Name Change
It's been almost a year since Isaac's father had been killed. Nearly a year since he'd moved in with Derek. And every time he heard "Lahey" he cringed, thinking of "Coach Lahey". One day, Derek walks into his room, which is different. "Isaac...", he says.
It was not long after the end of the kanima debacle and Gerard was put away, that things returned to a relative normalcy. Scott and Allison, and newly-dating Lydia and Stiles, went out together often, enjoying their break. The recently un-deceased Peter moved out from the Hale house, stating he couldn't stand the memories. Erica and Boyd went on vacation, at Derek's rough admittance. And Isaac and Derek stayed, returning the house to it's former glory.
One day, while on break, a visiting Scott mentioned something that visibly irked Isaac, though Scott couldn't figure out why. "So is this technically the "Hale-Lahey" house?" He said, and watched as Isaac folded in on himself, cringing. The younger boy nodded, though, and the two continued in relative silence.
Soon after their break was finished, and they were prepared to return to work, Derek pulled in the driveway, returning from his supply-run. "Do you even have a job, or do you rob banks?" Scott said, the joking tone rolling off him. It somewhat amazed Isaac (and the others) that, in the lull of events, Scott and Derek became close, like brothers neither really had. Isaac would be jealous except he was best friends with Scott, and Derek... there's something else there that Isaac isn't really sure he's ready to face.
Isaac waved as Allison and Scott drove off, then he closed the door and went off in search of Derek. In the sunroom of the house, a room Derek built due to Isaac's pleading (or, really, Scott's pleading because both knew Isaac would never show materialistic want), Isaac found Derek, who was looking at the nearly-finished room. The sunroom was located in the portion of the house that received the most damage. After the fire, after Peter, after Kate (and let's not revisit that, thank you), it was the portion of the house that needed the most work, and a part of Derek was glad to see it turning into something beautiful, even if all the other parts of him screamed of the horrors that took place here.
"Our home is nearly complete," Derek said, and he may have noticed Isaac gasp at 'our', but he didn't acknowledge it. "It almost feels like a home again."
Isaac smiled, and stepped next to Derek, watching the house from his vantage point. "Yeah. I feel like I can genuinely call this place a home," Isaac said, then caught himself, "n-not that it-it wasn't before, of course." And he visibly shook, a long distant memory trapping him.
But Derek was used to Isaac's infrequent trips to the horrid past, and knew how to bring him back. He pulled the younger man into his arms and held him close, "He's gone Isaac," he whispered, "he can't hurt you, I promise."
It wasn't immediate relief – never was – but eventually the shudders subsided, and the pained whimpers faded as well. Isaac apologized quietly, as he was prone to do, but accepted Derek's immediate "It's okay, Isaac."
It took to the near end of summer, but finally the house was complete once more. The dead and burnt wood was replaced, the salvaged parts restored, and the house was once more a home. Only instead of a whole house, to Isaac it felt as if it were two parts. "Hale-Lahey," he heard, whispered in his head. He knew, on some subconscious level, that Scott meant no vice to his words, but still they crept in the back of Isaac's mind.
Whenever he looked at Derek, whenever they passed each other in lonely, quiet halls, those words swept past his ears, and he cringed. Even when Derek smiled at him, a rare thing; even when he walked into Derek's room, while the other man slept; even when he walked into the bathroom, unaware Derek was currently showering.
It took three weeks and a very awkward weekend before Derek had finally had enough. "Please, Isaac, tell me what's wrong. Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? You cringe when you look at me and it- it hurts, okay? I admit it. Aren't we supposed to be like a family?" Derek asked, ranting.
Isaac, teary-eyed, mumbled something even Derek couldn't hear, before standing. As they faced each other, Isaac realized he couldn't say what he really wanted to say, so instead, words he should not have said slip out of his mouth, "I just need some time away. Can I stay with Danny?" Isaac asked, knowing his friend would understand.
He also knew Derek would take this the wrong way. Defeated, Derek's shoulders slump and he nods, a quiet, "yeah, sure," escapes his lips and he turns. As much as Isaac wants to hug him, to turn him around and kiss him, instead he quietly leaves the house, not bothering to pack.
After Isaac talked long through the night to Danny of his love for Derek; after Scott talked to Derek, comforted him through his melting heart – Isaac returned. Scott had bid farewell hours before, and Derek rested quietly in his room. Danny had told Isaac to return, for fear that Isaac may never return to Derek if he didn't tonight.
But tonight, something different happens...
School is starting tomorrow and the re-registration forms have arrived. Derek had settled down to rest, unsure whether Isaac would return this night and therefore would wait to fill them out. However, as he heard the younger man return home, Derek decided he might as well ask him something. He didn't realize it, felt oblivious now that he knew, but the question was simple. 'Of course, of course!' he thought.
He gathered the papers and knocked on Isaac's door. "Isaac... I need to talk to you. It's important." Derek said, stretching the truth a bit. But nevertheless, the younger man gave him permission to enter, and so he did.
Derek knew how he was supposed to start this conversation, but he didn't unfortunately start it that way. "I like you." He said. "Okay, wait. Let me start over. Your school papers came in the mail today and I was going to talk to you before you left. And I wanted to say I'm sorry about interrogating you like that. But your papers came and I wanted to ask you something. Because I like you." Derek took a deep breath as Isaac stared at him, possibly still just in shock after Derek said he likes him. "I wondered if you wanted to change your name to Hale?" Derek asked.
And Isaac fainted.
Okay, so it's actually hard for werewolves to faint, given the high senses and such, but Isaac practically fainted.
And Derek ran to him immediately helping him back up, saying, "It's okay if you don't want to and it's not like an adoption or something weird, I just thought it might make things easier and you wouldn't have to hear his name again, and it might help you and-"
Derek didn't necessarily shut his lips on his own, but it's also weird when somebody is trying to kiss you, and your mouth is gaping like a fish. Kisses are really open or closed, not both. But Derek realizes Isaac is about to pull back before Derek has even reciprocated, so he places a hand behind the younger teen's head and kisses him back fully, both putting effort into the steamy kiss.
When they split, with a nasty saliva trail between them, Isaac blushes, and Derek smiles. "I-I kind of love you, okay? And- and every time I heard his name, well I would flinch, I hated being associated with it. But- but I didn't think I could just ask to take your name. I don't know if there are rules to these things or-or- whatever." Isaac, still stammering, calmed a little when Derek pulled Isaac into his arms. "Thank you," he whispered.
Derek nods, kissing his hair. "We can sort out all the official stuff tomorrow. And we can talk more about it then, too. I love you, Isaac." he says, standing.
Derek is about to leave the room when Isaac tugs on his hand and whispers, "Can- can I sleep with you? Not- not like that! I mean, may-maybe eventually like that but- but I just meant like sleeping sleep with- yeah." Isaac let's go of Derek's hand but the older man grabs his chin and kisses him.
"You're adorable." Derek says and grabs his hand leading both of them into his room.
-Epilogue-
"Isaac... Hale?" the teacher calls. Stares all land on Isaac as he stands and clears his throat. "Here."