Wolf in the night(Steter)

Chapter 4: Gladiolus Communis

When Stiles pulled up to the station, he saw his dad bringing in a guy who looked extremely high. Or drunk. Probably both. His dad saw him and waved. Stiles grabbed the food and got out of the car and followed him into the building. Stiles had never been so greatful for air conditioning. Unfortunately his jeep isn't in the best shape so he can't run the air.

"Hey son let me book this moron and I'll be in there in a few" the sheriff tells him.

He was referring to his office. "Ok" Stiles says.

He walks into his dads office and sits in one of the chairs and waits. He sees an old picture on a shelf and goes to grab it. Its one of him and his mom before she died. Stiles was around 7 years old in that photo. His mom was wearing a yellow sun dress while Stiles wore his batman swim trunks smiling with his front teeth missing.

His dad took off of work that weekend to take the family down to the beach. Stiles had never been before and was terrified of the ocean, but he soon got use to it after his mom taught him how to swim. They spent all day in the water. His dad couldn't get them out. Not even bribing them with ice cream.

Soon they got so sun burned they had to get out of the water. After that they went for ice cream after all and spent the rest of the night strolling down the boardwalk and enjoying the weather. Stiles and his mom soon regretted not reapplying the sunscreen when needed.

He remembers that summer well. It was His favorite summer. It was also the last summer he got to spend with his mom.

He hears his dad walk in the room and carefully places the picture back on the shelf.

"Hey kiddo how's it going?" The sheriff asks.

Stiles stirs back down. "Just came by to bring you some lunch."

He placed the sack on the desk and emptied the contents.

His dad groaned when he say the salad and sighed "How long are you going to torture with all these healthy meals?" He said "healthy" in a disgusted voice.

"Dad I'm not torturing you. I'm looking out for your heart"

"But come on kid, what's a bacon cheese burgar every once in a while gonna hurt?" He argues.

"Well let's see it could raise your cholesterol even more, give you a heart attack, amd kill you. Then where would I me! Hmm? Completely parentless."

Stiles' outburst caught the sheriff off gaurd. They both sat there in silence. Neither one saying anything for a while.

"Stiles? Are you ok?" The sheriff asks.

Stiles doesn't say anything.

"Hey kiddo I was just kidding. I know you're just looking out for your old man. But hey, I'm not going anywhere." He pats his his chest "this old ticker isn't gonna stop anytime soon"

Stiles just continues to sit there looking at the desk.

"Stiles look at me"

Stiles lifts his head to look his dad in the eyes.

The sheriff repeats himself "I'm not going anywhere. You hear me?"

He nods his head "I just don't want to give in and let you eat whatever and then you die because I'm a push over"

"Stiles Stilinski! Don't talk like that. If I ever drop dead from eating unhealthy that will be my own fault not yours. But thats not gonna happen cause I am" he grabs the salad and opens up the container "going to eat this delicious looking salad and my apple and I'm going to continuing taking my heart medicine and I'm going to be just fine. Ok?

He looks at his son hoping he made him feel a bit better. He sees he's succeeded when the corners of Stiles' mouth threaten to lift up.

They sit in silence for a while as the sheriff eats his meal. Which isn't actually that bad. The chicken is perfectly grilled with some seasoning he quite likes. He'll have to remember to ask his son to make this salad more often. Just with less lettuce and more chicken.

He notices the flower in his sons shirt and points to it "Hey where did you get that?"

Stiles looks to where he is pointing. "Oh Malia gave it to me. Pretty huh?"

"Yeah its called a Gladiolus flower. It symbolizes love I believe" his dad tells him as he studies the flower.

"How did you know the name of it?" Stiles asks.

"Oh your mom and I use to study different types of flowers. We would go to the park and see how many different species we could find. The loser bought lunch. Mama usually won. She was quite a genius that one" he smiled at the fond memories he had of his wife.

"I didn't know you guys did that" Stiles smiles at the thought of his parents flower watching? Stiles wonders if that's what its called.

"Yeah it was something we did when we first met. It was one of your mom's hobbies. I loved it but mostly I just loved spending time with her and seeing how happy nature could make her" he whipes a small tear from the corner of his eye.

Stiles smiles at his dad. He may have been young when his mom died but he remembers his parents relationship. He knows its cliche but they had that rare type of love that few people rarely get. The time they had together was short but he knows it was sacred.

His phone beeps to notify him his battery is at 4%. Crap. He forgot to charge it last night. He sends off a quick text to Malia, thanking her for the flower and the note before his phones dies.

"Hey kid, why don't you go do something fun today. Its summer, enjoy it" his dad says.

"Its like 100 degrees outside dad. There's not much to do"

"Call up Lydia. Maybe she can throw a pool party at her house"

Stiles thinks that's a good idea and grabs his phone to call her then remembers its dead.

The sheriff offers up his phone.

"Nah its ok. I'll just drive over and see her " stiles gets up and grabs his keys.

"Hey thanks for the luch son. And try to enjoy yourself." He smiles at stiles and tries to give an encouraging look.

"I will dad. And finish your food. All of it."

"Love you kid"

"Love you too dad" and with that stiles left the station.

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