Stiles had fallen asleep in front of his computer when he'd returned home, desperate to finish his long overdue chemistry homework, when he was jolted awake at almost midnight by his phone ringing.
Sighing and rubbing his eyes, he answered. "Hello?"
"S-stiles?" said the weak, teary, broken voice on the other end, and Stiles jumped to his feet, completely awake with full blown concern.
"Melissa?" He blurted. "Are you crying? What's wrong?"
"I-is it okay if I-i come over?" she asked timidly, her voice creaking. "P-please?"
"Yeah...!" Stiles exclaimed, running toward his bedroom door, easing his jacket on and grabbing his keys. "I'll pick you up, just sit-"
"N-no, I... Just open the d-door..." she croaked, "I-I'm at the f-front..."
Blinking, Stiles set his keys back down on his desk, running down the stairs past his father, who eyed him curiously. He opened the front door, the phone in his hand dropping back to his pocket as he saw Melissa, her face wet with tears, cheeks red and slightly swollen and underneath her nose caked in blood.
"Oh my god, Melissa...!" he exclaimed, grabbing her hands and pulling her into a tight, protective hug. He held her very tight as she cried hard against his chest. "Shh, come in, Mel..." he said softly, pulling her inside.
"Stiles, is she okay?!" Officer Stilinski asked, concern in his voice.
"I got it, dad, I've got her," he told him as he brought her upstairs, "you're okay, Mel, let's get you cleaned up."
Stiles lead her into the bathroom, lifting her onto the bathroom counter almost too easily. She sniffled weakly as he ran a washcloth under the warm water before gently rubbing her face clean of the blood. He frowned, his face saddened and almost pouting as the cleaned blood revealed her nose to be slightly broken, as well as her cheek slightly cut. He reached under the sink, grabbing a first aid kit and taking out a cotton ball and dabbing hydrogen peroxide.
"This is going to sting, just... Squeeze my hand." Melissa nodded, taking his free hand in hers and lightly lacing their fingers together with a small, shaky hand. As he dabbed her cheek, she whimpered, squeezing his hand tightly. He squeezed back, hurrying his work. "There, all done," he assured her, sticking a band aid to her cheek and giving her a cold compress for her nose.
"Th-thanks..." She muttered shakily. Stiles examined her carefully, gently taking her by the shoulder steadily before unzipping her hoodie and pulling it down a bit, revealing bruises scattered on her arms. Melissa's bottom lip quivered as he looked her over. Without a second thought, he lifted the hem of her tank top up Justin her ribs, exposing more bruises.
"It was your dad, wasn't it," he said lowly, looking up into her eyes, but she looked away, her eyes puffy and swollen. "Tell me."
She nodded, her throat releasing a sad, scared, strangled noise. "Y-y-yes..." she cried, breaking down again. Stiles pulled her close again, hugging her securely as if to keep her from the rest of the bathroom. "S-stiles, I... I have to go back-"
"Absolutely not."
"B-but dad will... H-he might kn-know-"
"You cannot go back home!" He demanded. "I can't let you go back knowing that this will just get worse. I know what happened to Lahey and I'm not letting it happen to you, too."
"Wh-where am I supposed to g-go, then..." She asked, forgetting that her hand was still tangled with his.
"You could stay here, if you wanted..." Stiles began tentatively, smiling weakly. Melissa blushed. "I mean, I could talk to my dad about what's going on and he can take care of it. I want you here where I can take care of you. Unless you'd be more comfortable at Hailey's house... Which I'd understand, since she's your best friend."
Melissa smiled slightly, sniffling quietly. "One step at a time... But for tonight... Can I stay here? I-I don't want to be alone..." Stiles rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, smiling.
"Of course you can," he assured her. "I'll tell my dad and I'll set up the guest room-"
"N-no, I..." she interrupted awkwardly, "I... Meant with you..."
Stiles blushed, laughing nervously. "Okay," he said, smiling, picking her up off the counter and placing her back down. He gestured to the blood stains on her shirt and jeans. "Let's get you some clean clothes." He lead her into his room by the hand, letting her sit on his bed. She watched with a faint smile as he rummaged through his dresser, pulling out an old tee shirt and pajama pants. He handed them to her before standing in the corner of his room. "I won't look, I promise."
Melissa laughed lightly before pulling her shirt over her head and changing briskly. Stiles stood idly in the corner for what seemed like ages before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned carefully to see her in his clothes, smiling at the sight. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off as Melissa took his face, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him softly on the lips.
All too soon, she pulled away, her face pink. "What... Was that for?" He asked softly. She gave him a small shrug.
"Taking care of me," she replied. "I've... Never had that before..."
"I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you, Mel..." He assured her, giving her a small kiss on the forehead. "Now come on. You need to get some sleep." Stiles lead her back to the bed, helping her underneath the covers next to him. The moment she was with him, she curled up next to him, her head on his chest. Stiles placed a hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly to help her to sleep, waiting to hear her breathing slow and steady.
"I'll take care of you."
And there's part two! Let me know how you liked this by leaving me some love in the comments!