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The thing is Derek doesn’t even care that much about superheroes. Ok, fine. Like everyone else in the world, he’s seen the Marvel franchise movies, and the Nolan Batman movies. And ok. They were fun, and cool, and he enjoyed them and he liked taking his nephew to see them. But he’s been working on his PhD in music theory and writing a symphony for the past four years, and before that he was dealing with his psycho ex and repairing his relationship with his family. There hasn’t been a lot of extra time in his life for developing a fanboy appreciation for much of anything.
Laura had been the one who loved comic books when they were kids, but Derek’s true love has always been music, first and foremost.
So when Laura drags him out of his house, ostensibly for some fresh air, after five solid days of working on his dissertation and composing, the outside world is making him feel a bit raw and comic book heroes are the absolutely last thing on his mind. He has two days left to finalize everything before submitting it to the committee, but Laura has never taken no as an answer and she wants to go shopping again for the baby who is seriously about to pop.
Laura takes him to a coffee shop first, because she isn’t stupid, and Derek spends a few minutes letting the smell of coffee wash over him, just standing with his eyes closed and trying not to think about the color pink and trying to drown out the wailing of the ridiculous pop song playing in the background. It’s not until a few minutes later that Derek realizes Laura has been talking to him this whole time.
“I just don’t get it!” Laura’s frustrated and Derek tries to get his brain back online.
“Don’t get what?” She glares at him.
“Are you even listening to me?”
Derek shrugs and Laura huffs a dramatic sigh. The line moves up a step. What is taking so long? Derek looks to the counter- training day. He tamps down on a long-suffering sigh.
“I’m talking about female representation in superhero movies, Derek! God, pay attention. Like, why can’t they make a Black Widow movie, for fuck’s sake?”
Derek shrugs again and says the first thing that pops to mind. God he is so tired. “Maybe there’s not a lot of interest?” Laura glares daggers at him and there’s an outraged noise from behind them. It’s a pale, lanky guy (gorgeous lips, sex hair, adorable nose, Derek’s brain catalogs) wearing plaid and thick glasses who seems embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping. Derek turns back to Laura. “I don’t know? Tell them to stop making stupid Spiderman movies and make a girl movie.” A louder outraged squawk. Derek doesn’t turn around this time. “Fuck, Laura, you know I don’t care about this crap.” He massages his temples where a headache is forming.
Laura’s glare doesn’t let up, but her lip starts to wobble. Shit. “You should care about it! I’m so mad at you, you never think about anything but you!” She smacks him in the chest with her purse and stalks away. Waddles away, Derek thinks meanly. Derek can feel all the eyes in the coffee shop turn to him.
“Laura!” He calls after her, torn between losing his place in this long-ass line and going after her. “Goddamnit.” He sees the bathroom door slam shut.
“Dude.” Pale guy is coldly disapproving. “You just really pissed off your girlfriend. That was a really shitty thing to say.”
Derek snarls. “It’s none of your fucking business.”
“Dude,” Pale guy purses his lips and raises a judging eyebrow.
“Don’t call me dude,” Derek grunts. The barista is having to show the floppy-haired new guy how to foam milk. He drops the cup. Fuck. Derek's headache throbs.
“She’s right though,” Pale guy is not letting this go. “There should be female superhero movies, seriously. And you shouldn’t discount her opinion, asshole.”
“I’m not discounting her opinion! I know girls are underrepresented and discriminated against and women are objectified in movies!” Derek’s had enough. He just wants coffee and to go home. Fuck Laura for making him leave his house. “I took her son to a 'Take back the night' rally two years ago when she couldn't be assed to go because she was watching Super Nanny! She’s pregnant and hormonal and picks causes just to yell at me about them! Last week she called and lectured me for three hours about male circumcision! Three fucking hours! It’s not like I can do anything about it, it’s not like they can reattach my foreskin at this point!”
Pale guy’s mouth drops open and his eyes go wide. Derek realizes he was shouting when he looks around and the coffee shop is dead silent. Fuck.
Laura comes back from the bathroom, eyes puffy from crying. She dabs at them with crumpled toilet paper, not noticing the awkward tension. “God, Derek. I’m so sorry for yelling at you. I know you’re busy with your dissertation, and working on the lullaby.” She rubs her about-to-pop baby bump. “I’m just so sad, what if she never gets to see a movie about Black Widow?” Laura starts sniffing again and Derek’s frustration wanes.
“Laura,” Derek says uncomfortably. He hates this. “You didn’t have a strong female superhero on tv growing up and you’re the strongest person I know. She’ll have you as a role model, just like Trever does.” Laura bursts into tears and hugs Derek awkwardly around the baby bump. He pats her head. “Besides, they’re bound to make one eventually.”
“You’re the best brother ever!” She wails, sniffling again. “I’m gonna call Mark and tell him you’re the best.” She pats his chest and waddles to the door. “I want a blueberry muffin, Der-Bear! And the baby wants one too!” The little bells on the door mock him as it closes behind her.
Derek runs his hand through his messy hair and exhales loudly. He has a wet patch on his shirt, it looks like drool. Ugh.
“So,” Pale guy says slowly. “I’m sorry I called you an asshole. I'm Stiles.” His cheeks are pale pink and he bites his lip. Derek feels his brain short-circuit, thinking about those lips. He nods and moves up in the line.
“It’s fine. I’m not usually so-” Derek gestures at his head, words failing completely. “My name's Derek. It’s been a long week.”
“Yeah, she mentioned- dissertation?”
Derek nods. “Music theory. It’s due on Friday.” Stiles whistles, impressed. Derek keeps rambling. “And I’m writing a lullaby for the baby- I did for her first kid, so it’s tradition at this point.”
“Wow.” Derek moves up. Only two more people in front of him. “So…. you think Spiderman is stupid?” Derek groans. Stiles looks at him, amused.
"I don't care about superheroes, that's Laura's thing. I mean, I take her son to see them when Laura and Mark want a date night, but that's about it."
"Next time you should take me along," Stiles says coyly. Derek turns pink. "Or to dinner?"
"What? Why? I-I mean-" Derek splutters.
Stiles smiles widely and Derek's heart thumps. “I mean, I already feel like I know your dick, dude.”