"What?" Stiles snaps, deciding to pick up the phone after Scott's seventh missed call.

"Finally!" Scott replies. "Why do you sound so pissy, dude?"

"Oh, I dunno, Scott," Stiles begins sarcastically. "Maybe it's the fact that Isaac hung out at yours and Allison's and you completely failed to ask me?"

"I thought you and Isaac weren't friends, and Isaac's been through a lot, you know, and I love you, Stiles, I do, but having you there would've made it weird."

"Do you really think that I'm an insensitive douche who says the first thing that comes to my mind?"

"No but-"

"No nothing!"

"Stiles- I'm sorry. Okay. I'm sorry. We should've invited you."

"Apology not accepted."

"I don't really have anything else to say, man."

"Okay, Scott."

"Why are you saying my name all weird?"

"Why aren't you hanging up?"

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"What about my bachelor party, Stiles? It's this Friday."

"Like I'm gonna go now..."

"Ask Derek if he wants to come?"

"Really!? No wait, no, I'm not falling for this, I hate how you know exactly what to do to..."

"We've known each other for a long time,"

"I know."

"Do I need to send a bouquet and chocolates over to get you to-"

"You're forgiven." Stiles sighs, because he's sick of all the back and forth arguing.

"Great! And also, I've decided to invite Isaac as well. So could you call the club and make the reservations for seven instead of six?" Scott says.

"Sure." Stiles rolls his eyes.

"Oh crap, they've bought in a Labrador that just got hit by a car. Gotta go dude, talk to you later." Scott hangs up.

The truth is, Stiles is shit at keeping grudges. The longest fight he's ever had with anyone has lasted two days, and that 'anyone' was Scott in high school for making out with Lydia at some party. Walking in on your best friend and ex-crush locking lips in the bathroom had been a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

Pulling out the address book on his iPad, Stiles finds the phone number of the supposedly 'high end' club/bar they're going to on Friday. It's time to tell them to add two more members to the reserved section.

Although he hasn't asked Derek yet, Stiles is hoping that when they go ice skating in the evening, he can come up with a convincing argument that'll get Derek to come.

Derek can hear the clip-clopping noise of heels just before his lawyer enters the office.

"Good afternoon," says the young woman who's surprisingly not his lawyer.

Where's Jennifer?" Derek asks the strawberry blonde who's currently taking a seat in front of him.

"Mr Hale- no, Derek-" She pauses, thumping several files down the desk between them. "Can I call you Derek?"

"Yes," Derek replies.

"I'm Lydia Martin-Lydia's fine. Jennifer had to rush to LA last night because one of her other clients got arrested, and I'm not sure how long she's going to be up there. So… I'll be consulting with you temporarily." Lydia shoots him a polite smile.

"Great." Derek replies in a monotone. He has a sense of trust in Jennifer and he doesn't even know how to react to this new woman.

"You emailed her your statement to her a couple of days ago. I looked over it, and have tweaked things a little." Lydia hands him a sheet of paper with inky red crosses and suggestions almost covering the small black text.

"Thanks," Derek skims through the document.

"I know I've made it sound over-emotional." Lydia begins. "But that's only because Gerard Argent is all cosy with one of the members of the parole board. So the only way you have a chance of convincing the other two members is to make them pity you."

"How do you know that Gerard is friends with-"

"I'm friends with Allison Argent, and even though she can't stand her grandfather, she finds out useful information for me."

"Okay, that makes sense."

"I'm going now, I have a bail hearing in half an hour. If you have any questions." Lydia shuffles through her handbag and tosses him a business card. "Call me."

"I will." Derek replies.

"Allison told me that you were making the wedding cake… Don't screw it up." Lydia has a threatening edge to her tone.

"I won't." He's so close to a dramatic eye-roll.

"Talk soon, Derek." Collecting her files, Lydia rises up and starts heading towards the door.

"Oh, and I heard you were dating Stiles Stilinski." Lydia stops.

"We're just friends- not that's any of your busi-" Derek protests.

"Just friends my ass. And I'm warning you now… if you hurt him. You better be checking for glass shards in your little black shoes every morning."

"Wh-"

Lydia's out the door before he can reply.

Just friends my ass. Derek thinks about that for a while. The relationship between him and Stiles is purely platonic though. Sure they hooked up a little and there's no denying that Derek finds him very attractive, but he had told him that it would be impossible for them to see each other during this whole shitty thing with Kate, and possibly even after that.

And he's fully aware that seeing Kate is going to screw with his head all over again. So friendship is kind of what he needs right now. Sure, Isaac lives with him but they aren't exactly "buddy-buddy" with each other, they eat dinner together and conversation is kept to a minimum which is exactly what both of them like but Derek can't help but admit that he needs Stiles, he likes Stiles' company.

Even seeing Allison coming in with Scott to book the cake that day made him uneasy. He couldn't help but think of the times where Kate would be babysitting Allison, and begging Derek to sneak in so they could have sex in the upstairs bedroom. He hated those memories, he hated the way they'd crawl into his head when he was least expected it.

"Derek, there's been an accident in the kitchen." Isaac bursts in to the room, interrupting his train of thoughts.

"What now?" He's up and out of the chair to see what it is in no time.

"I have a proposition for you…" Stiles says as he's finishing up lacing his ice skates.

"Just what exactly is it?" Derek glances up at him.

"Scotty-boy is having his bachelor party on Friday night… You're totally in, right? Please?"

"I don't know, Stiles... I have the parole hearing and everything so close to Friday…"

"It's one night and it'll really get your mind off things?"

"Is Scott okay with this?"

"Yeah! He's the one who suggested the whole thing."

"Uhh he doesn't really know me that well… Are you sure?"

"I know you! Isaac knows you- yeah Scott's invited him as well, so it should be all good." Stiles exclaims eagerly.

"Okay then."

"Okay?"

"Yes I already said Okay."

Stiles positively beams, forgetting that he has his ice skates on and suddenly jolts up only to come crashing down, hard, on his knees.

"Jesus," Derek chuckles, extending his hand to help Stiles up.

I am terrible at updating, so I need to apologise for the thousandth time. This is my final year of school so I have a lot going on, especially with my end-of-year exams coming up in a couple of weeks. I definitely will try to post the next chapter next week or the week after when I'm not studying. Again- sorry! I'm going to skip through time a little and the next chapter will have the Bachelor Party- woo! And another appearance by Lydia :). Thanks for your patience, a review telling me your thoughts on this chapter would be nice. Also, thanks for all the favourites/reviews/follows etc. xxx.