for meanttobeabeta: October 2013

[wannabebatman]

He always knew they'd find Erica and Boyd somehow. Granted, part of him always figured it would be in pieces in the woods, like the nightmare he can't stop himself from having even now, a year later, but still. It would be closure. A bigger, better part of him thought it might be kinda like an episode of CSI: Supernatural Crimes, with his brains and Derek's wolfy senses teaming up to track the Alpha pack back to their lair. A heroic rescue, just in the nick of time, and he could make some off-handed Batman joke to Erica as they escaped a possibly exploding house or something equally badass. Something he could use to show himself see, sometimes there can be happy endings. He didn't let himself think about not finding them, and he never thought it would be like this.

It was just an accident. He hadn't even been looking, too busy trying to juggle his groceries. He was heading to Scott's for a study session with the gang. A gang he didn't really feel like he was quite part of, like there was something missing from it. So he compensated with snacks. It was while shoving a bag of 2-liter sodas into the back of his Jeep without crushing the chips in the next back when he noticed Mrs. McCall. Some kid helping her with her groceries. Stiles there, about to walk over and say hi, when the guy opens his backseat, and there's a ridiculous leopard-print scarf he'd recognize anywhere. He knows. And then he realizes, as he jumps into the Jeep and starts it up, intent on following to make sure nothing happens to the closest thing he's known to a mom since his died. That's when he sees that car pull into the house next to Scott's, and he makes a complete 180, driving for the warehouse district and the only person he knows to call at this moment. His phone is already glued to his face two seconds in.

"Come on, dude, pick up."

Comments

[wannabebatman]

Scott's been number nine on his speed dial since he got his first cell phone, thanks to a long-running and not so funny to anyone else joke. Lydia he doesn't have an excuse to keep on speed dial yet, sadly, and Alison... Alison finally made it onto his speed dial three months ago because he finally admitted defeat in the battle for any time with Scott and she's more likely to answer than his supposed best friend when the two of them are together. He's not sure if it's sad or just appropriate that the number two on his list after knee-jerk dad reaction is a surly, taciturn wolfman who's just as likely to slap him upside the head for getting into trouble as he is to rescue him. Probably both. Also weird that he trusts Derek to do the latter, always. Almost as weird as the fact that that touch to his shoulders does wonders to take away the last of the panic, and he feels this bizarre urge to touch Derek's hand. Cling, more like, kind of like a safety blanket, which is totally not manly or adult or probably okay.

So instead, he just takes a deep breath, letting most of the tension out of his shoulders, and looks up at Derek for a moment. Dark eyes meet green ones and after a long moment Stiles nods. "I know you will. It'll be okay. We'll be okay. They don't know I noticed, and I still have to pass this Chem test, and Harris still hates me, so... going now. I'll call you later when I get home." To report and give Derek a meeting time. And okay, maybe to let him know he's okay. Maybe that matters too.

[meanttobeabeta]

Derek looks steadily back, not moving his hand away as he feels the tension ease from Stiles' shoulders and his scent goes at least a little less anxious and distressed. "The second you get home. And don't hesitate to call, even if you're not sure something's wrong. Don't take stupid risks." Because if anyone's going to do something stupid it's only marginally less likely to be Stiles than Scott. "And don't say anything while you're there, they're probably listening to everything."