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When he was five years old there was no one on earth Stiles hated more than Derek Hale McCall.
Because he was mean, okay, he was really, really mean, and when Scott got this injured, lost look on his face after a particularly careless jab Stiles would just bristle in righteous indignation. There had been fights. There had been screaming. On one occasion there had been a strategic placing of a tube of toothpaste. After a while it got to the point where Scott and Stiles always went to the Stilinski house after school and Derek would act like he didn’t know them as he went home on the school bus. Like he was to cool for them or something.
Greasy buttface, Stiles would think viciously.
When he was seven years old Scott had (finally, finally) lost his first baby tooth and Derek stole it and gave it to Erica Reyes. Stiles had tracked him down and shaken him by the elbows, because Derek was five foot six and Stiles couldn’t quite reach his shoulders but his fury was enough to make the older boy’s teeth clatter. Erica came to school the next day with a shiny new quarter and a shy smile on her face. Scott had woken to a new nerf gun under his pillow because, “the tooth fairy isn’t some tight ass who only gives presents if she gets a tooth in return now get dressed Scott you’re going to make us late for school.”
Scott said their parents had given Derek a soap mouth wash and a long hug that morning.
When he was eleven Stiles got banned from the library because Derek burned a volume of poems checked out under his name. He had nodded quietly as the principal had lectured him, thinking about the way Derek had shuddered as he watched the paper crumble in the flames, the words written on the cover page, “Kate and Derek, Sonnet 18” disappearing into ash.
“Why didn’t you tell them I did it?” Derek had asked when he found out.
Stiles had only shrugged. ”It looked like you had enough to deal with.”
When Stiles was sixteen he and Scott got plastered for the first time at a party that their parents would have killed them for attending if they had found out. Derek took their drunk dialing in stride and was at the house in ten minutes, silent disapproval so palpable that whatever excuses they had died on their lips.
“S’ry bro,” Scott mumbled, already looking like regretted it. ”M’not was gonna do it.”
Stiles giggled, drunk and high pitched. ”You totally did. Snort the oreg, oreg’no, thats.”
Derek looks at them in the rear view mirror, suddenly tense. ”You snorted something?”
Hiccuping, Stiles gave a shaky thumbs up, frowning comically at his hand as he tried to keep it right side up. ”Spice rack was ball’in yo. Stupid Greenburg tho.”
“Cayenne,” slurred Scott in explanation.
“I don’t even want to know.”
“Course y’want ta know.” Stiles smiled at him, face smooshed against the front seat. ”Ya know, the know. Hot dude’s always in the know. In the hot dude. You know.”
Derek paused. ”You’re completely wasted,” he said quietly.
“Course I am. Cause your hot. You know, that is. Your nose.”
Scott rolled over and threw up all over the Camaro’s backseat.
When Stiles is eighteen Scott corners him in the kitchen of the McCall house and they finally have A Talk.
“Derek’s a butt,” Scott says bluntly.
“Believe me, I know, I’ve seen it,” Stiles snaps back.
Scott makes this traumatized face but keeps going. ”Look, all I’m saying is that you don’t have to let him treat you the way he does.” Before Stiles can protest Scott hurries on. ”He’s my big brother alright? He’s nice but also kind of a douchebag and he still has this thing he hasn’t gotten over from Kate. So just-” He stops, clears his throat. ”-you don’t have to put up with his shit. Call him out on it.”
“I can take care of myself Scott.”
“Yeah, but Derek can’t.”
Stiles blows a noisy sigh. ”Maybe we’re just two people who like having sex togeth-“
“Oh please just stop talking.” Stiles smirks a bit at the panic in Scott’s voice, but his amusement vanishes at his friend’s next words.
“I’ve been your best friend for eighteen years. You’re kind of an intense dude, Stiles. You don’t just do flings.”
“Well there’s a first time for everything.”
“Yeah, I’m so sure of that after an entire childhood of hearing about Lydia Martin.”
Suddenly Stiles looks tired, bringing his hand up to rub his face. ”Just drop it man, okay?” He pushes off of the counter and grabs his bag from the kitchen. ”I’ll see you at school, alright?”
Scott opens his mouth to protest, then thinks better of it. ”Sure. See you tomorrow,” he sighs.
When he is eighteen Stiles falls in love with Derek Hale McCall, but it sure as hell doesn’t look like Derek Hale McCall’s in love with him.