Suffer Well (Sterek)

I missed...

Stiles wiped the sweat from his palms onto his jeans for the third time since he arrived at the Hale house. It sat peacefully ten feet in front of him. He just needed to go up and knock, that's all. He was honestly surprised no one had heard his jeep pull in. He checked his phone. Dinner would be done by now, so he shouldn't be interrupting anything. Maybe they were out back. He almost turned to walk back to his jeep, but he stopped. No. He had to do this. All he had to do was talk to him, that's it.

Stiles knocked, holding his breath. Maybe no one would answer. Before the hope of that thought could settle, the door opened.

"Stiles?" Cora asked in surprise.

"Hey, Cora, I'm not interrupting dinner, am I?" Stiles asked, just in case.

"No, not at all, come in," Cora gestured Stiles inside, quickly.

"I didn't think you'd be coming around anymore," Cora stated closing the door once Stiles was inside.

"Yeah," Stiles shrugged. He didn't really know what to say to her. She had been there the night Stiles left.

"Derek's upstairs," Cora nodded towards the staircase that seemed dark and uninviting.

"Can I get a water?" Stiles asked turning away from the stairs quickly.

"Course," Cora bit her lip as she followed Stiles to the kitchen.

"Stiles, I thought I heard your voice," Dominic said walking in as Cora handed Stiles a water bottle from the fridge.

"Hey, Dom," Stiles gave a small smile.

"What are you doing here?" Amora asked hurriedly. Stiles hadn't seen her behind the middle brother.

"Umm," Stiles dropped his gaze to the water in his hand.

"I don't honestly know," Stiles shifted. He had come because he felt guilty after Dominic's visit, but he didn't know what he could hope to accomplish by coming here.

"Please talk to him," Dominic begged in a quiet tone.

Stiles' teeth sank into his bottom lip. "I don't know what to say," Stiles admitted honestly.

"Tell him how you feel," Amora said eagerly.

"He knows how I feel, there's no use in repeating it," Stiles shook his head a bit.

Amora's shoulders slumped. "Then convince him to be with you."

Stiles' brow furrowed in frustration, "No, he made it clear how he felt." Stiles set the water down on the counter, "This was a mistake, I should go."

"No, please, don't. You came all this way for a reason, what was it?" Dominic asked.

"Because I felt bad after you left. I don't want you all to hate me," Stiles said, his eyes falling to the hard wood floors.

"Just, at least let him apologize in person. He needs that," Dominic pleaded gently.

Stiles glanced towards the doorway that lead to the hall where the stairs waited menacingly.

He cautiously made his way to Derek's room where he paused. It was silent inside. Before Stiles could knock, the door swung open.

Derek's eyes were wide, and his mouth parted slightly. "It is you. I caught your scent and-" Derek cut himself off reached a hand out to touch Stiles cheek gently.

Stiles turned his head away avoiding the contact. Derek's jaw clenched, and his hand dropped back to his side, "What are you doing here?"

"May I?" Stiles asked gesturing to Derek's room. Derek moved so Stiles could enter his room. Derek closed the door with a soft click.

"I'm here to give us closure," Stiles said, answering Derek's previous question.

"Stiles, no that's not what I want, I-"

Stiles held up a hand causing Derek to fall silent.

"You made it very clear what you wanted," Stiles said, his tone cold.

"Stiles, I was wrong, I made a mistake," Derek's voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, you did," Stiles agreed harshly.

"I was so concerned with not wanting to hurt you that I didn't even realize I already was," Derek took a step towards Stiles.

"I told you I would ignore my feelings for you because I thought that down the road you'd maybe give us a chance, but you tried to take that away. Tricking on a date with your brother? How can you say you care about me and do something like that?" Stiles' tone cracked with the pain of saying the words out loud.

"I was trying to spare you from your feelings for me. I thought I could remind you of your feelings for Dominic, and I could force myself not to feel the way I do. I know now, that was stupid and selfish... and also self-destructive at the same time," Derek frowned.

"I was willing to give you time," Stiles whispered, his eyes dropping to his feet.

"Stiles, these past few days has shown me what my life without you is like, and I don't want to live in it. I missed seeing you and hearing your laugh and getting your random texts throughout the day. I missed the way you can read between the lines. I missed your sarcastic remarks and your overly expressed opinions. I missed you," Derek took a few steps towards Stiles, closing the space between them.

"Then why?" Stiles' voice broke like thin ice under too much pressure.

"I...Everyone always says you don't know what you have until it's gone. You have given me so much. You showed me what it was like to have a pack and a friend. You showed me that not everyone has an ulterior motive. You cared about me, for me. I didn't know I'd miss you," Derek spoke with an honesty that Stiles didn't hear him speak often. He was opening up to Stiles again. It made Stiles ache to reach out him.

Stiles reached out and touched his hand to Derek's arm gently, wanting to comfort him in some way.

"Stiles, I love you," Derek said, his green eyes piercing. The words fell from his mouth like an overflowing fountain, the water needing some place to go.

Stiles froze, before promptly taking three stumbled steps back.

Derek's stomach wretched at Stiles reaction.

"You talked to Dominic," Stiles spat.

"What?" Derek's brows furrowed and his tilted slightly.

"Dominic told you what I said when he stopped by. You're just saying that cause you think that's what I want to hear," Stiles shook his head before stepping by Derek.

Derek caught Stiles, not letting him leave again, "What are you talking about Stiles?"

"The fact that I love you," Stiles snapped, pulling away from Derek's grasp easily. Derek refused to hold him against his will.

Derek gaped at Stiles, "You love me?" Derek's heart leaped.

Stiles frowned. Derek didn't look like he'd known that already, "Wait, you mean you actually love me?" Stiles asked. He had to know.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," Derek responded, taking a cautious step towards the human.

Stiles threw himself into Derek's arms. He couldn't help it. He was still upset, but the fact that Derek actually felt as strongly as Stiles did was such a relief. 

*AN*
Hope you like it. I'll be finishing the story in a chapter or two.