new york wolves } { of training periods and learning curves

[hereditare]

Stiles: [sitting in the corner of the panic room, just trying to focus on his breathing, trying to fight against the shift]

Laura: [sits next to him, feeling the moon herself, but obviously having a much better handle on things] It's a natural thing, Stiles. You're safe in here if you don't want to fight it.

Stiles: But I'm... I'm supposed to. Aren't I? [said between breaths, yellow eyes looking at her]

Laura: You're supposed to learn to anchor yourself. That's different. But first you gotta learn what you're anchoring yourself against. Losing it a little on your first full moon is normal.

Stiles: Why does it hurt so much?

Laura: Because for a werewolf, it's natural to turn on the full moon. You're fighting what your body wants you to do.

Stiles: Why aren't you in pain then?

Laura: Because I've learned how to ... I guess kind of negotiate my way out of it.

Stiles: How did you do it?

Laura: I found my anchor. [she shifts, before moving to sit cross-legged in front of him] An anchor is a thing that helps you remember your human side. Your wolf side isn't a separate person fighting to get out - it's just part of your nature. When you use your anchor, whether it's to keep you from shifting on a full moon or using it to get you to shift in a fight, it's not ... suppressing anything. It's reminding your body that you're not all wolf.

Stiles: So I think of something that makes me feel human?

Laura: [she nods] Yep. Exactly.

Stiles: [he tried to think about it, who or what would fit that best, and then that cramp came back and he growled, curling up a bit more]

Laura: [sighs softly before holding her hands out to him] Give me your hands.

Stiles: [and he will hold his hand out to her, his claws out. The other one is digging into his sneaker currently]

Laura: [she takes his hand and gives it a small squeeze] Both of them.

Stiles: [he takes a deep breath and is able to dislodge it from his sneaker and hand it to her as well]

Laura: [gives that hand a squeeze too] Now. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.

Stiles: [and he does that too]

Laura: Use the connection between your hand and me to ground you. Don't push the wolf down, just listen to the sound of my voice.

Stiles: Is this an alpha trick?

Laura: No, this is a Laura trick. Trust me.

Stiles: [he nods, closing his eyes again] I trust you.

Laura: Good. Now close your eyes, and focus on my voice. Don't fight the wolf, just use my voice as a way to keep you grounded. Just let everything else fall away.

Stiles: [taking his deep breath, listening to her and trying to. But he is an active imagination and his brain, now that it's healed, is working overtime as it gets used to being viable again. So he's trying, but struggling]

Laura: Breathe, Stiles. Just breathe. Focus on the feel of my hands on yours, your back pressed against the wall, your feet pressed against the floor.

Stiles: I'm trying. [he is, his leg bouncing as he tried but his claws started to dig into her palms a bit]

Laura: [okay, let's try something else] Talk to me. Tell me about your day.

Stiles: I uh... Dad and I went to the museum. Figure that while I'm in medical leave, may as well see the sights?

Laura: Cool. Which one did you go to?

Stiles: The one with the dinosaur.

Laura: Museum of Natural History?

Stiles: Yeah, that one.

Laura: What'd you see?

Stiles: Bones. Lots of bones.

Laura: Anything you thought was really cool?

Stiles: The fossils. And the dinosaurs.

Laura: What'd you like about it?

Stiles: Just... just how much things change but you can still see it all.

Laura: Like there's a record of it?

Stiles: Yeah. Yeah and how like, years and years from now, things that were alive now but aren't in the future won't be forgotten.

Laura: [smiles softly] That is pretty cool.

Stiles: In a hundred years from now, people may not remember me, but they will know what a t-rex looks like.

Laura: You never know. They might remember you.

Stiles: Maybe. Who knows, right?

Laura: And you have a much longer lifespan than you did before. Lots of time to change the world.

Stiles: As long as I don't have to save a cheerleader.

Laura: [she frowns, confused] What?

Stiles: [he opens his eyes] Heroes. The TV show?

Laura: Oh. Never watched it.

Stiles: The first season was great, as was the second but after that it kinda went sideways.

Laura: [she shrugs] I'm not big on superheroes.

Stiles: I liked Hiro. He was a comic book nerd who got the power to travel in time and space. And the main motto of the first season was "Save the Cheerleader, save the world." But really, that cheerleader dying probably would have been better.

Laura: Harsh.

Stiles: Hey, you didn't watch it. She really screwed up the future. Her and the guy who saved her.

Laura: Bad romance?

Stiles: No, cousins. Which they found out as part of the season three craziness.

Laura: Oh. [whoops]

Stiles: They have a sequel series starting on TV now too.

Laura: [she shrugs] I'm still not into superheroes. You might be able to sell Cora on it though.

Stiles: We could watch The Walking Dead?

Laura: That I am into.

Stiles: I need to catch up on it.

Laura: I've got a couple episodes saved up on the DVR but I don't know where you left off.

Stiles: I don't either. Maybe a season.

Laura: Then let's see what's on Netflix. Oooh we could do a marathon.

Stiles: Yeah, that'd be fun.

Laura: Cool. [and eventually she feels the moon pass and she pulls her hands back] See. That wasn't so bad.

Stiles: [and he takes a deep breath and rests his head back against the wall] Yeah, that didn't suck as bad as I thought.

Laura: [she nods with a small smile] Just takes some getting used to.

Stiles: Well, I have the time to.

Laura: And until then, you can always hang out in here.

Stiles: Maybe get a TV in here and we can watch something to distract me?

Laura: You don't want to be too distracted.

Stiles: Too distracted is also bad?

Laura: Your wolf can sneak up on you.

Stiles: Oh.

Laura: Once you get a handle on the full moons, then we can watch whatever you want. But for right now, it's better to do it this way.

Stiles: Okay. Will I be okay for the rest of the night?

Laura: Yep. Go. Be free.

Stiles: [and he will pull himself up, stretching out and then holding a hand out to her to help her up]

Laura: [takes it to pull herself up] You better go check on your girlfriend. She probably will homework until her head explodes if you don't.

Stiles: I will do that, after just letting my dad know I didn't go all wolfman.

Laura: Good.

Stiles: Thanks, Laura. [and he will go let his dad know he wasn't going to wolf out on them, and then he will head upstairs where he is bone tired and just go into Cora’s room and head to faceplant in the bed]

Cora: [smirks a bit at that, pushing her books to the side and going to stretch out next to him] How'd it go?

Stiles: I need new sneakers.

Cora: We can go tomorrow.

Stiles: I don't have money for a new pair right now.

Cora: I think we can afford to buy you a pair of shoes, Stiles.

Stiles: You don't have to buy them for me. [lifts his head up]

Cora: Do you have another pair you can wear?

Stiles: Yeah, I have a pair of kicks somewhere.

Cora: Okay. But if you didn't - you're already living with us. It wouldn't be that much of an imposition to help you get a pair of shoes.

Stiles: You're already giving me a lot. I don't want to keep taking.

Cora: You're pack now. It means it's yours to take.

Stiles: [he looked over at her, and it's obvious that he's conflicted] Why?

Cora: Because that's what pack is. It's taking care of each other when we need it. We may be giving you a lot now, but that doesn't mean you won't have something to give to us later.

Stiles: It makes sense. It just... I'm not used to it.

Cora: [she sighs as she shifts so that she's lying down next to him more] I know. But you will.

Stiles: [he just nods] I'm exhausted.

Cora: [she nods, running her fingers through his hair] You should rest.

Stiles: [he closed his eyes, his head leaning into her touch] I love it when you do that.

Cora: [she smiles a bit and keeps going, fingers moving through his hair in a gentle rhythm]

Stiles: [and he's going to end up just drifting off, his head still tilted into her touch a bit]

Cora: [will keep going until she's sure he's asleep, before getting ready for bed and curling up to pass out with him]

Stiles: [and he is going to totally sleep in until roused because the moon had taken a lot out of him]

Cora: [sleep is good. Cora is pro-sleep especially if it means she gets sleepy snuggle time with her boyfriend]

Stiles: [hopefully she doesn't have classes. He doesn't go back until next week]

Cora: [nope, she'll be fine.]

Stiles: [and he'll end up snuggling closer for warmth through the night]

Cora: [yep, she is definitely pro-cuddles. her favorite part]

Stiles: [and he will get to wake up and see her sleeping face and just smile, watching her]

Cora: [curls in and snuggles more. Comfy comfy boyfriend]

Stiles: [he wasn't lying when he said he liked waking up to see her face. He just cuddled her a bit closer, nuzzling her cheek gently]

Cora: [she sighs as she starts to stir a bit, starting to open her eyes] Hi.

Stiles: Morning. [and he will kiss her cheek because morning breath]

Cora: [tips her head towards him as he does] Morning.

Stiles: Sleep well?

Cora: [nods] Did you?

Stiles: Like the dead.

Cora: Good.

Stiles: So my dad heads home this afternoon.

Cora: Is that a good or bad thing?

Stiles: I kinda got used to having him here.

Cora: I'm sure you'll miss him.

Stiles: Yeah. And I was told that once he's gone, that's my room.

Cora: [that makes her pout a little]

Stiles: Yeah, I know.

Cora: I don't mind if you stay here.

Stiles: I know. Actually, I was thinking about going back to campus. It's only a few weeks left, but we can have our privacy there.

Cora: I wouldn't mind that either.

Stiles: Think I can convince Laura to let me go back?

Cora: Maybe. If you show you're handling your control well.

Stiles: Then I guess I need to keep practicing through the weekend.

Cora: I can help you.

Stiles: Works for me.

Cora: Good.

Stiles: But first, shower and breakfast.

Cora: [she nods] Do you want to shower first?

Stiles: Yes, please. [he's still way too sensitive to how he smells]

Cora: [she nods] Go ahead. I'll be here.

Stiles: [and off he goes to shower, working with things that weren't as fragrant as theirs since he was still working on it]

Cora: [and she will just curl up in the warm spot he left behind and maybe doze off again]

Stiles: [and he will have conveniently forgotten his clothes, so he comes back in with just a towel around his waist. As he enters the room, he stops in front of the mirror and just... looks at himself]

Cora: [wakes up when she hears him come back] Hey.

Stiles: Hey... do I look different to you?

Cora: [squints slightly] Different how?

Stiles: I don't remember having that much of a six pack.

Cora: [gets up to make her way closer, mostly because she can see better up close] Is that a bad thing?

Stiles: Well, no. I just... I'm ripped. I'm not used to being ripped.

Cora: [she nods a bit, her hands wandering over his abs for a moment before looking back up at him] We do tend to pack a bit more muscle.

Stiles: [and his eyes flutter close at that, and he groans a bit]

Cora: [grins a bit at the response, before leaning in closer to kiss him]

Stiles: [kisses her back, running a hand along her cheek]

Cora: [sighs as she leans into the kiss on instinct, wanting more, even though she knows she probably shouldn't]

Stiles: [she is a lot better handling her instincts. He's not, which is why he's going to push her back on the bed a bit, going to crawl on top of her as he deepens the kiss.]

Cora: [she doesn't actually have a problem with this, leaning back against the pillows and sliding her hands against his shoulders]

Stiles: [and lucky roll makes the door having been closed all the way, and no one will hear them as he starts to make out with his girlfriend, his towel loosening and sliding off onto the bed]

Cora: [oh good, that was going to be her next question. but yes, lots of making out happening here, though with less nudity on her part because she's still in her pjs]

Peter: [and of course he heard a shower but neither one had surfaced for breakfast so he's going to knock] Cora? Stiles?

Stiles: [and that will snap him back and up and falling off the bed naked because OH SHIT]

Cora: [her heart is racing, and she takes a deep breath to calm herself down, before getting up and moving towards the door to poke her head out at Peter] Hey, Uncle Peter.

Stiles: [and he's grabbing his towel and going to hide behind the door view]

Peter: [sniffing the room and shaking his head. Teenagers] I heard one of you up. Breakfast is almost ready when you are up and dressed.

Cora: Okay. Stiles just finished in the shower, so I'll jump in next. [yep. that's her story and she's sticking to it]

Peter: Mmhmm. I'll see you both then in a few minutes. [and he's going to slip away]

Stiles: [focusing on his breathing and putting on his underwear]

Cora: [sighs and closes the door] I'm gonna go shower. [a cold one. unfortunately]

Stiles: Yeah, and I'm going to get dressed and go downstairs where I'll have better control over trying to jump you.

Cora: [smirks] I personally don't mind if you try and jump me.

Stiles: Yeah, but I probably shouldn't in your sister's house. With your uncle downstairs.

Cora: My room is soundproofed.

Stiles: But we have to go outside to use the shower.

Cora: [sighs because that is a point, but it's got a slight pout to it because she misses special boyfriend alone time]

Stiles: Work on control, and there is a dorm room waiting for us.

Cora: [sighs and nods again] I know. I should shower.

Stiles: You do that. [kisses her one more time] I'll be downstairs.

Cora: [hums into the kiss, before disappearing into the bathroom]

Stiles: [and he will get dressed, will his hard on away, and then head downstairs]

Laura: [where Laura is making coffee to go with the breakfast that's already on the table] Morning, Stiles.

Stiles: Hey, morning. [is going to grab a plate]

Laura: Sleep well?

Stiles: Pretty much hit the pillow and passed out.

Laura: Yeah. Full moons can wear you out.

Stiles: And I take it make you starving in the morning. More than usual?

Laura: Well, that's just the werewolf metabolism catching up with you.

Sheriff: [coming back in with Derek, Barron, and the paper] Should I be worried about him eating you out of house and home.

Laura: Not any more than Malia already does.