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When Scott sent out a mass text to the pack telling them to come to the clinic, Derek had expected some sort of emergency. But upon arrival, he was handed some latex gloves and a wash cloth. “Uh,” he said.
“Deaton and Scott had to go help with a horse,” Stiles explained, leading him to the back room where Isaac and Boyd were already working. “So we’re on bath duty till they get back.”
Derek raised an eyebrow. “Bathing what?”
Isaac grinned widely. “Puppies!”
Derek took a step back, right into Stiles. “No,” he said immediately. “I’m not cut out for that.”
“Relax, Derek,” Boyd said calmly, picking one up. “We’re just prepping them before their new owners come to pick them up.”
“I can’t—”
“Yes you can.” Stiles gave him a push and guided him to the pen before bending down and handing him a squirming mass of fur that he thought might be a border collie. It twisted in his hands and licked his wrist, stretching to try to reach his nose. Derek looked down at Stiles warily. “Be gentle with her. It’s just like washing your hair. Shampoo first, then the conditioner, and dry her off and let her run around for a little bit.” He gestured toward the wall, where a tub of shallow water waited. The puppy in his arms finally succeeded in stretching up to lick his nose and he jumped, not realizing that he’d tucked her against his chest. Stiles laughed. “See? She likes you.”
Derek glared at him, but it was halfhearted, and he was already walking over to the tub anyways. He gingerly lowered the scrap of fur into the metal tub, where she slipped down into the water. He could practically feel the confusion rolling off the little dog, but she only tentatively lifted a paw out of the water to sniff at it, and Derek took the opportunity to grab a cup and scoop some of the water into it before letting it fall over her, soaking her fur.
She seemed to like it, turning her face up to look at him through bright eyes, and when he began to scrub the shampoo into her fur, she arched up into his touch. Derek found himself smiling softly. He glanced over at Stiles, who was watching with a look on his face that Derek couldn’t really interpret, but it made him want to kiss him.
He thought that Stiles might kiss him back.