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The first time Derek saw him was at a football game. There he was, cheering loudly for number 12, leaning over the bar in front of the bleachers. His nose was bright red due to the cold night air. His messy hair was half covered by a loose beanie. His skin was almost translucent under the large stadium lights. Derek’s acute sight could pick up the small moles that covered his face. Derek could hear his heart beat thrumming loudly in his chest out of excitement. He saw his friends around him. But Derek had his eyes set only on him.
A team member walked in front of Derek cutting his line of sight. Derek couldn’t help but growl. A large white number 12 was on the back of the team mate’s jersey. The same number he was cheering for. McCall. That was the name. He played defense. Now that Derek thought about it, he never really talked with McCall. Derek hung out the most with Boyd, Erica, Isaac, and Jackson. They were his pack after all. But still, now that he thought about it, Derek knew McCall was just like them. Werewolves.
How had he never seen him before? Derek was still in shock but quickly turned his gaze when he saw him look towards him. Derek adjusted his helmet and went back to the game. Even when he was waiting for them to pass him the ball he wondered, what was his name?
Stiles was all loud shouts and smiles when the game was won. Kira cheered just as loud, her banner almost torn with how much she was waving it. Lydia was shouting but not so loud. Stiles was freezing but he was happy. He knew how much Scott enjoyed playing, how much he had wanted to win. Stiles tried to assure him that it was only their sophomore year. There were still plenty of games left.
When Scott ran up to the bleachers to join them. The group of friends decided they should go out and eat at a diner. They deserved a celebratory meal. Stiles couldn’t shrug off the feeling that someone was watching him. Stiles was sure it was nothing. After all, the majority of the student body had watched the game.
Derek couldn’t keep his face out of his mind. When Monday came around, the Alpha was nervous. He hadn’t felt nervous over someone before. Well, not in some years. When Derek parked his Camaro in the school parking lot. He hated how his eyes wandered around, looking for him. Boyd distracted him, talking about English and how he had forgotten his homework. His pack and friends joined him and together they walked up to campus.
Derek heard the sound of a vehicle that needed to get its brakes changed. He glanced at whatever vehicle it was but paid full attention when he saw who it was. There he was. He looked disheveled. His glasses were on crooked. His shirt was half tucked in his pants. He was holding a folder, and a piece of paper was between his teeth. His backpack was hanging from on shoulder. Derek couldn’t capture his scent before he ran completely opposite of Derek. Derek did not try to let the look of disappointment stay on his face. When he turned around to his friends he tried to appear as uninterested as possible. Hopefully, he would see him again.
Stiles had a rough morning. His alarm didn’t go off and his printer was jammed with paper. This was the reason he was running late that morning. To make matters worse he could not find his pair of glasses until he turned his bedroom completely upside down. Stiles ran through the halls before he was stopped.
“Stilinski, no running in the halls,” Stiles looked at the teacher that yelled at him to see that it was none other than Mr. Finstock. It seemed like the economist teacher always had it out for him. Also, it was odd to see him early in the morning.
Stiles waved him off and hurried along until he got to the library. Inside there were already students sitting around a group of tables. When he opened the door everyone turned around to stare at him.
“Sorry I’m late,” he tried to shuffle along to an open seat but could see Lydia was already letting his tardiness slide.
“As I was saying,” the president of the student council, Lydia Martin, started. “We still have a couple of weeks to arrange the winter dance. I’ve talked with the principal and he is going to allow us to choose our own theme for this year. Stiles, I’m confident that you have the budget set up.”
Stiles passed around the copies of paper he had spent all early morning printing out. He was in charge of the treasury of the student council. Usually, positions for the student council were only for seniors but Stiles had made it into it with a good campaign and the support of Lydia. Currently, they were planning a new dance for the entire student body. Stiles wasn’t that interested in going to a dance but he did want to be involved in its planning. After all his friends were most likely going to go so he might as well go as well.
Derek’s classes were boring. Half of the time he wasn’t even paying attention. Lunch came and went. Derek tried to look from the corner of his eye but he couldn’t see him anywhere. Days passed and Derek began to wonder if he did not go to the same school or he had just been a figment of his imagination. It was on a day where Derek got out of class early that he saw him. There he was with a girl and together they were hanging up a banner. Derek stopped in his tracks. He could hear his heart beat steadily. He could barely catch his scent. He smelled like Old Spice cologne, cinnamon, and freshly cut flowers. His scent did not hurt his nose like so many others.
Derek remained standing just staring at him even when he hopped off of a chair after hanging a banner. Derek could care less what the banner said. The girl that was with him turned to stare at Derek. He followed her gaze and stared at Derek as well. Derek could feel his heart leap in his chest just by his stare. Derek turned away. In that moment he felt like a coward.
Stiles was in a state of constant motion. When he wasn’t attending meetings, he was adding fliers and banners around the school. Even with that, he had two AP classes he needed to study for and afterschool tutoring. Stiles life was so busy and he was only in high school. Stiles couldn’t get that guy's face out of his mind ever since he caught him staring out in the hall. He looked familiar. He must be on the football team with Scott. He looked the type.
Derek was grumpier than usual and the pack had begun to notice. Erica would look at him from the corner of her eye before looking away. Isaac started keeping his distance and the rest of the pack felt just as tense as their alpha. Derek was annoyed when his teacher pulled him after class to talk to him. Apparently, he was doing badly in physics. Derek was sure that he had not been attending his last period because of football games that required the team to leave campus.
That was how Derek found himself in after school tutoring. Derek still hadn’t seen that boy he had been obsessing over and he had to go to tutoring. Derek had a permanent scowl on his face when he walked into the library. There were other students already sitting around tables in quiet whispers. Derek didn’t know where to go. He had not received tutoring before. He saw one teacher and went to go ask her. It was the right move, apparently.
“Derek Hale,” Derek nodded his fingers tugging on the strap of his backpack. “Your tutor is Stiles,” the teacher pointed to a lone table where a figure sat. The person had their head down, their fingers swiping quickly on his phone.
Derek walked towards them. Their head was covered in a hoodie, and he couldn’t tell who they were. Derek was annoyed and grumpy.
“Hey.”
The figure didn’t look up. Derek growled and dropped his backpack in front of the person startling them from whatever is they were doing on their phone. Derek could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat.
“A shiii---,” Stiles felt the stares of everyone in the library including the scowl of the teacher, “shoot.”
Stiles pulled out his earphones, his gaze moving from the backpack on the table to the guy holding on to it. Stiles blinked, it was that guy he saw in the hall way and whoa was he extremely attractive.
“Hey, oh sorry. I was in another world. I’m Stiles. I guess I’ll be tutoring you for physics today. I took physics last year so I still remember a lot. Not my strongest class but it was a lot of fun,” Stiles rambled and Derek was still staring at him.
Stiles felt uncomfortable. That stare could scare a baby deer any day. This guy was very serious for a teenager. It had to be the eyebrows. They were dark and expressive. Also, why wasn’t he talking?
“Who’s your teacher,” Stiles continued, “Is it Mr. Greenberg or is it, Ms. Rodriguez? I know that Ms. Rodriguez can be real strict and stuff but she is a good teacher. Her work can be a bit taxing. I know when I took her class I had to stay after school a lot because of it. I don’t know how Greenberg teaches compared to Ms. Rodriguez.”
Stiles was staring at this very broody buff teenager expecting to get an answer or a reply. It felt like he was talking to a brick wall.
“Are you in football? I think I’ve seen you play. My best friend is in football as well. It’s his first year making it on the team, not that he never stops talking about it.”
Derek took in everything he was saying. Stiles. That’s his name. What the hell is Stiles? Who would name their kid that? Stiles talked a lot. Up close he was lovelier than Derek could ever imagine. His moles looked like constellations. His lips were soft, pink, and in the shape of a cupid's bow. His eyes were honey brown, Derek could get lost in them. His scent was just as alluring as the day out in the hallway. How had Derek not caught it when he walked towards Stiles was beyond him.
“I’m in football.”
Stiles rose an eyebrow. He looked amused by the simple answer. Derek wanted to bite his tongue. Seriously. ‘I’m in football.’ What kind of response was that? Derek groaned moving his backpack off of the table.
“Cool. Yeah, you have the physique. Also, you have your football helmet hanging from your backpack.”
How was this boy so good at teasing Derek after only just meeting him? Derek sat down in a huff. Stiles was handsome, but Derek wanted to push him against the lockers, not in the sexy kind of way.
“Ms. Rodriguez is my teacher. She doesn’t care if I am in football. She still gives me the same work as other students. Is McCall your friend? He is pretty good for never playing before.”
Stiles was dumbfounded. Those were a lot of words coming from Grumpy McEyebrows. Usually, when Stiles talked, he just talked. He didn’t know what he was saying half of the time, but this guy actually listened and answered to what he was saying.
“Cool,” now Stiles was the uncool one. Derek had to smirk at that. Stiles cleared his throat, “So. Let’s see what you need help with.”
Derek pulled out his classwork and yesterday’s homework. Stiles grabbed the papers away from Derek and looked through them. Derek leaned in his hand, observing the teen. Stiles looked really focused on the work. His brow furrowed, his index finger pushed his glasses closer to his face. His free hand drummed along the table. Derek let himself relax, enjoying the scent that was coming from Stiles’ pores. When Stiles began to explain the equations Derek tried to understand. Numbers were easy for Derek, but it was something about physics he couldn’t understand. Tutoring ended quickly, Derek was able to do some of the homework thanks to Stiles’ help.
Both teens got up to leave the library, “Thanks. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Derek nodded. He wanted to say something else. Maybe ask him on a date or if they wanted to hang out sometime but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Derek turned to walk. A couple of steps he realized that Stiles was walking the same way as him. Derek paused.
“Yes,” he asked.
Stiles looked sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I guess you’re going to practice. I was on my way there as well. Well not for me. I’m not on the team… I was just going to wait for Scott.”
Derek waited and Stiles walked beside him. Both teens were silent. Derek was just a silent person but Stiles was thinking of something to say. Stiles glanced on his phone. He hadn’t receive a text from anyone, so his phone was put away.
“So, you’re a senior?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool. I’m a junior, I’ll be a senior next year.”
“Mhmm.”
Derek remains silent but he still listening as they walk side by side, “I was on track for sophomore year. It was kind of fun. I tried out for lacrosse this year because Scott wanted to join but I didn’t want to actually play. Thankfully the team was already full.”
Once again there is silence. They both walk down the bleachers. Derek can see the team already there along with the coach.
“I play basketball as well.”
Stiles once again was surprised at the attention Derek was giving him.
“Are you going to play this year as well? I mean I know the sports are seasonal. Like football is in the fall and then I think basketball is in winter or spring.”
“Yeah. I’m point guard.”
“Cool. You look like it,” Derek pauses to stare at Stiles. Stiles feels his face heat up, “I mean. You have the athletic build. I mean, you are a buff attractive looking dude. And I can’t seem to shut my mouth.”
The Alpha is amused at the complements he is receiving from the skinny human.
“It’s all right. I don’t mind the compliments.”
Stiles furrowed his brows, “Don’t get so cocky.”
Derek laughed and walked further down the stairs. Stiles walked a little behind Derek and then sat down on the bleachers. His heart finally stopped beating erratically when Derek left to join the team for practice.
The next day Stiles saw Derek in the morning when he arrived at school. Stiles smiled at him and Derek actually said hi. In lunch time Derek ended up standing in line next to him. Stiles ended up tutoring the senior once again. The week ended up the same. Stiles ended up spending more time with Derek. Stiles would lie if he said he wasn’t attracted to the senior. He had started asking Scott about Derek. Sweet Scott was very patient as he listened to his best friend ramble about Derek Hale. Scott was wary about Derek. He knew that he was a werewolf, and an alpha to boot. His pack was a bunch of assholes, well except for Isaac.
Derek’s pack started noticing the changes to their Alpha. He was no longer scowling or growling at them. Their pack exercises weren’t as harsh as before. And Derek was smiling. They never saw him smile.
Erica was curious to see who or what had put Derek in such a good mood. When she saw her pack leader talking with a skinny looking nerd after school, Erica had to do a double-take. Derek smelled happy. And a little bit horny if she was being honest. Not the kind of scent she wanted to smell coming from her alpha. That day Erica sauntered her way towards Derek after school with a smirk on her red lips. Derek did not like the look his beta gave him.
“What.”
Erica walked towards him and leaned her hand on her hip, “So what’s his name?”
Derek frowned, his eyebrows furrowing, “What are you talking about?”
“The skinny guy with glasses that you make eyes at.”
Derek looked ahead to where he could barely see Stiles at the end of the hallway talking to someone. Erica shook her head. It was obvious.
“You should ask him out,” Derek growled at his beta. He didn’t want her to get involved.
Usually, the alpha’s growl would make any beta submit but it only proved Erica’s point. She smiled knowingly and left her alpha alone to scowl after her.
Tutoring continued for Derek which allowed him to have more time to talk to Stiles privately. He became proficient in Physics, his teacher saw in improvement but Derek didn’t want to stop seeing Stiles after school. Stiles sat beside him, pointing to a page in the book and explaining it. Derek wondered, did Stiles know about werewolves? Stiles’ best friend was a werewolf. He could tell by that strong scent of another alpha. Usually Derek would feel threatened by having another alpha in the same territory but Scott was a threatening as a small pup.
Derek stared at Stiles. The human had a strange expression on his face as he tried to work out the problem on his own. His glasses were slightly askew on his face. His hair was in disarray, it seemed like his hair was always standing up against gravity. Derek wondered what Stiles liked to do on his free time. Was he always on his phone? Did he play video games? What books did he like reading? Was he a morning person or a night person?
Derek paused. Oh no. Oh no oh no. Erica was right. How did he not see it coming? He had a crush. The sudden realization startled the werewolf. Was that the reason Scott had growled at him yesterday at practice? No, he could not have known.
“I don’t really mind the story, I just wanted more out of it,” Stiles admits while Derek is working on a problem.
Derek is listening as he writes down in his notebook, “I liked it.”
Stiles is surprised, “You. You’ve read the Captive Prince?”
Derek looks up from his work, “My sister recommended it to me.”
Stiles sits quietly absorbing the new data he just learned. They both continue talking and learning small things about each other. Stiles finds out that Derek has two sisters and he is a middle child. Stiles tells him about his dad who is the sheriff of the town. Derek admits to knowing him. Derek mentions his friends and learns that Jackson has been a bully to Stiles. Derek notes to give a harsher training regimen for Jackson. Stiles talks about Scott again, his best friend since forever, and then he talks about his other best friend Lydia who is dating Jackson. Stiles already knows Isaac. He had tutored the beta in English earlier that year. Stiles makes another realization. Derek is a giant softie. The way he talks about his sisters and his mom. He is so caring. He is nothing like his tough exterior. What 17 year old senior has a full beard, Stiles can’t even get scruff to grow on his face. Tutoring is over and done with but both of them are still talking outside of the library.
“So what is your opinion on small bunnies,” Stiles begins to tease. Derek scowls at Stiles like always. Stiles is not bothered at all. “Don’t be such a sour-wolf.”
Derek is slightly startled at the small comment. He does not know if Stiles knows about werewolves. Derek knows that Scott is a werewolf. He can smell it on him. Does he know? Derek does not know that Stiles knows about werewolves because he does. His best friends are a werewolf and a banshee, and Kira is a kitsune.
Derek looks like he is either going to bolt or threaten the skinny handsome human. Stiles can sense the tension coming from Derek. He places his hand carefully on his shoulder. He removes his hand but grabs Derek hand instead. Derek stares at their intertwined fingers. Stiles pulls him along to follow him. Derek doesn’t know where Stiles is taking him.
There is hardly anyone on campus. The school seems empty as they walk by until they are outside of the halls and out to a quad.
“What are you doing,” Derek asks as Stiles lets go of his hand. He misses the warmth of Stiles’ hand already.
Stiles points a finger to a rose bush that has been dead for years. It’s just a bunch of twigs left standing on the ground that the gardener had never removed. Stiles moves closer to it, setting his backpack on the ground beside it. Derek just stares at him. What the hell is he doing?
Stiles' eyes flash. There is a green bud forming on the branch and suddenly there are leaves coming from the dead rose bush. A rose grows and blooms and Derek is left staring with his mouth open.
“You’re an emissary,” he says amazed and his heart is beating heavily in his chest.
Stiles smiles sheepishly standing up straight, “Not really. More like an emissary-in-training.”
“So you know… about…”
Stiles nods, “Yeah don’t worry about it. It was your choice to tell me or whatever. But you looked like you were ready to run, so I thought I’d help.”
Derek is quiet. “How kind of you.”
Stiles smiles and picks up his backpack. Derek is just standing, deep in thought. Stiles waits for some kind of reaction but Derek is still quiet.
“Are you going with anyone to the dance,” Derek finally asks and Stiles was not expecting that as a reaction.
“Ah, no,” Stiles turns to face the werewolf.
“Well, now you are.”
Stiles blinks, “You smooth asshole.”
Derek smiles and grabs Stiles’ hand. Stiles pulls Derek towards him and plants a kiss on his lips.
“Too fast?”
“Nah,” Derek shakes his head and kisses the skinny human.