Things We Never Saw Coming

Naked Truths

**Time for some Derek POV, guys. Stiles was getting boring.**

Thursday, 7pm

“I’m asking you to do whatever has to be done to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere… No, I’m not joking. I don’t know how she got out, but it’s her… I don’t know why he’s having these dreams, Erica. Just do something about it. I have to go—he’s getting out of the shower. Stop laughing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Derek hung up his phone and slid it across the kitchen countertop in annoyance. Everything had been going perfectly for a little while, but whatever cosmic energy controlling the universe seemed to have a grudge against him.

“Derek, have you seen my sweatpants? The grey ones?”

Derek glanced down at the pants he was wearing. Yup, those were the ones. “No.”

Stiles appeared from the bedroom and started to search for the pants, his towel wrapped around his narrow hips. Derek watched him out of the corner of his eye and sighed. Part of him wished that Stiles was like anyone else he’d met that he fancied. He’d never needed to do anything more than smile to get someone to like him. But Stiles ignored all of his attempts to hint that he was interested.

“Did you check under the armchair?” Derek asked. Stiles glanced at him before crouching down on the floor and peering under the chair, leaving Derek free to stare at him. That tiny, creepy little pervert of a voice in the back of Derek’s mind was shouting for Stiles’ towel to drop.

Stiles looked back at Derek and caught him staring. He raised an eyebrow. “Are you… looking at my butt?”

“What? No. No, definitely not looking. I was just… No.” Smooth, Hale. Real smooth.

Stiles stood up to face Derek. “Do you find me attractive?” he asked, and Derek could tell that he was being serious. 

“I-I don’t know,” he stammered. Why did Stiles always have to put him on the spot with these questions? “I wasn’t really looking—“

Stiles let his towel drop. “You looking now?”

Hell yeah I’m looking. Derek’s mouth dropped open a little, and Stiles couldn’t help but smile a little at his overbite. He didn’t know what to say—what do you say when your sort of roommate is standing completely naked in the living room asking if he’s attractive? So he nodded dumbly, because there was no other reaction he could think of other than nodding, except jumping over the counter and banging Stiles right then and there. Somehow, nodding seemed more appropriate.

Stiles huffed. “Good.” He picked up his towel and retreated back into his room. Derek heard him shuffling around in there for a minute. His heart pounded against his ribcage like it was trying to break free from his chest. He put his head on the counter and tried to think straight. He needed words to describe how he felt, but speaking had never been his strong suit. He was more of the physical type—glaring, fighting, and scowling were his things, not talking.

The door to the bedroom opened, and Stiles reemerged, wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a dark grey t-shirt that hugged his thin chest. The voice in Derek’s head sighed in disappointment that Stiles wasn’t still naked.

Stiles crossed his arms. “I’ve done everything I can think of,” he said with a shrug. “You’re a real ball-buster when it comes to showing your feelings. You pretty much said that you liked me, but you haven’t done anything about it. What’ll it take for me to get a reaction out of you?”

Derek made an incomprehensive sound. Come on, just say that you like him. That’s all you need to say. “Stiles, I like you.” Simple as that. “I uh… I like… I like… um… I… you.” Nailed it.

Stiles nodded. “Nice. Okay, well let me know when you’re actually capable of articulating a real sentence.” He turned to retreat back into his room, shaking his head.

Derek smacked himself in the head. “I don’t know how,” he blurted before the words could stop themselves.

Stiles paused and turned. “What?”

“I don’t know how to act around you,” Derek continued through gritted teeth. “I don’t know what you want. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

Stiles snorted. “I want you to be honest with me,” he said. “Just say what you’re thinking for once.”

Derek’s mouth twitched upwards in a grin. “I was thinking that you’ve got... you look great.”

Stiles blinked in surprise. Point for Derek. “Are you screwing with me?”

I’d like to screw you… “No. You told me to be honest. This is me being honest. You asked me if you were attractive. That’s my answer.”

Stiles stared at him for a minute before nodding. “Good to know,” he said, and wandered back into his room.