Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe.

Chocolate Orange Cupcake

February crept on Derek. Really the only reason he paid any attention to the month was the fact that Erica and Boyd got into a fight just before Valentine's Day. Derek would have been just as happy to remain oblivious to the holiday, but no, he had to listen to both of his friends bellyache about the situation. Well, it was more Erica than Boyd. Boyd tended to be the type to suffer in silence. Erica on the other hand was very vocal about the whole situation. Derek really wasn't even sure why the pair were fighting.

Of course, he also didn't have much doubt that they would ended up getting back together sooner or later. So he mostly tuned out Erica's complaints as he worked on the orange zest for the new recipe. Erica was mostly here to steal cupcakes anyway. Derek didn't really mind. At least, as long as it was just her and not Laura and Cora too. He loved his sisters, and he had considered Erica basically his sister ever since his mom had given her the bite, but all of them at once could be a bit much. Especially if they decided to team up against him which could happen. Derek knew that they all loved him, but he really didn't need them meddling in his life. Especially this close to Valentine's Day.

That was something he really wasn't looking forward to. For a couple of reasons. Last Valentine's Day, Derek still been trying to win Paige over. He'd been oblivious to just about anything else. But Derek remembered the year before that. It had been full of people giving him chocolate and awkward confessions. For all that Derek had been popular, he'd never really been comfortable with some of that attention. Especially when it meant rejecting people. He always felt so bad that he could be what they wanted him to be.

And he knew that there had been some competition to get his attention this year as well. Derek had been trying to ignore it all. He wasn't about to date anyone anytime soon. Maybe ever. It didn't seem to end well for anyone.

"Are you even listening to me, Derek?" Erica demanded.

Derek sighed. "Yes, Erica. You were repeating for the ninth time that if Boyd wanted you back he had better do something spectacular for Valentine's Day."

Erica rolled her eyes at him. "Oh don't look so put upon. You know you're going to end up with more chocolate than you can shake a stick at by the end of the day."

"No one asked me if I wanted it," Derek muttered as he scooped the batter into cupcake papers.

Erica made a face at him. Derek just ignored her, and she went back to ranting. Half an hour later, he was taking the cupcakes out of the oven, and Erica was still complaining. Sometimes he wished she realized just how lucky she was. The only thing that was keeping her and Boyd apart at the moment was themselves. And in the long run, it was just a dumb argument they were having. The pair already knew one another's secrets, their families weren't against them dating, and there wasn't anything life threatening to keep them apart. Derek didn't have that. His first girlfriend was dead, and his second had tried to kill him.

Erica helped herself to one of the unfrosted cupcakes. "Look, Derek, are you sure there's no one you're interested in? I mean, I get that you might be a little gun-shy at this point and that most of the people at school are kind of wary of you now, but if there's someone you really liked, you know Boyd and I will help. Or just set you up if you just want a date. I know some really nice people, both guys and girls."

It was Derek's turned to sigh and make a face. "No, Erica. I'm fine. I'm not ready to start dating again. I'll be fine on my own for Valentine's."

"You're sure."

He smiled at her. "I'm sure."

That just made Erica sigh, but she didn't press the issue. She did made a face a she bit into her cupcake though.

"Aren't these supposed to have an orange taste to go with the chocolate?"

Derek groaned. "Don't tell me. I need more orange."

"Yep."

Derek just sighed again. This was the third time he had changed the ratio of orange to chocolate in the cupcake. He had started with what the recipe called for, but that hadn't been orangey enough. Then he had tripled the amount of orange in the batter, and you could barely taste the chocolate in the cupcake. He'd just had no luck what so ever with this recipe so far, and it was frustrating since it should be easy. It was a simple recipe. Derek didn't know why he couldn't get it to work.

He was still at it three days later. Only this time instead of Erica hanging around the kitchen it was Boyd. It was a lot quieter that way, but it wasn't silent. Of course, Boyd required him in participate in the conversation where Erica did not.

"So basically what you're saying is that you need to come up with something in the next three days that's not completely over the top but will still charm Erica."

Boyd nodded. "Yes."
Derek just sighed. "I don't know why you're talking to me about this then. I was never good at this sort of thing."

It was Boyd's turn to sigh. "I'm not going to ask Laura or Cora. Peter is definitely out."

"How about my dad?" Derek offered. "He's probably your best bet."

Boyd rolled his eyes at Derek. "I already talked to him. All of his ideas involved far more cooking than I can or want to do. Apparently the main way he wooed your mom was through her stomach."

All Derek could do was shrug. It was true after all.

His mom had gone up to Portland for part of her training as the next Alpha, and over the month she had stayed there, she'd been completely won over by his dad's cooking. At that time, Connor O'Brian had been just finishing off his culinary school training. And he had been rather won over by Talia herself. Two months after they had first met, Talia had let him in on the secret of werewolves and in on the fact that she was next in line to run a pack of them. His father hadn't been deterred. Six months after they had first met, Talia and Connor had married, and Connor had changed his last name to Hale. Connor had ended up taking the bite after almost getting mortally wounded in a territory dispute just before Derek was conceived. They had always been the picture of a loving couple for as long as Derek could remember complete with affectionate bickering.

Erica and Boyd's relationship wasn't really like that though, and Boyd was right in that food might not be the best bet. But it could be on the right track.

"What about doing something that appeals to her sweet tooth?" Derek offered.

That made Boyd snort. "Yeah, and Erica would kill be for just getting her a box of chocolate or candy. She'd say I hadn't put any thought into it."

"Then customize to make them unique for her," Derek suggested. "That can't be too hard."

He pulled a cupcake tray out of the oven and carefully set it down on top of a cooling rack. The cupcakes looked good, but the big question was how would they taste. Boyd looked thoughtful.

"That might just work."

Derek nodded. "Good. Now, I need you to tell me which taste is stronger, chocolate or orange?"

He didn't really think much about the advice he'd given Boyd. At least until the day before Valentine's when Boyd showed up on his doorstep.

"I need you to make me a dozen of those chocolate orange cupcakes you were working on for tomorrow."

Derek blinked at him. "What?"

"I need you to make me cupcakes for Erica for tomorrow. I found a bunch of those Grand Marnier truffles that she likes so much to go on top of them."

Derek just sighed. "Come in then. You'll have to keep me company while I work."

He led the way to the kitchen, mentally trying to figure out if he needed to send Boyd off to buy any ingredients. He was pretty sure that he had everything he needed though.

"Just so you know, you owe me for this," he told his friend as he pulled out a mixing bowl.

But the next day at lunch, Boyd presented Erica with a box with a dozen perfectly frosted chocolate orange cupcakes topped with Grand Marnier truffles. Erica had taken one look at the cupcakes, let out a delighted sequel, and promptly kissed Boyd in the middle of the cafeteria amidst a myriad of cheers and applause. Derek couldn't help smiling. He would say that spending most of the evening last night making cupcakes was worth it when it made his friends that happy.