Sterek Library (a03 Edition)

The Things We See

By: MelodramaticSalad

Stiles grew up in the life of knowing that there was always more to life than what others saw with a first glance. Even as a child he saw things that no one else seemed to and always had a fascination with the unusual.

Some considered him an unusual child, but Claudia welcomed every single quirk her son displayed. His mother had a few special talents of her own and thrilled her to see it in her son as well. She'd raised Stiles to always keep his mind open and as grew and started to display his powers, she began to teach him how to use them. She even taught Stiles about werewolves at a young age, his infatuation with them growing once he had learned the truth about her closest friend.

Stiles spent nearly every possible moment that he could roaming the Hale house, following after the middle child most of the time. Derek was three years older than Stiles, but the bond they developed with each other was something their mothers considered out of a story book. Like Derek, Stiles was sensitive to his emotions, but unlike Derek, Stiles didn't need a scent to figure it out. He could feel it.

"Derek is someone that will always be special to you," His mother always said, "You'll realize how much when you're older." Stiles never understood what she had meant by that, even as he got older.

At the age of twenty-two, Stiles was grown well into his powers and found a perfect use for them. He and some of his best friends ran a magic shop that catered to the unusual. He and Lydia provided the services of a witch while some of his other supernatural friends ran off and took care of tasks that couldn't be solved by ordinary humans. Stiles even adored the house that they had purchased as their headquarters.

The outside of the beautiful home stood out with burgundy paneling with black and gold trimmings. Stiles felt it looked like a perfect witch home and made their shop all the more authentic. They even had a garden out back for all their herbs and flowers.

Stiles and Lydia had expected their business to go under in no time. It was more than a little difficult to estimate what kind of market there would be for witchcraft in the first place. The first few months were slow, but by the end of their first year the two had created a name for themselves. They had a steady flow of customers each week and regulars that loved to visit them.

People sure jumped at the opportunity to use magical help when they discovered it was the real deal.

Stiles was currently alone in the shop, working on a remedy for one of their customers. Mrs. Jacobs, a sweet elderly lady that always brought them baked goods, needed a refill of the ointment they had created to help with her arthritis. As he worked, he could hear the gentle ringing of their door chimes followed by the door opening.

A young woman, only a handful years older than Stiles, strolled in and smiled when she saw him working. "Hi, I heard you could help me with something?"

"I might be able to, what's the problem?" Stiles asked, setting aside his stone mortar and pestle so he could focus on the customer.

"It's uh, actually embarrassing to talk about, but I wanted to see if you had anything that could help with fertility? My husband and I...We've been trying, but nothing has worked." Stiles could see a faint sorrow in her eyes and stepped around the counter.

"Can I ask a few questions? I'm sorry, some will sound super impersonal, It's so we can figure out what's best for you." Stiles replied, smiling in an attempt to help her feel better. "I'm Stiles, what's your name?"

"Eleanor, and yes, that's fine." She replied, smiling back at him.

Stiles took a good look at her, focusing on her demeanor and her aura. He could sense a pure desire to nurture and a strong will, but he also could see the underlying guilt. "I'd ask which one of you is having the problem but...It's you, isn't it?"