Merry Christmas, @alcoholproblem!
Summary: When shy nerd Derek run’s into jock Stiles he figures that his crush will be snarky and mean, instead he’s nice and concerned that Derek might have gotten hurt. With a mix up of sketch pads Derek finds a secret about Stiles that might in fact bring them closer together and help him out with his secret santa gift.
Read on AO3
*****
Merry Marvel Christmas
“Gather around, gather around all Hales.” Derek heard his mother call out down stairs. He didn’t know exactly what she was calling for.
Derek heard his siblings and cousins clatter down from the third level down to his floor, and further down to the first floor, before he even got to his own door.
He then heard the alpha roar his mom released (making him clamp his hands over his ears), to signal for those family members who were farther out in the preserve. Which meant this was something serious that required everyone to be present.
Derek got down to the first floor and rounded into the family room where his mother was standing and waited for everyone to come in fully.
Once everyone was there and looking to Talia (Derek’s mom and Alpha) waiting for her to start talking she finally smiled broadly holding out a big wicker type basket shaking it a bit.
“It is time for Secret Santa. Form a line and pick a name-” She started to speak while bringing down the basket to the level of his nana so she could grab a piece of paper that contained a name.
The next to grab was one of Derek’s cousins who was a few years younger than him. “- and no peeking.” His mom reprimanded his cousin Manda who was trying to steal a peek unsuccessfully when his mom jerks the basket upwards before slowly lowering it just enough so that Manda can grab a piece of paper.
Derek patiently waits for his turn to come around. Finally after four other family members he approached his mom and reached up to grab a name.
In his moms scribbled cursive was the name:
Laura May
No.
Derek was hoping that he would get anyone other than Laura because she was so picky. Trying to find something for her was almost impossible.
Laura was Derek’s older sister by a year and four months, people however always assumed that they were twins. Both had jet black hair, wore glasses, held the same stony sour grimaces when they got frustrated, and tended to wear the same hipster-nerd clothes. Unfortunately that is about all they had in common.
Where Derek loved to read actual books of all genres; Laura read only comic books and manga and had an affinity for drawing amazing art that plastered her walls. Derek liked to play video games at a low decibel and Laura listened to emo music at screeching levels.
Derek was amazed that she hadn't made her ears bleed yet, let alone anyone else's.
Derek went back up to his room where he found his baby sisters Cora and Anabeth waiting for him.
“What do you want rugrat, rascal?” He asked them in turn, opening his door and walking to his bed sitting down criss-cross applesauce and watching the two girls come in and sit on the floor.
“We need your-” Ana started.
“-help big brother.” Cora finished.
It was so creepy when they did that, but Derek loved them so he overlooked it.
“With what?” Derek asked though he figured it had to do with their secret santa ideas. It seemed that Derek was the only one that could really keep a secret in this family. Which meant that many of his family members came to him seeking help.
“Secret Santa.” the twins said at once.
Again creepy.
“Go close the door Cor.” Derek waited until she came back and sat down next to Ana and waited until they finished straightening their matching tutu’s. It was as if Ana had also gotten up, everything they did was always in sync with each other.
“I got Auntie Karol.” Ana said frowning.
Derek tried to hold back his laughter at her face.
He understood though because their aunt Karol was new to the family due to marrying their uncle Peter this last August. Plus not really spending time with her since she became a part of the family because of her being irritable from pregnancy. Of course Peter was super protective of her, since she was human and pregnant, making it difficult for the kids with barely any control to get passed him to even talk to her.
“As for me I got cousin Miguel, and he’s a icky boy.” Cora said with a twist to her lips and sticking her tounge out to the side.
Which just made Derek smirk even more.
“Well, lets see...Aunt Karol likes to garden and cousin Miguel likes to play with magic cards and pokemon.” Derek suggested to his younger sisters. “Or for aunt Karol something for the baby, neutral colors of course.” Derek elaborated, everyone knew that Peter and Karol didn’t want to know the baby’s gender until the baby was born.
“Cool.”
“Thanks brother!”
The girls jumped up, coming up to Derek one on each side and hugged him tightly before skipping out of the room.
Derek glanced at the time on his alarm clock that sat on his bedside table. It was only 6:50 pm so he knew that the bookstore would still be open until 8pm. He picked up his jacket and went down stairs.
He found his dad in the parlor.
“Hey Pater, can I use the car to go to the store?” Derek asked his dad Steven.
His dad set down the book that he was reading. Something they had in common, that and being shy and quiet.
“What do you need at the store, fili mi?” Derek smiled at the nickname. His dad hadn't called him that in a while.
“I want to go shopping for my secret santa.” Derek didn't elaborate any further just in case prying ears were eavesdropping in on the conversation though he hadn't even told his mom who he got for the secret santa.
“Oh yeah okay that's fine. Take the toyota and remember fili mi that it is a school night.”
“Pater it’s winter break..-” Derek whined out moving out of the way of his dad ruffling his hair.
Derek thanked his dad and left all while hearing his dad’s chuckle and his voice yelling ‘kidding’ up until he closed the door to the outside.
*
One thing Derek enjoyed and hated all the same was the fact that it was a twenty-five minute drive from his house in the woods to downtown Beacon Hills. It was both beautiful and boring.
Which only left him fifty minutes to find a parking spot close to the bookstore and then to browse the shop to see if anything stood out to buy for Laura.
Granted he had a week and a half to shop but Derek was always one for being early on getting everything done including wrapping the presents.
He made it inside the shop in a quiet daze blessed to be back in were it was warm, even with his added werewolf heat his ears and nose were a bit cold and he would bet his first edition Of Mice and Men that they were tinted pink.
Derek started in the fiction book section not finding anything that looked intriguing enough for himself. He found himself going down each aisle just to see if something screamed at him Laura May Hale.
It was not until his fourth turn down another aisle that he found the sketch pads and other books focused on art and drawing. Stuff that he knew Laura would love.
He grabbed two bigger sketch pads along with three smaller ones and a book that stated it was to help with drawing anime figures. Which he didn't know if she would like or not but wanted to get it for her anyway.
With the announcement that the shop was closing Derek grabbed the items that he wanted to buy and rushed down the aisle and headed for the registers. He didn't notice that there was another person that was also walking in a hurry until they collided into one another sending their stuff to go every which way.
“Oh shit man I am so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going and I was trying to buy these before-” The person, who was a boy, started to explain while grabbing for his things. He stopped suddenly after looking up and seeing Derek there.
“Oh uh..ye..yeah no pr..problem I wasn't pa..paying attention e..either.” Derek stuttered out feeling nervous.
Derek instantly knew who the boy was, Stiles Stilinski. He was the high schools asshole jock who went around speaking ill and teasing those who were not athletically talented. Derek included.
And yet Derek found his dark brown wispy hair, gorgeous cinnamon colored eyes and mole-dotted skin so very much attractive. Not that his personality didn't peak his interest either.
Yes Stiles was an ass but Derek had also heard from Erica who was Laura’s best friend that he had helped tutur Boyd (her boyfriend) with his homework. Which left an impression on Derek that maybe Stiles was actually nice under the mean, and sarcastic outer shell of a jock.
Derek scrambled to grab his sketch pads and other items so that he could check out, and not embarrass himself any further.
“Hey it’s cool. Are you alright?” Stiles asked in a soft soothing voice making Derek look up under his eyelashes.
Derek barely heard the ‘wow...beautiful.’ that came out of Stiles mouth even with his heightened hearing, all which made Derek blush before speaking.
“Yeah I...uh...yes I am okay. Thanks. Are you? We kind of hit hard.” Derek was thankful that he didn't stutter as badly this time. Standing up both boys went to wait in line to the registers, it was lucky that they only had one other person in front of them so their wait wouldn't be long.
“Yep I am totally fine.” Stiles said making Derek agree wholeheartedly that Stiles was in fact a totally fine piece of man candy, if only in his own head. “It makes me happy that your not hurt.” Stiles said before it was his turn at the register.
Derek didn't really know what to say to Stiles comment so he didn't say anything.
Soon Stiles was finished and with a short wave and a ‘bye, see you later’ he walked out of the store. Derek’s eyes following him all the way.
*
Derek had just gotten home after leaving the bookstore and stopping at Target for drawing pencils, christmas wrapping paper and a small box.
Making a mad dash up to his room so that no one would see what he had gotten from the store he closed his door with a swift kick and set all the bags down on to his bed.
He started out with placing the three small drawing pads and the pencils in the box and wrapping it up in red wrapping paper that has white and green snowflakes on it. After that he wraps the book up with a christmas star wars wrapping paper. He then decides to wrap the two bigger sketch pads together but that's when he sees that one of them, the one he placed on bottom, seems to be a bit thicker and the cover page on top looks worn.
Confused Derek brings it up to the top and flips the first page to see…
Doodles…
Odd squiggly doodles, name doodles, weird abstract doodles...doodles, doodles, and more doodles.
Flipping to the next one he found even more doodles so he continued on and found that there was more than just simple doodles, but rather sketches of people some that he recognised like the Sheriff of Beacon Hills (Stiles dad) and Scott who was best friends with Stiles.
Others he had no idea who they were (an Asian girl, a boy with curly hair) and so he once again began looking through the rest of the book. He noticed that mixed in with the doodles were little comic strips of random school events; a pep assembly, a lacrosse game where BHHS lost, a conversation that must have happened between Stiles and Scott.
Derek was about halfway through it when he started to notice that their were comic strips of him and Stiles talking, and Derek knew for a fact that none of these actually took place which caused for even more confusion for Derek. He turned to the next page and stopped, all the breath leaving his chest in a violent punch.
He was looking down at the sketch pad.
He was looking at Stiles sketch pad.
And he was looking directly at himself.
In perfect sketched lines was his hair, and facial features down to a tee and it both warmed his heart and scared the ever loving crap out of him.
It warmed him because it was a beautiful depiction of himself that he thought he kept hidden from everyone else, because it was a vulnerable expression and because it was so well drawn. Every contour of Derek's cheekbones and lips and bushy eyebrows were drawn so….delicately.
And it scared him because it was drawn sooo good which only could mean one thing. That Derek had missed Stiles looking at him. Repeatedly. That Stiles must have stared at him so often to be able to draw Derek so well and yet neither Derek nor his wolf had noticed.
Derek took a few minutes just to look at the sketch before moving to the next page. It had a sketch of Stiles and Derek standing in front of each other looking at each other's eyes (or at least their faces). This time it was their whole bodies, not just a sketch of a face but what stopped Derek again was the fact that Derek was wearing Stiles lacrosse sweatshirt that had Stilinski 24 on the back. It also had Stiles asking ‘Would you be my boyfriend?’ and Derek saying ‘I’d love too’ in bubble windows.
It was oddly romantic in Dereks humble opinion. Derek wished for two things, 1. That Stiles actually liked him like this book suggested, and 2. That Stiles would ask him out. Derek was too shy and cowardly to ask out Stiles unfortunately. He had been crushing on the boy since freshman year and here they were in the middle of Junior year.
After a while Derek went to turn the page but found that there were no more drawings or, doodles.
That night Derek had put all of his christmas presents away in his closet except for the one bigger sketch pad that he had yet to wrap, which he placed in his sock drawer so that Laura wouldn't find it. He then went on to take a shower and go to bed.
Before bed he went to place Stiles sketch pad in his backpack. He knew he needed to give Stiles his book back, but he found himself going through it once more before finally placing it in his pack an hour later, finally going to bed later than he had planned.
*
The next morning brought banging to Derek’s door.
“Derek! Son?” His dad was pounding on his door. Derek quickly looked at his clock seeing that it was 10:32 am.
“Co-” Derek clear his throat, being dry from sleep. “Come in Pater.” Derek sat up against his headboard and pillows.
His dad came in and walked over to him.
“There is a boy here for you he said his name is Stiles.” Derek leaped out of bed shouting ‘What!!’ and muttering to himself before trying to find something suitable to wear.
“Uh..okay. Is this kid bad news? Because I could believe that, I mean what the hell is a Stiles anyway. Is that even a name?”His dad went on watching his son run around like a chicken with its head cut off.
That is precisely when Steven realised that his son liked this Stiles boy. The way that Derek was acting, running around trying on shirts, then pulling them off again just to put the shirt he had had on to begin with. Yup and he definitely smelt like lust and hope yet had a touch of fear, that Steven figured was Derek being worried over rejection by this boy.
“Okay I’m gonna go, and son-” Steven waited for Derek to look at him before continuing, shirt half on. “-if this boy doesn't like you, in the clothes that you are wearing then he’s not the right one.” He hugged his son and left the room closing the door behind him.
Derek took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, finished pulling down his shirt and gathered the courage and the sketch pad from his backpack and went downstairs to face Stiles.
Derek found it to be an odd coincidence that Stiles was wearing his lacrosse sweatshirt, which almost made him laugh at the irony of the photo from last night with him wearing the same jacket. Almost.
“Hey Stiles. I'm assuming that your here for this. I had all intentions of coming by your house today and dropping it off but you beat me to it.” Derek said laughing a bit, handing Stiles his sketch pad.
“Yeah, actually I am.” Stiles laughed awkwardly. “Thanks for this...uh did you...um did you look inside of it? I mean did you see the…” Stiles asked unusually shy speaking.
“To be honest...yeah I did look inside. I'm sorry that I invaded your space by looking inside but, I have to say your a really talented artist Stiles.” Derek told the boy truthfully.
“Thanks Derek. Here is your blank one and I’m sorry that they got mixed up. Do you draw?” Stiles asked.
“No I don't but the person it is meant for does. Actually I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me, so I could ask you something?” Derek asked.
“Sure.” Stiles said though he tilted his head as if to say ‘Why not stay here, where it’s warm?’ but then nodded.
“Great let me take this back to my room and grab a jacket. I’ll be right back, okay!” Derek didn't even give Stiles the chance to answer before trotting up stairs. Once Derek was in his room he shoved the sketchpad in with the other one in his sock drawer and grabbed a pullover pulling it one in one smooth move while running back down stairs.
Where his mom was talking to Stiles.
“Are you sure you don't want to stay for lunch Nene?” Talia asked.
“Yeah I am Mrs. Hale but thank you for the kind offer.” Stiles declined.
“Mom?” Derek questioned.
“Oh mi hijo, tienes un enamorado?” Talia asked her son smiling broadly.
“Mamá!” Derek exclaimed in outrage. “We are going to go for a small walk around the preserve be back soon. Bye now.” He rushed out while pushing lightly for Stiles to go out the door. He could hear his moms chuckles even after the door was closed.
Stiles looked back at the house and then back to Derek asking him what his mom had called him and what she had said to Derek to make him blush. All of which had Derek ducking his head in embarrassment, and replied with a cordial ‘nothing really’.
Once the two boys were a good distance away Derek started to talk. He began by asking Stiles several questions that he had about his art. Although Derek didn't bring up questions about why Stiles had drawn him or if Stiles in fact liked him in..well anyway; friend or more...really, but was almost afraid of the answer, but neither did Stiles.
*
It was Christmas day in the Hale house and boy, was it busling. The whole family was there, his parents, his siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. The house was pack-ed full (pun slightly intended) with family and friends, decorations, and gifts. This morning had brought children happily screaming that Santa had come, thousands of presents being opened, and the smells of his mother and aunts in the kitchen starting on tonight's dinner.
But the most anticipating part for Derek this year had yet to happen. He was waiting for a certain somebody to show up around noon.
It was 11:47 and he was being super impatient.
Apparently just like a ‘kicked puppy waiting for his master to come home’, at least that is what Laura had told him teasing him to no end when she found out why he was waiting by the door.
At 11:51 he heard the unmistakable sound of Stiles Jeep rumble down the driveway, Derek then heard said Jeep turn off, the sound of bustling paper, and the sound of Stiles climbing up the stairs and finally at exactly noon Derek heard Stiles knock on the door.
“Hi.” Derek said in a shy whisper when he opened the door to see Stiles and two thin box gifts atop his arms and a gift basket in one hand. “Here let me help you with those.” Derek said before lifting up the two boxes.
“Hi back handsome and thank you!” Stiles flirted winking at Derek. “The top one is for that special person we talked about last week.” Stiles explained before going on further. “And the bigger box is for you and then there’s the basket which is for your family. I didn't know what to get them sooo…”Stiles drifted off looking bashful.
“That is very kind of you Stiles thank you. You didn't have to get me or my family anything. But I couldn't help get you something either.” Derek said walking to the family room where the Christmas tree was. Under the tree it still held several packages for people who had not shown up yet. Derek walked over to it, after having placed the box gifts down on the couch, to grab at a bigger perfectly square box that looked to be twelve inches high by twelve inches wide.
“Wow this room looks amazing. -” Derek looked back just in time to see Stiles finish looking around the room and see his present. Seeing Stiles eyes grow two sizes bigger and his mouth form an ‘o’ before he started to speak out about his present. “-Damn is that for me, jeez Derek, you really didn't have to get me anything really.”
“I know but I wanted too.” Derek said.
Just then Laura, Cora, and Ana came in the room along with their cousins Miguel, Charlie, Maire and Manda. All excited to meet Stiles, (Derek’s ‘friend’- thanks Laura for the air quotes...not).
Derek mouthed sorry to Stiles while going to the couch to grab the top box that held Laura’s last present, while waving her over.
“You know I’m only playing around right baby bro?” Laura teased.
“Yes but still lay off or...I won't give you this awesome present…” Derek trailed off twisting away from his sisters outstretched arm and hand.
“Gimme...gimme...gimme..” Laura smiles but when Derek still wont give it to her she relents with a- “Fine I’ll be nice...please!” she pouts.
Derek smirks back at her and hands over the box.
Laura opens it in a rush just like every other presents she's given. As soon as she sees it though Derek can see her mouth move into one of awe and then he can smell the hint of salt water, meaning he royally screwed up or is now going to be her favorite brother of all time (even if he is her only brother, that doesn't matter).
“Der...Oh my god Derek…” She trails off and that is when Derek notices that his cousins and sisters have all stopped to listen and watch. As for Stiles he keeps looking at Derek.
“Do you...do you li..like it La...Laura.” Derek’s shy stammering comes back with a force making him flinch, as he waits for his big sisters reaction.
“I...no I don’t...I…” before Derek could start to sulk from her answer she was fast to continue. “I love it Der. Really this is so...so freaking cool.” She hesitated trying to find the right words. Derek smiled at his sister before she launched herself at him and they hugged each other tightly.
“What is it?” Derek and Laura heard from multiple cousins along with their twin sisters.
“Stiles drew her, her very own comic book.” Derek said fondly.
There were oohs and awes over the comic book that had Laura as the hero (cape and outfit to match). Laura soon went off to show their parents, but not before hugging Stiles and whispering a thank you in his ear.
Which left Derek with Stiles and his cousins and sisters.
“Why don’t you guys go play upstairs in the girls room.” Derek said sniggering under his breath at the equally evil looks from his sisters. He knew just how picky they were when it came to people moving around their toys and stuff, even if they were only six and a half years old. So with a odd mean streak Derek was delighted to see his cousins run out the room and up the stairs to the girls room.
“Now will you please open your present.” Stiles asked bringing all of Derek’s attention back to his crush.
“You first.” Derek said walking back to where the present was, pushing it over to Stiles.
“Alright.” Stiles said with a small smile and then opened his present being careful of the paper. Much to Derek’s annoyance at him taking so long and being so careful. A few times Derek felt the need to hold himself back from moving close enough to just rip the paper up, heck it was just paper it was meant to be ripped open. And yet it was almost endearing exactly how careful he was with it, another side of him that was not a mean jerk.
Finally when Stiles had the paper all off and had the box open Derek could see that he had gotten the right stuff.
Inside on top was an order form for a painting easel that he had found that had multiple functions so that it would help hold different types of canvas for drawing, painting, and had several places on the inside for pens, paints and other drawing or painting supplies. Under that was sketch pads, sets of pencils (colored and non colored), set of paints and a set of brushes.
“Wow Derek...I don't even know what to say except thank you this is beautiful and that my gift now looks kind of simple and...I don't know. Somehow not that great anymore.” Stiles muttered still looking at the paperwork for the easel.
“You're most welcome, sorry that it won't be here until the 29th but I couldn't afford the express shipping.” Derek explained and picked up Stiles present for himself. “And I will be the judge about how ‘simple’ and ‘not great’ it really is.” Derek said ripping off the paper, barely registering the hiss from Stiles at the way he tore the paper off, instead of taking it off gently.
Inside was...a drawing of Stiles asking in a bubble ‘Will you be my boyfriend?’ with his hand outstretched and under the drawing was Stiles burgundy Stilinski 24 lacrosse sweatshirt.
It was just like the drawing that Derek had seen not to long ago when he had mistakenly taken Stiles sketch pad when they collided in the bookstore.
“I’d love to!!” Derek answered just as he did in the comic strip in Stiles sketch pad, smiling so big that his cheeks were starting to hurt.
Stiles was smiling right back at him, Derek grabbed the jacket putting it on, even though it was warm in the house.
The two boys were heading back out to where the rest of Derek’s family were sat. The majority of them were in the kitchen or upstairs in the twins room or in the parlor where his dad usually spent his time.
Before they even go to the door frame Stiles stopped pulling Derek close to him and looking up, making Derek look up to see what he was looking at.
Stiles leaned in whispering ‘Mistletoe’ in to Derek’s ear.
Derek looked down into Stiles eyes moving to Stiles tongue that was wetting his lips.
They met each other in slow unsure motion. There lips met with a chaste sweet kiss that was so perfect for the start of a relationship.
The end.
Happy Holidays!
Alternate ending kiss (I wasn’t sure which one you would like best so I put this one in also just for fun):
Derek looked down into Stiles eyes moving to Stiles tongue that was wetting his lips.
They met each other with clashing teeth and sloppy spit soaked kiss that definitely wasn't great but it just left a lot of room for practice, and Stiles and Derek planned for many hours of practice now that they were a couple.
The end
Notes: ‘Pater’ is latin for ‘dad’
‘fili mi’ is latin for ‘my son’
‘Nene’ is spanish for ‘baby boy’ (but I wanted it more for ‘kiddo’)
‘Mi hijo is spanish for ‘my son’
‘tienes un enamorado’ is spanish for ‘do you have a crush?’
‘Mamá’ is spanish for ‘mom’
