Yeah, no

"Macabre Expression"

Oil painting on canvas

Not that Derek knows its a reward. He offered to do it for Erica too, because she's healing from an alpha swipe, but Boyd said he'd take care of it.

So now Stiles is in the shower and the warm water is trickling down, and Derek is using his claws to scrub witch blood out of Stiles' scalp ever so gently.

"That feels nice." He murmurs. Melissa may have given him a painkiller that may or may not have him feeling loopy as hell.

"Good." Derek says shortly.

"Wish we could be like this for real." Stiles says, leaning all the way back so his head is cradled in the line of Derek's shoulder.

Derek's hands stop.

"What?"

"Shhh..." Stiles says, flapping his wrapped arm a little when he almost slips on the shower's slick surface.

Derek wraps an arm tightly around Stiles' waist. "Be careful."

"Be careful with me," Stiles says, eyes drifting to Derek's face. "You know I like you."

Derek's breath catches. Stiles can feel it, the way his chest freezes. He wonders idly if this is how werewolves feel, sensing every skipped heartbeat.

"You like me too?" Derek whispers.

"What's not to like?" Stiles' eyes slide closed, and he drifts away, dreaming of claws rasping gently, of arms carrying him, and a low voice rumbling, filled with despair and wonder.

Do you see it?  Can you feel it? The difference between the first two gifs? That moment right there.  That single step forward, and everything that it meant; everything that it changed. 

That’s the moment my heart broke. 

Stiles risked everything for Scott.  Stiles loved and trusted Scott so entirely in that moment that he staked his life on it.  He believed in Scott, even when Scott couldn’t believe in himself.  Even when Scott was being reckless and selfish, Stiles didn’t give up on him, Stiles didn’t hold his flaws against him.  Stiles accepted him, loved him as a brother, unconditionally. And when Scott was hurting, Stiles didn’t let him go through it alone. Stiles took that step forward, and said your flaws are my flaws, we are in this together. 

And, how is Stiles repaid?  When the roles are reversed, and it’s Stiles turn to be saved, when it’s Stiles who desperately needs Scott’s reassurance and needs to be trusted and accepted more than ever, despite his flaws? When Stiles reaches out for his brother, what does Scott do?  He steps back. When Stiles is in pain and fears losing everything he loves most in the world, when Stiles begs for forgiveness? Scott refuses to listen, refuses to understand.  Scott turns his back on his best friend and walks away. 

Do you see it now?  Do you feel it now?