chapter seven; i have a mom
REALISTICALLY, THE next day could've gone better. Stiles should've questioned why he didn't remember going to bed. Or why his bed felt short and prickly. Or maybe why he was naked. But for those short 60 seconds as he woke up Stiles had never felt so at peace. So light.
Until he realized he was naked, not in his room, and in the middle of the forest.
"What the fuck," he exclaimed, pushing himself up off the hard dewy grass.
It could only be first thing in the morning maybe 4-5AM. Thanks to it still being daylight savings the sun hadn't fully risen and there was a light mist that enwrapped the forest, hopefully blocking anyone from noticing him.
He slowly stood up, hands covering what needed to be covered despite him being alone, and searched for where his clothes might be. And yep, they were in a pile a few feet away from him all shredded up into a million unwearable pieces.
Oh god, that's right. He turned, last night he came out into the woods to prove Hope and her family wrong. . .and he turned. Although he should've been freaking out about being a werewolf he couldn't help but remember what Hayley had said.
You killed someone, you triggered the curse. He killed someone. But that hadn't even been him, he didn't massacre everyone in the hospital, he didn't go after his dad and the others in the sheriffs station. Yet another thing the Nogitsune ruined for him.
Oh god he was gonna be sick.
"Stiles! Guys, he's over here".
He could hear her as he dry heaved, throwing up whatever contents remained in his stomach from the night before. How was it his fault? He didn't want to kill them, he didn't want to kill them! How was it still messing up his life even while it's trapped?
"Oh Stiles," Hayley said, when he finally snapped his neck toward them the pity in their faces made him stop looking immediately.
It felt like he was just sitting there, on the ground covered in his own vomit for ages before someone came up and placed a long coat over his body. Only then did he realize how much he was shaking, either from the cold or the events that had led up to now.
He must look so stupid right now, so weak. Even if he apologized to them and admitted they were telling the truth why would they even want him after this? Why would they knowingly take him back?
"You were right," Stiles whispered finally, wrapping the coat around him and thanking someone that it covered everything. He slowly stood up, not able to look anyone in the eyes. "But I need some time, please".
Hayley nodded, "Of course"
At the same time Hope took a step toward him, "No, Stiles, come on. Right now you need family, we-we can help you. Let us" she begged.
Klaus reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, "Hope," he pleaded before looking back at Stiles. "Your sister is right. Only we will be able to help you. Our curse isn't like the wolves in this towns curse. It's more complex than that."
"But take all the time you need, and then when you're ready we'll be here" Hayley cut him off, looking like it was taking everything in her not to run over to him and wrap him in her arms.
"Maybe not all the time," Klaus rephrased for her. There was never a lot of emotion in his face, he was always unreadable. But right now Stiles could see a hint of his own face looking back at him. His own concerned expression copied and pasted right onto his.
"Can we at least drive you back to your house?" Hope said, brows knitted together in a way that wasn't supposed to make him feel guilty but did.
. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧･ﾟﾟ･ erase me. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧･ﾟﾟ･
The drive to his house only lasted about ten minutes, but the whole time Stiles felt their eyes flash back and forth to him and look away when he'd turn to look. They tried to get him to talk a little but honestly he was just waiting til he was alone in his room and able to crash for the rest of the day. No way was he going to school.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Hayley questioned once they pulled into the driveway. He only nodded before opening the car door.
"Don't take too long," Klaus called out to him at the same time Hope yelled out a Bye Stiles!
Part of him felt like he was making the wrong decision, like he should just get used to this change and let himself finally feel good. Who would care if he went back and just slid into the routine of this big happy family? besides his dad, ok, and maybe his friends.
But then he couldn't stop but wonder if maybe the Nogitsune knew who he was and what he could become and that's why he chose him. And although he knew it was selfish of him he found it easier to deal with that revelation if he blamed the Mikaelson's for it. Like maybe if he had been a true human with no chance of becoming a werewolf it wouldn't have chosen him. Maybe whoever it chose instead would've been stronger, better, able to fight him. Maybe nobody would've died.
"Hey, Stiles" Hayley called after him, walking toward him. Oh, right he was still at the door looking like an idiot and not grabbing the spare key under the mat to unlock the door. He turned to face her when she finally made it to him.
She placed her hands on his shoulders, "I know you have a lot going on in there right now," she moved to place both hands on either side of his head, in such a way he could only remember his mother doing when he was a child. "And you can take all the time you need. But please don't deny yourself the chance to learn where you're from and how to control what you are. Whenever you want to give it a try we will be here" she promised. And then just as soon as she had been there her hands dropped and the warmth they provided disappeared. And then she was walking back to the car.
. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧･ﾟﾟ･ erase me. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧･ﾟﾟ･
Thankfully, it seemed his dad hadn't come home from the office yet, so Stiles was able to run upstairs, change into some actual clothes before turning around and realizing he wasn't alone.
"Uh, hey Derek" He greeted, noticing the man standing by the window he'd apparently snuck in through.
"Where have you been?" He said in such a way that supplied he knew he hadn't been home all night. He looked a little less put together than usual, his usual bright green eyes a little tired, his long sleeve all wrinkled.
"Just out," he replied, regretting it as soon as Derek's face fell even more. "Oh god, it's not happening again I promise. I just. . .needed to clear my head" he swore immediately.
Derek's brows grew tighter together, "I didn't think that it was back. I just, I saw you with those people and they smell. . .different. So I was worried" he admitted unlike him.
This time Stiles had to do a double take. "Worried? Wait how long have you been here?"
"Who was the girl, Stiles?" Derek asked completely ignoring his question.
Stiles let out a long deep sigh before sitting on the bed, back to Derek. "She's uh, well, there's no easy way to say this but she's my mother," he finally spit it out, he looked up toward the ceiling. I have another mom, and she's alive.
Derek all but stomped across to the front of Stiles, a shocked look on his face. "You're what? I thought your mom was-"
"Yeah well so did I. Turns out it was all a lie," Stiles said, letting out a dry chuckle. If there were tears pooling in his eyes Derek didn't point it out.
Derek stood there for a moment, the two of them in a deadly silent competition. "You should shower, you smell like vomit" he stated before rummaging around his closet and grabbing a towel and fresh new clothes.
"I'm not-"
"Just trust me. Go take a nice hot shower, and then we can talk" he instructed.
Stiles scoffed, "Wow, I must be in some alternate universe where you actually just suggested we talk. As in use more words then private and property" it took a second or two but eventually he snatched the towel and clothes out of his hands and headed to the bathroom.
It felt like an hour until Stiles was finally done scrubbing his skin raw. By the time he dried off, changed and went to his room it had to be nearing 6 in the morning. His head hurt, bones felt like jelly, like he was gonna collapse any minute.
"I'm done and smelling like a peach" he mumbled before noticing Derek was passed out in his armchair across from his bed. That cannot be comfortable Stiles thought before finding a throw blanket and covering him with it. Something about Derek having to sleep in an uncomfortable chair and have no blanket felt cruel.
Then he stumbled back to his bed and crawled in, and if he felt a little bit safer having a knocked out werewolf in his room, well, he wouldn't tell anyone.