really?" he asked again once he downed the pills and half of the water.

"It could be worse," Lydia took over. "But you have to realize that there was no way in this situation that we could've avoided the media frenzy. If you married Theo, they'd have been all over that. If not, the same thing. And now that you married a random man from the audience... the situation is pretty much the same."

"True. But we cannot do anything until we know what you want. Where you want to take this?" Scott nodded.

"What I want?" Stiles ran his fingers through his messy hair then finally took his sunglasses off. "I want the last 24 hours erased. But I can't have that now, can I?" he snorted sarcastically.

"No, we need to do some damage control." Lydia decided, perfectly capable of being the business voice of reason. She thought emotions were a nuisance anyways. "I'm sure that saying you had a slight nervous breakdown following Theo's betrayal won't make anybody frown. We offer this strange man you picked a little bit of money for his inconvenience and consider this done."

Deep in thoughts, Scott nodded, as he considered what Lydia was saying. He also had to make sure Stiles wasn't losing out money-wise, but there was also Stiles' feelings to consider. As best friend, it was kind of his job to be honest and comforting, but as manager he also had to be strict. He wasn't so good at that last part, because he was genuinely a nice guy. "The papers haven't been sent yet, so it's not like it's official. You'll look crazy for doing this, but I doubt that's going to cost you fans."

"We can even spin it that of course the cheating hurt him so badly that he felt overwhelmed. People always love the sad stories. I mean, at least it was a prenuptial agreement. It's not like you will owe him anything. He probably doesn't have a dime to his name, his clothes made that clear," Lydia wrinkled her nose, not agreeing with the way Stiles' fake husband dressed.

"Give him a break. He's a history teacher at a high school. That much I remember from last night. And that he was nice enough to put up with all this shit... and even punched Theo. That did happen, right? It wasn't just my imagination."

"It did happen," Kira reassured him. "And have to admit, it was epic..." she said and for a second everyone stared at her, because she usually didn't speak up against anyone. But they knew she disliked Theo's often arrogant and big-headed comments. Which Stiles used to brush off or ignore, most of the time, because he had the pink-tinted glasses of love on. Although, at this point it was hard for him to believe that he ever was in love with someone like him. And he did love Theo. Or at least the image he had painted for Stiles, so he could do god knows what behind his back. Some of his friends did warn him and disliked his ex-fiancé, but Stiles never really cared. He just wanted to be loved and happy with someone special. Apparently, his taste in men needed some work...

"It's all over social media too, because someone, probably a roadie, recorded it," Scott fought to stop his own grin and look serious. An often difficult task for the usually goofy man – except when it was about business and Stiles' interests. "I mean... it definitely earned bonus points for your hubby in the eyes of your fans and probably others too. Theo's fans are torn. There's a rift between the loyal ones and those who called him out on the cheating. Many are intensely hating on him and that Liam kid," he informed his friend. Even if he knew that it was painful, it was his job to make sure Stiles was up-to-date. Especially in this situation.

"And let me guess, those, who are not trying to defend my honor are pitying or blaming me," Stiles sighed, rolling the capped water bottle up and down on the top of his thigh, watching it with a grimace. He hated when people pitied him, but couldn't really do anything against it.

"Basically," Lydia sighed, tapping one high-heeled foot a bit impatiently on the thick white carpet. "I get it that you're hurt and all that," she waved with a perfectly manicured hand "but we have to make some serious decisions. Many already thought you're a little crazy, but we don't want that to stick to your name too thickly. So what should we do with the papers?" Clearly, she wanted to move things along to the business side of things, since she never had the patience for Stiles' big emotions and occasional dramas.

"Have you vetted him?" Stiles asked Scott instead of straight away answering Lydia. Which was one of his own little jabs at her for being such an ice queen all the time.

"Of course," Kira chimed in, picking up a neat folder from the table and handed it over to Stiles. "As you said, he's a history teacher and is called Derek Hale..." she started.

It was not uncommon for them to do some background checks on the people that got involved in Stiles' life. It was something they all agreed upon for safety purposes. He's been burned in the past before Theo, too.

"He's twenty-eight, lives alone with his foster child, she's fourteen and attending the same school where he's teaching at. No criminal history, I mean, not even a parking ticket. He went to college in New York and has an apartment in his name. Which is impressive on a teacher's salary, so there's some money in the family." Kira gave Lydia a pointed look. "He's got a sister here in New York, and he doesn't even have a Facebook page. Like... no social media presence except for the photos he got mentioned in. So I couldn't find out a whole lot more about him."

Lydia huffed. "Yes well, it seems like maybe we should have Danny check it out. He can get the dirt you clearly can't get at." Lydia always assumed everybody had dirt, it was just a matter of digging deep.

"Maybe he doesn't have any dirt, maybe he's a genuinely good guy. Which is only good for Stiles, because it means he probably will want to help out in any way he can. We can totally make this go away," Kira said.

"Well, at least he's very good looking, if we put some work in him. If you must make him your next project." Lydia clearly thought Stiles had gone from a little crazy to full blown crazy.

The rolling of the water bottle on Stiles' thigh abruptly stopped as he narrowed his slightly bloodshot eyes at Lydia, his whole being bristling up.

"Are you fuckin' serious, Lydia? I just left my cheater fiancé, who broke my heart and you think I already think about getting into the pants of Derek?! I know you're shitty when it comes to emotions, but this was a low blow even from you. I'm not a bitch and that guy helped me out and was nice to me when I needed it the most. Just for that he already deserves more respect. Otherwise we'd have to clean up an even bigger mess. Without him I couldn't have kept it together AND do the finale of my tour. So I'd appreciate if you kept such comments to yourself," Stiles finished and returned to rolling the bottle, pointedly ignoring the redhead.

"Especially since I gave him an actual choice last night. Annul the wedding or try to help me save face value so I don't come off totally bonkers to everyone. And don't worry, they'll get their sad and angry songs on my next album. I know how heartbreak sells like hot cookies. I've been in this business longer than any of you," he reminded them. "But this time it's not going to depend only on me. We agreed to sleep on it and I'll call him after 3 pm, when he's done with his classes. It's up to him, really, in which direction this will go."

"The best revenge to get over Theo is with somebody else. Theo didn't give you the same courtesy either," Lydia remarked, not even remotely impressed by Stiles lashing out at her. That happened from time to time, and he knew she was the best of the best so he never fired her. For long. All artists were drama queens and they needed a real queen to keep them in check, a job she did remarkably in her opinion.

Stiles completely ignored Lydia's comment, because no, he wasn't going to lower himself to Theo's level. Even if marrying a random guy minutes after the cheating scandal blew up was an... interesting move. But that was not the same as cheating on your fiancé. So yeah...

"Not now, Lydia." At least Scott had his back, as he nodded to his best friend to let him know he understood. "Are you sure about this? Giving him the full choice seems a little..."

"Dependable," Kira finished her boyfriend's sentence, and then seemed startled she dared to speak up again. "Not in a bad way or anything! But... he's cute and seems like a really nice guy. Maybe you should woo him a little if you want to save some face value?"

"Obviously I'm not giving him all the power over the situation. I know I have a lot to lose, I'm not stupid or went completely crazy. I'm just half-way there," he snorted and dropped the water bottle next to him so he could cross his arms over his chest. "What do you mean by 'wooing' him? You know I'm not the guy to suck up to someone just to get what I want. I can be manipulative, but not like that. Not in this situation. He deserves more."

"I didn't mean it like that," Kira hurried to reassure Stiles. "I meant that you could be nice to him, or do something nice for him. That way he might consider your offer."

"I can do that much. But we also have to consider that this, my life, I might be too much for him even if he accepts. He's... I think he has no idea at all about how famous I am. No social media, no smart phone..."

"No fashion sense..." Lydia provided, earning herself an eye-roll from Stiles.

"We can help him," Scott said determined. "Prepare him without interfering too much in his own life and schedule. We've got your back, man," he smirked at Stiles. "Even Lydia."

To that said woman scoffed and threw some of her silky smooth strawberry blond hair behind her shoulder.

But Stiles knew it was true. They always had his back.

"Thanks," he swallowed hard and cleared his throat, blinking fast a few times as he looked out at the lush garden and pool. "I have a feeling I'll need that."

***

The morning went fine, relatively. Because once Derek had arrived at school with Erica, there were people waiting with cameras. Initially he didn't even think they were there for him, but the moment they spotted him, the flashes started going off and questions were fired rapidly about his marriage to Stiles. Whatever hope he had before about maybe his students not knowing evaporated in that instant. Especially because the principal of the school was waiting for him to talk about this latest 'development'. It took some explaining that no, he hadn't planned his sixty seconds of fame, and no, he hasn't been planning on jeopardizing his job or the school with that. It wasn't until the principal said he was going to get security to keep the school paparazzi free that he realized Stiles was probably a lot more famous than he thought. That and the way his students kept hounding him for selfies, asked questions about Stiles, and followed him around with their smart phones. It was very exhausting!

"Come on, what did you think would happen?" Isaac asked from his perch on Derek's couch while the dark-haired male was staring out the window of his apartment to the small gathering below. Isaac was eating from a bag of chips, being extremely amused with the entire situation while the unfortunate Hale was pacing back and forth with his phone in his hand.

"I don't know! I didn't know he was that famous. Not famous enough for these guys to be outside my home!"

"Wow. We were at his concert with twenty million viewers and you didn't think he was famous. Oh wait, this one is nice!" He held up his phone to show a picture of Derek outside of the school, smiling at something Erica was telling him. "I don't know why they even like you. You’re the biggest grump ever."

"What do I do? I don't want to disappoint him. He thinks he’d look crazy if we annul the marriage right away, but isn't it crazier to stay married to a stranger? Why would he even want to stay married to a guy like me?"

"I have no idea," Isaac supplied helpfully.

As if summoned, seconds after that the phone in Derek's hand started ringing, writing out Stiles' name. Who wandered upstairs into his bedroom for some privacy, while the trio downstairs kept working on the situation, or rather keep an eye on it, for now, because they couldn't really do much without a direction.

"Hi... It's me... Stiles," Stiles opened, all of a sudden feeling lame and not the big rock star everyone liked to see him as. "Is this a good time? I tried to wait until I guessed you might get home. How are you? Did they find you yet?" he babbled, pinching the base of his nose and shook his head at himself. What was wrong with him? He did hundreds – if not thousands – of interviews without a problem and now he was babbling like a fool. Maybe Theo did break something in his mind.

"Yeah, they've found my school and my home. But they're just standing there outside, waiting. It's weird."

Derek pushed his hand right into Isaac's face when the tall lanky man made a kissing face, pushing him flat on his back on the ground as he walked to his bedroom for some privacy. His dog Moon Moon happily followed, thinking it was cuddle time when Derek sprawled onto the bed with his phone in his hand. Scratching the furry head pushed his way, Derek inhaled deeply once to prepare himself for this, no doubt, awkward conversation.

"I didn't google you yet, but I'm guessing you're pretty big, huh? That's why you said I was cute in thinking the paparazzi wouldn't be interested in me." A breathless huff of laughter escaped him because now he felt ridiculous for it. He really should have done some research on Stiles to be prepared. "Do you regret it yet?"

"Honestly? I don't know how or what I feel. I wouldn't trust my feelings at the moment," Stiles snorted then rubbed his forehead as he started pacing back and forth in front of his floor-to-ceiling windows, the door to the balcony cracked open for some fresh air. "But no, I'm still mostly just grateful to you. As I said, you saved my ass there. But I am sorry for not being able to keep those vultures away and that they found you so quickly. Yeah... it's because... as they say 'I'm big' in the business. If the circa 20 million watchers didn't tip you off, then I don't know what could," he chuckled a bit awkwardly then sighed, putting his free arm around his slender middle.

"If it makes you feel any better, I probably have triple the size of a crowd outside my gates. Security can hold another staring Olympics. They are pros at glaring them down. Most of the time it works. I haven't had any reporters or fans breaking in for years, so that's a good thing," he said then cursed inwardly, because this was probably not making his life look too alluring. Not that he'd hide such a thing. He wanted Derek to see as clearly as possible before he made his decision. "But you must have a lot of questions. So, shoot," he encouraged, trying to give Derek an opening there.

"How would this work, the staying married part? How do you see this happening?" It was one of those situations where Derek wasn't sure what to ask, because there was too much to be asked. And he probably should have made a list of what went through his head last night when he had been busy staring at the ceiling. The whole list making thing wasn't something he was good at unless it involved making tests for the kids.

There were plenty of questions to want to ask the man who, on paper, was his husband and yet a complete stranger. So far he only knew his name, his profession and what he liked to smoke when he was stressed. He didn't even know his date of birth, although that could be easily looked up, if he bothered to start up his laptop. Offering his dog a side glance, he inwardly sighed, it could wait. Looking up the man while he was talking to him seemed just wrong.

"I don't think you marrying a stranger and talking to him on the phone counts as not being crazy." It mostly sounded like it was for show, nothing to be taken seriously.

"You're probably right about that," Stiles sighed and shrugged, even if Derek couldn't see that. "Some will always think of me like that. But to answer your question, we could like... meet up, spend time together maybe? Now that my tour ended yesterday, I'll have more free time in-between interviews. Will also stay mostly in the City, so... it could be good to get to know each other a bit more. Like... I could go over right now, if you want me to, if it makes it easier for you. I mean... I didn't show up or dragged you over to my place, because I didn't want to overwhelm you even more than I already did. Obviously, I've never been in a situation like this either... so I have to admit, I don't really know how to behave... or what might work for you," he admitted on an unsure tone.

Fuck, he was fucking it up already, wasn't he?

"So maybe tell me what would you like me to do?" Because at the moment he felt helpless and like a real fuck up.

The most important question, the one that probably went through many people’s heads who had watched the wedding was why him? Why would Stiles want to stay married to a guy like him when he could no doubt pick anybody he wanted? But then, he realized that this wasn't about him at all, it was about protecting Stiles' image now that they were married and make it seem it was legit.

Stupidly enough, Derek understood the reason behind that. Not only would it keep Stiles famous and therefore able to play his music, it would also make sure Theo was served the best revenge by staying married to the guy, whom Stiles had only picked in the spur of the moment. It made Derek himself the tool he certainly felt like, a good reason to hesitate if this was something he should be going through with. It was also something he didn't want to talk about over the phone.

"I think we should talk about things and not over the phone." It made sense Stiles wouldn't want Derek to come over to his place, and Erica was having a sleepover at a friend's place anyways. Because no, he didn't want her to meet Stiles yet, he didn't want her to be dragged into this if he could avoid it. This was his mess to clean up. "They're still here though, the press, but I guess you're used to that." All Derek really had to do was to throw Isaac out, or should he stay? No, no, bad idea. "Do you need the address or... I guess not if the press got it too."

"I have the address, yes," he said on an apologetic voice. "My peeps had to make sure you're not some serial killer before I talked to you or met you again. Sorry, it was just a precaution. I can get there in half an hour. I have to warn you, the reporters will have a field day and multiply by the minute once I get there. Unless your building has a garage level where Boyd can sneak me in," he said. "Otherwise, yes, I'm used to their harassing."

Now this was finally going somewhere and it was a great opportunity for Stiles to busy his mind a bit with getting there. Once he did, it was going to be uncharted territory again, but he could improvise. He's always been good at that.

But then why did his stomach jump into a knot as he quickly checked himself out in the mirrored door of his wardrobe? He still looked like shit from the all night drinking and crying, but he's been worse.

"No, no garage level. It's unfortunately a true New York apartment. But at least I'm not on the ground floor so there's not much to see for them." Not once did Derek consider that they had special lenses these days that would allow them to see into even higher apartment buildings. This kind of life wasn't something he ever had to consider and he was a genuine technophobe.

"I'll see you in half an hour. I'll kick out my friend who seems to enjoy getting some fame himself." And that wasn't an exaggeration. Isaac showed up overdressed at his apartment today, just so he could look good for the paparazzi. Derek so didn't care about that, because they'd make the worst photos anyways, if those stupid gossip magazines were anything to go by.

Not saying goodbye, because that wasn't something he did, he hung up on Stiles so he could do exactly as he said he'd do. And hopefully have some time to change shirts.

"Isaac, go."

"What?" Isaac blinked at him in surprise because it was coming out of nowhere.

"I'm having company. Out."

"Ooooh, your husband is coming over. I should totally stay to chaperone, make sure it all goes well."

"See you on Monday," Derek pushed Isaac out the door without blinking. No time, he had to freshen up a little.

On the other side of town Stiles didn't do much of that aside from brushing his teeth and putting on a black leather-jacket.

"Where do you think you're going? We still have a lot to talk over," Lydia raised a perfectly plucked brow when the trio saw Stiles ready to bail on them, already texting Boyd to get the car ready.

"He's going to Derek," Kira said with a tiny smile and kinda sparkling eyes. The Japanese girl was a big romantic, so no surprise there. She was probably already planning the... oh right, the wedding already happened!

"Yeppp. Need to do this talk face-to-face. That's the only thing he asked."

"So far..." Lydia scoffed, but was once again ignored by Stiles. Even if she might be right about that.

"Okay, we'll keep the forth here," Scott scratched his jaw. "But be careful. And don't switch your phone off again."

"Fine, fine," Stiles waved them off and was already out the door to get into the idling car up front.

The ride over to Derek's apartment was quiet and a bit tense for Stiles, but it was better than having to chat with Boyd. His silence was one of the things Stiles loved in him the most.

"I'll keep them back," the black man glanced back at Stiles, who was eyeing the lazing around handful of people with cameras at the ready. He could never really understand why someone would choose to do this for a living. Sure, there were not so bad ones, sometimes, but the rest... Once or twice he had charges pressed against him for breaking a camera or two, or punching a vulture in the face. But that was when he first got a taste of fame years ago. By now he didn't do that.

"Thanks," he murmured and slipped his sunglasses on. Then it was show time.

He got half-way to the door when the first smoking guy recognized him and Boyd and then the flashes and yells started going off.

It wasn't like Stiles needed to ring the doorbell in the foyer downstairs. The loud yelling and ruckus coming from outside was hard to avoid when Derek was mostly used to hearing traffic. A glance out of the window confirmed it as cameras flashed while a well-built male protected somebody who was eying the mailboxes to find the right number for the doorbell. Instead of going downstairs to greet Stiles and make the whole media frenzy worse, he hit the buzzer near his apartment door at the same time as Stiles found the right bell to ring. So the front door unlocked instantly.

Derek was pacing a little, waiting for the knock on his door, even though he knew the elevator would take a minute. It was all weird, this entire situation, having Stiles come over to his apartment didn't make it any less weird. It was probably why he hadn't looked him up on Google yet, because he was kind of worried he'd find his own face staring right back at him. Oh god, his family was going to know too! He hasn't even thought of warning them of the situation. Laura was going to go all worried mother hen on him for sure, after biting off his head for not telling her right away. That thought made him yank the door open a little more abrupt than planned when there was a knock.

Stiles. With his sunglasses again, looking like he hadn't slept at all with the rumpled clothes and the hair sticking out on all ends. Or maybe he electrocuted himself by accident. That would fit too.

"Hey, come in," he waved his arm in flourish as the excited husky finally realized that yes, the knocking really had been for his apartment and there was a visitor. He came running from the bedroom, barking happily as he skidded over to Stiles, ready to give him a proper greeting.

"Moon Moon, no, down."

The dog, not even impressed, did the opposite of that and jumped up, trying to lick Stiles' face. There wasn't much time for the singer to react on the forceful door-opening, because of the husky's attack.

"Whoa! Hi! Hey there, boy!" Stiles braced himself in the last moment so the overexcited dog only managed to push him one step back. And he let the dog lick his face twice before he managed to dig his long fingers into the thick yet soft fur for some petting. "You're a very pretty boy, Moon Moon. Nice to meet you!" he smiled one of his big smiles, because... animals! Sure, he knew Derek had a husky, but this welcome was very nice in his eyes. Especially after the last 24 hours.

That was the good thing about having a dog, it welcomed people so well that it didn't matter how Derek welcomed them anymore. They'd already be charmed with the help of Moon Moon, who seemed to be in a rare not grumpy mood. Of course he'd like Stiles instantly, the traitor.

"Moon Moon, no! Get on your bed." With a stern face, Derek pointed towards the large dog pillow in the corner which was littered with toys. The husky glanced to the bed and then back at Derek to contemplate if he had to listen or not, before he finally did move to his bed with an arrogant looking head tilt and a dramatic huff. After a few circles, the dog laid down, glaring at Derek.

Derek ignored it, because he was used to it, and wiped his hands on his jeans, the palms feeling sweaty because of the unknown situation. "Do you want a drink? Food? Oh god, food. I didn't realize it was close to dinner time." Not exactly close to, it was soon five, but he doubted that their talk was going to be over before dinner. "We can order some food." There was no way Derek was going to subject Stiles to his cooking, although that might speed up the divorce once he discovered that Derek's cooking skills weren't that great.

Stiles felt amused from the husky's reaction, but then his attention was back on the other man. He closed the door behind him, but left it unlocked in case Boyd had to come in from the corridor. For now he just stood guard there, just in case one of the reporters would sneak in. Wouldn't be the first time.

"Water or some soda is fine," he said after clearing his throat. Then thought for a moment. Now that Derek mentioned food, it was the first time that day that it even occurred to Stiles that he should probably eat something. "We can make some sandwiches, if you want to eat. Or I could like... put something together, depending on what you have at home," he offered, because he remembered Kira's words to do something nice for Derek to 'woo' him. "They say I'm a quite okay cook," he shrugged. And hoped that it was a nice enough thing to offer.

For a moment Derek gaped at him when the singer offered to cook for them, because that was not something he was expecting to hear. In his head he could hear his mother scold him for even entertaining the thought to say yes, making guests cook the first time they were around was probably bad etiquette in her opinion.

"We usually eat breakfast foods as dinner since we eat a hot meal at the school. I can make breakfast without poisoning people." Erica wasn't a fan of his cooking so he had stopped trying. In other words, there wasn't much there for Stiles to cook. "So yeah, I can do that, or we can eat sandwiches." The older man (or so he assumed he was) figured the other didn't eat much today, so ordering in food would be bad for the stomach. His own never did well with greasy stuff when it was empty.

"Sandwiches will be fine. Not that I think you'd poison me," Stiles genuinely smiled as he took his sunglasses off and hooked it under his old Queen T-shirt at the front. He also took his leather-jacket off and neatly draped it over the back of the couch. "You also have a nice place," Stiles approvingly looked around the parts of the apartment he could see.

Getting Stiles his soda, Derek himself made coffee as he eyed the apartment to see what was nice about it according to Stiles.

It was a typical New York apartment. It wasn't big, there was no special dining room or anything and they ate at the counter on a few bar stools. There was the living room with a big couch, a large TV and a gaming system and a desk with a laptop on it, as well as all kinds of items that clearly didn't belong to Derek. Like a bright red hairbrush and posters of a k-pop band. There were a few healthy looking plants, some old items like statues and bowls from other countries and a very old map of the world displayed on the wall. Near the door were a few pictures hanging in wooden frames, so neatly organized that it was unlikely Derek was responsible for that.

"I mostly got the apartment because of the working elevator. Moon Moon doesn't like stairs."

Sipping from the soda he thanked for earlier, the singer’s brown eyes jumped to the husky happily chewing away on one of his toys, still lying on his big bed. "He's afraid of stairs? Did he fell off some as a pup or something?" he asked and knew well that they were both stalling with the small talk. But at least they were talking instead of quietly staring at each other. Obviously they both were kinda nervous. "I had a dog as a kid. She went berserk every time a motorbike or bike came near to our fence," he added that random fact, because yeah... stalling. Skirting around the elephant in the room. And so on...

Pulling out the bread, Derek also started to just put out anything that could be on a sandwich since he realized he didn't even know if the other man was a vegetarian. Or if he had any diets or restrictions. The best way to tackle that was to display it all and let Stiles pick what he wanted on his sandwich.

"No trauma involving stairs that I know of. He's just a weird dog." A weird dog refusing to use stairs, no matter how much coaxing was done. Not even treats would get the job done.

Retrieving plates and knives, he kind of motioned to the food so Stiles could help himself. "It's not Hollywood standards, but it's food." That had to count for something. "You look like you could use some." Stiles was incredibly pale, which made the red-rimmed eyes and dark circles stand out more. It was only yesterday that the guy's world had been turned upside down, so he should cut him some slack.

Putting the soda can down on the counter, the singer stepped next to the bigger man and started buttering up his bread before putting some salad, ham, cheese, tomato slices and mayonnaise on it. "Hey, I usually don't eat fancy food. I'm a mortal, just like everyone else. I love junk food and home cooked ones as well. When I have the time, I even like to cook," he smiled faintly, his focus on putting together his sandwich.

Derek hummed and nodded to that information then eyed Stiles for a moment before speaking again. "So what's the verdict from the people out there? Is it as bad as you thought it was going to be?" It was Derek’s way to gauge if saying yes or no to staying married was needed. Because let's be honest, their worlds weren't the same at all, and mixing them probably wouldn't be good for Stiles.

"My team says that the situation could be worse. Many are intensely hating on Theo, and/or pitying me or telling the scandal totally sent me off my rockers," he grimaced, but didn't look up from what he was doing. "But everyone's waiting on some official statement or explanation about what went down yesterday. Which is understandable. We'll do that once we discussed some important things tonight," he explained. "Your decision will determine where we try to steer things. But before giving me an answer, I want you to see a bit clearer about me and my life. Obviously you have a lot to catch up on and I want you to see the full picture before making that decision. I've told you my reasons. Also, I find you interesting. Not many would do for me what you had done last night. If you say no afterwards, I'll understand and walk out of your life. Will hand in the forms to annul our marriage. If you say yes, there'll be also a few options to consider."

There was a doubtful look thrown at Stiles, his face speaking volumes while Derek also started on making his plate of sandwiches. "I doubt a few hours will make your life clearer to me, but sure. I'll wait until we've talked." It wasn't as if he had made up his mind yet, even though his opinion remained that what Stiles was considering was still crazy. As crazy as many apparently seemed to think he was.

"I did it because it seemed like you had enough disappointment yesterday. I didn't want to be yet another bad moment." Derek ruefully chuckled as he expertly layered his sandwich to make it dinner worthy. Big men needed big plates. Or so was always his excuse. "Honestly, I thought it was all for show." The whole signing thing had made him wonder how much of a show it really was, and it wasn't until he was in bed that he had realized that maybe he actually had gotten hitched for real.

"No, it was not for show. It was me panicking and a desperate attempt to react some way to a situation that spiraled out of my control," he admitted. "Once again, I'm sorry I dragged you into it," he glanced to the side to look at Derek, the sorry genuine on his face. And he already lost count of how many times he said sorry to this man in the less than 24 hours they've known each other.

Cutting the slices of bread into half, because he thought triangles were stupid, he frowned at Stiles once again. "You're going to make me Google you, aren't you?"

"Googling me might give you the idea, yes," he shrugged. "But to put it simply, if my marriage with Theo went through, it would've been as if Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera wedded at their height of fame. Now it's just me, Britney during her nervous breakdown, married to an unknown yet handsome guy," he murmured, his cheeks coloring a tiny bit as he focused on cutting his stuffed bread slices in half the same way as Derek did, because triangles were stupid, DUH! "I assume you had heard about those women at least? After all, you have a teenage daughter. Who... well, I thought she'd be here, to be honest."

"Sleepover with my cousin. They’re around the same age. She doesn't know you're here." Or she'd be there for sure. No doubt she was going to be upset with him for depriving her of the chance to meet Stiles. "She hasn't been living with me for long, only two years, so I missed out on the Britney phase, thankfully."

Wait, did Stiles just call him handsome? Or had Britney Spears married a handsome stranger during her nervous breakdown? Probably. Although the blush that had appeared on the otherwise pale face was pretty curious. Was his unknown husband attracted to him? Or the idea of him maybe. He was a stranger who didn't know Stiles or his fame.

Taking his plate with him to the couch since that was the most comfortable, Derek took a big bite before even speaking up, using the full mouth as an excuse.

"As long as you don't shave your head bald, I think you're fine. Although you look like you could pull that off too." Derek knew he was going off topic, but focusing on that seemed easier than to focus on the world he didn't know, like the press outside. "I don't... I mean I know those singers, but I have no idea what their lives are like, or yours."

Well, at least Derek knew about whom Stiles was talking about. Which was progress in his eyes as he followed him to the couch and sat down too, taking a small bite of his own sandwich and thinking that over.

"Well..." he started mid-chew, which was never the polite thing to do, but Stiles usually didn't give a fudge about that. He often had to eat fast and work at the same time, so he was used to it. "In a nutshell? Singing, recording, touring, interviews, award shows and fans. Mine is pretty much the same. Some can get annoying, like the paparazzi and the constant social media thing, and being on the move so often. But it fits my nervous energy. Most of the time. I rarely slow down or completely stop. I constantly have to do something to keep my mind busy. As I mentioned, I have ADHD, which is no secret. So yeah, I like to keep myself busy. You might ask then why do I do this – aside from the keeping myself busy thing. Well, my number one reason is to share my music. Not just for the fans, but for myself too. You have no idea how amazing it can be to ride the audience's energies as they shout the lines of your songs right back at you. It gives me goose bumps every time I just think about it," he smiled and raised a heavily tattooed forearm to show said goose bumps. "If even one person can relate to my songs, it's all worth it. It's a very rewarding experience."

"Even when you're always in the spotlight?" Because that wasn't something Derek was used to, and wasn't sure if he could handle all that well. "I'm a middle child, I was never in the spotlight." If Derek thought eating with an open mouth was wrong, he didn't show it or say anything about it. His focus was on what Stiles was saying and the food on his plate. It was a good thing he could do both.

"Being a teacher keeps me busy too, and I'm sure I'm on a few of their social media things, because they're little assholes, those teens. I don't give them my life on a platter like you do by baring your soul through songs, but I'm spending most of my time at the school since I tutor as well." It was a whole lot less public, nobody but the people at the school knew what he did, and of course his own family and friends. Derek was as anonymous as an American could be, while Stiles was the complete opposite.

"Sometimes I do wish I could do something like that. Take a break from being constantly recognized. But there are places where one can do that. Otherwise, yeah. Although being in the spotlight isn't always my thing, I've got used to it. I'm an only child, raised mostly by my dad and myself, so..." he shrugged and took another bite, bigger this time, as his stomach seemed to finally agree with the food.

Chewing fast, he thought for a moment before swallowing the bite and speaking up again. "But I like the sound of the grounding nature of your life. I mean, it's a constant. The complete opposite of mine, where I often drift from one place to the other. Although in-between albums and tours I like to hole myself up in my house too. Or go on vacations. Do you like traveling?" he asked all of a sudden.

"Like? Yes. Do? No. I haven't had the opportunity yet. We've been going to my hometown the past two years. There are plans though." Nodding to the map on the wall, Derek meant that there was a whole world to explore maybe someday. "It just never seemed the right time."

It made him laugh though, that Stiles called his life grounding when many had called it boring. But he never cared, he was happy with what he did, and that's what was the most important.

"Erica needed time to adjust. So did I. At twenty-six I was suddenly responsible for a twelve year old and my world became about her. So that grounding nature was needed. I quit my job at the university and started teaching at high school to match her hours." As he had thought, their lives were complete opposites, which was a good thing to realize and something that maybe would make this marriage easier. "So I'd be your long distance husband."

"Not necessarily. As I said, when I'm not promoting a new album or touring, I usually stay here in the City most of the time. I sometimes go on vacations, yes, and visit my dad back in my hometown. Which, believe it or not, is the same as yours. Lil' ol' Beacon Hills. My dad's the sheriff there, by the way. Whom I should really call back later. He might be freaking out a bit after last night," he cringed a bit, so not looking forward to that conversation. "Or maybe he's just happy I ditched a bullet with Theo. He never liked him.”

With an open mouth (sorry Stiles for that unfortunate vision because he was mid-chew), Derek stared at the other male. Because no, he not even once realized that the younger man was actually the sheriff's son. Dimly he remembered that there was a son, but he was a couple of years younger than Derek and they just never really got to know one another. And it wasn't like he ever interacted with the sheriff besides a nod in greeting when they encountered each other on the street. No doubt the man was boasting about his famous son all the time, so it was a little bit of a regret to have missed out on those stories.

Blinking a few times, he stored that information away for later, kind of annoyed that Stiles knew all kinds of things about him. He really should have googled him to level out the playing field. So yeah, he was annoyed with himself, because all that information could’ve been easily gained. First things first though. Closing his mouth, he chewed and swallowed quickly.

"Oh god, our parents live in the same town. We'll have to be honest with them, right?" Hopefully! Derek wasn't good at lying to his mother, because one look from her at him and he'd spill the beans. Even when there was nothing to be spilled. She was that good!

"I don't lie to my dad. Are you kidding me? He's the sheriff. He's like a living lie detector. He can always tell when I'm trying to bullshit," Stiles chuckled a bit. "Judged by your reaction, you wouldn't want to lie to your parents either. Which is fine. They can know the truth as long as they don't start giving out information. Which reminds me that my team would want you to sign an NDA as precaution. It's standard procedure for the people I work with to prevent info leaks about me or my music. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, sure. No problem. People should always sign one when in a relationship in my opinion. Especially when in a fake one." Not that Derek would ever tell anybody anything, he was way too private for it. However, he wasn't the celebrity in this marriage and this was about protecting Stiles' career, it's why they were sitting here right now, discussing if those rings were staying on or not.

A bit relieved that Derek was okay with the non-disclosure agreement, Stiles sighed and thought for a moment, running a hand through his messy hair. “Thanks. By the way, can I ask how or why you became your daughter's guardian? You made it sound like it happened suddenly," Stiles blinked at Derek curiously and continued eating.

"It happened suddenly. She was the daughter of a colleague of mine. He died in a car crash along with his wife and had named me as her guardian, because he thought his family wouldn't want her due to her epilepsy. Turned out he was right. I was all she had left after that day so I couldn't say no. I didn't even think about it. It's not easy but we make it work." Putting his plate down, he shifted to sit sideways and give Stiles his full attention. "It's why I'm careful with her. She's been through a lot."

"That's... understandable and very considerate of you. I'm sorry she had to go through all that. How's her epilepsy? I hope it's not too bad," he said with a light frown and real worry in his eyes. Like someone who took such things seriously. Because yeah, he openly talked about his own illness too, refusing to let anyone shame him about it. That's one of the reasons some people loved him more than others. He often donated money to help people in need. He never forgot from where he came from and always reminded himself to give back from what he had earned.

"Yeah, now that I'm making her take her medication it's a lot better. So it's fine, we make sure she doesn't do or watch anything that triggers it." Kind of fine, but he was at her school so if there was something happening, he'd be right there. Not something he'd tell a complete stranger, not even if that stranger's ring was on his finger. "Brain disorders happen. I mean you're managing yours too, so you know what it's like."

Derek didn't bring her up to offer a sad story though, that's not why he mentioned it. "We just have to make sure to keep her out of the press as much as we can. That's my only condition." No matter how nice Stiles seemed, and how it felt normal for him to be sitting here on the couch as if he’s been there many times before, it didn't mean that he was a nice guy in reality.

"Yes, of course. That's understandable, too. And if we try this, I and my team will do everything we can to shield her from as much of it as possible. Although I cannot promise we can fully do that. If I could, I'd shield you too from the media circus, but there's not enough money in the world to do that," he chuckled a bit bitterly and put his now empty plate down on the coffee table.

Either way, Derek's comment made Stiles a bit hopeful, because it sounded as if he started to lean towards giving it a shot.

"Also, if you decide to stay married to me, you can always back out if you feel like my lifestyle or I am too much for you to handle. I'll understand. I won't stand in the way of annulling the marriage at any point. I don't want you to feel trapped or as if I forced you into anything. That's not me," he lightly shook his head and rubbed his hands nervously up and down on his black jeans.

Technically, they both were forced into this, due to the circumstances that led up to it all. Yes, there were choices, sure. But letting Stiles go down in history as the next Britney Spears didn't seem right, it wasn't something he deserved. "What do you have in mind? A few interviews, me coming along to a few events, some outings together? And how long do you have in mind? We have up to a year before the annulment will have to be a divorce."

From the way Stiles made it sound, he was planning on a little while, and not weeks. And Derek knew, no matter how much Stiles was telling him, there was no way he was going to be prepared for the chaos he'd bring to the grounding life of the small Hale family.

"I was thinking like setting the first goal at three months, maybe? See how things go between us and check in with each other at that mark?" the singer suggested then lightly chewed on his bottom lip as he watched the other man's reactions.

Three months seemed short. It seemed pretty doable if Derek didn't think too much on it. "What about the marrying a stranger part? Everybody knows we don't know each other, so how will you explain this? Are you going with the arranged marriages as an example? Because surprisingly those did have a better success rate compared to marriage for love."

It seemed like this would be a good social experiment. Let two strangers from two different worlds marry and watch them figure it out. He was so relieved Stiles didn't have a reality show. Because then it would be a hard no. On everything.

"Well, as I said, I'm not one for lies, so I'm planning on sticking to the truth as much as possible," Stiles shrugged. "How else would you explain this? Right before the wedding I had learned about my fiancé cheating on me, which, understandably, stirred up a shit storm of emotions in me, but I also didn't want to disappoint so many people and made an in-the-moment decision. Both to deliver on a wedding and also to try something different than expected. Which is kinda my thing anyways. They can think I'm bonkers, I'll get over it, like many times before. And if they ask why we just don't make this go away, I'll tell them that because we actually want to get to know each other. And Theo can rot in hell. I haven't talked to him since then, so yeah, that'll be another shitty conversation," he said that more to himself as his eyes drifted away to stare at the opposite wall with disdain and some sadness. But in the next moment he shook himself and looked back at Derek with a tiny smile. "How does that sound for an explanation? Would you be okay with that?"

Word vomit, it's what he called it when Erica would latch into one of her stories and she'd throw it all out in one go as if she feared he would interrupt her. That's exactly what Stiles did too. He talked a whole lot, but didn't get to the point, which was hidden within the word vomit. Derek said what needed to be said, always to the point. Not Stiles. There was a point in there, for sure. There were also a lot of not points wrapped around it. "You talk a lot, you say a lot, but you talk around the point."

Stiles had the charm Derek lacked. The bluntness Derek possessed was something a lot of people couldn't handle, and he had a feeling he would be a frustrating subject to interview. Not Stiles. He was all smiles and emotions and stories. He was easy around questions no doubt. "I think you should say the Theo part at the interviews though. He deserves it." Derek wouldn't mind punching him again. Maybe he could if they decided to stay married, to protect his husband's virtue.

"Haven't you figured me out already?" Stiles chuckled shortly and a bit impressed. Sure, he often talked a lot, but it seemed the less talkative history teacher was a good observer too. Which was good and essential in this fame business. "You're also blunt and straightforward. Which I can appreciate," he said then following his new husband's example, he turned his whole body towards him, pulling one leg up on the couch and leaning a bit forward, as if getting ready to go all in.

"You didn't answer what you expect from me. I'd be your background dancer, but that's something nobody wants to see."

"Lucky for you, I don't do the background dancers thing. In any meaning," he snorted with a thick layer of sarcasm, aimed at Theo, of course. "So that saves you from that embarrassment. And what I'd expect from you was exactly what you listed off. Occasional interviews, events, outings and some dining and wining out. That'd be more for the public. For the private thing, I'd like to get to know you. Hang out when we have time. If you accepted, what would you want in exchange?"

Because nothing was free in this world. Stiles had learned that the hard way years ago. Everyone always wanted something in return.

There was a doubtful look thrown at Stiles when he mentioned the interviews, because that was going to be interesting. Nobody wanted Derek Hale to be part of interviews. Seriously, nobody. But that was something they'd figure out soon enough and since Stiles was a talker, they might even get away with it. That wasn't the part he focused on, no, the question took him by surprise as he wondered why it was even asked in the first place.

Right. Stiles was a celebrity, he no doubt had a lot of money and had to be careful about what people wanted from him. But the thing was, Derek wasn't even like that.

"I don't want anything. What should I even ask for?" Well, there was one thing he'd want, but that was kind of impossible when married to a rock star. It was to not be widely known. And it was way too late for that now. "If you're offering me money, I'll be insulted." Was that what this was about? Money? Leaning back, Derek crossed his arms, daring Stiles to offer money and to have it turned down.

The surprise was genuine on the singer's face as he slightly gaped (and for a brief moment his eyes lingered on the bulging arm-muscles) before meeting Derek's eyes again, scanning them for a lie. But he was either a very good liar or there was no lie in his words at all.

"Riiiiight. You want nothing from me..." he repeated with a thick layer of doubt in his voice. "Everyone always wants something from me, so why wouldn't you?" he raised a brow, subconsciously copying Derek's pose with the arms' crossing. (Well, he was nowhere near as muscular or impressive as the other man, but in exchange his toned arms were full of tattoos.) "Not even some autographs or pictures for your daughter and her friends?" he asked, being clever enough not to offer something that could be bought with money.

"I have no idea if that's something she'd want." It never even crossed Derek's mind to ask for an autograph. And pictures seemed stupid if they'd be married. It meant Erica was going to be able to take a picture herself if she'd ever meet Stiles. Because yeah, he was leaning towards saying yes, but it wasn't set in stone yet.

With a shrug, and not uncrossing his arms since Stiles still had his crossed too, Derek wondered what kind of shitty people Stiles had met in his life. He was too young to be that suspicious and bitter about people. "I said yes, because I thought you needed it. Or have you forgotten it was you who asked me to marry you and not the other way around?" Money hadn't been offered, but he was still insulted because no, he wasn't like that at all. Tough luck for Stiles if he wasn't used to that and couldn't handle it.

"Yeah, that's true. I'm sorry if I insulted you in some way..." he said, practically voicing Derek's thoughts. "I've been in this business for too long not to assume you'd want something in return too," he shrugged then his fingers lightly dug into his upper-arms as he glanced away a bit embarrassed. "It's rare that someone would do something nice for me selflessly like that." He wasn't used to it anymore, even if he had a best friend, who'd do nice things for Stiles to appreciate him and their friendship, but sometimes he thought that maybe even those came from a subconscious place of the manager Scott and was to placate and keep the big star balanced. Yeah, his mind sometimes went into twisted places like that.

"So... do you have any more questions for me or is all clear?" he finally asked, feeling the nervousness rise in him again, but he kept it at bay with digging his fingers into his arms a little firmer. (As if bracing or keeping himself together.)

"You needed help, I gave it. It's that simple sometimes." Derek’s stern look softened, because he didn't want to make Stiles feel more nervous than he already was. And it made sense that if Derek didn't do it for the fame (definitely not), and not for the money, he should want something. It was more a question of ethics. He had said yes, so he should see it through, even if he hadn't initially known what he had said yes to. "And if, at the end, you'd decide to donate some money to a fund that helps kids with learning disabilities, then that would be great. Not my fund, I have no funds, but I know there are many kids needing help in the world." A good cause would always get Derek interested, especially because he had no need for anything himself. "Do you have questions for me?"

"Ah, sure. Good thing that I already regularly donate for like... five organizations that help people. I can definitely add another one that helps such kids," the singer eased up a bit for a second and even smiled a bit. He was a tiny bit relieved, but he didn't let his guard down yet – probably won't for a while. Because a part of him still didn't believe that it would be so easy with this man. After all, he could always change his mind and come up with something he did want. But only time will tell that. IF Derek chooses to stay.

"For now I'm only left with one: what's your answer then?" he asked since Derek didn't ask more of his own questions, so... "Or do you need more time?" he frowned lightly. "Although... not to rush you or anything, but... time is of essence here," he reminded Derek, because they really needed to soon officially react to last night's happenings.

Right yeah, Derek knew that. People were waiting on the official statement to know if Stiles went completely insane and had a nervous breakdown. If Derek looked at the way Britney's career went after she had lost it, then yeah, saying no would be dooming the younger man into a bad career spiral. It was an immense pressure to be put on him, though Stiles had clearly said that it wouldn't matter and this wasn't about forcing him at all.

Exhaling loudly, unintentionally only making the other more nervous with that, he uncrossed his arms to play with his empty coffee mug. His mind had already been made up ever since the phone call. Not that he was looking forward to it, because this was going to be stressful and awkward and all kinds of negative things.

"I want to help you, but I don't know if I'll ever be ready for it. So yeah, sure. In for a penny..." In for a pound or Stiles was going to have to shave his head and disappear into nothingness.

Stiles didn't realize he's been holding his breath until he heard those words and he exhaled, some tension immediately bleeding out of his shoulders. For a couple of seconds he just took a few deep breaths then smiled gratefully at the other man.

"Thank you, Derek," he said quietly. "I know it's asking a lot from you and it'll most definitely turn your life upside down, but I and my team will do everything we can to help, prepare and shield you and your daughter. This I promise. And I like to think that I'm a man of my word," he said seriously then sagged back against the couch with his shoulder that was to it. "Not gonna lie, this is a relief for me," the singer chuckled low and ran a hand through his hair again, messing it up even more. "Tomorrow Scott, my best friend and manager will call you for your schedule, so we can work things around that. Because I don't want to mess up that, only if there's no other way. I'll handle the rest until then."

"My schedule is easy. I'm not available from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. The rest you can use, with some heads up." Derek knew that Erica was going to get involved if his schedule was getting busy, because then he'd had to bring her with every now and then. He didn't want her days to involve daily babysitters. At fourteen, she wouldn't need one all the time either. "I mean, my sister won't mind taking Erica and my dog during the weekend but not every weekend."

And Isaac loved Moon Moon, so luckily he could take the dog there without any problems. It was only for a couple of months, which would fly by for sure if their schedule was going to be filled with events and interviews. A deep sigh escaped as he made a face.

"I so don't know what I'm getting myself into, do I?" Unfolding himself gracefully, he walked over to the desk to grab his laptop and take it with him. "It has to be done. The googling."

"Oh boy, here we go..." Stiles rubbed his forehead, finally unfolding his arms as he slid a bit lower on the couch. "I have to warn you, there's a lot of bullshit out there about me too. Especially from the early years of my career. Like... I never did drugs, only smoked weed occasionally. But that's not really my thing anymore either. Obviously, my dad doesn't know even about that," he chuckled a bit nervously, trying to wrack his brain about what might Derek encounter online. Usually he steered clear of googling himself or skipped stuff that was about him. He just had to ask Scott or Kira on an update whenever he got the media's attention for some reason.

"Weed is a drug," Derek had to inform him, because yeah no, he had never done it and he didn't understand why people would. And why they would make light of it when it was a well-known fact that weed could badly influence your brain over the years too.

Stiles gave Derek Hale his first ever heavy eye-roll for the teacher trying to lecture/correct him about weed. Ignoring that comment, Stiles continued. "I'd also avoid tabloid-like sites. They try to put me together with someone new every few months. Even when I was with Theo for one and a half years. Turns out, he was the cheater, not me," he snorted. "But I did punch a paparazzi once. Anyways... I'm here to confirm or debunk stuff and also to answer your questions. I guess you're lucky, having the legit source sitting on your couch," he cackled a bit, because it was kinda funny to Stiles.

Opening his laptop, Derek booted it up and went to the Google search bar. Of course it came up with too many results to even know where to begin. All these links were dazzling. Links to sites like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. It went on and on.

"Wow, there's so much. And you think I'd be able to find something in this?" Derek laughed softly, shaking his head. If he wanted to read all the so called dirt on Stiles, it was going to take hours and hours of digging. Not something he was planning on doing. He had thought that one Google search would tell him something, but he was already overwhelmed with all the information. Scanning the page for some links that jumped out for him, he was mostly finding the announcements to the concert/wedding. Those were the most popular searches. Stiles and Theo, Stiles and Theo... Stiles was always going to be linked to his ex. That had to suck. "So punching the paparazzi is bad, got it. Not that I'm making promises."

"Yeah, if possible, avoid it. They'll sue you in the blink of an eye. Well, actually... I'm not sure if Theo will try that with you too for punching him backstage. I know for a fact that there was a video taken of that punch and my fans love it to bits. They're already warming up to the idea of you and me. Expect photo edits and fanfictions flooding the internet soon enough. Especially once we start doing public appearances and they'll get the photo material they'll need for their edits. My fans can get a bit carried away, but they're also supportive. Well, most of them. There are always trolls. Trolls are everywhere," he shrugged. "Otherwise yeah, you have a few years of gossip and stuff about me there," he waved towards the laptop. "What can I say? I'm a likable guy whenever I'm not holed up at home or in the studio. I don't particularly like the media circus that comes with the job description, but that's the price I have to pay to stay afloat in this business."

"Why would they write fiction about us?" The look in Derek’s eyes was a mixture of surprise and innocence, because Derek really had no idea what he was getting himself into. It was good to know that the fans were so... involved, and that they apparently had thoughts on Stiles and Derek. And Derek punching Theo. Not that he was worried about the man pressing charges. It would be such a childish thing to do and would make Theo loose face.

Derek’s attention was on the many links he saw as he scrolled, occasionally clicking on one if it seemed like something that was important to know. "Oh hey, there's already art about us, this one user says she made it." Curious, he clicked on the link that got him to yet another website since it wasn't allowed on the site the fan had announced it on. What a stupid idea to ban art from a site. It seemed like a bad choice for the traffic of that site.

"Let's see… It's... OH!" Flushing, Derek slammed the laptop shut. "Oh my god."

Amused, Stiles laughed from that reaction, drumming on his flat stomach with his fingers while watching Derek. "Judged by your reaction, it was something naughty. And I guess that answers your question about why people would write fanfictions about us. A rock star marrying a history teacher on the whim when it turns out on the wedding day that his fiancé had cheated on him... That makes for a good setting in a fanfiction, for example. Or they might go all 'alternate universe' on us and make you a werewolf and me a spazzy human or a mage. But often all those different settings are used only to give some plot for what many stories are really about: porn," he sat up and laid his tattooed arm over the back of the couch, letting his eyes meaningfully scan the other man. "And I can see why they'd want to write something like that," he teased Derek, letting his real self finally shine through a bit. "Anyways, some of those writers are very talented and can write great and popular stories. When I was bored or couldn't sleep on tours, I sometimes passed the time with reading one or two," he admitted with a shrug.

Having no idea how to deal with flirting, never had, Derek, as usual, looked down with red cheeks as he smiled. It wasn't that he’s never got flirted with, it was just simply impossible to get used to that kind of attention. It happened a lot with parents of students. A good looking single teacher was like honey to all the single moms and dads in the area.

"I'll leave the fanfiction reading to you, because that's pretty explicit." He understood the need for porn, it was however entirely different when he was the topic of said porn. To make his statement, he gave Stiles his laptop. "How about you find something you want me to read – that isn't fanfiction?" The last bit was added hastily before Stiles could do that, because he seemed the type for it to cause some mischief along with his chaos.

"Spoilsports..." the singer grinned and stole a quick glance of the blushing man while taking his laptop. And wow, he was kinda cute with his blushing and innocence. People actually being like this was also something that Stiles had long forgotten, because the people in his life rarely showed such reactions. Well, except for some fans. The rest usually acted bold or cocky. Like Theo. That's really how their relationship had started, too. Which also gave him an idea what to look for to show Derek.

"Okay, so..." he opened the laptop, waiting for it to wake up then the elegant fingers quickly typed in what was on his mind. After a few moments of scrolling, he opened a few articles in different tabs. "These are mostly void of BS," he said then handed the laptop back.

The first article was about how Stiles became a famous rock star. How he's always been into music, even as a young kid. Then he picked up the guitar seriously not long after his mother's passing, so he could cope a bit better with her loss and the void she had left. Not to mention how it gave him something to hyper-focus on and keep his ADHD mind busy. Then he got into school talent shows and in high school joined a garage band and began sending out demos while playing wherever they accepted them until they got their first record deal at an independent label. How the band couldn't cope with the packed schedule and sudden fame and then it was just Stiles and his lyrics and songs, so he became a solo artist with a supporting, but not official band to help out, each member handpicked by him. Then the article went on about how in a few years Stiles had decided to start Nemeton Records to get more freedom over his songs. And how happy he was despite the hardships he and his team had to face regarding starting up a record company of their own. Then it listed all the awards he had won, and those he'd been nominated to and there was also his discography at the bottom.

Now this article was an interesting read. For somebody so young to get so successful so quickly and even daring to start his own label.

"Your own company… I'm impressed." The discography was extensive and Derek bookmarked the page so he could check back on it. Listening to some of the music Stiles had made in the past was probably needed to make these three months convincing. "I get now why you have to protect your image. You've built too much to lose it over a breakdown." And that wasn't stressful at all, to know that the man's entire career depended on Derek to make this fake marriage work. No pressure or anything!

While Derek was reading the first article, Stiles quickly shot off a text to Scott to let him know that the marriage was a go, so the team could start working on things meanwhile. And also stole a few glances of his new husband. He could see what Lydia meant about him being handsome and a good material to work with once the redhead socialite put her claws on Derek fashion-wise. Because she was a woman of many talents and having impeccable taste in clothes was one of those talents. She sometimes doubled as Stiles' stylist too before big events.

So yeah, obviously Derek was very handsome and easy on the eyes. The cameras were going to love him. But that was just the surface. He was also a nice, although a bit too naive guy, but it was probably more about the stuff that didn't really interest him. Like famous people. Well, at least contemporary ones, because he had to love the famous people of the past as a history teacher, right?

But that... the not being that phased by having the famous Stiles Stilinski sitting on his couch... that was something Stiles had to realize he kinda liked. Many would kill for the position or role that fell into Derek's lap by a chance encounter, but he struck Stiles like a man, who wouldn't want to be around him because of the fame that it will certainly bring him. Which was... quite refreshing after being with a guy, who thrived on fame and always wanted more.

“Thanks. I worked hard and yeah, I have a lot to lose,” Stiles finally reacted and sighed to what Derek said while putting his phone away.

The second article was a summary about Stiles and Theo's relationship, put together from different interviews they gave in the last one and a half years. How it all started with bumping into each other at an award show's after party. How Stiles let Theo work his charms on him (and ended up fucking that night) and then it soon became more than just physical attraction and they started dating in secret. They officially announced it a month later. On their one year anniversary Theo brought out the big guns and proposed during their vacation on the Bahamas, at sunset in a restaurant. Who wouldn't say yes to that? Stiles remembered that evening vividly. How happy he was, how genuine Theo looked as he confessed his undying love for him while kneeling on the patio of the restaurant. And it all was a lie... That memory left a bitter taste in Stiles’ mouth now.

It was sobering to read the article about the great love between Stiles and Theo, reminding Derek why they were doing this. Derek had to admit that it was easy to forget when they were sitting here on the couch just talking. Even when the topic was Stiles himself on Google. The two had been together for a year and a half, which wasn't as long as he had thought they were, but it was still nearly two years of sharing their lives. And Stiles had chosen this particular article to let him read, so yeah, the message was received loud and clear.

"It sounded like the two of you were happy together." Even if it turned out to be a lie. "Are you sure you want to do this? If you want him back, being married to another man won't make your chances better." It was his try at not judging, because for him personally, if somebody cheated on him, he'd never take him back. But that wasn't the case for everybody.

"Yeah... I too thought we were happy. That's why what he did shocked me so much. Sure... some of the people around me and hell, even my dad, warned me about Theo and his ambitions, but I guess I was just too blinded by having a boyfriend after a long time alone and the whole serious relationship and building a future together..." he grimaced. "I was a naive fool. I should've known better, right? That one and a half year together... it might not look much from the outside, but in the chaotic lives we live in the music business, it counts as longer, I guess. I just... really wanted it to work out, you know?" he cleared his throat and averted his eyes with a bitter small smile. "But I guess not every relationship is meant to be," he shrugged then shook his head as he looked back at Derek.

"And no, I don't want him back. Not after such a betrayal and making me look and feel like the biggest fool in the world. Not after he lied to me for god knows how long and abused my trust like that. He knew I don't trust easy and that I'm more sensitive and withdrawn than him. He must have looked at those as weaknesses. Or he just simply got bored of fucking the same guy every other day or when our schedules allowed," he crossed his arms over his chest again, feeling shame color his cheeks. As if it was all his fault. "I cannot forget or forgive this and he knows that. He'll probably make a few half-assed attempts at winning me back, but no. He hurt me too much," he looked away at a heavily loaded bookshelf across the room. "I know I'll have to talk to him at one point, but it's just... too fresh."

For a moment, Derek was quiet, the anguished words didn't need empty words of comfort. That would only cheapen the rawness inside of Stiles. So he nodded, knowing all too well how it felt to be betrayed by somebody he had thought he loved. Only to find out it all had been a lie in the end and love had turned into hate. Maybe Stiles was going to be able to be better about it than him, maybe he'd be able to someday not hate Theo because exes didn't deserve even an ounce of emotions.

"I get it. It hurts to know you were the only one who ever gave it a real shot, and now you feel like all you ever were to him was your looks and your name, never the person you are." There was nothing forthcoming about why he knew, however it was clear that he was speaking from experience. Unfortunately, relationships came with problems, and it always meant getting hurt if you opened your heart. At least with this fake marriage they didn't need to worry about that. They'd get to know each other for the coming months and hopefully it would lead to friendship between them. Not more heartache, that wasn't something Stiles deserved as he was still mourning the break up.

"You can always punch him. I can recommend it, guaranteed to make you feel better." Growing quiet, he thought on what Stiles had said. "It's not naive, you know. To want a future with somebody you thought was the one. Love makes wars, music, movies." All the artists were inspired by love, so maybe Stiles would use this pain to write a song that would only make him more famous.

"Oh yeah, I know..." the singer chuckled. "I know that well. I wrote from heartache before. Everyone ate it up as if it was some kind of dessert. Which I get. Our kind has a morbid fascination with darker things and feelings and many also go through bad shit, so songs – mine too – are relatable and they can rant, mourn and heal with their help. The songs from other artists I love helped me through stuff like that too. So yeah, I'll write about this soon. I can already feel it in my bones," he rubbed his tattooed arms with a contemplative look, his mind wandering off for a moment. He often did that and it was something Derek will probably get used to too.

"Anyways, management and my lawyer strictly forbade me from punching someone else ever again after that reporter," Stiles smirked with a less pained look then watched Derek for a moment or two. "You talk like someone who knows what he's saying. Who broke your heart, if I may ask?"

It was understandable Stiles asked since they were talking about heartbreaks and Derek seemed to know all about the other man's life. But he still got that deer in the headlight look from the personal question, not used to somebody he barely knew to care or want to know. And definitely not used to talking about himself like that. Barely even doing that with his own family, it seemed weird to say something to Stiles. But how were they supposed to get to know each other, if Derek refused to talk whenever he got to answer questions about himself?

Clearing his throat to try and get over the awkwardness of having to get so personal, Derek decided that if he just gave minimal information, it would be okay. It wasn't like Stiles was asking about all the sordid details in his innocence of wanting to know.

"My ex, Jennifer. I broke up with her before Erica so she doesn't know much, since Jennifer works at the school. I didn't want her to get caught up in all... that." Like Stiles, Derek didn't have the luxury to not see the ex and was confronted with her daily. "I can't punch her either so I understand the frustration."

"Oh..." Stiles blinked a few times from the new information. "I didn't know... that you like women... too? I mean... you agreed to marry a man, so I'm guessing you're bi then. I mean... women can be great. I had a girlfriend back in high school. The sex was okay, but then I realized I like men much better, so I'm more on the gay end of the spectrum," he babbled then realized that this wasn't really about him, so he went back to the original topic.

"I'm sorry she hurt you like that. I'm sure you didn't deserve it." Not that he knew the details, but he could read the room, he already knew that Derek was a more closed off personality, who was reluctant to open up. Still, Stiles was grateful he did a bit. "Thanks for sharing that with me. I hope she isn't giving you a hard time at school. And I hope she won't use your past relationship against you when it comes to Erica. Like, ever. That would be a dick move. I always hated when I heard people using kids against each other. Like when they are separating or getting a divorce and they turn the kid against the other parent. That's such a shitty thing to do... But I'm babbling again, sorry. I tend to do that. Scott likes to call that word vomit. Which can sometimes come in handy during interviews, because I can easily steer the conversation away from something I don't want to answer," he explained.

"I can imagine it comes in very handy." Amusement laced Derek’s voice as he was still trying to recall what the other man had asked him between all of his babbling. It took a great interviewer to be able to stay on track and be able to get back to the question that was dodged. Stiles offered so much new material to talk about so Derek imagined he was very successful in not answering anything he didn't want to. It had already proven difficult to get a straight answer and Stiles wanted to talk to him.

Now, his ex was a sore topic, but his sexuality wasn't so that's what Derek decided to continue with. "I honestly don't care about gender. I think the person matters more than the package. I hope that's not a problem." Some people seemed to have a distinct dislike to not being able to label someone. "I was in a relationship with a guy before Jennifer, so it's not like we won't be believable." He knew he wasn't any kind of a stereotype, except with his clothing that matched the typical teacher. Something he had done on purpose. "He probably has some pictures of us together on his Facebook somewhere so those will resurface if a journalist starts digging." In other words, there was nothing to worry about. Nothing that would jeopardize the marriage.

"That's perfectly fine. I mean both the pictures with that guy and you not liking to be labeled. It also doesn't matter to me how you identify or not. That's cool with me too. I've been out as gay for a long time, even if I tried to steer clear of labeling myself. But oh well. Most know that I had a girlfriend too, but choose to ignore it. And besides, the gay thing is a pretty fitting label for me since I've been interested only in men ever since we broke it off with Heather," he shrugged.

"So... what else can you tell me about yourself? Like... why did you become a teacher? Did you always want to be one? And why history? History can be fun, although it wasn't such a big favorite of mine back in high school because of all the dates you had to remember. Ugh, I and numbers are not best buddies, let me tell ya..." he snorted. "I still have nightmares about math tests..."

"I'm mostly gay now too," Derek said as he showed the golden band around his finger, trying to joke. His jokes were usually stupid or very sarcastic. Not many seemed to appreciate them and yet he never stopped making them, because he didn't care if others liked him or not. They could deal. Or they could go.

"Oh. My. God! You joked! And it was a good one!" Stiles laughed out loud. Which was a first in Derek's presence like that. He only just realized how many times this man managed to put a smile on his face or make him laugh to varying degrees despite the shitty emotional state he was currently in. Which was... unexpected, but not unwelcome. Stiles liked more and more how Derek acted around him as if he was a normal person and not a famous musician.

Derek smiled at that, maybe proud of himself a bit. "Yeah, I too think most kids and adults don't like history because of having to remember many dates when it's only part of the immense charm history has. It's like all these true stories waiting to be told, so I want to tell it without making it boring. At the university I could make it more hands on with a lot of trips, but with teens it's challenging," Derek shrugged, because he wasn't the type to avoid a challenge when it was offered, even when it wasn't the initial idea he had had when he had decided to teach. "I was always very into Indiana Jones. But archeology wasn't that promising jobwise."

His life wasn't as adventurous, he didn't go to explore pyramids or excavation sites. Well, to those he sometimes was invited to. "History makes society of what it is now, so it's important that it keeps getting told without that constant focus on the dates."

"Yeah, I know it's important to know our history, so we can learn from past mistakes too. Maybe I just lacked a teacher who could've made it more fun. Perhaps I should go visit you at work one day to see how you do it," he smirked, the mental image of Derek in his typical neat teacher outfit writing on a board or talking to his class was not a bad one. "And see if you're any good," he added as a light tease.

That was flirting, right? Derek was pretty sure that was light flirting again, not that he thought it meant anything. It seemed like Stiles was a flirty kind of person by nature, it was part of his charm. Normally it would annoy the Hale to be flirted with, but with this man, he somehow didn't mind. Maybe because it wasn't too on the nose, it didn't feel forceful nor like it had to lead to anything.

"I'm very good." He left that one for Stiles to mull over with what he meant as he stood up. "Do you want some wine maybe? It's not like you have to drive." It was a weird thought. Was Boyd still out there in his car, waiting? Or did he found some place to be until he was called? Derek wasn't familiar with how it worked regarding personal drivers. "Or something else?" The weekend was starting and Derek had earned some wine. He deserved some wine. "It's what I usually do Friday evenings. I break out a bottle of wine and a good book."

Stiles pursed his lips, still mulling over that comment of Derek being good. Well, he could imagine that to be true – in many scenarios and not strictly just in a teaching setting. And oh god, was he really letting his brain go to the gutter about his fake husband when he was still not over Theo and his shit? It probably wasn't appropriate, but he figured Derek was a fine man and his own head was still all over the place after the emotional trauma, so... whatever.

"Some wine sounds good. It could cure the last of my lingering hangover," he agreed. "And you definitely earned some for yourself. Maybe we could toast to our marriage and new beginnings!" he suggested half-serious. Because why the hell not? Even if it was kinda like a business deal regarding Stiles' career and some definitely new experiences for Derek (since he didn't ask for anything in return – yet), they could do that, right?

"That will take a few weeks to land, the fact that I'm married now, I mean." It still felt very unreal, even when his fake husband was sitting on his couch, a smile on the pale face. Maybe Stiles had needed this, to be able to relax in the presence of a stranger. He seemed a lot less high-strung than yesterday. Getting out two glasses, he checked to make sure they were clean (he wasn't the best at cleaning). A bottle of wine had already been placed in the fridge this morning, because he liked his wine cold even though he had no idea if he was being a barbarian with that or not.

It was a sweet white wine, because he loved everything sweet, much to the annoyance of his dentist. "I don't have anything to go with it, not really." The cork popped as he removed it, letting the wine breathe as he looked into his fridge for something to go with the wine. Well, he had something at least. As he was cutting some cheese into small cubes and some sausage, he glanced at Stiles to check if he was still there.

"What do you do when you have time to relax? Do you even have time for that?" Armed with a plate of the cheese and meat, and two glasses of wine (too filled but it was a drinking occasion, okay?), he joined his husband back on the couch.

Watching Derek moving around with familiar ease in his kitchen was kinda relaxing for Stiles, so he didn't say anything, just let his eyes linger on the other man. He only spoke up when Derek asked him as he returned with the little snacks and the glasses, taking the one that was offered to him.

"Thanks," he murmured. "Before I answer, toast time. To our marriage and new beginnings! Let it be fruitful for the both of us!" he grinned and clank his glass against Derek's before taking a sip, smacking his lips approvingly at the sweet taste. "It's good wine," he added. "And yeah, I do have some free time. More when I'm in-between albums and tours. Like now, I'm off the hook for like two months to readjust to staying in one place and not doing shows every other night. Tours are the most exhausting and time-consuming part of this whole thing... It takes some time to get used to the life I leave behind for months. Like... on tour there's always at least one person at my disposal, who would fetch me anything I want. It's usually my personal assistant, Kira, but also other people at venues. Getting handed whatever your heart desires, well, within reasonable limits, is something one can get easily used to. Most of the time I try not to exploit that, though. So yeah, after each tour I have a few months to settle back, cool off and relax before going back to the studio to work on new songs. I usually spend that time visiting my dad and catching up with friends, sometimes going to parties or vacations. I like to watch movies or binge watch shows I didn't have the chance to see or finish on tour. I love video games too. Or to read detective or fantasy stories. Sometimes even fanfictions," he grinned with a wink. "And of course write lyrics and music. Those are my real hobbies, even if they are also work. And yeah... when I'm free and have a partner, I spend a lot of time with them too. That usually includes a lot of sex as well, yeah. I'm very fond of that activity too," he finished and took another sip. "What about you?"

Derek could understand why Stiles had found appeal in Theo, to be on tour together, because it sounded like the singer was gone for months on end when on tour. That kind of life made having relationships very difficult, it was kind of long distance, the hardest kind from relationships. But since they weren't in an actual relationship, he didn't say anything about it. It wasn't his problem to have.

"Erica is more into video games but yeah, I like detective books. Fantasy books, adventure, I pretty much like books.”

"DUH! It's quite obvious you like books," Stiles waved towards the packed big bookshelf. "Books are cool. I wish I had time to read more. Maybe you could recommend some for me now that I have some free time. I'll go into hiding from the media as soon as possible anyways. To let this whole marriage thing calm down a bit," he added as explanation. Which was common knowledge that stars often did that after high publicized stuff about them.

“That sounds reasonable,” Derek nodded then continued. “I also spend time with my family. My sister lives here as well as does my uncle with his daughter. I go to the park with my dog and I like camping. And I have this challenge going with Erica where we go eat at the cheapest places each weekend and we rate them. It's stupid," Derek chuckled. "But when you can't cook, cheap food is still good food." Motioning to the TV, he knew he wouldn't be judged, but he hated to admit what he was about to admit. "During workdays I usually fall asleep to Netflix."

"Are you kidding me? That challenge with your daughter is awesome! Cheap and junk food is the best! It doesn't look like it, but I love packing away such food. It never shows on me thanks to my genetics," he shrugged. "Although when I'm on tour, Kira and Scott insists that I try to keep my diet and eat regularly and healthy stuff. Which is not always possible, so I win!" he grinned and took a big sip before licking his lips and continuing. "Oh and I left out that I like to experiment in the kitchen too when I'm on a break. And I get the falling asleep to something on Netflix. I do that a lot too. I'm the binge watching type of guy and when I can't sleep, I put on something and eventually fall asleep to it. Are you close with your sister and your uncle and niece? And your parents back in Beacon Hills?"

"We're a pretty close-knit family, it's why I go back every summer vacation and stay at the house. We call, but it's not the same as meeting up." As Stiles knew from personal experience, Beacon Hills wasn't within reach when living in New York. "Usually we make it into a road trip of about four to five days, because it's dog-friendlier. Sometimes we fly."

It was funny how so many from their small town would find themselves here in New York.

"My sister Laura went to college here, so when it was my turn, I joined her when she invited me to live with her. My uncle and his daughter have already been living here for a few years, so it made sense. It didn't feel so weird to move away to family." Derek’s glass was empty before he knew it, so he put it down before he'd sip from the empty glass out of habit. "What about you? You must be close with your dad if you go back too."

It was weird how they never seemed to have crossed paths in Beacon Hills, and it would be really awkward if they parted ways on bad terms. The sheriff might even start to hate his family for it. That would be bad.

"It's so weird that I don't remember you from town. I mean I knew of your family, but only very vaguely. I remember your mom being super beautiful and kind when I was a snotty kid. How many years are between us? Four? Six? Maybe that's the reason," Stiles mused then finished his own glass too, reaching out to fill both their glasses from the bottle he quickly snatched then popped a cheese cube in his mouth, chewing a bit lost in thought.

"But yeah, moving to where you already have family is definitely easier than landing in this city on your own to try your luck and stay afloat. Luckily, I had Scott with me, but it wasn't easy. God, we were so young..." he remembered with a fond smile. "As you already know from the article, I've only had my dad for a very long time now. Which sucks, because I always wanted a big family, but I am grateful that I still have him. We're close and love each other. Although he owes me a 'told you so'. About Theo. He never liked him, which put a bit of a strain on our relationship, because I just... couldn't deal with his disapproval when I already had a lot on my plate. But I should've trusted his gut. It's what makes him such a good cop. He's usually right about people. I should've listened," he sighed then shrugged as he took another big sip, starting to feel his cheeks warm from the wine. "But oh well... I'll go visit him soon. I'm sure he's been flipping out since yesterday, but knows better than to pester me about it. But I'll call him later tonight to explain myself."

"Yeah." Derek could understand that the parent was going to need some explanation. He had no idea just how publicly spread their marriage already was, but if he went by what Stiles had shown him on the laptop, it had gone viral. "I'm surprised our families haven't called yet. I think Erica smoothed things over with my uncle." Derek could imagine how that went. All of them in calls together, gossiping and going over whatever they could find on the internet. And then they were going to call him either tonight or tomorrow. Or ask one of them to do it and relay everything said back to them. Pack of gossipers they were.

"This isn't going to die down anytime soon, is it?" No doubt the reporters outside of his apartment building were keeping an eye on the time, so tomorrow Stiles' fans would know exactly how long he had been with his new husband. It was a crazy kind of focus to be having on one person.

"Well, my dad tried to call me a few times yesterday, but I switched my phone off after you and Boyd dropped me off, so I figured he reached someone from my team, who told him what was up. So now he waits until I reach out. He can be sensible like that," he swirled the wine in his glass then popped another piece of cheese in his mouth.

"Give it a couple of weeks to cool down. But the interview and us hanging out will fan the flames, so dunno. Depends on how fixated they become on us. And it doesn't even matter if they like us as a married couple or not. Good or bad press is irrelevant for as long as they can sell it. Even if they come up with their own stories and theories. God, how I hate this side of my work. It can get distracting if you pay too much attention to it. So I usually just ignore it and let my team update me. If you want, I can ask them to do the same for you. Because from what I already know, you doesn't seem to be a guy who spends much time reading gossip columns," he smirked and drank some more, letting himself feel a bit more relaxed around Derek. He was definitely a good conversation partner.

"I don't really care what they write about me. But if something comes up about me that might be damaging to you, then sure, we should get ahead of it." Well aware of how that sounded, Derek swallowed a bite of sausage before being clearer about it. "Not that there's anything you should be worried about." It was strange how he constantly felt that he should be saying that. It seemed like that was something he wanted to make sure Stiles knew. It was the same like when Stiles kept apologizing for asking him to marry him.

"I want to bet that if something hits the gossip columns about me, Erica is going to be the first to tell me." Unfortunately, she was one of those crazy fans spending a lot of time online to search for news about her idols. Stiles was one of them as he knew and Derek had been very upfront about it. "But she doesn't have your posters on her walls and she'll not start that now." Nope, Derek would make her remove them, because he didn't want her thirsting after his fake husband. "That's a level of family dysfunction I'm not ready for."

"I can see why," Stiles chuckled. "It'd be weird and uncomfortable for sure. It won't be a problem, right? I mean... I'm not sure just how big of a fan she is. I had my fair share of dealing with... let's say bonker fans. One or two stalkers too. Which is no fun, let me tell ya. Luckily I've got no death threats so far. Or at least I don't know about that. Dunno how that might change now from how 'I treated Theo' with marrying you instead of him. I mean, I'm sure I had angered quite a few of his fans," he dropped his head back against the back of the couch on a sigh, exposing the pale long column of his mole-dotted throat. "That can get ugly if it gets out of hand."

Stalking, death threats... it didn't sound like Stiles was very safe to be out here on his own. Maybe that's why he was surrounded by people all the time. It made Derek frown, because he didn't like that thought, nor how casual Stiles was about it. As if it was normal.

"He cheated on you. Are those fans delusional?" It was a stupid question, because as a history teacher, he knew all too well what people were capable of if they idolized a person. It happened very often throughout history. "Maybe you need a bodyguard."

Maybe that's also why Stiles kept asking how big of a fan Erica was, to make sure he was safe. Fortunately, she was harmless. "Erica's not that big of a fan. This was her first concert and we only went because my friend Isaac had tickets. He invited us on the day of the concert."

"That's good to hear," the musician lifted his head and took another sip, his cheeks a bit redder from the alcohol, which made him a bit more open and relaxed in his slightly tipsy taste. "Unfortunately there are delusional people out there. But that's why I have Boyd around most of the time. Like... right now he's out on the corridor waiting for me. He insisted on coming in with me, but I wanted to talk to you in private," he agreed. "And on tour or during events or interviews there's additional security. So yeah, no worries, I'm safe. And it's not that bad. I don't get a stalker or crazy fan every day," he shrugged. "I'm not always hounded. Especially when I put on some disguise. That can be fun sometimes," he smirked, thinking back on the mundane or crazy outfits he had used in the past to be able to go somewhere unnoticed. "So don't worry about that."

Derek's head swiveled to his door, as if he could see Boyd through it. It was an uncomfortable idea that the man was waiting out there while they were in here, drinking and eating. Sure, he got paid for it, hopefully well-paid, but yeah, Derek wasn't sure if that was something he could ever do himself. Employ people whose soul job was to stick close and do things for you. He was far too independent, he didn't even have help cleaning. Which was something he should consider though. Maybe.

"A disguise? Like what, a hoodie and sunglasses? Oh wait...That's already you now." It was a shameless tease even when they were genuine questions. Was it a superhero costume? Was it a wig? How would one disguise himself when constantly in the picture?

"Hey, I didn't come here in disguise. I had one of my usual leather jackets on," he waved over his body, which now was clad only in a T-shirt, jeans and combat boots. "But let me tell you, Sherlock Holmes himself would be proud of my creative ideas!" he chuckled. "Sunglasses and big hoodies for sure, but also baseball caps and sweatpants and there was even a few occasions when wigs were used," Stiles smirked amused. "You'll probably bump into one or two pictures of those from the past if you decide to continue online stalking your new hubby," Stiles added. "You do own sunglasses too, right? I mean, I'd advise keeping them at hand. It helps with the camera flashes a bit. No wonder I have so many and wear a pair most of the time when I go out... Well... I'm not really selling my fabulous lifestyle of the rich and the famous, huh?" he asked at the end with some sarcasm.

For a second Stiles even considered calling it all off, because he'd only drag someone unprepared into that circus head first. Well... he already kinda did, right? Either way, it was going to be on him this time. Not Theo. And yeah, that thought dampened his mood a bit, which has been all over the place since yesterday anyway.

"I've never thought that the rich and famous had fabulous lives,” Derek said. “It seems complicated and comes at the cost of your privacy. Trust me, I'm not jealous of any of that." No, the older man couldn't see the appeal of wanting to be famous, not even if it allowed people to do what they wanted to do. Obviously Stiles was very passionate about making music and got a kick out of performing. In the end though, would that be really worth the price?

Fame wasn't what made Derek say yes. It was probably exactly what made him hesitate about it all since the marriage had happened. It wasn't his life, it was never going to be his life. "I'm doing this for you. And I know with time, the press and your fans will forget all about me." They didn't call it the fifteen minutes of fame for nothing. So Derek was very sure it would all blow over once the marriage had been annulled. "We'll figure out the disguises." Stiles seemed mellow thanks to the wine, but also exhausted. "We should call it a night. You look like you need some sleep." A few nights of it if he could, because the paleness was startling. "We'll have months to talk." More like Stiles would talk and he'd listen, but that counted too.

Derek's concern for his exhausted appearance was another nice little surprise. Stiles eyed him for a long moment, but it seemed genuine. It's been a while since someone (aside from his father or team or some fans) would notice or voice it. Lately not even Theo seemed to see or rather care about how the tour was grating on Stiles. But then his ex-fiancé had his own career to be busy with, right? And apparently fucking at least one other guy, so yeah... Now it made a bit more sense.

The contrast between these two men seemed to get bigger with each small detail. It was as if a veil was pulled from Stiles' eyes and he could see clear for the first time in a long time. That's why while comparing this relative stranger to the man he used to be in love with was starting to make him see Theo from a different light. Like finally picking up on the small negative details about Theo. His manipulative ways, the egoism, his hunger for fame and money, the missed calls and excuses why they couldn't line up their schedules. It was so easy to make it seem as if it was because of Stiles' tour and the wedding preparations and Theo's "studio time"... So yeah, Stiles was starting to see clearer. Which didn't make the pain less intense in his broken heart. But he'll survive. He had survived many things, other ugly breakups and downward spirals. He'll show that he can get over this too. And this time he wasn't alone.

"Yeah, you're right. I kept you from falling asleep to Netflix on a Friday night long enough," Stiles put on a teasing smile. "But that's just the crazy schedule of the rich and the famous," he added then downed the rest of his wine, putting the empty glass down on the table. "Nothing to envy there, indeed. But thank you for having me here. It was a good talk. Also thanks for the wine and food. But most of all for doing this for me. It's like... mind-blowing to me that a practical stranger would do something like that for me without wanting anything in return." Too good to be true, he thought. "Anyways, it's very kind of you, so thanks. I'll get going now. Still have to make some phone calls," he stood, heading for his leather-jacket on the other end of the couch's back.

"My mom taught us that kindness is always repaid in some way. Either you'll do something nice for me one day, or you'll do by paying it forward. Either way, it's never for 'nothing'." Derek stood as well to escort Stiles to the door like a good host. His mother had taught him a few things, which were still ingrained in him. It was automatic and without thinking about it. Opening the front door, he saw Boyd straightening up further down the hall, so he nodded at him in greeting.

"I'm not a quitter. I said yes so I'll see this through. Even if I can almost see the skepticism in a little thought balloon above your head." The world in general wasn't a nice place, so he understood why Stiles didn't believe him, and would be waiting for the other shoe to drop for weeks to come. Derek hoped that with time he could at least show the younger man that he kept to his word and didn't want anything from him. Derek didn't do fake, not ever. And in time, Stiles would see and believe that. He'd make sure of it. "Good night Stiles. I'll see you next week for interviews."

"Yeah... see you then, Derek," he waved goodbye and walked towards Boyd, who matched his pace as if he was his shadow, even if he was walking on the singer's side. Stiles glanced back at Derek with a small smile one last time then they were on the way downstairs.

Apparently Boyd had called for some backup while waiting (and probably somehow still keeping an eye on the paparazzi situation downstairs), because the second they exited the elevator in the lobby, a familiar face pulled out of the shadows too. One half of the Steiner twins, Ethan. The twins occasionally were hired as bodyguards and were probably Boyd's friends, doing such appearances from thin air whenever they were needed. Well, or at least Stiles assumed they were at least friendly with Boyd to do such favors. But then again maybe they got paid by Stiles' money. He wasn't really clear with such details since it was usually Kira and Scott's job to deal with things like that.

"That bad, huh?" Stiles put his sunglasses on and looked past Ethan's head. "Fucking vultures..." he grumbled when he saw that the reporters too had multiplied meanwhile. There were double the amount than when they had arrived. Taking a deep breath and pulling the collar of his leather jacket up, Stiles sighed. "Let's get over with this then. I just wanna get home in one piece."

The other two men simply nodded then took the lead on both sides, mostly shielding Stiles from view with their broad backs, making the yelling reporters part like the red sea.

"What did you talk about with your new husband, Stiles?!"

"What's the deal with this fake marriage?"

"Where's Theo? What would he say to this?"

"Have you consummated your marriage with Derek just now?"

Stiles' jaw ticked from those questions yelled at him, especially the last one. Because yeah, sure, he was just cheated on and heartbroken, running into a marriage with a total stranger and he just came here to fuck, right? He was surprised they didn't yell stuff like "bitch" or "whore" right in his face. After all, he did fuck Theo on the first night they had officially met. Calling him that would be just too easy. Some probably will tomorrow, but he didn't care.

He just slipped onto the backseat of the town car, ever grateful for the tinted glasses, and waited for his bodyguards to get in too.

Even on his way home he was thinking about what Derek had said about kindness. What you give, you'll get back, right? It was something to ponder on in the silence of the car.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3 – Alone

“I hope you're unhappy and hurting inside
I want you to choke when you swallow your pride
Lay in your coffin and sleep with your sins
Give me the nails and I'll hammer them in

Right now

This time you won't be heard
You are gonna burn
It's funny how the table, how the table turns”

(BFMV – Alone)

The days following were as insane as they have been since the concert. Derek was still the center of attention to those guys with the cameras, who followed him around even when he was just walking his dog for the morning poop. As if anybody would find that interesting to see. They were there when he'd go out to buy a cup of coffee and they were waiting outside of the school grounds. And he could tell from the way the students behaved around him that he had gained some fame on the internet. The kids had that look of awe and admiration and they whispered whenever he walked by. Suddenly their teacher's private life was put out in the open for all to see, something Derek disliked a lot. Not Erica. She had gained immense popularity since this all had started. Everybody wanted to be her friend in hopes of meeting Stiles, which was a stupid thing to think, because Erica hasn't officially met him yet either.

Derek hasn't even been married to the rock star for a week and he felt like he was living in crazy town. Scott had called on the weekend to talk about schedules and interviews, doing his best to keep Derek's job hours in mind. Not that Derek was planning on skipping classes if there was an interview, he'd simply not go. It was that simple.

"Hey Derek, are you and Stiles broken up already?"

"Was the sex that bad?"

That question nearly made him stop in his track since it incited a flame of anger within him. No, he couldn't let himself be provoked. So far he had managed to avoid answering all questions thrown at him by the press and had diligently posed with some of Stiles' fans when they came up to him for a selfie. Derek lacked media training, so answering the questions that weren't asked in interviews seemed to be like digging his own grave. Unfortunately, it made him mysterious and it only made them try harder.

"Where are you going?"

"Are you ever going to see Stiles again?"

"Is he back with Theo?"

Sighing deeply, Derek unlocked his car after rolling up the sleeves of his maroon sweater. It was combined with dark jeans, maybe too casual for the occasion, but seeing as it was his free time and Stiles walked around in shirts with holes in them, it had to be fine.

"I'm going to see Stiles right now at an interview where members of the press have been invited to. So you can ask me your questions there." He opened up the door, and turned to them with a predatory little smile. "Oh wait, you're not invited, are you?"

Leaving them to it, he put his phone in the holder and dialed the by now familiar number that had been pre-programmed. "Scott, I'm on my way to the studio right now."

It was needed so Scott would make sure he'd be let in at the gate which he'd be pulling up to in about twenty minutes. It would be the first time seeing Stiles again. And he really had no idea what to expect.

The Couch Time Talk Show has been one of the most popular ones in recent years, probably because it didn't revolve only around gossip, but had the perfect blend of that and more serious topics, spiced with some humor here and there. The host was a young pretty brunette woman called Hayden Romero. She was one of the normal reporters, not asking too invasive or inappropriate questions and treating her famous guests like real people too. In other words, she was more kind and compassionate than most of her peers. Those were the reasons why Stiles had picked her proposal for an exclusive interview. There were many to pick from, starting to pour in nearly immediately after the unusual marriage on stage.

"Derek's here. I go get him," Stiles heard Kira's voice from the left as he was sitting backstage in a dressing room in the makeup chair with closed eyes, a brush gently working on spreading the foundation evenly on his face.

"Okay," he murmured and sighed a bit relieved, because he wasn't completely sure the teacher would actually make it. Not because of any classes – since it was a Saturday – but because Stiles still had that little voice in his head, which kept dripping doubt into his heart and kept saying that no one will ever really want the real him, that he was too much to handle for anyone. Which was his biggest and deepest fear, something he only ever talked about with Scott. Not even Theo or any of his other exes and it proved to be a good decision, because they could've easily used that knowledge against him in some way. And sure, this marriage was not real and he knew Derek wasn't here for him in that capacity, but still, it made him feel a bit more relaxed that – as promised – he kept himself to his word and actually showed up.

So Stiles, wearing a simple black T-shirt under a stylish red leather-jacket with silver studs, a pair of black jeans torn here and there and his well-worn black combat boots, slumped a bit in the makeup chair, waiting for Derek's arrival.

"I didn't think makeup was involved," Derek said as he sagged into the chair next to Stiles. Kira had informed him that he was going to have to get his face done when she had collected him at the visitor's lounge. Scott had done a little prep through the phone during the week but he hadn't talked to his fake husband at all. A glance sideways told him Stiles looked good, not as pale but that was probably the makeup's doing. Derek had read some more articles on the singer, and had read he had Polish roots, which explained the fair complexion.

He was told to sit back and relax while the woman eyed his face to guess the right foundation color, mixing some together even as she grabbed a brush. "Is there a reason why we need this?"

"The lights used while filming will make your skin paler and shine too much so we use makeup on every guest on the show. Don't worry, it'll look completely natural." The makeup artist explained as she started to apply the foundation.

Derek hummed in answer, not sure if the whole natural look was correct with how Stiles looked, but then they weren't under the lights yet. Instead he glanced at Stiles again, raising his hand to show he was still wearing the wedding ring.

"I'd lie if I claimed I wasn't nervous. You really want me to be a part of the interview?" Now was the time to call it all off before Derek would no doubt be a disaster.

Now that his own face was done, Stiles opened his whiskey-brown eyes, which were accentuated with some black eye-liner again. He just caught sight of the simple wedding band on Derek's finger. In return he lifted his own left hand and showed off his own.

"Feeling nervous is natural. I still get like that before important interviews – like this – or before stepping on stage. Even if I had done hundreds of both by now. And yes, I want you there with me. Scott might have released an official statement on my social media platforms about what had happened up on that stage and that we stay married for now, but this is going to be the first time a reporter can ask about it in person. So everyone's hyped. I like Hayden. She's one of the nicer ones. I've been on her show a few times before. She won't be rude. You've got the list of her questions earlier from Scott, right? She will mostly stick to those, aside from a few that might be a reaction to something we say. I'll handle most of her questions, except for those that are going to be directed right at you. But I'll step in in case you struggle with one or freeze. You don't have to go into details. Stick to the facts and the truth, as much as possible. If I can avoid it, I don't do the lying myself through this business to save my ass or get what I want. I know that's not that common in my line of work anymore where everything is about the perfect image, but I don't care. I care more about my music. And in this case about your well-being as well. So maybe if you feel like you need help, squeeze my wrist or hand or something. We'll be sitting next to each other on a couch, so you can do that," Stiles offered, hoping that he was supporting and comforting enough.

Derek closed his eyes as the woman started to powder his face. "I should have claimed I was mute." Of course, he knew interviews were important, even though he was new to this world. He had seen plenty of interviews and it seemed it was even more important these days for celebrities to be at talk shows and have some interviews if there was a new release, movie or otherwise. Even fans were allowed to ask questions at these cons that Erica kept begging him to go to.

These stupid nerves fluttering in his stomach were ridiculous, but it was his first TV appearance (no, the concert didn't count, because he hadn't even known he was being filmed). It was also his first interview and despite being sent all the questions beforehand, he still didn't feel like he was prepared. Lacking the social skills that Stiles seemed to have in abundance, this was kind of a nightmare scenario for the introvert that he was.

"I've practiced the answers, yeah. Scott played reporter for a moment, but he mostly just annoyed me." It had resulted in a very grumpy interview. Right now he felt better, despite the nerves, confident that Stiles would save the day for the both of them. He was oozing confidence, completely at ease with all of this.

"If I cling to your hand the entire time, it's because so I can squeeze it and make you talk for me instead." It was said like it was a light tease, but it could also be the complete truth.

Stiles softly chuckled at that. "Well, you can do that. The hand holding, I mean. If it makes it easier for you. But you'll have to speak at least a few sentences. You can keep your answers brief and I'll fill in the rest," he reassured Derek again. Then he sat up straighter, pausing for a moment until the makeup artist added the finishing touches on Derek's face, which looked even more handsome all made up like that. "You know... if you really don't want to do this, I'll understand. I won't force you to do any of this. It's your last chance to dance back and walk away before your face gets out there even more than it already did," he said quieter, but also serious, waiting until their eyes met.

"It's already out there. Besides, I'm not going to let nerves get the best of me." If only Derek felt as confident as he sounded. Reaching for his glasses, he put them back on, foregoing to make use the contacts he sometimes wore. Glasses were easier and definitely more comfortable for him, which would make him feel more at ease. "I appreciate it, the offer for me to be able to back out of this, but you don't have to keep asking me that. Or say sorry all the time. I'm a big boy, I can make my own decisions." Sliding off the chair with the ease of a cat, he straightened his shirt and held out his hand, wriggling his fingers in invitation. “’No’ happens to be my favorite word." Which made it kind of weird how Stiles managed to make him say yes more often than no. Not a fact he wanted to look closer at any time soon. This was fake, it was to help Stiles. No matter how charming and interesting the singer really was.

A small grateful smile spread on Stiles' face as he stood too and accepted the slightly bigger hand, sliding his own into it. "Well... thank you then and I'll keep that in mind," he smiled wider and even winked at the few inches taller man. And if there was a slight blush on the singer's face as he entwined their fingers as they started walking towards the stage, it was mostly concealed by the makeup he wore and the shadows of the backstage where they got their mics put on by some staff.

"We all know our next guest. He has four critically acclaimed rock albums and won multiply music awards, and got even more nominations and has been one of the biggest names in the music business for years now. He just finished his fourth sold-out tour with a shocking twist at the end. Please, welcome Stiles Stilinski, who is accompanied by his husband, the mysterious and handsome Derek Hale!" Hayden Romero said enthusiastically and the roar of the audience nearly tuned out their entry music.

Stiles tightened his hold on Derek's hand reassuringly and they walked in like that, hand-in-hand. He plastered a big smile on his face and waved towards the audience before finally letting go of Derek's hand once they met Hayden in the middle. Stiles took her offered hand and lifted it to his lips to press a light kiss theatrically on the back of it (which made her blush and smile wider, showing off her cute dimples) and then watched her shake hands with Derek.

Of course, there were screams and yelling and clapping while Hayden waved them towards the big red couch opposite her matching armchair. Once they were seated, Stiles waved towards the audience again and mouthed a 'thank you' for the warm welcome then turned his attention back on Hayden, who was smiling back and was already holding some cards in her hands.

"Welcome, Stiles and Derek!" Hayden started once the audience calmed down a bit. "And thank you for choosing The Couch Time for this exclusive interview. I'm sure you've got bombarded with many offers, Stiles."

"That's an understatement, but also understandable after what just happened," he nodded, still smiling, although it got a bit tenser at the edges, knowing what was to come and steeling himself.

"Oh yes, very understandable. But for those, who doesn't know, let me quickly recap what had happened on the finale of your tour," she said and turned towards the camera. "A week ago Stiles and his long-time boyfriend, Theo Raeken, were meant to get married on stage before singing their hit duet, ‘Marry Me,’ but an unexpected twist happened and instead of marrying Theo, you picked a random man with a 'Marry Me' sign from the crowd and married him. What made you do that?"

"Well... by now most of you probably know about what had happened between me and my ex-fiancé. I just saw that video of him kissing one of his dancers right before I went on stage, so yeah... I couldn't go through with marrying him after that, so... as you might know, occasionally I tend to pull crazy stuff, so, you know... I was an emotional wreck and didn't want to disappoint, so I spotted Derek in the crowd and kinda proposed," he shrugged.

"That was certainly different," she nodded in agreement, referring to Stiles' little speech before that about doing something different. "What made you pick him?"

Stiles glanced at the man in question and smoothly put his hand on top of his between them on the couch, patting it twice. "Have you looked at him? He's smoking hot!" he grinned, making the audience chuckle and someone yell 'hell yeah!'. "But nah, honestly? I wasn't really thinking straight in that moment, but had that urge to do it, so I just did it. And Derek..." he looked back at the silent man again "was awesome enough to go along with it. So here we are."

As if Derek needed to hear more to start blushing, he felt his face burning with how he was introduced as the handsome Hale, and then Stiles exclaiming to all in the audience and whoever was watching that he thought Derek was smoking hot. It sounded sincere, even though he knew that in the moment, Stiles had only seen the sign and had acted out of his emotions, not because of his looks. He glanced at the hand on top of his, nearly missing the question that was directed at him.

"What made you say yes, Derek? Did you know Stiles as a singer?" Hayden made it sound like the question was one she came up with just now, but Derek had known it would be one of the ones asked, because it was on the list.

"No. A friend dragged us to the concert. My daughter made the sign and I ended up holding it. Like I do with her bags." That earned him a laugh from the audience, which startled him at first, because it wasn't like he was funny on purpose. "I didn't even know there would be a wedding, let alone my own." More laughter. Maybe the audience was that bored, or drunk. Or both. "I said yes, because he looked like he didn't need another disappointment in his life. I didn't want to be yet another person to end up hurting him. I didn't know what went down with Stiles and the idiot, but he looked sad."

There was a collective awwww as Hayden nodded. “By the idiot you mean Theo?"

"It's a mild word to describe him." The snark was natural, but it seemed to gain him bonus points with the fans.

Stiles allowed himself a small smile at that, but gently squeezed Derek's hand under his, maybe as a warning not to use a worse word or be too openly hostile towards Theo, because that wouldn't be a good look for either of them. Or so Stiles' team thought in the current complicated situation.

"And what are your thoughts on Theo and what he had done to you, Stiles?" Hayden looked back at the singer, who pursed his lips for a second then shrugged.

"Well..." he started, the eagerness to hear his opinion about his ex nearly palpable in the studio. He could actually see some people sliding to the edge of their seat. Which he would've found kinda funny in different circumstances. This was one of the harder questions for him. "Obviously him cheating on me right before our wedding hurt like hell," he shrugged again, keeping his expression as neutral as possible as the cameras – no doubt – were zooming in on his face to catch any and every reaction and emotions they could. "I don't put up with cheaters, so for me it was over right then and there."

"Understandable," Hayden said with a compassionate look and soft tone. "If I may ask, have you talked to him since the concert?"

"Once. And let me tell you, it wasn't pretty and I don't want to go into details about that. It's between the two of us," he offered a small bitter smile, but his eyes were serious about it. It was also a warning for every other reporter, who'd try to get more out of him about this topic.

"Yes, of course. So..." Hayden slightly tilted her head to the side, letting some of her long wavy brown locks fall forward on her shoulder. "Does this mean you're done for good? I'm asking, because there might be fans out there, who hope for you two to get back together one day."

"No. That won't happen. We're done. The sooner people start to accept that, the better. I'm trying to move on."

To that Hayden's brown eyes darted to Derek. "Yes, many see you staying married to Derek like that. Others think it's a jab, an insult of yours towards Theo."

"I can be vindictive, yes, but that usually happens through my music. Staying married to Derek is more about moving forward and trying to forget my ex."

"I see. Derek," she turned her attention back to the other man. "Are the rumors true that you had punched Theo backstage? And does what Stiles said mean that the marriage between you two is real, not fake like many believe?"

Right, Derek wasn't supposed to hate Theo too much, even though he thought it was bullshit. What that guy did to Stiles was inexcusable and everybody should know it. But he also didn't want to antagonize Theo and give him any kind of excuse to hurt Stiles, so he took a deep breath before he opened his usually blunt mouth. "I reacted in the moment." More like he had felt like punching a smug face that needed some good punching so he'd stay the hell away from Stiles.

"Are you sorry you've punched him?"

"No." Derek was pretty firm with that answer and didn't elaborate on that. It made Hayden hesitate, if she should ask more about that or if she should move on. It was clearly a good topic, but not one Derek felt very talkative about. She took only a second to decide before she smiled.

"What about the realness of the marriage?"

"At the moment it's only real on paper. I mean, I've met him twice and that's including getting married on stage. However, we've talked about it and we want to give it a try. It's not as strange as arranged marriages, which by the way had a high success rate back when they were very common. A lot of them were actually a business transaction where the family of the wife would get a nice endowment. I guess, in this scenario I'd be considered the wife, so I'm hoping to get a cow out of it for my parents."

"Well, I'm sure that's something Stiles can arrange," Hayden laughed along with the audience. "So what you're both saying is that you both want to stay married to get to know one another."

After a short laugh, Stiles nodded. "Yeah. I mean... we're already married, so why not try to make the most of the situation? Getting to know each other and see where it leads. We already find each other interesting and I enjoy talking to him, so why not? Maybe it'll be a good friendship, maybe more. Time will tell," he shrugged again, shortly grinning at Derek before looking back at Hayden. "Despite our very different backgrounds, we already have common interests. Like helping those in need. For example, did you know that he founded a group in the school where he teaches history, which helps on kids with learning difficulties? I think that's amazing!" Stiles said and probably both of them knew that he was talking Derek up a bit to make him look as good as possible in the public eye. Not to make Stiles look better, but Derek.

"I agree. That's a wonderful thing to do," Hayden said and not just for show, she really meant it. "I had a friend who struggled like that back in high school and I wish she had such help back then," she shared, smiling brightly at Derek. "And you, Stiles, are known to be involved with numerous charities too, so that's definitely a common interest."

"Yes, it's a nice start. And maybe I needed this change in my life without realizing it. I mean... sure, we're very different, but opposites attract each other, right? Also, his life is more grounded than my chaos. It could be good for me."

"To kinda anchor you?" Hayden asked.

"Yeah, something like that. You know how I can be a mini-tornado," he half-joked, making the audience laugh again, because yeah, most knew about how explosive Stiles and his energies/presence could be. Especially on stage.

"I think my life needed a little chaos, and his needed a little structure,” Derek cut in. “That's going to be the real challenge, to see if our differences are not too big to make it work." It was more like seeing if Derek could get used to the chaos that not Stiles but the way he lived brought, the fact that he was famous and exposed to the entire world. While the Hale was used to a life of animosity and the only ones who'd recognize him were his students. But for the three months they had agreed on, it didn't seem like it would be too much of an inconvenience.

"Do you think it can work?" Hayden jumped on that. "You have a fourteen year old to take care of and classes to teach and prepare for."

"I won't be going on tours or anything, no. And he'll need his entire focus on his music anyways. It's all about trust and respect in the end. Maybe a rock star marrying a teacher nobody from New York will work, maybe it won't," Derek shrugged. "There are no guarantees in life, everything is a maybe before it turns into a yes or a no. And even then it can change. If you want safety and security, then you have to wonder if life is really something you can handle."

Hayden nodded to that, unsure how to run with that kind of deep thinking, because she hadn't expected that from Derek at all. So instead she smiled and turned her attention back to Stiles. "What are the plans for the Mini-Tornado now? The ‘Marry Me’ tour was cancelled, for obvious reasons. Are there plans for a new album?"

Stiles' whiskey-brown eyes stayed on Derek's profile for a few more moments, not even trying to hide how impressed he was from those deeper – and true – words. Then he looked back at Hayden and lightly shook his head.

"Correction: the tour wasn't cancelled. It was the last show when we got hitched. So that means that this Mini-Tornado has a couple of months of down time before I start writing new songs, but yeah, there's definitely a new album on the horizon. It depends on how long the creative process will take. It might come out next year or later. One thing's for sure, I won't rush it. I want to write and record quality stuff, as always."

"And you have plenty of inspiration already, I believe," Hayden nodded, obviously meaning the breakup with Theo and this new marriage to Derek.

Stiles chuckled shortly. "Oh yeah, definitely. Lots of emotions to get out of my system."

"And what will happen to ‘Marry Me,’ now? It's still number one on the Billboard Top 100 and it doesn't seem that it'll drop from that place for a while now."

"Maybe. I know that what had happened probably is boosting that song, but I don't know. For obvious reasons I'm not comfortable going anywhere near to that song for a while. Or ever..."

That coaxed some disappointed sounds from the audience, to which Stiles grimaced and smiled apologetically.

"And if it gets nominated for awards? Which is highly possible given its success? Would you consider singing it with Theo again? Obviously not right now, but later?" she asked.

"I don't know. We'll see," he said shortly, that unreadable mask he had mastered during the years of living mostly in the public eye slipping back seamlessly onto his face.

"On that note, let me just say that I hope all will get better for you and I'm looking forward to seeing how your marriage will turn out," she smiled at both of them. "We have a couple of minutes left for the audience to ask their questions before our time runs out," she announced, to which dozens of hands shot into the air. "Yes, the woman with the purple hair," Hayden picked a girl, who was obviously a fan sporting a T-shirt with the cover of one of Stiles' albums.

"H-hi! I'm Maya. Huge fan from the start," she said a bit shyly and blushing furiously once she stood and a crew member gave her a mic.

"Hi, Maya. Thanks and nice to meet you," Stiles smiled at her encouragingly.

"I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and how much your music means to me. And I'm really sorry for what had happened with Theo," she quickly added. "My question is for Derek, though. As I understand, you're not a fan – yet. How did you like Stiles' music and show before the whole wedding thing?"

"It was fine," Derek started, which was probably not the answer she was looking for, judging from the way her eyes widened at that. As if he had just kicked her puppy or something. "I wasn't really focused on it, though. I don't know if you're familiar with going to a concert with a teenager, but it takes a lot of your attention. Especially when she's squealing loudly all the time over nothing." That made the others laugh at least. "I didn't really listen to his music until Stiles had left my house after we talked about what the hell just happened the night before. He told me that his music meant everything to him, so I felt like I had to listen to it to understand his world."

Derek paused again and Hayden couldn't help herself, too intrigued about what the answer could be. "Well? Don't leave us all in suspense! What did you think?"

"I think it's the kind of music I can listen to all evening because it tells a story, it tells emotions. I think I'm lucky that I know the person who wrote those lyrics, because he's more than the chaos he brings."

Stiles ducked his head a bit, but there was a pleased smile (and a blush) on his face from Derek praising his music, which was the most important thing for him. Those words made him feel a bit warmer where his broken heart was residing.

At the cheering those words brought, the way people stood up, whistled and clapped, it made Derek duck his head as well, not used to that kind of attention. Hayden sensed it and as the good host she was, she decided to pick another person for a question.

"I have a question for Stiles. What made you pick a stranger to marry? Aren't you worried that others will copy that and ruin their futures because of picking the wrong person? Stranger danger is something we teach our kids to keep them safe. And you're saying that marriage is a game."

The singer's attention went to the person who asked that question and looked more serious as their eyes met. "No, I never said that marriage is a game. As I said before, I wasn't thinking, I went with the moment because of my fucked up emotions. I never said it was a wise thing to do. Hell, I'm sure many thinks I finally went totally bonkers. But I cannot blame them. What I did was a bit crazy, indeed, and I don't encourage anyone to follow my example. Although people did crazier things on reality shows for money and not because their hearts were broken. In fact I'm sure there's a show, which makes people blindly marry practical strangers. I know it's not the same situation, but a bit similar, I think. Either way, I know marriage is not something to joke about. I know it's something that people usually consider for a while with their partner. And it can be a wonderful thing. Like my parents' was. Like how I hoped that mine with Theo would've turned out. But turns out, after one and a half years later he was still a stranger to me too, wasn't he?" he gave the woman a small lopsided smile, practically rendering her speechless, while some laughed or murmured in agreement.

It seemed that Hayden sensed when to step in. "We have time for one last question," she announced and picked a skinny blond guy clad in all black.

"My question is for the both of you. Let's say your relationship works out and you decide to stay married. At one point would you consider doing a... more traditional wedding too?"

Stiles' lips parted, but no words came out of it as he glanced at Derek, his own cheeks warming up a bit once more.

Talk about being put on the stand, because that was what it felt like. Sure, officially they were married, but that didn't mean that for them it counted. It wasn't the same as marrying for love, that was for sure. Marriage was a traditional thing in Derek’s opinion, something his family completely encouraged yet he had never seen himself do. It was an interesting question though, now that he was in fact already wearing a ring.

"Maybe. I'd like to ask him, some day if it would come to it. Have a small wedding with those we love somewhere outside when the sun's shining. Or he can ask me if he's too impatient to wait. He seems like the type to take matters into his own hands."

"Oh, I'm sure he does!" A fan called from the audience, followed by roaring laughter as Derek blushed at the apparent innuendo he had uttered just now. Without even realizing. Wow, he really needed to watch what he says, especially when on camera. Derek threw Stiles a look, caught between flustered and horrified.

But the singer just burst out laughing too while at the same time he squeezed Derek's hand apologetically. "Hey, it's okay," he murmured then said on a normal volume. "They know me by now," he wiggled his brows, causing another round of giggles and laughs in the audience.

"On that note," Hayden took back control over the conversation. "Stiles, Derek, thank you for being here. It was a pleasure. And we're looking forward to see what the future brings to you two," she smiled then turned towards the camera. "Thank you all for tuning in for this exclusive interview with Stiles Stilinski and Derek Hale. Have a good day and stay safe!" she said then stood, which was their cue to do the same.

Stiles squeezed Derek's hand once more before he followed her example and this time went in for a friendly hug with Hayden, murmuring a "thank you" into her hair. She really was one of the rare good ones.

Once they said their goodbyes, Stiles led Derek backstage, letting the staff take off their mics.

"You okay? It wasn't that bad, right?" the singer asked once they were guided back to the dressing room so they could remove their makeup and gather their things.

Derek sighed deeply in relief when he saw that it was just the two of them and the makeup artist. Compared to what they had been surrounded with the past hour, it was a lot less people. She patted the chair for him to sit down in it, so she could, or so he presumed, get the foundation off.

"My heart was hammering the entire time, my mouth was dry and I probably had the crazy eyes for most of the interview." And was it really that hot? He grabbed the edges of his sweater to fan himself with some cool air, because it was sticking to his sweaty stomach. "We should go get some ice cream," Derek sagged down in the chair and watched as she got out special cloths and creams to get it all off. "It's what I give myself as a reward for living through something." It was a childish thing maybe, however, to a real ice cream fan like him, it was the perfect treat. Practically feeling his pores open up when the makeup was being cleaned off, he sighed, feeling more like himself with that. "You don't have to come, if you don't want to."

"Ooooh, I'm a big fan of ice cream, too! In fact, I have a nice variety at my place. I have a huge ass freezer compartment in my fridge. Well, one side of it is practically full of ice-cream and other frozen stuff. I mean... we could go to an ice cream parlor too, but I doubt you could handle more paparazzi and fans for today..." the singer side-eyed Derek, watching the makeup artist finish her quick but effective job on the teacher's handsome face.

"By the way, it's perfectly fine to feel that way during interviews. I remember my first time. It was a disaster. I could barely string a sentence together from the nerves. For a while I relied on shots and beers. But with time I've got used to interviews. You will too, I promise. I mean, I meant what I said, trying to keep you out of the public eye as much as possible, but occasionally there will be interviews and public appearances with me, so yeah. I chose Hayden's show, because she's nice, so it was like an easy entry for you into my crazy world," he chuckled then tilted his head back and closed his eyes when the girl moved over to remove his makeup too.

"Ugh yeah. Okay, if you're sure then we can go to your house. Your fans are okay, they're nice so far. It's the paparazzi I have problems with." Derek doubted he would get used to their cameras and the way they seemed to insert themselves into his life without even asking or even giving him the feeling that they saw him as a person. He felt like a piece of meat, a number to give them income and nothing more. "Your fans mostly ask for an autograph or a selfie. Even though I still don't get why they want my scribble."

Derek appreciated how much Stiles tried to keep him out of the public eye, so he could deal with a few interviews and public appearances. "I think it helps that I don't watch myself. I'll leave the social media to Erica and Scott. And Kira. She's nice." She didn't talk much, yet, when he was around, but when she did, she gave smart remarks and constantly wanted to help him out. He could understand why Stiles picked her as his personal assistant, she was a good person to be around. Her energy was infectious, as was her smile. "Fair warning, I will eat your freezer empty." The amounts of ice cream he could stow away was no joke.

Stiles chuckled low. "You can eat it all out," he said then realized it might mean something else too, but didn't correct himself. "Otherwise yes, Kira is nice and very effective in her job. The perfect match for Scott in every meaning," he added. "The fans will want your signature, because you're my husband now and thus a famous person. Fans usually collect stuff like that aside from the memorabilia and merch with my name on in," he explained patiently. Sure, for someone who wasn't into music like his fans, it might be strange. "Well... you know history way better than me, but even I know that humans are gatherers by nature. We like to collect things, even if nowadays it's not food for our survival. That instinct stuck with us. So some collect stamps, books or music-related stuff. I hope it makes more sense to you now."

The makeup artist informed him that she was done with him too, just when Scott and Kira entered the dressing room.

"That went quite well," Scott smirked while Kira nodded in agreement, her fingers moving incredibly fast on her iPhone as she was typing out either a message or an email.

"Agreed," Stiles stood and started gathering the few of his belongings he had left there.

"When will it come out?"

"Tomorrow at 8 pm," Kira informed them.

"Wow, they really want it to be out," Stiles whistled low then turned to Derek to explain. "Usually it takes a couple of days to edit such an interview, but I'm guessing their people will work on our interview non-stop to meet the deadline."

"Yeah, the public wants details about you two," Scott agreed. "You broke the internet, after all. After a week Stiles' social media accounts are still blowing up with constant comments and messages too. I had to help Kira contain the insanity as best we could."

"And I just posted that the exclusive will air tomorrow, so it won't calm down for a while," Kira added.

"Great. So we should lay low for the rest of the day," Stiles rolled his eyes. "Good thing that Derek and I decided to go to my place and celebrate surviving his first interview with eating tons of ice cream."

Derek wasn't sure what there was that needed to be edited, because it wasn't like they had stumbled over their words, and there were no weird happenings or curse words. What the hell would they edit? But he didn't ask, because no doubt the process of it was complicated in ways he wouldn't understand. That and the promise of ice cream was more interesting.

"Maybe tomorrow too. I was going to ask you to come with Erica and me for our cheap food binge." There was a glance at Scott and Kira, the latter already digging through her phone no doubt to check if there were any appointments for Stiles to go to. But there wasn't a no from her so it seemed to be okay if the rock star wanted to.

"Oh! I get to be invited to the famous cheap food binge?!" Stiles' smiled surprised, his whole face lighting up from the idea. (Which in turn made him look less of a shell of his former self. Clearly, he needed the distraction, to do something new and relatively normal.) "I'm soooo in! I promise I'll wear some disguise not to completely ruin it. I'm also curious about meeting your daughter. Which was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm glad it's sooner rather than later," he said, practically ignoring Kira and Scott, because he knew they would've said something by then if they thought it wasn't a good thing. And even if along the way they would get discovered, it would be good publicity for them being seen as a 'family'. "It's a date!" he grinned a bit more mischievously, missing the way Scott and Kira shared a meaningful look.

To see Stiles practically light up like a Christmas tree at the invitation made Derek feel like he did something right, an involuntary smile popping up. Which he tried to curb a little because yeah, this wasn't about him, or so he kept telling himself. This was the liveliest he had seen Stiles since the concert, as if the invitation to possible bad food aka possible food poisoning was like going to a five star restaurant.

He glanced at Scott and Kira who also seemed to perk up at the change within Stiles, Kira even going as far as giving Derek an excited thumbs up when she caught his look. It was cute so he let out a soft little breath of laughter, allowing himself to be excited for this weekend as well. Not that he ever disliked his weekends, because spending time with Erica was often great, but she was a fourteen year old caught in the hormonal craze. Most of the time her moods dictated the way their weekends went. For Derek there was also a little excitement at spending some more time with Stiles at his house, which maybe was something not many got to see. It was a show of trust.

"We have to pick up Moon Moon on the way if that's okay." Another test to make sure their fake marriage wasn't going to end because the fur child wasn't welcome in the husband's home. "He's housebroken, just an idiot." Hopefully Stiles’ house didn’t have too many stairs, because Derek'd have to carry the dog up and down on them. Moon Moon wasn't exactly the lightest of huskies.

Derek could get the dog without Stiles getting out of the car, and hopefully that would limit the paparazzi craze. They were hounding Derek mostly to catch a glimpse of Stiles so yeah, seeing him would only get them more rabid.

"Sure, we can pick up Moon Moon. That's still a hilarious name, by the way. You came with your car, haven't you? I could stay in mine and stop half a block away from yours so you can get your dog and then follow me to my house," he said, putting on his sunglasses as they headed out of the dressing room – Scott and Kira in tow – and began moving towards the elevators that'd take them to the garage so they could leave relatively unnoticed.

"Alright. And three months is a long time in my not chaotic life. I figured Erica should get to know the guy who is going to take up some of my time too. That and she sulked for the whole week when she found out you had been at our place." A sulking Erica was not a pretty picture, for anybody.

At that Stiles chuckled and muttered a ‘sorry’. He felt amused and was looking forward to the rest of the weekend too. But first, ice cream!

Chapter Text

Chapter 4 – Knives

“Living with snakes
Feeding the hate
Kill the betrayal
Shedding of skin
Bitter within
Cower in shame
Venomous tongue
Blacken the lungs
Inducing the pain

Inducing the pain
Constant pushing provoking reactions

Bring out the knives
To cut and divide
Another scar for memory
Bring out the knives
To cut and divide
Let 'em bleed, watch 'em burn in the fire”

(BFMV – Knives)

Going with two cars seemed like a good idea, especially with all the press. But also because Moon Moon was unfortunately a dog who shed a lot of hair, and this way he'd shed on his dog bed that was always in the backseat of Derek's car. And this way Stiles didn't have to witness Derek carrying the large dog down the stairs in a fireman's carry. Once they were outside in the parking lot of the studio, which was thankfully press-free, Derek said goodbye to Scott and Kira, not sure if they'd be at the Stilinski house or not. The dog picking up went smoothly, kind of. The paparazzi loved the antics of him with Moon Moon, even though they had already witnessed it (and photographed it) for the entire week.

Following Stiles in his car proved to be a little challenging, because Stiles' car was the kind that didn't draw too much attention, so he often had to focus on the license plate to not lose him out of his sight. New York traffic was insane on a good day, and it took forever to get anywhere. He was very curious to find out where Stiles lived.

A light traffic jam and some more driving later, the sleek town car led Derek towards a posh neighborhood where estates in different shapes and sizes popped up on both sides of the road. Obviously, one needed to have money to afford to live somewhere like this, but for privacy and the calm quietness certain people were willing to reach deep into their pockets. Stiles became one of those too when he got too famous and needed an escape from the constant buzzing of the Big Apple and the media.

They followed a winding road until they arrived to a tall gate, a vigilant security guard watching both cars from the other side while the electric fence opened up. Then he tipped his hat towards Stiles' car. Of course, he glared even more at the unknown one, especially since he could actually see through the windows of that one, taking a good look of Derek while passing him.

The smooth road led further into the estate, which had lush vegetation. Bushes and trees in all shapes and colors continuing on both sides until after a curve a moderate-sized gray stone mansion with a darker gray roof popped up from between the trees. Some green ivy partially covered the Italianate style house's walls here and there, making a great grey-green contrast along with the perfectly manicured lawn.

Derek had no real expectations regarding the outside of the house, because it was New York, so anything was possible. But still, this surprised him. It was a lot like his family home back in Beacon Hills, except for their family home not being this expensive, because it wasn't in New York. It was the kind of house he'd feel comfortable in, not because it was so big, but because of its style. His own apartment hadn't been much of a choice. Getting something affordable in New York was already a challenge in its own. He had two bedrooms, and that was what had made him get it, so Erica had her own room, which was very important for both of them!

"I hope you won't act too crazy with all this room," Derek grumbled to his dog, who tilted his head to the side and barked once. "Yeah, that's what I thought." That was a no. Huskies were notorious for being 'talkers' and Moon Moon wasn't an exception to that rule either. The dog was getting restless, sensing they had reached their destination so as soon as he parked, Derek let Moon Moon out so he could sprint along the grass, getting some of that energy out before they'd go inside. He pulled the dog bed out and shook it, hairs flying everywhere. His dog would behave as long as he had his dog bed to rest on, since that was familiar to him.

"No wonder you take strangers with you to your house, it's huge." Derek watched the husky running and playing like crazy, rolling around and stumbling like the idiot he was. "Let's skip the basement if you give a tour."

"Why? Are you afraid I'd tie you up there and take pictures before sacrificing you to Satan or something? What makes you think I can do that only in the basement?" Stiles wiggled his brows with a silly grin, standing beside his car. It was all said after he had told Boyd that he can take the rest of the day off since Stiles wasn't planning on going anywhere else. The driver/bodyguard disappeared into a nearby staff house with a nod and quiet steps.

The singer kept smiling behind his sunglasses as his eyes wandered back to the happily running around, sniffing and barking dog. "He seems to like it here. I'm guessing it's the wide space and many exciting scents," he added, watching without concern when Moon Moon peed on a tree bark to start marking his territory. There were no other dogs there, so it was all his to claim.

"Come on, we'll leave the kitchen door open for him. It's this way," he nodded towards the left, away from the main entrance. It was a beautiful sunny day, so no need to rush inside right away. "The ice cream is that way too..." As if Derek needed that prompt to follow. Stiles could see the mixture of surprise and curiosity on his face. It was common to those who were at his small-ish mansion for the first time.

Derek whistled for Moon Moon to follow, since it was unknown territory and he didn't want him to get lost. The dog didn't need much prompting either, he was quicker than Derek, rushing past him to excitedly look around in the kitchen, sniffing at everything. His owner wouldn't act that way, but he too looked around, surprised yet again. Interior-wise he did have some expectations, like lots of colors and maybe a more immature vibe. Lots of gadgets, toys, things like that. But instead what he saw was a lot of wood and light colors. It felt homey and a touch of modern mixed with nature.

"You have a nice home," Derek commented, thinking that from what he could see. It wasn't like he had given Stiles a tour of his own apartment, so he didn't expect one now. His only expectation was just for them to spend some time together before he had to head home. "It's promising for your taste in ice cream." His way of joking was dry and sarcastic, blunt like the way he normally talked. Not that Stiles seemed to mind, he actually laughed at it, which made Derek act less stand-offish.

The singer did laugh this time too, of course. "No one ever complained about my ice cream stash,” he said and walked to the fridge and opened the left side door, which was the freezer section, waving towards the rows of different ice-cream tubs. "Serve yourself, good sir."

With that he picked a tub of salted caramel and walked over to a drawer to get two spoons for them, offering one for Derek. "Otherwise thanks. I'm glad you like the place. And judged by your expression, it was not what you expected. What did you expect? Abstract modern stuff? A Gothic castle? A Satanist altar? Oh sorry, that's in the basement, my bad," he joked back while stabbing his ice cream for the first bite.

"I need a fridge like this," Derek remarked as he scanned all the different kinds of ice cream tubs, spotting all kinds of tastes to pick from. But, he was predictable and picked one of his favorites because it was right there so why not? Getting the tub out, he closed the freezer and put the dog bed on the floor in a corner before he was handed a spoon. Not asking, he took a seat at the kitchen counter where a neat row of stools were placed. "I didn't expect anything like that."

Not really. Pulling the lid off, he tested how frozen it really was but it was one of the more expensive brands where you didn't need to wait long for the ice cream to be soft enough to scoop. "More like neon colors, gadgets, some jukeboxes and a pinball machine. A fuss ball table or a pool table." The perfect young bachelor's pad and man cave in one. Something more rock star-like. "Erica used to watch MTV cribs, so I had learned Hollywood people have the strangest homes."

"Good choice!" Stiles eyed the mint-chocolate tub in Derek's hand. Then sitting down right next to Derek, he smirked into his tub and collected some of the more melted goodness around the edge. For a dramatic pause, he pushed the spoon between his lips and hummed, letting the sweet and salty flavors explode on his tongue. "Oh yeah, I watched Cribs too. Never really understood some of the more extreme stuff. I know where I came from and try to stay a down to earth guy. Not like Theo, who tends to let fame get into his head," he waved around a bit with his empty spoon while talking. "Although you just saw the kitchen yet. I do have Star Wars and Marvel and DC stuff all over the house. And also a gaming room, but that's more like a second living room with a PlayStation, an X-box and a big ass flat screen. And more figurines and comics and whatnot. I try to contain it mostly in that room," he chuckled. "But yeah, people usually expect something crazy like a tiger or a sculpture of myself. I like historic buildings and when they're nicely restored and blended with modern stuff. That's why I chose this place. Oh and for convenience I do have a flat in Manhattan, too. That's all modern."

"I guess the owner is crazy enough to not need crazy stuff." Though yeah, the mentioned game room and the Star Wars items were more along the lines of what Derek expected to see. It was light banter, not fully going to get into the whole Theo mention, but it reminded him of something Stiles had said back at the studio when they were interviewed.

First though, Derek enjoyed a few spoons of the excellent ice cream. It was by far better than the stuff Derek usually bought at whatever store was closest. "I can understand why you want some quiet when your life is filled with chaos, like an island of peace." It's what it felt like, this mansion. Surrounded by a sea of grass, away from the chaos not even an hour away from what was New York. "I've gotten used to the sounds of sirens and the yelling of people." And he often had earplugs in during weekdays to be able to sleep.

"Yeah, I need that silence and solitude more than you might think. Sure, I don't mind being the center of attention, although I usually don't actively campaign to be there. I mean... I just want to make music and share it with the world and people who can relate to it. I love giving happiness to them with my albums and concerts, even the occasional signings. But that whole media frenzy? I understand it's part of the job and the more you are in the tabloids, the more relevant you stay, but I don't really care about that. So when it gets too much, when I start to feel like I'm losing myself and my goal from all that outside noise, I come here. I have a fully equipped studio in the house too, so I can enjoy my peace and also stay creative and productive. That's why touring is the most taxing on musicians. There's no way to hide on the road. Except for the back of a touring bus, for example," Stiles elaborated in-between spoonfuls of his ice cream.

Derek hummed in understanding then hesitated for a second before finally saying what was on his mind. "About Theo... at the interview you said that you had a bad call with him. If you want to talk about it." Unintentionally, Derek had been inserted into Stiles' private life by saying yes to the marriage.

Stiles scooped up a bigger spoonful, keeping his eyes on the tub, clearly trying to decide whether he should take up on Derek's offer or not. The silence stretched a bit longer between them, broken only by Moon Moon's soft noises and the chirping birds outside.

"Yeah... It was... ugly," the musician finally started and shoved that spoonful into his mouth then stabbed the melting cream in the tub repeatedly. "Turns out that Liam probably wasn't the only one he cheated with. There were at least two more during the span of our relationship. And that news didn't come from him either. I don't know if you heard it, but two other guys spoke up on social media about those flings. Kira dug into it and it might be true. Yet when I told him to cut the crap with the 'please, baby, don't be silly! I want you back' record, I was the one called a whore by him for marrying you five minutes after our relationship was over. He even asked if I enjoyed your dick on our first night like I did his," he said on a strangely detached voice, his face more blank than angry as he kept stabbing the half-melted ice cream. "Can't really blame him for that question though. After all, I had let Theo fuck me on our first night of knowing each other," he shrugged.

"You didn't have multiple dicks like he had, so technically that makes him the whore." Derek really wanted to punch Theo, again. Hard enough to hurt and to bruise, because it seemed the guy was asking for it. And he tried to not judge Stiles too much, but he couldn't help but think how the singer could have been in love with Theo, if he got treated that badly. It made him feel like a hypocrite for thinking it, considering his past relationship with Jennifer, which had been downright bad.

"And he clearly can't even keep one lover, so enjoying him is probably impossible." There was never a lack of insults and burns when the Hale disliked somebody, hell, even when he liked somebody he was good at them. He wasn't sure if that was the right approach to take with the younger man, if he appreciated it or not, because the guy had been his fiancé for a while. "I'm sorry he's so determined to make you realize you're better off without him. It's a dick move on his part to hurt you where he knows it hurts the most."

It sounded like Theo was a spoiled brat, who thought the world revolved around him alone. Maybe he was even one of those that claimed all the people in his life were side characters to his main story. Yeah, Derek was only the fake husband, but he liked to think he was doing a better job of it, hopefully. Stiles deserved to be treated right.

"Oh he is the whore in this situation, I know. I also realize that he was trying to victimize himself when he accused me of working too much and blaming it on our tours, which kept us apart for longer periods of time. Well... I found other ways to occupy myself than constant partying and apparently dipping my dick into others. And sure, maybe I should've paid a bit more attention to him, but I'm afraid even my whole attention wouldn't have been enough," he sighed. "I can't believe I didn't see how egoistic he really is... I mean, I knew it to some extent, but he tried to tone it down when he was with me. But still... I think he never really loved me and Scott was right all along. He just wanted to use me for the sex and to get more popular and famous with officially being with me. Well, he's at least infamous now too. Not that it might bother him. I think it doesn't matter to him until he's talked about," he shook his head. "And I thought I'm good at reading people... I was such a fool for not seeing this coming," he sighed again, putting his tub down on the counter top and staring into nothing.

"But he was perhaps right about one thing. I'm too sensitive behind my chill and nonchalant mask. So I'll have to learn to harden myself more," he leaned his chin into the L of his palm. "And I think I might be too complicated for anyone," he whispered at the end.

Eating ice cream seemed less important as Derek looked at Stiles and was digesting the words he just said. Sticking his spoon back into the tub, he pushed it aside so he could sit sideways and give Stiles his full attention. "It sounds like Theo was very good at manipulating, and that's not your fault for not knowing it. It's literally what they're good at and you usually don't see it until it's too late."

It seemed like he hadn't just manipulated either, from the way Stiles was talking, there had been some breaking down of his confidence too. It was saddening to see such a lively person being reduced to a lonely man like this, despite everything he had. Everything he didn't have made those accomplishments harder to swallow.

"You're not too complicated, you're just different. And that's a good thing, nobody wants to be like Theo. Or wants him for anything serious." Stiles was so young, too young to be this bitter and think he was destined to be lonely forever. Derek seriously doubted that was possible, he was too appealing to the world around him to be alone for long. "Don't doubt yourself because you had an asshole ex. He's not worth it."

Turning a bit on his stool as well, Stiles looked searchingly (and grateful) at Derek. "Has anyone told you you're pretty good at comforting others?" he asked then jumped a bit when he felt a big head unexpectedly land on his thigh. As he looked down, he saw blue husky eyes looking up at him pleadingly, a bushy tail slowly wagging behind the dog. "You and Moon Moon, apparently," Stiles smiled, feeling a bit better as he stroked the dog's head a few times then started scratching him behind an ear. Of course, it resulted in some satisfied little grunts and growls from the husky.

"Now I know he's not worth it, but it'll take some time for me to let this go so I can put myself together again. My therapy is usually writing lyrics and music, so I expect myself to get holed up in my home studio soon enough," he added, still stroking and scratching the happy dog.

"I've been where you are at with my ex," Derek shrugged as he watched Moon Moon thoroughly enjoy the attention he was getting. "She was good at making me think it was all me too." He wasn't the type to use somebody else's problems to get a focus on his own, so he didn't go into details, but it was to let Stiles know that it could happen to anybody, because some people were good at making sure you didn't know what they were capable of.

"But for what it's worth, I hope you can write some of it down to work through it. My therapy costs me a hundred bucks an hour, at least yours gets you some." With a soft snort at that, Derek reached for his ice cream again, not caring if it was more like soft cream at this point. Because no, nobody had ever told him he was pretty good at comforting others. It wasn't like he did it very often. Except with Erica who would agree with Stiles. However she was bias, she had to put up with him. “And complicated is not a bad thing either, you have to make them work for it. It means you're not as shallow as you look.”

"Wait... are you saying I look shallow?" Stiles raised an eyebrow, his hand stopping in Moon Moon's fur, which earned him a disapproving grunt and his hand being licked to continue. Which he did, waiting for Derek's answer with a less sad and more amused expression.

"Otherwise thank you. For listening and giving advice. You're a very nice guy, Derek. I'm a lucky guy for snatching myself such a husband," he chuckled low and he used his free hand to return to eating the rest of his ice cream too.

"Not looks as in appearance. Looks because you're a rock star." Derek didn't use pop star on purpose since it felt like Stiles had only leaned towards that direction more because of Theo. He had listened to the songs Stiles wrote before Theo and those were so much more rock. And pop stars, to Derek, seemed so much more shallow and boring. Always having to please the fans, be on point, be hip. They all appeared shallow because they all had that sheep behavior the Hale wasn't a fan of. Stiles wasn't a sheep. "I guess I'm lucky I got snagged by the complicated guy. He seems interesting. And nice too."

Stiles felt his cheeks coloring a bit from the compliment and he smirked into his ice cream tub, now using both hands to make the remaining finally disappear. (Even if Moon Moon bumped his head against him a few times then seemingly gave up and just rested his head on Stiles' thigh with a huge huff.)

"Thanks. But I think pop stars might appear shallower than rock stars. The latter is usually associated with rock star antics like throwing TVs out of windows, trashing hotel rooms, having wild parties and getting wasted. Lucky for you, I'm not like that. My wild younger years are behind me. Speaking of which, what was the wildest thing you ever did?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand once he was finished eating.

"You're twenty-five, not eighty," Derek snorted, wondering just how wild those years got to want to be already done with the wildness. Then again, Derek was living like he was fifty, so he shouldn't judge, especially not when he had to think about what wild things he had done. Deeply!

Instead he first focused on finishing up the ice cream, the carton nearly empty without him realizing he ate it all, that pint was gone way too soon. There hadn't been any TV throwing or trashing hotel rooms for him, but of course there had been parties and drunken antics. "I was in college, it gets pretty wild there. Even when studying history, especially when living on campus. Let's just say I'm glad we never got arrested so those stupid pranks didn't haunt me." It wasn't a direct answer to the wildest thing, probably to buy himself time to come up with something good he had done. "I think the wildest thing I've done until now is say yes when this rock star asked me to marry him and I didn't even know him."

"Oh that's a nice save! And true, I think that was my craziest deed too," he smirked, scratching his chin absentmindedly. "But other than that? I think the craziest thing I ever did was that one time when a couple of years back I finally got the courage to go bungee jumping. I'm not that good with heights and I was scared shitless, but I finally did it. It was terrifying, but also kinda fun? It was enough to try that once, thank you. I swore never again afterwards. What? Did you expect something music-related?" he chuckled. "And please tell me that your craziest thing at campus involved running around naked in the middle of the night!" he wiggled his brow as he got up and took both empty cartons to the trash, quickly washing the spoons at the sink to put them on the dryer. "Something to drink?" he asked as he headed back to the fridge for an energy drink. "I could give you the tour too now, if you want."

"There was a lot of nudity involved, it was college," Derek laughed softly, not even ashamed to admit that yes, they had undressed a lot, because there were drunken streaking happening and bad singing and lots of other naked antics. Besides sex, because of course that happened a lot too. The fact that Stiles had done bungee jumping didn't surprise him one bit, he looked like the adventurous type. Though not something Derek would be interested in doing anytime soon. No fear of heights, but also not interested in it. He'd rather jump with a parachute.

He petted Moon Moon as he stood up as well. "We can do a tour first?" He was pretty curious how Stiles lived. Not about the decorating part, but more about the glimpses of what kind of man he was. What kind of books he had and how his bed looked like. It said a lot about a person.

"Tell me there are pictures about those naked antics too..." Stiles grinned and waved towards the door leading deeper into the house as a go ahead for the tour. He popped his energy drink open and drank some of it before licking his bow-shaped lips. Imagining Derek doing stuff at college naked was both amusing and hot and he wasn't even ashamed of it since – as he reminded himself – Stiles was now free to do so. After all, he was his husband or something!

"Otherwise yeah, college can be wild," he agreed as an afterthought as they stepped out from the kitchen onto a corridor. Opposite the kitchen was the dining room and to the right a wide archway led to the big living room. Both had big windows looking at the lush garden. The door leading outside in the living room led to a nice terrace with comfortable couches and a table, a path leading from there to the nearby swimming pool. The rooms followed the breezy light and natural colors, blending perfectly to give a homey, warm feeling to the place. Of course, there was a big flat screen above a real fireplace. There were shelves on both sides. To the left they were filled with movies, to the right there was a big vinyl and CD collection, including an expensive sound system and player. And of course, there were a few Marvel and Star Wars figurines and knickknacks in the odd places.

Derek was distracted by the fact that there was a pool outside, because that was something he wasn't used to seeing and it looked really inviting. Moon Moon seemed to think so too and wanted to enthusiastically get acquainted with the water. Except there was glass in the way. The dog walked against it with a loud thud, and he shook his head at the pain and confusion. Derek was used to those kinds of antics, making him glad there was no way for the husky to get at the pool because that would mean a very wet dog.

"Now you can see why I call him Moon Moon." Because he was exactly like the meme Erica had pointed out to him when they got the puppy.

"Your dog is adorable," Stiles chuckled on what happened to the husky. "I always wanted a dog or a cat, but I'm too often away from home and I don't want it to be taken care of by staff or friends. So I never saw the point in getting one."

The whole big TV and figurines and the movies were more like Derek had imagined it would be, although it made sense there was more focus on the music instead. That and Stiles had said he had a game room so it all wasn't as proudly displayed like Erica did with hers in his apartment.

"Was the plan to move out of here once you had married Theo?" It probably wasn't the kind of house Theo would have liked, so it was a good thing Stiles didn't give it up yet.

Leading Derek back to the corridor and showing a bathroom and a toilet next to each other on the right side, he continued with the other man (and Moon Moon in tow) to open the door to the left, which was a big, equally bright room that doubled as a library and office, complete with a big desk, a laptop, a TV on the opposite wall and some comfortable looking armchairs and couches to lounge or read on.

"Yeah, after a while – despite the fact that I love this house – I would've probably sold it. We've been looking at houses to buy one for us to move in. He's more into the minimalist modern style, which I'm fine with, but I like a little bit of organic and warm mixing into it," he shrugged. "I guess I don't have to worry about that either anymore," he answered Derek's question while watching Moon Moon mapping out this room as well.

"Hmmm, minimalistic doesn't suit you," Derek agreed as he stepped into the library as enthralled as the dog was. Of course he didn't zero in on the armchairs like Moon Moon, but he walked over to the many books to read some of the titles. Many titles he had read in the past, but many he didn't know. The bookcases were filled with all kinds of books, but not history books, something Derek might have to change. It would make a good gift for his fake husband, a few good history books.

His hands were aching to pick up some of the books, but instead he ran a finger along the spines as he was taking in all the titles. "I have a dog walker who comes in every day to take Moon Moon to the park. And I have a handful of sitters if I need it. It's a hassle to make sure he's not alone for too long, but worth it. You have plenty of people to help you out." Stiles rarely seemed to be alone so why not a dog? He could even travel with it, since Derek doubted Stiles would ever fly coach. Maybe he even used private planes.

"You should get a dog, it might make you happy." Not happier, because currently Stiles felt unhappy, dealing with surviving and not living.

"Maybe you're right. I don't know. I'll think about it..." Stiles offered only that to the suggestion. Because sure, he could make it work with hiring people or taking the dog with him on tour, but he wasn't sure that would be very ideal for the animal. It's been something he came back to time after time. And probably he would've talked Theo into getting a dog or two in the future once they had settled into married life.

At this point, Stiles wasn't sure if Theo even would've cared about it. Stiles probably would've been just a famous trophy husband to fuck and use for his fame while god knows what Theo'd have gone off to do behind Stiles' back. Probably what he's been apparently doing multiply times to stroke his ego and whatnot, not caring about Stiles' feelings at all. So yeah, thanks to that one mistake of Theo not being able to keep it long enough in his pants, Stiles really did dodge a bullet and a painful and costly divorce down the line.

At least with Derek they equally had no clue how to do this marriage thing, how to move forward. Well… spending time together to get to know each other better was at least the first step.

"Did you mean it? That you liked my music?" he suddenly asked Derek, who was still examining the books. Stiles knew that he'd love the library a lot – if not most – in the house. That's why he wasn't in a rush to lead him out of there.

Moon Moon decided that he was of course allowed to sit in one of the armchairs and he sagged down in it with a loud sigh, dramatically letting the two men know they were taking forever. Derek didn't correct him right away, instead glanced at Stiles to let him decide if he was okay with a dog on his furniture or not. Moon Moon was used to having it to himself when Derek didn't have people over.

"Yeah, I don't say things I don't mean. I see no point in lying. Or fake friendly. There’s no reason for it." Stiles seemed to be used to the fakeness thanks to Theo, or because of the cheating he doubted it all since so much trust was broken. Either way, Derek understood wanting to make sure, and the other didn't know him well enough. He'd find out that Derek always spoke the truth, bluntly and to the point. "I've listened to it when you left, you're not hard to find on Youtube." Derek wasn't going to fully admit to ogling the videos that came with the music, but that had been a definite nice surprise. "It means a lot to you, your music. So I wanted to listen to your world."

Ignoring the dog getting on his expensive furniture (because he didn't mind at all), the singer instead casually leaned against the desk with his butt and kept the eye-contact. And pointedly ignored the slight burning of his cheeks. Again. It was starting to become a pattern around Derek. Which Stiles... kinda didn't mind, if he wanted to be completely honest with himself.

"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind. And it's a very nice and considerate thing to do. Many probably would've just ignored it or dunno... make fun of it. Like they do with other kinds of art as well," he shrugged. "But anyways, I'm happy you liked my songs. It truly means a lot to me. That kind of support." Which he seemingly got from Theo, but he wasn't even sure anymore that he ever meant any of it. Not to mention that his ex-fiancé’s musical influence definitely impacted some of his own songs too. Those songs did divide his fan base for a while. Some saying he was going soft, others defending him that he was evolving. Now he was probably going to go back to his roots. He was angry and hurt enough for it, that's for sure...

"So... if you don't see a point in lying and you always mean what you say... Then you also meant it that you wanna give this a real try?" he drummed on the side of the energy drink's can, studying Derek.

"I don't go to interviews for just anybody." Derek hated being filmed or his picture taken, and he hated being the center of attention, so yeah. The fact that he had gone to this interview which was going to air on national TV was a big deal. He knew Stiles meant if he was going to give himself completely these three months to make it look good for Stiles. Not that Derek was going to give their marriage a real go, but it did sound like it a little.

It was kind of crazy, the way Stiles seemed to think he was a bother to Derek. He constantly kept asking to get affirmation. As confident as he was on stage, dancing and pouring his heart out in his songs, as insecure he was when interacting. Hopefully these three months would help mend him a little, learn to trust in himself some more after a damaging relationship.

"We started this, so we might as well see it through. Besides, so far I like spending time with you." They were still in the getting to know phase, but everything Derek had found out made him want to know more. "You can back out at any time too, you know. You're the one who put yourself out there, taking a chance on a stranger."

Stiles sighed and averted his eyes, trying to ignore how his cheeks warmed up again. As he watched Moon Moon licking one of his paws, he lightly grimaced, because apparently Derek didn't pick up on what the singer really meant with that question. For a few moments he hesitated, not sure if he should make it clearer or not. Maybe it was too soon. Maybe Derek would misunderstand and see him as a... well, what Theo called him. But no, he didn't want to jump Derek's bones right now. He just wanted to know if...

"I know that. But that's not what I meant..." he murmured in the end. "Do you like me? I mean... are you attracted to me?" he risked a look to see the other man's reactions. "So would you give this relationship a real try somewhere down the line, if we found more than friendship in this marriage?"

Derek leaned heavily against the bookcase, his eyes wide from that question. As blunt as he himself was, he didn't expect the other to be even more straightforward. Or even willing to ask this of him. He was the nerdy unknown history teacher and Stiles was the famous rock star. That just didn't go together, it was something that only happened in movies. This entire scenario only happened in movies so yeah, it was... surprising.

"Stiles, you're hurting and I don't want to take advantage of you. We both had our emotions played with before, so I don't want to do that." Of course he knew he wasn't giving a proper answer, but it wasn't a denial. But Stiles had to know that his well-being came first and foremost. "I'm attracted to you, but I'm also very aware you don't know me." He wasn't getting his hopes up, Stiles could run for the hills if he found out who he was. Nobody put up with him for very long after all.

"Okay. I guess that's fair enough. Sorry, I just... I wanted to see clearly. To know if that was an option for you... or us or whatever," he waved it away with his free hand then took a sip from his energy drink. "I don't want to trap either of us in this marriage. I don't want to play with your emotions either. Or lead you on," he added and pushed himself away from the table to start walking towards the door.

He paused only when he was passing Derek and met his eyes. "Despite the mess I am at the moment, I find you attractive too and I've been enjoying your company so far, but yes, you're right, I don't know you and you don't know me yet. And my question was not for the now, but for later down the line," he shrugged and continued his way towards the door, already hearing Moon Moon's claws clattering on the dark hardwood floor. "Come on, there's more left of the tour..."

The way Stiles hid his feelings was like slamming a door closed right in his face, and offering Derek his back by walking away. Now it would be easy to leave it like that, consider it something they should be talking about down the line, but he didn't want to do that either.

"There's definitely a later down the line," Derek told him out loud as he walked after him, Moon Moon in the lead as he was excitedly sniffing out the new scents. "I just… don't want to be your new Theo for now." Technically he was already the rebound guy, yet if there would be something there for them, then it shouldn't get ruined by all the feelings Stiles now had. The singer deserved time to work through the pretty destructive breakup, to have his therapy as he called writing songs. And then, if Stiles still felt the same way, they could revisit this talk. The thing was, he could easily see himself fall for Stiles, get swept up in his life and forget all about the boundaries he was trying to set now. "And I'm not trapped, you gave me a choice, I made it."

"Okay," the singer repeated, but this one was less closed off. Even if his guards were still up, he managed a small real smile so Derek knew they were good. "And I wouldn't want you to be anything like Theo," he shook his head while he showed a couple of guest rooms on the way before heading towards the back of the house. "I need a break from such people," he added then stopped in front of a black door.

"This is my home studio. Please make sure your pup doesn't chew on any of the cables in there," he warned then opened the door for the curious duo.

The door led to a lounging area, which faced a big mixing table with many buttons and switches and whatnot, and two comfortable leather office chairs neatly rolled in to their places. The walls were decorated with Stiles' framed and shiny gold and platinum records. There was a small door to the right of the mixing table, which led behind the glass. There was a recording booth to the left with different mics and the rest of the room was mostly set up as if a band could come in any minute to start jamming behind the drums and the mic stands. There were also many guitars lined up along the walls and the far right corner was taken up by a real black grand piano.

This was completely different and unknown territory for Derek as he stared at all the equipment. Sure he had seen some movies and documentaries where recording studios appeared in them, but he had never seen one in person. It looked impressive, and like a place he wouldn't want to touch any of the buttons. Moon Moon didn't have those reservations, he sniffed and looked around before deciding to try and get some attention from them instead. "I have no idea what any of this does, but it looks impressive. So this is where your therapy happens? I mean, it's only you?"

He had thought Stiles had a band to back him up, or did he lose that all with the breakup as well? There was so much he didn't know about Stiles and his life, so much he kind of took for granted since he didn't know enough of how it all went down. "Or did you lose your band because of Theo too?" Seriously, he should have hit the guy harder, he deserved it. Or castration. That also seemed to be a very fitting punishment with how much he liked to cheat.

Stiles chuckled from that question just as he dropped his empty can into a nearby trashcan then shook his head, reaching down absently to scratch Moon Moon's head.

"No, my session musicians are my own. They have nothing to do with Theo. He has his own people and studio. Luckily these things didn't tangle during our relationship. We would've built a bigger and more serious studio in our new home, one which would suit both our needs. He's more into pop, so we would've needed that. This studio is suited for only my needs. And I spend a lot of time here. Not because I have to, but because I love this place. It's like my sanctuary," he explained and what he said was true. Aside from the technical set up and equipment, there were signs of his personal touch. Like flags of his favorite bands on the walls, colorful carpets and throw pillows on a big couch in one corner and here and there, or the various kinds of incense and candles. It was a controlled chaos, like Stiles himself. Lots of dark tones with splashes of color.

"And yes, this is where I come for my music therapy sessions, not the real ones," he smirked, looking around the place with a fond expression. "Probably my most favorite place ever. My precioussss..." he hissed Gollum-like at the end.

Derek let out a surprised laugh at that because yes, he did read the books and saw the movies and Stiles' impersonation was pretty spot on. It also made it clear how important the studio was for him if he had to go all Gollum on it. It was his treasure so Derek had to be careful with it and in it. It made him look at Moon Moon to make sure he wasn't doing anything stupid. It happened a lot, the stupidity.

"Here I thought your game room or your bedroom would warrant that reaction." It made sense though, the singer was a true artist and considered his job also his hobby and his passion. This is where the magic happened. If Derek had a bigger apartment, he would create his own library like Stiles had and he'd consider that his man cave. The place to go to feel happy, because in general he was happy when he was surrounded by books. Or in a museum, but those were kind of impossible to have in your house. "You'll make music and get number one hits, trust me. It's the perfect revenge to have."

"I know. I already have a couple of songs floating in my head. I just have to sit down and write them," he glanced at the grand piano as he put his hands into his pockets, looking casual and more relaxed in the studio. As if he finally arrived home. "Some will probably top the charts too or get near to that," he shrugged with a small smile. "If you listen to the radio often, you'll get bored of my voice." It wasn't a groundless statement. Whenever he had a new album and a chart topping single on it, the radio stations kept playing them until everyone hated those songs.

"Otherwise, yeah, I love my game room and bedroom as well. A different kind of magic happens in the latter, too, but this studio is my heart and soul. I know it might sound strange, because I too know that these are just objects and equipment, but they help me express what's inside, so... yeah," he shrugged again. "Do you have such a place? One that is extra special to you?" he slightly tilted his head to the side, watching Derek interested.

"In my apartment? I guess my bedroom, because it's got my favorite books and a little reading nook. But in general I like to go to the library when I'm upset. Plenty to pick from here in New York." Were they still in New York? Probably, but on the outskirts, because Stiles had said he lived in New York as well, unless he meant the apartment in Manhattan? Eh, it didn't matter. Derek would find his way for the coming months. Maybe longer?

It was weird to think about it that maybe if they found friendship or more, this could become permanent in his life. As he watched Stiles in his favorite place, he decided he wouldn't mind that all that much. Those brown eyes had lit up and there was a faint blush on the pale cheeks and a constant little smirk around the lips. Imagine what Stiles looked like when he was truly happy.

"Back in Beacon Hills I would spent a lot of time in the preserve. Surrounding myself with nature is a little harder here."

"Oh yeah. Central Park is not the same as the preserve back home," the singer agreed. "So you're a history teacher, who also doubles as a book worm. I'm not surprised," he smiled a bit wider. "Books are awesome. So when you're upset, you hide among books. Gotcha. And what? You research stuff or get lost in some novel?" he asked as he nodded towards the door and started walking out of the studio. A silent invite to continue the tour of the house.

"And I'm guessing you work out too. Because one doesn't get such a physique from just sitting and reading," he eyed Derek's bulging muscles a bit. From head to toe. Stiles had to admit that he was very easy on the eye. And although the other man was just a couple of inches taller than him, the muscular build made him look bigger when they stood next to each other.

Stupidly, Derek glanced down at himself and nodded with a disarming shrug accompanying it. "Once a week I go to the gym, I jog twice a week with Moon Moon. It's to blow off steam for the both of us. I used to have my own weight room." Before Erica. Back when he still worked at the university because his hours had been longer then and he didn't have much time to go to a gym. When Erica came to live with him, the weight room got scrapped and when they moved it was too small for it.

"Well... the working out is... working out for you," Stiles deadpanned with an idiotic grin, knowing how bad that joke was, but he didn't care. He was full of such jokes. Something not even Theo's eye-rolls could stop. "You realize that I have a fully equipped gym here too, right? AND a swimming pool. Maybe I should give you a monthly ticket so I could ogle you for free," he half-joked. "I also do some workouts at least twice a week, but when a tour is coming up, every day to put me back in shape. Touring is taxing on the body and you have to be in tiptop shape to be able to run around on stage and sing well at the same time. I also like to run on the estate or swim in the pool."

Walking with Stiles, Derek saw stairs coming up and no way was he going to carry Moon Moon, he could wait downstairs as they continued the tour. "I usually read novels as a distraction when I'm upset. But I like research too. I guess in a way I always take work home, because I'm always thinking of classes to teach, even when they're high school students and don't need to know as much as college students."

At least Stiles didn't utter the usual joke yet that most would come up with when he told them he was a teacher. 'Those who can't do anything, they teach.' As if teaching was so easy to do.

"Hey, I can relate! I literally take work home," he waved back towards the studio while climbing the stairs. "And my head is nearly always buzzing with music and lyrics as well, so yeah... The fact that you keep thinking about classes means that you take your job just as seriously. And a good teacher is a treasure for kids. Sometimes they realize that later, sometimes not, but it's true. It can make them love or hate a subject. For instance, do you remember Harris back in Beacon High? He had to teach you too. I hated that prick so much that he managed to make me hate chemistry."

Derek had smiled at the joke, always appreciating a good dad joke when it was offered. "None of the teachers at Beacon Hills High were inspiring me to teach. Honestly, I didn't even think about becoming a teacher. I was captain of the basketball team, and I had the idea that I'd be able to go pro." As many boys had thought that would be happening if they showed talent in a certain sport.

It was an unfortunate combination, being intelligent enough to be able to study and talented enough to also be able to play sports. In the end there was a choice to be made. "Harris mostly made me realize that teaching was a bad job to have, if he took so much pleasure out of torturing us all." And chemistry hadn't been a fun subject. Harris had only made it worse with his strange moods and scathing remarks. "I think his private life sucked for him to be such an ass."

"Yeah, or he was simply a born asshole. In my experience some people can have happy private lives and still be jerks with others for no reason. Maybe he thought we were inferior to his intellect. Which was not true, because I managed to correct him a handful of times. The detentions afterwards were never a surprise, but it was worth it to see that weasel's face fall when he knew I beat him," he chuckled as they reached the top of the stairs.

"I'll bet, he hated being corrected." It was kind of crazy that they had went to the same school, had lived in the same town and it took New York to meet. But they had a few years between them, and as teenagers that made a huge difference. If they had attended high school at the same time, then neither of them seemed to remember, because the three years were too much at that age. Derek hadn't been into males then either, so he wasn't actively looking at other boys in high school, not in that way.

"Still no stairs for Moon Moon, huh?" Stiles glanced back down where the dog was pacing with a literally grumpy look. "Where does that fear come from?" he wondered as they caught their breaths a bit.

Looking back to where Moon Moon was sitting down and looking up at them with a huge yawn, something he did whenever he was contemplating mischief, Derek shook his head. "If something happened, it was before I got him. I've tried treats, I've tried ignoring him. I've put him at the top and pretended to walk away. Nothing. Besides him crying at the top of his lungs whenever he couldn't follow me." Not barking, oh no, Moon Moon yowled like only huskies seemed to do. "If you're unlucky, you'll hear him in a moment."

The large hallway wasn't that interesting, it wasn't filled with furniture or paintings. It was very functional for Stiles. "So you have a pool, a library and a gym. Maybe we need to stay married for sure."

"Oh that poor boy! And I know what you're talking about. I saw funny dog videos of huskies too, you know," he said, sliding his hands back into his jeans' front pockets, not concerned at all about a loud dog in his house. Instead he grinned at Derek again. "Yeah, maybe we should stay married. I'm not sure if you're into cars or not, but you haven't even seen the garage yet..." he wiggled his brows and turned on his heels to continue down the hallway, pointing out more guest rooms with adjacent bathrooms and another office and the game room between the office and Stiles' master bedroom.

The game room was just how Stiles described it. A big ass flat screen mounted on the wall, the game consoles underneath and a shelf dedicated to just the hard copies of games he owned. Because despite the gaming industry going deeper and deeper into the digital age too with downloadable games in the online stores, Stiles liked to have his favorite games in a physical copy too. Not to mention the different sized figurines from the collector's edition packs. Like the Assassin's Creed figurines lined up on a shelf, or a big Tremortusk (basically a mechanical elephant) from Horizon Forbidden West. And those were just a few.

It didn't mean much to Derek, because he didn't even know the figurines came from collector's editions, or that they came from a game in the first place. He had gamed back when he was a teen, sure, but that had stopped since then. And although he watched Erica play or let her sometimes bully him into playing with her, he had no clue about any of it. It looked like a setup many would dream of, probably?

"I'm more into cars than games." And even cars weren’t that big of an interest. He liked them, he liked driving them, he liked looking at nice cars and he knew brands. So yeah, he was kind of into cars. "But I mostly like looking at good looking cars." Clearly, since his own was a regular Toyota jeep, or as Erica called it, his soccer mom car. "Maybe I can get into games if we play, I don't know. Erica mostly laughs her ass off because of the way I play." Aka Derek had no idea what he was doing and would do the most stupid and random things that never made sense and yet he made it work. It was a talent to not die in the games with his antics.

"So you're a noob, a beginner, when it comes to games. No worries, after years of playing myself, I can get lame and panic during boss fights, which usually lead to some button smashing and then rage quitting for a few hours or days," Stiles shrugged, drumming his fingers along the back of the huge couch facing the flat screen.

"And if you like looking at pretty cars then I think I'll make you very happy in a bit," he winked a bit mischievously (or maybe even a bit flirty). Obviously he meant showing him the garage, but he couldn't turn off his true self, which was shining through more and more as he was getting comfortable around Derek. It was a wonder that such good guys still existed in this world. Maybe Derek was right and Stiles needed this change, the structure the history teacher represented.

"But before that, I'm sure even you have been curious to see how your famous rock star hubby's bedroom looks, so come on. Last stop upstairs," he waved to Derek to follow, and letting him take the flirty comment as he liked.

It went over Derek's head, the double meaning of the flirt, instead he gave a curious look, his interest piqued about what Stiles was keeping in his garage. He had seen his car, and yeah, it was a nice one, but it wasn't something that made him want to drive it. Though it was probably a lot more comfortable than the one he drove if the backseat was anything to go by. Wait, was that why the wink? Backseat of cars? God, he was so bad at this. He was belatedly flustered, totally missing his cue to flirt back even though yes, he knew how to flirt even when he was failing miserably around Stiles.

Stiles made him unsure, not because he was famous, but because he was interesting and had made it clear he was also interested. He normally was a pretty confident guy, well, outside of relationships, and Stiles kind of threw that all out of the window. It wasn't a bad thing, at all. But combined with Stiles dealing with a very recent breakup and them being married at the moment made it so very complicated. Or he made it complicated. That's why, after a probably too long moment, he finally reacted as he normally would, if it all wouldn't be so complicated. "I've already been on your backseat."

For a long moment Stiles stopped in the middle of the corridor, blinking at Derek, not getting what he meant. Then he put two and two together.

"Oh. OH! I didn't mean that. I just wanted to show you my other cars, but otherwise yeah, you've been on my backseat. If you want, next time I might make it more interesting," he found his flirty ways at the end then kinda shrugged it off, because at this point, he could tell there was nothing too urgent behind it. It wasn't as if Derek was coming onto him hard after all. And once again Stiles just got struck by how very fucking different he was from Theo, who would've steam rolled himself through all of this just to get into Stiles' pants. Just how he did nearly two years ago. Nah, Derek was nothing like that.

Shaking it off, Stiles opened his door to his bedroom. The first thing one who entered could see was two sealed boxes placed to the left of the door. "Theo's stuff that he had left here," he shrugged again. "Kira will send them back to him," he added then waved theatrically over his bedroom.

The walls were a nice shade of cappuccino, the furniture's light colors complimenting that. The bed was to the right, taking a big chunk of the room, because it was huge! With two bedside tables and the black wrought iron headboard forming flowers and vines, which continued up on a portion of the wall behind it.

Opposite the bed there was yet another big flat screen, some plants in that area as well as two armchairs, a sofa and a coffee table. There was also a balcony, just like with the game room, looking over the glistening pool in the back garden. There was also a door to an adjacent bathroom.

Walking in, Stiles sat on the edge of the black covers, watching Derek take in the full sight. "Nothing too extreme, right? Or... correct me if there is," he looked around, checking out the few nature-related paintings on the walls too.

"You must love tossing and turning with that size of a bed." Derek’s first thought was that Stiles must love inviting people into his bed, but luckily his brain caught up with his mouth before he uttered those words. Totally bad joke to be made when Stiles had already been called a whore by his most recent ex. And a very untrue joke from what the singer had told him, so yeah, he just enjoyed a big bed. Side-eying the boxes with Theo's stuff, he wondered if Stiles would mind if Moon Moon peed all over them, by accident of course. Well, it would happen if he offered to bring them downstairs, because they had no business being in the bedroom anymore. It was very tempting.

"Yeah, I move around a lot in sleep. Or become an octopus when I'm not alone in there," Stiles chuckled low on that comment. "I love big beds. They make me feel safe when I burrow under the covers. It's one way for me to hide from the craziness of the world for a while. Like a safe bubble," he admitted.

"Makes sense. And there’s nothing extreme, but tempting. Have you ever dived off this balcony into the pool?" Gleeful like a little kid, Derek opened the doors to look down at the glistening water, looking very inviting with that perfect blue, well-kept and clean water beckoning him. "Because if you haven't, we're going to do that now."

Stiles probably wasn't expecting it as Derek removed his glasses to put them on the nightstand, already toeing off his boots. It was a challenge. Kind of. Because Derek was for sure going down into that pool, whether Stiles followed him or not. It was a perfect way to get to know one another, to get down to their underwear on their....second date? Not in the way Theo had hinted at, though.

Eyes going wide, the singer watched Derek starting to undress by the bed. "Wow... I didn't expect that you'd suggest something like jumping off my balcony into the pool!" he gaped, because yeah, suggesting something so extreme (to Derek anyways) was very unexpected from the history teacher, whom many would probably categorize as boring. Not Stiles, though. Derek intrigued him. And apparently he wasn't boring at all!

Derek had given arched eyebrows when Stiles had exclaimed he didn't expect the older man to suggest something like this. As if one evening of talking would tell Stiles exactly what kind of man he was. They were still strangers filled with assumptions and prejudice. They didn't know one another at all. Which was kind of the point with undressing, because the body said a lot about a person. So it was funny how true that ran with how different they were.

"I haven't jumped in it from here before, but I guess it can be done. It's not that high, right? I mean... is this safe?" Stils asked, unable to look away from how Derek's clothes were coming off, revealing more and more tanned skin. Damn, the man was ripped and looked awesome only in his underwear! Like a model, really! Stiles felt his cheeks starting to burn when he caught himself eyeing the front of his underwear and quickly looked away to busy himself with pulling his plain black T-shirt off his back too, since he had already taken off his red leather-jacket back in the kitchen.

His skin was much paler compared to Derek's and was dotted with an endless amount of small moles all over. But those weren't the first thing that drew one's attention to his skin. That were the elaborate tattoos. Both of his arms were adorned by them, but only his right was a full sleeve yet. He had already noticed Derek taking a few peeks beforehand.

He had an elaborate grey-scale forest scene on his right arm, starting with roots from the bottom of his forearm and those growing into trees further up. There was a clearing with a big sprawling tree and a full moon depicted on his upper arm. For those who came from Beacon Hills, it was instantly recognizable as the Preserve's oldest tree, often called the Nemeton, a magical tree druids used to worship. That was what inspired the name and symbol of Stiles' record label too.

His left arm was only half-complete yet. There were four red poppies there surrounded by green leaves and music sheets in a tasteful manner, his upper arm mostly bare yet. It was obvious that the design was going to be continued one day.

Still, those weren't the most interesting tattoos he had. There was also a big upward stretching watercolor-style fox, taking up most of his left side, its bushy tail's tip curling over Stiles' hip bone. Its eyes were closed and the nose was held up in the air, pointed towards his heart, a few fall-colored leaves completing the picture, some of them depicted as dancing in the air around the fox, which meant there were autumn leaves scattered on his side, stomach and one even on his chest, right next to one of his pierced nipples.

Kicking his boots off while opening his belt and jeans, he quickly shoved them down from his long yet toned legs, kicking them carelessly to the side. It left him only in a pair of comfy black briefs, hugging him sinfully well.

Derek's body had one single tattoo between his shoulder blades, which was a known Celtic symbol. It was fitting for a history teacher but that wasn't why he had it, it was the Hale family symbol. He wasn't pierced, it hadn't even crossed his mind once to try it. But with Stiles it was fitting, along with the many tattoos that adorned his body. It didn't look tacky or like a random collection of ink over time. They were telling a story and they all connected due to the style or color use. An unfinished painting. He too tried not to ogle too much, but who were they kidding? It was kind of impossible not to with their state of undress.

Stiles was slender and long limbed, wiry muscles moving underneath the pale skin whenever he moved, which happened a lot. Derek let his eyes roam as he waited for the other to get undressed. "It's fine, I wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't. Besides, you bungee jumped so height shouldn't bother you." Derek climbed over the railing of the balcony, making sure he was right above the pool. "You're an idiot for never doing this before when you have a pool." And then he jumped, without hesitation, his athletic body cutting through the water like a knife and resurfacing without a scratch.

Stiles gaped at him once again from that effortless dive and being called an idiot.

"Hey! I do have a problem with heights! Were you even listening to me? I did the bungee jumping to face that fear!" he yelled down at him, waving his fist in the air a bit comically, while he was holding onto the railing with his other hand. Then he grabbed the railing with the other one too, starting to gauge the distance with his lips pressed into a thin line.

"This is a bad idea..." he murmured under his nose and if Scott saw him right now, climbing over the railing, he'd either get a heart attack or drag him back to safety (or both), because it was his job to make sure the multi-million dollars’ worth star didn't do stupid and reckless things. Like jumping into his pool from the bedroom balcony...

"Holy shit..." he wheezed once he was standing where Derek had been just moments ago, holding onto the railing behind him, his legs trembling a bit and eyes wide like saucers. The pool seemed impossibly far away underneath and he felt his ears starting to ring. "If I die, it'll be on you! You won't be able to shake off the suspicion that you killed me for my money and house!" he yelled at Derek (even if he knew Derek would probably get nothing).

He just wanted to climb back over the railing to safety, but then at the same time he didn't want the other man to think of him as a pussy. It wouldn't be very rock star-like.

So he forced himself to look Derek in the eye, take a few deep breaths and finally jumped.

There was nothing athletic or pretty about the way he fell through the air and splashed into the water cannon ball style then coming up with a squeal from the cool water shocking his system.

"That was terrifying!!!" he panted on an accusatory voice while wiping water out of his now mess of a hair.

Not at all phased by all the threats and complains that had been thrown his way (the few words he could pick up anyways when yelled his way), Derek huffed with laughter at the look on the singer's face. "And yet you still jumped." There was the unspoken idiot thrown at the end of the sentence because yeah, there could have been a no. He could have backed off and join Derek in the pool the regular way. "How did facing your fear go?"

Moon Moon barked excitedly, storming through the door that Stiles had left open when they had arrived to locate his owner. Being true to his name, he didn't even stop at the edge of the pool, no, with a loud excited yowling the huskie plunged into the water to first greet Derek by licking him in the face, Stiles getting the same treatment right after. It seemed the Hale was capable of bringing some chaos of his own too.

Laughing out loud at the craziness, Derek splashed some water to hit Stiles in the face, knowing this very moment was going to be remembered for a long time to come. The big rock star sailing from the balcony to ungracefully land in the water of his pool and resurface with this face full of shock. It was one that should have been filmed!

"You should have seen your face!"

Spitting water out of his mouth, Stiles splashed a good amount right back at Derek while Moon Moon was happily yowling as he was paddling around them, enjoying the game.

"You're such a dick, Derek Hale!" Stiles splashed him some more for good measure, but grinned at the end. "We could've died! I could've broken my neck and then you'd be facing a murder charge! And what do you think? I still don't like heights, even after facing that fear with the bungee jumping, so apparently this won't be my favorite past time," he scoffed and swam a bit further away, his whole body getting covered in goose bumps, because the weather and the water were a bit still too cool to be swimming around in it for long. "And now you wanna freeze me to death... Very suspicious, Mr. Hale. Should I call for Boyd?"

"He's probably very aware that we're in the pool and shaking his head at his crazy boss." Derek looked around to see if Boyd had a clear sight of them from where he disappeared to, but he couldn't even spot the building from here so it was unlikely. One thing Stiles was right about was that it wasn't exactly the right temperature for a swim, although it showed more on the one with the pale skin, the lips quickly getting a blue tint to them.

"But yeah, we should go inside, you're turning blue. I just like pools. I always have to swim when I can." He was probably a lot like his dog with that, but Moon Moon took it a lot further and would think a puddle was also a pool. And he'd try to swim if it was snowing too, if Derek didn't stop him from going to frozen lakes. Needless to say, there was a chance Derek was going to be in this particular pool more often if Stiles was serious about them seeing where it would lead.

"Boyd got used to my antics so he wouldn't even bat an eyelash at this. He would've stopped me if I was in real danger, though and if he was here," Stiles mused, starting to swim towards the edge of the pool. "So you're a merman then, gotcha. I'll keep that in mind," the singer chuckled as he pushed himself up and climbed out of the water, immediately putting his arms around himself, his teeth starting to chatter. "Last one to the house is the loser!" he announced and thought it would be better to quickly get over with exposing himself to the elements like this. So he started running towards the open kitchen door, not sure if Derek or Moon Moon were following or not.

Luckily he didn't slip and broke his neck on his way up to the master bedroom, so soon he was dashing into the adjacent bathroom. He wrapped himself into a huge fluffy black towel and kicked his soaking wet briefs off without thinking, the towel big and long enough to keep everything covered.

"Hey, do you have a towel for Moon Moon? I left him outside but..." Derek's voice trailed off because he hadn't expected to see Stiles in a towel with his wet pants in a little heap on the floor. It made sense, of course, it was his home, so he made himself comfortable. Staring for what was probably too long, the Hale blinked himself out of the spell. "Sorry."

Pretending like he hadn't seen where that pleasure trail was leading towards, he quickly grabbed a towel for the dog and left, forgetting one for himself. Which was pretty stupid. By the time Moon Moon wasn't dripping all over the floor, he was cold and still wet, the towel not something he could use for himself because it was wet and covered in hair. He sent Moon Moon to his dog bed to further dry up on it, as he trudged back up the stairs to possibly startle Stiles yet again.

So this time he knocked. "I forgot a towel for myself." And his clothes which were still in the bedroom. Because as it turned out, he was an idiot too.

Stiles, who was by then wearing a pair of warm grey sweatpants, a Captain America T-shirt and an unzipped red hoodie over it, was still quite amused from how Derek reacted when he had barged into his bathroom.

"I've noticed. Here," the singer handed a fresh towel to the man with a lopsided smirk. "Who's the idiot now?" he winked and nodded towards the counter. "There's a hairdryer there too. Feel free to use it," he added, his own hair now dry and a mess on top of his head, but he didn't care.

With that he waltzed out of the bathroom to give Derek some privacy. For a second he considered barging in in a similar fashion and "accidentally" taking a peek, but in the end decided against it in favor of putting on some warm socks to battle his usually cold feet situation.

"You wanna watch something on Netflix?" he yelled towards the half-open door and outright climbed under his covers in hopes of warming up faster.

"You know I can hear you without the yelling," Derek muttered as he walked into the bedroom, jeans on but not fully buttoned yet and no shirt as he was toweling his hair dry. He'd use the hairdryer but since he had never used one before, he had doubted it would go over well. There was no underwear, his boxer briefs were in the bathroom on the towel radiator to dry. It left the jeans hanging low on his hips to show off the Adonis belt and some hair peeking out. "What kind of shows do you like?"

Casually he did the buttons up while looking at Stiles. It was kind of contradictory how he was the idiot around a near naked Stiles, but had no problem showing his own skin off without a second thought. It seemed he was different in a lot of things, which went deeper than the initial dorky model look he had. "I was in the middle of Vikings," came the answer to an unasked question he knew was going to happen as he went back into the bathroom to get his red sweater back on as well as his socks and boots.

Stiles tried his hardest to look normal and swallowed hard, cheeks turning pink as he was still staring at the spot where his undeniably and ridiculously smoking hot husband just stood. Swallowing hard, he needed a moment to collect himself. Rubbing his forehead with the tip of his fingers, he muttered an "oh boy" to himself. And tried his best to shake that tempting image out of his mind. With little success, of course. Well... at least he didn't need to barge in to look, the eye-candy came to him. What a royal treatment, right?

Remembering that Derek was (kinda) waiting for a reply, Stiles cleared his throat and drank a sip of water from the bottle on his nightstand to give himself a couple of moments more so he could sound normal.

"Vikings is fine. Love that show. Especially Ragnar and Lagertha," he slid lower among the pillows, burrowing himself deeper into the huge bed as he switched on the flat screen and pulled up the app to search for said show.

Oh. They were going to watch this in the big bed. That wasn't something Derek counted on, because Stiles didn't seem to realize how tempting he looked all casual and fresh from the water. For a moment he hesitated before he removed his boots yet again and settled on the bed next to Stiles. Not under the covers but staying on top of it for both their sake. As clear as their bodily attraction was, it just wasn't the time for it. No matter how it was on their minds, Stiles needed time. Even when he didn't seem to think so.

"I'd offer to get us some more ice cream, but you look more ready for some hot tea or something. I can get you some." Or he could at least try to get him something since he didn't know his way around the big kitchen so it would take a while. "You look flushed." Did he make Stiles sick with the impromptu swim? Scott would wring his neck if he got the superstar sick. "You need to learn to say no, you know."

"It's getting toasty in here," Stiles murmured, which was the truth in the end, but of course in a different meaning too. "I'm good with my water, thanks. But what do you mean I should learn to say no? I think I say no quite a lot. I did that with my previous record label when they wanted to butt in into my music. I frequently say no to the media. I even said no to Theo in the past, which led to these epic fights sometimes, and most recently to our official breakup. If you meant saying no to jumping off from high places, I can totally say no to that from now on too, believe me. Unless you meant something else," he searched the other man's face questioningly.

"Yes I meant you saying no to jumping, if you didn't want to. I can take a no, I don't have fights over it. You don't have to prove anything to me." Derek wondered if he touched on a sore spot with the way Stiles reacted instantly. He didn't even think it would apply to Theo, but maybe it did, if he needed to clarify it in the way he did just now. The searching gaze was returned with one of his own, wondering if he should read more into it or not. "Should I have meant something else?"

"I don't know..." Stiles said softly, keeping the eye-contact for a bit longer, letting that moment stretch between them as both were searching the other's face. For what answers, probably neither knew exactly. "But just so you know... ever since I was a kid, I always had this strong urge to prove myself to others. I can't help it. So no promises there," he finally said with a tiny smile on his bow-shaped lips right before he looked down and then back to the screen across the room. "Which season are you at? I already saw all of them, so I don't mind where we start."

"Season three, somewhere in the middle." Derek had no idea how many episodes there were or how many seasons, but he liked watching the show. It got him invested since it was of course more up his alley with the inaccurate history it portrayed. With Stiles queuing it up, he relaxed a little more. It wasn't how he had imagined this day would go when he had been told about the interview. Not even when he had suggested ice cream. But an afternoon of Netflix and literally chilling was something he was all for.

"I've never really felt the need to prove myself. People will think what they think. My problem is mostly that I act before I think and I like it dangerous." Adrenaline junkie in a way, although not as much as he had been when younger. "It's probably why I like you."

"So... you like me?" Stiles turned his head as the show started playing somewhere in the middle of season three, as requested. "I like the sound of that," he admitted. "I like you too. You're... so much better than I thought you'd be, if I can be honest. You intrigue me," he added as he turned on his side too so he could face Derek more, less interested in the show at the moment.

The Hale huffed with laughter, because he was well aware what people's first initial idea of him was, an image he had built carefully too. "I know how I come across at first." Boring history teacher who looked exactly like how people would imagine a teacher to look appearance-wise. Slightly grumpy, a little naïve when it came to pop culture and technology and definitely not street smart. Probably boring. "First day I started teaching, I dressed like I always did. Let's just say my students were more interested in my ass than my class. I dulled it down over time." As he was dressed now was more his usual style and he reserved that for the weekends. "I didn't really have time to change when we had met at the concert, it was a busy workday."

"I'm glad you didn't change. I like this more casual style too. And not to burst your bubble, but your ass looks good in the dorky teacher outfits as well," the singer smirked at the other man. "No mouth filters," he pointed at his own mouth, reminding Derek that whatever was on his mind, he usually said it. Well, depending on the situation and person, of course. But he felt comfortable enough around Derek to speak his mind.

It was crazy that he's known this man only for a week, talked to him like three times and he already felt comfortable and safe enough around him that he let him into his bed to watch Vikings. Not to mention that he managed to persuade Stiles to jump into the pool from his balcony! What was it about this guy that seemed to melt Stiles' defenses so effortlessly? Because at the moment he should have huge trust issues and should be all bristled up and careful around other people, thanks to how Theo had disappointed him. But instead he was just lying here on his side and gazing stupidly at the man like an idiot.

Derek glanced sideways to see Stiles staring at him, so he laughed with a small smirk. "Yet the way I dress at school does help with the teens. With the parents not so much." Of course he knew that the teens would sometimes see him in his casual wear in the weekends, because although New York was a large city, it was still small enough to run into familiar people. That and Erica posted pictures of him on her Instagram all the time as well as stupid TikTok snippets where the two of them did some sort of stupid dance. He wouldn't even pretend to understand TikTok and it was probably a good thing he didn't see what she all posted.

"But I'm glad you approve of my ass." Derek finally dared to flirt back a little. They were adults, it wasn't like a little flirting would lead to sex right away. Reaching over Stiles for his glasses, he sighed dramatically as he pushed them onto his nose. "Sadly I do need these, but I wear contacts too. My eyesight is pretty bad without them." It was impossible to even see anything on the large TV screen without his seeing aid. The familiar theme song of Vikings greeted them, but they both didn't seem to be as interested in the show as the initial plan was.

"What about you? Do you have one of those stylist people or do you wear what you like?"

Of course, Stiles followed Derek's every move, not minding how close he got when fetching his glasses.

"On photo shoots and important events like award shows, charity events and other parties, yes. Lydia, who runs my record company business-wise would probably break my neck if I showed up on one of those in my usual T-shirt and torn jeans combo. But whenever I can, I wear my casual rock star outfits. I love sweatpants the most, though," he smirked with a shrug and let his eyes linger on the black framed glasses.

"I think glasses suit you. Or maybe that's just my glasses fetish talking," he added with a mischievous look, because yeah, he picked up on Derek's flirting and it made Stiles feel a bit better about himself, because what Theo did to him was a big blow to his self-esteem, even if he knew that he wasn't the one who cheated. But then again, he couldn't stop himself from sometimes wondering if it was his fault. For working and touring too much or not trying enough. So yeah, Derek finding him interesting enough to flirt back felt good.

Now that made Derek snort, not surprised that Stiles had a fetish and he thought it was probably one of many. "Lucky for you, I have a few glasses to pick from. Maybe if I wear three at the same time, it really gets you going." From the corner of his eyes, Derek saw the episode playing, but he gave the other his full attention, finding it refreshing that they could sit here and talk. It was rare to find somebody who could make him talk like he did with Stiles. He did with his friend Isaac, of course, but they had known each other for a long time, so it was easier for Isaac to get Derek to open up.

"I dare you to wear three glasses at the same time and then you can see what might happen next," Stiles said during a fit of giggles, because he was the visual type and could already see Derek like that.

Derek smirked then looked a bit more serious. "What are things you really hate in a partner? So I can prepare you for all my bad sides." It would be impossible to be a perfect fake husband if Derek constantly did things that everybody knew Stiles disliked. Not that the singer seemed the type to really limit a partner, he was too open to not be tolerant of the bad sides of others. Because they all had bad sides, it was unavoidable.

"Well... that's a good question. Easy to answer because of recent events. The top thing would be cheating. When I'm with someone, I don't stray. I'm monogamous and faithful," he started, absently playing with the golden band around his left ring finger. "Otherwise... loud snoring," he snorted, steering himself from the darker thoughts that threatened to sour his mood. "Did you know that a lot of musicians can sleep whenever and whichever situation or pose when on tour? It's tiring enough for such power naps. I'm like that too. But not even then can I ignore loud snoring. And I mean LOUD snoring. The kind that wakes the dead. Do you snore?" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Because if you're a loud snorer then I'm afraid the annulment of our marriage is inevitable..."

"Sorry, I'm not a loud snorer so you're stuck with me for a while longer. I was told that I do grind my teeth sometimes." And it didn't need an explanation that Derek agreed on the monogamous statement, because he had shown his anger on the cheating a few times already. Of course, if people had an open relationship, it was a completely different thing, but he wasn't into that himself.

"You're probably the kind that talks and moves a lot, even smack your partner in the face." The narrowed eyes look was returned with one of his own, not that he minded any of that. "I sleep like the dead anyways, so that's not a problem." Even the loud snoring wouldn't be a problem for him, should they end up sharing the bed together for sleeping. "You can snore as loud as you want, it's not going to wake me from my coma."

"I only occasionally snore and only when I'm exhausted to the bone. I huff. And yes, move around and mumble and sometimes drool on my partner. And I'm often like an octopus, because I love hugging and cuddling in my sleep too. Is that a problem to you when you're in a coma?" Stiles narrowed his eyes further, but the corners of his mouth were curling upwards.

Obviously, the singer was having fun with this conversation, which was a welcomed change from the depression that dominated his last week. So as he was still lying on his side, he may have edged a little bit closer to Derek, ignoring some Viking fight going on in the background. This was much more entertaining.

Derek's attention wasn't on the show either, it was more background noise at this point, the fight and conversations happening on the big screen weren't that interesting. He could watch that at home too, but the company right now wouldn't always be at his home and it was more fun than TV. "Nope. It's not like I'll wake up from it. I might steal your pillow though. Or all the covers." The Hale was one of those people who slept like he was a living burrito, finding comfort in it to be wrapped in the covers. "I think the worst I did in bed to a partner was fall asleep on them while we were having sex. But that was only once! Otherwise no complaints." No bruises or black eyes due to swinging arms while sleeping and he had never kicked anybody out of bed while sleeping either. "Well, I did freak them out with my deep sleeping. So you're warned from now on. It takes a lot to wake me if you're not my alarm."

"That's easy. I only have to set an alarm to wake you then," the singer waved with his hand and blew a short raspberry. "But no pillow stealing. You can have the covers, but not my pillow. My pillow is sacred. I take it with me on tour too. I cannot live without it," he said bloody seriously, and to make his point, he hugged said pillow under his head, curling protectively around it.

"And we're even with the falling asleep while having sex thing. That happened to me once too. Have to admit, I was drunk and tired, so not my proudest moment either," he grimaced, still holding his pillow as if he expected Derek to reach out and try to take it away in any moment. "What don't you like in a partner?" he finally curiously shot back the question from earlier.

From the way Stiles clutched his pillow, Derek almost felt like he was about to take candy from a kid, but the thing was, he did it when he was sleeping! It wasn't done on purpose so it wasn't like he could promise not to steal the sacred pillow, it kind of happened. But if that was the only problem they were going to have when sharing a bed, it wasn't something he'd worry about.

"I'm way more demanding than you are. I don't like it when they're selfish, or if they don't like animals. I'd walk all over shy and demure partners, so that's not something I'd look for. I don't like it when they're clingy and check where you are all the time and freak out if you don't reply to their text right away. It's a sign that they don't trust me and if there's no trust, there's no relationship." Realizing he was going way deeper than Stiles with this, he tried to come up with something smaller, something that would make him tell them to get out. "And if you like the Kardashians, we can't be seen together anymore."

"UUUUGH! Hard no on the Kardashians. And most reality shows," Stiles half-buried his face in his pillow, as if he didn't even want to think about that form of 'entertainment'. "I hate such shows. That's why I always say no whenever they try to approach me with doing something like that. Never gonna happen. Nu-huh!" He was very firm about that and knew he wouldn't budge no matter what they might offer in exchange.

Derek smiled when Stiles exclaimed a big no towards reality TV, which was a big relief to be honest. There was no way he'd be able to deal with a camera following the singer around all the time, especially because that meant he himself would be followed around all the time too. It was bad enough his face was all over magazines and internet sites already, let's not add TV shows to it. The reality kind.

Taking a deep breath, Stiles’ look turned more serious then. "Most of what you said... It's something I can agree with. Especially the trust in a relationship thing. Lucky for you, I don't think I tick any of your no-no list's boxes, though," he shot him a smile. "But more demanding? What do you mean by that?" Stiles asked curious, because he didn't see that coming.

"You're an extrovert, you're more accepting of other people too." It was funny that Derek was a teacher with what he was about to say, he knew that. And if there was a way to have a job concerning history that wouldn't have involved people, he'd go for it. "I'm an introvert and I don't like people. They're all idiots. So I'm picky who I end up spending my time with." He made a face and tilted his head. "I know, you're an idiot too, but a different kind."

"The marrying you on a concert in front of millions kind of idiot, yes!" Stiles laughed wholeheartedly and it felt so good to laugh like that again, so he didn't stop it, just let it roll out of him, making the corners of his eyes damp and one of his hands going around his stomach. "Oh... oh my god! I didn't see this coming," he wheezed in-between fits of giggles, his whole face lit up from the laugh as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "A history teacher hating people! This is priceless! I love it! Thank you for this," he flopped onto his back, pushing the cover down to his waist, because the laughing made his cocoon a bit too warm by then.

Not sure if he should be insulted or happy that he made Stiles laugh like that, Derek made a face which was caught between those emotions for a moment. But then he ducked his head and smiled, a warm feeling spreading in the pit of his stomach as he listened to the carefree laughter coming from the comedian next to him. He had done that, he had made Stiles laugh like that. And it was a damn good feeling!

"I like the kids I teach! Kind of. Somewhat. Most of the time. Despite them being idiots." But then in his opinion everybody was an idiot and so that wasn't saying much. "It's the coworkers I try to avoid. Except one of them also happens to be my friend, so that doesn't work well." In a way he was a hater while still doing everything he hated.

"If it makes you feel better, most kids are indeed idiots. We were too at that age," Stiles said, still smirking as he adjusted the sacred pillow under his head. "And believe me, I very often think of people as idiots too and would give anything for them to leave me alone for a while. You know, all the expectations, demands and bugging me for everything. But oh well, that's life," he shrugged with a sigh and finally actually looked at the screen.

"By the way, I heard that the bulk of this show was mostly accurate. But how accurate is it, Mr. History Teacher? And on that note, what part of history is your favorite?"

"It's not. But you don't watch it for accuracy. Kattegat never existed, Rollo never married a princess, that was a different Rollo. Floki was never real, Lagertha was never Bjorn's mother or an Earl. The list goes on. They have the behavior of a Viking tribe right. That's something at least. But it's all fiction." Which was of course funny when it aired on the history channel, so you'd assume there'd be some accuracy there. There wasn't much, especially not for a history teacher. Derek watched it because it entertained him and it was written well enough to keep a very critical viewer such as himself interested.

"Ragnar is from the Icelandic saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, which was also a work of fiction in the thirteenth century. He was probably based on the Viking leader Reginherus in the ninth century, but Vikings weren't known to have an extensive library where all their heroics were written down so there's no evidence of much writing-wise about what events really transpired. Besides the European scribes, who were heavily biased due to their Christian religion, so there's not much to go on for historians."

"Wow, I didn't know that so much was fiction. I mean I had heard that the real Ragnar came from folk tales or whatnot. But still it's an entertaining show with lovable characters and enough sex, brutality and blood to sell," he mused while stretching under the cover, cracking his toes out with a pleased sound. "But you didn't answer my question about your favorite part or era of history. Now you'll have to also tell me why it's your favorite," he grinned at Derek then looked back at the screen where the Vikings began their first attack on Paris.

Derek hummed in answer to the show being entertaining, but Stiles was more entertaining with how he got comfortable, like he was about to fall asleep. Which would make sense, the last week has been intense for him with all the drama and the stress of his fake marriage. So if he wanted to sleep this afternoon, the older man wasn't going to blame him one bit. "I got into the Celtic culture because of our very own Nemeton. And yes, I've noticed your obsession with it too. It just lured me in, the history of that old tree, the druids and their connection to nature. Coupled with the brutality of the Celtic warriors. Their beliefs and their stories are endless."

It of course explained why he had a Celtic tattoo on his back. "My family has been part of Beacon Hills' history as protectors of the Nemeton since its existence. My forefathers founded our town and it's not like I believe that the tree is magical or anything..." Derek snorted at that, because it was a ridiculous notion. "But you can kind of sense the old age, the spot breathes history. You can close your eyes and imagine the rituals that took place there."

To that Stiles did close his eyes and hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you're talking about. And who knows? Maybe it is a magical tree. There's so much that our dulled materialistic human senses cannot pick up on anymore. But whenever I visited that tree while growing up, I could feel that ancient power or presence or whatever you might like to call it. It calmed and yet energized me at the same time. It made me feel stronger so that's why I had chosen the name Nemeton Records for my company. Because of that feeling. Because I wanted to be stronger and wiser as I move forward with my career," Stiles explained, his eyes still closed. "And I thought the Hale name was familiar. I just didn't put it together until now that you are from those Hales, the founding family. Which is stupid of me, because I think you're the only Hales in Beacon Hills," he snorted to himself.

"Most know my mother since she loves to immerse herself in all the town events. The rest of us are more... normal," Derek explained with a laugh, not at all minding that Stiles hadn't put it all together. There have been other things on his mind. Sure, in Beacon Hills the Hale name meant something, but compared to Stiles' fame that was nothing. Derek could be totally himself in New York, because most people didn't even know Beacon Hills existed. The anonymity was something he had enjoyed a lot. But that wasn't what he was going to say, because Stiles would only feel guilty and say sorry yet again.

Leaning back against the headboard, Derek looked at the TV without really seeing it. Just so he wouldn't stupidly stare at the singer all the time like a creeper. "I love that you literally kept close to your roots with the name of your company. You probably had to answer the question a lot about what it meant."

"Yeah, there were many questions about it when it was all starting up and was announced that my third album will be released by it," Stiles murmured in agreement. "And you said it, it's partially to remind myself of my roots. Where I came from. So fame and this life style wouldn't get into my head, so I wouldn't chase it mindlessly like so many does in the industry," he explained. Theo's name wasn't said, but it was probably implied somewhere in there. Now Stiles could see him better for what he was. Which only made the last nearly two years of his life with him all that more painful. But he was going to get through this too.

Cracking his eyes open, although with some difficulty, he looked at the screen, but didn't really follow the siege's proceedings. Instead after a short pause he continued on a quieter, reverent tone. "I remember your mother. She was always nice to me when I was a kid. I think she was kinda friends with mine. Although I'm not sure about that. I think I vaguely remember her from my mother's funeral too. Dad always mentioned her with respect."

"Yeah," Derek said softly, almost wistfully as he remembered Stiles' mother and sadly also the funeral that came way too soon. "I was there, at Claudia's funeral. She was a really good friend of my mom, so I remember her well. I think you were like eight?" It was seventeen years ago, however no doubt to Stiles it felt like yesterday at times. "She really was nice."

Saying how Derek was sorry for his loss would be an empty gesture, because of course it was a loss and of course everybody was sorry it happened. Derek looked at Stiles again, tempted to reach out and touch him in some way, which was weird because he wasn't a touchy feely kind of guy. At all! Inwardly debating the pros and cons, internally freaking out a little as to why Stiles managed to get so close so fast, he finally settled on reaching out to grab Stiles' hand. "She would have been proud of you."

It took a moment for Stiles to answer and process the warm hand holding his. It wasn't the first time that they held hands, but this was more intimate than during their interview on the talk show.

"Yeah... I hope so," he said with a small sad smile, even if he knew that there were mistakes in the past that she wouldn't have approved of, but would've said that those had happened so he could learn from them. Which eventually he did. Or he always tried at least. "Did you know that she had a big part in me getting into music? She was a big fan of all genres. I still have her vinyl collection in the living room. Of course, it had expanded since then, but yeah. I've got my first acoustic guitar from her too. I was around seven, I think. She always encouraged me and tried to teach me not to give up when I got stuck on something. We're lucky that we've got such awesome moms," he laughed softly at the end, trying to lift the mood a bit. But he did squeeze Derek's hand in his and didn't let it go, even when he closed his eyes again.

"I miss her terribly every single day. I'd give anything to have her back even for a minute," he whispered. "So make sure you make the most of the time spent with your mom. Speaking of her... does she and your family know about us yet?"

"Yeah, she knows. She called the next day after Laura had called her and sent her a link to a Youtube video featuring me. Laura's my sister living here in New York too." There was a soft laugh as he looked at their joined hands. "She chewed me out for not inviting her to the wedding of her only son. I told her I'd try to look into my crystal ball more often."

Derek was lucky, he still had all of his family, there hadn't been any losses, while Stiles had to watch his mother deteriorate due to a brain disease which he didn't remember what it was exactly. He was a kid himself and he remembered the sadness of the funeral and his mom going to the hospital a few times before that. "She kind of cried when I told her, who you were, in a good way. So if you meet her be prepared for her being emotional because of your mom."

"She reacted like that?" Stiles opened his eyes and looked at Derek. "That's awesome..." he smiled happier this time and left the topic at that, turning his attention back to the show, although his mind was still on everything they just talked about.

The silence between them was a comfortable one as they continued holding hands and watching the show until Stiles finally gave in to his tiredness and quietly fell asleep, for some reason feeling safe and looked after.

For a little while, Derek let Stiles sleep, waiting for the REM sleep to pass into a deeper kind of sleep before he slowly extracted his hand from the loose hold. He had a kid to get back to and he'd feel like a creeper if he stayed here without invitation. There was only so much Stiles watching he could do before he'd cross into that territory. As if he hadn't watched him sleep for the last half an hour. Nope. Nobody was ever going to know that. Switching the TV off and taking his shoes with him, he tiptoed out of the bedroom to a very eager Moon Moon waiting downstairs. A note was left on the kitchen counter for Stiles to find in the morning.

Call me about the time when to meet up for dinner. Derek.

Locking up the best he could, he took his dog to his car and asked the guard at the gate if he could make sure the doors were locked since Stiles had fallen asleep. He'd feel bad if he left a world famous singer with a door open for people to get into.

It was a long drive back to the chaos of the city thanks to the ever persistent traffic that would erupt around dinner time even in the weekends. At least Erica was asking a lot of questions and distracted him in the evening with daring him to play some board games. Maybe she sensed that there was a lot on his mind and needed some help to get out of the pensive mood he had slipped into.

As he was lying in bed, he did realize the giant problem that was starting now that he was spending more time with Stiles. He was falling for him. Who was the idiot now?

Chapter Text

Chapter 5 – Tears Don’t Fall

“ There's always something different going on
The path I walk's in the wrong direction
There's always someone fucking hanging on
Can anybody help me make it better?”

(BFMV – Tears Don’t Fall)

"Are you sure this is a good idea? People and the paparazzi will sooner or later recognize you two..." Scott looked at his friend a bit doubtful.

Stiles was wearing some simple sneakers, a pair of well-worn blue jeans and a dark-blue hoodie. He just put on his sunglasses and a black baseball cap, his 'disguise' ready.

"I talked about that possibility with him. Besides it's not something we can do anything about. But going to cheap food places instead of some fancy restaurant lowers the chances of us getting quickly recognized. And even if someone spots us and there'll be a few photos, it will only prove what we said during the interview: we're trying to get to know each other better."

"That's... true," Scott finally nodded. "It'd be good publicity. Throwing a bone to the masses, so to say."

"Exactly. I'm taking my old jeep anyways. Not many know about Roscoe. And I'm ditching Boyd."

"He'll probably follow you anyway," Scott snorted. "Just in case."

"Probably," Stiles shrugged and waved it away. "Gotta go or I'll be late. Thanks for the update and everything else. You're a good friend," Stiles went over to give a bro hug to Scott, who (along with Kira and even Lydia) has been working hard the past week to handle Stiles' mess.

"Of course, man. You're my best bud," Scott hugged him back.

"That's right," Stiles smiled then released him. "Go take Kira out somewhere nice on me. You two deserve it."

"It's not necessary, but thanks," Scott beamed at him.

"I insist to pay for it. Have fun!" the singer squeezed Scott's shoulder then hurried towards the garage. Only then realizing that he forgot to show it to Derek. Next time, he thought with a small smile as he walked past his more expensive cars to the end where his mother's baby blue jeep stood. It was his very first car and he still loved it to bits, but kept it more in his garage. Mostly to keep it safe, but it was also a good occasional 'disguise car'.

Getting in he roared Roscoe to life with ease and patted the dashboard lovingly. "Time to meet the new fam, old girl," he smirked, feeling quite excited about the dinner date.

*

"Can you hurry up?"

"Noooo, stop rushing me, Derek. I want to look good. God, you're so annoying!"

Derek rolled his eyes at the typical teenager reply shouted at him through the bathroom door where Erica has been getting ready for the past hour. It didn't matter that he told her she looked beautiful without the makeup, or that what she had been wearing the entire day was fine to go out in too. No. Because she was meeting Stiles and that apparently required a lot of work.

To be fair, he had done some preening himself too. He put some extra product in his hair, had thought about what to wear a little bit longer that morning. Not that the basic shirts in his closet would be all that different. Despite Stiles' admission of having a kink for glasses, he wore contacts instead, hoping it would throw off possible press. It was also the reason why they chose not to meet up at his apartment but at a parking lot close by. Derek hadn't explained to Stiles why they couldn't meet up at the place they'd eat at, because he wanted to let him experience the challenge to its fullest.

Thanks to Erica, they were fashionably late, but as it appeared, they weren't the only ones.

"He's not here yet. Stop fussing with your hair, it looks fine." She had curled hers and kept running her fingers through the long threshes. Erica stuck out her tongue at him, which he returned with the same gesture.

A few minutes later Stiles stopped the jeep at the rendezvous point and was glad that Derek and his daughter seemed to be a bit late too, which – obviously – was fine by Stiles since traffic was a bitch to him too. That and making extra sure that no photographer followed him. Having a sheriff for a dad had taught him a few tricks, like how to make sure to lose a tail if there was one.

So for now he just sat back and took out his phone to text Derek that he was there at the parking lot in an old light blue jeep, to make it easier for them to spot him, because he wasn't going to get out and risk blowing his cover so fast.

Frankly, he had no idea what to expect from this evening. Well, aside from eating too much cheap food and finally meeting Erica face-to-face. Which was going to be interesting, he assumed, but he was pretty good with handling teenage fans by now. Still, he was curious about... well, kinda his stepdaughter now? Which was a very weird thought he didn't want to think too hard on, so while waiting he just kept drumming the beat of the song playing on the radio against the steering wheel.

"Oh! He's here in a blue jeep?" Derek hummed with a frown because apparently he was already there and they were late. He hated being late.

"Over there!" Erica spotted the blue jeep and was already halfway out of the car, running over to it with a big grin on her face. Poor Stiles. Derek hadn't exactly prepared him for the teenage storm that was his daughter. At fourteen, she was smart and didn't put up with any nonsense because of the insecurity hiding behind it. Since she had transferred schools and had gotten on the right meds, she had flourished into a young woman, looking more like she was sixteen instead of fourteen. Losing her parents had matured her.

"Hi!" she beamed at Stiles as Derek hurried to lock the car and walk over, knowing neither needed introductions. Not that it stopped her. "I'm Erica, your new stepdaughter!" It was followed by her climbing into the backseat so Derek could take the passenger's seat.

"Sorry we're late. Somebody took forever."

"No I didn't! You took forever figuring out which blue jeans framed your ass the best," Erica shot back. Derek gave her a look in return with the eyebrows, not at all shocked because… yeah.

Amused, Stiles listened to the father-daughter duo, already smirking like an idiot. "If it counts at all, I think your ass looks good in whatever pants you wear," the cheeky singer winked at Derek then turned a bit in the driver's seat to be able to look at Erica.

She was a very pretty blond with curly hair, brown eyes and a dazzling smile. She also looked more mature than fourteen and oozed confidence and excitement as she sat there in a pair of dark blue jeans, a blue shirt and black fashionable leather jacket.

"Nice to finally officially meet you, Erica. I've heard good things about you. Although the stepdaughter thing is something I still have to wrap my head around. Sorry we haven't met earlier, you can imagine what a crazy week we had with Derek," he smiled in a friendly manner at her.

"I know! It was totally all over the internet. The interview and the dates you two had, even though they claim Derek slept at your place and that's totally not true. Derek would be less grumpy if he had had sex."

"Hey!" Derek didn't want to discuss his sex life with his fourteen year old charge, not even for a second. Nor did he want her to discuss it with him until she was eighteen, or no, eighty. His stern look did make her pipe down a little, even when her smirk still spelled trouble.

She knew when to push it and when to leave it. Instead she leaned forward to look at them both. "So daddies, where are we going? I'll get out my phone." As if she wasn't already armed with it.

"We use an online randomizer to tell us if we look for the cheapest or the worst rated place. Then we use it to give us a number and use it to find a restaurant that matches the rank of the list number-wise," Derek explained.

"We have tums with us for possible heartburn and our insurance card for possible food poisoning." Erica seemed cheerful with that possibility. "Derek already had it twice."

"That sounds like an adventure! But I won't pretend I understand your method to choose the places," Stiles chuckled, not shying away from admitting he felt a bit lost there. "I'm like... tagging along, so you two run the show tonight. But I'm up for the challenge. And I'm hungry as a wolf, so let's get this party started!" he fist bumped into the air and looked at the two expectantly with an interested expression.

"Oooooh, looks like we're going to worst rated restaurants," Erica cheered and Derek groaned.

His intestines were protesting at the thought of yet another bout of food poisoning. Not that it would make him back down, this was their thing, their tradition they have started when Erica started living with him and they both loved it.

"Oh no, we're going to the second worst rated one too." Erica patted Derek's shoulder in fake sympathy as she was already pulling up Google maps for Stiles.

"Here you go, stepdaddio. We're going for pasta!"

As Erica handed over the phone to Stiles, Derek did some more groaning which was also part of the tradition. "Bad pizza places are the worst."

"You're only saying that because of your Italian roots. You consider a lot of pasta bad. You should see him eating a frozen pizza, he claims they butcher the dough."

Chuckling from the vivid conversation between the two, Stiles shrugged and took her phone to see where he had to drive.

"I didn't know your family had Italian roots," he glanced at Derek then back at the phone, memorizing the turns he had to take. Luckily the bad pizza place wasn't that far away and he was familiar with the route they had to take.

Handing the phone back to Erica, he started the engine and began backing out of the parking space without any hiccups. "Frozen pizza is the worse, though. I have to agree on that. The dough is just so... spongy and yuck," he added as he drove them out of the parking lot and into the early evening traffic.

"Thank you! See, he gets it!" Derek looked at Erica pointedly even though he knew it was pointless, she loved anything that came out of a box. Maybe because he wasn't a good cook or maybe because she was a typical teen. Probably a bit of both. She was a lost cause regarding pasta, that much he did know. "My grandfather was Italian, so we learned to cook the Italian way. Well, most of us. I was always kicked out of the kitchen." Clearly the lack of talent had started early enough to displease the grandparents. "I'd managed to burn the spaghetti while cooking, and my grandfather called me a monster," Derek huffed with laughter at the memory, not at all feeling guilty about it. His talents lied elsewhere.

Erica shook her head. "And then you wonder why I like frozen pizza."

After a laugh of his own, Stiles piped up. "But I hear he's good at breakfast foods. I still have to test that," he winked at Derek. And if his look and smirk was a bit flirty or suggestive, who could blame him? Derek was a gorgeous man and also his husband now, so he had the right to act like that around him, right? Especially since he liked him a lot already.

"You'll lick all your fingers... among other things," Erica giggled on the backseat, making Stiles clear his throat and blush a bit, but he grinned as he stole a glance of Derek to see his reaction.

"Oh my god, Erica." She was shameless, completely shameless. Which did nothing for Derek’s blush that had appeared at the wink thrown his way and the suggestive words. Normally it wouldn't even phase him, because it wasn't like he never got flirted with. But since he had decided that he was starting to get some feelings for Stiles, and the singer had made it known that he was interested, it changed things. "We'll make sure you're at Laura's when that happens."

When, not if. It was undeniable that there was chemistry and interest, it was just the timing that sucked. So yeah, it would need some time. So Derek kept telling himself. If there wasn't Erica, if there wasn't Theo, they probably would have shared a bed already, but the Hale had to set the right example, even when married.

"Pfffft," Erica sulked. "Not fair. You guys didn't even have your wedding night yet or your honeymoon. Stepdad totally needs to woo his bride."

"Stop calling him your stepdad." Derek did his familiar head tilt as he thought about what else she just said. "And stop calling me the bride. Why am I the bride?"

"Duh! He's way more forward and a Go Getter than you are."

"Oh my god!" Stiles laughed out loud on that just as he took another turn at an intersection. "This is so amusing. I'm learning so much about you two just from listening to your bickering! It's hilarious!" he said enthusiastically, not even phased by Erica's comments. "Also, she's not wrong there about me usually going for what I want," he shrugged. It was widely known about him for fans. "And since I'm technically your stepdad, you can call me that, if you want, Erica. I don't mind," he added. "Also, Derek, you're saved from more embarrassment by the bad pizza place, because we're here," Stiles announced as he parked the jeep in a free spot, not far from the entrance. "Let's hope no food poisoning happens tonight, though..." he added as he undid his seat belt and climbed out of the jeep, adjusting his sunglasses and pulling his cap more into his eyes. "I am ready," he announced. "Lead the way."

Just as they were about to go in, Erica took a picture of them, making sure there was nothing in the frame that would let the press know where they were. As much as she was a fan of Stiles, she didn't want her time with him and Derek ruined, especially not since this was the first time. She posted it on her Instagram right away, and within minutes, without them knowing, her post went viral. Websites took the picture or her entire post so they could point out the title that she had used. 'Going out to eat with stepdaddio and his bride.' Luckily, at that moment, Stiles and Derek were completely unaware of it, although later that evening Scott would call Stiles to compliment him on that awesome PR stunt.

Derek was used to Erica being on her phone all the time like most teenagers, so he didn't think much of it. Playfully he bumped against Stiles' shoulder so he could hold the door open for the two. "The adventure awaits," he said with an ominous voice as Erica cheered and bounced ahead to find them a good table. The smart girl that she was, made her not pick one near a window.

The place itself wasn't very promising. There were plastic chairs, plastic red-checkered tablecloths and even the menus were laminated. Which, as Derek had learned from experience, wasn't very promising. "Oh god," he muttered as he walked with Stiles. "I hope you won't hate me if we end up puking our guts out."

Taking a seat with his back to the door and windows, Stiles chuckled at that from behind his sunglasses, which he kept on for now. "No, I won't hate either of you. I'll just leave this bonding time and tradition for the two of you in the future," he answered and looked around a bit skeptically. Yeah, the place wasn't the cleanest and it had obviously seen better days, but this was all part of the experience.

"Not sure I wanna touch the menu," he murmured, but did anyway, trying to avoid a greasy spot on it. The food was cheap and the selection not that big, so he went with a pepperoni pizza and a coke when the waitress, thankfully an older woman (who probably wouldn't have any idea about who Stiles was even if she saw him without his cap and sunglasses) came to take their orders. "But I'm grateful you invited and included me in this. It's been such a long time since I did something like this. Back in high school my best bud, Scott and I used to bar dive and afterwards eat in whatever place that was still open and served us. Those were the good times. Even if sometimes it meant puking our guts out on the sidewalk afterwards," he smiled fondly from that memory.

"See, you have a sense to adventure. So you can't always ditch us at our Sunday cheap eat challenge," Erica told him, already counting him in as part of their future, as if it was set in stone and normal to have Stiles Stilinski at the Sunday dinners. At least she didn't gush all over Stiles and treated him like a normal human being, which was kind of surprising to Derek. He had expected more giggling and blushing and maybe some improper flirting. It was a relief and it was kind of suspicious at the same time, which made him wonder when the other shoe would drop.

The Hale didn't touch the menu, instead he leaned sideways to look over Erica's shoulder to read the one she was holding, because yeah, he was very sure he didn't want to touch his. He ordered a basket of garlic bread for them all, and a pizza with ham and pineapple and sweet tea. Erica was the most adventurous of them all and went for the lasagna.

"We're keeping scores," Derek told Stiles. "You get points for how daring your food is, like chicken wins all the points, because that is a guaranteed Salmonella when not prepared right. The monthly loser has to take the trash out for that entire month."

"And I'm so winning this month!" the teenager grinned widely at them both, smug about her win, although was it really winning if it meant bad food and possible sickness?

"Hey! If I knew about the scores system, I would've gone with something more adventurous myself!" Stiles gaped with some fake pouting added to the mix, but the edges of his bow-shaped lips curled upwards, giving him away. "Oh well, maybe next time," he waved it off.

He also felt pleased that he seemed to fit into this small family unit with ease, despite his fame and different lifestyle. Erica treating him like a normal guy and not a celebrity further calmed him and made him more relaxed and open as they chatted and joked until their food and drinks arrived.

From the look and smell of it, his pizza looked okay and his empty stomach grumbled in anticipation. "This doesn't look so bad..." he mumbled then tentatively took a bite from a slice, chewing it experimentally. "Okay... the cook must be in love, because the dough has too much salt in it. It's also thicker than usual, but I like thick things... I mean dough," he said while looking straight at Derek, unable to stop himself. God, maybe he should stop flirting like that in front of Erica, but he felt at ease with these two and she also struck him as a straightforward person (and older than her actual age both in looks and thinking). So yeah, that comment slipped out because of the no mouth filter thing again.

It was a good thing Derek hadn't taken a bite from his pizza yet, or he would have choked on it and that would have led to more indecent remarks from either Stiles or the peanut gallery. It was definitely suggestive, because Stiles had seen him in his wet underwear, which didn't leave a lot to the imagination. So the singer's imagination had obviously run wild after that.

Erica's eyes flitted from one to the other, and seeing how red Derek got from that, she nearly squealed. "Oh wow! You two totally saw one another naked! When did this happen and what did happen?"

"Nothing happened, we went swimming in his pool."

"Naked swimming?"

"Normal swimming," Derek deadpanned.

"Wait, he has a pool? Awesome! When can I see it and use it? I mean, no offense Derek, but with your teacher's salary, there's no way we can afford a pool anytime soon."

"I think I'd first go for buying a house instead of an apartment before buying a pool. Eat your food." Fortunately his own pizza wasn't bad. It was too greasy, but that was pretty normal in New York, and it was too thick and the tomato sauce came from a can so it was sour. It was edible though and didn't taste like it would make a reappearance out of the mouth soon.

"Well..." Stiles piped up after finishing his first slice. "It wasn't exactly a normal swim. You made me jump into the pool from my balcony..." he protested. "I wouldn't call that normal."

"You what?!" Both of Erica's brows shot up and some of the lasagna from her fork splatted back onto her plate. Clearly it was too wet and greasy too. Her wide eyes were, of course, on Derek. "Everyone knows Stiles is bad with heights! How could you..." she nearly hissed, acting a bit like an overprotective fan until Stiles put a calming (and not greasy) hand on her wrist.

"Hey, it's okay. It was a challenge. He jumped and I didn't want to look like a pussy, so I jumped too. And you can visit whenever Derek deems it okay. Don't forget to bring a bathing suit or bikini. Whichever rocks your boat," he smiled and let her wrist go before going back to eating and sending a nearly apologetic look at Derek. But just nearly.

"He had told me he had done bungee jumping to conquer his fear! And honestly, I wasn't aware it was that high." Since Derek had no fear of heights at all, it was hard for him to imagine when it would kick in. Of course, he knew jumping down from the first floor wasn't smart unless you wanted to possibly break an ankle, but in this case there had been water to land in. How was he to know that it was like inviting Stiles to fear factory? And no, Derek wasn't everyone and it wasn't like he knew every detail of Stiles' life, thank god for that! But at least Erica wasn't behaving so perfectly anymore and was showing her crazier fan side again. What a relief.

"Of course it's high, it's like a whole floor up! Anything not ground floor is high for those afraid of heights." Erica wasn't willing to let it go that soon, even though she had beamed at Stiles when he offered she could use his pool.

"Acrophobia."

"Huh?"

"Fear of heights. It’s called acrophobia."

"Nobody cares, Derek! You nearly killed Stiles!"

Derek rolled his eyes since that were the exact same words Stiles had used and he had thought it had been way too dramatic then as well. "There would be easier ways to do that."

Stiles raised a brow at that while chewing and then talking at the same time. What? He didn't have perfect table manners. "Should I be scared for my life around you?" he asked Derek with some teasing in his voice. "Because I think you figured out already that Boyd could easily take you down before it came to that. Boyd is my driver slash bodyguard," he leaned closer to Erica for a moment to inform her about that with a whisper.

"I know," she whispered back, eating and watching the adults with such interest as if her favorite show was on.

"Sorry, forgot for a sec that you're a super fan," Stiles added with some more stage whispering then straightened in his seat and looked back at Derek, talking on a normal voice next. "In fact, I'm pretty sure he's lurking outside somewhere. He likes to keep an eye on me on his own too. But maybe that's encouraged by Scott, dunno," he waved with his hand and took a juicy big bite from his pizza, one brow lifted.

"So in other words, you might have a stalker bodyguard, got it." Now Derek was the one to raise an eyebrow at that, because it seemed very improper for an employee to follow his employer around. Unprompted. It no doubt was needed due to plenty of security reasons, but to him it seemed very excessive. Either Boyd wanted the extra pay or he took protecting Stiles a little too serious. Either way, it raised some red flags with him, especially after his ex.

One true fact was that the tall bodyguard could probably take Derek on one-handed. Working out didn't mean the Hale was good at fighting, not against a trained professional. A fistfight he might have a little chance in, if they didn't tower over him. Taking a big bite, he chewed and swallowed first before he mentioned casually between bites: "Dating a history teacher comes with dangers. We learn all about the way historical figures died."

Erica giggled. "He knows how to, but he's a big softie. He even captures flies with a mug so he can put them outside alive."

That made Derek scowl, so much for building a dangerous reputation or at least joke about it.

"Aw, that's adorable!" Stiles chuckled and couldn't stop the fond look he shot the other man. "In that case I won't sleep with a kitchen knife under my pillow. Phew! That's a relief," he dramatically wiped his forehead and finally removed his sunglasses to see the other two better.

"So, Erica, how's your lasagna?" he asked after breaking a lingering look at Derek. "And tell me a bit about yourself. I'm curious about you. You also probably have tons of questions about me, since I know you're one of my fans. The fierce way you try to protect me from Derek tells me that a big one as well. But I'm glad you're not the screaming and fainting kind. That always makes me feel a bit weird."

"I kind of imagined we'd meet, you'd fall in love with me and I'd dance in your music videos and travel with you when you were touring. And we'd have three kids together because we wouldn't want one kid since we're both only children. I'd start our own fashion label and you'd always bring me flowers when you got home because you loved me that much."

Derek did choke on his bite of pizza this time as Erica went into her detailed dream of her life with Stiles. Yeah, she didn't scream or faint, but she clearly was a very serious fan. This was all the singer's fault though for even asking.

"But," Erica continued without any shame. "You instead married my adoptive dad and I guess I'm okay with that. But I'm expecting to get brothers and sisters at least. You guys owe me that!"

Stiles' eyes – as to be expected – widened a bit and the half-eaten slice of pizza he was holding splatted back onto his plate. Clearing his throat, he quickly tried to collect himself and picked back up his slice. Well, he guessed this is what he got for poking the beehive, but in the end he chuckled shortly and shook his head, sending a 'fans, right?' kind of look at the red Derek.

To buy some time for himself, he quickly took a big bite and started chewing. But in the end he chose to use one of the tactics he often used during interviews when he didn't want to react to something. The solution: ignoring it with a smile.

"So... how's your lasagna?" he repeated the question he got no answer to, as if it was the most important thing he wanted to know.

"Too salty and the bottom is a bit charred, but edible," she said, as if she didn't just share her teen fantasy of the life she dreamed up for them.

Derek coughed, and wasn't sure what to say to it all, ignoring it seemed to be the wisest thing, but since when was he ever the wisest? "At least you can still start your own fashion label."

"I have to do something since I can't be what I want to be. And that really sucks." There was instant sulking happening, but it was justified this time.

"She wanted to become a cop," Derek explained.

"But you can't be a police officer when you have epilepsy. I'd be a doctor, but I'm not that smart and I totally don't want to be a nurse. So starting my own clothing store is the best other option. It's not like there's anything else left."

Derek shook his head at Stiles, because yeah, it changed all the time what she wanted to become. By the time she'd turn eighteen and had to consider college, she no doubt was going to go over every profession as the new career path she wanted to take.

"Well, if it counts, you do have a good fashion style," Stiles waved towards her outfit. "I'd totally buy stuff from you," he smiled at her, not wanting to say sorry for not being able to become a cop, because he was pretty sure Erica wouldn't like to be pitied or anything like that. "Also, if you want my advice, you're still very young, so give yourself some time to figure out what you want to be. You still have a few years until then. For example, when I was your age, I was torn between wanting to become a musician or a chef. The latter would've been easier with smaller risks, but later I realized that my true passion is my music. It took some time to firmly decide that I'd take that path. But either way, just make sure you're passionate about what you choose."

Erica seemed to mull that over while they continued eating and going back to lighter topics. It was a nice dinner, despite the not so stellar food, but at least it didn't end with food poisoning.

After dropping off the father-daughter duo by their car, Stiles didn't even notice that he's been smiling all along on his way home just when his face started to hurt.

It was indeed a good night with his... family?

***

It’s been days since they had last seen each other, but they were on the phone a lot, surprisingly. As Stiles had promised, he took on all the interviews and updated Derek on some of the weirder questions he got or the latest rumors concerning them. Erica had also told Derek how he was internet famous. The hype didn't fade, if anything the more he tried to stay out of the spotlight, the more interesting he got for the press. Since they could only snap his picture when he stepped out of his apartment to go to work or to walk Moon Moon. The dog was appearing with him everywhere in the magazines and internet pages. One in particular was popular enough to get printed in the gossip magazines on the cover. He even had some fashion company approach him to be their billboard model. Derek had laughed and hung up on them.

"Two more pages, class, then it's time," Derek looked up from his own work to look at his 'kids' as they were struggling through their English homework. Most of the kids had a disability which made reading hard for them or they didn't comprehend it. Or they simply were still learning English and were behind because of it. Kids who normally would barely graduate, wash out, never really have a chance after high school. So Derek offered up free time to help them with a study group twice a week.

Erica didn't need it, but she always stayed since he was her ride home. And she kind of liked it to be able to do her homework and then go home to do some hardcore gaming. Today she seemed a little restless, checking her phone all the time so he gave her a questioning look which she ignored. Figures.

"If there are any more questions, now would be the time!"

"Do you like apples?" That was Stiles grinning in the open door, holding a red apple up in his hand.

The classroom fell silent as all eyes zeroed in on the man standing in the door in combat boots, a pair of well-worn jeans and a black untucked button down shirt. Then the shocked gasps and whispering started up in the next second, because by then everyone at school knew who Stiles was because of the media attention Derek got ever since he had said yes to marrying the rock star.

Erica's red lips pulled into a smug smirk and she leaned back in her chair, putting her hands behind her head like someone whose work was done and was watching how the rest played out.

Giving Erica a pointed look because that had been uncalled for (namely the conspiring behind his back), Derek couldn't help but grin widely though at seeing Stiles in the doorway. It was like all was right again whenever he was around the other man. It just felt right. So the smiling? That was a thing that happened even when he didn't want to.

"What are you doing here?" Derek failed to make it sound hostile, his voice betrayed that he was pleasantly surprised by this.

The fourteen year olds clapped and cheered, but the older ones made more inappropriate noises.

"You should kiss him in greeting!" One of them called out and the rest cheered in agreement. Derek could see the little cellphones at the ready so yeah, that wasn't happening.

"If I have to kiss him, I will kiss every single one of you too. Some things aren't meant for kids’ eyes."

There were ewws and another one made puking noises as another complained that they weren't kids, they were teens.

Derek chuckled as he stood up to take the apple from his husband. "I love apples."

"Doesn't every teacher do?" Stiles' smile grew even wider and it started hurting his face. To not look like a too big of an idiot, he turned towards the kids and clapped his hands. "Hi kids! Don't think I need introduction, but I'm Stiles. I'm sorry for barging in like this and disturbing the last few minutes of your class, but wanted to surprise Mr. Hale. Which... apparently worked," he added with a conspiratorial wink at Erica.

"Maybe it worked well enough for him to let you off the hook five minutes early?" the singer pulled out the big brown Bambi eyes, blinking at Derek with a questioning look. He wasn't that good with kids, but he remembered that he always loved it when the teachers let them go earlier, even if it meant only a couple of minutes.

As if he could say no to that look. With a soft sigh, Derek motioned for the kids to go by waving his hand towards the door with a dramatic gesture. Of course they all cheered and scrambled to get their bags packed while some flocked to Stiles.

"Can I get a selfie with you?"

"Are you going to stay married with our teacher?"

"I want an autograph on my book!"

"I want a selfie too!!"

"Guys, come on, let him breathe a little. If you want a selfie, you ask him nicely, you don't demand it," Derek grumbled, shaking his head at the lack of manners they were showing. They were a bunch of cavemen sometimes, teens.

"Pleaseeee!" they all pleaded in unison as if they had practiced it, making Derek roll his eyes at them. Erica did the same, her bag was already packed, but it seemed like it was going to take a little bit longer. Sauntering over, she got comfortable by leaning against Derek's desk, stealing the gleaming apple as she bit into it. She knew she was the teacher's pet and she shamelessly milked it.

Chuckling, Stiles raised his hands and made some calming gestures with them. "Okay, okay, calm down, kids. You can get your autographs and selfies then shoo, enjoy the rest of your day, okay?"

There was a chorus of "okay" and then Stiles instructed them like the professional he was to line up, get their pens, books and phones out. Then he did the signings and selfies with them and waved them goodbye afterwards.

Of course, Erica was the last one in the line and Stiles humored her with signing her notebook with his name and adding "a.k.a. Stepdaddio" at the end, making her giggle and beam.

"I'll wait in the car and watch my phone blow up with notifications," she announced as she slung her bag over one shoulder then looked back from the door. "Don't hold back on the funny business because of me," she winked and grinned, closing the door behind herself.

"Oh my god..." Stiles chuckled a bit blushing. "She's something, alright." Shaking his head a little bit in disbelief, he turned back to Derek. "Was the surprise okay? I know you take your work seriously. But at least I didn't call?" he grimaced hopefully.

There was one time when he did during Derek teaching and all he got was a rude "No" and a hanging up on him. That made him learn his lesson and he promised to call during teaching hours only if there was an emergency.

Technically, Derek had said he didn't want to be disturbed during school hours and those were over, so in a way Stiles didn't break the rules like that one time. Which meant he couldn't exactly say he minded because a) that was a lie and b) no rules had been broken. It was a very pleasant surprise for both Derek and his students, who no doubt would post it to their social media to boast about meeting Stiles. "Yeah, it was okay. I was wrapping up the class anyways." There was a stupid little smile as he was standing there like an idiot, not moving one way or the other.

"She stole my apple." It was the first gift Stiles got him besides the ring on his finger, but then again, it wasn't like he could keep an apple from not rotting so it was going to waste away anyways. "I guess it has to be flowers next time." They weren't pretending anymore that they were in fact not dating. It was kind of obvious with the mutual attraction, even though they both skirted around the topic by not saying out loud or you know, the whole 'funny' business. It wasn't like Derek didn't want to, it was more that he didn't know if he should.

"Are we going to do something, or is this more you swinging by briefly?" Derek was hoping for the first, and he finally moved to pack up his leather messenger's bag and grabbed his jacket.

Happy that he wasn't in the 'danger zone' for the unexpected visit and smiling himself too, Stiles glanced around the friendly classroom a bit more thoroughly. "We could do something as I'm free of any obligations for the rest of the day and... I could bring you flowers next time," he said with a sheepish smile while standing by Derek's table, one hand a bit restlessly drumming on its edge.

"I was thinking maybe taking you out for dinner after dropping Erica off at your place? As a date?" the singer asked a bit shyly, a slight blush playing on his face as he finally put that label on it. Because yeah, all the phone calls, great conversations and the time they spent together meant that, right? That they were now dating, perhaps? Not sure how Derek looked at that, so Stiles' fingers kept nervously drumming on the table.

Derek's head whipped up at that when Stiles had decided that they’ve been skirting around it for long enough. The wedding has only been four weeks ago, which meant the breakup was four weeks ago, too, so that seemed way too quick. On the other hand, Stiles was a big boy, he didn't need the Hale to mind his emotions for him. As long as he set the pace, then it should be fine. Which was exactly what was happening now. Stiles was the one controlling the pace. Derek still nearly dropped his bag from the invitation, a stupid grin on his face.

"I'd like that." And he'd change clothes too, because there was no way he was wearing his work clothes during their first real date. It was bad enough he wore them at his own wedding. Luckily Erica was old enough to be on her own for a few hours. Derek'd give her money to order food and she'd be set. Putting his bag on the table, he reached out to take the hand that was nervously drumming on the desk, lacing their fingers together so he could pull Stiles closer. "I'd like to go on a date with you." Yeah, he was labeling it too. They were dating. Full stop, no question mark anymore. "I'd also like to kiss you right now."

"Yeah?" Stiles smiled both a bit goofy and also surprised, but he had no objections as he went along and stepped closer to Derek when he was pulled in by his captured hand. His heartbeats all of a sudden quickened and he felt his cheeks burning a bit, but he didn't care as he looked up into the slightly taller man's inviting hazel green eyes. Did he mention that they had the most amazing hue? "I'm happy to hear that and... I'd like you to kiss me too," he whispered already a bit out of breath. Even if the circumstances were far from ideal during their first kiss on stage, Stiles vividly remembered what a good kisser Derek Hale was and yeah, he wanted to be kissed by him again. If he wanted to be honest, he's been fantasizing about it more and more lately thanks to all the time they’ve spent together or talked over the phone.

"So... can I have my kiss now?" Stiles added, stepping close enough that their bodies nearly touched at the front, his fingers lightly squeezing Derek's as they were still holding hands and he slightly tipped his chin up to offer his bow-shaped lips for the taking.

Normally Derek would have kissed him, not ask first, but again, he was mindful of the pace and wanted Stiles to know he always had a choice with the older man. He wanted Stiles to feel wanted, but also respected in all ways. Leaning in even closer, Derek didn't answer with words, instead opted for the non-verbal way to say yes. By kissing those tempting lips and pressing their bodies closely together as his arm wrapped around Stiles so they could keep holding hands.

Derek had deepened the kiss at their wedding, but now he let Stiles decide what kind of kiss he was in the mood for. It was already making his stomach do summersaults by being able to have them pressed together. They were dating and kissing! He was dating his husband!

Needless to say, the singer melted into both the embrace and the gentle kiss. Or... it started out as gentle, but Stiles wanted more, so he parted his lips to lick into Derek's mouth and coax his tongue over into his. When he managed that, he softly moaned his approval and slightly tilted his head to the right so their lips could slot better together and the kiss could grow even deeper and slowly more and more passionate.

God, it was the perfect kiss! And yeah, Stiles remembered correctly, Derek was a natural. It felt so good that the more slender body slightly trembled in the embrace then pressed even closer against the hard yet warm muscles. He was drinking in the kiss and attention like the touch and attention-starved man he usually was.

And he loved every second of it. He loved Derek's minty taste on his tongue, his warmth seeping into him through their clothes, the sweet yet musky scent surrounding him and seeping into his nose like an aphrodisiac, which only fanned the flame blossoming and warming his insides, driving his heart into an even more erratic rhythm as he was getting beautifully lost in the dance of their tongues. His body was reacting the same way Derek's did at the front, but he didn't mind or care as his free hand slid up to cup Derek's nape, keeping him close for as long as possible.

Stiles tasted like cinnamon and coffee, a lethal combination for Derek, who didn't seem to want to get enough of their kiss. It was like they’ve been starving and thirsting for it, like they’ve been dying and all their needs were being fulfilled even though some very apparent other needs made themselves known, too. Their bodies reacted to the mind-blowing kiss, wanting more of it. Not that they could since they were in the middle of the classroom! Instead though, Derek moaned into their kiss, enjoying himself more than he should. Stiles didn't seem to mind.

"Oh my god, what is this?! This is highly inappropriate!" Jennifer's voice was like a cold shower, causing revulsion and a sick feeling to his stomach. Derek reacted instantly, green eyes going to where she was standing in the doorway as he pulled away from Stiles to create some distance. His face was pale, and withdrawn to create some mental distance from the one who had disturbed them so rudely.

"You! You aren't allowed in the school, you're not a parent. Derek, kick him out right now or I'll be forced to report you to our boss. He'll have something to say about this, for sure." The petite woman fully stepped into the classroom, her dark eyes blazing anger at Stiles as she literally put herself in between the two men.

"We were just leaving," Derek muttered, grabbing his bag so he didn't have to be with her in the room for much longer. It felt so much smaller whenever she invaded his space, taking oxygen away so easily for such a tiny woman. She was beautiful normally, in her anger her face was twisted into something less desirable.

"I think not. You should stay so we can get our stories straight in case students will report you. I know you can't afford to lose this job, it would be a shame if you let it get to that point."

Wiping his mouth with his thumb, Stiles felt a little pang when Derek pulled away so hastily, as if it was shameful what they did. But then it took only one look at the pale and distressed face over the annoying and overdramatic woman's shoulder to tell him what was really going on.

"Jennifer Blake, I assume..." he drew her attention away from Derek. "I'm Stiles Stilinski. Derek's husband. I'd say nice to meet you, but it isn't. Also, last time I checked, teachers' spouses can visit. And there's no story that need straightening. It was just a kiss between husbands," he stressed the last word intentionally. "So I kindly ask you to back off and stop threatening my husband's employment with such unnecessary dramatic attitude. We did nothing wrong," he reached out with one hand for Derek and took it right in front of her gaping face. "As Derek said, we were just leaving, so calm your tits," he snorted while pulling Derek out of the classroom and away from her as fast as possible.

"Oh..." he looked back from the door in the last moment "and try to get over the fact that Derek moved on from your unhealthy relationship. It'd be time. Have a nice evening!" he said on a cheerful voice at the end, but his look was nothing like that. It was sharp and cold, a warning burning in his brown eyes. And to be a dick, he even switched the light off in the classroom before they left, leaving her fuming in the dark.

Glancing back towards his classroom where Jennifer was no doubt still fuming, Derek let Stiles pull him along since he was still busy replaying what just happened in his head. Stiles stood up for him so brilliantly, shutting up Jennifer who never ever let anybody have the last word. Stiles had made sure she knew they were married and had rubbed it into her furious face. It was such a good moment that it needed a few minutes for him to catch up with it.

"Oh wow," Derek finally said as he abruptly stopped walking, looking around to make sure there was nobody else around as he pushed Stiles up against the wall. "That was so hot." It really was so hot to watch Stiles deal with his annoying ex and use that big smart mouth of his. Fingers slipped behind the slender neck to cup it as he heatedly locked lips again, licking into the warm mouth for more cinnamon. Their first date has officially started with Derek thoroughly kissing his man.

The heat was back in Stiles' belly from being pushed against the wall nearly on the rough end. He loved being manhandled like that, which he was going to tell Derek at the appropriate moment, but right then he was busy eagerly kissing him back, his hands sneaking around him and curling into fists in the teacher's shirt on his broad back.

Wow, indeed. Not for what Stiles did, but for another heated and perfect kiss, which wasn't ruined by some bitch from Derek's past.

"Wow. If me protecting you results in such an amazing reward, I'll totally make a habit of it," he panted in-between two kisses. The second being him diving back in like a thirsty man.

The chemistry was off the charts between them and frankly, Stiles wouldn't even minded if they fucked right then and there. Which was a sobering enough thought for him to break their kiss, giving both of them a moment to collect themselves as he leaned his forehead against Derek's, taking a few deep calming breaths with closed eyes.

"We should get out of here..." he suggested, but didn't move an inch aside from pulling his head back enough to be able to look into Derek's eyes, blushing hard.

"Hmmmm?" For a minute, Derek forgot where they were, too in the moment to remember they were in the hallway of the school where he worked. Not that he could be blamed, Stiles was a distraction. Especially when Derek could feel the erection pressing against him, creating heat where it was pushed against the inside of his thigh. He wasn't entirely unaffected either, and if Stiles didn't put a stop to this, he would have tried to get to third base without thinking about it. Sighing deeply, he nodded. "Yeah, yeah we should."

With some regret, he pulled away to give Stiles the freedom to move, once again reaching for his hand to give them both a physical tether as they walked out of the school together. They were lucky it wasn't that hot today, because the cool breeze also cooled their bodies down effectively. "How did you get here? Do you get in my car or…?"

Erica was going to know right away what they did. She only will need to take one look at their heated faces and gleaming eyes. She was observant and she was going to squeal and make a big thing out of this.

Clearing his throat now that he calmed down a bit too (and the situation got under control in his pants as well), Stiles squeezed Derek's hand, loving that simple yet intimate connection the other man opted for to stay physically connected to him. (And wow, things were escalating quickly between them!)

"I made Boyle drop me off, because I hoped you'd say yes to the date after we went to your place," he admitted with a sheepish smile, his whiskey-brown eyes still sparkling from the kisses too.

"Good!" Derek didn't mind Boyd since he kept Stiles safe, but to share their date with the bodyguard was a little too much for him. When Derek opened the car door, Erica screamed. She didn't even squeal, nope, she actually screamed as she pointed at their faces excitedly.

"You two kissed! I knew it! I really have a step dad now! Yessssss!"

It was like they had their very own private cheerleader. Derek glanced over the roof of the car to Stiles as he got to the passenger's side to share an eye-roll. "We're also going on a date so you'll be on your own for dinner."

"Yessssss! More yesssesss! I can order in lots of food and game until you're back." She did a little dance on the backseat by moving around a lot. Unknowingly she was going to be the person that made sure the two weren't going to have sex tonight. "Please tell me you're going to change, Derek."

"Yes, I'm going to change after dropping you off and letting Moon Moon out. And no, I'm not going to be wearing a suit or anything." Derek didn't have to with how Stiles was dressed. It was casual and hopefully not too extremely fancy.

Grinning to himself, Stiles sat onto the passenger seat and put on his seat belt. "Wear something casual nice, though," he murmured to Derek.

"So... how was it? The kiss I mean?" Erica of course asked with a curious expression, butting in as usual, but the singer didn't mind. "Would you want a repeat?"

Glancing at Derek, Stiles gave him a half-smirk. "Oh yeah. It was epic. Especially the second time when no annoying and overdramatic distraction happened," he said. Stiles wasn't sure how much he could share with Erica, so he kept it vague.

"What distraction? Derek, what is he talking about? Did you bite his tongue or stepped on his foot?" the teen leaned further forward between the adults' seats. "Don't tell me you further harmed him! Making him jump from the balcony was bad enough!"

"I know how to kiss, Erica," Derek grumbled, giving her an annoyed look for even thinking that he was such an incompetent idiot that he'd bite a tongue when kissing. "Somebody interrupted us, that's all." A side glance told Stiles that no, they weren't going to be telling Erica anything about Jennifer and yes, he knew they'd have to talk about that. When they were alone though. Jennifer had already nicely demonstrated why he wanted to avoid her as much as he could.

"Ooh, did a student see?" Erica didn't pick up on the way he so didn't want her to know more about it.

"Something like that. It wasn't important." That's all she was getting as he latched into silence and she finally decided to let it rest.

Instead she focused on Stiles, asking him about his day and if he was working in the studio yet. And more babbling Derek listened to, glad she was distracted and offering some chatting as he focused on getting them to the apartment where, of course, the press was. They were about to have their patience be paid off.

"Heads up, the vultures are still there. You want to come inside?" Derek looked at Stiles, he didn't think him sitting in the car would be particularly safe for a world famous singer.

"Yeah, they already saw me through the window. Besides locking me in the car without at least one window cracked open would probably not go down well in the media," he smirked and produced his sunglasses from seemingly nowhere to put on both to avoid giving too good pictures of him (although he knew there was a debate online about whether he looked better in sunglasses or without it, because weird fans...). And the other reason was to protect his a bit sensitive eyes from the constant annoying flashing that was going to start soon enough.

"Lead the way. You can shield Erica on our way inside," he said, not just for physically protecting her from the vultures, but also to avoid triggering a seizure. Not that Stiles knew her specific triggers yet, but better safe than sorry, right?

"Don't worry, they don't use flashes." Derek glanced at Erica and nodded to her, a message she understood as she dug out her own sunglasses from her bag. Just in case. "I've made sure of that." It sounded like the dark-haired man had threatened them with severe bodily harm by the way he said it and the dark look on his face.

It made his adoptive daughter snort as she patted his shoulder to calm him down. "He explained my condition to them and bought their compliance by allowing them a picture of him smiling. Too bad it backfired on him and that picture is now a cover that everybody sees. My hero!" she fake-swooned then giggled and got out of the car, waving at the press there.

"She bakes them cookies and hands out coffee," Derek explained with a shake of his head, amusement lacing his voice. "I think they mostly don't use flashes because they like her." Whatever the reason, thankfully it had worked, not even the press wanted to send her to the hospital with seizures.

Getting out of the car, Derek walked around it and held open the door for Stiles, again offering his hand. Maybe it was a tether for himself too, a way to anchor himself as he still hasn't gotten used to any of this.

Stiles didn't comment on the no flashes thing yet, because he was more focused on getting into the building. He was a bit (pleasantly) surprised, though, when Derek offered his hand. And the second Stiles took it as he got out of the car too, Erica was forgotten, because (of course) all attention zeroed in on them holding hands. He could hear the cameras snapping pictures like crazy, but he ignored that along with the questions thrown their way.

He wanted to be true to his words, but Derek might have been right about the paparazzi liking Erica, because she led them to the door without any problems (or flashes).

Once inside the elevator, Stiles exhaled slowly and took his sunglasses off. "Erica, you know that feeding them is how strays stick around, right?" he raised a brow at her, but she just grinned.

"It's better than fearing them."

And with that Stiles couldn't argue with, so he just hummed and followed the other two into their apartment.

"I probably shouldn't go with you," Stiles murmured to Derek with a lingering look on the muscular form.

"Because you'd bang?" Erica asked with a shit-eating grin.

"God, you have sharp hearing!" Stiles groaned, because he totally thought he was subtle and quiet about his comment. Apparently not.

Derek chuckled at that and wisely didn't comment on Erica's sharp hearing and how Stiles didn't want to come with him to his bedroom. Obviously they couldn't have sex around the teen, because she'd hear them through the walls!

Staring at his closet, Derek pondered what to wear. What the hell did casual nice even mean? Eh, the man was wearing ripped jeans, he'd probably think a sweater with a hole was casual nice or something.

His closet wasn't filled with nice things. It was filled with comfortable things and basic things. So yeah, he ended up with jeans and a green shirt which had a few buttons so he could open the neckline a little. That's about as adventurous as his clothing went. Finished off with his usual black boots, he deemed it nice enough. It was finished off with his contact lenses and aftershave for a nice scent. It was needed to get some of that school scent off him!

The entire process didn't take him more than ten minutes. Erica and Stiles were petting an excited Moon Moon.

"You mind taking him out? When we leave, the press will try to follow us anyways." Derek looked at Erica as he left some money at the usual spot for her, so she could order in some food.

"Until we hail down a cab and disappear in traffic. I'm a master of shaking them off," Stiles grinned, patting Moon Moon's neck fondly, which the eager dog, of course, loved because there was an extra human now who gave him attention.

"I bet there are interesting stories about that. Maybe one day you could tell a few," Erica grinned at Stiles.

"There were a few crazy situations, yes. I'll tell some later," he promised.

Erica beamed then nodded to Derek. "Sure thing. I'll take care of Moon Moon. You lovebirds go have your fun," she waved them off, probably eager to have the whole flat to herself with a lot of food and gaming.

Not sure how it would work to go from a car to a cab, because Derek wasn't too fond of abandoning his car. He shot Stiles a look, deciding that some things were better to not ask about. And hopefully Stiles wouldn't suggest anything too... wild.

"Have fun gaming." Ruffling Erica's hair, Derek left her to it, knowing she'd call if there was something wrong, because he could always count on her. The dog got the same hair ruffle when he followed them to the door, afraid he was going to be left alone again. "Erica is here, it's okay." He got his jacket and car keys, wondering if he should also start wearing sunglasses to appear cool.

"You know, you should drive," Derek said as they were in the elevator on their way down. "Since you know where we're going and I have no clue. Or do you need Boyd to handle New York traffic?" Derek teased. No doubt Stiles was better at it than Derek. He hated New York to drive in, but it wasn't always easier to take cabs and subways. He did use Uber a lot outside of the school hours. "At least we won't have to worry about food poisoning this time." It almost sounded like famous last words, as if Derek was challenging their fate.

"I certainly hope not!" Stiles snorted as he leaned against the elevator wall, arms crossed in front of his chest, his sunglasses back on already. He looked every bit of the rock star he was in that moment with the spiky hair, sunglasses and the rest of his outfit. "I know this nice, but not overly nice place that I think you might like. We used to go there with Scott all the time before I've got too famous. Even now I like to go there sometimes. I reserved their best table for us. Well, if you said no to the date, I'd have probably gone anyway, because of the food," he explained then got out of the elevator, holding out his hand for the car keys.

"And sure, I can drive and save you from New York traffic," he grinned, which only made him more alluring. "Come on, let's get going. We have paparazzi to shake off," he added and took Derek's hand with his free one to get to the Toyota.

"That's what worries me." Nevertheless, Derek handed the keys over to Stiles, wondering if this was going to be like one of those police chases he sometimes saw in movies and TV shows. But he could see the advantage of it, for them to be able to have dinner at this nice place the singer mentioned without having it caught on camera. It was a big fat if. People had cellphones on them at all times. All it took was for one of the people at the restaurant to recognize Stiles and take a picture or even one tweet and the paparazzi would flock.

"But I never turn down the offer for free food." That was all Derek said when the elevator doors opened, not wanting to tip off the many ears listening in. With a short nod, he signaled he was ready as they made their way outside. Of course, they have been waiting for them, although they haven’t expected it to be so fast, which bought them a little time as they all scrambled up and readied their cameras. It didn't take long for them to recover and right away questions were fired their way.

They both ignored it, Derek didn't even listen to what they were all asking or shouting, it didn't matter. No doubt asking where they were going since that seemed to be a popular one to ask. Also a stupid one. Did they really expect celebrities to just promptly tell them where they were going?

"It is so weird to be in the passenger's seat."

"Scared for your car and life?" Stiles asked with a small smile as he started the car and carefully but surely peeled out from the parking lot. "I can assure you I'm a good driver. I only wrecked my jeep like twice since I was sixteen. It died on me many times, though. But that probably had more to do with me never having enough money saved up to fix her parts and that practically duct tape held her together for years," he babbled while keeping his eyes on the road and taking some last moment turns confidently, confusing anyone who might have tried to follow them. "But don't worry, Roscoe was fully fixed and repainted years ago. Nowadays she has no problems. And before you ask, she was my mom's car and she left it to me. She wanted me to have it once I turned sixteen, so dad made sure her wish was granted."

Derek's head whipped around so fast when Stiles mentioned he had only crashed his jeep TWICE. No, not crashed, worse. He had used the word wrecked. And that was with his beloved car he had gotten from his mother. So yeah, Derek wasn't all that confident as Stiles was and kind of feared for his car. His life not so much, because the singer didn't seem all that suicidal. "You should have mentioned the wrecking and the duct tape before I gave you the keys!" Who even used duct tape on a car and expected it to go well? It was kind of crazy in his opinion. "I guess living in New York makes you as crazy as the city itself. Me included." Derek glanced back, but he had no idea what kind of cars the paparazzi used. Probably the normal ones that wouldn't even draw attention.

"Don't worry, you and your car are in good hands," Stiles said with confidence and true to his words, he drove with ease and practice.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6 – Letting You Go

“So I know this hasn't gone the way that we expected
You had to try and make a fool of me and leave a bitter taste
I try to compromise with open eyes but we're disconnected
Seems to me we need to draw a line for everybody's sake
Before it washes us away

(First you wanna hate me)
First you wanna hate me, then you wanna love me
This is how I'm feeling, I'm just letting you know
Don't wanna hear it, I ain't gonna fake it
This is how I'm feeling, now I'm letting you go

Coldest heart I've ever known, now I'm better off alone
First you wanna love me, then you wanna hate me
This is how I'm feeling now I'm letting you, letting you go”

(BFMV – Letting You Go)

Soon enough he drove into a small secluded parking lot with a few cars already parking there. A sign said that it was reserved for Louis' customers only. Of course, it was an Italian restaurant run by a family for generations and one of the recommended ones.

"So, I thought that after that not that awesome experience with our last pizza, it'd be nice to treat you to some amazing Italian food," he smirked, watching Derek eye the sign of the restaurant as they locked up the car and Stiles took the warm hand in his again. (Obviously holding Derek's hand was quickly becoming a favorite thing between them for Stiles.) "Come on, we're gonna be late," the singer added then led Derek to the entrance where he entered first since he knew the place.

"Ah, Stiles! Long time no see!" a pretty brunette woman with blood red lipstick greeted them at the hostess stand. "You're looking good. Just like your company. Who's the dark stallion?" she said and asked in a fast pace.

"Carla, nice to see you too. You look great too. And he's Derek Hale, my husband," he grinned and turned to Derek. "Derek, this is Carla, the owner's eldest daughter.”

"Nice to meet you, Derek. And nice catch, Stiles," she winked at him. "Your table is ready upstairs in the back," she added with a friendly smile.

"Thanks," Stiles laughed. "How are the kids?" Stiles asked as he pulled Derek along, following Carla.

"Oh, they are a menace as usual, but they are well. Isabella is starting first grade this fall. Can you believe it? It was like yesterday when she was born," she sighed while they climbed some stairs to the first floor then they took a turn to the left and passed two tables, heading right to the balcony at the back, which looked at a lush garden and a small fountain. The balcony's wooden beams were covered in ivy and golden string lights to add to the romantic atmosphere. There was only their table on the balcony and no one else was sitting at the other two tables inside, so they were pretty much alone and secluded. Their table itself was covered by a bourbon colored table cloth, their cutlery already neatly wrapped and placed to the side while a thick white candle was lit next to them, leaving most of the table top clear.

"Yeah, time flies. Especially with kids," Stiles finally replied after drinking in the sight. "This is beautiful, Carla. You guys really outdid yourselves this time," Stiles beamed at her.

"You asked for a romantic dinner, we at Louis' deliver," she grinned, but clearly she was proud of their efforts. "Here, the menus. My little sister, Mia will be your waitress tonight. She'll be up for your drink orders in a couple of minutes," she informed them and once the menus were placed on the table and Stiles thanked her, she clacked downstairs in her high heels.

"So... what do you think? Do you like it?" Stiles asked with a big smile as he sat down and pulled the chair under him, watching Derek's reactions.

"What's not to like? It's pretty amazing." And with that Derek didn't just mean the table set up. It smelled like they were in an Italian home with the scent of all the spices floating from the kitchen. And the decor of the place wasn't the tourist Italian, it was simple and tasteful so no wonder Stiles liked it here enough to be at first name base with the people working here. The fact that they had the balcony to themselves and this little part of the upstairs floor was also very nice. People had to round a corner to find them, which wasn't very likely. Good. Derek didn't mind the fans finding Stiles, however, when they were together, it was nice to be able to really be together. Especially since it was their first date. Or at least for them it was the first. To the outside world dating is what they’ve been constantly doing.

"I mostly like the way this table is set up." And Derek was pleasantly surprised that Stiles was a romantic, since he was one too. It promised something if this would work out. They’d have a relationship full of surprises and romance. "If somebody finds us here, then they have to be in the know." In other words, there was no way they were going to be disturbed.

There was only a glance at the menu. It offered all a good Italian restaurant would offer and no doubt the food was going to be good enough to want to lick the plates clean. But he mostly loved how they were here. Together. Officially now. "Let's hope the food is good, because of course this will be our anniversary restaurant from now on."

"Oh really? I like the sound of that," Stiles grinned pleased from the other man now sitting opposite him, their knees touching under the table. "You know a friend of mine suggested to woo you, so..." he added a bit teasingly and reached over the table to run his fingertips over the back of Derek's hand, which was resting on the table top. "You strike me as a romantic guy, which I am too, so choosing this place after learning that you have Italian heritage as well and appreciate the food was very easy. As I've said, Scott and I were more or less regulars here for years," he shrugged. "And I also wanted to treat you to something nice. So yeah, perfect first real date setting, I think..." he gazed into Derek's green eyes, his own brown ones looking more whiskey-colored in the dim lights.

"To woo me?" Derek wondered how long Stiles has been interested in him, if he had discussed it with a friend. They were moving fast, which was kind of what happened after marrying before even dating. It made it all speed up. If they could survive marrying a stranger and the whole being famous part, then they could survive anything, or so Derek reasoned. "Consider me wooed."

Derek turned his hand so he could hold the hand that was resting on top of his and laced their fingers together. It was his favorite thing to do, to physically connect with the other without having to go all the way. Besides kissing, because yeah, that was also something he could want to do for hours.

"This is what I like, a good place without it feeling like you're underdressed. Or leaving it still hungry." Something Stiles didn't seem to like either despite the amount of money he no doubt had. Luckily! Because yeah, the physical attraction wasn't the issue here at all, and personality-wise they were still getting to know one another. "I know you try your hardest to have our dates be just us, but I'll understand if fans or the press find us. So don't feel guilty should it happen, it's not something you can control." No matter how hard Stiles tried, clearly.

"Yeah, I know," the singer nodded with a little sigh. "But as I promised, I'll try my best. I'm actually relieved that the pack in front of your house is not that rude and doesn't give Erica a hard time with flashes. I'm actually surprised about them being decent like that for a change," he mused, pleased with the hand-holding and that Derek felt indeed wooed. Maybe Kira was onto something when she had suggested this. Even if now Stiles didn't do it to thank Derek for sticking with him, but because the singer wanted to do it. Because Derek was a nice guy, who deserved it. And because he held Stiles' interest effortlessly.

Just then they were interrupted by the approach of a taller yet a few years younger woman with black hair and a similarly friendly smile. The resemblance between the sisters was evident.

"Good evening, gentlemen. I'm Mia," she introduced herself more to Derek since Stiles knew her too. "I'll be your waitress tonight. Have you managed to pick the drinks and perhaps the food of your choice?" she asked politely and somewhat quieter and calmer than Carla talked.

"Hi, Mia. Nice to see you again. I'd have just a coke since I'm the designated driver," he smiled. "And also the Chicken Alfredo. Thank you," he added then looked at Derek when it was his turn.

"I'm not drinking when you're not drinking. So I'll have an iced tea and the Cannelloni. Thank you." Derek wasn't that into alcohol. He had his wine at the weekend, but drinking alone in company was just sad. He didn't need it to have fun with Stiles, if anything, he probably had more fun without it. Giving an encouraging smile to the younger man across from him, Derek watched Mia walk off with their orders.

"I've noticed you don't order appetizers either. Is it because you want dessert like me or because you don't eat that much?" Because there was no way Derek was skipping on desserts, no matter where he was, even if he had to eat it all by himself and Stiles would be watching him. Especially in Italian restaurants, because they were really good at them, always catering to his sweet tooth. "It's fine if you want coffee as a dessert, I'm not the type of guy to hold back when somebody else does." He frowned at that because that was kind of what he had done with the alcohol. "Besides the drinking. I'm not a lightweight, but you never know how a few glasses will go, so I'm more into drinking together. Or by myself at home to fall asleep after a whole bottle."

"Well... in the past there was a longer period in my life when drinking nearly became a problem for me, because I didn't really know how to cope with the fame and that every move I made was watched. You can say those were my rebel years. First two albums. But since then I try to pace myself and only drink occasionally." (Theo cheating on him and breaking his heart was understandably one of those occasions.) "Otherwise yeah, drinking with people I know and are close to me or to help me fall asleep when there's too much buzzing in my head."

Derek nodded in understanding because it was what he did too, drinking to quiet the mind, and he didn't even have ADD, which was making it all buzzing-like for Stiles. Alcohol was very effective for him to fall asleep and he was glad Stiles felt the same way. He did however note that alcohol was a weakness of Stiles, so he wouldn't tempt him too much with it and once again, let him set the pace with it.

Tilting his head slightly to the side, Stiles’ thoughtful look quickly switched to one of mock shock. "And are you kidding? I'm all for desserts and coffee! Always ready for those!" he snorted. "And dunno. I always found appetizers a weird concept. I mean... they can be tasty, but what's the point? If I eat then I eat. No teasing my stomach..."

"I like appetizers to make the evening last longer, but yeah, I prefer dessert because my sweet tooth is pretty bad." With a light blush, Derek ducked his head and laughed ruefully, admitting to his own weakness with some modicum of embarrassment, because it was kind of an addiction. There was always some candy in his bag, in his drawer at his desk at school, in his car and of course in his apartment. When he was found with his mouth full, 90% of the time it would be sweet or something sweet-related. "If I could only eat desserts for dinner, I'd do it. Without any regrets at all."

"That's cute and good to know. I'll definitely keep your sweet tooth in mind," Stiles grinned wider and lightly squeezed Derek's hand. "I too love sweets, so that's not gonna be a problem for us," he added, and it sounded nice to his ears, because it was like planning ahead in their future. Like Stiles believing that this between them can work on the long run. Because frankly, he already felt from the time spent together (and what he had learned about Derek in some secret private research) that they were compatible.

Just then his phone that he had put on the table next to their joined hands lit up with a silent chat notification from Scott, only to reveal that his lock screen was already Derek with Moon Moon draped over his broad shoulders. That certain magazine cover. When noticing it, Stiles blushed, but didn't comment on it, even when he saw Derek looking at it.

It was hard not to notice when the screen lit up like that, and his own mug appeared. Well, Derek knew the photo has been popular with how it had popped up everywhere, but the opinion of all those strangers didn't matter to him for one single moment. What did matter was Stiles putting him on his phone as the lock screen. And the blush that accompanied it when it was revealed.

With a soft smile, Derek squeezed the hand he was holding. "You can take as many pictures of me as you want. I trust you to keep them to yourself." It was a very generous offer, because Derek wasn't fond of pictures and hated Erica trying to get 'cute' pictures of him. But she posted the damned things online all the time, while Stiles didn't seem all that interested in social media either. Somebody else (probably Kira) ran those social media accounts for him and there was no way Stiles would break his trust to give her pictures. That was the one thing he was sure of, because they had a very common important rule for a relationship: trust had to be treasured. "And you'll see how bad my sweet addiction is. We'll talk about it not being a problem then," Derek lightly teased.

"It is not a problem," Stiles mumbled as a confirmation of that. "And I also appreciate your permission to take pictures, although I could never take such a great one as that," he nodded towards the now blackened screen and squirmed a bit in his seat, because he was far from a good photographer. Candid photos? He could do that, but nothing more serious, even with all the filters now available on phones to edit photos.

Just then their drinks arrived and Mia informed them that their food will be up in a couple of minutes too. Stiles thanked her then took a big sip of his coke, maybe to mask his embarrassment. Which he very rarely felt along with being shy. But it seemed that Derek managed to bring that side out of him easier.

"Anyways, I also wanted to ask if you could accompany me to this flashy event next week, which I cannot ditch. It's on next Wednesday night and not a big deal, so it's okay if you don't wanna come or are otherwise occupied," he shrugged. "Just some schmoozing and posing for pictures with some other celebs."

Though most people would jump at the chance of meeting other celebrities, Derek kind of inwardly panicked at the idea of having to go to an event like that. He still had to get used to the idea that he was dating a celebrity, not even counting the marriage that came with it. And to go out with press and famous people when he was... him, it definitely felt like that was too soon.

"Can I skip this one? I'm still getting used to dating a celebrity, let alone meeting others." He was an introvert, didn't like people all that much. So yeah, it was most likely going to end up badly and he'd ruin things for Stiles because ending up saying the wrong thing. "I'm not saying no to all of them, it's just too soon." Stiles did say it wasn't a big deal, so it didn't seem like one he had to attend.

Stiles froze only for a split second then gave him a small smile, squeezing the other man's hand reassuringly. "It's fine. You can come whenever you're ready," he said. He understood Derek's point of view, so he tried to make it more comfortable for Derek. He was a big boy, after all, he could go to that event on his own too, like he did many times before in the past.

Although he drank some more of his coke then turned his attention to Mia, who was finally there with their mouthwatering food.

"Oh my god, this smells and looks divine!" Stiles pulled his hand back to make room for her to put their plates down and be able to rub his hands together expectantly. "The taste will be just as amazing, I know," he added.

Mia laughed softly and nodded. "Enjoy your food," she smiled then walked off, leaving them to their dinner.

Of course, Stiles dug in with gusto and made some outright pornographic sounds.

And here Derek thought those sounds would be reserved for ice cream only but no, no, Stiles was still moaning even now so it was a thing he did when he really liked the food. It was adorable. But it also shot straight to Derek’s crotch, which twitched with interest at the images those sounds produced. The guy was just eating, and he was feeling like a pervert but... Oh god, those sounds!

Trying to distract himself, Derek took a bite of his own dish after cutting it all up. The moment the warm dough hit his tongue and his taste buds came in contact with the fresh tomato sauce and melted cheese, Derek felt like moaning too. Especially when he bit into it and the creamy spinach made itself known. "I kind of want to marry this food." No wonder Stiles and Scott frequented this place. This kind of food made you want to come here daily just to try everything the menu had to offer. He was fine with coming here for every date from now on. He would die a happy man.

"Oh yeah! Too bad it'd be bigamy, which is a no-no. Although we could keep this food as our shared lover. I'd be okay with that. But only when it comes to food," Stiles humored Derek in-between stuffing his face like a starving man. By then Derek was probably used to the lack of Stiles' table manners and since he never commented on it, the singer felt comfortable with eating the way he did, the bow-shaped lips kept busy in every second as he was completely giving himself to the joys of eating. "I love food. I mean I LOVE good food. And contrary to your silly belief, I eat A LOT. As I said before, I'm just lucky with my genes since I don't gain weight from it," the singer explained, remembering that Derek wondered earlier if he ate little. "How about you? What's your favorite dish, by the way? And flower? And chocolate?"

It was food worthy of stuffing, but Derek was a slower eater, he took his time enjoying the food. He didn't mind how Stiles ate at all, it made sense he did it with gusto. It seemed to be how he lived his life and making the most of it. It would never be something he'd judge on, because why should he hate it when somebody was enjoying himself? No, he tried not to listen to the moans too much and focused on the very good food on his plate.

"I don't really have a favorite flower. I mean, most look good," Derek shrugged, knowing it was probably something weird, because most people had a favorite flower. "What's yours, black tulips?" That seemed to be the most rock and roll flower he could imagine. But they didn't fit Stiles, at all. "Chocolate is always good, doesn't really matter to me. I really eat it all." He was very aware that he didn't make it sound appetizing, to not have any favorites but that was just who he was. "As for food, as you probably guessed, Italian. Preferably pizza. And when I eat Chinese I always have eggrolls, you can wake me up for those."

"That's information I'll also file away for later and use it against you shamelessly one day," Stiles grinned. "I love eggrolls too, so we might to either fight for them or order triple the amount than usual," he chuckled and twirled more pasta onto his fork, thinking for a sec. "Chocolate – all kinds of chocolate – is another big favorite of mine as well.”

All kinds of chocolate, that was easy, they wouldn't need to remember any of that, because all would be fine.

“And as for the favorite flower..." Stiles continued and here he put his fork down just to lift his left forearm that was left bare by the short-sleeved black button down he had on. "Obviously red poppies," he stroked along the four vibrant flowers on his skin. "Each represents one of my albums. That's why my upper arm is still tattoo-free. I'm planning on filling it as my discography grows," he smiled, looking at the detailed tattoos for a long moment more before going back to eating.

"I should have known that one," Derek admitted, because he had seen the tattoos a few times now and should have made that connection. Red poppies weren't easy to get at a florist, but there was a lot of red poppies stuff he could get Stiles over time. Make it a collection just to be a troll... Yeah, that would be a good one. "Why red poppies? Your mom?" he wrecked his brain over it, but he couldn't remember if Claudia had a special preference, as a kid he didn't pay that much attention to it.

"What about food? Clearly we both love Italian, but you have to have a favorite dish. Or is it ice cream and we'll just have to decide to live in an ice cream shop?" Probably not a good idea, Derek also didn't gain weight easily, but to live among all that ice cream all the time would probably kill his teeth.

"I love most food, to be honest. But if I had to choose my absolute favorite: curly fries. Preferably dipped into ice cream or a shake. Sweet and salty in one serving, hmmm!" he sighed dreamily. "Just imagine us living in an ice cream shop and me dipping curly fries in all that ice cream. A real dream come true!" he chuckled then glanced down at his poppies again before meeting Derek's eyes.

"Nah, my mom loved all wild flowers, she didn't have a favorite, I think. But she had taught me to love wild flowers too and I always loved poppies from them the most. So in a sense they're connected to my mom too, I think. But not as much as some of my other tattoos. Maybe one day I'll tell you about those too. But you have to earn that," he winked, shamelessly rubbing the inside of Derek's knee with his own under the table.

Derek didn't even duck his head this time even though he was having some reddening happening at the tip of his ears. "I know I will earn that." It felt like now that they had agreed they were dating, taking it slow suddenly became a thing of the past. There was chemistry between them, undeniably, he felt it whenever they touched. Even when their knees were touching.

Daring to even be as saucy as Stiles, he grinned at the other man, agreeing the way their minds went to something they were rapidly building up to. Not tonight though, no matter how tempting the singer was, tonight was all about romance and kissing and making memories.

"What's your favorite scent?" Not aftershave, that was something he could find out easily. No, he was asking it because Derek was one of those people who burned scented candles. And the first thing he'd do was to order some candles with Stiles' favorite scent so he'd feel more at ease whenever he was at Derek's apartment.

Returning that grin (and admiring the reddening cute ears for a moment), Stiles shrugged. "That's easy. Cinnamon and apple. Reminds me of Christmas and cookies. I also like vanilla a lot," he added. "Yours?" That was asked right after stuffing his face with more pasta, of course. To be honest, he loved this night a lot so far. The kisses, the subtle touches, the good food in a romantic setting and also this talk about what they liked... It was like a healing balm to Stiles' soul. Not just because of Theo, but also because he didn't have to act around Derek and being with him and talking to him felt so easy. It was a refreshing and relaxing change for Stiles, which he was enjoying as much as possible.

Of course Derek was starting to like cinnamon a lot, but that had more to do with how Stiles tasted like when they kissed. It made him wonder if Stiles ate cinnamon all day long or had chewing gum in his pocket with that taste. He didn't say that, it seemed too on the nose. "Coffee. And cotton." He knew it was kind of an odd one to throw out there. "I have scented candles." And he wasn't going to hate his apartment smelling like cinnamon all day, because it would remind him of Stiles.

"I'd bake apple pie to make the house smell like it, but Erica told me to never do that again, because burned pie really smells bad," he chuckled. Well, he probably should have started with something easier than apple pie. "I just forgot the time."

"Oh my god... I feel like you should've had a timer in the first place. And how can a history teacher, who literally studies and teaches about time miss that detail?!" Stiles chuckled then took another huge bite, chewing it enthusiastically while enjoying the chicken, pasta and spices blend perfectly on his tongue.

Derek snorted because yeah, a timer for baking a pie really wasn't the same as knowing the times of historic events. Stiles would probably find it even more hilarious if he found out that the older man was reading a book and that's why he had lost track of time. Then again, as a man with ADHD, he might even understand distractions and how time could slip away like that.

"Also... why cotton? The coffee I can understand, because blood and coffee are life, but... cotton?" Stiles flinched and shook his head in confusion.

"Don't knock it until you've smelled the candles. It's like freshly ironed sheets, which were washed and hung outside to dry. It's just a nice scent."

Probably because of the old books and relics, as well as the fact that he didn't dust as often as he should could make the apartment smell a little old. The cotton candle refreshed it a little besides opening windows. "You know how New York gets in the summer. It doesn’t always help to have the windows open." Thank god for air condition at least! "It's a shame though, I really like apple pie."

"Well... maybe next time you come over, I could bake you some apple pie and I'll let you indulge," Stiles chuckled, mulling over whatever else Derek said. "Okay, well, I'll even try that cotton smell you're so fond of. To be honest, your place did smell nice every time I was there, have to admit that," he hummed and finally ate his last bite too, of course, finishing faster than Derek. "You can also order some apple pie here, you know. Although ALL of their desserts are to die for too, so.... it's never easy to pick," he sighed bitterly, already eyeing the dessert menu.

"Apple pie, a library, a pool... you sure know how to woo me." As if Derek wasn't already completely won over by Stiles, especially with this date. It was the perfect first date and they weren't even halfway, well except with dinner because that was going pretty fast. He was a slower eater, but even he didn't have more than a quarter left on his plate. It was hard to not be a glutton when the food was this good and the company even better. "Oh, I'm definitely ordering dessert." With the way Stiles was eyeing the menu, the older man couldn't help but laugh. "You can always order two desserts. You said you don't gain weight easily." So Stiles could afford it in all ways.

Derek finished up with some regret, making sure to place his utensils the right way to indicate he was done. It was nice to go out with someone who didn't care about the amount of food or if it was healthy. Derek did have some other experiences with that.

"Oh, I will order two desserts. One probably to go. Maybe you could order something to go for Erica too. I don't know what she might like from the menu," Stiles suggested, thinking that the teenager would probably be happy with some dessert too after ordering in for herself. It wasn't to buy her off or anything (not that it would be necessary since Erica already clearly loved him), it was just Stiles liking to think and take care of others too. Often putting them first even when it came to himself or sometimes his mental well-being as well – like when he married a random guy to please everyone, or when going on too long tours that sometimes drove him crazy.

"If there was one place you could pick for a vacation, where would that be?" They were slowly covering all bases when it came to their likes and stuff important to know in a relationship if they decided to move on from dating to that.

Tapping his long fingers on the menu, Stiles hummed and narrowed his eyes from Derek's question. "To be honest, I've been to many, many places already. Quite a few were vacations as well. But if I had to choose one, I'd go back to Greece and its many gorgeous islands. Just renting a holiday house there and disappear from the world for a while. Great food, history, gorgeous beaches and sea to swim in, breathtaking sunsets and some peace of mind," he sighed heavily at the end. "I could use some of that right about now," he mused then shook his head and smiled at Derek. "What about your dream vacation destination?" the singer asked, genuinely interested in where a history teacher would go.

"I haven't been outside of the USA yet so, I think that would be my goal," Derek said with a snort, knowing that it wasn't at all exciting to have never been anywhere interesting. But besides college and university, and then having a teen to take care of, it just never seemed the right time. Of course, he had many dream destinations, because as a history teacher it was hard to ignore all the history that was out there. "But anywhere historic. Like so many European countries like Greece or Italy. But also outside of Europe like Egypt. I'm not the type of guy to hang out on a beach all day. Sorry."

It was his biased opinion since Derek had no experience whatsoever and wouldn't even know what type of vacation guy he was. His vacations had always led him home to Beacon Hills. And that wasn't exactly resort material. "I guess seeing the sea would also be high on the list." Seeing anything, really.

"How can you know you're not one to hang out on the beach all day if you haven't ever tried it?" Stiles raised a brow nearly with a challenge. "You also surprised me with never being outside of the USA. I mean... as I understand, you come from a wealthy family. I assumed you traveled either with them or alone once or twice at least. Which is fine if you haven't. It just surprised me. Maybe one day I could take you to the sea and show that hanging out there all day can be amazing and relaxing like nothing else," he grinned.

"Money was never the issue when it came to trips but we're a large family with all kinds of ages so the summer vacations we mostly spent at a cabin my parents own near a lake. It was easiest with the jobs and school..." With a shrug, Derek dismissed it, it wasn't as if he ever thought he had missed out. "It was something all of us looked forward to, so we never missed not going anywhere else. Then college came and teaching at the university then Erica..." It never seemed like a good time, and he was now approaching the age for marriage (which he had already accomplished) and kids of his own. Taking trips seemed even further away but... "I'd like to see the sea, and maybe you can prove me wrong about my claim."

"Alright, we'll see about that then," Stiles promised with another little smile of his, letting his whiskey-brown eyes linger on Derek's face as his always busy hand kept absently playing with the red straw in his coke.

Derek hummed then looked over the menu, because he knew what he wanted himself, but this was more for Erica, and he wanted to pick something they could take with easily and leave in the car without it melting. Wait... was the date over after dinner? He didn't even know! "I hope our date's not over after dinner?"

The singer's smile turned pleased from Derek's question and how he asked it, because it told him clear as day that he was enjoying their date and Stiles' company just as much as the singer did. "The date doesn't have to end after dinner if you don't want it to. We could go somewhere. Wherever you want to..." he added. It was very temping to offer his own house, but they both knew how that would end. "Wherever we go, though, I'd like for some... or a lot more... of kissing happening," he said boldly.

Whatever Derek wanted to do… Yeah, that whatever had to be somewhere where there wasn't a bed, so going to Stiles' place was not happening, it would be a bad idea. "Hmm. I'd like more kissing, but how are you with public kissing? Unless you want to make out in my car as if we went to prom." Which was also kind of public with how Stiles was always spotted. There was no press yet, and none of the other patrons had spotted them, but the moment they started moving, that was going to change.

"The prom thing is very tempting, though..." the musician leaned down to lightly bite the end of his straw before sipping from it, his eyes never leaving Derek's. And boy, was it getting hot in there again or what? And they were just talking about kissing each other again. "Somewhere remote..." he added once he let go of the straw with the bow-shaped lips and licked them instinctively. "Or... are there some shady corners in one of your favorite libraries?" he dangled the bait, because a history nerd kissing in one of his most favorite places on earth? Yeah, Stiles could play very dirty.

Slowly Derek looked up from the menu, disbelief and interest written all over his face, because of course that was a hard one to say no to. It was one of his favorite places to be and he knew every nook and corner the building had. "If we get caught, I'll get a ban for life." It was overly dramatized of course, no doubt others did it too and yes they'd be kicked out. The Hale hated how much it interested him to take Stiles to a library to kiss. He grumbled some more, not even pretending he didn’t love the idea. "I hate you for suggesting it."

"Did you guys want dessert?" The waitress popped up out of nowhere, making Derek wonder if she’s been waiting and tried not to interrupt them too much.

"Yeah, I'd like the tiramisu and can I get the lava cake to go for my daughter?"

"Of course! Just make sure you pop it in the oven a little bit at home, they're the best when hot so the chocolate is all juicy inside."

Derek shot a look at Stiles. The man had managed to get him so riled up that he couldn't help but hear the double meaning in the words, even when they so weren't meant to be taken that way. All Stiles' fault.

Stiles could barely hold his laughter back as he tried to hide his smirk behind his hand, because he understood that look and what it was about. And to be even more of a little shit, as he leaned against the table, he slid his knee higher up against Derek's thigh. Not too high, just enough for a more explicit yet non-verbal tease.

"I'd like the triple chocolate cake and a big slice of apple pie to go. Thank you, Mia," he beamed up at her as if nothing was going on under the table.

"Sure thing. Be back in a few minutes," she said once she finished adding the desserts to her notepad too then quickly left again with their empty plates.

"Soooo... I cannot make any promises about not getting you banned for life, but there are always other libraries in the city. And I'm guessing you're interested in my idea, whatever you might say about it. Got a good place in mind already?" Stiles asked, pulling all stops out now with the flirting, because as he asked that, he lightly rubbed his knee against the inside of Derek's thigh.

Sitting up a little straighter with how high that knee was inching, Derek cleared his throat, as if he was attempting to have some modicum of behaving. It was difficult to not pull Stiles right over the table to kiss him right then and there. But that would knock everything off the table and it would garnish attention they didn't want. He didn't pull away, he didn't even stop the roaming knee as he pushed back with his own just as much. It was creating flutters in his stomach, and suddenly it felt very hot in the restaurant.

"Library I like the least," Derek answered, having some trouble stringing along full sentences, his voice suspiciously hoarse. If the thought of kissing would affect him this much, he didn't even know how well he'd do if they went to teasing about sex. Because yeah, that was also what the table looked inviting for. To pull Stiles on top of it and make him smile and moan even more than he already had during dinner. "You're impossible. I'm trying my best to behave so we don't have sex during our first date. Because it's all too fresh, but..." But how long was he going to manage that?

Feeling even more amused and giddy from the clear effects he had on Derek, Stiles chuckled low and dirty. Sure, he knew he was attractive for many, especially because of his fame and the rock singer thing going on, and Stiles had exploited that back in his younger years time after time, but now he could tell that Derek wasn't really influenced by the fame aspect. (Well, maybe a tiny bit in the back of his mind.) From the time spent together and their lengthy conversations, Stiles got the impression that Derek was more interested in him, not the star most of the public wanted. Which was, once again, refreshing. Especially since his relationship with Theo was based on very different circumstances.

"Aw, so whose virtue are you trying to protect now? Yours or mine? Because news flash, Derek, I have no innocence left. That ship had sailed a very long time ago," Stiles grinned from ear-to-ear as he rested his cheek in the L of his hand as he put his elbow on the table, the barely there rubbing of his knee subtly continuing.

"It's not about virtue. We're both adult men with plenty of experience so there's nothing to protect there. It's about you, who were going to marry somebody else a few weeks ago. It's about allowing you time to get over a relationship of a year and a half. And it's about me not wanting to be your rebound. I have no problem with sex on the first date, and I have no problem with dating for sex. But maybe I'd like this to be more. So no, we're not having sex today." Derek knew Stiles has been teasing, but he wanted to get his point across. "Do I want to have sex with you right now? Yes. Absolutely. Sex is important and great. But I'm in this for you. And I respect you. Even when at times you think you don't deserve it. You deserve everything." Honestly, Derek didn't care about Stiles being a big singer, he would have preferred it if he was like a vet or something. But he was willing to deal with the fame for Stiles.

Swallowing hard, Stiles felt his cheeks burning as his grin melted into a smaller yet genuine smile, feeling a bit at a loss while glancing down at the melting ice in his half-empty glass. His leg stopped with the rubbing under the table as he looked back up into Derek's eyes half-amused and half-moved.

"Why do you have to be so romantic and rational sounding at the same time?" he laughed gently, lightly shaking his head. "Would you believe no one ever said anything so nice to me before? I mean... taking the time to consider my feelings too... taking things slowly... respecting me the way you do. You make all my exes look like assholes..." he said softly, looking out onto the small inner-garden for a long moment. "Maybe they really were." Maybe this man was more special than Stiles has already thought so far. "And maybe I want more too." He said that while looking at Derek again, holding his steady gaze with his own now softer one too. "I respect you too, you know. And I don't want you to be just my rebound guy either," he whispered at the end.

Just then this time they heard Mia coming back with their desserts (both on the plates and in the boxes).

"There you go, gentlemen. Enjoy," she announced and discreetly checked on their drinks too, but since they were still half-full, she smiled and left again.

Waiting until she was around the corner again, Derek reached out for Stiles' hand to give it a soft squeeze. It was kind of heartbreaking to hear Stiles realize that maybe all of his previous relationships never treated him the way he deserved. That he never got the respect he deserved as a person, not once. He did agree on the conclusion that they all had been assholes, it was exactly the term he'd use. "You're worth waiting for." There was no expectation that they were going to be able to wait for very long with the chemistry they had.

Stiles was very tempting, as tempting as the desserts that were placed on their table. "This doesn't mean that we're not making out like crazy tonight," Derek chuckled as he released the hand and gave Stiles his dessert fork for his chocolate cake. "Especially with you tasting like chocolate."

He too grabbed his fork, as he eyed the tiramisu, smelling the alcohol in it. It was clearly made right here, which was always a good sign when an Italian place did that.

Stiles cleared his throat and chuckled a bit hoarser. He was about to tell Derek to stop it, because he didn't want to get all emotional from that touch on his hand and what he was saying, but luckily the older man stopped and gave him a moment to collect himself. Damn him and his stupidly beautiful words!

Smiling again under his nose (because whenever he was with Derek now it seemed to be happening nearly constantly), he took the fork and cut off a bite from his cake to shovel it into his mouth so he didn't have to talk for a moment or two longer. But then he moaned. Because...

"Oh my god! So creamy! It practically melts on my tongue! Here, try it!" he cut another piece off and pushed it close to Derek's mouth without thinking twice about it. (Stiles also had a feeling that with both of them having a sweet tooth, he wasn't going to taste as chocolate for long. He was looking forward to that moment with some fluttery excitement in his belly, but didn't comment on it.)

Derek didn't expect to be fed some of the chocolate cake, because he’s been a little too distracted by the moaning to see it coming. Not that he was turning down an offered bite of anything chocolate! Leaning forward a little, his lips wrapped around the fork as the creamy goodness hit his tongue. Oh yeah, that was really good. Automatically his eyes closed as he focused on the taste, being a true male, unable to focus on too many things all at once.

"That's really good," he agreed. "Even better with ice cream." Then again, Derek thought that everything was better with ice cream. "Or with your taste." Finally he dared to flirt, to make some innuendos now that he made it clear that there wasn't going to be sex. It was good to give Stiles a taste of wanting more. With a smug little grin, he dug into his own dessert, enjoying it probably even more than the chocolate.

"Or licked off my naked body..." Stiles commented, unable to hold that teasing back. After all, they were both on the same page now about how this night was going to go, so what was the harm in some more reeling up for that epic kissing session (and probably some groping) in a shady corner of the library? And yeah, the thigh-rubbing was back on the table too. Well, more like under the table while he kept devouring the cake with gusto and made more of those obscene sounds.

It took a long while for the Hale to come up with something to go with the counter Stiles had given him, mostly because he was imaging it in his head how it would be like if he was able to lick chocolate off the body he had seen in underwear. Which also made him forget to even eat from his own dessert, his smug smirk a little faded because yeah...

And then a light went off in his head about how to handle this and he went back to his dessert with confidence, smiling at Stiles. Up until his last bite. That last bite he grabbed with two fingers and smeared it on Stiles' hand. "I don't have to imagine that for much longer." He pulled the hand towards him and ate the bite before cleaning the skin with his tongue.

All of a sudden Stiles was hyper-focused on the tongue against the back of his hand and at the same time funny and also hot picture of Derek licking his dessert off him like that. Yeah... it did make his cock twitch, DUH!

"Did you really just lick my hand?" he asked with an incredulous and amused look on his mole-dotted and blushing face. "Are you marking me as yours like a werewolf? Not that I mind. This is oddly... hot. And definitely a first for me. I mean on my hand," he babbled and squirmed a bit on his chair. "Also a clever idea to do the licking sweet stuff off my skin without us ending up banging wherever tonight," he chuckled a bit flustered and swallowed hard as the whiskey-brown eyes met the green ones. "Not to seem too impatient and all that, but... maybe we're finished with dinner?" he raised a questioning brow, obviously the licking making him want to go to a library very badly at that point.

Derek had no idea where the werewolf thing came from and why Stiles thought werewolves licked hands, but he decided it was one of those things he shouldn't ask about. There was one thing he was figuring out: the singer started babbling whenever he was nervous or excited. It was cute and not all of it was meant to be reacted to anyways. Instead the smug smile returned as he pushed the plate away from him.

"Sure. Let's head to the library." Derek's grin turned very cheeky. "If you can walk. Or do you need my coat?" Yeah, he was very aware of what the licking had done to Stiles, even when he considered it oddly hot.

"Oh my god... You haven't just asked that! Do you think licking my hand would give me a full on hard on? Try again, mister, it's just half-mast, so I can totally work with that. Do you have any idea how many times I get half-hard on stage behind my guitar? I can totally deal with that so no need for that coat. You'll have to do more to make me need it. Maybe in the library," Stiles sputtered with wide eyes and flailing hands (now that his licked one was free again). "Drink your drink and cover yourself with your jacket. We can pay downstairs," he added and god, he needed the rest of his drink to cool down a bit so he wouldn't drag Derek out of there by his hand.

Still, he was the first to stand (and adjust himself a bit) with a challenging look on his face. Then grabbed his boxed apple pie (using it as a cover anyways) to start marching downstairs with Derek hopefully in tow.

"I don't need to cover myself," Derek said, although mostly to himself because Stiles was already making his way downstairs to no doubt pay. That was something to get used to. Usually he'd be the one paying but yeah, his husband was rich. Not that Derek wanted to be a kept man, he had some pride left! Reaching for his glass, Derek drained the last of the iced tea quickly and grabbed Erica's dessert with one hand and his jacket with the other. Apparently he had to show Stiles that he could make him need it.

Stiles was already at the register, waiting to be noticed, so Derek leaned in, as if he was casually waiting as well. But it was more so he could be close to the singer and whisper in his ear. "I'll do a lot more very soon."

The tips of Stiles' ears started coloring from that comment and he grinned like an idiot, ignoring the heat in his cheeks too as he glanced at Derek and lightly bumped his shoulder against him. "Promises, promises..." the singer said teasingly then turned his attention back to Mia, who handed him the bill in a sleek black leather holder. Stiles fished out one of his cards and put it in the holder before handing it back. "The usual tip as well," he smiled at her.

"Thank you, Stiles," she beamed and quickly swiped the card before handing it back. "We hope you had a lovely dinner, gentlemen."

"Oh yes. The food was amazing as always. Thank you for the privacy too."

"Anytime. Have a wonderful evening!"

Stiles wished the same then said goodbye to the sisters as they headed back to the car. Once the desserts were safe on the backseat and since there were no photographers around, Stiles took the passenger's seat this time, letting Derek pick which library he wanted to take him to. As he buckled up, he felt those fluttery butterflies in his stomach again.

"This is exciting," he blurted, his left knee jumping with the excited energy to prove his point.

"And here I was worried that I'd be too boring for you." Derek was actually relieved to see how much Stiles enjoyed spending time with him. How easy the date went between the two of them. Time flew by too quickly and there were no awkward pauses.

The moment they were on a stretch of road that allowed him to relax while driving, he reached for the nervously bouncing knee, giving it a squeeze. "I'm pretty sure we're going to get kicked out of the library, but it'll be worth it." And how lucky have they been that so far the date was uninterrupted by the press or even fans. Going to a public library might get them some exposure, but so be it. They were going to have to risk it. "I'm excited too."

Stiles swallowed hard, most of his attention still on the big hand on his knee, its warmth seeping into his leg, somehow heating up... or more like lighting up his whole body. He licked his lips a bit nervously, which was stupid, because he was absolutely no innocent virgin to feel and act like this. And yet here he was blushing like an idiot, his heart beating a bit faster and feeling all giddy as well knowing that Derek felt excited too.

"You're far from boring," Stiles reassured Derek with a sweet (and maybe a bit dreamy) smile as he slid his hand on the one still resting on his knee. "I like spending time with you. A lot," he admitted as he glanced down at their hands then looked back up at the road. The silence that followed told a lot more than as if he kept babbling about how amazing and nice and great and hot he found Derek.

Derek glanced at their hands too and then at Stiles who had latched into quietness, but still had a content smile on his face. It made Derek not want to fill the silence and focused on driving, which was always needed in New York. What was it with them taking cars all the time instead of cabs? They should really make more use of them so they didn't have to deal with the craziness of driving.

"In which genre section will we hide and make out? I mean, there are some people just don't check that often, but I don't think I want to rock your socks off against math books." Of course the library was a huge one, it was needed to not have a librarian catching on what they did too soon. But in the evenings there were a lot of students working on their homework and people using the internet they didn't have at home.

"How should I know which is the least popular book section? You're the experienced library man!" Stiles shot Derek an amused look and grin, his fingers absently caressing the hand on his knee until the other man had to take it off to use the gear shift again. (It instantly left a longing to be touched by said warm hand again, but Stiles didn't comment on that. He was hoping that very soon both hands were going to do a lot of touching...) "Maybe autobiographies? Dunno, you're the expert. But it's getting late, so maybe even those people who might be there to browse or learn will head home soon, so we'll surely find a cozy dark corner for ourselves, right?" he asked hopeful and bit his bottom lip again, because he really wanted this hot kissing session to happen. And he certainly hoped that they'd get there very soon. How far was this library again???

They didn't have a lot of time before the library would close, but a few hours should do it when it came to making out. Derek managed to park his car close by at a parking lot of a supermarket where plenty of people were milling around. "You better use your disguise as you call it." The Hale considered it more like the easiest way to get recognized since Stiles wore sunglasses a lot of the time. But it seemed to work, which was the craziest. A hood pulled up and some sunglasses were all it really took apparently. Luckily he himself hasn't reached that level of fame at all, and some people might look at him with that nagging feeling that they had seen his face before, but it wasn't like he was being recognized.

He did grab the singer's hand again to pull him along as they walked over to the library. Without hesitation Derek took the stairs, right up to the highest floor, where they also climbed a wooden circular stair. Rows and rows of books everywhere, plenty of space to hide at.

"People never really go this far up unless they really have to," Derek whispered, clearly having an aisle in mind where they should make out. Right at a corner of the history books concerning wars. "Love and war have never been as appropriate as now."

Stiles quietly giggled and tried not to overreact on the 'love' comment, because it was too soon for that, right? Instead he took off his sunglasses and hood, glancing around and when he didn't see anyone around, he grabbed Derek's shirt with both hands to pull him in the corner until his own back softly hit the shelves behind him.

Looking up at the slightly taller man, he smirked. "That's right, this spot will do just fine," he nodded a couple of times, fully pulling Derek over him. "Now kiss me like you mean it!"

They had to be careful not to knock books from the shelves, which could easily happen if they got too into one another. But Derek wasn't too worried about the books as he grabbed the edge of the shelf on either side of Stiles and leaned in. He’s really been looking forward to this ever since the date had been set.

His green eyes roamed the pale face, then his lips finally claimed the bow-shaped ones, which have been tempting him the entire time they were eating their meals. Finally he was going to be able to draw out the moans, and they wouldn't be because the food was so good. Licking along the lips, he deepened the kiss right away, wanting to taste Stiles. Wanting to breathe him in. For now his hands behaved. For now.

The singer, of course, went right in, too worked up to be patient any longer. Derek still faintly tasted of tiramisu and iced tea, but underneath it all was his unique taste, his sweet yet musky scent finally surrounding Stiles the way he's wanted it ever since they had separated their lips on the school's corridor.

He softly moaned his approval into Derek's mouth while his tongue responded eagerly to the coaxing of the other. Derek might have behaved with his hands so far, but Stiles' were on the move. They stroked up on the broad chest and slid around Derek's neck. One held him close by his shoulders, the other getting lost in the thick dark hair.

God, how could this man kiss so well that Stiles' knees nearly buckled right away?! It wasn't fair! He should be the more experienced big confident rock star, not an eager teenager with shaky legs when his high school crush finally kisses him! But... he wasn't complaining. Oh no! He pressed his body against the bigger one and made the kiss more passionate.

Breathing harshly into their kiss when Stiles pressed close, Derek’s arms right away wrapped around the slender body. His hands weren't idle anymore either. With Stiles eagerly using his, it gave the permission to Derek to use his own, too. When it came to intimacy, it was easier to let the partner take those few steps, but then he'd take over himself. It wasn't something they had discussed, their preference when it came to sex, however, he hoped he was reading the signs right.

Derek’s hands roamed along the back, feeling the heat of the lithe body radiating through the thick hoody, which was hiding too much of all the good stuff. Derek used his larger body to fully box Stiles in, pinning him against the shelf effectively. He was hoping to feel something when he pushed his hips closer.

Stiles didn't stand a chance.

There was another muffled approving moan not just from the warm hands that were finally touching Stiles, but also from that glorious bulge pressing against him. His own was letting itself known as well, of course. There was no way Derek would miss it from how close they were now while they never paused the kiss.

Stiles also felt adventurous, so after a few long moments, he hooked a leg behind Derek's calf to be able to pull a muscular thigh between his. That allowed Stiles to slowly hump that thigh with his own bulge, getting some Class A friction where he was burning for it the most.

They might not have sex tonight, but Stiles wouldn't put creaming his pants from this far from himself, if they continued like this. And the beauty of it was that he didn't care either.

Just a few kisses and touches from Derek were enough to make him feel alive and on fire again. Something he hasn't felt like this since that fateful day.

They couldn't, they shouldn't... They were in a public library! And yet they seemed to be doing it, grinding against one another for some friction, dry humping like two dogs in heat. It kind of felt like that was exactly how they were. It really was a good thing they hadn't stayed in the car, because there was no way Derek would have behaved himself then. Opening his eyes (when did they close?), he glanced around them. The coast was still clear. How long have they been kissing in here? No idea. Not that it mattered.

Moving one of his hands, he slipped it between them, cupping Stiles right through his jeans. It couldn't be all too pleasant, the chaffing that happened with how swollen the erection was. Definitely not half-mast anymore. The strong fingers massaged the singer like that as he mapped it out with his hand. It was a nice size, something he could work with.

"Oh my god..." Stiles finally broke their kiss and pulled his upper body back only enough to be able to look down between them and see (not just feel) that hand on him. Derek's boldness was still a bit surprising to Stiles. He thought that the "boring" history teacher would be less adventurous, especially in a library, but Stiles was glad he was wrong! The singer was so hard now that he nearly burst the stitching on his jeans. Or at least it felt like it.

"You want me to cream my pants, huh?" he asked with a dirty lopsided smirk just before teasingly biting the red bottom lip. "You're doing a great job, if that's your intention..." he panted quietly, his rubbing against the thigh and hand never stopping.

"No..." Derek whispered back, his hand contradicting what he was saying because he didn't pull it back. "I want you to remember this moment, so you're more excited for our next date."

Why were they even doing this? Riling themselves up so much that it ached to be so hard? And yeah, now it was near impossible to hide the evidence without putting something in front of them. Wouldn't that be the worst ending to their amazing evening – them caught with the erections clear enough to be seen on a photo. "I won't make you sit in the car with wet pants." With so much regret, he finally pulled his hand away. "You have no idea how much I want you."

A disappointed (nearly mourning) look flashed across Stiles' face when the hand was pulled back from his aching bulge, but then the smile was back from Derek's last sentence. People have said things like that to him in the past, but it always felt to Stiles like it was pure physical desire to touch him and take him. This time, though... it sounded more like... the whole package? Not just his body for sex, but everything that was Stiles? Maybe he was too naive or hopeful or both, but Stiles wanted to believe that. So badly.

"I want you too..." he nodded in agreement as his rubbing motions stopped to gaze deeper into the green eyes. He wanted all of Derek badly too. For this to work, for this to be different for both of them. It made his mind reel just how fast they've got to this point, but for Stiles there was no denying that he wanted this. He wanted this man just as much and that they were probably torturing each other with not giving in yet in an attempt not to rush things even more.

It was practically the first time for Stiles when he didn't rush into the arms of his interest. Meaning that in the past he quickly got to the sex part for fun (especially with his ex-fiancé where their relationship grew from fuck buddies to more). Now he obviously badly wanted the sex part too, but also more, and he didn't want to mess it up somehow. But... that didn't mean he couldn't be a teasing little shit, right? Right.

Leaning in to Derek's right ear, he whispered: "And I also can't wait for you to finally fuck me..."

So Derek’s been reading it right! The whispered admission slash promise didn't do anything for his erection to go down. If anything, it was getting uncomfortable in his increasingly tighter jeans. Breathing in Stiles' scent deeply, Derek exhaled, a shiver of want running through his body. "I can't wait for that either." But at the moment they had to wait, so he pulled back before he would take this further than he should. Once again: they were in a public library!

"I guess we both need to use our jackets now." The older man huffed with laughter, looking down at the state their bodies were in. It was actually a good thing that the jeans were so tight, because it made it impossible for them to tent. Unable to resist, he pulled the singer to him for one last kiss. "How many dates do you think we'll wait?" They might have to make their other ones public too, because there was no way they could avoid it, if it was just the two of them during those dates. Derek was trying hard to be responsible and respectful, but Stiles was temptation personified.

Licking his lips to savor Derek's taste on them, Stiles pretended to think hard about that question. And wasn't it a good question? At the rate they were going, how much they were into each other already and how (literally) hard the situation was in their pants, he wasn't sure they would last long.

"No idea. You're the one who wants to be my knight in shining armor. You tell me when you won't feel as if it's a rebound thing. I'm too easy, apparently," he chuckled with a hint of sarcasm, remembering well what Theo had called him. Maybe he had a point after all?

That thought sobered him a bit as he stroked along Derek's chest and the singer took a few deep breaths in an attempt to cool down a bit. Which was not easy when Derek and his fucking nice scent were so close to him.

"You're not too easy," Derek shot back with a grumble in his voice, wanting to hit Theo for the millionth time because he would always be between them. "But yeah, that tells me that as much as we want it, we'll wait. For a while. Until you're not calling yourself easy anymore."

He knew there was no easy fix to this kind of damage left behind by an ex. That would need time, and it was a matter of how much time Stiles would allow himself to have. And how deep that self-doubt really went. "You're worth it." That was all Derek really wanted, for Stiles to feel wanted and loved and cherished. It was too soon since the last relationship. Their bodies might be in overdrive because they matched so well attraction-wise, but that didn't heal the hurt soul.

To that Stiles surged forward and kissed Derek hard and nearly desperate, because yes, that right there... he wanted that. Someone who thought of him like that. He wanted that badly, but he was afraid he was going to fuck this up too. That he'd scare Derek off eventually.

Breaking the kiss after a while, he finally pulled back as much as he could while being pinned to the bookshelf behind him.

"Maybe I should text Boyd to pick me up. Think we could share that apple pie in your car without jumping each other or drawing attention to us? Or you want to eat it all by yourself since I bought it for you?" he asked, fishing his phone out from his front pocket. (At least they were maybe starting to cool down?)

Not once had Derek thought that Stiles got the pie for him, so he looked at the man surprised, followed by an insulted look. Yes, he was a glutton for food, and he'd shamelessly eat pretty much everything, especially sweets but...

"I can share my pie!" Kind of. Barely. Stiles was lucky enough to be considered special to share it with, especially since he was the one who bought the pie. Because otherwise Derek totally would have eaten the entire slice on his way home. "But I probably shouldn't feed it to you." For the sake of not jumping each other. "We're on the top floor so with some luck, we're presentable once we reach the ground."

Otherwise they would have to share Derek's jacket or something. Luckily, because they kept their distance and weren't over each other in the elevator (thanks to somebody else joining them), there weren't awkward pant situations anymore when they eventually left the library. And they could wait in Derek's car for Boyd, sharing the slice of pie with a plastic fork Derek had in his car. It’s kind of what happened when you live on take out: plastic utensils everywhere. And napkins. Stowed away in the glove compartment.

"You've ruined first dates for me, you know. I don't think anyone can top this."

"Why? You're planning on having first dates with others? You know, some believe marriage is for life..." Stiles teased with a raised brow while chewing his bite of the pie. "Otherwise it was my best first date too, I have to admit. Not that I've been on that many," he added and handed the fork back to Derek when his phone pinged with a notification. "You can eat the rest, Boyd is nearly here," he informed Derek after reading the message. "Which leaves the talk about how many exes we have for next time. I'm also glad that we didn't have to use your jacket after all. Not that my long hoodie wouldn't have hidden my problem earlier," the singer grinned.

"Hmm." That was all the answer Stiles got to that, something he was going to have to get used to, because many times Derek considered a hum a good enough answer in its own. Putting the Styrofoam box with the bit of pie on the dashboard, he leaned in to steal another kiss from those tempting lips. Of course Stiles tasted like cinnamon even more now thanks to the pie. "I guess we'll have to have another date soon so I can ask all about all those exes of yours."

Right, but Stiles had that event he needed to go to and they both worked during the week so it might not be for a week or more. It sounded like that was a while from now, when he was still enjoying the high of a good time with the man he was dating.

"I'll hold you to that..." Stiles said with a bit still dazed smile and expression, thanks to the surprise kiss. Which he very much enjoyed. Did he mention Derek was an amazing kisser? Probably, but it was something that was never going to get old to mention. "Anyways, I had a great night too, you know. A very great one. Lots of fun and hot kisses. Beware, I could get used to this easily!" he warned with a chuckle and stole one last peck from the sweet-tasting lips just when his phone pinged again.

Pulling back, he checked it then smiled at Derek. "Boyd's two cars behind us. I think I can make it without being recognized or kidnapped," he joked. "Thanks for tonight. I really enjoyed myself," he repeated then as he got out of the car, he turned around and leaned back in for another moment. "Oh, and if in case you change your mind about that event, your name will be left on the guest list. Scott will text the details. But no pressure, it's just an open invitation," he shrugged with a grin. "Good night, hubby!" he added then closed the door before Derek could say anything. (Maybe it was Stiles' way of avoiding hearing Derek declining again, maybe not.)

"Ooo-kay." Derek didn't know why Stiles had to mention that event again when he had said that it wasn't anything important. Maybe he also thought that more than a week was too long? Shrugging at that, he went back to his pie, finishing it off in two bites. Maybe the time away was going to be good, because obviously it was going to be extremely hard to avoid sex with Stiles. But he had to, Stiles needed him to. He’s been without sex for so long, so did it really matter if he didn't have any for a little while longer?

Starting his car, he glanced at the empty seat. "Oh god." This was possibly more than the initial butterflies of attraction. If he wasn't careful, he was going to fall for the singer hard and fast at that.

"I'm an idiot," Derek told himself.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 – Coma

“There's nothing inside
Not dead or alive
No feeling to find
Like I've been hypnotized
How do I see
A light in the dark
When nothing is real
And I don't hear a heart
I can't wake up from this cold dark state
Of hopelessness, so numb to everything

It's under my skin
Living within
I'm chained to my mind
So undignified
Run from the tide
That's rising so high
Come wash me away
'Cause I've no will to fight

Time won't wait for me to bend and break
Don't want to be so numb to everything
(In this coma!)

I'm free falling when the black hole opens
Vicious circle eating me alive
I keep swimming through an empty ocean
In slow motion, in slow motion”

(BFMV – Coma)

Stiles took a few deep breaths and wiped his slightly damp hands on his thighs as he took a moment to collect and ready himself while Boyd pulled to the curb in front of the building where the party was being held. He could already see the flashes of the cameras as some other famous people walked in. He never even heard about half of these stars, but there were events he couldn't weasel his way out of from attending. It was another award show he didn't really care about, but Lydia threatened him with breaking his hand if he didn't attend. So yeah, he had no choice.

He's been a good boy, doing her bidding, sticking to her schedule of interviews, events and whatnots that were – according to her – required after the mess he had made. So yeah, he was here at this award show/party now, steeling himself to go in (and possibly get at least a bit drunk to tolerate all the fake smiles and meaningless chatting).

It would've been much easier, maybe even fun, if Derek had said yes, if he was there with him. And not just because of the questions about his whereabouts or their marriage (he could shoulder those on his own – after all he's been doing that in the past weeks like a champ), but because this event was different.

It was the first one he attended where Theo was going to be there too. He's been avoiding him like the plague, dodging his calls and ignoring his messages. There weren't many, but they annoyed Stiles, because he didn't see the point in it. They were over. The end. He was very clear about that during their last phone conversation. He even made Kira mail those two boxes full of Theo’s stuff.

Maybe Stiles could've dodged him tonight too, if their stupid song wasn't one of the winners of a category. So yeah, this was just some online magazine giving out the awards to the winners before the actual party. So Stiles was going to face his ex alone like a big boy, this time not hiding behind Derek. Which was a shitty thing to do on his part anyway. So, putting on his big boy pants, he puffed some more cinnamon-scented vape smoke into the air then put on his fake smile and got out of the car.

*

"What time is Stiles picking you up? Shouldn’t he be here by now? And why aren't you dressed?"

Derek glanced up from his book puzzled, looking down at himself because yes, he was dressed and he had no idea why Stiles should be there. Raising a brow at Erica, he tried to follow her train of thought, but it seemed to be an impossible feat right now.

"The party? Wow! Are you telling me that Stiles didn't even invite you to the party?" Erica seemed to be worked up about that, and Derek finally knew what she was talking about. That event Stiles mentioned during their date.

"He did, but he said it wasn't important, so I'll go to the next one."

"Derek!" It didn't seem possible, but Erica's eyes got even wider as she shot him a disbelieving look. "Not important? I can't believe you two! How did you even manage to get to that first date is beyond me. I mean, wow." Throwing her hands up in the air, she stalked off to go into his bedroom. "Derek, get in here."

"For what?"

"To get dressed! You need to go to this party!"

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do! It's very important! Stiles is getting an award for his song 'Marry Me'. The song he has with Theo? So Theo is getting that same award?"

Derek's stomach dropped. "Shit." Why did Stiles tell him it wasn't important when it was the first event where he was going to be face-to-face with his ex after the disaster wedding?! Why didn't he make it clear he needed Derek there no matter how much the older man disliked the idea of it? "I have to go."

"Duh!" Erica scoffed from his closet. "Your suits are pretty bad, so we can't let you go in one of those. And there's no time so we'll have to make due. Here." She threw some black dress pants on the bed along with a black simple shirt. "You get dressed and I'll call you an Uber. They haven't started... Oh no, Stiles just arrived there. You need to hurry!"

*

Stiles tried to stay as invisible as possible, not really in the mood to chat with any of these people when he was this nervous, so he kept to one of the corners where it was less crowded and sipped from his champagne. He knew he shouldn't be so tense, that he should wave it off and pull up that easygoing side of him that could charm (and fool) anyone, if he wanted to.

He did that many times in the past to hide his true feelings. But this was different. No one before did something like this to him – basically humiliated him in front of the whole world. And while Stiles usually rarely cared about what people thought about him, it didn't mean it wasn't hurtful.

Derek was right, he was still hurting about it, even if he tried to come off like it didn't bother him as much. Stiles had the feeling that while many would eat that up, he wasn't fooling Derek. So maybe his husband was right about taking things slow-ish. Although those hot kisses and groping were anything but slow...

His attention was soon drawn to the stage where a pretty woman announced that the show was about to start, so Stiles got a fresh flute of champagne and went to find his seat. Luckily it wasn't next to Theo's, although he had spotted him earlier in the crowd, smirking that sly smirk of his while talking to someone he didn't recognize. Luckily, his ex didn't see him, but that luck ran out when their award was soon presented and they both had to go up on stage.

He forced himself to smile and wave, as if everything was dandy and cool, while his skin was crawling and his palm itching to slap that smug smirk right off that stupidly perfect face. Still, he smiled and waved and thanked everyone for the award and their support and love and blahblahblah... He couldn't wait for it to end.

But of course it was never that easy.

Just as he tried to slink off into the darkness and get as far away from his ex as possible, he felt Theo's hand gently grab his elbow, asking him to talk.

*

No matter how much Derek had rushed, unfortunately there was no way he'd make it on time. He couldn't stand in the crowd to proudly applaud for his husband, to let him know he was there for him, so hopefully Stiles would be okay with him attending the party and not the award part. Being late meant that although some photographers lingered, most had gone on a break before the celebrities would leave the party again. The Hale didn't pay much mind to any of that. He rushed out of the Uber and breezed through security at the entrance because as Stiles had promised, he was on the list. All he needed was his ID card and in he was.

People were milling around, drinking, laughing and eating little snacks from the plates waiters were carrying around. It was pretty crowded, so it was impossible to spot Stiles at first glance. Hmm. This might be harder than Derek had anticipated. He was going to have to ask people if they had seen him and probably converse with them.

"Did you see Stiles was by himself?"

Derek caught it because of his husband's name and as he glanced towards the two women who mentioned him, he realized they were gossiping while drinking champagne. He had no idea who these two women were, and they haven't spotted him either.

"I did indeed, but not surprising. When getting an award with Theo, you don't bring the new toy with you. Maybe he's finally over the craziness and will go back to Theo. It'll do his sales good."

"If I was him, I'd enjoy my new squeeze a little longer. I mean, have you seen him? I'd be all over that as well, or more all under that. Stiles is smart, giving Theo a taste of his own medicine."

"He sure is pretty and probably very good in bed!"

The two women laughed as Derek frowned. He didn't realize Stiles' sales have been down because of all this. The singer never had mentioned it, neither had his staff or even Erica. Have they been hiding that from him? Doubt was nagging at Derek, but he knew he should worry about that later. He was here for Stiles.

Striding away, Derek tried to look for a familiar face, but finding none so in the end he asked a waiter instead.

"He's behind stage, over there." The man pointed to where Derek had to go. Right, time to support his husband.

*

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?" Stiles faced Theo once they were alone on a corridor somewhere behind the stage. Only the occasional waiters passed them, but it was the best they could find for some privacy. Which in itself was new, because Theo loved being the center of attention, so Stiles had no idea what to expect, really. That's why he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his expression was guarded. Being so close and looking into the familiar eyes of the man he was supposed to marry not long ago was... well, not easy. It definitely stirred up his emotions, but he tried to keep up the neutral mask he had perfected for public appearances. Now, after the change in their relationship, Theo became the recipient of that face too. Stiles knew Theo didn't deserve more.

"I just wanted to ask how long you're planning on keeping this up?" Theo asked with one of his hands leisurely tucked into his dress pants' pocket.

"What do you mean?" Stiles frowned confused.

"This facade. This fake marriage with that guy. I think it's time you come to your senses, Stiles. I know you did it to punish me. Which is fine, but it's getting ridiculous."

Stiles felt his blood starting to boil, but he pushed down his anger and raised a brow. "Ridiculous?"

"Yeah..." Theo stepped closer and right into Stiles' personal space, which he knew Stiles hated when people he didn't want to do that did it anyway, but maybe Theo forgot that now he was one of those unwanted people. "Baby, I miss you. It's time for you to stop this nonsense and come back to me."

To his utter shock, in the next moment Stiles found himself crowded against the wall, Theo's hands on his upper-arms and his closed lips kissed by the other man.

Derek heard them before he saw them, because they were around a corner. What Theo said didn't surprise him, it's what he’s been hearing ever since they’ve got married, but Stiles didn't exactly go against it. The doubt he felt when he came here intensified. What if Stiles thought the same too? Still he tried not to let the doubt take over as he slowly rounded the corner, only to have the little hope he had left being crushed by what he saw. Stiles and Theo kissing.

Pulling back, Derek leaned against the wall, his heart hammering in his chest, a tight ball of stress heavy in his stomach. They were kissing! All the outside noises dimmed as all he could really hear was the roar of his blood rushing through his body. Derek had to get away from here right now.

Keeping his head down, Derek kept close to the wall as he made his way outside, not even bothering to call for an Uber or a cab. He was just walking numbly as his thoughts went a mile a minute. Of course they kissed, they had been together for a year and a half, and the breakup was only a few weeks ago. If this was what Stiles needed, for his music career and himself, then that's what needed to happen.

Derek felt like a fool, being sucked into the world he had known was fake, but Stiles had seemed to be different. Unfortunately, he wasn't.

Hours later he came home, dazed because he wasn't sure how he managed to walk there. It wasn't like he had paid attention to where he was going. The press was there, of course they were, but they were fully ignored as he just wanted to sleep and work on getting his life back to normal. Erica was already in bed so at least he didn't have to answer any of her questions. Yeah, he really was an idiot, for all the wrong reasons. He was, in the end, just that guy Stiles had married out of spite.

The wedding ring immediately went into the drawer of his nightstand.

***

Stiles was listening to the line ringing over and over again. Then his call went to voicemail. Again.

"Hey, Derek... It's me. I've been trying to reach you for a while now. I hope all is good with you and you're just busy... Just... call me?" he said then sighed. "Okay, later. Bye."

He hung up and tossed his phone on top of his piano without too much care. He hit some random keys for dramatic flair then sighed again, his long fingers gently stroking along the shiny keys back and forth, back and forth.

Then he started to slowly play a very familiar slow and sad tune.

"Oh my god, no. Not 'In the End'," Scott chimed in from the door, barely even startling Stiles. He definitely didn't falter in playing the tune. "You always play it when you're down," his friend sighed and walked closer.

Stiles didn't say anything, just kept playing the tune. His go-to song when he was depressed and hopeless, especially in this slower cover version. (It's been playing quite frequently as of late.)

"What is it this time? Can I help?" Scott, the good friend – and not as his manager – asked.

"You can't. There's no hope," Stiles said while focusing on the keys, playing the tune louder.

"Stiles, don't be so dramatic. I'm sure we can do something about whatever is bothering you," Scott sat down at the end of the nearby couch.

"Why? There's no use. My company is clearly not wanted. I can take the hint," he shrugged while playing, the lyrics of the iconic Linkin Park song playing in his head on repeat.

"What are you talking about?" Scott frowned, looking more serious now.

"He's been avoiding me like the plague ever since our first and apparently last real date. I must have pushed too hard. Or he just got wiser and realized that despite... despite our... attraction, I'm not worth it in the end," he laughed from the pun with a bitter twist to his mouth and he paused only to knock back the rest of his gin and tonic. "I guess I never was. I was so stupid to think that this could work," he laughed bitterly and a bit drunk, returning to playing the tune on his fancy black grand piano more intensely.

Scott made a face, not sure what to say to all of that because it was really the opposite of a few days ago when Stiles was really happy with the amazing date he had had with Derek.

"Come on Stiles! Don't think like that, you don't even know what's going on, because you haven't talked to him. Maybe something bad happened. We should find out!" Scott didn't really think about Stiles being ditched by Derek, not once. He was more thinking maybe Derek was sick or something happened to Erica or maybe the dog? Oh no, not the dog! "What if something happened to Moon Moon?!" Scott gaped, but that thought wasn't totally weird. Or maybe they should call the school. Or wait..."We can check Erica's social media. Did you do that?" To Scott, it seemed impossible that somebody didn't want to spend time with Stiles, because Stiles was amazing, okay? He was the bestest friend and a good boss to have. Even when they were technically not each other’s bosses. But Scott only worked with Stiles and didn't have any other clients.

"Although most of the time social media is your job to handle, I did check her Insta and Facebook. Nothing out of the ordinary in her regular updates," he shrugged. "She even posted a picture with Moon Moon today, so yeah... It has to be me, because even if he was busy with something, even if he's a technophobe... he should at least be decent enough to let me know instead of cutting me off like this all of a sudden without any fucking explanation? Tell me I'm wrong!" Stiles shouted at his friend, even if both knew it wasn't really aimed at Scott.

"Dude..." his friend murmured then sighed.

Stiles stopped playing and ran his fingers through his already messy hair. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. So tired. From all of it," he whispered then got up to mix another drink for himself (and Scott) then walked over to the small window overlooking that stupid pool Derek was so excited about and drank some more, welcoming the intensifying buzzing in his head.

Scott looked at the drink in his hand, swirled the liquid around a few times before he put it aside because he didn't drink and drive. And Stiles already had enough to drink for the both of them! There wasn't anything he could say to make his friend feel better, because this wasn't the kind of heartbreak that could be cured with a few nice words. If anything, all alarm bells were going off in Scott’s head with how there was a definite depression lurking if they weren't careful.

"You should get some sleep, dude. And go talk to him tomorrow when you're sober. Bring Boyd in case you feel like punching Derek. Because he's totally the ass in this, like completely. He doesn't deserve you. He doesn't deserve anybody." Scott didn't like any of Stiles' exes, because that's what best friends did – hate the people that hurt the friend. "I can stay here tonight if you want?"

Stiles wanted to comment that no, Derek deserves better than him. Maybe he did realize that, finally. His wedding ring clunk against the glass on his hand, mocking him as he stared down at it. It was all just a joke in the end, wasn't it? Just a facade like Theo had said. Stiles hated that his ex seemed to be right about that. That he was still in his head and was ruining everything for him all over again.

"You don't have to," Stiles finally said as silent tears ran down on his face while tearing his gaze away from the glinting ring on his finger, staring out at the pool again. "I'm sure you have plans with Kira. Don't let me keep you from it. I'll be fine. Like always." Eventually.

Scott threw a doubtful look at the back of his friend then sighed, shaking his head. "I'm staying," he stated determined and the room fell into silence.

***

Stiles didn't go to see Derek the next day, because he was too hangover and miserable. Not to mention uncertain if he should. There was still nothing from the other man and Erica's feeds went on as if nothing was going on. For her probably it was teen business as usual.

Stiles did use his miserable day to catch up on his own social media accounts too, making a bitter face when he read how mixed the opinions were about that award show, so he abandoned those articles and comments quickly. Instead he ate some of Derek's favorite chocolate mint ice cream in bed while binging on Brooklyn Nine Nine. Even if his mind was too busy planning the following day to really pay attention to that or Scott, who stayed for a good chunk of the day. He only left when he was sure Stiles wasn't going to drink himself to death or something.

The following evening, though... It found him sitting half a block away from Derek's building in one of his less flashy cars.

"I could always go up and punch him for you," Boyd gave him one of his rare comments, which brought Stiles back from his nervous thoughts and he snorted.

"I'm not so weak that I cannot punch someone if I wanted to..."

Boyd's snort told the singer everything his driver/bodyguard thought about that. The asshole...

"Thanks for the vote of confidence... Anyways, I don't know how long this might take. If I'm not back in an hour, just go home, I guess," the singer sighed as he looked up at Derek's floor, the lights dim but on, so he was home at least. Or Erica.

"I don't mind the waiting."

"Perv..." Stiles snorted, earning an even rarer light chuckle from the man. Then with that he slipped out of the car in his plain zipper hoodie, grey T-shirt, black jeans and combat boots.

Luck seemed to be on his side, because the three photographers lingering outside were busy arguing with an older lady, who probably lived in the building and was getting fed up with the lurking strangers at the door. Her constantly barking small dog seemed to agree with her. It was the perfect distraction for Stiles to slip into the building when someone else came out with their own dog for a walk.

In no time he was standing in front of Derek's apartment door, ready to ring the bell with wildly beating heart and a carefully cultivated anger in him to get the courage to do so.

The bell barely rang when the door was torn open, making him jump a bit and he got face-to-face with Erica holding an overnight bag in her hand, a few years older dark-haired woman resembling Derek ushering her.

"Stiles!!!" Erica dropped her bag and shamelessly flung her arms around the singer. "No fair you show up when I'm just leaving for a sleepover with Laura! She’s Derek's older sister," she waved towards the pretty brunette observing him with an amused expression.

"Sorry, I didn't know. Uhm... is Derek home?"

"Yeah. Grading papers in his room," she rolled her eyes as if it was the most boring thing to do on a Friday night.

"We finally meet again, Stilinski. I remember you from town. Laura Hale," she offered a hand and firmly shook his. Maybe a bit unnecessarily firmly.

"Yeah... Nice to meet you." Now that he saw Derek's sister, he had a vague memory of her.

"I'd like to chat and threaten your life in case you hurt my brother more than he already is hurting, but unfortunately we have to go."

"Yeah, we'll go to the movies..."

"And we're already running late," she said just as Moon Moon barked and started competing for Stiles' attention too with making noises and licking his hand.

"Oookay... See ya around, I guess. And have fun!" he waved as the duo said their goodbyes and slammed the door behind them like the whirlwinds they were.

That left Stiles looking back at Moon Moon with the same 'what to do now' expression.

It was unmistakably Stiles' voice that took up space in the apartment. It made Derek sigh, because of course this had to happen, the coward's way out would only work for so long. It wasn’t planned the way he had ghosted Stiles. The first day he wasn’t ready to brush him off because he was hurting too much. Then the second day it was easier to throw his phone in a corner and days passed by. And then he didn't dare to call anymore, seeing the missed calls and left voicemails he also didn't listen to. Stiles was happy with Theo, right? So why was he even putting all this effort in?

Moon Moon, the traitor, didn't pad back to his room, but of course happily greeted Stiles, which meant Derek had to too. The guy was inside his apartment, so yeah, he wasn’t able to avoid that. Pushing away from his desk in his bedroom, he didn't even bother to check himself in the mirror. He didn't even care that he was wearing sweatpants and a ratty old t-shirt. Ripping the door open with a little too much force, Derek paused as he watched Stiles with Moon Moon.

It hurt seeing him and he looked like shit. Which wasn't fair. Wasn’t Derek the one who should be the only one looking like that? It kind of made him angry, because how did Stiles dare to make him feel bad with how he looked? Crossing his arms, he leaned against the doorway, a dark frown on his face. He looked as welcoming as a big grizzly bear who had been disturbed in hibernation.

"What are you doing here, Stiles?" It was bad enough that the stupid press was still here despite the no Stiles sighting for many days. But of course the singer had to make sure they'd be there a while longer by showing his face.

Stiles' hands froze in Moon Moon's thick fur, which he's been stroking in an attempt to calm the super happy dog, but of course it was no use. Either way, he straightened up from his crouch to turn his attention to the source of the not very welcoming voice. (Which hurt too, yeah.)

"Uhm..." he started very eloquently as he drank in the sight of the other man, who – despite looking messier than usual – still looked unfairly attractive. Making Stiles want to squeeze him like a plush toy, despite of how he's been treating him in the last few days. Maybe being treated shitty was his thing now. "I was hoping we could finally talk since you haven't returned any of my calls or texts..." he pursed his lips and absently patted Moon Moon's head.

"I wasn't ready for you to tell me it was over." Now, in hindsight, Derek kind of wished he had answered one of those calls so they wouldn't be having this talk face-to-face. Despite it being days, he still wasn't ready for it. It was stupid for him to be this dramatic. They’ve been dating only briefly, it was one date! And before that a few times they had met up to get to know each other. If there hadn't been that stupid marriage, then they wouldn't even be in this position in the first place.

His eyes fell on the hands where the wedding ring was still present. His own was still in the drawer since he had pulled it off. Maybe Stiles kept it on for outward appearances until they talked about how to handle this? The three months have barely even started, but of course with Theo back in the picture, they could just have it annulled.

"It's fine. Whatever you want to tell the press. It's not like I have a reputation to uphold or anything. I'm just that guy you have a fake marriage with. And I'll sign whatever you want me to sign. I don't care." Whatever was needed to get this over with, he'd do. Derek just wanted to get back to his quiet little life where he'd grade papers on Friday evenings, drink a bottle of wine on Saturday evening while watching Netflix and go out to eat with Erica on Sunday. And hopefully forget all about Stiles, some day.

Derek didn't move from where he was, his arms tightly crossed in front of his chest to keep a barrier between them.

Stiles' jaw dropped in shock and his brows furrowed in utter confusion. "What? Over? What are you talking about? What's going on? Where is this coming from?" Stiles asked very, very confused and suddenly worked up.

Did Derek read something online? Or did someone talk bullshit to him? Seriously, what was going on?! Was he thinking for some reason that they were over and that's why he avoided answering any of the singer's calls and text messages?

"If this is about that stupid award show, I'm sorry if I pushed you too hard with mentioning it twice. That wasn't my intention. Oh! Is this because of the ‘Marry Me’ award and Theo being there during accepting it?" he frowned, trying to piece this together. Because by now Derek probably knew that Theo was there too. "I didn't want to drop his name, that he was going to be there, because that would've been me pressuring you to come with me. And as I said, I didn't want to do that," he added, grasping at and trying to explain anything that could come to his mind as an explanation for this surreal situation.

"You're not wearing your ring..." he murmured under his breath more to himself, because despite the fact that Derek's arms were folded over his (impressive) chest, his left hand's fingers were visible and yeah, the ring finger was bare... Stiles knew it was probably stupid, given the fact that the marriage hasn't been exactly a real one and that they just went on one date, but that stung even more than the cold tone with which Derek had greeted him. Especially since he had no idea what got into Derek.

From a guy who had been cheated on, Derek had expected more honesty. Not this act (which was very convincing by the way) of innocence which confused him and made him angry at the same time. "You know, when Erica told me that it was the first time you'd be confronted with Theo, I actually felt bad I wasn't there. I was so focused on your feelings that I put mine aside and felt that I had to be there for you. I was annoyed you didn't tell me, because you made me into an ass for not being there with that," Derek talked quietly, his voice hard as steel as he put effort into keeping his anger in check.

"I was too late for the awards, but not too late to see you two kissing, to hear what he said about me. What everybody said about me. I'm fine with being made a fool publicly. But I was a bigger fool to be falling for it, for you. I don't blame you, I blame myself. Theo is good for your career, I get that, I know I'm not. And your career is your life." In the end, they barely dated, so it was a good thing it came to an end before it had really started. The way it had ended though...

He nodded to the door. "For what it's worth, I hope he gives you what you deserve. And that you don't have to use another random attractive guy in the audience to make your point again." Which was what probably stung the most, to have his looks be used in such an objectifying manner, after he had tried so hard during college and university to prove himself as not just another pretty face.

"You know what it was like for me to look like this and be smart? I had to work ten times harder than anybody else in my field, because nobody believed me when they took one look at me. I had college rooms full, classes full at uni just because they wanted a few hours to look and fantasize. Dressing down at this school helped. But you swoop in and you've put me right back in the spotlight of just another handsome guy people are allowed to swoon over because you did." Derek was gesticulating with his hands too now, and stepped closer as his anger poured out.

"So yeah, I'm not wearing the ring, because it made me feel like an object you polished and shined because you were hurt. I believed you, I thought you genuinely wanted to date the stupid history teacher, wanted to date me."

The more poured out of Derek, the smaller Stiles felt, at the end outright hugging his slender frame as he took a step back, his throat closed off and his eyes burning again. (God, he was such a cry baby nowadays! It was so annoying to him, but what can you do when you're a sensitive artist going through an emotional roller coaster ride lately like him?)

The tension in the air made Moon Moon softly whine and look from one man to the other questioningly, his ears flicking this way and that, but for a change both men ignored him as they were staring at each other.

Clearing his throat, Stiles' shoulders sagged even more. "I never wanted to make you feel like that, I'm truly sorry. I had no idea you felt that way. You really think I don't know how objectification feels in this business, Derek? Or how it was in my relationship with Theo? I've got more than my share of that too and I wouldn't intentionally objectify you. You're so much more than a handsome face or a 'trophy husband'. You're so far from stupid, Derek! You're smart, intelligent, funny and a very good man, so no wonder I fell for you too in such a short time..." he breathed with a bitter taste in his mouth, the first teardrop sliding down on his pale face as he held himself a bit tighter, as if to keep himself from falling apart (again). But at least now he knew the whys... "I just wanted to protect you as much as possible from exposing you to the media. As promised."

"You say you witnessed the kiss, but from what you're saying, I believe you didn't see the next moment when I pushed Theo away by his chest and told him never to do anything like that again. Or how I explained to him how he'd never be half the man you are. He kissed me without my consent, Derek! He thought he can get me back, but that's not the case. I don't want him back! I don't want him..." he sighed, the bow-shaped lips starting to tremble a bit. "I probably should be still heartbroken about his betrayal, which I am, but I couldn't help myself when it came to you and how I started feeling about you... Again, I'm so sorry if I hurt you and for not telling you about Theo. I would've told you about the kiss as well, if I had my chance earlier. You know my reasons now," Stiles said as he wiped his face with the sleeve of his hoodie.

Two breakups in a little over a month. That has to be a record, right? (He had no idea how his broken heart was still functioning at this point.)

It wasn't what Derek had expected to hear. Not even close. Stiles was supposed to be sorry about the kiss and how he was going to be with Theo. Not this. It left him gaping at Stiles as he processed the words, the tears and the overwhelming misery. That same look in the eyes that had made him say yes when Stiles wanted to marry, because he vowed he wouldn't be the person to make the singer feel like that again. A few weeks later he had done exactly that, and it made his anger evaporate like snow in the sun. It left him feeling hollow and like the giant asshole all this made him, which was true yeah but this was so much worse.

"You don't want Theo," Derek echoed, wondering if he had ruined his own chances with being angry about a kiss, which didn’t happen in the way as he had assumed. And was it true? Did Stiles really shut down his ex for Derek or was this a lie? "I can't have you protect me by not telling me everything. I would have been there if I had known Theo was going to be there, if you wanted me to be there." Clearly this whole avoiding of the press thing wasn't working, it was only creating miscommunication. But not that it mattered, he didn't think Stiles wanted him after this. "I'm such an idiot." It seemed to be the theme lately.

"You're not an idiot. And I wanted you to be there, but didn't want to make you, as I said," Stiles sniffed, trying to collect himself, his lips curling downwards. "Obviously I messed up. I'm sorry about not communicating this the right way," he said quietly then looked into the green eyes again. "And no, I don't want Theo back. Ever. I'm over him and his betrayal. Well, the betrayal only more or less and I'll write songs about the pain he caused me. I already did one or two in the last few days," he shrugged. He felt miserable enough for that.

"I wanted to spend more time with you... I think... as weird as it might sound, because we haven't known each other for too long, but I already fell for you, because... because you're awesome... I want you and how you make me feel... valuable and worth it, but obviously I blew my chance, so... I can go now, if you don't want to do anything with me anymore. I'll understand," he blinked rapidly at that, because yeah, he'd understand. Who would ever really want him and his chaotic life? Apparently not even Derek, so Stiles probably misunderstood what the other man had meant when he had said he wanted him. Or he had changed his mind since then. "Once again, I'm sorry for everything. I'll... I'll just go and leave you in peace..." he mumbled, his voice failing him at the end and he turned away to leave with his tail between his legs and more tears running down on his sickly pale face.

"Stiles..."

Derek knew that no, it wasn't all talked out and they clearly had big communication issues, which had to be solved if they wanted to give this a serious shot. But he also knew that if he let Stiles walk out his door, then that would be it. There wouldn't be much left to salvage so early on in their dating if he let Stiles think this was all on him.

"Don't go."

It was a lame way to make him stay, and probably not enough, so Derek took a deep breath as he rushed after the singer, stopping him at the front door of the apartment. "I thought you didn't want me, that I was bad for you and your career. That you'd be happier with Theo. That's why I cut all communication with you. Not because I don't want you." Derek hesitated, because did that make it clear or was he messing it up? He had a tendency to do that, he wasn't a wordsmith. "I want you."

Stiles stood there frozen and a bit confused, because he heard the words, but didn't dare to hope, just for that hope to be crushed again. He ran his hands through his hair frustrated, making it even messier than it already was.

"Do you mean it? Do you really mean it, Derek? Because I cannot take any more of this... of this heartbreak,” he fisted his hand around his own T-shirt over his chest where it was hurting the most. “I need you to be sure and for you to never cut me off like this ever again! It made me feel so miserable and depressed that Scott wanted to call my on and off therapist," he shook his head, searching Derek's face and eyes. They looked genuine enough, but Stiles felt so unsure and insecure at that point that it wasn't even funny. "And we totally have to work on our communication, because... because what we've been both doing sucks. Sucks big time!"

"Yeah, it sucks." At least that was something they could both agree on, as well as it being both their fault. Shaking his head, Derek realized he was probably getting way in over his head with the singer, because they had dated for like a couple of weeks and the man was already struggling with them. Stiles was dramatic, he went all in right away, no doubt because he was an artist and it should make Derek rethink all of this. Make him quit before he was in too deep. Except... the thought didn't even cross his mind.

"And you should call your therapist. Not because I'm not sure, but because there's a lot you're not dealing with, and it starts with a T. I insist. Because this..." he motioned between the two of them. "Isn't going to work if you're not dealing with that heartbreak." Derek essentially made it clear that he wasn't responsible for what Theo had done to Stiles, and it was all mingling together badly. Which he understood, he had known that the moment that ring was put on his finger.

"Just..." Derek motioned for Stiles to stay where he was as he walked back into the bedroom for only a couple of minutes. When he returned, he showed his hand, the ring back on his finger. "I always mean what I say. Even when I'm not saying anything."

Reading between the lines, it was a clear answer to Stiles' question and he took Derek's left hand into his to stroke his thumb over the reappeared ring, looking down at it with a small smile. It warmed his heart to see that gesture of Derek's commitment again. And this time it felt real, not like on stage when neither of them knew what they were doing.

Not that there wasn't going to be bumps on the road after this, and they were going to have to talk more and clearer, but as Stiles looked into Derek's eyes again, he dared to hope.

"Okay... Alright," he breathed with a careful smile, the light glinting on his own ring while he kept playing with Derek's hand still a bit nervously. "And since the therapy thing sounded kinda like an ultimatum on your side, I'll consider calling her," he agreed with a giving in nod. He was going to call her, they both knew it, and not because Derek strongly suggested it, but because he was right. Stiles apparently needed that kind of help to cope with... well, everything.

"There's nothing wrong with therapy," Derek reminded Stiles with a soft smile, because yeah, he felt that it would help the younger man handle it better. Instead of reaching for the bottle or falling into depression. The Hale was also pretty sure he was going to mess it up a few times in the near future, because that's what happened in a relationship. It would help Stiles deal with Derek if he had a therapist instead of going all doom on himself.

Seeing the nervous toying with the ring, Derek's hand closed over Stiles' to still the fiddling as he stepped closer. The dog, sensing that the bad stressful emotions were over with, huffed as he went back to his own pillow. "I don't like people kissing you. Can I at least punch him if he tries again?" Why was punching such a big no-no when Stiles was surrounded by people who were, frankly, pretty damn punchable?

Stiles chuckled at that and squeezed Derek's hand as best as he could in his grip. "Okay, fine. Only because I don't like people kissing me either. Unless it's you..." he dropped his gaze to Derek's lips meaningfully just as he stepped closer too until their bodies brushed together. It really was like a magical pull they didn't seem to be able to resist. And Stiles loved it. Especially now that he could be this close again. It made breathing easier somehow. As if he's been suffocating ever since the award show. But now... now that they somewhat cleared things between them, his chest felt so much lighter. They were far from done, but it was a good start.

"So... can I finally get my kisses? I've been waiting for them for so long," he murmured, bringing his bow-shaped lips closer to Derek's, now only a little distance separating them. "I mean if it's okay with you..." the singer half-teased, his red-rimmed whiskey-brown eyes watching him longingly.

The man snorted, amused how Stiles claimed he’s been waiting so long to be kissed, but that was all he really reacted to. There was no need to say more, there was a request which happened to be one Derek loved to give into. It didn't need much movement, all he really needed to do was to wrap his arms around Stiles to pull him close all the way. One went around the waist as the other loosely rested on his back so his hand cupped the back of that slender neck.

His lips captured the ones that have been tempting him ever since they had met, the taste of cinnamon greeting him. It was like he was being welcomed home, like a thirsting man getting a drink. As dramatic as Stiles was, Derek could understand it because he felt it too, this pull they had, the intense chemistry.

Stiles immediately melted into the kiss, as if Derek had magical lips or something. His own hands went around the other man to hold onto him, maybe a bit tighter than necessary, but he heard no complaints. Not that Derek could voice those concerns, because their mouths were too busy.

There was a soft little moan into Derek's mouth when that earthly and musky yet somehow also sweet scent and taste hit his senses again. Stiles unwittingly tilted his head to the side for a better angle and parted his lips to welcome Derek's tongue inside for a deeper kiss.

It was crazy how good and right this felt. It was like two fitting pieces of a puzzle finally interlocking seamlessly. Or two magnets snapping tightly together. The kiss and being in Derek's arms again felt that electrifying and good.

Like fucking magic or something, Stiles thought, feeling his whole body coming alive, shaking down the memory of sadness and darkness. He was pretty sure that if this moment was in a movie, even the clouds would break to flood the scene with sunlight. That thought nearly made him chuckle into Derek's mouth, but it would only ruin the moment, so for once he controlled himself in favor of battling with Derek's tongue more passionately.

Derek had no idea what was going on in Stiles' head, but unknowingly he was feeling the same thing. Ever since that first kiss, it felt so right to be doing this. How perfect their bodies molded together thanks to the slight height difference, how good the singer felt in his arms, like he belonged there. Their chemistry was off the charts, even after the drama they had inflicted upon one another.

After he had thought that he had lost Stiles, to be able to kiss him and enjoy his taste was once again a marvel, something that made his stomach do these little jumps as his heart hammered loudly in his chest. Eagerly his tongue delved in deep, exploring and tasting as his body responded to the warmth resonating off of Stiles' body. Of course that feeling of falling hard for Stiles was back tenfold now that he could embrace it. Stiles had picked him, not Theo. This was going to be their time now, together.

Not even thinking about it much, Derek pulled Stiles over to the couch so they could sit down and focus fully on kissing.

Of course, the singer went with it only breaking their passionate kisses briefly while they re-situated themselves there. (In other words, not to bite Derek's tongue off in his excitement to follow the other man's lead.)

Then his lips were glued back to where they were for a while, but the angle wasn't the most comfortable, so he turned and wiggled his body as close as he could get without straddling Derek, although that's what he wanted to do right away, but didn't want to come off as too needy. Even if everything in him was melting and catching on fire. As if a wildfire was lit by this man's lips in him. It was a heady feeling, making his head a bit dizzy as he caressed the broad shoulders and the back of Derek's neck, never wanting for this to stop.

It seemed like a good idea to use the couch so they didn't need to focus on standing and could melt into the kisses, but when it got more heated, the couch was becoming restricting. It made Derek wonder if he should break the promise he had made to Stiles, and if that would come off as if he didn't respect him anymore. On the other hand, he was on the couch with a very attractive man who wanted him, so why would he deny them this? Stiles seemed to be very into it.

"Wait... wait," Derek panted, breaking the kiss as his breathing broke away the trail of saliva which connected their lips. "How firmly set are we on taking it slow?" Before Derek would get busy with his hands and maybe get them to a point where it was going to be harder to stop as they would be pulled into their mutual passion. He really wanted his hands on the pale skin, wanted to get to know his husband in the most intimate of ways a relationship had to offer.

Stiles' was slightly out of breath, his lips already a bit swollen (and wet) and his chin red from all the kissing and Derek's beard. They pulled into a tiny lopsided smirk once he studied Derek's face for a few moments. The want was clearly there in the green eyes and it gave Stiles the best of goose bumps. The elegant hands slid down on Derek's shoulders to caress the hard planes of the warm chest through the old T-shirt he had on.

"Well... I always felt like you took the 'slow' thing more serious. I'm..." he glanced down at the front of Derek's sweatpants, licking his bottom lip from what he saw there. "... open for a change in that status regarding our relationship." Of course, his voice was thick with innuendo now that he knew he could be like this with Derek. And he topped that with finally straddling the muscular thighs. "So what's your suggestion?" he raised a brow just as he lightly rubbed his body against him, like a man, who's perfectly clear with and confident in how to use his body and words.

Suddenly the couch became so much more comfortable with having Stiles on his lap. And the need to move wasn't as urgent anymore. Not that Derek wanted foreplay and sex on the couch, but his cock was rapidly filling with blood with how there was a body rubbing against his own like Stiles was a cat in heat. The sweatpants weren't hiding anything, weren't restricting enough to prevent the tenting happening, especially now.

His big hands went to the narrow hips, fingers teasing at the hem of Stiles' T-shirt under the unzipped hoodie, but not yet touching any skin yet. Just because Stiles was open for a change, it didn't mean Derek didn't have any restraints left. Plucking at the waistband, testing the give, he looked into the wide brown eyes. "I'd suggest the bed. Where there's no dog that comes running when he hears certain noises."

"Bed sounds good. Bed sounds very, very good," Stiles agreed with a shit-eating grin and a nod, because yeah, he didn't want to get disturbed by Moon Moon when they were about to... Oh god, they were going to finally cross that line! It made his equally erect (although more restrained) cock throb under his black jeans.

Cupping Derek's face in his hands, he rubbed the tip of his cute upturned nose against the other's. "I know I am, but are you sure about this? I'm only asking, because I suspect that once we really start, there's no stopping any time soon," he smiled, but his eyes remained serious. "And since I really, really like you, I'll get more emotionally attached as well once we have sex. Aaaaaand once I get a taste of you like that, I'll transform into an insatiable toppy bottom. So there's your fair warning," the singer chuckled softly at the end, tracing Derek's bottom lip with a thumb while his fingers stayed splayed on the sides of his face.

"You really know how to sell yourself," Derek grumbled, because he didn't even see how Stiles was able to get even more emotionally attached than he already was. But the rest really didn't sound like something he'd mind. Not stopping the sex anytime soon, a bossy bottom and somebody who really liked him.

His tongue darted out to swipe at the thumb caressing his lip, sucking it into his mouth to taste the salt of the skin. "I want you. I'm not sure about a lot, but I'm sure about you." Emotional attachment and dramatics included. His big hands went from the back to support the ass and legs, gripping tight right before he stood up. It was a lot of weight to carry a male like that, however it was so worth it as he claimed the lips again. The real challenge was to find the bedroom without bumping into walls and damage them both. It resulted in him walking a little like being drunk as he shuffled to the bedroom.

Derek's words warmed Stiles even while he was pretty impressed by the strength the other man was displaying with carrying him to the bedroom. Of course, Derek looked not just too hot for his own good, but now knowing that he could put those muscles into some good use too made Stiles all kinds of giddy on the inside. He loved him some strong partner who could manhandle him.

Now that he had his answer, he pulled out all stops and kissed back just as well. The passion between them was reignited in an instant and Stiles held onto Derek with his arms and legs even tighter. There was some shameless rubbing against him happening as well, which probably didn't help in making Derek walk steadier towards their destination.

"Just so you know, I'm very impressed by you," the singer panted in-between kisses and licks and bites as they finally entered the bedroom and he reached out to swing the door closed, locking out the husky in case he decided to follow. "I have a feeling, I'll be even more impressed soon," he added, because yeah, the earlier visuals and being plastered against Derek like that gave him a very good idea of what to expect to find hidden under the comfortable clothes.

"Don't be too impressed," Derek huffed, because he was able to lift Stiles sure, but the distance between the couch and the bedroom was a little more than he had counted on. Since Stiles was so impressed though, Derek was determined not to let it show as he walked them over to the bed. It was a good work out, his muscles were burning by the time he deposited the singer on the bed, along with himself. It wasn't as smooth as he wanted it to be. They always made it seem so easy on TV, which was clearly a big lie.

Not that it mattered, because they were in bed together, which wasn't something Derek had thought would happen when he woke up this morning. It did make his clothing choice so much better, because sweatpants made for easy access while Stiles' pants were tightly molded against his slender body. "I need to do some more working out," the poor man panted with a soft laugh, lips ghosting along the pale neck where his warm breath caressed the skin.

Stiles laughed with him as he bared his neck more to Derek's lips, loving how the dark beard lightly scraped against his skin, surely making it redden. He loved a good beard burn on him.

"Well, you can always keep lifting and manhandling me whenever you want a good workout. I love being manhandled," he finally voiced that preference too as his hands moved to Derek's waist and grabbed onto the hem of the old T-shirt to start tugging it up. It was a clear indication that he wanted it off, although he was also enjoying that hot mouth on his long neck and the goose bumps and jolts of lust the kisses there caused. They went straight to his trapped cock, of course, making him squirm and press against the heavier body on top of him.

"Too many clothes!" the singer complained, eager to feel more bare skin against him.

"That's the fun of wearing them: we get to take them off." Derek stopped kissing his neck so he could sit back on his haunches, taking the ratty shirt off. It wasn't a big reveal, Stiles had already seen him shirtless, but the reason for it was completely different. The shirt landed somewhere on the floor and he tugged at the one Stiles was wearing because that was also in the way. "Maybe you should take something off too."

At least he wasn't wearing shoes himself, not even socks. But Stiles was still clothed from head to toe. "I should probably move, if I want to get you naked." Derek was making it impossible for the singer to get much done besides the upper body. Rolling to the side, he leaned his head on his hand so he could watch, not expecting a sexy show. More like hoping for Stiles not to fall or trip all over himself. Not that it mattered, the revealing of the body was arousing no matter how it went. Of course, Derek made no move to pull his pants off, yet.

"Oh, so I should do all the hard work, huh?" Stiles chuckled glancing at the smug man in the even smugger pose lying on the bed. "Okay, fine," he rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh as he sat up and quickly shrugged out of his unzipped hoodie and pulled his grey T-shirt over his head too, revealing the tattooed arms and torso. The clothes landed near Derek's on the floor.

"Not to objectify you or anything," he started with a cheeky grin "but you really do look hot as hell like this..." he mumbled while ogling Derek's naked upper-body and rippling muscles as the singer was kicking his boots and socks off just to quickly move to the button and zipper of his black jeans. Oh yeah, he vividly remembered all that tanned skin from the time in his pool, but this was so much better...

Throwing himself back down on the bed, Stiles lifted his hips to push not just his jeans but also his underwear down. After all, he had nothing to hide and getting fully naked was the whole point, so he did a quick job of that. He always was fast when it came to getting rid of his clothes in such situations.

Smirking from the look Derek gave him, the now fully naked singer shamelessly knelt between the other man's legs and dragged the sweatpants down the long legs. Then he just stared even more shamelessly and licked his lips, stroking Derek's muscular thighs. "I am very impressed indeed..."

Derek was not prepared for Stiles to so easily shed all of his clothes at once, so he was still ogling the attractive man while his own pants were swiftly removed as well. So in the end they ended up letting their eyes roam freely for a long moment, taking it all in. Stiles looked mouthwatering and Derek couldn't wait to get his mouth and hands all over him. "Come here." With grabby hands he pulled Stiles down on top, so he could claim his lips again.

It also allowed his hands to run along the inked back, feeling the muscles ripple under the skin as well as all the bones along the back. He couldn't exactly feel the tattoos, not when they were all over the place, but he was curious about them and also couldn't wait to take all of those in and ask about them. But at the moment his attention was solely on what he was about to reach as his hands caressed down along the back.

Cupping the buttocks with his hand, he was pleased with how the firm globes fit into his big hands. Stiles had a really nice ass, and he was an ass guy himself. At least Stiles didn't seem too taken aback by Derek's sizable girth.

Stiles moaned and grinned into their kiss, pleased now about how much hot skin was pressed against him. Not to mention that gorgeous erection along his own. It was even better than he imagined, so he felt like a lucky and very happy camper already. And when his ass was cupped like that? Yeah, that was one of his weaknesses, so he pressed it into the big hands before slowly rubbing himself against the other man. Sex was familiar territory for him and it was one of his favorite things to do besides making music and eating curly fries, so he naturally fell into the motions.

"I've been fantasizing about this for a while now," he admitted as he moved his lips to kiss along Derek's jaw, rocking against him with more purpose. "And tasting you. God, can I suck your dick? I wanna suck your dick," he panted into Derek's ear, lightly nibbling on the lobe. "It's so beautiful and big... I want it in my mouth first."

"You shouldn't say things like that!" Derek moaned, his mind already coming up with all kinds of images as his cock twitched against the other slimmer erection. "But yes, and I want to taste you too." He loved using his mouth when it came to foreplay. It was one of his favorite things to do besides the actual penetration. How lucky was he to be married to the good-looking bossy bottom who also loved to use his mouth? As different as they were in so many things, as compatible they seemed to be in bed.

For good measure, Derek palmed the white globes some more, pulling them apart to push them together again with a tease. His fingers brushed along the crack, without touching the small entrance hidden there. Because he wanted to use his mouth to prep his husband for their first time together. And lube, lots and lots of lube. At least he never ran out of that, hidden away in his nightstand for his lone masturbation sessions once Erica was asleep.

After a soft moan from the teasing touch between his butt cheeks, Stiles pushed himself up on his hands and grinned down at Derek very cheekily. "Well, get used to me speaking my mind in bed too, because I often say such dirty things," the singer winked then stole a quick kiss. "You can also taste me later, but now it's my turn, big guy..."

And with that, the bow-shaped lips began their exciting journey down on the muscular chest. Of course, he made sure to give some attention to the already hardened nipples and traced every muscle with his fingers, mouth and tongue – there were a lot of them! God, Derek indeed was one fine specimen! Like a Greek god, or something. Or at least that's what crossed Stiles' mind just when he finally came face-to-face with the flushed cock, which was resting against the flat stomach.

For a moment he just drank in the sight. It was uncut, long and thick, some wetness already glistening at the tip. "I'll have so much fun with this..." he announced after licking his lips, then his pink tongue darted out and without touching the shaft with his hands, he slowly licked up on it, his brown eyes never leaving Derek's face to see his reactions.

Derek groaned, hands fisting the sheets as he watched Stiles tease him with his tongue. There was not a doubt in his mind that they were going to have fun together. A lot of fun. Especially since Erica was having a sleepover which meant they had all the time in the world to finally give into their bodily needs and the intense chemistry, which has grown between them to the point of no return.

There was not going to be any regret at all, or loss of respect. They had tried, but after this unwelcome drama due to miscommunication, Derek desperately wanted some intimacy. "You look so good like this." Stiles looked ready to inhale his erection, eager to taste him, and it was a very good look on him. Lips swollen from kissing, skin red from a slight beard burn and a sheen of wetness from spit. Derek wanted to completely ravish him so he'd look even more debauched.

Grinning, Stiles raised his right hand to lick his palm a few times, giving yet another small show to Derek, before gently wrapping it around the thickness. As he spoke, he slowly pulled on the velvety skin a few times, making the tip finally fully peek out.

"You look very good like this too, but I wonder how good you'll look like when..." he trailed off deliberately and with that his tongue flattened against the wide mushroom tip to lap up the few beads glistening at the slit. He moaned approvingly from the salty and musky taste and then flicked his tongue around the tip over and over again, his whiskey-brown eyes still watching Derek. "You also taste very good. Think I'm gonna indulge now," he added and with that the tip disappeared between the reddened lips to accommodate it in the moist warmth of his mouth.

Stiles shouldn't say dirty things and he shouldn't be so good with his mouth either, because it was doing things to Derek. Not that it should be a surprise, the guy was a singer and a fervent talker, of course he was good at using his mouth for what looked like everything. Besides shutting up. Which was something Derek didn't want him to do, ever, he could listen to him read a cereal box. And still love it.

As much as he loved how his cock was sucked. Maybe he shouldn't let him take in more, because it could lead to painting that pale face with gleaming globs. Which wasn't what he wanted, he wanted them to be as intimate as possible, a.k.a. full-blown sex. One hand released the by now wrinkled sheets to find the brown strands of hair to tug on in encouragement.

"Yeah. You look so much better now." Mouth full was a good look for the singer.

Stiles smiled around the cock in his mouth as much as was possible, but didn't stop with the bobbing of his head and his tongue working on the underside of his tasty treat. With each slide he inched a little bit more into his mouth, suspecting that Derek wasn't going to last long. Because he had quite good oral skills when it came to sucking cock as well, which was quite obvious. Besides, he never got any complaints about that. (Theo especially loved him down on his knees sucking him, but that was a thought he wasn't going to share with Derek, because comparing the two was something he didn't want to do. Even if Derek was much, much nicer... and bigger.)

Moaning a bit amused around the thick shaft at that thought, he sucked him a bit faster and harder with half of it in his mouth, the other half being massaged by his wet hand in tandem. At that point he finally broke the eye-contact and closed his own eyes to focus on what he was so thoroughly and enthusiastically doing.

The fingers tightened their hold on the strands of hair, pulling on them without it being too painful, hopefully! Derek was a little too distracted by the amazing feeling Stiles was giving him with his expert oral skills. Which he totally knew, because the singer looked pretty, even with his lips wrapped around the thick shaft.

It felt so good that he didn't want it to stop anytime soon, but he also didn't want it to continue for too long either. Conflicted, all Derek really did was giving another filthy moan in encouragement, telling himself a few moments longer was okay. There was some semblance of control when it came to reaching an orgasm! Most of the time. He had the distinct feeling that Stiles was going to be an exception in everything.

The singer went on like that for a couple more minutes, enjoying the taste, the size, the smell, the sounds and the tight grip in his hair, his own hips lightly moving to rub against the cover for some mild friction.

"Want to come down my throat?" he rasped once he finally slid off his treat, but immediately kissed down on its side to lick and gently suckle on the heavy balls while waiting for Derek's reply. Clearly he was fine with either way this might go.

No, yes, no. Derek wanted all of it, but he also didn't want it to end here. Being with Stiles was so arousing that it was very probable that he'd be hard again by the time they wanted more. By the time he had done the same to Stiles. So after a brief moment of thinking about it, Derek answered with a moan, the hold in the hair tightening a little. "Yes, god yes. Wanna do that. Want you to do that too." He greedily wanted it all, all that Stiles had to offer and more. Who could blame him? The singer was the most enticing person he had met so far. "Not going to last long like this." He was already this close, so he might as well go all the way, right? Stiles had invited him to it.

Chuckling very pleased with that answer and himself, the singer let the testicle go with a soft popping sound. "Alright. We have all night to explore and experiment," he nodded. Oh yes, he wanted everything too and seeing Derek already so out of it and greedy was a treat in itself. He only wanted to add to that, so after kissing his way back up on the shaft, he dutifully took it into his mouth.

Maybe next time he was going to try deep-throating it from a better angle, but for now he wanted to get to the creamy goodness that was awaiting him.

Not minding the firmer grip, which sent a pleasant shiver down his spine from the slight pain, Stiles' mouth and hand were back on the erection and he pulled out all stops now, using every trick he knew to help achieve their goal. His lips, tongue, hand, even some moans and hollowing his flushed cheeks as he kept working as thoroughly as he could.

They had all night. That thought made Derek’s stomach tingle and feel warm, knowing that this was real, this was happening. And they were going to enjoy one another for the whole night and maybe tomorrow as well. It was the weekend, they had the luxury to indulge. That thought made him watch how Stiles was working him over, lavishing in the feelings the sight and that skilled mouth with the added hands made him feel. There was no need to hold back at all.

It at least wasn't as embarrassingly quick as he feared it could have been, but Derek also didn't manage to last as long as he would have liked. At least this took the edge off for them both, so they'd have all the time and stamina for the main event later. The grip on the hair tightened even more when he felt he was getting close. His balls drew up and the Hale only managed to utter a soft "Stiles" in warning before he was coming down the warm and wet throat. He was literally seeing stars when his eyes slammed closed and his body shuddered through its release.

It was majestic. The way Derek was coming down the singer's throat and how he looked while getting lost in the mind-numbing pleasure. He looked even hotter like this. Beautiful even. And Stiles thought that he could easily get used to that sight while he was dutifully swallowing the other man's release.

He loved this. Not just the sucking cock and swallowing cum part (which he really fucking loved!), but also how good it felt to please his husband like this. For the very first time. It was a moment Stiles knew was going to stay with him for the rest of his life, no matter what their future might hold for them.

Making sure that he lapped up and swallowed every last drop from the spent dick, he let it gently slide out of his mouth just when it had to start to get oversensitive for Derek, and climbed back up on the bigger man, his still rock-hard cock pressing against a muscular thigh. Then he stole an open-mouthed kiss to share Derek's own taste with him, not minding that his breathing was still quicker.

Derek eagerly kissed him back, not shying away from his own taste. He liked it dirty like that, because sex was dirty. His heart was hammering in his chest, his body slick with sweat as he was coming down from that incredible high! The hardness poking him was impossible to miss, poor Stiles had been holding out pretty well despite this, which meant he definitely deserved a reward.

His hand was still in those unruly locks of hair, but no longer tugging at them, instead running through them to push back the mop of hair. "Your turn." Or more, his turn! Pushing up, Derek reversed their positions, so he was the one hovering over the other male, their lips still locked together as well as their tongues. "Can't wait to taste you," he whispered against the bow-shaped lips before he slowly made his way down. Licking the skin with his tongue to explore and touch and taste. Of course he paused at the tempting pierced nipples, wanting the nips to peek and be wet.

Stiles bit down on his swollen and red bottom lip while enjoying Derek's tongue and lips on his skin. Wherever they went goose bumps appeared on their wake. And just from the hot breath puffing against his pierced nipples made them harden and his cock throb in anticipation.

"Okay, so to sum things up so far..." Stiles started on a hoarser than usual voice. "You clearly liked me sucking you, which can get a repeat whenever, because I'm already the biggest fan of your dick... Moreover you taste very good and now I'm guessing you're contemplating playing with my nipples and piercings, which I'm literally all up for..." the tattooed singer chuckled low, running his own fingers through Derek's hair, while his other hand rested on Derek's firm biceps. "Fair warning, that really gets me going, so if you wanna suck me, I advise not to overdo it," he added with a smirk, lightly puffing out his chest like an offering.

"Maybe you're a little too eager," Derek told him, and pointedly ignored tugging at the piercings as he licked the nubs instead, making them glisten with his own saliva. Stiles felt like he was very swollen, it was poking the older man against the stomach now, rubbing sticky pre-cum whenever he moved a little. "I'll be sure to give them all the attention tonight, to get you going when I want you to." Unfortunately, now wasn't that time.

"Because right now I'm going to suck you off and rim you so can't have you get too excited." As if those words weren't going to get Stiles excited, but that was what Derek was going for. It showed as he gave Stiles an almost predatory grin before he moved down, licking the stomach. The muscles twitched under his attention, as did the erection pressed against him. "So try to hold out for as long as you can."

Finally Derek managed to reach the prize he’s been aiming for, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin. Was he going to toy with him like Stiles did? Nope. He went for the kill right away, lips sliding over the thick flesh as he took Stiles into his mouth.

Stiles only had time to suck his stomach in and then whatever comment he wanted to fire back with got stuck in his throat when the warm lips suddenly engulfed his achingly hard and leaking shaft.

"Holy shit..." he groaned loud and this time it was his fingers that curled into a fist around hair. His eyes rolled shut and his head thumped back onto the bed as pleasure shot right through him, making his insides all warm and tense in the best of ways. "God, yes... Suck me!" he managed to utter and used his free hand to pull a pillow under his head to be able to watch what was done to him. And the sight in itself was... mind-blowing, to say the least. Also, the singer wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to hold back, because it felt just sooooo good!

It was almost like Derek could sense it that Stiles wasn't going to be able to hold out through a blow job and the rimming. It was because of the way the body trembled, how hard that erection was in his mouth and the color it had. He decided the rimming could wait (it was going to happen regardless) and to focus on what he was doing now. The tugging on his hair felt really good, it sent shivers down his body, nerves reacting. It definitely was one of his many kinks, the hair pulling.

Glancing up at Stiles, he smiled around the shaft, green eyes sparkling with amusement. Yeah, it was exactly the reaction he’s been hoping for and it made him proud a little that he managed to make the famous Stilinski moan for him. Like he was aching for him. Inhaling deeply through his nose, Derek's lips slid down all the way until his nose hit the fragrant trimmed pubes. He didn't manage to keep the thick cock down for long before he had to pull up to swallow his spit and inhale for some breath. But after that, he was quick to repeat it again.

There was more cursing and moaning from that action and both seemed to grow louder with each round of deep-throating him. Frankly, Stiles didn't think Derek would go in for the kill so quickly, but maybe his plan was to take off the edge for both of them so that they could enjoy each other with less carnal hunger or immediate urge to just fuck. Which was a plan Stiles liked a lot, even if at the moment his mind was quite one-tracked while chasing the lurking pleasure that was going to soon pounce on him to leave him breathless and wrecked. That sounded awesome as well to him, of course, because it felt like they've been riling each other up and the sexual tension has been off the charts between them ever since that first kiss in Derek's classroom.

And now... now with taking care of the unbearable tension so that they could take their time... It warmed Stiles heart, because it showed him that Derek wasn't here with him in bed for a quick fuck, he wasn't using the singer for that like many before. He wanted to savor him as much as Stiles him. And he couldn't wait to continue that exploring. But first... he had to come!

"Getting close..." he panted, his fingers pulling on Derek's dark hair a bit firmer, his body tense like a drawn bow, threatening to snap in any second. "Holy shit, your mouth! Derek!" he groaned, watching the busy man from behind his long eyelashes, his expression pleasantly shocked. Stiles' exes were usually good or okay in bed, but it's been a long while since he enjoyed a blowjob this much.

The energy humming beneath that wiry body was insane. Derek could feel it getting ready to let loose, and he realized that he wanted to see Stiles on stage again. Now that he knew him. That energy had to be amazing when it wasn't a stupid wedding tour that had that weird ending. And yes, he knew he could watch YouTube videos but that wasn't the same. Stiles was worth it to be seen live, always. Maybe?

As if Derek wanted to suck that energy right out of Stiles, he redoubled his efforts. If the singer was impressed with his oral skills, he was about to be blown away. Literally.

Hollowing his cheeks, Derek sucked hard while letting the tasty erection hit the back of his throat. It was messy, with his spit running along the stiff shaft because it was impossible to swallow like this. Bobbing his head, the mushroom shaped head slid in and out of his throat as he sucked on it hard.

Yeah, he really wanted all Stiles had to give him, wanted to taste him even more. The salty pre-cum wasn't enough to satisfy his 'thirst' for his husband.

And what else could the other man do from all those sensations than moan his head off and tense up and squirm even more, just before a strangled sound, the only warning Derek got, before the explosion!

Stiles' vision whited out, his brain short-circuited and a series of loud moans filled the room (maybe even the apartment), because he just couldn't keep those sounds of pleasure back as his very happy cock spurted his release right into the hungry mouth.

Just as predicted, it left him a panting, sweaty and wrecked mess, disconnected from the world for a few more long minutes before his brain came online again and cleared enough to say anything coherent.

"Jesus... Christ... My hubby has the best... blowjob skills ever!" he panted, his fingers aimlessly stroking and patting Derek's hair while the singer was still half out of it.

Looking like the cat that got the cream, Derek inched his way up, a smug grin on his face while he wiped at his mouth to get the excess spit off. At least he had been a good swallower and didn't spill anything! He was also proud that the no doubt very experienced singer said he gave the best blowjobs, because that was high praise. His arm wrapped around the slender waist, as he nuzzled close, letting Stiles enjoy the afterglow of his orgasm.

"I can almost hear your heart beating." It was like that of a rabbit right now as he was coming down. The smug grin widened against the pale skin as he kissed the sweaty neck. Derek was a cuddler after sex, he loved to gather his partner in his arms and keep them close all night long. Well, now it wasn't going to be all night long because there wasn't going to be much sleep.

"I should order us some food, because I'm not planning on leaving the bed tonight. And you're going to need the energy."

"But if you're not going to leave the bed tonight then how will you get the food in here?" Stiles grinned with closed eyes while his heavily tattooed arms wrapped around the broad back while goose bumps were dancing on his neck whenever a puff of hot breath or a kiss landed there.

Stiles' head was still a bit floating and he felt... lighter and happier than ever since his breakup with Theo. And he felt like this all because of this amazing man. He still couldn't completely comprehend what just happened and how things took a completely different and positive turn since he showed up at the doorstep tonight. Not that he was complaining. Not at all.

"I'll answer the door naked, get the food and bring it back here." The little puffs of warm breath let Stiles know that Derek was huffing in laughter, amused at himself. Because no, he wouldn't do that, for the sake of whoever was at the door to deliver. His phone was on the nightstand, but he wasn't in a hurry to grab it yet, because he was too comfortable at the moment. He was allowed to bask in it for a little while longer, the mere fact that they were here together.

Propping up a little so he could look at Stiles, he reached out to push some of the sweaty hair out of Stiles' face. "What are you in the mood for?" It was easier to talk about food instead of acknowledging that they had their first lover's spat this week. As well as their first intimate moment and were about to have more!

"If I said 'you' would you call it cheesy?" the singer opened his whiskey-brown eyes to smirk up at the other man, pulling him down for a soft and short kiss by his nape for good measure. "Otherwise we can never go wrong with pizza. As I recall you're quite fond of it. Just make sure to order it from a good place," he chuckled low and kissed him again.

This time slower and longer, just wanting to savor Derek's taste and closeness, because now he could freely do this. Finally.

"Think we're gonna black out when we get to the actual penetrative part of the sex?" Stiles mumbled mostly between Derek's lips as he kept kissing him over and over.

"Positive." Only the thought of being able to slide into Stiles was dizzying enough, let alone reach an orgasm within him, preferably together if they were able to time it right. "Sex shouldn't be this good." It was downright criminal, the chemistry they had together, the way it felt to be with Stiles. It was all kinds of dangerous with how hard and fast they were falling for each other, it was bound to create more drama along the way. However, it was already too late to end it, nor did Derek want to do that.

With a fumbling hand, he reached for his phone without looking, finding the hard cold familiar shape fairly easily. Uber Eats was of course at the top of the apps with how often he used it, and he knew exactly which pizza place was good enough to want to order from again. It was New York, there was good pizza all over the place. Derek ordered them two large pizzas, guessing at what Stiles liked (because the bad pizza place didn't count as a like) and paid for them through the app. He wasn't that into technology but stuff like this did make his life so much easier.

"We haven't talked about it before, but just so you know, I'm more of a top. Fingers are fine, the rest doesn't do it for me. I could, for you, if you'd want me to..." He really was hoping Stiles would be fine with being the bottom in their relationship. He got those vibes from the man, however, Derek wanted to make sure.

Pausing with the kissing, Stiles resorted to just caressing the warm back and shoulders as he listened then nodded. They could as well cover a few important topics regarding sex while waiting for their order to arrive.

"That's perfectly fine with me. I prefer bottoming most of the time anyway. Not that I didn't top before and I enjoyed it too, but yeah... I'm the pushy bottom kind," he smiled with a small shrug. "So I'm actually happy that you prefer topping." Another sign that they were very compatible, it seemed. "However, if you ever want to switch it up, I don't close out that possibility either. We can talk about it. But if not, I'm perfectly fine with this arrangement too. Also, once it turned out that Theo cheated on me with whatever number of people, I've got myself tested. I'm clean. I can show you the results on my phone if you want proof. How about you? I mean... as much as I love and prefer having sex without a condom, maybe we should use them until you get tested too, if you haven't already?" he asked a bit unsure, hoping that Derek would understand. Safety first for both their sakes.

There was a thoughtful nod, Derek didn't have the habit to get tested a whole lot, because he wasn't all that active anymore. "I got tested, but that was when I was with Jennifer so I probably should. I haven't… since her, but still." If she happened to carry something and he'd transmit it to Stiles, it was not a thought he wanted to have. "I can survive using a condom." It was said with a chuckle, because he didn't mind them as much. "And I'll get tested this week." He felt a little bad that it hasn't even crossed his mind to get any sort of testing done since his relationship had ended. However, his hadn't ended because of cheating so Stiles' urgency made sense.

Derek hadn't reacted to the offer of switching it up, because it wasn't exactly a thought he'd entertain. Maybe every now and again if Stiles felt like it, so he was happy with the information how Stiles was a bossy bottom most of the time. Just the way he preferred it. "I use condoms often, because it helps to avoid a mess so I don't mind. I'm well-stocked." Which had been more of wishful thinking than actual use. Laura had once suggested he should sign up for Tinder, and he hadn't talked to her for a week.

Exhaling relieved, Stiles smiled again and moved a hand to stroke his fingers over a bearded cheek. "I'm glad you're okay with the testing and the condoms. Even if I kinda prefer making a mess in bed without the latter, if you know what I mean," he added, the smile turning into a dirty grin. Because yes, he loved to be filled and then feel it ooze out of him. "It makes me feel... deliciously dirty."

Wetting his bottom lip with a slightly darker look and some coloring of his cheeks, he continued just as his hand slid down on Derek's neck and rested on a wide shoulder. "I also have to admit that I cleaned myself earlier today before I played with myself in hopes of getting rid of some of the tension and frustration of the last few days, so I'm clean down there too." Obviously he meant the days of radio silence from Derek. "When in a relationship I regularly do that anyways, the cleaning, I mean, because I like to be prepared for anything. Like a boy scout," he shrugged with a sheepish smile.

As much as it was nice to hear Stiles took great care of himself, more so than Derek would, he still couldn't help but react to the honesty. The way Stiles so shamelessly admitted to playing with himself even when depressed, it was refreshing. And it also made Derek’s ears color red because he was imaging it, what Stiles had been doing earlier that day. "I've never really... done that." Keeping himself clean down there he meant. He of course washed himself thoroughly, but probably not thorough enough. He had some learning to do there.

Back in college nobody really cared about cleanliness, but he had to admit it made it all so much easier if they kept themselves clean. It was also very considerate. "I will learn though." It seemed only fair and yeah. He was such a bad bi partner, too used to being with women to be able to be prepared for having sex with a guy. "I love that you're clean, it'll make rimming you so much better."

"Well yeah, definitely. Also when I'm on tour and have a steady partner who might surprise me, condoms can come handy in case I have no time to do the cleaning beforehand. Because as I've said before, I'm monogamous and very loyal when in a relationship. Anyways, I can send you some links to kits that might help you with the cleaning thing," Stiles offered. This was something that he always laughed about when it came to movies or stories. No one talked about such things even if it was part of real life.

"We'll also have to talk about a lot of things. Like likes and dislikes, but that's natural too. We're only learning each other in this manner, so yeah, these are important to discuss," he smiled up at Derek, stroking his shoulder reassuringly.

"Yes, send me the links." Derek wanted to learn and wanted Stiles to know that of course he was going to be as considerate as Stiles was. If they got their mouths down there, it made sense. And he was happy with the help, and the fact he could order it online! Erica never opened his mail. Thank god for that. Glancing at the app to see how much time there was left before the door would ring, he put the phone away again. There was some time.

Derek leaned in to kiss a smooth cheek. "What kind of likes are we talking about? You mean in bed, right?" Probably sex-wise, which again, he wouldn't have as much experience with as the singer had. Thankfully, he had done enough experimenting in college to know some, to have experienced some.

"I really like using my mouth for oral attention, so you're going to have to get used to that. And you've got piercings so I'm sure we're going to like playing with those." The teacher was pretty bare tattoo-wise and especially piercing-wise. No piercings at all, not even his ears.

Nodding to sending the links, Stiles hummed and thought for a moment. "I have no problems with your oral fixation," he grinned. "Don't think that I haven't noticed how you also love to watch me talk and eat, so yeah, I pretty much noticed that. Which is understandable, because I use my mouth for many things."

Stroking his fingers further to the middle of Derek's back, tracing the area where he knew was that one single tattoo, the singer licked his lips. "I also could tell that since you have your own tattoo that you're fine with my many ones too, right?" he asked. "As for the likes, it's a very long list. If you haven't picked upon it yet, I'm a very kinky and experimental individual. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of needles either, but I always wanted to have tattoos and ended up getting nipple piercings at one point too. I don't regret either. Especially the nipple piercings, because they give tooooons of pleasure, so yeah, definitely worth it!" Stiles laughed and slowly ran his hands down along Derek's spine and to the swell of his firm butt. "Whenever you feel the need for a new tattoo, just let me know. My tattoo artist is amazing. I think you'd like him too. The stuff on my arms and side should be good reference points too," the singer added just as he squeezed the ass-cheeks, unable to stop himself.

"He's definitely good," Derek agreed, touched by the fact that Stiles was already thinking of their future together like that enough to want to hook him up to his artist. Because usually it took a little while to get an appointment with those kind of talented artists. It certainly made him feel all warm inside, but that could also be the attention his ass was getting. His grin didn't have anything to do with the talk of tattoos, nope. That was all because of the groping.

"Careful, you don't want me all excited when food will arrive any moment now." Foreplay would always get him aroused, because his body enjoyed it as much as the main event.

"Maybe I do," Stiles chuckled. "It'd be funny to watch how you'd handle that situation," he added and for good measure squeezed the bubble butt one more time. "But I can be merciful… sometimes..." There was a wink and a cheeky grin, but then he did slide his hands back up along the spine, lazily tracing the muscles of the broad back. "I love touching you, by the way," the singer hummed as he kept caressing the warm skin. "It's exciting and at the same time somehow grounding to me. It quiets my brain a bit, which is a relief sometimes."

"I don't mind being your fidget spinner." If anything, it made Derek feel important to Stiles, and he had a feeling this wasn't just a line he used. Stiles didn't seem like he got a lot of quiet time in his brain.

"I will..." He was interrupted by his phone, a message announcing itself. "I will get the pizzas," he said with a laugh as he read the text. With some regret, he kissed Stiles before he clambered out of bed, putting on his sweatpants without bothering with underwear. "Don't move!"

The man disappeared and took a little while because he also got them some drinks and fed the dog, because Moon Moon was up the moment he smelled the human dinner. That meant he'd get food too. Armed with two boxes and a few cans of soda, he came back.

"Okay, so I've got a Hawaii and a Meat lover. I figured either one should appeal to your high society taste buds." It certainly did to Derek's, because his stomach was growling at the enticing scents.

Like the obedient boy Stiles could be if he wanted to be, he didn't move an inch, lying there in all his naked and tattooed glory. "I'm a meat lover alright," he joked. "I'll also move now." With that he finally sat up and slid up to the headboard with a pillow behind his back. Totally unashamed by his nakedness, he made grabby hands for one of the boxes. "My high society taste buds also appreciate pineapple on a pizza, so very good choices, my fidget spinner!" he smiled from ear-to-ear.

The second the box was opened and the smell of the Hawaiian pizza hit his nose, he growled hungry like a wolf and attacked the first slice with gusto. "Wow, this is indeed good! Are these your favorite kinds of pizza?" he asked with some sauce dripping down on his chin.

"Pizza is my favorite kind of pizza." Clearly Derek was enough of a fan of the food to want to eat whatever he could get. "I usually try out one I haven't had yet. But these are definitely good ones to fall back on." And he was glad he had picked right since he hadn't even discussed it. Mostly because they probably didn't eat much these past days and they needed the energy so it was a much needed break within their plans.

Setting the cans down, he joined Stiles on the bed, stealing a slice of pizza from the other box. "We need the meat for the protein, because gives us energy for the rest of the night." Who was he kidding? They probably would have sex, fall asleep tangled around one another and have more sex in the morning. They were tired, Stiles no doubt emotionally drained deep down. But how they both needed this! Sex, food, to be able to spend time together like this. It seemed so... unhurried. Like they were in their own little bubble where time didn't matter. It was... like some sort of calm had descended upon them. "I know we barely met but not talking to you this week was weird. I missed you."

For a moment the singer paused in his chewing then quickly swallowed what was in his mouth, his cheeks coloring a bit as he smiled at Derek. "I missed you too," he confessed and reached out to lightly squeeze Derek's forearm. "This week sucked big time without talking to you. Let's try not to do that in the future, okay?"

Of course, there was going to be times when they wouldn't be able to physically be together (like during tours and whatnot), but at least then they were going to be communicating in one way or the other. Not like this painful radio silence in the past week.

Pulling his hand back to pick a piece of pineapple off his slice, Stiles lowered his eyes on the food. "I hated the thought of losing you. It hurt more than I expected."

Derek nodded, because he understood that sentiment all too well, he felt the same. Which is what made this so intense, how their meeting had been completely random and now their relationship was like they were in a rollercoaster. It went fast, it was exciting and it looked like there might be an endless loop at the end after all. Or they were going to crash and burn. And it would be worth it.

"I think I can learn to live with the fame, because it's not worth it to not talk to you." Even when he felt (and others seemed to think that too) that he might damage Stiles' career more than Theo would have. Something Stiles didn't seem to be that concerned about. After a few more bites, he had to ask. It was... something they both had to feel. "Does it scare you, our chemistry?"

Chewing and swallowing the pineapple, Stiles looked at Derek, that happy little smile still playing on his lips from hearing that the other man was willing to put up with the fame thing for real. Tilting his head to the side he thought for a moment about his answer, though. "Maybe sometimes a bit. Not because I don't like it. It's more about its intensity. Honestly, I've never felt anything like this with anyone before. Sure, I had chemistry with others in the past, but not on this scale. It's like the Universe or something badly wants us to be together," he chuckled, feeling a bit at a loss from that and the feeling itself. "I mean... it's like sparks and fireworks every time I'm with you. And I feel... more at peace. Like... I arrived home or something. Like I finally belong and I'm where I'm supposed to be," he scratched his jaw with a little bit shy look, not sure if Derek felt the same way about it. And the fact that he just shared such deep thoughts so easily with his husband told volumes too, because for Stiles Derek felt safe and like someone to whom he could tell anything without fearing that it would be received badly or would get out to the public. "It's a bit crazy, but I like crazy."

"Yeah, I know. I feel the same. It's intense. And we're probably crazy for going with it," Derek shrugged because yeah, there was no probable about it. They were indeed crazy. And he didn't care. "But it feels so right. Even when it scares me, our different lives." Or more, it was kind of scary how he was head over heels for somebody who was famous not only in America but all over the world too. Which meant by default that he was getting famous too. It was worth it, for Stiles. But it still made him feel scared if he thought about it too much.

"I forget that it's only been weeks." And it wasn't that Derek knew Stiles because of his fame, he had only read the few articles Stiles had shown him. Getting to know a person through internet searches wasn't the way he'd go about it, he knew Stiles because of what the singer decided to show to him.

Reaching over, he grabbed a slice of the Hawaiian pizza. "I mean, you like pineapple on your pizza too, so it's meant to be."

To that Stiles burst out laughing (luckily without a full mouth), the corner of his eyes and even his cute upturned nose crinkling a bit. "That's solid reasoning right there," he nodded, still grinning widely at Derek. Then he resumed eating his slice in silence for a few moments.

"Otherwise, yeah. It kinda feels like I've known you much longer than just weeks," the singer agreed while chewing. "Which is nice. I feel safe and comfortable around you," he admitted and then finally swallowed his bite. "And you feeling similarly like I do is also comforting. At least I'm not the only crazy one in this relationship, it seems," he joked back and lightly bumped his shoulder against Derek's. "You also fed me with delicious stuff," he wiggled his brows suggestively "which is always a bonus..."

"Pretty sure we're not talking about pizza." They were good, but Derek was finally catching on to how Stiles' mind worked. He wasn't just kinky in bed, he was also very kinky in his thinking. Derek didn't mind that, not at all, even when he felt he was always catching up with his thinking. It made him seem more innocent than he actually was so yeah, they needed to level that out a little more.

"I'll make sure you'll stay fed." Speaking off... he pointedly pushed the box to Stiles, telling him to eat up with that as he took another slice. "I have to let Moon Moon out before round two. I'll wear a shirt, but the press out there is going to know." Stiles had visited him and was still there, so the reporters were going to put it all together, even if Derek made an effort to not look like he just got laid. "Are you okay with that or should I make myself look more presentable?" Not that the Hale was going to be telling them anything, he never did.

"If you put on pants too then paired that with a shirt would be okay to walk your dog," Stiles chuckled as he picked up another slice, this time from the meat lover one. "Go do that and I'll eat my share meanwhile and get ready for round two," he winked like the shameless little shit he could be when comfortable about sex.

Derek motioned to the sweatpants he was wearing. "Sorry, not getting better than this." The press was going to have to deal with that, and it seemed like Stiles didn't mind that they were going to have their first time plastered all over the tabloids. So it was fine with him as well, because he had learned pretty quickly that protecting his privacy was incredibly hard to do. It bugged him a little how his kids at school were going to know all about him. But it was unavoidable. He was the kind of guy who would only swim upstream if he thought it would matter. In this case, nope.

Taking his half-eaten slice with him by stuffing it in his mouth, he grabbed Stiles' shirt to wear. He too could be a little shit and Stiles was kind of asking for it. Sneakers were quickly put on, and Moon Moon was already at the bedroom door, guessing what time it was. "I won't be long!" Of course he wouldn't be when Stiles said he would get ready.

"Have fun with the walk and the press," Stiles snorted and grinned before taking another huge bite from his slice, his eyes staying on the gorgeousness that was this man. His man. His husband! Now that they were going in all, it started to really sink in. Because now they were officially together. For real. And it made the naked singer all giddy and careless. He was too happy to be bothered by the press figuring out what had to be going on upstairs. Even if they didn't see him sneaking into the building earlier thanks to that older lady and her dog distracting them. So the fact that Derek was wearing the singer's shirt might slip them, but even if that wasn't going to be the case, Stiles didn't mind.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 – No More Tears to Cry

“I think it's time to recognize these demons in my head
They're killing me internally, I know they want me dead
Let's take the time to analyze and get this off my chest
By digging up the skeletons to finally confess”

(BFMV – No More Tears To Cry)

Eating his fill of the pizzas, Stiles then padded through the apartment butt naked and put the boxes with the leftovers into the oven so Moon Moon wasn't going to be able to eat them. It was going to come in handy later once they are going to get hungry again.

For a few minutes Stiles was just wandering the flat a bit aimlessly then he went into the bathroom to pee and wash his hands. As he rinsed his mouth too and met his naked reflection in the mirror, he had to admit that he not just looked happier than in a long time, but also looked the part.

With a small smile he went back into the bedroom and flopped onto his back on the bed, slowly tweaking his pierced nipples to make them harden and to wake his cock too. He was planning on pleasuring himself slowly until Derek's return.

And so he did that with stroking his tattooed body and then taking himself in his hand once he shamelessly opened his legs wide. It was going to be a decadent and perfect picture to welcome the other man back. Especially with one lubed up finger finding its way into Stiles' hole too, making him moan softly. Doing this to himself in Derek's bed this time was a completely different and a lot better situation than earlier that day when it was about trying to ease the tension and frustration in him. Now it was all about pleasure. One they were going to very soon share!

It didn't take Derek too long, or so he thought, but half an hour had passed when he entered the apartment again. It was a decent enough walk for Moon Moon to be happy with it, even though they usually went for an hour. He'd make up for it later tonight when the dog had to be let out again on a last pee break. It was the downside of living in an apartment and being a dog owner in New York. Watching Moon Moon happily slobber some fresh cold water, he patted the big head. "I know, you won't like not sleeping with us but trust me, you don't want to see this."

As if! Moon Moon wouldn't care what Derek was up to in bed as long as he could stretch out on it. Unfortunately for the friendly dog, Derek wasn't too fond of having curious dog eyes on him while having sex, because it would kill the mood instantly. But since the dog didn't sleep on his bed every night, he didn't make too much of a fuss over it. Content with that, the Hale entered the bedroom, totally not expecting the sight he was greeted with. When Stiles had said he'd get ready, Derek figured he'd lounge in bed and watch some TV or be busy with his phone. Not this!

Quickly closing the door behind him, he swallowed hard, his throat very dry all of a sudden. His body reacted instantly – his cock started to chub up when his hazel eyes took in the way the finger had found its way inside the no doubt very tight and hot body. To say he was quick with undressing was an understatement. The clothes went flying so he could join the handsome singer on the bed. His big hand slipped along the pale thighs that have been resting open in invitation. "Suddenly I'm very hungry again," he rasped.

"Not so suddenly since you took your sweet time. I'm very hungry too. For you and your cock..." Stiles added as if it needed more clarifying. He seamlessly welcomed the wider body between his legs, enjoying the touch on his thighs as he kept fingering and jerking himself.

Looking down, he was pleased to see the rapidly growing member that he needed in him faster than planned, because it was half an hour since he's been painfully slowly pleasuring himself and letting the anticipation grow.

"Do something or I swear I'll make myself cum all over you and call it a day!" he warned, bucking upwards in a needy way, wanting so much more than just one finger and a hand around his erection.

There had been plans to rim Stiles, and even though Derek really wanted to do that, wanted to feast his mouth where that finger was pushed in deep, he could sense the desperation. It could wait for maybe tomorrow, maybe later. Right now he had a very horny husband to take care of.

"Technically it's our wedding night." If they sidestepped how they had met at their wedding, it was kind of romantic how they hadn't done it before they married. It made it all the more special. "So you better not come too soon." Reaching over, Derek uncapped the tube of lube, royally coating his fingers which were a lot thicker than Stiles' slender musician digits. Not batting the hand away, he instead let his wet finger coat the opened hole, joining the finger already there with a slight pressure. As he thought, Stiles was all warm and tight. "You'll survive a little prep." It was a tease, his tone suggested as much, but that prepping was going to happen regardless if the singer came or not. Because Derek really wanted to sink his fingers inside of him, to open him up, make him sing on the prostate massage he knew he was good at.

For a few moments Stiles just let himself enjoy the extra pressure and the fact that it was the both of them now fingering his hole. Then he swallowed hard and eased his own finger out to let Derek take over. Because he needed that. Oh god, did he need it! Half-opening his hazy eyes, he looked up at all the taut muscles and tanned skin that was his husband and he felt his achingly hard cock twitch.

"Since... it's our wedding night... I'll try to keep myself from coming, but no promises there..." he panted and let his own dick go too as a sign that he tried to take this seriously. Instead his hands went to grab onto the headboard, stretching and arching his tattooed upper-body in a hopefully inviting way. He was nothing less than someone offering himself up to be taken. Just what he wanted so badly by then.

A low moan was uttered when Derek saw that, his dick going from hardening to fully hard at that. God, he was glad he had decided to not take too long, because there was no way he could hold out with how sexy Stiles looked. Another finger was added while he leaned in to kiss his man heatedly. No words were needed to tell the younger man how enticingly hot he looked, because he was making Derek insane with lust and he made the other feel it.

That first round they did to get the edge off? Yeah, the result of that was completely gone. Derek was right back to feeling completely overwhelmed by the arousal the tempting singer made him feel. His thick fingers scissored within, searching for the prostate which always took a moment when it came to unknown bodies. They brushed over the spongy little bundle of flesh, feeling the body respond. Ah, that's what he’s been aiming for… And now he was ruthless with his exploring, brushing over the prostate each time he twisted his fingers deep within.

The arched body tensed even more and squirmed against the thick fingers in him while the singer moaned louder from the white hot pleasure running through his high-strung body.

"Fuck yeah! Right there! God!" he keened and shamelessly bucked his ass back against the fingers that were stretching and rubbing him so damn well that he kinda saw stars behind his eyelids.

"More!" he demanded on a hoarse tone the second he found the strength in him to half-open his eyes and look at Derek from behind his long eye-lashes, lips still throbbing and wet from that amazing kiss. And yeah, Stiles didn't mind that the second round seemed to be becoming urgent and passionate. They could do slow during the next round. Maybe...

The urgency was felt, deeply. Because it was mutual. The more Stiles squirmed, the more Derek felt like he needed to slide deeply within. Yet seeing Stiles like that also made him want to see more of it. It was addicting how beautiful the singer was like this in the throes of passion. Like a vampire he inhaled it, that need of the other feeding Derek himself. This was a moment nobody was going to take away from them. Their first time together was theirs and theirs alone, and how beautiful it already was!

"You're so beautiful," Derek breathed, adding the third finger to give Stiles more, even when he knew he was asking for more than fingers. To have him unravel beneath his fingers was too addicting to stop. Just a moment longer. Just a little more. Just... all of it.

Sure, whenever Stiles' heart wasn't broken and his self-esteem shattered, he was quite confident in his skin. But after everything that's been going on, Derek's praising warmed his heart and cheeks, making him feel all fuzzy inside. Yeah, many found him beautiful and wanted to get close to him, but no one looked at him like this before. With something like awe and shock. As if Derek couldn't believe his eyes. It could've been cause for a clever or snarky comment from Stiles, to joke it away, but he liked that look a bit too much, so he didn't want to ruin the moment for a change.

Instead he just kept rocking against the fingers, although a bit slower to enjoy the attention to the fullest. The passion and burning need were still there under the surface, but he tried to rein them in a bit to stretch this out. Which was very difficult at this point since he wanted to feel Derek in him so badly by then.

"I feel good too, I promise..." he winked and tightened his walls around the fingers, because at the end of course he couldn't help himself. But it was more of an invitation or promise than a tease.

Derek hummed in answer, because he didn't doubt that for even a second. It wasn't like he felt rushed by Stiles, because he understood the urgency he felt. It was a wonder they had managed to hold off for this long. His own erection throbbed with need, to the point where it was becoming uncomfortable, almost painful.

That made him pull out his fingers, finding Stiles stretched enough. It would still burn, it would still be felt, but in a good way. Slathering himself up with some lube by running his hand along his length a few times after rolling the condom down, Derek pushed the head against the prepared hole. It rested there for a second so the singer would feel the pressure.

And then with a snap of his hips, he pushed in all the way without pausing so Stiles would feel it all as it burrowed its way into him. Only when he fully bottomed out did he stop. For Stiles and himself. With a low moan which was also an exhale at the same time. He had to take a deep breath and then another one. It was overwhelming to feel the tightness surrounding him.

Stiles was still panting for air, the loud moan he made during the penetration still resonating in his ear, but he didn't care or mind. He just dropped his head back on the pillow, eyes closed, to enjoy being finally filled by that glorious cock he's been longing for. Enjoying to the fullest how much it stretched him, the burning quickly gave way to pleasure, Stiles' fingers tightening around the bars of the headboard again for a better leverage and then as his hazy gaze found Derek's, he slowly bucked his body against his husband's just once. It was to feel him as deep as possible and also to somewhat tease him, coax out more now that their bodies were finally connected like this. It was a head rush, making Stiles so damn wanton.

"Come on, Derek... fuck me already... the way I know you want to..." he rasped.

Of course he wanted to! Derek just needed to pause for a moment because if felt so good. A moment because he needed to catch his breath. Which was all he needed before Stiles urged him, before he'd pull out nearly all the way. His large hands settled on pale hips with a firm grip, keeping the lithe body grounded that way as he pushed deeply inside again. The first few thrusts were uncoordinated, not fully timed right, because he was attempting to find the right angle. Derek wasn't familiar with the singer's body yet, or at least not enough to find what worked for them best right away.

Carefully, he watched for the reactions. The way the body responded to him when he slid inside, and Stiles' face to know if he had found the prostate yet. When he saw the pleasure wash over his bed partner, he too gave into it. Fucking into the warmth hard and deep as his fingers dug deep into the flesh, no doubt leaving bruises there to show tomorrow.

"Oh god! Fuck yes! Oh yes! Finally! Right there! God!" the singer moaned louder after each word, because the 'singers are louder in bed' saying very much applied to him. If there was any doubt in Derek about that, now he knew the answer.

He loved how he was held down by his hips, which were going to bruise for sure (which he also loved, by the way). He also loved how pleasure shot through his arched body with each thrust and drag against that sensitive spot in him. And although he preferred being fucked without a condom, he didn't mind it right now, because finally being stretched and pounded again was quickly frying his brain.

His hard cock kept oozing more and more pre-cum against his stomach as his ass gave more way after a handful of trusts, allowing the slick cock to move easier in him.

The hard grip didn't let up once, even though Derek knew fully well that he was creating bruises with it. Stiles hadn't protested, on the contrary, he seemed to like it a whole lot, so why change what was working? It also made for the perfect position to give it to the other hard and deep now that he had found the perfect angle. Those hips weren't the only part of Stiles which were going to be bruised, that was for sure.

"I love how loud you are. We’re going to make the neighbors complain." It was something to be proud of for sure! The Hale never really cared about things like that. It wasn't his problem. He loved hearing Stiles being this loud, encouraging him to keep going. They were building up quite the sweat, so it was making their skin gleam in the soft light of the lamp on the nightstand. Stiles wasn't the only one shaking though, so was the bed.

Laughing quite breathlessly, Stiles looked up at Derek just as he put his legs over Derek's broad shoulders, giving him even more access. "Glad you love it. In turn I love... how strong you are," he admitted and finally let the headboard's rails go to wrap his hands behind Derek's nape.

"Come on, come closer," he panted, eager to feel all those sweaty muscles and weight press against him. "You have the perfect cock, do you know that?" he grinned then groaned loud again from the even better angle.

A small smirk graced the sweaty face. "I know." Finally the fingers left the hips, leaving deep red finger-shaped marks in their wake. Instead the hands rested on either side of Stiles' head while Derek inched closer on his knees, nearly folding the other man in half with how close he got. Almost his entire weight leaned on the singer for a moment, so he could get them both situated just right. It felt almost too good like this, being so deeply inside, this closely connected.

His warm breath ghosted close to Stiles' face. Derek wasn't moving, only focusing on breathing again, to steel himself for what he was about to do. His hands kept Stiles completely boxed in, kept him from moving too much. With the knees resting on the bed, Derek had full control of his thrusts, and the next pump was without any mercy. It was deep, rough, hard. Skin slapped against skin, it chafed, it rubbed and bruised. As if Derek's main goal was to fuck him right through the mattress and the bed.

Stiles' reaction was instant. His mouth fell open on an even louder moan, eyes rolling shut. He couldn't even comment on the (kinda literally) cocky reply from Derek, because he was way too busy trying to survive the perfect mixture of pleasure and pain from those sinfully precise and rough thrusts. Feeling Derek's heavy balls slapping against him too with those wet smacking sounds was something that only made Stiles groan and leak more between them.

His nails dug into Derek's hot skin at the back of his neck and on the damp back too.

"Fuckin’.... hell! Yes! YES! Oh god! Oh god! Fuck me! Yeah! Derek! Just like that! YES!" the singer moaned/panted in-between each word and thrust, barely getting any breath into his slightly burning lungs. But he didn't care. This felt just so damn good! Despite his body's urge to come, he never wanted this to stop!

It was the entire point, to not allow Stiles time to think at all, to only be able to hold on for dear life and feel what Derek was doing to him. It was taking a lot out of Derek, to do it like this, not just because of stamina, but also because he rapidly was approaching his own orgasm. The tight condom made it also painful for him to fuck this rough, but it was painful in a good way. Nearly forgetting to even breathe, his entire focus was on making Stiles moan and mewl for him.

"Harder," Derek growled hotly in his ear. "Be loud for me." To instill even less mercy, one hand sneaked between them to wrap around the profusely leaking erection. There was no need to tug, because his movements did it for him, his thumb brushing over the exposed glands. Yeah, he was getting so close.

To that Stiles pressed his head harder into the pillow, baring his neck, and also dug his black nails into Derek's skin, scratching it as he pulled out all the stops and obeyed. His voice bounced off the walls, mingling with the loud and wet slapping of skin against skin and the slight creaking of the bed. He also keened a few times as his cock throbbed over and over again in Derek's firm grip and under the teasing stroking at the leaking tip. He was so close too. So, so close!

"Holy... sh... I'm gonna... Derek! DEREK!" he warned, but his last word ended up as a loud yell as his whole body shuddered and tensed (especially his ass around the hammering cock) and as the first streak of cum landed on his belly and chest, his brain finally whited out from the intense pleasure as he was just seemingly endlessly coming and coming with desperate yells and moans.

That was it for the teacher too. When the already tight body clenched around him, he was pulled right along with it. With a shuddering moan, he emptied himself deep within, the condom sadly catching it all as his body shivered. Derek fucked through it, giving all of himself for a few more thrusts, the spent of his husband smearing them both and making their lower stomachs a wet mess.

It took a moment for Derek to be able to realize where he was, because that full white-out of an orgasm had taken all his attention. It caused him to fully lean onto Stiles and he wasn't even planning on moving just yet. His muscles were cramping and his body was aching. But wow. This was so good, better than he had ever before!

"H-holy... shit..." Stiles finally managed to utter after his legs were back on the bed to avoid cramps, but otherwise they were still a sweaty entangled mess. Clearly, a 'simple' history teacher managed to rock the big star's world at first try. Which was something! "Wow..." he added, head still floating as he was holding onto Derek, as if not really planning on letting him go any time soon. "Intense... Loved it! In love with your cock..." he panted more or less coherent and more than a little hoarse from all the yelling, his hand blindly stroking the damp short hairs at the teacher's nape as they were slowly coming down from their intense high.

"I hope more than just my cock," Derek dryly remarked as he only shifted enough to get more comfortable. He knew that if he pulled out, he'd have to get up because of the condom, so he was content to stay here a little while longer before that had to happen. A smug smile was plastered on his sweaty face, loving how Stiles was blown away by their first time together. He felt the same way. This was so intense, and it fully echoed the chemistry they had together ever since they have met.

Stiles had ruined him, because there was never going to be anybody else who could measure up to this moment. Maybe not even Stiles himself, because it was going to be hard to top this one. It was one they'd always remember.

"Oh, you don't have to be SO smug about sucking then fucking my brains out!" Stiles snorted amused as he finally looked up at his husband and moved his other hand to caress the stubbly handsome face while drinking in the sight. "Although you look hot while smug. Yeah... it's a good look on you," he smirked from ear-to-ear, obviously happy and basking in the afterglow. "Don't think anyone ever rocked my world like this, to be honest. You probably just ruined all other men for me. Not that I'd want anyone else," he murmured and pulled Derek down by his nape for a kiss now that his breathing had calmed down enough for that.

It of course only made Derek grin wider, because yeah, he had all the reasons to be smug. He, Derek Hale, history teacher and not as experienced, had completely rocked the world of a very famous rock star with a lot more experience. It was something to be proud of and it clearly showed! His grin no doubt was felt by Stiles into their kiss.

"Happy wedding night," Derek muttered against those lips. There were no regrets about not waiting any longer. It had been perfect after a not so perfect start of the evening. Hell, of the entire week. They had a lot of obstacles to overcome, but if their relationship together would often lead to sex like this, then it was all worth it. Or they'd never leave the bed again. Which was also worth it.

"Happy wedding night to you too, hubby! It was damn time," Stiles chuckled, stealing another kiss then looking at Derek with a softer and more open gaze, just stroking the naked back for a moment or two.

"How about a bit of cleaning up and a cat nap? Before I ride my new best friend?" Either in the middle of the night or in the morning if the nap turned into a full on sleep. Either worked for Stiles. And he did warn Derek about wanting a lot of sex once they crossed this line... He also hoped that his sexy teacher would go get himself tested as soon as possible, because yeah, he wanted to feel that cock bare in him too.

"Good thing I've got plenty of condoms." There was going to be a lot of use for them all of a sudden. At least until he got the all clear for any STDs the coming week. Not that Derek was expecting anything to be wrong, or he would have noticed something by now if not way sooner.

With a sigh of regret, Derek finally moved, pulling out so he could remove the condom and throw it away as he padded over to the bathroom completely naked. Emptying his bladder and washing his hands, he returned with a warm washcloth to clean up Stiles.

"I always sleep like the dead so yeah, you're welcome to wake me if you wake up and want some sex. It's one of the few things you're allowed to wake me for." Besides emergencies and good food. Though Derek was pretty sure they both needed some good sleep after this last week full of negative emotions.

Enjoying the gentle but thorough way Derek was cleaning him, Stiles couldn't stop grinning wide and pleased. Because he loved what he was hearing.

"I toss and turn and octopus a lot in my sleep. There might be also some talking, light snoring or drooling, so once again it's good to know you won't wake up to it. Seems like we're quite the match or compatible in many things... I like that. It nicely balances out the differences," he mused then stifled a yawn and burrowed himself into the pillow and cover as he turned on his side, stretching out his long body with a happy sigh.

"Are you a cuddler? I think you are?" the singer asked keeping one eye on all that naked goodness that was called Derek.

"I'm a machine of death and destruction," Derek deadpanned, as he sauntered just as easily back to the bathroom to put the washcloth in the wash bin. With a laugh he returned because he had obviously been joking. "Yeah, I'm a cuddler. Except when I'm too hot." On those uncomfortable summer nights when all that would bring some relief was the airco, he would want as much distance as possible in bed. He wasn't a fan of the sticky skin and the overheating of the body.

Joining Stiles back in bed, Derek rolled on his back, keeping his head turned sideways so he could look at the other man. "If you kick me out of bed with your tossing and turning, I might return the favor." He definitely wasn't above shoving somebody out of bed! "I hope you can sleep, because I recall you telling me you need your own pillow."

"Fair enough," Stiles smirked once he managed to stop laughing on Derek's joke. What? He was a funny guy and Stiles appreciated good humor. "And I will be able to sleep. This pillow will do. Maybe I should start keeping in mind to pack my own pillow whenever I come over," he added and scooted closer to the inviting body, draping one leg over Derek's to let them mingle, while he placed his hand on the warm chest to caress it.

"This is nice," he murmured, Stiles’ eyelids starting to droop. And he meant it. It's been a long while since he felt so relaxed and happy with someone. Because yeah, looking back at his ill-fated relationship with Theo, there were more cracks there than Stiles had noticed previously. With Derek... this whole relationship had a different pace and feel. Despite the until now fast and chaotic pace, it felt more grounding and peaceful. Especially in this moment when it was just the two of them post-orgasm lying next to each other.

"Sleep," Derek said softly, sensing the other man was dropping off pretty quickly now that the high of their orgasm has passed and they were both clean. He waited for Stiles to fall asleep before he set his alarm (the vibrating kind) to alert him in a few hours for Moon Moon's final walk. Hopefully by that time most of the press was going to go home and they'd be back in the morning. There were only a couple of hardcore ones that would stay, as if Derek was the only interesting news. But pictures of them sold well enough apparently.

They were going to be surprised to find out Stiles had been here the entire night and they had completely missed it. Maybe they got lucky and could distract them to prevent another private moment being plastered all over the place. But, Derek decided as he yawned, it wasn't so bad if it came out. They were married, so they weren't doing anything wrong.

***

Turns out, Stiles seemed to have needed a full night sleep after the emotionally taxing few days and the roller coaster that was last night with the misunderstandings and confessions then the hot blowjobs and sex afterwards. So in the end Stiles ended up sleeping through the night without waking up or bothering Derek for more sex.

When he did open his eyes, the sun was already coming up, although the first rays were kept out of the room by the shades. His sleep-hazy mind needed a moment to comprehend where he was, but then he recognized Derek's bedroom and remembered the night before. To that he smiled into the pillow he had claimed as his and stretched naked on the bed.

Derek wasn't there, but the smell of coffee and food and the soft sounds coming from behind the half-open door gave Stiles a good idea where he was and what he was doing. The idea of breakfast in bed sounded like a good start for the day, but he first quickly sneaked into the bathroom to take a piss and wash his teeth with some toothpaste that he put on his finger. He finished the ritual with quickly washing his face too to wake up a bit more then bounded back into bed, not bothering with clothes, because a) Derek had already seen him naked, b) he liked being naked.

Derek’s been up for a bit, so he had grabbed a shower, walked his dog early and fed him. It was something he loved to do this early on a Sunday morning to enjoy the somewhat quiet, because New York was never quiet. When he got back, he peeked into the bedroom to see if the singer was awake, but no. That left him with plenty of time to make some breakfast.

It was always a big deal on a Sunday, something he went all out on when he wasn't alone. As the coffee was brewing, he whipped up two plates, hoping Stiles would get the idea that he was going to get breakfast in bed so he wouldn't get up. A tray was used to load up with two mugs of coffee and the two plates which were filled with food. Some scrambled eggs, baked bacon, waffles freshly made with strawberries on top and freshly squeezed orange juice on the side.

It was no surprise to see Stiles awake with all the scents that no doubt had floated into the bedroom. His hair was adorably sticking up all over the place and his face looked all sleep wrinkled. "Morning." Sadly Derek was dressed, because he had been outside already. It was a repeat of last night. "I didn't want to heat up our pizza, we can eat that for lunch." Lunch, because the Hale fully expected Stiles to stay for the day.

"Morning," Stiles beamed. He felt well-rested and happy for a change as he sat up. "Oh, the famous Hale breakfast! I admit, I couldn't wait for it to get ready and finally taste it," the singer grinned, remembering how Derek bragged about it a while back. He made grabby hands for one of the trays and greedily took it, careful not to spill anything.

He went for the coffee first, which was made perfectly. He didn't remember telling Derek how he liked it, but maybe he remembered it or Googled it. Some milk and sugar. "Oh god, yes! Perfect!" he hummed then focused on the other man again. "Leftover pizza for lunch sounds good to me," he nodded, because of course he was going to stay. Seemed Derek wanted that too, which pleased Stiles. He had already shot a text off to Scott to inform him that he had made up with Derek and spent the night, ignoring the wiggling eyebrows gif he got back.

"And everything looks and smells amazing! I feel pampered," the singer continued and bit into a strip of bacon. "I also slept like a baby. So far the Hale B&B has five stars from five," he half-joked while chewing then shoveling some eggs with a piece of waffle into his mouth too, eating like someone who's been starved for days.

Hiding a grin, the teacher started on his own plate, because it seemed that to Stiles it was normal to eat like he hadn't in days. He ate with incredible gusto, not doing anything halfway it seemed. Even his eating was as intense as the man himself. It somehow didn't even annoy Derek. He thought it was kinda cute. And it wasn't even anything special he had made, it was just the quickest way to get some good carbs in them.

"Oh I get it, B&B because I can't cook dinner," Derek shook his head amused, elbowing Stiles for that joke, but appreciating the little jab shot his way. It was true, his cooking wasn't great, but at least he made for a good B&B!

"Hey! You said it yourself that your breakfasts are legendary, not anything other of your cooking!" Stiles chuckled around his bite then quickly chewed it and swallowed, washing it down with some orange juice this time.

"By the way, there's a horde of press out there. Somebody noticed you didn't make it home." Derek honestly didn't know why they kept shouting questions at him when he hasn’t answered any of them ever since they had started to camp outside of his building. "I guess they think you might be here." He of course hadn't checked any social media or online at all, so who knew who leaked what.

"Well, only Scott knows I'm here. I texted him, because he gets worried if he doesn't hear from me for a day or two," he shrugged. "Last night I think I managed to sneak in unnoticed thanks to an older lady and her dog. She was giving them an earful for bothering her dog with all the lurking and whatnot, but I think it bothers her more," he laughed and dunked another piece of waffle into the whip cream to scoop it up along with a slice of strawberry then deposited it in his mouth, continuing talking while at the same time chewing. "Otherwise, I don't really care if they know I'm here. We're married, after all. We even consummated said marriage, so I don't see a problem with that. Our relationship is not a secret at all," he shrugged.

"This is one of the reasons I let you do the talking." Stiles didn't care, he was way better at handling it than Derek was when it came to... well, talking. So whatever Stiles decided to let them know, or not, was really up to him and Derek would be fine with it. "We can always send out Netty with her dog again." Derek was the kind of dork who knew his neighbors, even in the apartment building. Hence why he didn't mind making the ones next door to him hear them last night, because they had done the same to him. Many times.

"I'm not sure what she thinks I am now because of the press, but she did offer to hit them with an umbrella for me." The sweetest gesture offered, since she was small and older and Derek was capable of punching people himself. But it had made him laugh.

"Aw, maybe we should send some flowers and chocolate to Netty instead. She is fierce and sounds like a nice lady if she offered her help," Stiles grinned, melting a bit on the inside.

Cutting up some of the bacon, Derek nibbled on it, savoring the taste after finishing his coffee. Because that always was his main dish when it came to breakfast. "I think you shouldn't go to events alone anymore. I should come with you and support you."

Derek's suggestion made Stiles pause with his chewing and he stared at him. "Are you sure you're ready for that? Or okay with it? I mean... I know we talked about this yesterday and I'd really like it if you accompanied me. Not every event is that bad. Although with the amount of stuff I have to go to when promoting a new album, some will probably clash with your schedule. Which is fine by me and I promise I'll tell you all about these events in the future. I just... you know I don't want to pressure you. But if you mean it and you want to come to them, that'd be awesome," he babbled, obviously starting to overthink this topic again.

"No," Derek laughed. "I don't think I'm ready for that, but I know I'll never be ready for a world like that. But it's part of your world so it's important." Just thinking about going to events filled with celebrities and press made him break out in sweat, but if he was able to handle classes full of young teens, then he should be able to handle that too. "I want to come, when it doesn't interfere with work. I want to, for you."

That and he knew Stiles would maybe downplay the importance of events and Derek wouldn't be there, which then would cause problems down the line. Not that he blamed Stiles, who was an extrovert and just wanted to protect the introverted husband. "What's important to you is important to me. And that's something I forgot when I declined last time."

Biting his lip for a moment to stop a too dreamy smile, Stiles nodded, feeling his cheeks flush a bit. He needed this reassurance after everything, because his self-esteem has only started recovering thanks to the very man sitting next to him.

"Okay. Thank you. It means a lot to me. I or Scott will let you know. I promise. Lucky for you, most of the time I try to wriggle out of events and parties and go only to those that I want to go to or absolutely have to. I often find them a waste of time, which I could use to get the creative juices flowing. But right now... if you're done with breakfast too... I want other juices to flow. After all if memory serves well, I had promised something else to you too..." he grinned, but his eyes stayed soft with that dreaminess in them that he tried to stop – in vain.

Derek's brain needed a moment to catch up, because they went from events and parties back to their sex life. As in their sex life right now. Which made sense because their plates were empty, so who even needed those anymore? In answer, he took the plates and put them on the floor. There, done, out of sight and more importantly: not in the way.

"I think I remember you saying something about riding me..." The Hale pretended to think on it, as if he didn't know anymore. Of course, he remembered. It was impossible to forget. "But maybe I was wrong..."

"No, no, you weren't wrong," Stiles laughed on the face Derek made and then he was on his knees, shamelessly showing off his still naked tattooed body, but only gave a few moments for Derek to ogle it, because his hands were already grabbing Derek's T-shirt to pull it off him. "Figured it'd be easier if we started with both of us naked again," he added as an explanation, eyes already darkening from all the naked skin and muscles getting revealed again. Stiles guessed that he was never going to get bored of watching and touching and tasting all that goodness. Of course, next came Derek's sweats, which Stiles threw across the room without a care, making it have the same fate as the shirt before that. "Much better..." he murmured as he ran his gaze over the lower half of Derek. The hunger and desire were clear in that burning gaze. Oh yeah, he was going to ride this man for sure.

That thought in itself spurred him on and in the next moment Derek found himself with a lap full of Stiles Stilinski, who leaned in for a hot kiss as he pressed his naked body against him.

There was no complaint from the older man, not one. His big hands immediately went to the round ass cheeks to cup them. It wouldn't matter how they did it or where they did it, when Stiles was close like this and naked, Derek forgot everything. It was insane how easily he could get lost in the other man, how much he could demand all attention without even trying. Was it their insane chemistry or was it more? There was no denying the fluttering feeling he got when he had his lap full of the gorgeous man.

"Hmm," Derek agreed since he forgot how to use his words while his hands began kneading the flesh. His own body was already reacting to Stiles, instantly. Sex was always great, it just couldn't compare to the one time he had with his husband, and his body agreed with it for sure. He forgot it was Sunday morning, he forgot it all while his lips and tongue plundered Stiles.

The singer eagerly kissed back, of course, his heavily tattooed arms going around Derek's neck to keep him close, while he pressed his fondled ass against the big warm hands with fluttering anticipation in his stomach and cock, which was currently rapidly hardening against the teacher's ripped stomach.

It was insane indeed how fast desire took over him because of this man. Was it just the novelty of things? Or the crazy chemistry between them? Unbeknownst to him, he was pondering similar questions like his gorgeous husband.

As his firm ass and balls began rubbing and rocking against the other, he decided that it didn't matter. Not when mimicking what he was going to soon do already considerably quieted his always busy mind. It was like his whole being narrowed down on this man only from a few kisses and touches. It didn't matter who they were or that they had a whole world around them. Now it was just the two of them – bare and horny.

God, so horny!

Stiles reluctantly broke the heated kiss only to angle his body and reach for a condom and the lube on the nightstand. He warmed some of it in his palm then wrapped it around Derek's thick shaft to smear it all over it with gentle but steady strokes. "Finger me open again?" he suggested while handing the lube over with his free hand, the other slowly pumping Derek.

Derek didn't need to be asked again, though there was some reluctance to let go of those perfectly shaped globes. Derek only did it because he knew he was going to be able to fondle them again. He definitely was an ass guy, so much of an ass guy.

Fumbling a little behind Stiles' back to open the tube without seeing it, he smeared his fingers full. A little too full, but that was because of the attention his cock was getting, which had filled out again and was standing up proudly. The singer knew how to work him, knew how to give the right kind of attention to somebody who was uncut. Probably due to personal experience. His head thudded against the headboard, for a second distracted by the arousal coursing through him.

His fingers were thoroughly coated with the clear lubricant and he could feel it attempting to dry in the air, so he let his digits rest between the cheeks, teasing the entrance there. With the pad of a finger, he made sure the muscle was coated with the lube before he put pressure against it. The tightness let up, opening up under pressure so the tip of the digit could sink in.

The urgent lust was less present this time, which was nice, because it gave them both more time to explore and enjoy touching and exciting the other.

Stiles moaned softly when his hole was touched then repeated it with his eyes rolling shut for a moment or two as one began pushing into him. His body immediately responded with his hardness slightly jumping and the round butt lightly rocking against said finger. He knew it was easier this time since he was still a bit looser from last night.

"Yeah... feels so nice..." he murmured as his eyes opened again and met Derek's, his free hand grabbing a shoulder for more leverage, his back slightly arching, making his piercings glisten in the morning light as he kept jerking the other, making sure to twist his palm over the head time after time. His ass was a bit sensitive, but barely and he also didn't mind the bruised marks of the big hands on his hips. They were a sign of a good time for Stiles, but he was also fully enjoying this slower pace.

Derek was counting on Stiles to tell him if it was too much, he was fully relying on him and trusted him with it. So if his husband was enthusiastic in wanting more, then he was getting more. The finger sank in fully, but he didn't add a second one right away. There was less urgency, something his body disagreed on because of the attention it was receiving. Which he ignored for the moment, his finger pushing in and out to create room.

Only when he felt the inner ring of muscles give way did he add the second finger, fully skipping the prostate. On purpose! He wanted them both to last a little longer, if they could.

"You're still looser because of yesterday." Derek felt it clearly with his fingers, although the condom would ruin that for him, sadly.

"Yeah, I feel it too," Stiles chuckled low then licked his lips. "A bit sensitive, but I'm good for that ride," he hummed then bit his bottom lip, taking a deeper breath through his nose while focusing on relaxing his body some more. It let the two fingers pump into him a bit easier, so his hips rolled a bit more purposefully.

"Kiss me," he panted softly, the brown eyes glued to Derek's face looking even softer at him, the desire clear in them too. It felt different from last night's frantic fucking, more intimate.

Eagerly Derek claimed the lips which have been close enough to feel the warm breath on his face. As his one hand was busy opening up Stiles for his erection, his other rested on a cheek, pulling it open to give more room for his fingers. Even though the other man was still looser from yesterday, Derek still added that third finger, because he loved the feeling of his digits inside the tightness. It was even more intimate to him than the actual fucking. Having somebody at his mercy with a couple of fingers alone.

Due to the thickness of his fingers, avoiding the prostate was getting harder, brushing along it despite his angle. Well, it didn't hurt to get Stiles a little more excited.

And of course it worked like a charm. Stiles shamelessly moaned into Derek's mouth, which still tasted a bit like coffee, and the muscles in his thighs flexed again as he began rocking harder against the exploring fingers. Keeping it slow was starting to become a challenge when those fingers felt so good in him that his hand around the rock-hard shaft stopped a few times. But he wasn't overly concerned about the faltering rhythm.

The singer broke the kiss and pulled back just enough to be able to look into Derek's eyes. "I could come just from this..." he panted onto the wet lips. "But you know what I want... Think I'm ready," he lightly squeezed the slippery cock in his hand. "Ready for the ride?"

"Yeah," Derek breathed heavily, slowly pulling his fingers out of Stiles so he could rest that hand on the other ass cheek. "Wrap me up." Before they'd forget in their eagerness to have sex to wear the rubber. He was glad Stiles said he was ready, because all that attention on his own cock made him realize that yes, he could come from just this too. For another time, which they were going to have plenty of. Hopefully. He really wanted Stiles badly, wanted to sink inside of him and feel him, breathe him in. Kiss his breath away. "Before we both decide to come without the promised ride."

Snickering a bit, Stiles nodded and let Derek go just to reach for the small package and tear it open with his teeth. "We wouldn't want to let that happen!" he grinned then put the condom to the tip and with a very, very evil grin moved back on Derek so he could dive down there.

With the help of his fingers he steadied the condom then – of course – he opened his pretty mouth to begin rolling it down along the shaft with it. His big brown eyes looked up to see Derek's reaction, while his mouth kept working on covering the sizable cock with the protective layer.

Derek expected a quick rolling down of the condom so they could move to the main event. He didn't expect this at all! It was a good thing he was sitting on the bed and already rested against the headboard, or his knees would have buckled for sure. Instead he moaned loudly, trying not to buck up with his hips to chase after the friction. Which was very tempting. Instead his hand decided to run through the brown curls, not guiding Stiles but more so he'd have something to do with his hand as a distraction.

God, he really wished he could feel the wetness of that skilled mouth, but instead he felt the rubber and the lube it had. And of course the warmth of the mouth surrounding him. "I'm not so sure about that, you seem to want it!" Unable to resist longer, he gave a little shimmy with his hips, wanting more.

Stiles hummed around the first third of the cock with an amused twinkle in his eyes and kept working with the condom. After all, it seemed that was exactly what Derek needed, judged by his hips moving.

He could've done it all the way, perhaps, but his own patience was running out too, so once he reached around the half of the cock he pulled his mouth back and while sucking on that portion, his skilled hands fully rolled the condom down on the vein-y shaft.

"Can't wait to taste and feel you in me without this," Stiles panted a bit hoarser again once he slipped off him. Although at least the condom was strawberry flavored, Stiles could still taste the rubber, which wasn't his favorite thing in the world. Either way, he stroked some more lube all over it and then he was finally back over Derek, positioning the tip against his prepared hole. The slightest brush of it made the singer inhale sharply. Then he met Derek's eyes just as he began slowly descending on it. This time it was Stiles who moaned loud.

Derek wanted to promise that yes, he was going to get himself tested as soon as he could, but it was suddenly impossible to talk or think. Stiles' tightness was taking him like a warm clutch, welcoming home the large erection fairly easily this time. He couldn't feel what the other was feeling, but he imagined he was sensitive inside, a little raw from yesterday. A burning sensation no doubt was rocking through Stiles’ body, so it was a good thing the younger man was setting the pace now.

If it were up to Derek, he'd take it achingly slow, fuck Stiles deep and unrushed so he could take him apart at his own leisure. It depended on his mood what he was in for, but since they had their hurried time yesterday, it could be different now. Maybe. His arousal was already flaring, taking his breath away. Why were they so insanely compatible even with sex? And why was Stiles looking so good like this? If there was such a thing as an incubi, like the legends suggested, Stiles would be one. Or a siren. Yeah, definitely a siren with that voice of his.

His hands settled on the bruised hips again, but the grip was loose now, he didn't want to add more marks to the collection. This time.

The singer's eyes rolled shut and his bow-shaped lips opened again on a long groan, because the stretch and burning was intense against his sensitive walls, but not on the bad side, oh no. It caused goose bumps and for his proud erection to bob between his legs as he kept slowly descending on the hardness, using gravity and light moves of his hips to fuck himself lower on it.

"God! You're so big... Fuck, it feels so good," he grunted, steadying himself with one hand on Derek's chest, the other holding onto the other man's shoulder, black nails lightly digging into his skin. Stiles tried to go as slow as he could muster so both of them could enjoy the penetration to the fullest. So that meant that making Derek bottom out in him took like an eternity – or at least for Stiles. But when it happened, he stopped moving altogether to let them enjoy the intense sensation.

"I'm so full with you..." he panted pleased and excited at the same time, his tongue darting out to lick into Derek's mouth then bite and suck on his bottom lip.

To Derek it felt like an eternity too, before Stiles finally fully rested on him and he was nestled deep within. The pause was appreciated, so he could catch his breath, which was a figure of speech since Stiles eagerly stole it away again with heated kisses. Returning it eagerly, his arms wrapped around the slender body, giving it a few minutes. As full as Stiles was, as surrounded by tightness Derek was. It was overwhelming, but at least it helped when there was no moving happening for a moment.

"You feel so good," Derek panted against the open lips, licking back into the warm mouth to taste the other man, also wanting to inhale him. Everything to get as close to him as he could get. It would feel better if Stiles moved, but he reminded himself to be patient, to not let the arousal get to him. It wasn't easy though, because he wanted Stiles so much that taking it slow felt like it was an extra effort to not give into the need. Stiles wanted to ride him, so he'd let him, for a moment. If he could last long enough to let his husband be his bossy bottom self.

Stiles made an agreeing sound and stole another long and sensual kiss. Once it ended, he pulled back enough to be able to meet the hazel eyes with the blown pupils. For a second he thought his had to look like that too from being so aroused for this man.

Then he tentatively rolled his hips back and forth, making the hard cock move and rub against his sensitive walls. Stiles gasped then moaned onto the damp and kiss-swollen lips of his husband and he continued the movements, making each roll a tiny bit faster until he got stretched enough to establish a nice steady rhythm. That's when the real riding would start.

And all along while he was doing this, he didn't break the eye-contact with his husband, their hot breaths mingling as they softly panted and moaned. It was crazy suddenly how close Stiles felt to this man in these moments. It was like... they were connecting on a deeper level than just their physical bodies and he liked it. Liked it a lot.

A part of Derek wanted to put his big hands on the hips to help Stiles move, to speed up the pace and the depth of the thrusts. But the intensity of this moment wasn't lost on him and he didn't want to ruin it. He did put his hands on the narrow hips, so he could caress the pale skin with the smooth pads of his thumbs. As if he was trying to caress the bruises away, giving tender care to the marks he had left.

It wasn't easy to move from the way Derek was positioned and having the heavy body of another human on his lap. However, he did manage to push his hips up a little as he tightened the cheeks of his ass, helping Stiles with that. It wasn't much, but the added friction felt so good. Panting heavily into the open mouth, he didn't break eye-contact either. They both weren't shying away from the intimacy it created, as if they were trying to look deep within their souls and reach where nobody else has been before.

Stiles didn't know what caused the goose bumps all over his body – the gentle caressing of the fingertips or the shallow thrusts that met his own moves. Either way, he loved both and he gave voice to that with some soft moans and quicker panting.

This was intense and kinda magical to him. He had had a few boyfriends and lovers and a lot of sex with them, but this felt new and... different. Deeper and just... right. Like this was supposed to happen with this man, who was gazing back at him with a similarly open look that felt like penetrating just as deep as his cock was – if not deeper.

Stiles liked it and what he saw in Derek's eyes, and he felt somehow moved, which only spurred him on to want and do more. So he kissed the man, short and quick, before bracing himself on Derek's chest with both hands as he sat up straighter, quickly finding a very good new angle. Putting his thigh muscles into good use, the singer began really moving. He lifted his ass until half of the thick cock in him slid out then slid right back on it.

"Oh god..." he groaned, eyes rolling shut again as he bit his lip and repeated the motion. Over and over and over again, each time sliding back on a bit more of the cock until he lifted his ass enough to leave only the tip in and then slide down on the whole length with smooth and steady slides.

Even if he wanted to keep them open, like Stiles, Derek’s eyes were falling shut from the intensity of the movements. It didn't ruin the moment, it just evolved into something else, which was just as intense. Unintentionally the grip on those hips went back to the bruising hold like yesterday. It was Derek's way to hold on, to have something to feel grounded to when the world around them disappeared into nothingness. It almost felt that if he didn't hold onto his husband then this moment in time would stop or maybe he'd just sink into that bottomless pit of need and arousal to never resurface. In his opinion, it was a good way to go.

Was it morning, was it evening? Derek didn't know anymore, his focus zeroed in on moving his hips to meet with Stiles, to bury himself as deeply within the other man as he could. Not even chasing the orgasm, which was going to be amazing for sure, but right now he was chasing only the feeling of being inside of his husband.

"Yes," Derek moaned. It could be an answer to Stiles' exclamation, it could be something else entirely. It was the only word he could manage to utter.

Deeply satisfied with the way Derek reacted and looked, Stiles continued moving like this for a dozens of more "thrust-slides". Then he opened his eyes and switched things up again.

Although he loved that little pain Derek's grip on his bruises caused, he sat up on the fully buried cock and took both wrists to lead Derek's hands across his tattooed and mole-dotted skin. It was already slick with a light sheen of sweat from this intense morning workout, but Stiles didn't care. He just led the fingers to his pierced nipples.

"Play with them while I ride you," he panted hoarsely then he angled his hips and leaned back on his hands which grabbed Derek's pulled up knees. It gave him the perfect position to resume rolling his hips first just around to make Derek's cock press and rub against his hot walls, then back and forth, fucking himself on it. Frankly, it was Stiles' favorite way to ride someone, because this way most of the dick stayed in him and yet moved enough to rub against his prostate very nicely.

Derek took to the instructions like a duck to water. His fingers pinched and rolled the nipples, making sure to pull at the piercings as well. Now, he wasn't pierced himself, because he’s never been that adventurous, yet. But he knew from previous lovers how the piercings would create these little jolts of pleasure shooting straight to the groin if he played with them well.

His eyes went all over because there was a lot of Stiles on display like this. The heavily leaking erection, which was very close by, the reddened nipples, the pale body with all of the ink moving up and down, Stiles' face lost in pleasure... It was all something he didn't want to miss out on. It was a helpful distraction from his own pleasure, because he was so expertly ridden that he felt he could come soon, if he didn't put his mind elsewhere. That trick would work, but only for so long. In the end, his body was going to do what it wanted to do. Hopefully, he could last a little while longer.

The singer's moans, of course, became louder from the extra stimulation, and the fact that he didn't have to guide Derek how to play with the piercings told Stiles that he probably wasn't the first Derek did this to – which, in a way, was intriguing, but at that moment he was a bit too preoccupied to dwell on it.

The pleasure was steadily getting overwhelming as they were working their way towards their orgasm. Stiles tried his best at drawing it out and keeping it slow, but it was becoming harder and harder with each smooth roll of his hips. Simply put, it just felt so goddamn good that his brain was already frying from the pleasure, making his control starting to slip.

His poor bobbing cock was so hard and each roll of his nipples sent stabs of pleasure right down into it, making it leak like crazy, especially with the thick cock rubbing and pushing against his prostate with each move.

"Fuck, I'm getting close... Not sure I can... hold back... for much longer..." he panted, looking down at Derek along his steadily moving body.

"Thank god!" Derek uttered with a moan, steadily getting to the point himself, but he didn't want to disappoint Stiles. "Don't hold back..." Of course he knew that if he would wrap his hand around the hard erection, he'd get the other there quickly, probably instantly even. But he didn't want to do that, he wanted him to come from penetration alone. Well, that and the stimulation he was getting from the piercings.

"I've been so close a few thrusts back." It was a miracle Derek could talk, although it was with gasps, because catching his breath was impossible and it felt like he was running a marathon he hadn't trained for properly. Muscles burned and sweat covered his entire body. They both were going to badly need a shower after this.

Leaning in, Derek played dirty, his teeth playfully biting at the earlobe nearest to his mouth.

It could be considered such a small (and hot) gesture, nothing to cream oneself all over from it and yet it became Stiles' undoing. The orgasm sneaked up on him, turning from this steadily growing thing into a pouncing beast and he threw his head back on a loud moan. His ass clamped down hard around Derek, his painted nails dug into the other man's knees and his whole body shuddered and fell out of rhythm as his cum splattered over their stomachs and groins.

There were no thoughts, no comments, just the blinding white pleasure that wrecked his body in intense waves, his body instinctively continuing moving hard and fast in order to prolong the pleasure that kept pushing him higher and higher in-between the loud and desperate yells.

The moment those walls clamped around him brought Derek right along with it. Again his head thudded against the headboard of the bed and he was pretty glad he had one made out of fabric, because it didn't go gently. His back arched and with that his hips too, moving Stiles upwards a little and causing more friction for both of them. There were literal stars flashing before his eyes, because he was tightly clenching his eyes shut, trembling through the orgasm. He wasn't as loud as his husband was, who shrieked even louder than a professional porn star.

Not caring about the mess, Derek pulled the trembling body close, his arms wrapped around him once again in that post-orgasmic haze. His entire body tingled and warmth surrounded his groin and stomach. His breathing was still fast because wow, that had definitely stolen his breath away. He was breathing harshly, reminding himself he should work on some cardio in the gym instead of the weights. No wonder Stiles was this fit!

"Wow."

"Holy fuck." That was Stiles' first coherent sentence after a few minutes of just trying to calm his breathing and lying there on top of Derek and the mess he had made between them. His voice was once again hoarse from all the panting and moaning and yelling, but he didn't care. His mind was still a bit dizzy, as if with one foot he was still in a different dimension. It was a familiar enough sensation, because a very good orgasm did that to him. And this? This was off the charts once again.

"You think all of our orgasms will be like this?" he murmured into Derek's chest, his hot breath moving some of the dark hair there. "Because if yes, asking you to marry me was the best decision of my whole life!" he half-joked. "And it also means I'm already addicted to sex with you, so you're either lucky or out of luck on that front," he snorted, burrowing deeper into Derek so that his face was now pressed into the other man's neck, right to the source of that nice scent that was all Derek and a little bit of sweat.

"I kind of hope not. Because then we'd never get out of bed." Which would be a problem with their demanding jobs, with a teenager living here and an even more demanding dog. The only reason why he was so well-behaved right now was because Derek had let him out for a while and then fed him some raw meat, which was a serious treat. And that meant Moon Moon was now sleeping off the binge.

They weren't going to be so lucky all the time with Erica out of the apartment, because that didn't happen all that often. Not something Derek wanted to bring up right now, because it would ruin the high of the amazing sex. But they were going to struggle finding time to have sex, and opportunity to do it. "But I'm glad my skills in bed make up for the rest of me regarding being married to me." The dry tone implied the pure sarcasm Derek used with that. It was something he was very good at. Besides apparently his lover skills.

Stiles chuckled and lightly slapped Derek's chest from that. "Don't be an idiot. You're a great guy. I think I'm the lucky one that things turned out the way they did. Some say there are no coincidences. I'm starting to believe it might be true," he kissed into the warm neck then he pushed himself up on his elbows to be able to look at the other man.

"But for now I need some water, because my throat is like the Sahara, and we also need a shower. Preferably with a lot of kissing and hugging. And then more cuddling in bed or on the couch. Maybe even a movie," he said in-between stealing some soft kisses only because he could now and because they felt good.

"Couch. If I ignore Moon Moon for much longer, he might destroy the couch." Slapping one bare thigh, he nodded towards the bathroom. "Up. That shower isn't coming to us."

When Stiles moved, the first thing Derek did was to remove the condom and tied it off. He was so going to take out the trash before his adopted daughter returned, because he wouldn't put it past her to check for evidence when he denied her any sort of details. And this wasn't something he wanted her to find.

His bathroom wasn't very big, and he shared it with Miss Messypants. Both he and Stiles could fit in the shower stall, but besides cuddling, it wasn't inviting for any other antics. Unless they wanted to try breaking the record for having sex in tight spaces. "Don't worry, we will both fit in there if we wash each other's hair." There was no way they could move their arms a whole lot.

"Gocha, shower sex only at my house. You saw the bathrooms," Stiles grinned, not minding the close quarters, although it was indeed a bit tight. But they could wash themselves and the other with only a few bumping into each other, so it wasn't that bad. And Stiles got his kisses too.

So yeah, it wasn't bad at all.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9 – Parasite

“Don't want you in my shadow, don't need you in my life
Deep down, your words are nothing, nothing but an alibi

I, I hate you, I, I hope you choke
On every word you said to try and make me feel provoked
You are worthless, you're so pitiful
There's nothing left to say, so now I'll fucking bury you”

(BFMV – Parasite )

A week or so later Stiles was eyeing Lydia fussing with Derek's suit jacket, mumbling something under her nose. The singer sipped from his margarita a bit amused from Derek's expression. But he had to admit that his husband looked drop dead gorgeous in said suit. If it was just the two of them and they wouldn't have to go to this stupid event, Stiles would gladly peel him out of it.

"Give him some slack, Lyds. It's his first official appearance since that interview," he said and tossed the rest of his drink back before getting up and stroking down his own black suit. It was paired with a red shirt, a black tie and matching red Italian leather shoes to spice it up a bit.

"Yeah, but I hope he won't look like a deer in the headlights like now," she huffed and stepped aside once Stiles shooed her away with a hand.

"He won't," he rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the help, though," he added then looked at his husband. "You look gorgeous," he smiled reassuringly at Derek. "You're ready? The car is waiting."

It had taken some swallowing of his own pride to accept Stiles buying him suits. There was some money in his own family, sure, it was why he had been able to go to university and buy his own apartment in New York. But he still had to work to pay for the normal living costs and yeah, his suit had been outdated and pretty bad. Lydia's taste went far beyond what Derek could afford, but he also didn't want Stiles to think that he was after his money. Lydia had pretty much told him that the suit didn't cost that much, because brands wanted to get promoted by famous people and it meant huge discounts and free items. It had made him feel a little better, even though he had told her no on the free items.

Which was kind of a lost cause because now that he and Stiles were a “fully established” couple, free stuff was sent to his address regardless. A lot of it he gave away again for free, to shelters or group homes, some of it he kept. Erica had explained to him that they were press kits which were sent to influential people, something he didn't think he was but apparently people thought otherwise. The internet was a weird, weird place.

Pulling at his jacket as he eyed himself in the mirror to catch that deer look Lydia was mentioning, he realized that yes, he did look all wide-eyed and a little overwhelmed now that he was surrounded by Stiles' whole staff. At least the suit did look good.

"No," Derek admitted. No, he wasn't ready, but of course he would tough it out. It was like band aids and cold water, the best way was to just do it quickly and then get used to it. Inhaling deeply, he tugged at his jacket again before walking over to Stiles. "It's nice to see you in a suit again, but I prefer this one over the one you had on for the wedding." Red was Stiles' color for sure.

"Get a couple of drinks in him," Lydia remarked from across the room. "It'll calm him down. Or I have some Xanax in my purse."

"No Lydia, you don't offer people drugs, we've talked about this." Scott was all offended and sounded like an exasperated dad at the same time.

Stiles' smile from the compliment turned into a snort from what the other two said, but he kept his eyes on Derek, stroking down the lapel of the suit jacket on him as he was standing right in front of his husband.

"Or I could suck him off in the limo on our way there," Stiles grinned devilishly, his expression and look making it a bit hard to decipher whether he meant it or just joked.

"Oh my god, Stiles!" Scott veiled in the background while Lydia just sighed and rolled her eyes at that. Both were used to such comments from the singer, but while Scott, somehow still innocent puppy Scott, usually squealed or groaned, Lydia found them perhaps annoying. And in case Kira was present (like now), she would furiously blush and hide behind her tablet or pretend she was busy on her phone.

Truth be told, in the last week since "consummating" their marriage, both were a bit busy with their respective work, but that didn't stop Stiles from hanging out in the Hale residence, bonding both with Derek and Erica (and of course Moon Moon). But just like Derek said, Erica being present (even if in her room) served as a pretty effective cock-blocker for them. So there were only some kissing and groping whenever she wasn't in the room. And the occasional hand or blowjobs after lights out. Stiles slept there only twice, because they agreed that the temptation was too much and they wanted to wait until Derek's test results came back. Tonight though, after the red carpet event Derek was the one to crash at Stiles' place since it was a Friday night.

"We're not doing that," Derek hastened to say, blushing just as much as Kira was, but he didn't have a phone to hide behind so he ducked his head instead. The idea of them doing some foreplay in the car when Boyd was right there driving it...Yeah no. He wasn't that into public displays. Besides he'd worry how everybody could see what they had done the moment they stepped out of the car. "Okay, bye!" The older man was quick to push Stiles ahead of him to get out of the room, and away from the people. Stiles' people, sure, but that didn't make it any easier.

He kind of wished he had taken up Lydia's offer of a chill pill, because his stomach was doing all kinds of flip flops. He had gotten used (kind of) to the press following them around since they were also outside of his own building and outside of his work. But this was different, there were going to be cameras and interviews at the red carpet, and there were going to be other celebrities as well.

The car was waiting for them outside. Of course. there was no press on the private grounds, they were outside of the gates. It was another reason why he liked being here, besides the space it offered. Things were going well between them so yeah, they had been talking about Derek AND Erica staying over. They'd actually have privacy for sex even with her in the house. Moving in would be too soon, they were giving it time, enjoying their honeymoon period so to speak.

As soon as they were in the car, Derek gave his husband a look. "We're not doing that," he repeated. "Even though my tests came back clear, we're waiting."

For a split second Stiles' grin was back, but then he put on fake big Bambi eyes and a pout as Boyd pulled away from the curb and the limo joined the traffic. "Not even some kissing? I could roll up the partition for some privacy..." he offered (or teased?), blinking at Derek all innocent.

But then he laughed before he could answer him. "Relax, although I really want to, I won't climb you like a tree," he promised, crossing his heart with a finger, the overhead light glistening on the rock star's black nail polish. "So yeah... we wait. But just until later tonight. You coming over is still on, right?" he glanced at Derek while reaching for the mini bar to pour drinks for them. Lydia was right about at least one thing. Stiles sometimes had a few drinks before big events to relax a bit. It might actually help Derek too. After all, it was his first red carpet event and a lot of attention was going to be on them.

While waiting for Derek's reply, he handed him his bigger than usual amount of cherry then grabbed his own whiskey. Now he knew what kinds of drinks Derek liked (usually the sweet stuff), while the occasion called for something stronger for him. Hence the whiskey.

Derek nodded at the question if he was still coming over, because that was all set. His bag was already at the house, Erica was with his sister and Moon Moon was keeping Isaac company for the weekend. So Derek was all set to have a few days with Stiles, which they both needed since married life when living apart was challenging. Derek wanted to be around Stiles more than they could be.

The large glass of dessert wine was bound to get him a little more relaxed though, because he was a wine drinker and Stiles seemed to be completely fine with it. He even had the limousine fridge stocked with it. Raising his glass in a silent toast, he took a large sip, feeling the warm alcohol glide down.

"If I end up saying something stupid, you can just kick me or find another way to shut me up. That will be good." Not that Derek planned on looking on social media to have more embarrassment, nope. But it would be nice if he didn't come off like a bumbling idiot, or the grumpy old man he also could be. "I'm so glad all my idols are long dead so I don't have to deal with that." As a historian, he had some heroes who were long gone, but he never really gotten into celebrity crushes. Well, he now had one but that was different. "Besides you, I mean. You're totally my idol now." He even did the whole fangirling thing by fanning himself and fluttering his eyelashes. Derek was spending too much time with Erica.

Like so many times when Derek was joking, Stiles laughed wholeheartedly then took another sip of his drink and shook his head, his free hand now reaching out to fondly stroke Derek's thigh. Then he left it there for physical contact and perhaps to calm them both a bit. Although tonight, given the fact that Stiles didn't have to go alone to yet another event, focusing on trying to make Derek more comfortable helped Stiles feel less nervous. Which might sound strange, because he was a professional with many events, concerts and shows under his belt, but even after all these years, he always got nervous about all that to varying degrees – depending on the importance of the thing.

"Well, my dear fan girl, that's flattering, although I prefer you simply being yourself and my husband. But I promise I won't let you make an ass of yourself. You don't even have to say a word, just be there and smile, if you can. I can do all the talking. But if you decide to talk in the end, I believe Kira and Scott have drilled the acceptable answers into your head with those crash course situation exercises of theirs," he chuckled. "And remember, you don't have to react to any questions or requests. Like kissing me on the red carpet for their entertainment and to line their pockets with more money for such pictures. I mean, we can kiss if you want, but that's not obligatory at all. You can just ignore all that buzz. After a while you get mostly immune to it and it becomes background noise. Just pose with me and smile," he shrugged with an encouraging little smile of his own. "Also, I'll be holding your hand all along. Just follow my lead. You'll be great."

Yeah, Stiles didn't have to worry about Derek following the demands about them kissing on command, because that was something they should be doing when they wanted to. Of course he had seen some of the red carpet events when they flashed by on TV, and how the press was yelling at the celebrities to get their attention and ask about a pose. He was kind of prepared, thanks to Stiles' friends who even played paparazzi and started shouting questions at him. At least he could pose and smile and let his husband take the lead on it. That was something he could do for sure.

"I'll be the silent partner, I'll nod and smile and laugh at whatever you're saying." Now that was a role he could do, except the smiling when he didn't feel like it. Plastering on a fake toothpaste smile wasn't very successful, if he didn't have anything to smile about. He took another big gulp of the wine, feeling how jittery Stiles was too. If even he was nervous, then there was reason for it.

"What about the punching rule, if we see Theo? Can I?" The whole kissing without being invited to was still something that angered Derek. Because if Stiles hadn't come to his door to ask, if they hadn't talked it out, it would all be on Theo and his impromptu kissing.

"If he says something shitty, I won't stop you from punching him," the singer shrugged. "Although that might result in another media frenzy and some headaches for Scott and Kira, and perhaps charges against you made by Theo, because I wouldn't be surprised. He's a sore loser. But putting him into his place... it would also be a very rock star thing to do," he snorted. "I know I should probably say no, but I dislike playing by the rules and with that forced kiss he really got under my skin, too," he admitted. "So... it's up to you and the situation," he shrugged again. Sure, it probably wouldn't be good publicity for Derek and him, but it seemed so much less of a scandal than Stiles marrying a total stranger right after his heart was broken. So a part of him wanted to see Theo get what he deserves. On Stiles' side it was coming. Oh it was coming. He already had three songs written.

"Otherwise I'm okay with being you my biggest fan and supporter and beautiful boyfriend... sorry, husband," Stiles then flashed a smile at Derek and leaned in to seal that with a kiss, distracting them both from the previous topic. "And just so you know..." he murmured close to Derek's lips after breaking the kiss. "I'm so much more interested and looking forward to you spending the weekend at my place. Finally just the two of us..." he added, his whiskey-brown eyes' look soft and yet promising.

Though Derek could tell Stiles wouldn't mind some Theo punching, he was right, the backlash from it wouldn't be worth it. Derek was going to have to find another way to do some damage. Maybe by kissing Stiles right in front of his face..... Yeah, that was probably way more effective than a punch. Pleased with that thought, he didn't share it with Stiles, instead he gave a soft smile. "Me too. I know you don't mind Erica but she's a handful." Stiles had actually accepted her without much fuss, handling it like a pro. "You probably didn't count on having kids this soon." As he uttered it, he realized something pretty important. Because the whole topic of kids hasn't even come up between them. Mostly since Derek already came with a teenaged adopted kid. "Not that it matters. Kids or no kids in the future. I'm not going anywhere." The thought of them together as a future was pretty nice. The ability to travel, see the world, have a weekend full of sex... or even a whole week if they wanted to... "No kids means endless sex." Endless them. Well, if Derek managed to survive tonight that was.

"I'm pretty sure that even with a couple of more kids in the future we could find a way to get some much needed alone time," Stiles said without thinking about it, because yeah. "I'm okay with the idea of eventually adopting or using a surrogate to get some devil's spawns in our life with time," he said with a slight blush and quite pleased that Derek was planning ahead on the long run. And Stiles liked the idea of a big family, because it's been only Stiles and his dad for too long.

To seal that thought, he pressed another kiss against Derek's lips and then grinned at him. "And Erica is awesome. Now finish your drink, hubby and let's get over this circus so we can go do naughty things at home," he winked and leaned back to toss the rest of his whiskey back, just as Boyd pulled to the curb, cameras already flashing outside. It was show time.

Right... Still a little shocked that Stiles was actually willing to have a family someday (which had always been his own dream too), Derek downed the rest of his drink as the car came to a full stop and the screaming of fans reached them. At least there was a little hold up because this limousine wasn't the first, so it gave Derek a moment to gather himself. His heart was beating so hard he could feel it thrumming in his throat and his mouth was dry like a desert even if he just finished his drink.

Expertly, Boyd parked the large car and the moment he stepped out, the screaming got louder, because the fans knew Stiles' driver and bodyguard by now. Boyd opened the door on Stiles' side, who stepped out gracefully despite his long limbs, holding out his hand to Derek as he had promised. Exhaling deeply, Derek grabbed the hand and got out too. The screaming was extremely loud and the cameras were all zeroed in on them right away.

He knew they were big news, because it wasn't every day a singer married a stranger and then decided to stay married to him as they gave the marriage a real shot. Stiles' fans seemed to agree on their choice, if their happy yelling was anything to go by. They were shouting for Stiles' attention, waving papers to sign and cellphones to hope for a picture. Derek's hand tightened on his husbands, as he shyly smiled at all the attention.

Stiles flashed a genuine smile at the screaming fans and waved to them a few times with his free hand. The other squeezed Derek's back as encouragement and when he leaned close to his ear, he whispered "See? They love you," and pressed a gentle barely there kiss against the stubbly cheek. Of course, it only fueled the frenzy, the screaming getting ear-shattering.

Chuckling to himself, the singer winked at Derek and began gently pulling him along on the literal red carpet, continuing the waving and smiling, but also keeping one eye on his husband to see how he was doing.

Stiles remembered how shocking it felt for the first time to walk along a red carpet like this years ago. It was intimidating, terrifying but also exhilarating. Doing it alone back then was not the most ideal, but he focused on the feeling that he had achieved it on his own, with his music. Now he was just happy that he could be there for Derek to share this experience with him.

They got into the venue and where the journalists were clicking their cameras like crazy, taking tons of photos of other famous celebrities from behind the cordons, security milling around and watching everything like a hawk. Boyd effortlessly melted between them in his elegant suit while it was Stiles and Derek's turn. The flashing was nearly blinding, but this time Stiles didn't wear sunglasses. He just stood there ignoring the questions yelled at them and smiling, turning his head this way and that, his hand never letting Derek's go, just as promised.

It only lasted a few minutes then they were ushered forward and into the actual huge ball room with a stage and big round tables with white tablecloths, plates, silverware and elaborate flower arrangements in the middle. It was one of the many charity events he gets invited to. If he could, he would go to every one of these, because Stiles found them more useful than just parties and award shows, and he regularly donated a lot of money for good causes.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Stiles murmured into Derek's ear again once they were seated at their table, their fancy name cards in front of them.

"Right," Derek said, though yeah, it could have been worse. There were no interactions with fans or press, just smiling and waving. And he was sure Stiles did that for his sake, because he couldn't imagine the singer not interacting with his fans usually. It was sweet the way Stiles was doing his best to stick close to Derek and make his first time not as intrusive. Maybe he could ease into it, every event he could do a little more, but he doubted he would ever interact with the fans at events, or do more than answer a few press questions. Because this was all for Stiles and it was his moment to shine.

Exhaling as he was sitting at the table, he didn't look around all that much. Either he wouldn't know the celebrities or he'd know them and wouldn't know how to interact, so his focus was on Stiles. Sadly, the table wasn't only for them alone. That would have made it so much easier.

"How do you even know which ones to go to?" Clearly Derek saw that it wasn't like the award show he had snuck into, this seemed to be more important but that was because of the red carpet. He had no idea what this event was and if Stiles needed to be here or wanted to be here. Was it a music event? He really should have asked, but he had been busy being prepared for the press which he never talked to in the first place!

"Huh." With a laugh Derek showed his name card to Stiles, where it read 'Derek Stilinski'. "Imagine announcing to the world that you took on my last name and watch them all be crestfallen, because Stiles Hale doesn't sound all that great." They hadn't taken on names, these days it wasn't even needed anymore when getting married.

Stiles laughed softly as he looked at the name card too. "Well, I think it sounds great. But Stilinski-Hale sounds even better, if you ask me. I like your name," he looked up at Derek, reaching out to stroke his forearm on the table. "By the way, do you want to change our names in some way?" he asked, genuinely interested in the answer, because – like many other – this topic didn't come up yet, thanks to their marriage being so literally sudden. "I mean, even if we did for official papers and IDs, Stiles Stilinski is always going to be my stage name," he shrugged.

He too didn't really care about their surroundings, because for him Derek was the most important person there. Not just because Stiles wasn't really interested in talking to other celebs, but because he genuinely found his husband intriguing on many levels. Not to mention that the singer really wanted him to enjoy this event as much as possible.

"Ah no, that's fine, we don't have to wear each other's name. Your last name is important, you're an artist so I can always take yours if you really want to," Derek shrugged. It wasn't important to him, and it wasn't like he had to keep his last name to further the family. because his sisters refused to drop theirs. It wasn't like it would make him less of a Hale if he changed his last name. "The whole hyphenating of names into mouthful of words isn't really my thing."

"Nah, if you don't want to take my name that's fine by me. Like with anything else, I wouldn't force you into that either. So it seems we'll keep our names then," Stiles smiled and pulled a pen out of his suit's pocket to take Derek's name card, crossing out 'Stilinski' and writing 'Hale' over it. "There you go, all fixed," he beamed.

More people were starting to seat at the tables, so theirs was also filling up. Derek had no idea who any of these people were, but they greeted them as if they knew, which they probably did. Or Stiles at least. There was a guy wearing more eyeliner than the cheerleaders at his school, and another guy who was wearing a lot of gold around his neck and on his fingers.

"What's up!" he greeted them and smiled, revealing a gleaming fake tooth to boot. Derek nodded, glancing at Stiles because yeah, really he didn't have a clue.

When the first two people sat down to their table and greeted them, Stiles did the same with a small smile, exchanging a few pleasantries with them with the expertise of a seasoned singer. Judging by Derek's blank expression, he deduced that he probably had no idea who the other two were:

"That's Adam Lambert. Awesome singer, gay icon and when not working on his own stuff, he tours with friggin' Queen as their stand-in singer. I've been to one of their shows and it's insane!" he fan boyed a bit as he was whispering into Derek's ear. "The other dude is Lil' Mason," he discreetly nodded towards the young black man with the gold jewelry. "As far as I know, he's an up and coming rapper. I don't know much of his work, but they say he's good and a nice guy."

Ah, Derek nodded, glad he had some names with the faces so he wouldn't embarrass them but that only lasted for so long, probably. At least he knew the other couple that joined them at the table, Jennifer Lopez with the actor he forgot the name of, but he played Batman for a bit. If she minded a table full of men, she didn't show it, she pleasantly said ‘hi’ and they all started talking amongst themselves. The topic was of course music and Derek listened, but had no idea what they were talking about. His poker face needed some work apparently.

"Aw man, don't worry about it," Lil Mason spoke up, reaching out to jovially slap Derek's upper arm. The Hale glanced at the hand on his arm and then back into the smiling face of the young man, question marks all over his face. "You don't have to know everything," Mason explained. "What kind of music do you like?" Now that seemed to get everyone's attention at the table.

"Oh, I sometimes listen to the old ones, like Sinatra, Presley. And Stiles of course." That last part was added quickly because Derek realized how that sounded.

"So you don't know who we are," Mason chimed in again, but he sounded amused.

"Nope." The others at least didn't mind, much to Derek's relief. They laughed but not in a bad way.

"I promise I'll educate him!" Stiles put his hand back on Derek's forearm and fondly squeezed it a bit with a huge smile. "He's new to this circus and spends a lot of time with his nose in history books when not educating young minds to the past," he beamed, obviously proud of Derek's work and the man himself.

The history thing seemed to catch Ben Affleck's attention and from then he asked a few questions from Derek about history, which he seemed to like. Smiling and pleased, Stiles listened in with one ear while chatting a bit with the others around the table too, then soon the lights dimmed and the host walked on stage and the event properly started.

All in all, the evening went pretty well. Stiles made his donation and they ate a very nice dinner, chatting a little bit more with the other celebrities, but they mostly focused on each other.

Back in the car, Stiles leaned in and kissed Derek before beaming at him. "You were amazing. I'm so proud of you. Everyone loved you," he said and was actually glad that Theo was a no-show, so he couldn't ruin the evening for them.

Derek didn't know about the whole being loved by everybody thing, but he had hit it off with Ben for sure and the Adam guy had been very supportive of their relationship. Honestly, he had a great evening, which wasn’t something he had expected. He had even made a possible new friend since he now had Ben's number to go to a museum together next week. "Thanks to you, you've made this evening so much easier," Derek smiled back at him. There was a little rosy color to his cheeks because he did indulge in drinks, an impressive amount of drinks for his usual drinking. He wasn't drunk, but he was for sure intoxicated.

"I mostly loved how you donated to a good cause." Which had turned out to be the entire reason for the event and everyone had donated. But Stiles had chosen to go to this event so he could donate. And that made him proud of him. "It was very sexy." Clearly the alcohol had put Derek in the right mood.

"Oh yeah? That gets you going?" Stiles raised a brow with a shit-eating grin. "Should I mention again how I make regular donations to a dozen places?" he wiggled his brows as he slid his hand up on the inside of Derek's thigh.

He didn't even have to say anything or look at Boyd at all and the black partition wall was already noiselessly sliding up in the background to give them some privacy. It fully closed just when Stiles' fingers brushed against the front of the fancy pants.

"Also, you've got yourself a bro date with Ben Affleck, which is huge. You don't give enough credit to yourself. That was all you. And you too looked very sexy all night long, especially when discussing ancient Greece with him. I love how you talk about history. So passionate and into it," he purred close to Derek's lips, his hand teasing the other man with slow and barely there rubs.

"Don't want to talk about Ben Affleck right now," Derek murmured against the bow-shaped lips, his legs parting automatically to give some more room shamelessly. His claim of earlier in the evening where they wouldn't have sex in the car was thrown out the window. That was clear. "Or talk much at all. But yeah, you donating money gets me going. I love that you care." Nearly he uttered that he loved him, but those words weren't said yet. He didn't want to say them when alcohol fueled his blood and warmed him up easier. But he also knew how he wasn't having his usual inhibitions so who knew what else he'd say tonight. It wasn't too soon or anything, because they were already having feelings, they both knew it. They were married even! "By the way," Warm lips ghosted along the shell of Stiles' ear. "I'm a polyglot so if you're into foreign languages..."

A pleasant shiver ran down on Stiles' spine and he closed his eyes for a moment from that. "Oh yeah. Talk dirty to me in different languages. Or you could like... talk about a recipe, I don't care..." he murmured and turned his head to kiss and suck on Derek's neck, deeply inhaling his scent.

Stiles was shameless, really. He didn't really need the few drinks in him to lose his barely existent inhibitions. Especially since he was with his husband. Which meant that he had no problems doing the foreplay in the limousine or knowing that Boyd had no doubt about what was going on in the back of the car he was driving. (He was used to it anyway and never commented on it. For which Stiles liked the guy even more.)

The singer was still busy leaving hickeys on the fragrant neck just above the collar of Derek's shirt, when his naughty hands pulled the zipper down and reached under the suit pants and underwear to gently pull the rapidly hardening cock out into the open. He stopped with the biting to lick his palm while looking into Derek's eyes then wrapped that hand around the cock to give it some long and firm strokes.

"You like that?" he asked, even if looking at Derek's expression made it obvious that he did, but Stiles wanted to hear it that he was making him feel good. (Maybe it was to boost his own recently pretty badly shot self-esteem, too. Although that got significantly better ever since he's been together with Derek.)

"Yeah, you feel so good on me." Derek's hands weren't idle either, as Stiles' hand was busy getting him fully hard, he unbuttoned the shirt because it was impossible to get his hands under all those layers. It wasn't fully opened, just enough to fall open to the navel so he could get at the pierced nipples. He had noticed how much his husband loved the attention last time, so he was eager to get back to it.

His hips moved up, eager to get some friction, his fingers plucking at the piercings teasingly. They pulled at the metal and caressed the sensitive skin around the hardening nipples. "I've wanted to get you out of this suit ever since I saw you in it. It looks amazing." Stiles was a handsome man, but a suit definitely worked for him, because it fit his lanky frame and made him look like the star he was. It was a treat to see him in a suit, and even more so to get him out of it. "I like you a whole lot, you know."

"I like you a whole lot too," Stiles gave Derek the softest and happiest smile so far, feeling that certain kind of warmth spreading in his chest. He knew that feeling, knew that he was more than gone on this man already, which was kinda crazy and dangerous since practically the singer was forced to jump from one serious relationship into another, but it also felt so... right. They were perhaps not there yet to voice those feelings, but that didn't matter yet. He just had to look into Derek's adoring eyes to see them reflect there, so yeah, he was perfectly content for now to communicate that only through looks and gestures and thinly veiled comments. It was kinda cute, to be honest.

"Also I wanted to peel you out of your suit the same way. You clean up very well, Mr. Stilinski," Stiles purred, the smile now teasing on his face then he moaned low from the continuous jolts of pleasure shooting down into his fully hard and trapped cock too. "And now I'll suck you off to take the edge off. I believe we won't rest much tonight," he winked and then slid off the backseat to shamelessly kneel between Derek's legs. With one hand massaging the base, he didn't tease this time, just sucked down on the impressive dick in front of him.

Jesus! How was that even going to take any edge off?! Derek glanced down at Stiles on his knees on the floor of the car, choking on his dick like it was the best lollipop he ever had. And the sight of it, the way his throat bulged to take the large appendage, the way those cheeks hollowed a little, because he was sucking hard on the flesh… It made his erection twitch. Yeah, this wasn't taking any edge off, this was making him moan loudly and wanting to get Stiles to choke on it.

His large hand reached for the perfectly styled brown hair to grab a hold of it, fingertips a pressure against the sensitive skin of the scalp. He might have to invest in some chemical help when he got older, because he was getting the distinct idea Stiles was insatiable.

"Oh my god, you nearly took it all…" The very skilled mouth kept working on his cock, and the warm wetness felt too good as the genuine leather seat creaked from the way Derek moved. Sweat was gathering beneath his leg and trickling down his crack. "So good."

Stiles moaned around the shaft he was working on with his tongue and lips, letting the vibration add to Derek's pleasure. He looked debouched with his flushed and slightly sweaty face, the hollowed cheeks and some smeared saliva. The back of the car felt suddenly too hot for Stiles too and while continuing the sucking with obscenely wet sounds and small moans of contentment, he shrugged out of the black suit jacket and loosened the matching tie somewhat over his red half-open shirt.

The whiskey-brown eyes were still proud as he came up for some air, panting onto the wet tip. His hand went to the back of his head where Derek's was still fisted in his hair. "I wanna deep-throat you, take it all. Help me with that," he rasped, meaning for Derek to guide his head or keep it in place. "Fuck my mouth then feed me your come," he added as the already red and swollen spit-slick lips mouthed up along the sensitive skin. Then Stiles dived down on it again, just when a ring of his index-finger and thumb twisted and began moving around the thick base.

Derek could have come right then and there, when Stiles used those filthy and promising words. His eyes darkened with lust as the grip in the hair tightened. When that clever mouth went deep on his cock, he pushed the head down a little with strength. At the first glide down, he didn't thrust up yet, letting his husband get used to the added length down his throat.

"Flatten your tongue against the underside, don't try to swallow, let the spit slide down or you'll gag." Clearly Derek knew how to deep-throat and had learned it the hard way how to handle bigger lengths. He wasn't sure if Stiles had never done it or if he wasn't used to the bigger girth he now had access to. It didn't matter, he wanted to help in any way he could, because he too wanted to come down that throat so badly.

"Yeah. Okay, I'm going to thrust up now, don't fight it. Breathe through your nose." His hand kept the head in place as he thrust upwards with his hips. Stiles had no choice but to relax his mouth and throat and take it.

Stiles was following Derek's instructions. Not like it was his first blowjob, oh no, it was far from that. But because truth be told, Derek's was the biggest dick he ever had the pleasure to... well, pleasure. Especially from this angle, which made things a bit trickier. He felt teardrops spring to his eyes, which he closed now and focused on breathing steadily and keeping his throat relaxed so it could be abused in the best way possible. (His vocal coach would heavily disagree, but Stiles didn't care and he also didn't have to be careful with his voice now that there were no concerts or gigs lined up for a while.)

The gag reflex was there in the back of his mind, but he managed to keep it at bay now that both of his hands were on Derek's muscular thighs, black nails digging into them. And god, his pants became so fucking tight by then that he could feel each heavy pulse of his trapped cock very clearly.

Opening his teary eye, he watched Derek enjoying what he was doing to him to the fullest, too. The singer loved how much he was at his husband's mercy, not being able to do much, just taking it while kneeling there, the limousine lightly moving under them as it kept eating the miles on their back to Stiles' mansion.

Since Stiles had told him he could really fuck his mouth and make him take it, there was no holding back from Derek's side at all. The tight hold in the by now unruly hair didn't let up, the knuckles of his hand pressing against the skull hard while he thrust up with his hips to chase after his own pleasure. The spit was soaking Derek thoroughly, and the wet slaps as well as the sound of a throat fighting the gag reflex were the only sounds in the otherwise quiet car. That and the heavy breathing of the older man. Well, they were more like gasps when he stopped focusing on how to breathe.

Stiles was taking him all the way, and the feeling of the wet throat was too much to be able to stay in for long. It was why he sped up his movements. Only when he was getting really close, did he allow the other to pull back a little. Not completely out of mercy, more because he wanted Stiles to taste him, wanted him having to swallow the load.

"Getting close," Derek explained. Like really close. Stiles should feel it, his balls were drawing up so it was going to be only a matter of seconds.

If Stiles could, he would have said something along the line like "No shit, Sherlock!". But since his mouth was being used for other purposes in that moment, he just hummed around the slick shaft fucking his mouth like there was no tomorrow. Not that deep by then, but that was fine. It gave Stiles more room to breathe and enjoy this to the fullest.

His eyes looked a bit hazy as he glanced up again, watching Derek's face swimming in sweat and pleasure. He loved that sight and also the sounds he was making. The moans and little gasps, the creaking of the leather, the rustling of their clothes and yes, the wet slapping sounds as the majestic cock kept fucking his mouth.

Stiles' nails squeezed Derek's thighs, the slight pain at his scalp from the firm grip sending pleasure down his own spine too. The squeeze was to signal Derek that it was okay. Stiles was ready.

It was all Derek’s been waiting for. The moment he felt the nails digging into his skin, he stopped fighting the pleasure that was about to overwhelm him. It was impossible to last long, not with the fact that the Hale was a bit intoxicated and they were doing it in a freaking car and the deep-throating! Yeah, especially that last part had made it very difficult to hold back. For a second he contemplated letting go of the hair, but by the time he thought of it, he was already coming and he forgot all about it.

Instead the hold tightened even more as Derek's body shuddered and hot release filled the eager mouth. There was some definite yanking happening as he nearly made Stiles deep-throat again with a very rough thrust of the hips. Was this taking the edge off? For a little while!

Derek sagged back against the leather of the seat, sweat cooling on his face as his softening cock gave one last twitch but nothing came. Stiles had sucked it all out.

Stiles' scalp was still tingling as he swallowed the last of the impressive load and used his tongue to clean the spent cock. Then he wiped his mouth and chin with the back of his hand and gently put Derek back into his pants, fixing it, as if nothing had happened. It was also the perfect timing, because the car's engine was stopped and the driver's door closed, signaling that they have arrived. (Of course, Boyd didn't disturb them, just quietly left for the guest house where he had a room of his own.)

Stiles sat back on the seat as close to Derek as possible, resting one hand on his husband's thigh, the other lightly rubbing his own jaw, where there was a slight ache from being open like that while being fucked in the mouth. There was also a smug smirk on the mole-dotted face from seeing Derek so out of it.

"This was awesome," the singer rasped on a hoarse tone and leaned in to capture the slack mouth in a slow but deep kiss to let Derek taste himself too. "Think you'll have to put a cock ring on me, because I nearly creamed my pants just from sucking you off," he grinned against the moist lips. "Let's go inside, we're home."

For a moment Derek thought that Boyd might say something when the car stopped and his body tensed. But the footsteps had left and the man quietly made himself scarce. Whatever Stiles was paying him, it could do with a raise! The man handled this with a lot more finesse than Derek would have if he was in the same situation. "I'm not putting a cock ring on you, I'll instead make you come. Inside."

No matter how big the limousine was and how comfortable the leather seats were, it wasn't the same as getting comfortable in a bed, especially a big one like Stiles had. "We have a bed to break in." They had the place for themselves and there was no need to hold back. They could have sex all night long and sleep in late. It was a luxury Derek rarely had thanks to the dog, because the teen of course always slept late on the weekends. Reaching out, he grabbed Stiles by the neck to deepen the kiss, tasting himself.

"I can finally rim you now that we know I’m clean."

"Oh hell yeah... Probably gonna cum just from that," Stiles panted all turned on against the soft lips and he had to press the heel of his hand against his aching bulge. God, this man was driving him crazy with lust. He felt like a horny teenager again! And they had the whole weekend just for themselves. Stiles was pretty sure that they were going to fuck in most of the rooms and oh he was more than up for that!

"Come on! Can't wait any longer," he grabbed Derek's hand to tug on it, indicating that he should get out of the car too and by some miracle, he himself didn't face plant on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance. Straightening up, not even the shadows could hide his very obvious bulge, but there was no one around to witness that aside from Derek.

***

Inside he headed straight for the master bedroom upstairs, further loosening his tie and nearly taking it completely off, but then he remembered what Derek said about peeling him out of the suit (well, minus the jacket, because that he already tossed somewhere downstairs after grabbing it back in the car. So upstairs, once he stood by the bed, facing Derek, the only thing he did was kicking his expensive red shoes off and looking hungrily and needy at his husband.

"So... here I am, ready to be peeled out of these very unnecessary clothes, and also ready for a nude weekend." Because yeah, it wasn't likely that they'd wear much clothes.

Briefly Derek noticed how his stuff had been placed inside the bedroom, magically. It made him realize that Stiles had people working for him, even in his own home. Not anybody the older man had noticed the one time he was here, but maybe that person only worked here for a few hours? Somebody had put his stuff there and it was a quiet reminder of Stiles' wealth. Like the limousine and the large house. Maybe Derek was used to bigger homes, because he was raised in one? It didn't register as much as these small things did. He had married a wealthy guy. A wealthy guy he was about to undress to have more sex with.

"I better be careful when getting your pants off," Derek snorted, eyeing the way the pants were straining around the crotch. It looked really uncomfortable. Poor guy has been quietly suffering from some blue balls. "I'll be careful with the rest too." Yeah, he wasn't going to rip Stiles out of his expensive suit, because it was just as fun to get him undressed the normal way. Derek shrugged off his suit jacket, draping it over a chair, but he didn't get undressed further. Getting Stiles freed was priority number one.

"I hope you're wearing underwear." Not that Derek waited for the answer, he already had his hands under the loosened shirt to push the button of the pants free and undo the zipper. "So hard for me." Warm hands dipped into the underwear (which Stiles was wearing after all), finding the wet tip of the erection as he pulled it up. "I'm going to see if you can come with only my tongue inside you."

Stiles shuddered not just from the very, very, very welcomed and amazing touch on his poor neglected dick. To be honest, Stiles have started worrying a bit that if it wasn't freed or if nothing happened in like ten seconds, his junk would fall off from a severe case of blue balls. So yeah, that shudder was caused by Derek's words too. Which came off as dirty for Stiles and he loved it, thank you very much! But they also made it harder (pun intended) to hold back, especially with the teasing touches on him.

"Oh, I totally can, I can assure you!" he said, breathing a bit faster and his heart beating all over the place from excitement and anticipation. This was the part of the evening Stiles really wanted to get to. Being with just Derek, far away from prying eyes and camera flashes and fake smiles and people. Just the two of them enjoying each other's bodies and company. "So are you planning on getting there any time soon, or you're the all talk, no action kind of guy?" he challenged like the little (horny) shit he was.

"I'm the 'taking all the time I want to take' kind of guy." The challenge wasn't accepted, nope. Derek was promised the undressing part so that's what he focused on, unbuttoning the shirt so he could push them off the slender shoulders so it could join Derek's jacket on the chair. He even took the time for that. Sauntering back to Stiles, he simply pushed the bossy man onto the bed by the shoulders so he could work on getting the pants off. Those were folded before Derek got back to peeling off the underwear. There was something very sexy about being fully clothed while Stiles was naked. He wanted to stay clothed but...  He decided to be mindful of his own new clothes, and took the time to undress as well.

It wasn't like he put on a show. It was about getting his clothes off even though he was aware of those curious brown eyes watching him. Maybe that's why he turned his back to Stiles to show off his ass as he pulled his briefs down. "How about you grab the lube while I grab something else?" He no doubt took longer than Stiles as he got them two bottles of water so they'd have it within reach. "You're a screamer," he explained. "And I plan on making you need the water."

Grabbing an ankle, Derek pulled the legs apart so he could settle between them, a pillow clutched in his hand to shove under the hips for better access. "It's a good thing we're both keeping ourselves clean," Derek casually informed that yes, he studied about ways to keep himself clean for Stiles as well, because he wanted to be a good partner in bed. "I want to bet you prepared yourself before we went to the event."

Watching Derek undress like that was a treat in itself, but what rocked Stiles' boat even more was the confidence with which he moved around and moved him around the way Derek wanted him to be. Stiles just loved how comfortable Derek was in his skin. Just like him. It was yet another good match in their budding relationship.

"Just a little?" Stiles batted his eyelashes, remembering to stop the ogling to reply. "I mean the cleaning? Absolutely. Some prep... maybe?" he teased then licked his lips, lightly frowning, debating if he should ask or not, because he remembered Derek saying that he usually liked to top. Then, of course, his curiosity won out as he pushed the lube closer to Derek on the bed. "So... you cleaned yourself too? Does that mean that you'd want me to fuck you too at one point?" he raised a brow, kinda surprised.

There were arched eyebrows thrown Stiles' way when Derek glanced up from where he was about to nuzzle into the fragrant skin. "You can always fuck me if you want. I'd told you that. But it doesn't do much for me. My prostate isn't that into it." Realizing that probably didn't answer much, he crawled up to Stiles, his hand wrapped around the erection to give it a few lazy tugs.

"I've been the bottom many times. It just didn't do much for me. I figured that maybe it's because I didn't have the right partners. We were all young and stupid back then. So I asked the guy that always hung out at the gay bar and who was rumored to be the best lover despite him being older, to make me love being a bottom. He didn't need to be asked twice." He smiled at that. "Clearly he was skilled. I mean, I came so many times but when he was having his fingers in me and really massaged my prostate, I mostly squirmed and didn't feel like it was working. If anything, I felt like I had to pee. I told Chris, but he looked all smug and told me that was a prostate orgasm. It was okay, I should give into it, it was going to feel amazing. I was doubtful because it wasn't pleasure I was feeling but he knew what he was doing so I stopped fighting it and he redoubled his efforts. Turned out I was right and he was wrong. I peed all over him." Laughing he shook his head. "It was fine, we showered, we had sex, it wasn't a bad experience. But my prostate just doesn't work like yours does." He nuzzled the skin and gave it a kiss. "I've cleaned myself so you can always touch me without worry."

If there wasn't a fist around his poor feeling-like-exploding erection, Stiles probably would've laughed a bit in disbelief, but like this he only managed a surprised "oh" and a huff.

"Is that even possible?" he asked quite doubtful and frowning, because he never heard about something like this before. Although he suddenly remembered hearing about women not enjoying vaginal sex as much as like when their clit was being stimulated, so maybe it was possible? He had no idea, especially now when that hand around him was so damn distracting. "Maybe one day I could try it too? Just... maybe minus the pee? Under the shower... yes, that'd be safer..." he babbled, his eyes rolling back into his head as his still swollen and red lips parted on a low moan and his hips unwittingly pushed up into said fist. "Fuck... can't think clearly..." he sighed, feeling his whole naked body tingling with excitement and pleasure. And of course no fucks were given about him being so shamelessly on display for the bigger man.

"We'll see." Derek wasn't all that concerned with what they'd try later on, he'd be open to it. If it wasn't clear for Stiles that he loved experimenting as much as the younger man did. He probably wasn't as experienced as Stiles was, but he'd catch up quickly. It wasn't about making plans though. Nope.

Releasing the leaking erection, he kissed the babbling lips before he crawled back to the starting position. Stiles could investigate the wonders of his prostate some other time, this time it was all about his. The lube wasn't used just yet, nope, that could wait. Stretching out on his stomach, Derek reached for the tight cheeks, cupping them with his hands so he could reveal the small opening to him.

"Just enjoy yourself. Stop that busy brain of yours." Kissing the inside of a thigh, he worked his way to his prize. A slick, warm tongue pressed against the tight muscle, not putting pressure against it yet. He licked his way around it, loosening it up for him.

Not surprisingly, Stiles' immediate response was a low and long moan, his eyes rolling shut again. He grabbed the back of his knees without thinking to keep his legs spread wide, the pillow under his hips keeping his most intimate parts exposed and in the perfect angle for Derek to do what he just started doing.

"Oh hell yeah..." Stiles bit his lip and squirmed a tiny bit on the pillow and against that exploring tongue. "I love being rimmed nearly as much as getting fucked into oblivion," he informed Derek, since it was the first time he actually had the chance to go in town on him like this. They've been waiting for this for a while to happen and now it was the perfect opening (well, after the blowjob in the limo) for their so called 'fuck fest weekend'. Not that their weekend was going to be all about sex, but a big part of it was going to be exactly that.

"Did you know that sex is the best way to connect to another person? Because of the energies and emotions released? Some call it sex magic. I think that's my true religion..." Stiles babbled, because of course he did, even while his ass was being licked so nicely by his husband.

Derek hmmed at the right moments to indicate he was listening to the persistent babbling, but he kind of had his mouth full and there wasn't anything that required him answering. He did believe that to Stiles sex was a very important part of a relationship, and it was one of the most intimate ways. He didn't think he could do without it himself either, especially not now that he was having a more active sex life again.

As Stiles babbled away, he put some pressure against the muscle to lick into it a little and suckle on the rim. He knew how to work it open with slow pushes of his tongue, licking around it, making it wet. Even though it would be easier to use his finger too, he waited, wanting to breach his husband first with his tongue before he'd get his fingers involved. Like a starving man he licked and sucked, wriggling his tongue inside.

There was no surprise that the more Derek got into what he was doing so, so well, the less Stiles felt the need to babble about whatever crossed his always busy mind, so pretty soon it came to more moaning and gasping and some low cursing.

While enjoying the thorough rimming of his ass, his black fingernails dug firmer into the back of his thighs, which started slightly shaking. His whole body was so pent up with the need to come soon that it was not even funny. If Derek played his cards right, Stiles was pretty sure that he wasn't going to last long like this. Not with such a skilled tongue! Derek didn't lie when he said he had experimented a lot back when.

Forcing his eyes to open, the singer looked down between his spread legs. There was a pool of pre-cum already accumulated on his stomach and his poor cock was closing to the angry red color for being erect for so long without coming, but he didn't mind. The sight of Derek working on him with such devotion was more than worthy to burn it into his mind forever!

"God... you look so good between my legs!" he blurted out, unable to keep that thought inside and it was quickly followed by a guttural moan. "Please, more!"

Since Stiles was practically leaking with Derek's spit, he decided to add a finger when the singer was begging for more. His tongue just didn't have the depth his fingers had. It was mostly so he could open up Stiles more for his tongue, pushing it in and out while the finger remained still. Derek really wanted to finger Stiles, but he had promised to make him come on his tongue alone. Question was, did he decide to have mercy on Stiles and redouble his efforts with fingers too, or was he going to edge him until he couldn't hold out anymore?

One glance at the leaking erection told him Stiles wouldn't need much encouragement. Calmly going back to eating out the younger man, the finger sneakily made its way to the prostate, pressing on it to start massaging the sensitive bundle of nerves there. He loved how sensitive Stiles was there, how much he responded and writhed on his finger and tongue.

And that he did, accompanied by a loud yell of pleasure the second that sneaky finger began its torment against his sensitive spot. It also resulted in Stiles' nails leaving dents in his own skin from the force he had to hold onto his own legs not to kick out or something, and his dick jumped excited, leaking more pre-cum at the tip.

"Derek!" Stiles panted and groaned like someone in pain, but it was so far from that. He saw stars behind his once again closed eyelids and his body did its best in his current position to rock against the double attack of that finger and tongue.

"S-so... good! Think I'm gonna... Just a little more!" he half-warned and half-begged, skirting on the edge. So very close and he wanted it! He wanted to let that orgasm wash over him and he knew Derek didn't want the singer to hold back, so he didn't.

Letting one of his thighs go, Stiles' painted nails scratched along Derek's nape and soon fisted in the damp hair. He forced himself to look down at them again to watch himself riding that handsome stubbly face. He was panting, sweaty, sticky with pre-cum and skin red from the beard-burn, and eyes glazed over by pleasure and a burning need, his heart beating like crazy.

"Derek! Derek!!!" he whined and then he was right there, eyes rolling shut as his head fell back and a whole body-spasm rocked him and he exploded all over his stomach and chest and even the underside of the chin, thanks to his nearly folded position. And as per usual, he was shamelessly loud about it too.

Now that Derek didn't have his mouth full or was too busy riding his own pleasure, he could watch Stiles reach his peak without hindrance. And he was amazing! With a slightly open mouth which was slick from his own spit, Derek breathed heavily, influenced by watching alone. Yeah, Stiles may boast about landing himself a very handsome man, but Derek could boast about having a beautiful one. The way he gave into it fully, loud verbally and with his actions… it was so free.

And Derek was awed that he was the one to do that.

Not moving, he pulled out his finger and just kissed the inside of the trembling thighs, while Stiles was riding out his orgasm. He was covered in sweat and semen, when their night has just started. And already he looked thoroughly debauched. It was promising for the rest of the evening. Though honestly, if their night would consist of holding one another and watching each other, then Derek wouldn't complain either.

He could watch Stiles like this all night long, how gorgeous he looked. "You look beautiful," Derek breathed, almost petting the pale skin with soft caresses.

First Stiles just made a sound between a light snort and a hum, but although his eyes were still closed and he was panting, his glistening chest moving rapidly, there was a very pleased and maybe a bit shy smile on his flushed face.

He didn't really know what to say to that, so for once he didn't use his words, just his fingers, which released Derek's dark hair to fondly caress the shorter ones on his nape. He carefully lowered his legs to finally stretch them on the bed and exchanged a deep (although a bit still hazy) look with his husband. This man...

"You're going to be the death of me..." he said on his hoarser voice and blinked down at himself. "Look at this mess!" he chuckled, feeling light and giddy from the intense orgasm. "You're amazing!" the singer sighed and ran his fingertips across a wet streak to scoop up some of his own spill. Of course, he licked some of it off and offered another finger to Derek.

"At least it'll be a good death," Derek sassed back, looking smug again because yeah, he once again had reason to be. Maybe he was setting the bar a little too high for himself, because if he kept making Stiles feel this utterly impressed with his skills the first couple of times, he was bound to disappoint further down the line! Or maybe he wouldn't have bad days, he wasn't sure. He never had complaints before so that might count.

Licking the offered finger clean, he pushed himself up so he could lie down next to the satisfied singer. There was no rush for another round, they had all the time they wanted to have, and although his cock had chubbed up a little thanks to the way Stiles had been moaning and looking, it would go down or it could wait for a little while. There was another main event they were both eager for: to have full intercourse without the condom in the way.

"Who knows, maybe I even know the ancient practices of sex."

Digging the pillow out from under himself and tossing it to the side, Stiles giggled (yes, outright giggled since he was still kinda high on endorphins) and reached for a wet wipe to clean his front a bit. "Well, that statement holds up and makes me curious what else you have up your sleeve," the singer grinned as he dropped the used wipe on the hardwood floor without a care then laid back on his back with a satisfied sigh, turning his head towards Derek. "Just give me a minute or two to recover from this pretty intense orgasm you just gave me. You truly are a teacher, teaching me all new things every time we have sex," he smirked wide, stroking Derek's stomach. "And I tell you the worst kept secret on Earth: I want to have lots of sex with you."

Derek snorted. "Yeah, that's the worst kept secret. I think even the blind homeless man living on my street knows you want lots of sex with me." The muscles in his stomach reacted to the stroking by twitching. The hardness of the many muscles didn't soften even when lying down and all relaxed. "I did read the Kama Sutra, but it's not as great as you might think. It's mostly intricate art for the straight. A lot of positions are weird." And didn't look inviting at all! Nope, he preferred Stiles in a way they both could think up and were comfortable for them both. Like Stiles riding him or the plain (but never boring) missionary way. "I prefer our own kind of weird."

"Me too. And that book is so fucking weird, indeed. I checked it out once too. Sure, it can give ideas, but I agree with you," the singer turned on his side to get closer to Derek, tracing each individual stomach muscle with the fingers of his other hand now. He was still grinning like an idiot, his whiskey-brown eyes sparkling and the corners wrinkling from how wide that grin was. It was plain to see that he was happy and amused. A very different look from just a few weeks ago.

There were big shoes to fill when it came to keeping Stiles as happy as he was now. Not the shoes of the exes, but the shoes of expectation. The last thing Derek wanted to be was like those exes. He never wanted to be the cause of Stiles' hurt like he had been before their making up session. The plan was to keep Stiles smiling as much as possible, if he had anything to say or do about it.

"So... I'm curious..." Stiles continued, his fingers now not so absentmindedly trailing a bit lower on said nicely defined muscles. "After all that research and perhaps impatient waiting to be able to do so... how are you planning on putting your naked cock in me for the first time?"

Once again, Stiles was shameless.

"It might need a little help at first." Derek was just as shameless and like a big happy cat, he leaned into the touches by pushing his hips forward. As if the Hale needed much help. When it came to Stiles, Derek’s body seemed pretty happy to perform all day any day. "But then I'll ask you to get on your hands and knees and I'll take you from behind. That way I can wrap my hand around you and get you to come like that."

Licking then biting his own bottom lip, Stiles hummed, feeling the first pleasant shiver run down his spine from that mental image Derek just painted for him. "I really like this plan, to be honest." As if it had to be said out loud. But Stiles said it anyway, not just because he liked to talk a lot, but also because he liked to talk to Derek in general. Ever since fate had put them in each other's path, they could talk about anything and everything with honest interest. (Not including that trouble Theo had managed to unwittingly cause between them, of course.) This was kinda new for Stiles, because he couldn't remember any exes with whom he could do that to this degree. Hell, some of those "relationships" were purely about just sex and nothing else!

This was different. Being with Derek was so different from all of Stiles' previous experiences that it still sometimes baffled him. But he wasn't complaining, he actually loved it. Derek seemed to be able to keep his attention without much effort. He definitely got more than just good looks and a hotter than hell body, in Stiles opinion.

Getting out of his own head, Stiles remembered what they were about to do, so he quickly licked his palm and without looking wrapped his hand around the half-hard shaft. "So allow me to give you that helping hand then," he murmured and while watching Derek's reactions from close, he began slowly massaging him.

"Not too much hand," Derek husked, licking his lips as his hips did a little encouraging shimmy. There was no denying that watching Stiles orgasm had made him very hot for the other male again. His body was just playing catch up and the hands on approach it was receiving did speed it up a little. He wasn't fully there yet, but it was making valiant attempts at rising to the occasion.

Leaning back, he half-stayed on his side and half-rolled on his back, wanting to give Stiles more room to play without pulling away too much. With all the rimming he had done, Stiles wouldn't need much prep and that knowledge made him eager to get it going again. Yet he also wanted to enjoy this time together to the fullest.

"I'll be gentle..." Stiles grinned like the cat that got the cream (and he did earlier in the limo, really). He loved watching how he could affect Derek and his body quite easily. Which was no wonder, the attraction and chemistry between them was off the charts nearly from day one. He loved that very much too. It seemed they couldn't get enough of each other.

Sometimes Stiles wondered if it was just the 'honeymoon phase' of their new relationship and if it was going to cool down, but most of the time he doubted it was going to change, like ever. Now that they were officially together, they acted like hormonal teenagers around each other whenever they had the chance to be alone in the same room. Which was, frankly, invigorating and hot in the singer's eyes, because despite his dating past, he hadn't felt like that in a long time.

As his hand kept slowly moving up and down on the growing erection, sometimes using his palm to rub around the tip too, he leaned in to capture Derek's soft lips in a slow and sensual kiss that kinda mirrored the pace of his hand on his husband.

The slow rhythm was perfect. It made sure that Derek’s cock was firming up into a full-blown erection without going too fast and getting him to the edge. This way he was hard and enjoyed the sensual movements, letting his arousal grow without tipping him over. His hand went to the nape of Stiles, caressing the soft hairs there as they kissed and breathed each other in, literally.

After a while, he broke the kiss. "Get me a little wet with lube." It should ease the dry hand which had worked the spit in well, but also because Derek wanted to be lubed up for Stiles. A hand job was nice, but it just didn't compare to sinking into a warm and willing body. And willingness wasn't much of a problem for them, the problem was more that they were too eager.

"Aye, aye, captain!" Stiles grinned still looking into Derek's hazel eyes then stole one last peck from his lips before sitting up and reaching for the lube to squirt a nice amount into his palm first to warm it up a bit then he took the firmness back into his hand, watching it as it got all shiny and slick from the lube. The singer had to bite his bottom lip again as his own cock jumped between his legs. It was already on its way of slowly firming back up too. Oh yeah, he really felt like a teenager again.

"You're a work of art. You know that, right?" Stiles watched his hand pulling on the hard shaft a few more times. Then he pulled his wet hand back and leaned on the other on the bed so he could reach behind himself to smear the remaining lube all over his own still lose hole, slipping his slick fingers up into himself with a moan and a slight blush, his eyes meeting the hazel green ones again. "Also... you have the most incredible eyes," he added on a raspy voice while fingering himself right in front of Derek.

Derek only fleetingly smiled at being called a work of art, because he was a little busy looking at another work of art. Of course he was aware of his own attractiveness, but since marrying Stiles, he was reminded of it often. Not in a bad way, because Stiles looked at him like he was the most attractive person he had ever seen. And that was a compliment all on its own.

"It's so I can see you better," Derek playfully growled at the singer, quoting a famous fairytale with that.

Stiles was shameless, so it was no wonder Derek couldn't help himself. In one moment he was lounging on the bed and watching the other, in the next he was having his hands full of Stiles as he manhandled him onto his hands and knees.

Derek was already behind Stiles while he was still getting used to the change of position, big hands on the slender hips so he could slide home. Just like that. One nudge was all it took for his hips to do the rest of the work. It was too perfect, stealing his breath away as the warm tightness opened up for him due to the invading flesh.

"Holy sh....!" The air was knocked out of Stiles hard enough that he couldn't even finish his word as his brain tried to catch up with what was going on. Derek was fast and big and perfect with the manhandling. And now finally his naked cock was buried deep in him for the very first time. No condoms from this point on, unless they weren't going to want to make a mess during a quickie outside their bedrooms. "Oh god, yesss..." Stiles hissed, his hands fisting around the sheets. He looked over his shoulder to take in the hotter than hot sight behind him. His rippling hunk of a husband fully buried in him, enjoying the warm tightness of Stiles' body around him while holding his hips all tight and perfect.

Stiles waited until his body got used to the intrusion and their eyes finally met and Stiles quickly wet his lips with his tongue. Then he rasped "now fuck me like you mean it!"

Not that Derek would ever not mean it, but for their first bareback experience Stiles wanted to get fucked through the mattress, wanted to feel it tomorrow too whenever he moved, because they've waited for this moment way too long in Stiles’ opinion so there probably has never been a chance to go gentle when it came to this fuck in the first place, which the singer didn't mind at all. Especially not when Derek was balls deep in him like that.

Derek had no problem with that at all either! The moment he felt the tension of the initial penetration leave the lithe body, he pulled out almost all the way before thrusting back in. He kept a firm grasp on the hips, so he could set a punishing kind of pace for them both. He was distinctly aware of the forgotten erection bobbing between Stiles’ legs, but it was going to have to wait for attention a little while longer. He had a husband to fuck through the mattress so that was taking precedence.

One hand did slide up the back to where that strange mark was with a text, sliding along that to grip at where the neck met shoulder. It allowed for him to move freely without shoving Stiles headfirst into the headboard of the bed. It jostled the body, because the thrusts were deep, smooth, as if Derek wanted to crawl inside that beautiful body. As if he wanted to possess everything Stiles had to offer. There was no need to hold back for either of them.

The singer's moans and groans were gradually getting louder and more frequent as the punishing thrusts kept coming, drilling the depths of his body so well, he had to drop his head forward between his shoulders. He only lifted it for a few moments when he felt that big hand grab onto the base of his neck to steady his body. Stiles loved Derek's hands on him and he wanted to voice that, but all he could do was moan and gasp like a dying man while their bodies kept slapping together fast and hard.

Only when their bodies were sweating and Derek felt the tension rise again, did his hand on the hip slide around the body to grip the by now wet cock. It only needed a firm grasp because the thrusts created the movements.

"Jesus, Derek!" Stiles whined, his sweaty body instinctively rocking back against the big leaking cock in him and the hand around his own. "Keep going! Harder! Wanna... feel you... tomorrow... oh god... too!" he babbled, his limbs shaking and straining, but Stiles ignored that in favor of fully enjoying their deep and rough mating. Because it felt like one.

"Funny that you think you won't feel it tomorrow," Derek gritted out in-between thrusts, obviously very sure of his skills and not at all worried he wasn't going to deliver. Nope, he didn't listen to Stiles one bit. He let him whine and demand all he wanted, but since he was caught on a dick, he wasn't going anywhere. Which meant that Derek was the one in charge and he wasn't in a hurry to fuck himself to an orgasm just yet.

To make sure Stiles knew that being a bossy bottom didn't always work, Derek's hand went from the shoulder to the back of his head, keeping it pushed down into the pillow. Of course he had made sure to see if Stiles was turned sideways, because he preferred him breathing, but other than that, Stiles wasn't having much of a choice.

"I'd spank you for doubting me, but you'd like that." Yeah, Derek was catching on pretty quickly as to what the singer wanted in bed. Fortunately for him, Derek wanted the same things so that should work out really well.

Stiles shivered and groaned with his face red and sweaty and pushed into the pillow like that. He loved how he was kept there and his body immobilized by those hands. At that point he really had no choice but to take what Derek decided to give him and boy, was he happy about it!

He was already half out of his mind from the perfect mix of pleasure and pain and Derek's actions and words only added to that, leaving him a shivering, panting and moaning mess. He felt no shame at all, because this was not about his body being used. It was about Stiles completely opening up and surrendering himself to Derek. Of letting himself completely go. Of wiping every thought and worry and problems out of his always buzzing mind. It was about pleasure, trust and literally a peace of mind where all Stiles had to do was to give control to Derek and exist. Completely surrendering himself to a capable and good dominant man, who knew what to do. It was the most liberating feeling he ever knew.

But until he was allowed to reach that point, he was moaning and whining like a dying man, enjoying these amazing merciless moments while they lasted.

Knowing instinctively what to do, Derek leaned over the shivering body, the hold on the erection tightening to the point where it was almost too much. It skirted the threshold of pleasure and pain. "You're so good to me. You're ruining me for everybody else. You're all I want." The words were whispered against the red ear, where sweat drops were running down Stiles' face to soak into the pillow. The Hale knew how to treasure what they had, knew how to cherish his lover while giving him exactly what he needed and wanted.

He didn't slow down, they could do that afterwards. Stiles wanted to feel it tomorrow, so that's what he focused on with those deep thrusts within the body that was slowly opening up to him. Creating a protective cocoon around Stiles with the way Derek’s body was draped over of his husband’s, he kept going.

Warmth spread all over Stiles' chest from those words and he pressed his eyes shut when – despite the merciless hammering against his prostate and that nearly painful grip around his dripping cock – he felt his eyes start to burn.

"That's... all that I want... and you," he confessed in-between pants and moans. To be wanted and accepted and loved and give the same in return. That's all Stiles ever really wanted from a relationship. Did he sometimes have doubts if Derek was the one who was going to finally give him that? Of course, he occasionally had such doubts, because he's been burned in the past one too many times. But he was hopeful, because... what they had felt special already.

He's never known anyone like Derek. So he was ruining everybody else to Stiles too.

"Keep going... Please..." he panted and reached up behind with one hand to grab Derek's wrist and keep his head pushed down by that hand. He knew he was going to blow soon (with or without permission), but Stiles wanted to stretch this out, wanted it to last longer. This heartwarming connection and the act itself.

"Just... a little... longer." Derek's words were pushed out with harsh breaths as he thrust them both to their extremes. Their bodies were shivering, they were sweating and Stiles was leaking so much, Derek's hand was getting slippery. Without words though, he knew this was needed, Stiles needed him to hold out for a little bit longer.

"When you feel like you'll burst if you don't give in, that's when you let go." Derek would be following right along, it was impossible not to. So that's what he focused on, having Stiles get to that point so the younger man could give them both the release they were craving for. In many ways.

"Roger... that," Stiles panted with probably what was his last coherent thought for a while, because this was just so mind-blowingly good. Derek was so fucking good at this it was crazy and Stiles could barely comprehend it. So he didn't.

He just gave himself to the brutal pounding of his poor slick ass and rocked back against Derek and his hand as much as he could to make it feel even better for both of them. He loved the heavy smell of sex and the loud rapid slapping that their bodies made while moving together in perfect sync.

And Stiles used every last bit of his self-control to hold back. He kept chanting hold it, hold it, hold it in his head for as long as he could. His orgasm was building unstoppable, starting from the base of his spine, making his stretched hole tighten and his trembling muscles tense up more and more with each merciless thrust of that beautiful and talented naked cock in him and the hand gripping his crazily leaking and throbbing dick.

His mouth was dry and his voice hoarse from all the yelling and panting and the previous blowjob, but Stiles didn't care, just let that tension build and build and build and then exploded with a scream just when Derek said he could.

And if he blacked out a bit for a few seconds from that overwhelming orgasm, who could blame him?

As expected, the moment Stiles had tightened around him, Derek was pulled along with it. It was wrangled out of him almost instantly when those walls clamped down around him. His movements came to a stuttering halt when his seed flooded the eager body. It’s been a while since he had sex without a condom and he almost forgot how it felt more intense without the thin rubber. It was also so much messier. He felt the wetness surrounding him where he was joined with the slender body.

He didn't pull out right away, instead he breathed through the orgasm slowly, his hips jolting sometimes with these little shocks running along his body. His face was so hot that he felt it throbbing from the heat, skin slick from sweat. It was a very intense workout in a very good way. Gently he pulled Stiles with him when he rolled sideways, so they could both stretch out and bask in the afterglow. His arms were wrapped around Stiles in comfort, his softening cock slipping out with a small gush as they pressed close.

It was by far Derek's most favorite moment, the cuddling afterwards where they could enjoy what they had done together and focus on the softness of touches.

Stiles was like putty, so of course he went with it, molding himself against the warm front, as if he belonged there. Which seemed to be the case, because he fit the curves of Derek's body perfectly. He was still panting and sweaty and his heart was working overtime to calm down. He didn't mind the mess they both made on and in his body, just nuzzled back more against Derek while sliding his hand on the arm around his middle.

His eyes cracked open and a wide (and a bit shocked) smile sneaked onto his red face as the singer was still kinda high from the intense orgasm they just shared. And for a change he didn't say a word, he was simply enjoying every magical and satisfied moment of their afterglow. Dead tired yet elated and very aware of Derek's whole being behind him – starting from the firm body and its heat to each tickling exhale against his damp nape.

For Stiles this felt a lot like a slice of paradise.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10 – Piece of Me

“Let it sink, don't swim
I was in too deep
But I can't let you take another piece of me
You can break me down little bit by bit
But I won't let you keep another piece of me

So tell me something
Why should I stitch these cuts?
You brought me misery
You took my confidence
Too many bruises
Too many hits to take
A broken promise
Another scar to make”

(BFMV – Piece of Me )

For a while they didn't speak, letting their bodies cool down and their breathing calm enough to find the words if they wanted to. Derek licked his dry lips, his hands slowly caressing the pale skin. His hand on the stomach felt the muscles move, reacting to the caresses, his other hand feeling the hard bone of the hip underneath. Leaning in, he kissed the nape of the neck, his eyes drawn to the sign and the words written underneath, inked into the skin.

'If you're going through hell, keep going,' the quote said. At least that one he did know, but the symbol itself was unknown to him. His lips caressed the tattoos, kind of wanting the silence to linger but also wanting to ask. Because there were many questions he had about those tattoos that were adorning the singer's body.

"What made you decide to get Winston Churchill on your back?"

A reminder of bad times? A reminder that it could get bad, but it would get better? How much hell had Stiles gone through that he didn't know about?

For a while Stiles has been caressing Derek's forearm around him, his fingers lazily playing with the dark hairs there, but that question made the singer smile and open his eyes again, staring across the room. Of course a history teacher would know that famous quote from Churchill. He didn't expect less from Derek, even if earlier he never brought it up.

"Oh, a myriad of milestones in my life," he murmured on his currently deeper and hoarse voice. "Like my mom's death, some bullying back in high school, the struggles to get picked by a label for my music and talent, the difficulties of getting my first album released and many uphill battles in the industry. Failed dreams, failed relationships, heartbreak. You name it. Those can feel like hell in that moment and it can take a while to find hope and strength in you to keep going. So... I'd say it's the most accurate quote to reflect my life on a personal level. It means all these things to me. Those milestones? Battles I had won in life. I wanted a permanent reminder on me so I can look at it when in need and remember my strength," he rasped, but didn't get all emotional about it. Stiles felt calm and balanced at the moment, which kept the darker thoughts away.

Stiles talked like he had seen too much in his young life, but of course he had to grow up fast after his mother died. Maybe that's why Derek also didn't feel like their age was far apart, because it felt like they were at the same time in their lives. Of course, the Hale hadn't been through a lot of heartaches besides the failed relationships where his last one was destructive and toxic. But he did understand crushed dreams on a very personal level.

His warm lips kissed the tattoo again. "You're a famous singer, so you have to be strong to be able to handle all that." It was the one thing Derek himself wasn't too sure about, the fame that came with Stiles. While it was worth it to handle it, for Stiles, but yeah, it was still something he hasn't gotten used to yet. He was trying, he was making the effort and wasn't avoiding it anymore. "You're one of the strongest persons I know." And that was the total truth. Besides Erica, because she had gone through so much and was still working so hard to make the most of her life.

"The mark above it has nothing to do with Churchill though. It looks familiar." But Derek couldn't exactly put his finger on it. He knew a lot about history and cultures, but he didn't remember this one. He also blamed the amazing sex, because it had turned his normally working brain to mush.

Stiles blushed from the compliment then kinda laughed it off. "Well, let's just say that I've got better at handling all this circus and the fame. Into which said symbol over the quote plays into. It’s a kanji that means 'self' in Japanese. It helps me remind myself who I really am to stop fame twist me into someone I don't want to be. It's also a reminder to stay true to myself, of who I am. Because I'm not just a famous singer, but also a gay one at that. Some of those battles I had won was because of that very fact," he added then pulled back enough to be able to fully turn around and face Derek with a more serious look.

"When I first burst onto the scene, when I started bringing in money with my first two singles, my then management and label wanted me to hide who I really am. They wanted to shove me right back into the closet although I've been out and proud since I was barely seventeen. That was nearly two years by then," he added, summing things up for Derek, because Stiles didn't know how much he really knew about his life as a singer, if he finally googled him. "I said no, I told them I'm not going to hide who I am just for the sales. I pointed out Adam Lambert's and Freddy Mercury's and George Michael's and Elton John's obvious success. It was crazy that a nineteen years old had to remind those greedy fucks that the world was changing around them. Sure, those singers all had paved the way, but I wasn't going to back down. So I didn't. I won that round, but even now sometimes it's not easy to be an openly gay singer in this industry. That sign ties me in with the quote's meaning. On a bad day or when I'm depressed or I'm just in front of a big thing to tackle, they help me center myself and stay strong and true to myself. God, look at me all babbling about it like this!" he snorted, but kept looking at Derek, his hand caressing the firm chest. "It paints me as this strong guy, but I'm not as strong as you might think. I get worn down and fed up and want to give up sometimes too. I'm just human, like everyone else... well, except for the lizard people, who control the world from the background," he joked at the end.

There was an eye-roll at the very bad joke, as if the world wasn't full enough already with the conspiracy theory nuts. It so didn't need a famous singer to join the ranks of the insane. Good thing he was joking or the older man would have latched into one of the many lectures he was capable of giving.

"It's okay to be human, you know. I have days where I don't want to get out of bed. Which is fine, we have bad days. It doesn't make us weaker." Of course Derek knew alcohol was a problem Stiles was struggling with, the singer had told him that himself. In his eyes, that didn't change anything, Stiles was still a very strong person.

"And your fans love you for you, the gay included. I mean, Erica told me about fanart and how fans write these fictions about us. Porn ones." Which Derek didn't want to read, thanks. God, he really hoped Erica didn't read them either! "But I know it's not easy when you're gay, or bi, and the world isn't as accepting as we'd like it to be. There's been some concern from parents after I married you, because they thought I might be interested in little boys too. As if being gay is the same as that," Derek scoffed. "People are stupid. Not you, though," Derek reached out to cup a soft cheek where some rough hairs were felt because Stiles clearly needed to shave in the morning.

"Jesus! You never told me that! I'm so sorry those dumb fucks are so... I can't even find a word for that. Uneducated is the nicest one I can think of. But it happened because of me, even if it's not my fault that a lot of people are just simply stupid," he sighed leaning his face into the warm palm, keeping the eye-contact. "There'll be asses like that in the future too. Sometimes I hate people so much you have no idea," he chuckled a bit bitterly. "But I know a lot of them are supportive and already like or even love you. Hence the fanfictions and fanarts too," he grinned in the next moment. "I did see and read some of them... Some are really good. You should give it a try and then I'll let you fuck me. How does that sound for some fun?" Stiles teased, liking the new direction of the conversation much better than the darker stuff.

Derek didn't care about the ones who didn't get past their own hatred and had limited views on those who weren't like them. He actually thought that it was a good thing they were able to be role models for all those boys and girls who were struggling because they fall for their own gender. And yeah, he was also glad they inspired fans but... he made a face.

"I have the real deal, I don't need fiction for it." And he kind of didn't want to read what fans were all thinking they might be up to in the bedroom. "However, I'm willing to kiss in front of the camera to give people something to complain about." Of course he wasn't talking about a chaste kiss either but the whole tongues and everything.

"I'd like some public kissing from time to time to make some heads explode, too," Stiles grinned cheekily.

Sensing the mood change and how Stiles seemed better with the lighter topic, he decided to move on from the tattoo on his back. His fingers went from the stomach to the one he knew was there, he didn't even need to see it, it was memorized. The fox on the side with its nose pointing right to where the heart usually was. Nothing Stiles did seemed to be without a reason so that one had to have a reason too.

"What about the fox? Because you're smart and cunning?" And probably as chaotic as a fox could be. They were tricksters for sure. "I can see you as a fox. It fits you."

He felt the skin on his side brake out in goose bumps where Derek was caressing the colorful big tattoo. "We can say it's my spirit animal, yeah. It fits me well. Maybe that's why my mom used to call me her 'Mischief'. Or because I liked to sneak around the house to get some extra cookies. She also gave me the plush fox I was inseparable from ever since I could sit up. It was my favorite toy. I still have it somewhere in my room in my childhood home. So yeah, this one," he turned on his back and stroked along the back of the fox while looking down at it himself with a soft yet a little bit sad smile "is dedicated to my mom. I was like nine when she had died from frontotemporal dementia. It was... though. She was the love of my dad's life and her death broke him for years. He had some... problems with alcohol for a while, so I had to grow up fast to be able to take care of us. Luckily I had some help from Scott’s mom, Melissa. She's like a second mom to me to this day."

Stiles' long index-finger slid from the fox's back to a simple yellow star outlined with black on his ribcage, above the head of the fox. "This star symbolizes my dad. As you know, he's the Sheriff of Beacon County. He's my hero, too. After he had pulled himself together, he became the best dad I could ever ask for. We have a good relationship. And speaking of him..." Stiles looked at Derek again. "He'd like to finally officially meet you. I tried to put it off for a while, but he's tired of hearing about you only from me and the news. Luckily he despises gossip magazines, so yeah, he relies on my word more, but says I might be biased like I was with Theo," he rolled his eyes, although the Sheriff was right about Theo at least. Stiles' been blind to a lot of things about him and their relationship up until recently.

It made sense, of course, that Stiles' dad wanted to meet Derek, but he hoped they wouldn't be near Beacon Hills anytime soon, because then Stiles had to meet his family too. Not something he wanted to put the younger man through just yet. "Sure, I'll meet him when I'm in Beacon Hills." And wasn't that a luxury, to not be able to go there often? Derek counted himself lucky that way. "I'm pretty sure our parents are already in cahoots back there, knowing them." His mother would march into the station to introduce herself, because she considered it the proper thing to do. It probably had happened already.

"I'd try to shield you from my family, but if we're in Beacon Hills, that'll be impossible. And my older sister will invite you over for dinner soon." Thankfully Derek’s uncle didn't often insert himself into his life, because he was too busy living the jet set life in New York to bother himself with his boring nephew. "She's the one housing Erica from time to time so we can't avoid that. Trust me, I've tried." Family – they were nice but also a bother at the same time, in a good way. "I haven't been in Beacon Hills since last year."

"How come you haven't been back there for so long?" Stiles put a hand under his head, letting Derek's fingers continue tracing the lines of his tattoos or the ink-free skin. "Otherwise I'm fine with meeting your family. I'm actually curious about them. And the embarrassing stories your mother and I believe also your sisters will share," he grinned then made an overly serious face, patting Derek's hand. "But I'm afraid you won't get away for that long with my dad. He's coming for a visit next weekend and I was thinking about inviting you, Erica and Moon Moon over to meet him?" he asked cutely and with big hopeful eyes. "Are you guys free? I promise he won't have his gun!"

"I should worry about his gun?!" Derek’s petting stopped as he stared at Stiles, wondering just how badly he really wanted to meet a father who had a gun. Which was understandable, because he was a sheriff, but at least in New York people weren't openly carrying as much as they did in the South. Plenty of shootings though, which made Derek not so happy about guns. Especially when he had to teach his students how to act during school shootings. "Theo should worry about that gun," Derek grumbled a little before continuing. "Yeah, we'll be there. Erica will start planning her outfit the moment I tell her we're meeting your dad. And practice the many ways to call him grandpa." He wished he was exaggerating but no, that was Erica, that's what she had done to his mother, who at first wasn't too happy to be called grandma (she wasn't that old, she had claimed), but now she happily doted on her granddaughter.

The singer couldn't help himself and burst out laughing from Derek's reaction and what he said. "Don't worry, big guy. Dad will like you, I think. He's very perceptive and sees through people. It's not like you're hiding something, right?" he teased then looked more serious again. "He saw through Theo's charming bullshit pretty fast and never liked him or met him much. Not just because of our busy schedules, but also because Theo... well, after my dad said outright to him at the end of their second meeting that he didn't like him, he wasn't too eager to see him for the rest of our relationship," he explained.

"Anyways, I thought it was time Erica saw the house as well. Tell her to pack swimming stuff. The menu will be BBQ. My dad can grill a mean steak. And I'll allow him a cheat day from his healthy diet I've been making him follow since I was in high school."

The idea that he was hiding something made Derek chuckle, because he was the least exciting guy regarding skeletons in the closet. "Erica will be excited, Moon Moon too. He really liked it here." It was Derek's way of saying he really liked it here too. If Stiles would ask him to move in some time in the future, he wouldn't hesitate in saying yes. The more time they were spending together, the more he believed they were going to last – at least for a few years if not more.

"I'm not good at pretending to be somebody I'm not, so I hope your dad likes me. But I don't even have unpaid parking tickets or a rap sheet, so that should buy me some good will." Derek knew he wasn't the easiest to get along with – Stiles was special, because they just got along really well – but in general the Hale wasn't the most social. But he'd try more for the dad-in-law. He’d make the effort. "And I like meat." His dad had to like a meat eater, right?

"Oh that's a plus point. Dad doesn't trust vegetarians," Stiles snorted absently playing with Derek's fingers on his stomach. "And don't think dad hasn’t done a background check on you already. I wouldn't be surprised, especially after the whole Theo debacle..." Stiles chuckled. "Maybe you're even right about the parents being in cahoots already, who knows? But you know what? I don't mind at all," Stiles murmured and rolled back on his side to gently push Derek on his back, leaning over him.

"Especially not after what you just did to me. It was spectacular. I admit I blacked out for a few moments. And you gave me quite the load. I can still feel it leaking. It was perfect," he grinned from ear-to-ear then leaned down to steal a long and sensual kiss.

Goddammit, Stiles was already addicted to this man. To his husband. Which, in the end, should count as a good thing, right? Being addicted to your husband.

"How about showering together and some more kisses in there?" the singer asked once that kiss ended, because they were both sticky from sweat, cum and lube.

"Shower sounds good." More than good. They were extremely dirty and were badly in need of one. No matter how comfortable Derek was right now lying here flat on his back with Stiles leaning over him. Derek's hand was splayed on the sticky back, caressing the skin there. This moment was so perfect, he didn't want it to end. "As long as we can cuddle some more after that." The moments of having his husband in his arms was too short, but the need to shower won out. "I hope you don't have a closet shower like me." Which would be another good point of being here – having a shower they could both fit in. Wait a minute... "You have a pretty big bathtub, I remember that. How does that sound?" It sounded better than a shower since they could both get clean and still be in each other's arms. "I can kiss in a tub as well."

Stiles laughed wholeheartedly from that, looking down at Derek with a fond look. "Aw, you're so cute sometimes. I love it. A lot," he pecked Derek's lips then grinned again. (He's been grinning so frequently tonight that his face started to hurt a bit. Which was a small yet amazing change in the singer's life.) "We can do the bathtub cuddling and kissing and keep the shower for some sexy time some time later during the weekend. How does that sound?" he wiggled his brows.

Then while waiting for Derek's reply, he began climbing off the bed, his limbs (and ass) a bit already sore from how hard they went at it earlier. "You did quite the number on me, hubby, I'll be sore all over and even hoarser by the morning. Not that I mind," he winked back at Derek as he began walking towards the bathroom butt naked and still leaking a bit.

"See! That's why a bath is the right choice! Your sore ass can soak in it," Derek called after Stiles, as he was a little bit slower to get moving. Working out in the gym for an intense hour felt like this, the way his muscles were burning a little and he felt pleasantly tired. It wasn't the same kind of rush, though. As much as he loved working out, he loved sex a lot more.

Stretching those muscles, Derek finally rolled off the too comfortable mattress to follow Stiles, who no doubt had turned the water on already. It was why he wasn't in too much of a rush, that tub needed a little time to fill up.

He checked his phone for messages (the dad in him wanted to make sure he wasn't missing out on being needed), which there were none besides an update from Isaac on Moon Moon. It made him snort when he saw the picture of Isaac and the dog lounging on the couch.

"Please no lavender oil!" People always had lavender oil, like it was some general thing to use when owning a bath tub. Derek sauntered into the bathroom, hoping he wasn't too late to stop the lavender oil, already wrinkling his nose at the idea of them smelling like it. "I hate lavender."

"WHAT? Why do you hate lavender? It's one of the best scents in the world!" Stiles gaped at him from the sink where he was just jugging down his second glass of water. (His mouth and throat were parched from all the moaning and yelling and deep-throating, after all. Not to mention all the sweating, so yeah.) Finishing his glass, he went to the big corner bathtub to check on the water while sitting on the edge. "Otherwise knock yourself out," he waved towards the selection (three different kinds) of bubble bath bottles. "I don't put oil in my bath water anyways. I prefer bubbles! I even have a rubber duck!" he reached behind him and presented an honest to god rubber duck then plopped it into the water.

"Cinnamon is the best scent in the world. Lavender is the worst." As if that explained why Derek didn't like it, but honestly, how to explain a dislike of a certain smell? It was a matter of different tastes. Eyeing the three bottles, he picked the vanilla and honey one, handing it over to Stiles since he was right there already. The rubber duck was floating on the water. It was one of those themed ones. All black of course with a studded collar and Mohawk to boot. "If that's a vibrating one, I'm not even surprised."

The empty glass had reminded Derek he should drink some too, so that's what he did after gauging the water's height. It wasn't going to need much water with both of them in it, but the tub itself was large, it could easily hold a third person. So there was time to get some water for his dry mouth. "So you love lavender and I hate it. That's going to create some issues."

"It goes to the list of causes for a divorce," Stiles said with the same 'serious' expression and a sharp nod. "And Mr. Spiky doesn't vibrate and he'll stay with me in case our lavender issue escalates," he blinked at Derek, but the edges of his mouth were already trembling from the laugh he was trying to hold back.

To not let it slip out, Stiles cleared his throat and motioned with his index-finger for Derek to get closer, his eyes feasting on the sculpted nakedness very pleased. "I could get used to this..." he murmured and when Derek got close enough, Stiles reached out to gently run his fingertips over the rippling abs. "What about your tattoo?" Stiles asked from out of the blue, or rather going back to their previous topic. He tore his gaze away from what his hand was doing in favor of looking up at Derek from his sitting position. "What does that symbol mean to you on your back?"

"Oh!" Derek did an obvious double take from the change of topics, because his attention has been more on the fingers caressing his stomach too. "The Celts believed everything good came in threes, and the three swirls stand for the physical, the spiritual and the celestial world. It mostly stands for strength and moving forward when times get tough. It's not like I really had bad times or anything..." Derek flushed, because it seemed almost like he needed it for that. "But I got it when I had an accident and I couldn't play basketball anymore. I wanted to be a professional, but that didn't happen." He motioned to his knee where a scar was nearly hidden on the side, but pale enough to stand out with the tan of the olive skin. "It's a reminder to not let the destruction of a dream or plan let me feel down like it did back then," he laughed and shrugged. "Now that I'm older, I'm glad I didn't go professional, because getting a breakthrough there is near impossible."

"Also, you're not fitting the stereotypical basketball player. I mean, most of those guys are very, very tall," Stiles teased a bit as his index-finger lazily followed the faint trail of dark hair down, like a promise for later. "I'm sorry, though, that you had to go through getting your dream shattered back then. But, maybe it was supposed to happen to get you here. To this moment. With me. I like to think it that way," he smiled up at him sweetly and warm. "And it turns out we have tattoos with similar meanings, too."

Stiles wondered how many more things in common they'll discover about each other as they dive deeper into their budding relationship. It was like a challenge Stiles gladly took on, diving in head first despite everything.

Derek gave him an insulted look, which was mostly fake. "I'm tall. I'm 6 foot. That's tall." For basketball though, it was really, really short. And yeah, even now, when he played a friendly game of basketball in the neighborhood, he was still the short white guy. Or so the other players called him. For a guy in general, he wasn't tall either, more like average height.

"Turns out you might want to turn the water off otherwise we'll flood the bathroom," he motioned to the rapidly filling tub, which wasn't full by any means, but calculating their bodies into the mass meant it was full enough for both of them. As Stiles turned the tap off, Derek decided he was going to be the one to get in first so the singer could lean against him and stretch out more since he was the one with the ache in his behind.

"Ah, the sweet smell of no lavender."

Stiles laughed and carefully got into the big bathtub, sitting down then backing against Derek – like how he so obviously wanted this to go.

"Oh my god, this feels heavenly to my sore muscles..." Stiles moaned obscenely then sighed with a pleased expression on his face, pulling Derek's muscular arms around him. Theo wasn't that huge on cuddling, so Stiles was kinda starved for it after nearly two years and he was going to milk this relationship shamelessly for his fix.

Resting his head on Derek's shoulder, he stretched out his own long body as he was lying comfortably between the spread thighs, hugged close by the sexiest hubby he could ever wish for. What else could he ask for? Oh yeah, a kiss!

Turning his head, he offered his lips. "I'm in need for my next kiss, Mr. Tall Guy," he made a kissy face, his eyes shining with mischief.

"You're insatiable." But it didn't sound like a complaint, it was said with amusement lacing Derek’s voice. Wet fingers reached up to cup that pretty face that was angled in an almost tilt to get some kisses. Derek loved it, how Stiles was eager to get cuddles and kisses and initiated touches even more than the Hale did. Even though Derek wasn't that into touches and being close with people, that mostly applied to strangers. And with Stiles he wanted to touch him as much as he could.

Leaning in, he of course obliged, capturing the tempting lips with his own. The kiss was deepened not long after their lips met, tasting Stiles. Their kissing was slow, it was sensual but it wasn't to lead to sex. Just some lazy kissing, soaking in their company as much as their bodies were soaking in the water.

"It's so strange how time doesn't happen when I'm with you."

Stiles held Derek's gaze as he said that and smiled softly at him. "Yeah, I've noticed that too. It's a bit crazy, but I like it very much. Honestly, I haven't been in a relationship where I could get lost so easily in someone. It's different with you. And I'm pretty sure that it isn't about that exciting first period of a new relationship, you know. It's more like... dunno... like we've known each other before. Maybe in a past life or in a parallel universe or something. It's so easy for me to be around you and open up to you. I mean, I am often larger than life because of what I do, but very few had the opportunity or patience to see the real me. Especially this fast. It usually takes longer for me to open up this much. So... I guess you're an exception for many things when it comes to me. Or rather you're an exceptional man," Stiles murmured and turned his body around in the water so his front pressed against Derek now." My exceptional man..." he murmured and leaned in for another deep and slow kiss, the only sounds in the bathroom being just the slightly sloshing water with the dissolving bubbles, and the wet sounds of their lips and tongues moving.

Derek had wrapped his arms around Stiles and once their kissing had dissolved into hugging and the water was cooling down a little, he decided to be the smart one here. Also because his eyelids were starting to feel heavy. There was no telling how late it was, probably pretty late considering it had been late in the evening when they arrived at the house.

"Let's get to bed before we fall asleep and drown ourselves." He kissed the upturned nose fondly. "I don't want to become the next Romeo and Juliet."

They’ve been soaking long enough to be considered clean. Most of the filth was floating in the water by now. It was probably also why he felt tired – the heat was making his muscles nicely loose and pliant, which his body usually did when he was sprawled out in bed.

"That's probably a good idea. The sleeping in bed thing, not the drowning lovers part, of course," Stiles said a bit drowsy already, because he too felt nicely relaxed and sleepy from their long eventful day and its perfect evening.

They helped each other to dry off, exchanging lazy little kisses and laughs before they curled up in the huge bed under the covers.

Stiles loved being the little spoon, which he voiced (again), of course, then somewhere around 2.30 in the morning he fell into a coma-like sleep, still holding Derek's arm around him with a happy smile.

***

Only a few hours later the early morning sun was flooding the house with its bright rays, except for the bedroom where the thick drapes were drawn to let the lovers sleep in. Except, there was only one naked man sleeping on the messed up bed.

The rest of the mansion was seemingly empty, no movements anywhere, but that was not true. In a dimly lit soundproofed room there were long elegant fingers sliding and pushing down on white and black ivory effortlessly, working on bringing the melodies to this world from an always busy creative mind.

Stiles was sitting there on the piano bench naked, a pen sticking out of his mouth. The melody briefly halted or repeated for a few times then the pen got busy on the music sheet on top of the piano before the fingers continued moving over the keys.

Groaning, Derek wanted to sleep in a little longer, but as he reached out and found the bed empty, his sleepy brain prodded him to get up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around the dark bedroom to find no trace of Stiles, except for their clothes draped over the chair. No Stiles. Only the quiet chirping of the birds filtering through the windows. Suppressing a yawn, he stretched to let his muscles warm up before he rolled out of bed. He didn’t bother to find his underwear, which was no doubt in the pile of clothes. Instead he grabbed a fresh pair out of his bag along with his toothbrush. All the sex had made his morning breath pretty rank.

After a good brushing session and checking the time on his phone, he set out to explore. No wonder he felt like sleeping some more, it was way too early in the morning to be roaming the big house to look for the missing husband. A longing glance was sent to the coffee machine when he trudged through the empty kitchen, but it was one of those fancy ones he probably couldn't work anyways.

In the end, he found Stiles in his personal studio, working on music. Which was something he should have guessed. Honestly, he thought most artists got inspired when they were having negative emotions, so he hoped he hadn't made Stiles feel depressed. The music mostly sounded angry, though.

"You weren't kidding when you said you don't sleep much." And Derek wasn't kidding when he said he slept like the dead, because he didn't even stir from Stiles slipping away.

Stiles would forever deny if someone said he just jumped a bit from all of a sudden hearing Derek's still sleep-laced morning voice from behind. As usual, the musician has been too lost in his work to hear the soft barefooted steps. But the shock on his face was quickly replaced by a warm smile as he gave Derek an appreciative look while taking the pen out of his mouth.

Once their eyes met, Stiles said, "Yeah, thanks to this," he tapped the pen against the side of his head, indicating the aforementioned always busy brain and ADHD. "It would be worse if I didn't take my pills," he shrugged and put the pen next to the half a dozen filled music sheets.

Derek nodded to the pills explanation because as a teacher he had learned all about ADD and what it entailed. Luckily, it helped him with his students but also with his husband now, to understand what it was like to have a busy brain like that. He was also letting his eyes feast on how Stiles was sitting there naked as the day he was born, shameless and totally comfortable with himself. Something Derek loved and admired about him since he was the same.

"I like to work on my songs and music whenever inspiration strikes. Even if it's in an ungodly hour. I didn't want to wake you. You were so out of it," he chuckled and gently patted the bench next to him as he slid a bit to the side to make room for him. "Slept well then? You're up early too," he chirped after a glance at the clock on the wall. It was barely 7 am.

"I'm used to being up early during the week, so I usually wake up around this time to grump at my phone when I realize it's the weekend and then fall asleep again." Sliding next to Stiles, Derek looked at all the papers with the scribbles. Unfortunately, music wasn't something he was gifted in so the notes didn't tell him much besides the fact that there were a lot of them. Yeah, he wasn't fully awake yet, wasn't much of a morning person and so he rubbed his eyes again before scratching at his stubble.

"What are you working on?" He sidled even closer, so he could rest his head on the bare shoulder.

Turning his head to press a kiss into the messy hair, Stiles felt that warm buzzing feeling spreading in his chest again from this display of affection. It also added to it that a sleepy Derek was very cute too.

"Oh, you know, just some songs for my next album. When writing them, I like to usually use only the piano to pin down the melodies, give the song a backbone, so to say. It's cleaner to my ears like this," he explained patiently, knowing that Derek wasn't so big on music and probably knew next to nothing about how songs came to be. Which was weirdly refreshing after living with another musician for more than a year. Like this Stiles could feel a little bit as a teacher himself.

"Wanna hear what I have so far? It's quite raw and very far from finished, though. I'll probably change it quite a few times until it gets to its finished form."

"I'd like that." Derek loved to hear Stiles even more when his voice was this rough in the morning, adding an edge that it normally didn't have. He was embracing the music life as much as he could by asking about it, by listening and taking it all in. Because he knew if they were in it for the long haul, then this was going to be his life as well. Music was as important to Stiles as Erica was for Derek, so yeah, he didn't want to seem dismissive about that.

Derek's love for music went about as far as him singing along to old songs when there was nobody around to hear it. Preferably in his car. Not knowing if his voice was nice or not, he decided that was the safest bet. And for some reason it was intimate to sing, so to have one of the world's best singers do this for him in the early morning was pretty special.

"Okay," Stiles nodded, his expression changing from cheery and pleased to one with concentration as he placed his fingers over the keys, his black nails the perfect color choice to go with them visually. "I warned you, it's raw. Emotionally too," he added and cleared his throat. "Here we go..."

The long fingers started slowly on the keys as Stiles kept his eyes on the sheets on their stand and as the music progressed and swelled, he opened his mouth to start quietly singing too.

"There once was a time
When anything I do is for you
But everything has changed
And I've become a lonely prisoner

I'd kill, even die for you
You never even tried resisting
Dirty little secrets, dirty little secrets
Giving in to your primal instincts..."
(BFMV – Dirty Little Secret)

His voice was soft and quiet, the song sounding more like an acapella version of a much more aggressive and energetic track. As Stiles ran out of the words he had written so far, his fingers kept running over the keys for a few more seconds then he stopped and picked up a pen to quickly add or cross out a few more notes here and there. He glanced at Derek only after that, not knowing what he'd find there. It was already very obvious of who and what this song was about.

Stiles had said he was going to pour what happened with Theo into his music and here it finally was. Raw, sad and angry at the same time. Maybe this quieter version wasn't exactly like Stiles' usual music, now that the instruments weren't there yet. However, to Derek it spoke way more like this, since the genre of his husband's music wasn't something he'd normally listen to. He hasn't moved away, only had lifted his head to give Stiles the full range of motion. It also allowed him to watch Stiles closely as the emotions flitted across that pale face. It touched Derek, to feel those emotions, because he could imagine what Stiles was dealing with inwardly. There seemed to be an uncertainty there too when their eyes locked, so Derek leaned in to kiss him.

"You're turning your pain into something beautiful." Because that was what the song was, beautiful in all of its layers. The revenge the singer deserved, because everybody would know who this was about once it was released.

Sighing relieved, the tension from Stiles' muscles disappeared. He was perhaps a bit scared how Derek would react to the song and him writing it about his ex, but he was relieved that he accepted that, understanding that it was a form of therapy for Stiles, and even praised it.

"Thank you. It means more to me than you can ever imagine. It's my only real way to deal with it and bare my soul more than I am physically bare now sitting here naked," he said with a tiny sad-ish smile under his nose as he placed his fingers back over the keys and started playing a much softer and uplifting melody while talking.

"This one..." he looked back at his hands. "This one has been eluding me for a while now. I can't seem to make it work. Yet," he mused, pausing on a note and trying out another one. "I've been hearing it in my head, but this is a difficult one to nail down..." he said softly and tried another combination. "I'm sure it'll come to me when the time is right, though."

Once he put his hands back on his naked thighs, he looked at Derek again. "You know, I never let anyone hear my songs while they're so unfinished. I usually write the parts for most of the instruments too and bring in other people only when there's a pretty solid demo version of them. To tweak it this way and that and to help with the technical stuff. So... consider yourself lucky," he smiled genuinely now as one of his hands slid into Derek's to lace their fingers together.

"I consider myself honored," Derek nodded. Maybe it was also because Stiles knew he wasn't very knowledgeable about music and would only give his opinion on the words and the emotions behind it. There was no way he could get technical, or give a well-formed opinion on it besides his own personal preferences. Since Theo was a singer, he'd no doubt give feedback in a way that might deter the creative process. "What makes it different with me?"

Maybe because Stiles also thought about their future together, and knew that if they lived together, then he might have more Derek around when he was trying to write. "Because I promise I won't ever disrupt your process. I was mostly wondering where you were and wanted to ask if you wanted some breakfast." That and Derek had been a little worried when he had woken up to find the bed empty. "I didn't think I'd find you naked in your studio, though..."

Stiles laughed softly at that, a fond look in his eyes as he gently squeezed Derek's fingers. "It's okay. You didn't bother me or my process," he reassured and pressed a soft kiss against the stubbly cheek. "But I appreciate your concern and thoughtfulness. And to answer your question... dunno. It's just... different with you. Like..." he paused, searching for the right words, which was a bit unusual for Stiles, who most of the time had no problem with words and speaking. He could speak a lot when not completely focused on work.

"Like as I said, this relationship with you already feels different. I never trusted anyone this quickly. Well, aside from Scott, but that was back in the sandbox in kindergarten, so that was different. Kids are much more trusting. With you... I love what I've seen so far, aside from our miscommunication mishap from earlier. But that's okay too, I guess. We're still learning each other. Either way... I think I showed some of my unfinished work to you because you make me feel at ease around you. I never for a second wanted you to leave. I don't mind your presence here," he waved around with his free hand, meaning his sacred studio. "Which is surprising to me too. Especially because I felt the urge to play you these snippets without you asking. And let me tell you, many – including Theo – tried to coax this out of me, but none has succeeded to get behind the curtain with such ease like you did. Like you are. It's weird and new and scary a bit to let someone in like this, but I don't mind it with you. I don't know why. It's just how I feel about you..." he trailed off with a light shrug, clearly baffled too by this.

If this was about another topic, Derek might have been struggling to keep track of the rambling, but he understood what Stiles was trying to say, because he felt the same way. That made it easier to follow this line of thinking, to understand what Stiles was getting at. It was so unreal, it made it hard to put down into words even for somebody whose profession was to make stories with words.

"I feel the same about you. Everything feels easy and normal. As if we took a short break from a lifelong commitment and then fell back into how it was. But we never were before." Not in this life at least.

But if Derek didn't believe already in previous lives, then he'd start to now. It was the only explanation as to how two impossible people like themselves would feel so normal together. A quiet and grumpy history teacher with a hyper world famous singer? It shouldn't work, it wouldn't work. They were too different, their lives were too different. But they also were the same in a lot of things. In their differences they found a lot of common ground. "I've never really wanted to marry, or move in together. But with you I'm not even worried about not having my own life, we blend in together seamlessly."

Derek licked his lips, because he wasn't used to talking this much, but even that went smoothly with Stiles. "I don't know if you believe in soulmates, but I think that's what we are."

All of a sudden Stiles' eyes were starting to prickle with the promise of tears, because Derek... he found that word!

"Oh my god! And they say I'm good with words," Stiles chuckled a bit out of breath and let Derek's hand go so he could turn his body a bit more to the side and wrap his tattooed arms around the other man's neck. The next moment he was tasting mint and Derek as he kissed him passionate and desperate in equal measures.

He broke the kiss to speak with a mixture of shock, realization, disbelief and hope on the freckled face. "Yes... I think you're right... I think too that we are soulmates. There's no other explanation! God, now it makes so much more sense!" he chuckled still in disbelief then dived right back into that kiss.

Life was indeed crazy, but it seemed everything happened with a reason. Maybe fate existed too and brought them together when they both were ready for such a big change in their lives. Even if it wasn't clear at first to either of them.

Eagerly Derek wrapped his arms around the enthused body that was pressing against him. Of course, he kissed back with as much need. Yeah, they were soulmates and that's why it felt so good and so normal. Why their chemistry was insane and why they clicked in a way they both hadn't with anybody else. Not that Derek was that familiar with serious dating, because there had been only three serious ones and one of them was in high school. So no, relationships weren’t something he knew well or was good at. Until Stiles.

"I don't think we'll ever make sense, it's why it feels so unreal." And maybe they just were meant to be, so they should go with it and accept it. Sure, at first there was some disbelief, but that had been due to how they had met. The entire situation was pretty crazy, not just to them. Yet here they were, making it work in a way they both haven't seen coming. "So either we're having breakfast or we're having each other, because you're pressed against me naked right now." Which was doing things to Derek.

"I have to agree. I think you're right, but I like this kind of unreal..." Stiles chuckled a bit out of breath against the moist lips as one of his hands let Derek's neck go just to start sliding down on the warm upper-body while he was talking. "Apropos of nakedness... I often walk around in little or no clothing when no one's around, so get used to that, big guy..." he grinned just as his hand slid under Derek's underwear to stroke along the hardening shaft and balls.

It was another crazy thing and apparently so them that they could go from all romantic to a steamy make out session in seconds, which was very obviously going to lead to more sex! Not that Stiles would mind how horny they proved to be around each other. Anyone who got close to Stiles knew that good sex was his favorite past time after work.

The singer finally straddled Derek and said, "I think this huge revelation needs a celebration, hm?" he purred against Derek's lips just as he pulled the thickening shaft out to the open air. Glancing down that mischievous smile was back. "Oh, all this for me? You're very generous..." he bit his bottom lip, watching as his hand moved up and down on the velvety skin. "So..." he met Derek's eyes again. "Do you wanna make history with being the first and only to fuck Stiles Stilinski in his legendary studio?" he grinned, ignoring his own rapidly hardening shaft in favor of slowly stroking the other one.

It was very early morning, which was also cause for the common morning problem of men. Having a naked Stiles all over Derek, and then even going as far as getting his hands on him only added to that... Yeah, Derek was at the point where he didn't care where they had sex as long as it was happening. But to hear nobody ever had sex in here did add some extra dimension to the invitation to do it right where they were. In Stiles' sacred studio, where he went when he needed to write and sing.

Derek’s eyes closed for a moment, pleasure shooting through him while leaning into the touches. "I want you stretched out on the piano so I can get my mouth on you," Derek leered at him, forgetting all about breakfast and coffee. There was sex to be had! There was no way he was going to turn down the tempting offer from such a very tempting husband. "You'll have to think about what I did to you every time you sit here on this bench."

"I won't mind that," Stiles replied, his pupils dilating some more while his more than half-hard cock jumped in anticipation between them thanks to imagining himself trying to write music but having just an idiotic smile on his face from the hot memories.

"So obviously I'm on board with this plan. Time to make it a reality, though." For a moment Stiles tried to measure if Derek was strong enough to manhandle him on top of the grand piano, but in the end didn't want to risk either of them (or the expensive instrument) to get hurt. Who said he couldn't be responsible?

Stealing one more hot kiss from the muscular man, he got off his lap and closed the lid on the keys so he could hop on the closed top too, resting his shamelessly spread legs on the closed lid while leaning back on his hands. "One spread out singer coming up," he winked at Derek then fully laid back on the top of the piano, his white skin in perfect contrast with the black shiny surface.

Derek didn't bother to get out of his underwear, not yet, instead he adjusted himself so it was more comfortable since he was mostly hanging out of it. His hard on wasn't going anywhere, so his attention was more on the feast that was literally laid out for him. Leaning on the bench with his knees, he let his hands settle on the inside of the pale thighs, caressing with his fingers. Stiles' firm erection was nestled in a perfectly groomed nest of curls, which was ignored as well. Licking his lips to wet them, Derek leaned in.

Stiles had cleaned himself after last night, but his skin did have that scent that came after a few hours of sleep sticking to his skin. The combination of sweat and salt exploding on his tongue when he licked a path towards his goal. The tight muscle was perfectly bared to Derek like this, inviting his tongue right on over with its easy access. Stiles probably had already gathered how Derek's favorite thing to do was to use his mouth when it came to sex. His warm and wet tongue licked a path from the perineum to the hole, lathering it in his spit.

The singer's eyes rolled shut and his muscles contracted for a moment before relaxing on a long moan. That first lick was always so strange yet exciting whenever he was rimmed. Especially when his hole was a bit still sensitive from previous intense sex.

But Derek was nothing if not deeply attentive to his body and Stiles' feelings. He had noticed him checking in on him regularly, which only warmed the singer's heart on every occasion he wasn't too busy moaning his head off to notice it.

Now, though... Now he had no energy to lift his head to check how Derek looked like that, back between his spread legs. He had a pretty good mental image of that from earlier, so for now he just kept his eyes shut to fully enjoy the exciting sensations, which made his insides feel hot like lava.

If Derek was smart, he'd pick up the singer and get him back to bed now that writing wasn't happening anymore. But it was going to have to wait until later. Although he did wonder if the younger man wasn't too sensitive from last night. Derek was (un)fortunately pretty large, and their sex had been rough, as Stiles had asked for.

"If it's too much, you need to tell me." It never hurt to remind the singer out loud again instead of assuming he would do exactly that. And rimming might even soothe the deep ache, if he did it well. No, not if, he always did it well.

The hole fluttered and winked at him after that first lick, so Derek repeated the motion. His thumb caressed the thin skin between the testicles and the anus, not putting too much pressure behind it yet, but a soft, erotic petting. His tongue lavished the rim, coaxing it open so it could push inside, as deep as it could go with short stabs.

"Yeah... yeah... I'll tell..." Stiles panted, which was followed by another long moan and his back arching off the cool surface of the piano as goose bumps covered his whole body from the delicate teasing at that very sensitive patch of skin and the skilled tongue licking and then fucking into his opening up ass.

"God, you're so good at this!" he groaned, his toes curling against the lid and his now rock-hard cock jumped a bit against his stomach, the first bead of pre-cum glistening at the uncut tip. Sure, he was a bit still sensitive, but that just made the feeling of that tongue in him all the more intense and he loved it.

Reaching for the pierced nipples, Stiles began lazily playing with them to add to the pleasure and fan the steadily growing flames in him.

"I kinda feel like... Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman..." he said to the ceiling and chuckled low, meaning that scene where her character had sex with Richard Gere's on the piano.

At least Derek was good at something with his mouth! Besides lecturing and grumping. To be fair, Stiles made it easy to be good at it with how relaxed he was, and how open he kept himself. Always knowing the right position for his body to give full access to Derek. He was in many ways perfect. However, the words made Derek stop and think about it.

"You feel like a whore?" Yeah, he had seen that movie once when Erica was watching it, or more, he had caught glimpses of it as he tried to ignore the terrible romantic movie. "I'll take that as a compliment, I guess." And he went back to fucking Stiles with his tongue, because he’s only just started. Once the muscle had relaxed enough to open up for him fully, he sucked at the rim, letting some of his spit dribble in to soothe the way.

"It was a compliment! And no, not like a whore... Oh god..." Stiles panted from that feeling and pushed himself up on one elbow, his other tattooed arm reaching out to let his long fingers get lost in Derek's messy hair. Now he had that legendary sight of that head working between his legs. It was quickly becoming his favorite perspective of his attentive and very thorough husband. But for once, Stiles was patient. Maybe because they already had sex recently and the urge was not that desperately burning inferno like how Stiles felt last night before being dicked down hard. "I meant the scene itself, silly," he lightly tugged on Derek's hair, his smile turning sultry. "Although I kinda am your willing slut now. Just look at me, us!" he chuckled, running his fingers through the thick hair a few times. "There's a bottle of lube under the couch's left seat cushion," he nodded towards the corner behind them where there indeed was a black leather couch.

Derek hummed in answer, letting Stiles know that yes, he had heard it, but he wasn't in a hurry to go grab it yet. Nope. He was busy letting his tongue do all the work, at least inside of the younger man. Because he did have an idea of how to use his fingers and it wasn't to tug at hair like Stiles’ was doing. Derek wasn't against that, the playing with his hair, because it created goose bumps, which ran all the way down his back.

As the Hale was feasting on Stiles, his thumb went back to where he’s been caressing the sensitive skin. Although now it wasn't the light petting anymore, he put some pressure behind it, as if he was massaging out knots. The knot he was mostly after could be reached if he knew how to apply pressure. Which he did. The harder touches managed to press against the prostate from the outside to create some nice friction there.

"OH MY GOD!" Stiles' reaction was instant to that. His body was very responsive in general, but what Derek's fingers were doing to him was on a whole other level. It wasn't easy to stimulate that patch of skin the right way, but Derek seemed to be an expert in that too, making Stiles throw his head back and groan obscenely loud. It also resulted in a whole body spasm, more toe-curling and more leaking happening against his flat stomach.

It was an indescribable feeling. Maybe not as intense as if those fingers were massaging his prostate from the inside, but very close to it. He still saw stars behind his eyelids. And then there was also that sinful tongue paying attention to his by then sloppy wet and much looser hole, too! God, this man was going to be the death of him for sure...

"Magic fingers and tongue... You have magic fingers and tongue!" Stiles babbled, his head still thrown back with his eyes closed. "I feel like self-combusting! Seriously! Where did you learn... oh god... how to be so good... yes!... at this?!"

"I practiced," Derek told him on a deadpan tone, but he was completely amused by the reaction. He loved sex, and he wanted to be good at it, and if one had enough practice and enough teachers, this is what the result was. That and Derek had indeed read a lot of books about the art of intercourse. Not only the Kama Sutra as he had joked. "Don't move."

Midway during the massage, he pulled away to get his underwear off which was a little too constricting at that point. But also so he could saunter over to the couch and look for the lube Stiles had said was there. It was a curious thing because if they were the first ones to do it in here, then why the lube?

"You have lube hidden all over the place, don't you? And probably a sex dungeon." Something he didn't see during his tour, but that wasn't exactly something you'd show to everybody.

Well, Stiles did move a bit. He lifted his head just in time to see that perfect bubble butt's muscles move as Derek walked to the couch, and he also leaned on his other tattooed forearm to prop himself up better.

There was a chuckle and a dirty grin from Stiles. "I do have lube hidden in some of the rooms and places you'd never guess," he agreed. "You can never be prepared enough. Let it be with someone else or your own hand. Obviously here" he glanced around the studio "it's been only my hand. Until now..." he hummed and licked his lips, lust-filled eyes feasting on the beautiful naked male in front of him. "Tell me, Derek Hale... would you like it if I had a sex dungeon hidden away somewhere in this house?" he asked with an amused expression, tapping his fingertips against the piano.

Seeing those needy eyes roaming all over his body made the Hale lean on the piano with one hand, the one with the lube, as he used his other hand to wrap around his hard length. The velvety skin of his very erect appendage got a slow tug to reveal the red head hidden beneath. "Depends on the toys in that room." He sounded confident but there was zero experience with that kind of scene. He didn't even know what kind of toys to expect in there, besides the ones a BDSM lover would use. Like maybe chains and whips and leather stuff.

"I'm always open to try out things." Casually, he slowly moved his hand up and down his own length, standing there on display for Stiles to take in his fill of ogling him. He knew what it did to the other and he shamelessly exploited that. "What would you have in the dungeon?"

Stiles nearly went cross-eyed from that hot sight and his mouth suddenly watered and gaped, trying to find his words. "Holy shit, you're so fucking sexy!" He felt like his mind and cock were going to blow. Just from watching Derek touching himself so casually.

A part of him wanted to clamber off the piano and literally attack him, but he knew Derek wasn't done with playing with him just yet. And he was doing that even now, not even touching him physically. The fucker!

Stiles cleared his throat, not taking his eyes off that glorious cock, looking at it mesmerized and longingly. Jesus, he wanted it back in him so bad. This man indeed made him insatiable. Although he had warned Derek about that before their first time. That once he got a taste of his yummy husband, he was going to be needy for sex. The fact that the sex was – to say the least – mind-blowing between them was an amazing bonus too.

"Silk ropes, vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, anal beads, crops, ball gags, cuffs, a collar and... a big bed and pillows to kneel on... and gummy bears. And chocolate. Lots of those, yes," he finally answered.

An eyebrow arched at the mention of gummy bears, because well, that wasn't expected in the list of toys. The rest? Kind of was, besides the collar which he knew was for Stiles himself. They hadn't really talked about the dos and don'ts and he was told in advance that Stiles was kinky. The question was, could Derek deliver on all of it? He didn't know. It wasn't something he had done before. They'd see. They'd find their ways, there was no doubt in his mind.

"That sounds more like a wish list. So no dungeon." Right?

Giving one last pump to tease Stiles and make him wait a fraction longer, Derek uncapped the lube and coated his fingers. The green eyes glanced at the singer as he went back to the loose hole, slipping one lube-coated finger in easily. Oh yeah, Stiles got very relaxed thanks to the rimming, because he was so ready for another finger. So another joined. He wanted his husband to feel the stretch after all. The fingers resumed what they’ve started on the outside, crooking on the inside to find the fleshy nub hidden there.

He loved watching Stiles react to that, loved playing with his prostate. Probably also because his own wasn't working like that and it was aweing to see how the other fully gave into it. How his body trembled and gave these tiny little shocks along the muscles under the skin. All because of what Derek was doing with the intensity of a devoted lover.

Stiles' head dropped back, his mouth opening on a moan and his eyes closing again, because how couldn't he not do that from that intense stimulation that was back? He couldn't really focus on anything else as he moved his ass to the edge of the piano to feel those skilled fingers in him better.

"Fuck..." he panted then tried to collect himself a little bit, but it was really, really hard as he was shamelessly riding those fingers. "No dungeon yet... But I can... start converting a room for that... if you're up for the challenge..." he panted, meeting Derek's eyes as he kept rocking his ass against the fingers that made his lips tremble and his mind short-circuit.

"We'll see," Derek answered because yeah, the talk about the dungeon wasn't as important as to give Stiles all he wanted right this moment. Besides, Derek was sure the things Stiles wanted in the mentioned room were also items they could use in the bedroom just as easily. And he was also confident those same toys were already in that very same bedroom, hidden away.

Seeing Stiles so gone, giving into it with abandon, made the Hale add another finger, the three thick fingers a tight fit. At first. The more he worked them in and out, the easier they made their way inside with a slick twist. God, he really hoped Stiles was up for more penetration, because he was aching to slide inside that tight heat again. His own erection was throbbing with need.

Nodding to Derek's reply, Stiles was enjoying the more intense stretch of the three fingers for a few more moments then he licked his lips and tried to size up how far gone Derek was. To his estimates, he was nearly as gone as he was, so he grabbed the wrist of the hand which's fingers were stretching and fucking him with ease by then.

"Taking me like this... would be very uncomfortable," he started, meaning that the top of the piano was too high off the ground and he really wanted this to be satisfying for both of them. So with tightening his grip on the wrist, he made Derek pull his fingers out. "Sit back on the bench," the singer said and once Derek did, he got off the top of the piano and leaned in for a short but hot kiss.

Then he turned around and with one hand leaned against the covered keys of the instrument, his other hand lubing up and then leading the wet tip against his entrance. He didn't waste much time and began going down on the rigid flesh with confident moves, the pleasure-pain of getting opened up for more than three fingers making him shiver and moan with his back against Derek's front. Bottoming out took a moment, but when that happened, Stiles groaned and stilled, letting them both enjoy the feeling for a few moments. Then his hips began circling and grinding, Derek's erection buried as deep in him as it could go.

"Holy... shit... You feel so big and good in me!" he groaned, circling his hips harder.

The piano bench was long but not wide and Derek couldn't move or they'd both fall off the narrow surface. Which meant Stiles had to do the bulk of the work by moving, and he was holding onto the slender hips. Not to keep Stiles steady, because he had the piano to lean on, but to keep himself from moving too much.

It made it all the more overwhelming, as he was forced to sit there and watch from behind Stiles impaling himself. The round buttocks were spread around the thick length, giving him the perfect view to see how his own flesh disappeared within the depths of that beautiful body. Derek knew he wasn't the one trying to kill them, that was all Stiles now! His breathing hitched, a moan stumbling out as his fingers dug into the skin yet again.

It was too much. "You feel so good to be in," he groaned heatedly, leaning in to lick at the skin of the sweaty back. Stiles moved too much to get a good grasp on the little piercings in his nipples, something he knew his husband loved to feel. Instead one of his hands hooked around to grab for the leaking cock he found there. It wasn't the best hold, because he had to match the movements of the other which were frantic.

Stiles gasped and moaned from that touch. "You read my mind!" he chuckled out of breath, meaning the grip around his leaking cock while he slowed his circling and leaned more against the piano on both hands. He bent forward and used his legs to slide half-way up on the thick length, just to slam his ass back down to feel it go deep.

"Fuck yeah... God! Derek!" he groaned, arching his back some more as he kept fucking himself steady and deep on the sitting man. It was a bit more intense than usual from being a bit sensitive still and Derek's hand jerking his oozing dick, but Stiles loved it very much.

It was more intense for Derek as well, because he usually was busy moving and keeping a check on his partner. Right now though, he focused on how it felt to be deep within his partner. The way the walls opened up around him, and how Stiles felt tighter because he no doubt was a bit swollen inside from having a lot of Derek in a short amount of time.

The hold on the erection tightened, Derek’s hand moving up and down more rapidly between Stiles' movements. He was sweating enough to make the leather of the bench stick to his naked ass. It was creaking with every movement the younger man made. It was one hell of a wakeup call! Who knew he could be this productive this early in the morning?!

"I love how you're going to come all over your piano soon."

There was a hoarse laugh at that while Stiles kept moving against the buried cock and tight grip. "Not if I do this..." he murmured and sat up straight with Derek buried so, so deep in him that it in itself made Stiles groan and press his sweaty back against Derek's chest, arching into him.

Turning his head, like this he could look at him and pant against his lips as the singer began rolling his hips back and forth and occasionally circling it, oozing more pre-cum against Derek's hand from the way the thick shaft rubbed against his sensitive walls.

"You like me like this? All open but tight and hot around your dick? So horny for you?" he nipped at Derek's bottom lip playfully as he kept rolling his hips and grabbed Derek's free hand to lead it to a pierced nipple.

"Yes," Derek murmured, chasing after those lips to claim his mouth with his tongue. He also loved how Stiles tasted himself in Derek's mouth from eating him out. Their scents and tastes were not something either of them really cared about. They knew fully well sex was messy and filthy, so why pretend otherwise? "You were made for this."

The bench was holding their weight and movements really well, but still Derek wasn't going to risk it and move too much. Not with how close they were both getting to an orgasm. He could feel it heating up his loins. Derek tugged at the piercing hard, making sure it was toeing the line of pleasure and pain before he caressed the nipple to soothe the sting.

"YES! For you!" Stiles cried out his reply against Derek's lips from that intense tug, which made his ass tighten around the thick shaft on instinct. Pleasure and pain shot through his body, his nipple and cock throbbing, the latter squirting some more pre-cum onto Derek's fingers.

Stiles' heart was pounding hard and fast, his vision blurring and his captured lips trembling as he tried to kiss his husband back and also breathe. Both seemed to soon become too complicated for him, so he just moaned and panted with parted lips as he kept moving a bit faster and more desperate.

"Gonna come soon for you..." he moaned against Derek's lips, his hazy eyes glued to the other man's as if he hung the moon and the stars, his whole body tingling and starting to tighten from the building mind-numbing feeling, his fingers gripping the piano again for more leverage to roll his ass on him in just the perfect way for both of them. "Talk dirty to me..." he panted, loving how he was doing most of the work like a cock hungry slut. He could totally be that for Derek – no second thoughts there! Because this was just SO good, so, so good and right and perfect.

Derek probably wasn't talking as dirty as Stiles was hoping for, but it couldn't be said that he didn't try. His hand kept moving up and down the profusely leaking cock as the other played with the pierced nipples so his attention was all over the place, which also didn't work wonders for his speech capability.

"I'm going to fill you up, make you feel me. Your rim will be all puffy and swollen from the hard riding you're doing."

That bath they took last night had only worked for so long, but this was what they’ve been hoping for, a weekend full of sex. Since it was only an evening, night and a day they had together, they were making the most of it. "Not going to last much longer, you're moving so well."

Stiles groaned from the words and reached back with one hand to grab onto Derek's hair, arching his back, the other hand resting on his man's forearm to feel him jerk his throbbing cock.

"Yeah... yeah, come on, fill me up! I want it all. Give it to me!" the singer panted, feeling his muscles tense as his orgasm was taking over. "I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna..." he warned as he moved faster and harder, his hips falling out of rhythm.

Then all of a sudden he threw his head back right next to Derek's on a loud cry, his cock spurting thick stripes of cum over his stomach and Derek's hand, while his ass contracted around the length in an attempt to milk it for that promised load.

"Oh god..." The moment Stiles contracted around him, Derek was gone too. Especially thanks to the tugging of his hair which was suddenly nearly painful. The clamping walls were milking him for all their worth as his body shook and he filled up Stiles with a healthy load. They didn't end up sprawled on the ground, but it was a close one. Derek had grabbed onto the piano fast since he mostly wanted to give into the need of his body to relax all of his muscles. Not something he could do right now.

If they kept this up for the day, they both might not be able to work tomorrow from exertion! It was an entire workout again, because his muscles were burning from overuse in a nice way. All Derek could do at the moment was to lean his head against that of his husband as they both were riding and panting out their orgasms. Death by sex. What a way to go!

Chapter Text

Chapter 11 – Leap of Faith

“Jump into the fire, no fear
Taken to the edge but it still can't break me
I'm not caving in
Nothing's gonna kill me, come take me
Closer to the edge but it still can't break me
I'm not caving in

So fill your lungs, inhale the future
Now scream it out
So fill your lungs, inhale the future
Now scream it out
Release the pressure!”

(BFMV – Leap of Faith )

The following week was busy for both of them with work. Derek was teaching as usual and Stiles had a couple of magazine interviews and photo shoots to do, but otherwise he threw himself into writing his songs. He felt charged and super inspired – mostly thanks to Derek and the eventful weekend they had shared. Stiles did feel for a day or two where Derek's been. True to his husband's words, each time he sat down to his piano to write, he remembered that hot morning, which left them both all sexed out. He had a silly grin on his face as he remembered that they exhausted themselves so much that they had to go back upstairs for a much needed nap before they had brunch and cuddled while watching some stupid movie Stiles didn't even remember a second of. He was too busy soaking in Derek's touches and attention, even just his presence.

Which Stiles did miss during the week, especially since he was busy helping Erica with some school project, so Stiles didn't want to barge in and hog his husband's attention when he and Erica needed some father-daughter time. That left them only with phone calls late at night (some of them turning into phone sex, yes).

But despite the fact that he missed his husband more than he thought he would, Stiles finally felt happy again, even if working his pain and anger out of himself through the songs was emotionally exhausting for him. But he wanted to heal, to put everything Theo-related behind him. Well, as much as possible. He wanted to focus on this budding new relationship, which made him feel so much better and happier, thanks to Derek.

"He truly is an exceptional man, dad," Stiles sighed with a dreamy expression on his face once the chocolate chip cookies he just baked were safely out of the oven.

The sheriff raised a brow and paused in chopping the tomatoes for the salad and burgers he was going to make for the BBQ too. "That you had said at least three times already." The sheriff wasn't stupid, he knew that Stiles wanted to sell Derek as this perfect guy, but as always, his son was biased when it came to the men he chose to be with. Like with Theo. Noah only had to talk to him for five minutes to know that he was no good for his overly romantic son, but he could never persuade Stiles about that until it was too late. At least that douchebag was out of the picture now. But Derek Hale was still to be judged.

Noah was just as shocked about the sudden marriage as the millions  who witnessed it. As he sat there in the VIP section, watching his son, seeing the pain in his eyes and then learning about what caused it... it broke his heart and he wanted to murder Theo Raeken – or at least lock him up for a weekend to teach him a lesson. Of course, he did neither, but it took everything in him to give Stiles his space and not butt in too much after marrying a total stranger and trying to figure out what to do next.

There were journalists descending on the Sheriff's Station in Beacon Hills too, traveling there just to try and interview the famous singer's father about his opinion, even if they knew that Noah Stilinski never gave any interviews about his son. It was for Stiles' protection, of course. Plus he's always hated journalists, so he might have threatened them in his own dry yet polite way that if they didn't scoot, he'd lock them up for harassment. It worked and after a few days they all cleared out, leaving him alone.

But he had to wait long weeks to finally meet his son-in-law. He was a bit surprised that his son was still married to this Derek, but (even after a background check of his own), he did seem decent. Working as a history teacher at a high school with an adopted daughter and a dog. It didn't hurt that he knew his mother and has always been on good terms with the Hale family. A plus point was that he didn't give any interviews of his own either. He had to admit that he liked that.

The wait was finally over now. Today – after pressuring Stiles into it, because hiding his husband from him was starting to get ridiculous at this point – Noah was finally meeting the small family.

His son's voice brought him back from his thoughts again.

"Because he is! You'll see. You'll love him. Just give him a chance, okay? And play nice. He's nothing like Theo."

"Thank god..." the sheriff grumbled under his nose, continuing with the chopping.

"Dad! This is important. Derek is important to me, so promise me," he turned towards his father, nervously fiddling with his wedding band on his ring-finger. It was a habit he had quickly developed during the nearly two months they've been married.

"Fine. I promise," Noah gave in, like nearly always when it came to his only kid.

*

"Oh wow. This is like huge!" Erica's eyes were wide as saucers when Boyd drove the car through the security gate.

The man had offered to pick them up with a text message, but they thought it also could be because Stiles wanted it to happen. Either way, Derek was happy to take the offer since he was too nervous to be driving. Interviews, fans, press... sure that all was enough to get on his nerves too, but this was different, this was about meeting the man who was very important to Stiles. So it was important to leave a good impression.

"Totally worth it to wear a dress to this," she continued with a dirty look thrown at Derek.

Yes, he had made her put on something 'nice'. Not a dress in particular, but she had of course decided to wear her dress, which she had for special events just to be even more of a brat.

"Stop acting like spending the weekend at Stiles' is a huge sacrifice." It wasn't. When she had learned that she could use the pool and the movie room, she was sold. As for Moon Moon? He was happy to go wherever they went. It was a mini move, because Erica never packed light, and Derek also had to lug along Moon Moon's food, bowl and of course pillow.

He cleared his throat and pulled at his shirt, which was a nice button up one, without a tie because Erica had told him he was meeting his father-in-law, not an investment banker. His stomach was doing all kinds of flip-flops, and he wasn’t able to eat all day. The noises his stomach was making was only adding to his nerves.

"I'm so glad you guys are already married, because if you had to have a planned wedding day, you might have a heart attack from the nerves." Erica wasn't very helpful as she patted him on the shoulder, like she was calming a frightened horse.

"At least the sheriff didn't bring his gun," Boyd piped up with amusement as he looked at them through the rear view mirror.

Derek's eyes widened, and he could feel a trickle of cold sweat run down his back. "It's really not helping if you and Stiles keep mentioning his gun."

*

Stiles was absently sipping on his apple juice, knowing from Boyd's text that they were on the way. He was nervous too, which manifested in him making sure everything was in order in the house once his dad banished him from the kitchen where he kept packing and cleaning shit, more often than not getting in his dad's way.

So the second the town car stopped in front of the house, he put his juice down and opened the door, walking to the car with a huge grin.

"The cargo is safely delivered," Boyd said with a neutral face, but his eyes were amused. "Although he's nervous."

He didn't have to elaborate, Stiles immediately knew he meant Derek. The musician wasn't surprised and shared that feeling.

"Thanks, Boyd. There'll be a plate for you in the kitchen," he smirked at him and watched his driver/bodyguard nod and make himself scarce for the rest of the day. Stiles hoped that his guests would stay for the weekend.

Then his attention was drawn to Moon Moon, who jumped out of the car the second Erica opened the door and he ran up to Stiles with a happy bark.

"Hey there!" he chuckled as the happy dog tried to jump on him. To prevent that he leaned down to pet him thoroughly until the other two got out of the car too.

"Hi, Stiles!" Erica greeted him with a large smile as she dutifully got her own bag. No, she wasn't that helpful, Derek had to grump at her to get it, because Boyd didn't work for them and he had to get his own things as well as Moon Moon's. Boyd had offered to get some things, but since he had already been so nice to pick them up, Derek didn't want him to go out of his way. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw how Stiles handled Moon Moon, luckily knowing how to deal with a very happy dog.

Arms full, he gave Stiles a kiss in passing, planning getting the stuff squared away. Which meant Moon Moon's things in the living room and his bag in the bedroom. Both rooms also happened to be without a certain sheriff. As he walked off, Erica shook her head.

"You might want to go pet him a few times, he's really skittish. And I'll go keep the new grandpa company!" The teen was very confident in her ability to be liked and didn't mind meeting new people. If anything, she was eager to meet Stiles' dad and hear all about Stiles' old childhood stories.

Stiles blinked after his husband's retreating back then looked down at Erica. "Uh, thanks for the tip and occupying my dad. He's in the kitchen, preparing the meat for the grill. Let me get your bag," he offered, because he could be a gentleman. "I'll give you the tour of the house once things settled and if it's safe to leave Derek and my dad alone for a few minutes," he grinned at the blond confident teen. "I hope you brought swimwear. The weather is perfect for the pool after lunch," he added as they began walking towards the house with Stiles pulling her red suitcase behind him, Moon Moon leading the way with his tail held high.

Erica was used to Derek's odd behavior when he was nervous, because he had the social grace of a lone wolf at times. Ever since she came to live with him and he had started to work at the school, he had gotten much better but at times his recluse old behavior popped right back up.

"I brought a bikini and a bathing suit, because I'm totally prepared." She was petting Moon Moon as they walked, her big brown eyes taking in the house right away. It wasn't new to her, she had seen it on MTV Cribs, but only a few rooms and not the outside besides the front door.

"He wants to check himself in the mirror. I may have teased him about a stain on his shirt." Did she feel guilty about it? Maybe a little, but she also thought Derek could use some alone time with his husband before he'd meet the reason for all his stress. Erica was, as she thought so herself, kind of a genius like that.

"Let me guess, you and Boyd both teased him mercilessly," Stiles frowned a bit as he led Erica further into the house and a corridor behind the stairs that led to one of the downstairs guest rooms he figured she'd like, because it looked right at the pool, having a door to the garden for easy access.

He didn't even expect an answer – her chuckle was answer enough. "Okay, here's your room. I hope you like it. Get yourself comfortable and if you want, go meet my dad in the kitchen. I think I have to check on Derek."

With that Stiles left the gaping teenager in the middle of the room and Moon Moon sniffing around with a wagging tail. Stiles felt the urge to go find his nervous husband. He hoped that he wasn't going to have to coax him downstairs.

Of course, he found him in the master bedroom.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

Derek was in the middle of buttoning up his shirt after he had checked it inside and out for a stain that wasn't there. When he heard the soft footsteps and looked up, he gave Stiles an apologetic look. "I want to make a good first impression and somebody made me think I was wearing dirty clothes." The last thing he wanted to be was someone like Theo, where Stiles was caught between his lover and a loved one. No, Derek wasn't going to put him in that kind of position, if he had anything to say about it. "And then Boyd had to mention the gun!" Derek motioned to nothing in particular. "I don't like guns. They shoot bullets." Yeah, that was one of his smartest comments to make. Oh no, if he said that in front of Stiles' father, he'd be toast.

"Hey, hey..." Stiles walked over with a smile and took both of his husband's hands, squeezing and rubbing them reassuringly. "It's going to be fine. Although you kinda look cute when so nervous about my dad, he won't eat you alive or shoot you. He's not the Antichrist," he chuckled and stepped even closer, letting Derek's hands go to caress his shoulders. "He's strict and has a dry humor, yes, but he'll like you. You're nothing like Theo, if that's what you're worried about. He will like you, okay?" he repeated, sliding his hands up to cup Derek's stubbly cheeks. "You and Erica and Moon Moon. There's nothing not to like about you three," he smiled and gave Derek the proper kiss that they had missed outside.

Surprisingly, he wasn't that worried about Erica and Moon Moon not being liked, because they both had chaotic energy that somehow worked for them. Even though at times Derek really wanted to tell Erica to stay in her room for a few days with how she seemed determined to make his hair grey at a very early age. The kiss did soothe his nerves a little as he melted into it and the touches.

"I just want you to be able to have your family and a husband all together in one place without worrying about it. I want you to have all of it and not be caught between two dumpster fires. Not that I mean your dad is a dumpster fire..." For a man of little words, he sure knew how to utter all the wrong ones in a very short amount of time. Which also showed why he had a certain reputation.

Stiles chuckled, looking at Derek very fondly and shook his head. "I know how you meant it, don't worry. And you're so precious. It's been a while since someone was so kind and attentive to me. Thank you," he caressed the stubbly cheeks with his thumbs. "And I'm sure I'll have all of it. With you. I know this is a bit scary. Let me tell you a secret: I'm a bit nervous too, but I know my dad. He knows your family and I'm sure he also remembers you. He always liked and respected the Hales and I'm sure he only heard good things about you. So yeah, this will work and he'll behave. Also, pro tip: he likes Greek mythology," he winked at his nervous husband then pressed a short kiss against his lips as he took his hand. "Come on, don't make him wait any longer. Waiting around is something I know he doesn't like," he smiled and tugged on Derek's hand to get him moving.

The other man was feeling so much better thanks to the attention of Stiles and the words and the touches. All of that went right out the window though with those last words. They kept the sheriff waiting and he hated waiting! All that really went through him as Stiles tugged him along was 'Oh noooo.' And he felt like he might leave a wet stain when sitting down, because he was sweating right through his underwear.

There were voices coming from the kitchen, because Moon Moon and Erica have trudged in there, the first because of nice smells, the latter because she thought she should buy them some time by meeting her new grandpa first. She had put on some lipstick in her room, because that always made her feel like she could handle the world, and then she had marched her fourteen year old self right into the kitchen. There was an instant liking of the man with the stormy grey eyes and the kind smile. He was smart like Stiles and had a total dad vibe.

If Derek was a little pale and his hand sweaty, Stiles didn't comment on it and also didn't let his left hand go as he led him into the kitchen (luckily without having to actually drag him in).

"Hey, dad. I see you've already met Erica and Moon Moon," Stiles chirped cheerfully, drawing the man's – who was wearing a simple blue T-shirt and jeans – attention to them.

"Yes. Moon Moon is a born beggar," he glanced down at the dog sitting by his feet with a wagging tail, waiting for more meat scraps. "And this young lady is delightful company," he nodded towards Erica, who visibly beamed. Then his grey eyes zeroed in on the man nearly plastered against his son's side. He sized him up from head to toe, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"Glad to hear that!" Stiles hurried to carry on the conversation then with his free hand waved towards Derek. "I know you know, but let me introduce you to Derek Hale, my husband."

The sheriff wiped his hands on a kitchen cloth and walked out from behind the kitchen island. "Hale," he nodded towards Derek and offered a hand to shake. "Your mother had told me good things about you. Noah Stilinski," he introduced himself.

Derek was quick to wipe his right hand on his pants, because Stiles maybe didn't comment on it, but he knew it was all clammy. Doing his best to give the older man a firm shake, he gave a serious nod. A smile was a little too much to ask for right now as he was trying hard to simply breathe through it. "It's nice to meet you officially, Sir," he stammered out.

"Is it nice? Let's hope so, but that's yet to be determined." Noah clearly didn't want to make this easy on Derek, wanted to scare him a little to see what he was made of, if he was as great as Stiles boasted him to be.

Erica's eyes went from one male to the other, tempted to ask if there was any popcorn but wasn’t much help otherwise. To her Noah seemed to be a good man and as long as he didn't insult her guardian or made his life any more miserable than he already was, she wisely didn't pipe up.

Derek on the other hand took a deep breath. If he was able to survive his first week with a whole class of teenagers trying him out, then one man shouldn't be a problem. He glanced at Stiles, the man he was doing this all for, before his attention went back to Noah. "Stiles told me you're very good at the grill so yeah, I'm sure this will be nice."

After giving a reassuring smile to Derek, Stiles glared warningly at his dad, who of course ignored him and kept watching Derek, but kept his comment back on sucking it up with compliments not working on him.

"How about drinks?!" Stiles asked overly cheerful and finally let Derek's hand go to get beers for them and a coke for Erica, who took it with an amused grin.

"I heard you graduated with honors from college and that you're teaching at a high school," Noah started as he accepted the beer offered by his son. "Why history?"

That not even Stiles knew, so it had to have come from Talia or his father's background check or perhaps from an article about Derek, although Noah rarely read the tabloids.

Opening the other two beers, he pressed one into Derek's hand (who still kinda looked like sweating bullets), and took a long swig of his. He really hoped that the rest of the day wasn't going to be about his dad interrogating Derek.

Honestly, this Derek didn't mind as much because questions about himself he could answer without feeling like a failure. Which he had just now when he tried to say that he really liked meat, but instead was more like he was sucking up. His mouth was very dry, and he quickly took a long drink from the beer, needing the liquid courage.

"I stayed at the university I graduated at to teach, hoping to get a position at the worldwide archeology digs it funded. But when I needed a change of job…" He didn't say when things changed, or how faith had other plans, because he never once regretted taking in Erica and didn't want her to feel any kind of guilt. "I figured that maybe I could help others find as much interest in history as I have. Kids find it boring, and the cutthroat way it's often presented doesn't make it more appealing. I want to make sure they know history is important. It's not to be forgotten, because it has a way of repeating itself. And if the new generations don't learn from our history, then what's the point?"

Erica nodded with a grin. "He makes these little stories of big events of the past and puts them in the world now so we can relate more. We even have all these plays throughout the year and our favorite one is about Winston Churchill, who is such a boring man, but so important and it's about the prison reform program he had started."

Derek glanced at Stiles because yeah, his students loved the script he wrote about the man whose quote was on Stiles' back. Talk about crazy coincidences.

"See? He not only is doing an important job, teaching young minds, but is also creative while doing so," he beamed at both men and stroked Derek's arm, looking back at him. "Although I didn't know about the plays yet. Hm, maybe you could invite me to some so I can learn a thing or two. I could go in disguise," he half-joked.

The sheriff hummed with a slight appreciating nod – his way of acknowledging the effort Derek was putting into his work, although he didn't comment on it. "Stiles was second in his class after Lydia Martin, but I remember him having problems with history too."

"Yeah, I really had to put in some effort to memorize all those numbers and events. It was chaotic even for me. Plus I didn't have such a good teacher, but things got better when Ken Yukimura took over. He was passionate about his subject too and his enthusiasm and patience paid off on the long run," he mused. "At the end I got to the point where I found history interesting, not just tolerable. I bet you would've made me love it," the singer beamed at Derek.

Derek beamed right back, for a moment forgetting there was an actual audience watching their lovesick antics. It was an unguarded moment he reserved for Stiles only, because the singer wasn't the only one who could look at his lover like he hung the sun and moon in the sky. "I can still make you love it." Stiles was going to learn about history if he did stick with Derek, it was unavoidable.

"Oh boy..." Noah rolled his eyes at Erica, who in turn snorted into her coke then laughed.

"Yeah, they're this lovey-dovey around each other all the time," she stage whispered.

"So how are you two planning on making this work? Stiles will be on the road a lot." Noah motioned to his son who happened to have a rare moment where he was actually at home for a little while to work on his album. Also because the Marry Me tour had been finished. That little twerp had hurt Stiles and had also cost him a lot of income to boot. In Noah's opinion, because the Theo tours weren't as productive.

Derek nodded, because he knew that. "Long distance is fine. We don't see each other now during the week either. Besides, I'd only distract him if I was there all the time." Maybe if he didn't have Erica and his dog and his job, he'd go with Stiles. For now they had talked about it, about Derek sometimes visiting on tours on the weekends, if the schedule allowed for it.

"Yeah, we touched upon that subject before. We can work out the details later. It's quite a while away. I just started working on the next album, literally days ago. It might come out late this year or at the beginning of the next. So touring will come just after that. We have time to figure this stuff out," Stiles shrugged and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"OH MY GOD!" Erica gasped and that reminded Stiles that they had a super fan among them. "This is the best news of the month if not the year! Well, after me becoming your stepdaughter too," she beamed and losing her cool a bit sat up more, leaning closer to Stiles with sparkling eyes. "What will be the concept? How many songs do you have already? Are they good? Can I hear them?"

Stiles blinked at her surprised, but amused. All of a sudden she reminded him of his teenager self when he used to act like that when it came to his music idols. "It's news which is not official yet, so no talking or posting about it, okay? Otherwise Scott and Lydia will castrate me," he chuckled, but his look was serious about keeping it to herself.

"That'd bum out Derek..." she murmured under her nose, hiding her red grin behind her can.

Snorting a bit and quickly glancing at his dad, who rather continued mixing the salad with a pained expression, Stiles ignored that comment for a change.

"I only have like four songs written. Just the lyrics and the basic concept. If you're really such a big fan of mine, you know I don't show my unfinished stuff until I'm ready," he said, although the tip of his ears turned pink and hot, remembering that one exception he had made a week ago. "All I can tell is that it'll be angry for obvious reasons..."

"Oh, so you'll pull a Taylor Swift on Theo?! Awesome!" she fidgeted excited with a huge grin. She didn't seem to be too bummed about not getting more out of Stiles. (For now.)

"A what?" Noah frowned confused.

"Taylor Swift, the singer? She often writes revenge songs about her exes to roast them subtly but publicly," she explained.

Derek shrugged when Noah looked at him for help, because no, he wasn't that familiar with it either and what it meant. Didn't all singers write songs about their exes? Wasn't that something normal? Why was it even called pulling a Taylor Swift? "I only know she's blonde," he supplied, as if that was something that helped.

That made Noah chuckle, because Erica looked scandalized. "I play her songs so often! How can you not know? I played her yesterday!"

Ah, now that did tell him something. "The cat yodeling? Got it." It only made Erica scowl at him, which was the purpose of his teasing. She had earned it after doing it to him not even an hour ago. And he didn't mind it was at the expense of Taylor because no, he wasn't a fan of that.

"You say that about all the music I listen to, except for Stiles'."

"The Korean slave boy singing isn't even music," Derek told her, yet again.

"K-POP! Ugh you're so bad."

Stiles' laughter burst out of him and he was glad that there was no beer in his mouth, because otherwise he would've sprayed it all over the kitchen counter. "Oh my god, you two bickering is priceless!" he giggled, wiping a tear from his eye.

Even Noah's lips curled into a smile despite the fact that he didn't understand half of what Erica and Derek were talking about. "On that note, let's move this outside so I can start the grill," he picked up the salad bowl and the plate with the hamburger patties, nodding for Derek to take the one with the steaks then turned around and left through the door that led right into the back garden.

"You have to earn his steaks and burgers," Stiles explained, leaning in to Derek's ear, his hands already full with the tray that had the different sauces and whatnots on it, leaving Erica with the plates and utensils. "But this is going well so far! Right?" he whispered and pecked his lips.

"Maybe in a couple of years he'll call me by my first name," Derek whispered back, noting the way the sheriff kept calling him Hale in that tone that said he'd rather take him out back. It's why he decided to go with Sir until the older man told him it was okay to go by first name. Which was also no doubt going to take some time. The way they ended up together was probably something that did make interaction with the parents a little bit harder, because the old folks were a little miffed to have no wedding to go to. Besides looking at it on every social media site.

Carrying the plate with the most important part of the barbecue, the meat, Derek was careful because if he dropped it… Nobody was going to be happy with him. Except for Moon Moon who also loved meat raw, because he was just not picky at all. Speaking of, the dog happily followed them, so Derek grabbed the bowl of kibbles right after placing the plate of meat down outside. Moon Moon, true to his form, did walk right into the glass door, which was opened. "Don't ask. He's... special."

Noah seemed to agree with that because he nodded after watching the dog with a curious look, patting the thick head in consolation. Maybe inwardly he was telling Moon Moon it was okay, his owner was that kind of special too. "Why the name?"

"Because of a meme online!" Erica piped up as she immediately grabbed her phone to show Noah what she meant.

The sheriff leaned closer to let her show him many memes of funny wolves and dogs being idiots and he even cackled here and there.

Seeing his dad already bonding at least with Erica and the husky warmed Stiles' heart and he patted Derek's shoulder as if saying 'give him some time to warm up to you too'.

It was understandable, though. Stiles was Noah's only kid, so as a parent he always worried about Stiles. Especially because of the chaotic life and relationships he's been leading ever since he became a big hit years ago. Not to mention that his son's heart was badly broken recently and right after that he married a stranger neither Stiles, nor Noah knew much about, even if they all were from the same town. So it was no wonder he was careful and critical with Derek. And if he wanted to be honest, he kinda liked how the other man kinda shit his pants from him and was overly polite.

Soon Noah was busy grilling the meat while nursing his beer, listening to his son babbling about all kinds of things, clearly feeling at ease with the father-daughter duo and the silly dog as well. It's been a while since he saw Stiles so carefree and happy. He just hoped it was going to last.

"Okay, so while we wait for the food to get ready, will you finally give me the tour of the house? I'm dying to see all of it!" Erica threw in hopefully.

"Well... sure, if we have time for it," he glanced at Derek then his dad.

"There's plenty. Go. Hale will help me out," Noah said on a tone that meant business.

Stiles rolled his eyes and leaned to Derek, whispering, "I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you later." Then he pecked his lips and stood to give Erica the grand tour, this time without Moon Moon getting under their feet (probably because of the nice mouthwatering scents filling the garden).

There was this desperate need to cling to Stiles' hand and make him stay when he dared to leave him alone with Noah, but Derek behaved himself. He mostly shot a dirty look at Erica for asking for the tour right this very second. That's what teens did though, they had no patience and were very self-involved. And since the house was huge, it could take a while. Hopefully the smell of freshly grilled burgers would draw them back to the garden soon.

"I know it's a little weird, her being a big fan. But she was that already before we had met." And she’s been behaving pretty well about it. She posted stuff online for sure, yet that was also something she did before, especially snaps of Derek. At least now when it was about Stiles, she did ask permission by shooting either Stiles or Scott a message. She was more respectful about it than he had thought she'd be.

Noah looked up from the burgers to give Derek an appraising look. "Most teens are a fan of Stiles, since he's so close to their age and openly gay. He's a role model they don't have a lot of."

Derek knew what he was getting at, with saying how old Stiles was. "I look older than I am. We don't have that many years between us."

"I know. I know your date of birth." As if that wasn't ominous sounding, he casually continued. "I meant with Erica. She might develop a crush on him since she already has those idol feelings."

"I caught her making out with her Taylor Swift poster, so I think we're okay."

Noah snorted and shook his head with a half-smile. "She can still be bisexual, unless you talked about it and she explicitly stated that she likes girls," he said, maybe surprisingly progressive, but having to be impartial as a Sheriff and having a famous gay son did that to you. Especially the latter. "I remember when Stiles came out to me, I had to read up on a lot of things. Poor kid was kinda terrified to tell me. I suspect he overdid researching coming out stories. It's been trying for him sometimes since then, but he uses his position to help people in need, regardless their sexuality. And also supports and donates to at least half a dozen organizations. He's an important clog in this machine and I want you to understand that," Noah finally got to his point after flipping the steaks.

He turned to face Derek seriously. "You seem like a decent guy and I never heard anything bad about you. But despite you two already being married due to some... unfortunate circumstances, this is the part where the classic question gets asked: what are your intentions with my son?"

Derek sat down to give his dog some well-earned attention for behaving in this semi-new environment. "I don't have any. I just want to see him happy." Which sounded like it was just some line, understandably something to frown at. "I didn't even know him before the concert, to which I was dragged by a friend. I didn't know he was a big deal until after the concert and when I found press outside my apartment and at the school." It was probably something Stiles had to deal with a lot, people not interested in him but in his money or his fame. "I don't know what I signed to be honest, but I don't mind a prenuptial to be added. Some paper to sign that states I don't get anything of his after a divorce." That should get rid of the money worries, because yeah, of course he had noticed how very easy it was to have such a large amount of money. But it wasn't what he wanted. "I've said yes because I didn't want to be the one to put that broken look in his eyes. I wanted him to not have another letdown. I wanted to see him smile."

Derek gave Noah an honest look, open, not cowering in fear even though yes, he was fairly intimidated by the man for who he was. "It's not easy, the fame part. I'm still trying to handle it by accompanying him to events. But I'm happy to stay out of the spotlight as much as I can. That's his world. I'm there for him, not me."

As Derek talked, the hard lines on Noah's face seemed to soften somewhat, but he kept his grey eyes on the other man, holding his gaze until he had to turn to pay attention to the frying meat on the grill.

"I'd say fame and the hype and everyone's expectations are the hardest on my son. He's always wanted to get recognition, a pat on the back for a job well-done. He craves to be loved. Always did and always will. I partially blame that on losing his mother way too early," the older man said while putting the ready patties and steaks on plates and placing more meat on the grill. "It was hard on both of us, but especially on him. He's always been an energetic and affectionate kid and young man. But working in the music business often hardens you too, forces you to put up a good face to many things just to stay afloat and relevant. That's in Stiles' life too. Not always, but he does have to think about his public image to stay relevant. He hates that part of his job, because all he wants is for people to love his music, to help them with it. To heal or just have a good time. The media circus is something he despises, but works with it, because he has to."

Taking a sip from his beer, he looked Derek in the eye again. "There were times, years ago, when he felt miserable facing all that on his own, even if he had his team to help him. I know he had a bit of a drinking problem back then and made bad decisions. Like choosing the wrong partners in hopes of finding support and love and perhaps strength to continue. I could tell most of them weren't there for Stiles. They were there for their fifteen minutes of fame. Even Raeken. He used Stiles' fame and the publicity to boost his own career, because he's not as talented or dedicated to his craft as Stiles is," he frowned and grimaced from remembering that sleaze ball then took a hard look at Derek.

"I'd love to believe what you are saying. That you're here for him and nothing else. But only time will tell if it's true. If you're the one who'll love him and have his back through thick and thin. I hope so, because all I want for him is to be happy, too."

It was fair enough for the father to be this cautious, because it wasn't like Derek had done anything yet to make him think those words were the truth. So he nodded in understanding. "I will prove to you and Stiles with time." And hopefully the man also realized that his face being all over social media wasn't his doing, he did everything to not fuel that crazy frenzy. But the more he tried to stay out of the spotlight, the more determined fans and paparazzi seemed to get. So yeah, the sliver of fame he got now wasn't by his choice. He did get those fifteen minutes of fame though.

"I don't know much about Stiles, only what he tells me and I've only read a few articles he picked out for me to read. But he told me about the darker time and I really hope I won't be the cause for another one."

This time Noah was the one who nodded. "I hope so too. Because if you hurt him, I know where to find you. And so do his fans."

As much as Stiles enjoyed Erica's reactions to different parts of his house, half his mind was worrying about leaving his dad and Derek alone and he might have tried to hurry the tour along. But even so it took a good twenty minutes before they could rejoin the other two and Moon Moon. The singer did voice that he was relieved both were still alive at that point, which earned him eye rolls, of course.

Seeing or more like sensing that Noah and Derek had reached some kind of agreement, there was less tension during the lunch and then lazing around with their beers while Erica and Moon Moon were enjoying the pool. Of course, it was mostly Stiles who carried the conversation, but once he sneakily threw in ancient Greece and their mythology, he leaned back smugly on his sunbed and let the two most important men in his life get lost in that topic.

***

Hours later, sometime near midnight, Stiles pressed his still damp body back against Derek's warm chest with a shaky, satisfied sigh, basking in the afterglow of being fucked from behind while lying on his side. He loved how Derek was still inside and wrapped all around him.

Reaching down with a silly smile on his face, he stroked along the arm around his middle. "Do you consider my debt paid for leaving you alone with my dad at the pool?" he suddenly asked as his breathing and heartbeats were continuing going back to normal.

"Hmm," Derek pondered because he hadn't thought having sex was the apology for pulling that stunt on him. "Twenty minutes, Stiles. He could have shot me and hidden the evidence and still have time to grill his burgers." It was a long time and after their initial agreement, there were some awkward silences they didn't know how to fill, so Noah focused on making food while Derek sat there and tried not to breathe too much. It got easier between them as the afternoon progressed, so there was that at least.

"I think you owe me a massage at the very least with how tense that made me. And ice cream." Because Derek was milking it and they deserved some ice cream in bed. He wasn't the one to go get it, because there might be teens or dads wandering around. The last thing Derek wanted was to meet Noah after he had just been balls deep in his only son!

Stiles snorted and lightly smacked Derek's forearm before continuing caressing it. "He wouldn't have done that to you. I know a certain ex, with whom he might have done that, but not you. I'm guessing you just had to clear things about the situation and you had to hear that classic If you hurt him, I will – insert here whatever he said – dad thing. It comes with meeting the parents, I guess. Or at least meeting mine. It wasn't that bad, was it?" he turned his head back to be able to catch Derek's eyes, the massage and ice cream momentarily forgotten.

"No. It wasn't bad. He wanted to know my intentions and he did the threatening if I ended up hurting you." Which was probably normal for dads to do? He had no idea, he didn't usually meet dads like that. Most did own a gun, because it was the 'American' way, something Derek had never gotten into. Nor his own family, thankfully. They weren't in the habit of using them to threaten people either. "And he said the fans would know how to find me too. I don't know what is scarier, the idea of him or the horde of teenage girls out to get me." They wouldn't have guns, they'd probably try to fight it out online, but that was what wouldn't get him. He didn't care about online stuff. So yeah, Noah was still the scarier option.

"I think it's scary in equal measures, especially since it's not just teenage girls but boys too," he chuckled low and leaned back enough to be able to peck Derek's nose. "Hopefully it won't get to either scenario. Which means you cannot hurt me," the singer grinned. "You're my hero, though. For doing this. It meant a lot to me. Dad will be out of our hairs for a while once he goes home in two days," he patted the aforementioned forearm encouragingly.

Then he finally moved, letting Derek's soft cock fully slip out of him. He reached for the night sand for some wet wipes to clean up the mess they made and dutifully got out of the bed to put on a pair of comfortable plaid printed sweatpants. He had some groveling to do, after all.

"And as for the ice cream and massage thing... Is the ice cream for you? Because you made it sound like I could lick it off you while massaging you. Which is quite the brilliant idea, if you ask me..." he grinned with his hands on his hips, just standing there admiring the gorgeous (and hot) sight of his husband lying there naked with sex-mussed hair. "Also, you look very good in my bed," he said for the umpteenth time. As if he still couldn't believe it became a thing by then.

Derek had to admit, Stiles had better ideas than he did, because the thought of just eating the treat when he was offered that made him forget all about wanting to eat it. "I can be persuaded to share if you want to eat it that way." Derek played it off coolly, but they both knew he was very interested in the offer now. His poker face wasn't the best, especially not after the amazing sex they just had.

"I do feel good in your bed. Even better when you're in it too. So hurry," Derek patted the empty spot next to him and rolled into the warmth still there from Stiles' body. Hogging all the pillows and the entire blanket despite its hugeness.

"Sacrilege! You're lucky you have a nice ass," Stiles snorted, but his eyes did linger on said round butt on display like that. "Don't fall asleep, you thief. I'll be back in a sec," he promised and after one last look, the tattooed singer quietly slunk out of the room to pad barefooted downstairs in the dark.

The house was quiet aside from the crickets outside, which meant that luckily his dad and Erica with Moon Moon were fast asleep.

While getting two bottles of water and the mint chocolate chip ice cream, he smiled to himself. It's been a long day and he could feel it in his body, but at the same time he was very much invigorated. Not just from the sex, but the fact that things went pretty smoothly, considering. The favorite part of the day for him was that moment when he looked around himself after lunch, feeling for the first time in a very, very long time like a whole family. It wasn't just his dad and Stiles anymore and it warmed his heart more than anything during that afternoon.

He was back in the bedroom with his prey a minute later, that small happy smile still on his face.

Derek wasn't asleep, because there was the promise of ice cream and something that was going to lead to sex again, so his mind wasn't giving into the drowsiness of the body. Nope, he had propped himself up on pillows, putting them all behind his back so he could lounge like a king. Stiles was right, this bed was good for him, and he was getting used to the luxury of the home, but even more the wealth of curling around the body of his husband and falling asleep with him.

Said husband came back beaming, and Derek looked at him curiously, wondering what had brought on that lovesick smile. "If I'd known that asking for a massage would make you this happy, I would have asked for it sooner." He wouldn't have, because it actually took time to get to where they were now. Free with each other. And he felt free because Erica's and the sheriff’s room were downstairs, far away from hearing anything they shouldn't.

"It's not entirely about the previous orgasm, the massage or licking ice cream off your hot bod," Stiles grinned, handing the tub with the spoon over and put one of the water bottles on the nightstand before taking a long sip from the other. "They help, though," he explained while dropping his sweatpants on the floor without a care and crawled naked on the bed to Derek's side. "I was just thinking that today I felt like I'm a part of a real family again. I haven't felt that way ever since my mom had passed," he shrugged lightly while watching his husband with the ice cream. "And it's all thanks to you and Erica and Moon Moon," he fondly stroked Derek's muscular thigh. "During the years I forgot how much I used to miss that feeling. How's the ice cream? And how do you want to be massaged, your majesty?" he smirked now, meaning the way how Derek was lounging on the bed.

"With hands?" Derek looked at him puzzled, not sure why he was asking that. Were there other ways to massage? Or did he mean a foot massage? The thought alone made him stick his feet under the blankets because nope. “Not a foot massage, thanks." His feet were very ticklish, not something he wanted Stiles to discover because it might end up with involuntary kicks.

Of course the ice cream was good. It was the same brand as last time, he noted, so the singer clearly had a preference. Not that Derek could blame him, because it was really good ice cream. Taking the hand on his thigh, he caressed the inside of the wrist with his fingers, a soft look on his face. "I'm glad you feel like we're family. We'll have a lot of these weekends, I hope."

"I'd like that. A lot," Stiles smiled softer and warmer at Derek while also enjoying the gentle touches on his wrist. "And just so you know, a massage can be delivered by a mouth too," he added just as he leaned forward to capture Derek's sweet and minty lips in a slow but deep kiss. Maybe as a thank you for the family thing too.

"Hm, you taste yummy with ice cream..." he mumbled against the lips, playfully stealing a few more pecks then he sat back on his heels and unceremoniously dug his fingers into the tub of the ice cream in Derek's hand to scoop out some. "I want more of that taste," he announced and with that smeared the cool sugary substance down from Derek's sternum to where his pubic hair started. Picking up a smaller chunk, he also smeared some on the suddenly hardened nipples and then with an evil grin he smeared the rest of it from his hand on Derek's cock and balls.

"Oh my god!" Derek uttered with hissed urgency, because yeah, he remembered in time that loud yelling would get the sheriff at their door to check if everything was alright. It wasn't! The cold freezing cream made his skin burst out in goose bumps, his nipples hardened and his soft cock decided to crawl back into his body as much as possible. But only for a second because his treacherous body was also aware of how sexy this was going to be. His mind was making up all kinds of scenarios of where the mouth was going to massage. It was kindly mapped out for him on his body. "Oh my god," he repeated, because yes, wow, he was getting interested in this.

Stiles chuckled pleased from that reaction and licked the little remaining cream off his palm and fingers, letting the latter out of his mouth with a soft pop.

"You stay like this and enjoy your ice cream while I do the same," he winked and then moved to get on all fours above Derek, making sure not to touch him anywhere. The only contact that was made with him was his lips closing around the left nipple to slowly lick and suck it clean. No too long lingering happening there before the playful tongue licked and lapped its way over to the other nipple to give it the same treatment.

It was torture, sweet torture. Stiles wasn't touching him at all save for his rapidly cooling lips and tongue. It was a relief to have the cold (though also rapidly melting) residue licked off his body, and it made the warm tongue feel like it was on fire with how hot it felt. The attention his nipples got shot bolts of pleasure down to Derek’s groin, his poor soft cock making a halfhearted attempt to rise. It was going to be erect in no time, that much he did know.

Stiles gave voice to his approval of the mixture of sweet and salty with small content noises. He only looked up to check on Derek when he began licking and kissing his way down from the sternum. And he was nothing if not thorough, making sure that none of the cream stayed on the skin, just the slightly sticky sugary residue.

Derek’s hips hitched upwards when the mouth got to his pubes. Yes, he wanted the mouth and tongue there badly. His own ice cream was forgotten in his hand. Derek was too busy lying there spread out, watching Stiles go to town on his body. "You're so good at this."

Stiles grinned against the goose bumped skin then looked up and licked some of the light green residue off from his lips and the corner of his mouth.

"Oh yeah? You think so? I try to make it extra dirty for you, because I can tell you love it," he teased with mischief in his whiskey-brown eyes. "I also think that after tonight I'll never be able to look at chocolate mint ice cream the same way. Not to mention the scent of mint," he giggled then he kissed and licked along the soft warm skin just above the pubes, greedily inhaling Derek's natural scent under all the minty sweetness.

"I'll just eat it more from now on, for the good memories." Derek had a feeling they were going to be using a lot of food and a lot of places for their sex, so it was something they were going to have to get used to. Or they'd have to stay in the bedroom for sex, but what was the fun in that?

"Good thinking and… Oh yeah, you're definitely loving this," the singer smirked once he got face-to-face with Derek's groin. He didn't hesitate to dart his pink tongue out to start cleaning the half-hard shaft and then the heavy balls with teasing kitten licks, his eyes occasionally darting up to look at Derek then staying on him when Stiles finally sucked the tip into his warm mouth.

Derek’s eyes went dark with lust as he watched Stiles, his cock giving up the attempt at staying soft when his balls were getting attention as well. The soft skin was very sensitive so those small licks felt amazing. It wasn’t the massage he had in mind but wow, was he glad that Stiles knew how to not be predictable and go for oral massaging instead… And it worked! His muscles were letting go of the tension since he was starting to become putty in Stiles' hands.

"I can never get enough of this."

This time Stiles' mouth slipped off with a soft pop from what he had originally intended on sucking on earlier (making him a happy camper now). "Neither can I. You're so fucking hot and tasty. God..." he groaned then he closed a hand around the base and let his lips stretch thin around the girth again, moaning softly from the salty taste.

He used his tongue to stimulate the underside as well as he took a little bit more of the by then fully hard shaft with each bob of his head. God, how he loved sucking on this dick! It really quickly did become his favorite lollipop of all time. But what turned the tattooed singer on even more was watching Derek while sucking him enthusiastically.

Now that Stiles was hands on again, Derek took that as his cue to start using his hands as well. He put the tub of melting ice cream on the nightstand. That was pretty much ruined by now, but he'd still use it as a milkshake. Never letting good ice cream go to waste! But at the moment that's not where his attention was.

His hand quickly ran through the brown locks of hair, not tugging at the strands, but caressing the skin of the skull. And simply running his fingers through the hair in encouragement. Stiles was getting better at taking the large length, getting used to how much he had to work with. Which made it so much better for Derek too, who let out a needy little moan.

Pleased by that sound, Stiles kept working on pulling out more of those as he doubled the effort of his swirling tongue and each time he was coming up, he hollowed his cheeks, giving the wet shaft some nice suction.

He kept that and the eye-contact up for a good minute then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose, diving down deeper. He only choked twice on the cock before he successfully fought off his gag reflex and let the wide tip slide down his throat, his lips wrapping tightly around the base of it. He was quite proud that by then he could take it like that even from such an angle and he greedily swallowed a few times around it before completely pulling off, panting and coughing for a second, his hand stroking down the spit on the length – once, twice. Then he dove right back down and repeated what he just did. Over and over again, always keeping to this rhythm.

It was a good thing his last orgasm wasn't that long ago or Derek wouldn't have the stamina to last this long. Not with Stiles taking him as deep as he did. He gave desperate little sounds while his husband started to work him closer and closer to where he felt that familiar tingling of pleasure. Not yet, he wanted to hold out, last longer.

Derek pulled Stiles' head back by his hair. "Almost... so close." Seeing those spit-slicked lips shining and how red they were from their effort made Derek inwardly curse. That was an image he wouldn't be able to get out of his head anytime soon. Stiles looked so good like that.

"Yeah?" Stiles asked a bit panting and sounding already hoarser from the deep-throating. He loved the tingle the slight pain at his scalp sent down his spine from that firm grip in his messy hair. He licked said red lips. "We wouldn't want that yet," he grinned and climbed Derek like a tree, ending up shamelessly straddling his half-sitting man's hips.

The next thing he did was leaning down to capture Derek's mouth in a passionate and needy all teeth and tongue kiss that quickly left them both breathless and their lips throbbing (and probably bruised).

Then he sat up and reached for the lube and the ice cream, which was quite soft and runny by then. "Obviously I have to give you some time, so... how about you get to eat some more of your ice cream..." he started and tipped the container, letting some of the ice cream dribble onto his own chest and a nipple "off me while also fingering more lube into me?" he raised a questioning brow after quickly putting the ice cream tub back on the nightstand. As he sat back up, he slid his index-finger across the mess on his chest and sucked it between his swollen lips with a questioning/innocent look.

"Hmmm," Derek hummed thoughtful as he watched the now milkshake drip down and make a mess out of them both. Of course he was going to lick all of that off, from Stiles at least. Because he wasn't limber enough to start licking himself. "Do you really need more lube? It's not been that long, I bet I can slide right in."

After Derek assessing the sticky mess Stiles had decided to make of himself, he leaned in, eyes lowering to look at the green ice cream, which had gotten all into the metal of the piercings. "Yeah, my load is keeping you wet." Not to mention Stiles was still going to be open. Derek knew what his words could do to Stiles, it's why he said them out loud as his tongue found the nipple and started to clean it along with the piercing.

"Oh f...." the heavily tattooed man groaned low, watching Derek go for his nipple, which immediately made his once again hard cock jump between his spread legs. "And... yeah, okay, you're... right. You just always make such a big... fuss about making me sloppy wet... with lube," he panted and took a sharp breath from a firmer thug on the piercing.

His strong fingers got lost in Derek's equally messy hair and the brown eyes rolled shut on the pleasure. His body moved on its own, pressing his balls and ass against Derek to lightly rock against him.

"Feels so good..." he whispered, pushing his chest out a bit more to press against the hot lips and tongue, his back arching. "How about you test your theory about... sliding right back into me?"

"I make a fuss..." Derek reminded him, using his teeth to tug at the piercing a little. "Because I don't want to take you dry. As you know, I'm too big for that." But if Stiles was still all lubed up and open from their previous sex session, then no, he wasn't going to need lube. His hands slid from the waist to the pert little ass, letting his fingers skate along the cleft to feel the rim.

Yeah, that wasn't going to need anything, the rim was still puffy and a little bit open. Stiles was going to feel it, he was going to be more sensitive, but since the singer liked that, it was perfect. "Touch yourself for me." Because Derek was a few steps ahead of him when it came to how aroused he was. "Touch yourself while I push inside you."

He used one of his hands to guide his own cock towards that swollen rim, pressing the head against it but not pushing in just yet. He was waiting for Stiles to do as he was asked, wanting to time it perfectly.

Of course Stiles knew all of that, but he didn't mention the often excessive lube-use. Instead he enjoyed first the hands on his ass then the tip touching his open hole. He shivered with anticipation, knowing that despite that the slide was going to be a bit more intense. He wanted that, so for leverage he grabbed Derek's shoulder with one hand and spit in the palm of the other. As he took himself in that hand, slowly smearing the spit and pre-cum down on his length, Stiles also angled his ass and moaned.

He was so fucking ready!

"Come on! Derek... Come on..." he panted, the grip of his own hand tightening a bit around the shaft while jerking himself with soft wet noises. "I'm ready for you..." he puffed against the other man's lips, pure want burning in his eyes.

Derek could feel it, how ready Stiles was, he could in the way he moved against him. So he moved his hips upwards, letting his erection push inside. It was of course not as wet as when they used lube, but he could feel it. His own seed still coating inside, slicking the way for yet another load. It was no lie when the younger man had told him he was a needy bottom. Always ready for more and more from Derek. Something he was happy to give Stiles.

"Yeah," he panted eloquently, as he fucked his way inside with short bursts of movements, not stopping until he felt he couldn't go any deeper. The short coarse pubic hairs of his pushed against the sensitive skin of Stiles, some of his old spent leaking out of the well-used body. It was so filthy, especially with the ice cream being sticky between them.

Stiles groaned low, trying to keep his voice down not to alert the guests downstairs, but he knew it was going to get tricky, but as the Boy Scout he was, he already had a solution for that once they got there. But for now he just closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the intense slides, helping Derek with meeting the upward thrusts with his ass until he finally bottomed out.

"Yeah..." Stiles echoed his husband's comment as he opened his hazy eyes and smirked at him, neither of them moving for a moment or two to get used to the feeling on both sides. For Stiles the stretching and feeling so beautifully full with a big cock again, and for Derek the tight and slick hotness surrounding him.

The singer leaned down to kiss Derek again, but this time it was less frantic. He savored the swollen lips and tongue, licking away the remnants of the mint chocolate taste until it was just Derek. The room was quiet aside from the wet sounds their moving mouths and tongues made. And Stiles felt all warm inside kissing this wonderful man while sitting on his cock like he was born to do so.

"Remember to be quiet," he whispered into Derek's mouth, as if the teacher was the loud one in the bedroom. Then looking into the hazel-green eyes, Stiles began rolling his hips back and forth, going a little bit faster and harder with each move. He kept gasping for air from the slides being more intense against his sensitive walls, but there was no complaint on his part at all as he kept moving, his hand fisted around his own dick motionless, because he wanted to enjoy just Derek for now.

Shit. Derek forgot all about the need to be quiet, too caught up in the heat of the moment. Not that he was the loud one. That seemed to be Stiles' job, but there could be some loud moans and yells sometimes, so yeah. He nodded, not wanting to waste breath by saying anything at all as he licked into his husband's mouth for more kisses.

They moved together, trying to be quiet and enjoy themselves at the same time. It wasn't him chasing his orgasm as much as him wanting to be inside Stiles for as long as possible. Unfortunately, with how riled up the blowjob had gotten him, combined with being inside the wet heat, it wasn't going to be for very long.

"I'm already so close," Derek whispered, nipping at a swollen bottom lip. "Tell me you're close too… soon." As if that was going to hold off his orgasm. He just wanted to keep it at bay for a little longer if he had to.

"Soon... But not yet," Stiles panted and to bring Derek back from the edge, he slowed his hips' movements until he was just slowly circling them. He trembled from the way that thick cock pressed against his walls and most importantly, against his prostate. "Before the last go, I want you to do something for me..." Stiles whispered hoarsely as he kept circling his hips and he grabbed the headrest with both hands, his tattooed arms bracketing in Derek's head. "When – not if – I get too loud, I want you to put your hand over my mouth to muffle it, because I'm physically unable not to be loud with you. Can you do that for me, babe?"

"We'll put a gag in next time," the teacher oh so casually informed him as he focused on not coming soon. Which meant he had to think about things that were acting like a cold shower, something that wasn't easy. Because his brain came up empty and his very hard erection wasn't even softening a little. Even the slow circling was maddening when he was this close and so sensitive.

His body was sweating heavily with how he was straining himself. Stay focused, he told himself, his hand at the ready to clamp it over Stiles' mouth when it was needed. His other hand went back to the nipples to offer some more stimulation.

"Oh my god, don't tell me you're into such kinky s-shit too!" Stiles rushed out, but the end turned into a filthy moan (not that loud yet to require the hand on his mouth). His dick bobbed happily from his by then oversensitive nipples being played with again.

It spurred Stiles on to stop with the circling and get back to the fast and hard riding. Right away his hips started rolling back and forth as if there was no tomorrow. Or as if the prospect of venturing into kink territory with Derek turned him on even more. Both were true.

And it only took a few smooth slides on the rock-hard cock to start moaning his head off on nearly each thrust. The moans' volume starting to increase as pleasure flooded his mind, narrowing it down on how amazing it felt to feel Derek in him like that. Getting close fast was a given at that point as his slender but firm body was swimming in sweat too, but his hips never faltered.

Derek had no words to give, his sole focus was on getting Stiles to the point of orgasm so he could come as well. He didn't want to seem like a selfish lover, who was chasing after his own pleasure first and foremost. However, he was so close and it was near impossible to stave it off for much longer. Fighting it was making him feel like his erection was about to explode with how sensitive it all was.

Breathing harshly, or not at all because he wasn't sure anymore what his body was doing, he focused on moving his hips and his hand on those nipples. Yeah, this was really not going to work. Either Stiles was going to come within seconds or Derek was going to.

It all felt nearly too good and too much and Stiles' blood was singing, making his heart work overtime as sweat drops rolled down his tattooed skin. He was moving relentlessly, his ass tightening more and more with each thrust while his cock was leaking and bobbing between them.

He let the headboard go with one hand to grab Derek's and press the warm palm over his mouth, because he was getting too loud. Clearly Derek was too far gone to notice, but Stiles didn't want to wake Erica or his dad, even if they were sleeping downstairs and in the other end of the house. (That was a strategic placement for the guest rooms from Stiles' part for occasions like these.) Although he loved the way Derek's fingers were playing with his nipples, he led the other hand down between them to jerk his throbbing erection.

The second that double stimulation started up, he moaned loud against the big hand on his mouth. His eyes rolled shut and his hand went back to gripping the headboard with white knuckles.

The pace was hard and fast and crazy and both of them being so close already, it didn't take long for the singer to scream against the palm and start shooting his load onto his husband's stomach, chest and hand, his ass clamping down hard and pulsing around him. White hot pleasure blinded Stiles and he thought his orgasm was never going to stop.

Oh thank god, that's all Derek could think when he could stop fighting it. He wasn't sure if he still had his hands where they were supposed to be, his focus was on the orgasm making him shiver and moan. Not loud, because he wasn't that loud to begin with. And he was too busy unclenching his body and letting his muscles to relax to remember how to use his voice.

Sagging against the headboard, Derek kept his eyes closed, letting his body ride it out. No more for tonight, Stiles had worn him out with these intense love making sessions. No matter how much his body was into his husband, his brain needed a break from getting it blown again and again. At least for tonight. Because of course they'd be back at it again tomorrow. They had to make use of the weekend as much as they could. Even with the family under the same roof.

His hand remained clamped over Stiles' mouth, forgetting that he could release him.

Not that it bothered Stiles. If anything, his voice (and by extension him) being restrained like that only added to his pleasure as they were riding out their mind-numbing pleasure to the fullest.

Once that was done, though, he grabbed Derek's wrist to remove the hand and lead it around his sweaty body then the singer sagged against his husband, panting hard, his hips stilling.

Nuzzling the sweaty neck and putting his hands around Derek, he felt happy and sated and tired to the bone in the best of ways, just enjoying the afterglow of yet another amazing round of sex. At this rate they were going to get helplessly addicted to each other. Which wasn't bad by any means in Stiles' opinion – even if once he was on tour, it was going to suck missing this and Derek in general.

But that was far away yet, now they just had to worry about relearning how to breathe.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12 – Venom

“How dare you play the victim
These tortured eyes, they see right through you
Right through you
But still you keep me captive
And make me feel like I deserve you
But I hate you, hate you

Now I'm giving up, I'm never looking back
Here we go again
You keep giving me a taste of your venom
You know I'm never looking back
Here we go again
I don't want another taste of your venom”

(BFMV – Venom )

Life gradually moved on. Stiles got inspired enough to release two singles of his new album, while Derek was still working as a high school teacher. With some challenges, because being famous (or more like being married to a famous person and being famous as entourage) and teaching teens wasn't easy and sometimes it was distracting. The principal of the school was very understanding, which was also due to him being a big fan of Stiles, but it kept Derek his job. The fame really worked for Erica now, because her budding popularity was fully out of control. She even had a couple of girls that went with her everywhere. Especially to the apartment. So Derek was surrounded by teen girls nearly 24/7.

It made the invitation to an award show for Stiles a very welcomed one. Anything to get out of the house! It was also a very important one for musicians, because Stiles and his staff couldn't stop talking about it. The Hale was just happy for Stiles and thought he deserved all the awards anyways. But when Lydia got them new suits (what was wrong with his other new suit?) and was making a huge fuss about it, it got Derek nervous too. Because if Lydia Martin was nervous, it had to be huge!

The drive to it was the same too, by limousine, but this time not driven by Boyd, because he was a bodyguard now along with another man called Ennis, who looked capable of handling a person with only his pinky-finger. Derek wasn't sure if he was there to protect them from crazy fans, or make sure they were going to behave themselves. And Theo was going to be there. Again. Because of course their duet “Marry Me” was nominated.

They were drinking, of course they were. Stiles always did that before a big event and Derek wasn't complaining, because it was one glass. It did take the edge off.

"Why the two bodyguards? Do you have a crazy stalker you didn't tell me about?"

Derek's question baffled Stiles for a moment as it brought him back from his own thoughts. He was nervous too. Not really about the event itself, but having to see and be on stage with his ex, singing a song that once meant so much to him and which he now hated fiercely, because it was a reminder of Theo's betrayal.

But he wasn't alone now, he had Derek by his side, so he didn't have to face Theo or the whole evening alone. It made him reach out to take Derek's hand in his, playing with the wedding band on his ring finger, which he sometimes did when holding hands. (With his own he did that all the time now.)

"Because it's the Grammy Awards, Derek," Stiles said just that as if it explained it all. It should have, but the expression on Derek's face told Stiles that he still didn't get it, although they've been getting ready for tonight for days at this point. "Oh my god, I sometimes still forget how clueless you are about the music world," Stiles chuckled softly, squeezing Derek's hand as he looked at him fondly then took a sip from his whiskey (he needed something stronger tonight to take that edge off). "You know... the most important award show for musicians? Well, some might debate that, but yeah. It's like the Oscars, but for musicians. So better safe than sorry," he added, meaning the additional bodyguard. "Two is not a big thing. Some move around with at least four bodyguards on a regular day. But the Grammys can get a bit... intense despite all the security and red carpet and whatnot," he shrugged. "So it's just a precaution."

Derek's eyes got a little wider when Stiles explained why everybody was so nervous about this particular award show. To be fair, he had joined Stiles on a few of them by now so yeah, he kind of assumed it was just another show he didn't understand and it was all about appearances. The fact that it was as important as the Oscars made it clear. Yeah, now he was nervous too! He downed his drink fast.

"At least it's not because of crazy fans." Tilting his head, Derek though about what he said. "Crazier fans." Stiles' fans could be intense, not over the top, but he had heard about some of the mail, like underwear and stuff, which was handled by a professional team. Anything important was handed over to Stiles, but a lot of the gifts were donated and Stiles got a list of them in case he was asked. They also had a list of gifts Stiles wanted to look at personally and they had a stack of photos and autographs. Stiles had a lot of people working for him, which were managed by Scott most of the time. So Derek didn't really know any of it until Stiles told him. Mostly because Derek's picture had to be taken and he had to autograph the stack himself, like Stiles did, because some fans were asking for Derek's. For some weird reason.

"I hope you win, so I can watch you perform." And ignore Theo. Nobody wanted to see him perform.

Stiles squeezed Derek's hand again and stroked the back of it with his thumb in an attempt to calm him a bit, because he saw how tense and nervous he got. "Sorry. I thought you understood the importance of tonight. I should've said so earlier. I just assumed you know what the Grammys meant," he said then sighed, staring into his drink.

"Honestly... a part of me doesn't want to win this award at all," he mumbled. "I mean... it's a chart topping song, still holding its place there. Maybe longer now because of what didn't happen and what did happen during that last show. But I just want to put it all behind me. I don't want to ever perform it again after tonight," he admitted, tossing the remaining drink back and looked out the tinted window with another bitter sigh. "I'm not looking forward to seeing him again either. Looking back now... I can't believe I was blinded by him for so long."

"You were in love. It makes you blind to a lot of things." No doubt Theo had also put up a good front, but that was something Derek didn't know, because he honestly didn't know him at all. He was pissed with the guy for what he did to Stiles, because cheating was so low, such a breach of trust. And Theo didn't even seem all that sorry besides missing out on income because of it. "He'll be pissed that we're still together and happy. So think about that if you have to perform with him. He has to see you happy and in love, which is all thanks to his idiocy." He kind of hoped Theo cared enough about Stiles to be pissed about it. It was hard to say with that guy. "I know it's the song that reminds you on what he did, but it also got us married." In a very strange way. It was going to be forever tied to them.

Stiles huffed a bit amused at that, a small smile playing on his lips as he turned back to Derek. "I love how you manage to make me feel better with only a few words. And I'm happy with you and I... do love you..." Stiles finally said it for the first time, figuring that doing so on the backseat of a limousine while on their way to an important award show was as good as any other setting to express what he's been feeling for months now. "So... it'll be easy to look like that. And... obviously I'll sing that song for you, not him."

He just hoped it was going to be over quickly. But (especially with Derek's supportive presence and words) Stiles was going to be able to bear putting on a show with Theo for the audience. Then it was going to be finally over and he could fully move on and focus on his own career and happy marriage. He was in a good place with both, especially the latter, because getting deeper into this relationship with Derek was fun and rewarding.

It would have been more romantic, if there weren't two big brawny guys sitting there, watching them. Or more like Ennis wasn't even watching them and was more looking out the window, but Boyd was side-eyeing them, a huge grin on his face. The man was becoming a close friend to Derek, because they both weren't talkers and didn't need as many words. So yeah, it could have been worse than to have a friend witness it.

The words made Derek grin widely too, feeling like he won the lottery or something. It wasn't a big secret how the feelings have grown and they were into each other. However, to actually say it out loud... They went from weeks to months, and they were still moving fast, sure. But it just seemed right.

"I love you too." It needed to be said. Derek wanted to say it, he wanted to give words to the lovesick feelings Stiles generated within him. "Think about our wedding when you sing it."

The singer felt as if his heart was going to beat right out of his chest and his whole body felt warmer – and not from the whiskey, but from those words. Putting his glass into one of the holders, he was grinning too now. Ignoring their audience, he leaned in and kissed Derek on the mouth. It was chaste compared to the kind of kisses they usually went for, but the urge was too strong not to do it.

"Thank you," he whispered against the soft lips and looked into Derek's eyes for a long moment. They were both grinning again like idiots and it was probably disgustingly sappy to see or hear them, but neither bodyguard complained or said anything. Not that they usually said anything since that wasn't their job. It was keeping them safe and not telling anything they heard or saw while around a client. (Although at this point Boyd was more like a close friend or confidant.)

Their happy grinning match was cut short by the limo pulling to the curb and the cheering starting up outside.

"It's just another night. The usual," Stiles winked at Derek, aiming for reassurance. They knew the schedule: red carpet, posing for photos, mingling with other celebs, the show, acceptance speeches, a fancy dinner then going home. Just another night in Stiles' always busy life.

Derek was at least more used to it how the fans would scream excitedly the moment one of them got out of the car. Always Boyd first before they'd follow. He didn't shyly cling to Stiles' hand anymore – although their hands were always entwined when walking the red carpet – this time he waved back easily. He watched with a soft smile as Stiles took the time to sign some autographs and take a few selfies, which wasn't something Derek participated in. The harder part was where they'd pose for the press, and to take the time to answer some questions from a few of the TV channels that got lucky enough to be a part of it. The press was kept at a little distance, nicely in a row.

Of course it was Stiles who answered some of the questions, who gave off an easy smile and really handled it all with the charm oozing off him. Laverne Cox, who was hosting, zeroed in on Derek though, and he was kind of impressed by her. "So tell us, Derek, do you think Stiles will win?"

"Of course, he's amazing."

Which was not a lie but also very diplomatic. She was used to handling the not so talkative people though and decided to give some juiciness to the recording. "It can't be easy for you both, being confronted with Theo."

Ouch. Derek didn't appreciate it, even if it was understandable. It was a question many wondered about. "It's what it is. We've decided to look at that song as our wedding song. And that makes it the best one out there." Giving a small squeeze to Stiles' hand, Derek pulled the singer close to him.

"Of course! I'm glad you two decided to give it a positive spin and you're looking very much in love," Laverne decided, gushing a little because the two handsome men together was a very pretty picture.

"We are," Derek told her, giving Stiles a smile that spoke a thousand words. As if the singer hung the universe for him. Gently cupping the smooth pale cheek, the Hale leaned in, kissing Stiles. An honest and deep kiss, to wish him all the luck and love for the night in front of the whole world.

Such degree of affection displayed from Derek in public made Stiles giddy with happiness and he felt like he could take on the whole world single-handedly. It was an amazing feeling and he beamed right back at Derek with the same look he gave him, making Laverne smirk and wish them the best of luck.

Stiles thanked her then they moved on, Stiles loving how Derek either held his hand or kept it at the small of his back all along. They took flutes of champagne from a passing waiter's tray and clanked it together. Tonight socializing with other celebrities while sipping on champagne on Derek's side felt much easier. He introduced his husband to some other musicians then it was time for them to find their seats. There were no tables this time, but rows of seats and with a helper's guidance they were soon sitting next to each other, holding hands as the award show finally began.

The Grammys always had a long, long list of categories, so there were breaks and songs performed in-between some of them. But the closer they've got to the Song of the Year category, the tenser he got. When the nominees were listed, cameras zooming in on them in the audience, Stiles tried to look natural with a small smile plastered onto his face, but he was squeezing Derek's hand a bit firmer, ignoring his own sweaty palm.

Derek probably didn't look natural at all. How was he to know he was supposed to act a certain way? He beamed proudly at Stiles, because he got nominated and that was huge, no matter if he won or not. Song of the year of the most influential singers of the USA. That wasn't something many could get nominated for. Of course, the camera loved the way Derek reacted and lingered on them some more. Derek did ignore the camera, he was a pro at that, at least these days.

He squeezed right back, because he was here for Stiles, no matter what the outcome was going to be. Maybe Stiles hoped he didn't win so he didn't have to perform with Theo, whom they haven't even seen yet. He was there, no doubt about it, but whoever planned all the seating had done a great job to avoid drama between all the assembled stars. They were sitting next to Jennifer and Ben again. It seemed that the budding friendship between the two men, who had gone on their museum adventures a few times, was known. And on the other side were people Derek didn't know, but seemed friendly enough. A woman in a sparkly glitter dress opened up the envelope on stage and took a deep breath.

It seemed to take forever. Derek hated it.

"The winner is... 'Marry Me' by Stiles Stilinski and Theo Raeken!" She finally declared. And of course Derek hugged Stiles immediately with happiness for him.

As always, it kinda felt like an out of body experience for Stiles when he heard his name. Taking a deep breath, his first thing to do was to kiss Derek on the lips then he was on his way to the stage, seeing from the corner of his eye that Theo did the same.

The acceptance speech was short and to the point from his side, then he let Theo rave about this and that and the other thing, not even listening to him, because his eyes were on Derek all along. His anchor, his safe place.

He couldn't wait to get back to him, but unfortunately he was ushered backstage. He just then realized that he didn't tell Derek what the protocol was, so he quickly shot a text to him that he and Theo were going to quickly change and get on stage to perform just before the next big category and Derek was more than welcomed backstage during the performance.

Stiles tried to avoid Theo as much as possible backstage and got into the sparkly suit jacket (thank fuck they only had to change that for this performance) without a fuss. Then he was standing at the edge of the stage and when Theo joined him with a fucking smirk, he grimaced and scoffed.

"You know this'll be the last time I perform this song with you," he said, leaving no room for argument, because they were cued in to get on stage and put up a show for the millions tuning in on the event. Stiles hated every second of it. The only help was that he knew Derek was somewhere there listening, even while he had to face Theo and smile and sing that stupid song. But he tried to think of what Derek said, that now it was their song, the soundtrack to their marriage. That only helped Stiles a bit, because he hated this song at this point with passion.

Derek didn't have to get the message from Stiles because an usher came to collect him for the backstage experience, which okay... he didn't mind but didn't understand. It took a moment to get there so by the time he was standing off to the side near the stage, Stiles was already up there with Theo, performing. He hoped he couldn't see too much of the seats so he wasn't staring at their empty ones. No wait, Stiles had texted him that he could be here so the singer would know.

The performance was great. If there was something Theo and Stiles were good at, it was giving a show even though they were completely ignoring each other. The romance was completely lost and Derek, who had seen the way Stiles would get when he was working on a song, knew the young man wasn't enjoying himself as much as he wanted to. When he sang his own songs, it felt real, full of emotions, even the heavier ones Derek mostly thought were “shout songs”. This was... good, it was of course still a good performance, but that was all that it was. An act.

One last hooray before the curtain fell for the two that never were meant to be. One last song together. Maybe that's why the audience was so captivated. They all knew it. They all knew what it had cost for Stiles to be standing there on stage. And he was epic because of it.

They've got enough cheers from the audience at the end, but Stiles was just glad that it was over, that he didn't have to play a role to sell the song anymore. Back in the day it was genuine. At least the emotions he had put into it. Now it all felt fake and wrong to him, even if – like always – he put his best into it.

It seemed he managed to fool even Theo, who had a grin on his face and slid a hand onto Stiles' shoulder as they walked backstage. (At least he didn't try to kiss him again.)

"Don't touch me," Stiles huffed, shrugging the unwelcome hand off his shoulder.

Derek has been expecting some kind of stunt afterwards, but they were also ushered further away from the stage first, probably to avoid them being heard while the show went on. He stepped in, putting himself physically between Theo and Stiles so the touching would have to go through him. It worked, or at least during the walk to the dressing rooms, because there were a lot of dressing rooms for each winner. It also meant Stiles and Theo were sharing the same one since they were one act.

The Hale remained a buffer between them even in the room, which made Theo scoff and roll his eyes. "It's so ironic, how you're a literal foot-holder even now. You're just the pretty rebound fuck. Everybody knows it."

"Wishful thinking is going great for you," Derek shrugged, not really that impressed by the attempt to insult him, which wasn't a very good one anyway. "Not that creative, though. But kudos to you for knowing what a foot-holder is." He used kudos on purpose, talking like to the teens he taught to let Theo know that he was acting like one. "You're still not going to get to Stiles."

"Jesus fuck..." said singer rubbed his face with a heavy sigh then unbuttoned the borrowed glittery suit jacket he had on to shrug it off. At least this conversation was not as public as their last one backstage on Stiles' last tour night when everything just got super complicated.

As much as he appreciated Derek being protective of him, he didn't want to put up with Theo's bullshit any longer, so he angrily tossed the suit jacket onto a chair and grabbed his own from a hanger.

"I'd appreciate if you stopped insulting my husband," Stiles gritted through his teeth as he shrugged his suit jacket on.

"And I'd appreciate if you stopped all this fake front you'd put on with this moron for months now. It's getting ridiculous," Theo snorted and stepped closer to Stiles, reaching out to touch the lapel of his suit jacket (technically not touching Stiles himself like that – Theo was good at technicalities like that).

"When will you finally realize and accept that this is not fake? Not that it's any of your business, but yeah, we're in love. You had your chance, but you blew it the second you started cheating on me behind my back. Now swallow the bitter pill that I'm finally happy and want to move on."

"Stiles... we just won a fuckin' Grammy for our song! What can he provide you with? Boring history lessons and a lazy missionary pose fuck?" he chuckled, completely ignoring Derek, as if he wasn't even in the room.

Stiles buttoned up his suit jacket and slapped Theo's hand away angrily. "You know what? You can keep the Grammy award. I don't give a shit about that or this fucking song! I hate it and I hate your fucking guts for ruining everything! But at the same time I'm also glad you did, because without that I wouldn't have found the love of my life. And for your information, his dick is majestic and the best I've ever had," he spit his words into Theo's face, completely losing his patience at that point.

Theo wasn't stupid enough to try and attack them, which was a shame, because Derek wouldn't have minded defending them and you know… being forced to hit Theo. But they were at the Grammys and he wasn't going to make this experience worse for his husband by giving into juvenile things. He wasn't the moron Theo accused him of being, which was another funny insult, because there was only one moron in the room and it wasn't him. With some satisfaction, he watched Theo's face darken, because he was ignored anyways.

"You're just fucking telling yourself that, because you're so insecure about yourself that you bought a complete stranger to love you. You'll realize how much I did for you and you'll come running back to me," Theo sneered.

Derek didn't say anything, he was more there to make sure it wasn't getting out of control, and Theo was ignoring him anyways, so it didn't matter what he said. He did stay close to Stiles to follow his lead on this. If he wanted to leave, they'd leave, if he wanted to get even with Theo in some way, they'd do that. He briefly touched Stiles by the arm in comfort, to let him know he was there.

Stiles laughed dryly. "You're such a fuckin' asshole, Theo, using my insecurities against me like this. But now I see that you loved to do that while we've been together. You love to manipulate people and I was blind enough to fall for that. Not anymore," Stiles snarled and jabbed his bony index-finger into Theo's chest for good measure. "And I didn't buy Derek, but I won't explain myself to you, because you don't even deserve to know anything about my life anymore. And you did nothing for me aside from climbing up on my back to get more popular, because on your own you're just an average pop starlet with forgettable songs. Without me you'd be nothing and I'm not even exaggerating here," he jabbed his chest again then stepped back, firmly taking Derek's hand in his.

"You're a fuckin' disgusting worm, Theo, and I'll never, ever want to do anything with you again. So just get it through your thick skull: leave me the fuck alone for good! I'm so fuckin' tired of your bullshit," Stiles said as if he was talking to a five-year-old. Then he turned to Derek and grunted a "Let's just go" at him before dragging him out of the dressing room so very pissed that he could barely see straight.

Letting the singer pull him along, Derek knew they weren't going to stay. With good reason, because Theo had successfully managed to make winning a Grammy a miserable experience. And had ruined that song for good now. It wasn't a bad thing though, Derek was glad Stiles was able to get it all out, say what he needed to say. See that none of it was on him, it was all on the other guy. It would help him move on from Theo on the long run. Even if right now he probably wanted to punch a wall. Or drink a whole bottle.

"Let's go home." The words were said with warmth, because that's what both their houses represented to them now, home. Of them together with Erica and Moon Moon. Their place to spend time together, to be a family. Something Stiles no doubt desperately needed right now. "Unless you want to go somewhere else..." Derek kind of wanted Stiles away from prying eyes when he was this upset and angry. This wasn't anybody's business.

Stiles took a few deep breaths and as they neared the back door, he quickly shot off a text to Boyd to get the driver back there so they could go.

"Home sounds perfect," Stiles deflated somewhat as he stopped near the doors, not wanting to go outside in case there were stray reporters at the back. Sighing, he faced Derek, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking embarrassed a bit. "Whoever had the great idea of putting him and me in the same dressing room... I can only congratulate them. And... I'm so sorry. Tonight wasn't supposed to go this way," he reached up with one slightly trembling hand to rub at his forehead. He could've killed for a drink and smoke in that moment. "But I'm glad that I could at least speak my mind to him. God, he's suck an a-hole! At this point I'm so embarrassed about ever dating him! And he still got the nerve! Wow..."

"We're going home early, I'm not complaining about that." Nope, they came, they saw, they won, that was all they really needed from this. And since Stiles wasn't able to enjoy his high of winning or the after party, there was no need to linger. Thankfully! "I'm sorry though, he ruined the big win for you." And for himself, but Derek couldn't care less about Theo's feelings when he was so meanly trampling all over Stiles'.

"And don't let him ruin the good you also had with him. He's the ass here, you're not at fault for falling for him." It was to not let Stiles fall into a self-deprecating cycle, because he kind of agreed with Stiles about a lot of his opinions on Theo. He too had fallen for a person once who hadn't been good for him. It’s why he understood it. He really hoped Theo wasn't going to get as bat shit crazy as she had been.

"I know... it's just... whatever," Stiles shook his head as he leaned against the wall, feeling like shit, even if he tried to take Derek's advice. "I'm tired of him and talking about him and dealing with whatever he ruins for me." The singer sighed again and ran his hands through his hair, not caring about the product in it. Then he snorted, looking back at Derek. "Honestly, in this song's case, I don't even care about the Grammy. I already have four, so..." he shrugged and not to look big-headed or anything, he just stated that fact. Also, he was still a bit angry.

Pushing himself away from the wall, he stepped to Derek and put his arms around his waist. "Thank you, though. For being here with me. And probably saving us from a law suit with you keeping your cool. Even if I would've loved to punch Theo myself, too," he smiled at his husband faintly.

Derek shook his head. "I didn't keep my cool because of a lawsuit. I didn't want to ruin the Grammy Awards for you, that's why." Even though the punching part had been very tempting when he was so busy talking Stiles down like he did. The insults about himself weren't doing much for him, because he wasn't feeling insulted, they weren't personal. They were generic ones to try and make him react, but Theo didn't know him. He did know Stiles, and made very good use of it.

A chime on Stiles' phone let him know the car was waiting. They were too trained to make the mistake of honking and alerting possible press. Exhaling deeply, Derek reached for Stiles' cheek, running his thumb along the clean-shaven skin there. "We'll have some drinks at home, eat bad food and have our own Grammy Awards ceremony. Because you can buy me… with ice cream." Seriously, he was totally bought with how many tubs of it he had already consumed at Stiles' place.

Stiles leaned his cheek into the warm hand, sighing softly. It really was amazing how this man could calm him down and handle him as if it was nothing. Which was far from the truth as many knew. He was occasionally called a hurricane for a reason. But it seemed Derek was immune to his outbursts and mood-shifts most of the time. For which Stiles was very grateful, because he did need that kind of stability in the background, in his chaotic life.

"So... that means we go home to my place, right?" he asked with a little bit strange expression. It didn't really matter to him if they went to his house or Derek's flat, but kinda having two homes could get a bit confusing sometimes. Not that by then they didn't have a lot of their personal things at each other's places. "Will Erica be okay with her friends?" he asked, quickly checking his phone to confirm what they both suspected and he took Derek's hand to lead him out of the building. "And do you want me to do an acceptance speech with one of my Grammys all naked while you eat ice cream in bed?" he raised a brow, slowly starting to put everything that's just happened behind him like they did with the building as they climbed into the limo.

"Isaac is staying over. I kind of figured I wouldn't be home." A little surprise Derek hasn't mentioned, because they were supposed to stumble into the limousine nicely buzzed and then Derek was going to tell him. But Theo ruined that as well. They clambered into the car fully sober instead, for now. Derek instantly reached for the fridge to make Stiles a drink as Boyd gave a worried look, but didn't ask. It was too fresh, and the two males were going to get their full pay anyways, so they didn't mind having hours earlier off with full pay. "I want you naked in bed as well, and we can watch the show on TV if you want. I mostly want to hold you and caress you and make you feel loved."

"That sounds like a great plan. Except that I want to watch something else," Stiles sighed. Yeah, he wanted nothing more than to be held by his loving husband, who had told him he loved him for the first time tonight, and put this whole emotional roller coaster event behind him. The singer wanted to forget it, but knew it wasn't that easy.

As Stiles accepted his big glass of whiskey, he shot a look at Boyd and briefly informed him that they've got into a verbal argument with Theo and that Boyd (or whoever was on bodyguard duty) is not to let Theo get anywhere near Stiles ever again. Stiles thought he saw that it pleased Boyd, but then his neutral mask was back on as he simply nodded. Stiles knew he never liked Theo. Now he could see why.

***

Some time later, finally nicely buzzed and riding a sugar high from all the ice cream they ate naked in Stiles' big bed, he lifted his head from Derek's shoulder and turned from the TV to face his lover.

"Do you really love me?" he asked out of the blue, sounding like he needed to hear it said out loud again after all the shit his ex had said to him.

It was great, the way they’ve been lounging around, cuddling, eating, lots of alcohol and silly movies to make them both feel better. The kind of movies they didn't need to constantly follow or think about too much, because it needed to be a nice lazy time for them both. When that soft question came, Derek understood the why. Understood why it was something Stiles’ has been wondering about with how Theo had said some things that weren't true, but still had hit home for the singer.

"I really love you. I get stupid warm feelings when I think about you, and I smile when I don't want to smile. Sometimes even when I'm by myself I catch myself having a stupid grin. And I sing. Not even only in the car, like I used to do, but under the shower too. Or when I'm walking Moon Moon. That's all your fault," Derek teased lightly, kissing those bow-shaped lips.

Stiles couldn't help himself and he smiled against Derek's lips then looked back into the hazel eyes with a soft look and a warm expression. "Oh yeah? That's very cute. A singer making you sing," he chuckled softly and stroked the stubbly chin with his fingertips. "I'm just curious... What do you love about me? I mean... I was told before that I'm... needy and clingy and just... too much. Am I too much?" he asked with a light frown.

He really didn't want to be too much for Derek. Especially on the long run. It was something he always worried about whenever in a relationship. He had consciously held himself back in the past because of that, but he couldn't keep that up for long. It made him feel shitty to hide like that, because it also made him feel very self-conscious and unable to relax. And it wasn't like he could do something like that, not with his ADHD and being all over the place so often.

"You're not enough." Derek didn't see where the clingy part came in. Sure, Stiles was more engaging with him through texts and calls and reached out more often. That was because they were different with it. Derek wasn't a caller or a texter, however, he always picked up outside of class hours. He always answered texts outside of class hours. Even when he was busy, he'd send that to let Stiles know. Stiles seemed to be okay with that, or so he thought. But apparently he thought it was too needy? "If I could, I'd spend every hour for the rest of my life with you. You make it easy to be around. I haven't felt like you were too much even once." Derek chuckled softly. "I used to be a loner, so that's a pretty big deal to me. I'm always disappointed when our weekends are over. So if you want to come over during the week or surprise me during the week, then don't hold back. You know my rule and you always stick to it, not during classes." A soft shrug. "I honestly thought you were busy."

Stiles was a bit surprised, because Derek thought he was not enough – and not in the bad way, but in a way that suggested that he wanted more of him. That made the tightness in his chest ease up and he sighed, giving him a bit dreamy smile. "I often am busy, but then sometimes I just... don't want to overwhelm you, I guess," he shrugged, his smile turning sheepish and his cheeks lightly flushing. After all, Derek's biggest struggle in their relationship so far has been with fame and the popularity it brought. A lot of times Stiles' life was chaos incarnate, but now things were calmer and Derek started to get used to being with a famous singer. So he'd call that progress, but Stiles and his team were careful with how much exposure Derek was subjected to. It was Stiles' request to monitor that, because a) he had promised Derek that he'd shield him and Erica as much as he could, and b) he didn't want to scare Derek off with overwhelming him.

Chewing on his bottom lip, Stiles sat up to be able to look at Derek better. He wrung his hands together on his naked lap, clearly hesitating about asking something, but for now he didn't ask that. "You haven't answered my question about why you love me," the singer softly reminded him. He just had to make sure first.

Sometimes Derek wished he could read minds, because a lot of times he didn't know what was going on in Stiles' head at all. There was something bugging him. For a moment it seemed like he was going to throw it out there, but no, he backtracked to what Derek didn't answer. Which was a pretty important question to answer! Derek blamed it on the alcohol for not being able to keep up with the questions. Yeah, that sounded like a good reason.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to not do that." It wasn't that he couldn't answer it, it was more about needing to sort through it all, because there was a lot that went with that loving feeling. Big things, small things. All being just as important to him.

"I love the way you walk around naked without a care. I love how bossy you are. I love the way you give yourself to me, how open you are with your thoughts a lot of the time. I love how you call me when a thought pops up. I love how smart you are, running your own company at this age and how important it is to you to share your wealth with others. I love how you eat with gusto and really enjoy it, because it's never just a meal to you. You give yourself with so much intensity to everything you do. I love how distracted you get, like a happy Labrador, always sticking your nose everywhere, but then you get anxious about your behavior. I love how when you sing, it's like you're singing just for yourself. As if you step into a box and shut the world around you out, so you can give it your all. I love your stupid jokes, and even more when you laugh about mine."

Derek paused, letting Stiles hear that all, give him the time to process it. There was much more to be added here.

Stiles blushed some more and glanced down at Derek's bare chest while playing with his own fingers on his lap. There was that nice warmth spreading in his chest again, making him tingle all over and feeling much better about himself. It was plain to see that Derek meant every word he said. As Stiles looked back at his face, there was nothing but honesty and understanding there. As if his sixth sense was telling Derek that the singer needed to hear these things. Derek seemed to be good at these things.

A small smile finally graced Stiles' lips and he reached for Derek's hand to pull it on his lap so he could play with those fingers.

"Yeah? What else?" he asked a bit out of breath from what he was hearing and seeing. How was this man real?

"I love how you paint your nails better than Erica does her own, and how you have your own style going on. I love how you inspire so many people with your songs, but also because you're openly gay even when it's harder for you in the industry. I love how you hum to yourself when you're brushing your teeth, which I don't know how you do, because it seems impossible. I love how you pay your workers fair wages and how you stay involved with your dad and still worry about his diet even long distance. I love how you express yourself through your tattoos. I love all those birthmarks on your skin, littered all over like your skin is your own personal night sky. I love how emotional you can get, because you care too much. And most importantly..." Derek entwined their fingers together. "I love how you love me."

It became hard for Stiles to swallow around the lump in his throat and he quietly gasped for air from all the emotions that flooded him from the best list he's ever heard in his life and the way Derek ended it. His eyes were brimming with tears and when they fell, he quickly wiped them away with his free hand, making a sound between a chuckle and an embarrassed little snort.

No one has ever said such beautiful things to him about him!

"I dare you to be even more perfect, Derek Hale!" he said wetly, squeezing the fingers between his own. "I have to admit, I'm blown away. Truly and completely. It's... just what I needed to hear," he rasped and continued chewing on his lips for a few long moments before taking a deep breath and saying what he wanted to in the first place. "I think we should move in together."

It wasn't exactly what Derek was going for to make Stiles cry, but that was what he did, because the singer got emotional and it wasn't the bad kind of crying. And he wanted to react to it, didn't want Stiles to be embarrassed about it, but he was also blown away. By what he said last. Derek’s brain was saying how it was too soon, they needed a few more months together, but his heart did a little stupid jump and was all in right away.

It felt so right between them, so it made it easy to go so fast. "Yes," Derek replied simply, voice hoarse with emotions. "I think so too." Poor Stiles was going to regret it, having to deal with Erica and Moon Moon daily. But at least here she had her own bathroom and they didn't have to wait outside the door to get some time in to shave or brush teeth. Or worse, the need to use the toilet!

Stiles relaxed further from that reply and beamed at Derek, leaning down to kiss him enthusiastically, like he usually did. As he pulled back a bit, he blinked at Derek. "I love that. I want that. But no rush. We can just get used to the idea and do it whenever. I don't want to push you in any way," he repeated what he's been saying over and over again from the very beginning of their relationship. Mostly because of his self-esteem issues that's never gotten better while being with Theo. So yeah, he didn't want to rush it any more than how quick things between them were falling into place.

"Not right away, no. I think we also have to sit down with the lawyers. I mean... we both didn't think we'd stay married, so you need to think about how much you want to share with me. We can add a prenuptial if you want. And maybe we can come over more often, like, stay here for a week and then a week back at my place. So you can get used to suddenly sharing your house with a husband and his rampant dog and teen." Derek wasn't really worried about being pushed, because if it was up to him, he'd pack up next week and put his place for sale.

He worried more about Stiles suddenly having to deal with a lot. And maybe they should ease the poor guy into it. He had no idea what he was getting himself into, or so Derek reasoned. And that made him careful. "I don't want you overwhelmed."

Stiles chuckled at that. "More overwhelmed than my life usually is?" he grinned, nuzzling back against Derek with a happy sigh. "I mean, I get what you mean, but I think it'll all work out in the end. Plus this house is more than big enough to... well, house all of us," he smirked into nothing, stroking Derek's naked chest with his fingers, the light of the TV catching on his black fingernails.

"But I like the one week at the time 'trial runs' thing. I don't want to overwhelm you or Erica either. I know Moon Moon would adjust fast, because I'd noticed he loves being here, so yeah..."

"You have a pool, I'm here, his pillow is here and his food. So he's sold," Derek chuckled. If only everything could be as easy as life was for his husky. It was going to be a big adjustment sure – a different house, living together with all of them, their lives having to mingle more than it already did. But it was still in the same city, so Erica didn't have to change schools, Derek could go to his work, that all was fine. A longer drive, sure, but it was worth it. "I don't think I'll be overwhelmed. It’s so easy with you, so I'm not worried about that. I'm thinking of you and Erica. If it was just me, I'd be here tomorrow with packed boxes."

"You're so sweet. Did anyone tell you that before?" Stiles kissed the naked chest, stroking it fondly for good measure too. "Seriously, I dare you to be even more perfect for me. I feel so lucky," he lifted his head again and beamed happily at his husband. He really, truly lucked out with picking such a nice and caring man from the crowd on that fateful night. It was still mind-blowing. "And sure, we can sit down with the lawyers and stuff. It'd put Scott's mind at ease too. You know, cuz of my fortune and image to uphold, stuff like that. He'd probably want to throw in an NDA for good measure too, which is understandable when it comes to protecting me as a brand, although I doubt you'd go to the press to babble out stuff about me even if we decided to part ways. I'm not so sure about Theo, though. I mean after tonight. He has a vindictive streak, so I wouldn't be surprised about that. Scott's been worrying about that and preparing for it, just in case," he sighed, his smile gone the second he mentioned his ex. "I fuckin' hate such drama."

"Then we'll do that first. I have no problem signing an NDA and a prenup. I'm not in it for the money." Derek wouldn't be stupid, he'd put the money of his apartment into a saving account, so if they ended up divorced, he'd still be able to buy a place. The rest they were going to have to talk about. Like shared costs, who would pay for what. They had the time to work out all those details before they were moving in. "And with the drama Theo is causing, we should do it as soon as possible."

Stiles was taking a risk by inviting him to move in, so they had to do it right. Everything they did up to now have been impromptu at best. "I want you to feel safe, not to worry about drama with me. I can't prevent it with Theo, so I can at least do that," Derek scoffed. "Not that I'm an ass like him."

"Holy shit, no! You are nothing like him! Jesus, no!" Stiles protested right away, shaking his head vehemently as he looked at Derek with big eyes. "I also know that you're not in it for the money. Of course, at first, when I knew nothing about you, I had to think about that too, but it became pretty clear to me that it wasn't the case with you. I wanted you to know this and that truly you are the exact opposite of my ex. And I feel a bit guilty that his name comes up so often and I want to stop talking about him, but it's still relatively fresh and I still have to fully get over it, to write it out of myself and get my closure. It's usually when I drop an album and tour with that material. When I write and sing my emotions. It's... sharing it with the fans and the world... it's like my kind of therapy. I'm not exactly subtle," he chuckled low with a shrug.

"It's fine. It's not like we run into my ex all the time like we do with Theo." Well Derek did daily, but he avoided her at all costs. Besides, it’s been a longer time for him, so of course it was very current for Stiles. "In some things you can never really get closure, and Theo's not making it easy."

Derek wouldn't be surprised if the other singer would be a topic for years to come, because he was that kind of guy. Resentful to the bone, unable to see that his mistake had cost him everything with Stiles, who wanted nothing more than to move on. "So when you start writing love songs, I will know it's about me," Derek teased lightly.

Stiles smiled warmly on that last sentence. "Yeah, you're not wrong about that," Stiles rubbed Derek's chest again and then this time when he laid his head down, he did that on his own treasured pillow so he could keep looking at the handsome face.

"And frankly, I don't really want to run into this Jennifer ever again, but if you want me to scare her off your back with another epic comment or kiss, just let me know and I'll stop by at the school again," he winked. Then he sighed, looking a bit more serious. "I guess we'll see and all we can do is hope that Theo finally lets this go and moves on too."

***

Of course, Theo didn't do that.

The following day Scott called when Derek and Stiles were goofing around in the kitchen cooking lunch together. Or rather they kissed and joked and groped a lot, which made the actual cooking part get drawn out, but neither of them seemed to mind.

Stiles reluctantly broke their next round of a kissing match against the kitchen counter and danced out of Derek's arms, knowing it was Scott since he had his own personal ringtone set for his phone. It was "Money, Money, Money" by ABBA. Scott hated it, which amused Stiles to no end.

What Scott told them on the speaker phone made Stiles pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh exhausted. Of course, Theo went to TMZ and the like, whoever would listen to him and his "reliable sources" and started talking shit about him and Derek. Not overly open or exposing, but turns out, he was a very sly man, so he could drop hints and suggestions and whatnots in a way that no one missed the real meaning.

First Stiles just felt utterly exhausted of all that unnecessary drama and told Scott to mostly just ignore it, but along with Kira do what they deemed necessary to control the media.

Then after the fatigue came the anger. And whenever he was angry about something or someone like that, he tried to channel it creatively.

So he practically moved into his studio for like months to work on his next album.

Derek's life wasn't as impacted by Theo's claims, since the man didn't know him and was grasping at straws to find something to hurt him with. But he had gotten downright nasty with Stiles, who was hurt badly and was very angry. Derek did his best, of course, to help Stiles through this, even when the singer was mostly locked away in his own studio to work on his songs. The one time they went outside, it was to get all those papers taken care legally. Scott had made sure it could be done quickly, all of them wanting to get that out of the way. It offered some more security to Stiles when Derek had signed the NDA and the paper that said he wasn't getting any of Stiles’ fortune if they would end up divorcing. They'd keep both their assets they had when they married and the rest they would have to make a list of, things that were bought together for example.

After that Stiles was back in the studio, working himself down to the bone. Derek had to work during the day and he understood how it worked for Stiles with his ADD mind and his hurt soul. He was pouring himself into his music. But he did miss the calls and texts he so often got from Stiles. He himself texted and called in the evenings, just once, trying to give the younger man his space. He'd take Erica and Moon Moon over to the house on the weekends, where he helped Erica work on a guestroom to turn it into her own room. And he'd usher Stiles out of the studio to eat dinner and breakfast, bringing lunch to him in the studio. The hardest part was to get him to sleep in his bed at night. Often it was well after midnight where he'd cajole Stiles to bed with sex, but it often was mostly just an exhausted cuddle. And Stiles would be back in the studio by the time Derek woke up.

It was probably a good thing this happened now, so Derek knew what he was getting himself into. At least he was very used to handling it all by himself, so with Scott and Kira they made sure there was food in the fridge and laundry would be done. Scott mostly handled all the press, putting off interviews and appearances. Now that part Derek didn't miss at all. Not that he was free of being stalked by the paparazzi. They got more glimpses of him instead of Stiles so yeah, they gladly tried to get info through him. He also hung out with Ben Affleck a few times, which of course fueled his fame.

Weeks later Erica's room was finished. Derek had packed a few things, but they haven't really discussed a date to move yet. It didn't seem like the right time to consider it, because Stiles no doubt liked having his home to himself during the week.

"Derek! Did you try to drag the zombie out of his room yet?" Erica was in her PJs at the kitchen table as Derek was making breakfast.

"No, not yet. It works better if I tell him the food is served, because then he feels guilty if he doesn't come to eat." Derek had made himself at home in the kitchen, he knew where it all was, had rearranged some of the stuff to make it more efficient. He even got a new apron.

"He better! I hate cold pancakes. They’re like the saddest thing ever," Erica sighed as she was typing away on her phone.

Within ten minutes or so, the singer did show up in the kitchen door barefooted, wearing black sweatpants and a grey crinkled T-shirt. He looked as exhausted as he felt, his hair wild, dark bags under his eyes and sporting a short beard by then. Clearly he didn't really care about his looks when his muse kept whispering in his ear like that.

Scratching his chin, he walked in and plopped down to the table where there was an empty plate set for him. "Morning," he mumbled, sounding hoarse, because he's been in the studio since before dawn, singing and screaming his soul out.

There were a few band aids on his fingers too, but that was nothing new at that point either. When he got too lost in playing, trying to make a part sound perfect or playing too hard and the pick wasn't doing it, the guitar strings sometimes cut his fingers. That (and playing bass and drums as well) was the reason why his fingers were usually calloused too.

"Everything smells and looks awesome," he smiled a bit, practically inhaling the still warm coffee Derek had put out for him in a big mug, because of course he knew how Stiles loved it (three sugars and some milk). "Thanks," he sighed looking less grumpy.

Of course, even with being so focused on his work, he had noticed how Derek and Erica slowly but surely took over the house, but he didn't mind at all. He even checked Erica's finished room, which looked very her and of course Stiles had paid for all the costs of the remodeling. (That was a mini fight on its own with Derek, but the singer managed to persuade him in the end. And no, not with sex, that came afterwards.)

"Slept well?" Stiles asked the other two while he put two pancakes, eggs and sausages onto his plate.

"Like a little kitten," Erica told him, because she hated saying like a baby. She had told Derek that babies didn't sleep as well, but kittens and puppies were always having the best sleeps. And she was totally not a puppy but more of a cat person. It wasn't something Derek was going to lecture her on. If she wanted to invent new sayings, he was all for it. "My room's so cool. Can't wait to live in it for real." She was side-eyeing both of them, not being subtle at all.

Derek ignored her. Instead he filled her plate with pancakes, freshly baked to finish the batter he had made. "I didn't notice you sneak off, so yeah, I think I slept well." Armed with his own mug of coffee too, he joined them at the table. Stiles looked more like he slept on the streets these days. It was not something he said out loud besides demanding him to brush his teeth and take a shower when he wanted to kiss or do more. Derek was fine with some body odor, sure, but not when his husband smelled like rotting cabbages for some reason.

"Scott called that he's going to drop by tomorrow. Something about how brothers go look for bodies together?" Those two have been best friends for so long, they nearly had their own language. It was something Derek understood and at the same time didn't, because it was hard to follow along when those two are in the same room together and weren't focusing on work. It was amusing, sure, however some form of translation would be good.

He didn't ask Stiles what the plans were for the weekend, he kind of knew. Stiles would be in his studio, Erica was doing her own things in the house, while Derek worked and prepared for the lessons for the upcoming week. He'd watch a movie with Erica in the evening and sometimes Boyd would join them. It was already a good sign how Stiles came for breakfast himself for a change. Maybe that meant he was getting somewhere with his album.

Pleased with the other two sleeping well, the musician smiled on Erica's comment and the slight confusion on Derek's face when telling him Scott's cryptic message. It was cute to see him trying to guess what that might mean. Nothing really, it was just a funny way for Scott to tell that he was going to drop by and check on the currently reclusive singer and his progress. (Well, as much as Stiles would allow him to listen to, because yeah, he was still not big on people listening to his unfinished stuff. Derek and Scott were pretty much the only exceptions while in this phase of his work.)

He hummed approvingly during the first bite of his pancake then quickly stuffed his face with a few more forkfuls, chewing lost in thought. Once he swallowed and washed it down with some milk he poured to himself into his now empty coffee mug, he put the mug down and leaned back on his chair.

"Thanks for putting up with me in the last couple of months. I know it was probably not easy," he mostly looked at Derek, because the teenager probably didn't need much more than her phone and what the house could offer. But about Derek Stiles felt a bit guilty. He was a champ, putting up with Stiles hiding in his studio most of the time, taking care of him next to Erica and Moon Moon and also working at the school. "I really appreciate," he added, looking between the two for a moment. "And I think this weekend I could help you two fully move in... because..." he took a deep breath and looked back at Derek. "I'm done with the album. Only the mixing part remains. I'll show some of what I've got to Scott tomorrow and call my producer friend about the mixing. That will mean more reasonable work hours in the studio because of him. I could just send the songs to him, but it's well-known that I like to be present during these finishing touches too," he drummed a pattern on the table with his fingers, feeling a bit nervous about the other two's reactions about the move.

Would they still want to move in? Well, judged by her comment, Erica obviously would, but maybe the last two months had changed Derek's opinion about it? It made Stiles look nervous and a bit worried as he eyed his husband.

Erica's reaction was as predicted, a positive one. She had flourished even more than she had since living with Derek. The combination of having way more room for herself and her sudden popularity was working for her. Which also made Derek happy because he loved seeing her like this. She jumped up with an excited screech, which made Moon Moon bark and come running. The two of them were jumping around excitedly, creating instant chaos.

Derek gave Stiles a rueful smile and a shrug because yeah, the singer was going to have to get used to it. The older man didn't say anything, but he did stand up too to walk over to Stiles, ignoring the fact the man needed a shower and a toothbrush. He pulled Stiles up to kiss him. Deeply. Erica whooped loudly again and Moon Moon barked louder.

"I'm proud of you for finishing," Derek whispered against his lips. "Let's move this weekend even though there's a lot of packing to be done."

Stiles blushed deeply and not just from the deep kiss right in front of... well, their daughter, but because of the praise and warm reaction coming from Derek.

"Yeah, I'd love that. All three of you officially moving in," he nodded, leaning his forehead against Derek's while holding him close with his arms around him. He didn't mind the chaos around them at all, because he was too busy being happy and relieved that neither had changed their minds about this big step. And it was a huge one. He was officially further (if we don't count the marriage part) in this relationship than he ever got with anyone. And it made Stiles feel both a bit nervous, but also excited and happy.

"I think we can pull it off if we work as a team," he smiled. "But only after breakfast and me taking a shower and making myself look like a functional human again," he chuckled low then opened one arm to wave Erica in for a group hug. (Which of course meant that Moon Moon came over too and jumped on them not knowing what was going on, but excited nonetheless.)

Erica didn't mind the group hug, but she didn't linger for long. Nope, she was already planning because she was smart like that. "I'll go get boxes with Boyd. You two should rent an Uhaul for the weekend."

"Yes, sir," Derek joked but she was right, they could use the help of Boyd if he was up for it. He seemed to tolerate Erica and was looking out for her ever since he had learned of her epilepsy. Which was the one thing Derek was worried about, because it was going to be a busy weekend for her and it could trigger a seizure even if she took the pills at wrong interval of times. "Take it easy, okay?"

"You know me! I'll get dressed and we can meet up at the apartment. Also Stiles, you might want to tweet about going to some place with Derek to get the bloodhounds off your scent," Erica ruffled Derek's hair, and skipped off, singing loudly.

Derek didn't even attempt to fix his hair even though he had styled it this morning. "The press isn't going anywhere when they see Erica with boxes." It was a sweet gesture of her to think about it. It might work, it might not. Derek had accepted that it was going to be hard to have any form of privacy outside of these grounds.

"I love how smart she is," Stiles said, still looking in the direction she had disappeared in. "And that's a good idea. I mean, I could tweet something and call Ennis to take the town car for a spin. It has tinted windows, so no one will know we aren't in the back. It should throw off most of the photographers from our scent so we can take one of my other cars," he hummed, brain already kicking into planning mode as he pulled away to sit back to the table and finish his breakfast, eating with more gusto now than lately.

"You do have all the necessary cardboard boxes and stuff there, right? You could get the Uhaul truck under a fake name. Not that I want to keep the moving in a secret, but it'd be easier to focus on the moving if we didn't get swarmed by photographers while doing so. Or for now we could just leave the furniture there. I don't know what you had finally decided to do with the flat. Sell it or keep it as a man cave or rent it. Also, you know we could just buy new stuff if you're not that attached to your furniture."

"I have some boxes, but not enough for the impromptu move, which Erica knows." Yeah, she was very smart, already thinking ahead for both of them. And clearly wanting to give them some time together as if sensing that Derek really had missed Stiles. So doing something as mundane as renting a truck where they could sit in it together and listen to the loud radio was perfect.

He finished his plate and leaned back, thinking on it. Did he really want to keep the furniture? He wasn't overly attached to any of it, and it seemed like a hassle. Stiles had comfortable furniture so yeah, it didn't seem like it needed to be moved too. "I mostly want to bring my books and antiques, but the furniture isn't important." He'd put it out on the curb, make others happy with it since that's what people in New York did with stuff they didn't want anymore.

"I've decided to sell the apartment. Renting it out would be a good income, but your privacy is more important. I don't want to expose us to some unknown renter. I'd have to go over there from time to time for upkeep and it's just..." Waving it away, Derek figured it didn't need more explaining. "I'll put the money in my savings account for the 'just in case' scenario."

"That's smart thinking too," Stiles nodded with a smile then continued shoveling the food into his mouth. He didn't feel put out from that logic, because they had talked about all the options in length before, so he was cool with Derek choosing this one. After all, it was his property and money and Stiles will never have anything to do with it. Besides, he had told Derek during those talks that he wants him to feel just as safe financially too like Derek did. Hence the prenuptial agreement, even if it was added after the actual marriage papers they had signed on that stage in what felt like a lifetime ago.

"Okay, so once we packed up all the stuff you two will want to keep, I think it might fit in one truck. Depends on how big of a truck you can get," he said with his mouth half-full and for good measure he took a big bite of a sausage too, humming from how good it tasted. It was as if his appetite was coming back full force now that the biggest part of his job was done and a lot of pressure was taken off his shoulders.

Quickly chewing and swallowing what was in his mouth, the singer met Derek's eyes again. "I truly am happy that you'll be living here full time. I hope you know that," he said, wanting to reassure Derek that he meant it. He even reached over the table with his free hand to squeeze his husband's.

"I know," Derek smiled and looked at their joined hands, a soft look in his eyes. They had talked it all out a few times, went through many scenarios and options. Derek insisted to at least pay for Erica's needs as well as Moon Moon's food. But even he had to admit that not having to pay for food and electricity bills would actually be a relief. Erica's meds cost a fortune monthly, and at the end of his paycheck, he'd always be struggling. He'd actually be able to buy gifts and clothes for himself. He won’t have to worry about gas for his car, and he’ll be able to go to Beacon Hills because yeah, that was the main reason he hadn't gone to his parents often. They paid for his plane tickets each year when they would spend the summer with them, and since he didn't want them to do that too often, it hasn't been in the realm of possibilities. Maybe Stiles suspected as much, because the man had insisted they didn't have to pay for living here. Not a cent.

It felt a little bit like freeloading to Derek, even though he slept so much better with the knowledge that soon his money problems would be over. It was why he had really thought hard about renting out his apartment, because the extra income would be so welcome. But it didn't seem safe, and there was also the possible costs of his property getting destroyed or the renter not wanting to move out. No, he did think about using his money to buy a house or building and use it as investment. Which needed some planning ahead and looking into city plans and what neighborhoods were up and coming.

"And you don't have to apologize for anything. You’re an artist, so writing an album is part of that. I'm a big boy and can take care of myself just fine. I've been doing that for a while now. I can take care of you too." He was sure that at some point Stiles would have the honor to take care of him, like when he was sick, and Stiles would probably never apologize again for his writing moments, because Derek made a terrible patient. Fingers crossed Stiles never had to see that side of him.

"That you clearly can. Seamlessly, might I add," Stiles beamed at his man and reluctantly pulled his hand back so he could finish his breakfast. "If I didn't need a shower so badly, I'd sit on your lap and cuddle you while finishing this up," he pointed at the food with his fork. "But for now I'll just send you heart-eyes and then go clean up," he grinned and did just that, feeling much, much lighter than for the last couple of months when he was like a slave to his muse and emotions. He really needed this change of pace and environment. At this point he was kinda sick of his own studio, which was usually his sanctuary.

So once they successfully managed to get into the apartment undetected (clearly Stiles' bait was working), a clean-shaven and more put together looking Stiles was helping Derek with sealing another box of books in the living room. He went with the sweats-tee-zipper hoodie combo, which was very fitting for their task at hand, although his sunglasses and hoodie were resting on one of the chairs, because they weren't needed at the moment.

"So... apparently most of your belongings are books," he bumped his shoulder into Derek's as he scribbled 'MORE books' onto the side of the sealed box.

"Are you even surprised?" A light chuckle came with Derek’s answer as he shoulder-bumped right back. Erica was packing up her own room, and Boyd was putting the boxes off to one side so they all could form a line later on to get the boxes into the elevator. Moon Moon was already at the new home, because moving was too stressful for a dog to be around. Derek was packing up the kitchen, not bothering to go through it all yet. They’d see back at the house what they had double and what Derek would decide to donate.

The historic decorations were already packed, very carefully, as were all the DVDs and most of the living room area. "I can't wait to add them all to your library." Derek of course had already started on books there, eagerly reading them one by one.

"How about I continue with the kitchen so you can pack up your bedroom?" Boyd offered, not wanting to pack up personal stuff of Derek, which was usually in the bedroom area.

"Afraid to touch my underwear?" Derek teased as he stopped what he was doing and moved out of the way.

"Yes!"

"Fine. It will give me time to hide the panties."

"Ewwww, I can year you!" Erica called out loudly, causing Derek to laugh as he grabbed a couple of empty boxes to make his way to his bedroom.

Needless to say, that comment lured Stiles into the bedroom too within less than a minute, carrying more folded cardboard boxes under his arm. As he closed the door behind him, he watched Derek packing socks and T-shirts into a box that was on the bed.

"Soooo... panties?" he slowly walked over, dropping the empty boxes on the bed and stalked to the open drawer, peeking in to see if he could actually spot some delicate lingerie. "Is that one of your kinks? You actually have some? Do you like wearing them? Or do you like your partner wearing them for you?" he fired off his rapid questions, curiosity taking over as always.

As surprising as it may sound, during the months they've been together, they haven't directly talked about such things. It wasn't that surprising given their busy and often clashing schedules and Stiles' studio time, but of course Stiles had dropped hints here and there about what he liked in bed, but nothing too concrete or explicit.

Derek kind of zoned out for a moment from the image of Stiles wearing panties, really liking that idea. "I'm thinking we should get you some now that you've mentioned it." Sadly he was going to have to disappoint Stiles, because it was a joke to get his husband to the bedroom. It worked, clearly!

There were no toys either, something Stiles already knew because Derek had told him before. It wasn't that he didn't like them, but there was a teen in close quarters with him, so those weren’t things he had. Now that they were going to live bigger with more privacy, he might get to use them more. There was lube of course, which they had used often when Stiles stayed the night. "But no, I don't own panties, that drawer is all boring socks and Under Armour. Try the last drawer, it might have something you'll like."

There hidden between the thick scarfs, beanies and gloves for the cold winters in New York, was a pair of handcuffs. It wasn't the kink treasure of all, but it was something. It was also the only thing he had that would interest Stiles.

Stiles immediately crouched in front of the last drawer, digging through all the soft and warm fabric until his hand touched something cool and metallic. Eagerly pulling it out, he already knew what it was the second his fingers closed around the metal. There was a very kinky grin on his face as he stood up with the handcuff now hanging from his index-finger.

"Well, well, well... I do like this little kinky gift," he stepped to Derek, unable to stop that grin. His free hand stroked down on Derek's warm chest, tracing a few muscles through the fabric of his T-shirt. "Also... what makes you think I don't already have panties in my kinky drawer?" he teasingly kissed into Derek's neck before pulling back enough to look at him. "Maybe we could celebrate your moving in tonight with one of those panties and this..." he wiggled his brows as he swirled the handcuff around the long finger. "What do you say? Would you like that?" he asked just when his warm palm rubbed against Derek's bulge.

It didn't seem like they were ever be able to do anything without it leading to sex. They were like horny teenagers but even worse. Since there were two people right outside the door, Derek bit his lower lip to keep from moaning, his hand reaching for Stiles' wrist to stop him before it could turn into a full blown erection. "Yes, as you can tell!" Stiles was a complete menace, yet Derek still pulled him flush against his body to claim a quick kiss. "You just want me completely distracted all day." As if he hasn't succeeded already.

But since there’s been two months of not much time between them, it seemed like a perfect plan. Derek swatted Stiles' ass. "Go pack up the rest of that drawer or we're not going to be going anywhere but here, packing up the apartment all evening."

He eyed his bed sheets, grabbing it to fold it up, but already knowing they were going to be donated. There was no way they'd fit on Stiles' huge bed. At least they didn't have to lug furniture yet, not until the apartment was sold. That would save them a lot of time and energy.

"Oh you're no fun!" Stiles sighed dramatically then fake-pouted before grinning like an idiot. Yeah, he'd missed this between them in the last two months. It was good to start getting back to what was normal between them. Kinda like where they'd left off before he became a hermit in his studio. Sure, they slept together (in both meaning) and kinda already lived together, but this was going to be different. A lot of changes and adjustments, but also something Stiles has been looking forward to.

Either way, he obediently (and not so neatly) began pouring the contents of the drawer into that box, but made sure to pocket the handcuff so it could have a starring role later that night.

They packed for a few hours more before Stiles ordered in Chinese food for all four of them, which they ate in the messy living room in a good mood, joking and laughing a lot. This was definitely going to be a memorable moment for probably all of them – maybe even for Boyd.

Derek was a little surprised by all the boxes they had packed up, because he hadn't realized how much stuff there was in the apartment which wasn't that big to begin with. His books and old decorations took up a lot of room, though. Maybe half of the large stack was already in the van, and most of it was packed by now. They were all tired, dirty but in a good mood. They were all looking forward to the move, maybe even Boyd who had found a friend in Derek.

"Okay, so we all can agree that Derek's the hoarder out of the two of us," Erica laughed as she of course stole the last eggroll from right under their noses. The Chinese food cartons were nearly empty, because all the hard work had made them hungry.

Derek scoffed because she had managed to collect a lot in that room of hers too. Still with his mouth full of chicken, he pointed his chopstick at her. "And all your clothes take up like four boxes. Not counting the shoes."

"A girl's gotta look good, Derek! Not that you'd know."

Now that was a burn. A big one!

Stiles burst out laughing and even Boyd cracked a smile at that.

"Well, she's not wrong!" Stiles snickered, but fondly bumped his shoulder against Derek's as they were sitting right next to each other on the couch. "Not that I don't like your nerdy look too," he winked at him, remembering the reason why Derek dressed that way while teaching. But he looked undeniably like a model in his free time. And an underwear model or porn star when in little or no clothes, in Stiles' opinion. He really had no problem at all with that look, but he was decent enough not to blurt all that out in front of Erica and Boyd. See? He had some manners and mouth filter after all!

Derek scowled at Stiles. Because if he dressed like he did right now while teaching, he wouldn't be getting much work done. Those teenagers were a thirsty bunch! Not that it really mattered anymore since his face was plastered all over the place so they saw him in the weekends anyways. A new load of kids were going to start high school after summer, when most of them have already known him before Stiles happened. And they weren't being extremely weird about it. Most of them.

"Okay, so from the looks of it, one more hour of packing and then we're mostly done with what we wanted to transport to the house, right?"

"Seems like it," Boyd nodded. "I can drive the truck back. You can take the Jeep with the others," he offered.

Out of protest for the dressing comments, Derek didn’t say anything and he decided to not share his carton anymore, ignoring the fact he was the only one still eating. They all politely waited for him to finish and then they went back to work. At the end of the hour, he was standing in his apartment, checking if they really had everything while the others packed up the last boxes in the truck.

Already it felt like the life was sucked right out of the home, because all that was left was the furniture. He had a few good years here, but he hadn't gotten overly attached to it. So it wasn't hard to leave it. It just felt weird, like closing another chapter in his life and starting a new one. With Stiles freaking Stilinski.

"Hey babe, we should post a picture of us kissing in front of the moving truck. You can post it. Make it official."

"That sounds like the perfect way to announce it!" the singer hugged Derek from behind, ignoring how dusty and a bit sweaty they both were. Once home they'd have to unload the truck and take a shower anyways. The unpacking could wait until the following day since despite being still light out, it was getting late and all four of them had their fair share of work today.

"Flat looks weird like this," Stiles added after a few moments, resting his chin on Derek's shoulder since he was taller only by a couple of inches. "You really okay with selling it?"

Derek leaned into the hug, his hands covering the ones on his stomach. He was getting used to having Stiles' aftershave around him. And funny enough, that familiar smell was making him so very sure this was the right choice. He didn't want to go back to not having the singer around. These past two months were a reminder of how it would be to not have the singer around as much. Not something he had liked, understood yes, but not liked at all.

"Not a doubt in my mind. I want to wake up next to you as many mornings as we can have. This is just a place. Home is with the people I love, my dog and my things." Home was apparently going to be a big ass mansion in New York with a big ass famous singer who had managed to steal his heart after stealing his ring finger. "You being engrossed in your writing reminded me of that. Why waste time when we can have what we want now? And you're all I really want."

To those words Stiles pulled back just enough so he could step in front of Derek, their bodies pressed together in their embrace. "Sweet-talker," Stiles accused, but there was laughter in his voice. He was still not that good at accepting compliments, so he just blushed and kissed Derek in the middle of the mostly bare and empty living room.

It was a good minute-long deep kiss with lots of gentle stroking and emotions put into it. By the time it finished, they were both kinda out of breath and flushed.

"Quite the warm up kiss for that photo, huh?" he asked, licking between Derek's lips again for good measure, his hold around him tightening for a few more seconds too before looking into Derek's eyes. "Let's go home then..." he whispered low then his soft smile turned into a kinkier one, because of course it did. "We wouldn't want to make the cuffs and panties to wait much longer." There was a wink, another quick peck on the lips then Stiles grabbed Derek's hand to pull him through the door.

Derek shook his head amused and followed after Stiles, locking the door behind him. There was a hungry dog waiting at the new home, and an even hungrier husband. All this hard work meant they did deserve it.

Boyd and Erica were waiting downstairs and of course Erica was happy to take the picture when they explained what they wanted. Compared to their kiss upstairs, it was a chaste one but it got the message across. The moment Stiles had posted the announcement, with the appropriate tags on his official social media sites, his phone blew up with notifications. It made Derek snort amused, scrolling through the comments while Stiles got them home in the jeep.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13 – Omen

“Pushing the limits, possessed by the spirits
You're losing control of yourself
Feel the resistance, forget your existence
In time you'll get used to the taste

It's in your blood
It's breeding deep inside those bones
Now feel it breaking out and tearing up your soul
Now you're alive
Awake in your own paradise
Embrace this energy and free yourself from misery”

(BFMV – Omen )

By the time they got home, the post had gone viral. Erica yawned as they watched Boyd park the truck as close to the front door as possible for easy access in the morning. "I'm not going to miss the press right outside our door."

The Hale nodded as he looked over the large grounds like Erica was doing. The gate was off in the distance, hidden away so nobody would ruin their privacy. "Speaking off epilepsy triggers, you need some sleep. Enough stress for one day." Knowing her, she'd be unpacking her boxes all day tomorrow, getting her room ready so she'd be able to relax in it Monday after school. For once she didn't fight it, she nodded and hugged them both good night. Even Boyd was quick to disperse.

Once Moon Moon was walked and fed, the two males took a shower and decided to get an early evening too. Well, early evening in the bedroom, not sleep.

"Okay, so..." Stiles emerged from his walk-in closet with a big closed plastic box, wearing only a towel around his hips. He put the box on the bed and took the lid off. (The handcuff with its keys from Derek's place were already on the nightstand.) "Here's my kinky box, so to say," he announced and stepped aside to let Derek take a look. "I think it tells a lot about my kinks," he added with a slight blush on his face as he lifted out a divider tray with some folded panties, padded cuffs and a black ball-gag.

On the bottom of the box there were a few different sized butt-plugs, dildos and vibrators neatly lined up, and also some folded Japanese silk ropes.

"I think it's nothing too extreme?" he asked a bit unsure as he busied himself with unfolding the four panties on the bedspread. The hot pink and baby blue colored were lace ones, the black and red silk. "You could like... pick which panties you'd like to see me in tonight?" he suggested. "These are brand new, by the way. I've got rid of the older ones," he added, meaning the ones he sometimes wore when he was with Theo. In his mind it would've been tasteless to wear sexy underwear that was used when having sex with another man.

"Those look more comfy than mine," Derek pointed at the padded cuffs, and they might want to use those instead to save chafing of the wrists. The toys of course were familiar, and he had used them on others but not often. College sex life had been adventurous without toys already. Not that he was against them or anything, just never thought he'd have use for them for himself. "It all looks fine. I'm not too familiar with using them, but that doesn't mean I can't learn. Besides the dildos and vibrators, those I've used on others."

Derek made sure to sound casual as they were looking into Stiles' treasure trove, sensing it was a sensitive topic at the moment. "They’re sex toys Stiles. I promise I won't go blushing virgin on you." And they needed to be open about it, especially since his husband was into this all, so it was important to use them too. His green eyes slid over to the panties laid out on the bed for him to choose, all of them looking pretty and fitting for the slender body.  "This one," Derek picked the blue one, because for some reason he felt like blue fitted Stiles, even though he had a habit of wearing black clothes. Probably because his jeep was blue and that made him pick the color. "Should I close my eyes?" Derek himself wasn't dressed, not even a towel wrapped around him.

Relieved that Derek didn't find his toys and accessories weird, Stiles picked out the padded black cuffs from the box to put it on the bed then placed Derek's handcuff into the box, the other panties following.

"Well, you can decide if you want to watch me put them on or be surprised by the sight when opening your eyes. And I'm glad you're okay with this. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED every time we had sex. I just like to sometimes spice things up and obviously to be tied up or restrained or both by my partner. I might be a pushy bottom, but I still have a submissive streak with the right guy," he winked at Derek. For good measure he took a length of the red rope out of the box too before placing said box down next to the bed with the lid secured on. "Rope's for looping it through the chain link between the cuffs, so you can tie me to the headboard," he said with a deeper blush, pupils dilating a bit and his cock stirring under the towel because of that mental image.

"So what will it be? Closed eyes or watching? Don't ask me to do a striptease for you, because despite moving around on stage, I'm actually not that good at dancing," he chuckled as he picked up the blue lace panties, waiting for his naked husband's reply. (And if he feasted his eyes on that gorgeous body a bit, no one could blame him.)

"Don't worry, not going to ask you to dance. Maybe if you're a good boy, I'll give you one next time." Derek closed his eyes, not seeing the reaction to what he just said, but he knew there would be one, that's why he offered. Neither of them was up to such a strenuous activity besides sex after all the work they did today.

With a hand wave, he let Stiles know he could start changing, as if it would take long to change from towel to panties. Settling down on the bed after touching the sheets to make sure he wasn't plopping his naked ass down on something he didn't want under his ass, he waited to hear he could open up his eyes again.

It wasn't that surprising to hear Stiles loved to be submissive, because they had dabbled in it a little already. And yeah, it was no surprise that Derek was fine with that even though he did prefer the bossy bottom. He was enough of a top to fall into a dominant role easily. And if Stiles needed that, he'd give it to him. Without even hesitating for a second.

Meanwhile a pleasant shiver ran down on Stiles' spine from the 'good boy' expression and imagining Derek giving him a striptease. His tongue quickly darted out to wet his bottom lip. "I'd like that! A lot," he hummed a bit breathless.

Reaching for the towel to carelessly drop it on the hardwood floor, he quickly stepped into the light blue panties, loving how the lace hugged him just right everywhere. After adjusting himself a bit to look as sexy as he could, he cleared his throat. "You can look now," he added and bit his bottom lip as he watched Derek's reactions. (Not that he didn't know he looked hot in such panties, but he really, really wanted to impress his husband.)

Derek's eyes were quick to open when Stiles said he could. It was funny how a simple small garment like that would make such a big difference, but it did, it so did. Derek's mouth fell open a little as he stared at the way the panties were hugging Stiles in all the right places, his slightly chubbed cock outlined thanks to the lace. Derek was into this, a lot! Suddenly speechless, he sighed deeply, wistfully, because this couldn't be his. There was no way.

Very much pleased with Derek's reaction, the tattooed man wet his lips and swallowed hard from that look in anticipation.

"Look at you," Derek croaked out, his own cock firming up instantly. "My beautiful boy. Come here. Let me feel you." They hadn't fully discussed safe words, so he knew before he put the cuffs on Stiles that they had to. There was no way he was going to engage in a scene without setting the proper boundaries.

Patting his lap for Stiles to come to, he decided to just get it over with. "Color or safe word?"

"Colors will do. As I said, I'm not super deep in BDSM, I'm on the lighter side. So 'green' for 'go', 'yellow' for 'slow down' and 'red' for 'stop'?" he asked, wanting to know if they were on the same page as he stepped closer and straddled the offered lap, hoping Derek wanted him in that position. But then again, if he didn't, he had all the control to manhandle him in any way he wanted. Stiles trusted this man more than he did any other – aside from his father, of course, but this was different. And he really didn't want to think about his father in a situation like this when he was sitting on the naked lap and nearby erection of a man, wearing only blue lace panties.

"I've seen how much you can get into it when we have sex, so I feel more comfortable with the color system for you to fall back on. This may be light, but you can still get too much in your head to remember words." Derek wasn't into heavy BDSM either, he'd make a terrible Dom, because he wasn't into dolling out pain or humiliating Stiles. (Although he knew it was much more layered than that.) Taking charge, have some toys, that was something he could do. This was all about making it a safe space for the both of them.

Once having Stiles on his lap as he wanted him, he reached for the soft material hugging the pale body, letting his fingers explore all the fabric. There was an interested erection hidden behind the material and two firm cheeks to grasp and fondle, so that's what he did. Unhurriedly groping the other man without giving him any form of real stimulation. Besides the hardness he was sitting on.

"Yeah, that works for me... and this too..." Stiles grinned then moaned softly from the sensual touches, which only resulted in his hardening cock straining more against the fine fabric. Like a cat he leaned into the exploring hand, either when it stroked his bulge or the curve of his firm ass.

He sneaked a tattooed arm around Derek's shoulders and leaned closer to the warm upper-body, his moist lips finding his husband's neck to gently kiss along it up to his ear. "This feels very nice," he whispered hotly into it and softly bit and sucked on the earlobe, feeling the desire unfurl more in his belly. "I love your hands on me so much."

"I love my hands on you." It was said with a moan because that clever mouth nibbling on Derek’s earlobe made desire sharply shoot through him. "Love how it feels with the panties on." The material was soft, even the lace, which covered a large amount of the fabric with intricate details. The contrast of the feminine clothing on the very male body made it even sexier to him.

His hands dipped into the panties to grab Stiles firmly, two hands full with the pale flesh of his behind. "I'll love how it feels when I eat you out once I've got you tied up." Wasn't that the biggest present of all? Derek being able to do what he wanted to Stiles who could only lay there and take it? And complain or try to urge him on. Which wasn't going to happen.

"God, yes, please! I want that..." he panted into Derek's ear, pushing his ass into the groping hands shamelessly. "What are you waiting for? Do it," he urged on, because of course he did. His cock throbbed and made a wet spot on the panties just from that hot mental image Derek just put into his head.

This was shaping up to be a night Stiles will never forget and often think back on when on tour and away from his husband. And was going to touch himself in his room at the back of the tour bus or in his hotel rooms, that was for sure.

The sneaky little shit he was, he even slid his free hand down between them to touch the massive erection there, hoping that it would spur Derek on to manhandle him into position on the bed and do the tying up sooner rather than later.

Derek batted the hand away from his erection because now wasn't the time for it. No, as Stiles demanded/asked, now was the time for something else. Reversing their position was fairly easy, Stiles was a willing victim to be rolled onto his back, hands already above his head to have the perfect pose. The padded handcuffs locked around the slender wrists easily, because they were made exactly for that. It was a little bit more challenging to get the rope tied to the headboard.

It went around the chain of the cuffs and Derek tested how tight it had to be, how high he wanted those arms. Not too high not to put too much strain on them, but also not loose enough that Stiles had a lot of moving room with them. Tugging on the knots to test their strength, he decided that would hold until he would undo them again. So he hoped. It wasn't like he did those knots often. Then he sat back to watch his handiwork. Stiles had the biggest grin on his face, so there was no need to ask if he was okay, clearly he loved it so far.

Derek grabbed a pillow to shove under Stiles' hips, making his ass a little elevated with that and creating easier access. Instead of pulling the panties off, which was his first instinct, he pushed the legs apart and hooked a finger around the fabric, pulling it aside. It exposed Stiles to him. With one last heated look, the Hale went in for the kill with his tongue.

That shit-eating grin immediately melted off the heavily tattooed singer's face just to be replaced by pleasure and a long satisfied moan. He forced his eyes to stay open and watch what his husband was doing to him, because Derek between his legs like that was one of his favorite sights in the whole wide world. Not to mention how much sexier he felt just from wearing those perfectly fitting panties. It was easy to tell that it drove Derek even crazier for him and Stiles loved that. He loved that very much.

But not as much as that skilled tongue lapping and prodding at where he needed it the most!

Although the muscles jumped under the tattooed skin of his tied up arms, he focused on relaxing his ass as much as he could and slightly pushed against the tongue, wanting to feel it breach him and lick his quivering insides. The noises he made no doubt tipped Derek off about that, but by then Stiles knew how much the other man loved to take his time eating him out as if he was the best dessert ever. Of course, he had no problems with that, although he wasn't famous about his patience.

Derek loved the option to tie up Stiles exactly for that, to get the patience of the other man he normally didn't get. His husband would urge him on and he'd always give in eventually. Now he didn't have to. It was why his tongue didn't lick its way inside immediately but took its time to lick around the hole and soak it in his spit. Nudging at the edges, nuzzling at the taint, going back to the hole to repeat the same process yet again. As much as Stiles was impatient, Derek was the complete opposite.

Eventually though, maybe because his jaw wouldn't hold up forever, he did penetrate with his tongue. Then the real eating out began. No fingers were added, only the tongue was used to widen Stiles for him, to wet him and get him ready for more.

At that point Stiles' moans came more frequently and he tried his best, but they got more and more desperate for more. His head dropped back on the pillow under it a while back, because he had to close his eyes from the growing pleasure, which buzzed through his tied up and stretched out body over and over again. The front of the panties was already damp from all the leaking his poor trapped cock has been doing and Stiles itched to free at least the wet head, but he couldn't.

He was completely at the mercy of his lover and despite the way he tried to squirm a bit, he kept his legs spread wide and panted Derek's name in-between moans of pleasure and need. God, this man was driving him crazy!

"Our first night together for the rest of our lives," Derek muttered against the inside of a thigh as he uncapped the lube to coat his fingers. His mouth was shining wet with spit. "One we'll remember."

That he was going to make sure of. The lubed fingers grazed along the spit-slick skin, where Stiles was open and eager. Two of the thick digits slid their way inside, deeply past the second knuckle. From all the light teasing straight to deep pleasure, the prostate being the intended target. Which was tapped before the fingers pulled out, only to repeat it, scissoring their way inside.

"Gonna reward you for finishing your album. Make you scream."

"Oh my god!" Stiles rasped from that tease at his prostate. His voice has been raspy from all the singing lately, but he knew it was going to get even hoarser from tonight's moaning and panting as well, but he didn't care at all. Not one bit! Derek was right, of course, this was a very special night for them. And not just because of mostly finishing his new album.

"Yes, please! But... not just cuz of the... album. But because it's our first night of you... officially being moved in too," he panted, squirming and moving against the fingers to feel them more. He couldn't get enough of them. Or Derek, for that matter. "I wanna scream your name more because of that... not the album," he groaned, the lust-filled brown eyes locking with Derek's. He was so ready for it.

"That's why I said our first night together for the rest of our lives," Derek replied drily, not at all blaming Stiles for not hearing everything, because the singer was overwhelmed by the arousal. If anything, Derek was smug about it, especially since he was only getting started. Adding more lube, Derek added a third finger, crooking his fingers after pushing them inside. "But you can scream my name because of what I'm doing right now."

It wasn't like he wanted to forget the album, but these weren’t easy months so yeah, the relief that it was one done was immense. It didn't trump the giddy feeling of moving in together, it was just added fuel to the positive feelings. "If you feel like coming, you can. I'm planning on wrangling as many out of you as I can." If that didn't let Stiles know how the night was going to progress, then Derek was just going to make him feel it instead.

"Let's see how many you can give me. After your first, I'll fuck you and give you another one, then I'll eat you out for a third and suck you off for a fourth."

"Holy shittttt, Derek! Jesus!" Stiles gasped for air and not just from the fingers buried deep in him and rubbing just at the right spot. It made him see stars behind his eyelids – and when did he close his eyes again?! The other reason for that gasp was those words and what they promised! Stiles was going to be totally squeezed out like a lemon by the time Derek was finished with him and it made him tug twice on his restraints in anticipation.

"I... wow! Yes! Right there!" he bucked against the fingers then licked his suddenly dry lips, trying to keep forming coherent sentences, but it was really, really hard with what Derek was doing to him right then. "Holy... Derek! I'll cream my panties so fuckin' fast! God, the things... you say... and do! God! Derek! Fuck!" he panted, now shamelessly bucking against the skilled fingers in his expertly stretched ass, his cock oozing like crazy already.

"That's kind of the point, Stiles. Come on, soil your panties for me, fill them up."

Unfortunately for the singer, the older man knew exactly what his words did and how to use them. Which he used happily to get him to the point where he had no choice but to give into the orgasm which was going to be unavoidable with how the thick fingers kept massaging the prostate.

"Let me hear you, let me see you. Be a filthy boy for me," Derek purred, his warm breath ghosting along the already wet panties.

On a few occasions Stiles had had a taste of Derek's dirty talk, but this was on a whole new level and he found himself really powerless against it. He was already utterly speechless, especially when he was kinda called a 'filthy boy'. Which he was going to be in seconds, because this was just too hot and overwhelmingly exciting for him to handle.

So he had no choice but to give in. And he did. He only had a brief glance down at Derek, and probably that picture – his mouth so close to his trapped cock – and the feelings of the hot breath and insistent rubbing of his prostate just did it for him.

Stiles did scream hoarsely as his head pressed back into the pillow and his tied up body arched while his first orgasm rolled over him, making him clamp down hard on the fingers and indeed wetting the fine lace with his sticky load. Generously.

The mouth stopped hovering. While Stiles was lying back, trying to catch his breath with the glow of his orgasm still warming his veins, Derek leaned in. The panties smelled like spunk now, and were thoroughly ruined with how soaked they became. A wet tongue pressed against the fabric to wet it even more before Derek used the panties to suck up whatever he could get at. Licking and sucking, making a mess and kind of cleaning it up as well.

The lace was clinging to Stiles, wetly showing off the softening cock underneath it as Derek mouthed the sensitive skin.

"Good boy." The Hale wasn't taking any prisoners tonight!

Stiles outright whimpered from that praise, but it was maybe also because of how sensitive his cock was getting while being licked and sucked through the panties. His head was still swimming in thick pleasure, so he only made a feeble effort to move away with canting his hips to the side. It barely did anything, but oh well. He was too much in his post-orgasm haze to really care.

Although that praising did echo in his mind, making his insides all warm and fuzzy and his still wildly beating heart leap in his chest. "Only for you, sir." It slipped out quietly and hoarse without Stiles really thinking about his response.

There was a soft hum in reply as Derek slowly pulled his fingers out, wiping them off on the sheets. Thumbs hooked behind the soiled material to pull the panties off. As great as they were, they were getting in the way. "You're so good to me," he praised. "Color?"

He asked because Stiles was getting into that headspace, and it seemed the best timing to check in, which was something he was going to do often when he felt it was needed. It was important to him that Stiles felt safe and treasured and loved. The panties rolled down the thighs, over the ankles to land in a heap on the floor, Derek reminding himself to clean it all up before he'd open the bedroom door later.

While he waited for Stiles' reply, he took himself in hand, coating some of the excess lube on the aching erection. Just because his focus was on Stiles, it didn't mean his own body wasn't affected! It was, in many ways. Settling between the spread legs, the blunt head of his cock pressed against the wet entrance. That's why he asked for a color before he was going to slide home.

"Green," Stiles remembered to reply after swallowing hard a few times in an attempt to wet his dry mouth and throat. He did sound hoarser than when they’ve started playing. But he was all relaxed and prepared well, and knew that the thick and long shaft was going to slide in easily. He also knew that it was going to feel more intense because of being somewhat oversensitive from coming just a hot minute ago, but he wanted it. They were deep into it and he wanted to feel Derek in him, he wanted all that was promised to him and he knew he could take it. He could take it beautifully and make Derek proud of him. He was going to earn more praises and swim in his love and care afterwards.

So Stiles opened his legs wider in invitation, his hands curling into fists then relaxing above his head, the somewhat still hazy eyes meeting the searching green ones.

"I'm ready for you, sir," he rasped.

Derek was happy with that answer, because he was so ready too and it would have sucked to have to wait. He would have, of course. But right now he didn't have to. Now that he was given the go ahead, he pushed inside, not stopping until he was fully sheathed in one go. It went easily with how relaxed the body was thanks to the post-orgasmic bliss.

Derek's hands grabbed onto the legs as he paused, letting the abused flesh get used to his size. The plan was to fuck Stiles into a new orgasm, which was going to take some time and skill with how the younger man literally just came. Derek was going to have to hold back for a bit, and he was going to have to aim just right to get the prostate involved. Once Stiles was recovered enough.

A deep moan was punched out, it felt so good. So tight, so wet.

Stiles gasped for air as he felt himself finally so full of his husband's cock. He could sing odes to it. Maybe he should write a song about it at one point. Just for them. Like an inside joke. But the way it was filling and stretching him so damn well was no joke at all. It was perfect.

He made a noise between approval and a whine and then panted for air for a few moments. His eyes opened again (and seriously, when did they close again?) to look down between his spread legs that were kept in place by strong hands. Seeing himself impaled like that on the man he loved made him dizzy, his soft cock making a weak attempt to harden again, and his stretched ass trying to tighten, but it was kept open. He was so open and full, god!

"So... good... so big!" he murmured on a breathy sigh, loving and enjoying these few moments of calm before another mind-blowing experience. "Fuck me, please! Use me... for your pleasure, sir," he whispered as the tension was building in both of them. The chain links between the cuffs softly clinked together as the tattooed arms flexed and Stiles arched his back as much as he could in hopes of looking alluring and fuckable as he presented himself the best he could in this pose.

That didn't need to be asked twice. Again, as soon as the literal green light was given, Derek didn't wait. With some inward relief, he started moving to give into the needs of his own body which has been neglected long enough. The thrusts were measured though, he was still holding back, wanting to last.

This was never about his own pleasure, this was all for Stiles. His own pleasure was an added perk. And it showed. How he was determined to find the prostate again, trying different angles and keeping a very close eye on Stiles' reactions to see when he was doing it right.

It wasn't like those thrusts – all of them – weren't pleasant or anything. Oh, they were and the singer moaned softly from each one as he kept his hazy eyes on the other man. It was touching how much he was concentrating on him and finding that perfect angle, his glistening cock sliding in and out of him in a measured pace. It was so damn good just to feel it doing that with ease, stoking the desire in the pit of the singer's stomach again. Not to mention the way that this felt somewhat more intense from his insides and cock being still a bit sensitive and super responsive from the recent orgasm.

Not that it took long for the slightly sweaty singer to want more. It was ridiculous how horny he always seemed to be for this man. Especially tonight. Not just from the album or the moving in, but from how he handled Stiles without a hitch. God, he was such a lucky bastard for Derek wanting to play like this!

The next moment that thought flew right out of Stiles' mind, leaving nearly painful pleasure shoot right through him and a much louder moan slipped his parted lips. His hands fisted and as his painted toes curled in the air, his ass tightened around the thick shaft. He wanted to say "right there," but he was a bit too busy seeing stars again.

Stiles didn't need to say it, Derek felt it with the way all the muscles tightened in the high-strung body, clamping around him tightly. It wrangled another moan out of him and he had to stop for a moment to catch his breath. To keep the angle right where it was as the singer was panting loudly and enjoying the pressure of the erection against the sensitive bundle of nerves. The soft cock made a valiant attempt to swell again, twitching but not filling up with blood yet. It would have broken some kind of record if it had!

No matter, Derek was going to get it standing up proud soon enough and it wouldn't need much more prompting. Just the one thing. One hand let go of the widely spread legs to find its way to the chest where the pierced nipples were within easy grasp. He tugged at the metal with a soft smirk, going back to impaling Stiles right after it. The fondling wasn't timed, it was something he did when he wasn't too distracted with the way the body clenched around him each time he hit that spot.

"You feel so good, babe. You're beautiful."

Stiles' naked body trembled both from those words and the double-stimulation of those perfect thrusts and the occasional nipple-play. The tattooed and flushed skin was already glistening with a light sheen of sweat in the bedside lamp's soft light and the same effect was a sight to see on Derek's bulging and jumping muscles as well.

A still functioning part of the singer's brain was very impressed by that and even more so from the man's self-control.

"You... too..." he managed to rasp, his flushed and glistening face swimming in pleasure again. It shot down right into his struggling cock, each nearly too much thrust and tug on his nipples sending jolts of pleasure right into it. They and his prostate were clearly hardwired to it, because it was slowly but surely hardening again. He absolutely didn't mind Derek fucking him while soft after an orgasm. (He somehow even found that hot too.) But he also liked to show off himself in all his glory to his husband. And he was on a good way to achieve that.

The Hale chuckled when the usually very talkative man was reduced to barely being able to string two words together. It was endearing, which he showed by kissing the lips that were struggling to find a way to breathe from being so stimulated. "Who knew I could fuck you quiet?" He'd have to try that more often. No gag needed apparently.

It made him less focused on getting another orgasm out of Stiles before his own, because he was fairly confident he could get him there. The nipple play along with the deep thrusts seemed to do the trick. It made him let go of some of his own control, which resulted in his thrusts being rougher. It was easy to get lost in the feeling of being buried inside that tempting body, over and over and over again.

All rational thoughts went out the window for Stiles at that point. He couldn't even think of a snarky comeback. What Derek was doing to him and his body was just that good! He was hopelessly addicted to this man, who kept proving himself to Stiles, who kept surprising him in all kinds of ways. There was no doubt about it.

He was completely gone for Derek. He was in love with him from head to toe and as those feelings blossomed in his chest, Stiles just let himself go and came a second time without a real warning. But he didn't care, he didn't mind, because he knew that's what Derek wanted and he wanted to give him everything. Forever and always.

His second load was smaller, but did manage to make a mess on his already wet stomach while he cried out Derek's name (again) and kept clamping down around the thick length as much as his loose everything could.

It was a religious experience.

The second orgasm came as a surprise to Derek too, but it was also a relief when he felt Stiles clench around him as wetness spread between them. It pulled him along as well, seeing as he’s been close before he had even penetrated. Two more thrusts and Derek's body stuttered to a halt and sagged when his orgasm pulled him into that state of pure bliss which sadly lasted only seconds or a minute at most.

After that he was a shivering mess plastered all over Stiles, where their sweat and other bodily fluids mingled on their skins. Their breathing was rapid, their hearts were racing, but how good it felt! The older man let out a soft chuckle, because sex with Stiles was such a rush, it was very addictive, and a workout on its own!

"That's two," he croaked out, because no, it wasn't over for the singer just yet!

"Oh for god's sake.... Have some mercy on me!" Stiles panted with a little whine at the end. After all, he just had his second orgasm and his body was still pulsing around Derek's spent cock. And god, was he full of cum (and covered by it too)!

"And water, please! The Sahara is nothing compared to my mouth at the moment," the singer added, head still hazy and swimming in the aftershocks of the pleasure. His body felt heavy and light at the same time and was already exhausted from their sexual activities AND a day of packing boxes. But he didn't say any colors.

"Mercy is for the weak." Bold words for a man who only moved to get a water bottle from the nightstand and in a way that made him stay connected to Stiles. It was so he could recover himself, because he had promised Stiles something he'd do right after fucking him. Uncapping the plastic bottle, he gave Stiles his water with careful sips as he held the bottle against his lips.

"Something you'll learn, I always keep my promises." Even if he too was tired and wanted to sleep. But not before he fulfilled his promise. Poor Stiles was going to get that third orgasm, because there hasn't been a ‘red’ thrown in there. Which meant he was still at Derek's mercy.

"Which is a good character trait. I like the sound of that," Stiles replied once he finished drinking the water that was fed to him. He moved around his hands and arms a bit – well, as much as he could – and was kinda already preparing himself for what was coming, although they were still enjoying the cooling down part of the post-orgasm bliss.

"And apparently I'm weak for you then," he grinned, hooking his legs around the sweaty back to get them into a new position and avoid cramping up from keeping them open for so long. (And it was also his sneaky way to keep Derek in him for a little while longer.) "Which is a compliment... Can I get a kiss for that nice compliment?" he babbled, still floating on endorphins.

"Only because you're cute." Because the compliment didn't make much sense, his name wasn't mercy. Instead of thinking about that, he kissed his husband, deep and long enough to need to break away after a while to get some fresh breath. "And you're still at my mercy."

Derek moved, regretfully because it felt good to be inside of Stiles. Letting his soft cock slip out, he didn't give Stiles much time to get used to the empty feeling because his mouth was swiftly there. A warm tongue pushed inside of the open entrance, mostly tasting himself. Which he obviously didn't mind with the eager way he lapped up his own release right out of the other man.

Oversensitiveness and overstimulation from very amazing sex were real. Stiles could totally attest to that, because he squirmed when that tongue slid into him. His swollen and red lips parted on a long groan as his eyes rolled shut and his head hit the pillow again.

"Shit..." he breathed, his legs trying to close, but obviously Derek was in the way of that. He tugged a few times on his restrains in vain and knew there was no way out, which only added to the hotness of the situation. His heart skipped a beat or two and he whined softly. Yes, yes, Derek was very right. He was still very much at his mercy and he had no doubt that the promise was going to be kept. For a second the singer wondered if he was even going to survive two more orgasms, but really, he couldn't do much about it. He could only lay back and take it. Besides, if he died tonight, he would go out beyond happy.

Derek was very pleased with that reaction, hoping to wrangle another orgasm out of Stiles quickly. Not because he was tired of it, but because Stiles was already at that point where he was too sensitive to be able to handle all the attention. It was one of the moments Derek loved the most when he edged a lover, to really push his limits and make him wonder if he wanted this or not. Only to have his mind blown over and over.

His tongue pushed in and out of the tightness, feeling how abused the flesh already was. Not that it stopped him from pushing a finger inside, aiming for the prostate again. It felt too swollen to add another finger, the flesh was clutching at his digit. He wondered if Stiles ever had a prostate orgasm, and if he could get him there now. It wasn't like his testicles could produce much fluid now.

Derek's finger crooked.

The yell that followed was louder than the ones before and filled with a mixture of pleasure and pain. It was a half-plea too, perhaps. Stiles' sweaty (and sticky) body tensed and tried to jerk away from the 'too much' sensation, but he couldn't go anywhere. Not tied out and his hips propped up like that.

"Derek! God! It's too much," he panted at the ceiling. And it was just a light brush of that single finger in him! Yet it made him hyper-aware of every tiny movement Derek made. Stiles could've sworn that he even began sweating again and his toes and fingers curled into tight balls.

"My cock... Derek, I can't..." he panted some more, yet his hips unwittingly moved towards the finger.

With a loud slurp, Derek moved away from his tasty snack to look up at the wrecked man, a glint in his eyes. The lower half of his face was shining with juices, sticking to his skin like a mask. "You can. And you will. You'll be a good boy for me." Unperturbed by the begging, he went back in for more. Tongue and finger wriggling inside.

The finger didn't let up from the prostate, tapping the sensitive bundle of flesh in a pattern that didn't make sense so Stiles couldn't get used to it. Fast, slow, hard, soft. There was no rhyme or reason to it, ensuring Stiles to only steel himself for the pleasure which was constantly washing over him.

Derek knew with the way Stiles was sweating that he was going to get another orgasm, because the body was preparing for it despite the strain it was put under.

Stiles only managed a pathetic whine, which was to say 'yes, yes I will be your good boy,' but he was too distracted to actually form those words. But hey, it was in the desperate tone of that whine, okay?

That stimulation with both the finger and the tongue was driving the squirming singer absolutely crazy, because Derek made sure to keep it unpredictable. Each time his poor prostate was stimulated, Stiles' whole body trembled and he made sounds he didn't even know his very trained vocal chords could produce! Which was surprising even to himself, although this wasn't the first time he was being milked. It never felt this good, though! It was absolutely fucking overwhelming! The harder rubs caused a feeling as if he had to pee, but he knew that wasn't it. But his cock was too spent to do much aside from more futile attempts to harden (which wasn't going to happen, duh!) and drops of that clear prostate fluid oozing out a bit at the tip.

And despite all of that, his next orgasm was building up, up, up from Derek's persistent stimulation, which felt more like torture at this point. Yet Stiles loved it! Maybe he was a bigger masochist than he had thought before, or his mind was just too fucked up. Who knew?

Either way, he didn't last long this time around either. And when he finally came, it was less intense than the previous two. Yet it wrecked him even more, although his soft cock only jerked and spurted some more fluid onto his stomach, the abused hole repeatedly contracting around that evil, evil finger.

Derek latched onto the spasming cock when it tried its best to give its all in the throes of another orgasm. The warm mouth swallowed down the soft length easily since it wasn't as big and wide, which made for a comfortable enough blowjob. The one finger was joined by another instead of being pulled out. There hasn't been a color shouted, which meant it was still green light for Derek to keep going.

The blowjob wasn't going to give him much, he knew that. The most Stiles could give him at this point was a dry orgasm, because they were too close together. Derek couldn't give him dirty words with his mouth full, not without pulling away so instead he focused on sucking Stiles like he wanted to swallow him whole, followed by soft kitten licks along the abused balls, only to take him deep again.

"Derek... Derek, please! I can't... I just can't!" Stiles begged, his body trying to squirm away, the muscles in his tattooed arms trembling and his lips going numb too. He was drenched by sweat and bodily fluids like never before with any of his partners. And that was a big thing, because he had had some wild fuck fests in the past.

He really felt like dying if Derek didn't stop for at least a few minutes, but at the same time he wanted to get that promised fourth orgasm. That struggle only intensified in him when that blow job got too much on his poor limp cock.

"Yellow!" he finally croaked out, needing Derek to slow down a bit and tried not to feel bad about it. He was just at his limits, he knew that and he wanted to be Derek's good boy so bad. "Just... Just for a few minutes. I need a few minutes..." he said on an outright sob, fat teardrops escaping his unfocused eyes and running into his hairline. His heart was beating all over the pace and he couldn't get enough air into his lungs and all felt so fucking sensitive in that moment that he was at the point of breaking down. Not to mention that despite trusting Derek, this was still their first time playing like this, so there was a tiny bit of worry about him not upsetting the more dominant man when Stiles was in this fragile state of mind. (It had happened to him before and that wasn't a very good experience.)

Derek stopped right away, didn't even hesitate. His mouth pulled off and he gently pulled his fingers out so he could scoot up, caressing the sweaty skin in a soothing manner. "Shhh, it's okay, I've stopped. We can always stop. You've been so good for me." There was no judgment in his tone, nor anger or disappointment. Brushing some of the sweaty hair away, soft lips kissed at the salty tears, licking them away.

"Do you want me to get the cuffs off? You're in control here Stiles, always." He made sure he kept touching the singer without stimulating him, to make him feel safe and cherished. "You were amazing and beautiful."

Stiles let out a shaky and also relieved breath and felt more hot teardrops escape his eyes, although he tried to blink them away. To no avail.

Derek's words and behavior moved him to the core and his wrists strained against the cuffs. Even with their padded insides he knew they were going to be red and sensitive to the touch for a while, but he didn't mind. He instinctively moved his face towards the caressing hand and tipped his chin up for more praising and gentle care, which he clearly needed at the moment. Now deep down he knew Derek would always give him that. And he said he was amazing and beautiful and that only spurred Stiles on to want to get closer to him.

"Yes. I want to touch you... hold you. Please. Can I?" he whined and cried, at his point not even caring about how he sounded or looked. He needed and Derek was so good at providing it wasn't even funny!

"Of course."

Again there was no hesitation, only soft looks. He reached for the key on the nightstand, adjusting himself a little. Hopefully Stiles would ignore it too, it would go down by itself. Right now he wanted to take care of his husband and dote on him. Because that was also a very important side of this. The cuffs unlocked, and he rubbed the wrists, also a part of his care.

"I'm so proud of you," Derek continued to soothe, kissing the red bands on the wrists as he pulled Stiles into his arms. His hand caressed the sweaty back immediately. Soothing noises hummed in the back of his throat. "You're the best."

In an instant Stiles was moving into that warm (and sweaty) embrace, burying himself in Derek. His arms were heavy and tingly from being in the same position for so long, but nonetheless he put them around his husband as best as he could.

Stiles hid his blushing and teary face into Derek's neck from those compliments. That certain warmth spread in his whole exhausted body. He could feel Derek's erection press against him, but for now both of them ignored it in favor of enjoying these calming moments.

"Thank you," the singer whispered against the warm and sweaty skin.

"Always."

Derek sensed seamlessly how Stiles needed to be loved and held. So that's what he did. His hands caressed soft patterns on the pale skin as he had the slender man in his arms. That's all that really mattered, though he did cover them both with the dirty sheet since Stiles was cooling down rapidly thanks to being so covered in fluids.

"I'll clean you up soon, unless you want to shower, but I doubt you're up for that." Stiles needed sleep and rest, a shower would probably be too taxing and the heat might overwhelm him in a bad way. "Get some rest babe. I'll be right here with you."

"Cleanup will do. And I... want that fourth orgasm in a few minutes. I want to be your good boy," he lifted his head enough to kiss along the stubbly throat and jawline in a loving and admiring manner. Despite being so exhausted already, his whole body nuzzled and rubbed lightly against Derek's under the messy sheet around them. It was to deliberately (and literally) keep up his man's interest.

"I want to be your perfect boy... to make you happy," he whispered in-between soft little pecks against Derek's mouth. He felt calmer by then.

"You're already my perfect boy and I'm already happy." Derek kissed him back, letting his linger as if he tried to pour his love into it. So no, he wasn't going to give Stiles that fourth one, it has been a good endeavor already in his opinion. "I'll clean you up, and you can get something to drink and take care of your bladder while I change the sheets. How does that sound, my perfect husband?" The poor man was going to have to lug boxes tomorrow with his body feeling the aftereffects of the sex. It was worth it though to celebrate their first night of living together.

"Are... are you sure? You wanted to give me four orgasms... Although as I think of it now, you didn't specify the exact time, so..." Stiles bit his bottom lip, looking so very unsure and fragile in that moment. "Are you sure... I haven't fucked up with... calling 'yellow' or whatever?" he whispered, averting his gaze and trying to stomp down on some bad memories, although his heart did beat a little faster.

"Nope. If you really want that fourth, I'll give it to you, but you don't have to just to please me. I'm very happy, and you're amazing." Derek sat up so he could talk without feeling like words would get lost in translation, because he wanted Stiles to understand what he was about to say.

"I love that you used yellow, and I'll love you still if you use red. This is about it being safe, and you need to know you're as much in control as I am. I don't want you to only use green to please me, because then this system isn't going to work for us. You can trust me to always listen and I need to be able to trust you to always be true with me too. Can you do that for me?" Before Stiles could answer, Derek continued. "I was more thinking that we still have to unpack the truck tomorrow and I love your body too much to put it through too much strain." He nuzzled close. "I'm not disappointed, this night was amazing."

Stiles rolled onto his back, chewing on his lips as he took glances of Derek before his gaze finally settled on the hazel eyes just when his hand did on his bare stomach, just above the sheet that more or less enveloped his lower half.

Then he welcomed Derek in his arms again, exhaling shakily and relieved. "In theory I know all that. And I'm happy you are happy... and I can be honest with you and use my words. It's just..." Stiles paused, because never before did he talk about what he was about to say, because never before did he get to this point with any of his last few relationships.

"I was just... unsure, because... there was a time when I was young and often drunk and inexperienced in this and... well, one guy did take advantage of that once. Only once, because afterwards I kicked him out, but yeah... Apparently it did fuck me up more than I thought and... I'm sorry that I haven't told you before we started this. I really thought that it wouldn't affect us, but clearly I was wrong..."

Of course Derek was aware how things like that could happen, but to hear it happened to the man he happened to love, that was something else. Instinct was to say they didn't need to do this, if it was giving him bad memories. But he didn't want Stiles to think he ruined it, didn't want him to feel guilty in any way. It was going to require a lot more patience though, and they clearly went too quick tonight if it was causing some flashbacks.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. And how you had to find out now it's affecting you. Anything you need to help you with this, I'll do. If you need me to ask for your colors more, or if you need me to take it slow and really keep it soft-core to build up to it. Anything."

He kind of wished to know how to handle something like this, but there wasn't much experience to go on and he said what he felt was right. He hoped it was the right thing.

Stiles' smile was soft and warm as he looked at Derek and he reached up to caress the stubbly face. "You're a good man, Derek Hale. I'm lucky to have you and be in love with you," he whispered, meaning every word. "And it's okay. I'll talk about this with my therapist too and we'll figure it out how to work through this," he added, not ashamed of the fact that he had therapy sessions (about which Derek knew).

It had helped Stiles cope with the loss of his mother, fame, his issues with alcohol, the stress of touring and whatever hardships came with being a sought out musician. Not to mention that she had already helped a lot with the whole Theo situation, although that was still a work in progress. This new-old discovery was just another thing to put on the list Stiles had to work through. Years ago he would've felt weird about admitting something like this, but he had gotten over the negative stigmas of being in therapy. He needed it and he was proud of himself to ask for help. No one could change his mind about that anymore. That's why he supported mental health awareness as well. And besides, they had agreed with Derek to work on their communication in this relationship too, so yeah. He wasn't going to shy away from saying things like these to him. It was important to be honest and to share such thoughts, they both knew that.

With that in mind, Stiles grabbed Derek's shoulders and pulled him on top of him while he kissed the dark-haired man deeply and happy, his tattooed arms going around him to hold him close.

For a while Derek held him, not saying anything else. He knew about therapy and was fully supportive of it. And to him it seemed like a good choice to get a professional opinion on how to work through this. They'd go from there. Therapy wasn't something he ever had himself, but he didn't think he needed it, for now. It could always change or if his communication skills (or the lack of them) were causing trouble for them, he'd be the first to ask for help since there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Time passed and he did pull away when he felt sleep tugging at him. With a gentle kiss he stood up to get a towel and a warm wet cloth, cleaning up Stiles. "Do you need anything? Food, drink?" He was thinking the clean sheets could wait until tomorrow, because they were both tired and Stiles was so comfortable. One night wouldn't kill them.

"Yeah, I'd like to have that fourth orgasm now, please," Stiles blinked up at Derek all innocent-like as he was lying there cleaned up and naked, but as his legs lightly moved apart as an invitation, he did smirk. "You promised and your good boy wants it, so: green."

After all, Stiles had asked only for a few minutes and from all the kissing Derek was still half-hard. It wouldn't take long for him to finish what they started. Even Stiles' poor cock agreed, which was semi-hard as well from the same kissing. So yeah, it at least told him that it wasn't dead yet. Which was a big relief after what Derek had done to him previously. They could sleep like the dead afterwards.

"No problem." Even this Derek took in stride as he glanced down to check the state of his husband, and sure enough he was semi-hard. Derek didn't want to ask if he was sure or turn him down, he figured just going with it would be the most comfortable for both of them.

The Hale got back between the slender legs to give Stiles the promised blowjob, using his skilled mouth well like usual. Getting Stiles fully hard didn't take much effort, a few head bobs all the way down and that was it. The good thing was, Derek could take a little longer to taste and savor the other, because he wouldn't come that quickly.

Despite his cock still being sensitive to the touch, Stiles did enjoy the promised blowjob his husband was giving him. Low moans and tiny gasps left his lips, eyes sometimes rolling shut, other times watching Derek as he kept up a steady and mind-numbing pace for minutes. The painted nails kept scratching around Derek's scalp or pulled on the dark hair while Stiles' fourth orgasm was slowly but steadily building in him from the thorough mouth on him.

"God, you give such good head!" Stiles expressed that fact for the umpteenth time ever since the first time Derek had done this to him, but it was something he couldn't get over. How good Derek's oral skills were. And not just on his dick. Maybe he'll never get over that, but he didn't mind, not one bit.

So no wonder that eventually – once Derek had the chance to really savor him for longer than usual – the pull on the hair got harder and Stiles' painted toes once again curled against the sheets and he keened on a high sound, sounding wrecked even before his orgasm ended. There wasn't much for Derek to swallow down, but his body did its best, leaving Stiles sprawled out on the bed panting and loose like a rag doll. Derek did string him out tonight with these four orgasms, but in the best ways.

Of course, watching Stiles getting another orgasm had created a situation for Derek himself as well, which has been persistent for a bit now. His erection was hard and ready, however, the singer was completely done for and was laying there panting and glowing. So Derek didn't ask, he simply took himself in hand as he hovered over his husband.

Touching himself was easy, because he knew exactly how to get the right friction, how quick and how tight he needed to hold himself. Some lube would have made it easier, but with how ready it was, it wasn't like this was going to take very long. With a soundless gasp, he came, shooting all over Stiles' belly with watery stripes of white.

Yeah, he was going to need another clean up. Again.

The panting singer gasped from that sight then groaned approvingly as his gorgeous husband came all over his stomach. God, his man was so fucking hot and intense! That in itself blew Stiles' already mushy mind away again!

Moaning softly, he sucked his messy stomach in as his back arched off the bed a bit and his right hand smeared the spill all over his skin as if it was some kind of lotion. But the marking him as Derek's like pleasing some territorial beast was more what this was about.

"Love it when you come on me too," the tattooed singer murmured, eyelids growing heavy as his fingertips kept lazily stroking along his flat stomach while relaxing back against the bed. "Makes me feel as yours on an instinctive level. Even if it might sound stupid to you," Stiles murmured sleepily but satisfied.

"You're such a caveman," Derek rumbled with a pleased low voice, watching Stiles make even more of a mess out of himself. Yeah, that wasn't going to get cleaned up tonight. Instead he pulled the sheets over them both since Stiles was already quickly nearing the land of sleep.

It was a good thing Stiles had already seen most of what was packed, or he might be disappointed with how much Derek wasn't that much of a predator. Maybe that's why Stiles never had expected the nerdy history teacher to be like this. He did aim to please, in all ways.

"Sweet dreams." Kissing the little button nose, he wrapped his arms around Stiles.

With a lazy smile on his lips from the kiss there, Stiles slurred something that vaguely sounded like 'you too' as he nuzzled and wrapped around Derek like an octopus and then he was out like a light.

It was a very long and eventful day and thanks to Derek, a very memorable too, indeed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14 – Stitches

“I can't bow to all your little insecurities
I'm picking out the stitches that you gave me
Cut a little deeper, try and hurt me
I'm picking out the stitches
Picking out the stitches of your hate”

(BFMV – Stitches )

Stiles and Scott had worked on the last of the album, there had been some editing done like adding some of the musicians Stiles also worked with on his tours, and there were cover shoots and talking about the designs... It took a whole lot to make an album, that was for sure. Derek only caught glimpses of it because Stiles made sure to work when Derek was. So by the time Derek and Erica came home, and the homework was done and Derek did his prep for the next, they all could enjoy a few hours as a family.

It was a treat, and it was going really well, even with Erica's tantrums, because she was still a young teen who was having mood swings as often as the weather changed. It was Stiles who had suggested a weekend trip to Beacon Hills. Since he most likely was going to have the tour during summer vacation and this would be the right time to meet Derek's family. And of course go meet up with Stiles' dad too. Erica didn't want to come, she volunteered to stay at Laura’s with Moon Moon, because there was some birthday party she didn't want to miss.

Derek was fine with it all, or so he had thought. Because by the time they were on a plane (boarding had went so much easier when traveling with a superstar) and they were enjoying the luxury of first class, he was getting nervous. Of course he knew his mom would love Stiles – what was there not to love? Yet it was a big thing and he was still antsy at the thought. His husband had told him to order his 'old lady' drink to calm him down a little.

"Ignore Cora, okay? She's a brat and will give attitude no matter what. They know you're coming, my mom and my grandparents." There was no dad in the picture, there never has been. Sperm donor, as his mom called the unknown dad. His knee kept moving and he drummed his fingers on the seat.

"Okay, I'll try my best. I know your younger sister is a fan. But if she's anything like Erica, all will be well," Stiles said on a soothing tone, because it was clear as day that Derek was nervous about meeting the family. Probably a lot more than Stiles. Although he too was a little bit.

Putting a hand on Derek's to stop the drumming, he leaned a bit closer over the armrests of the comfortable first class seats. "If you don't stop freaking out, I'll start freaking out. And you don't want that," he said jokingly. "Everything will be fine. They'll love me. And these are things that you should say to me, by the way," he snorted a bit amused and pecked Derek's cheek. "You act as if you're taking me to sacrifice me in the backyard of the Hale house... Wait... are you?" he fake-gasped, pressing his free hand against his chest.

"More like me." Which didn't make it very clear so Derek sighed and explained it as he sipped from his drink. "They're not happy with us marrying like we did and I haven't seen them since we did that, so..."

Yeah, some sacrifices might be happening if he didn't sweet talk his way back into their good graces. "I came prepared. I brought gifts with our names on the cards. Let's hope that will work. And be prepared to be interrogated." But at least they wouldn't be carrying a gun to threaten with it! That was a plus. Downside was, Stiles had to meet a lot more people than Derek had, but Stiles was the extrovert here, so he should be fine. "Are you nervous?"

"Well, of course I am, a little bit. If I wasn't it'd mean I don't care about your family. But I do. I wanna meet them and I'm kinda equally excited about actually doing it. I mean... you know it's only been my dad and I for years and I love how our family expanded with you and Erica and Moon Moon. I'm all for expanding it with your sisters and mother and grandparents too. Or at least I hope that will happen eventually. Even if I fuck up the meeting somehow," he explained while gesticulating with his free hand, as usual. It was a very Stiles thing to do.

"I can take the interrogation, though. You forget I'm a seasoned interview-taker and grew up with a cop, so... I think it'll be fine. And I want to get to know them all too. I liked the stories you and Erica had told me about them. I'm curious."

"You're not going to mess it up." Derek knew Stiles was a blabbermouth and would just throw it all out there without any filters. But that was part of his charm. The only one finding that problematic might be his grandfather since he wasn't used to it. There was no ADHD in their family, although Cora seemed to be a little neuro-divergent.

Since he was so nervous, he looked at the little tin box that had been left on every seat, opening it up. Inside were socks, earplugs, a travel toothbrush and a sleeping mask. Interesting. "Do I want to know why there are socks?" Clearly Derek wasn't used to flying first class at all. Putting the tin away with a shake of his head, he glanced at his husband.

"You're going to do amazing, they'll love you." Then why was Derek downing his drink like he was going to another press event? Because he was a mama's boy and his mother's opinion mattered to him. He wanted her to approve of the man he chose to love.

Stiles completely ignored the socks question and just hummed and nodded then sighed softly as he patted Derek's hand under his. "You should start believing what you're saying too, you know," he smiled and pecked his lips. "I'd distract you with sex, but believe me, unless it's on a private jet, the mile high club is very crammed and uncomfortable," he whispered with a little smirk against his husband's lips before leaning back in his own seat.

"How about watching one of the movies instead?" he asked, scrolling down the selection. It'd be a good alternate distraction. Plus Stiles didn't want Derek to get too drunk. They had agreed to unpack and sleep at the Stilinski house since Derek already knew Noah and it was a nice "escape route" in case things didn't go that well at the Hale house for some reason. Stiles also wanted to give Derek the chance to see his childhood home he might have passed by numerous times while growing up without knowing that his future husband was living there.

The movie selection wasn't that big, but as Stiles had suggested, it was a good distraction. Derek didn't have more drinks, but they had a nice meal on the plane, which was surprising. He actually enjoyed the food and it helped with the nerves. That and the bag of chewy candy Stiles bought him.

The plane landed in San Francisco right on time, and they had decided to rent a car instead of having family pick them up. The two hour drive was a nice trip, especially since it was so familiar to both of them, and they never did it together before this.

Derek shot off a text message to his mom to tell her they were on their way by car. They were going to be there late that afternoon, so they were going to have dinner there as well and then go to the Stilinski house. This weekend was going to be a juggle anyways. Stiles meanwhile was behind the wheel, humming and singing to himself, still fully energized.

"It's crazy to think we both have been here so often and never crossed paths." Of all the places they both had to originate from, it was the same small town.

"Yeah. It blew my mind a few times before. I mean, we probably even saw each other and you had to pass our house at least a few times and know about who Sheriff Stilinski is. But since you're just older enough, I had to like start high school after you just graduated. So yeah, we never attended school at the same time," Stiles nodded while keeping his eyes on the road. Luckily traffic was pretty light once they've got out of San Francisco and hit the highway that was taking them closer to their destination.

Of course, he had informed his dad about their safe landing and the plan for the evening, too. The Sheriff had a night shift, so they could spend the following day together, leaving the Stilinski house to the couple once they've got back from the dinner at the Hales. Which was perfect, in Stiles opinion.

"But maybe it was supposed to happen this way. Our first meeting. Although I think, we could've been good friends while growing up, too. Well, we will never know now, but what’s important is that now we are together and love each other," he beamed at his husband, reaching out to stroke his thigh a few times before he put his hand back on the gear shift between them.

"Three years isn't much of a difference now that we're adults but as kids it's a whole different thing. I was a senior when you were a junior, I probably wouldn't have hung out with you." Probably because if Stiles had befriended Cora, then maybe? But even that didn't happen, despite Cora and Stiles going to the same school.

"I already thought Cora was annoying because she was so young compared to my teenage self." Stiles was no doubt a force to be reckoned with in high school, while Derek had been completely focused on basketball, his girlfriend and then recuperating from the knee accident. The chances of him finding an interest in Stiles, even friendship-wise, were very slim. So it was a good thing they had met like they did.

"Now that I think about it, I had my accident with my knee during my last year, so I pretty much blocked everything out." Derek patted Stiles' leg in return. "Even your amazing self."

"Ohhhh, I think I would've driven you up the walls until maybe you'd have shoved me into a locker or something and threatened my life so I'd leave you alone. Which wouldn't have worked, by the way. I'm pretty persistent with annoying my friends and people in general. Those who interest me even more. Lucky for you, I'm much more toned down as an adult. Well, as much as my ADHD allows," he grinned, putting on the blinker to exit the highway and continue through the smaller towns before Beacon Hills.

"Anyways, I might vaguely remember Cora. We didn't have the same classes, but I knew of her, I believe. Or at least from our year book," Stiles shrugged. "And you kinda make me feel like Cora is more difficult than Laura. Whom – might I remind you – I had won over by the end of our first official family dinner with Erica and her. You said Laura was the tough cookie in your family, so..." Stiles grinned, remembering fondly that dinner when they had invited her over back in Derek's apartment. It was a bit awkward at first, because Laura did some of the 'I'm his big sister and if you hurt Derek, I'll make you eat dirt' kind of thing, but she soon turned around when she saw how her brother and Stiles were around each other, and when she actually started talking to Stiles. How much harder could Cora be?

"Laura is the tough one when it comes to me, because she's very protective. Cora is..." Derek paused, wondering how to describe her. "A little bit unpredictable, and a lot like me. Though she punches more." He meant the kind of punches against the shoulder but didn't explain it, letting Stiles sweat a bit. It was only fair after leaving Derek with his father the first time they had met.

Honestly, Cora no doubt was going to hug him. She wasn't a hugger in general, but it was Stiles, one of her idols. He was going to get hugged. Lots of stupid giggling and squealing before she'd gather herself and fall back to her usual self. She was for sure a lot like Derek, but without the lame jokes and less trolling. Sarcasm ran high in the Hale family anyways. She and Stiles were going to get along, but Derek was making it into a problem on purpose.

"And you'll meet Peter, who happens to be there instead of New York. You'll love that. He's my uncle." The man was actually somebody Derek turned to a lot and who knew pretty much everything. He often made scathing remarks, but Derek was used to them and they didn't get to him anymore.

"Ooookay..." Stiles hummed, taking mental notes about the family members he was going to meet in like half an hour. He looked relatively calm and cool about it, but his fingers did keep drumming against the steering wheel. "And what about your grandparents and mom?" Stiles asked, really curious about the latter one. Truth be told, it was Talia Hale he really wanted to impress and was nervous about. Not just because he remembered a regal woman with all-seeing eyes but a kind smile, but also because aside from Scott's mom, Melissa, mother figures were rare in Stiles' life. And he really tried not to expect too much from Talia on that front, not wanting to get disappointed if how he imagined her didn't pan out.

"My mom will love you and you'll love her. Just don't let her first impression scare you. She mastered the mom look that makes you think you put your hand in the cookie jar without asking even when you never did." Talia Hale had to master the mom part since she had raised three kids by herself, with the help of her parents and her brother.

"My grandparents... it takes a little while to get used to them, but I think they're like typical grandparents. Lots of cookies and old people remarks," Derek shrugged. He didn't know many grandparents, so he didn't have much comparison. But he thought they were pretty typical. "Grandpa is Italian, so he throws in some random Italian from time to time."

"Alright. Thanks for the heads up!" Stiles chimed, overly cheery for a second, but they both knew it was an attempt to more or less mask his now growing anxiety and excitement, because they were getting closer and closer by the second. "And to be honest..." he added after a beat of silence "I won't mind if she gives me one of her mom looks. I kinda miss those..." he admitted with a small smile, eyes on the road while his mind drifted off a bit to a happier time when he had earned such looks on a daily basis.

Not long after that the rented car carefully maneuvered through part of the forest surrounding Beacon Hills. He remembered from his childhood that the big Hale house was situated at the edge of the woods. It was a bit remote to Stiles' taste, but it gave grounds to many wild theories about the mysterious founding family. Like them being hermits or even vampires or werewolves. Which were, obviously, just the overactive imagination of children, but still entertaining.

After Derek gave him directions here and there and the car took a turn, the trees suddenly opened up and the Hale house... or rather mansion... revealed itself in all its glory in the low hanging sun's warm rays.

"Oh wow! It's bigger than I remembered," Stiles blurted in awe as he parked near the entrance.

"It can house multiple families. My grandparents have their own apartment or wing, whatever you want to call it. We all still have our childhood rooms and even Erica has her own room here. We usually spend our entire summer here." Derek wasn't sure if that would be happening, because that was a lot to ask of Stiles, and it wouldn't be this summer anyways. But maybe if Stiles liked them, they could spend a few weeks a year in Beacon Hills. Maybe not at the Hale house or the Stilinski house. But that was something they could discuss later. Some time.

"I'd be lying if I said my room is still like it was in my childhood, so don't get your hopes up." As if his grandmother wouldn't break out the pictures. She probably had the books already nicely stacked and waiting for Stiles. Nothing like embarrassing Derek with his terrible youth pictures. "And before you ask, we do our cult stuff in the basement, like good vampires do." Of course the Hales were aware of the stories and they amused them to no end. None of it was true, but it did keep the curious kids away.

"OH. MY. GOD! I KNEW IT!" Stiles pointed shocked at Derek with one hand, the other unbuckling himself from the seatbelt. "For years my tip was werewolves, just because you guys are not pale enough for vampires, but now that explains why you are so fascinated with my delicate pale neck!" Stiles babbled with a wide grin, wiggling his finger in his husband's face. "This is so cool!" he giggled then pulled Derek in for a kiss by the front of his shirt. "Okay, let's get this over with, shall we?" he smiled and pressed one more kiss against the soft lips before exiting the car to get to the trunk and fish out the tasteful three bouquet of flowers for the women and a bottle of rare Italian wine for Derek's grandfather. Of course, Derek helped Stiles with picking the gifts when he insisted that he didn't want to be a bad guest. After all, he had manners. He remembered his mother telling him that as a guest he never should arrive with empty hands. Hence the small gifts.

Their bags would stay in the trunk since they were going to spend the night at Stiles' childhood home, so Stiles handed two of the bouquets to Derek when they met at the side of the car and took a deep breath, then Stiles followed him to the door.

Derek rang the doorbell, a nice little tune echoing through the house. "Incoming in three, two, one..." Clearly the middle child of the Hales knew his family really well. Because a few seconds after he said that, the large red door opened, revealing a short elderly woman. Her long grey hair was done up in a bun and she wore a white dress, because of course she had to look her best for this visit.

"Derek! My beautiful grandson!" She quickly hugged him first after he opened his arms to avoid the flowers from becoming victims in this fast hug. She patted his bearded cheek fondly before her dark eyes went to Stiles, looking him up and down repeatedly. "And you're Stiles, the famous singer my grandson married. Oh, you're just as handsome, though a little skinny. We'll fix that." As she said it, Derek mimicked her words in the background, knowing exactly that she'd say that.

Her wrinkled hands smoothed his hair and caressed his cheeks as well. "We're so happy to have you in our family. You and your dad. I know this weekend is too short but next time you need to bring him here again."

"Thank you," Stiles smiled at the kind woman. The warm welcome from her made some of the tension in his chest ease up. "You must be Katherine. It's nice to finally meet you. This is for you," Stiles offered her the flowers in his own hand. White roses, which now perfectly fitted her white dress. Stiles wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not, but it didn't matter, because Derek' grandmother beamed happily as she took the flowers with gentle hands and sniffed them.

"Oh, these are very lovely! My favorite. I'm sure my grandson told you that, but I'm glad. I have many white rose bushes in the back. I like to garden. Thank you Stiles and come in, come in! Don't just stand there!" she waved with her free hand and stepped out of the way so they could enter.

The two men followed her inside into the wide foyer. It seemed relatively quiet with murmured voices coming from one of the rooms. Derek didn't need to ask where they were, he knew which room they'd be in around this time if visitors were coming. Wrapping an arm around his grandmother, he kissed her temple as he handed Stiles one of the bouquets so he could give it to his mother.

They walked to the living room where the rest of the family was, Talia being the first to stand up and hug her son first. She wasn't as exuberant as Katherine, but her eyes shone warmly as she took in Derek, pressing their foreheads together for a moment. She held out her hands to take Stiles' wrists in them (since his hands were full) also taking him in. "Stiles! I wasn't sure I'd ever get to meet my son-in-law. I'm so glad you managed to persuade Derek to come. Which I know was all your doing. So thank you." She then pulled him in for a hug.

Stiles was baffled by how warm they greeted him so far, and of course because of the hugs. This family seemed to consist of huggers or at least as far as the women went. Although now Stiles knew where Derek's amazing hugs were coming from.

The singer laughed softly as he returned the hug and closed his eyes for a moment to appreciate Talia's a little longer than Katherine's. Then he pulled back as he said, "Well, it was just fair to finally meet this side of the family too after scaring Derek half to death with my father's visit," he smiled then it turned into a grin from Talia's chuckle.

"Noah can be intimidating, if he wants," she nodded, her kind brown eyes drinking in the details of Stiles' face. "You've grown up to a fine man from the boy I remember seeing in town."

Stiles blushed a bit and cleared his throat with a shrug. "Puberty was nice to me," he murmured under his nose, making some present chuckle. "Here, these are for you. And yes, I grilled Derek about all of your favorites, because I'd like to make a nice first impression," he said truthfully and handed over the lilies to Talia.

Talia took the flowers with a smile, and also took the ones of Katherine. "I'll go put them in some water and get some drinks out." She hip-bumped Derek while at the same time a taller older man was the next in line. He didn't hug Derek but gave him a paternal shoulder squeeze, and he offered his hand to Stiles.

"I'm Giovanni, Talia's father. Glad you could finally make it son, although the whole wedding business? Not how we'd like to see it." Trust the grandfather to get right to it, making the other man in the room snicker. Who of course had to be Peter, because there was some resemblance to Derek but of course not as much as to Talia. Derek took after her in many ways, especially his looks.

"Not how we'd like to see it either, grandpa. You know we didn't plan it," Derek soothed.

"Exactly the problem with that! I couldn't even give you away."

"Give me away? Why am I the bride in this?" The tones of the men seemed all serious, but there was an amused tug of Derek's lips, because he was used to his grandfather's kind of bickering.

"Because you married above your level, you gold digger, you," Giovanni winked at Stiles.

Stiles burst out laughing as he shook Giovanni's hand and handed over the bottle of wine, noticing his appreciating look as he checked the bottle. "That's for you and Peter," he grinned. "And no worries, I don't mind Derek's gold digger tendencies," he bumped his shoulder into his husband's with a teasing smile, letting his eyes linger on him for a few seconds.

"Oh my god, you two are so gone for each other..." said another female voice and yes, Cora, the long dark-haired and youngest Hale sibling came over from the couch. She practically shoved Derek out of her way to get to the singer. "I'm Cora, as you probably already know. I'm super stoked too to finally meet you in person. I'm a fan and welcome to the fam," she offered her hand and the singer shook it too. Frankly, he thought that she was going to hug him too like the other female members of the Hale family, but she kept her distance a bit more than the rest. Which was fine by Stiles, especially since Cora was a fan. Maybe she didn't want to come off as clingy and hysteric, like some of his female and male fans tended to be.

"Nice to meet you too, Cora. This is for you," Stiles took the small bouquet of forget-me-nots, her favorite. Clearly that thoughtfulness pleased the young woman and she beamed down at her flowers as she thanked them and went after her mother to put those in a vase of her own too.

That left Stiles to meet Peter.

Peter had been more in the background, biding his time to greet the new addition to the family. Not in a hurry, but it seemed that he had no choice now. He pushed away from the chair to saunter over to Stiles with a smile, holding out his hand. No hug from Peter, he wasn't in the habit of hugging strangers, which the singer was for now. "So you're the one who managed to capture my nephew's hand and heart. Tell me Stiles, what makes Derek so great for you?"

Peter clearly had decided to play the role of the father since there wasn't one around. Something he had done for all the kids ever since they were born. So Derek wasn't that surprised, instead he helped Giovanni open the bottle since the older man had gotten some glasses and wanted to start early. He knew his mother would remember they had to drive to Stiles' old home, so they weren't going to get any alcohol from her.

"Peter, leave Stiles alone, we just got here," Derek complained.

"Just making sure he knows your worth, Derek."

"It's okay, I was expecting as much," Stiles shrugged after shaking Peter's hand (it was a bit unnecessarily firm, but he rolled with it). Turning back to Peter, the singer looked at him seriously. "Oh I know his worth, don't worry. He's... he is an amazing and good man, who grounds me, keeps me level headed, loves me the perfect way and appreciates who I really am. Not the star, but the real me behind all the fame and the circus that is my life. I never had someone like him. He's already my rock and support, someone I can lean on and rely on. I know how valuable that is and I'm trying my best not to fuck that up. I know how lucky I've got with him," the singer said softly at the end, his whiskey-brown eyes unwittingly sliding to Derek's form with a dreamy expression. He couldn't help it.

"This boy is very... how do you say it you kids nowadays? Whipped for you, right?" Giovanni commented while filling the glasses with the wine.

"Grandpa, no," Derek resisted the urge to face palm, and instead shook his head. That's really not what he meant, and Stiles wasn't whipped! Nope, their relationship was pretty equal, except in bed, but that was none of his grandfather's business.

"Derek is used to chaos, it's what being in a large family usually brought. Though I was surprised he was willing to get out of his comfort zone and weather the press," Peter mused as he looked at Derek who mostly shrugged.

"I pretend there are no cameras. That works."

"True. And knowing you, you don't look at social media or even the internet much." Peter knew his nephew.

Derek huffed. "I use the internet." He cleared his throat because he knew what he was about to say would only make Peter's point. "For banking and emails."

"Don't forget you also read a few articles about me the day after that concert to get a picture of who I was," Stiles provided. "And he doesn't have to check stuff about us. It's usually better to avoid that. My team updates us if there's something noteworthy," Stiles explained.

"Sounds like you've figured everything out," Giovanni commented. "Who's driving? The other can get some wine," he lifted the bottle in his hand.

"I'm the designated driver today," Stiles informed him then glanced at Derek. "You can drink if you want."

"Get a glass, Derek," Giovanni waved towards the tray with the fine glassware. "Meanwhile tell me what's a Stiles?" he asked the singer, who chuckled on the sudden change of topic.

"It's a nickname, pops," the returning Cora answered before the singer. "He's half-Polish and doesn't like his real name."

Derek promptly got a glass, even when he was still debating if he should or not. His grandfather could have that effect on him. He’d have a glass in his hand before he was even aware of it. Just as he was pouring himself a glass, his mother and grandmother returned with trays full.

"I have mocktails for the designated driver!" Talia announced as she put the tray with drinks down. Some sodas, some wine and the mocktails in bright colors.

"Thank you," Stiles said to Talia when he was handed an orange mocktail. He took a sip and hummed appreciatively from the mango taste before returning his attention to the conversation.

Katherine's serving tray had all the food, all kinds of small bites so there was something for everybody. It was too early for dinner and too late for heavier snacks. Derek knew the two ladies would disappear into the kitchen in an hour to start on dinner, because the older couple preferred having set times for family dinners. "Stiles is a wonderful nickname, and why not? If we don't like our name."

Derek nodded. "In some cultures and fairy tales it's said that knowing the true name of somebody would give you power over them. So Stiles has all the power himself."

Cora rolled her eyes. "You're such a nerd."

"Although I chose this nickname as a kid, back when I had decided to use it as my stage name too, that myth actually was part of the reason. I am a nerd too, yes," he grinned and stroked Derek's forearm fondly before they were ushered by Katherine to sit on one of the couches.

"It seems they were made for each other," Katherine beamed, clearly happy about it.

"We are," Derek agreed, not having to think about that at all. They were different, but also they were the same. They were a match in so much, it was kind of creepy. "Moving in with him has been the easiest thing I've done in my life." Ever since they had unpacked his things and found a spot for them, it was like he had been there forever. Even Erica eased into the life of sharing a home with a celebrity, and her crush on Stiles had moved into new territory where she saw him like family instead. So yeah, it felt like this was how it should be. He reached for Stiles' hand to give it a gentle squeeze, and not letting go, which made Katherine sigh happily.

"So what are the plans for the two of you? Are you going to keep teaching, Derek?" Katherine clearly thought that he should become some spoiled cat to enjoy the riches of the life Stiles offered.

"As long as the school doesn't fire me because I'm a semi-celebrity, yeah. I want to make my own money. I don't want to rely on Stiles for everything."

"Semi? You're all over the internet, brother! You're very famous. Which is so weird to see Derbear's face on sites and in magazines." Cora seemed to be awed by that. "I'm making you a book full of cut out articles and photos, because I know you'll never do that yourself."

"Some of the photos are really nice," Talia agreed.

"Derbear?" Stiles whispered to his husband with a grin, gently squeezing his hand. They both knew he was going to have a field day with that later! Looking around the room, Stiles then rested his eyes on Talia. "Well, this family has unfairly amazing genes, so no wonder the camera loves Derek. Scott, my manager and best friend had told me that knowing Derek's aversion to giving interviews and whatnot, he had to turn down offers from journalists and photographers, who were solely interested in Derek and not me," he grinned. "So yeah, I managed to snag myself a handsome one," he squeezed his hand again as he glanced and smiled at him.

Then he hurriedly looked back at the family. "Not that I'd be so shallow to appreciate only that in him. He's... well, perfect for me. And I like it that he has his own job and money, although at times I do kinda force mine on him. Like when I had paid for the redecoration of Erica's new room in the house. I mean... I want to give them both a comfortable life, well, as much as possible. But I also don't want to come off as his sugar daddy," he babbled, apparently his mouth filter being off again.

Peter laughed. "Well, you're too late for that."

"What's a sugar daddy?" Katherine turned to Talia for an explanation, obviously not familiar with that modern term.

Stiles felt his cheeks burning and he buried his face in his free hand for a moment, shaking with suppressed laughter.

If only Talia would be too embarrassed to answer that question, but no. Of course she wasn't. Trolling ran in the family and so she quickly jumped in before Derek would give the kid version explanation. "It's when a wealthy man gives gifts and money to a younger person in exchange for sex or a relationship."

Katherine nodded thoughtfully. "Well, then why even marry? I mean, you'd get it all for free anyways! And free is always good."

"Grandma!" Derek shook his head, not even trying to hide his laughter because yeah, Stiles might as well get the full Hale experience.

"They married before the sex, remember dear? Stiles picked Derek out of a crowd and married him on the spot." And why was it that even the older people knew all about Derek and Stiles' way of meeting? Giovanni clearly was all in the know.

"That's just stupid. Never marry a man before having sex. If he's bad at it, you're stuck with him," Katherine shook her head, because she thought she had taught Derek better than that. "But you're still married so I take your sugar daddy is good at it."

"Oh my god, grams!!" Cora groaned loud, obviously getting too much information from this conversation. "Please, I don't want to imagine my brother and favorite singer in such a situatiooooon!" she added with a pained expression and downed the rest of her own wine in three big sips.

Stiles was laughing so hard that he had to hold a hand against his stomach, the other letting Derek's go just to wipe away a tear or two, because he found this hilarious! The Hales were even bigger trolls than he imagined. Well, he should've expected it since Derek had to pick it up from somewhere, right?

Once the singer was able to stop the laughing, he put his hand back on Derek's knee, patting it fondly. "Well, I've got no complaints so far," he winked at the room at large, earning another groan from Cora.

This conversation was definitely a very good ice-breaker, because even Peter laughed.

After that the dinner went well. Stiles answered tons of questions from each Hale and he also got to know them a bit better with his own inquiries. Katherine managed to hold off with the family albums and embarrassing pictures of Derek until the homemade Italian ice-cream got placed on the table. She scooted closer with her chair and began flipping through the first album, telling funny and cute stories. Stiles didn't mind at all, he was all for getting new information about his husband and now extended family.

***

"This was very nice," Stiles said from behind the wheel when they were already on their way to the Stilinski house. "I had a lot of fun and I loved that they treated me like a normal person and not a celebrity. I prefer that," he added, keeping his eyes on the road, but a content smile playing on his lips.

"Probably only Cora knows your work, but then again, I'm sure she's shown the rest of the family as soon we went viral with our wedding." Derek wasn't downplaying his family's coolness or anything because yeah, they hadn't treated Stiles differently than any of Derek's previous relationships. They were warm and welcoming, teasing and of course had to show the youth pictures of Derek with his big ears and big teeth.

He glanced at Stiles with a soft look. "You also make it easy to like you. You fit right in with my family." It went better than Derek had thought it would, and it left him feeling proud of Stiles but also his own family. That feeling of them being right only intensified, because both their families seemed to be accepting, even with Noah being a scary dad-in-law.

"What are my sugar daddy's plans for the evening?" Noah was at work, and Derek had to admit he was curious to see where Stiles grew up and the room he did the growing up in. He seemed like the kind of guy who kept the room just like it was in his teens. Derek wasn't as sentimental.

Risking a glance at Derek with a big grin, Stiles looked back at the road. "First, obviously showing you around the Stilinski residence. It's much smaller and modest and a lot quieter than the Hale house, understandably. But it was an eventful day, so it'll probably be good for us," he explained then reached over to stroke Derek's thigh this time, a lopsided playful smirk crawling onto his face. "Although we could fill the house with some noises when we try out if we can both fit in my old bed," he waggled his brows suggestively at Derek before slowing down at an intersection. "What does my sugar baby think about those plans?" he stroked a little higher on Derek's thigh before pulling his hand back to shift gears and turn to the left, which would get them on Stiles' street.

"I think that hand should have stayed a little while longer." But as Stiles was slowing down, he understood they were there already. It was only a fifteen minute drive, a ridiculously short distance, really. All these years they had been so close! It was still mind-boggling to think about. Although the thought of having sex in a single bed wasn't that exciting.

"We can always put some mattresses on the ground if your old bed really is that small." Or if it was 'Stiles' small because the singer had a bed that was the size fitting for a small family. So anything would be small compared to that. "It's really nice to be able to drive here without press everywhere. How long until they usually smell your blood and start to flock?"

Stiles snorted at that comment as he drove down the familiar street. "It varies. The journalists here respect my and my dad's privacy more. Not sure if it's because he's the Sheriff, or because it's a small town and everyone kinda knows everyone, but either way, local press usually isn't a problem whenever I visit. The circling vultures are usually from out of town. They either show up in a day or two or not at all," he shrugged and turned onto the driveway of a small, but nice two-story house. Even from just the street lamps and headlights' light it looked like it was more or less nicely maintained. "Either way, by the time they get here, we'll be out of here," he grinned at Derek as he killed the engine.

Taking off his seatbelt, he leaned closer and slid his hand right onto Derek's bulge. "And don't worry, my old bed is a double, but still smaller than ours." God, how he liked the sound of calling it theirs! "Come on, let's get our stuff from the trunk. The sooner we get over the first part of the plan, the sooner we get to the second half of it..." he grinned and teasingly squeezed said bulge while pressing a kiss against Derek's lips.

"Hmmm." Taking the hand from his crotch, Derek kissed the knuckles and motioned for Stiles to get out. "Not in front of your neighbors, you imp. I really don't want them to call the Sheriff because his son is molesting a stranger in a car." It was Beacon Hills, it wouldn't surprise him if that happened. Already he spotted some movement from one of the curtains of the house next to the Stilinski home.

"You open the door and I'll get our stuff," he grabbed the keys from Stiles and got out to grab their two bags too, which were considerably light since it was only for the weekend and they weren't the types to bring a lot. Locking the rental car, he followed after his husband, looking at the typical American home. It wasn't that small, it was decent-sized and looked friendly. It could use some work in some spots, but that also didn't surprise him. Noah no doubt refused to let Stiles pay for the repairs, because it was something they could do themselves. Only never had the time to really do it.

When they stepped inside, they were greeted by one of those plastic singing fishes mounted on the wall, giving him a real startle. "Oh my god, you should have warned me!"

"No way! It was much funnier like this!" Stiles laughed and turned to lock the door. "It's also the best way to know someone enters the house," he added. Which made sense since Noah lived alone and even before that Stiles used to be alone a lot in the house, so it was more a precaution than anything. Even if one had to be an idiot to try breaking into the Sheriff's house. Luckily it never happened while Stiles was growing up there.

Switching the lights on, it illuminated their path. There was a kitchen with a dining table to the right, the backdoor at the far end, and the living room to the left. The stairs was right in front of them and a corridor next to it led to a small laundry room and the downstairs bathroom at the back of the house.

Stiles kicked his shoes off by the door and took the bags from Derek. "Feel free to look around downstairs while I put these away in my room," he slightly lifted the bags. "There's probably drinks and food in the fridge, if you feel like it. Be right back." He wasn't sure what his dad had at home, but was fairly positive that he had stocked up on some things because of their visit. Stiles really hoped that not with food that was off-limits for his dad. Stiles might live far away now, but he still pestered his dad about his diet.

With that the singer padded up the stairs, letting his husband take in his surroundings.

After the Italian dinner they had, food was the last thing on Derek’s mind. He was pretty sure his flat stomach was bulging with a food baby. Nevertheless, he wandered into the kitchen to grab a drink while looking around. It was clearly a lone guy home, like his apartment had been before Erica had moved in and made some changes. The man liked to fish, because there were some fish pictures on the fridge along with one of Stiles, but there wasn't much personal stuff there. It was littered with the usual kitchen stuff, functional and not too tidy. Nothing that breathed Stiles anymore.

Locating a bottle of water, Derek opened the cap and made his way to the living room. There were a few more personal items there, like pictures in old wooden frames displayed on a cabinet. The woman had to be Stiles' mother Claudia, because Derek wasn't the only one who took after his mother. Other than that, the living room didn't offer much insight, but it was still a cozy home with the older and lived in furniture. And the couch was comfortable when he plopped down on it, which was always a plus.

Stiles didn't take long upstairs once he put their bags into his room, inspected it to see if his dad cleaned and everything was in order (yes to both) and then quickly took a piss and washed his hands.

Once downstairs, he found his husband chilling on the old couch, so he went to join him there.

"It's not much, but it's still home to me," he offered and took the open bottle of water from Derek's hand to take a long sip from it before putting it on the coffee table and nuzzled to the warm side. "You think it went well too, right?" he asked, obviously meaning the dinner at the Hales'.

With an arched eyebrow Derek looked at his bottle of water, which was now out of reach thanks to having Stiles cuddled up to him. Seriously, he was told to get himself something and when he did, it gets taken away! Typical. Shaking his head amused at that, he looked at Stiles.

"Yeah, it went great. Not as bad as I thought it would go, considering my grandparents are traditional and my mom kind of is. But I think they had let go of the way we got married, for now." He was foreseeing them suggesting another wedding, an unofficial one, but one for all of the family and friends. "If my grandpa talks about another wedding, he means you're supposed to talk to him beforehand to ask permission." Just to get that out of the way. "But maybe they're already pleased we married before we lived together and unknowingly being very old-fashioned with that."

Stiles chuckled softly, sliding a hand to Derek's chest to fondly caress it as he nuzzled into his husband some more. "Message received. I'll ask for your hand from him in case one day we want a second wedding," Stiles beamed at Derek and leaned in to capture his lips in a soft kiss. "Would you want that one day? For us and our family and friends?" he asked. "Otherwise once again, I'm very happy that your family seems to like and accept me. I was a bit nervous about that, to be honest. But I felt that even Peter approved of me."

Derek wrapped an arm around Stiles and got more comfortable on the couch with him. "To be fair, only you knew you were getting married that day. So yeah, I'd like to be in a suit and have a small wedding instead of doing it in front of the whole world." He certainly hadn't thought that holding a 'Marry Me' sign up for Erica because she wanted her hands free would ever lead to this. "I'd like to exchange vows that we wrote, and I want to carry you into our hotel room on our wedding night, which we'll have at a very fancy hotel room with flower petals on the bed and champagne cooled on the dresser."

Clearly the Hale’s been thinking about it and had imagined it. "And then we'll go on our honeymoon, and there will be not one interview during our wedding week. I want to romance you, but I'm not in a rush." They just got married this year, so it could take a few more years to celebrate them still being together. "And you better ask me this time with a sign."

Stiles sat up a bit more to look at Derek better, his hand still on his chest. He laughed amused then looked fondly at his husband. "You gave this quite some thought!" he said a bit surprised. Not because of how romantic it all sounded, because he knew Derek was a big romantic too, but because of how detailed everything was in that description of a dream wedding. "To be honest, it sounds like the perfect wedding. I'd do that one day for sure. Sign and all," he grinned then leaned down for another kiss to seal the deal without saying it out loud.

This time the kiss was longer and more sensual. Stiles wanted to take his time with it to make Derek feel how much he and his ideas were appreciated. Also, even if they were no teenagers anymore and there was no danger of his dad coming home to interrupt, there was still something exciting in making out on the living room's couch. It was such a cliché, but Stiles liked it, because when he was actually a teenager, he never had the chance to do this. So he welcomed when the kiss soon became more passionate.

The older man had no problem with making out on the couch of his father-in-law, because it almost felt like the perfect revenge for the whole gun joking that’s been going on. Even if Noah wasn't going to know what they did on this very couch, Derek would. He'd know the sheriff would be sitting in the spot where he had been heavily making out with his son. That certainly stoked his inner fire a little more.

His hands went under the shirt as they almost frantically tried to crawl inside of each other, eager to get some attention and love. Eager to feel and taste. The whole wedding talk had put them in a mood, with very good reason. They were like teens when it came to sex and they were in Stiles' childhood home, so of course they had to act like teens some more.

"You wanna fuck on the couch?" he asked in-between desperate kisses.

Stiles moaned into Derek's mouth from that question, but felt too greedy not to kiss him some more before answering. He also needed those few moments to actually decide what he wanted to do. Especially since his hand had already wandered down from Derek's chest to his nicely forming bulge, which he's been rubbing for a good minute or two already.

"It's... tempting..." he panted onto the moist lips, which he playfully nipped a few times. His busy brain and vivid imagination presented him with many hot pictures of how Derek could do him on this very couch and his cock throbbed hard in his by then restricting pants. "But I have everything prepared upstairs. Next time?" he suggested, meaning that they could desecrate the couch another time.

Prepared? Now that got Derek’s attention more than the slight disappointment to mark his territory right here on the couch. Not that he was worried he wasn't going to be able to, because the night was still young. "I guess doing it in your old bed isn't that bad," he chuckled, taking the hand from his erection to be able to stand up and drag Stiles up with him.

"You preparing something makes it worth it, though." Because Stiles was very adventurous which made Derek pleasantly surprised. He never knew what to expect, so it was never boring, that was for sure. "Let's hope we won't break the bed." He swatted Stiles on the ass to urge him toward the stairs. "Lead the way, Mr. Stilinski."

Giggling like a lunatic, Stiles rubbed his ass and made sure Derek had the perfect view of it as he walked up the stairs right in front of him.

"It's a quite sturdy bed, so I don't think we will, but let's see," he threw it over his shoulder with a horny little smirk as they passed a closed door (his dad's bedroom) and the open door to the upstairs bathroom on the other side before they reached Stiles' old bedroom. The door was left ajar there, so he just pushed it open, the lamp on the nightstand already on.

"Welcome to the time capsule of Stiles Stilinski's teenage years," he waved around theatrically with both hands as he stood in the middle of his room.

The walls were a deep blue, littered with rock band posters and a big cork board filled with concert tickets and pictures of Stiles on his own and with friends, more than one taken of him while playing the guitar or singing on stage during his early years in his career. Obviously for a while he still lived here before getting famous and moving out. There was a bookshelf in one corner, filled with comic books, fantasy novels and books on music. His desk and chair with an older laptop sitting under the cork board. Their bags were in an armchair in the corner. The double bed with the blue sheets and covers was pushed to the far left corner of the room, near the window. There was a night stand with a packet of wet wipes and the lamp on it. Its light illuminated the objects on the bed. The tube of lube and a decent-sized vibrator.

As interesting as those pictures were, Derek would look at them later. It was kind of weird to look at childhood pictures when his pants were too tight due to an erection. So yeah, his gaze went to the bed where he could see where the prepared part came in. A new toy. They haven't used one yet, so it was interesting of course. That was going to work wonders on Stiles' prostate, for one.

 "You did come prepared. Did you bring this with you?" Of course Stiles brought a vibrator with him in his bag like it was the most normal thing in the world… Maybe it was. Derek wasn't a prude at all, but he had to admit he never really took sex toys with him. There was a first for everything. Plus the bed was larger than he thought it would be. A little smaller than his previous own bed, but big enough for the two of them to sleep in and to have fun in. Drawing Stiles in, Derek kissed him. "I like the way you prepare."

Grinning into the kiss, Stiles let it linger a bit longer before replying. "I'm a Boy Scout by heart, although I never actually was one. But yeah, I like to be prepared and I did bring the toy with us. I usually pack a few on tours too, because yeah, long lonely nights and stuff like that," he chuckled as he pulled Derek with him to the bed in-between some more kissing.

Then he sat down on the edge of it and looked up at his husband while his hands started working on opening the standing man’s belt and pants with practiced ease.

"I also thought that it'd be time to spice things up again with letting you play with me with the help of a new toy," he added and shamelessly reached into the open pants just to free the big erection. "Aw, all this for me?" he eyed it with a cheeky grin, his hand stroking it up and down a couple of times to reveal the mushroom tip. Leaning in, he pushed his pink tongue against the slit to gently lap up the moisture collected there. Then without any more preamble, he sucked the tip between his bow-shaped lips, his big brown eyes glued to Derek's hazel ones as he got to work.

Their sex life was so new that it didn't need spicing up, but considering how experienced they both were, he understood why Stiles kept surprising him. And it wasn't like Derek was adverse to it, he just hoped they'd have enough to spice it up later in life. However, in that moment that worry was very far from his mind thanks to the pleasure he was receiving. Stiles was very skilled at giving oral, and he knew Derek's body enough to know exactly where the triggers were to get him riled up.

"Yes," Derek moaned loudly because nobody could hear them. His hand went straight for the thick hair on the bobbing head, slightly controlling the movements to encourage his husband. "I'm going to love playing with the vibrator inside of you." It was the perfect foreplay leading up to the big event. Because he also couldn't wait to be inside of Stiles himself, soon. "Love watching you." It was getting harder to string a sentence together.

Stiles moaned around the thick shaft filling his mouth both from that loud sound Derek made and what he just said. It made his erect cock throb in his pants and to help on the nearly painful restriction, he used one hand to open his own belt and pants, but didn't pull himself out in the open, because he was too busy sucking expertly on his favorite treat. As always, he was thorough, even with letting Derek guide his head and movements with that hand at the back of his head.

God, he loved sucking on his husband so damn much and it showed this time too as the singer kept breathing through his nose, sliding further and further down on the hard shaft, his skilled tongue moving around the underside just how Derek liked it.

"S-Stiles," Derek stuttered when the younger man didn't seem to want to stop. It wasn't that he was close to an orgasm yet, but he also didn't want to be! There were plans after all. Big plans, fun plans. Deciding to 'help' Stiles a little, he tugged at the hair to pull him off from the erection. "We have plans, remember? You can suck me off later if you want."

Later meaning after he had been deep inside of him and he could taste himself on Derek's cock. Now that would be hot. "How about we get you undressed?" He was eager to try the toy on Stiles.

"Sorry, got too lost in it," the singer chuckled a bit hoarser and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he scooted backwards on the bed. The next second he was unbuttoning his nice shirt he wore for the family dinner and shrugged it off urgently.

Then he helped Derek with pulling his pants and briefs off too, shameless as he leaned back on the bed and opened his legs for Derek, revealing all that pale and tattooed skin to his burning gaze. "How do you want me? On my back? Or on my hands and knees? Or on my side?" he asked, teasingly stretching on the blue covers.

"You know I like to watch your face." Derek also thought it was the most comfortable position when he was paying attention to Stiles' tempting behind. When they were having actual intercourse, he did love to switch it up, but for now he preferred to be between Stiles' legs so he could look up at all times. "Besides I already have you right where I want you, on the bed."

Derek waited for Stiles to get comfortable and in the right position as he lubed up the vibrator. He wasn't planning on preparing Stiles a whole lot this time, he was going to use the toy for that. "I'm going to make you feel so good." When the legs splayed apart, the toy buzzed to life and he slowly let it glide along the pubes to the perineum for starters. Letting the other feel those vibrations through the very sensitive skin there.

Stiles' muscles tensed then relaxed and he softly gasped for air from that first few seconds of feeling the familiar buzzing against his skin. Biting his lip, he pulled a pillow under his head and watched his husband teasing him with the purple toy.

"Oh yeah... Please do so," he groaned, excitement making his insides quiver and his hard shaft slightly jump against the flat stomach. He knew it was going to be torture, because Derek liked to take his time preparing him, but he also knew that the pleasure was going to make it all worth it. Especially once the real thing will be balls deep in him.

Opening his legs a bit wider, he lightly rocked his body back against the toy to feel that exciting buzzing better. "Come on, play with me, babe..." he coaxed with a kinky look.

Derek knew Stiles was expecting him to take it easy, to draw it out and make him beg for it. Because that's what he always did, taking his time and soaking it in. So maybe this time he was going to play even dirtier and do the unexpected. The toy was lathered in lube for a reason, so at that kinky look, he gave a daring raised eyebrow in return. And he pushed the toy against the still tight hole.

Not forcing it in all the way, just the tip of it, letting it vibrate around another sensitive piece of skin, namely the rim. Yeah, he was playing alright, but he wasn't playing hard to get this time.

"HOLY SSSSHHH... Derek!" Stiles cried out in surprise, eyes rolling back into his head and hands curling into fists around the cover, his ass slightly moving away for a moment then pushing back against the mind-numbing vibrations. He could feel his cock jump a bit again and there were the first few drops of pre-cum already oozing out of the tip from the sudden intense stimulation and the slight burn Stiles liked so much, because he knew that it always turned into pleasure.

He forced himself to look down at his man between his legs with a shocked but at the same time approving expression. It was very clear he didn't expect this at all, but loved how Derek managed to surprise him too.

Oh yeah, Derek loved that reaction, and the small nod that was given to him was enough motivation for him to continue. He knew Stiles loved the burn of the first penetration, mostly thought Derek was overly cautious with all of the lube and the prep the older man preferred to do. Emboldened, he pushed the vibrator deeper, letting the tip be pushed further in. He then pulled it out again, and pushed it in deeper once more on the second entry. There was no rhythm to find, because he was being erratic with the toy on purpose. At the third thrust he pushed the vibrator all the way in and let it rest there.

Stiles barely recovered from those three thrusts that made the toy finally settle in him all the way, but there was no respite there, because it kept vibrating against his tight walls and it was intense, making him groan then pant.

One of his hands reached down to grab Derek's arm. It belonged to the hand that kept the buzzing toy inside him. There were some more moans of pleasure and of course Stiles didn't grab his man to stop him, he just needed the physical contact. His painted nails slightly dug into the warm skin as his head fell back onto the pillow and he closed his eyes, focusing on the amazing vibrations and also relaxing his body as much as he could.

"Fuck yeah..." he panted, slightly rocking himself back and forth on the slick toy.

"You open up so well for it." Derek loved the view he was having currently, seeing how Stiles' entrance was widened by the purple toy, the way the rim fit around it snugly. The skin was stretched wide because the muscle hasn't relaxed fully yet.

The toy wasn't even on the highest setting yet, but he could see how intense it already was. And he was about to make it even more so. His next target was the prostate, aiming the end of the vibrator to angle it towards the area where he knew it should be. Since he wasn't seeing it nor feeling it, it had to be all guesswork. Hopefully he was guessing right.

Stiles' feet slid a bit on the cover and he barely managed not to kick out with a leg. His upper-body tensed and arched off the bed a bit as his hand twisted the fabric in it, the other squeezing Derek's arm tighter while his ass did the same around the toy. A loud guttural moan filled the room and he saw stars behind his closed eyelids.

Yes, Derek did find that special spot in him and his body immediately reacted. More pre-cum smeared against his stomach and his shaft visibly bobbed upwards from the stimulation.

"Yes! Right THERE! GOD!" Stiles groaned loud, his body unlocking in favor of moving his ass up and down on the toy as much as he could.

Derek was glad he managed to, not that it concluded the 'torture' for Stiles, nope. There was no stopping this at all, he kept it right there against the prostate and turned the setting up higher. Instantly, Stiles' legs tried to close at the overstimulation, which wouldn't do. With his free hand, Derek kept the legs spread, fully positioning himself between them. It was impossible to close them now.

This was playing with a toy on the next level. It however nicely got the singer ready to be impaled by something a little bigger. And he was dripping like a leaking faucet at this point.

"Holy shit! Holy... DEREK!" Stiles whined, his legs pressing against the other man's sides and since he couldn't close them, instead his hips lifted off the bed, unwittingly bucking, but he was not sure if he tried to move away or more onto the toy.

By then sweat started glistening on his skin, his body squirming as he shamelessly let his voice out at that point. His brain was getting fried from the overstimulation and they both knew he wasn't going to last long like this because of how sensitive and responsive Stiles' body was.

"Derek..." he whined again with a pleading look. He could come like this, sure he could. It wouldn't take long. But he wanted to do that on his husband's cock and it was all written over his face and in that half-lidded hazy look.

The question was: how Derek wanted this to go?

Since Derek had stopped Stiles from making him come with the blowjob, it was only fair he did the same. "I know..." With a soft sigh he decided to have mercy on Stiles, turning the vibrator to a low setting before he turned it off completely. It was so easy to get lost in watching Stiles as he pleasured him, but he became distinctly aware of his own erection, hard and urgent, now that he was coming out of the haze.

The toy was removed slowly and gently, tossed to the side so they could clean it later. Stiles was very anal about that, pun intended. "I want to be inside you too." He too wanted Stiles to come like that, to feel him clench around him.

Derek showered him with soft kisses, letting him come down from the near orgasm as he crawled back up to end the kisses with a peck on the lips.

The singer was still panting, but his lips went after Derek's. His tattooed arms wrapped around the other man to keep him close and be able to deepen that kiss, breathing hard through his nose. It was his silent way of appreciating everything that was just done to him, making him nearly lose it from the pleasure.

"I'm so ready for you, babe. Please," he whispered, looking into the hazel eyes as he brushed his lower body against Derek invitingly. There wasn't much else that could come after this aside from the promised penetration and Stiles wanted it badly. "I want you back in me. It's the best feeling ever. Please..."

"Hmm," Derek rumbled in agreement as he reached for the lube to do a quick slicking up of his hard cock, not bothering to put much work in it. Because Stiles was already open and ready from the toy. It felt so good to not have to wrap a condom around his stiff member, to be able to take himself in hand and push against the ready hole.

As he pushed inside of his willing husband, he claimed the panting lips again, pushing his tongue in to caress the warm inside of the mouth while he plunged in. In all the ways possible. It was one easy hot slide, which wrung another moan out of him.

Stiles' own mixed with that moan and his eyes rolled shut once again, panting hotly into the other mouth as his body trembled and tried to comprehend feeling so full again. Yet it was a by then very familiar and welcomed feeling. It felt like Derek finally slid home, where he belonged. Deep inside Stiles.

The singer's nails dug into Derek's broad back and his legs wrapped around him too. In the few moments his body was adjusting to the intense stretch, he dropped his head back on the pillow, exposing his pale neck as he gasped for air a few times, his heart beating like crazy. And Derek didn't even start to move yet...

Which didn't take long, because as soon as they both were used to the feeling, Derek moved. His thrusts were slow at first, slow and deep. Building up to a more appropriate speed. He'd say he wasn't in a hurry, but they were both eager to have that orgasm they weren't able to reach before. It wasn't that he wanted to hurry through it, but he also didn't tease, not again. Not this love making. He continued what he had started with the toy, no teasing, but going all the way immediately.

The tendons and veins showed in Stiles' neck from the moans that only increased in volume in time with how Derek's thrusts became longer and harder. It was insane how well their bodies synced up, moving together with ease. By then they were done with the discovery phase when it came to knowing what the other liked, since they had had enough sex beforehand. So now their naked and glistening bodies were moving together seamlessly in the softly lit room.

Feeling Derek's burning gaze on him, the moaning and flushed singer finally looked up at his man, marveling not just in the way the cording muscles were continuously jumping under the tanned skin, but also in the nearly in awe look he saw on Derek's face.

It was Derek’s favorite view, to be looking down into that flushed and sweaty face and see the lust and love in those oddly colored brown eyes. To see his mouth open on a soundless moan as he greedily sucked in oxygen, the way he fully gave himself to Derek each time. It was like watching a short movie unfold before his very eyes. Overcome with fondness for his husband, Derek kissed those bow-shaped lips with the love and passion which was warming his belly and heart at the moment.

"I love you," he whispered.

Even more breathless from that kiss and words (and all giddy and happy and warm on the inside), Stiles moaned and smiled, practically melting on the spot.

"Love you... too. So much..." he moaned. "Lemme try something..." he rasped and let Derek go with his hands only to quickly lube a finger up. "I wanna... make you feel even better. Is this okay?" he panted while Derek kept rocking into his body and Stiles' slick finger slipped between the flexing and firm cheeks to rub along the already damp crease and tight opening. The whiskey-brown eyes never left the stubbly face, watching Derek's reactions.

"Yeah... yeah, it's fine." Derek wasn't that focused on it, he was balls deep in a very tight and warm body, so that finger pressing against his own entrance was more like an afterthought. No, a behind thought, which would have been a good joke if it wasn’t just in his head. "Told you... it's always fine."

Stiles never seemed to want to switch it up between them, probably because it wouldn't be for Derek's pleasure if they did. Even if the older man had told a few times already that it was fine if he wanted to. It wasn't punishment at all. Especially not fingers, he liked those even when his prostate wasn't going to react to it at all.

"Love you playing with me too."

"Okay," Stiles grinned shortly at Derek in-between some softer moans since now he had to divide his attention between enjoying what Derek was doing to him, and rubbing his long finger's tip against the furrowed entrance. It was the first time they tried something like this. But Stiles remembered the few stories Derek had told him about his experimental college years. Despite all that, he wanted to try, he wanted to see himself if Derek's prostate really wasn't that responsive as he stated.

So while being impaled over and over again, he began slowly working his slick finger deeper and deeper into his man. He was as slow and gentle about it as he could during what was happening to his own body too, but this seemed to help him keep his impending orgasm a bit easier at bay.

One finger alone was already a lot, because it wasn't something Derek had done often and the last time had been a few years ago. It helped that he was distracted by what he was doing to Stiles, so it made him less tense. And he had to admit, it was hot knowing he was giving himself to Stiles in a way he hasn't before. Sharing each other in all ways possible. Each time he bottomed into the warm body, his own tightened around the finger. It was also easier for Stiles to work it in and out now that Derek was getting used to the feeling again.

"Hope it feels okay," he panted, as if he was an oddity or something. And he shouldn't be even asking it but yeah, maybe he was a little uncertain about it.

For a few moments Stiles was confused about what Derek meant, more than half of his long digit already in him. "I should ask that, babe," Stiles panted. "Does it? I'm not... making you uncomfortable, right? I can stop if you want me to," he added, his finger's movements already slowing down. He knew he wasn't hurting Derek, because he would've seen it by then, but he also didn't look like he was completely sold on this idea.

"Do you need me to stop?" he asked, wanting to make sure. They were always honest with each other, especially about their likes and dislikes in bed. It was something they both considered very important along with consent, so Stiles had no doubt Derek's answer was going to be the truth about how this felt and what he wanted.

"No, don't stop." It came out in a rush, because of a particular deep thrust inside of Stiles. It was too hard to think right now anyways, because he was fucking Stiles and had to try to keep going with the conversation. He didn't have the younger man's incredible ability to multitask.

"Okay," Stiles repeated and wet his bottom lip on a slight nod, seeing after a few moments that Derek was really good with this, so he continued rubbing his fingertip searchingly against the tight and warm walls in search of that magical spot. He was determined to find it before he himself would reach his completion, so it gave him a purpose. His other hand slid at the back of Derek's damp neck to lightly scratch the short hairs there then just held it there.

"We're so close." Stiles just needed to ignore Derek’s weird ramblings when he felt like he should say something but didn't know what. And uttered what he thought seemed okay. "You feel so good."

"You feel so good too," he grunted, because yeah, Derek and his dick never disappointed and it did make it a bit difficult for Stiles to multitask, but he managed. "You can fuck me harder if you want," he panted close to the parted lips, moving his finger to the rhythm of Derek's thrusts so when Derek bottomed out in him (pushing Stiles a bit closer each time), his finger slid a bit deeper too until it was fully buried. He just moved it in and out a few times then once it was fully buried again, he curled it.

Derek's body jolted and an inhumane sound wrangled out of him at the shock of pleasure that shot through him. It really ruined the idea of fucking Stiles harder, because he came to a halt and he took a shaky breath.

"What the hell?!" he huffed out with a hoarse voice, because how was his husband able to do what so many hasn't? Clearly he had a functioning prostate after all and clever Stiles had found it. Derek’s mouth was dry and his heart was racing, he was so hard and ready that he knew he wasn't going to take more than a few thrusts now, because whatever that was, the finger was making him see stars. "Stiles..." His voice was awed and desperate, his face the perfect picture of a man finding out about prostate pleasure for the very first time in his life. Like it was a religious experience.

The singer couldn't wipe his grin off his face after the initial surprise. It seemed that no one managed to slide this deep into Derek with a finger.

"Have to say... whoever pleasured or fucked you before did a sloppy job. Because you do have a very much functioning prostate," he chuckled low and to emphasize that, he pressed and rubbed his finger more against it, not minding that Derek's movements were temporarily frozen. Because all of a sudden it was about him, which Stiles also didn't mind. "You can come whenever, if you feel like it," he reassured as he kept rubbing that sweet spot but making sure to take short breaks in every few seconds, because he knew how new and overwhelming this was for the other man.

It was like electricity shot through him, yet in a very good way, with how deep the pleasure went. "Fuck, Stiles..." How was his husband able to withstand this much pleasure each time? His body shivered from the incredible intensity, his legs widening more for that finger, which in turn widened those of Stiles too.

Taking a few shuddering breaths, he reminded himself he wasn't the only one in bed here so he moved, just a little because it also moved the finger and that felt even better. His warm breath puffed against the singer's neck, his eyes were tightly closed while he forced himself to move and give them both pleasure. It wasn't as intense as before, because Stiles' way of thinking was right, it was overwhelming for a first time. Yet Derek also didn't want it to stop, because it felt too good.

"Stiles..." he sounded like he was begging for something even he didn't know. The orgasm he was building and he knew it was going to be out of this world.

"Yeah, I know, babe. It's okay. I know it's overwhelming," he panted hotly into Derek's ear as he turned his head to the side and kept gently massaging that sensitive spot. "You love it." It was a statement, not a question, because everything screamed that, which made Stiles smile, maybe a bit proud of himself too. "Just give in to it whenever," he encouraged his husband and massaged the prostate a bit harder, wanting Derek to experience how good such an orgasm could feel. "It's okay, babe. You gonna come for me?" he panted and lightly bit the earlobe, his hand and finger moving more confident from Derek's reactions.

There was no stopping it. That finger was relentless and his body was already gearing up for it. Derek kissed the soft skin of Stiles' neck, trying to distract himself and prolong it. But after one last thrust inside of his beautiful husband, and the confident push of the finger, the body tightened up. And let go.

Derek was loud when he came, the pleasure washing over him as he flooded Stiles' body with an impressive load. The orgasm has never been so intense before, and yeah, Stiles wasn't the only star in the room anymore, because he was seeing them flashing all over. His hands had tightened on Stiles' flesh probably to the point of discomfort and bruises in the morning.

Stiles had all the reason to be smug about, because he had managed to completely unravel Derek to the point the human was a quivering mess on top of him. He moaned softly from Derek's pleasure and the way he came in him. It made the singer smile satisfied, ignoring his own now trapped erection between them to let his pair bask in the afterglow. He gently eased his finger out and wiped it off on the already messy cover without a care. (They would put it in the washing machine before leaving anyway.) Then his arms were around the broad back, fingers caressing the slick warm skin there.

He didn't say anything just gently caressed the trembling man to let him slowly come down.

"All good?" he murmured into Derek's hair in a couple of minutes, wanting to make sure.

"Hmmm." Derek was still at the stage of not talking, so he patted the skin he’s been holding, unsure where that was. It kind of felt like everything was upside down and inside out for a moment as his body was coming down from the high that had rocked his world. His body wasn’t the only thing that had exploded, his mind had gone with it, too.

There was a persistent hardness poking him in the lower belly and that was kind of embarrassing. Instead of making Stiles come like he had promised he would, the singer was still hard while Derek was a quivering mess. "I'm sorry, babe." Usually he was way more attentive! "But wow..." WOW indeed.

Stiles chuckled softly and ran his fingers through Derek's messy hair. "No worries. I can take care of myself once you're not suffocating me with your big sexy body," he grinned, pretty smug by then from how wrecked Derek still sounded. "But stay in me while I do so, okay?" he pressed a kiss into the damp hair. "Push yourself up on your forearms. Can you do that for me, baby?" he murmured as his hands slid down to grab that perfect ass, just to make sure Derek stayed in him whenever he was going to move as requested.

There was a huff because of course he could do that. The big muscled body moved, not as graceful as normally, but he did prop himself up while the pale hands kept him from slipping out by accident. "I love you coming between us, smearing us with your semen." That and Derek had a free show like this, he could watch Stiles' face as he came, one of the many favorite past times the other could offer him. "You're amazing," Derek gushed, his body tingling from the afterglow which Stiles had managed to create.

Smiling wide again, Stiles kept one hand on the firm butt, the other sneaking between them to swipe his palm against the pooled pre-cum on his stomach then he wrapped it around his own hardness. He moaned softly from the touch, his cock jumping eagerly in his own grip and then he pulled on it, smearing the wetness along the shaft.

"You're amazing too, baby. I love it how much this wrecked you. So you think we should put anal play with you on the table?" he raised a brow with a shit-eating grin, because he knew the answer well, but he wanted Derek to voice his thoughts about the matter while he kept jerking himself in a comfortable pace, soft moans slipping him.

Moving a little to give Stiles some extra stimulation from the inside, Derek leaned in to nibble along his neck, then moved to the earlobe to tug at it playfully. "We can put anal play on the table, as long as I get to be inside you as much too." The words were whispered into the singer's ear hotly. "I can never get enough of being inside you." But it would be a lie if he denied how the one finger has gotten him curious. It gave him a deeper understanding of what he always did to Stiles.

Leaning on one elbow, Derek's fingers snuck to the unattended chest between them, finding a pierced nipple to play with. He was hoping to stoke the fire within Stiles while he stroked himself off.

The turned on smile on the singer's face morphed into a loud moan as his whole body jerked a bit, pleasure shooting down into his groin from his nipple and his still stretched ass clenched around the softening cock.

"Fuck..." he panted. It wasn't just the physical stimulation, but also what Derek was saying. It wasn't dirty talk per se, he really only just stated the facts Stiles already knew too, but in this moment, when his body was being played with like this, it felt like it. "Keep talking!" he groaned, his hand moving faster on his once again leaking cock, eyes rolling shut from the building pleasure. "Wanna come around you so badly..." he added slightly out of breath.

Derek could feel Stiles moving around him, but his own cock stayed soft, it was too soon to give another stirring. "I'm going to fuck you full, make you full of my seed so your room is going to stink of us for weeks to come. Going to make you feel it so you have to squirm tomorrow each time you sit down." Derek had no problem talking dirty to Stiles, to entice him with words as he watched his face scrunch up with pleasure.

"You'll feel so loose I can fit the vibrator and me inside you, all eager for more. Because you're eager, you want to be good for me, right? You want to come for me. Clench around me, milk me some more."

"Yeah... yeah, oh god... Yes! I... want to be your good boy," Stiles nodded eagerly, although his eyes stayed shut and the slick sounds between them got louder and faster. The nipple that was being played with was rock-hard and throbbing, waves of pleasure shooting right into his cock. His black nails dug into Derek's ass and his hips unwittingly bucked a bit on the softening cock in him. A part of him wished it was still fully hard, but knowing that it wasn't was because Derek had already filled him to the brim won out.

"I'm eager... I'm greedy. Want all your cum!" he squirmed under the muscular body. Forcing his eyes half-open, Derek's dark and watchful expression caused him to tighten his grip nearly painfully around himself, the oozing tip slipping through his grip faster. "So close..." he whined, face swimming in desperate pleasure.

Derek's hand went from playing with the nipples to sliding between them, past where Stiles' hand was busy. No, his target were the balls, feeling how tight they were, it wasn't going to take much for Stiles to give into the need his body had. Caressing and fondling the scrotum, he tugged on and stroked the thin skin to help Stiles along. "Give into it," he told Stiles, hazel eyes eager on the singer's face.

Stiles' body instinctively pushed into Derek's hand as he was gasping for air and making sounds as if he was in pain. Which, of course, was very far from the truth.

"Yes! Derek! YES!" he whined again as the tension was growing unbearable in his body. And then he could feel that familiar feeling all of a sudden roll over him from the base of his spine and down into his curling up toes, his clamping down ass grinding back against the cock in him. His eyes rolled shut again and a loud yell tore out of him as thick globs of semen spurted out of his throbbing shaft, splattering across his stomach, messing up his groin and hand too, but he didn't give a damn because he was washed away by the intense pleasure, leaving him trembling and panting and sweating under his husband.

Stiles clenching around him so tightly made Derek moan, the pleasure shooting through him. It felt amazing and too much, but the most amazing thing was to see Stiles reach his orgasm up so close. To see his face scrunch up and his eyes tightly clench while he gave into the rush his body provided. Derek kissed the sweaty face and lowered himself on top of the dirty body again. Still deeply inside of him, still not moving while his husband was recovering from it. It felt like each time they had sex, it only got better.

So more kisses were planted on Stiles' face.

The singer was still panting as he smiled, loving to feel that bigger body on top of him and the soft kisses planted onto his sweaty and warm cheek. He put his arms around Derek, keeping his messy hand out of the way the best he could and slowly opened his eyes. The pupils were still dilated from all the pleasure he just experienced.

"Oh wow..." he whispered, not wanting to completely shatter the peacefulness of the moment. "Just... wow," he chuckled softly then captured Derek's mouth in a slow and sensual kiss. "I love you so much," he mumbled and kissed Derek some more.

"Lots of wows," Derek agreed easily, because his entire body was still tingling from the orgasm he had. Stiles had played his body like it was an instrument and now Derek was a slave to his music. In all ways.

After some more cuddling, he finally pulled out, so he could gather the younger man in his arms. "I love you too." Enough to make his heart clench when he looked at Stiles, enough to know that suddenly their forever was more of a reality than it was when they had met. "So much that I'm considering a tattoo. I know it sounds crazy, but I want you with me even when you're not there."

"Oh?" Stiles looked at him surprised and also curious. Obviously, he was all team tattoos, so he quickly warmed to the idea. "What do you have in mind?" he asked, knowing that it'd definitely mean their relationship. He just couldn't stand people, who got tattoos because of the current fashion trends, without any meaning behind them. Stiles tried to have at least one meaning to his tattoos (if not more, because if one meaning was lost, there was still at least one more so he would never regret any of his tattoos).

Derek, for the first time, felt a little self-conscious as he ducked his head a little. It was very personal what he had in mind and maybe it was too creepy? He thought it was romantic, but at this moment he felt a little unsure. His thick fingers caressed the pale skin where the semen was drying up. "I'd like to have a cardiogram of your heart tattooed. Right here." He placed his hand on his chest, where his own heart was. Nobody was going to know what it meant, they'd know it resembled a heartbeat sure but only they'd know it belonged to Stiles.

"Wow! I love that idea and I can totally get that for you, if you're really sure," Stiles said, both moved and enthusiastic about that tattoo idea. It was simple yet very, very meaningful. After all, having his own erratic heartbeat (courtesy of his ADHD) on Derek was something nothing short of amazing to him. No one ever, EVER had such a level of commitment to him. It was even deeper to Stiles than a marriage, because that mark would stay with Derek for the rest of his life. Unless he, for some reason, would try to get it removed, but Stiles believed that wasn't going to ever happen. Or he hoped so! He was going to work on making it worth it for Derek, if this was his final decision.

"Truth be told, I've been thinking about something like that too, recently," he finally confessed and ran the tips of his fingers along the tattoo he knew Derek had in the middle of his back. "The Triskelion. On the side of my neck, so it'd always be visible and reminding not just me but everyone else that I belong to you. That you're the only one for me," he whispered, gazing into the hazel eyes with love.

Derek wanting to get Stiles' heartbeat on his chest was huge, Stiles wanting to get the tattoo of Derek on his neck was just as big. Because people were going to have to see him shirtless to know that the singer's latest tattoo was because of the Hales', or they'd assume they had gotten matching ones. Because it was entirely possible there was somehow a shirtless picture of him on the internet or there was going to be one. Derek would make sure if there was any doubt in anybody, or if Stiles was hit on (something that happened a lot), they'd know.

"They'll know regardless. But I love that we'd have our tattoos and our rings. We should let the whole world know as often as possible in as many ways as possible. Next step is dressing the same." The thought made the older man chuckle because that wasn't happening. Besides borrowing some shirts and sweaters. Their tastes were too different. Derek loved the way Stiles dressed, just not for himself. "Or you can always serenade me at your concert, but I like the tattoo idea a lot more." It wasn't as blush-inducing.

Stiles chuckled a bit then sighed happily. "I already borrow a few of your shirts, so..." he grinned at Derek and pressed a kiss on the top of his nose. "I like to smell your scent when you're not around." Which was rarely nowadays since they already lived together, but there was going to be an extended period of time like that when Stiles was going on tour. "Being on tour without you will suck, by the way. Scott and Kira are already booking places for the next tour. First the North American leg. I told them to make this one shorter. I usually went to tours that lasted nearly a year with smaller breaks between the different continents. But I want all legs to be shorter, because I don't think I can or should stay away from you and home for that long," he explained, caressing Derek's warm chest, loving how (as gross as he was from all the bodily fluids) he was pressed against the firm line of his husband's front.

And yes, they were in the first year of their marriage, they just moved in and were very much in love, so Stiles didn't want to fuck this up. He knew it wasn't going to be easy to do the distance thing even with shorter concert legs. He wasn't sure how Derek would take the distance for extended periods of time, so Stiles wanted to make sure to go as easy on him as possible.

"Now that the album is out and it's a huge success, touring will probably start in two or three months. Until then I'll only have to play a few new songs here and there and go to interviews to promote the new stuff. It's a big thing that I had finished a whole new album this fast after the last one and its tour," he shrugged a bit as he kept explaining things to Derek, who he knew still wasn't really familiar with the music industry's inner workings.

Also, the media and fans were in a frenzy from how Stiles had expressed his hurt and angry feelings towards Theo, so they were chewing through each song, analyzing every last word and that meant Stiles will have a lot of questions during interviews about that too. At least so far they didn't hear a beep from Theo.

"So yeah, prepare for the circus to really start now," he sighed a little bummed about that (because it was going to burst their personal bubble of happiness a bit with Stiles getting very busy) and maybe a bit worried too, not knowing how Derek was going to handle it all. "Of course, once I'm on tour, I can fly you out to whichever city whenever you want to visit and fuck my brains out," he grinned at the end, trying to lift the mood a bit with the half-joke. "At least it seems most of the summer will be ours, so we should do our tattoos soon, I think. I can get an appointment at my usual tattoo guy whenever you're ready," he nuzzled more against his husband, holding him a bit tighter.

"How long will a leg of a tour last?" America was large, so Derek knew they could be apart for weeks at a time. Maybe even a month. And that was sobering. They were still in their honeymoon phase, so to speak, so everything was great. And from the sound of it, they had summer together, which meant lots of weeks because Derek of course had the entire school summer vacation off as well. And that meant they were going to go from being together all the time to barely together at all. He knew beforehand, how this would be. So he wouldn't complain about it.

"I think you need to do the tour in the way you always would. This is your career, your life. We'll make it work. I'll visit you as often as I can, and you'll drop by home as often as you can." Derek gave him a serious look. "This is your first solo tour again, your healing from Theo. I don't want to be the reason you don't get everything out of it like you normally would."

This was the life Derek had chosen, this was the life they'd have. Especially if one day they'd decide to maybe adopt. Derek would be at work and home, Stiles would be either recording or on tour. They'd have times together a lot and times they wouldn't be around at all. "I kind of knew this was part of it." He wasn't sure how prepared he was for handling being in this house with only Erica and Moon Moon, since Stiles was going to take his entire entourage with him. But he was sure they'd get through it and get used to it. "I guess we'll have to do our tattoos as soon as possible so we can focus on other fun things during the summer. We'll have six weeks, that's a pretty big gift."

"Yes, it is and don't worry, I asked them to cut back on the number of shows because last time it was too exhausting even for me. It was my biggest tour so far, but I feel like we overdid it. Even with the shorter breaks there were times when I just wanted to pack up and come home. It didn't help that Theo was on tour as well, so seeing each other was very hard. Not that not seeing you is going to be easy, but perhaps easier since you're already like a steady presence in my life. Kinda my rock," Stiles smiled softly at him.

"So no worries about the length of the legs. In average my tour legs last from two and a half months to three, but I want to bring them down to two at the most," he finally answered Derek's question. "There'll be like two or three weeks before the next starts up. I usually tour North and South America and Europe, and a few shows in Asia and Australia before coming back home, although the order of the legs can vary."

Two months, and then a few weeks together. It sounded so simple. Two months were only eight weeks, but it was still a long time. It was still going to need time to get used to and hopefully those months would fly by with both of them working and busy. 

"I'll be here holding down the fort," Derek assured as he leaned in to kiss Stiles again, acting braver than he felt. They would make it work. That he at least didn't doubt. "At least you'll keep the press very active and away from me." The poor man didn't realize that they'd still focus on him since Stiles would also be out of the country where the paparazzi wouldn't follow. It was going to be the paparazzi of a different country. "We'll make it work." It was going to be their mantra.

"Ah, you're so naive sometimes. It's kinda cute," Stiles chuckled, lightly patting Derek's cheek with his palm in a 'there, there' manner. "Otherwise yes, we'll make it work, that's for sure," Stiles reassured him, even if he too had some worries about what was to come. "Either way, we need a shower and then sleep. And maybe desecrate that poor couch later. I'm so gross, starting to stick to you," he laughed, wanting to switch the topic, so with a heavy sigh he reluctantly peeled himself off his husband to drag him into the bathroom opposite his childhood room.

And wow, Stiles would've never thought that one day he was going to have such amazing sex with his husband in that room. But he just had and he had zero regrets.

Also, a few hours and a nap later they did have sex on the living room couch like teenagers.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15 - Shatter

“It's gonna break me
But that doesn't matter
Another crack
Watch me shatter

In a world where I don't belong
Like a stranger I'm moving on
To a place where I wanted to be
And call it home
Wanna feel like I did before
Feel the love, feel the pain and more
But the weight keeps burying me
And I feel so cold”

(BFMV – Shatter )

Stiles didn't kid when he had said that the circus was going to start, because not a week later he was swept up into the media circus of interviews and promotions for the tour and the album. Derek went with him sometimes when he was asked by his husband, but he still had classes to finish up before summer. The album’s popularity only grew since its release with songs being played everywhere that played Stiles' kind of music.

At least they had time to book that appointment at the tattoo artist, and they paid for an appointment with a cardiologist to get the cardiogram they needed. Derek had sent it to the artist for him to work into a simple design. A couple of weeks later they were there. They were going to get the new ink.

It would give them a whole week to have it heal a little before they'd officially have summer vacation together. They weren't going to go anywhere in particular, but they had decided to visit some theme parks, do some silly tourist stuff, and enjoy their company between a few parties and interviews.

"Last time you can back out." It was a joke, neither wanted to back out, but they’ve been teasing each other about their tattoo talk happening right after mind-blowing sex.

"No, no backing out, we're gonna mark each other," Stiles grinned with a wink, clearly excited about this next step of commitment between them. And as he watched Derek taking off his shirt and lay down so Tom, his tattoo artist could shave the hair on Derek's left pec in preparation of putting the stencil there, Stiles sighed happily. God, he loved his man! Sometimes it even hurt how much and every day he thought he was so lucky to have Derek on his side. Or as the solid and safe background in his life. Until now he had no idea how much he needed that.

Also, Derek was getting a bit better handling all the circus around Stiles' hectic life and it always moved the musician to see how he was trying. Sure, Stiles tried to keep his promise and shield him and Erica from the brunt of it, but still, Derek always accompanied him when Stiles asked him to and it didn't clash with his school schedule.

They were going to make it work.

With that thought he sat down on the stool provided for him as he watched Tom placing the stencil of Stiles' heartbeat on Derek's chest. It was probably very corny as well, but the two of them knew that it was a section of the cardiogram when Stiles said "I love you" to Derek, who was right there with him in that moment too. And Stiles wasn't going to be able to shut his mouth about it once the public learned about their new tattoos.

It wasn't the first tattoo on Derek, but he wasn't a pro at it like Stiles was, so yeah, Derek was a little bit nervous. There were no regrets, this tattoo was always going to be special to him and it didn't have a name to ever need to be covered up. They both had agreed on that easily, because they weren't into name tattoos. At least Stiles wasn't snapping pictures like crazy, he was very mellow about his social media and didn't feel the need to put it all on the internet for all to see. Something Derek was very relieved about.

It was why he was relatively calm as he was lying there on the comfortable bench while Tom worked. He had to remain completely still, since his pec would move too much if he even laughed so he stared at the ceiling and not at Stiles. If he looked at his husband, he'd want to say something or maybe laugh since the singer was pretty good at making conversation without using his mouth.

Instead Tom and Stiles conversed about previous work done and in the background the radio was playing. It was a good atmosphere so the tattoo was done before he knew it. Some clear cream was dotted on it and plastic covered it with surgical tapes closing the sides. That was it, it was on his chest forever. Derek moved so Stiles could settle down.

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" he teased.

"Oh yes, please, babe! Clearly this is my first tattoo, so I'm a bit scared!" Stiles smirked, sarcasm thick in his voice.

It made Tom chuckle quietly since he too was used to that from Stiles, thanks to the many hours he had spent under his needle. Still, the tattoo artist made quick work of disinfecting the area on the left side of Stiles' neck (that side to match the side of Derek's new tattoo) and carefully put the stencil with the small Triskelion on his skin.

Stiles stayed motionless during the delicate process, staring forward at the wall, because he knew he'd only grin if his eyes found Derek's. The singer was ridiculously happy they were doing this.

Once he checked out the placement in a hand mirror and found it perfect, he nodded to Tom to proceed and grabbed Derek's hand with a fake scared expression.

Derek of course held his hand, stroking the skin and making soothing noises as if he was dealing with a scared child. Tom seemed to be very amused because he was laughing his ass off in between concentrated moments. He already knew what the tattoos meant, because they had discussed it via email with him when they were talking about designs. So he didn't ask about the triskelion.

The dark Celtic design was rapidly making its appearance on Stiles' neck, a spot that no doubt was sensitive. It looked good and it was going to be impossible to miss.

"Are you going to tell people the why? Because your fans are going to wonder." A new tattoo on such a visible place, they were going to notice. From what Erica had told him, some of them even kept track of bruises and dark circles under Stiles' eyes, so yeah, this one wasn't going to take long to make its appearance online.

"It's not going to take them long. They'll connect it to you right away," Tom said even though the question wasn't directed at Derek. At Derek's surprised look Tom had to stop what he was doing to give Stiles a look. "Is he for real?"

"They know about my tattoo?" Poor innocent Derek.

Stiles was glad that at the moment Tom wasn't working on his neck, because he laughed out loud on that and it took him a moment or two to calm down. "Oh, babe... You're so cute when you're naive like this," Stiles cooed, squeezing the hand in his. "Of course they know about it. Everyone knows about it. As predicted, they dug up a few old pictures of you where it's visible. But since neither you, nor I had commented on its meaning, they've only been speculating so far. I believe they are satisfied with the symbol's meaning. The few times they asked about it during my interviews, I always said that they're not wrong about the symbol's original meaning, but the rest is a personal one and it's up to you to share it or not," he explained.

"Oh..."

Tom couldn't help but snigger at the face Derek pulled, as if the world was still such a wondrous place since people managed to dig up old pictures. "Don't worry mate, you'll get used to it. When you marry a pop star, you're famous by association. It's why so many people want to be entourage to a celebrity. It pays. Bloody well." Tom certainly had gained more fame when Stiles Stilinski had decided to use his studio for his body art. Not that Stiles was the first or the last celebrity to wear his ink, but it had worked wonders for his income.

"Hey, I’m a rock star!" Stiles grumbled, pointing at himself as he corrected Tom.

"Was talking in general," he shrugged it off with a grin.

"I just didn't know they had old pictures." Derek was still perturbed about that.

Dabbing at the tattoo, Tom made sure all the ink had been nicely distributed and there weren't any spots missing. "If I were you two, I'd give them something to salivate over so they don't dig up old pictures. A nice photoshoot. And it'd be extra income, they'll want to pay handsomely to get the two of you in a shoot."

"Hm..." Stiles glanced at Derek. "Luckily we're not short on money, so that's not really a motivator to do such a photo shoot. Derek is still learning the ins and outs of the music industry and what it really means to be my husband. But he is doing well," he smiled softly at his man, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Maybe in the future if we both are comfortable with doing something like that," Stiles added, keeping Derek's eye-contact while Tom finished up with his tattoo. It wasn't as bad as Stiles expected, although by then he was pretty used to this kind of pain, obviously.

"Was just sayin'," Tom shrugged again. "It's an option, something to consider," he added as he wiped down the excess ink then took care of the rest before handing Stiles back the hand mirror.

"Wow! I love it," he grinned, drinking in the sight. It wasn't too big or too small, it was the perfect size, sitting a bit lower from where his ear and jaw met as if it's always been there. "What do you think, babe?" he asked (and maybe not just about the tattoo).

Derek was tempted to reach out and touch the tattoo, but it had to be covered up of course with the plastic wrap and touching the open wound would cause infection. So he refrained. Instead he pulled Stiles close to kiss him on the cheek. "It's perfect. My family crest looks great on you, Mr. Hale-Stilinski." The significance of the tattoo would never be lost on him. It wasn't just an ode to Derek but also the Hale Family and Stiles being part of that now too.

"I think if we'd do it together, I'm okay with a photoshoot. Maybe Tom's right and it'll satisfy their thirst for our life." Derek would always love doing things together with Stiles, even the stuff he wasn't that into, like events and interviews. The two of them together made it easier.

"Nah, mate," Tom piped up from the side where he was cleaning up. "You're a good looking gay couple. They'll always be thirsty. But at least you control it like this."

Tom covered the tattoo in the same way he had Derek's, and gave them both a small little plastic container with a small amount of the clear cream. And a pamphlet with instructions of proper tattoo care. Not that they needed it, because they had experience enough to know.

Another step towards their future was taken and done, another huge step in their relationship. Derek grinned at Stiles. They were inked forever.

***

The couple did spend most of their time together during the summer, as planned. They and Erica even flew back for two weeks to Beacon Hills to spend some quality family time with both the Hales and the Sheriff. Stiles thrived in the big family setting and bonded with them quickly. Especially with Laura, who was the biggest troll in the family (even bigger than Derek) and visited too, so he had the opportunity to get to know her more than just in passing like he did once in New York when she once came over to pick Erica up for a sleepover, and that one family dinner at Derek’s old place. And yes, the Hales also liked Stiles' newest tattoo since they quickly got to the point where they began treating him as part of their family. Which warmed the singer's heart since he always wanted a big family, but grew up just with his dad.

Luckily, the Sheriff too seemed to warm up to Derek and they managed to bond a bit over a few beers and baseball, which Stiles has never been interested in. To no-one's surprise, Noah loved Erica from the get go, although she didn't sleep in the Stilinski house since she already had a room at the Hales'.

The rest of the summer went by fast with many family programs in-between Stiles having to go to interviews, photo shoots, video shoots and meetings with his management to discuss the logistics and details of the upcoming tour.

Which arrived at the beginning of September sooner than either the singer or Derek wanted. But at least both of them were busy enough not to dwell on their goodbye too much. Stiles with the tour itself and Derek with the beginning of a new school year. Still, it sucked that they could talk only through text messages or via phone calls. Stiles even went as far as buying Derek a smartphone back in August, so they could actually face time, which his ancient phone was incapable of. It was quite amusing for both him and Erica to see Derek struggle with it in the first week or so, but the singer dutifully taught everything to his technophobe husband about smartphones.

In the middle of September Erica stormed into the kitchen excited and slapped the newest issue of GQ magazine onto the counter next to Derek.

"It's out!" she exclaimed the obvious and pointed at the cover of the magazine where one of the photos was of the shoot Derek and Stiles did for the magazine a few weeks back before the tour had started.

"I don't want to see it!" Derek called dramatically, hiding his face against the counter where he was sitting at the bar area with a bowl of cut up fruit. It was stupidity at its finest, because they had seen the pictures and although they didn't know for sure which ones would be used, they actually had been able to say no to the ones they weren't comfortable with. The point of the article wasn't just about the tattoos, but about their love and how they were doing with the 'arranged' marriage. Because of course Stiles had mentioned the reason for his new tattoo at the first interview he had and he was asked about it.

Their “epic love story” as the press called it, had gained even more popularity then, so when GQ approached Scott for a spread, Derek had said yes. He liked the way that magazine handled interviews and he hadn't forgotten Tom's words about giving them a little taste. The shoot was fine, nerve wrecking but fine. And he had alerted the school about it. They weren't too happy with having a famous teacher, but that wasn't grounds to terminate his contract. Unfortunately, school has started so that meant he was going to have to deal with the backlash of the publication.

"Don't worry, it's very classy for nude pictures," Erica assured.

His head lifted abruptly. "WHAT?!"

Erica's poker face was, unfortunately for Derek, too good when he was having a near heart attack at the same time. In the back of his mind he knew that he never took off more than his upper body clothes but still, his mind went full-fledged panic. Which was also Erica's fault because she had shown him some of the fanart floating around, from which many were very explicit.

With said poker face maintained, Erica hid her amusement and without a word pushed the magazine right in front of the horrified Derek. Seriously, this man, she thought. She missed Stiles...

The picture they chose for the cover was indeed a tasteful (and not at all nude) one. It was black and white and depicted the husbands' upper body as they were lying on their backs with Stiles resting his head on Derek's chest from the side, who had both hands behind his head, while Stiles only one behind his own, and they looked up at the camera. Stiles wore a white T-shirt and a flannel one over it, while Derek an unbuttoned jeans shirt, some of his bare chest visible.

(Credit goes to feelsforsterek)

"You already broke the internet," the teen added nonchalantly.

"Pfft," Derek scoffed as he pulled the magazine even closer to study the cover. He wasn't even looking at himself, his focus was on Stiles. Beautiful Stiles who wasn't here. At first it was okay, because they were both busy. They called each other almost every day if they could with the time differences and Stiles having his concerts in the evenings and Derek working during the day. It’s been only two weeks, but it already felt like a lifetime. Everywhere in the house was Stiles, which only made it achingly known he wasn't there. And when Erica showed clips or life feeds of the concerts, Derek would become quiet. So many people were enthralled with Stiles, it was a whole other world he wasn't a part of.

It made the doubt set in. Could he do this for years on end? Could he accept that Stiles was going to have another life for a big part of the year? "That's Stiles' job," he said finally as he leafed through the magazine to find the spread done on them.

The pictures in there were showing them off more. Derek's naked back in one where Stiles was leaning against him, to show off the same tattoos they had. In another they were both sporting naked chests and showed off an intimate pose. They were beautiful photos and the photographer had promised to send the photos to them before he'd release some more to the internet.

"They're awesome," Erica finally said, as she came up to hug Derek tightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Derek would always be fine for her, that's how it worked. He wasn't going to burden her with adult worries and anything like that. He closed the magazine and put it on the large mail pile that was gathering for Stiles. "I just miss him," he settled on. Deep down he wasn't sure if moving here was the right thing, if giving it all up had been the right thing to do. Scott was with Stiles, so was Boyd. So the little expansion he had allowed himself regarding social contacts had simply moved away with Stiles. It all wasn't as he thought it would be. It was... lonelier, even with Isaac being around sometimes.

"Aw," Erica sighed and hugged Derek a bit stronger before loosening her arms around him. "I miss him too. He has that kind of presence that lights up a room or stage. And when it's not there, you feel the loss of that warmth," she said, sounding much wiser than her years, which was no wonder given what she's been through. Letting Derek go, she went to the fridge to get herself some orange juice. "Okay, enough with the moping. When will you go visit him?" she asked, turning back to Derek after pouring the drink for herself.

Derek threw her a look because he wasn't moping, thank you very much. He was... missing somebody. And that was different. "I don't know. It's been only two weeks, Erica." And he honestly didn't think Stiles missed him as much, not because he didn't love him as much but because the singer was busy. In the afternoon there were sound checks at every place he had a gig at. Then the show, then sleep, only to repeat it again and again. Derek unfortunately had more time to 'mope' around the house.

"He's busy as you know since you follow everything he does." It was the one good thing about press everywhere: Stiles couldn't sneak around as easily. Which meant Erica updated him on what Stiles was doing if she felt the need to share. Derek still didn't use the internet for that, because he had his smartphone to talk to Stiles, not to stalk him.

"Yeah, well, the new songs and concert rocks just as much as he does, but I can tell that it's emotionally taxing on him. To live through these things over and over again. I mean, I get it that getting Theo out of his system is a must and I know that he uses music and concerts to detox himself from such things, but in case he doesn't mention that or that he might need you then it's just his martyr complex. It's something you two share, so... yeah... Don't get fooled by him. He's emotionally raw as he works through his issues with the past. You should totally message or call him whenever you have the time or feel like it. I'm sure he'd appreciate. I remember him telling in an interview that as much as he enjoys touring, it's three times more taxing than recording," she explained while taking sips of her juice then walked over to Derek to pat his shoulder. "Call him. You can thank me later," she winked then waltzed out of the kitchen with her glass and school bag to do her homework, leaving the magazine where Derek had left it.

"He's at sound check!" he called after her with a shake of his head as he checked the time. He knew Stiles' schedule a little and knew when to call and what time difference they had.

So by the time he had finished preparing the lessons for the next day and had ordered dinner for Erica and him, he finally did dial the number of his husband's phone. There wasn't much time, there never was before the show. On the weekends they called after the shows too, when Derek could stay up late to listen to Stiles rambling on.

They tried, they really did try. And Derek was understanding, because he knew how hectic it was for Stiles. This was what the other man lived for, it was also what paid most of the bills and why they could live comfortably in a mansion in New York. As the phone rang and he waited for Stiles to pick up, he watched Erica saunter by to grab a drink while she was dressed for the pool. Probably the last time she could make use of it. The winters in New York were too cold and the temperature was already dropping.

The line connected and the happy yet at the same time tense voice of the singer sounded. "Hey, babe! Was just thinking about you," he said, checking his eyeliner in the mirror now that he was finally alone in his dressing room. "I don't have much time before the show. Ten minutes tops," he sighed.

He hated it that they couldn't talk as much as they both wanted to because of the time difference and his hectic schedule, but that was his life. But even both of them knowing that didn't make the distance any easier on them.

"I know. But at least I get to hear your voice." Derek didn't sigh, because ten minutes wasn't a lot of time at all. It was still better than nothing, which is what happened some days. "Did you at least give yourself time for dinner? You sound stressed." Stiles needed somebody to care for him, since his ADHD mind made sure he'd forget even the most basics of things when he was overwhelmed. He took care of others, but he wasn't that great in giving himself the same courtesy.

"Yeah, Kira tries to remind me to eat regularly, but it's not easy," the singer sighed again. "The hectic part of this is something I definitely didn't miss. Or the technical malfunctions and problems this venue seems to have. That's what stressed me out, but Scott said the tech guys did manage to solve the problems. Hopefully it won't fuck up the show," he said leaning back in his chair and looked away from the mirror as he kept the phone pressed to his ear.

"GQ came out today here in the USA so be prepared for it tomorrow." In case Stiles got some interviews planned in the morning. Derek didn't know the exact day by day schedule.

"Yeah, I hear there are some pictures already circulating on the internet thanks to the fans. Kira says we kinda broke it. The internet, I mean. Everyone is in a frenzy," Stiles laughed softly. "Can't blame them, though. You look so hot on those pictures. My own super model hubby," he added, his smile genuine now, even if Derek couldn't see it.

Oh great, Derek internally groaned, because this was supposed to help them, not make the fans be into Derek even more. So instead of getting the press and fans off their back, they apparently went viral instead. Typical. "GQ called us the hot husbands. Here I thought the magazine had some style." But yeah, he agreed, his husband was very hot.

Not wanting to make it worse for Stiles, he didn't say out loud how much he missed him. "I'm glad to hear your voice today. I was looking forward to it," he said instead, attempting to keep it positive despite his moping as Erica called it.

"Yeah... I really needed that too," Stiles murmured quieter and sighed again, which seemed to be the theme of that night. He could read between the lines, or rather understood Derek's silence. "I miss you," he said it out loud anyways. "Miss you like crazy, to be honest. Also your dick," he added with a small laugh at the end. "I had no idea I could get so much and so quickly addicted to sex with you," he added with some surprise in his voice as he realized that.

And great, now he was thinking about sex with Derek just before going on stage. He squirmed a bit in his seat, trying not to get hard, because not even his guitar could hide a full-blown erection on stage.

"Jesus, Stiles."

Stiles was incorrigible to immediately make the conversation about sex, so they'd be achingly aware of it missing. "I'm glad you like my dick that much." In the background, Erica cackled, loudly, which made Derek blush. "Erica! Get out of the cold pool and into the hot shower before dinner arrives."

"You're going to need a cold shower," she called back, but did as she was told. Thankfully leaving him with some privacy. "You left me alone with the teen, you better make up for that when we see each other."

Stiles laughed on the other end very amused. "I'll definitely do that, don't worry."

Right after he said that there was a knock on the door and he heard Scott saying, "Two minutes till stage!"

"Roger that!" Stiles yelled back, holding the phone away from his ear so he wouldn't actually yell into Derek's ear. Afterwards he stood and adjusted himself a bit, taking one last glance at himself in the vanity mirror to make sure all was in order. It was, so his attention went back to Derek.

"Until then how about I call you once I'm in the hotel room? You're only an hour ahead of me at the moment. We could talk about what I'd do to you and you to me." It was a clear suggestion for phone sex, of course. Which would be something new to try out together.

It was a normal school day, and it would be pretty late before Stiles was going to call. However, if Derek went to bed early, he'd be able to get some sleep before and give them more time on the phone. It wasn't perfect by far, however, it was all they had at the moment. "You're going to get on stage with an erection because yeah, let's do that." He knew Stiles and how much the idea of phone sex was going to excite him.

"Just look for our picture of GQ right before you call me."

Licking his lips, Stiles grinned wide. "Okay, that's a deal. And a date. I'm gonna jerk off while watching your pretty face and listening to your voice," he chuckled then took a deep calming breath, because yeah, he was nearly half-hard. Which was not unusual when going or being on stage from the excitement and overwhelming energies of the crowd, but yeah...

"Okay, gonna push something cool against my dick for a sec then it's show time. Can't wait for it to be over." Which was a rare thing when it came to performing, but right now his mind was already in the gutter and he wanted that phone call to happen sooner rather than later. "I have to go, but talk to you soon. Love you," he said then before Derek could say anything, he hung up, because Scott knocked on the door again.

"Come on, Stiles!"

"I'm coming!" he yelled then snorted from the choice of words, but he did press a cold coke from the mini fridge against his dick to calm down. Then he took it with him on stage to drink it during the show.

***

Derek went to bed early around the same time as Erica after they had walked the dog together. It allowed him to at least have a few hours in before the call, which was no doubt going to be very late. Unfortunately he had no idea how late, so there was no way to set his alarm clock and it resulted in him being half-asleep when his phone rang. Bleary eyed, he fumbled to slide the green little horn to accept the call, not even fully realizing what time it was or if it was even Stiles.

"Hello?" His voice was rough from sleep, but he did get some nice hours in so that was great! The nightlight was turned on, making him groan at the sudden light. Because he was an idiot like that.

"Oh shit, you were asleep! I'm sorry. I was held up a bit at the venue after the concert. I'm sorry," Stiles repeated, his excitement dampening a bit and feeling guilty for waking his husband. He pulled his hand back from his lower tummy and sighed. "Go back to sleep, babe." He could finish himself off alone, because sleep was not an option for him yet thanks to being so energized by the concert, even if he was tired too.

"No, you idiot!" Derek had no filter when he just woke up, because that was the first thought that came to his mind. He wasn't going to sleep! "I went to bed really early so I could talk to you for a little while without missing out on too much sleep." He rubbed at his eyes as he tried to find the stupid camera thingy so they could see each other. "Don't you dare hang up on me." Maybe him being sleepy didn't set the mood right away but well, he was in bed so that should count for something. "Just accept the camera thing so I can see you."

The faint chuckle on the other end of the line was amused from all the grumbling. Yeah, Stiles knew well that Derek was far from a morning person, so he wasn't surprised about the grumpiness right after being woken up by his horny husband.

"Okay, okay," the singer grinned and accepted the video call, which showed him with his ear buds already in, lying on the bed with his bare skin on display. "Hey, baby," he beamed at his man warmly. He was adorable with his bedhead and sleepy green eyes. God, he wished he could be there to run his fingers through the hair and kiss him silly.

Derek's look softened when he saw Stiles in bed, still wearing the smudged eyeliner and not much else. He was all ready for the 'date' through the phone, while Derek was still dressed in his sweatpants and blinking away the remnants of sleep. It kind of portrayed how different their lives were if they weren't together. Like how it had been before they moved in together. "Hey, you're looking radiant from the show."

It was funny how this was a literal booty call from his technically kind of sugar daddy. His life had gotten so weird, but that was a good thing for sure! Sighing wistfully, Derek finally gave into the need to say it. "I miss you."

Stiles' smile grew wider, showing off his shiny pearls as that certain warmth spread in his chest. "I miss you too. So bad. But at least I can see you like this. See? Smartphones are not the invention of the Devil," he chuckled low and rubbed up and down on his bare chest between the pierced nipples absentmindedly. "And I might be radiant not just from the show, but also from seeing and talking to you and the warm weather." It was already September, but summer seemed to have its last kick in the city he was in at the moment. "So how was your day? And also, what are you wearing?" he grinned mischievously.

There was an eye-roll because Stiles knew exactly what he was wearing when he was in bed, he wasn't the adventurous one out of the two of them. "As you can see, I'm wearing our blanket." And he was trying to wriggle out of his sweatpants with one hand which wasn't easy.

"My day wasn't interesting, I taught classes and that was it." There wasn't much to tell about his days at the high school, he usually only told about it if something funny happened or if Jennifer had cornered him again. Luckily that last part had stopped happening now that they had gotten serious and she realized she had lost her victim for real. "Fall is coming here, so Erica had her last swim outside and wanted me to ask you if you're going to be here for Halloween." Another eye-roll. "It's her favorite holiday."

Of course, Stiles realized what the wriggling was all about and he felt his face starting to hurt from all the grinning, his free hand sliding a bit lower on his own body, drawing small circles with his fingertips onto his flat stomach.

"Yeah, this leg ends three days before Halloween, so I'll be back home by then. Should I expect our house to turn into a haunted castle by the time I get there?" he laughed then licked his lips, letting his fingertips teasingly stroke back and forth at the sensitive skin of his lower-tummy. God, just listening to Derek's sleep-deep voice made him half-hard.

"We go all out. Decorations, costumes, you name it." Though having trick or treaters this year wasn't happening, because they lived in a secluded mansion now. Not something Derek minded! Sadly he knew Erica would drag them out to celebrate. "Our first Halloween together. I have to warn you, everything will be pumpkin spiced for a while." Because of course Derek's incurable sweet tooth loved Halloween and fall because of all the sweet treats.

"I don't mind the pumpkin stuff or going out with you two," Stiles shrugged a bit. It was going to be a nice change of pace for sure. It's been years since he celebrated Halloween as much as he knew he was going to have to with those two. He either worked, was at some party when it was inevitable or holed up with snacks in bed to binge on movies and series.

Finally! Triumphantly Derek held up his pants to drop them to the floor. Here he was still undressing while Stiles was already all hands on, stroking his hand down the trail of hairs which Derek wanted to nuzzle and lick. "I think you need to wear the eyeliner more often." It was doing things to Derek for sure. But then Stiles always did things to him.

Stiles giggled from the sweatpants stunt then bit his bottom lip for a second. "Oh yeah? You like the eyeliner this much?" he asked (as if he hadn't noticed before). "Does it make you hard? Or is it that you want it to smear from sweat while you're fucking me?" he asked on a soft moan as his hand finally slid lower, but only to first cup his own balls, lightly squeezing and massaging them, making sure that the angle was good enough for Derek to catch a glimpse of that too.

It was hard to find words when he was so busy looking at what Stiles was doing. He already had a bit of a one track mind, but now that he couldn't even touch that showed even more. Because they kind of needed words when they were communicating like this, something Derek seemed to forget when he nodded with a slightly open mouth. He really wanted to be there with Stiles to feel his sweaty skin and gaze into those brown eyes framed by the black eyeliner which made them look even bigger and expressive. How did he not know how good it looked on Stiles? Because he knew the singer wore it when he had to perform. Just hasn't seen it in person that often.

"Touch yourself some more," Derek demanded with a hoarse voice, wanting to watch Stiles like the voyeur he apparently was.

"Now we're finally talking!" Stiles grinned once again then a shaky sigh escaped his parted lips once he quickly licked his palm and wrapped his long fingers around his rapidly growing cock. "Like this?" he asked on a teasing tone, making the damp head peek out as he pulled down on his foreskin. "Or this?" he breathed then moaned when he twisted his grip around his dick on each downward pull. "Tell me what to do... Tell me what you'd do to me, if you were here in person? I wanna hear it so badly," he panted, whiskey-brown eyes already half-lidded from the pleasure. It wasn't like he hasn't touched or played with himself during these two weeks, but this was the first time he was touching himself while Derek was on the line. "Are you touching yourself? Are you hard?" he asked, breathing a bit faster. Clearly Derek was more focused on him and what he was seeing so that's why Stiles didn't see those from the angle Derek's phone was in.

He hasn't touched himself yet, because he’s been too busy watching and listening to Stiles. If they were together, that would all go so much smoother. It did feel a little weird to be touching himself in an empty room when Stiles wasn't there and they attempted to have phone sex. Of course Stiles was a natural at it, used to something as normal as a cellphone, but not Derek. He wasn't that fond of technology and so he felt a little out of touch when using it to get off.

"I'm hard, I'm just..." Yeah, taking his sweet time as usual. It didn't matter, he wanted to focus on what he'd do to Stiles if they were in bed together. So, with a hoarse voice from sleep, he proceeded to tell the younger man exactly what he all wanted to do to him if they could be touching. Step by step, not as detailed as he'd like to, because he wasn't that kind of guy. However, it seemed to do the trick.

"Oh my god... Derek..." Stiles whined from the way the sleep-rough voice was talking right into his ear while he was touching himself. His hand with the phone might have shaken a bit as he kept working himself with the other, his naked and a bit sweaty body squirming on the bed as he kept thrusting into his fist.

The pleasure was clear as day on the singer's face, eyes closed, lips parted and cheeks flushed from the excitement. Derek was so good at pushing Stiles' buttons, often not even trying for explicit dirty talk. For Stiles it was usually enough just to hear Derek talk to him and it would set him on fire. It was not different now either.

Licking his lips, he cracked his eyes open, looking at the phone with them staying half-lidded and full of pleasure and want and love. The only thing he regretted was that he had to hold the phone in one hand, so he couldn't also play with his ass at the same time as his hand was jerking himself enthusiastically, if not a bit rougher than usual. But who could blame him when he was so horny for his husband whom he missed more than he thought he would? (Maybe next time it could be the more traditional phone sex thing, which would leave both his hands free. Or he could angle his laptop just the right way so Derek saw everything. But those were higher level stuff Derek might need to be eased into. If it was up to Stiles, he knew he'd find a way...)

"I'm getting close, baby... You turn me on so much... just by looking at you and hearing you!" he moaned, fucking the tight grip of his hand harder and faster. "You... like what you see? How desperate I am for you?" Stiles panted, looking straight into the phone's camera as he kept up with what he was doing.

"I love what I'm seeing," Derek corrected as he was doing the same as Stiles, but not as frantically. He was more lazily stroking himself, because he got off on watching his husband already and didn't need as much stimulation. There wasn't much of a view of what the other was doing but that was okay. It was Stiles' face that did it for him.

"Love seeing you come even more, babe. Imagine I'm there, imagine it's my hand touching you. Wish I could wrap my lips around it. Suck you off, because I want to taste you." It's been only two weeks and already Derek forgot what Stiles tasted like. And they had so many more weeks to go. It was torture. At least they had this, it was more than they had for days.

"Fuck yes! God, I miss your mouth around me... and your dick in me!" Stiles whined as he smeared more pre-cum down on his glistening cock. Imagining what Derek said was easy, because Stiles had vivid memories of his husband's hands and mouth on him and how it felt to be fucked by him, so no wonder he got to the edge quickly. Which he didn't mind or try to hold off, because he knew Derek wanted to see him come. He'd probably wait until then before he himself followed him.

"I'm gonna come for you! God! Derek! I'm right there..." he panted and groaned, lifting his hand with the phone in it to get a better angle, which allowed Derek to once again see both his face and groin and hoped for the best, because the next moment his face distorted in pleasure and the thick white ropes of cum landed on the flat stomach as Stiles moaned his pleasure loud.

Derek’s own breathing hitched, watching his husband soil himself so freely. This was only for him, all those fans, all the press and people who wanted something from the singer... they'd never have this. This was all his. It didn't take him long to quietly come himself, the heat of it all making it easy to give into the rush of pleasure. Stiles in the afterglow was beautiful and he wanted to soak it in, however, he was a little busy giving into his own orgasm.

It left them both panting into the phone, their bodies tingling from the anticipated release. It was worth it to get sleep in so he was able to share this with Stiles. Derek nearly was going to remark how their bill was going to be immense, but then he realized it was fine, that wasn't a worry anymore. And that meant they had all the time together they wanted to have.

"At least we have this," he croaked. And their sex at Halloween was no doubt going to be explosive after all those weeks apart.

With a sigh Stiles smiled a bit bitterly into the phone. "Yeah. Six more fuckin' weeks, baby. I can't stand the thought of that, to be honest," Stiles murmured, trying to mentally hold onto the hot picture of Derek's orgasm even while the singer used some wet wipes on his hand and body to clean up the mess he had made. He tossed the used ones onto the floor to take care of later. Right now he wanted to focus on Derek, so he turned onto his side and pulled the cover over his naked body. He leaned his hand with the phone against the pillow on the other side of the big bed he was in and curled up.

"I'm gonna pretend you're lying right next to me," he announced, burrowing deeper into the cover and his own pillow, but his face was more visible on the screen from it being closer. "Holding me against you." There was another longing sigh from the singer, the fact that this was harder on him than expected peeking through from all the sighing and his comments. "I hate being away from you," he admitted. "And I know it's stupid since it's been only two weeks, but..." he shrugged, moving the cover over that shoulder as he let that sentence hang there unfinished.

"I know. I feel the same way." The rush of the orgasm faded fast when he saw Stiles struggling in a similar manner like he’s been. Honestly, he had thought the singer was too busy to really focus on missing the life he had left behind. So if the seasoned rock star wasn't coping as well as they'd hoped, then no wonder he felt like crap himself. Derek couldn't drop everything though, he had his own work and he had Erica. They knew this going in, how he didn't have the time to go see Stiles often. They'd have some weekends, but as it happened, Laura was away for a couple of weeks on holiday. And he wasn't going to leave Erica with Isaac unless he really had to. There was his uncle, but he was a part-time dad himself and didn't always have the time.

They were going to have to tough it out, get used to it. This was going to be their life for the years to come. "We'll get used to it. It's your first leg since we had met, so it's normal." Derek wasn't sure who he was trying to help with those words, himself or Stiles. It sounded more like wishful thinking. Eight weeks at a time, it was nothing. Yet it felt like a lifetime, especially with how they were struggling to find the time to call every day. Let alone have these longer moments.

Stiles knew it wasn't just that and the distance or the fact that he missed not just Derek but Erica and Moon Moon and the life they have started to build together. It was also the constant moving and noise and concerts and interviews and fans and everyone wanting something from him, being in the spotlight and all the expectations he had to live up to. But most importantly, singing the new songs every other night, being constantly reminded of Theo and his betrayal and all the emotions that kept stirring up in Stiles... It was very much emotionally taxing on the singer and he still had six long weeks of that ahead. And then even more months of it after the break. He wasn't looking forward to it.

He knew it was harder right now, at the beginning of the tour, because the wounds and emotions were still relatively fresh, but then again this coupled with missing Derek might not be as therapeutic as Stiles had thought it would be. As he was watching that familiar and beloved face through the screen, Stiles thought for the first time that maybe it was a mistake to write all these songs and go on tour so fast.

"Yeah, but I'm just... already so tired of it," he admitted quietly. He looked the part too with the deeper dark circles under his eyes and the sharper cheekbones. "I used to love this. Being on long tours with my music without a care. But I'm not that sure anymore, because I keep thinking of you and Erica and that goofball dog." I just want to go home, he thought, but he didn't say it, not wanting to sound like a homesick child. Or ungrateful for living the successful life he had. "Sorry, I should stop whining. It's not very professional. I'm just homesick I guess. Which is a new record, because it usually kicks in for me the first time only during being on the second leg of a tour," he tried to laugh it off, but it was a weak attempt, they both knew.

Derek wasn't sleepy anymore, because that confession made him wide awake. And he knew, deep down, that it wasn't just because of him, it was also because of the songs of the new album. But to have Stiles contemplating going home, partly because of him, was pretty sobering. He was honored, yeah, and touched. The dark side of it was something that was on his mind more. He didn't want to be the guy to end his husband's career.

"Give it time. Before you do something you'll end up regretting." Of course Derek would be happy to have Stiles home, for sure! "But if you ever feel like coming home or quitting or wanting out of the spotlight or make changes... whatever you need or want, I'll support you. I don't care if we have to live in a tiny apartment, I don't care where we live. As long as we're together. I just want you to be happy." That happiness involved music, because it was part of Stiles' soul and that was never going to change. Nor did he want it to. "Maybe you can sing older songs too. I'm sure the fans won't care. Make it less of a Theo-centered tour."

Stiles had to blink a few times to stop his eyes from welling up, but the burning stayed there from Derek's comforting words. And he just loved and missed his man even more from them. He never had someone like him in his life. Who cared so much about him, who loved him like this. It kept moving Stiles to the core.

Taking a steadying breath, he exhaled slowly to keep his composure and calm his erratic heartbeat somewhat.

"Thank you, babe. I appreciate it a lot and... I wouldn't care either as long as we stayed together. And as for switching up the set-list... I cannot do much about it during this leg, because everyone and everything is set up for these songs. So it's not as easy. We don't play everything from the new album, just like... three quarter of it, the rest are older hits," he explained to his husband, knowing that he was still not that familiar with the workings of how things were done in Stiles' line of work. But Stiles never minded explaining things to him. "But maybe I could bring back older songs during the second leg of the tour," he mused. "It's a good idea, thanks, babe," he smiled grateful.

"Just think of it like this. The more you sing it, the more it's out there and the more Theo is confronted with it. He's going to be a miserable piece of crap which is well-deserved." It wasn't that great a revenge when it clearly made Stiles suffer, but focusing on the plus side of something seemed to be a great idea when there wasn't much else to offer. Derek couldn't offer to come over, he couldn't change how it was now. He couldn't help Stiles with his emotional problems in the way he’s been doing when he was writing his album. All he could do was let him vent.

Because sending texts about getting more sleep when Stiles was on a tight schedule wasn't going to reduce his stress levels. He could send a text to Scott though and make sure the manager kept an eye on how much the singer ate so he wouldn't lose too much weight.

Stiles' next smile was genuine and warm this time, because Derek was right about looking at it from that angle. Of course, Stiles was clear with that angle, that's why he poured his emotions into his songs, but now Derek's words were going to keep ringing in his mind as a reminder to this and hopefully they'll push down feeling so miserable about the songs. Which, despite the sour reminders, he loved, because he knew they were good songs. No wonder the fans went absolutely bonkers over the new release. And the critiques were pleased with it too, so it kept topping the charts all around the world. It was crazy, really, only making Stiles more famous and popular than he already was.

"Wish I could do more for you." Derek felt pretty useless at the moment.

"You do more than enough, babe. I know this is hard for both of us, but your support and love keeps me going. I promise," he murmured, although on the inside he was dying a bit from being unable to just kiss and touch Derek in person. "You're amazing, you know that, right?"

"It's because I'm surrounded by amazing people." As much as Derek could be smug and cocky about certain things, he never failed to be modest when it came to receiving compliments. They made him a little shy and never knew how to react to them. He was pretty sure Stiles gave him way too much credit. Luckily he hasn't seen Derek mope around the house so he could keep up a brave front.

"During the next leg we will have more time. Laura will be able to babysit Erica." Yeah, the big sister was allowed her vacation and Beacon Hills was too far away. "It's just six more weeks." It sounded like a lifetime to be honest. If two weeks already felt like this, then six had to be pure torture. Stifling a yawn, he glanced at the time. "We should both get some sleep. You look like you need some."

"Yeah... We'll survive somehow," Stiles sighed and pulled the phone a bit closer to him in an attempt to feel Derek closer to him as well. "You must be just as tired as I am, so yeah, we should get some shut eye," he said, not wanting to think about the weeks ahead. Only focusing on the present. Which was a bit better now that they could actually face time and do some naughty stuff they both have clearly missed.

"Honestly, I can't wait for the break and then for the second leg so you could visit more often," he confessed and it made Stiles feel too whiny and needy, which wasn't a good feeling at all, to be honest. But he couldn't help himself. "I love you. So much. And miss you just as much," he murmured and made a kissy face, sending a fucking virtual kiss to his husband instead of a real one, which was making him feel like dying again. "Good night, my love," he whispered, holding onto watching the familiar and grounding face of the man he already loved probably in an unhealthy amount in such a short time that it was ridiculous. But they just... clicked like that. Like they were meant to be.

"Good night. I love you."

Derek didn't hang up right away, just let them ease into silence as sleep tried to pull them into the darkness. Only then did he hang up, ending the connection which made it feel so final. And despite being exhausted, despite being glad that they talked like that, sleep didn't come soon. Not when now he had talked to Stiles and heard how he was missing him too and honestly, he looked miserable. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed a lack of sleep, the sharpness of the cheekbones betrayed a lack of food. And that worried him enough to want to send a text to Scott in the morning.

His hand reached for the empty and cool spot next to him in bed, missing his husband even more. Yeah, six weeks felt like a lifetime and he wasn't sure how they were going to cope. One day at the time.

***

"Wanna feel like I did before
Feel the love, feel the pain and more
But the weight keeps burying me
And I feel so cold  

Opening wounds, breaking the bones
Giving a life for selling a soul
It's gonna break me, but that doesn't matter
Another crack, watch me shatter  

I don't exist, I was never alive
But now I know I'm ready to die
In a world where I don't belong
Like a wanderer, a vagabond
Will my feet keep carrying me

And bring me home?
Will I breathe like I did before?
Feel the hate but with no remorse?
But the cracks still seem to appear
And I can't control  

Cutting the nerves, sever the veins
Under the weight, I'm taking the strain
It's gonna break me, but that doesn't matter
Another crack, watch me shatter..."

(BFMV – Shatter)

"Where... am I?" Stiles slurred as the room tilted yet again.

"Back in your hotel room," Boyd's calm voice said, although there was a nowadays nearly permanent frown on his face. Like now as he lowered the drunk singer onto the bed and moved to take off the combat boots.

"Oh right! You did carry me... I remember now," Stiles chuckled then hiccupped, which only made him giggle again. "You're a good friend, Boyd... Dunno what I'd do without ya..." he added, but only got a grunt in response as his socks and jeans were getting removed.

"Don't tell them," Stiles mumbled in a moment of clarity, but his eyes were already starting to close.

Boyd knew whom he meant. Scott and Derek. Although both had to have clued in on what's been going on for weeks by then. Stiles wasn't a subtle drunk, no matter how sneaky he believed he was. Not to mention that there were pictures of him on some after parties all over the internet and tabloids too. Because of course there were.

"Go to sleep. I'll be next door," he murmured to the already half-conked out singer as he tucked him in and put a bottle of water and Tylenol on the nightstand.

His only reply was a grunt then light snoring.

Boyd stood there for a long moment and sighed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to write a text message.

[Boyd]
He's back in his bed.

[Scott]
Drunk again?

[Boyd]
Blackout.

[Scott]
Fuck. Not surprised, though. Thanks, man. Go get some rest. I'll try to talk to him on the bus.

[Boyd]
Ok.

Putting his phone away, Boyd shook his head as he watched the man sleeping on his side then quietly left the room. Every other night felt like a déjà vu at this point.

***

Derek got the text from Scott not long after Boyd had informed the manager. To let the husband know that Stiles wasn't going to call as promised, again. The longer the tour took, the less they talked. Not because they both didn't want to, but because Stiles had latched into partying and drinking. At first the singer hadn't said anything about it, was still not talking about it these days, but Erica had shown him the articles and pictures that were starting to show everywhere. And it said it all. With how Stiles had struggled with alcohol in the past, it made Derek instantly worried.

He had reasoned it was because Stiles was struggling without the life they had here, it was just to numb the sharp edges which would dull. But it didn't get better, it has only gotten worse. The Hale talked to Scott and Boyd more than he did with Stiles, and the updates on how it was going came from them and Erica with more bad articles and pictures. Stiles was going from one gig to the next, giving his all in those hours performing, only to drink afterwards and the days between the shows. The press was hounding Derek about it relentlessly, trying to get him to say something about it, but he didn't give them anything. It unfortunately resulted in him staying hidden in the house when he wasn't working, and it wasn't doing wonders for his social life.

"I guess he's not calling," Erica remarked, seeing his face, reading him easily. As much as he wanted to shield her from his problems, she was too observant and of course too much part of his life to lie to her.

"No. Not tonight. I'm sure he will tomorrow." Okay, so he did lie a little to her. Giving her a soft smile and a kiss on her head, he started on dinner for them (aka heating up leftovers). The thing was, he didn't know how long he could wait, how long this could go on. Stiles was a rock star and since his performances were still off the charts, it wasn't destroying his career but it was putting some serious dents in his reputation. Not to mention his own health, both physical and mental. Needless to say, Derek was worried. Everybody was worried and they all tried their best to get him through it, but he was an adult and they couldn't exactly tell him to stop. Sighing, Derek sent a text to Stiles to let him know he loved him. What else could he do?

***

"Just cut me some slack, Scott," Stiles grunted, burrowing deeper into the blanket and the couch on the moving tour bus a couple of days later. His black sunglasses were firmly in place like always nowadays to protect himself from the harsh daylight, which always made his headaches a bitch.

"I feel like we've been doing that for weeks," his friend frowned from the small table at the opposite side of the bus.

"Oh yeah?" Stiles snapped, finally turning his head from the window where he's been absently watching the boring highway landscape passing by. "It's easy for you to say that when the woman you love is not states away from you!" he yelled with a raised voice. His emotions were all over the place nowadays and he didn't remember the last time he yelled at his best friend this much.

Stiles knew it was not Scott's fault that he was taking out his anger on him or anyone else, who tried to tell him to just stop, to ask for help or talk to Derek.

He couldn't do that. No. He was too ashamed of what he was doing. How he was trying to cope with all the pressure and emotions and expectations he had to live up to. And he did. He did like always. The shows were explosive, phenomenal, amazing! He made sure of that. He gave 200% each night they played. The fans were ecstatic, the critics praised each performance to high heavens. But no wonder there, he was a professional. Music came first. Even when with each day Stiles felt himself stretched thinner and thinner. He didn't know when he was going to finally snap.

And he couldn't stop drinking. It started small. A glass or a shot here and there, just to take the edge off. But apparently it was so easy to fall back on bad habits and he knew it was getting worse, but he just couldn't stop. Not this time. He felt so fucking guilty already, because he wasn't stupid. He could easily guess that Derek already knew about what was going on. If not from Scott then through what Erica had to show him. And yet they didn't talk about it. When they did actually speak, Derek too was walking on eggshells around him, just like the others. And even that annoyed Stiles. And then he felt even guiltier for feeling and thinking that and making Derek and the others worry so much about him.

He was weak. He was still weak and pathetic again and he hated it. He just HATED it. And himself.

He knew he was spiraling down, but he couldn't find the breaks. He needed his crutch, his trusty old friend to get through the days away from the man he loved. He had too much of an addictive personality and when he loved, he loved with his whole being. And when he was hurting, everything hurt.

"Stiles..."

"Shut up, Scott, and leave me alone! You have no idea..." he snapped again and scrambled off the couch, nearly falling on his face because in his haste his leg got caught in the blanket, but he managed to regain his balance in the last moment then stormed into the back of the bus where his room was.

He pulled the door shut behind him and turned the lock for good measure before falling back on the bed, which pretty much took up most of the small space. He felt even more trapped there, but it was better than fighting with Scott or the others.

He was so fucked up. And hangover. His head was throbbing like a bitch.

Stiles reached up and tossed the sunglasses aside, closing his bloodshot eyes so he could run his hands over his face and hair. Then he fished out his phone and tapped at it for a few moments.

His thumb hovered over the call button. He stared at Derek's name for a long while, chewing on his bottom lip.

Then with a bitter sigh he locked the screen and tossed the phone to the side too. At least he could help on the hangover and headache. Not on being a fuck up, though. No one could help on that.

With that thought he scooted higher up on the bed and reached for the half-empty vodka bottle behind the nightstand.

"I guess we start early today..." he told to that berating voice in his head and chuckled to himself before taking a long swig.

***

Derek was kind of glad Stiles didn't call, or didn't pick up when he called. Because he felt like they were at that point where gently telling him to stop was over with. He had thought that if he wasn't the one to put pressure on Stiles when he felt too pressured already would maybe help. But it didn't. Nothing seemed to do much but drive Stiles deeper and deeper into the hole he was digging for himself.

Unfortunately the press had asked Noah about the drinking, so Derek had to deal with the worried dad calling him to chew him out. Which was fair enough, he felt like he was partly responsible for this. But it wasn't like he could do anything about it. Asking for days off at work didn't get him the free time he was hoping for because they were short-staffed. After the initial anger though, the dad had mellowed out and admitted that this was the dark side of his son. He felt too much, got in too deep with everything.

"He'll stumble, he'll fall. And that's where we pick him up again," Noah had said with a pained tone. And Derek wasn't sure if he could do that, to wait around, knowing the one he loved was in pain.

"At least he's not cheating on you." Isaac was sprawled on the couch eating expensive nuts and watching something stupid on the big screen.

Derek's head whipped up and his eyes narrowed. "Like that makes it any better. He's so deep in the bottle, he might as well make out with it."

"I'm sure he has, like often."

Derek wondered why he was friends with Isaac at moments like these. But that was more because he was being honest, saying something he didn't want to hear. "I don't know what to do, Isaac. I thought touring would make him happy, but now I have to see him get worse through stupid magazines and internet articles. He's a walking meme at the moment."

"Hey! You know what a meme is!"

"Not the point!"

"Right, yeah, I know that. I can't tell you what to do. It's kinda obvious he's not doing great without you, but do you really want somebody who depends on you so much? After Jennifer, you don't need another psycho love interest and there are all kinds of red flags here. So you have to ask yourself, do you love him enough to let him sweep you up into his world? Because that's where you two are at right now. Just don't let another person fully consume you, not again."

Sighing and nodding, he knew Isaac had a point. If the distance wasn't working, then either they had to stop the distance or stop the relationship. The first wasn't possible, the latter? He wasn't ready for that. So all he could do was wait for the stumble and the fall.

***

He tried to hold back. To not listen to that raspy voice in his head. He really tried.

Only a week was left of the tour and he would be able to finally go home. Another thing he dreaded to some extent, because it meant facing a probably very disappointed husband and stepdaughter. If they were going to be still in the house. Sometimes, when he was scooped up in the back of the bus or in a hotel room, mind sluggish and hazed in a drunken stupor, he wondered if they still wanted him in their lives.

'They had probably already left. Everyone leaves you. You only have me, Stiles. No one else sticks around you but me,' the voice said cruelly in his head while the singer kept drinking from the current bottle with a tear-stained face.

"That's not true," he mumbled into the empty room.

'Seth, Mike, Theo, your flings, even Mom. All are gone.'

"I have Scott, Kira, Lydia. I have Derek."

'For how long? For how long will they put up with your weakness?' the voice sneered and Stiles could nearly see the amused expression of his dark mirror image in his head.

He didn't say anything, because he was right. Everyone always left, because they couldn't put up with him. His team will leave him one day. Derek will leave him one day. If he hasn't already, even if a part of Stiles knew that Derek wouldn't leave him without a word, but he was too deep in his depression, his insecurities squeezing him harder with each passing day.

He longed for that stage of this where he would only feel cold. No pain, no misery, no anger. He tried to focus on his love for Derek, but as strong as he felt for the man, that alone wasn't enough. They barely talked at that point. Sometimes Stiles felt angry, because it felt like Derek didn't even care about him anymore, but then Stiles beat himself up for even thinking that. It was all Stiles' fault. Derek was so new to this, so new to Stiles. He had never met this side of him before and probably had no idea how to handle it. No one ever did, not even his team. And Stiles was terrified, his anxiety constantly grating on his mind.

He just wanted it to stop, but instead of talking about it, he bottled everything up and let the tension grow with each passing day.

He was so stupid.

'You always were. No news there.'

It took everything from Stiles to keep going, to get out of bed whenever he had to be somewhere when he only wanted to hide from the world, but mostly from himself and that fucking demon voice in his head. He felt everything spinning around him all the time as he kept spiraling down and down and down.

Yet he tried to hold himself back. He really did. But he couldn't.

"You fucking pig! Who do you think you are?!" he shouted, the explosive rage distorting his features as his fist made contact with the guy's jaw. It was a satisfying feeling and he wanted to hit him again and again, but he was quickly held down by Boyd and some other people around him.

"What's the matter? I thought you being the whiny bitch you are, you liked when men groped you!" the other guy, who had grabbed his ass in the club spat a wad of blood onto the dirty floor.

"You can't just go around grabbing people whenever you feel like it! And I'm fuckin' married, you asshole!" Stiles struggled in the strong hold around him, trying to kick out towards the idiot.

"Oh really? I don't see your hubby anywhere..." the guy looked around with fake surprise on his face, but when he took a step forward, the arriving security held him back by the arms, too. "You acting out because of the lack of his boring teacher dick or what?" the guy snarled and rage took over Stiles' mind again, the red haze making him forget who or where he was.

"You stop speaking about him like that! I'll rip you a new one, you fucking bastard!" Stiles shouted at the top of his lungs, struggling against Boyd's hold around him, but the bodyguard actually lifted him off the ground to back away with him.

"You're not even worth it. Cunt..." the other guy snorted with disdain and let the security guys lead him away.

Boyd was cursing under his nose while the drunk singer was still shouting profanities at the guy's retreating back. There were a lot of phones recording the incident and in minutes it was going to be all over social media. Scott and Kira had no chance against that incoming shit storm...

"Can you believe that asshole?!" Stiles asked once Boyd, Ennis and some other bouncers managed to get Stiles into the back of the car. "And he wanted to get into my pants?! What did he expect? That I'll fall into his arms after grabbing my ass like that?!" he raged on the backseat while Boyd tried to ignore the camera flashes and focused on driving them out of there. Ennis was already texting what Boyd told him to Scott.

"Stiles!" the black bodyguard raised his voice (which he very rarely did around him) and met his eyes through the rear-view mirror. "Stop it!"

It was like a cold shower to hear Boyd talk to him like that while the silent Ennis kept texting on the passenger seat. It was also effective, because Stiles immediately shut up and averted his eyes like a chastised little boy, even if the rage kept boiling under his skin.

Back at the hotel he became the one who got ripped a new one by Scott from all people. Scott! Lydia being on speaker phone raging in the background didn't help either. Even Kira looked pissed, but more disappointed as her fingers were flying on the keyboard of her laptop so fast that it was a wonder it didn't catch on fire. She was probably already doing as much damage control as she could.

The second Stiles slammed the door shut to his suite, he cracked a new bottle of vodka open and started chugging it down while cursing up a storm in his head.

Hours later, near the crack of dawn, he woke up on the cold tiles of the bathroom in his own vomit, which at that point was only alcohol and bile since he couldn't remember the last time he ate anything.

The thought that he could've suffocated on his own vomit all alone sobered and scared him so much that he retched into the toilet for a good ten minutes.

He was still mostly drunk and incoherent in an hour when freshly showered he finally crawled naked into bed once he managed to more or less clean up the bathroom. There were bruises already forming on the sickly pale skin of his side, arm and a cheekbone from the fall he couldn't even remember. At least it seemed nothing was broken. He wasn't sure about a concussion, because his head's been hurting and feeling dizzy for weeks by then.

He checked his phone, which was blown up by notifications, messages and missed calls. To torture himself, he watched some of the tweets and videos about the recent incident and afterwards he was just sitting in the darkness of the cocoon he had made from the covers around him, his bruising and wet face illuminated by the light of the screen.

And he dialed a number he hasn't for a while now.

The line connected after ringing for a while and when it did, his voice was hoarse as without any greeting he sobbed into the phone. "Please, come. I need you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Just... I love you, okay? And I'll be there soon."

Derek not once thought about Stiles finishing the tour in a week, because when Stiles needed him, then he'd drop everything to come to him. Unfortunately that meant he had to hang up on Stiles because he needed to arrange a lot to be able to get to... wherever the singer was at the moment, he had no idea. His first call was Scott to get him a ticket to where Stiles was, the first flight available and hopefully a quick enough one. Scott, who’s been there all the time and knew how serious it was didn't even hesitate and started making calls.

And while Derek threw some dog-related things into a bag, he called out to Erica. "I need you to pack a bag now, Erica! Make it for a week to be sure."

"What?! What's going on?"

"I need to get to Stiles so I need you to be quick."

Something told her not to even question it, because she ran off to her room while Derek collected all of Moon Moon's things. And he called Isaac, because Erica's wellbeing would always be number one on his priority list. "Listen, can you look after Erica and Moon Moon? I need to go to Stiles."

"Yeah, I get that." Clearly Isaac had seen the news on Stiles too and knew how serious it was. "No problem, man. Bring them right on over. Wait. With the press, maybe I should come there?"

Derek didn't even think about it. They might follow him to Isaac's and it was the last thing they needed at the moment. "Yeah okay, can you come now? Erica knows all the security protocols, and I'll tell the gate security you're coming." Oh, that meant he could stop packing for the dog and get packing for himself. OH! Shit, Erica! Making a detour to her room, he told her Isaac was going to stay here at the house so she didn't have to pack. Then he called his boss while trying to pack at the same time, his mind all over the place. His boss wasn't happy, understandably. It wasn't like Derek had any free days left and they were understaffed. "Lou, this is about my husband, and I get it if you need to fire me, then do that because I need to go."

"No, no need to go that far, but I can't give you paid leave and I'm going to need you to make up for the hours when you're back."

"Fair enough, thanks Lou. I appreciate it." Derek hung up, not sure if he still had a job, because he didn't know how long it was going to take. It was a risk he was going to have to take.

He let the gate security know about Isaac staying at the house for a bit, and what his full name and birthdate was so they could let him in. Normally he'd have to send a picture, but he didn't have the time for any of that. By the time Isaac arrived, Derek was ready and had ordered a cab to the airport where a plane ticket was waiting for him. The flight was soon, but it unfortunately had a few layovers he had to deal with. Which meant that he'd have eight hours of flight time. At least the first class tickets would mean he'd be comfortable.

Armed with a small bag, Derek donned a baseball cap and sunglasses, hoping to avoid some of the press with that should they spot him at the airport. Not that he noticed much, he was worried too much to pay attention. Stiles hadn't called at all for weeks, Scott had of course, and Boyd. But not Stiles. He was always out cold or drunk and had stopped taking his calls, probably didn't even realize Derek has been calling. Things have gotten bad, that was clear because the online activity was booming, and not in a good way. He wasn't sure what happened now, he was too busy traveling to get updated about social media from Erica. It didn't matter. It didn't even matter how much Derek has worried and suffered from missing his husband. None of it mattered.

Stiles had reached out to him. That's all that mattered. Hopefully, he'd be there in time to salvage what was left of them and what was left of the singer himself.

Meanwhile the singer was glad that he had two days off and could just order room service in and stay in bed all day. He communicated with only Scott through text messages and he felt a tad bit better once he was informed that Derek was on his way. Like the good friend Scott was, he sent him all the details of Derek's arrival. Once again sniffing, Stiles thanked him and apologized through the text messages, not being able to do more at the moment.

Waiting for Derek was a nightmare. After forcing some eggs and bread down, he kept drifting in and out of restless sleep. He was glad he had taken a shower, because besides of dragging himself naked into the bathroom time after time to take a piss and at one point brush his teeth again, he was mostly just burrowing into the blankets like he used to do when he was a kid. He remembered vividly how his mom would ask why he did that. To hide. It was always to hide from everything too harsh for him.

It seemed to take forever for Derek to get to the hotel after three different planes and the cab ride from the airport to the address Scott had texted, but he was finally there. Tired, but that was going to wait, because of course Stiles was on his mind and nothing more. As quiet and anonymous as his trip has been until then, the moment he got out of the cab, the press spotted him and was on him.

Of course they knew Stiles was somewhere in the hotel and with how he’s been behaving lately, had garnered even more attention. Bad news sold well. They were shouting questions at him, which he ignored. Or tried to because...

"Are you here because Stiles hit the man in the club over you?" One of the journalists shouted and that made Derek halt for a second. What? Stiles had hit somebody? Jesus. Rubbing his eyes, he walked to the entrance with his bag where the press couldn't follow him. He already knew his face was being posted all over social media right now with taglines of how he was coming to the rescue of his wayward partner. Or well, along those lines but a lot more catchy.

Derek didn't go to Scott's room number, but of course went to the penthouse right away, not wasting any time. The bag was thrown to the side as he stalked through the sitting area to get to the bedroom. He didn't knock, nope. He walked right in to crawl into the bed, gathering the sleeping singer in his arms.

"You got a little dramatic to get me here, I heard. What happened to the stupid no hitting people rule?"

"Derek!!!" Stiles' sleepy brain woke up right away once he realized that the man pulling him into his arms was his husband. The moment it did, the singer's tattooed arms went around the bigger man and held on for dear life. "You came..." he breathed into the warm neck, greedily inhaling the familiar and very missed scent of his man. A part of him kept doubting that Derek would come, but now that voice was quieted as he was held tightly too.

Silent tears ran down on his face, wetting them both, but neither cared. "It was that asshole's fault. He groped me and said shitty things about you and me and I... I just snapped. I was... drunk again," he admitted after a short hesitation. "Scott said the guy is not pressing charges at least, but the video went viral. I don't care. I only care about you being here," Stiles held on tighter, feeling ashamed again. Then he pulled back enough to be able to look into Derek's worried green eyes, because even if staying hidden in his neck would've been easier for this, he had to look him in the eye for what he was about to say. It was fucking hard, but he didn't want to be a coward anymore.

"I'm... sorry. For avoiding you. For dragging you across all these states. For causing so much trouble and worried you and everyone else. I don't regret hitting that guy, though. He deserved it. But..." he paused, taking a deep breath. "I have a drinking problem."

Admitting that (again) sent him back not just to the moment the first time he had said it years ago, but also to much further back when his dad had said it. It was after the death of Stiles' mother. He was around nine and Noah couldn't cope. Stiles had to grow up fast to take care of the two of them, even if Melissa tried to help them as much as she could while also being a single mom with long shifts at the hospital as a nurse.

"I don't want to continue this. I could've... I could've died last night without realizing that. It finally made me realize that I have a problem and I need help. I have to deal with this. I don't... I don't want to lose you. You deserve so much better than this," he whispered hoarsely, fresh tears sliding down on his cheeks as the singer reached out with one hand to stroke Derek's stubbly face. And finally he could do that for real, because Derek was right there! In the flesh!

"The only way you'll lose me is if you drink yourself to death." Which was something the singer was well on his way of doing. How long would he be able to keep up with this kind of life? Not that long, clearly, since it was also making him spiral mentally. Derek's hold tightened around Stiles, because at least he had admitted to it. That was important after all these weeks of avoiding and pretending. Stiles should stop drinking for the rest of his life (easier said than done) to avoid falling back into this rabbit hole. It was something Derek blamed himself for too, because he knew it was a drinking problem and yet hasn't even said anything about the alcohol in the limousine, for one. They were drinking together often even. Which was going to stop.

"We'll get you help. You have a couple of weeks between shows once this week is done. So you'll need to admit yourself to a clinic, to get a clean start." There was a downside to it, because it would mean they wouldn't see each other yet again since he knew those clinics wouldn't allow for visitors for the first few weeks. But this was what Stiles needed and they would get through this too.

He ignored the ranting about the guy who deserved to be punched, this was about his husband and what he needed. And he clearly needed help. "I'll stay with you this week to help you. Which means you're going to eat and sleep and perform and nothing else. Deal?"

Stiles listened to his husband intently and finally sighed and nodded in acceptance. He knew this had to be done. He knew he had to get through this week and then the rehab if he didn't want to lose... well, not just Derek but everything else too for which he's been working for so hard.

"I want to get better. I want to be a man, who deserves you and Erica and I want to enjoy again what I do. I'm so fucked up in the head at the moment. I don't want to feel like suffocating every damn day. Having your support... it means the world to me," he admitted, stroking Derek's cheeks with both hands as he leaned his forehead against his. "Thank you. For coming. For being you. For loving me like no one did before. And I'm so sorry," he repeated on a hoarse whisper. "I know it'll be hard, but I'll try my best. For me. For us. I'll ask Scott and Kira to look into a suitable rehab program for me tomorrow. But now I just... can you just hold me for a while?" he asked, clearly needing the grounding presence and love of Derek. Things he's been missing for long weeks by then.

"Of course, I'm right here." As if Derek was planning on letting him go anytime soon. It was why he had dropped everything, literally, to come here. That's what a relationship was all about, to be there when needed, without hesitation. The rest of what this all caused they'd work through with time, it wasn't like it was going anywhere. Derek wasn't going to pretend that this hadn't hurt him, but he knew now wasn't the time to tell Stiles his grievances when the younger man was already struggling.

His hand was rubbing a soft pattern on Stiles' back. "There's no shame in having depression, in having an addiction. We're human, it happens. You'll get help and learn other ways to cope with your depression and we'll learn how we can help you cope with that and the alcohol." Sure, their first year was going with ups and downs, but the first year was always the hardest. Derek was sure they could do this.

Stiles didn't say anything to that, simply nodded then let Derek hold him for hours while lying in bed. He dozed off a few times and each time he woke to the warmth and scent of the man he didn't deserve, he held onto Derek as if his life depended on it. In some way it did at the moment.

Chapter Text

Chapter 16 – Temper, Temper

“This time you better bite your tongue
Think twice before you open that mouth
Save your breath, hold it in your lungs
The urge remains, will it overcome?

I feel the tension rising high
I feel my heart pound in my chest
Not seeing straight, just seeing red
Can't hold it back
Here comes my

Temper, temper, time to explode (Hey)
Feels good when I lose control…”

(BFMV – Temper, Temper )

The following morning after breakfast Derek made Stiles eat, and the husbands and Stiles' team gathered for a serious (and for Stiles exhausting) conversation. There were a lot of apologies and guilty looks from the singer, but in the end they all just wanted to help now that Stiles actually did want to get some.

Scott even hugged Stiles for two solid minutes while Kira wiped a tear or two away. Clearly this turn of events was a big relief to everyone, even if they knew it was not going to be easy.

Stiles stuck to Derek's side as much as possible during the day, but despite struggling with the need to drink, his mood visibly improved. He also felt somewhat more balanced during sound check and eventually the show as well. He kept stealing glances to the side of the stage where Derek was watching him. His presence itself was the support Stiles needed like a fresh breath of air.

Of course, the fans and the press quickly got wind of Derek joining the remaining shows, but that was not a problem, so they just ignored it and Stiles tried to focus on his husband he's been neglecting for too long.

The show was a success either way, the crowd going maybe a bit crazier knowing that Derek Hale was watching from the sidelines.

Derek tried to keep to the side as much as he could, even with Stiles constantly checking if he was still there. The singer knew Derek wouldn't appreciate being pulled on stage despite fans calling for him sometimes between songs. Stiles gracefully solved it by telling the audience Derek was a bit shy. Which wasn't a lie. He just wanted to stay where he was and enjoy the performance. Of course the joy of it was overshadowed by what was going on with Stiles behind the scenes. No matter how great a show he put on, Derek knew he was struggling with himself and it made the pretending to be okay almost perverse.

The coming days were going to be even harder with Stiles no doubt suffering from not drinking, Scott had already warned him about it. Mood swings, fidgeting, anger and impatience. And of course guilt because of all that, so yeah, the Hale was prepared for that rollercoaster. After this week, Stiles was also going to have to deal with his problems being made public, because the press was going to find out about the rehab and it would no doubt be mentioned in interviews. Needless to say, it was going to have long-lasting effects before Stiles would be able to put some of this behind himself. All of that was going through his head as he was standing there.

Sex wasn't on his mind, not really, however they hadn't had sex in seven weeks and there wasn't going to be a chance for it after today. So knowing how wired up Stiles was after a show, Derek fully planned on sex, if his husband was up for it too. Which seemed to be the case when Stiles' hand found its way up his thigh when they made out in the car on the way to the hotel. It resulted in them stumbling into the room, kissing frantically as if this was their wedding night.

"Oh my god, why are you always staying in these huge rooms? The bed is so far away."

Stiles chuckled at that while he was tugging Derek's shirt off. He only paused in undressing him when he managed to do so to appreciate the missed sight. Derek was even more gorgeous than he remembered. "Damn, did you get even more ripped while I was away?" he licked his lips, one hand stroking down on the defined muscles, his hungry eyes following the same path.

God, he missed this. Not just the sex, but the ability to just touch and look at this man. It already felt like coming home. And it was also a very good way to distract himself from wanting to drink. Derek was like a cure. But despite being grateful for that, Stiles didn't want to get too dependent on that. He had to do this alone and that's why he was already booked into the prestigious and very private facility they had chosen. But this last week? It was when Stiles was going to indulge in his husband.

So his nimble fingers quickly found Derek's belt and jeans to open and push them down the best he could while diving in for another hungry kiss.

"What? No... Maybe?" Derek looked down at himself with a soft laugh because he hasn't worked out more, just the usual. But he hasn't been eating much the past days before meeting with Stiles so yeah, he could understand how his muscles were more defined at the moment. His pants were pooling around his ankles, which halted his movements when they were so close to the bed but not close enough!

Oh well, he wasn't going to attempt to kick his pants off when he was still wearing his shoes, it was going to lead to accidents which would ruin the mood they were in. Instead he finally managed to push Stiles' shirt up and over his head to reveal the body which has been hidden to him up until this point. "Oh Stiles..."

There was a lot of weight loss, making the body even more slender and the ribs more pronounced. And there were bruises looking ugly and large. Derek of course had suspected, but to see it with his own eyes was something different. His fingers hesitated, not wanting to press too hard on the bruises so his fingertips only ghosted along the skin.

Derek's reaction was like a cold shower on Stiles' libido and his first reaction was to step aside and move to the bed to sit down and take his shoes and socks off, avoiding Derek's gaze. It beat wanting to cover himself up and call off the sex.

"No need for the pity, I'm okay. They'll fade and I'll work on gaining back some weight," he shrugged, all of a sudden feeling uncomfortable in his own skin and at the same time trying to push down that feeling, his insecurities trying to take over. "Should I take off the rest of my clothes too, or I successfully killed the mood with how I currently look?" the singer grimaced at the carpet as he nervously rubbed the palms of his shaking hands up and down on his jeans-clad thighs. It was a prettier way to ask if Derek was disgusted by him now. Which was probably a silly thing to think, but Stiles was still fucked in the head, so no wonder his thoughts went there.

"No! You..." Derek didn't get to say more because he forgot about the stupid jeans and managed to face plant right before Stiles' feet. "Shit..." With some hurried grumbling he pushed off his shoes and angrily kicked at his stupid pants before he decided to walk on over on his knees, getting his hands on the other's thighs. "You look worse for wear, but you're still beautiful. And yes, I get to be sad for you because I love you. So if you're hurt, I hurt, that's how it works. So don't even think this is me thinking you're ugly. This is me loving you. I get to do that." His hands caressed along the pant-clad legs, leaning in to kiss one of the bruises on the pale side. "I love you." Another kiss on another bruise. "You're always beautiful to me." Another kiss.

If the situation was different, Stiles would've laughed on Derek's fall, but at the moment he was just watching his husband down on his knees and saying all the right words while kissing his bruises. For a moment Stiles didn't know what to do with all this, because that awful voice in his head made him gear up for something bad. Not this reaction.

Some of the tension bled out of his always bony shoulders and he sighed a bit relieved. He lifted one of his hands to caress Derek's soft hair, a tiny smile playing on his lips as his sad eyes met Derek's, thinking that he didn’t deserve this saint of a man.

"You always know what to say to make me feel better about myself. I don't know what I'd do without you and your love anymore," he admitted. "I get it and I love you too. I just... I want to forget everything tonight and just focus on you. On us. Can we do that?" he whispered, repeatedly running his fingers through the short hairs at Derek's nape.

"That was kind of the plan before the plan derailed a little." Derek also didn't want to think about anything right now. Because it was crazy how he had arrived yesterday after a long day of travelling, held Stiles all night, then had been part of a very emotional afternoon to find Stiles the help he needed with his friends. Then a sound check, dinner and the show. It was a full day and although he was used to having full days due to working, it wasn't like this. A couple of hours of no thinking and then sleep was something they both desperately needed.

"So how about we both undress and get back to what we were doing now that we're finally near the bed?" Leaning into the touches, he kissed the inside of Stiles' tattooed lower arm. "I'd ask if you have lube, but I know you. You always have lube."

That actually made Stiles chuckle softly as he watched Derek fondly. The mood shifted back to something lighter, thankfully, too, so the singer nodded. "Of course, I do, DUH!" he rolled his eyes jokingly, wanting to further steer the conversation away from the dark topic. "Top drawer of the nightstand. But I'll get it. You should finally fully get rid of those pants and shoes. You look ridiculous like this," he lightly slapped a bare shoulder then reached for his own belt and jeans.

Once they were finally naked, Stiles didn't hesitate to pull his husband on top of him for a heavy making out session, spiced with some hot rubbing against each other. God, he missed his weight on top of him and that unique taste in his mouth!

The lube was of course right next to the pillow within easy reach, but Derek wanted to make love to Stiles, not just go for impaling him the second he could. Stiles knew how much he loved taking his time, especially with the foreplay. And it’s been a while, so he probably wouldn't take as long as normal.

His hips moved against Stiles, letting their erections move together, the friction feeling pretty amazing already. “I never rubbed one out, not since our call. Saved it all up for you." That and Derek’s been too busy moping to feel like using his hand, because that had only made him feel more aware of how Stiles wasn't there with him. Nothing could compare to the real deal.

Stiles strictly stomped down on feeling guilty about that, because he didn't want to ruin the mood for a second time. Instead he focused on bucking back up against the other hard cock, his hands stroking the broad back and shoulders, painted nails occasionally raking through Derek's hair.

"Me too," he said only that, because yeah, he's been either too drunk or too tired to jerk off too, but that was something else he didn't say out loud. "So then how about you open me up and make love to me?" he suggested, slightly panting into the other man's mouth. Then he caught his bottom lip between his teeth to sensually suck on it.

"Yeah," Derek breathed against the bow-shaped lips, agreeing with that readily as his plans of making this take forever were thrown out the window. They’ve been apart for too long, so all they both wanted was for Derek to sheathe himself within the tightness of his husband's body.

His own body was thrumming with need because Stiles had sucked on his lip, making his erection fully harden. Reaching for the lube next to the pillow, he uncapped it and coated his fingers with the clear liquid. Teasing at the entrance, he rubbed the dry skin first, gently petting the skin until it yielded to the pressure of the tip of the digit. The warm tightness felt so good that Derek uttered a moan, pushing the finger in deeper.

To help him, Stiles focused on relaxing his ass as much as he could and closed his eyes on a moan, because it felt so damn good to be fingered by his husband again. Somehow it always felt better and more exciting when it was Derek who did this to him. And god, was he ready for it!

"Missed this so much too..." he said, breath already coming a bit shorter. To give more room and a better angle for Derek, the pale legs wrapped around Derek's torso. "Can't wait to feel your cock back in me too," he whispered on his sultriest tone, which he knew always drove Derek crazy, but after all this time Stiles didn't shy away from playing dirty, because they both needed the other just too much.

Of course it wasn't helpful, that voice whispering about what he wanted right in his ear, but then Stiles wasn't doing it to be helpful. It was to tease Derek into hurrying up what he was doing by making him achingly hard. Normally he'd let the singer work for it and wouldn't give into it that easy. Tonight it was different.

"Almost," Derek whispered right back, adding another finger. It wasn't as slow as usual, it was to get the needed prep in and nothing more. Adding lube and stretching as his thick fingers plunged within over and over, even adding a third, at last. When he felt the walls give in to his insistent prodding, the way the muscles reacted, he pulled the fingers out and replaced them by the blunt head of his erection.

"Yeah! Fuckin'... yes!" Stiles whined when he felt it right there, his hips lifting as much as they could in this position to make it slide in a bit further. Feeling that nicely burning stretch against his entrance was already wrecking him. His legs fell open slutty wide, and the painted nails slightly scratched down on Derek's back so they could dig into the firm butt in a nearly desperate attempt to pull him closer, deeper – god, he needed deeper!

The need to be impaled on that beautiful hard cock was driving Stiles nuts and he could barely handle it as he clawed at Derek's ass to make him fucking finally move! All of a sudden his whole body was alive and on fire and he writhed under him as if in heat. His eyes opened to find his man's and Stiles just broke so fast. "Please! Please! Derek! Derek! Fuck me! Please! Please!" he babbled barely coherent, ass sliding and rubbing against the trapped tip.

There was no way Derek could deny it, and he let the frantic mood of the other wash over him to get swept up by it. His large hands gripped at the too slender hips, keeping the writhing body somewhat in place so he could thrust inside over and over. The pace wasn't as loving as he wanted it to be, it was instead showing how he had missed his husband. It was needy and rough while he tried to keep kissing Stiles even though they were too busy trying to breathe to fully lock lips.

Breathing in the air Stiles exhaled was all he needed, breathing all of him in. "Missed you. So much," Derek panted, unable to think or filter what was tumbling out of his mouth. His brain had only one goal to focus on, and that was fucking each other to the point where they'd forget which way was up and which way was down.

The hotel room was quickly filled with harsh panting and moans of pleasure from the slightly creaking bed. There was nothing but Derek for Stiles. Every sense he had was filled with him just as much as his hazy mind. The way he held him down with ease, the scent of his body wash mixed with some sweat, the taste of his lips, the unfairly hot expression on his face and the warmth of his love, which Stiles could feel with every fiber of his being. Even if this was more of a desperate and hard fuck than a gentle lovemaking.

He never wanted this to end, but he knew he would come fast if Derek kept nailing his prostate like that with each roll of his hips. So Stiles hastily licked his dry bottom lip and slid his slender fingers onto the warm chest. He could clearly feel how fast and hard Derek's heart was beating under the sweaty skin.

"Dial it back... for a... second, babe..." Stiles panted, capturing Derek's face between said fingers as he cupped his face. "Wanna feel you from... behind while lying on our sides. Can we? You... want me like that?" he asked, panting into Derek's mouth.

Honestly the last thing Derek wanted was to lose the sight of that beautiful face but he nodded nevertheless, wanting to give Stiles what he needed. It was crazy how even in his own need, he was still so focused on the other. His breathing was coming out in gasps when he gently pulled out and arranged their bodies with of course some help.

Derek made sure Stiles' leg on top was bent and resting on the bed, opening him up without too much strain on his body. Guiding himself back inside, his pace was much slower now since he sensed Stiles was the one who didn't want to come too quickly this time. The change of position helped to calm him down a bit too and the fire that has been roaring wasn't about to erupt into an explosion anymore.

Stiles made sure to arch his body into Derek, his bruised side on top. Luckily the fox tattoo obscured most of it and it didn't hinder him in their activities. He sighed satisfied when Derek slid right back up into him with ease and he turned his slightly bruised cheek back towards him so they could watch the pleasure on each other's flushed faces.

He reached back with one hand to entwine their fingers with the big warm hand on his pale thigh. He didn't even mind that it was slightly pressing down on a small bruise there, because they both knew that he loved a little bit of pain during sex. But he barely felt it, because the pleasure and love he was feeling took over as he slightly bucked his hips to meet the steady thrusts of the thick cock.

"I love you so much," he panted and lifted his head enough to catch Derek's lips in a kiss.

Derek moaned in agreement but was a little busy kissing back. His hips moved slow and with purpose, keeping a much steadier pace this time. It wasn't to make them come as fast, more to keep up and wait for his beautiful husband to be ready. Because that's what this was about, for Stiles. Always for Stiles.

"I love you," Derek breathed into the mouth, claiming the lips over and over. There was nothing he wouldn't do for this man, as crazy as it sounded. Their lives were entwined now, for better and for worse.

Derek's words reached Stiles' core and he kissed back a little desperate, his fingers tightening around the other's. That's all he ever wanted. To be loved by someone special. And Derek was special, amazing, caring, loving... perfect.

And after nearly two months of struggling with himself, for the first time Stiles finally felt grounded, anchored to the steady presence that was the man he loved. The man who made him a trembling and softly moaning mess with only a few touches.

Stiles sometimes still couldn't believe it that he gets to have this. That this... this love, this safety and support, this relationship was really his. He knew he was going to have to start working harder on it to deserve it, but the way Derek kissed, held and rocked into him all told that it was true. This man was his – body and soul.

Stiles never wanted anyone else.

"I'll never leave you, Stiles. No matter what. I need you as much as you need me." In a way they were both addicted to each other, and maybe it wasn't fully healthy. Derek knew from personal experience how love wasn't always good. In this case, it felt good, always. With Stiles it felt like they were meant to be. It felt right. Even in this moment where everything was wrong and Stiles was falling apart. The two of them together still felt right.

Wrapping his arms even tighter around Stiles to pull him close, he wasn't thrusting as much as he was grinding into the warm tightness. If he could have poured his love into Stiles through their lovemaking, he would have. Fill him up with it so he'd always feel warm and treasured and cared for.

Stiles pressed his eyes tightly shut to keep the tears back and lifted Derek's hand to his lips to kiss it, fingers still entwined. He couldn't say anything in that moment in fear of breaking down, so he instead moved that hand with his own between his legs so they could both wrap their fingers around his achingly hard and wet shaft.

The singer exhaled shakily then moaned both from that and the way Derek kept grinding his cock so deep in him, massaging his prostate so perfectly with each move. Stiles wasn't going to last much longer like that, but it was okay. This was more than okay, because this was the real them. Something so much deeper than fame, limelight, money or depression. This was them at their purest. The connection and love that kept them going and was unwavering despite all the odds and difficulties surrounding them.

This was their safe haven that nothing and no one could touch, because they belonged together, no matter what.

Realizing that, Stiles body tensed and he all of a sudden came on a hoarse, but quieter moan, his slim body trembling against Derek's as their joined hands kept stroking his spurting cock while he melted into the pleasure and love rushing through him.

Feeling the warm wetness soak Derek’s hand and the way the body tightened around him almost like a vice, it made him reach it too. Two more thrusts was all it took before he shuddered and moaned, warmth spilling deep within his husband. Derek didn't immediately still, he gave it a few more grinding movements to torture them both a little bit more before he stilled and stayed inside. The smallest of movements would make him slip out as soon as his cock softened so instead he only moved his lips to give the sweaty nape a kiss.

"Get some sleep, babe. Busy day again tomorrow. And I'm right here the entire night." He was going to fall asleep like this, and no doubt they'd wake up still entwined together in the morning. Always in different poses, but still wrapped up like they were afraid one of them would disappear if they let go.

"Yeah... okay," Stiles sniffed, ignoring the few teardrops that finally slipped out of his eyes as he opened them then without moving the rest of his body, because he wanted to keep Derek in him just as much, he reached out with his clean hand to pull the bed cover over them from his side of the bed. It was only half a success since they were lying on top of it, but it was better than nothing. And it was kinda gross already and they would get even grosser later, but they didn't care as they settled in.

"Don't leave..." he murmured barely audible into the cover then closed his eyes. He fell asleep from both the physical and emotional exhaustion within seconds, a few more teardrops sliding out from under the closed lids.

***

Derek didn't leave. Not once. Even though the coming days were as trying as Scott had warned him they'd be. Stiles was struggling with the not drinking, his body didn't cope well with the shock of not getting alcohol so suddenly. It resulted in the singer being twitchy, incredibly restless, cranky and angry or downright sick. It took all of his energy to be able to do the last shows, while he was curled up in a ball for most of the day after. They all formed a united front, especially when Stiles cursed them out in his lowest of moments, knowing it wasn't him talking. It was the detoxing.

Scott and Boyd made sure all the moving from one city to the other went well, got them into the hotel rooms as Kira managed the press with Scott. All interviews were cancelled. Derek's task was to stay close to Stiles, hold him when he needed it, and give him space when he wanted it. Standing off to the side at the concerts to watch over Stiles and to be the show of strength and support the singer needed.

It was also a little bit healing to at least be able to be there for Stiles, to be with him for a week since they all knew he would check into rehab right after and they'd not see one another. During the first days he wouldn't even be able to call Stiles. But it was the best for Stiles, just as it was the best for him how they handled these last days. He loved the moments where he curled up with Stiles and they cuddled and kissed. Them lying there in bed under the sheets, pretending there was no world outside of their own small cocoon.

There was sex after the last concert when Stiles was wired with energy and nervous from going to a place where he was going to have to confront himself. They went back into their little cocoon and made love for hours, neither wanting to sleep, not wanting to miss out on the time together. The sleepless night was completely worth it, to watch the sun rise together and hold hands right up to the moment where they were at the rehab clinic and Derek had to say goodbye.

"I'm proud of you. You can do this and I'll be right outside when you get to go home again."

He wasn't going anywhere, ever again.

Those words from Derek were what kept Stiles hold on in his darkest moments while in rehab. And there were many of those, especially in the first two weeks when the lack of alcohol and communication with the outside world (including his family) were weighing on him. Sometimes he literally wanted to crawl up the walls or at least scratch them, but instead curled up in a ball and held himself, imagining it was Derek. He was doing this not just for himself, but for his love and family and friends. He didn't want to be that terrible person, that monster, which he had become on tour.

There was a lot of self-reflection happening during his stay, and not just during the group and personal therapy sessions, but on his own too while sitting in the nice garden or lying in bed sleepless for most nights. His ADHD was handled, but his insomnia was acting up again, so he had a lot of time to think about his life and past actions.

Sure, he had some problems with alcohol years ago when he was still in his "wild phase," as he liked to call it, but back then he managed to stop on his own before it developed into full-blown alcoholism. Now he needed help to stop, because this was more serious. Not as much as for some of the other people there, but serious enough that he would have to go to AA meetings once he got out and to regular sessions with Marin Morrell, his on and off therapist for years. He was sure Scott or Kira already made sure to book at least two or three sessions with her per week.

And Stiles was fine with that. He was learning not to feel shame or too much guilt for what he had caused and since he wanted to be the best version of himself not to lose everything, he put a lot of work into getting better, Derek's words a motivator or a mantra he kept replaying in his head when he inevitably faltered a few times.

The hardest thing was to silence that negative raspy voice in his head. The one which always made Stiles doubt himself, the one that preyed on his low self-esteem. But the personal therapy sessions were there to deal with those and also the mess that Theo had done to him. It was a lot to unpack, talk about and resolve and he knew it would take more than just one month to go through everything he's been bottling up in him ever since his mother's death.

Still, on the windy and chilly yet sunny day he had stepped out of the gates, Derek was there in the secluded parking lot. He kept his word and for a long moment Stiles just let himself drink in and appreciate the sight of his handsome husband. The way he was casually leaning against the black Camaro while looking at something on his phone, and how he took off his sunglasses and his whole face lit up with a beautiful smile when he noticed Stiles standing there.

The Camaro was a gift from Stiles to Derek, but it was still under Stiles' name since Derek had insisted on it. Even though he of course drove it all the time and had fallen in love with the car at first sight. So of course he showed up with it when he had gotten that much anticipated call about Stiles coming home.

The singer returned that smile with a huge grin of his own and leaving his carry-on and acoustic guitar case behind, he ran to him and jumped up into his arms, wrapping his own limbs around the man and kissing him silly.

The month was very long. Even though Derek knew the reason for them not communicating was a good one this time, and he knew the rules of the rehab. That didn't mean it was easy to be without Stiles again. Isaac had stayed with Derek and Erica, because the Hale needed to work overtime to make up for the week he took off from work. It wouldn't be fair to Erica and Moon Moon with how late Derek would get home, because the extra classes ran until late afternoon and then he still had to deal with other work. His boss had made sure to let Derek feel the time off wasn't appreciated. It was something he did without complaint for two weeks, but it actually helped him to stay distracted.

Scott handled the press during the month without Stiles, and Derek of course still evaded their questions and refused to give any form of statement. It was up to Stiles how he wanted to deal with that, it wasn't his secret to tell. Halloween had been a quiet affair, no trick or treaters at the door of the mansion, no parties to go to. They had watched scary movies and ate a lot of candy. All too aware of the missing person. Same with Derek's birthday, and to be fair, Derek didn't mind celebrating it quietly, he really disliked parties when he was the center of attention. The only celebration he wanted was the one when Stiles came home.

And now the time was there! Derek was kissing Stiles and holding him tightly, not wanting to let go because he wasn't even sure if it was real or not. Even his smell was different because of the shampoo he’s been using at the rehab center. Grabbing Stiles' cheeks within his hands as he leaned against the car to keep them upright, he looked at his beautiful husband.

"You're looking so good. I've missed you so much. I'm so proud of you."

Stiles looked back at Derek with flushed cheeks from the compliment, but he couldn't wipe off that huge happy smile from his face. Derek was right, he got regular meals there and he worked out in his free time too, because physical exercise was proven to be good for someone with depression, because of the endorphins it produced in the brain.

"Missed you too like crazy," Stiles grinned and stole another kiss while keeping up the spider-monkey role he had going on. Then he leaned his cheek into one of the hands still on his face, just drinking in the details of the beloved face. "God, you're even more beautiful than I remembered," he whispered with a soft loving look in his eyes. "I thought I'd go crazy in there without you. Sorry for missing Halloween and your birthday."

"Pffft, you didn't miss much besides Erica being annoying because she had way too much sugar." As if Derek hadn't had too much sugar too and didn’t end up just as hyper, but that was something he of course didn't mention. Instead he was smiling and blushing a little at the praise. He had put on his good clothes for Stiles, had shaved and even wore his contacts and his favorite Hugo Boss aftershave. And Stiles had noticed how he had gone all out for him.

Derek claimed the tempting lips one more time as his hands went to the other cheeks, giving them a playful grope, not in any rush to let Stiles down at the moment. "I've written to you every day. I bundled them together for you, so you can read them when you feel like it. It... made it easier to not have you there. Kind of."

"Oh my god, you're so ridiculously romantic and cute!" Stiles chuckled, his ass automatically pushing into the grip on it. There was also a jolt of excitement shooting right into his groin just from the touch, but he ignored it for now. "But I'd love to read them all," he hurried to reassure Derek then blushed again and looked a little bit shy for a second. "And I wrote a few songs to you. I could show them some time too, if you want..."

"I demand a private show with those songs." Because Stiles singing on his guitar would so lead them to bed, that raw emotional power would get him there. Hell, just Stiles holding his guitar and give him that superstar look would get him there. It was ridiculous.

"Let's go home, babe. And away from here before they take you away again." Derek helped Stiles slide down and held open the car door for him. "You go sit and I'll get your stuff." It wasn't a suggestion because Derek gave Stiles a gentle push before he walked over to the abandoned bag and guitar case, putting them in the back before getting into the driver's seat.

"Fair warning, there's some people waiting at home for you with a surprise party."

"Oh my! I think I'll be able to live with that. And some food and ginger ale or an energy drink," he sighed dramatically as he buckled in then looked at his man and put his left hand on Derek's thigh and lowered his voice. "And you'll get your very private show with the songs and... other things," he winked with a sultry look. "I might even invite one of the panties," he wiggled his brows and leaned in for a promising kiss. "You better drive now, because I'm so horny for you it's not even funny," the singer let his brown eyes slowly roam down on the nicely dressed body. He unwittingly wet his bottom lip when they paused between Derek's legs.

It was clear that despite the hardships and time apart, they quickly fell back into their usual rhythm, which was a relief to Stiles, because there were times when he was worried that the month apart with minimal communication would make things weird between them. Not like when they weren't talking because of Stiles' drinking. In a different way. Like when two people who care a lot about each other don't see each other for an extended period of time and when they meet next, things get awkward and hesitating between them. Clearly that wasn't the case here. Thank god!

Derek knew they had to talk about the month, and he wanted to hear about it from Stiles too, of course, whatever he wanted to share with him. But for now celebrating that he was home was more important. So Stiles would know how loved he was, and how missed he was during those long four weeks away.

"We made reservations at your favorite restaurant for dinner, the private area with no alcohol. And there's no alcohol at home either. We've got you covered." That's what friends did, they'd ease a recovering alcoholic into it and not confront him with it right away.

That level of caring from Derek and the others made Stiles feel all warm inside and appreciative of his husband and friends, quietly thanking Derek for it, whom he kissed on the lips before pulling back with a grin.

"Either way you'll need to behave until tonight! Don't give me those looks." It was way too late a warning, because Derek’s pants were already too tight and uncomfortable due to a body part of him being as happy as his heart to see Stiles. When Scott had suggested the surprise party, he hadn't wanted to be selfish to claim his husband for himself right away. But right now? He so was regretting that decision. Having to wait until late tonight to be able to have sex was going to be challenging. All he really wanted was to throw Stiles onto the couch or bed and make him scream his name.

"Ooookay," Stiles pulled back eventually with a huge sigh to settle back in his seat, but he left his hand on Derek's thigh during the nearly two-hour drive to home. He felt proud of himself, because he didn't voice the suggestion on the tip of his tongue about just finding some remote spot to park and go at it on the backseat.

They spent the drive with Stiles first calling his dad to tell him that he was out and on his way with Derek to the surprise party. He told him about a few things that had happened during his time in, so this way he could also inform Derek at the same time. It was easier than having to tell these twice, even if he knew that he was going to go into more details with his husband later.

After catching up a bit with his dad, who also reassured Stiles that he loved him and was proud of him, the rest of the drive was spent with Stiles making Derek talk about what he had missed in the last month. The atmosphere was nice in the car and it felt so good to just listen to the other man's soothing voice as he dutifully summed things up for him.

While listening to him and laughing and commenting here and there, Stiles kept thinking that this was a new beginning not just for him but also for their relationship. And he was looking forward to that.

The rest of the afternoon has flown by. Scott and Stiles had taken a little bit of time together, the friends understandably needing some them time. Derek’s been nerding out with Kira about her Asian heritage and telling him stories about her family's line while Isaac, Boyd and Erica watched a movie. They had some hours together, all of them, the two friend groups in one room for the first time and it was going really well. Especially Scott and Isaac had hit it off as if they’ve been friends for years already.

Dinner was amazing too. The small group was able to sit back and relax, no press outside yet although fans had found out about Stiles soon enough and were gathering outside the restaurant so the press might not be long with following. Derek was holding hands or holding a leg of Stiles as much as he could while Stiles basked in the attention and love of his friends. The great food also helped and although Derek was excited to go home with Stiles, it was almost a shame the dinner had to end. It was perfect, this quiet little bubble of happiness. Exactly what all of them needed.

Stiles was laughing with Scott as they walked outside, Kira, Erica and Isaac taking forever, Derek first as he shrugged on his coat, grateful for the fresh, crisp air. Not far from them there were loud voices yelling something he couldn't make out, but since there were also a small group of fans waiting for Stiles to show his face, Derek didn't give the loud male voices any attention. He was more focused on Boyd who had walked off to get the car and Derek was looking out for the large black car.

"Hey, you son of a bitch!"

Now that was suddenly really close. Too close! The moment all kinds of alarms were going off in Derek’s head, it was too late. A rough shove made him stumble, followed by a punch to the face which sent him to the ground because of the stumble. Confused, Derek tried to make sense of what was happening when a warm breath caressed his face, stinking of alcohol.

"You stole everything from me. But he's mine, he'll always be mine!" The stinking breath hissed, Theo's face coming into focus when his brain got less foggy from the punch.

Theo? What? What was happening? It all happened too fast for anybody to react. Dimly he was aware of the shocked shouting in the background, one of them being Stiles. The sound of running feet coming their way. They didn't make it in time, Derek didn't even react in time. In the seconds after that first push, Theo took the opening he had created. With a swift and hard kick, Theo stomped down on the one weakness he knew Derek had.

A loud crack was heard, although Derek didn't hear much at all, he was too busy crying out in pain, his stomach’s contents making themselves known in this nauseating rush while all blood drained from his face. He wanted to clutch at his knee, wanted to claw at his knee, wanted to not touch it at all. He also wanted to curl up and protect himself because Theo was still looming over him.

Although in the next second he was gone, because a very furious Stiles Stilinski went berserk on him, punching Theo hard, which made him stagger back against his other drunk friends. It was only thanks to them that Theo didn't go down hard as well.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!?!" he shouted loudly, so fucking pissed he couldn't even see straight. He didn't care about the shocked fans recording the whole incident, or Scott yelling at him to calm down and stop. Stiles couldn't stop. Not when this fucking asshole just assaulted his husband so severely!

"He ruined everything! You're mine!" Theo spit with a slur and bloody teeth from the punch.

"No!" Stiles marched over, grabbing the front of Theo's shirt and literally started shouting into his face. "YOU ruined everything! YOU cheated on me! YOU said it was MY fault! YOU called me a slut! YOU were the one who NEVER saw anything wrong with what you did! YOU are the asshole who NEVER even apologized to me! And you really believe that there could be ANYTHING between us after all that and now you DARE to attack my husband?! You're fucking delusional, Raeken! You fucked up my head so bad that I went back to drinking and then went to rehab because of what YOU did to me, you fucking asshole! I nearly lost everything and everyone and went through hell because of YOU! I don't want to have ANYTHING to do with you EVER AGAIN!"

"It's not like you didn't hurt me with your fucking album! My reputation..." Theo started, but Stiles cut him off.

"No! YOU ruined your own goddamn reputation! Don't talk to me about hurt feelings! You DON'T get to do that! You're scum, Theo!" he snarled right into his face.

"His dick can't be that good..." he snarled back, but that's when Stiles' fist connected with Theo's face again, catching him in his right eye, which was no doubt going to give him a nice shiner. He was so tired of men always bringing Derek’s dick up as an attempt to insult him. What was with that anyway?

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, you piece of shit! I don't want to ever see you again!" he yelled as he pointed a threatening finger at the groaning singer.

"Come on, Theo, let's just go..." the guy holding up Theo said, eyeing Scott and Boyd towering behind Stiles. Not to mention that the fans started yelling at the drunken group too. Stiles was sure that a few more insults would've been enough for them to start chasing the idiots away.

The seething singer could more feel than see the bodyguard behind him, ready to step in. His looming presence and expression had to work, because Theo let himself be dragged a bit further away with one hand pressed against his eye.

"You'll hear from my lawyers," he grunted.

"Good! Because you'll hear from mine too, loser! Don't you DARE ever come close to us again!" Stiles jabbed a finger in the direction of the retreating man, ignoring Boyd's big hand held out in front of him, ready to hold him back if needed, but Stiles was done. So fucking done!

Still seething he turned on his heel and hurried back to Derek and the girls, Kira still on the phone with the police explaining what had happened while Erica was holding Derek with a pale face and upset expression. Luckily Stiles could already hear the distant sounds of sirens, which probably meant that the ambulance was coming.

"Baby, oh my god!" Stiles dropped to his knees, worry taking over the anger on his face as he looked Derek over. The skin where Theo had punched him in the face was already bruising and the knee... He squeezed Derek's shoulder, being clever enough not to ask if he was okay, because clearly he was far from it. "Help is on the way. Please, hold on! I'm so sorry!" he babbled, trying to focus on his breathing to avoid a panic attack from seeing Derek in so much pain.

"For what? Not your fault a crazed superstar is so jealous of my dick that he beats me into the hospital." Derek was dimly aware of the fans in the background still filming the drama and he so didn't like the attention. Not to mention the fact that he didn't like the pinched look on Stiles' face as he was trying to keep himself together. "An ambulance is really not needed..."

"Can you stand on the leg?" Scott asked as Boyd was waving the approaching ambulance over.

"I don't think so."

"Then it's needed," Erica agreed with Scott as she held onto Derek tightly, no doubt also worrying about him. Derek hated worrying them and he hated needing an ambulance. It all seemed just a little over the top. He reached for Stiles' cheek to give it an encouraging caress.

"Okay, let's step back and create some room here people. Let them work." A police officer was pushing the fans and curious crowd back, helped by his colleagues and then the paramedics were there, shining an annoying light in Derek’s eyes since there was the obvious trauma on his face. When they asked where it all hurt, he pointed to his leg, motioning to his knee.

"I'm going to cut the pants open, what's your name?"

"Derek. Look, I'm sure it's nothing..."

The paramedic was already cutting the pant leg open to assess the damage while Derek hissed from the jostling. And yeah, it was clearly not okay at all. Erica was all horrified, giving this little strangled squeak. "Isaac, can you please…I don't want her to see this." The warm weight of his daughter disappeared so he must have pulled her away, which was good because shattered parts of bone of his knee were poking through the skin. He was asked about allergies which he shook his head to, glad to be given something for the pain before they packed it up and got him on the stretcher. He not once had let go of Stiles' hand. Of course he was the one to come with in the ambulance.

"Don't look so worried, babe. It's fine. I don't feel a thing!" Those were some good drugs.

"Thank god," Stiles grunted, really happy that Derek was getting out of it like that, because it had to hurt like hell. It looked... stomach-turning to say the least, so instead he sat down on the bench next to the stretcher while the paramedics were making sure all was well given the situation.

The worried singer turned before the door was shut and met Scott's eyes, who was just outside the door. "Call Jackson. I want a restraining order. For Derek, Erica, Moon Moon and me from that asshole," he said. Jackson Whittmore was a very expensive, but also very good lawyer. He's been Stiles' for years now despite the guy himself being an asshole himself. But Stiles did warm to his style and by now they were kinda on friendly terms. "And make sure the restaurant's security camera footage is copied by the police too. Maybe some of the fan videos as well. He won't get away with this. Not this time," he snarled still pissed.

"Gotcha. We'll take care of that and Erica. Don't worry, just focus on Derek," Scott nodded with a serious expression.

"Thanks, man," he nodded with a tiny grateful smile then just as the doors were closed and the ambulance started moving with the sirens on, he turned back to his husband with a bitter sigh. God, he just hated when their relationship got fucked up because of Stiles' life.

"I can see why Scott told you not to punch people anymore. You really got Theo good, blood going and all..." Derek made an exploding noise, the paramedic giving a soft laugh as he was setting up an IV while a blanket was being heated.

"I gave him morphine, so he'll be a little out of it. They'll take him into the trauma room first as standard procedure, but he'll get surgery right after. It'll be a long wait so you might want to make sure your people come join you." The IV needle slid in and the paramedic covered Derek with the warm blanket. "For the shock, just a precaution. Lots of trauma victims go into shock once they're in the ambulance. Are you his boyfriend?"

"He's my husband," Derek chimed in. "My beautiful husband. And I love him very much." He held onto Stiles' hand a little tighter, even his loopy brain knowing that Stiles could go into self-destructing thoughts because of this. "It's fine babe, not the first time my knee's this messed up. Just sorry this is how we ended up celebrating. Oooh, but we can have hospital sex."

"No we won't!" Stiles hurried to clarify, glancing up at the paramedics. "We won't!" he emphasized, but they just chuckled low. He figured that notifying the others could wait whenever Stiles was made to wait while Derek was being checked out. He was also pretty sure that Boyd was following somewhere behind the ambulance. He wouldn't be surprised at all since that was part of his job. But now his attention was turned back to Derek.

He squeezed the warm hand back and smiled a bit from the loopy smile and dreamy expression on the teacher's face. "Theo deserved more," he flexed his other hand with the slightly bloody knuckles just when the other medic, who wasn't dealing with Derek sat next to him on the bench.

"Let me check you out real quick too," he said, eyeing said knuckles.

Stiles wanted to insist that he was fine, but he decided against it and just offered that hand. The disinfectant stung a bit, but once he moved his hand to show it was fine, the bandages got on and the medic retreated when he was satisfied with Stiles' state. After all, Theo couldn't even hit him, so it was just the knuckles. Although his hand did hurt and felt sore a bit, but he'd live. He wouldn't even have minded if he broke his hand on his ex's face and that was a big thing to say for someone who partially made money with his hands. It would've stopped him from playing his beloved guitars for quite some time, but even so it would've been worth it.

"By the way, I love you too, Derek. And I'll make sure he won't be able to come anywhere near us ever again," he ran the fingers of his bandaged hand through Derek's slightly messed up hair.

"I don't want him to hurt you again," the teacher whispered to Stiles, closing his eyes while they listened to the sirens. He wasn't sure why they even used them because it wasn't like he was dying or anything. But it did help the ride to the hospital to go fast, and then they were both swept up in the madness and chaos of the trauma room, for only a moment. As the paramedic had predicted, he was quickly wheeled into surgery once they had determined the knee was the only severe trauma.

And then it was a waiting game for Stiles, Boyd joining him not long after and Scott later on after he had called Jackson as the singer had implored he'd do. Since this happened out in the open, it was all over the internet and TVs even quicker than Derek was out of surgery. And the police took it serious as well. Of course they needed Derek to press charges, but with all the evidence out there, Theo was arrested, so he could also sober up.

Hours later, finally, the doctor came to the family room they’ve got to give them some privacy away from nosy fans. "We've successfully replaced his knee, and removed all the bone shards without a problem. Unfortunately some of the muscles and tendons were damaged due to the fragments, so it'll be a longer road to recovery this time. He's going to need physical therapy, but for now he's not allowed to use his leg at all. He can’t put any weight on it for at least twelve weeks. Depending on how well he's healing. After that with therapy, he should be able to walk within six months." The doctor paused to let that sink in.

"He's on heavy antibiotics and painkillers at the moment, but he can go home within a couple of days. He’s got a mild concussion so we want to monitor him. If he's got somebody to stay with him, we'll let him go in two days."

"Yes, he’s going to stay with us," Stiles said, already standing along with the shaken up Erica, one of his arms around her shoulders. "Can we see him? I'm his husband and this is our daughter," he inclined his head towards the teen at his side.

"Yes, but only the two of you. He's out of it for now. It might take some time to wake up," the doctor said.

"That's fine. Thank you, doctor," Stiles said with clear relief.

"I'll bring you in a set of clothes," Kira said, already figuring that Stiles was not going to leave Derek's bedside during these two days.

"Thanks. Also make sure he gets the best from everything. Money is no issue." Of course, he meant Derek getting the best care and room and whatnot.

"Sure," she nodded.

"I'll wait and take Erica home later," Isaac piped in before Stiles and the teen could leave the room. The singer nodded gratefully for that too then they followed the doctor to Derek's room.

True to his words, he was still sleeping with his injured leg in some elaborate braces to make sure it didn't move at all. The doctor left after a few minutes, leaving the two of them pull chairs to Derek's bed. Stiles' arm went back around Erica, who quietly leaned against his side, but didn't say anything. She's been pretty silent ever since the incident, which made Stiles feel even guiltier.

"He's gonna pay for this," he promised her as he took Derek's hand in his, anger and pain for seeing him like this swirling in the singer.

"Really should stop plotting murders."

Derek's soft voice came from the bed and Erica quickly leaned over to hug him. His face was already an impressive array of blues, and there was some swelling but he had been lucky enough to not have it go to his eyes. He still squinted at them though, because he was groggy and tried to remember where he was exactly. Kind of hoping it was just a bad dream, but it didn't look like it.

"Hey, if I look like you look, we're both in trouble." That was to Stiles who looked as pale as Erica, and there was a tightness to his skin due to all the worrying. Well, that's what he got for getting beat up and Theo knowing he had a bad knee to aim for. At least the painkillers were okay, but he knew from the throbbing in his knee that he was going to be in for a world of pain as soon as those lessened.

"Shut up. You look like a coloring book, but I don't care," Stiles mumbled a bit hoarsely as his eyes welled up and waited until Erica pulled back enough so he could squeeze Derek's hand, which he was still holding on the bed, and reach with his bandaged right to place it gently on Derek's uninjured face so he could lean in for a feather-light kiss. "You're gorgeous either way and I love you," he said, ignoring Erica's gagging noise from the side. "We all were so worried about you."

"Especially him. He was insufferable," Erica chimed in.

"Can you blame me?" Stiles gently nudged her shoulder with his once he straightened back up in his chair. "My drunk ex went batshit crazy on him and then I went batshit crazy on the ex. Finally punching him twice and yelling at him felt nice, though. He's in jail sobering up and the media and fans are already tearing him apart. He's done."

Derek sighed, his eyes softened as he looked at the two at his bedside. He hated how he had them so worried even when knowing it wasn't his fault. "What he did to you, the cheating? It was the worst a partner can do. But he's crazy about you, in an unhealthy way, sure, but I just can't fault him for that. He clearly needs help."

Clearly! Looking at the way his leg was raised and wrapped up in bandages, he remembered how bad it was before and he almost didn't want to ask. "So what's the verdict for me? How bad did Theo manage to kick me?" He had a feeling he wasn't going to be working anytime soon. Especially with the way Erica squeezed his hand a little tighter.

"You can't walk on it for twelve weeks and it'll be maybe six months before you're walking on it fully. They gave you a whole new knee."

At least Erica was being honest, but it still shocked him. "Twelve weeks? That's impossible. Erica needs school and you have your tour and there's Moon Moon... I can't be a cripple for that long."

"I'm on a break from touring for the rest of the year, going back in the middle of January. I can ask Scott and Kira to move the few shows in January to a later date, if they can. Dunno if it's doable. Erica and Moon Moon and you will be taken care of, don't worry. And even if I have to go back on tour, I'll make sure people will take care of you. And I'll call you so often you'll block my number," Stiles rubbed his forehead, mind going a mile a minute as he tried to figure things out, but there were a lot of variables. "We'll figure out the logistics."

"The school has to understand too," Erica patted Derek's forearm. "It's not like you made up the whole thing. It's already all over everywhere. You were attacked and injured. And if they don't, fuck them!"

"Language..." Stiles murmured automatically.

"You're not Captain America," she rolled her eyes dramatically. "You swear much more..."

"She's got a point."

Noticing her heavy eyelids, he pulled Erica close to kiss her forehead. "You go home with Isaac. Moon Moon needs some food and a walk and I have no idea how late it is but it feels late. So go home."

"But I want to stay with you."

"I'll be home before you know it. Promise." She heaved a reluctant sigh at that but she did leave, which told Derek that it had to be very late if she was tired enough to not put up a fuss with him right now. He looked at the bandaged hand holding his own.

"Did you get checked out? You didn't break anything for me I hope." Yawning, Derek struggled to keep his eyes open. "Are you staying?"

"Nothing's broken, just some bruising and swelling," Stiles reassured him with a light squeeze of the bandaged hand, then he lifted to kiss the back of Derek’s. "And of course I'm staying. Although I'm contemplating texting Erica that I'm more like Batman than Cap," he smiled. "I mean, I have a lot of money, wear dark clothes and just went all vigilante on the scumbag who dared to hurt my innocent love," he patted the hand half-jokingly.

Noticing the drooping eyelids, Stiles sighed and forced a smile, but his eyes were still worried. "Now rest, babe. I'll be here to guard you and your dreams," he murmured, kissing the back of the hand once more before letting it rest on the cover again.

It was late already, or early, it depended on how one looked at it. The surgery took nearly three hours, then Derek was out of it for a little while longer. Now it was nearly 3 am, but Stiles knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep. His mind was too riled up and he had a lot to think about once again. But he didn't care as long as he could stay with Derek. He never wanted to leave his side again, but he knew he would have to in a couple of months because of the tour.

And this was just so fucking unfair! He just came out of rehab and now this... Life could really give them some slack, for god's sake...

Chapter Text

Chapter 17 – Over It

“After all this time
You still couldn't recognize
That your problem lies within
In a vicious circle
Can you tell me why?
Why you've thrown it all away
'Cause it makes no sense to me
Why you wouldn't listen

I know it hurts
I tried to help to ease your pain
I know these words
They won't mean anything
I hope it hurts
You've only got yourself to blame
And I can't take this anymore
I'm over it
So over it”

(BFMV – Over It)

The weeks after the assault have been hectic, to say the least. Derek was pretty much wheelchair and crutches bound, using the wheelchair if they were out for longer periods of time. But even at home he was often found in it when the pain of all the jostling because of the moving around got too much. That and it was useful to have his own lap and the wheelchair as storage so he could at least grab his own drink. The brace he wore was like a cast, it did prevent movement, but it however didn't prevent the pain. There were days when he was useless, holed up in bed because the pain was too much. He was often frustrated with himself and others, because he couldn't pick up anything from the floor, he couldn't bend over, couldn't make food for himself or others. At first even the simple act of going to the toilet was a hassle until the knee had healed enough that he could stomach sitting down with it. It was how he showered too, thanks to a special chair for it.

But he needed help getting into the shower, needed help getting dressed, washing up... The first week they had a nurse who changed the bandages and helped in general since Derek wasn't able to do much. But they had a better rhythm now, and no nurse. They had unfortunately moved into a downstairs bedroom which was closer to Erica's bedroom, but it made it easier for Derek to move around himself. The bad days of pain were a strain on their relationship, yet overall they had only grown closer now that they were attached at the hip because they needed to. Stiles could still work on his music in his own studio as long as he would come if Derek called him on his cellphone.

Erica was chauffeured to school daily by Boyd and they tried to not involve her too much in Derek's recovery to protect her. Especially now that Derek wasn't working at her school anymore. Temporarily. It wasn't like they could fire him when he was attacked and injured, but of course no work meant no pay. They had hired a substitute and Isaac assured him all the time that the new guy sucked and they were all eager for Derek to come back to work. It didn't seem like it was going to be anytime soon. After the twelve weeks of not using the leg he was going to go into physical therapy and it was going to be another painful few weeks then. It was going to need time.

At least some of the craziness had died down, for now. Stiles had persuaded Derek to press charges against Theo and there wasn't a court date for it yet, but Stiles' brilliant lawyer got them the restraining order. The first week it was all over the news though, it was talked about on talk shows, there were memes, and there were many opinions. And it was very confronting to constantly see the videos of his attack because yeah, he was well aware somebody had kicked his ass, no need to get it in HD color daily. He was glad it had quieted down now.

Currently Derek was propped on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate, watching Stiles and Erica decorate the Christmas tree. Since he was finally able to keep it all down again (the pain and the meds didn't make him fond of food lately), he was enjoying all the good things Christmas had to offer. Including the hot chocolate with whipped cream and a whole plate of cookies. In the background were of course Christmas songs playing, the fireplace was lit and true to New York, there was snow outside. It felt nearly perfect.

"So what do you think?" Stiles asked Derek with a little frown. "Should we put Batman or Superman on top of the tree?" he held up both ornaments from where he was standing so Derek could inspect them. It's been a heated debate between Stiles and Erica up to that point so they needed a second opinion.

The situation was hard on everyone, but Stiles tried to keep a positive mindset and outlook and when it was needed, he comforted Derek or gave him space, or like now, he tried to involve him in some way in the activities he couldn't physically part take in. It didn't mean they didn't fight or argue sometimes, but thankfully it was nothing serious and most of the time it came from Derek being in pain. They were careful with the pain meds, because one recovering addict was enough under their roof. And yes, there were harder days when Stiles longed to get something to drink so bad, but he managed to resist every time, which kinda made him proud of himself. He kept going to Marin for the therapy sessions three times a week and sometimes to AA meetings on Saturdays too when he felt like he needed it and was sure Derek would be okay for a few hours.

Not that he was often left alone, because Isaac, Scott and Kira often visited and they also had a weekly movie night now that everyone was in one place. Having the others around and helping where they could was also nice.

Getting the Christmas gifts was less tricky than how Stiles believed they would be, because thank god for shops delivering stuff. It was usually Boyd who brought the boxes up from the guarded gate and now they were chilling under one of the windows, waiting to be placed under the tree. But Stiles had a few more surprises up his sleeve, but that was for later.

Derek gave a huff because now he had to pick when he knew Stiles loved Batman. In his own opinion neither belonged on top of the tree. What was wrong with an old fashioned angel? He liked it better when the two were squabbling about it and he could listen amused while eating his cookies. "Just put them both on it, we'll say they're married."

"You can't do that!" Erica protested.

Derek took a bit from his cinnamon flavored cookie, giving her an arched brow. "I'm the injured one, so I get to decide because you feel sorry for me." He was finally in the stage where he wasn't so angry with it all anymore and could joke about it. That and milk it for all its worth. Erica wanted to protest so he rubbed at his brace as if he was in deep pain and she closed her mouth.

"So how are we going to put both on there?" She finally dared to ask, giving in.

"Glue."

"You want to glue batman and superman together?"

"Yeah but not in a sexual position please, because we're getting people over for Christmas."

Erica made a face for being caught. "Aww."

Stiles chuckled at that and nodded enthusiastically. "That's actually a great idea! I go get the glue," he announced and hurried past the couch, pausing only to press a light kiss against Derek's temple for the idea.

In a few minutes they were finally done with the tree and Stiles plopped down on the couch next to his husband (more careful than he usually would do not to jostle the leg).

"There. I think they look good. It's like I'm Batman and you're Superman, married and happy," he beamed, eyeing their creation where the figures were glued together by their hands, looking over the spacious living room like the protectors they were. There was definitely nothing naughty about that, so their friends could come over the following day for lunch without getting shocked. Although Stiles believed they wouldn't mind as much as his dad, who was going to arrive tomorrow afternoon too. This year he bought the Sheriff a plane ticket, because obviously they couldn't visit thanks to Derek's knee. Although Stiles could've gone alone to spend the holiday with his dad, like he always did, but it was something he didn't want to do, because he had family here too now and it was out of the question to leave them behind. So it was easier this way.

"Can we open some presents?" Erica chimed in from near the tree where she was curiously eyeing a wrapped box with her name on it.

"Just one," Stiles warned as he put his hand on Derek's thigh on his good leg.

It was Christmas Eve, and it was just the three of them, enjoying the time together as the small family they now were. It was something to watch Erica open the gift with her name on it, see how she was beaming widely. There were a lot of presents this year but they said they'd open the rest on Christmas day around dinner time when Noah was there too. They were going to have lunch with the friend group instead to give Derek some time to rest in-between. It was all nicely planned and he really did appreciate the way they all kept a close eye on him.

"Oh yes!!!" Erica discovered that the gift was a large makeup set from some TikTok brand thing Derek had never heard of, but didn't mind giving her with the help of Stiles. Derek wasn't good at ordering online so they had done it together. There was no way Derek was ready to tackle crowded stores with his leg, not even in the wheelchair. "Thank you both so much!" Erica continued on as she opened the box to show them the large assortment of eyeshadows it offered.

Derek reached for the hand on his thigh to entwine their fingers, kissing the back of it. Being intimate hadn't gone further than very careful cuddling, something they both felt for sure, because their bodies were a little pent up with need sometimes, which they hadn't done much about yet.

"Can I get one for you two?"

"Sure." Derek wasn't a kid anymore, if Erica wanted to pick out their present of the day then that was fine by him.

Stiles watched their daughter – after all these months still a shocking thing for him – as she brought over... well, one box and it was for Stiles. It was much smaller than Erica's with the makeup set, but obviously size truly didn't matter in certain cases.

He thanked her as he took the box then let Derek's hand go, curious about what might be inside. It was clearly from Derek, because he could recognize his handwriting on the post it on top. Tearing into the wrapping paper, he tossed it aside without a care and opened the simple dark-grey box to take a look inside. He blinked surprised a few times then lifted the silver chain, which had two dog tags on it. Taking a closer look Stiles gasped and grinned. On one side of the tags there were different heartbeats from cardiograms engraved on them and when he flipped them, he saw that the other side showed their names so it was clear which heartbeat belonged to whom.

"Oh my god, Derek! I love it!" Stiles grinned wide and moved as he looked at his husband.

"So my heartbeat will always be resting right where yours is."

"Awwwwwww." Erica of course had to go all heart-eyed and had to resist snapping a picture of the two of them. She had done that earlier, to officially post for them for the fans but they told her no more. She was used to putting her whole life on display for all to see, but they were more into keeping some things private.

"I know the last weeks were hell on both of you, and I'm not going to apologize for it because the pain made me say stupid things. But I appreciate the two of you and what you're doing for me. So yeah... thanks." Derek smiled at the two of them, the glasses on his nose fogging up a little because of the emotions he was trying to hide.

For a change Stiles didn't say anything just turned his body to grab Derek's face in his hands, the dog tags swinging on the chain he was still holding, and smashed his mouth against Derek's for an emotional kiss. He didn't even care that the glasses ended up askew or that its edge dug into his cheek – or that now Erica definitely snapped a picture of them.

"Don't even mention it," Stiles smiled with a soft look once he ended the kiss relatively quickly. (Making out in front of Erica was something they tried to avoid as much as possible.) "You're healing and getting better with each day and that's what matters," Stiles added.

"What he said," Erica pointed at Stiles with a serious nod.

Derek sniffed and propped his glasses back so he could see Erica who was a little further away and he didn't want her face to be fuzzy. Poor eyesight really could be a curse. He didn't tell Stiles that he was healing and getting better sure, but they weren't even a month in and they still had five more to go.

Before he'd be all silly and cry over it, he instead looked at Erica's empty hands, noticing how she hadn't gotten him a gift when he was sure there were a few with his name on them. Because he had seen that. "So, where's my gift or have I been too bad of a boy?"

Erica glanced towards Stiles but made no move to grab one from under the tree which made him narrow his eyes. Now what?

"Well, in different circumstances I'd say yes to that..." Stiles started and as always, ignored Erica's gagging sounds. "But no, you weren't. And my gift to you and Erica wouldn't fit under the tree and will only arrive tomorrow afternoon along with my dad," he grinned mischievously, enjoying Derek's confusion and frown behind his sexy glasses. "And just so you won't call me cruel, I'll tell you what this Christmas present is. Ready for it, hm?" he asked then pointed at Erica without looking away from Derek. "Drum roll, please!"

The grinning teen tapped her phone and yes, there was an audio with a drum roll instead of her tapping some surface with her hands.

"It's the whole Hale family coming for a visit!" he announced while throwing his hands in the air just when the audio stopped. Clearly, they had practiced this a bit beforehand. "You happy?" he asked frozen like this, a smile on his face.

Derek stared at Stiles with pure disbelief all over his face. No, he hasn't expected that, especially since his husband knew he hated surprises! Of course he talked to his mother, they had agreed that Christmas this year wasn't going to happen since Derek wasn't cleared to fly until January. So no, he didn't expect his mother, grandparents and Cora to come here, he had thought Peter Malia and Laura were going to Beacon Hills! Clearly they all were in on it. Even when they knew he hated surprises!

"Surprise!" Erica chimed in. The silence stretched a little longer.

"I hate you all!" Derek grumped as the initial disbelief had worn off and he allowed himself to realize that tomorrow his crazy family was going to be there for Christmas dinner, as well as the sheriff. He really hoped somebody knew how to cook if there were that many people in this home.

He gave Stiles a playful shove before he pulled him in for a clumsy hug because he had to keep his leg elevated on the couch. "Yes, I'm happy, thank you." That was whispered softly to Stiles.

By then Derek couldn't fool Stiles with statements like "I hate you". They've been together long enough and had went through enough together to know better, so he just grinned and hugged Derek back. Then he whispered into his ear.

"There's also a private present I'll give you later if you won't tell on me to Erica," he chuckled low and playfully bit Derek's earlobe, knowing well that Erica wouldn't see that or hear what he just said. Then he pulled back and acted as if nothing happened.

Derek glanced at Stiles a little perturbed because why would he tell Erica about what they did in the bedroom? Because he assumed that's what the private present was all about. Luckily Erica didn't notice it because they gave each other weird looks all the time and she had learned to ignore it.

"I ordered plenty of food both for lunch with the gang and for dinner with the fam," the singer said, as if reading his husband's mind. Because yes, Stiles could put together quite a few dishes, but cooking for so many would take a lot of time and energy and he was not on chef level. Besides he had more money than he knew what to do with, so he had opted for the easier solution. "There are also enough guest rooms in the house to comfortably accommodate everyone for a couple of days." Luckily they didn't need to offer the currently unused master bedroom to anyone. It would've been weird if Derek's parents or grandparents slept in their bed.

"My family won't mind helping out either. Since I can't help you to be a good host." They'd figure something out, that was the good thing about having so many people around. He was sure his grandparents would commandeer the kitchen as soon as they could. Derek finished the plate of cookies, content that he could eat again, that it was Christmas and they could celebrate it like they normally would. Kind of. "Now settle down, both of you, so we can watch a stupid Christmas movie before dinner arrives."

"Yessir!" Stiles grinned and put his new necklace around his neck, rubbing the tags with a fond expression. Erica plopped down on his other side, already pushing the buttons on the remote to fire up Netflix.

It was a nice quiet evening with dinner on trays and Moon Moon in front of the TV and lots of laughs and commentaries about the unrealistic things in the movie, because all three of them were often sarcastic fuckers. It was a good night for all of them, just chilling and spending time together before the chaos that the following few days were going to be with the extended family. Stiles was looking forward to it, because it was going to be his and his dad's first big family Christmas, like ever. Because even when his mother was alive it was just the three of them as far as Stiles could remember. Now there were going to be a lot of people. It was going to be epic, he knew.

After calling it a night, Stiles helped Derek wash up and get comfortable in bed first, then he took over the en-suite bathroom, spending a bit longer in there than usual. He gave no clues to Derek why, but he probably figured Stiles was preparing his secret second present. And that was exactly the case.

"So babe, I've got the feeling that your knee didn't bother you that much today. Are you up to some hide the sausage game?" Stiles asked from the bathroom door, leaning his shoulder against the jamb, his other hand on his chanted hip, just under the bushy tail of his fox tattoo and the top edge of the red lace panties Derek loved on him so much. It's been quite a while since it had made an appearance.

"You can't wear that while saying those stupid words!" Derek wasn't sure if he wanted to moan or laugh, because the panties of course made the 'sausage' interested, but the words... ah well, it didn't seem to influence his dick either way, it was still interested. It was going to be challenging to do this, he wasn't allowed to move much but twelve weeks without sex when they hadn't had any for the month in rehab either? That was asking a little too much. "At least make it Christmas related."

Pushing against the bedding to prop himself up a little more, he was already thinking of how they could do this best. And although he was all for bottoming now that Stiles had shown him how good it was, he didn't want their first time after so long to be that. He had a feeling it wasn't what his husband wanted either.

"You're going to have to work hard for it." Pun not intended, although applicable to the current situation. "I'm up for it to try." Okay, now that was a pun on purpose.

Stiles didn't miss that and laughed as he slowly walked over to the bed, maybe swaying his narrow hips a bit more than necessary, but it seemed to work, because Derek's scorching gaze was glued to his mostly naked and tattooed body.

"Well, working hard for something was never a problem for me," he shrugged as he began crawling up on the bed near the head of it. As always, he was mindful not to jostle the healing leg. "And I have a few ideas how to do this, babe," he winked just as he reached Derek.

Sitting down a bit sideways, he leaned on one hand and pressed his lips against his husband's in a series of soft and teasing kisses. Meanwhile his free hand stroked down on the grey T-shirt, feeling how the muscles jumped in Derek's stomach from the intimate touch and what it promised. Then his hand slid under the black sweatpants to slowly rub against the more than half-hard cock there.

Derek was into it right away, because it’s been too long and he’s been so eager to feel Stiles like this again. Unfortunately, he couldn't get rid of his shirt himself, but that didn't mean his hands were idle. They made use of all that pale skin exposed, running along the smooth skin. There was a bit of a hiccup when he tried to part his legs more for Stiles, which of course didn't work.

"It's okay, we're good," he panted against the bow-shaped lips, telling himself to keep his legs right where they were since that wouldn't create a problem. At least he only wore sweatpants because the brace didn't fit under his jeans. It meant easy access but also easy to take off.

"What ideas do you have?" Hopefully it involved lesser clothes for him too.

"Unwrapping my present for starters..." Stiles whispered against the moist lips with that trade mark mischievous half-smirk, his fingers lightly squeezing Derek under the sweats. "Then tasting it for a little while before I take residence on your lap and give you the most satisfying lap dance of all times. With a happy finish, yes," he added with a light chuckle and stole another kiss before moving a bit away so he could help Derek out of his shirt first.

"You don't have to move at all just enjoy yourself, babe," Stiles winked as he tossed the T-shirt somewhere behind him without a care. Then he moved to kneel on the bed. By then he had quite the practice in how to undress and dress Derek's lower half without hurting him, so he worked with sure but careful moves, feeling his husband's eyes on him all along.

Once Derek was lying on the bed only in the bracers, Stiles let his eyes feast on his man. "You're so damn hot, babe and I'm so horny and hungry for you," Stiles stroked up on the uninjured leg and crawled back to Derek's hip on that side. This was the longest time they haven't had sex, so no wonder they were so eager to change that.

So without any more teasing Stiles got comfortable with his legs pulled under him and gently took the erection in one hand to angle it to the side, towards him. He pulled the foreskin back so he could lap at the tip with a dirty groan.

His knee was a downright mess so he was glad Stiles thought he was still hot despite all the scars which would remain. The doctors had done their best, and the wounds had been neatly stitched due to his husband's insistence to have a plastic surgeon do them, because he was smart like that. But they needed to get some skin from his upper leg so there was a wound there too. It wasn't like he had many scars before that, only the knee, so it did make him insecure, something Stiles knew how to handle well with his remarks.

Seeing how eager Stiles was for him made Derek enjoy it too, especially when that clever mouth got busy around his length. Propped up comfortably as he was, Stiles was right, all he could do and had to do was to lay there and watch with half-lidded eyes. His hand did reach out to caress the skin he could get at, wanting to have his husband feel how much he was into it. As if his moaning and the way he fully hardened wasn't enough of a clue.

The sounds Derek was making were like music to the singer's ears and also encouraged him to lick along the impressive length a few times then after such a long time he finally wrapped his bow-shaped lips around the salty goodness, moaning his pleasure around it too.

It's been such a long time since he could do this that for a change he took his time, sucking his husband slowly and thoroughly and with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what his man liked. Stiles himself was hard as well, his trapped cock straining against the lacy red material, which was already damp at where his tip was to the side, but he ignored it. This was about pleasuring his husband and he wanted to do a good job at that.

For a while, Derek let him, watching as Stiles was enjoying himself while the arousal fluttered in his stomach and loins. But there came a point when he had to stop it, when he felt he was else going to be way too aroused to last for long inside of his beautiful husband. Something he wanted, no, something he needed. But there was something else he needed too.

"Stiles... stop," Derek stuttered, pulling at the arm to get his attention. "You think you can move so I can suck you off too? I mean, you're wearing the panties." And he hasn't been able to get his hands all over them yet, which was a shame since he knew how great they felt when Stiles was wearing them.

Derek's cock slipped out of the talented mouth with a soft pop then Stiles pushed himself up on his hands and knees, arching his back a bit. His lips were shiny and red and a bit swollen from what he's been doing, but they pulled into a dirty smirk.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that for you, babe," he nodded, pleased with the look he got and how wrecked Derek still was about him wearing sexy women's lingerie.

He didn't waste any time just moved. It was a tricky pose he had to get into, because Derek couldn't really move, but he managed. Stiles ended up kinda standing on the bed on both sides of Derek, knees bent and propped against the broad shoulders for support while his hands were gripping the top of the headboard, trying to shift most of his weight on them not to crush Derek. He knew he wasn't going to be able to keep this pose forever, but long enough for Derek to have his fun too. And his covered crotch was right there, only a few inches from Derek's mouth.

Derek gladly made use of the offered treat, leaning in to cup the lace-clad buttocks while his mouth went to the target which has left a wet stain on the red panties already. He mouthed through the fabric before he pushed the thin material aside so he could let his lips glide along the hard shaft. Tasting Stiles and soap only. He had missed this so much, to be intimate like this. With him being injured, it meant they had to do it slowly and carefully, which added something to it.

The wet head slipped past his lips along his tongue to bump at the back of his throat when he took the erection as deep as he could. Sucking on the length as he pulled back. Welcoming Stiles home, finally.

The singer shuddered and gasped with pleasure, his eyes rolling back into his head. "God, that feels so good!" he groaned then started panting excited from the way Derek was finally sucking on him. "It's been so long, fuck!"

Forcing himself to look down, he watched his husband's mouth stretched around his cock and unable to hold himself back, he began slowly and gently rolling his hips back and forth to help the other man's efforts. Practically gently fucking his mouth with guttural groans. Maybe it felt even more intense than normal, because it's been such a long time that he could feel Derek like this. The occasional jerking himself off in the shower didn't feel half as good as this!

Stiles moving himself did make it easier, it gave Derek more chance to let his hands roam while he moved his head to meet the thrusts of his beautiful husband. Fingers went beneath the lace panties to cup the bare flesh. A thick finger moved along the furled opening there, testing to see if his suspicions were right about Stiles needing time in the bathroom because he was prepping himself. Or he'd happily prep Stiles himself, because there was nothing he loved more than sliding his fingers within him and make him writhe. Testing, the tip of his thumb pushed inside.

It found slickness in there, because as always, Stiles did try to be prepared. So Derek's suspicions were confirmed. As if reading his husband's mind, the singer's hips slowed down a bit in favor of pushing his round ass against the thumb to feel it slide a bit deeper with ease.

"Yeah, thought we were both too hot for each other to draw this out..." he panted then quickly wet his dry bottom lip with his tongue. "I wanna feel more of you in me. Fingers, your dick, you name it," he chuckled shortly. "Come on, babe. I'm open enough for those fingers," he added, switching his hold a bit on the headboard since his body already started to protest against the unnatural pose.

Feeling the way the muscles trembled, Derek knew Stiles wasn't going to be able to stand like this for much longer. So he didn't push the thumb further in and instead replaced it with two fingers. They slid home easily thanks to the lube and prep done. It wasn't going to be enough to fully stretch the slighter man, so he was going to feel the burn. At least they were both going to walk awkwardly tomorrow. For different reasons.

"Fingers just briefly to open you up more. And then you can sit down." Right on his erection preferably. Because he was throbbing from the blowjob Stiles gave him and they were both so ready for it. Have been eagerly waiting for months now for this. Maybe that would give them more rounds? Not that Derek had the best stamina at the moment.

"Okay," Stiles groaned already enjoying the fingers moving in and out of him with practiced ease, knowing exactly where his sensitive spots were. He didn't even mind that his glistening cock wasn't in Derek's mouth by then, just standing proud and erect right in front of Derek's face, his hot breaths puffing against it. That was hot in itself, but Stiles focused on moving his ass on the fingers with these short and quicker rolls. "Hell yeah..." he panted, keeping this up for a good minute or so and also enjoyed the licks and kisses against his slightly bobbing shaft.

"I have to move," he warned Derek when his thigh muscles started trembling and threatened to cramp up. But he didn't mind, because it meant he could sit right on top of his man (and his cock).

Waiting until the fingers were out, he grabbed both of the broad shoulders and lowered himself on Derek, straddling him. Once he shifted his weight on his knees, he angled his body and reached back with one hand to help Derek lead himself to his opening, his other hand pulling the fine fabric aside.

"I hope you're ready for this, big guy, because I cannot wait any longer," the singer panted hotly and began slowly descending on the rigid flesh.

Oh he was so ready for it! And yet not ready for it enough, because when that tight heat sank down around him and his length filled Stiles up, all he could do was utter a guttural groan. He almost forgot how good it felt, how right it felt when they had sex. They were made for one another. And the position like this made it all the more intimate.

His large hands gripped at the hips tightly, as he focused on not moving his leg. It was tempting to use both his legs to move and give Stiles the ride of his life. However, he couldn't. He had to sit there and let the other do the work. It was very frustrating and yet felt so mind-blowing!

"Oh god, you're so tight right now." It was also because of their position, but he could feel that they haven't done it for a while. Not that the inner muscles needed a lot of time to get used to the thick length within. He could feel them give into it and not clench too hard.

"Y-yeah... You feel... even bigger than usual..." Stiles panted, face slightly sweaty and swimming in pleasure and concentration. He was willing himself not to clench around the hard length impaling him and enjoying the familiar burn. "That was the plan," he added and looked down at his man, the painted nails on one hand slightly digging into the shoulder he was holding onto. His other hand's digits were still curled into the fine fabric to keep it out of the way while he let his body adjust and both of them catch their breath. "Missed you in me like crazy!" he leaned in to peck Derek's lips. "You good?" he asked, but couldn't really wait for an answer from the urge to kiss Derek properly.

"Might be dying a little," the other man panted into the kiss. But what a great death it would be! He knew Stiles was asking because of his knee, which he hardly felt right now. His entire focus was on how good it felt to be inside of his husband and how he never wanted this to end. "Are you good?"

With how tight it felt, it had to be an adjustment to Stiles to take the thickness, probably why he wasn't moving yet. It was good to let Derek get used to it as well, because else it was going to be embarrassingly quick. It’s been too long, and clearly the pain pills no longer derailed his need for sex. The pain was manageable enough to do this. So no, he wasn't going to mention the knee. Right now that soooo didn't matter.

Stiles chuckled as if drunk on the pleasure already. "More than good!" he reassured with a grin then reached to his hip to grab Derek's wrist and lead it to where he was holding the panties aside. He switched his own hand to Derek's so he could have both hands free to help his balance.

But before anything else, he wrapped his arms around Derek's neck and kissed him deep and long. The wet smacking their mouths and sensually dancing tongues made were the only sounds breaking the silence of the room. Stiles took his time until he felt like he kissed them both silly then he took Derek's face in both hands, long fingers resting on the sides of the stubbly face.

"Ready, babe?" he panted into Derek's mouth.

"I was ready yesterday," Derek grumbled because as much as he was all for taking it slow, it was starting to become torture. To be sheathed within the tightness and to not move. He couldn't move, he depended on Stiles to do that or else he would have already!

"Please move." Since he was holding the panties aside now, he could squeeze the firm mound of flesh the panties were cupping and the one that was material free now. His fingers brushed to where his erection was meeting the body of his husband, feeling how stretched the skin was to allow him in. "You feel too good not to move."

"Yeah?" Stiles smiled crookedly at him as he was watching Derek's expression with half-lidded eyes and he began slowly circling his hips – both as a tease and to test the waters. Then he did it a bit faster and wider with a moan to feel the thick cock press harder against his walls and prostate, helping the loosening of that warm tightness. But he didn't lift himself off the shaft buried deep in him. Derek knew how much Stiles loved it when he touched and held his ass, so he made sure that when he circled his hips, he pushed it against the hands there too.

"So you like this too, hm?" the singer panted and began rocking his hips just back and forth, with each move forward lifting himself a little bit, so a few inches slid out and back once Stiles sat back on that amazing dick. "Should I move more?" he purred, obviously loving the control he currently had over his husband.

He loved how Stiles could be bossy, as well as he could fully give control over to Derek. This was not something that happened often, when Derek was the one who didn't have control. He literally had to sit there and take it, depending on his husband to decide what and how they did it. With a groan he leaned his head back, the tightness of his hold on the other letting him know how affected he was at first before the words started to tumble out.

"Yes! Move more, please Stiles. It's been too long and I need to feel you." It was equal parts frustrating and arousing to not be able to do anything. Well, he could do something... His big hand smacked the bared ass cheek, hard. Hard enough to no doubt leave a red impression behind as the flesh jiggled.

Reminding himself that this room wasn't as far from their daughter as the master bedroom, Stiles had to quickly bite down on his bottom lip to somewhat muffle the surprised yell then pleased moan from that slap. The familiar burning and tingling sensation on his warming up flesh very welcomed, though. He loved it when Derek got a bit rougher with him – like slapping his ass hard, biting him or grabbing and holding him down, so this was more than okay for both of them.

"Fuck yeah!" he finally panted and dug his black nails a bit deeper into Derek's shoulders, his ass sliding further up on the slick shaft just to slam down faster and harder than before, but he was still mindful of Derek's leg. "Like this? I'll do you like this if you surprise me with more slaps," he wiggled his brows and while keeping up with his exciting movements, he leaned down to Derek's ear to whisper into it hoarsely and hotly. "I've missed your big dick in me so fucking much. Feel how hungry my ass is for it? Hm? You feel so good, god!" he moaned and panted, sweat starting to glisten on his back as his slimmer body kept moving in a for now steady rhythm, the wet and slapping noises their bodies were making only adding to the singer's arousal.

Very quickly Derek realized that he really needed to let Stiles do all the work because as soon as he was tensing up and getting a little too into it, it went all the way down to his knee. It wasn't the kind of pain that made him want to stop, but a twinge to remind him he really couldn't use his legs for this, that he really needed to focus on his hands and what Stiles was doing.

Biting his lower lip, he watched the younger man moving on his erection and enjoying himself, creating incredible friction for the Hale as well with that. It made him nearly forget that if he wanted Stiles to 'do him like that', he was supposed to slap him. Watching Stiles was too distracting it seemed, it gave him a one track mind. He let his palm land on the cheek again, making sure it wasn't in the same spot as he smacked the flesh two times in succession before he paused, wanting to keep Stiles on his toes.

"Yeah, just like that, keep this up."

There were agreeing moans and gasps into Derek's ear from the slaps, and they also made Stiles' body jerk and slide up and down on the rock-hard member with more confidence. He loved this so much! Sex with Derek was always so damn amazing and he was just reminded on one thing.

"We should never ever... not have sex... for this... long! Oh my god!" he groaned a bit louder as he threw his head back in pleasure, a whole-body spasm going through him when the tip rubbed against his prostate just the right way. Of course, more pre-cum bubbled up from his slit, which was visible since Derek hadn't tugged him back into his panties, so Stiles' cock kept bobbing between them.

He wasn't touching Stiles on purpose, because he had a feeling they'd both reach their orgasm after only a few tugs. As eager as Derek was to feel that rush it would create, he was also eager to keep on watching Stiles as he was moving, dressed in only those skimpy red panties which did nothing to keep anything hidden with how it was all on show. It was mostly still on to feel the soft material when he wanted to. He really was a sucker for those panties, because they looked good on his gorgeous husband, but they felt even better.

"Not like we had a choice in that, babe," Derek reminded Stiles with a grunt. The rehab and then Derek barely being able to think straight due to the pain, let alone think about sex... it wasn't by choice. Life had thrown them that particular curveball. And with Derek needing physical therapy in a few months, sex wasn't going to be consistent, and then there was Stiles' tour... Not something he wanted to mention. Not right now.

"You close? I wanna wrap my hand around you."

"Yeah, I've been close for a while now, but held back to feel you longer," the singer panted as he looked down at his gorgeous husband while continuing riding him. He knew it was not a choice, but he didn't comment on that, because he was too lost in pleasure and need at that point. "Jerk me, spank me! I wanna come all over us and around you," he groaned then leaned close to Derek's mouth to whisper against his lips. "I know you want to fill me up, mark me as yours from the inside just as much as I do..."

Derek wrapped his hand around the weeping erection right away, as soon as Stiles said yes, because he himself was getting close. As the other said, he wanted to come, wanted to feel Stiles coming around him and milking him dry. His movements were jerky, which betrayed how close he was getting. The slaps on Stiles' behind weren't frequent, since his attention was more on what the younger man was doing and his other hand. Clearly he needed some practice on the multitasking.

"Just come for me babe, I'm ready." He was so, so ready. "Love you."

Stiles chuckled low since the lack of response to the dirty talk was proof that Derek really was too far gone at that point. Not that he was behind that much, because man, did that warm hand around him feel good too! Not to mention the pulsing dick in him sliding in and out with slick exciting sounds.

"I'm right there with you... and love you too," he panted onto the parted lips then caught them in a kiss to somewhat muffle the noises that he made as he lifted and dropped himself on that amazing cock and then fell out of the until then steady rhythm. Stiles let himself go and the orgasm shot through his squirming body, the lamp's light catching not just on his sweaty skin, but also on the cum that splattered against their stomachs and chests. The painted nails dug hard into Derek's shoulders and Stiles' desperate sounds were swallowed by the other man as he kept literally riding out his orgasm, his tight ass dancing around Derek during the mind-blowing bliss.

It was a miracle Derek managed to hold out for this long, so when Stiles reached his orgasm, he was pulled along with it. The moment the walls clamped around him, he was moaning just as much as they swallowed up their noises as much as he could. He probably moved a little too much, but it wasn't like he felt it right now, he was a little too busy riding out his orgasm to worry about the stupid knee. His head fell back against the headboard, Stiles' lips following his while they moved together, slowing down gradually. Not stopping until they were both milked dry.

His mind was blown, because the long time not having sex had made it shorter and way more intense. Maybe that made it worth it? Not really though, because he had missed it too much. Nothing compared to the intimacy of sex. At a loss for words, Derek focused on breathing while his heart was hammering in his chest and his groin throbbed from pleasure.

For long minutes Stiles too was just enjoying their shared afterglow as their breathing and bodies calmed down. He just kept lazily kissing Derek with closed eyes, sharing their breaths. He loved the comfortable and satisfied silence that fell onto their temporary bedroom and ignored the dull ache in his overworked thigh muscles in favor of savoring these precious intimate moments with his husband. When his ass stung not just from the slapping, but also from riding the dick, Stiles swore he was going to write a private song about it, because...

"Wow..." he laughed quietly when he finally managed to stop kissing his man. Lifting his head a bit, he lazily opened his eyes, the satisfaction clearly visible in them as he watched the beloved face, stroking some damp hair out of it. "Sitting is going to be interesting tomorrow," Stiles murmured.

"You can borrow my crutches." Derek opened his eyes to half-slits as he gave a soft but cheeky smile. As if the crutches were going to help with the deep ache his husband was going to feel. He didn’t feel sorry for him at all since he knew Stiles totally loved it when he felt it the next day. "Merry Christmas, gimpy."

The older man didn't move an inch, he had the other still on top of him and he was half-dozing off now that his body got the much needed release it’s been craving for a while. "Is it all you had in mind, this personal gift of yours?"

Stiles lightly slapped Derek's shoulder, but snorted amused. "Yeah, very much, you bigger gimp," he said and pecked Derek's lips. "Merry Christmas to you too, babe," he murmured softer and kissed him once more. "And you can keep your crutches. I'll just put a pillow under my ass whenever I sit down. All our friends and family will know the reason, though," he laughed teasingly then finally let Derek's softening cock slip out of him. As usual, it was followed by a gush of cum, which made him shiver with pleasure. Sex was dirty and Stiles loved it!

Reaching back blindly with one hand, he dipped two of his fingers into the abused and sensitive hole with a gasp then pulled them out just to suck at them for the taste. His other hand pried Derek's fingers off the fine fabric of the panties so he could cover his ass and more or less contain the leaking until he cleaned up.

"I didn't jostle your knee too much, right?" the singer asked after releasing his fingers with a pop, and glanced at the body part in question.

Derek didn't bother with any clean up, not even when Stiles moving made his own seed slip out and over himself again. He very much doubted the singer would let him up to do that and his crutches were… somewhere. Not sure where.

"It hurts, yeah, because I moved it, not you. It was worth it." He'd pop a pain pill, get a good sleep and deal with the fuzziness in the morning. He'd be all clear-headed again by lunch time so they were good.

To prove how much it was worth it, he grabbed for Stiles' wrist to pull the spit-slicked fingers into his own mouth and sucked on them. Yeah. Pain was completely worth it when it came to his beautiful husband.

Stiles groaned from that dirty picture and the feeling of his fingers being sucked on. It made his cock throb once with interest, but it was too spent to do anything, really.

"Glad to hear that," the singer murmured and pulled his fingers out just to stroke the tips along Derek's bottom lip. "It means we can do this again. Maybe tomorrow," he grinned then leaned down to kiss him for long, long minutes. Cleaning up could wait for a little while longer before they turned in for some much needed sleep. For now they were just enjoying their intimate closeness and love without any interruptions.

***

"Yeah of course, it's fine, don't worry about it. Feel better and I'll see you soon." Derek sounded a lot more positive than he felt, but sometimes things went as they went. Stiles was back on tour, Erica was at school and even though the singer had hired help for the Hale, they couldn't have anticipated sickness. The agency was trying to find somebody for the next day but for now he was by himself. And it was ridiculous that he needed a babysitter in the first place, he was an adult! But the truth was, he’s been struggling already. The days by himself were pretty lonely with how he couldn't do much at all.

Getting food was a challenge even in his wheelchair, because it was all high up and that meant he was depending on either standing up or grabbing what he could in the fridge. Oh and he could get at the chips, that was something. Not that there was much, because they needed groceries so that was next on his plan, to order some groceries after feeding Moon Moon and letting him outside. But after washing himself in his chair and the toilet and falling only once, he fell asleep on the couch. And of course missed the time to get the groceries delivered for today so he timed it for tomorrow.

Sighing, Derek struggled to get out of bed, but the wheelchair wasn't on the brakes and rolled away. With a sinking stomach, he felt himself fall and as he tried to break it by rolling so his knees wouldn't take the brunt of it. He failed.

*

Stiles' cellphone rang late at night as usual. Derek's name was flashing on the screen. But there was no face timing yet like usual. Nope.

"Hey, babe. Listen, before you see me, it looks worse than it is. But I fell this afternoon, Erica found me, I got checked at the ER so don't worry about it." Derek sounded positive and chipper, even if he was lying in the guestroom bed after all those hours at the ER because he was stupid enough to fall.

"My face broke the fall." Derek hit the request for the camera, so he could show himself and the large shiner he had along with his cheek having carpet burns and was one big bruise. Large body, lots of weight.

"Holy fucking motherf..." Stiles bit down the rest of that curse, which went on much longer in his head from the shock of seeing Derek like that. He really wanted to yell at Derek for being so... but he couldn't, because it would probably only make him feel worse.

The singer took a deep, deep breath while rubbing his forehead with his free hand, the other holding the phone. He exhaled slowly and evenly, clearly trying not to freak out too much, but the worry was very clear in his eyes and on his face.

"Okay... okay, god! Are you really okay? And don't you dare bullshitting me! We had a deal! Complete honesty between us!" he jabbed a warning index-finger at Derek through the screen. It was a pact they took seriously ever since Stiles had come clean about the drinking and needing help thing.

It was hard, to be honest. When Derek saw the worry on his husband's face and he himself was mostly worried about Stiles worrying and stressing so much he might fall back on drinking. And it wasn't like he wanted to lie to Stiles, however, he wondered if the truth was the right way to go at this stage. It was why his answer wasn't immediate, his usual 'I'm fine' didn't come automatically. Which no doubt told Stiles more than it should, that one moment of hesitation. All Derek wanted was to tell Stiles that he could handle it by himself, that he had nothing to worry about. He couldn't, because it would be a lie.

"I'm embarrassed that I can't even be one day by myself when the day shift called in sick. I hate how Erica was the one who found me." Of course he was worried about causing too much stress to her, because she had lost her parents due to a car accident. The last thing she needed was to find her guardian on the floor because he couldn't even get out of his bed.

"I'm hurting but they gave me some good stuff again, at least," Derek shrugged. "The knee isn't busted more than it already was, no concussion so I got lucky this time." It was still avoiding the question when Derek normally was straight to the point. "I'm not okay right now, but I will be. So please don't start feeling guilty."

Stiles felt his throat closing off while watching and listening to Derek struggle to get his words out, but he waited patiently and all his anger evaporated. Well, it wasn't real anger in the first place. It was more like... 'explosive worry' seeing the state of the man he was in love with and missed so damn much already.

There was another deep breath and slow exhale on the other end of the phone and also a little bit of silence as the singer tried to collect his thoughts.

"Okay. I honestly don't feel guilty, I promise," he said slowly but truthfully. "Accidents happen and I'm so sorry it did happen to you. But I'm glad that at least your knee wasn't damaged further. We'll give a call to the agency to make sure they send someone else in case your regular helper gets sick. I don't want a repeat of this," he said a bit firmer but just as evenly as the previous sentences. It was clear that Stiles was making a conscious effort to keep his calm by making use of the exercises he's been learning with Marin to keep himself in check. Having control back over a situation seemed to help Stiles ground himself.

There was a few moments of silence again as Stiles' whiskey-brown sober and very attentive eyes watched his husband. "Please, don't feel embarrassed about needing other people's help. You know that I had learned the hard way that there is nothing wrong with asking for or needing help. And your situation is temporal. But clearly this arrangement is not working for you."

Another sigh. Stiles was right. As much as he appreciated how the singer had hired an agency to help him out, Derek didn't want Erica to find him like this again. "The ER doctor suggested a rehabilitation center. He probably thought I was an idiot for falling out of bed. He kind of has a point though." The thing was, Derek didn't want to go to one even though it would be handy once he could start with physical therapy. And it felt like he was ungrateful for what Stiles did, going out of his way to hire nurses for him.

"Laura offered to house Erica and Moon Moon when she picked us up from the ER. Until I can do more by myself." Derek rubbed at his tired eyes, only to curse when he managed to touch the bruised one because he forgot about it. "So yeah, I took her up on that." It was probably why Derek was also a little emotional, because the house was quiet even more. It was to protect Erica and to make sure Moon Moon was getting the walks and care he deserved. He for once had taken the help offered. Yay for him for making a big step. It sucked though and it didn't make him feel good.

Stiles sighed, hating to see Derek so stressed and miserable – and more than likely lonely too, especially now that he was alone in that big house.

"I was thinking that once you're mobile enough, you could join me on tour. I feel like it would be better for you and in extension to me too if you were with my team. We have a doctor and his assistant on tour with us all the time and there are additional ambulances at the venues as well, in case something happens. I'm not sure if this is something you'd want to do, but given that you're still off work for a while and I could hire a good physical therapist for you to join us on tour when you're due to start your PT, I think it'd be doable. What do you think? I mean... I hate to see you so down like this. I want to give you everything I can to help your recovery and see you happy again."

With the help of Marin Stiles came to terms with not being at fault for Derek's injury, since it was Theo's decision to attack him and hurt them both with that, even if Stiles was the reason Derek even knew that A-hole in the first place. He didn't feel guilt about that anymore, but he was worried. Not for himself or their relationship, because their love was going strong at this point, but because of Derek. He looked bad, and not just because of his facial injuries.

When Stiles suggested that, there was only a moment of hesitation where Derek thought that he'd be a bother for Stiles to have him around on tour. But then he realized that being there would most likely make the singer less worried. And it would make Derek feel a lot better to be with his husband. The question was more about if he was mobile enough right now. He could use crutches, it just took a lot of carefulness to not use his leg and not rest it on the floor for even a second. But if he travelled with his wheelchair too, he was pretty mobile. He had gotten handy with it.

"When can I be there?" Clearly Derek was pretty much ready to pack his bag and go when Stiles was okay with it. As his husband had pointed out, he didn't have work and he couldn't look after his fourteen year old or his dog. So he might as well go where he could be looked after so he could focus on getting better. "I don't have to be here, and having some time with you would be great." To watch Stiles do his thing, to be part of that life for a little bit and it would give him some insight as well, which would help them in the near future. "The press already spotted me with this face, so it's not like I have to wait for it to look better." Yeah, the next days it was going to look worse as the bruises set in, he knew that, so it didn't matter who saw him like this.

The singer was both surprised and not at all from Derek agreeing nearly immediately. He smiled and snorted lightly.

"I love the eagerness," he teased a bit, but the soft and loving expression he gave his lover betrayed how happy he really felt. "I'd love to have you here tomorrow too, but it'll take some organizing and logistics on Scott and Kira's part to get you and your stuff here and a lot of other things I'm sure I have no idea about. So give me and them a day or two to figure out at least the most important parts, okay? I really want you here and now I'm getting excited about it, but yeah... it'll take some organizing. But we'll make this work too, I promise."

"Yeah, okay." A few more days was fine, Derek could handle a few more days. And as he thought that, he remembered there were groceries coming tomorrow and he probably needed to make sure somebody would clean out the fridge before he left. "I'll do my best to not end up in the ER until then." There was this massive amount of relief he felt, knowing there was something to look forward to out of the mess Theo had created for them. The guy had ruined months of his life with that well-aimed kick, so he should at least get something out of it. "And I need to talk to Laura and Erica about this too. So a few days is good for both of us. Just promise me you don't go all mom on me when I'm there and you see my face for real."

"You know I can't promise you that, because you're my baby!" Stiles grinned then sighed. "God, I just want to hug you and cuddle with you so bad right now... I can't wait for you to catch up with us and be here with me for a longer time! I never had someone with me on tour like that and I want to show you so many things and places! It will be so different for me too to share the tour with you. Remember? I did promise you that I will take you around the world!" he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah I remember that, you're my true Aladdin." Derek doubted they'd go to many places in the beginning. There were the sound checks, the actual concerts, there was he, who couldn't do as much at the moment because of the pain. And it wasn't like he was going for any of that. "I just want to see you do your thing, that's all I want. You on stage." And not like last time where he was standing there like a fretting mother hen off to the side, worrying how Stiles was dealing with the withdrawals and what his state of mind was. No, now he could stand there and take in the glory of his husband being in his element there.

"You'll get plenty of that. You'll even know the lyrics of my songs by heart and you'll actually get bored with the shows and me," he grinned again. "And with the kisses I'll steal in-between songs!"

That was something Stiles was definitely going to do. And seeing Derek less miserable already fired his brain up to come up with things he'll dump on his poor husband now that Stiles will be a much more pleasant company than last time when he was not in the best shape. And yes, he was going to mother hen the shit out of Derek and at least shoot death glares at anyone who dares to come near him or bother him about anything. The crew will kinda hate him for getting into super boss mode, but he didn't care, because Derek was coming on tour with him!

"I'll never get bored with you," Derek objected. It was amazing how this one call made him feel better on an otherwise dark day. And he was glad that he had to call thanks to the press, to prepare Stiles. He wouldn't have had this talk then, and he'd still be feeling incredibly bad. "I need some sleep, babe. Sorry. Call me tomorrow when you're done with the show? I want to hear all about it." Derek knew Scott was going to call him about the flight, that's how it usually went anyways since Scott handled all that like the pro he was. "Just a few more days."

"Of course, go sleep. I should too. It was a long day. And I'll call you and talk your ear off until you get here and then I'll continue and test that 'never getting bored with you' theory of yours," he chuckled low then made a kissy face, smacking a few kisses towards the screen, hoping to make Derek laugh or at least smile a bit. "Love you. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!"

"You can bite instead," he murmured as he fought to not fall asleep with the call still active. Derek managed to get an "I love you" in before ending the call and setting the phone on the nightstand. His face throbbed, his knee hurt, yet he felt a whole lot better when he gave into the pull of sleep. In a few more days, he could see Stiles again, and he didn't have to worry about being a bother here, or worry about being alone and messing it up.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18 – Forever and Always

“Whoa-oh-oh
Forget about the shit that we've been through
I want to stay here forever and always
Whoa-oh-oh
Standing here in front of all of you
I want to stay here forever and always”

(BFMV – Forever and Always )

The days leading up to Derek joining the tour were utter chaos in the organizing sense, but Stiles' team was seasoned and consisted of pros at that point, so while Scott and Kira focused on ironing out all the details from accommodation to tickets and the medical care Derek would need, Stiles could focus on the sound checks, interviews (those were back now that he was sober), the concerts and also his nightly calls with Derek. Although now he tried to call him more frequently, knowing that he was home alone with the nurse and to update him with all the new details he knew about from Scott.

Then on the day Derek was finally arriving, Stiles was a ball of nerves and excitement. At the airport he himself wanted to go to the gate to welcome his husband, but Scott advised against it even if he wore some disguise. So instead Stiles was sitting on the backseat of a big black SUV, holding a hand-made sign with "Der-bear" and a heart on it, hoping that once Boyd opened the door for Derek, he'd see him sitting there holding said sign and appreciate the surprise of him actually being there at least in the car.

Derek had learned a little from Stiles about 'disguises', so he donned a basketball cap and a hoodie, but it didn't do much to hide his face. Especially not because the wheelchair and crutches already garnered attention. Funny how he looked actually pitiful enough for fans to not dare ask for a selfie. They just hugged him and asked for an autograph. Something that still baffled him because what would they do with that anyways? He was just a history teacher.

The flight itself went fine, the crew on the plane had been alerted by his wheelchair and crutches and they helped him settle in and back out of the plane as well. It was a little disappointing to see Boyd waiting for him at the gate, although he understood it pretty well. The security risks and the attention he garnered just by being there wasn't worth the little moment of them hugging. Instead Boyd slapped him on the shoulder after inspecting his face and giving a shake of his head.

Just as he was helping him get into the car by opening the door for him and handing him the crutches, Derek was surprised by Stiles being there after all!

"I didn't think you'd be here!" Finishing hoisting himself into the car, he smiled at Stiles. The singer was looking even better in person.

"Well, I wanted to go inside with Boyd, but everyone thought it would be better not to, so I could make only this work. I hope you like the surprise." The singer slightly waved the sign he had made then unceremoniously dropped it on the car's floor. The next second he was on his husband, tattooed arms around him and burying his face into the warm neck, taking deep breaths from the beloved scent. "I've missed you so much, babe. I'm so happy you are finally here!" he murmured and pulled back only enough to kiss him silly.

"I'm so happy that sign didn't leave the car," Derek laughed, because yeah, of course the whole Der-bear nickname was something that was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. Thanks, Cora. However, Stiles was forgiven pretty quickly thanks to the kisses.

"Okay, ow, careful with the kisses by my lips." It took three days to get the ticket and him here. But Stiles has been on tour for a couple of weeks already so yeah, the distance was felt for sure. "I'm happy to be here, beats the house with the nurse, even though they were really nice. But they weren't you."

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just happy and excited to see you!" Stiles pulled back enough to look Derek in the eyes.

"That's an understatement," Boyd could be heard from the front.

"Shut up and drive, moron!" Stiles snorted good-natured, not taking his eyes off Derek and continued on a much softer tone. "Your face looks a bit better every day," he said and reached out to gently stroke the uninjured side of said face with one hand just when the car began moving. "How are you? Are you in pain? Are you hungry? Do you want to cuddle and take a nap with me in the hotel before sound check?" he babbled.

"Definitely an understatement," Derek deadpanned at all those questions thrown at him, amusement lacing his voice, and Boyd was heard sniggering at that. It was going to be strange to live in hotel rooms and a tour bus for months, but that didn't really phase him. He was adventurous, didn't mind where he slept. As long as he was with Stiles, it was fine for him.

His hand rested on his husband's leg who was still plastered against him, giving the black jeans soft strokes with his thumb. "Cuddling and a nap sounds perfect. I've been waiting to have you in my arms again for way too long." Who even needed food when Stiles was offering cuddles in bed? Only the insane ones, that's what!

"Aw, you're such a sweet-talker!" Stiles grinned from ear-to-ear, a part of him glad but also missing Erica's usual gagging sounds when the two of them were all lovey-dovey with each other. "Okay, room service and then cuddling and napping it is!" he nodded, deciding that it would be good for both of them to put some food into their stomachs. "The others are happy to have you too. Scott and Kira likes you a lot, actually. Even Boyd does," the singer added.

"He's alright," they heard the nonchalant and calm voice from the front, but it only made Stiles grin wider.

"Don't mind him, he's just shy," he teased then continued with his word vomit like so often. "I'm also going to talk your ear off about how things go during a tour, introduce you to some people and leave you to breathe only when I have to do interviews. You're always welcome to join me on some of them once you feel up to that, but no pressure. I can handle them much easier now that I've been sober for nearly three months now. They keep me busy. The interviews, I mean. And we'll eat all the good food at the hotels and eat junk food on the bus. That'll be a bit crammed, but don't worry, there's a ramp to help you avoid climbing the stairs. The back of the bus is my domain and it'll be a bit cramped, but cozy enough for the two of us. Like a love nest. The others follow on other buses and whatnot, so we can get loud too, if we want to," he wiggled his brows suggestively.

"I didn't want Erica to hear us, but the rest I don't care about. They can buy earplugs." So yeah, they'd get busy even if the unfortunate friends weren't in another bus. Though he got it why one bus wasn't enough with all the instruments, people and being on the road all the time. Everybody needed their private time. Taking Stiles' hand, he kissed the back of it. Because between the rambling he heard something that deserved attention. "I'm proud of you, three months sober is huge. And if you want to go to an AA meeting together, I'll be there."

That same promise he couldn't make for the interviews, although he knew he should at least be part of one. He had avoided the press since the attack, but it was better to get that over with. Especially now that he was with Stiles again and was going to be presented with the press even more than usual. "Same for all the food plans. I'll gain so much weight and I don't even care." Now that he couldn't work out, it was bound to happen. Not that he’s been overweight ever in his life, but who knows. He was all for good food and bad junk food. "Just make sure you'll feed me my sweets too."

Stiles blew a raspberry at that. "DUH! I know what my man likes, so of course, babe," he grinned and squeezed Derek's hand that was still holding his after the hand kiss. "And you won't get overweight, I'll make sure we move it off in bed and on walks too once you can move around easier. Not to mention that in case you have to start physical therapy while you're still with us on tour, that'll count as a workout on its own. By the way, how's the knee? I hope you could stretch your leg out on the plane. This car ride won't take that long, so I hope it won't be too uncomfortable for you," he looked down at the leg in question.

They tried to think of everything, hence why Derek traveled in first class to have more room to prop his leg up, but unfortunately, although roomy, this hired car didn't have enough space to do the same.

Right, the whole honesty pact. Because the first instinct was to tell Stiles he was fine, and he didn't voice that. "I'll be happy to get some horizontal time for it." At times he wanted to get the damned brace off, to be able to get some time to touch his skin and not have the brace limit him. But he knew it was important to keep it immobile, it was designed so he could even shower with it so yeah, he wouldn't take it off. That meant the relief was from stretching it, putting it a little higher. "I packed my heat pack, that'll help too."

The last thing he wanted was to pop the heavier pain pills, because he'd miss out on the sound check and the show. Not on their first day together. "The crew on the plane was really nice, they put me in the front so I had all the room." No seat in front of him and plenty of pillows so he could stretch it out on this table they had to remove before landing. "The food is really nice first class too, the snacks don't compare to coach." Maybe he could get a little used to all this pampering, he sure wasn't before.

"Good. You deserve all the best from everything. After all, what kind of sugar daddy would I be if I didn't make sure you got all the good stuff?" he lightly teased and this time it was Stiles who lifted Derek's hand in his to press a kiss against the back of it, whiskey-brown eyes sparkling with amusement and happiness that he was finally there. "And don't worry, we'll get you horizontal the second we get to the hotel. I've told everyone to just leave us alone for as much as possible today because you had to travel and need your beauty nap."

Of course, it was another tease, but there was truth in that in the sense that Stiles knew the circus was going to be very different for Derek. Nothing like the quiet loneliness of an empty house, but quite the opposite. Loud, colorful and most of the time being on the move in one way or the other.

Just then Boyd drove to the entrance of an underground parking garage, which meant they arrived at the hotel, luckily avoiding fans and the press alike, so Derek's arrival could be under wraps for at least a few more hours. Until they had to go to the venue, they had a few hours just for their own.

There was the wheelchair and there were the crutches, and this time Derek took the last option, because he was going to have to get used to Stiles' fast-paced life. He was well aware of that. Though he had only been part of it for a few days months ago, it had given him a good first glimpse of what the hectic life on the road looked like for a rock star. Hooking the crutches under his arms, Derek exhaled a few times, catching the way Boyd was hovering not far with the wheelchair and his bag. "Let me at least try to get to the elevator on these. It's not far right?"

Boyd gave Derek a look that said, nope, he wasn't that lucky. Oh well, he'd still give it a shot. The thought that he was able to stretch out soon kept him going, because he was stubborn like that. "I think I need more than a few hours for a beauty sleep, maybe like a week this time." It was a light joke, he mostly meant his face which was purple and dark-blue now but the swelling has gone down considerably.

To distract himself, he decided to keep talking. "I was thinking I'd join you for one interview, to get the whole attack out of the way. I know you've been fending it all off for me by yourself."

Of course, Stiles was clever enough not to baby Derek, knowing that there were going to be things that he wanted to do himself. Like the seemingly simple task of getting to the elevator with the help of his crutches. And even if the wheelchair would've been easier and faster, Stiles wasn't going to butt in into that decision, but was glad that Boyd was keeping close just in case.

Instead the singer beamed at Derek with a proud look and shrugged his shoulder as they began their slow walk towards their goal. "It's fine, you know I'm good at dodging questions I don't want to answer. Besides everyone knows by now what had happened. It was all over the gossip magazines and social media and whatnot. But if you want to tell your side of the story or your thoughts, I'm more than happy to have you on my side. You know that. So it can be arranged whenever you'll be ready," he promised as he was keeping the pace with his hands leisurely in his green hoodie's pockets. The hood and a pair of black sunglasses were up despite them being underground and the 'disguise' outfit was complete with a worn pair of black jeans and a pair of green Converse sneakers.

Derek still thought the disguise wasn't working, because it was obviously Stiles to him, but his wheelchair drew the attention more to him, so he was pretty sure the hoodie and cap actually did keep Stiles from being spotted. It was so ridiculously easy and yet it seemed to help without having to do extra things to keep themselves hidden. He wasn't wearing sunglasses though, so his disguise wasn't as complete as that of his husband.

"You know I'll never be ready," Derek shot back with a chuckle, pretending he wasn't as out of shape because yeah, the whole hobbling along with crutches when he had to keep his leg elevated from the floor at all times made him feel it way sooner. Who even needed a workout? All they needed were crutches and keeping a limb off the floor. Was that elevator on the other end of the continent? Finally, just when he was about to admit defeat, he saw it and as Stiles pressed the button, he leaned against the wall, pretending to be casual about it.

As if they all didn't know how relieved he was to soon being inside their hotel room. Boyd put his bag in a chair while Derek got comfortable on the bed right away.

"How much time do we have before we have to leave?"

Pretending that he didn't notice how tiring this short trip was for Derek (and wisely not commenting on it either), Stiles thanked Boyd then kicked off his shoes and took the sunglasses off so he could climb on the bed on the other side. It wasn't as huge as the one they had at home, but it was comfortable and big enough.

Fishing his phone out from his front pocket, Stiles checked the time then placed it on the nightstand. "Around four hours, thanks to your plane not getting delayed," he smirked and looked Derek over. "All comfy? You wanna eat or just kiss and cuddle until we fall asleep for that nap?"

Ah that was more time than Derek thought they'd have, which was nice. He probably needed like an hour or so to sleep and feel ready to go, maybe two at the most. That still left them with two hours. "We can eat first, because I have a feeling we'll wake up late and then won't have the time." He checked his phone which he dug out from the pocket of his hoodie before putting that on the nightstand. "I'll take that kiss first, though." Derek wasn't sure how room service worked. Was it that they could order whatever they wanted or was there a menu to pick from? Either way, having food brought to the room was extravagant and a nice luxury. Eating-wise he was very easy, so he was sure the hotel had something they'd both enjoy.

"I like the way you think, Mr. Hale," Stiles' grin was instantly back and he leaned in for said kiss, but paused just before their lips touched. "And we can get more kisses while waiting for our food too. Which is a bonus," he informed Derek then finally kissed him. It was less heated than their kisses so often got. This time it was like greeting and welcoming the other home, just appreciating being together again and letting the other feel loved and needed too.

If anyone asked him, Stiles would say this was one of the best kisses they ever had, because once again everything seemed to fall back in place, everything was right again in the universe.

Now that Derek was stretched out, the discomfort of the car was gone and he could give it all to Stiles. His attention and simply enjoying the kissing. Of course it wasn't just one kiss, moderation was not something they were good at. But after a while almost reluctantly he pulled away.

"How about you order something so we can get cozy under the blankets?" The heating was on, so the room was a very nice temperature, but nothing beat getting comfortable under the sheets. And of course the room wasn't a cheap one so the bed was so very nice and soft.

"I can only repeat my previous statement," Stiles chuckled low and stole one quicker peck before rolling to the other side to get the hotel's menu from the far end of that nightstand. Once he was under the cover with Derek, he read out all the choices then placed the order through the room's phone.

The second he hung up, Stiles was snuggling back against his husband, just staring at him with the softest and most love-filled look. "I can't believe you're really here. I could only hope that one day you'd join the tour for longer than a weekend. But you're here. I know it's not about me this time, but you have no idea what this means to me. To share this part of my life with you and at the same time helping you cope and heal and all that."

It has never been part of the plan for Derek to be able to stay for longer than a weekend. While Stiles was on tour, Derek had his job and of course Erica. So yeah, Stiles had no doubt accepted that, but has secretly been hoping for it anyways. It was a saddening thought, the secret wish being fulfilled because he was incapable of taking care of himself while injured. However, he focused on the bright side of it, because as Stiles said it, he was able to experience his husband's life in a way he wouldn't be able to otherwise.

"It's about you too. It's about us. We didn't plan for this, but at least we can make the most of it." It would have been better to experience it when he was healthy but yeah, it was exciting to see this, to see Stiles in his element. "I don't even know what touring all entails." Or what Stiles' team did and how many people were involved in it.

"You'll learn it pretty quickly that it's being nearly always on the move, having to share space with others even when you'd prefer to be left alone and just breathe, but there are good sides of it too," Stiles smiled, running his fingers through Derek's hair, just to feel and let it sink in that he really was there. "Like enjoying good music, see the happiness on fans' faces, let loose, meet interesting and sometimes famous people, getting pampered at hotel rooms and stuff like that," he shrugged. "And now I can share all of that with you," he leaned in to steal another soft kiss before looking into Derek's eyes again. "Just tell me if it gets overwhelming or if you feel too tired or in pain to tag along. I'll understand and let you rest, okay? Your health comes first."

"There might be days like that. Especially when I start PT, but I hope not too many of them." Derek smiled at the way Stiles was all over him, which was the best part of the day for him. To be able to snuggle up and wait for the room service to bring them food. "Just don't think you have to entertain me all the time. I'm here to accompany you and get hotel-pampered." There was a snigger at that, since he wasn't used to it at all, the whole being taken care of thing. Maybe it was easier to swallow that after already having Stiles doing that and now they were on the road so much it made it easier. "To be able to have all this time with you is a huge gift."

"I agree," Stiles grinned and pushed himself up on his elbow to be able to lean over Derek more comfortably. "And you'll get pampered more than you can handle," he promised, his grin turning lopsided. "Starting with more kissing until the food arrives," the singer announced then leaned down to do just that, letting them get lost in the other through the lazy but deep kisses and wandering hands.

Not much later a slightly disheveled and red-lipped Stiles generously tipped the blushing guy at the door then served up their late lunch in bed so they could finally eat.

Still, the snuggling and more kissing before that nap was the best part of the afternoon. Then unfortunately they had to go to sound check, but Stiles only had to get there towards the end since most of the things were adjusted and set by the roadies. He only had to sing like three songs. So most of his focus was on Derek, who was watching him from the side of the stage. It didn't take long, because the setting up was done perfectly, so Stiles only had to make sure it all sounded good enough for him.

There were no fans present, just Stiles and his people working as the singer warmed up his vocal cords. It wasn't as private as when Stiles played on the piano for Derek, but it was still a one-on-one show. Obviously the younger one thought the same because his attention was all on Derek while he performed the three songs. It made him beam proudly as he was sitting there in the wheelchair.

The nap had helped with the strain his body had been put through, but it was easier for Derek to navigate through the chaos of backstage with the wheelchair where his leg was outstretched. He knew they'd have dinner in a restaurant close by or have it be brought to the venue. Sometimes before the concert there were meet and greets fans had paid for and there didn't seem to be that much time. Because while the guest band played, or whatever it was called, Stiles would get dressed and do his makeup and all that.

Seeing his husband perform in his normal clothes, feel at home on that stage, it was probably one of the best sights to see. The way that small human being was standing there and enjoying himself. When he came bouncing back to Derek, he pulled his husband close to him. “You're so sexy on stage."

"Oh yeah?" Stiles grinned at Derek pleased as he was bent over the wheelchair with his hands on the armrests of it so his face could get close to his husband's. "Wait until I play things up during the actual show. I'll shake my hips and ass just for you," he winked mischievously then kissed Derek shamelessly while people were running around them to make sure all was set for the show in a few hours.

To spare Derek from more moving around and exposing him to the fans right away, they mostly hung back first in the common area backstage where there was a buffet with a ton of food. Stiles made plates for them and they ate dinner with Scott, Kira and some of the roadies and technicians Stiles introduced to Derek.

At one point Kira informed them that some of the fans already knew Derek was there, but it didn't concern the couple. They spent the rest of the remaining time back in Stiles' dressing room, chatting about this and that and while getting ready, Stiles also explained the schedule for the rest of the night – a quick meet and greet, an interview, the show and then heading back to the hotel for some shut eye before they were going to move on with the tour buses around 10 am the next day.

Derek wasn’t present on the meet and greet, because that was something between the fans and their idol. He used the time to call Erica before the show would be in full swing and she'd be in bed. It also made him feel better, knowing she was doing great, and that meant he felt less guilty for sitting there, watching the show unfold. As if he was doing something he wasn't supposed to do or something. It was a silly thought, because he did the whole being alone thing and it didn’t go that well.

True to his words, the singer was on fire on stage that night. Fueled by Derek's presence, which he did announce proudly after the first song he had performed. Also, more than once he found himself half-turning towards his love while singing and playing on his guitar. And at one point he did throw his leather-jacket towards him just to shake his ass and move his lean body suggestively. Needless to say, it drove the audience crazy.

Stiles was giving it his all, clearly loving the fact that Derek was there, the fans sometimes screaming for him to get on stage. But that wasn't something he was up for given his current state. Nope. Instead they were going to have to be content with knowing that he was there in the shadows, watching.

He ended up with the leather jacket draped over his lap comfortably, Boyd keeping him company. They didn't talk, that was impossible, but they didn't need to either. They were wearing their crew passes around their necks and got the free show. Kira and Scott went back to the hotel after the interview to no doubt grab some private time now that they could. They worked nearly 24/7 on tour so they deserved it.

Before Derek knew it, the show was over and Stiles was back again, leaning over his wheelchair. Only this time he was sweaty and high on adrenaline from performing. "I think I'll be wearing your jacket like people did in high school," Derek said.

The sweaty singer looked positively delighted by that and laughed loud and happy, clearly all pumped up from an energetic and successful show. "I love the sound of that, although it might be a tiny bit tight on your broad shoulders," he said, eyeing said body parts and the muscular arms. Derek wasn't much wider than him, but he was a few inches taller and did pack more muscles, which made him look bigger.

"In exchange I might borrow one of your shirts to wear during sleep or while traveling," Stiles winked and kissed Derek again, but this was more passionate than the one during sound check. "We should go get back to my dressing room. I'm gross and desperately need a shower," he said once the kiss ended, motioning towards his drenched sleeveless black shirt that showed off a lot of his tattoos.

"We're heading back to the hotel in half an hour," Boyd informed them and Stiles rolled his sparkling eyes at him, hearing the warning in his voice.

"Chill, Boyd. I might be pumped from the energy of the crowd and the show, but we won't get the naughty on back there," he huffed and before the bodyguard could, Stiles took the handles of the wheelchair to start rolling Derek back to said room. "Maybe just a little bit," he added as an afterthought, making Boyd sigh.

"He'll behave!" Derek called back to Boyd who was very skeptical, if the 'uh-huh' was anything to go by. He'd say they didn't have the time, but Stiles could be pretty quick with his showers so yeah, that wouldn't be true. It was late though and no doubt Boyd wanted to get some rest so the Hale glanced at the time and vowed he was going to make sure Stiles was going to be ready in half an hour.

Once they were in the dressing room, Derek motioned towards the door where the bathroom was. "Go shower, because you really do need one." Stiles was wet from sweat and sure wet was a nice look but not knowing that it all was transpiration. Workout sweat was so much worse than sex sweat in his opinion. "No touching me until you're all clean, you filthy animal."

"So basically you're saying I stink???" Stiles made a shocked face then unceremoniously dropped his drenched sleeveless shirt on the floor somewhere to the left of him, knowing that crew would pick it up and wash it with his other filthy clothes, which he proceeded to get out of right in front of his husband without any shame. Because why wouldn't he? They've been living together for long months by that point and had seen each other stark naked.

"You know, the front you put on when I'm all nekkkid like this is for no avail. I know you like what you see," the singer flaunted towards the tiny bathroom all confident and fired up by the show and grabbed a clean towel on his way, leaving the door open as he finally got under the shower.

"You're still a filthy animal!" Derek shot back at him over the sound of the running shower. Of course, Stiles laughed from the shower from that remark, but he was too busy cleaning himself up as fast as he could to react more. They both knew if Derek could, he would join that shower and no doubt make the singer be later than the half hour Boyd gave them. Instead he grabbed the leather jacket to see if Stiles was right about it being too tight on him. It wasn't that bad now that he hasn't been able to work out for months and keep down a lot of food at first. It wasn't made for him, that was for sure, but he could get away with wearing it.

So Derek was all smug as he leaned back in the chair and rolled it over to the makeup area to pack up Stiles' little kit. They had to go on tour tomorrow, so he might as well help the staff clean up a little. Looking at the eyeliner, he suddenly grinned and tried to apply it on himself as best as he could. Since he was wearing the jacket, he might as well Stiles-style himself a little more.

By the time the singer came out with the towel rubbing his damp hair and a mostly already dried naked body, his eyes widened.

"Oh my god! This is hilarious!" he exclaimed seeing his seated husband with the discarded leather-jacket and the... let's face it, badly applied eyeliner. "I really, reeeeally have to take a pic of this," Stiles said and not bothered by his nakedness, he dropped his used towel near the pile of used clothes and picked up his phone from the vanity table to snap a quick pic of the sight. "You... wow, I don't even have a word for how you look like right now," he giggled and sent the pic only to Erica with the instruction not to share it on social media.

"I wanted to look sexy like you." Which he clearly failed at because Stiles was laughing his ass off instead of deeming him stylish. "It looks easier than it really is." Was he pouting? Maybe a little. But he wasn't a rock star so it made sense it was something that should be done by Stiles alone. He couldn't go out of the room like this, but he didn't spot any stuff to clean it. Well, he could just hide his face in his hands and claim he was tired. Maybe it was also because of his bruised face, he looked even more like he was a wreck now.

"I'm so glad I didn't try the nail polish. I don't think that would have gone any better." Nope, he'd have all black fingers with it sticking everywhere and the nails ruined. He wasn't good at it like Stiles was, who'd skillfully do his own nails.

"Aw, babe. If you wanna, I can do your nails and eyeliner and buy you a hot leather-jacket, something like mine. I think it'd suit you well. And then you could roleplay as another successful rock star or me and I could be your twink biggest fan," he wiggled his brows as he jumped into a fresh pair of boxer briefs then pulled out a small bag from his stuff to produce some makeup remover wet wipes.

"You look hot no matter what, but would look even hotter with black nails and in leather," he purred with a lopsided smirk, leaning over Derek to start gently removing the eyeliner. "Also, your attempt to look more like me definitely earned you a handjob back at the hotel," he grinned and with the clean part of the wipe he finished removing the remnants of his own eyeliner too (well, most of it, because it needed a few days to fully come off) before tossing it into the trash and continued dressing.

"I like you better as my hot twink husband." Clearly Derek hasn't done this to roleplay, he hasn't even thought about it. It was a seduction attempt, which luckily didn't fail as much as he thought it could. It was kind of funny how much he loved Stiles with or without eyeliner. It all looked good on him. But this look where he was rosy from a warm shower, freshly scrubbed clean and in comfortable clothes was the best. It made him think of them hanging out in bed, or a day together on the couch without any shows or interviews or any fame.

Reaching out, he pulled Stiles close to him, to his side which wasn't injured and puckered his lips, demanding a kiss. "I love you." He hasn't said it enough today, he was a few I love yous short, but he'd make up for it later.

Beaming all happy and warm on the inside, Stiles obediently leaned down. "I love you too, babe. So much. And I'm so happy you're here," he confessed then gently took Derek's face between his hands – making sure to avoid the bruising – and gave him his kiss. And it didn't lack the love or passion he felt for this man. He was just... so perfect for Stiles. He already felt much more grounded and stronger in his resolve of not drinking just from having him around, even if Derek's injury made a few things tricky for a while.

"What was your favorite part of the show?" he asked a bit breathless once the passionate kiss was over. God, how badly he wanted to put his hands all over his husband! But he knew he couldn't yet, because Boyd was going to knock on the door in a couple of minutes to collect them. Still, the half-dressed singer stayed bent over, hands on the sides of Derek's face and mouth stealing short kisses from him.

Derek gave a naughty smirk at the question. "Your ass-shaking."

Of course Boyd had the unfortunate timing to knock and right away open the door, seeing a half-naked Stiles leaning over the wheelchair and catching the husband's last words. "Aw hell no. I said half an hour, can't you two behave for half an hour?" The bodyguard didn't even wait for an answer, he grabbed Derek's wheelchair as he pointed at Stiles. "You get dressed! I'm taking the temptation away from you."

Derek was useless anyways. He was too busy laughing his ass off from getting scolded and the whole timing of it all. The one time they had behaved and it still didn't seem like it. So he didn't even protest when he was wheeled out of the room, his laughter following since it was loud.

***

"Sorry for being a bit raspy tonight, guys," Stiles murmured into the microphone, one hand holding the neck of his blood red electric guitar and the other a pick and the mic on the stand. "I could say I've got a little bit of the cold, but truth is... it's the BJ I just gave to my hot husband backstage," he said with a shit-eating grin, strumming a dramatic chord on his guitar for fun.

The crowd went crazy with the screaming as they started playing the second song.

It was also true. This venue was an important one, playing it two nights in a row and then having four days off to rest a bit before moving along with the tour, giving them some time to sight see as well. And before such big shows Stiles always got super hyper and nervous and to distract and calm himself down a bit, he indeed gave a hot blow job to Derek on the brown leather couch in his dressing room.

It was very evident that having his husband on tour with him was good for the singer. Critics and fans wrote rave reviews of his shows, which were better than ever to the point that they were nearly overwhelming to the audience. Stiles was happy and in love and doing what he loved to do the most, even if it sometimes left him so exhausted that he was asleep even before his head hit the pillow either on the bus or in a hotel room. But one only had to look at his energetic form, playful antics, comments and sparkling eyes on stage to see the stark difference between the shows on the last tour leg and this.

Derek's eyes widened and he got this distinct deer in the headlights look, even though he was standing at the side on his crutches. He flushed a deep red and hoped nobody could see him, because it felt like he was standing there naked or something. "Oh my god, Stiles!" Not that his husband could hear him, he was happily singing the song, beaming like the tease he was while Derek heard the laughs coming from the crew behind him.

"Can't leave you two alone ever," Boyd complained next to him, who was lounging in his wheelchair, ready to be used in case Derek needed it. Not that it was needed. Derek’s been practicing with the crutches, and now was able to use them for much longer. And it was a good workout as well. His physical therapy was starting next week with the professional Stiles had hired to travel with them, which should speed up his recovery.

Derek was also wearing the leather jacket Stiles got him, a size bigger than his own which did fit him way better. It was nearly identical, though. The nail polish wasn't something he could be swayed to try and his clothing was just as he wore it when he wasn't teaching. Simple jeans, a simple T-shirt or sweater and big boots. For some reason it worked well with the leather jacket, it didn't look like he was pretending anything. He looked like he belonged as he hobbled along with the energetic singer as they went about the daily schedule of the tour. Derek wasn't as useful and there were days he was holed up in bed because the schedule was grueling. However, his job was to keep Stiles happy and in that he succeeded!

The crew has grown fond of him as well, they were all more like a family and had embraced him when they saw how Stiles blossomed around him. In turn Derek did the same. The bruises faded, he was eating an absurd amount of food and started looking better. He missed his daughter, but he wasn't going to have to miss her or his crazy dog for much longer. Erica was coming for a weekend and was bringing Moon Moon so he could stay with Derek and Stiles. It was crazy how much Derek had gotten used to life on the road. And how easily he fitted in.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you are with your leather jacket and crutches and blushes?" Stiles asked his man once they were finally back in their hotel room (yay for that instead of the back of the tour bus!) as he carelessly dropped his own jacket on the floor once the door locked behind them.

Of course, he too was excited about Erica and Moon Moon and also Laura (the chaperone) coming to visit them in the last two days of their break, but until then Stiles had some much appreciated alone time with Derek.

It's been a wild ride, like always when on tour, but it was much better with his husband around all the time. Stiles loved it so fucking much, and he didn't stop voicing that over and over during the weeks. Not that he wanted to influence Derek, it was just stating the facts.

After kicking his boots and socks off, the barefooted singer in ripped black jeans and a simple olive green T-shirt approached his man with the crutches so he could wrap his arms around him, pressing his slender body against his. It was a very successful night and he kept shaking his ass for his husband on purpose during the whole show after his BJ comment to the crowd.

"You weren't supposed to see me blush, oh god. They all saw me blush, didn't they?" Of course they did, it was typical. And Stiles was the cause of that! It was a little late to complain about it, because they were in the hotel and the show was long over. But he had no doubt it was all over the internet how Stiles announced the blowjob. People were so obsessed with their sex life, it was kind of ridiculous.

"Well, to be frank, you kept blushing during the evening more than once, so yeah, probably they saw you doing that," Stiles chuckled amused.

"How about we move to the bed so I can get rid of the crutches and look less sexy, but more comfortable?" Derek pressed his lips against those of his husband with a soft smile. "Because there's something I need to talk to you about." His tone was light and didn't indicate that it was something bad to talk about, and his face didn't give it away either. It was a complete mystery, on purpose.

After the kiss Stiles raised a brow curiously. "Huh, that sounds intriguing... Let's do that. Just let me get the pants off," he said and quickly thumbed the jeans open to shimmy out of it so he could climb on the bed in his tee and briefs. He waited patiently until Derek did the same, although much more slower, Stiles tucking them both in and nuzzling up to his husband's side once Derek was comfortable too. "Soooo... what's up? You sound so mysterious. Is everything okay?"

Derek took Stiles' hand, entwining their fingers together. "These weeks with you have been amazing. Despite my knee and the pain, it's been the happiest I've been in a while. And I know these tours will happen because it's part of your career, of your talent and your life. You know I always support your career all the way, so I won't stop you from the tours."

There was definitely a ‘but’ coming there, so he didn't pause for too long. "But the idea of us being apart during the future tours fills me with dread. So I resigned. I want to work for you so we never have to be apart again. I looked into online schooling for Erica if she wants that, so we can be a family on the road. I mean, if you want it." It was a lot to process, Derek knew. There was one fact about this all, and that was that Stiles was so much happier when he was around too. So it seemed to be completely ridiculous to have them both be miserable when they didn't need to be.

Stiles expected many things coming out of Derek's mouth – like wanting to go home, expressing how tiring touring was for him, especially while injured, and in the deepest and darkest part of his mind even Derek wanting to take a break, but not this! This was... completely unexpected and shocking, which showed on the singer's face too as he sat up straighter and stared at Derek in utter disbelief. So he just sat there in bed while holding Derek's hand, blinking at him in shock for a good thirty seconds.

"What? I mean... what?! Are you... are you... You are really serious about this, aren't you?" he gaped. "I mean... I saw that despite all you enjoyed the tour so far, but... are you sure? Are you really sure? And Erica? I mean... now you've really got a taste of how my life on tour is. Are you absolutely sure you and Erica and Moon Moon would want this? Being always on the move like this?" he slightly frowned. It was doable, sure. Some musicians traveled the world with their families like this, but Stiles would've never dreamed of asking Derek and their daughter to do this on the long run. Usually people loved the comfort of their home and the steadiness it offered them and most would choose to get back there once they grew tired of basically living like a nomad for long months. So no wonder he was shocked that Derek apparently has been thinking about this quite a bit.

"Moon Moon is happiest when he's with me, so he'll be fine with us. We only have to work around his fear of stairs, but I'm sure that's doable. Erica, I don't know. We'll have to talk to her and Laura about it." Derek didn't want to assume for his adopted daughter, yet he knew her well enough that she might jump at the chance of being with them. Which wouldn't be as glamorous for her, because she needed structure thanks to her disease. And as hectic as this tour life was, it surprisingly had a lot of structure.

He gave the hand a squeeze, nodding slowly as Stiles digested it all in his head. "I'm happiest with you, you're happiest with me. I'm sure we can find me something useful to do once I'm recovered. Some form of job so I can support Erica." That was the only thing he hasn't fully worked out in his head, the whole income part. He wanted to have his own, because he didn't want Stiles to think he had to pay for him in everything. Being a teacher in a high school was a badly paying job, so whatever they'd find for him couldn't be worse.

Stiles just sat there rendered speechless, which was a rare occurrence for him and Derek managed to do that to him a few times before, but mostly just in bed – well, in an intimate setting not just sitting there like this.

"Uhm... Wow! This is quite the shock. Not that I don't want you or Erica on tour, this just... kinda came from out of the blue for me," he murmured, his free hand rubbing his forehead. "Well... from the top of my head, you could do like online courses about history. Either for your students or students from university. I remember you enjoyed teaching classes there despite being ogled on. Or you could do that in YouTube videos, starting a history themed channel. I'm sure there'll be an audience for that since you're famous now too. It'd pull viewers in. And you also wouldn't have to deal with people looking at your fine ass," he chuckled low. "That's my privilege. But either way, I don't want you to give up your passion, a big part of who you are for me and this crazy life. Sure, we can find you some work, if that's what you want, but I want you to also do your real passions too. History and teaching," Stiles said, freeing his hand so he could cup the healed face with it, stroking Derek's short beard.

He couldn't help making a face at the idea of becoming some YouTube star. That wasn't happening, no way. Derek didn't want to be with Stiles so he could become famous, that sort of just happened. He was just fine trying to stay out of the focus of the press, and being some influencer or whatever they called it wasn't his thing. "We'll see. Besides, I can have more passions. Life changed and I changed with it, history isn't going anywhere, it's not like it'll change." He'd talk to Scott about it, he'd know what kind of jobs were open. For now he wasn't going to do any kind of working, he'd focus on healing first.

Leaning into the hand, he closed his eyes briefly, letting the moment soak in. "I already quit my job so you're stuck with me anyways. Gotta support your deadbeat husband."

Stiles chuckled at that, slightly shaking his head. "You keep surprising me, Mr. Hale," he sighed and leaned in to kiss his man. "But don't worry, sugar daddy will take good care of you. I promise," he winked before another kiss.

The fact that Derek had already quit the job he loved so much for this... it was blowing Stiles' mind. They were probably going to talk more about this and the singer was already dead set on not letting the history thing slip. He knew that was Derek's biggest passion. And if not doing it on YouTube or other platforms, then he could always set up pre-recorded courses on some professional site for money on the side while working with Stiles' team too. It was something else, he knew, they were going to figure out.

"You make me so happy," he blurted out right into the kiss, feeling a bit overwhelmed by his love for this man.

"That's my job as sugar baby, right?" Derek chuckled into the kiss. Of course it was his job as the husband to make Stiles happy as much as he could. He was for sure married to a sugar daddy now with having no job or a house. Yet it didn't bother him at all, because seeing Stiles this happy, this relaxed and grounded, it was worth everything. "You're worth more than I could ever give you. You've changed my life, for the better."

Stiles seemed to be more worried about Derek's career than Derek himself was. Life changed, he was fine with that and he was positive he could make himself useful. He'd only have to convince Stiles of it. His hand tangled into the soft locks. "How about you take good care of me right now?"

"Yeah? You want that?" he grinned against Derek's lips, playfully tugging on the bottom one with his teeth. Stiles chose to focus more on that question than the confession beforehand, because if he did, he would get too emotional again, which he usually already was after concerts because of being so energized and pumped by the shows. He could always dissect and reflect on that later. Once he took care of his "sugar baby" as requested.

"I can do that for you. No problem," Stiles said while mouthing along the stubbly jawline, his hands already pushing up the other man's shirt as he hotly panted into the ear he just reached. "You know, as hot as you are with your crutches too, I also cannot wait for your knee to heal enough so you can pin me down and fuck me through the mattress." For good measure he also sucked and tugged on the earlobe.

"Trust me, I'm missing that too. As much as I like the view when you ride me, I want to be more active when we're having sex." Derek pushed at the T-shirt Stiles was wearing, which was also something he couldn't remove, for very good reasons. He was enjoying the attention way too much. "I really miss our creative positions."

They had no choice at all at the moment, because the only way his knee was left alone was for him to be stretched out on the bed. Not even the couch worked well for sex. With how they sometimes had cramped spaces like on the tour bus, it would be nice to be able to make more use of the time together without always needing a bed for it. "But I'm really glad we get to have sex."

"Oh yeah, me too! I'd go crazy without it while having your sexy self around me all the time," Stiles chuckled as he sat back up and finally pulled his T-shirt over his head, dropping it somewhere behind him without a care where it landed and with that revealing his tattooed torso. "But you know, it just means that we have to keep getting more creative. Lucky for you, your hubby is a very creative guy, so..." With that the singer helped Derek out of his shirt too then put his hands on the broad shoulders to gently push him down flat on his back so Derek's head rested on one of the pillows.

"By the way, I also can't wait to finally bury myself in that fine ass of yours, so I can prove to you that not just my fingers can be magical in there," he winked with a shit-eating grin while quickly pushing down his own boxer briefs. He remembered vividly how he had managed to give Derek his very first prostate orgasm a while back. It felt like an eternity ago, but the memory was powerful.

Finally naked and already half-hard between his legs, the singer then started working on removing the remaining clothes from Derek until he was lying there all naked too, wearing only the by then familiar brace on his leg.

Running a gentle hand over the warm lower-tummy, Stiles' smile made a return seeing and feeling how the muscles there contracted from the touch. "Hm, you have no idea how hot you are, babe. I wanna touch and taste you all the time," Stiles confessed. Not that it wasn't obvious with being so touchy-feely with Derek all the time. Boyd was right, they couldn't leave the two alone for more than a few minutes. They were often found all over each other if they did. Which was promising, because the couple was past their honeymoon phase, or maybe it never ended.

Straddling Derek's good leg (shamelessly pressing and rubbing his junk against it), Stiles' upper-body hovered over the exposed long and muscular body and leaned down to suck an inviting nipple between his eager lips.

Derek's leg pressed up to give Stiles some extra friction while his hands fisted into the thick strands of brown hair. "If you know of a way to fuck me with the knee, then I'm all for it, but otherwise we'll have to wait for a little while." It was clear he was eager to try it too, because Stiles had made him change his mind about it with his skilled fingers. And yes, normally he was creative too with positions, but he couldn't seem to think of ways to change it up with the current limitations.

His upper body arched up into the sucking, the pulling of his nipple sending small little tremors of arousal straight to his groin. "You're so beautiful and hot too, never can keep my hands off you." Maybe he wanted to constantly do that so he could keep reminding himself that this was really happening. He really was married to this amazing man and they really were making it work.

Stiles sucked a bit harder on the firm bud and as he lifted his head, he gently pulled on it with his teeth before releasing it and kissing his way to the other one. His whiskey-brown eyes met his husband's as he talked in-between the tiny kisses against the broad chest, definitely preening from the compliments.

"Just how I like it. You have very good hands and I love you touching me in whatever situation," he confessed. "But sadly I haven't figured it out yet how to do you without hurting your knee, but I'm gonna keep brainstorming," he promised then licked around the other nipple too, one hand coming up to pinch and roll its already damp pair. He didn't lie, he loved Derek's hands on him, so grabbing his hair like that was also always a turn on for him.

While listening to the pleasure-filled sounds of his man, his always busy mouth started moving lower on the muscular upper-body, kissing and licking its way towards the main prize. He also appreciated the leg's help so he could keep slowly grinding against it – a sweet torture for both of them.

Butterflies erupted in Derek's stomach because he knew where Stiles was going, his erection twitching in anticipation. They both loved giving blowjobs, and it was the perfect way to get them both in the mood even more. He'd get one, he'd give one and then his husband would either prep himself or Derek would do it for him so he could ride the older man. And that way he also could get his hands all over him, which he loved to do and wasn't able to with Stiles sliding down like that.

However, he could use his leg, as Stiles was sliding down from his thigh to his lower leg, still keeping up with the stimulation. There was some pre-cum sticking to his skin, betraying how eager Stiles was too, as if the hardness pressing against him wasn't enough of a clue.

"It's okay babe, we can do that some other time, when I've had PT and I'm allowed to move the stupid leg." There were times he had been tempted to ask for something sturdier, but then he'd have a cast and the brace allowed for him to shower and have baths. So yeah, it was as it was. It was not long anymore and he was totally going to ask the therapist about when he was allowed to use his leg for sex.

"Yeah, of course. Excited about starting the therapy soon?" he asked slightly hoarser from what he was doing and how Derek's good leg stayed so helpful against Stiles' sensitive parts. The way he asked that also was very conversational, which was no surprise, because Stiles could hold whole conversations during sex. Derek not so much, he usually struggled with his replies, but that was no problem for the singer either. He often talked for both of them. Even in bed.

While waiting for Derek's reply, he didn't waste any more time and gently grabbed the thick base so he could angle the hard shaft towards his lips. He sucked the wide tip between them just to push the foreskin down with their help then lapped up all the salty pre-cum there with a pleased little sound.

How was he supposed to answer when Stiles was doing that? Derek had opened his mouth to answer but all that really came out was a warbled sound, which was mostly a moan instead of words. That's what he got for marrying a multitasker while his own brain was mostly stuck on one thing. In this case the shiny lips around his heated skin. "God...." His hands fisted back into the hair again while he tried to remember what the question was.

Licking his suddenly dry lips, Derek huffed, because Stiles was a tease to ask him something while performing a blowjob. Oh right, therapy. That was the question. "Excited to do more than use crutches or a wheelchair. Not excited about the pain." Sadly he knew from experience what PT meant, especially in the beginning. It was needed to get full use of his knee so he would give it his all, like always. Yet he no doubt was going to be cursing Theo at bad days, not for the first time. Only Stiles, Erica and their close friends knew how much pain Derek was in. "Just want to be back to normal, for us."

Pleased with Derek's reaction, Stiles grinned as his hand pumped the erection with practiced ease, because by then he knew exactly how Derek loved his hand or blow jobs.

"Yeah. It'll take some more time, but we'll get there, babe. Hm... does this prosthesis qualify you as an enhanced human now? Like in some sci-fi story or video game? That'd be cool! Being married to an augmented human, a bit like Adam Jensen from the Deus Ex games. I always found him hot and you kinda look like him. Maybe you could dress as him for Halloween. I'd let you easily get into my pants," he mused, clearly getting a bit lost in that little fantasy of his while his hand never stopped pumping the erection right in front of his face.

"Already getting into your pants easily," Derek shot back, breathing heavily and hips twitching to want to buck up into the hand that was feeling so good despite Stiles being lost in his head. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to talk about the hotness of another guy while they were having sex! Especially since he had no idea who his husband was even talking about and his brain wasn't able to try and remember if he deep down had an inkling. "Stiles..." Derek complained, and there was a whine to his voice, the hold of the hair tightening. Lips have been on his cock, which was good, he’d like those back again.

The verbal and non-verbal reminder of what they were doing seemed to startle Stiles back to the present and he snorted softly. "Sorry and okay, okay, big guy, got your message loud and clear," he grinned, but instead of diving down to suck the tasty cock back in his mouth, he gently pried the fingers out of his hair so he could get on all fours.

"But this time it won't be me doing all the work then," he winked and started to move on the bed. He ended up straddling Derek's upper-body in a way that Stiles was facing his treat and Derek's stretched out legs while his ass and junk were quite literally offered up to Derek. "How about you put your mouth and hands to good use too?" he wiggled not just his brows over his shoulder, but also his firm butt right in front of Derek's face. He'd need the prep anyways and they both knew how much Derek loved eating him out and sucking on his fine bits too, so it was a win-win, really.

"So much better." Derek hated not being able to do much, so when Stiles got them in a 69 position and he had the tempting ass right in his face, he grinned. Yeah, this was so much better. His large hands cupped the pale cheeks, to keep them parted before he went to town. His wet tongue pressed against the tight muscle right away, licking at the furled skin. Of course that had to be his first target because as Stiles thought, it was one of Derek's favorite things to do, getting his mouth on his husband and prep him thoroughly that way. There was just something about being able to taste Stiles and be inside him with his tongue and fingers. He could get lost in it, especially in a position like this.

“You're so sexy," Derek panted against the skin, pushing his tongue against the opening. "One of your best ideas so far."

The singer took a moment to appreciate the sensation of that skilled tongue right there with moaning loud and his eyes rolling back into his head for a few long moments then a breathy chuckle escaped him as his face flushed from being called sexy. It wasn't uncommon, many found him desirable, but no one like Derek. With him it wasn't because of his celebrity status or money. He genuinely found the real Stiles sexy. Which was always a boost for the singer's self-esteem. It was in a better state now than when all came crashing down all those months ago, because Derek slowly but steadily kept working on it. (Stiles too during his therapy sessions.)

"Agreed. Maybe I should write a song involving you and the number 69," he half-joked then groaned again. "Fuck yeah! Feels so good... Missed your tongue there," he breathed, feeling his erect cock bob in the air between his legs, but he ignored it and took hold of the other erection, angling it again so he could suck the first third of it back between his moist lips, making sure to use his tongue on it too before his head started bobbing, sliding a bit lower on it with each slow move.

Derek gave a loud moan in reply to what Stiles said but also the mouth back on his erection. That was the trouble with the 69, their attention was all over the place with giving pleasure and receiving it at the same time. The more Stiles took in of him, the more his tongue pushed inside, mimicking the actions. It also made sure that his spit was going to go where it needed to go. He couldn't wait to get his fingers inside.

With how Stiles was on top, he was at the perfect angle for Derek to have full access to all of him. Both ass and erect cock which was ignored for now. But that wasn't going to last long, because he also wanted to get his mouth and hands all over that too. And if they ended up finishing like this, then that was okay too. It was definitely a promising position.

Stiles moaned louder around the dick in his mouth, enjoying both what he was doing and the tongue pushing deeper and deeper into him. It was always so damn overwhelming that he couldn't ever fully comprehend it. Which was very much okay in his book, because who could really start to break down and analyze such a thing?

In turn he made sure his mouth and tongue gave Derek all he could, making it extra sloppy so that his saliva (mixed with the pre-cum) coated the thick girth all around, his hand at the base working Derek just as enthusiastically with each bob of his head. Stiles didn't even mind how the tip kept nudging against the back of his throat, because by then he knew very well how to work his husband's impressive cock. (His favorite cock in the world, to be honest.)

Wow, Stiles was nearly taking him in all the way, and that made Derek slightly distracted from what he was doing. His brain needed a moment as it registered how good that felt, the rush of pleasure going through his body, a loud moan tumbling out which was distorted because of his tongue being busy. Derek wanted to pant out Stiles' name in encouragement, wanted to buck up and give him something to choke on. Instead he doubled his efforts with his tongue. That would give Stiles something to moan about too.

The furled opening was soaked in spit, flattening the coarse hairs there as some of the warm saliva dribbled down the crack to coat the swollen balls. Now that made him give them some attention as he sucked them into his mouth in turns. His finger meanwhile pressed against the slick hole, pushing into the tightness. It was tight enough for the singer to feel the burn.

Stiles was already moaning as his mouth slid off the cock, the rest of the sound loud in the hotel room once his mouth was free. "Fuck!" he groaned, for a moment just holding the base of Derek's cock and panting onto the glistening shaft with closed eyes. "Feels so good... Fuck..." he repeated enjoying the attention his balls and hole got, reveling in the familiar slight burn in the latter.

He instinctively pushed his ass closer, letting his husband's fingers and mouth work their magic. God, it made his painfully hard cock leak more pre-cum from the slit, dribbling down against the shaft and some drops landing on Derek's chest.

"You're so good at this," he grumbled, his mind slowly but surely getting fried as he leaned down again to kiss and lick and nibble along the side of the thick and long shaft sensually (yet a bit greedily).

There was a huff because Stiles wasn't allowed to say that when he was giving oral too, and expertly at that. They were both very good at oral, and eager to give it. In his opinion, there was nobody else who was as good at making him come down their throat like his husband managed.

There was also no answer, because Derek was a little busy eating out the tempting body, licking and sucking at the rim to keep it nicely wet so he could add a second finger. His hips shimmied a little, trying to get more than the nibbles which were so good and yet not enough. It was never enough. His other hand finally found the very wet erection, wrapping his fingers around the thick length to give it a tug. If he managed to make Stiles come like this, then he'd splatter all over the Hale's chest. A very tempting thought to be covered in the thick globs of spunk.

"Derek! God, Derek! If you keep that up... I'm gonna cum even before... I get to ride you!" Stiles warned, frozen in spot, because his body got quickly overwhelmed by not just the fingers and tongue in his ass, but also the hand around his wet cock. And he was uncertain about what Derek wanted to happen. Because the plan so far was for Stiles to ride them into completion, but his husband's actions made it very difficult to hold back in case he was going to be stimulated like this!

"If you want, we can come like this. I want you to come all over me." In a way, Derek was already inside of Stiles, with his fingers. And to emphasize that it was nearly the same as fucking him, he added a third finger as he plunged them as deep as he could. Plans could change, and he was of course also very happy with other ways to orgasm.

"I know it's dirty but I want to be covered in your spent, wanna smell like you. Like our sex." Since Stiles was a very kinky man, Derek knew he wouldn't shock him with his words. Or maybe only shock him in a good way.

"Shit! Fuck!" Stiles panted from those words and what Derek was doing to him. For a few long moments he just kept riding the fingers in him while panting towards the ceiling. It was very difficult to think and make decisions when three skilled fingers are stuffed in your ass, hitting just the right spots to make you lose your mind!

"Milk me... so I can... mess you up. But that also will keep me hard... and able to ride you... Because... oh god... right there! Because I still want to feel you in me," he stuttered as his hands fisted around the sheets and he kept moving against those magical fingers.

Not exactly what Derek was going for, but since he gave Stiles the choice, he hummed in agreement. If that's what his gorgeous husband wanted, then that's what he'd get. His hand fell away from the erection to stop stimulating him there. Instead his fingers focused on the spot within, massaging the fleshy nub of nerves. His mouth remained busy, licking Stiles and sometimes adding his tongue to push within alongside the fingers. Prostate milking was tricky, he could either succeed or he'd make Stiles come anyways, but he did his best to make this happen!

At least Stiles had stopped manipulating him, which was smart because there was no way he'd be able to hold out for very long if he had kept up with the blow job.

Stiles' forehead thumped against Derek's thigh on his good leg and he arched his back a bit more as he was enjoying the stimulation his ass was getting. His whole body kept shivering from the violent kind of pleasure that shot through him thanks to the constant rubbing against his prostate.

He gasped for air more and more frequently, a light sheen of sweat breaking out on his mole-dotted skin all over. It didn't take long for Derek to make him cry out desperately over and over again, his cock bobbing and leaking a copious amount of pre-cum and then Stiles' muscles locked in and he groaned loud again, a rush of pleasure shooting through him, although it was a different kind of pleasure from a full-on release. Now he just trembled and his cock squirted more of that clear fluid onto his husband, just as promised, while said shaft stayed erect.

"Fuuuuuuuck...." Stiles panted, his brain already fried as he was gasping for air while moving his ass against the fingers and tongue, the last drops dripping onto Derek's already messy chest.

"That's it," Derek praised as he felt the warm liquid dribble down on him, proud at them both that they had managed it. "You're so good to me," he continued as he pulled his fingers out, caressing the soft skin of the buttocks to soothe the trembling body. It was so sexy to watch his partner reach an orgasm, to see him enjoying himself and giving into it so fully.

It made his own erection throb with need. Stiles had promised to ride him and he knew that was going to happen very, very soon. Derek did give the younger man time to collect himself, his hands soothing along the tempting stretch of skin as he felt the muscles trembling under his fingertips.

Stiles couldn't move for a couple of minutes as he tried to calm down his breathing and heartbeats.

"I love you so fucking much! The things you do to me..." he groaned against Derek's thigh then pushed himself back onto his hands too so he could inspect the smaller mess his mini-orgasm made. It was just clear prostate fluid, so it wasn't as spectacular as when he came all over his ripped husband. Reaching under himself, the singer rubbed some of the dampness into Derek's skin on his stomach, as if making sure he marked him well.

"Not bad, but we can do messier..." he purred hoarser over his shoulder then finally moved himself forward to align his more than prepared ass for the main event. He was still facing Derek's lower half, so the other man had the perfect view of Stiles using some of the pre-cum to slide three of his own fingers in to test the waters.

"Squirt some more lube on my fingers and your cock," he gasped while slowly fingering himself.

"Stiles...." Derek breathed, because he was so ready for it. Especially with the unhindered view of what his husband was doing. It left him fumbling with the lube once he had located it, struggling to get it on the fingers because it meant he had to get close to the tempting hole again and oh god he was aching now.

It was near edging with the wait, but since lube was a good thing, he exhaled sharply and gave Stiles the lube by squirting it inside of him, making the singer hiss from its coldness. A healthy dollop was squeezed into Derek’s own hand so he could reach down and coat his own erection. It made him groan with how sensitive his poor dick was at that point. He was married to a demon, he was sure of it!

"I swear I will give myself a hand job soon." If only he was Superman and he could just grab Stiles to get him right where he wanted him.

There was a breathy laugh at that, but Stiles didn't stop what he was doing, making a quick job of working the lube into himself more. "I thought you wanted to get inside of me..." the singer teased, turning his head back so he could watch Derek over his shoulder. But maybe the desperate expression he saw there was what made Stiles take mercy on him. On a softer tone he said "Steady your pretty dick for me."

And when Derek did, he finally started sliding down on it with the glistening fingers slightly gripping and pulling on his ass cheek so Derek had the most perfect view of finally getting buried in the tight slippery heat while the singer groaned and quietly cursed.

Oh god, Derek wasn't prepared for watching it and feeling it at the same time. With eyes as heated as burning coal, he watched his thick erection sinking deep within the tempting body as it lowered itself. Once deep inside enough, he let go of himself so he could grab at the thin waist instead, needing something firmer to hold onto so he wouldn't buck upwards in need.

Derek's head fell back onto the pillow, moaning as loud as Stiles was while he finally bottomed out in the slick heat. Think about bad things, think about bad things, Derek told himself, needing the time to breathe through the incredible feeling washing over him. At times Stiles was just too much, and it left his mind reeling at how good they felt together. After a few deep breaths, he stopped squeezing his husband's flesh so tightly. Instead he wanted him to move.

Clearly knowing (and sharing) how Derek felt, Stiles waited until that moment and with a brief satisfied grin, he finally faced forward, slightly bent his head and closed his eyes in concentration. Now both of his hands were bracing him on the bed again and the muscles in his thighs and ass flexed as he slowly lifted himself half-way up on the erection then slid down on it just as slowly. Not to tease them but to test the waters once again. He knew they both were too riled up to drag this out a lot more, but he wanted to enjoy this feeling to the fullest. Speaking of which...

"God, you make me feel so full with your big dick... So good! Shit..." he groaned and repeated the motion over and over again, moving a little bit more and faster with each slide once he felt his body give more room for that wonderful and maddeningly perfect cock.

Finally, finally Stiles moved, making Derek sigh deeply in relief, not that it did much for the ache he felt. But the need was building again, there was now going to be a release soon. Not for the first time he missed being able to move, but at this point he was used to Stiles setting the pace and doing the work without ever complaining about it. Because he was the best husband to have.

"You're so wet and open," he rasped, his hands settling on the pierced nipples desperately to make the singer feel the rush of pleasure as much as he was feeling it. "You're driving me crazy." He forgot all about being in a hotel room or where they were. Or what time it was. His sole focus was on Stiles and what they were doing.

Stiles made a sound somewhere in-between a chuckle and a moan to that and slid up and down a bit faster – as always, making sure not to jostle the injured leg too much. "It's all your fault, really... making me want to have you in me... all the time," he panted as the muscles in his back were jumping under the glistening skin too when he slightly pushed his chest against the hands by his hardened nipples. It wasn't a demand but a sign that Stiles was okay with it if Derek wanted to play with the piercings there.

The singer didn't say it, but it was clear that Derek was driving him just as crazy, if the way his body was already trembling from the intense pleasure was any indication. Or the way he was by then sliding up and down on nearly the full length with ease and those maddening slick sounds that always accompanied their couplings.

Of course he played with the nipples and the piercings, tugging at them and then soothing them by running his fingers along the hard nubs. It wasn't in any form of rhythm because he was also very distracted by the way Stiles was moving up and down. It made him aware of a neglected part of the singer which was bobbing along with the motions and looking as red and swollen as Derek's felt.

Now that wouldn't do! His hand wrapped around the shaft, feeling the wetness coating his hand. He didn't even have to move it much, Stiles' movements did it for him. The smell of sex got even stronger with how they were both ready for it and yet not able to give into it because it felt too good.

There was more (louder) cursing from Derek's actions on his body, the steady yet still careful way Stiles was moving becoming increasingly harder to keep up. Especially when his tattooed arms' trembling increased a bit.

"Changing the pose!" he announced, sounding more out of breath already than towards the end of a show where he usually runs around on stage nearly non-stop.

With that being said, Stiles slowed himself down and sat back on Derek's hardness. Not bothered by the hands on various parts of his body, the panting singer shifted his weight more backwards, making himself moan loud for a moment when that caused the deeply buried cock press against his walls from a different angle. Then he put his hands back on the bed by Derek's sides and leaned back on them. It made his flushed tattooed body stretch over his husband, his feet planted against the bed too. Stiles' front was facing the ceiling now, and this "crab walk" position allowed his body to touch and be connected by only his ass and the cock in it.

Then he experimentally lifted his hips and then slid down on Derek again. "Good?" he rasped, keeping up with the slow but steady thrusts – although they were getting more intense with each one.

The change of position was easier for Derek to touch Stiles more without straining himself, but it couldn't be very comfortable for the other man. It wasn't surprising how limber he was and how easily he folded himself into positions, it totally fitted with how energetic and fit he was thanks to all those hours with his personal trainer and on stage. Derek worked out muscle-wise but he had nothing on Stiles' fitness.

"Yes," he managed to grunt out. "Very good." The reach around hold got a lot firmer on the erection and his hand fell away from the nipple to caress alongside the pale skin, feeling the ribs. "Always so very good." They were really working up a sweat now and it felt amazing. "Love how limber you are."

He loved everything about Stiles, even the parts he didn't love at all. Because that's how it worked, embracing the good and the bad.

Stiles laughed shortly then gasped for air. He was tired to the bone from the successful concert he just gave, but also elated and still running on pure adrenaline and pleasure, so he couldn't really feel said tiredness. Later he was going to collapse for sure, but for now he was chasing their pleasure and orgasm.

"This is... more intense than a workout," he huffed, feeling some drops of sweat sliding down on his temple, making his arched body glisten in the half-lit room as he kept riding Derek and fucking the grip of his hand faster and harder. He didn't care that his limbs began to tremble again, because his orgasm was right around the corner.

"Fuck! Fuck... Derek! God! Right there! Fuckin'... hell!" Stiles whined in-between loud moans as his whole body began trembling and tightening. "I'm gonna... I'm coming!" he warned and in the next second he did. Hard. Their hotel room was filled with his desperate and loud moans as Stiles slammed himself down a few more times, his trapped cock shooting thick stripes of cum all over himself and Derek's hand.

Once Stiles gave into it, Derek was quick to follow, the clamping walls surrounding him making him unable to hold back.

They rode out their orgasms with harsh breaths and sweating bodies, then Derek's arms wrapped around his husband. They didn't bother with a shower until the morning while finally giving into the exhaustion of the day.

***

After Derek's decision to quit his job, life went into this smooth yet chaotic rhythm, surrounding the agenda of Stiles and what the tour demanded of him. Erica had decided to stay with Laura until the end of her school year before she'd continue her school online with Derek's guidance. Moon Moon did stay with them and Derek was also busy with his physical therapy. By the time he was done, he only had to wear a light brace if he was in pain and Theo had been convicted by law. He was forbidden to contact them and he had been forced to pay for all the medical bills Derek had accumulated due to the attack and a hefty sum of money to Derek for the trauma sustained.

Derek still wasn't sure what he was going to do, instead he had decided to help out the crew with whatever was needed. Coffee runs, lugging of equipment, instructing the security of each establishment Stiles came to play at, and often joining Stiles for the fan greetings and interviews – either to be on the sidelines or to join in. And, to the surprise of everybody, including Stiles, Derek accepted the offer of Hugo Boss to be the face of their new campaign. Not because he was into being famous, but since he was already exactly that simply because of being married to a rock star, he had figured some income would be nice.

"So I can be a sugar daddy too," he had told Stiles, proudly buying his husband a new guitar from his very first paycheck. There was also the satisfaction of knowing Theo was going to see his face in commercials and on billboards too.

Life was actually going great. On top of that, he had the pleasure of watching Stiles perform at least a few times a week. What more could he possibly want?

The singer himself had an idea a while back and once he made everything ready in secret, he set the plan into motion. It was finally the last show on this successful tour and he was definitely hoping that it would go better than the last leg, after which he had to go to rehab and then Theo's attack had happened.

It all has been a while back at that point, months in fact, which arguably were the best touring months of Stiles' life, because Derek was there to share all of it with him. And sure, there were difficulties with the physical therapy and his husband's recovery, but Stiles made sure that he had the best care around. And he loved it too when Erica and Moon Moon had visited. The former had to go back home, of course, but their silly dog was now around whenever it was suitable for the husky.

It was clear that in the last months Stiles was walking on cloud nine, drunk on the success of the tour, but even more so on the love for his devoted husband. Never in his life before had he thought that someone would tag along with him like this and also enjoy it, and even more so, sacrifice a big part of their life just to be with him. And despite the fact that the singer kept voicing it to Derek how grateful he was, he knew he wanted to do more. A grand romantic gesture.

So when the last show came up and he knew Derek was on the sidelines as always, towards the end of the show Stiles finished the song they've been playing and waved the cheers down with his hand holding the guitar pick before he leaned closer to the microphone in front of him.

"Okay, okay, guys, settle down," he laughed from the unending cheering then took a deep breath and waited for a second. "I know that this album and tour have been a roller coaster for many of you – especially for me and my husband. You know the details, so I won't bore you with those. But I wanted to tell you a story. This last song has been a special one for me. For a very long time I only had the main melody, but the rest refused to come to me. And then I had a chance meeting with Derek on that fateful day a year ago. Luck is a funny thing, because it was exactly one year ago. And let me tell you, we already have plans to celebrate our one year anniversary as husbands, but before that – now that this tour is reaching its end – I wanted to appreciate you and this past year of my life. With the ups and downs and all that. So somewhere along the way I managed to finish this next brand new song, which is dedicated to you, my dear fans, who stood by me no matter what, and the one and only Derek Hale, the best husband and friend I could've ever asked for. So with all this said, this is my love song to you and him and is called ‘Forever and Always’. Enjoy!"

The singer grinned from the deafening cheering then stepped back from the microphone to start strumming the opening guitar chords of the song and when it was time to sing, he poured his whole heart and soul into it, as always.

"That time is here again
Prepare to be apart
And it drives you crazy
Each time I go away
The distance gets longer
But it makes us stronger

Should it all come crashing down around me
Would you be there should I stumble or fall?
To pick up the pieces

Whoa-oh-oh
Forget about the shit that we've been through
I want to stay here forever and always
Whoa-oh-oh
Standing here in front of all of you
I want to stay here forever and always

These days are dead again
It's empty from the start
And it drives me crazy
The hours drift away
It hurts to remember
This will soon be over

Should it all come crashing down around me
Would you be there should I stumble or fall?
To pick up the pieces

Whoa-oh-oh
Forget about the shit that we've been through
I want to stay here forever and always
Whoa-oh-oh
Standing here in front of all of you
I want to stay here forever and always

Forever and always..."

(BFMV – Forever and Always)

It wasn't the first time Stiles mentioned Derek or would be talking to him in front of the large halls full of fans. It's what they all loved, and those little moments always went viral on the evenings they happened. But he knew how special this song was to Stiles, because Derek hasn't even heard it finished like this. Somehow, despite them being together nearly 24/7, the singer had managed to hide it from him until now. It left him standing there off to the side with a large smile on his face and a proud look in his eyes.

Stiles has come so far this past year, had grown leaps and bounds with his confidence and was clean since his rehab. They’ve been happy, and it showed with this song. The only downside of this performance was the fact that Derek wanted to walk up to him to gather him in his arms and give him a big kiss. Which he couldn't do because there were literally thousands of people watching the stage.

So instead he put his hand over his heart to let Stiles know he was touched and how much he loved it. He was going to have to show him how much he loved it later. Only a few more days and they'd be back home for the coming months as Stiles needed the break from touring. This was the last show and as much as Derek had loved it, he was also glad they would be at home. Though he knew that no matter where they were, he was home already as long as he was with Stiles.

Of course, the singer noticed Derek’s gesture, because he kept one eye on his man standing just outside the colorful stage lights, most of them being red or pink at this point because of the message of the song.

Turning back to the audience with a huge happy grin, Stiles blew a kiss to them then looked down at his new favorite guitar (the one he got from Derek) and focused on playing his part of the instrumental part of the song, singing "Forever and always and the "oh-ohhs" a few times before the instrumental part picked up again and kinda made a loop.

The singer turned to his other side and nodded, to which a guitar tech guy hurried on stage to him and took Stiles' guitar, continuing the looping guitar riffs without missing a beat.

Turning back to the mic again, Stiles reached into the right back pocket of his black jeans and pulled a folded white paper out of it. Some fans were already screaming in excitement even before he said anything else.

"Since this is a very special moment and song, I thought I could make it even more special for all of us, so... here we go," he winked at the crowd at large, the projectors magnifying and catching that moment clearly and the way Stiles was slowly unfolding the paper, making sure that no one saw much of what was on it as he half-turned towards the edge of the stage with his lips still at the mic. "Hey babe, could you come here for a sec?" he asked, clearly addressing Derek.

There was a deer in the headlights look flashing all over Derek's face when Stiles did something he really rarely did. Maybe he felt that he could do stuff like this more now with the Hale getting used to the fame more and more. He still wasn't that fond of being in the center of attention and would avoid it if he could, but he had also relaxed around cameras and fans. The latter were screaming loudly before he even dared to set a foot on stage, excited about what was going to happen. They loved the romance of the two guys, eager for even a glimpse of it.

"Go, go, go," Scott whispered to him, giving him a gentle push to remind him he was supposed to get his ass moving towards his widely grinning husband. Immediately Derek’s stomach was filled with butterflies, not because of the deafening screaming of the fans, but because he knew Stiles had something special up his sleeve. Derek hadn't adopted the rock star looks of his partner, only sometimes for fun, so he was still dressed in basic clothes consisting of jeans and a simple sweater along with biker boots. The whole nerd look was gone, even his glasses have changed into a modern pair. Luckily tonight he had his contacts in to avoid the glare the lights would cause on the glasses.

Almost shyly he walked towards Stiles, giving the fans an awkward little wave. Yeah, he was for sure still the same awkward guy despite the changed appearance. "Oh my god, Stiles," he huffed, causing a lot of fans to laugh or giggle.

The singer couldn't wipe the huge happy and also amused grin off his face as he stroked Derek's arm reassuringly, as if saying all was going to be fine. With his mouth still close to the mic while the band kept playing the song's instrumental slow guitar part, he began to speak.

"Okay, no worries, babe, I'm not gonna embarrass you in front of our audience... or I hope so," the singer half-joked while looking at his man. "I just wanted to commemorate this moment, to make it special for our one year anniversary..." he said, letting the fans scream for a few moments before continuing with the thick white paper still pressed against his middle with one hand. "After all, this is where we had started. On a different stage, true, but a stage on one of my shows nonetheless. And at the end of this tour I just wanted to reflect on the journey we both had made to be here in this moment..."

Reaching out with his free hand, Stiles took his husband's, eliciting more screaming from the crowd, of course. "I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am for you being in my life, for making me happy every day, of a love I had never before experienced. I never knew one can love someone else this deeply and unconditionally. With you I feel like I am free. That I can finally be fully myself without being judged, without having to hold myself back. I never knew such freedom all the while being tied to someone so grounding. Thank you, Derek, for loving me the way I am. For supporting me and my dream. For your patience. For your sacrifices. For picking me up whenever I stumble. We had a rocky start, but since you're one of the cleverest men I've ever known, it was no surprise that you found your way to fit perfectly in my chaotic life. And I thank you for our daughter and crazy dog. The family you gave me and my father. Thank you for showing me how to stand up for myself again and to fight for you and what we have. For being my rock and everything. And I hope it'll stay like that... well, forever and always..."

The singer now looked a bit nervous, his cheeks coloring a bit. "And with all that being said, I have only one question for you..." he continued as he let Derek's hand go to grab the edges of the paper. In the same time as he turned it around, he went down on one knee. He stayed silent as he looked up at the other man, letting the red letters ask that question instead of him.

The flashes and screaming were blinding and deafening, but Stiles didn't care or see anything else. Just Derek as he waited.

The sounds of the audience faded to the background, reduced to a murmur while Derek's attention was fully on Stiles. On him and the sign he was holding. They have talked about it, about redoing the wedding to celebrate it with their friends and family, to have it be more than a heat of the moment thing. However, Derek didn’t see a proposal coming, nor one as grand as this! Completely flabbergasted, he looked at the red bold letters on the piece of paper.

'Marry Me' it said. Just like Derek's sign when this whole adventure has started. And while he wasn't the type to openly cry, not even when he had been crawling with pain, he did feel all emotional right now, caught up in the complete surprise. A laugh bubbled up, because this was ridiculous and beautiful and everything Stiles was.

"Sure, why not!" he managed to croak out, copying the exact words Stiles had used a year ago.

Instead of allowing his husband to get up, he joined him going down on his good knee, pulled the paper out of his hands to toss away. It slipped off the stage into the eager hands of fans, no doubt to end up as a proud display or to be sold off. Derek didn't care. And he didn't care about them watching and them being able to listen in due to the microphone.

"I love you so much," he breathed, taking Stiles' face in his hands to draw him in. "Forever and always." The kiss wasn't a chaste one, nope. Derek made sure it was a kiss that went all the way and then some.

It was as if it was just the two of them and not a whole arena going crazy from seeing them kissing like that. All Stiles could feel, hear and taste was Derek as he kissed back just as enthusiastically with his arms wrapped around his husband. He had no idea how long they were kneeling and kissing there like that, but he didn't care either.

But once the kiss finally ended, he had a dreamy look and a dopey smile on his flushed face. Chuckling happily, he glanced at the audience and shouted (so that the mic would pick it up too somewhere above their heads) "He said yes!" As if that needed any confirmation. Either way, as the looping music continued in the background, there was another round of applause and clapping as he dug into one of his front pockets to pull out a small black ring box. Opening it, he showed the matching black rings with the amber-colored edges.

"I thought we deserve rings that match us more and are fully ours," he explained as he took the slightly bigger one and waited for Derek to remove the one that once upon a time was supposed to go on someone else's finger. Then he slid the new one in its place. Of course it fit perfectly.

Derek pocketed the older ring, not wanting to lose it because it was still important to keep it somewhere. The rings were that started it all. Yet Stiles was right, the rings he had picked out fit them both so much more instead of the shiny metal bands. As he picked up the one meant for Stiles, he glanced at its inside where there was an engraving. ‘Forever & Always’ and their date. Not today’s but from last year.

It was, of course, a perfect fit, it slid onto Stiles' ring finger smoothly and this time they didn't need vows. Their entire relationship was a vow, one they took very seriously. One that made them both incredibly happy. There was no going back for them, only going forward. Only going towards their future as the past was something they were ready to leave behind.

"I kind of hate you for this surprise," Derek laughed, mostly to hide the fact that he was emotional. "But looking forward to our wedding night."

That earned him a low chuckle from the beaming singer (and a lot of catcalls from the fans). He glanced down at his new ring and felt it as a much better fit than his previous one. Until this moment he didn't realize that wearing that ring kinda reminded him of Theo and tied him to a past he wanted to put behind him forever. Now that he pocketed the old ring too and was wearing the new one, Stiles finally felt as if that last remaining connection was cut. Their road has been bumpy, but now Stiles was fully free to look ahead into a future, which he was excited to share with the man in front of him.

Leaning in to Derek's ear so that the mic couldn't pick up what he was about to say, he murmured hotly into his ear. "Don't worry, I'll rock you harder than my guitar." They both knew it wasn't an empty promise.

Amused by the blooming blush on Derek's cheeks, Stiles finally helped him stand and wrapped an arm around his husband's waist as they faced the audience.

"Well, I guess we're gonna get married again some time. God, I love my life and you, but most importantly my big nerd here," he laughed and pecked Derek's cheek before saying goodbye to the fans.

Stiles Stilinski was clearly carefree and on cloud nine. It was easy to see how radiant the singer was under the colorful lights. And why wouldn't he? He just finished another successful tour, he was on stage, people loved him, Theo got what he deserved and soon would become just a distant unpleasant memory... But most importantly, he had the love of his life right by his side.

With Derek and his love, the sky was the limit. 

THE END