One shot (teen wolf & maze runner)

Stiles Stilinski - Lines in the Sand

Mae Kinsley paced back and forth in the cramped confines of Stiles Stilinski's room, her anger barely contained. Stiles sat on his bed, his face a mask of irritation and defiance. He'd been bracing himself for this confrontation ever since their last mission went sideways.

"Stiles, you have got to be kidding me!" Mae finally exploded, stopping in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Do you have any idea how reckless that was?"

Stiles rolled his eyes and stood up to face her. "Reckless? Seriously? I was trying to save your life, Mae! Maybe a 'thank you' would be nice."

Mae's eyes flashed with anger. "A thank you? You nearly got yourself killed! Running into a pack of rogue werewolves without a plan is not what I call 'saving my life.' It's what I call 'stupidity.'"

Stiles threw his hands up in exasperation. "Oh, come on! What was I supposed to do? Just let them tear you apart?"

"No, you were supposed to stick to the plan!" Mae shouted back. "We had a strategy, Stiles. But you, you just can't help yourself, can you? You always have to play the hero."

Stiles's face reddened. "And what's so wrong with that, huh? Someone has to take action when things go wrong!"

Mae's voice dropped, but her tone was no less intense. "What's wrong is that you never think about the consequences. You don't think about how it affects the rest of us when you go off-script. You think Scott needs more things to worry about? Or that I need to worry about losing you every time we go out there?"

Stiles opened his mouth to retort but then paused, her words sinking in. He saw the worry etched on her face, the genuine fear in her eyes. It wasn't just anger; it was something deeper.

"I'm not trying to make things harder for you or Scott," he said quietly, the fight going out of him. "I just... I can't stand the thought of losing any of you."

Mae's shoulders slumped as she sighed, the tension easing slightly. "I get that, Stiles. But you need to trust us, to trust the plan. We're a team. If you go off on your own, you put all of us at risk."

Stiles nodded slowly, taking a step closer to her. "Okay. I hear you. I'll try to be better about sticking to the plan. But you have to understand, Mae, when I see you in danger, something just snaps. I can't help it."

Mae's expression softened as she looked up at him. "I know, Stiles. And I appreciate how much you care. But we're stronger when we work together. Promise me you'll try."

Stiles managed a small smile. "I promise. Team effort from now on."

Mae gave a relieved nod and reached out, squeezing his hand briefly. "Good. Because I don't want to lose you either, Stiles."

As they stood there, a fragile truce forming between them, they both knew it wouldn't be the last argument they'd have. But for now, it was enough to know they were on the same page, facing the challenges ahead together.