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Derek is sleeping on the forest floor with his head on his paws, dreaming of running with the pack again, when he feels a weird sensation on one side of his body. His ears twitch but he ignores it, not wanting to wake up before completing the hunt; they were just about to attack and sink their wolf fangs into delicious elk.
The pressure increases.
Now, that is becoming annoying.
He raises his head and turns to snap at whatever it is that disturbed his slumber but what he sees confuses him. There is a tiny thing with a large, bushy tail desperately gathering (well, trying to) and pushing at Derek’s fur. A squirrel? What is a squirrel doing with-?
He sees the hint of, what appears to be, a walnut deep in his fur. The squirrel’s rapid movements continue and the realization of what he is attempting almost makes Derek laugh (something he hasn’t done in a while).
A squirrel is trying to bury his nut in Derek’s fur.
What’s even more amusing is the fact that the whole time the little thing didn’t even notice that a wolf was staring at him. Perhaps that’s a bit concerning. How oblivious can one be? Except only now does Derek recognize that the loud incoherent noises coming from the squirrel are actually words.
“Finally found a big nut! A super-huge nut! Take that, Jackson! Maybe if I find more and have the biggest collection of nuts, Lydia will like me? I’ll show her and I’ll show Scott. Scott is going to be so jealous that I found so many! I’ll show Dad too! He’ll be so proud. Nuts, nuts, nuts!”
Derek means to cough lightly or something to signify his presence but it comes out as a growl.
“Eek!” the squirrel is suddenly standing, front paws up, eyes wide and mouth open. His heart seems to have stopped beating.
Out of guilt for scaring him, Derek brings his muzzle closer in apology and to smell if he is alright.
The squirrel unexpectedly drops stiff on the ground.
Wha-?
I killed him. Not again. No, no, no, no-
The squirrel twitches. There is a heartbeat.
Is he…
“Are you playing dead?”
The squirrel breaks the act and looks at him, still on his back. “You’re a…dog. Big dog. Nice doggy. Oh, please don’t kill me!”
“I’m not a dog” he snarls, underestimating once more how frightening he can be.
“Gah, Bad dog!” he bites him.
The pesky rodent bites him! Deeply, too.
He howls because, really, how is this his life?
The squirrel quickly and - at least (finally) in this instance - smartly climbs up the closest tree.
Derek starts licking the wound, embarrassed when a small whine escapes. It really hurts, okay? In the corner of his eye, he senses the squirrel scattering back down and up again, as if he can’t make up his mind on where to stay. He obviously does though when he is abruptly in front of Derek, walnut in his tiny paws (the same nut that started this whole mess). The wolf tenses.
“I’m sorry for hurting you. You just startled me.”
It’s okay, I’m used to it.
He gasps, “Used to being hurt?”
So Derek might have said that last bit out loud.
“I’m really sorry. Here, you can have my nut!” the squirrel offers, in outstretched arms.
It has been too long since he last received a gift because he doesn’t know how to respond, “Uhh, you can keep it.”
“But…but…okay,” the squirrel seems disappointed and starts moving away.
Great, Derek. You always make them leave you.
Maybe it is the sad look that he’s wearing because in mere seconds something is perched on his snout and literally yelling in his face.
“Hey, wanna be friends?!”
He sputters, “We…we don’t even know each other's names”
“Well, what’s your name then, Sourdog?” the squirrel peers at him.
“Derek. And I told you, I’m not a dog! I’m a w-”
“We are going to be the best pair of friends! Derek the Sour Dog & Stiles the Super Squirrel! And you’re going to help me store the most nuts, berries and acorns anyone ever has. With you, I’ll probably be able to go to those far away spots that no squirrel has ever been to. And no one would tease me for being incompetent. Awesome, awesome, awesome.”
I’m a wolf, for crying out loud!
Derek gives up, “What the hell is a stiles?”
“Ha, that’s me!” Stiles sits on his head and tugs on his fur. “Now off we go, c’mon. There are nuts that need to be collected!”
He grumbles but concedes.
After all, a wolf and a squirrel would make an interesting duo.