Are you ignoring me?

Danny, come on, man.

We need to talk. Now.

Where are you?

Ok. I get it.

Be careful.

Sunlight filtered into the Stilinski living room. It was Saturday morning, and Danny knew he should probably fully wake up and head home soon. He had never meant to fall asleep in Stiles' room, watching a movie while laying on the bed next to the other teen. Of course, that only lasted so long until Stiles sat up in bed and started screaming himself hoarse. Danny had stood off to one side awkwardly after Linden came rushing in and held his son close to his chest. They had rocked back and forth, Linden's hand shifting through his son's hair as he quietly reassured Stiles that he was okay, that he was safe and that it had only been a dream. Stiles shook in his father's arms, t-shirt sticking to his skin from sweat.

Danny had almost gone home then; but, instead, he had a cup of tea with Linden and ended up crashing on the couch. There was a blanket over him that had not been there when he'd fallen asleep, and he assumed the sheriff had put it there. With a sigh, Danny sat up and ran his fingers through his hair a few times, glancing over at his cell phone on the coffee table. He had ignored Jackson's texts all night. The teen almost reached for his phone, but stopped when he heard a soft voice at the doorway say, "Oh." Danny then looked to see Stiles there, who smiled sheepishly with a slight wave and then he gestured behind him. "There's some coffee left, and breakfast if you'd like some."

"Some coffee would be great," Danny stated as he stood up and stretched in a way that popped his back into a more comfortable alignment. That was the worst part about falling asleep on a couch. Danny folded the blanket and draped it over the back of the couch before he followed Stiles into the kitchen.

Stiles showed him where the coffee cups were before letting Danny make his own coffee how he drank it; Stiles had tea. He pointed out the breakfast foods that were still warm on the counter along with the plates and utensils, and then he sat down at the table in front of his own plate. "About last night," Stiles started to say, his words slow and halting as though he seemed to be struggling with the formation.

"You don't have to explain." Danny shook his head as he sat down at the table, coffee mug warm between his hands. He took a sip of the caffeinated drink as he watched Stiles, finding that he was curious about Stiles' dreams, even if he did not want Stiles to feel compelled to talk about it.

The other teen shook his head a little, ruffling his hair idly with one hand before poking at his food again. "It has to do with the whole sacrifice thing that I told you about. I don't... I've got these nightmares, and they seem so... real. They're... they're just bad. It makes it hard to sleep. I'm supposed to take these sleeping pills to help, but I forgot last night. It's why I passed out at your place, the whole not sleeping thing."

A frown folded Danny's features as he listened to Stiles, idly twisting his coffee cup back and forth a few times. "Allison and Scott?"

Stiles shrugged a little as he took a drink of his tea, shifting so that he was sitting lower in the chair, his foot almost touching Danny's underneath the table. "Allison has nightmares sometimes, but nothing as intense as mine. We all struggled with seeing things there for a while, and that got better, but I've still got these nightmares that I can't wake up from. Sometimes I don't know if I'm dreaming or not. Scott and Allison have a code word for me, when I'm freaking out and stuck in that state of not knowing, they say it. Calms me down."

"Why's it worse for you?" Danny questioned before wincing at the words. It seemed fairly insensitive, but he was curious as to why it seemed that out of the three, Stiles seemed to struggle the most.

"They've got an anchor, something that keeps them tied to the good things and lightness and all that cryptic mumbo-jumbo that Scott's boss likes to spew out. I don't... I mean, I've got my dad, but that's not... it's not a good enough anchor, I guess." Stiles shrugged a little again, idly toying with his cup while glancing over at Danny, who took a drink out of the blue coffee mug in his hands.

Danny sighed heavily, ruffling his already sleep-rumpled hair a little. "That's... I mean, that sucks."

Stiles let out a short laugh, smiling a little as he nodded. "Yeah. Well, now you know."

Several moments of silence passed in which the two boys drank out of their cups, and Stiles forced himself to eat something, though it turned his stomach a bit to do so. He wished that it was Tuesday and he could sleep all day. Monday would be a half day of classes, in which he and Danny would turn in their project and then they'd all be sent to random classrooms to chill until it was time to go home. It was a pathetic excuse for a school day, but they did it so that they could be open the correct number of hours as required by the state. Tuesday, however, Tuesday was the start of a break that would last until mid-January. Stiles could not wait. Maybe he'd be able to sleep without the stress of school. Stiles' brow furrowed as he took a drink of his tea, glancing over at Danny only to find the other teen looking at him expectantly, and only then did he realize that Danny had asked him something. "Oh, shit, sorry. Spaced out a bit. What did you say?" he replied, sighing a little as he pushed away his plate.

Danny smiled a little in a way that was meant to be relaxing, and idly wet his lips before he said, "The code word. What is it?"

Stiles watched Danny closely for several moments before he nodded a little and glanced down at his hands, which he was idly wringing together. "Sourwolf. It's... it's what I called Derek Hale once but not something that would ever come up in normal conversation, so..." Stiles shrugged his shoulders once again, not looking at Danny as or even after he spoke.

"Well... okay. I can help with that now." Danny smiled a little, chuckling slightly when Stiles just sent him a confused expression in response. "If you get confused and they're not around, find me."

That was not something Stiles had ever even toyed with being a possibility. It made him feel... odd. It was not a bad feeling, just something indescribable that he did not really want to think on. "Oh. Yeah. I can... yeah." Stiles nodded a few times, finally looking over at Danny after another few moments. "Why?"

Danny just watched Stiles for a moment, taking only that amount of time to realize that Stiles was wondering why Danny was offering his help. The goalie simply lifted his shoulders in a shrug, smiling softly at Stiles once again as he said, "I can't exactly just leave you to suffer. I'm involved, have been since you passed out at mine; and, well... I want to help."

Stiles let out a breath that he had not realized he was holding, smiling a little as he nodded his head once before taking another drink of his tea.

When Jackson opened his front door a few hours later to the sound of the doorbell, the last person he had expected to see standing there was Danny (though if he'd paid attention to his other senses, he would have known before he even opened the door). Jackson just blinked a few times at his freshly showered and clean clothed friend, making Danny roll his eyes before shoulder checking Jackson as he pushed his way inside. He had stopped by his own house after talking with Stiles some more and then made his way over to Jackson's. "So, you're a werewolf," Danny said casually as he dropped down onto Jackson's bed after having gone up to the other teen's room.

Jackson nodded slowly a few times, shutting the bedroom door before crossing his arms over his chest. "I thought you weren't talking to me," he said instead of offering any further explanation.

"I was at the Stilinskis'. Turned my phone off." It was not exactly a lie, the ringer had been off; but, Jackson did not need know that Danny had simply needed time. "I'm not going to bug you for answers about sophomore year or anything." Danny smiled slightly at his best friend when Jackson seemed to relax at the statement. "But, I do want to know, whenever you're ready." Danny nodded once before he gestured toward the bed next to him for Jackson to sit down. "What I am going to demand is that you tell me everything you can share."

Jackson laughed softly, the sound coming out a little shaky as he walked over to sit down next to Danny. Then, he told Danny all about how he found out that McCall was a werewolf; he told his best friend about going to Derek for the bite, and quickly glossed over that things were messed up there for a bit. He then went on to talk about how things did get straightened out and he did finally turn into an actual werewolf before he went to England. "I was not running away," Jackson insisted with a slight huff; though, they both knew that Danny saw it otherwise. No matter what had happened, Jackson ran. Jackson then told Danny all about everything that had happened in England, about the pack that had taken him in to keep him safe while he was visiting.

Their talk was not absent of Danny's teasing comments, biting words that others might take offense to but Jackson just laughed off. It was how they communicated, after all. Jackson did not do well with over affectionate interactions; so, they compromised by hidden meanings and standing up for one another when they needed it.

Danny spent the rest of the weekend at Jackson's, and come Monday morning, he was in a good mood again. However, that mood dampened slightly when Stiles did not show up for school, but Scott showed up with Stiles' half of the project, smiling apologetically as he told Danny that Stiles was sorry that he would not make it to school that day. "Is he okay?" Danny asked, watching Scott for any indication that he was keeping something.

"Sort of," answered Scott honestly. He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, glancing down the hall to where Allison and Isaac were talking quietly, their fingers linked between them. His glance only lasted a moment before he looked back to Danny, seemingly debating on whether or not to tell the other teen something. After another moment, Scott nodded once to himself before saying, "Stiles had a really terrible dream last night. He woke up screaming again, but Linden... Linden said there were scratches all over his arm this time. We think, uh... we think he did it to himself in his sleep."

The goalie's brow furrowed a little as he listened to Scott explain. Danny felt a little sick at the information and was practically knocked over with the strength of how much he just wanted to be able to make things better for Stiles. He did not know how, though; and, a part of him doubted that anyone did, if the broken look on Scott's face was anything to go by. "Stiles is stubborn," Danny said after a moment, clearing his throat a little before he actually spoke. Scott's expression was one that looked like a mix between a confused puppy and someone that just got kicked. "If anyone can figure out a way to get back to normal, it's him. I'm sure he'll be fine." Optimism. Danny could do that; there was not much else he could do to help, but he felt better knowing that at least he could offer that.

Scott chuckled a little at that, nodding slowly a few times before the action ended on a more resolute note. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. Stiles will get through this. Besides, he's got all of us. Right?"

Danny stood there quietly, shifting his grip on Stiles' part of their assignment, his other hand shifting the backpack on his shoulder as he watched Scott watching him in equal parts hope and questioning. "Yeah," answered Danny after another moment, smiling warmly at Scott in a friendly manner that he was known well for. "Yeah, he does."

After classes were over just after noon, Danny found himself once again headed toward the Stilinski house. That day, the sheriff's cruiser was still sitting in the drive when he pulled up to the driveway. Danny parked behind Stiles' Jeep, figuring that the other teen probably was not going to be going anywhere that day, anyway. He left his backpack in his car, and went to the front door, knocking once he got there. Linden opened the door a few moments later, a look of surprise crossing his features for just a second when he saw Danny standing there. "Hello, Danny," the man said as he stepped aside, gesturing for the teen to come inside. Obviously, Linden had been expecting Isaac or someone. They were all at Deaton's talking to him about the latest development in Stiles' nightmares, though; otherwise, Danny was sure they would have been there.

"Hello, sir," replied Danny with a slight nod and a smile in greeting. "Is Stiles...?"

"He's in his room, distracting himself with some movies. I was just about to head to work." Linden frowned a little, as though he wanted nothing more than to stay home with Stiles; which, Danny figured that was what the man wanted to do, but he had no doubt Stiles convinced him to go. "You're more than welcome to stay, though."

"Thanks." Danny smiled once again before actually heading up to Stiles' bedroom. He knocked on the frame of the open door, making Stiles look over toward him, not bothering to hide his confusion for a moment. "Heard about what happened." Danny nodded toward the bandaging wrapped around Stiles' forearm, making Stiles tug down the sleeve of his hoodie to cover it again. Danny guessed Melissa was probably to thank for the medical attention. "Want some company?"

Stiles seemed to let out a heavy breath and relax almost instantly, glad that Danny did not try to ask questions. "Yeah," the teen replied in a tired voice, nodding a few times before shifting over on his bed enough to allow for Danny to join him. They put in The Avengers, and Stiles found that being distracted by movies was actually a lot easier when there was someone there to talk about different things about the film. Danny did not seem to mind the constant conversation, and Stiles found that within a short period of time he was actually smiling a little again. Maybe the day was not as bad as he had thought it was going to be.

He must have fallen asleep again, Danny realized when he glanced over at the clock next to Stiles' bed only to find that it was about three in the morning. Danny frowned a little and glanced over to where Stiles' dark shape could barely be made out in the darkness of the room. Stiles did not seem to be having a nightmare, at least not one that was as bad as the ones before. Then again, Danny had seen Stiles taking the sleeping pills that Melissa had gotten for him. That probably had something to do with it. He did seem a bit tense, however, at least until Danny tentatively reached out and placed a hand on his forearm. Stiles let out a heavy sigh of what seemed to be relief, and he stilled on the bed again. Danny continued to lay there in the darkness, and only pulled his hand away once he was sure that Stiles was fully asleep once more, that time a lot more relaxed.

Maybe, Danny considered as he closed his eyes again, laying there next to Stiles, maybe Stiles just needed to know that someone was there next to him, even in the dark. Maybe that would help him. It was just a theory; but, one he would run by Scott later to see if they could try that, even if it meant doing it without Stiles knowing because Danny had a strong suspicion that Stiles would not agree to being monitored. It was with that thought that Danny fell back asleep, not even minding for a moment that he was laying in Stiles Stilinski's bed, something that he had never once thought would even be possible.

When Danny woke up once again, the first signs of sunlight was visible from Stiles' bedroom window. The space on the bed next to Danny was cold, though, making Danny sigh with the fact that Stiles had probably been up for a long while by that point. The teen then pushed himself out of the bed, stretching as he stood with a wince. Sleeping in jeans was really uncomfortable. Maybe he should start stashing a change of clothes at the Stilinski residence if he was going to keep falling asleep there. That thought, Danny found, was not as odd as he thought it should have been as he quietly made his way downstairs. He could hear the faint voices of Stiles and Linden in the kitchen. They weren't alone, though. It took Danny a moment to realize that Scott and his mother were in the kitchen as well. "I don't know what else we can do, Linden," Melissa said quietly, her voice showing more emotion than she tried to show on her face. Danny walked into the kitchen to find Stiles asleep with his head on Melissa's shoulder, curled up at her side as she shifted her fingers through Stiles' hair. Danny stood awkwardly and smiled slightly when the others seemed to realize that he was there.

"I've got some old clothes you can borrow if you want to get out of those things," Linden offered before he gestured to the breakfast sitting on the counter, telling Danny to help himself.

Danny thanked Linden for the offer of clothes, and he nodded a little as the sheriff went off to grab them, though most of his focus stayed on Stiles. The goalie remained quiet for just a moment before he cleared his throat slightly and said, "He seems to sleep better when people are around." Danny did not miss the way that Scott's brow rose at that comment, but he did not react to it at all. "We fell asleep watching Avengers last night and he didn't wake up screaming, so... I'd take that as a good thing."

Melissa nodded slightly as she rested her head on top of Stiles'. "I've noticed that, too," she replied. "I think it helps." Whether or not Stiles would realize that, or even ask for someone to help with that were two completely different stories, however. Maybe Scott could approach that, Danny wondered to himself, only to be distracted by Linden returning with some clothes for Danny to wear, offering the teen a shower as well.

Danny took the man up on the offer to shower, and he felt a million times better once he was clean and in clothes that he had not slept in. When Danny made his way back downstairs, Stiles was awake again, playing some kind of video game with Scott while their parents drank coffee and talked in the kitchen. "Hey," Stiles said with a slight smile once Danny sat down on the couch between him and the arm. "Wanna play?"

"Nah, I'll watch for now," replied Danny, smiling warmly at Stiles as he relaxed and settled into his seat. He watched as Stiles and Scott raced as different Mario characters, smiling a little to himself as Stiles swore at Scott because the other teen had shot some kind of a shell at him.

"Stiles!" Linden scolded from the kitchen, making his son wince and call back an apology, though the smirk on his face seemed anything but sorry.

Danny chuckled a little and smiled softly once again, even as Stiles leaned against him slightly while continuing to race Scott, his elbow bumping against Danny's side every few minutes. Danny quickly found that he really did not mind, even when he did finally plug in the third controller to join the other two in playing.