In which I take the liberties to think Derek is around 14 and Stiles around 7... because of reasons ok? I don't know. Enjoy! Crossposted from my AO3 & tumblr.
Red does light up the grey
"Do you know what time is it?"
Derek was supposed to go to the library and return a book, then go back home and practice with Laura to improve his senses.
Library. Go Home. Practice.
In the middle of the light rain, however, his rebellious side decided to wake up finally after 12 years and made him stop in a corner when a kid in a bright yellow raincoat and red umbrella asked him for the time.
Derek stared blankly at the kid, taking in his mind the detail of his big, round eyes, skin full of freckles and pink coated cheeks.
I'm never reading Laura´s novels again, he thought and his brow furrowed in distaste.
"Didn't your mother tell you to never talk to strangers, kid?"
The boy frowned, lips forming a pout, eyes narrowing.
"I am not a kid" he said, and turned slightly angry eyes to him. "you are maybe four years older, no one to talk"
Derek had to refrain the smile that threatened to pull on his lips when the boy harrumphed and crossed his arms against his chest as if offended.
"Younger than me, still a kid"
"I'm. not. a kid!"
Derek winced when the voice broke at the end of the phrase, and frowned when he noticed the unshed tears in the little kid's eyes.
They're so big and bright he thought again, his mouth finally curving up a little bit when he saw the spark of anger dissipate in the honeyed orbs and a more vivid pink settle over the boy's cheeks.
"Kid."
"I'm not a kid! My name is Gen—" the boy interrupted himself with a slight scowl, gaze fixed on the floor as in concentration that was promptly broken by his head shaking fiercely. "My name is Stiles!" He said, and his face broke into the biggest, toothy smile Derek had ever seen.
It made something in his chest flutter, and he quickly put his hand over it, gaze narrowing when he noticed his heartbeat skipping a beat every other moment the boy under the red umbrella looked at him.
He would have to talk to Laura about it; he didn't feel sick, but this was really weird and it was the first time happening so he couldn't risk the chances of being ill.
"Are you ok?" The boy asked, closing his umbrella and inching towards Derek, stepping a little closer and under Derek's own umbrella, making him adjust his grip on it out of surprise, leaving him staring at the big round eyes with contempt. 'Stiles' was watching him back with a tinge of concern painted on his tear-wet face, and his voice was soft, almost careful of not upsetting him. "Your face went all scrunched up like this" and there Stiles mimicked him and Derek let out a chuckle. The boy giggled and step back.
There was that weird flutter again.
He let out a sigh, wincing mentally when a voice so much like Laura's berated him with a 'honestly Derek you should act like a kid your age!'. He wondered if maybe he should stop spending so much time with his sister, because his conscience had started to sound like her already.
Stiles rocked back and forth on his heels, in a poor attempt on controlling his hyperactivity, faced with Derek's silence.
After maybe two of the longest minutes in his life, Derek sighed.
"Where are your parents?" He asked with the pretence of a normal voice, and saw the little boy look thoughtful for less than ten seconds, jerking back to avoid the hit when a brown haired head jumped out of the raincoat hoodie, brimming with energy the next instant.
"They're in this big hotel near here! Dad took mom there because she was feeling sick, and needed to rest."
Derek saw the exact moment the boy's smile faltered a bit, heard the very instant his heartbeat changed. There was no big hotel around here. Not even big buildings. Just maybe the school and the Hospital.
Oh
"But Ms McCall is taking care of me!" Stiles added in haste "She lets me come and play in her house, but today Scott fell asleep and I'm not tired, so I came out!"
There was something about how a kid should not wander around in the streets alone ringing in his mind, but faced with this kid's cheerfulness at just being outside in what might be probably a situation not even Derek could understand -because his Pack was big, his family was complete, his family loved him- that made him think maybe today he could tell Laura to skip practice.
"There's a park nearby…" he heard himself mutter in fake disinterest, and didn't have enough time to brace himself against the back flip his stomach gave when Stiles' face lit up in delight.
"Will you take me there?"
Derek nodded instantly when the joy and glee in Stiles' pretty eyes became too much of a sight for him. He also groaned instantly because, well, he was taking an apparently hyperactive boy to the park.
In a grey, rainy day.
"I have a coat, and an umbrella." Stiles immediately said when he noticed Derek's doubtful gaze rise to the cloudy skies, thinking that maybe that was the reason the taller boy was being so reluctant in taking him there.
Derek's eyes were pinned to the little plush wolf strapped to Stiles' back.
We can't get too attached to humans Derek, there are some of them who want to harm us. There are some that could get harmed if involved with us.
Derek shook his head. He should be going home. He should be practising with Laura and his father.
"I can't, really…" he said, and the dejected look in the Stiles' face made him feel ashamed because really, he just basically offered the child some fun and then took it away. Perhaps if he was careful, he could protect Stiles. "Maybe tomorrow… if the rain stops…"
He knew he was doomed when the expression of disappointment morphed into something akin to a mix of delight and excitement, and his stomach and heart decided to play musical chairs on his body.
"Promise?" Stiles chirped, and subsequently pouted "Wait, I don't even know your name, how am I going to know you're not lying if I don't know your name?"
That was some terrible logic there, Derek thought, but then again, this was a child.
A child who was probably 4 years younger, human, and still…
"I'm Derek." He said, and nearly jumped off his skin when the boy took his left hand between his in a warm, firm grasp.
"Nice to meet you Derek!" Stiles said, and giggled joyfully. Derek didn't even had to force the smile.
Oh Laura was going to skin him alive if she knew.
"Come on, I'll take you home" Derek said, and sighed when Stiles rearranged his hand to hold Derek's, smile warm and happy.
"Ok!"
Derek was so dead.
—-FIN-
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