canon au } { post-3b, of study breaks and sci-fi

[impetere]

Cora: [pushes her book back] If I keep reading I think my eyes may start melting.

Stiles: [looks up, twizzler hanging from his lips] That would be bad.

Cora: [rubs her eyes] And none of it makes any sense.

Stiles: Well, it makes some sense. If crazy makes sense.

Cora: [sighs] I just need a break. Can we do something else?

Stiles: Um, sure. We could go... see a movie or something?

Cora: Sure. Is there anything good out?

Stiles: Uh, hold on. [grabs his phone and goes to pull up the movie listing]

Cora: [shifts so that her chin rests on her hands, waiting for him to tell her what's out]

Stiles: Alright we already saw Cap, so there's the horse racing one, the one with all the old action heroes trying to save their careers...

Cora: [brow furrows in confusion] What?

Stiles: [shows her the trailer for Expendables 3]

Cora: [brow furrows even more as she watches it] I don't get it.

Stiles: Neither do I. So let's just scratch that one.

Cora: We could just watch a movie at your house.

Stiles: We could. Dad's pulling a double I think while one of the deputies is on vacation.

Cora: You probably have a ton of movies I haven't seen.

Stiles: That's true.

Cora: Plus it's cheaper.

Stiles: And the popcorn tastes better anyway.

Cora: And the seats are more comfortable.

Stiles: Depending on what room we watch it in.

Cora: What room were you thinking?

Stiles: Um... my... bed. Room?

Cora: [she smirks] Sounds pretty comfortable to me.

Stiles: Well, then let's just check these books out and go home

Cora: [nods and gets up to gather the books, before following him up to the front desk]

Stiles: [proudly pulls out his library card and checks out all the books]

Cora: [and off they go back to the Stilinski House! Yay magical time skip!]

Stiles: [and movie in and snuggling on his bed skip!]

Cora: [curls into him, letting her head rest against his shoulder] So what's this one about?

Stiles: Space pirates.

Cora: Okay. Good pirates or bad pirates?

Stiles: Kinda both? Mal's an interesting character.

Cora: [nods a bit. she watches quietly for a while before] What's wrong with the tiny one?

Stiles: River? You remember at the beginning where they were experimenting on her? They unlocked the part of the brain that lets her read minds.

Cora: Oh, so they broke her brain?

Stiles: Pretty much, but in doing so they like, gave her access to all this stuff. You remember that movie trailer with the Black Widow's actress who is gaining access to more and more percent of her brain that gives her crazy awesome abilities?

Cora: Yeah. So it was like that?

Stiles: Totally.

Cora: Okay.

Stiles: [is thinking Cora will like River or Zoe at the end of all this]

Cora: [for right now it's Zoe but that could change once River goes crazy on the Reavers at the end. She falls quiet again and just watches the movie.]

Stiles: [spends equal parts watching the movie, and watching her watch the movie]

Cora: [she enjoys it for the most part. Jayne makes her laugh, even if she'll make faces at it at the same time because he's an idiot. Occasionally she'll ask a relevant question or two, but most of the time she won't actually catch him watching her]

Stiles: [is so glad that she likes his sci-fi/fantasy movies. Because really, he needs a geeky girl in his life]

Cora: [she's not geeky - yet, anyway - but she can appreciate the escape. and she appreciates that he's patient with her asking five million questions]

Stiles: [will always answer her questions. he's good like that.]

Cora: [good boyfriend] Were Inara and Mal supposed to be together or something?

Stiles: They circle around each other the entire TV series that this movie is based off of. And they leave it open still.

Cora: [makes a face] I never got that. The whole will-they-or-won't-they thing.

Stiles: He sucks at talking about his feelings, and she really was just waiting for him to say it. Guys don't know how to ask for stuff like that.

Cora: Girls don't always either.

Stiles: How people get together in this world then, I have no clue.

Cora: [she smirks a bit, vaguely distracted by the air dog fight that's happening on screen] Occasionally they just do what I did and just ... [the dog fight ends, they land, and then THAT HAPPENS] What the hell?!

Stiles: [winces at THAT] Yeah. That was my reaction the first time too. And throwing things at the screen and general screaming.

Cora: [makes a face. Suddenly this movie is not so good]

Stiles: We can watch the TV series after if you want. It's only 13 episodes.

Cora: [she pouts a little less and nods. At least she already knows how it ends]

Stiles: [holds out the popcorn to her]

Cora: [takes a handful] What were we talking about?

Stiles: How people actually end up in relationships when they don't want to ask other people out and talk about feelings?

Cora: Right. They do what I did. [they just kiss them and hope the other person kisses them back]

Stiles: Guys tend to get slapped a lot doing that.

Cora: It worked out pretty well for us.

Stiles: Technically I kissed you first, you were just unconscious and not breathing.

Cora: That doesn't count. I was unconscious and not breathing.

Stiles: It was the kiss of life.

Cora: Maybe. But if you're going to consider that a kiss, it could be considered creepy.

Stiles: Okay, then I won't consider it one.

Cora: [she pauses as she considers how that sounded] I'm glad you did it, though.

Stiles: I'm glad you like me kissing you.

Cora: Good. [because it's one of her favorite things to do, not that she'll actually say that]

Stiles: [and what the hell, he's going to lean in and give her one anyway]

Cora: [she smiles a bit into the kiss, one hand moving up towards the back of his neck as she leans into him]

Stiles: [and now that they are kissing, Stiles isn't planning on stopping]

Cora: [yep. lots of kissing. Totally just planning on kissing her boyfriend until something catches the corner of her eye and she turns to see River killing the crap out of a bunch of reavers] Holy crap.

Stiles: [is kissing the air. why is he kissing the air? he looks at the TV and sees the action and goes to sit back] Yeah, you're gonna watch this.

Cora: [she'll apologize for leaving him hanging later, but right now she's just watching Summer Glau move.] That's ... insane.

Stiles: She did a lot of that herself. She was a dancer before she became an actress.

Cora: Her form is incredible.

Stiles: Well, yeah.

Cora: [okay, he was right, River's totally her favorite.]

Stiles: [should not be jealous about how much attention she's paying to River]

Cora: [well the fight scene ends and her attention is back to him again, and she realized what she did] Sorry.

Stiles: No, it's fine. You were enjoying the movie.

Cora: I didn't really watch many after the fire.

Stiles: Well, I'm going to help fix that.

Cora: Really? You're going to be responsible for my pop culture education?

Stiles: I'll try to at least get the basics in.

Cora: [she nods] Dawn tried, but I don't think I was in a place to really appreciate them.

Stiles: You seem to be appreciating it now.

Cora: Well, yeah. I ... have things that I didn't have then. I have Derek and school and ... you. Dawn and Buffy were my family for a long time but it didn't really feel like it was my life.

Stiles: I'm glad I'm part of the new good things in your life to make it better.

Cora: [she smiles a bit at that] Of course you are.

Stiles: [grins] But was it really that bad with Dawn and Buffy?

Cora: [shakes her head] No. They became my family. And Dawn never lied to me about Derek being alive or anything like that. She was probably ... the one most on my side about getting back to him.

Stiles: Well, she seems to be very attached to Derek as it is.

Cora: It wasn't about that. She was a good friend, but I think it was more for me than it was for her. She thought I should be with my family.

Stiles: Did they know where Derek was during that time?

Cora: I don't know. Buffy wouldn't tell me. She didn't want me running off to try and find him and putting myself at risk. They figured the hunters who killed my family already thought I was dead. She didn't want to give them reason to believe otherwise. [only problem is she didn't listen and went running to Derek anyway and got stuck in a vault]

Stiles: I wonder how things would be different if you had been with him all this time.

Cora: Derek and Dawn probably wouldn't be together.

Stiles: How come?

Cora: She probably would have never come back to Beacon Hills looking for me.

Stiles: Well, maybe you and him and Laura would never have come back either. Realized Peter was alive and took him to some burn unit in New York and you'd all be city wolves.

Cora: Then we wouldn't have met.

Stiles: And you'd probably be dating some hipster.

Cora: [makes a face] I would not.

Stiles: You don't know that. You'd totally be a different person. All the things that effected you after the fire would change and you'd have grown up in like, Brooklyn.

Cora: I still wouldn't find hipsters any less annoying than I do now.

Stiles: Unless..... you grew up to become one.

Cora: [and she'll just give him a look, because really?]

Siles: [laughs] Hey, this is an alternative reality. You could totally be a hipster. Or like, a cheerleader.

Cora: You wish I would be a cheerleader.

Stiles: Well, you'd look hot in the outfit. Not gonna lie.

Cora: That's what I thought.

Stiles: But then again, you'd look hot in almost anything. You're just hot.

Cora: [smiles a bit] I'd probably play sports, actually.

Stiles: Lacrosse?

Cora: I liked soccer when I was a kid.

Stiles: [laughs] I kept tripping over the ball.

Cora: [winces] So you switched to one where it was thrown at you?

Stiles: I had a helmet and a little net on a stick. It was awesome.

Cora: [laughs] Well, I look forward to seeing you play.

Stiles: I may get to. Coach let me play in the last game last season and I did a good job too.

Cora: Guess we'll see once the season starts.

Stiles: Guess so. [as long as the people in town aren't still afraid of him]

Cora: [she watches him, sensing where that thought train is going] Hey. Things are going to get back to normal.

Stiles: [shrugs] It may just be easier for me to graduate and go to college.

Cora: Is that what you want?

Stiles: I'd get to be someone new and not have all the baggage from home.

Cora: You'd still have the baggage. It's just that other people won't know it. It doesn't make it any easier. You'll still be the guy who was possessed by a nogitsune.

Stiles: Them not knowing it will make it a little better.

Cora: Will it? You'll have no one to talk to. No one you can tell.

Stiles: I'll have you.

Cora: [glances down, pulling his hands into hers] Just ... really think about it, okay? Maybe see what happens when you go back to school.

Stiles: [looks at their hands] Yeah, I'll think about it.

Cora: [brushes her thumb against the back of his hand] I just know what it's like to be stuck somewhere new and not knowing who you can trust. It's harder than you think.

Stiles: [shrugs] Yeah, I guess.

Cora: Besides do you really want to skip everything with Scott? Prom and all of that.

Stiles: Well, no. Plus I have a really hot date for the prom and I want to make the guys jealous.

Cora: [she grins] Really hot, huh?

Stiles: Totally. She's going to make all the other girls jealous and I may have to bring my bat to fight the guys off her.

Cora: Sounds like you're a pretty lucky guy then.

Stiles: At least something is going right in that way. [grins]

Cora: [she laughs before resettling next to him] I ... don't know if I even know how to pick out a dress. I haven't worn one since I was a kid.

Stiles: You could go with Allison and Lydia? I think Lydia has a PhD in shopping.

Cora: You think she'll take me?

Stiles: Yeah, sure. Just gotta ask.

Cora: Guess we'll see when we get there.

Stiles: I think I'm supposed to have my tie match your dress or something. I have to look up the rules.

Cora: There are rules for prom?

Stiles: I don't know. I’m sure there are. Lydia probably knows them all.

Cora: I'll ask. [she probably won't. she doesn't care that much]

Stiles: I can do it if you don't want to. I mean, I need to know my parts too.

Cora: [she shrugs] We'll figure it out. [and eventually the movie ends and she's just going to stay there, curled up with him. Figuring out if she should leave seems really unappealing right now]

Stiles: So what are we gonna do about Dawn?

Cora: Kill the demon. Make sure he doesn't get her before we can.

Stiles: But we still haven't figured out what kind of demon it even is.

Cora: It doesn't matter. They can't have her. [and she is completely resolute on that]

Stiles: But if we're going to kill it to keep it from having her, we need to know how do to do that, and we need to know what it is for that.

Cora: That doesn't mean we can't kill it. Giles will figure it out - he knows these books better than we do.

Stiles: I'm pretty good with research too.

Cora: [eyes close] No, I know you are. I didn't mean that you weren't.

Stiles: But you'd rather let Giles figure it out.

Cora: No. I just ... [she takes a breath as she pushes away, shifting so that she's sitting cross-legged] I just meant that he knows what he's looking for better than we do. He was trained for it. And even if we don't find it, I need to believe that he will. Because I can't ... [can't lose Dawn. Can't think about what happens if she can't find it. There needs to be a safety net]

Stiles: Maybe he could train me too then. That way next time I could be more help

Cora: [she looks up with a bit of a smile] Yeah. He's pretty good at teaching.

Stiles: Cool. I'm good at learning so it'll be a win-win-win.

Cora: [she smiles a bit before leaning forward to kiss him] Sorry if I made it seem like I didn't think you could do it.

Stiles: [mmm, kiss] I just... this is the first thing to happen since everything and I want to be able to feel useful again.

Cora: [she nods] I get it. I'll take you to meet him tomorrow.

Stiles: [nods] Thanks.

Cora: But that's tomorrow. And tonight ... I want to think about things that aren't demons.

Stiles: Well, what do you want to think about?

Cora: [she gives a bit of a shrug before leaning in to kiss him again] I don't really want to think about anything.

Stiles: Well, we could just go to bed. You don't really think when you're in bed until you're dreaming and then well you can't control that either.

Cora: Your dad doesn't mind that I've been sleeping here, right? [because while he hasn't said anything to her, she's peripherally aware of the fact that most fathers of teenage boys don't allow their son's girlfriends to sleep there, regardless of the fact that she's agreed not to have sex with him there]

Stiles: After everything that's happened, I don't think it's a big concern of his anymore.

Cora: [she nods] Derek probably wouldn't see it that way.

Stiles: Well, Derek has other things to worry about tonight.

Cora: He does. [and she's more than happy to stay here. It almost kind of feels like it used to when she was a kid - having a house, having family around] And if he's with Dawn, all I have to worry about is you.

Stiles: You don't even have to worry about me anymore. No more than I need to worry about you.

Cora: I'm always going to worry about you. [because he's fragile and human and breakable and he was possessed by a nogitsune. Worrying about the people she loves getting hurt is always going to be there because she's lost too many of them before.] Are you trying to say you don't worry about me?

Stiles: Oh no, I do. Usually when you're off doing werewolf things that I can't be there to have your back on.

Cora: But I know you have my back anyway.

Stiles: I'll always have your back. Baseball bat armed and ready.

Cora: [she smiles a bit before nodding] Good.

Stiles: [gets up to go turn off the TV and DVD player] So, I guess we're going to sleep now.

Cora: [nods a bit before moving over to her side of the bed and undoing her belt to take it off because she's not going to sleep in it] Unless you want to watch another movie?

Stiles: Nah, sleep's good. [and he goes about changing] You need anything? I may have like sweats or something if you want...

Cora: [glances over] Do you have shorts or something? [shifting a bit to take off her bra without actually taking off her t-shirt]

Stiles: Sure. I may even have a clean pair. [he goes looking for a pair of gym shorts and of course, smells them first, then tosses her a pair] There.

Cora: [eyebrow raise as she catches them, before standing up to shimmy out of her jeans] They better be.

Stiles: Oh that pair definitely is. [it doesn't smell like his balls]

Cora: [continues to give him a look and she puts them on anyway, before pushing the blankets back and waiting for him to join her]

Stiles: I mean, if you don't want to wear anything, I won't complain either. [changes into sweat pants and keeps on his own t-shirt]

Cora: Your dad might.

Stiles: I really am going to need to put a do not disturb sign on that camera soon.

Cora: Or a strategically placed shirt?

Stiles: Ooo, good plan.