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Meeting

Stiles checked his watch for a third time as the team sat around the table with Mr. Salvatore already on the screen in the back.

"I'm sure they'll be here in just a moment," Stiles forced a smile, glancing out of the glass doors of the room, hoping Derek showed up soon. What was keeping him?

"Perhaps you could check?" Mr. Salvatore suggested, a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"That is a great idea. I'll just be..." he gestured heavily to the door. "...right back."

He slipped from the door and hurried down the hall. He was going to murder both of them. What were they even doing?

Stiles turned the corner of the hall and paused. Derek was leaning back against his desk, Elijah hovering close with his hand cupping Derek's face.

Stiles cleared his throat, making his presence known.

Elijah stepped back and Derek stood up, turning to face Stiles. His tie was partially undone.

Anger and hurt flooded him.

"The meeting was supposed to start five minutes ago," he said between clenched teeth. His eyes slid from Elijah to Derek.

"Oh, we shouldn't keep Mr. Salvatore waiting," Elijah said, giving Stiles a smug smile as he walked by.

"Stiles." Derek's tone was somewhere between pleading and demanding.

Stiles' eyes dropped to the loosened knot of Derek's tie. Had Elijah done that? Had Derek let him?

"Fix your tie," Stiles said curtly before turning and following Elijah to the meeting room.

He pushed into the meeting room behind Elijah.

"My apologies for our tardiness, Derek and I were just discussing some soon-to-be changes." Elijah apologized to Mr. Salvatore. But Stiles noted the subtle glance towards him.

"Right. Speaking of, we'll be discussing those changes soon."

Derek swallowed. Mr. Salvatore already knew? It was true?

"Shall we begin?" Elijah gestured to the board behind him.

Stiles had trouble focusing on the meeting as his mind kept replaying the scene he'd walked in on. Trying to decipher it. Find an understanding that didn't break his heart. Derek wouldn't do that. He knew he wouldn't, but he also hadn't stopped Elijah from doing it.

Stiles tuned back in as Derek's eyes fell on him expectantly.

"Interviews," Derek hissed, nodding towards the screen behind him.

Stiles fumbled with the remote, pulling up a list of interviewees.

"Can any of you tell me why the interviews are not already done?" Stefan asked.

"We've already reached out to everyone here." Derek gestured to the list of names. "Just waiting for schedules to line up."

"Who will be doing the interviewing?"

Stiles answered this time. "Derek and I typically do them together."

There was a long pause before Stefan spoke up again. "I think you'll find Mrs. Macleod more willing to speak with Mr. Mikaelson."

"I'll make a note. Would you suggest either of us accompany him?" Stiles asked, his pen already scratching across his notepad.

"Either one of you would be fine."

Stiles' eyes lifted to meet Derek's. "Derek? You're the boss." His tone came out with more malice than he'd intended.

Derek's eyes narrowed at him.

"On second thought, I think Stiles should join, it would be good practice for him," Stefan said.

This pulled Stiles and Derek's attention to the video call. Stiles frowned but nodded.

Derek's jaw clenched. It seemed as though Stefan was planning on choosing Stiles to replace Dahlia. "Very well," he growled.

Stiles silently made a note in his book.

"Now how are the photographs going?" Stefan moved on, seemingly oblivious to the tension rapidly growing between Derek and Stiles.

Elijah took the remote from Stiles and flipped through some of the shots they had chosen. "These are just a few." He landed on a photo of Damon in his twenties get-up.

"I see Damon has found himself in another of your pieces," Stefan scoffed a laugh.

"Stiles is rather fond of him." Derek sneered, his eyes not leaving the video call.

Stiles gaped at Derek. What was his deal? "I find that he is very versatile," he said defensively. Since when was Derek jealous of Damon?

Stefan hummed. "Damon speaks very highly of you Mr. Stilinski."

Stiles swallowed but remained silent. He could see the anger in Derek's eyes. Something must have been said to make him so jealous.

Stiles' eyes shot over to where Elijah was looking sympathetically at Derek, whose jaw was clenched and hands balled into fists at his sides.

Something was definitely said.

"Moving on, have we decided on a layout?" Stefan asked, flipping through pages he had in front of him.

Derek cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus on anything but the growing proof of Stiles' betrayal. "We have several that we are working on mock-ups of. We should have a final decision by the end of the week." He glanced to Scott who gave an affirmative nod.

"Very good. I assume you'll have that to me then?"

"I'm sure Stiles has already made a note," Derek said around a tight smile.

Stiles tried to decipher the animosity in that remark. Of course he'd made a note. Why was that a bad thing?

Stefan nodded. "Speaking of Mr. Stilinski, I'd like to schedule an in-person meeting."

Stiles shot a worried glance to Derek before responding. "Just me?"

"Just you. How does this evening sound?"

Stiles flipped through his notebook.

Derek's teeth hurt with how hard he was gritting them.

"I'm free after work." Stiles glanced at Derek again, wondering if he knew what this meeting was about.

"Very good, in my office by six-thirty then."

"Yes sir." Stiles nodded. He glanced at Elijah who quickly hid a smirk. This was his doing. There was no way it wasn't.

"Very good, we'll speak later then." Stefan ended the call, leaving the team in awkward silence.

"You know what needs to be done," Derek snapped at the unmoving team members who started to file out.

"Derek—" Elijah stepped toward him but was cut off.

"Why don't you call Mrs. McLeod and get us that interview." He turned to Stiles. "A word in my office."

Stiles paused in front of Elijah on his way out the door behind Derek. He leveled him with a glare. "You had your chance, back off."

Elijah smiled. "I thought I wasn't a threat? Unless...is there trouble in paradise?"

It took everything in Stiles not to deck Elijah right there. "Whatever you're trying to do, it's not gonna work."

Elijah leaned in close, his smile not leaving his face. "It already is," he whispered.

"Stiles." Derek's sharp tone shouted from down the hall.

Elijah winked before stepping past Stiles.

*AN*
Surprise update. Just a small one but hope you enjoyed it. 😊