actors!sterek AU where they're both known for dating a lot of different women - because gossip is gossip and they can't have any female friends without people assuming they're romantically linked - and then the two of them are cast together in a show/film series and start hanging out a lot.
and they're just together everywhere - for weeks on end, while they're filming. they're photographed together constantly, waving at the paparazzi, occasionally flipping them off. photos from set show them goofing off together, sitting with their feet in each other's laps, even napping together on the couch in one of their trailers.
and everyone's reaction is - oh what a cute little bromance. but they're not trying to hide the fact that they're dating. they're not admitting it out loud to fucking gossip rags, but they're also not shying away from each other in public. they both think it's crazy that the biggest gossip to come out of their set is that they're in some stupid fucking love triangle with erica, who's the female lead of the project. and when they hold hands at some red carpet - when they kiss each other in front of cameras - people still don't get it. they think it's a gag - it's two funny straight guys having a laugh about their friendship!! taking the pressure off of their female costar!! what nice guys!!
derek doesn't care - he'd rather his relationship be private anyway, and he never really gave a fuck what the public thought about his social activities anyway. but stiles is pissed - he's DATING DEREK HALE and everybody thinks it's a joke!!!!! no matter what he does, it just convinces people more that he and derek are straight buddies doing a bit.
"we're gonna have to do porn," stiles tells him.
unsurprisingly, derek doesn't go for that idea. but when derek is doing an interview and some uncouth influencer asks him whether he has valentine's day plans with erica reyes, derek smiles his charming little smile and tells the cameras, "I don't think my boyfriend would like that."
no one can decide if he's joking - if he's playing into the bit or not. the people who think he's joking accuse him of queerbaiting, of being a bad ally, of making fun of queer people and queer relationships. the people who think he's telling the truth DO NOT assume that the "boyfriend" in question is stiles stilinski. there's a lone redditer who believes the sterek PDA is indicative of a real relationship, and they're banned from all the derek hale subreddits for taking the bit too seriously.
but that user is vindicated a few years later when derek's stylist confirms that derek is indeed wearing a wedding ring tonight to the Met Gala, because he recently had a private ceremony with his boyfriend of many years in their backyard. the next time sterek steps onto a red carpet together holding hands, the whole world does a 360. and stiles sticks his tongue down derek's throat in front of flashing cameras, because FINALLY he locked that man down and everybody knows about it.
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