[ Meeting? What meeting? Derek hardly remembers the meeting or the giant dinner that his mother had planned for the packs in an attempts to have a peaceful night where no one tried to strangle one another or rip each other's throats out. All he knows is a flurry of snow, and children pulling his coat to help them with this, or that. He and Stiles are hot commodities, and they hardly seem to care that there's an errant wolf prince amongst them.
Which is made all the more apparent when he seeks retribution for the snowball hitting his chest, looking down at what sticks and dusting it off before he crouches and pivots, focus on Stiles, and charges straight for him on all fours like he has every intention of knocking him over. ]
[ Stiles yells and gets the attention of all the kids that are playing with them as Derek comes at him--he doesn't look at all upset, but he makes a loud "oof" noise when Derek hits into him and tumbles into the snow, ice cold sinking into his back pretty much immediately. It doesn't help that the army of kids releases a war cry and start to pile on top of them too, dumping snow on Derek and clearly just trying even harder to create a dog pile.
Stiles is laughing so hard he's practically wheezing, and making complaining noises about Derek being fat (ha) so he claws at the snow underneath them, trying to get free--but it doesn't stop him from grinning at Derek anyway, his hand on Derek's forehead as he playfully tries to push him off. ]
[ Making sure not to knock his whole weight into Stiles, Derek catches himself before he crushes him under his bulk, but makes sure it's enough to wind him because he's spiteful even when they're goofing off like this and basically playing hooky. Not as if it's the first time they have, but this is infinitely different for a myriad of reasons.
A soft umph of his own escapes him as he finds himself piled on by kids of varying ages, but he's hardly bothered by it. Rather, he laughs, bright and clear, and shakes himself out like a dog to disrupt them before his attention hones in on Stiles again. He absolutely could resist the urge to press against his hand. He definitely could decide against ducking around it to bury his cold nose against his jaw.
Oh my god you a--butthole, that's freezing! [ Stiles yelps when Derek shakes himself off, covering his face with his hands, and is pretty much rewarded with Derek stuffing his cold nose in his jaw instead. Squirming, he tries to push Derek away and bursts into loud laughter, until the kids are squirming on him and getting free and he's just barely able to push him away.
But it's not until after he fixes Derek with a look, warm and soft, and he grins and sits up, shakes the snow out of his hair. It feels like they've been out here for way too long--wasn't the sun just starting to set when they left? ] Dude, your mom is gonna kill us.
[ Chuffing loudly at Stiles correcting himself, even as a chorus of laughter erupts from some of the children attached to them, because they're not dumb, Derek lets himself finally be pushed up enough that his victim can sit up. For as much as he'd been roughhousing with wolves earlier, this is the highlight of his day.
He settles back on his knees, trying to dust himself off while he grins back at Stiles, even as his expression starts to slowly soften at the edges. There's more of a chill settling across everything, darkness filtering in as dusk starts to fade, but all he can do is lean over Stiles and scan his face. ] She's more likely to kill me for letting you freeze to death.
I really love this whole "you get in trouble for shit I did" thing. It's kind of sweet. [ He smirks a little at that, undeniably, but it's broken when he looks up at Derek, watches his eyes scan over his face. It used to make Stiles nervous when Derek eyed him like that--still does, a little--but as he began to spend more and more time with him and began to get the idea of double crossing Peter, until it was so firmly in his head that he couldn't imagine doing the opposite anymore. Now, there's nothing in his gaze that makes him apprehensive--if one thing is the same, he still meets his eyes with the same fierce gaze he had since they first met.
He's sort of caged in right now, and he leans back just a little, but not enough to get out of his face; there's some kind of moment here happening, but it's snapped as one of the kids asks loudly if he's okay. Stiles nods, reassuring him and telling him that his friend is just big and fat, then flashes Derek a bright, teasing smile and scrambles up to his feet, suddenly bolting for the sled.
Stiles returns with the thermos from earlier, warmed by the coals of the sled, and starts passing out cocoa. This is kind of the big test here, to see if Derek likes it, considering it's his grandmother's recipe, and as he passes the last cup to a kid, he pours one for Derek and stands next to him, shoulder to shoulder. ] Here.
I always get in trouble for shit you did. [ His expression twists in mock-annoyance, but softens again as they seem to wind up watching one another. Derek is used to assessing Stiles, has since they first met, but it's changed into something a little more searching. He's grown to trust this stupid human with his too-smart mouth and big, bambi eyes. He's grown to really care about him, and enjoy their time together. While he usually has the mindset that nothing good will last for long, it fades to the background like a dull hum when he's with Stiles.
His attention snaps away from him and to the kid, before he makes a flat face and directs it at Stiles for saying he's big and fat. But there's no heat behind it, and he shifts to let him escape easier. Once he's to the sled, he slowly rocks up from his knees to his feet, dusting snow off his slacks.
The familiar smell of cocoa hits his senses, and he slowly comes closer as if he's drawn to it, head cocked the slightest bit. When Stiles offers him the cup, he accepts it and looks down at it, fingers curled around the shape of it before he brings it up to take a sip.
He visibly perks, blinking once, slowly, before looking at Stiles in askance. ]
[ That look pretty much makes it totally worthwhile. Stiles has to tamp down the urge to grin and looks out at the kids, drinking his own cocoa and leaning against the sleigh. ] You know, your grandma is a cool lady, even if I thought my hand was gonna fall off from the number of times she smacked it with a spoon trying to learn this.
[ He gestures at the cup of cocoa in his own hands. It's warm and perfect and tastes a little like spices on top of chocolate, the kind of thing that warms the very soul after a long day outside in the winter chill. Really, it is the perfect recipe for it, and he's going to have to take it home to his dad when he gets the chance; his mom would have loved it. Something in him aches at the memory, and he looks down into the cup, swirling the brew a little and trying not to think about it. ] I think I got it right, though.
[ Watching Stiles rather than looking anywhere else, Derek can easily imagine his grandmother in the kitchen with Stiles, all the other servants busy or sent off because she never did like having other people do things for her. Not when it came to Hale secrets, which this might as well have been. It makes his heart clench a little, because the last person that wasn't born a Hale that learned it was his father.
He slowly brings the cup back up again, seeming to mull over the flavor and what Stiles says, standing there like that and looking at the kids again for a brief moment. But then he draws it back, and inclines his head slightly towards Stiles. ] I think I know something that would make it even better.
[ Oh man he totally did fuck it up. Something falls a little in his chest, and his hands tighten around the cup, feeling kind of stupid. Stiles was pretty sure he'd perfected the damn thing, considering how Maimeo Hale wouldn't even let him leave the kitchen until she approved. (And when she approved, she just nodded at him, and it was like freakin Christmas and his birthday wrapped into one gesture.)
He does look over at him at least, and raises his eyebrows. Might as well take some constructive criticism, right. (It was pretty damn good to Stiles, personally.) ] I'm listening.
[ Calmly taking his cup and setting it on the sleigh, to prevent himself from dropping it anywhere, Derek looks back at Stiles. The fact that this comes to mind should be ridiculous to him, but after all the time they've spent together it's almost like it's just been building up to it. So it's almost natural, that he thinks no, there's nothing wrong with this. He doesn't care that the conference goes on around them, that gossip could fly about the prince and his servant.
He just brings his hand up, curling it at Stiles' chin as he looks at him, and leans in to kiss him. ]
[ That. That was definitely not what he was expecting. Stiles's eyes snap wide, the cup drops out of his hands and into the snow (thankfully mostly empty) and he practically goes crosseyed trying to look between them, because holy shit what. Definitely better than insulting his cocoa, even if he's going to berate him for the cheesiest line ever when they're not kissing. Kissing is kind of great. Why hasn't Stiles done this before, again?
Right, pretense. Whatever. Fuck that.
His hands twitch a little in the air, like he doesn't know what to do with them, and he turns in towards Derek just a little more, eyes finally fluttering shut as he resigns himself to enjoying the kiss, and maybe celebrating (just a little) on the inside. ]
[ The dull thump of the cup in the snow registers on his senses, but overall they're filled with the warm spice of cocoa mixed with the bright warmth of Stiles, and it's probably the most perfect thing he's smelled or tasted before. Derek shifts his hand up as Stiles' surprise fades, framing his jaw as he focuses all of his attention on this moment. There's a couple kids actually paying attention and giving their (mostly grossed out) opinions on it, but he still really does not care.
His mother is probably going to kill him, but that thought leaves him in lieu of thinking he should've kissed Stiles sooner.
A soft sound leaves him, just a quiet and very content rumble at the back of his throat, and he brushes his thumb along the smooth skin of Stiles' cheek, following the pattern dotted across it. ]
[ When Stiles breaks the kiss, finally, it's literally because he has so many questions his brain is going to explode. There are about a thousand why's on the back of his tongue, and while most of him is just telling him he should keep kissing Derek forever (and ever, and ever) maybe he should actually stop and try to figure out what's going on, rearrange his extremely discombobulated brain.
He ends up staring at him for a second, tasting the leftover of Derek and cocoa on his mouth, lips tingling, and what comes out of his mouth is not a question but-- ] I frickin' knew I made it right.
[ Derek promptly laughs, having to duck his head a little as he drops his hand down from Stiles' cheek to the base of his neck, bypassing his pulse because otherwise he's going to regret it and they will get absolutely nowhere for the rest of the night. ] You actually perfected it, I think.
[ He doesn't lift his head again, but he does look up at Stiles from underneath his brow, eyebrows twitching upwards the slightest bit. Because he can read Stiles like a book most days, and he can tell that he's got a million questions, practically congested in his head. ]
You're the second person she's ever taught that to that wasn't born into the Hale family.
[ Something in his chest stutters at Derek ducking his head like that--it makes a smile crack on his face and his questions pretty much dribble out of his ears. He caused that. God only knows how, but he did. And when he glances at him like that too, Stiles reaches forward and catches his scarf in his hands, burying his fingers in the warm material and using it to tug him a little closer again. ]
The powers of annoyance know no bounds. [ He grins a little, and if he scooches in forward a little more, totally elated, totally happy, well, then he's allowed to, because Derek kissed him and whatever sort of taboo that's there is officially gone. ] How do you think I got here in the first place?
[ Letting himself be drawn closer, watching as Stiles steps in towards him further the slightest bit, Derek scans his face and takes in his expression. If the hot chocolate warmed him, nostalgia and comfort and something a little intimate in the way that Stiles made it, learned it from his grandmother, then his smile pushes past that and warms him at his core.
He breathes out another laugh into the cold air, dipping his head in towards Stiles a little more as his eyes crinkle in amusement. A very big part of him wants to just lean in to kiss him again, but instead he raises his other hand, curls his fingers so that they dip into Stiles' coat pocket. ] Through your wonderful ability to be an irritant to everyone in a five foot radius.
Bingo. [ He smiles and leans in for another kiss, because he can, and that's kind of the greatest feeling ever. Derek loves him--or at least, god, has a thing for him, and it's so surreal he feels like if he lets go, it's going to disappear in the wind.
If Stiles thinks about it? It probably makes sense. They've been arguing since the day they met, that turned from kind of irritated with each other to bickering like a married couple, to Stiles being allowed to sleep in his personal chamber--and even if that was on the futon currently, he had a feeling that it was about to change--and maybe this little crush he might have been sowing hadn't been completely unfounded.
That's just awesome, and if he mutters "awesome" out loud, well, everything's kind of great right now. He'll just be over here kissing the alpha's son, no big deal. ]
[ Though he rolls his eyes at him, he still meets him in the kiss, fingers curling where they rest near his neck and even moreso at his coat. That warmth in his chest sparks again, and Derek will not deny that the flavor of cocoa is only an added bonus to this entire moment. Stiles tastes like his own spices, and it's more than a little addicting; if he can actually stop at two kisses, he will be amazed with himself.
But the moment won't last forever, and it's not even that dull hum of loss that always follows him around that brings the realization on him. As he kisses Stiles, thinks about how far they've come since their first meeting, he thinks to tell his mother thank you for actually listening to Peter for once-- a thought he will not admit to having-- and then remembers.
For as far as they've come, they have a ways to go. He'd laugh at Stiles muttering, but he pulls back a little from the kiss and pinches his eyes closed with a soft groan that peters into a laugh. ] We're so late to dinner.
[ He's eager to chase the kiss once Derek comes to him--Stiles kisses like he's having a conversation, another form of communication he can try and push his way through, and it's easy for him to get lost in it, lift his arms up and wrap them around his shoulders--
And that's where Derek pulls away. He blinks once, stares at him, then laughs too, dropping his head between them and lifting it up again, only to raise his eyebrows at him, teasing. ] Sooo, are you gonna get in trouble for that one, too? Despite it being my fault.
[ Reluctantly, he untangles himself from his scarf and bends down to pick up the cup where he'd dropped it. Oops. ]
[ If he wouldn't face the retribution of Talia Hale for being any later than they already are, Derek would just wrap his arms around Stiles and hold him there, follow their dialogue from bickering to kissing just as seamlessly. But as it is, he's just as reluctant to separate from Stiles, even as he keeps contact with him by touching his gloved fingers to the curve of his spine for a moment. ]
Maybe. I don't know, it depends on how merciful she'll be. [ When he straightens, his hand slides up to the back of Stiles' neck and he leans in to kiss him again. They really do need to leave, and make their way to the estate, but he just wants to keep touching Stiles while he still can.
Because the moment they get back home, he's going to have to share Stiles with everyone else. Tuck away this moment for later, when they're free from pretense and responsibilities. ]
Mmmph. [ He was going to speak up again, but Derek muffles it in a kiss again, and Stiles pauses and lets his thoughts dribble out of his ears, returning it a little longer than he probably should. Eventually--and it really is an eventually, coupled with two shorter kisses, he pulls himself back up into the sled and sits down, flashing him a warm, affectionate smile and settling with the burner near his feet again.
He pulls the furs up around his shoulders but holds them open for Derek, too, mouth turning into a lopsided grin as he taps the spot beside him gently. ] For the record, you dragged me into this.
[ Talia's mantra repeats in his head again--keep my son happy. Stiles is pretty sure they'll be fine. ]
[ Smile quirking a little more in response to Stiles' forced silence in the face of the kiss, Derek chases each of the shorter kisses, before he lets the human pull away from him. He really, really doesn't want to, but they do need to leave and at the very least he'd like to bundle Stiles up again against the cold. Looking up at him from where he stands outside the sled, something fond crosses his expression, but it's a farcry from the fond exasperation he usually shoots his way.
He pulls himself up into the sleigh with him, shifting into the furs right next to him with a soft chuff of a laugh. ] Yes, blame it all on me.
[ Still, he raises an arm to open up space for Stiles to fill, as he reaches for the reins again, oblivious. ]
I always do, your highness. [ He shoots him a mischievous smile in response, but perks up noticeably the minute Derek clambers in beside him, until their thighs are touching. Stiles lifts up the furs to make room and curls into the space immediately, dropping his cheek on his chest and getting comfortable.
Too bad Derek has to drive. ]
If we end up later because of any unplanned stops again then I'll definitely blame those on you too. [ He taps his chest once in confirmation. Yep. ]
[ Letting Stiles get comfortable, he squeezes his arm around his shoulders as he gives him a dry look in response to his words. Normally he can just pass off people calling him by his titles, but when it's Stiles, Derek can't help but be put off by it. Even when he's just being a brat about it, Stiles is different. ]
Of course you will. [ He adjusts the furs around them both, ensuring that his supernatural body heat and the burner will keep his poor human warm. ] You're making me out to be the Hale problem child.
[ Still, he bows his head and kisses the top of his head as he urges the horses forward again. ]
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Which is made all the more apparent when he seeks retribution for the snowball hitting his chest, looking down at what sticks and dusting it off before he crouches and pivots, focus on Stiles, and charges straight for him on all fours like he has every intention of knocking him over. ]
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Stiles is laughing so hard he's practically wheezing, and making complaining noises about Derek being fat (ha) so he claws at the snow underneath them, trying to get free--but it doesn't stop him from grinning at Derek anyway, his hand on Derek's forehead as he playfully tries to push him off. ]
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A soft umph of his own escapes him as he finds himself piled on by kids of varying ages, but he's hardly bothered by it. Rather, he laughs, bright and clear, and shakes himself out like a dog to disrupt them before his attention hones in on Stiles again. He absolutely could resist the urge to press against his hand. He definitely could decide against ducking around it to bury his cold nose against his jaw.
Does he?
(No.) ]
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But it's not until after he fixes Derek with a look, warm and soft, and he grins and sits up, shakes the snow out of his hair. It feels like they've been out here for way too long--wasn't the sun just starting to set when they left? ] Dude, your mom is gonna kill us.
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He settles back on his knees, trying to dust himself off while he grins back at Stiles, even as his expression starts to slowly soften at the edges. There's more of a chill settling across everything, darkness filtering in as dusk starts to fade, but all he can do is lean over Stiles and scan his face. ] She's more likely to kill me for letting you freeze to death.
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He's sort of caged in right now, and he leans back just a little, but not enough to get out of his face; there's some kind of moment here happening, but it's snapped as one of the kids asks loudly if he's okay. Stiles nods, reassuring him and telling him that his friend is just big and fat, then flashes Derek a bright, teasing smile and scrambles up to his feet, suddenly bolting for the sled.
Stiles returns with the thermos from earlier, warmed by the coals of the sled, and starts passing out cocoa. This is kind of the big test here, to see if Derek likes it, considering it's his grandmother's recipe, and as he passes the last cup to a kid, he pours one for Derek and stands next to him, shoulder to shoulder. ] Here.
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His attention snaps away from him and to the kid, before he makes a flat face and directs it at Stiles for saying he's big and fat. But there's no heat behind it, and he shifts to let him escape easier. Once he's to the sled, he slowly rocks up from his knees to his feet, dusting snow off his slacks.
The familiar smell of cocoa hits his senses, and he slowly comes closer as if he's drawn to it, head cocked the slightest bit. When Stiles offers him the cup, he accepts it and looks down at it, fingers curled around the shape of it before he brings it up to take a sip.
He visibly perks, blinking once, slowly, before looking at Stiles in askance. ]
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[ He gestures at the cup of cocoa in his own hands. It's warm and perfect and tastes a little like spices on top of chocolate, the kind of thing that warms the very soul after a long day outside in the winter chill. Really, it is the perfect recipe for it, and he's going to have to take it home to his dad when he gets the chance; his mom would have loved it. Something in him aches at the memory, and he looks down into the cup, swirling the brew a little and trying not to think about it. ] I think I got it right, though.
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He slowly brings the cup back up again, seeming to mull over the flavor and what Stiles says, standing there like that and looking at the kids again for a brief moment. But then he draws it back, and inclines his head slightly towards Stiles. ] I think I know something that would make it even better.
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He does look over at him at least, and raises his eyebrows. Might as well take some constructive criticism, right. (It was pretty damn good to Stiles, personally.) ] I'm listening.
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He just brings his hand up, curling it at Stiles' chin as he looks at him, and leans in to kiss him. ]
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Right, pretense. Whatever. Fuck that.
His hands twitch a little in the air, like he doesn't know what to do with them, and he turns in towards Derek just a little more, eyes finally fluttering shut as he resigns himself to enjoying the kiss, and maybe celebrating (just a little) on the inside. ]
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His mother is probably going to kill him, but that thought leaves him in lieu of thinking he should've kissed Stiles sooner.
A soft sound leaves him, just a quiet and very content rumble at the back of his throat, and he brushes his thumb along the smooth skin of Stiles' cheek, following the pattern dotted across it. ]
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He ends up staring at him for a second, tasting the leftover of Derek and cocoa on his mouth, lips tingling, and what comes out of his mouth is not a question but-- ] I frickin' knew I made it right.
[ #idiot ]
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[ He doesn't lift his head again, but he does look up at Stiles from underneath his brow, eyebrows twitching upwards the slightest bit. Because he can read Stiles like a book most days, and he can tell that he's got a million questions, practically congested in his head. ]
You're the second person she's ever taught that to that wasn't born into the Hale family.
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The powers of annoyance know no bounds. [ He grins a little, and if he scooches in forward a little more, totally elated, totally happy, well, then he's allowed to, because Derek kissed him and whatever sort of taboo that's there is officially gone. ] How do you think I got here in the first place?
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He breathes out another laugh into the cold air, dipping his head in towards Stiles a little more as his eyes crinkle in amusement. A very big part of him wants to just lean in to kiss him again, but instead he raises his other hand, curls his fingers so that they dip into Stiles' coat pocket. ] Through your wonderful ability to be an irritant to everyone in a five foot radius.
[ There's no bite to his voice, though. ]
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If Stiles thinks about it? It probably makes sense. They've been arguing since the day they met, that turned from kind of irritated with each other to bickering like a married couple, to Stiles being allowed to sleep in his personal chamber--and even if that was on the futon currently, he had a feeling that it was about to change--and maybe this little crush he might have been sowing hadn't been completely unfounded.
That's just awesome, and if he mutters "awesome" out loud, well, everything's kind of great right now. He'll just be over here kissing the alpha's son, no big deal. ]
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But the moment won't last forever, and it's not even that dull hum of loss that always follows him around that brings the realization on him. As he kisses Stiles, thinks about how far they've come since their first meeting, he thinks to tell his mother thank you for actually listening to Peter for once-- a thought he will not admit to having-- and then remembers.
For as far as they've come, they have a ways to go. He'd laugh at Stiles muttering, but he pulls back a little from the kiss and pinches his eyes closed with a soft groan that peters into a laugh. ] We're so late to dinner.
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And that's where Derek pulls away. He blinks once, stares at him, then laughs too, dropping his head between them and lifting it up again, only to raise his eyebrows at him, teasing. ] Sooo, are you gonna get in trouble for that one, too? Despite it being my fault.
[ Reluctantly, he untangles himself from his scarf and bends down to pick up the cup where he'd dropped it. Oops. ]
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Maybe. I don't know, it depends on how merciful she'll be. [ When he straightens, his hand slides up to the back of Stiles' neck and he leans in to kiss him again. They really do need to leave, and make their way to the estate, but he just wants to keep touching Stiles while he still can.
Because the moment they get back home, he's going to have to share Stiles with everyone else. Tuck away this moment for later, when they're free from pretense and responsibilities. ]
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He pulls the furs up around his shoulders but holds them open for Derek, too, mouth turning into a lopsided grin as he taps the spot beside him gently. ] For the record, you dragged me into this.
[ Talia's mantra repeats in his head again--keep my son happy. Stiles is pretty sure they'll be fine. ]
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He pulls himself up into the sleigh with him, shifting into the furs right next to him with a soft chuff of a laugh. ] Yes, blame it all on me.
[ Still, he raises an arm to open up space for Stiles to fill, as he reaches for the reins again, oblivious. ]
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Too bad Derek has to drive. ]
If we end up later because of any unplanned stops again then I'll definitely blame those on you too. [ He taps his chest once in confirmation. Yep. ]
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Of course you will. [ He adjusts the furs around them both, ensuring that his supernatural body heat and the burner will keep his poor human warm. ] You're making me out to be the Hale problem child.
[ Still, he bows his head and kisses the top of his head as he urges the horses forward again. ]
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