[ it wouldn't have changed anything. derek tells himself that, because what would it have mattered if she'd told him? it would have all had to have happened regardless. ]
[ she's not sure if he's upset or not, doesn't think he knows either, so she rolls onto her front and spreads her hands flat against the hologram. digging in falsehoods. ]
[ that's flattering, coming from derek. he's said much less kind things about stiles in the course of knowing him, but it costs him nothing to say something vaguely nice when no one but river is around to hear it. ]
[ that's probably river's favourite part about being around him. there's magic and there's mysteries but most of all, they've got nothing but time on their hands.
free to take and give as they want without losing anything. it makes it so much easier and terrifying. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I'm not sour.
[ he huffs out a breath, almost a laugh. ]
Don't talk like Stiles.
no subject
What's a Stiles?
no subject
Scott's friend.
[ carefully chosen, because derek likes to be aware of stiles loyalties as they stand. ]
no subject
Is he useful too?
no subject
[ that's flattering, coming from derek. he's said much less kind things about stiles in the course of knowing him, but it costs him nothing to say something vaguely nice when no one but river is around to hear it. ]
no subject
free to take and give as they want without losing anything. it makes it so much easier and terrifying. ]
When you need him to be?
no subject
[ when derek's need for stiles to be useful didn't clash with his own personal motivations. but that was a tangled mess for another day, wasn't it. ]