Best Friend's Brother // Stiles x Male OC

25

Mateo POV:
I woke up to the eerie sensation of someone staring at me. My eyes fluttered open, and the faint outline of Scott standing by the door sent my heart into overdrive. For a split second, I thought I was dreaming—or being haunted. I scrambled for the lamp on my nightstand, squinting as the soft light filled the room.

"Scott?" My voice came out groggy and confused. "What the hell are you doing? It's 2 a.m. You scared me!"

Scott shuffled awkwardly, his hands jammed into the pockets of his sweatpants. He looked like a kid who'd been caught sneaking cookies before dinner, but his eyes gave him away—soft and a little unsure.

"Sorry," he mumbled, not meeting my gaze. "I just... I don't even know. I wanted to say sorry, I guess. I was thinking, and I couldn't sleep, and..." He trailed off, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I miss you too."

I blinked at him, half in disbelief. "Scott... you could've told me this in the morning," I said, though a small smile tugged at my lips.

He shrugged, looking sheepish. "Yeah, probably. But I was kind of... overthinking it, and I just—"

"—decided to show up like a ghost and give me a heart attack?" I finished for him, sitting up and crossing my arms.

Scott chuckled, a soft sound that made my chest ache. "Sorry."

"Come here," I said, scooting over and patting the bed. "You can sleep here, like the old times when you used to get scared of thunderstorms."

Scott wrinkled his nose but didn't move. "Stop being weird. I'm trying to make up with you, and you're ruining it."

I snorted. "You showed up at 2 a.m. to apologize. I think the weird ship has sailed, little bro."

He sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on his face as he finally crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're not going to make this easy, are you?" he asked, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Never." I grinned, but my expression softened as I looked at him. "Seriously, though. It means a lot that you came here. I know it wasn't easy for you to say."

Scott nodded, staring down at his hands. "I've been holding onto all this anger for so long. I didn't even realize how much it was weighing me down. But tonight, I kept thinking about what you said at dinner. About how you didn't have a choice. And... you're right. I've been so focused on my own hurt that I didn't stop to think about yours."

I reached out and ruffled his hair, earning an annoyed swat from him. "You're a good kid, Scott. A little stubborn, but a good kid."

"I'm not a kid," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You'll always be my kid brother," I teased, leaning back against the headboard.

Scott groaned but smiled despite himself. "Okay, but if you call me 'kid' in front of anyone, I'm disowning you again."

"Deal," I said, holding out a hand for him to shake.

Instead of shaking it, he surprised me by leaning in for a quick hug. "I'm sorry, Mateo. For all of it. I want my big brother back too."

My throat tightened, but I managed a smile. "You've always had me, Scott. Even when you thought you didn't."

We sat there for a while, the tension finally melting away.

"You're still weird for showing up like this, though," I said after a moment, breaking the silence.

Scott laughed, the sound light and genuine. "And you're still weird for trying to cuddle me like I'm five."