Word: Embroil
...
Stiles surveyed the scene before him, a twisted grin on his lips as he watched his friends fight - probably to their deaths. He had waited so long for this; for years he had been shoved to the side, remembered only as an afterthought, and now, now he was finally going to be seen - remembered - for what he truly was. He watched as the chaos unfolded, monsters unlike any had seen before pouring forth from the Nemeton's split trunk, and with a single thought, the army of monsters waged a war against his friends.
Derek was embroiled in the madness, and slowly made his way up the hill to where Stiles stood beside the Nemeton. His fangs were bared, eyes glowing blue, and his claws were covered in blood.
Probably Kira's, Stiles thought with a smile.
"Stiles!" Scott screamed, and he glanced over to him, head cocked to the side. "Why are you doing this?!" Scott demanded, trying to get away from a minotaur.
"Because I woke up screaming every single night for a whole year. I had nightmares about the future - this future, in fact - after we defeated the Darach. It was long before the nogitsune came along, and I told you time and time again that I was losing my mind, but you didn't listen. Even after the nogitsune was gone, the nightmares kept on coming. You even saw that the darkness around my heart was so much worse than yours; I know you did - I saw it every day in your eyes when you thought I wasn't looking - but still, you didn't offer to help me.
"You had Kira and she was all that mattered to you. Derek saw though, and he offered to help me. Sure, in the beginning, he thought he'd be able to help me redeem myself, but we both soon saw the mistake in that. His darkness matched mine, and he and I both realised that nothing we did would ever be good enough for the rest of you.
"Then, one morning, I didn't wake up screaming. I'd had the same nightmare that I'd had for the past year, but it was no longer something to be afraid of. It became a dream instead. So, to answer your question: I'm doing this because I want to be true to myself and my dreams," Stiles said, sarcasm lacing his words.
Behind Scott, the minotaur raised up on its back legs, crushing down on him forcefully, and started tearing at his flesh.
Derek snorted, shaking his head. "A touch melodramatic, don't you think, Stiles?"
"Like you can talk; I saw what you did to Peter."
"True. It's been a long time coming though," Derek snarled, looking down to the battlefield where the individual pieces of his uncle were scattered.
Stiles pressed a kiss to Derek's lips and then guided him through the fray and back into battle.
...
Stiles woke up to his alarm blaring in his ear, and he slammed on it with a sleep-heavy hand, blinking wearily as he sat up and rubbed at his eyes. He yawned, stretched, and scratched as he headed downstairs.
"Hey, you're up. I was just about to come check up on you," John said with a smile.
"Morning. Must've overslept," Stiles murmured, sliding onto his chair at the kitchen bench.
John just nodded, putting a bowl of cereal in front of Stiles and watching as he ate it slowly, obviously still waking up.
"Deaton left another message on the answering machine; he really wants to start your training as soon as possible. Not saying you have to go today, but just... think about it, all right?" he asked, hoping he wasn't pushing the topic again.
Stiles nodded slowly, stirring his Cheerios as he chewed a mouthful.
"Derek called as well. He wants you to drop by the loft this afternoon if you're able; said he's got something to discuss with you?" John added, hoping for a bit more detail from his son.
"Probably forgot how to put phone numbers on his phone, if he called the house," Stiles muttered, rolling his eyes.
John was reluctant to change the topic, especially when Stiles seemed so calm, but he just had to ask. "So... You overslept; must've been a good sleep then? No nightmares?"
Stiles' spoon clattered to the bench, and he stared at his father in shock. "What?"
"You didn't wake up screaming," John replied, already wishing that he hadn't said a thing. "First time in a year, right?"
"Right. Of course... It's been a whole year," Stiles echoed. He looked up at John abruptly, startling him though John didn't show it. "I'll go to Deaton's today; I really shouldn't put off training anymore. And I'll go by Derek's this afternoon, see what he wants," he added.
John smiled genuinely, clapping Stiles on the shoulder warmly. "So, you dreamed something, then?" he asked, getting a nod in return. "Was I in it?" he asked with a chuckle, heading over to the door to leave for his shift at the police station.
"Yes, actually; everyone was in it."
"Must've been some dream," John called, pulling his jacket on.
"Oh, it was. I dreamed about the future," Stiles said, a twisted grin on his lips.
...
End of word challenge.
Thanks for reading!
