[Sterek] Cupboard Love (boyxboy) (complete)

Chapter 42

The trip back down to the park entrance is much quicker than the trip up, but Derek keeps hold of his hand the entire way, only letting go once they're at the truck. Stiles rambles nervously the entire way home, barely letting Derek get a word in edgewise until they pull up in front of his building. "I uh, had a good time," he manages to stutter out. "Thanks for showing me the park and bringing lunch and everything. I haven't been on a picnic maybe, uh, ever."

Derek seems more relaxed now, a little more comfortable in his seat. Stiles can't stop looking at him; at his broad shoulders, the few days worth of stubble built up on his face, the way his hair curls up and left over his forehead. He's beautiful and he might think Stiles is beautiful and that's almost too much to comprehend. Derek smiles, clearly pleased. "We should do it again sometime, then," he says.

"I-" Stiles almost actually asks if that's Derek asking him out on another (?) date, but bites his tongue. "Yeah, definitely. Sounds- that sounds great. Thanks for the ride home, I should -go. Yes. Thanks. Bye!" Stiles clambers out of the truck and looks back once he's got the key in the front door of his building but Derek is still there, watching to make sure he gets inside okay. He half trips over his own feet trying to wave casually and step inside at the same time and gets another one of those slow smiles again in return. It's a miracle that he makes it upstairs to his apartment without hurting himself.

Oh my god I think I just went on a date with Derek, he sends immediately to Lydia, flopping backwards onto his couch.

Duh. Did you make out? Was it great? Details. No- get on skype.

Collapsing into his desk chair, Stiles fires up skype and Lydia's call comes through almost instantly. "So? And? Details, Stiles." She's delicately painting the nails of one hand, so clearly none of this was a surprise to her.

"I didn't even know it was a date until it was almost over," Stiles groans, rubbing at his face. "I probably acted like an idiot! I just-" He stops. His hands smell like sunscreen a little, still. "Oh my god, he was flirting with me and I really, really didn't notice."

"Uh, yeah, you spent Christmas with his family. Even your dad knew."

"That explains so much about winter break. And makes it about eight times more embarrassing than it already was."

Lydia laughs at him, but she also listens while he tells her everything. "Yeah, you're definitely even dumber than I thought. Even Scott is better at this," she teases him.

"I'm not good at this! You know I'm not good at this!"

"Grow a pair, Stiles. You're into him, he is very clearly into you, and now that you know it, next time you can actually do something about it." She rolls her eyes at him but then stops and looks at him seriously. "Just do yourself a favour and relax the next time you see him, okay? Just be yourself. It's clearly worked so far."

Deep breaths, right. Stiles can do this.