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Worried

Derek stalked through the door to his office, not waiting for it to close before barking out, "What the hell is your game here?"

Elijah whirled with a shocked expression.

"I told you, I want to get to know the guy in charge around here, we both that's not you, Derek," Elijah remained stoic in his posture.

"You're trying to rile me up," Derek growled. There was an ulterior motive, he just knew it.

Elijah rolled his eyes, "Not everything is about you."

"This is," Derek's hands clenched at his sides. He hated the way Elijah made him feel.

Elijah let out a sigh and stepped forward. He reached out and placed a hand on Derek's cheek.

Derek curled into himself a bit at the contact but didn't dare move. His heart hammered in his chest. He could practically feel the press of Elijah's lips. A distant memory that made his stomach knot.

Derek would usually lean into Elijah's palm, welcoming the comfort, but he refused to give in this time. Before Elijah even opened his mouth, Derek knew what he was going to say. False reassurances that were nothing but lies. Condescending quips masked as compliments.

"Derek, you really don't need to worry. I don't have any sinister plans, despite what you want to believe. You've managed to keep Stiles around for six months with an office full of gorgeous people. Don't doubt him now that I'm here."

Elijah brushed his thumb along Derek's cheek.

Derek felt his resolve crumbling under Elijah's touch, and he hated it. He jerked his head away so that Elijah's hand fell away.

"I don't doubt him," Derek lied. Stiles had no reason to be loyal to their 'relationship' and he knew that. All it would take is for Elijah to step in and be his charming self to lose Stiles to him. Not that Stiles was even his to lose, but the idea of Stiles with Elijah made his stomach twist. He refused to think about why.

Elijah sighed, "If it makes you that uncomfortable, then come to dinner with us."

Derek narrowed his eyes. What gain would Elijah get from that?

"It'll be nice to catch up. It feels like a lifetime ago you had me pressed against that glass window," Elijah pointed to the window at the back of Derek's office that overlooked the city. He wore a sympathetic smile, like it hurt him to recall that memory.

Derek's jaw clenched before stepping by Elijah and towards his desk.

"We should get to work."

Elijah sighed, before agreeing, "Very well."

-

Stiles watched Elijah reach out to Derek and rolled his eyes when Derek let him. He was so hung up on Elijah it was almost pathetic. He watched the pair interact and couldn't help but snicker when Elijah said something that made Derek pull away. It was fun to see Derek squirm.

A hand slammed down on his desk causing Stiles to jump.

"What. The. Hell?" Lydia was leaned over his desk with a pointed look.

"Jesus, Lydia," Stiles clasped a hand over his chest.

"You're pretending to date Derek?" She hissed.

Stiles sighed; He wasn't surprised the team had sent Lydia to corner him about this. She was the most strong willed.

"It's complicated and...just kind of happened," Stiles shrugged.

"You hate him," Lydia pointed out as if Stiles had forgotten.

Stiles lips pulled into a tight line before he responded, "I'm well aware."

"I want details, now," Lydia demanded, her arms crossing her chest.

"Derek panicked at the sight of Elijah with a new boyfriend and asked me to play the part. I negotiated some time off and agreed. Then we found out he's working with us," Stiles shrugged as if it were so simple.

"Oh," Lydia relaxed her arms. She nodded knowingly as if it all made complete sense.

"He's super hung up on him," Stiles glanced to where Elijah was leaning over a very tense Derek's shoulder and pointing at his computer.

"It was a rough break up. Remember how we always say Derek used to be tolerable? Whatever happened with Elijah, changed that," Lydia looked over at the pair with a sneer.

"Wait, Elijah is the reason Derek's an asshole?" Stiles frowned up at the redhead.

"I mean, Derek's always been an asshole, but he was at least a nice asshole, but then...he and Elijah broke up and he kind of put up these walls. Derek was crazy about Elijah," Lydia sighed.

"Did something happen to make them break up? Derek was super vague," Stiles asked, leaning forward.

"I don't know. He never talked about it. One day he didn't come into the office. Elijah came and collected his stuff and said he got another job. The next day Derek was a totally different person. The framed picture of him and Elijah showed up in his trashcan and we never heard anything about him again," Lydia shrugged, leaning her hip against Stiles' desk.

"They were together for five years."

"Yeah, I was here for three of those years."

"How was their relationship?" Stiles glanced to where Derek and Elijah were still bent over his computer.

"I mean...they had their ups and downs. Derek was very strict about keeping it professional at work, that drove Elijah crazy. Elijah was a very...friendly person. I think it bothered Derek. But they never broke up or had major fights that we were aware of," Lydia shrugged again.

"Well I'm not even really dating Derek and I'm pretty sure we're already fighting," Stiles huffed, rubbing his hands over his face.

"That's a shock," Lydia snorted, "Why?"

"I didn't tell Derek I agreed to go to dinner with Elijah after work," Stiles grimaced as he waited for Lydia's judgement.

Instead, what came was something Stiles didn't expect. Lydia leaned over his desk again and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Stiles, listen to me, you don't need to get wrapped up in this any more than you already are. Elijah is...sweet."

Stiles frowned.

"Like...caramel sweet. Sticky and terrible for you."

Stiles raised a brow as he held back a smile.

"I'm serious Stiles. Don't fall for him. Whatever he did to hurt Derek...I don't want it done to you."

Stiles laughed and shook his head, "I'm not worried about falling for Elijah."

"Well I'm not worried about you falling for Derek."

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Stiles threw his hands up.

Lydia pursed her lips as if she were debating on arguing, but before she could decide, the door to Derek's office opened and he walked out.

"Stiles, a word," Derek growled, not bothering to look at him or the redhead leaned on his desk.

"Excuse me, Lydia, I'm being sent to the principal's office," Stiles quirked a grin as he pushed away from his desk.

Lydia pursed her lips harder to hold back a smile.

Derek let out a huff as he led Stiles out the office door and into the hall that led to the elevators.

*AN*
Hope you like it!