Like it or Not

Barriers

Stiles tapped his thumb on the steering wheel as he waited for the light in front of him to turn green. The conflict in his head made him squirm in his seat. He wasn't sure what emotions he was feeling but confusion was definitely one of them.

On one hand he should have guessed Derek paid more attention than he let on. On the other hand, he seemed to pay more attention than he would have expected from a boss he actually got along with, much less one he didn't.

A honk behind him jostled his attention to the now green light in front of him. His mind had reeled to the point of distraction. He didn't like that. And he didn't like to think what that meant.

He pressed the gas and reached for his freshly filled cup of coffee. He'd gotten their refills and told Derek he'd meet him in the parking garage before promptly leaving.

Perhaps Derek wasn't actually an asshole. Maybe he was just guarded. That didn't give him the right to act like an asshole. But if he acted like an asshole then it kept people from getting too close. Breaking through the barrier he'd put up.

Stiles nibbled at the plastic top of his coffee cup as he debated how to proceed. He could break down those barriers, show Derek that it's okay to let people in. Or he could be the best boyfriend ever and let Derek pull the barriers down himself. Or, and this was the easier choice, he could do the bare minimum required until Elijah was gone.

He parked his jeep and leaned his head back against the head rest. When had his life gotten so complicated?

A tapping on his window startled Stiles. He was glad he'd put the coffee cup down.

Stiles looked over to see Derek with his brows raised and a smirk on his lips.

Stiles told himself the reason his heart was racing was because Derek had scared him.

Stiles pushed open the door to his jeep.

"Taking a nap?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, you know, I figured I had a few minutes waiting on you to show up," Stiles chimed back.

Derek rolled his eyes.

Stiles wrapped an arm around Derek's waist, pulling him in close, "So you ready for today?"

Derek turned to stone under Stiles' touch. He didn't mention it, hoping that Derek would relax on his own.

"As ready as I can be," Derek answered before hesitantly lifting his arm and wrapping it around Stiles' shoulders.

Stiles tried not to react but once again his heart started to race. It was just the anxiety of the situation; he was sure of it.

The two walked towards the door in an uncomfortable silence that Stiles couldn't stand.

He cleared his throat, "So did you catch the game last week?"

"Yeah, it was a good one," Derek nodded almost excitedly.

"When McNeil caught that one flyball..." Stiles whistled.

"I thought for sure it was gonna be a homerun," Derek shook his head, a smile that looked genuine pulled at his lips.

"It very easily could have been, but McNeil has really stepped up his game this season; no pun intended," Stiles could feel Derek relaxing under his touch.

"You know, he pissed me off a lot last season but he's really come around. I'm glad he's taken the time to get better," Derek was much more relaxed by the time they reached the front door.

Stiles decided it would be best to keep the conversation going until they were outside of the office. He had to kiss Derek and make it seem believable. Derek actually seemed relaxed when engrossed in a conversation he was passionate about.

Stiles was good at conversation. He was always a talker. His mother had called him her little chatter box. Sometimes his mouth got him in trouble, but right now, he was in an elevator having a genuine conversation with a man he was sure hated him.

As they stepped out and towards the door of the office, his heart started to race. Once again, the anxiety of the situation was getting to him.

"We'll have to catch a game together sometime," Stiles forced a smile.

"Yeah," Derek nodded easily, like it was something he'd actually consider.

"For now though," Stiles gestured to the glass doors, he could see the team was already there.

Derek took in a deep breath before letting it out.

"Just get through the day, one moment at a time. Look forward to any moment that you're not around him. And if you need anything," Stiles lifted his arms, "I'm your guy."

Derek gave a small smile and a scoffed laugh, "Yeah."

Stiles pushed down the nerves as he leaned forward, he placed a hand on the side of Derek's face, brushing his thumb along his cheek.

"Relax," He whispered as he felt Derek begin to tense. "Pretend I'm someone else if you have to."

Derek took in another breath, this one shakier than the last. He closed his eyes and let Stiles close the distance.

Soft lips were pressing against his and he tried not to tense. He told himself there were no consequences. He imagined the anger on Elijah's face. That seemed to do the trick because his own hand came up to cup the back of Stiles' head. He leaned into the kiss, parting his lips just enough to slot against Stiles' better.

The clear of a throat yanked the two of them apart.

"He also makes you kiss him in the halls I see," Elijah's arms were crossed, and he looked uncomfortable, much to Derek's surprise, and satisfaction.

Derek bowed his head as if in shame, his tongue licking across his lips.

"I don't mind it. I think it's smart to keep business and pleasure separate. We have plenty of time outside of work to spend together," Stiles shrugged before checking his watch. "I'm gonna be late, Lydia needs to talk. See you guys inside."

Elijah didn't respond but Stiles could see the irritation in his posture so for good measure he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Derek's cheek, giving his forearm a reassuring squeeze before heading inside.

*AN*
I know very little about baseball and even less about the Mets. I have nothing personal against Jeff McNeil, I just needed an outfielder for the Mets so go easy on me. Lol
That being said, enjoy!