inkandblade

Talia takes one look at her son trudging up her garden path — face downturned, legs looking like they’re made of lead, hands clenching in and out of fists to stop claws popping — and decides that this is going to be a hot-chocolate kind of conversation.

The scent that hits her when her son finally opens the door and walks into the kitchen is… confusing. Given his countenance, no one would blame her for bracing her nose for what she thought was going to be a barrage of pain-and-suffering-stink.

But, he smells, well, he almost smells excited. There’s a good deal of apprehension in there too, however.

She keeps her mouth closed as he sits in front of her, draping his jacket across the back of the chair and tugging at the sleeves so they’re pulled out straight at the sides. He’s fussing about his appearance, on the way home from his shift no less; he’s worried that he’s not good enough for something.

Talia pours the chocolate and waits until her Derek has had his first sip and put in back on the counter before she asks.

“What do you need, sweetheart?”

“Advice?” Derek looks up from staring at the way his fingertips go white when he presses them hard against the mug. “I think? I might just need to you wake me up from the very lifelike dream I’m apparently having.” He lifts the drink again and takes another tiny taste, then leaves it up in the air in front of him, elbows on the kitchen counter. “Is Bobby Finstock a Fae?”

Talia blinks.

“He’s never confirmed or denied it. Did he do something?”

“Yes? Possibly?” Derek screws up his nose and opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again. He finally settles on, “I just gave Sheriff Stilinski’s son a courting token that I didn’t know existed. He’s handsome and seems kind and he smells amazing and he accepted the coin and now I have his phone number and I have no idea what to do next.”

It is so very, very hard not to grin; Talia wouldn’t have bet that her son would be the one to end up in Coach’s sights. She settles on a small smile and starts with the good thing.

“Congratulations. I assume we’re talking about the young omega your sisters were keen on telling me about the other day?” Derek shrugs his shoulders, then nods and has a little more of the chocolate. “Stiles Stilinski is a very intelligent young man, he’s apparently studying a double-degree. From what I know of his family and the little else I know about the man in question, I am more than happy to put my stamp of Alpha-approval on your choice.”

Derek lifts his eyebrow at her. “Your approval?”

“Well, as you’ve initiated a proper courting, I thought you might be interested in some of the other old customs.” That earns her an eyeroll. “You have my permission as the Primary Hale Alpha to court your chosen omega.” A thousand nights forced to watch period dramas creep into her memory and she adds, in a slightly hoity-toity accent, “May your pursuit be as sweet as it is swift.”

Derek pushes his empty chocolate mug out in front of him, drops his shoulders and lets his forehead hit the counter, then turns a little so his face isn’t smooshed.

“I don’t…” He flicks claws out on the hand he can see and runs them lightly against the skin of his thumb. “I have no idea how what just happened just happened.” He pulls his claws in and himself back up. “I’m absurdly happy that I now know the guy’s name and his phone number, but I got both of those after I delivered him a cake that somehow manifested a courting token with the Hale insignia on it.”

Talia reaches out and takes each of his hands in each of hers.

“Do you want to actually court him? If you do, we can figure out of the dos-and-don’ts involved. You could always try something a little over-the-top, old-fashioned-fancy for your first date and see how he reacts? If he likes it, go with it. I don’t think anyone is going to expect you to stand a foot apart at all times, be chaperoned, or produce three pigs as a bride price.”

Derek manages a smile at that.

“He smells too good to only be worth three pigs.”

“I’m sure.”

Derek lets out a sigh and pulls his hands back to run one of them through his hair. “I still have no idea how it happened. The coin looked just like the one you have. Only shinier.”

She shouldn’t tell him this, they were all sworn to secrecy, but.

“Do you know that Coach Finstock didn’t really choose to leave teaching of his own accord? He’d been there a good fifteen years before he left.” She can practically see Derek’s ears prick up. “Beacon Hills always had a pretty normal rate of early-bondings, but ten or more years ago they started to pick up and eventually they went through the roof. There were young people getting married and bonded all over the place.” She swallowed the last of her own hot-chocolate and picked up both mugs. “A couple of the other teachers realized that all the kids had one thing in common — they all took Economics with their eventual bond-mates.”

She let that sink in as she turned to put the mugs in the dishwasher.

“Coach…”

“Coach did nothing that anyone could prove. He eventually got sick of people trying to prove something though, and that’s when he left to open the coffee shop.”

“I knew he was up to something—”

“But now you have something more important to think about. You have a courting-worthy date to plan.”

should (v): used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness

~~December~~ January Prompts List/Series: AO3, Pillowfort, Dreamwidth