For My Flesh Had Turned to Fur, and My Thoughts Had Turned to You

Chapter 3

The next day, when Stiles shows up, Derek is napping by the tree where they had first met. He opens one eye when he hears Stiles approach and sees the grin on Stiles’s face.

“You’re here!” Stiles says, and Derek huffs in reply. Stiles sits down next to him and leans up against the tree. He rummages through his bag. “I brought two sandwiches this time,” he says, pulling both out of the bag. “One for me, and one for you.” He throws the one for Derek over so it lands near his snout.

Expecting food this time, Derek hadn’t eaten much earlier, so it doesn’t take him long to scarf down the sandwich. He licks his lips and yawns before resuming his previous position. He can hear Stiles giggle while he finishes his own sandwich.

“I see you like turkey better than peanut butter. Duly noted, buddy,” Stiles says, looking over at Derek who pretends to not notice he said anything.

When Stiles polishes off his own sandwich he scrubs his hands together and brushes off the crumbs from his shirt and pants. “Alright,” he says, “let’s see if I can do anything today. Hey,” he leans over into Derek’s space, and without meaning to, Derek opens his eyes, as if waiting for Stiles to continue.

Stiles’s lips curl up slightly. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about magic, would ya, wolfy?” Derek just stares at him, unmoving.

Stiles sighs and moves back away from Derek. “Thought so. Well, it was worth a shot.” He reaches for his bag and pulls out a large tome, the same one he had yesterday. “Let’s see if I can figure anything out in here.”

As Stiles starts to read, mumbling the words out loud to himself, Derek lays there by the tree, a foot or so from Stiles, flicking his tail every now and then to shoo a fly or bug. He can’t say this is how he’d imagine this assignment going when his mother gave it to him, but he can’t complain. He’s almost asleep, the sun warm on his fur, when Stiles suddenly jumps up next to him.

“I think I figured, something out!” he shouts, staring at Derek, like he’s expecting him to clap or cheer, which he can do neither. “I gotta try it out first, but…. I need a volunteer,” Stiles says with a sly grin at his face as he eyes Derek.

The last thing Derek wants to do is willingly let an inexperienced witch practice on him, but seeing as he can’t exactly say that, he does the next best thing; he stands and trots away.

“Wait! Wait!” Stiles shouts after him, jogging to catch up with him. “Don’t be such a sourwolf! It’ll just be like a tiny shock and your fur might be pink for a little bit, but it’s all in the name of science!”

Derek ignores him and keeps trotting away.

“Okay, fine! I promise I won’t do anything to you. Just… come back, please?” Stiles says, and he sounds a little hurt, like he’s upset over Derek leaving.

Derek stops and turns around, his head cocked as he stares back at Stiles.

“It’s nice having you nearby. It’s not as… lonely. I realize you have no idea what I’m saying and you probably just want more food, but I don’t know… having another presence around while I figure this stuff out is… good. Come back? Please? I think I have some chips in my bag?”

Derek slowly steps closer to Stiles--telling himself it’s for the chips because he’s still a little hungry--and the boy watches him approach. He stops in front of Stiles, sitting back on his haunches, expectant. Stiles kneels down and runs his fingers through his fur, shaking him a little as he does.

“Come on, you can eat chips and watch me make a fool out of myself,” Stiles says, giving Derek one last pat on the head before standing and walking back over to his things, Derek following behind him.