Chapter Text
It had been awkward the moment a sheepish Scott showed up at Stiles door holding two pizza boxes asking him if he wanted to hang out.
Scott had easily shuffled into the Stilinski home, starting up a one sided conversation about some wild story the guy at the pizzeria had shared with him while he was waiting for their pizza. Stiles watched him with furrowed brows as Scott set up the tv before settling down on the couch, looking to Stiles with an easy grin on his face, waiting for him to sit next to him before playing the movie.
Stiles glanced at the empty space next to Scott and back at the grin on Scott’s face before sighing and moving to sit on the floor, leaning back on the couch cushion. He didn’t look back at Scott as he leaned forward to play the movie, but he felt him stiffen from his spot on the couch.
The atmosphere shifted and they both felt it.
As the movie played, Scott tried to lighten the mood and commented on every little thing trying to get Stiles to join in on random commentary, but Stiles would just nod or give him a noncommittal hum in response. Scott hesitated, not used to a Stiles that wasn’t constantly rambling or moving in some way. He stopped talking during the movie, but he kept glancing at Stiles who stared ahead at the screen.
They were a third way into the movie before Scott finally broke and nudged Stiles gently with his foot, “Are you okay? I know this is your favorite movie in the series and you’ve barely said anything the whole time. You’re usually pointing out hidden Easter eggs or at least quoting along with the movie.”
Stiles didn’t respond right away and though Scott wanted to prompt him again, he waited.
When the silence continued to stretch between them, Scott started to feel anxious and leaned forward to grab another slice of pizza just so he could have an excuse to move. He had settled back in his seat and was about to take a bite before Stiles finally spoke.
“I think we should take a break.”
“What?” Scott gaped at his best friend, greasy pizza half way to his mouth, “Are you… Are you best friend breaking up with me?”
Stiles shrugged, not looking up at Scott from his spot on the floor. He didn’t want to look up and see his friend’s wounded puppy face that he knew was there. He couldn’t.
“Wait, are you being serious?”
Scott blinked once.
Twice.
The only response he got was Stiles drawing his knees up and picking at invisible lint on his jeans.
“Is this because I missed our movie night last week?” Scott rushed out, putting the pizza back down onto the paper plate on the arm rest, “I swear I didn’t mean to forget. I just got caught up with Allison. It was the first time we were able to hang out since everything. Then Isaac called because he’s been having a hard time with chemistry so we just ended up doing an impromptu study session at my house. I didn’t mean to forget, Stiles, I just lost track of time I swear.”
Scott had moved down onto the floor next to Stiles at some point as if being closer to the other teen would help ease the tension in the room between them. Tension. Between them. His eyebrows furrowed as he really looked at Stiles and noticed his best friend’s stiff body. There’s never tension between them.
“It’s not just last week,” Stiles breathed out, looking down as he balled his fists to hopefully hide the shakiness in his hands and voice, “It’s… look, Scott, I just- It’s not a big deal, okay. It’s not like we’ve really been around each other lately anyways, I’m just the one actually voicing that we should take a break and not feel obligated to do this awkward hangout thing that we’re doing right now.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
If Stiles was looking at Scott he would’ve seen the array of emotions stringing through his expression.
Shock. Confusion. Anger. Hurt. Sadness.
“Obligated? Stiles, you’re my best friend, I want to hang out with you,” Scott urged, “I’m not here out of some obligation. I’m here because I want to be. And it’s not awkward. It’s just been a few days since we last hung out, bro, that’s it.”
The bitter laugh Stiles let out had Scott wincing back in surprise.
“Right. You’re here cause you want to be and it’s only been a few days.”
Scott felt his jaw tighten at Stile’s sarcastic tone, “Stiles-”
Before Scott could continue Stiles finally looked up and Scott sucked in his breath at the blank expression on his best friend’s face.
“Where’s Isaac?”
“What?” Scott was thrown back at the sudden switch in their conversation, “He’s on some training outing with Derek. Won’t be back until tomorrow.”
Stiles hummed, not looking away from Scott, “And Allison?”
A low growl slipped out as Scott realized where Stiles was going with his questions and his vision flashed red, “It’s not like that, Stiles.”
“Let me guess.” Stiles eyes flickered up as if he was thinking before turning his eyes back at Scott, expressionless, “Out of town, right? Probably won’t be back till tomorrow too.”
Claws dug into Scott’s palms, angry at the implication that he was only here because Isaac and Allison weren’t here. Angry that Stiles thought he saw him as some sort of last resort company. However, beneath that anger was guilt…
He didn’t want to admit it, but he had gotten bored waiting for a response from either Allison or Isaac earlier in the day. It was only when he was scrolling through his photos and saw a selfie Stiles had taken a few months ago did he think about showing up. But he really did miss Stiles. He did want to hang out with him. He wasn’t just here because he had no one else. He wasn’t. Stiles is his best friend.
Stiles didn’t look away as he watched Scott closely, eyes searching for something in his own. For what, Scott didn’t know, but he would give it to him if it would make him stop looking at him like that. Like he was exhausted and hurt.
They sat there in silence for a moment, whether it was a minute or an hour Scott couldn’t tell, before Stiles finally looked away and sighed.
“Look, I don’t want to fight,” Stiles reached up to run his hand through his hair, “I don’t even know why I said anything. We don’t even hang out enough for ‘taking a break’ to make a difference anymore. Just forget it.”
“What do you mean we don’t even hang out enough anymore?” Scott was genuinely confused, scowling as he was trying to catch Stiles eyes, but the older boy just kept his eyes on the tv screen that was showing some super hero fight scene. “Stiles, we hang out all the time.”
This earned him a deprecating scoff and an eye roll before Stiles finally looked back at him with a sarcastic smile.
”Right, cause it’s only been a ‘few days’ since we last hung out.” He drawled out. “When exactly was that again, Scotty?”
Scott tripped over his words as he tried to answer, ice prickling in his chest when he realized he couldn’t.
When was the last time he and Stiles had hung out? It couldn’t have been that long ago. But try as he might, he couldn’t recall actually seeing Stiles besides in passing at school. His mouth worked open and closed as he tried to come up with what to say.
”It’s been six weeks.”
Scott’s head snapped up at Stiles words. That couldn’t be true, but the way Stiles was looking at him told him it was.
He didn’t know why, but suddenly he couldn’t help the shame and anger that flared up in him.
“Why are you saying this like it’s my fault? This is a two way street, Stiles, if you wanted to hang out you could’ve just said so or just shown up.” Scott’s voice raised as he watched Stiles face scrunch up, “I at least showed up today, what did you do in those six weeks? I don’t know why you’re making a big deal out of this, Stiles, just because I hang out with other people doesn’t mean I’m a bad friend or that we need to take some stupid break.”
His chest was heaving when he finished, he didn’t even realize the words he said out loud until he felt Stiles breathing fasten as well and the guilt washed over him.
”Stiles-”
”Fuck you, Scott.” Stiles hissed out, “What have I been doing? I was in the hospital for a fucking week after that fucking nightmare of a night and I stayed home for another just to recover. And in those two weeks, Scott, you never fucking visited and apparently didn’t even fucking notice.”
Scott flinched back. Stiles was in the hospital? He didn’t… How did-
“And newsflash, asshole, I called you. I called you and texted you almost every fucking day and you know what I got in response? Nothing. But apparently Isaac calls one time and you’re there instantly? The one time you did text me back was to ask me if I had any notes from English that Allison could borrow.” Stiles jaw ticked as his voice wavered before steeling again, “I showed up at your house a few times and each time you weren’t there. So I don’t know how I’m supposed to just ‘show up’ if you’re never even home. I tried talking to you at school, but you’ve brushed me off each time saying you’ll catch up later and I guess ‘later’ to you really means ‘later when there’s no one else left but you’.”
Stiles hands were shaking and his voice felt raw. This isn’t what he wanted. He shut his eyes as he tried to calm his breathing.
Scott’s hands were shaking as he listened to Stiles. He had been so hyper focused on getting Allison back and having someone like Isaac who understood what it was like being a bitten werewolf that he just.. He looked at Stiles and his heart ached realizing the distance that has grown between them.
“You’re right, this is a two way street,” Stiles voice quieted as looked back at him with an indifference Scott wasn’t familiar with, “That’s why I’m done.”
”W-what?” Fear of losing his best friend spiked in Scott’s chest as a cold washed over him.
He’s losing Stiles.
He’s already lost him.
“I can’t do this. I can’t… I just need space, Scott, okay?” Stiles scrubbed his face, hard and angry. “I need to go lay down, don’t worry about cleaning up or anything and just lock the door on your way out.”
Stiles pushed himself off the floor, already preparing to turn away before the world spun and he found himself pinned down on the couch with a frantic Scott above him, eyes flashing between red and deep brown and crooked jaw tight.
”You can’t- Don’t,” Scott was slurring out between short panicked breaths and fangs, “Stiles, please, I-I don’t want- Stiles. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please don’t- Fuck, Stiles, I can’t breathe, I can’t-”
”Scott!” Stiles eyes widened as he tried to squirm out from under the hands holding his wrist down, “Scott, you need to calm down. Scott!”
All Scott could feel was panic and the need to breath before his vision blacked out with the muffled sound of Stiles shouting his name.