It’s Snow Not My Fault
I would like to start this off by saying this was supposed to be absolute crack... But blame @halevetica for encouraging my brain to make some semblance of sense when this is all utter madness. Almost 6k words. This is for @sterek-bingo
In hindsight they wouldn't have messed with magic they didn't understand, in two hours ago sight how cool would a talking snowman be?!?!
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Derek should've known better.
Correction, Stiles should've known better, but Derek should've known better that Stiles wouldn't know better.
They all should've known better.
They should've known better than to leave a bored Stiles with hundred year old mystic books and a best friend that doubles as a guinea pig, who replies, 'Sure man. If you think so.' to things. Stiles should've known better than to try a spell unsupervised. Scott should've known better than to sit still while Stiles chanted around him. Derek should've known a ten minute run for food was too long to leave them in his loft.
And Stiles should also damn sure know not to stand there melting on his hardwood floors.
If he could go back to a moment in particular, it wouldn't be when he left them. It wouldn't be when he left out the mystical texts. It wouldn't even be when he dropped his keys in shock.
It would be the moment he went to open the door. He would go back and just decide, nope I'm going to live a normal life. He would walk right out of the building and drive till he didn't even know where Beacon hills was, what was happening, or what the hell a Stiles was.
But alas, he could not. He was stuck. Stuck to live the life of having to open that cursed door.
The one that he could smell the stink of magic wafting under.
He hesitantly unlocked and opened the door.
He was greeted by eerie silence.
"Stiles? Scott?"
There was a loud, "Thud, thud!" A dull thumping like something large bounding closer.
He heard a shriek from the opposite side and no matter how much he didn't want to look away from the possible threat the yell pulled his attention.
A lightning flash of a small body running at top speed caught his eye. A kid with curly dark hair shot past the door. He was waving his arms around wildly with way too long sleeves flapping behind him.
Derek hadn't even noticed the thumping stopped near him, too absorbed in the shock of the child. He darted in front of the doorway and as he ran past something caught Derek's eye.
There was a large snowman in front of the door, one that hadn't been there before.
In an instant it's stick arms were flailing in a way that seemed to want to convey for him to stay calm. "Derek, don't freak out."
That voice came from that snowman. That snowman was talking. The snowman knew his name. The talking snowman knew his name and was talking to him.
Just then he felt an impact on his leg and something wrapping around it. On instinct he almost kicked it away, but he was glad he didn't. Looking down was the small child no more than four. His little teary eyes were looking up at Derek.
"Please save me from the scary snowman!"
Derek's mouth gaped as he looked at the kid. His tears stared to flow and they fell on a red and white striped shirt with grey sleeves. Wasn't that Scott's shirt? Wait- was that Scott?!
"Oh sure! Of course you like him! Totally not cool bro!"
Derek looked at where the snowman was crossing his twigs.
Oh fuck.
"Stiles?!" He dropped his keys in shock. "What the hell!?"
"I said don't freak out, sourwolf!"
Yup, that was definitely Stiles. He listened to the rest of the loft to try and hear a witch or intruding presence. After a quick scan of the room he saw candles, herbs, and open books that he definitely told him not to touch.
Derek tried to gather strength. "What happened, exactly?"
Stiles took a deep breath and if it wasn't currently covered in frost Derek knew the exact face he would be making. "It wasn't my fault! I was just looking in the book and it seemed cool so I showed Scott and he agreed, okay! So I was like, how cool would an Olaf be?" He stayed solidly rooted in place, but Derek could tell if he could, he would've been pacing. He was getting more and more upset and loud as he kept talking. "The spell seemed harmless! It said something about using childlike glee to make a snowman come alive and taking a chill from his heart. And now Scott is five years old!..." He flung his twigs out towards Scott, and then back towards himself. "And I'm a snowman!" The last sentence was said hysterically.
Derek sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are either of you hurt?"
Stiles took a deep breath to calm down. "Other than Scott screaming bloody murder when I get close? No, we're both fine."
Derek's voice was flat. "That's so great. It would've been a shame if your coal pieces would've fallen off."
The coal pieces in question made a wide O. "Rude Derek."
"I'm not the one melting all over someone else's hardwood floors." He gave a pointed look down at the puddle rapidly growing around him.
"Well sooorry." Once again he crossed his twigs indignation.
Derek let out another sigh as he leaned down to pick up his keys. It was difficult with the many grocery bags and weeping child attached to his leg. "Stiles, go sit Scott in the living room. I've got to put away the ice cream."
Stiles' twigs flung out wide. "Derek! I'm a fucking snowman! And you're worried about the freakin ice cream melting?!"
Derek leveled him with a flat look. "Stiles, you do this sort of shit too often for me to drop everything."
Derek tried to make his way to the kitchen, but the small body just clung to him more. "I need you to let go bud."
Scott's teary eyes burrowed into his pant leg and he shook his head. "I don't like him!"
"Come on, I'm your best friend! I'm Stiles!"
Scott looked over at him and shook his head again. "You're not Stiles! Stiles has face dots. And hands!"
Derek's face softened slightly. "Alright. You can come with me." He shifted all the grocery bags over to one hand and leaned down. "Is it okay if I pick you up?"
Scott immediately wrapped his arms around Derek's neck. Derek walked into the kitchen as he heard a sulking Stiles bound away.
He set the bags on the counter. "Is it okay if I set you down?" The mop of hair shook adamantly against his neck as his little arms tightened. "Okay." He settled him more against his hip.
Well, Derek supposed he was a babysitter now.
He held onto Scott with one arm and grabbed his phone with the other.
"Derek I swear to God I've got t-" Lydia's voice sounded annoyed.
"Stiles is a snowman and Scott is a half naked five year old." Derek figured it was just best to just rip the band-aid off.
"I'm four!" Scott protested and shoved three fingers in Derek's face as he wiggled.
There was a pause.
"When you say snowma-"
"I mean carrot nose and a beanie instead of a top hat, the whole nine yards."
Another pause and a sigh.
"I'll be there in ten. And I'll pick Scott up some clothes."
When Lydia got there she was greeted by the sight of Derek giving a small child a high-five and a literal snowman trying to change the channel with stick thumbs.
"Good job buddy! We're all done."
She hung her purse on a hook by the door. "How is this my life?"
Derek turned to her. "You aren't the one having to wrangle a four year old and a petulant snowman that's melting on your hardwo-"
A raised voice came from the other room. "Hardwood floors! Yes, we know! You've said it multiple times!"
Lydia went to look and there was a lake around Stiles.
"How-why- What- Okay nevermind, just deep breaths." She sharply inhaled and exhaled. She proceeded overly calm. "Stiles, tell me exactly what you've done."
The snowman turned to her and she would never be able to get that image out of her head. He turned to Derek. "You called Lydia? I mean no offense to a goddess, but isn't this more Deaton's area of expertise? I mean she's better at translation, but her casting isn't better than mine."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't think the snowman should be casting any coal pieces, especially to someone who left mid mani-pedi and could break your arms like twigs. Literally."
"Deaton is out of town you snowball."
"Plow a man while he's down why don't ya."
"Can we focus!" Lydia huffed as she strode into the room. "What book did you use?"
Stiles' twigs aligned with a thick open book. "That one."
She tossed her hair up into a bun as she walked over to it. She looked at the cover. "I can't even read half of this Stiles. How do you know what it says?"
The snowman looked shifty. He fiddled with his beanie. "Right. Yeah, so neither do I?" He said it bracing for backlash.
Scott paused sorting his fruit snacks that thankfully Erica insisted upon the loft having. He tugged on Derek's shirt and loudly whispered, "Who is that lady?"
Derek equally as loud and obviously whispered back, "She's a lady that knows everything and is scary unless she likes you."
"Does she like me?" Scott looked at her curiously and with caution. He sent her a small goofy smile and wave.
Derek tilted his head at Lydia.
Her face softened. "Yes I do. You're one of my very best friends."
Scott's grin went wide and crooked. "Do you want fruit snacks?"
She smiled at him. "No, thank you."
He nodded his head then turned back to Derek. "Why is she here? Is she here to kill the bad snowman?"
Stiles scoffed.
"She's here because she's the smartest and can figure out how to undo mistakes of two stupid people."
Derek had already determined from talking to him in the kitchen, that Scott wouldn't know he was insulting him because he didn't remember anything. He only knew he was four years old, his bestest friend was Stiles, and the scary snowman was most certainly not Stiles. Derek could smell instantly that he wasn't a wolf anymore, he was simply four years old again. No trace of the grown up Scott.
Scott shook his head. "There's no way she's the smartest. Stiles is the smartest. She's really really smarter maybe. She's not smarter than Stiles. Stiles is the best." His goofy grin was replaced by a sad look. "Can I see him?"
Stiles shuffled slightly forward. "I am Stiles buddy." The look on his face was the most hopeful look Derek had ever seen on a snowman.
Scott narrowed his eyes. "No you're not!"
"Yeah I am. We used to hide under your bed to eat peanut butter cookie sandwiches. We would take peanut butter cookies and slather peanut butter on one side and jam on the other." While he was speaking he used his stick arms to mime making the sandwiches. "Your mom would always yell for us because we would make a mess in the kitchen, but she pretended she couldn't find us."
Scott's face twisted into anger. "No! She doesn't ever know where we are. She doesn't find us! The real Stiles knows that! You're fake! I want to see my best friend! I want my mom! I want my dad!" Tears started streaming from his red face.
"It's okay Scotty!" Stiles started heavily bounding towards him.
Scott let out a screech and turned to Derek. He scrambled and pulled against his clothing like a monkey trying to climb vines. He made it halfway up before Derek scooped him the rest of the way into his arms. Scott buried his head into his neck and started to cry.
"Stiles. Maybe you shoul-"
Derek wondered if he had started to melt faster with how much he was slumped down.
"Yeah I know. Why don't you take him to the living room and find Balto in my movie case. It's his favorite."
Derek gave him a flat look.
"Don't give me that. We both loved that movie long before your furry butt showed up. And I think I've done a very good job of not mentioning it before now."
Derek simply raised an eyebrow before turning to go make popcorn.
Stiles hollered after him. "There's a bag of puffcorn in the top cabinet!"
Derek yelled back. "He's four not an infant! He can have regular popcorn!"
"If he chokes, I'm telling Melissa this was all your fault!"
Derek didn't reply.
"If you two children are done arguing maybe we can fix the actual child and the ever growing puddle soaking my shoes." Lydia's cold voice masked her concern.
They busied themselves with the books as Derek changed Scott then got them settled in to watch the movie.
Scott snuggled into Derek's side and giggled through the start of the movie.
He pulled the blanket around Scott as he looked down at him. He looked so small, he looked fragile. In a way Scott always looked like that, but this was mixed with an innocence.
He caught the sound of Stiles' voice and he wondered if he ever looked like this. It was hard to imagine, he almost couldn't. As childish and young he could act, Derek had never known Stiles to have a childlike innocence. But then he thought of the two of them under Scott's bed hiding from Melissa and he could almost see the shine of his big brown eyes. For an instant he wondered why that look was so completely gone and so soon, but then he remembered.
His mother. Stiles had lost his mother at such a young age and ever since, he carried it with him. He supposed Stiles was a lot like himself, trading innocence for carrying the people lost to them with themselves out of guilt.
He wished he'd known Stiles then, he wished he could've protected him. Just gathered him in his arms and let him cry until he felt better. He also wished Stiles had found him. After Paige, after the fire. Wished they'd been closer for after Laura. But then he was also grateful he was there for after Boyd.
Looking down at Scott made him feel so many things. He was so small, and he needed to be protected. He needed to be saved, brought back to who he was. But looking down at his small face he looked so angelic, so perfect.
He reminded Derek of his little brother. He used to watch cartoons on the couch with him every weekend. Derek tightened his arm around him as he thought of a house filled with kids. He cleared his throat as the memories he had buried long ago resurfaced. He never let himself feel how much he missed having younger siblings and kids around. How much he missed watching movies and pretending to not see hiding places. He felt a hurt in his gut thinking that as soon as Scott was back to normal he'd never see innocent little eyes look at him again like he could protect them from the entire world.
He was hit with a wave of longing. Not just for the family he lost, but for one he'd never have.
He was pulled out of his head by the distress wafting over from the table. "What's wrong?"
Stiles' voice came immediately. "Nothing. Just watch the movie sourwolf."
Derek's eyebrows furrowed. He gently moved over Scott and gave him a reassuring look when he looked alarmed. "I'll be back." He brushed his curls away and kissed his forehead.
Derek walked over to a tense Stiles and a worried Lydia. "And how come, nothing, with you is always someone is about to die?"
Lydia winced.
Derek's face went hard and he spoke very controlled. "Stiles. Is someone about to die?"
"Technically we don't know if it's about to, we just know it's soon."
It was very hard to take that news seriously when it was literally from a snowman, but seeing the growing puddle made it sink in a bit.
He looked to Lydia. "If he melts will he die?"
She grimaced and picked up the book. "Ice will freeze the spirit and magic in place. But, if the snow flakes guarding the heart melt, the soul will slip away."
Derek closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "How do we get him back to normal?"
She looked at the book once again, but frustrated this time. "We're still trying to figure that out. The translation is a difficult one, not only is it in a different language it has a double coded cipher. It will take hours to figure out. And I don't even know if the spell will tell us how to fix both of them. I turned up the air conditioner as high as I could but..."
They both looked to where Stiles' body looked ready to melt in half.
"Can't we just stick part of him in the freezer? Preferably his head?"
"Hey! And no. If this is like any of the Nordic magic I've studied, any part that is melted or taken away just turns to regular water. It would have to be my entire body. Right now I wouldn't fit, but if it gets down to it-"
"If it gets down to it you could die! We don't know how melted you have to become before it's too late!" Derek yelled.
Stiles laughed and replied. "Believe me, out of all the ways I thought I'd go out, a snowman was not even in the top one hundred."
Derek's eyebrows pinched. "Will you, for the love of God, take this seriously! You could die! If it gets to the point-"
Lydia looked determined. "We won't let it get that far. You have to have an idea. You always have an idea! Think Stilinski!"
He huffed out a chilled breath and hopped over towards the book. "This spell might work, but I haven't finished the translation of the description. All I can get is that if you focus on something it will cause it to be filled with snow, ice, and winter air. But that's not for sure, and I can't cast like this. I tried to use a spell before to catch Scott and nothing happened." He looked over at Lydia unsure. "Also your casting-"
"Will have to be enough." Just like that, she began the spell, not that they would've been able to change her mind.
She spoke the last word and she lowered her arms that were pointed at Stiles.
Nothing happened.
"Well that's unfort-"
"Whap!" In an instant the entire loft was covered in three feet of snow.
Stiles looked at Lydia who's arms tensed in shock. On her bun sat a tiny pile of snow an her shoulders were covered too. He looked over to Derek and started laughing hysterically. There was a pile of snow on his head and shoulders too, but there was also snowflakes in his eyebrows and lashes. He had the most menacing look on his face as he looked at the room covered in snow.
"Dereeeek!"
By the time Derek had scooped up an equally frozen Scott, went upstairs with him and Lydia, and trudged back through the snow with all three of them wrapped in multiple layers of Derek's clothing Stiles still hadn't stopped laughing.
Derek huffed. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Guess who's going with me to pick out all new furniture jackass."
"That's a bad word Derek! You have to call him a poopybutt."
The snowman grinned at him. "Yeah Derek, you have to call me a poopybutt."
"You better be careful before I kick your snowballs."
Stiles smiled. "Oh I'm really pissing myself over that insult."
Derek turned to Scott. "You know not to eat the yellow snow right?"
Scott only cocked his head in confusion, but Lydia and Stiles burst out with laughter.
"Oh shut up." Stiles took a chunk from his middle and hurled it at Derek and Scott. Derek turned his back to shield Scott, but the snowball burst on his back and part of it hit the back of his neck.
He turned back with a dangerous glint. "Oh you're on Frosty."
Scott quickly brightened and shrieked, "Snowball fight!"
It was chaos within seconds.
Derek had flipped the coffee table on it's side for cover and Lydia hid behind Stiles.
She initially didn't want to be involved, but Derek nailed her right in the side of her face. The snow melted and smudged her make-up. It was war.
What Scott lacked in aim he made up for in enthusiasm, he was throwing snowballs as fast as Derek could make them. Lydia had a deadly accuracy, but she was slower.
Scott was starting to tire, then it was quiet for a moment. He looked over and they were fighting.
"Lydia just let me!"
"No! You're my only cover!"
Stiles was trying to bend over to make his own snowball and Lydia was trying to pull him back up to stay hidden.
"I want to throw one!"
"I'll make you one!"
"No I want t- ahhhh!" Stiles' top two balls fell into the snow and separated. "Oh my god! I'm in half! I'm two halves! Am I dead?" His twigs started feeling the ground and his body. "No I'm not. I'm fine!" Stiles started to let out a relieved laugh and Lydia joined in.
Derek looked over to Scott who was pointing and laughing. Seeing the clear joy he too joined in.
"You guys. I am stuck though."
They laughed harder.
"No really, I can't get up."
More laughter.
"Help me! Please?"
Derek wiped away tears as Lydia tried to speak through her laughter.
"You're- you're too heavy. I- I can't lift you."
They spent a few moments calming down.
"Derek? Scott? How about a truce? Just until I get back on my feet, literally. Well actually, I don't have feet right now."
Derek turned to Scott and even though there was some apprehension, Scott gave a nod.
They abandoned their post and trudged over enemy lines.
Stiles was surprisingly heavy. When Derek let out a grunt of effort Stiles smacked him and Scott even tried to help.
Derek should've expected it, but he didn't.
As soon as they stood him up Stiles tackled him and Lydia began pelting him with a stockpile.
"Hey! You guys broke the truce!" Scott whined.
Stiles spoke as he shoved snow in Derek's face. "It was only till I got up!"
The look of disapproval faded.
"You should help us! All of us against Derek!"
Lydia nodded. "He's going to lose. You should be on our team! We have a snowman!"
Derek started to thrash. "No! Scott would never! He's my buddy!" He dramatically lifted an arm towards him.
Scott looked considering till he threw himself next to Derek.
"Ha see Stiles! Scott wou-"
Mid sentence Scott stuffed a snowball in his mouth.
Stiles lifted his twigs up. "Woo whoop! Ultimate victory against Derek!"
"Ahhhh no! I have been defeated!"
Scott giggled and Stiles and Lydia smiled at him.
"No laughing at me you traitor!" In one quick movement he swept them all into his arms and pulled them on top of him. "Snowpile!"
They all burst out laughing.
It was warmer with all of them laying on the snow together.
Lydia adjusted the ill fitting hat she borrowed as she spoke. "We should make snow angels."
Scott nodded and got off Derek by sticking a boney elbow in his ribs.
They all made a snow angel except Stiles, who's angel looked like a snowman angel hybrid.
Once he was done with his Scott jumped on Derek.
"Oof! You're heavy!"
Stiles looked over at them with a smile that quickly turned to concern. "And he looks cold."
Stiles' twigy fingers pinched his red nose lightly. Scott crossed his eyes to look at them.
Stiles looked at everyone. "You know what is the opposite of cold snowy days?"
He continued, "Hot chocolate."
"Hot chocolate!" Scott said at the same time.
They looked at each other and burst out laughing. They high fived each other.
Derek and Lydia looked at each other confused.
That made them laugh harder.
After one particular giggle from Scott he and Stiles both began to glow.
Stiles looked down at his sticks and Scott looked at his hands.
Scott looked afraid. "Stiles! What's happening?"
He was torn between being happy Scott finally believed it was him and terrified for what this glow meant. He didn't get long to freak out.
Simultaneously, Scott rapidly grew older in front of them, and Stiles suddenly felt very cold. Very cold.
"What the hell just happened?" Scott seemed more confused than anything. "Stiles? Why am I naked on Derek's lap surrounded by snow?"
Derek turned to Stiles with a raised smug eyebrow.
"Why do you assume I know! You're on Derek's lap, not mine!"
Scott nodded. "Yes, but you're naked too. And normally if I got into something, it's because of you."
Stiles squinted. "Not fair!"
Lydia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, for him."
Stiles pouted.
Derek spoke up. "What made you guys go back to normal?"
Lydia seemed to consider it for a moment while muttering. "Oh! Childlike glee! We got it backwards. It gave Scott a chill in his heart towards you and you had to cause him glee to get back to normal! This wasn't a spell to make a snowman, it was a curse! Huh, clever. Well I am going home to take an extremely hot shower."
She got up to go gather her things.
"Yes, please! I need to warm up."
Scott held his arm. "Wait! I still need to know what happened?"
Stiles whined, "Scott, just because you have a nice and toasty werewolf seat doesn't mean we all do. Come on man I'm freezing my dick off here!"
Scott smirked. "Are you jealous of my super warm werewolf seat? Maybe if you asked nicely Derek would help you with your freezing di-"
Derek dropped his bare ass onto the snow.
"Cold man! Real cold!"
Lydia strode over to Derek and planted a kiss on his cheek. "A pleasure as always Derek. Next time though, if you leave the big boy books out for your kids I'm not picking up. Goodbye boys." With a wave over her shoulder she was gone.
"Rude!" Stiles yelled after her. "Any way I'm going to go upstairs to shower." He tried to get up with as much dignity as he could. "Please remember that it is cold."
Scott shouted after him. "You have nothing to apologize for bro! Your dick is perfect!"
Stiles cackled as he heard Derek's noise of disapproval at their lack of decency.
After his boiling shower he felt so much better, but he didn't want to ever have to look at snow again, much less deal with an entire room of it.
He went down the snow covered stairs in the thickest pair of socks he could find in Derek's drawers. He sighed knowing he would have to change them.
"Did Scott leave?"
Derek had shed a few layers and Stiles wondered if he only put them on for little Scott's benefit.
"Yeah. He said he had to talk to Allison."
Stiles nodded. "I assume he told you to tell me goodbye."
Derek considered lying, but he figured Stiles knew the answer.
Derek decided to change the subject. "I never knew he was that cute."
Stiles grinned. "You should've seen me. We could get away with anything. We were such horrible children." Stiles started to laugh. "My dad used to say he hoped I had the antichrist as a child because it would be an angel in comparison to me."
Derek looked away as he spoke. "Is that something you want?"
"The antichrist? No, I'd rather not. But kids, a couple rugrats? Yeah, I want a few and maybe more. I always wondered what it would be like to have a bursting house. I always said I'd foster though. There are already so many kids that need love right? Why not take care of them first. What about you?"
Derek shrugged. "It's not really in the cards for me."
Stiles nodded. "Not everyone wants them. That's fine."
Derek decided to let him think what he wanted. He was wondering about something else though. "Why did you do that spell?"
Stiles rolled his eyes as he started moving his hands in sweeping motions.
The snow swirled in little gusts and started to slowly disappear.
"I didn't think it would go wrong jackass. I didn't mean for it to happen."
Derek still had a serious look. "No, I know you didn't mean for it to do that, but why did you do it in the first place? I mean you'll do reckless magic sure, but that was stupid. You hadn't finished the translation, Deaton wasn't here to fall back on, and using Scott like that, you are reckless. You aren't stupid."
Stiles huffed. "I thought it would help. He's been having a rough week. He's fighting with Allison a lot lately, that last week was a lot to put on his plate, and he's just been stressed lately. I saw the childlike glee thing and I thought-"
Derek smiled softly. "You thought it would make him happy."
"He just needed a break."
Derek nodded and Stiles continued to work in silence.
"You're a good friend."
Stiles' hands paused. "Scott is a good friend too." His voice had an edge.
"No, I know. And you heard him today, he knows it too. Even if he lives in the big world now, even if he's big now and forgets to show that he knows it."
Stiles seemed to get what he was saying and resumed his work. "He's just stressed lately. Sometimes friends take more than they give. Sometimes they take without realizing what needs to be given. It doesn't make them bad, it just makes them human. Loving them doesn't change that they're people."
Derek narrowed his eyes. "Do you need something he isn't giving you?"
Stiles tilted his head from side to side. "Yes and no." Stiles' eyes met Derek's. "It isn't his fault I'm lonely." He looked back down. "It isn't really anyone's."
"It's my fault."
Stiles' hands and the wind stuttered.
"I'm your alpha. If you are lacking it means I'm not providing."
Stiles did a big sweep. "This isn't the sort of thing you could provide."
"Am I not your friend?" Derek tried to not show his hurt.
Stiles smiled. "Of course you are sourwolf. I meant either of you. It is not the sort of company a friend can fill."
Comprehension crossed his face. "Oh."
"I don't fault Scott for loving Allison, I just wish I had someone that loves me that much." Stiles shrugged as he finished the last few sweeps. He surveyed the loft looking for things out of place or somewhere his magic hadn't swept and dried.
Derek couldn't stand the acceptance in his voice towards his sadness. Like it was okay or even fathomable that he wouldn't have someone that loved him. "You do."
Stiles let out a snort. "Not, like that. Not in that way." Stiles straightened a picture frame the fell.
Derek tried to swallow to clear his throat. "You do."
Stiles turned with a puzzled look. "I- I don't un-"
"I do." Derek steeled himself. "I love you like that. I love you that much."
He looked distrustful. "Why have you never told me before now?"
"I don't deserve you, but I don't want you to think you aren't loved. God, never think that. In any way. Because I love you in all of them."
Stiles walked up to him. "Are you being honest with me?" He looked up at him with wide brown eyes.
Derek closed his eyes. "Yes I am."
Stiles scoffed. "Say it looking into my eyes, and maybe I'll believe you weren't toying with me to be a jackass." Stiles turned to walk away.
Derek caught him by his arm. "I didn't look into your eyes because every time I do, I fall more in love with them, with you. And I worry if I fall anymore I won't be able to look at you without kissing you." Derek could feel him turn back towards him.
"Derek, open your eyes."
Derek shut them tighter before opening them slowly. He didn't feel himself breathing as he looked at Stiles.
"Were you honest?"
"Yes." It came out as a breath.
Stiles slowly brought his arms up and around Derek's neck without breaking their stare. "Derek?"
"Yes Stiles?"
"Look into my eyes."
Derek looked down to his lips and Stiles nodded.
Derek kissed him hesitantly till he gripped the back of his neck with still chilled fingertips that pulled him deeper.
Derek pulled back to look into his eyes again.
Stiles spoke sincerely, "I love you. In every way I am capable. I love you as deep as the core of my being and I can't believe you never did anything about it if you did too."
"I don't d-"
"I swear if you finish that with, deserve you, I will walk out."
Derek wound his arms around his waist. "I don't."
"And I don't give a shit what you think. You're wrong."
"Says the man that turned himself into a snowman hours ago."
"I'm impulsive, not a bad judge of character."
"Well what ab-"
Stiles raked his fingers through the hair at the base of his skull. "How about you kiss me? We can have this fight later, like at out wedding."
Derek snorted. "Quite sure of yourself aren't you?"
Stiles smirked and started to lean back against the unbreakable hold of the arms holding onto him.
"I'll be sure enough about the both of us for both of us."
Derek smiled. "Sounds good to me." He leaned back in and Stiles eagerly met him.
Derek supposes he should've known better, but then again he never knows anything when it comes to Stiles. He always seems to surprise him.
Looking into his eyes he'd be grateful to never seen them turned to lumps of coal again. However, he supposes a pair just like them filled with childlike glee might not be as far out of his grasp or desires as he thought.
