a.n: hi guys this is my first fic ever so I'm kinda scared...but I was so pissed off we didn't get harley x stiles in teen wolf so I wrote this. anyways! enjoy, feel free to give tips and send me requests ☺️ (@uzmacchiato for lace dividers)
summary: stiles stilinski, scott mccall, and harley have been inseparable since they were kids. High school was supposed to change things, but somehow, it just made stiles start paying attention to everything he never thought about before...
and harley starts noticing it.
warnings: fluff, childhood bestfriends to lovers
The first day of high school felt wrong.
Not bad, just… off. Like someone had taken their normal lives and turned the volume up too high.
Harley noticed it the second they walked through the gates.Too many people. Too much noise. Everyone trying way too hard.
And then there was Stiles, classic Stiles.
“I’m telling you, this is where everything goes downhill,” he said, walking way too fast Infront of Scott and Harley. “Like statistically, friendships fall apart, people reinvent themselves-"
“Stiles,” Scott said, already tired, “it’s been ten seconds.”
“Exactly! We should already be planning to run off-"
Harley bumped her shoulder into his, cutting his stupid rambling off. “Relax. Worst case, you embarass yourself in front of new people.”
He looked at her, clutching his chest mockingly. “You’re supposed to support me!"
“I am. I’m preparing you.” Harley replied while looking at a group of seniors laughing together about something stupid.
Scott laughed, and just like that, it felt normal again. Same as always.
They’d been doing this forever, since scraped knees and playground fights and pinky promises that felt like they actually meant a big deal.
It shouldn’t feel different now.
By lunch, the place was packed.Too loud, too full, nowhere to sit.
“We should’ve brought food,” Stiles muttered. “Or transferred schools. Or-"
“Oh my God,” Harley said, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him forward. “There’s a table. Move.”
They dropped into it like it was theirs, Scott across, Harley in the middle, and Stiles ,of course, right next to her.
Stiles reached over and stole some of Scott’s fries.
Harley pushed her tray a little closer to his. “Take mine too. I don’t trust these.”
“You’ve been eating them.”
He smiled, shaking his head, and took one anyway.
For a second, everything felt easy again. It was just three of them, it was gonna be okay.
A girl stood there, smiling like she already belonged here. Long strawberry blonde hair, and a perfume that you could smell across the whole cafeteria.
“Do you wanna come sit with us?” she asked, looking at Harley while keeping a small smile on her face.
Harley blinked. “Oh- uh-”
But she glanced to the side anyway.
Stiles had gone quiet, stuffing more fries in his mouth to not say something stupid.
Scott looked between them like he already knew something she didn’t.
“I mean, you can,” he said, breaking the agonizing silence.
“I-” Harley hesitated, then shook her head a little. “Maybe later. I’m good here.”
The girl nodded and walked off, her heels clicking.
Harley turned back and caught Stiles looking at her.
He looked away immediately, avoiding her eyes.“What?”
“You’re being weird.” She frowned
Scott snorted. “You are.”
“I’m literally not doing anything.”
Harley leaned back slightly, studying him. “…You got jealous.”
“What?- No I-,” Stiles said way too fast. “Why would I be jealous? That makes no sense. I don’t care. Sit anywhere. Sit with whoever. Sit on the floor. I don’t-”
“You’re so bad at lying,” she cut in, smiling.
Scott was grinning now. “You kind of are.”
Stiles groaned and dropped his head onto the table. “I hate both of you.”
Harley laughed, and the weird feeling from earlier loosened in her chest.
Everything was still the same...right?
After school, they ended up at Stiles’ place like always.
“Dad, we’re home!” Stiles yelled.
“Alright!" The Sheriff replied from the kitchen, clearly used to having them in the house, basically...always.
Scott dropped onto the bed in Stiles' room like he’d been hit by a truck. “I’m never waking up that early again.”
“You say that every year,” Harley said, sinking into the bed beside Scott.
Nothing had changed in Stiles' room. Same star wars posters on his walls, same comic books and a bunch of cd's she had borrowed a thousand times.
“High school’s not bad,” she said, staring at the ceiling.
“You're right, it's horrible.” Stiles said from the doorway.
Scott shrugged. “I liked it.”
“Of course you did.” Stiles rolled his eyes.
There was a pause. A quiet one. Then Stiles broke it.
She turned her head. “Yeah?”
He looked like he was gonna say something else. Something bigger, scarier, that neither weren't familiar with.
“You’re still sitting with us tomorrow, right?” he asked instead, trying to sound casual.
“…Yeah,” she said. “Why wouldn’t I?”
He shrugged, looking anywhere but at her. “I don’t know. That girl basically asked you to join the popular kids!"
She sat up a little, looking at him. Then she smiled, softer this time.
“I’ve been sitting with you since I was, like, seven,” she said. “I think it’s kind of a habit now to be with you idiots."
Something in his expression eased, and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
“Yeah,” he said. “Okay. Good.”
Meanwhile, Scott, who was watching these two the whole time, just blinked, and he saw the look on Stiles' face. No way...does..he?- no, impossible. That was his bestfriend after all, right...?
Later that night, Harley was already in bed when her phone buzzed.
Harley: high school is traumatic
Harley: don’t let it get to ur head
There was a small moment where none of them said anything, just stared at the screen. Then Stiles texted:
Stiles: about sitting with us
Stiles: ur not gonna just ditch us right
Harley stared at the screen for a second.
Harley: as much as idiots both of you are, I'm not ditching you
On the other side, Stiles smiled softly, typing back.
Stiles: because you’re kind of stuck with me
There was a longer pause, none of them typing, before Stiles panicked, quickly adding:
She blinked, feeling that same flutter in her chest again as she quickly brushed it off
She set the phone on her nightstand as she stared into the ceiling, the smell of him lingering on the hoodie she had "borrowed" from him a few days ago.
Stiles also turned off his phone, his mind racing. He wasn't sure what was he even feeling, but he was definitely sure it was confusing, especially for him.
High school started feeling weird.But some things weren’t changing.
Tomorrow, they’d sit at the same table, Stiles would talk too much, Scott would try to keep him in check, and Harley would be right there in the middle.
Stiles was starting to notice things he hadn’t before.
Like for example, in class, how Harley's brows slightly furrowed when she was solving a math problem.
Or how the corners of her big brown eyes cranked while she was laughing.
Or how when she was in his room, helping him with chemistry, she would be patient even after he got the answer wrong 13 times.
Scott knew before either of them said anything.
Which was annoying, because neither of them had actually said anything.
But Stiles had started doing this thing where he’d check if Harley was there before he spoke, like his sentences that didn't even make sense to him needed her approval to exist. And Harley? Harley had started not even pretending she didn’t notice him.
Scott gave it until Monday....
Lunch was normal for about three minutes.
Which, honestly, was a record.
“I’m telling you,” Stiles said, pointing his fork like it mattered, “group projects are a scam. I end up doing everything, and for what? A shared grade? That’s socialism.”
“That’s not-” Harley started.
Scott kicked Stiles under the table.
“What was that for?” Stiles snapped.
Scott didn’t answer. He just looked past him and said, way too casually, “Oh hey, isn’t that the girl from your English class?”
Harley glanced up. “Who? Lydia?”
“Yeah,” Scott said. “You should go say hi.”
Stiles froze. “Why would she- why would- what are you doing?”
“I’m encouraging social interaction,” Scott said.
“You’ve never encouraged social interaction in your life.”
Harley looked between them, already suspicious. “You’re being weird.”
“I’m being supportive.” Scott continued convincing,
“You’re being annoying,” Stiles muttered.
Scott ignored him. “Go. I’ll save your seat.”
Stiles choked on nothing. “Her seat is right there.”
“Oh my god,” Stiles hissed. “Stop kicking me.”
Harley stood up slowly, narrowing her eyes at Scott. “If I come back and you’ve moved my stuff-”
“I won’t,” Scott said, smiling innocently.
She pointed at him. “Don’t.”
The second she was out of sight-
Stiles turned. “What is wrong with you?”
Scott shrugged. “You weren’t gonna say anything.”
“Say what?” Stiles frowned
Scott just stared at him. Like his eyes were telling everything.
Stiles held it for about two seconds before looking away, his cheeks slightly flushing. "Shut up."
“I know,” Stiles snapped, then froze.
Scott blinked. “Okay. Wow. That was faster than expected.”
Stiles dragged a hand down his face. “Great. Awesome. Love that for me.”
“So tell her.” Scott said, like it was the easiest thing to do.
“Absolutely not.” Stiles snapped back, eyes wide.
“Because I like… everything the way it is,” he said, quieter now. “And if I mess that up, then what?”
Scott didn’t answer right away.
“You don’t know that.” Stiles looked away.
“I kind of do.” Scott smirked
Stiles looked at him. “Since when are you wise?”
“Since you started spiraling.”
“You’re always spiraling.”
Scott leaned back. “Just, don’t overthink it.”
“Awesome, great advice, thanks." Stiles responded sarcastically
Harley came back a minute later, dropping into her seat.
“What did I miss?” She said, her eyes darting from Scott to Stiles.
“Nothing,” Scott said, but couldn't help but smirk slightly.
“Everything,” Stiles said at the same time.
She looked between them. “I hate both of you.”
“Love you too,” Scott said.
Stiles didn’t say anything.
Which Harley definitely noticed.
It happened after school.
He just… left, way too fast.
“Didn’t he say practice was later?” Harley asked, watching him go.
“Yeah,” Stiles said. “He’s lying.”
Stiles hesitated. “No idea.”
“Wow. Great detective work.”
They stood there for a second longer than necessary.
Then Harley adjusted her bag. “You walking me or what?”
“Yeah,” he said quickly. “Yeah, obviously.”
They fell into step easily.
It was quieter than usual.
Halfway down the street, Harley slowed a little.
“You’ve been weird all day,” she broke the silence
“You didn’t talk at lunch.”
“You argued about socialism and then went silent.”
“That was a strong opener.”
He took two more steps before realizing and turning back. “What?”
“That thing where you act like everything’s fine when it’s not.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re a terrible liar.”
He looked like he wanted to argue.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m not fine.”
He glanced down the street, then back at her. “It’s just, things feel different.”
“Different how?” She frowned, tilting her head.
“I don’t know,” he said, frustrated. “Just… different.”
Harley watched him for a second.
Then stepped a little closer.
“Yeah,” she said. “They do.”
That seemed to throw him off more than if she’d argued.
“…and you’re...okay with that?” he asked.
“On if you’re gonna keep acting weird about it.”
She smiled, just slightly. “Then stop.”
“Wow. Revolutionary advice.”
He shifted his weight. "Why didn’t you go sit with Lydia?"
Harley looked at him like she was deciding how honest to be.
“Because I didn’t want to.”
“That’s not a real answer.”
“It’s not the full answer.”
She tilted her head. “You first, then.”
He opened his mouth before closing it, like a literal fish.
“…because I like when you sit with us,” he said.
“That’s also not the full answer.”
“Okay, wow, we’re doing this now?”
“Stiles you were the one who starte-"
“Because I like you.” He cut her off, freezing.
But...didn’t look surprised either?
Stiles immediately regretted everything. “Cool. Great. Awesome. I’m gonna go jump into traffic now-”
She stepped closer again, close enough that he had to look down slightly.
“How do you- since when-"
She smiled a little. “You’re not subtle.”
“And you’re not the only one who notices things.”
He stared at her. “Wait.”
It took a second for him.
He let out a breath that turned into a laugh. “Okay. Okay, that’s- wow.”
“Take your time.” She smiled
He ran a hand through his hair, still smiling like he couldn’t stop it. “So what now?”
Harley shrugged. “Now… you walk me home.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re really just gonna act normal?”
She bumped her shoulder into his. “We are normal.”
They started walking again, glancing at eachother every 30 seconds.
After a few steps, his hand brushed hers.
The next day, Scott was already at their table.
“Well?” he said the second they sat down.
Stiles pointed at him. “You knew.”
“I always know.” He smirked, looking proud of himself, feeling like cupid.
Harley rolled her eyes. “You’re insufferable.”
Stiles dropped into his seat, trying to look annoyed and failing. “You’re never allowed to do that again.”
“Oh, I’m absolutely doing it again.”
Harley reached over and stole one of Stiles’ fries this time.
Stiles smiled at her, grinning like a lovesick puppy.
“Disgusting,” Scott said.
“You love us,” Harley said.
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