Work Text:
Stiles enters the Beacon Hills Public Library with an armload of twenty books stacked higher than his head. The stack wobbles precariously as he makes his way toward the checkout line. He gets in the back of the seven-person queue, shifting continuously, trying to keep the books aloft. When it’s finally his turn, he hears the gruff, “Next” and moves forward. Just as he reaches the desk and is trying to set the books down, the stack sways and the top book falls from the pile. Stiles winces at the expected crash in the quiet building. He sees the hot librarian snatch the book in mid air, thus avoiding the calamity. Derek, the good-looking, not so mild-mannered librarian looks over his glasses at Stiles, frowns, and says, “I thought I banned you for a week. That’s three more days by my reckoning.”
“You did. You did. And how nice of you to keep track for me. I have all these books due today though and I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to get in trouble for having overdue books.” He wiggles his eyebrows at Derek and leans on one arm on the desk between them, other hand on his hip.
Derek frowns and looks at Stiles suspiciously. His eyebrows furrow. “So you’ve come just to turn the books in and go?”
“Yes, yes. Absolutely. No question.” He brings his thumb up to his mouth and bites at his cuticle. “Except maybe I was going to see if I could just go look up one book and check it out. I know right where it is. I need it for a paper I’m writing and the information in it is not available on the Internet and they don’t have the book in my college library.” He notes Derek’s frown deepening and other patrons starting to look his way. He panics and starts using his arms, pointing in the direction of the needed book. His voice grows louder as he continues to explain. “The paper’s due Friday and my ban won’t be up until Saturday and…”
Derek places his fingers over his lips and says, “Shhhh!”
Stiles stops speaking but in his flailing, he smacks the book stack which sways dangerously. The top two books topple off and again, Derek deftly catches them. In trying to catch them as well, Stiles dives for them, upsetting the entire stack and the resulting racket has the remaining patrons looking their way as well.
Derek’s jaw clenches; he closes his eyes.
Stiles starts picking up the books. “Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. My fault. Sorry. Oops. My fault.”
Derek again hisses, “Shhhh!” He opens his eyes and through clenched teeth says, “Leave them where they are. Go get your book and go. Get it and go straight out the door. Don’t check it out. Email me the title and I’ll take care of it.”
“Thanks, thanks. You’re a real gentleman, helping out a scholar – har, har. Thank you. You won’t regret it.”
“I already am. Go!” he says loudly.
Stiles places his fingers over his lips and says, “Shhh!” Derek looks as though he’s going to throw a book at him. He skips off but turns around suddenly, just in time to catch Derek’s head tilted to the side slightly, looking longingly at his butt as he walks away.
Derek quickly looks away but knows he’s been caught.
Stiles smirks, grabs a book, and strides out, waving at Derek as he goes.
“That went better even than I’d hoped,” he thinks to himself as he leaves.