a/n: been forever guys, hope you are all safe. this is the end of the words to me series. had these as prompts so i tidied them up and rewrote some of them as snapshots. hope you enjoy the end to this fic that started years ago.

There are times when they aren't talking—when Stiles is so transfixed on just listening to Derek idly strum his guitar.

He only notices the ever-deepening silence is when Derek stops playing, eyes focused solely on him with a glint that he can't exactly pinpoint and smile that sends a warmth to his core.

These moments always end with them making a blanket fort and gaze at the sky as it paints the fading reds and orange to a purple hue that leads into the night.

With Derek's hand clasped around his.

Peter can't help but crack a smile as he sees Derek sneak pepper into Stiles' orange juice in the mornings the band gets together for breakfast.

"Oh to be young and in love."

Derek's face is contorted with pain as he picks up a framed photo.

It's a picture of him, Laura, Peter and his parents.

His mind goes back to the time frozen in this frame.

How happy his parents were that day, celebrating their anniversary.

How Laura and Peter would chew and spit napkin pieces at each other.

How he had to set up the timer to go off and take the photo.

Everything came back so suddenly and with so much force, he feels it pressing down on his chest, suffocating him—but somehow as Stiles wraps his arms around him, Derek finds the strength to put it down.

"They would have loved you," his voice is cracked and weak, barely above a whisper.

He can feel Stiles' arms tighten around him. "Tell me about them."

That's how they spend the rest of the day, in bed and wrapped around each other, sharing stories about their families.

Derek flushes red at the mere suggestion.

"Oh come on now, Der bear," Laura coos. "It's Valentine's Day. What's the worse that can happen?"

Later that night every social media outlet blew up with a video of him on his knees with guitar in hand serenading Stiles at the restaurant he works in.

A lot of girls and guys in his fanbase were disappointed that day.

Stiles would laugh if he knew that whenever Derek leaves on tour, the part he looks forward to during his days touring is to call and load up Netflix so they can watch together whatever series they started.

He also finds Derek's little snores extremely cute whenever he falls asleep during those calls.

But that his own little secret.

There's always passion burning in Stiles' eyes, but Derek now knows how intensely they burn for him.

Stiles will forever regret the day he bought Derek the wolf printed trampoline.

1232.5 jumps later ("Because the start up jump doesn't count, Stiles.") Derek falls and breaks his leg.

He earns a pointed look from Derek when he jokes about breaking a leg for good luck.

Somehow, going off on tours doesn't hold the same excitement for Derek as it once did.

"Aww, you just miss me," Stiles would joke.

But the truth is, yes.

Yes, he did.

Derek is uncharacteristically both gentle and rough their first time.

"Do you want me to stop?" Derek asks concerned, and Stiles doesn't hesitate to say no.

Between kisses and moans Stiles edges him harder and faster, nails digging against his back and Derek complies.

If someone notices Stiles walking funny the next morning, well… that is all his fault.

"You know if we were living in the Middle Ages, you'd be a bard or troubadour," Stiles muses as he stares at the ceiling.

Derek snorts then starts. "Toss a coin to your Witcher. Oh, valley of plenty."

Then they got into an argument on how he should play the games and leave the series on Netflix last.

"I love you," Stiles murmurs as he idly traces a finger down Derek's back.

He feels Derek's breath catch in his chest, then came the reply in a voice so soft and full of emotion that Stiles swears it almost sounded as a different person.

"I love you too."

Derek spits out a mouthful of cotton and doubles over with laughter as Stiles advances—pillow in hand. The glint of the band encasing Stiles' ring finger always, and he means always, makes his heart stop and skip a few beats.

How did he ever get so lucky?

Yeah, he's losing this pillow fight.

But at least is the best kind of defeat.