[Sterek] Cupboard Love (boyxboy) (complete)

Chapter 33

They take a break halfway through decorating for lunch when David calls everyone into the kitchen for cheddar-dill scones and a sharp carrot soup. They crowd around the kitchen table, jostling each other for seats and passing spoons down the line.

The soup is delicious, smooth and warm and filling, perfect for the kind of winter northern California gets, more like fall everywhere else, and Stiles breaks off a piece of his savory scone for dipping. "This is amazing," he tells David once he's swallowed. "Would you trade me this recipe, too?"

Laughing, David agrees. "I'll give you this one for free," he says, "or in exchange for putting up with this lot."

"So why the rule about not moving decorations," Stiles asks after he's eaten a bit more.

"Some people," Becca says, rolling her eyes, "have very strong opinions about whether tree decorations should be placed symmetrically or asymmetrically."

Laurell smiles wryly. "After a few years of listening to them duke it out we put the rule in place. Everyone puts whatever they want on the tree wherever they want and no one else is allowed to re-arrange it when everyone else is sleeping."

"Seriously," Alex pouts into her soup, "It was only once! Some of us are perfectionists."

"Some of us are crazy-cakes," Becca clarifies and takes an elbow to the side in retaliation. "And the rest of us just want our hideous photo ornaments put at the back of the tree."

Using the last bit of scone, Stiles mops up the remaining soup from his bowl and hums thoughtfully. "You're all pretty lucky though, to even have that fight. Lydia - one of my best friends - her parents hire a professional tree decorator every year. No personal decorations, just some kind of theme based on whatever is in fashion. Is there Christmas fashion? I guess there has to be."

"You know," David says thoughtfully, "maybe you can bring your friend Lydia next year. If we haven't scared you off before then, that is."

"I- thanks," Stiles stutters out, not sure how to respond. "Next year," he nods and can't help but glance over at Derek, who is watching him very seriously. Stiles jerks his gaze back to his empty bowl. "Can I help clean up?"

"Nope, but you can help us finish decorating," Laura says firmly, ushering Stiles back into the living room. "I'll even let you hang up some of my favorites."

Which is how twenty minutes later, trying to adjust the lights around an aluminum snowman, Stiles comes face to face with what has to be one of Derek's mandatory middle school portraits, and freezes. I'm not supposed to see this, he thinks frantically for a second but it's kind of swept aside by how genuinely cute Derek had been back then. Why would he be embarrassed about it?

He's thinner in the picture, bright eyed and grinning, and his hair is spiked up with gel, making his ears stick out from the sides of his head. "Jeez, are all of you guys stupid attractive? My seventh grade photo is all acne and braces," Stiles can't help but wonder and then claps a hand over his mouth. He really, really wasn't supposed to say that out loud. Very quickly he can feel his ears heating up - his face must be on fire.

"That's adorable," Elliot says, pausing stretched tall above Stiles where he was hanging some more snowflakes. "but I'm pretty sure everyone hates their middle school photo. Derek always tries to hide that one at the back of the tree."

"I don't know why," Laurell huffs, "I love that photo of you!" She pats Derek affectionately on the cheek and the look on his face is half embarrassed, half pleased.

"Yeah, I think you're just blinded by love there, mom," Laura drawls, and for some reason that makes Derek flush. Now that he knows what to look for Stiles can see where Derek filled out, his face wider and sharper, his hair longer so his ears don't stick out as much. Middle school Derek was cute; now Derek is devastating, but Stiles would love to see him smile more like he does in the old photo.