Human is Just a Word 36/?
Chapter 36
Stiles sprinted out of the bedroom to rush through his morning routine and then left the loft in a hurry. By the time the door banged shut behind him Derek was still in bed. The sudden silence was deafening and Derek closed his eyes and just breathed for a moment. The smell of sex and sweat hung still heavy in the air and he ran his hand lazily through the drying mess on his stomach. He would have to shower in a minute but for now he was just enjoying the scent of his mate mixed with his own.
Straining his ears, he made sure that Stiles had truly left and wasn't about to storm back in because he had forgotten something. Then Derek shifted and literally rolled in the scent until it was rubbed deep enough into his fur that the smell would still linger even after a shower. He lolled his tongue in a happy wolf laugh and was just glad that Stiles wasn't there to judge him.
Derek got out of bed eventually, already making a list in his head what he had to do. Call Laura to confirm that they would come for a visit this weekend, was on top of that list and everything else was just logical consequences of that. He needed to get ahead of his work so he could take the weekend off. And he should make sure that Stiles did the same with his homework, mates and awesome sex aside, Derek was still Stiles' legal guardian and it was his job to make sure that Stiles did his homework. His mate was still in high school.
Not that that mattered to the wolf part of him, his animalistic side only recognized his mate and was happy that Stiles reciprocated.
Standing under the hot spray of the shower Derek wondered if Stiles had told his father. They weren't talking on the phone every day any longer, and he had stopped going to the park to make the call in private, but Stiles called him at least two or three times a week and if it was just to make sure that his father stayed off the fast food.
Derek had the suspicion that Stiles had contacts in the sheriff's department so that he knew when his old man sneaked in a burger. But that wasn't any of his business. And Derek had to agree, that healthy food wasn't that bad and Stiles' cooking beat everything he used to have for dinner every day before they had met. Instant ramen only got you so far.
Freshly showered and dressed Derek got the coffee maker going, it was saying something that Stiles had been in too much of a hurry for his morning coffee.
"Hope he doesn't fall asleep in class." Derek muttered into his steaming cup but the thought of what might have tired Stiles out got him smiling, though.
Checking the time he decided that it wasn't too early to call Laura.
He managed to dodge the more embarrassing questions for now but he knew once he and Stiles were at her place, he wouldn't get off that easily. But then he would have Stiles by his side and that boy could talk a mile a minute, Laura and all the others would be more focused on him than on Derek.
If he was honest, he missed Laura's pack and he was looking forward to seeing them again. For a while they had been his pack as well.
That call out of the way, Derek fired up the laptop and got out his notes. He wasn't too packed so it shouldn't be too hard to get ahead and he could take the weekend off without feeling guilty. He was in the middle of negotiations with Professor Rodriguez and if that turned out well, it would be a big job. He would have to get the smaller ones out of the way as soon as possible anyway.
On Friday morning Derek drove Stiles to school and then went back to the loft to cram in one last work session before he loaded his car with their bags. Stiles had spent the whole Thursday afternoon packing his bag for their weekend trip and still wasn't sure if he had packed everything he needed and texted Derek throughout the day to add this or take that out. In the end Derek ignored most of his messages. He knew that Stiles was anxious to meet Laura and her pack and that he wanted to make a nice first impression.
"I'm your mate, Derek, it's important." However, Derek was pretty sure that Laura would like him. Hell, for whatever reason she liked Derek so the bar was pretty low on that one.
None of his betas was at home when it was time to leave. They had a pack night last night so it wasn't as if he hadn't seen them for days but it still felt strange to leave without seeing anybody.
"Stiles is going to make it up for them." He muttered to himself while he had a last look around to check if he had forgotten something important. They would be back Sunday evening, they would survive without whatever he probably had forgotten to pack and he didn't check his messages to find out if Stiles wanted him to pack different pajamas.
When he parked at the school Derek noticed that the students coming out of the building tended to hang around once they saw his car. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry to get home.
He sighed and got out of the car. Leaning against it with his sunglasses on he waited for Stiles and tried to ignore the stares he got from the students.
Somebody should tell them that werewolves had excellent hearing, though. He ignored most of the whispered comments but he winced at one or two of the more bolder ones. Where these kids actually arguing if Stiles bent over only for him or his whole pack? His hackles raised and he wanted to snarl at the jerk who had made that comment but he forced himself to stay in his relaxed position.
Finally Stiles came out of the school, another boy at his side. That had to be Sean.
Derek straightened up, a curious eye on Stiles' friend. He didn't see him as a threat, quite the opposite, he was glad that Stiles was friends with somebody outside of the pack.
The boys were talking animatedly and so far Sean hadn't realized where they were heading. Stiles however had noticed Derek the second he'd stepped out of the door and had thrown him a blinding smile.
Derek could tell the exact second Sean noticed him. The boy stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide while all color left his face. He looked ready to bolt but Stiles dragged him closer to Derek by his sleeve.
"Derek, this is Sean." He introduced his friend. "Sean, this is Derek."
"Nice to meet you." Derek said and meant it. "Stiles told me a lot about you. I'm glad he found a friend here." It was probably more than he should have said but he couldn't stand the panicked look on the teenager's face. As if he was about to eat him.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hale." Sean stammered.
"Derek is just fine." Derek tried really hard to ignore Stiles who looked like he was close to bursting from trying to hold in his laughter.
There was an awkward moment when nobody knew what to say or do next. Sean's eyes were darting between Stiles and Derek while he tried to not really look at either of them.
"Derek wanted to say that you can come by anytime." Stiles prompted with a not so subtle jerk of his head in Sean's direction.
"Right." Derek said. "Stiles told me that you weren't sure if you're welcomed at my place."
Sean looked close to fainting and his panicked eyes were on Stiles. If he was looking for help or if he wanted to kill his friend for mentioning him to Derek, he wasn't sure.
"Friends of Stiles are always welcome." Derek said in earnest. "You two don't have to stay at your place all the time, I'd like to have you around."
"Thank you, Mr. Hale." Sean answered on autopilot. "I mean Derek. Thank you, Derek." He cringed and threw Stiles another helpless glance.
"We should leave." Derek said to Stiles, taking pity on his friend. "It was nice to finally meet you, Sean." He gave the boy a short nod and then walked around the car.
"See you on Monday." Stiles said to Sean and moments later they were on their way.
For a long moment neither of them spoke.
"He's nice." Derek finally said.
"He almost shit his pants when he finally noticed you." Stiles couldn't hold in his laughter any longer. "He looked like you were about to bite his head off."
"Why would I do that?"
Stiles just laughed.
"Are they still giving you trouble?" Derek changed the topic, the not so whispered comments still ringing in his ears.
Now Stiles sobered up.
"It's not too bad." He said with some delay. Picking at the seam of his jeans he didn't look in Derek's direction. "But I probably should borrow a scarf from Isaac sometimes."
Derek raised his eyebrows and made a questioning noise.
"You may haven't noticed." He tucked at the collar of his shirt. "But you left some marks on me."
Derek took his eyes off the road long enough to glance over to him and sure enough there was a fading hickey on Stiles' neck. And some stubble burn if he looked closely. He wondered if anybody at school looked closely, though.
"Not that I mind." Stiles hurried to add and let go of his collar. "I kinda like seeing your mark on my skin."
A grin spread over Derek's face and he knew it looked wolfish but he couldn't help it.
"And you like it too." Stiles poked him in the arm. "Don't deny it, your inner wolf or whatever is wagging his tail at the thought of your mark on me."
Derek just pretended that he was too focused on driving to answer.
"Too bad that I can't leave a mark on you." Stiles sagged a bit in his seat. "Hickeys last about five seconds on you, I took the time."
"That's what you're thinking about when we're making out?" Derek threw him another glance. "I'm doing something wrong." He was teasing, they both knew it, but Stiles gaped at him nevertheless and hurried to assure him that he was doing just fine. Awesome actually.
The grin was now firmly on Derek's face and he didn't mind one bit that he must look like a maniac. His mate thought that he was awesome.
They had a long ride ahead, Derek didn't expect to arrive at Laura's place before eleven in the evening, after midnight if they got caught up in traffic, and it became rather obvious that it really would be a long ride with Stiles in the car after only ten minutes.
By then Stiles had changed the radio station five times and was already reaching for the button for his sixth round of shuffling through the stations in search for something he could stand. If Derek could stand it wasn't a question coming to his mind.
And he was talking. They hadn't even left the city and Derek knew everything that had happened at school today. Something, Derek wasn't sure which bit, let to a story about Stiles' old chemistry teacher in Beacon Hills and from that it was just a natural jump to a cat video he had watched on YouTube the other day.
By the time they passed the city limits Derek had tuned Stiles out as good as he was able to and focused on the road or the song that was playing until it turned into a medley of random shuffling again.
Derek sighed. It really would be a long ride. Why was Stiles his mate again?
Chapter 37
Masterpost