*This chapter does not correspond with an episode*
CHAPTER 9- TRUTH OR DARE
Bennett slowly cracked open his eyes, peering in the dark room. The sun hadn't risen yet and he could no longer feel Stiles' arms wrapped around him and in the short time they had been together, he began to realize he liked the feeling. Bennett rolled over to face Stiles but when he did, instead of seeing a sleeping Stiles, he saw Stiles was staring at him with a smile on his face, his hair sticking up in every direction. Even though he looked insanely comical, the only thought that crossed Bennett's mind was how hot Stiles looked right now and how much he loved the boy.
"Jesus Stiles!" Bennett exclaimed, yanking the blankets over his head. "That is so fucking creepy! Why are you watching me sleep?"
Stiles reached over and, still smiling, gently pulled the blankets from Bennett's head.
"Because I'm happy. When I first realized my feelings for you were more than physical, I was scared shitless. I never would have dreamed you would like me back. I mean, you're something special. But now that I know the truth, everything else doesn't seem so bad. Besides, didn't you tell me you used to watch me sleep?"
"Yea, well…it was a lot less 'the call is coming from inside the house' when I did it. Why aren't you asleep anyway? What time is it?" Bennett asked, looking around for his phone.
Stiles reached over and pulled Bennett back into his arms, enveloping the other boy in his embrace. "It's 5 am. I can't go back to sleep. I know we've only been sleeping for a few hours but I'm like supercharged."
"Yea, surprisingly me too, especially considering what we just did. Shit, we have to up for school in 2 hours." Bennett replied, pushing his body further into Stiles'.
The two teenage boys laid in comfortable silence for several minutes, both thinking about where their lives had taken them.
Bennett thought about how quickly he found himself falling for Stiles, even though they had only known each other for a month. He worried that because they were moving so fast, they would fizzle out just as quickly. It also worried him that he was uncertain where his future would take him after the Darach was dealt with. He knew his mother would want to go back to San Francisco but he wasn't so sure he wanted to give up this feeling; this moment. His other thoughts were centered on the kiss he had seen in his vision. He didn't want to believe that they would do that to him but he saw it with his own inner eye. He knew he didn't want to bring it up with Stiles. Vision's worked oddly; he didn't know if by telling Stiles about the kiss is what made them kiss in the first place and he wasn't ready to take his chances.
Stiles thought about his father and if he were safe and alive. He knew he should be a mess but lying in this bed with Bennett in his arms had a calming effect on him and calmed the storm that had been raging within him the last few hours. He didn't have the heart to tell Bennett that he actually had not slept at all; his mind a jumble of thoughts and feelings about Scott and his dad he wasn't sure he was ready to share. He also thought about the look on Scott's face on the rooftop last night when Stiles had pleaded with him not to leave and he just left, leaving Stiles a broken man. But he had Bennett. And Bennett had helped pull him back together again but he was worried Bennett would tire of him and leave him just like everyone else he loved. That thought made him pull Bennett into him harder and squeeze a little tighter.
"So, what were you dreaming about?" Stiles asked, gingerly smelling Bennett's hair and placing a kiss on the back of his head.
"I actually don't dream." Bennett replied turning to face Stiles.
"What?! How can you not dream?" Stiles asked, surprise dominating his features.
"Witches don't dream. If I'm not having a dreaming vision, I see nothing."
The surprise on Stiles' face smoothed over, slowly being replaced by a look of curiosity.
"So do you only have visions when you're asleep?"
"No," Bennett replied "but it's easier to receive a vision while asleep because your mind is more relaxed so they slip in a lot easier."
"Where do your visions come from?" Stiles asked. He reached underneath the covers and grabbed Bennett's hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. Now that he had Bennett, he didn't realize how badly he wanted him until now. The feeling was strong; it even surprised Stiles. He knew Bennett could sense his emotions so he tried his hardest not to broadcast his feelings and scare Bennett away. Something inside of him told him they were perfect for each other.
Bennett took a moment to contemplate the question Stiles had just asked him before answering.
"Honestly, I don't know. Different witches believe different things; some believe God gives them to us, other believe some kind of outside, shapeless form sends them to us, it really depends on the person. I like to believe the universe allows me to see what I need to see when I need to see it."
"So, do all witches believe in God?"
"No, we're witches but we're still human. Different witches have different belief systems and different ways of explaining how they got their powers. So there are Catholic witches, Christian witches, even Mormon witches. For the most part, being a witch is a religion in itself."
Stiles' serious expression quickly morphed into a grin that moved from one ear to the other.
"As if Mormon's didn't have enough crazy to worry about already! So what do you believe?"
"Well, my dad is Jewish and my mom is very eclectic. I'm somewhere in the middle. I believe in the power of Nature, the universe and reincarnation like my mom but I'd like to think there's a higher power watching over me and I'd like to think Heaven is real." Bennett replied, a small smile on his face.
"What about your brother?" Stiles asked.
"Vartan is so much like our dad, it's scary. Vartan doesn't see magick the way mom and I do, he just sees it as something that makes him different but he wouldn't change like a weird birthmark or something. He's Jewish like dad. Our parents made a deal before I was born that they would let us choose and Vartan chose to be Jewish, he even got circumcised when he 10. Mom hated it; she said he was butchering the perfect body the Goddess had given him."
"So you don't know what happens when someone dies? I just thought that maybe if you knew I would know what happened to my mom, y'know?" Stiles had gotten an air of sadness at the mention of his mother.
"I'm sorry Stiles but I don't know. I do know that some witches claim to be able to summon spirits but I've never actually seen a ghost." Bennett said. He began smoothing Stiles' unruly hair down before placing a hand on either side of his face. "But believe me when I say that wherever she is, she's watching over you and I know she would be proud of you."
"I know." Stiles replied looking into Bennett's eyes.
"She would have liked you." He said, placing a small kiss on Bennett's lips. "So…where do witches come from?"
"Again, I don't know. There's only so much history we know ourselves because for a long time, there were no records kept. My own Book of Shadows doesn't start until well into the 18th century."
"That book creeps me out." Stiles said, a shiver running down his spine.
"Why?"
"It's because you and Lydia would sit there pouring over that book and talking about what was in it, pointing at things but every time I looked at it, it just looked like you were looking at blank pages."
"Oh. That's because there's a shitload of super powerful spells on it. Being a witch means we have to keep a lot of secrets; secrets I can't even tell you. We have to be very careful about who we trust, especially when so many people can get hurt from the knowledge within it. The last time someone let another person know our secrets, the witch trials began."
"Wait, like the Salem Witch Trials?!" Stiles exclaimed, the now familiar look of surprise working its way back onto his face.
"Well they took place all over the world but yes, some of the people killed were actually witches. Not many, but there were casualties."
"But how?" Stiles asked. "Don't you have spells to teleport or stop time? At least a spell to make it rain?"
"Time magick can only be done by really powerful witches and translocation is dangerous. Besides, like I said, they trusted the wrong person; someone who knew about vervain and what it does to our powers."
"So how did you guys bounce back from that?" Stiles asked. He slowly turned from Bennett and slid into his arms. Almost instantly, Bennett responded by enclosing his arms around Stiles' lithe form. It almost seemed natural to the two of them being so close to each other.
"We learned from our mistakes. We made precautions to ensure our safety. It's why we decided to use Witch Names."
"What are Witch Names?"
"Witch Names or Craft Names is something that was invented sometime in the 1800s. Witches decided that they needed code names to hide their identities when writing letters to other witches and things like that. They also used the names during Sabbaths and private meetings which was beneficial because at that time witches wore masks. So if a witch chose to accuse another witch, they wouldn't know who it was. We stopped wearing masks but we continued using Witch Names."
"What's yours?" Stiles asked.
"Sorry love, I can't tell you. Literally. The ritual we perform during The Naming has an Oath of Secrecy in it which binds us from telling anyone outside of our circle our Craft Names."
"So what exactly as Sabbaths?"
"There's debate on if they're called Sabbaths or Sabbats but it's generally a meeting of witches. It could be anything from a discussion on a potion recipe to a new birth, to a holiday gathering."
"You guys have holidays."
At this, Bennett began to laugh. He couldn't see Stiles' face but he imagined he sported a look of confusion and affront.
"Of course we have holidays. There's only four- The Spring Equinox, The Summer Solstice, The Fall Equinox, and The Winter Solstice. Most witches celebrate mortal holidays as well if they choose a belief system that has these traditions but our holiday match pretty closely to mortal holidays. Our Fall Equinox corresponds with Halloween, even though the true Autumn Equinox is in September but we chose to celebrate it during our New Year. The Winter Solstice is only days before Christmas. The Spring Equinox corresponds with your Easter. You'd be surprised how many traditions you mortals have today that are based on our beliefs."
"The really cool!" Stiles said, his voice taking on an air of wonder. "Could I ever come to one of these Sabbaths?"
"Actually, you can." Bennett replied. "A lot of mortals come to events we have. Most of them are Wiccans but anyone's welcome. There are certain things we do that mortals can't witness but otherwise, they're pretty open. Maybe I'll bring you to our Samhain festivities."
"Sow-wen?"
"Basically it's Halloween. It's when the veil between all the worlds are thinnest so if we could summon a spirit, that would be a night to do it."
Bennett pulled Stiles closer to his body, their body heat melding together creating a different kind of magick. Even though Stiles turned him on to no end, the emotion radiating between them wasn't sexual. He genuinely cared for Stiles and that thought sent a warm wave through his body.
"Any other questions?" Bennett asked Stiles.
"Yea, do all witches have the same powers as you?"
"For the most part, yes. All witches have visions, can move objects with their minds, can read and influence minds and emotions, and can astral project. But only a few powerful witches, like myself, can influence the four elements of Nature. I'm pretty new at that so I'm still learning. And of course we can all cast spells and make potions and stuff."
"Just how powerful are you?" Stiles inquired.
"My mom says I'm the strongest in our family to date but I share that title with Lydia now but because of some stuff she's going through, I'm reigning solo right now. My mom thinks the two of us are so powerful because we draw our magick from Beacon Hills which has so much magickal energy it's not even funny. The fact that we're the only ones drawing from it makes us even more powerful."
"So if a witch had a baby tomorrow on this land, would you guys get weaker?"
"Yes but not by much. The amount of magick a witch baby can use is very small but as it got stronger, we would get slightly weaker. It's not like an unlimited supply. But there are factors which can influence power levels. Genealogy is the biggest factor. If you come from a powerful family, your chances of being powerful are higher. The amount of witches in relation to the size of the land is another factor. Also the oldest witch of that land, The Alpha, has first dibs on the magick and they're the ones who call the shots in all witch matters. If we leave our lands, we'll still be drawing our magick from our lands but the distance away from it will affect our magick strength."
"Wow, those are a lot of odds stacked against you." Stiles said smiling.
"It's not so bad. There's more magick in the world than you think so there's a lot to draw on and it's not like the magick we use just goes out into the world and disappears. Magick is neither created nor destroyed."
"Somehow, I don't think that's what Lavoisier meant!"
"Wow Stiles, Lavoisier before breakfast! I think intelligence is very sexy. Oh, I forgot! The phases of the moon affect our powers."
"What do you mean?"
"On new moons, we're at our weakest. We're by no means weak just not as strong as we could be. On full moons we're at our strongest. On lunar eclipses, we are completely powerless; mortal."
"Ummm…Bennett baby, you are aware there's a lunar eclipse coming up right?" Stiles said slightly turning towards Bennett.
"Shit, you're right! I completely forgot!" Bennett said. He pulled away from Stiles and was about to climb out of bed when Stiles pulled him back in and they switch positions. Bennett was now wrapped in Stiles' arms again. It was a cuddling tango and it was now Stiles' turn to lead.
"Don't worry babe, I'll protect you. You'll be fine, I promise."
Sighing, Bennett responded.
"You're right, I'll be fine. With all the wolves we know, everything will be fine." Bennett said. The panic he had felt was starting to dissipate and his heartbeat was slowing back down but there was still uncertainty in his mind. He hated being without his powers; the night he was affected by vervain confirmed this. It was so much a part of himself that without them he felt heavy and bound, a stark contrast to the unbridled freedom magick gave him. But all magick would be gone during the eclipse, not just witch's magick, so all of his charms would be useless and all the protection spells he's cast on Lydia and Stiles' houses and on Lydia and Stiles themselves would temporarily lose their power. The thought of their imminent danger scared him more than his own powerlessness and he knew the wolves would be just as powerless but he couldn't tell Stiles and risk him freaking out as well. He had too much to worry about already.
"So what's the deal with the whole land thing anyway? Why is land so important to witches?"
"It's not just witches, land is important to everyone. Wolves protect their territory. Mortals cherish the places they find familiar. The reason land is so important to us is because whenever anyone is born, whether they're mortal or witch, the act of creation releases magick into the world. The magick that's released connects to the magick that's already present on the lands and connects the lands to the person whose magick was released. Because the amount of magick mortals have is so small, they don't notice the connection but when a witch is born, they release a higher amount of magick so our connection to the land is stronger. We simply exploit that connection. If I wanted to, I could hear the thoughts of everyone born on this land; I could feel all of their emotions. It's why I only get visions of people connected to the land that I'm connected to. Except wolves, they're like magickal black holes."
"Why?"
"Because witches are beings of Nature and wolves are anything but natural."
"Makes sense. So why haven't the Argents come after you yet?"
"Hunters leave witches alone since we both fight for the same thing- the protection of humans. They won't hunt us until one of us goes warlock. They do watch me like a hawk to make sure I don't go dark side though."
They settled into comfortable silence again, something they found they could easily do without feeling like they had to fill the empty space with words. They had both been in heavy contemplation when Stiles broke the silence.
"You know it's funny. I surround myself with people who can do some pretty badass things and yet I'm just the weak little human who can't do anything but get myself in trouble."
"First of all Stiles, you're not weak. Your connection to the mortal world is an asset not a weakness. I love how human you are. You know, my entire life people have had to protect me. My mom has protected me when magick is involved. My dad felt he had to protect me from the world. And Vartan is the definition of protection. My parents always said Vartan should have been born first. He acts like the protective big brother. But I like that I can protect you. Not because you need protection but because I love you and you protect the ones you love."
"But I just feel like…I can't help to think that maybe if I had been stronger, if I had wolf strength or something, I could've saved my dad from being taken."
"No Stiles that was not your fault. Believe me. Even if you had the power, it wouldn't have helped. Look at Scott, he has power and he still couldn't stop her. She's strong; maybe too strong. And I can't even ask my mom for help since she refuses to answer my calls. I tried my brother and he won't answer either. It's starting to worry me."
"Hey babe, they're fine. I'm sure there's some explanation for why they're not answering. Did you try your magick?"
"Yep and I got nothing. I think they're blocking me for some reason…or they're dead."
"They are not dead Bennett. Your mom's not dead and neither is my dad. They're both fine."
Bennett hesitated. He knew that Stiles' father was going to die but he couldn't bring himself to say the words aloud; he couldn't make himself say the words. A part of him hoped he wouldn't have to be the one to tell him but he refused to start this relationship off with lies so he braced himself for the fallout.
"Stiles," he said, turning Stiles in his direction. "I had a vision. I saw your dad die. I saw that bitch kill him and then she killed Scott's mom."
Bennett waited for Stiles to blow but he sat there in complete silence, staring into Bennett's green eyes. Bennett couldn't read the expression on his face and the lack of emotion scared him a little bit.
"Stiles?" He asked concerningly.
There was silence for another minute before the light returned to his eyes and he spoke.
"Your visions, they're not set in stone right?"
"No, they're merely a glimpse into a possible future; the future that's most likely to happen."
"So that means we can change it. We will change it. My dad is not going to die. If I have to pull a Superman and run backwards to rewind time, I'm saving my father."
The conviction in his voice both terrified and excited Bennett. He had never seen this side of Stiles before and he liked the passion. It reminded him of the same passion he put into their lovemaking.
"Whoa!" Stiles said, his eyes growing wide as he stared at Bennett.
"What?"
"All of a sudden, I got really horny…was that you? Did you Push me?"
"No, I promise. I was turned on by your little speech though, maybe I…oh shit!"
"Ben, what is it?!"
"I just remembered something I probably should have told you before we had sex."
"…what is it?"
"You see when a witch spends a lot of time around someone from their lands, the connection between them strengthens. It makes it easier for the witch to locate them or hear them when they're not around. But if a witch has sex with someone from their lands, it makes an even stronger connection."
"What does that mean?"
"It means, now not only can I feel your emotions but you can feel mine."
Instead of freaking out, Stiles' mouth drew into a cocky but seductive grin.
"Just think of how fun that's going to make the next time we have sex." He replied, his smirking growing as one of his eyebrows began to lift.
Bennett's face began to morph to mock the expression Stiles had, his own arousal hitting him like a ton of bricks. The sensation was stronger than he had ever experienced; every emotion- arousal, excitement, and love were all stronger and it was making the room warmer than it had been minutes again. Bennett slowly began moving his face towards Stiles' when something to his right caught his attention.
"Oh shit Stiles look!" Bennett said gesturing towards the window. They had been talking for longer than they thought and the sun was beginning to peek across the horizon, painting the sky in watercolor display of blues, yellows, and orange. "We have to get ready for school."
"Ugh! Come on, just a quickie!" Stiles replied throwing himself back into the pillows with a groan.
"It's probably for the best, you're not getting into my panties again that easy. You gotta take me out on a date first. I'm a lady."
"Yea but the lady's a tramp." Stiles smirked.
Bennett climbed out of bed and was walking towards the bathroom when he stopped and turn towards Stiles.
"Stiles? What are we now? Are we boyfriends? Friends with benefits? Are we going to tell people about this…unless you want to keep it quiet? I would understand if you did. I wouldn't want you to come out at school and stuff if you're not ready. Are you even gay?" Bennett asked, turning his gaze down to the ground. He couldn't look up and meet Stiles' eyes for fear of the inevitable rejection that was bound to come.
Bennett could hear the sheets ruffle as Stiles climbed out of bed and walk towards him.
"Dude, I just got fucked in the ass by another guy…that's pretty fucking gay!"
When he got no reply from Bennett, Stiles reached out and pulled Bennett's face up so he could look in his eyes but Bennett still refused to make eye contact.
"Honestly? I don't think I'm gay. I still like girls but I'm not going to say the thought of having sex with a guy doesn't excite me equally as much so I guess I'm bi. And I would hope you're my boyfriend since I don't think I could just be friends with you. I love you way too much for that."
At this declaration Bennett finally looked up into Stiles' eyes and he could literally see the love he had for Bennett and it felt so good, it hurt. Bennett never thought he would get this.
"What about the people at school? What about your dad? Don't you care what they'll say?"
"Yes and no. Look, I know my dad and I know he's not going to care. He's not like that. Besides you're gay and my dad loves you! And the people at school barely know I exist, I don't think they're going to even notice if I make out with you in the hallway. And I will be making out with you in the hallway! If Ethan and Danny can, we definitely can." Stiles said beaming.
His smiles were infectious and Bennett was soon sporting a similar look.
"God, ever since I told you I love you, I've been acting like such a girl!" Bennett said, turning around and walking towards the bathroom door.
"You're right but I wouldn't say you were much of a man before."
"Says the guy who was bent over like a little bitch!"
"Shut up you! Just wait, tonight it's gonna be your turn, then we'll see who's the bitch." Stiles replied walking up behind Bennett and grabbing his ass, eliciting a yelp from Bennett's lips.
Bennett didn't know what would happen in the coming week, he didn't know if the vision he saw of Stiles and Lydia kissing was going to come true and at the moment, he didn't really care. Because for the first time since arriving in Beacon Hills he was happy. Completely, utterly, deliriously happy and it was thanks to one boy. A boy he dreamed about years ago when they were both 8 and he was mourning the death of his mother. Bennett promised himself that one day he would tell Stiles that he had fallen in love with him the first time he saw him. He would tell him how much he loved him when Sheriff Stilinski brought home a puppy to cheer him up. He would tell him how he saw the way he cried when the puppy ran away. And Bennett would tell Stiles that even when miles apart, Bennett knew that one day they would be in this very moment. A moment that may not last forever but a moment was all they needed right now.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
So I basically wrote this chapter for 2 reasons. The most important reason was because I wanted to address some points about their relationship that I didn't feel I could explore in only 2 chapters and the other reason is because I felt like there was a lot of witch mythology that I never got to talk about so I wanted to have a chapter where everything is addressed and the audience gets the full lowdown on witches. Originally this was supposed to be the beginning of the next chapter, Alpha Pact but I ended up making it longer than I thought it would be. If anyone has anymore questions about witches, just let me know and I'll throw it into the next chapters.
Also I don't think I'll have to put it in the story but Dahlia's (Lydia's mom) Craft name is Bartuma (pronounced bar-too-ma) which means "valley-dweller" and Lydia's would have been Vanya (pronounced vaun-ee-a) which means "beautiful".
Originally, even before writing the story, I knew Bennett was going to have had visions about Stiles since they were kids and originally I had Bennett having seen Stiles' mom death but I omitted that last part cuz I feel like it would have brought up too many sad memories when Stiles is already going through so much.