Mischief in Starling [Stackson]

10 - Key

When Stiles wakes up, his neck feels stiff. But other than that, he slept like a baby. With Jackson's arms around him, he feels safer than he has in years. 'Good morning, sparky', the werewolf rasps. His morning voice sends shivers down Stiles' spine. 'Morning, wolfy', Stiles rasps back. 'You sleep well?' Stiles nods and cuddles closer into the firm chest underneath him. 'Yeah, but next time we should take the bed. My neck feels like it's on fire.' Jackson chuckles and pushes Stiles up gently so that he is sitting between his legs. Then Jackson places his strong hands on Stiles' shoulders and starts massaging the aching muscles. 'That feels amazing, Jax', Stiles moans. 'I'm glad.'

During breakfast Stiles makes Jackson tell stories about his work with Team Arrow and he hangs onto every word. After a while Jackson pauses and tilts his head towards Stiles. 'You're never going to ask about who they really are', he states. Stiles shakes his head. 'No. I understand the need to hide your identity. Can you imagine the media buzz if somebody were to find out who you guys are? You wouldn't be able to do your job anymore. Besides, they have never met me. You trust me. I trust you. And you trust them. That's all I need to know. Also, we both know that names aren't really that important.' 'Yeah. You are amazing, Sti. You know that, right?' 'So are you, Jax.'

Since it's Sunday, the library is closed and the two of them decide to try and figure out what lock Stiles' key opens. 'The glowing is unusual, sure. But other than that, it looks like it leads to a safety deposit box. I have a friend who can tell us which one if you are okay with me showing it to her.' Stiles nods. 'I'll take all the help I can get. How about you call her and I see what I can whip up for lunch.' Jackson agrees and pulls out his phone while Stiles strolls into the kitchen.

When Jackson enters the room, Stiles is about to slide the homemade pizza into the oven. 'Don't tell me you just made pizza dough from scratch.' Stiles chuckles. 'No, I made this a few days ago. It lasts a while in the fridge. Did you get anywhere?' Jackson nods. 'My friend matched the key to a safety deposit box in the oldest bank in Starling. They are actually open today, so if you want to go after lunch, we can.' They both agree and sit back down on the couch until the pizza is done.

Two hours later, they are standing in front of a young bank teller who insists that Stiles can only enter the vault on his own. But he really wants Jackson to come with him. This might very well be the moment he finds out exactly what he is and what that means. Stiles doesn't want to be alone for that. Eventually he agrees to the bank's terms and asks Jackson to wait for him outside the vault. Then the teller leads him to the right box and pulls out her key while Stiles does the same. She pulls out the container, which is a lot smaller than Stiles expected. For a box of journals, there is not much room in there. Stiles wonders how he is supposed to learn much from that. Then they slide in the keys and snap open the lock. When Stiles lifts the lid of the sleeve and gets a look at what's inside, his eyes go wide.

'A single page?! That's it?!', Jackson exclaims way too loudly for a public space. 'Yes, that's it. I have no idea what it says either. You wouldn't happen to have studied Latin since you moved?' Jackson shook his head. 'That solves it. We need Marcus to translate this. But if I interpret the symbols right, it's a spell. My best guess is, it's an incantation to share memories. Like a supernatural diary in a way. But a spell like that requires a vessel of some sort. A containment for the echo. The location, as far as I know, is usually hidden within the spell. The library isn't open until tomorrow, so I guess we're done for the day.' Jackson nods. 'What do you wanna do then? I say we stop by the Dragonfly and stock up on coffee. Then we go back to yours and throw in... Oh, I don't know, a Star Wars episode of your choice maybe? And then I'll take you up on that offer from earlier and we'll move from the couch to the bed. What do you say?' Stiles agrees with a beaming smile and interlocks his arm with Jackson's to pull the werewolf outside.

The movie is one of Stiles' favorites, but he can't really focus on anything but Jackson's hand on his thigh. His skin is tingling and the butterflies in his stomach that he is so desperately trying to avoid are going crazy. When Jackson starts moving his thumb in gentle strokes, Stiles trains his eyes on the screen so the other won't notice his blown eyes and blushed cheeks. After a while Stiles feels Jackson's gaze on him and turns to the side. Jackson leans in closer and Stiles is sure they are about to kiss when a loud ring interrupts the moment.

They hesitate in their position for a few seconds before Jackson pulls away and looks down at his phone. 'Shit. It's Green Arrow. I have to go. I'm so sorry, Sti. But we'll pick this up another time, right?' A smile forces it's way onto Stiles' face at Jackson's hopeful expression. 'Yeah, we will pick this up another time. Just promise me one thing?' 'Anything.' 'Call me after you're done chasing the bad guys. Just so I know you're okay. I'll wait up.' The werewolf smiles and presses a kiss to Stiles' forehead before he picks up the still ringing phone and leaves the apartment. A shiver runs down Stiles' spine and he sighs happily.