Bedmates

And I don't think I have ever seen

A soul so in despair

So if you want to talk the night through

Guess who will be there?

"Roll to Me" by Del Amitri

Chapter 2: Roll to Me

Dead parents, dead brother, dead packmate – Isaac shouldn't have been surprised Derek was dead to him too, even if the alpha still lived.

Isaac held his breath and stared at the wall. The pain he had been denying all day had overwhelmed him, as it often did, in the dead of night. Isaac was used to hurting alone in bed, used to acknowledging the things that were wrong in his life under the cover of darkness. That was more difficult with Scott asleep on his back only a few inches away.

It was Isaac's second night staying with Scott, Isaac's second night without a pack. Last night he had been exhausted and had fallen asleep with relative ease. He had awoken that morning with an aching, emptiness in his heart, but he had been able to tamp it down and go through the motions of daily life. He had continued to keep the pain at bay all evening as he spent time with Scott and Melissa, doing his best to be receptive to their friendliness. He appreciated what they were doing for him, and he knew that his situation could be much worse, that he could be homeless. Yet that didn't change the fact that he had been kicked out of his pack, that no one wanted him, that he was a burden the McCalls would eventually grow weary of enduring. Isaac may not have been alone in the literal sense, but he was alone in every other sense.

It sucked that he wasn't alone in the literal sense. He needed to process his emotions and confront the pain he had been hiding from all day. He was lying on his side facing away from Scott as he stared at the wall, but it was hardly the privacy Isaac had come to rely on during these dark moments. It was much more difficult coping with the pain while Scott was so close, much more difficult enduring the sharp, cold emptiness that enveloped his chest while he had to control his breathing and heart rate.

Scott let out a muted whimper in his sleep and moved his leg. It brushed against the back of Isaac's thigh and before he could stop himself, he gasped in surprise, letting out a choked sob in the process.

"Isaac?" Scott's voice was sleepy-heavy but concerned.

Isaac held his breath and lay perfectly still. Maybe Scott would fall asleep again.

"Isaac, what is it?" The bed creaked as Scott rolled over and placed a hand on Isaac's shoulder.

Isaac shook his head and tried to let out a slow breath so Scott wouldn't worry, but it came out ragged.

Scott closed his hand over Isaac's shoulder and gently pulled him onto his back. Isaac closed his eyes but didn't have the will to struggle.

"Oh Isaac." Scott's hand trailed from Isaac's shoulder to his chest. He patted and rubbed Isaac's sternum. "It's okay. Let it out."

Isaac opened his eyes and looked up at Scott. Even in the darkened room with only minimal streetlight seeping in from around the blinds that covered Scott's window, Isaac was struck by the depth of concerned affection present in his friend's eyes.

Isaac's mouth slipped open and another ragged, sobbing breath escaped. He was cold and scared and Scott was a beacon of warmth and safety, just like he had been the night before.

"I gotcha," Scott whispered as he wrapped his arms around Isaac's torso and slid his upper body on top of him, giving Isaac a lying down hug and leaning his head against Isaac's.

"Aaunnh!" Isaac locked his arms around Scott's body and squeezed him close as the sharp, tight ache in his chest throbbed hard then began to unwind. Werewolves could only leach away physical pain, not emotional anguish, and yet somehow...

Scott stayed draped over Isaac until all the hurt had drained away from the void in Isaac's chest where his pack connections should have been. The emptiness wasn't gone – more pain would surely come to fill it – but for now Isaac was okay. He could maybe even fall sleep.

"I'm sorry," Isaac whispered, hands on Scott's shoulders, not quite pushing him away but making it clear that Scott was free to let go now.

Scott did let go, and for a split second Isaac wished he had waited just a little bit longer to send his signal, but then Scott was rolling onto his back and pulling Isaac along with him, hauling him against his chest.

"Please let me help." Scott stroked a hand down Isaac's arm and side, using just enough pressure to entice Isaac into relaxing against him. "Tell me what you're feeling."

Isaac lay his head against Scott's chest. It felt wonderful and fucking weird at the same time, but if he was going to cuddle in bed with Scott, he might as well go all in and talk about his feelings too. "I'm alone," he said, proud of the distinct lack of emotion in his voice. It was nothing to whine about. It was just a simple statement of fact.

Scott's warm fingertips slid down Isaac's forearm and gripped his wrist. He tugged Isaac's arm over his chest, not so subtly inviting Isaac to hold him and deepen their embrace. Isaac accepted and as soon as he did something shifted inside of him, partially filling the emptiness.

"You're not alone."

"I'm not like alone alone, but..." Fuck. So much for keeping his tone emotionless. Isaac's voice broke as he continued. "I don't have a pack. I'm an omega."

"Dude, no way." Scott sounded almost angry. "You have me, and Stiles, and Allison, and Lydia. You have a pack. You're not an omega."

"They don't like me," Isaac mumbled, rocking on his hip and nestling the front of his calf between Scott's shins to combat the ache skittering around the edges of his heart and threatening to rise again.

"Of course they like you."

No, they really didn't and Isaac knew it, but that was okay because he had Scott. Besides, there was a bigger problem.

"I don't have an alpha." Isaac gripped Scott more tightly and nuzzled closer.

"Maybe you don't need one," Scott answered, trailing his hand along Isaac's spine.

"I need one," Isaac whispered, terrified at the prospect of facing supernatural threats like the darach and the alpha pack without the power and protection of an alpha.

"I don't need one," Scott answered with a shrug.

"You're special." Isaac had meant for the comment to be at least a little sarcastic, but it had come out with unguarded admiration.

"You're special too."

"Not like you."

"Of course not." Scott laughed. "If you were special like me, then neither one of us would be special. So I'm special like me and you're special like you. But we're both special."

Isaac chuckled and bumped his knee against Scott's thigh. "You know none of that made any sense right?"

"Isaac?" Scott's hand massaged the center of Isaac's back.

"Hmm?"

"You're not alone."

The corner of Isaac's mouth tugged into a smile and he involuntarily gripped Scott closer. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"I'm sorry you didn't wake me sooner."

Isaac gave up resisting and nuzzled his face against Scott's chest, inhaling his scent as deeply as he could, letting it hug his insides like a security blanket. Things were going to be awkward in the morning, but for now it was just too comforting to resist.

"I guess I'll go to sleep," Isaac said, rising onto one arm to roll away.

Scott pulled him back down. "Go ahead."

Isaac's cheek was hot as he pressed it against Scott's chest and closed his eyes. It was much easier coping with his pain with Scott so close.

-000-

End Notes: Feedback is always greatly appreciated!