No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
Void purred loudly from where he was laying on her chest, claws lazily digging in and out of her sleeve as Stiles scratched his neck, lost in thought and still in wonder about what she'd learned the day before.
There had been... a lot.
All of which only made harder over the fact that Derek wasn't the best of teachers, not knowing how to explain things that came so naturally to him.
So, she ended the visit knowing much and nearly nothing at the same time.
Oh, it hadn't been fruitless. Derek told her the concealing thing was all in the presence, that it was something they'd learn naturally once they're more settled into themselves, something born shifters have since childhood once they start displaying Supernatural abilities.
He also admitted to not being the ones to bite them, something she'd already known but that finally allowed her to drive through Scott's thick skull along with every bit of information about the Alpha, Derek had.
Stiles couldn't help the churning in her stomach with the knowledge she sat with, unsure what to do with it.
Yes, she knew it was Peter... and?
What the hell was she going to do about it?
She couldn't kill him. Not only would it make her an Alpha, something she really didn't want, but Stiles didn't have it in her to murder someone. Even if they were killers themselves.
And something else Stiles couldn't admit out loud but that she'd recognize from admitting in her real world... She understood Peter.
Alright, perhaps not him, but his motives.
Peter was after revenge. Revenge for his burnt family, for being put in a coma, for the cold blooded murder and destruction of his pack and himself.
Was it not just justice being made?
She had always thought so after watching the first season and the whole reason for the killings was uncovered.
Stiles couldn't remember if any of the people he had killed were innocent.
Aside from trying to get rid of Allison as a last act of revenge, had he even attacked anyone that hadn't had a hand in either the fire itself or of covering it later on?
Who was Stiles to stand in the way of his retribution?
Either way, what could she even do about it?
Tell Derek? There was no way of telling him without saying the whole truth, and that was something she'd take to the grave if she had to. After all, they weren't all that happy about possession, from what she could remember, and Stiles was afraid of what they'd do if they found out.
Even if she did tell him, it would change nothing. He'd still help his uncle after a little tussle, and she'd be left without a teacher earlier than before.
Would she confront him? When she'd been feeling the way he was calling for her? When she'd still answer it before coming to herself?
No, no way.
He terrified her, and for all that Stiles would be more than content to stay out of his way, she wasn't going to let him turn her into a killer.
Those hands weren't even her own, what right did she have to stain them with blood?
She couldn't do it alone, couldn't win against him by herself.
With all the things that she couldn't do, she basked in knowing what she could.
Not shifting wasn't one of them, yet, but Derek had taught her the one thing he knew he could.
How to slow down her healing.
It seemed like a stupid thing to learn, but it made sense in her head to start with it.
Healing was the first thing she gained as a werewolf. Her first ability. The first sign the body she had jumped into wouldn't die.
It's also the only thing she could think of that would save her from shifting when the game was so close to happening, after all, it wasn't Derek or Scott's presence that stopped her during the full moon. It was pain.
"Stop the healing and feel the pain." Derek's words echoed in her ears, her hands stilling on Void and fingers flexing after gently taking them off the purring cat. "Pain makes us human."
"Pain makes us human." She whispered to herself, a faint memory that Scott one day uttered the same thing to himself. "Pain makes us human."
The repeating of those words solidified her resolve.
Stiles knew being a werewolf was something she couldn't ignore; couldn't pretend it didn't happen until it went away, because it wouldn't.
There was a viciously mocking voice in the back of her head that mocked her for pretending that she was talking about being a werewolf, but Stiles didn't have time to visit that when she had work to do.
Void sent her a put out look when she carefully set him down on the bed, yowling loudly before grumpily hobbling to the space between her knees from sitting criss cross, earning a smile and a quick scratch between his ears.
Stiles took a deep breath, straightening her back and looking down at her hand with a glare.
For all that she had seemingly accepted the fact that she was werewolf, Stiles hadn't seen any physical manifestation of it aside from the healed wounds. Hadn't had the courage to look at the foreign face in the mirror and force her eyes to glow gold, or see how she'd look with her fangs out, let alone see the whole ugly thing.
So it was only natural that seeing the short nails turn into claws made her shake her hand violently, as if getting rid of a bug that had crawled up her arm, squealing and nearly flinging poor Void off herself.
It took her a few more tries and a few tearings in her duvet until she could look down at the nails without freaking out, breathing deeply and trying to understand what she felt bringing them forward. It was an interesting feeling, not exactly like a warmth but...
Stiles couldn't explain, and she definitely understood Derek's problem with teaching about it when she herself couldn't put it to words.
If she had to, Stiles would compare it to the feeling of flexing- the feeling not the act. The feeling you get when you feel your muscles tense, when you can taste your strength - whichever it may be, and how it hurt but also fulfilled you.
It hovered and itched like standing too close to the heat, not unwelcomed, quite soothing even though you knew you'd have to be mindful not to distract yourself from it, or you'd get burned.
That was how she would describe it.
Stiles blinked at the lack of pain from where she had dragged her claw against the skin of her arm.
She frowned, looking in confusion at her arm before moving her attention to the claw; there was blood under her nail.
Oh, of course it couldn't be that easy.
Stiles clawed herself faster, at least seeing it healing and feeling what seemed like a mosquito bite.
Her eyes moved down to the cat watching her judgingly, meowing once.
"I'm trying!"
By Friday Stiles was re-visiting the idea of letting Derek run her over with a car to save her from having to play.
She was nervous, frustrated and angry with herself for failing so spectacularly.
Scott watched her warily when she stabbed the salad so hard that she broke her fork, growling quietly until he silently extended his own plastic fork.
"Maybe he's right, maybe we shouldn't play-"
"Oh, we're playing, alright." Stiles hissed, glaring at his hand holding her wrist and stopping her from breaking the fork when she was going to stab too harshly again. "We're playing even if I have to wear some torture device to feel something during the game."
Scott slowly let her go, as if checking that she wouldn't break his fork that time and shaking his head at her stubbornness, pausing and narrowing his eyes at her when she pursed her lips and looked up pensively.
"Stiles. You are not using some torture thing to play!" She sent him a dirty look, hiding the fact that she actually considered it to glare at him, shoving some salad into her mouth and giving him the fork so he'd have a turn at eating his own food.
"I wasn't going to!"
"Right."
"I wasn't!" Scott could only send her a deadpan look and chewed while Stiles grumpily crossed her arms, tilting her head to the side at the sound of someone hesitantly approaching their table, seeing Scott's eyes also flick to the side, hearing the same sound she had.
The boy sent her a pained glare when she kicked his chin, silently telling him to act human and stealing the fork back for her turn.
They waited for whoever was thinking of talking to them to finally approach, and Stiles smiled at Isaac's hesitant presence, eyes roving over him in search of his food but finding none.
"Hey, uh-" His eyes nervously flicked to Scott, who was watching it all in a thoughtful silence, swiping back the fork and studying the boy awkwardly paused at the end of their table.
"Hey, Isaac! Wanna sit with us?" The human shook his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets when Scott raised his brows at her, earning another kick to the shin that had him grunting in pain. "C'mon, sit with us? Please?"
This time when she kicked her let, Scott managed to avoid it while he choked on his lunch at the sight of Stiles using the puppy-eyes on someone other than him, as she had taken to abusing the fact none of the males in her life could resist it, much to her surprise.
Scott couldn't, nor the Sheriff or Derek, let alone Isaac.
She had yet to try it on the likes of Finstock or Jackson, but she was keeping that weapon for a rainy day.
As expected, it didn't take much longer for Isaac to sit with them, a small smile in his lips when Stiles beamed happily at him.
"Scott, this is Isaac-"
"Yeah, he's on the team with us." Scott interrupted, finally able to choke out through the coughing, nodding at Isaac and pretending not to notice the other boy's surprise at being recognized. "Sup."
She rolled her eyes at the bro-talk, passing Isaac her apple to get his attention and smiling over his weak protests.
"Finally stopped hiding from me, huh?" Isaac's smile turned bashful, but he still shrugged and used the apple as an escape so he wouldn't have to answer her. "Not that I'm complaining, but did you need something?"
She watched him play with the bitten apple, hearing his heartbeat rush faster nervously and sharing a quick look with Scott, who looked mostly amused by what he was watching.
"You said to... tell you when I was free?" Stiles perked up on her seat, smiling excitedly and ignoring the way Scott's face scrunched in order to peer at Isaac impatiently, happy to see him biting back a smile. "Well, I'm free today, so..."
Stiles couldn't help but grin at his new confidence, nodding without hesitation.
"Great, we could go after class and I'll drive you home later." It was Scott's turn to kick her, sending her a pointed curious look. "Isaac's tutoring me in Chem."
"But you're gr-" Isaac ducked his head down, face red and hiding a grin behind his apple at the sound Scott made after Stiles kicked the chair hard enough that he had to grasp the table not to topple back, an unmanly squeak leaving his chest as she narrowed her eyes at him in warning. "Ass."
His hiss was too quiet for Isaac to hear, but still had Stiles snorting and shaking her head, opening her mouth to bully Scott some more when the bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch.
Isaac cleared his throat, eyes shining in shy amusement when Stiles' attention snapped back at him immediately.
"I'll meet you in the parking lot?" She nodded, putting two thumbs up and having to bite back a victorious cheer at his quiet laugh, watching him leave until all she could catch of him was his lingering scent.
Stiles was pleased to note that there was no bitter or foul scent from him, just something sweet and almost spicy, nothing she could recognize yet, but good, nonetheless.
"I get why you say you're over Jackson, now." Her head snapped back at Scott, looking at him wide-eyed in confusion, tilting her head to the side for a moment before glowering once understanding dawned on her.
"Shut up, I don't have a crush on Isaac." Scott sent her a disbelieving look, brows raised while he finished stuffing the cold mac-and-cheese into his mouth to quickly give her the fork.
"Stiles, you're averaging an A- in Chemistry," How the hell does he know that but doesn't remember his own?! "you don't need a tutor."
"Just- shut up, alright? I don't have a crush on Isaac Lahey."
The face of mocking disbelief he always made whenever he didn't believe her was quickly getting on her nerves.
"And the- the eye thing?"
"The eye thing?"
"Yeah!" He finally got up to his feet to follow her, grabbing Stiles' backpack when she took his tray to throw it out on their way to class. "The eye thing, you know. The-" When she looked at him from over her shoulder, Stiles couldn't help but laugh at him fluttering his lashes dramatically, brows scrunched up and chin down. He looked ridiculous.
"You should recognize it! I stole that move from you!"
"I don't do that!" Her grin made Scott glare harder and bump into her to maker her stumble, leaving her laughing behind while he rushed to their shared class.
Stiles glared at him when she saw where he had dropped her bag, baring her teeth at him when he smiled viciously at her.
The little shit.
Lydia Martin sent her a sneering mocking smile when Stiles sat behind her, which only made the werewolf glare again at her friend for torturing her that way,
If there was one thing she learned those two weeks she'd been in Stiles' body, was that Lydia Martin hated her.
Not in a 'bully, you're at the bottom of the ladder' kind of way, but in a 'your very existence disgusts me and you are my arch-nemesis', which she might've as well been.
After all, Stiles had apparently been very open about crushing on Lydia's boyfriend, plus it seemed like both of them were on the run for valedictorian, and she had heard the strawberry blonde talking about her to Allison how Stiles simply did not know her place and acted like she didn't care she was a loser.
It seemed with her there, it was even worse, because now she was a lacrosse player- the only female lacrosse player, climbing her way up the social hierarchy without trying by simply not caring, and while previous Stiles was more than happy to get into vicious tongue lashing battles with Lydia, the trespasser didn't want to sink that low by trying to hurt a teenager.
Oh, Stiles still didn't like Lydia- she didn't like how she played dumb or how mean she was, even if a part of her really respected the future banshee for her achievements, Stiles just didn't like bullies.
Also, Lydia was a bitc-
"Hm, I wonder what two nobodies can turn into when they get together." Lydia's sharp gaze looked between her and Scott, who had been carrying her bag. "I don't think it can get much better."
Scott looked alarmed at what she'd said, straightening on his seat while Stiles lazily ignored the vicious girl, opening her things without a bother in the world.
"We're not- She's not- I'd never-" It was like watching a shark smell blood in the water, and even though he had been the one to put them in that situation, Stiles decided to save her only friend from further digging his grave.
"She knows Scott, she just needs to prod at other's friendships to feel better about the fact her friends would leave her if she wasn't relevant." Stiles put down the date, speaking calmly and raising her eyes at Lydia's heart rate increasing in anger, though she kept her cool mask, lips in a mocking and pouty smile even while Scott sucked the air through his teeth quietly, turning away to hide the face he was making.
"You're talking a lot to someone whose own relevance starts and ends with how long she can stay on the Lacrosse team." Lydia's smile was sickly sweet and Stiles wondered if her gloss was just ethylene glycol with how much poison she spewed.
"Hey, how does it feel to hide your intelligence to keep a boy whose only interesting quality is his declining role in said Lacrosse team?" Stiles tilted her head, looking at her pityingly when her eyes turned cold and dark. "It's a shame you feel like people would forget and drop you if they found out there's something under all the Chanel 5 and fake confidence."
There was a moment of silence where they eyed each other, Scott was holding his breath by their side, eyes wide and watching it go down leaning as far back as he could.
Lydia bared her teeth and leaned over the back of her chair a little.
"Listen here, sweetie, I don't know who you think you are, but talk to me like that again and I'll end your life."
Stiles only smiled back, knowing she had won that round as Lydia huffed and turned around with her legs crossed and a perfect posture, only her hand in a tight fist and her thudding heart letting them know she was affected.
"Dude!" Scott hissed quietly, looking at her as if she was crazy when Stiles only shrugged and turned to the front to watch the teacher start his lesson. "What was that?"
"Your karma, asshole."
She only smirked harder when the teacher called Scott along with Lydia to solve the equations he had put on the board.
Algebra had been her last class of the day, being a short one and it seemed so was Isaac's while Scott had a few others.
He'd been where he'd say he'd be, standing awkwardly near the jeep holding his bike. Stiles had to coax him into talking again as the boy seemed to have crawled back into his shell, curled into himself and avoiding her eyes again.
"I'm really grateful, you know. You're doing me a real solid." Isaac walked behind her slowly, halting at the door when she opened it for him, patiently waiting for him to get inside and pretending not to notice how he eyed all the exits as soon as he stepped in.
"You don't have to keep saying that." He mumbled while Stiles shrugged and beckoned him further.
"I know, but I'll do it still." She smiled, watching him carefully drop his backpack on the kitchen table. "Do you wanna study in my room, or would you rather stay here?"
"Here. Uh, here is fine." There was no hesitation for once, which only made Stiles nod and look around the space.
"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
"Not hungry, thanks." The stutter in his heart had her smile turning fixed, though Isaac didn't seem to notice as he carefully sat on one of the chairs. "I could drink some water, though."
I am going to feed the hell out of this kid.
And she did.
By the time her phone rang mid-afternoon, interrupting her pretending to listen to Isaac explain about the compositions of gasses, Stiles had already fed him a plate of chicken sandwiches and she had put a bowl of chips between them, watching him eat it with less hesitation each time.
"Oh, sorry, gimme a minute- maybe we can take a break, my head is all fuzzy."
"Sure." He shrugged, stretching carefully and watching her step out the backdoor to accept the call from the unknown number.
"Hel-"
"Your friend is an idiot."
"-lo?" Stiles blinked at the angry voice, needing a second to recognize it and snorting when she did. "What did he do? Better yet, what did you do?"
"I gave him a warning."
"And that's not ominous at all." Looking over her shoulder, she could hear Isaac moving around her kitchen to put the plates on the sink and wash them quietly, as she had told him he didn't have to. "What did Scott do?"
"He came to scream at me in my home. He's lucky that the only thing left damaged was his lacrosse stick." Oh, he was mad. Just what in the fuck did Scott say? "You're still playing tomorrow."
"I am! You going to cheer us on?" The attempt at teasing couldn't hide her wariness at the game the next day, and how the longer she could go without healing was two minutes until she lost her concentration. "Put on a little cheer outfit?"
There was a moment of silence, and it took a lot in Stiles not to fill it.
"You'll shift."
"No, I won't." Her resolve didn't break, wouldn't. Not about this.
She needed to play this game.
To hell with popularity or her spot on the team, she needed to find out if she was cut from the same cloth as Scott 'true alpha' McCall.
Needed to find out that she could find control among the real world, that was something she simply couldn't cheat, no knowledge she had would ever help her to learn control, it was something she simply had to face, to go through.
"You will."
"Then you better be there to save me from the arrows." Stiles snapped, finally ending the call with a heavy breath and sinking her claws into her hands, pulling back from the heat and grasping that pain to hold it.
Drip.
One.
Drip drip.
Two.
Dri-
"Everything alright?" She cracked her neck to the sides, letting her hand heal and turning around to smile at Isaac, who was standing by the door hesitantly.
"Yeah, just a friend being mean."
"Oh... Wanna talk about it?" God, she adored this kid. He was so kind.
Her smile softened, and she ushered him inside with a shake of her head, taking him out of the kitchen with her.
"It's fine, do you play?"
He did, in fact, play. She managed to get him to forget about the tutoring once he stepped into her room, distracting him with rounds of COD and Mario Kart, then with discussing comic books when he caught sight of a few stuck between her books.
The trespasser knew just enough that she could bullshit her way through the conversation, letting him lead with whatever he found interesting or cool and trying not to coo at how his eyes lit up or how he grinned happily at a joke she'd make, groaning in faux-disgust at all the puns she had started tossing when they were gaming.
She'd been surprised by the lack of calls from Scott, but it either wasn't serious enough, or he'd visit her later.
Void seemed to have made his home at Isaac's lap, clocking in on the gentle boy the moment they got to her room and instantly latching himself to the human.
Isaac didn't seem to mind the feline company, happily petting the cat while ranting and laughing; it was only a shame it didn't last for longer.
She'd seem so focused on Isaac that she hadn't heard the Sheriff's car, nor paid any attention to the time. In fact, not even the front door opening and closing had been heard.
At least not by her.
Her heart broke at the way he tensed at the sound, freezing and looking at her in a panicked worry, hand pausing its pets on the bastard cat.
"Stiles?!" She smiled at Isaac, making herself look as relaxed as she could as she turned to the door, hearing the Sheriff's footsteps as he walked up the stairs. Stiles' eyes nearly filled with tears when the human's scent turned bitter in fear and anxiety again. "Hey, kiddo, whose backpack's- Oh, hello?"
The Sheriff scanned the room quickly, as if assuring himself the boy in his daughter's room wasn't there for... specific reasons.
"Hey, old man. This is Isaac, I've told you about him."
"Right! How're you, son?" Her father moved slowly, sharing a look with Stiles when she raised her brows at him, extending a hand to Isaac with a kind smile. "My daughter spoke a lot about you."
"Alright, now you're making it weird-" Noah grinned when Isaac hesitantly shook his hand, looking between them carefully but always ultimately returning his blue eyes to her father's badge. "He's tutoring me in Chemistry."
"Hard at work, huh?"
"Um, yes, sir."
"See, you could stand to be polite like him." Her father teased, causing Stiles to roll her eyes and make a mocking face, much to Isaac's distress. Even him laughing and squeezing her nose didn't make the boy less tense. "Have you kids eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Hm, I'll get some pizza delivered, then."
"Oh, I- I should probably go, then. I don't want to intrude-"
"Nonsense, you aren't intruding." He interrupted at the same time Stiles gently grasped Isaac's elbow to keep him from rising from the bed. "How'd you feel about Pepperoni?"
"Really, it's-"
"Remember to get a vegetarian, too. Don't think you're off the hook just because Isaac is here." Stiles raised a finger at her father, who sent her an unimpressed face but rolled his eyes and made a mocking face much like she had just a few seconds earlier. "And a diet coke, too!"
"Yes, yes. Isaac, Pepperoni?"
"I- uh, sure. Thank you." They watched the Sheriff leave the room with one last look at Stiles, who winked at him in understanding. "So, your dad is a cop?"
"Mhm-hm, the Sheriff."
"Oh, cool." He squeaked nervously, petting Void with a shaking hand that had Stiles wanting to hide him away.
Soon.
"C'mon, let's pack everything and set the table. Trudie's pizzas are quick with their delivery." She gently guided him out of her room, hand on his back and smile on her face when Void yowled loudly at their feet, wobbling after them with a determined strut and making Stiles snort and take him into her arms.
"It's nice of him to order pizza for us."
Isaac spoke so quietly she almost hadn't heard him and Stiles only shrugged in response, knowing he was trailing after her, his steps lighter than they had been when it was only the two of them.
"We usually make dinner together on Fridays, but he's probably tired today."
She had to set Void down when they got to the kitchen, putting away all the books and papers they'd spread on the counter.
"H-he's not going to be mad at you, is he? For not cooking for him?" Her eyes sharpened at him, and his startle had her lowering her eyes again, breath heavy and vision tinted before she bit her lips so hard it bled. "Y-your eyes-"
"No, he won't. Dad doesn't really get mad at me." Stiles ignored his comment on her eyes, turning her back at him and trying to find her control by pretending to look for something in the cabinet.
"You won't get in trouble?"
She was glad he didn't insist on whatever he had seen, and once Stiles felt like she wasn't about to go flashing her eyes at him, she emerged from the lower cabinet with a soothing smile his way.
"Nah, it's alright. Besides, I'm pretty sure he's using you as an excuse to eat pizza." Her smile curled into a mischievous smirk, wobbling her brows when he finally smiled again. "You should see what he'd do for some curly fries."
His snicker eased something in her stomach, and she cocked her head so he'd help her put the table.
By the time they were all sat and eating, her father had managed to ease Isaac into talking a bit about himself, making note of everything in a way that surprised Stiles.
"And you're on the team with my daughter, right?" He reached for his diet coke as Isaac nodded, chewing first before speaking, something Scott should care to learn.
"Well, I'm not first line like Stiles, but-"
"First line?" Noah interrupted, blinking in surprise and making Stiles tilt her head in curiosity when he looked at her. "You made first line? Like to play? With the team? At a game?"
"Yeah? I didn't tell you?" The Sheriff only shook his head in silence, a proud smile spreading on lips as she shrugged. "Tomorrow's my first game, I thought I told you."
"That's- That's amazing, princess!"
She made a face at the nickname, shooting a halfhearted glare at Isaac when he snickered.
"It's no big deal, Scott made it too." That only seemed to make him happier, which in turn had her laughing silently. "Alright, old man. It's really not all that-"
"She's really good, too."
"Really?"
Her face was hot by the end of Isaac raving about her skills and how fast she was, made only worse by how the Sheriff drank every word with a proud smile.
"Alright, alright, calm down before he pulls out the baby pictures!" She tried interrupting, brushing a hand down her growing buzz and rolling her eyes at her father's expression, a warmth filling her chest at the sight.
"Now that you mention it-"
"No! Oh my God, dad!" His smile softened, shaking his head and looking between the two of them with a glint in his eyes.
"Why don't you two go back to doing whatever you were? I'll wash the dishes."
"Actually, uh, I think I should just go home." That short sentence had father and daughter tensing in their chair while the boy's eyes flicked to the clock hanging on the wall. "It's getting late."
The werewolf pinched her lips and turned to look at her father, unwilling to let the boy go and needing some guidance. Her insides felt cold when her father sent her an apologetic look, shaking his head.
Not yet, he hadn't been able to get a hold of anyone to help Isaac, yet.
"Right, I'll drive you, c'mon."
"I can just take my bike-"
"Nope, I'm driving you, c'mon, pretty boy, move your butt." Stiles forced a grin to her face at his red face, rising and watching him hurry for his bag while the werewolf turned to send another pleading look at her dad. "Does he need to go back?"
Her father pinched his lips, expression eerily similar to the one she'd made before, eyes turning determined.
"Not for much longer, trust me." She wondered what her father had seen from the short meeting, nodding and already turning around when she heard Isaac's silent steps.
"I, uh, have everything."
"Great, let's go."
"Thank you for the food, Mr. Stilinski."
"Anytime, kid. Don't be a stranger, yeah?" Isaac ducked his head shyly, but nodded before following Stiles out.
"I might stop at Scott's before coming back, yeah?"
"Remember we're putting a curfew, I want you back before 9."
Stiles saluted him, sliding her shoes back.
"Will do, be right back."
"And, uh, Stiles?" She ducked back curiously, noting how tired he looked. "We need a talk when you do, yeah?"
Stiles nodded slowly, pursing her lips in worry but chalking up the talk probably being about Isaac's situation.
Said boy was silent for the drive back, and Stiles didn't want to push him, not when she herself didn't know if she'd manage to keep her mouth shut about stealing him away. He only spoke up to tell her the right directions, pointing out his house and relaxing significantly once he noted the lack of car in front of the house.
"I had a good time today." Stiles commented quietly after helping him with taking the bike out the back of the jeep, shifting on her feet and trying not to push him back into her car. If she thought Isaac's emotional scent was bad, she hadn't been ready for how much worse his house was. She could feel it in her skin, almost like smog, clinging to her and burning her nose. "Oh, here-"
"You don't have to, Stiles." Isaac shook his head at the fifty bucks she had found in her drawer, fiddling with the handles of his bike and ducking his head down. "I had a good time too."
"Maybe we can hang out again?"
"Yeah-!" His voice broke at the quick squeak, flushing when she snickered but slowly smiling at the sound. "Yeah, I'd like that too."
"Great. I should go, but uh- see you tomorrow night, yeah?"
"Tomorrow night?" He squeaked again, and Stiles raised a brow and grinned with humor, resting an elbow on her door and nodding slowly.
"At the game?"
"Right! Yeah, the game!"
Another laugh and Stiles was waving at him.
"Call me if you need anything, alright?"
"Yeah, um... Text me when you're home? Or not?"
"Sure, Isaac." She started the Jeep, looking out the window at him again and smiling one last time. "Bye, pretty boy."
Her teasing earned seeing his face flush again and him running inside, leaving her laughing from her car and waiting for him to get inside so she could stop by her friend's first.
Scott jumped in surprise at finding her lazing in his bed after getting out of the shower, holding the towel to his chest despite being in boxer shorts and a shirt.
"Stiles!" He scolded, glaring at her from behind his wet hair while she snickered, locking her phone and sitting back up. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I got a really interesting call from our resident sourwolf, and I came to check you were still alive." She grinned, crossing her legs and raising her brows. "There was something about a damaged Lacrosse stick?"
Scott scoffed, dropping by my side and taking a few seconds of stubborn silence before starting his angry rant.
Right, so Derek may or may have not given Allison's coat back, though Derek didn't confirm it, then Scott yelled at him to stay away from both Allison and Stiles, apparently there was also something about how Derek ruined their lives and how he hurt her, plus Scott had been really angry when he learned Stiles was using pain to control the shift, so he said Derek shouldn't be around, and then Derek threw him into a tree and ripped the net from his Lacrosse stick and yelled at him.
Oh, and Scott was now completely sure Derek was the killer because he'd seen disturbed dirt and smelled blood.
Damn Derek and his weird wolf ceremonies.
Actually, that was harsh, he just lost his sister and- oh, God he's grieving.
"-so you gotta help me find a way to get your father to arrest him."
"What? No! Dude, have you ever considered that the blood might be mine? You know I spent a whole night bleeding on his floors."
"There's no way, alright? It smelled fresh." He rose to his feet, starting to pace around and gesticulate angrily.
"Then it's definitely not the girl we found in the woods, because she's been dead for two weeks by now, Scotty." He turned to glare at her, crossing his arms defensively.
"Well, what about the dirt?"
"Landscaping?"
He studied Stiles for a moment, narrowing his eyes while she tried not to fidget, making a face when his own turned betrayed.
"You know what it is! I can't believe you're just ok with him walking around!"
"I do not!"
"Your heart literally just told me you do!"
"Well, my heart is a liar!"
"No, you are!" She gasped and he placed his hands on his hips like an angry father. "He killed that girl in the woods, didn't he? And he has half of it buried in his backyard!"
"He didn't kill her, Scott!" Stiles threw herself back, spreading her arms out and sighing annoyedly.
"But there is a body there, isn't there?" When she didn't answer him, Scott pulled her feet harshly, sliding her down a bit and making her squeak. "Isn't there?!"
"Yes!" Scott stepped back at her biting tone and with her kicking her feet out angrily, pouting when she sat up with a scowl. "Yes, there's a body there, his sister's, alright? His sister's, who he came here to Beacon Hills searching for and could only find half of!"
That seemed to do the trick, as Scott's mouth opened a little and had him shifting guiltily on his feet.
"What?"
"Yeah. Look, Derek isn't the bad guy here, Scott. He didn't bite us, the Alpha did, and he has no idea who it is." The friends stood there looking at each other for a few moments before Scott finally lowered his eyes and dropped down to sit by her side. "You gotta stop blaming him for something he didn't do."
"But he's just- he's so frustrating! Why didn't he just say so? Why all the secrecy and why- why are you so ok being around him?!"
"Uh, that was a trip, wha-"
"Are we forgetting he chained you up like some animal? That he tortured you?!"
"He didn't torture me, and he had to!"
"It doesn't make it ok, Stiles!" Scott thundered, and all she could do was smack her hands to her thighs in frustration.
"You weren't there!" She snarled back, putting some distance between them before they hurt each other. "Alright? You weren't there, and he was the only one who could help me! I don't think it's getting through your thick skull that I almost killed him. That's not just me exaggerating, that's me telling you that I got loose and that I had him pinned down and I was ready to smash his head in!"
Scott seemed hurt by her words, but all she could do was bare her teeth in anger.
"I'm sorry, alright! But I'm here, now, so we can just- figure things out together, you don't need to keep going to him-"
"Oh my fucking God. Are you jealous of Derek?!"
"What? No!"
She would've believed him if his heart hadn't betrayed him.
"You are! Why the hell are you jealous of him?!"
"Because you're different!" She froze at his angry confession, gaping while he huffed heavily. "You're different and you aren't talking to me about things anymore and- and you're my friend! So be my friend!"
"I-I- I'm sorry."
Scott groaned at her wobbly voice, hiding his face in his hands while Stiles tried blinking back her tears, guilty gnawing at her stomach.
She was so sure he hadn't noticed, that the fact his friend wasn't the same hadn't affected him but of course it had.
Her friend approached her slowly, gently pulling Stiles into a hug and giving her the chance to hide her face into his shoulder, arms going around her and pressing a kiss to her hairline.
"No, I'm sorry. You- I just... kind of expected you to have all the answers and... And I guess you're just taking all of this so well that forget you're in the same boat as me." She smiled wetly at him when he pulled back and squeezed her shoulders. "We both changed but... it's ok. You're still my Stiles."
Her nose wrinkled and he grinned at the sight.
"I don't think Allison would appreciate the possessive thing, buddy."
"Well, she'll just have to deal." Stiles snorted, sniffling once and pulling him into another hug, smiling when he groaned at her squeezing him. "So, about that dead body-"
"Oh my God!"
Stiles would freely admit that she didn't want to go inside to have a talk with the Sheriff, not after Scott's admission.
She stared at the house for some good five minutes before deciding to bite the bullet and find out just what they'd talk about.
He was in the kitchen when she finally got in, leaning on the counter and smiling knowingly at her, tilting his head at one of the chairs and watching her move slowly, trying to stall until he raised his brows unimpressed.
"So... What's up?"
Her father looked at her in silence for a few seconds before sighing tiredly.
"I just wanna know what's going on with you, sweetie."
"What? There's nothing going on-"
"Stiles." He interrupted quietly, frowning wearily. "You made first line. First line, and you didn't even think about telling me. You're sneaking out, and Scott isn't coming over as much, you're- you're eating and doing things you haven't before, you're trying to let your hair grow, you just- You're not talking to me anymore and today was the first time in weeks that you called me dad... What's going on?"
I'm not really your daughter and I'm a werewolf?
Her heart broke at his words and she had to sink her blunt nails into her hand not to blurt it all out.
Though- Though couldn't she tell him about being a werewolf?
He'd learn about it anyways, and he probably had to deal with no many supernatural bullshit and simply didn't know about it, and! he'd be able to help so much, so why not-
"Are you dating Isaac? Is that why you want to help him so much?"
"What?!" She shrieked, eyes wide as he raised his hands in defense. "No! What?! Why would you- I want to help him because it's the right thing to do!"
"Are you sure? I just- I've never seen you acting like that to anyone, so-"
My God! First Scott, now him?
She didn't like Isaac, doesn't think that she can. Not when she didn't truly feel like a teenager despite all the memories slowly trickling in from Stiles.
Oh, she could go to class, be a little shit like teenagers are, but ultimately, she isn't one.
Not yet, anyways.
"I'm sure, dad, I just- Something happened to me, and-" He straightened from his position, all the fluster and embarrassment leaving his body language as his eyes sharpened on her. "And I want to tell you, but I'm not... I'm not ready, yet."
"Were you hurt?" She picked on her fingers, making a face before shrugging, twisting her lips when he sucked the air between his teeth. "Stiles... Whatever it is that happened, you- you can tell me, alright?"
Chancing a glance at the man whose memories made her adore, Stiles could only nod slowly in response, biting her lips when he rounded the counter to hold her tightly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I love you, sweetie. I'll listen, when you're ready."
The answer was stuck in her throat, those three words kept locked behind her teeth.
She wasn't sure if they were.
'I am a werewolf', or if she wanted to whisper 'I love you, too'.
Either way, the Sheriff was left with no response as Stiles nodded and pulled back, pretending she couldn't smell the sadness in him.
"Right, you- you should rest, old man."
He smiled sadly, nodding slowly and squeezing her shoulder.
"Yes. Goodnight, kid."
"Night, dad."