Changing Patterns

• 10 •

"Talking"  'Thinking...
Important
_writing_
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    Stiles crept down the stairs quietly, he'd taken an extra bit of time to put ointment on his thigh bruise, not to mention the soreness that raked his body. Stiles rolled his shoulders as he reached the bottom of the steps. Looking left into the living room which held Scott, Allison, Cora, and Aiden; while at the table everyone except Lydia sat and ate. Stiles worried a moment at the thought of everyone not eating dinner but quickly took note of the dishes in the sink.

    The humans hand gripped at his elbow as he approached the table, stomach twisting nervously. Looking over the group, who in turn actually acknowledged his existence which is out of normal, stiles smiles and veered off to the kitchen. The 19 year old took a calming breath, tapping his index finger, then middle, and ring finger last. Reversing the motion to ring finger, middle, and then pointer. Stiles reached up to the plates cabinet and pulled it open a sliver. A hand caught the wood and slowly closed it making stiles swing his head around to meet Derek, who was surprisingly close. The older man cleared his throat and backed away.

    "I already made you a plate." He explained quickly, still backing up toward the oven.

    "Thanks." Stiles looked down and licked his lips, watching his shaky hands and willing them to slow as Derek grabbed his plate.

    "Come on," the alpha almost whispered stepping towards the dinning room again, his steps were slow allowing stiles to catch up.

    Derek carried Stiles's plate out to the table and set it down in a seat next to Ethan. The human nodded thankfully as Ethan smiled and scouted over to give stiles more space. The table didn't completely hush like it normally would, or completely ignore him either; there were -hi's- and -how-are-you-doing's-. Derek sat down at the head of the table, next to stiles, his face still blank and calm, at the same time, somehow. Stiles looked down at his food and felt his stomach turn a second time, looking at the near empty plate that offered a variety of food, lasagne, salad, Mac and cheese, and a total of three broccoli. Stiles forced a gentle smile and picked up his fork staring down at the new enemy he never thought he had.

    Stiles cut a small part of lasagna and move to stab it with his fork, a small hesitation and then he fell for the salad, taking a bit of lettuce and cucumber instead. Staring for a beat too long and quickly taking the bite stiles chewed and swallowed and felt his stomach growl for more. But his mind put him else where. His sudden feeling of sickness making it harder to eat, he'd felt as though he'd drunk enough water to fill Niagara Falls, yet so empty he's a black hole. Stiles stared again, words floating through his brain. He could almost see the insults.

    'Pathetic!
    'First you break and know this.
    'You can't even eat!!
    'But you shouldn't, you didn't make it. It's for the pack, not you.
    'Really- you really want more- god.
    'Let's try that again, stop being sick, a baby.
    'Over eater. Hah!

    "That's great." Derek's rough voice cut out all the others, the humans head shakes to face him quickly. He offers a small smile and catches the others confused face.

    "What?" He whispered back as Derek's voice had been quiet before.

    The alpha nodded down at Stiles's plate with a happy looking expression, not expecting, but thankful. Thankful for stiles eating? It only confused the man further, but rather then feeling sick when he looked back down at his plate. Stiles felt it all rush away. Like the emotions and physical feelings were scared of the alpha like everything else, like stiles had been terrified when they met. Stiles's own twist of lip's reciprocated Derek's as he almost instantly dug in, he ate a bit more then half of his lasagna slice, all of his salad and two bites of garlic bread, he'd fallen into small talk with Erica about the different types of nymphs. Most were elemental, some were out of the norm and sought as evil- like a blood nymph who uses the young's blood to draw in men and steal their life for youth and beauty, killing both the man and the young who gave blood.