A Gentleman's Agreement [Sterek/Teen Wolf]

Chapter 5

He and Derek are friends.

Granted very close friends who hang out all the time and may or may not have seen each other in various states of undress, who sometimes, when the occasion calls for it, hold hands and cuddle.

But it's all for a reason. The cuddling and hand holding.

Doesn't make them a thing. Doesn't make them more than friends.

It's just added moments when they have to uphold their unspoken agreement. And by Stiles's third year of college, the agreement is still going strong.

This time, though. This time when they have to pretend that they are together for the good of each other's sanity/safety, it feels different. It feels easy, real. Which is not good because it gives Stiles hope.

~

"What are you doing on Saturday night?" Derek asks over the phone.

"Uh, this Saturday? Probably studying and/or playing video games. Why? Want to go see a movie or something?" Stiles replies, shifting in his place on his bed.

"I would rather do that than what I have to do."

"What's that?"

"I have to go to this work party. I was... I was wondering if you'd come with me?"

"They have free food and booze right?"

"I would assume so, yes."

"Then yeah! I mean I'd go anyway because you asked me, but free food is always a plus."

"There's... there's something else."

Stiles scratches his nose, waiting for Derek to answer. When he doesn't, he says, "Yes?"

"There's this woman in marketing who's been coming on to me pretty hard lately, and I know she's going to be there and she might... try something."

"Ah."

"So I was hoping maybe you could pretend to you know..."

"Be really into you? Got it, bud. Does she know I exist? What's the angle we're playing here? Long-time boyfriends? Just got together?"

Derek snorts. "Well she asked me today if I was coming alone, and that's when I told her no and I was bringing you. But I haven't mentioned you before so..."

"New and exciting it is. I'm good at playing by ear, you know that."

"Yeah, I know."

"Do I gotta dress up? Like suit and tie and all that jazz?"

"Unfortunately, yes. It's at a fancy hotel ballroom downtown."

"I will dig it out of the closet then."

"Okay. I'll pick you up around seven?"

"Sounds good."

"Oh, and Stiles, she's... she's definitely a supernatural creature of some kind. I don't think she's a werewolf, but there's something off about her scent, so we have to be careful. Might have to... really sell it?"

"Oh. Okay. That's fine. I can totally do that."

"Okay. See you Saturday."

"Bye."

Stiles hangs up and lets out a long sigh. He can do this though. Piece of cake. Be really into Derek? That isn't going to be hard to fake at all. Trust him.