Fox Tails and Nursing Majors (Sterek AU)

Chapter Eight

Derek yawns loudly as he slams the door to his car before walking up the steps to his apartment. He hasn't started the new semester yet, he's just working at the bookstore. Derek sneaks a peek to his phone to check the time, and he wonders if Stiles' tutor is still at the apartment. He trudges up the stairs, he isn't looking where he is going, when he bumps into someone carrying at large box. “Whoops!” Derek says, reaching his hand out to steady the person and he looks down to see a pair of red heels. He takes the box out of the hands of the woman to help her, and he frowns when he sees who it is. “Lydia.” Derek says, his tone carefully neutral.

“Mr. Hale, how are you?” Lydia says, coolly. Derek hands her back the box that must be filled with books, and she takes it.

“What are you doing here?” Derek asks, and Lydia gives him an easy smile as she turns to walk away. Derek bites his lip before he follows her into the opposite direction of his apartment.

“My wife and I just moved here.” She says, innocently and Derek frowns as he stops walking.

“Into a one bedroom apartment in a building mostly occupied with college students that just happens to be three doors down from your grandfather's science experiment? Does this place seems a little under a lawyer and researcher?” Derek asks, and Lydia narrows her eyes at him.

“We wanted to have an escape from the city on the weekends.” Lydia says, and Derek crosses his arms over his chest.

“Bullshit.” Derek says, and Lydia perches her lips at him. Allison pokes her head out of the apartment, and she waves at Derek. “Hello, Mrs. Martin.” Derek says, waving back at her.

“Please I'm only eight years old than you. Call me Allison or Ally.” Allison says, and Derek nods his head at her with a smile. The fall into easy conversation about work and Lydia moves around him to put things away. Derek looks down at his phone to see that it is getting late, and he waves to the two ladies on his way home.

He doesn't even get his key out of the door before Stiles is launching himself at him to hug him tightly. “My Derek! Missed Derek today!” Stiles calls, and Derek hugs him back tighter.

“Think about what you just said, Stiles.” Danny, Stiles' tutor says, as he watches the scene with a smile. Stiles blinks at Derek, Derek can tell he is thinking by the way his brow is furrowed and his little tongue is poking just out of his mouth, before he turns to Danny.

“My Derek! Missed you today? Yes, Danny?” Stiles asks, looking wide eyes at Danny. Danny gives him a soft smile while he nods his head, and Stiles' cheeks turn pink in delight. He was doing well with the tutor, Derek discovered. Stiles loved learning, he has trouble with math and some problems while speaking English.

“Smart boy.” Derek mumbles, pressing a quick kiss to Stiles' still blushing cheek. “How are you, Danny?” Derek asks, and Danny just shrugs his shoulder as he gathers his things. Derek feels a hard smack on his ass, and he looks up to glare at Scott. Scott gives him a cheeky grin while he goes into the kitchen to get something to drink, and Stiles huffs in annoyance.

“I'll see you next week, Stiles. Do your homework.” Danny says, and Stiles nods his head dutifully. Derek walks him to the door, and waves when he leaves. Derek yawns as he shuts the door, and Scott walks into from the kitchen to try to ruffle his hair but Derek slaps his hand away with a glare. Scott pouts before he throws his arms around Derek with a loud laugh, and Derek tries to get away.

“Let me love you, bro.” Scott says, and Derek huffs unamused as he struggles. “Struggling makes me hug you tighter.” Scott says, his voice muffled from where he was shoving his face into Derek's shoulder.