Burning Slowly

Chapter 26

Scott was very quiet when he walked out the front door. He wanted to yell at Derek, wanted to find him so that he could kick the dude's teeth through his skull. Twice now he had hurt Stiles and it made him so angry he wanted to howl loud enough that Derek would hear it and know that Scott was going to tear his throat out. He had something more important to do first though. Derek would have to wait.

Stiles sat on the swinging bench on the opposite side of the porch from the hammock. It looked like he was typing on his phone. Scott didn't say anything at first; he just went and sat down next to his friend. After a few moments Stiles locked his phone and put it in the pocket of his jeans. Stiles's leg was bouncing up and down nervously. Scott didn't know what to do; he was terrible at this kind of thing. The sky wasn't even fully lit up yet, the morning had barely started, and already things were beyond fucked up.

"Maybe he just went into town to get something?" Scott knew that wasn't the case, but he had to start somewhere. He glanced at Stiles out of the corner of his eyes.

"Why did he take his suitcase?" Stiles leaned forward, rested his elbows on his thighs and hid his face in his hands.

"The van is still here, the keys are on the table next to the door." It wasn't much but it was something. Derek hadn't taken the van.

"Well at least he didn't strand us in addition to abandoning us." Stiles said. He started rocking back and forth in place.

Scott could hear the pain in Stiles's voice. He hadn't known what heartbreak smelled like. He wished he still didn't. Stiles stopped moving. Scott knew that was bad. That was really bad. Stiles was always moving, when he wasn't it meant that he was all up in his head, locked away from everyone else. Stiles took a shaky breath and Scott hated the air here at this beach, just like at the arcade there was something in it that was making Stiles's eyes water. He wanted to punch the air's face in too.

Awkwardly he reached an arm out and put it around Stiles's shoulders, turning his body a little so he wasn't at such a weird angle. He was shocked when Stiles leaned against him. Scott rubbed his hands across his eyes; the stupid air was getting to him again too. He felt helpless. Stiles was falling apart and he couldn't do anything, but offer a shoulder to cry on.

"What's wrong with me?" Stiles voice cracked as he asked the question, his body started trembling.

Scott blinked and looked down at his friend. Stiles's eyes were closed tight and he turned his face into Scott's shoulder, and started making pained snuffling sounds. He patted Stiles on the back and took a couple of breaths to collect his thoughts. He could only think of one thing to say.

"Derek's a dick," Scott said. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"He... we had..."

"I know."

"I think I'm falling in love with him."

Scott shifted slightly as one of Stiles hand caught hold of the front of his shirt and the shaking got worse. He patted Stiles's back again and looked out over the horizon. Where the hell was Derek? Scott was going to make him pay for having done this. He hadn't been very supportive of Stiles in the past, hadn't realized how he had almost ruined their friendship because of it. He wasn't going to make the same mistake again. If Stiles wanted Derek, Scott was damn well going to make sure he got him. Scott would break both of his legs when he found him so that Derek couldn't run away again. He was a coward. He didn't deserve Stiles.

"Are you sure he's what you want?" Scott slowly adjusted how Stiles was clinging to him so he could stand up.

Stiles let go and looked up. His forehead furrowed in confusion. Scott grinned. If Stiles thought he was confused now, he wasn't going to know what to do with the curve ball Scott was going to throw him.

"I think so," Stiles said.

"No, you can't think. You have to know."

"I know that when I think about him it makes my stomach hurt like its empty and no matter what I put in it the hunger doesn't go away. I ate half a box of Lucky Charms less than ten minutes ago to test the theory."

Scott smacked Stiles in the head. He snuffled and gave Scott an offended look. Scott pulled him to his feet and stared at him until Stiles lifted his eyes to look him in the face. They stood staring at each other. It was like the moment in the warehouse. There was something passing between them.

"Do you want that hungry feeling to go away?" Scott wanted to know if Stiles was sure, if this was what he really wanted.

"Only if it means I got so much of Derek it makes my stomach hurt anyway," Stiles said.

Scott slapped him in the head again. Stiles made another offended face as he grunted in pain. Scott grinned at him and pulled him into a hug-not an awkward guy hug, but a full body embrace and held Stiles tightly. He waited until Stiles hugged him back before he continued.

"That means you're in love. My mom told me that you have to make sure the other person knows. She said that you need to say it, say it a million times if you have to, say it until you know that they know for sure and then say it again. Probably use tiny words though because Derek's an idiot."

Scott patted Stiles's back again when he heard Stiles snuffle into his shoulder. Stupid damn air, he put his eyes against his best friend's shoulder to help the stinging in them. Stiles gripped him tighter.

"I don't know where he is," Stiles said. He made a little hiccupping noise as the words came out.

Scott wanted to smack him again but it didn't seem like it was the right time. "Well you have a phone don't you?"

"Oh my god," Stiles said as he pulled away from Scott. There was something like fear in his eyes, but no fear scent in the air, just the salty smell of tears.

"What?" Scott tilted his head to the side. Had he misunderstood something?

"When did you become the smart one?" Stiles grinned, for the first time since he'd realized Derek was gone he almost seemed normal.

Scott frowned at his friend, realized it was the right time after all to wallop him again in a way that his mother would have been proud of.

"What?"

"Let's get Derek back." Scott said. He smacked Stiles in the head again.

Stiles opened his mouth like he was going to say something and then just let it close again instead. Scott grinned at him; they both knew that Stiles had deserved it. Stiles grinned back at him.

Scott had a plan, and despite what a lot of people thought about him, when he needed to he could be incredibly clever. Derek wasn't going to get away. Scott would drag him back by his teeth if he had to. Stiles deserved the best, but Derek would do for now.