[Sterek] Cupboard Love (boyxboy) (complete)

Chapter 15

The high beep of the timer wakes Stiles up not long before people will probably start showing up, so Stiles pulls the turkey out to rest and wakes his dad up to put the finishing touches on all the food. Stiles toasts thinly sliced almonds and tosses them in with the green beans, squeezing fresh lemon juice on top before moving on to the mashed potatoes.

When he made the beef bourguignon for Derek he'd kept the potatoes fairly simple because they were really just a complement to the main dish, but these are Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes and they're a whole different beast. These potatoes are hand mashed by his dad while Stiles gradually adds salted butter, milk, dill, garlic, chives, and a little bit of cheese to the bowl. With the skins still on, the contents of the bowl are a mix of red and gold, with bits of green from the dill and chives. They look appropriately festive, like the changing leaves outside.

"Oh my god," Scott says, managing to sneak up on both Stiles and his dad, "That smells amazing. Is it almost ready? When are we eating? Alison brought wine."

"Yeah, I missed you, too, jerkwad," Stiles teases. "You can help out by taking the turkey and stuff out to the table."

"Oh yeah! Welcome back." Scott wraps his arms around Stiles in a backwards hug before moving the food. Allison and Mrs. McCall bring in a stockpile of drinks and both hug Stiles hello. While they're catching up, Danny and Lydia finally arrive and they can all sit down to eat.

His dad raises his glass and everyone at the table follows suit. "It's not often that all of us can be together at the same time. I'm always grateful to have Stiles around, even when he's cooking me out of house and home."

"Hey!" Stiles interjects, but they're all laughing.

"I just wanted to say thank you," his dad continues, "To all of you for being a part of our family. And for helping us eat all of this. New uniform pants are expensive. To family," he finishes, and after a clumsy series of clinking wine glasses, they settle into passing dishes around the table and heaping their plates high.

"Hey, I should say thanks," Stiles turns to Scott once they're all eating and chatting amiably, "I got a call from that ad in the paper, and it's working out pretty well. Actual spending money, you know?"

Scott glances over to make sure Allison is engrossed in her conversation with Danny and Lydia. "I've been saving all mine up. For, you know." He waggles his eyebrows.

"Already? Whoa, that's-" Stiles lowers his voice. "That's awesome. You're going to propose?"

Scott nods. "Doc Deaton gave me a raise. I mean, I'll never be a vet, but it's a good place to work and I'm happy, you know?"

"Hey, it's an awesome job," Stiles agrees. He knows Deaton pays Scott more than most people pay a veterinary assistant, but it's a small town and the two of them basically run the whole vet clinic on their own. "Good luck with- with the thing I will now not talk about until it's done."

Laughing, Scott kicks his foot under the table. "Thanks, man."