Best Friend's Brother // Stiles x Male OC

15

The next day, I decided I couldn't take the silence anymore. I needed to see Matt face-to-face, even if it meant showing up unannounced at his job.

When I walked into the coffee shop, my heart was racing. Matt was behind the counter, busy with a line of customers. He looked good—too good—like the last week hadn't affected him at all. Meanwhile, I felt like I hadn't slept in days.

He glanced up as I walked in, and for a second, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes. But he quickly looked away, focusing on the next customer in line.

I waited off to the side, my nerves eating away at me. When the line finally died down, I stepped up to the counter.

"Matt," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Why didn't you call me back? Can we talk?"

He barely looked at me as he wiped down the counter. "I'm working."

"Then take a break," I insisted.

He let out a sigh, tossing the rag into a bin. "Fine. Ten minutes." He walked out from behind the counter and led me to a small table near the back.

We sat down, and I opened my mouth to speak, but he beat me to it.

"I heard Scott talking to Mom yesterday," he said, his tone cold. "He said you've been acting weird and skipping school. Then I noticed that you still haven't told him about us."

I froze, guilt washing over me. "I—"

Matt leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "So why would I call you back, Stiles? You're still too scared to tell your best friend. What's the point?"

"That's not fair," I said quickly. "I'm trying—"

"Trying?" Matt cut me off, his voice rising slightly. "It's been a week, Stiles. A week. And you're still acting like Scott's opinion is more important than how we feel about each other."

"It's not like that," I argued, but even I didn't sound convincing.

"Then what is it like?" he shot back. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you care more about keeping Scott happy than you do about being honest with me—or yourself."

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I'm not scared of Scott. I'm scared of losing him. He's my best friend, Matt. He's practically my brother. What if he hates me for this? What if he hates us?"

Matt sighed, his anger softening just slightly. "He already hates me and I don't even know the reason, You're not going to lose Scott. If he's really your best friend, he'll get over it. But if you keep avoiding this, you're going to lose me."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"Matt," I started, but he held up a hand.

"I need to get back to work," he said, standing up. "Think about what you want, Stiles. And when you figure it out, let me know."

He walked away, leaving me sitting there alone, my chest aching with the weight of his words.

—————————————————————————

Stiles went home after the tense encounter with Matt, feeling like the walls were closing in around him. He paced his room, every step weighed down with indecision and dread. Finally, he grabbed his phone and texted Scott.

Stiles: Hey, can you come over? I need to talk to you. It's important.

Scott replied almost immediately.

Scott: Yeah, be there in 10.

True to his word, Scott showed up not long after, still wearing his backpack and looking mildly concerned. "What's up? You okay?"