Help! I have tripped and fallen into Teen Wolf. This is just a little fic to have a play with some of the characters. I apologise for any mistakes, brand new fandom!
Title: I Know
Author: szm
Rating: G
Characters: Stiles, Peter, Derek, Scott, Lydia, Jackson
Warnings: none
Spoilers: everything til the end of season 2 just to be safe
Word Count: 658
Summary: Peter asks Stiles a not so simple question
Disclaimer: Teen Wolf is owned by Jeff Davies and MTV. Not me. No money is made from this story.
“Come on, Stiles,” said Peter smirking at Stiles like he knows some secret that Stiles doesn’t. “You’re a ‘good guy’ after all. Surely you can find it in your heart to forgive me?”
Derek is glowering in the corner not meeting anyone’s eyes and Stiles wants to yell. He killed your sister! But Derek is lost and alone and he wants so very badly, and Peter knows how to use that. Lydia is clinging to Jackson afraid but also kind of intrigued. Stiles can maybe understand that feeling, not many people match up to Lydia in any field, let alone smarts and manipulation, it must be strange for her to be so outplayed. Scott looks confused, Scott’s thoughts go deeper than people expect, but they tend to run slow. Right now he’s following Stiles’ lead. They’re all watching Stiles, waiting for his answer. Stiles can’t really understand why his opinion should be so important. But right now it feels like it is.
Peter thinks Stiles will say he forgives him. Because Peter thinks Stiles is a good guy
Stiles is not a good person. He knows this, like he knows he killed his Mom. Not on purpose, not like with intent but he did it. He’s the reason she’s not here anymore. Like he knows he’s killing his Dad, every time he messes up at school, messes up at crime scenes. Every time he lies. Which is a lot. It doesn’t matter that there are reasons, even good reasons, for every lie. All that matters is the pain he causes behind his Dad’s eyes every time he does it. Damage he causes that he will never be able to fix.
He knows that Jackson is as much a walking mess of issues as the next guy, it doesn’t make being an asshole any more forgivable. And Lydia is far too good for him.
Lydia is the smartest, most beautiful girl in the world. Stiles loves her. But he acknowledges deep in his psyche that if she ever loved him back he’d probably think less of her. Yes, he is aware that is messed up. If Jackson isn’t good enough for her then Stiles certainly isn’t.
He knows that Allison has far too much of her Aunt and her Granddad in her. But less than she’s afraid she does. He knows Scott will never give up on her even if she gives up on him, because Scott may not be the smartest or strongest person in the world but he is the best. The one and only truly good person Stiles knows.
He knows that Peter will do anything to survive. He knows, because Stiles sometimes sees that look in his own eyes.
Stiles holds Peter’s gaze, fighting the feeling that Peter is laughing at him. “No, I don’t forgive you.”
Lydia lets out a breath like relief, clinging a little tighter to Jackson and Scott gives him that little supportive half smile. Derek tenses and Peter just smiles wider.
“Of course not, that would mean you’d have to forgive yourself after all,” Peter nods his head at the group and disappears into the shadows. Scott is frowning now and Jackson is looking at him with narrowed eyes.
Derek is just gone.
Stiles can’t help but think somehow Peter won that one.
They all leave and Stiles is left on his own in his jeep outside the Hale house. Scott didn’t want to leave but Stiles made him. Convinced him. Manipulated him. Again.
He takes a deep breath and says quietly. “I know you can hear me Peter. I know your listening. And I know you’re going to hurt them, sooner or later. Because I know you. When you do, you’ll have me to answer to. And I promise I will find a way to make you hurt, understand?” He really wishes that his voice didn’t shake on the words, because he really does mean every one of them.