"Go brush your teeth."
Stiles looks up at Melissa from where he's laying tangled with Scott on their makeshift bed of pillows and blankets spread out on the McCall living room floor. They had fallen asleep curled around each other, really on top of each other, while watching a movie.
"Ugh," Stiles responds, elegant as per usual.
"You don't want cavities, do you?" Melissa asks him sarcastically.
He gives her a pointed look, but refrains from giving a smartass comment.
"Go," she tells him firmly, crossing her arms and nodding towards the bathroom.
He carefully extracts himself from where Scott is partially laying on top off him, gently separating their entwined legs. He stands up and stretches, moves to walk towards the stairs and says, "Okay, mom."
He was aiming for sarcasm, he was, but the words come out too sincere, too heartfelt and they both freeze. His eyes go wide and he stares at her where he's standing a foot in front of her. She isn't sure what to say and she's racking her brain to come up with something but Stiles beats her to it, quick to find the words, even the wrong ones, as always.
"I, uh, sorry, I - "
"Stiles, it's fine, you - "
"- I didn't mean to - "
"-it's really okay, Stiles - "
"-and it's not like I expect you to think of me like that - "
"-Stiles - "
"- I know I'm just the annoying, hyperactive kid you have to put up with because I'm friends with your son - "
"Stiles, that isn't true - "
"- I just miss her."
His face falls and Melissa feels like her chest is collapsing, like her heart is being squeezed painfully as she sees the tears gathering in his big, Bambi-like eyes.
"Oh, kiddo," she says, grabbing Stiles by the shoulder and pulling him into a hug.
He clings to her tightly and she feels terrible. She knows Stiles needs this, she knows he need this comfort and she feel like she should have given it to him much, much sooner. John is a fantastic father, Melissa would be first to defend that, but Stiles misses his mother and some comfort just can't come from the sheriff. Stiles needs to know that even though his mom is no longer around, he still has Melissa, just like how Scott knows he has John.
"I do, Stiles," she tells him.
"W-what?" he asks, confused, his face still pressed against the crook of her neck.
"I've always thought of you like a son." He pulls away from her, searching her face like he is expecting to see some sign of dishonesty, like this was some joke. She waits for him to realize her sincerity, waits for the corner of his mouth to twitch up in a smile that lasts only a second. "Which is why I don't feel bad telling you to go brush your damn teeth."
Stiles lets out a laugh and wipes at his eyes. He nods, gives her a genuine, though timid, smile and heads up the stairs to do as he's told.
"Is he okay?" Scott asks her and she wishes she was surprised that Scott's awake, that Scott's probably been awake this whole time.
"Yeah. I've got this, honey. Go back to sleep."
Scott smiles up at her from the floor before rolling over.
She sits down on the arm of the couch and waits for Stiles to finish in the bathroom because, yeah, she's got this.