A/N:
Yes, this is what you've all been waiting to read (or what I've been waiting to post) - the sequel to Under My Skin. As I previously posted and mentioned, this story's plotline is spun out of my imagination BASED on 3B. Also, the story's rating changed from T to M as there will be triggering contents in future chapters. I will make sure to add astrexis before any content I deem triggering and give a heads up every author's note.
Another thing, seeing as I've already started the academic year, I will do my very best to post a chapter per week, it's going to be hard but I'll do my best. Don't worry though, I have no plans whatsoever of forgetting about my story. I love it too much.
Trigger Warnings: Depression (Please don't feel offended if I didn't write or describe it accurately. I tried my best google it and describe it as best as I could, I am no psychologist after all)
Please, please, pretty please do NOT forget to post your reviews! I know the story has a fair share of readers but little review but you guys have no idea what your opinions do for me. They really make me happy - whether you guys fangirl or offer constructive criticism, I would love BOTH. Now, I'll shut up. You guys enjoy, and TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!
Stiles was running late for school, and he kept cursing all the way for waking up late and missing out on checking on Eva.
It had been two weeks since it had all happened. The town was still recovering from the people that had died, but it seemed well on its way on putting it all behind. However, Stiles couldn't say the same for Eva. After her mother's funeral, Eva rarely ever left the apartment unless it was for follow up appointments or the walks she was now required to do every day to recover and strengthen her body. She refused to talk to therapists, to her father, and even to him.
Stiles couldn't blame her – what Eva had went through wasn't something anyone should ever go through, but the way she acted, the way she behaved – he just couldn't help but worry. She was sinking and he couldn't tow her back, and he had no idea what to do.
"So um, I gotta go back to school starting tomorrow." Stiles started as he sat beside Eva on her bed, brushing her hair back gently as he stared down at her. Her eyes stared off blankly at the covers, and Stiles frowned, "I can bring you the homework and papers we get to keep you in the loop if you want."
"Yeah, that would be great." She whispered, and Stiles tasted that familiar weight in her voice. The heavy tone of sadness that sent tremors through his body.
Stiles' eyes drifted to the nightstand before he took a deep breath, "Did you take your night dose yet?"
"Not yet." She mumbled and flickered her gaze up to his, before she pushed herself up onto her elbow to start sitting up. Stiles hurried to help her when he saw her wince, "Here, here." He whispered as he helped her sit up and propelled the pillow behind her back, before he scooted closer so he could take a good look at her face. He ran the pad of his thumb underneath her eyes gently, before tracing it over her cheek and smiling briefly, "You got your color back."
And Stiles only said that because after the…attack, Eva had lost massive amounts of blood that rendered her pale for days. Stiles hovered around her before and after the funeral, too scared that she might drop dead any minute.
The memory of Eva's lifeless body in his arms still haunted Stiles. But he never told her that. As a matter of fact, Eva had no recollection of being dead, or at least so far that's what he believed. He didn't talk to her about that night except once, and it wasn't directly to her either – it was him repeating the story he'd told the cops so she could know exactly what to tell them when they questioned her.
But he could still remember that night very clearly, and sometimes he wished he didn't. He remembered the tremor of pain that ran through her body, the gasps for breath, the whimpers of fear – he remembered her blood escaping past his hands, so warm against them as he tried to keep her alive long enough. And every time he closed his eyes it played out before him again. A recurring nightmare, but not one that had him wake up screaming, because when he texted Eva at 3 am, she texted right back. Every time.
Eva smiled at him sadly – at least that was the closest hint of a smile Stiles had managed to get out of her for a while now. He took a deep breath before he edged towards the nightstand to take out her medication, having already memorized her prescription. Stiles handed her the pills in the small cup they kept on the nightstand just for that before he held out the glass of water.
He saw the slight wince when she'd set the glass aside and pulled his brows together in concern, his teeth biting onto his lower lip, "Does it still hurt?"
He asked her that question almost every time they were together. Does it still hurt? He'd ask. And she'd always answer, Everything hurts.
"Physically." She mumbled before she gave off a slight bob of her head, and Stiles sat straight at the change of attitude. "I still feel like everything is not in its right place." She started and shrugged a little, "I wouldn't mind to sleep without feeling my stomach was going to fall out of my ass."
Stiles let his head hang over his chest as a slight small stretched onto his lips. There she went again, diverting the question with yet a new technique. He reached out the scratch the back of his head before he pursed his lips, "When did you get so sarcastic?"
"I'm dating you, aren't I?" Eva answered, and this time he saw a flicker of the old Eva, the one that didn't seem so broken or so lost. Or so sad.
Stiles' eyes drifted down to her hand, before he took it within his. He traced his finger over her palm, before the pads of his fingers moved along her wrist to toy with the rubber band he'd given her, and he smiled a bit. "You need to get better so I can spoil you." Stiles started as he looked up at her, and Eva let out a chuckle, before it trailed off into the morose air that seemed to surround her like an aura lately.
"Because," Stiles started as he glanced back at his backpack, "I'm going to spoil you anyways."
Stiles brought his backpack onto his lap and dug through it before he brought out a small box and then turned to Eva, and he smiled, "You've been through a lot." He started, "We've been through a lot. But you're strong. You helped me fight my own monsters and kept me down to earth and I'm willing to do the same for you so here." Stiles finished as he opened the box and Eva's eyes flickered down to the necklace inside it.
It was a beautiful necklace. An infinity on one end and a small anchor dangling through it on the other. Eva's eyes flickered up to Stiles', and his heart sunk when he saw the expression on her face, "I don't deserve that." She started and shook her head slowly. "It's too much."
"It really wasn't, Eva." Stiles started hesitantly, "It didn't cost that much."
"It's not the money, but it looks like it cost a lot by the way." Eva started, before she took the box from Stiles and closed it gently, "I am not ready to accept this. And I don't think I'll ever be, Stiles. Let's just leave it at that."
Stiles stared at her for a long minute before he swallowed thickly and took a deep breath, "Eva, what happened-"
"I don't care if it was my fault or not." Eva whispered, "If you're going to keep talking about it then please just leave." Eva looked up at him, and her hazel hues held a sorrow that made him think twice before he said anything. Eventually, Stiles chewed on his lower lip and reached forward to open the first drawer on her nightstand and gently tugged the box from her hold to place it in the drawer and close it. "I don't want to leave."
Eva pursed her lips and sighed, "Will you hold me till I fall asleep?"
Stiles smiled weakly at her as he kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the bed beside her, helping her sink into the mattress so he could wrap his arm around her and pull her into his chest. When Eva had asked him to do that the first time, back at the hospital, he became a mess of stutters and nervous jitters as he climbed beside her. That was the closest Stiles had ever been to a girl that he cared about so much, but when he'd finally settled and when she'd finally fallen asleep, Stiles felt like he'd done the greatest thing in the world. And somehow he did. He made her feel safe.
Stiles' eyes flickered across the room so he wouldn't fall asleep himself. He knew Eva's father had accepted the fact that he was Eva's boyfriend, but he did catch him holding her like this and the man didn't seem so keen on the closeness between them.
"Do you have nightmares?" She whispered, and when Stiles looked down at her, her eyes were still closed. "I didn't see what happened that night, you know. It came up behind me. But you did…so do you have nightmares?"
Stiles stared down at her, blinking as he contemplated his answer. If he said yes, she'd feel guilty and blame herself about it. If he said no, she'd probably feel unimportant to him. And she'd know he was lying. Sure, Stiles had his own version of a goodnight's sleep but ever since Scott was bitten even that had to be tattered with a few nightmares here and there.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, and Stiles' focus flickered back to her again when he noticed the tears glistening on her lashes. Stiles sighed heavily as he leaned down to press his lips to the top of her head, and remain still so she could at least get some peace of mind.
"Allison!" Stiles called out as he caught up to the brunette when she closed her locker, "Hey."
"Hey," Allison turned to him with a creased forehead, "You didn't show up this morning."
"I…I overslept. How is she?" Stiles asked as he trudged alongside her, their steps quick to catch their classes since the bell was seconds away from ringing.
"Her dad says she doesn't eat very well, and now she doesn't even want to go to the doctor's appointments." Allison whispered as she shook her head slowly, "I mean I managed to get a few spoonfuls of cheerios in there but she lost her appetite too fast. I really think she should see someone, Stiles."
"I know that." Stiles sighed, frustrated, as he pinched the bridge of his nose and stopped in the middle of the hallway when he realized he passed the door to the biology lab, "Look, I'll catch up to you later." He told her and smiled gratefully before they both hurried off. Once Stiles arrived and slid into his seat, his eyes flickered sideways to the empty seat beside his, and he heaved a longing sigh. He missed Eva.
Eva sat cooped up in her room in the apartment she'd moved in very recently with her father. She still wasn't used too it – it wasn't her home. Then again, was there ever going to be a place for Eva that she could call home?
Eva's mind always managed to fabricate the darkest of thoughts. It was like every bone in her body was now deep-set with this coldness that framed her into this person she has become. This sad, aimless person. This sad, aimless, powerful person.
"I'm not going to go see a therapist, Dad." Eva told her father as she shook her head furiously from where she lied on the bed.
"Eva, you've barely left the house for over a week now. Honey, I know you're mourning, but you need to get out. The doctor said the fresh air would be good for you. You need to go out there so you could get better." Her father protested, before he glanced back when the doorbell rang. Eva lifted a brow when he hurried off to open the door, and she slowly pushed herself out of the bed.
She stood up slowly and peered into the hallway, her eyes widening in disbelief when she saw Stiles, and she turned to her father in aggravation, "Dad, you can't just call Stiles whenever I veto one of your suggestions! He has a life too, you know."
"He seems to be the only one who can get through to you, so if calling him every time you shoot down something that's good for your health will get some sense into you then I'll do it." Her father said defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Stiles stepped hesitantly into the room and frowned as his eyes flickered over her figure, "You look exhausted."
"I am exhausted. I'm exhausted of saying that I'm fine over and over again." Eva sighed heavily as she wrapped one arm around her torso, pressed gently against her bandaged wound as she walked away from them.
"Eva, can you please sit down? You know your dad's right. You're barely eating, I can see-"
"I said I'm not going to see any god damn shrinks!" Eva exclaimed as she whirled around quickly, and as if on cue the light bulbs exploded as did the window, the glass shattering into the room. Stiles held his arms over his head, and when his eyes flickered upward to Eva he saw the flicker of silver fade from her eyes just as the trickle of crimson blood appeared underneath her nose, and she swayed.
Stiles quickly hurried towards her to catch her weakened figure, and his eyes flickered up to her father, who hurried over to pick up a slightly disorient Eva and lay her down on the bed again. Stiles reached for the tissue box on the nightstand then pressed the tissue against her nose gently, finally letting go when Eva grabbed the tissue and tilted her head back against the headboard.
"If you won't go see a therapist then at least talk to Deaton about this." Stiles whispered when he felt Eva's father nudge his shoulder, and Eva slowly fluttered her eyes open to look at Stiles. "You need to learn to control…this power, Eva." Stiles' voice fell as did his gaze.
"You want me to learn to control the power I earned from eleven sacrifices my aunt ever so mercilessly made?" Eva started before she swallowed thickly and shook her head, "I don't want to control it. I'll be damned if I used it. It would as if I'd killed them myself, which is really no big deal since I did kill two of them."
"Eva-" Her father started in protest.
"No, Dad, really. What do you expect me to tell a therapist? I was possessed by my aunt who by the way is the reason nine people died, and killed two more, including my own mother, before some demon warrior stabbed me and almost killed me?" Eva lifted a brow as she looked up at her father, "I'm fine. And both of you need to leave."
"You don't mean-" Stiles looked up at her in alarm.
"Both of you, yes Stiles. You two seem so keen on getting me to talk to people I don't want to talk to but I am fine!" Eva exclaimed yet again and winced as she looked down at her side, "Just please leave me alone." She whispered as she sank into her bed and carefully turned away from them. Stiles' eyes flickered up to her father's face before they both sighed, and left the room.
Eva knew what power she had now. She was the next druid in the Baccari bloodline and all the power her mother and her aunt possessed now belonged to her. All the lives that her aunt took, that she took, were running in her veins, fuel to a fire she didn't even want to start. But it was so easy to strike a match against that fuel. Whenever she got upset or angry, something would happen. Windows breaking, light bulbs bursting, things randomly bursting into flames. It was a horror movie coming to life and Eva hated it.
The worst part was when one of those little outbursts happened. It would always feel like someone had sucked all the energy out of her and left her swaying on her own feet. The surges of power left her in gusts and when they returned it was as if they punched her in the chest. Sometimes they knocked the breath out of her and sometimes she passed out. Best case scenarios were nosebleeds, really.
The power she had now scared her more than anything. It was a power that was born out of darkness. And Eva didn't want to learn to control it, because she didn't want to learn how to use it. She had enough darkness in her heart. And part of her, the part that felt that she deserved punishment and retribution, even sometimes enjoyed the aftermaths of those surges of power. It was sick and twisted, but it was as if she was being punished for being what she was and Eva knew, or felt, that she deserved it at least.
"Sweetheart," She heard her father's voice behind her door, "Are you ready for your follow up appointment?"
"Yeah. I'll um…be out in a second." She whispered before her eyes drifted to the nightstand. There it was, the photo Stiles had seen on her dresser on Valentine's. Her aunt and her mother's faces stared at her with complete joy, as if the world they lived in wasn't filled with monsters and bad intentions. And just staring at it made Eva want to curl up and cry.
But for now she just settled for being numb.
Stiles sighed heavily as he slammed his locker shut and sat down to put on his shoes. Today were try outs for the lacrosse team, and…well, he was looking forward to them, what with being literally the reason they won the state championship last season. Now he just looked at lacrosse as something to distract him from all the darkness that hung around them. And he almost felt guilty for wanting to get away from it all but he just needed it.
"Hey, man." Scott clapped his shoulder gently as he turned to him and pressed his lips into a thin line. Stiles looked up at him and took a deep breath, "Hey, get that face off your…face. Just smile, alright. You're going to be captain now so you better give me a good position." Stiles lifted both brows and watched as Scott laughed and shook his head once.
Stiles stood up slowly and patted Scott's shoulder as they both started making their way out of the locker room, "So how are things with you and Kira?" Stiles started.
"Um," Scott started and he shrugged once, "We're not…a thing yet…" Scott glanced sideways at Stiles who rolled his eyes once. "Why haven't you asked her out yet?"
"I did ask her out." Scott nodded eagerly, and Stiles lifted a brow. "Well?"
"Dude, we went to see a movie and I hugged her." Scott finally exhaled in defeat, throwing his arms in the air, "I hugged her."
Stiles stared at him in sympathy, "You're off your game."
"I never had a game. I don't even know why Allison liked me."
"I'll tell you why." Stiles started as they exited the school in the field, "Because you were playing first line." Stiles ruffled Scott's hair, "Now, recommend me to our peacock of a coach, okay?"
"Your peacock of a coach makes his own decisions, Stilinski! 10 laps!" The coach announced his presence with his yelling as well as his vigorous whistle, and Stiles jumped back before he took off into a sprint around the field. "What are you waiting for? Everyone, 10 laps, NOW!" The coach whistled again and the group of teenagers that came in for tryouts fell in step with Stiles.
Stiles' eyes flickered to the bleachers where he saw Kira, Lydia, and Allison all sitting there. He Lydia blow a kiss towards Aiden, and Allison wink at Isaac from the distance, and it made his heart sink.
He really missed Eva.