this feels like he's introducing his date to his parents. once derek has slipped out of doscoe and given the proverbial reigns over to stiles, he feels like every scrutinizing look and every careful glance, every little drop of attention stiles pays to all the details, are actually all directed at him. stiles is judging derek based off of his choices, who he's with. determining if doscoe is good enough, and - therefore - if derek himself is.
derek's stomach is in knots, waiting on pins and needles for stiles' approval. derek's never really going to have that experience - introducing someone important to his mom and dad. he never got that far with paige, but he imagines this is what it would have been like.
derek stands patiently in front of the jeep, trying not to lose his fucking shit too much whenever he spies a spot of dirt on one of her tires that she picked up on the way home. his hands are in fists and hanging at his sides, turned inward so his thumbs are pressed against his body, and he's trying to stand as neutral as he can while stiles touches, examines, explores. stiles is obviously thrilled, but he's also very quiet, and his parents were both like that, too. openly friendly to hide any hostility. he can't trust that fucking chihuahua energy as far as he can throw it.
the parent thing is a pretty decent analogy up until stiles offers to blow him.
derek, uh. derek laughs, more out of anxiety than relief, but his fists uncurl at his sides and slip easily into his pockets nevertheless. he stares at his feet, toeing a spiral in the dirt, looking up again just in time to see stiles slip from out of the driver's seat. there's this second of charged, electric energy, where they both just - look at each other, the air silent once the engine's been cut and the smell of the salt air from the beach filling his lungs, but it doesn't last long. stiles steps forward, walks straight up to him, and -
the kiss is a surprise. it really shouldn't be a surprise, because obviously stiles was going to kiss him, derek's an idiot for not seeing it coming - but it's a good surprise, obviously, not a bad one. derek chuckles a little against stiles' lips and feels waves of relief crashing through him, and he tilts forward on his toes when stiles brings them closer together. he keeps his hands in his pockets and just kinda sways, and when the kiss breaks, derek still has his eyes closed like he's waiting for more. it doesn't come, but. there'll be time.
derek leans back on his heels, looking over stiles' shoulder towards the car. yeah. he thinks he did a good job. ]
It's okay. I mean, I didn't build you a car just so you could blow me, but. Good reaction.
[ he's sheepish, bringing his hand up to scratch at the bridge of his nose. it's suddenly-- very difficult to look at stiles without going red, and derek has an image to upkeep, so he focuses on the jeep. there are a dozen questions he wants to ask - if the paint color is okay, if the seats are comfortable, if there's anything about her that's irreparably different to her mother - but he doesn't let himself spiral. he's been getting better at not spiralling, since stiles became his anchor.
he reaches his hand out, tugging at stiles' sleeve, still not looking at him. he's just really fascinated by that jeep, apparently. the jeep he's been staring at for the past few weeks, day in and day out, wearing his hands to the bone. stiles called him a bad liar, earlier in this conversation. shows what the fuck he knows. ]
I'm serious about that date.
[ it's the third time he's brought up the date - the second time he's used that exact wording - but he's genuinely very excited about the idea of it. sitting in the passenger seat, driving out under the stars. being alone in the warmth with the man he loves. he's hinting to stiles that he'll go with him somewhere tonight, if he's willing. ]
no subject
this feels like he's introducing his date to his parents. once derek has slipped out of doscoe and given the proverbial reigns over to stiles, he feels like every scrutinizing look and every careful glance, every little drop of attention stiles pays to all the details, are actually all directed at him. stiles is judging derek based off of his choices, who he's with. determining if doscoe is good enough, and - therefore - if derek himself is.
derek's stomach is in knots, waiting on pins and needles for stiles' approval. derek's never really going to have that experience - introducing someone important to his mom and dad. he never got that far with paige, but he imagines this is what it would have been like.
derek stands patiently in front of the jeep, trying not to lose his fucking shit too much whenever he spies a spot of dirt on one of her tires that she picked up on the way home. his hands are in fists and hanging at his sides, turned inward so his thumbs are pressed against his body, and he's trying to stand as neutral as he can while stiles touches, examines, explores. stiles is obviously thrilled, but he's also very quiet, and his parents were both like that, too. openly friendly to hide any hostility. he can't trust that fucking chihuahua energy as far as he can throw it.
the parent thing is a pretty decent analogy up until stiles offers to blow him.
derek, uh. derek laughs, more out of anxiety than relief, but his fists uncurl at his sides and slip easily into his pockets nevertheless. he stares at his feet, toeing a spiral in the dirt, looking up again just in time to see stiles slip from out of the driver's seat. there's this second of charged, electric energy, where they both just - look at each other, the air silent once the engine's been cut and the smell of the salt air from the beach filling his lungs, but it doesn't last long. stiles steps forward, walks straight up to him, and -
the kiss is a surprise. it really shouldn't be a surprise, because obviously stiles was going to kiss him, derek's an idiot for not seeing it coming - but it's a good surprise, obviously, not a bad one. derek chuckles a little against stiles' lips and feels waves of relief crashing through him, and he tilts forward on his toes when stiles brings them closer together. he keeps his hands in his pockets and just kinda sways, and when the kiss breaks, derek still has his eyes closed like he's waiting for more. it doesn't come, but. there'll be time.
derek leans back on his heels, looking over stiles' shoulder towards the car. yeah. he thinks he did a good job. ]
It's okay. I mean, I didn't build you a car just so you could blow me, but. Good reaction.
[ he's sheepish, bringing his hand up to scratch at the bridge of his nose. it's suddenly-- very difficult to look at stiles without going red, and derek has an image to upkeep, so he focuses on the jeep. there are a dozen questions he wants to ask - if the paint color is okay, if the seats are comfortable, if there's anything about her that's irreparably different to her mother - but he doesn't let himself spiral. he's been getting better at not spiralling, since stiles became his anchor.
he reaches his hand out, tugging at stiles' sleeve, still not looking at him. he's just really fascinated by that jeep, apparently. the jeep he's been staring at for the past few weeks, day in and day out, wearing his hands to the bone. stiles called him a bad liar, earlier in this conversation. shows what the fuck he knows. ]
I'm serious about that date.
[ it's the third time he's brought up the date - the second time he's used that exact wording - but he's genuinely very excited about the idea of it. sitting in the passenger seat, driving out under the stars. being alone in the warmth with the man he loves. he's hinting to stiles that he'll go with him somewhere tonight, if he's willing. ]