Side Bets

The Party Dont Stop

Lydia looked on from the kitchen. Malia was trying to tell Stiles who had won or lost the kahoot game and consequently their pack bet too. Although instead of the usual dramatic reaction everyone expected from him, like demanding a recount, playing another round, or even suggesting that someone cheated; Stiles simply seemed frozen in place.

Which didn't make sense at all, earlier Stiles had been treating it like they were betting on who lived, not on who got free food for winning a silly lycanthrope-themed Kahoot game. So why now is he just standing there with seemingly no reaction?

Disconcerted with this change in personality, Lydia raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow and walked over, her imaginary investigator badge officially on.

"Okay what's wrong? There's obviously something more going on with you. Afraid us winners will pick something expensive as a reward?" She tried to ask in a light-hearted but still serious way, hoping it would help keep Stiles's guard down so he would be truthful with her.

"I uh..." Stiles stumbled, glancing up at her then back down at the floor. It seemed he wasn't expecting someone to confront him so it only partially knocked him out of his daze. "What? Um sorry... what did you say?" He asked looking back up at her mild confusion stitched onto his face.

"I asked, what's wrong with you? Are you that upset about losing? I told you to study with me last night so we could be prepared. I made flash cards and everything." She was eying him in a way that made it seem like she was trying to peer inside his brain to find the answers she wanted rather than just wait for him to respond. And knowing Lydia she probably actually was trying to do that, but she still hadn't got quite the hang of all her banshee benefits yet so her trying was most likely all in vain.

Stiles gaped at her audacity then stood up to look her in the eye, his usual spirit coming back in full. "First of all I didn't expect to lose a kahoot game when half the players can hardly read the screen with their reading glasses on, Lydia."

He wasn't genuinely upset with her but he wasn't going to let her talk as if he didn't want to spend last night alone together researching werewolf facts just to beat everyone else in a stupid game. "And second— last night I was busy doing what you guys asked, and I convinced Derek to—"

At the mention of his name, Stiles suddenly could practically feel Derek's smug gaze from the kitchen, daring him to continue.

"To.. uh.. I— never mind..." Stiles voice quieting back down as his gaze fell once again to the floor. This time trying to hide his face a bit as Derek's threats repeated on loops in his head.

"you lose, you wear a diaper during lacrosse practice"

"Well, you could've come by my place after Derek's." She crossed her arms and grew more confused as Stiles's face seemed to now glow a soft pink. Why was he blushing? Did something happen at Derek's?

"considered taking back my conditions...but now? I don't think I will."

Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about your consequences for making stupid decisions.

Don't think about how embarrassing it would be if someone found out. How Scott would definitely not want to be his friend anymore. Lydia would look at him weird forever. His dad would disown him. The whole town would call him names and—

Stop thinking about it. Or you're going to have a panic attack.

Instead, think about the other bet... that you also lost.

The bet that if you had just prepped a little bit more like Lydia said then you wouldn't have lost and wouldn't have to go through with Derek's stupid side bet that you just HAD to agree to and you wouldn't—

Never mind, he thought as he shook his head a little, attempting to clear his scrambled brain. He can't be thinking about any of that right now or else he won't make it through the rest of pack night without possibly having a breakdown. He'll just deal with it all later— when he absolutely can't run from it anymore.

"Stiles—" Lydia interjected his thoughts, worry very evident on her face.

"Oh um, no yeah...never mind." He looked back at her suddenly smiling for the first time this night. "Anyway, sorry about that I just think I got too into the bet I think. You know how adhd goes." He gave what seemed to Lydia like a fake laugh and Lydia bit her lip to keep from saying anything more.

If he wanted to pretend like everything was fine, then she would play along. For the night anyway. But if he didn't tell her by the end of school tomorrow, there was going to be hell to pay.

For the rest of the night, Stiles put on a face and made jokes with the others about how intense he can get with bets and games. While also trying his damndest not to look anywhere close to Derek, afraid that one look would be all it would take for Derek to decide that waiting to embarrass him until lacrosse practice was too long. That he would suddenly pull out a hidden diaper from behind his back and make him wear it in front of the pack.

However, Stiles managed to make it through the next 4 hours with only a few suspicious glares from Lydia and one annoying interaction with Derek—when they both went for the bathroom at the same time and Derek just had to snicker and make a stupid comment about Stiles "needing it more than him." The absolute bastard.

Later, after everyone had gone back home, Stiles's dad told him to go to bed while he cleaned up, his dad could see just how tired Stiles was. For once he didn't argue with his dad, instead just trudging to his room and flopping on his bed with a groan.

He couldn't get past the initial embarrassing thought of wearing a diaper to be able to brainstorm any ideas to get out of the hole of consequences he'd dug himself. So tomorrow didn't seem like it was going to be fun. But tomorrow's problems are for his tomorrow's self.