Deafening Silence

Ch. 23

Stiles stared at the steadily changing numbers trying to focus on anything but Derek and his pouting at the back of the elevator. His fingers tapped impatiently against the railing and Stiles couldn't figure out if he was intentionally trying to get under his skin or if Derek was generally anxious "You know I said you didn't have to come"

"I know...I just--I don't trust them" Derek spoke, vulnerability ruining his attempt to sound stern.

"Yeah you mentioned that...Multiple times. And yet you haven't said why" Though Derek had expressed his hatred for the rivals he never actually explained to Stiles where that hatred was coming from.

"It's not really important" All at once he was stepping forward forcing Stiles' eye as he pointed an accusing finger "But you have to remember what you said; you're just scouting, okay I still deserve a chance to do the job"

Stiles would never admit it out loud, Derek would have a heart attack, but the argents company was something to awe about. The floor at the top of a skyscraper offered a view of the entire city. Lined wall to wall with windows the place seemed bright and open. Though you wouldn't think any of that if you caught sight of Derek and his hard immense glare. If you let him tell it the place was worse than the deepest pits of hell

They checked in at the lobby, and waited patiently among the sea of employees continuing their day and moving around the three like a river around a rock. When Stiles looked over to check on Derek again he was clicking his tongue, a devious smile suddenly sitting on his face. Like he knew something the other two didn't.

"What is it?" Stiles asked, his face scrunched up.

"Oh nothing, just that I would have never kept you waiting. We'd be in my office right now-"

"Making out and undressing each other. Conflict of interest" Isaac quickly cut off. Stiles' eyes fell as a red tint rose to his cheeks, he knew Derek was going to deny it but Stiles was logical and could see it happening.

Derek rolled his eyes, offering a statement matter-of-factly "I was going to say looking over blueprints and talking about designs, get your mind out of the gutter"

"Yeah. Sure you were big guy"

"Seriously Isaac? Man, I thought you were on my side-" Derek stopped himself at the sounds of determined heels clicking our way. Who knew why the pair stood out so much to him but they did.

The owner, was a woman. Tall and beautiful. She had light brown chestnut hair that fell down to her shoulder in waves. The way her hazel eyes swept across Derek made even Stiles feel uncomfortable, she gazed upon him as if something delicious. The closer she got the more her fixated gaze on Derek looked to be getting deeper and deeper.

When she finally spoke, the sound of Derek's name was the first thing to drip past her lips. There was no doubt there was a familiarity there "Derek. What a surprise, I didn't see this coming when I woke up this morning" her manicured nails ran gingerly down his lapels as bright white teeth suddenly appeared in a devilish smile "You look really good" she was bold, Stiles would give her that.

Derek, well he look flustered yet not at all impressed "Kate...I thought you were still in Washington"

"Can't keep me away for long. Miss me?" He answered by removing her hand from his body as delicately as he could manage. Isaac seemed almost as awkward as Stiles as the two observed Derek and the woman, Kate. Only Isaac's awkwardness was accompanied but interest, almost as if he were watching some soap opera unfold. With their eyes locked their exchange continued "So what's going on? Finally decided to let us buy that business of yours"

A smug look suddenly appeared on Derek's face and he crossed those burly arms across his chest "Actually, my soul mate had a little accident with his business and he's looking for some help with construction" you'd think he'd be embarrassed by that statement seeing as though his boyfriend was going to someone else. But in that moment Derek seemed much more concerned about rubbing in the fact that he in fact had a soul mate. It put things into a little more perspective for Stiles.

And it worked. Stiles could see a physical shift in the woman. It was as if the toughness fell, if only for a second, before  she was clearing her throat and straightening out again. Stiles caught a glimpse of a few letters disappearing beneath her skin tight dress as she stuck her nose up "Hm. Soulmate" the woman's eyes were dark when she finally swiveled towards Stiles who had been watching dumbly from the sideline "And you two are?"

Watching his friend, dumbstruck and silent, Isaac extended a hand "Isaac McCall, I work in the bakery that burned down"

"Pleasure. And you" a stern handshake, then she had turned on Stiles. Stiles, who for some reason, had begun to sweat and blabber. This was clearly an ex of Derek's. She was intimidating as hell, and Stiles wondered how they had ever dated the same person.

"Um. I-I'm uh--Stiles--I own the bakery" there was a quick elbow in his back, no doubt from Derek, that told him to tell the whole truth "And, said soulmate" he could feel the scrutiny beneath her glare as she stared down at him. She didn't even try to hide it, and if she did she wasn't doing so well.

"Right" She had a new obsession. Stiles. Her eyes lingered on him. Up and down, up and down. Each piece of his body held a a certain importance to her, like she was analyzing what it was about him. Why the universe chose him? Little did she know Stiles had asked himself those questions long before she had and he had yet to find an answer "We better get going. Chris is waiting for us all"

Hours later the three were loading back into Stiles' jeep. Things, as you would guess, only got more and more awkward for Stiles at least. Instead of focusing on their blueprints and ideas, Stiles was peaking from the corner of his eye watching Kate eye fuck his boyfriend.

There was a feeling in the room. Of passion and history and it wasn't coming from Derek and Stiles. Needless to say it made the baker feel forgotten, as if there was a party going on he wasn't invited to.

Just a few minutes down the road Stiles opted to skip the delicate conversation and headed right in for the hard part, perhaps it was what he needed. Straight up answers right away "So am I to just ignore the heavy sexual tension between you two?"

"What? Tension? What tension?" Isaac let out an audible scoff from the back seat. He buried his nose deeper into the binder of samples in his lap once Derek shot him a warning stare.

"Look, there is no use in denying it. You two obviously have a history, I'm just asking for some background. Or I can hire the argents and get the information from someone else" the implication of asking Kate was there. Even though Stiles was sure he was too intimidated to even ask her for a pencil.

Luckily Derek couldn't call Stiles' bluff "Kate and I used to date. It was at a point in both of our lives where we just assumed we'd never find our person. We promised that if we never found our soul mates we'd marry each other"

"So what happened?"

"Well, we aren't together anymore are we?"

"No shit. Why not?"

"On the eve of my company launching she snuck into my office, made a copy of all of my clients and gave it to her brother. I guess Chris gave her an ultimatum and she chose him" He didn't want to feel anything towards his ex but as he spoke Stiles felt every word drip in hurt and betrayal "She denied it for a long time, but I knew the truth. So when she finally decided to admit what she had done I had already made my mind up. She didn't care about me, no matter how much she swore she did. You don't betray someone you love like that, you don't hurt them like that"

"So, it wasn't that you stopped loving her, you just lost trust in her?"

"I don't know if I ever loved her" the statement came out almost sadly. Maybe he wanted to love her, he just wanted to love someone "I was scared of being alone so I called what we had something it wasn't"

"How can you say it wasn't love? How do you know you're not just saying that because you're upset with her?"

A sigh escaped him, like the answer should have been obvious but he would admit it if it meant the conversation would be over "Because I love you Stiles. And it's a feeling so great I would have known if I felt that before. Kate and I weren't meant to be, and I'm glad we weren't"

That had to be enough for Stiles. And it was, he believed Derek. Despite his initial fear he believed him "Their blueprints for the bakery did look really nice though. I mean they convinced me to redo the lounge area-" Derek shifted in his seat so quickly Stiles feared he was about to jump over the middle consul and attempt to shake some sense into him right there on the freeway "I'm kidding. Relax, you're so touchy"