#not!dad

Tom HollandxReader

NOT!Dad

Word Count: 572

Request by Anon: This might be too specific, but do you think you could do something where Tom (or Peter) is dating a redhead? And maybe she’s insecure about it? Like people always make jokes about her being a ginger and like that she’s pale and bc of freckles, etc?

Ha ha. McCall is a bit dickish, but there is evidence that he does actually care about Stiles and is concerned for his welfare.

McCall did seem ‘clinical’ when doing his statement after killing the Chemist but that maybe for 2 reasons - 1. it’s his job and you don’t normally personalize statements. There’s probably a procedure for that type of thing. e.g ‘subject’ ‘victim’ ‘perpetrator’ etc. 2. It’s easier, psychologically, to not personalize it.

I really wanted a scene with Stiles in regards to what happened - either Stiles going to the station or McCall dropping by the house where they have a non-thanks for saving my life/non-are you okay convo.

Anyway, on to the evidence:

@dreamdragon48​ I may need your help with gifs to illustrate my points (as i have no gif-making skills whatsoever).

1. Agent McCall does not respond to Stiles insults or attempts to wind him up. Ever

- McCall could have easily reacted to Stiles ‘I’ll start with F and end with U’ sobriety test comment. He doesn’t acknowledge it at all. Instead he asks Stiles about whether he knows anything about the name on the elevator doors.

- He doesn’t get angry or pissed off when Stiles purposely uses a convoluted way to confuse him. Instead he calmly asks Stiles if he’s doing it on purpose and admits he hasn’t a clue what Stiles said. He carries on calmly and only gets a little confrontational when he mentions his dad to get a reaction out of Stiles. Someone might take that scene as McCall perfecting a professional good-cop/bad-cop one-man show, but it could also be seen as someone who actually knows how to talk to Stiles and how to handle him when he’s being a little shit. Also, he knows how important his dad is to him, so what better way to get a reaction from him. Cruel? Maybe? But then the truth can hurt and sometimes that’s the only way to get stubborn little shits to open up. 

- Stiles (or pre-Void!!Stiles?) gets all mysterious and threatening on McCall and alludes to something dark in McCall’s past. McCall could have reacted to that but he didn’t, partly because (I presume) he’s confused at Stiles out of character behavior, and instead tells him to go home (and cool off)

2. Pivotal Point #1

As mentioned above - McCall basically calls bullshit on Stiles denial that he knows anything and the fact that he’s dad is missing and Stiles doesn’t seem too concerned (to him). He knows something is happening and he’s concerned that Stiles is involved.

‘I don’t want you going home alone. You have someone you can stay with tonight?’

By this point, Stiles is actually ruffled by McCall because he’s gotten under his skin (and you know, just from two scenes that this is someone who he has history) - he’s twitchy, on edge and avoiding eye contact. I’ve always considered Stiles as someone who could talk himself out of trouble (and in recent episodes the Sheriff also indicated Stiles was a little trouble-maker). Being the son of the Sheriff and spending time with a bunch of cops, what’s a little interrogation. Pfft. So, no, this was more than a little personal because this guy actually knows him.  I swear I was so pissed when Deaton interrupted.

3. Pivotal Point #2

McCall helping to find Stiles when he was missing. Some might interpret that as McCall being professional or wanting to help Melissa/impress Melissa but i like to think that he was actually concerned for Stiles and wanted to help him.

Also, I know it has been mentioned in the episode before, but I think McCall may have witnessed Stiles sleepwalking before (as a child), especially if he and Melissa helped to look after Stiles whilst Claudia was slowly getting worse. Stiles also admits that he used to do it a lot as a child - probably because his anxiety was getting worse.

4. Pivotal Point #3

McCall saving Stiles life. Or more specifically, the few seconds after. I think given McCall’s FBI and carries a gun he’d probably save whoever was being held at gun-point. No, my point is regarding that McCall very reluctantly let Stiles (who was so very obviously shell-shocked, covered in blood and running on pure adrenaline) run off to save the day (and his son) but he actually tries to hold on Stiles - fingers dancing down his arm - so that Stiles has to pull his arm away. That isn’t a reaction of someone who doesn’t care about Stiles.

5. Semi-pivotal point #4

McCall invites Stiles and mini!derek to dinner. Okay, so he was waiting on Scott but two things I immediately noticed. 1. He brought extra - probably because he presumed Stiles would be there  too or invite himself over. 2. He doesn’t really hesitate and seems really comfortable and casual when he asks them if he wants to stay (without Scott being present). Not really the actions of someone who hates the best friend of his son. Stiles is, of course uncomfortable, because he has a mini!derek who doesn’t know anything to deal with and fbi agent in front of him.

I can honestly say, this was the cutest not!family dinner I have seen.

6. Things we can probably conclude from info that has been dropped and indicated:

The Sheriff was a heavy drinker at some point. S2 implied that and by having him drunkenly talking about Claudia and Stiles we can presume that this was bad after Claudia died.

McCall witnessed/was aware that the sheriff was a drinker (of course McCall has his own demons and issues in that area too).

It would be safe to presume that he was around at the time Claudia died because of the above and the fact that Melissa recognizes Claudia’s symptoms in Stiles.

Therefore, we could assume that Stiles spent a lot of time at his best friends house and being looked after by McCall and Melissa.

Teen Wolf isn’t great in continuity but one thing that always irritated me was back in S1 when Scott had the panic attack and seemed surprised that Stiles knew what to do. Of course, not at the time, but now further down the seasons that doesn’t make sense. Stiles says he has social anxiety, he admits to Melissa he used to sleepwalk and has anxiety and panic attacks. Either it was sloppy plot writng back in S1 or they hadn’t quite decided where they were going with Stiles character, backstory or history with Scott. You would think, from that line alone back in S1 that Scott didn’t know Stiles when his mother died, but there more they dropped on Stiles backstory the more I think that they have known each other, and therefore, families, much longer than that. It just seems the writers sometimes forget what they wrote five or six seasons ago

Stiles has never really spoken about the reason behind his antagonistic behaviour towards McCall, apart from his outrage about McCall investigating his dad - but this occurred after we first saw Stiles irritability and anger towards him. Maybe it’s because my background is mental health nursing and i’m looking at in a physiological manner, but I see this as typical transference - Stiles is unable to address the issue that he was hurt and rejected when McCall left (his mom was dead, things weren’t that great with his dad and the one other father-figure in his life not only left Scott and Melissa, but him too) and finds it easier to have and show a righteous anger on behalf of Scott and Melissa.