A/N: Well, I had WAY too many feels after the 6B trailer came out, so I had to put some of them here. I loved Scallison (OTP!) and Scira was adorbs...but if Scalia is really happening in 6B, then Sign. Me. UP!
Rated M. You all know why.
Little bit of whump too because I can't resist.
Please enjoy and jump on this trash train with me!
Fictional
Everything hurt.
Malia limped slowly up the stairs behind Scott, a heavy silence lingering between them. Neither of them had the energy to say anything at the moment. His back and shoulders were stiff, both from the losing battle they had just fought and the weight of the world on his shoulders.
After the night they had just had, neither of them wanted to be alone. They hadn't even exchanged words, she had just followed him back to his house, and he hadn't asked or even questioned it.
That was just a sign of how far gone they both were at this point, relying on each other to get through the current mess of their lives.
Malia sighed heavily as they rounded the corner into his bedroom, exhaustion settling into her bones. Here they were, all about to start their lives and get the heck out of Beacon Hills, to go away to college and be semi-normal, but of course they couldn't get just one more moment of peace before everything went to hell again.
New hunters with bigger weapons and a bigger agenda, and some sort of unstoppable monster that they had somehow inadvertently released when facing down the Ghost Riders, turning everything and everyone against them.
And that wasn't even to mention all the things the damn Nemeton was still attracting to Beacon Hills.
Scott paused in the middle of his room, turning around to face her. She grimaced at all of the blood and grime covering him after their most recent close call, and she could tell from the expression on his face that she didn't look any better.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly, for maybe the thousandth time since the fight in the preserve had ended hours earlier.
"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied, furrowing her brows at him concern. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Scott nodded, but Malia didn't miss the clenching of his jaw. He was in obvious pain, and not just from his healing injuries.
"They're going to be okay, Scott," she stepped towards him, reaching over and gripping his hand like a lifeline without a second thought, squeezing tight so he knew she was there, that she had his back, no matter what. She might not always be great with the right words, but she could let him know through a look, a touch, that she was still with him through this.
This last battle hadn't been without casualties of war. Parrish and Brett were still missing, and Theo was presumed dead, although Malia was having mixed feelings on that one, no matter how hard he had tried to redeem himself. She knew that Scott felt the same way.
Lydia was in the hospital with some broken ribs as Stiles hovered anxiously at her side, blatantly ignoring the fact that he most likely had a concussion himself. Liam was still unconscious and Derek wasn't in much better shape, but at least Deaton had them at the clinic now and was looking after them, with Hayden's help. Peter was God knows where, and Malia was trying really hard to convince herself she didn't care.
In short, it had been a rough night for the whole pack.
The only small mercies were that Melissa was safe at the hospital with Mason and Corey for now, and the Sheriff at the station, while they all anxiously awaited for Argent to break his radio silence from behind enemy lines with whatever intel he had managed to obtain. And at least Henry, the man Malia knew as her father, was still out of town on a hunting trip and away from the danger.
Malia could smell the distress rolling off of Scott at the current state of their pack. His eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of anger and guilt. "But it's my fault, Malia. Our friends, everyone we care about, are going to get killed...because of me." His eyes turned downward, looking anywhere but her face.
"It's not your fault," she said admanatly, stepping closer to him and forcing him to look back at her. "You didn't cause this. This is no one's fault but theirs," she emphasized, referring to their new enemies. "You can't blame yourself, Scott."
"They're my responsibility. I'm supposed to protect them," he shook his head miserably. "I was barely able to protect you."
Malia scoffed, arching an eyebrow at him. "I don't need you to protect me. I can handle myself."
"Trust me, I know," he replied with a knowing look. "But that doesn't mean I won't try. I can't let anyone else get hurt."
Well of course, Malia thought to herself, that's Scott mantra, after all.
"You can't protect everyone," she reassured him, trying for a gentler tone this time. "But you can't stop fighting either. We can't let them win."
Scott's eyes flashed red momentarily as he looked back up at her, and she felt some relief at seeing the familiar determination return to his gaze instead of defeat. "I won't. We won't." He laced both of their hands together then, squeezing her fingers back in a tight grip.
Malia gave him a wry smile. "Now that's more like it."
He smiled at her, a real smile this time, before it quickly fell back to a frown as he examined the slowly healing head wound at her hairline. He reached up and gently fingered the wound. "Does this still hurt?"
"Not that bad anymore," she reassured him, but she couldn't hide a wince when she moved, testing out her sore leg. "Everything's healing, just taking a little while."
He nodded in understanding, but the concerned look didn't leave his eyes as he studied her carefully. She swallowed thickly, forcing her heartbeat to stay steady when he looked at her like that.
Something she had had to keep doing more and more around Scott lately. Malia wasn't sure exactly when or even how, but somewhere in between fighting the Ghost Riders and saving Stiles and Beacon Hills...something between them had shifted.
At first, she had been afraid to know what that meant...because it was Scott. Scott. Her Alpha. One of her best friends. Her ex-boyfriend's best friend. Her long gone friend's ex-boyfriend.
But as time went on and as they were currently running for their lives at every turn, Malia was finding that didn't matter that much to her anymore. Not to mention, Stiles and Lydia were together now, and although it still hurt a little bit to see them together, he had moved on and so had she. She had learned a lot in the short time that she had been human again, and she knew now that although Stiles would always be important to her in some way, they weren't right for each other in the long run, and she could be happy for him and Lydia. And she was.
She also was pretty sure Stiles wouldn't care if he knew the direction her and Scott were headed in, because all he'd really want was for them to be happy too. The problem was, she wasn't sure Scott knew that, at least not yet, because he always liked to put everyone else's happiness before his own.
She knew that Scott had finally made peace with the fact that Kira wasn't coming back, probably ever, so he could finally let go. Although Malia couldn't help wonder sometimes that if Allison were still alive, if Scott would still be waiting for her. But life was too short to hold onto broken promises and empty dreams, and with the lives they lived, having second chances was never a guarantee. Allison was a good example of that.
They might not live to see tomorrow, and Malia wasn't someone to look too far into the future, so whatever it was that was happening here between them now...she didn't want it to stop.
She just hoped that he felt the same way, but she was fairly certain he did, that he was only hesitating because he didn't know how she felt, didn't want to ruin their friendship because it was too important to him. But it was painfully obvious lately, the unspoken tension between them had been hovering for weeks now, almost palpable when it was just the two of them in a room together.
Just like now.
Shaking her head to escape her trailing thoughts, she raised her eyebrows at him, hoping he hadn't noticed her drift away for a moment. "And what about you? How's your shoulder?"
Scott shrugged, but she could tell how much it hurt when he did it, no matter how much he tried to hide it. "It's fine. It's healing."
She stared at him with a disbelieving look on her face, and he sighed, knowing that he could never get anything past her.
"It still hurts. But it'll be ok."
"Ok, it had better be," she nodded at him, before wrinkling her nose. They both smelled like blood and grime and death, and Malia couldn't stand it anymore. She wanted to get as far away from this awful night as possible.
As if reading her thoughts, Scott motioned towards his open bathroom door. "Why don't you take a shower first?"
She nodded in agreement at him. "Yeah, good idea." She turned, throwing her ruined brown jacket to the floor as she headed into the bathroom. She paused to look back at him in the doorway. "But not until I look at that shoulder first."
"Malia, it's fine," Scott groused, crossing his arms as if he could hide it from her, but she could tell from the way he moved that it was hurting a lot more than he was letting on.
"Just let me see it," she continued determinedly, daring him to argue with her.
He sighed, already knowing he was fighting a losing battle when it came to this. "Malia, it's healing, I swear."
"And I get that, but I still want to see it," she raised her eyebrows at him in challenge, stubbornly standing there and waiting him out.
"Okay, okay, fine," he finally replied in defeat, and Malia gave him a victory smirk as he walked past her into the bathroom.
"Isn't easier when you just agree with me?" she couldn't hold back a chuckle. They both needed a laugh, honestly. Anything to get their minds off of everything else collapsing around them.
Scott shot her a look, but it was more amused than annoyed, no matter how serious he tried to be. "I just know when to pick my battles when it comes to you."
She grinned at him, unable to stop the stupid smile from spreading across her face. "Good. Now sit," she gestured to the closed toilet lid as she rummaged through the bathroom mirror where she knew he kept some medical supplies, "and take off your shirt."
She could feel Scott freeze at her words, at the inexplicable double meaning that hung between them, but she busied herself pretending to dig for alcohol and swabs, silently thankful that the angle of the open mirror hid her face from him for a moment.
Quickly collecting herself, she shut the mirror and turned back to face him, his tattered shirt off now, trying not to stare too hard at his broad chest or the way his arm muscles were flexing.
Funny, with all of the times she had seen him shirtless, and she wasn't blind, she had always known Scott was attractive, but with the way things were changing between them now...it was taking all of her willpower not to throw herself into his lap right then and there.
She averted her eyes quickly, noticing that Scott was studying her a little too closely, as if trying to figure out why she was hesitating, and she moved behind him to look at his shoulder.
"Oh my God," she gasped when she saw the charred and ripped flesh on his back. She knew he had taken a direct hit, had seen him fall and then get right back up, but she hadn't known it was like this. "Scott, why didn't you tell me it was this bad?"
"I know it looks bad, but it's healing," Scott looked back at her over his shoulder when he heard her sharp intake of breath. At her skeptical look, he quickly continued. "Really. I promise."
"Well, at least let's clean it out so it doesn't get infected or something," she muttered under her breath. "Maybe it will heal faster."
"Maybe," Scott echoed back at her, tensing himself for what was sure to be excruciating pain.
"Ok, are you ready?" she asked him, unable to hide the concern in her voice, and he gave her a short nod to go ahead. She hated seeing him in pain, and lately, that's all she had seen him in.
And she wanted to fix it. Desperately.
He may be their Alpha and have the need to protect all of them, but Malia was having an overwhelming desire lately to protect him.
"Ok, here it goes," she braced herself as she poured alcohol into the deep wound, dabbing gingerly at it with the swabs.
Scott grunted in pain, whole body stiffening and jaw clenching as he tried to ride it out.
"Almost done," Malia said apologetically, trying to work faster so that she didn't hurt him even more, forcing her hands to be more steady and sure than she really felt capable of.
He nodded stiffly, unable to answer, just gritting his teeth harder and gripping his hands into fists in determination to not cry out.
"There, it's done," she said finally with a deep exhale, standing back and examining her handiwork. The wound was still raw and jagged around the edges, but she could clearly see now his skin starting to repair itself.
She quickly set the supplies down on the edge of the sink before coming around to face him, kneeling down so that they were eye level.
"You okay?" she asked him with concern.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he nodded, still in obvious pain but relieved it was over. "Thanks."
"Here," she reached over and grabbed his hand in hers, black lines snaking up her arm. "This will help."
"Malia, no," he pulled his hand back. "You're in pain too," he motioned at her still healing leg. "Don't worry, I can take it."
"But you shouldn't have too," she all but rolled her eyes at him, snatching his hand back and trying to pull more of his pain. "Come on, Scott, you're way worse off than me, just let me help."
He held her gaze, and they stared at each other intently for a long moment, daring the other to argue more, before he finally relented. "Okay."
"Okay," she smiled grimly at him, taking some more of his pain until she felt he was at a reasonable level. Once the tension lines around his eyes relaxed, she let go, standing up and stretching as she tested out her injured leg.
"How's your leg?" he asked with concern, eyeing her carefully as she put more weight on it.
It was much better now. She hadn't even noticed, she had been so intent on helping Scott. "It's fine now, almost completely healed," she reassured him, waving it off. "It wasn't nearly as bad as your shoulder anyways."
He stood up too, carefully rotating his shoulder and examining her handiwork in the mirror. "Thank you. It feels a lot better. Seriously."
She shrugged, crossing her arms across her chest. "You'd do the same for me."
He turned back from the mirror, facing her with a serious look in his eyes that made her heart rate inadvertently speed up against her will, and she fought to slow it down before he noticed.
"I don't just mean my shoulder. I mean this, you, being here with me, right now," he gestured around, trying to find the right words. "It means a lot."
She nodded, taking a step forwards and closing the space between them. "I'm with you to the end of this thing, Scott. We all are, but you know that."
"I do," he nodded slowly, reaching over and squeezing her hand in gratitude. "I couldn't do this without all of you guys." He paused for a moment, before continuing more softly, "without you."
Malia nodded, holding his gaze for a long moment, noticing how incredibly close they were standing now, their noses almost touching.
After a moment, he stepped back, seeming unsure if she wanted him in her space, to be that close to her.
Malia decided right then and there that she'd have to change that. This was the leaping off point for them, no turning back.
But it had never felt more right.
"So how about that shower?" she raised an eyebrow at him, a playful smile on her lips.
Scott chuckled, breaking the seriousness with a shake of his head. "I almost forgot. Here, let me get you a towel." He turned to the small linen closet tucked in the corner of the bathroom, pulling out a fluffy blue towel and handing it to her.
"I'll just, uh, be out here," he rocked back on his heels, still looking uncertain, as he started to head back out towards his bedroom.
It was now or never.
"Scott," she called after him, and he stopped, turning back around in the doorway with a questioning look on his face.
"Yeah?"
She walked purposefully towards him, stopping only inches away, want and need clear in her eyes.
"I don't want to shower alone."
Scott's eyes widened at her words, momentarily taken by surprise, as if he couldn't believe she was actually putting it out there, actually addressing the unspoken tension between them and acting on it. He stood there, frozen in place for a moment, and she heard his pulse speed up dramatically.
Then his gaze softened, and he closed the space between them immediately. His eyes locked with hers as he studied her face carefully, trying to read what was there.
"Malia..." he trailed off, looking at for her confirmation, needing to know that this was what she really wanted. He reached over and gently tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.
She nodded steadily at him in answer. "Yes."
Scott let out a deep breath, a thousand emotions swimming around in his eyes before he asked her again. "Are you sure?"
She took a step back, pulling her shirt over head and tossing it to the floor in one fell swoop, her eyes flashing blue.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
Scott's eyes flashed red in response, and the next thing she knew, he pulled her tightly against his bare chest. Her heart started racing wildly with the way he was looking down at her. He cupped her face in both of his hands before his lips crashed against hers, as weeks and months of tension and feelings and mutual respect and maybe even love poured into that kiss.
Malia moaned as they kissed for the first time, loving the way his lips felt against hers, her skin lighting on fire as he moved his hands down her sides and gripped her bare waist, pulling her even tighter against him as their kisses deepened, getting more desperate with every passing second.
After a moment, he pulled back, their foreheads touching as they both tried to catch their breath. He gave her a long look, as if asking one more time if she really wanted this, if she really wanted him, if she wanted to be with him like this.
There would be no going back, and they both knew it.
She unlatched her bra in one swift movement, tossing it to the floor, swiftly followed by her shorts and panties in answer.
The look of want and admiration as his eyes raked over her naked form was one she'd never seen from him before. Sure, he'd seen her naked plenty of times, the whole pack had essentially, but she had always been very comfortable with her nudity and it was the only way to shift from full coyote and back, so she had never had any qualms about that. But Scott had always been nothing but respectful, always averting his eyes and never openly lusting after her.
Until now.
"You're beautiful," he breathed, sounding as though he had been holding that information in for a long time.
She couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face at the absolute awe with which he was looking at her.
She pulled the shower curtain back, turning on the hot water. She quickly turned back to him, grabbing onto the waistband of his jeans and pulling him to her. Scott responded quickly, landing a searing kiss on her lips and groaning in anticipation as she popped open the button of his jeans and undid the zipper in record time.
"Off. Now," she muttered into their kiss, feeling him smile against her lips at her urgency.
He only stepped away for a moment, as both of their frantic hands dropped his pants and boxer briefs to the floor.
It was Malia's turn to look at him with admiration.
Scott McCall was perfect.
She didn't have time for any other coherent thoughts as he suddenly threw the curtain back and pulled her into the shower in his arms, pulling it hastily shut behind them.
The hot water cascaded down over them, and Malia closed her eyes, leaning back into the spray as Scott started kissing down her neck, sucking gently at the junction of her neck and shoulder before nipping her with his teeth.
She moaned at the sensation, running her hands up and down his muscled chest. He tilted her chin down and tipped her head back towards him, kissing her again for all he was worth. She reached her fingers up and ran them through his hair, pulling at the nape of his neck and making him moan into her mouth.
Malia opened her eyes, giving a soft smile at the way he was looking back at her as the steam rose all around them.
He cupped her cheek again gently, and she leaned into it, relishing in his touch.
"Do you know how much you mean to me?" Scott said softly, needing her to know, needing to say the words aloud before this happened, and it was just so Scott that Malia couldn't help the way her heart skipped. She smiled even wider in response, before landing another demanding kiss on his lips.
"I do," she replied in confirmation, because she really did know, could see it in his eyes, feel it in his touch. She held his gaze steadily. "But why don't you show me."
With that, she unabashedly ran her hands down his chest again and over his stomach, appreciating the feel of his hard abs underneath her hands. She kept her hands moving lower, further down until she wrapped her hands around him, loving how hard he already was.
For her.
He groaned loudly at her touch as she moved her hand up and down his length, dropping his head on her shoulder and panting heavily.
Malia definitely wanted to hear him make that sound again, and she continued her ministrations, enjoying the feel of him under her hands.
Regaining his composure, Scott started kissing down her neck again, his hands gently caressing her body, running over her breasts and squeezing her pliant nipples between his fingers.
Malia threw her head back again under the water, making little gasping sounds of pleasure as he moved his head even lower, carefully taking one of her nipples between his teeth.
Scott hummed his approval at her reaction, mouth still burning against her skin, as his free hand moved down lower to finally reach the apex of her legs. Malia moved her legs farther apart to give him more access.
She couldn't hold back a loud moan as he gently touched her, his eyes flashing red again at how wet she already was, how bad she already wanted him. Testing the warm heat between her folds, he slowly put in one finger, and then another, moving them deeper while simultaneously reaching her clit with his thumb.
Malia gasped even louder, her eyes opening wide, panting heavy breaths as Scott moved his fingers even faster, curling up inside and making the world go sideways.
He couldn't hide the satisfied smile as he leaned up to kiss her again, moving away from her lips and down the side of her face and jaw.
"So beautiful," he murmured between kisses, hot breath against her skin. "So perfect."
Perfect was the last way Malia thought anyone would ever describe her, she knew she was flawed and she knew she still had a lot to atone for. But under Scott's gaze, with the way he was touching her...
She could actually believe it.
"Scott," she panted against his cheek, his lips, his neck. "Scott..."
If she wasn't mistaken, he let out an audible growl at the way she was saying his name.
He continued to move his fingers inside of her, faster and faster, and she started to quiver at his touch, clenching down around his fingers. But she wanted him, to feel him fully, and she couldn't wait for it anymore.
She moved her hands back up to his face, grasping him between her hands as she bit down on his lower lip, pulling it between her teeth.
That time he definitely growled in reaction to her, rumbling deep in his chest and turning Malia on more than she'd ever been in her life.
She had to have him. Now.
"Need more," she whispered heavily against his mouth, looking at him with hooded eyes. "Need you."
Scott made an unintelligible noise deep in his throat, looking at her with want and understanding, needing her just as much as she needed him. Without another word, he carefully hoisted her up in one arm as if she was weightless, while bracing himself with his other arm against the shower wall and gently leaning her back against the cool tiles for leverage. She wrapped her long legs around his waist, belatedly noticing that her leg was completely healed now.
Their eyes met, and Malia could see how much he cared about her, how much she meant to him, and she wondered how she hadn't seen it before.
Or maybe she had, but she hadn't been willing to admit it to herself until now.
And then he was pushing into her, going slowly at first, letting her adjust to him bit by bit, inch by inch. Malia couldn't remember how to breathe as she took him in, wanting more and more as she strained against him. She moaned even louder this time, letting her forehead fall against his, never breaking eye contact.
If anyone could look at her the way that Scott was right now, then she could be happy for the rest of her life.
And then he was finally all of the way inside her, and it felt so good and full and right that she couldn't imagine not ever being with Scott in this way again.
He slowly began to rock his hips against hers, moving in and out just a little at first and taking his time with her. Their hands and lips continued to explore each other's bodies, finding their rhythm.
She ground her hips back against him, taking him in even more, not even trying to hide the mewls of pleasure escaping her mouth at the way he felt, and not missing the grunts he made in return as he snapped his hips up even harder in response.
Then Malia pushed herself off of the wall a little bit more, and the new angle pushed him so deep inside of her she cried out at the sudden sensation, accidentally clawing his back as she clung to him.
"Malia..." Scott groaned against her neck, knees nearly buckling at how incredible the new angle felt as they moved. His teeth brushed her neck again as he picked up the speed, going faster now, deeper now, thrusting so far up into her that Malia was already seeing stars.
She kept moaning his name, over and over, until it became a litany of nonsensical words against his lips, his ear, his neck.
Scott Scott ScottScottScott...
It was amazing, being with him like this. She didn't know if it was the deepness of their friendship or even the more basic instincts between his wolf and her coyote, but it had never quite felt this way with anyone before.
So connected, so in sync, so right.
He continued to push into her, faster and harder now, panting against her skin, kissing her so fervently as if he was making up for lost time.
It was perfect.
Malia was getting close, and she knew it, the familiar coil in the pit of her belly rising. She writhed in his arms, could feel him everywhere, and she couldn't get enough. She was on the precipice and about to fall over the edge, gasping for air as their bodies moved together.
Scott knew it too, could tell from her reactions and her cries as he pushed ever deeper inside of her that she was almost there.
He carefully reached one hand down while still balancing her against the shower wall, reaching down to stroke her clit between the pads of his thumb and forefinger. The added sensation was overwhelming, and she forgot how to breathe, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she trembled in his arms.
"I've got you," he whispered heavily against her ear then, knowing she was about to reach her high. "Malia...I've got you..."
That was all she needed to let go.
Malia came undone in his arms after that, clenching down hard around him as her orgasm overtook, crying out as the waves of pleasure washed over her, body shaking from the sheer force of it.
Incredible couldn't even describe how it felt.
She slowly came back to herself, still shaking in his arms, as he continued to ride her through the aftershocks.
Scott was right behind her, she could tell from the way his breath was hitching and his hips were stuttering against her that he was right on the edge, had been somehow holding on to make sure that she got there first.
She bit down on his earlobe, laving it with her tongue, her breath hot against his ear, and he fell apart with a loud moan as he finally came, pulsating deep inside. Malia momentarily heard claws scraping against the shower tile behind her.
For a few moments afterwards, they just stood there in the shower, still wrapped around each other under the warm spray of water, breathing heavily from the exertion and trying to get their bearings.
"Wow," Scott finally managed to say with a dazed grin on his face, looking sated and relaxed in a way she hadn't seen him in ages.
Malia couldn't hold back a short laugh of agreement at that, still catching her breath. "Yeah, wow is right."
He pulled out and gently eased her down until her feet were firmly on the shower floor once again. He leaned down and gave her another long kiss, but this one was tender and sweet and full of promises that Malia hadn't known she'd wanted from him until now. He finally pulled back, and Malia didn't know how it was even possible to miss a person who was literally standing right in front of her.
Scott turned around, grabbing a washcloth from the side of the tub. "Maybe we should actually shower now," he laughed as he reached for the soap. Malia grinned and grabbed it out of his hands so swiftly that he didn't even have time to react, still half stoned from their tryst.
"Let me," she smirked, gesturing at him with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.
"I definitely won't complain about that," he gave her a matching grin. She snatched the washcloth too and after it was soapy enough, she began to run it over his chest and neck, loving the way he leaned into her touch. His eyes were closed, enjoying every second of her hands on him.
After she was sure his front was thoroughly cleaned and she somehow kept herself from touching him in all the right places again because they really did need to shower, she stepped back to admire her work.
"Ok, turn around," she ordered, and he chuckled at her bossiness as turned his back towards her like she demanded.
That's when she noticed it.
"Scott," she breathed in surprise, "your shoulder already healed." She reached her fingers up and gently fingered the area where the deep wound had been earlier that night. It was gone.
He nodded, turning back around to face her, gripping her hands in his. "I know. Thanks to you."
"Me?" Malia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I really don't think my terrible job of cleaning it out earlier did that much."
Scott shook his head, a warm smile on his face. "I don't mean that."
"Oh really," she gave him a wicked look as a sly smile crossed her face, referring to the other things she had just done to him.
"No, not just that either," Scott laughed throatily, taking the opportunity to kiss her once again. "Although that definitely helped. Like really really helped. Trust me."
"Oh, I know," Malia smirked, gesturing at the now closed wound on her forehead and her now healed leg. "Me too."
"Good," he kissed her again, relieved that she was okay. "And that was seriously amazing...but it was more than that. It was just you being here with me. For always being there with me."
She smiled at him again, hoping that he could tell how much he meant to her simply from the look she gave him. "I'm not going anywhere."
Sometime later, after the bathroom was completely steam-filled and the water cold, they finally stumbled out of the shower and back into the bedroom, clean and tired and spent.
Wrapped in towels, a long silence fell between them, as they both took in this new change between them and tried to figure out what it meant.
Scott suddenly turned to face her, the towel still wrapped around his waist and a serious expression on his face.
"Malia," his eyes bored into hers, "are you okay with this?"
She looked back at him in confusion, pushing back a few strands of wet hair from her face. "Okay with what?"
"With this," Scott looked slightly worried now, as though maybe he'd misread her signals, as if he couldn't tell how she really felt. He gestured between them. "With us."
Malia couldn't keep her lips from quirking in amusement at that. Only Scott would care this much, be this worried about how she felt, to make sure that she had really wanted this to happen, or if she was just seeking out any type of physical comfort for the night and would regret sleeping with him in the morning. "I thought it was pretty obvious."
Scott made a chagrined expression at her words. "Yeah, I just, I just wanted to make sure that..."
"Yes, I am," she cut him off quickly, already knowing where he was headed with this and wanting to make sure he knew the truth. "I'm more than okay with what just happened, Scott, I wanted it to happen. So stop worrying, okay? I can smell it on you from here."
He nodded, frowning apologetically. "I know, I know, sorry. I'll stop." He turned away from her and headed to his dresser.
Then Malia realized that maybe he needed to hear it, that she hadn't exactly told him in so many words, and maybe that's why he was still unsure how she really felt, that this wasn't just another casual hook up because she was so done with that.
"You mean a lot to me too," she blurted out suddenly, silently kicking herself for the completely embarrassing and unsmooth way the words just tumbled out of her mouth. He wheeled back around to face her, expectantly waiting for her to continue.
"Because, you know, I didn't say it back earlier," Malia plowed onwards with a deep exhale, "but you do, Scott. You mean a lot to me too."
The smile that spread across his face at her words was somewhere between relief and amusement, and Malia smiled back, a satisfied feeling settling in her chest at his expression.
"Happy now?" she shot back a little defensively at the big smile on his face, but there was a definite teasing in her tone.
He laughed, shaking his head at her, and it was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. "Yes, very."
"Well good," she replied, adjusting the towel still wrapped around her body. "Then let's go to bed."
Scott nodded in agreement, and another short silence fell between them, but this time it was comfortable. Natural.
"You can wear one of my t-shirts if you want," he said a few minutes later over his shoulder as he opened one of his dresser drawers.
He threw on a pair of black boxer briefs and some grey sweatpants, rummaging through the next drawer to find something for her.
"I usually sleep naked," Malia shrugged nonchalantly, and Scott nearly choked at her words, turning back to look at her again with renewed heat in his eyes.
"Well, if you do that, we might not get any sleep tonight," his voice had a lower timbre to it again, one that made Malia tingle all over when she heard it.
She wasn't sure if it was because he was Scott or because he was an Alpha or maybe even both, but she was entirely certain she wanted to keep having this affect on him, over and over again.
She sauntered over to him, landing a forceful kiss on his lips and smirking when he groaned in protest after she pulled away, pressing against his bare chest with one hand. "Good point...but we should probably get some sleep."
Scott sighed in agreement, although she knew her kiss had him debating otherwise now. "Yeah, it's been a long night."
He opened another drawer and handed her an oversized shirt to sleep in. She dropped her towel and threw it on over her naked body. The shirt hung down midway to her thigh, and she noticed the hungry way Scott was appraising her when she looked back up.
"What?" she asked him simply, faking innocence, but she already knew.
"Nothing," he muttered, his voice husky, his eyes narrowed at her, "I just really like you wearing one of my shirts."
Malia knew that was it, because she knew that animal side of him so well, of herself, and she knew his scent all over her was going to drive him crazy.
Before she knew it, he had crossed the room and pulled her to him, lips crashing against hers once again.
Malia reacted instantly, kissing him even deeper and pulling at the waistband of his sweatpants. She put her hands against his chest again, pushing him backwards until they both tumbled onto his bed, a tangled mess of lips and limbs everywhere.
The shirt didn't stay on long.
The next morning, Malia awoke with the sun streaming in through the window, feeling well-rested and warm and safe.
It didn't take her long to figure out why as she cleared the sleep from her mind and slowly regained her bearings.
For the first time ever, she had slept with someone else wrapped around her, had actually liked being the little spoon for once.
She looked over her shoulder with a soft smile to see Scott curled up behind her, still sound asleep, his breath warm on her shoulder. His arm was thrown over her, hugging her protectively to his chest even as he slept.
She turned very slowly onto her back and then onto her other side so she could be face to face with him, determined not to wake him. He was beyond exhausted and she knew he needed to rest. She couldn't help herself, gently carding her fingers through his sleep-tousled hair, unable to stop touching him now that they had finally crossed that line.
It was a testament to how tired he was when he didn't even stir at her movements.
She studied his face as he slept, so close to hers. He looked relaxed and peaceful and young, didn't look like the war-ridden boy he was, struggling to protect his pack and the people he loved against supernatural threats at every turn, feeling far too much responsibility on his young shoulders because he was the Alpha, and because he was Scott. Malia thought it was so unfair sometimes, because all of them had lost so much because of who and what they were, and sometimes she debated if going back to being a coyote would just be easier than staying in the hellstorm that was their lives.
But she knew now, laying safe and warm and protected in his arms, that she would never leave, couldn't leave, because of Scott.
Because she loved him.
That striking realization washed over her, making her heart thud painfully in her chest for a moment. She had debated that possibility already, had wondered if maybe she loved him and if he loved her back, but in that moment laying there in his bed together, Malia was suddenly sure of it.
Maybe she was more human than she had been giving herself credit for.
She was in love with Scott, totally and completely, and he needed to know.
And as opposite as they were in so many ways, where she was all fire and he was cool and calm, where she was too wild and he was too controlled...they somehow made perfect sense. Their differences pulled them together, simultaneously bringing these traits out in each other when they needed to and making each other better, balancing each other out in every way.
Malia smiled to herself, still watching him sleep and realizing that even though things were falling apart all around them right now, that this was their biggest battle by far, that their lives were all still in danger...
She hadn't felt this hopeful in a long time, that everything might actually be okay. Love was such a weird emotion like that, but Malia found that she didn't mind.
She just needed Scott to wake up so she could finally tell him.
So, do you guys want a Part 2?