Stop Running

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“Stop running from this, Stiles. I know I’m not the only one who feels it.”

“Scotty, don’t.” Stiles reaches the door and considers leaving before he sighs and turns back to Scott. “Just don’t.”

“Why not?” Scott tugs on his hair, which Stiles notices is really in need of a cut. With everything that’s been happening the past few months, getting haircuts hasn’t really been a priority, though. When Scott looks at him expectantly, he realizes he’s drifted into distractionary thoughts. Stiles focuses on the topic at hand.

“Because Kira. That’s why not!” Stiles shakes his head. “I don’t care what I’m feeling. It doesn’t matter because of Kira.”

“You can’t just run away from this, Stiles.” Scott sighs. “Do you think I haven’t been trying that for longer than I care to admit? Anyway, Kira knows. She’s the one who encouraged me to come over.”

“Of course she did, because she’s awesome and sweet and deserves to be treated better than this by both of us,” Stiles points out, sitting on his bed and pulling his legs up in front of him. Wrapping his arms around them, he rests his chin on his knees and looks up at Scott, who is now pacing the length of Stiles’ room. “It’s wrong that I even thought about you and me being an us when you’re dating other people.”

“How could I have treated her any better?” Scott asks, almost whining. “I told her as soon as I realized how I really felt about you and I knew it wasn’t just going to go away. I never lied to her about anything. I mean, I told her about my confusing feelings for you before we ever even went on a date, so she’s been aware that my feelings for you are complicated, and she’s known that the whole time.”

“What the hell, Scott?” Stiles stares at him. “You seriously told her that you had mixed up feelings for someone else then started dating her?”

“She had similar feelings for someone else, too,” Scott says. “Anyway, I do love her, she’s one of my best friends, but I’m not in love with her. And Stiles? She isn’t in love with me, either. We spent hours talking about a lot of stuff, and we’re solid. She’s been very encouraging, to the point where she’s the reason I’m finally here after putting it off for over two weeks. And you just admitted you’ve about us, about the two of us being together, but you want to run away when I’m here asking you to listen to me?”

“Wait. You and Kira broke up two weeks ago?” Stiles arches a brow. “And you didn’t tell me? I thought you told me everything. I’m such an ass. I’ve been talking to her like you two are still together this whole time, yet she knew about me all along.”

“You’d have wanted to know why, and I had to figure out how to handle what I feel before I could just dump it all on you.” Scott worries his bottom lip. “I know how you are, and I knew you’d try to run away from it because you’re scared. And I get that, I really do, and I wouldn’t be here now doing this if I didn’t feel like this is where I’m meant to be.”

“Of course I’m scared!” Stiles tightens his arms around his bent legs. “You’re my best friend, my brother, and I can’t risk losing that because we do something about this,” he motions between the two of them, “and it doesn’t work out. I haven’t even dared let myself hope you felt the same way, so my instincts are still on the flight response, thank you very much.”

“What if it does work out, though?” Scott walks over and sits on the bed in front of him. “You’re my best friend, Stiles. I love you so much it’s disgusting. You’ve been by my side for as long as I can remember, we’ve been through losing your mom and my dad leaving and all this supernatural shit, and I can honestly tell you that nothing is ever going to ruin our friendship. But I can’t keep pretending that I don’t want more.”

“You can’t know that, though.” Stiles stares into Scott’s eyes and wants to believe so bad. “I’m not me without you, Scotty. When we’ve fought in the past and you’d shut me out to like teach me a lesson or whatever, it felt like something was missing because you weren’t there. I don’t want to lose you. I can’t do this without you.”

“Stiles, I’m a werewolf, and we both fight supernatural villains that could kill us at any time,” Scott tells him, reaching over to touch his hand. “I don’t want to die with any regrets that I could have actually changed. If I died tomorrow, I’d regret that I never told you how I really feel. I’d regret that I never got to add Stiles’ Boyfriend to my ever growing list of labels. I’d regret that I never got to kiss you. What would you regret?”

“I’d regret running away from you because I was scared,” Stiles whispers, rubbing his thumb over Scott’s knuckles. “I’d regret not listening to you when you tried telling me how you feel. I’d regret the kisses we never had.”

“I’m in love with you, Stiles.” Scott laughs softly, eyes widening. “Wow. That was easier to say than I expected.”

“You’re such a big dork,” Stiles huffs, lips quirking slightly.

“But I’m your dork.” Scott keeps staring into his eyes, and it’s disconcerting because Scott usually isn’t so serious and focused on Stiles. “If you’ll have me?”

“I don’t know.” Stiles bites his bottom lip before he smiles mischievously. “Do I get some kind of money back guarantee if I’m not completely satisfied?”

“You’re such a wiseass,” Scott mutters. “Here I am confessing my love for you, and you’re giving me bad jokes.”

“Maybe so, but I’m your wiseass,” Stiles says confidently. “Just because I’m in love with you, don’t think I won’t still be my usual sarcastic yet charming and loveable self.”

“Yeah, well, if you’re too sarcastic, I might have to spank you,” Scott suggests, waggling his eyebrows before he blinks dumbly. A very goofy smile crosses his face that Stiles finds pretty damn adorable. God, he’s in too deep already. “You’re in love with me.”

“Yeah, I am.” Stiles smiles wryly, deciding to ignore the spanking comment. For now. He’ll come back to it later without a doubt. “I might have been running for a few years, you know? How I feel about you is just part of who I am. It’s always been pretty simple, even if my feelings for you are very complex. I mean, I haven’t really been like pining or anything like that.”

“I sort of have been the last couple of weeks,” Scott admits. “Since Kira and I broke up, I kind of spiraled into the whole yearning thing, wanting what I wasn’t sure I could have. It’s been good, I think, that Kira’s got her own crush to deal with, because we can support each other through it. I mean, it probably sounds weird for exes to be each other’s support system for a new relationship, especially so soon after a break-up, but Kira and I aren’t really normal.”

Stiles studies Scott’s face. “Malia?” he guesses quietly. “I knew she was interested in Kira, but I wasn’t sure if Kira would be open to it even if she weren’t involved with you.”

“Yeah, she’s fallen for Malia.” Scott has gradually pulled Stiles’ hands away from his legs, helping him relax and lose some of his previous tension. “You okay with that?”

“I’d be a pretty big hypocrite if I was upset,” Stiles tells him. “I still feel a little guilty about you and Kira breaking up because of your feelings for me, Scott. If she’s happy moving on with Malia, then I’m selfish enough to be happy to have something to help assuage some of that guilt.”

“I’m not entirely sure what assuage means, but if it makes you happier about this, great. Kira and I didn’t break up over you, either, so stop thinking that. We had something really good, but it had run its course, and we were both ready to move forward to someone else.” Scott laces their fingers together. “Can I kiss you now?”

“God yes.” Stiles moves his legs and leans forward to meet Scott in the middle. They both go for the same angle, which results in them bumping noses. Laughing, they shift around, and Scott strokes Stiles’ cheek as they try again. Stiles reaches up to grip Scott’s jaw, rubbing his thumb along the curve as they kiss. Scott’s lips are soft and slightly chapped, and it takes Stiles a moment to get over the whole ‘I’m kissing Scott. Oh my God, I’m kissing a guy and it’ Scott’ thing that’s going through his head at the first feel of lips against his. Once he’s past that, he just enjoys the kiss.

Scott is the one who flicks his tongue out first, licking at Stiles’ lips, slipping inside when he parts them. Stiles is happy to let Scott take control, this time, because he’s still sort of overwhelmed by everything whereas Scott’s been planning this for weeks. The kiss deepens, and Stiles is soon licking into Scott’s mouth, sucking on his tongue, crawling onto his lap as the gentle exploration becomes more passionate and intense. When they finally pull apart, Scott’s lips are swollen, and his face is flushed. Stiles figures he probably looks pretty similar.

They just look at each other, neither one bothering to talk. Scott grins at him, and Stiles smiles widely. They’re really going to do this. There won’t be any more running or ignoring how they feel. Not now. There’s no turning back. They’ve already gone too far. There’s still further they can go, and they will. Stiles is sure of it, deep in his gut. He’s been scared for so long that it’s weird to now feel so confident that they’re going to be great together.

Stiles can taste Scott on his tongue, and he wants more. He wants to go all the way, to do the things he’s thought about during his private time over the years, to wake up with Scott’s arms around him. Scott rubs their noses together before kissing him again. This kiss is thorough, assertive yet also gentle. Scott is telling Stiles with each lick of his tongue that he wants all those things, too. As silly it probably sounds, Stiles can’t wait to build a relationship with Scott, even if they fumble or argue or make mistakes sometimes. He’s looking forward to creating something long-lasting and meaningful with the boy he’s loved for so many years.