Derek Hale finding he enjoys bath bombs. Especially if they're what, lavender, I think that are the calming ones? Yeah. After a particularly rough night he goes home and drops one into a hot bath. Bonus points for Stiles' reaction being purely and genuinely in awe.
Derek doesn’t treat himself often. The store had been one of Laura’s favorites, and for the longest time he could never walk past it without the scents of the vanilla and cinnamon making him think of her. She’d enjoyed using the bath bombs a lot, and Derek remembers as a teenager he’d complain all the time about the colorful streaks left in the tub.
He’s looking in the shop window, and for the first time in a long while, the feeling is different– time has eased the pain and the guilt, and now it’s just the fond memories of his sister.
Derek pushes the door open, and the bell tinkles merrily. The employees are friendly– perhaps a bit too friendly and knowledgeable, and Derek doesn’t know how he finds himself talking, but talk he does. He doesn’t know what quite he wants, but he likes this scent, and he like relaxing after a long day, and … ends up purchasing an entire bag’s worth of bath bombs, hand creams, and a soap bar shaped like a spaceship for Stiles.
He gets home and puts dinner in the oven, puts away the laundry, and sits on the couch, wondering what to do next. Stiles won’t be home for awhile; Derek could take this opportunity to work on his next book, but he’s still waiting for feedback from his editor from the last one, and he doesn’t want to switch mindsets on his projects just yet.
The little brown bag is still sitting invitingly on the table; Derek takes out the tissue-wrapped one for Stiles and puts it in the bedroom, then takes the rest of it to the bathroom. He fills the tub, wondering when the last time he took an actual bath. He must have been a kid.
The purple-and-pink bath bomb has a touch of glitter in it, and when dropped in the water it starts fizzing immediately, exploding in a cascade of color and gentle lavender scent. Derek undresses and gets in the tub, closing his eyes.
It is calming. The warm water and bubbles are foaming gently around him, and the scent lulls him into a soft peace.
“There you are,” Stiles says, his voice a little awed.
Derek opens his eyes. Stiles is standing in the bathroom doorway, still in his deputy uniform, smiling fondly at him.
“You’re home early,” Derek says.
Stiles walks over to the tub, bending down to kiss Derek on the forehead. “Yeah, I finished everything. Plus, I wanted to see you. Dinner smells amazing, by the way. How was your day? Got yourself some bubble bath, I see.” Stiles dips his fingers in the water, flicking a bubble at Derek.
“It’s a good look on you,” Stiles says.
This makes Derek smile, and he tugs Stiles closer by the shirt, pulling him in for a deep kiss. “You’re getting me all wet,” Stiles says, laughing.
“Good, now you can join me.”
Stiles laughs and gets undressed, stepping carefully in the tub. It takes some bit of rearranging for them both to fit, but they manage. Derek hums to himself, kissing the back of Stiles’ neck, listening to him talk about his day. He may have never thought he’d get this quiet, soft domesticity, never thought he’d deserve it. But he does. He closes his eyes and lets the sound of Stiles’ voice and the warmth of the bath draw him in, the feeling of safety and comfort and love all around him.
