All I Need Is to See Your Face

Cherry exhaled as she ran her thumbs gently across the skin at the nape of Stiles’ neck. “You’ve uh, got some of my gloss right -” rolling her eyes playfully, Cherry smiled as she retracted a hand to gently run her thumb across Stiles’ lower lip. “There. Got it.”

Stiles ran his tongue along his lower lip. “Tastes like strawberry. You had an opportunity, babe, you wasted it.” He teased, reaching to press a quick kiss to her jawline.

Cherry scoffed playfully. “Cherry lip gloss would of been too predictable!”

Stiles blinked once, twice, three times. “You know what, you’re right, absolutely. I mean, your family is a bunch of werewolf hunters, being predictable isn’t your style.”

Cherry giggled, shaking her head. “Would you like to read me like a book?”

Stiles thought for a long moment, grinning when he thought of his answer. “Nah. You keep me on my toes.”

“Exactly.” Cherry confirmed with a grin. “Besides, strawberry’s gotta taste good, we’ve been here for ten minutes and we still haven’t called for help.”

Stiles grinned sheepishly with the realisation that his phone had been nestled in the pocket of his jeans, and he still hadn’t called for a mechanic for his beloved Jeep. “Yeah, I should uh, do that. Hey, you hungry?”

Cherry blinked in surprise as she watched Stiles dig his phone from his pocket. “Are you really hungry after taste testing my lip gloss?”

“It’s a yes or no question, Cher.” Stiles teased in return, glancing at her with a lopsided grin as he scrolled through his contacts, pulling away, very reluctantly, from his girlfriend. “There’s a diner not far from here if you’re up for some fresh air.” Stiles elaborated, pressing the call button on the 24 hour recovery service that Noah Stilinski had forced Stiles to save into his phone.

A wise decision, looking back.

“I am a little hungry,” Cherry admitted with a fond smile, watching as Stiles licked at his lower lip once more. When the person on the other end of the phone answered, however, Cherry slid off the hood of the Jeep, landing on steady feet, listening at Stiles gave specifics to where they were. Cherry had been in Beacon Hills for six months, and she was still unsure of all the street names. Maybe Stiles could teach her when they had more time to themselves. She was sure the Blanchards would make a permanent home here when the problems they were facing would come to an end.

Or, rather, she hoped. She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Stiles, not after everything they’d been through, everything he’d taught her. Every ounce of love he’d shown her and she’d returned, it couldn’t be for nothing. Cherry decided she was no one’s beck and call, and she would stay in Beacon Hills if she was ever going to be forced away. She knew Cassie would too, and that was enough of a reason to remain defiant.

Stiles hung up the phone, quickly shoving the device into his back pocket. “Help will be another forty five minutes, think we got time to eat?” Stiles raised his eyebrows, an accompanying devilish grin growing onto his handsome features.

“There’s definitely time.” Cherry confirmed with a grin, outstretching her hand for Stiles to take. Cherry had come to Beacon Hills wanting the kind of excitement that came with being a normal teenager, and Stiles provided each milestone - sneaking out late, talking back to teachers, falling in love with no safety net, it was all so incredible. And Cherry loved each moment. “This diner better be good.”

“It’s the best.” Stiles grinned. “My Mom used to bring me here all the time.” Realising what he said though, Stiles paused, ducking his head a little bit.

Cherry waited patiently, her hand still offered to him. She toyed with her lower lip as she watched Stiles shift anxiously on his feet for a moment. Stiles had never really opened up about his Mom - not completely, anyway. Cherry knew little to no details except for the fact that she’d died; and Cherry was certain, despite Stiles never confirming the theory, that she had taken a bit of Stiles’ heart with her. “She’d be so proud of you, Stiles.”

The words lingered in the air for a long moment, but they seemed to bring Stiles back to the present. “Yeah?” He asked, voice so meek that it was almost difficult to associate it to Stiles friggin Stilinski, the one who always had some clever retaliation, a witty one liner to make his friends chuckle.

“Absolutely.” Cherry promised, keeping her voice quiet to match his. “If she could see you now, Stiles, God… I know it. She’d be so proud of the smartest idiot in Beacon Hills.” Cherry lifted her cheeks to a small, reassuring - or, what she hoped to be, smile. “You hungry, baby?”

“Starving,” Stiles nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he disregarded Cherry’s outstretched hand, opting instead to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side, where he knew, for certain, that she was protected. Pressing a kiss to the top of Cherry’s head, Stiles allowed his smile to grow. “You’re warm.”

Cherry laughed, wrapping an arm around Stiles’ middle. “I credit that entirely to your hoodie.”

“Am I ever going to get that back?” Stiles arched an amused brow, focusing his attention straight ahead.

“Nope,” Cherry popped the ‘p’ effortlessly.

Stiles laughed. “Thought not… hey, can I ask you somethin’?” Cherry’s silence was her approval, and Stiles understood that. “Do you ever just… hate your life sometimes?” Blinking when he realised how ungrateful he sounded in the moment, he was quick to speak again. “Not everything! Just… some things.” He elaborated once more, feeling his shoulders slump in defeat. “Or just forget I said anything at all.”

Cherry listened carefully, valuing what Stiles had to say, because as much as he provided light in the darkest times, she knew that Stiles could say some of the smartest things without realising, without giving a second thought. “I used to.” Cherry confirmed quietly. “Cassie and I, we never felt a part of a family. Our parents feel more like acquaintances,” she confessed, looking up to Stiles. “We’ve trained since we were old enough to hold a gun, and we moved around so much that we lost any sense of stability. We never could make friends, because we’d always leave. We’d always be forgotten.” Cherry snuggled further into Stiles’ side. “And then we came here. And you came into my life.”

Stiles listened intently, nodding as Cherry spoke. “And you hated me.” He teased.

Cherry laughed. “I did. But the more we learned, the more we chose you. And along the way, I fell in love with you.” Toying with her lower lip, Cherry looked up to her boyfriend, beautifully illuminated by the streetlights. “And I know people always say we’re too young to know love, but you, Stiles, bring out something in me that I didn’t even know was there. And I thank you for it. You showed me it’s okay to be human. I’m not a machine.” Cherry paused, then, exhaling. It felt good to let her words dissolve in the air. “How about you?”

Stiles had been completely unprepared for the question, but knowing that Cherry trusted him enough to be honest prompted him to do the same. “Honestly, I was miserable.” Stiles’ eyes met the ground, counting his steps. “I was having nightmares and, and really bad anxiety. And no one really knew.” He shrugged lightly, tightening his hold on Cherry. “And then Scott gets bitten and I had some good distractions.” He grinned a little then. “And then I met you, and I swear to God, Cherry, the colour came back to my life. All at once. It was like a religious experience.”

“Stiles!” Cherry laughed.

“It was!” Stiles defended with a laugh. “I thought no one would ever love me, like, I talked too much. Or maybe I was too weird. But then you came along and you love me and I can’t believe it sometimes.” Stiles smiled. “If I died tomorrow, I’d die so damn happy. Because I was lucky enough to have you.” Stiles paused though, when he heard sniffling, and he stopped walking.

Cherry laughed meekly, ducking her head. “Sorry.”

“No, no, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He bit his lip, gently cupping Cherry’s face within his hands, swiping the pads of his thumbs under her eyes gently, catching any stray tears.

“Happy tears.” Cherry reassured. “I love you so fucking much, Stiles Stilinski. What did I ever do without you?”

Stiles thought for a moment, and Cherry braced herself for a stupid remark. “Share telepathic secrets with your twin?”

There it was.

“All we ever shared was cute boys and a million ways to murder annoying teachers.” Cherry teased. “Maybe Mr. Harris could be the next target.”

Stiles grinned. “Let me know and I’ll think of an alibi.” Retracting his hands from Cherry’s cheeks, Stiles manoeuvred himself backwards as he took Cherry’s hands within his own. “Diner’s not far from here. What’re you in the mood for?”

Cherry giggled, shaking her head, following Stiles as he walked backwards, squeezing his hands gently, an act of solidarity they’d called theirs since the first time they’d kissed. “Salty fries and a greasy burger.”

“Good call,” Stiles grinned. “Bacon on the burger?”

Cherry grinned, lifting her gaze to meet his. “You know it.” Looking past her boyfriend though, a neon sign - a sickly pink - stuck out in contrast to the inky blues of the night, and Cherry could feel her stomach turn in hunger. “C’mon, I’m starving.”