War isn't over • LM / SS

Chapter 22 - four in a bed

"i don't forgive you,
but please don't hold me to it."

word count: 4k

Max Pierce's knuckles were turning white from how hard he was gripping the sink. There would surely be a permanent mark in the shape of his fingertips if he let go. The sheriff was okay. Stiles was okay. Phoenix was okay. Everyone was alive and yet he still couldn't seem to shake the feeling that the world was about to end.

Dr Geyer and his surgical team had removed the tiny piece of bone marrow from the sheriff's body. It had left him with a high chance of survival, recovering in a private room with his son at his bedside. They had lost the chimera, Noah, on the way out of the tunnels and they currently had no idea if he was still alive or not. Phoenix had been dropped home with a minute to spare before her curfew was up. Her dad's phone had been in his hand; apparently, he had been quite serious about reporting her missing if she returned home late.

As far as he knew, Argent was back. Max was happy for Lilith; they could deny it as much as she wanted but he knew she had missed their uncle. It must have gotten lonely after a while. At least he could sleep on Jade's sofa if he didn't want to be alone. Malia, Scott and Liberty had gone their separate ways after the events in the tunnels, too.

After receiving the news that the sheriff was going to be perfectly fine, the deal that Max had made earlier came back to bite him in the ass. Perks of having an aunt that worked in the hospital was knowing all of the best hiding spots— which was what led him to be having a quarter-life crisis in one of the more private bathrooms in the building.

Technically speaking, he could walk straight into the room and lie to Stiles' face. Was it really worth losing any trust they had built up over the years? He didn't think so, personally. He couldn't go back on his side of the deal, not when Stiles had kept his word and let Scott help.

Splashing water on his face, he tried to make himself look lifelike. Pulling at the corners of his lips, trying to make a smile look genuine. Poking and prodding at his eyes, an attempt to regain the spark he used to have. Tugging on the sleeves of his sweater, making sure all the scars were covered; a scar on his arm and a matching one on his abdomen from both blood and DNA samples. His body had been torn apart, ripped open at the seams. He gave up trying to flatten his hair, sneaking out of the bathroom, ready to face the music that was sounding more and more like a death march with each step.

In a matter of minutes, he was outside of room four-hundred-and-four, willing himself to push down on the handle. The door swung open, Stiles stepping out with his hands in his pockets. Max's breath hitched when they locked eyes, tongue darting out to wet his lips. "Don't suppose there's any chance you forgot, is there?"

Stiles cracked a smile, shaking his head slightly. He could tell Max was uncomfortable; he used humour to cope, much like himself. Maybe that was why they got along so well. Maybe there was other reasons he liked Max. "My dads asleep. Is there somewhere else we can talk around here?" he asked, a brow raised. It hadn't left his mouth before Max was turning on his heel, gesturing for him to follow.

Max slipped around a corner, sneaking up to the roof of the hospital. They seemed to get attacked up there a lot of the time but it was the only place there that didn't have security cameras (anyways, even if they were attacked, he wouldn't have to tell Stiles the truth!— it seemed like a win-win, in his opinion).

It had gotten dark, the midnight blue sky dotted with bright stars. The door was left unlocked despite the numerous crime scenes that occurred on the hospital roof. Max sat on the ground, back against one of the electricity boxes covered in wire. Stiles had started to fall behind, panting heavily when the many flights of stairs finally came to an end. Max was concentrating on wrapping a loose thread from his sweater around his finger, the yarn getting caught on his silver rings.