that was such a fucking jinx
Stiles is a jinx.
This is not news to anyone, but still, there are sometimes when even he surprises himself at just how much the universe hates him.
He hadn’t even said it out loud.
And yet, here he is, sighing resignedly as what seems like all of the Weird Shit on the planet finds little ol’ him as he and Steve are leaving a concert on Saturday night.
All he wanted to do was introduce Steve to some modern music.
But no. That obviously wasn't what was going to happen.
Do you know what was going to happen?
Doombots.
Because what else?
Steve immediately launches into battle, shouting an order for Stiles to get somewhere safe, which Stiles promptly ignored when one of the Doombots tried to attack a young woman and her baby.
He doesn’t know exactly how it happens, but one second he’s swinging at the Doombot, the next his hand smashes all the way through it’s face.
No. No. NO.
He doesn’t want this! He doesn’t want whatever the fuck this shit is that the Nogitsune left behind - powers he doesn’t understand and can’t control.
He doesn’t get any time to compose himself before the next Doombot attacks. Every time he punches straight through the bots or rips and limb off their bodies, he can hear the Nogitsune in his head saying horrible things just like in his dreams.
He tears the head off of one.
“You’ll burn them all.” A flash of his pack burning in that damn clearing that he sees in his dreams.
He uses the arm of one to hit the next, sending it flying.
“I told you, you’ll never escape me.”
With every Bot destroyed, Stiles gets closer and closer to curling in on himself and screaming until it drowns out the sound of that chilling voice. It’s too much like his nightmares. Too much like when it was in control.
At least this time when he comes back to himself, the bodies surrounding him are metal one instead of his family and friends. At least this time, when he’s drowning in the fear and helplessness, he knows that once he finally stops struggling and lets the water in, the pain will stop too.
*****
He wakes up, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath as he lashes out at the unfamiliar figure leaning over him.
“Stiles!”
“Stiles, it’s okay.”
“Stiles?” Isaac’s hesitant voice is what finally snaps him out of it.
He stills and takes a deep breath as he tries to focus on the things around him. When he finally does, he has the breath knocked out of him all over again.
There’s a guy leaning over him, pinning his wrists in his hands – one of which his scorching hot and the other cold and hard like metal – but that isn’t what captures his attention.
This guy is fucking hot.
Dark brown hair that falls around his jaw-line – which looks like it’s been chiseled from stone, just like the rest of him – perfectly even, strong features, eyes so blue that he can’t look away, and yeah, he’s got a stubble beard going too.
So, he has a type? Sue him.
The guy seems to realize that he’s still holding Stiles to the bed, but all at once he’s gone, almost on the other side of the room before Stiles can even blink.
Okay. Weird.
He sits up and looks around, still shaking off the last of his nightmares. He pauses as he takes in the hospital scene before him.
Everyone is here. The whole lot of them.
Tony, Pepper, Steve, Bruce, Natasha, Clint, and even Thor. Pair that with his Dad, Lydia, Erica, Boyd, Isaac, and Hot Mystery Dude and he’s sure he’s about to have a lot of explaining to do.
“Stiles, how are you feeling?”
“What happened?”
“We’re not sure.” Steve admits, looking concern and guilty. “One minute we were walking back from the concert and then Doombots were attacking. I told you to hide, but when I turned back around you were unconscious and there were Bots littered all around you.”
Stiles frowns as it all comes rushing back to him. He wants to throw up and cry all at the same time.
“How long was I out?”
“A week.” Tony says. He looks awful.
Stiles blanches.
“We thought…” Isaac starts, but isn’t able to finish. Stiles opens his arms and reaches for him and the blonde wolf needs no more encouragement than that to bury his face in Stiles’ neck and just stay there.
“I’m sorry.” He whispers low enough that none of the human ears will pick it up. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Stiles,” Isaac whispers back into his ear, “was this-“
“He’s gone.” He assures the beta in his arms, but one look at the rest of them tells him that they’ve been worrying too. “He’s gone.”
“Why don’t we get the doctors in here and get you something to eat, huh?” Pepper suggests, running a hand over his hair affectionately.
He nods.
His doctors are a guy and a girl who are both very young. They were introduced as Fitz-Simmons, but he’s not sure which one is Fitz and which one is Simmons. “So, what’s wrong with me?” He asks them hesitantly.
“Well, that’s the thing.” The girl starts.
“We have no idea.” The boy finishes.
“The only thing that seemed to be odd were the, um, well the marks.” He nods once and ignores all the confused faces. The only ones who understand are Clint and Natasha, and he’d like to leave it that way. “Other than that, and the apparent signs of insomnia, you’re perfectly healthy.”
“Yes, how much sleep have you been getting?”
“Enough.” He says shortly as someone puts a plate off food in front of them. He starts eating it without actually tasting it, his stomach just happy to have food. “Why?”
“Well that could have something to do with how long you were unconscious.” The boy says. “But it would have to be very severe for your body to need rest badly enough to put you in a coma.”
“Although, that coupled with the nightmares and the stress of a sudden physical attack may explain it.” Stiles has a feeling that she’s not really talking to him anymore.
“Nightmares?” He doesn’t want to ask, but he does.
Expressions all around the room darken.
Isaac squeezes his hand reassuringly, but there’s little good it can do at this point.
He’s been out for a week. A week of nightmares. Of Stiles thrashing around in his sleep, maybe even screaming. At least there are no new wounds to his sides – that’d be really hard to explain.
The mood lightens a little once Fitz-Simmons tell him to come back if he feels light-headed or wrong in any way but give him the clean bill of health.
He gets hugs from everyone.
Erica explains that they flew in once he stopped answering calls and have been here ever since.
Stiles has a minor heart-attack when his dad promises him that they’re going to be having a very long conversation on his new friends and how he came by them. Then he has a major one when he sees Pepper, Natasha, and Lydia bonding.
“Oh, that’s so not good.” He says to no one in particular.
“You have no idea.” Boyd mutters back.
Yep. He’s screwed.