𝐝𝐲𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 ✰

how i do it || excerpt from NEXT TO YOU (stiles)

hey friends!! here's a small piece of my new book NEXT TO YOU , from my oc's emory dunbars perspective!! if you haven't had a chance to read it, please do!!! comment all of your beautiful thoughts that make me oh so happy :))))

you awoke to birds chirping, and instantly smiled.

anything was better than the dread doctors clicking, or ominous footsteps, or haydens whimpers. getting captured from the dread doctors with the new chimera was not your ideal way to spend your weekend, for sure.

the smell of fresh sheets and air filled your nose, and you groaned as you stretched awake.

"hey beautiful."

you got dejavu. you cracked open a eye to see a goofy-smiling stiles, and actually laughed out loud.

"morning handsome."

you laid in your bed, the sun only coming into the room where the dark blue shades allowed. you took a breath. it was over.

the past week has been so much. you werent sure how you had managed to survive it.

getting cut by tracy's tail, which now had seemed like ages ago, getting attacked by donovan at the school, and now captured and tortured by the dread doctors. you took another breath, you needed it.

"i think you should probably stay home today." your boyfriend winced at his own words, and you just nodded, you werent up for fighting that sentence today.

"how long have i been out?"

"a day."

your jaw dropped, "a day!?" you gasped. you push back the sheets, enough to barely see the bandages over your wound, your pajama shorts covering most of it.

"we already changed them out a few times," stiles winced again, "for a while it let out this blackish goo," he shook his head, "anyway. you need the rest. i think with all thats been going on lately," he looked at you endearingly, "youve been hit the worst with it."

you couldnt help but nod again.

"i dont know how you do it." you spat out, closing your eyes, stiles cocked his head at you.

"how i do it?"

"or... how you did do it. how you have been doing it." you struggled to sit up, "for so long. like, since what? sophomore year?" you groaned out as your arms were too weak to hoist your torso up closer to the headboard. stiles leaned forward on the bed, grabbing your hips to move them up slightly.

but his delicate fingers quickly turned into black gloved ones, and blue light pulsated from the tips. the electronic hum of them worsened as they got closer and closer to your skin, and you started to feel the same ache that had come from them.

you yelped out, scooching away from him and whimpering as you tried to discern what was real or fake in front of you.

"oh my- did i hurt you?" he stood up abruptly, raising his hands in the air slightly.

"n-no-no." you sputtered, catching your breath, "sorry. j-just flashbacks."

"flashbacks?" stiles muttered, "from what?"

you looked down ashamed, "the doctors."

stiles face flushed with yours, but you had a feeling a different emotion was attached to his.

"emory. did they touch you?" he said firmly, and you sighed.

"not like that, but they were... looking for something..." you put your fingers to your eyes, "i dont know. a lot of things happened in there i dont understand." you tried to keep the tears in from spilling out on to your cheeks.

"its ok, its ok, youre safe now." stiles flinched forward, but held back, "can i give you a hug?"

you melted at the sight, and nodded viciously. he leaned over on the bed, slowly and gently wrapping his arms around you, and you immediately took in the natural smell of his flannel. you felt safe.

"hayden was saying the same thing, so we're having a pack meeting in a few days. things seemed to have calmed down, for now, and scott just wants you to focus on resting. something i think we all could use a bit more of." stiles brought your face directly in front of his and, still moving slowly, brought his palms to your face, "we'll figure it all out. i promise." you nodded, letting a few tears slip out, which stiles gathered with the pads of his fingers, "im sorry they hurt you. i'm so glad youre ok."

he hugged you again, now sitting down on the bed so you could stay in that position for longer. after a minute, you couldnt help but smirk.

"guess we owe theo one now, huh?" you muttered, referencing to the fact that the boy everyone was suspicious of at the moment was the one who saved you two.

"dont remind me." he grunted into your hair, and you giggled, rubbing his back.

"for the record," stiles cleared his throat, sitting back to look at you , "the supernatural side of life before you was much harder. and much more scary."

you wrinkled your eyebrows, "how so?"

"well i didnt have anything to live for then. which you think would make it less scary, but..." stiles chewed his lip as he thought, "i dont know. i guess i just knew that if there was ever going to be something out there for me to live for, there was a chance i was never going to make it to it." he scratched the back of his neck, "if i die at the hands of a nogitsune or kanima at 17, that doesnt leave much chance for a romance, does it?" he shrugged, "i dunno. meeting you, it helps me fight. it helps me wish for normal days, it shows me i may have a purpose after all these hard days are over, and it gives me the determination to get to them. that's how i do it now."

stiles had dazed into the floor, deep in thought, but you just smiled. slowly, you leaned over, and pressed your lips to his.

and again, you felt safe.