Best Friend's Brother // Stiles x Male OC

5

Saturday morning rolled around, and for some inexplicable reason, I found myself heading back to the café. For the third time that week.

I told myself it wasn't because of Matt. Of course not. It was just that making coffee at home meant dealing with dishes later, and honestly, who had the energy for that? A quick trip to the café was the logical, efficient choice.

That's what I kept repeating as I pushed open the door, the now-familiar chime ringing overhead.

Matt was at the counter, like always, and the moment he saw me, his face lit up with that same infuriatingly charming smile.

"Stiles," he said, drawing out my name like we were old friends. "Back again? You must really like the coffee here."

I rolled my eyes but stepped up to the counter anyway. "Sure, let's go with that."

Matt laughed, ringing up my usual order without even asking. "One medium coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. You're consistent, I'll give you that."

"Consistency is key," I said, handing him the cash. "Or something like that."

As he handed me my change, he tilted his head slightly, his smile shifting into something softer. "You grabbing a table, or are you running off today?"

I shrugged. "I'll sit for a bit. Why?"

"Perfect," he said, already pulling off his apron. "My break's in a minute."

Before I could respond, he disappeared into the back, leaving me standing there like an idiot. With a sigh, I grabbed my coffee and cookie and found a table near the window.

True to his word, Matt showed up a few minutes later, sliding into the seat across from me with his own coffee in hand.

"So," he said, leaning back casually, "what's the plan for today? Saving the world? Solving mysteries?"

"Something like that," I said, breaking off a piece of my cookie. "Mostly just avoiding homework."

"A man after my own heart," he said, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "What about you? Do you ever do anything besides annoy customers on your break?"

Matt chuckled. "Funny you ask. I'm starting college in a couple of weeks, so I've been trying to enjoy my last few days of freedom."

That caught my attention. "College? What are you studying?"

"History," he said, sipping his coffee like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I blinked, taken aback. "Wait, seriously? You're a history guy?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" he asked, his grin turning teasing. "What'd you think I was, an engineering or computer science type?"

"Kind of, yeah," I admitted. "You've got that... techy vibe."

Matt laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "I'll take that as a compliment. But no, history's my thing. I love digging into the past, figuring out how we got to where we are now. It's like piecing together a giant puzzle."

I couldn't help but be impressed. "Huh. I wouldn't have guessed that. That's... cool."

"What about you?" he asked, leaning forward slightly. "What do you want to do?"

I hesitated for a moment before answering. "I want to be an FBI agent."

His eyebrows shot up. "Really? Like, catching bad guys and solving crimes?"

"Yeah," I said, feeling a bit self-conscious under his surprised gaze. "It's something I've wanted for a while now. I mean, it's not exactly a straight path to get there, but... I think I can do it."

Matt nodded, his expression thoughtful. "That's awesome. Ambitious, too. You'd make a good agent."

I snorted. "You don't even know me."

"Maybe not," he said with a shrug. "But I've got a pretty good read on people, remember? And you've got that mix of smarts and stubbornness. I bet you'd kill it at Quantico."

I blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. "Thanks, I guess."

We ended up talking for the rest of his break, swapping stories about school, future plans, and everything in between. For someone who'd started out as a relentless flirt, Matt was surprisingly easy to talk to.

By the time his break was over, I realized I hadn't even touched my cookie. And for some reason, I wasn't annoyed. Not even a little.

—————————————————————————

Later that day, I found myself at Scott's house. It had become our weekend tradition—hanging out, playing video games, and generally avoiding any sort of responsibility.

Scott was sitting cross-legged on the floor, furiously mashing buttons on his controller as his character took out mine for the fifth time in a row.

"Unbelievable," I groaned, tossing my controller onto the couch. "You're clearly cheating."

Scott smirked without looking away from the screen. "Cheating at Street Fighter? Sure, Stiles, that's it."

I flopped back against the couch, grabbing a handful of chips from the bowl on the coffee table. "So," I said casually, "how's Mateo doing?"

Scott groaned loudly, pausing the game to glare at me. "Why do you even care?"

"I don't know," I said, shrugging. "You talk about him enough. I feel like I should at least ask."

"He's never home, which, honestly, is a blessing," Scott said, leaning back against the couch. "Less awkward family dinners, less pretending to be okay with him being here... it's great."

"Where does he go?" I asked, popping a chip into my mouth.

Scott rolled his eyes. "I don't know what Mateo does with his life. Probably hooking up with someone? Smoking somewhere? He's like a ghost. Except when he's doing something annoying, like—"

He paused, shaking his head like he couldn't even believe what he was about to say. "Do you believe I found him smoking inside our bathroom?"

I blinked, surprised. "Wait—what? Inside the house?"

"Yup," Scott said, throwing his hands up. "I walked in, and there he was, leaning against the sink like it was the most normal thing in the world. My mom nearly lost it."

I couldn't help but laugh. "That's so bad. But, like... I don't know. Guys who smoke? Kind of sexy."

Scott stared at me, his face frozen in disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"

I shrugged, grinning. "What can I say? It's a vibe. The whole bad-boy thing."

"You're so weird," Scott said, shaking his head as he unpaused the game.

"Hey, don't knock it," I said, grabbing my controller again. "Besides, you don't see me judging your thing for girls who wear leather jackets."

"That's different," he said defensively, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Sure it is," I teased, earning an eye roll from him.

We played for a while longer, our banter flowing easily as always. Scott complained about Mateo a few more times, and I tried to distract him with terrible gameplay and even worse jokes. By the time I glanced at my phone, I realized it was getting late.

"Alright, I should head out," I said, standing and stretching.

Scott sighed, putting down his controller. "Fine. But you owe me a rematch next time."

"Only if you promise not to cheat," I said, grabbing my jacket.

Scott grinned. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Stiles."

I flipped him off as I walked out the door, his laughter echoing behind me.