The Original Spark's crazy life **Discontinued For Now**

🐺 (8) Heart to Heart 🐺

Stiles could have explained for hours why Malia had done what she had. Seriously he could make a list. But the plain truth was a hell of a lot simpler than that, and that was that she was afraid and overwhelmed.

It was easy for Lydia to fall in love with the number of relationships she had been in.

It was easy for Allison to believe in love because her first love was Scott McCall.

It was easy for Kira to move on and find love again because she'd never truly been hurt.

Hell, it was even easy for Stiles to accept Jasper because of how his parents turned out after finding out they were mates.

But Malia, Malia was a different story, all she'd ever done in her life was lost. She lost the Hale family, she lost her adoptive mother and sisters, she lost her childhood, and an entire eight years of her life. She lacked social skills, she was way blunt, guarded, and still very animalistic in some aspects, and the only guy she ever felt like she could trust was Stiles.

She loved him and he loved her, unfortunately, it wasn't in the way of a forever love, but more a forever friendship and family love.

So as Stiles watched Malia race off into the woods and Leah's already fragile heart break even more, he sighed.

"That escalated quickly," Jared remarked, uncomfortably.

"Leah are you alright?" surprisingly it was Paul who asked, Seth still trying to wrap his head around the impossible rejection his sister had to be feeling.

Stiles stepped closer to Leah, his hand landing on her shoulder gently, and the look she gave him would have broken anyone's heart. "You should go after her," he softly told her.

"Why?" Leah whispered, the waver in her voice unmistakable. "She already rejected me."

"She hasn't," Stiles reassured her. "Malia's complicated, you'll learn that with time, trust me. But if you really don't want to be rejected you'll go after her now. Talk to her and don't let her run this time."

Leah trusted Stiles, she really did and that was saying something. So when she took his word for granted and sprinted off into the woods after the werecoyote it spoke volumes, not to him but to the wolves of her pack who could barely get a sentence in without getting a glare or a cold remark.

She ran for about five miles before stopping and coming face to Malia's back, she was staring out at the lake, and of course, she heard Leah coming but she made no effort to run or avoid the inevitable.

"I know you're there," she stated when Leah said nothing. "I didn't mean to run," Malia admitted, "I just..." she didn't know what to say.

Leah took a few steps forward before taking a deep breath and speaking her mind. "I get it, it's overwhelming."

"It's not that," Malia shook her head, her back still facing Leah. "I'm pretty used to the overwhelming by now."

"Then what is it? Because being unwanted isn't exactly a new thing for me."

At that Malia turned around and to Leah's relief, she looked just as nervous as the wolf.

"I didn't reject you," she quickly assured. "I hope you didn't reject me either."

Leah looked surprised. "Reject you? You're my imprint I'd never reject you, not for anything."

"Good," Malia smiled awkwardly. "I just..." she sighed, then decided the truth was probably the best in this situation. "I'm not great at feelings."

"Me neither," Leah confessed.

"No, I don't mean I'm awkward because of them or say something wrong because I'm nervous. I don't understand them, I'm still learning. I lived in the woods for eight years in my coyote form," Malia explained, "and I'm trying so hard to be human again, I just..."

Leah now understood Stiles' words, and to say she was unprepared was an understatement. Nevertheless, she took a step forward and slowly took Malia's hand in her own. Malia hesitated, cautiously looking up into the brown eyes of the Clearwater.

"Don't worry about it," Leah reassured. "You don't understand your feelings, I'll help you," she nodded. "And I'm guessing you still have a lot to tell me about yourself. So do I, we can take it as slow as we want, as you want. Just let me stay by your side while we're figuring it out, okay? Because you don't know how many times I wished I could imprint on someone, anyone. Now seeing you for the first time, talking to you, I never want that to go away."

Malia stared at her, she had a hundred feelings she didn't understand. But she did understand one, it was rare but she had a feeling it wouldn't be anymore. Happiness.

"Okay, only if you promise to be patient with me and not to leave me when I can't understand something."

"I promise."

By the time the two girls and newly imprinted mates arrived back at Sam and Emily's house, Stiles was joking around with Paul and Embry while he waited for Malia to get back, and he kept his ears perked up for Bella who wandered off with Jacob.

"Everything good?" he asked when Malia came to a stop beside him and Leah reluctantly gave the two some space.

"Fine," Malia nodded. "I didn't mean to run off I just-"

"I know," Stiles cut her off with a knowing smile. "No need to explain to me, Mals."

The two smiled, and that's what Malia loved about Stiles. Out of everyone in the world, not including Leah now, he was the only one that actually understood her. He didn't judge, he didn't push, and he was there for the real her, not the human her that she had to try and pretend to be every time someone was around.

Stiles opened his mouth to speak again, but suddenly a smashing sound in the distance filled his ears and made him turn around. He could hear Jacob's angry voice and Bella's timid one, the two obviously no longer on friendly terms, and within a second Stiles had sped away from Malia's side and to Bella's.

He found himself standing in a rusted garage with Bella looking at him in surprise and Jacob glaring at the two, his temper no doubt rising by the second.

"I thought... I thought just for a second. But he's got his hooks in you so deep."

"I decided this, not him," Bella shook her head.

"They're not even alive. It makes me sick," Jacob growled, staring at her while Stiles just glanced between them totally lost on what was happening. "I'd rather you be dead than one of them."

And at that, Stiles finally decided to intervene before everything just escalated from there.

"Why don't we all just take a deep breath and talk it over."

"And you!" Jacob pointed an accusing finger at Stiles, making him merely raise his brows in surprise. "How can you be okay with this? She's your imprint-"

"Exactly my imprint," Stiles repeated. "Imprint," he sounded out, "not girlfriend. She loves Edward and he loves her, so what if she wants to become immortal to be with the love of her life for the rest of all eternity?"

"So what?" Jacob scoffed in disbelief. "Are you hearing yourself? They're vampires! Bloodsuckers! They have no hearts, they're leeches and-"

"Whoa, whoa, easy," Stiles interrupted him. "I'd be very careful if I were you, okay. Because one of those 'leeches' just happens to be my mate, and you know what? I didn't know this about myself, but I happen to be very protective of my mate."

Jacob stared at him, his eyes narrowing. "You said Bella was your imprint. How can a vampire be your mate? You're not even making sense!"

Stiles rolled his eyes and sighed. "Bella's my imprint, yes. But no, she is not my mate. I'm not a Quileute wolf dumbass, and will you please calm down already."

"Edward was right," Bella shook her head, "I shouldn't have come."

"Bella," Jacob sighed, "please." She just looked at him, her best friend, not knowing how to feel or what to say. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I want to go home."

"I'll take you," Stiles told her and she let him pull her by the arm and out of the garage, eventually out of the Rez.