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Anchors: The Story of Success
Ade in Beacon Hills
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The following day has class as usual, their fears of Argent discovery not having caused anything unexpected overnight.

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Hey it's Danny, hi Danny.

"Hey. How are you holding up?"

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"Alright. We didn't get to watch all six movies, and we had dinner with the Argents but it was fun."

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"Meeting the parents, and so soon too. Wrong parents though, you were probably looking for Sheriff Stilinski."

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"Yeah, I think Allison's didn't want her to go to Stiles' place to watch the movie or something."

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"Strict parents, huh?"

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"Apparently," she says, in lieu of "Jesus Christ someone go rescue that girl."

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"How was dinner? That sounds like lots of fun."

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"...it could've gone worse?"

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"Almost believable, congrats. See you in math."

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"Seeya."

Scott and Stiles anywhere?

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There he is! 

Talking to Lydia.

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Lydia seems to be displeased.

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And there's Stiles, talking to some girl. 

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...let's go see what's up with Lydia.

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Thanks to werewolf hearing, she doesn't miss much onecessary she decides to pay attention.

"-embarrass yourself, that would be one thing. But Jackson will be off his game until that shoulder heals, and we're not starting off our season with a loss. Understand?"

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Oh. Well that... is something. She walks over to them, looking cheerfully oblivious. "Hey there."

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"Hello. Did you hear Scott was thinking about quitting the team?"

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"It's come up, yeah."

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"Are you going to help me talk some sense into him?"

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"He seemed to think it was the best choice for his mental health, if he snaps like that again at someone on the other team we might have an even worse problem."

Sorry, Scott.

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"Right. Well, if he decides to control himself, do let me know."

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"I'm sure he will."

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"I'll see you both later, then."

She scurries off.

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Stiles, meanwhile, is still talking.

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In a bit.

"I'm sorry about that," she tells Scott.

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"It's not your fault. And what you said got her off my back. Hopefully until Jackson recovers."

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She sighs. "I'll see if I can't win the game for us without making it too obvious."

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"...actually, she's only interested in me because I started getting surprisingly good recently. You're new, if you can keep up with Jackson from the beginning, everyone will believe you're just that good."

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"I said I hadn't played lacrosse before, but maybe."

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"Natural talent. You don't have asthma, you haven't been sitting on the bench for years...it's believable."

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"I guess. Anyway, gonna go check up on Stiles."

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Stiles is here, having an argument that threatens to last right up until the bell.

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"-because you got a girlfriend? Because he's suddenly good at lacrosse? What's wrong with you?"

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...she approaches them uncertainly.

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"Bye, Meena."

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"Fine. Have a nice life."

She waves at Ade.

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...she waves back.

"What was that about?"

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"She's annoyed because we stopped hanging out. If I'd known she'd flip out like this, we never would have started."

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"...well it is reasonable to be annoyed by someone not wanting to hang out with you anymore. Why did you stop?"

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"We have other stuff on our plate. It's not like we're friends."

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"Other stuff?"

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"Recent events? Scott's furry little problem?"

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"And... that means you don't hang out together anymore?"

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"Yeah? He's not really acting normal, and we're not going to tell her."

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"Oh. Not keen on covering it up? He should get better at it with practice."

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"Meena wasn't really his friend. I'm not keen on covering it up; we used to spend our time mocking everyone and bitterly complaining about everything, and that's harder when I can't tell her anything."

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"Yeah, that makes sense, I guess. Did she have a crush on you?"

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"No? I don't think so? Why would- how would I know?"

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"Right, you didn't notice I was hitting on you when I literally told you I was. I don't know, I just had a feeling."

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"I'm not sure what to do with this information. Do I say something?" 

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"I'm not sure. I might be wrong. And besides, you're dating me and as far as she knows—and I know—we're monogamous."

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"...yeah. This is that talk you wanted to have. Want to cut class? Very romantic."

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"—what are the actual consequences of cutting class, here?"

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"Probably we get written up. As long as you don't skip Mr. Harris you're fine." 

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"Eh, sure, why not."

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So Stiles suggests they head to a nice spot behind the bleachers to talk. 

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Sure! Off they go.

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"Okay, so, how does this work? Do you have a girlfriend, do we have barbecues together? Does she have a boyfriend who goes camping with us? Do I kiss boys?"

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"Okay so there's a separate point here which is that watching you kiss other people would be extremely hot. That said, I don't actually feel jealousy but don't otherwise have a very compelling desire for nonmonogamy that goes beyond 'more experiences and opportunities for the both of us to be happy.'

"So the first hurdle is, are you comfortable with that? It's okay if you're not, I can drop the subject."

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"I'm pretty sure I'm the opposite of immune to jealousy but I'm also pretty sure I can do it if you want to. It would be kind of hot to watch you kiss other people. That's where I am."

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"Hmm. Wanna give it a shot?"

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"Maybe a trial run? Or would that be worse than saying no?"

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"Well, the problem with a trial run is that it would likely be limited to, like, only casual stuff."

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"...yeah. Okay. I think I can handle it, let's do it."

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So she grabs his face and kisses him.

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He picked a good place to talk, then!

He flails his arms around before realizing he can also hold her! 

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Yes, that he can.

"Hopefully I can get you out of this jealousy habit."

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"You're pretty convincing."

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"Aren't I just," she says, and now's back to kissing.

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There's some giggling and-

"Oh, sorry, is this spot taken?"

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"Stilinski. Ade."

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She pulls back, grinning, and looks Lydia and Jackson up assessingly—her mind was just there—then says, "It is presently occupied but I'm not opposed to company."

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"Does your boyfriend mind?"

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"I don't know, does he?" she asks, turning to look at Stiles. "And does yours?"

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"No, I don't. I mean, we're cool. Totally cool, yup. Ice cream wearing sunglasses cool. A skateboarder stuffed in a freezer cool. Cool as the cucumber with the latest sneakers."

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"Shut up," he says, and kisses him. 

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"Well, would you look at that. We have nothing to do now."

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Wow that is incredibly hot okay.

"I can think of a thing or two," she says, stepping closer to Lydia and holding her chin up, then leaning down to kiss her.

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Lydia is a good kisser, if a bit aggressive. 

She wraps her arms around Ade, and doesn't restrain herself; she maps out everything in the space of a minute, before placing her arms around her waist.

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(From the sounds Jackson is making, Stiles is kissing him back.)

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Yep. Very hot. And she's not complaining about the aggressiveness, no, sir, as the soft noises from the back of her throat can attest to.

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Well, then Lydia won't restrain herself.

Can she grab Ade's hair? Bite her lip?

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Yes and heck yes.

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"Do I get a turn?"

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"When I'm finished, we can trade."

She is, evidently, not finished. 

What if she pulls Ade's hair and hisses, is that good?

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Yes. Yes, very.

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Stiles and Jackson already seem bored of each other, but Stiles seems to appreciate the view.

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And at length, Lydia finally pulls back. 

"Jackson, did you say something?"

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"You take Stilinski, I take Ade."

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"Ade, do you mind if I have a taste?"

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"By all means."

And in the meantime she can do to Jackson more or less the same things Lydia was doing to her, with her own personal touches.

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Ade is brilliant and he squirms under her touch. If he had any smart remark to make, he's forgotten it by now. 

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This is exactly the kind of reaction she wanted to produce in him.

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He's definitely reacting to her. It's quite noticeable.

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How noticeable, she wonders.

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He seems quite excited! How long are they going to keep this up? 

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Well, that depends more on Stiles and Lydia (and, potentially, class) than on her, she's quite content.

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Lydia is enjoying herself, but eventually does suggest they go inside.

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Yeah they probably should.

How's Stiles doing?

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Stiles seems dazed and confused, but follows them inside.

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"I'll see you around, Ade. Stilinski."

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"See you," she says, and winks at him.

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"So hey. That happened. That did happen, right? You were there?"

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"I was in fact there. Which did you like best?"

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"I think you're my favorite, but uh, kissing Lydia was nice."

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"I think my plan to get you to kiss your longtime crush worked."

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"Yeah, you're kind of insanely smooth, she just took you up on it. What about you? If you had to pick a favorite."

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"Hmmm, Lydia's aggressive and that's hot, but not for everyday. Jackson kinda melted when I kissed him. I think I prefer you."

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Stiles offers one last kiss for that comment.

And then class.

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Class! Hopefully they won't get written up or anything.

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She's still able to make it to AP calc.

Danny raises an eyebrow, but distracts the teacher with a well-timed question.

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She mutters a thanks to him.

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After class, he sidles up to her.

"Looks like someone had fun. Please tell us poor class attendees the sordid details."

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"Good girls don't kiss and tell."

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"Fine, I'll ask Stiles. If you flirt with him he opens right up."

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"Does he? I'm actually surprised he notices it when you flirt with him, he didn't notice it when I did."

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"He notices flirting, he just can't tell when it's sincere. It works for me just fine."

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"Ah, fair enough. And what does one need to do to earn your sincere flirting? Other than, presumably, being a boy."

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"It's not about earning, I'm kind of easy. Stiles is just a little too twitchy for me. The guy has so many insecurities I'm surprised an architect hasn't ruled him unfit for habitation." 

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"'Kind of easy'? I'll sure keep that in mind. And, yeah, he's insecure, but he's nice, and I can work on it."

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"Good for you. I think that's Lydia's position on Jackson- and his position on her. I hope when they implode it's not messy, I don't know if I get to keep both in the divorce."

And it looks like class is wrapping up. 

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"Imploding sounds... messier than it needs to be."

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"It might not be as bad as I'm expecting, but I don't think it'll be neat. Have fun in gym."

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Today it's boys against girls in volleyball! 

Indoors, of course, the weather is much too cold.

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Volleyball's fun! And look how athletic she is!

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She's looking. 

She's less athletic, but she has a good spike.

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And Ade continues to be a natural. With no polish.

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"You're pretty good, for an amateur," says a fellow amateur.

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"Thanks," she says, grinning. "You're not bad yourself."

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They win, of course. 

That's gym. She waves at Ade before she slinks off to change.

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Ade has to change, too, of course.

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Then they'll have to get changed together.

Lydia seems to have a whole ritual. She's not very quick about it. 

She might be the last one in the locker room, at this rate.

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Ade will make an effort not to watch the ritual too overtly.

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Lydia will make an effort not to turn it into a show, then.

As usual, Ade has further education to get to.

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Yay econ!

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Jackson doesn't make conversation.

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That's alright, they can converse later. And maybe, who knows, if this works she can kiss other parts of him than his mouth, eventually.

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Maybe. Econ concludes, and he makes his escape.

A confused classmate hands her a folded-up note that reads: 7/10, natural talent, lacking in refinement; ask out mutual friend to train you in the effective use of teeth.

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She looks at it and snorts. Seven out of ten, right.

Lunch, then.

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Lunch! Danny waves her over.

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So she comes over. "Figure out the mystery yet?"

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"I know who, which makes me curious about why."

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"Elaborate?"

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"I didn't think Jackson was your type."

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"I think my type is 'has a face,' actually. As far as kissing goes, anyway."

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"If you can get him to stop boasting, gloating, whining...Jackson makes himself hard to kiss- or easy, if you don't have a better way of shutting him up."

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"He has a cute face," she points out. "And I'm not sure I'd actually date him... especially given that Lydia doesn't want to be openly nonmonogamous... but for kissing he's pretty good."

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"Fair. I'm not sure I could kiss someone I didn't like at all, and most people don't like Jackson."

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"Hey. Sorry we're late. Lydia was just going on and on about her amazing kiss with Jackson earlier, in way too much detail."

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"It was different," she insists. 

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"Oh, I do like Jackson," she tells Danny before turning to Lydia. "Was it different, Lydia? I'd be very enlightened if you could elaborate."

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"Oh, I had a lot of fun. Hopefully we can keep it up."

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"Sorry, Allison. I promise she's not always this bad."

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"A couple of days is long enough to know she's always like this, but thanks for trying."

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"Speaking of Jackson, where is he?"

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"He's around. Probably with the team..."

She scans the room.

"...No, looks like he's just wasting his time being unprofessional."

She stands, and stalks towards Jackson.

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Jackson seems to find something Scott is saying hilarious. Or he finds Scott's very existence hilarious, it's not quite clear.

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She'll just watch that and... well, listen.

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"-bench, but you didn't even last one week. I wonder if there's a world for that level of failure."

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"Jackson, why don't you come join us?"

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"Really, it's pathetic. What I want to know is why you would take performance boosters just to quit. Was there a plan here that I'm missing because it's just that moronic?"

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"You have really good lung capacity. Have you thought about singing choir? Or does stepping into church burn you."

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"Jackson, our friends are waiting for us."

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"Right. Stilinski, try to make sure McCall doesn't choke on his water."

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Allison and Danny are rating boys!

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...sure, she can rate boys, too, and deal with Jackson later.

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Danny is exhibiting no bias at all with respect to certain students. 

(Matt is objectively the hottest guy in school. It's a matter of fact, not opinion.)

He and Allison are mostly arguing about Scott's jawline, in between debating whether the quiet boy with the curly hair is called Eric or Ivan.

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Really, Matt? He's cute, but she doesn't think he's the hottest guy in school. Probably Jackson or Danny are.

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Danny maintains that he is completely unbiased here but Matt is perfect, end of story.

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Allison drinks her water and hides her laughs with well-timed sips.

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Jackson returns with his girlfriend, restraining himself to brief pouting.

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"So why don't you go for him?"

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"I'm not interested in Matt!"

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"It's okay. We'll find you someone new and shiny."

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"Thou doth protest too much. And I'm new and shiny!" she says.

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"I plead the fifth."

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"Well, if you don't want her."

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"I did mean the times when I'm a he," she clarifies. "Genderfluidity's handy like that."

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"Did I miss some kind of memo?"

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"I'm a one man sort of guy. Although I am single right now, if you were curious."

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"I'm okay with monogamy but if I can get away with it its lack sounds better in general for me. And what memo?"

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"Apparently everyone I know is dating you now, except Scott."

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"Are they? They never told me!"

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"Ade, are we dating?"

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He snorts. 

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"As far as I know you're dating Jackson."

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"Allison, I think you're confused. If we were dating, you would know."

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"Uh huh. Good luck with all of the not-dating."

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"Not-dating can be a lot of fun. You should try it sometime."

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"I'm not really sure it's my thing." 

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"I can do casual, but I'm not sure I can do non-monogamy if I'm invested."

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"I expect to each their own, I'm nonmonogamous by inclination but it's not a very strong inclination."

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"What does your...boyfriend...think of that?"

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"Currently experimenting with it, we're seeing where it goes, and I'm not sure less-than-one-week together counts as boyfriend yet but I confess I'm terrible at these labels."

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"Trust me, I was Lydia's boyfriend the minute she wanted me to be. Labels aren't for the labeled, they're for the labeler."

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"Oh god, he's coming this way, be cool, be cool."

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He comes that way.

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"Was she not your girlfriend until you wanted her to be, by that same token?" she wonders. Upon seeing Matt, though, she says, "Hey Matt! I have a question."

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"Ask away."

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"Do you like boys or girls? Or both?"

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"Both. I have a question. Who wants to know?"

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"Oh, you're extremely cute, I'm sure a large number of people do."

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"Sorry about her. She's incorrigible."

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"Yeah, we promise we're not over here talking about how cute you are, on a scale of one to ten."

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"And if you weren't rating me, what would I score?" 

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"At least a five."

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"..."

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"Danny suggested ten."

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"I think I'd rate you closer to ten than five," she agrees.

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"Matt, did you want to sit with us?"

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"If no one minds."

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"The more the merrier." 

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"So Matt, the other relevant question is, how do you feel about nonmonogamy?"

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"Is this also for the general audience?"

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"We were just also talking about it. I'm nonmonogamous by inclination but it's not a strong one," she repeats herself, "while Danny feels like if he's committed then he's committed."

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"I think monogamy is all I've got in my wheelhouse, but I don't think I'd object if my partner had the relevant mindset."

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"I think I'm a bit too possessive, honestly? Maybe if we were sharing, but otherwise, no."

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Well that was a lot of nonverbal communication wasn't it.

"And what do you like in a potential partner, Matt?"

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"A lively, sportive manner. I dearly love a good laugh."

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"That's interesting to know," she says, not looking at anyone in particular.

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"Matt, have you watched a good adaptation of Pride and Prejudice? I've been trying to convince Danny to watch one with me, but he always complains about my commentary."

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"Maybe we should both tag along, Matt."

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"I'm not that busy. Sure."

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"That's a good idea, I hope you guys have fun."

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"Yeah, you guys have fun."

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"I think we just might."

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Lunch proceeds.

Ade has chemistry.

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With Matt, isn't it?

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Would she like to walk with him?

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That depends on whether she's going to work with him today, since that has seemed to change.

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That is likely up to the whims of their chemistry teacher.

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He's downright whimsical. As soon as he arrives, he starts writing on the board.

"Today we'll be looking at acids, because that's the only way to hold your attention." 

He begins to explain the concept of pH, slipping in snide remarks about their intelligence between every other sentence. 

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Sure sure whatever.

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Matt does seem to be her partner today, though the practical portion isn't actually that complicated.

It's reasonably interesting to watch the reaction; her classmates seem excited.

Matt works quietly. 

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"You okay?"

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"Yeah, just thinking about some stuff. I'm not sure you need the drama."

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"I don't mind, and if you want to talk about it I can listen."

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"I'm not sure I should have gone along with that very impressive railroading you and your friends did earlier."

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"Why not?"

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"Danny's been single for a while. I could have asked him out before."

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"And he could've asked you out before, and you could have just not thought about it before. Do you not wanna go out with him?"

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"I didn't say that. This is what I mean about the drama."

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"No, I just mean that you not having asked him out before didn't necessarily mean you wouldn't want to. And this brings us back to the question of what the hesitation's about in the first place."

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"It's not that I don't like Danny-"

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"Iroko, Daehler, flirt on your own time."

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"We're not flirting, Mr. Harris, and we've finished our work."

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"Let's see it then."

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Work.

It's thrilling.

Matt explains it to Mr. Harris. 

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"You seem to understand the material," he admits.

"Daehler, see me after class."

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So they begin packing up, except for Matt.

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Okay Dayo can wait outside.

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And Matt eventually steps out.

"You waited for me? How sweet."

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"I rather am."

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"Well. Thanks for the talk. Enjoy your next class."

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"You, too!"

Next class?

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Class.

Jackson is his usual self.

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Charming.

I do wonder how far that whole sharing thing goes, muses a piece of paper that mysteriously finds itself on his desk.

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Ask the woman in charge, says the note when it makes its way back.

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She hides a smile with her hand, and pays attention to class.

Or pretends to.

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Jackson is also very attentive. What a good student. 

After class, he decides to walk with her.

"You know, most new kids take longer to settle in."

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"Is 'I am not most kids' too cliché an answer?"

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"Thanks for trying anyway. What do you have next?"

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She makes a face. "Spanish."

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"Do you think you could make an exception today?"

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"Perhaps, with the right incentives."

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He's already got his phone out.

"She can meet us, if you can make the time, and we can talk all you want. Or not. Your choice."

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"Oh that sounds delightful."

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"Same place?"

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"Absolutely. Is Stiles invited?"

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Texting...

"I guess so. Shouldn't he actually attend class, given his track record?"

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"I have no idea what his track record is like, but I'm not exactly a fan of standard public education, so I'm not inclined to care."

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"Lydia doesn't mind, but you'll have to invite him yourself."

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So she texts him the invitation, apparently oblivious to Jackson's discomfort with the idea.

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What discomfort? He's not uncomfortable. He's enthusiastic. 

To the bleachers, then.

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"Glad you could make it," says Lydia.

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"The pleasure is all mine."

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"Should we wait for Stiles, or do you want to get the ball rolling?"

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"I think you two can get the ball rolling and I can watch," she suggests.

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She eyes her boyfriend.

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They get the ball rolling.

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Lydia's kisses are deep, slow, and intense. She pays attention to detail.

Whenever she comes up for air, whenever she touches Jackson, her eyes are on Ade.

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Well that's absurdly hot.

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That somewhat confused moan sounds familiar. 

It looks like Stiles has finally joined them.

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Has he now. She should perhaps step behind him and wrap her arms around him and start nibbling on his neck while they watch.

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He finds this very intriguing.

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As does Lydia, who interrupts her exploration under Jackson's shirt to pull them closer to Ade and Stiles.

They continue.

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Explorations under Jackson's shirt look like a very interesting activity Ade would like to continue to see.

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What a good thing they haven't stopped.

He dips her, as though they're in a ballroom and not among the bleacher, which seems to give them a second wind.

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"I kinda want a turn," she sighs into Stiles' skin eventually.

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"Hey, Whittemore, do you need to take remedial sharing?"

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He reluctantly pulls away.

"Be my guest."

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"Now which should go first," she wonders.

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"Ladies first."

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She eyes Lydia.

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Lydia gives Jackson a brief and gentle kiss, and walks (struts) her way.

"Ade. It's been too long."

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"It has," she agrees, and then her mouth is too busy again to do much agreeing.

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They are in so much agreement.

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She wonders whether Lydia prefers submission or dominance. She's betting on the former but if she forays a teeny bit into the latter...?

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Much depends on the specifics, but she definitely prefers how delightfully pliable Ade can be.

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Pliable it is, then, plus some soft noises at the back of her throat.

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"We should talk about what else you want to try. Later."

Lydia doesn't pay any attention to the boys. They can entertain themselves.

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Yes they can she will be a bit melty here.

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Melty is good. 

They won't go too far; they're still on school property, after all.

But some nibbling is warranted.

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Ooooh nibbling such a good idea yes.

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How does Ade feel if she uses her nails like so?

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Very good!!

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Nothing too obvious. They've only just met, the more lasting marks can come later. 

She becomes more enthusiastic when she's able to incorporate her nails, apparently.  

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That's very good to know.

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He clears his throat.

"We should probably minimize the whole truancy thing."

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She pulls back. "Should we? It's the last class, we've already missed it..."

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"Fine, get back to eating each other's faces." 

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"Thanks so much for the permission. Ade, any objections if we keep going?"

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"None, per se, but I wonder if the boys aren't feeling neglected."

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"Jackson, are you feeling neglected?"

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"I'm okay, thanks."

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Then she guesses she can kiss Lydia some more.

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Does she mind if Lydia's hand makes its way under her shirt?

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Oh she does not mind at all -

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Nibbles, then, and various other kinds of exploration. 

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That is very good.

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"Someone's coming," he suddenly snaps.

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(Ade can recognize Scott by scent before he comes close.)

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She pulls away and suddenly looks as if she's as innocent as anything, slipping a hand around Stiles' waist.

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Lydia stands by her man.

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"There you are! I was looking for you..."

Sniff.

"...everywhere." 

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"Sorry. Lydia was just helping us figure out this problem. It was giving me trouble all day, you know how I am when I can't solve a problem."

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She giggles. "Is something the matter, Scott?"

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"No, I think we're okay. Stiles, we should go."

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"Is this the new thing, or the usual thing."

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"Usual thing. Ade can come if she wants."

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"It's probably not her thing. I'll ask. Meet you in a few minutes."

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She raises an eyebrow at him.

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Jackson and Lydia ignore those losers, and wave goodbye to Ade.

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"So. Scott and I have this tradition where I steal my dad's old case files and we try to solve them. It involves sneaking into the hospital morgue, checking out abandoned buildings, that kind of thing."

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She blinks and grins. "Sounds fun count me in. Also Scott you should probably just ask."

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"About how far you went with my best friend, his arch rival, and his childhood crush? Or whether you want to investigate old murder cases? I think we've covered both."

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"First thing actually, I'm pretty sure by scent alone you can't figure out exactly how far anyone went anywhere." She glances at Stiles. "Although you can probably at least guess who."

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"I don't need to know how far, I really don't need to know anything. I hate knowing things, it's terrible." 

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"Love you too, Scotty. Ade, do you need to call your mom?"

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"Nah I'll text her." She does.

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"Cool. I'll find the case file."

A peck on the cheek, and he's running for the parking lot. 

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Scott follows at a more sedate pace.

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"He's adorable," she comments, keeping up with Scott.

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"It's good someone thinks so." 

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Stiles is in the Jeep, searching folders that litter the backseat. 

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Scott sucks his head inside, and returns momentarily with the key.

"I'm driving. You can take the passenger seat. Stiles is going to busy."

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She does. "It's honestly a bit astounding that more people don't agree, he is adorable," she tells Scott, not bothering to prevent Stiles from hearing.

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"Everyone here agrees on that. I think it's probably that some people think he's obnoxious."

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A wadded up ball of paper mysteriously hits the back of his head.

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He continues driving.

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"See? How is that not adorable."

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"It is. You should see him after a night of research."

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"So back to the case," he interrupts loudly.

"Paulina Campos, age 48, body found when construction started on the bowling alley. She was lodged in some cement, something about her husband...the fun part is that she had parts missing, but the rest of her was intact. Animals usually aren't neat about tearing up a body."

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"Defensive wounds? What did they say about the husband?"

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"Some defensive wounds, you can check out the medical report when we pull over. The husband owed some money, they think he might have wanted life insurance."

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She wrinkles her nose. "How delightful."

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"Right?"

He rifles through his sheaf of papers.

"Here, this is the body..." 

He hands her a photo of the remains while poring over the police report.

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She takes it.

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That sure is a mangled corpse. 

The injuries don't look identical to the ones she'd expect a werewolf to leave, but they do look somewhat similar. 

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"Ew. Scott, have you looked at this?"

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"As soon as we get there."

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"Oh come on, you have catlike reflexes, you can take your eyes off the road for a dead body."

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"Wolf-like, and we need one adult in the car."

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"I was asking because these look... kinda werewolfish but not quite."

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Scott continues driving. Faster.

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Stiles retrieves the corpse photo. 

"Good catch. I knew the defensive wounds were off, if she was just caught by surprise because her husband attacked her it would have looked different, but I figured he used a dog as the murder weapon..."

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"Not a dog, I don't think. But. It's still kinda off, for a werewolf."

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"If werewolves exist, who knows what else is out there."

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"Yeah," she sighs.

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"I can try to talk to Derek. If that would help."

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"Might be a good idea."

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They stop outside the hospital.

"Should I do that after I get you guys inside?"

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"It might be a better idea for me to talk to him, actually."

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"You don't mind? That's probably better."

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"I don't mind," she agrees.

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"You're not going alone?"

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"Why not? They got along okay. I could use you inside."

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"And I think Derek prefers talking to as few people at a time as possible. Not very sociable, he isn't."

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"And he likes you? Makes sense. See you later."

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"Tolerates me, at any rate. Later."

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They split the party.

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Derek fails to appear out of the nearby bushes.

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No shit.

She had a place where she was supposed to leave a flower. She starts walking that-a-way.

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No police, no hunters, no werewolves: she can enjoy a perfectly normal walk.

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Well, when she's out of sight of civilization she'll run. Very fast.

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If anyone notices her superhuman abilities, they don't dare stop her.

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When she reaches the place she leaves the flower there, having stocked up on it and carrying it in her backpack.

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Hey look. Over in that bunch of trees. Who's that. 

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"Hello," she says softly.

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"I was awake all night thinking about how much I love dealing with teenage werewolves. What do you want."

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"Someone was murdered. It was not a werewolf, but..." She offers him the picture.

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"Not a very recent case. How did it catch your eye?"

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"Caught Stiles', I'm following him along. Do you have any ideas?"

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"I'm not sure you should investigate this. Tell Stiles to drop it."

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"I'm not sure I can convince him to drop it without giving him a reason."

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"It's dangerous. Most things that could have done that would kill him without a second thought."

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"So there are other things than druids and werewolves."

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"Plenty, is that all you wanted to know?"

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"I'm afraid you know the answer to that question. Do you know what could have caused those injuries?"

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"Wendigo, mermaid, unicorn. I don't know half of what's out there, it could be any of the loads of dangerous, violent, hungry things that like chewing on humans."

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"I... see. I'll try to talk them out of it. Have you ever run into any of those? And do you know if there's anywhere I could find this information?"

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"Unicorns probably aren't real, but wendigos definitely exist. Mermaids probably do, but I've never met one. Information comes from werewolf packs, hunters, and druids, and asking hunters will turn you into a smear of blood faster than you can say hello."

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She rubs her forehead. "This is terrible. But... okay, thank you."

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"If you can find a druid, they might be willing to help, but there hasn't been one in Beacon Hills since the Hale pack died out."

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"...I'm sorry."

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"Is that all? We should be focusing on getting Scott through his next full moon."

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"It's not for another three weeks, but yeah."

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He looks about to say something, then reconsiders.

"We can probably give him different perspectives. I was born a werewolf." 

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"That's true. You mentioned that meditation was an option, rather than the anchor, there are probably other things you know better."

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"There are some things that I don't get about turned werewolves. I'm just guessing about how he actually feels when he changes. It's different for us."

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"In what ways?"

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"Transforming doesn't feel like losing control. It is, I guess, but it feels like letting go. Relaxing."

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"And do you have more, ah, control, I guess, when you do turn? Are you less likely to do things you don't want to, beyond what mere practice and familiarity would give you?"

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"I don't think so, not exactly...we're more in line with the wolf in the first place."

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"...so you want to kill people more often?"

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"Not people. We're more violent, more aggressive, overall."

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"—is there an accompanying advantage?"

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"Born wolves don't have as much trouble with the senses or the shift."

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"I see. That makes sense."

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"I should go."

He goes.

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And she returns.

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Scott and Stiles are waiting for her at the Jeep.

"Hey. So since it's an old case and they don't share records with random teenagers, we're done. We would have to exhume the body."

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"And Derek has... advised against looking into that. There are, apparently, a large number of other things than werewolves and druids around and just from the picture it's not really possible to identify which of the, and I quote 'loads of dangerous, violent, hungry things that like chewing on humans' did it."

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"That's great. I always thought if I fell into a secret, magical world it would be less terrible." 

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"And he didn't feel like telling you about all these dangerous monsters that eat people?"

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"He gave me some pointers but he admitted to not knowing about all of them, or even most of them."

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Sigh.

"Information gathering is probably our next step. Who do we know that might have information, besides Derek?"

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"We don't. But he did mention his old pack used to have a druid..."

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"Do you know anything about druids?"

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"I... know some druid magic. I have a book. But I can no longer use it. Not ever since I was bitten."

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"Wait, could I use druid magic?"

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"...probably?"

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"We need to do this right now. Okay, how did it work? What do I need? Spellbooks? Herbs? Blood?"

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"Herbs and blood, yeah, but I only have the one book."

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"That's fine, I can just learn how you did it and go from there."

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She nods. "It's how I got the shapeshifting thing, but that was all I managed to get before being bitten.—uh, now?"

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"No, you're right. We should get back. Thanks, Ade."

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She smiles wanly, then sighs.

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Stiles drops Ade off first.

"Did you have a good day? I was aiming for good."

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She kisses him. "I had a great day. I hope you did, too."

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"Who, me? I'm easy. Give me a murder to solve with a pretty girl and I'm good. Uh, person? Pretty person."

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"Oh, the murder was the highlight of your day, was it? Good to know." She winks, then waves at Scott. "See you, McCall."

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He waves, and they drive off.

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The next day is: Friday.

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His friends are there, of course.

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As are other students.

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That's good if they weren't that'd be concerning.

"Good morning."

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"Hey. Did you do anything exciting last night?" 

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"Not from an outside point of view."

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"Did you find that book we were talking about?"

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"I never lost it in the first place," he says wryly. "I got it."

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"I had a lot of ideas last night. Want to tell me which ones won't work at lunch?"

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"Absolutely."

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Before that, they have classes. No one pulls Ade aside this time.

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What a shame.

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Lydia does send some confusing signals during gym, but evidently they're being good students today.

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He is not confused at all, sorry Lydia.

Lunch!

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Does he want to sit with Danny and company?

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Or Scott and Stiles?

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Scott and Stiles, he promised he'd pick Stiles' plans apart.

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"Hey. So what do we have in the realm of buffs? Can I make you guys stronger, faster, healthier? What about transportation, does it do flying?"

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"Buffs mostly exist and work, healing sort of yes but not easily or effectively, nothing with transportation."

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"We can just carry you if you need to get anywhere fast."

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"Swoon. What kind of stuff did you try?"

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"Mostly physical stuff, toughness, speed, endurance—and then I figured out how to shapeshift."

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"Toughness is good. No offense, but you're kind of unprotected compared to us."

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"Sure, toughness. I'm all for toughness. Let's do that."

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"I saw that look," she tells Stiles. "But yeah, it might be a good idea to learn all magic you can if there aren't any horrible side effects."

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"Did you notice any? Because we're probably good, right, you were doing it for a while..."

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"Wait, if you can't use druid magic anymore, why does the shapeshifting thing still work?"

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"No, I was doing it for like a few weeks before I was all chomped. And the shapeshifting thing is—it's like the lycanthropy, it's a part of me now, not a magic I do."

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"So if I want to turn, I should get all my ducks in a row first...okay, so we'll start with some basic buffs for me, first, then I'll try to add some on you and see if that fails. Well, dad first, then you."

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"I don't think we can turn you. You shouldn't plan for it."

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"Eventually. I can wait."

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"I don't think you should become a werewolf at all, being one is horrible."

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"...okay. I'll stick to magic."

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"What does he need to start practicing?"

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"Lots of herbs and the book. I should reiterate that it is just the one book, it doesn't cover much."

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"Still something. We need all the help we can get for this alpha."

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"Yeah." Pause. "Thank you."

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"I'm glad we ran into you. I don't know what I would do if it was just Derek." 

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"Speaking of old grumpy face, can we count on him for this?"

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"The answer by default is probably 'no,' but count on him for what exactly?"

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"Dealing with the alpha? We're going to have to find and talk to it. Them, whatever."

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"I'm not sure. He wants to deal with the alpha, he's said so, but he wants to do it on his own. I'm not sure I like his prospects, but I'm not sure I like ours, either."

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"Do alphas usually do this? Turn someone and let them loose?"

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"I have not surprisingly run into many wolves in my life, so my sample is small. But it's also biased in favor of that hypothesis, yes, given my existence."

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"We should ask Derek about his alpha, at least we'll have more examples."

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"His alpha was his sister, I'm not sure that really counts."

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"What does he think about us? The way we were turned."

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"I'm not sure. He said we have different—things—like, born wolves are naturally more aggressive and in tune with their inner wolves but also better at handling their senses."

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"Is there a lot of stuff like that? How did you learn to control your senses?"

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"Lots of practice? Nine years now."

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"I'm not sure I have nine years."

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"We'll do exposure therapy." 

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"Do you expect to die before that?"

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"Maybe, if I can't control myself with werewolf hunters around."

His ears twitch. 

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"We'll keep you alive."

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"Thanks for everything. Is there...anything we could do for you?"

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"I'm happy to pay in sexual favors."

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He snorts. "I'll accept the sexual favors from him, but no, I don't want anything, thank you."

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"Should I come by your house later?"

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"To look at the book?"

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"I can multitask."

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"Yes, he can."

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"Uh huh. Tell me when you guys are done being cute." 

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"Bit later than usual today, though, there's lacrosse practice this afternoon."

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"I don't know if he can hold out that long."

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"It's lacrosse, I can wait." 

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"We're- you're on the bench."

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"Yeah, but lacrosse."

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"What's that about lacrosse?"

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"The greatest sport ever played. It grants me the strength to resist your wiles."

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"Bet you ten dollars it doesn't."

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"Count me in. Sorry, Stiles." 

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"Your lack of faith wounds me. Alright, fine. It's still fun."

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"It's particularly fun to watch all those hot, sweaty boys running at each other."

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"At least someone gets me." 

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"Your lack of faith wounds me."

With his lunch finished, Scott prepares for the long slog until lacrosse practice. 

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"Is literally anyone in this school straight."

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"Straight people could be a myth."

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"No, they aren't, I've had sex with some, but I've maybe met two here."

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"I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you should stop being so attractive?"

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"No, see, this comment was prompted by Scott talking about his attraction to hot boys playing lacrosse, it had nothing to do with me."

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"Tell me when you've kicked open the conspiracy. I should probably get to class to be obnoxiously not straight."

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Well he should also probably get kissed for that.

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He does enjoy Ade kisses.

But then they should both get to class.

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Yes. Class. Hooray.

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Class!

"Hey. How are things going with you and Stiles?"

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"Pretty good. I like him. How about you and Scott?"

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"We're okay. The impromptu meeting the parents didn't really help, but I think we'll work it out."

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"Yeah, your parents are... intense."

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"They're protective. I think it's because we move around so much. They don't want me getting attached." 

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"—that sounds unhealthy."

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"They're just looking out for me."

Class!

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Class indeed. And Allison perhaps needs to be taught what 'abusive' means but that'll be later.

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"Iroko, can you tell us why we study enthalpy?"

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"I can."

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"Are you going to demonstrate that you've learned anything in your time on this planet, or are you going to play games?"

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He grins and explains it, perfectly correctly.

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"Congratulations, you've mastered following along with the course material. That makes one of you." 

Class continues in that vein.

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Yeah he'll be slightly snappier for the rest of class, probably.

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And after class, Mr Harris asks if Ade could "stay after for a few minutes? I can write a note for your next teacher."

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Sure.

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"Have you thought about joining the Science Olympiad? Schools compete in teams, showing off their science knowledge. I'll offer extra credit, and it doesn't hurt to have on your college application." 

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He pauses. "What's that entail?"

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"There are scheduled practices, after school. You can be excused from them if you can convince your faculty advisor that you don't need it. You'll be expected to go to the competitions, which can happen in other states. We get a limited budget, but most of that will go to supplies for the robotics and engineering events. If you need something for the trips themselves, we can work something out. You could also organize a fundraiser."

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"Does that conflict with lacrosse?"

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"Oh no. I wouldn't have suggested it if you couldn't manage both. I can lighten up on the homework to simplify the decision."

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"Can I see the schedule for practices? And give you an answer later?"

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"It's on the school website, but I can write down the address. Just think about it."

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"I will. Thank you."

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So he writes down the website, and a note for Ade's next teacher.

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He takes the note to his next teacher, then.

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Spanish class has already started, but when the teacher sees his note that stops her rant in its tracks. She boggles at it for a few seconds before telling him to sit down.

Stiles looks curious, but doesn't say anything; he doesn't know how to ask what he wants to in Spanish.

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He can perhaps pass notes when the teacher is not looking?

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Note passing seems to work just fine!

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So he explains what was up with that.

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He does seem less confused, for some values of confused. 

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He raises an eyebrow.

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His gestures, which have no language, are not very communicative. 

The note clarifies: Is this magic? Harris doesn't like anyone.

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Probably not magic, but only probably.

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Tell me everything, before practice.

And after class, they both make their way to the locker room.

"So? How?"

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"Your guess is as good as mine, I was pretty sure he disliked me. I was even trying to get him to dislike me by being quippy."

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"It can't be the quipping, but maybe he can tell when you're trying. I can see him liking someone to spite them."

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"For what it's worth I'm not peeved by it, just confused."

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"This is good. Teachers liking you for inexplicable reasons is better than some other options." 

They arrive in the locker room.

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Coach is there, saying "hustle" until it loses all meaning.

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How delightful. Well, practice they will.

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Practice!

Jackson is in goal for this practice.

He blocks most of the incoming shots until Ade comes up.

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Ade is good! Ade is not too good, or suspiciously good. Merely good.

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Annoyingly good, but not suspiciously so.

Jackson remains confident that he can score.

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Yep, and the goal is to win tomorrow, right?

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Sure, sure. Everyone should be at their best.

Jackson says something vaguely insulting about Stiles' gracefulness in the locker room afterwards.

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Stiles suggests he do something unsanitary and painful involving a household tool.

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"Nice hustle out there, boys. I want to see the same thing tomorrow. Go...what's our mascot? Go Beacon Hills!"

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He thinks it'd be kinda hot to watch Stiles and Jackson together. He informs Stiles of this.

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"He's not my type, and please repeat that whenever you see him. Also, please consider making out with me in the back of my car. Pros: you get to make out with me, cons: none."

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"I'd love to make out with you in the back of your car. What's your type?"

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"Not arrogant about the size of his wallet? He's not even arrogant about the size of other things, at least that I could put up with for the relevant timeframe. You're arrogant about less things, and better ones. Very refreshing, 10/10 would recommend."

Ade, meet Jeep. 

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"Think I should be arrogant about the size of my things, too?"

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"We can experiment. Find a balance, you know?"

They should theoretically leave the school parking lot before they get started. Public decency and all that.

Stiles is a bit over-eager.

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Ade: cares so little. They can make out, and Stiles can have indirect evidence of the size of Ade's things.

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In which case, they'll take the opportunity to get to know each other. 

Several times. 

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Well Stiles has already had more direct, hands-on knowledge, so to speak, but this is still very nice.

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There are probably other things to do. Plans of some kind. He can't really recall.

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Are there? Even with Ade's hands slipping between cloth and skin?

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He's easily distracted, but Ade is good at getting his attention.

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"Attention," is that what the kids are calling it these days?

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He's not calling it anything, he's a bit occupied. 

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Good. Ade can play the "use only one hand to make Stiles forget they're in a car" game, can't he?

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Ade's input is much appreciated. 

They don't need shirts for this, do they?

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They do not. Bye shirts!

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They really should have left the parking lot. 

Stiles isn't likely to suggest it at this stage.

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And Ade's actually kinda thrilled by doing this here.

Perhaps... unbuttoning Stiles' pants could be next? His hand doesn't have as much maneuverability under them.

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Stiles will figure out what Ade's getting at and help him along.

Now he has precious little defense against his wiles.

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Ade's of the opinion that Stiles never did have any defence.

Now he's unobstructed he can kiss his way down...

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Can he? 

It appears that he can. Stiles is very receptive.

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Well, Ade'd argue that he's very receptive, at the moment, but his mouth is too full for any such arguments to happen.

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There are so many more important things happening.

Stiles thoroughly investigates how receptive Ade is being.

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The answer is: very. Very actively receptive, too.

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It's the weekend, so he has nowhere to be.

Stiles takes full advantage of their time.

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Ade's kinda hoping he will get Stiles to not need too much time, here.

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They can discuss other options later, then. 

If Ade isn't trying to deprive him, he'll be finished shortly. 

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Mission accomplished.

He looks up at Stiles and licks his lips.

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"Are we going to have to do this twice as much so you don't feel neglected as a boy or a girl?"

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"Yes, but not for that reason, just because I really really like the faces you make when I have you in my mouth."

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"I feel like we've got a really nice thing going here. I make faces, you think that's kind of hot...it's beautiful. I'm so proud of what we have." 

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He giggles and kisses Stiles. "I'll have you know I liked you before I found out about the lovely faces. You'll remember you didn't believe me when I was flirting with you."

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"I won't contest that, since I'm so amazing. And because it's true. So what now?"

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"Now..." He looks around. "I think whatever happens now should probably involve us not being naked—or, well, you naked and me shirtless—in the back of your car in the school's parking lot. Unless you wanna go for round two."

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"I'm not the insatiable one. Clothes sound good."

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"Insatiable? We've only had sex twice this week."

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"I've only had sex twice this year, but I think I'm adapting pretty fast."

Kiss.

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"You are! And, you know, you can always have more, if you want."

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"I feel like this could escalate, and then we'd never leave my car."

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"We could do it outside if you want."

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"Doesn't one of us need to care about public decency? I feel like we're going to end up on the lacrosse field."

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"I mean, if one of us does it's not going to be me."

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"Stiles Stilinski: the responsible one."

He puts his clothes back on, and returns to the driver's seat.

"I can probably convince my dad to leave us alone for a while."

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"Sounds like a good plan."

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Driving ensues!

There is no inappropriate touching, obviously. 

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None at all? Really?

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He's driving! His hands are full.

If Ade's hands want to explore, that's up to him.

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...yeah, they do, actually.

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They manage to get to his house intact- and Stiles seems somewhat impatient to get to his room now. Who knows why.

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Wasn't he going to need to distract his father?

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Was he? 

Ugh.

He goes to deal with that.

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"Stiles. You brought a friend over?"

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"This is Ade. We have a project to work on. Harris is really riding us about getting it done on time, so we kind of need to focus."

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"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stilinski."

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"So. You're the- experienced one?"

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"Werewolf," he contextualizes.

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"Uh huh. Do you boys need anything? Food? We probably have food. Do we have food?"

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"I can take care of him."

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"—you told him?" he asks Stiles.

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"Yeah. You were right that I should have told him sooner."

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"Thank you, for keeping him out of trouble. Stiles can get a bit- antsy, if he doesn't have someone to hold him back. Scott only stops him half the time, the rest of the time he goes along with it. Hopefully you'll be the other half."

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"I don't need a guardrail or a babysitter, it's my life."

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"Just be careful with it, I like your face intact."

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"You're not going to let me have any fun, are you."

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"He will. Your taste in friends is pretty consistent."

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"They're nothing alike!"

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"They handle you the same way. Ade, what would you do if my son wanted to take you on a field trip to the morgue?"

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"—go with, make sure he doesn't die."

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"There it is. Alright, I'm going to give you two space. I should be back in an hour." 

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"Okay. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stilinski."

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"How is it your friends are always more polite than you? You don't talk like this to Melissa."

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"She's a cool mom, she doesn't care."

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"Right. Have fun."

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He barely waits for the door to shut.

"Finally. Upstairs."

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Upstairs!

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As soon as the door closes, they're on the bed, and Stiles has managed to entirely remove his clothes.

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"That was fast," he comments. "And you look very nice without clothes on, have I told you that?"

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"I've gotten mixed reviews, but your contribution helps us improve our product."

His hands get to work on Ade's shirt, but he seems distracted by the kissing.

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Kissing: good thing to be distracted by.

The shirt can be gone, though. Shoes and pants, too.

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Ade is so helpful!

What position does he take in on the proceedings? 

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How about he goes on top?

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Works for him.

He's very receptive.

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And good thing Dayo carries condoms, he suspects Stiles doesn't have any.

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Really good! Stiles is not prepared for this sort of thing to happen to him! In his room! It's happening anyway and he's very excited about it, which has very visible signs. 

Ade can take full advantage of his excitement. 

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Yes, he can, and he does.

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They manage to keep themselves occupied for...several minutes. 

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Oh but what if Dayo tries to... pace himself when Stiles gets too close?

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Stiles makes some interesting faces is what happens.

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"We have all afternoon," he says, kissing Stiles' neck.

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They use it. 

Stiles does not lack in energy, though he does have the limits of any mortal man. 

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Dayo has less of those on account of wolf but he can accommodate this need.

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"Hey. I was wondering...how hard would it be to do the..."

He gestures, his hands indicating claws.

"You know. During." 

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"You might need to be more specific."

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"You know, the wolfy thing. Claws, the fur, the whole deal."

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"You want to have sex with me in my werewolf form?"

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"It would be ungentlemanly to say yes, so how about I say I'm not very gentlemanly." 

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He laughs. "I haven't ever tried, so I'm not sure. Perhaps I should ask Derek."

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"Only if I get to see his face."

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He giggles. "It's a deal."

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"Mmm. I kind of want to try magic and I kind of want to stay in bed."

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"We could stay in bed for a while, then shower, then try magic?"

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"You're a good thinker. You should do it professionally."

Nuzzle.

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"Don't think that's a job description but I'll do my best."

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"Where were you before you came here?"

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"Small towns around the USA, fatefully running into hunters almost literally everywhere."

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"Yeah, that sounds...rough. How long are you planning to stay in this one?"

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"I'm actually thinking staying might not be a bad idea, I have more people on my side here than I've ever had."

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"Yeah? Lots of people holding you up?"

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"There's you, your father, Scott—actually I should go check whether he's told his mom about it—and even Derek."

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"If he's actually on our side, yeah. Any ideas for checking that?"

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"...he's a werewolf, he's lonely, he's introverted as all get out and possibly misanthropic and needs a therapist, I don't think he's evil."

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"I'm not saying he's evil! Maybe a little evil. I'm just saying he might not want to help us."

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"Eh, I've read this book and watched this show, he'll come around. Faster if we don't nag him and don't do anything stupid that will risk his and our lives for no good reason, at least until the local hunter problem's been dealt with."

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"Just because werewolves are real doesn't mean we should act like we're in a supernatural romance. Could be a horror movie, could be a fantasy epic."

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"Don't think the genre matters, he's a very recognizable character."

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"You're probably right."

Kiss.

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Kiss!

"...shower?"

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Shower!

He seems mildly daunted by the prospect.

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"Come on this is not the first time we've showered together."

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"You're really hot and showers have a suggested use! It's distracting, we should demand an experiment to see how much efficiency we're losing by my perpetual distraction."

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"Or we could ignore their suggested use and I could distract you even more," he says, getting up from the bed and making sure Stiles gets a full view.

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He allows himself to be distracted.

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Then Ade will pull him off the bed and kiss him.

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This probably doesn't serve the same purpose as a shower, but Stiles isn't complaining.

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Sure but he got Stiles to stand up so now he just has to lead the way.

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Stiles is led! 

They shower, and they shower.

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Yes, they do. And does Ade need to get dressed for magic? He rather thinks not.

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He won't object, no.

~Magic~

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(Ade also thinks Stiles needn't put clothes on.)

Magic! He grabs the book.

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Stiles can read over his shoulder.

This requires they be very close to each other. Without clothes on.

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Yes yes they just had sex then "showered" then showered, they can totally be very close to each other while naked.

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Stiles gets to know the book.

"This is a lot more boring than I expected. Lots and lots of herbs, and no follow-through. Where am I supposed to get thistle?"

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"You can probably buy it, but yeah, it's not super fun. The results are, though."

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He starts tracing symbols in the air.

Ade may recognize a few, but druids have a lot of symbols they can incorporate. Stiles seems determined to learn them all.

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He can teach the ones he remembers, even though none of this works for him anymore.

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"This actually doesn't look too bad. Maybe I'll do this on my own time so we can spend ours doing other things."

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"Twice today already, and I'm the insatiable one?"

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"Maybe not right now, I'm actually still a little tired."

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"Aww." He kisses Stiles. "Let's continue learning magic, then."

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Magic!

He's not sure there's actually much he can do without herbs or rocks or whatever else, but knowing the kinds of stuff he will be able to do is still fun.

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Yeah, and they'll know what herbs and rocks to go looking for.

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There are kind of absurdly many plants with magic effects.

"I wonder if I can just start carrying flowers around. I think I could pull it off, nobody pays that much attention to me."

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"Maybe they'd start."

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"You're right, flowers are too big. I'll put ground up and crushed materials in my backpack, in the smaller pouches. I should get a new backpack."

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"You wouldn't want people to pay attention to you? You'd look very dashing, carrying flowers around."

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"I know this trick, I'm not falling for it. You would probably look good, though."

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"Trick? Have you noticed you're very attractive? I think this may have escaped you."

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"I'm pretty sure I'm not. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that you're aesthetically challenged, it's working out pretty nicely for me."

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He laughs. "You're hot. You have a nice smile and you make cute faces and you're very expressive and you're funny and think about more things than most people and your body is delicious and—" he reaches down between Stiles' legs and squeezes slightly "—you have a great cock—should I keep going?"

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"It's too bad they don't give out awards for this. Olympic flirting. Think you can take the gold?"

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"Perhaps, although I'd settle for convincing you."

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"I might need to see your evidence here. Back up your claims."

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So Ade stands up and pulls Stiles to the bathroom so he can look at himself in the mirror. "Here you go," he says, standing behind Stiles and starting to nibble on his neck while his hands wander.

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Stiles thoroughly approves of nibbling!

He squirms, but keeps his hands to himself.

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"Have I proven my point?" he asks into Stiles' skin, looking at him through the mirror.

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"I don't know, maybe I need more convincing."

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"Is that so." Bite. "What form would that convincing take, I wonder."

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"You're really smart, right? I think you've got it."

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"I might need some guidance, a couple of pointers..."

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He'll tell Ade exactly how and where to convince him, then. 

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Oh good. He can be so convincing.

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Stiles will be very convinced.

"Mmm. This was a good plan."

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"I have those."

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"Mmm. I probably have homework, right? I should do homework. Or magic, I should learn magic."

He doesn't move.

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"Is there even more magic to meaningfully learn sans herbs?"

He doesn't either.

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"I should probably actually try something instead of just learning the theory, but not really."

Snuggle.

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Snuggle. "We can do that tomorrow."

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Ade has the energy for a few more rounds, but Stiles looks completely spent. 

"I'm not a virgin anymore."

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"You haven't been since Tuesday! Is the penny only just dropping?"

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"I want to keep saying it. I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to hire a skywriter, I want to start a blog, I want to publish a peer-reviewed article."

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Ade giggles and kisses him. "Really, and how are the peers going to review this?"

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"We could always invite Lydia."

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"Now there's an idea."

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"I don't actually have her number, I just know where she lives. We probably shouldn't just show up."

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"We probably shouldn't, and this is the kind of thing that should be suggested in advance, with time to prepare..."

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"I should get her number so we can plan in advance. Planning is good."

Kiss.

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Kiss!

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"Did you know that parents used to use a wooden plank to prevent pre-marital sex?"

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"—what? What for?"

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"It wasn't very effective. Space was limited in early America so sometimes boys and girls would have to share rooms, and since they weren't related and they were teenagers their parents had to do something. Insert wooden plank between them on the bed."

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"...how was that supposed to do anything?"

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"Teenagers can't cross wood. They're like vampires."

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"I thought vampires couldn't cross running water."

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"Tomato, potato. Are vampires real? Someone should tell me which things are real before I mainline the entire corpus of Earth mythology."

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"Don't think so but Derek wasn't clear."

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"We can ask him later. While we're on the topic, thumbs up or down if we can talk him into it?"

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He cracks up. "Sure, but I doubt we can."

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"Mmf. I think that's all I've got."

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"Maybe we'll sometime fulfill your orgy fantasies."

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"Maybe. Time to get up?"

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"Yeeeeah probably."

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"We should probably get to Scott's house. We were supposed to look at the book together."

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"That's also true, yes."

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"Temptress. Rogue. Wily little minx, that's what you are."

He starts to get dressed.

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"I am innocent of all charges."

He does, too.

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They make their way downstairs.

"Your place next time?"

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"Sounds good."

And off to Scott's.