canon au } { post-5a, of nightmares and moving on

[impetere]

Cora: [stirs when she feels his grip on her arm, and it's followed by the anxiety, and her eyes turn to him before shaking his shoulder gently with her free hand] Stiles?

Stiles: [his head jerks, and there is a slight snarl from him, his lips flattening out. That anxiety is shifting to anger.]

Cora: [Okay, that is definitely not good. Her eyes flash in response to the snarl and she throws a little more of her wolf behind it] Stiles!

Stiles: [yup, that will do it and he opens his eyes, and then jumps because whoa, that's glowing eyes Cora] Wh-what?

Cora: [her eyes fade as soon as he was awake, relaxing some next to him] You were having a night terror, and I couldn't get you out.

Stiles: Oh. [he relaxes a bit because.. yeah, it was just a nightmare. Not real.] It's just been a long week.

Cora: Yeah, I know. [she moves one hand up to brush against the side of his face] You okay?

Stiles: Um... [he sighs] No, not really. I think it's just everything catching up to me.

Cora: Want to talk about it?

Stiles: It was just a nightmare. I just need a few days to relax.

Cora: Are you sure?

Stiles: I hope so?

Cora: Okay. But if you change your mine, I'm here.

Stiles: I know. I know and I really appreciate it.

Cora: [she nods as she continues sliding her fingers through his hair]

Stiles: [closes his eyes, sighing] Thank you.

Cora: [leans in and presses a kiss to his forehead, keeping up the smooth strokes]

Stiles: I hate this town right now.

Cora: I know. I hate it too.

Stiles: Part of me wants to go to Berkeley and never look back.

Cora: [she sighs softly] Once this is all settled, maybe we will.

Stiles: Think I can convince my dad to move too?

Cora: I don't know. Maybe.

Stiles: It may be safer for all of us.

Cora: I don't think I could get Derek to leave, though.

Stiles: [sighs] Yeah.

Cora: But I don't care. Just tell me where you want to go and we'll go.

Stiles: [he looked at her] You know you can have a choice where we go right?

Cora: [she smirks, before wrinkling her nose] I don't really have a preference. Just ... not Scotland.

Stiles: No, not Scotland.

Cora: It would depend on what we're going to do.

Stiles: College, and then just... start a life.

Cora: Do you still want to do the watcher thing?

Stiles: I don't know. Lately I'm not sure I'm able to be neutral.

Cora: Watchers aren't neutral.

Stiles: But Emissaries are.

Cora: Well, maybe you don't have to be the emissary. Just the Watcher. You can still know stuff but you don't have to worry about the balance. You just have to worry about the girls.

Stiles: I can do that.

Cora: [she nods] So we could just ask Giles to give us a squad and go wherever that is.

Stiles: [nods] Yeah, yeah that could be good. [because he's not sure he will ever have Scott back]

Cora: [she nods, brushing a hand against his temple] We'll figure it out.

Stiles: [he looks at her a moment, then reached up to taken her hand and hold it] Cora... promise me something.

Cora: [watches him and gives his hand a squeeze] What?

Stiles: If you see me starting to turn to the void... pull me back. And if you can't pull me back... lock me up somewhere until I can find myself again.

Cora: [her eyes turn concerned for a moment, before she nods slowly] Are you worried about that?

Stiles: [nods] Yeah, yeah I am.

Cora: [she nods] Okay. I promise.

Stiles: Thank you. [kisses her hand]

Cora: [but she's definitely worried now] Stiles, this much stress isn't good for you.

Stiles: [he just nods] ... Have I told you about how I found my dad?

Cora: [she shakes her head]

Stiles: I was following Parrish and needed to get to Scott. Lydia and Malia weren't answering their phones, and since you didn't have a car, I called Theo. It was better to use him to get to Scott than not, I thought.

Cora: But Theo wouldn't let you go to Scott.

Stiles: He made me choose - Dad or Scott.

Cora: You made the right choice.

Stiles: I know. Trust me, I know. But... he did it to get me to break. He wanted me to go back to the Void. That anger that I still feel ever since the nogitsune split us. And Cora... for a minute I was there. And it felt good.

Cora: But you pulled yourself back.

Stiles: Sometimes I'm not sure if I did. Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm just lying to myself that I did and it's just waiting.

Cora: Hey, look at me. [she brushes her hand against his cheek and tips his face up to look at her] It only can come out if you let it. It's strong, but you're stronger.

Stiles: [he looks up at her, and his eyes show just how scared he is] Even the strongest people fall, Cora. That's why I need you to keep that promise. Because you'll do it to protect me.

Cora: [she nods, leaning in to kiss him] I will. I promise.

Stiles: [kisses her back]

Cora: [she pulls back after a moment and snuggles in closer] I bit you last time, I don't think I'll have a problem knocking you out if I need to.

Stiles: Good. [he snuggled her closer] Because the next time you bite me, I'm expecting that to be a wedding night. [smirks a bit]

Cora: [she laughs] Deal.

Stiles: [sits up a bit] Shit, did I just propose?

Cora: [her eyebrows go up] Do you want it to be a proposal?

Stiles: [bites his lip] Do you?

Cora: [looks back at him] It's not like I'm going to say no.

Stiles: [and there's that Stiles beam of sunshine grin] So... so you'd marry me? Like, really forever marry me?

Cora: [and she can't help but smile because she loves that grin] Yeah. If you wanted me to.

Stiles: [leans in and kisses her deeply, all but rolling her onto her back]

Cora: [sighs softly into the kiss, letting him settle above her and moving her hands to his shoulders]

Stiles: [kisses her until he needs to breathe, and all that anger and anxiety is gone for now. This is why he knew she would know how to pull him back]

Cora: [she relaxes as he does, the anger and anxiety lessening causing it to fade in her as well as her hands roam his back to pull him closer]

Stiles: I'll talk with my dad tomorrow and see if I can get you a ring. [grins]

Cora: [grins back] I don't need a ring. I just need you.

Stiles: You already have me.

Cora: Then I'm good.

Stiles: Good. [and he is going to kiss her again]

Cora: [and she will kiss him back, pulling him down so that they can have fun sexy times while they have the house all to themselves]

Stiles: [Oh yeah, all the sexy times. Which probably the Sheriff felt they needed to relax and that's why he sent them home]

Cora: [he's such a good dad. and basically Cora's dad at this point, but not in a weird way]

Sheriff: [he will bless this union. You're good for him, Cora. you balance him out SOOOOO much]

Cora: [she's glad he feels that way. because he's pretty much stuck with her too.]

Derek: [and he will approve because he's seen his sister bloom into a full person again]

Cora: [thank you big brother. They'll just hold off on telling Laura until they're actually ready to do the thing because long engagement, yes?]

Stiles: [oh yeah. he can't afford a wedding you know. he can barely afford a Vegas wedding]

Cora: [no Vegas wedding. Let's get through college]

Stiles: [good plan. Then they get married and go raise their dogs and slayerettes]

Cora: [sounds perfect]