sleep, baby sleep // sterica; 275 words (it’s a very tiny fluff)
It's never been easy for Erica to fall asleep.
Her scumbag brain plays a constant loop of all the bad things that have ever happened to her, and she lays awake in bed, restless and uneasy until sleep finally decides to come.
Even after the bite, her mind runs wild at night, fighting her need for calm, snarling back at her every time she closes her eyes.
But then she and Stiles become friends, and then they're very close friends, and then they're something else that they haven't defined yet but that Erica is already certain she wouldn't want to live without.
It starts with late night studying sessions, and then it's movie marathons and so much time spent researching, but whatever they're doing, it's together. And it's so evident that he never wants to leave, so she asks him to stay.
Each night she pats the spot next to her on the bed, arches an eyebrow at him and waits. And each night he climbs in next to her, lets out a soft laugh and looks at her in wonder.
It doesn't matter how many nights it happens; every time Erica invites Stiles into her bed, he is awestruck.
And he curls up with her, and she buries her face in his t-shirt and breathes him in, lets her eyes drift shut while he whispers softly to her that she's beautiful, that he loves being like this with her, that she's too good to him.
It's the most peaceful she's ever felt. Lying next to him, her mind is quiet against the sound of his heart beating.
Erica yawns, snuggles impossibly closer, and sleeps.
A song that Jordan doesn’t recognize plays over the car radio quietly and he watches as Lydia reaches over to turn up the volume a little, her fingers tapping against the steering wheel to the beat as she zooms down route 99. Just taking one look at her, he can tell that she’s trying her best to stay awake. He figures that she didn’t sleep well at the motel they stayed at last night, probably from the fact that the beds were uncomfortable. He’s not sure of course, since he doesn’t even own a bed back at his apartment, opting to just sleep on his couch because after his years in the army and unhealthy sleeping habits, he’s pretty sure he’ll never get used to a bed again.
It’s nearly six in the morning and dawn is peaking over the horizon. The first rays of light slowly fill up the sky, turning the dark blue of the sky into a soft orange-red. Lydia reaches for her coffee and takes a few sips since it’s most likely the only thing keeping her awake right now.
But even then, Jordan knows she’s tired.
It’s basically confirmed when she merges too much into the other lane before realizing what she’s doing and swerving back into her own lane, murmuring sleepy apologies under her breath. And before he knows what he’s doing, his fingers reach up to touch her wrist on the steering wheel, grabbing her attention. “Lydia, pull over. Let me drive for awhile.”
The strawberry blonde snorts, glancing at his fingers on her wrist and then over at him and he can tell that she’s trying to look wide awake as possible. “I’m fine, Jordan. And besides, you drove the majority of yesterday. The least I can do is drive for the next few hours. I’m fine. Really.”
He sighs, letting his fingers drop from her wrist. “I know you can drive, Lydia. But you’re tired. You should get some rest first and then you can drive later,” he says calmly and then adds, “I mean, it’s the least I can do. Especially after everything you’ve done to help me try and figure out whatever supernatural creature I am...And now you’re driving 600 miles with me to Carlsbad just to talk to one of Deaton’s druid friends who might be able to help me out when you could be spending your summer with your friends.”
He was wary of going on this roadtrip with her—and he still is wary—even though it was technically her idea in the first place. Deaton was the one to tell her about this other druid who might be able to help them since they apparently might know more than him about whatever it is he might be. Lydia then came to him of course, and no matter how many times Jordan told her they didn’t have to, that it was okay, and basically no, he still gave in at the end because as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, Lydia Martin has him wrapped around her finger and he’s perfectly fine with that.
She’s smart, beautiful, and amazingly confident. It was almost impossible to not be awestruck by her.
However, it doesn’t stop him from feeling guilty. Which he feels far too often now since they’ve been spending more and more time together.
Lydia must have heard the guilt in his tone because she flashes him a small smile. “Jordan, I could be spending my summer with the others but I wanted to come with you. It was my decision. So don’t feel bad about it, okay?”
He nods halfheartedly. “Okay. But to be honest, I think I’ll feel less bad about it if you get some rest and let me drive for a bit,” he murmurs sheepishly, ducking his head a little.
His boyish embarrassment only makes Lydia smile wider and roll her eyes before pulling over to the shoulder of the road. “Fine. You can drive.” They end up switching seats and when she gets into the passenger, he feels her narrow her eyes at him and give him a challenging look. “But don’t think I’m letting you drive because I’m actually tired. Because, I’m absolutely not—” She’s interrupted midway by a yawn escaping her lips and Jordan has to try his best to bite back a grin.
He ends up failing miserably. “You were saying?” He chuckles softly, which only gets a pointed look from her, before revving up the engine and getting back on the road.
Two hours later they’re passing by Bakersfield and Lydia’s fast asleep on his shoulder, softly snoring. It makes him smile and even though she told him earlier that she’s only letting him drive until they pass Bakersfield, Jordan doesn’t bother waking her, instead letting her get the much needed sleep she deserves. (That, and the fact that he can’t help but think she looks absolutely adorable while sleeping and he doesn’t have the heart to wake her up.)
