Disclaimer: teen wolf does not belong to me in any way, shape or form :( I decided to update super quick because I left it a few weeks last time and because I was on night shift (urgh the joys haha) and had time, but thank you for all your continued support and all the reads and wonderful reviews, it means the entire world :) hope you enjoy this next update x
The end of this chapter (stayla wink wink) gives me vibes from the songs 'adore you' by Harry Styles and 'as long as you love me' by sleeping at last... I was listening to them on repeat when writing this hahaha
Stiles was such an idiot.
Since Scott's little reminder earlier about his drunken phone call last night, he hadn't been able to forget about it. Mulling over his words and cringing as he did so.
God, he was so drunk. The things he said to her were so embarrassing he wanted to jump in front of a moving bus just to make himself forget.
How the hell could he look her in the eyes ever again?
'I likey likey you'? How mortifying.
He sat nervously on the bench by the lacrosse pitch, anxiously chewing on his weathered glove as he willed himself through the internal nervous breakdown he was having. That was until Scott brushed past and sat down next to him, his demeanour oddly confident and relaxed.
"Dude, how could you let me make a phone call like that?" he asked in panic, "I drunk dialled her! I made a complete idiot of myself".
Scott simply raised a brow, not at all fazed by his jittery and anxious ways.
"Yes, you did" Scott agreed, "but you're lucky she seems to like complete idiots".
"Wait-what?" Stiles asked in surprise, suddenly the phone call had been forgotten about, "you mean she definitely likes me? As in more than friends?"
Scott simply inclined his head into a single nod, although his gaze was strangely hyper focused in front of him, a somewhat cocky smirk pulling at his lips.
"Oh my god" he exclaimed, "this is-this is huge. This is- oh my god"
In that moment, he didn't even care to find out what vibes Scott got from Lydia because, right now, Scott just confirmed that Kayla Hale liked Stiles Stilinski. This was breaking news.
He knew there was some level of attraction there - the fact that, just a couple days ago she was grinding on him and phoning him for phone sex sort of gave that away - but to hear it from the werewolf that could literally smell desire, lust and arousal... it was pretty epic.
Now what the hell was he going to do about it?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
She made it through the school day without any more incidents, which, in itself, was a God Damn miracle.
Her emotions remained touchy - one moment she was so angry over nothing, and the next she was feeling empty and sad. Then, just after 2pm, the full ache started to spread throughout her body.
Full moons were definitely getting worse for her. Last month, things went semi smoothly. She may have had to inject herself with morphine and down copious amounts of alcohol, but the pain didn't completely take over.
Some months, the pain didn't start till the evening. Other months, they started earlier.
Like now.
It was becoming a more common thing. Soon enough, she could imagine they would become unbearable.
This was going to be a terrible full moon.
When the final bell rang, she managed to dodge Lydia and her incessant need to hook her up with a boyfriend and made her way out into the car park, the hustle and bustle of desperate students pushing past her.
She was just about to start her walk back home when her mom drove up in her black jaguar XF, screeching to a halt next to her with a thunderous look on her face.
Oh great.
"Get in!"
She scowled at her mom, biting back a retort as she did as she was asked, climbing in the car and trying not to wince at the fire beginning to spread through her veins.
"I got a call from the principle. You were in a fight?"
"Yup" she said, buckling the belt around her body, "bitch deserved it".
"What did I say about reining in your behaviour? I'm fed up of this Kayla. You need to learn to control yourself".
She shot her mom a withering glare, "control is overrated".
Her mom's hands tightened around the steering wheel, her lip curling as she took off through the parking lot like a bat out of hell.
"I had to leave work early because of this" she continued, "the principle was not happy. You're lucky he even accepted you into this school with your track record".
Blah blah blah. She had heard this all before.
"I thought things were improving - finally - but breaking someone's nose? What if her parents press charges?"
"Let them"
"Enough" her mom snapped, "you were - graciously, I might add - given a second chance by that judge even though you didn't deserve it. On the condition you became a decent member of society. Does a decent member of society go around breaking people's noses?"
"If they deserved it? Yes".
"And don't even get me started on what I found in your room".
She snapped her gaze to her mom, her jaw dropping in surprise and a furious contempt burning in her eyes.
"You went through my room?"
"Of course I did. My house, my rules. Care to explain why you have a vial - stolen, I assume - of morphine?"
"Because my domineering and dictator of a mother won't give me pain meds for the full moon".
"Of course I'm not going to give my drug addicted daughter pain relief. Do you think I'm stupid?"
"I told you that morphine is fine. It doesn't do anything to me".
"It's a slippery slope. Addicts would take anything they can get their hands on".
"I need it for the pain" she insisted, "mom, tonight is a bad one. I can tell. I need something to get me through it. Morphine helps. Why should I be in so much pain if I don't have to be?"
"Look, I understand it's painful but-"
"No, you don't understand" she snapped, her mom's voice worse than nails on a chalkboard, "you have no idea how this feels. Every full moon my body tears itself apart and I feel like I'm dying. How can you possibly know how this feels?"
"Get it under control" her mom replied, no sympathy in her tone, "you're going to have to live with it without the crutch of drugs. Stop making it everyone else's problem".
"You mean stop making you look bad, right?"
Because, at the end of the day, that was all she cared about. It was blatantly obvious.
"I'm not having a repeat of Louisiana" her mom sighed, that statement was probably something Kayla had heard a hundred times over, "you were a disgrace. The talk of the town".
"Well, maybe those nosey bitches should have found something more interesting to talk about".
"I'm not arguing about this Kayla" her mom sighed as she pulled into their driveway, "end of discussion".
"Of course it is" she muttered bitterly, rolling her eyes, "because, god forbid, you try and see things from my perspective".
"And what perspective is that? Lying, stealing and sleeping your way to smoke, snort and sniff anything you could get into your body for months on end? At the end of the day Kayla, you were weak and you'll always be weak. There's no excuse".
Of course there wasn't. Her mom, ever the nurturing and caring mother - not. Well, maybe if she had been and actually put in some degree of effort, things could've been different.
"Yeah, maybe I am" she agreed, "but I'd rather be weak than a self absorbed, narcissist bitch".
With that she stormed from the car, deliberately slamming the door with enough force to rattle the metal and made her way up the stairs, entering her now tainted room. Nothing safe from the prying eyes of her mother.
Her emotions were teetering on the edge of total destruction, her anger coming in waves and her sadness and despair beginning to seize her entire body.
She hated full moons. Especially ones like these.
Every emotion was circling through her on repeat, that dull ache beginning to sharpen.
She stripped off her clothes, the material feeling too constrictive and painful against her sensitive skin as she stepped into the shower, turning it to the hottest possible setting and sitting cross legged on the shower floor as the searing water cascaded over her body. It offered a little relief, which was better than none.
She didn't know how much longer she could do this for. Live in a body that didn't know what it wanted to be. Human and werewolf DNA fighting and squabbling worse than bratty kids.
The unknown made it worse.
Every 'specialist' her dad took her to came up empty handed. All of them left scratching their heads at why she was left in crippling pain when the moon was full. A true exception to the rule.
What if it just got worse and worse until it killed her?
What if she was left in a vegetative state like uncle Peter, the pain making her a recluse of her self.
Or, what if, it made her completely lose it and hurt everyone around her?
The possibilities were endless, and no one knew what the end result could be. Her 'condition' was an enigma to the highest possible degree.
She sat there, hot water turning her skin close to a blistering red, until she began to sob. The harsh splatter of the water around her masking the sounds of her cries.
She felt helpless and alone, left to bear the weight of the troubles that came with the full moon. Every cell in her body beginning to try and split apart, soon resulting in her body quaking with spasms of pain until she felt like screaming.
She didn't though. She always tried not to. Not wanting this curse to win. Determined to fight it tooth and nail, even though at times it felt never ending and impossible.
The steam from the hot water stung her eyes, splatter patches of red decorating her skin from the intense heat of the water. With energy she didn't know she had, she pulled herself out of the shower, not bothering drying herself as she pulled on a little vest top and a pair of shorts.
Soon enough, she knew, the hot flushes would happen. She needed to stay as cool as possible.
Every joint, every muscle, ever single part of her body was engulfed in fire as she dragged herself to her bed and gingerly laid down, curling into a small ball as she got lost to the agony of the moon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Oh, my God!" Stiles exclaimed, "dude, you scared the hell out of me! Your mom said you weren't home yet".
"l came in through the window".
"Okay. Uh..." he murmured, not getting a good feeling about this, "well, let's get this set up. I want you to see what I bought".
"I'm fine" Scott said blankly, no emotion in his dark brown gaze, "I'm just gonna lock the door and go to bed early tonight".
Stiles didn't believe him for one second.
"You sure about that?" he wondered, "because you've got this kind of serial killer look going on in your eyes, and I'm hoping it's just the full moon taking effect because it's really starting to freak me out".
"I'm fine. You should go now".
"All right. I'll leave" Stiles muttered, before changing his mind and dropping the gym bag by his feet, "well, look, would you just at least look in the bag and see what I brought? You know, maybe you use it, maybe you don't. Sound good?"
Scott's usual kind eyes darkened, causing Stiles to break out in a cold sweat.
"You think I'm gonna let you put these on and chain me up like a dog?"
Stiles sighed, "actually, no..."
With that he reached out quickly to handcuff Scott's wrist to the radiator, much to his best friend's disgust.
"What the hell are you doing?" Scott raged, rattling the metal handcuffs harshly.
"Protecting you from yourself" he stated, "you're not acting like yourself Scott. The full moon is messing with your head".
"What would you know about the full moon?" he demanded, "I feel fine".
"You saw how it affected Kayla and she's not even a werewolf. It's changing you Scott".
"Let me out of these things. Now".
"No can do" Stiles shrugged, "you'll thank me in the morning".
"I'll never thank you for this" Scott screamed, "let me go".
"No".
"Look at you, trying to be confident" Scott seethed, "but deep down you're just scared. You can't even ask a girl out. Why do you think you can contain me?"
Wow, ouch Scott.
"Two completely different scenarios" Stiles said, "I'm trying to stop you from killing someone. Or, funnily enough, yourself. There's hunters out there, remember?"
"You're never going to get the girl" Scott hissed, "you think Lydia has cared that you've pathetically pined after her for eight years? She doesn't care. Kayla's going to get bored of you too. Maybe she's just friends with you out of pity".
Double ouch.
"I'm going to forget you said that".
"Why?" Scott demanded, "scared of the truth? What would a girl like that do with a guy like you?"
It was like Scott was inside his head, revealing his deepest darkest fears and worries.
"Maybe I should've kissed her instead of Lydia" Scott continued, a nasty edge to his tone, "I bet she would be up for it. In fact... I almost did. She smelt so good and looked so good too. Maybe I'll get another chance".
Stiles was brimming with anger, his curled fists shaking at his side. Scott's word cutting deep under his skin. Streaks of heavy, hot jealousy coursing through his body.
He just had to remember this wasn't his best friend. This wasn't Scott. It was the full moon.
"Have fun handcuffed" Stiles exclaimed through gritted teeth, "it's going to be a long night".
With that he left the room, sliding down the wall in the hallway as Scott screamed and shouted in anguish, leaving Stiles feeling like the worst friend in the entire world.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The news that Derek was alive and well shocked Stiles to his very core, nearly driving the jeep off the road.
"What? He's alive?"
"Yeah" Scott sighed from the other end of the line, "he's been in hiding. There's been too many police and hunters about for him to safely come back".
"Right... you did kind of land him in hot water there, huh?"
He heard Scott wince, "I thought he was dead".
"Unfortunately not" he grumbled.
"Stiles, look, about earlier-"
"It's fine" he said, awkwardly holding the phone between his shoulder and ear as he drove, "don't sweat it. It was the full moon".
"I didn't mean what I said".
"I know you didn't".
"It was wrong of me to kiss Lydia".
"Yeah, but I don't really care about that".
There was a brief pause at the other end, Stiles for a minute wondering if the connection had dropped.
"You don't care?" Scott finally asked, "since when?"
He didn't know, but the relief and freedom he felt was immense. Feeling like he was able to breathe again.
"Since now" he replied, "whatever things I felt for Lydia were superficial. I don't even know her. Not really".
"... I didn't mean what I said about Kayla either" Scott mumbled, "she really likes you. She's a great girl. She was quick enough to put me in my place earlier" he added with a chuckle.
Stiles stifled a laugh, "I'll bet".
"I promise I would never go there with her. Allison is who I want. I guess I was just under the influence of her scent. It was... something I've never really smelt before. Like I was intoxicated".
Stiles frowned in wondering, curious as to why her scent had that affect on Scott - and especially on a full moon.
"I know bud" he reassured, "and anyway, she's not mine to get jealous over so relax".
"She could be yours though".
"You heard her Scott, she doesn't do relationships".
"Only because the ones she's had has been bad. You're not bad for her. She'll come around".
"Speaking of..." Stiles said, slowing to a stop at some traffic lights, "... she didn't have a good day today. Maybe I should check in on her..."
He could practically sense the smile from the other end of the phone, making him blush.
"Maybe you should Stiles".
"Oh shut up" he fumbled nervously, "full moons are painful for her. And someone needs to tell her about Derek. Something tells me she wouldn't appreciate the news in a text".
"I agree" Scott laughed tiredly as the light turned green, "go make sure she's okay. I'll see you at school tomorrow. And, uh, thanks for having my back. I really appreciate it".
They parted ways as Stiles turned left at the next junction, heading straight to Kayla's house. Having memorised the route weeks ago.
Much to his surprise, there was no cars in the driveway. Meaning she must've been all alone going through the pain and uncertainty of the full moon.
He wished he was able to reach out sooner, but with Scott escaping and the fear for his best friend getting shot by hunters, that sort of took priority.
He drove slowly up her driveway, grabbing the spare key from the soil in the plant pot and carefully opened the door.
It wasn't breaking and entering if he had a key, right?
He climbed the stairs, on auto pilot as he walked to her room, coming up to the closed door. With a shaky hand he knocked on the wood, receiving no answer.
Maybe she was resting? Or sleeping? But the full moon was still out, so he doubted she would be able to sleep. The way she was acting today, he could tell it was going to be a rough full moon.
He knocked again, only to still receive no answer.
With nervous fingers he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, her room cast in a silvery glow from the moon shining through the open curtains.
He squinted his eyes, calling out her name as he stepped into the room, blinking through the darkness. An eerie feeling inside his chest telling him he was about to walk into something terrible.
Stiles swallowed nervously, his gaze sweeping across the vast expanse of her room before settling on her bed, the glow from the window casting shimmers across her skin.
"... Kayla?" he asked, taking another step closer, "is... is everything okay?"
It was a stupid question because things were obviously not okay, but he didn't know what else to say. Taken aback by the sight of her flinching and spasming on her bed, grabbing the bed sheet underneath her. Little whimpers and cries escaping her lips.
She turned to look at him, her face scrunched up in pain but something close to relief and appreciation shot through her stare as she looked up at him.
"S-S-Stiles?" she asked, her voice quiet and broken "w-what are y-you... you doing h-here?"
"I uh... I..."
He didn't know what to say, staring down at her in shock. Her skin flushed red and glistening with sweat, painful spasms seizing her body.
"I just..." he continued, "... I wanted to check on you".
She momentarily closed her eyes, biting back a painful moan as she flinched, her fists tightening around the damp bed sheet.
"W-Why?" she asked through gritted teeth, trying not to show just how much pain she was in.
"I was worried" he mumbled, "you didn't seem great today and I... I just wanted to see if I can help".
Her entire body spasmed, her back arching off the bed as she curled onto her side and wrapped an arm around her torso, breathing quickly through the pain.
He felt entirely helpless, watching her writhe in pain and being unable to do anything to take it away even though he'd be willing to do anything to help her. If he could reach out to touch her and somehow siphon away her agony he would. In a heartbeat.
"H-How's Scott?"
"He's okay" he reassured, perching himself by the edge of her bed, "he didn't hurt anyone. Um... there's actually something you need to know. Derek's alive. He's okay. Beacon Hills hasn't been safe for him recently".
Her eyes shot open, new found hope gleaming in them.
"H-He's alive?"
"He's alive" he confirmed, "he handled Scott tonight. In fact, he kinda saved his life".
The smallest of smirks pulled at her lips, holding back her shakes of pain.
"S-See? He's n-not so bad after all... h-huh?"
His lips quirked, playfully rolling his eyes at her.
"I wouldn't take it that far".
Her smile was brief but genuine, the silvery glow bouncing off her cheeks before she winced, turning over onto her back.
"What can I do to help?" he asked desperately, his own chest clenching at the sight of her in so much pain, "tell me what I can do".
He was sure he saw a single tear fall down her face, disappearing into her hair as she fidgeted on the bed, desperate for some relief.
"Y-You can't do a-anything".
"I can do something" he insisted, "I can't let you be in this much pain".
"I-It's just s-something that happens" she sighed, "d-don't worry".
"Of course I'm going to worry" he insisted, reaching across the blankets to search for her hand, finding her clammy fingers and grasping a hold of them, "how could I not?"
Her eyes found his, their stares clashing. A promise being offered that he wouldn't leave her alone when she was going through. Not like what everyone else had.
"T-They're getting worse" she admitted fearfully, continuous spasms rocking her body as she gripped onto his hand like a lifeline, "the p-pain... it's getting w-worse. I-I don't know what to do..."
His heart ached for her, hating watching her going through this. The sound of her voice, so desperate and broken, cut through him.
"You need pain meds" he said, "is there any in the house?"
She shook her head, "no. M-Mom found my morphine and t-took it and... and she doesn't keep any m-meds around me".
The more he learnt about Kayla's mom, the more he hated her.
"Should you maybe go to the hospital?"
"I-I can't. If they do t-tests, it will come back ab-abnormal. I can't r-risk it".
"You can't just wait it out" he insisted, "Kayla, the full moon doesn't go down for hours yet. You can't be left like this".
She was shaking, beads of sweat glistening across her skin as she simply looked up at him with tired, hopeless eyes. The answer to his question clear as day - 'yes I can'.
"Well, I'm not letting you go through it alone" he said determinedly, squeezing her hand, "I'll stay here the rest of the night and I'm not taking no for an answer".
He could tell she was trying to be stubborn, to show that she didn't need him or any support but another particularly painful spasm rocked her body and she gasped, biting back her cries.
"... Can I hold you?" he asked nervously, not knowing what else to do. Watching as she blearily looked up at him for several seconds before shyly nodding, briefly glancing at the space on the bed next to her.
Breathless and unsure, he toed off his sneakers and shrugged off his khaki jacket and carefully pulled himself on the bed, not wanting to jostle her too much, and laid back propped against the pillows. Lifting his arm, he gingerly tugged her onto his chest, stroking the warm skin on her bare arm.
She seemed hesitant initially, tense and a little afraid of the closeness but he simply continued to hold her to his chest and she soon relaxed, a shaky hand lifting up to rest directly across his heart.
His heart that was thundering at the feel of having her so close to him, desperately trying to break free from his chest. Beating so quickly, so erratically, for her.
It was strange how one person could just walk into your life and change everything. This girl, damaged a little rough around the edges, trying to start over and begin a whole new life, moves to this little town in Northern California and suddenly Stiles felt like he was seeing everything in colour for the first time. It felt like, his entire life, had been viewed and lived in shades of grey. Boring and dull. Just dragging his feet from one thing to the next.
Then she came along... a breath of fresh air. Something clicked inside Stiles when he was around her, as if everything suddenly made sense. Everything just felt right. Like all the puzzle pieces were slotting together perfectly.
The only thing was, he didn't know what they were or what they were meant to be. Recently, it had been a lot of 'will they, won't they' moments which ultimately resulted in they fact they 'won't'. It was his own fault, really. He allowed himself to fall for someone that had made it clear they weren't cut out for a relationship. She may as well have been walking around holding a neon sign that said 'fuck relationships', but still he had allowed himself to fall quicker and harder each day.
He knew just brief snippets of her past, but he would never treat her how her ex did. Or how anyone ever did. He would worship the ground she walked on. He would be anything, give anything, do anything to simply make her happy. He would sell his soul to have just a piece of her heart.
It was quick, it was unknown, but he was beginning to fall in love with her.
... Oh god...
The realisation hit him hard, knocking the breath from his lungs. A sudden swell of panic seizing his body but, having her here next to him, her cheek resting against his chest as she clung to him, relaxed him.
It was Kayla. Of course he was falling for her. He had been falling for her since the moment he saw her. It was inevitable.
Except he couldn't worry about that now. Right now, she needed him. She needed him to help her and reassure her, nurturing her through the pain.
Unbeknownst to her though, he needed her as well.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The pain continued to be so intense and all consuming for her that the entire night turned into a complete blur. Between the spasms, the sweats, the cramps and the blackouts, she wasn't entirely sure what had happened in those pain filled hours.
Although when the full moon finally disappeared and the sun began to rise, her body - once tense and coiled - relaxed for the first time in hours, finally feeling like she was able to breathe again. Relieved it was finally over.
She felt gross and sticky, her flimsy clothes clammy and damp from the sweat, wild hair glued to her forehead and neck. Desperately yearning for a long hot shower to wash away the reminder of the pain, each full moon a trauma in itself.
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, blinking through the bleariness and coming face to face with a cream patterned shirt and black tee, feeling the steady rise and fall of a chest against her cheek.
She swallowed nervously, tilting her head to peak up and was met with gentle honey brown eyes looking down at her.
"Uh... hi".
Stupid Kayla. 'Hi', really? Was that the best she could come up with?
"... H-Hi".
Okay, well, he seemed just as awkward as she felt which meant they were off to a great start.
Her gaze unknowingly dropped to his lips, watching him breathe for a few seconds before glancing back up at him, feeling his heart race and jump below her palm.
"You, uh... you stayed" she mumbled, the memories of him coming into her room and helping her through the pain suddenly came rushing back.
His tongue darted out to wetten his lips, his eyes heavy with tiredness but still as beautiful as ever. The arm that was wrapped around her body, holding her to his chest, subconsciously tightening and not wanting to let her go.
"Yeah. Yeah I guess I did".
She made no effort to move, taking in his expression. Finding comfort in how close he was to her.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. It was gross".
"Why are you apologising?" he whispered, "it looked awful. I was nearly dragging you to the hospital myself about a hundred times".
"They can't do anything" she replied, "it's just something I have to live with".
"You shouldn't have to".
"Yeah, well-" she laughed unironically, "-tell that to my fucked up genetics".
He stayed silent, not moving his arm from her waist but she found herself not wanting him to, relaxed and at ease in his arms.
"Thank you" she mumbled, not used to being so vulnerable in someone's presence, "it means... a lot".
"Anytime" he whispered, his voice gentle and soft, his free hand reaching up to brush some damp strands of hair away from her face.
His fingertips, soft and leaving a trail of fire in their wake, made her heart flutter, a strange clenching happening in her stomach. New found nerves waking up inside.
She didn't know what was happening. Her body had never had such a physical reaction to someone before. A part of her wondered if maybe she needed a check up, to see if something was wrong with her because why was her heart racing and her body feeling tingly? Why was her stomach all fluttery and swirly? Why was her mouth dry? Surely this wasn't normal.
Maybe she was dying. Maybe the full moon had finally caused some permanent damage. There was no other possible answer, right?
His fingers lingered against her cheek, careful and comforting as he stared down at her. His eyes telling her how badly he didn't want to move and a part of her didn't want him to either, an ease like nothing she had ever experienced settling through out her body.
She was a mess. She probably looked awful and half dead but yet he was still looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on, her stomach turning in knots.
She was changing. She was softening and becoming someone she was beginning to not recognise. Before, she was reckless when it came to attraction. She pushed feelings away, let herself get used and taken advantage of, writing herself off as unlovable. She was a mess. Only now, she felt like she was evolving. Liking Stiles wasn't unhealthy. He wasn't one of the bad ones. He was good and pure and had a positive effect on her. What she was beginning to feel for him was wholesome and based on friendship and trust, not something as trivial or simple as desirability. It was deeper than that.
Much deeper.
It was crazy and scary and she didn't know what to do about it. How could she let him in? How could she put someone above herself? How would she be able to nurture and grow a relationship when she was able to look after herself?
Was she ready?
She didn't know, but at this time the allure to him was almost too strong, like a gravitational pull enticing her closer.
No one had been there for her as much as Stiles had been recently. No one really bothered. Because, at the end of the day, she was just a runaway with a sketchy past that made many questionable decisions. She was a girl that, by all intents and purposes, should've ended up dead long before this. That idea of her burnt in so many peoples brains.
Not Stiles though. He didn't judge. He didn't care. He saw past that and saw her.
They were so close, tangled up in each others arms as she leaned up, never breaking eye contact with him.
Could he be her saving grace?
In that moment, she wanted him. She wanted to indulge. Her heart winning over her head. Something about him suddenly unable irresistible to her.
Maybe she could do this whole relationship thing after all.
They were close, trapped and hovering on the brink of almost making it official when the bedroom door suddenly swung open and she stiffened, looking over Stiles to see Derek standing over the threshold of her bedroom, his expression stiff and unamused.
"Derek" she greeted, a hint of irritation in her voice. The relief of seeing her cousin alive and well shrouded in bitterness at the interruption.
"What's going on?" Derek muttered darkly, taking a few steps into her room and folding his arms across his chest, as if trying to be intimidating.
Stiles was stiff under her, caught in the most awkward position of not knowing what to do or what to say so she pushed herself up off his chest, her glare unwavering from Derek's.
"You tell me. You disappeared for days and couldn't even be bothered to text to let me know you were alright. I was worried".
"Yeah" Derek scoffed, his furious glare landing on Stiles, "I can see how worried you were".
She grabbed a pillow, angrily chucking it at him which he caught expertly, cocking a brow at her.
"You're a jackass" she fumed, "what are you doing barging into my room?"
"Your heart was beating-"
"Well, I should hope so. There would be a problem if it wasn't" she snapped back, clambering over an open mouthed Stiles to stand opposite Derek, ready for a shouting match.
"-Really. Fast" he added through clenched teeth after Kayla's interruption, "I thought something was wrong".
"Nope, nothing wrong - at least until you walked in" she stated, "you could've let me know you were okay. Instead I had to hear it from Stiles who heard it from Scott".
"Not the only thing you got from Stiles".
She wanted to ignore that jab, narrowing her eyes at that - what she assumed, was an insult - and clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to reach out and smack him.
"Uh..." Stiles awkwardly said, flailing off the bed and searching for his shoes and jacket, "I should uh- I should go. This seems like a super important family moment and I- yeah. I should be not here".
She avoided looking at him as he fumbled past her but Derek, being Derek, had to put the fear of god into him. He grabbed Stiles by the back of his shirt collar, yanking him around to face him and the poor boy let out a quiet 'oh dear god', screwing him eyes shut in preparation for a beating.
"Heh... O-Okay, wow... uh..."
"Derek, let him go" she rolled her eyes, "before you make his heart give way".
By some miracle, Derek did, probably because he could, in fact, hear how hard Stiles' heart was racing.
He escaped quickly, no doubt fearful that Derek would change his mind but he didn't, letting Stiles go without a scratch or a verbal shouting match.
Although she knew she wouldn't be so lucky, that thought confirmed when Derek turned to face her, clearly unamused and a little annoyed.
"STILINSKI?!"
A/N) HAHAHAHAHA "STILINSKI?" Lmao Derek clearly isn't team stayla lol
I hope you loved this chapter. I honestly had so much fun with it. Don't worry guys we are so so so close to stayla... it's developing - yayyyy. THEY'RE FALLING FOR EACH OTHER AHHHHH
So please let me know what you all thought and I will see you all super soon :)