Work Text:
Stiles logged into his school account, hoping that the new biology professor had posted the curriculum for the upcoming semester. There were only a few days left and he knew that the closer the start of the term, the harder it would be to find a used textbook. He’d been checking every morning as soon as he got out of bed and every morning, there was no link to the curriculum. That morning he almost auto-piloted through when his hand stopped and he excitedly clicked the link.
There were three textbooks listed for the class and Stiles jumped to his feet, not even caring that he was still in his sleep shorts and threadbare Studmuffin tee from high school. He slipped into his beat-up old sneakers, grabbed his keys and wallet, and raced out the door for the campus bookstore. As he hurried through the already crowded campus, he shouted apologies to the people he nearly bowled over.
Skidding to a stop, he nearly missed the doorway to the shop and windmilled his arms to keep his balance before yanking the door open and racing through. He knew the biology textbooks were kept near the back of the shop so he made a beeline for the familiar shelves. He easily grabbed the first time textbooks but then struggled to find the third. He was about to give up and ask for assistance when he spotted one lone copy sitting on the shelf.
Letting out a quiet squeal, he dove for the book only for it to disappear just as his fingertips brushed the worn paper cover. He whipped his head back and forth to find out where it had gone, freezing when he saw it clutched in very large, heavily-veined hands. Following the hands to wrists to impressive forearms and even more impressive biceps until he met a curious green gaze underneath thick dark brows. Swallowing, he gestured towards the book.
“That’s mine.”
One of the brows quirked. “And yet, it’s in my hands,” he responded in a voice much softer than fit the face and body.
Stiles felts his eyes drift down before flying back up to his face, the soft-looking lips twisted with amusement. “I need it for my bio class and I just got the curriculum today and the class starts in a couple of days and it would take longer than that to get it delivered from Amazon and I really don’t want to...Where are you going?”
While he’d been rambling, the stranger had turned and walked away, heading towards the register and Stiles chased after him grabbing at the book and attempting to yank it out of his hand and only managing to send himself off balance and into his back. “Fuck,” he said as he continued to tug on the book
“How old are you?” he asked, disbelieving twist to his lips as he easily dislodged the book from Stiles’ had, chuckling at the indignant squawk that Stils let out.
“Dude!” Stiles shouted as he turned to walk away and he turned back with a glare.
“Derek. Not dude,” he said. “Got it…” He trailed off, raising his eyebrows at him.
“Stiles. Nice to meet...Hey, stop distracting me! I need that book!” The other people in the store were beginning to watch them and he could tell that Derek wasn’t enjoying the attention and normally Stiles would be more concerned, but he really needed that book.
“Distracting you? How?”
Stiles waved an arm from the ground to the ceiling. “With your everything!”
Derek had the nerve to roll his eyes and return to his journey to the register. Stiles stormed after him, overhearing an obnoxious girl mutter, “Could they just fuck already?”
He was so distracted glaring that the girl that he ran into Derek’s back where he’d stopped and was giving an even more impressive glare to the girl before turning to give Stiles a slow, considering once-over. When his eyes got back to Stiles’ face he pursed his lips and gave a shrug.
“We could share it,” he suggested and held the book out to Stiles who grabbed it and tried to tug it away, falling into Derek’s chest when he jerked it back and stared up into his face. “We should have breakfast, discuss a custody agreement.” He raised his eyebrows when Stiles continued to gape and pinched his side gently, laughing at his full body jerk and snort of laughter.
This time when he pulled away and started heading toward the register, he took Stiles’ hand and tugged him along with him. Stunned, but pleased, Stiles let himself be lead through the line to the register. They paid for their own books, bickering over who would pay for their shared textbook and Derek finally allowing Stiles the honor but only after insisting he gets to pay for breakfast.
As they left the shop, the annoying girl from earlier gave a slow clap and without turning around, they lifted their free hands and flipped her off over their shoulders before ducking out the door and into the street, leaning into each other and laughing.