Word: Blithesome
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Even after the nogitsune, Stiles' blithesome nature barely wavers. He portrays cheerfulness like somebody's watching him at every hour of every day, and for the most part, Stiles' paranoia's actually correct. Scott can't watch him, can barely look at him some days; Kira's still unsure of herself within their group, and spends time with Lydia or Scott instead; Derek has disappeared and is refusing to answer Stiles' texts; Peter's gone, but no one really minds about that; his father has to pull extra shifts at the station to cover for the officers that were killed; but Malia has no where else to go, and no one else she wants to spend time with, so she takes it upon herself to stay with Stiles and doesn't stray from his side unless necessary.
While she's learning to control her coyote with Scott, it's Stiles that she takes her social cues from. Malia sees that a cheerful attitude can be applied just as easily as Lydia's makeup; that a joke can cover up worry; that it takes someone close to Stiles - and not just physically - to crack through the walls he's created. Malia realises and understands that she's not the first to crack through those walls - she's simply being given a glimpse because she watches Stiles so often - and it doesn't take her long to see that the worry he hides, the concern he blocks, the reason his entire body seems to vibrate in pure frustration, is due to Derek Hale.
She doesn't remember seeing the man for herself - the first few weeks were hazy, and Malia sometimes wonders if her own father was an illusion - but Stiles acts differently when he's mentioned. He becomes more flamboyant in his arm movements, hiding the trembling of his hands; he leans on tables casually, but there's a small intake of breath that she doesn't even think Scott sees, as if Stiles is trying to catch his breath or hold back from letting his emotions go completely; his words become careful, and while he lets some worry and concern show, it's not as much as he has within him. Malia has seen it for herself, this worry and concern, when Stiles thinks no one's looking, when he's in his room pinning articles and strings to the entire wall of his bedroom. He gets jittery, runs his hands through his hair, his fingers straying back to the photo of Derek more often than not.
Malia is aware that she may seem annoying and clingy towards Stiles, but he was the one who calmed her after she was forced back into her human self; he gave her her first kiss (and impromptu makeout session); and he's treated her normally, rather than fragile glass like her father, or another pack member like Scott. Malia is fairly certain that she would do anything for Stiles, even go so far as to find Derek Hale for him. Then, when he was found, she would make sure that he wouldn't leave Stiles unless absolutely necessary (and even then, no). She wouldn't be able to bear seeing this kind of heartbreak through the cracks in Stiles' walls again.
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End of word challenge.
Thanks for reading!
