Stiles Wilson

[8.] D I F F E R E N T__N O W

Stiles went back to the Stilinski home later that afternoon and he couldn't believe it, actually, maybe he could, maybe he was just hoping it wouldn't though. But it did. Scott pushed, he was pushing. For everything, but mainly the one thing he was trying to avoid more than anything, Derek.

It was fine for a while, great even.

The pack sat on the couch, Lydia and Kira wanting to know everything about his life, how he was and what he'd been doing lately, and that was fine. Isaac teased him, saying he still wasn't convinced Stiles was an FBI agent; skinny, defenseless Stiles; and again that was fine. Malia was really the best out of them, she just listened and commented as everyone spoke. She knew everything Stiles said and everything the pack thought about him was a lie, but like with Donovan, she didn't care. Stiles was Stiles, no matter what.

It was after Stiles finished telling them about his latest mission with Bucky, dulling it down for them and PG rating it since he really was supposed to be a government official, not a deadly assassin for hire.

Everyone joked and laughed, Derek even cracked a smile or two just from hearing Stiles' contagious laughter again and ridiculous sarcasm, yet again that was fine, then Scott spoke up.

"We really missed you, buddy. Derek too, he missed you a lot, right Derek?"

Stiles remembered the suffocating silence that enveloped the Hale loft, just like he was still there in that awful moment. All heads turned to the former alpha, but he was just staring at Stiles and Stiles alone. Isaac fake coughed trying to relieve the tension, Kira shrank back on the couch uncomfortably, Lydia sighed, and Malia, she glared daggers at her fiance.

She warned him, she really did. Stiles could believe that he could, but he also knew when Scott had an idea and no matter how stupid it was, he was still going to go through with it.

"Yeah, I did."

Stiles spared the Hale a look, but to everyone's surprise, just nodded in response before turning back to the rest of the pack and starting up another conversation.

He really wanted it to be the last of it, he saw out of the corner of his eye how crushed Derek looked but he also couldn't bring himself to care much, faking yet another smile for the pack's sake. But unfortunately, it wasn't the last of it.

When another hour was dragged out between them, Stiles declared he was tired and jetlagged wanting nothing more than to sleep the day off. Everyone understood naturally, he was only human after all.

Lydia hugged him again, same with Scott and Kira, Isaac merely waved with a smile, but Malia clung to him saying she'd walk him back to his car. He smiled at her and she grinned as the two stumbled in their steps from the hug they were having, and that's when Derek stopped him right before the door.

"Stiles we need to talk, please."

It took a certain skill to act normal and not stab the wolf with the knife hidden in his boot, it also took an extreme amount of fakeness and patience to carry on smiling like he meant it.

"He just got back into town, can't you give it a rest?"

Another reason he truly loved Malia, she was as protective of him as he was of her. But he didn't come to Beacon Hills to fight with his old life, he just had a job to do. He'd complete it, make his dad happy, and leave the very next day with Bucky like he was never here in the first place.

"It's okay, Mals. What's up, Sourwolf?"

"Alone, Stiles."

Not being broody didn't last long, neither did not getting irritated.