Those hot summer days where you don’t feel like doing anything but lazing in front of a fan always remind Stiles of his mom.
She’d put on “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star. Saying that the slow, languorous beat of the song, the lazy vocals, just said ’lazy summer day’. So they’d sit and listen to the entire album. Not doing much. Just being together.
On the whole, Stiles wasn’t good at being still and quiet. It had been worse when he was young. But on those hot days, even he didn’t want to move around a lot. Then there was the special time he had with his mom. They didn’t do it often. Maybe once or twice a summer.
They were some of the best days he had with her.
The day was scorching hot and it had Stiles thinking of his mom. He was going to the loft to spend another day looking for Boyd and Erica. Probably pointless but neither of them was willing to give up.
Sure, they said they were leaving. But after Stiles had told Derek about the basement they both wanted to be sure. If they left, okay.
If they hadn’t…
It was a shock to hear the slow beat of “Fade Into You” when he entered the loft. Derek was shirtless – because of course he was but at least it made sense when it was this hot – and just sort of lying on the probably cooler concrete floor, fan blowing over him.
He didn’t even lift his head to look at Stiles. Didn’t growl. Didn’t say anything.
Stiles walked in. Closed the door. Pulled off his own shirt. Laid down beside Derek.
Didn’t say a word.
This was quiet time for Stiles.
He wasn’t sure what it meant, sharing this with Derek. Obviously, there was no way that Derek could know what it meant to Stiles.
He could feel tears at the corner of his eyes.
Stiles didn’t cry.
But he felt Derek’s hand cover his. Give it a squeeze.
Stiles thought it was odd, how reminiscent this moment was of when they’d been paralyzed by the kanima.
How it echoed the odd intimacy.
(But infinitely more so, since there was no danger. Just the sultry beat of the music.)
Stiles squeezed Derek’s hand back.
It was warm. Comforting.
He thought about otters holding hands. Making sure they didn’t float away on the sea.
Anchoring each other.