The night of the blizzard, Stiles is late coming home from work.
She doesn’t worry too much at first, because Stiles is usually late coming home from work most nights. The Fringe division almost never lets him rest, and while she knows it’s part of the unfortunate nature of being the low man on the totem pole, she still misses him in the evening, when it’s just her and Rocky. Tonight the snow reminds her of the years she’s spent in Scotland, and how much she really does prefer the climate of California, but as the night wears on, those thoughts slip far from her mind. This evening has her worried for two reasons.
One, Stiles has never driven in the snow before, and two, Olivia’s already called to say that Stiles left his cell phone on his desk at the office, and to tell him to not come back for it because the roads are bad. Boston is a winding, confusing mess of roads to begin with, she can only imagine how much more confusing that is when all the world is white and you’re just trying to get home. So that is why Cora is currently perching on the edge of the couch, looking out the window to their brownstone apartment and trying not to worry about the fact that Stiles’ headlights hadn’t turned in the driveway yet.
What if he realized he forgot his phone halfway through and tried to go back?
What if he got into an accident somewhere and is currently dying of hypothermia?
The extremes are wide and far reaching, but she’s concerned about all of them, and even Rocky is starting to pick up on her anxiety, pacing in front of the TV while he also waits for Stiles to return. She’s almost ready to head into the kitchen to pick up her sister’s habit of nervous cooking, when a pair of headlights turn into the driveway, glaring up into the window. Then a tall, black form climbs out of the car, darts awkwardly through the accumulating snow, definitely almost falls on his face at least once, but eventually makes it to the door, throwing it open and stumbling inside before closing it behind him.
“Do not go back out there,” Stiles sighs as he turns to her, holding up a finger. “Those roads are not made for driving.”
“So I heard,” Cora sighs, relief coursing through her as she makes her way closer to help him with his coat. “Want me to make you some coffee to warm up?”
“Please.”
She hangs his coat on the rack near the door and then makes her way into the kitchen, giving him some space to also get out of his shoes and wet clothes. By the time the coffee is percolating, his arms are sliding around her waist from behind, and she jumps when his cold nose slides against the nape of her neck.
“Your nose is freezing.”
“You’re really warm,” he grins, before turning and pressing a soft kiss there. His lips are also cool at first, but warming, the longer he stays inside. “Man, driving out there right now is the worst.”
“I’m surprised Olivia didn’t have plans or something for you guys for when the weather is like this.” Cora reaches forward to pour the cups of coffee for them both, before handing one off to Stiles so he can fix it. “So that you don’t have to drive?”
“She does, but I didn’t want to be stuck in some hotel when I thought I could make it home on my own. And I did, clearly.”
“Yeah, but you left your phone in the lab during your attempt to escape.”
He frowns for a second, before patting down his pockets and winces. “Did she want me to come back and get it?”
“No. She said to definitely not do that.” Cora sighs before leaning back against the counter and taking a sip of her coffee. “She has my number, so she’ll call me if she needs you.”
“At least there’s that.” He glances back to the window again and shakes his head. “Man, I really hope I don’t have to go in tomorrow.”
“It’s Tuesday.”
“Yes, but it’s a Tuesday after I’d worked all weekend.” He turns and flashes her a grin. “The other reason why I wanted to make sure I got home.”
She raises an eyebrow. “So you’re saying you risked your life to get home tonight so that you could be snowed in with me?”
“Being here and nice and warm with you is a way better option than being in a lonely old hotel room all by myself.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” she says with a nod. “And trust me, as much as I would rather have you here with me, I’d also rather have you alive.”
“I am alive.”
“You could have not been.”
He sighs dramatically, placing his coffee cup down to the side for a moment, before making his way closer and placing his hands on her waist gently. “Okay, how ‘bout this? Next time there’s a major blizzard, I will do my best to not die, and be a good little agent, and stay where Olivia tells me to stay. Better?”
“For now,” Cora sighs as she winds her arms around his neck. “You still have to follow through with it.”
He laughs a bit at that, before pulling her in closer and leaning in to kiss her. “I’d still rather be here with you. Especially since I know you’ll love warming me up.”
“You say that, now,” she smirks into the kiss, letting her fingers brush against the back of his neck as she does. “But I think you’ll be singing a different tune when Rocky has to go out for his walk tomorrow morning.”
Stiles groans as his head tips forward, burying his face against her shoulder and shaking his head. “I should have known that I would still be punished.”
She laughs, before turning her head to the side and kissing him on the cheek. “Consider it a reinforcement on the earlier lesson. Stay safe in a blizzard.”
“Will you at least warm me up before I have to go out in the cold again?”
She laughs a bit at that before nodding. “Sure. Your wish is my command.”
And with that, he sweeps her up, before carrying her off to the bedroom. Even as much as she wishes that he would be a little bit safer in the snow, she can’t deny that she’s glad that he’s home.
baby it's cold outside | canon au | 1,100 | round 1, set 8
She doesn’t worry too much at first, because Stiles is usually late coming home from work most nights. The Fringe division almost never lets him rest, and while she knows it’s part of the unfortunate nature of being the low man on the totem pole, she still misses him in the evening, when it’s just her and Rocky. Tonight the snow reminds her of the years she’s spent in Scotland, and how much she really does prefer the climate of California, but as the night wears on, those thoughts slip far from her mind. This evening has her worried for two reasons.
One, Stiles has never driven in the snow before, and two, Olivia’s already called to say that Stiles left his cell phone on his desk at the office, and to tell him to not come back for it because the roads are bad. Boston is a winding, confusing mess of roads to begin with, she can only imagine how much more confusing that is when all the world is white and you’re just trying to get home. So that is why Cora is currently perching on the edge of the couch, looking out the window to their brownstone apartment and trying not to worry about the fact that Stiles’ headlights hadn’t turned in the driveway yet.
What if he realized he forgot his phone halfway through and tried to go back?
What if he got into an accident somewhere and is currently dying of hypothermia?
The extremes are wide and far reaching, but she’s concerned about all of them, and even Rocky is starting to pick up on her anxiety, pacing in front of the TV while he also waits for Stiles to return. She’s almost ready to head into the kitchen to pick up her sister’s habit of nervous cooking, when a pair of headlights turn into the driveway, glaring up into the window. Then a tall, black form climbs out of the car, darts awkwardly through the accumulating snow, definitely almost falls on his face at least once, but eventually makes it to the door, throwing it open and stumbling inside before closing it behind him.
“Do not go back out there,” Stiles sighs as he turns to her, holding up a finger. “Those roads are not made for driving.”
“So I heard,” Cora sighs, relief coursing through her as she makes her way closer to help him with his coat. “Want me to make you some coffee to warm up?”
“Please.”
She hangs his coat on the rack near the door and then makes her way into the kitchen, giving him some space to also get out of his shoes and wet clothes. By the time the coffee is percolating, his arms are sliding around her waist from behind, and she jumps when his cold nose slides against the nape of her neck.
“Your nose is freezing.”
“You’re really warm,” he grins, before turning and pressing a soft kiss there. His lips are also cool at first, but warming, the longer he stays inside. “Man, driving out there right now is the worst.”
“I’m surprised Olivia didn’t have plans or something for you guys for when the weather is like this.” Cora reaches forward to pour the cups of coffee for them both, before handing one off to Stiles so he can fix it. “So that you don’t have to drive?”
“She does, but I didn’t want to be stuck in some hotel when I thought I could make it home on my own. And I did, clearly.”
“Yeah, but you left your phone in the lab during your attempt to escape.”
He frowns for a second, before patting down his pockets and winces. “Did she want me to come back and get it?”
“No. She said to definitely not do that.” Cora sighs before leaning back against the counter and taking a sip of her coffee. “She has my number, so she’ll call me if she needs you.”
“At least there’s that.” He glances back to the window again and shakes his head. “Man, I really hope I don’t have to go in tomorrow.”
“It’s Tuesday.”
“Yes, but it’s a Tuesday after I’d worked all weekend.” He turns and flashes her a grin. “The other reason why I wanted to make sure I got home.”
She raises an eyebrow. “So you’re saying you risked your life to get home tonight so that you could be snowed in with me?”
“Being here and nice and warm with you is a way better option than being in a lonely old hotel room all by myself.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” she says with a nod. “And trust me, as much as I would rather have you here with me, I’d also rather have you alive.”
“I am alive.”
“You could have not been.”
He sighs dramatically, placing his coffee cup down to the side for a moment, before making his way closer and placing his hands on her waist gently. “Okay, how ‘bout this? Next time there’s a major blizzard, I will do my best to not die, and be a good little agent, and stay where Olivia tells me to stay. Better?”
“For now,” Cora sighs as she winds her arms around his neck. “You still have to follow through with it.”
He laughs a bit at that, before pulling her in closer and leaning in to kiss her. “I’d still rather be here with you. Especially since I know you’ll love warming me up.”
“You say that, now,” she smirks into the kiss, letting her fingers brush against the back of his neck as she does. “But I think you’ll be singing a different tune when Rocky has to go out for his walk tomorrow morning.”
Stiles groans as his head tips forward, burying his face against her shoulder and shaking his head. “I should have known that I would still be punished.”
She laughs, before turning her head to the side and kissing him on the cheek. “Consider it a reinforcement on the earlier lesson. Stay safe in a blizzard.”
“Will you at least warm me up before I have to go out in the cold again?”
She laughs a bit at that before nodding. “Sure. Your wish is my command.”
And with that, he sweeps her up, before carrying her off to the bedroom. Even as much as she wishes that he would be a little bit safer in the snow, she can’t deny that she’s glad that he’s home.