Scott McCall sat on his bed and stared at the phone in his hands, all it takes is the press of a button and everything could be shifted. He decides to just get it over with and presses the 'send' button on his phone. It rings.
Scott uses one hand to fiddle with the bottom of his shirt while he waits for an answer. His breath freezes in his throat when he hears her voice. "Hello?"
She sounds tired, probably from being on the road for the past two weeks with her brother. Scott takes a deep breath. "Cora. Hey."
She doesn't say anything for a moment. Dread pools in the bottom of Scott's belly. "Scott? Why are you calling me?"
Scott sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Um, I just wanted to talk."
He imagines her rolling her eyes. "Right… were your other friends busy?"
Scott shakes his head before remembering she can't see him. "Uh, no. Not really."
Cora sighs. "Okay. Are you going to talk? That is why you called me in the first place."
Scott pauses to think about the incident that lead to his making the call. "I walked in on Isaac and Allison. Allison, my ex. With Isaac, my friend and housemate. I could have talked to Stiles about this but I found myself wanting to talk to you."
He's worried for a second that she hung up but then he hears her stifle a giggle. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at your pain or whatever. I just… no one has ever really tried to talk to me about anything like this before. Like normal teenager stuff."
Scott frowns. "You never talked like this with your friends?"
Cora is probably shaking her head at him. "Scott, I spent the last six years trying to survive. Didn't really have time to make friends or talk about the things kids our age usually talk about. I never got a chance to try and be a normal teenage girl."
Scott wishes she were in front of him. He wants to hold her hand. And possibly hug her. "I'm sorry."
"Don't do that. Don't apologize over something you had no part in. It's just the way things happened for me. And I guess Derek too." She waits for him to say something, but he doesn't. "Why did you call me?"
Scott closes his eyes. "I didn't want to talk to any of my friends. I just wanted to talk to you."
Cora doesn't say anything, so he continues. "Stiles will always support me and be protective of my feelings. He's my brother and it's what he does. He's definitely going biased."
Cora sighs tiredly. "What do you really want to say, Scott? You know how you feel and you know how your friends feel… just say whatever it is that made you call me."
Scott groans. "I think I'm over Allison."
Cora makes a noise of encouragement. "Okay, we're getting somewhere. Why was it so hard to admit that?"
He lays onto his bed and throws an arm over his eyes. "We were supposed to be it. The great love story that started in high school and never ended. But that didn't happen. Now, I am the Alpha of a werewolf pack and Allison is falling for Isaac. I guess, I felt that if I admitted it out loud it would be real."
Cora clears her throat. "Do you have a problem with Allison moving on?"
"No. I think that's why I'm freaking out a little. I thought we would be this epic love and if either of us moved on, it would be the end of the world. But it's not. I'm actually kind of happy for them. I still love her. I always will, but I want her to be happy. I want Isaac to be happy, he's a great guy and he deserves love too."
Cora sighs dramatically. "I am not really seeing the problem here, Scott. You're a great guy and you think Allison and Isaac are a good idea. It sucks that things didn't happen the way you wanted them to but that's life. If things happened the way we wanted them to then my family would still be alive."
Scott frowns. "I know, I just… its weird being honest about loving her but not wanting to be with her. It's weird being happy that she doesn't want to try again."
Cora lets out a low whistle. "Sounds like you were afraid of Allison wanting to get back together, not afraid of being over her."
Scott takes his arm off his face and lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Maybe. Yeah. I didn't want to hurt her if she wanted us again."
"You're a nice guy, Scott."
Scott doesn't care to stop the grin that finds its way to his face. "Thanks. Um, when do you think you and Derek are coming back to town?"
He feels a bit nervous asking question, but he had to ask. She lets out a laugh. "A few more days. Stiles didn't tell you?"
Scott is not prepared for how fast the news saddens him. "You and Stiles talk?"
Cora snorts. "Nah, he and Derek have been texting since we left. Derek only took this trip to appease me anyway. I wanted us to reconnect and I thought it would be easier to do that away from Beacon Hills."
Scott sits up straight and lets himself hope he has a chance. "We should hang out when you get back?"
Cora doesn't say anything and his hopes start to crash. "… hang out? Like a date?"
Scott nods frantically. Then remembers, again, she can't see him. "Yes! I mean, yeah. Like a date. We should go on a date."
She sighs. "Why? You didn't really talk to me or get to know me while I was in town… why now? Why did you even call me?"
Scott feels his hands start to sweat. He knows he has to be honest, with her and with himself. "Yeah, that was kind of intentional. I didn't want to give up on Allison when you first came around. Then I kept my distance because I didn't like that you made me want to be more in touch with my wolf. I thought you leaving would stop it… but it didn't. So, I called you. I had to hear your voice. I had to know you were okay. That you might come back."
Cora seems stunned by his confession. He feels lighter for finally being able to let it all out. "Scott… I never realized you felt that way."
He chuckles softly. "I didn't want anyone to know. It's a little overwhelming because it's not just me that wants you. My wolf wants you too."
She sounds pleased to hear that. "Good. But you should know that just because you're an Alpha, you don't get to slack when it to wooing me."
Scott smiles. "Is that a yes to the date? Wait, wooing?"
Cora laughs and he feels fluttering in his stomach. "Yes to the date. And yes to the wooing. We are not like other people, Scott. I'm not the kind of girl that pretends to be something she's not. I am a Hale wolf and if you want to be with me, you will court me like proper mate should."
Scott jumps up off his bed. "Mate?"
She giggles. "Oh, Scott. Our wolves are a part of us, yours wants to be with mine but first mine has to accept your wolf. Don't worry about it, mating is not that different than the way humans court. Besides, you don't have to worry about familial approval. Derek loves you."
Scott shakes his head. "You can explain the mating thing to me on our date."
He grins when he hears her content sigh. "Fine. Since you twisted my arm."
"Now, Cora. That's so not the kind of Alpha I am."
Cora responds very dramatically. "Oh, my dearest Alpha. However will I survive these few days without calling upon such a fine gentleman?"
Scott laughs with Cora and ignores the way his heart skips a beat over her calling him her Alpha. "I finally had a real conversation with you, there is no way in hell I am ignoring you until you come back to Beacon Hills."
She giggles softly. "Well, I guess you're just going to have to keep calling and text me."
Scott beams. "Of course."
He hears a door slam on her side of the line and mumbling in the background. "I'll talk to you later, my intended. The beast has returned from talking his manly love. Bye."
Scott can't help but laugh when he hears Derek sputtering in the background as Cora hangs up. He doesn't stop smiling when he puts his phone in his pocket or when his mom comes home. He is still smiling when Isaac comes to him and apologizes for liking Allison but he also reassures Isaac that he is happy for them, that they have his blessing despite never needing it. He smiles brighter when Stiles is blushing and babbling after Scott finally admits to knowing Stiles is talking to Derek. Scott McCall's smile is blinding when he gets out of school and sees Cora Hale leaning against her brother's mom van.
(He and Cora both pretend they don't see Stiles and Derek making out in front of the jeep.)