Snippet Sunday
I was tagged into WIP Wednesday earlier this week by the always amazing @dear-massacre & @seaweed-water ❤️ I know I'm delivering a little late - but here's a snippet from the upcoming chapter three of my Sterek High School AU, call it off!
“The big fucking deal,” Lydia says through gritted teeth, “is that you’ve made us come to Theo fucking Raeken’s house just so that you can get some goddamn dick.”
And that, of course, is the exact moment Derek Hale chooses to walk into the room.
Instantly, his eyes are on Stiles. There is sharpness there, an intensity clouded in the pale light of his irises, and Stiles knows, immediately and implicitly, that he heard those words from Lydia, that there is no chance in hell that sentiment slipped over his head. He does not look happy it, either; not one fucking bit.
The plastic cup in Stiles’ grip crumples, slightly, with the twitch of his fingers. His cheeks flare with heat as he finds himself utterly, hopelessly incapable of looking away.
Derek’s feet move slowly as he walks over, walks towards their corner, his face twisted into a frown harsh enough to wrinkle up to his hairline. His eyes stay locked on Stiles, and only Stiles, with each and every step. Stiles tips his chin up into the air even as his skin flushes and his stomach sinks down to the soles of his feet.
Coming to a stop directly in front of them, Derek sets his shoulders back, his expression never loosening, never relaxing. He is not wearing his letterman jacket, Stiles cannot help but notice. That probably means it must be adorning Paige’s pretty little shoulders right now.
“Hi,” Derek says tightly.
No further words follow. His eyes do not leave Stiles. Tension is a thickness in the air that crawls under Stiles’ skin.
Lydia has always been smart, has always been perceptive, so it is no surprise at all to Stiles when she quickly turns to him with a crease between her eyebrows, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. Scott, thankfully, is still looking ahead at Derek as though nothing is amiss, as though nothing is strange or uncomfortable in the aura surrounding this interaction.
Stiles can only hold his breath and pray to god that Scott manages to speak first.
“Hey,” Scott says cheerily, thank god, thank god. “Good to see you, man.”
For less than a second, Derek’s eyes flick over to Scott. His gaze is right back onto Stiles before he even begins to speak in reply.
“Sure,” he says flatly. “Didn’t think you’d actually come.”
“Stiles insisted,” Lydia chimes in.
If she notices the way a muscle ticks in Derek’s jaw, notices it in the same way that Stiles immediately does – she does not say anything. Her eyes do narrow, though, and there is a refreshed sort of scrutiny to the purse of her mouth as she darts her gaze between them.
“Oh, yeah,” Scott grins, like this is all some big joke, like they are all in on it together. “Any chance your girlfriend’s cousin is around already? Stiles is dying to meet him.”
Derek’s mouth does not turn into anything even resembling a smile in return. He stares, long and hard and silent, at Stiles, his eyes never moving, his intensity never wavering. It is so horribly, palpably uncomfortable that even Scott begins to pick up on the vibe, his face falling out of the ease of his smile, his head swivelling between Stiles and Derek as his face screws into confusion.
He is not given the time to unpuzzle anything, though. Before anyone has the chance to say another word, Paige is bounding in to join them.
“Stiles!” Her smile is a thousand watts as she presses herself up against Derek’s side. His letterman jacket is the perfect complement over her summer dress. “You’re finally here!”
It takes a sharp breath and a ripple through his shoulders for Stiles to be able throw on a smile of his own. However forced that smile may be.
“I’m finally here,” he parrots back.
“Come on.” She uncurls her grip from her boyfriend’s arm to reach out for Stiles, wrapping those same delicate fingers around his wrist and beginning to tug him away. “Let me introduce you to Luke. He’s so excited to meet you.”
