Like it or Not

Mistake

Stiles had just gotten off the phone with Scott when a knock sounded on his door. He glanced at the time. Almost ten p.m.

Frowning, Stiles peered through the peephole in his door. His frown deepened as he pulled the door open.

Derek stood on unsteady feet in the hallway. His hair was rumpled, his tie pulled loose, and the first button of his shirt was undone.

"Derek?" Stiles glanced around as if expecting someone to be with him with an explanation.

"Hey," Derek gave Stiles a lopsided smile.

"What, uh, what are you doing here?" Stiles wasn't accustomed to seeing Derek not put together.

"I needed..." He waved a hand. "And I didn't wanna call Alaric."

Stiles failed to hide the surprised look on his face. He needed a friend. He wanted Stiles to be that friend.

"I took a cab and your name was the only one I could think of." Derek hiccuped.

Stiles noted the slight sway in Derek's stance.

"Derek, are you drunk?"

Derek scoffed a laugh. "Yeah, majorly."

"Uhhh, okay..." Stiles stepped aside. "Do you want to come in?"

Derek stepped passed Stiles, only stumbling once on his way to Stiles' couch.

Stiles ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know the first thing about how to manage a drunk Derek.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Who said something happened?" Derek frowned, he pulled his tie over his head, tossing it onto the coffee table.

"You're blood alcohol level for starters." Stiles quipped. "And Elijah is the only person that can get you to drink this heavily so..."

"See that's what I love about you, you're so smart and sarcastic." Derek gestured to Stiles, his body swaying with the sudden movement.

"I'm gonna get you some water." Stiles headed for his kitchen before Derek's hand caught his wrist.

"Wait," Derek stood, using Stiles to help pull himself up. "I'm so sorry."

Stiles frowned.

"I made a mistake."

Stiles guessed that the mistake involved Elijah and Stiles was almost certain he didn't want to hear what it was.

"We're not actually together so whatever you did doesn't matter." Stiles tried to pull from Derek's grasp but Derek held tight.

"No, it does. Because I got mad at you for not telling me you were going to dinner with Elijah and then I went and did the same thing."

Stiles swallowed. "You went on a date with Elijah?" he tried to keep his tone nonchalant so as to not give away his disappointment.

"No. I made it clear to him that it wasn't a date. I just needed some closure."

"And let me guess, you kissed him." Stiles once again tried for nonchalant and failed.

Derek frowned, his free hand cupped the side of Stiles' face. "No. I would never do that to you."

Stiles stood frozen.

"We fought. I thought that talking about it would give me some closure but I don't feel any better. If anything I think I feel worse."

Stiles sighed. "You don't feel better because you opened old wounds. I don't think closure is what you needed."

"I had to know why I wasn't good enough." Derek's hand remained on Stiles' cheek. His thumb brushing along his cheek.