“Can I ask you a question?”
Stiles tried to keep a neutral face but the annoyance blooming on Derek’s expression was enough to make him pop a grin.
“I hate you,” Derek said even though he didn’t mean it. Or at least Stiles hoped he didn’t mean it otherwise the fact that they were dating for almost a year now would be very weird.
Derek rolled his eyes and walked away before Stiles could stop him.
“Can I ask you a question?”
There was no smiling this time. No mischievous laughter alongside the question. The question so he could ask a question. The infinite loop of everything that scared Stiles.
Derek wouldn’t meet his eyes. Stiles knew why. Knew Derek’s girlfriend was close by, standing by the cheese table chatting with a friend as Stiles watched his heart beat outside of his body in the shape of a grumpy man.
Stiles didn’t mean to bump into Derek like that. He had no idea Derek and whatshername would be there at the party. But looking back at it, he should’ve known. He should’ve felt the dread filling up his body as he made his way into the party hearing the telltale laugh of the man whose heart he’d broken.
“Yes,” Derek said, eyes glued on the floor.
Derek walked away, the silence of Stiles’ unanswered question almost too much to bear.
“Shut up,” Derek was looking ahead, hands wrapped around Stiles’ waist as if it was nothing.
“You’re drunk so you should keep your mouth shut.”
Stiles had never in his life kept his mouth shut. Asking permission to ask a question, any question, was just an excuse to talk even more. To see the false annoyance on Derek’s face and know it was nothing more than pure affection. At least it was.
“I still have questions,” Stiles huffed. Maybe he really was drunk.
“Of course I can’t,” Derek replied, sounding more resigned than annoyed.
Derek stopped moving and he propped Stiles’ body against a wall. The party was still in full swing outside this dark room and Stiles was feeling brave, especially with Derek’s hands around him.
Derek didn’t reply but it was like Stiles could feel him rolling his eyes.
Derek sighed. “The answer is not what you think it is.”
Stiles frowned, confused.
“Do you still wanna be with her?”
Stiles felt Derek’s grip tightening around his waist. Felt Derek take an impossible step closer until his chest was pressed against his.
“Just ask the right question, Stiles.”
Stiles’ head was spinning. He was definitely drunk and he didn’t even know there was a right question to be asked. He was just being annoying. Just trying to get Derek’s attention away from that girl and back to him. He had been scared, back then. Of how intense their relationship was. Of how his silly high school crush had become the man of his dreams right before his eyes. Of how everyone was always saying Derek and Stiles were a bad idea up until the moment Derek and Stiles started to seem like a good idea. A perfect one.
Stiles had been scared of how serious everything felt all of a sudden.
“Is she your girlfriend?”
Stiles wasn’t sure why that was the question that popped into his head. He wasn’t sure he was the right one and for a second he thought he was too drunk for this. He felt Derek’s hands leaving his waist and thought that was it. He was done for.
But then Derek’s hands were cupping his face instead and Derek was close. Too close.
“What do you think?” Derek asked.
“Thought I was the one asking questions,” Stiles replied, delighted to see the roll of Derek’s eyes. That meant Derek had come back from his indifference to the affectionate annoyance.
“She’s my cousin, Stiles.”
Stiles’ world tilted. Then went back to its rightful place.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Will you kiss me, then?”
Derek huffed but he was smiling. He was pleased. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Stiles’. It was soft and chaste but it was enough to send a jolt of electricity everywhere on his body. Stiles let his hands wrap around Derek so he could pull him close.
There were still too many questions he wanted to ask, but for now, he would keep his mouth busy with what really mattered.
Written for the Spotify Wrapped challenge with the song Question...? by Taylor Swift for @bleedingoptimism (ily)
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