summer strings

ᝰ 3 ᝰ

"You know, I wasn't even sure you'd answer my text earlier."

"Why?" She asked, looking over at him.

"It's kinda complicated... I didn't exactly know what the protocol is when your best friend and his girlfriend who you're also kind of friends with break up. Like should I ask how you are, or is that weird, or maybe just none of my business? Or what to say to you after everything that happened with our parents and the alpha pack... I mean I don't wanna re-traumatize you if you're trying to move past it, but I still have nightmares about it—"

"Stiles."

"Yeah?"
He realized he might've said too much.

"We're good. And I honestly don't even know if I've processed everything yet. It's not like I can talk about it with a therapist because they'd probably think I'm crazy. And I wouldn't blame them."

"Exactly."

"Part of me wishes I never found out these things even existed. I miss when my last name was just a word and not some ancestral destiny that I now feel obligated or doomed to fulfill. I wish my aunt hadn't... I wish my mom—"

She trails off and Stiles realizes tears are welling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she laughs softly, wiping her eyes,
"I guess there's a lot that I haven't processed."

"You don't need to apologize. It's okay to cry."

She sniffles and cracks a small smile.

They pull up to the apartment building.

"I'm glad you texted me. It was nice to get out and do something fun for once."

The passenger door creaked as she got out.

"We should hang out more," she added before disappearing inside.

———————————————————

As Stiles drove home, he returned to his earlier train of thought on how little he and Allison actually knew each other. Everything was centered around Scott or some supernatural problem they seemed to be tasked with solving. He missed the normal.

When he pulled into the driveway, the sheriff was already there, and Stiles realized he had neglected to tell his dad where he was. To try and avoid a lecture that he already knew the sentiment of, he went around the back of the house and attempted to sneak in through the mud room.

This plan was immediately foiled, as the back door squeaked loudly when he opened it.

"Stiles?"

"Damn," he said under his breath, "...yeah?"

"You care to tell me where you've been?"

Stiles walked into the dining room, where he found his dad sitting at the table with paperwork of some kind and the TV on quietly.

"Out?" He replied, hoping not to have to elaborate further.

"That much I got. Where out?"

"Went to the movies."

"Oh? What'd ya see?"

Stiles sighed. "Gatsby."

"Really..." Noah replied curiously.

"Dad."

"Just surprised at the choice. How was it?"

"Good. Can I go?"

"Yeah yeah, there's a half-eaten pizza on the stove if you haven't eaten."

As he began to go back into the kitchen, Noah added one more thing.

"And Stiles..."

"Yeah?"

"If you're gonna be out past dark, please just let me know where so I don't have to put a BOLO out for a missing son."

"Sorry."

Stiles headed upstairs with the pizza box, grateful that his dad hadn't asked if he'd gone alone. He knew what the implications of saying he'd seen it with Allison could be, and it wasn't something he wanted to be grilled about especially since today was the first time they'd talked since the Darach.

And it had been nice.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

When Allison unlocked the apartment door, she found Chris waiting in the living room with a puzzling, stern look on his face.

"What happened?" Allison asked, immediately bracing herself.

"It's late. Where were you?" He asks harshly.

"I thought I texted you hours ago, I was at the movies."

"I didn't get anything."

She pulls out her phone and realizes she never hit send.

"Crap... I'm sorry, it didn't—"

"I don't want you out in Beacon Hills alone at night, especially with everything that's happened lately." He scolds.

"Dad, I can take care of myself. And I wasn't alone."

"Who were you with?"
This comes out sounding more like an accusation rather than a question.

"Stiles."

He makes a face equivalent to "yeah, right" and something in her snaps, tired of not being trusted.

"All of our friends are missing, dead, or out of town, and I just thought it might be nice to do something normal with another human being for once."

Normally, talking back would be received differently by a parent - but everything she said was true. And to her father, who had decades of experience and familiarity with the supernatural compared to her less-than-two years, it made sense.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"Just a little credit would be nice, sometimes."

He sighs, and she gets the feeling that there's more he has to say.

"What is it?" She probes.

"Something's come up."