#after stiles kills donovan??

[bentrule]

                    stiles looks at the other cautiously,    his lower lip rolling between his teeth.                    ❝     i don’t know.     ❞                    his feelings of displacement don’t stem from the personal choice he made when all of this began with scott getting bitten,    but from the isolation that he’s hoisted on himself.          (     he’s the most human of them all.        they are all drowning in   ALTRUISM AND HEROISM   while he’s the only one with blood on his hands.        it’s exhausting rooting for the antihero,    especially when they’re the one in the reflection that he sees with each mirror he passes.     )          he shakes his head,    exhaustion slowing his movements.                    ❝     what exactly are you asking?    ❞

@divienity​    /    starter.

[munsonshire]

Dating Stiles Stilinski Headcanons

Pairing: Stiles x reader (gender neutral)

Ok, so these are going to be general, later on I'll make more specific ones.

Masterlist

Him always telling you how cute you are

Always receiving support from him

Making puns and funny jokes and laughing t them

Him snuggling to your neck whenever you're cuddling

Pillow fights and sleepovers

Stealing his clothes, especially that lacrosse hoodie

Piggyback rides when he knows you're tired

He mimics you when he is annoyed by you

Sarcasm, SO MUCH SARCASM FROM BOTH OF YOU

Silly fights with sarcastic comebacks from the both of you

Complimenting each other during a fight

High-fiving each other when defending the other against someone

PRANKS, I MEAN HIS NAME IS MISCHIEF, WHAT DID YOU EXPECT

Expect to get a lot of ass slapping from him

Forehead kisses and forehead touches especially after a battle or after the void Stiles era

Tickle fights

CUDDLES AD HUGS CUZ MY BABY DESERVES LOVE

Making out a lot, in Stiles Jeep

Sheriff Stilinski loves you and thinks you're a good influence on Stiles

Being one of the few people who knew his real name (Mieczyslaw)

Helping him do research on every mythological creature just in case it really does exist

Helping Scott with full moons

Double dates with Scott and Allison

Helping Stiles when he's paralyzed because of the kanima venom

When he's possessed by void, the Oni never attack you

Voi is also attracted to you and he takes you hostage with Lydia

Void likes to call you little dove, to annoy Stiles and bc he likes you too

Being there when Stiles is about to unalive himself to save everyone and begging him not to do it

nearly fainting yourself because he fainted after killing Void

kissing and hugging him after he wakes up

trying to convince him that Allison's and Aiden's deaths weren't his fault

trying to help him through the nightmares

Believing Stiles when he said there was something wrong with Theo

Taking care of him after the Donovan incident

remembering Stiles in pieces when he was taken by the wild hunt

Star Wars marathons, I'm sorry if you don't like them but THEY ARE HIS FAVES

Stiles being protective and pushing you away so you don't get hurt

[buckybarnesss]

The idea of Derek being present in season 5 and being supportive of Stiles intrigues me because of the potential contrast to Stiles & Malia. Malia knew about Donovan but didn't care in the way that Stiles needed her to when he was struggling. Which isn't her fault - she's not human, didn't grow up human, and thus has no understanding of WHY Stiles would be upset.

Malia is definitely one of the characters I think JD mishandled the most.

The potential Scott vs Derek is delicious, because they both went through the Nogitsune ordeal, and because Derek also trusts Stiles implicitly, whereas that trust between Scott and Stiles is frayed.

Derek and the sheriff would 100% destroy any and all evidence against Stiles. It wouldn't even be a question in their minds.

do not get me started on malia tate and how badly she was mishandled. i know she isn't the most popular character but i love her and she deserved so much better than what they gave her.

derek in s5 would've been so intriguing. i was actually making a list of why derek couldn't be in s5 because it'd just break everything.

he'd take one look at theo and called him a great value version of peter and theo would have to no choice but to die of shame

would help and support malia with killing corrine because corrine is trying to kill her.

also it'd be really interesting for derek to have to confront the idea that talia hale forced someone to carry a pregnancy they didn't want in addition to removing peter's memories of it which removed peter's agency in the situation.

he would definitely been able to help liam with his control and be someone liam could actually turn to for advice and help when he felt like scott wasn't listening.

if liam bonded with and grew to trust derek it would've been a great echo of the situation with isaac back in s3. scott could've felt jealous and threatened over it.

he also probably could've been useful with helping kira find control over her fox thereby rendering the skin walker plot useless.

derek would've figured out jordan was a hellhound.

the scott and derek dynamic would've been interesting as fuck because scott was failing as an alpha in the way derek did and scott wasn't very understanding of derek's failures and short comings.

he would've been such a great support system for stiles which would've undermined theo's entire agenda. derek would've never doubted stiles not after everything they'd been through together.

i would've loved to hear his thoughts about the whole le bête situation and how he would've handled that with the argents. like fuck off and die already gerard.

[gege-wondering-around]

Derek and Noah for Stiles

No matter what, I believe Derek and Noah were two of the few, who truly cared for Stiles. Unconditionally and wholeheartedly, despite everything. And Stiles does the same for them.

Noah - the Sheriff

Of course as Stiles' father, Noah cared for him like a father should with his son but he did more, not only cause he was a single parent but also due to the supernatural being involved in their lives and messing around with Stiles.

When Stiles shows up back home with his cheeks bruised and his lip kind of cut open, Noah is already holding his son's face and he's already angry. Sriles tells him it's okay but the sheriff gets ever more angry, threatening to involve the police and deal with the kids himself. Just a few seconds earlier he was wondering where Stiles was, hoping he was okay, and when he got there and said "right here" Noah is relieved Stiles is back.

When Stiles is possessed and they are in Derek's loft, Chris aims to kill Stiles (the nogitsune has he views it) and the sheriff begs the hunter not to. He's holding his own gun, ready to fire at Chris despite both being on the same side.

In the movie, when Derek says "maybe you should call your son" Noah is dismissive about it. He doesn't want to disturb Stiles with Beacon Hills after all he went through in that city. He doesn't wanna worry his son or cause him trouble.

Also, and this is in all seasons, Noah is extremely patient with Stiles. Like a saint he tries to listen and understand as much as he's capable of handling until he breaks down too, because he's human just like Stiles. But still, Noah's is one of the few that takes time to understand and listen to Stiles, and even if he's his son it doesn't take away the importance of what he does for Stiles.

And, despite Noah probably knows very well that Stiles basically sucks and never plays on the field, he compliments him when he does and even score a point, which is the most the sheriff has probably ever see Stiles do. And he compliments him in a very delicate way, nothing fancy or anything, just a father proud of his son.

Derek

Even if Derek always seemed annoyed by Stiles, he also did anything to protect him.

When he was in prison with Chris he asked him if he would feel remorse for killing Stiles and Chris said yes, only if it was actually Stiles. Derek was silent and thinking, he didn't want to kill Stiles even if he had to, even if it was the "only way out" with the nogitsune.

Derek believed Stiles over Jennifer when he asked her about his father and he kept denying to know anything about it. He knew how important the sheriff was to Stiles and didn't want him to lose the only family he had left and be alone, suffering the loss of his father.

Also, just like Noah was ready to shot at Chris in the loft, Derek was ready to fight Chris to protect Stiles, despite had just been thrown around by the nogitsune. He was back in no time, ready to do what he had to in order to protect Stiles.

Stiles

But also, if Noah and Derek stand by Stiles' side and protected him, Stiles also did the same for them.

When Chris asked him if he had to lock up Scott he said yes, and argued with the hunter if it was better to burn his house down. He was protesting with Arget about the cruelty his family did and how there were other ways of handling things. He stood by Derek's side.

He killed Donovan to protect his dad.

He never stopped searching for his father when Jennifer took him to use him as a sacrifice.

When Boys died, Stiles was the only one that tried to comfort Derek, putting a hand on his shoulder, as to ground him and say "you're not alone".

(Even if not intentionally) when Derek was "trapped" in his sleep, Stiles was the one he imagined to wake himself up, asking him how to know if he was still asleep.

In the end I believe these three always had each other's back covered somehow. They always protected one of the other two and never betrayed each other's trust.

They were both there for Stiles when he was in a bad shape, wheter it be physically or mentally, they showed up or welcomed him in, taking care of him.

Derek and Noah were always there for Stiles whenever they could. They cared, maybe even more than most.

I'm not saying other characters didn't care about Stiles, I just took this two into consideration cause I like them.

[liliaeth]

@bestialitybestiary Going to respond to your reply here instead of in reply to your post. Because it honestly had me baffled if you were actually paying attention or not.

@liliaeth I mean you're right, Scott was called out sometimes. But it somehow didn't feel as if he cared that much. It was sometimes said. Idk I feel like I have to reach for context every time I want to understand his emotions in the scene, because it's not clear. Idk if it's because of acting or directing. What I try to say is that because of those little things Scott may be perceived as ignorant or dumb, and it's a shame. I know he isn't. And I wish they portrayed his character with more care. I guess because of how they wrote/acted the character it was easy to see him as a bad friend, if someone wanted to see him that way. And it's a shame I wrote this post because I was wondering why Scott has such a bad rep in fandom. I love the guy

My main issue is this, of all the characters on the show, there were three characters who were called out on their mistakes the most.

There was Scott, there was Lydia and there was Derek. Which makes it no wonder that on the entire show, these three characters had the most character growth and development of any and all characters on the show.

Compare that to characters like say Stiles who was essentially static for six seasons, and had little to no character growth, because the show didn't dare to ever hold him accountable. Never made him feel remorse for how terribly he treated everyone around, him, and especially how badly Stiles treated the people he cared about, like Scott, like his father, like Lydia, like Malia...

(In fact the only time we see Stiles display any guilt over anything, it's to do with either the Nogitsune or Donovan, both of them cases where Stiles blames himself for things that are categorically not his fault. But when it comes to things that actually are Stiles' fault... things he actually did to personally wrong, it just gets ignored, and we see no reaction to it from Stiles, or any kind of him taking responsibility for it.)

But because Scott 'was' called out, and Stiles 'was not', people fell in the false notion that what Scott did was wrong, while Stiles behavior was 'just funny', or perfectly fine. Even though in most cases it was actually the opposite.

It's why people most often don't realize just how bad a friend Stiles was throughout most of the show.

See, you wrote that you felt Scott didn't care that much... and my instant reaction was 'did you miss the fact that he literally tried to kill himself out of guilt on three separate occasions?

In Frayed he is literally refusing to let himself heal, because he feels responsible over what happened to Derek.

And this is added on in Motel California, where he's already lit the torch, and thus is rid of most of the Darach's influence when he tries to put himself on fire, because he feels responsible for everything bad that's ever happened in their life since he was bitten.

And then in s5b, after Theo murdered him, it's Scott who takes responsibility for everything that went wrong, despite him being a victim, where once again, he won't let himself heal.

(all while the show refuses to let Stiles apologize or in any way take responsibility for listening to Theo and betraying the pack)

It's a recurring theme on the show, and with Scott that he's constantly taking responsibility for everything bad that happens around him, even and especially when it isn't his fault.

It's one of his main character traits, and this tendency to blame himself for everything that goes wrong, is probably one of his primary character flaws.

Like, it starts as early as in s1, when Stiles blames Scott for his father getting hit by a car in 'the Tell', when in Heart Monitor, he refuses to even talk to Scott, and Scott is desperately trying to make up for something that Scott had nothing to do with.

With Stiles blaming Scott for the 'werewolf crap coming into their life', despite Scott being the victim, and even going as far as Stiles abusing Scott with lacrosse balls, and getting him beaten up by seniors (risking said seniors' lives) just to punish Scott in false claim of it just being 'training)

I get that Stiles was just frustrated and worried about his father, which Scott knows as well, and is why Scott doesn't hold it against him. But with this added on to Scott's already existing tendency to take the blame for everything that goes wrong...

Scott could have refused, but instead he's blaming himself for these things, despite none of it being his fault... It's an ongoing character trait for Scott to do so.

I'm not saying the show was perfect, one of the main flaws the show had, esp. in regards to Scott, is that they went with the notion that Scott dealt with his suffering internally, and that the audience would see this as resilience. That he didn't lash out (outside of s1 when he's least in control of his instincts), and for the most part just dealt with it.

And directorial this lead to things like the show rarely if ever dealing with the horrors Scott went through. Even in the previouslies we rarely see a focus on what was done to Scott. Even Gerard torturing Scott with a knife in clear view in front of the hospital, and then threatening his Mom, is not mentioned in a single previously, no matter how relevant it would have been to do so...

Just like Melissa's horrified rejection of Scott in Fury is never once dealt with onscreen. Instead we get some mention of 'them being stronger now' in s3, when in reality what the show actually did was to stop having Melissa's behave like Scott's mother, and turning pretty much just into a mentor.

Where we see the sheriff putting his son first, and protecting his son at all cost, Melissa essentially stops doing so after Fury, and just starts putting expectations on him.

People ask why we keep bringing race into this, it's because in any other situation, where a white character's pain would be ignored in the show. (hell this is done plenty with Stiles even in tw fandom), fandom would then pick up the story in fanfic after fanfic...

But with Teen Wolf fandom, that does not happen.

Even Motel California, is more often made about Stiles, or Isaac, than it is made about Scott, a character who is clearly suicidal in canon.

And that would not be the case if Scott were white.

We constantly see fandom claim to hate Scott for traits that he either canonically does not have, faults, he canonically does not have, while ignoring the traits and flaws he does have, because they do not fit the narrative that people want the character or the show to be.

[princeescaluswords]

OUT OF THE BLUE

It's going on nine years later, and it is still one of the most egregiously batshit enraging takes from this fandom about Lies of Omission (5x09) that Scott McCall had absolutely no reason to make the mistake of believing that Stiles Stilinski had murdered Donovan Donati. That Scott, maliciously or whimsically or both, just decided to believe Theo, a person whom he 'barely knew,' over Stiles.

I mean, if by "no reason" they mean:

Scott watched Donovan threaten to murder the Sheriff right in front of Stiles.

Scott watched Stiles ambush a merged alpha with a baseball bat in order to protect his chance of saving his father.

Scott got tortured by Stiles because Stiles believed Scott let his father get hurt.

Scott had learned that Stiles had lied about Stiles shoulder getting hurt.

Scott had learned that Stiles had concealed Donovan's death from him (and everyone else).

Which meant that Stiles actually had little to no faith in Scott, which had to be painful.

Scott flinched from Stiles approaching him with a wrench at the same place and the same conditions that a demon wearing Scott's face had approach him before.

Scott was under a great deal of stress what with having asthma attacks while trying to defeat indestructible mad scientists.

Scott was under a great deal of stress with Hayden dying 100 yards behind him.

Stiles started out this conversation screaming at Scott that Stiles resented that Scott was perfect and that this was a burden and "some of us have to get their hands a little bloody sometimes!"

When Scott asks "So you had to kill him?," Stiles replied with "He was going to kill my dad. What was I supposed to do?"

Theo did have the wrench with which Stiles did indeed hit Donovan.

Theo had deceptively demonstrated his 'good intentions' by saving every member of the pack.

Yes, Scott was wrong to draw the conclusions he did, but the idea that he had no reason to suspect that Theo was telling the truth and wasn't nearly drowning under the pressure that everyone was placing him under, is bullshit.

What's more, he more than made up for being wrong. He literally begged Stiles to let him help save his dad. He let Stiles hit him. He stood there and claimed that he should have been the one forced to kill people.

But apparently, it's still the fashion to make sure we understand that the worst possible thing that happened in that episode was Scott believing that maybe, after seasons of suggesting that the pack kill their way out of their problems, Stiles actually put his money where his mouth was.

But hey, there's got to be a reason that everyone cries of Stiles and thinks Scott is the scum of the earth, that there is not the slightest bit of empathy for what Scott was going through.

BUT IT'S NOT RACISM.

[lycoperdales]

I think I’ve realised why a lot of the fandom don’t really like or understand Scott.

It took rewatching the show so many times for me to see that the show doesn’t really like to focus on what motivate Scott’s decisions as they do for others.

You are aware of Stiles insecurities in season 5a because you see him waking up from nightmares, you hear him talk about how the nogitsune made him feel inherently evil and guilty. You also know that during the late stages of his mother’s dementia, she blamed him for her condition. This makes him scared to tell the truth about Donovan’s death.

You understand Theo’s fear in season 6 because you saw him go through a hell loop in which he was repeatedly killed brutally and violently for a crime he was manipulated into doing (because yes, it was revealed that he was manipulated). You also feel bad for him because of his homelessness and loneliness.

But Scott’s anger towards Derek for biting teenagers was hardly explained at all.

Scott wanting to constantly save people that he doesn’t even know is only implied for a few seconds.

In season 4, Scott, by Kira’s sword, experienced a scenario in which no matter what he did, he ended up killing Liam. What was that? I didn’t even understand it until a parallel experience (Theo’s) was created that I was like “Ah. Scott created his own personal circle of hell to punish himself for doing something that he didn’t even do.”

This was such a monumental aspect to add depth to his character but it was just never mentioned again.

And my guess as to why this is his biggest fear?

Because a year ago he was transformed into an angry thing with claws, fangs and a taste for blood. He was controlled to want to kill the people he loved and almost did it. Then after he learned control, he was constantly told that it was now in his nature to kill and him NOT WANTING PEOPLE DEAD was regarded as naive.

And not even a season later after this hellscape, his biggest fear is realised. He is forcibly stripped from his control, again.

While I’m here I want to address the statement I made earlier about what motivates him to save people at his own expense.

Do you remember after the pack read the book about dread doctors and they started unlocking memories? At first I’ll admit I thought Scott’s was so stupid, “The rest of the pack remembered such gruesome things and Scott is just remembering his dog die?? What the hell??”

But then I read an explanation online on what the memory was. Apparently his dog died saving his life.

Now I know why Scott works at the clinic, now I know why he is studying so hard to be a vet, now I know why he constantly pushed himself to stop others from getting hurt (crossing the mountain ash barrier, trying to fight the dread doctors even though he could barely breathe).

All of these decisions had such a pure motive that I had to find out by literally searching “Scott memory explanation season 5 teen wolf”

[imaginefan]

Tribrid

Scott McCall X Reader

Word Count: 1604

Requested: @princessskinnee18

Request: Can you do a scott mcall x hybrid reader where she is a werewolf and a vampire AND Can you do a request of the reader being original tribird and klaus and hayley where they she leaves her abusive family goes to new Orleans and she and Scott falls in love and they have a family together

You should have known that no matter where you went trouble would follow close behind, although to be fair to you trouble was already in this town where you got there, werewolves run the place and everything else just runs through it. It seemed that you just added the supernatural roster. You tried to keep your head down doing what you were supposed to, that is until you heard two boys talking. ���What the hell is a Tribrid?” One of them asked, the one you realised was human. “I don’t know, maybe we should ask Deaton.” The other said, he seemed to be the alpha, he was nothing like Klaus though, far less confident even with the power that you could feel rolling off of him. “You can smell it?” The human asked. “No, there's nothing different.” The wolf answered and you smirked to yourself, you’d had years to perfect your hidden scent, Klaus was the one who taught you how to do it, he wanted to make sure that you were able to hide from anyone who came looking. “Well we need to find them before they hurt someone.” The human said, you closed your locker holding the books that you had gathered before walking past them. They both stopped talking when you got close enough, only starting again when you were around the corner. “We don’t know if they are going to hurt anyone.” The wolf reminded him. “Well we don’t know that they won’t.” The human answered, you decided to stop listening after that. They didn’t trust you but they didn’t know you either and you wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

It only took a few days for your cover to be blown. You were heading home after studying for far too long, you heard the screaming in the library and headed straight over, when you got there you saw the human that hung out with the wolf all the time, you’d managed to learn his name, Stiles. He was being chased by someone “Hey!” You called both of them and looked at you and the boy at the bottom of the scaffolding smirked as he turned on you. “You’ll make a good snack.” He said, you raised an eyebrow as he moved towards you. “Run!” Stiles yelled but you stood your ground. “Are you sure that you want to do this?” You asked. “You think you can kill me?” He asked, showing off his sharp teeth and you shrugged. “You think that you can take me?” You asked, showing off your own fangs and eyes before he dove at you, you easily overpowered him, knocking him to his knees and pulling his head back so that he was looking at you “looks like I could kill you.” “Wait!” Stiles called out and you looked up at him, in that moment the boy that you were holding tried to break free from you. “Stop squirming.” You growled, tightening your hold on him. “Donovan, what are you doing here?” He asked. “I came to kill you.” He answered “then I’m going to kill your dad.” “You really should threaten people in the position that you are in.” You warned him. “What does it matter to you, you don’t know them.” He said and you nodded. “You're right I don’t know them but that doesn’t mean that I won’t kill you, they seem like good people and I’ve been trained to kill first and ask questions later.” You answered lips close to his ear as you adjusted your hold on his neck, that was when you smelt it, it smelt like he was dying, there was something wrong with him and by the smell of it, it was going to be painful if you let it continue. Your hands moved into the perfect position to snap his neck. “No wait.” He pleaded. “I’m sorry that this was done to you.” You said softly and before he could even think about it you snapped his neck. “What did you do!?” Stiles asked. “Gave him mercy.” You answered. “What are you-?” You pulled him behind the bookcase as someone came into the library, The Doctors didn’t say anything as they cleaned up Donovan and took the body with them. “Whatever they did to him was killing him, and it would have been painful if I had left him, not to mention he was going to kill you.” You reminded him. “Oh god what am I going to tell Scott.” Stiles asked himself. “The truth, I killed him, tell him that I will talk to him if that’s what he wants.” You shrugged “go home, get some rest.” “You can just sleep after that?” He asked. “Considering everything that I’ve been through, it’s a wonder that I sleep at all.” You shrugged.

The next day you were sitting in the cafeteria eating your food sipping blood from your thermos when Stiles and Scott sat in front of you “can I help you?” You asked. “You know what we’re here for.” Scott said. “Right, are we talking about this here or would you like to go somewhere else?” You asked. “We want you to come down to the Sheriff’s office to talk about everything.” Scott said. “I assume they know about everything that goes on here.” You said and Scott nodded. “He’s my Dad.” Stiles answered. “Right.” You nodded “I’ll meet you there then.”

You did as they asked, meeting them at the station that evening, when you got there, there was one deputy that you could literally smell the ash on, the rest of the building was empty apart from Scott, Stiles and the Sheriff. “The boys said that you had something that you needed to tell me.” The Sheriff said. “I killed what was his name… Donovan?” You asked as you looked at Stiles. “Yes.” Stiles answered. “Donovan. I killed him, snapped his neck like a toothpick.” You said. “And you're proud of that?” The Sheriff asked. “No, but he was dying, I could smell it on him and I thought it was better to kill him then to let him suffer.” You explained. “What are you?” Scott asked. “Tribrid.” You answered “but those weird doctors have been talking about me haven’t they so you already know that.” “We don’t kill people here.” Scott said. “And I don’t let a threat live, the last time I did that I died.” You said. “What?” Scott asked. “There are very specific ways to kill a creature like me but don’t you worry as long as I stay your ally there’s nothing to worry about.” You winked.

You stuck close to the pack after that, helping them where you could and given your unique set of skills that was in a lot of places, however the night of the Supermoon you were the only one that could stop Theo’s plan, with Liam completely giving into his anger, you had to help. The mountain ash at the exit of the library was the only obstacle, an easy one that you used your magic to get past, when you got there Liam had already done pretty bad damage. “Liam! Look here! You're angry at Scott for what!?” You asked. “He didn’t save her.” He answered and you looked at him. “If that’s the case then you should probably kill me too, I could have saved her, my blood heals everything, one of the upsides to having vampire blood.” You held your arm up. “What?” He asked turning his full attention to you, launching at you, he was easy to deflect and fight off, he was strong and he got a few good hits in before you managed to get to Scott, you bit into your wrist pressing it to his lips, you could see the wounds on his body healing and breathed a sigh of relief, you got there in time. You dragged back, you felt the claws at your neck before you felt the pain and then nothing.

You took in a deep breath as you sat up in the bed, your eyes moving around the room trying to figure out where you were. “Hey it’s okay, you're safe.” Your eyes found Melissa, Scott’s mum across the room. “Where’s Scott?” You asked. “He’s okay, he’s in the bathroom.” Melissa said you nodded. “Thank you, you saved him.” “It’s nothing he’s been kinder than most have, even my parents didn’t love me enough to keep me safe.” You shrugged. “Well it doesn’t matter because I don’t have a pack anymore.” Scott said “Theo won.” “Theo has only won when you let him.” You said “the man that adopted me, the world was against him for a long time before he managed to get on top of it all, he has a daughter, plus me and a whole city to call his own, I would happily help you, whether the others choose to or not.” “Why?” He asked. “You're worth the fight.” You shrugged. “You know in the time that I’ve been here, you’ve never once blamed me for anything or demanded to know why I act the way that I do, you’ve trusted that I had a reason and left it at that. People like you are rare, especially in the world that we live in. If I could find more like you I would but instead I’ll have to settle for protecting the ones that I already have.” You sat up in the bed “you let me know when you're ready to get rid of Theo and put your family back together and I’ll help you.” “Until then?” Melissa asked. I guess I’ll just make sure that everyone stays alive.” You shrugged as you disappeared out of the room leaving Scott to think.

Requests and general question!

[christinesficrecs]

yo chris! hi its me again, always gotta say what an amazing job you do for this fandom!! 10 outta 10 babe!! ok so onto my ask got any long bad friend scott fics where anyone other than scott is stiles best friend?? much loveee <3

Hey! ❤️ Here are a few. Some long and some not so much.

Can't rely on me by Littleredridinghunter | 116.2K

The pack let him down, that's not really a surprise lately.

When Danny finds Stiles nearly bleeding to death the next day it's the start of a beautiful friendship.

Can the pack make amends before it's too late? Will Stiles ever forgive them for not being there for him when he needed them the most?

stuck in reverse by crazyassmurdererwall (smartalli) | 65.6K | Explicit

Look, Derek is the worst. Everyone knows that. Their fearless leader is a total and complete failwolf.

Which means the rest of them? Are kind of the worst too. They’re a ramshackle, slap dashed, sorry excuse for a pack that’s about a half second away from getting one of them killed. And this is a problem, because Stiles would really like to survive high school. Thanks.

Still, nobody deserves what Derek has gone through. Nobody.

And it’s about time somebody told him that.

Go Away, Scott by HelloWhyTheFuckAmIHere | 66.2K

After the incident at the warehouse, Stiles is fed up with Scott. He finds himself drawn into Derek’s pack and in the process, drawn to Derek himself.

With the Alpha Pack closing in, Derek needs to learn how to trust his pack and those around him. And who better to help him than Stiles?

Protect and Serve by MoonlitMemories | 150.7K | Mature

Stiles discovers the Nemeton starting to grow again in the preserve on Hale land. What does that mean for the pack? More importantly: why does the Nemeton seem so attached to Stiles?

Blindsided by AClosedFicIsNeverRead | 39.6K | Explicit

Derek exhaled tremulously and tried to stay calm. He called several more times, growing steadily more frantic each time, before allowing the truth to settle in: Stiles’ phone was off. “No. No, no, no, please, no,” Derek whispered to himself, barely able to see the screen through his tearful eyes. What had he done? Had he been so blinded by rage that he dismissed Stiles' call for help?

A Healing Silence by HelloWhyTheFuckAmIHere | 36.3K

Stiles is slowly pushed out of the pack following his fight with Scott about Donovan's death. After receiving a phone number from an old friend, Stiles is surprised to find that it belongs to the one person who may be able to bring him back to himself.

Anthracite by LupusScintilla (inkandblade) | 106.6K | Explicit

It's been a quiet few years, and the McCall Pack has grown and settled. But, when the Hale Pack return to Beacon Hills they find Scott isn't as welcoming as they had hoped.

Soon they, Stiles, and Lydia, find out that not everything about the McCall Pack is as it has always seemed.

What Fresh Twilight Bullshit Is This? by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) | 196.1K | Explicit

“I am not Bella!” he insisted, shaking his fist angrily at Jackson, as if he’d been the one to suggest he was. “I am not Bella! I am, like, a Jacob, at least!”

Lydia made a noise of debate from his right and he whipped around to look at her.

“What?! What was that sound?!”

“You’re more of a Mike,” she insisted, shrugging neatly and flipping some curls over her shoulder.

“Wha—” Stiles had never been so offended in his life! “I am not! No way! I am a solid Jacob!”

“Mike,” she argued.

“Who’s Mike?” Scott asked.

“Shut up, Scott!” Stiles insisted, pointing a finger at him but still glaring at Lydia.

[ryn80]

Stiles Stilinski Angst List

SPOILERS AHEAD (Up to The End of Season 5, TBC)

S1 Ep.1 (Pushed into a wall by Scott bc Scott doesn’t understand how strong he is lol)

S1 Ep. 10 (Stiles stops his dad from drinking too much)

S1 Ep. 12 (Kidnapped and threatened by Peter)

S2 Ep. 4 (paralyzed by kanima and watches repairman get killed, worried dad, holding up Derek in pool, tired)

S2 Ep. 9 (Hallucination about his dad telling him it was his fault for her death)

S2 Ep. 10 (Stiles is held hostage in a police station where he is paralyzed)

S2 Ep. 11 (Stiles gets kidnapped and beaten up)

S3 Ep. 3 (Stiles sees the dead body of his childhood friend)

S3 Ep. 7 (“I can’t lose both my parents”)

S3 Ep. 9 (Stiles dad gets taken/stabbed at the end of the episode)

S3 Ep. 10 (Cries about his dad)

S3 Ep. 11 (Panic attack and ice bath death)

S3 Ep. 12 (Car accident)

S3 Ep. 13 (Nightmares, starts not being able to read, when is a door not a door)

S3 Ep. 14 (Forced to stand in front of the whole class and read but instead has a panic attack; can’t tell the difference between dreams and reality)

S3 Ep. 17 (Goes to the hospital and Melissa takes care of him; “thanks mom”)

S3 Ep. 18 (Stiles goes missing, thinks a bear trap is on his leg, and he has hypothermia)

S3 Ep. 19 (Everyone is worried but he is poisoned at the end of the episode)

S3 Ep. 20 (In a mental institution, abused by guards, tries to stay awake, lets void into his mind)

S3 Ep. 22 (Slices stomach open, mouth taped shut, and throws up himself)

S3 Ep. 23 (wakes up screaming)

S3 Ep. 24 (blames himself for Allison and wants to die, ends up almost killing himself)

S4 Ep. 4 (Talks about his time as void)

S4 Ep. 7 (Stiles almost passes out because he is infected, gets threatened with a gun, blood splatters all over his face)

S4 Ep. 8 (Kinda hallucinates Malia, honestly he just misses his girlfriend and is sad about it)

S4 Ep. 9 (Heart to heart with his dad about money issues after his dad got shot, gets electrocuted again, scared by, tormented by, tied down, and hit in the face by the director at Eichen House)

S5 Ep. 1 (Worried that h will lose his friends after high school; briefly seen in a car accident laying unconscious)

S5 Ep. 2 (Gets upset with Scott and hits his hand against the jeep, Scott heals it)

S5 Ep. 3 (Gets paralyzed and hit in the face by a Kanima)

S5 Ep. 4 (Gets attacked by Donovan at the end of the episode)

S5 Ep. 5 (Gets attacked by Donovan, anxiety about killing him, still has a hurt shoulder, sees Donovan and other hallucinations)

S5 Ep. 6 (Major hallucinating in the hospital as well as anxiety about killing him, shoulder still hurts, gets attacked by Josh)

S5 Ep. 7 (his car is flipped upside down while he’s in it, seen unconscious with head bleeding, saved by Theo)

S5 Ep. 9 (emotional whump with Scott not believing him)

S5 Ep. 10 (Theo manipulation)

S5 Ep. 11 (dad in the hospital whump, head hits the stairs and makes him blackout, Scott whump, gets slammed against a wall and blacks out, “there’s void stiles!”)

S5 Ep. 12 (paralyzed by a kanima)

S5 Ep. 16 (person thrown at him, tries to break the door down to save Lydia, rushes to her side, sad but sweet stydia moments practically the whole episode, lydia predicts his death (ish), bleeds from his ear)

S5 Ep. 20 (Gets thrown against a wall, falls on glass, huge shard of it in his chest)

[amatchinwater]

Pairing: Stackson

Characters: Stiles Stilinski, Jackson Whittemore, Donovan Donati, Vernon Boyd

Tags/warnings: hate speech/derogatory language, homophobia, homophobic language, Donovan just really sucks, mild violence (he got the back eye somehow)

Words: 2663

Prompt: BTHB square Black Eye

Ao3 link Masterlist

--

You’d really think Stiles would’ve learned by now. Coming out of the closet is not easy. That much he can give Donovan credit for. And in no way, shape, or form will you catch Stiles forcing the matter. As nice as it would be to be public with Donovan and whatever you’d classify their relationship as. That’s something to be done when and how the other boy feels comfortable, not Stiles.

All he can do is remind Donovan that he will be there as support when he’s ready. 

There’s just one tiny- okay major- problem. 

Stiles is beginning to suspect that Donovan might be homophobic. 

Even someone deep in the closet isn’t typically rude enough to shun someone in the halls. With something as simple as a hello or a small wave, Donati gives him this look. A nasty thing as if Stiles had spit in the boy’s face rather than offered pleasantries. And whenever he- politely- asks when they might put a label on them, even if in private, Donovan always has the same answer.

He’d rather be caught dead than with a guy.

But even with that, Stiles can’t bring himself to walk away. Call it codependency if you want, but he just doesn’t want to be alone. Granted, Stiles has his pack. Derek, Erica, Boyd, Isaac, and Jackson. But that’s not the same kind of companionship he’s looking for. 

So what’s a little heartache in exchange for the companionship he is looking for?

A small price.

At least that’s what Stiles usually tells himself. Because it’s not like he could just walk up to– no, he’s not going there. Stiles’ heart and brain are already damaged enough, there’s no need to add insult to injury here.

His phone dings in his pocket as he’s walking out of school. 

>>Usual spot, 5 mins

A demand, not a request. Stiles would be lying if he said that shit wasn’t getting on his last nerve. 

K<<

With a sigh, Stiles shoves his phone back in his pocket, knowing full and well he’s about to leave this situation feeling worse than better. Maybe being alone wouldn’t be such a bad thing. He probably wouldn’t feel sick every time he hears that text tone. 

When he gets to the music room, he can already see Donovan inside waiting for him. The other boy hasn’t noticed him yet, so Stiles takes a moment to try and turn his heart off. Can’t be affected by what you can’t feel. Right?

The music room makes sense as a good spot to meet up because ever since the teacher was killed last year, the school has yet to find a replacement. It’s never used. 

As much as Stiles doesn’t want to feel loneliness, he wishes he had the strength to end this. Whatever this is. 

Maybe one day. 

Stiles knocks twice, once, and then three times before opening the door. It’s a code Donovan made up to ensure they know who’s coming in. Especially since the boy’s locker room is only two doors over and lacrosse practice is going on right now.

But when their eyes meet, Stiles knows deep in his bones, if he’s ever getting out, he has to do it now. There’s so much anger in the other boy’s eyes. If they’re meeting up to make out, shouldn’t Donovan be at least a little happy? Not like he’s filled with resentment. 

Screw worrying about being alone. He’s got his pack and they love him. For now, it’s going to have to be enough. Because their love doesn’t come with a toxicity clause. It’s warm and genuine. 

“What took you so long?” Donovan snaps. 

Not out of worry if Stiles is okay. But for making him wait. For prolonging the risk of being caught. That much is evident in the way the other boy keeps looking behind Stiles, checking the window on the door for people passing by. 

No one suspects a goddamn thing between them. Well, Stiles is sure his pack has smelled Donovan on him after their encounters. But they’ve never said anything to anyone; not even Stiles. 

“I had to go the long way,” he explains, “the main entrance was already locked.” That’s not what he’s concerned about so Stiles adds, “no one saw me.”

“Good,” Donovan nods, “let’s hope not. I can’t be seen with you.” 

Charming.

How did Stiles not get sick of this sooner? 

Donovan quickly closes the distance between them, hands reaching out and eyes half closed. 

“No,” Stiles pushes against the other boy’s chest to keep distance. 

“What do you mean no?”

“I can’t do this anymore,” Stiles takes a step back, not liking the dark glare from those nearly black eyes. “I’m out. It’s more than okay that you’re not. But I’m tired of hiding who I am.”

Suddenly Donovan’s hands are around his throat, showing Stiles against the wall and forcing his tongue in his mouth.

Stiles’ face contorts, not even remotely kissing back and trying to push Donovan off. Stiles is all for a hand around his throat. But this hurts and he can’t fucking breathe, blackness beginning to shadow the edges of his vision.

“You’re disgusting, you know that?” Donovan sneers, wiping his mouth clean as if he wasn’t the one to force the kiss. 

Stiles should’ve bit the fucker. 

“Disgusting and so fucking wrong. Who are you going to turn to, huh? No one is going to want to touch someone like you.”

Stiles’ newfound backbone settles into place. He scoffs, “I’m wrong? Me? The only thing wrong here is you. Treating me like garbage when I actually liked you.” 

Donovan doesn’t take a moment to digest Stiles’ words or even have half of a thought. He just rears back and punches Stiles right in the face. Really fucking hard. The force makes Stiles stumble, lose his footing, and fall on the floor.

“Don’t be such a fag,” Donovan seethes before snatching his bag up and storming out of the room.

Stiles’ face is throbbing, one eye watering and stinging so badly he doesn’t even want to open it. Can’t. Collecting himself, he gets off the ground. Brushing his pants off, Stiles quietly leaves the room. Not once does he stop until he’s pulling his jeep into the driveway.

It’s not his first time taking a hit to the face, he used to play lacrosse for fuck’s sake. But it was the first in that setting. In that…way.

Silver lining? 

He’s free of Donovan.

Luckily, his dad was working a double shift last night, so he didn’t see the mess that was his son. And thankfully, with one sacrificial bag of frozen peas later, the swelling of Stiles’ eye went down. The small cut on his cheekbone is nothing of consequence. Something easily explained away by his clumsy nature. The major problem? 

The very obvious black eye.

Even Stiles isn’t graceless enough to give himself a shiner. Litter his arms, legs, and sides with them? For sure. But usually if he hits his face it was from doing something stupid like the one time he was trying to make a rubber band ball. He used too small of a band and when it snapped it got him right in the chin. A nice little cut that he wore for three days. But never a black eye. 

He avoided his pack last night so as not to cause any problems. Although Jackson, his childhood best friend, showed up at his goddamn house after practice. Stiles lied his ass off that he was nauseous and should be left alone. Not because Jackson might get sick. No, don’t worry, the jock reminded Stiles numerous times that he’s immune because he’s a werewolf. 

Stiles just kept pushing how gross it was and that his best friend didn’t need to see that.

Jackson responded in kind that nothing could be more gross than walking in on Stiles jerking himself off when they were going through puberty. Which, thanks. Great boost to his ego there, Jax, truly. In the end, the wolf backed off once Stiles promised he’d call if he needed anything. 

But now Stiles has to go to school. Lydia is off on some college tour, so it’s not like he can call her for a quick cover up. She and her makeup are states away. No staying home either. His dad would get a call at work and that’s just not something he wants to deal with. A small fib to Jackson is one thing, but Stiles is sure his dad is desensitized to his lies, it just wouldn’t work. 

Maybe he can get away with staying in the library or getting a note from the nurse. 

That’s probably the best course of action. If he tells the nurse he’s throwing up, they won’t call his dad and just let him leave. 

Stiles intends to do just that. He hides in the boy’s bathroom, waiting for the first bell to ring. He’s got his old, oversized lacrosse hoodie on to hide his face. But the fewer people in the halls, the better. It also runs less of a risk in seeing his pack right now. They would all collectively lose their minds.

Possibly their composure as well.

Jackson has proved since they were young that he won’t tolerate people bullying Stiles. Can’t threaten what you don’t know about though. Erica would burn the school down then ask what idiot hurt him. Boyd would just give them a Derek level death glare to ensure they never even looked at Stiles again. Isaac could go either way. It would depend on the situation. A black eye would probably constitute a broken bone or two.

Best to avoid them.

Or at least until tomorrow when Lydia and her makeup bag are back in Beacon Hills and can help Stiles cover this up. 

The bell rings, startling Stiles in the quiet stall. He waits until the voices have mostly ceased to poke his head out. But when he does, he catches a glimpse of Donovan walking towards his locker. Almost choking on a breathy squeak, Stiles disappears back into the bathroom. 

Not without hearing Jackson call, “Stiles?”

Fuck.

Stiles rushes back into the stall to hide. If anything, it’ll keep up the façade that he’s ill. Hell, he feels so nauseous after seeing Donovan that he might actually throw up from anxiety alone. 

The bathroom door opens and two sets of footsteps come in.

This is just not Stiles’ week.

“Stiles, what’s going on?” Jackson asks, voice full of concern.

It warms Stiles’ heart that his best friend cares this much. If Jackson wasn’t painfully straight, maybe the whole Donovn situation could’ve been avoided. 

Again, he’s not thinking about that.

“You can’t hide from me,” Jackson says, “even if I couldn’t smell you, I can hear your heartbeat anywhere. Come on out.”

That shouldn’t blanket Stiles’ heart the way that it does. Jax only means because they’re best friends. That’s it. Just friends.

“Stiles, we just want to make sure you’re alright,” Boyd adds, confirming the wonder of the second set of feet. “You know you can talk to us.”

They won’t leave without seeing him. Stiles knows they won’t. Time to face the music. Ever so slowly, he unlocks the door, stepping out hood up and chin tucked. “I don’t feel well, I’m just going to go home.”

“If you were sick, you could’ve just said so,” Boyd chuckles. 

Jackson snorts, “Well at least this time it sounds like the truth.” 

Without thinking, Stiles looks up to snap at the wolf, except doesn’t get a chance to speak. He immediately realizes his mistake.

Boyd mutters, “oh shit.”

Eyes flashing blue, Jackson snarls, “Who did it?” Despite his tone, he carefully grabs Stiles’ chin to get a better look.

“Just drop it, Jax,” Stiles jerks his head and shoves the wolf’s hand away. “It’s nothing,” he says, avoiding eye contact and keeping the black eye facing away from them. 

“Fuck that,” Jackson grabs his chin again, forcing eye contact while somehow remaining gentle. “Who. Did. It?” Every word is growled.

He’s pissed. Stiles may now hate Donovan, but he doesn’t want to see the guy dead. He fiddles with his fingers, not looking at either wolf. What Stiles wouldn’t give to not have a conscience right now. 

His best friend laughs humorlessly, “It was Donati, wasn’t it?”

Stiles says nothing. Not that it matters. He feels it the moment his heart betrays him with a skip. And the wolves definitely heard it too. 

“What are we doing?” Boyd asks, muscles flexing in his arms as he crosses them tighter.

“Find him,” Jackson growls. 

All it takes is a nod of his head towards Jackson and Boyd dutifully walks out. 

“I knew I should’ve snapped his neck when the whole thing started.” Jackson snorts, “and Erica said I was just being jealous.”

There’s so much to unpack in those two simple sentences.

“How did you possibly know?” Stiles opts for the least confusing of the wolf’s statements. “We were so careful.”

Jackson’s face is as deadpan as his tone, “It’s like you forget I’m a werewolf or something. As if I couldn’t hear the two of you if practice got out early. Even then, we can all smell him on you.”

Right.

That’s totally a thing Stiles thought about, he’s just still confused right now.

His best friend laughs at the face Stiles pulls. “Come on, let's get you to Derek’s where you’ll be safe until Boyd finds Donati. Get you something for that cut too.”

The care from the wolf and the gentle way Jackson wraps his arm around Stiles’ shoulder almost has him forgetting the other comment.

“Hang on,” Stiles shrugs his arm off, facing the wolf. He simply cannot get the thought of Jackson being jealous out of his head. Stiles can feel it niggling away at his brain. 

He has to ask before his mind actually combusts.

“Why did Erica say you were jealous? Did you think he was going to steal your best friend away or something?” It’s the most logical reason he can think of.

“I–” Jackson looks away, his eyes trailing back slowly, uttering a soft, “No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Then–” Stiles’ heart slams in his ribcage, he can’t breathe. Does Jackson like Donovan? Had Stiles been wrong about the wolf’s sexual preferences all along? He clears his throat, doing his best not to stutter, asking “Then why?”

“Are you really going to make me spell it out?” Jackson asks with no heat. Not even the usual sarcasm in his tone that they share can be found.

Stiles flails his arms. Because obviously yes, he’s missing something here. 

“That would be nice, yes.”

Jackson chews his lip, contemplating his words. Stiles can see the war raging in his best friend’s mind behind beautiful blue eyes. The wolf growls. 

“Screw it,” he says, cupping Stiles’ cheeks and slamming their mouths together.

Holy shit.

Holy fucking shit!

Holy shit!

He could’ve had Jackson! Stiles didn’t have to be lonely? His gorgeous best friend has feelings for him and Stiles had no idea the wolf even liked guys. He would’ve tried something. Flirted at the very least. Can you blame him? Even someone blind would know Jackson is stunning. And he actually cares about Stiles too. 

Stiles was a little frozen from shock that he didn’t kiss back right away. A very soft, small whine rumbles in the back of the wolf’s throat and he goes to pull away. Stiles curls his fists in Jackson’s expensive shirt, keeping their mouths firmly pressed together. He never wants to hear that sound again. 

“I didn’t know,” Stiles whispers.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Jackson strokes his cheek. “Just say the word and I’ll snap his neck. I promise.”

“No, Stiles mutters, brushing their noses together. “I just need you.”

Jackson smiles, “You’ve got me,” leaning in to kiss him again.

[blackhholes]

okay so i was thinking about season 5 deals with death but more specifically with the action of killing someone, because we have two situations where a main character kills someone that the narrative treats extremely differently.

the scene at the end of lie ability between lydia and vallack mirrors the scene at the beginning of a novel approach between stiles and donovan to a certain degree. in both situations lydia and stiles are acting out of desperation and it's a last resort kind of thing that they aren't even really cognizant of. lydia screams because this man has drilled a hole in her head and he's about to kill her because of his own obsession, the voices in her head are getting too loud and she just needs to get it out. stiles pulls the pin because he's been backed into a corner by donovan and he doesn't feel like he can do anything so he does the one thing he can do and it ends up killing him.

so then why when the scenes are so similar does stiles' turn into a season long arc and lydia's is never mentioned again? i think in large part it's because of their own feelings towards the events. immediately after donovan dies we see stiles panic, he calls the cops but leaves the scene before anyone can arrive and when the body disappears he becomes hysterical he starts doubting if donovan is even dead, it feels eerily similar the nogitsune when he would lose time and couldn't trust his own mind. but this time he can't blame it on the nogitsune he did it himself and i think furthers the shame and guilt he feels because before he was capable of explaining what he did as the nogitsune as not being him, that's not something he would be capable of, but suddenly he has to face the fact that maybe he is.

he repeatedly brings up how terrified he is of losing scott when it comes out because to him scott is this all-good person who would never stand by stiles after supposedly proving that there's something rotten about him. this forces him to retreat and pull away from everyone leading to the worst break up scene in television history between him and malia when she reveals she knew but it didn't matter to her. to him this is proof that the nogitsune wasn't completely a foreign entity from him so for someone to tell him it's okay is unfathomable.

this shiftiness and isolation is also why i believe scott was so quick to believe theo's version of the story, because to scott it makes sense that a violent murder like theo described would lead to stiles pulling away like that. he doesn't understand why stiles would act this way if it truly was self defense. i think reading the sciles breakup in season five as a latent showcase of nogitsune trauma for both of them illuminates both of their actions a lot better than if you were to read it as an isolated incident.

so back to lydia how come her killing vallack is never brought up again? it's because she doesn't feel the same levels of shame and guilt as stiles. she's a lot more pragmatic, she did what she had to do to survive and she understands that scott and the rest of the pack understand that as well.

so really what i'm trying to say is that the narrative weight for both these events has less to do with any perceived objective wrongness of their actions and is moreso a narrative tool to explore the emotional weight it applies to the agents over time.

[usermischief]

chapter 54: like the thirteenth stroke of a clock Warnings: -

You can read it on AO3 as well.

---

Jackson walks past them, not even glancing in their general direction. His anger is palpable, even for people who can’t pick up on chemo signals. That wouldn’t be particularly surprising if not for the fact that Jackson is neither interested nor part of the track team. 

Stiles glances at Theo, who glares at his coffee cup as if it somehow betrayed him. The dark circles under his eyes tell the story of a restless night. They stayed up way longer than they probably should have, but Theo was restless and in his head. Keeping him distracted seemed almost impossible. When Stiles eventually drifted off to sleep, Theo was still awake — and that’s saying something. “You didn’t have to come, you know?” 

Theo grunts in response, his lips forming a tight line. 

“I’m not being stupid,” Stiles playfully insists, flicking Theo’s forehead. 

“I didn’t say that,” Theo mutters.

“You’re grunting did that for you,” Stiles tells him, raising his brows.

Theo grins, and it reaches his eyes for the first time since he found out his father is Peter Hale. He leans forward, presses a short kiss to the corner of Stiles’ mouth, and crosses his arms over the railing. “The Dread Doctors are not going to ease up,” Theo reminds him, now scowling again as he watches someone run past Stiles. “If anything, they’re going to escalate. You didn’t stop them, but you did interrupt their plans.” And they don’t like that. Theo doesn’t have to say these words to make it abundantly clear. 

This is the second time Stiles has managed to successfully stop them from creating another chimera. With how quickly they killed Caitlin, it’s clear they will not take any more chances. “They’re pissed.”

“I’m pissed,” Theo says, furrowing his brows. “They’re vengeful.” 

Stiles grabs the railing, letting out a long breath. “They can’t kill me.”

“After everything you’ve been through, I thought you knew there’s worse things than death.” Theo presses his lips together, studying Stiles for a few seconds. He doesn’t look happy with Stiles’ attitude towards the Dread Doctors at all. “Besides,” Theo adds, shaking his head to really rub it in, “they tried to have you kidnapped before.” 

As much as Stiles would like to argue that, he’s aware that Theo is right about that. Donovan’s attempts to kidnap him didn’t happen all that long ago, yet it feels like forever ago. Ripping the ley line away from their newest chimera probably didn’t help. Plus, choosing Caitlin feels personal. It shouldn’t. Stiles barely knew her, and yet, out of everyone on this list, they picked a girl that may not have been in his life for long, but she still changed its trajectory — especially regarding his love life. 

“So, that’s why Jackson’s here?” Stiles glances in his general direction. Judging by how he tilts his head, Jackson is listening in on their conversation, even though he’s pretending to be busy with his phone. 

Theo doesn’t reply immediately. Once again, he watches what’s going on behind Stiles. “I chose the lesser of two evils.” 

“Did you consider calling Brett?”

Theo glares at him, but he doesn’t reply. Not that he needs to. His face says more than any number of words could. 

“He’s growing on you, isn’t he?” Stiles tries his best not to grin. It’s a highly unsuccessful endeavor. 

“Don’t push it, babe.” Theo rolls his eyes and sips his coffee. The avoidance of an actual answer says a lot more than anything else could. A friendship between Theo and Brett is unlikely, but maybe Brett standing up for him yesterday helped put their feud at ease, perhaps even on hold until all of this is dealt with. 

Which is hopefully soon. Because Stiles is sure Theo is right about one thing — the Dread Doctors are vengeful. They haven’t had any success in a while. Stiles stopped a transformation, and their time has essentially run out now that Stiles can finally control the nemeton fully. They’re out of options. They've been doing this for decades before finally achieving their first success with Theo, so it's highly unlikely they will give up anytime soon.

And that’s most likely why Jackson’s here. 

Stiles lets out a long breath. “You really think they’re coming here?”

“Wouldn’t put it past them.”

Pinching his brows, Stiles glances at Jackson again. So, they’re really here to— what? Fight them? Even as alphas, they won’t be able to do anything about them. They won’t be able to stop them. Not the three of them, and certainly not Theo and Jackson alone. Stiles swallows around the lump in his throat, a terrible hunch forming in the depth of his gut. “What’s the plan here, Theo?” Stiles asks, and when Theo’s eyes lock with his, the hunch takes root. “What are you gonna do if they show up?” 

Theo’s expression hardens, but he doesn’t say a single word. 

Not that he has to. 

“No.” Stiles pushes away from the banister. “Absolutely not.” This isn’t happening. He won’t let it. Shaking his head, Stiles turns on his heels and walks away. 

Theo is by his side almost instantly. “What are you doing?” 

“Quitting track.” 

“And you think quitting track will stop them from coming after you?” Theo grabs his arm and pulls him back around, stopping him effectively in his tracks.   

“No, but I’m sure you and Jackson won’t stop them either.” Stiles pulls his arm free. The only real safe place used to be Eichen House, but Kira destroyed their defenses effectively. Nowhere is safe from them, and the only reason they haven’t come after Stiles themselves yet is that they always had a chance at using the nemeton’s power without him intervening. But that’s not the case any longer. They’re bound to figure out that their time has run out. 

Theo reaches for his hand again, intertwining their fingers. His touch alone stifles Stiles' gnawing worry that something might go wrong. How could it? How could anything happen when Theo's hand feels so right against his own? "What do you want me to do then?" Worry is etched into every inch of his features. 

Stiles parts his lips and lets out a breath. "I can only tell you what I don't want you to do. He squeezes Theo’s hand tightly, wishing he could somehow make him understand. “I can’t do this again.” Just the thought of having to sit by Theo’s bedside again, wondering if he’ll ever wake up… and if he wakes up, wondering if he’ll be okay. There are limits to what a body can handle. Eventually, it’s going to reach the end of the line. Theo’s been on the brink of death twice in just a couple of weeks. Even a supernatural body has its breaking point. 

“Okay.” Theo doesn’t look entirely happy, but he sounds sincere, at least. “We’re not here to protect you. We’re here to support you.” 

“I swear,” Jackson utters, coming to a stop next to them, “if I got up early for you to leave—”

“He’s thinking about quitting,” Theo interrupts, not even giving Stiles a chance to respond. It’s almost an instinctive reaction. He doesn’t even look in Jackson’s direction as he says it but contemplates Stiles instead.

Jackson doesn’t look at Theo either. “And you think quitting track will stop them from coming after you?” he asks incredulously. Well, at the very least, he’s not acting like Theo doesn’t exist. 

Stiles stares at Jackson, then Theo, and back again. Huffing out a breath, he lets go of Theo’s hands and crosses his arms over his chest. “I can’t believe I didn’t connect the dots before.” Stiles lets out a long breath and rubs his hands over his face. “It’s obvious you two are related.” 

Now Theo and Jackson cross their arms over their chests. 

Coach’s whistle cuts through the silence. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jackson asks while Theo keeps staring Stiles down. While they share many similarities, one pretty significant distinction is finally making itself known. On the one hand, Theo tends to remain silent, bottling up his emotions until he reaches a breaking point resulting in an explosion that ultimately leads to people ending up in the crossfire. On the other hand, Jackson’s first instinct is confrontation until pushing him too far will lead to a deadly silence. Arguments between them will be a delight. 

“Stilinski!” 

Stiles waves Coach off, then points at Theo and Jackson. “You’re brothers. Get it together.” Shaking his head one more time, he jogs to meet up with the rest of the team in the middle of one of Coach’s pre-practice speeches. But Stiles isn’t actually listening to anything he tells them. It’s usually not all that important anyway — or new. Stiles is pretty sure he knows ninety percent of his motivational speeches by heart at this point. Instead, he focuses his attention on Theo and Jackson returning to the stands, rubbing his chest absentmindedly. By the looks of it, they're not talking and sit down as far apart as possible. 

That’s going to take some time, but at the very least, they seem to be able to work together if they have to. It’s not ideal or anything Stiles had hoped for. Still, he can’t change it. He can’t force Theo to change anything. They’ll have to figure this out by themselves. 

“Sorry, I’m late.” Kira appears next to him without warning. 

Stiles nearly jumps out of his skin. “Warn a guy,” he breathes.

Kira chuckles. “Did I miss anything?” 

“Probably just his usual motivational speech,” Stiles whispers, watching Coach wave them off, which most likely means they’re supposed to start their warm-up. He seems distracted as well today. If Stiles didn’t know any better, he’d guess Theo called Coach too, but a human wouldn’t exactly be helpful in their situation. It’s much more likely he’s distracted by Jackson being here. As passionate as he appears to be about track, lacrosse is where his heart is at. Stiles is more than fine with that. If he’s too busy talking to Jackson about lacrosse, track will remain pretty uneventful, which sounds great. They’re due for uneventfulness, and Stiles will savor it for as long as he can. 

“Theo seems on edge,” Kira notes as they start jogging after the rest of the group. 

Stiles sighs. “He’s worried the Dread Doctors are coming after me.” They’re already catching up to the others. In no time, they’re going to pass them without any issues at all. Running comes so easily. If only he could run from his problems like this — or at the very least from the Dread Doctors. But they’ll catch up to him eventually. Unless they manage to find a way to stop them indefinitely. 

“That’s the next logical step, isn’t it?” 

They break into a sprint, leaving the rest of the group behind. The silence between them is filled with the sound of the wind in his ears for the next 100 meters. As freeing as running feels, the last few days have left their mark on Stiles. He can already feel a strange tightness in his chest. They slow down again, and Stiles lets out a breath. “Unless Nolan remembers something.” 

“Even if he does,” Kira interrupts, not showing any signs of their recent sprint, “we can’t kill them.” 

Yet, Stiles thinks. “But it’ll give us a chance to search their lair.” And hopefully, find something that will help kill them or, at the very least, level the playing field. If they become vulnerable, three kitsunes and a hellhound should be able to take them on — not that Theo would let him fight this battle alone. Maybe he even deserves to be the one to deliver the killing blow. They put him through enough that he should be on the front line when they finally go down. 

Kira shakes her head. “So, we’re going to deliver you to them?” 

“You sound like Theo.” 

They break into a sprint again, this time forcing Kira to postpone her reply until they slow down again. They finished their first round—two more to go before they start with the rest of the warm-up. 

“What I mean is—”

Stiles is falling. Without warning. One second he’s running, and now he can barely get his hands in front of him to stop his face from smashing into the ground. The skin on his hand tears open, and Stiles hisses, grinding his teeth together. But the pain comes and goes within seconds as his body heals the minor injuries almost immediately. 

Kira drops to her knees next to him. “Are you okay?” An edge of panic sneaks into her tone, and she reaches out, fingers curling around his shoulder. 

“I’m fine,” Stiles mutters, rubbing his chest again. It still feels tight every now and again. It’s almost as if someone is wrapping their arms around him, squeezing him, and then easing up again. It’s getting more prominent as time passes, and it’s also happening faster. What the hell is going on? Grimacing, Stiles sits up and checks his arms more out of instinct than anything else. His skin is completely healed, and there are only a few smudges of blood that tell a different story. 

“What happened?” Theo asks, arriving at the same time as Jackson and Coach, who watches Jackson with mild irritation.

Kira crosses her arms over her thighs. “I think he tripped.” 

“I didn’t trip.” Stiles isn’t sure what happened, but he knows what didn’t happen. There is no way he tripped over anything. Stiles takes a deep breath and rubs his sternum with a scowl. Something weird is definitely going on. Usually, he can blame that on the ley lines, which in turn means the Dread Doctors are doing something. “I think I need to sit down.”

“You are sitting.” 

“I need to sit down somewhere that’s not the ground, Whittemore,” Stiles clarifies with a roll of his eyes. 

Theo offers him a hand and pulls him to his feet the moment he grabs it. As soon as he stands, his world slips away in the blink of an eye. This time, however, he doesn’t black out, but he’s feeling it now — the sensation of someone pulling at him, trying to drag him under. 

“Babe?” Theo wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him close and steadying him. 

Stiles takes a deep breath. “Something’s up with the ley lines.” 

“Are you okay?” 

“I just need to lay down,” he smiles at Theo before glancing over his shoulder and watching Jackson tell Coach something about ‘possibly dehydration.’ But by the look he’s giving him, Jackson is listening to them and knows what’s really going on. “And deal with it before it becomes an issue.” This shouldn’t become a problem unless he ignores it for too long, but Stiles doubts the ley lines will allow that to happen. They’re all but screaming for help. 

Theo helps him sit on the bleachers while Kira offers her bunched-up jacket as a makeshift pillow, and Jackson distracts Coach. 

“Okay.” Stiles lies down, heart thumping in his chest. He should be relieved. So far, the Dread Doctors still think they have a chance at resurrecting their beast without him. Besides, he knows his way around the ley lines now that he’s truly connected to them. For the most part, at least. He’s still worried he could spend too much time down there. “Give me fifteen minutes,” Stiles says, glancing from Theo to Kira and back again. “If I’m not done by then, bring me back.” Although Theo’s spark usually helps him to find his way back, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

After a brief nod from Theo, Stiles closes his eyes and allows the ley lines to pull him back into their realm. When he opens them, he finds himself floating in this breathtakingly beautiful space again. This time, he doesn’t get the sense of being somewhere he doesn’t belong. It’s almost a little like coming home, a feeling made even sweeter with Theo’s spark held close to his heart. 

But he isn’t here to admire the view. He’s here to fix a problem. Dread pools in his stomach, almost weighing him down. Stiles is highly aware of what that means. Another death. Another innocent teenager was caught in the crossfire. Stiles hates the thought of it, but he doesn’t have a chance. Once again, the risk of success is too great. He has to protect the people and the balance. Something as dangerous and unnatural as the beast cannot be allowed to roam free. 

Stiles lets out a breath and checks the sea of ley lines for one that’s acting up. It’s surprisingly easy to find despite being lumped in with a bunch of others. Stiles follows its course with a strange sense of direction, somehow knowing where he is despite being somewhere that is Beacon Hills, and at the same time, it is not. He follows it past the school, deep into the preserve, and towards an eerily still silhouette. It’s so different from Caitlyn, who fought for her survival. This person, however, doesn’t do anything. They’re not even holding on to the ley line.

Drawing his brows together, Stiles sinks to his knees right next to them. With how hunched over they’re sitting, it’s hard to make out any defining characteristics. If not for the ley line acting up, he’d think they’re already dead. Which would’ve made it a lot easier to yank their lifeline away from them. 

But they’re alive, and Stiles still curls his fingers tightly around the ley line. If he just pretends— maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t survive with the line’s help anyway. Not with the way they’re hunched over like they’re passed out, in a coma, already dead. Perhaps it’s easier if he doesn’t look at them. 

Taking a deep breath, Stiles focuses on his fingers and the flickering of the ley line. Whoever the Dread Doctors chose this time, they didn’t even make it past the first stage. They won’t make it, no matter what he does. “I’m sorry,” he whispers and yanks the ley line out from under the teen. Only a moment later, everything around him settles. It feels calm, like the world after a storm. 

Stiles curls his hands into fists, resisting the urge to linger, and pushes back, following Theo’s spark. Navigating this space gets easier by the second, and so does leaving it. 

When he opens his eyes, Stiles squeezes them shut quickly again. The sun is way too bright. This is a nightmare. Why did he have to live in California? Carefully, he blinks his eyes open again, shielding them with one hand. It’s probably a good idea to feed before starting school, or the fluorescent lights inside the building are going to cause him a major migraine if the sun doesn’t get there first. 

Stiles turns his head a little and finds Theo and Kira with their backs to him, probably hiding him from the rest of the team, but with their heads surprisingly close together. It’s not that they haven’t gotten along, but they also never acted particularly friendly. Then again, Theo was getting along with Jackson before he learned about them being siblings. His boyfriend seems to be rather volatile these days.

“Yeah,” Theo says softly. “We’ll be there.” 

Kira pulls away, eyebrows pinched and chewing on her bottom lip. 

It’s then that Stiles spots the phone in Theo’s hand. He pushes himself up on his elbows. “What’s going on?” 

Theo turns around, wearing almost the same worried expression as Kira. “That was Brett.” The two exchange a look, almost as if Theo considers keeping whatever they’ve been talking about away from him. In the end, he decides against it, “Nolan remembers.” 

— — —

Nolan is terrified. That in of itself isn’t the biggest surprise. He’s always been a withdrawn and easily startled boy, and usually, being turned into a werewolf heightens some of your traits — especially on full moons. If Stiles checked the calendar correctly, one is right around the corner. What surprises him, however, is that Nolan doesn’t seem to be afraid of the two strange alphas standing on opposite ends of the room. He is afraid of Stiles. He avoids his gaze and refuses to leave Satomi’s side until Brett physically drags him to the map of the desk where Stiles is waiting. 

“Show him,” Brett orders, nudging Nolan even closer to the map and, with that, Stiles. 

The new werewolf all but shrinks away, shoulders pulled up to his ear. He doesn’t say a word or even glance in Stiles’ direction. All he does is tap the map once before shuffling closer toward Brett again. 

Stiles stares at the spot, drawing his brows together as he surveys the surrounding area. Deep in the preserve. Close to a creek leading into a small lake. “Are you sure?” 

Nolan nods shortly. 

“What’s with the look?” Isaac asks, tapping a finger against the thick wood of the table. 

Stiles bites his bottom lip, watching Nolan take his chance to slip away and stand next to Satomi again. “It’s…” he trails off and shakes his head. There is no time to wonder why Nolan is afraid of him right now. There’s more important shit going on. Stiles takes a breath and points at the spot Nolan showed them. “This is where the Dread Doctors hide now, right?” Theo, Jackson, and Kira crowd around the table. Feeling Theo and Kira right next to him has never felt this calming before. “This—” Stiles moves his finger to a spot near the beginning of the creek, not far away from the Dread Doctors’ newest hideout. “This is where they buried their most recent experiment.” 

Both Jackson and Theo stiffen slightly. Stiles watches them exchange a glance, features hardening before looking back at the map. Before they left to go to Satomi’s, Theo and Jackson ended up in another explosive argument. Well, Theo informed Jackson that it was a waste of time to go looking for a chimera who wasn’t even conscious in the first place. Jackson spent the rest of the drive snapping at Theo, even going so far as to call him heartless and accusing him of not caring about anybody but Stiles. That really didn’t need to be part of the conversation, but Stiles chose not to make things worse by objecting. Instead, he and Kira tried to make themselves as scarce as possible in the backseat of Theo’s car, waiting for the other shoe to drop, while Jackson kept arguing and Theo kept driving. 

Stiles still isn’t sure if he wants to be around when he ultimately finds out what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. 

Kira lets out a breath, “It was a trap.” 

“It was a trap,” Theo repeats and curls his hands into fists. For all but a second, it seems like this is what might push him over the edge again, but he takes a deep breath instead and turns to Stiles, “You’re not going to go there.” He points in the general direction of the map, his blue cold and hard. There will be no arguing about this.

Biting his bottom lip, Stiles glances around the table. Some part of him wants to pass on the responsibility of making this decision to Isaac. It is his job, after all, since this is affecting all the packs in his territory. But Isaac simply stares back at him, lips pressed into a thin line. He won’t make that decision. He won’t ask anyone to go to the Dread Doctors’ lair when they've already set a trap. “We have to check it out.” 

Isaac pushes away from the table with a shake of his head. 

“We have to!” Stiles insists, slamming his hands on the desk. “This might be our chance to find a way to level the playing field.” 

“They know you went looking for Caitlin,” Brett says, shaking his head. 

Theo crosses his arms. “I’ll go.” 

“Absolutely not.” Stiles turns to look at him, a familiar burst of irritation clawing its way to the surface. “After everything you did, don’t you think the Dread Doctors have a bone to pick with you?” As task-driven as they might be, in the end, they’re humans, and humans have developed a taste for revenge. Stiles can’t believe Theo would even think they’d just let him walk away if they caught him. They’re either going to kill him for crossing them, or they’re going to lock him up and use him as bait.  

“I’ve been living with them. I can—”

“No, Theo,” Isaac cuts in, “you’re not.” 

“They’re going to kill you.” Kira’s voice is so soft Stiles almost can’t hear her. The thing is, sending anyone there with the Dread Doctors expecting them sounds like a suicide mission. Their ability to manipulate electromagnetic fields means that no werewolf is a match for them, at least until they’ve figured out a way to make them vulnerable. That’s why Nolan remembering everything was so important. It was a way to gain the upper hand, to be one step ahead of the Dread Doctors. They lost that chance.  

Jackson clears his throat. “Or they’re going to use you.” He sounds almost worried.

Looks like Stiles isn’t the only one who thought of that. He turns to face the others again and pushes his hands into his hoodie. The Dread Doctors are likely more than aware of his and Theo’s relationship. Donovan knew, after all. Hell, maybe Tracy kept them in the loop as well. She spent so much time away from the pack, it’s entirely possible Scott wasn’t the only person she kept in the loop of what was happening. 

Theo scoffs. “Are you volunteering, Whittemore?”

“I didn’t say that,” Jackson snaps, jabbing an accusatory finger in Theo’s direction. “Not everyone is as fucking indifferent about life and death as you are.”

“Stop it.” Stiles has had enough of this bullshit. “If you two cannot stop bickering for two seconds, get the fuck out, okay?” He really thought them capable of working together, but that’s apparently only the case if they don’t have to be standing in the same room or talking to each other. “Seriously. Grow up.”

Theo shoots him a dark look. 

Jackson turns away. 

Stiles only barely resists the urge to throw his hands in the air. 

“I could ask my mom,” Kira says, leaning over the table and pressing a finger to the spot Nolan pointed out. “We’re immune to their powers, and we’re fast.” She looks up, her questioning gaze landing on Stiles before she turns her attention to Isaac — probably because she remembers Stiles’ decision can be vetoed very easily in this room. Three alphas and Isaac have a bit more to say than he does. Well, for the most part. Theo can be swayed. 

Scrunching up his face, Isaac studies Kira in silence. As much as it irks him to be the person to make decisions like this, he seems to have finally accepted his fate. He probably never would’ve agreed to be turned into a werewolf if he had known the responsibility that would fall into his lap. Then again, better Isaac than Peter. Stiles doesn’t even want to think about the chaos Beacon Hills would fall into if he were the one in charge. But Isaac and Jackson would have to die for that to happen. Good thing Jackson agreed to become a member of Derek’s pack shortly before leaving for London. Otherwise, the only person standing in Peter’s way would be Isaac, and Stiles isn’t entirely sure how much Peter values his life. Jackson, however, is his son. Sane Peter is not going to kill his son, not even for the power of the nemeton. 

Stiles is sure about that, hopefully. He’d rather not be wrong about Peter. But seeing that he was right about Deaton all along, it’s probably about time he doesn’t second guess his instincts — and his instincts regarding Deaton demand consequences. Stiles glances at Satomi, who is quietly contemplating her tea. Maybe he should talk to her and figure out what the rules are for disturbing the balance. 

“I’m going to call Jordan,” Isaac mutters, already pulling out his phone. “I’d be more comfortable with a hellhound accompanying you.” With a shake of his head, phone pressed against his ear, Isaac walks out of the room. 

Without hesitation, Nolan takes his opportunity to rush after him. 

“Guess that means we’re done.” Brett runs his fingers through his hair and then crosses his arms. 

Kira sighs softly. “I’m going to talk to my mom.” Smiling softly, she glances at Stiles before hurrying out of the room. 

“I don’t like it.” Stiles crosses and uncrosses his arms, unsure what to do or say or if he should stop Kira and Noshiko from essentially walking into a trap. While they have to check out the Dread Doctor’s lair, Stiles doesn’t like that he’ll have to sit and wait for them to return. If he’s terrible at one thing, it’s doing absolutely nothing.

“It is the best course of action,” Theo says, and as much as Stiles wants to believe he really means that, he is probably just relieved Stiles isn’t involved any longer. 

Jackson rolls his eyes. “That doesn’t mean it’s a good one.” 

“It’s not like you came up with a better idea,” Theo shoots back. These two are really ready to turn everything into an argument. 

“Can you stop it!” Brett looks about as pissed as Stiles feels. “I thought you two were getting along?” They were. One of their strongest arguments for forming an acquaintanceship was their shared dislike of Brett, but then Brett defended Theo when he thought Stiles was dying, which pissed off Jackson even further, and they’re suddenly related, and Jackson wants to play family, whereas Theo would rather see everything crash and burn. Here's hoping Brett involving himself in their business pushes them together a second time. 

But Jackson does not seem willing to make peace. “If we’re done here, we can leave, right?” Raising his brows, he turns his attention to Stiles. 

“I would like to talk to Satomi.” Stiles pushes his hands in the pockets of his jeans, not looking at anyone when he adds, “alone.” He knows that secrecy is rather pointless with so many werecreatures around. It’s still nice to have the illusion of having some privacy. 

Theo steps closer. “Are you okay?” Worry is edged into every inch of his face, his anger regarding Jackson already forgotten. 

“I’m fine.” Stiles smiles, cupping the side of Theo’s neck. “I just have a few questions about druids and rituals.” And since neither of that is private or a reason not to have them in here, he adds, “and your and Jackson’s constant arguing makes it hard to focus.” For more than one reason. “I’ll be with you in a sec, okay?” Stiles kisses the corner of Theo’s mouth, smiling softly when he pulls away. 

Although Theo doesn’t look entirely thrilled at leaving him alone, probably because of the now even stronger threat of the Dread Doctors looming over their heads. But Stiles can’t tell him. Not now, not this time. Because Theo doesn’t have the same reservations about killing someone as Stiles does. And maybe Theo gets it. He nods and kisses him once more before leaving. He glances over his shoulder, watching Jackson follow. 

The thought of leaving them alone doesn’t sit right with Stiles either. “Brett, can you—”

“Make sure they don’t kill each other?” he chuckles drily but nods. “I’ll send Morrell in too.” That part is directed at Satomi. Brett doesn’t stop to wait for a reply. He merely leaves the room, footsteps receding down the staircase. 

Stiles doesn’t want to sound hostile, but he’s pretty sure his disdain is impossible to hide — not even from his tone. “Morrell, really?” 

Unsurprisingly, Satomi remains unphased. Sometimes Stiles wants her to lose the tight grip she has on her emotions. It’s infuriating. “If you have questions about druids and their rituals, it seems best to ask a druid, don’t you think?” 

It’s hard to argue with that logic, but that doesn’t mean Stiles is looking forward to a conversation with Marin Morrell. They don’t exactly have the friendliest past. Her being Deaton’s sister doesn’t help either. Stiles leans against the desk with a sigh. He has a feeling that discussing this with Satomi will be futile. 

Morrell enters the room only a few moments later, freeing them of an awkward silence, and closes the door behind her. “Stiles,” she nods as she sits down next to Satomi. 

Although she did help him before, Stiles can’t help but be upfront about his issue with her. “The last time I saw you, you threatened to kill me.” He taps his fingers against the edge of the desk, watching Morrell carefully. Trusting Satomi was hard enough after the stunt she pulled to control him, but Morrell is a very different story. Even though she tried to help him with the nogitsune, did help him until Brunski sedated him. She also worked for Deucalion. Trusting her will be no easy feat. Depending on how this conversation goes, however, things might change. 

Morrell crosses her legs, expression impassive. “The last time I saw you, you were possessed by a nogitsune.” 

“Not much has changed.”

“I don’t think that’s quite true.” Her shoulders relax a little, but she seems wary around him for the first time. There probably aren’t many people who like the thought of a nogitsune with permission to stick around. It’s hard to blame her.  

Satomi stirs her tea. “What questions do you have for us?” 

Part of him is sure Satomi already knows, and that’s why she called Morrell. Still, it’s also possible she wanted her emissary at her side since she is talking to the nemeton, something that’s technically a druid’s job. Stiles crosses his legs at his ankles. “I’m sure Brett told you about what happened the night we freed Peter Hale.” 

For all but a second, discontent crosses over Satomi’s features. She quickly hides it by sipping her tea, and when she’s done, she seems as serene as always. “Brett has not informed me of anything that has happened in the tunnels.”

Stiles raises his brows. “How come?” 

“I haven’t asked,” Satomi admits, sounding almost rueful. Stiles wonders if she blames him for Brett acting out. Well, more than usual. He’s her second in command, after all, and they didn’t have any secrets from each other. Then again, it was Satomi’s idea to link Brett to Stiles without asking either of them for permission first — and Brett keeping quiet about Deucalion might have a different reason. 

Stiles glances at Morrell. Maybe Brett isn’t entirely sure where Morrell’s loyalties truly lie, either. Sure, Deucalion wanted to have her killed, but only because she played both sides. “Someone other than the Dread Doctors took the nemeton’s power without its permission.” 

To his surprise, Morrell shoots to her feet. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she starts pacing the office. 

“I wonder,” Stiles continues, forcing his attention back to Satomi, “what the consequences are for something like that.” 

“I’d say that depends on the crime.” Satomi watches her emissary.

Stiles crosses his arms. “Disturbing the balance.” At his words, Morrell comes to an abrupt stop. She probably already knows who he is talking about. Stiles doubts there are a lot of people in Beacon County who have access to the nemeton’s power. There are no more packs, meaning there aren’t any more emissaries in the area. Plus, Stiles would notice if someone else tabs into the ley lines. If she isn’t the culprit, there is only one person left. They all know it. 

“What did he do?” Morrell crosses her arms over her chest, expression hard. 

“He stole the nemeton’s power and used it to create an alpha. Thus disturbing the balance.” Stiles mirrors her stance, preparing himself to argue his point. At first glance, it might not seem too bad. After all, some alphas truly do rise through sheer willpower. Stiles has done his research. “I want to know how he did it, so I can dish out some fitting punishment.” With or without Isaac’s consent. He can live with the consequences of whatever decision he’ll make. 

Satomi clinks her spoon against the rim of her teacup, seemingly finally satisfied with the taste. “The nemeton would not release its power willfully to create an alpha spark.” 

“That’s why I said ‘stole.” His tone is sharper than he means it, but Stiles can’t deny that he’s feeling on edge being alone with Satomi and Morrell. They both are powerful women devoted to protecting the balance, yet Morrell allowed Deucalion to turn into the monster he was in the end. “How do you steal the nemeton’s power?” Other than forcing it to save the life of a dying supernatural creature by allowing a connection to the ley lines. 

Morrell is silent for a moment, possibly contemplating the most likely answer. “He would have needed some form of access to harness the power.” She starts walking again, heels clicking loudly against the wooden floor. “And enough time to gather it slowly enough so the nemeton didn’t notice anything.” 

“How much time are we talking?”

That depends on a variety of factors. How did he access the nemeton? How much power was he taking? Perhaps there was another distraction. 

Satomi rises to her feet as well. “How do you know Alan stole from the nemeton?” His name rings loudly in the room, but Morrell doesn’t seem surprised. Meaning Stiles was right, she knew. Which begs the question, how often did Deaton use the nemeton’s power for his own gain? Clearly, often enough that his sister suspects him immediately. 

“Because we stripped Scott of our spark,” Stiles says, sensing a familiar anger burning underneath his skin, and pushes away from the desk. “We took what was stolen from us.” He will not argue about his decision to save Theo’s life. It doesn’t matter if they consider his choice as hypocritical. They wouldn’t have been in this situation if Morrell stopped Deucalion and stopped Deaton from turning Scott into an alpha. 

Morrell and Satomi exchange a look before the latter inquires, “What happened to the spark?” 

“We saved a life.” Stiles wonders if the nemeton is defending him. Although he is entirely in control of his body, it seems his mouth doesn’t quite belong to him now. He also wonders if Stiles' fear of losing Theo influenced the nemeton to save his life. How much control does he really have of something as old and powerful as the nemeton, poisoned or not? “Tell us how he did it.” Stiles forces himself to lean back against the desk again, fingers curling tightly around its edge. 

“The ice bath ritual,” Morrell says, sounding as if she had known all along. Maybe she did. Maybe Deaton told her everything. She wouldn’t have been able to reverse it either way. “With the Darach’s ritual and your surrogate sacrifices, it was easy for him to steal power from the nemeton. The connection was wide open for 16 hours. All he had to do was change Scott’s ice bath just enough to ensure the power would be transferred to his spark.” She crosses her arms again and leans against the wall. Something akin to regret slips onto her features. Perhaps even guilt. It isn’t entirely impossible she was the inspiration for a ritual like that. “But it couldn’t have been successful.” Morrell looks up now, brows furrowed. “Your connection to the nemeton remained.”

His connection remained, yes. “Allison’s didn’t.” Stiles remembers Isaac telling them that he was the one who found the nemeton because of Chris’ emitters. 

“The power her sacrifice was supposed to give to the nemeton—”

“It went straight to Scott.” Stiles pushes away from the desk again. He needs to move, or his anger will turn into something explosive again. By the sounds of it, both Allison and Stiles were supposed to give their powers not to the nemeton but to Scott during their time in the ice bath. If the ritual had worked as intended, their parents, Isaac and Allison, would have been crushed underneath the nemeton. Stiles would have never been able to find it, not in that storm, not after the car crash, not without the connection to the nemeton. Fuck, and even if he had been able to find them in that basement through some sort of miracle, his baseball bat wouldn’t have stopped the whole building from collapsing. If a werewolf and four humans couldn’t keep it up, how would a single baseball be able to stop it?

The more he thinks about it, the clearer it gets that the nemeton has taken a liking to him from the very second they first connected. Perhaps that’s what not only saved everyone in the basement but it also might have stopped Deaton’s ritual from working as intended. Either way, without the nemeton’s help, without his connection to it, Stiles would have never been able to save them. “My father would have died just because Deaton decided to play God.” He stops pacing and turns to look at Satomi, hands curling into fists. “So tell me, Satomi, what punishment do you see fit?” Because he has an excellent idea of what he wants to do — an idea undoubtedly fueled by the rage of a nogitsune. Deaton’s reckless behavior did not only risk the life of their parents and insult the druid code. It’s an insult to them. How dare he think he can get away with this? 

Satomi doesn’t break eye contact, and her expression is harder than Stiles has ever seen. “I doubt you will find a satisfactory answer here. I’m afraid this is a decision you must make alone.”  

Stiles snaps his gaze to Morrell, who avoids his eyes for the first time like Nolan did. Well, at the very least, she was willing to tell him the truth. “Fine,” Stiles says, turning towards the door. “I will do this myself.” And without another word, he rushes out of the room. One thing is clear, Deaton will not run from the consequences of his action for much longer — not as long as he can do something about it.  

— — —

“So…” Theo lowers his sketchbook for the first time in who knows how many hours, “are you going to sulk for the rest of the evening?” That’s rich coming from him. It’s not like Theo has been in a good mood since they left Satomi’s. He glowered his way through school without so much as looking at Jackson, was clearly peeved that Stiles wanted to talk to Satomi alone — and even more annoyed that the room was supernatural proof. With the door was closed, he couldn’t even listen in and then told Josh and Corey very curtly that they’d be staying the night at Stiles’, and grabbed his sketchbook the second they entered his bedroom.

Stiles remembers Theo drawing a lot as a child, especially when he was overwhelmed with emotions. He got in his head and tried to work through his feelings by drawing whatever came to mind. He knows it’s better than bottling everything up, so Stiles didn’t bother him. To be fair, he didn’t exactly try talking to him either, seeing that he was still pissed about Satomi refusing to give him the answer he wanted to hear. Well, that means he’ll have to get his answers from somebody else. 

“I don’t know,” Stiles mutters without looking up from his AP History essay. “Are you going to be a dick to your brother for the rest of your life?” 

“Hilarious.” 

“You think?” Stiles squints at his laptop. He has absolutely no idea what point he is trying to make. “I haven’t laughed in a while.” 

“I don’t get why you’re mad at me. I didn’t do anything.” Theo slams his sketchbook onto the desk.

Letting out a breath, Stiles closes his laptop. "I'm sorry."

Theo gets to his feet and crosses the room, plopping onto the bed beside him. "It's fine." But it's really not. It's not fair to turn Theo into the punching bag for Stiles' lousy mood — just as it wasn't fair to try and put the responsibility of a decision Stiles is willing to make onto Satomi. She would've never gone along with violence of any kind as a punishment. He should’ve never expected her to. What the hell was he thinking? Stiles rubs a hand over his face. It was a waste of everybody’s time. Besides, if he hadn't talked to her, they might have made it to second period, which in turn would have spared Stiles and Isaac Jordan’s lecture about the importance of school. Stiles honestly hadn’t expected Jordan to allow Theo to stay over, but apparently, Jordan thought channeling his inner disappointed dad would get the job done. Stiles almost doesn't have the heart to prove him wrong. 

“My point still stands.” Stiles puts the laptop onto the nightstand and rolls onto his side, facing Theo. “You can’t be angry with Jackson for the rest of your life.” They’re going to have a hard, if not impossible, time avoiding each other as long as they are dating Stiles and Lydia. After all, they’re planning to move in together for college, and Stiles has absolutely no intention of planning their dates around Jackson. 

Groaning, Theo rolls onto his back and glares at the ceiling. “I have no interest in playing happy family.” 

“And you don’t have to.” Stiles cups Theo’s cheek, gently urging him to face him again. “But you got along before. I don’t really understand what happened.” 

“What happened is,” Theo snaps and jumps to his feet, teetering very close to the edge of yet another outburst, “Jackson decided to make decisions for me before I even knew we’re brothers.” His cheeks are flushed with anger, and he opens and closes his fists like he’s trying to fight the urge to throw something. “I don’t need my big brother meddling in my business like Tara used to do.” 

Stiles pushes himself up on his elbows, biting back a grin. “I’m sorry to inform you that you’d be the middle child.” If Tara was still alive. A statement that hangs heavy in the air even though nobody says it out loud.  

Theo blinks, then whips his head around. “What?” 

“I know Jackson’s bossy nature makes it hard to believe, but he’s six months younger than you.” It’s unfair that Stiles went from only child to youngest of three — something that will not change judging by the number of family dinners his father is planning with Jordan and Isaac invited to every single one of them — and Theo comes out as the big brother. They all have to adjust to new family dynamics. “I get that this is hard for you,” Stiles says softly, “but Jackson’s been struggling with finding out who he is and where he came from his whole life. You can’t fault him for trying to make his new family work.” 

Setting his jaw in a firm line, Theo sits on the edge of his bed again. 

Stiles scoots behind him. “Hey, come on.” He wraps his arms around Theo’s waist and props his chin on his shoulder. “Talk to Jackson. He’ll understand, I promise.” Although Jackson had a good relationship with his adoptive parents, Stiles is sure he will have no issue sympathizing with Theo’s struggle. “You talked to me.” 

“That’s different.” 

“Give him a chance.” Stiles leans his head against Theo’s, brushing his thumbs over the warm fabric of his shirt. “I know you bonded over your irrational dislike of Brett.” 

Theo huffs out a breath that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. 

“Misiu, you need to relax.” Stiles kisses Theo’s cheek, then jaw, then the spot behind his ear that gets rid of any sort of discontent. Almost immediately, Theo leans into him and closes his eyes. That’s better. He scoots back on the bed, dragging Theo with him until he lies with his head in Stiles’ lap, both legs dangling over the edge of the bed. “See?” Stiles runs his fingers through the short strands, unable to hide his grin. “Even the big bad alpha needs some downtime every now and then.” Especially after a sleepless night. Stiles is used to running around on little to no sleep, Theo? Not so much. “You get cranky when you don’t get your beauty sleep, darling.” 

Grimacing a bit, Theo opens his eyes again. He watches him without giving any retort. Instead, he sighs, cocking his head a little, and studies Stiles as if he's got him all figured out. He probably has. It's a comforting thought as well as a scary one. But at the very least, Stiles doesn't have to expect any judgment from Theo. "Why are you so pissed at Satomi?" 

Stiles rolls his eyes and lets himself fall sideways onto the mattress. "I'm not pissed at Satomi."

"But?" 

Although Stiles can already tell Theo will never believe him, he merely shrugs. "I don't know." 

Theo crawls up to him. "You do know," he says with an almost terrifying certainty. "You just don't want to tell me. Why?"

Stiles closes his eyes as Theo traces his jawline with his index finger. For a moment, he doesn’t respond and simply allows Theo to continue following lines on his jaw and cheek, and neck as if he is the only person who knows exactly which buttons to push to get what he wants or turn him on. Those two things aren't exactly mutually exclusive. He swallows heavily, feeling the ball of Theo’s hand brush against his Adam’s apple in what could be considered an accident, but nothing his boyfriend does is ever an accident. Stiles shivers when Theo finally curls a hand around the side of his neck, thumb nudging his pulse point gently.

Stiles lets out a breath and opens his eyes. “If I tell you, you might end up doing something stupid.” He curls his hand around the nape of Theo’s neck, pulling him close until their noses brush. His whole body aches with the need to be close to him, making it almost harder to focus on anything else. “And I won’t be able to protect you from the consequences.” If there are consequences, which there will probably be for killing a druid like Deaton. 

“But if you do it alone,” Theo whispers as his fingers slip under Stiles’ shirt ever so innocently, causing an eruption of goosebumps, “will you have to face any consequences?” 

“Probably.” Stiles can feel his muscles contract, his breath hitching in his throat. It should be embarrassing how Theo can play his body like a fiddle without having to do anything. “But Isaac likes me,” he grins, leaning up just enough so their lips touch. 

An almost inaudible chuckle vibrates in Theo’s chest. He brushes their lips together only once before pulling away again, his free hand now busy working on opening Stiles’ belt. “Are you lying to me?” The question is unnecessary. Theo knows exactly when Stiles is lying to him, irregular heartbeat or not. 

Something about the way he says it, however, makes Stiles’ mouth go very dry. He swallows again and clears his throat. “About what?” His voice comes out as a whisper as every inch of his body suddenly grows very warm, and he becomes very aware of what Theo’s hands are doing — one still cups the right side of his throat despite the awkward position Theo is undoubtedly in, the other works dreadfully slow on opening his pants. 

“About why you’re keeping secrets.” 

Stiles shakes his head, mostly to clear his head — and convince his brain that it’s actually important to finish this conversation without giving up the information Theo probably craves almost as much as fucking him into the mattress. “No.” His heart is pounding in his chest even though Theo has barely done anything. The amount of power he holds over him should be illegal. 

“And there is nothing I can do to change your mind?” Theo raises his brows with a smirk and leaves Stiles’ open pants unattended now, index finger dragging over an exposed line of skin instead. 

Stiles is very aware of the fact that Theo is trying to manipulate him. His dear boyfriend knows he can’t bully him into giving him the answers he wants unlike the rest of his betas. But knowing that and doing something about it are two very different things, and it’s not exactly an easy feat when his dick has other plans. “No,” Stiles whispers, trying to pull Theo closer to him again. If this is going to be a thing Theo does, Stiles can be mad at him later, but right now, he really needs Theo to finish what he started. Begging, however, is not going to get him anywhere. Theo has always been a quid pro quo kind of guy.

Still speaking in this almost soft and innocent voice, Theo shifts his body on top of Stiles, elbows propped up next to his head, thigh pressed between his legs. It doesn’t exactly make focusing on the task at hand any easier. “Didn’t we agree not to keep any secrets?” Theo leans down, lips brushing against the shell of his ear. 

It’s almost impossible to keep still when all Stiles wants is for Theo to move his leg, to do something. But Stiles is not going to be swayed by a bit of teasing. He is not. He swallows drily, trying his best not to move either. “I’m going to tell you,” Stiles says, running his hand from Theo’s neck to his shoulder. He can do this. He can turn this around. Theo isn’t the only one who can play this game. “I just need a bit more information.” With a grin, he spins them around and straddles Theo’s lap, hands resting on his chest. Theo’s heartbeat quickens under his palm. So far, his body’s only betrayal of his calm demeanor. “Be patient, mój kochanie. It’s nothing terrible, I promise. I just don’t want to put an idea in your head while you’re clearly out here looking for something to destroy.” 

Everything that happened in the last few weeks, but especially the constant fighting with Jackson and learning he’s been lied to his whole life, shortened Theo’s already very short fuse. Becoming an alpha doesn’t help, either. Even Scott became more prone to violence. There’s no telling what Theo will do once he hears what Deaton did… and what Stiles would like to do to him in return. Then again, maybe even hearing that Stiles is considering killing Deaton would be all Theo needs to hear to go after the emissary himself.   

Theo’s eyes narrow dangerously, but he doesn’t say anything. Not that he has to. Dark red bleeds into his eyes, showing exactly how much he dislikes everything going on. Stiles cups his cheek. It’s a little reckless since it’s still too soon to judge how much control Theo has over his newfound powers. Still, Stiles isn’t scared of Theo or worried he might do something to hurt him. He scrunches up his face a little as Stiles gently runs his thumb over his cheekbone to his nose and down to his mouth. Theo keeps looking at him, eyes red and slightly narrowed. Being an alpha suits him. Theo always radiated raw power, and now he has the eyes to prove it. 

Stiles drags his thumb over Theo’s bottom lip now. Fuck, he really needs to kiss him. And he can. So, he does. The moment their lips touch, Theo buries his fingers into Stiles’ hair and keeps him close. His other hand finds Stiles’ ass, squeezing shamelessly, and grins into the kiss when Stiles gasps. “Jerk,” he whispers into the kiss and pulls away. But Theo’s leans up, clearly not willing to stop kissing him. Stiles could continue this for a lot longer, but he’d like to get to the end of their conversation before that. So, he grabs Theo’s shoulders and pins him back into the mattress. “Someone needs to learn to take no for an answer.” 

Theo quirks a brow and grabs Stiles’ hips, his grip just tight enough to make a point. “I don’t like it,” he says, and it’s obvious by his tone that he’s not talking about having to stop their make-out session. 

“So?” Stiles taps his fingers against Theo’s shoulders. They agreed on not keeping secrets. Theo has every right to be annoyed that he is going against it — to a certain degree. “What are you gonna do about it?” He sits up further, dragging his fingers over Theo’s chest down to the waistband of his jeans. Goosebumps appear on the strip of skin Stiles can see, and he grins, locking eyes with Theo again. “Are you gonna fuck the answer out of me?” Stiles doesn’t miss Theo’s dick twitch against his leg. “That was your plan, wasn’t it? Seduce me, make me beg until I give in and tell you everything so you’ll allow me to cum?” He leans down again, fascinated that he’s got the same effect on Theo as he has on him. Sometimes it still surprises him. “You want to try it? Who knows, maybe—”

Theo doesn’t even give him a chance to finish. He spins them around again, finding his place between Stiles’ legs easily enough, and kisses him with a hunger that’s contagious while his fingers work his own pants open. 

They’re not going to draw this out, and Stiles absolutely doesn’t want to. He hooks his fingers into his pants and boxer briefs, trying to wriggle out of them as quickly as possible. Something that would be easier if Theo moved just the tiniest—

The door to his room slams open, and Theo moves so fast that he bangs his elbow against the wall. 

Jordan doesn’t look particularly amused. “Dinner,” he says curtly as he moves the door until it can’t go any further. “This stays open.” Without another word, he turns on his heels and vanishes around the corner.  

“Ever heard of knocking?” Stiles yells after him, pissed and embarrassed that Jordan chose this exact moment to forget his manners. 

Theo smirks at him, “Please, try telling me again how wonderful siblings are.”

“Oh, shut up,” Stiles huffs, rolls out of bed, and adjusts his pants. He knows Jordan isn’t pissed about Stiles and Theo having sex. The only reason he disapproves is because, last time, Theo accidentally poisoned him. But really, what the hell was he expecting? They’re not going to stay abstinent for the rest of their lives. 

Theo stumbles out of bed as well, fidgeting with his belt. “He’s going to shoot me.” 

“He’s not going to shoot you.” Stiles slaps his hands away and fastens the belt with a sigh. “My dad might, but Jordan won’t.” 

“That’s not as comforting as you think it is.” 

Chuckling, Stiles cups Theo’s cheeks and kisses him. “I love you.” 

Theo sighs and curls his arms around Stiles’ waist. “It’s not dangerous, is it? What you’re not telling me?” 

“No.” Stiles shakes his head for emphasis. “It’s not dangerous, but I’m worried it’ll cause problems for you.” And the last thing Theo needs is any more problems, especially if they’re caused by killing Deaton on a whim. “I need to get a bit more information first, then I’ll tell you everything.” Morrell probably won’t be happy about losing her brother, but it’s not like Stiles owes her anything. Plus, he doubts she’ll be too broken up about her brother’s murder. It’s not her he’s worried about, though. It’s other druids. Other packs. Other consequences he’s not yet aware of. Once he knows that, he can talk to Theo about it. 

Since Satomi isn’t talking to him, however, he’ll have to talk to the only other person who might be able to tell him everything he needs to know. 

“Hey.” Stiles runs his thumbs over Theo’s frown. “I promise it’s not dangerous. I’d never lie to you about that.” And he means it. 

“Dinner!” Jordan bellows from the bottom of the stairs. Somewhere in the kitchen, Isaac is howling with laughter.   

— — —

"I officially don't like this," Isaac informs him for the eighth time, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he waits for a white Mercedes to leave the parking space in front of Peter's downtown apartment building.

Stiles rubs his temple. "You didn't have to come."

"And let you go alone?" Isaac barks out a humorless laugh. "All hell would break loose if something happened to you because I let you go without supervision." He backs into the parking space with surprising ease for someone who has never driven a car as big as Jordan’s. "Your dad would kill me. Theo would torture and kill me. Lydia would find a way to bring me back and—"

"I get it." Stiles rolls his eyes. "But you know as well as I do that nobody will be able to stop the Dread Doctors if they decide to come after me." Not until they've figured out what's keeping them alive no matter what happens to them. If they’re lucky, they’ll know the answer as soon as Jordan, Noshiko, and Kira are done checking out the Dread Doctors’ lair. If not, they’ll have to figure out another way. They’re going to find another way. 

The engine shuts down. The following silence is filled with the sounds of downtown Beacon Hills. Cars. Laughter. People yelling. The occasional horn. It feels more lively here. Weirdly enough, it also feels a lot less dangerous. More places to hide. No chance of the darkness creeping in. 

Stiles removes his seatbelt and grabs the bag of sushi sitting in the legroom. “Thanks for the ride. Peter will—”

“Kill Deaton for you?” 

Stiles whips his head around, staring at Isaac with wide eyes. The smug expression on his features does nothing regarding answering any questions. “How did you know?” He didn’t even mention anything about Deaton or druids with Isaac in the room. At the time, he was already outside talking to Jordan. Even Kira already left the room, if he remembers correctly. "Brett?" He's the only one left. Theo or Jackson wouldn’t have said anything to Isaac about it. 

"He mentioned you had questions about druids but wanted to talk privately. Satomi and Morrell were arguing quietly for the rest of the day." Isaac taps his fingers against the steering wheel and peers out through the window. "It wasn’t that hard to figure out.” His eyes narrow slightly before he leans back against the driver’s seat, studying Stiles as if he’s still trying to work out a mystery.

Stiles sets his jaw. “Deaton was ready to sacrifice our parents to steal the nemeton’s powers. If his ritual had worked, I would’ve never found you. You all would’ve died.” Too many people who tried to kill all of them were allowed to walk away. He’s not going to continue this fucked up tradition — especially not when they’re destroying the balance in the process. 

Scrunching his nose up, Isaac runs his fingers through his hair. “So, attempted murder is punishable by murder? Is that what you’re saying?”

“My job is to protect the balance,” Stiles reminds him, grip tightening around the bag. “Deaton cannot be allowed to have any access to the ley lines again, and if that means I will have to kill him….” He takes a breath and watches a man on the phone hurrying down the sidewalk. Although he is sure about this, Stiles struggles to say it out loud. It’s different with the chimeras when he can keep reminding himself that they are already dying and that their survival could lead to hundreds of deaths. Not that it makes it any easier to do. There’s nothing like that with Deaton. He has disrupted the balance. He has put his dad’s life on the line — but that makes him a selfish asshole. Being egotistical doesn’t exactly call for a death sentence. Plus, what happens if Talia Hale’s former emissary suddenly winds up being killed?  

Isaac curls his fingers around the key in the ignition, ready to pull it out or twist it and start the car. “You sure about this?” 

Stiles’ reply will make the decision for him. Is he ready for it? He certainly was when he spoke to Satomi and Morrell earlier today. Biting the inside of his cheek, Stiles contemplates the apartment building for a few moments. “Yes,” he whispers then, hoping his uncertainty isn’t as noticeable as it seems.

Muttering something under his breath Stiles can’t quite catch, Isaac yanks the keys out of the ignition and gets out of the car. Even though Stiles would have preferred that he stay here and wait, it’s good to know that Isaac is at least somewhat on board with everything Stiles is planning. Then again, Isaac has his own history with the veterinarian. There may be some resentment there. 

Stiles follows him out of the car. A couple in a fancy getup walks out of the building, not bothering to close the door themselves. An opportunity Isaac instantly uses to their advantage by slipping so casually into the building, Stiles wouldn’t be surprised if he’s done that before — just as he wasn’t surprised that Peter owned the whole top floor. That’s probably the least surprising thing he’s learned today or even in the last week. 

“What if he’s not home?” Isaac wonders, pacing the elevator almost like a caged animal. 

Stiles watches as numbers jump from twelve to fourteen and scoffs when the elevator finally comes to a stop. Of course, Peter would live on the thirteenth floor of a building. They can call it the 14th floor all they want; they all know it’s a blatant lie. Stiles wonders if werewolves are as superstitious as humans, who, unlike werewolves, are unaware that all their worst nightmares are actually real. “Then we wait,” Stiles replies as the elevator doors slide open to reveal a lobby that most likely used to be a hallway connecting the two apartments on this level. The door on the right has been walled off, probably right around the time Peter Hale decided he wanted to have a penthouse. 

And what Peter Hale wants, he gets. Usually. Stiles glances at Isaac, who seems to have come to a similar conclusion, then crosses the hallway to the only door left. Before he even has the chance to knock, the door opens. 

Peter crosses his arms. “You know where I live,” he says, gaze flicking from Stiles to Isaac and back again. “Not sure if I should be flattered or worried.” 

“Deal or no deal,” Stiles shoots back, “don’t underestimate my distrust of you.” Although he didn’t exactly expect Peter to jump for joy at his unannounced arrival, Stiles was sure he’d be a bit more welcoming. Then again, Stiles actively chose to support Theo’s decision to keep him out of his life for now. Peter’s probably a bit resentful because of that. Sighing, Stiles raises the bag. “I brought sushi.” It’s most likely not a peace offering someone like Peter would be very interested in, but his mother did teach him to never arrive empty-handed when visiting someone for the first time. 

Once again, taking in Isaac, who is now standing directly behind Stiles, Peter draws his eyebrows up and regards the white bag almost suspiciously. “Laced with.” 

Stiles rolls his eyes. “If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t have bothered breaking you out.” 

After only a brief moment, Peter nods seemingly more to himself than them. He steps aside anyway, so Stiles counts his argument as more than convincing. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” 

“He has a question.” Isaac puts his hands on Stiles’ shoulders and maneuvers him into the room. “I’m just here to make sure you’re not being a creep.” His fingers dig a little harder into Stiles’ skin, almost as if he’s warning him not to push the subject or something that would elicit a reaction from Peter, even though Isaac should know that Peter is the last person they need to worry about right now. 

If Peter heard the lie, he doesn’t respond. He merely shuts the door behind them, snatches the bag with sushi from Stiles’ hand, and walks into a giant open living space. The wall of windows would make Stiles paranoid with the lives they are living, but he also gets their appeal. The whole of downtown Beacon Hills seems to be visible from the apartment. On the left side of the room is a huge kitchen with a dining table big enough for at least twelve people. The right side has been turned into a living area with an oversized white couch, multiple bookshelves, a TV taking up a surprising amount of space on the wall, and a vinyl record player. The other two doors most likely lead to a bedroom and a guest bathroom. 

Unsurprisingly, there is nothing personal in this place. As expensive and clean as everything up here is, there are no pictures, no decoration, nothing that could serve as a reminder of his family, making the apartment suddenly feel too big and lonely. 

Stiles bites the inside of his cheek and looks up at Isaac, who looks back at him with a shrug before following Peter into the kitchen. “You weren’t lying about not living in a cave.” He pulls a chair out and slips onto it, not entirely sure how to act now that he’s no longer on his home turf. This time, he needs Peter’s help, and all he has to offer is a few boxes of sushi.

“I don’t recall having lied to you so far,” Peter replies as he sorts the sushi rolls onto a large plate. 

Once again, Stiles exchanges a look with Isaac. The other boy squints and shrugs again. Stiles scrunches up his face. He can’t tell if that’s a lie because he doesn’t remember Peter flat-out lying to him either, which is something even Theo prides himself on — and Stiles really doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with that information. 

Peter clears his throat. “How is Theo?” 

Stiles expected the question the moment Peter opened the door. He lets out a breath and leans back in his chair. “I believe you’ve got a phone for that.” Even though Theo doesn’t know Stiles went to Peter for help, something he would’ve never agreed on simply because it’s Peter, he’s not going to try and smooth out things between them. It’s not why he’s here, and it wouldn’t be fair. 

“You could throw me a bone,” Peter says, setting the plate of sushi on the table in front of Isaac and Stiles. 

“I could,” Stiles agrees and watches Peter return to the kitchen to gather dinner plates. “But I won’t.” This is going to be an interesting dinner. 

Isaac shifts in his chair, furrowing his brows as he’s given three dinner plates and silverware. His lips curl slightly, almost like he’s about to announce that guests shouldn’t help to set the table, but Isaac keeps his mouth shut and follows the unspoken request. By the looks he shoots Stiles, they will be talking about this later. 

“You have a question for me, don’t you?” Smiling as if he’s won some sort of prize, Peter turns around to grab something from the cabinet behind him. He sounds way too excited, and honestly, Stiles should’ve expected something like this. "Quid pro quo." Peter sets down a pair of wine glasses, either out of habit or to provoke — he probably doesn’t get a lot of underaged guests, if he gets any guests at all. "Help me help you."

Stiles chuckles humorlessly. "That's not exactly what that stands for, is it?"

“It does tonight.” Peter slides into the chair with a bottle of unopened red wine. “So, how is my son?” The corkscrew looks almost more like a weapon than the claws he’s hiding. 

Isaac nudges Stiles’ leg. This time, it’s very clearly a warning. 

And Stiles doesn’t have any intention of helping Peter connect with Theo as long as Theo hasn’t agreed to it. Which he hasn’t. Since Theo doesn’t know Stiles is here. He knows, however, that Isaac and he have left to get some answers. Still, Stiles knows he has to give a little if he wants to get any answers tonight. “Nothing has changed since you last saw him,” he replies eventually, pushing his wineglass towards Peter. 

This time, Isaac kicks his leg. 

“Don’t worry,” Peter says with a chuckle. “You can sniff it. Regular human wine.” Clearly amused by Isaac’s reaction, he offers him the open bottle. 

Isaac’s eyes narrow slightly, but he doesn't reach for it or stop Peter from filling Stiles’ glass. “I don’t trust you, Peter,” he informs him as if the passive-aggressive silence he’s been throwing at the other werewolf hasn’t been explicit enough. 

“You trusted me enough to dig into your memories.” 

“I trusted Derek,” Isaac replies without any hesitation. 

Peter fills his own glass and then sets the bottle aside, sniffing the wine as he swirls it around. “That’s not really an answer, Stiles,” he says as if their conversation hasn’t been interrupted. 

Pulling his glass back towards him, Stiles scrutinizes the wine. “I can’t promise you he’ll come around.” The last time he had wine, he hated how it made his tongue feel. Liquid shouldn’t be able to make his mouth feel dry. 

“He isn’t talking to Jackson.” Peter sips on his wine and then contemplates the sushi as if this conversation had the weight of small talk. 

Stiles shouldn’t be surprised — neither at Jackson keeping Peter in the loop nor at a Hale bottling up their feelings. It’s one of their specialties, especially Peter’s. “Jackson isn’t exactly talking to him either.” Unless they’re counting their countless bickering as an actual conversation instead of the snide remarks that they are. “But since they are your kids, I assume you’re aware they’re endlessly stubborn and unable to talk about their feelings unless their life depends on it.” Or, in Theo’s case, if Stiles’ life depends on it. He’s just glad Theo does open up to him if he’s pushing enough. Maybe one day, Theo will come to talk to him before breaking everything in sight the second Peter pisses him off. 

Placing three different types of sushi on his plate, Peter gives him a tight smile. He really does seem upset about the current state of his family. “You wanted to ask me something?” 

Stiles watches Isaac grab some sushi as well. He has no idea how he can eat again after wolfing down an inhuman amount of lasagna only a few hours ago. “What are the consequences for wreaking havoc on the balance?” 

Peter quirks a brow. “You’re coming to me for that information?” 

“Satomi didn’t give him the answer he wanted,” Isaac chimes in, sounding way too cheerful about that. 

“Well,” Peter sounds as if he’s contemplating his reply when he leans back in his chair, “I’d say that depends on the crime and the person who committed it.” His response is so similar to Satomi’s it’s hard to see it as anything but genuine. 

Even Isaac stares at Peter as if he’s grown a second head. 

Looks like Stiles wasn’t the only one who expected Peter’s answer to be related to death and violence. It’s not the answer Stiles came looking for, either. “An emissary,” he explains, and if he notices the edge in his voice, Isaac and Peter do as well. “He manipulated a ritual to steal power meant for the nemeton.” 

“If it’s an emissary, the pack will have to decide upon a fitting punishment.” That’s more information than Satomi gave him earlier, but it’s still not entirely helpful. 

Stiles twists the glass between his fingers, watching the wine twirl. “What if there is no pack left?” 

“Then the person in charge of the territory will have to make that decision,” Peter replies, tapping a finger against his own glass. “I presume you’re talking about Deaton?” 

Stiles doesn’t know why he tried to be vague in his descriptions. He doesn’t know any other emissaries aside from Morrell. It’s not like Beacon Hills is swimming in packs with emissaries who could be the one Stiles is referring to. He didn’t even try to go the hypothetical route. So he simply nods. 

“That puts Isaac in charge of his fate.” Whether or not he tried to keep it hidden, there is a hint of glee in Peter’s tone. “However, I’d say you should have a say in it as well. After all, it is your power Deaton stole. It’s only fair if you’re involved in making that decision.” 

Isaac huffs, clearly not entirely happy with that statement. ���Stiles reckons he should be killed.” 

“No,” Stiles says quickly, hating the way Peter’s lips curl into a knowing grin, “I think he should be barred from ever having access to the nemeton again. If death is the only way…” he cuts off again and studies Peter’s face. Admitting to wanting to kill someone feels even worse in front of him. This is Peter Hale, after all, he knows how to push everyone’s buttons. He swallows and straightens his shoulders. “Let’s say Deaton is killed,” Stiles speculates, pushing the wine glass away from him, folding his arms over his chest, “what’s gonna happen in the werewolf community?” Because if his murder will cause any issues, Stiles is not going to do it. 

Peter raises his brows. “What makes you think his death would have any effect?”

“He was Talia Hale’s emissary.” 

“One she kept secret from her own pack,” Peter tells him, smiling in a way that’s a little too reminiscent of Theo’s pleasure at other people’s pain.“ And his stories about the True Alpha don’t seem to have been taken particularly seriously. Otherwise, every pack in California would’ve asked for an audience with Scott.” But that never happened. Only a few people seemed to have believed that Scott was a True Alpha. 

Which begs the question, how reputable was Deaton as an emissary? And if he wasn’t, would anybody miss him? 

“Okay, before we consider killing him,” Isaac interrupts around a mouthful of sushi, “what about Eichen House?”

“Valack and Deaton are old buddies,” Peter says without breaking eye contact with Stiles. He raises his brows slightly again, and there is a certain type of hunger in his eyes — one Stiles has felt burning in his veins earlier today. Revenge. It’s almost like Peter wants to get permission to kill Deaton, maybe because of something that happened in the past. Maybe he blames Deaton for something. Or maybe, it’s because Deaton chose a teenage boy over a Hale. 

Stiles presses his lips together and jumps slightly when his phone vibrates in his pocket. It’s quite a welcoming distraction. He shifts in his chair and pulls out his phone. If he gives Peter permission to kill someone… no. No. That’s out of the question. Isaac might actually end up ripping his head off. But if Deaton doesn’t have the best reputation, they might get away with killing him. 

“It’s a text from Kira.” Stiles tilts his phone to the left so Isaac can read it with him, but when he opens the chat, he doesn’t exactly get the response he expected.  

“Abandoned?” Isaac says out loud, confusion lining his features. “What does she mean by abandoned?” 

Like Stiles knows the answer. They’re reading the same fucking text, a text that very clearly states that this place looks as if there hasn’t been anybody in a while. No equipment. No chimeras. No Dread Doctors. Nothing that would even indicate they’ve ever been there. But Nolan remembered where they kept him. He showed them only hours ago. The Dread Doctors might be able to suppress memories, but they can’t change them. Plus, they buried a chimera there. Stiles knows they did because he saw it. He felt it. Why would they do that if they—

Stiles jumps to his feet, chair clattering to the floor behind him. “They knew.” 

“What?” Isaac stares at him with wide eyes. 

“That chimera, it wasn’t a trap.” He shoves the phone back into the pocket of his jeans, heart hammering in his chest. “It was bait.” The Dread Doctors know Theo. They know he never would’ve let Stiles walk out there without protection. They knew Stiles would be with Jordan. It’s not a coincidence that Nolan remembered where he was held hostage at the same time as the Dread Doctors buried a chimera without any chance of survival. They knew that Stiles would not be accompanying Jordan when everyone thought they set a trap to get to him. 

Isaac’s face goes white. “But that means—”

That means they will look for him in the places that make the most sense. Theo’s place, or Stiles’ home. And when they go to the latter, they will find Theo alone. “We have to go.” 

“Wait, what’s happening?” Peter gets to his feet as well. 

Stiles’ breath catches in his throat, and he has to swallow heavily to get the words out. “Theo is in danger.” 

No sooner are the words out of his mouth than the lights are flickering in the whole apartment. Stiles casts a look outside the wall of windows, but the neighboring buildings do not have any issues with their lighting. That either means that Peter coincidentally started having issues with his electricity, or Stiles has been wrong about where the Dread Doctors are looking for him.

Isaac grabs his wrist and pulls him close. “We need to go,” he says, looking over his shoulder toward the balcony and back to the front door. “We need to go right now.” They have three ways out of this building, the fire escape, the elevator, and the staircase. All three force them to leave Peter’s apartment through the front door. The issue is, however, that there are also three Dread Doctors. Something Isaac is fully aware of because otherwise, he most certainly would’ve already made a run for it. 

“I can deal with one of them.” Stiles has done it before. Maybe it was sheer luck, but it’s not like they have a lot of options. 

“You’re not going to fight them!” Isaac snaps, tightening his grip around his wrist. 

Stiles tries to pull free anyway. “I’m not talking about fighting, but I can clear a path.”

“No, you—” But Isaac doesn’t finish his sentence. His gaze darts to something past Stiles’ left ear, and what little color he’s got left in his face drains even further. His lips part, and he backs away from something, dragging Stiles along. 

The only thing Stiles can think of that could scare Isaac this much right now is the Dread Doctors, but while they can phase through walls, they have not yet learned to teleport. Stiles whips around either way, only to find nothing behind him. Not even Peter, who is still standing next to the table and regards Isaac with the same confusion that’s clawing its way through Stiles’ fear. 

“Dad?” His grip loosens as Isaac backs away again, suddenly looking very young. 

“No.” Stiles steps forward, remembering what Lydia told him. Regarding the Dread Doctors, Stiles isn’t the only one able to create powerful hallucinations. “Isaac. Isaac, this isn’t real.” He grabs Isaac’s arm, trying to pull him along, but he isn’t even budging. “Listen to me, they—”

The front door slams open, but only the Surgeon enters, his trusty cane in hand. His dramatic entrance is a little undermined by his two friends appearing out of nowhere at his sides. 

Stiles lets go of Isaac and flexes his fingers. He’s not going to fight them. All he wants is a way out — and if he runs, they’re going to leave Isaac alone because that’s not who they are after. “Peter, a little help here?” The lack of response makes his stomach drop. “Peter?” Stiles asks, voice shaking slightly. If they got into Peter’s head as well—

Without warning, he’s grabbed by the throat and slammed against the ground. Peter is above him, claws digging into Stiles’ neck and fangs ready to rip his throat out. His eyes, however, despite their glaring blue, seem strangely vacant. Like he’s not really seeing him. 

“Peter.” Stiles knows his lips form his name, but not a single noise leaves his mouth. His heart slams against his ribs as the panic kicks in. He’s thrashing around, kicking at Peter, trying to tear his hand away from his throat. Tears burn in the corners of his eyes. He promised Theo that it wouldn’t be dangerous. He promised him. 

Snarling, Peter leans closer. 

Stiles gasps, but breathing feels as if someone set his throat on fire. 

“Talia,” Peter whispers, unbothered by Stiles clawing at his arm, “you should’ve never taken my kids from me.” 

It’s me, Stiles wants to say. Please, please, stop. But his mouth refuses to cooperate, and his chest burns. His vision blurs, from tears, from lack of oxygen. His lips part for a last ditch effort to get some air. He needs to breathe. He needs to breathe. If he doesn’t breathe, they’re going to get him. 

They’re going to get him. 

Stiles closes his eyes. 

I’m sorry, Theo. 

[rosaren2498]

Teen Wolf fandom, please help me; I'm going insane.

I'm looking for a Steter fic that starts after Scott accused Stiles of murder, due to Donovan's death, which was accidental. When Scott refuses to hear Stiles out, he leaves a note (maybe a flash drive or something) for his dad and then leaves.

Peter ends up coming with him or finding him, and they get a place out in the woods. Eventually, Stiles' dad finds him and comes to see him. He gets a place behind Peter and Stiles' place, and becomes a Ranger.Malia also moves into a place behind them, and there's a coyote den on her property that she adores.

Deaton is evil, and Mallory isn't his sister, she's actually his granddaughter, and she poisons him because he killed her parents. Scott also, mostly due to Melissa, ends up apologizing to Stiles.

[gege-wondering-around]

Why Stiles is THE human

me and a friend of mine were talking and she thought that Stiles should get the bite cause it would be good for him, but i disagree.

Stiles had been offered the bite like twice or even three times by Peter (or someone else too - I don't remember well right now) and he always turned it down, choosing to remain human and help just by being himself and useful as he is.

Stiles, among all the other characters, is the only human (if you don't count Melissa or Chris and Allison - which I don't cause they are Hunters so they are pretty skilled) who stays solide on his strength despite being, objectively and physically, weak compared to others (like werewolves, kitsune, banshee etc). But he is one of the smartest which makes him strong just as much, only in another way.

Also, Stiles is basically and fundamentally human, for me I can't really see him with any kind of power or anything like that. He's like all of us which is also why many people relate to him so much, because he is human and nothing more.

Even he says that.

Some of us have to make mistakes, some of us have to get our hands a little bloody sometimes. Some of us are human.

(During the argument with Scott about killing Donovan)

He doesn't want to be anything else other than human cause life, for him, had and has been hard for him and after seeing all the troubles that comes with the bite - or any kind of supernatural power - he doesn't want that added to his list.

Also - extremely personal opinion here - Stiles could literally be any of us and if you wanna generalize, he is humanity.

For all of the characters he is the part of themselves they need to hold onto to not give in to their urges/instincts, he is the anchor for more than one supernatural creature (Derek and Malia) cause he is the part of them they fear of losing or that they already lost once.

Plus, it wouldn't make sense to give any power to Stiles cause:

There wouldn't be a human main character anymore

He already denied it more than once so why would he accept now (especially since he has probably learned combat tactics at the FBI)

It simply wouldn't fit him well after six seasons (cause you have multiple occasions to do it and never did)

Lastly, I simply believe Stiles has to remain human or he wouldn't be Stiles anymore, cause the majority of characters went through drastic changes in behavior due to their new nature as supernatural begins, and I don't really feel like it would suit Stiles at all.

He is the human of the show, a simple and normal teenager who deal with school and his own crap, like all of us.

Stiles could be any of us and any of us could be Stiles.

That's why he has to remain human, to remain who he is and what he is and represents. Cause he is us.

[lazywolfwiccan]

But...Scott abandoned Stiles after he killed Donovan in defense...Scott is a horrible friend at times

Say it louder for the people in the back