Who: Stora (Stiles/Cora) When: Thursday night Where: Home What: Cora is keeping her distance while annoyed Why: Both are left alone, while Scott is out Status: Complete Ratings: None
To say Cora was pissed off, was an understatement. After going up to check on Stiles that morning, she was a bit surprised to not only find Stiles asleep but find him asleep while holding Lydia. Typically, Cora wouldn’t have cared. But with the past few days of being basically pushed to the side, it was hard not to get offended. After Scott came up to see what had her heart beating fast, all she said was she was going for a run.
With the hours going by, Cora had stayed away from the house as much as possible. But once she finally did return home, she would notice that car was gone. Which meant Lydia had gone back home. As she came to enter the house, she really wouldn’t say much. But she would eye Stiles from time to time. But to actually say something to him? She didn’t. Least not yet anyways.
Mainly because she knew she was angry when she shouldn’t be. Or did she have a right to be angry? Cora herself was conflicted on how to feel.
-- Having Lydia stay the night had actually been a good idea. Stiles actually got some sleep. More than he had in the past few days. But, she had to go back to Mitch, which left him alone again.
He stayed downstairs since nobody was home. Cora did come back at a certain point, but they didn't really say much to one another. That wasn't anything new lately.
He tried to ignore it, the way Cora was looking at him. Finally, he just looked up and over at her and asked, "What?"
* Oh, was he talking to her now? Guess so. Already she came to say nothing as she walked into the kitchen. “Nothing, Stiles. I’m glad you got some sleep.” Is all she said. As she walked into that kitchen she started looking for a few pieces of steak to make for dinner for the house. Since Scott was still out, she would make his plate and put it in the over to stay warm.
“Also nice to see you can let people touch you.” She said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. But she kept telling herself, whatever makes him better she would deal with it. Just didn’t mean she had to like it.
--
Stiles was a little surprised that she didn't say anything just decided to head into the kitchen before answering him. He really didn't understand why she was acting like that. It wasn't the normal silence between them. This was different. And it became clear why when she said what she said.
"You saw us." That was a stupid question. It was pretty obvious that she was mad. He stood up and walked into the kitchen, making sure to stand behind the island and out of Cora's way. "And now you're mad."
* “Yeah, we saw you both.” She said, letting him know that Scott had come upstairs as well. When he stated that she was made, she didn’t say anything as she started seasoning the food for tonight. “You know, if you wanted Lydia here to sleep with you should have just told us and we would have worked something out with Mitchell.” She added as she moved to grab the corn and rice to add with the steaks.
As she came to prep the rice she came to control her breathing under her breath because the more she thought about it, the more upset she got. “Or is it just Scott and Lydia you want to touch you?” She said. She knew Scott had gotten close to Stiles, she smelled it on him. But slowly she came to shake her head. This wasn’t about her. She told herself again. “Just forget it. I want you to get better and... If they make you better than that’s what matters.”
-- "Oh." Okay, so both Cora and Scott had seen Stiles and Lydia sleeping. He really didn't see the big deal. It wasn't like they were having sex. They were sleeping. Something neither one of them really got to have in the past few days. "It wasn't even planned. So, how could I talk to you guys about that? It was just a spur of the moment let's see if this works type thing."
He sighed. "Did Scott tell you or did you just smell me on him? Because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be getting mad at me if you knew I jumped away from him the first time he touched me. As for the second time, that was because I told him to look at my memories since he wanted to know what happened before he found me." He wanted to believe those words coming out of her mouth, but he just didn't. "If that were true, you wouldn't be getting pissed off at me. And I'm sorry if I'm making you feel this way."
* “I said it’s fine Stiles.” She said snapping a little as she came to exhale. “I get it. You have a history with them. You’ve all been through things together. So, if they’re what you need to go for it. I’ll just be here, for when you get better.” She said as she came to place the rice to cook first while she peeled the corn and placed it in the boiling water.
“If she helps you sleep, let her come over again. I’ll just sleep with Scott again.” Finally, she came to turn and look at Stiles for the moment. Her hands resting on the counter as she exhaled softly.
-- "I might not have your wolfy senses, but I'm not stupid. I can tell that it's not fine. Or you wouldn't be snapping at me or looking at me the way you've been looking at me." It really didn't take a genius to see that if affected Cora and not in a good way.
He almost wanted to turn and walk away. Only because this was starting to feel like a fight and like things might end up getting said if the conversation didn't go into a different direction. "I don't...I don't want it to be her."
* She came to run her hand through her hair for the moment as she listened to him. When he made the comment about having her senses all she did was roll her eyes at him as she crossed her arms over her bust. Already her hand came over her face for the moment. Cora and Stiles had never really gotten into a fight, and so far this is what it felt like it was getting into.
“Then Scott can sleep in the room with you.” She said as she came to move off the counter and go into that fridge. Least he wasn’t a were or he’d be able to hear heart beating faster. Still, she came to look for something to drink and found nothing that for her mood. But she remembered that bottle of laced wine. Already she moved to the cabinets to take hold of that bottle and pour herself a glass.
Cora wasn’t a drinker, but with this pre-starting fight, she needed something to control her emotions.
-- Did he really have to spell it out? Yes, because Cora wasn't getting it. "I want YOU." Was she seriously going to drink right now? That probably wouldn't help anything. Actually, no, he knew that it wouldn't. "But if you want to be mad at me and keep the distance that's between us then, fine. I'll talk to Scott when he comes home." He wasn't going to stand there and fight. He didn't want to fight. He gave one last look before turning and walking away. He might as well go back to hiding out in the bedroom. *
Cora came to narrow her eyes as she moved behind Stiles. “No you don’t.” She said stopping him from trying to go upstairs. “You don’t get to walk away. Not from this.”She said, all the while making sure not to touch him. Least not if she had too. “I offered, I tell you every night when we text if you want me to come in the room with you. You tell me that you’re not tired and offer to take the couch.” She said pointing towards the couch.
“So don’t tell me you want it to be me. Because when I try I get to shoot down.” She said as she came to stare at Stiles. Her lips getting tight for the moment as she made a slight face. The face was mainly due to the fact that she used her extended claws to break the skin on her palm, so not to make her cry for the moment.
“I’m trying Stiles. But I don’t know what you want from me if you’re not even trying to talk to me.” She brought her hand to brush through her hair. “I know you don’t want me to touch you, I can see it. You don’t want me near you. So I’m giving you space. But how much space do you want me to give you when space becomes the new normal for us?”
--- Stiles stopped when Cora blocked the stairs. He could try to push her out of the way, but she was a hell of a lot stronger than he was, so there was no point. He just stood there, looking at her as she spoke. "Yeah, because I didn't want to go to sleep. I didn't want to keep you up. And I didn't want you near me then." He wasn't going to lie. It was the truth no matter how much it sucked.
"I wouldn't have shot you down tonight." He looked away. Everything else seemed more interesting to look at only because he didn't want to see the look on Cora's face anymore.
"Do you think this is easy for me?" he asked, looking back at her again. "It's not. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I want. The only thing that I know for sure is that I hate what this is doing to me. To us."
*
Cora just stood there, watching him for the moment. Listening to his words as she exhaled deeply. “You wouldn’t have turned me down tonight after Lydia was able to get you to sleep first.” She added as she watched him. Only to bring her hands to her face and hair once more. “I know you love her, she’s your best friend. Maybe more so than Scott just because you have been through hell and back. I get that.” She said as she came to look at Stiles.
“But do you know how that makes me feel. Useless. Do you know why I go to Scott’s room every night since you've come back? Because I need that touch of reassurance. And I know you won’t give it to me because of what happened to you. I get that. And Scott… He’s there for it.” She sighed as she shook her head.
“So when I come to check on you and I see you all cuddled in bed with Lydia, how am I supposed to feel. And then you tell me you wouldn't turn me down now. “
-- "Do get that?" Because it really did start to feel like that she didn't.
"That's exactly why I pushed you away. You want to touch and you're...you're too intense for me right now."
He took a step back. Maybe he should just leave. He did not like how everyone was acting. Like they did something wrong. They didn't do anything wrong. "You know what, I'm sorry that I just can't seem to be doing anything right. First Scott gets mad at me and now you. I can't deal with this right now!" He needed to go. He needed to get out. He needed something to distract Cora so that he could make a getaway. "Your food is burning."
* “And Lydia isn’t?!” Is all she came to snap at him with. But once he mentioned the food, Cora would look to the kitchen. “Dammit.” Is all she said as she looked at Stiles. Aggravated as she moved past him and into that kitchen to take the food off the stove as she tossed it into the sink as the food was burnt.
--
Well, that worked. The minute Cora's attention went to the burning food he bolted for the door. He didn't want to fight. It was just making everything worse. Once he got the door open, he left. He just needed to be out of the house and away from Cora right now. He just needed space. Again.