ᴀꜱʜᴇꜱ - ꜱᴛɪʟᴇꜱ ꜱᴛɪʟɪɴꜱᴋɪ

𝟘𝟠

Sam's fingers tapped against the leather of the car as his eyes darted everywhere except for Stiles.

He was sitting in the middle seat, with Alex still tiredly sleeping on his left and Stiles to his right, the boy practically bouncing in his spot, excited, as he chattered to Sam's parents.

"So, Stiles. I hear your dad is the sheriff," Luna commented, keeping her eyes on the road as she talked - a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah, he's been the sheriff for a couple of years,"

As Stiles continued to talk, Sam stared out the window, knowing they were about to turn into his neighborhood, feeling an extra bolt of nerves as they neared his house.

His house was medium in size, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and kitchen, and a lounge. It was a bit bigger than his last one, with a lot more greenery around the outside.

They pulled up in the driveway, Sam waiting for his parents and Stiles to get out before he turned to Alex, hurridly asking her if she could walk.

A groan sounded from her as her eyes fluttered open, her head turning to take in her surroundings. "Yeah, don't worry - really." She managed to spot Stiles through the window. "But I think you might be a bit occupied tonight."

He laughed shortly, his mind wondering why it was taking a heavier toll on her than it had before.

"Go, I'll be fine. I'll see you later, probably at night - but remember to stay calm and take your meds. The shock from the incident will wear off soon, and you want to feel stabilized when it happens."

Sam nodded along, giving a thankful smile - and one last concerned look - towards her before opening the car door and stepping out.

As he looked down, he could see his hands shaking, but instead of saying anything, he stuffed them deep into his jacket pocket.

His parents were already at the front step, looking around, confused about where he was. "Sorry," He shouted, jogging up the stairs. "I forgot something in the car."

Sam dug his nails into his palms as they continue to shake ever so slightly, giving Stiles a weak smile - the boy instantly realizing something was wrong.

As his parents unlocked the door and stepped inside, Maria going toward the kitchen to pull some leftover Chicken Alfredo out of the fridge Stiles quickly spoke.

"Hey, I'm sorry if this feels like an intrusion, really. It's just, you're also in this mess partly because of me, and you seem like a good guy. I don't want you getting hurt."

Sam paused at the comment, his mink going blank. "Uh, um." He managed to get out. "Thanks?"

He winced at the unsure tone as he rushed to correct himself. "Sorry, sorry. Thank you, it means a lot. And I don't mind you being here; I'm just a bit shaken up because of today."

Stiles grinned; before stepping into the house and sliding his shoes off. Sam followed - which led to them standing awkwardly near the door, unsure what to do next.

"Dinner!" Maria called, saving them both as Sam quickly walked to the counter, where his mum had laid out a giant bowl of the meal, smaller bowls next to it. "Serve however much you want, Stiles. Sam, could we quickly talk?"

A surprised look crossed his face as his mum led him to the other side of the room. "Don't worry; you're not in trouble." She said, causing his expression to relax slightly. He only now noticed that his nerves had somewhat dissipated after he had talked with Stiles - which could be a good or bad thing.

Good, because that could mean he was in control of his moods, and bad because maybe it was just the quiet before the storm, his mind's own attempt to bottle it up and let it all out later.