Fix You
A/N: Woo, wow, so hello. Been a while since I posted anything but I just wrote this and well here you go. It really just came to me when I realized how human Stiles is and how breakable and just. Boom. Okay, thank you for picking this story.
No one really knew how to react to the sent fading, slowly every day almost at an agonizing snail pace. Really it would have been better if it disappeared right as soon as he did—or just never left at all.
But if it didn't leave, that'd probably be worse ending up a constant reminder of how much they could have done but didn't get the chance to. Or, how much they refused to do, the regrets of promises broken and meetings missed, everything was just heavier with the smell that was drifting.
To say that the smell of honey, cinnamon and a very faint dash of aftershave would cause them all ease was a lie. They'd never really be able to stand that smell and they all knew.
"Listen, Derek, I don't care if you're the big bad alpha now or whatever, would you just wear the glasses to you look normal in the videos." Stiles' voice came from behind the camera where it was trained at the back of the big lug's head. Honestly sometimes it was impossible to get him to do anything.
"Would you just do it, it's his birthday." Scott said as he walked into frame, his own pair of his own glasses with very thin lenses that had no prescription. Then he walked right over to Derek and shoved the glasses on him, while the other's laughed behind him.
Derek took that moment to pout his very manly pout and storm up to Stiles and yank the camera out of his hands.
"Dude, take a picture for me." Stiles said, letting the camera be taken from him and walked over to the betas and humans. Scott grabbed him and pulled him into a headlock rubbing his fist on Stiles' buzzed head. Groaning Stiles starting wiggling around and tried to pull out of the stupidly strong hold but that didn't work out.
"You suck Scott." Stiles said as he gave his best friend a deadpanned look who just laughed at his friend who rubbed his head.
"Only on your birthday, if you really want me to," Scott winked causing Stiles to laugh so hard he almost fell over because after he said is Allison had a look on her face like she wasn't sure about her lifestyle choices dating Scott.
The camera panned over to the cake which read; Happy 18th Birthday Stiles!
It didn't take long for Scott to break down; he was probably the first of them too. Huddled up in a corner with the red sweater in his face now probably soaked in his tears; that stupid sweater. He wore it every day after Lydia had said that Stiles was like little red riding hood with it on. Then proceeded to say that she wasn't a character in the story and Allison was obviously the axe man reborn as a female.
That was all it took for him to smile and say that Derek was obviously the big bad wolf and everyone else weren't in the story either, causing Derek to whack him in the back of the head.
And now it was just clinging in Scott's hand as he rocked back and forth, and really they all understood because it wasn't easy for anyone.
"Hi, I'm Stiles!" the young boy said with slightly shaggy hair as he walked over to the new kid in his third grade class. His mother told him it was probably better if he was nice to the new kid. Stiles has shrugged and walked up to the new boy as he waited for his mother to come pick him up. He didn't know his mother was recording everything on the camera she always kept on her.
"Hi, I'm Scott." The new boy said smiling and looking awkward. Lacing his own fingers together Scott looked from Stiles to his mother and then back to Stiles. "Uhm?"
"Hey, do you like Star Wars?" Stiles asked the younger version of Scott very seriously, and Scott visibly swallowed.
"Han Solo is a lot cooler than Luke Skywalker." Scott has said hopefully, and Stiles' smile was brighter than the sun at the comment and he slung his arm over the other boy.
"We're going to be the best friends ever. The force is telling me this." Stiles said, causing Scott to laugh but smile and nod at the comment.
It hit everyone hard when the next person to break down was Jackson, out of all of them. Jackson. They never really got along, ever, because Jackson had a habit of either being a complete asshole or saying the opposite of what he meant to everyone—even Lydia.
But at one point Jackson just walked up to Scott and snatched the sweater out of Scotts hand and put it on before taking three steps away and punching the wall with a roar of anger and pain. There was going to be a hole in the wall, they'd probably have to pay the funeral home later.
And after that, Jackson just backup against the wall and slid down it, before putting his head between his legs and taking a huge sob that just cause everyone to start their own malfunction.
"God Jackson, why do you have to be such a tool?" Stiles called as he walked over to Jackson's side and pathetically punched him in the shoulder causing Jackson to snarl at him and push him back. Only Stiles went flying to the ground a few feet away from them rather than having no effect.
Erica snorted a laugh out from behind the screen and Stiles just shot her a look. "Listen Jackson, I don't care if you think you're right or wrong. The path was leading right before you decided that you didn't want to listen getting us all lost."
They were on vacation; it was Stiles' idea to go to a camp this summer. After all when the summer ended they were all heading off to colleges, albeit all of them were staying in California, some of them were heading places that were three to five hours away and it wouldn't be the same.
"Shut up Stilinski, I know where I'm going." Jackson growled out as he stopped to sniff around the air probably trying to trace the scent of other people. But it wasn't working and Jackson refused to let Stiles' take the lead.
"Right, because you're werewolf sense are so on key right now." Stiles said and Jackson was pulled him up and growling and Erica just laughed harder before pointing them in the actual direction they were supposed to go, because apparently there was a sign post twenty feet away the two missed.
Lydia had dived into Jackson's arms letting out her own harsh sob, and Jackson let her cling to him as they both just sat on the floor sobbing. Lydia was the last person to actually see him and probably was taking it the hardest. She probably could have stopped it from happening if she didn't kick him out of her house.
Because he followed her around like a hopeless love sick puppy even after he had gotten over her years ago and moved on. That didn't stop them from becoming the world's evilest duo ever. It helped that they literally told each other everything; even things that Scott refused to listen to, but was probably regretting now that he never listened.
"Do you think it's going to happen?" Stiles asked as he smiled at Isaac who was recording before Isaac moved the camera to face Jackson and Derek, even though the two of them were half in the shot from either side. Lydia shrugged before humming.
"I bet that Jackson'll attack first, but Derek'll grab him and throw him. But then Scott'll probably try to catch him off guard." Lydia said. It was becoming a thing that they'd all train together but none of them had ever been able to get the upper hand on Derek. And just ask Lydia predicted the exact thing happened causing the two of them to laugh and high five. This caused the two attempting to get an upper hand on the alpha to glare at them, causing them to laugh harder.
"You try if you're so good at everything!" Scott yelled exasperatedly as he stormed over to Stiles' side and out of the frame. Stiles and Lydia looked at each other with Cheshire grins and nodded getting up. Stiles walked up slowly in front of the alpha, then looked back at Lydia making a quiet plan with their eyes before Lydia snorted and waved her hand in approval.
Looking back up at the alpha with his killer smile, Stiles took a step closer throwing his arms around him and bringing him in for a kiss that Stiles knew would get him caught off guard enough for him to use the skills he learned taking self-defense with the girls and drop the alpha into an undignified heap on the floor. Laughing he walked up to Lydia and high fived her again.
"Team human, for the win." Stiles said as he did a victory dance and Isaac laughed as he panned over to Scott's annoyed face, even though there was a slight camera flare and Scott stopped up and pointed an accusing finger at his best friend.
"You can't just kiss an enemy in the middle of a battle like that so you're argument is invalid!" Scott pouted and Lydia laughed.
"Who said that?"
At first for a while after Scott started dating Allison, she thought that he hated her because the two were never apart, and she ruined the dynamic. But then they got to know each other and for her last birthday with his first paycheck at the job she helped him get, he bought her the cutest necklace he could afford with the cost of his own car's repairs taking up most of his paycheck.
That necklace was what she wore today, and right now it honestly felt like it was burning her neck and she just wanted to throw it as far away from her as possible—but at the same time she never wanted to let it go and she just didn't know how to deal with it. Burying her hands in her face she just let go and just cried. Scott didn't bother getting up from his position on the floor to comfort her.
"This is a date." Stiles said frowning as he looked from the camera to Allison who gave him her slightly guilty smile. "This is a date and you invited me. Dude, why." Stiles said with more exasperation on his voice.
"I'm sorry Stiles, I forgot that Allison and I had plans and to call the restaurant ahead to let them know that the table was for three." Scott said sheepishly from behind the camera and Stiles gave him a pointed look, obviously they were going to have a talk later.
"Stiles this was my idea." Allison said as they sat down after Stiles' dragged a chair over. He looked at her and shook his head. "I just didn't want you to think that I was taking all of Scott's time because we spend a lot of time together." And then Stiles felt like a kicked puppy and it showed all over his face.
"No, no. Allison its fine. Scott and I were practically married before you came, it was weird. I'm glad now I don't have to see his ugly face every morning." Stiles said shaking his head.
"Hey!"
And then there was a chorus of laughter.
Erica clung to Boyd and refused to cry, she wouldn't, nothing would make her cry because this was not happening. This was all a lie. Any moment from now he'd come bursting through the doors all smiles and sarcastic comments about how silly everyone was acting thinking that he was gone.
So no, she was not going to cry.
Regardless, he wouldn't want them too, and she wanted to yell at all of them for doing this right now. He'd want them to laugh and swap stupid adventure stories and just have a bonfire and a party and just be normal. He hated funerals. He hated having to get dressed up all fancily and drearily and going to watch as a person got buried.
He hated it, so Erica didn't want to do this. She refused to do this, because if she accepted it he'd really be gone. She'd have to let go of the first boy she ever loved.
She'd have to even though he helped her find a new love. So she walked over to Scott, pulling him up and slapping him until he was out of his doubled over state and no longer crying. This had caught the attention of the room and Boyd and Isaac were pulling her off of Scott while Allison ran over to him and pulled him into her arms, tears still falling. Lydia didn't have the strength to say anything, and Jackson just looked zoned out and like he wasn't there.
And Derek…
"You scare me, you know that." Stiles said as Erica smiled wickedly at him. She winked towards the camera before she stalked off to go and probably decapitate some heads or whatever shit Stiles thought that she did in her spare time.
It didn't help that since tonight was Halloween and she was in full wolf mode without getting in trouble for it. Oh, and the fact that she decided to go around terrorizing random passing teenagers from the high school. Like right now as they stood at the door by Lydia's house for her Halloween party, and someone from the lacrosse team was walking towards the tree she was hiding behind.
Annnnnnnnnd
She jumped right in front of him and howled as loud as she could, and now probably the others in their puppy pack was going to come running over to see what was wrong. But what mattered right now was the lacrosse membered screamed like a little girl while running the opposite way from Lydia's house.
Erica laughed as she made her way back over to Stiles and threw her arms around him as she was doubling over with laughter. Her hair was all over the screen and then it blanked out.
Isaac let Erica go as he let Boyd deal with calming her down, muttering soothing words in her ears even though his voice was uneven. Sitting down he rubbed his hands on his face before carding them through his hair and tugging on it slightly. Maybe—maybe just like Peter they could bring him back too.
No. Peter was a werewolf and an alpha.
Maybe there was something they could do to bring him back, because out of everyone he was the most important, and Isaac was sure that none of them would disagree with him. He was the one that kept everyone together, to stop fighting, to remember that someone cared for them.
Hell, he was the reason Isaac had gotten used to feeling like he was important and it was okay to mistakes. He was the one that helped Isaac get through the panic attacks and the pain. He was the one that help Isaac get through the death of his father, because sure his father was crap but he wasn't always crap.
And now he was gone. And there was nothing Isaac could do to bring him back and that's what cut at him the most.
If only it was Isaac instead of him because then everyone wouldn't be having as hard of a time they were having. And as soon as he thought that his voice came into Isaacs head telling him the same thing he said every time Isaac doubted himself.
"You're better than this Isaac. You're important, okay. You're loved and you're loyal and you're the one who never left. You kept it together through everything and acted like nothing was wrong. I admire you for being so strong and amazing. Please never think anything less of yourself okay man; I love you even if no one else does, which might I add is not true."
"Hey Derek!" Stiles shouted at the phone in his hands that was facing him. "You should never leave your phone abandoned in plain sight; you never know who may take it." Stiles lectured and there was a snort in front of him and he looked up and smiled.
"This is Stiles—" "And Isaac!"
Isaac came to stand right next to Stiles and waved his hand. "We just wanted to let you know that we love you." Stiles said and Isaac looked at him like he was crazy.
"He loves you. I just wanted you to know that we needed milk, and uh eggs." Isaac said as he shrugged and Stiles laughed throwing his head back.
"Seriously, I thought that loft rules were that you go shopping for groceries. And tell your father you love him Isaac or no wolfing out and running naked through the forests anymore." Stiles said mocking a parental voice. Isaac pouted and whined just to prove his point.
"But mom!" he moaned out, holding the 'o' before he broke out laughing. "No but seriously, shopping is my loft duty? I thought I had to wash the dishes."
"No Derek's supposed to wash the dishes. I left you guys a chart on the actual fridge. You two live in there how do you not look at it every time." Stiles said with a small head shake. "My idiots."
"Yeah, yeah shut up Stiles before I make you do chores." Isaac said as he glared ever so slightly causing Stiles to laugh.
"You can sure try, but I don't even live here."
"Not yet maybe. But when you do does this mean I'll have to move about because I do not need to hear all the sex going on okay."
"Isaac!"
"What are you two doing with my phone?" Derek's voice was heard in all its musky glory as the two looked at each other and laughed.
The only reason why Boyd probably hadn't broken down was because of the fact that he needed to keep Erica calm. They didn't need her to slap someone else and she looked like she was about to cry at any second now and if she did they knew that everyone was gone. The sheriff had come in a few minutes ago and the first thing he did was take in a sharp breath at the state of everyone.
Boyd wasn't even sure how they'd even become friend, but he entered Boyd's life and refused to leave. Boyd should have never given him the keys because those fifty bucks was what started their friendship and he knew it. He knew that was it and since then he helped Boyd get the courage to realize that he had more friends than what he thought and the fact that he liked Erica. And then he helped Boyd tell her.
But those fifty bucks meant everything, and he didn't even do anything big with that money.
"Why are you recording this?" Boyd asked with an annoyed look as Stiles trained the camera on his face. Boyd was wearing the glasses Stiles has handed to him and now it made sense why he was wearing them now.
"Oh, just because I thought it would be a good idea to record this. And I have a very important question to ask." Stiles said, his voice had an undertone of amusement and Boyd was not appreciating it at all.
"Then ask it already would you Stiles." Boyd grumbled as he picked up a fry and shoved it in his mouth. Their other friends were off at their own respected tables but Stiles had opted to sit with Boyd today, rather than dragging him to the normal table they ended up at eventually.
"How long have you liked Erica?" Stiles asked and laughed at the face that Boyd made, this was the reason why he recorded. The face was a cross between angry, amused, bewildered and annoyed. Then Boyd reached over and hit Stiles on the back of the head. "Hey! It's an honest question, and very obvious!"
"I do not like Erica! She's my friend. That's it. My best friend." Boyd said, and then opted to eat more food than listen to the bullshit Stiles was spouting.
"Oh? So then you don't mind Matt hitting on her do you?" Stiles said, pointing the two out and Boyd turned in his head and whipped back around, eyes glowing for a second and he looked pissed. "Right, so tell me again how you don't like her."
"Shut. Up. Stiles." Boyd growled and Stiles laughed.
Derek looked around at his pack, but he said nothing, he did nothing. He just watches as he stood there in the shadows. There really wasn't anything he could do about this, there wasn't anything to do. His mate was ripped from his and there was nothing he could have done to stop it or change it or anything.
God, he almost felt for not crying or breaking down or doing something because Erica was staring at him looking like she was about to yell at him for acting like nothing was wrong. But that's just what he had to do because of the fact that he was the alpha, if he broke down or showed that he felt like he was dying on the inside, the others would feel hopeless.
John Stilinki placed a hand on Derek's shoulder and nodded at him. It was time, and even though it was no one was ready. But then again no one would ever be ready, not for this.
"You broke it." Stiles laughed from the passenger side. Derek glared at him, even though no one could see it because of the sunglasses he was wearing. "How are we supposed to go to the beach if you can't even drive your car because you decided to break your—"
"Shut up Stiles, I didn't break it." Derek muttered angrily as Stiles moved his phone to show the side of the highway that was by the water. Then he switched the phone to face him.
"This is the great explorer Stiles Stilinski, CHRIKEY!" he screamed in his attempted to be like the crocodile hunter. "Today we are in the habitat of the alpha." Stiles said as he moved the camera to Derek again whose lip twitched in amusement but still managed to look annoyed. "He's noticed us, CHRIKEY! This alpha is very upset because he broke his natural habitat the Camaro."
"Stiles." Derek said warning in his voice even though they both knew that Derek wasn't going to do anything.
"Oh no he's mad. When the alpha is mad, it has been proven that belly rubs and Scooby snacks fix him right back up." Stiles said and laughed at the face that Derek made, even with the sunglasses on. "I love you okay."
Derek gave him a look before leaning over to kiss him even though it wasn't on screen. "Yeah, I love you too." Derek said when he sat back in place.
"Now, call a tow truck because I don't know how safe the habitat of the alpha is." Stiles said and Derek shot him another look. "…"
"Stiles."
"CHRIKEY!"
They all took their seats in the church, sitting all the way up in the front, sitting together. The sheriff was speaking in the front but it wasn't much, just the lie he had to tell on how his son died, and everyone was rolling with guilt because the truth was not what they were saying to other people. Other people who also cared about him, like Danny; poor Danny who sat right behind Jackson, and even though Danny teased him to no end, they ended up being good friends.
The sheriff met eyes with Derek and he nodded before standing and walking over the podium set up. Everyone decided that only the sheriff and Derek would speak because no one else would be able to. Derek looked out at the crowd of people, his stomach churning at the sight of all the people either crying to trying hard not to.
"Hi, uhm. I'm not very good at this, words, and Stiles knew that but he loved me anyways. And I didn't write anything because I knew that if I did it just wouldn't turn out the way that I wanted it to—or how he deserves it. But Stiles, well, Stiles was the strongest person I knew. He was the kindest person, the smartest person, and he was just amazing. He had a way of making everything funny, and just fixing things. He fixed me." Derek said, voice breaking and he coughed, looking over to the pack that was staring at him intently.
"Stiles was so much more than what everyone thinks he was or will ever know he was. He tried so hard and did everything he could and everything he couldn't, and no one ever knew his actual name." Derek joked trying to put on a smile, and even though it was half assed he got a few chuckles. "But the one thing I do know about Stiles is that he wouldn't want this. He would want everyone to be happy and laughing—or at least not crying. Stiles was a fixer and he'd try to make everyone smile. But he's also an idiot and he just—" Derek paused because he could feel a sob building up and he refused. "He just loved everyone."
Derek plugged his phone to the laptop on the podium which he requested be set up with a projector, so they brought one into the church. And then he just pushed play and sat down. Erica took his hand on one side and Scott on the other.
"Hi, hi, can you guys hear me? I would hope so but my laptop's mic been buggy, but whatever." Stiles said, smiling, his hair was a little bit longer than his eighteenth birthday and now was spiked into a duck butt in the front. "I'm Stiles Stilinski. I'm nineteen, my best friend is Scott McCall, and my boyfriend is Derek Hale. I like to read and Harry Potter and Star Wars. I still think that Han Solo is a lot better than Luke Skywalker. My birthday is April 8th and Lydia said that makes me an Aries.
Uhm, I like a lot of stuff and I'm just making this video to just to record a moment in my life. Just a random one, just like all the other videos I've taken. Even when I'm gone I'll be here then, huh?" Stiles said wiggling his eye brow before biting his lip and frowning.
"Uhm, what to say? Let's see. I want to be a social worker, I think that's because of Isaac, after seeing what he went through I want to make sure that no one else has to go through that. Scott wants to be a vet and is planning on asking Allison to marry him on her twentieth birthday. He's gotten the ring and everything. I'm actually really excited. We're still making plans on how he's going to propose. Oh! And no one knows yet, because we haven't had our weekly puppy pack dinner yet, but Derek's asked me to marry him and it was totally nonchalant. I was crying over the last episode of Sherlock season two and he looks at me and says, and I quote; "Wow, Stiles, that sucks that John didn't get to him in time, but I can, so, marry me." Then he pulls a ring out of his pocket. Did I mention, the ring is a white gold version of the ring from Lord of the Rings with the entrapment and all?" Stiles said and placed the ring in front of the camera and laughed.
"No matter what anyone says or believes. I love my life and everyone in it. So, I guess that's all. I'm probably just leaving this for me to watch again next year because why not right? Well, bye… CHRIKEY!" Stiles laughed again and clicked a button.
And then the screen went black, and it was over.
