Who: Stiles and Kate What: Reunited When: When she returned from 1972 Where: Sidewalk outside Kate’s place, etc. Warning: Low/None Status: Completed via Gdoc
Kate felt embarrassed. She knew she shouldn’t--she knew it wasn’t her fault, that none of it could be avoided--and yet she still felt sheepish for having been zapped back in time. There were others there with her, so she’d never really been alone… though she couldn’t stand still. She felt restless, desperate to get back to her own time. To get back to her dog and her job and… well, other things.
Now that she was back, she was both relieved and awkward. She picked up her dog from Kristoff and Sven (with many, many “thank you”s for helping care for Lucky), and groveled for Linda’s forgiveness for just disappearing from her daily nanny duties. The only other person she was desperate to reconnect with was Stiles. So she texted him when she was back, and asked if he wanted to hang out.
Kate grabbed Lucky’s leash and headed outside to meet him. They could walk the dog, talk, catch up.
***
As soon as Stiles got the text, he was on his feet and out the door, ready to meet wherever she wanted to, whenever she wanted to. He’d been panicked by her absence, afraid that the Angels had hurt her, or that she’d actually been sent home for good. Either of those was entirely unacceptable.
The message was a great relief.
Standing outside the apartments, he saw Lucky before he saw Kate, but as soon as she came into view, his eyes widened, and he hurried to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
“You’re okay!”
***
Kate wasn't the only one excited to see Stiles. Lucky's tail started thrashing back and forth, and he whined a little, desperate for the attention of the man now wrapping his arms around Kate.
"I'm okay," Kate repeated after him, lifting arms to hold him just as tightly. Her face pressed into his neck and she breathed him in. "I'm back."
Kate felt like she might have burst into tears at the swell of emotions within her. Thankfully he held on tight, so Kate's weak knees didn't betray her.
***
After a moment of the tightest hug he’d ever given, he took a step back and looked at her.
“I looked for you, we all did. Search parties. I tried to figure out where you’d gone and I couldn’t. I don’t think I slept the whole time.”
He was speaking so fast that it was almost hard to get every word.
***
It may have been the tightest hug Kate had ever received. That tight hug, and the fact that he was speaking so fast, made Kate’s heart swell. She felt absolutely terrible that he’d gone through all of that. She never would have wanted that.
“I’m sorry,” Kate gave a little shake of her head, still close to him, even though the hug had ended. “I’m so sorry. I never would have left if I could help it.”
***
“I know. I know. I’ve been the one who disappeared and I didn’t mean to upset everyone either.” But it had happened and there’d been no way to avoid it.
He hugged her again, as If afraid she was going to disappear.
“Where did you go?”
***
Kate responded by wrapping her arms around him and cuddling in close. It was a little surprising (but also a little heart-warming) how comfortable she felt around him. How much she fancied him. She was content to simply stand in his arms, face tucked up against his neck, breathing him in.
“1972, if you can believe it,” she said, finally pulling back out of his arms to look up at him. “Disco and polyester and rollerskates. It was a trip. What’d I miss while I was gone?”
***
“1972,” his eyes went wide. “So…did you do a lot of Disco and Polyester and stuff? Or what happened to you while you were there?” It didn’t seem horrible. It didn’t seem like she’d really been hurt by anyone, and that was good. But still, it must have been so odd to be transferred away from your home like that.
“I’m glad you’re back. Really glad.” He paused. “Do you want to come back to my house? We can order a pizza or something.”
***
“I did.” Kate grinned an almost embarrassed grin. “Can’t you picture it? Me in Goodwill-purchased go-go boots, bell bottoms, polyester tops. It was a nightmare, and I kinda loved it?” She said the last bit with a raise in her voice and a crinkle on her nose.
“Yes please.” She took hold of his hand with her free one, Lucky’s leash in the other. “So long as Lucky can come along. Poor dog. When I first got back he went absolutely nuts.”
***
“Of course he can. We’ve got a nice yard for him to play in, even.” Scott’s house was a whole lot cooler than he’d ever believed they’d live in. It was huge and had a great yard and a great view and it had all sorts of witch protections all over it. He liked living there.
“Well, we could go home and watch Saturday Night Fever or Dirty Dancing or something if you miss it?”
He was mostly teasing, but if she actually did want to watch one of those things, he was totally okay with it.
***
Lucky hopped up and fell into step beside them, staring up at Kate with adoring eyes. He was much better behaved lately than he’d been in a while, and Kate was pleased about that. (Not that he was ever naughty, just… strong willed.)
Kate gave a little scoff of a laugh. “No. Absolutely not. I’ve had enough disco to last… well, maybe not a lifetime, but most of one.” She squeezed his hand. “Nah, let’s watch something really scary so I have an excuse to cuddle up against you.” She went slightly pink. “...if that’s okay with you.”
***
“Sure. We can watch something scary. But just a warning? I’m a huge wimp. Like…HUGE wimp. I’ll probably be cuddling up against you just as much.”
He didn’t usually watch scary movies for that reason. He’d been through some terrifying stuff but that didn’t mean that he liked it. And, well, he’d been known to faint if things got too bad.
***
Kate laughed again. “Well, you know I’ll hate that.” Totally teasing. Actually, cuddling up against him would be amazing. It was pretty much all she thought about when she was stuck in the 1970s wishing she could go home. Thinking about him and Lucky and Clint was what kept her going. Not that she’d tell him that. It sounded… desperate. Stalkerish. They’d only gone out a few times and spent the night together once, right? …even though it was pretty amazing.
“Okay, maybe not super scary. What about creepy? Something suspenseful?”
***
“Suspenseful I can do,” he said, jumping at the chance to watch something other than a horror movie. Because he was not good with horror movies and it would definitely cost him his manhood if he fainted in front of her. Okay, not really guys were allowed to be afraid of stuff too, but still. He would have been pretty embarrassed.
“With pizza and sodas and ice cream and whatever else we find we want at the store?”
***
Kate grinned. “Honestly, whatever you want to watch is fine with me. So long as you don’t mind me being as close as possible.” There she was, acting all clingy and desperate all over again.
“Yes,” she nodded enthusiastically. Dinner and a movie? Yes, please. “Easter’s coming up… what’s your opinion on Cadbury eggs?”
***
“Do you really think that I’m going to mind that?” He wasn’t crazy, after all. Well, maybe he was a little. But he wasn’t going there right now.
“Cadbury eggs?” He tilted his head a little. “Do you mean the ones filled with gooey candy egg parts or the little colored ones that are crunchy? Not that it matters because I seriously like both of them.”
***
“I really hope not,” Kate squeezed his hand as they walked side-by-side down the sidewalk. It wouldn’t take long for them to reach the shop--thankfully there was one mid-way between her place and his.
“I was really talking about both. Both, please.” She grinned brightly. “I’m thinking maybe we should get some from the shop. Candy to go with our pizza and popcorn?”
***
“Definitely candy. I’m up for buying pretty much any kind of candy you can think of. I love candy. I mean, who doesn’t like candy, really?” Everyone liked some sort of it, didn’t they?
He squeezed her hand tightly. Yeah, he was rambling and talking too much, but he couldn’t help it. He was so relieved that she was back.
***
He was a little rambly, and she was a little clingy, and somehow they made the perfect pair. Kate grinned softly. “Stupid people, that’s who.” Of course, it was really only meant for a laugh. She didn’t think people who didn’t like candy were actually stupid. Maybe diabetic? Or maybe had too many cavities? Or maybe were watching their weight? Kate was none of those things, thankfully, so she followed Stiles to the shop.
“I think Lucky might freak out if I go in there without him. And I don’t think he’s allowed. Do you want to pop in and grab things?” Kate asked. “I’ll wait right here? Or… think we should chance it and bring him in with us?”
***
“Hmm…” he thought for a moment. “Let’s not take the chance of getting him yelled at. I don’t think he’d like that much.” Instead he kissed her cheek and squeezed her hand as if begging her not to disappear again when he was inside.
Ten minutes later, he came back out, his eyes frantic until he found her again, and then they became the soft brown that they usually were. He had two big bags, stuffed to the brim.
“Um, I might have gone a little overboard?”
***
Kate pulled out her phone while she waited on the curb with Lucky. She clicked through and looked at some of the messages on the network, then put the phone away and knelt down to scratch the dog behind his ears. And let him lick her face.
She stood up straight again when Stiles came back out of the shop, breaking into a grin at the sight of him with the bags. “Well, we’ll just have plenty for next time,” she offered, reaching a hand out to help him with the bag. She could take one while they walked.
“Assuming there’s going to be a next time.”
***
“Of course there’ll be a next time. I mean, if you want there to be a next time?”
He did. But if she didn’t, well, he’d find a way through it. He’d found his way through a lot of shitty things in his life.
“I mean, maybe you could be my girlfriend?”
***
Kate took hold of one of the bags, holding it in one hand while holding the dog’s leash in the other. She paused at the question, though. “Of course I want there to be a next time.”
His next question caught her completely off guard. She probably should have expected it, and definitely had hoped for it, but it was still a surprise when it came. Her cheeks went bright pink, and she smiled over at him. “Yeah? For real?”
***
“Yeah, for real. I mean…I like spending time with you, I really care about you, and the bed part is great.” He shrugged. It all made sense to him. He wanted her to be his girlfriend and take her on dates and stuff like normal people. Maybe she could even move into the pack house, if she wanted to, and there was enough room.
“I mean, if you don’t want to, I get it…I’m kind of annoying and nerdy and I definitely spaz out sometimes…”
***
Kate blushed deeply. The bed part was great. Like, really great. She hadn’t ever met anyone who she connected with like him. And she cared about him, too. They had fun together. She laughed so much when she was with him. Not to mention he was fucking adorable.
Instead of letting him ramble on about why she might not want to be with him, Kate stepped over and leaned in to steal a kiss from his lips. (She would have wrapped her arms around him, too, if she hadn’t been holding a bag of candy in one hand, and her leash in the other.) It was quick--mostly just to make him stop talking.
“I want to.”
***
“Good,” he said, simply, strangely glad that he could stop his rambling, since he wasn’t at all good at making that happen. “Good. Because I want to too.” Back home, of course, he was with Lydia, but that wasn’t a thing that was going to happen here. It couldn’t. So this place was his chance to date someone else…and he really liked Kate. This was going to be good, if he didn’t mess it up, somehow.
“Good. I’m freezing. My place or yours?”
The wind was pretty brutal, since he was only wearing a light jacket.
***
“Your place. Pizza, remember?” Kate grinned, her cheeks burning just a bit. She liked the way things were turning out here. While she hadn’t expected to have a boyfriend in Madison, now that it’d happened, she kinda couldn’t imagine it any other way.
“We can cuddle up in your room and enjoy the soundproofing. I think someone promised me a movie, and enough candy to send us into a sugar crash in an hour or so.” She put the bag of candy in the hand with the leash, and slipped her now free hand into his.
***
“Right. Right.” That had completely slipped his mind. He’d been concentrating too much on the fact that he actually got the courage to ask her out and his brain had decided that everything else was completely unimportant.