Nice to Meet You Anyway

Ch. 12

I forgot to mention it, and I went back to fix some parts. Derek's an aspiring author in this story.
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DEREK POV

"He was so sick before the operation so at this point he could accept or reject the kidney" That was the last thing the doctor said before his surgery. We've been sitting outside in the waiting room for Stiles to wake up for about three hours. Lydia and Jackson were sitting in the chairs across from me, while Isaac and Scott were down in the cafeteria. Caleb is asleep in my arms drooling onto my shoulder. He tried so hard to understand what was going on, but no five year old could ever fully wrap their head around what was happening.

"Where's my daddy?" Caleb mumbled sleepily against my chest.

"The doctors are helping him right now, and you will see him soon" I said for his piece of mind and a little for mine. I needed to believe I would see him again.

Another hour later Lydia stretched from where she was sitting and sluggishly made her way over to me "Theo and Liam said they will keep Caleb for us so we can go and shower"

"But what if-"

"The doctors said it' a few more hours, you won't miss him I promise" I picked up the sleeping boy and drove him to Liams.

I went to my parents home instead of back to my loft. What I was looking for was there. I walked in with intentions of grabbing what I needed and going. I was in my old room sifting through boxes when I opened one filled with my old writing journals. I sighed and removed one shoving it in my jacket. I made it all the way back down the stairs when I was caught, and stopped by my father's voice.

"Where were you?"

"Now's not the time"

"What are you talking about you missed a very important meeting"

"I'm dealing with something. And you cant even be bother to ask?"

"I don't understand I-"

"You don't understand? Well I've just about been screaming it in your face and you don't understand. I don't want to take over the family company. You have two other sons and you want it to me because you think it will fix me, and make me like you dad. But I'm not okay I'm not like you, and I'm not broken. I'm just me, and I like me, mom likes me, Laura likes me, and Stiles he likes me too" Without even realizing it I had started to cry. I could feel the heat of the tears as they prickled down my face "And right now he's in some hospital wasting away, probably about to die and I'm here shouting at you" He stood there frozen and perplexed, I knew everything I said just went in one ear and out the other. I wasn't going to waste my time explaining anymore to him. I pushed past my father and out the house.

I returned to the hospital after being gone a few hours. In the waiting room Lydia and Jackson sat waiting intently. Lydia spotted me and quickly rose from her spot striding over to me. She had been rubbing her slightly sweaty palms together, and was sporting a very, very small smile.

"Any news?"

"He's out of surgery"

"What! He made it?!"

"Yes yes he did" she laughed using a surprising amount of strength to pull me into a hug.

"Wait why are you guys sitting out here?"

"He's in the room still sedated. The doctors said it'll be a few hours before he wakes up"

"Why isn't Caleb down here?"

"We were waiting until he woke up. I just thought it's be better if the next time he saw his dad he was awake" She explained stepping out of my way to push me towards the room Stiles lay in.

~FLASHBACK~

We were in my loft making dinner. It was one of the few routines Stiles and I had fell into. Caleb was at our feet while the both of us were standing over the stove cooking.

"Der just let me read one of your stories. I mean If you want to be a writer everyone's gonna read it eventually"

"I like stories" Caleb chimed in.

Stiles picked up his son and they proceeded to make puppy dog eyes "Yeah we want to read them" I took Caleb from his arms resting him on my side. I laughed at my relentless boyfriend, and ignored the subject like I had so many times before. I gave Caleb a cookie shifting his focus and he laughed as he ate it, playing with my cheeks.

Stiles huffed and continued to stir the soup. "Fine. I guess I'll drop it, on one condition"

"And what's that?"

"You have to write one about me" I smiled giving him a lingering kiss that he smiled into.

~END FLASHBACK~

"They were all about you" I whispered running my fingers through his hair. The moment I entered the room my heart has not completely calmed down but It began to beat in a pattern that would give me a heart attack. Stiles was alive, he was breathing, he was going to make it.
With a few cautious steps I moved to the seat beside his bed and lowered myself into it. I took in his pale, and frail body before retrieving the book from my jacket, and opened it up.

"I remember telling you I wanted to be a writer, and you begged me to read you something. God, I said no so many times, thinking about it now I can't remember why, a lot of it was inspired by you. But I want to tell you now, maybe you can give me some of those witty comebacks I love so much" I smiled taking ahold of his hand. As I did so I turned to the first page and began to read.  "You know I used to envy flowers. They've always been experts in the art of opening up, something I was never good at, something I hated to do. Looking at you now, wrapped so tightly in my embrace, it occured to me that I had acquired the trait long ago. I opened up to you, when I thought I had packed my heart away in a box hidden deep in the back of my closet, you had in fact held it the entire time. It hit me when I realized you were suddenly worth me swimming any ocean, sailing any sea, or braving any monster, anything to get to you. You are mine. And I want to be yours. All of me from the top to the bottom, every atom I possess will always be your to keep" I sighed and sat back in the chair "I wrote that in highschool, and always wondered who'd make me feel like that, and it was you"

"That was beautiful" I jumped dropping the old journal in the process. When I turned my father was standing in the doorway looking over at me.

"What are you doing here?"

"I talked to your sister, and she told me"

"Dad now isn't the place. I don't want yelling in here"

He threw his hands up in defense cutting me off, and quickly pulling up a seat. I let out an unintentional sigh, I didn't really want him to stay. But once he got relaxed I knew he didn't plan on leaving until he got to say what he needed.

"I wasn't trying to fix you" he admitted awkwardly after a long moment of silence. "I think every father wants their son to be a little like them. You're brothers are like a copy of me and you were not. I guess I thought you just needed a gentle push"

"If that was the case, you weren't gently pushing me. You were violently throwing me" at this he laughed, and I joined in. It wasn't something we did together a lot but it was nice when we did.

"Your brother signed the papers, he's officially the new head of the company. I hadn't even let the ink dry before I decided to come tell you"

My head popped staring at my father. I noticed his grey hair had made its way down to his chin. The crows feet at the corners of his eyes had creased even more. I thought in this moment I'd feel free but I was just confused "Why?"

"I'm glad you're not like me. I love you Derek" was all he said. And he did something he never did, he hugged me. It was a strange feeling, but I returned the feeling. David Hale wasn't much of a hugger, than gain he wasn't much of a talker either but there was a first for everything.

"How's your boy?"

"Uh... Better I guess, he's still sleeping" I told him shifting my focus back to Stiles.

"Well let us know when he's better. We'll have him over for family dinner"

"I think he'd like that"