[Derek says 'I'd... be that for you. If... yeah.' and it causes Tate to shoot him a mildly perplexed look, bordering almost on scared and uncertain. Why? Because he doesn't know how far to read into things with Derek, how to gauge when blowjob jokes are just jokes and when - there's more to be had than what meets the eye. Tate can't think why he'd say that other than if, by some chance, he meant it. And so he blanks, staring at Derek with wide eyes for a long moment before looking away.

He has Stiles, anyway. It's not like they'd... even if Stiles wasn't here, does he like Derek enough? He's attracted to him, sure. Has been since orientation, when he was touchy about being touched but also demanding. He scratches his upper arm and feels suddenly not so safe in the tree, looking down toward the ground and wondering what it would feel like to slip off and fall. He focuses on that and what it does to his stomach over what his stomach does in response to Derek.]

I dunno.

[That's a lie. His body screams that it's a lie out of every pore, every inch of his body takes a posture that reeks of it. He glances back up at Derek, uncertain, but decides that this is one of those times he can be honest. Selectively honest. He's no fool and he's not about to make the same mistakes as before - this, however, won't pull the rug out of what they have. He hopes.]

I don't know if I want that here. It... It wouldn't work? I mean, it'd be really hard. With how it works. Unless you're in love with your partner, it's tricky. Two subs - it's... it's always going to be weird.

[He picks at the frayed edge of torn denim on his knee, eyes staying downcast.]

But sometimes I think I start to feel things, maybe. I get excited to see people - a person - and hang out with them. But it's not like I'm going to date them. Date...

[He freezes. Closes his eyes. Counts his threes.]

Him.