Monsters | Stiles Stilinski

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟐

COACH WAS GOING TO BE JUST FINE. The EMTs arrived in time and managed to get him into the ambulance and off to hospital in record time. Before any of us knew it we were staring at the back of the van as it drove off like nothing major had actually happened and suddenly we back on earth — no longer faced with life or death. Once my heart had returned to a regular rhythm and I'd calmed down enough to take in my surroundings I realised that the Sheriff had arrived to the scene.

It was just Aiden and I standing together and while I scrubbed the blood off of my hands with a cloth I watched the Sheriff and Stiles interact with one another off towards the side — away from all the mess. Stiles' father had pulled him into a tight hug while he rested his head on his sons shoulder. The frown lines were still deep on his face as tears swelled in his eyes. Behind us, Scott and Ethan had continued searching through Stiles' trunk, looking through the duffle bag in more depth.

I pressed my lips together, balling the cloth in my fist while I watched the Sheriff and Stiles. I was hoping Stiles was about to tell him what was happening with the Nogitsune and that it wouldn't be left down to me though as thought to myself they both turned to glance at me. The Sheriff gave me a pressed smile but I could see the relief in his eyes and in return I forced myself to produce a small smile. I really hoped — prayed even — that Stiles was Stiles but I just couldn't allow myself to trust him so easily.

"You really don't trust him, do you?" Aiden said to me curiously from my side.

I glanced at him, meeting his perplexed gaze and I shook my head, "Do you?"

"No." He responded honestly, "But I don't know Stiles, not like you and Scott."

I pressed my lips together, "Scott likes to believe in miracles and second chances. I tend to be more skeptical."

I heard him chuckle under his breath and when I turned again he was trying to conceal a smile, "You mean Scott's glass is half full and yours is half empty?"

I nodded, "That's one way to put it."

There was a short silence until Aiden broke it again as he lowered his head to speak to me, his voice quietening, "Do you really think it's not Stiles."

I exhaled deeply, "I'm praying that it's him .. god, I hope it's Stiles..."

"But you can't be sure." Aiden nodded after I lost my words.

"I have no idea when he was the Nogitsune and when he wasn't. It's enough to frighten me."

He pressed his lips together while we continued to hold each other's glance until Ethans skeptical — slightly concerned — voice interrupted our moment.

"Scott, you better look at this."

Aiden and I turned and looked at his brother before we walked over to the trunk of the Jeep. I tossed the stained cloth inside and stiffened beside Scott as Ethan handed him a roll of wrapping paper. I furrowed my brows in confusion for half a second as Scott glanced at me until I recognised the pattern and the colours of the paper. I remembered being with Stiles when he bought it.

My eyes widened, "Oh, my, god."

"This is the same wrapping paper we used for Coach's birthday present." Scott said.

I nodded while looking at him, "On Mischief Night, the box of shrapnel."

"Wasn't that William Barrow's thing?" Ethan said, "A bomb made from nails and bolts all wrapped in a birthday present? Where did it go off?"

I dropped my head back, covering my face with my hands in panic while I swore to myself multiple times. This was a reminder of how long the Nogitsune had been sitting in Stiles' body for — how he'd ever so slowly adjusted his behaviour one day at a time. When Stiles had first explained the prank for Coach's birthday to me I thought it was genius. Now, I realised I wasn't even Stiles' idea in the first place. The Nogitsune had planted the seed in his head which was how Barrow tied into all of this. We never saw the connection at first because all along we'd been staring at half of the picture.