nativity ☆ teen wolf

four

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Hope sat behind a cheap fold out table in the sanctuary of St. Mark's Baptist, speaking aloud over the whir of a Singer sewing machine.

The final scene of nativity - the most famous - was being run on stage, half the set built and a rolling donkey with the cast members.

Reading the lines of the Narrator, glitter licked at Hope's fingers as she sewed Kira's costume of the North Star.

Pastor Granger keyed up on the piano, beginning the final song for the whole cast to sing together.

Hope let the sewing machine run to quiet, pulling free Kira's very nearly finished white and gold dress. She sang lightly, more focused on doing a final hem knot.

A minute later, the piano came to a close as the voices did, a warm silence engulfing the room for the briefest second

"Wonderful," Hope happily said as she stood. Facing the stage, the cast looked to her for direction and never the pastor. "Five minute break, everyone. Then we'll run it again."

The stage cleared in under a minute, kids rushing off for water and snack breaks, the older ones taking their free time to play on their phones.

"Stilinski, come be my model." Hope gave a half wave towards herself as she lifted Kira's glittery costume.

Stiles set down his phone, having just texted the Sheriff what he wanted for Christmas. "If I had a penny for everytime someone asked me to do that," he jokingly said as he walked up to Hope.

"Just stand still," Hope laughed through her words. As Kira had gone off, Stiles was what she had to work with. Hope went up on her toes, slipping the headband with gold glitter onto his head.

"Hey, I never asked," Stiles said in attempt to pick up a conversation. "What's your major?"

"Mythology and Folklore."

Stiles immediately laughed, only to have to slowly stop himself. "Wait..."

Hope gave a soft smile, "Were you expecting theology or religious studies?"

"I must seem really stupid to you," he awkwardly said. "Stuck up and judgy."

"No worries," replied Hope as she measured out a bow of the same gold fabric on the dress for the waist. "What do you want to do in college?"

Stiles practically scoffed, "If I make it that long," he mumbled.

"Do I want to know what that means?" questioned Hope as she pinned the fabric onto the soon-to-be finished dress.

"Uh, nevermind." Stiles held up the dress, letting Hope work on it without much struggle. "I'm not really sure, actually. Maybe criminology."

"Like your father? Sheriff, right?"

"My mom, too," Stiles softly said as he barely met eyes with Hope.

Hope hadn't expected to, but she smiled as well. "My mom was a sheriff's deputy."

Stiles hesitated, not having expected it. "Mine too. That's how they met, my parents." He wasn't sure if it was alright to ask, but he brought himself to. "How did yours?"

"Murder case, a pair of brothers killed each other. My mom was the one who did the interview." Hope smiled at the story she often liked to hear about, taking the dress from Stiles and pulling off the headband. "She used to call him 'Church Boy'."

"It was a little opposite for mine," Stiles told her, although he didn't have to. "My mom was the religious one, not really my dad."

Hope leaned back on the costuming table, listening to Stiles. Somehow, she knew this wasn't something he just told people. "What was she like?"

"She was amazing...even after she got sick." Stiles had to clear his throat, "But she came in as a temp from Kiev, where my dad was already a deputy."

"Ukrainian, nice." Hope smiled, seeing the way Stiles' face seemed to light up while talking about his late mother.

"She'd done a year abroad in the US during college and loved it, so once she graduated, she moved here."

Scott sat a few pews away, lightly smiled as he keyed in on their conversation.

Stiles never felt comfortable talking about his mom, who'd passed eight years prior. Yet there he was, talking to Hope about where his parents had met.

"So, Russian Orthodox?"

Not clicking it right away, Stiles looked confused. "What?"

"Your religion," replied Hope. "The first day you asked if you had to be Baptist, or even Christian. You wouldn't have asked if you were one, so since your mom was religious, and from Ukraine, it's Eastern Orthodox, right?"

Stiles lightly nodded, a little surprised she caught that.

"Did you go here?" questioned Hope as people started to filter back into the room.

"Hey Hope, I need-" Lydia's voice slowed as she realized Stiles and Hope were in the middle of something.

"Yeah, we used to before the fire, why?" Stiles asked with an arched brow.

"I want to show you something after rehearsal," said Hope before moving off towards the stage where Lydia waited.

Lydia half glanced to the odd expression on Stiles' face before returning to Hope. "So, my mom's out in the lot with the costume stuff."

"Oh, perfect. Does she need help bringing it in?" Hope was like a beacon, the small ones herding towards her.

"No, it's no problem," said Lydia. "She just wasn't sure if she should bring it in. Mind if I run out?"

With two kids attached to her legs and one holding her hand, Lydia was assured by Hope that it was no problem.

Lydia stepped back with Scott and Stiles, the three looking towards Hope as she spoke to the children that were in awe of her.

Scott had his arms crossed loosely over his chest, half smiling. "She's really something, isn't she?"

"That's putting it lightly."

But it was funny to them how a stage light shining down on her made it look like there was a halo around her head.

At least, all the children saw it.