Seeking comfort

7.

Stiles is silent.

Even Elijah and Isla can't get a word out of him, being lead away by their dad because Stiles doesn't feel well. Lydia fills his cup with coffee every time he empties it without a word.

Scott busies himself with making games for the kids or finding something to occupy them.
"Let's play hide and seek, I'll count first. Go hide!"

Boyd sits with Stiles, not too close, but near him. He doesn't talk either until he feels an ache in his chest. The only reason he stayed back was because he'd only just come back from being in subspace so Erica forbid him from fighting. He had agreed easily because he knew it wouldn't end well.

"Scotty- I," he sniffs. "I need help."
"Okay, that's okay. Come sit with me. Kids you have to play with your dad, okay? Sorry, I'll play soon."

Boyd fits himself between Scott's legs, letting him pet at him and nuzzle him.
"Stiles is sad. It's making me feel sad," Boyd complains, trying to make himself small as possible. "I want Erica."
"I know you do, she'll be home soon. Don't you worry. You want to go to sleep?"
"Okay," Boyd shrugs.
"Let's lie down, have a cuddle."

Scott holds him and strokes his back until he falls asleep, murmuring gentle praise in his ear. When he is finally relaxed, mouth open as he snores lightly Scott moves over to sit with Stiles. He's sat on the wide window sill, knees curled into his chest as he stares out of the window. His hands shake where they're tight around his coffee mug, shivering as goosebumps rise on his skin.

"Hey, buddy. I know you don't feel too great but I think you need to get up and do something. Why don't you curl up with me and Boyd and go to sleep?" Scott says gently, brushing his thumb over his cheek. "You can kneel?"

He doesn't get a response. Lydia smiles sadly, nudging him out of the way.
"I'll stay with him till Derek gets here."

Stiles looks at her.
"Derek?" He croaks. 
"He'll be here soon, love."

The pack comes home at one o'clock the next afternoon. Stiles hasn't slept. He is shaking but hasn't had coffee since Lydia cut him off in the evening prior.

Boyd clutches onto Erica, nodding when she whispers how much she loves him.
"I love you too. I missed you so much," he sobs, chest heaving as he cries.
"Okay, it's okay. I've got you, baby. Let's go sit down. I'm okay. We're okay. I'm so proud of you for asking for help."

Boyd has come a long way. When he and Erica first started dating he would refuse to talk about being a sub; he tried to act like a dom which made him exhausted and ill. Erica had to start slow with introducing BDSM, praise hidden as compliments that got less and less subtle as time went on. Boyd would never tell her that he liked it but he started getting better, started relaxing into it.

The first time he knelt had been after an argument. He was agitated and angry because he wanted to do it, to be good, but there was something stopping him. And Erica was so understanding. She let him shout at her, smash things and just waited for him to stop to go over and comfort him.

He'd been particularly nasty, though Erica refused to tell him that it hurt her. Boyd didn't know what he expected her to do, but she surprised him by hugging him, kissing him gently.

She'd gone to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and some snacks as she always did after one of his tantrums. Boyd later found out that it helps to stop him dropping.

Erica didn't react when she walked in the room, put the water and food down on the coffee table and sat on the couch next to where Boyd was kneeling.