#4 Sterek, from the writing prompts
A/N: This was a little sadder than I anticipated and I included a few things from my own break up. I hope you enjoy! (Not beta read, all mistakes are my own)
Stiles wasn't sure what was happening. One day everything was great, him and Derek were happy, and loved each other so much. And then the next day Derek arrived at his apartment and told him he was breaking up with him. It didn't make sense. They had been a great pack for 7 years now, Derek and him had been dating for 3 of those years. And they had discussed what would happen if they broke up, Derek wanted them to go about business as usual. Stiles wasn't sure he could do that though. Not after this, he didn't expect it to hurt so much. Why did they give people the power to hurt them so badly?
Stiles heard a knock at his apartment door and went to see who it was. The pack always just walked in; no one knocked anymore. He opened the door to see Derek standing there.
“Der? Babe why’d you knock? Come in.”
Derek walked in and avoided Stiles touch. He walked into the lounge without answering and sat on the arm chair. Stiles followed him and watched in confusion.
“Have a seat Stiles.” Derek still hadn't looked at him, his head was turned to look out the window.
Stiles sat. And Derek finally turned to look at him. His face was blank of any expression.
“I need to talk to you,” he started “we’ve been together for a while now, and well. I think it's time that we broke up.”
Stiles sat there, unsure he was hearing this properly. “Excuse me? What do you mean break up?”
“Stiles, you know what I mean. Break up, stop seeing each other.”
“I don't understand, what did I do?” Stiles felt his throat tighten and wished beyond anything that he wouldn't cry right now.
Derek sighed, “You didn't do anything I promise. It's not you.”
Stiles scoffed, “Right because you breaking up with me isn't my fault.”
“Stiles! It's not okay, I need to do this for me. Okay, I'm going to walk out that door and then I won't ever come back.”
“Derek, c’mon you don't actually mean that”
Derek stood up, “I do” and walked out the door. And as the door shut, the tears started.
That was 3 days ago. Stiles hadn't left his apartment, he called his dad and told him he needed a few days off work, at first his dad didn't want to but then when Stiles said what happened he allowed it.
Scott and Lydia had come by an hour or two afterwards. They didn't know what had happened, but when they walked in to see Stiles staring out the window crying they knew something was wrong. Scott hugged him, and Lydia grabbed a blanket to wrap around him. And they both held him as he cried. And yelled. And cried some more. They were both so angry, Lydia tried calling Derek to no avail. And Scott, well Scott ripped Stiles couch up so now he needed a new one.
The three of them stayed together curled up on the ruined couch for three days, watching movies, comforting Stiles as he cried, eating junk food and avoiding anything and everything else. Thankfully Beacon Hills had calmed down over the years, there wasn't as many supernatural emergencies. But they still had pack meeting every couple of weeks and pack get togethers in between. And there was one tonight.
“I think we should just skip tonight” Lydia mentioned a few hours before.
“Yeah, Stiles lets just stay in and watch some more of Star Wars and order some pizzas or something”
Lydia made a noise of agreement. Stiles looked from one to the other and then shook his head.
“Stiles, you don't have to it's totally okay not too.” Scott said while watching Stiles.
“Nope, we always said if we were to break up we would continue as normal. Like everything was okay and nothing had happened.”
“Stiles, babe no.” Lydia shook her head, “you can't do that, not right now. Everything is not okay and it's okay to take some time to yourself.”
“I have Lydia! I took three days, and I'm not okay at all, but I cannot let this affect the pack. Derek’s the Alpha and I'm the Emissary. We have got to go on as normal, you know how disastrous this will be for the pack.”
Scott and Lydia looked at each other, they both knew that Stiles was right, they just didn't want to have him deal with seeing Derek so soon. Scott gripped the back of Stiles neck and Lydia wrapped an arm around him.
An hour later they were leaving the apartment. Stiles was gripping Lydia’s hand, and Scott was watching him to make sure they didn't need to stop and go back. Scott drove the 15 minutes to the Pack house, where Stiles didn't live just because he needed some space and quiet to work on cases. They pulled up, everyone else's cars were there, and Stiles knew the wolves inside would be listening.
“You ready buddy? Scott asked.
“Not at all” Stiles said as he got out.
Lydia followed, she was laughing a little bit, and grabbed onto Stiles’ hand again, “Let's go then kiddos!”
Scott shook his head but followed, and Stiles smiled a little. Erica was waiting just inside the front door and pulled Stiles into a tight hug. Stiles closed his eyes, took a deep breath and hugged back. It was nice to be here, surrounded by the rest of his pack. He just wished it was under better circumstances.
Erica pulled away, and led them into the living room. The rest of the pack was waiting, some were watching him and gave a small smile. Derek, who Stiles instinctively looked for was on the couch with Boyd talking. Stiles noticed how tense he was and looked away quickly. Lydia and Scott sat down on either side of him on the opposite couch. Scott leaned back and put an arm around him, and Lydia leaned into him a little while still holding his hand.
Isaac, who was on the couch to their left with Allison and Jackson, leant forward and started talking to Scott about work. Catching him up on what he had missed and what surgeries were set for the next week. Isaac had started working at the animal clinic a couple of years ago.
Erica went and sat down with Derek and Boyd. Derek who was watching Stiles but quickly looked away and cleared his throat. The pack turned their attention to him, he was leaning forward with his arms resting on his thighs.
“So, there's been nothing new since our last time together,” Derek looked at them all, “No new scents around the perimeter and no one new in town that we have to worry about. Has anyone picked up on anything?”
Everyone shook their heads. Nothing new had happened except Derek and Stiles breaking up. Which no one wanted to bring up.
“Well then. Movie night?” Erica suggested.
Everyone sounded their agreements and started yelling movie titles. Everything was going on as normal. Lydia was soon arguing and vetoing everyone's ideas. Boyd was watching on in amusement as he did every time. Jackson was yelling that they should watch some B listed horror movie, Isaac threw a cushion at him to shut him up and they were soon having a small pillow fight with Allison caught in the middle. Erica was trying to convince Lydia that really they should just watch Scooby Doo once again. Scott was laughing and agreeing with Erica, Lydia turned and glared at him which Scott pretended he didn't see. Derek was just watching the pack with a small smile on his face. And Stiles was watching Derek. Noting the stress around his eyes, they way his mouth pulled down a little at the edges, the way he was still sitting uncomfortably and avoiding meeting Stiles eye.
Eventually Lydia relented and Erica and Scott rejoiced in their victory, while Boyd found the movie on Netflix and started playing it. Once Jackson, Isaac and Alison realised the movie was playing they calmed down.
Stiles got up about half way through the movie for some water. He stood looking out the window, sipping his water when he heard someone else enter. He turned to see Derek leaning against the counter. They just looked at each other for a minute before Derek spoke.
“I'm really sorry Stiles.”
“You say that, but you still won't say why you broke up with me.”
Derek shook his head, “I did, I told you I needed to do this for me.”
Stiles put his glass down, and crossed his arms, “But why Der?”
Derek looked away, “I just did okay, and I'm sorry, I didn't expect it to be this hard.”
“What did you expect? For everything to be okay? For me to pretend like my heart hand’t been ripped out of my chest?”
Derek looked back at him, a look of desperation on his face, “No, God Stiles no. But we have to hold it together for the pack. We can't let this affect the dynamic.”
“Dammit Derek! I know that! Why do you think I haven't contacted any of them other than Lydia and Scott? I knew they could keep it separate from the pack!”
“I know Stiles, okay I do. I just came here to say sorry. I'll leave you alone.”
Derek turned to walk out and when he reached the door, Stiles spoke up.
“I never thought you’d be the one to break my heart.”
Derek gripped the door frame, the muscles in his back tightened and his head turned a little. And then he walked away, taking a piece of Stiles heart with him.
