There was confetti, he was told later, and a piece got caught in his hair. He hadn't been aware of it at the time, since the world had basically whited-out with his relief. Later, when he'd watch back the footage, he'd be embarrassed at the wideness of his smile and the jutting front teeth he'd been teased about as a kid, but in the aftermath of the announcement, all he was conscious of was that his cheeks hurt.

The host shook his hand and the judges congratulated him on his amazing cake and he nodded at them all in a daze. When the host started wrapping up, he caught sight of Stiles, grinning like mad and clapping, before Lydia whacked the back of his head.

The assistants ushered him away after that to do one final interview of his reaction to his win. They did it in one go, Derek too elated to revert to his normal terseness. When he was finished, he went back to the kitchen to help his team pack up the detritus, but Erica just hugged him and waved him off.

"Somebody wants to congratulate you in person," she said, with a eyebrow-waggling leer, and a flick of a finger toward the other kitchen.

The high-tech cake had been dismantled alarmingly quickly for the amount of time it had taken to put together, and it looked like Stiles and the other guy on the yellow team had just about packed everything while they waited for their leader to finish her interview. Both of them looked tired, but not particularly disappointed with the outcome. They smiled and joked as they worked, and Derek sort of hated to interrupt.

"Oh, hey, Derek," the other teammate said, stepping over a plastic tub and reaching out a hand to shake. "Congratulations. Your cake was awesome, man, you deserved it."

"Thank you."

Stiles clapped the guy on the shoulder and gave him a shove. "Scott, bro, we're basically done here, do you wanna take these out to the car? Thanks a million."

Scott left with a cheerful salute and an unsubtle wink. Stiles blinked innocently back, then handed Derek a fork.

"Want some cake? It's red velvet. The real kind, not just food colouring."

Derek leaned his elbows on the counter next to Stiles and dug into the moist, rich cake. Most of it had been donated to a local soup kitchen, Stiles told him, but they'd been allowed to keep some of it.

"I used to think that maybe, if I worked in a bakery all day long, I'd eventually get tired of cake," Stiles said, contemplating the bite loaded on his fork. "But it's been almost 2 years since we've been open and I could still eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

"Sweet tooth, huh?"

"Duh. It's pretty much a requirement."

"You're probably right."

"I usually am." Stiles smirked and went to eat the bite on his fork, only to have it tumble to the plastic container and his teeth close on the metal tines with a click.

Derek huffed a laugh and applauded mockingly. Derek hadn't laughed this much with someone other than his sister in such a long time. Maybe not since his family had died.

Stiles was able to pull it out, just by being himself, and Derek wanted more of that. His hand itched to take his phone from his pocket to see if Stiles would put his number in, or if his inept flirting would stop there, but he hesitated. He knew that the bakery Stiles worked at was in California, but it was still a pretty big state, plus Derek would be re-opening the bakery. Did he really want to start something that he couldn't finish?

"Lydia's killing it, isn't she?" Stiles broke into his indecision.

The crew were filming across the way, close enough that they could hear Lydia wrapping up. She looked fresh as a daisy, and if Derek hadn't known how long she'd been awake, he never would have guessed. She worked the camera with the natural aplomb that Derek would never have.

"I did my best," she was saying, chin tilted up. "I can go back home knowing that I did Beacon Hills proud."

"Wait," Derek said, and dropped his fork on the counter with a clatter. "Beacon Hills?"

"Yeah, born and raised." Stiles eyed him, quizzically. "Why, you know it?"

"I…" He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "That's where I'm from. That's where Laura and I want to..."

"No way. Hale. Like, those Hales? The ones who…" Stiles coughed to cover up his blunder, then laughed, nervously. "Oh my god, I can't believe I didn't put it together."

Derek's stomach dropped. Laura was going to be devastated. Her dream, and Derek's, was inextricably tied to that town. He tried to imagine setting up shop somewhere else, but left a sour taste in his mouth.

"We were going to open up my parent's old place," he said, numbly. "I guess we should have realized someone else might have thought Beacon Hills needed a bakery."

Derek dragged his fork through the white frosting on the cake, and saw the goal that had been so close start to slip away.

"I think you should go for it."

Derek frowned at Stiles, suspicious at his optimism. "Wouldn't that be stepping on your toes a bit? Beacon Hills isn't that big."

"If there's room for two shady 'ancient Chinese' sensual massage parlours in Beacon Hills," his finger quotes sent crumbs flying across the counter, "there's room for two bakeries."

Derek burst out laughing, the flame of hope that had been fanned and smothered again and again all day leaping to life. It sounded like Beacon Hills had changed a little more that he'd thought. Maybe enough that Sweet Things by Hale would be just as welcome as Lydia's bakery.

The cake lay, forgotten, on the counter. Derek looked at Stiles, at the residue of sweet buttercream that clung to his lips. It might be too soon, considering that they'd met less than 24 hours ago, and they hadn't been on their first date yet, but that shining bit of sugar was too delicious for him to resist. He closed the distance and kissed him, and Stiles' mouth was flavoured with chocolate.

"Hey, Stiles?" Derek asked, when they broke apart.

Stiles voice was deeper and a bit hazy. "Yeah?"

"Could you put your number in my phone? I'm going to be moving soon, and I want to be able to ask you where to satisfy my sweet tooth."

Stiles grinned and smeared a bit of frosting on Derek's lips before leaning in for another sweet kiss.