Wolf vignettes
I don't own Teen Wolf or any of the characters in the series, I'm just borrowing them from their respective owners to play with a little and I promise to give them back when I'm done. No copyright infringement is intended and I don't make any money from writing fanfiction.
Heat wave
The heat is stifling and not even the slightest breeze provide relief this hot summer day. Any sane person would've looked out and decided to either stay indoors with the AC cranked up to max or maybe go outside if they had immediate access to a pool and a cool drink. Sadly, none of these options are viable for Chris, Stiles and Peter as a mysterious creature has attacked hikers out in the woods and needs to be stopped as soon as possible. Since Peter is the most experienced tracker and Chris is the most experienced hunter they're quickly volunteered by the rest of the pack to go out and search, while they stay back at the house researching. The only one actually offering to head out is Stiles and Chris suspects that the reason for that is that he wants to romp around in the forest as a wolf.
They don't have much success with their mission though and despite the fact that they've been out for hours they've yet to find any trace. Both Stiles and Peter are panting heavily and Chris' shirt is uncomfortably soaked through as he carries a heavy backpack with all their equipment. His heavy combat boots have saved his ankles more than once in the rough terrain but his feet feel like they're melting and he wishes he could take the damn boots off, fling them deep into the underbrush and never see them again. He sighs heavily but trudges on, making Peter whine and nudge his hand with his nose in a small gesture of comfort and Chris strokes his ears in thanks. It's not like him to give up but the heat has taken its toll, more than he'd like to admit, and if he could he'd rather be at home with cold beer. A cold beer, and his partners in their human form. The full shift is beneficial for tracking and hiking but it's not great for conversation and it's been hours since anyone answered him with something else than a whine or a yip, or the occasional growl.
Suddenly Peter stills and sniffs intently for a few seconds before taking off, Stiles hot on his heels. Chris isn't worried, if the situation had been serious Peter would've let him know that, and he takes his time as he follows them at a more sedate pace through the forest. He follows the sounds of excited barks and splashes and smiles in relief when the trees opens to reveal a small lake and Peter and Stiles jumping around in the water, chasing each other. He pauses only to throw his backpack on the ground and unlace his boots, kicking them off, before wading into the lake otherwise fully dressed and throwing himself headfirst into the blessedly cool water. He is greeted by two over-excited wolves and thoroughly splashed before they set off on what seems to be a swimming competition. He floats on his back for a while, thinking about everything and nothing, and lets the water wash away all the sweat, grime and fatigue from the day so far. However, before long Stiles tries to jump onto his stomach, mistaking him for a floating pool mat no doubt, and he's sent under with a sudden mouthful of water.
Coughing and spitting he makes his way to dry land to get his breath back, stumbling over a very apologetic wolf that's suddenly entwined around his legs and whining. The wet clothes cling to his body and he struggles to pull them off to let them dry. Stiles, imagining himself to be helpful and wanting to make amends, bites down on the hem of Chris' pants, pulling hard enough for both of them to fall over. Once completely undressed, Chris firmly discourages any further help from Stiles and he hangs the clothes himself in the sun on a nearby branch.
"Daring" comments Peter's voice suddenly and Chris turns around to look at the other man, now shifted back to human form. "My, my Christopher, what if someone happened to pass by? Stumbled upon you in all your naked glory?" he all but purrs, running a hand down Chris' back.
"No one would hike this far out" Chris points out. "Not today, anyway. Also, you'd hear them before they got even close to seeing anything exciting."
"Mm, yes, but would I tell you about it?"
"Considering that you're equally naked, yes probably."
"I might just shift instead" Peter says mildly and Chris rolls his eyes.
"That'll be my cue to go hide in the bushes then."
In the end no one else comes by the lake and they spend the rest of the day swimming, talking, napping and sharing the food that Chris has brought with him. They wait until sunset has passed and the air is cool before beginning the long walk home. The creature will still be there in the morning and one of these days they're going to find it.