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You thought I was a voice?
“Well, you are a voice.”
Yes, well, in simple terms. Though in not so simple terms I am a demon that has been taking claim of your body and mind for several years.
“You haven't really been taking claim though. Like, you're a pretty cool demon so far, so, you know, thanks for not coveting my body without permission and stuff. And that is so really not an excuse for you to go all evil on me. Even though you keep telling me you're not evil, you're totally evil, 'cause, you know. 'Demon'.”
I sense those quotation marks. Yes, I am a demon, but-
“But you haven't done anything wrong and only need a place to hide for a while. Right, right, right. Well it's been a while and then some. I know a lot of shit goes down in my brain, and it must be hella entertaining in there, but I'm getting kind of tired being caught talking to myself.”
You don't even need to talk to yourself. I understand you fine when you think your thoughts.
“Yea, but when I do that it feels all like a weird echo thing when you reply, but it's an echo I didn't think and it's just all...weird.”
Right.
“Anyway, back to the point. When are you going to be safe to leave?”
When I am cleared for what I was framed for.
“And you can't tell me any of the details. Not even to help you. Right, okay. So this might take a while?”
I don't know.
“Riiiiight. So you'll just be in my head for an unknowable period of time.”
Yes.
“Right.”
So you thought I was a voice?
“Well, yea. Better explanation than a not-demon-demon taking space in my head to pass the time.”
xoxo
Stiles leaned back against his pillows, sighed deeply, and closed his eyes. Four years. That's how long it's been since the demon voice thing has been in his head. That's how long it's been since Stiles has been truly left alone, since he's had his thoughts to himself or even a day to himself. And he's worried for when the voice leaves. He's worried that he'll suddenly be very lonely, and won't know what to do with himself.
Do not worry, Stiles. When I leave you'll be just as you were before.
“And how do you know?”
The voice gave a slight pause then said,
I just do.
Stiles laughed from his nose. “Right.”
xoxo
When Stiles first heard the voice, he thought he had finally lost it. That should have been his first sign. The crazy don't think they're crazy, right? Luckily, soon after, he and Scott ran into some crazy ass wolf, then Derek, then more crazy ass wolves that actually turned out to be Scott and Derek plus others, and everything began making sense. Because if crazy ass wolves can exist, then why not voices proclaiming their demon heritage in your head?
And all the while, the voice had been giving hints.
I get a feeling from that boy.
Maybe you and your friend should go back to the forest.
That boy. That boy is someone you should know very well.
Let Scott go; he needs to learn.
Oh, Stiles. You don't trust very easily, do you?
The last wasn't very much of a hint. But it still hit Stiles with a flash of irritation and teen denial.
But of course, right after, just in his mind, he had agreed. Just like he had agreed with everything else the voice gave, Stiles let himself quietly agree in his mind.
Because it's just a voice. It's just a demon. It hadn't done anything yet; and if it did Stiles would figure out what to do.
Xoxo
You should tell him, you know.
Stiles ignored the voice and continued researching.
You're doing all of this for him. All of this will be given to him. You'll turn one hundred pages of information into him, and he'll take it, and then it will be over until the next time he comes crawling into your window.
Stiles sighed deeply and slammed his fingers down harder into the computer keys.
The voice paused. Fine. But I encourage you. I really, really do. And when you finally tell him, and everything goes just the way you imagine, I wish I'll be here to see it so that I can rub it in your face.
Stiles only rolled his eyes, yet still bit his cheek to keep in a chuckle.
Xoxo
“Dude, wait, dude, no, that's not cool how do you even know that song it's the shittiest song in the world and I haven't listened to it in weeks!” Stiles laughed, and laughed, even as he typed out an essay for school.
I have excellent memory, Stiles. Remember two years ago?
“No. Oh hell, no don't you dare-”
As the Barbie song rand out in his mind with a surprisingly on tune voice, Stiles began to groan and cry through his laughter.
His essay came out a bit as gibberish, at best.
Xoxo
No, no, the faeries never use the wood from that tree anymore. The magical property has been lost over time. Choose the previous link.
This Latin is all wrong. What kind of witch would write this garbage? You're not looking for a witch. You're looking for a juvenile teenager that accidentally got something right. Or wrong, depending how you view the contortion of your classmate's faces.
Wait, Stiles, you were on the right track. Mermaid's scales can be used for the tracking spell, which means they're closer than we think.
Switch books. This one won't help you at all.
And all the while, Stiles flipped pages and typed one hundred pages and ripped pages from books and those around him thought he was a strange genius.
Well, he was. He just sometimes had a little help.
Xoxo
“So you've been around longer than most civilizations?”
Yes. It's very interesting to see how things grow and die and change. As a demon I've had a chance to see all sides.
“That must be so cool. I've always wanted to travel, you know, see more of the world. Which is actually pretty much what I'm getting right now, I just want it to be, you know. Less life threatening.”
The voice laughs. Right.
There was a lull in conversation, then the voice spoke. You still think of me as a voice.
“Well, that's what I see you as. Hear you as. Yea.”
But I'm a demon.
Stiles set down the papers he was absently rifling through and looked at the wall on the other side of the room. He pretended there was a shape there, that there were eyes he could look into, and he talked to it. “I don't see you as a demon. I don't believe you are evil. I think you're just...waiting. I mean, I don't know what you're waiting for, but for some reason I know it's not evil. It's just...” Stiles sighed. “I don't know. But I don't think of you as a demon.”
A pause.
You are very lucky, Stiles.
Stiles blinked. “Why?”
Because you are human.
Stiles scoffed and looked away from the wall, going back to the papers. “Why does that make me lucky.”
There was a feeling as if the voice was smiling, but it wasn't very pleasant. Because you have a choice.
Xoxo
The first time the voice actually took control of his body and mind was the last time Stiles ever remembered the voice. He and Derek Hale stood over a grave, a grave that was said to be cursed and lost to the souls of demons around the area. The demons were going crazy with power that had been growing; somehow, they'd been covering up their end of the power bargain but they all seemed to break out onto the town at once.
“Friends of yours?” Stiles asked.
No, the voice replied.
Stiles and Derek stood over the grave as Derek tried to read the Latin. He breathed deeply through his obvious irritation and Stiles' fingers twitched.
“The others have to protect the border of the town,” Stiles reminded Derek and himself out loud. “None of them can be here unless we want Demons loose in other places.”
“I know,” Derek snapped, and looked as though he would rip the book.
“Oh, give it to me,” Stiles rolled his eyes and grabbed the book from Derek. Derek watched as Stiles began to read, the voice following along, Stiles' blood pumping fast as he watched a faint glow raise from the words.
And suddenly Stiles' body wasn't his. Suddenly he was shoved against a brick wall of the back of his mind, and suddenly Stiles' hand held the knife they needed in order to sacrifice human blood, and suddenly, so suddenly, a gash was cut across Stiles' wrist that was much bigger than planned and gushing blood in a quantity they definitely didn't expect or want.
Thank you, came a whisper, then Stiles fell into blackness along with a voice yelling his name and a voice caressing his ears.
When Stiles woke he had a clear mind and no thoughts that weren't his and no songs being sung that he didn't even like.
But there was also no memory of a voice, no memory of a not-demon-demon, and Stiles didn't have to be worried about anything except a healing gash on his wrist.
The next time he saw Derek he suddenly had a feeling that he had enough. As Stiles walked up to the sulking sour wolf, thoughts raced in his mind that he should have done this sooner, that it was sure Derek could feel the same.
And in his thoughts he knew somehow everything would be okay.
Xoxo
“We have to talk to them?” Stiles groaned. He slammed his head against the table just for kicks, as well as pain, to remind him that he is awake right now and that this is actually happening.
“Stiles, the Demons were mucking things up so well that the Angels had to get involved. They just want to give us their thanks and to let us know they have it under control.” Allison smiled sweetly beside him, her look bellying a little pity, but Stiles not caring in the least.
“Great, but we already know that. You just told us. Can I just sleep now?”
“Stiles, stop whining.” Derek batted at Stiles' head lightly and leaned over his shoulder. “You've been sleeping for days. Now get your ass up and see some celestial beings you'll never get a chance to see otherwise.”
Derek turned and Stiles yapped his mouth in mocking irritation and slid off his stool, following the others out to the back yard.
They all stood for a few moments, each looking awkwardly into the trees or sky, and just when Stiles was about to pull the 'Are the Angels coming yet' Derek looked up and said, “They're here.”
And suddenly three beams of white light softly glowed down onto the grass before them, and human figures showed through the glow. They all stared as the light faded, but didn't entirely disappear. Instead it traced and illuminated the figures, two male, one female, and rippled and even shadowed in light as they moved toward the pack and smiled.
“Hello,” the female said. Both the males nodded beside her. The pack gave their own stilted greetings and her smile seemed to get wider.
“There should be no worries,” she said. “We are only here to thank you.”
As she continued to talk of their thanks and their now completed job, mostly to Derek, who stood right beside Stiles, one of the male angels came forward and stood directly in front of Stiles.
“Hello,” he said, and Stiles paused.
Deja Vu? But no, Stiles thought, he's never heard an Angel before.
The Angel glanced at Derek and smirked, training his eyes back on Stiles. “I told you so,” he said, then lightly punched Stiles on the shoulder.
“Ah, yes,” the second male Angel suddenly said, looking over at the first and Stiles. “Thank you for freeing our Brother. Though he has returned with some...mannerisms, we are very glad he is finally safe. Things could have gone worse having to live like a Demon, after all.” The Angel gave an odd sigh. “It is very unfortunate when a Brother or Sister are trapped in those ways. But, ah well. The time has passed.”
“Uh,” Stiles said, as the pack repeated his uttered stumble and the female Angel smiled softly.
“Do not worry,” she said, and Stiles thought that if she had to say that twice in one sitting, maybe he should be a little worried. “It is perfectly normal for you not to understand.”
And Stiles didn't understand. But the female Angel suddenly turned back to Derek, and the second male stood pleasantly beside her while the first stuck by Stiles and talked at him, then chatted with him, and then finally laughed with him, as if they had done this millions of times before, as if they've understood each other for much longer than three minutes.
As if, and well, maybe Stiles was going crazy, but it was the feeling as if a friend had finally come back home.