[Sterek] Cupboard Love (boyxboy) (complete)

Chapter 20

Three hours later, exhausted, Stiles slumps in the back seat and says, "Have you ever just considered hiring a decorator?"

"Never," Derek says immediately, as if they haven't just combed through every furniture store they could find. To be fair, Stiles is only really familiar with Ikea and Derek wasn't kidding when he said Laura hated shopping. She had practically hissed at one of the sales people in the last store.

"Derek's too much of a control freak to let someone else decorate his place." Turning around to peer at Stiles over her seat she continues, "Seriously, I think he built those bookshelves in the library by hand because he probably didn't like anything in a store."

The tips of Derek's ears turn red. "Shut up. Stiles, where do you want to go for lunch?"

"Uh, Gregoire's is good, and it's cheap, too. It's on Walnut."

By the time they get there it's packed, but a group of people are just leaving one of the benches outside and Stiles throws himself at it before anyone else can move in for the kill. "Do you know what you want, Stiles? We can order if you can hold the seats."

"Buttermilk chicken, please! And you should ask for an order of the potato puffs, trust me." Laura and Derek disappear in under the blue awning and soon enough Derek comes back out and swings his long legs over the bench, crowding his knees up against Stiles'.

"Sorry," Derek apologizes but Stiles shrugs it off.

"Don't worry about it; it's part of the experience." It's December and it's forty degrees out and Stiles still hasn't swapped out his fall jacket for a good winter coat. He rubs his hands up and down his thighs to warm them up and hunches his shoulders a little against the breeze.

"You're cold."

"I'm fine, I just didn't - what are you doing?" It looks like Derek is shrugging off his leather jacket and standing up, holding it out.

"Take it. I like the cold, and you're shivering," he says, offering it again. His face is serious and steady, and Stiles knows suddenly that Derek will just stand there offering his coat until Stiles actually takes it.

So he does. Stiles reaches out and takes it, slipping it on over his own light jacket. It's warm and heavy, and when he adjusts the collar he smells Derek: masculine and steady. "Thanks," he says bashfully. The sleeves are a little long; perfect while they wait for Laura with their food. Derek sits back down without breaking eye contact with Stiles.

"Any time."

"Oh, were you cold, Stiles?" Laura slides their food onto the table and folds her legs over the bench with the kind of grace Stiles has always fallen short of. "I see Derek managed to pull out his rusty chivalry for you at least. Obviously you're an excellent influence on him."

"I'm not - he-" Stiles sighs and just grabs his food. "Derek's great. Thanks, Derek. I'll give it back to you as soon as we're in the car, I swear."

Derek hasn't even opened his food yet, seemingly torn between scowling at his sister and glancing back at Stiles. "I'm in no hurry."