Chapter Ten:
Derek had noticed the look Stiles had given him when he'd set the toast down. It wasn't Derek's fault he didn't know how to cook- Laura had always been the culinary one…and after she died Derek wasn't exactly in the mood to learn how. Instead he'd sufficed on microwave mac-'n-cheese, toast, soup in a cup, and the large expanse of takeaway food that Beacon Hills had to offer.
"Thanks dude." Stiles said with a nod of appreciation, obviously not going to bring up the fact that Derek had just made him toast for lunch.
They were sitting on Derek's sofa, Stiles seemingly comfortable in resting his legs on the coffee table even though Derek sat stiffly and obviously awkward beside him. He wasn't used to…this proximity. Not that they hadn't been close in the past, especially during all that Kanima bullshit- but this kind of closeness was voluntary and not just necessary in the face of a threat. He'd enjoyed being close to the boy that morning…holding him for almost half an hour, while he calmed down… He kind of felt guilty actually, feeling pleasure at a time like that- not that he didn't also feel the worry, anger and fear- he felt those in bucket loads.
They sat in silence, the only audible sound coming from the crunch of Stiles' teeth on toast, and the clanking of the plate on the table as he finished.
"How long does it usually take?" Stiles asked him, looking at him with wide, innocent brown eyes. "How long does it take to…uhh…start again? The pain I mean."
The kid looked so bloody awkward even speaking to him, though, Derek guessed, it was kind of a given since neither he nor Scott had actually shown any trust towards Derek- even if he had saved their butts countless times.
"It varies- just like it varies how long the entire experience lasts for…we just have to wait and see I guess." Derek responded, finding himself relax a little now that conversation had actually started, settling down into the couch and uncrossing his arms slightly. Stiles though, had started to do the opposite- becoming awkward and stiff.
"And…when it starts you'll take away the pain, right?" Stiles asked, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive gesture.
"Yes Stiles- me, or any of the wolves around you- we wouldn't let you be in that kind of pain." Stiles seemed to relax a bit at that, a shy smile crossing his features.
"Thanks." He said and his smile warmed Derek's heart, "So…how do you know so much about this anyway?"
Derek was surprised at the question…Stiles had actually initiated more than one conversation in under two minutes, it was unheard of! Well…with Derek that is- he seemed to converse fine with everyone else. Derek actually had the sneaking suspicion Stiles was afraid of him. Not that he'd done anything to help Stiles stray from that.
"I went on a trip, back when I was young with…my dad, and Peter. It was just to visit some Druids; our pack was pretty friendly with Druids- you can probably tell with how we interact with Deaton…"
Stiles nodded a sign to keep going.
"Anyway- the Druids had a problem in their town…all these bodies had gone missing and then, eventually, so had people. They knew what was happening…but couldn't exactly initiate a fight- Druids are people of peace, of knowledge- knowledge is what they live for, so they called my dad in to help with the situation…He and Peter seemed to think it was a good idea to bring me along- learning about fellow supernatural creatures and all."
Derek kind of felt awkward talking to Stiles like this. Derek didn't talk much- that was his thing, and he was damned good at it too.
"So, uh…when we found them, they were actually in the process of biting this one Druid- and by the time we killed them it was too late to help him. In the end we had to stay a bit longer…just to leach the pain away from the bitten Druid. Since we were there for a while- the others filled us in with stories about Ghouls- about what they could do and what their characteristics were…just to pass the time I think."
"So you know all this stuff about them?" Stiles asked -his body tense with interest.
"Yeah- we were there for a while." Derek nodded.
"So…do you know how they were created? Like, was it an evolutionary thing like any other species…or was it like some kinda weird shit?" Stiles looked really excited at the idea of learning some of Derek's knowledge on Ghoul.
"Well…it's kind of a long story." Derek said awkwardly, but inside he was cheering at the plain fact that the boy was paying attention to him. God- he was like twelve year old girl.
"Dude, if you hadn't noticed- I'm kinda exiled from School at the moment. I have a lot of free time on my hands." Stiles was smirking at him mockingly, but his voice was high with anticipation.
Derek sighed, "Fine- but don't complain if this takes a while…"
Stiles nodded, fast and encouragingly, like he couldn't wait for Derek to continue. That was one thing Derek constantly noticed about him…the boy was always so damn inquisitive.
"Okay, so…ugh. The origins of Ghouls…it's complicated, okay?"
Stiles smirked, and Derek wondered if he was being hopeful because the look on Stiles' face was downright seductive- how does someone that dorky even go about that? "Oh, I'm sure I'll keep up." He said.
…
…
Okay then…well…
Derek coughed, "Okay then, so Witches. They're real too."
"Witches? I thought we were talking 'bout Ghouls- watcha playin' at Hale?" Stiles pulled a 'bitch face'.
"To understand Ghouls- you have to understand Witches." Derek sighed.
Stiles nodded.
"So witches. There are good ones and bad ones and different types for each. The good ones are divided into wiccans (the religious, mostly-human ones), the warlocks (powerful, male sorcerers), the sorceresses (basically a female version of a warlock) and the classic witches and wizards who are probably more like Gandalf than Harry potter." Derek saw Stiles' smirk at his pop-culture references.
"Bad witches- well, there's heaps of types of them too. Sirens (they're pretty damned bad- usually beautiful women willing men to their deaths), Incubuses (who literally kill people through sex), dark sorcerers (they use dark magic for evil purposes- often using sacrifices too) and then there's the classic Hansel and Gretel witches (yes they exist Stiles- let me finish!). The one that's important though…is a necromancer-a magical controller of everything dead and un-dead. Necromancers were once evil sorcerers…but strayed to the life of specifically death magic- a magic that requires pure dedication and evil."
Derek looked at Stiles, making sure the kid was following and taking everything very seriously. He was.
"Necromancers…they usually need tortured souls for power…or sacrifices. It turns out inventing Ghouls gave them both. The first ghoul…it was created by a very powerful, forward- thinking necromancer. A necromancer who was too damned lazy to kill her own people, so , using her powers over the dead…she brought a couple men back to life- took away all their emotions except the need to kill- to eat…to sustain themselves, so they sustain her evil. "
"Ghouls, after that, were made by almost every necromancer alive (no Stiles- that was not a pun), the efficiency of a monster under your control- constantly sacrificing and destroying humans, bringing you power- it seemed perfectly ideal. Still does…the only problem is that, once the necromancers die, (and yes, before you ask, they can die it just takes a few more years than a human), the Ghouls have no master…no-one to tell them who and when to kill. So they become like the ones we saw last night- like the one that bit you- mindless, bloodthirsty monsters, constantly roaming the globe in look for dead flesh." Derek finished on that note, thinking to himself that he'd sufficiently explained the origin of Ghouls.
Stiles looked stunned- and a bit excited.
"So where did witches originate?!" he asked in a shrill voice of excitement. His honey eyes were wide and overjoyed- like knowledge was the biggest fix in the world.
Derek rolled his eyes, "I'm not a damn bestiary Stiles- you want to know the entire history of magic? Go ask Deaton."
"Awwww- but I want you to tell meeee!" Stiles whined, pouting at Derek and scrunching his nose up in a mock-frown. Derek did not find it cute. He did not.