Phoenix || Malia Tate

34

They're all waiting for him when he gets back to Scott's house. He's still shaken up by the discovery and all the pestering questions and unnerving looks don't help. He starts crying the minute Stiles asks if he found anything.

Scott takes him into the room, away from the questions, away from the pack. He's soft with Phoenix, not too pushy and not too gentle. He lets him cry, cautiously asks what happened, and listens the entire time Phoenix struggles to get the words out. He tells Scott everything. The bombs, the plan, what Ellie said, how she wouldn't listen to reason, how he couldn't do anything to stop her – everything. He even tells Scott he tried to disarm the bombs himself but didn't know what to do and didn't want to blow up the neighborhood in the process.

"It's okay," Scott tells him. "You did good. Thank you for what you did today. We'll figure it out. It's okay, Phoenix."

He continues to say that, tell Phoenix that he did more than enough and that it'll be okay until the tears stop flowing and he feels like maybe he can breathe again. Phoenix knows he could've done more, knows there's a chance that everything is gonna go to shit, but for a single moment he allows himself to believe Scott. Maybe the alpha's just that convincing.

Phoenix asks if Scott can tell the pack instead of him. He says it's because he's embarrassed he cried in front of a bunch of people who don't really like him, but Scott knows that's not why. Still, Scott makes sure one last time that Phoenix will be okay, and then leaves him to tell the pack the news.

The moment the door closes, the moment his truly alone, Phoenix falls back onto the bed. His body is still trembling. He shuts his eyes as tight as possible to stop the tears. He doesn't want to cry again. He's tired of crying.

God, Ellie. Of all things.

There's a knock on the door. Phoenix figures it must be Scott. It's not. It's Malia.

She's standing with her hand still on the door handle, like maybe she's giving herself the opportunity to leave if that's what he wants, but he doesn't say anything. He just sits up and looks at her. And she looks back at him, and the sight of his red, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks is enough to make her make a decision. She closes the door behind her.