Disclaimer: I don't own.
A/N: This is a bit AU where Derek didn't kick Isaac out of the loft.
Peter Hale walked through the silent darkened loft, the only light being the occasional flash coming in through the windows from outside. He rolled his eyes as yet another lightning bolt struck, the resounding boom making the large windows rattle slightly. He came to a stop in front of said windows, crossing his arms as he stared with steel blue eyes at the chaos outside. Rain poured down from the heavens pounding relentlessly at the earth below as lightning tore open the sky Illuminating every shadow and dark corner for a second before retracting, leaving the darkness to creep back in, unaffected, to exactly where it was as if it had not been completely eradicated by the light a second ago. A stray cat suddenly came bounding out from an alley. Its fur was of a light beige color making it easy to spot and track its movement through the dark. Its ears were pressed flat against its head as each powerful lunge propelled him forward and closer to the loft. It came to a stop in front of the doors. The cat turned its unnatural illuminated eyes upwards, making contact with Peter's own steady blue gaze. The cat stared up at the man, never breaking eye contact as though he knew that the man could open the door to safety and warmth. That behind these doors was the salvation to the chaos outside and the man was the savior who could open them. Peter peered with dull eyes at the cat's seemingly pleading gaze, before turning around and disappearing into the momentary darkness of the loft, leaving it and the chaos, outside.
Peter made his way back towards his bedroom from the kitchen, a glass of water clutched in his hands. As he neared the large windows again he came to a halt. Stood in front of them peering out towards the street was Derek's last remaining beta. Isaac was clad in only tacky gray plaid pajamas and a white T-shirt, his feet bare. His exposed arms were covered in goosebumps, but he didn't seem to mind the cold. Suddenly the room was lit by yet another bright flash followed by a ruckus boom. Peter watched as the teen skittered backwards away from the windows as if he was personally struck by the lightning. His fearful blue eyes stared wearily out at the sky like a dog would at its normally kind master, that had lashed out and struck it.
"Not scared of a little bit of lightning are we?" Isaac turned startled at the sudden voice coming from his side. He didn't fully relax when he saw that it was only the eldest Hale, holding a glass of water and staring at him with that piercing gaze that made you feel like he was looking past your skin to your inner soul. Cheerfully digging through your secrets and insecurities till he found the one he was looking for. The one that would cause the most pain. And, Isaac thought, maybe that was exactly what he did. One never knew with someone like Peter Hale. For a second the dark blonde debated not answering the older werewolf's question. No need to give him anymore ammunition he could twist and turn to use against him when he was bored or felt in a particularly manipulative mood. But in the end Isaac sighed answering the question;
"Not the lightning, the thunder..." Isaac waved lamely at the direction of the windows and as if to prove a point the sky unleashed another clap of thunder making the boy flinch slightly away from the sound. Peter smirked at the quiet confession from the young beta,
"If you're so afraid of it then why were you staring out the windows like a forlorn teen that had just lost her lover?" Peter asked his lips turning up into a dark smirk, "But wait, you have recently lost one haven't you. What was her name again?..." Hurt flashed across the boy's face before quickly being covered up by an angry glare. But it wasn't fast enough and Peter saw the hurt in those blue eyes, making him secretly smile inside- pleased with himself.
"There's a cat outside." Isaac answered instead, once again gesturing towards the large windows that still showed the storm raging outside. Peter scowled out the window;
"Is that blasted cat still outside?" Peter concentrated his hearing and indeed, past the sound of the rain hitting every surface mercilessly and the occasional displeased rumble from the sky, he could hear the cat's pathetic mews come from outside the closed front entrance. Isaac nodded gnawing at his lip worriedly. Peter could see the confliction on the boy's face as he stared at the storm torn between wanting to go save the cat and fear for the thunder booming above their heads. A smirk played on the corner of his lips as the youth continued fighting with his inner turmoil, how one can be so gripped by fear that all morals and sense for right can be abandoned just like that intrigued Peter. He certainly never had that problem. He doesn't fear things, things fear him.
Seemingly to have come to a conclusion, Isaac's face hardened, setting in a fierce determination as he spun around and headed for the door. Ignoring the older Hale's inquisitive raised eyebrow, he slid open the door stepping outside. Peter's incredulous voice coming from behind him momentarily halted him in his tracks, "Where are you going?"
"To get the cat", Isaac answered turning slightly back to catch the other man's eyes, "You weren't about to suddenly volunteer out of the kindness of your heart." With that he was gone, leaving a slightly impressed Peter Hale standing alone and staring out the window.
Isaac was sure his heart was going to beat out of his chest when he opened the door to the building and stepped outside. Within seconds his shirt and pants were completely soaked through and he cursed himself for not grabbing his jacket before heading outside. He cast a weary glance upwards, watching the dark clouds rumble and come to life for a second before darkening, only for the process to repeat not ten seconds later. He inhaled deeply, the air smelt like wet dirt laced with an undercurrent of something more coppery… and dangerous. Squaring his shoulders he shuffled further away from the door and the safety within. It took a few seconds for him to locate the quivering figure of the cat, it had moved away from the door seeking shelter underneath the mailbox across the street. A metal mailbox Isaac noticed with a grimace.
He jogged across the street, trying to ignore how exposed he felt out here and away from the cover of a roof. Thanks to the lack of any shrubbery or grass patches in downtown a small flowing river of rain water had formed in the street making Isaac scowl as his feet instantly became numb. Reaching the other side Isaac crouched low as a series of thunder claps rang through the sky. He set his teeth and determinately crawled forward the last few paces to the mail box, not caring that he ruined his pajama bottoms in the process. He leaned down on his chest, his face pressed up against the cold wet gravel of the sidewalk. From this position he could clearly see under the mail box at the cat. He gently reached under into the mailbox, but suddenly A loud crack of thunder echoed through the city just as his fingers brushed the cat's wet fur and Isaac instinctively ducked his head down, wincing as the sound made his sensitive wolf ears ring. He worked his jaw trying to lessen the ringing and slowly the eerie sounds of the storm came back and with it the pitter pattering beat of the cat's frantic heart. His own heart beating the exact same rhythm. He opened his eyes not aware that he had closed them when the lightning struck, looking back under the mail box he couldn't see the cat anywhere. He slowly became aware of a stinging pain in his left hand and looked down to see a neat row of scratches running parallel down his hand, the skin already beginning to knot back together again.
The cat must have been startled by the strike and panicked, making a run for it. Uttering a frustrated sigh, Isaac straightened back up scanning the area for the cat. Rain droplets ran in rivlets down his face and he blinked trying to clear his vision. He had to squint to try and see through the sleet of rain, the darkness not helping. Finally he spotted the hazy form of the cat not far from him. It was standing in the middle of the road, its body painfully tense while it wearily regarded him. As the storm kept raging on he had to work hard to keep his heart and lungs from speeding up painfully in his chest and increasing the nausea he felt in his stomach. He slowly shuffled forward not wanting to startle the cat into bolting again. He kept his arms up in a placating matter, murmuring soft words of comfort. Whether it was meant to put the cat at ease or him, he wasn't quite sure. Finally he was close enough to reach out for the cat, gently stroking over its face, cheeks and ears, till he felt the cat calm down slightly. He moved his hands further down, towards its body and scooped up the cat. The cat let out a soft 'mew' at the sudden shift of position, but didn't seem to be getting ready to bolt again. Isaac smiled, taking that as a good sign. His long fingers continued to stroke through the cat's fur, on its head over the ears and further down its body- never stopping or halting their movement. He could hear the erratic beat of the cat's heart start to slow and return to normal.
Suddenly his world was lit up with a bright light, lasting longer than the normal split second. The boy's blue eyes widened in panic as realization dawned on him. He had just enough time to turn his body and clutch the cat protectively closer to his chest. The resounding boom that echoed down the street wasn't from thunder…
The first thing that registered in Isaac's foggy mind was the feeling of tiny ice cold objects assaulting the left side of his face. He frowned, annoyed at the sensation. He tried to shift away from the offending objects but stopped when he felt his face slide against a gravelly surface. He became aware of a stony, slightly bitter, taste in his mouth, serving only to confuse him more. Suddenly a wave of pain crashed through his body and he groaned, remembering now what happened. He was hit by a car, right after he picked up the cat. Panic flooded through his system. The cat! He had to check if the cat was alright!
He shot up and immediately winced when white-hot pain radiated from his core. A hand gripped his shoulder, keeping him from falling back down. That's when he realized that there was a distinctly familiar voice coming from his left;
"Seems to me that you should be more afraid of cars than lightning."
Isaac cracked open one eye and stared straight into the stern face of one Peter Hale. His hair was matted to his forhead from the rain, but at least he had the common sense to grab a coat before walking out into a storming downpour. The young beta winced when another wave of pain radiated from his chest and brought his hand up to his ribs, somehow hoping that it will help ease the pain.
"Don't worry, you're already starting to heal. And your little cat friend is okay" Peter answered cutting Isaac off before he could ask. He pointed to the dark blondes legs and watched as relief washed over the young betas face at seeing the cat innocently perched on his legs, watching him with curious emerald eyes. Not a mark on its light body. The cat sauntered forward till it was pressed against Isaacs chest. It happily purred making him chuckle. He ignored the spike of pain the action caused and went back to petting the cat, "Your welcome Lil buddy."
Peter rolled his eyes, standing up and brushing the dirt off his knees. The night was lit up yet again and Peter looked down, "Can we get out of this rain now and back into the warmth that is the loft? Cats aren't the only ones that hate water."
Isaac nodded grabbing the cat with his left arm and pulling it more securely against his chest. He used his right to push against the rough road, wincing as his sore body protested. He felt the older Hale's large hands on his torso helping him up and steadying him when the world started to tilt. He blinked a few times waiting for the world to come back into focus. He could feel his bones start to shift and repair themselves..slowly. Peter shifted over to his right side and slung Isaac's right arm over his shoulder. Gradually the three soaking wet figures made their way towards the loft. Peter could feel the slumped body pressed to his side tense slightly every time the illuminated clouds growled down at them.
"What happened to the car?" Isaac asked quietly, staring down at his shuffling feet. The pain in his side and leg had lessened a bit, but it was still making movement uncomfortable.
"Gone." Isaac looked up at the flat answer. Peter stared straight a head of him, his face seemingly relaxed, but Isaac liked to think he briefly saw a flicker of anger and concern in the, usually uncaring, man's blue eyes. Isaac smirked. A loud bang had him pressing into the taller man's side. Peter sighed annoyed, glad when they finally reached the door. He let go of the teen, figuring his werewolf healing would have kicked in and healed him enough already to be able to stand on his own. Both werewolves let out a content sigh as they stepped through the threshold and out from underneath the cold rain. Peter shed his coat followed by his shirt, it fell with a wet plop onto the ground. He was in the middle of unbuckling his belt when he felt a pair of eyes boring into him. He looked up to see the young beta staring at him confused, Peter gave him a lewd smirk "Like what you see?".
Isaac scoffed rolling his eyes, "Sorry, psychopathic werewolves doesn't do it for me."
"That's a bit harsh for Someone who just pulled your ass out of the rain." Peter replied, mock hurt in his voice, "Now-" he continued, he finally got his belt unbuckled and pulled off his wet pants, leaving him only in his boxers "- take off your clothes. You're not walking through the house leaving a river in your wake everywhere you go."
"Now who's coming on to who?" Isaac said, smirking at the glare Peter sent him.
Derek Hale was asleep in his bed, unaware of the chaos going on outside, too caught up in the chaos going on inside his own )head. In his mind he could feel the heat of the fire licking at his skin, the bitter smell of smoke assaulting his nostrils, making him feel as if he was choking. He could hear faint screams in the distance, calling him, begging for him to help them. He r-
-Derek bolted upright, eyes flashing and claws extended. A sudden weight had crashed onto his bed waking him from his dream. The smiling face of his beta greeted him. Derek closed his eyes, taking a calming breath, and when he opened them again the alpha-red hue was gone. But sadly Isaac was not. Derek frowned at him, noting his lack of clothing and the fact that he was clutching something furry to his chest. Before Derek could question him, Isaac had thrusted the furry object in front of his face. The object had two ears, and two giant emerald orbs that slowly blinked at him. He mirrored the movement.
"Mew", it, the cat, said, its wide eyes staring at him.
"I found a cat" Isaac said beaming. He pulled the cat back, setting it down on the bed next to him. It settled down in the warmth of the comforter, purring contently as Isaac's fingers worked through its fur. Derek pinched the bridge of his nose
"Isaac," when said boy looked up at him with wide innocent eyes, he continued, "Where are your clothes."
"Peter made me take them off." He replied bitterly. Derek tensed up at the ominous answer.
"Well that sounds worse than what actually happened." Derek turned to see an equally undressed Peter Hale leaning against the doorframe to his room. He pointed towards Isaac, "Your little beta decided to go play hero in the rain, only to be hit by a car. You really should teach him not to go running into the street. That's how most strays die." With that the his uncle turned around disappearing into the darkness. Derek took a closer look at the young beta, noting the water droplets hanging from the tips of his hair and running down his shoulders and over his chest before finally dripping onto his comforter. A damp patch had already formed underneath Isaac and the cat.
There was a deafening crack as the sky tore open and for a second the whole room was lit up by a bright white light, blinding the younger Hale. Blinking black spots from his vision, the dark room slowly started to melt back into solid shapes. He frowned when he couldn't immediately spot the tall frame of his beta. What he did see though was a sudden lump under his covers where there wasn't one before. With a quirked eyebrow, Derek lifted up his comforter, ducking his head to peer in underneath. Wide frightened blue eyes met his own. Isaac lay curled up underneath, tremors racking his body every time there was a loud clap of thunder from outside. He lowered the comforter back down and rubbed the tips of his fingers into his eyes. He was too tired to coach Isaac out from his bed and towards his own, so he just settled back down onto his mattress and decided he would deal with it in the morning. He felt Isaac tentively squirm around underneath the blankets till his head popped up, a sheepish smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Derek stared at him for a beat, before turning around and facing the opposite direction. Isaac, taking his silence as a positive sign, snagged one of the pillows laying on Derek's bed and settled down next to the alpha.
The chaos outside kept raging on long into the night, but for a few hours the chaos within the two werewolves had settled down and both slept peacefully for the first time in a long time.