Ficlet: Real To Me
Author: on_the_ground
Title: Real To Me
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Stiles/Jackson
Character/s: Stiles, Scott, Jackson (mentioned)
Summary: When the stranger stops taking the train, Stiles doesn't know what to think.
Content Notes: AU, fluff, angst, nobody is dead, future fic.
Warnings: None
Submission Type: Ficlet
Word Count: 908 words
Prompt: #253 - Wet
Author's Notes: This is the second part of my "What If It's You?" series. Thanks so much to my lovely beta once again.
“He’s gone.” Stiles says as soon as Scott arrives at the bar.
“What do you mean gone?”
“I mean, gone. He’s not taken the train in two weeks now. Maybe he’s moved or maybe he drives to work now… I don’t fucking know. All I know is he’s gone. And I don’t even know his name or shit… anything… God, I’m such a loser. I should have listened to you. You were fucking right. You--”
“Stop. Of course, I’m always right but this… torturing yourself now is fucking useless.”
“I know. You think I don’t know! But I can’t help it. What if we were meant to be together and I… I ruined it because I was a coward. I’m such a fucking coward. I’m--”
“You’re not a coward… but you need to trust yourself a lot more than you do. You have a good job and you’re smart. And hell, you’re not bad looking… you have a lot going on for you.”
“So, you’re saying that if I was more confident this wouldn’t have happened?” Stiles finds that hard to believe right now.
“Probably… I don’t know, okay? I’m just saying that maybe this is a wake up call. Maybe this happened for a reason and the next time, you’ll do what you have to do. No regrets and all that, you know?”
“No regrets. Sure.” That would be good. Right now he’s got like a million of them. Right now he feels like the most stupid guy on earth. “What if there’s not a next time? What if I lost my chance?”
Scott snorts. “I seriously doubt he was your only chance. There are a million guys out there. You just have to find somebody else. Somebody who is real. Somebody whose name you actually know.”
Stiles knows that his friend only has the best intentions but that felt like a punch in his gut and the worst is that it feels like he deserves it. He knows he does.
“I may not have known his name but… but he was real. He was real to me.”
“Stiles…” Scott starts but he stops himself. He has the feeling that anything he says right now is only going to hurt Stiles’s feelings.
“I know.” Stiles closes his eyes. “I know. You can save it.” Stiles opens his eyes again, avoiding Scott’s pitying gaze. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Without another word Stiles gets up and heads to the bathroom.
***
Five days later.
The day didn’t exactly start on a happy note. Stiles hates winter and that morning felt colder than the days before. It felt like winter was finally there to stay and he had to deal with it one more time. He looked out of the window as he left his breakfast mug in the sink and he could see the wind’s harsh and unforgiving effect on the tree branches. It was cloudy and everything was wet even if it, at least, seemed like it had finally stopped raining.
He decided to forget about the jacket hanging next to the door and went back to his room to get his coat, a hat and some gloves. Then, he grabbed his messenger bag and put an umbrella inside before heading to the subway station.
To Stiles’s surprise not giving up and still taking the 7:55 am train pays off. Once again, the stranger enters the train.
Stiles’s heart starts beating faster and he tells himself to get his shit together and fucking calm down. He tells himself to remember what he told himself he’d do if the guy ever came back.
He’s supposed to get up, walk to his coach, say something coherent to him and not sound like a loser. That’s what he’s supposed to do… except he’s fucking paralyzed and his mind is totally blank. He can’t think of anything half decent to say and he knows whatever he planned to do in this situation is not going to happen.
He can feel his anxiety rising as they reach Jackson’s stop. Before he knows what he’s doing, as the guy gets off the train, Stiles quickly gets up and does the same. It isn’t until the door closes behind him and the train starts leaving that Stiles realizes what he’s done. Still, this is not a real surprise because it’s something else he had thought about, but didn’t think he’d actually do. But what else was he supposed to do? If he follows him and finds out where he works, the next time he disappears, at least he’ll know something about him. The truth is, he’s followed people before. So, as he watches the guy going up the stairs towards the street, he doesn’t think this time is going to be any different.
The guy walks at a normal pace for five minutes and Stiles follows him easily from a safe distance until he’s crossed a heavy intersection and approaches a block of high buildings. Then, he speeds up his pace until he turns left once he reaches the corner of a building and, as Stiles is crossing the street, he loses sight of him.
A few seconds later Stiles reaches that same corner and, as he looks around him, the guy is nowhere to be seen. He thinks he’s lost him before a sharp blow to the back of his head leaves him unconscious.
Title: Real To Me
Rating: G
Pairing/s: Stiles/Jackson
Character/s: Stiles, Scott, Jackson (mentioned)
Summary: When the stranger stops taking the train, Stiles doesn't know what to think.
Content Notes: AU, fluff, angst, nobody is dead, future fic.
Warnings: None
Submission Type: Ficlet
Word Count: 908 words
Prompt: #253 - Wet
Author's Notes: This is the second part of my "What If It's You?" series. Thanks so much to my lovely beta once again.
“He’s gone.” Stiles says as soon as Scott arrives at the bar.
“What do you mean gone?”
“I mean, gone. He’s not taken the train in two weeks now. Maybe he’s moved or maybe he drives to work now… I don’t fucking know. All I know is he’s gone. And I don’t even know his name or shit… anything… God, I’m such a loser. I should have listened to you. You were fucking right. You--”
“Stop. Of course, I’m always right but this… torturing yourself now is fucking useless.”
“I know. You think I don’t know! But I can’t help it. What if we were meant to be together and I… I ruined it because I was a coward. I’m such a fucking coward. I’m--”
“You’re not a coward… but you need to trust yourself a lot more than you do. You have a good job and you’re smart. And hell, you’re not bad looking… you have a lot going on for you.”
“So, you’re saying that if I was more confident this wouldn’t have happened?” Stiles finds that hard to believe right now.
“Probably… I don’t know, okay? I’m just saying that maybe this is a wake up call. Maybe this happened for a reason and the next time, you’ll do what you have to do. No regrets and all that, you know?”
“No regrets. Sure.” That would be good. Right now he’s got like a million of them. Right now he feels like the most stupid guy on earth. “What if there’s not a next time? What if I lost my chance?”
Scott snorts. “I seriously doubt he was your only chance. There are a million guys out there. You just have to find somebody else. Somebody who is real. Somebody whose name you actually know.”
Stiles knows that his friend only has the best intentions but that felt like a punch in his gut and the worst is that it feels like he deserves it. He knows he does.
“I may not have known his name but… but he was real. He was real to me.”
“Stiles…” Scott starts but he stops himself. He has the feeling that anything he says right now is only going to hurt Stiles’s feelings.
“I know.” Stiles closes his eyes. “I know. You can save it.” Stiles opens his eyes again, avoiding Scott’s pitying gaze. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Without another word Stiles gets up and heads to the bathroom.
***
Five days later.
The day didn’t exactly start on a happy note. Stiles hates winter and that morning felt colder than the days before. It felt like winter was finally there to stay and he had to deal with it one more time. He looked out of the window as he left his breakfast mug in the sink and he could see the wind’s harsh and unforgiving effect on the tree branches. It was cloudy and everything was wet even if it, at least, seemed like it had finally stopped raining.
He decided to forget about the jacket hanging next to the door and went back to his room to get his coat, a hat and some gloves. Then, he grabbed his messenger bag and put an umbrella inside before heading to the subway station.
To Stiles’s surprise not giving up and still taking the 7:55 am train pays off. Once again, the stranger enters the train.
Stiles’s heart starts beating faster and he tells himself to get his shit together and fucking calm down. He tells himself to remember what he told himself he’d do if the guy ever came back.
He’s supposed to get up, walk to his coach, say something coherent to him and not sound like a loser. That’s what he’s supposed to do… except he’s fucking paralyzed and his mind is totally blank. He can’t think of anything half decent to say and he knows whatever he planned to do in this situation is not going to happen.
He can feel his anxiety rising as they reach Jackson’s stop. Before he knows what he’s doing, as the guy gets off the train, Stiles quickly gets up and does the same. It isn’t until the door closes behind him and the train starts leaving that Stiles realizes what he’s done. Still, this is not a real surprise because it’s something else he had thought about, but didn’t think he’d actually do. But what else was he supposed to do? If he follows him and finds out where he works, the next time he disappears, at least he’ll know something about him. The truth is, he’s followed people before. So, as he watches the guy going up the stairs towards the street, he doesn’t think this time is going to be any different.
The guy walks at a normal pace for five minutes and Stiles follows him easily from a safe distance until he’s crossed a heavy intersection and approaches a block of high buildings. Then, he speeds up his pace until he turns left once he reaches the corner of a building and, as Stiles is crossing the street, he loses sight of him.
A few seconds later Stiles reaches that same corner and, as he looks around him, the guy is nowhere to be seen. He thinks he’s lost him before a sharp blow to the back of his head leaves him unconscious.