[Sterek] Cupboard Love (boyxboy) (complete)

Chapter 39

It takes him twenty minutes the next morning to dig up his hiking boots, but he does find them eventually. Stiles has no idea what you're supposed to wear or bring to go hiking. It's not even really hiking since the forest is pretty flat, but he debates bringing a bag with his water bottle and snacks and maybe a knife, just in case they have to fight a bear. Are there bears in California? Stiles has no idea.

This is a pop quiz! Are there bears in California? he sends to Lydia.

Yes. Also quit using me to stop freaking out about your date. Get pretty instead.

It's not a date! he texts back, but then spends five minutes googling what to do if a bear attacks and just gets confused by conflicting information.

The good news is that at least he's already dressed and just freaking out quietly in front of his computer when his phone buzzes with another text.

Come downstairs, I'm out front.

Stiles reminds himself to relax, that Derek just wants him to get some sun exposure or something, grabs his keys and heads downstairs and hops into the truck. "Just out of curiosity," Stiles says instead of hello, "if a bear attacks us, can you fight it off with your bare hands? Or should we just lie down and play dead?"

The look Derek gives him is remarkably unimpressed. "It's not called Wildcat Canyon because it's full of bears."

"Hey, I'm usually a nature-adjacent kind of guy, how was I supposed to know? But I clearly should have googled 'wildcat attack' instead."

Derek snorts. "You're more likely to step on a snake or scare off a skunk," he says, and once Stiles has buckled in, pulls smoothly out into traffic. "Got you a coffee," he adds, nodding to the cup in the center console. It's from the hipster place around the corner, and when Stiles takes a sip it's his usual.

"Oh my god, thank you," he moans into the cup, curling his fingers around it reverently.

"Any time," Derek replies, but he sounds a little hoarse. Must have been up late the night before or something.