He looked again to the room. All his comics, his books, even his posters weren't on the walls anymore. Pretty much it is how he feels now, empty. It had been three weeks since his father found him in Argent's basement. Three weeks that he was recovering from the torture he had to suffer alone. Three weeks that he didn't even hear about his so-called friends. He giggled bitterly. Friends would never do what they are doing to him.
Maybe it was exactly that, they weren't friends. It was just Stiles thinking they were. Maybe they are hoping that he still was in the basement, or dead at some dirty and dark place where nobody could find him. 'Calm down there, Stiles.' He thought. 'Don't need to be so creepy. They just don't care about you, it doesn't mean they want you dead. It is okay.'
He looked again. He made so many memories here. The first time he had a nightmare because of the storm his mom stayed the rest of the night singing and dancing around the room with him. "Come dance with us, kochanie! Can you hear it? The gods are dancing in the sky, so we have to dance too." When Noah saw that, he started to dance with Claudia instantly. It was one of the most special memories of his parents.
When his mom died he didn't want to leave his room. Scott stayed every day with him inside, playing games, watching movies, or just hugging him while he cried. Melissa had to take them by force to the bathroom, after one week there without going out for nothing, they and the room were stinking.
That time his dad was so immersed in his own pain that he forgot about Stiles. So most of the time he would stay alone in his room.
Stiles was studying some random matter when his dad knocked on the door asking if he could enter. Their relationship was strange since his mother died, Noah wasted most of his time drinking or working, barely looking to Stiles. He was twelve years old and he felt like he had lost both of his parents. Noah sat on the bed for what seems like hours and Stiles stayed silent for some miracle just waiting for his father's words.
"Stiles…" Noah rubbed his stubble and lowered his head. "Son… The last months were so difficult. I never thought that I would lose Claudia like that. She was the love of my life, and I know that I will never find anybody like her again." He took a deep breath. "But at the same time, I didn't notice that I was losing you and this time would be my fault. I needed Melissa to wake me up and see that if I didn't do something I would lose you for real, and much worse, you would lose your only family. I wouldn't pardon myself if I did that to you." He looked to Stiles, the boy stayed silent the whole time, he didn't even move. "What I'm trying to say, kiddo, is that I'm gonna be better, for me and for you. I'm gonna be the father you deserve. I love you, son. Never forget or doubt this." Stiles ran to his dad's lap and stayed there crying until he didn't have tears anymore. When Noah was getting out of the room he heard Stiles saying "I love you too, dad.".
"Stiles."
Stiles turned to see who was calling him and saw Melissa looking at him with her warm eyes. Claudia would never be replaced, but if there exists someone in this world close to a mom to him, it would be Melissa.
"Hey, Melissa." He dried the tears. "I didn't think you would come, but I'm glad you did."
"So you are really moving out, hn?" She looked to his room empty behind him. "Do you want a sandwich? I had brought some cookies too."
"Sure! Your cookies were the best." He closed the door without looking again. "My dad called you?" They went downstairs.
"He wanted to let me know that you two are fine, just taking time for you… It's true?"
"Yeah… Pretty much it is. Dad and Son time. Updating the relationship. You know… those things…" He grabbed his sandwich and bit. Normally he would love to talk, but not now, not about why he is leaving.
"You don't want to talk, I respect that. But, Stiles..." She took his hand on hers. "You're like a son to me, do you know that, right? If you have to go, fine! But don't forget that you have people that care about you here. I know that Scott-" Stiles interrupted her.
"Melissa, I love you. I know I should explain to you why I'm doing this. You deserve it. But I'm not ready to talk about it yet. We're going to be fine. When we set down I'll make sure to send you a letter, or an SMS."
"If it's what you want..."
"And about Scott…" He cleared his throat. Thinking about his best friend brings a bitter taste to his mouth. "If you could not tell him about me leaving, even if he asks about it. I know that I'm asking too much, but if he asks about it… Don't tell him, ok."
"Stiles…" She squeezed his hand.
"Please?"
"If it's what you want." She gave him a sad smile.
"Thanks."
When his dad arrived from work Stiles was putting the last box on the Jeep. Noah had a friend in Sacramento. The man was the Sheriff and got Noah a job on the station, not really fancy, but it would do. They set everything there so quickly. In one week most of their things were already in an apartment in the other city. Just waiting for them to arrive and unpack the boxes. He looked again to the room. All his comics, his books, even his posters weren't on the walls anymore. Pretty much it is how he feels now, empty. It had been three weeks since his father found him in Argent's basement. Three weeks that he was recovering from the torture he had to suffer alone. Three weeks that he didn't even hear about his so-called friends. He giggled bitterly. Friends would never do what they are doing to him.
Maybe it was exactly that, they weren't friends. It was just Stiles thinking they were. Maybe they are hoping that he still was in the basement, or dead at some dirty and dark place where nobody could find him. 'Calm down there, Stiles.' He thought. 'Don't need to be so creepy. They just don't care about you, it doesn't mean they want you dead. It is okay.'
He looked again. He made so many memories here. The first time he had a nightmare because of the storm his mom stayed the rest of the night singing and dancing around the room with him. "Come dance with us, kochanie! Can you hear it? The gods are dancing in the sky, so we have to dance too." When Noah saw that, he started to dance with Claudia instantly. It was one of the most special memories of his parents.
When his mom died he didn't want to leave his room. Scott stayed every day with him inside, playing games, watching movies, or just hugging him while he cried. Melissa had to take them by force to the bathroom, after one week there without going out for nothing, they and the room were stinking.
That time his dad was so immersed in his own pain that he forgot about Stiles. So most of the time he would stay alone in his room.
Stiles was studying some random matter when his dad knocked on the door asking if he could enter. Their relationship was strange since his mother died, Noah wasted most of his time drinking or working, barely looking to Stiles. He was twelve years old and he felt like he had lost both of his parents. Noah sat on the bed for what seems like hours and Stiles stayed silent for some miracle just waiting for his father's words.
"Stiles…" Noah rubbed his stubble and lowered his head. "Son… The last months were so difficult. I never thought that I would lose Claudia like that. She was the love of my life, and I know that I will never find anybody like her again." He took a deep breath. "But at the same time, I didn't notice that I was losing you and this time would be my fault. I needed Melissa to wake me up and see that if I didn't do something I would lose you for real, and much worse, you would lose your only family. I wouldn't pardon myself if I did that to you." He looked to Stiles, the boy stayed silent the whole time, he didn't even move. "What I'm trying to say, kiddo, is that I'm gonna be better, for me and for you. I'm gonna be the father you deserve. I love you, son. Never forget or doubt this." Stiles ran to his dad's lap and stayed there crying until he didn't have tears anymore. When Noah was getting out of the room he heard Stiles saying "I love you too, dad.".
"Stiles."
Stiles turned to see who was calling him and saw Melissa looking at him with her warm eyes. Claudia would never be replaced, but if there exists someone in this world close to a mom to him, it would be Melissa.
"Hey, Melissa." He dried the tears. "I didn't think you would come, but I'm glad you did."
"So you are really moving out, hn?" She looked to his room empty behind him. "Do you want a sandwich? I had brought some cookies too."
"Sure! Your cookies were the best." He closed the door without looking again. "My dad called you?" They went downstairs.
"He wanted to let me know that you two are fine, just taking time for you… It's true?"
"Yeah… Pretty much it is. Dad and Son time. Updating the relationship. You know… those things…" He grabbed his sandwich and bit. Normally he would love to talk, but not now, not about why he is leaving.
"You don't want to talk, I respect that. But, Stiles..." She took his hand on hers. "You're like a son to me, do you know that, right? If you have to go, fine! But don't forget that you have people that care about you here. I know that Scott-" Stiles interrupted her.
"Melissa, I love you. I know I should explain to you why I'm doing this. You deserve it. But I'm not ready to talk about it yet. We're going to be fine. When we set down I'll make sure to send you a letter, or an SMS."
"If it's what you want..."
"And about Scott…" He cleared his throat. Thinking about his best friend brings a bitter taste to his mouth. "If you could not tell him about me leaving, even if he asks about it. I know that I'm asking too much, but if he asks about it… Don't tell him, ok."
"Stiles…" She squeezed his hand.
"Please?"
"If it's what you want." She gave him a sad smile.
"Thanks."
When his dad arrived from work Stiles was putting the last box on the Jeep. Noah had a friend in Sacramento. The man was the Sheriff and got Noah a job on the station, not really fancy, but it would do. They set everything there so quickly. In one week most of their things were already in an apartment in the other city. Just waiting for them to arrive and unpack the boxes.
It would be a new life, for both of them. New air, new job, new house, and who knows... maybe new friends.
"This doesn't need to be a goodbye, son. It could be just a see you soon… Do you know that, right?"
"Yeah… I'm just not sure if I want to see it soon for a while." He looked at his dad uncertain. "That is it okay?"
"It is okay, kiddo."
They looked for the last time to the house where they lived for so many years and made so many moments. This doesn't need to be a goodbye, but for now, it would be. He turned the car key and left the view of Beacon Hill behind.
It would be a new life, for both of them. New air, new job, new house, and who knows... maybe new friends.
"This doesn't need to be a goodbye, son. It could be just a see you soon… Do you know that, right?"
"Yeah… I'm just not sure if I want to see it soon for a while." He looked at his dad uncertain. "That is it okay?"
"It is okay, kiddo."
They looked for the last time to the house where they lived for so many years and made so many moments. This doesn't need to be a goodbye, but for now, it would be. He turned the car key and left the view of Beacon Hill behind.