Word: Camelopard

(Camelopard is an archaic term for a giraffe.)

...

"You've never been to the zoo?" Stiles asked, jaw hanging open as he stared at Derek.

"Spending a day looking at animals in cages doesn't really appeal to me," he replied, tone clipped and short.

"Yeah, I know, it sucks mostly. But, dude, it's the zoo."

"Repeating that isn't going to make me want to go anymore than I already don't want to. Can we get back to researching now?" Derek asked with a sigh, returning his attention to the large book in front of him.

"Would you want to go if it was one of those open plain zoos? Y'know, where the animals are all allowed to roam freely and stuff?"

"No, Stiles, not even then. I don't go to zoos, or circuses, or any other form of supposed entertainment where animals are captured and caged or used as forms of entertainment. Even wildlife preserves set me on edge, okay? So, listen carefully, and I can repeat it in Spanish if you need: no."

Stiles fell quiet, but Derek doubted it was the end of the discussion.

"But where else are you going to see lions and tigers and camelopards?" Stiles pointed out a few minutes later.

"On the television, computer, or in books. There's these things called pictures..."

"Oh, sourwolf's being a sarcastic-wolf now, is he? Does that mean you'll stop rolling your eyes at me when I'm sarcastic? Or is this a one-time thing only? What about on special occasions? Or my birthday? I can handle the eye-rolling, obviously, but my birthday should be cause for celebration and no eye-rolling, and - mmphh."

Stiles' monologue was cut off abruptly by Derek's hand and they glared at each other. Then Stiles' eyes lit up wickedly and he worked his tongue out of his mouth, licking Derek's palm in an effort to get him to let go. It didn't work - Laura had used the same tactic when they were younger (and older) - and Derek just raised an eyebrow at him. Stiles seemed to frown, and then resumed glaring once more. It took them both a few minutes to realise that Stiles still had his tongue pressed against Derek's hand, and Stiles withdrew sharply, trying to pull away. Derek held him, looking at him seriously.

"You'll shut up about the zoo now?"

Stiles nodded awkwardly.

"And the eye-rolling thing too?"

Again, another awkward nod.

Derek waited a moment later, listening for a skip in his pulse, but Stiles' heart was hammering so hard and fast it was difficult to tell. Reluctantly, he let go of Stiles' mouth, and watched as Stiles immediately licked his lips.

"So... What about Cirque de Soleil? They're an all-human circus, no animals in sight - unless they're actually were-somethings, which might explain a few things, really. They're actually coming to Beacon Hills next month, and if you say no, then I'll have to think of something else to entice you with."

Derek looked at Stiles again, frowning. "Entice me?"

"Yeah, on a date. I've been trying to suggest places for weeks, but you keep shooting me down. The zoo was last-ditch and tacky, I know, but you blew off the suggestion to see Guardians of the Galaxy at the movies. That was the one I was really hoping you'd say yes to, mostly 'cause I've already seen it three times and I planned on making out with you in the back," Stiles said with a brief chuckle, cheeks pink.

Derek blinked, surprised. "You want to go on a date with me," he said slowly, trying to wrap his head around this.

"Uh, yeah. It's not like I've been exactly subtle about this! You're smart and like comics - sure, you like Marvel more than DC, but I can forgive that - and you're attractive, which is a nice bonus for me, even though you'd be stuck with me, and you actually listen to me, even when I'm rambling on about crap and should really shut up. Like now, oh, fuck, I should've shut up like five minutes ago, and you're still here and haven't run away, so you're either in shock or aren't adverse to the idea of dating me," Stiles said weakly, trailing off and looking down nervously.

"You wanted to go to the movies just to make out with me?" Derek asked. "Why bother paying all that money to go to the movies when we could do the same thing here?"

"Seriously? That's what you get from that?" Stiles muttered, then blinked as he caught up to Derek's second sentence, and looked up at him, ridiculously hopeful. "You mean that? We can make out here? Or you're just saying an example of how it'd be a waste of money? 'Cause if you do mean it, then I'd really like to know because I'm sweating like crazy and probably smell worse than the entire movie theatre would to you, and - "

This time Derek shut him up with his mouth. Stiles might've done a fist pump in celebration before wrapping his arms around Derek's neck and throwing himself into the kiss full-heartedly.

They went to the Cirque de Soleil the next month, and for their second anniversary, Stiles bought Derek an entire set of plush safari animals from the toy store and set the loft up to look like a safari, complete with a red-stained zebra and lions. (Derek saw the same colouring on Stiles' hand and spent a few hours rediscovering his taste for strawberry jam.)

...

End of word challenge.

Thanks for reading!