A PROMISE TO THE DEAD
______________
c h a p t e r t w e n t y - o n e
Carson wakes up the next day in Stiles' arms, happily reminded of the night before. Things were finally coming together after months of complete turmoil.
"Wake up," she taps Stiles. The man was practically dead.
"Stiles, get up, we have things to do," she shakes him.
"I'm up," he mumbles.
"Oh really? Then what am I doing right now?" she wiggles her fingers in front of his face.
"Smiling."
"Technically wrong. Now get up, you have practice, and I have to go," she starts to get up.
"No, don't leave. Stay," he pulls her back into his arms.
"Stiles, I really have to go."
"Where?"
"I have a swim meet. It determines if I qualify for Regionals," she reminds him.
"Five minutes, please," he grasps her tighter, practically giving her no way out.
"Fine, you big child," she lays her head on the pillow, smiling and tracing his face.
"We're supposed to be sleeping," he mumbles, one eye open.
"But there are much better ways to start the day," she pouts.
"Mhm, I'm listening."
"Fine, I have a pool to get to," she starts to get up, finally waking him up.
"Come here," he kisses down her neck.
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to take you away from your precious sleep-"
"Carson, shut up and let me kiss you," he slides his hand up her shirt, which really belonged to him, and five minutes quickly turned into an hour.
"Ugh, I'm gonna be late, because of you," she braids her hair rapidly, running down the steps.
"I'm so very sorry," he catches up to her, kissing her cheek.
"No you're not. You're lucky I keep an extra suit in my locker," she glares, throwing him the keys.
"Yeah yeah. You loved it."
"Once again, I said five minutes, mister "Let's do it again," she accuses. "Not an hour."
"I don't remember you complaining," he smirks. "In fact, you were profoundly pleased as far as I remember. "Oh don't stop, oh Stiles!" Very clearly satisfied," he mocks her.
"I'm never making another noise again. From now on, I'm gonna stay completely silent, just for that."
"Oh like you could-" he starts, before she gives him a look.
"Shut it. We're here," she practically flies out of the Jeep, running into the school.
"How are you so fast? You don't even like running. And you're wearing heels."
"Running in heels is my specialty, babe," she turns the corner to the locker room.
"Nice to see you, Carson. So glad you could find the time," the coach frowns.
"I had an emergency," she nods.
"Hey you forgot your... phone," Stiles runs up to them, handing her the device before disappearing, making the coach give her a look.
"Emergency, huh?"
"Yeah, my car broke down. It was terri-"
"Get dressed."
"Yes ma'am," she looks down, quickly changing.
______
Night falls, and Carson arrives to the game, heading to the bench and squeezing between Stiles and Liam.
"Freshman, boyfriend, how's it going? Ready for the game?" she links their arms.
"You're dating... him?" Liam points, clearly confused.
"Yes. He's a very lucky man. Adios," she gets up, before remembering something.
"Stiles?"
"Yeah?"
"Good luck," she pulls him in for a very motivating kiss, almost forgetting where they are until Coach clears his throat.
"Rivera, stop distracting my players!"
"Sorry, Coach," she walks off, not meaning her words.
"Nice one Stilinski," he fist bumps him before walking off.
"Thanks Coach."
"You get all that and you can't even play?" Liam gasps.
"I'm getting good. Really good."
"May I ask why both of you are within 50 feet of each other? It's disturbing," she finds a seat, seeing her parents discussing something.
"We wanna see your boyfriend play," Drew smiles.
"I've seen him play. I'm only here because I was promised cheesecake," Gina rolls her eyes.
"You don't have surgery? Honestly there are people with aneurysms, just waiting to burst without you," she overexaggerates, as the Sheriff and Malia sit down on her other side.
"Thanks again, Drew. I really appreciate it," Noah nods to him.
"Oh, it's no problem. The machine was clearly screwed up," he shrugs, while Carson texts Stiles.
STILES <3
Carson ❤️
Please tell me you got better.
Stiles <3
Glad to see you have so
much faith in me. Really,
it's flattering.
Carson ❤️
There are some things that you
are amazing at. Lacrosse is not
one of them. Don't suck
Stiles <3
Love you too
Carson glances at the team, smiling as Isaac waves to Malia.
"I see that's going well," she whispers.
"What do you mean?" she frowns, as the game begins.
"So is Stiles any good?" Drew asks, Gina snorting in the background. She actually paid attention whenever she came to these, and not once could she say that Kyle's lessons did that boy any good.
"...Isaac is great, right Malia?" Carson makes a face.
"He asked about Stiles," she responds, not understanding what she meant.
"He's gotten a lot better," Carson rolls her eyes.
"That didn't really answer his question," Gina responds.
"Um, he's not the worst on the team," Noah winces.
"Oh, how was the meet?"
"I got first place," she shrugs, followed by a series of cheers.
"Where's Scott and Kira?" Carson squints, looking for them.
"I have no idea," Malia looks as well. "Should we be worried?"
"Um, I don't know. I'll worry when Stiles worries."
"Carson, I think Stiles is dead," Malia points to the boy laying flat on his back in the middle of the field.
"Oh my god," she puts her face in her hands as Liam helps him up.
"If this is better, how exactly did he play before?" Drew whispers to Noah.
"It's best if we don't say," he responds.
Stiles gets up from the bench after talking to Liam, walking over to the very large group with Isaac.
"We're gonna go look for Scott, alright?" Stiles whispers in her ear, Isaac doing the same to Malia.
"You want me to stay here in case he shows up?" Malia asks.
"Yes, Carson come on," he grabs her hand.
"Where are you going?"
"We have to go help Scott and Kira. You guys can go," Carson nods to her oblivious father and suspicious mother.
"Help with what?"
"Um..." All of the teenagers look at each other. "Car accident," Isaac blurts, earning 3 very disappointed looks.
"What?" Drew widens his eyes. "Are they okay? Did anyone hit their head? Potential brain trauma?"
"Seriously Isaac, that's what you could come up with?" Stiles sighs. "You don't tell a doctor that someone got in a car crash!"
"Don't see you coming up with any bright ideas."
"It's minor. I promise. He just needs a ride."
"Well, you don't have to miss the game, I can pick them up," Drew gets up.
"They're not missing much. We're probably protecting Stiles from the inevitable injuries he will acquire from this game. He's probably got a concussion, he needs rest."
"We're gonna go now, bye," they scurry off, her parents grabbing their car keys to leave.
"Hurry up and change, now," Carson pushes the boys into the locker room, a loud scream ringing in her head, before a series of images.
"It's a Berserker," Carson runs into the locker room, confusing the lacrosse players.
"What?"
"I saw a berserker trying to kill Kira, and I heard Lydia scream which is never a good thing," she sighs, sitting on the bench. "But I didn't see anything else and I should be able to see more."
"Uh, didn't you die? Shouldn't we be glad you have any powers at all?" Isaac retorts.
"Whatever. Where were they last?"
"Derek's loft," Stiles responds.
"Alright, let's go," she leads them out the room, sitting in the front seat of the Jeep.
_____
"It looks terrible in here," Carson walks into the loft.
"It was supposed to be a date," Stiles sighs.
"They were both here?" Noah asks.
"And now they're both gone."
"I smell blood. It's Scott's," Sofia paces the room.
Carson's phone rings, breaking her from her concentration on trying to trigger a vision.
"Lydia?" Carson answers.
"Scott's been taken."
"Scott and Kira. We just don't know where," she responds.
"Mexico. And if you want to save his life, that's where you're going, too," Deaton speaks up.
"Carson, you said you had a vision?" Derek says.
"Yeah, but it was short, I couldn't see much. It was Kira, there was a berserker after her," she rubs her forehead. "I couldn't see where she was."
"Alright. We'll go in the morning," Isaac moves from his spot against the wall.
"First thing," Carson agrees, nodding to Stiles.
______
"Mom, are you home?" Carson walks in her door, shutting it as quietly as possible.
"In the study," she calls out, Carson heading over hesitantly. Her mom was normally the warm one in this family, but when she got mad, it was honestly terrifying. Very similar to Carson herself.
"What are you doing?" the brunette sits on the couch, evaluating the woman reading something with her glasses.
"I'm reading. Obviously."
"I mean, what are you reading? Obviously," she fights the urge to roll her eyes.
"Just some sales stuff. Luckily, the spring release did really well, and I'm currently paying off the many credit cards I maxed out on the details. What do you want?" she barely looks up, scratching something out, Carson assumes an expense.
"Are you still mad at me?"
"Is the sky blue?"
"I still see them sometimes, you know," Carson drums her fingers on the surface.
"What are you talking about?"
"The guys, the ones from the fraternity. They all ended up in the burn unit, but they've recovered and they don't look too bad. They don't remember anything except there was an animal and a fire."
"Carson, trust me, dwelling on that will not make it better-"
"One of them didn't make it. His name was Cooper, apparently he was studying business. He was a jerk, and I probably kept him from acquiring several sexual assault charges, but no one deserves to die, and I killed him," she sighs, looking down.
"You didn't do anything, Carson. That was the nogitsune's fault. I assume he gave you an impossible ultimatum, like either Lydia dies or they do?" she puts her pen down.
"Yeah, he did. But I should've done it differently, pretended to bite them or something. Look, my point is that everywhere in this town reminded me of something horrible, whether it was the hospital and Kyle, or Allison's apartment, or those poor guys. There was no safe place for me here. So I am sorry for not telling you, but I don't apologize for leaving."
"Sit down," she points to a chair opposite of the desk.
"Okay..."
"We're a team, you and me. We don't lie to each other. But I understand why you left. Now I guess I can stop depriving you of real breakfast," she chuckles. "On one condition."
"Please don't make me get a job, I already volunteer at the hospital every summer," she looks up, praying.
"Stop praying, you fool. You need to see a therapist. A real one this time."
"Mom-"
"No. Once you guys find Scott and Kira, you will go twice a week until the start of school in August. Also I hope you and Lydia can devise an actual plan before attacking berserkers," she raises an eyebrow.
"Stiles is more of the planner. I prefer to chime in last minute with the key to whatever issue, feels more dramatic," she nods, earning a look.
"Fine, I'll go to a therapist, who'll probably end up being a huge liar. But I need something from you too. Rehab."
"Rehab is for corrupted child stars, and rich socialites."
"You are a rich socialite."
"Carson, I can stop without rehab. I haven't even had a drink since New Year's."
"Fine, then this won't be too hard. Hand me the bottle," she holds her hand out.
"Here," she willingly hands it over, almost too willingly.
Carson squints in suspicion, before reaching under the desk, the beanbag chair, and the bookshelf to find two more bottles. "Now we're good."
"Do not throw those away, they're expensive."
"I'm keeping them in a safe place."
"I swear if you drink it I will end you!"
"I'd just come back to haunt you."
________________
a/n: sorry this took so long, i was having really bad anxiety and could not bring myself to post lmao. anyway sour is so fucking good. i think i'm a stan now