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Derek has been in love with his best friend since high school, but he always got the vibe from him that he is not into men, not even him.
He remembered the time when Stiles told him about Lydia, the girl that he was in love with for ten long years, and Derek only wanted the best for him, to see him happy.
Now he was in the same college and sharing a room with his best friend, which was making it harder for him not to show his real feelings toward Stiles.
In Beacon Hills there was only one college. There was only one of everything. It was a small town after all.
Derek could tell that his best friend wanted to share something with him as he smiled. He always smiled his stupid smile, the smile that Derek wanted to kiss so bad.
Derek looked at Stiles, waiting for him to do whatever he wished to.
Stiles showed his best friend photos of the date he had with Lydia, unable to see the hurt in the other man's face. Completely unaware of the pain he was causing Derek he continued to show the photos with excitement in his voice. He was so happy about it.
“Derek, I want you to meet her,” Stiles said.
Derek tried to hide the pain. He knew that his best friend was happy. Stiles didn’t need to see him in pain. Not like this, anyway.
Derek nodded and Stiles hurried out of the room.
Derek sighed heavily; he knew that he lost. He was bad at showing his feelings, wondering why he couldn’t just say that he loved Stiles. What was stopping him?
He knew what, of course. Stiles didn’t seem to love him as he loved Stiles, and that hurt.
He got a call from Sheriff Stilinski who reminded him that he had a shift soon and then asked with concern, “Derek, son, you didn’t tell him, did you?”
“Noah, I can’t do this anymore. I know he doesn’t love me like I love him,” Derek told him.
Noah was like his second father. He was the one that noticed the way Derek looked at his son, so obviously in love. Surprisingly, Stiles didn’t notice that.
“I know my son might be the smartest guy in the world, but sometimes he can’t see what’s right under his nose,” Noah tried to comfort him as he added, “Just do me a favor, bring me some good food. Stiles brought me the healthy stuff and I can’t eat that.”
Derek smiled as he told his boss, “Sure thing, sir. I will be there soon.”
“I know, son. Parrish and I will be waiting for you,” Noah told him and hung up.
Derek smiled. Noah knew. Sometimes he wished that Stiles knew too.
Derek prepared for work and as he left the room he shared with Stiles and walked toward his car, Isaac caught up with him.
“Hey, Derek.”
“Hi, Isaac. What are you doing here?” Derek asked.
“Well, I need a lift to the sheriff’s station and I figured that you would be around,” Isaac replied with a smile.
“Really? What do you really need, Isaac?” Derek asked.
“I need to make a complaint against someone. Now can you please hurry?” Isaac asked as he got in on the passenger side and waited for Derek to get in and start the car.
Derek sighed heavily as he took his seat and started the car. He really didn’t want to know about this.
He knew that Isaac was in love with Jackson. If he made a complaint against him he really believed that maybe Jackson would take it the wrong way.
He saw it before with Stiles and Scott before things changed and Scott became more friends with Jackson than Stiles.
Derek hoped that Jackson would not turn his back on Isaac.
Derek drove to the diner first and told to Isaac to stay in the car.
A few minutes later Derek left the diner, food bags and drinks on the go to put in the car.
“What did you bring me?” Isaac asked, looked at his friend with a large smile.
“Who said that I brought you anything?” Derek asked and winked at him as he gave him a curly French fry.
As he pulled in the parking spot, he took the food and the drink while Isaac hurried inside, still eating the French fries.
He locked the car and hurried inside, putting the food on the sheriff’s desk as the two of them ate together and Parrish took the complaint from Isaac. As he put his food bag aside, Noah looked at Parrish and noticed him holding his face. He wondered why, but it could wait until Isaac had left the station.
“So, what are you planning to do?” Noah asked after they were finished eating.
“I have no idea. I think I’ve already lost him. He looked so happy when he talked about Lydia and their date. He even showed me pictures of what they did and I need to show him that I’m happy for him, for my best friend,” Derek told him, and Noah could see the pain that he had been hiding.
They kept talking until Parrish entered the room, unable to stop laughing.
“What is it, Parrish? What did Isaac want?” Noah asked with a smile.
“He seriously wanted to complain against Ethan for stealing his boyfriend,” Parrish replied with a smile, trying to hold himself together.
“I thought that he wanted to complain against Jackson. Well, I guess this is something new. Are you going to call Ethan to the station?” Noah asked, smiling.
“Of course. I want to know how he’ll react to it,” Parrish replied and left.
Once he closed the door after him the sheriff and Derek laughed.
Later that day, when Derek finished working, he went back to the dorm room to see Stiles crying. As much as his best friend tried to hide it, Stiles didn’t succeed with it.
“Stiles, are you all right?” Derek asked.
“I’m fine, thanks, Derek.” Stiles wiped the tears from his face. He didn’t want to see pity in his best friend’s eyes.
“Is there anything I can do?” Derek asked. He hated to see Stiles in pain, even though he knew his heart belonged to someone other than him.
“No, I think you should go back to your girlfriend. No need to be here with me, Derek,” Stiles told him.
“But I don’t have a girlfriend. I broke up with her before we even got into college,” Derek said in a quiet voice. He knew that Stiles wouldn't hear him, as the other man turned around and covered himself with the blanket.
Derek woke up to Stiles crying again. He walked toward him, trying to comfort him as much as he could, but Stiles pushed him away, only muttering he was fine.
“Stiles, you are not fine! Now what is going on with you?” Derek asked, staying by Stiles’ bed.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” Stiles replied quietly.
“You are my best friend, Stiles. Now what is it?” Derek asked him again.
“It’s nothing, okay, just leave me alone,” Stiles told him as he tried to kick him out of his bedroom.
“Fine, I won’t bother you. I have work after college, but if you want to talk, just let me know. Okay?” Derek told him before he prepared for another long day with classes and work.
As Derek helped the sheriff in the station, Parrish filed complaints as people came and went.
“Sheriff, your son is here,” Parrish told them, as Stiles appeared next to him.
“Dad, can I speak with you? Alone?”
“Sure, son,” Noah replied to his son, noticing that he didn’t look his best as Derek left the office and joined Parrish.
“So, how was your day so far?” Derek asked him.
“Ethan showed up with Jackson to hear about the complaint and Stiles already complained about two people,” Jordan replied with a smile.
“Who did he complain about? And why do I have a feeling that when love goes wrong the police station is where the people of this town come to vent their anger on their exes and make complaints about each other?” Derek asked, trying to make sense of the whole complaining thing.
“Who? Ethan or Stiles?” Jordan asked with a wink.
“Stiles,” Derek replied, just as Stiles left his dad’s office. Derek couldn’t read the sheriff’s face.
“Is everything all right?” Derek asked the sheriff once Stiles left the station.
“Do you want to hear his complaints?” Jordan asked.
“What complaints?” Noah asked.
“Stiles complained about Lydia and Derek before he came to your office, Sheriff,” Jordan replied.
“Give it to me to read. I want to know what it is about me he feels he needs to complain about,” Derek asked.
“You should read Lydia’s first, to get to know about yours.” Jordan advised him.
Derek took the file of complaint against Lydia. He read the words quickly then read them again, slower this time, not actually believing the words he read. Was Stiles serious about this?
Lydia, I really thought that you and I were on the same page, and that you loved me as I felt that I loved you. I’ve had a crush on you since we were in school.
I thought that we are going to have another date together, but then you told me how much in love with someone you are and that someone isn’t me, and I… I didn’t know what to say to you at that moment. But then you told me how everyone ships Sterek, and all I could think to ask you was ‘Who the hell is Sterek?’ You just smiled and left me.
“Who or what the hell is Sterek?” Derek asked, just as confused as Stiles had seemed to be.
“Keep reading what Stiles has to say. I’ll explain after,” Jordan replied and added, “The police station should change its name – vent for love, you might find one if you file a complaint.”
Noah smiled as he told the deputy, “Nah, it’s a long name. Besides, it’s quite a routine already. We don’t need more people getting in on the act.”
Derek returned his attention to Stiles' complaint and started to read again.
Derek, I’m sorry about how I behaved last night. You didn’t deserve that. You should find another best friend since I seem to hurt everyone around me, and I know that you are hurt. I did hurt you, I know that.
Even Scott is Jackson's best friend. I have only you. Lydia told me that you love me, but how can you love me when I hurt you so much? You deserve someone better than me, Derek.
I have had feelings for you since before college, when we were only best friends, when you had that girlfriend of yours, Kate. She gave me bad vibes, dude. I told you about it, but you just ignored me. So I thought it would be best if I found myself someone else to love, so I could feel love just as you did when you looked at Kate. But I guess you can’t have what you want because it always backfires, just like with Lydia, or with you telling me that you are my best friend and nothing more.
How come the whole college wants to see us kiss? What the hell is Sterek anyway?
“Does he really feel this way towards me?” Derek asked.
“Yes, he does,” Noah replied, and added, “He wanted to talk with me earlier, about how he feels that he is gay and not bi.”
“He talked to you about that?” Derek asked.
“Yeah,” Noah answered, beaming proudly at the fact his son trusted him enough to discuss anything and everything with him.
“Well, what are you still doing here? Go after him! Or better yet, call him and set up a date, would you?” Parrish urged him.
“What is Sterek?” Derek asked, noticing the exchange of amused glances between the sheriff and the deputy.
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s the combination of your name and Stiles’,” Noah replied with a smile.
“Ohhhhh! I get it now!” Derek grinned. “Okay, I better give him a call to find out where he is,” he said as he stood and made the call.
“Stiles, are you all right?” Derek asked.
“I’m fine. Why? What do you want?” Stiles asked.
“You, and a date in about an hour, any place you want,” Derek replied confidently.
“Just come home. We’ll order take out and we can talk?” Stiles suggested tentatively.
“I can do that. I’ll be there soon,” Derek replied, ending the call.
“Well?” Noah asked, but Derek could also see the way Parrish looked at him, eager for information.
“He wants to meet and talk,” Derek replied.
“Go… we can deal with everything,” Noah urged him with a smile. “You have somewhere more important to be than here right now.”
“Fine, I’m going,” Derek told him with a smile as he gathered his jacket and left the station.
He drove the Camaro to the home he and Stiles shared in the college dorm and when he opened the door and went inside he saw Stiles smiling from the sofa.
“Are you alright?” Derek asked as he made sure to lock the door and dropped the key on the table before going to sit beside him.
“I’m good. Just can’t believe how stupid I am,” Stiles told him as he grabbed a pillow and held it as support.
“You are not stupid, Stiles,” Derek told him firmly.
“I am. All I did was hurt you. You were right there in front of me, and I didn’t see you. I didn’t see the love you have for me,” Stiles told him, head bowed, looking at the floor. “Lydia told me. Scott and others did too. But all I did was ignore your feelings, believing that you couldn’t really have the same feelings for me that I have for you.”
“It’s okay, Stiles,” Derek told him, moving closer to him. His finger lifted Stiles’ chin to look him in the eye, as he added, “We have all the time in the world to make up for it.”
“Really?” Stiles asked, on the verge of tears.
“Yes, really.” Derek confirmed it with a kiss and then he wiped the falling tears from Stiles’ face.
A buzzing sound startled them. Derek stood up, unlocked the door and took the food delivery, giving the delivery guy a generous tip before locking the door again.
“I already ordered from our favorite place,” Stiles told him as Derek placed the food on the table and walked over to the little kitchen area to fetch plates and drinks.
“I love you, Derek. To be honest, I think I fell in love with you even before college,” Stiles confessed, following Derek into the kitchen area.
“Me too, but all I wanted was for you to be happy. I couldn’t tell if you really loved me or not, and I couldn’t handle a rejection from you so I said nothing. I love you so much it hurts,” Derek confessed.
“I love you too,” Stiles said, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips that Derek didn’t fail to return.
“Now, let’s eat before the food gets cold,” Derek smiled softly as their lips parted, knowing it was just the first of many kisses to come.
The End!