Disclaimer: teen wolf does not belong to me in any way, shape or form. Thank you so much for the continued support, it means the entire world, and a big shout out to guest, blu3b3rryt3a, guest (hahaha loved this comment - fyi, originally years ago I was gonna make them be friends with benefits first, but never went that route sadly lol), and scottken x 2 for the awesome reviews, it truly means so much to me. And I know I just updated, literally like a day or two ago, but my chapter in rising from the ashes is a lot heavier and is taking time to skim through the other books (if you know, you know) so I thought I'd write this out on nightshift haha so please keep reviewing and I hope you all enjoy :)

"I hate this"

"Join the club" Stiles groaned, rolling his head forward in defeat, "Harris definitely has it out for us"

Finally, after a couple of hours, Stiles had relaxed.

In fact, he was so relaxed, he was actually laying adjacent to her on her bed, their legs dangling off the edge as they rested on their stomachs, staring at her laptop screen in front of them.

She was honestly pleasantly surprised. She had gotten so used to him being twitchy and self conscious around her, always exhibiting this nervous energy whenever they interacted, that she finally got to see the goofy, entertaining person he was, not just the side filled with anxiety and hyperactivity.

Maybe simply having the two of them hang out doing normal things allowed him to just see her as a person, a friend - not just a girl that was actually speaking to him.

It was nice.

Really nice.

Probably the most natural interaction she had had in a long time.

There was just something surprisingly easy with him, but she didn't know what. She couldn't put her finger on it. Didn't understand exactly what it was about him that put her at ease, but there was something. Definitely something.

"I vote we give up for now" she suggested, "maybe we get together with Scott later on or tomorrow and finish it up?"

Stiles' head was basically buried in her duvet but she was sure she heard a muffled sound of agreement leaving his throat, his fingers tapping patterns across the back of his head as if he was trying to will away a brewing headache forming.

"Okay, plan" she chuckled, closing the laptop and pushing it to the side, thankful to be done with their project - otherwise known as a piece of crap - because they kept hitting a brick wall over and over again, both getting frustrated and fed up.

It appeared the soft thud of the laptop shutting seemed to awaken something in Stiles though as he lifted his head, glancing around in something close to disappointment.

"Oh... uh... I should probably head off then. I'm sure you've got more interesting things to do today-"

"I don't" she blurted out with a shoulder shrug but he quirked his brow at her, clearly not believing her.

"What? I don't" she insisted with a smirk, "I've been ignoring Lydia's texts since yesterday about going shopping, and I'm not replying to Brian trying to get into my pants. Plus, it's Beacon frigging Hills, what is there to do anyway?"

He snorted, nodding in agree, "that's true. That's actually very true. This town needs some serious TLC"

"So stay" she suggested, "hang out, keep me company. Only if you want to though" she added, "I wouldn't want to impose on any of your plans"

He gulped nervously, forcing the awkwardness down as he tried to play it cool with a half hearted shrug.

"M-My plans?" he asked, pursing his lips in thought, "my plans are... uh... yeah, I can't think of anything remotely exciting"

She smirked playfully, that flirtatious glint returning to her eyes.

"So you're all mine then?"

He tried to swallow his bundle of nerves but his throat was dry, an uncomfortable ball forming the more he tried to swallow.

"Heh... yeah... yeah. I suppose I am"

"Good" she grinned, pushing herself up off the bed and reaching for her phone that was on the bedside table, her fingers flying across the screen.

"Do you want pizza? Or tacos?" she asked, "or maybe waffles and milkshakes?"

"Uh..."

"It's prime time brunch hour and I'm starving. Aw C'mon, my treat" she smiled, "I'll even pay extra for priority delivery"

A girl after his own heart.

"S-Sure"

"Waffles and milkshakes sound good?"

He was still a little overwhelmed, unsure just how exactly he got gotten himself into this situation. Not that he was complaining - he was so god damn happy to be in this situation - but he wasn't used to it. Girls didn't willingly went to hang out with him... ever.

"The best"

She nodded absentmindedly, scrolling through the menu on her phone, deciding what she wanted and clicking the screen a few times before passing the phone to him.

"Uh... oh wow, okay. Um..."

He sat up, sitting along the edge of her bed as he scrolled through the menu, deciding on a simple strawberry milkshake and waffles with maple syrup and bacon and passing her back her phone.

She smirked as she glanced at his order, twisting her face up in playful judgement.

"Safe order there Stilinski. Thought you were a bit more adventurous than that"

"Can't go wrong with the classics"

She pursed her lips in thought, giving him a thorough once over.

"Basic, yet effective. Still, I took you as more of a chocolate shake kind of guy"

"Oh, I am" he nodded, "I just haven't had one of those since three years ago where I had four in a row and barfed for two hours straight"

"I bet that was a lovely sight"

"Yeah, my dad was not best pleased" he muttered, "it took him a year to get the brown stains out the carpet"

"I can imagine" she laughed, pressing the screen a few more times before he heard a ding, "that's it ordered. Shouldn't be too long"

He knew this wasn't a date, but was this what a date felt like? Just playful, easy banter whilst doing things like homework and getting food? Because if so... he really wanted to go on one.

"Well, uh... thanks" he muttered, "next time it's on me"

"Next time?" she grinned, cocking her head to the side in delight, "there will be a next time of us having food alone together?"

He blanched at her, completely lost for words as he tried to think of something to say - something that didn't sound so imposing - but no words came.

She snickered, her face lighting up in amusement.

"Okay, deal" she said, "next time-" she insisted with a playful wiggle of the eyebrows, "-you can buy me all the food you want"

Oh god, was this actually happening? Did he seriously just manage to spend a whole three hours alone with her, in her bedroom, and now they were going to hang out and have food?

How the hell was this happening?

He nodded silently, agreeing with her words as she placed her phone back on the bedside table and took a seat next to him on the bed, playfully nudging her elbow against his arm.

"This has been fun" she said, "you're just about the only person in Beacon Hills that doesn't make me want to blow my brains out"

"Really?"

"Obviously" she smiled, "I get to be myself around you. With everyone else... I feel like I have to pretend. I have to hide all these secrets from Allison because her family are complete psychopaths and Lydia is, well... Lydia. She's pushy and wants me to fit a certain image that she creates. My mom... she uh... nevermind" she added, forcing a quiet laugh, "you don't need to hear my drama"

"I like drama" he shrugged, "uh... I mean... I-I can be a good listener"

"Really?" she asked cheerfully, "Stiles, you never stop talking unless you're staring at my boobs"

"That's... that's accurate. And fair" he nodded, "I mean, you do have great boobs - uh, th-that's not the point. I was just trying to say-"

"That you'll be a friend?"

She seemed sincere, her gaze holding his as he just simply nodded, willing to be anything she wanted in that moment.

"Were you close?... With your mom?"

The question caught him off guard, not expecting her to ask something so personal and upfront but, then again, that was just who she was.

No beating around the bush.

He liked that though. It made him feel... somewhat comfortable.

"Yeah" he nodded, "she was great. She was... attentive and fun and she would bake the best cookies"

"She sounds lovely" Kayla smiled, "like she was made to be a mom"

"She was" he agreed, "she really was"

"My mom was never like that. At least, not with me" she murmured, "she's always been... cold, I guess. And I know I was an accident, I know that, but we just never connected. I could cure cancer and she would still find something to put me down about"

"Why is she like that?" he asked in curiosity, "she can't hate you because you were an accident?"

"Honestly? I never figured it out" she mused, "but what I'm trying to say is... even with my own mom, I have to pretend. I have to be someone else to get even a sliver of respect. I don't have to pretend with you. You just take me how I am and you have no idea what that means to me, especially after the last shitty year I had"

He was touched, completely buying into her words, his heart warming at the compliment.

"Leaving home-" she continued, "-leaving my life, my friends... it sucked. Big time" she chuckled, "I got on that plane and I was mad and bitter and I just wanted to scream. But I guess it's not so bad, after all"

"So... you think you'll stay?" he asked hopefully, not even hiding his eagerness.

"I think..." she trailed off, a thoughtful glint in her eyes, "I could be fine with that. You just gotta do me a favour though?"

"Oh?" he quirked a brow, his eye twitching, "wh-what favour?"

"Keep me away from dickheads" she chuckled, "you seem to have a good grasp on people so use that keen perception of yours to save me from making any more bad choices"

"Any more?"

"Obviously" she smiled, "I'm a walking talking disaster. My whole life is one big string of questionable life choices, mainly boys. And a couple girls" she added, much to Stiles' surprise, "I really need to work on that"

"Um... I mean, uh... you-you're practicing already. You've snubbed Brian for, like, a whole 24 hours"

"Yeah. Yay to self control" she exclaimed, sarcastically throwing her arms up in celebration, "except for the fact I did almost sleep with him. Twice"

"Twice?"

"But I didn't" she pointed out, "I came to my senses. Somehow"

"Kayla, honestly, he is such an-"

"-Asshole, I know" she nodded, "and that's what makes it worse. I always seem to go for the assholes. Why do I do that?"

"Um..."

"I should go for someone like you" she said, making him recoil in shock, "someone that's not an asshole. You're not an asshole, are you?"

"W-What? I-"

"Of course you're not. The goofy guys are never the assholes"

"Um-"

"That was a compliment, by the way" she added, "goofy is hot. Goofy gets the girls. Funny drops underwear"

"Sure" he snorted, "that's why I have girls lining up around the block to date me"

"Then the girls here have no taste" she smiled, "you're a catch Stilinski. You wouldn't be in my bedroom if you weren't"

Holy shit, was this actually happening?

Did she actually say that to him, or was he daydreaming again? Because, honestly, that explanation wouldn't surprise him one bit.

She leaned towards him, her arm brushing against his as he started breathing a little heavier, hyperfocused on her expression that was turning a little more serious, her stare darkening a little in something close to what he guessed was lust.

"You're a good friend Stiles" she whispered, "it's been, what, nearly three weeks since I met you and I feel closer to you than I do my own mother. It's refreshing"

"I-It is?"

"Yeah... yeah it is. So..." she shrugged, pursing her lips in thought, "do you wanna have sex?"

"What?"

"What?" she asked with a chuckle, seeming completely amused by his wide eyed look, "I'd be down for a friends with benefits type of relationship"

He was genuinely and utterly gobsmacked. Her words truly shocking him to the core.

"Uh... w-with me?" he stuttered, "me?"

"Yeah, you're right. I was being too forward" she nodded, pulling back, much to Stiles' disappointment, "I need better ways of controlling my horniness than having sex. You would think I would've learnt from the last guy"

"No, it's okay, go back-"

"He was an even bigger asshole than Brian, y'know" she continued, rambling and not aware of his slack expression, still stuck on the fact she actually said she would have sex with him, "you need to get better at cockblocking me Stilinski. You've failed already"

"Wait. Rewind. Did you just-"

"Oh" she muttered, the sound of the doorbell cutting into their rather complicated discussion, both on completely different pages, "the waffles are here"

Without missing a beat, she swept from the room, her mind jumping from one thing to the next whilst Stiles was left sitting on her bed, nearly passing out.

"Yes" he muttered to himself and the empty room, hearing her opening the front door, "the answer to that question would always be yes, just FYI"

They ate their waffles and milkshakes, Stiles still a little overwhelmed and side tracked by their earlier conversation - well, conversation was a little extreme, more like proposition - but he didn't have the balls to bring it up again and it seemed the food completely distracted Kayla because she was back to her usual self, no more talk of the potential benefits part to their relationship.

"That was so good" Kayla sighed, rubbing her tummy as she threw the cardboard boxes in the trash can and threw herself back on the bed, "urgh, I'm so bloated. That chocolate extravaganza shake was the final nail in my coffin, I think. I can see how you spewed after four"

"Hence why I took the strawberry"

"Meh" she shrugged, "what's a little pleasure without some pain, right?"

He was sure she didn't even realise what she was saying half the time, oblivious to the blunt and sexual natural of her vocabulary.

He turned his head away from her, hiding the blush that seized his cheeks.

What he said to Scott the other day was so true... he was crushing on her - hard. And he was scared it was very obvious by now. Hell, he was sure she knew but just didn't bring it up, choosing to playfully tease and flirt with him instead. Or maybe she did that to everyone, he didn't know, but what he did know was he was completely intrigued and wanting to spend more and more time with her, even getting up hellishly early on a Saturday morning to do that.

"You okay?"

"What? Yeah. Yeah of course. Uh... I just need to pee" he said awkwardly.

"You know where the bathroom is"

He pointed awkwardly to her en suite, raising his brows questionigly and she just nodded.

"Yes Stiles. That's the bathroom"

"It's your bathroom though"

"Yeah. A bathroom used to pee in, and you need to pee"

"Your private bathroom..."

"Stiles?" she said sweetly, "go pee"

"Right" he scampered up off the bed, tripping over his own feet as he hurried into the en-suite and shut the door, catching sight of her amused expression before he did so.

Now, he wasn't exaggerating when he said the bathroom was nearly the size of his room.

Black and white patterned tiles lined the floors, with three white marbled walls and one wall painted black, the black wall was where the toilet and sink was attached, a large rectangular mirror above the sink.

No, wait, two sinks?

Oh, who was he kidding. Of course this house had two sinks. Because one just wasn't enough right?

The shower was large, the fancy jet shower a deep gold and a simple glass door spanning from floor to ceiling. It even had a stand-alone bath tub in the far corner, bath towels hanging over the edge.

He walked further in, spinning around as he looked and yes, he was being nosey, wasn't that obvious by now?

His eyes caught sight of a bundle of clothes bunched up near the shower and he went bug eyed, seeing a very colourful pair of blue lace underwear next to a matching bra.

"Nope. Don't look Stiles" he whispered to himself, shaking his head as he tried to deter himself from looking at her very private undergarments, "don't go there. Don't go there. Don't go-holy god"

He found himself looking, enticed by the show of delicate lace.

Bet she'd look hot in those, he found himself thinking, catching onto his sordid thoughts and digging the palms of his hands into his eye sockets, forcing his vision to go painfully bright.

Get a grip Stilinski, he chastised himself, using every ounce of strength to turn away and head to the sink, glancing around.

Just like her desk, the counter top was a little cluttered. A toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, the minty paste spilling out the top next to a hairbrush and some bobby pins, bottles of lotion and cream scattered across the marble.

He glanced down, opening some drawers and only when he came across some packets of feminine products did he gulp and slam the drawer shut.

Karma for snooping, he supposed.

He was such an idiot.

He honestly really was.

Why the hell was he hiding out in a girls bathroom instead of talking with her, getting to know her more, maybe even spend enough time with her to pass the afternoon and take her to dinner?

Why? Because he was an idiot. Plain and simple.

He wasn't used to situations like this.

For years he had pined over Lydia, focused on her for so long that he didn't even think of anyone else.

Then the first day of the next semester started and, for the first time, he looked at someone other than Lydia. Someone that actually spoke to him. Someone that treated him like a person. Someone that made him laugh and, equally, just as nervous.

Should he give it a go? Shoot his shot? Or would that be stupid?

Would it be stupid to fall for a girl that was unavailable?

Probably. But apparently that's what he was good at.

He decided he had spent to long in the bathroom, flushing the toilet to pretend he had actually gone and took a few long breaths to steady his erratic breathing.

Maybe he should just flirt back. Try loosening up a little and giving back as good as he got. Could he do that?

He shook out his nerves, flapping about the bathroom as he decided, 'to hell with it', what's the worst that could happen?

Well, he could die of embarrassment, but at least he wouldn't be around to live through the humiliation of getting shot down.

He inhaled one more time, turning the knob of the bathroom door and was just about to open his mouth to say something - anything - he didn't know, but his eyes fell on Kayla who was curled up on top of her bed, blankets tangled around her ankles.

He stopped short, his mouth closing slowly.

Right. He woke her up. Of course she would be tired.

He tried to creep forward, being extra cautious not to be too clumsy or loud as he watched her sleep, her face surprisingly peaceful.

"Sorry for waking you" he whispered, untangling the blankets and pulling them up around her body, tucking them in around her, feeling surprisingly calm next to her which he supposed was because she was sleeping, completely oblivious to his presence.

His gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds - or maybe a few minutes, he wasn't sure - enjoying the peace and quiet before realising what he was doing was maybe kind of creepy.

"Right. I should... I should go" he muttered, pointing to the bedroom door, "it's been... fun. Great. You're great. We should do this again sometime. Right. You can't hear me. Urgh"

He near enough sprinted from her room, wondering why the hell he always got so whipped.

Yay, another one. Sorry it's slightly shorter, but k wanted more stayla and it's nice to write them hanging out and flirting lol next chapter... 'The tell' :) can't wait haha so hope you all enjoyed and please reviewing thank you :)