Piece number 4 in the AU series Pure Heroism.

The lyrics are from songs of Lorde's album Pure Heroine. I don't own them or the characters.

English is not my native language, so constructive criticism would be appreciated.

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Summary

Liam stares at her. "Did he leave it on the shelf?"

Lydia looks deadly as she lifts the peel to her eyes' level and glares at it with narrowed eyes. "Stiles! It's better be the last time, you hear me? Next time you'll find it again in your bed."

She isn't shouting, but it's impossible not to hear her, no matter where exactly Stiles is right now. She's Lydia, after all.

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In which Lydia knows everything before everyone, Stiles leaves gifts in books, Derek is an asshole, and Liam is mostly just confused. But don't worry, it's the revelation days. (4 in the Pure Heroism series)

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The lyrics to this oneshot are from Lorde's song Royals.

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Royals

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But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece

Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash

We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

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It's kind of embarrassing when it's Stiles who opens the door for him.

They look at each other silently for a moment. Stiles looks better today than most days. The bags under his eyes are lighter than usual, almost nonexistent. He looks awaken and, well, more alive than the last time Liam was there. Which was yesterday. He is there quite frequently.

Liam scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. "Um, hi, I'm here for -"

"Lydia, I know," Stiles says. He steps back. "She said you'll be early. Come in."

Liam frowns and steps inside. He didn't text her about arriving half an hour too early. He had no idea he'll see those boys walking around the preserve and decide to run instead of stroll over to the lake house.

Stiles closes the door behind him and turns to face him before he can ask. "Scott and I are eating lunch. Wanna join?"

Liam blinks. That would probably go down badly. It's the first real conversation they had since a few days ago, when Liam held Stiles against a tree trunk but didn't lose control. Since then the most interaction between them was acknowledging nods to each other when Liam walked in or out of the house.

Sure, they hang around the house and each other and they're not hostile anymore, but they're not comfortable either. It's always with Scott or even Lydia as a mediator. Never one on one. Never actually talking.

To be honest, even if he wanted to try and bridge the distance between them, he had no idea what to say. What are you supposed to say to someone who mocked and insulted you nonstop for three days to help you? You hurt me? Thanks? Sorry?

He blinks again. "Um, I'm not really that hungry, um. Thanks."

He has no idea what he's doing.

Stiles raises his eyebrows at him, his trademark smirk taking over his face. He turns around to the kitchen's direction without waiting. "Come on, I live with a true alpha werewolf. You think I don't know of you werewolves' bad eating habits? Here, take a sit."

Liam follows automatically, hands fidgeting. The tension eases slightly when he sees Scott sitting at the table, a meat-filled plate in front of him. He beams at Liam.

"Hey! Want some of this? It's junk food takeout and it's great. We should buy more of this."

Liam smiles. Stiles smirks and hands him a plate, taking a beer bottle for himself.

"Hey," Scott says again. "You're going on a run with me when you and Lydia are finished."

Liam swallows another mouthful and opens his mouth to protest but Scott beats him to it.

"Na-ah, my young beta," he says jokingly, but sternly. "You still haven't beaten my record of running in an hour. I really think you can do that."

"But -"

"You probably can," Stiles cuts in. "Werewolf abilities aside, you're the faster runner out of the two of you. Your chances to beat him is pretty high."

"Besides, you should get in shape before school starts. Coach really loves his suicide runs."

Liam slumps in his chair. He hates those runs. Mostly Scott doesn't let him slow down until he's panting hard and drenched in sweat and tired. And Scott started drilling him like that every day before he goes home. It's exhausting.

Scott smiles. Stiles snickers at Liam's defeated look and takes another swig of his beer before putting it down.

"Are you going up now? Lydia's in the library."

Liam nods and stands to clear off his plate. To his surprise, Stiles follows him when he starts to climb the stairs.

"Are you… coming too?" He doesn't know how to ask. He hopes Stiles isn't going to join his lesson with Lydia too now. It's rocky and unsteady enough between them anyway.

"Oh, no, I just forgot something in there. Don't worry, I'm not staying for long."

Liam's neck warms embarrassedly. He'd hoped he wouldn't be that transparent. Stiles doesn't look bothered at all, but the silence between them is uncomfortable again.

They enter the library. It's a large but cozy room with soft lights and dozens of dozens of books. Really, Liam has no idea where this all came from. It must be hundreds, maybe more. And somehow, Lydia knows them, all of them, like the back of her hand. You can describe any book you want and she'll find it with her eyes closed in less than a minute.

She's sitting on the couch, an old looking book in her hands, a smile resting on her lips. Her hair is held up in a bun that looks tidy and neat but not uncomfortable.

"Hey Lydia, d'you know where's that purple book I read yesterday? I need it again."

She looks up. The smile on her lips shrinks a little when she sees Liam, but doesn't vanish completely, and that has to be progress.

"It's on the top shelf to your left. Hi, Liam."

"Hey Lydia. Sorry I'm early."

She shakes her head. "It's okay. I wasn't doing anything important anyway. What are we working on today?"

"Uh, I was thinking biology, I really need some help with that stuff."

"Sure. I've got my notes over there, wait a moment."

Liam sits himself down on the couch. Stiles hums some strange tune to himself while he leaves the library, a small-looking dark purple book in hand. Liam breathes in the smell of crumpled paper and dry air. The library has this weird calming effect on him.

They started these classes two days ago. Lydia probably overheard him telling Scott about his too many books to go over and study before the tests begin, because she came over to him and asked him tonelessly if he needs help studying. He guesses it's her version of offering an olive branch. He's thankful, because apparently Beacon Hills High is way ahead of Devenford Prep. He wasn't making much of a progress by himself.

She's still detached and weird most of the time, but it was nice of her to ask him that, and she's starting to relax around him. Yesterday she even smiled with her teeth.

"Oh!" she exclaims suddenly from one of the back shelves. "What - Stiles!"

Liam stands up. "He just left. What happened?"

She shows up from behind the shelf, her nose wrinkled and her hand stretched forward. There's something black and crumpled that looks suspiciously like an old banana peel dangling from her fingertips.

Liam stares at her. "Did he leave it on the shelf?"

Lydia looks deadly as she lifts the peel to her eyes' level and glares at it with narrowed eyes. "Stiles! It's better be the last time, you hear me? Next time you'll find it again in your bed."

She isn't shouting, but it's impossible not to hear her, no matter where exactly Stiles is right now. She's Lydia, after all.

She dumps the surprise gift in the trash can and goes back to take her notes. "Sorry!" he hears Stiles shouting from one of the rooms. Lydia rolls her eyes.

Liam hesitates for a moment before he asks. They never talk about anything but his studies when he's here. But he can try and make an effort, right? She suggested they study together of her own free will, she probably wouldn't hate it if he makes small talk along the way. Right?

He shrugs internally and goes for it. "Does he do that a lot?"

She doesn't answer for a moment, and he starts to regret even opening his mouth, but then she reappears with her books in her hands and expression not open but not closed too.

"Yes. He brings mess with him wherever he goes."

"Really?" Stiles is messy. Doesn't sound very far-fetched.

Lydia smiles wryly, eyebrows moving in a sarcastic way. He tries not to stare at the new expression. "He leaves whatever is in front of him as a bookmark whenever he reads something and then forgets about it, leaving it for me to clean after him. I almost banned him from coming in here when I found a sock in one of the potion books."

Liam isn't surprised to hear that. The library is probably the most important place to her in this house. Stiles's favorite place might be his bedroom, but Liam doesn't really know. Scott's has to be the kitchen, or the living room.

Liam thinks he loves best the back of the house. The other-dimension bubble. He could probably live in that place.

He wants to ask more, but Lydia's face turns blank again, and she starts reading the first page before he can say anything else.

He wipes the sweat off his forehead and drinks his fourth glass of water without stopping to breathe.

"Easy there," Scott chuckles at him between pants, his own shirt drenched with sweat. "You'll throw up if you keep this up."

Liam puts the cup down and inhales until his throat stops feeling like it's burning. "It's not - my fault - that." He stops to breathe again, still too shallowly. "That you decided to run - from one side of the preserve - to the other - like our life depended on it."

Scott laughs. "Yeah, well, you came out of the library so full of energy I couldn't resist it." He rubs Liam's sweaty hair with his hand. "You did good. Really really good."

Liam tries not to preen. "I didn't break your record."

"Yeah. But you will. It might take you some time, though. I'm still the alpha," he winks, eyes sparkling.

Liam rolls his eyes. "I feel so much better now." But he's smiling, and Scott looks satisfied with him.

"Hey. Just so you'd know."

Liam looks up. "Yeah?"

"Derek's coming over tomorrow. We're going to run together."

"Derek Hale?"

"Yeah. You remember him, right?"

Liam's brow scrunches. "Yeah. He's the born werewolf. With the burnt house and crazy uncle. The one who threatens you all the time." He doesn't see any logic in inviting him over. That werewolf sounds kind of unstable.

But Scott bursts out laughing, so he doesn't know what to think.

Scott pats his shoulder twice and he straightens and shrugs before turning to leave.

Stiles is sitting on the lowest step of the stairs. He looks at Liam with amused eyes and never stops fiddling with the Rubik's cube in his hands.

"Derek is a total psycho," he says. His smirk is softer than usual, less deadly. "He's also very gruff and loves using his growls instead of his words. But he's all bark and no bite. Don't let his attitude intimidate you."

Liam squints at Stiles. Now he's officially confused. "Um, okay?"

Stiles snickers under his breath. The Rubik's cube in his hand is solved. He somehow looks younger when he doesn't hunch his shoulders forward tiredly.

He's obviously having a great day. Liam shrugs again and turns back to the door.

Derek isn't there yet when he comes back the next day, but Stiles is. He smirks at him as a way of saying hello and goes back to his purple-bound book. Probably still in his good mood. Liam shakes his head in amazement and climbs the stairs.

Lydia opens the old looking algebra book and her eyebrows shoot upwards. Her lips pucker out unhappily.

"He did it again?" Liam asks.

Lydia nods solemnly. She holds up the page and shows him the wrinkles and dirt and scribbles covering every vacant inch of it.

She shakes her head with her eyes narrowed and brow scrunched. "This is one of his old school books. He has no respect."

Her voice is frustrated and bewildered at the same time and Liam thinks that right now she's showing the most of herself than she ever had in front of him. It's special and he tries not to stare again.

"That one is his? I thought they were all yours. Or your grandma's."

She looks up at him. "No, nothing here is my grandmother's except for those two shelves over there. The rest of the books I brought here over the last year, with my friends' help."

Liam's jaw almost drops. "The rest? That's about hundreds of books! How did you collect them all in one year?"

It would be crazy in any situation - hundreds of books - but this is even crazier. There are science books, and philosophy, yeah, but most of the books in here are not this normal. He looked at some of that stuff. Most of them are magic. He's seen potion books, spell books, myths and creatures and gods and crazy theories about the origin of this universe and the existence of others - these are not things you can get in the local bookstore.

Lydia looks around, as if trying to understand what's so astonishing. "Everyone gave what they had to give. Stiles has somehow managed to find a few great books online between all those trash websites. Kira sneaked us some of her mom's books. Derek even found a few half-burnt ones between the ruins of his house. I've been trying to rehabilitate them since he handed them to me."

Derek. He keeps hearing this name around here all of a sudden. He didn't even know the trio are in friendly terms with him. He still doesn't know.

No one tells him anything. It's pretty annoying.

Suddenly Lydia straightens. Her face turns blank all over again, much to his disappointment, and she closes the book and looks at him. "Derek is here. Are you supposed to run with him and Scott now?"

Liam frowns and listens. Yeah, there's a new heartbeat in the back of the house. Scott is talking to someone, though that someone isn't answering.

How did she know? Lydia isn't a werewolf, he's sure about that, and yet this isn't the first time she somehow knows. It's actually the first thing that freaked him out about this trio - he was outside their house, Kira just left, and somehow the girl inside knows he's there without seeing him. He fled before he even saw them.

What's going on? And, more importantly, will she answer if he asks?

"Yeah, I can hear him," he says cautiously. Lydia puts the book on the table with the rest of the pile. He draws air in and opens his mouth.

"You should go," Lydia says without looking up. He falters in his seat across from her. "We can just continue when you guys finish. I need to clean here anyway, Stiles has been here this morning and I know he left a few souvenirs."

He still wants to ask, but he nods automatically, and suddenly something occurs to him and he stops.

"Um, I'm not sure it's a good idea. To continue when we come back. These runs are… they make me sweat. A lot." He looks away, neck warming. Lydia's blank stare doesn't make it any less embarrassing. "I mean, I usually go home and take a shower afterward."

"Oh, that." She has to know what he's talking about. She's living with Scott, after all. "Yes, I understand. Is it… that bad? Scott is only unbearable after he does his long route or tries to break his records."

Liam sighs and flops back on the couch, staring at the ceiling helplessly. "Yeah, but for some reason that's been exactly what we do for the last few days. Just the longest and fastest Scott can find. It's like he's trying to tire me out."

Lydia looks at him. Her lips curl into the smallest of smiles. "That's exactly what he's trying to do, Liam."

He raises his head from the couch to look at her. "What? Why?"

"Because he's still careful with you. You might have gotten yourself under control, but you're still new to this business. Exhausting you means making sure you won't lash out at anyone back home, where Scott can't stop you in time."

"Oh." He wonders if he's supposed to feel hurt. Scott doesn't trust him. Not yet, at least.

But… His plan works - Liam is always too tired to feel anything too strongly after their run. And Scott is sort of his friend, in an alpha-beta strange way. He wouldn't deliberately try to hurt him. Liam can just let it slide.

"Wait," he frowns. "So why is he letting me be here with you before we run? I mean, uh, no offense or anything," he hurries to add. He has no idea what Lydia takes as insulting and what not.

But her smile only widens a little. "Don't worry about me. I know how to defend myself. Now go, they're about to start. We can resume this tomorrow."

She is friendly again, and he doesn't want to miss this, but he goes anyway. At least her he knows. Derek is a whole new game.

He stumbles down the stairs and opens the door, momentarily blinded by the noon sunlight outside.

There are three people in front of him. He recognizes the stranger immediately.

Derek is an intimidating person. Him being a werewolf is the most eminent feature he has. His scent is strong, prominent and loud, old in a way Scott's isn't. His body is made of bones and muscles and nothing else. Suddenly Liam thinks he knows who was that friend that shared with Scott the idea of working out to calm the heightened senses.

Derek's face is something between expressionless and hostile, something angry but at the same time uncaring. His hazel eyes train on Liam like hawks and Liam feels tense.

Stiles is standing next to the Hale legacy, Scott on his other side. The alpha brushes a hand over Derek's shoulder and Stiles chuckles and looks at Liam with his eyes twinkling.

"All bark, no bite, just like I said," he winks.

Derek turns his glare to him, and it looks pretty intimidating, but all Stiles does is laugh. Liam is pretty sure he's never heard him laugh so genuinely, no sarcasm at all. Both Scott and Derek look at him with softening expressions.

"Derek, meet Liam. Liam, that's the dog I told you about," he exclaims. His eyes are actually bright. Liam stares at him. He didn't know Stiles could do bright.

Derek narrows his eyes. "Stiles," he growls and cuffs his head from behind. Stiles flails and turns to look at the older guy with a wide expression.

"Ouch! You know I don't have your healing abilities, dude!"

Derek isn't looking very sorrowful.

The highest window on the house's nearest wall suddenly opens. They all look up to see Lydia's pale face poking out of it, her not-exactly-ginger hair falling all around her head, almost hiding her calm expression.

"Hello, Derek," she says, her voice commanding silence and attention, and, impossibly, especially in this position, she looks and sounds like royalty.

Derek nods at her. "Lydia."

"The books you gave me are still unreadable, but there's progress. I believe I will be able to decipher them soon. You'll be the first to know."

Derek nods solemnly. "Thank you."

"Thank you for letting me read them. Stiles, can you come upstairs? I found something you might want to know in one of the old spell books."

"Sure thing. I'll be up in a second." The window shuts close without another word. Stiles turns to them and wiggles his eyebrows.

"Well, duty calls. Have a nice run, you lazy bums." He gives a final salute and strides into the house, musing the strange tune from yesterday to himself. They all stare at him as he leaves.

"He looks better," Derek mumbles quietly. The only reason Liam hears him is because of his super hearing.

"He is," Scott answers. He's smiling so widely Liam has no doubt in his mind that he's missing something.

"What was that? Since when is he that… happy?" he asks, frowning in confusion. Scott and Derek turn to look at him, Scott blankly and Derek angrily.

He doesn't want to flinch, but he's pretty sure this is real anger now.

"None of your business," Derek snarls. Liam's shoulders are tensed and he feels ready to defend himself. On edge.

"Let's just go on a run," Scott says and puts a hand on Derek's shoulder, looking at him pointedly. Derek rolls his eyes but turns to the woods anyway.

Liam doesn't really feel any better.

He almost runs out of the house when they get back. Derek is like a big, muscled, growls-instead-of-words Stiles. The version of Stiles that insulted Liam every chance he got on his first days here. Only Derek probably has no hidden intentions to help him.

He really hopes this isn't going to be a regular thing.

Those strange boys are in the preserve again when he makes his way to the lake house the next day, running and shouting and laughing loudly, and he tries to ignore them but soon he makes the decision to run instead of walk. Early again.

It's not Lydia who's sitting in the library when he comes in. It's Stiles.

He is sitting on one of the couches with two books open in his lap, the purple one and a new, bigger and chestnut colored one, looking between them alternately and frowning.

Liam shuts the door and Stiles's head jumps up. Startled. Or he was very focused, or Liam can write enhanced hearing off the list of Stiles's might-be supernatural abilities.

"Liam, hey," Stiles says. He isn't smiling - wouldn't that be a sight to see - but his smirk is softer around the edges than usual, like it's been for the last two days. "Lydia will be here in a minute. I just wanted to talk to you first."

Oh. That's new. He and Stiles, they're not talking, not formally.

"What's up?" He tries to sound casual.

Stiles closes his books and puts them aside so he could lean forward.

"I heard yesterday didn't go very well. With Derek."

Liam draws back immediately. Like he needs a reminder. "Yeah," he mumbles.

Stiles looks at him seriously with his honey-colored eyes. "Yeah," he echoes. "Listen. Derek is an asshole. You don't need to care about what he thinks."

Yeah, that's exactly what he's been trying to tell himself in the last twenty-four hours. He looks away frustratedly.

"He's just wary of everyone because he's been betrayed in the past by someone he thought was close to him. It'll pass with time, it's not something you should take seriously. But, in case you are…"

Liam looks back at him. Stiles raises his eyebrows at him in amazement, like this is all incredibly funny. "Derek is no bite. It's like what I did when we first met. I didn't really try to hurt you, I just tried to make you angry. Derek is only looking to scare you. If you're afraid, you can't be close and he won't get hurt. It's like a defense mechanism for him."

Stiles points his finger at Liam. "Now, I'm saying it for both your sakes. Sometimes all Derek needs is to be reminded that this is not how it works. That means putting him in his place from time to time, but not letting it stop you from getting close to him. It's bad enough you and I aren't on speaking terms, you don't want to be messed up with him too."

Stiles's eyes twinkle again. Liam can't stop himself from smiling. Stiles smirks back, looking pretty satisfied.

He collects his books and turns to leave, only saying "My work here is done," in a casual voice as a goodbye. He opens the door to reveal Lydia standing on the other side.

Liam blinks. Stiles chuckles and walks past her, leaving them alone.

Lydia marches inside and sits down where Stiles sat, not wasting any time, and opens the worn algebra book.

"Well, I suggest we begin with -"

"Wait, wait, sorry, were you there the whole time? Outside the door?"

He can't stop staring at her. Was she trying to eavesdrop?

She actually looks surprised for a moment, before she schools her facial features into her eternal blank stare. "No. Of course not. I wasn't listening to you, Stiles told me it's private."

"So, what were you… doing?"

She blinks. "I just came when you finished. I didn't hear anything, don't worry."

He isn't feeling ashamed about his struggle with Derek. Well, maybe a little, but that's not the point. He just can't believe she tried to eavesdrop.

And if she didn't, then how in the heck did she know exactly when they finished?

Because she knows everything.

Yeah. Right. He forgot about that. He's also getting tired of not understanding any of this.

"How do you know all these stuff all the time?" he asks, straight out and calm. He's done with playing around it.

Lydia doesn't need to ask to know what he means by that. She sighs, and she looks expressionless but sounds tired and old.

She leans forward, but unlike Stiles, she isn't doing that to look at him intently. She only does that to get comfortable. It's the first time he sees her back not ramrod straight.

"I'm not completely human either, Liam," she says, and he isn't that surprised - he realized something about her is weird days ago - but he has no idea what the rest of her explanation would be. So he waits, tense.

"There are other mythical creatures out there than werewolves," she says softly. "Were-coyotes, were-jaguars, kitsunes, kanimas, berserkers. That's just the few we're aware of. There must be dozens more, maybe hundreds."

"What about you?" he asks quietly.

She looks at him with her pale eyes. "A banshee. The wailing woman."

It's unfamiliar, but so where the others she just listed. She closes her eyes and explains before he can ask.

"It means, between other things, that I have the ability to foresee. I have visions." She opens her lighter-than-green eyes and looks at him dead in the eyes. "I know before it happens, when people are going to die. I hear death coming."

He stares at her for a whole minute before he says anything else, trying to process.

That must be hard. No, scratch that. That must be horrible. And terrifying. And very, very lonely.

She isn't looking at him again, so he skips the "Oh no, I'm so sorry," and goes straight to his real question.

"But that's… I mean, you know other things too. Normal things. Like when Stiles and I finished talking, or when I came early, or when I was outside your house before we first met."

Lydia's eyebrows shot up. "That was you outside? Scott and Stiles looked for an intruder for hours. You got away really fast."

"Yeah, you really scared me," he admits. Lydia actually smiles at that. He smiles too, awkwardly, because it is funny. In a house full of unnaturally strong people, Lydia was the one who actually frightened him. "But I still don't get it. Is knowing everything part of being a… a banshee? Because, I have to say, that's pretty awesome."

She withdraws at that, squinting at him with her head tilted and her face empty. "It's not part of being a banshee and it's not awesome. It's… a mistake."

Liam frowns. "A mistake? What do you mean?"

Lydia stares at him, unresponsive. He stares back, confused.

There's a tiny spasm in the tips of her fingers.

She looks down at the books sharply. "I was thinking about starting with functions. I'll tell you a list of subjects and you'll tell me what you want to go over, okay?"

He blinks and stares at her some more. She doesn't meet his gaze again.

"Um, okay," he mumbles.

She smiles. It's closed-lipped and shiny and fake. It's worse than blank. "Good."

Somehow it feels like he messed up again.

His hope that this will somehow fix itself dies in their next study session.

Lydia greets him with a big, carefully arranged smile, eyes too narrow to be genuine. She instructs him what to do and tells him to ask her if something is too complicated, and then she leaves him alone.

He tries to solve his equations while she floats from shelf to shelf around him, reading her own books, quiet and distant.

It's worse. It's much, much worse.

It means this isn't going to magically go away. Lydia sits with him and explains and looks at him while she speaks, eyes focused and intent. She does not give him a few exercises and leaves him be. That's just not something Lydia does.

But he doesn't know what to say - sorry? - and how, so he stares at his notebook and tries to at least solve a few of the questions.

He's about to give up and ask her for help when he hears the soft cry. So soft it's almost a gasp.

"Lydia?" he asks cautiously. He stands up when there's no response. "Lydia? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she says, but it's quiet and soft and he follows her voice to one of the back shelves.

She is standing very, very still. Her eyes aren't looking up at him when he approaches. They stay glued to the open book she holds in front of herself. Liam squints and looks past her shoulder at it.

There's a necklace laying there, between the pages. A tear-shaped pendant, small and golden and delicate just like the chains, lies on the bottom of the page, reflecting the daylight coming from the window. It's beautiful.

"Is that your grandma's?" he asks quietly, he doesn't know why. He's not really expecting an answer.

"No," she whispers, lifting the delicate necklace off the book. She closes the book and puts it back in the empty place on the shelf without even looking and holds the chain in both hands in front of her. "It's for me. From Stiles."

Her voice is choked. Liam smells the tinge of salt in the air and looks at her in shock. Her eyes are filled with tears. Her lips tremble and suddenly her whole face is scrunching as she cries.

He never saw so many emotions in her expression before and this time he isn't staring. He can't even look at her properly. It's uncomfortable and he doesn't want to embarrass her but he doesn't want to leave her either.

"Liam, leave," she breathes through the tears. "Lydia…"

She makes a strangled sound. "Now. Get out!"

He can't stop a flinch. She covers her face with her hands - the necklace still held in them - and her breaths shake.

His chest feels heavy and he doesn't want to leave her. But she doesn't want him there. It's always been this way. He can't get close unless she lets him in.

He turns to leave but stops by the door. Lydia has her back to him, her hands still raised to her face. There's not a sound coming from her, but her shoulders are shaking.

He wants to ask what's wrong. He wants her to trust him.

He turns back to the corridor and closes the door behind him.

"Liam?" Stiles's head pops out of his room, his eyebrows drawn down in concern. "Is everything okay?"

Liam doesn't meet his gaze. "It's Lydia," he mumbles, then hurries down the stairs before Stiles will ask.

He doesn't. Liam only hears quiet steps and then the library's door opening and shutting almost immediately.

He focuses his hearing on Scott's heartbeats from outside before he his ears can pick up on the sounds from inside Lydia's favorite room. He marches to the kitchen and pushes open the door to the back with a bang, then raises his wide eyes to look at Scott. His alpha looks steadily back, unfazed, questions in his warm eyes.

Liam's hairs are standing all over the back of his neck and arms. He needs to calm down.

"Can we go on a run?"

Scott smiles. "Let's go."

It's good to know he feels safe enough to talk to Scott about it.

"And then she started to fake smiles and let me solve equations on my own and it was even worse than when we first met," he says, frustrated. Scott nods solemnly.

Liam stops for a moment to catch his breath. "And then she found that gold necklace, and she started crying, and… she kicked me out."

Scott looks at him. "What necklace?"

"With a tear-shaped pendant. She said it's from Stiles."

"Oh." Scott rubs a hand over his face. "Yeah. That."

"You know it?"

"I helped Stiles pick it a few days ago. I knew he planned on giving it to her, I just didn't know he was going to hide it in a book."

"Wait, are they - are they…?"

"Together?" Scott smirks. "Yeah, they're together. For about three months now, I think."

"So why did she cry? Wasn't she supposed to be happy? Or… I don't know, happy?" He knows nothing about girls. It's not the point. "She just… It's not like her. She rarely shows emotion anyway. And we know each other for more than a week, she's been teaching me for a few days now, and we're still not really talking. About anything. The one time she actually told me something about herself ended up with her closing even more. What am I supposed to do?"

He sighs, confused and a little angry. "I don't get it. I can't get her to open up to me and I can't have a normal conversation with her if she doesn't open up to me. It's like she doesn't even want to fix this!"

Scott stops him with a hand to his shoulder. "Hey. Don't do this. You know that's not true. She offered to teach you, right?"

Liam sighs. "Yeah, she did."

"So she wants to get to know you. Trust me on this, okay? That's not the problem."

"Okay, I do, but… What am I supposed to do?"

For the first time since Scott told him Stiles was just bluffing and actually trying to help him, Liam is starting to feel hopeless. He kicks a stone and it flies straight through a crispy tree trunk.

Maybe he just isn't meant to belong in there.

Scott gives his shoulder a squeeze. "How about some time?"

"It's not good enough anymore," he mumbles.

Scott has a gentle smile on his face. "It's what you're going to do anyway. Because that's what Lydia needs you to do."

"To wait?"

"Yeah. Let her come to you when she's ready. Believe me when I say she will, Liam. She's already giving you more than she gives many others."

Liam looks up dubiously. "Like what?"

"Like the blank stare." Liam makes a sputtered sound. Scott's smile widens. "Mostly she doesn't do more than send her glorious fake smiles at the people around her. But she makes an effort for you."

Liam blinks at him. Scott pats his back encouragingly. "Lydia is far from stupid. She won't push you away because of her own problems. Things will get better."

"I think you've said it before," Liam murmurs, but there's a start of a smile in the corners of his mouth.

"And I was right, wasn't I?" Scott winks. Liam laughs.

They run in silence for a little while. Liam doesn't feel light and free all of a sudden, but there is a tiny sliver of hope in his chest again. It might still work out, right?

It might still work for him.

When they stop to drink and steady their breaths Liam looks up at the sky from his sprawled position on the ground, and thinks.

Things do get better. But it's not the end. He still doesn't really know these people, not even Scott, not really. Not even their last names actually. He doesn't know how to calm down around Derek. He doesn't know why Lydia decides to pretend most of the time. He has absolutely no idea what's going on with Stiles and his mood swings and his sick aura. He is almost entirely clueless and no one tells him anything about anyone.

But he knows stuff too. Bigger stuff. Like how Scott took him in when he was frightened and new to everything and Scott talked to him until he understood. He knows how Derek's family died but he still gave Lydia their old books he found in the ruins of his house. He knows how sometimes Lydia's smile shakes in the corners of her mouth, like it's painful to keep it full, but she does so anyway, even for a few more seconds. He knows how Stiles made bad dog-puns about Derek so he'll feel better around him. How Stiles burned the chance to what could be a clear relationship between the two of them so that Liam would have better control.

He looks at the sky, where the crescent moon will soon rise. It all started as a mistake, but it happened anyway. And it could have been, like someone told him less than two weeks ago, much worse.

Liam closes his eyes and accepts everything that happened for the first time. He embraces it. He breathes out and lets it go.

Focuses on the future. Leaves everything else behind.

Something like peace takes over his body.

He doesn't know for how long it's going to last, an hour or forever, but for now, he feels good. It's going to be easier next time anyway.

Supernatural creatures tend to be mysteries. Like Stiles and Lydia and Derek. But this day feels like a revelation day.

He opens his eyes again. Scott has sprawled himself next to him. "Hey, Scott?"

"Yeah, Liam?"

"Can you invite Derek over? I want to run with him again."

There's a pause where he can feel Scott's gaze on him but he doesn't look back. Eventually comes an answer. "Yeah, I can give him a call." Liam hears the smile in his voice.

That's about when they hear it.

Scott jumps to his feet. Liam follows right behind him. They both stare in the steps' direction, the running, panting, calling, getting closer with every second.

"...Scott! Liam! Scott!"

Scott's tense position relaxes. Liam straightens and looks at him with confusion. "What are they doing here?"

Scott shakes his head, frowning. "Let's find out."

They run again. It takes less than a minute to reach Stiles and Lydia, who both look relieved and sweaty and tired and stressed.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Scott asks, his concern evident.

Lydia rushes over to them, taking both their hands in each of hers. "Are you okay? Is one of you injured?"

Liam stares at her, a little disbelieving. She looks so worried - for him - it takes a moment to register what's going on.

Stiles comes closer behind her, mouth in a tight line. "Lydia had a bad feeling about you two. She led us here."

"We're fine," Scott says, gripping Lydia's hand back. "It's okay. Nothing happened. We were already on our way back, we just took a break when we heard you."

Lydia's whole face morphs into sheer relief, and Liam is still in shock.

"Is there any way this could be a false alarm?" Stiles asks, looking at her intently. She looks back at him. Liam can hear her swallow.

"Wait," Scott says abruptly, tone slightly lower, rougher somehow. At the delicate changes in his alpha's voice, Liam feels himself focusing, his brain redirecting to fit the new situation, alarm and instincts taking over.

He inhales the wind until he tastes the new whiff of smell in the air. Strange, metallic.

"Blood," he mumbles.

Scott crouches down. Preparing himself. "Someone's coming. Be ready."

Liam copies the position. Together they face east, where the sun is still raised high, blinding Liam when he looks above the treetops. Stiles and Lydia come to stand on either side of them.

"The wind is in our direction. We won't know when they come. It would've been a surprise attack if you wouldn't have warned us." Scott spreads his claws out. "Here we go."

It takes exactly three seconds.

And then there are steps, and they're too fast to comprehend or prepare for, and then there's the metallic smell again and -

Swipe, a branch flies in their direction, followed by a roar so animalistic Liam's skin crawls. It's going to take them all down.

And then a hand catches the branch mid-air and throws it aside. Scott's roar is one that claims a territory, one that shakes the forest around them, swallowing the other howl like it's never been here. Liam's mouth opens, suddenly to full of sharp teeth to stay closed.

They're ready.

Two werewolves break out of the woods. One has icy blue eyes, glowing like flashlights. The other's eyes are red, but not like Scott's eyes. He has no white in them. Just black.

They look like rabid dogs. They don't falter at the sound of Scott's warning.

The black-eyed alpha howls. Scott growls.

They clash.

Liam catches a clawed hand aimed for Scott and pushes the beta back. The werewolf snaps his teeth and charges forward, and Liam tries to defend, but the other beta is older and experienced and faster and Liam finds himself stumbling back. The werewolf raises his hand with a snarl and Liam can almost taste the pain coming.

And then a hand catches the uncontrolled beta and, in a move so familiar to Liam after he experienced it himself at least three times before - as the receiving end of course - smacks him on the ground like a ragged doll that weighs nothing.

Stiles looks at Liam with eyes bright and orange. His blunt teeth are exposed in something between a smile and a grimace.

"Try to get a hold of him until Scott and I are done putting the alpha down, okay? Lydia will help you." And then he's gone and Liam can't ask what the hell can Lydia do to help him without getting killed first.

He looks at the recovering beast in front of him. There's not much of a human in him. He's covered in hair and dirt and sharp teeth and nails until nothing else is really left beyond that. He growls like he doesn't know a different way to communicate.

Liam punches him in the face when he tries to stand, but the werewolf recovers too fast, and Liam receives a punch to the face too and then a kick and claw marks on his arm when he tries to defend his face. He growls and slashes, but the other one doesn't stop at the pain. Doesn't stop at anything. He slashes back and Liam falls again, and it hurts, and it's probably his end.

Then there's a scream, so high it's almost inhuman. It passes right above Liam and he can see it striking the beta, rippling the air like a shock wave. The werewolf gets smeared on the ground again, this time with a whimper.

Liam turns his head around. Behind him stands Lydia, her hands slightly raised, looking paler than usual, panting breathily.

"Are you okay?" she asks, her eyes scanning the scratches on his body worriedly.

"I'm fine." He hurries to get to his feet. The slash marks throb, but they're already closing. "What was that? A banshee power?"

"A banshee scream. Liam, try to give me a clean space to him so I can do it again while you're fighting. I can't do it if you're too close, I might hurt you too."

"Okay," he says and turns back right away, to face the rising beta. There will be time for questions later. He charges forward with his claws extended.

He hits the beta but keeps running this time, getting away just as fast, leaving the way to the werewolf clear.

Lydia doesn't disappoint. The blue-eyed beta whimpers again and Liam doesn't waste his time anymore. He attacks twice again and then clears off again.

It works perfectly. Two minutes later, into Lydia's fifth scream, the werewolf collapses. Liam punches him in the face again, just to make sure.

He straightens his back again, breathing heavily. It wasn't easy, but it worked. He looks around to see Scott and Stiles a few feet away, still messing with the rabid alpha, who looks so wounded it's a wonder he's still standing. But he doesn't falter for a moment, doesn't stop his roars to take a breath.

Liam watches as, a moment later, the two seniors quit their circling around him and attack, like a synchronized machine, bodies fluid and fast and deadly. Scott manages to get a hold on the werewolf's arms and he bends them behind his back until they make cracking sounds. Stiles, his jaw tight and his lips sealed, balls his hands and strikes so fast it's almost hard to follow. Again, again, again. Until the werewolf stops growling and his head finally stays down.

They drop him to the ground and look up. Liam returns the look and turns back to Lydia, who's still behind him, her hair - for the first time since they met - a mess. She's still and she doesn't look away from Scott and Stiles.

Before anyone can say anything there's another sound. Liam looks to his left like it's a gunshot and not a branch cracking. They all turn to face the newcomers.

It's two men. About middle-age, stern, grey stubbles covering their faces, all human. They eye each one of the trio and Liam slowly, putting their hands on their hips and moving their coats to expose the guns tied to their belts like it's sheriff badges. The two of them must have gotten there silently when the battle's sounds covered for them.

Two sets of identical grey eyes land on Liam, scanning him like he's a piece of trash. He hears Scott's almost nonexistent sigh, knowing it's not a breath only thanks to his enhanced hearing.

"Moreau," Scott says, stepping forward.

Stiles snorts behind him. "Nice of you to finally show up."

"McCall," the taller one acknowledges only Scott shortly, his voice rough like a smoker's. The other one cocks his gun. "I see you're still here."

"We are here to stay, as I already told you," Scott states calmly. Liam notices Stiles walking silently behind them to Lydia's side.

"We see you've taken care of these," the short one says, shaking his gun in the two knocked out werewolves' direction like it's a harmless stick. His voice is just as rough, but somehow higher than the taller one's. By the smells coming off of them, Liam would say they're related, brothers maybe.

Stiles smirks. It's sharp and cutting, not like his friendly smirks at all. "Yeah, just missed all the action you're supposed to take care of. Again."

The two turn their beady eyes to him, narrowing them to slits. The shorter aims his gun in Stiles's general direction, the other one cocks his own. Liam's heart starts to beat faster. Stiles doesn't flinch, his smirk only growing tauntingly. Lydia has her hand clutching his beside him.

Scott steps forward again. "We've got the situation under control," he says, his voice suddenly sharp. "We were just leaving. I trust you take care of the two rogues."

The taller one looks at him. The other one keeps his eyes on Stiles, but reluctantly lowers the gun to the two knocked out werewolves.

"I trust you take care of your pack," the taller one says, his voice cracking, and Liam catches a whiff of smoke from him and the other guy. Definitely smokers.

The shorter guy looks at Liam with beady grey eyes and gun slightly raised in his direction. "Yeah," he says, eyes flickering to Stiles and back to Liam, voice still ridiculously high and gruff. "All of them. We would hate it if one of you starts making problems around the city."

His smile is full of yellowing teeth and it's ugly and indicating just the opposite. Liam stares back at him and his skin crawls in disgust and wariness.

"Of course," Scott says, and he is still calm but his voice is colder than ice. "No need to worry. We follow the same code as you are."

Liam watches as the two huff in annoyance at the comment but fold back, finally focusing on the unconscious bodies in front of them. Scott calls his name quietly and he hurries to follow the trio into the woods.

"Who were those guys?" he asks once he's sure they're far enough. He keeps his voice quiet anyway.

Scott shakes his head. "Those guys," he says, a tired but amused smile on his lips, "were the Moreaus. Brothers. Hunters."

Liam thinks back to the heavy guns on their waists. "Supernatural hunters?"

"They're human. All hunters are. But they hunt supernatural creatures, yes. Their purpose is to make sure people can live in peace, unthreatened by creatures like us."

"So they stop werewolves like the two who just attacked us?"

"That's what they're supposed to do." Scott nudges him. "They're those who shot you when you transformed for the first time, on the night of the full moon."

"That arrow was theirs?" he asks, somewhat incredulous. He'd forgotten all about that. "They were going to kill me!"

"Yeah, but we got to you first," Scott says and smiles. Liam is still frowning.

"They looked at me like they still want me dead," he mumbles.

Scott's smile disappears. "The Moreaus… aren't the best hunters I know. They are too careless and uncaring. The previous hunters in Beacon Hills, the Argents, they knew what they're doing. The Moreaus don't. They don't think before they judge, they just do what they grew up and saw their predecessors do. I don't trust them even a little. But, and it's a big but, they still have a code. They don't kill without a reason. So they might want you out of the picture, but unless you really hurt anyone, they will do nothing. You don't need to worry."

Liam processes that slowly while they walk. Things actually make sense now. Scott and Stiles knocking him out during his first full moon, putting so much effort into training him, exhausting him every day so he won't accidentally slip and make a mistake. They're probably saving his life by doing this.

"Wait," he says abruptly. "Did you say Argent? As in Allison Argent?"

The famous Allison who was Scott's anchor until things went south between them. Who was his girlfriend.

Scott makes a suffering sound. Stiles, who's been uncharacteristically quiet, chuckles from Scott's other side. From where he is Liam can't see him nor Lydia.

"Yes, that Argent. I guess you can see how things could become complicated pretty fast," Scott says, smiling crookedly when Stiles makes an "oooooh" sound. Scott sends his hand in Stiles's direction and Liam hears Stiles leaping further away, laughing.

Liam shakes his head. Stiles in a good mood was a nice thing to have around. "So where are those Argents now?"

Scott's smile becomes hesitant. "They… left. There were a few complications in the last year. Allison and her dad left to France with Isaac, a former pack member and her current boyfriend."

"Oh." Liam was taken aback. "Didn't see that coming." Scott turns to look at him again and his smile returns.

"Don't worry," he says. "It wasn't working anyway. I got over it. We still talk from time to time."

"Yeah, and he's got Kira now," Stiles says casually. A startled "Ouch!" leaves his mouth a moment later and Scott smirks.

"We still miss them," Lydia says very quietly from Stiles's side. "But we're okay."

Liam can't see her from where he stands, but he's pretty sure her face is back to blank, judging by her careful voice. He sighs internally. Seems like the outburst of real emotion is over.

He says goodbye and leaves them halfway to the lake house, instead turning to the direction of his house. He's had more than enough action for one day, and being around the trio means staying constantly on your tiptoes. You can't know when you're about to learn something entirely view-changing.

Supernatural creatures are mysterious indeed.

When he knocks on their door again, well rested and hungry from his run over there, eager to go inside and escape the ten-in-the-morning sun, he's surprised to see Lydia opening the entrance door for him.

"Liam," she says, and she smiles, like she's been waiting for him - and not because he's late. He smiles back, surprised.

"Hi," he says. She lets him in and leads him to the kitchen, where there's plenty of food and no one else beside them.

"The boys just left," Lydia says as he sits down. "I sent them to Derek with one of his books I just managed to resurrect. It couldn't wait and I didn't want to cancel our lesson for today." She takes a tea-filled mug in her hands. "If I heard right, Scott is also going to ask him to come over to run together again." She sits on the chair opposite from his and her smile doesn't fade from her lips. She looks satisfied. "I'm glad to hear that."

Liam tries to process the new tone in her voice - could she be proud? - without stopping his eating. "Yeah," he mumbles between bites. "Me too."

He eats and she sips tea and they sit in silence for a while. He doesn't know what's going on or why she looks so relaxed but he doesn't want to blow it, so he doesn't push.

They go upstairs and settle down in the library. "Any new surprise gifts from Stiles?" he asks jokingly, and immediately shuts his mouth. Big mistake.

Or not. Lydia doesn't look bothered, just slightly amused as she opens a geometry book on her knees. "Of course. I found his phone, a nutshell and a beer bottle cork in three different books just this morning. I would have considered buying him a stack of bookmarks if I hadn't known he's helpless."

Liam laughs, his surprise growing with each minute passing, and she smiles again but starts right away. No small talks, but there's still this aura of peace around her. He's starting to relax too.

"Will you please bring me the geometry book from the third shelve on the second row?" she asks after a moment of inspecting the book she holds. "It's by Matthew Sanderson. White cover, but it's old, so more like grey now. I want to make sure this book has everything."

Liam takes the book from its place and stares at her. "Did you read it a few days ago or something?" That was a tiny bit too perfect description, but Lydia has no reason to know that, she already finished geometry (not a big surprise with a brain like hers).

"Oh, no, I haven't seen that book since Scott donated it to the library. Why?"

Liam stares at her some more. "It's… your banshee power, right? That's how you know this place so good."

She knows everything. Hundreds of books, and she can find the one book you want with her eyes closed in less than a minute. Because she just knows.

A mistake, she called it.

The smile slips from her lips and Liam regrets asking immediately. Scott told him to give her time, not ask her questions that can shut her off again. He hurries to give her the book.

"Sorry, forget about it. Let's just start," he says, not looking at her, and sits down on the couch opposite from her.

Silence. A moment later he can't take it anymore and peeks up, and he meets her hesitant eyes, paler than green. The book he brought is still close beside her, the other one opened in her lap. She looks down at it and slowly closes it.

"No," she says, slow and deliberate. "Don't apologize. It's true, it is my banshee senses. That's how I know all of the things I know."

"But…" He hesitates. She signals him to move on. "You told me that's not what you're supposed to know. The banshee powers mean you can sense death but somehow you know more than that."

She looks at him, eyes blank, but not void. He doesn't back off, just waits.

Eventually she nods. He takes a deep breath and asks what he wanted to ask for so long.

"Why?"

She sighs, a long and breathy sound, almost too quiet to pick up on, and looks away. "My abilities as a banshee were awakened two years ago, when an alpha werewolf bit me. I was a normal banshee, as far as we know - no special insights on nothing that doesn't involve at least a potential to death. But then, a few months ago, I was kidnapped."

Liam can't look away. Lydia's eyes meet his again. "Dr. Valack pretended to help me, but he just took locked me in the hospital and drugged me until I couldn't fight him or anyone. He wanted me to give him information, about the future." She speaks very quietly, almost delicately, and her face is still empty. Liam has no idea how she's doing that.

"He improved my banshee senses by drilling a hole into my head," she says, her voice slightly raising at the end. She brushes away the hair from the side of her head, and there, right behind her left ear, is a scar.

It's round and hairless and still not fully healed. There are a few tiny stains of clotted blood dotting the exposed skin. Liam swallows hard.

She lets her hair fall and hide it again. "I was in his hands for three days," she says quietly. "Most of the unconscious. And then Stiles And Scott found me." Finally, a sliver of emotion slips into her voice, making it choked and high. "They got all the help they could find and they got me out of there. I was going to die but they saved me. Stiles saved me."

She stops and shuts her eyes. Her breaths are too shallow and fast and Liam looks away and tries to give her some sense of privacy while she regains her composure.

"That was when Stiles and I got together," she finally says softly. Liam looks back at her. "That's the only thing you can call good about what happened. I know things now, but I would choose to be normal banshee over that experience every time."

Liam nods quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to prod, I had no idea."

She doesn't look away. "I know."

He thinks back at yesterday. When she cried and told him to leave. "So why were you surprised, yesterday? When you found the necklace? Didn't you already know about that?"

A shadow of a smile passes on her lips, fleeting and almost too quick to catch. "When Stiles forgets his things all over here I know. Most of the time I do. But when I don't, well. It's a nice feeling. To know I missed something. That what Valack did to me isn't complete." She sighs, and there's a look in her eyes that Liam's pretty sure is endearing. "Stiles knows it makes me feel better, so sometimes he leaves a real gift. Like the necklace. To surprise me."

Liam nods. Lydia looks at him, and she is still too blank and somehow distant, but she's not formal anymore. She talks to him like she knows him. "I cried yesterday because I was caught off guard and I wasn't feeling well anyway, and you were there. I don't consider you a stranger, but sometimes it's still hard to have someone new around." Her eyes are as soft as her voice is. "When I sensed you and Scott were in danger I went to find you as fast as I can, because I do care, even if it's hard to show sometimes. Now you know why."

He looks at her and she looks back and there's a silence between them, but it's a comfortable one. Of mutual understanding. He nods and she smiles and he smiles back, and it's sealed.

She opens the book in her lap again. "Scott and Stiles will be here in four minutes," she states calmly. Liam's smile widens. "Let's try to make our best until then."

He looks at her straight back and tidy clothes and closed-lipped smile, and he relaxes. It's not about him. It's just her.

Today feels like another revelation day.

.

.

And we'll never be royals

It doesn't run in our blood

That kind of lux just ain't for us

We crave a different kind of buzz

.

.

Stay tuned, there will be more.

Hope you enjoyed :)