Heartbeat // A Derek Hale Love Story (Teen Wolf)

I'll Be Having Tea

Lillian's POV

Jean was the shorter twin, and Juline wore greeny-blue hearing aids.

This was important information if ever there was any.

Jean had a dragon tattoo on her left shoulder, and Juline didn't. Derek described her other visible tattoos—one of which was on her back—but I didn't think I'd be seeing it unless she wore a racer back. Jean was the one following us in the car.

I hopped out of the truck, reaching for the door on Derek's side. He climbed out with ease, keeping Ziggy close and safe in his arms. He matched my brisk pace as we entered the clinic, Jean close behind.

"Here's good." I prompted, patting the metal table in the exam room.

"How can I help?"

"Yeah, same." Jean piped up as she slid through the doorway behind Derek.

"I can't let you guys help with fixing Ziggy up, legally it's not happening." I replied, sliding a cart of supplies to the table that Ziggy was on. "And Jean, I don't want you watching while I set this leg, so please stay out there."

I could see the protest curling on her lips out of the corner of my eye, but she held it in; I think she understood.

•••

"There we go." I said softly, smoothing out the gauze at the top of Ziggy's cast, scratching the sedated animal's head. I peeled my gloves off, discarding them in the bin near the front desk. Jean looked up as I entered the front room. "I'm all done. You can take her home now or wait a little 'til she wakes up a bit more."

"I'm fine to wait, Juline's boyfriend is taking care of things at the Foundry so I don't have anywhere to be."

"Cool." I replied, registering that Derek was still in the room, unmoved in the chair. "Wait, why are you still here?"

"I wasn't sure if you needed any more help." Derek answered, one eyebrow quirking upward like he always did when he was about to say something sarcastic or make a joke. "You don't want me here? I can leave, the door's right there."

"That's true, it is." I murmured, raking my brain for a reason for him not to leave. Unsure of why I didn't want him to leave in the first place, an idea sprung. "But I thought maybe you'd like to meet the puppies that made me late to our first training session?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You still have them here?"

"Yes sir." I jested, fiddling with the end of my braid by the bottom of my ribs. "I haven't found homes for them yet. Want to see them?"

Derek scoffed, half-grinning. "Sure."

•••

The brooding, muscular man, who made a habit of striking terror into the hearts of the regular passerby with his glare, known as Derek Hale, was seating on the floor of the clinic fifteen minutes later with a literal pile of puppies in his lap.

I tried to shove down the glowing warmth rising in my chest, but was unable to keep the grin off my face as the wiggly dogs made themselves at home against Derek's body. The whole reason I'd released them from their crate to play with Derek was so I could attend to the other animals at the same time, yet I couldn't take my eyes off the situation. Thankfully, he hadn't looked up at me yet, or he would likely catch me staring.

I was staring.

Fully staring.

"They've gotten a lot better since they got here." I remarked, remembering to a few weeks prior.