It's Always Been You || Stiles Stilinski

Chapter 44 - Echo House

Scott and I pull up just behind Noah's car as him and Stiles are shutting their doors. We hop off his bike and walk over to them, Scott wasting no time in stating "Why didn't you tell us?"

Stiles attempts to look our way, however he can't maintain eye contact with either of us and it completely breaks my heart

Noah nods towards us "Because we wanted to avoid something like this–"

Stiles shakes his head slightly to add "It's only seventy two hours"

I make a noise of disagreement as I try to make him see where we're coming from "This is the same place where Barrow came from–"

"The guy who had a tumor inside him filled with flies," Scott finishes my train of thought before he flicks his head over to Noah quickly "You don't know everything yet"

Noah furrows his brows to argue "I know enough. Nogitsunes, Kitsunes, Oni, or whatever they're called"

Stiles makes an impressed face as he turns to his dad "Wow, that was actually all surprisingly correct"

Noah turns back to us and softens his face "Guys, I saw an MRI that looked exactly like my wife's– and it terrifies me. I'm headed down to L.A. tomorrow to talk to a specialist"

"Then why are you putting him in here?" Scott counters, which earns Stiles to shake his head and state "He's not. It was my decision" well then fuck that decision

Having enough of this crazy idea I step forward, if only to shut my nerves up "Stiles–"

I wait until he hesitantly moves his eyes over to connect with mine before I continue "Deaton found a way to keep Void at bay, alright we have time to figure this all out"

Scott nods and steps up beside me "Stiles, we can't help you if you're in here"

"And I can't hurt either of you again" fuck, he is one stubborn butthead

"Stiles, that wasn't you doing any of that yesterday" I stress with as much conviction as I can.

He flicks his eyes to the exact spot the arrow sliced me on my arm before dropping his eyes to my wrist, which I immediately pull my sleeve down to cover the bruise that formed.

A broken look flashes over his face when he connects his eyes with mine, stating just above a whisper "Adds– I may not have made the decision to do any of it, but it was still me. It was still my body, my actions, my voice–"

Stiles' voice cracks on the last word as he closes his eyes and drops his head forward.

I feel my nose tingle as tears well in my eyes and I will them away as I take the few steps forward that put me right in front of him.

I reach my hand forward, setting it softly against the side of his face as I gently lift his head to make him look at me again.

"Stiles– the eyes that looked at me yesterday were not yours. They were dark and cold and everything you're not. They were not the vibrant full of life ones that are looking at me right now. I will not let you take on the burden of what he did. It was not you."

Stiles leans his head into my palm as he draws his at a loss for what to do brows in. He brings his hand up, wrapping it around my wrist with a featherlight touch.

He rubs his thumb back and forth on my wrist as I shake my head and continue "Stiles– you can't go in there, okay every nerve in my body is screaming at me to not let you go in there. This is more than me just not wanting you to make this decision– this is my gut feeling you are always telling me to listen to. Pleasedon't do this."