#how could stiles be all his defining moments and NOT know it y'know?

[wellhalesbells]

the thing that fucks me up about rereading instructions for dancing is trying to pinpoint when it is that derek becomes obsessed with stiles and realizing the answer seems to be always. from the beginning. the moment they met. that poor bastard. he probably should have tried to be a little nicer about it, though, saved them both some hardship.

I think it slides so quickly from fear and annoyance that Stiles will steal Scott away to 'Oh no, oh fuck,' I'm not even sure Derek knows himself. Poor guy hamstrung himself by starting out with the 'I'm going to scare him away' mentality then wondering where the hell that went and trying to find it again through almost every subsequent interaction (while something so much bigger and so much worse - Derek's Thoughts™ - completely eclipsed it). Meanwhile Stiles also helps cultivate Derek's dickish-ness by assuming that original motivation to be his only interest in him at all, essentially until the moment Derek tells him he's in love with him.

Which is hopefully why it seemingly comes out of left field for Stiles and the reader, because that's what I wanted.

#i mean you should definitely think: uh ohhh derek caught feeelings before that moment #but since it's stiles and scott pov - they are the bright spots in each other's worlds so they are the focus #and occasionally derek will come along and glow around the edges and distract stiles a bit but that's all he is - a momentary distraction #and he's still that when he finds out that scott may be stiles' bright spot but they don't want each other the way derek wants #and so he blurts out 'i'm in love with you' before someone else shows up to want the same way he does #and since we've been in stiles' head and only gotten to see the moments that define him and derek is in so few of those #he's COMPLETELY thrown for a loop because what do you mean?? how could derek be in love with him?? #how could stiles be all his defining moments and NOT know it y'know? #(because if you got instructions from derek's pov stiles wOULD BE so many of them) #and realizing they are in different places by a lot but not wanting that to mean they can't be anything more to each other says #'give me a chance to catch up' which in my mind is the only thing and the perfect thing #that was the very first scene i wrote for that fic actually - it changed almost ENTIRELY before the end but that line stayed the same #i just love the idea that you can be totally oblivious to something so defining for someone. that people can be such enigmas #inject that shit directly into my veins pls and thank you! #sorry i just love that dynamic so i can yammer on for DAYS about it lol #thank you for the ask and yeah you're pretty dead on about that haha #instructions for dancing #sterek #teen wolf #!ask