Work Text:
“More pizza?” Scott asks, holding the take-away carton box.
“No, thanks…” Stiles smiles. “I’m full.” Stiles snorts.
“What?” Scott raises his eyebrows.
“Nothing. It’s something Jackson said… it was pizza-related…” Stiles shakes his head. “It was a stupid argument. Forget it.”
“Okay,” Scott nods, having another bite of his last piece of pizza. He’s not surprised that they argued and even less surprised that it was about a stupid subject.
“So, anyway, how’s your wolf doing?” Scott asks with a mouthful of pizza. Even though he has exchanged texts with Jackson, they are not that revealing.
Stiles snorts. “He’s fine… Well, thinner, actually... “
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, he says it's the stress... but he should know better, don’t you think?”
“Yeah… but you know him… He can be a little obsessive. I guess you didn’t notice with his clothes on,” Scott chuckles.
Stiles shakes his head, rolling his eyes.
“You know, I’d ask you about the campus and his new friends but, maybe you didn’t see anything else other than his room,” Scott says before taking a sip of his beer.
“Of course, I did,” Stiles shrugs. “We went to a couple of frat parties and yes, I met all his friends.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic… didn’t you have fun?”
“No, I did… it was great… even the argument we had was great…” Stiles smirks. “Just like old times… It felt like we were back on track, you know? But don’t ever tell him I said that.”
“Then what?”
“Yeah, if I tell you, you’ll say I’m being stupid—”
“Not true. Just tell me,” Scott insists.
Stiles sighs, shaking his head. “His friends are cool. But Kane… you know, the guy I told you about—”
“Yeah, I remember,” Scott nods.
“The guy is an asshole. A hot muscly green-eyed asshole actually. When we met he was examining me like… you know, it was like he was judging me… like he was expecting someone else to be standing there instead… I’m telling you, it was fucked up.”
Stiles intertwines his fingers behind his neck for a moment as he closes his eyes. He remembers their last encounter and what he told him and a part of him can’t believe that all that came out of his mouth. It was like if a demon had overtaken his body… like a fucked up milder version of the nogitsune was back inside him. Just thinking about it makes his skin crawl. The other part of him understands why he behaved that way. Having this guy wanting to be friends just like that… like if he had never tried anything with Jackson, felt really fake and fake people really get on his nerves, so consequently, he pretty much exploded. But maybe he shouldn’t have; maybe he went too far. He’s not sure what Jackson would say if he knew but most probably he wouldn’t approve.
“And then, I found out that he had kissed Jackson—”
“What?” Scott raises his eyebrows.
“Okay, maybe tried to kiss him would be more accurate because Jackson said that nothing happened and I believe him… but still—”
“Shit…” Scott shakes his head. “How did you find out?”
“Well, Jackson told me… after I asked him… insistently, I must say. It’s not like he voluntarily provided the information because it actually happened months ago… before Christmas. So, according to him, he never fucking told me because we had a deal and I had to focus on the exams, blah, blah, blah…” Stiles adds, waving his arms. “You know him, he always has the perfect excuses for everything.”
“Not to contradict you, but didn’t you actually have that deal?”
“Yes, we had a deal, but he’s supposed to know that kissing attempts are excluded from that deal and his obligation as my boyfriend was to tell me that his supposedly best friend is in love with him…” Stiles waves his arms, “or has a crush on him... and wants to fuck him, don’t you think?”
Scott licks his lips as he considers what to say. He can certainly get how Stiles feels but he can also understand why Jackson kept it a secret. Taking a side here means taking Stiles’s side and doing that implies not being totally honest.
“I told you this was a bad idea, didn’t I?”
“Don’t start again, okay? That’s not what I need right now. Besides, I only told you because you insisted… but it’s not such a big deal.”
Scott snorts. “All I’m saying that this is a shit,” Scott shrugs. “And this is obviously a big deal for you or you’d not be thinking so much about it. The fact is that he’s there, and you’re here torturing yourself about a guy who tried to kiss him… and it’s only been what? Five months? I don’t know how you’re gonna deal with this for endless years… I—”
“You know I tried to break up with him, right? And it didn’t really work. Why the fuck are you telling me this?” Scott has always supported his relationship with Jackson, so he doesn't get it.
“I don’t know,” Scott shakes his head, “he’s my friend too but I’m allowed to change my mind. I guess I’ve thought a lot about it this weekend. You’re usually here and I kind of forget… but this is fucked up… he’s miles away surrounded by hot guys… hot girls… so, yeah, he loves you but we’re talking about a lot of time and shit, he’s a wolf… he needs the pack and if you break up, things will be weird for sure. Derek might have to choose and you already know how that ends.”
“Yeah, and I’m not a heartless jerk, you know? I’d never do that to him.”
“I’m only saying—”
“I know what you’re fucking saying. But your theory is forgetting that he’s friends with Lydia, so even if we broke up, we could still be friends—”
Scott snorts. “Sure.”
“I’m serious”, Stiles frowns, “I must say that your funny hums and your lack of confidence in our post-break-up future friendship, if that came to happen, is totally unfounded, unfair, and miscalculated. And you’re fucking lucky that his enhanced hearing doesn’t reach this far because he’d be giving you the same speech he gave me when I tried to break up and you’d be apologizing to him for even thinking about it.”
“Jeez, why can you fucking support me and cheer me up instead of reminding me that he’s over there like some fucked up forbidden “fruit”? I already know that. That fucking Kane is over there literally waiting for the day—the instant—that I’m out of the picture…”
“Fuck, I’m sorry…” Scott says with sincerity. “I didn’t mean—”
“You don’t get it. You two are friends and you think you know him but there’s a part of him that you don’t really know.” Stiles shakes his head. “When I was there—when we were alone… at the parties... wherever… it was like we were never apart. Whenever I have a doubt, I only have to go back there and I remember—I remember what it feels like. I remember him and that he loves me, and I know it makes sense. This is what we are supposed to do but yeah, I guess I can’t expect you to understand it—”
“I do—I just worry about you... and him,” Scott admits.
“Okay, then don’t,” Stiles shakes his head. “I might complain… fucking whine sometimes, and I might say some shit that I’m glad Jackson can’t hear because I can’t help it… but it doesn’t mean I'm not committed to making it work… because I am. I’m not gonna screw this up. So, if I have to deal with the Kanes of this world, I will.”
Scott sighs, shaking his head. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’ll screw anything up. I was never talking about you.”
Just then there’s a sound from Scott’s phone letting him know that he’s got a new text. He finds his phone and reads it.
“My mother needs me to buy some things before getting home, so I’d rather go… but yeah, sorry, I shouldn’t have said any of that.”
“It’s okay,” Stiles nods. The truth is he knows that Scott would never say anything against Jackson and he was just saying what most people think and don’t tell him. Besides, he doesn't know what he’d do if he couldn’t let off some steam with him once in a while. “Really,” Stiles licks his lips. Maybe he’s feeling too sensitive today.
“Okay,” Scott nods, getting off the couch.
“See you tomorrow,” Scott says walking towards the front door of Stiles’ house.
“See you,” Stiles says.
He leans back on the couch, closing his eyes.
Patient.
Strong.
He needs to be that and more.
God only knows if he can be that guy.