Stiles woke up and stretched surprised when he was met with his bed beneath him and not the grass. He frowned slightly, disappointed that he didn't get to say goodbye to the wolf, but he glanced over at the nightstand to see his collar sitting there and grinned. He quickly got up and got ready for school before deciding to attach the collar to his backpack like a keychain. He knew he wouldn't be able to wear it again unless his dad helped him, and he hadn't told anyone else about shifting except his dad. Well, his dad and the wolf. Of course, Malia also knew after the purring incident in the hallway. He got to school on time for once and took a seat in the second row of his first class.
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Derek made sure that Stiles had gotten into bed safely and helped put the collar on the nightstand before disappearing. He stayed shifted until he was home again. Exhausted, he fell into bed with a grin on his face and started trying to figure out how to tell Stiles that he and the wolf were one in the same. He drifted off, feeling calmer than he had in a long time.
In the morning Derek was up and ready to head to school much earlier than usual. He strolled into the lecture hall surprised to find Stiles already there and as he sat down, he noticed the collar attached to the student's backpack. That made Derek smile as he took a seat at his TA desk.
Professor Levi droned on longer than usual and Derek noticed that Stiles would fiddle with the collar every now and then. It seemed like a sort of stimming which Derek understood. As he watched, Derek couldn't seem to get over the way those long fingers enticed him, drawing him in. His wolf sure loved the idea of those fingers running through his fur.
Stiles didn't notice Derek watching but he paused when Derek spoke to him as he left the lecture hall. "I'm guessing your cat didn't like the collar?"
Stiles glanced at Derek, clearly surprised that he was talking to him. This was made even more evident when the amber eyed man, looked behind him to see if someone else was possibly Derek's intended addressee. "W-Who me? Oh, um yeah. I mean no. I mean he loved the collar but wanted me to hang onto it for him," he blurted out in a stammering manner.
Derek thought it was absolutely adorable, not to mention once again something he found endearing about the guy. Derek wanted to tell him as much but before he could say anything else, the brown haired girl, Malia, grabbed Stiles's hand and led him out of the lecture hall, a parallel of the last time. Stiles went willingly and it made Derek wonder if he was reading things wrong somehow.
As a cat, Stiles had out right admitted what he felt for Derek but now, faced with Derek in person, he seemed hesitant. That simply wouldn't do but there wasn't much else to be done right then. So, he just watched as the two students walked down the hall, getting further and further away from the room and from Derek. Derek allowed his shoulders to sag slightly before turning away, meaning he didn't see the curious backward glance that Stiles shot his way.
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Stiles was at his desk in his room working on his homework when he got a text from his dad.
[Dad]
Hey kiddo. I got the late shift and won't be home until early morning. I know you're a college man now, but you still live under this old man's roof. So I'm just letting you know. Plus, I don't want to organize another rescue mission if you get stuck somewhere.
He smiled even as he rolled his eyes and sent a text back.
[Stiles]
Hey Daddio. No worries. Also I'm taking note that you called yourself an old man for once. Yeah I am in college but that doesn't mean I don't want to know when you'll be home dad. I love you. Be safe.
Stiles sat his phone aside and went back to his homework. He was only slightly disappointed his dad wouldn't be back. The lack of his dad's presence meant no wearing the collar. Speaking of the collar, Stiles went over to his backpack to retrieve it. He wanted to see how it would fare as a bracelet, decidedly pushing aside thoughts of wearing it as a choker even while human. That was something to think about for another day. He reached for the loop where the collar was attached, but upon closer inspection, Stiles realized the collar was no longer attached to his backpack. He took a steadying breath, assuring himself that it didn't mean anything. It probably just fell off when he jostled his bag coming inside from his jeep. So, Stiles began to search for the collar, sure he would find it.
Stiles searched frantically for the collar and tag, for what felt like hours. The longer he searched and came up empty, the more he began to panic at the thought of losing it. He started to hyperventilate, his vision blurring, and then his phone began to ring. "Hello?" he said this through carefully measured breaths that were followed by a hiccupped sob.
"Um hello. I'm sorry but I found this collar with your number on it. Figured you probably lost it?"
"Oh my god! You f-found it?" he exclaimed, feeling relief flood through his veins.
"Yeah. It must be pretty important."
"It is. It really really is." He nodded vigorously even though the good deed doer couldn't see him doing so.
"Well then, I'm glad I found it. Did you want me to mail it to you?"
Stiles took a deep breath and then cleared his throat. "No. That's um-That's not necessary. If you're not too far away, maybe we could meet and I could get it from you," he offered in a soft unsure tone.
"That works for me. I found it on the way out of class when I was headed to my car."
"Oh. Oops. I thought for sure it was here at home somewhere. Well, there's a small coffee shop just off the parking lot on the east side of campus. We could meet there." Stiles smiled even though once again the other person couldn't see him which was probably why Stiles felt so relaxed.
"That works for me. The coffee place is open for another couple of hours. Did you want to meet now?"
Stiles didn't hesitate to agree and even though he couldn't put his finger on why, he trusted the good deed doer implicitly.
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Stiles agreed to drive to the coffee shop after ending their call. He parked his jeep and slowly got out after turning it off. He glanced around and his eyes fell on Derek standing outside the coffee shop. His cheeks burned with a heavy blush, but there wasn't anyone else nearby. Slowly, Stiles walked up to Derek and couldn't help but stare at how gorgeous the man was in the moonlight.
Derek held out the collar that had been cradled in his hand. "Here you go."
Stiles managed to take the collar without his hand shaking too much. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"You're welcome," Derek replied, sounding somewhat shy but Stiles barely noticed the tone as he stared at the collar and cradled it in his hands. He expected Derek to walk away now that they had accomplished what they came to accomplish but when he looked up, Derek was still there.
Stiles didn't know what to say and tilted his head. "Oh," he said softly as he put the collar in his pocket and pulled his wallet out. "I-I should probably like give you compensation for returning it."
Derek's brow furrowed and he took a small step back. "I don't want your money, Stiles," he assured him.
Stiles was about to object but then it hit him that Derek had used his name. He looked up at him. "Y-You...?" Derek quirked an eyebrow and Stiles inwardly swooned at the action. He seemed to swoon a lot when it came to Derek and his everything. "You know m-my name?"
Derek nodded slowly. "Yes. I know your name. Is that so surprising?" he inquired, puzzled by Stiles's reaction.
"No. I mean you're my TA. I mean you're a TA for my class. I mean you're a TA in a class that I am also in." He fumbled for the words with rapidly reddening cheeks.
Derek's expression softened and he smiled. "I mean all of those things are true. I also um know your name because I may have looked it up," he admitted, the tips of his ears turning pink.
Stiles watched the man before him, cataloguing every detail. This was the man that he had been pining for, and not once had Stiles seen the guy become shy and bashful. "You looked up my name. Why?" he asked, his face a picture of incredulity.
Derek fiddled with his car key before gesturing to the coffee shop. "Do you want to maybe get a cup of coffee with me, and we can maybe talk for a bit?" he asked in a soft, shy tone, full of uncertainty.
"You want to get coffee with me? You don't even like coffee," he stated before he could stop himself and then Stiles fixed his gaze firmly on the ground, his body frozen in mortification.
Derek couldn't help the grin that formed. "You're right I don't. The fact that you know that makes me want to discover that kind of thing about you. Please, Stiles. Sit with me?" he pleaded.
Stiles breathed out, his stomach swooping as the butterflies roared to life. He met Derek's gaze and gave a small nod. "Okay," he agreed shyly.
The two guys went inside and decided on a booth in the back corner. Stiles ordered their drinks and Derek took a seat in the booth. While he waited, he tried to decide how to go about revealing himself without losing what he had precariously built in his human form.
Despite being close in shifter forms this was completely different. Derek could smell the scent of insecurity, uncertainty, trust, hope and desire in Stiles, and he wanted to erase two of those smells. He might also want to add his own scent in as well.