Work Text:
Derek checks himself in the mirror again, he doesn't know why he is so nervous. It's just a regular school day. No big deal. He has a perfect Omega girlfriend. They are an amazing couple. They are sure to get assigned each other for class this year. Play-mating 201. His hands begin to sweat just thinking about it. It is the practical application of everything they learned in Pre-play and Play-mating 101. They could do this. It was going to be fine.
As he listens to his classmates get paired off one by one and He and Paige aren't called, Derek begins to fret for real. Usually couples who are all ready together are called first. He and Paige keep glancing at each other. Finally Mrs. Martin, their teacher for the class excuses everyone to go spend 'get to know you' time, everyone except Derek and Paige.
"Derek, Paige, if you could stay behind please?" She says.
There is something off about her. She smells a bit anxious and a bit sad. Derek stays in his seat gripping it tightly as she approaches them and sits down facing them. Paige has lost all color in her face and is gripping the sleeve of Derek's jacket tightly.
"As you know Beacon Hills has its own system, more strident then the federal mandates even. A system we created here that has given us a 93% success rate for our Play-mated partners to go on and be actual mates after school ends. It is the highest success rate in the country and we believe it makes for a better community in the long run." She sighs as she eyes them. "As you know, in order to be paired together as play-mates, you need to achieve at least 90% on your compatibility score."
Derek interrupts her here with a strangled, "Mrs. Martin, come on, we can't be that far off! We are perfect for each other!"
She try's to give him a reassuring look. "Derek please." She says, "I'm sorry, but you and Paige scored 37% compatibility, as such we cannot allow you to be play-mates. Especially not when you both scored over 90% with someone else."
To say that they were shocked was an understatement. When he looked to Paige he saw grief in her eyes. Why was she so willing to accept that this was the end for them? Was it because she was an Omega and he was an Alpha? He wants to roar away his denial and fight against the system, but is there really any point when his Omega doesn't want to fight with him?
"Neither of you will know your partner, as they did not take Pre-play or Play-mating 101 at this school. In fact both are new to the school this year. They are freshman."
Paige gasps beside him. It is unheard of for freshmen to be in Play-mating 201. He had never heard of anyone under sixteen making the cut. Mrs. Martin pulls out two reports, one labeled 'Lydia Martin' and the other labeled 'Stiles Stillinski'.
Derek's thoughts pause at 'Martin'. He had heard Mrs. Martin had a daughter who was really smart and pretty. If he couldn't have Paige maybe he would at least be matched with someone who was just as pretty and who wouldn't annoy him. At least that what he though until Mrs. Martin handed Paige the file labeled for Lydia and gave him the file labeled 'Stiles'. Derek is having a serious internal panic now. He hadn't even known Paige liked girls and he wasn't 100% on him liking boys either.
Mrs. Martin continues talking with Paige, either not aware of Derek's inner turmoil or aware and giving him a chance to start dealing with it.
"Paige, Lydia is my daughter, she is fourteen and very smart. She is a bit of an aggressive Alpha personality and will need your calming influence and your spark of fire. You scored a 96% compatibility on the test, that's the second highest compatibility rate in your year. If you are read to meet her and begin your 'getting to know you' day, you can proceed to room 312 where she is waiting for you. We find with compatibility ratings over 95% it is a good idea to have you meet for the first time in privacy."
He watches as Paige packs up her things preparing to leave. His claws are dug so far into his chair he is no longer sure he will ever get them out. Mrs. Martin looks at him to begin his part of the speech, but pauses at the expression on his face to give them time for this. Once Paige has everything packed up and her backpack on she very quickly leans over and hugs him tightly, so tightly it almost hurts, then she murmurs "goodbye Derek" in his ear and she rushes away. Just like that his life is walking out the door. All their plans for the future, going to college together, family vacations, eventually having pups, being happy, all of it just walked out the door.
"Derek," Mrs. Martin says softly, trying to pull him gently away from his horrified thoughts. "You and Stiles scored a 98% compatibility. I know this is shocking. I know you probably feel like this is a life ending thing that just happened with Paige, but 98% compatibility doesn't happen. This could be an amazing thing for you. Please give it a chance."
What else can he do? They have taken his Omega from him and given her to someone else. If he wants to get to the other side of this he has to take his assigned partner. It's the law. He has no choice. Not until he is eighteen at least. People who aren't from Beacon Hills meet their partners in college all the time. He doesn't have to keep this boy, just because they have a high rating.
"Ok" he says.
"Good," she beams at him, "I'll walk you over. We have him in room 412. Please do try to remember that even male Omegas are fragile. It wouldn't do to break him on the first day."
As they approach the 400 block of classrooms, Derek begins to smell a scent unlike any he has encountered before. It is so much more then he has scented from any other Omega. So sweet, so sticky it smells the way a really expensive chocolate covered caramel tastes when it melts in your mouth. He picks up his pace, walking faster to get to that scent. He wants to taste it, to roll in it, to bathe in it. He has never wanted anything more in his life.
He has forgotten that Mrs. Martin is there. He has forgotten the room number he is supposed to be going to, all he knows is that scent. He reaches the door to the room where his Omega is waiting for him and flings open the door. Inside is a boy, a beautiful boy. He inhales deeply, catching as much of his scent as he can. The boy, startled by the door slamming open with such force, flails a bit, before pulling himself upright on the side of a desk. Derek is able to take him in. He is tall, not quite as tall as Derek, but the potential is there for him to be taller then Derek one day soon. He is lithe and Derek wonders if he could wrap his hands all the way around his waist. He has the most beautiful brown eyes Derek has ever seen and that's saying something since Paige had brown eyes as well. Pale skin dotted with moles and a mouth that screams to be ravished.
Before Derek has a chance to act on that thought he feels another Alpha coming up behind him. He spins around and roars out a challenge to her. She will not be taking this Omega from him. No one will ever take this Omega from him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realizes that this Alpha is his teacher and that she isn't going to try and take the Omega from him, but after the last few hours he isn't taking any chances either. He slams the door shut in her face and throws the lock. From behind him he smells a bit of smugness and a whole lot of joy. He turns around slowly and meets the eyes of his Omega and knows he is lost.
Stiles smiles at him. "Oh man, How are you even real?" He asks. "Everyone said I'd probably end up with someone horrible like Greenburg, that no real Alpha would want me because I'm too annoying and I talk to much and then you slam in and roar a challenge like that for me, at a teacher no less, and lock us in here, and I didn't know what to expect but man you are so gorgeous and you smell so fucking good, why are you all the way over there?"
Derek is so startled by both his behavior and the rush of words that had just come out of Stiles' mouth that he can do nothing but laugh. He just Alpha challenged a teacher for Petes sake, and his Omega, who smells like vanilla caramels talks more then both his sisters together.
When the Alpha starts laughing Stiles is a bit startled and a bit confused, but as he watches the other boy slowly slide down the door unable to remain on his feet from laughing he is helpless but to laugh with him. Who could deny the beauty that is Derek Hale laughing. Stiles walks over to him and offers him a hand up. Derek takes his hand but instead of standing he pulls Stiles down into his lap. He wraps him up tight in his arms and buries his face in his neck, just breathing him in. As he cuddles his Omega, they both begin to relax into each other. The stresses of the day fading away into the contentment of the scent and warmth of each other's bodies.
Play-mating 201, a practical application. Yeah Derek thinks to himself, he can do this. With Stiles by his side he can probably do anything. After such a horrible start to the day Derek finds he really looking forward to next week, when play time starts for real and he can finally bury himself inside his Omega. Stiles doesn't know it yet, but he is in for the ride of his life, because no one anywhere will ever be able to make him feel what Derek can. He will make sure of it. For now though he is content to sit here wrapped around his Stiles and just breathe.