Chapter Text
It was migrating season for geese, the sky littered with V-shaped flying formations as they headed north for the winter. Kate Argent drew her bow, eyes honing in on one of the plump geese towards the front of the V.
The goose fell, crashing into the earth with an arrow sticking out of its chest. Her brother Chris went out with a burlap sack in tow and stuffed the goose into it. "Wow, Kate! You didn't miss a shot! You've got to be the greatest hunter int the whole world!"
Kate shot her brother an arrogant smirk. "I know." She walked down the small hill towards the town center while Chris rushed to catch up, praise still spilling from his lips.
"No beast alive stands a chance against you," He paused to chuckle. "And no boy for that matter."
"It's true, but dear brother," She wrapped an arm around his shoulders before pulling him in close. "I've got my sights set on that one." She pointed across the square and towards the edge of town where an unassuming Stiles was still reading beneath the oak tree.
"The inventor's son?!" Chris managed to choke out. Whether he had lost his air because of Kate's announcement or the chokehold she had placed him in, he wasn't entirely sure. There was a large... LARGE age gap between the two.
"He's the one! The lucky boy I'm going to marry."
Chris looked up at her, feeling the need to point out that Stiles Stilinski showed no interest in anyone in the village. "But he's-"
"The most handsome boy in town." Kate continued, steamrolling over her brother.
"I know but-"
Kate grabbed Chris' collar, pulling him closer until their noses were nearly touching. "That makes him the best. And don't I deserve the best?" She glared at her brother, daring him to say something different.
He gulped. "Well or course, I mean you do, I mean you-"
It didn't matter that words failed Chris since Kate continued her rant after letting him go. "Right from the moment when I met him, saw him, I said he's gorgeous and I fell. Here in town there's only he who's as beautiful as me." She watched Stiles like a hawk as the younger man got up and made his way towards the edge of town. "So I'm making plans to woo and marry Stiles." She announced as she moved further into the town.
A set of her own fans trailed behind her like lost lemmings, whispering amongst one another.
"Look there she goes."
"Isn't she dreamy?"
"Miss Kate Argent, oh she's so hot."
"Be still my heart... I'm hardly breathing!"
"She's such a tall, dark, strong and gorgeous gal!"
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Stiles weaved effortlessly through the crowd despite the fact he was still reading his book. Kate, on the other hand, was having some technical difficulties. Everyone had to stop her to bid her hello and tell her how great she looked or how the kills she brought in tasted delicious for their dinners the night before. She impatiently waved them off and tried to force her way closer to Stiles.
Stiles listened to the bustle of the market. A woman requiring eggs, a man bartering for a slab of bacon, a young girl requesting a yard of fabric. "God, there must be more than this provincial life." He groaned to his book as he continued to walk, sidestepping a young boy who was making a beeline for his mother.
"Just watch, I'm going to make Stilinski my husband!"
Stiles stiffened, his shoulders bunching up. Well, that was new.
He forced his legs to move quicker, pushing his way through the crowd before Kate could approach him only to grumble when he saw the hunter jumping across the rooftops in his peripheral vision. Damn that athletic hunter.
He forced himself to move faster despite the burning in his calves.
Stiles was so close to freedom, he could taste it. His home was in view, only a few feet away. His heart soared only to immediately take a nosedive into the ground when Kate Argent landed in front of him, barely out of breath.
"Hello Stiles." She said with an artificial grin.
"Hello, Kate.' He responded cautiously as he tried to figure out how to get around the hunter without seeming overly rude. He went to step to the left only to be blocked by the larger woman who snatched the book from his hands. He bit back his suffering groan and held out his hand with a huff. "Kate, may I please have my book back?"
Kate ignored him, flipping through the book. "How can you read this? There's no pictures." She scoffed, already exasperated with the book after a few chapters.
"Well, intelligent people like to use these things called imaginations. You take the words and make a picture in your mind." Stiles replied as he tried to grab the book.
Kate held it out of the way with an amused chuckle as if he were a yapping dog. "Stiles, Stiles, Stiles. It's about time you get your head out of those books." She tossed the book over her shoulder and it landed in a mud puddle with a disgusting squelch.
Stiles knelt down to rescue the book with a grimace. He wiped off the cover with the edge of his cloak before pulling it close to his chest.
"It's time you paid attention to more important things... like me for example." She moved closer to him which he responded by taking a few steps back to keep distance between them. "The whole town's talking about it."
Stiles tried to step around her to leave but it was another fail as she squeezed him against her side. "Besides, it isn't good for people to read all the time. Soon they start getting crazy ideas and.... thinking."
Stiles shot her a deadpan look before slipping out of her grip. "Honestly Kate, you are positively primordial." He complimented in the nicest tone he could muster, hoping the larger word would sail right over her head.
Kate shot him a sideways look that had him slightly sweating before grinning widely. "Why, thank you, Stiles." She wrapped an arm around his slim waist.
Stiles took two steps back, pulling away and trying his best to hide his disgust.
"Say... Why don't oyou and I walk over to the tavern and take a look at all my hunting trophies?" She asked, ignoring the squeamish look on Stiles' face.
"Uh... maybe some other time." He mumbled as he tried to make his getaway for the third time before finally succeeding.
Kate glanced over at him as he scurried into the cottage before frowning. She followed the young man up the walkway to his house.
In her wake, Kate's fans immediately started to gossip about what they had just witnessed, unable to believe Stiles had turned down an invite from Kate herself.
"He's totally crazy! I would've gone with Kate in a heartbeat!" One of the men commented as Chris pushed past them to catch up with his sister.
"She's gorgeous." The most romantic moaned as she followed Kate's every move with her eyes.
Stiles rushed for the door, his fingertips almost able to scrape the old wood before Kate jumped in front of him. He bit back his groan. "Kate, please. I really can't. I need to get home and help my father."
Chris came up behind them, laughing loudly. "That crazy old loon, he needs all the help he can get." Both Kate and Chris laughed loudly at his comment, holding their middles.
Stiles scowled at them, fists clenched tightly by his sides. "Don't talk about my father that way!" He barked.
Kate walked around Stiles and smacked the back of Chris' head. "Yeah, don't talk about his father that way."
Stiles' anger was reaching his boiling point. He knew it was only a ploy to please him. "My father is not crazy! He's a genius!"
Unfortunately, the gods have impeccable comedic timing as an explosion went off in the back of his house. Stiles turned and ran into his home, face flushing as he heard the Argents' uproar behind him.
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He opened the garage, coughing when a bout of black smoke escaped. "Father?" He asked cautiously as he walked in.
"How on earth did that happen, dammit!" John Stilinski shouted as he stood up, the remains of a barrel around his waist. He struggled to push off his new skirt only for his pants to go down with it. He growled low in his throat before pulling his pants back up to their respectful place.
Stiles laid a hand on his father's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
John glared at Stiles, waving an angry hand at his odd contraption. "I'm about ready to give up on this hunk of JUNK!" He enforced his last word with a hearty kick to his invention.
Stiles laughed softly. "You always say that and it always ends up working."
John stared him down, a deep furrow between his eyebrows. "Son, I mean it this time! I'll never get this damn boneheaded contraption to work." He stormed over to his workbench and started to organize his tools to soothe his aggravated nerves.
Stiles rolled his eyes as he pulled up a stool and sat down. "Yes you will. Then you'll win first place at the fair tomorrow and become the world's greatest inventor."
John's hands wavered before he turned to look at his son. "Do... Do you truly think so?"
Stiles grinned. "You know I do. I always have."
John chuckled as he wiped his hands on his stained apron. "Maybe you're right. No sense in moping when I can have this piece of shit fixed in no time." He grabbed his goggles and slid them on before sliding underneath his machine. "Stiles. Pass me that dog-legged clencher." He gestured vaguely to his workbench.
Stiles' grin widened as he was momentarily transported back to his younger years, toting tools back and forth that were almost as big as his torso for his father. He passed the tool to his father's waiting hand, the memory making his chest grow warm.
"So, did you have a good time in town today?" John asked as he worked on the machine's underbelly.
Stiles winced at the mention of the town. "Well... I got a new book from Deaton today."
"Good, good. Did you send him my regards?"
"You could send them yourself if you came with me sometimes." Stiles teased as he kicked one of his father's outstretched legs.
John laughed in response before comfortable silence settled between the two.
Stiles bit on one of his nails nervously before he opened his mouth again. "Father... do you think I'm... well, odd?"
John pushed himself out from underneath the machine, his eyes comically huge thanks to his goggles. "My son? Odd? Where did you get such an idea?"
Stiles bit his lip, making a face. He never told his father about the gossip in town and he didn't plan on making today that day. "I don't know. It's just... I don't feel like I fit in here. There's no one I can talk to other than you." Stiles rested his head against his hand. His loneliness was depressing.
John tried to remember the few villagers he did know as he slid back underneath his contraption. "Well... what about that Kate? I hear she's a lovely gal."
Stiles screwed up his face in disgust. "She's lovely alright, and rude and conceited and an absolute ass-"
"Stiles Stilinski, language!"
Stiles groaned, rubbing his short hair. "She's not for me!" His nails raked over his scalp as he recalled her intention of marrying him.
"Well, don't you worry." John slid out and patted his back with a smile. "This invention's going to bet he start to a new life for us." He winked at his son. "Let's give it a try." He flipped the switch and the axe attached to an extended arm began to move as it should, bobbing up and down. John grinned as he turned it off. "Stiles, bring me one of the branches!"
Stiles rushed back into their home before returning with an armful of wood, anticipation buzzing in his veins.
John carefully maneuvered the wood beneath the axe and flipped it on again. The axe cut through the wood as intended and John could only stare at it in shock.
Stiles jumped about eagerly. "It works!" He yelled out, unable to contain himself.
"It does? It-It does!" John cheered as he pulled his son into a hug, spinning him around as the two laughed loudly.
"You did it! You really did it!" Stiles cheered as well when they pulled apart.
"Hitch up Peter, son! I'm off to the fair!"