I Miss You, I Miss You, We All Fall Down:
I wasn't used to sleeping on my own. I was accustomed to Isaac's presence next to me, or more lately, Aiden's. I missed the warmth on my back, the sound of soft inhalation and exhalation in their sleep, the faint hum of their heartbeats that lolled me into a peaceful sleep. But now, Isaac was staying at the Argent's apartment with Chris and Aiden… well, Aiden wasn't anywhere.
I rolled onto my back in the middle of my bed with a tired sigh escaping my lips as I clasped my hands over my stomach. The first few nights after Aiden and Allison's deaths, I had cried myself to sleep with Scott, Derek, Lydia or my mom holding me in their arms but I was all out of tears and I just wanted a restful night of sleep, one that wasn't haunted by ghosts.
I lolled my head to the side to check the time on the alarm clock and sighed softly to myself when I read the 3.43am in glowing red numbers.
The entire house was quiet except for the almost indecipherable sound of Scott's heartbeat in the room down the hall, since mom was working the night shift and we were alone. I kicked the quilt off of my legs as I sat up with a weary sigh escaping my lips and I threw my legs over the edge of the bed as I soothed back my messy hair. I slowly pulled myself to my feet as I stretched my arms over my head and stifled a yawn with a back of my hand as I dropped my other hand to my side. I wandered over the vanity desk to the side of the room and sat down on the chair in front of it as I tilted my head to the side with a small smile on my lips.
Tucked underneath the frame of the mirror was a series of Polaroid photographs.
Scott, Stiles and I making funny faces at the camera.
Lydia and I pouting like supermodels taking a selfie.
Jackson giving me a piggyback ride with Danny laughing at us in the background.
Isaac and I pretending to growl at the camera, ours hands held up like claws.
Me lying next to a sleeping Derek, because he refused to take one with me while he was awake.
Allison and I with our faces smashed together as we each bit into the end of a redvine.
Aiden grinning at the camera as I pressed a kiss to his cheek.
I ran my fingers over the pictures of Allie and Aiden with a wistful smile on my lips as I blinked back tears and took a deep breath to stop myself from breaking down for the hundredth time that week. Missing someone isn't about how long it's been since you've seen them or the amount of time since you've talked, it's about that very moment when you're doing something and wishing they were right there with you.
A shuffling sound came from down the hall, making me frown in confusion as I stood up from the chair I was in and I walked into the hallway cautiously as I peeked around the corner as though something would jump out at me. Walking down the darkened hallway reminded me of a horror movie but I tried to ignore the part of my brain that urged me to run back into my room and hide under my blanket. I slowly approached Scott's partially open bedroom door as I looked around guardedly and stopped on the threshold to my brother's room as I carefully pushed the door open more.
"Sophie?" Scott asked in a soft voice filled with sleep as he pushed himself up onto his elbows and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand with a frown etched onto his lips.
"Hi. I couldn't sleep." I murmured quietly as I looked down at the carpeted ground sheepishly and shuffled my feet almost nervously as I bit the corner of my lower lip.
"Come here." He urged me gently as he held a hand out towards me with a sad smile of understanding and I sighed relief with a small smile as I hurried over the edge of the bed. Scott took my hand as he helped me onto the bed and I laid down next to him with my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me.
A comfortable silence followed after as I listened to the rhythmic hum of Scott's heartbeat and tried to loll myself to sleep but every time I closed my eyes all I could see were Aiden and Allison staring back at me.
"I miss them." I murmured sleepily into the fabric of Scott's shirt as I closed my eyes against the fresh wave of sorrow that had just hit me and I felt him press a chaste kiss to my forehead as I pushed back tears that threatened to fall.
"I know. Me too." Scott whispered quietly, his voice gravelly of unshed tears as he tightened his arms around me and I could feel sleep catching up to me as darkness took over my senses.
"She hasn't been sleeping properly." I heard Scott whispered to someone outside my closed door as I slowly blinked my eyes open from the nap he had forced me to take and I rolled over onto my back as I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand. "Last night, she woke up in the middle of the night and came into my room with me."
"I haven't seen her laugh since Aiden died either. We watched Mean Girls yesterday, it usually always making her laugh, but nothing." Lydia whispered back to him in a disappointed voice as I frowned up at the roof guiltily because I hated being a concern for my friends when they were all struggling as well. "I mean, she smiled faintly at the funny parts, but didn't laugh once throughout the whole movie."
"You just sat there watching her watch the movie?" Stiles asked sceptically in a quiet voice as I closed my eyes tightly with my conscience shaming me internally and I could only imagine the pointed look my best girl friend was sending his way.
"I don't know what to do." Scott murmured softly in a distressed voice that made me physically cringe with guilt and I opened my eyes as I bit the corner of my lower lip with a frown.
"I-I think I know something that will make her laugh." Stiles told them confidently as I heard someone moving towards my bedroom and I pushed myself up onto my elbows with a yawn as the door slowly opened.
"Hey, Stiles." I greeted the human with a small smile as he stuck his head into the room curiously and he broke out in a crooked grin when he saw that I was awake now as I stretched my arms over my head.
"Sophie, hey."
"What'd you doing in here?" I asked him inquisitively as I tilted my head to the side with a small smile on my lips and he practically stumbled into the room as he closed the door behind him. I quirked an eyebrow at him as he sat down on the edge of my bed and went to cross his legs on top of the covers but I put my hand out to stop him. "Nuh uh. Shoes off."
"Oh, come on!" he complained loudly as he dropped his leg to the ground unceremoniously and threw his hands up in the air wildly.
"Off! Or you get off!" I threatened him jokingly until the words actually went through my mind and I immediately fought the urge to gag as I frowned at him in disgust. "That sounded dirtier than I meant it."
"Not something I wanted to hear you say when I'm on your bed."
"Let's never speak of it again."
"Deal." He agreed instantly as he stuck his hand out for me to shake to seal the deal but I scrunched my nose up a little and pursed my lips together unsurely.
"Let's not touch for little while." I suggested hesitantly as I sat up completely with my legs crossed and Stiles nodded his head jerkily in understanding as he turned his hand into a finger gun with an overdramatic wink. "So, what's up?"
"I, uh, I wanted to tell you something. I lost my virginity on a couch in the basement of a nut house to a girl that was stuck in the body of a coyote for eight years." he informed me in a rush of words that all run together into one and I blinked at him in surprise as I tried to decipher what it was he said. Stiles lost his virginity on a couch in the basement of a nut house to girl that was stuck in a body of a coyote for eight years. A giggle escaped my lips before I could stop it as I covered my mouth with both hands to hide the amused grin that spread across my lips because that situation was just too ridiculous to make up so it had to be real. Once the first small chuckle left me, the laughter slowly started to become uncontrollable as I clutched my stomach and tears filled my eyes as my whole body moved with laughter. Stiles made an annoyed face like he knew this would be my reaction as he waved his hand in the air, silently telling me to get it all out of my system and I pursed my lips together in a tight line to stop myself but more giggles leaked from my lips hysterically.
"I'm – I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I told him honestly through my irrepressible snickers as I wrapped an arm around my stomach to physically hold my sides from splitting open and he smiled at me sarcastically as I wiped the tears from under my eyes with my finger. "I – I can't stop laughing."
"Yeah, that's why I told you. I thought would be your reaction."
"I'm – I'm sorry. Really." I repeated sincerely with an apologetic smile as I finally got control over myself and I cleared my throat gently as I ducked my head sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Congratulations."
"Huh, thanks." He muttered with a small chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck and a small blush crept up his cheeks as he offered a half smile. "It's not exactly a story I'll be telling my future kids or anything, but…"
"To be fair, is any 'losing your virginity story' one you tell your kids?"
"Point taken."
"Plus, you could still tell it. Just leave out the supernatural stuff." I told him nonchalantly with a smirk on my lips as I shrugged my shoulders and he hummed in acknowledgement as he tapped his chin with a thoughtful expression. I heard a knock sound on the front door downstairs as I looked towards my bedroom door with a curious frown and wondered who was at the door because most people that came to visit us just walked right inside.
"What is it?" Stiles asked me in confusion as he followed my gaze to the door with a frown before looking back at me expectantly and I turned to him with a small frown as I shrugged my shoulders unsurely.
"Someone's at the front door." I said easily as I tilted my head to the side when I heard muffled voices coming from downstairs but couldn't make out who was speaking or what they were saying. "Anyway, thank you for trying to cheer me up."
"No worries. You know I love you, right?" he remarked genuinely as he reached out for my hand with a serious look and I smiled back at him with a small nod of my head as I squeezed his hand.
"I know. I love you too."
"Good, or that would have been really awkward for me." he joked lightly with a smirk on his lips as he tugged on my hand gently and I laughed a little as I pulled his hand back towards me in a small game of tug-of-war. I heard two sets of shuffling footsteps approaching my bedroom door on the carpeted floor and I turned towards my bedroom door with a small confused frown on my lips as Stiles followed my gaze in concern.
"Sophie! You have a visitor." Scott called out to me in amusement from outside the closed door as my frown deepened and Stiles stood up from the bed almost protectively as the door slowly opened with a squeak. My brother's head poked into the small opening with a crooked grin on his lips as I quirked an eyebrow at him expectantly and he stepped back as he opened the door further to reveal a familiar person behind him.
"Jackson!" I exclaimed happily in surprise as I stood up on the bed instantly with a grin and I practically ran across the bed to launch myself into his waiting arms with a giggle when he caught me. "Oh my god! I missed you. What are you doing here? Ah! I can't believe you're here!"
"Calm down, Soph." Jackson murmured into my brunette hair as he squeezed me tightly to his chest and I could hear the smile in his voice as I buried my head into the crook of his neck. "I heard about Allison and Aiden. I wanted to be there for you."
"Thank you." I whispered softly as I pressed a kiss to the side of his neck with a single tear escaping my eye and I quickly brushed it away as I cleared my throat gently with a slight smile. I pulled back from the embrace as I shook my head slightly to make sure that I wasn't dreaming and that Jack was actually standing in front of me with that patented smirk on his lips. Being back next to each other, it was like nothing had changed between us. I guess true friendship isn't about being inseparable, it's about being separated and nothing changes. I didn't even know that I needed Jackson before he walked into my bedroom but with him standing in front of me, it was the only thing I needed to get me through this.
"I missed you." he told me honestly as he pressed a kiss to my forehead with a small smile on his lips and I smiled at him brightly as I walked backwards until I hit the edge of the bed before sitting down.
"How did you even hear about Allie and Aiden?"
"Lydia called me."
"Lydia? Lydia Martin? Your ex? The one who can't even hear your name? That Lydia?"
"She was concerned about you." Jack said pointedly as he quirked an eyebrow at me with a straight face and I sighed heavily as guilt ate away at my insides because I didn't want to be a burden to my friends especially when they were grieving as well.
"I'm okay. Really. I'm just sad. That's all." I remarked honestly as I brought my knees up to my chest with a frown playing on my lips and Jackson sat down next to me as he put his arm around my shoulders.
"Well, I didn't know Aiden but I knew Allison and she would want you to stop being sad and celebrate her life instead. It's okay to be sad, but eventually, we have to move on. It doesn't mean forgetting, it means holding onto the memories while you make new ones."
"That was deep."
"I worked on it on the plane." He said easily as he pulled into his side with a chuckle and I giggled slightly as I rested my head on his shoulder with a small smile.