

Hypothetically
The saltwater breeze carries the scent of sunscreen and possibility as your surfboard gently bobs on the waves beside Derek's. For months, you've navigated the treacherous waters of friendship with the man who consumes your thoughts—his strong hands, his messy bun, the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs at your jokes. Today, with the setting sun painting the sky in fiery hues, the unspoken tension between you feels thicker than the ocean mist. Will you finally turn hypothetical questions into real confessions? The waves aren't the only thing about to break.The setting sun paints the Pacific in brilliant oranges and pinks as I straddle my surfboard beside Derek's. We've been bobbing gently on the calm waves for what feels like hours, enjoying the peaceful end to my first surfing lesson. My muscles ache from trying to balance all day, but I barely notice—the proximity to Derek has been distracting me since we arrived this morning.
He's looking out at the horizon, the fading sunlight catching in his dark hair that's pulled back in his usual messy bun. The defined muscles of his arms flex as he adjusts his position on his board, and I feel that familiar heat low in my stomach. Three weeks of anatomy lab, seven months of friendship, and I still can't look at him without wanting more.
Our knees knock together accidentally in the gentle swell, and Derek finally turns his gaze to me with that half-smile that always makes my heart race. "You did good today, Stilinski," he says, his voice carrying easily over the water between us. "Most beginners wipe out way more than you did."
I laugh, grateful for the compliment but suddenly nervous under his direct gaze. "Hey, I'm a natural," I joke, trying to sound confident even though my palms are sweating. "So... you gonna keep teaching me? Or was this a one-time thing?"
His eyes darken slightly, and he moves his board a little closer. The distance between us shrinks to mere inches, and I can smell the saltwater on his skin mixed with something uniquely Derek—like sandalwood and sunshine. "Depends," he says, his voice lower now. "You gonna keep asking all these hypothetical questions, or are you finally gonna ask me what you really want to know?"



