Frozen In Time

03

"Morning, Stiles." Danny calls out cheerfully. Stiles looks up from his table in the cafe that is right across from his work's building and notices that Danny is walking over to him with a friendly smile.

"Oh, hey Danny." Stiles replies, returning the friendly smile before sipping his coffee.

"You look like crap." Danny says bluntly.

"Oh, gee, thanks. Glad to know my beauty pageant and modelling days were over before they even started." Stiles says sarcastically, rolling his eyes a little as he places his coffee back down on the table again. Danny rolls his eyes in response at Stiles.

"Did you even go home last night, like I told you to?" Danny asks, raising his eyebrows suspiciously, staring at Stiles' slightly crumpled clothes that Danny is certain that Stiles was wearing yesterday. Stiles' hair also looks more out of place than normal.

"Uh... No. But I did sleep though." Stiles says, trying to stay positive. Danny scoffs and shakes his head in disappointment.

"You're a mess, Stiles." Danny states, obviously not caring how it might sound insensitive. Danny has never been one to care about that stuff, and quite frankly, neither has Stiles. Perhaps that's why they get along well with each other and their conversations are more than the generic good mornings, goodbyes, goodnights and 'I will see you tomorrow's.

"Mm, thanks, Danny. Appreciate it." Stiles gives Danny a very obviously fake smile. Danny just laughs, but when he stops, his expression turns from lighthearted and joking to a more serious and concerned one.

"Seriously though dude, your life is a bit of a mess. You have to admit that. Life isn't just about work. You have to have fun, make friends. You gotta live a little, you know?" Danny frowns at Stiles.

"Go get your drink, Danny." Stiles responds, wanting to avoid and deflect Danny's comment. Of course Stiles knows that Danny is right, but Danny doesn't need to know that. Besides, Stiles likes his work. It's not just work to him. It is fun and it gives him something to do with his life. A purpose. It's not like Stiles has any other purposes in his life, or has anyone that really cares about him anymore (maybe Danny cares about him a little, but they're not super close friends yet, still bordering the line of acquaintances). Stiles has always been terrible at making friends, even when he was a kid, so he doubts that'll ever change. His personality seems to annoy just about everyone.

"Fine." Danny huffs before he stands up and walks to the end of the line that never seems to stop forming, wanting to get his usual cappuccino order. Stiles looks around the coffee shop and notices a few of his other colleagues there, but doesn't say anything to them, nor do they say anything to him. Stiles also notices that the person that lives across the hall from his apartment is sitting a few tables away from him. Stiles sees him here every now and then, and finds that the guy is always either brooding and staring out the window grumpily or is glaring at Stiles.

Today, Derek Hale is glaring at Stiles, so Stiles decides it's fair that he sends a glare and a snide look back at him for good measure. The two never talk, except for that time that Stiles was moving in and Derek saw him struggling with his stuff, so he offered to help. Stiles suspects that Derek really only helped so that he wouldn't have to hear Stiles grunting and groaning and cursing as he tried to move all of his possessions into his new apartment, and not because he is just some friendly neighbor. Derek looks like the very opposite of friendly, with his constant scowl, dark hair and leather jacket. He always looks like he wants to beat someone up in a few seconds.

Derek rolls his eyes in annoyance in response to Stiles' glare and turns away. Stiles smirks in victory and turns away too, deciding to focus back on his coffee and reading the newspaper out in front of him. Stiles continues to sip his delicious coffee as he reads a news article on the Mets' latest baseball victory. Of course, Stiles is enjoying this news story, as the Mets is his favorite team and is glad that they won Friday night's game. It was a great match to watch and Stiles may or may not have shouted at his TV a few times. Besides, it's nice to hear good stuff in the newspaper, as usually it is clogged up with all the sad and tragic stories, some of them making Stiles lose faith in humanity altogether. He is convinced that the end of the world will happen because humans will just end up destroying themselves by blowing themselves up. Stiles just hopes that whatever comes after humans will be more intelligent and less violent.