In love with the idea of Stiles and Derek developing feelings for each other years after the show ends.
Given their chaotic past, there hasn’t been a slow enough moment for them to actually share until now. The circumstances haven’t been just right.
But the best thing about sterek for me is the POTENTIAL for a relationship to develop. The underlying framework for a delicious chemical reaction - given the right circumstances. Like, that’s what most people miss. They think ya just take two hot specimen and throw them together in a scene and - //no//.
It’s these two characters specifically, these specific personalities and histories, in this universe or any other.
But we’re talking about their universe. How would that happen?
Slowly, at first.
Derek hasn’t moved back to Beacon Hills. He probably never will. In my head it’s not the type of place he wants to remember, a graveyard of family members and mistakes.
And with Stiles’ new career in the FBI, he isn’t involved enough in werewolf affairs to run into Derek again until years later.
When he does, it’s because of a fed bust. But it’s not Derek who they’re busting, it’s Derek they’re saving. They bring him into protective custody and the entire ride is hilarious because it’s obvious by Derek’s face that he hadn’t needed saving.
At this point there are an infinite number of directions for their story to take, but for funsies let’s pretend that Derek is placed into witness protection and Stiles is charged with guarding him.
(((Of course we’d need the obligatory scene that reveals there is so much more going on than either of them know, and they’ll have to work together to overcome their newest adversary. But that’s plot and I don’t want to talk plot.)))
Stiles drives Derek to a safe house directly after he’s given the order to protect him and it’s not an awkward ride, it’s an effortless one.
Weirdly enough, Stiles missed Derek.
And even though Derek is clearly annoyed by the sequence of events leading up to this point, the years have softened him and he’s not so highstrung.
He rests his arm on the rolled-down window as Stiles drives them to their beach house hideout, resigned to his fate, a coastal breeze swimming through the fabric of his shirt.
And from there it’s the moments in the early mornings when nothing but Stiles is awake, not even the house. The skies are white over the hushing waves outside, foggy light falling through bay windows into the kitchen where Stiles’ hand is wrapped limply around a steaming cup of coffee.
He always gets up early - because of his overzealous sense of duty or because he can’t sleep, Derek doesn’t know. But there’s a creaky floorboard right outside his door that Stiles has to pass to get to the kitchen in the mornings, and after the first week, the noise transforms into his alarm clock.
He tucks himself into his clothes, hair ruffled and face stubbled, and slinks out of his room to join Stiles at the table.
And Stiles asks, “Do you want some coffee?” and rises to pour him a cup when he says yes.
By the second week, a cup of coffee is there waiting for Derek every morning.
And it only starts there, blossoming through all the little moments.
When Derek wades unbothered into the freezing California ocean, body glistening in the winter sun, looking otherworldly and invincible, Stiles watching over the rim of his sunglasses from the warmth of the patio.
When Stiles cooks for Derek at night, dish towel thrown over his shoulder, feet bare against the hardwood floor, sprinkling this and that before bringing the wooden spoon to his lips to taste - and smiling victoriously, like he’s cracked the code.
When they catch each other in the small vulnerabilities of domesticated life: Derek finding Stiles asleep; Stiles catching a glimpse of Derek turning the corner in only a towel; the sound of Stiles’ surprised laughter when Derek says something unexpectedly funny.
The way that their eyes always find their way back to each other, whether from across the room or across the beach.
Yeah.
In love with that concept.
