Disclaimer: I don't own anything – except for a red hoodie...

...As Stupid Does

part 3 of the Stupid 'verse

Once upon a time Stiles would have told anyone who would listen – and quite a few who wouldn't – that he wasn't stupid, thank you very much. He doesn't any longer. Not because he's begun to think less of his brains, but, well. Stupid is as stupid does, and Stiles? The record shows that Stiles has done a lot of stupid things.

Then again, that's more because he's easily bored and much too impulsive for his own good. Or, you know, anyone else's. (He still carries the guilt over Scott getting bit. Over getting Scott bit.)

That needs to change, and Stiles swears that he'll make it so when he starts his new life – the one he only has because he was stupid and got himself... "involved" with Derek Hale. The one his dad gave up everything to give him.

They arrive in Port Angeles October 1th. Stiles puts his new plan, his new lifestyle to the test that same day. It takes time, and he backslides on occasion, but for the largest part it works.

His grades are where they should be. He makes friends, both boys and girls. No one is as close to him as Scott, nor as amazing as Lydia (who totally was his friend for a while there), as badass as Allison (and by some grace or other it no longer hurts to think of her) or as fabulous and sassy as Jungle's drag queens. (He finds new drag queens though. He is, after all, not completely stupid.)

He tries out for – and makes – the track team. Endless bouts of suicides and countless laps around the lacrosse field coupled with running for his life has done wonders for both speed and stamina, it appears.

And he fixes things at home. This is easily the most important thing to him. He. Fixes. Things. At home, with his father.

Being careful not to jump into any stupid shit does wonders for the relationship between Stiles and his father. Not having any supernatural shit to jump into even more so. The most important part of it, however, is the fact that he no longer lies to his dad.

Not having to keep anyone's secrets makes him feel light and free, and that carries through when he talks to his dad. Still, it's not enough to just stop with that, or so he decided when they left Beacon Hills. So these days Stiles is probably one of the most honest teenagers in the state of Washington, maybe even the country.

No more white lies about attraction, or friendships, or school. No more evasive maneuvers. None of that. He doesn't tell his dad everything of course, because first of all that would mean dragging up some ugly shit he wants to keep in the past and secondly everyone needs some measure of privacy.

He just won't lie. Not about going on a date with a sweet freshman with gorgeous black braids or about turning down the offer for a second date because her laugh doesn't do half as much for him as that of the guy sitting behind him in Spanish.

Not about turning down the lanky senior from the swim team (though he does keep quiet about the reason being the guy's eyes are a copy of Derek Hale's).

Not about sleepless nights, or missing Scott – and his mom – or about that one homophobic ass that went after him when the news of Stiles being bi hit the school. (Nor about his relief – and his silent gloating – when the boy is taken to task.)

He doesn't even lie about what's really in the casserole he serves for Sunday dinner.

As for John Stilinski, well, he tries harder too. Being the sheriff, even of a small town such as Beacon Hills, might have meant higher status but being a "simple" police officer in Port Angeles means better hours and significantly less stress. This means Stiles eases up on the healthy food, and John stops trying to sneak as much junk by his son. Even better, he goes days, sometimes weeks without alcohol.

John too makes new friends, that make him take up fishing, and even start talking about maybe dating again.

Things are good, better than they have been since before Scott got bitten, and Stiles welcomes 2013 with enthusiasm. He's happy.

The fact that this doesn't trigger Stiles' spidey sense just proves that he doesn't have one. And exactly how unfair isn't that?

It all ends the day Stiles tags along on one of those fishing trips and comes across a gorgeous male that would have all of Stiles' hormones singing the hallelujah if it wasn't for one simple fact. He's willing to swear on the fact that not even a minute earlier that same guy was a huge wolf. Werewolf.

Fuck.

He doesn't realize he said it out loud until the guy turns and nails Stiles with a dark-eyed stare.

Double fuck.