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Stiles has decided he is going to make Derek aware of his crush but he's scared, okay? He and Derek had finally worked up to a real proper friendship with hugging and everything. There is hugging. And he doesn't want to ruin it, he doesn't want Derek to revert back to the glare-y sourwolf that he was. But Stiles just can't take it anymore! He can't just come out and say it and face a possible very awkward silence, so he starts doing things for Derek that he wouldn't normally. So, it starts tiny, minuscule.
First, he stops throwing insults, it had changed from serious to fond, more like banter but now he didn't even do that. If Stiles said some ridiculously intricate fact that only Stiles would notice about a show or film, for instance 'hey, did you notice that Harry Potter's glasses frame change colour from black to grey' and Derek would snort and call him a dork, and normally Stiles would reply with a snide remark of 'as if you didn't notice that too, you nerd' or 'coming from the guy that noticed that in one scene Ginny was wearing Harry's tie' but instead this time Stiles just sat there grin on his face and said 'yep'. Derek looked at him confusedly for a while before he just turned back to the Deathly Hallows.
Then, Stiles starting opening doors for him, whenever they went anywhere together. Stiles would run ahead of Derek to pull the door open. The first few times Stiles would bow and gesture towards the door with a mumbled 'm'lady' while Derek would slap the hand extended through the door and huff with amusement as he walked through, then Stiles started doing it and just smiling at Derek as he walked through, confusion etched on his face, before he just got used to it. If Stiles was around he didn't even bother to try and open a door for himself, he would just stand in front of it until Stiles magically appeared and opened it for him. He didn't even notice when Stiles would slip through the door after him and didn't keep holding it open for everyone else, he didn't notice when Stiles didn't do this for anyone but Derek, he just figured that Stiles was trying the manners thing, for a change.
Next, he started cooking for him. He knew that when Derek was lost in a book or exercising for a long time that he'd forget to eat, when Stiles found out about this he got weirdly outraged, exclaiming that if Derek was exercising he needed food, it was dangerous to not eat! So when he knew Derek exercised (Tuesday early mornings, Wednesday evenings, Friday at midday, Saturday at midday) he would cook for him, on a Tuesday it was breakfast, he would turn up with fresh eggs at Derek's door and march into the kitchen and start cooking. On Wednesdays it was dinner, Stiles turned up at the same time as the delivery guy, that held Derek's favourite food from whatever take away place Stiles had chosen. On Fridays and Saturdays, Stiles turned up with tuppaware of leftovers from his dinner the night before and storm into the kitchen to warm them up. Similar things happened when Derek was lost in a book, Stiles would text Derek and if there was no answer within the hour, he would drive down to his loft and make sure he ate something. Derek just got used to it again, he gave Stiles a key so he could just walk in and Derek wouldn't have to interrupt his work out or stop reading his book.
Those meals turned into movie nights, which turned into starting a series on Netflix together, which turned into Stiles spending most nights on Derek's sofa. He would always fall asleep, sprawled over the sofa, one foot in Derek's lap, head hanging over the arm rest and yet he always woke up with his head comfortably nestled into a cushion on the arm rest, his limbs curled neatly into him and a blanket spread over him.
It was months later, six months to be exact, and Derek just didn't seem to be getting it. Stiles was busting his ass, cooking for him all the time and making sure he was there to open the door for Derek and ensuring he didn't insult Derek and none of it was paying off. The pack were starting to worry, he was spending loads of money on breakfast foods, rent on an apartment that he was barely sleeping in and there was no end in sight. So they decided to step in.
One pack bonding night, after Stiles had fallen asleep on the sofa and everyone else was sprawled around the room, they switched the movie off and all turned to look at Derek in unison. "Derek. We need to have a serious conversation." Lydia said to him sternly.
"I-uh-what? About what?" Derek mumbled, his ears tinging pink when his attention was snapped away from watching Stiles sleep.
"Stiles, obviously! There is no way you are this oblivious!" Erica snapped slightly. Derek looked at her, bewildered and confused. "Oh my god, you really are that oblivious." She mumbled to herself.
"He's in love with you!" Jackson exclaimed, tired of feeling weirdly sorry for Stiles after all these months.
"Wh-what? What?!" Derek shouted as quietly as possible, trying not to wake Stiles.
"You are unbelievable, dude." Scott shook his head slightly. "He hasn't insulted you, for six months. He has been cooking for you to make sure you eat! He's been opening the frickin' door for you! He doesn't do that for just anyone, he doesn't do that for any of us. How have you not noticed?" Scott gestured wildly.
"I thought he was doing it for everyone. Like if Lydia got lost studying for her masters, he'd cook for her and he stopped insulting Jackson so harshly, it's more jokey now." Derek stumbled over his words, his world being turned on its axis.
"Yeah, once in a blue moon, he'd cook for Lydia. He stopped being so harsh to Jackson because they're actually friends a little now." Kira lowered her voice so Jackson wouldn't hear her where he was mumbling something to Lydia.
This was when Stiles blurredly blinked his eyes open and reached his hands up to rub at them, at this the pack all abruptly stood and rushed to the door, Jackson throwing a quick "don't mess this up" over his shoulder. They were all out the door before Stiles lowered his hands again. He looked around confusedly.
"Where'd all the pack go?" He asked.
"Have you been courting me?" Derek's voice sounded much more confident that he felt. He watched as Stiles' mouth dropped open in shock. Derek stood up and starting pacing in front of the sofa on which Stiles was sat.
"I-uh don't know what you're talking about, dude. And no one says courting anymore." He awkwardly snorted, his face looking alarmed.
"Stiles, please." Derek pleaded, his face was so open, so vulnerable that Stiles couldn't refuse him.
"Um, yes. Technically, courting. Apparently not very well." Stiles stumbled over his words.
"I didn't realise, I'm so sorry." Derek stopped and sat right next to Stiles, his head buried in his hands.
"Nah, dude. Don't worry. It's fine. I'm just gonna...go." Stiles pointed at the door and started to stand when a warm hand grasped at his leg.
"Please, please don't leave." Stiles sat back down, enraptured by Derek's face, so vulnerable and open that he couldn't refuse, he sat back down and looked into Derek's wide eyes.
Stiles decided it was time, "I love you." He said so earnest, so unguarded, Derek needed to kiss him. He cupped the back of Stiles' neck softly and began to lean forward, but as he did Stiles leant back. Derek’s face flashed with hurt before he began to rearrange his features into the mask that he wore the first time they met, Stiles was quick to reassure him, he didn’t want sourwolf back, he liked this Derek, he didn’t want Derek to rebuild the walls that Stiles had spent years breaking down, "Derek I want this, I really really want this. But I can't do this if you don't feel the sam-." He was at the beginnings of a ramble, so Derek cut him off.
"Stiles. I love you too." He watched the grin overtake Stiles' face, and couldn't help but smile too, Stiles' happiness was infectious.
"Fucking finally." Stiles shouted as Derek pushed him down onto the sofa and kissed him until they were both breathless.