Derek glared as a group of girls walked by for the third time, whispering behind their hands and giggling when they caught his eye. Erica snickered from where she was leaning against the sink and nudged him with her foot, nodding to the pile of cards on the floor in front of them.
"I thought you said they wouldn't bother us if we went to the bathroom." He grunted as he looked through his cards, keeping a side eye on the people passing by. Boyd smiled beside him on the edge of the tub but offered no comfort, placing a blue four on top of his yellow four.
"Damn, I don't have any blue ones." Isaac muttered, reaching for the stack from his spot on the toilet lid.
"What do you expect, Der? Werewolves only became known like two years ago, of course people are going to stare. Especially since you're the infamous son of the Alpha Hale."
Derek scoffed. "Then they should know I'm gay. And that I can hear them, too."
Isaac grinned and made a triumphant noise as he finally placed down a card. "Maybe they want you to hear them. Y'know, so you can go and talk them up a bit." He suggested as they waited for Erica to place her card down.
Derek sighed and rested his head against his hand. "I don't care about them. Even if I were straight, they wouldn't be my type."
"Trust us, we know. And pick up four cards, asshole." She grinned.
"How do you know what my type is?" He growled, ignoring how the tips of his ears burned. He picked up the four cards and slapped one down on the ever growing pile with a grimace.
"Dude," Boyd said, half disappointed and half amused. "Everybody knows your type. Brown hair. Moles. Outgoing."
"Big brown eyes and full of sass." Erica added.
"Tall and loyal and doesn't put up with people's shit." Isaac snorted.
"Shut up!" Derek hissed. His friends laughed at him while he sat back and scowled, but they all noticed how he didn't correct them. So what if they knew his type? It's not like he would find anyone like that soon. He can hardly stand crowded places like this, let alone go and search for someone. He shuddered just thinking about it.
Yes, the world had changed after werewolves were known, but there were still many people who didn't tolerate them, who saw their species as a threat. Tonight was the perfect example, he thought, on why he hated going to parties and social outings. The minute he had walked in surrounded by his pack mates, they were on the receiving end of nearly everybody's stares. If they weren't being looked at, they were being ignored, almost shunned. It wouldn't be the first time people had purposefully ignored their existence and they had all grown used to it, but Derek would be lying to himself if he said it didn't hurt.
"Derek, your turn." Isaac snapped his fingers in front of him, smirking at the look Derek gave him. They played on for a while, calling each other out and bickering until one of them conceded. Although when it was between Erica and Isaac, Derek had to hold her back from forcing him to agree with her. Some people had opened the door to use the bathroom, but the glare they got from Derek and the wolfish grins from Erica and Isaac had them apologizing and scrambling back out in no time.
Until he showed up.
Derek… didn't know how it happened. One minute he was scooping up the cards to shuffle for the next round and the next he was kneeling in front of a man, looking up into wide amber eyes that were slightly glazed over. He looked him over greedily, from his black frayed jeans to the Batman tee with the red plaid shirt thrown over, sleeves pushed up to the elbows and showing strong forearms and those hands-
"Uh-" He cleared his throat subtly as his voice came out a pitch higher than he would've liked, turning to snarl at his friends when they snorted.
"Holy shit," he breathed. "You guys are werewolves." Derek wasn't prepared for the amount of sheer disappointment that washed over him. He didn't know what he was expecting, considering he didn't even know the guy's name. Of course he'd be a prejudiced asshole. Because he was Derek and every time he felt remotely attracted to someone, the world got together with his life and laughed in his face.
"What of it?" He grunted sourly, returning to his place beside Boyd and shuffling the cards stiffly.
The guy blinked and ran his eyes over all of them, his scent a mix of emotions that Derek didn't feel like going through. When his wandering gaze stopped on him, there was a subtle spike of aroused interest that he couldn't help but notice.
"Dude, that's awesome! My best friend back home is a werewolf! He got bit when we were fifteen and I was the one to help him and then we found him a pack and- wait, are you guys playing Uno?" He grinned widely, stumbling towards them in his excitement. He ended up kneeling beside Derek, putting his hand on the tub beside his thigh and straining his neck to look at the deck of cards he was holding, oblivious to the way Derek had tensed.
Erica was the first one to get over her shock and with a devious grin thrown his way, she confirmed his question. "Yeah, we've been playing for a while now. Wanna join us? "
The guy's eyes widened and he nodded enthusiastically, settling down on his ass to be more comfortable. "Sure! I haven't played this game in ages."
"Really?" Isaac asked with an incredulous undertone. "We play this like every weekend."
He hummed in acknowledgement. "I don't really have anybody to play with anymore, y'know? When I was younger, me and Scotty would play all the time. But we got older and he got bit and life happened and the next thing you know we're on opposite sides of the country."
"How'd you know what we were right away? I've never seen you around campus or anything so you couldn't have known that way." Erica questioned with a tilt of her head.
He laughed loudly after a slight pause and damn it all but it was the kind of laugh Derek liked, the type that sounded so carefree and weightless. The man had a unique one, where a light snort or hiccup would pop up every now and then. It was contagious and he couldn't help how his lips quirked up. He didn't miss how Boyd was hiding his own smile as well.
Erica was pouting through a grin and crossed her arms. "You don't have to laugh, Batman. You could offend someone with that attitude."
He waved her away with a lopsided smirk. "Something tells me that you'd be used to that, Catwoman."
She let out a bark of surprised laughter and when she smiled at him, it had an underlying layer of genuinity that wasn't there before. "I like that."
"I thought you might." He turned to Derek then, grinning up at him with childlike excitement as he rubbed his hands. "Alright, let's get this started. I'm going to kick all of your asses!"
"I'd like to see you try," Isaac said with a wicked smile. "Let's see what the human can do."
The man masked his expression and the way he lifted the corner of his lip just so nearly made the hair stand up on their arms. "Who says I'm completely human?"
Stiles watched as the pack exchanged looks and how their smiles slowly fell off their faces. He tried to hold it together, really he did, but when Eyebrow's eyes widened and his mouth fell open a tad, he couldn't help but break into snickers again. Honestly, this group was too easy. Scott would be proud of him, he thought. He'd have to tell him once he goes to visit next weekend.
"Not funny." Derek huffed. He elbowed him gently as he laughed and Derek hated how his heart sped up. He was literally a stranger and he was tipsy and he shouldn't be able to just walk in here and make Derek's stupid heart do things.
"It's a little funny." He smiled broadly.
"It was." Erica conceded.
Derek tuned them out as they started to banter and focused on dealing the cards. Every time the guy, who Derek dubbed The Human in his head, got one he liked, his heart did a short blip before it spiked and his scent was enveloped in sly delight and he really needed to stop reading so much into him. The chance that they would meet up again after this meaningless party was slim to none and he didn't feel like getting heartbroken over a random guy he just met. Laura would have a field day if that were to happen. Again.
"Can I go first?" Derek didn't know why he even bothered asking, considering his card was already resting on the tiles. A green two stared up at them and he saw Isaac stiffen. He made a mental note about that and waited for Erica to take her turn. When nothing happened and The Human snorted, he realized that they were all looking at him.
He growled low enough that the stranger didn't hear him and flicked his card forward. Boyd made a show of looking through his deck before putting it down and soon enough they were done with a few rotations. Derek played half heartedly, finding himself paying more attention to The Human's hands and surprisingly pleasant voice than the game. Erica and Isaac were asking him all kinds of questions and answered his in turn, with Boyd adding in his two cents here and there. Most of them forgot they were playing a game. That much was clear when a joyful shout came from the man.
He jumped up in his excitement and pointed at Isaac gleefully. "Uno!"
Nobody spoke for a minute, their eyes going back and forth between the newcomer and Isaac. Erica cracked first, smirking as she nodded to him. "Fair's fair. Pick up the pile."
Isaac grumbled and growled playfully at The Human before he could think better of it. They all tensed as they waited for his reaction, Derek already thinking of ways to apologize for his friend's behavior when tinkling laughter broke through his thoughts.
"Uh uh, think again buddy. I've dealt with all kinds of tempermental wolves and you're way too innocent looking to be scared of. If it was Sourwolf right here, I might've had a reaction."
They blinked at him before Erica leaned in closer with a sly smile. "A reaction, huh? What'd that entail, exactly?"
Stiles snickered as he pushed himself closer to the blonde, loving the slight widening of her eyes as he did so. He watched the muscular wolf beside him from the corner of his eye, mentally cataloging how his jaw was set and how it made him look that much hotter. His smirk grew even as his heart skipped a beat when the man noticed him, the hazel eyes flashing blue before returning to normal. That… was mildly concerning. He brushed it off to think about later, instead cocking his head at the girl in front of him.
"Mm, I don't think it's appropriate to talk about in public. I'll tell you that it involves a specific region of my body and my right hand, though."
The girl gaped at him before breaking into howling laughter, drawing the eyes from the people lingering in the hallway. He sat back and leaned his back against the tub smugly, his arm brushing the man's thigh as he relaxed. He noted the blush on the man's ears and internally screamed at the cuteness of it. He'd better remember this in the morning when all the drinks were out of his system.
Derek switched his glare, going between his pack and The Human who had the audacity to say that and then go back to the game as if it were nothing! His thigh burned from where The Human's arm was resting against it and he just knew that his scent would linger long after the stranger left. He hated that it sent a thrill through him, the thought that they would each be carrying the other's scent for just that bit longer. Boyd nudged him with a small smirk and nodded to The Human.
"He's cute." He mumbled to him lowly.
"Shut up."
"Just saying."
"Alright, Catwoman. You start this round."
He was sure the others could smell the giddiness off of her as well as he could. Boyd smiled down at his cards from beside him and Isaac considered The Human subtly. Derek understood all too well. Humans were wary of werewolves by nature and for a social person like Erica, it was incredibly hard to meet new people and make friends out of them. This guy, who nearly flashed them all when he opened the door before joining their group, was probably the first person they had all been able to not only talk to normally, but relax around him enough to be themselves.
Derek had to admit that he was attracted to him. There was no trying to hide it, not anymore when it was so clear that he just fit with them. Considering The Human's actions and his scent, Derek's sure that the interest was returned. He stretched out his legs and brought them back, shuffling closer in the process so his hip was touching The Human's shoulder. He kept an eye on his reaction and nearly smiled when he heard the small, nearly imperceptible tick of his heart and hitch of breath.
The Human turned his head to study him, his amber orbs taking everything in. Derek forced himself to keep the eye contact, ignoring the way his own gaze danced around the features that were so much clearer from this close. Finally, The Human's lips quirked into a teasing grin, challenging him as he tossed an arm on his knee and leaned against him casually as if they had been doing this for years.
"You guys are getting close." Erica drawled with a quirked eyebrow. Derek sent her a scathing look.
"What can I say? I'm cold and wolves naturally run hot. Unfair if you ask me, but whatever. By the way, pick up four."
"What? That wasn't even for me!"
The Human grinned and made a show of checking his nails as he hummed his acknowledgment. "I decided that it was."
"That's not how this works you-"
"You!" Another man yelled. Everyone looked to the door, stiffening at the newcomer. Derek frowned when he saw The Human pale. He studied the man with hard eyes, taking everything in from the tan skin to brown eyes to the weighted scowl on his face. His shoulders were set stiffly and he was radiating irritation and worry. He briefly glanced at them before turning back to The Human, taking strained steps in the room and stopping just in front of him.
"Hey Danny!" The Human chirped. He was focused on the cards instead of the angry face looming above him. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm looking for your sorry ass, that's what. Get the hell up. I'm taking you home." Derek growled when he reached down and took a fistfull of The Human's shirt and forced him to his feet. His heart rate sped up and fear was steadily taking over his natural scent. He avoided eye contact with them as his grip tightened, looking just over Derek's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry he bothered you, I promise it won't happen again. He's annoying, I know-"
"Hey!"
"I've dealt with him for years so I know how to reign him in. Sorry again." The man, Danny is what The Human had called him, tugged on his shirt and was nearly to the doorway with The Human stumbling after him when Erica stepped in front of them, glower darkening her face that was previously lit up with joy.
"Who said we had a problem with him?"
"Uh-"
"We were having a great time, actually. Before you barged in here, that is."
"I'm sorry-" Danny started hastily.
"In fact, we've all come to like him so-"
"Aw, I knew we were bonding." The Human cut her off with a grin. "But Danny's my babysitter tonight and I promised Scott I'd listen to him. Bro code, y'know." He shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal but they all saw his deflated shoulders and the way some of the brightness left his eyes.
"Babysitter?" Isaac asked.
"Mhmm. Nobody trusts me to go out on my own these days."
"Last time you went out alone you were nearly in an accident because you were singing too loud. Then got into a peek a boo fight with a baby who was in another car. Of course Scott wants someone with your drunk self in case something were to happen."
Derek's lips twitched at the mental image while The Human swiveled his head to look at his friend, a grimace on his face.
"She was not a baby. She was at least three and she had the cutest sleepy face ever. Besides, she started it."
Danny sighed heavily and dropped his hand so that it was clasped around The Human's wrist. "No. She didn't. Let's go. I have work tomorrow and I really don't feel like getting yelled at by Scott."
"Scotty wouldn't yell at you. He's incapable of raising his voice at other people."
Danny grumbled under his breath and Derek watched helplessly as The Human was dragged out, his vocal cords failing him at the worst time. He started to panic, then, at the thought that he'd never see the stranger again. The one person that he was interested in that not only returned his feelings, but who fit in with his pack and wasn't afraid to be himself even in a room full of wolves that he'd just met.
"Wait!" His head snapped up and his eyes widened when he saw that The Human was headed his way. "I gotta give them their cards back!" He stopped in front of Derek and stared down at him, whiskey eyes searching his. He must've found what he was looking for because the next minute, with a satisfied and slightly sheepish grin, he handed back the cards. Derek took them back instinctively but kept looking at the stranger as he waved bye to his pack.
Erica hugged him, purposefully rubbing her wrist on his back and smirked when she caught Danny eyeing the move with poorly hidden shock. Derek couldn't find it in himself to care at the move. He was happy to let the stranger leave with more of their scent on him, it would keep him protected since all of the local wolf packs knew the scents of the Hale's betas. Still, his stomach dropped and his mouth twisted unpleasantly as they watched the retreating back of the first person who was willing to talk to them, accepting them for what they were without hesitation.
"Do you know who those wolves are, man? What pack they belong to? You could've been killed! Or offended them!"
"How in the world would I have done that? And they're people, not wolves." They listened in as Danny scolded him until they couldn't hear over the music and it was only then that he was torn from his thoughts.
"Derek." He turned towards Boyd, his eyebrows furrowing when he saw the amusement painted on the others' face. "Look at the cards, man."
He did as he was told, albeit suspiciously, and couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. There, scrawled over the green plus two card, were ten numbers staring up at him. He studied them, his mind completely blank, when Erica and Isaac took a look for themselves.
"Ha! Batman's smooth, huh?" Erica cackled as she saw the number. Isaac joined in soon after and even Boyd let out a snort. Derek flushed, reading and rereading the message above the digits. Give me a call, Sourwolf ;) took over the top half of the card, winking face included. He smiled at the complete dork the stranger had to be before putting it into his pocket, careful not to bend it.
