canon au } { post-3a finale, of dracula and frankenstein

[ooglyboogleys]

Derek: [doing this. ]

Dawn: [that is cheating. ahem. But aside from that she's just walking back in from fetching coffee and ... stops to watch because she's not blind nor a lesbian and all of that is very relevant to her interests. Man does she need to get laid.]

Derek: [is counting in his head and doesn't notice Dawn until he hits his number and drops down. He was going to change into pushups but he notices Dawn and well... misses the floor with his hands. but his face? totally catches it.]

Dawn: Oh my God! [the coffee finds a nearby table and she's moving closer to help him up and sweat should not be this attractive on anyone] Sorry! I didn't mean to sneak up on you.

Derek: [manages to push himself up. Thank god for rapid healing because just, ow. He rubs at his nose, trying to stop the nosebleed] No, it's okay. I should have been paying attention.

Dawn: [she nods and lets him do that and keeps her hands to herself] I just ... brought coffee. [loooooong pause of awkward] And now I should probably ... let you get back to it.

Derek: [he wrinkles his nose as it's better now] No, I think I'm done for now. You said something about coffee?

Dawn: Yep. [smiles before picking up the tray and turning the end with his in his direction]

Derek: [pulls himself up and takes the coffee] You are seriously the best. Thank you. [he takes a long sip. Yup, still shirtless]

Dawn: [she hates you.] Always happy to provide caffeine. It is one of the essential food groups.

Derek: [no she doesn't. anyway he's completely oblivious. he goes around shirtless all the time at home]

Dawn: [no, really, so much hate. She swallows a bit before taking a sip of her coffee and deciding to look ... anywhere else.] So what are you up to today?

Derek: I, um... I was actually thinking about researching. Berkeley.

Dawn: [perks up a bit] Really?

Derek: [takes another sip] I know when I go back, I'm going to check in on Scott. But I think I need to find something for me to have in my life too. I spent too long hiding.

Dawn: [super pleased] That's really good, Derek.

Derek: I don't know what I want to do, but I can see what they offer and think on it at least.

Dawn: If you want to sit in on some of my classes or something, I can drag you with me.

Derek: We'll see.

Dawn: [nods a bit, taking a sip of her coffee] And Berkeley has some really great programs.

Derek: I guess I need to figure out what I want to be. Since, you know, king of the werewolves didn't work out so well. [there is a small smirk]

Dawn: [she laughs] Plus from what I've heard, that pays really terribly.

Derek: [smiles] And the work conditions were pretty hazardous.

Dawn: Probably for the best that you're looking for new employment.

Derek: Probably. [he takes another long sip of the coffee]

Dawn: [does the same, not really sure where to take the conversation after this] Is Buffy still hounding you about patrolling?

Derek: A bit. I think she's just going to keep trying until I go out with her.

Dawn: It's really not so bad. Half the time she doesn't even have to kill anything.

Derek: [eyebrow raised]

Dawn: Patrols are kind of like police patrols. Sometimes all you do is sit around and eat donuts - metaphorically speaking - and sometimes you have to break up a bar fight.

Derek: Okay. So it could be donuts, or it could be stabbings. Got it.

Dawn: Yep. I think you might even have fun.

Derek: We should be careful about that. Anytime I have something resembling good luck or a good time, I get shot.

Dawn: [she winces] Ouch.

Derek: Welcome to the last few years of my life.

Dawn: Well, hopefully things will start getting better.

Derek: Hopefully.

Dawn: [and ... more silence as she tries to figure out where to go next]

Derek: [finishes his coffee and goes to toss out the cup] Are those all for you, or should you get the rest of those to the people who were hoping for hot drinks?

Dawn: [glances to the cups in her hand and blinks] Oh! Right. I should ... go do that.

Derek: [smiles to himself as she goes off, deciding to grab a towel and hit the showers]

Dawn: [after distributing coffee with minimal snark for the temperature, Dawn is back to work on her thesis, wanting to get as much work done as possible while she didn't have to worry about TA-ing. She has her headphones in and is curled up on a very comfortable couch with her laptop, books strewn around her in every direction.]

Derek: [he had showered, checked his e-mail and played around a bit on the internet - he was still learning that thing - and finally got hungry and headed to the kitchen. He walked past the room, saw Dawn in her little corner of the couch, watched her a moment, then left. He returned ten minutes later seeing her unmoved and held out a sandwich and apple]

Dawn: [it takes a second for her to notice the intrusions in her line of vision, before smiling and reaching out to take the apple from him] Thanks.

Derek: Sandwich too. You need protein. [says the wolf]

Dawn: [nods a bit, before taking a bit of the apple] Just gonna eat this first.

Derek: [just stands there, holding the plate with the sandwich then because there are papers and important to Dawn stuff on every surface.]

Dawn: [it takes her a second of chewing before that occurs to her and she reaches forward to shuffle things around, clearing a spot for him to sit on the couch]

Derek: [he doesn't realize it's for him to sit, and instead puts the plate there] Let me know if you need more. [and he turns to leave]

Dawn: What? [she reaches forward and moves the plate] No, sit.

Derek: [confused look, but he goes to sit.]

Dawn: If you're going to make me eat you might as well sit and talk to me while I do.

Derek: [goes to sit, then looks at the papers.] Okay. What are you researching?

Dawn: The influence of supernatural dynamics throughout history. [she pauses] My Masters is in folklore and occult history. I'm basically writing about how the perils of the time influence the ideas of the supernatural that appear in literature and movies, etc, etc.

Derek: Oh. [wonders what that kind of degree is used for] Sounds complicated.

Dawn: [being a Watcher] Not really. It's actually kind of fun. Especially considering I've met Dracula, and I'm pretty sure he enthralled Bram Stoker into writing things the way he did.

Derek: [eyebrows raise] Dracula?

Dawn: Oh yeah. He and my sister totally have a thing.

Derek: [both eyebrows go up now]

Dawn: [smirks] A thing where Buffy doesn't kill him so long as he comes around and makes himself useful every once in a while. And doesn't eat anyone.

Derek: [expression doesn't change] You're messing with me, right?

Dawn: Not even a little.

Derek: [...... nope. can't even]

Dawn: [grins unrepentantly.]

Derek: Has she meet Dr. Frankenstein too?

Dawn: [opens her mouth to say no, then pauses] ... I wonder if Dr. Walsh would count?

Derek: [aaaaand he stands up] Alright, I think I'm done.

Dawn: [laughs] She didn't resurrect the dead. She just ... built a super demon out of other demons parts.

Derek: Because that's any better.

Dawn: [she shrugs] It's not. But it's still dead, and so is she.

Derek: [ok, he has to ask] Did her creation kill her?

Dawn: Don't know. Never asked for the details. [a beat] I was thirteen at the time?