[Sterek] Cupboard Love (boyxboy) (complete)

Chapter 16

After dinner everyone stumbles into the living room clutching plates of pumpkin or apple pie with the vanilla whipped cream Stiles made earlier, collapsing onto couches for the next football game. Now that they've loosened up, Stiles notices that Mrs. McCall is sharing the love seat with his dad. It's nice, that they've found each other. Stiles knows they'll both always miss his mom, but she's been gone for a long time now.

Their family has expanded over the years, and this is it for now, these people half asleep in front of a football game in his living room on a Thursday evening. Lydia and Danny and Scott and Allison. Five years ago he couldn't have imagined it and now he wouldn't have it any other way.

Stiles falls asleep like that, squished between Lydia and Danny on the couch, his feet numb under Scott's butt. It's kind of beautiful.

***

Friday his dad has to work the morning shift but says he'll be back around dinner time for leftovers and another holiday weekend food coma. Stiles spends most of the day playing board games with everyone at Danny's place, but heads home early since he's almost never home.

"You've got mail, kid," his dad calls out when he gets home, "From the Hales. Want to tell me what that's about? My deputy hand delivered this to me at the station after lunch."

"Your deputy?" Stiles asks instead of responding.

"Laura Hale."

"Oh, Derek's sister." At his dad's raised eyebrow Stiles explains about the ad and how he's been cooking for Derek lately. "Just a few weeks so far. But this is weird, huh?" The envelope is made out of a thick, cream-coloured stock and his name - his full, actual name - is on the front in smooth, rounded cursive.

Carefully, Stiles peels back the flap and pulls out a thank you card on similar stock.

Dear Stiles, it reads,

Thank you so much for looking after our Derek. It means a lot to me to know that he's being well-fed even away from home. If it were up to my son I know he'd probably live on smoothies and forget what real food tastes and smells like. Your cooking must be something very special, the way Derek described it to us. I hope you'll continue to look after him.

Yours,

Laurell Hale

"Stiles," his dad says slowly from where he was reading over his shoulder, "...did you get married? I'd really like to know if I missed the wedding."

Stiles feels himself turn horribly bright red and there's nothing he can do about it. "Dad! No! Jeez! Seriously, his fridge was basically empty. His mom is probably just really, weirdly, kind of awkwardly grateful that someone is feeding him, even if they're getting paid for it."

"Uh huh." He's clearly unconvinced, and definitely giving Stiles the I'm The Sheriff I Know Everything look, but mercifully changes topics to the best way to fry up some bubble and squeak with the leftovers.

***

Lydia spends half the drive to Oakland Airport reading Stiles trivia from the books they had picked up on the way north. "I'm leaving these with you so you can quiz me over skype," she says, tucking them into his backpack and then rooting through it. "Oh, Stiles, is this a love letter? On paper and everything; that's old fashioned."

Stiles almost swerves off the road. "What! No! Put that back!" Too late. Lydia pulls Mrs. Hale's card out and skims it quickly. "Anything you want to tell me?"

"Uh... his mom thinks he can't take care of himself? But I'm pretty sure my dad feels the same way about me and I'm totally fine. Mostly fine. Usually fine most of the time. Sort of."

Lydia snorts. "Cute. Well at least his family knows you'll be able to provide a solid home-life for him. I'm sure you'll have an excellent relationship with your in-laws."

Stiles would bury his face in his hands if he wasn't driving but instead he just groans. "Look I know... I know I talk about him a lot-"

"Constantly."

"Okay, fine, constantly. And I know I told you that he's really attractive-"

"Fire volcano god hot, you said. Fireman calendar material."

"Right, but the thing is it's not like anything is actually going to happen, okay? He's gorgeous and a millionaire who runs a charity foundation but won't upgrade his computer, and I'm just... I'm just a skinny undergrad he pays to bring him some food every week. It's not- there's nothing happening there, okay? It's just really, really incredibly unlikely." Stiles avoids thinking about that part, mostly.

His hopeless crush on Derek is a lot like his hopeless crush on Lydia in high school. Maybe one day he and Derek will be actual friends instead of just customer and cook, but it won't be a happy ending with hearts and flowers and hot sweaty man sex or anything. It never is for Stiles. He just needs to focus on his degree and keeping himself in coffee and a Playstation Plus membership. He needs to be realistic.

"Stiles," Lydia says softly, but he doesn't look away from the tail lights of the car in front of them.

"Can we not talk about it? Please?"

She sighs. "Just this once."