Lesson #29: No Flash Photography

I was currently regretting all my life decisions as I stood in front of my mirror, trying to figure out how I had managed to incorrectly button my shirt three times already. I had debated calling Derek multiple times to call off going to prom, but I knew I was being dramatic and Lydia would have skinned me alive for not showing up. Derek probably wouldn't have cared, but I'd be dead if Lydia found out.

After the forth try, I finally got all the buttons in the right holes and tucked my shirt into my pants. The last thing I had to do was get the tie around my neck, which thankfully only took two tries. After determining I looked decent enough, because there was no way I'd look even remotely as amazing as Derek freaking Hale, I laced up my shoes, grabbed my phone, and headed downstairs to meet my dad.

"Dad, I'm about to head out! Where you at?" I called from the bottom of the stairs, noticing the lights were off in the living room.

"In the kitchen!" dad answered. I followed his voice to the kitchen where I was met by not only him, but my boyfriend as well. They were sitting at the table together, talking quietly. Derek was dressed in his suit and looked incredibly sexy, like mouth watering kind of sexy. I couldn't stop staring at him, even though my dad was literally sitting right there watching the whole interaction. When he saw me with my mouth hanging open gawking at my boyfriend, he chuckled. "You look nice, son."

Derek turned around to look at me, his eyes raking up and down my body as his smile turned into a smirk. "Really nice," Derek echoed, licking his lips. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as Derek stood up to greet me, planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Thanks, but I'm nothing compared to-" I cut myself off, gesturing to Derek. "This," I mumbled, still red in the face.

Derek chuckled, smoothing a hand over my tie. "Don't be stupid, Stiles. You look great. I'll only look good because I'll have you on my arm." Sliding an arm around my waist, he pulled me flush against his side, holding me hostage as my dad scooted his chair away from the table and whipped out his camera out of nowhere. "Take the picture, Noah, I've got him!" Derek said, squeezing me as I tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

"Stiles, you better smile or he's never letting go," dad threatened, holding the camera up, his finger hovering over the button.

"You guys tricked me!" I cried, giving in anyways since there was no getting out of Derek's arms. I sighed heavily, slumping against his side as I put on my best fake smile, which quickly turned into a real smile when Derek kissed the top of my head and whispered I love you into my ear. It was the closest thing to an apology I'd be getting since I specifically told my dad, Derek, and even Lydia that there would be no pictures tonight.

Dad snapped about ten pictures before Derek finally let me go. I thought about snatching the camera from my dad and deleting the pictures, but then I'd just get held down again, so I didn't. Instead, I just hugged my dad and promised I'd be home by one in the morning. Derek hugged him too, though I didn't realize they'd gotten to that stage yet, and then we were off.

-

Though this was my first prom, I still had never been to any formal dances before. Derek was a senior, so it was his second time going to prom, but he never had a date before. At least, not anyone as hot as me, as Derek pointed out on the drive to the school. Despite not having any experience with dances, I was still beyond excited to be there. I still had Derek's dancing lessons fresh in my mind, since I never got to use them at that party weeks ago.

Derek rushed us through the picture line, only forcing me to snap one picture before he dragged me into the gym full of people. The music was loud, the lights were flashing different colors, and I couldn't exactly place the smell that filled my nose. It was like a mix of sweaty teenagers, spiked punch, and of course, Derek. He didn't so much as leave my side the whole time, his hand in mine, usually pressed right up against my side. I didn't mind. I knew he was only there because of me, so it would have been pretty shitty to leave him, even if Lydia was begging me to go out in the middle of the dance floor with her. A couple months ago, I would have leaped at the opportunity to dance with Lydia at prom, but now, I couldn't bring myself to leave Derek sitting at the table all alone.

"I'll be fine if you want to dance," Derek said, after Lydia still hadn't grown tired of waving us out to the dance floor. She was right in our line of vision, her and Erica (of all people) dancing together. Allison, Scott, and Isaac were near them too, dancing to the beat of the song, but mostly talking. Derek and I were both surprised when Lydia told us she was signing for Erica to come to prom at Beacon Hills High, since the two of them hadn't gotten along in the past. They were like best friends now, which didn't make any sense.

I smiled softly, leaning in closer to kiss his cheek. "Not without my boyfriend," I answered, wrapping a tight hand around Derek's own fingers. He breathed out a small laugh, his eyes shining as he looked back at me. I realized a while ago that he had always looked at me that way, even before I knew I loved him. Since the day we started hanging out, he was always looking at me like I was the most beautiful piece of art he'd ever seen. I just never saw it that way until I looked at him the same way. "Derek, will you dance with me?" I asked, hopeful. I stood up to face him, still holding onto his hand tightly. The loud and obnoxious song that had been playing slowly faded into a slower song and the lights dimmed a little, setting the mood.

"I'd love to," Derek expressed, his lips connecting with mine as I dragged him out of the chair. His arms easily wrapped around my waist, pressing our chests together as he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue past my lips for only a moment, just enough to tease me. When he pulled away, I was blushing and he was smirking at me. "Can I tell you something?" he wondered as we gradually gravitated towards the dance floor, though away from the big crowd of people. I wrapped my arms around Derek's neck, holding him close.

"Is it going to be cheesy?" I retorted, making Derek laugh out loud. He didn't even try to defend himself, so I knew it was going to be, but somehow, it didn't bother me at all. "Okay, what is it?" I caved with a small sigh, enjoying the feeling of his strong hands squeezing my hips as we swayed to the music, lost in our own little world.

Derek leaned in to slot our lips together in a sweet kiss, stealing the breath I had been holding. As he pulled away,  he stayed close, his forehead pressed against mine. "I don't think I've ever been this happy," he whispered, only loud enough for me to hear over the music. My heart was racing as I tried to find the words to reply, but I didn't know how.

I wanted to say something like 'same here' or 'me either', you know, somethin casual. Something that didn't show Derek how much of an effect his words actually had on me. Instead, my mouth just opened and started talking without consulting my brain. "I love you so much," I blurted out, drawing a breathy laugh from Derek's lips. "Like, so much, I think I could spend forever with you. I think I could spend every waking minute with you for the rest of my life and never get tired of you." Why was I still talking? God, I was embarrassing myself.

"Now who's being cheesy?" Derek teased, still holding onto my waist even as the slow song ended. The regular music started back up again and people were crowding around us, jumping around and dancing like idiots. Meanwhile, I was still staring into Derek's eyes and trying not to think about dragging him into the nearest supply closet or bathroom and getting us both naked.

"Shut up," I mumbled, my cheeks burning. Derek grinned, but our moment was soon broken up by our friends surrounding us. Derek and I both gave in and danced with them for a few songs, just so it would get Lydia off our backs. And, maybe, it was sort of fun. I'd never had a big group of friends before, just me and Scott against the world. Now, I was surrounded by all my friends and everyone was smiling and laughing, and I had the man of my dreams with his hands on my hips. So yeah, it was sort of perfect.

After we had been dancing for a while, Derek grabbed my shoulder to get my attention. When I looked at him curiously, he pressed a chaste kiss to my sweaty forehead. "I'm going to the bathroom!" he called over the music. "I'll be back!" I nodded, watching him walk out of the crowd before turning back to my friends to keep dancing. A few minutes later, Scott and Allison ditched us to go get drinks. Then Lydia and Erica ran off to the ladies room, yelling something about fixing their lipstick or something. That just left me out there with Liam and his boyfriend, who I didn't know much about. To avoid an uncomfortable situation, I told Liam I was going to find Derek and then made my way through the crowd towards the bathroom.

At first, I was just focused on finding Derek, so everyone I passed was just a faceless person in my way. Then I noticed someone familiar leaning against the wall outside the bathroom and I had to backtrack to make sure it was who I thought it was. Sure enough, Brett was standing there in a nice suit, a drink in his hand as he stared out at the dance floor.

"Brett, what are you doing here?" I asked cautiously, walking over to him with a small smile. He wasn't with anyone, so maybe he just decided to crash? The security they had at these things weren't really that great anyways. No matter how he got in, he didn't look happy, and the closer I got, the more I realized he had been drinking something a little stronger than the punch they were serving here. "You okay?" I wondered, waving a hand in front of his face.

His eyes flickered over to me for a second, but they went right back to the middle of the room. I followed his angry glare and saw the reason he was so upset in the first place. Liam and Theo were dancing together, their hands all over each other. Of course Brett was pissed. "I don't get it," Brett mumbled, shaking his head as he took another drink. I wrinkled my nose at the strong smell of alcohol. I knew Brett could be dangerous when he was drinking, considering the last time I saw him drunk, he threw Derek into a wall. "What does that asshole have that I don't?"

"Brett. . ." I started, reaching out to him. He flinched away when my fingers touched his arm, but it brought his attention back to me. He turned to face me fully, his eyes glossy with tears. "I'm sorry, Brett. How can I help?" I wanted to find Derek and just stay out of this drama, but Brett had sort of become a friend recently, so I couldn't just leave him like this. He was hurting and since he was drunk, that made him dangerous. I didn't want him hurting Liam either. "Let's go outside and get some fresh air," I suggested, trying to reach for his arm again.

"You can help me," Brett said, wrapping his fingers around my wrist instead, taking me by surprise. "Help me show Liam what he's missing," he growled, suddenly shoving me up against the wall where he had been standing. He dropped his cup when I tried to fight him off, using both his hands to pin me there.

"Brett, no," I protested, shoving at his chest. "Come on, let's just go talk about this." It was no good, he was drunk and heartbroken, so why the hell would he listen to me? "Please," I begged, turning my head to the side when he tried leaning in closer.

"If I can't have Liam, then I want you," he said, his voice deeper than normal, his eyes dark. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "You're nice to me, Stiles. You care about me. You can love me like you love Derek, right? I deserve love too!" Tears were streaking his cheeks, but the wild look in his eyes was still there. I didn't know what to do or say. People were starting to stare at us, but no one was helping. Maybe they couldn't hear what was going on over the music. To them, it probably just looked like Brett and I were another horny couple making out in the shadows.

I meant to stay calm, but I couldn't help the way my voice shook. "Brett, let me go," I said, grabbing onto his arms to try and pry them away from my body. "I don't love you. You have to get a hold of yourself!" I wasn't sure if that would help, but I couldn't lie to him. I wouldn't have been able to say it with a straight face and he would have known I was lying anyways.

Brett's expression seemed to calm down slightly, his grip on my face dropping as he took a small step back. I was still crowded against the wall by his body, but he at least looked like he regretted what he had just tried to do. "Shit, Stiles, I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching up to wipe the tears from his face. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with me."

I let out a small breath of relief, standing up a little straighter. "It's okay," I answered, my voice still shaking. I wanted to get away from him, at least until he was sober again. Just because he apologized didn't make him any less dangerous. "I have to go."

I started to slip away from him, my shoulder brushing his because of how close we stood. Before I could get away, he reached out to grab my wrist. When I looked at him, he still looked distraught. "Wait, Stiles, I-"

I didn't have time to stop it from happening. The second Derek stepped out of the bathroom, his eyes locked with mine, and then he saw Brett holding me against him and Derek's eyes went dark. Derek's hands were on Brett's shoulders in seconds, cutting him off mid-sentence. Brett went flying back into the wall and Derek towered over him, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Derek, don't!" I called after him, but I was too late. Brett staggered back to his feet, blindly throwing a punch that Derek easily avoided. Instead of hitting back, Derek grabbed Brett by the front of his shirt, shoving him against the wall violently. Brett groaned from the impact, but Derek didn't let him go. "Guys, please, don't-" I tried, though it didn't even reach them.

"What the hell is going on?" Scott asked, suddenly running up beside me. The crowd had grown larger, everyone's eyes on Derek and Brett.

"Brett pissed off Derek," I mumbled, hands sweating nervously as I tried to get in closer. People were taking pictures and videos already, so I knew I had to break this up soon, before Derek ended up on the freaking news or something. "Derek, let him go!" I yelled, grabbing Derek's arm gently. Brett looked terrified in Derek's death grip, but he didn't say anything. That was probably for the best.

Derek glanced at me for a second, his angry glare softening just a little. "Stiles, I warned him to stay away from you," he argued, giving Brett another shove as if to prove his point. Brett groaned in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. "I was perfectly clear. I want to make sure he gets it. He needs to stay the hell away from you."

"He understands, Derek, now let him go so we can leave," I said softly, curling a gentle hand around the back of his neck. I tugged softly, until he sighed and let me pull him away. Brett slumped back against the wall, his eyes landing on me. I could tell he felt guilty. "Brett, go home. And for everyone's sake, talk to someone who can actually help you, okay?"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes as Derek seethed beside me, the only thing holding him back being my arms around his waist.

I dragged Derek away without another word to Brett, because I knew if I tried to say something else, Derek would just keep getting angrier and there would be no calming him down. Luckily, we got out of there before any of the chaperones could figure out what was going on. I led Derek outside and sat him down on the bench in the parking lot, letting the cool air soothe my warm skin. That whole situation had been nerve-wracking, and not just the part where Derek almost killed Brett.

"I'm not letting anyone hurt you again," Derek said suddenly, forcing me to stop pacing in front of him. I stilled, moving to stand in front of him, slotting myself between his knees before he pulled me down to sit in his lap. "You can be friends with whoever you want, but I let you get hurt already. When Jackson hit you, I should have fucking killed him."

"No, Derek, one of the things I love about you is how sweet and gentle you are," I promised, kissing his temple. "You could definitely kill someone if you wanted to, and in the right situation, maybe you would. But you didn't have to hurt Brett, and I'm glad you didn't. You're such a good person."

Derek sighed softly, winding his arms around my waist. "I don't want to leave you alone for a year when I have to leave for college," he mumbled, burying his face in my neck. "I know you can protect yourself from assholes like Jackson and Brett, but I'm going to miss you so much. I'm going to worry every day until I get to see you again. It'll be hell."

I snorted a little, because of course that was what he was worried about. "Der, we have all summer before you have to leave. Then you'll be two hours away. I'll come see you every weekend if that will reassure you that I'm okay." Not like I had any problem seeing him every weekend anyways, because I was sure I couldn't go much longer without him either.

"You will?" he wondered, looking up to meet my eyes. His hopeful expression was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen, so I just had to lean down and kiss those sweet lips. He smiled into the kiss, threading his fingers through my hair to pull me even closer. "We'll be okay, won't we?" he asked softly, lips brushing past mine as he kept me close.

I tightened my arms around his shoulders. "Of course we will, Der," I promised. I leaned in for another kiss, but we were suddenly interrupted by a chorus of giggling and a flash of a camera. I rolled my eyes, looking up to see Lydia, Erica, Allison, Scott, and Isaac all huddled together with their phones pointed at Derek and I. Scott made a kissy face, so I flipped him off and rolled my eyes. "No flash photography, you assholes!"

"What a bunch of creeps," Derek laughed, pulling me back in for another sweet kiss.

A/N: Hi, I'm back! This took forever because I just could not figure out how to write this scene! Anyways, the next chapter will be the last one! And it will also be a time jump, so Derek will be in college and it'll be a few months into his first year.

I just wanted to thank you all for reading and for being so patient with me during this journey. I love you guys so much!!!