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Stiles keeps staring kind of helplessly at the palm print on Scott’s arm. Kira’s hand fits it perfectly and Stiles is happy for them, he really is. He’s just sort of preoccupied, head full of questions. Touching your soulmate for the first time creates a flash of light as a black mark, exact to every one of your wrinkles, appears on their skin. Then they can initiate contact in return and you’ll each have a mark. Stiles privately thinks it’s fucking adorable that Scott, after Kira had touched his arm to get his attention in class, chose to wrap his hand around hers, so the mark is like he’s always holding her hand. Hey, he may not have his own soulmate (yet?) but he can get a bit romantic when it comes to his best friend’s happiness, okay?
Anyway, his current questions are: what if someone intentionally elbows their soulmate? Will they have an elbow-shaped mark? Or do shitty intentions negate the contact? What about that French cheek touch/kiss thing? Do a bunch of Europeans have black marks on their faces in the shape of their soulmate’s face? The whole thing is literally magic so no one really knows how the spell was crafted, just that it was cast before recorded history. Kira and Scott found out they were soulmates a week ago and Stiles is still kind of stuck wondering – he’s just not great at not knowing shit, damn it.
He has plenty of time to think about it too, what with visiting Beacon Private School (BPS) for the interhigh sports day, all the private school students plus all the competing ones from Beacon Hills High trying to grab lunch at the same time in one long ass line. Stiles doesn’t really care about looking around at the cleanliness of the place (although he appreciates that the food looks better), he just wants to skip to his races – both the one on foot and the one in the water, since he’s vibrating with energy and trying not to get his hopes up about winning. Scott and Kira are both pretty excited about their lacrosse match later in the day but they don’t seem to be burying themselves in unanswerable questions for the sake of distraction.
He’s lost enough in his thoughts that, on his way to find a seat, he makes the mistake of straying too close to where Jackson is sitting. Stiles has never been one for grace or balance, which explains why he almost falls flat on his face and sends his food everywhere when Jackson purposefully trips him. It’s only thanks to Derek Hale of Beacon Private School that he doesn’t.
Unfortunately, the rest of what happens is also sort of thanks to Derek Hale.
There’s a burst of blue light from where Derek grabs Stiles’ bare upper arm to steady him as a jolt goes through both of them. Stiles gapes and finds Derek’s eyes are just as wide. He slides his gaze down to the point of contact and slowly removes his hand, staring at the mark stark against Stiles’ pale skin.
Stiles has no idea what’s going through Derek’s head but Stiles’ mind is full of holy shit holy shit Derek Hale is my soulmate. Derek Hale, captain of the BPS basketball team and guy regularly panted after by people at BHH. We’ve never talked, I should probably say hi or-
The silence is broken when Jackson starts cackling. “Wow, Hale, the universe hates you enough to stick you with Stilinski, the biggest loser at either of our schools. What a fucking joke.”
Stiles feels the tentative smile on his face drop off as he pulls back, suddenly terrified of being rejected by his own soulmate. A BPS girl with dyed blonde hair joins in. “Wow, Derek, that’s karma for you.”
Several laughs bubble up from around that table while a dark-haired girl snaps, “Kate,” at the blonde, looking two seconds away from launching herself over the table.
Stiles is so angry, he’s shaking. Finding your soulmate is supposed to be an amazing moment, something that will stay with you the rest of your life. Other people normally have enough respect not to step all over it. Now, he’ll remember Jackson and Kate laughing at him and acting like getting him for a soulmate is the world’s biggest ‘fuck you.’
“What, Allison? You have to admit Derek’s mating down.”
“Definitely. Stilinski’s a fucking loudmouth loser with only one friend.” Two, Stiles thinks, kind of nonsensically, eyes finding Kira’s horrified ones.
“That’s enough, Jackson.”
“Seriously? Come on, Danny, even you can’t stand-”
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are but I will beat the crap out of you if you don’t shut your mouth,” the blonde behind Derek bites out while BPS’ Vernon Boyd steps closer to Jackson like he’s ready to throw down.
When Derek places gentle hands on Stiles’, he comes back to himself and realises that his grip on his lunch tray is white-knuckled. Derek pries his hands off, taking the tray before turning and upending it over Jackson’s head in one smooth, easy movement like he’s only doing what comes naturally. Everyone gapes at Jackson, who’s covered in soup, chicken, rice and coke. Derek just places the newly empty tray in Jackson’s lap and turns back, takes Stiles by the elbow to steer him out of the cafeteria with a small smile.
“You just-”
“He deserved it. So did Kate, really, but Whittemore was closer and Kate’s just bitter ‘cause I said no to her a while back.”
“Why did you-”
Derek shrugs, leading them out into the parking lot. “She’s not my soulmate.”
“Plenty of people date in case they never meet their soulmate,” Stiles says, thrown enough to be kind of dazed.
“True but she wanted casual, I don’t really… do casual. It’s fine that she does but she got so pushy when I said I wasn’t interested and then she got pissed when I wouldn’t change my mind.”
“Sorry.”
Derek gives him a confused look. “What for?”
“I don’t know? It sucks that she was an asshole about it and… that, back there, must have been embarrassing, I’m sorry.” Stiles’ cheeks burn. “I mean, you’re basically BPS royalty and I’m-”
Derek stops walking and turns to him, smirking. “If you want us to get along, I suggest you not badmouth my soulmate." Stiles lets out a weak laugh and Derek’s expression softens. “Listen, I promise you that I think teenage hierarchies are bullshit. My friend, Erica? Someone once filmed her having a seizure and uploaded it on Youtube.” Derek’s jaw clenches hard while Stiles’ mouth drops open. “People like that are just punching down because they feel small. I don’t give a fuck what they say. I’m not embarrassed by it. Or by you.” He looks at Stiles, expression so fond already and Stiles is shocked by how they seem to be feeling so much, so fast. He knows it’s a mating high but he didn’t expect it to be this strong.
“Take off your shirt,” Stiles says, because he is ever so smooth, yep.
Derek snorts, eyebrow raised, but actually complies with open curiosity. Stiles freezes in surprise for a second before he walks behind him and puts his right hand on Derek’s left shoulder. Light flashes as the mark of his palm appears on tan skin. After a moment, Derek turns, smiling. “Why there?”
Stiles shrugs, trying for nonchalant. “You seem to have my back. Now you have a reminder that I’ll always have yours.” Because he will. Because, even if they choose not to be together, even if nothing works out in favour of their connection, he can’t imagine ever hating the boy in front of him.
And he’s not sure what he expected, running high on a lot of strong emotions, but he knows he didn’t expect Derek to look floored. He didn’t expect the other boy to bring his hands up, running his thumbs along Stiles’ cheekbones, and rest their foreheads together. He didn’t expect his heart to feel like it’s going to burst as he flushes and averts his eyes, down and away from Derek’s and- “Wow, you’re really attractive,” Stiles blurts.
Derek huffs a laugh and looks down at his bare chest before meeting Stiles’ eyes, all judgement even though he’s also blushing a little. “You only just noticed?” he asks, putting his t-shirt back on.
And it’s just hitting him that the universe thinks he deserves this pale-eyed beauty with tan skin, an adorable blush, an awesome attitude- okay, best not feed his ego too much. Stiles rolls his eyes but he’s smiling. “Cocky asshole.”
“Yep,” Derek says, unapologetic. “Maybe I can make up for that. I do owe you lunch.” He takes out his car keys with a charming smile and what kind of fool would say no to that?
***
Stiles comes second on foot and first in the water.
Scott and Kira co-captain the lacrosse team to victory.
Derek’s basketball team wipes the floor with Jackson’s. After the final buzzer goes, Derek calmly walks up to the asshole, bares his teeth in something vaguely like a smile and asks, “Who’s the loser now?”
And Stiles… well, Stiles just has to kiss him for that.