Mischief in Starling [Stackson]

02 - Vigilante

Two weeks later, Stiles is more than a regular at the Dragonfly and has met all of Rory's friends, who took him into the group without question. There is Paris, a temperamental pre-med and Rory's roommate. Lane, a rebellious drummer with a heart of gold. And Jess, an author and Rory's boyfriend. Stiles feels at home already.

And then he is sent to a crime scene alone for the first time. When he gets there, everything seems normal enough. The knife fight took place hours ago, so the police tape is still blowing in the wind, but the dock is abandoned. Stiles is supposed to look around for anything the initial sweep through might have missed. He has no idea what that could be, but he is eager to please his boss and make sure he can stay at the department after his training is finished.

A bright reflection catches Stiles' eye and he discovers an aluminum case that is lodged between two shipping containers. He's about to pull it out when he feels a pressure on the back of his head. Stiles has seen enough movies to know it must be the barrel of a gun. He can feel cold sweat running down his neck and for a second he thinks how ironic it is that just after he leaves the supernatural behind, he dies from a gunshot. Then he hears a whiz and the barrel is gone. A second later, Stiles is surprised by a deep voice.

'It's okay. He can't hurt you anymore.' Something about the way the man speaks sounds familiar to Stiles, but he can't put his finger on it. So he slowly turns around and his eyes land on one of Starling's vigilantes. He's clad in red leather and his face is completely hidden in the shadow of his hood. Before Stiles can say anything, the man disappears around a corner and Stiles notices the perp, laying at his feet unconcious. Instead of following after the archer, Stiles calls Lance and lays out the situation while making sure the criminal doesn't wake up.

When he arrives, Lance apologizes repeatedly for letting Stiles go alone and promises to always send an officer with him from now on. But all Stiles can think about is the vigilante. He can't put his finger on it, but he is convinced he knows the man under the mask. Not only the voice, but just the way he stood was too familiar to him. And he was hot. Stiles can only judge his body, of course, but it's enough to say he is gorgeous. It was also enough for Stiles to decide that he definitely has a leather fetish. Who knew?

The next morning, Stiles wakes up with a strange feeling. It's like his heart is beating faster and everything around him looks brighter and clearer. Before he can dwell on it, his phone rings. 'Hi, Dad. What's up?' A deep chuckle comes through the line. 'What's up? Stiles, it's your 20th birthday.' At that, Stiles shoots up in his bed. 'Fuck, it's the 8th already?' Noah chuckles fondly. 'Yes, it is. I'll be down there when you're through with work. So make sure to pick a restaurant until then.' Stiles agrees and hangs up to get ready for work.

On his lunch break, Stiles shoots a text to Lorelai to let her know he'll be bringing his dad by later in the day for his birthday dinner. She congratulates him in her usual energetic matter and promises to make Luke prepare something special, even though Stiles insists it isn't necessary.

A few hours later, Noah knocks on Stiles' door and engulfs his son in a massive hug before handing him a brightly wrapped present. 'You shouldn't have gotten me anything, dad. I'm just happy you're here.' It 's not a lie either. Since he moved to the city, he feels lighter somehow. Even with the alley and the docks he didn't have a single panick attack or even got close. With that in mind, he can enjoy his father's presence without reservations.

When they get to the Dragonfly, Stiles sees a table in the corner, decorated with colorful balloons and fairylights strung along the wall. A small tear rolls down his cheek when he turns around to face Lorelai with the purest smile he's had in a long time. 'Lor, this is so sweet. I told you not to do anything special.' She just grins and guides the Stilinskis to the table. 'Luke will be out with your food in a few minutes. Until then just enjoy the cocktails and celebrate.' She winks at Stiles and leaves them alone.

'She knows you', Noah speaks up. 'She really knows you, son. I'm so happy that you're making friends here.' Stiles nods happily. 'Yeah, Lorelai is amazing. I came in here only a few days after I moved to Starling and I've pretty much been here every day since. I like to sit at the counter and chat with Lorelai and her husband Luke. This place almost feels like I'm right back in a small town. That was their goal. They followed Lorelai's daughter Rory here, but didn't want to miss out on the small town charm. Rory is amazing too. I've been out with her and her friends a couple of times and they like to show me around the city. I'm really happy here, dad.'

Noah smiles. 'I'm glad, Stiles. I have to admit that I was a little worried when you moved here so suddenly, but I can see you open up here. The way you just light up and seem to fit in. It makes me realize that you made the right decision. And I'm sorry I was so absent towards the end. I knew that you were struggling, but I was so busy with work that I didn't pay enough attention. And the way the weight on your shoulders is so much lighter here is a beautiful thing to see. I am so proud of you, Stiles. Don't you ever forget that.' Stiles loses another tear and grabs Noah's hand to squeeze it tight. Then Luke comes out with a big plate of Paella that smells like heaven.