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“Whatcha staring at?” Erica whispers the question right in Derek’s ear, and it startles him, which makes her laugh. The tips of his ears flush with heat as he tries to give her a serious glare.
“Don’t do that,” he mutters, thankful that Laura and Cora are nowhere around to observe him being snuck up on by a pack member. He’d never hear the end of the teasing if they’d witnessed this.
“Do what?” Erica bats her eyelashes in an exaggerated display of innocence that makes him snort. “We’re totally pretending that you weren’t so enraptured by what you’ve been staring at for the last ten minutes to realize I’ve been right here all along. That’s what a good beta does to support her big, scary Alpha.”
“I’m not your alpha.” Derek rolls his eyes and hears a loud laugh nearby that pulls his attention back to the group of students playing Quidditch. He immediately finds the tall brunet that’s been the focus of his attention for the last half hour.
“That’s not what Talia said.” Erica ruffles his hair, which makes him swat at her arm because it’s annoying, but he doesn’t look away from the match. “She said that you’re our alpha while we’re away at school, and that you need the practice because you’ll eventually have a pack of your own. Of course, you totally already have a pack, which she knows, because Boyd, Isaac, Jackson, and I are yours once you’re all officially red-eyed anyway.”
“Don’t let Laura hear you say that or she’ll get competitive,” Derek says, watching the guy, watching Stiles Stilinski—the hyperactive geek he hasn’t seen since sixth grade—laugh and fist bump the pretty girl grinning up at him. He’s not jealous. Not at all. Only it does make his eyes narrow slightly because the girl is really pretty. Hell, all of the group are attractive, and he’s wondering if this is what people think about him and his friends because Cora’s made comments before about the Pack of Pretty.
“Nah, Laura knows that we go wherever you go. Hell, you got us all to come to Berkley with you, and you know Jackson had planned for Stanford because it’s so hoity toity.” Erica rests her chin on his shoulder. “So, I’m assuming the focus of your attention is the hottie with the moles and strong shoulders and big hands because he’s totally your type. Like his picture should be in the dictionary next to Gets Derek Hale Hot and Bothered.”
“Keep your voice down, Erica,” Derek hisses, moving his gaze from Stiles to the shaggy haired guy he keeps hugging. “We’re not the only wolves around. Okay?”
“Really?” Erica perks up at that and stares at the group more closely. Subtly sniffing the air, she makes a thoughtful noise. “I smell wolf, fox, and coyote, actually. And…is that death?”
“One of them’s a banshee, I think.” Derek blinks when one of the girls looks right at him and flashes a grin that’s all teeth. She bites the air, her eyes flashing a warning, and then she’s jumping on Stiles’ back and scenting him as he wiggles around laughing.
“I think I like that one,” Erica murmurs, lips curling into a slight smirk when Derek glares at her. “What? Strong women have to stick together.” She looks back at the group and studies them more closely. When the shaggy haired guy yells Stiles’ name, her eyes widen and she whistles. “Holy fuck. That’s Stilinski?”
“Yeah, seems so.” Derek clears his throat and runs his fingers through his hair as he remembers the last time he saw Stiles. It had been the last day of sixth grade, and Derek’s friends at the time, guys he’d played sports with, had been shoving Stiles around, making him drop his backpack and saying a bunch of shit that Derek can’t remember but knows was hurtful. He’d taken the sketchbook that Larry had tossed at him and, instead of giving it back when Stiles practically begged, he’d thrown it in the garbage can.
“Ugh. You smell bad. Worse than the stench of arousal that’s been clouding the air since you started ogling Dream Boy. Who I guess it turns out is the nerdy kid you used to bully back in middle school.” Erica shakes her head. “Alright, I’ll let you stink of sadness and regret for at least another five minutes because, damn. This is like the karma scene in all those romance movies where the asshole who made the hero’s life miserable for years is now regretting it all because he realizes the hero’s what he needs in his life.”
“Thank you for the gleeful summation of my miserable life,” Derek deadpans. “I was a total jerk back then, as you well know, and it’s definitely karma that the kid I joined in bullying has grown into someone I’m interested in getting to know. Karma sucks.”
“You’re going to make me teary, Derek. That’s so mature of you to realize you were a horrible person throughout middle school.” Erica tugs on a lock of his hair that’s curling behind his ear. “But that was years ago, and people change. You’re not the same kind of asshole anymore. It’s more a growly bear that’s really a huge softy teddy bear now, and Stiles should have a chance to decide if he wants to give you a chance or not.”
“You’re crazy.” Derek looks at her and frowns. “There’s no way I’m going to go up to him and ask him out. I was horrible to him, and he probably still hates me because of everything that happened back then. Besides, he’s in a pack, and that makes it more complicated.”
“Maybe you should try telling him all this instead of talking to a hot blonde who’s making kissy faces at my friend?”
Derek watches Erica’s eyes widen before a real smile spreads across her lips as she looks up at the guy who just spoke. He slowly turns his head, moving his gaze over long legs encased in soft grey sweatpants that have holes across the knees and shouldn’t be as sexy as they are and then further up, lingering where he probably shouldn’t, heat rushing through his ears at the throat that clears when he stares too long at the bulge the sweatpants are caressing then further up until he’s staring into familiar eyes that he honestly hasn’t thought about in nearly seven years.
“You’ve grown up hot, Stilinski,” Erica says, not giving Stiles the ravenous ‘I’m going to eat you up’ look she usually gives guys to intimidate them. Derek watches Stiles’ face as he glances at Erica, studying her a moment before grinning.
“Catwoman? Is that seriously you wrapped up in blonde bombshell?” Stiles whistles and winks at her. “Well, look at that. I might be questioning the company you’re keeping since I moved, but it’s great to see you.”
“It’s me, Batman.” Erica jumps up and hugs Stiles tight, rubbing her face against his neck and flipping off the growling girl behind them. “He was mine first, sugar.”
“Malia, it’s fine. This is Erica, the friend I told all of you about when I moved to your school.” Stiles is grinning and just looking at Erica like he’s found some lost treasure, and Derek’s jealous, damn it.
“She’s awfully handsy for a reunion,” the girl, Malia obviously, mutters.
“You would be, too, if your first crush turned into a gorgeous specimen like this,” Erica taunts, pulling back and motioning at Stiles. “Seriously, it’s good to see you. And be nice to Derek. He’s all growl and no bite.”
“Oh, I think Derek can take care of himself,” Stiles tells her, focusing his attention back on Derek. Annoyed at everyone looking down at him, Derek stands up, more relieved than he cares to admit to realize that he and Stiles are about the same height because Stiles seemed to be taller. The spicy scent of arousal reaches his nostrils, and he has to force himself not to preen because Stiles likes what he sees.
“I’m going to go meet Stiles’ new friends. You two boys better play nice,” Erica says, winking at Stiles and squeezing Derek’s shoulder to let him know she’s on his side regardless of her past alliance with Stiles. It actually does help Derek focus, and he’s glad he’s inherited the younger pack members because they’ve really helped him grow into a man he can be proud of when he was on a path to becoming someone he wouldn’t have liked at all.
“You do realize that letting her meet Lydia, Allison, Malia, and Kira is going to likely mean plans for world domination by the end of the year?” Stiles arches a brow and stares at him, slightly withdrawn now that Erica’s distracting his pack and giving Derek some privacy to…well, he’s not sure what.
“If Erica’s involved, I give it until the end of the semester,” Derek admits, unable to look away from Stiles’ eyes. He’d never noticed how beautiful they were, not that he’d really been looking at guy’s eyes when he was twelve. No, that hadn’t come until he was sixteen and had his bisexual awakening. Now, though, he can admit that Stiles has beautiful eyes. They’re almost gold in the sunlight, brown and yellow and mesmerizing.
“So, are you planning to apologize for being a bullying dick in middle school or just stand here staring into my eyes like you’re stuck in the middle of a sappy soap opera scene?” Stiles’ lips are twitching, and Derek feels warmth on the back of his neck joining the heat in his ears at getting caught staring. Again.
“I, uh.” Derek looks away and drags his fingers through his hair then scratches his jaw, feeling his stubble rub against his fingers. “I’m sorry for all of it,” he finally says, voice quiet because he really is ashamed of the kid he’d been back then. “There are no excuses for what I did and what I let my friends do to you, Stiles.”
“Would you be sorry if you hadn’t run into me at college?” Stiles meets his gaze head on when Derek raises his head to look at him. “If I weren’t, uh, what did Scott say was said? Your dream boy, was it? Or maybe it was wet dream come to life? Perfect man with hands that made you think about sex?”
“I never said…” Derek starts to deny then sees Stiles grinning and realizes he’s being teased. Well, he deserves that and worse. Derek sighs and shakes his head. “Yeah, yeah. Make fun of me all you want. You’ve got about three years of bullying to get me back for, after all.”
Stiles suddenly stops grinning. “I’m not making fun of you, Hale. If I wasn’t interested, I’d have ignored you and made sure our paths never crossed. Middle school and those rough elementary years happened practically a lifetime ago, and I’ve had a hell of a lot of shit happen in my life since that makes a little bit of bullying seem pretty manageable.”
Derek bites his bottom lip, watching Stiles’ gaze drop to his mouth. “Interested, huh?”
“I’m starting to rethink that,” Stiles mutters. “I mean, you’ve always been pretty, but you’re like smoldering hotness now, and it isn’t really fair that you’re this good-looking but also seem like you’ve actually grown up into someone worth knowing. I trust Erica a lot, and I know she’s got good judgement no matter how her physical packaging has changed over the years.”
“So you’re not here just for my looks then?” Derek bites the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling when Stiles gives him an exasperated look.
“Dude, you could be the hottest thing this side of the sun and that wouldn’t matter at all if you were still a bullying dick that went along with his friends. Peer pressure in school is a real thing, and I get that, but it doesn’t excuse being an asshole.” Stiles shrugs. “You seem to be honestly repentant, though, so I’m mature enough to accept your apology.”
“You are?” Derek shifts, moving his weight from one foot to the other nervously. “I mean, you do forgive me?”
“Nah, I waste time talking to unforgiveable assholes all the time.” Stiles shakes his head. “Yes, dumbass. I forgive you for childhood torments, but that doesn’t mean you’re totally off the hook. Before I learned that there are real monsters in this world, your little group of friends made my life hell. Since none of them are around to beg for forgiveness, you’re going to have to make amends for them. I’m thinking you could start by buying me a caramel hot chocolate and brownie at Murray’s. If you want.”
“I want.” Derek glares over Stiles’ shoulder at Erica, who is laughing with Stiles’ friends and obviously making fun of his eagerness. Looking back at Stiles, he finds him smiling a crooked little smile that does things to him, like make his pulse race and his palms sweat and, fuck. “That is, I mean, that’d be nice. To get coffee or hot chocolate or whatever with you.”
“Well, we can save the whatever for the second date, if there is one,” Stiles says, smirking when Derek ducks his head and tries to calm his features because the wolf is pressing right up close to come out at the thought of doing things to Stiles. And the words ‘second date’ make him happier than they should. “C’mon, big guy. You’ve got two hours to convince me over hot chocolate and all the sweets I can eat that you’ve changed and are totally dateable for reasons beyond the hot ass looks and great bod.”
Derek reaches out and takes Stiles’ hand, entwining their fingers together and listening to Stiles’ heartbeat quicken at the touch. “Two hours, huh?” he says, rubbing his thumb over Stiles’ palm. “I think that’s more than enough time for me to convince you a second date is necessary.”