[Sterek] Cupboard Love (boyxboy) (complete)

Chapter 36

The last few days go by in a flurry of ill-advised online after-Christmas specials, video games, and spending some time with Scott, Danny, and Allison. They spend New Year's Eve at Danny's place laughing and talking and playing a dance game on the kinect. They almost miss the countdown. Soon enough it's January third and Stiles packs up his life into a backpack and a duffle bag and sets them down inside the kitchen door.

"All set?" his dad asks.

"Yeah, I think I've got everything. Even remembered my toothbrush this time."

Stepping forward from where he was leaning against the counter, his dad crosses the room and pulls him into an unexpected hug and sighs. "Just... call more often, okay? If you need anything, or even if you don't need anything. I like knowing what you're up to once in awhile."

Stiles laughs into his shoulder. "I'll do my best, promise. I just got - caught up, I guess."

"Yeah, yeah, I've been to college, you know. I know what it's like," his dad says. "Partying until 3 am, half-assing a paper at 9 am..."

Stiles pulls back from the hug to make a face. "Dad, I don't know how to tell you this, but it's 2012 and I have a scholarship. I don't get to live the life of a party-animal rookie. And when I stay up until 3 am it's usually playing Warcraft."

"Just say no to drugs," his dad replies very seriously, and they both laugh until there's a knock at the door.

Derek has his leather jacket on for once, and a scarf that looks homemade, but no gloves. "It's good to see you again, sir," he says, shaking hands with Stiles' dad.

"Thanks for driving Stiles and Lydia back," he replies. "It would have been pretty tough for me to switch shifts around at the last minute. We really appreciate it."

Visibly resisting shrugging, Derek shakes his head. "I'm headed back there anyway, it's really no trouble. And-" he pauses, darts a quick glance at Stiles, then back to his dad, "Stiles is a great person. I like spending time with him."

Smiling widely, his dad claps Derek on the shoulder, hard. "I'm glad we agree on that." He turns back to Stiles. "You sure you've got everything?"

"If I don't," Stiles says, bending down to shoulder his bags, "I've just gotta come back at some point whenever the Jeep is fixed, so I'll grab it then. Thanks for everything, Dad." They hug again, awkward and one-handed around Stiles' bags, before stepping outside.

Except instead of the Camaro Stiles is expecting, it looks like Derek drove there in a blue double-cab truck. "...did you seriously get a new car for Christmas?" he asks. "Who even are you?"

Derek shifts on his feet a little. "No, I bought it from Elliot. Seemed like it was time to give Laura her car back. She's been whining about it a lot. And this seemed more practical." He's got his serious face on, so Stiles knows that even if at least some of that is bullshit there's no sense questioning him. He doesn't know why some of it was bullshit, but Stiles is not the son of the Sheriff for nothing. By the look on his dad's face, they've both picked up on it.

"Hold on a sec, if you don't mind, Derek," his dad says thoughtfully. "Do you have room in the back for some more things?"

"Of course," Derek says, sneakily stealing Stiles' bags and tossing them in the flatbed. "I'll help you grab them."

Stiles is left standing by the truck gaping, wondering when Derek and his dad started teaming up to manage him.