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The Sheriff mentally prepares himself as he enters the mall at nine am on Black Friday. But fortunately he's not here to shop; unfortunately he's here to pick up Stiles at the security office. He's not in his uniform (it was his day off, dammit!) so no one in the crowd of rowdy shoppers recognizes him and they assume he's just another bargain hunter so the trip from the mall entrance to the security office takes a couple extra minutes and he has to elbow and squeeze his way through the masses.
He's greeted at the door by Steve Thompson, a former deputy who retired a few years back. It's not uncommon for retired deputies to do occasional security work to make some extra cash, especially around the holidays when it's needed. He's guessing Steve was the one who had Stiles call him. "Thanks for not arresting him." The Sheriff said ash he wiped a hand over his face, it was too early for this shit. Steve chuckled, "it's not really an arrest-able offense, I just figured you'd want to know about it and if I remember Stiles..." the Sheriff groaned "...he'd be more likely to try and forget this ever happened than to tell you. But like I said... I think you'd like to be in the loop about this." "Well, thanks, I guess. Where is he?"
Steve pointed to the door in the back. When the Sheriff went into the back room he really shouldn't have been surprised at the amount of people inside. Black Friday did tend to bring out the worst in people (that's why he took the day off). But he wasn't expecting to see seven people in the little room. There was a little girl, around eight or nine who had tear stained cheeks, probably got separated from her parents (who takes a little kid to the mall on Black Friday!?), there were two little old ladies that each had an iron grip on a purple bejeweled cat carrier sigh, then next to them was a rather intense goth looking teenager (or twenty something - anyone under thirty but older than middle school age all looked the same to him if he was honest with himself) and a 'typical nerd' looking guy who were both sadly looking at the floor at some destroyed game console thing. Then there was Stiles... and Derek Hale... his new deputy. What. They both looked rough. Clothes rumpled, faces flushed from adrenaline. And it looked like Derek was getting a black eye. Great. His son and his new deputy got in a fight. Awkward.
The Sheriff squared his shoulders and put on his best 'serious' face and addressed the pair of idiots in front of him. "I don't know who I'm more disappointed in, my son or my new deputy! Fighting on Black Friday? Really, guys!?"
"Actually," Steve said as he sidled up to the Sheriff, "they're not in trouble for fighting - well I thought they were fighting at first when I saw them rolling on the floor in Macy's," he chucked, "but as I pulled them apart I realized they were making out. Not exactly illegal but they were causing a commotion so I brought them in here to cool off."
The Sheriff was sure he looked shocked. He was not expecting that. Stiles made a weird warbling sound that was reminiscent of his turkey imitation he was doing yesterday. "Oh my God! Way to out me, Steve!" He hissed, "Oh by the way I'm bisexual, Dad, surprise!" He said with a forced enthusiasm. "Congratulations" the Sheriff deadpanned. That wasn't that surprising. "And," Stiles interrupted, "I'll have you know we were fighting before we were kissing!"
"That's not gonna help the situation at all." Derek finally said something.
"It's the truth though," Stiles insisted, "Derek was crowding me-"
"So he elbowed me in the eye!" Derek countered.
"And then he tacked me!" Stiles said.
"I was pushed!" "Yeah, right."
"Then you two started making out... ugh." They startled as the Sheriff spoke. It seemed like they forgot he was there. Interesting.
"Sir," Derek cleared his thought and faced the Sheriff, his blush was coming back. "I'm really sorry about everything. Really."
"Wait," Stiles interrupted the Sheriff before he could even begin talking. "What do you mean you're sorry about everything? About... kissing me?" Stiles asked in a small voice. Sounding vulnerable.
Derek looked from the Sheriff to Stiles and back again before finally settling his eyes on Stiles. "No," he said in a quiet voice, practically a whisper. "I'm not sorry about kissing you. And I'd like to do it again sometime."
"Really!?" Stiles's face lit up with glee.
"Well then I guess I'll see you for dinner tonight, Derek; we're having leftovers. Unless you have other plans."
"That sounds great, sir."
Stiles was beaming. "I made the pie, Derek." He waggled his eyebrows at him.
"Ugh." The Sheriff did not need to see that. He turned and left the room, Steve laughing at him as he walked past. Stiles could find his own way home.
THE END