It's All In Your Mind

12

"You made a mistake," He said to the man on the horse.

The Rider tilted his head in silent question.

Stiles stepped a bit closer. "I said you made a mistake. And really, you should be ashamed of yourselves."

The other Riders now turned to him as well. The one he spoke to let out a breathy noise. Their way of speaking (A pretty weird one, if you were to ask Stiles).

Nogitsune squeezed his shoulders. Stiles forced himself to remain calm. "Did you really think it would be a good idea, to take a Nogitsune?"

A nervous wave shuffled through the Riders. Stiles felt a sparkle of hope bloom in his chest.

So he continued. "I'm only controlling this boy now... but I can wreak havoc. You sure you want all your obedient zombies to turn against you?" he gave the Riders a cocky grin.

Nogitsune grinned at him. "You're perfect."

Well of course he was. Sure, inside, Stiles was shaking like a leaf. But he knew Nogitsune like the back of his hand.

The Ghost Riders exchanged looks in that slow, weird, breathy way, they did things. Then they turned back to him. And they didn't look very convinced...

Stiles had to push more.

"I'm sure your leaders won't be pleased, when they'll hear you broke our deal."

The Riders seemed to tense. Good.

"500 years ago, both of our nations swore to not cause any harm to each other. You have violated that, just by taking me here. And once my sisters and brothers realize I'm missing... there'll be a war. And I'm pretty sure you don't want that on your heads."

The main one said something to his companions. The other Riders nudged their horses and suddenly they all stood around Stiles. The Rider before him pointed his gun at him.

His heart skipped a beat. Well... now he was either going to die, or his plan worked.

For a moment, Stiles felt like panicking. Before the realization hit him. It didn't matter if the Rider shot him or transported him out. He'd leave this place anyway. And while he would prefer to be alive... was death really that bad? Would it really be worse than what his life has become?

And so, when the Rider pulled of the safety, Stiles remained calm. Whatever awaited him now, would be glorious.

Bang!

***

Stiles Stilinski didn't die.

He didn't die.

Oh thank God.

Alright, now that the adrenaline had died down, he realized just how shaken he truly was.

It worked. It worked, it worked, oh thank God!

He appeared somewhere in the woods, but that didn't matter. He was alive and in the real world. Free.

A huge weight, that he didn't even know was there, fell from his shoulders. He felt like he could properly breathe for the first time, since he departed from Scott at the school. Stiles escaped the Wild Hunt. He escaped them! He made it.

Oh God, this was amazing!

Nogitsune was leaning against a tree next to him. He looked nonchalant, as if nothing even happened, but Stiles could the flicker in his eyes. He was happy about this as well.

Stiles turned to him and grinned. "We did it!"

"I told you it would work."

Stiles laughed. "You said you didn't know."

Nogitsune stuck up his nose. "Please, I was being modest."

He was back to being arrogant... but Stiles couldn't find himself minding. He laughed at him. And then found himself doing something, that surprised both of them.

He walked over to the demon and hugged him.

Nogitsune froze. Some part of Stiles wondered what exactly he was doing, but he was still so happy and (mostly) relieved, that he couldn't care less. He squeezed the trickster tighter and said. "Thank you."

And then he said it once more.

Little did he know, that this was the first time Stiles had touched Nogitsune and not the other way around.

Nogitsune was silent for a moment. And then he wrapped his arms around Stiles and hugged him back.

Stiles thought that if this was what hugging himself felt like, then he couldn't be a bad huger.

"Stop being egoistical," Nogitsune scolded him, "that's my job."

Stiles laughed again and pulled back. The demon let him go, but they still stood close. Closer than normal. It was then, in the light that seeped through the trees around them, that Stiles noticed just how pretty Nogitsune's eyes were.

(Yeah, okay, they were technically his, let him be).

They kinda looked like chocolate, but also kinda like honey. And it was weird, since he never looked at himself this way, but... Nogitsune kinda like... wasn't him? Did that make sense?

Gosh, his thoughts were a mess.

Oh, whatever.

He turned away from the trickster and for some reason felt his cheeks start to heat up. Jeez, was he seriously just gushing about Nogitsune's eyes? He had more pressing manners to deal with!

"Um, we should find Scott and the others."

"They don't remember you." Nogitsune said.

Stiles sighed. Yeah. He knew. "Well, they will when I'll remind them."

His demon looked at him for a moment. And then sighed as well. "Okay."

Stiles took that as the end of the conversation and headed out of the forest.

"Just so you know... I don't think it'll work."

He stopped in his tracks and turned back. The trickster shrugged. "Wanted to tell you, so you won't be too disappointed."

The human scoffed. "They're my friends. At least in some way. And even if they won't recognize me... they'll believe me."

Nogitsune didn't look very convinced about that. But Stiles already settled his mind. So he turned around and headed out of the forest.

Nogitsune had never believed in his friends. But they were his Pack. Sure, they weren't very close. But still, they were his friends.

Yeah, maybe they won't recognize him at first. But they'll get reminded. And take him in. Once he tells them all about what they did together, they'll remember.

Right?