#staggie

Maggie had been cleaning all day. Sometimes she used her nervous energy to clean but with Caleb being under the weather, she knew it would also be useful to get the germs out of the house. It also helped that he slept like a rock because if she couldn’t keep her music playing, she’d be stuck with the thoughts that Lydia had left her with about Stiles wanting to have some sort of important conversation with her. They had maintained a decent friendship after the fallout of the hunters although they hadn’t really spent a lot of time together. Once everyone found out Maggie was going to stay in Beacon Hills, they all tried to respect her decision and just keep the lines of communication open.

Stiles was different. He couldn’t understand why she wanted to stay in a place with so much tragedy and bad energy. He hated the idea of leaving her behind and he hated knowing that everyone would be spread out moving forward with their lives and she would be staying in Beacon Hills. They’d had it out a few times about it but when he found out that Caleb would be staying with her, he dropped it.

Abrupt knocking startled Maggie as she sat on the floor with half empty photo albums spread on the floor as she tried to fill them with more recent photos of her family and friends. Before she could open the door, Stiles had come busting through the door.

“Stiles! What are you-”

“Sorry I had to talk to you and I couldn’t wait.” Stiles was out of breath and sweating, almost like he’d run all the way there.

“You couldn’t wait 2 seconds for me to open the door? What’s going on? Are you okay? Is it your dad? Is it Scott-”

“Everyone is fine, I just really need to talk to you.” Stiles grabbed Maggie’s shoulders and she halted at the closeness. Stiles didn’t make a move to step out of her space so Maggie backed away.

“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to say this without sounding like an asshole but I don’t think that’s going to be possible so I’ll just spit it out.” Stiles took a deep breath.

“You shouldn’t be with Caleb. You should be with me.”

“Stiles-”

“I never stopped loving you, you’ve said it yourself that we’re soulmates and I can’t keep waiting for your relationship to fizzle out with Caleb and I can’t run from my feelings anymore.” Stiles moved back into Maggie’s space as she stood stunned by his declaration.

“You deserve so much more than this place. You shouldn’t feel like you should stay here.” Stiles reached for Maggie’s hands once more.

“I couldn’t agree with you more.” Stiles and Maggie both looked up and saw Caleb standing at the steps arms crossed over his chest. Maggie shook her head ready to explain things away but Caleb cut her off.

“For the record, I told Maggie that we could go anywhere in the world and I’d support her. She was the one who wanted to stay in Beacon Hills. This is her home.” Caleb kept his eyes on Stiles.

“Look man, I didn’t know-”

“See that’s the thing Stiles. We’ve been doing this thing for almost two years now where you say or do something that definently crosses the boundary lines with our relationship and out of respect for Maggie, I let it slide but this is kind of a whole new level of disrespect.” Caleb remained calm like he always did and Maggie was unsure of what to do.

“I know how you feel. We’re two guys who love the same woman but you had your chance with her. If tomorrow she wakes up and tells me she’s fallen out of love with me, I’ll be the first one to swallow that pain and let her live her life. Maybe for once, you should consider letting her live her life and make her own decisions.” Stiles looked about ready to argue but Maggie stepped between the two men.

“Stiles, I think it would be best you leave now.” Stiles looked from Caleb to Maggie.

“Mags-”

She was running. But he wasn’t going to let her go this time. This conversation was far from over.

“Hey, don’t walk away from me!” Stiles demanded, chasing her our onto the porch. “Are you kidding me? I get a say in this! How could you hide something like that from me?!”

“It was easy, Stiles.” Her back was to him as she stared out to the shore. Her voice was clipped. “You weren’t here.”

“Wow. Yeah, I got that part. Fun fact, do you know they have these things called phones? I know you don’t know how to use yours but they were invented about a hundred years before we were born.”

“Don’t you dare,” she snarled, wheeling around to face him. “Don’t you dare try and tell me that this is my fault.”

She stormed off again, stomping down the steps and down to the shore. Stiles was barely able to muffle his strangled noise of frustration. It was always like this. She was infuriating. Closed walls and lone wolf and cut you off before you can hurt me. 

He forced a practiced breath into his chest - diaphragm, lungs, exhale. And then he jogged after her. It was easy to make up to distance of her short legs.

“I’m not saying this is your fault,” he tried as he drew level with her. “I’m just saying that...Shit, I just...I don’t understand why you wouldn’t talk to me about it.”

Maggie slowed down, coming to a stop on the curb of the road. She looked out over the water, the wind brushing her hair back out of her face. She was letting it grow out again, which was something. Short hair had always been her first sign of a problem.

“Why would I tell you?” she said, full of resignation. “You made it pretty clear that you didn’t want anything to do with Beacon Hills anymore. You wanted to start fresh, get away from it all. I don’t blame you, it just...wasn’t in the cards for me. But I wanted that for you.”

“Maggie, I - I would have come back for this.”

She sniffled, and Stiles felt his entire body clench with years’ worth of regret.

“I know you would’ve. And then what? You’d be stuck here with me, and you wouldn’t have this life you’re so proud of. No FBI, no book, no signings. So...I let you go.”

Maggie smiled at him - as if it was just that simple, as if that was all there had ever been to it. But he knew her enough to see past it. The loneliness, the broken determination, that rising tendency to suffer in silence. It was the way Maggie had always been.

“God, sometimes I forget how obvious it is you’re related to Derek,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Hales are seriously lacking in communication skills. You haven’t changed a bit.”

“Yeah,” she chuckled weakly. “Well, that makes one of us.”

An out-of-context snippet based on stuff @angelsanarchy has teased me with for Staggie’s future. <3

Maggie couldn’t sleep. It had been a while since she had the house all to herself but tonight was different. Nathan being on travel and Caleb was visiting a college he’d gotten a letter from and just walking around in the dark house, looking out at the water, past the dock, everything just seemed so still. Maggie hated still. These types of nights made her more anxious than anything. Lydia says it’s PTSD but Maggie just doesn’t like when she lets her body and mind fully relax. She didn’t like to be alone with her thoughts. Every inch of her life was painted by the people who she surrounded herself with but at the moment, the only person who seemed to plague her thoughts was Stiles. 

“I think I’m done moving for the rest of the night. I quit.” Stiles had flopped down on the couch exhausted from having spent all day cleaning out the attic with Maggie. Everyone else had bailed on them but being the good boyfriend that he was, he stuck with her the whole day.

“Don’t quit on me now. We still have to eat and shower.” Maggie plopped down on his lap and Stiles hummed.

“God that sounds wonderful. Can’t you carry me? I mean you’re the supernatural being and I think I deserve a reward for being so dedicated to your spring cleaning.” Maggie smirked at Stiles helping him pull his dust covered shirt over his head.

“I don’t know about carrying you but I do agree you deserve a reward.” Stiles sat up intrigued as Maggie pulled her shirt over her head and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I like where this reward is going.” Stiles ran his hands down Maggie’s back and pulled her in for a kiss. Maggie felt Stiles hum into the kiss as he relaxed back into the couch pulling her with him.

“I wish we could live our whole lives just like this. Not a care in the world, together, no one trying to hunt us down or swallow the town whole. Just you and me, being in love and living a normal existance.” He pushed her hair behind her ears and Maggie put both hands on his cheeks.

“Hey, no one and nothing can take me away from you. We’re here now, together. My heart will always find you.” Stiles smiled at Maggie and pulled her so that her chest was resting against his.

“Always.”

A knock on the door startled Maggie out of her thoughts and realized she’d been sitting on the couch for hours lost in her own memories, not a single lamp on in the house now that it was dark out. She pushed off of the couch but before she could open the door it swung open. Stiles held the key up.

“I ah...I wanted to return this. I’m heading out now and I just...” Maggie didn’t let him finish. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him not knowing when she’d get the chance to do it again. He hugged her back taking in everything he could before she pulled away touching his face and seeing the hard lines of the life they’d been in the last few years.

Maggie sat in the passenger side of the jeep completely quiet and Stiles couldn’t read it at all. The last time he checked, he hadn’t screwed up their truce so something either happened or he screwed up again without knowing. They’d agreed to keep an eye out on Liam and the others but made sure to keep their distance to make sure not to “cramp their style” as they claimed but this stakeout was going on hour two of silence and Stiles was losing his mind.

“Okay I’ve got to ask, did I offend you or something because this whole silent reflection is breaking me down.” Maggie snapped out of her thoughts and looked over at him confused.

“What?” She cleared her throat.

“You’ve been sitting in complete silence since you got in the car. Whatever I did-”

“You didn’t do anything, I’m sorry my head is just some place else.” Maggie admitted.

“What’s going on?” Stiles pressed.

“I’m not sure if you’re the best person to talk to about this.” Maggie squinted which only intrigued Stiles more.

“When haven’t you been able to talk to me about something?” Stiles gaped making Maggie roll her eyes.

“Okay there’s only been a few things but I promise I won’t be weird about it. What is it? Boy troubles?” Stiles smirked when asking but Maggie’s blush gave it away.

“Oh...” They didn’t really talk about who they were dating these days. After the debacle with Malia, they sort of decided it was an off limits subject.

“We don’t have to talk about it. It’s stupid anyway.” Maggie dismissed. Stiles suddenly felt bad considering how much she was thinking about it.

“I’m sure it’s not. What is it?” Stiles nudged her and she looked towards the window for a moment.

“I just...I don’t know. Lydia has had me going out on some dates to try and put myself out there and I thought I met a really decent guy but..” Maggie trailed off.

“Did the dates not go well? Does he have a hair piece?” Stiles joked and she turned towards him.

“He didn’t want to kiss me.” Stiles face got serious.

“I mean he kept complimenting me and telling me how pretty my smile was but then he just kind of dodged me and now he’s not returning my calls.”

“Maybe I’m not as appealing as I thought.” Maggie started in on herself and Stiles shook his head.

“You’re crazy appealing.”

“Maybe I’m gross.”

“What? Of course you aren’t gro-”

“Maybe I’m just no kissable.”

“MAGGIE STOP!” Stiles couldn’t handle anymore of Maggie freaking out and putting herself down.

“I’m sorry if this is stupid, I just have a lot of doubts now. After you...and Caleb...I just...what if I’m just better off alone?” Stiles reached over and took Maggie’s hand.

“Listen to me, you will find someone who sees how incredible you are. Caleb and I are two of the luckiest people to ever walk this earth because for just a little while we had the honor of being loved by you.” Maggie smiled and Stiles let go of her hand so he didn’t make things awkward.

“Also your lips are so kissable...so anyone who doesn’t want to kiss you is just insane.” Stiles looked out the windshield trying not to blush but Maggie’s chuckle made him feel at ease.

Maggie looked like she had a common cold with the hint of a flu but to everyone who had the unfortunate task of trying to take care of her, they knew she was actually on the verge of death. Being poisoned with wolfsbane is one thing but when another witch poisons you, you better hold on for the ride. Maggie was shifting form, screaming so loud it made ears bleed, shaking the walls and vomiting some sort of brown goo that actually managed to make Scott throw up from the sight of it.

The only person that it didn’t seem to affect was Stiles. They weren’t sure if it was a human thing or he was just an exception but when Lydia temporarily lost her hearing on Maggie’s last wail of pain, all supernatural creatures were banned from the house. Stiles did what he could to keep her comfortable. Gave her the meds he was told to give her, talked her through the pain and wiped her down whenever the fever made her sweat through her sheets. He even held her hand was she slept when she let him.

Her eyes fluttered open as Stiles moved a tray from the corner of the bed and she took a breath in making him freeze.

“You aren’t about to yell at me again are you because I’ll drop the tray and walk away.” He asked eyebrows high on his forehead.

“Yell at you about what?” Maggie croaked and Stiles put the tray down to grab her some water.

“Well in your last state of consciousness you screamed how chicken nuggets were your life and how I couldn’t take them away from you.” Stiles explained helping her take a sip of water. She felt the relief almost instantly as the cold water hydrated her throat.

“I mean I understand, chicken nuggets are pretty delicious but at the time you were eating crackers so I was kind of confused.” Stiles sat the water down and reached out to touch her forehead making her flinch.

“It’s okay.” She let him feel her forehead and he smiled.

“Your fever is breaking. That’s great. We should get more ice packs in there with you though.” Maggie looked around the room and noticed how quiet it was in the house.

“Where is everyone?” She questioned as he pulled out the melted packs from her sheets and started replacing them with ones from a cooler.

“Apparently your symptoms were hazardous to everyone else so you’re kind of stuck with the lackluster human. Sorry to disappoint.” He faked a smile before putting a cold rag on Maggie’s forehead which she pulled off.

“Human yes but lackluster you are not Mieczyslaw Stilinski.” Maggie wiped her face with the rag.

“Oh wow now I know you’re sick. I can’t believe you just broke out the first name out of nowhere. That’s a serious party foul.” Stiles sat back in the chair next to her and she tilted her head to the side.

“I like the way your name sounds. I always have.” She confessed making Stiles blush.

“I only like it when you say it.” Stiles admitted in return and she tried to smile but it seemed to be difficult.

“Are you going to stay with me? I might have another nugget emergency and I can’t...I can’t get up to...make...them...” Maggie drifted off again and Stiles pushed her wet hair off her face and smiled down at her.

Pull You Back: Chapter 13- Only One [X]